UPDATE (4/17): New coronavirus cases rising again, Pa. nears 30K with 756 dead; Lehigh County breaks 2K cases

The COVID-19 death toll in Pennsylvania continues to rise, surpassing 700 on Thursday, one month after non-essential businesses were asked to close.

The coronavirus has claimed 53 lives in the Lehigh Valley, which saw more deaths reported Thursday, as did surrounding counties.

Pennsylvania coronavirus cases also increased, to 27,735 with 1,245 reported in the last day, up 4.5% from the previous day, according to daily figures issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Percentage-wise, that is among the lowest day-to-day rises since the states first cases were reported on March 6.

Our trends show that Pennsylvanians sacrifice to stay at home is working, Health Secretary Rachel Levine said in the daily briefing with media.

(Dont see the map above? Click here.)

However, 60 new deaths statewide from COVID-19 were reported Thursday.

Pittsburghs Allegheny County had the days most with 12  that county now totals 38 dead. Delaware County in the Philadelphia suburbs had 10 new deaths, bringing the death toll there to 69, third-most in the state.

(Dont see the chart above? Click here.)

The coronavirus death toll in the Lehigh Valley rose to 53. All three new deaths were reported in Lehigh County, which now has 28 dead. Northampton County has recorded 25 deaths, including Pennsylvanias first on March 18.

Nearby counties also reported more deaths:

Montgomery County lost seven residents. The countys toll is up to 89, second-most in Pennsylvania behind only Philadelphias 134 deaths, which is up two from the previous day.

Five more people died in Bucks County , which has now reported 56 deaths.

Berks County had three more deaths and is now up to 31 dead.

Monroe County reported one new death, its 29th.

(Dont see the chart above? Click here.)

New Jerseys death toll from the outbreak also continued to steadily climb on Thursday with state officials now reporting 3,518 dead and 75,317 total cases, with 4,391 new cases announced - the largest single-day increase. The numbers include 362 additional deaths.

In Pennsylvania, new figures from the health department show that 3,290 (11.9%) of the states COVID-19 cases are in residents of long-term care facilities, like nursing homes, and 394 cases are staffers.

Those care facilities also account for 365 of the states coronavirus deaths  about half of the overall death toll.

(Dont see the chart above? Click here.)

Lehigh County remains the leader in coronavirus cases per capita, with about 554 per 100,000 residents. Two other counties, Monroe and Luzerne, have per capita case rates over 500.

To date, 113,735 patients have tested negative for the coronavirus in Pennsylvania. The health department does not track recoveries, though the St. Lukes Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township recently celebrated its 100th discharge of a COVID-19 patient.

Of the states 27,000-plus cases, 2,503 patients have required hospitalization and 664 needed ventilators, Levine said Thursday.

(Dont see the chart above? Click here.)

State and local health officials say we are about at the peak of COVID-19 cases, but warn that it is not yet time to easy up on social distancing or the statewide shutdown. Gov. Tom Wolf has said he will veto a bill from the Legislature that would reopen some businesses.

The virus has a long incubation period during which unknowing carriers could infect others, including vulnerable populations like seniors.

Some may see the number of new cases declining and think that now we should be OK. But the unfortunate answer to that is we wont be yet," Lehigh Valley Health Network CEO Brian Nester said in a conference call Wednesday.

This is going to be really tough for people to get their heads around, he said.

(Dont see the chart above? Click here.)

For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov and the CDC website.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Russian activists rally order breach sentence appeal hearing to resume on April 20

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

17:28 16/04/2020

MOSCOW, April 16 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Thursday again adjourned an appeal against a 4-year sentence of activist Konstantin Kotov for repeated violations of a rally holding order, the courts press service told RAPSI.

During the next hearing on April 20 the court will hear oral arguments.

In early March, the Second Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction returned the case of Kotov to a lower court. The Moscow City Courts ruling against Kotov was overturned, the court was orderd ordered to reconsider the matter by another bench.

Kotov is to stay in detention until May 2.

Moscows Tverskoy District Court convicted and sentenced Kotov to 4 years in jail in September. A month later, the Moscow City Court upheld the verdict. He filed a cassation appeal against the ruling.

Moreover, in February, Russias Prosecutor Generals Office petitioned to reduce Kotovs sentence up to 1 year. According to attorney Sergey Golubok, prosecutors believe that the 4-year term given to Kotov is illegal and disproportionate.

Investigators claim, the man, who was repeatedly brought to administrative liability for breaking an order of public events in the last 180 days, recently took part in an unauthorized protest action ignoring police demands to stop illegal actions. Investigative authorities claimed that his actions had an intentional nature.

Kotov pleaded not guilty. His defense insisted that there were no elements of a crime in his actions.Protest actions began in Moscow in mid-July after election commissions denied registration of certain opposition members as candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections reasoning that documents submitted by them contained numerous violations.

The first unauthorized rally took place hear the Moscow City Election Commissions building on July 14 and looked like a provocation, according to law experts.

Unauthorized rallies in support of candidates seeking to become lawmakers of the Moscow State Duma but refused registration by the Election Commission were also held on July 27 and August 3 in central Moscow. Over 1,000 people were arrested for various violations as a result.

Following the 27 July rally, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over mass riots. Investigators believe that the protest action was held with the use of force against representatives of authority.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




Despite the ravages of the pandemic, Canadian housing prices will prove remarkably robust, according to Royal LePage.

In its recent analysis, Royal LePage projected that the widespread economic weakness brought about by COVID-19 will pull down Canadas average housing price by just 3% this year, should the slowdown last until late summer.

This will put the nationwide aggregate home price at $627,900. More optimistic estimates place the outbreaks impact being contained to just the second quarter, which might lead to an annual price increase of 1% to $653,800.
At this moment, we have to understand the human toll of this crisis and move some of our investment into direct humanitarian support, Patrick Gaspard, the president of the Open Society Foundations, said in an interview.

The foundation is providing $15 million to the nonprofit New York City Fund for Public Schools to support its efforts, including remote learning initiatives and centers to care for the children of workers on the front lines of the crisis. Another $2 million in funding includes grants to help the homeless and efforts to reduce the prison population, where the virus has spread aggressively.

Mr. Gaspard described the $130 million as only an initial investment from the foundation.

About half of that total is earmarked for the United States, and half to other countries. The foundation is contributing $12 million to relief funds in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington.

The foundation is also giving $2 million to the Coronavirus Care Fund of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which is supporting home-care workers whose jobs have vanished. Another $2.8 million is going to the foundations investment in a platform the alliance is using to help connect with gig workers who might otherwise fall through the cracks with service providers.

The scale of this pandemic has laid bare the fault lines and injustices of our world, Mr. Soros said in a statement. We missed the opportunity to create a more just economy after the financial crisis of 2008 and provide a social safety net for the workers who are the heart of our societies.
The findings are in a paper by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Chris Radburn/PA)

English university students have fewer timetabled hours and attend campus for less time than students in other parts of the UK despite paying higher tuition fees, an analysis suggests.

A higher proportion of English students who study in England (35%) think university is poor value for money compared to their peers in other UK nations  and English students are less likely to say they would make the same choices about higher education if choosing again.

The findings are in a paper by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) which looks at survey data from nearly 60,000 full-time undergraduate students across the UK over the last five years.

Students from England who study at English universities seem to work less hard than students in other parts of the UK even though they pay more for their education, the report suggests.

The data contrasts with political rhetoric suggesting that higher tuition fees should lead to more student choice, extra resources and better teaching and learning, according to the think-tank.

Students in England currently pay up to 9,250-a-year in tuition fees. Meanwhile, Scottish students get free tuition if they study in Scotland.

In Northern Ireland, local students pay up to 4,275-a-year in tuition fees and in Wales local students pay up to 9,000-a-year in fees.

But despite paying the highest fees, English students studying in England say they have less contact time with their academics than their peers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

On average, English students have 13.4 hours of scheduled classes a week, compared to 14.6 hours in Northern Ireland, 14.3 in Wales and 14 in Scotland.

It is not explained by English students taking on more jobs while doing degrees as they undertake fewer average hours of paid employment than their peers in other parts of the UK.

English students do more independent study than their peers (14 hours a week) but it does not make up the entire shortfall in other working hours once work related to their course is included.

However, some of it may be partly explained by a different subject mix among students across the different parts of the UK, the report suggests.

A higher proportion of English students (10%) take Social Studies, which tends to have lower workloads, than local students in the other areas of the UK.

The report says: Contrary to the official claims when the marketised high-fee regime was introduced, English students in England seem to work less hard than their counterparts elsewhere.

In other words, English students in England may be paying more for less  or, given the different subject mix, more for the same.

The paper also found that more than a third (35%) of English students in England say they are getting poor value for money compared to just one in 10 local students in Scotland.

And three in five students in Wales say all, or a majority of, their teaching staff motivate them to do their best work, compared to in Scotland (51%), England (52%) and Northern Ireland (53%).

Meanwhile, students from Northern Ireland studying in Northern Ireland provide more positive responses on all four wellbeing questions than those elsewhere in the UK.

Nick Hillman, director of Hepi and author of the report, said: Students in England seem to work less hard than those elsewhere in the UK. Students in Scotland have more positive perceptions about the value of their course and are more likely to believe higher education should be free.

The majority of courses in England have also been structured around independent study, leading to a reduction in teaching hours and contact time with tutors NUS spokesman

Meanwhile, students in Wales tend to think more positively about their academics and students in Northern Ireland are more content, with higher levels of wellbeing.

He added: Many of our results are surprising. Policymakers in England have often tried to portray high tuition fees as offering more student choice and a better student experience.

Policymakers in other parts of the UK have tended to regard lower student debts as a way to improve student wellbeing. Both these claims are pooh-poohed by the results from students themselves.

A National Union of Students spokesman said it seems unrecognisable to be told that students in England work less hard.

He added: The majority of courses in England have also been structured around independent study, leading to a reduction in teaching hours and contact time with tutors.

This is the direct consequence of a marketised education system seeking to cut costs and not, as the study suggests, the choice of students who choose to work less.

A Department for Education spokesman said: The Government is very grateful for the work universities are doing in the fight against Coronavirus  from supporting students, undertaking ground-breaking research and providing specialist equipment.

Students should feel confident they are getting good value for their investment. We have given the Office for Students powers to take action where it finds providers are not working in students interests, including value for money.
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Heres what we know: The Obama administration opened an investigation into the Republican Partys presidential campaign during a highly contested election predominantly using dubious evidence that was paid for by the Democratic Party  and that likely included Russian disinformation.

Catherine Herridge at CBS News, who has done notably excellent work on an issue few in the legacy media want to cover, reports that newly declassified footnotes show that the FBI relied on the DNCs Steele dossier to secure warrants to spy on the Trump campaign, even though agents were warned multiple times that Russians had likely corrupted the evidence.

Herridge offers numerous instances, but here are just a couple:

Footnote 350 reads in part, The (redacted) stated that it did not have high confidence in this subset of Steeles reporting and assessed that the referenced subset was part of a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate US foreign relations. Footnote 302 is related to the FBIs efforts to verify information contained in the Steele dossier. According to a document circulated among Crossfire Hurricane team members and supervisors in early October 2016, Person 1 had historical contact with persons and entities suspected of being linked to RIS (Russian Intel).

According to CBS, the FBI also warned that one Russian source for the Steele dossier also voiced strong support for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Will any reporter with access to the DNC ask someone over there whether the organization had been advised that aspects of their opposition research contained Kremlin falsehoods? And if so, did they know this before they handed it to CNN or BuzzFeed et al., which breathlessly regurgitated the information as reporting?

Will someone with access ask former high-ranking Justice Department officials such as James Comey whether they were aware that the warrants obtained for eavesdropping on a presidential campaign were partisan documents contaminated with information from a foreign intelligence agency?

Story continues

It should be reiterated that the FISA applications sought by the FBI were almost entirely predicated on the fabulist Steele dossier, according to Inspector General Michael Horowitz. Further, the agents also left out contradictory, exculpatory evidence when kicking off the spying against Carter Page. And Horowitz recently reported that, from October 2014 to September 2019, virtually every application for a FISA warrant featured significant inaccuracies and omissions and fraudulent evidence.

After Trump won the election in 2016, Obama holdovers and opponents of the president in new administration began leaking misleading snippets of the TrumpRussia investigation to a largely pliant media, which used to it fuel partisan hysteria that dominated American media coverage for three years.

All of this then sparked an open-ended independent Robert Mueller investigation that, though it failed to come back with a single indictment against anyone for criminal conspiracy with Russia during the 2016 campaign, succeeded in overwhelming our news coverage and convincing many gullible voters that the Russians had stolen the election.

Seems like theres a huge and important story to tell here. To better understand how big, try to imagine the firestorm that would consume all of our lives if we learned that Trumps Justice Department had knowingly relied on Russian disinformation, paid for by the RNC, to spy on the Biden campaign.

Yet, even before the coronavirus hit, just about everyone had moved on from this scandal. No one, as far as we know, has been fired or charged with a crime. Not a single media organization has explained how or why they could get the story so thoroughly and consistently wrong. And Im not talking only about cynical partisans such as Jonathan Chait, who peddled Russia-collusion fan fiction about Trump being a Russian asset since the 1980s. What about top political reporters at major outlets whom were still asked to trust?

You will certainly remember the sanctimonious posturing over Russian collusion. By allowing the Russians, our most treacherous geopolitical adversary, to entangle themselves in our election process, the future of American democracy was put at stake. By allowing Vladimir Putin to unleash his Twitter troll army, we were basically handing over our democracy. A few Russian ads on Facebook spawned countless chilling stories about Putins preternatural ability to control your vote. Anyone exhibiting skepticism about this narrative was deemed unpatriotic.

Surely then, the possibility that Russian disinformation had found its way into the intelligence information that our government agencies used to spy on an American political campaign during an election might merit a word or two.

If not, some people might start to get the idea that the Russia-collusion hysteria wasnt exactly authentic.

More from National Review
With the Small Business Administration emergency loan program tapped out and the states own assistance programs oversubscribed, Gov. Charlie Baker said it will be up to Congress to extend benefits to help small business owners in Massachusetts.

The $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program ran out of money Thursday morning, freezing loan applications and disbursements for small business owners seeking relief. The program, created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, offered loans of up to $10 million to small businesses looking to cover payroll expenses and avoid layoffs.

Baker said he and other governors he has conferred with are hoping for those extra funds to come in to help local companies.

I know theres currently a discussion going on in Washington between the House and the Senate and Republicans and Democrats over extending that program. I hope they choose to, Baker said Thursday afternoon during a news conference at the Massachusetts State House.

As of Tuesday, the SBA had approved 27,315 loans from Massachusetts applicants, distributing more than $7 billion, spokesman Norman Eng said.

Negotiations over adding more money to the fund have stalled. Republicans proposed a $250 billion infusion, but Democrats refuse to replenish the fund without securing additional funding for hospitals and municipalities, Politico reported.

The SBA loan program first went live two weeks ago, offering loans to veteran organizations, nonprofits and other businesses with under 500 employers. The SBA reviewed payroll records to determine loan amounts, granting up to 250% of an applicants total monthly payroll.

Massachusetts initially set up its own state recovery fund of $10 million for small businesses, but it was oversubscribed, Baker said. The fund stopped taking applications three days after its launch. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito secured an additional $10 million to disburse because the state had received so many applications.

Last month, Massachusetts also received a green light for small businesses to apply for disaster loans of up to $2 million through the SBAs Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

It is unclear how many Massachusetts applicants have been approved or how much money has been distributed through the disaster loan program. Eng said he didnt have those figures.

The Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office announced Thursday a grant program to municipalities and regional planning agencies who are helping small businesses. The grant funds will be sent to those organizations, who will be expected to help small businesses with debt, payroll issues, lost sales and other issues they face during the coronavirus pandemic.

The office also contributed $50,000 to Bostons Small Business Relief Fund.

When asked whether the state would revive its recovery fund, Baker said he looked to Washington to find a bipartisan solution to keep the new small business assistance program going.

That program has some legitimate financial benefit, he said. I think many of us  and I know I speak for most of the governors because we talk about this a lot  would like to see that extended.

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Linkedin Fatih Anfasa (The Jakarta Post) Rotterdam, the Netherlands  Fri, April 17 2020

As the number of COVID-19 cases was increasing throughout Indonesia, President Joko Jokowi Widodo finally announced large-scale social restrictions to limit the spread of the disease. Yet crowded public transportation stations indicate that the governments instruction is still not being followed by many Indonesians.



A report published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases by scientists from China and the United States about an outbreak of COVID-19 at a shopping mall in Wenzhou, China, serves as a good example for the importance of physical distancing.



On Jan. 20, a 23-year old man (patient 1), who was working at a mall in Wenzhou, sought medical care at a local hospital after 11 days of fever and headache. One day later, he and one of his coworkers (patient 2) were confirmed COVID-19 positive. The Wenzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention traced and tested their acquaintances, and by Jan. 28, five people (patients 3 to 7) from the same office on the 7th floor of the mall also tested positive.



Patient 3, a coworker of patients 1 and 2, was the only positive patient who indicated that she had a travel history connecting her to Wuhan, China. She had returned from Wuhan one month before she was diagnosed with COVID-19. She had a fever on Jan. 15 and 16 but recovered without any treatment.



Seven staff members from different floors and 10 mall customers also tested positive for COVID-19 after additional tracing by the officials. Close contacts associated with these positive cases were also traced, of which 11 people confirmed positive for COVID-19.



The mall has eight floors above ground and several basement levels. Except for the staff who had been on floor 7, all other patients denied direct contact with other case patients. While infections from other sources cannot be ruled out, most had reported early symptom onset in a narrow time frame. This suggests they became infected at around the same time.



The researchers could not find convincing evidence of definitive transmission routes in the building. Patients 1 to 7 worked in the same room on the 7th floor, but the other positive staff members who had been on other floors of the mall denied any direct contact with the case patients from floor 7.



However, they shared common building facilities (e.g. toilets and elevators), which could have been contaminated by the virus. In addition, the staff members from floor 7 visited shops on the other floors daily.



In total, 34 additional COVID-19 cases were identified beside patient 1 in this particular outbreak. A swift response is crucial to prevent the spread of infection, as this report shows. The local government shut down the mall on Jan. 22, just two days after the first patient had sought treatment. If not, more people would have been at risk of infection, either through direct or indirect transmission of the virus.



This outbreak shows the importance of avoiding public places during a pandemic such as COVID-19. Social distancing is most effective when all citizens in an outbreak area limit their movement and only go out for urgent matters, such as to buy groceries.



This is important, since it is known that infected persons without symptoms (asymptomatic patients) can spread Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID-19.



Moreover, many objects can be polluted with the virus either through respiratory droplets or the contaminated hands of infected people.



Even though the government has decided on large-scale social restrictions, it remains crucial for authorities to reach, inform and educate citizens continuously on the importance of social or physical distancing.



We should learn from other countries that failure to act fast and enact swift measures will overwhelm the healthcare system, leading to an increased death toll, as we have seen in Italy and Iran.

______

Physician and PhD candidate at the Department of Viroscience, Eramus Medical Center, Rotterdam

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Despite the suspension of nonessential activities and strict compliance of stay-at-home orders, U.S. President Donald Trump is adamant about the completion of the wall that is being built to separate the United States from Mexico on the southern border. Last week, Customs and Border Protection declared that 156 miles are complete.

Instead of filling in gaps in the border, much of the wall is replacing the dilapidated structureabout 140 miles of the primary and 11 miles of the secondary wall system. Beginning construction in January 2017, the border wall is set to be a full 450 miles by the end of 2020. President Trump is keen on fulfilling his promise of the border wall before the end of his term.

Unclimbable

Last Wednesday, President Trump toured the U.S.-Mexico border near the Otay Mesa in San Diego to test the strength of the wall.

"This wall can't be climbed," he said, with utmost certitude. "It's a very powerful wall, the likes of which, probably, to this extent, has not been built before."

A representative of the CBP said that anybody who attempts to go over or pass through the wall would find themselves unsuccessful. Embedded in concrete, with anti-climbing techniques, "it's also got additional technology like lighting, access roads, so it really is a wall system."

There is talk of numbers going down as the wall goes up, and there has been a decline in Arizona State. Between May 2019 and January 2020, from almost 21,000 apprehensions of illegal immigrants, the number shrank to a little under 7,000.

More reports from CBP say that since 2017, $15 billion are set aside by the Pentagon, Homeland Security funding, and the Treasury Forfeiture Fund for the construction of the 750-mile border wall. Another $3 billion is allocated from military construction for 170 miles, and the Pentagon raises over $6 billion for 300 miles.

Check these out!

The Attempted Climbers

Last month, Border Patrol, at the southern part of the construction of the wall, encountered a black pickup truck that was designed to look like it belonged to the workers of the site, with the orange flag of the company contractor on the vehicle.

Apparently, unbeknownst at the time, it was driving along to pick up four migrants who crossed the border. According to the complaint, after driving the passengers to Douglas, the truck returned the same way along the borderline to drive back into Mexico.

It was only in the latter part of March that they found the truck again, this time parked in the contractor's lot. Seven people were inside who crossed the border.

Just recently, the authorities found two more pickup trucks with the same orange flag logos of the legitimate contractor. The complaint in the federal court in Tucson stated that, in total, 19 migrants planned on crossing the border.

One of the drivers, Gerardo Siqueiros Molina, a 34-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested on April 1 and now faces human-smuggling charges. The second driver ran back into Mexico and was not arrested.

Among the arrested was Mexican citizen Gerardo Siqueiros Molina. He was told by the smugglers to pay only $400 of the original $1,000 smuggling fee if he drove.

He is currently under custody facing smuggling charges, while the other driver remains free. On April 17, he will be having his hearing via video conference.
A simple Google Trend search will reveal that Indians are searching for ways in which they can download India's contact-tracing app, Aarogya Setu, and whether they can really use it as an e-pass to move around communities. The feature is most likely going to be enabled in a few days.

The concept of contact-tracing is not new but has so far been done manually. It means tracking down people who came in contact with a COVID-19 patient. Those who came in contact go into self-quarantine to break the infection chain.

In India, the task of contract tracing was being done by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program. At the beginning of March, a small staff was routing suspected COVID-19 patients to hospitals and tracing people who the patient may have come in contact with. But the number of cases soon began rising. Currently, COVID-19 may have reached half of India's 700 districts.

This is where technology can play a role. Experts say that it can help but it is not sufficient on its own to break the chain of transmission. Contract tracing apps like Aarogya Setu rely on Bluetooth signals as well as GPS location data (some countries like Singapore do not collect location data on their tracing apps) to record devices that have interacted with each other.

Aarogya Setu how it works

Instead of relying on human memory of the patient, contact-tracing apps make possible for others who may have come in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient to know so, immediately. Once someone tests posts, she or he enters that information on the app. The app alerts all those who came in touch with the infected patient because the app has already recorded that information.

Lalitesh Katragadda, a former Google executive, who worked on the Aarogya Setu app along with a team of 30 other volunteers, says the app has been made to make sure the government can manage resources if there is an explosion of cases. In other words, the government is preparing for the worst.

He says it would be much harder to deploy resources if the government had to rely on tracking people by tracing their phones to the cell towers. Though theoretically possible, there would be no time to do so during an emergency situation.

Indians also rarely go for regular medical check-ups. Most have very little understanding of comorbidity or other underlying conditions that could affect their health if they were to get infected. That's why the app asks for sensitive data about a person's health. The government downloads the data of those above 60 years old and those who're at high risk of coming down with the virus.

If this was before the quarantine era, any of this would have sounded dystopian. These are highly invasive technology after all. Even if users are willing to trade data in the interests of staying safe, there are questions about the effectiveness of using Bluetooth chip technology to trace people. For example, the app may alert a lot more people to go into quarantine even though a person might not be infected because Bluetooth signals tend to ping persons who may be more than 30ft away.

Second, Sidharth Deb, a technology researcher at the Internet Freedom Foundation, says that there is another scope for false negative. Not everyone has downloaded the app which means that people might just become more cavalier about roaming around freely since the algorithms will work on limited data.

Currently, the number of people who have downloaded the app is more than 3.8 crore. Lalitesh said they've been seeing "a million download an hour." Given that the prime minister has asked citizens to download the app directly in his address to the nation earlier in the week, the number of downloads is likely going to shoot up.

Aarogya Setu privacy concerns

Though there are concerns about how effective the technology will really be, there are genuine concerns about privacy as well.

One, the team who worked on the app made sure that the app was designed in a way that'll invite people to disclose their sensitive information voluntarily. Since everyone is used to Whatsapp in the country, the app came with a similar chat-friendly interface.

From the privacy point of view, that is of great concern. Not only does the government now have access to our names and date of birth, but it also has access to our biometric information. Yuval Noah Hariri, in his recent interview to India Today, raised that concern and said that biometric information can lead to much stronger dictatorships than we've ever seen before. Not only will the government know who we are and where we are and who we are meeting but it can also use this information in ways that gives it more control and power over people.

Then, there are concerns about the kind of data collected. The list is far and wide, and there appears to be no stringent limitation on the purpose for which the information is collected. It may be used for allocating resources to someone, it may also be abused and used to expose a journalist's sources if raw location data is exposed.

In fact, Mint reporters found that 11 out of 17 COVID-19-related apps in the country had no privacy control. That led to a rampant data breach. The Karnataka government released addresses of those who were asked to self-quarantine on a mobile app. There were Whatsapp messages with the names of those who had reportedly attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi.

There are good reasons why civil society is worried about contact-tracing apps, and why these apps have raised surveillance concerns, particularly in countries that don't have good privacy protection measures in place. India's data privacy bill is likely going to be taken up this monsoon session of the parliament. If the concerns are not addressed, many will refuse to download the app. In other words, not taking privacy concerns into account could just backfire.
The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., one of the key leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, plans to vote for President Donald Trump in the fall, a reversal of his position in 2016 when he argued that support of Trump risked destroying evangelicals' credibility.

Mohler, who was also critical of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, was one of the most visible anti-Trump evangelical leaders during the 2016 election. In an article for The Washington Post, he called Trump "the Great Evangelical Embarrassment," and noted that "leaders are held to a much higher standard, and continued public arguments that offer cover for Donald Trump are now not only implausible but excruciating."

But in a lengthy video recorded on Monday, Mohler, who is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, said he plans to vote for Trump in 2020 and for the Republican presidential candidates for the rest of his life, unless the party changes its platform.

Mohler argued in the video that conservative Christians should vote based on a party's view on abortion, Supreme Court justice appointees and protecting their religious liberty. He said former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, had character issues for reversing his position on the Hyde Amendment, a provision barring the use of federal funds for abortion.

In an interview on Wednesday, Mohler said his opinion on Trump began to change during the 2017 Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Neil Gorsuch, who then was an appeals court judge. That's when Mohler said he began to believe that Trump would do what he had promised during his campaign - to nominate judges who would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 abortion rights decision.

Trump has also appointed a number of evangelicals throughout his administration, from Vice President Mike Pence to Cabinet leaders to political appointees, including Mohler's son-in-law Riley Barnes, a senior adviser in the State Department. Mohler said that the percentage of evangelicals who will vote for Trump this time around, which was 80 percent in 2016, could grow even higher in November .

"In retrospect, I made my vote of minimal importance," he said. "I don't intend to do that in 2020. There's a bit of regret in that." In 2016, Mohler said he did not vote for a Democrat or a Republican and declined to say how he ultimately cast his vote.

Mohler's support for Trump comes nearly four months after Christianity Today published a column calling for the president's removal after his impeachment. The column sparked a flurry of cancellations as well as new subscribers, illustrating a divide among some within the evangelical community.

Nathan Kitchens, associate pastor of Ezra Baptist Church outside Birmingham, Alabama, called Mohler's decision to back Trump in November a disappointment. He had shared Mohler's statements critical of Trump leading up to the 2016 election with members of his congregation who planned to vote for the then candidate.

"It gives me one less person I can use to say, 'Maybe you should think twice before voting for him,' " Kitchens said. "People are emboldened and think evangelicals should line up."

Dwight McKissic, a black Southern Baptist pastor from Arkansas, who has been vocal about his opposition to Trump as well as the denomination's history - and continuing problems with - racism, said he would no longer recommend Mohler's seminary to black students. "It shows you're tone deaf or you don't care about the sensitivities of the majority of African Americans who find Donald Trump a repulsive personality and politician," McKissic said.

And Karen Swallow Prior, an English professor at Liberty University who is a Southern Baptist, tweeted on Wednesday that she was "refusing to accept a bar so low."

"In humility, hope, and faith, I will vote in November for a president who has better character, promotes more consistently life-affirming policies, and isn't as handsy (or worse) with women than either of the two major party candidates," Prior wrote.

But Mohler's change of heart was also drawing praise from longtime Trump supporters. Theologian Wayne Grudem, a professor at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona and a key supporter of Trump's in 2016, said Mohler was among several key evangelical leaders who were once reluctant to vote for Trump but have changed their minds.

Pastors Bart Barber, of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, Texas, and Tom Buck, of the First Baptist Church of Lindale, Texas, tweeted that after voting for a third-party candidate in 2016, they too would vote for Trump in November.

Grudem said he understands why some evangelicals who were initially opposed to Trump have changed their minds.

"It's hard for me to think of someone who's done that much good for the country in that short amount of time," Grudem said, citing his record on government regulations and his support for Israel among other issues. "He's not the most elegant or refined in his speech, but his decisions are incredibly good for the country."

Support for Trump among white evangelicals has changed only modestly since he was elected. When asked if Trump was performing well as president, 77 percent of white evangelicals said yes in a March 22-25 Washington Post Post-ABC national poll, compared with 74 percent in February, and a record high of 81 percent mark in January.

Mohler acknowledged that he still has concerns about Trump actions and words. In 2016, he said he worried that some evangelical leaders were dismissing or minimizing character issues after Trump, in an "Access Hollywood" tape published by The Post, bragged about sexually assaulting a woman.

"Is it worth destroying our moral credibility to support someone who is beneath the baseline level of human decency?" Mohler asked evangelicals on CNN in October 2016.

Now, he said: "I can't celebrate this president's character or personality. To minimize or to deny the moral or virtue issues connected to any candidate would bring embarrassment to evangelicalism."

Some Trump's advisers have said that the comments the president made in the "Access Hollywood" tapes occurred before his "Christian conversion." Mohler said it would be "theological malpractice" for him to make an assessment. What's most important to Mohler is what the president does and how it impacts the issue of abortion, particularly through the appointment of judges.

Mohler was expected to become president of the Southern Baptist Convention this year, but its annual meeting, where the election would normally be held, was canceled because of the coronavirus.

In a statement, J.D. Greear, a North Carolina megachurch pastor and the SBC's current president, said "Christians won't feel totally at home in either party."

"But I agree with Dr. Mohler that the increasingly aggressive nature of the pro-choice agenda in the Democratic Party, its hostility toward biblical morals, its elevation of identity politics and its undermining of religious freedoms is gravely disturbing," he added.

Greear said that there "are also things to grieve in the Republican Party."

"President Trump's actions and words have at times fostered unnecessary division, and I grieve the tendency of some Republican leaders to protect the interests of some at the expense of others," he said. "As Christians, we can and should be united on clear biblical morals, but I believe establishing a political calculus that determines whom all Christian should vote for is beyond the scope of the church's mission."

He said he would not disclose who will get his vote in November.

- - -

The Washington Post's Scott Clement contributed to this report.
A woman who sped past a stop sign and smashed into another car, killing four grandmothers, won't spend any time in prison but cannot drive for eight years because the cause of the crash remains unexplained.

But the brother of one of the women killed when Lorraine Joy Nicholson's four-wheel-drive crashed into a Kia almost two years ago said his family was bitterly disappointed with the decision to put the guilty driver on a community correction order.

Lorraine Nicholson leaves court in Ballarat on Thursday Credit:AAP

"Emotions got mixed up with cold hard facts," said Neville Ballinger, whose sister Elaine Middleton was one of the women killed.

"Nicholson was wholly responsible for four deaths."
Does the US Constitution give the president authority to convene or adjourn Congress? Yes, but.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to adjourn both chambers of the US Congress  the Senate and the House of Representatives  in an effort to pressure Senate Republicans to confirm his nominees more quickly.

The comments came during one of Trumps daily coronavirus briefings and caused puzzlement  even some alarm  because his authority to convene or adjourn Congress is obscure. Indeed, the authority has been discussed but never used before.

Perhaps its never been done before, nobodys even sure if it has, but were going to do it, Trump said at his briefing. Well probably be challenged in court, and well see who wins.

Heres whats going on.

All presidential appointments to top executive branch positions must be approved by the Senate. But Article II of the Constitution provides that a president may make executive appointments directly without Senate approval when the Senate is in recess.

During the presidency of Democrat Barack Obama, however, Senate Republicans deployed a parliamentary manoeuvre to block Obamas recess appointments by taking their breaks as scheduled but coming into so-called pro forma session every third day to, technically, keep the body in session. The practice continues today under the Republican majority.

Party deputies remain in Washington, DC, to handle these pro forma sessions while other members return to their states. Little to no actual business is done.

Trump called the manoeuvre a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis.

US President Donald Trump reacts to a question during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington [Joshua Roberts/Reuters]

Trump is frustrated because he has nominated 82 people to fill vacant executive branch positions who have not yet been approved by the Senate, and with Congress in recess, nothing is happening.

No President in history has ever used the Constitutional power to adjourn Congress, US presidential historian Michael Beschloss said on Thursday in a tweet.

Former presidents Woodrow Wilson, Howard Taft and Franklin Roosevelt all were urged at one point to adjourn Congress and all refused, Beschloss said.

But his power to do so is there in black and white. The Constitution says the president may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.

Despite that language, practically speaking, it would be virtually impossible for Trump to exercise that right.

Rules and practice of the Senate and House would require the Senate to take up and approve a resolution of adjournment. Before that resolution is even voted on, a so-called cloture vote to end debate would likely be required. Cloture votes require a 60-vote majority of the 100 sitting senators, to pass. Republicans, who hold 53 seats, would need at least seven Democrats (or independents) to join them in the cloture vote.

Then, the measure would need to be approved by a vote of the House of Representatives, which is solidly in the hands of Democrats. Highly unlikely, given the animosity between Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In any case, the Senate and House already have an effective agreement on an adjournment date  January 3, 2021, which falls after the November election but before the inauguration of the next president. To change the date, the Senate and the House would each have to approve new, different adjournment dates through that convoluted process. If the dates they suggest differ  the Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment mentioned in the Constitution  Trump could conceivably step in and adjourn Congress.

The bottom line is that neither Pelosi nor Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, despite being a staunch supporter of the president, have signalled interest in going down the road mapped out above. Trump is effectively sidelined on the matter.

This power has never been used and should not be used now, tweeted Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University who supported Trump during the House impeachment proceedings last year.

Senators of both parties should vote to support the congressional control over adjournment. Absent a disagreement there is no presidential power to adjourn under Article II. A pandemic should not be an invitation for pandemonium. Indeed, we need regular order now more than ever  Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) April 15, 2020

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, appearing on a TV talk show on Thursday, disparaged Trumps claim to be able to adjourn Congress along with prior comments that he has absolute authority to tell governors when to reopen their states.

I dont get it. It seems to always be about him. Everything is about him, Biden said on MSNBC. This is not about him. Its about us. Its about the American people.

It is one of these things that I dont understand. I mean, in the way he goes in and attacks the press and the things he says, like hes going to adjourn the Congress, he has absolute authority. Its like something out of a really bad play, Biden said.
Twenty minutes later, Novotny started to hemorrhage. She had developed placenta accreta, a serious condition that occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall. After a few days in the I.C.U., Novotny had an emergency hysterectomy. She was 31.

At first, Novotny said, she struggled to process her emotions, and her joy at having a new baby was mixed with a sense of loss that she wouldnt have another. Now, she said, the grief she feels is for her son. At the zoo, watching families with three or four kids, Novotny said, she feels a twinge of sadness, knowing that her son wont have that built-in support. But, she added, shes actively trying to shore up her network of extended family and friends. Were soaking up every moment we have.

The universe had another plan for me.

Elizabeth Lyon had always envisioned herself with two children, she said. After undergoing all kinds of fertility treatments, she became pregnant with her daughter, using a donor egg, at age 44. Two years later, she began yearning for another baby. She and her then-husband moved from New York City to Raleigh, N.C., where they could live on one salary, and they used another donor egg to get pregnant again. At 47, Lyon gave birth to twin boys; one came so fast he was born on the bathroom floor, and the other was born in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Before her second pregnancy, Lyon recalled, shed wondered if having another baby was a good idea  given her finances, the time shed have to take off from her career, her emotional availability and her age. Now, she said, I couldnt be more full of joy.

At least once a week, my decision to only have the one child is challenged.

Youre denying your son a sibling. Whats going to happen when you and your husband die? Everybody needs a sibling. Nancy Mobley, 35, of Shreveport, La., has to defend herself at least once a month, she said, from people asking why her 3-year-old son is an only child.

Its astounding to me, because they know what we went through, she added. Both Mobley and her baby almost died. She was put on bed rest with pre-eclampsia at 23 weeks pregnant; two weeks later, she gave birth to her son, who weighed only 1 pound 6 ounces. He was in the NICU for 105 days. Now, except for two scars, Mobley said, youd never know he was a preemie.

When her son turned 2, Mobley said, she felt a physical need to have another baby. She considered the financial challenges, she said, and the additional stress on her husband, who has autism spectrum disorder. But it was thinking about pregnancy itself  the endless vomiting, and the likelihood of developing pre-eclampsia again  that cemented her decision. We joined the one and done camp, she said.
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The coronavirus pandemic is crippling global trade because crews on transport ships have been stranded at sea for months and food processing plants have been forced to close, threatening to bring the world's supply chain to a grinding halt.

Shipping workers at sea are denied entry into ports, truckers can't get to work in some countries or are confronted with complications at borders, food plants are closing and farm harvests going to waste in the crisis.

Now global leaders are facing mounting pressure to ease travel measures for transport workers as experts warn that if countries don't - 'this is going to be a real crisis'.

Shipping companies are responsible for about 80 percent of internationally traded goods, from meat to medical masks.

Each month about 100,000 seafarers board massive goods-shipping vessels to relieve other workers. However, those crucial crew changes are now impossible as much of the world is under air travel bans and stringent port rules, according to Bloomberg.

The coronavirus pandemic is crippling global trade and triggering a crisis for sea transportation. Massive goods-shipping vessels carrying 100,000 seafarers are relieved by other colleagues about once a month. However, those crucial crew changes are now impossible as much of the world is under air travel bans and stringent port rules. A file image of transportation vessel in Port of Antwerp, Belgium on March 23

'Once we get to the middle of May, this is going to be a real crisis unless we start taking action,' Guy Platten, the secretary-general of the International Chamber of Shipping said.

Not only are crews stranded on ships denied entry into ports and unable to make deliveries, many havent been home in months.

The ICS is urging 20 major economies to classify seafarers as 'essential' workers so they can move to and from from their jobs, especially through airports.

Shipping companies like Germanys largest transporter company Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co, which ships goods like grain, coal, and fertilizer on 700 ships via its 4,500 employees, is seeing crews suffer in the global lockdown.

'The crew arent supposed to stay on ship in perpetuity. The equivalent is like a doctor or nurse being told, "You cant go home at the end of your shift, youre at the hospital until the crisis is over,"' Oldendorffs director of business development and strategy Scott Bergeron said.

Truckers across the globe are also struggling to transport their goods. In parts of Africa employees cant make it to work because public transportation has been stopped and in Europe there are long waits at open borders. Employee unloads truck boxes in Tokyo on April 16

Truckers across the globe are also struggling to transport their goods. In parts of Africa employees cant make it to work because public transportation has been stopped and in Europe there are long waits at open borders.

In the US, the American Trucking Association is pleading for governors and mayors to make exceptions to their lockdown rules for trucks and truck drivers.

'We have had a lot of governors and mayors putting up barriers to the safe and efficient movement of goods. If officials want to have stores shelves re-stocked, and hospitals supplied, they need to make accommodations for trucks and truck drivers,' Sean McNally, a spokesperson for the ATA, said.

While transportation of goods is a major issue, the production of food is also becoming a growing problem.

President Donald Trump addressed food transport concerns on Tuesday, telling Americans that food supplies are safe, farmers are able to produce in abundance and food retailers are in 'very good shape'.

However, some food production factories and plants have been forced to shutter or cut down on workers due to COVID-19 outbreaks among employees.

Hurdles in global trade means items are transported slower, prices rice and put workers at risk. A delivery truck worker unloading in Littleton, Colorado on March 19

American company Smithfield Foods Inc, the worlds largest pork producer, has closed plants temporarily due to coronavirus among workers.

The closure of slaughterhouses like Smithfield mean a reduction in supplies, a spike in prices, and an issue for farmers who raise animals for the food industry.

Some farmers may have to euthanize part of their herd as they lack funds to keep feeding them.

More than 11 meat packing and processing plants have now been closed in North America because of the impact of coronavirus, raising serious concerns about the supply chain in the U.S. and its ability to keep shelves stocked.

Tyson, another of the world's largest meat processors, has suspended its operations at one of its plants in Columbus Junction, Iowa, after over 20 of its workers contracted COVID-19.

In Aurora, Illinois the Aurora Packing Company meat processing plant shut down earlier this month due to the pandemic, leading officials to warn that closing it would disrupt the countrys supply of beef, pork, and poultry supplies.

Harvests from states like California to countries in Europe like Spain have seen their fruits and vegetable produce go to waste already due to the disruption in the supply chain.

In the Midwest farmers have had to dump surplus milk.

Big food supply plants are closing due to outbreaks among workers or are facing issues in getting their produce transported. An aerial photo of the closed Aurora Packing Company meat processing plant in Aurora, Illinois pictured on April 13. Officials warned closing it would disrupt the country's supply of beef, pork and poultry supplies

Farmers drive tractors in their field as they plant potatoes in Haynecourt, as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues, near Cambrai, France on April 14

While the future of the food industry is rocky, Americas pharmaceutical supply chain 'is in good shape', CVS Health Corp chief executive Larry Lero said to Bloomberg Radio last week.

He said that his companys suppliers tend to carry enough stocks for three to six months for its 10,000 locations.

But experts at the University of Minnesotas Center for Infection Disease Research and Policy warned that there could be shortages of live-saving drugs in the future due to supply chain issues.

'Say a large container port is struggling with COVID-19 related issues,' William David at maritime logistics firm T Parker Host in Virginia said. 'Well, guess what? Critical medical supplies coming off container ships, and critical food supplies, are disrupted.'

Now global leaders are facing mounting pressure to raise the barriers hindering the export of food and health products  including much-needed ventilators and masks.

'Self-sufficiency is not an option for any country,' the director-general for trade with the European Commission Sabine Weyand said.

She said ventilators are key tools needed in hospitals to safe lives in the coronavirus crisis  and they contain some 900 pieces sourced from different parts of the world.

However, some in the Trump administration are rallying for self-sufficiency.

American economist and Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Easter on the shortage of medical supplies: 'If we made it here, we wouldnt be faced with this. That was the original sin.'
While The Mandalorian fans anxiously wait for season 2, Disney+ is releasing an exciting new documentary series to fill the gap. Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is coming to the streamer on Star Wars Day, and it might just answer a few questions about Baby Yodas mystery.

Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian | Disney +

What is Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian about?

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is an eight-episode docuseries that comes from The Mandalorian producer, Jon Favreau. Through each episode, fans will get to see exclusive behind the scenes footage, interviews from the cast and crew, and roundtable discussions hosted by Favreau.

According to a Lucasfilm press release, viewers will get an unprecedented look at the series groundbreaking technology, the artistry behind the shows practical models, effects, and creatures, plus the creative influences, the iconic score, and connections to Star Wars characters and props from across the galaxy. In a statement about the docuseries, Favreau promises fans will get a better understanding of The Mandalorian and how it came to life.

Pull back the curtain on #TheMandalorian. Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, an eight-episode documentary series, starts streaming on May the 4th, only on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/wuCYVDogPE  Disney+ (@disneyplus) April 15, 2020

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is an opportunity for fans of the show to take a look inside and get to see a different perspective, and perhaps a greater understanding, of how The Mandalorian came together and some of the incredibly talented contributors throughout Season One, Favreau said in the statement. We had a great experience making the show and were looking forward to sharing it with you.

The docuseries could reveal some Baby Yoda secrets

For starters, viewers are anxious to know if The Child is somehow related or connected to Yoda or Yaddle. Many fans are also curious about his relationship to the Jedi and the force. The hope is that through even the smallest clues, fans may be able to piece together details about Baby Yodas backstory.

I like those odds. All episodes of #TheMandalorian are now streaming on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/C6nrhRo56O  The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) December 30, 2019

While the press release doesnt talk about Baby Yoda aka The Child, his origins, or his role in season 2 of The Mandalorian, it does promise to explore connections to Star Wars characters from across the galaxy. So, if the showrunners and writers talk about Baby Yoda and the inspiration behind the character, they could answer some questions fans have had since the show premiered.

When does Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian premiere?

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian will premiere on Monday, May 4 on Disney+. As acknowledged in the Lucasfilm press release, this date was chosen because of its significance to Star Wars fans.

This May the 4th, also known as Star Wars Day, a brand-new series debuting on Disney+ will take us behind-the-scenes of the first Star Wars live-action series, The Mandalorian, the press release reveals. What started as a fan-generated grassroots holiday, Star Wars Day has become a full-fledged celebration of the Star Wars saga embraced by the entire galaxy. This year, fans can look forward to the highly-anticipated conclusion of Star Wars: The Clone Wars alongside the global premiere of the new eight-episode documentary series, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian.

Considering season 2 doesnt premiere until November, this docuseries should give The Mandalorian fans the Baby Yoda dose theyve been craving.
On Tuesday, Business Insider reported that the coronavirus claimed the life of an Amazon employee in California. This is first reported death of an Amazon employee from COVID-19.

Over the past week, Amazon has fired three workers who challenged the companys failure to ensure safe working conditions during the pandemic.

The deceased employee was an operations manager at an Amazon facility in Hawthorne, California. Amazon has revealed few details about the circumstances of his death. He was last at the facility on March 6, falling ill after a vacation that lasted from March 7 to 20. It is unclear how the disease was contracted. While the death occurred on March 31, it was not reported until April 14.

Breana Avelar, a processing assistant, holds a sign outside the Amazon DTW1 fulfillment center in Romulus, Michigan April 1, 2020 (AP Photo slash Paul Sancya)

While management claims that workers at the Hawthorne facility were promptly notified, Amazon workers around the country received no notice of the death. There is little doubt that Amazon was concerned the release of the information would encourage further walkouts and job actions by workers.

Around the world, Amazon workers have walked out and protested the companys reckless indifference to their health in the midst of the pandemic. Workers risking their lives to ship essential goods to people sheltering in their homes have been compelled to work without adequate personal protective equipment and other measures necessary to ensure their safety.

Striking workers have demanding the closure of unsafe facilities, full protective gear and an end to the companys practice of deliberately concealing from workers information about the infection of their fellow workers.

So far, Amazon workers have fallen ill with the virus at more than 130 warehouses in the US, with some warehouses having over 30 confirmed cases.

Walkouts of Amazon workers have taken place in Detroit, in the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Queens, at a facility in Chicago, and elsewhere. In addition, strikes have taken place in Italy and Spain.

Workers at the Amazon-owned Whole Foods, along with Instacart, recently walked out in the US to demand protective equipment, hazard pay, and sick pay. Parallel walkouts, strikes, and rebellions have taken place across many of the industries and services designated as essential during the pandemic, including meatpacking and public transit and sanitation.

Amazons response to the growing insurrection has included providing cosmetic, cheap safety measures that are utterly inadequate in light of the scale of the danger. A worker at the BWI2 warehouse in Baltimore, for example, told the International Amazon Workers Voice that one of the new safety measures consists of providing safety sanitation wipes, which workers are admonished to use sparingly.

A label on the side of the container reads: Please use a wipe to sanitize your station at the start of your shift and when changing stations only. We want to ensure that we have enough for all shifts. DO NOT remove these wipes from their designated station.

In addition to these low-cost, minimal safety measures, Amazon has responded to the growing insurrection by stepping up the already-tyrannical regime in its warehouses. Workers report in particular that the new six-foot social distancing rule is being used to bully and harass workers who speak out and break up efforts to organize or hold discussions.

On Friday, April 10, Amazon fired UX (user experience) designers Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, both of whom had garnered public attention for criticizing the company in relation to climate change and had recently circulated a petition for safer conditions for workers during the pandemic. They had also attempted to set up meetings between tech workers and warehouse workers. The firing took place by telephone.

On Tuesday, Cunningham wrote on twitter: Amazon fired me and @marencosta. As Mary Oliver wrote, oh! how rich it is to love the world. It's a gift to be able to fight for something you love so deeply.

Warehouse workers are under real threat right now, she added. Im proud of all the ways theyre standing up for themselves and each other (and the public!). That takes real courage and integrity. If we dont fight for each other now, when do we?

The same day, Costa wrote: @emahlee and I were fired on Good Friday by Amazon for fighting for our colleagues' safety in the time of COVID.

Basically, we were fired for trying to make Amazon a better placefor trying to make the world a better place, she continued.

Both Cunningham and Costa are leaders of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, which was involved before the pandemic in walkouts of Amazon employees in open defiance of corporate directives, protesting the companys ties to the US military and ICE terror squads, discrimination, conditions at the warehouses, and complicity in climate change.

Cunningham had worked at Amazon for five years, Costa for 15 years. In January, both Costa and Cunningham appeared in a two-minute video featured on Bernie Sanders Senate twitter account. They are scheduled to appear today in an online event with Naomi Klein, a Sanders supporter.

Management claimed: We terminated these employees for repeatedly violating internal policies.

The firing of Cunningham and Costa is aimed at intimidating all workers. Despite our differences with their political outlook, the International Amazon Workers Voice unequivocally defends these victimized workers and demands their immediate reinstatement.

Workers should also demand the reinstatement of Bashir Mohamed who was also fired for attempting to organize workers at his warehouse in Minnesota, where he had been demanding more effective safety measures. Amazons justification was that Mohamed was terminated as a result of progressive disciplinary action for inappropriate language, behavior, and violating social distancing guidelines.

The alleged violation of social distancing guidelines was also recently used to target and fire Chris Smalls, who led a walkout at a Staten Island warehouse in New York to protest inadequate safety measures.

Amazon is a trillion-dollar global conglomerate best known for its online shopping and distribution service. Amazons CEO Jeff Bezos, the richest person in the world, has kept the companys 750,000 workers at their stations during the global pandemic without adequate safety precautions. He told workers that they would have to wait for their turn for masks, while of course he did not wait for his turn to exploit the opportunity presented by the pandemic to secure an enormous profit for himself. Over the last month, an additional 80,000 warehouse workers were hired.

With millions of people sheltering in their homes during the pandemic, Amazon is experiencing a spike in sales through its online marketplace. Bezos saw an increase in his fortune, which he has previously described as his Amazon winnings, by around $24 billion since the start of the year, including $6.8 billion over the last week alone. His personal wealth is now estimated at around $138 billion.
Hen dos. 60th Birthdays. Even a wedding. Thanks to video apps, families are finding ingenious ways to keep celebrations alive...

26 ONLINE FOR MY HEN PARTY

Laura Pemberton, 32, works in retail. She lives with her fiance Alastair Wray, 36, who works in the rail industry, in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. She says:

When lockdown happened and it was obvious there weren't going to be any flights out of Britain, I knew my hen night would be off. A big group of girlfriends and I had planned to go to Budapest.

On the day we'd been due to fly, a parcel arrived with a note saying not to open it until 7.25pm. I thought it was to do with a date night Alastair said he'd planned. But I began to suspect something else was going on because Alastair fired up his laptop and connected it to the TV.

He claimed he was having a Zoom chat with friends. But then I was told to open the parcel. In it were a bottle of Prosecco, a hen party sash and a crown. As Alastair turned on the TV, 26 of my friends' faces all appeared in front of me! It was such a wonderful surprise.

There were friends from college, work, even some from Dubai, and my mum. Everyone had made badges saying 'Laura's Hen Do' and we played virtual games such as Mr and Mrs Alastair was banished upstairs but occasionally he'd come down wearing only an apron and serve me a cocktail, so I even had my own butler in the buff! It was very funny.

As the drink flowed and we all shared stories and played games, there wasn't any moment where the conversation lulled or it felt awkward. I was so touched that everyone had made such an effort.

Our wedding is planned for the end of June, so we are keeping our fingers crossed it can still go ahead. I doubt I'll have a 'real' hen do now but that really doesn't matter now I've had this one.

Laura Pemberton held her hen party on Zoom in lieu of the one she had planned

Laura Pemberton's Zoom hen party. Her friends all made colourful signs to help her celebrate

GOLDEN WEDDING WAS ZOOMING MARVELLOUS

Sue Banks, 72, a retired art studio manager, and husband Chris, 73, a part-time programme officer for local government, live in West Sussex. They have two grown-up daughters and four grandchildren. She says:

We'd been planning our Golden Wedding celebrations on April 4 for about a year and were so looking forward to it. We'd booked a venue and a live band and invited 120 guests.

I'd bought a new outfit and we'd planned to go to the South of France to top up our tans. But by mid-March it was becoming obvious that our plans would have to change. Our daughter Claire suggested we hold a Zoom party instead.

We weren't sure what to expect but when the party kicked off at 4.30pm it was so much fun. I have family and friends around the world, many of whom couldn't have made the real party, but suddenly here they were on a screen.

It really did feel almost as if they were with us in real life. One of my cousins had given birth the day before, so I was able to see the new baby, which was wonderful. A widowed friend in Canada, who has been struggling a little with the isolation, joined in.

My 83-year-old sister-in-law even had a go at joining us, although she had a few technical difficulties so was only with us a short while! Other friends dipped in and out, some were chatty, others were quiet, and we were all having drinks and joking about just like any party.

We even had a cake-cutting. More than 20 family and friends popped in and out and by the time it all ended  around 10.30pm  both Chris and I were exhausted. We hope to be able to have more get-togethers this way. Although it will never replace human contact, being able to see loved ones like this is the next best thing.

Here Sue and Chris Banks Zoom wedding party held their 50th wedding anniversary remotely

A WORLD OF FRIENDS AT MUM'S 60TH

Luisa Ruocco, 29, is a lifestyle influencer, @luisainsta. She is isolating in West London with her mother Linda, 60, as well as Lindas sister, brother-in-law and their daughter. Luisa says:

This year I hadnt planned anything for Mums 60th birthday and I felt terrible about it. Were always travelling, so we werent sure where wed be in the world. But when lockdown was announced and we were both in the UK at the same time, I thought it would be nice to arrange a special event.

Mum knew I was up to something but I didnt say what until her birthday. I put the computer in the kitchen and told Mum to put on some make-up, as we were about to do a video call with some friends.

She had no idea how many people would be joining us! Id arranged for around 40 friends from all over the world  Milan, Paris, New York, Chicago and even Australia  to be on the call. With so many time zones, timing was key!

But we decided on 6pm, and the Australians agreed to get up in the middle of the night for it. Everyone joined in with a glass of wine or beer and I realised that it was only us who didnt have a drink, so I quickly ran to get some Prosecco! Id made a cake and Mum blew out her candles by patting them with a cloth, as we realised blowing them out probably wasnt a good idea in the middle of a pandemic!

I was amazed at how easily the party flowed, with guests who had never met each other chatting away. The only downside was that a few older relatives couldnt make it, as they couldnt figure out the technology.

I explained it was only an app they had to download but when they asked the question; Whats an app? I knew we were probably best off just having a phone call afterwards. The party lasted for about an hour and a half and mum was absolutely thrilled. Whats more, I get brownie points for organising a memorable birthday when originally I had nothing planned at all!

Linda Ruocco celebrates her 60th birthday with daughter Luisa via Zoom

SURPRISE! WE REMEMBERED!

Samara Ullmann, 34, co-owns The Parent Society, an influencer agency. She is in lockdown with her mother Rosie, 64, and daughter Ivy, two, in Leeds. She says:

When I woke up on March 30, I felt a bit down. It was my 34th birthday and Id hoped to spend the afternoon with my daughter at a playground, meet my family for a meal and later go out with my girlfriends for drinks.

Instead, I was stuck at home on lockdown. It wasnt totally gloomy. I got more cards than normal and Mum made me a lovely breakfast. But Id pretty much written off my birthday by the time Id put Ivy to bed and poured myself a glass of fizz at 8.30pm. Then my older brother James called and asked for a favour.

He had an important Zoom work call the next day but as he was using a different computer, could he practise by calling me? I thought nothing of it. Settling down with my glass, I turned on my laptop and James called me.

We chatted for a few minutes, then he said something about singing happy birthday. He pressed a button and the screen turned into one full of faces I recognised. About 50 friends and relatives were all there.

I was in total shock! It was the most wonderful surprise. There were colleagues, friends from university Id not spoken to for ages, my dad and stepmum, too. Mum had been in on the plan and hadnt said a word.

I was so overwhelmed I could barely speak. I had to go through every person and explain how I knew them, which took quite a while! At one point I went into the kitchen to do gin shots! By 11pm, there were only about six people left so we decided to wrap up the party. I was on such a high. Its the best and most memorable birthday Ive ever had.

Samara Ullman (left) and her mother Rosie (centre left) before they realise they have been invited to celebrate her birthday by Zoom. Right Samara's older brother and his partner

Many of Samara's friends attended her surprise birthday from all over the world

OUR RUINED WEDDING DAY WAS VIRTUALLY SAVED

Sue Barsby, 49, is a neuro-linguistic programming practitioner. She lives with fiance Chris Marshall, 56, an engineer, in Clitheroe, Lancs. Sue has three sons  twins James and Christian, 24, and Oliver, 20. She says:

Chris and I had planned our wedding for a year, after being together for five years. Wed booked the venue, had the suit fittings and our hen and stag dos and were looking forward to marrying on March 28.

Then things changed very quickly. First, we were told that over-70s had to lock down, which meant my mum and dad wouldnt be able to make it. Then that weddings could only have two witnesses. Finally, ten days before our big day, all venues were told to close. We were gutted.

I didnt want to wake up on my wedding day feeling miserable, so when someone on a Facebook group shared a link to wildflowerceremonies.co.uk, run by a lady called Ellie, I had an idea. Shes a wedding celebrant who was offering to do virtual wedding services in return for a donation to charity.

She performs a handfasting ceremony, a term derived from the Old Norse handfesta, meaning to strike a bargain by joining hands. Its not legally binding but it seemed the perfect way to mark the day. On the morning of our wedding I was a bit sad when I woke up.

It was sunny and Chris and I looked at each other as if to say: Oh, this would have been nice. I didnt want to wear my actual dress, so Id ordered a new one from Next online. At 1.30pm, the time our wedding would have been, my eldest sons  who are both junior doctors working on Covid wards  and their partners joined us via Zoom, wearing smart outfits.

We propped up the iPad on the radiator so we could see their faces and Ellies. It was actually very intimate and emotional. Chris was crying as I walked in to James Morrisonsinging I Wont Let You Go. At the end of the 20-minute ceremony, my youngest son Oliver, who is in lockdown with us, wrapped ribbon around our hands as Ellie read some lovely words.

Afterwards we had a Zoom drinks reception for about 20 guests. We danced, cut a cake from Tesco and Oliver kept our glasses filled. We were asleep by the early evening! While Im looking forward to our real wedding next year, it was still a very special thing to do.

Sue Barsby and partner Chris Marshall at their virtual hand fasting ceremony on what would have been their weeding day before it had to be cancelled due to lockdown
The flowing, cursive, blue ink writing on lined paper is like a warm hug for the soul of a senior citizen who is feeling lonely.

We wanted to let you know you may be by yourself right now but you are not alone, the letter says.

This letter, and many like it, will be paired with a healthy meal and delivered to one of the 30,000 senior citizens living in Toms River who may be struggling with sadness from the social distancing necessary to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

We started to realize a trend with senior citizens who are often alone but now cant even have visitors, said Jillian Messina, spokesperson for the Toms River Police Department. They are especially feeling the effects of isolation."

The Toms River Police Department is asking the community to write letters or draw pictures with a small message, then email a snapshot of it to media@trpolice.org. The department will print the submissions out and deliver them to seniors. Because of possible germ transmission, they cannot accept paper submissions.

A handwritten letter is so personal, especially nowadays, Messina said.

The letter campaign started on April 7 and the deadline for submissions was extended on Wednesday to April 24, because the organizers are still waiting for a $5,000 grant from the Toms River Family Health and Support Coalition to come through that will pay for the meals, which will be purchased from local restaurants.

About 200 letters and drawings have already been submitted, Messina said.

They will be delivered the week of April 27 through a delivery task force comprised of volunteers from the Toms River Senior Center, firefighters, police officers and other first responders.

The Toms River Senior Center and Ocean County Board of Social Services will help determine which seniors would benefit most from the care packages.

In addition to a letter and a meal, the seniors will receive literature from Contact of Ocean & Monmouth Counties, which operates a 24-hour telephone line that seniors who are lonely or afraid can call for a human connection.

Were not done once we give them the artwork or a letter, Messina said. We want to make sure when theyre down they know they have somewhere to call and they can get resources for people who can help them.

How to help

Write an uplifting letter or (for kids) draw a picture that includes a few words of encouragement.

Take a snapshot of your work and email the picture to media@trpolice.org

The Toms River Police Department will print the letter out and send it to a local senior citizen.

Paper submissions cannot be accepted.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Britain will not delay severing its ties with the EU because it needs 'legislative and economic flexibility' to help the economy recover from coronavirus, Dowing Street said today.

No 10 flatly rejected a call from the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to delay the end of the transition period past its current December 31 deadline to focus on the pandemic.

Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva appealed to the Government in a BBC interview to focus on the disease which has shut down large chunks of the global economy, saying: 'It is tough as it is. Let's not make it any tougher.'

It followed wider calls from opposition politicians and businesses to halt talks, which have been continuing remotely, and negotiate a delay.

But the Prime Minister's official spokesman today told reporters: 'We will not ask to extend the transition period, and if the EU asks we will say 'no'.

'Extending the transition would simply prolong the negotiations, prolong business uncertainty and delay the moment of control of our borders.

'It would also keep us bound by EU legislation at the point when we need legislative and economic flexibility to manage the UK response to the coronavirus pandemic.'

Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva appealed to the Government to focus on the pandemic, saying: 'It is tough as it is. Let's not make it any tougher'

UK negotiator David Frost and Brussels counterpart Michel Barnier (pictured above at a previous round of talks) held remote talks yesterday (top) and unveiled three week-long virtual summits are planned, later this month, in May and early June

The IMF warned on Tuesday that the world economy is heading for its steepest downturn this year since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Speaking last night Ms Georgieva said: 'My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, of the UK, of the EU, the whole world.'

Downing Street insisted last night its threat to walk away from Brexit talks in June if not enough progress on a deal with the EU had been made remains in place despite the coronavirus pandemic.

In a joint statement the two sides said that a meeting of high-level figures earmarked for June would 'take stock of the progress made', and suggested the two sides remain some way apart.

Asked about the threat to walk away from the talks in June and go it alone if not enough progress had been made, the Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: 'What we said was June was the period in which we can take stock in relation to how negotiations have progressed.

'That remains the case.'

In her interview with the BBC, the IMF managing director praised the emergency measures taken by Britain's finance ministry and the Bank of England which she said had been taken 'early' and were well-coordinated.

'That very strong package of measures is helping the UK, but given the UK's sizeable role in the world economy, it's actually helping everyone,' Georgieva said.

The government has increased spending and cut taxes in measures that Britain's budget office estimates will cost 100 billion pounds ($125 billion). It has also offered guarantees for 330 billion pounds of company loans.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Reuters) - Malaysia's state oil company Petronas raised $6 billion in a multi-tranche senior bond offering, the company said on Wednesday.

It was the company's first bond sale since a $5 billion offering in March 2015.

Petronas said the 10-year conventional notes were priced to yield 3.65%, and the 30-year notes at 4.55%.

(Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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Dublin, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Commercial Aircraft Aftermarket Parts Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The commercial aircraft aftermarket parts market is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period.



The growing commercial aircraft industry, along with the increasing average age of commercial aircraft, is driving the growth of the market.



The need for timely maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, along with the opening of new MRO facilities around the world, is also propelling the growth of the commercial aircraft aftermarket parts market during the forecast period.



The increase in inventory costs of spare parts for the airlines and MRO service providers is expected to hamper the commercial aircraft aftermarket parts market.



Key Market Trends



The Narrow-body Segment is Expected to Experience the Highest Growth During the Forecast Period



Globally, narrow-body or single aisle aircraft are the most widely used aircraft by airlines. The growth in LCC business model has further fueled the growth of the narrow-body aircraft. As the airlines seek to increase their connectivity and market presence, new routes are being introduced. The increasing landing and takeoffs of narrow-body aircraft are increasing the wear and tear of the aircraft, thereby, increasing the demand for narrow-body aftermarket parts market during the forecast period.



The Asia-Pacific Region is Expected to Experience the Highest Growth During the Forecast Period



The Asia-Pacific region currently has the highest market share and is anticipated to have the highest growth during the forecast period. This is primarily due to increasing air travel in countries, like India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan, with approximately 6,600 aircraft in service by the beginning of 2018. The leading MRO service providers, airlines, and governments are collaborating to develop this region as a MRO hub for the aviation industry. For instance, Revima, the French APU and landing gear MRO specialist, has begun the construction of the new landing gear overhaul facility in Chonburi, Thailand for Airbus A320, Boeing 737, and ATR family aircraft. The company has invested about USD 30 million and aims to have the facility fully certified and ready by the first quarter of 2020. Such initiatives by the global players may generate demand for spare parts, thereby, driving the commercial aircraft aftermarket parts market.



Competitive Landscape



The commercial aircraft aftermarket parts market is highly fragmented, due to presence of many players who provide various types of parts and components. Some of the prominent players in the commercial aircraft aftermarket parts market are The Boeing Company, Bombardier Inc., Collins Aerospace (United Technologies Corporation), Honeywell International Inc., and General Electric Company. The consolidation of the market by acquisition of local suppliers and manufacturers of parts and components by the leading OEM suppliers is further increasing the competitive rivalry. Additionally, the focus on the expansion of their businesses by innovative initiatives, increased investments, R&D, and introduction of customized products to cater the growing needs of the customers are expected to help the players to gain a significant share in the market.



Key Topics Covered:



1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Study Assumptions

1.2 Scope of the Study



2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4 MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 Market Drivers

4.3 Market Restraints

4.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis



5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 Aircraft Type

5.1.1 Narrow-body

5.1.2 Wide-body

5.1.3 Regional Aircraft

5.2 Component Type

5.2.1 Airframe

5.2.2 Engine

5.2.3 Interior

5.2.4 Cockpit Systems

5.2.5 Other Component Types

5.3 Parts

5.3.1 MRO Parts

5.3.2 Rotable Replacement Parts

5.4 Geography

5.4.1 North America

5.4.1.1 United States

5.4.1.2 Canada

5.4.2 Europe

5.4.2.1 United Kingdom

5.4.2.2 France

5.4.2.3 Germany

5.4.2.4 Rest of Europe

5.4.3 Asia-Pacific

5.4.3.1 China

5.4.3.2 India

5.4.3.3 Japan

5.4.3.4 Rest of Asia-Pacific

5.4.4 Latin America

5.4.4.1 Brazil

5.4.4.2 Rest of Latin America

5.4.5 Middle-East and Africa

5.4.5.1 Saudi Arabia

5.4.5.2 United Arab Emirates

5.4.5.3 Nigeria

5.4.5.4 Rest of Middle-East and Africa



6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Vendor Market Share

6.2 Company Profiles

6.2.1 Aventure International Aviation Services

6.2.2 Honeywell International Inc.

6.2.3 Collins Aerospace (United Technologies Corporation)

6.2.4 Meggitt plc

6.2.5 Parker-Hannifin Corp

6.2.6 General Electric Company

6.2.7 Moog Inc.

6.2.8 GKN Aerospace (Melrose Industries)

6.2.9 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co

6.2.10 Michelin SCA

6.2.11 Bombardier, Inc.

6.2.12 The Boeing Company



7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zf6wc3

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
A woman with COVID-19 at a Solano County hospital  the nations first case from an unknown source  exposed 121 health workers to the coronavirus, yet only three got the disease, a new study of the February case reveals.

All three had been in close contact for about two hours with the patient, and two had no protective gear, according to the report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those workers also examined the patient and performed treatments that involved close contact, such as placing her on a breathing machine.

The researchers tested just 43 of the 121 workers for the coronavirus because only they had developed a cough or other symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 patients within two weeks after exposure. (The study acknowledges that it is now known that even people without symptoms can test positive.) The 40 who tested negative had shorter exposure  an average of half an hour  and were farther away from the patient.

The study  which notes that little is known about specific risk factors for (coronavirus) transmission in health care settings  concludes that health workers should wear N95 masks and use isolation rooms in high-risk situations like putting a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patient on a breathing machine. For other care, they recommended N95s where available.

These measures are crucial to protect (health care personnel) and preserve the health care workforce in the face of an outbreak already straining the U.S. health care system, the CDC said.

Justin Sullivan / TNS

The woman at the heart of the study arrived at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital on February 15 with a respiratory illness. Health workers didnt suspect she had COVID-19 because she hadnt traveled recently or been in touch with someone who was sick. She remained in the hospital for four days. Some of the health workers who cared for her wore no masks, gloves, goggles or gowns  all of which are now recommended when treating COVID-19 patients.

Several days after the health staff transferred the patient to another hospital, she tested positive for the disease. Thats when the hospital, and eventually the CDC, began retracing whom she might have infected. The hospital furloughed and actively monitored health care workers at high risk and asked those at low risk to self-monitor for symptoms for two weeks.

Of 121 workers exposed, 43 developed symptoms within 14 days and were tested for COVID-19. Of those, just three had positive test results. The CDC report doesnt explain why workers with symptoms tested negative.

Those three cases were probably the first on-the-job coronavirus infections in the country, the report says.

John Blanchard

Today, 2,789 health workers in California have COVID-19, the states public health department reported Wednesday. That count includes infections not only from on-the-job exposure, but from travel and other sources  many unknown.

Across the country, more than 9,200 health workers out of an estimated 18 million have the disease, the CDC reported Tuesday in a separate paper, which notes that the number probably understates the true number of coronavirus infections.

Dr. Robert Siegel, an infectious disease expert at Stanford, called the relatively low infection rate from the Solano County patient a hopeful sign. But he added that public health officials should remain vigilant in protecting workers.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The results are promising for health care workers. It means that the risk may be less than we thought, Siegel said. But the cautionary note is that by using correct (personal protective equipment), health care workers may be able to keep protected.

Siegel cautioned against generalizing from one case, but said that a single person infecting three others in this instance was on par with estimates about infection rates without social distancing. But that rate needs to be lowered to as close to zero as possible for the pandemic to end, he said.

The case studied by the CDC proved pivotal in the fight against the coronavirus and prompted the federal agency to expand its criteria for who could get tested. Doctors had asked that the Solano County patient be tested on Feb. 19, but the CDC didnt agree until four days later, on Feb. 23. At the time, most public health officials believed that COVID-19 was transmissable only through contact with someone known to have the disease.

Health workers are especially nervous because they often lack enough protective equipment and usually cant remain 6 feet from their patients.

Hospitals are like a cruise ship; its a petri dish, said UCSF nurse Maureen Dugan. Were in the face of patients every day.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
FILE PHOTO: The Shell logo is seen at the 20th Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MOES 2017) in Manama

By Ron Bousso and Shadia Nasralla

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday laid out the oil and gas sector's most extensive strategy yet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, stating its plans depended on its customers also mitigating emissions.

Oil and gas producers have announced deep spending cuts as oil prices have touched 18-year lows and drastic restrictions on movement to slow the spread of the new coronavirus have destroyed demand.

Chief Executive Ben van Beurden told investors the crisis would not distract it from the company's shift to low-carbon energy as it braces for "a complete overhaul" over the next 30 years.

The raised ambitions put the Anglo-Dutch company - at least on paper - ahead of the most progressive of its rivals, including BP and Italy's Eni.

"We aim to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner," van Beurden said.

The Anglo-Dutch company previously had long-term intensity based targets, rather than goals based on absolute emissions reductions.

It said on Thursday it planned to fully offset carbon emissions from its own oil and gas production and the energy it uses by 2050, in what are known as Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

Those emissions do not include the much larger category of greenhouse gases emitted from fuels and products it sells to customers, such as jet fuel and gasoline, known as Scope 3.

The company however said it will "pivot towards serving businesses and sectors that by 2050 are also net-zero emissions," which it said means its absolute emissions, including Scope 3, should be fully offset.

GRAPHIC: Shell's carbon emissions https://reut.rs/2yBZtzd

SCOPE 3

Energy companies' carbon emission reduction targets vary greatly in scope and definition.

BP aims to bring net emissions from the barrels from its own operations throughout their life cycle to zero by 2050, including a 50% reduction of the carbon intensity of all the products it sells, which include products from oil made by other companies.

Story continues

Shell also expanded its aim to cut the carbon emission footprint from the energy products its sells, an intensity-based measure, by around 65% by 2050, and by around 30% by 2035.

To get to overall net-zero emissions, including Scope 3, van Beurden told a conference call that "our customers can and will themselves take action on the emissions created by their use of our energy products."

"As we get closer to 2050, we will work ever more intensely with customers who still have emissions that they have not fully mitigated...to find ways to help them do so. That might be through actions they take themselves or we may agree to mitigate those emissions on (their) behalf," he added.

Mitigation would rely on offsetting emissions, for example by planting trees, or carbon capture technology, which is not currently used at commercial scale.

Graphic: Shell's climate ambition https://reut.rs/2RHG1bg

Last year Shell spent roughly 8% of its $24 billion budget on low-carbon energy. Barclays analysts said it was likely that spending on oil and gas exploration would fall.

Shell also set binding targets to reduce its net carbon footprint in the three years to 2022 by 3% to 4% from a 2016 baseline.

IN LINE WITH PARIS?

Investors welcomed the announcement, but differed on whether it was in line with the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

"This package of enhanced steps, set against the current other commitments in the oil and gas sector, significantly jumps Shell to the leading global position," Carola van Lamoen, head of Robeco's Active Ownership team, told Reuters.

Mark van Baal, founder of activist group Follow This, said the new goals were not enough.

"Shell's Board is still failing in its responsibility to show leadership at a time of devastating climate change," he said.

Shell also recommended investors vote against a climate resolution filed by Follow This ahead of its annual general meeting in May calling for more aggressive climate steps.

"A credible Net Zero plan from Shell would start with a commitment to stop drilling for new oil and gas," said Richard George, head of Greenpeace UKs climate campaign.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by Susan Fenton, John Stonestreet, Mike Harrison and Barbara Lewis)
Technavio has been monitoring the fuel cell commercial vehicle market, and it is poised to grow by 19.53 K units during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 60% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005386/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market 2019-2023

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will decelerate during the forecast period. Daimler AG, General Motors, Hyundai Motor Company, NFI Group Inc., TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, and Volkswagen AG. are some of the major market participants. The benefits of green energy vehicles will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

The benefits of green energy vehicles has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market is segmented as below:

Application M&HCV LCV

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31175

Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our fuel cell commercial vehicle market report covers the following areas:

Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market size

Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market trends

Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market industry analysis

This study identifies a growing focus on the development of ethanol-based fuel cell technology as one of the prime reasons driving the fuel cell commercial vehicle market growth during the next few years.

Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the fuel cell commercial vehicle market, including some of the vendors such as Daimler AG, General Motors, Hyundai Motor Company, NFI Group Inc., TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, and Volkswagen AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the fuel cell commercial vehicle market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

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Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist fuel cell commercial vehicle market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the fuel cell commercial vehicle market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the fuel cell commercial vehicle market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of fuel cell commercial vehicle market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION

Market segmentation by application

Comparison by application

M&HCV Market size and forecast 2018-2023

LCV Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by application

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Daimler AG

General Motors

Hyundai Motor Company

NFI Group Inc.

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION

Volkswagen AG

PART 14: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

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"The fact that the coronaviruses exist is complicating the recovery from the tornado, while the tornadoes are complicating our efforts to make sure that we do everything in our power to stop the spread of the virus," Reeves said during a stop in tiny Soso. "It is it is exceptionally complicated, and it's tough on all of us."
archived recording (gov. andrew cuomo) Everybody wants to reopen. So how do you actually do that intelligently? Well, you have to test.

[music]

michael barbaro

From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today, as governors across the country debate when and how to reopen their economies 

archived recording 1 We are nowhere near where we need to be with testing supplies. archived recording 2 Yeah, look, were nowhere near where we need to be on testing. Lets just be straight with folks. archived recording 3 You know, our testing is increasing, but its not increasing nearly fast enough.

michael barbaro

 they say that the single biggest impediment is their inability to measure and monitor infection rates in their communities.

archived recording 1 Weve been fighting for testing. archived recording 2 We need to be doing robust testing in order to really assess when and how its safe to resume life.

michael barbaro

Katie Thomas on the state of testing. Its Tuesday, April 28. Katie, when state officials talk about testing as a decisive factor in whether and when to reopen their economies, what do they mean?

katie thomas

Well, for the governors, this is really an essential tool. Its what they are going to need to rely on if theyre going to reopen their economy and their communities. I mean, think of it like a fire department that doesnt have an essential tool like hoses. They cant put out fires. And the governors, if they cant have consistent and widespread testing throughout their states, then, you know, they cant see when a new hot spot is popping up or infections are rising, and whether theyre successfully beating the virus or not.

michael barbaro

And exactly what kind of testing are we talking about here?

katie thomas

Well, theres two kinds of tests. The first one is the one that many of us have been talking about for a while, the diagnostic testing, which actually tests for pieces of the actual virus, and that will tell you and your doctors whether you are actively infected with the virus and whether you have it. Then the second group of testing, which is really kind of just getting underway right now, is called antibody testing. Thats the idea that after you have had the virus and youve recovered, your body has developed antibodies, which help fight off the virus. Generally  we dont know for sure, science still doesnt know, but people are pretty much operating on the assumption that if you have these antibodies in your system, then you are immune, at least for now, from getting infected again from this coronavirus.

michael barbaro

Gotcha. So one of these tests says, youve got the virus. The other says, youve had the virus. Lets start with the diagnostic test, right, because that is the test that people talk to us about when they talk about flattening the curve and limiting the spread. So where do things stand with that test?

katie thomas

So as you probably remember, things got off to a pretty bad start in the U.S. with diagnostic testing back in January. The C.D.C., whose job it is to initially get things rolling with developing a test and then sending it out to all the public health labs around the country so that they can start testing, encountered basically a manufacturing problem as they were scaling up the tests and mailing them out. As they mailed out that first batch to the public health labs around the country and the labs started testing them to make sure that they were correct, they quickly realized that they had a problem. And what happened is some contamination got into the tests that basically made it so that they revealed an invalid result, and so they couldnt be relied upon.

michael barbaro

Mm-hmm.

katie thomas

So this set back testing in the country significantly and for weeks, because basically those public health labs then couldnt do the testing that they had planned on doing, and almost all of the testing in the country for the month of February was only done through the C.D.C. lab.

michael barbaro

Right, creating a huge bottleneck at a crucial moment when the virus is spreading all over the country.

katie thomas

Exactly. And while the C.D.C. was scrambling to fix the problem, this whole other system of private labs, university and hospital labs that were ready and who wanted to develop their own tests, they were slowed down, they said, by the Food and Drug Administration, which they felt wasnt moving quickly enough to allow them to develop their own tests. And so not only did you have the C.D.C. suddenly unable to disperse its tests to public health labs around the country, you also almost had this backup system that also couldnt get going initially. And so that was basically the story for the whole month of February, is that the state public health labs couldnt do their testing and neither could the hospitals and the academic medical centers that also wanted to get in the game and start testing.

michael barbaro

So catch us up from that original sin in the diagnostic testing in the U.S. At this point, how much diagnostic testing is underway in the U.S., and how does that compare to where everybody wants it to be?

katie thomas

Yeah. So things have picked up significantly since then. I mean, the whole month of March, finally, the F.D.A.  you know, they did make a policy change that allowed all of these labs to start developing and doing their own tests. Another thing that happened in the month of March is that these big testing companies that make these huge, high-capacity testing machines that enable labs to do thousands of coronavirus tests a day, they also completed their work on their tests and started selling them. And so there was a very big ramp up in the capacity for these labs to start doing the tests. But then, you know, as these labs started doing all these tests, they started to run into new problems.

michael barbaro

Like what?

katie thomas

Well, we started to see shortages of all kinds of different things. All of the supplies that you need in order to do these tests, suddenly they came under strain. The best example is probably the swabs that you need to conduct a test. Its this very long, skinny swab that almost looks like a Q-Tip, but its a very specialized swab that you stick all the way back into your nose to where your nose meets your throat. And those swabs are in demand globally because, obviously, this isnt just happening in the U.S. This is happening around the world.

michael barbaro

Of course.

katie thomas

One of the biggest companies that makes these swabs is actually an Italian company that is based in northern Italy, and thats where their factory is, as well.

michael barbaro

And of course, northern Italy is where there was a giant outbreak of the virus.

katie thomas

Thats right. So yeah, so in addition to the swabs, everything else started going into short supply, as well. There were the chemical reagents that are needed to do the tests. Theres the liquid that you insert the swab in to transport it to the lab. That started becoming short. Containers, the little vials that you stick the swab into, those started to become short. And then in addition, the shortage of masks and other personal protective equipment that weve all heard about with hospitals and medical providers, the person whos doing the test also needs to have that protective wear, and so those shortages also started to affect the number of tests that providers could do. You know, if they didnt have masks, then they couldnt do a test, and if they didnt have enough swabs, then they couldnt do a test.

michael barbaro

Hm. So it turns out theres this kind of, like, unseen chain of items required to do testing, and even if you have plenty of tests you cant do the tests without each and every one of them.

katie thomas

Thats right.

michael barbaro

So at this point, how many diagnostic tests are being done in the U.S.?

katie thomas

Well, the number is likely going up, and the last couple of days its gone up significantly. You know, no one knows for sure exactly how many tests are being done, but the best estimates are that, you know, in the last several days, the U.S. has been doing about 250,000 tests a day.

michael barbaro

Now, Katie, is that a lot or a little, given that we are a nation of nearly 300 million people?

katie thomas

It sounds like a lot of tests, but actually, experts say that well have to do many times that in order to really reopen the country. Some say we may need to be doing a million or more in order to really know what were dealing with and to get a handle on the virus.

michael barbaro

Now, we keep hearing at the federal level that the U.S. has enough diagnostic tests, right? The Trump administration says at these daily news briefings, capacity has grown significantly, there is sufficient testing. So how does that square with what youre describing?

katie thomas

Right. And thats the issue is that theres a big disconnect right now between the labs and what they theoretically could do in a day if they were sent X amount of tests, and the number of tests that hospitals that are actually testing the patients can do in a single day, given these ongoing shortages of everything from swabs to masks to the vials to send the swabs in.

michael barbaro

So the White House is accurate when it says, a lot more testing is possible. The only problem is that possible is not the same as having everything you need to do all the tests.

katie thomas

Thats right.

michael barbaro

So just to summarize where things are: When it comes to diagnostic tests of the coronavirus  this essential frontline weapon in telling governors and public health officials how many people have the virus - once this major bottleneck at the C.D.C. got solved, then testing has really expanded, in part because the private sector was allowed to get involved. But theres still a major problem with the supply chain that basically means there isnt nearly as much testing done as everybody wants there to be done and thinks there needs to be done.

katie thomas

Thats right. Weve come very far from where we were, and the picture is changing by the day. Were still not anywhere close to where most people feel like we need to be in order to really reopen the country.

[music]

And its right in the midst of that, of still ramping up these diagnostic tests, that were now kind of shifting our attention and focus toward this other big category of tests, which is the antibody test.

michael barbaro

The test that tells you if youve already had the virus?

katie thomas

The test of whether youve had the virus. Thats correct.

michael barbaro

And how, Katie, is that test going?

katie thomas

Well, that is proving to be just as complicated and problematic maybe as the diagnostic tests were.

michael barbaro

Well be right back. Katie, what do we need to know about this second test, the antibody test?

katie thomas

Yeah. Well, we really need this new category of tests, the antibody tests, as we move forward and communities think about reopening, and thats for a number of reasons. One is just to get a feel for how far has the virus spread in your community. How many people have gotten it? Unlike the diagnostic tests which are kind of a moment in time, the antibody test tells you, have you ever had it, which is a valuable and slightly different piece of information. The other piece of this is, if we can accurately identify who has had it and who hasnt, it might help us figure out which health care workers can safely go back to work, and who can kind of rejoin our community.

michael barbaro

Right. And of course, which parts of the economy can reopen. We talked to our colleague Donald McNeil about this. This is the test that would help us distinguish the immune from the still susceptible, and the immune, if this test works, they become a very privileged class of people who get to do almost everything.

katie thomas

Right. I mean, theoretically, thats the idea.

michael barbaro

And so where are we in the development of that test?

katie thomas

So the F.D.A. and the federal government took a completely different approach when it came to the antibody tests. The F.D.A. came under criticism for having been too slow to allow the development of the diagnostic tests, and so when it came to the antibody tests, they almost overcorrected and they went in the other direction. And they went to all of the testing companies and basically said, if you want to develop an antibody test, go ahead, go for it. And rather than coming to us for approval before you can sell it, we are going to let you develop the tests, do your own validating, make sure that you are comfortable that your test works, and then once you are comfortable that it works, you can start selling the test. You dont need approval from us. And so, you know, the F.D.A. has said that theyre now aware of dozens of companies that are selling or developing these antibody tests, and its really become almost like a wild, wild west of testing.

michael barbaro

So after having kind of held up the private sector when it came to the diagnostic test, this time they are supercharging the private sector on the antibody test, and putting a huge amount of trust in these corporations to do this and do it right.

katie thomas

Yes. Thats right.

michael barbaro

And so how has it gone?

katie thomas

Its been a really mixed bag. Theres just a huge variety of tests that are out there, and a huge variety of accuracy. In fact, there was a study that just came out by independent researchers that took a look at 14 of these tests, and it found that out of those 14 tests that they examined, only three delivered consistently reliable results.

michael barbaro

Wow. Three of 14 tests that are on the market already?

katie thomas

Thats right. Yeah. And some of the tests, a group of the tests, produced whats known as a false positive rate up to 16 percent of the time.

michael barbaro

And explain that. What does a false positive mean when it comes to an antibody test for the coronavirus?

katie thomas

Sure. So a false positive would be when the test incorrectly identifies somebody as having had the antibodies for the coronavirus when they didnt really have it  when they had never had the virus.

michael barbaro

And a 16 percent false positive rate  correct me if Im wrong  that sounds really bad for a test.

katie thomas

Yeah. I mean, it means that if you have 100 people, 16 of those people could be incorrectly identified as having had the virus and having antibodies to the virus.

michael barbaro

And that, of course, would be quite dangerous, because a false positive for the antibodies is basically the false understanding that you may be immune to the virus and would act accordingly  go out into the world, return to work, maybe not wear a mask.

katie thomas

Thats right. Thats right. It also would mean that, you know, if youre the mayor or the governor or, you know, a public health leader, you also just dont have a very good picture of whats going on in your community and how many people have had the virus. And that could really be bad in a community where there arent a lot of people that truly have the virus, because it could lead that community to think that theyre at a different stage in this outbreak than they truly are, and it could lead them to make decisions about how to reopen and how to move forward in a way that really doesnt accurately reflect what the risks truly are.

michael barbaro

Right. Im thinking about places in rural America, for example, where if suddenly an antibody test were given to everyone in that community and infection rates were really low, in reality, a high false positive rate test might make everyone think, Oh, wow, weve come out the other side of this epidemic and a lot of us are O.K., when in fact the virus just hasnt really washed over that community yet.

katie thomas

Thats right, when in fact its really an issue about the accuracy of the test versus the reality on the ground.

michael barbaro

Hm. So this government plan to avoid the problems of the diagnostic test rollout by taking a really hands-off approach and relying on private companies, that doesnt seem to have worked out very well. In fact, it seems, to a certain degree, to have backfired.

katie thomas

It has. I mean, you know, if you are a governor or a public health official in a community, you now have the job of trying to figure out which test you want to use and try and learn for yourself kind of whether it works or not.

michael barbaro

Are any of the tests highly reliable? Do any of the tests have very low false positive rates?

katie thomas

Yes. There are some tests that experts said are good and are accurate, and some of the really big testing companies  Abbott is one example  have recently come out with their own antibody test, and the feeling is that these tests are measurably better than some of the other ones that have come on the market.

michael barbaro

But it feels like overall, just to establish exactly where we are at this moment when it comes to testing, there are still significant problems with diagnostic tests because of those supply chain issues you talked about earlier, and we dont have anywhere near as reliable a set of antibody tests as everybody thinks we need.

katie thomas

Thats right. I mean, we basically havent mastered either one of these tests.

michael barbaro

Katie, is testing just really hard in a public health emergency like the coronavirus, or do we just keep screwing this up kind of uniquely in the U.S.? Because now we have two examples  the diagnostic and the antibody test  where we cant quite seem to get it right when we very much need to get it right.

katie thomas

Yeah. I think some of this goes to the bigger picture of where we are at as a country with our health care system. Even before the pandemic, and even more so now that we are in a pandemic, the truth is is that our health care system is a huge jumble. Theres the federal government, theres all of the states, there are for-profit hospitals, there are nonprofit hospitals. Theres people who are covered by Medicare, by Medicaid, by insurance through their employer. Its all a big mix, and some would say a big mess, and this is all playing into testing, and who is testing, and which company do we use, and how do we get our supplies. So just to give you an example, say youre a patient and youre in the hospital and your doctor wants to give you a coronavirus test. They open up their computer and theres an electronic system that they use, and when they hit click to order a test, that test order will go out to the company that they happen to have a relationship with, say its LabCorp. Now, if LabCorp, at that moment of the crisis, has a week-long backlog, its not so easy for that hospital to quickly pivot to a different lab that might have capacity. So, you know, its very hard, for example, for that doctor, then, to get on the phone and maybe call 10 other labs in the area to check and see how quickly that they can process their test. And I can give you an example on the other side of that equation, which is, I know of a lab director who has all of that excess capacity. He could be processing hundreds more tests a day than he is, and yet hes not getting calls from hospitals for their tests.

michael barbaro

Hmm. Youre describing a situation in which the lack of any kind of centralized system in U.S. health care is really hampering our ability to test.

katie thomas

Right. I mean, in a pandemic, you really need to be able to move quickly and decisively, and, you know, I think weve long known that our health care system is very fragmented, but were really seeing that play out in the example of testing. Whether its the supply chain issues, or getting antibody testing out there and accurate, its showing all of the kind of little ways that this system that we have is not quite up to the task and is slowing us down.

[music]

michael barbaro

Right. And the price of that is that it will take much longer for governors around the country and for local health officials to really get a grasp on where the virus is and to reopen our economy.

katie thomas

I think, unfortunately, thats right.

michael barbaro

Katie, thank you very much.

katie thomas

Thanks for having me.

michael barbaro
Man Tracks Down His Late Mothers Car From 1971 and Buys It, Finds Her Sunglasses Inside
WESTPORT  The Board of Finance gave its approval in the first view of First Selectman Jim Marpes tax deferral program to help those suffering economically because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The idea here is to make sure that the people in our town who are suffering immediate economic consequences  well offer them the possibility of deferring taxes, Marpe said at the meeting on Wednesday. This is a deferment program, its not a forgiveness program.

The program aims to give taxpayers a three-month grace period to pay. The plan comes in response to Gov. Ned Lamonts Executive Order April 1. It requires municipalities to offer tax relief programs to those suffering from economic hardships caused by COVID-19.

As part of the program, Marpe said taxes that were due April 1 would now be due July 2 for those qualified. Normally, he said, the taxes would be due by April 30. Marpe said Westport is one of only 12 municipalities in the state that collects taxes quarterly.

We will also be looking at July 1 and that period as well in what would be the first quarter of the new fiscal year, Marpe said.

Finance board members gave their support for the program.

Member Lee Caney outlined qualification requirements for eligibility:

Residents would qualify if they saw a 20 percent income reduction since April 1 from being unemployed, furloughed without pay or experiencing a pay cut. Caney said if a resident doesnt meet these requirements, but shows another reason their income was reduced by 20 percent, the town has discretion in allowing them to participate.

Businesses and nonprofits would qualify if they experienced 30 percent revenue reductions between March and June as compared with last year, Caney said. Landlords can qualify if their income has been significantly reduced and provide documentation showing theyve given forbearance to tenants.

BOF Chair Brian Stern said the rules and regulations will be applied property-by-property.

I think particularly for landlords that makes a difference, he said. Some office spaces, for example  my understanding is most folks arent paying the rent. Its the retail, its gyms, its restaurants, its things like that where the hardships are happening.

Tax Assessor Paul Friia, whose office will manage the evaluation process, said landlords will need rent documentation such as an amendment to a lease. He added his office was best fit for the process because it is familiar with expense and income reports.

Its almost a natural fit for us to handle that aspect of it and to process the rest of the form as well, he said.

Marpe said the program would not apply to those who have their taxes escrowed with their mortgages, which is around 30 percent of the towns taxpayers.

Were trying to focus this on the people who are willing to admit they need this the most, Marpe said.

Those who have not yet paid their April taxes will have until May 15 to apply for a deferral for that period, he said.

The Representative Town Meeting will next review and vote on the proposal at its meeting on April 22.

dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com
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One airline is now administering blood tests to passengers before they board flights amid the coronavirus pandemic, it announced on Wednesday.

Emirates said this week that on a Wednesday flight to Tunisia from Dubai, passengers "were all tested for COVID-19" before departing by way of blood tests conducted by the Dubai Health Authority at the airport's check-in area, and "results were available within 10 minutes."

Emirates called itself the first airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19 tests on its passengers. These blood tests are in addition to other precautions the airline has taken, such as requiring passengers to wear masks.

CNN notes that "serology (blood) tests aren't meant to diagnose active coronavirus infections," but they "check for proteins in the immune system, known as antibodies, through a blood sample," and "their presence means a person was exposed to the virus and developed antibodies against it."

But this, CNN also observes, may be "a sign of what the future holds for air travelers," while NPR describes it as potentially "a step toward making air travel palatable to the public again." The airline is hoping to expand this practice, as Emirates Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha said in a statement, "We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights."

More stories from theweek.com

The new mysteries of coronavirus

5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy

Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic?


Trumps Hawkish Stance on China Turns Into a Reelection Pitch

News Analysis

WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trumps harder stance on China may become one of his biggest strengths in the general election amid a growing consensus that something must be done to hold Beijing accountable for the worldwide pandemic.

Public opinion in the United States has shifted significantly against the Chinese regime in recent weeks, and this is creating a big vulnerability for former Vice President Joe Biden, says Libby Cantrill, managing director and head of public policy at PIMCO, an investment management firm.

Speaking at a virtual panel discussion on the U.S. election outlook hosted by the Institute of International Finance on April 16, Cantrill said that Trump and Democrats on the Hill are strange bedfellows in terms of skepticism about Beijing.

As vice president and almost four decades as a U.S. senator, Biden, however, had been friendly toward free trade and China, she said.

Trump has made confronting Chinas trade-distorting policies a centerpiece of his agenda, recently increasing pressure on Beijing for its handling of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus outbreak in Wuhan.

Cantrill said Trump would use Bidens sympathetic approach toward China against him going into the general election.

One of the most bipartisan issues right now on Capitol Hill over the last few years has been sort of suspicion and skepticism around China, she said. The Democrats have a different kind of approach towards that skepticism but it results in the same outcome.

In a recent poll, Americans reported bipartisan distrust of the Chinese governments handling of the outbreak of the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

A Harris Poll survey conducted from March 14 to April 5 showed that 77 percent of Americans blame the CCP for the spread of the virus.

The belief was echoed across the political spectrum, as 67 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of independents, and 90 percent of Republicans think the Chinese regime is responsible for the pandemic.

Seventy-two percent of Americans also blame the Chinese government for inaccurately reporting the impact of the virus in China.

Cantrill said many voters underestimated Trumps sincerity on his trade agenda before the 2016 election, but he came to the White House with this incredibly strong and deep-seated view that America had been short-shrifted on trade since the mid-1980s.

She predicted that after the health crisis, Trump might declare another trade war against China in September or October.

According to the Harris Poll, 84 percent of Republicans and 64 percent of Democrats believe Trump should reimpose tough tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing fails to meet the purchasing targets set by the phase one trade agreement between the two countries.

I did a trade deal with China, where China is supposed to be spending $250 billion in our country, Trump said at a White House press briefing on April 14.

Now, I want to see if China lives up to it. I know President Xi; I think he will live up to it. If he doesnt live up to it, that will be OK, too, because we have very, very good alternatives.

On April 14, a fundraising committee for Trumps reelection campaign sent an email to supporters asking donations to hold China accountable for causing the pandemic.

China has been lying and doing everything they can to cover up the spread of COVID-19 in their country, the email stated. Its absolutely disgraceful and we cant stand by and do nothing.

President Trump has always been tough on China, but he cant hold them accountable on his own. Thats why he is calling on YOU to stand with him and hold China accountable for their lies and deceptions during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Top American officials said that U.S. intelligence is looking into whether the high-level laboratory in Wuhan is the source of the virus. Trump also confirmed on April 15 that a very thorough examination has begun on the origins of the Wuhan virus.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Press Release

Nokia and 3 Indonesia unleash more capacity for 4G customers

Nokia deploys its first 3G-4G dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) solution in Indonesia to help 3 Indonesia efficiently extend 4G bandwidth



3 Indonesia LTE subscribers gain network capacity boost to enjoy more data



15 April 2020

Jakarta, Indonesia  Nokia has deployed its 3G-4G dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology in 3 Indonesia's live network infrastructure to help the operator dynamically extend its 4G bandwidth when the demand for 3G subsides. The operator has just concluded a trial of Nokia's DSS software upgrade in Makassar, the capital city of Sulawesi, prior to a nationwide deployment. The trial extended 1.8 MHz of 4G bandwidth resulting in unleashing eighteen percent more spectrum for 4G customers without compromising 3G services.

In Indonesia, as the demand for 3G starts to decrease, the migration to 4G becomes one of the hottest topics for operators. Nokias state-of-the-art DSS technology allows 3 Indonesia to quickly extend 4G spectrum by reducing 3G spectrum in a dynamic fashion. DSS is based on the actual usage demands of both 3G and 4G customers which varies significantly in different geographic locations and different times of the day. As it is performed automatically without the operators manual intervention, 3 Indonesia is able to manage the spectrum resource efficiently to support customer demand.

Desmond Cheung, CTO, 3 Indonesia said, "Growing our subscriber base with limited spectrum is one of our major challenges but Nokia's dynamic spectrum sharing technology gives us more network capacity for the seamless transition from 3G to 4G. We are very happy to work with Nokia to bring in this new technology to Indonesia so as to increase the network capacity and data speed to meet the ever increasing data demands."

Andrew Cope, Vice President of Mobile Networks in Asia Pacific & Japan at Nokia, said, "We have been a long-standing partner of 3 Indonesia and are happy that 3 can pioneer our 3G-4G DSS technology implementation in Indonesia. The successful trial demonstrates our leadership in helping our customers to optimize their networks efficiently."

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About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia.

About 3 Indonesia

3 Indonesia under the brand 3 is one of the leading mobile communication service providers in Indonesia that operates a nationwide network with licensed 2G, 3G/WCDMA, 4G LTE GSM. 3 brings mobile lifestyle experience powered by 4G/4G LTE in over 33,000 villages in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java, Bali and Lombok, with 16,000 km of fiber optic.

Since its establishment in 2007, 3 Indonesia has grown to be a mobile lifestyle provider. 95% of its customers are young and digital-savvy users. The success of 3 Indonesia is built on its commitment to provide good user experience at the best value for customers, as well as the spirit to empower Indonesian youth.
This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday.

This has been the week when everybody seems to be thinking about reopening the economy. Governors are talking about it. So are President Trump and leaders in much of Europe. Today, Trump plans to announce new guidelines on social distancing that will move the country toward reopening.

But before anyone gets too excited, its worth taking a look at whats happening in Singapore, which has been celebrated for a model response to the virus.

Singapores approach has certainly been aggressive  and more effective than the American approach. In January, as the virus was spreading within the Chinese city of Wuhan, Singapore officials began screening travelers arriving in their country and placing anyone who tested positive into quarantine. Singapore also quarantined some travelers who didnt have symptoms but had been exposed to the virus. And Singapore tested its own residents and tracked down people who had come in contact with someone who tested positive.
A global pandemic, a worried wife and a campus that, like its home state, is full of connections, were the impetus for protective devices that were created at West Virginia University and are now being used by a variety of health care professionals at WVU Medicine J. W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Lee Mullet, a teaching assistant professor and interior design program coordinator, fretted about her husband, Dr. Chuck Mullett, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, contracting the highly-contagious Coronavirus. After reading a report about intubation boxes to protect doctors, she forwarded the information to her husband, who knew that Dr. Pavithra Ellison, associate professor of pediatric anesthesiology, had been worried about exposure to the deadly virus, as well.

Physicians are at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 as they intubate patients who need to be put on ventilators, potentially releasing virus-carrying particles, but intubation boxes capture those aerosolized particles; the boxes are also used by anesthesiologists and respiratory therapists, in critical care medicine and the emergency department.

Lee Mullett had toured the Innovation Hub lab at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources last year. Instead of just worrying, she acted and reached out to Gene Cilento, the Hub's inaugural director, during the first days of the University's shutdown because of the virus. Cilento responded that the Hub would assist.

"The bottom line is that the new Innovation Hub is still coming online but we saw an opportunity to help the medical profession in a critical time of need," Cilento said. "It is a way to help our WVU medical community do their jobs."

To begin making prototypes of the transparent boxes, Innovation Hub shop managers Joshua Bintrim and Kelsey Crawford reached out to Jim Hall, a chemical engineering senior lab instrumentation specialist with more than 35 years of experience as a machinist.

The team began by consulting with medical professionals at the WVU School of Medicine to ensure that the final product would be durable, ergonomically comfortable and functional, compatible with sterilizing techniques and perhaps most importantly, provide adequate protection. The design needed to include access ports to allow the physician to perform the intubation and also have a perfect seal to prevent any scrapes or cuts to both medical personnel and patients.

"We had to make it work with the equipment we had, keeping in mind that we needed to get them out the door as quickly as possible," Hall said.

Bintrim, a shop manager of rapid prototyping workroom with the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, built the first model. Using WhatsApp to receive feedback from the doctors in real time, he was able to see how the box was used in simulations and improve upon the model before being finalizing the design, a three-sided, 20-by-20-by-20-inch box with two six-inch diameter holes. He said the virtual meetings allowed the Hub to create only one prototype iteration before production began. Hall estimated that after working through the learning curve, one intubation box takes approximately 30 minutes to make.

"They were perfect--so simple, and yet so effective," Chuck Mullett said. "We asked for a total of 40 to spread around the hospital for use--the ED, the ORs and the ICUs."

The boxes were delivered in a week.

"It speaks to me that we can accomplish so many things in such a short period of time when we have a truly collaborative effort," Ellison said. "I'm fortunate to work with an incredible team of professionals who rise to the occasion. As an anesthesiologist, I am trained to stay calm in chaos and I like to rise up to the challenge. The positive part of this is how we all work together as a team to help protect patients and also all our healthcare personnel."

The Innovation Hub is now working with the West Virginia VA Hospital System, as well.

###
"In these trying times we all search for stability in our daily lives," said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America. "We hope that through this donation to Feeding America, we can provide the comfort and stability of a meal for people who struggle with hunger in America. We must all stay safe but remember to help others where we can."

Prior to the onset of COVID-19, hunger was already a reality for 37 million Americans, 11 million of whom are children. As families face the reality of sheltering in place and its associated fallout for the foreseeable future, millions more face the very real danger of unemployment, unprecedented difficulty accessing and purchasing food and an increased reliance on food banks to keep food on their tables. The 50 million meals that Subaru helps secure will enable food banks to secure the resources they need to serve the most vulnerable members of their communities.

"We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation from Subaru, which will help every food bank in our network provide food to our neighbors in need. During this unprecedented time, the Feeding America nationwide network of 200 food banks is working tirelessly to respond to increased need in their communities. We are proud to work with Subaru to help the most vulnerable people impacted by this pandemic," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America.

Through this landmark partnership, Subaru, its independent distributors, and the Subaru network of 633 retailers nationwide will foster relationships with local Feeding America member food banks. Together, they will work to provide ongoing support in the form of food drives, donations and volunteer events as the automaker goes above and beyond to be more than a car company for its communities during these globally challenging times. Through these events and donations, Subaru will work toward a shared goal to get communities back on their feet.

The automaker's donation to Feeding America is a part of the Subaru Loves to Help pillar, the community-focused initiative of the Subaru Love Promise. To learn more about Subaru Loves to Help and the community work Subaru does, visit subaru.com/community.

To learn more about Feeding America, visit www.feedingamerica.org and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

* $1 helps to provide at least ten meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $190 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Subaru Distributors Corp.

Established in 1975 and based in Orangeburg, NY, Subaru Distributors Corp. (SDC) is the independent distributor that franchises Subaru retailers throughout New York state and the northern eleven counties of New Jersey, selling and distributing Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories to its 67 retailer partners. SDC supports local and national charities and, with its Subaru retailers, enthusiastically embraces and supports the Subaru Love Promise and all that it stands for.

About Subaru of New England, Inc.

Established in 1971 and based out of Norwood, MA, Subaru of New England, Inc. (SNE) markets & distributes Subaru vehicles and parts to the 64 Subaru Retailers throughout the six New England states. Through its commitment to the Subaru Love Promise, SNE is dedicated to the causes and passions that matter most to its Subaru owners. Leading by example, SNE's office building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Certified, featuring efficient, state-of-the-art technologies and renewable resources. In the past several years, SNE and its Retailers have donated millions to local charities.

To learn more about Subaru of New England, visit SubaruOfNewEngland.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Dominick Infante

Subaru of America, Inc.

(856) 488-8615

[email protected]

Diane Anton

Subaru of America, Inc.

(856) 488-5093

[email protected]

Mamie Moore

Feeding America National Organization

(312) 641-5645 x5270

[email protected]



Stanley Lewicki

Subaru of New England, Inc.

(781) 255-6383

[email protected]



Samuel Spagnuolo

Subaru Distributors Corp.

(845) 770-6962

[email protected]

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.subaru.com


An 18-year-old Boston man is accused of fatally shooting a teenage girl Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Authorities responded shortly before 3:40 p.m. to a call about a person shot near Topliff and Speedwell streets in Dorchester, the Boston Police Department said in a statement.

When officers arrived, they found a girl in her late teens who had been shot multiple times. She died at the scene, according to the statement. Police did not identify the victim nor specify her age.

Anthony Kelley, a Dorchester resident, was arrested on charges of murder, discharging a gun within 500 feet of a dwelling and unlawful possession of a gun and ammunition, police said.

The Boston Police Department is continuing to look at circumstances surrounding the shooting. Anyone with information about the incident has been urged to call homicide detectives at (617) 343-4470.
Kolkata, April 16 : The labour room and gynaecology ward of NRS Medical College and Hospital here have been temporarily shut down after a woman patient who gave birth to a baby tested positive for the coronavirus infection.

The woman delivered the baby on Monday, but started displaying Covid 19 symptoms a day later, hospital sources said on Thursday.

Her swab sample was sent for testing and the results received on Wednesday detected she had the virus. The woman was likely to be transferred to one of the designated Covid-19 hospitals.

The labour room and the gynaecology ward have been shut down for fumigation, and would be reopened after complete sanitisation.

Other patients who shared the labour room with the corona positive woman and some other women who had come in close contact with her have been sent to isolation.

The hospital was identifying the doctors, nurses and health workers who had come in contact with the woman for sending them on quarantine.

Earlier, 79 doctors, nurses and other health workers of NRS Medical College and Hospital were put on quarantine after the test results of a young patient who died in the male medicine ward detected him as coronavirus positive. The ward was also shut for fumigation.
New Dynata Study Finds that Broadcast TV is Most Trusted News Source Among All Adults, Irrespective of Age



NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At a time when reliable information is vital, Americans are overwhelmingly looking to local broadcast TV news and feel it is the most trusted source for COVID-19 updates. Four out of five U.S. adults (83%) trust their local news stations over national network news (78%) and cable news channels (71%), such as CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. These are topline findings from the Dynata Coronavirus Media Usage Study conducted April 1-7 of 10,000+ adults, 18 years and older, across 10 states, many of which have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic  California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington. The study was released by the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), a not-for-profit trade association.

Broadcast TV is even reaching more younger adults than social media as they seek information on coronavirus. Among those 18- to 34-year-olds, broadcast TV had significantly more reach (79%) compared to social media (63%) and cable TV (32%). 81% of these young adults trust local broadcast TV news.

The survey , conducted by Dynata, a global expert in online market research data, revealed:

Broadcast TV is most relied upon for coronavirus news . Respondents were asked which sources give the best information and updates on the coronavirus as it pertains to preventive procedures, closures, cancellations, and local regulations. The top answer was broadcast TV news according to a majority of U.S. adults (54%), which is double the amount who selected cable news (27%) and more than triple the amount who selected government websites (15%).



Trust for local news extends to online. More adults (71%) trust local TV news websites/ apps compared to network broadcast news websites/ apps (69%) and cable news websites/ apps (67%). In fact, when asked why they use local broadcast stations websites/ apps, trust was the primary reason with more than half of U.S. adults (53%) selecting it.



Adults in the U.S. want local information during a global crisis. When asked why they watch local broadcast TV news, two out of three adults (67%) said they want information that pertains to the area they live in.

Story continues

Local news anchors and reporters are trusted members of our communities, so now more than ever viewers are turning to local TV news for the updates that will keep them safe, said Steve Lanzano, President and CEO of TVB. In times of crisis, Americans want information most relevant to them, like updates on public and medical services, school and business closings, and public transit. Their local TV stations are delivering that in a profound way.

Broadcast TV Viewership Surges

The Coronavirus Media Usage Study comes on the heels of TVBs recent analysis of Nielsen data that further demonstrates how the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted media consumption.

TVB analyzed broadcast TV viewership for March 2020 compared to March 2019 across ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, NBC, Telemundo and Univision in the top 25 TV markets. Among key demos and dayparts, there was a strong increase in broadcast TV viewing. Notably, even without sporting events, live viewing was up.

Among the elusive 18-34 demographic, local news viewership increased throughout March, peaking at a 162% increase the third week of March, notably reversing the trend of younger viewers moving away from TV news. Impressions among adults 25-54, the primary demographic watching local news, also rose +78%.

Traffic to Local News Websites Soars

The Dynata study also revealed that adults have more trust in their local TV stations news websites and apps than broadcast network and cable TV counterparts, as well as social media. TVB also analyzed TV station website and app usage data during March. Across Nexstars 114 markets, pageviews were up +87.5% in March versus January. And in Baltimore, Hearsts WBAL website pageviews increase by 123% in March 2020 versus March 2019 as the pandemic reached critical levels.

About TVB

TVB is the not-for-profit trade association representing Americas local broadcast television industry. Its members include individual television stations, television broadcast groups, advertising sales reps, syndicators, international broadcasters and associate members.
From: Arthur Koch -- Management Consultant For Immediate Release: Dateline: Miami , FL Thursday, April 16, 2020

The Economic Colonization of American Health Care Supply Chain Volume 3 | Number 4 | April 2020 Can you imagine the United States outsourcing 80-85% of our defense contracts to the lowest bidder? And if we were to do this, would we be putting our national security and sovereignty in great jeopardy? Absolutely! This is exactly what the health care industry has done to the US! To protect our national security and sovereignty, we as a nation have two amendments. With these two amendments in place, its safe to assume we are in a better position to protect ourselves from foreign aggression.  Berry Amendment  Department of Defense gives preference to domestically produced, manufactured or home-grown products. e.g. food, clothing, and specialty metals.  Kissell Amendment  Department of Homeland Security, when using appropriated funds directly related to national security, is required to buy textiles, clothing and footwear from domestic sources. The events of COVID-19/CCP VIRUS crisis has exposed several threats to our national security and sovereignty via the supply chain for health care personal protective equipment (PPE), drugs and their precursors, and other medical equipment. As a nation, we have outsourced:  90% of the PPE  gowns, masks, booties, gloves, and shields to China and India.  80-85% of IV bags are from one facility in Puerto Rico.(U.S. Territory)  85% of generic drugs and their substrates are from China and India.  The US no longer can make penicillin; the last plant closed in 2004. "Basically, we've outsourced our entire industry to China," retired Brig. Gen. John Adams told NBC News. "That is a strategic vulnerability." It takes a significant emotional experience or a crisis for real change. We must use the COVID-19/CCP VIRUS pandemic as our Burning Platform, our WAKE-UP call for ACTION! This crisis draws a similar parallel to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Chernobyl was the product of the USSRs failed state policies; the party always comes first. How is this any different than what is becoming evident from Chinas policies? Do we want to continue to be this exposed? I think not! Next Steps: We need to STOP blaming others! As a country, we can fix this. USA population needs to take 100% responsibility!

Washington needs to take 100% responsibility!

USA corporations and leadership need to take 100% responsibility! The population of the USA MUST act: We need to stop telling our children that college is their only option.

There is a need to shift the frame of focus to the fact that manufacturing is cool and exciting. Manufacturing jobs generate fulfilling careers and pay excellent wages. Most manufacturing jobs are highly skilled, challenging and rewarding. We as a nation are ready for manufacturing to be cool and sexy; just take a moment to watch Gas Monkey Garage, How its Made, or Monster Garage and you will understand what I mean. Washington MUST act: We need an amendment(s) similar to the Berry and Kissell to protect our health care supply chain.

Any new stimulus package must include tax breaks for corporations to insource (return back to the US) products from countries that dont share our same policies on human rights, intellectual property laws and monetary/currency oversight.

Create a national campaign for Made in America

Re-energize vocational technical programs at the high school and junior college level. Corporations and leadership MUST act: Leadership must be educated in Operational Excellence and embrace it as a cornerstone to step functional and continuous improvements to the Total Cost of Ownership.

As far as the Total Cost of Ownership is concerned, corporations need to become zealots for the Toyota or Lean Manufacturing methodologies. They need to stop chasing labor cost-saving ghosts and make decisions based on the total cost of carry inventory and not just the incremental costs.

Manufacture regionally for local customers. Long-term, it is not profitable to ship halfway around the world.

Avoid countries that manipulate their currency. This is not a profitable strategy in the long-term. There is absolutely no reason you cannot turn an excellent profit when manufacturing facilities are up to date, are well staffed with well-trained teams, are practicing cutting edge operational excellence, and are regional or local to customers. The choice is yours; do you want to be part of the solution? Do you want to help build a stronger self-sufficient America? Don't be afraid to ask for help! Art Koch's Profit Chain and Entropy Busters are the registered trademarks of Arthur Koch Management Consulting, LLC.  2020 Arthur Koch Management Consulting, LLC, all rights reserved.


[April 15, 2020] IOWN GF Unveils Vision 2030 White Paper, Launches Working Groups and Steering Committees to Define Next Generation Communications Infrastructure and Welcomes New Members The Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum (IOWN GF) unveiled today its Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum Vision 2030 and Technical Directions White Paper and the IOWN GF steering committees and working groups. The steering committees and working groups will begin work in late April. IOWN GF also announced that Chunghwa Telecom, Ciena, Fujitsu, Microsoft (News - Alert) and NEC joined as sponsor members. Mitsubishi (News - Alert) Chemical Holdings joined as a general member. Founded by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Intel Corporation (Intel) and Sony Corporation (Sony), IOWN GF was established to define the next generation communications infrastructure ad help create a smarter world for billions of people. "The coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread quickly causing infection and transforming the lives and economies of people around the world. We couldn't have foreseen this outcome," said Katsuhiko Kawazoe, Ph.D., president and chairperson of the board, IOWN Global Forum, Inc. "For the moment, even with some of the most dedicated and intelligent people in the world focused on treatment and prevention, answers still elude us. Although the focus in this case is healthcare, IT is more involved than ever before in the daily lives of people and in many industries. For example, in the current pandemic, telecommunications and teleconferences have significantly increased the traffic on communication networks. My sincere hope is that as society changes, IT research and development will similarly evolve to meet the new challenges. It is my belief that IOWN GF and its activities will be instrumental in aiding humanity both today and in the future." The global forum's objective is to accelerate the adoption of a new communications infrastructure that will bring together an all photonics network infrastructure including silicon photonics, edge computing, dynamic computing scaling and wireless distributed computing to meet global future data and computing requirements. IOWN GF Vision 2030 - A Smarter World With artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented realities, 5G, dynamic computing scaling, blockchain and other advanced technologies on the verge of becoming part of the daily lives for billions of people, IOWN GF's Vision 2030 is to define and build a global communications infrastructure over the next decade capable of sustainably maximizing the benefits these new technologies offer society and businesses. The hope is to create a smarter world where technology is used more naturally and becomes more pervasive for all. Download the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum Vision 2030 and Technical Directions White Paper (News - Alert) here. IOWN GF's Steering Committees And Working Groups IOWN GF's goals include securing 100 members, publishing 75 technical specifications and releasing 50 proof-of-concepts by 2030. This work will be driven by IOWN GF's steering committees and working groups. The steering committees will be responsible for facilitating collaborations and interactions between working groups, leading working groups' scope arrangement and increasing awareness of IOWN GF. The working groups will be responsible for producing specifications, use cases and reference architecture, deciding technical scope and content. Steering committees and working groups include: Vision Steering Committee; Technology Steering Committee; Marketing Steering Committee; Use Case Working Group and Technology Working Group. About IOWN GF IOWN GF's objective is to accelerate innovation and adoption of a new communication infrastructure to meet our future data and computing requirements through the development of new technologies, frameworks, specifications and reference design in areas such as Photonics R&D, Distributed Connected Computing and Use Cases and Best Practices. Technology, telecommunications and other industry organizations are invited to join the forum. Based in the United States, IOWN GF membership opportunities are available. More details on IOWN GF and membership information can be found at: http://www.iowngf.org. # # # View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005487/en/

[ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ]
Israel's parliament was tasked with forming a government on Thursday after speaker Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin missed a deadline to seal an alliance, but negotiations between the sides were ongoing.

Israel's deeply divided 120-member parliament has no clear path towards a stable governing coalition, so the move risks prolonging the country's worst-ever political crisis.

But despite missing the Wednesday deadline, Gantz and Netanyahu could still agree on an emergency unity government to help Israel confront the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a joint statement, Gantz's Blue and White and Netanyahu's Likud said negotiators had resumed Thursday "toward establishing a national emergency government."



Following a March 2 election, Israel's third inconclusive vote in less than a year, Gantz was given four weeks to form a coalition.

After he was elected speaker late last month, the centrist ex-military chief pledged to form an emergency unity government with the right-wing Netanyahu who has been prime minister since 2009.

Gantz conceded that Netanyahu would lead that government as prime minister, at least to begin with, as Israel faces an unprecedented health crisis that has exacted a devastating economic toll.

The two have discussed various power-sharing options, including scenarios that would see Gantz take over as premier after 18 months, with ministerial positions split between Blue and White and Likud.

After assuring President Reuven Rivlin that they were close to agreement, Gantz and Netanyahu were given until the end of Wednesday to reach a deal.

The deadline passed without any announcement of a breakthrough.

Rivlin then officially informed Gantz that his mandate had expired and that the task of forming a government now passed to parliament.

Rivlin's move gives lawmakers 21 days to nominate one of their number to form a government. That nominee would then have two weeks to build a coalition. They could select Gantz, Netanyahu or someone else.

"The most likely scenario remains a unity government," said Jonathan Rynhold, a political science professor at Bar Ilan University.

"But that is by no means certain," he added, noting there could be another election.

Rivlin implored lawmakers to find a solution that avoids another vote. He called the latest campaign "awful (and) grubby" and expressed embarrassment that political leaders have been unable to compromise.

But polls have found Netanyahu's support has risen during the COVID-19 crisis.

Gantz's decision to seek a deal with Netanyahu triggered the break-up of Blue and White, dramatically weakening his political position.

Former top Blue and White leader Yair Lapid, who split from Gantz last month, charged that unity talks could create a government that becomes "a national disaster".

Lapid, a lawmaker and bitter Netanyahu foe, called for a six-month freeze in the political process, during which the current caretaker government would work with parliament to guide Israel through the pandemic.

"A freeze isn't ideal... but its better than crawling into a corrupt government. It's better than fourth elections," Lapid said.

Many commentators have suggested that Netanyahu wants to draw out unity talks before forcing Israel into another election, hoping he will finally win the absolute majority he needs both to remain in power and to pass legislation that would shield him from prosecution over longstanding corruption allegations.

The prime minister was indicted in January with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, but denies all charges. Gideon Rahat, a political science professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told AFP that "buying time" is in Netanyahu's interest.

But, as Rynhold noted, Netanyahu's current solid polling could simply be "rallying around the flag" during a global crisis and may erode by the time an election is held.

Rynhold agreed with other experts that the key stumbling block in unity talks is control of the justice ministry and judicial nominations, particularly those connected with overseeing Netanyahu's graft case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Virgin Australia has asked for trading to be suspended for seven days.

The company this morning asked the ASX to suspend its shares as it struggles to raise money to survive the coronavirus crisis.

Virgin has asked the federal government for a $1.4billion loan - but ministers are still debating how to prop up the airline industry.

Virgin Australia could collapse if the federal government doesn't agree to a $1.4billion bailout package

'These discussions have continued over the last two days including discussions which remain confidential and are incomplete,' Virgin said in a statement to the ASX.

'The company is not presently in a position to make an announcement to the market with respect to these matters.'

Virgin asked for a two-day trading halt on Tuesday before requesting another suspension on Thursday.

The federal government has ruled out taking a stake in the company.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is instead putting pressure on the company's shareholders.

Etihad Airways owns 21 per cent. Singapore Airlines, China's Nanshan Group and HNA each own around 20 per cent and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group owns 10 per cent.

'They've got deep pockets,' Mr Frydenberg told ABC radio on Thursday.

Chief executive officer Paul Scurrah (centre) said the airline's demise would have a 'catastrophic' impact on the economy

Mr Frydenberg said the government was continuing to talk to the company as well as Qantas, having already provided more than $1 billion in relief for the aviation industry.

'We want to see Virgin continue, we want to see two airlines in the domestic market, but we're not in the business of owning an airline,' he said.

'Where our focus has been is on providing industry-wide support.'

Virgin has already suspended all but one domestic route, stood down 8,000 workers and had its credit rating downgraded.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any public funding for aviation would be spread across the entire sector.

'We haven't been picking any winners or picking any favourites here,' he told Nine.

'What we have been doing is ensuring sector-wide support, which has been already quite significant for the aviation sector.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said any public funding for aviation would be spread across the entire sector

The government has already confirmed it will provide financial support for regional routes and stump up $100 million to address the cashflow crisis among a dozen small airlines.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack is now working directly with Qantas and Virgin on ways to subsidise flights between major cities.

'They have already worked together on international routes that are vital not just for bringing people home or getting people to their homes, but also to support much-needed freight and the transfer of medical supplies,' Mr Morrison said.

Labor has welcomed plans for the government to cover the cost of some trunk routes but said it would not be enough to save Virgin from going broke.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says the government should purchase equity in airlines that need support so taxpayer money is protected, jobs are saved and Australia is not left with just one operator.

'We're talking here about 15,000 direct and indirect jobs,' he told reporters in Sydney.

'This isn't about favouring one airline or another, this is about favouring an industry structure that serves the national interest.'

The Australian Council of Trade Unions says the government must do what it can to prevent an airline from collapsing, as Ansett did nearly a decade ago.

The union says the government's first support package is no longer fit for purpose because most of it is for fuel excise relief, which doesn't help airlines when planes aren't flying.

The government's total commitment to the aviation sector so far is more than $1 billion.
KENOSHA  An investigation is still incomplete into the cause of a fatal house explosion that occurred in Kenosha in March.

One person was killed and two people seriously injured when the house at 7851 30th Ave. exploded in the early morning hours of March 22.

Kenosha County Medical Examiner Patrice Hall said the person who died, an adult male who was found in the basement area, has still not been officially identified. She said her office is waiting for DNA results before being able to release the mans identity.

The couple who owned the home were rescued with the help of neighbors who worked to pull the man and woman from a window in the burning home. The man who died was a friend who was staying with them.

Guy Santelli, fire inspector for the Kenosha Fire Department, said the official cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

We had a scene examination there on Monday with all of the insurance company investigators and attorneys, they decided there were a few people that were missing that should be there, Santelli said.

He said in cases like that of the explosion, representatives of the manufacturers of any of the equipment that could have been involved in the incident are on hand for the investigation.

The (manufacturers of) the dryer, the stove, the furnace, the water heater, the smoke detectorsall of those people have to be invited to come and take a look at the scene at the same time, Santelli said. It looks like were going to be back there in a couple weeks. We will take it apart piece by piece to determine a cause and origin.

Santelli said he did not know the condition of the couple who were injured in the explosion. A member of the family created an online fundraiser at https://www.gofundme.com/f/tammy-and-dave-hall

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NoBroker.com, a brokerage free property platform, has raised USD 30 million (Rs 230 crore) from General Atlantic to mainly expand its business into new cities and acquire new companies for achieving higher growth, a top company official said.

The Bengaluru-based company, which was founded in 2014, helps in buying/selling and renting of housing and commercial properties by connecting the owner and property seekers without involving brokers.

"We have raised USD 30 million from General Atlantic. With this funding, we have raised USD 151 million so far," NoBroker co-founder Amit Kumar Agarwal told PTI.

He said General Atlantic has so far invested around USD 80 million to become the largest shareholder in the company with over 30 per cent stake. Tiger Global has invested USD 40 million, while SAIF around USD 15 million.

"This fund will be used for expansion into new cities, upgradation of technology, creating more revenue streams and acquisition of companies," he said.

The company raised an initial round of funding from SAIF Partners of USD 3 million in 2015, followed by a Series B of USD 17 million from Japanese investor Beenext and Korean investor KTB Ventures in 2016.

In June 2019, NoBroker raised USD 51 million from General Atlantic, while in October last year, it raised USD 50 million in Series D funding, led by Tiger Global Management, for business expansion.

Agarwal said the company has operations in 11 cities including six cities within Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Asked about revenue growth, he declined to share the specifics, but said it is jumping three fold every year.

"We are profitable in Bengaluru and Mumbai. Our target is to achieve profitability at the entity level in the next two and half years" he said.

The company earns money by charging for premium service which is providing a phone relationship manager to help fast execution of transactions.

It also generates revenue by offering value-added services like packers and movers, property loan, legal documentation, furniture rental and ''NoBroker Pay'' for rent payment through credit card.

NoBroker also helps customers in suggesting the ideal location to buy or rent a property as well as the rent or capital value of the property.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police in the northern Vietnamese province of Vinh Phuc have broken up an illicit gambling ring that operated inside a concrete 'bunker' located on a secluded hill.

Officers under the provincial Department of Police confirmed on Wednesday they had raided the racket in Dong Thinh Commune, Song Lo District.

A total of 27 suspects were arrested and items including VND60 million (US$2,555) in cash, an automobile, and 11 motorbikes were confiscated.

Preliminary information showed that the ring was headed by Nguyen Xuan Truong, 40.

Arrested suspects and confiscated exhibits of a gambling ring in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam are seen in this photo supplied by police officers.

Truong had hired people to build the concrete bunker on a local hill to avoid being discovered by police officers.

The venue is safeguarded by three layers of steel doors.

The facility had been operating for only one week before it was busted by police officers.

Gamblers who arrived at the venue were told to park their vehicles at separate locations to avoid arousing suspicion from local residents.

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Indian agriculture is a $350-billion industry powered by close to 100 million small and independent farmers and an equal number of support laborers. In the last few years, the sector has undergone a massive digital transformation, with e-commerce leading the baton for it.

As per the published reports, it is estimated that the overall e-commerce sector in India will be around $120 billion in revenue by the end of 2020, however, there is no definitive figure on the share of agriculture in the overall e-commerce pie. The only testimony to the growth has been the slew of investments that have gone into the Agri-e-commerce players.

However, the unprecedented emergence of COVID-19 has had a riveting impact on the overall agricultural sector. Farmers in many areas are facing a shortage of labourers, agri-input, machinery, and other necessary items, causing a delay in sowing/ harvesting of crops. As a result, the agri-e-commerce sector is also witnessing and bearing the halo effect of this impact.

State of Agri-Ecommerce

For the record, Agri-e-commerce comprises pre-harvest and post-harvest players. The post-harvest players are responsible for bringing the farm produce to the people, restaurants or service providers across cities and towns. On the other hand, the pre-harvest players are responsible for making the agri-input available to farmers either directly (at the consumer level) or at the retailer level. Hence, each category comprises of brands that are either directly catering to the customers or the businesses (retailer or large wholesale buyers). Let us now examine the impact of COVID-19 on post-harvest and pre-harvest players.

Firstly, the post-harvest players have registered considerable growth amid lockdown. Their daily orders and brand recall have gone up. As per a published report, the 21-day lockdown has given a fillip to this sector, with the number of orders increasing from three to five times for a normal day. It includes products such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products, cereals, and others. Some of the key players in the segment are Grofers, Big Basket, Amazon, and Country Delight. The prime reason for this growth is that the government has exempted these brands from lockdown. However, the overwhelming number of orders has led to a shortage of manpower and it was forced to cancel many orders. They are employing new people for their warehouses. As per the published reports, the estimated market size of online grocers in India is around $2 billion (in 2018).

Secondly, the pre-harvest players are witnessing a larger role in association with the state and central government towards the stabilisation of farming requirements in the coming times. It includes agri-input, machinery, seeds, and others. The overall agri-input market of India is estimated to be above $25 billion. During this period, the government was quick to notify the agri-input products under essential items and is working towards ensuring a consistent supply. However, due to inadequate logistic support, delay in necessary permissions at state, district and tehsil levels, there has been a lag in the delivery of the agri-input products to the farmers.

These players have been operating for a few years now and offer a common platform to farmers, buyers, service providers and agri-input/ machinery brands. They have a huge reach and offer a large catalog of products/ services. They deliver at the doorsteps of the farmer, thereby saving his time, effort and money and further helping in doing away with the middle man from the system. Several farmers have personally mentioned it to me that the e-commerce model has been extremely beneficial to them.

In times of COVID-19, they can be a great medium for the government to connect with the large and scattered farmer base. They can help move the agri-input/ machinery and reduce the time gap, owing to their established distribution system. In many states, the crops are ready to be harvested and sowing operations will start in full swing in a month from now. In such a scenario, the pre-harvest players can play a key role in reducing the burden on the government and help in keeping the agricultural sector afloat. I believe, the government should empower the input supply chain startups to deliver products and services to farmers. They will be crucial in delivery of seeds, crop protection and crop nutrition products to farmers, maintaining social distancing.



Over the years, the pre-harvest players have established a one-on-one connection with the farmers and are educating them about the crop, soil, medicine, weather forecast, loans, and many other subjects.

Today, farmers also understand the importance of the right knowledge for a better yield. We are already witnessing a behaviour change among the farmers as they are adapting to the digital transformation very rapidly, and this number is expected to grow exponentially. Owing to the e-commerce revolution, a farmer is now ordering products via app, website and moving towards digital payments.

Decision making for Indian farmer was primarily based on peer learning and experiential, while today there are millions of farmers who are using technology to solve these problems. This is Precision Agriculture 1.0 for India, powered by enabling transparency in supply chains by giving access to farm management solutions and backed by easy access to quality products. Massive Internet penetration has made this possible in the last couple of years. Every state has start-ups operating across the supply chain. In the current time of crisis, start-ups can play a big role in bringing the Food System of India on track. Overall, the agriculture e-commerce sector is growing very rapidly and there is a huge potential for growth in it. The good thing is that all the stakeholders of the agriculture chain have recognised this crisis and are working closely with the government to solve the situation.



(This article is authored by Tauseef Khan, CEO & Co-Founder, Gramophone, a start-up pioneering the digital agriculture  using data to guide a farmer in selecting the right agricultural input for maximum yield.)
COLUMBIA  The University of South Carolina will decide by June 15 whether it will reopen its Columbia campus to students for the fall semester as the coronavirus pandemic continues to claim victims across the Palmetto State.

But the number of students on campus will probably be less than the record high enrollment of recent years.

USC thinks it will likely see a decline in student numbers as virus-related job losses and empty bank accounts make affording tuition more difficult.

Deposits being collected from incoming students for the fall semester have slowed, USC President Bob Caslen told a Board of Trustees committee Wednesday. An exact number of deposits received to date was not provided.

"It's still a good stream, just slower than what they normally would have been," said Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs.

He's holding out hope for a late surge as the payment deadline has been extended to June 1.

The school welcomed about 6,250 freshmen to campus last fall.

Nationally, the rate of federal student loan application completion was down 2 percent as of April 3, compared with last year at the same time, according to the National College Attainment Network.

The school is surveying all 22,000 current students eligible to return for another semester, as well as high school seniors who have already accepted offers of admission to gauge whether they plan to stay enrolled come fall. Those survey results are expected by May 1 and will influence the campus' financial decisions.

"Tuition is our bread and butter for revenue," Caslen said.

Under the federal CARES Act providing widespread financial relief to individuals, businesses and institutions affected by the virus, the Columbia campus received $21.4 million, about half of which must be used for emergency financial aid grants to students.

The other half is designated for "institutional response," Caslen said. The school is waiting on guidance on how those funds may be used but it could go to cover two-thirds of the $15 million in housing and meal refunds issued to students to date, he said.

Those refunds will continue to go out through April 22. University officials have projected $20 million to $40 million in lost revenue through the summer semester.

"The primary question is whether or not (students) can afford to come to college based on their family situation," Pruitt said.

That's why the university also extended its deadline to apply for financial aid to June 1.

U.S. unemployment rates continue to climb as the virus causes closures. The nation saw more than 16 million jobless claims in three weeks due to the pandemic.

Board member Charles Williams asked whether the school has extended invitations of admission to prospective students on its waiting list in order to increase its enrollment chances.

Pruitt declined to share strategies being taken except to say all tools were being used.

Caslen shared an email he received from the father of an incoming student expressing his daughter's enthusiasm upon receiving her notification of admission despite the hardships the virus has caused.

"The majority of people out there are committed to be gamecocks; they want to be Gamecocks," Caslen said. "And they're going to persevere through whatever it takes. I'd like to think they'd all like to be like that but I know that's not necessarily the case."

Caslen also shared statistics from a USA Today report about how families of students are weighing where to attend and whether its safe to send their students back to school. Colleges went to online instruction as part of the social distancing to curbs the virus' spread.

"The fact that we're an urban campus and the fact that almost half our enrollment is out of state, goes against us," he said.

By contrast, Pruitt said summer semester enrollment has held steady.

"I think in part because families and students are looking for how they're going to occupy their time," he said. "They can't travel, they cant find work but they can go to school and make progress toward a degree."
Bansy Kalappa By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Rs 8,000 crore  this is the kind of jawdropping amount that the labour department is sitting on. But when it comes to the welfare of the labourers, it quotes rules and laws as to why it cant spend this money! Many are reminding the government that it is its duty to provide for the labourers while extending the lockdown. Hungry daily wage workers, construction workers, labourers and garment workers face a grim future with food crisis looming large.

Meanwhile as workers cry out give us food, Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar, when contacted, admitted that the department had the money and that there was a hitch in the law which did not allow that money to be used in these difficult circumstances. The labour department has a pile of deposits in different banks. Activists and those concerned have pointed to this Rs 8,000 crore that is meant for worker relief lying unutilised with the government.

Labour leader K Mahantesh said these labourers from the unorganised sector face many challenges. Be it house maids, barbers, truck, taxi and maxicab drivers, auto drivers or hamali loaders at APMCs, they eke out a hand-tomouth existence. Without money day after day and month after month, these 2-3 crore workers in Karnataka dont know what to do or who to approach. Congress state working president Eshwar Khandre said, Workers cannot be satisfied with mere food packets.

There is also an element of self-respect, they have families at home to look after and they are all contributors to our nations growth. In this desperate time of need, it is the bounden duty of the government to loosen its purse strings and provide for them. Each labourer should be provided Rs 5,000 to tide over this crisis. Former MLC Ramesh Babu said the department has parked crores of rupees in banks which are fetching them a good interest.

In this desperate hour, while they should be providing for these hungry labourers, they are citing rules to show that these labourers cannot be supported. The rules are made for the good of the people, and not vice-versa, he said. Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh said, Labour has to be provided for. I raised this issue in Parliament on the concluding day. Minister Shivaram Hebbar said there are laws and rules on how this money with the labour department has to be spent. Under the law, it belongs to the construction workers and they have to be registered for us to support them. We provided them Rs 1,000 each in two instalments. There are stringent rules why it cannot be given to other sectors but only to construction labourers, he said.

Police dept rejects application for wireless sets

The police blocked the labour departments application for wireless sets to connect its staff to the central control room. In his communication to the secretary to the labour department, ADGP Pratap Reddy said the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 mandates the use of police wireless networks and equipment only for purpose they are licensed for. The request to use police wireless equipment and networks contravenes the Indian Telegraph Act, he is quoted as saying in the communication.
E-commerce companies are gearing up to deliver products like mobile phones and refrigerators to customers in areas that do not fall under COVID-19 hotspots from April 20 as government takes steps to revive the economy.

Apart from e-commerce platforms, brands are also looking scaling up efforts to meet the pent up demand amid the nationwide lockdown that has now been extended to May 3. However, the government has provided relaxation and said some activities will be allowed in certain locations.

When contacted, a Snapdeal spokesperson said the company is preparing to scale up operations to meet the requirements of both buyers and sellers.

"Summer apparel, kitchen accessories, small appliances like headsets, tablets for school work, home printers, competitive exam books etc will be in high demand," the spokesperson said, adding nearly 50 per cent of its sellers will be in a position to resume operations and more are likely to follow the lead after assessing the local situation in their respective areas.

An Amazon spokesperson said the company is focused on supporting the immediate need of consumers and also participating in the resumption of economic activity, post the Ministry of Home Affairs notification.

"We are working closely with all our partners - brands, manufacturers, sellers, small businesses and local shops - helping them to offer the most needed products to customers. While we will increase selection that customers can safely shop from their homes, we will also continue to ensure safety of our delivery associates and our teams at our facilities," the spokesperson said.

Walmart-owned Flipkart also said it is working with lakhs of sellers, small businesses and artisans that are present on its platform and helping them prepare their business and workforce to make products available for consumers.

"Through this, we are not only helping promote social distancing but are also keeping the economic engine running for millions of people who depend on us, be it the employees of our seller partners, MSMEs, farmers or in the last-mile supply chain," a Flipkart spokesperson said.

Under the first phase of lockdown between March 24-April 14, the government had only allowed delivery of essential goods, including food, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment through e-commerce platforms.

The government on Wednesday issued detailed guidelines allowing e-commerce companies to operate. However, companies had sought clarity on what items were allowed to be sold through these platforms.

Following the guidelines by the Home Affairs Ministry, states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Odisha have issued directions for e-commerce operations in the state.

Maharashtra, in its circular, said e-commerce delivery of all goods and commodities - including food, pharmaceutical, medical equipment, electrical and electronic appliances - will be allowed.

Rajasthan government said all e-commerce/home delivery companies supplying all items/goods will be allowed to operate.

Previously, Odisha government has allowed home delivery by operators/ online delivery services such as Amazon, Flipkart, Bigbasket, Grofers, Urbanclap, Zomato, Myntra and Swiggy.

Home delivery of all goods through e-commerce/online platforms has been allowed, while retailers of food and grocery items like Big Bazaar and Reliance Fresh are also allowed to provide home delivery services, as per the notification by the state.

These relaxations come with the condition that these companies will have to ensure that all precautions are followed to ensure safety of staff and customers.

Grocery and essential items accounts for a relatively smaller chunk of the revenues of ecommerce companies that count electronics, apparel and household electronics as larger categories.

For brands too, the decision will come as a breather as retail stores have not been allowed to operate to ensure social distancing.

Smartphone maker HONOR said the move will not only make the necessary services such as digital payment and grocery accessible to users but also help them stay connected with loved ones during the stay at home period.

"At HONOR, our consumer and their interest has always been our priority, hence, we did not increase the price of our top smartphone models even after GST hike and extended the warranty period till June 30, 2020 for all HONOR phones, wearables, headsets and accessories whose warranties expire between March 21 and June 21, 2020," the company said.

EY India Partner and National Leader E-Commerce and Consumer Internet Ankur Pahwa had said the government's move is the first step of returning to the "new normal".

He had pointed out that there could be some challenges for e-commerce companies across the value chain - from manpower availability to supply chain and fulfilment.

Pahwa had also noted that companies will also struggle in the near-term as consumer sentiment will be muted especially on discretionary spends, and they will take time to reset their category and product mixes and ultimately, manage unit economics at scale.

Industry body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has objected to the move saying allowing e-commerce companies to trade into non-essential commodities will "tantamount to create an uneven level playing field and will give rise to unnecessary conflicts".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A passenger on a packed Qantas flight from Sydney to Brisbane on Monday was infectious with COVID-19.

Queensland Health warned other passengers of the diagnosis by text and then a phone call before directing them to self-quarantine in an email on Thursday.

The flight, QF520, arrived at Brisbane domestic terminal early on Monday afternoon.

"A person on this flight was infectious with COVID-19," the Queensland Health email stated.
Qatar Petroleum has started the development drilling campaign of the North Field East Project to expand the production capacity of the worlds biggest natural gas deposit that the tiny nation shares with Iran in the Persian Gulf.

Qatar shares the North Field with Iran, which calls the deposit the South Pars. While Qatar announced this week the start of its development drilling to expand its natural gas export capacity and reclaim the worlds top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter spot, Iran  hit by strict U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic  says it still has plans for the next phase of the South Pars field, but drilling won't take place until March 2021.

The first offshore well of South Pars Phase 11 project will be drilled in the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 20 and ends in March 2021, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said on Wednesday, as quoted by Irans oil ministrys news service, Shana.

Qatar, for its part, has launched drilling for the first phase of the North Field expansion. The first well out of 80 planned was spudded on March 29, Qatar Petroleum said in a statement.

Qatar had previously put a moratorium on any production expansion at the field, but two years ago, it took many market players by surprise when it announced its plan to ramp up production. That decision was made as Australia began challengingsuccessfullyQatars number-one position as the worlds largest LNG exporter. Qatar has announced plans to increase its LNG production capacity by 43 percentfrom 77 million tons annually now to 110 million tons a year. The new export capacity includes expansion projects set to be completed in 2024.

The first phase of the North Field expansion project will increase Qatars LNG production capacity from 77 million tons per annum (Mtpa) to 110 Mtpa. The second phase of the expansion project, called the North Field South Project (NFS), is set to further boost Qatars LNG production capacity from 110 Mtpa to 126 Mtpa, Qatar Petroleum says.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Posters disseminates information on COVID-19 prevention. (Photo: VNA)

In a message from the Dominican Republic, the united left-wing movement Party (MIU), a political Party belonging to the ruling coalition, expressed admiration at the very early preparation of Vietnam to respond to the pandemic. Vietnam has also taken drastic measures from the early days with the close coordination of the whole political system and the unity of the entire people to control the spread of COVID-19, which was reflected in the quite low number of cases compared to other countries in the world.



MIU message stated that the whole world is going through an important period in a joint battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. In many ways, the pandemic is leaving direct influence on each countrys human health, economics and daily social activities. In this context, the political and social vision of the Communist Party and Vietnam and the Vietnamese Government; and the scientific, medical and technical preparations, have been the key factors helping Vietnam achieve encouraging successes.

The Communist Party of Chile also expressed admiration for the measures that Vietnam has taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while many countries around the world are trying hard to fight the disease. According to the Communist Party of Chile, the results that Vietnam has achieved in dealing with COVID-19 are a model for many Governments around the world.

Earlier, Head of the Party Central Committee Commission on External Relations Hoang Binh Quan, sent a message to the progressive Latin American Parties, to show solidarity and shared the difficulties of Latin American friends facing COVID-19./.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (TSX-V: NVO; OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to announce the discovery of broad gold-bearing gravel swales near Paradise, part of the Companys extensive Egina gold project, Western Australia. Discovery of gold-bearing gravels at the Paradise and Road to Paradise targets was first announced in Novos news releases dated December 17, 2019 ( https://www.novoresources.com/news-media/news/display/index.php?content_id=371 ) and February 13, 2020 ( https://www.novoresources.com/news-media/news/display/index.php?content_id=379 ), respectively. In addition, Novo has made a further discovery of gold-bearing gravels at a new target called Clarke approximately 10 km northwest of the test area worked in 2019.



Highlights:

Two broad gold-bearing gravel swales, or shallow channels, have been discovered southwest of the Paradise terrace gravel target at Novos Egina gold project (Figure 1). The first, situated immediately southwest of Paradise, measures approximately 700 metres wide. The second, located approximately 1.5 kilometres southwest of Paradise, measures approximately 450 metres wide. Both are interpreted to trend northwest and are open for several kilometres in both the southeast and northwest directions. Gold-bearing gravels in both swales range up to approximately 2 metres thick and bear a resemblance to gold-bearing gravels explored on the Egina mining lease, situated approximately 14 kilometres southwest of Paradise, during 2019.

The Paradise area was first identified as prospective through Novos terrace targeting program in which terrace gravels were categorized and prioritized by their geology and lateral extent. Although this area has been subject to prospector activity, mainly metal detectorists focused along the hilly margin of the terrace, recent work done by Novo is the first indication that gold is much more widespread across the greater terrace.

Ground penetrating radar indicated prospective swales might be present and helped focus follow-up pit sampling across the target area.

In February, Novo personnel began digging pit samples approximately every 50 metres along a linear corridor extending across the target area. Although pit sampling was halted in March due to a reduction in staffing at Egina resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, a skeleton crew has been at work at Novos Station Peak camp processing numerous approximately one-tonne pit samples stockpiled before pit sampling ceased. These one-tonne samples are being put through Novos mobile alluvial Knudsen ( MAK ) concentrating plant. Concentrates generated by the MAK plant are carefully panned down to a point that gold grains can be counted and studied.

MAK samples from both swales at Paradise have yielded gold grain counts in line with those seen across the 50 metres wide swale at the Egina mining lease, subject of much of Novos 2019 exploration program in which the Companys exploration protocols were established. Also important is that approximately half of MAK samples collected from swales at Paradise have yielded gold nuggets, defined as gold particles larger than 1 millimetre (Figure 2). Although MAK samples provide indicative data only, Novo is optimistic that the similarity of gold occurring in samples from Paradise to that in MAK samples collected at the Egina mining lease bodes well for discovery of nuggety gravel mineralization like that discovered at Egina in 2019. Five bulk samples collected from the swale at Egina yielded approximately 1-1.5 grams gold per cubic metre of gravel. Novo plans to undertake similar bulk sampling of gravels from the newly discovered swales at Paradise during the 2020 field season, once it resumes.

The broad nature of swales at Paradise may be a function of being situated well north of eroding headlands to the south. Novo thinks that gold-bearing swales potentially become wider and more established the further they extend northward onto the terrace.

A new gold-bearing gravel discovery has been made at a target called Clarke located approximately 10 kilometres northwest of the Egina mining lease. Several MAK samples collected from this target yielded gold grain counts exceeding 50 particles with one yielding approximately 600 particles. More systematic evaluation of this target will be conducted once the 2020 field program resumes.

Story continues

We are very happy with the discovery of two extensive gold-bearing gravel swales at Paradise, commented Dr. Quinton Hennigh, Chairman and President of Novo. We are getting our first look at how these gold-bearing channels evolve further onto the terrace. Although much more work is needed, including bulk sampling to evaluate grade, swales appear to broaden as we head northward. This is what we need to see to generate volume. Given that we have numerous areas planned for systematic MAK sampling in 2020, promising results from the first area to be methodically tested gives us high hopes the geologic model will quickly foment across the greater terrace.

Description of MAK sampling

MAK samples are collected from pits spaced at approximately 50 metres across target areas. Pits are dug by track hoe and range up to 3 metres depth. Targeted sample size is approximately one tonne. Samples are placed in wooden crates lined with bulka bags and transported to Novos Station Peak camp where they are processed through a mobile alluvial Knudsen centrifugal concentrator. Concentrates are panned down to reveal gold for point counting and further study.

Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P. Geo., the Companys president, chairman, and a director, and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical contents of this news release.

About Novo Resources Corp.

Novos focus is primarily to explore and develop gold projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and Novo has built up a significant land package covering approximately 13,000 square kilometres with varying ownership interests. In addition to the Companys primary focus, Novo seeks to leverage its internal geological expertise to deliver value-accretive opportunities to its shareholders. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail leo@novoresources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Novo Resources Corp.

Quinton Hennigh

Quinton Hennigh

President and Chairman

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-looking information

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, statements as to planned testing activities. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the mineral resource industry as well as the performance of services by third parties.

PDFs accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/a5f3d5cb-9d7d-41d1-bee2-4de2f5ab287d

http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/1678797e-08d0-4dc9-8b91-df0e2fa9e98a
A startup out of Cleveland that wants to digitize vehicle titles using blockchain technology has raised $5 million from investors.A news release last week said CHAMPtitles , which launched in March 2019 , will put the money toward improving its technology, sales and marketing. It said the fundraising round was the first outside investment sought by the company, drawing interest from multiple unspecified investors.The company is the first of four planned startups overseen by Ownum , a holding company focused on using blockchain to solve problems and improve processes.Billed by blockchain advocates Bernie Moreno and Shane Bigelow  the companys chairman and CEO, respectively  as a secure, digital simplification of a traditionally complicated process, CHAMPtitles allows relevant parties to verify their part of a vehicle title transaction remotely. Bigelow explained tolast year that transferring vehicle titles typically involves a consumer, car dealer, manufacturer, bank, insurance company, state department of motor vehicles and title-issuing authority, such as a court clerk or county recorder; but prior to blockchain, the process had to be done on paper because of security concerns for all involved.In a statement last week, Bigelow said investments coming from well-regarded family offices in New York, Boston, Cleveland and Florida will bring CHAMPtitles closer to reality.Partners in the title ecosystem are awakening to the benefits of digitizing the title process, Bigelows statement read. Now that states, banks, insurance companies and many others are seeking the savings, consumers will benefit greatly from the adoption of digital titles.One investor, John Benis, said in a statement that he was confident the company understands the needs of its clients and is well-situated to deliver.There is so much waste and redundancy in our vital records system in the U.S., and the space is ripe for a digital solution. CHAMPtitles will bring efficiency and cost reduction to banks, insurance companies and vehicle dealers, he said.CHAMPtitles is the first of four companies launched, or planned for launch, by Ownum, which Bigelow and Moreno incorporated in May 2018. All four propose to save governments time and money by digitizing paper processes. Vital Chain , which digitizes and catalogues birth and death certificates, announced its first client last month; DigiCredits and Tech Tags, for transferring tax credits and helping government monitor vehicles, respectively, are listed as coming soon on Ownums website.Ownums news release also made the case that the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing the pitfalls of depending on in-person transactions to conduct crucial business, and the future is likely to bring online alternatives.
Inmates at Headingley Correctional Centre have been sewing 200 to 300 masks every day for the last couple of weeks to protect themselves and the entire provincial jail population from COVID-19.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/4/2020 (636 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Inmates at Headingley Correctional Centre have been sewing 200 to 300 masks every day for the last couple of weeks to protect themselves and the entire provincial jail population from COVID-19.

"The intent is to supply these masks for all inmates to wear when out of their cell," a provincial spokeswoman told the Free Press in an email.

As of Wednesday, 1,874 people were in custody at Manitoba jails. Each inmate is set to receive two cloth masks, which will be washed daily.

While health officials have said wearing a non-medical mask in public may protect others from contracting the virus, a prison health expert said more research is needed to determine the efficacy of universal masks within prisons and the wider community.

"Its really important that its seen as an additional step that may be helpful, but actually we dont know for sure," said Dr. Claire Bodkin, vice-chairwoman of the College of Family Physicians of Canadas prison health member interest group committee.

"Its not a substitution for handwashing. Its not a substitution for physical distancing. Its not a substitution for testing."

Manitoba Justice has advised inmates to heed hand hygiene and distancing recommendations, but Bodkin said is can be difficult to implement those practices in a facility where a large number of people live in such close quarters.

"There are some inherent risks in prisons and all congregate settings that you can never fully get rid of," she said. "The safest thing to do would be, from a public health perspective, to get as many people out of detention as possible so they can self-isolate or physically distance in the community."

Local criminal justice experts agree and see the masks as a band-aid solution to the health and safety risks faced by prisoners during the pandemic.

"It kind of obscures the bigger picture that advocates have been calling for the ministry to address around broader releases," said Kevin Walby, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Winnipeg.

The Manitoba Human Rights Commission has called for the early release of vulnerable inmates to reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities. Walby said the province should make immediate release plans for inmates who are serving short or intermittent sentences, those nearing the end of their sentences, and those awaiting trial. He said the potential punishment of contracting COVID-19 while incarcerated doesnt fit the crime for offenders.

"This is a death sentence, so its a disproportionate kind of harm to face for something like a theft or fraud or drug dealing," he said.

Walby said the outbreaks in prisons in the United States, which he describes as "a train wreck in slow motion," should encourage local officials to act soon.

"As soon as you have COVID in any sort of site of confinement with people who have compromised immune systems, the numbers are going to spike," he said. "Thats why its important to get people out of all of those kinds of spaces as much as possible."

Researchers at the University of Ottawa have started tracking the number of COVID-19 cases involving prisoners and correctional staff across the country. So far the initiative, called Imprisoning the Pandemic in Canada, has identified 161 cases among inmates and prison staff across the country based on institution reporting and media coverage. There are currently no reported cases of the virus in Manitoba jails or at Stony Mountain Institution, Manitobas only federal prison.

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Corrections officers and provincial jail staff have started receiving surgical and cloth masks to wear while on the job. The Manitoba Government and General Employees Union said the cloth masks are made by an offsite supplier and priority is given to staff who do intake work at jails such as the Winnipeg Remand Centre.

Michelle Gawronsky, president of the MGEU, said the union, which represents provincial corrections staff, is advocating for a faster rollout of personal protective equipment.

"Im hearing that there seems to be a shortage of hand sanitizer, gloves and masks and we are advocating very strongly to get that out there," Gawronsky said, adding some provincial facilities have started screening workers before each shift. "We are asking as well that that be done by a medical person, so that we know its being done properly."

Bodkin said the health and safety of inmates and staff are equally important during the pandemic to limit the spread of the virus in and out of jails.

"We know that borders are really porous between prisons and communities," she said. "As long as people are moving in and out of prisons and jails, thats going to present a risk to the community."

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca
Radiologists at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Londons Chelsea district told managers in March they thought the protective gear theyd been given to guard against coronavirus was inadequate. Earlier this month, seven of them tested positive.

An executive at a care-home provider in the north of England says he can source only about 30 per cent of the so-called personal protective equipment, or PPE, he needs through local government. A shortage of tests means he must treat patients with mild symptoms as if they have COVID-19, so he quickly exhausts supplies of masks, eye shields and gowns.

Those accounts, by people who asked not to be identified on concern they might risk their positions, help explain the barrage of criticism Prime Minister Boris Johnsons administration faces over its response to the pandemic. The government is being asked why it allowed sporting events to proceed as the virus took hold, why the lockdown was delayed, why testing isnt widespread and, increasingly, why theres insufficient protective equipment for health-care professionals.

Our members are still reporting issues with supply, said professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians. A survey by the group two weeks ago showed that 22 per cent of physicians couldnt get the protective gear they needed, and we are still hearing daily reports of this.

While the U.K. brought in the army to distribute supplies to health facilities starting last month, it was almost three weeks before the authorities announced a national effort to deliver PPE to front-line health workers.

The fitted masks and face protection recommended for the most hazardous duties are in the shortest supply, according to a survey by the British Medical Association, a union and professional body for doctors. As a result, the Royal College of Nursing, another union and professional group, said its members can refuse to work if they believe theyre inadequately equipped.

Avoidable errors

The government could have foreseen this, said Helena McKeown, a general practitioner and chair of the representative body at the BMA. We knew what sort of requirements we would have, and there were choices made that meant that we didnt stockpile enough.

McKeown suspects that U.K. fatalities, which stood at 12,868 on Tuesday, will turn out to be higher than the official numbers because doctors face pressure from relatives to omit coronavirus as the cause of death. Her comments came after Jeremy Farrar, a member of the scientific panel advising the government on the pandemic, told the BBC on Sunday that the U.K. may eventually be the worst-affected country in Europe.

The U.K. is set to extend its lockdown further, and officials say they expect the daily death rate to rise. Details of National Health Service workers who died of the disease havent been released consistently. The Times, based in London, reported earlier this month that 35 staff had succumbed. The number has almost certainly risen since then, McKeown said.

Ministers have stopped short of apologizing for the lack of equipment, though Home Secretary Priti Patel said Saturday she was sorry if people feel that there have been failings. Her remark came a day after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said PPE should be treated like the precious resource that it is.

Tensions are growing across administrative borders, too. Scotland is now investigating a claim that equipment it needs is being redirected to England.

Improvising, spending

Meanwhile, the care-home executive has been buying oversized mens shirts from an Asda supermarket to convert into gowns, and is paying big markups to get PPE from lockup garages or online. Face masks that usually retail for pennies cost 1.60 pounds ($2 U.S.), he said.

Susan Robinson, head of corporate property and land at Durham County Council, in whose district the care-home operator has a facility, said the local authority seeks constant feedback on PPE use to ensure equipment is properly allocated.

In the weeks before they fell ill, the radiologists at Royal Marsden, a cancer hospital, were given plastic aprons, gloves and surgical masks to treat patients. The lack of more robust protection prompted the staff to complain to managers.

The hospitals policy on PPE during the pandemic remains in line with national guidance, according to an emailed statement. Staff are encouraged to use the appropriate level of PPE for the treatment and care theyre delivering.

More than 923 million pieces of protective equipment have been delivered since the beginning of the outbreak, Press Association reported on Wednesday. The government hasnt said how quickly these supplies are being used. Some items may have to be reused where it is safe to do so, the news agency said.

There is a huge NHS effort to supply PPE to the front line, but gaps remain, Chris Hopson, chief executive at NHS Providers, wrote in a blog this week. It would help if those gaps were publicly acknowledged and the reasons for them more clearly set out. Its members are NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance service workers.

China is the only immediate high-volume source of clinical gowns, but there are delays because of local testing. Other stock has been mislabelled.

I have sympathy that the government are now trying their hardest to get PPE, said McKeown at the BMA. But I wish they would be much more transparent about it. We deserve the truth, all of us professionals who are putting our lives at risk.
The Tomball Economic Development Corp. has acquired a 6.2-acre parcel of land and two warehouses in the South Live Oak Industrial Park near downtown Tomball for a mixed-use development.

Plans for the mixed-use development, which will be built on vacant property adjacent to the warehouses, were not disclosed. The two warehouses, one of which is occupied, total 41,076 square feet at 202 and 204 South Live Oak.

The Tomball EDC will begin searching for a tenant for the vacant warehouse, according to Executive Director Kelly Violette.

We are excited to add this investment to our portfolio," Violette said in an announcement. "With its advantageous location just off Main Street, we will utilize the property in a way that will attract companies to Tomball.

Tom Condon Jr. of Colliers International represented the TEDC. The seller, South Live Oak Associates, was represented by Natalie Hurley of Register Real Estate Advisors Commercial. Jane Matthews with Stewart Title-Tomball coordinated closing.

The North Freeway/Tomball Parkway submarket, situated between Texas 249 and Interstate 45 North, encompasses 30 million square feet of industrial and flex space and is 86.2 percent occupied. Close to 1 million square feet of industrial space is under construction in the submarket.

"The warehouses also allow the TEDC to promote an expanded industrial inventory, which we find to be in high demand," Violette said.
Technavio has been monitoring the automotive audio speakers market, and it is poised to grow by USD 4.73 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005250/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Alpine Electronics, Inc., Bose Corporation, Harman International Industries, Inc., JVCKENWOOD Corporation, and Pioneer Corporation are some of the major market participants. The differentiated in-car experiences will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Differentiated in-car experiences have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Automotive Audio Speakers Market is segmented as below:

Application Passenger Cars Commercial Vehicles

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31024

Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive audio speakers market report covers the following areas:

Automotive Audio Speakers Market size

Automotive Audio Speakers Market trends

Automotive Audio Speakers Market industry analysis

This study identifies the emergence of IoT-enabled smart speakers as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive audio speakers market growth during the next few years.

Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the automotive audio speakers market, including some of the vendors such as Alpine Electronics, Inc., Bose Corporation, Harman International Industries, Inc., JVCKENWOOD Corporation, and Pioneer Corporation. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive audio speakers market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive audio speakers market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the automotive audio speakers market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the automotive audio speakers market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive audio speakers market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION

Market segmentation by application

Comparison by application

Passenger cars Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Commercial vehicles Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by application

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

Emergence of IoT-enabled smart speakers

Development of speaker-less audio systems

Regulations pertaining to electric cars

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Alpine Electronics, Inc.

Bose Corporation

Harman International Industries, Inc.

JVCKENWOOD Corporation

Pioneer Corporation

PART 14: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005250/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/
Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
STAINES-UPON-THAMES, United Kingdom, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK), a global biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it will report first quarter 2020 earnings results for the period ended March 27, 2020 on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

A conference call for investors will begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The call can be accessed in three ways:

At the Mallinckrodt website: http://mallinckrodt.com/investors/events-calendar/.

By telephone: For both listen-only participants and those who wish to take part in the question-and-answer portion of the call, the telephone dial-in number in the U.S. is (877) 359-9508. For participants outside the U.S., the dial-in number is (224) 357-2393. Callers will need to provide the Conference ID of 1572379.

Through an audio replay: A replay of the call will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, and ending at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Dial-in numbers for U.S.-based participants are (855) 859-2056 or (800) 585-8367. Participants outside the U.S. should use the replay dial-in number of (404) 537-3406. All callers will be required to provide the Conference ID of 1572379.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Daniel J. Speciale, CPA

Vice President, Investor Relations and IRO

(314) 654-3638

[email protected]

Media

Michael Freitag / Aaron Palash / Aura Reinhard

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

(212) 355-4449

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners.  2020 Mallinckrodt. 04/2020

SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc

Related Links

http://www.mallinckrodt.com


This is Luke Wijohn.

SOUNDBITE, (English) LUKE WIJOHN, SAYING:

Im going to run my campaign similar to a grassroots strike."

The 18-year-old climate activist from New Zealand planning to take down the country's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in this years general election.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) LUKE WIJOHN, SAYING:

This election I will be asking New Zealanders to continue to support my leadership.

He was elected by New Zealands Green Party to contest her constituency.

This is Lukes first Green Party political meeting at his parent's home in Auckland.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) LUKE WIJOHN, SAYING:

I feel like weve got so far and where were actually lacking these days is in the politics.

He already has some prominence, known for organizing the "School Strike 4 Climate" marches in the country last year.

If this campaign is successful, hell become New Zealands youngest elected lawmaker.

But that does mean somehow unseating Jacinda Ardern in September first.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) LUKE WIJOHN, SAYING:

"We see her as a centrist, in between a right-wing party that either denies or delays climate action and us, who says that actually oil drilling needs to stop now, that climate action starts now."

Climate change is shaping up to be a major election issue in New Zealand.

Ardern herself is seen as a liberal, progressive, and environment-friendly leader.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) JACINDA ARDERN, SAYING:

Our world is warming, and so therefore the question for all of us is what side of history will we choose to sit on.

Parliament passed a zero-carbon bill last year and has other climate change measures in the pipeline.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) JACINDA ARDERN, SAYING:

In New Zealand were on the right side of history.
Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, addresses Marines and Sailors during his visit aboard the USS Makin Island (LHD 8), moored at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, November 22, 2016.

Marine Corps Cpl. Devan K. Gowans

Former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the US fleet is facing an "acute problem" with the coronavirus pandemic and suggested it needed to make drastic measures.

"People do not have any way to social distance on any Navy ship, but particularly a carrier," Mabus said. "You've got almost 5,000 people here. And they literally are on top of each other."

"I think what they need to do is bring every ship in," Maybus said. "... Offload most of the crew ... leave a very skeletal force on board, sanitize the ship, quarantine people for two weeks, make sure nobody's got COVID."

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the US fleet is facing an "acute problem" with the coronavirus pandemic and that it needs to make drastic measures to combat the disease.

In a "Pod Save The World" podcast released on Wednesday, Mabus pointed out why Navy sailors and Marines were particularly susceptible to the disease. News of the podcast was first reported on by the Navy Times.

"People do not have any way to social distance on any Navy ship, but particularly a carrier," Mabus said. "You've got almost 5,000 people here. And they literally are on top of each other."

Mabus said it was "distressing that it doesn't look like they have a plan" implemented after the political scandal that roiled aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt earlier this month.

As of Wednesday, 615 sailors aboard the ship tested positive. The majority of its crew members have been evacuated to in hotels in Guam, where the ship is in port.

The ship's commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, was relieved of command on April 2 after he emailed a letter to his colleagues about the urgent situation aboard his ship. The letter was eventually leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle, which published its contents. Crozier was fired for what the then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly described as circumventing the chain of command.

Story continues

Modly later resigned on April 7, after he visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt and delivered a profanity-laced speech about the situation on the ship.

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Anna Van Nuys/Handout

According to Mabus, Capt. Crozier's instincts were correct.

"I think what they need to do is bring every ship in," Mabus said. "Offload, like the captain said, offload most of the crew ... a little bit in a rolling fashion ... leave a very skeletal force on board, sanitize the ship, quarantine people for two weeks, make sure nobody's got COVID."

"And then once they go back on that ship, whether it's in port or it's going to sea, they don't get off the ship until this crisis is mitigated," Mabus added.

Mabus admitted that the unorthodox approach of calling in every ship in the service was not ideal, but added it was necessary given the spread of the disease.

"It's going to be hard because they may be inport in Norfolk or in San Diego, and once they go back on the ship and the ship is COVID-free, they're not going to get off to see their families," Mabus said. "But if we don't do that, I think you're going to see the situation that played out on the [USS Theodore Roosevelt] play out over and over again  not just on those big ships, but virtually every ship that we have in the Navy."

Mabus' comments come as the Defense Department reported over 5,000 coronavirus cases. Over 2,800 of the personnel are US service members, 85 of which are hospitalized as of Wednesday. One Navy sailor has died after contracting the coronavirus.

Mabus served as the Navy secretary from 2009 to 2017 and also served in the Navy as a surface warfare officer in the 1970s.

Read the original article on Business Insider
by Paul Wang

Asean countries, China, Japan, South Korea maintain WHO plays "an important role". Scott Morrison appreciates Trump's criticisms, but the body's work is critical. John Sawers, former British intelligence chief: Take it out on China, not the WHO.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Several states in Asia, Oceania and Europe have expressed support for the World Health Organization (WHO), after criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to remove his country's economic support from the UN body for healthcare.

However, the appreciation expressed for the work and purpose of the WHO does not extend to its director, the Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (see photo), accused of favoring China's needs.

The ASEAN states, together with partners China, Japan and South Korea, after a virtual meeting two days ago, issued a joint statement in which they stressed the important role of the WHO in the global campaign for control and containment the spread of Covid-19 ".

Josep Borrell, head of EU foreign policy, sent a tweet saying he is "deeply regret US decision to suspend funding to WHO. There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison sympathizes with Trump on criticism of the WHO and its support for China; on the other hand, he warns against criticism posing the risk of "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". For Scott Morrison, the WHO "does an important job here in the Pacific region too and we work closely with them."

In a press conference two days ago, Trump accused the WHO of concealing the development of the epidemic together with China, hiding that there had been human-to-human transmission of the virus for some time, holding back and criticizing those who closed communications with China, delaying the declaration of a pandemic.

The US president has said he wants to hold the WHO "accountable" and for this he wants to cut the funds, although it is not clear whether he can make this decision or whether it should go through Congress. The United States is the largest sponsor of the WHO with 400 million dollars a year. China contributes 70 million.

Former British intelligence chief John Sawers gave advice: China concealed crucial information about the outbreak from the rest of the world and that it would be better to hold China responsible, not the WHO.
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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 00:07:02|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday at the latter's request, saying that proper handling of China-U.S. relations is crucial amid the global battle against COVID-19.

Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, spoke over phone on March 27, the two sides have maintained close communication on anti-epidemic efforts in line with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

Going forward, he said, China stands ready to continue sharing information and experience on epidemic prevention and control with the United States, carry out anti-epidemic cooperation, and implement the consensus reached by leaders of the Group of 20 major economies at their extraordinary summit to keep the global supply chains stable and promote global economic and financial stability.

Against the backdrop of the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to properly handle China-U.S. relations and maintain a healthy and steady development of bilateral ties, Yang said.

Expressing his hope that the U.S. side will meet the Chinese side halfway, Yang urged both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, focus on cooperation, remove interference, and push forward bilateral ties on the right track, adding that it serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and meets the shared aspirations of the international community.

For his part, Pompeo said that the COVID-19 outbreak is a common challenge for the international community, adding that the U.S. side is ready to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen bilateral cooperation in battling the outbreak, and continue communication and coordination on the development of U.S.-China relations.
(Newser)  Police in a Maryland town have urged residentsor, perhaps, one specific residentto remember that they still need to wear pants when they go outside, WTHR reports. "Please remember to put pants on before leaving the house to check your mailbox," the Taneytown Police Department said in a Facebook post Tuesday. "You know who you are. This is your final warning." Like the rest of Maryland, residents of Taneytown, population 7,000, are under a stay-at-home order. USA Today notes that pants are apparently no longer a big priority for millions of people working at home during the coronavirus pandemic: Walmart execs say they are selling more tops, but not bottoms. (Read more Maryland stories.)
Indias merchandise exports slumped by a record 34.6% in March while imports declined 28.7% as countries sealed their borders to combat the covid-19 outbreak.

In February, merchandise exports had rebounded 2.9% after falling for six months in a row.

Of the 30 major items each in Indias export and import baskets, 29 saw a contraction in March, signalling the severity of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global demand and trade.

Only iron ore exports (58.4%) and import of transport equipment (11.9%) recorded a growth during the month.

Engineering Export Promotion Council chairman Ravi Sehgal said the sharp drop in merchandise exports in March was not a surprise with major economies of the world in a state of lockdown.

April would be worse as international trade excepting medicine and essential supplies has come to a near halt. Exporters are facing a question of survival, he added.

During FY20, Indias exports contracted 4.8% to $314.3 billion while imports shrank 9.1% to $467.2 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $152.9 billion.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has projected global merchandise trade to plummet between 13% and 32% in 2020 due to the covid-19 outbreak.

The wide range of possibilities for the predicted decline is explained by the unprecedented nature of this health crisis and the uncertainty around its precise economic impact. But WTO economists believe the decline will likely exceed the trade slump brought on by the global financial crisis of 200809, it said last week.

Sharad Kumar Saraf, president, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), said with cancellation of over 50% of orders, gloomy forecast, major job losses and rising bad loans amongst exporting units, the government should immediately announce a relief package for exporters as any further delay would be catastrophic.

The huge support given by various economies to exports will put Indian exports in further difficulties as when the size of the cake reduces, competition intensifies with focus on prices, he added.

World Bank in its latest South Asia Economic Focus said reduced external demand for manufacturing as well as services exports will impact India.

One of Indias largest exports is business and professional services, consisting of business process outsourcing (BPO) such as technical support and call centers largely based in India. This sector is severely affected, the Bank noted.

 Lockdown measures, both in origin and destination countries, have forced offices to close as their infrastructure is heavily geared towards in-office working. There is also a concern that external demand will drop precipitously even beyond the lockdown period, as clients cut costs, it said in the report. This situation will certainly mean fewer new projects, as well as the scaling back of existing ones, World Bank added.

However, the Bank said Indias balance of payments position is expected to improve.

Weak domestic demand, low oil prices and covid-19-related disruptions are expected to narrow the current account deficit to 0.2% in FY21 and to keep it low in the following years, it added.

Indias current account deficit declined to 1% of GDP during the first three quarters of FY20 compared to 2.6% during the same period in FY19 due to reduction in the trade deficit and an improvement in net services exports.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTTV)  Fallen Officer Bre Leath will be laid to rest Thursday. Leath was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance on April 9. A stream of the service is provided by WTTV CBS 4.

Officers on motorcycles escorted the fallen officer from Crown Hill to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thursday morning.

The family will gather to pay their final respects during an 11 a.m. private funeral service at IMS.

Immediately following the service, several dozen vehicles will participate in a police-escorted funeral procession. The procession is expected to begin around 12:30 p.m. It will start at IMS, pass the IMPD Headquarters, the Marion County Sherriffs Department Headquarters, the East District Headquarters (201 N. Shadeland Ave), and end at Crown Hill Cemetery Heroes of Public Safety.

In lieu of cards and flowers, her family asked that donations be made to The Central Indiana Police Foundation to provide a trust for her young son.
Turkish defense minister joins NATO teleconference

Defense ministers of 30 NATO countries discussed combatting coronavirus pandemic.

Turkeys defense minister on Wednesday attended a NATO teleconference on fighting coronavirus.

AKAR HIGHLIGHTED MEASURES TAKEN AGAINST THE VIRUS

Hulusi Akar joined the defense ministers of 30 NATO countries to discuss combatting the pandemic, Turkeys National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Chaired by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO meeting was held via teleconference for the first time rather than the alliances headquarters in Brussels, the ministry added.

Speaking at the meeting, Akar highlighted measures taken against the virus in Turkey and the aid Ankara has sent to its allies.

Globally, the virus has infected more than 2 million patients and has claimed some 130,000 lives, according to figures compiled by the U.S. Johns Hopkins University.
But does hypnobirthing actually make birth easier?

On this question, findings are mixed. A 2016 Cochrane review of nine clinical trials involving nearly 3,000 women reported that those who used hypnosis did not report less pain or more satisfaction with their birth experience than women who didnt.

Some programs claim that self-hypnosis can not only be a panacea for pain and fear, but can also reduce the number of medical interventions needed during labor. The HypnoBirthing Institute reported in 2011, for instance, that those who went through its program were less likely to have C-sections, episiotomies (surgical cuts to enlarge the opening of the vagina) or continuous fetal monitoring during labor when compared to American mothers who hadnt used hypnobirthing. But this finding wasnt published in a peer-reviewed journal. And with statistics like these, selection bias can be a problem, too: Women who choose (and can afford) to take these childbirth classes may be healthier or have lower-risk pregnancies than average.

Additionally, the Cochrane review found that women who used hypnosis during labor were no less likely to have C-sections than women who didnt; and while they were 27 percent less likely to use pain-relieving drugs such as nitrous oxide and narcotics overall, they were just as likely to get epidurals. (Women were randomly sorted into the hypnosis groups or the control groups to prevent selection bias.)

Still, some research suggests that women who used self-hypnosis during labor are happy they did. In a 2015 clinical trial involving 680 women, researchers found that those who self-hypnotized felt less afraid and anxious during labor than theyd expected to. Most also later reported having had positive experiences, saying that hypnosis helped them feel calm, confident and empowered before and during their births. They had started off as being skeptical, but they ended up being really positive about the technique, as did their partners, said Dr. Soo Downe, Ph.D., one of the clinical trials authors and a professor in midwifery studies at the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom. Many continued to use it after the births of their babies.

According to the Cochrane review, however, the existing research on hypnosis during labor is weak and difficult to interpret, so its hard to make any clear conclusions without more and better research. Its also a challenging method to study, since researchers cant control how effective pregnant women and their instructors are at the technique, and hence how well their self-hypnosis works. A womans experience with hypnosis might also be shaped by her environment: Frequent interruptions in a hospital or birthing center, such as hourly check-ins or exams, can hinder her ability to stay focused, which runs counter to hypnosis success, Dr. Beebe said.

Additionally, hypnosis may not be for everyone. In rare cases, it can cause headaches and dizziness for unknown reasons; and theres evidence that among women with a history of mental illness, hypnosis may exacerbate certain symptoms, such as psychosis. Another potential problem is that women using self-hypnosis can be so calm and quiet during labor that doctors and nurses may assume that theyre earlier along in their labor than they actually are. Staff need to carefully assess labor progress in these women, even if they seem to be very calm and relatively pain free, Dr. Downe said.

In the end, the decision to try self-hypnosis is an individual one, and it depends on the kind of birth you want and your priorities (though you should always consult with your provider before trying it). Although, of course, births do not always go as planned. If you and your doctor feel its safe and you want to try hypnobirthing, why not? And if you want an epidural, thats O.K. too.

[Read our guide on how to make a birth plan thats right for you.]

Melinda Wenner Moyer is a mom of two and a science journalist who writes for Slate, Mother Jones, Scientific American and O, The Oprah Magazine, among other publications.
Omicron variant of COVID-19 identified in Antrim, Charlevoix counties

The omicron variant of COVID-19 has been identified in one Antrim County resident and one Charlevoix County resident.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 05:04:28|Editor: huaxia

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BRASILIA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's minister of health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, on Thursday announced via Twitter that he was fired by President Jair Bolsonaro amid the country's campaign to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

"I just heard from President Jair Bolsonaro the notice of my resignation from the Ministry of Health," Mandetta wrote after meeting with Bolsonaro.

"I want to thank the opportunity given me to manage our SUS (Single Health System), to launch the project to improve the health of Brazilians and to plan how to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, the great challenge facing our health system," said Mandetta.

"I thank my entire team at the Health Ministry and I wish my successor success in the post of minister of Health," he added.

Mandetta, 55, was appointed to the ministry in early 2019.

He has advocated maintaining social distancing measures as an effective way to contain the pandemic, and in recent weeks increasingly clashed with Bolsonaro, who is eager to get Brazil's economy restarted. Enditem
A homeowner in Florida opened fire on three armed robbers who tried to break into his apartment, leaving one injured and two on the run.

Footage from a Ring spotlight camera showed the frightening altercation that happened at Park Place Apartments at 5:51pm on Tuesday.

Three armed suspects in black hoodies were seen walking from the complex's sidewalk to the victim's front door.

Three armed robbers forcibly broke the front door of a man's apartment and attempted to rob the home on Tuesday

After checking that the coast is clear, one man began to throw his body against the front door until it flew open from the force.

The three men rushed into the home, but frantically came running out seconds later after the homeowner fired at least five gunshots.

The men desperately fled the scene, including one suspect who jumped over the balcony onto the ground.

The incident with the armed suspects (pictured) took place at Park Place Apartments in Neptune, Florida

The three men fled the apartment after the unidentified homeowner began shooting at them, striking on suspect in the chest while he ran away

One of the suspects was found after the went to a local hospital for injuries, but two more remain at large

News Jax 4 reports that surveillance video from a nearby parking lot showed the suspects leaving in a red Kia four-door sedan, possibly with the temporary Florida license tag #CQW1410.

Authorities initially released photos of the cars in their search for the suspects, but said Wednesday they've been recovered and identified.

Following the incident, the Neptune Police Department confirmed one suspect was shot in the chest and went to a local hospital for treatment.

Pictured: Authorities identified and recovered two cars thought be connected to the armed robbery

Neptune Beach Suspects According to authorities, the descriptions for the two remaining suspects are: Suspect #1: Young man, possibly in his 20s, low cut hair, black hoodie with white writing on the front, khaki color pants and black shoes Suspect #2: Young man, possibly in his 20s, black ball cap, black hoodie, black pants and black shoes These suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach them Advertisement

An unidentified person drove the injured suspect in a silver Pontiac and authorities have since named them a person of interest, Action News Jax reports.

The other two suspects remain at large. As of Wednesday, authorities said they were chasing several leads in their quest to track down the suspects.

The remaining suspects have been described as young men in their 20s, wearing black hoodie and black shoes.

Investigators are set to question the injured suspect. They could face charges in addition to robbery.

The homeowner will not be charged for firing at the suspects.

Authorities urged the public call them or First Coast Crime Stopper at 1-866-845-TIPS if they have any information.

People who call Crime Stoppers with relevant information on the crime would remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Para Resources Inc. (TSXV: PBR) (WKN: A14YF1) (OTC: PRSRF) (the "Company" or "Para") announces it has entered into Definitive Agreements ("Agreement") with Mineros, S.A. ("Mineros") to acquire 100% of its wholly owned subsidiary Operadora Mineras S.A.S. ("Operadora") for US$5.5 million. Operadora owns 100% of the La Ye Gold Operations and associated mineral rights. During its due diligence enquiries Para was able to confirm, based on financial statements audited by Deloitte and Touche, Ltda, that the Operadora mine has been profitable in the last two years. The Management team that has operated the mine since startup will remain and continue to manage the combined Colombian operations.

Para President and CEO, Mr. Javier Cordova states, "I look forward to the fresh start in Colombia, with a strong balance sheet and an accretive acquisition which will we expect will turn the Company's operations profitable with a significant holding of underexplored and drill ready land package that is located in one of the most prolific gold areas in the world. The Operadora acquisition adds an operating and profitable mine and mill with proven management and increases the Company's contiguous concession package. In addition, we will immediately be able to take advantage of the Company's strong local community relations and couple it with the experienced exploration team from Operadora. We expect exploration drilling to commence immediately. This transaction puts Para into a solid growth trajectory."

Acquisition Rationale

Operadora's El Bagre Underground Gold Operations (El Bagre) includes an existing gold production facility with a notable portfolio of mineral exploration and capital equipment assets;

Operadora's El Bagre and Para's El Limon operations are adjacent, and El Bagre's mineralization trend extends onto the property already controlled by Para;

Furthermore, the overall concession package creates a contiguous mineral package of over 27,000 Ha by extending Para's Zara concessions to the North and East;

The El Bagre mill is in excellent condition and has been operating at less than full capacity;

The El Bagre operation has an experienced and knowledgeable team of mining engineers, planners, geologists, operators and others, who know the region and who will complement the existing staff at El Limon;

Furthermore, El Bagre has two drilling rigs operated by experienced crews who have completed approximately 200,000 meters of DDH drilling on the El Bagre property and who will begin to drill out the El Limon and Zara property with the goal of extending its resource and the Life of Mine; and

Operadora produced 15,792 ounces of Au and 30,755 ounces of Ag in 2019.

Operadora S.A.S. - Summary of the Assets

Operadora's principal assets are the El Bagre underground gold operation (including on-site processing plant) and the Nechi gold exploration project. Additionally, this acquisition includes numerous other mineral properties, mining assets, mining and environmental permits, exploration equipment, data, inventory, and administrative assets.

A summary of El Bagre as documented in "Technical Report on the El Bagre Underground Gold Operation and the Nechi Gold Project, Department of Antioquia, Colombia" ("NI 43-101 Report"), dated July 31, 2019, and prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. ("RPA"), follows.

El Bagre consists of the La Ye and Los Mangos operating underground gold mines and the Cordero mine development project. The on-site extraction plant processes approximately 350 tonnes per day (tpd) of material and typically produces some 20,000 oz of gold dore annually;

In 2018 El Bagre produced 19,817 ounces of Au Eq dore and in 2019, 16,168 ounces Au Eq. dore;

The Nechie Gold Project includes the El Catorce, Santa Elena, and Santa Maria gold exploration projects;

As at December 31, 2018, Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves at El Bagre were estimated as 318,500 t at a grade of 5.9 g/t Au totaling 60,800 oz of gold;

El Bagre hosts an additional estimated 64,000 oz of gold (383,000 t at a grade of 5.2 g/t Au) in Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources (exclusive of Mineral Reserves) and further 107,000 oz (543,000 t at a grade of 6.2 g/t Au) in the Inferred category;

Resource and reserve estimates are as of December 31, 2018, and do not contain any production or drilling information for 2019;

La Ye and Los Mangos are well-established shallow underground non-mechanized operations and share the same plant. In 2018, El Bagre produced 148,000 tonnes of mineralized material averaging 4.2 g/t Au;

Cordero is a satellite deposit to the current operation, and will be a nearby extension of the same type of mining. Inputs and parameters used to estimate Mineral Reserves at Cordero are based on operations at La Ye and Los Mangos, and are of at least a pre-feasibility level of detail. Cordero will replace some production from the existing operations as they begin to wind down; and

To date, the average Life of Mine mill Recovery was 87%.

The technical report referenced herein (the Technical) will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on the Company's website) within 45 days. As mineral reserves are being disclosed in the technical report, the technical report will be a prefeasibility study per CIM Definition Standards of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.

Transaction Details

The aggregate consideration payable to Mineros for 100% of the shares of Operadora and all of its assets is US$5.5 million in cash payable in two installments. The first installment (the "First Closing") for US$1 million will occur within 30 days. The second installment (the "Second Closing") for US$4.5 million will occur within 30 days following the permitting of the Cordero mine or written confirmation from the Colombian Ministry of Environment that the permit is not required for the construction and operation of the Cordero mine.

At the First Closing, 60% of the shares will transfer with the balance at the Second Closing. If after one year since the First Closing Date, the Second Closing precondition has not been fulfilled, the share and asset purchase agreement will terminate, and Para will remain with 60% of Operadora. In case of termination of the Share and Asset Purchase Agreement, Para will not be obligated to pay to Mineros the second installment and Mineros will not be obligated to transfer to Para the additional shares.

Notwithstanding the above, Para will have a call option to acquire the additional shares pursuant to the terms to be agreed upon in the shareholders' agreement.

The Royalty Agreement ("Royalty Agreement") with Mineros for a 1% NSR (net smelter return) to apply to all the production of the mines, once 17,000 ounces have been produced from any of the assets involved.

Additionally, Para has agreed to purchase electrical power from Mineros' hydroelectric plant for Colombian Pesos ("COL$") COL$300 per Kwh at 90% availability from April to December and during summer months (January, February and March) for COL$ 350 per Kwh at 75% availability. In case of the termination of the collaboration agreement between the two parties, the Power Purchase Agreement (the "PPA") will remain in place for a term of five (5) years.

Share Consolidation

The Company proposes to complete a consolidation of its issued and outstanding shares on the basis of 10 old shares for every one new share, and change its name to "Soma Gold Corp." as part of its overall reorganization and restructuring plans. Para's outstanding 303,933,649 common shares will be consolidated into approximately 30,393,365 common shares (subject to adjustments from rounding). All outstanding share purchase warrants, stock options and other convertible securities will be adjusted accordingly.

Convertible Debt Financing

The Company also announces that it will complete a private placement of convertible debentures for gross proceeds of $3,000,000. US$1,000,000 of such proceeds will be used to pay the first installment payment to Mineros described above. The remaining proceeds will be for general working capital and to pay various accounts payable.

The debentures will have a three-year term and bear simple interest of 10% per annum. Interest will be payable quarterly in arrears, with the first interest payment commencing December 31, 2020 and then payable March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 thereafter. The debentures will be convertible at the option of the holder, following one year from issuance of the debentures, at a per share conversion price equal to the greater of: (i) CDN $0.15 per share (post-consolidation), and (ii) a 20% discount to the then closing market price (based on a 5-day VWAP before the date of exercise). Further, for each $1,000 principal amount of debenture, it will have a maturity value of $1,250 provided that the debenture remains unconverted for at least 24 months from the date of issuance (the "Threshold Date"). If the debenture is converted on or prior to the Threshold Date, only the principal amount shall be due and owing and no bonus shall be accrued or payable.

Finder's fees may be paid, as permitted by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") in connection with the convertible debt financing.

Completion of each of the Mineros transaction, the share consolidation and name change and the convertible debt financing, is subject to the Company's filing requirements with the TSXV and applicable TSXV approvals.

Qualified Persons

Paulo J. Andrade, BSc Senior Geologist, VP Exploration for Para Resources is the Qualified Person, who is responsible for the technical information contained in this news release.

ABOUT PARA RESOURCES:

Para Resources Inc. ("Para") is a junior gold mining and exploration company. The Company owns the El Limon project that includes existing or near-term mining and milling operations as well as highly prospective exploration properties. The Company has acquired fully permitted mines and facilities with adjacent properties that have either been past producers or where there is an abundance of small-scale artisanal miners, dramatically reducing the exploration risk. It is anticipated that the operating mines will be profitable in the short term, providing a return on capital, as stand-alone entities and funding regional exploration to expand resources.

Para is unique in that the Insiders have invested more than US$30 million of their own capital and own approximately 70% of the Company's equity.

Para's management team is seasoned and proven, having discovered, built, managed and sold several different mines over the last 40 years.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Javier Cordova"

______________________________

Javier Cordova, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

For further information, please contact Andrea Laird, telephone: +1-604-259-0302

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54525
While the whole world seems to be functioning at a very gloomy pace, a certain 93-year-old cracked up the internet a little bit by holding up a sign that says "I NEED MORE BEER!!" amidst coronavirus quarantine where citizens are encouraged to stay at home.

The 93-year-old Olive Veronesi has gone viral throughout the internet with tens of thousands of vies and shares and as her sign has started to capture attention, she suddenly received 10 cases for cracking everybody up! The story was reported on WZTV Fox 17 News, Nashville.

The viral stunt

It seems like Olive Veronesi got what she wanted because since she started becoming trending around the internet, some folks working at Molson Coors were able to pick up word of this request and decided they wanted Olive's wish to come true!

The folks at Molson Coors decided to drop off 10 cases of beer right in front of her own doorstep in Pennsylvania giving her exactly what she needed and maybe even a little too much. It's quite hard to argue as to whether or not Olivia Veronesi could be capable of finishing all those beers to herself but at least she got what she wanted.

The whole stunt that became viral was received with positivity and even laughter as the folks online started sharing this picture nonstop as some of them could relate with Olive Veronesi's current situation. Veronesi was definitely just one of those people who were craving for beer but it still looks pretty entertaining when a 93-year-old requests for more beer as opposed to a teenager.

Social distancing and the urge to stay indoors

As the coronavirus spreads rampant on the streets, citizens are advised to stay indoors and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary. Another ongoing problem is that it has become way too hard to go to the supermarket because of the long lines and the limited amount of shoppers allowed.

It is understandable that the 93 year old would do her best to avoid this hassle and stay at home where she is safe and comfortable at the same time. Except, she still needs more beer! This viral stunt is a fun story of how a 93 year old got what she wanted despite restaurants being closed, events being cancelled, and the danger of stepping outside has become adamant.

The 93 year old got what she wanted

Shortly after Olive Veronesi got the 10 cases of beer that were delivered to her doorstep by the folks at Molson Coors, she then decided to make another sign go viral but this time, the sign confirmed that she had received the beer!

Olive Veronesi then held up a sign that said "GOT MORE BEER!" in an attempt to thank the folks that fulfilled her request! The 93 year old looks really happy with a big smile and a Coors light in hand as she holds up her new sign.
CONWAY, Ark. (April 15, 2020)  Hendrix College junior Rebecca Parham 21 of Alma, Arkansas, has received a Goldwater Scholarship from The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Parham, a chemistry major, is the 34th Hendrix student to receive this honor in the 32-year history of the scholarship competition.

Parhams research is in atmospheric chemistry. She is studying physical and chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosols and how they affect the warming and cooling of the atmosphere. Parhams mentor for her Goldwater research proposal was chemistry professor Dr. Courtney Hatch 00.

Having been chos en as one of the nearly 400 Goldwater Scholars from across the nation is a unique honor bestowed to the most promising young scientists and future change makers, Hatch said. Im extremely proud of Rebecca, and I cant wait to see what amazing advances she will make as she continues her research career in the field of atmospheric chemistry.

In addition to Parhams academic pursuits, she is active on campus as the co-founder and co-president of the Japanese Language and Culture Club, and as a three-year member of the Hendrix chapter of the American Chemical Society.

Jacelyn Hall 22, Karen Morris 21, and Tristian Wiles 21 were also nominated by the College. Their research mentors were Drs. Julie Gunderson 06, Laura MacDonald 09, and Andrew Schurko, respectively. Like Parham, all of the other Goldwater nominees from Hendrix plan to earn a Ph.D.

Biology professor Dr. Jenn Dearolf, the current Goldwater Campus Representative, ushered Hendrixs Goldwater nominees through the process.

This year, over 450 institutions submitted their best students to be considered for the Goldwater Scholarship, and the Foundation selected 30% of these students to be awarded the scholarship, Dearolf said. Thus, we are ecstatic that Rebecca Parham was chosen to be among this group. She truly deserves this honor. And, the submission of four students for consideration for the Goldwater Scholarship and Rebeccas selection as a Scholar would not have been possible without the high quality of all of our students at Hendrix, as well as the excellent mentors that helped shepherd our nominees through the application process.

About the Goldwater Scholarship

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry Goldwater and to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue research careers in these fields. It is widely considered the most prestigious award bestowed on undergraduates studying in the natural sciences.

About Hendrix College

A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the countrys leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.
More than 141,000 more New Jersey workers lost their jobs last week, the latest entry in a depressing tally of the economic pain brought on by the aggressive social distancing measures put in place last month because of the coronavirus crisis.

The new claims data from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development represents the first slowdown in job losses since since mid-March but brings the four-week total  beginning March 15 and ending April 11  to more than 718,000 people.

On March 16, Gov. Phil Murphy ordered casinos, gyms, movie theaters and concert venues to shut down and five days later shuttered all nonessential businesses. The weekly toll has been rising since, with 155,815 people filing for benefits the week ending March 21, another 206,253 people applying the week ending March 28, and 214,836 applying the week ending April 4.

The sudden rush of newly unemployed workers is unprecedented, with weekly new applications  one of the earliest and clearest barometers of the coronaviruss economic toll  eclipsing previous records set during the Great Recession and Hurricane Sandy.

Nationally, another 5.2 million people filed unemployment claims, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which means 22 million people claimed unemployment benefits since the middle of March. Nine states reported more job losses than New Jersey.

Although Thursdays numbers are lower than prior weeks, Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist with the Economic Policy Institute, predicted the number of unemployment claims will continue to grow.

The Economic Policy Institute has estimated U.S. claims could soon grow to 30 million, based on Gross Domestic Product projections by the major banks.

Even still, the actual number of people out of work is likely much higher, as unemployment claims data do workers who are not eligible for jobless benefits. Many newly unemployed workers desperate for help have complained of hardship applying for benefits online and calling unemployment offices dozens of times a day, in vain.

State labor officials announced steps this week its taken to improve a process thats been bogged down by antiquated computer systems and jammed phone lines. They are delivering hundreds of laptops so more unemployment insurance agents can process applications from home and expanding call center capacity, the Labor Department said.

Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said this week that more claims are moving through the system because of new, emergency updates to the 40-year-old computer system.

I feel confident because of these upgrades many more of our customers can self-serve, and our staff can get to more of those who are unable to resolve their issue with the resources weve added," Asaro-Angelo said in a statement Thursday.

Nearly 430,000 New Jersey workers are receiving unemployment benefits, according to the state Labor Department.

In New Jersey, workers are eligible for 60 percent of their wages, up to $713, for no more than 26 weeks. This week recipients began receiving $600 in additional Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments from the federal coronavirus stimulus.

New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also released Thursday showed the states unemployment rate holding steady at 3.8 percent, but the number  which is based on surveys conducted before businesses were shut down  is largely irrelevant.

Shierholz estimated that the national unemployment rate is now around 15%, though that number is difficult to predict because a person has to be actively seeking work to be formally counted as unemployed  something thats not possible now for many workers.

For a state like New Jersey, the job losses will have a lasting impact, Shierholz said. It will take time for workers to return to their jobs or find new ones once businesses reopen. And businesses that are never able to reopen may further slow the recovery, she said.

But because an economic shutdown due to a pandemic is so unique, Shierholz said, its hard to predict how low the economy will sink and how quickly it will recover.

Were not out of this yet, she said. Were going to get through this but its going to get worse before it gets better.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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The most recently available figures show that there have now been coronavirus outbreaks at six aged care centres in New Zealand, including one in Te Atatu, Auckland that was announced yesterday.

There have been six deaths at one of the centres to date and while strict protocols are in place within local retirement villages and resthomes, they are understandably alert and concerned.

Ryman Healthcare, owners of Evelyn Page Retirement Village in Orewa, is among those calling for Covid-19 testing of new residents to be made available, regardless of whether they meet the current criteria.

Almost two weeks ago, the NZ Aged Care Association, which represents the aged care residential sector, asked the Ministry of Health for all new admissions to aged care facilities to be tested for the virus. So far the answer has been no.

In a letter to families with residents in Ryman Villages, sent out this week, the company underlined the fact that Covid-19 poses a critical threat to the health of older people.

Strict precautions are being taken at its villages, including staff changing into their uniforms on site, so their clothing does not leave the village.

Ryman Healthcare spokesperson, David King, says Ryman is also seeking the ability to test new residents for Covid-19.

The NZ Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace says that were such testing made available, a positive test would mean that the facility would not accept the person  if negative, they would be admitted, but isolated for 14 days.

Ruth Scandrett, general manager of Hopper Living, owner of Maygrove Retirement Village in Orewa, says that if testing of new residents were possible, it could ease the communitys anxiety regarding the vulnerability of retirement village residents.

She says the need for testing depends on what the circumstances are leading to someone being admitted.

For example, if they have been isolated in their bubble for the last 20 days or so, then potentially a test is of no value, Ruth says However, given the degree of nervousness in the wider community currently, testing on admission, alongside a 14 day isolation within the villages hospital  ie keeping someone in their room, away from other residents  would help ease this.

She says beyond that, testing when clinically indicated is already available.

Director General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced on April 14 that there would be a review of the six rest homes where there have been incidences of Covid-19, to understand what went well and what didnt.

Ruth says it would be helpful to know this information, especially if there was a breach of standard protocols in the facilities that are experiencing outbreaks. She says this would enable staff to focus on those areas specifically and help inform them of what they need to be aware of and how things can be improved.
As Uganda and the rest of the world gamble on how to fight Coronavirus code named #Covid-19 in form of resource mobilization and budget support, Ugandas legislators better known as Members of Parliament (MPs) have reported asked and already paid Shs20 million ($5,500) for alleged mobilization in their constituencies.

However, the demand by MPs is far beyond greed as the country struggles to mobilize resources to combat the deadly virus. How can they ask for money when the countrys leaders have asked the population to contribute assistance to the taskforce to fight #COVID-19?

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The Ugandan legislators are among the best paid in Africa and secondly, how would the MPs who are under lockdown like the rest of the members of society mobilize the population when they cannot travel? What is urgent that they must be engaged in the #Covid-19 fight? Ugandans in their humble ways of survival have heeded to the call by President Yoweri Museveni to contribute whatever they can to the Taskforce and thanks to those that have already done so including a Boda-boda rider, a teacher and police woman who donated their earnings. Whereas it is not a must that everybody must contribute, but is also a good example for leaders like MPs who earn above Shs25 million to donate to the Taskforce.

However, these MPs have instead turned round and are try to grab the little from the government to pocket it in the form of #COVID-19 fight and yet the government is asking the poor to contribute. Based on the above, shouldnt Ugandans ask for a referendum on whether we still need the services of MPs?

The leadership of Parliament led by the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga should come clean on the matter than play hike and seek with the population. Kadaga and the Parliamentary Commission should not hide behind #COVID-19 to mobilize resources for their future political campaigns? You should not hide behind #COVID-to do your usual ways looting the country in form of mobilization.

Why dont you have hearts for the poor? Whereas leaders in other parts of the world are either donating their full/half salary, the Ugandan legislator is busy trying to grab the little that would have been used to equip the health worker with protective gears and possibly an increase in her/his allowances. Otherwise your extravagant spending may one day lead to another revolution and we hope you all remember the French revolution.

Leadership must be seen in a leader by demonstration and taking the lead role but for Ugandan legislators, you are using the leadership position to fleece the country of the little resources that would go to the vital area of need. Why too much greed? In a situation like this where even the head of state has postponed all the activities and locked down the country, what would use that money for? STOP THE GREED; DONT PRESS MUCH FROM THE POOR.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has debunked a report that Maryam Sanda, a murder convict, was granted presidential pardon last week alongside some 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.

The NCoSs spokesperson, Austin Njoku, in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, described the report as  fake, very unrealistic and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of the President towards decongesting the custodial centres.

The attention of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has been drawn to the news making the rounds that Maryam Sanda was granted presidential pardon last week Thursday April 9th, 2020 alongside some 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on April 9, granted a presidential pardon to 2,600 inmates nationwide.

The government had announced pardons aimed at decongesting correctional centres across the country amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Still in custody

But in the statement on Thursday Mr Njoku said, Mrs Sanda was not part of those pardoned as she did not meet any of the requirements for the release.

The Service wants to categorically state that the news is fake and very unrealistic and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of the President towards decongesting the custodial centres.

The official added that, while addressing the press conference last week, the Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola clearly stated the categories of inmates qualified for the amnesty includes: Convicts who are Sixty (60) years and above, Convicts serving 3 years and above with less than 6 months to serve, Inmates with ill-health likely to terminate in death, Inmates with mental ill-health, Inmates with option of fine not exceeding N50,000 with no pending case, Convicted pregnant women, Convicted women with child, Convicted inmates with minor offences and Convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission.

According to the NCoS spokesperson, it obvious that Maryam Sanda did not meet any of the above mentioned requirements and therefore did not benefit from the presidential pardon/clemency.

We further want to assure the public that Maryam Sanda is in our custody and will remain as such.

The Controller General of Corrections Jaafaru Ahmed wishes to assure the public that the Service rumour ensures the safety and humane containment of the inmates in our custody and therefore advice the public to discountenance the rumour that Maryam Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon, the statement added.

Mrs Sanda was, convicted by a Federal Capital Territory(FCT) High Court, over the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, on January 27.

Meanwhile, she has appealed the judgment, where she argued the judgement of the trial court was a complete miscarriage of justice.
An empty Westminster Bridge is pictured in front of Britain's Houses of Parliament in central London on April 13, 2020, as life in Britain continues over the Easter weekend, during the nationwide lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic. -

The U.K. will most likely fail to strike a new trade agreement with the European Union by the end of the year, analysts said, as the coronavirus crisis threatens to derail official trade talks.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to conclude a post-Brexit trade deal this year. The U.K., which left the bloc on Jan. 31, is in a transition phase until December. During the transition, it is working to establish trade arrangements with the 27-nation EU.

However, this timeline is now at risk after the two lead negotiators had to isolate due to Covid-19 infections.

"The pandemic has completely taken over the agenda in both the EU and in London, and relegated the Brexit talks to a secondary issue," Constantine Fraser, European political analyst at research firm TS Lombard, told CNBC on Thursday.

"It was always going to be difficult to reach an agreement in the limited time available this year. The pandemic means it will now be impossible."

British and European negotiating teams held a call on Wednesday for the first time since both lead negotiators were forced to self-isolate.

The EU's negotiator, Michel Barnier, tested positive for the virus in March but he has now recovered. The U.K.'s Johnson announced he had also tested positive for the virus last month. He was discharged from hospital on April 12 after three nights in intensive care, and continues to recover.
Financing offers are now available on the Group's Webstores

A customer journey now completely dematerialized allows you to choose, order and pay for a vehicle

Regulatory News:

"Today all customers start their journey with Internet and some wish to complete the whole journey online. By completing their offer, the brands of Groupe PSA (Paris:UG)therefore directly meet expectations of our customers, wanting simple, rapid mobility without any compromise on the quality of service, "said Thierry Koskas, Sales Marketing Director of Groupe PSA.

While the showrooms are closed to comply with the sanitary measures linked to the coronavirus pandemic, the Group continues to develop its range of services on its Webstores

Financing offers are now available on Peugeot Store sites and by the end of April on Citroen Store and DS Store, launched at the start of 2020 and making it possible to acquire all vehicles in the Peugeot, Citroen and DS Automobiles rangesi. This offer, available in France, will soon be extended to other countries, in Europe and outside Europe. Several local online shopping initiatives are also underway with Opel Vauxhall, notably in Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands.

"This new method of purchasing our vehicles has been tested and validated by our employees," said Thierry Koskas. Today, 89% of the Group's sales to employees, who are familiar with the models in the three brands, are made directly online.

On the new websites of the 3 brands, the order is placed in a few clicks and the Group's LOA offers start at 83 per month.

About Groupe PSA

Groupe PSA designs unique automotive experiences and delivers mobility solutions to meet all customer expectations. The Group has five car brands, Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall and provides a wide array of mobility and smart services under the Free2Move brand. Its 'Push to Pass' strategic plan represents a first step towards the achievement of the Group's vision to be "a global carmaker with cutting-edge efficiency and a leading mobility provider sustaining lifetime customer relationships". An early innovator in the field of autonomous and connected cars, Groupe PSA is also involved in financing activities through Banque PSA Finance and in automotive equipment via Faurecia..

Media library: medialibrary.groupe-psa.com @GroupePSA_EN

i Not excluding LCVs

Communications Division www.groupe-psa.com/en +33 6 61 93 29 36- @GroupePSA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005395/en/

Contacts:

Media contacts:

Karine Douet: +33 6 61 64 03 83 karine.douet@mpsa.com

Valerie Gillot: +33 6 83 92 92 96 valerie.gillot@mpsa.com
On Friday, March 13, Dalhousie University announced that in-person instruction was ending for the term. In little more than a week, courses had to be ready to resume via distance  representing a huge task for faculty and support staff across the university to move classes large and small alike into an entirely new way of teaching and learning.



Among the largest of all those Dalhousie classes is first-year Chemistry. There are more than 1,050 students enrolled in the course across its various sections  amounting to roughly 5 per cent of Dals total student population.



A large class means large diversity as well, says Angela Crane, instructor and first-year program coordinator for the Department of Chemistry. It means we have a large international population. It means we have students with all sorts of accommodations, for all sorts of reasons. Weve got single parents in our class.



Trying to make something that will work for everyone, to be as universal as possible, has been at the forefront of everything weve done leading up to this closure  and it really drove our mindset once in-person classes ended and we had to make all these changes.



Like a speed race



First-year Chemistry at Dalhousie is located in the Faculty of Science  Dalhousie's largest faculty in terms of students. The course is based around a common, integrated program called Concepts in Chemistry. Developed by Dalhousie faculty for students roughly 15 years ago, the award-winning program interlinks lectures, textbooks, labs and online content into a unified experience. Still, fundamentally, it's an experience built around in-person engagement. How does one conduct a lab experiment via distance, for example?



The team of faculty, instructors and student TAs who bring Concepts in Chemistry to life each year was already starting to answer questions like that prior to receiving notice that in-person classes were ending for the term. For one, a couple chapters of the program already had to move online due to storm cancellations this winter term. But the team was also watching what was happening down in the United States, where universities began to shut-down in-person instruction a week or two ahead of Canada.



It was a speed race, says Jennifer MacDonald, senior instructor and first-year lab coordinator (pictured in a more traditional lab setting). With the labs, we were a bit lucky in that in the experiments that were left, the learning outcomes were based on data interpretation more than hands-on, physical skills. It really helped us make the transition to online a little easier. Also helping was the fact that students were able to opt-into virtual assignments prior to in-person suspensions.



Still, including the two chapters missed due to storm days, the first-year Chemistry team had to move almost half the course content into an online setting. It was quite a daunting project, and it had to happen fast, says Dr. Crane.



The importance of UDL



Lectures were recorded and paired with the course material. Lab experiments were recorded using video and still images in advance of the closure (just in case) such that students could observe a self-guided online laboratory module, containing video/images of the experiment and collect their observations, interpret data and submit reports virtually. Scattered around the world, the TAs for the course  undergrad and grad students alike  continued to be available to the first-year students in online discussion threads and activities.



All of this was done in the spirit of the programs commitment to whats called UDL: universal design for learning, which is a framework designed to provide flexible learning environments and materials to accommodate learning differences.



We pride ourselves in putting out all our materials, to the best of our abilities, following UDL principles, which is not a small undertaking, says Dr. Crane (pictured). Just to make one video that is UDL-friendly is quite a task. It has to have clear audio with captioning or a transcript, it needs to have a clear colour palette, fonts and so forth.



But it was these sorts of above-and-beyond measures that Drs. MacDonald, Crane and others undertook that students noticed most  from the serious to the silly.



I was grateful for the virtual resource centre when it came to completing my lab reports at home, as the in-person centre is a favourite spot of mine when assignments and lab reports are due  although I did miss the lollipops, says Chemistry and Psychology major Sarah Dunphy. And one of my favourite parts of the remote Chem classroom were the video check-ins from Dr. Crane, featuring her dog and an April Fools surprise!



For Samantha Horne, a second-year Neuroscience student with a physical disability, the experience actually addressed one of the challenges shes had in trying to navigate her studies: an inability to physically complete all aspects of lab work. Now, working online, shes able to view and catalogue the experiments in the exact same way as all her peers.



I think many students would greatly benefit from having more online options to help accommodate their disability, and these current circumstances have shown that this is possible to do, she says. This would not only alleviate any undue stress of the student but also make the courses more inclusive and accessible for everyone.



Bringing learning to life for students



For the most part, the comments Drs. Crane and MacDonald have received from students have been incredibly positive. Theyre both sensitive to how big a change this has been for the students  many of them only in the first year of their degrees.



Its one thing for me, whos taken courses on how to conduct online instruction effectively, to learn how to work this way and put those pedagogies into practice, but its a huge shock to students to have completely shift the way theyre learning, says Dr. Crane. Its not what they signed up for, and so we want to try to make the transition as easy for them as we can.



Helping in that process are the courses TAs like Robert Foisy, a third-year Microbiology and Immunology student.



There are advantages and disadvantages, he says, to doing this work online. Those of us who were willing were able to respond to student questions at any time  and quite often did in our spare time  which allowed greater flexibility. This also allowed us to utilize time and resources we normally wouldn't have available to us, and gave time to craft a better response to questions



The disadvantage is that for some learners, certain things are harder to explain through text, or even with still images, so some level of creativity and/or resourcefulness is a must.



That creativity was on full display in a fun, colourful good luck slideshow the First Year Chemistry Teaching Team put together from around the world to wish students all the best heading into their exams. That attention to detail is noticed by students like Christian Fitzner, who says out of all his courses, first-year Chemistry was the one that had to change the least due to this situation.



Images from the Chemistry team's "good luck" slideshow for students.



I can still ask questions, I still completed every lab, I'm still writing the same final, I still feel like I'm taking classes, he says. Both Dr. Crane and Dr. MacDonald go above and beyond to anticipate the future needs of their students and have once again done something fantastic with their transition to remote learning.



Looking ahead



At this point no one fully knows what the fall term will bring  though, obviously, the hope of everyone involved in first-year Chemistry is to be able to return to in-person instruction. Regardless, the team plans to spend the summer preparing video lectures and labs for the rest of the course  not just as a precaution in the event of COVID-19 restrictions, but as a way to continue to support different ways of learning.



The real experience and excitement in the lab cannot be replaced, the feeling of being able to DO science with your own hands cannot be compared to anything else, says Anastasiia Kutulska, first-year Biochemistry and Chemistry student. Nevertheless, Dr. MacDonald managed to turn the online chemistry lab into a real one. All the instructions were clear and the animations created an impression of being in the real lab.



I sincerely hope that there will be no need in transition to online teaching again and that this situation will clear up in the fall, she adds, but if it wont, I am calm and confident that with such abundant resources there will be no difficulty in completing another course.
Ninety-three projects and startups are ready to provide technological solutions to help solve problems and assist frontline workers, isolated communities and indirectly affected people.

Products



The School of Biotechnology and Food Technology at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology has created a toolkit to quickly detect nCoV within 70 minutes.



Got It, a technology startup founded by Dr Hung Tran, has introduced a trial version of COVID-19 Check, a service that helps users check the possibility of infection with coronavirus, classified from F0 to F5.



Vulcan Augmetics, a HCM City-based company specializing in 3D printing technology, which is famous for its removable robotic arms to support disable people, now gathers strength to produce anti-virus transparent covers, medical masks, breathing machines and medical equipment.

OhmniLabs makes face coverings with 3D printing technology to donate to hospitals in the context of PPE shortage.

OhmniLabs makes face coverings with 3D printing technology to donate to hospitals in the context of PPE shortage.

The company has also brought robots to many hospitals in the world which both help take care for patients and help doctors and relatives examine patients from a distance.



EyeQ, with a facial recognition system and thermometer camera, helps identify the people entering or leaving the buildings in quarantine. Instead of measuring temperature manually every day, the quarantined people just need to walk slowly pass the camera and look straight ahead.



The system will identify them and show their temperature with a high accuracy level of 0.5oC for a distance of two meters.



Kompa has become well known for its coronavirus map and the AI system which allows to analyze and filter fake news about the epidemic. Chat Bot Vietnam also has a chatbot product on Facebook Messenger which helps users receive accurate and quick information about the epidemic from the Ministry of Health and WHO.



Technologies



Foodhub is the platform that connects consumers and shops or supermarkets, helping buyers and sellers carry out transactions online.



Drone Pro is a flying robot used to deliver goods, which helps save 50 percent of delivery cost and allow to avoid contacts.



JioHealth, a startup pioneering in home healthcare service, now can promote its abilities when people are required to stay at home during the epidemic and avoid crowded places like hospitals.



Via the app on smartphone, customers can order doctors, buy medicine online and have periodic medical examinations.



Supporting affected businesses



Webuild is a platform that helps connect workers and jobs in the construction industry, optimizing resources and restricting travel during the epidemic.



LtvAI.com is an AI-based recruitment platform which findd jobs quickly.



WORKSVN is an information portal that connects schools, students and businesses. It uses technological solutions to organize online job days.

Linh Ha

Who is the producer of Vietnams coronavirus test kits? On its official website, Viet A Technologies JSC describes itself as a pioneer in disseminating hi-tech tests in the health sector.
TDT | Manama

Food Vest Holding, owners of the brands Caribou Coffee Bahrain and Fuddruckers, expressed their appreciation for the efforts of Team Bahrain in keeping the country safe with their round-the-clock work combatting the coronavirus (COVID-19). It is a trying time for all of us, said Food Vest general manager Mateo Ramos. Everyone is affected by this pandemic  from governments, businesses, employees, students and the general public.

Despite this difficult situation, it paved the way for people to work together and unite. As a business, we are also affected, but in our own little way, Caribou Coffee and Fuddruckers through Education Plus would like to pay tribute to the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) for their tireless efforts in helping Bahraini families through their Together for Bahrains Safety campaign. We hope that with this little gesture, we can give them some sort of motivation to continue their inspiring efforts in helping the community.

SCW Administrative and Media Affairs director Ezzedine Khalil Al Moayad commented: We would like to thank Food Vest for supporting us and for their appreciation of the work that we do. It is a good encouragement for us and our volunteers. Starting this week, Caribou Coffee and Fuddruckers are also scheduled to donate more than 1,000 food packs and goods as a form of support to the community. One is through KHK Heroes for migrant workers who are gravely affected by this pandemic. The other is by distributing free coffee and meals to the medical front-liners who are risking their lives in treating COVID-19 patients.
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

With COVID-19 cases on rise, Govt says testing ratio not low; no infections in 325 districts so far

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Apr 16: Refuting allegations that India is not conducting enough COVID-19 tests, the Health Ministry said on Thursday the testing ratio is not low and in a country with such a huge population "not all people belong to vulnerable groups".

Responding to a question about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging that the scale of testing in India has been low so far at 199 per 10 lakh people, the chief of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said for each positive case the country tests 24 people.

"In countries like Japan, one out of 11.7 tests turns out to be positive, which is among the highest in the world. Italy tests 6.7 persons for one positive test while the USA tests 5.3 persons and the United Kingdom 3.4," he said during a daily press briefing on the country's COVID-19 situation.

"Taking their population base into consideration, it is difficult to comment about our testing rate. In India, we are conducting 24 tests out of which one comes out to be positive. Also, we have huge population and not all people belong to vulnerable groups. Hence, can't say our testing ratio is low," Dr Gangakhedkar said.

According to data analysis by the health ministry, India had conducted 1.14 lakh COVID-19 tests when it crossed 5,000 cases and 2.17 lakh tests on the date the country hit the mark of 10,000 coronavirus cases.

In contrast, Italy, the US and the UK had conducted 0.49 lakh, 1.04 lakh and 0.78 lakh tests respectively on the dates coronavirus cases in those nations crossed the 5,000 mark.

Italy, the US and the UK had conducted 0.73 lakh, 1.39 lakh and 1.13 lakh tests on the dates the number of cases there crossed the 10,000 mark, according to the health ministry's data analysis.

Adding to Dr Gangakhedkar's remark, Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary in the health ministry, said data can be interpreted in many ways and the government's effort is aimed at ensuring not a single positive case is missed out.

"There is a defined criteria. Compared to other countries... we are testing 24 people out of each positive case. We have been able to contain the spread of the virus to some extent through advanced action measures. It is not the absolute number of testing which will be our defining criteria. What is important is to see what output is yielded in our containment measures linked with testing.

"We are also testing patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza like illness (ILI) even in places which have not reported any (coronavirus) positive case," Agarwal said.

Addressing a press conference via video link earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi called for aggressive testing to defeat coronavirus and asserted that it should be used strategically. Gandhi said the scale of testing in India has been low so far at 199 per 10 lakh people -- around 350 tests per district -- which he said is not enough to tell which way the virus is moving.

"If you have to fight the virus, you have to increase testing dramatically and your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of it. That means you have to move into random testing," he noted.

Dr Gangakhedkar, however, said 2,90,401 samples have been tested so far, of which 30,043 were tested on Wednesday itself. Out of the tests carried out on Wednesday, 26,331 were done in laboratories under Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network and 3,712 in private labs, he added.

Commenting on the testing capacity of ICMR network, Dr Gangakhedkar said, "Working in one shift, more than 42,400 samples can be tested each day. If we work in two shifts, we will be able to test more than 78,200 samples daily."

Out of 720 districts in India, 325 districts are coronavirus free as no COVID-19 cases have been found in these districts so far.
A Muslim rights group has called for a police probe into the actions of a grocery store security guard who allegedly tasered, pinned to the ground and restricted the wrists of a medical worker who refused to shop without his protective mask.

The father  who remains anonymous in a statement from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)  was asked to remove his face covering when he entered LA Mart in the Oakland Mills Village Center after work on April 4.

The medical worker  whose job includes caring for COVID-19 patients  temporarily lifted up the mask so the guard could see that he was a familiar face but refused to take it off altogether.

CAIR notes that the shopper is a Muslim man of Tunisian heritage and his family shop at the store regularly as they live within walking distance.

An LA Mart store security guard tasered a Maryland Muslim man who wore protective face covering while shopping for groceries on April 4

The shopper claims he asked the guard to step away in compliance with social distancing guidelines and collected a few necessities for purchase.

But when he came to pay for the goods the guard approached him in an aggressive manner. He stepped away to leave but was tasered and fell to the ground in pain and shock, according to CAIR.

The shopper, who is of Tunisian heritage, is a health care worker whose job includes serving those with the COVID-19 disease. He removed the face covering briefly to show the guard who he was. Pictured is an N95 mask that health workers are recommended to wear

That's when the guard allegedly pinned him to the floor, restricted his wrists and bungled him into a back office.

The shopper claims the action took place in front of staff and customers.

Police were called and paramedics arrived then cleared the customer as safe to leave.

Howard County Police confirmed to the Baltimore Sun that they were called to the store 'for a report of a disorderly subject'. Representatives for the store could not be reached for comment.

The police are now investigating.

The customer claims he has experienced mental and emotional damage from the experience.

'This incident is carved in my mind,' the shopper said in a statement. '[I am] still waking up in the middle of the night with nightmares screaming and crying. My family noticed the change in my behavior also.

'My daughter and my son are still crying and my daughter was crying in my arms yesterday saying, "I want my Dad back". All I want from this horrifying incident is justice for me and my family. All I want is that after me nobody and no human being should go through what I went through.'

CAIR blasted the store's treatment of the father who is working to keep their community safe.

In Maryland, there are more than 10,000 cases of coronavirus and 347 deaths.

'This individual is a hero providing an essential service during this pandemic, yet he was disrespected, attacked and humiliated as if he were a criminal,' CAIR's Director of Maryland Outreach Zainab Chaudry said.

'This ordeal has traumatized him and has had a profound effect on his wife and children. His experience underscores why too many people of color are uncomfortable or reluctant to wear personal protective gear like face masks in public for fear of being profiled and attacked.

'We urge law enforcement to promptly investigate the circumstances of this incident, restore some measure of dignity, and help deliver justice for him and his family.'

Plaxen and Adler Law Firm is representing the case.

'Our client was violently attacked for simply trying to protect himself and the public from the coronavirus,' Attorney David Muncy said in a statement. 'The actions of the L.A. Mart guard were reprehensible and cannot be tolerated. We will fight to obtain justice for him and his family and look forward to holding this company responsible for the harm they have caused.'

CAIR noted it's not the first time a person of color has been treated unfairly for covering their face amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Two black men were seen on video being kicked out of Walmart last month. Video showed them wearing face coverings while a security guard ushered out of an Illinois branch.

The CDC has urged everyone to wear a face covering to help slow the spread of coronavirus, especially as some infected people are asymptomatic and don't know they may be harming others in public.

However some people of color have been reluctant to wear coverings as the image has been negatively depicted in the mainstream.

'If you're a person of color, you can't just wear a mask,' Mark Anthony Neal, chair of the department of African and African American studies at Duke University told NBC News. 'You have to be conscious of wearing a mask in a way that it will be disarming, even comforting, for some of the people you share social spaces with and I'm sure those are concerns that most of our white peers don't have to think about.'

Additionally, people of color have been considered especially at risk of contracting coronavirus and have the highest death rates in some states.

Experts have connected the disparity to socioeconomic factors, such as distrust of the medical system, lack of access to healthcare, a tendency for doctors to underprescribe for people of color, plus a higher likelihood of working on the frontline.

Low immunity is also a problem for people of darker skin tones.

Experts have recommended vitamins B, C, D and Zinc, among other things to help boost the immune system and fight viruses. However, darker skinned people are less able to obtain vitamin D due to higher melanin production

The most common way to get vitamin D is from the sun but melanin blocks the absorption of vitamin D.
The natives are getting restive. USA Today chronicled protests across the US against the coronavirus shelter at home and less-extreme forms of activity restriction. Most were small, only a hundred or so in places like Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia. The largest was in Lansing, Michigan, despite Michigan suffering the third-highest death toll. Drivers set out to gridlock the capital and succeeded well enough to also block a hospital entrance:

Most of the protestors wanted restrictions removed so they could go back to work or get their business back in operation. For instance, an account from Utah:

Deborah Palmer, a St. George resident who owns a small business, says that her concern for her familys job security is what brought her out to the march. My daughter is out of work, my husbands work has slowed down and Im out of work because of this, Palmer said. I hope our representatives and our governing officials get to see that there is a great number of us who do not support the government mandate and restrictions taking away our rights.

And its undeniable that the coronavirus-induced shutdown have already exacted a huge toll. Data for March, when the restrictions werent in place for the entire month, show much more severe damage than most economists foresaw. Note featured Mohamed El-Erian, Martin Wolf, and Goldman forecasts which were all more dour than the mainstream quick rebound take, which seemed obviously nonsensical.

The Financial Times today, which seldom practices hair-on-fire journalism, nevertheless sounds five alarms in its lead story, New data shows vast scale of US economic breakdown:

Data from all corners of the US economy published on Wednesday revealed the scale of the collapse in consumer demand, industrial activity and confidence, suggesting the hit from coronavirus lockdowns has been deeper even than feared. Two measures in particular were historically bad: US industrial production showed the biggest monthly decline since the end of the second world war, while retail sales dropped by the most since the data started being collected in 1992.. Industrial production, a broad gauge of output from factories, mines and utilities, fell 5.4 per cent in March from the previous month, according to the Federal Reserve, its worst performance since 1946. Headline retail sales, a measure of sales in shops and restaurants, fell 8.7 per cent, according to the Commerce Department, erasing four years of growth. Purchases at grocery stores surged by 27 per cent as consumers filled up their pantries, but there was a 27 per cent drop at bars and restaurants, which in many cases had to shut their doors. Sales at petrol stations sank by 17 per cent as people stayed home. Clothing sales were cut in half, the worst of any category. Car and furniture sales each dropped by a quarter.

And aside from that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Mind you, in some ways, the US is in a self-created worst of all possible worlds. Im hoisting this chart from a cross post by Ilargi today:

As we know, except for Northern California, US states and cities imposed restrictions too late, and even then too haltingly, to slow the rapid rise of infection. We still are not terribly locked down. And from what I can tell in Alabama, far too few people are wearing masks, and too many employers are cavalier about employee safety. For instance, at the CVS, the staff isnt wearing masks. I suspect management perversely wants everything to look normal. Yes, they finally installed plexiglass shields between the cashiers and the patrons, way later than either of the big local grocers.

This clearly does not cut it. First, CVS has tried hard to push customers to use self-checkout. From what I can tell, customers need assistance about 1/4 of the time. So the unmasked cashiers put the public at risk when forced regularly during the day to sally forth to those machines.

Second, the cashiers regularly have to have a manager come over either to approve a transaction (say a refund) or clear up a mess of some sort. That puts the manager and the cashier in unsafe proximity to each other.

Needless to say, this is endemic locally. Ive seen no business with 100% mask use, and the public use seems to be about 20%. People seem to think either they dont need to bother, or that only a medical mask is adequate.

One of my pet peeves is the lack of modeling by our media and political leaders. Every TV talking head should be in a mask. Fauci off all people should be in a mask, along with every governor, mayor and public health official when they get in front of a camera.

Even worse, the Trump anti-lockdown messaging has done a lot of damage. Not only were red states, particularly in the South, slow to act, but belief in whether coronavirus is dangerous is split along party lines, which individuals behaving accordingly. From Wired:

For the latest study on this topic, a group of economists led by Hunt Allcott and Matthew Gentzkow used cell phone location data gathered across the US from the end of January to early April to measure the extent to which people had limited their trips to stores, restaurants, hotels, and other public gathering spots. Then they matched up those changes of behavior, at the county level, with vote shares in the last presidential election. The groups new working paper, posted Monday, describes the major finding: The more decisively a county went for Donald Trump in 2016, the less its residents have been hiding out from public spaces. Thats true even controlling for local case numbers, population density, and the timing of statewide social-distancing instructions. In Pulaski County, Kentucky, for examplewhere 82 percent of voters backed Trump in 2016residents reduced their visits to so-called points of interest by 51 percent over the duration of the study. In contrast, demographically similar Washington County, Vermontwhere Hillary Clinton won by a huge marginsaw trips decline by 71 percent. Both counties had registered only a handful of confirmed cases, while their state governments issued stay-at-home orders on March 26 and March 25, respectively.

The conundrum, as readers no doubt appreciate, is that wanting things to go back to normal wont make them go back to normal. If people are worried about safety, they wont fully re-engage in former activities. Perversely, its safer to fly now, despite the generally high infection numbers, because airports are empty. No one at TSA check-ins save the TSA. Virtually empty waiting areas. Enough room on planes that the odds of reseating yourself in a row all by yourself are high. But the effective high level of social distancing on flights due to the collapse of travel (due to the lack of tourist attractions and business justifications) is an aberration of the moment.

For instance, what happens if restaurants try to reopen now? Maybe there are ones both manned and patronized by only under 40 year olds. But its the middle aged and recently retired that are the biggest and most regular spenders. Will they come back in full right away? Doubtful, particularly for any with co-morbities.

Indeed, despite Trump thumping for an earlier removal of restrictions, and governors like Alabamas Ivey who is sure to be indifferent to the poor and the black dying, there are quite a few who have a grip on the tradeoffs, even in red and purple states. For instance, again from USA Today:

Earlier, the [Ohio] first-term Republican governor [Mike DeWine] made it clear during an interview with MSNBCs Morning Joe that any loosening of the stay-at-home order would be contingent on coronavirus testing results and other health data. Whenever we open up, however we do it, if people arent confident, if they dont think theyre safe, theyre not going to go to restaurants, theyre not going to go to bars, theyre not going to really get back into society, DeWine said.

And corporate leaders are also trying to beat some sense into Trump. From the Wall Street Journal:

Banking and financial services executives told President Trump that his administration needed to dramatically increase the availability of coronavirus testing before the public would be confident enough to return to work, eat at restaurants or shop in retail establishments. The people involved in the first call, which included executives from banking, financial services, food and beverage, hospitality and retail industries, described current testing levels in the U.S. as inadequate to effectively reopen the economy. Some executives suggested that they were attempting to secure their own virus testing kits for employees and possibly customers as well, the people said. Mr. Trump also touted the potential of a saliva test to determine whether people have Covid-19, arguing that it would let companies get back to work faster. The CEOs voiced approval for this idea. The president said reopening the country would not mean the end of social distancing and that people might have to get used to wearing masks even after businesses reopened, the people said.

This all sounds well and good, but get real. Trump has not been on board with any sort of muscular Federal action. To think hes gotten religion on testing after doing close to nothing to increase production of PPE is quite a stretch. Similarly, Trump has been extremely cool about the CDCs recommendation about mask-wearing in public.

So the most likely outcome is that too many parts of the country will ease up too early. Due to the poor access to testing, particularly in red states, it will take a few weeks (2-14 days of incubation + 5-7 days for a case to go from mild to sort of bad into viral pneumonia) for deaths to spike up again and be sustained to prove the reversal was a bad idea.

So businesses and confidence would be hit again with the false dawn and need for re-tightening.

If Americans were more disciplined, and would wear masks and would observe social distancing (including restaurants and bars removing seating), it might not be so risky to lift the restrictions. But that isnt how we roll.

And dont kid yourself that red state rubes whove consumed too much pro-Trump talk radio are the big sinners. Dont forget the 1%ers who fled to the Hamptons or other enclaves, in some cases knowing they were infected. And you see priorities like this among the top 10%:

If this keeps up more than about another weekend suburban parents are going to start committing civil disobedience. So their kids can play. That is where we are, folks, in this wild n crazy public health paradise of ours. Never forget it. Never. https://t.co/qqMgq2d37T  Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) April 10, 2020

I am clearly showing my age. A child who had tantrums every time it couldnt have something it wanted would be recognized as badly spoiled, and that was the result of over-indulgence. I wonder how this parent would cope with a personal train wreck that resulted in him and his family living in a car. That outcome may be more likely that he realizes.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger welcomed todays mutual release and exchange of detainees in eastern Ukraine.

According to a statement published on the OSCE website, the OSCE leadership called for further positive steps towards peace in Donbas.

Todays mutual release and exchange of detainees is an important step taken before the Orthodox Easter. The sides demonstrated political will and humanitarian action. This day has been long awaited by both the detainees and their relatives and friends, Rama said.

Rama strongly encouraged the full implementation of the Minsk agreements, supporting the efforts of the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy Format. He stressed the importance of continuing to build on the steps taken at the Paris Normandy Summit on 9 December 2019, including the commitment on a full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire, as well as all the other conclusions agreed in Paris. The OSCE, within its mandate, stands ready to support, through the Trilateral Contact Group and the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, he added.

Contributing to the peaceful resolution of the crisis in and around Ukraine and making a difference on the ground is a top priority of the 2020 Albanian Chairmanship. We will do everything possible to support the improvement of the security situation and easing of the hardship of civilians living in conflict-affected areas in eastern Ukraine, the Chairperson-in-Office concluded.

OSCE Secretary General Greminger added: "The mutual release and exchange of detainees today, the second in less than four months, is highly welcome. Families will be reunited and able to spend the upcoming Orthodox Easter festivities together. I urge the sides to build on this exchange and renew the momentum towards achieving a peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine through the full and comprehensive implementation of the Minsk agreements.

As reported, the next stage of mutual release of detained persons, who had been in captivity in the temporarily occupied territories, had begun in the morning. Given the quarantine restrictions currently in force in the country, the released Ukrainians will be sent for mandatory observation upon their return.

The mutual release of detained persons takes place within the framework of all for all format.

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Ukraine supports an initiative of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to counter fake news and misinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Serhiy Kyslytsia.

"We support the initiative of the UN Secretary-General to combat misinformation around COVID-19. For Ukraine, as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Information, it is among the priorities, as we know from our own experience how some countries, including the Russian Federation, are trying to use the pandemic to promote insinuations in the information space, Kyslytsia told Ukrinform.

According to him, the first fake that should be refuted is "a Russian narrative about the relationship between the current sanctions and humanitarian aid to tackle COVID-19."

At the same time, Kyslytsia called the work with corporations that manage social networks as an important aspect of the campaign".

Users must have access to science-proven pandemic facts. The response to stories, which could be misleading and could even harm people's well-being, must be more efficient," the diplomat said.

At the same time, when tackling the new coronavirus, people must remain human, avoid discrimination and respect human rights, said Kyslytsia.

As reported, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April 14 announced an initiative to tackle fake news and disinformation about the coronavirus.

I'm announcing a new UN Communications Response initiative to spread facts and science, countering the scourge of misinformation - a poison putting more lives at risk, he stated.

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Australia's unemployment rate increased marginally to 5.2 per cent in March, but analysts warn much worse is ahead as coronavirus shutdowns hit the economy.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday reported 20,300 people lost work through the month, pushing up the jobless rate by 0.1 percentage point.

Economists had been expecting unemployment to reach 5.4 per cent on the back of a loss of 30,000 jobs through the month, up from 5.1 per cent in February.

The survey was conducted in the first half of March, before major employers started announcing lay-offs in response to social distancing restrictions.
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Could a side effect of the coronavirus be a more peaceful world, even just temporarily? It seems like a long shot, but theres a glimmer of hope for an unprecedented proposal for a global cease-fire. A cease-fire would allow for humanitarian aid and cooperation to fight the virus, which is now affecting at least nearly every country on Earth.

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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a call (later backed by Pope Francis) on March 23 for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. The members of the Security Council are currently debating the language of a resolution endorsing the call. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been lobbying for the resolution, says four of the five permanent members of the council have expressed support for the resolution and is hopeful that Russian President Vladimir Putin, the last holdout, can be brought around. (Efforts to reach consensus on nearly anything related to the virus within the council have so far been stymied by the U.S.-China blame game.) The resolution might seem like a pipe dream, and even if its passed, its not a sure thing that well suddenly achieve world peace. A brief look at global headlines in just the past two daysRussia buzzing U.S. aircraft in the Mediterranean, North Korea firing short-range missiles, rising tensions in the Persian Gulfmake that clear. But theres still reason to take the cease-fire idea seriously.

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Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group, a think tank that studies armed conflict, told Slate that he and his colleagues were initially quite cynical about Guterres cease-fire proposal, but that it did seem to resonate with a wider range of armed groups than we expected. Rebel groups in the Philippines, Thailand, Cameroon, and Colombia have all announced unilateral cease-fires as a result of the coronavirus. In some cases, notably Sudan, the cease-fire call was endorsed by parties already involved in peace talks. In Ukraine, both the government and the Russian-backed rebels fighting in the countrys east have endorsed the call, but violence has continued.

Gowan stresses that None of the armed groups were talking about have somehow discovered morality and become angelic. Theyre using cease-fires opportunistically to buy time, regroup after battlefield setbacks, or buy some good publicity. But it can still be a useful tool for U.N. envoys to nudge some conflict parties toward peace or at least humanitarian pauses, he said.

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The most significant entity to announce a cease-fire so far was the Saudi-led (and U.S-backed) coalition in Yemen, which has been fighting a brutal war against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for more than five years. With its devastated health system, poor sanitation, and lack of central authority, Yemenwhich confirmed its first coronavirus case last Fridayis one of the worlds most vulnerable countries to the disease. Saudi Arabia, which may be looking for a way to extricate itself from the costly conflict and has taken an economic hit from falling global oil prices, announced a two-week cease-fire on April 8, but the Houthis, who have made some recent battlefield gains, have not agreed to it, and fighting has continued on both sides. But Gowan hopes that the cease-fire call could give new momentum and urgency to ongoing U.N.-led peace talks. Its not unusual for armed groups in Yemen and other similar conflicts to ramp up attacks ahead of cease-fires to increase their leverage.

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Another reason for skepticism about the cease-fire is that it seems almost impossible that the worlds major military powers will abide by it. There are some signs that the U.S. is using the pandemic as a pretext to draw down a bit from its forever wars, but it is still conducting airstrikes against Iranian backed militias in Iraq and launching raids against ISIS in Syria in cooperation with Kurdish forces. The Coalition continues to support  anti-ISIS operations by sharing intelligence and providing eyes-in-the-sky, while we all face the challenge of preventing the spread of COVID-19, a U.S. spokesman told Stars and Stripes about one recent raid.

The U.S. will almost certainly insist on a carve-out for counterterrorist activities in any cease-fire call. This kind of carve-out has bedeviled past efforts to reach a cease-fire in Syria, given that Russia defines all opponents of the Assad regime as terrorists and justifies its airstrikes accordingly. Even France, the country most actively pushing for the cease-fire declaration, is probably not going to halt its ongoing operations targeting Islamist militants in West Africa.

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Everyone is going to have their special case of someone you can kill, notes Gowan, who adds that theres a risk it could be seen as Western countries telling poorer countries to pause their conflicts while Western countries continue to run the military operations they want to run.

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Theres also likely to be disagreement over the question of sanctions, which many argue are a form of aggression and which countries like Iran and Venezuela are calling to be lifted in order to help combat COVID-19. Russia, under its own sanctions pressure, is likely to be amenable to that idea. The United States and its allies definitely wont be.

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Its too early to tell what effect the virus will ultimately have on armed conflict. There is some precedent for natural disasters bringing an end to armed conflict. One frequently cited example is the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which led to a peace deal between the Indonesian government and separatist rebels in the battered province of Aceh, ending a conflict that had killed more than 12,000 people.

But this was one isolated caseand the tsunami had the opposite effect elsewhere. The global nature of this disaster and the response to it seems more akin to Ronald Reagans famous musing in a speech to the United Nations that the only thing that could unify humanity would be an alien threat from outside this world.

This threat came from this world, but it would be nice to think it could still serve as a good reason for humans to at least take a timeout from killing each other.
A Sukhoi SU-35 fighter jet performs during a test flight ahead of the Airshow China 2014 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China, on Nov. 10, 2014. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)

Upside-Down Russian Jet Buzzes US Navy Plane Over Mediterranean

A Russian jet buzzed a U.S. Navy surveillance plane in international airspace over the Mediterranean on April 15, flying within 25 feet in an upside-down maneuver.

The intercept lasted approximately 42 minutes, according to the Navy.

On April 15, 2020, a U.S. P-8A Poseidon aircraft flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-35, said the Navy in a statement.

The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed, inverted maneuver, 25 feet directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk. The crew of the P-8A reported wake turbulence following the interaction.

The P-8A Poseidon is used to track submarines.

A P-8A Poseidon in a file photo. (U.S Navy photo by Personnel Specialist 1st Class Anthony Petry)

While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible, the Navy stated, noting that the surveillance plane was affected by turbulence from the Russian jet.

Such risky close-quarters encounters with the Russian military have been more common in recent years, not only in the air but also at sea.

U.S. military leaders have warned adversaries not to test the United States and its allies during the pandemic crisis, saying that readiness remains high.

It isnt clear whether this latest incident shows Russia is notching its actions in response to the virus or is just carrying out business as usual.

The incident with the Russian jet followed U.S. Navy ships being harangued by nearly a dozen Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf.

In a statement, the Navy stated that 11 vessels from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came dangerously close to six U.S. vessels, repeatedly crossing their bows and sterns while they were conducting integration operations with U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters to support maritime security outside of Irans territorial waters.

Iranian naval vessels came as close as 10 yards of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maui, and within 50 yards of the USS Lewis B. Puller, a ship that serves as an afloat landing base, according to the statement. Other vessels among the U.S. ships included the USS Paul Hamilton, a Navy destroyer, and the USS Firebolt.

The incident comes amid heightened military tensions between the United States and Iran following the killing of Irans top general by a U.S. airstrike earlier this year.

Like other militaries, the United States has had to adapt to the CCP virus, otherwise known as novel coronavirus, canceling some training and exercises and adopting strict quarantine processes for crews heading onto nuclear submarines.

The most public impact has been the outbreak on the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is still sidelined in Guam as the crew is evacuated and the ship cleaned. One crew member died, and more than 585 have tested positive for the virus.

However, the Roosevelt could still quickly be deployed if needed, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters earlier this week.

Frances only aircraft carrier has also been hit by an outbreak of the virus and forced to return to port early, with one third of the crew so far testing positive for the virus.

Chinese naval activity and paramilitary aggression in the Pacific have continued despite the pandemic, including a carrier group carrying out drills near Taiwan.

However, experts previously told The Epoch Times that it isnt possible to asses the real impact of the pandemic on Chinas military strength.

The impact is hidden by long-running military secrecy, the fact that Beijings data on the virus cant be trusted, and the lower value that the Chinese Communist Party places on the lives of troops who might be hit by an outbreak.
Singapore employers receive over SGD 7 billion payouts to cover wages of over 1.9 million local employees

Over 140,000 employers have started receiving payouts under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) from Singapore government on April 15 to cover the wages of 1.9 local employees.

Under the JSS, which totals over SGD 7 billion, the government will co-fund the first SGD 4,600 gross monthly wages paid to each local employee for nine months.

Employers were not required to apply to receive the payouts.

Under the JSS, the Singapore government will co-fund the first SGD 4,600 gross monthly wages paid to each local employee for nine months. Photo: Connected to India

The first tranche were paid from April 15, based on wages paid from October to December 2019.

There are three tiers of support for employers in different sectors under the JSS. Firms in the aviation and tourism sector will receive 75 per cent co-funding; firms in the food services sector will receive 50 per cent co-funding, and firms in all other sectors will receive 25 per cent co-funding.

As announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat on April 6, the JSS wage subsidy for the month of April 2020 will be enhanced to 75 per cent for all sectors. This is to help firms retain and pay their workers during the circuit breaker period.

The additional subsidy will be paid together with the first tranche, and computed first based on October 2019 wages. It will be subsequently adjusted based on actual wages paid in April 2020 in future JSS tranches.

Subsequent tranches will be paid in July and October.
Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, China has worked hard to overcome the peak of the outbreak and people have started to return to work and resume production.

It is the hope of people around the world, who are still at the most difficult stage of their anti-virus war, to receive anti-epidemic assistance. Yet some bizarre accusations against China have arisen. There are suggestions that "China concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak" and "China sees opportunity to expand global influence amid pandemic." There have also been ridiculously claims for compensation from China. This attempt to cast blame on China is designed to divert attention from their own country's inept responses to COVID-19. We must recognize these as obfuscations that so regrettably undermine humanity's efforts to end the pandemic.

The Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China refutes the six types of typical buck-passing remarks in the current situation.

I. Accusing China of concealing coronavirus akin to calling white black

Some Western media and politicians have alleged that China deliberately concealed the number of infections and deaths caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in China. They even claim China shared disinformation that led to their underestimation of the extent of the outbreak and thus delayed their response to the virus.

Such rhetoric is rampant in the West, but in essence it is an attempt to justify the West's inability to fight the pandemic. China released a report on April 6 on the timeline of the country's information sharing of the virus, in response to those discredited remarks.

The report shows in detail, how China regularly shared information and its prevention and control measures with the US since January 3. Including 30 exchanges in one month.

Over the past three months, American experts have been invited to China to better understand the situation. There have also been intensive communications, such as summit talks, communication between top diplomats and between the two countries' public health authorities. During this period, US President Donald Trump also repeatedly praised China's efforts and expressed gratitude to China.

On April 8, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a timeline of operations against COVID-19, and the content of the timeline is being continuously updated. According to the timeline, China reported a set of pneumonia cases as early as December 31, 2019, and identified a novel coronavirus. The WHO put itself on an emergency footing to deal with the outbreak on January 1. Many countries and regions have achieved good results under the early warning issued by the UN health agency and China.

According to recent research of Yale University, prevention and control measures, such as a city lockdown, compulsory quarantine, community management, and restricted outdoor activities, implemented in China since late January have greatly reduced the transmission of COVID-19, which was effectively put under control by mid-February. As of February 29, national and provincial level public health measures implemented in China had effectively prevented more than 1.4 million infections and up to 56,000 deaths across the country.

China's achievements in fighting the virus are obvious to all. The allegations made against China's handling of the epidemic are themselves an information virus.

II. False accusation that China misled the world

The COVID-19 outbreak continues to ferment globally, with Europe and the US being most severely hit.

On April 9, 1,601,302 cases were confirmed globally, with the number of confirmed cases in the US exceeding 460,000; 5.6 times great than in China. The number of infections and deaths in New York City has exceeded those in China. New York's coronavirus-related death rate is greater in China's Wuhan. The number of confirmed cases in the EU was more than 650,000, with 54,600 deaths, or 16.4 times more deaths than in China. The death rate in Europe was 8.4 percent, or 2.06 times great than China's.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed China for offering misleading information. Informed people can clearly see this is an excuse to shirk responsibility for his administration's inept response to the epidemic. After analyzing Trump's remarks on COVID-19 from January 22 to today, we found that his statements made at different stages of the outbreak show his transformation from bystander to participant.

The first stage for Trump's transformation was from January 22 to February 25, when there were very few confirmed cases in the US. At that time, Trump's tweets said the US was in close contact and cooperation with China, suggesting China was doing a good job.

In the second phase, from February 26 to March 9, the US epidemic began to break out and affected three major stock markets. Trump declared on Twitter that the virus was spreading slowly in the US with a death rate well below 1 percent, and a candidate vaccine was beginning clinical trials.

In the third phase, from March 10 to 14, when the coronavirus began hitting the entire US, Trump's changed his tone and began calling COVID-19 a "horrible scourge." Americans were thus advised to reduce nonessential travel and a national emergency was declared. He said the federal government would "unleash the full power" to defeat the virus.

In the fourth phase, from March 15 to March 18, the virus spread rapidly in the US, and Trump's position changed dramatically. For the first time, he publicly called COVID-19 a "Chinese virus," and he found himself in hot water.

The fifth phase from March 19 to the present, the outbreak in the US is out of control. Trump begun to blame China, slander China for not informing him of the virus earlier and offering disinformation. He even accused the WHO of siding with China, and moved further to suspend WHO funds.

In addition to Trump's finger-pointing statements that were contrary to known facts, some senior US officials have also defied facts by accusing China of misleading the world and threatening to hold China accountable for the outbreak. On Saturday, the senior US health official Dr. Anthony Fauci said China had delayed the world's understanding of the coronavirus when it suggested in January the virus was being transmitted only "from an animal to a human." He said that after the pandemic, the origins of the misinformation will be investigated.

The Trump administration's repeated attempts to blame China, redefine the timeline, defend the US stock market and promote his reelection campaign, reflect the fact that in the face of a catastrophe, Trump is more concerned with political issues than saving lives.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded to Trump's criticism without naming names: "If you don't want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it." Democratic candidate Joe Biden had this warning that seems more practical than political: "As we prepare to reopen America, we have to remember what this crisis has taught us: The administration's failure to plan, to prepare, to honestly assess and communicate the threat to the nation led to catastrophic results. We cannot repeat those mistakes."

III. The 'China accountable' fabrication

Claims arguing that "China should be held accountable for the coronavirus pandemic" have been rising in the field of international public opinion.

A mainstream Bolivian newspaper quoted Patricia Janiot, a senior anchor for CNN, in an editorial published on March 29, propagating that China should take the blame for the pandemic, writing off China's enormous sacrifices and tremendous outcomes in fighting the virus, and neglecting other countries' improper responses to the outbreak.

The allegation is apparently rife with lies and prejudices. Accusations such as "China had concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak for two months" and "China supplied faulty coronavirus test kits to Spain" are a pure fabrication based on misinformation or hearsay.

The truth is China was the first country to report the coronavirus outbreak and the first to effectively curb the epidemic. The country took decisive measures to curb the spread or the virus and was the first country to release the genetic sequence of the virus and openly shared it with the international community.

As the domestic situation improves, China has begun to offer help to other countries and regions around the world. So far, China has provided assistance to at least 89 countries and four international organizations and has become the world's largest supplier of medical materials. China's transparent sharing of data has also contributed greatly to the development of vaccines and drugs in other countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 26 at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit called on G20 members to "jointly help developing countries with weak public health systems enhance preparedness and response."

Many state leaders are also becoming aware that large-scale infectious diseases are one of the major challenges facing humanity in the era of globalization, and to overcome the pandemic, all countries must closely unite rather than blame each other.

Seeing China's strong leadership in the global fight against the virus, an increasing number of international media outlets have realized that China has indeed been practicing the vision it proposed of building a global community with a shared future for humanity, and has been fulfilling the obligations of a responsible world power.

IV. Requesting compensations from China unwarranted

The International Council of Jurists and the All India Bar Association have filed a petition at the UN Human Rights Council, seeking compensation from China over the global pandemic, India's media reported on April 4.

The complaint accuses China of "surreptitiously developing a biological weapon capable of mass destruction," and urges China to "adequately compensate international community and member states, particularly India."

News of similar suits can be found in the US, the UK, Australia and many other parts of the globe. Although different in form, they are in essence the same - requesting China be held accountable for the global spread of the virus. These attention-grabbing headlines are designed to manipulate public opinion, tie the virus to China and discredit the country.

Various organizations and politicians in many countries have acted in concert to ask for an apology and reparation from China, reminding many Chinese of the "Gengzi compensation," also known as "Boxer Indemnity," in early1900s, in which several Western states humiliated China by requiring compensation after Eight Nation Alliance invaded China and suppressed the Boxer rebellion.

But a century has passed, and China is no longer what it used to be. In 2020, China no longer needs to worry about foreign invasions, although the public opinion war against China, waged by certain politicians in some countries, is worrisome.

Today's demands for compensation from China are eerily reminiscent of those of a century ago; both are designed to make the victim pay, and both are filtered through conspiracy theories and rumors.

Many authoritative institutions and the academic community, such as the WHO and Nature, have repeatedly reiterated that where the virus was first reported has no direct relation with where the virus originated. And one can never blame others for the losses caused by their own improper responses to the outbreak.

China has always upheld solidarity and cooperation during a critical time. The unwarranted claims that demands compensation from China are poisonous and misleading. The global fight against the coronavirus is likely to be an arduous protracted fight. All countries should show solidarity and strengthen cooperation instead of complaining or blaming each other.

V. 'Low-quality export' - bite the hand that feeds

After four months of effort, China's virus fight has achieved good initial results, while the global pandemic situation is far from positive. In this disaster facing all humans, China has adhered to the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity and has sent medical supplies, including masks, test kits and protective outfits, to 130 countries and four international organizations. In addition, numerous private organizations, social groups and individuals from China have offered assistance to the world by various means.

However, US-led Western countries have refused some of China's medical supplies and hyped China's low-quality exports. Traditional media and social media have also hyped this sentiment to the public which urgently needs these supplies.

There have been some exceptional cases caused by the different standards in China and other countries. Some profit-seeking Chinese companies have produced and exported low-quality products, but these have been exposed and halted. China has enhanced its supervision of these exporters and imposed stricter criteria on their products.

Meanwhile, we have noticed there are forces that are attempting to exploit this issue. In the wake of the outbreak, some foreign media and officials have spared no effort denouncing China, and alleging it is responsible for the novel coronavirus. Radio France Internationale (RFL) claimed that China will be far less passive in responding to criticism. The notion quickly spread as Western countries continue to demonize China. Even Josep Borrell, head of EU foreign policy, recently wrote in a blog referring to China that "there is a geopolitical component, including a struggle for influence, through spinning and the politics of generosity."

Yet the fact is during the initial stage of China's fight against the virus, it also received substandard supplies from other countries. Of course there are profit-driven companies around the world that have produce low-quality products. The hype against China by foreign media stems from fear of China's growing strength and a deliberate attempt to meddle in the favorable relations China has with many other countries.

VI. Ungrateful 'mask diplomacy' accusation

Facing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, some international public opinion makers have again repaid China's goodwill with evil intent. Since March, French media including Le Monde and Le Figaro have reported that European leaders and governments should be vigilant of China's aid during the epidemic fight, and should be wary of China's so-called widespread publicity of its aid. Some Western media even described China's foreign medical aids, including face masks, as "mask diplomacy." They call it China's "politics of generosity," accusing China of fighting for geopolitical influence and taking advantage of the difficulties facing others.

This is not new. The international public opinion's short-sighted slander of China has never ceased. In recent years, Western media reports about China's economic growth, the Belt and Road Initiative or China's overseas investment and construction, always seek an imaginary dark side and impugn China's motives. These reports claim China is attempting to redraw the world map, or planning to exert geopolitical influence or suggest China is embarking on an aggressive diplomatic path. This type of reporting exacerbates the anxiety of neighboring Asians countries, the US and other countries.

Looking back at the Chinese history, the world can see that China spread its technology of papermaking, movable type printing, gunpowder and the compass to other countries and greatly promoted the progress of human civilization. China has made transformative explorations in the fields of science, including astronomy, geography, medicine, mathematics, agronomy. China made inventions in textiles, cooking, clothing, food, construction, shipping and other areas that are closely related to daily life today. China's brilliant achievements in astronomical instruments, musical instruments, metallurgy, water conservancy and other technological fields made tremendous contributions to human civilization and provided important material support for the West's Age of Discovery.

The Chinese civilization has developed over the last 5,000 years, and the very idea of human development is based on the thousands of years of human civilization. Under the impact of the pandemic, China has upheld the vision of building a global community with a shared future. China was the first to mount a national fight against the epidemic, during which it actively supported other countries. Yet, ill-intentioned Westerners maliciously continue to point a finger and blame China. This is worrying. In the past, people all over the world appreciated each other's contributions to human civilization. Today, why are these people treating China's support and contributions in a narrow-minded way? It is regrettable to see people in power in the West who care more about private interests than saving lives.

The article is written by Wang Wen, Jia Jinjing, Yang Fanxin, Guan Zhaoyu, Wang Peng, Zhang Mengchen from Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.
[April 16, 2020] YANGAROO Announces Board Change

TORONTO, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YANGAROO Inc. (the Company) (TSX-V: YOO, OTC: YOOIF), the software leader in workflow management and media distribution solutions, announces the appointment of H. Shepard Boone to the Companys board of directors. The Company also announces the resignation of Gerry Hurlow in order to focus his efforts on other business ventures. Mr. Boone will take Mr. Hurlows place on the board of directors as an independent director. Gerry has served on the Board of YANGAROO for 4 years and his contributions during his tenure have been greatly appreciated, said Tony Miller, Chairman of YANGAROO. On behalf of the Board and management, we thank Gerry for his contribution and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. Mr. Boone is a long-standing and significant shareholder of the Company. Since his initial nvestment in the Company, Mr. Boone has been the lead investor or a significant financial participant in multiple financings undertaken by the Company, including the Companys 2011 and 2012 debt financing transactions and its subsequent 2013 equity recapitalization. Mr. Boone has considerable experience as a business leader, with over 30 years of investment and management experience and a further 15 years of experience as a corporate director.



Mr. Boone commented: I am pleased to join Yangaroos board of directors. As a committed and long-term shareholder, I am excited for the opportunity to further contribute to the Company and help enhance shareholder value. Notwithstanding the historic times we are in, I remain optimistic about the future of the Company. The appointment of Mr. Boone, while legally effective, remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About YANGAROO: Yangaroo is a software leader in work-flow management for advertising, music, and awards industries. YANGAROOs patented Digital Media Distribution System is a leading secure business to business cloud-based solution that provides clearance, delivery, and secure API integration for various work-flow challenges in media distribution. YANGAROO has offices in Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles. YANGAROO trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol YOO and in the U.S. under OTCBB: YOOIF. For YANGAROO Investor Inquiries:

Gary Moss

Phone: (416) 534-0607

[email protected]

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Osisko Provides Corporate Update

Posted by Publisher Internet

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd (the ?Corporation? or ?Osisko?  https://www.rohstoff-tv.com/play/osisko-gold-royalties-investoren-praesentation-mit-rainer-ruckteschler/) (OR: TSX & NYSE) announces today that the Quebec Government has made the decision to classify mining activities as an essential service.

Following the Government?s decision, the operators of the Canadian Malartic and the Lamaque mines announced that a phased resumption of their respective activities will begin on April 15, 2020.

Stornoway, the Renard diamond mine operator, has decided to keep the mine on care and maintenance for the time being, given the structural challenges still affecting diamond market sales as well as the depressed prices for diamonds due to COVID-19. We expect that Stornoway will seek to restart operations once favorable market conditions return.

Annual General Meeting

Due to public health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and to support the health and well-being of the Corporation?s shareholders, employees, families and others who usually attend the annual meeting of shareholders, Osisko has changed the format to a virtual only meeting (the ?Annual Meeting?). As previously announced, the Corporation has set new dates for the Annual Meeting and record date.? Accordingly, shareholders of record as of the close of business on May?13,?2020, will be entitled to participate and vote at the Annual Meeting, which is now scheduled to take place on?June?22,?2020.

Q1 2020 Results Conference Call

The Corporation also provides notice of the first quarter 2020 results and conference call details, which will be released after market close on Tuesday, May?12, 2020 followed by a conference call on Wednesday, May?13, 2020 at 10:00?am EDT.

Those interested in participating in the conference call should dial in at 1-(236)?714-2175 (international), or 1-(833)?979-2701 (North American toll free). An automated voice system will ask you to record your name and to enter the conference identification number 1793021.

The conference call replay will be available from 1:00 pm EDT on May 13, 2020 until 11:59 pm EDT on May 20, 2020 with the following dial in numbers: 1-(800) 585-8367 (North American toll free) or 1-(416) 621-4642, access code 1793021. The replay will also be available on our website at www.osiskogr.com.

About Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd is an intermediate precious metal royalty company focused on the Americas that commenced activities in June 2014. Osisko holds a North American focused portfolio of over 135 royalties, streams and precious metal offtakes. Osisko?s portfolio is anchored by its cornerstone asset, a 5% net smelter return royalty on the Canadian Malartic mine, which is the largest gold mine in Canada. Osisko also owns the Cariboo gold project in Canada as well as a portfolio of publicly held resource companies, including a 15.9% interest in Osisko Mining Inc., 17.9% interest in Osisko Metals Incorporated and an 18.3% interest in Falco Resources Ltd.

Osisko?s head office is located at 1100 Avenue des Canadiens-de Montreal, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2S2.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may be deemed ?forward?looking statements? within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. These forward?looking statements, by their nature, require Osisko to make certain assumptions and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward?looking statements. Forward?looking statements are not guarantees of performance.? Words such as ?may?, ?will?, ?would?, ?could?, ?expect?, ?believe?, ?plan?, ?anticipate?, ?intend?, ?estimate?, ?continue?, or the negative or comparable terminology, as well as terms usually used in the future and the conditional, are intended to identify forward?looking statements. Information contained in forward?looking statements is based upon certain material assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including management?s perceptions of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. Osisko considers its assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, but cautions the reader that their assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Osisko, may ultimately prove to be incorrect since they are subject to risks and uncertainties that affect Osisko and its business. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the successful and timely progressive resumption of mining activities in Quebec and more particularly of the operations underlying the Corporation?s assets, uncertainties relating to the diamond markets, the ability of Stornoway to proceed with sales of diamonds in Europe on terms satisfactory to it, and the responses of relevant governments to the COVID-19 outbreak and the effectiveness of such responses.

For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward?looking statements made in this press release, see the section entitled ?Risk Factors? in the most recent Annual Information Form of Osisko which is filed with the Canadian securities commissions and available electronically under Osisko?s issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available electronically under Osisko?s issuer profile on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The forward??looking statements set forth herein reflect Osisko?s expectations as at the date of this press release and are subject to change after such date. Osisko disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward?looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
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The trend started with the state's first married couple which tested COVID-19 positive on March 9 and was successfully cured to return home on March 23."Since then, the number of Corona patients getting cured has consistently increased to 295 till April 15, including the maximum 166 from Mumbai, 43 in Pune district, 26 in Thane district and 11 in Nagpur, and other parts of the state," said Thackeray, in a social media interaction.The BMC's conclusion came after analyzing the data of patients at 97 'fever clinics' - started by the civic body recently in the city, many of which are operated in 'containment zones' and congested slums.Of the 3,585 persons examined in these 'fever clinics', 912 persons were sent for COVID-19 tests in which five were detected positive.These five persons had either a history of foreign travel or contact with those who had recently travelled abroad, and accordingly, the BMC exercised all precautions and implemented the relevant protocols."The test data reveals an incident of only 0.54 percent infections, indicating that there is no 'community transmission' of COVID-19 in Mumbai," said the BMC official.Around 6,000 persons took advice, of which 1,200 were advised 'home quarantine', over 300 referred for COVID-19 tests for which samples were collected from their homes to prevent them from stepping out during lockdown, said the BMC.In the past over a month, Maharashtra has recorded 2,916 COVID-19 cases and 187 fatalities, though 7 districts in the state are totally free of the corona scourge.Source: IANS
Kindly accept greetings from the National Secretariat of the National Health Students Association of Ghana (NAHSAG).

We; the National Executive Officers (NEO) would want to bring to bear issues affecting our members which demand immediate attention.

To begin with, is the issue of the 2017 batch of Allied Health Professionals trained in our recognized institutions who have not been posted since they completed the mandatory National Service. On 6th April 2020, a public announcement was made by the Ministry of Health indicating the recruitment of 2017 private and public trained nurses and midwives. This came as a surprise us because, during COVID-19 pandemic, we agree that our health sector needs frontline essential health workers to help fight this worthy cause. However, the question we kept asking ourselves was whether the work of these Allied Health professionals which includes Medical Laboratory Scientists, Disease Control Officers, Field Technicians, Health Promotion Officers, Health Information Officers, Health Records Officers, Nutrition Officers and many more other professionals are no longer important in the Ghanaian health system. We believe that in the midst of this pandemic, the role and contribution of these Allied health professionals are as important as that of the nurses and midwives.

We believe that these other essential health workers are equally important and must be absorbed into the system to give these people who have been trained in this country to also contribute their quota to help to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We would be grateful if the following questions could be considered: who identifies suspected cases and who does trace of contacts of the suspected cases? This is the work of the Disease Control Officers and the Filed Technicians. Who tests and confirms the suspected cases for the doctors to announce to the general public? This is the work of the Medical Laboratory Scientists. Who educates the general public on the need to adhere to the preventive protocols outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ghana Health Service (GHS)? This is the work of the Health Promotion Officers. It has been proven that adequate nutrition is the sure way of improving upon ones immune system which is a sure way to help the body fight against the COVID-19 virus.

Who educates the population on foods which can help in this regard? This is the work of the Nutrition Officers. Moreover, in these times of COVID-19, statistics and records about the number of persons who visit our health facilities, cases, suspected cases, death and death rate, and recovery and recovery rate, and any other relevant records is very important as it informs the policymakers to make prudent decisions to help combat the pandemic. This is the work of the Health Records Officers and the Health Information Officers. It is shocking that we have One Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Two (1,182) of these professionally trained health workers in this country whose knowledge, skills and expertise are being wasted away in their homes during this critical time. It is high time they are provided with jobs to serve dutifully in this time of COVID-19. We therefore ask that these health workers are recruited with immediate effect to enable them to render services to the good people of Ghana, especially in this difficult time.

Again, we were greatly astonished upon seeing the earlier stated release by the Ministry of Health indicating the recruitment of some categories of nurses. This is the first time diploma nurses are being processed for posting without Registered Nurse Assistant Clinical (RNAC) and Registered Nurse Assistant Preventive (RNAP). The 2017 batch of this category of nurses whose colleagues in other areas of nursing are being processed for postings. We are in awe as we consider what is happening this year. More to the point, there are Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty-Three (7,663) nurses who have been denied trainee allowance in the course of their training and have been left to waste three (3) years of their lives after training in their homes without jobs. Just when we thought the window of job opportunity was opened for them to be absorbed into the health system to enable them to serve mother Ghana with the skills they acquired three years ago in the public nursing Colleges across the length and breadth of the country under the subsidy of the Government of Ghana, their colleagues who completed with them in the same year are being processed for absorption leaving them behind. Is this not pathetic?

Finally, One Thousand Three Hundred And Eighty (1,380) Allied health personnel currently doing their mandatory National service in various health institutions in the country have not been paid their due allowances for the past eight (8) months they have been serving the country. Their colleagues who are non-health Ministry of Health-sponsored National Service personnel, have received their due allowances to date. When questions were asked about this, they were told that this has been the practice over the years. We wish to state that the fact that it has been so over the years does not make it right. It only means that someone is not doing his or her work well. Why should a group of young people who just left school and have been made to travel to places where they have to rent rooms, feed themselves, and find means to transport themselves to work to serve their country be made to go through the torture of going to bed hungry, not being able to pay their rent and utility bills nor pay for transport fares to work? This is a great deal of torture but they have been silent on this for eight months now believing that they were going to hear some good news. However, from the look of things, it looks like nothing is being done and nothing is being communicated to them.

These difficult situations some of our members are going through prompted us to write to release. We hope that in the next few days, we shall receive the good news of processes facilitated to rectify all these anomalies to release our members of the unpleasant situations they find themselves.

We shall, however, have no other choice than to speak in the language that politicians understand in times of difficulty faced by citizens; the language of a peaceful demonstration right after the lockdown ban is lifted in the major cities of Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale.

God bless our nation Ghana as we battle COVID  19 together.

Thank you.

Signed.

Moses N. Bondong

President

0200234397

To:

The Honourable Minister for Health; Hon. Kwaku Agyemang Manu

Cc:

Office of the President

Allied Health Professions Council

Nursing and Midwifery Council

Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association

All Media houses
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said action has been ordered against a reporter and an anchor of a news channel for allegedly running a "false" story that state minister Jitendra Awhad's daughter tested coronavirus positive at the time of return from Spain.

In a series of tweets, Deshmukh said the code of conduct of not revealing the name of any coronavirus-infected patient was violated in the process.

He did not name the news channel concerned. On his part, state Housing Minister Awhad on Thursday

said Deshmukh asked him to register a case, but he has decided against it as he does not want to act out of vengeance.

Deshmukh said there are rules in the law regarding not revealing the names of girls, and what the channel did "deliberately and irresponsibly was quite serious".

It is wrong to broadcast "false and terrorising" news at a time when an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the country due to the spread of coronavirus, he said.

"Hence, order has been issued to take action against the reporter and anchor of the news as per rules," Deshmukh tweeted late Wednesday night.

Awhad thanked Deshmukh for expressing concern and asking him to register a case.

"I think instead of vengeance I have decided to not register case against anybody. The channels do their job. Let people decide #ForgiveAndForget, Awhad tweeted.

A police official with whom Awhad interacted recently tested positive for coronavirus. Hence, as a precaution, the minister has quarantined himself. On Wednesday, Awhad said his test report has come out negative for coronavirus and he is fit and fine.

In another incident, two state BJP leaders from Maharashtra on Thursday sought action against Awhad for allegedly revealing the name of a journalist, who has tested coronavirus positive recently.

The two BJP leaders- former Lok Sabha member from Mumbai Kirit Somaiya, and sitting MLA from Ghatkopar Ram Kadam- sought to know from state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh what steps he plans to take against Awhad.

In a tweet, Somaiya said, "@AnilDeshmukhNCP in an interview clipping of @ibnlokmat I show/heard @Awhadspeaks took name of a journalist that 'the journalist is Corona positive'."
Actor Ranjit Chowdhry, best known for his roles in "Khatta Meetha", Baton Baton Mein and Bollywood/Hollywood", has died at the age of 65.

Son of renowned theatre actor Pearl Padamsee and step son of ad man Alyque Padamsee, Chowdhry died here on Wednesday.

According to half sister Raell, Ranjit had come to India for a family gathering on Alyque Padamsee's first death anniversary. Ranjit then decided to prolong his stay here to spend some more time with his family in India. He was admitted to the hospital on April 13th due to acute abdominal pain, she told PTI. Theatre personality Dolly Thakore said Chowdhry was well loved.

"He has a wife and 16-year-old son in New York. He had come to India for a dental treatment. He has been here since December-January. He was booked to go back on April 8 and the lockdown came," Thakore told PTI.

"He got a ruptured ulcer in the intestine which happened on April 14. A physician was called who said he needs to go to the hospital and he was taken to Breach Candy hospital. They operated on him but he died at the hospital yesterday at 4 in the morning," she added.

Thakore, the former partner of Alyque Padamsee, said the funeral was held at 9.30 on Thursday with close family members in attendance.

"I met him at Tata theatre and at Royal Opera House in February. He had promised to have lunch with me but that lunch never happened because of the lockdown," she said.

Chowdhry made his debut with Khatta Meetha in 1978.

He appeared in Hindi films like Khubsoorat, Bandit Queen, Kaante Mira Nair's Mississippi Masala and Deepa Mehta's Fire and Bollywood/Hollywood among others.

His last reported film role is Breakaway in 2011, an Akshay Kumar production, which was dubbed in Hindi as Speedy Singh.

His Bollywood/Hollywood director Mehta said Chowdhry's death was a real loss while Rahul Khanna fondly remembered his co-star as a quirky and witty person.

Gutted to learn of #RanjitChowdhry's passing. Despite his diminutive frame, he was a towering icon of Indian diaspora cinema and a master of his craft. By far, one of the most endearingly quirky and acerbically witty people I've had the pleasure of knowing. A true original! Khanna wrote on Twitter.

Khanna said he has fun memories of working with him on "Bollywood/Hollywood, besides their casual meetings.

I have such fun memories of working with him on Bollywood/ Hollywood', then, on an off-Broadway musical (that we both eventually ended up not doing) and, of course, the dinners at his apartment in New York.

Giving you a standing ovation & raising a toast to you, my friend! My heartfelt condolences to his family & especially his son.

Actor Poorna Jagannathan said, This guy made magic out of nothing, filling paper thin roles with so much depth. I always saw my father when I was with him- the same humor, stubbornness and brilliance. Heartbroken, dear friend. RIP #RanjitChowdhry.

Director Rahul Dholakia said he was a huge fan of Chowdhry's body of work. Very sad to hear about #RanjitChowdhry - was a big fan of his films, great comic timing and good actor. Khatta Meetha', Khubsoorat', Lonely in America', Sam and Me'. He was also the first ever judge in our show Naya Andaz in New Jersey in 1993. #RIP, Dholakia tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[April 16, 2020] Yenlo Achieves Highest WSO2 Reseller Status as a Platinum VAR

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global integration specialist Yenlo today announced that the company is now a WSO2 Platinum Value-Added Reseller, the highest reseller status recognized by WSO2, the leading open source integration vendor. Yenlo is the only Platinum VAR of WSO2 acting and delivering on a global, worldwide level. WSO2 VARs must meet the same stringent certification requirements demanded of WSO2 Certified Integration Partners. Yenlos new designation builds on the companys multi-year partnership with WSO2, and it recognizes Yenlos strong history of successful projects, subscription sales, and extensive WSO2-certified engineering staff. In January 2020, Yenlo earned two awards from WSO2: Partner of the Year 2019 awarded Yenlo for its overall performance. Meanwhile, Most Certified Partner of 2019 recognized Yenlo's achievement in assembling the largest talent pool of WSO2-certified staff in the world. Yenlo brings 12-plus years of expertise in delivering solutions for enterprise applications, middleware, and database platforms for traditional servers, private clouds, and public clouds. As a WSO2 Platinum VAR with all the responsibilities of a Certified Integration Partner, Yenlo delivers integration, API management, and identity and access management (IAM) solutions based on the WSO2 Integration Agile Platform that enable agile digital transformation and support organizations API-first strategies. In 2019, Yenlo extended its delivery of WSO2-based solutions with the introduction of the Connext integration platform as a service (iPaaS), a fully managed integration WSO2 cloud platform built on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Notably, Connext is the solution of choice for banks that need to comply with open banking API standards and enterprises seeking a cloud platform that brings together API management,integration for both traditional applications and microservices, and IAM to streamline their deployments. With local offices across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Yenlo is well positioned to serve customers around the globe 24/7 in maximizing the value from their WSO2-powered implementations.



Yenlo has been a valued, strategic partner for years, and we are excited to recognize the company as a Platinum Value-Added Reseller based on its success in delivering best-in-class solutions built on the WSO2 Agile platform, said Jonathan Marsh, WSO2 vice president of strategy. Yenlo shares our vision of enabling digital businesses through API-first strategies, and we look forward to extending our partnership as Yenlo continues to drive successful customer deployments of our platform across North America, Europe and Asia. As a dedicated WSO2 Partner, we work on the global adoption of WSO2 on a daily basis, so we are greatly honored to be recognized as a WSO2 Platinum Value-Added Reseller, Ruben van der Zwan, CEO and co-founder of Yenlo. Earning WSO2s highest reseller recognition is a testament to our commitment, skill, and large customer base. In this new role, we are better positioned than ever to accelerate global adoption of WSO2 by demonstrating to every enterprise the power of this open source integration solution.

About WSO2

Founded in 2005, WSO2 enables the composable enterprise. Our open source, API-first, and decentralized approach helps developers and architects to be more productive and rapidly build digital products to meet demand. Customers choose us for our broad, integrated platform, approach to open source, and digital transformation methodology. The companys hybrid platform for developing, reusing, running, and managing integrations prevents lock-in through open source software that runs on-premises or in the cloud. With offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Sri Lanka, the UK, and the US, WSO2 employs over 600 engineers, consultants, and professionals worldwide. Today, hundreds of leading brands and thousands of global projects execute over 6 trillion transactions annually using WSO2 integration technologies. Visit https://wso2.com to learn more. Follow WSO2 on LinkedIn and Twitter . About Yenlo

Yenlo is a global integrator and specialist in enabling digital transformation with open source and agile technology. Yenlo is a Platinum Value-Added Reseller (VAR) of WSO2 and has been awarded both WSO2 Partner of the Year 2018 and 2019 and WSO2 Most Certified Partner of 2019. Our business is founded on the belief that enterprises need to regain their agility and become digital agencies to optimize their customer intimacy; achieve operational excellence; or add new services, products, or business models. We believe this agilityin technology, knowledge and financecan be created by applying an open source-first, API-first, and cloud-first strategy. At Yenlo, we bring agility to enterprises by delivering first-class professional services based on deep expertise. Our services range from enterprise and solution architecture to software development; operational support; and WSO2 product support, training and certification programs. These are complemented by our pre-built solution-as-a-service offerings, including our Connext service, a fully managed integration-platform-as-a-service. For more information, visit www.yenlo.com, and join Yenlos LinkedIn , Yenlos WSO2 Community , or Twitter . Trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. Yenlo Tamara de Lange Office: +31 20 2700 700 [email protected]

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Armenian parliament discusses the issue of approving the candidacy for the post of head of the Central Bank of Armenia.

The ruling My Step bloc nominated Martin Galstyan, candidate of economic sciences. He was the only contender.

The candidate assessed the reactions of the Central Bank of Armenia to the COVID-19 developments and mentioned threats to the economy.

He also touched on the reaction of the Central Bank regarding the steps taken to defer payment of interest on loans.

Banks and credit organizations were given the opportunity to revise the conditions for granting loans so that delays did not affect the credit history and did not increase the credit burden. The state was one of the first to play its role in mitigating the consequences of COVID-19, he added.

According to him, the Central Bank is a bridge between banks and borrowers.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2020 will not have the traditional graduation ceremony in Sanford Stadium. (Photo/ Kathryn Skeean, kskeean@randb.com)
President Donald Trump's decision, this week, to cut off funding to the WHO, has come on the back of his weeks-long campaign blaming the global heath body for the catastrophic mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic

Ebola, malaria, HIV, hypertension, road safety, the threat of global warming: Ensconced in the World Health Organisation's plush Geneva headquarters, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus led its executive board on a journey through the world's front-lines in the war against disease and death. Then, well past halfway into his 3 February speech, he arrived at the new coronavirus that had by then claimed at least 161 lives in China, and spread to no fewer than 23 other countries.

"The number of cases we have now, 151, it's actually small, and it's coming only slow," Tedros said, responding to fears the novel coronavirus could spark off a global crisis. There was, he went on, "no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade".

"It can be managed."

President Donald Trump's decision, this week, to cut off funding to the WHO, has come on the back of his weeks-long campaign blaming the global heath body for the catastrophic mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic. Tedros' ideologically-driven deference to Beijing, the story has it, led the WHO to defer action until it was too late. The WHO director-general's speech is the star exhibit of Trump's case.

For many in India, the opportunity to sock one to superpower-bully China has proved too good to resist  but there's somewhat more to this story than the crusade against the WHO lets on. True, the WHO did dither and delay. Every major nation-state, though, fearing the economic and social consequences of pandemic containment measures, did just the same thing.

This ought be a time to reflect and learn lessons on how global health crisis ought be managed. Trump has chosen, instead, to respond like a playground bully  picking on the weakest kid in the playground, while at once carrying gifts to the school bully.

***

Full accounting for China's actions in the weeks after the first cases of COVID-19 broke out in December lies in the future. But there's no doubt authorities made strenuous efforts to cover up the scale and intensity of the crisis. Li Wenliang and seven other doctors in Hubei were punished for posting a warning on social media about the lethal new disease. The argument was that there was no scientific evidence to back their claims, but China didn't raise the alarm even after the virologist Shi Zhengli conclusively identified the new pathogen on 7 January.

As patients poured into hospitals across the country from 2 to 17 January, China's Centre for Disease Control simply did not record the data  allowing it to pretend to its own people and the world that the epidemic was a local problem.

The Associated Press has revealed that, in a 14 January memo, Ma Xiaowei, the head of China's National Health Commission, warned officials that the situation was "the most severe challenge since SARS in 2003, and is likely to develop into a major public health event". For a week after, authorities did not warn the public: Wuhan itself hosted a banquet for thousands, and millions began travelling for their Lunar New Year holiday.

Little hard evidence exists for why China's leadership acted as it did  but little imagination is needed to guess, either. Already faced with a spluttering economy and slowing growth, Beijing just didn't want industrial supply chains and production centres shutting down.

***

Trump, and other WHO critics contend that Tedros and the WHO bureaucracy colluded in this cover-up. Even as late as 14 January, Trump noted that the WHO insisted there was no evidence the virus was being transmitted from human to human. That meant the threat was only to those directly exposed to China's live-animal markets, not from business travellers and their contacts. "They did. They did give us some pretty bad play calling," Trump claimed, "They really called, I would say, every aspect of it wrong."

Like China's own politically-driven story-telling, though, the Trump version of what happened elides over some important parts of the truth.

As early as 10 January, Peter Beaumont and Julian Borger revealed in The Guardian, the WHO warned world health leaders through briefings and in notes "of potential human-to-human transmission and made clear that there was a threat of catching the disease through water droplets and contaminated surfaces". This was, it may be recalled, just three days after virologist Shi identified the novel coronavirus as a close relative of the one that caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)  and thus likely to behave in the same ways.

In a briefing for the media at WHO headquarters on 14 January  the same day as the organisation publicly tweeted there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus  its technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove offered a more nuanced explanation than was possible in a tweet. Wider human-to-human transmission should not be regarded as "surprising", she noted, given the similarity to earlier SARS outbreaks.

Following permission being granted by China to send a field team on 20 and 21 January, the WHO confirmed that human-to-human transmission of the virus was indeed taking place. An Emergency Committee was assembled at the WHO the same day, which led on to the declaration of a public-health emergency a week later.

Even thought the week-long delay is controversial, few experts believe it was catastrophic. Lawrence Gostin, among the experts who wanted a public health emergency declared earlier, told the BBC that "it was only a short delay and I don't think the timing had any impact on the trajectory of COVID-19".

***

Even as the WHO's finger wavered over the alarm button, experts in the United States who did shout out warnings found these weren't welcome. Early in January, the head of the United States' Centres for Disease Control, Robert Redfield, spoke to his Chinese counterpart about the new disease. What Redfield was told alarmed him enough to set up an incident management structure for the new coronavirus on 7 January, and to activate the CDC's emergency response structure two weeks later.

In the days from 13 January, when the first COVID-19 case outside China was detected and all the way to the WHO's declaration of an emergency on 30 January, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore all imposed swift measures to slow the outbreak.

"During this time," scholars Jeremy Wallace and Jessica Weiss have noted, "Political leaders in the United States were dithering and minimising the severity of the crisis." The same was true of Europe, where leaders from the United Kingdom's Boris Johnson to Italian president Sergio Mattarella sought to avoid the crippling costs of the lockdowns necessary to contain the infection.

Indeed, in a tweet his supporters don't now care to remember, Trump heaped glowing praise on the WHO. "CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart," Trump announced a full month after the declaration of an international public health emergency. At that stage, the WHO's less-than-aggressive response clearly did not appear to him to be a problem.

Following the early phase of delay, French scholar Francois Godement has argued, Tedros and the WHO acted much as they ought to have. Although Tedros lauded China's containment in cringe-inducing language, Godement notes, "It is clear that this time around he was right."

The WHO highlighted global shortages of Personal Protective Equipment on 7 February. Five days later, operational planning guidelines for countries were published. Even as governments across the world dragged their feet. the WHO warned on 20 February that the window of opportunity for containment "may close", and recognised "pandemic potential" on 24 February.

That had little impact on Trump: "The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA," the president tweeted the very next day.

***

Like those of all bureaucracies, the WHO's actions were shaped by experience. In 2009, the WHO declared the H1N1 flu a global pandemic based on guidelines devised by experts, which centred around how many countries the disease had spread to  not its severity. But the disease was contained far more easily than expected. Governments that had built up stockpiles of vaccines and medical equipment in response to the WHO declaration were less than amused.

Fourteen members of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly even charged the WHO with corruption, alleging that pharmaceutical companies had influenced its scientists and official agencies "to alarm governments" in order to "promote their patented drugs and vaccines". The WHO responded by dropping its pandemic guidelines altogether.

In hindsight, there's no doubt the WHO ought have reached for the panic button earlier  and pushed it harder. And perhaps Tedros ought to have called out China for hiding information on the scale and seriousness of the problem, instead of seeking to flatter its leadership.

For pop-Right commentators, the answer is simple: In their telling, Tedros is a closet Marxist, beholden to Beijing. Ethiopia's foreign minister from 2012 to 2016 and health minister from 2005 to 2012, Tedros was indeed part of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. The problem with the story is that the EPRDF reinvented itself after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and led Ethiopia into a strategic partnership with the United States' Global War on Terrorism.

As a member of then-prime ministers Meles Zenawi and Hailemariam Desalegn's Cabinets, Tedros collaborated with the provision of military bases to the United States to combat jihadists in the Horn of Africa, and even allowed the Central Intelligence Agency to run secret prisons.

The truth doesn't need a conspiracy theory: For a cash-strapped WHO, which elects its leadership on the basis of the geopolitical considerations of its member-states, sucking up to superpowers is the key to getting things done. Tedros was elected director-general on the basis of a developing-world coalition, including India, against his West-backed rival.

Flattering a key player in that coalition was good politics  even if meant eroding the WHO's credibility as an independent institution.

Trump's supporters ought to, of course, understand this. Even as he assails the WHO, Trump  his antennae tuned to the realities of economic power and geopolitics  has been flattering China in terms just as effusive as those of Tedros. "China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus," he tweeted recently, "It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi [Jinping]!"

In a sensible world, leaders would be asking themselves why it is the WHO finds it so hard to be independent. Experts know the answer. "The WHO's budget for the biennium 20182019," scholars Srikanth Reddy, Sumaira Mazhar and Raphael Lencucha have recorded, "hovered around $4.421 billion, while the annual healthcare and social services budget of Quebec, a Canadian province in which we live is approximately $33 billion." Indeed, the WHO had less funding "than the budget of many major hospitals in the United States".

This year, the WHO's budget is around $4.5 billion; the United Kingdoms National Health Service alone has budgeted to spend some $133 billion. Increasingly, the funding for WHO programmes comes from private-sector donors, with their own agendas.

Trump has long seen global institutions as a waste of time: In February,, he sought to halve United States funding for global health programmes. Now, Trump's found the pretext to do it.

This is the worst of all possible lines of actions. Poor countries across the world are entirely dependent on the WHO to deal with crisis. The shrinkage of the WHO will end up leaving the West more vulnerable to epidemics  and give Beijing even more power in the international system.

Finding someone to blame for disasters  countries, belief-systems, our neighbours  is, profoundly human. For political leaders to accept their own mistakes had something to do with engendering a crisis has political costs. Scapegoating a powerless bureaucratic actor wins easy applause. In this case, though, the urge to play catch-the-witch will have hideous consequences for us all.
.                ,  The Hill,  ,          ...
G erman Chancellor Angela Merkel has been praised for her "calm and insightful" explanation on how coronavirus infection rates affect healthcare systems.

Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, the Chancellor said "caution is the order of the day" as she explained the impact of different infection rates.

Impressed with Ms Merkel's "great explanation", journalist Benjamin Alvarez translated it for non-German speakers and posted the clip to Twitter.

The hashtag #AngelaMerkel soon started trending on the social media site, with users praising her for her levelheadedness and "superb" leadership.

Explaining the impact of different infection rates, she said: "The curve has become flatter. It needs to be like this so it doesn't overtax our health system.

"We have made model observations. We're now at about reproduction factor one, so one person is infecting another one.

"I can only say that for one chain of infection if one person will infect another person.

"That is an average of one person infecting another one.

"If we get to the point where everybody infects 1.1 people, then by October we will reach the capacity of our health system with the assumed number of intensive care beds

"If we get to 1.2 people, so everyone is infecting 20 per cent more, out of five people, one infects two and the rest one, then we will reach the limit of our healthcare system in July.

"And if it's up to 1.3 people, then in June we will reach the limits of our health system.

"So that's where you can see how little the margin is."

Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown 1 /25 Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown People queue at a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased lockdown restrictions Reuters A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket in Itay Reuters Customers hold flowers in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective face masks and gloves walk in the streets as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy, Reuters People queue to enter a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen following lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP A man wearing a face mask shops in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters "Respect the 2 meters distance" banner is seen at a fish stand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Venice, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Turin, Italy Reuters Customers line up in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria APA/AFP via Getty Images Gianfranco Mandas wears a face mask as he sorts out clothing in his children's clothes shop after it was allowed to opens following restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A man wears a protective face mask and gloves at the newsstand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy Reuters People wearing face masks work in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy Reuters A general view of the parking area of a hardware store during the partial reopening of shops after the Austrian government loosens its lockdown restrictions during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna Reuters

Ms Merkel said getting the balance right was a "fragile situation".

She added: "The whole evolution is based on the fact that we assume that we have an infection figure that we can monitor, that we can track and that we have more protection concepts and that thanks to them we can loosen restrictions.

"But it is thin ice, as Mr Tschentscher (Hamburg Mayor) said, or a fragile situation, or really a situation where caution is the order of the day and not overconfidence."

After the clip of her speech was widely shared on Twitter, social media users were quick to applaud Ms Merkel for her clear and concise explanation of the situation.

"With a leader like this, little wonder Germany has among the lowest mortality rates from #covid in Europe," one Twitter user wrote.

Another said: "In Merkel we trust. She is just the leader you want in these troubling times. I think it also helps she is a scientist, who exactly knows what she is talking about."

"20 years in and I cannot put into words my admiration for her competence, levelheadedness and backbone," said another user.

Others praised Ms Merkel's leadership and composure during the Covid-19 crisis.

One said: "#AngelaMerkel is the greatest political leader world has produced in the twenty first century.

"More I see her leadership and her composure, more I am in awe of her. No nonsense leader with compassion. Germans are really lucky to have her leading them in this grim situation."

Another wrote: "It's rare these days you get a politician that you like or believe, however #AngelaMerkel shows again why she is so good.

"No nonsense, straight talking and to the point unlike most politicians who never answer or avoid the question."

Another said: "No theatrics, no exhortations, a superb, intelligent, reassuring and matter of fact speech. A model for leadership worldwide #AngelaMerkel."
What we have at the grassroots level are the frontline health workers like ASHA, ANM, AWW and MPW at the level of a health and wellness sub-centre covering a big chunk of the population.

Public health interventions are multidimensional and operate at multiple levels and include mass campaigns by national and state governments to observe cleanliness, ensuring hand washing, and a call to wear masks along with stronger measures like implementation of lockdown.

Apart from these, a more focused and deemed to be an efficient approach to prevent spread in communities is through regular surveillance of the susceptible population, case detection, containment and treatment. Countries like Germany, South Korea and China and the state of Kerala could successfully intervene to a large extent due to their strength in implementing this core public health intervention.

To accomplish this, two important factors are critical for any country or state. First, strong laboratory support for public health surveillance and second and most importantly, a competent public health workforce for active and passive surveillance regularly.

There is also a hindrance for this action which can be overcome if the first two factors are effectively implemented in the Indian context. The hindrance is the limited knowledge surrounding the new pandemic. These include dynamics of transmission, the proportion of symptomatic and asymptomatic cases and the nature of the most common symptoms and its severity present at the time of infection.

This information across diverse social groups like elderly, with or without comorbid conditions, unique behaviour patterns other than travel behaviour that can be linked to the occurrence of the disease who are infected and primary caregivers are all crucial for effective action. The list can be long as it is a new disease and evidence is crucial for public health practice. Public health as an applied profession possesses the tools and techniques to simultaneously create knowledge sufficient enough to act effectively.

In the case of COVID-19, with a systematic approach, the knowledge gap prevalent can be reduced to an extent necessary for community action with the state governments taking the lead. The validation of a lot of the above knowledge depends on the laboratory test results as the case definition for public health surveillance depends on it.

Laboratory tests as litmus tests

Despite a lot of discussion on the lack of availability and accessibility to laboratory tests, less understood and more complex is the type of tests currently available and the purposes of each. The purposes of laboratory tests vary in the context of medical care and for public health surveillance.

First is the RT-PCR test which can more authentically confirm a case and the second is the antibody test (IgG and IgM) which indicate whether the person had exposure to the causative virus or not. The fact of the matter is that the purposes for which it is done is different and need to be only interpreted by an expert. The danger is that when left to interpretation by the public, it can have contrary interpretation than what it means.

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This was obvious from the statement of a pathologist in the context of COVID-19 who said, If you get your antibody test positive, you should celebrate it as you might have got the disease and your body has developed immunity without you knowing it. From peoples point of view, laboratory tests are seen mostly as a way to rule out their worry and uncertainty and fear surrounding the disease. This is not helping people to alleviate their worry as once they get the information that their results are negative, the next worry will be will I get it soon?

This kind of mental state continues with or without a test. Hence, allowing people to walk in and get their tests done according to their convenience has serious consequences not only in terms of the possibility of wrong inference but also results in the wastage of crucial resource. There is a need to regulate over the counter laboratory investigations similar to that followed with over the counter drugs. There exist more efficient ways of using the lab tests at a population level by using pooled sample testing as in the case of Germany.

The direct contribution of lab tests for treating a patient is minimal as in the context of COVID-19, it is the symptom and comorbidities that is the concern for the treating physician. From a public health perspective, the laboratory tests should be supplemented with collecting information on the social, economic, cultural and more importantly epidemiological characteristics of the population with special emphasis on the dynamics of transmission and its pattern of spread.

This needs a broader perspective that focusses on the social characteristics including the living and working conditions and family characteristics that have always interfered with the epidemic spread. Only if one looks for it one will find it. This is also a golden opportunity to create the most crucial evidence not only for the sake of knowledge but which equip us to have evidence-based public health interventions.

Public health workforce: The real warriors

The second and the most crucial question is which staff of our health system will be able to accomplish this task of community engagement regularly for better understanding. Here comes the real challenge of the Indian situation which has a weak public health system.

Despite this, during the crisis, the nation needs to build on its existing strengths. As a national health system, we failed to build a strong public health workforce which over the years has been dominated by curative care services and recently more so of an insurance-based tertiary care system. One of the strengths we as a country developed not very long ago is the integrated disease surveillance project (IDSP) for tracking epidemics in the community. It has better control at the district and state level though grossly inadequate in terms of staff required at the grassroots.

Of the four grass root level workers, MPW cadre is almost eroding as many state governments have stopped appointments for several years.

In urban towns and corporation, the only field staff who engage with the community is the MPW cadre, both male and female, who are employed with the urban primary health centres and are engaged in public health work at the grassroots level for the health services.

Moreover, the fact is that most of them cover only slum population leaving the middle class and better off out from their routine public health work due to the latters non-cooperation. Further, due to the historic focus on maternal and child health programmes, most of them are trained in maternal health with very little training and skill in epidemic investigations, a key skill necessary during epidemics.

Attempts to pull these frontline workers off might lead to a graver disaster which they are otherwise preventing daily. The most effective response during COVID-19 includes routine contact tracing, sample collection for lab test and regular follow up in the community and is an intense and streamlined activity that needs to be carried out by those who are trained in public health.

The efficiency of this core task depends on the commitment of the public health workers towards their work, effective monitoring and regular reporting. The success of states like Kerala is due to the commitment of these grassroots-level health workers, namely junior health inspector (JHI), Health Inspector (HI) Health supervisors and Junior Public Health Nurse (JPHN), who are the real warriors and the least acknowledged in the states fight against COVID-19.

The public health workforce is expected to understand the dynamics of the community and need to garner public support and it is their response at the grassroots level that decides the fate of any public health emergency. All other activities can only supplement this activity and cannot substitute this core activity of case detection and referral for treatment.

As a country, we have several public health institutions across all the regions producing trained public health professionals and can be roped in for carrying out this effort on an immediate basis. This can be prioritised based on the extent of community spread identified and can be coordinated with those public health institutions identified by the respective states in those regions with the effective coordination of the district health department, towns and corporations and other local self-government bodies.

This then can be a starting point for building stronger public healthcare within the countrys health services. A public health action is only possible when you have a public health workforce at the grassroots level and the efficiency of public health depends on the knowledge, skills and competence of this public health workforce. Every crisis is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes and build upon what is lacking.

The author is professor, Centre for Public Health, School of Health Systems Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Thousands of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits among the 1.7 lakh donated for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) protection by the worlds main supplier China, failed the safety tests at the government-approved laboratories. These included coveralls, headgear, foot cover, mask, goggles or face shields, and gloves for healthcare and lab workers who are higher risk of infection from closely handling sick people and infected samples.

Yes, some of the samples of PPE kits from the imported lot did fail the safety tests, said an official from the Defence Research and Development Establishment in Gwalior, where the kits had been sent for testing after arriving in India on April 5.

Since then, the Bureau of Indian Standards has set stringent standards for PPE, which were issued on April 14.

Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage

The government also used the learning to work with 39 domestic manufacturers to scale up the production of PPE kits to 50,000 a day. But the capacity needs to be doubled to meet Indias daily requirement for PPEs.

We were initially about to start our production with fluid-resistant materials, but we stopped even before we began because there were talks of viral-barrier suits. Now the challenge is availability of the raw material and the taping machines. These are dampners when it comes to scaling up production in the country. We have now managed to source material for viral-barrier suits and have started manufacturing, but our product is yet to be certified. The Chennai Lab is not yet ready to test the products. Our PPE kits should reach the market next week, said Dr GSK Velu, chairman and managing director, Trivitron Group.

The government should enforce the uniform standards for all kits, including the imported kits. Right now, several manufacturers are selling products that do not comply with any of the specifications, he said.

Some suggest purchasing the critical missing materials, rather than entire PPE kits.

What is the guarantee that the manufacturers who claim CE and US FDA approval are okay. We have seen Chinese manufacturers exporting poor quality kits to India and other countries where the regulations are not as stringent. It is better to import critical missing raw material fabric for PPE thats breathable and yet is fluid and viral resistant, rather than importing plane loads of PPE Kits, said Rajiv Nath, founder and forum coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD).

The new specifications released by the Bureau of Indian Standards on the bio-protective coveralls has manufacturers in a tizzy. The problem? The requirement that the suits be impermeable to viruses.

These guidelines are impractical. India does not have materials to make viral barrier suits. Instead, most companies are now laminating the coverall material and looking at sealing the seams to make the suits fluid and viral resistant. However, this is like wearing a raincoat in a non-AC ward, you can imagine the discomfort, said Dr Ghanshyam Das Agarwal, chief managing director, G Surgiwear one of the manufacturers of PPE kits.

Breathability should be a bigger concern. Government should instead allow suits made of GSM 50 non-woven material, which will not pass the current test but is breathable and can provide 95 to 98% protection, he said.

Even for the makeshift suits, there are very few sealing machines in India. The government is currently accepting the suits made in India, which might not be viral-resistant. However, to improve quality the government is developing newer materials and is also looking at importing these machines as well, according to an industry expert, who knows about the matter.

The earlier ministry of health specifications released on March 24 just required the suits to be fluid-resistant.

The higher standard specifications have been released by the BIS, but this is in a developing stage. Our feedback has already been sent through the official channels, so I cannot comment. But, it is likely that the specifications will be changed, said Vijaya Shankara from Shree Hari Healthcare, one of the 39 manufacturers approved by the government.

The newly released guidelines for bio-protective coveralls were removed from the BIS website on Thursday.

The implementation of quality control, when it comes to the PPE kits, is patchy across the country owing to the extreme shortage.

However, the implementation is patchy. The manufacturers are required to get certified from these agencies to sell their product to HLL, which is the agency procuring for the central government. However, different state government follow different specifications and they do not necessarily ask for the certification, said Malini Aisola, Co-convenor of All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN).

This is the case in Delhi, which had floated a tender for 1.2 lakh PPE kits through the Central Procurement Agency in March.

This tender is being given to us as aa piece-meal of about three to four thousand kits a day. When we had floated the tender there were very few manufacturers who had come forward, and many did not necessarily have the certification. Even the ones with good products were not able to reach the only certification agency then  SITRA  in Tamil Nadu because of the lockdown. So, we started procuring the products after checking them for fluid-resistance ourselves, said a senior Delhi government official.

To test, water was poured into the bodysuit to check for leaks.

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MIDDLETOWN  The mayor announced Wednesday evening that over the prior 24-hour period, the city saw its largest one-day spike in Covid-19 fatalities.

Mayor Ben Florsheim wrote on his Facebook page that the number of deaths rose from seven Wednesday afternoon to 11 individuals Friday. All new fatalities were residents who lived in nursing homes in town, he wrote.

There are 168 positive cases in Middletown.

Over the past few days, Ive had heartbreaking conversations with a number of residents whose loved ones are living in nursing homes and congregate care facilities, which have turned into hotspots for viral spread across the state and country. Middletown, sadly, has not been an exception, Florsheim said.

The city has been sending PPEs, coordinating with hospital staff and helping efforts to communicate with these patients loved ones, he added.

The coronavirus pandemic has left Connecticuts nursing homes days away from financial catastrophe, and Gov. Ned Lamonts 10 percent emergency Medicaid rate hike rate increase is woefully inadequate to counter an unprecedented staffing crisis and skyrocketing protective equipment costs, industry leaders warned this week.

On a recent call with the offices of Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Florsheim said he alerted officials about the situation.

Some of what he learned includes:

We are not the only community dealing with this. It has been a major pain point for the entire state, and based on what I have heard from my colleagues, I am incredibly grateful to the staff and residents at every nursing home in Middletown for everything you are doing to mitigate the spread compared to whats going on elsewhere. There is work to be done, but our nursing homes are doing things right, Florsheim wrote.

The state is taking a two-pronged approach to positive cases within nursing homes. There is one protocol for cases requiring hospitalization and a different protocol for cases that do not. For cases where a resident has not been hospitalized, facilities have been instructed to set up separate areas to isolate residents who are positive from residents who are not. Strict protocols are in place to protect residents and staff, including daily screenings for healthcare workers, and DPH is talking daily with Middletowns facilities to make sure they are kept up to date with the regulations and that they are being followed.

The lack of available tests has proven to be a major problem for nursing homes and is the main reason we've gotten to this point. Many residents and family members are being told that even if they get a test they wont know the result for three to five days, and the false-negative rate has been unacceptably high. This is not the fault of the nursing homes or DPH; our country has had the worst and most ineffective testing response of any country in the world by far, and the reasons for that are too complex (and infuriating) to get into here, he wrote.

Gov. Ned Lamonts office has published FAQs on its website.

Questions include:

Q: Will my family and I be told if there is a positive Covid-19 case in my nursing home? A: During this public health emergency, the state Department of Public Health recommends that residents and families be notified expeditiously by the nursing home when one or more residents test positive.

Q: Will I be quarantined for 14 days before being blended into the rest of the community? A: Upon admission to a nursing home, all new residents will be restricted to their room for 14 days.

For information, visit the Ben Florsheim for Mayor Facebook page, portal.ct.gov and portal.ct.gov/coronavirus.
Intermap's InsitePro and Aquarius RMA software deliver value in the U.S. and Europe

InsitePro expands presence in the U.S. private flood market;

Aquarius provides cloud solutions to major global EU insurance companies;

Intermap solutions lead market as flood insurance expands globally

DENVER, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Intermap Technologies ("Intermap" or the "Company"), a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, today announced important software subscriptions to its data-as-a-service and analytics, InsitePro in the U.S. and Aquarius RMA in the EU.

InsitePro has added a leading Lloyd's of London syndicate to a multi-year subscription, working with InsitePro to support their entry and expansion into the U.S. flood market. In Europe, Intermap's new cloud-based Aquarius RMA flood risk solution has won a subscription with Generali Group, the leading insurer in the region of Austria, Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia.

"Intermap's Aquarius RMA has been used by our Czech and Slovak operating entity for more than 15 years," explained Austria, CEE & Russia Nat Cat Portfolio Manager Miroslav Svoboda of Generali CEE Holding. "Shifting the solution to the cloud reduces costs and increases operational efficiency as we extend the solution across other Generali companies in the region."

Similar to Europe, the flood insurance industry is expanding in the U.S. beyond the traditional government program (the NFIP) through private insurers. There is tremendous room for growth, with 85% of U.S. properties lacking flood insurance. In Europe, flood insurance is expanding to new countries in Central and Eastern Europe as property values rise to levels that require insurance.

Intermap has a long history of serving and supporting the insurance industry, especially in Europe. "We provide clients with the world's highest quality data-as-a-service and related analytic applications. Signing these new subscriptions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflects how critical our solutions are within our customers' workflow," explained Intermap Chairman and CEO Patrick A. Blott. "We are the only Company that enables private insurance programs to access consistent, high-acuity, 3D data and feature layers on global scale, to improve profitability and underwriting quality. These new subscriptions further highlight our improved ability to grow our commercial business with large clients who do business globally and must rely on Intermap's expanded offerings to operate consistently and efficiently throughout the world."

Intermap Reader Advisory

Certain information provided in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast", "will be", "will consider", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap's forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap's Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

About Intermap Technologies

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP) (ITMSF: BB) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions. The Company's proprietary NEXTMap database and value-added geospatial data management, processing, analytics, fusion and orthorectification software and solutions are utilized across a range of industries that rely on accurate, high-resolution elevation data, including aviation, engineering, environmental planning, government markets, hydrology, insurance, land management, law enforcement and patrol, oil and gas, renewable energy, telecommunications, transportation and utilities. Intermap's commercial applications include location-based intelligence, risk assessment, geographic information systems, global positioning systems and 3D visualization. For more information, please visit www.intermap.com.

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If you are a human being living in the world right now, you are probably wondering some version of: How do we get out of this? As in, how do we figure out how to stop sheltering in place, but also, how do we do that without all catching the novel coronavirus that has already killed more than 20,000 Americans? Its a question without a real answer, right now, though one promising solution is the idea of antibodies and antibody tests. The tests look for signs that a person has been infected by the virus at some point, which we currently think makes them less likely to get sick again. But, as with everything about the virus, its not yet clear what role antibody tests will be able to play in getting us out of this, and its even not completely clear how much getting the coronavirus once prevents you from getting it again. Here is everything we currently know about what these tests are and how they can, and cant, help.

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Lets back up. What is an antibody?

So, as you may have seen, the coronavirus is covered in knobby/spiky things. All coronaviruses have a similar crownlike-if-you-squint spike structure, though we are talking about the novel coronavirus. These spikes allow it to bind to lung cells. Then the virus takes over those cells and makes them do its bidding (which basically entails making a bunch of copies of the virus, thus allowing it to take over the body, America, the world). Antibodies can bind to the coronaviruss spikes, stopping the virus from latching onto any new cells.

How do I get the anti-coronavirus antibodies?

There are three ways. The most basic (and worst) way to get the antibodies is to get the coronavirus. When a virus invades our cells, our immune system responds by making antibodies against it. When our body has never seen a virus before, this process can take a few days to ramp up, which is why we get sick in the first place.

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The second way to get antibodies, the ideal way, is from a vaccine, which we dont have yet and will not have for a while. Vaccines offer a small, severely weakened or entirely dead dose of a virus; it wont infect you, but it will prod your immune system into producing antibodies, blueprints that it can swiftly replicate in case you get the actual virus and use to protect you from getting sick.

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The end-run way to get the antibodies is from someone who has had the virus and recovered. The antibodies can be transferred via their blood, specifically the plasma portion of their blood, which is the liquid part, basically. Plasma transfusions from recovered patients are one strategy doctors are trying to help patients better fight the virus. As health reporter Nicole Wetsman explains at the Verge, its an old technique that was also used during the 1918 flu pandemic, and a potential stopgap measure until we have vaccines and better treatments. But some of the drawbacks are that plasma varies from patient to patient, so its hard to standardize and figure out whats reliably working, Wetsman explains, and plasma transfusions in general come with a slew of risks including allergic reactions. Were still figuring out if the method works at all when it comes to improving recovery.

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So once you have the antibodies, you are immune against the virus?

We cant count on immunity right now. As epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch writes in the New York Times: Only the first glimmers of data are available about immunity to SARS-CoV-2.

It does roughly track that if you have the antibodies in your system, the virus will at least have a harder time infecting you. There are two tricky parts: figuring out how long the antibodies hang around after an infection, and what levels of which antibodiesyour body creates a few in response to infectionwill actually be enough to neutralize the coronavirus. Based on a very small amount of clinical evidence from other coronaviruses, and a little data on antibodies from the novel one, Lipsitch makes an educated guess: If you get the virus and produce antibodies, they will offer some protection over the medium termat least a yearand then its effectiveness might decline.

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The fantasy of antibody tests is that they might be deployed to help us determine who can go back to work and school and normal social gatherings.

Wait, but arent there people out there who have gotten the novel coronavirus twice, within a short period of time?

Yes, there have been some anecdotal reports. Its hard to tell if people were truly infected twice or if they never fully recovered in the first place. We just need more data.

So if Ive been sick with COVID-19 already, should I assume Im immune, or not?

You could take some personal comfort in Lipsitchs guess that you likely have some immunity. But as far as your actions gohanging out with friends, deciding whether to wear a mask, all thatuntil we have more information, you cant assume you are immune.

OK. Lets get to the tests. Whats the deal?

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The fantasy of antibody tests is that they might be deployed to help us determine who can go back to work and school and normal social gatherings. Basically, people who have antibodies would get an immunity passportthe idea being that because they are known to have the antibodies, the coronavirus wont make them sick again. Its a strategy that governments from New York to Italy are considering to help people get back to work.

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That sounds very promising!

Sure, but even though the tests can provide a guess at immunity, even a positive result cannot guarantee anything. The science just isnt there yet, as journalist Neel V. Patel explains in great detail at MIT Technology Review. Beyond the question of how, exactly, immunity works with this new virus, we dont have an antibody test thats perfectly accurate, with no false positives or negatives. We dont know how to truly predict what proportion of the immunity passports would be issued incorrectly, Patel writes.

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So what are antibody tests actually good for right now?

The short and correct answer is: They are tools to gather more data. What antibody tests are good at doing is telling us the simple fact of who had the virus in the past. And while we cant yet use them to tell us all that much on an individual level (as in, is it safe for you to go to back to work), they might be extremely useful in understanding what is happening on a population level. (For example, if they show us, hypothetically, that 70 percent of the population has already been exposed, that would change some of our thinking.)

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This is why the National Institutes of Health is currently recruiting 10,000 volunteers to take antibody tests. This study will give us a clearer picture of the true magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Anthony Fauci said in a press release. That kind of information, he explained, could help evaluate how well public health measures are working. In that way, antibody tests could be an important tool in opening back up the country  or deciding not to.

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Theres one clear way that they could help right now on an individual level: Weve all been asked to basically assume we have the coronavirus; an antibody test could help clarify our own narratives. At the same time, without more information on immunity, this could be potentially confusing and backfire if people assume they have a level of immunity that they dont.

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The other way that they can help: If you test positive, you can also apply to donate plasma. (Its also somewhat unknown exactly how helpful this might be, as its unclear the extent to which plasma will be helpful, but its something.)

OK, so how do I get one?

Antibody tests are done with a sample of blood shipped to a lab. The problem is that there arent that many labs doing it right now because tests that look for novel coronavirus antibodies are taking time to get online. (Tests can vary in the exact antibodies they look for and the process by which they do it; figuring out which tests are most reliable for assessing immunity will also take time.) A doctor could help figure out if this would be possible for you. Home testing kits ordered by the British government were found to be wildly unreliable. Small miniaturized blood testing still isnt doing so hot after the fall of Theranos (well, it never was doing so hot, really). If theres one lesson we should keep in mind from that about blood testing: We should go slow with our expectations.

For more on the impact of COVID-19, listen to Thursdays What Next.
Shiv Sena accused the opposition BJP of leaving no chance to disturb the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation in the state

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Thursday said the Maharashtra government will expose the "conspiracy" behind the recent migrants' unrest in Mumbai, and accused the opposition BJP of leaving no chance to disturb the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation in the state.

An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said outstation trains depart not just from suburban Bandra, but alsofrom Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai Central and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in the metropolis. But, the crowd gathered only at Bandra.

Television news channels completely ignored a similar situation at Surat in Gujarat, it claimed.

"What do you call this? It is a big conspiracy and we will unmask it. The state government will nail attempts to see the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to create disturbance. We are sad that the opposition should stoop to a new low," the Marathi daily said.

Ignoring lockdown norms, over 1,000 migrant workers who earn daily wages gathered near Bandra station on Tuesday demanding transport arrangements to go back to their native places, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the coronavirus-enforced curbs till 3 May.

The Sena said the present crisis has affected a cross-section of society, but daily wagers are the worst hit and the government needs to take a different stand for poor people.

"The country is in a financial crisis, and running a state is also not easy. Till yesterday, the state looked after these people and now they want to run away. This is 'beimani' (cheating). Those who stay here in critical times are the real sons of the soil," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

The government should ensure that those who want to run away creating troublewill not return, the Sena said.

It should find out the background of people who gathered at Bandra. These people violated the lockdown rules and tried to damage the state, it claimed.

"What were the police doing during this period? These people didn't have any luggage with them if they were planning to go to their native places," it noted.

Hitting out at the BJP, it alleged the opposition party does not leave a chance to disturb the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government (comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress), and would stoopto any level to do that.

The Sena said there were no rumours about resumption of train services.

"There was a circular in this regard. It was news. How did the Railways take reservations after April 15? When there was no clarity that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will extend the lockdown, it was a crime to take 40 lakh reservations and create confusion," it said.

The Railway Ministry is "also responsible" for what happened in Bandra, the Sena said.

"Will Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Devendra Fadnavis demand Railway Minister Piyush Goyal's resignation?" it asked.
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DCB Bank has witnessed significant jump in its foreign remittance services on the coronavirus outbreak, specially for education purposes, as parents want to ensure their children abroad have sufficient money to sustain themselves in situation of a lockdown.

"Since March 15, our volumes on outward remittance services have increased many fold. There is a significant difference in before-and-after demand since mid of March," said Praveen Kutty, Head of Retail and SME Banking, DCB Bank without quantifying the increase in demand.

Kutty said the bank has been getting large number of calls from resident Indians as to how they can send money to their children studying abroad, for immigrant Indians and for medical emergencies, among others.

"There are people whose children are stuck in various places and flying back is not an option. Parents are really worried and want to ensure that at least economically they have means to keep going...That is where DCB Remit comes in," he said in an interaction.

Kutty said one need not to be a DCB customer to send money abroad, the person can avail the remittance service by logging into www.dcbremit.com.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

One can use the DCB Remit platform by transferring funds from savings bank account in another bank anywhere in India to a specified DCB Bank account. However, one needs to activate the fund transfer by using the net banking facility from existing account.

"Once the indicative exchange rate is put forth, the customer can transfer the funds from any account to DCB Bank's account. The funds will then be transferred to the beneficiary account abroad latest by the next business day," the official added.

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DCB Bank offers this service for as many as 22 countries including the US, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, the UAE and the Eurozone.

This facility can be availed of in seven currencies  the US, Australian, Canadian and Singapore Dollar, British Pound, Euro and UAE Dirham.

Money can also be transferred abroad for health purposes and payment of hostel fees by Indian students abroad, family maintenance, business travel, gifting, visa fees and private visits, Kutty added.

The limit for overseas fund transfer via DCB Remit is $25,000 and/or equivalent in other permitted currencies per financial year, subject to the purpose available on DCB Remit platform.

The bank said it has been offering the services, which was launched nearly one and half years back, with a zero cost for a limited time promotion.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
Aditya Birla group firm Grasim Industries has decided to put its entire capital expenditure for FY21 on hold, with demand for its products declining due to the extended lockdown. Top company executives said the firm had earlier planned to invest about Rs 3,880 crore in the present financial year. Looking at the situation  both due to the lockdown and liquidity position  we have kept all capex on hold.

The cash outflow during the lockdown will not be significant, though some money will be spent to pay creditors, which was due in April and May, they said. Some ...
The Egyptian government said on Thursday it received millions of pounds in donations from domestic private-sector firms to assist in the fight against coronavirus.

Car manufacturer Mansour Automotive offered EGP 50 million ($3.1 million) to provide protective gear and ventilators necessary for medical staffs and patients.

Real estate developer Tatweer Misr has contributed EGP 5 million through initiatives with civil society groups and charity foundations to soften the healthcare and economic fallout from the deadly disease.

The company has provided isolation hospitals with protective equipment and ventilators, and offered food and cash assistance to villagers and residents in the governorates of Minya, Beheira, and Marsa Matrouh.

Pharmaceutical company Ibnsina Pharma donated EGP 4 million to cover half the value of a supply order to purchase required medicines for isolation hospitals.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly lauded the companies' efforts to contribute to the states fight against the pandemic.

Initiatives by businessmen and the private sector to support the government in facing this global crisis prove that together we are partners in building the nation and facing its challenges and alleviating pain during its crises, Madbouly said.

Egypt has recorded 2,505 confirmed coronavirus cases and 183 fatalities until Wednesday.

The government has introduced a series of restrictive measures to curb the spread of the virus, including imposing a night-time curfew, halting flights, banning large gatherings, shutting mosques and churches and suspending classes at schools and universities.

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OTTAWAAs the Canadian government defends its pandemic supply chains from fierce global competition, the federal procurement minister says the COVID-19 crisis shows Canada needs to make its own medical gear for future emergencies.

Anita Anand, the rookie Liberal MP from Oakville who is leading the governments scramble to stock up on much-needed medical equipment, said Thursday that supplies Canada is purchasing abroad are under threat from competitive bidders every step of the way  from the factory where theyre made to the airport tarmac from which theyre shipped.

In an interview with the Star, Anand said this fragile situation means the country must ramp up its capacity for made-in-Canada supplies to fight COVID-19 and get ready for future disease outbreaks.

We need to continue the effort to retool and buildup Canadian business, Anand said, pointing to contracts Ottawa has signed with companies across the country to buy huge amounts of rapid testing kits, surgical masks, portable ventilators and other medical supplies.

These are all goods that we need now, but that we will have on hand in future situations, she said. Retooling domestic industry, in my view, is the key in allowing us to be well-prepared for future pandemics.

But while the government rallies Canadian companies to produce pandemic supplies, Anand said her department is also working around the clock to buy equipment on the hypercompetitive international market. With supplies largely coming from China, Anand said Canada has hired Bollore Logistics and Deloitte to work with diplomatic staff to make sure the equipment Canada orders actually makes it here.

Anand said countries around the world are scrambling to buy the same supplies as the federal government. This means there is a risk higher bidders will snatch the goods that Canada has already procured before they are shipped to hospitals in this country, Anand said, declining to cite specific examples of that happening.

What I mean by a fragile supply chain is that there is competition for the goods that we have already procured and we need to be vigilant about watching those goods from start to finish, Anand said.

Canada is also pushing to maintain new sources of the supplies it needs, Anand said, pointing to how the government successfully acquired 500,000 N95 respirators from U.S.-based 3M last week. That shipment was imperilled after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered American companies to withhold personal protective equipment from foreign buyers, but 3M struck a deal with the White House to continue shipping its respirators to Canada and Latin America.

Anand said Canada has already received almost 2 million N95 respirators for front-line health workers, along with 17.5 million surgical masks and 14 million pairs of medical gloves. The federal government has ordered hundreds of millions more of this protective equipment, she said. It is also ordering up to 30,000 ventilators  Canadas estimated supply before the pandemic was about 5,000, according to the deputy chief health officer  from Canadian companies manufacturing them over the coming months.

Dr. Robin Cox, a professor at Royal Roads University and director of the schools Resilience by Design Research Innovation Lab, said COVID-19 pandemic exposes the risk of relying on global supply chains for emergency supplies.

Were seeing that in the scramble to get companies to retool. Whether its pharmaceuticals, (protective equipment), food, many other things  we have become a nation that is heavily reliant on global systems, Cox said.

Preparing for future pandemics requires a real shift in mindset and in these interconnecting systems You need to be able to create these things, and in global crises, you need to have some capacity to create those domestically.

Anand said it will make sense to have arrangements in place with domestic companies to produce supplies. But the focus now is on quickly diversifying how Canada gets them for the current crisis. That includes ramping up domestic production and finding new suppliers in other countries, Anand said.

Youre not going to see this supply chain issue being static. It is in a state of flux and my goal is to have complementary supply chains operating simultaneously where we do not run into a situation where we are short on personal protective equipment, she said.

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The Libra Association, the Facebook-backed cryptocurrency outfit with plans to own the future of money, has had a change of heart. After almost a full year of criticism, the body has climbed down from its original goal of creating a single stablecoin for the world. Rather than make what could be described as a global currency, Libra will now be a little bit more, uh, like PayPal.

The New York Times says that Libra will no longer be a single currency that would remove the pain of cross-border buying and selling. In its place, Libra will focus on building a payment network in which coins are tied to a variety of local currencies. That means the same frictions around foreign exchanges and transfers remain, eliminating Libras entire reason for being.

Now, Libra will tie itself to a series of currencies, including US Dollars, Euros, and British Pounds. As TechCrunch explains, when you send one Libra, youll actually send a fraction of USD-backed, EUR-backed, GBP-backed (etc.) stablecoins. That should be an effective hedge against currency fluctuations, but itll hardly remove the risk for buyers or sellers.

Its a leap from the original Libra pitch, which was designed to remove the pain points from the global financial system. It cited the 1.7-plus billion people who lack access to proper banking, who often have to pay more for the services that some people take for granted. Hard-earned income, it said, is eroded by fees from remittances and wire costs to overdraft and ATM charges.

When Libra launched in June 2019, the number of major financial companies it had signed up offered a veneer of legitimacy. Names like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and Stripe were all listed in the first announcement, as well as the usual tech companies like Uber, Vodafone and Spotify. But by October, PayPal had withdrawn, with MasterCard, Visa, Stripe and eBay all peacing out by December. Libra chief David Marcus said that the withdrawals were likely to be temporary until there was more regulatory clarity, but that always seemed optimistic at best.

But even before the high-profile departures, it was clear that Libra would never get out of the gate in its first form. Imagine that youre the leader of any country that has its own sovereign currency, and Mark Zuckerbergs threatening to undermine it. He may have promised that he didnt have overall control of Libra, but the sheer audacity was always troubling.

After all, central currencies are a key tool of governance and not something many countries would willingly give up. At least not without both some huge guarantees about how they would work in future, and something equally valuable in return. But there seemed to be no upside for the countries who Libra would likely damage economically, and plenty of downsides.

The idea of a single global currency isnt a bad one per se, but certainly it cant be entered into blindly. Europes experiment with the Euro, and the single market, has shown how a single currency can reduce the issues around conversion, payment processing and transfers. And that removing those roadblocks supercharges free trade in the area, giving it a competitive advantage.

But its worth noting that the Eurozone doesnt just harmonize currencies. The European Union tightly regulates the market, and its biggest triumphs are often about political harmonization as much as they are financial. In fact, the zones biggest failures have often come because of its failure to properly harmonize political actions across the continent.

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And the US, and countries in Europe, immediately began raising objections to what they saw as holes in Libras system. Days after launch, Maxine Waters, head of the house Financial Services Committee, asked Facebook to pause work on Libra. Two days later, the Senate began scheduling hearings to discuss the matter. Lawmakers wanted commitments that Libra wouldnt launch until they had given their blessing, something that Facebook did agree to.

It didnt help that the association outlined a system that worked a lot like Bitcoin, at least in terms of decentralization and a lack of control. Republican Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that such a system would offer a free pass to money launderers, terrorists and criminals. Recently, the Department of Justice charged an individual who helped launder $300 million in drug money through cryptocurrency exchanges.

The same story unfolded on the other side of the pond, with the UK raising concerns about privacy protection for users. The EU, meanwhile, was concerned that its founding members -- which then included MasterCard and Visa -- could violate antitrust law. France said that it would block development of Libra on its soil, while global central bank chiefs also had questions.

As part of the updated white paper, Libra now commits to binding itself to the global currency markets, and following proper banking legislation. The pledges for a permissionless system have been watered-down to an open, transparent and competitive market for network services and governance. Oh, and Libra will now hold assets in a reserve, maintain a level of liquidity to prevent runs and well, if you think this sounds like what being a bank is, then have a cookie.

Essentially, Facebooks plan to make Libra into a global currency was never going to succeed and weve seen that play out over the last ten months. The objections, inquisitions and requests by a number of governments and central banks have watered the proposal down. To the point, now, where its hard to see why Facebook is persisting with Libra beyond an attempt to save face.
Portland police will be partnering with other law enforcement agencies to try to crack down on illegal street racing and stunting in the wake of Sundays free-wheeling antics on the Fremont Bridge.

A team of about 25 officers from the Police Bureau, the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, Oregon State Police and city park rangers will join forces this weekend to try to curtail illegal street racing, Capt. Tony Passadore said Thursday. Theyll get a hand from officers filming overhead from a police plane and prosecutors from the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office.

Its extremely dangerous when these cars are moving at such great speeds, at such power so close to people with people hanging out of the cars and filming, Passadore said.

About 25 officers between Portland police, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon State Police will be on the lookout for illegal street racers, starting this weekend. (Screenshot from video taken Sun., April 12, 2020 on Fremont Bridge)

Street racers are taking advantage of both reduced traffic due to the stay-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic and the warmer weather, Passadore said.

On Sunday, police were called to the upper level of the Fremont Bridge around 8:15 p.m. on reports of dozens of street racers blocking southbound traffic and spinning cars in donuts across the span. By the time two officers arrived, the cars had left. No arrests were made.

Yet police are continuing to investigate and view video evidence of the illegal activity and may bring charges in the future.

Participants driving cars can face speed racing citations with a $435 fine. They also can face charges of reckless driving or recklessly endangering another, both misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail, five years of probation and/or a fine up to $6,250.

Anyone blocking streets or standing in the road and filming can face disorderly conduct charges, Passadore said.

Last year, police made over 290 stops of drivers in street racing investigations, charged more than 25 people and towed nearly two dozen cars, according to police.

Our goal is to educate people and get them to stop on their own, the captain said.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

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A desperate shortage of coffins has prompted manufacturers to ramp up production of basic chipboard caskets as they struggle to meet the demand for funerals of coronavirus victims.

Funeral directors around the country are being made to wait a minimum of four weeks for coffins, instead of the normal five days.

This means bodies are being stockpiled in temporary morgues and funerals delayed, causing further misery for relatives of those who have lost their lives to the virus.

Leading coffin manufacturers have responded to the growing death toll by introducing simple caskets, which are constructed from MDF-style chipboard.

The basic models cost around 60 each and have traditionally been used for funerals that are paid for by local authorities, known as paupers funerals.

A desperate shortage of coffins has prompted manufacturers to ramp up production of basic chipboard caskets as they struggle to meet the demand for funerals of coronavirus victims. Pictured: Factory floor of Jukes Group, one of Britain's largest coffin makers

Funeral directors are being made to wait a minimum of four weeks for coffins, instead of the normal five days. This means bodies are being stockpiled in temporary morgues and funerals delayed, causing further misery for those who have lost loved ones to the virus

The basic models (unlike the more elaborate version above) cost around 60 each and have traditionally been used for funerals that are paid for by local authorities, known as paupers funerals

Stewart Jukes, from one of Britains largest coffin manufacturers, told MailOnline his company is producing 350 of these each day, compared to five per week previously

Stewart Jukes, managing director of the Jukes Group, one of Britains largest coffin manufacturers, told MailOnline his company is producing 350 of these each day, compared to five per week before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

Mr Jukes said: We are working through the night to make back to crem models and are producing more of these than ever before to keep up with the huge demand for funerals.

Its very hard work and they are very basic. They have a simple, MDF shell without any veneer and are like a long, cardboard box with handles on the side. But all I can say is that we are determined to ensure that nobody goes without a coffin.

Traditionally, coffins in the UK are made from oak, pine, mahogany or elm and can take a day to build.

Bradnam Joinery, a coffin manufacturer based in Suffolk, revealed that the majority of its work is now focused on producing back to crem models.

A spokesman added: We have never been busier and while we still have a team making coffins from other parts of our catalogue, we have increased production of the basic model to keep up with demand.

Our orders have more than doubled and we are doing our best to ensure the needs of funeral directors are met.

Funeral directors complained that prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the average wait for a coffin was around a week but that this has now increased to almost a month with many manufacturers only supplying them with the basic model.

Funeral directors complained that prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the average wait for a coffin was around a week but that this has now increased to almost a month with many manufacturers only supplying them with the basic model

Bradnam Joinery, a coffin manufacturer based in Suffolk, revealed that the majority of its work is now focused on producing back to crem models.

An Oxfordshire based funeral director, who did not want to be named, said: We can only get hold of back to crem models. They are made of cheap material and are as basic as you can imagine'

Robin Rockwell of Mulberry Funeral Directors in West Drayton, West London said: The main problem is getting hold of coffins because the average delivery time is now four weeks. The majority of manufacturers are only doing the basic model and not offering the full range from their catalogue.

We are doing four times the number of funerals we usually do but families are not getting the full service and dont have much choice in the type of coffin they can buy because at the moment we can only offer the standard model.

A spokesman for Southall Funeral Service, West London added: There are no options for more bespoke, elaborate coffins because manufacturers are not able to get these to us in time. Given the situation, families understand that the nature of funerals, for the time being has changed.

An Oxfordshire based funeral director, who did not want to be named, said: We can only get hold of back to crem models. They are made of cheap material and are as basic as you can imagine.

My heart goes out to the families of the deceased because this is not something you would want for the funeral of a loved one and these coffins just add to their suffering. But we are in incredibly difficult times and what are they supposed to do?

Alan Tucker, Chief Executive of the Funeral Furnishing Manufacturers Association (FFMA), which represents the majority of Britains coffin manufacturers told MailOnline: Our members need to maximise production and the best way to do this is to focus their work on producing the basic model coffin.

A spokesman for Southall Funeral Service, West London added: There are no options for more bespoke, elaborate coffins (such as these above) because manufacturers are not able to get these to us in time'

Alan Tucker, Chief Executive of the Funeral Furnishing Manufacturers Association (FFMA), told MailOnline: Funeral directors are ordering more than double the number of coffins than normal so there is a bound to be a delay in delivery'

Funeral directors are ordering more than double the number of coffins than normal so there is a bound to be a delay in delivery. Producing MDF coffins is a way of keeping up with the demand.

The Co-Op, which is Britain's largest coffin manufacturer, confirmed that it was also making a higher volume of 'simple coffins,' due to the increased number of funerals currently taking place. It is also offering the more elaborate coffins as well.

David Collingwood, Director of Funerals, Co-op Funeralcare said: 'Losing a loved one is devastating for those closest and sadly many families are unable to have the funeral they would have wanted for their loved one at this incredibly difficult time.

The funerals we are conducting today are very different to those conducted only a few short weeks ago and as a result the choices that many families are making for coffins has also changed.'
By Vreshti Beniwal

Indias economy may be heading for its first full-year contraction in more than four decades after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the worlds biggest lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The lengthening of the mandatory stay-at-home period to 40 days from 21 days will result in a direct output loss of more than 8% over that time, according to Sonal Varma of Nomura Holdings Inc.

Varma and Kunal Kundu of Societe Generale GSC Pvt. now predict a decline in gross domestic product for the year to March 2021 of 0.4% and 0.1% respectively. The economy had last contracted in 1980, when GDP shrank 5.2%.

For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here

There will be indirect effects such as the persistence of the public fear factor even after the lockdown ends, said Varma, head of Asia economics ex-Japan at Nomura. Besides, there will be an impact on livelihoods of the unorganized workforce, and a sharp increase in corporate and banking sector stress, which are likely to further weigh on growth.

The index of consumer sentiment plummeted to its lowest level since 2015, immediately after the nationwide lockdown was announced by the government on March 24, according to a report by researcher Center for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt. The index, which has a base of 100, plunged to 52 by March 29, a 47% fall in a single week, showing drastic impact on household sentiment. The index stood at 102.5 in the first week of March.

This extremely bleak view of the future makes the task of an economic revival after the lifting of the lockdown particularly challenging, Mahesh Vyas, managing director of CMIE, said in the report. Data suggests that the economic cost of the lockdown is huge. Incomes of nearly half the households have shrunk and most of them do not have hopes of a revival.

What Bloombergs Economists Say A precipitous recession in India is inevitable. We are slashing our fiscal 2021 GDP forecast to a contraction of 4.7%, down 10.7 percentage points from 6% growth we expected before the coronavirus sideswiped the economy. -- Abhishek Gupta, India economist

Here are some more comments from other economists:

Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on April 15

Aditi Nayar, principal economist, ICRA Ltd.

Sees GDP contracting in a range of 10%-15% in the first quarter, which would translate to a bleak full year growth band of +/-1%.

Teresa John, economist, Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities

Says the lockdown could shave off just under 6% of Indias GDP, while cutting her growth forecast to 0.5%. Moreover, an extended lockdown will also prolong the time for economic recovery.

Rahul Bajoria, senior economist, Barclays Bank Plc
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Codebase Ventures Inc. ("Codebase" or the "Company") (CSE:CODE)(FSE:C5B)(OTCQB:BKLLF) an investment company, announced it is undertaking a non-brokered private placement of up to $1,500,000. The Company will issue up to 75 million units at a price of $0.02 per unit. Each unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at $0.05 for a period of two years from the date of closing. Proceeds will be used for working capital and to fund future investments. The Company will pay qualified finders fees consisting of 5% in cash.

The Company also announced that it has completed a first closing of the non-brokered private placement. The Company issued 7,500,000 units at a price of $0.02 per unit, for gross proceeds of $150,000. Each unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at $0.05 for a period of two years from the date of closing. Securities issued pursuant to this financing are subject to trading restrictions until August 16, 2020.

The Company paid finder's fees to a qualified finder of $5,000. Net proceeds from the private placement will be used for general working capital and to fund future investments.

About Codebase Ventures Inc.

Codebase Ventures Inc. is a small, hands-on team of financial and technology experts who invest early in great ideas. We operate from the understanding that technology is always evolving, bringing early opportunities for strategic investments that can deliver the exponential returns to our shareholders. We seek out and empower the innovators who are building tomorrow's standards with platforms and protocols, not just products. We invest early, support our founders, take their ideas to market and work tirelessly to help them realize their vision.

For further information, please contact:

Brian Keane, Director

Investor Relations

Telephone: 1 (778) 806-5150

E-mail: IR@codebase.ventures

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

SOURCE: Codebase Ventures Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585458/Codebase-Ventures-Inc-Announces-15-Million-Financing-and-First-Closing-of-Financing
Even though the nationwide lockdown has been extended by 19 days, the Delhi government is unlikely to cancel summer vacations in schools.

Although some private schools are of the view that the summer break can be advanced this year to avoid academic loss, government officials said Delhis harsh weather conditions wont allow them to continue regular classes in May and June.

All private and public schools in the city have been closed since March 13 given the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. In Delhi schools, the summer break starts in the second week of May and continues until June. Schools reopen in the first week of July.

A senior Delhi government official said that the education department is taking suggestions from stakeholders. Its impossible for us to cancel the summer break considering the harsh weather conditions of Delhi in May and June. We are considering conducting classes for senior students from 9am to 12pm for some days in June. Its highly unlikely that schools will reopen before July, the official said.

Many private schools across the city said that it would be better if the government advances the summer break. The government can declare this lockdown period as a summer break and restart the school session by the last week of June. However, the governments concern over the weather conditions in Delhi during that time is also genuine. They can also come up with a class-wise summer break plan, Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu School in Rohini, said.

Alka Kapur, principal of Modern Public School in Shalimar Bagh, said that if the summer break is advanced the school will be able to make up for the loss. There are many students who cannot attend online classes. We will be able to make up for the losses if schools reopen by mid-June. We can hold classes for a shorter duration, she said.

Meanwhile, both private and public schools in the city have already started conducting online classes and are also sending worksheets and activities via emails, WhatsApp and SMS daily.

The Delhi government is also considering a tie-up with a television channel soon to cover all students. We are in talks with some channels. We are planning to get four hours airtime every day for classes 9 to 12, said the official.

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Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Mauritania's Ministry of Social Affairs, Family and Children, and the Ministry of Health have signed an agreement under which 2,000 people living with disabilities will be able to benefit from health coverage from the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM), PANA learned from official sources
Carlow hurler, Paul Coady, has raised over 17,000 for the Irish Cancer Society with a massive signed jersey giveaway.

Paul has collected signed jerseys from 16 top inter-county hurlers in a bid to generate some much-needed funds for the charity.

Among the stars involved are two Laois hurlers, Enda Rowland and Ross King, alongside All-Ireland winners John McGrath (Tipperary), Declan Hannon (Limerick), Padraic Mannion (Galway), Padraig Walsh (Kilkenny) and David McInerney (Clare).

The Irish Cancer Societys annual Daffodil Day fundraiser, which was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, raises an estimated 4 million for the charity.

"This year Daffodil day was cancelled, as a result the Irish Cancer Society took a huge loss and along with the Covid-19 restrictions fundraising has now become very difficult," the Carlow man said.

Donations to the fundraising drive can be made through GoFundMe here.

For every 10 donation (please give more if you can) you will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a selection of the signed jerseys.

There will be 4 winners randomly selected from the names of all those who donate; 1st prize = 4 jerseys of your choice from the 16, 2nd prize = 4 jerseys of your choice from 12 that remain, 3rd place = 4 jerseys of your choice from 8 that remain, 4th prize = 4 remaining jerseys.

The fundraising target is 20,000.
The multi-billion-dollar federal programs intended to assist small businesses during the coronavirus crisis are seeing massive demand for loans and grants, but problems with funding and execution are severely hampering their effectiveness.

The largest, the $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program, is expected to run out of available funds by the end of the day, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. About 1.3 million applications for loans worth more than $289 billion had been approved by Wednesday morning, the Journal said.

Lawmakers are feuding over the best way to provide a $250 billion boost for the program, with Republicans calling for a simple bill to provide the increase and Democrats pushing for a more complicated package that includes new regulations as well as additional assistance for other groups, including hospitals and state and local governments.

As lawmakers battle over replenishing the PPP  which, it should be noted, has paid out far less in loans and grants than it has approved  another program aimed at small businesses is running into difficulties of its own. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, designed to get cash quickly into the hands of small business owners who have been hurt by natural disasters, received a $10 billion boost in the $2 trillion relief package that became law in late March. In addition to loans, the EIDL program is offering small business owners grants of up to $10,000 that were supposed to arrive within three days. But it has has been plagued by delays and a lack of readily available funds, CNBC reported Wednesday, leaving many applicants high and dry weeks after receiving approval.

Like the PPP, the EIDL program is overseen by the Small Business Administration, which has struggled to keep up with the demand from desperate entrepreneurs. The average loan request has been about $200,000, but the agency has set a maximum of $15,000 due to the size of the demand and the limited funding. The total available for loans is about $7.3 billion, CNBC said, but demand is in the range of $372 billion  a massive differential.

Story continues

Sadly, the disaster loan program is a complete disaster, Holly Wade, director of research and policy analysis at the National Federation of Independent Business, told The Washington Post.

Time to hurry: A survey published Tuesday by Main Street America points to the size of the problem the small business aid programs are dealing with. If current business conditions persist for the next two months, about 3.5 million small businesses could close permanently, the survey found. And if the recession lasts five months, roughly 7.5 million small businesses could shut their doors for good.

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Leaderships around the world are asking people to stay home as a measure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. People are advised to limit their movements to their homes if they have nothing important to do.

In Ghana, leadership is doing its best to flatten the curves through social distancing just like the other part of the world. This restriction to our movement may have course some discomforts but there is a positive side to this. Staying home gives us a lot of time to focus on lots of things, things we could never get done if we keep moving about.

Some online educational portals have given free access to most of their courses, in a video, I watched recently, I learnt we could also use the time to contact our mentors since they will be spending most of their times home themselves.

If you follow politics, you would know that Sammy Gyamfi entered the limelight in 2018 as NDCs Communications Officer after defeating his contender Fred Agbenyo with a convincing margin. At the time, I taught that was a win for Ghanaian politics, a young man taking the seat and our political narrative but instead he followed the leaders and joined in on their political game.

Then COVID-19 happened and Kojo Oppong Nkrumah who also entered politics and won the parliamentary seat for Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency in the Eastern Region during the 2016 general elections and is currently the Minister of Information surprised the country with his statesmanship. To me, the pandemic brought out the best in Kojo Oppong Nkrumah showing that they can really do the job with the people in mind rather than trying to please their political parties something Sammy Gyamfi seems to be doing with how he addresses issues with his position. He even grows the horns to call others hypocrites even though he was doing the same with his moments of truth where he rains allegations on the NPP and defends worse things in the NDC.

My message today is simple, it is time Sammy Gyamfi signs up a mentor so that he learns the act of communication for national development. And at this time, there is no better person to pick than the Minister of Information himself. I believe the reason he follows the status quo is that he is young so instead of being a devoted Ghanaian his maturity is getting in the way therefor his loyalty to political parties instead of mother Ghana.

I hope we learn a lot of lessons even as we fight this virus, if we are power or a position and we cant use that to build this country fairly, then what are we doing? If we cant hold our different opinions with some form of civility then coronavirus should be the least of our worries.
San Francisco teachers will be paid for full-time work but only be required to work four hours a day during the coronavirus closures, according to a labor agreement approved this week.

The part-time work schedule was also adopted by other districts across the state, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Oakland, although many others continue to require teachers to work a full day, which is typically up to 7.5 hours.

The labor agreements outline working conditions during what is an unprecedented and instantaneous shift from brick-and-mortar schooling to a distance-learning model for the states 6.2 million students and 318,000 teachers.

State and local officials have said schools are essential services, providing not only an education, but also meals and other support to students and families.

Yet the San Francisco teachers union officials said the shortened workday recognizes that the pandemic is affecting everyone.

There are many educators who are also taking care of their own children, as well, as parents and other relatives, and their own health, said Susan Solomon, president of the United Educators of San Francisco. There may be challenges in their households if two or more adults are working from home, meaning there are limits in terms of physical space, sound and internet bandwidth, for example.

Administrators and other staff in the district will continue to work full-time schedules, officials said.

This agreement reflects the recognition that providing instruction while sheltering in place is not the same for teachers as providing instruction while schools are open, said Superintendent Vincent Matthews. We understand that teachers are working under very different conditions while schools are closed. Many have family members, including young children, whom they are caring for during the regular workday.

Some agreements, including those in San Francisco and Los Angeles, took weeks to hammer out, a contentious negotiation that ultimately resulted in district officials capitulating to union demands, including the shortened work hours.

Other districts, including Fremont, have yet to finalize an agreement nearly five weeks after shuttering schools.

In San Francisco, the deal also provides financial support for teachers internet access and phone use and requires teachers to check their work email at least once a day. In addition, teachers are not required to use live video to provide distance learning or adhere to set hours.

As educators work to implement distance learning, flexibility and grace for all will be crucial, the agreement says. Considering the personal challenges (e.g., members own childcare/family concerns/needs), presented by (shelter-in-place orders), bargaining unit members shall not be required to maintain a prescribed daily schedule throughout the emergency school closure.

School board President Mark Sanchez noted that limiting teachers hours acknowledges the personal challenges everyone is facing right now.

Even so, most teachers are working more than that, Sanchez said.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

In Oakland, the agreement was more specific than San Franciscos, requiring a maximum of two hours of instruction per day, live or recorded, and two hours of flexible time for planning, grading, office hours, meetings or other activities.

The labor agreement also dictates that teachers not be mandated to sit nor be on screen for more than 90 consecutive minutes at a time for ergonomic and vision safety.

In a YouTube video about the conditions, the union said the agreement included some big wins for teachers.

The deal recognizes that teachers need flexibility and that many do not use technology to a large degree, said Chaz Garcia, chief negotiator for the Oakland Education Association, which represents the teachers.

The four-hour day is a minimum, she said, and is protective of peoples emotional well-being and state of trauma.

It is critical at this point to protect everybody involved, Garcia said. We have members who have two kids who are also in school, and you have to allow for that.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Aaron saved several lives in aftermath of Amatrice earthquake.

"A friend, a colleague, a hero, a member of my family...I have run out of tears."

Francesco Sacco, a dog trainer from Pescara, bid farewell to his dog, an eight-and-a-half year old Rottweiler called Aaron, in a Facebook post.

Aaron was no ordinary dog - as Sacco explained to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera - he was among the first responders in the desperate race to find survivors in the hours after the devastating Amatrice earthquake in 2016.

Aaron, trained in search and rescue operations, was responsible for finding several people buried under the rubble in the aftermath of the 6.2-magnitude earthquake, which killed 299 people.

Read also:

Adopted from a kennel in Frosinone when he was just three months old, Aaron was involved in a dozen search and rescue missions over the last four years.

On 11 April, Aaron passed away from cancer.

"We had a few days to realise the gravity of the situation" - said Sacco - "but it was already too late."

Photo Francesco Sacco with Aaron
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This tuned Audi can hit 0-60 in just 2.6 seconds!

Usually when we see a Hennessey-tuned vehicle, it tends to be an American-branded vehicle like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford F-150 or GMC Sierra, but Hennessey Performance has now got its hands on an Audi R8 Spyder to create a mind-blowing exotic supercar. With twin-turbos and improved intake and exhaust systems, the V10-powered R8 is transformed into 912-horsepower beast that runs on pump gas!

Dubbed the HPE900, Hennessey adds a pair of turbochargers onto the 5.2-liter V10 engine as well as a number of components such as a high-flow air induction, dual intercoolers and a stainless exhaust system with a thermal coating including the turbo downpipes. Add in the engine calibration, and you're looking at a 912-hp net output, which translates to around 750 wheel horsepower according to the video below. That's quite a bump from this car's base 562-hp output.

This HPE900 upgrade will set you back $79,500 on top of your donor car, but it delivers neck-snapping performance figures with a 0-60 mph time of just 2.6 seconds and the ability to run a quarter-mile in just 9.8 seconds at 145 mph. More importantly, this is all done with the stock engine, stock transmission and running on pump gas.

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Ford F-150 Channels Its Inner Supercar As The Hennessey Venom 775 Meet Hennesseys 775-horsepower F-150! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To date, Hennessey Performance has used the Venom name on exactly two cars  the Lotus-derived Venom GT and the upcoming Venom F5. That number jumps to three as the Texas-based  Jeffrey N. RossMotorious

Hennessey Maximus Rocks The Jeep World Wait until you see what this thing is packing under the hood! Steven SymesMotorious

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His family  wife Saradha and children Asha and Izzy III  posed on their front porch just as they have lived inside their home since being quarantined. De Jesus sported a white bathroom robe with earbuds connected to his smartphone and a laptop propped on his knee. His daughter whipped up a new recipe in a kitchen bowl. His son clutched an iPad. His wife read a book.
Majestic Wine unveils raft of new wines

Majestic has unveiled a number of new wines including interesting parcels at the lower-premium end as well as brilliant wines lost to the range over recent years, which the company has now brought back in.

Robert Cooke, chief commercial officer, said: Majestics historic strengths have always been around sourcing exciting, unusual wines  and having the expert store staff on hand to extoll their virtues.

In recent years, it wouldnt be unreasonable to say we have lost that focus.

So I tasked the teams with curating new ranges they would be proud to stock. Wines which excite our customers and our store staff in equal measures. We are focusing back on our heartlands, those interesting parcels at the lower-premium end, which producers love making and wine lovers love exploring. Theres also a lot of brilliant wines lost to range over recent years which we have now brought back in too.

The Spring range reviews, as well as wines the retailer plans to introduce in the summer and autumn, are all part of a wider trend within Majestic, Cooke said.

We want to work closely with the trade to ensure Majestic remains the specialist retailer we believe the UK needs, he added.

For Spring the retailer has doubled the total number of listings in its Australian wine range, to give the region much greater shelf space and prominence.

Australian wine buyer, Beth Pearce MW, said: We are bringing in some new grapes from Australia including Fiano, Marsanne and Tempranillo.

And we are introducing a raft of new up and coming regions too  including Tumbarumba and Gundagai. Personally, I think theres some really brilliant stories to be told here.

Pearce said it would also be increasing the number of Australian classics as well as a strong showing from key regions, including new Coonawarra and Barossa lines; while it is also reintroducing tried and tested customer favourites, including Peter Lehmann, Wakefield and Yalumba.

For New Zealand Pearce noted that the wines have always been a strong favourite for Majestic customers with Malborough Sauvignon Blanc topping its bestseller list. She said the key challenge has been how to encourage these customers to branch out and to explore a little further into the wide range New Zealand can offer.

She said: Historically, we have encouraged customers to look away from New Zealand for experimentation, to Sancerre for instance. However, I am keen to really highlight the growing diversity and terroirs available in this part of the Southern Hemisphere. With Marlborough almost at capacity for vineyards, and such strong brands emerging across the islands  it is a very exciting time to continue our Kiwi story.

Majestic has sourced from new regions and sub-regions, including Awatere, Wairau, and coastal sites. It is broadening its availability on alternative grapes, such as Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Gris and Albarino. It will add to its Sauvignon Blanc collection with more barrel-aged, organic and lower abv options. And it is also bringing in a renewed focus on Chardonnay.

Pearce added: For me, New Zealand examples [of Chardonnay] are some of the finest in the world in value terms.

Within its New Zealand portfolio it is also working with exciting new producers, such as Emma Marris & Ben Glover, while also adding brands such as Dogpoint and Greywacke. There will also be a big focus on reds wines from the country.

Pearce is also the companys North America buyer.

She said: The focus has been on sourcing those slightly more premium examples, wines which should tantalise our customer base and really show off the incredible regions and winemakers across the pond.

We are putting emphasis on creating pricing ladders, which help customers find the brilliant value wines to be had at the 8-15 bracket, where I feel USA really shines.

Majestic will also be backing the new wave of Californian producers, particularly for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and it will highlight wines from Washington State.

It is introducing producers such as Rocklin Range (from Monterey), which has a focus on sustainability, and some natural wines from urban wineries. Pearce has also selected new Viogniers, which she says is my pick of the next grape to really make the US its own for UK consumers.

Wine buyer Joe Aylmer has selected rose wines to give more choice in this category and the range has been increased by 30%, particularly in New World offerings, as well as some more from Italy, Spain, Portugal, the rest of France (outside of Provence) and its first core English pink.

Aylmer said: I am really excited about Italy in particular, and the Chiaretto style capturing our customers imaginations as a trade up from Pinot Grigio Rose, or more generic Southern French Provencal styles.

Within Champagne and Sparkling wines, Majestic is adding new traditional method styles from across the globe, including its first Cremants (Jura and Bourgogne), and it has some English sparklings to introduce from Hambledon and Pommery, alongside ones from the US and Tasmania. It is also expanding its range of Champagnes, including relistings some customer favourites.

From other regions, Majestic is expanding its number of organic and biodynamic lines from the Loire and it is adding new Definition wines from both the Loire and Burgundy to give quintessential examples of Sancerre, Poilly Fume, Macon and more.
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners are facing unprecedented economic disruption. "It's important for us to think about how this pandemic is affecting entrepreneurs who put all they had into a dream. Small businesses are still waiting for CARES Act money to come through, while large hedge funds have already been funded. It makes no sense. At Impact Church, we aim to support as many businesses as we can with the help of private foundations, businesses, and the community," said Bishop De'Andre Salter.

Impact Christian Business Fellowship (ICBF)

The Impact Christian Business Fellowship (ICBF) is Impact Church's missional business association created to help small business owners. To help ease current financial burdens, Bishop Salter donated $10,000 to the ICBF's emergency stimulus fund and along with donations from others in the community, has raised $15,000 so far. The goal is to raise a total of $100,000 for New Jersey businesses.

The ICBF has already sent stimulus grants to local small businesses ranging from $500 to $1,000 in hopes that entrepreneurs can keep their businesses afloat. These businesses include a painting contractor, barbershop, hair salon, education consultant and many others.

"I own a hair salon and I was forced to close my business on March 19th. I've applied for grants, SBA loans, and every other type of financial assistance that I can come across, but no funds have been released as of yet. I received an email from the ICBF with instructions on how to apply for a small business grant. Within 7 days, I received a check for $1,000. That check helped me pay my salon rent and a few other bills so I can stay in business," said Stacy Hammond, owner of TruBeauty Hair Studio & Hair Loss Center in Springfield, NJ.

With limited emergency funding, the ICBF is currently accepting donations through Impact Church's website where donors can contribute toward providing aid to more local businesses. Simply visit http://www.church4impact.com/give and select the Mission/Outreach category. All proceeds will be immediately distributed to New Jersey businesses who are in dire need of financial assistance.

For small business owners interested in joining the ICBF or receiving a stimulus grant, an application must be submitted at www.church4impact.com/ICBF. In addition to stimulus grants, the ICBF also offers mentoring, peer support, events, and training. In the near future, members will also get a listing in the business directory where Impact Church's members and friends will be encouraged to support in any way they can.

"It's my hope that there are other philanthropists, companies, and business leaders who will come alongside me and Impact Church in this act of generosity to help fellow entrepreneurs survive this crisis," said Bishop Salter.

The Impact Christian Business Fellowship (ICBF) is a mission of Impact Church. Impact Church is a non-denominational Christian church located at 1253 New Market Avenue in South Plainfield, NJ where people are trained to be intentional with their time, talent, and money. Bishop De'Andre Salter serves as the Senior Pastor. For more information, visit http://www.church4impact.com or call (908) 222-9990.

Sherri Jones

908-222-9990 ext. 16

[email protected]

SOURCE Impact Church

Related Links

https://www.church4impact.com


The International Air Transport Association (Iata) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) are jointly calling on governments to take urgent measures to facilitate crew change flights for seafarers.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, seafarers are having to extend their service onboard ships after many months at sea, unable to be replaced following long tours of duty or return home.

Shipping is vital to the maintenance of global supply chains, but the current situation is unsustainable for the safety and wellbeing of ships crews and the safe operation of maritime trade. Each month about 100,000 merchant seafarers need to be changed over from the ships on which they operate to ensure compliance with international maritime regulations protecting safety, health and welfare.

As a result of government-imposed travel restrictions due to Covid-19, flights to repatriate or position marine personnel are unavailable. Immigration and health screening protocols are also hampering the ability of merchant ships to conduct vitally necessary crew changes. Iata and ICS are working together to come forward with safe and pragmatic solutions that governments can implement to facilitate crew changes at certain airports.

Seafarers are unsung heroes who everyday throughout this Covid-19 crisis are going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that countries are kept supplied with the goods they need. We are working with the airlines to come forward with solutions. We now need governments to support our seafarers and facilitate safe passage for them to get home to loved ones and be replaced by crew members ready to keep supply chains open, said ICS secretary general, Guy Platten.

Airlines have been required to cut passenger services in the fight to stop the spread of Covid-19. But if governments identify airports that seafarers can use for crew changes and make appropriate adjustments to current health and immigration protocols, airlines can help keep global logistics moving, said Alexandre de Juniac, Iatas Director General and CEO.

Designated airports

ICS and Iata are calling on all governments to designate a specific and limited number of crew change airports for the safe movement and repatriation of crew. This would achieve critical mass for the resumption of crew change flights to these airports, keeping global supply chains open.

Priority airports should include those close to major shipping lanes which also have direct air connections to principal seafarer countries of residence, such as China, India and the Philippines as well as destinations in western and eastern Europe.

Facilitating movement of international transport personnel

Aviation and shipping companies face common challenges in carrying out crew changes while complying with immigration and quarantine restrictions introduced by most governments around the world.

As authorities continue to battle Covid-19, international transport personnel operating aircraft and ships, or transiting international borders for duty, are often affected by national restrictions designed for passengers and non-essential personnel. When applied to crew not interacting with local communities, these restrictions unnecessarily jeopardise the ability of airlines and shipping companies to keep global supply chains operating.

Iata and ICS are working with their global regulators  the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)  on recommendations to governments for standardised procedures and protocols for positioning crews whilst preventing the further spread of Covid-19.

Keeping global supply chains operating

The aviation and maritime transport industries are the lifeblood of the global economy, moving the worlds goods and products which are necessary to allow society to continue to function efficiently throughout the Covid-19 crisis.

By volume, some 90 per cent of global trade is delivered by ship, including food, energy, raw materials and manufactured products.

Airlines carry, in addition to passengers, some 35 per cent of global trade by value, including critical medicines and medical supplies.

G20 governments, at their recent emergency meetings, committed to minimise disruptions to trade and global supply chains and identified the need to prioritise keeping air and sea logistics networks open and functioning efficiently.

Shipping companies and airlines are cooperating to meet this priority by ensuring that reliable operations continue throughout the pandemic. However, these networks will grind to a halt if replacement crews are unavailable for duty. Governments must take urgent action now to avoid further damage to the battered global economy. - TradeArabia News Service
SHAN RE By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Every single day when I wake up, I feel strange and I cant believe that I am in such a surreal and unprecedented situation. Life has changed like never before, but I thought to myself that the show must goon irrespective of the situation and make the best out of it. I have transformed my truthful melancholy into a tranquil, healing energy and created relevant art work and poems during this lockdown. Creativity is my life force and as an art therapist, I help individuals in self-regulation, rehabilitation and emotional wellbeing.

During these long and unexpected bouts of selfisolation, many people are reaching out to me for my recently published adult colouring book, which retails for `500, since they find it very therapeutic. Most of these books are taken by people within my gated community or else, I send images by email for someone to print them out and colour them.

Colouring goes beyond being a fun activity. It controls anxiety and relaxes your mind. For me, its emotionally rewarding to see someone benefiting from my help. This is the best thing I can do as an artist. I am using social media as my canvas to create awareness about how to embrace uncertainty, maintain emotional balance and how to stay calm in crisis through my quotes, illustrations and online sessions. I always tell them to experience all emotions and train their mind to connect with their inner wisdom and develop emotional agility

Even though I was following the news regularly when I went to Singapore in the first week of February for my show, it is only now that I have realised the magnitude of the pandemic. Every single person has a social responsibility and a role to play in this fight. Staying home and keeping social distance is the only way to contain the spread of the virus.

Many of my international shows were cancelled. Even though museums are creating virtual exhibitions and activities, it is very disappointing to know that due to COVID-19 pandemic, many artists have found themselves without work and the art community is facing a lot of uncertainty. Most artists and freelancers from the creative sectors live pay check to pay check and do not have a cushion to buffer them against unexpected events like this. I think we need state support like in Germany where artists and studios were granted 5,000-15,000 euro as aid during these times. Singapore also announced an aid package for freelancers. A country like India, with a rich arts and culture heritage, needs to develop a strong system that can support the creative economy during times of crisis.
A woman who sped through a stop sign and smashed into a car, killing four grandmothers on a Victorian road, will not spend a day behind bars.

Lorraine Joy Nicholson has admitted dangerous driving causing the death of the women, who were on their way home from a line dancing event in regional Victoria in May 2018.

'You are genuinely and highly remorseful,' Judge Michael Bourke said when handing down a sentence of 500 hours of community work.

Lorraine Joy Nicholson (pictured left) was given 500 hours of community work after she admitted to dangerous driving causing the deaths of four grandmothers in Victoria

Elaine Middleton, Tess Ely, Dianne Barr and Claudia Jackson, aged between 64 and 75, died at the scene.

Nicholson, 66, pleaded guilty to four charges of dangerous driving causing death in the Ballarat County Court on Thursday.

Each of the charges carries a maximum 10-year sentence but the judge found there were exceptional circumstances that meant she should not serve any jail time, including that she was a person of 'exemplary good character'.

The Stawell resident carries cards with the names of the four women on them and planted four rosebushes on the anniversary of the women's death.

Nicholson had previously pleaded not guilty to culpable driving and was found not guilty by a jury.

However they were unable to reach a decision on dangerous driving charges.

Dianne Barr (pictured left) and Claudia Jackson (pictured right) were both killed in the May, 2018 incident while on their way home from line dancing

Tess Ely (pictured left) and Elaine Middleton (pictured right) were also killed in the 2018 incident which saw Nicholson given 500 hours community service because of her remorse

Ms Middleton, Ms Ely, Mrs Barr and Mrs Jackson, all members of a Hamilton bootscooting club, were on their way home from a weekend of line dancing in St Arnaud.

Between them the women have 11 children, 15 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Mrs Barr and Mrs Jackson are also survived by their husbands.

Evidence from families painted a 'picture of four women who lived fine lives, contributing in a lasting way to their families and their communities', Judge Bourke said.

Nicholson had been on her way home from visiting her mother in hospital.

Analysis of her car showed she slowed from 94km/h to 89km/h in the seconds before the crash.

She was in an 80km/h zone and went through a stop sign.

Nicholson was placed on a four-year community corrections order and has been banned from driving for eight years.
16.04.2020 LISTEN

My deepest consolation goes to all around the world affected directly or indirectly by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. I have never seen people die in such numbers my entire life as the world is currently experiencing.

The good news is, humanity has from time immemorial risen above such challenges, emerged stronger and made the most out of it.

May the souls of the departed Rest In Peace (RIP).

I have followed the trend of events since the mid December, 2019 when the disease first broke out in Wuhan China with keen interest and the way it is spreading in some part of the world like a bush fire in the peak of the dry season.

I have also been looking at it effects on the people of my country Ghana, The West African subregion and Africa as a whole.

In my estimation though, the disease was dead on arrival in Ghana long before the president decided to step in and my reasons are as follows:

Between the period of Mid-December when the Disease first broke Out in China and Early March when Our President First announced his Interventions is a period of 4 months.

I know that averagely, almost over 400 passengers travelled from China to this country each day. In view of this, it is fair to say that about 50,000 people travelled from China into this country when there was no such restriction in place. Now the question is, does it mean that between this period of almost four months when our boarders were widely opened, no one came in with the disease before the l$100,000,000.00 was declared by the president somewhere in the month of March?

Well if some did come in, then how come the disease has not been able to make the necessary impact like it has in the temperate regions like Great Britain, American, Italy and most of the super power nations we know of?

Remember, the nations being affected the most have all the state of the art equipment for health care, unlike us. I believe we should be worse off by now if not at par with those countries aforementioned by now if the virus really has the same impact here.

The Malaria-like Symptoms of the COVID 19: As a people from Sub-Saharan Africa, we have survived these symptoms for millions of years and built a kind of immunity to fight it.

We can go back in history and learn from how the Europeans were killed by Malaria on our land though our people fared much better.

I also know the cost of treating malaria in the United and other places can go as high $20,000.00 or even more per patient in view of the complications that come with it.

In Ghana however, It is very simple and common disease which doesnt so much to treat. In fact, it is a household disease which a seven old boy should be able to cure for you with any of our local medicines with ease. Others are naturally not affected even affected when exposed to mosquito bites because they have built immunity for it. I have friends in the US who have use herbal immediately they feel the symptoms and they recover in no time.

Herbal medicines like Tabea, Herbaqueen and others are all dreaded by the so called COVID 19. So I ask myself, who is this COVID 19 to lock us down as country? You see, it died before arriving on the shores of the country except those who were exposed to it for a longer period before getting here. The result from the contact tracing, the overwhelming numbers that have tested negative should attest to the fact that it cannot put our backs against the wall if we confront it.

The Temperature Difference: Scientifically, it has been proved that the virus requires a temperature below say fifteen degree Celsius for effective reproduction of the virus. I wonder where in Ghana can the virus finds this temperature for effective reproduction?

And I wonder how it will survive when reproduction does not take place? The excuse by the Doctors is that the virus can adopt easily but that has not been proven scientifically here in Ghana and hence cant be substantiated. Here, all we know is that, though a lot of people came from China in the midst of the disease, we are yet to see the damage it can cause if any.

We have other deadly diseases like cerebrospinal meningitis which has within the same period has caused 37 deaths and h infested over 270 yet this disease has not caused the nation to lock down in at least the regions affected.

The Way Forward:

Government must Take Advantage of the Situation Instead of crying foul: I see the current situation as an opportunity for Ghanaians and for that matter sub-Saharan Africans to start attracting investment opportunities into this country rather than doing the unnecessary by following the rest of the world blindly.

I have always ask myself why is the stay at home working for the people in the temperate zones? The answer is simply; temperature difference between that at home and that outside. If not, the a person who has it should be infesting those in his household. Outside temperature is very cold hence conducive for easy reproduction and the survival of the virus as against the temperature at homes where there are heaters all over. So the U.S President, Trump once said in his interview, I am hoping to open the economy back by May when the sun will be back in full hopefully it will reduce the effect of the spread. Well whether you believe him or not, common sense should tell you that there is wisdom in what he is saying because scientifically the virus does not seem to perform well in a heated environment so only time can tell.

I still foresee a resurgence if care is not taken anytime there is winter within the temperate zones especially and therefore will make business sense for investors to start looking for places with high resistance to this Virus and this is where we fit in perfectly because we stand advantage.

Let us start thinking outside the box for once please and not to follow the crowd. Just end the lockdown soon!! Choose Both Life and Economy for the Two can not be separated from each other for any Meaningful Reason: In the closing remarks of the president on the first day of announcing the lockdown, he said I chose life over economy, for economy can always be revived but life can not once it is lost Well I dont know whether there could be any meaning to life when you are suffering in terms of hunger, imprisonment, collapse of businesses, poverty, leading to all sort of illness and other related social issues such as domestic violence and even death, exactly what we are trying to avoid. I have seen a lot of people committing suicide as a result of untold hardship resulting from a mismanaged macroeconomy.

For example, why would Africans risk their lives crossing the Saharan desert, and even the dead sea to Europe? It is basically in search of better lives.

You think they dont know they can lose their lives in the process or what Mr. President? Indeed more Africans and for that matter, Ghanaians have died out of poverty than any particular disease.

The repercussions of this lockdown will far outweigh that which this dead on arrival COVID 19 will manage to cause if we dont act fast.

From where I stand, there is no meaning to life when your freedom is as stake in the mist of these frustrations and that is where I believe the two must go together. Human being are social animals and hence I will rather advice the president to go for all the two for there cant be any meaning to life in the midst of avoidable chain of hardships. Jurisprudential law will tell you to use the utilitarian approach to solve this problem in such a situation so you dont lose it all

Setting up Dedicated Centers to Manage and Treat COVID 19:

Government must set up dedicated centers in all the sixteen Regional Capitals to address possible situations which may come in the near future and even develop some of these areas into international centers for the COVID-19. For each region, a community park or school can be used for that purpose without any complex infrastructure to start with. Knowing that Ghana and for that Africa can always be the place of hope for the treatment of this deadly disease, the international community will troop in when the need arises. As for me, I foresee an annual resurgence until a reliable vaccine is completely developed, Ghana must be seen by the world as the PLACE OF HOPE FOR COVID 19 Patients across the diaspora.

Additionally, lets lead the way by developing and promoting some of our local medicines for export to the most affected countries. We can only do that if we dont pretend that we dying here from the disease when indeed we are not for reasons I cannot tell.

In conclusion, I will like to congratulate the leadership for the precautionary measures taken so far to for-store any unfortunate circumstances this virus would have caused. That said, I urge the president to bring the lockdown to a halt any time soon in order that the whole exercise will not end up in futility and kick start the economy to bring back meaningful life to Ghanaians because obviously, the disease was dead on arrival.

Private businesses have suffered for far too long in recent times, Corona Virus should not be an excuse to make that worse.

We are not lockdown because we have no option, we have lockdown because of fear. It is true that we may discover some more people contracting and showing signs of the virus but as to whether it can knock us down the way it had done to the west, I see no such possibility.

We have all it takes to overcome this, what we need now is the courage overcome it.

Covid-19 is real but in Sub-Saharan Africa, we have been built to knock it down.

Thanks, and God Bless us all

Prof. Kofi Anokye

(MBA, LLB, BSC)
Carenity, a digital health start-up specializing in medical studies, used their platform to help measure the real-time impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nearly 400,000 chronic patients, including impact on access to healthcare and quality of life. Carenity collaborated with Alira Health to analyze the data.

PARIS and FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chronic patients represent a particularly vulnerable population in the context of this pandemic. Global estimates reveal that one person in four suffers from at least one chronic disease. The survey respondents are chronic patients with an average age of 52 years. 87% of respondents are on background treatment and living in one of the following countries: U.S., France, UK, Germany, Spain or Italy.

Michael Chekroun, founder of Carenity, commented on the results of the survey: "In this context of an unprecedented health crisis, it is important that chronic patients continue to have the best possible access to care. This is no longer the case for many, and we face a risk of therapeutic disruption. Delays in care could have serious consequences."

Using Carenity's proprietary platform, 4,717 survey responses were gathered and analyzed between March 17, 2020 and April 5, 2020, and revealed:

24% of chronic patients have difficulty finding an available doctor

9% have stopped and/or interrupted their background treatment

10% have difficulty finding their prescription drugs in pharmacies

42% have had a consultation or surgery cancelled or rescheduled

Dr. Giacomo Basadonna, Alira Health's Chief Medical Officer commented, "An important factor to consider is that this pandemic has hindered physical visits. Currently, almost all dentists have suspended patient appointments, and many physicians see their patients via internet video or by phone. Doctors are still available, and it allows us to avoid patients congregating in waiting rooms where they could be exposed to the virus. It is also likely that some patients have decided to postpone their regularly scheduled visits with their doctors for safety reasons."

Since the beginning of the confinement, 40% of patients report consulting their doctor less than usual. In addition, 3.5% of patients have stopped their treatment altogether and 5.5% have temporarily stopped taking their medication. 10% of patients say they have difficulty finding their prescription in a pharmacy.

These figures show that there is a risk of therapeutic discontinuation for patients requiring regular care and treatment.

Sophie Crozier, Head of the Stroke Unit at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris noted: "We've set up a working group with other hospitals to analyze what's going on because we're seeing far fewer stroke victims, at least 50% fewer. And in cardio, it's the same: half as many heart attacks. That's not normal, and it is worrisome. Are patients afraid to get in the way? For some, they arrive too late or they die at home."

The results of this survey come at a time when general practitioners globally are raising their voices to warn of the risk of loss of opportunity for patients suffering from chronic illnesses, particularly following announcements in several countries asking citizens to reserve their medical travel for urgent care.

About Carenity:

Founded in 2011, Carenity is a social platform that brings together more than 400,000 patients and caregivers around the world to share experiences with other patients and access high quality, well-substantiated medical information.

Carenity conducts patient-focused studies whose results enable healthcare stakeholders to better and quickly understand patients' needs and improve healthcare products and services.

More information on: www.carenity.com

About Alira Health:

Alira Health is an international advisory firm on the frontlines of healthcare transformation. We provide a suite of integrated services designed to help healthcare and life science companies innovate and grow across their product and business lifecycles to transform patient care. We specialize in New Product Development, Regulatory, Clinical, Global Market Access, Strategy Consulting, and Transactional Advisory services.

More information on: www.alirahealth.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/452843/Alira_Health_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1155296/Carenity_Logo.jpg
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 02:31:34|Editor: Wang Yamei

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Workers unload equipment for new Serbian COVID-19 labs at the Belgrade Airport in Belgrade, Serbia, on April 15, 2020. Equipment for two laboratories in Belgrade and Nis worth over 700,000 euros, including a donation of 570,000 euros by Chinese companies, arrived in Serbia on Wednesday. The laboratory in Belgrade will be able to test 2,000 people per day as soon as from next week, while the one in the southern city of Nis with a testing capacity of 1,000 per day is under construction. Both of them will be set up by Chinese biotech company BGI Group. (Photo by Nemanja Cabric/Xinhua)

BELGRADE, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Equipments for two laboratories in Belgrade and Nis worth over 700,000 euros, including a donation of 570,000 euros by Chinese companies, arrived in Serbia on Wednesday.

The shipment was welcomed at the Belgrade Airport by representatives of Serbian government, Chinese Embassy in Serbia as well as the donors -- Chinese BGI Group and Zijin Copper.

The laboratory in Belgrade will be able to test 2,000 people per day as soon as from next week, while the one in the southern city of Nis with a testing capacity of 1,000 per day is under construction. Both of them will be set up by Chinese biotech company BGI Group.

"BGI sent a team of experts. All six of them are veterans from Wuhan, who have the experience and the expertise of building and working in a big laboratory. We know best of all how to build, operate and optimize a lab for detecting the coronavirus," said Xiong Tao, Vice President of BGI Global Development.

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic appreciated the support from China, saying "Serbia will triumph over this virus. Serbia is firmly determined not to give up and to use all its resources, to beat this virus. I am truly thankful to our Chinese friends and partners who are a part of this front together with us, and we will definitely win together with them."

Berislav Vekic, State Secretary in the Ministry of Health of Serbia said that the friendship between Serbian and Chinese people resulted in a valuable donation that will significantly increase Serbia's testing capacities.

"This will resolve all technical difficulties that we were facing with in diagnosing COVID-19. By setting up this laboratory at the Clinical Centre of Serbia, we will be able to perform 2,000 daily tests just in Belgrade," Vekic said.

The Zijin Copper is the major donor of the establishment of the new laboratory in Nis.

"As a mining company, it is always our original intention and a historical mission to develop the mining industry to benefit the whole society. It's especially in difficult times we feel we need to do something," said Ling Dexi, Deputy General Manager of Serbia Zijin Copper.

Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo said that the donation is based on the agreements signed between Serbia and the Chinese companies two days ago.

"It is very important to increase testing capacities for the COVID-19 in order to put epidemics under complete control. We are friends of steel and we will fight together until the final victory over the virus," she said.

So far, Serbia has confirmed 4,873 cases of COVID-19 by performing 26,278 tests. The death toll from the disease stood at 99. Serbia has been in a state of emergency since March 16.
FILE PHOTO: A worker spreads rice for drying at a rice mill on the outskirts of Kolkata

By Rajendra Jadhav

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian rice traders are signing new export contracts again after a gap of nearly three weeks, four industry officials told Reuters on Thursday.

The resumption of shipments from the world's biggest exporter could cap global prices which surged after India suspended exports amid a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, allowing rival countries such as Thailand to rise prices and shipments.

B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association (REA) said export operations had also resumed, despite India extending the lockdown on its 1.3 billion people until at least May 3 as the number of coronavirus cases exceeded 12,000.

The demand for Indian rice is huge as it has been offered at steep discount to rice from other countries, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm, but others said it would take time for exports to return to normal levels.

"New contracts are getting signed but at a very low pace due to bottlenecks in the supply chain," Nitin Gupta, vice president of trader Olam India's rice business, told Reuters.

India was offering the 5% broken parboiled variety at around $375-$380 per tonne on a free-on-board basis. Thailand was offering the same grade at around $535 per tonne.

"Thai prices are likely to come down once Indian port operations become normal," the Mumbai-based dealer said. Labour shortages and logistics disruptions as a result of the lockdown have hampered deliveries.

Traders are mainly signing contracts for May and June shipments, expecting New Delhi to ease restrictions after May 3, said an exporter based at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.

"Some exporters are still not signing new contracts. They first want to execute stuck shipments," the exporter said.

About 400,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice and 100,000 tonnes of basmati rice, meant for March-April delivery, are either stuck at ports or in the pipeline due to the lockdown, exporters said.

Story continues

New Delhi mainly exports non-basmati rice to Bangladesh, Nepal, Benin and Senegal, and premium basmati rice to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

India's rice exports in 2019 fell 18.1% from a year earlier to 9.87 million tonnes, the lowest in eight years, as demand moderated from key Asian and African buyers.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Award-winning actor Van Vicker disagrees with the distribution of free meals by the government of Ghana to citizens amid the Coronavirus outbreak in Ghana.

In a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government of Ghana has issued an extension of the lockdown.

In addition, he has offered to absorb water bills and 50 per cent of electricity bills for the next three months for citizens in the affected areas.

He further announced the distribution of free meals to over 400,000 Ghanaians in locked-down areas.

However, Van Vicker believes the distribution of free meals will cause more harm than good.

According to the 42-year-old actor, the distribution method defeats the purpose of the exercise, adding that social distancing and precautionary measures are not observed.

He said in an Instagram post on Wednesday (April 15): I know here in Ghana our people mean well by helping to distribute food to the needy, excellent initiative. However, we might want to reconsider the food distribution method which seems to defeat the whole purpose of the exercise. It defeats social distancing; it defeats people gathering with no mask. It is rather promoting the spread of the virus, essentially. Extremely disquieting. I got the video I posted here as a forward and it pleased me so I decided to share hoping the right person sees it and change the food distribution method.
At least 32 Rohingya refugees have died as nearly 400 emaciated survivors were rescued by Bangladeshs coastguard from a boat that has been drifting for weeks after failing to reach Malaysia.

They were attempting to land on the coast in the Teknaf area in Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh late on Wednesday night, said Lieutenant Commander M Sohel Rana, head of the local coastguard.

Footage from the scene showed a starving crowd of mostly women and children being helped to shore. Many appeared stick-thin and unable to stand.

One refugee said the group had been turned back from Malaysia twice and a fight had broken out between passengers and crew at one point.

The refugees came from Coxs Bazar that they have been at sea for about two months, Athena Rayburn, senior advocacy officer for Save the Children in Coxs Bazar, told The Independent.

She said the time they left would put their departure at a similar time to a boat that left in February where there were 15 Rohingya women and children that drowned when it capsized in the Bay of Bengal.

The refugees will now be taken to quarantine for up to 14-days as a precaution against the coronavirus, Ms Rayburn added. They will then be returned to their shelters in the camp.

When asked if more boats carrying the Muslim-minority Rohingya could be adrift at sea, Ms Rayburn said: Its possible. Some human rights agencies have suggested that there are other boats.

Anecdotally we have seen an uptick in Rohingya trying to get to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand by boat. Very often these attempts will happen in the dry season when the seas are slightly calmer and slightly less dangerous.

So its possible but its very difficult issue to keep track of. The Bangladesh authorities have apprehended about 1,000 Rohingya over the last few months at coastal towns about to take the journey on boats. So its something thats happening consistently, but the scale of it is very difficult to determine.

Starving Rohingya refugees after being rescued in Teknaf near Coxs Bazar after drifting at sea for months (AP/Suzauddin Rubel)

The UNHCR said in a statement. We understand these men, women and children were at sea for nearly two months in harrowing conditions and that many of them are extremely malnourished and dehydrated.

The agency said UNHCR is offering to assist the government to move these people to quarantine facilities and it also offered medical attention.

Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have been boarding boats organised by smugglers for years in the hopes of finding refugee in southeast Asia. They typically attempt to make the crossing in the dry season between November and March, when the waters are calmer.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar does not recognise the Muslim-minority as citizens, and they face restrictions on freedom of movement, access to healthcare and education. Myanmar denies persecuting the Rohingya and argues they are not an indigenous ethnic group but immigrants from south Asia.

More than a million fled to refugee camps in southern Bangladesh after they were driven from their homes in Myanmar after a military crackdown in 2017, which the army said was a response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents.

Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Show all 18 1 /18 Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Sultana Begum Sultana Begum*, 30, saw her husband die in front of her. She was also shot AJ Ghani/British Red Cross Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Zaheda* with her daughter Arofa* It took and her family 18 days to walk from her village to the border with Myanmar. We went across the mountains and it was a rough journey because I was three months pregnant. In the refugee camp when it was time for the baby to be born I went into labour. I tried to give birth in my shelter but I could not. My son died soon after he was born. The doctors said it was the stress of the journey. Zaheda worries about the safety of her daughters Gulsar*, 20, and Abeda*, 18, as there are reports of trafficking in the camps, so she accompanies them everywhere, even to the toilet Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Arofa* and her best friend Rashida* Arofa*, six years old, one of Zahedas younger daughters, and her best friend Rashida* share a moment in the refugee camp. Arofa lives with her eight siblings, mother, father and grandmother Nur Begum, in a three-roomed shelter made of tarpaulin and bamboo Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Ummee* is a 16-year old girl who arrived in Bangladesh with her brother, orphaned Ummee Salma*, 16: Me and my older brother came here four months ago. My parents are either killed or lost. When violence broke out we were separated. I heard them screaming our names but we couldnt find each other. That was the last time I saw them. If my parents were alive they would have come and found us in Bangladesh Josh Estey/Care International Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Almost 1 million people, mainly women and children, are now living in the sprawling refugee camps in Coxs Bazar, making it now the largest refugee camp in the world Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Rohana Begum If the people of Save the Children hadnt helped me when I was unconscious I would have died, says Rohana*. Rohana Begum* was alone in her shelter made of wood and plastic sheeting when she went into labour with Khotija*, now two and a half months. After delivering the baby on her own Rohana* began to lose a lot of blood. She lay unconscious and haemorrhaging until her mother-in law returned a few hours later. Save the Children estimates that 48,000 babies were born in the camps around Coxs Bazar in 2018 Allison Joyce/Save the Children Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Women in the camps face many issues; in addition to the extreme sexual and physical violence they experienced as they fled, they are still vulnerable in the camps. Many are alone, or just with their children, and overcrowding and limited privacy means that they are at further risk of violence, sexual abuse, child abuse, human trafficking and exploitation Saikat Mojumder /Plan International Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Marjina*, 25, with her 2 month old daughter Asma, in their tent in Balukhali refugee camp I was eight months pregnant when they came. It was just before dawn and we were sleeping. We heard gunshots and looked outside to work out what was happening. When we saw the house was on fire we had to pick up the children and run. As we ran through the forest they shot at us. Conditions in the camp are not good. I dont have nutritious food to give the children. My son keeps crying that he is hungry and asking me for food. I feel bad because I cant provide for them. I worry that Im not able to care for my baby properly. Farzana Hossen/Surya Photos/Oxfam Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Sajeda Begum*, 35 (on the left), is married with five children She has become firm friends with Sobika* (right) since meeting her at the ActionAid women-friendly space where they have been encouraged to talk. I have suffered so much torture and so many struggles over the last one year. When I sleep I can still see everything. They gathered all the male heads of the family together and tortured them. They uncovered our bodies and ripped our scarves, which is a big violation. They tortured the women and the small children too. They even beat pregnant women. The memory is still too clear for me. Too clear. The first time I came here and saw the other women talking I was surprised. But I was encouraged to tell my stories of where I have come from. I feel that life is more enjoyable now I am here. Stephanie Ross/ActionAid Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis A girl sells vegetables in Kutupalong refugee camp. There are currently 6,000 unaccompanied children living in Coxs Bazar, where they face crippling food shortages and are at risk of exploitation and abuse. Whilst looking for work women and girls are falling victim to exploitation and are being trafficked into the sex trade Christian Aid Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Isamatara, 15 Isamatara takes part in a session run by Plan International in Balukhali camp, Coxs Bazar, for teenage girls to talk about what its like to have their periods in a place like this. Girls are usually married within two to three years after they start menstruating, between the ages of 12 to 16 Plan International Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Rojia*, 25, with her youngest son Sultan*, 2 Rojias husband went missing in Myanmar. She thinks he was picked up by the military. He went out for a walk after lunch and never returned. Single mothers whose husbands are missing or dead head up 1 in 6 families in the Rohingya camps. They face particular problems, having to take on public roles that challenge cultural and religious assumptions about womens place in society. Oxfam has collaborated with women refugees to design improved toilets and washrooms that afford more privacy, and is calling for more to be done to support these vulnerable women such as help collecting aid packages and more community dialogue about men and womens traditional roles Abbie-Trayler Smith/Oxfam Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Fatima Fatimas* husband was killed in the attacks and shortly after their house was burnt. Since Fatima is head of the household, she has to do most of the work. From one of the nearby water pumps in the camp she usually fetches water in the evenings. Care provides her with safe drinking water and washing facilities, critical for the 22,000 people in her camp. No aid in the world can give me back my husband Josh Estey/Care International Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Fatima Look at my feet. I had lost my toe nails as we were climbing. It was so hard to climb over the mountains and we had to carry our old mother because she cant walk, says Fatima* Josh Estey/Care International Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Dr Fatema Akter Dr Fatema Akter, 42, one of ActionAids team in Coxs Bazar, says that when the crisis started she saw 80 people a day. At the beginning, most of the women came with reproductive problems because they had to walk a long time when they were crossing the border. Sometimes they were a few weeks pregnant, but when walking on this journey they were bleeding and it turned out they miscarried. There are also many rape cases. I try to understand my patients when I see them. A common problem is women being beaten by their husbands in the camp. And another problem is women being left by their husbands. To focus myself and try to hold back my tears, sometimes I try to remember my favourite films, or think about fun moments with my friends 'When they tell us what theyre going through, we try to provide them with support.' Noor Alam/ActionAid Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Dildar Begum Dildar Begum, 25, lost her husband as she fled to save herself and her childrens lives. After reaching Jamtoli camp she was reunited with her husband and they started living happily together. But soon he started abusing her physically and emotionally. She then discovered he had a new wife, occasionally he returned to torture her further, but now he doesnt come at all. She is pregnant again, a single mother of six children, and delivered her last baby all alone in the camp. Its very difficult to explain the struggle Ive faced in Myanmar and throughout my journey towards Bangladesh. I was five months pregnant and alone with my five children. Dildar now attends a Women and Child Friendly Space run by Gana Unnayan Kendra, a partner organisation of Christian Aid. Here women come together, share their stories, sew clothes to sell and wear, and get psychosocial support Faysal Ahamed/Christian Aid Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Rahima When I lost my two children, I wanted to climb into the hole with them and lay there. Though Im sad, its very important to tell our terrible story to the whole world. One of my children was killed crossing the border, she was 11. My other child was only seven. When we crossed it was very cold and raining, we didnt have enough food so my child got sick and was taken by disease. Rahima lost her husband and two other children before she fled Myanmar. Despite her unimaginable loss, she remains determined to help others now she is here. Rahima is just one of thousands of people that the Red Cross has trained in hygiene promotion. 'I want to protect other peoples children so they dont fall to disease. I have one child now and I will try my best to protect her and the communitys children.' AJ Ghani/British Red Cross Life for Rohingya women: the real and hidden crisis Minara, 20, with baby Shomima Shomima was seven days old when the photo was taken. One day, if its safe, of course we want to go home. I miss my home, my family. I miss my cows and my normal life. But at least this is safer, she says. In October 2018, a proposed repatriation deal was made between the Bangladesh and Myanmar governments. The deal was made against the wishes of many Rohingya, some of whom spoke of being terrified at being sent back. As a result of mounting concern amongst NGOs, human rights groups and the UNHCR, repatriation did not take place at this time. For now the Rohingya remain in limbo just across the border from Myanmar, and for women and girls in the camps of Coxs Bazar life remains precarious (*Names have been changed throughout gallery to protect identity) AJ Ghani/British Red Cross

The dangerous crossings will likely continue as long as the issues the Rohingya face in Bangladesh and Myanmar remain, Ms Rayburn, from Save the Children, cautioned.

Very often when we see these upticks in Rohingya and Bangladeshis trying to take these routes to either Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia, the response is to focus on shoring up borders and coast guards to prevent these attempts from happening, but they will continue to happen for as long as the root causes of why people feel compelled to leave are still there.

When weve spoken to Rohingya, it comes up many times that the reason they feel compelled to take this journey, which is incredibly dangerous, is because they dont see any future in the camps.

The conditions are unsafe and unsanitary, and their children have limited access to school. As long as those conditions are not addressed, and as long as they cant go home because Myanmar hasnt resolved the root causes in Rakhine state, it would be very difficult to prevent people from taking this kind of action.

She added: A couple of Rohingya I spoke to in February who had been on a boat that capsized said they planned to attempt to go again as soon as they can, because they couldnt see any options for themselves in Coxs Bazar.

It will keep happening as long as we dont find a solution for the Rohingya.
These were among incidents reported by the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office and the Leesburg and Purcellville police. For information, contact your police or sheriffs department.
The Chinese medical team in Nigeria have been certified Coronavirus-free by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Disclossing this, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) described news making the rounds, claiming that one of the Chinese doctors recently brought into Nigeria had tested positive for the COVID-19 as false.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is also a member of the PTF, debunked this claim during Wednesdays daily media briefing by the task force in Abuja.

The Minister, who observed that the task force had been having to devote as much energy devoted to the fight against COVID-19 to dispelling fake news, being regularly spun against the efforts of government in fighting the pandemic.

The Minister also took time to deflate reports claiming that members of the National Assembly had shared a N700 million fund, describing it as fake news.

Whether members of the National Assembly are sharing N700 million, like I said, just as we are trying to fight and contain Coronavirus, a lot of energy is also being expended in fighting fake news.

To the best of my knowledge, Im not aware that any such money has been given to members of the National Assembly, but I know that fake news is not abating.

This morning, there was a message that went viral, to the effect that one of the Chinese doctors tested positive and that news was supposed to have emanated from the Twitter handle of the federal government. I want to say, to the best of our knowledge here, theres no such thing.

Ive also just received two hate dramas and other fake news while I was sitting here, which Ive been unable to open. But we will continue always to debunk fake news and well try our best to timely give you information about the COVID-19, either through our daily press briefings or through the website of the NCDC and the task force, he said.
In a major breakthrough, scientists at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) have succeeded in sequencing the whole genome of the coronavirus COVID-19.

Gujarat's Chief Minister Office praised the scientists at GBRC for becoming the first state government laboratory in the country to achieve this feat. The whole genome sequence will play an important role in tracking origin, drug targets, vaccine and association with virulence.

"Gujarat is proud of scientists at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), the only State Govt laboratory in India that has reported COVID19 whole genome sequence which will be helpful in tracking origin, drug targets, vaccine & association with virulence," tweeted CMO Gujarat.

Gujarat is proud of scientists at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), the only State Govt laboratory in India that has reported COVID19 whole genome sequence which will be helpful in tracking origin, drug targets, vaccine & association with virulence.#IndiaFightsCorona  CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) April 15, 2020

Whole-genome sequencing is used to determine the complete DNA sequence of the genome of a particular organism. The approach for sequencing the coronavirus genome involves obtaining samples from patients that have tested positive for the deadly virus and sending these samples to a sequencing centre.

It is to be noted that Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) researchers have succeeded in detecting coronaviruses among two species of bats in India, sending a message that active surveillance of bats is required to identify the emerging strains of the viruses that can cause an epidemic in future.

Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in India jumped to 12,380 on Thursday with the death toll touching 414, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The novel coronavirus originated from Chinese city of Wuhan in November 2019 and has killed over 1,20,000 people globally, including more than 25,000 in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The European Union reaffirmed its support to the work of the Normandy Format, the OSCE, and the Minsk Trilateral Contact Group.

The European Union has described the latest exchange of detainees between Ukraine and Russia-occupied Donbas as a welcome next step towards the implementation of measures agreed at the Normandy Four summit in Paris.

"On April 16, following an agreement reached by the Trilateral Contact Group, a mutual release and exchange of detainees related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine took place," EU Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano said in a statement. "This is a welcome next step towards the implementation of one of the measures agreed at the Paris Normandy Format Summit of December 9, 2019."

Read alsoU.S. calls on Russia to immediately release all unjustly imprisoned Ukrainians

The European Union says it expects all parties to continue work to implement the Minsk agreements, including by drawing on the recommendations agreed in the Normandy Format.

The European Union reaffirmed its support to the work of the Normandy Format, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Trilateral Contact Group.

"Full implementation of the Minsk agreements is the only way to reach a sustainable and peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. A permanent ceasefire  also as a response to the global call of UN Secretary General Guterres  would build confidence and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation," it said.

"Russia and the armed formations that it backs must also ensure freedom of movement across the contact line for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and humanitarian actors, as well as access of the International Committee of the Red Cross, to all those remaining in detention," it added.

The European Union reiterated it remains steadfast in its firm support of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Doctors at one NHS trust are being told there is no need to list Covid-19 on death certificates of coronavirus patients, documents have revealed.

The leaked hospital guidance, obtained by not-for-profit organisation Good Law Project, tells medics filling in death certificates that 'pneumonia or community-acquired pneumonia are acceptable' to put as the direct cause of death.

The guidance, which is titled 'guidance for death certification of proven Covid-19 patients during the current pandemic', says proven coronavirus deaths must be reported to the hospital site manager.

But under the header 'general principles' it adds: 'There is no requirement to write Covid-19 as part of the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD).'

It comes as the latest figures show there are now more than 103,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the UK with 13,729 recorded deaths. Pictured: Workers outside a mortuary at Lewisham Hospital, London, wheel a trolley used for transporting dead bodies

The document states Covid-19 may be mentioned in another area of the form relating to indirect causes of death 'should the doctor wish'.

However, the guidance then reiterates that pneumonia - a known complication of Covid-19 - can be written down.

It says 'pneumonia would be appropriate on a MCCD' as the direct cause of death.

The guidance appears to contradict official guidance on the issue from coroners and the NHS which says 'it would be satisfactory' to give Covid-19 as the cause of death even if it is only suspected and no confirmed test results are available.

The official guidance says Covid-19 'is an acceptable direct or underlying cause of death for the purposes of completing the MCCD'.

The official guidance also says a medical practitioner can fill in the MCCD with these details if they are able to 'state the cause of death to the best of their knowledge and belief'.

The official guidance says Covid-19 'is an acceptable direct or underlying cause of death for the purposes of completing the MCCD'. Pictured: Clinicians wearing PPE run through hospital in Manchester

In a statement, the Good Law Project said: 'If doctors are being gently discouraged from reporting deaths as Covid-19, we have no way of knowing if the Government figures on deaths from coronavirus - the daily in hospital figures as well as the weekly Office for National (ONS) figures - are accurate.

'The Good Law Project has instructed lawyers to write to the NHS hospital trust today, asking them to clarify the guidance urgently.

'So far we've only seen the guidance from one trust. We have no idea if hospital trusts up and down the country are issuing the same guidance.'

In response to the Good Law Project, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: 'This appears to be an altered version of official guidance.

'Guidance from the UK government is clear that Covid-19 is an acceptable direct or underlying cause of death for the purposes of completing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.'

It comes after concerns were raised earlier this week that medics and GPs are failing to record Covid-19 on death certificates.

A whistleblower in the south of England told Channel 4 News that some doctors were listing long-term conditions such as dementia instead even if they suspected coronavirus.

It comes as the latest figures show there are now more than 103,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the UK with 13,729 recorded deaths.
We want to make sure the front-line health workers, wherever they are, are protected, said Mr. Klosson, whose organization receives funding from the U.S. aid agency and the State Department.

Weve seen whats happened in developed countries, where very advanced health systems and social safety nets have been overwhelmed, he added. Just imagine the challenges as this thing kind of multiplies in sub-Saharan Africa and places like that, with countries with much weaker health systems and much weaker social safety nets.

The U.S. aid agency has shipped about 150,000 N95 masks and thousands of scrubs, coveralls and face shields to health care workers in Oregon from its warehouse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Andrew Phelps, Oregons director of emergency management, said last week that it will make a huge difference in Oregons ability to fight this outbreak.

In March, the aid agency was sending personal protective equipment from its own stockpiles to nations in need.

That changed after a meeting later in the month. Officials who were gathered from across the government were surprised to hear that those shipments were continuing and told the agency to stop, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A representative from the aid agency who was at the meeting asked for a memo to formalize the shipment freeze, the senior administration official said. Within weeks, and faced with a projected shortage in the Strategic National Stockpile of medical supplies, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to prohibit the export of face masks to other countries.
What a cold morning for April 16! Lows dropped to 21-29 over the area!

Temperatures as of 12:15 p.m. are 37-43, but the strong wind makes it feel much colder.

NWS Winter Weather Advisory is up for areas along & north of Indiana 18 (though Carroll County is technically not included).

The Winter Storm Warning is up for north-central Illinois westward to southeast Nebraska.

This is all for snowfall ahead.

Clouds will increase with time later today with breezy to windy conditions (though winds will rapidly go light after 4-5 p.m. & highs 45-49.

Rain should reach the ground by 11 p.m. in our southwest, followed by the southwest 2/3 going to rain & some snow by 2 a.m.

By 4:30 a.m., then entire viewing area should be in precipitation with rain in the south & snow for the rest of the area.

Steady snow & rain/snow should taper by 1 p.m., followed by some spotty rain/snow/sleet showers with cloudy to mostly cloudy skies.

Highs should only reach 37-44 with strong northeast to north winds up to 32 mph.

There is going to be an extremely sharp cut-off in the snowfall amounts in the area near Route 18, it still appears.

South of that zone, totals drop to 1" of snow or less, while north of it, they skyrocket to 2, 3, 4" & then some amounts look like they may exceed 6" in places well north of US 24.

So........based on the current data:

1" of snow or less south of 18.

No accumulation south of 28.

1-3" north of 18 to near US 24.

3-6" north of US 24.

Isolated +6" amounts possible in the far north.

ANY slight storm track change or change in degree of wet-bulbing or frontagenetic forcing will result in heavier totals (+1" to +6") either shifting 5-15 miles south or shifting 5-15 miles north.

The greater uncertainty with potential of extreme cut-off challenge exists from Fowler to Brookston to Delphi to Peru to Bunker Hill to Flora to Lafayette to Pine Village.

No matter what, heaviest snowfall in the north & least in the south with a sharp buffer zone in the middle.

After clearing skies & frost with patchy fog Friday night-Saturday morning (& near-record to record lows of 20-26), Saturday looks bright & warmer, but windy (from the southwest). Highs of 52-59 are likely.

It will not be nearly as cold Saturday night-early Sunday morning at 38-44.

A few scattered showers are possible Sunday as skies turn mostly cloudy, but highs of 59-65 are expected with gusty southwest winds.

Monday may feature a few showers in the morning, followed by clearing & 57-63 for highs & 36-43 for lows Monday night.

Tuesday looks good with highs 64-69 (though windy) with sunshine, followed by increasing clouds & lows in the 50s.

Periods of scattered showers & t'storms are possible Wednesday-Thursday morning with windy conditions from the south, then south-southeast to west.

Wind should turn much lighter Thursday afternoon as skies clear.

Some severe weather risk is possible here (MARGINAL to SLIGHT) Wednesday evening-night, but the main zone is in the southern U.S. There tornadoes (ENHANCED to MODERATE RISK parameters show up there) will be possible.

It stays warm with 70s by Friday with windy weather from the southwest & sunshine.

However, some showers & t'storms will return Saturday-Sunday, April 25-26.

Severe weather risk will likely develop, especially Sunday.

Trend is for SLIGHT to ENHANCED parameters here.

April 28, 29 & May 1-2 all show some degree severe weather risk here, as episodes of storms track from the Plains & through the Corn Belt.

This will occur as vigorous upper low ejects out of the Rockies & into the Plains.

Some significant severe weather is likely from Iowa to Texas as lots of warm, humid weather overspreads a massive area (including our area with 80s).

We will likely see one big MODERATE to HIGH RISK day in the Plains.

Parameters seem to peak at ENHANCED (but slightly higher risk just west of our area) here.

It is likely that we will exit the warm, windy, wet, stormy pattern & go to the dry, colder pattern for a bit in early to mid May. A few nights may drop into the 30s.

Overall more tranquil, drier northwest flow may dominate our weather May 4-15.

This will give farmers a nice window to get much planting done as soil dry.

Thoughts are that very warm, windy, wet, stormy pattern returns & dominates the latter half of May.
[April 16, 2020] Assurant to Hold Virtual Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ), a leading global provider of lifestyle and housing solutions that support, protect and connect major consumer purchases, today announced that its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting"), to be held on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, will be held exclusively in a virtual-only format due to the public health threat caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shareholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person this year. Shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 13, 2020 are invited to attend the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/AIZ2020 by entering the 16-digit control number included on their proxy card, voting instruction or notice previously distributed to them. Online access to the Annual Meeting will open at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time to allow time for shareholders to log in prior to the start of the live audio webcast of the Annual Meeting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Once admitted, shareholders will have the opportunity to submit questions in writing and vote their shares during the Annual Meeting by following the directions on the virtual meeting platform. All shareholders, whether attending the Annual Meeting or not, are encouraged to vote and submit their proxies in advance of the meeting by using one of the methods described in the proxy materials:







VOTE BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com Vote by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 6, 2020 for shares held directly and by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 4, 2020 for shares held in a plan. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the website and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Vote by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 6, 2020 for shares held directly and by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 4, 2020 for shares held in a plan. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717.

A list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available to stockholders for examination 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting. To review the list of stockholders, please contact Investor Relations at [email protected]. The stockholder list will also be available during the Annual Meeting on the virtual meeting platform. About Assurant Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ) is a leading global provider of lifestyle and housing solutions that support, protect and connect major consumer purchases. Anticipating the evolving needs of consumers, Assurant partners with the world's leading brands to develop innovative products and services and to deliver an enhanced customer experience. A Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries, Assurant offers mobile device solutions; extended service contracts; vehicle protection services; pre-funded funeral insurance; renters insurance; lender-placed insurance products; and other specialty products. The Assurant Foundation strengthens communities by supporting charitable partners that help protect where people live and can thrive, connect with local resources, inspire inclusion and prepare leaders of the future. Learn more at assurant.com or on Twitter (News - Alert) @AssurantNews. ### View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005784/en/

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / IMC International Mining Corp (CSE:IMCX);(OTC PINK:IMIMF);(FRA:3MX) (the "Company" or "IMC"), is pleased to announce the Company has entered into a draw-down equity financing of up to $8,000,000 CDN, with Alumina Partners, LLC, a New York-based private equity firm that has made substantial investments in a broad range of publicly traded companies.

The purpose of the agreement is to allow IMC to continue its growth strategy through exploration and acquisition with complete financial flexibility and freedom. The financing is at the sole discretion of IMC, allowing for the ability to access funds when necessary. This strategy allows IMC to protect shareholder value while growing to meet demands of exploration expenditures.

"We are very enthusiastic to be entering into such a major agreement, allowing us to better plan for future exploration programs. This agreement will allow IMC major financial flexibility in its operations," said CEO, Brian Thurston. "Such major investments are not common in the early stages of exploration properties such as we have on the Thane Property and we are excited to receive such a significant commitment from Alumina Partners, LLC. This serves as meaningful validation of our business plan and growth strategy."

"We are pleased to support IMC as they prepare to accelerate their exploration pipeline," added Adi Nahmani, Alumina's Managing Member. "We are very confident in management's extensive experience and impressive collective track record, and look forward to getting more upside exposure to this early metals super cycle."

The agreement details the purchase of up to $8,000,000 of units of the Company (the "Units"), consisting of one common share (the "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (the "Warrants"), at discounts ranging from 15% to 25% of the market price of the Shares, with each Private Placement Offering occurring exclusively at the option of the Company, throughout the 24-month term of the agreement. The exercise price of the Warrants will be at a 50% premium over the market price of the Shares. There are no upfront fees or interest associated with the use of this financing.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Brian Thurston

Chief Executive Officer and President

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL MINING CORP.

IMC International Mining Corporation is a junior exploration and development company. It is focused on creating shareholder value through the advancements of its assets which include the Cathedral Property in Northern British Columbia and the Bullard Pass Property in Arizona. The Company continues to look for further assets in North & South America as it increases its asset portfolio. International Mining will utilize its heavily experienced management team to evaluate assets that provide shareholder value.

IMC continues to evaluate additional properties to add to its portfolio of mining assets.

INVESTOR RELATIONS:

ir@internationalmining.ca

1 (604) 588-2110

https://imcxmining.com

Forward-Looking Information:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding: the completion of the Private Placement, the Company's intention to acquire further mineral properties; the Company's business plans and prospects and the future of the Company's business, the acquisition, exploration and development of its assets; and the ability to create shareholder value. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that the Private Placement may not complete in the full amount contemplated, or at all, that the Company may not acquire any additional mineral properties, that the Company's plans and prospects will vary from those stated in this news release and that the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release.

SOURCE: IMC International Mining Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585330/IMC-International-Mining-Corp-Enters-Into-8-Million-Equity-Financing-with-Alumina-Partners-LLC
Istanbul, Turkey  In recent years, the number of Palestinians in Turkey has increased to some 25,000, including 1,300 students.

Istanbul itself has a growing Palestinian community that numbers 10,000 people, and amid the coronavirus pandemic, many have heeded the governments calls for physical distancing and working from home.

Faid Mustafa, the Palestinian ambassador to Turkey, said eight Palestinians have been infected by the coronavirus in the country, but all are in stable condition.

The head of the Palestinian community in Turkey, Hazem Antar, told Al Jazeera he and his team, in tandem with the mayor of Istanbul, are working around the clock to provide support and sustenance to Palestinians in the city who are cut off from basic needs because of coronavirus restrictions.

We started with a primary campaign that targeted more than 720 people and we provided housing for young people who were forced to leave their houses because they could not pay rent, he said. These days we are delivering meals and sanitary products to Palestinian students.

The Palestinian consulate also has a hotline to provide assistance to those stuck in Turkey and want to return home but cannot because of travel lockdowns.

One volunteer, Bilal Khalil, has delivered aid to the homes of students, workers, families and patients. We wish this epidemic finishes soon so we could go back to our normal life, he said.

Many of the Palestinian residents have stuck to self-quarantining at home, with some saying although the experience is not unusual to them, the psychological toll is harder to bear.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered the Department of Health to conduct an investigation on hospitals reportedly refusing to accept COVID-19 patients.

Duterte said that he received reports that nine hospitals have been denying admission to those infected with the viral disease.

We have a crisis and its killing people, the President said in his televised address. Therefore we are callingnot after the COVID crisis, but Id be asking todaythe DOH to start the investigation.

Duterte said he is only following the rules in ordering the probe.

Earlier, the health department, in its memorandum, stated that all public and private hospitals are not allowed to refuse patients who need medical assistance.

Duterte also previously issued a warning to hospitals, saying closing its doors to patients suffering from coronavirus or any other ailment will warrant criminal charges.

The Chief Executive said hospital officials must devise ways to accommodate and protect the people. Otherwise, he threatened ordering the shutdown of the facilities violating the health department's guidelines.

Ospital kayo, you are the sanctuary of the sick," Duterte said. "You do not choose the ailment of the patient you are accepting."

Kung di mo kaya maging ospital, ipapasara na lang kita, he added.

With the influx of patients trying to receive medical treatment, some hospitals have cited full or overcapacity of their facilities.

To this concern, Duterte suggested building makeshift rooms to house more patients.

Build a tent there somewhere, doon muna ilagay," he said. "You can build a makeshift thing, tent or what. You can do the investigation there at a distance."

The President said that hospitals are responsible for finding ways to deal with the problem.

Medical facilities in the country have been placed under severe strain, as the number of coronavirus infections and deaths continue to rise. Health officials have recorded a total of 5,660 cases as of April 16. Of this number, 435 patients have recovered, while 362 have succumbed to the viral disease.
[April 16, 2020] Despegar.com Announces First Quarter 2020 Financial Results Call and Webcast

Despegar.com, Corp. (NYSE: DESP), the leading online travel company in Latin America, today announced that it will report its First Quarter 2020 results on Monday, May 4, 2020 before the market opens. Earnings Release

Monday, May 4, 2020

Time: Before Market Open Conference Call

Monday, May 4, 2020

Time: 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time Quiet Period (3 weeks)

Thursday, April 16, 2020 through Monday, May 4, 2020 Executives

Mr. Damian Scokin, Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Alberto Lopez-Gaffney, Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Natalia Nirenberg, Investor Relations To participate, please dial

1-844-750-4865 (U.S. domestic)

1-412-317-5275 (International) Webcast: click hre | Replay: click here | Add to your calendar: click here



About Despegar.com About Despegar.com Despegar is the leading online travel company in Latin America. With over two decades of business experience and operating in 20 countries in the region, Despegar accompanies Latin American travelers from the moment they dream of taking a trip until they share their memories of that trip. Thanks to the strong commitment to technological development and customer service, Despegar offers a customized experience to more than 18 million customers. Despegar's websites and leading mobile apps, offer products from over 270 airlines, more than 512,000 accommodation options, as well as more than 1,190 car rental agencies and approximately 326 destination services suppliers with more than 6,000 activities throughout Latin America. The Company owns and operates two well-recognized brands, Despegar, its global brand, and Decolar, its Brazilian brand. Despegar is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DESP). For more information, please visit www.despegar.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416006002/en/

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When Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex revealed they were resigning as senior working members of the British royal family, many people were taken aback. Most royal fans and experts knew that the couple was struggling in their high profile positions. However, washing their hands of the royal family altogether seemed extreme.

Shortly after announcing Megxit, the pair left the U.K. for their rented home on Vancouver Island in Canada. The quiet, picturesque location seemed like the perfect place for the pair to raise their son away from the spotlight. They could also find the peace that theyve so desperately desired. However, it turns out that Vancouver Island was a temporary location for the Sussexes.

After completing their final royal engagements in early March, the pair have moved to Los Angeles, California permanently. Its a move that no one expected. Now royal exerts believe the prince is desperate to return to Canada.

Moving to Los Angeles was a bold move for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

LA is the Duchess of Sussexs hometown, and its close to a powerhouse Hollywood team for the launch of the Archewell brand. However, Hollywood is right in the center of everything which certainly wont provide them with the privacy and peaceful life that they desire.

Still, one royal expert believes that this bold move might just pay off for the pair, especially for the Duke of Sussex.

I feel like he has found somebody that he can be emotionally open with and I think thats a really good thing Family becomes the most important thing, British aristocrat Lady Julie Montagu explained to Town & Country. I always say whenever you meet an American, you know their life story within 24 hours Were very emotionally open, which I think for Harry is actually a really good thing. Hell be able to talk about his feelings, probably more than he was able to talk about over here. I wouldnt be surprised if we start to hear a little bit more about how he feels about losing his mother at age 12, and maybe how he and Megan were treated in the press over here.

Prince Harry may be having second thoughts about LA

LA, especially amongst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a massive adjustment for the duke who has spent his entire life in the U.K. In fact, there are some clues that hes having some second thoughts about the move.

The Duke has not made an application for dual citizenship and I dont think he will apply for a green card at any point, a royal insider told The Times. If Prince Harry doesnt apply for a green card, it means he has no plans on being a permanent resident of the U.S.

The Duchess of Sussex and Archie Harrison are U.S. citizens so they can stay in the States permanently if they choose.

Prince Harry misses Canada

It appears like LA hasnt been as quiet and peaceful as life on Vancouver Island. Harry absolutely loved life in Canada and has made no secret of how much he misses life there, a royal insider told Express. The time that he spent there with Meghan and Archie is probably the happiest he has ever been. Harry misses the pace of life there and the fact they were living in a really secluded place where they could be themselves, relax and enjoy life. The biggest issue really has been the timing. Moving at the moment is incredibly difficult. Harry and Meghan have uprooted their life and have been unable to properly immerse themselves into LA life and get settled. Harry is hoping that once the lockdown is lifted things will be a lot easier and they will fall into step with the pace of life there.

It looks like LA might not be the Sussexes final stop after all.
The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Wednesday related to the global economy, the work place and the spread of the virus.

Numbers tell a grim story

Data just emerging paint a devastating picture of the extent to which the outbreak has seized the economy, as well as the livelihood of Americans.

 Not since the U.S. demobilized after World War II has the country seen such a rapid winding down of its industrial might. The numbers were not unexpected, but still shocking. We all knew this was coming, but it does not make the heartache any less real for the furloughed workers, the people in related industries or suppliers, wrote Wells Fargo economists Tim Quinlan and Sarah House.

 The Federal Reserve Bank of New Yorks index for state manufacturing plummeted 56.7 points in April, the largest monthly decline in its history dating back to 2001. At minus 78.2 so far this month, it also is the lowest its ever fallen.

 Consumer confidence as measured in a monthly index put out by Refinitiv/Ipsos registered its largest monthly decline ever in April. According to the Refinitiv/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index, consumer confidence tumbled 12.3 points to 47.8.

The coronavirus outbreak continues to permeate through every aspect of our lives, and American consumer confidence is considerably shaken, wrote Jharonne Martis of Refinitiv.

Jobs evaporate

Jobs are vanishing at an astounding rate. More job cuts and furloughs arrive daily.

 Best Buy becomes the latest national chain to announce massive furloughs. The company will begin furloughing about 51,000 of its hourly employees, including nearly all of its part-time hourly employees and a small portion of its full-time hourly employees starting Sunday. Best Buy also will begin voluntary, temporary reduced work weeks.

The company also is cutting pay for executives and its board.

 The number of companies that have registered to put employees on a government-backed short-time work program has risen to 725,000  a 12% jump from last week, according to Germanys federal labor agency.

The program, which allows firms to keep workers on the payroll, is expected to easily surpass the 1.4 million people who used it during the financial crisis a decade ago.

Movement

Nations are reacting differently to ebbs in infection levels. There has been a push to slowly ease restrictions on movement in a bid to limit damage to national economies.

 India will begin easing restrictions Monday to revive manufacturing and farming activity in rural areas and ease the suffering of millions of the poor. Indias Home Ministry issued guidelines Wednesday that also will permit the construction of roads and buildings in those rural areas. The inter-state transport of goods, essential and non-essential, will be allowed.

 Italy is not easing its lockdown on industry  with all non-essential manufacturing on hold until the nationwide containment efforts are lifted, currently set for May 4. The government has put together a task force to study how to safely relaunch industry. At the same time, many people continue to work, creating a de facto easing.

Housing

 Builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes has fallen off a cliff, according to an index released Wednesday by The National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Their monthly housing market index plunged 42 points in April to a reading of 30, the largest single monthly change in the history of the index.

Air travel

A rescue package for U.S. airlines has been reached, though the large-scale shutdown has hit millions of people working in industries that rely on robust travel.

 A day after the deal was reached with the U.S. Treasury, airlines were among the few to see stocks surge, but that optimism faded before noon. Shares of Delta and Southwest fell by 4% and 6%, respectively. The NYSE index that tracks global airlines has plunged 50%.

Stimulus checks

 The U.S. Treasury and IRS launched the Get My Payment web application Wednesday. The free app allows taxpayers who do not have direct deposit information on file with the IRS to provide that information to get their relief check faster. It also allows taxpayers to check on the status of their payment.

Worker safety

 Amazon threatened Wednesday to suspend all activity in France after a French court found it wasnt doing enough to protect its workers. The online giant also announced plans to appeal Tuesdays emergency ruling, which requires Amazon to stop selling non-essential goods for a month while it works out new worker safety measures. Sales of food, medicine and hygiene supplies still are allowed under the ruling.

Earnings

Twenty-three S&P 500 constituents are scheduled to report quarterly earnings this week. Everyone will be looking closely at companies with operations in China to see how those operations emerged from the outbreak.

 The largest banks and financial players began to roll out quarterly earnings Wednesday. Those institutions anticipate a flood of loan defaults as households and business customers take a big financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic.

Markets

 Global stocks and oil prices tumbled Wednesday on grim economic data from the U.S. and after the International Monetary Fund said the global economy will log its worst year since the Great Depression.
A support programme that aims to boost retention in the Armed Forces has received a positive research evaluation from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), with military personnel reporting increased confidence in their employment prospects and increased goodwill towards the Armed Forces.

A pilot of the Spouse Employment Support (SES) programme was delivered from 2015-2017 by the Ministry of Defence to try and address some of the issues facing military spouses.

Previous research has found that the transient nature of military life, particularly in the Army where transfers between barracks occur with regularity, can have a negative impact on the careers of spouses, who often have to uproot at short notice.

Common issues include interruption to higher education, negative impact on career progression, and difficulty starting again in new areas, particularly if they are employed in a specialist field or if they have had a break from work.

These problems can in turn breed resentment of military life, which has a knock-on effect on retention of personnel.

The SES helped military spouses search for and find employment by providing training grants of up to 879 and specialist career support. The pilot was open to 195 spouses of RAF personnel across 22 bases in the UK, and 240 spouses of Joint Forces Command across four locations in Cyprus.

The evaluation, carried out by ARU's Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research (VFI) and published in the journal Military Psychology, consisted of 30-minute interviews with spouses and military personnel.

Two thirds of military spouses reported increased confidence, while around a third said they felt valued and supported by the military, and that taking part in the SES trial had increased their employability.

One partner of an RAF Corporal based in Cyprus said: "Any sort of recognition, of the fact that it's difficult to find work makes people feel better. I don't think people realise the fact that you sacrifice your family, your career, your personal life essentially. Because you're forced to move around constantly."

Author of the evaluation, Dr Lauren Godier-McBard at ARU, said: "There was a strong indication from the interviews we carried out that the support given by the SES was of benefit to military spouses and, indirectly, their serving partners.

"Simply accessing this support and beginning to think about employment and their career aspirations prompted a number of spouses to become more proactive in engaging with the job market and planning their career.

"Furthermore, our results have highlighted the value placed by military spouses of being recognised by the military as valued constituents in their own right. Some of the serving partners indicated that their spouses appeared happier with military life as a result of the support and training they had received."

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Barabanki/Bahriach/Gonda/Lucknow : The lockdown has brought most commercial, agriculture and industrial activity to a grinding halt. However, it is work as usual for sugarcane farmers and sugar mills are up and running.

Sugarcane harvesting, weighing, transportation to mills and cane-crushing has been going on. You can see that once we upload the truck with this harvested sugarcane, we will head for the sugar mill in Nanpara, said Kesri Dayal, a farmer, in a Nepal-bordering Bahraich village.

Another farmer, Shuktisj Verma, in Masauli, in Barabanki, said: Yes, this time, it looks like only cane farmers are unaffected. This is the only crop that has survived both  several bouts of hail and rain, and Covid-19. I think by next week all my cane would be transported to a mill in the district.

A staff member at the procurement centre on the Lucknow-Bahraich highway at Tendwa Basantpur in Bahraich said, We had instructions from the government to carry on till the end of the cane-crushing season with a rider that we have to ensure social distancing and sanitizing in all our activities.

The sugarcane industry is an essential industry of Uttar Pradesh and is the primary source of almost 35 lakh farming families of the province. The state has a total of 157 established sugar mills out of which 119 sugar mills are operational. According to the UP sugar industry & cane development department website the total sugarcane area of the province is over 27 lakh hectare.

Department principal secretary Sanjay R Bhoosreddy said, The sugar industry is the only large scale industry that is functioning in the state. And the sector has outperformed itself. Against last years crushing season, the sugar mills this season have already crushed nearly 300 lakh quintal cane more. Of this 100 lakh quintal was crushed during the Covid phase from March 20 onwards. Sugar mills in the state have crushed 9,320 lakh quintal this season and produced 1,054 lakh quintal sugar out of it.

Of the 119 operational sugar mills in the state, three are of the sugar corporation, 24 are of the cooperative sector, while the rest are in the private sector.

UP Sugar Mills Association secretary-general Deepak Guptara said, The government kept the sugar industry immune from the lockdown and we are committed to continue running till the end of the current crushing season, that is till the April-end.

The crushing season is from November to April.

Guptara said that the industry continues to adhere to the social distancing and sanitization protocol that the state government had issued for the industry. He said that some private sugar mills have even housed their staff on the campus itself and have been providing them lodging and food to prevent any possibility of them contracting Covid-19.

The sugar mills and the distilleries have also produced 11 lakh litres of sanitizers since the lockdown began.

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White House says G7 will look for reforms at WHO

On day-2 of India's lockdown 2.0, the number of people infected with coronavirus was 12,750 and the death toll stood at 420, according to the data released by health ministry at on Thursday. The global cases have crossed 2 million mark as people across 193 nation battle the pandemic. With more than 600,000 cases, US have now become the new epicentre for Covid-19 infections with more than 30,000 deaths.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage





Catch the major highlights of the day on the coronavirus pandemic:
The protectionist wave is gradually starting to gain momentum. And the first to self-isolate in the countries will be the agricultural market. After all, today it is a matter of food security.

Just two days ago, Romania banned the export of wheat, barley, oats, corn, rice, wheat flour, soybeans, vegetable oil and sugar. Turkey closes the export of lemons, Vietnam  of rice. The Ukrainian government has already banned the export of buckwheat.

In Italy, the situation on the agricultural market is not critical, but it has the strongest effect on the general economic situation. The decline in consumption is felt by many firms. As the Italian media write, every Italian farm feels the effects of an epidemic.

Several European countries have begun to request from Italian suppliers additional and more complete certificates for imported Italian goods. This is a small touch to the notorious European solidarity.

The second big problem is the lack of foreign seasonal workers who often came to spring field work. For example, from Romania. About a quarter of the products in Italy are produced by foreign workers.

Despite this, all large agricultural companies were not alien to social initiatives. Ferrero, the largest chocolate maker, Lavazza coffee maker and Nestle chain announced bonus programs to support workers.

The Bofrost frozen food company has allocated  2 million to support its 2,400 employees. Findus Frozen Foods has provided  1 million for medical research.

The government took the side of the Italian commodity producer, saying that it would do everything possible to preserve the Italian brands. For this, the information company #MangiaItaliano began. It tells on the quality and usefulness of Italian-made agricultural products.

In Ukraine the main production and commercial chains of the agricultural market are functioning stably and without interruption. If prices go up, its because of the policy of retail chains, and not through the fault of manufacturers.

On the contrary, large-scale agricultural production assumes additional responsibility in a difficult period, weighing on its own shoulders the issues of building operational headquarters in the regions to combat coronavirus, providing medical equipment, and helping doctors and nurses.

Of course, agricultural producers in each country expect from the state understandable tools to protect the sector, which became strategic during the crisis. Today, agricultural producers would appreciate a gesture of power in the direction of revising regulations that limit support for the domestic agricultural business.

It would be reasonable to involve the producers themselves in developing a government strategy to prevent the food crisis. An initiative by the Ukrainian government to launch an information campaign to stimulate the purchase of Ukrainian agricultural products would be useful.
The cyber wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered eight cases against social media users for allegedly posting fake and promoting militant activities in the valley, police said on Thursday.

"During the recent monitoring and patrolling of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Linkedin, some of the users were found posting fake news, fake documents, incriminating / hateful posts and posts to glorify terrorists or promote terrorists' ideologies by using fake identity," a police official said.

He said these kinds of posts not only destabilise the social fabric and disturb order in the society, but also escalate terrorist activities.

"On the identification of such posts, action under relevant sections of law was initiated and FIRs were registered. So far, eight FIRs have been registered against such users," he said.

The official said there have been a lot of reports of misusing social media sites particularly Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by the miscreants.

"The cyber police is monitoring all the profiles and the content being uploaded by the users," the official added.

He said the cyber police is also exploring the possibilities of invoking all the relevant provisions of law against such users.

"The anonymity of the profiles of users is of no defense and we can track them and bring them to face the law. Awareness programmes for the general public regarding use of social media have also been started by the cyber police," he said.

The official said whenever any information with regard to the misuse of social media is received, a prompt action is being taken by the cyber police.

"One of the examples is that on April 14, a fake was uploaded on Facebook wherein a morphed picture of the clock tower at Lalchowk Srinagar was shown with a flag of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Immediately, an FIR was registered, the accused were identified and arrested under the provisions of law," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Roger Stone arrives for his sentencing at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington, DC on February, 20, 2020.

A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a new trial by President Donald Trump friend Roger Stone, who was convicted last fall of lying to Congress and witness tampering, flatly rejecting his claim of juror misconduct.

Stone, 67, had sought a new trial based on his allegation that the jury forewoman lied on a questionnaire as the panel was being selected.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson's denial of that motion theoretically sets the stage for the Republican political operative to begin serving within two weeks a 40-month prison term for felonies related to lying to a House committee about his discussions with members of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Jackson had suspended that sentence from taking effect until she ruled on the motion for a new trial in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

But Stone is certain to appeal his conviction now that his bid for a retrial has failed.

And it is not clear if he will be denied a release bond while that appeal is pending, particularly given the coronavirus outbreak. Attorney General William Barr has urged the Bureau of Prisons to release inmates who are eligible for home confinement and vulnerable to Covid-19 because of their advanced age or underlying health conditions, in an effort to limit infections in federal lockups.

Stone's lawyer, Seth Ginsberg, when asked for comment about the ruling said ''At this point, we are reviewing the decision and will determine how to proceed in the coming days.''

Trump has not ruled out pardoning Stone, a Florida resident who has for decades embraced a public persona of a dirty political trickster.

The president has repeatedly criticized the prosecution of Stone, who was charged in the case by then-special counsel Robert Mueller.

In her ruling, Jackson rejected Stone's argument that the jury forewoman, Tomeka Hart, had lied during jury selection and had exhibited such a bias against Trump on social media that it should have ruled her out from deciding Stone's fate.

That argument had been supported in late February by Trump himself, in a Twitter post.

Tweet

"The defendant has not shown that the juror lied; nor has he shown that the supposedly disqualifying evidence could not have been found through the exercise of due diligence at the time the jury was selected," Jackson wrote in her decision Thursday.

"Moreover, while the social media communications may suggest that the juror has strong opinions about certain people or issues, they do not reveal that she had an opinion about Roger Stone, which is the opinion that matters," the judge wrote.

"The assumption underlying the motion  that one can infer from the juror's opinions about the President that she could not fairly consider the evidence against the defendant  is not supported by any facts or data and it is contrary to controlling legal precedent," Jackson wrote.

"The motion is a tower of indignation, but at the end of the day, there is little of substance holding it up."

Jackson a number of times called out Stone's lawyers for raising the issue of Hart's social media posts only months after jury selection and after the trial was finished. She noted that they had failed to discover those posts during jury selection or the trial, even though they were public.

"At the time of the trial, though, the defense made a strategic choice not to look for social media information. None of the seven lawyers or the two jury consultants on the defense team performed the rudimentary Googling that located this set of Facebook and Twitter posts," Jackson wrote.

And the judge at one point in her decision referenced Stone's earlier political hero, President Richard Nixon, citing a 1975 ruling in which the federal appeals court for the District of Columbia "refused to equate views about President Nixon with an inability to be impartial to someone who worked in the White House, an even closer connection than the one here."

Stone has a tattoo of Nixon's face on his back.

Jackson, in a separate order, said, "The defendant must surrender for service of his sentence at the institution designated by the Bureau of Prisons at such time as he is notified by the U.S. Probation or Pretrial Services Office, but no earlier than fourteen days after the date of this order."

Stone was convicted last fall in Washington federal court of seven felony counts.

Jurors found that he lied to a House committee about talked with Trump's presidential campaign about his efforts to get information from the document disclosure group WikiLeaks about emails stolen by Russian agents from John Podesta, the head of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and from the Democratic National Committee.

The emails were made public by WikiLeaks in 2016. Disclosures of their contents embarrassed Clinton's campaign and the DNC.

Jurors also found that Stone had threatened his associate Randy Credico, a New York comedian, in an effort to get Credico to back up his misstatements to the House committee.

In February, as Stone's sentencing date approached, a controversy erupted over Trump's public statements about the case, and over the involvement in the case of Attorney General William Barr.

The uproar led directly to Stone's request for a new trial.
Bookings for winter flights on easyJet are well ahead of the same time last year, the carrier says.

The 337-strong aircraft fleet of Britains biggest budget airline is currently grounded because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a trading update, easyJet said: Bookings for winter are well ahead of the equivalent point last year.

However, the figure includes passengers with cancelled flights who have rebooked for later dates rather than battle to get a cash refund.

Under European air passengers rights rules, such travellers are entitled to their money back within seven days.

But easyJet, along with British Airways, removed the straightforward online refund function for passengers whose flights it cancelled.

Customers who were prepared to rebook for future flights or take a voucher could do so swiftly and easily online.

But easyJet passengers who wanted their money back were told: Currently, its only possible to request a refund by contacting our Customer Service Team on 0330 365 5000. Unfortunately, they are very busy at the moment, so many customers are enduring long waits on hold."

The airline says it is now offering refunds through a form on the website.

But the previous stance appears to have boosted forward sales figures. According to easyJets figures, fewer than half the disrupted passengers pursue cash refunds, with the majority settling for postponed flights or vouchers.

The Luton-based airline also predicted that its first-half financial results, covering October 2019 to March 2020, would be ahead of the previous year.

The trading update anticipated a first-half headline loss in the range 185m-205m, compared with a 275m loss a year earlier.

The airlines chief executive, Johan Lundgren, said: Our first half trading performance was very strong prior to the impact of coronavirus, which shows the strength of easyJets business model.

But the update revealed easyJet may shrink by up to one-sixth as a result of the Covid-19 crisis  reducing its fleet to 281 aircraft by September 2023.

The most optimistic scenario shows the fleet size remaining largely flat for the next three years.

The carrier has deferred deliveries of 24 new Airbus planes, and is cutting costs  including furloughing most of its UK staff under the governments Job Retention Scheme.

Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart  DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe  Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

These decisive actions mean that easyJet is well positioned to endure a prolonged grounding, said Mr Lundgren.

He added that easyJets management is maintaining a level of flexibility that will be very important when this crisis ends.

The airline acknowledged that there can be no certainty of the date for restarting commercial flights but said it could be achieved with as little as two weeks notice.

At present, easyJet has operating costs of around 5m per day, compared with 18m per day when it is flying normally.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in's ruling coalition scored the largest parliamentary election victory since the end of military-backed rule more than three decades ago, signaling to global leaders that a strong pandemic response can win votes.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and its satellite group won 180 places in the 300-seat National Assembly, according to data from South Korea's election commission. Voter turnout was at about 66%, the highest in 28 years, and the results were seen as a show of support for Moon's handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

"This is a reminder that people respond to steady, trustworthy leadership in times of crisis," said Mintaro Oba, a former American diplomat who worked on Korean Peninsula issues. "Moon Jae-in showed you can win elections on a cult of competence instead of a cult of personality."

The result gives Moon's progressive camp a three-fifths supermajority, allowing it to push through legislation without opposition votes, including a supplemental stimulus budget announced Thursday. The victory adds momentum to the bloc's key goals to reduce income inequality by prioritizing wages, reforming chaebol conglomerates and tightening rules on expensive housing development.

Shares of companies in South Korea's nuclear power industry fell in early trade Thursday on worries that Moon victory's would add to his push to cut back on nuclear power.

"Policies that have met with opposition will now be passed more swiftly, and that's going to reduce policy uncertainties," said Nam Chang-woo, an economist at the Korea Development Institute. "Given the economy is falling into doldrums, it won't be easy to implement chaebol reforms right away, but they could come when the economy starts to recover."

Still, Moon fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority needed to enact more significant changes requiring constitutional amendments, such as allowing future presidents to serve more than one term. That term limit will increase attention on potential successors led by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who defeated opposition leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, in one of the election's most closely watched races.

Hwang said he would step down from his post in the United Future Party. The conservative group picked up seats to reach a total of 103, but mostly at the expense of smaller groups in parliament and not the ruling party.

"What the people showed through the election was their earnest desire, a desire that supports the government's efforts to overcome the nationwide crisis," Moon said in a statement. "The government will consider this a heavy responsibility, not be arrogant, and listen to the voices of the people in a modest manner."

Like other world leaders, Moon stumbled in his early response to the pandemic, having predicted that the virus would be terminated "before long" only to see cases spike days later. But the government's focus on mass testing and isolation of the sick to corral coronavirus clusters has been credited with a sharp slowdown in the spread, with new cases now at their lowest levels since February.

His approval rating shot up to 57% from 42% during the crisis as South Korea won global praise for its response to the outbreak.

South Korea's decision to hold the election contrasts with some U.S. states that have delayed presidential primaries and France, which suspended some local elections after cases began to multiply. Poland plans to conduct its May 10 presidential election by mail-in ballot.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo congratulated South Korea on successfully holding an election, saying its "dedication to democratic values in the face of a global pandemic is a hallmark of a truly free, open, and transparent society -- qualities that are necessary in facing the current crisis." He called it "a model for others around the world."

South Korea took precautions to keep voters safe: They were required to stand at least one meter (3 feet) apart, cover their faces, wear disposable gloves and be ready to submit to temperature checks, while voting booths were frequently disinfected.

The virus provided an opportunity for Moon to rebuild support battered by an economic slowdown, corruption scandals involving presidential aides and resurgent tensions with North Korea, which fired missile barrages on the eve of the election in a show of force. The vote came about halfway through Moon's single, five-year term, a point when an electoral defeat made his predecessor, former President Park Geun-hye, a lame duck and ultimately paved the way for her impeachment and removal.

Before the results were released, South Korea unveiled a second extra budget worth 7.6 trillion won ($6.2 billion) to pay for emergency cash handouts to people as the virus threatens jobs and wages.

"We've seen more defeats of a ruling party in interim elections in Korean history, so this is a rare case that a sitting president wins," said Lee Jae-mook, who teaches political science at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

Postponing the election would have been a worrisome precedent, with many Moon supporters being among those who took to the streets in the 1980s to end autocratic rule.

"South Koreans have been traumatized by living under the authoritarian regimes of the past and see elections as essential," said Duyeon Kim, a senior adviser on Northeast Asia and nuclear policy at the International Crisis Group.
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In the wake of COVID-19, items such as hand sanitizer, cleaning solutions and other household essentials have become coveted commodities. In an effort to ensure those in the Auburn community continuing to serve are protected, faculty, staff and students at the Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy came together to compound, package and deliver hand sanitizer.

We are all facing new challenges together and we know we are having to come up with unique solutions to address this unique problem, said Richard A. Hansen, dean of the Harrison School of Pharmacy. We would like to contribute by manufacturing hand sanitizer for our friends and families and employees who are remaining on the job in the community.

Hand sanitizer is important because it helps to kill off infectious agents on the skin, such as bacteria and viruses. While proper handwashing with soap and water is the most effective practice, hand sanitizer is useful for those times when soap and water are not readily available.

For the prevention of coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. Lastly, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

After the university moved to its alternate operating procedure in late March, Dean Hansen approached Erika Kleppinger and Kevin Astle, both faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, about compounding hand sanitizer. Kimberly Braxton Lloyd, associate dean for clinical affairs and outreach, received permission from the Alabama Board of Pharmacy to compound in the schools skills labs as an extension of the Auburn University Employee Pharmacy. Additionally, the project received funding from the Auburn University Concessions Board.

After ordering supplies, the group collaborated with Feng Li and Jay Ramapuram, faculty from the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, to finalize calculations and formulations.

On April 7, the first batches were compounded and bottled with the first wave of distribution occurring later in the week. First recipients of the hand sanitizer were the City of Auburn Department of Public Safety, Auburn University Facilities and Auburn University Human Resources, as well as pharmacies in the community.

They have produced more than 500 bottles so far, but once more supplies come in, the plan is to do a few thousand.

With the shortage of hand sanitizer and a heavier workload for health care professionals, the group identified this project as a way for the school of pharmacy to utilize its expertise and facilities to fill a need in the community.

During this pandemic, local pharmacies have had an increased volume of prescriptions to fill and also are dealing with different workflow situations, said Kleppinger. There are recipes on the internet to make homemade hand sanitizer, however the raw ingredients may not be readily available.

Pharmacists have expertise in compounding techniques and access to ordering raw ingredients, so that quality products can be made, however they are overwhelmed with their current situation. As a school of pharmacy, we have the personnel, facilities, supplies and equipment to compound on a larger scale than most community pharmacies and have contacts throughout the community to distribute to those most in need. This is one small way that we can contribute to the outreach mission of Auburn University.

The project also serves as an opportunity for students to put into practice what they learn in the classroom. Student volunteers have the opportunity to assist in the compounding and packaging. To maintain social distancing standards, no more than 10 people are allowed in the lab at a time.

While this preparation is not difficult, understanding the basics of weighing, measuring and pharmaceutical compounding is important and students were able to jump in and help with minimal instructions, said Kleppinger. Student involvement helps to reinforce the techniques they have used in the lab and allows them to apply concepts in a real-world environment.

The Harrison School of Pharmacy emphasizes the principles of teaching, research and outreach in each of the schools efforts. For Kleppinger, being a part of this project was a way to combine each of those in a meaningful and practical way.

I love that this was a way to incorporate my knowledge as a pharmacist, my role as a skills lab coordinator and my passion for teaching into one project, said Kleppinger. It was all worth it when I got to see everyonepharmacist faculty, research faculty and student pharmacistsworking together. I think everyone learned something throughout the process and it felt good to know that we were compounding something that many people are in need of right now.
A terminally ill south Belfast man has called for NHS workers losing their lives amid the coronavirus pandemic to be posthumously awarded for their sacrifice.

Philip McGarry (53), who was born here but has lived in Wales since 1990, has witnessed first-hand the work healthcare staff put into their patients after he was diagnosed with two rare forms of cancer last year.

The operations controller was diagnosed with maxillofacial carcinoma in June and underwent a 14-hour procedure before chemotherapy, but was not expected to survive to Christmas.

However, after making it through to the New Year with his wife and young daughter, a melanoma was removed from one of Philip's lungs in February.

He is now waiting for his next round of chemotherapy.

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Despite receiving palliative care, Philip says he does not fear death and is now focusing on his wife Lisa, their daughter Scarlett (4) and achieving his desire to see those sacrificing their lives in the National Health Service honoured as the battle against Covid-19 rages on.

Philip's ultimate dream is to see those doctors and nurses receive a form of the Elizabeth Cross, which is given to the next of kin of British Armed Forces members who have been killed in action.

He calls it the Elizabeth Medal.

"Like most people in the country I was shocked and saddened by the number of deaths within the ranks of the NHS," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"These people, many from overseas, are giving their lives selflessly in the line of duty.

"It struck me that if they were in the military on campaign defending our freedoms, and interests abroad, or indeed at home, they would probably receive a medal.

"It is the case that the police service and indeed the fire service receive gallantry medals, and we have both the George Cross and Elizabeth Cross for civilians.

"However, I felt that any award of this nature should be unique. From those thoughts sprung the idea of the Elizabeth Medal.

"I put the idea on Facebook and it grew from there. People have suggested other fields of services: lorry drivers, care workers, retail assistants, etc."

Hoping that some form of recognition will be handed out to workers who have passed away due to coronavirus, Philip also wants to see those working on the front line awarded for their monumental efforts.

Two of his consultants have been diagnosed with Covid-19, and Philip and his family have been self-isolating due to his poor health.

"My cancer has meant that my immune system has been low for the best part of a year, therefore I have been restricting my movements prior to Covid-19 spreading as it has," he explained.

"My concern is that while we all appreciate the current situation, especially for those of us who have weakened immune systems, we are nowhere near able to know or determine whether those who have had the disease will still carry the virus in the future and thus run a risk of continuing to spread the disease to the vulnerable much further down the line."

Describing the healthcare workers who have supported him throughout his treatment as "incredible", Philip said they have been on his mind throughout the coronavirus crisis.

"You can be in the darkest of places mentally and those guys can lift you up in a heartbeat," he said.

"Dying of cancer, for some of us, is a very long road and the team that surround you on that journey are incredible.

"Covid-19 is swift, but like cancer it is unforgiving for some.

"The care and compassion that the nursing staff - and I include the orderlies, the cleaning staff and hospital volunteers - naturally give is awe-inspiring."
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Wednesday that she would accept an offer to be Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's running mate if the position were offered.

'Yes,' said Warren when she was asked how she would respond if Biden asked her to serve as his vice president.

Biden, who was Barack Obama's vice president, has vowed to pick a woman to be his running mate and said he would name a committee to help him vet a shortlist of names soon.

Maddow: If [Joe Biden] asked you to be his running mate, would you say yes?

Warren: Yes. pic.twitter.com/02qruQf2YH  Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) April 16, 2020

Joe Biden (L) and Elizabeth Warren clashed on numerous occasions during the Democratic candidate televised debates

Warren endorsed Biden earlier on Wednesday, joining key Democrat figures including Senator Bernie Sanders and Obama to back Biden in the up-coming 2020 general election, in which Biden is all-but-certain to face down President Donald Trump.

'We're all in this together now,' Warren said in her endorsement.

In the video announcing her support, Warren emphasized Biden's empathy, contrasting his leadership style to that of President Donald Trump's. 'Empathy matters,' she said.

Warren ended her own bid for the White House last month and became known for championing detailed and sweeping liberal reforms which she also touched on in the interview with MNSBC in which she said she would join Biden's ticket.

'You know me. You know what I've been fighting for all of my career,' she said so that hard working people across this country get a real chance and that opportunity doesn't just go to a handful of folks at the top, it really does go to everybody in this country, and that we make the investments to make that happen.'

Biden and Warren's relationship goes back as far as 2005 when the pair clashed during a hearing over a Bankruptcy bill while Biden was a senator and Warren was still a professor at Harvard Law school

During the interview, the senator described how her relationship with Biden goes back a long time, during which they have had many conversations about how to make America an inclusive country for everyone.

'My conversations with Joe Biden long pre-date this presidential race, they pre-date the 2016 [election]. We've had a lot of conversations about how we build an America going forward with lots of different pieces and parts to that,' she explained.

These conversions with Biden can now resume after she herself dropped out of the race, Warren said. 'I'm in this fight to help in any way I can. To help on the policy front. To help by getting out there and talking [to people].'

She told the MNSBC anchor that the coronavirus crisis has shown the need for 'a leader that we can count on in a crisis. It's not Donald Trump, it is Joe Biden,' she concluded.

Before the end of the segment, the anchor got in one last question, asking: 'If he asked you to be his running mate, would you say yes?' Without hesitation, Warren gave a resounding - 'Yes.'

Biden has been working to win the support of more liberal parts of the party ahead of his battle against President Donald Trump in the November 3 election, and Warren's endorsement came days after Biden embraced some of the senator's policies to combat the coronavirus.

These plans include cancelling student debt, expanding Social Security benefits during the pandemic, and overhauling the nation's bankruptcy system which she promoted during her own campaign.

Warren joins Democrat party big-hitters such as former President Barack Obama (pictured in his endorsement video) and Senator Bernie sanders, a candidate himself until last week, in endorsing Joe Biden

Biden and Warren's relationship has been tested over the years. As far back as 2005, the pair clashed during a congressional hearing on a bankruptcy bill while Warren was a Harvard Law School professor and expert on the topic, and Biden was a Delaware senator.

When Warren became a senator she said that Biden, who swore her into office, recalled the incident, saying: 'Joe Biden was there at the very moment I became a Senator, and when he did, he said "you gave me hell! And you're gonna do a great job."'

A spokesman for the Biden campaign declined to comment on Warren's remarks in the MNSBC interview.

Several people likely to be in contention for the running mate role have expressed their openness to being considered.

'I would be an excellent running mate,' former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said in an interview published by Elle on Wednesday. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer told NBC News on Wednesday that she was 'fortunate' to be considered for the position.
El presidente @MartinVizcarraC informa sobre la situacion del Estado de Emergencia en el #Dia32 y las acciones que realiza el Gobierno para contener la propagacion del COVID-19. En vivo: https://t.co/4b0DeGFOzw https://t.co/kNzMn4PtXO
WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

First consignment of paracetamol set to be distributed in UK

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The British government has hailed India-UK trade ties as the first consignment of 2,800,000 packets of paracetamol from India is set to be distributed across the country's supermarkets and retailers to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The shipment followed India's decision to lift export restrictions on essential drugs, but further discussions were required for the UK's urgent need for paracetamol.

Coronavirus: Paracetamol price rises by 40% in India due to shut down in China

"This will mean nearly 3 million more packets of paracetamol on British supermarket shelves," UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Coronavirus is the largest threat we have all faced in decades, so it's imperative that we work together to continue global trade and keep supply chains open. I'd like to extend a big thank you to officials both in the UK and India who worked hard on this agreement and I look forward to working with India and other countries soon to ensure we beat COVID-19," she said.

Last week, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister, Lord Tariq Ahmad, had also highlighted the export consignment of paracetamol as a sign of the close cooperation between India and the UK.

"The UK and India continue to work in close partnership to respond to the COVID-19 threat. My sincere thanks on behalf of the UK government to India for approving this important shipment," said Ahmad.

UK PM Boris Johnson takes short walks, doing puzzles, watching movies in hospital

The shipment arrived as a series of charter flights laid on by the UK government to ferry thousands of British residents stranded in India's coronavirus lockdown began landing in the UK since earlier this month.

The FCO says that the flight will make "serious inroads" into repatriating the estimated 21,000 Britons in India, with an end of April target set for getting the majority who wish to return to their homes in the UK.
Hyderabad, April 16 : A day after showing a downtrend, COVID-19 cases in Telangana spiked again with 50 persons testing positive on Thursday.

With this the total number of positive cases in the state rose to 700. No death was reported on Thursday. The death toll now stands at 18.

State Health Minister Eatala Rajender told reporters that 50 persons tested positive out of 800 samples tested during the last 24 hours. He said 90 per cent of the cases were from Hyderabad.

He said 68 persons would be discharged from hospital on Thursday. This would take the total number of patients recovered and discharged to 186.

The health department is focusing on containment zones created in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), which account for the majority of the cases.

He said some of those who had come in contact with the returnees from the Markaz meet in Delhi had still not reported to authorities. He appealed to all such people to report to authorities immediately to save themselves and their families.

Rajender pointed out that coronavirus spread among the families of the attendees of the Markaz meet. "From six persons the virus spread to as many as 81 people," he said.

The minister said the government was trying to replicate in Hyderabad the containment strategy implemented in Karimnagar. He said though the 10 Indonesians who tested positive visited several houses in Karimnagar, the health personnel succeeded in containing the spread.

He also stated that the intensity of the spread is more in Hyderabad compared to the districts.

The state had reported only six cases on Wednesday but the samples tested were from outside Hyderabad.
New York City officials are starting to lay contingency plans if deaths from the coronavirus outbreak begin to overwhelm the capacity of morgues: temporarily burying the dead on public land.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that the city would consider temporary burials if the deaths from the coronavirus outbreak exceed the space available in city and hospital morgues, but it had not reached that point.

Its going to be very tough but we have the capacity, the mayor said at a news conference at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

If we need to do temporary burials to be able to tide us over to pass the crisis, and then work with each family on their appropriate arrangements, we have the ability to do that, he said, adding, We may well be dealing with temporary burials so we can deal with each family later.

Earlier Monday, the chairman of the City Council health committee, Mark Levine, had sparked an uproar among city residents when he said on Twitter that the office of the chief medical examiner was looking into creating temporary mass graves in a public park.

The mayor firmly denied there were plans to use a park as a temporary grave site. His press secretary, Freddi Goldstein, said that if such a step became necessary, the city would bury people on Hart Island in the Bronx.

The city medical examiners office said in a statement that no final decision on using temporary burials had been made and the morgues still had adequate capacity at this time.

Governor Andrew Cuomo also said Monday that he had heard nothing about the possibility of burying people temporarily in parks. I have heard a lot of wild rumors but I have not heard anything about the city burying people in parks, the governor said at his daily briefing.

In the evening, Levine put out another statement saying city officials had given him unequivocal assurance that no burials would take place in parks.

After the mayor and governor weighed in  and after Levines comments caused a stir among some New Yorkers  the councilman wrote on Twitter that what he was describing was a contingency plan, and that if the death rate drops enough it will not be necessary.

Last week, the medical examiners office rushed 45 new refrigerated trailers to hospitals around the city which had started to report that their in-house morgues were filling up. The delivery of the mobile freezer units came as part of a plan  the Pandemic Influenza Surge Plan for In- and Out-of-Hospital Deaths  that the medical examiner has been using to deal with the sharp rise in the number of bodies.

Levine said plans for the possible use of temporary interment had been mapped out as part of that plan. He said in a series of Twitter messages that the city had to face the reality that traditional burial system has largely frozen up.

We are relying on freezers now to hold bodies, but that capacity is almost entirely used up, he said, describing temporary interment as essentially an extension of the freezer system.

In recent days, the virus has tripled the number of people dying in the city compared with an average day.

Not only are hundreds of people dying in hospitals, straining their morgues, but the number dying at home is exploding, said Aja Worthy Davis, a spokeswoman for the medical examiners office. Before the pandemic, she said, at-home deaths ranged between 20 and 25 a day. Now they average around 200, she said.

Alan Feuer and Liam Stack c.2020 The New York Times Company
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Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 15:46 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd25199e 1 Business Trade,imports,exports,capital-goods,BPS,data,COVID-19,coronavirus,APINDO Free

Indonesias trade surplus and relatively resilient export figures in March may not be sustained in the near future and reflects a raw material supply disruption that threatens the growth of local manufacturing businesses, economists say.

Even though Indonesia recorded a US$743 million trade surplus in March with a slight contraction in export and import growth, capital goods imports contracted 18 percent year-on-year (yoy) to $1.8 billion. The data indicates supply disruptions and weaknesses in the domestic manufacturing industry, said Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) deputy chairwoman Shinta Kamdani.

This is not good news because the existence and growth of the countrys industrialization and businesses are being threatened despite the recent trade surplus, Shinta told The Jakarta Post.

The manufacturing industry accounts for nearly 20 percent of Indonesias gross domestic product (GDP). Factory activity suffered its deepest contraction in history at 45.64 percent, according to Bank Indonesias Prompt Manufacturing Index.

Indonesia recorded $14.09 billion in exports in March, a 0.2 percent contraction yoy, while total imports contracted 0.75 percent yoy to $13.35 billion, driven by a decrease in imports of capital goods. The World Trade Organization (WTO) projected that global trade would shrink by between 13 and 32 percent this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government should ensure the economy remains active to defend the countrys exports and pave way for quick economic recovery once the virus subsides, said Shinta, adding that the government should provide financial support for businesses to support the economy.

Read also: Indonesian exports, imports contract slightly in encouraging sign: BPS

During the January-March period, Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of $2.62 billion, compared with a deficit of $62.8 million in the same period last year, as exports rose 2.9 percent to $41.8 billion while imports fell 3.69 percent to $39.2 billion. Imports of capital goods contracted 13 percent to $5.86 billion in the first quarter.

We see that event though imported raw materials and capital goods are more likely to fall as economic activities halt amid the COVID-19 pandemic, weaker global growth than anticipated will cause demand and major commodity prices to decline, Bank Mandiri chief economist Andry Asmoro said in a research note. It will result in shrinking exports.

On the other hand, Andry went on to say, food and health equipment imports will keep increasing.

The situation will lower the trade surplus and cause a wider current account deficit position this year, he added.

Contacted separately, Bank Central Asia (BCA) economist David Sumual told the Post that the decline was in line with market expectations, adding that a lack of supply from China following its COVID-19 lockdown would have a negative impact on the countrys future exports.

We are lucky that the supply of raw materials and capital goods is enough until Idul Fitri in May, so it would fulfill domestic demand, said David. However, if the lockdown continues after May, it will have a huge impact on the global supply chain through a shortage of supply.

Bahana Sekuritas economist Satria Sambijantoro said although trade disruptions from COVID-19 were not evident in Indonesias March data, the risk on trade outlook remains on the downside.

We remain wary of possible supply chain disruptions in Indonesias trading partners, particularly Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the three manufacturing hubs from which Indonesian industries source their capital and intermediate goods imports, he wrote.
16.04.2020 LISTEN

The Ashanti region police command says it cannot readily point to criminal or malicious killings regarding the five bodies picked up from different locations in Kumasi.

According to the police, it will be too early to relate the deaths to COVID 19 as their preliminary checks swing closer to narcotic related triggers.

Two of the bodies were picked from the Race Course Market; one was picked from the Sokoban Wood village and the other from the Alabar enclave.

The last, a man in his 60s was found unconscious but died after he was rushed to the Kumasi South Hospital

Ultimate FMs Isaac Badiako Justice reported that per a briefing from the Regional Coordinating Council and the police, similar calls to these particular spots concerning dead bodies is not out of the ordinary.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti regional directorate of the Ghana Health Service has moved in to take samples to find out the actual cause of death.

---starrfmonline
PORTLAND, Oregon, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, "Doors Market by Type (Interior Doors and Exterior Doors), Material (Metal, Wood, Glass, Plastic, and Others), Mechanism (Swing Doors, Sliding Doors, Folding Doors, Revolving Doors, and Others), and Application (Sound Insulation Doors, Fire Protection Doors, Moisture Resistant & Wet Room Doors, Smoke Protection Doors, Radiation Protection Doors, Burglary Protection Doors, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026". According to the report, the global doors market was pegged at $120.80 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $182.07 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2019 to 2026.

Major drivers of the market growth

Rapid urbanization & industrialization, increase in consumer spending on home remodeling, and surge in residential & non-residential construction have boosted the growth of the global doors market. However, fluctuation raw materials prices and high initial costs and predictive maintenance for automatic doors hamper the market. On the contrary, technological advancement to ensure safety & security and government investments in the building infrastructure sector are expected to create lucrative opportunities for the market players in the coming years.

The wood segment dominated the market

The wood segment held the largest share in 2018, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global doors market, as wooden frame serves as one of the preferred materials in the exterior door market. However, the glass segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period, as glass doors provide an aesthetic appearance to the house and require less maintenance than other composite materials.

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The sliding doors segment to manifest the highest CAGR through 2026

The sliding doors segment is anticipated to portray the CAGR of 6.2% during the study period, as sliding doors enhance the aesthetic appeal and ensure an adequate flow of natural light inside the building. However, the swing doors segment held the largest share in 2018, contributing to more than two-fifths of the global doors market, as the swing doors are highly durable, easily accessible, and deliver better airflow and cross ventilation.

Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe and North America, held the lion's share

The global doors market across Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe and North America, held the largest share in 2018, accounting for nearly half of the market. Moreover, the region is expected to register the highest CAGR of 5.9% during the study period, owing to rapid urbanization. Also, the presence of a large population contributes toward the growth of the doors market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Major market players

The report includes an in-depth analysis of the major market players including agta record ltd., ASSA ABLOY Group, American Automatic Doors, Inc., FAAC S.p.A., Soc. Unipersonale, dormakaba Holding AG, Gilgen Door Systems AG, GEZE GmbH, GRAUTHOFF Turgruppe GmbH, Godrej Security Solutions, Gretsch--Unitas GmbH, Griffon Corporation Inc., Jansen Holding GmbH, Horton Automatics, KONE Corporation, JELD-WEN Holding, Inc., Lindner Group KG, LABEL S.p.a., Nabtesco Corporation, MANUSA GEST S.L, Portalp, neuform-Turwerk Hans Glock GmbH & Co.KG, ReinaerdtTur GmbH, Royal Boon Edam International B.V., SchorghuberSpezialturen KG, Sanwa Holdings Corporation, TORMAX, and STANLEY Access Technologies LLC.

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Automatic Door Market is Expected to Reach $41.7 Billion by 2026

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The formation of Dongfeng-31AG nuclear missiles takes part in a military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Pan Yulong)

By Hou Guoquan and Zhang Bing

BEIJING, April 16 -- The Equipment Development Department (EDD) under China's Central Military Commission (CMC), in collaboration with the State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) and the PLA Academy of Military Science, has officially launched the compilation of Weapons and Equipment History of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which is expected to be completed in 2027.

From the crude equipment when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was established in 1927 to today's advanced weaponry, the Chinese PLA has achieved a great leap in weapons and equipment R&D over the past 93 years.

To objectively record the PLA's evolution from scratch to modernization step by step, and to provide historical reference and inspiration for the future, the PLA Equipment Development Department has taken the lead in compiling the PLA Weapons and Equipment History.

It will chronicle the development of iconic equipment and milestone events through scientifically divided historical stages, and make comprehensive, objective and accurate description of the PLA's development process on weapons and equipment.

Currently, the compilation team is making in-depth interviews with the retired leaders and veteran experts in the field of military equipment R&D, collecting extensive historical materials, and simultaneously performing systematic analysis to refine key entries.
The only hospital in Grand Island, Neb., is full. The mayor has asked for a statewide stay-at-home order that the GOP governor insists isnt needed. More than one-third of those tested for coronavirus in the surrounding county are positive  and there arent enough tests to go around.

Grand Island is the fourth-biggest city in a state President Donald Trump and his top health officials repeatedly name check for keeping the virus at bay without the strict lockdowns 42 other states have imposed.

Except that new cases there and in Iowa, South Dakota and other parts of the heartland are starting to spike, raising concern about new hot spots that could quash Trumps push to reopen the economy and extend the public health crisis well into the summer.

Trump and red state governors for weeks have fairly bragged about how large parts of the farm belt have escaped the ravages of the virus without the enforced shelter-in-place policies common on both coasts. Its still unclear whether the states actually flattened the curve, or if the virus just reached there later. But now, cases are erupting, threatening a local population that doesnt always have easy access to the same health care as more urban areas. And the outbreaks are striking the heart of the nations farming and meatpacking industry, potentially disrupting the national distribution of food as meat processing plants close down and truckers who move food across the country are sidelined by illness.

Grand Island and surrounding Hall County have 214 confirmed cases of coronavirus, nearly a quarter of the states total. At least 28 workers at JBS USA beef plant, Grand Islands largest employer, have tested positive.

The concern is where we are going, not where we are today, said Chuck Haase, a member of the Grand Island City Council.

Nebraskas case count has jumped nearly 30 percent in the last three days, according to the state health department. But even as cases grow in places like Grand Island and Douglas County, home to Omaha, Gov. Pete Ricketts is adamant his plan built around voluntary social distancing is working.

Story continues

This is a program that depends on people exercising personal responsibility and their civic duty," Ricketts said Wednesday. "This is about making that decision, not the heavy hand of government taking away your freedoms.

Thats why he feels the measures hes put in place  urging residents to stay home, avoid large gatherings and use the six-foot rule as much as possible at work  are doing the trick without the need for a statewide stay-at-home order.

In this Sunday, April 12, 2020 photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, right, helps Arkansas National Guardsmen unload a truckload of personal protective equipment at the Federal Surplus Warehouse in Little Rock, Ark. (Tommy Metthe/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

The seven other holdout states  Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming  similarly say theyre not looking at ordering residents to stay at home.

Weve avoided the cataclysmic outcomes weve seen in other countries and other locations, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum boasted in a press conference earlier this week, noting that hospitalizations in the state are only in the teens and deaths remain in single digits.

But researchers and health experts caution that no state is immune no matter how robust its health system or sparse its population.

Perhaps there are governors who believe they have the medical capacity to deal with this [without a lockdown order], said Charles Branas, the chair of the Epidemiology Department at Columbia University, who developed a model tracking hospital shortages and virus outbreaks around the country. But I dont know if that is wise, because once it gets out it can spread unabated and overwhelm any medical system of any size. Every state is at risk and should have aggressive social distancing policies.

Over the last five days, confirmed cases have increased more than 30 percent in North Dakota, 22 percent in Arkansas, 26 percent in Oklahoma, and 260 percent in South Dakota. That compares to roughly 26 percent over the same period in New York, the epicenter of the pandemic.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that these states could lead the way in his plan to reopen the nations economy in beautiful little pieces.

They have fewer people and have lots of room, he said at the White House on Tuesday night. There are numerous states that are in great shape right now...They are set to open practically now.

Reports from the ground, however, paint a different picture.

A pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakotas most populous city, was forced to close after about 240 employees contracted the virus. Republican Mayor Paul TenHaken asked Gov. Kristi Noem this week to issue a stay-at-home order in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, where more than 800 of the states 988 positive cases have been confirmed.

Noem refused, prompting the city council to introduce a three-week lockdown ordinance on its own that members lament will take a week just to pass.

Whatever we were doing wasnt working, and its taking off like crazy now, Pat Starr, a Sioux Falls City Council member, said of the virus.

He told POLITICO that the state lacks adequate testing, complicating efforts to mobilize to track the virus.

My concern is that we dont flatten the curve and so we overwhelm our medical facilities. We are not to that point yet, but were approaching it very quickly, Starr warned. Were gonna continue to see some really high numbers, and were going to see people that we cant take care of.

Iowa on Tuesday reported its single largest daily jump in confirmed cases  roughly half stemming from an outbreak at the Tyson Foods plant in Columbus Junction. Company officials closed the facility, one of the nations largest pork processing plants, earlier this month.

Meatpacking plants or the egg hatchery in Grand Island, which serves 10 percent of the U.S. egg market, are considered essential to the national food distribution network  meaning workers would gather regardless of a stay-at-home order. And outbreaks at other big agricultural facilities have occurred even in states with lockdowns.

The governors who have held off also argue that their more tailored executive orders, which limit business and encourage people to stay home, accomplish the same goal as stay-at-home orders with less economic pain  and keep the health system from being overwhelmed the way it was in New York and New Jersey.

By that metric, these governors say they are doing well.

Were on a good trajectory under the circumstances, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told POLITICO on Wednesday. Were beating the curve and flattening it.

Just a few weeks ago, the state predicted a peak of 1,000 hospitalizations and made tentative plans to build field hospitals. But with just over 1,500 total cases, fewer than 100 hospitalizations and 33 deaths, Hutchinson said those plans will now be shelved unless something goes totally haywire.

Though it's still not clear if the virus is just taking longer to reach the state, the governor credits his more targeted approach of closing schools, banning some out-of-state visitors and shutting down some businesses and public spaces  combined with ramped-up testing and contact tracing in nursing homes and prisons  for suppressing the disease. He claims these steps have made Arkansas a potential model for transitioning the rest of the country out of lockdown.

We are where other states need to go, he said. When we have the capacity to do testing and contact tracing and isolation, that allows us, if were disciplined, to lift some restrictions. In that sense, we can prove to be a way out for other places.

Multiple models tracking hospital capacity currently predict that not one county in Arkansas will see its medical system overwhelmed. One of those models, however, assumes that the state will order residents to stay home and close more nonessential businesses, while the other assumes that residents will voluntarily decrease their interactions with others by at least 30 percent.

Some local officials worry that isnt happening, and say the lack of a stay-at-home order may make residents complacent.

I do think it would send a clearer message to Arkansans [to have a stay-at-home order], said Greg Leding, a Democratic state senator from the Fayetteville area. I represent a college town and just this weekend a fraternity held what appeared to be a large party where no one was practicing social distancing. Thats really troubling.

Leaders in North Dakota and Wyoming, which have some of the lowest number of cases and deaths in the nation, cited their aggressive contact tracing efforts as one reason they felt they did not need a broader stay-at-home order.

We can be targeted in our isolation as opposed to these broad-based, shut-down-the-whole-economy approaches, North Dakota Gov. Burgum said, describing the states work sending teams of contact tracers into areas with an outbreak. We want these rapid response teams that can do this, so we make sure a mini-hot spot doesnt blow into a big prairie fire. Testing and contact tracing have to be part of our way of life.

Burgum is confident the states voluntary social distancing guidelines are working, but he predicts it will be hard, with a longer, flatter curve, to persuade residents to keep up the restrictions in the months ahead, especially if the president orders other states to reopen. On Wednesday, he ordered the states restrictions extended for 10 days.

One of the challenges were going to face in North Dakota is that we might be going up [in cases] while other states are on their way down and thats going to be confusing for people, he said. Theyll say: Wow, New York had all these deaths and theyre opening up. Why arent we opening up?

Elected officials in Utah, which has one of the top testing rates in the country, credit partnerships with the private sector and nonprofits for tracking and mitigating the spread of the virus. The state has tested more than 47,000 people and has enough capacity to do random testing to potentially identify residents who may be asymptomatic.

About half of the states 2,542 cases are confirmed in Salt Lake County, where a majority of Utahs Covid 19-related hospitalizations have occurred. And the state believes it has hospital beds and ventilators to spare and that coronavirus cases are stabilizing.

I think that we will quickly enter this stabilization phase, perhaps faster than other states, said Tanner Ainge, chairman of the Utah County Commission.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox told POLITICO that Utah officials realized from the beginning how critical social distancing was because the state lacked testing capability early on. A significant increase in testing capacity and contact tracing, Cox said, was Utahs only way out of this crisis.

Cox said hes hopeful Utah can slowly and cautiously begin to reopen parts of its economy. But he indicated that there would be a new normal: continued social distancing, an emphasis on washing hands and sometimes asking residents to wear masks until a vaccine is widely available.

We feel like were definitely trending in the right direction, he said. But were also concerned about if we open everything up, do we get another spike, and what would that look like?
[April 16, 2020] Yahoo Small Business Announces New Get Online Program to Help Small Business COVID-19 Response

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Yahoo Small Business has announced it is offering a free Get Online program to support small businesses navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The new program includes a free package of services to provide SMBs with a digital presence, website, multiple emails, and expert advice to help them stay in contact with customers and remain flexible as the marketplace shifts in response to the global pandemic. "The impact of COVID-19 on the small business sector is devastating," said Kushagra Shrivastava, Managing Director of Yahoo Small Business. "At Yahoo Small Business, we're standing alongside entrepreneurs and small business owners, working hard to provide support as we navigate these unprecedented times together. It's our hope that this initiative will enable a significant number of small businesses to move online and stay in touch with their customers without having to worry about the cost." Business Maker Get Online Features The new Business Maker Get Online package includes services designed to help smll business owners stay in touch with current and new customers and update them on changes as they quickly pivot in response to COVID-19, for example changes in business hours, delivery options and engaging with staff. The package includes:



Domain name registration (yourbusiness.com)

Professional, custom branded email with five addresses

Website builder package with design tools and templates to quickly publish a professional website

Business plan creator to help entrepreneurs and small business owners plan next steps and help with documentation needed for relief initiatives

A Localworks Scan to see how a business appears online in 70 directories to help SMBs make updates to keep customers up to speed with changes to services

10 GB storage and unlimited bandwidth to avoid running out of digital space

Consultation time from a small business expert

Support representatives available 24/7 Yahoo Small Business COVID-19 Small Business Resource Center In addition to the Get Online package, Yahoo Small Business has created a COVID-19 Resource Center, a compilation of information to help the small business sector handle challenges resulting from the pandemic. The COVID-19 Small Business Resource Guide is updated daily with resources from government, non-profit and private companies to support small businesses during this crisis.

About Yahoo Small Business: Yahoo Small Business empowers business owners to launch and scale their ideas online. From creating a website to promoting a brand, our products help entrepreneurs succeed. For more information, visit https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/ Media Contact:

Katie Johnston

201-937-0609

[email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yahoo-small-business-announces-new-get-online-program-to-help-small-business-covid-19-response-301042013.html SOURCE Yahoo Small Business

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Measures to reduce the prison population, including the granting of bail and continued early release, must be ramped up to uphold minimum human rights standards and protect prisons from Covid-19, penal reformers say.

The calls were made after a court ruled that a decision by prison authorities to keep an inmate in his cell for 24 hours a day was justified given the challenges faced by the Irish Prison Service in having so many prisoners cocooning or in isolation.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust said that if this is the case the IPS and Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan need to accelerate actions to reduce prison numbers, including a presumption of bail for those charged with offences, the imposition of non-custodial sanctions for those convicted and appropriate early release of sentenced prisoners.

While much remains unknown about Covid-19, we do know that the virus will remain in the community for quite some time, said IPRT executive director, Fiona Ni Chinneide.

Responses that rely on lock-up for extended periods will exacerbate fears and tensions and increase the risk of violent incidents in prison.

"This is in addition to the serious risk to health that an outbreak of Covid-19 in crowded prisons would present.

She said that social distancing is almost impossible to achieve within normal operating capacity of prisons: The number of prisoners in the prison population (3,843 as 14 April 2020) is still far above the number of operational cells (3,149 as of 16 April 2019), meaning that many prisoners do not have access to single cells."

A further reduction in the prison population is essential in order to achieve a safe level of occupancy and protect both the health of the prison community and the communities that prisoners and staff return to," Ms Ni Chinneide added.

She said the churn of people processed through the prison system must be reduced and that there should be a presumption against committing people to prison for offences that attract terms of less than 12 months: Short-term custodial sentences are widely ineffective at any time, but in the context of Covid-19 could result in grave consequences.

"The 2014 cross-agency Strategic Review of Penal Policy recommended that imprisonment be regarded as a sanction of last resort in Ireland.

She said that pre-trial detention should be used as an an exceptional measure, with bail only denied in the most serious of cases.

The IPRT also called for guaranteed access to jails for the Office of the Inspector of Prisons in order to protect against human rights violations during the period.

Prison sources said earlier this month that they had nearly exhausted possibilities in terms of releasing early any more prisoners serving less than a 12-month sentence, saying that 292 inmates have been given temporary release since March 11.

The total number of prisoners on temporary release has actually reduced in recent weeks, from 600 on 3 April to 556 on 14 April.

The number of prisoners in custody has remained unchanged in that period, standing at 3,843.
Today, Ukraine returns the Ukrainians from the captivity of the militants  military, political prisoners, common citizens as Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky stated.

We need people to see the emotions of each person. I, as the common citizen, have only positive emotions. They are divided, of course. Positive, first of all, because today we return our people, the citizens of Ukraine. I am happy every time when we return, to be honest, our military, and heroes, and political prisoners and common citizens. Because for us, the common citizens are also the heroes because they were behind the bars, because they defended our country  Ukraine, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity, the president said.

Zelensky also stated that he is happy that the first part of the exchange took place and some of the Ukrainians are released.

It is the part, which stayed in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region. The actions take place to release people from occupied Luhansk region. But the time comes and we will return all of them, the president said.

Zelensky noted that the authority of the country returns everyone and within Minsk agreements and within agreements of the Normandy Four.

We release everyone. And we will fight until every Ukrainian returns home, Zelensky concluded.

Today, Ukraine and militants of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions hold the prisoner swap. 19 people had to be returned to Ukraine.

As we reported, militants of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic have handed over nine people to Ukraine as part of today's exchange near Horlivka and Mayorsk checkpoint.

Later, the Ukrainian side and the militants of the so-called Luhansk Peoples Republic held the prisoner swap at eleven for four formula.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Customer experience solutions company McorpCX, Inc. (TSXV: MCX,OTCQB: MCCX) ("McorpCX" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to sell all of the membership interests in its wholly-owned subsidiary, McorpCX, LLC, to an entity controlled by Michael Hinshaw, the current President of McorpCX, LLC. The Company's professional and related consulting services business, which currently constitutes substantially all of the Company's operations, is conducted through McorpCX, LLC. As consideration for the sale of McorpCX, LLC, the Company will receive an aggregate of $1,108,000 consisting of $352,000 in cash and a $756,000 promissory note. Upon completion of the sale of McorpCX, LLC, the Company intends to focus on growing the Company's software development and technology services business.

"After completing a thorough strategic review, which was undertaken with the support of independent financial and legal advisors, we believe that with the sale of McorpCX, LLC the Company is better positioned to focus on its original vision of being a technology-centric company," said Matthew Kruchko, President and CEO, McorpCX, Inc

Transaction highlights

As consideration for the sale of McorpCX, LLC, the Company will receive a total of $352,000, in cash consisting of $100,000 received upon the signing of the definitive purchase agreement and $252,000 to be received at the closing of the transaction along with a $756,000 promissory note. The proceeds from the sale of McorpCX, LLC, are expected to be applied to transaction costs as well as an investment toward becoming a technology services business.

The transaction expected to close in June 2020, subject to the approval of the majority of the outstanding shares of the Company held by disinterested shareholders, the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, the sale of all of the Company's common shares currently owed by Mr. Hinshaw to third parties on terms reasonably satisfactory to the Company, and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Company plans to file a proxy statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission seeking shareholder approval for the sale of substantially all of its assets as a result of the proposed transaction. The Company's board of directors has unanimously approved the definitive purchase agreement for the purposed sale of McorpCX, LLC. It will recommend the Company's shareholders also approve such agreement and the transactions thereunder.

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is serving as legal counsel to the Company.

About McorpCX

McorpCX (http://mcorp.cx) is a customer experience solutions company targeting customer-centric companies ranging from Fortune 100 brands to fast-moving mid-market leaders. McorpCX is focused on pursuing value-enhancing growth opportunities for its shareholders.

For more information, please contact:

General Information: 1-866-526-2655 toll-free in the U.S., or +1-415-526-2655

Investors: [email protected]

Website: http://mcorp.cx

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States securities laws and applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements are, in effect, management's attempt to predict future events, and thus are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management's views only as of the date hereof. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, regarding our financial position, business strategy and management's plans and objectives for future operations are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," and "intend" and words or phrases of similar meaning, as they relate to the Company and its management are intended to help identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that management's expectations as reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure readers that those expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Company's plan to complete the sale of McorpCX, LLC by June 2020, or at all, and the Company's ability to grow its software development and technology services business upon completion of such transaction. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these statements. Such factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to the following: the Company's ability to complete the sale of McorpCX, LLC on the anticipated terms and timetable; the possibility that various closing conditions for the proposed sale may not be satisfied or waived; the Company's ability to obtain shareholder approval for the sale of McorpCX, LLC; the Company's ability to obtain TSX-V approval for the sale of McorpCX, LLC; the Company's ability to achieve anticipated benefits from the proposed sale of McorpCX, LLC and operate successfully as a company focused on software development and technology services; global economic fluctuations, including the economic effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic; the Company's ability to successfully achieve its strategic initiatives; competition in the Company's markets; the negative cash flows and operating losses that may recur in the future; the Company's ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals; and the Company's ability to maintain costs at an acceptable level. In light of these and other uncertainties, including the Company's risk factors contained in the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the forward-looking statements included in this press release should not be regarded as a representation by the Company that its plans and objectives will be achieved. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements.

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

This press release does not constitute a solicitation of a vote or proxy. In connection with the proposed sale of McorpCX, LLC, the Company intends to file relevant materials with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including a proxy statement. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The proxy statement and certain other relevant materials (when they become available) and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, investors may obtain copies of these documents (when they become available) free of charge by written request to McorpCX, Inc., 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 or by calling (415) 526-2655.

Participants in the Solicitation

The Company and its executive officers and directors may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the executive officers and directors of the Company, and the number of shares of the Company's common stock beneficially owned by such persons, is set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 27, 2020. Additional information regarding the direct and indirect interests of the Company and its executive officers and directors in the transaction can be obtained by reading the proxy statement regarding the transaction when it becomes available.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE McorpCX, Inc.

Related Links

www.mcorp.cx


Mylab Discovery Solutions, the little known Pune-based molecular diagnostic company, shot into limelight after it became the first Indian company to receive commercial approval to supply RT-PCR kits for novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, testing. The three-year old company developed this testing kit within six-weeks of the outbreak.

Mylab says it is ramping up capacity and can produce up to 20 lakh test kits per week in a month's time. "We specialise in the test based on genetic material detection (RT-PCR testing)," said Hasmukh Rawal, Promoter and Managing Director of Mylab to Moneycontrol, citing the reason behind company's swiftness in launching the test kit.

The RT-PCR test kit consists of reagents, positive control and an internal control. To put it simply, it is like a ready to use recipe. A swab sample taken from the nose is processed using a RT-PCR machine to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The advantage of using a RT-PCR test kit is that it is accurate. RT-PCR based tests detect genetic material of virus in the sample rather than looking for antibodies, which detects response of the human body to the virus and is reliable only after the patient has developed antibodies.

The key feature of RT-PCR based test from Mylab, however, is that it cuts down the time taken. Mylab said its test kit called PathoDetect COVID-19 Qualitative PCR kit has enabled labs to reduce the time taken for a single test to 2.5 hours from 7.5 hours, greatly enhancing capability to test more persons for COVID-19.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

Further, the test kit has 100 percent concordance among true positive and true negative samples, indicating its high accuracy.

While this is fine on paper, Mylab had to find a way to scale up its manufacturing of test kits. It needed funds to scale up operations, buy reagents, secure logistics and get its supply chain in place.

The company bagged Rs 1 crore from Action COVID Team Grants a grant set up by top fund managers and blue-chip venture capital firms to back fledgling firms that on products and services to combat COVID-19.

But that wasnt going to be enough, soon Mylab found two investors partners Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, and Abhijit Pawar, Chairman of APG. They invested an undisclosed amount into the company, which is helping in ramping up capacity.

"We are in middle of ramping up our capacity. In March, our capacity was about 1.4 lakh per week, but we are ramping it up. If need be, we can go up to 20 lakh per week in a month," Rawal said.

Testing, contact tracing, and quarantine are three major tools deployed to effectively contain COVID-19 globally.

India, with a 1.3 billion population, has so far undertaken 2.75 lakh tests. South Korea, with a population of about 50 million, conducted over half a million tests. The reported cases in India zoomed to 12,456 cases.

With a delay in procurement antibody test kits, India is relying on RT-PCR testing. But so far prices of these test kits remains a problem. Indian government has capped the price of COVID-19 test in private labs at Rs 4,500. The price includes the cost of the test kit.

Mylab is offering the test kit at Rs 1,200. The management said it is open to review its pricing once it achieves scale.

Another promoter and Chairman Shailendra Kawade said the company is working hard to scale up. "We are working with various organisations to ensure that we are able to procure raw materials and deliver kits to the labs across the country," Kawade said.

Kawade added that the company with 50 employees is working in double shifts to meet the demand.

The company said it has no plans at the moment to get into manufacture of anti-body test kits.

The company was founded by Rawal and Kawade in 2016. Prior to that, the duo worked at US-based laboratory equipment gaint Thermo Fisher. They made up their mind to develop diagnostic solutions that are affordable and unique. Until now, Mylab has been self-funded, the duo have a trading business and a manufacturing business with a revenue of Rs 44 crore.

The COVID-19 kits are being manufactured at the companys manufacturing facility in the Lonavala Industrial Estate. The Mylab manufacturing facility, approved by Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is compliant with MDR 2017 regulation for manufacturing medical device of Class A,B,C and D and ISO 13485: 2016 certification.

Mylab's capabilities came to fore when Mylab became Indias first approved manufacturer for RT-PCR based molecular diagnostic kits (ID-NAT) for detection and quantification of HIV, HBV and HCV.

While not many people aware about Mylab outside, the launch of ID-NAT made medical diagnostic field take notice of it.
Columbia-Greene Media has recently teamed up with the US Postal Service to provide same-day delivery of your local newspaper with your mail. Our expanded daily delivery of your local news reaches into the following areas:
DHAKA, BangladeshBangladeshs coast guard has rescued 396 starving Rohingya refugees who had been drifting at sea for weeks after failing to reach Malaysia, officials said Thursday.

The UN refugee agency received them from the authorities, UNHCR said in a statement.

The refugees, including many women and children, were attempting to land on Bangladeshs coast in the Teknaf area in Coxs Bazar late Wednesday night, said Lt. Cmdr. M. Sohel Rana, the local head of the coast guard.

Officials gave varying accounts of whether those rescued had been among the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar.

Rana said the refugees started their journey for Malaysia about two months ago and had been drifting at sea for weeks.

They failed to reach Malaysia and returned, he said.

A.B.M. Masud Hossain, police superintendent in Coxs Bazar, said the refugees were lured by traffickers and the owner of the boat was a Myanmar Buddhist. The rescued refugees included 182 women and 64 children, he said.

Others said the refugees were from Bangladesh camps.

An intelligence official who talked to at least 10 refugees at the scene said they came from camps in Coxs Bazar. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The official said the boat had attempted to land in Malaysia at least seven times. He said one refugee told him that several people had died on the journey.

Local media reported that up to 28 people died but officials could not confirm it.

The United News of Bangladesh and bdnews24.com said they died of starvation.

The UNHCR could not confirm those reports. Spokeswoman Louise Donovan said in an email that the refugees were being transported to quarantine facilities, and would receive medical attention.

The UNHCR is grateful to the government and local authorities for enabling the safe disembarkation of close to 400 Rohingya refugees from a distress boat near Teknaf overnight, as well as to the local community for their quick action to provide immediate support, she said.

We understand these men, women and children were at sea for nearly two months in harrowing conditions and that many of them are extremely malnourished and dehydrated. Our primary concern is for peoples immediate health and first aid needs, she said.

She said they would enter a 14-day quarantine as a precaution against the coronavirus.
The condition of the needy across the country seems to be deteriorating with each passing day. While there are government-led food drives, NGOs distributing free food and good Samaritans volunteering to help the underprivileged, there are many who get left in the lurch.

Many don't have shelter or food to sustain themselves and heartbreaking visuals of their struggle are now showing us the reality on the ground.

More recently, a few migrant workers were reportedly seen eating discarded bananas rotting in the sun on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi on April 15. The men rummaged through the trash searching for any good ones that were left. The saddest part was, they were looking for edible bananas on a cremation ground.



Source/NDTV

According to an NDTV report, the heartbreaking incident occurred at the Nigambodh Ghat, one of the main cremation grounds in Delhi. The bananas were possibly used in rituals for the dead. In the course of their search for an edible banana, the workers came across one odd rotten roti.



"It is a banana... usually these don't go bad easily. If we pick well, they will last us a while," NDTV quoted a man looking for food as saying.

"We are not getting food regularly, so better to take these," said a migrant from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from this, scores of migrant workers have taken shelter in the banks of Yamuna and are sleeping in the open. Many have lost their jobs overnight, and have been left without food or shelter. Many are having been taking an arduous journey to get back to their village on foot for miles together.

Just the way migrants were seen scavenging for bananas, another disturbing visual that went viral a few days ago showed a man attempting to collect milk spilt on a road in Agra while a pack of stray dogs was drinking it too.

Lockdown Impact:

       

                   pic.twitter.com/OWvNg8EFIe  Kamal khan (@kamalkhan_NDTV) April 13, 2020





According to a report in NDTV, after a large milk container overturned and spilt a stream of milk down the road on Agras Ram Bagh Chauraha, a pack of dogs started drinking the spilt milk. The dogs were joined by a man who attempted to collect as much milk as possible in a small earthen pot. The video was shot in Agra's Ram Bagh crossing, merely six kilometers from Taj Mahal.
As Alabama works through the process of reopening the state, Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said Thursday that masks need to be a mandated part of the equation.

Wearing masks should be part of a new normal because the novel coronavirus wont instantly disappear, he said.

There has been a lot of conversation about opening up the economy and I think when we see that, I certainly hope that one of the recommendations that comes from the state when we open back up is a requirement to mask, said Spillers, who oversees medical centers within the Huntsville Hospital System throughout north Alabama. I think everybody in a store buying a product should be masked.

New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey have required wearing masks in public. So has the city of Los Angeles.

in Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey has established a task force to lay out a plan for relaxing the stay-at-home order that extends through April 30. The state has been under her shelter-at-home order since April 4. The state closed businesses deemed non-essential. Businesses that are permitted to operate are monitoring capacities and encouraging social distancing.

Masks are already required for everyone in Huntsville Hospital, Madison Hospital and Huntsvilles Crestwood Hospital. Madison Mayor Paul Finley said that wearing masks may eventually be required for entrance to city hall.

The nationwide guidelines for reopening the economy from President Donald Trump on Thursday called on states to strongly consider wearing face coverings while in public.

"I think more people need to be wearing masks," Spillers said. "It hasn't become habit yet. I'm guilty. I left it in my car and had to go back and get my mask. We just have to do it enough to make it a habit. I'm seeing a lot more homemade masks, which are great.

Whatever it takes to get people to wear a mask, the more people who wear masks, the better off we are. Hopefully people will continue to get masks and comply with that.

The availability of surgical masks or N95 masks has been an issue but homemade masks meeting certain criteria have received approval from the CDC. While those masks are not considered protection from being exposed to COVID-19, it is protection from spreading the virus yourself.

"I think up until now, it's been hard to require people to do that because of the availability of masks," Spillers said. "But I think going forward, everybody will have masks. We talk a lot about the new norm  the new norm being very different from anything we've dealt with in the past. I think we've all got to get used to some changes."

Finley pointed out that when the coronavirus first hit the U.S., social distancing was not yet realized as a defense and now it's become a household term. The same could go for wearing masks.

"We are getting better and better and better at understanding what we can help the community and help ourselves," he said.

A chart from Huntsville Hospital on April 16, 2020, reflecting a flattening of the curve of positive COVID-19 tests in Madison County.

Meanwhile, Spillers said that the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Madison County has slowed to the point that the area is seeing a flattening of the curve. Spillers displayed a chart that indicated the Huntsville area has slowed the spread of the virus without seeing what the medical community feared was a spike in positive cases that would strain  if not exhaust -- hospital resources.

The chart still reflects an increase in positive tests administered by the hospital but the rate has slowed to the point that the upward trajectory has leveled off since April 1. After going from no cases on March 17 to about 130 in less than two weeks on April 1, hospital-administered tests have gone from about 130 to 171 since April 1.

The Alabama Department of Public Health has Madison County with 198 confirmed tests overall. Spillers said that a small number of testing has been done beyond the auspices of the hospital to account for the additional cases.

As Spillers pointed to the flattening, however, he said it's always subject to change.

"All it takes is one large social gathering," he said. "That's why, as good as the numbers look, we can't let our guard down. We have to keep doing the things we're talking about doing or the positive direction we're going won't be that."

On Wednesday, Dr. Pam Hudson, CEO of Crestwood Hospital, also cited gains made in the fight against the virus.

"We're on solid track to claim success to flattening the curve," she said. "That doesn't mean we have beat COVID. It just means what we're doing is working; what you're doing is working. It also means the number of cases we are seeing that need hospitalization are well within the capabilities of your hospitals."

On Thursday, Spillers said there were 8 coronavirus patients hospitalized in Madison County and another 10 patients throughout the hospital system in north Alabama.

Relative to our population, he said, those are very small numbers.
Beijings iconic Summer Palace tourist resort is the home of a huge new ice rink thats opened just ahead of the Winter Olympics. The rink measures 300,000 square meters and consists of two areas designed for different types of activities. The city has opened seven municipal ice rinks and four snow resorts to the public. Since 2014, ice and snow activities in municipal parks have attracted nearly 2 million visitors, according to the Beijing Municipal Administration Center for Parks

Jan 11, 2022 07:26 PM
In late February when President Donald Trump was urging Americans not to panic over the novel coronavirus, alarms were sounding at a little-known intelligence unit situated on a US Army base an hour's drive north of Washington.

Intelligence, science and medical professionals at the National Center for Medical Intelligence were quietly doing what they have done for decades monitoring and tracking global health threats that could endanger US troops abroad and Americans at home.

On Feb. 25, the medical intelligence unit raised its warning that the coronavirus would become a pandemic within 30 days from WATCHCON 2 a probable crisis to WATCHCON 1 an imminent one, according to a U.S. official.

That was 15 days before the World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

At the time of the warning, few coronavirus infections had been reported in the United States. That same day, Trump, who was in New Delhi, India, tweeted: The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA."



Soon, however, the coronavirus spread across the world, sickening more than 2 million people with the disease COVID-19 and killing more than 26,000 people in the United States.

The center's work typically is shared with defense and health officials, including the secretary of health and human services.

Its February 25 warning, first reported last month by Newsweek, was included in an intelligence briefing provided to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but it's unknown whether Trump or other White House officials saw it.

Various intelligence agencies had been including information about the coronavirus in briefing materials since early January, according to the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to confirm details about the alert.

At least 100 epidemiologists, virologists, chemical engineers, toxicologists, biologists and military medical expert all schooled in intelligence trade craft work at the medical intelligence unit, located at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland.

Requests to interview current workers were denied, but former employees described how they go through massive amounts of information, looking for clues about global health events.

You feel like you're looking for needles in a stack of needles," said Denis Kaufman, who worked in the medical intelligence unit from 1990 to 2005 and again later before retiring.

Most of the information they study is public, called open source material.

A local newspaper in Africa might publish a story about an increasing number of people getting sick, and that raises a flag because there's no mention of any such illness on the other side of the country.

A doctor in the Middle East might post concerns about a virus on social media. But unlike organizations such as the WHO, the medical intelligence team, part of the Defense Intelligence Agency, also has access to classified intelligence collected by the 17 US spy agencies.

The medical unit can dig into signals intelligence and intercepts of communications collected by the National Security Agency.

It can read information that CIA officers pick up in the field overseas.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency can share satellite imagery and terrain maps to help assess how a disease, like Ebola or avian flu, might spread through a population.

Every day, all of us would come into work and read and research our area for anything that's different anything that doesn't make sense, whether it's about disease, health care, earthquakes, national disaster anything that would affect the health of a nation, said Martha Rainie Dasche, a specialist on Africa who retired from the DIA in 2018.

We start wondering. We look at things with a jaundice eye.

They don't collect intelligence. They analyze it and produce medical intelligence assessments, forecasts and databases on infectious disease and health risks from natural disasters, toxic materials, bioterrorism as well as certain countries' capacity to handle them.

Their reports are written for military commanders, defense health officials and researchers as well as policymakers at the Defense Department, White House and federal agencies, especially the Department of Health and Human Services.

The center was originally in the US Army Surgeon General's office during World War II, but military leaders throughout history have learned the hard way about the danger that disease poses to troops.

In the Spanish-American War, there were major epidemics of typhoid fever and dysentery, according to a report written in 1951 at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

World War I saw widespread outbreaks of influenza and malaria. In World War II, there was a high incidence of malaria and infectious hepatitis. ... In all wars prior to World War II, losses from disease exceeded losses from battle injury.

Today, the team's success comes in providing early warnings that prevent illness. That can be difficult if a country doesn't report or share information out of fear that the will affect its economy or tourism.

Some undeveloped countries with poor health systems might not compile good data. Information from countries trying to play down the seriousness of an epidemic can't be trusted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Coronavirus restrictions will be in place for at least four more weeks as Australia continues to reduce the infection rate, Scott Morrison announced today after a National Cabinet meeting.

Wider testing, more rigorous contact tracing involving an app and plans for local lockdowns to combat outbreaks need to be in place before so-called 'baseline restrictions' can be removed across the nation, he said.

But Australia's biggest states will be able to relax some of their harsher restrictions sooner if they chose to do so.

'States and territories that went further than those baselines... will be reviewing those in the meantime,' Mr Morrison said.

NSW Police ask people to move on while patrolling during the Easter Long Weekend at Bondi Beach in Sydney

It means that pubs, restaurants and gyms will be kept shut, large gatherings will remain banned and working from home will be encouraged where possible.

Weddings are still limited to five people and funerals to ten people.

However, elective surgery could be resumed on Tuesday when the National Cabinet meets again.

There were only 19 new cases of coronavirus in Australia on Wednesday, taking the national total to 6,468. The crisis peaked at 460 daily cases on 28 March.

Mr Morrison warned that lifting restrictions too fast could be catastrophic.

'If you ease off too quickly too early, then you end up making the situation even worse and I don't just mean in the health terms,' he said.

'If you move too early and the health response gets out of control then the economic consequences will be even worse. We need to keep it finely balanced.'

The Prime Minister said over the next four weeks the government will work on measures to make it safe for restrictions to be lifted.

A police officer refrains a woman from swimming on Bondi Beach in Sydney

Testing - possibly including random community testing - is crucial to tracking the spread of the virus.

So far only certain 'hotspot' suburbs have made testing available to everyone due to a shortage of testing equipment including chemicals - but the government wants to expand the testing regime.

Secondly, contact tracing is crucial to stopping further outbreaks.

The government is working on an app that can tell people if they have come into contact with someone with the virus - but there are 'privacy concerns' to work through before it can be rolled out.

It will be similar to the trace app rolled out in Singapore, Mr Morrison said.

How will contact tracing app work? The Prime Minister said the government is working on an app that can tell people if they have come into contact with someone with the virus - but there are 'privacy concerns' to work through before it can be rolled out. It will be similar to the trace app rolled out in Singapore, Mr Morrison said. Singapore's TraceTogether app uses Bluetooth on mobile phones to link up with other phones nearby. It is then able to track when two people are in close proximity with one another, providing times, dates and locations. If officials then need to call upon this data, they can determine a person's close contacts based on the proximity to another person and the length of time spent with them. Mr Morrison said: 'The trace app which has been put in place in Singapore is a consent based model and the reason we are not quite ready yet is we are still working through ensuring that it meets the privacy protections. 'It is a complex area, but it is a tool that Australia will need to pursue the road out of this that we would like to pursue.' Advertisement

Thirdly, the Prime Minister said there need to be measures in place to rapidly re-introduce restrictions in certain areas if outbreaks occur, such as the one in north-west Tasmania.

Two hospitals there were closed this week after 45 medical workers and nine patients caught the disease. Extra soldiers and medical personnel were deployed to the area.

'You can't rule out increasing potentially restrictions at some point if things got a bit out of control because the virus writes its own rules,' Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison said social distancing and hand washing will be in place until a vaccine is found.

He also warned that Australia needs to brace for economic strife ahead - and flagged the government will adopt pro-growth policies such as lower corporate tax to help Australia recover.

A skateboarder passes a closed section of Surfers Paradise Beach on the Gold Coast, Thursday

Scott Morrison criticses the WHO - but says he will not walk away At the end of his press conference today, Scott Morrison said the World Health Organisation has had 'few poor outings lately' - but defended the good work it does in the Pacific Region. The WHO has come under fire from several member states, most notably US President Donald Trump, for being slow to call coronavirus a pandemic and advising against border shut downs. Mr Morrison has also criticised the WHO for not banning wet markets in China. Today he said: 'I know they have had their criticism and it has been quite deserved and we have been frustrated.' But Mr Morrison said he would not walk away from funding the WHO - after President Trump said he was halting payments to the organisation. 'They do important work here in the Pacific and we will keep working with them,' the Prime Minister said. He said the WHO had helped with PNG's polio outbreak in 2018, Fiji's measles outbreak in 2019 and had been working in Western Pacific on eliminating measles tetanus. Mr Morrison said funding Australia's gives to international organisations is always being considered. Advertisement

Mr Morrison also announced that a list of principals has been agreed with the states and territories regarding schools, including an acceptance that remote learning may be required even though in-classroom learning is preferable.

He said his two daughters will be sent back to their baptist school in Sydney as soon as classroom teaching is offered.

'In relation to my own kids, I want my kids to go back to school and be taught in a classroom by a teacher.

'That's what I want to see happen, when a school in New South Wales that they go to can deliver that for them and I will happily have them back there in a heartbeat,' he said.

Schools in New South Wales will re-open within five weeks, Premier Gladys Berejikilan said today.

Term two starts on 27 April and schools will return to some normality three weeks later.

In her press conference this morning, Ms Berejiklian said: 'We envisage the school term will be very exactly the same as what the end of term one was like.

'However, from week three of term two there will be more face-to-face contact for students.'

Schools in New South Wales will re-open within five weeks, Premier Gladys Berejikilan (pictured) said today

National principals on schools 1. Our schools are critical to the delivery of high quality education for students and to give our children the best possible start in life. Our education systems are based on the recognition that education is best delivered by professional teachers to students in the classroom on a school campus. 2. It is accepted that during the COVID-19 crisis, alternative flexible, remote delivery of education services may be needed 3. Our schools must be healthy and safe environments for students, teachers and other staff to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of education to students. 4. State and Territory Governments and non-government sector authorities are responsible for managing and making operational decisions for their school systems respectively, subject to compliance with relevant funding agreements with the Commonwealth. 5. Decisions regarding the response to COVID-19 in the schooling sector must continue to be informed by expert, official, national and state-based public health and education advice, consistent with these national principles. 6. All students must continue to be supported by their school to ensure participation in quality education during the COVID 19 crisis. 7. The health advice consistently provided by the AHPPC is that attendance at a school campus for education represents a very low health risk to students. The advice also notes that appropriate practices must be employed at schools, like at other workplaces, to provide a safe working environment for school staff, including teachers, and that the specific AHPPC advice regarding school campuses should be followed. Advertisement

Victoria has no plans to re-introduce face-to-face teaching.

The state's education secretary James Merlino said today: 'If you can learn from home you must learn from home.'

He said around three per cent of students were going to school and the rest were at home.

Schools are open for children who cannot learn from home if their parents have to go to work.

All states and territories, except the Northern Territory where attendance is compulsory, have made school optional or told parents not to send children to class during the coronavirus pandemic.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

Mr Morrison was pushing for schools to re-open as the risk of serious infection was very low among that age group - but unions expressed concerns about teacher safety.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the powerful unions were responsible for shutting down schools against the wishes of state premiers.

'Most of the state governments actually didn't want to close the schools, it was the parents and the teachers who closed the schools,' he told a New Zealand parliamentary hearing.

On Wednesday Mr Morrison released a video asking teachers to agree to go back to work, saying: 'Your students and their families are relying on you more than ever.'

The President of the Queensland Teachers Union told Mr Morrison to 'butt out' and insisted that teachers should not have to attend school.

President Kevin Bates claimed that 'young people will not suffer' from learning online - despite strong evidence that children learn far better in a classroom environment.

But health experts have repeatedly said schools are safe and on Wednesday afternoon Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth again re-iterated it was fine for schools to be open.

Children make up only two per cent of coronavirus cases in Australia, he said.

'It's the view of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee that schools are safe places because of the low rates of transmission.'

He described teachers as 'essential' and said the AHPPC will advise the National Cabinet how to make schools even safer so they can re-open.

Australia has made significant progress in the fight against coronavirus, with a clear flattening of the curve on the graph that measures the daily infection rate

Classrooms across the nation were virtually empty toward the end of term one as parents stopped sending their children to school

The Prime Minister said teachers are 'more likely to catch coronavirus in the staffroom than they are in the classroom' and said he was 'very concerned' about current levels of teaching.

'I kept my kids in school up until the last week because they weren't getting taught at school in that last week.

'They were sitting in a room looking at a screen - that's not teaching, that's child minding and schools aren't for child minding,' he said.
By Matt Seaholm

Three percent of reusable grocery store bags get washed. Thats not a typo, 3%, according to peer-reviewed academic research.

In light of this, stores and elected leaders on all levels have called for the banning of reusable bags from stores. Environmental activist organizations have blamed this on a nefarious plot by the plastic bag industry. I want to be very clear  we have never called for the banning of reusable bags. The contamination of reusable bags is an issue that has been studied and discussed for the past decade. For years, we have said that stores should have the ability to use what they feel is best for the safety of their workers and customers. And now that we are in a health crisis, this is especially important.

Grocery store and restaurant employees are hardworking individuals trying to help get you and your fellow Americans the food and goods we all need to survive. And right now, they are nervous. What started out as a job stocking shelves or working the cash register turned into serving on the frontlines of our fight against a potentially deadly virus every time they clock in for their shift. I think that in a post-COVID-19 world, we will all walk away with a new appreciation for grocery and food-service employees.

So, I have to say. Im disappointed. Im disappointed that during a global health crisis, groups like Greenpeace and others feel the need to throw mud and make this into a political debate. Cant we just put away the rhetorical swords for the moment and agree that erring on the side of caution when it comes to grocery store worker safety is the least we can do?

Our industry is working 24/7 to provide grocery stores, restaurants, and medical facilities with the packaging and supplies they need to serve their customers. But what you dont see, is how these same companies are changing lines in their factories to make personal protective equipment (PPE) that is sorely needed. Millions of face shields and protective gowns will be made by the very companies being attacked by activist organizations trying to protect their hollow political victories.

We can debate the benefits of reusable bags versus single-use bags another day. Right now, grocery store employees are literally dying for doing their job. And Im not suggesting for a second that is because of a legislated plastic bag ban. But shouldnt our focus be to help them however we can? Our industrys employees are working through this pandemic, as well, because essential businesses like grocery stores need the products they help manufacture. These are Americans with families and concerns like the rest of us, but they understand the important service they are providing. It is heartening to see the dedication to the vital part they are playing in keeping America fed.

So, while some environmental groups are making false attacks against bag manufacturers, I would ask them to take the time they are using to draft press releases and call reporters to spread this misinformation and do something much more constructive and be helpful in the effort to protect, heal and feed our country.

We will come out of this pandemic as a stronger nation. When we do, we will be happy to restart the discussions about the value of plastics. For now, lets focus on getting grocery stores the food and supplies they need. Lets focus on getting our nurses, doctors, and medical professional proper PPE so they can safely do their jobs. In a post-COVID-19 world, there will be another time to debate single-use plastic policy. Right now is not that time.

Matt Seaholm is the executive director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance.

The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
Three men have been released on bail after police discovered stolen agricultural machinery that had been buried on farmland.

Detectives in Northern Ireland recovered the farm machinery in County Down and arrested three men on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

A John Deere F440R Maxicut baler and a McHale 991BJS round bale wrapper were among the equipment retrieved on farmland in Carryduff, near Belfast.

PSNI detective Sergeant Bell said: Police attended and recovered pieces of machinery believed to have been stolen from the Carryduff area on 13 April.

A further report was made to police that another piece of agricultural equipment was recovered from a field on the Mill Road, Carryduff.

Officers attended the address and located a further piece of farm machinery, believed to have been stolen from the Carryduff area."

Police subsequently arrested three males aged 18, 21 and 23 on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

The 21 year old was also arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation and possession of articles for use in fraud.

The police have now confirmed the three men were all released on bail pending further enquiries.

We understand the impact that crime against the farming community has on farmers, their families, farm workers, businesses and the wider rural community," Detective Bell said.

"It is for that reason that we take it seriously. We would like to hear from anyone who can help with our enquiries."

The police are appealing to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in these areas to contact police on 101.

Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
Australian Woman, 94, Beats COVID-19

A Victorian great-great-grandmother has survived a COVID-19 infection.

Maureen Appleby, 94, left the Austin Hospital on April 15 with a guard of honour after kicking COVID-19 to the curb.

I fought it back, I got there, she told reporters.

Two men came to visit meI thought they were out of Mars. They were in white uniforms with big black glasses, I thought I was dreaming, she said.

Nurses formed a guard of honour and cheered on the COVID-19 survivor as her son, John, wheeled her out.

She was diagnosed with COVID-19 a week ago while in hospital after breaking her ribs in a fall.

Austin Hospitals Jason Trubiano said Appleby has defied all odds and was in the high-risk category.

She is over 90 and really that is an amazing effort, he told reporters.

Her son also left the hospital after contracting COVID-19 via an unknown community transmission.

Appleby has words of wisdom for others.

To not get scared. Just to take life as it comes and to fight back, she told Nine News.

For now, shes at home in Rosanna ready to enjoy a lamb roast.

By Christine McGinn
Note: The Express-News is suspending traditional restaurant reviews until restaurant dining rooms reopen.

On any given weekday, Garcias Mexican Food hums like a beehive with people rolling in for brisket tacos and San Antonios best enchilada plate. Sichuan House pulses with crowds so robust that the Chinese favorite had to open a wall and push into the space next door. At the Pearl, Cured packs in a stylish clientele for half-price happy hour and food from a James Beard Award-nominated chef.

But this isnt any given weekday. Garcias parking lot is empty. Sichuan House is reduced to a takeout table by the door. The green space in front of Cured is roped off, and food goes out the back door in boxes and bags.

The coronavirus crisis has robbed us of being there. Its also rallied these three great restaurants  like so many others in San Antonio  to bring their A-game to the world of takeout. Like Sichuan House owner Kristina Zhao said in a Facebook post announcing her restaurants new takeout and delivery service: While COVID-19 has crippled our economy and hospitality sector, it has not yet defeated us.

With takeout food this good, everybody wins.

On ExpressNews.com: 3 San Antonio food trucks worth leaving the house to get your takeout of carnitas, barbecue and Filipino classics

Sichuan House

For my wifes birthday last year, we sat down for a 15-course dinner at Sichuan House. Blue crabs, beef ribs, roasted duck, pork belly steamed buns. Remember sit-down dinners? Good times.

Zhao and her team have put together a streamlined menu for takeout and delivery, backed up by a website thats as pretty to look at as it is to use. Payments taken over the phone, and when you pull up, a staffer puts the order on a table outside the door with a credit card receipt.

Sichuan House is my favorite Chinese restaurant in San Antonio, and they proved it all over again for this report. Its my favorite for simple things like sweet and spicy peanuts to open up the senses with crunch and chile oil. Its my favorite for complex things like garlicky cold noodles layered with toasted chiles, ginger, chile oil vinaigrette and Sichuan peppercorns for fire and flavor.

And its my favorite for reliable things like wok-sauteed green beans with equal parts char and snap, Sichuan fried rice with pork and the deep spice you dont expect from fried rice. And a chicken dish the menu calls crispy, spicy and savory. Its all those things, boneless nuggets with an army of toasted chiles and scallions.

Location and hours: 505 Wurzbach Road, Suite 102, 210-509-9999, sichuaneats.com. Open for takeout noon to 8 p.m. daily. Free delivery on orders of $50 or more to addresses within 25 minutes of the restaurant.

On ExpressNews.com: The San Antonio-area restaurants, breweries offering curbside pickup and delivery menus because of coronavirus

Cured

Even in this takeout era, theres room to treat yourself, and Cured at the Pearl is usually one of those treat-yourself places, housed in a building with its architectural history on display and one of the citys best waitstaffs. For now, your only encounter with that staff will be general manager Robert Rodriguez bringing your order to your car behind the restaurant.

Chef Steve McHughs comfort zone is charcuterie. A foil pan isnt exactly a display plate, but whats inside is just as good. The selections rotate, but I got a lush lamb-and-citrus terrine, spicy bites of porcini-and-Parmesan salami, the silky pork spread called nduja and an array of pickles, mustard and jams with grilled bread.

The splurge factor? Cured is selling its beer and wine at two-for-one, which means I got two bottles of handsome sparkling wine for $35 to go with my slow-cooked local lamb with demiglace, served with peas and polenta. Dinner started with an elegant kale salad with chile-lime peanuts and shaved Parmesan and ended with doughnut bread pudding with a sweet and tannic mesquite bean caramel.

But Cured has no trouble honoring McHughs Midwestern roots with a righteous double cheeseburger with onion jam and fresh-cut fries.

Location and hours: 306 Pearl Parkway, Suite 101, at the Pearl, 210-314-3929, curedatpearl.com. Open for takeout 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Delivery available through Uber Eats.

Garcias Mexican Food

The takeout engine fires up at 7 a.m. at Garcias Mexican Food. If youve ever sat down for its smoked brisket on a handmade flour tortilla with electric green jalapeno salsa, you understand why. This is how you breakfast taco in San Antonio.

The full taco spread included a reliable bacon and egg and a melty bean and cheese, plus smoked sausage with sauteed pico de gallo. All good. But Garcias big draw is that brisket taco laid out with a big slice of beef with a smoky bark and a silky fat-to-lean ratio any proud pitmaster would claim. Even so, Im becoming more drawn to the salt-and-pepper spectacle of a bone-in pork chop, grilled and striped and juicy on a flour tortilla.

Breakfast at Garcias also means chilaquiles, with scrambled eggs and fat tostadas suspended in that soft-and-crispy stage with melted cheese and ranchero sauce with a side of carne guisada.

Garcias serves breakfast and lunch all day, and brisket nachos taste as good at 9 a.m. as they do after noon, built chip-by-chip with jalapenos and guacamole. Garcias warm, thick tostadas go great with chile con queso, as orange and smooth as your best memories of queso.

The mascot at Garcias wears No. 5, as in the No. 5 Mexican Dinner: two cheese enchiladas with chile con carne gravy, smothered with cheese and onions, with rice and beans and fresh flour tortillas. Its not pretty in a Styrofoam box. Then again, it wasnt that pretty on a plate, either. But its beautiful nonetheless.

Location and hours: 842 Fredericksburg Road, 210-735-5686, Facebook: Garcias Mexican Food. Open for takeout 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. No delivery available.

Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Mike, become a subscriber. msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking
[April 15, 2020] Analysis of COVID-19-Blockchain Market in Retail Sector 2019-2023 | Need to Improve Online Security to Boost Growth | Technavio

Technavio has been monitoring the blockchain market in retail sector and it is poised to grow by USD 1.54 billion during 2019-2023. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005534/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Blockchain Market in Retail Sector 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will decelerate during the forecast period. Accenture (News - Alert), IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP SE are some of the major market participants. The need to improve online security will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Need to improve online security has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Blockchain Market in Retail Sector 2019-2023: Segmentation Blockchain market in retail sector is segmented as below: Application Supply chain management Identity management Payments Compliance management Others

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America

End-user Large Enterprises SMEs

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31141



Blockchain Market in Retail Sector 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our blockchain market in retail sector report covers the following areas:

Blockchain Market in Retail Sector Size

Blockchain Market in Retail Sector Trends

Blockchain Market in Retail Sector Industry Analysis This study identifies blank as one of the prime reasons driving the blockchain market in retail sector growth during the next few years. Blockchain Market in Retail Sector 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the blockchain market in retail sector, including some of the vendors such as Accenture, IBM, Microsoft (News - Alert), Oracle, and SAP SE. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the blockchain market in retail sector are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Blockchain Market in Retail Sector 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist blockchain market in retail sector growth during the next five years

Estimation of the blockchain market in retail sector size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the blockchain market in retail sector

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of blockchain market in retail sector vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Market segmentation by end-user

Comparison by end-user

Large enterprises - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

SMEs - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by end-user PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers

Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Accenture

IBM

Microsoft

Oracle (News - Alert)

SAP SE PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology

List of abbreviations PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005534/en/

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Orbit Logic has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop the Mars/Interplanetary Swarm Design and Evaluation Framework (MISDEF) System.

The Mars/Interplanetary Swarm Design and Evaluation Framework (MISDEF) System is an autonomous planning architecture supporting collaborative satisfaction of science needs by orbital (satellite), surface (rover) and atmospheric (drone) assets. The solution is being developed in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder (CU).

Orbit Logic's existing Autonomous Planning System (APS) is the foundation of the architecture, providing asset level resource planning based upon information contained within a Common Relevant Operating Picture (CROP) module, whose contents are shared across the entire team during communication opportunities.

CU's Event-Triggered Decentralized Data Fusion (ET-DDF) algorithm is employed to maintain the CROP's shared state knowledge with minimal (and in some cases zero) data exchange. This allows the team to collectively work toward satisfaction of mission goals with high assurance that the plans employed by each asset will be de-conflicted. Multi-factor figure-of-merit scoring of the activities that each asset plans to undertake are distributed via the CROP as well, facilitating a fully-scalable and decentralized approach to selection - assets with lower scores can stand-down on that activity and re-plan to accommodate other mission needs.

CU's Mars Robotic Asset Cooperative Control (MRACC) algorithm is being utilized as an APS Specialized Autonomous Planning Agent (SAPA) to solve the distributed information gathering problems posed by many applications of robotic swarming strategies. The graphic above depicts an example mission scenario, where meeting a science objective can consist of detecting an ad-hoc event and orchestrating the use of multiple vehicles and sensor types to perform follow-up and data processing on multiple nodes to arrive at the final set of science artifacts.

About Orbit Logic

Orbit Logic (www.orbitlogic.com) specializes in mission planning and scheduling solutions for aerospace and geospatial intelligence. Orbit Logic's operationally proven COTS products create better plans faster with fewer resources for all mission phases. Orbit Logic services are available to configure, customize, and integrate Orbit Logic's mobile, web-based, desktop, and flight software applications to provide turn-key operational solutions that leverage the latest available technologies to meet customer goals and exceed their expectations.

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Griffiths says Saudi-led coalition, Houthis, expected to agree on truce in immediate future as COVID-19 threat looms.

The United Nations envoy to Yemen has said he expects the warring parties in the countrys long-running conflict to formally adopt in the immediate future agreements on a nationwide ceasefire, key economic and humanitarian measures and a resumption of political talks.

Martin Griffiths said on Thursday in remarks to the UN Security Council (UNSC) that he has been negotiating with the parties on the texts of his proposals for the past two weeks.

We expect them to agree on and formally adopt these agreements in the immediate future, Griffiths said.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthi rebel group overthrew the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from the capital Sanaa in late 2014. A Saudi-led military coalition in 2015 intervened in a bid to restore the government.

Today, the coalition consists of Saudi-UAE forces, after other participating countries opted to leave the coalition.

Griffiths said the economic and humanitarian measures could include: release of prisoners and detainees, opening Sanaa airport, paying civil servant salaries, opening access roads, and ensuring entry at Hodeidah ports for ships carrying commodities that will help in the fight against COVID-19, the potentially lethal respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

People ride a motorbike amidst smoke from fumigation during a fumigation campaign while the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, on the outskirts of Sanaa [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]

The conversations we had with the two parties, and our consultations with the Saudi-led Coalition among other international actors  are continuous, detailed and constructive, Griffith added.

He said good progress was being made and the United Nations was redoubling its efforts to bridge outstanding differences before we convene them at a meeting where  these agreements will be tabled, confirmed  I hope  and published.

Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from the UN headquarters, said Yemen currently faces a very precarious future of further escalation of violence.

What Martin Griffiths now made clear  he has actually had very productive negotiations with the sides in the Yemen conflict  He believes there is a window of opportunity, Bays said.

Bays added there has been no halt in the violence, and that it has continued to escalate this year amid a concerning humanitarian situation on the ground.

He desribed a very difficult situation for Yemen  and because of that, it looks like a moment where diplomacy can take hold.

 Deadlier consequences

The Saudi-led military coalition declared a unilateral truce last week because of the coronavirus threat, pledging a halt in military activities from April 9 for two weeks. But fighting on the ground and coalition air attacks have continued.

Griffiths latest push for peace in Yemen was sparked by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterress call last month for a global ceasefire so the world can focus on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

So far only one case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Yemen, where about 80 percent of the population, or 24 million people, require humanitarian aid.

But aid groups fear that could be a harbinger of a catastrophic outbreak given the countrys shattered health system and widespread hunger and disease after five years of war in which more than 100,000 have been killed.

Epidemiologists warn that COVID-19 in Yemen could spread faster, more widely and with deadlier consequences than in many other countries, UN aid chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council on Thursday.

He also warned that the worlds largest aid operation needed money and that three-quarters of the UNs 41 major programmes will start closing down in the next few weeks if we cant secure additional funds.

This means we will have to start eliminating many of the activities that may offer Yemenis the best chance to avoid COVID-19, Lowcock said.
The lockdown in the wake of



the coronavirus pandemic has turned out to be a deeply painful story for the Kannada film industry.

Schedules have gone awry following the stay-at-home curbs and operators in Sandalwood, as the industry is popularly known as, say about 100 films under production are affected.

They include big budget movies- 'Raja Veera Madakari Nayaka', 'Kotigobba 3', 'Robert' and 'Yuvaratna.'



Noted producer Rockline Venkatesh told P T I that the loss to the industry is to the tune of hundreds of crores of rupees.

In addition, it's a challenge for producers to secure the content of their movies from "piracy and leak" during long periods of time before their release, Venkatesh, who is Secretary of Karnataka Cine Artistes' Association, said.

A leading distributor said even after the lockdown is lifted and situation returns to normalcy, it remains a big question if investment in film business will pay off at all.

"People don't have money. We will know the impact when things become normal. Questions many ask if people will return to cinema halls like the way they did before or they prefer to stay away from crowd."



Venkatesh, who had also produced Rajinikanth-starrer 'Lingaa' and co-produced 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' with Salman Khan in the lead role, said it would take at least one to one-and- half years for the industry to be back on its legs.

"That too if the government does hand-holding but if the industry faces a bad hit in terms of income tax and GST and other taxation, 80-90 per cent of the industry will face closure," he said.

"It does not matter if the Government does not help the industry but they should trouble us with things like IT and GST," Venkatesh, who is also a director, distributor and artiste, said.

A top director said people's "behaviour" towards movies is crucial for the industry's health in the post lockdown scenario.

"With people likely to shy away from going to malls, cinema theatres because of large gatherings there, it's going to be a long road to recovery for us", an industry insider said.

Striking a philosophical tone, Venkatesh said all that people worry now is to save their life and keep good health, adding, amassing money and wealth is the last thing on their mind.

Producers Soorappa Babu and Umesh Banakar, who is also Vice-President of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, told P T I that the industry has taken a huge hit.

Banakar said the loss to the industry due to the lockdown is at least Rs 1,000 crore.

"The coronavirus has affected the entire world. We don't know what to do; we just have to wait," Soorappa Babu, producer of Kiccha Sudeep-starrer 'Kotigobba 3', said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering on April 16 where the leaders exchanged thoughts on the evolving coronavirus situation. Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Modi expressed his admiration for Tshering for leading from the front in the fight against the pandemic.

Exchanged thoughts with @PMBhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering on the evolving COVID-19 situation in our region. His Majesty The King and Lyonchhen are leading Bhutan's efforts admirably. India will stand by our close friend and neighbour in fighting the effects of the pandemic.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 16, 2020

Read: PM Modi Reviews COVID-19 Impact On Economy In Meeting With FM; 2nd Stimulus Discussed

Both leaders discussed the regional situation in the wake of the COVID-19 and updated each other on the steps being taken by their governments to control its effects. They also expressed satisfaction over the progress made in implementing the special arrangements agreed on March 15 between the leaders of the SAARC countries.

Read: Mauritius Prime Minister Thanks PM Modi For 'generous Donation' Of Medical Supplies

India-Bhutan ties

Referring to the timeless and special nature of India-Bhutan ties, PM Modi assured Tshering that India would provide all possible support to Bhutan for minimising the health and economic impact of the pandemic. In response, the Bhutanese leader thanked PM Modi for leading the anti-COVID coordination at the regional level while fighting the health crisis in a large and complex country like India.

Read: Abhishek Manu Singhvi Lauds Rahul Gandhi's Covid VC; Says PM Modi Must Follow Him

Read: FM Sitharaman Holds Meeting With PM Modi, All Eyes On COVID Stimulus 2.0
Mike Baad spent his early years in New York moving from one ridiculous Craigslist sublet to another, usually because of crowded conditions and rising rents. The places werent very good, but they were cheap, he said.

As he was finishing medical school, he landed in a shared rental in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Thats when he met Clara Orbe, who was living in graduate-student housing at Columbia University while earning her Ph.D. The couple were married about three years ago, at which point they rented a top-floor one-bedroom in a Clinton Hill co-op for $2,800 a month.

They loved the neighborhood enough to put up with lengthy commutes: his to a hospital on the Upper East Side, where he works as a pediatric radiologist; hers to an office in Morningside Heights, where she is a research scientist. Clinton Hill is not near any subway, so its very local, Dr. Baad said.

[Did you recently buy or rent a home in the New York metro area? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]

The couple, now in their mid-30s, saved so they could buy a home. We are planners, Dr. Baad said. We want to take it one step at a time.

The next step was a two-bedroom co-op.

They knew they wanted to live in a prewar building. I would have felt like it wasnt genuine to my taste if it was all perfect and new but didnt have the details that we like, Dr. Orbe said.

Apart from that, we didnt have many asks, Dr. Baad said. The fact that laundry is even in the building was good enough for me. For a while, I was a little obsessed with outdoor space, but it wasnt make-or-break. All these places were much nicer than anything we were accustomed to.

At an open house last summer, they met Albi Zhubi, an agent at Corcoran. They were looking for the opposite of what most things on the market were, Ms. Zhubi said. They wanted no new developments.

Clinton Hill had little suitable inventory, so they turned to nearby Park Slope and Prospect Heights.

The couple planned to spend around $1 million. On the low end, they saw small, self-managed co-ops with what they called pseudo bedrooms  usually walled-off nooks in the living room.

The competition for places under $1 million was kind of crazy, Dr. Baad said. Maybe it was the mansion tax, or people are priced out or its a psychological thing.

They realized that increasing their budget a little would get them a lot more. We figured that out quickly, he said. Its $100,000 more, but its way nicer.

Among their choices:
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The UK has announced 861 more deaths from the coronavirus today, taking the total number of victims to 13,729.

In another dark milestone Britain has now officially diagnosed more than 100,000 people with the virus - making it only the sixth country in the world to do so. But the rising number of cases remains stable, with just 4,618 positive tests in the past 24 hours resulting in a total case count of 103,093.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, confirmed at today's Government briefing that the UK's lockdown will continue in its current state for at least another three weeks. He said officials were not yet satisfied the virus was under control and the 'worst thing' the country could do was to ease restrictions too early and risk a second outbreak.

Mr Raab said that, although members of the public who become ill are 'almost certainly' not infecting more than one person each, there were still problems with outbreaks in some hospitals and care homes. Chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said this meant the outbreak in the community was 'shrinking'.

Sir Patrick said the R value of the virus - how many people each patient infects - is now thought to be somewhere between 0.5 and 1. This is a sign that the virus could burn itself out if the infection rate can be kept down.

Today's figures come as NHS England data revealing the days on which people actually died suggests the deadliest day in Britain could have been a week ago, on April 8. Hospitals recorded 782 people dying on that day. Death totals announced each day, which have regularly been higher than that, do not actually represent the number of people dying the past 24 hours. Today, for example, just 151 out of the 861 total happened yesterday.

Today's death toll is the highest in five days, since Saturday last week, but the rise was not unexpected.

England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said in yesterday's Government briefing that he expected a spike today as reports filter through from the long bank holiday weekend. He said the country cannot be sure it's past the peak of the outbreak but added: 'We do all think this has flattened out'.

One expert who said he thinks the UK is past its biggest daily death announcements said the turning point was a time to 'remember the human suffering' behind them and to keep in mind there could be another wave of cases.

The peak of the epidemic may not become clear for weeks after it happens because it can take weeks for hospital patients to die, then weeks more for those deaths to be recorded. For this reason, high numbers are expected to continue being announced each day and the numbers of new diagnoses may be slow to fall or even start to rise again as officials test more people.

The key measure is the number of people in hospital beds, which has been falling in many parts of Britain this week.

In other UK coronavirus news:

World Health Organization director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, said the UK, along with Russia and Belarus, is one of the reasons the continent is 'still in the eye of the storm' of the coronavirus crisis;

Social care bosses wrote to the Department of Health at the weekend and said the organisation of mandatory personal protective equipment for their staff has been 'shambolic';

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets, as they are the businesses most likely to boost the economy and pose the smallest risk of spreading the virus;

There are claims the population could be 'segmented' to ease restrictions with young people allowed back to work and primary schools opened, while pensioners and the vulnerable are ordered to stay in isolation;

One of the Government's own key experts, Professor Neil Ferguson, has warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place and criticised the government's slow action;

The first newly-adapted ventilator design has been approved by regulators, with the government ordering 15,000 of the Penlon's Prima ES202 model;

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has rejected calls for ministers to take a pay cut in solidarity with hard-hit workers, after counterparts in New Zealand announced they would;

Mr Hancock insisted the government could hit its 100,000 a day testing target by the end of the month, despite questions over why it is still not using the current capacity of 25,000.

Workers outside a mortuary at Lewisham Hospital in London wheel a trolley used for transporting dead bodies

NHS England confirmed a further 740 people died in its hospitals between yesterday and March 9. The patients were aged between 28 and 103. 40 of them had no other known health conditions before they got COVID-19.

And Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland confirmed a combined 121 more deaths from the coronavirus today. Their individual announcements add up to 130 but are not all included in the UK total.

One academic today said he thinks the UK has passed the days of its highest death toll announcements, with the peak of 980 on April 10.

Professor James Naismith, from the University of Oxford, said: 'As expected the Easter weekend has introduced additional volatility into the daily numbers.

'The rise in numbers of deaths announced today may well have arisen from reporting delays rather than a resumption of rising daily number of deaths.

'Unfortunately even although this particular measure may hopefully have peaked with the 980 deaths announced on April 10th, we will see many hundreds of hospital deaths announced each day for some weeks ahead.

There are still new cases arriving in hospitals and the NHS is still stretched.

'The death toll is significantly higher than just the deaths announced in hospital.

'Passing the peak of announced deaths is a moment to remember the human suffering that has happened and what is still to come.

'At best we are at the end of the beginning. We may well have to face other waves of infection before either a reliable cure or a vaccine are discovered. What matters most now and in the immediate future is learning from this wave so that we do better in any subsequent wave.'

BACKDATED HOSPITAL DEATHS SUGGEST APRIL 8 WAS ENGLAND'S DEADLIEST DAY NHS England collates data showing the exact dates on which coronavirus patients died in its hospitals. The figures are valuable for understanding the crisis because they track when a COVID-19 death actually occurred, not when it was reported. The latest bulletin was published on April 16 and covers the period up to 5pm on April 15. The data must treated with caution because it is revised and changed every day and does not include deaths in care homes and the wider community, but in the coming days and weeks it will give a picture of when the peak of the outbreak was. The latest figures showed: Date Mar-01 Mar-02 Mar-03 Mar-04 Mar-05 Mar-06 Mar-07 Mar-08 Mar-09 Mar-10 Mar-11 Mar-12 Mar-13 Mar-14 Mar-15 Mar-16 Mar-17 Mar-18 Mar-19 Mar-20 Mar-21 Mar-22 Mar-23 Deaths 1 0 5 1 4 3 1 5 3 1 7 9 15 22 28 46 39 59 57 95 92 131 129 Date Mar-24 Mar-25 Mar-26 Mar-27 Mar-28 Mar-29 Mar-30 Mar-31 Apr-01 Apr-02 Apr-03 Apr-04 Apr-05 Apr-06 Apr-07 Apr-08 Apr-09 Apr-10 Apr-11*** Apr-12*** Apr-13*** Apr-14*** Apr-15*** Deaths 157 213 294 332 333 576 566 313 559 559 604 700 660 643 704 782 674 624 660 589 521 427 151 ***** Figures are still preliminary and are likely to change, the NHS says. Advertisement

More detailed statistics from NHS England show that the deadliest single day for actual deaths so far has been April 8. Depending on how backdated deaths are spread out over the coming days, this may prove to have been the peak of the UK's outbreak.

Data shows 782 patients died in hospitals in England on the most lethal day. The number plummeted by more than 100 to 653 on April 9 and then fell again to 606 the following day. Death records are still filtering through from March, however, so the figures are likely to change.

The data is valuable for understanding the crisis because it tracks when a COVID-19 death actually occurred, not when it was reported.

A lag in the way fatalities are recorded means it can take days or even weeks for a death to be included in the overall tally, which stands at 12,868. Tests and postmortems sometimes need to confirm the cause of death was coronavirus before the Government can officially announce it.

Although the data could change in the future, the number of people in hospitals with the coronavirus is falling, suggesting a sudden spike in deaths later on is unlikely unless there is a second wave of cases.

Professor David Paton, an economist at Nottingham University, said in a Twitter thread: 'In other words, deaths peaked on Weds 7th April.

'Of course it is possible that there will be another surge and another higher peak later on but recent declines hospitalisations make that unlikely in the near future.'

The data should be treated with caution because it is revised and changed every day and does not include deaths in care homes and the wider community.

But it adds weight to the theory the country is flattening the curve. World-leading researchers projected deaths would peak on April 13.

England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty last night said he believed the worst of Britain's crisis was behind it.

More evidence of a turning point today comes from King's College London, which has been running an the COVID Symptom Tracker app recording self-reported illnesses from millions of people across the UK.

The scientists behind the app say the number of people reporting symptoms that match COVID-19 hasfallen 71 per cent in two weeks.

Latest analysis from the app estimates that there are now around 582,640 symptomatic coronavirus patients in the UK, down from two million on April 1.

The COVID Symptom Tracker app works by members of the public filling out forms which describe their health and ask about possible coronavirus symptoms.

Healthy people, those who think they might have COVID-19, and those who have been officially diagnosed are all encouraged to take part in it. The predictions were based on 871,458 participants who logged symptoms consistently for seven days.

One of the app's developers, Professor Tim Spector, said it was 'very reassuring' to see that the number of symptomatic cases was falling.

But he cautioned: 'With deaths still high, this is definitely not the time for complacency.

'What the data tell us is that there is still a large number of infectious people in the UK with mild symptoms, so to quickly lift the lockdown would not be appropriate.'

The true scale of the outbreak in Britain is unclear because only people in hospitals have been routinely tested since the virus started spreading out of control in late February.

Infection estimates vary wildly from 1,000 cases for every one death - which would equal 13.7million people - to more than half the population having already caught the virus.

Even the true number of people dying is not as clear-cut as it seems, with data emerging from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - an independent but government-run recording body - suggesting thousands of people have so far been missed off the Department of Health's daily totals.

BIRMINGHAM NHS TRUST BECOMES FIRST TO HIT 500 DEATHS An NHS trust in Birmingham has become the first hospital board to record 500 deaths from the coronavirus, it was revealed today. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust - which runs four hospitals in the city - confirmed 21 more fatalities in today's official tally. It means the hospital trust has now recorded 505 COVID-19 fatalities, considerable more than the next worst-hit NHS organisation. At the second worst, the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, 350 people are confirmed to have died so far. Figures also show Birmingham is the hardest-hit area of the UK, with more confirmed cases of the life-threatening infection than anywhere else. Data collated by the Department of Health shows the city - home to more than a million people - has recorded 1,931 cases. Hampshire and Kent are the next worst-hit local authorities in England, with both having confirmed 1,802 cases each, as of yesterday. Advertisement

Data recording has been poor so far for people dying outside of hospitals and many are believed to have succumbed to the illness in care homes, hospices or their own homes without being officially recorded.

ONS statistics out today showed that 10 per cent of people who have died from the coronavirus in England and Wales had no underlying conditions.

They also revealed that men are being killed at twice the rate of women, with 97.5 deaths per 100,000 men compared to 46.5 per 100,000 women.

COVID-19 was the third most common cause of death in England and Wales in March, behind only dementia and heart disease.

London was the region that recorded the most fatalities today, with 153 more victims, followed by the North East & Yorkshire, which declared 150.

In the Midlands there were 127 more to add to the tally, while 106 were declared in the North West of England.

Hospitals in the East of England recorded 91, while 84 were announced in the South East and 29 in the South West.

An NHS trust in Birmingham has become the first to record 500 deaths from the coronavirus, today's data reveals.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust - which runs four hospitals in the city - confirmed 21 more fatalities in England's official tally.

It means the hospital trust has now recorded 505 COVID-19 fatalities, a huge amount more than the next worst-hit NHS organisation. A considerably lower 350 infected patients have died at the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, according to a count by health chiefs.

There are now at least 46 hospital trusts where more than 100 people have died, showing the effects of COVID-19 have spread far and wide.

Figures also show Birmingham is the hardest-hit area of the UK, with more confirmed cases of the life-threatening infection than anywhere else. Data collated by the Department of Health shows the city - home to more than a million people - has recorded 1,931 cases.

Hampshire and Kent are the next worst-hit local authorities in England, with both having confirmed 1,802 cases each, as of yesterday.

As a result of the country's ongoing outbreak the Government is today expected to extend Britain's lockdown by another three weeks, meaning people will have to continue to stay at home except for necessary trips.

Polling shows that the public appear to be in support of this. Research for MailOnline found 80 per cent of people would not feel safe going back to everyday life at the moment.

Nearly 60 per cent say they are not comfortable leaving the house and around half are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place until June - and 37 per cent say they will keep obeying the rules indefinitely if the government believes it is necessary.

The extraordinary findings in the polling by Redfield & Wilton come despite some 43 per cent reporting that the crisis is damaging their mental health.

The figures underline the challenge for ministers amid fears that the message that people must stay at home to save the NHS has been too successful.

Government advisers have admitted to being surprised by the extent to which Britons have been obeying the regime, with politicians increasingly alarmed at the huge consequences for the economy and Treasury finances.

Pressure is mounting for an 'exit strategy' - but the Cobra emergency committee will formally extend the curbs for another three weeks later.

The Redfield & Wilton research, conducted yesterday, will be reassuring for the government amid growing criticism of its slow initial response and progress on mass testing.

It is widely regarded as too soon for the UK to start lifting its lockdown measures because the coronavirus is still spreading in hospitals and in the community, and there are still thousands of people sick on hospital wards.

Dr Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, has said the UK is one of the reasons that Europe is still 'in the eye of the COVID-19 storm' while there are promising signs of recovery in other countries.

He said: 'Of the 10 countries in the region with the highest numbers of cases, there have been optimistic signs in terms of the climbing numbers in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland in recent weeks.

'But small positive signals in some countries are tempered by sustained or increased levels of incidents in other countries, including in the UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

'The next few weeks will be critical for Europe. Make no mistake - despite the spring weather, we are in the middle of a storm.'

Underlining his point is the fact that daily death tolls have continued to rise in many places even as new infections fall, due to the time it takes an infected person to become sick enough to die.
A study conducted by a team of psychologists and social scientists has revealed that the social distancing and isolation measures introduced in the UK as a result of COVID-19 may already be having significant negative impacts on people's mental health and well-being.

The study found that a large proportion of the public may be experiencing depression, anxiety, and a sense of social, economic, and personal loss as a result of adhering to the new measures.

The authors say their findings suggest that a rapid response is needed to address these mental health impacts, and timely support is essential for those prone to depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts.

The study also highlights that adherence to social distancing and isolation is likely to eventually wane, especially where people are uncertain of how long they will need to adhere and whether they can cope in the long-term.

Furthermore, "social distancing and isolation 'exit strategies' must account for the fact that, although some individuals will voluntarily or habitually continue to socially distance, others will seek high levels of social engagement as soon as possible," writes the team.

Public perceptions and experiences of social distancing and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK-based focus group study. Image Credit: TZIDO SUN / Shutterstock

There has been no qualitative research into the public's experience of the measures

The authors say that although research on the effects of previous pandemics is available and research into the mental health impacts of social distancing and isolation is ongoing, no qualitative research into the public's experience of the measures and how this relates to adherence has yet been published.

Now, psychologist Kimberly Dienes from the University of Manchester and colleagues have reported on online discussions held with 27 UK residents (aged 18 or older) between March 28th and April 4th 2020 (five to 12 days since lockdown began on March 23rd).

Participants were divided into five focus groups comprising between five and eight people who joined video or audio discussions for 60 to 90 minutes.

Four main themes emerged from the analysis and are described in a pre-print version of the paper, which is available in medRxiv while the study undergoes peer review.

Social and psychological impacts

The main theme in terms of social and psychological impact was loss, which was subdivided into loss of social interaction, loss of income and loss of structure and routine

One participant described the loss of social interaction after just one week of lockdown as already having "taken its toll on mental health," with another participant describing how it leaves people feeling "alienated" and some participants likening it to being in "prison."

Some participants said losing their income had made them feel "quite depressed" and that the loss of structure and routine had left them feeling "overwhelmed."

Criticisms of government communication

Most participants felt government guidance had been unclear and distrusted the "politicizing" of the pandemic and the "mixed messages" from the media. Participants described the constant media focus on COVID-19 while being isolated at home, as "claustrophobic in both a physical and an emotional sense." They also said the ambiguity of terms such as "essential" and "emergency" supplies and services made it difficult to follow advice.

Adherence and non-adherence of self and others

All participants described being highly adherent to the measures. Still, many described observing non-adherence in others, which was viewed as being due to a lack of social consciousness among "inconsiderate" or "arrogant" individuals. Non-adherence was also attributed to a lack of understanding and the police not being able to enforce adherence due to the previously mentioned ambiguity of terms such as "essential."

Uncertainty over future social reintegration

Participants said the biggest problem is not knowing "when it's going to end" and the associated feeling of "powerlessness." Some said there was a limit to how long they and others could adhere and that they would prefer to be given a specific date, even if that date is a long way off in the future. Some felt that once the measures are relaxed or removed, they would immediately go back to living life "completely as normal," whereas others felt they would continue to be anxious and cautious about health and that people might continue to socially distance from each other.

Study implications

"This study suggests that the social distancing and isolation associated with COVID-19 policy is having substantial negative impacts on the mental health and well-being of the UK public within a short time of policy implementation," writes the team. "Policymakers and the public health community must discuss measures to respond to the likely wave of mental ill-health, which is expected to follow, and which is tentatively suggested by our early qualitative evidence."

The researchers say it is important to consider that the initial adherence to social distancing and isolation is likely to eventually wane and that the lockdown "exit strategy" needs need to account for the fact that, while some people will voluntarily continue to socially distance, "others will seek immediately to re-integrate fully beyond what they are permitted to."

Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
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German Marshall Fund: It Is not too early to think about political change in Turkey

Armenian Foreign Ministry: We call on Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from provocations

Armenia's Geghamasar community head: The situation is stable now

Queen Elizabeth II's favorite fast food revealed

Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijani troops open fire on Armenian sovereign territory

World Economic Forum: Cybersecurity and space pose new risks to the global economy

Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims

Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan

Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation

CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan

WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic

European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million

White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan

Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed

Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State

India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists

Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death

Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day

Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded

NEWS.am daily digest: 11.01.22

Austrian Chancellor confirms plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in February

Armen Sarkissian and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discuss situation in Kazakhstan

Gulf, Iran and Turkey FMs to visit China

20 pregnant women with COVID-19 die in Azerbaijan in year

Armenia hands over wanted US citizen to United States

Economy ministry: Organizing of accommodation and public catering increased by 61.1% in Armenia

Armenia parliament speaker expresses condolences on European Parliament President death

Azerbaijan opens fire toward Armenia village sector, one soldier wounded

Shoigu: CSTO peacekeepers deployed in Kazakhstan thanks to Syrian and Karabakh experience

Azerbaijan official pledges to remove Armenian toponyms from Google Maps

UN offers two plans to help Afghans totaling $ 5 billion in 2022

Armenia attorney general travels to Moscow on working visit

Azerbaijan MOD blames Armenian side for soldiers death

Dollar drops in Armenia

Shirak Province captives families hold protest outside Armenia government building

Rolls-Royce sales rise to record high in 2021

Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis directed gun at Armenia residents car in which his wife, 3-year-old child were

ANCA urges President Biden and Congress to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for war crimes

Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch tests positive for COVID-19

Brothers, sisters of 2020 Artsakh war military casualties to get compensation in lieu of their deceased parents

Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties

Copper rises in price

Erdogan's spokesman, Biden's adviser discuss Armenian-Turkish relations

Armenia deputy defense minister: No one can rule out border tension at any moment

New commander elected of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia official: Those 100 soldiers absence will not assume any change in terms of border tension

Millionaire Robert Durst dies aged 78

Reuters: Over 1.13 million cases of COVID-19 detected in US per day

Great Armenian poet Razmik Davoyan dies

2 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Deputy PM Matevosyan: About 1,190 subvention programs implemented in Armenia from 2018 to 2021

243 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia MP: It would be right to put pressure on Azerbaijanis to remove their firing positions

Oil is getting more expensive

Nearly 10,000 people detained in Kazakhstan in connection with riots

Tokayev: CSTO peacekeepers will pull out from Kazakhstan within 10 days

Newspaper: Armenia businessmen pay customs duties to Azerbaijanis to go to Iran

European Parliament speaker David Sassoli dies

Alikhan Smailov appointed Kazakhstan Prime Minister

Newspaper: Health minister makes decision full of contradictions in terms of Covid-related restrictions in Armenia

Newspaper: Armenia authorities once again showed their being unprincipled, worthless, opposition MP says

Germany teacher who had cannibalism fantasies is sentenced to life in prison

Israel's military and other security services undergo largest rearmament in years

Spain PM calls for a debate to consider COVID-19 endemic disease

Flyone Armenia and Pegasus receive permission for Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flights

Pope condemns "baseless" ideological misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines

Arab foreign ministers to visit Beijing

Azerbaijanis stoned an Armenian car on the Stepanakert-Goris road

Armenian FM has a phone call with his Polish counterpart

Macron travels to French Riviera to discuss internal security issues

Artsakh Foreign Ministry: Azerbaijan's aggressive behavior aims to disrupt Russian peacekeepers' activities

US COVID-19 cases reach 60 million

European Parliament President hospitalized due to immune system dysfunction

Washington and Ankara discuss normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey

WHO excludes emergence of deltacron strain

In Karabakh Azerbaijanis shelled tractor

Indian Defense Minister tests positive for COVID-19

US-Russia talks on security guarantees lasting for seven hours already

NEWS.am daily digest: 10.01.22
A GROUP of Irish investors has sold an Aldi outlet in Carrigtwohill, County Cork, for 5.6m to Corum, the French asset manager.

This brings to more than 210m the French firm's investment in retail and office properties across the whole of this island.

Aldi pays a passing rent of 451,719 for the Carrigtwohill property which it occupies on a 25-year lease from January 2008.

Aoife Murray, of Colliers, who acted for the purchaser, says the sale price represents a net initial yield of 7.34pc and a capital value of 328 per sq ft.

The property comprises a ground floor retail store extending to 17,046 sq ft within a larger multi-storey building within a mixed-use development known as Castle Square.

It is believed that the Irish investors had been seeking more than 6m for the property.

The square is located on the western end of the main street of Carrigtwohill, a commuter town situated midway between Cork City and Midleton in East Cork. The town is serviced by the N25 Cork to Rosslare Euroroute and the Cork to Midleton commuter rail line. It is also close to Little Island commercial district.

Ms Murray said the Aldi outlet "is an excellent purchase especially in today's challenging economic climate and with such a resilient retailer it will further bolster Corum's Irish portfolio".

Cearbhall Behan, of Behan Irwin & Gosling, acted for the vendor.

Already this year Corum has purchased two Dublin office buildings from a joint venture partnership led by Avestus Capital Partners.

Corum was reported to have paid about 33m for One Kilmainham Square, a modern five-storey grade-A office block with basement car parking.

It was generating rental income of 2.07m at the time of the purchase and had potential to add to this income.

Located near both Heuston Station and Heuston South Quarter (HSQ), the property was offered for sale at a guide price of 32m by agent Knight Frank last October.

Corum also paid about 27m for Classon House, an office building in Dundrum Business Park, in Dublin 14, which accommodates 75,000 sq ft of grade-A office space. The majority of this building is let to CarTrawler. Last October it was reported that Corum acquired a Tesco supermarket in Gorey, Co Wexford, for about 21m. The 8,109 sq m store came on an 8.5 acre site.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 16:58:01|Editor: huaxia

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VIENTIANE, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Laos tested 23 more cases of COVID-19, which all of them tested negative, with the total number in the country remaining at 19.

The total number of COVID-19 in Laos remained at 19, as no new case was confirmed, Lao Deputy Minister of Health, Phouthone Meaungpak told a press conference in Vientiane capital on Thursday.

As of Thursday, Laos tested 1,288 suspected cases with 19 cases tested positive, and two patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Laos's first discharged COVID-19 patient is the 12th confirmed case, who was discharged from hospital on Tuesday.

The second patient is the 14th confirmed case, who was discharged on Thursday.

Another 14 cases are treated in designated hospital - Mittaphab Hospital (150 Hospital) in Vientiane capital, and three cases are treated in provincial hospital in Luang Prabang.

Laos announced its first two COVID-19 confirmed cases on March 24. Enditem
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is accusing Azerbaijani authorities of "abusing" restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus to arrest government critics.

In less than a month, at least six opposition activists and a pro-opposition journalist were sentenced to detention of up to 30 days on "spurious charges" that included breaking lockdown rules or disobeying police orders, the New York-based watchdog said in a statement on April 16.

Most of them had criticized conditions in government-run quarantine centers or authorities' failure to provide adequate compensation to people struggling financially from the consequences of the pandemic, it said.

The arrests "fall squarely within a long-standing pattern of political retaliation in Azerbaijan," said Giorgi Gogia, associate director for Europe and Central Asia at HRW.

He urged the authorities to "stop using a public-health emergency as a pretext to punish legitimate speech."

Azerbaijan has recorded 1,283 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 15 deaths.

The government has put in place a series of social-distancing measures to combat the outbreak, including a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people.

Last month, parliament passed legal amendments providing for fines of up to 200 manats ($120) or detention of up to 30 days for violating the lockdown regime.

In March, 154 people were jailed and thousands were fined for violating the restrictions, according to the Interior Ministry.

HRW said that arresting people for violating COVID-19 emergency measures may actually increase disease transmission by placing them in crowded detention facilities.

Critics of President Ilham Aliyev say authorities of the energy-rich South Caucasus state frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists, reporters, human rights defenders, and civil society advocates without grounds.
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Linkedin Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 12:44 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd23c299 1 City Jakarta-administration,low-cost-apartment,urban-poverty,rusunawa,COVID-19-Jakarta,urban-density Free

A few days after President Joko Jokowi Widodo issued the order to stay, work and study at home in mid-March to curb the spread of COVID-19, residents of a low-cost apartment complex in Klender, East Jakarta, were busy racking their brains for a way to keep their homes virus-free.

At the time, some of the residents of the rusun were already well-aware of the highly infectious disease, thanks in no small part to the unceasing news coverage on the topic.

In anticipation of the virus possible emergence at Paguyuban Rusun Klender, the adult members of the tenants community asked Karang Taruna, a local youth organization, to install informational banners throughout the apartment complex, said member Parat Hutapea.

The banners urged all tenants to obey the governments call to stay at home, wear masks at all times when outdoors and maintain safe distance from one another, although the latter suggestion elicited more than a few raised eyebrows and shrugs.

More than 1,000 families occupy the densely populated 76 blocks of the complex, each containing a four-story apartment building.

Parat said that the complexs senior residents held regular meetings to discuss any latest developments that concerned the rusun. Rumor had it that the complex would be demolished and replaced with newer buildings, but the outbreak had put a damper on the plans.

When the circumstances related to the COVID-19 outbreak became increasingly dire, gatherings were banned at the complex, the multipurpose hall was closed indefinitely and the tenants started communicating mainly via WhatsApp chat groups.

As a member of the tenants alliance protesting the demolition plan, Parat was especially annoyed that the epidemic had disrupted the alliances activities. While more than 500 tenants had joined the cause, their activism now largely occurred in isolation behind the closed doors of individual apartment units.

We never hold meetings anymore, the 73-year-old told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The tenants of the Tanah Abang rusun in Central Jakarta had a similar experience.

The women of the apartment complex usually gathered in the complexs yard for their thrice weekly aerobics sessions, but the fun workouts ran into a jam three weeks ago.

We also had to tell the women to maintain safe distance from each other when hanging up their laundry together [in the yard], said Sumarno, the chairman of the Tanah Abang Apartment Tenants Association (PPRS).

The Indonesian capital city, which is home to at least 10 million people, recorded 2,474 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 242 deaths, according to the official government tally on Wednesday. As the epicenter of the Indonesian outbreak, these figures represent nearly half of the national tally of 5,136 confirmed cases and 469 deaths.

The data does not indicate the actual spread of the disease, particularly as to whether it has reached densely populated residential high-rises like the rusun in Klender or Tanah Abang. Experts have warned, however, that people in densely populated communities and settlements are at higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2  the virus that causes the disease  primarily due to the tightly packed living quarters and shared public amenities that are common features of such areas.

Clara Siagian, a doctoral student at Australian National Universitys (ANU) Crawford School of Public Policy, said that communal facilities meant that poor families living in the vertical buildings of low-cost apartment complexes were as vulnerable to contracting the disease as poor families that lived in kampungs.

Many low-cost apartments have shared facilities like elevators, canteens and multipurpose rooms, which increase the vulnerability to [viral transmission] within the [community], she told the Post.

Apartment management have reportedly stepped up efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Jakarta Housing and Settlements Agencys Meli Budiastuti, who heads the management unit of the Jati Rawasari and KS Tubun rusunawa (low-cost rental apartments) in Central Jakarta, said that the rusunawa management had issued a circular to all tenants detailing the measures it had adopted to prevent the spread of the disease.

Especially with regard to the use of elevators, [floor] stickers have been installed as a means to keep people at a safe distance from each other, she said in the circular, a copy of which the Post recently obtained. The management [disinfects] the shared facilities of the rusunawa and the [exterior] of the apartment units every weekend.

Ajra, who heads the Jakarta housing agencys management unit for the Jatinegara Kaum and Pulo Jahe rusunawa in East Jakarta, said he had taken a similar approach.

Some residents even take part in the [disinfection], because they realized that the epidemic was a danger to [them], he said.

But the outbreak is affecting public housing tenants in more than one way: It has also negatively affected the already straitened finances of poor families struggling to make ends meet.

According to data from the Jakarta housing agency, approximately 65,000 people representing 18,041 households live in rusunawa that are under city management. Around 83 percent of these tenants earn monthly incomes of less than Rp 4 million (US$254.50), while their monthly rent costs anywhere from Rp 100,000 to Rp 1.5 million.

Clara, who is writing her doctoral thesis on evictees living in low-cost rental apartments in Jakarta, said that the outbreak had exacerbated these tenants inability to pay rent.

In some cases, failing to pay rent on time could lead to a cut in water services in a city already lacking clean water supplies and distribution, she said. This meant that the problem became one of personal hygiene, the basic preventive measure against the virus.

Clara suggested that the Jakarta administration could impose a moratorium on rent payments or subsidize electricity bills for low-income households, in addition to providing social assistance.

It is unfair to put the entire burden on the [Jakarta] building management. The city administration and the central government should ensure that the livelihoods of these people are secure. [Rusunawa] residents already have a sense of how large the COVID-19 crisis is, but few options are available to them to protect themselves, she stressed.

Ledy Natalia, who heads the housing agencys regulation and community participation department, said that the city was currently discussing options to waive rent payments for the duration of the epidemic.
MIDDLETOWN, OH  Denzil Rusty Howard was among about 16 million Americans who answered President Franklin D. Roosevelts call to service after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He enlisted in the Marines and would fight in the Pacific theater, where he watched a fellow Marine die next to him in a foxhole on the island of Bougainville, his own life was spared when a bullet ricocheted off his helmet. After his tour of duty ended, he would serve as part of a special guard detail for FDR.



One of fewer than 390,000 World War II veterans still living, Howard died April 6 at the age of 96 in Middletown, the same place he enlisted.

As was the case with many who fought in the war, Howard talked little about his experiences but opened up later in life. But it was always an emotional journey back in time for Howard and other members of the Greatest Generation.

Sometimes, Howard told the Journal-News last year as he caught a tear that had rolled down his cheek when he told of the deaths of his fellow Marines, I get emotional when I talk about it.

The campaign on Bougainville, one of the Solomon Islands east of Papua New Guinea, was ultimately successful, but a difficult memory for Howard.

Things I saw you cant print, I dont think, he said last year when speaking with a reporter from the Journal-News. The things they did to our men. I saw a lot of my brothers killed.

After the war ended, Howard helped guard FDR when he stayed at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, remaining part of that duty until the president died on April 12, 1945. President Harry S. Truman preferred to be guarded by Army soldiers, and Howard returned to Middleton and worked for Armco Steel until his retirement in 1986.

Howard reluctantly stepped into the spotlight last year at a ceremony held three days before Veterans Day at Crosspointe Church of Christ in Middleton.

Im more of a back person, he told the Journal-News. I dont like being the front boy.

Story continues

But the tribute was touching, bringing him to tears.

It was pretty tough on him, Greg Howard, one of his two sons, told the newspaper.

Howard carried a Bible given to him by his late brother, the Rev. Henry Howard, who had served the Towne Boulevard Church of God. It would keep him safe, his brother said.

I had some mighty close calls I dont like to talk about, Howard said.

But his country needed him, and Howard was proud to accept the call to duty.

Id do it again for my country, he told the Journal-News.

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Dolores; sons Gregory and Geoffrey; two grandsons; and three great grandchildren.

A memorial service is pending and will be held after the coronavirus crisis has passed, according to his obituary. Memorial contributions may be made to the Towne Boulevard Church of God, 3722 Towne Blvd., Middleton, OH 45005. The family is receiving condolences at bakerstevensparramore.com.

This article originally appeared on the Across Ohio Patch
Desiree Evridge of Broad Street Ministry gives out food to the homeless in front of City Hall on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Philly nonprofits that can no longer serve food indoors have banded together to hire caterers to provide food to homeless residents, serving meals outside and connecting them with medical care and coronavirus screenings. Read more

On Thursday, in a parallel universe where a novel coronavirus did not spread into a global pandemic, Catering by Design was scheduled to serve dinner at an elegant opera fund-raiser for the homeless-services provider Broad Street Ministry.

That, of course, has been canceled  along with all of the caterers 90 other April bookings.

Instead, the caterer loaded up its 14-foot truck and headed out to serve the same nonprofit on a very different mission: to provide as many as 3,600 meals a day at centrally located sites to people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia.

The food run was part of Step Up to the Plate, a massive coordinated effort launched this week by the city with nonprofits including Project HOME, Prevention Point, and Broad Street Ministry.

The goal is to safely ensure homeless people have access to two meals a day, at a time when Philadelphias hunger crisis is growing  while contagion concerns have made established food-distribution models untenable. Its also keeping caterers, which are providing the meals at cost, on the job during the shutdown. And, perhaps most important, the meal service is paired with health-care access, including coronavirus testing.

That way, said Mike Dahl, Broad Street Ministrys executive director, we have a much better chance of screening our guests, getting them tested, and getting them the housing they need if they test positive.

 READ MORE: Its heartbreaking: Coronavirus puts Philly homeless services in survival mode

He initiated the collaboration after he was forced to dismantle his organizations longtime model of radical hospitality, involving sit-down meals prepared by dozens of volunteers and served at big, communal, round tables.

As the coronavirus arrived in Philadelphia, Broad Street Ministry pivoted to letting people come in only to get meals to-go  but enforcing social distancing still proved impossible.

The numbers of people showing up for meals was just going through the roof, and our ability to keep the guests safe and to keep our staff safe was being challenged," Dahl said. "We were handing out approximately 250 meals in the first 15 minutes.

 READ MORE: Coronavirus killed panhandling and closed food pantries. This volunteer is scrambling to keep homeless Philadelphians alive.

So, grant-makers, led by the Independence Foundation, pitched in more than $850,000 in 10 days to support a different model.

Now, catering companies, including 12th Street Catering and Herb Scott Catering, are contributing bagged meals at cost. Thursdays menu included a roast-beef sandwich, cookie, and water for lunch, and a chicken-vegetable-and-grain bowl with rancho sauce meant to be saved for dinner.

They drop them off at sites including City Hall, a municipal parking lot in Kensington, and locations in Germantown, North Philadelphia, and South Philadelphia. And, nonprofit staff distribute the meals and direct guests to screenings or other medical services.

The city contributed expedited permitting, police for crowd control, daily trash pickups, hand-washing stations, and bathroom trailers.

 READ MORE: As the coronavirus spreads, staving off hunger is a challenge in Kensington, Philadelphias poorest neighborhood

Sister Mary Scullion of Project HOME, which is providing coronavirus testing along with other medical care at the Hub of Hope in the subway concourse near City Hall, called the partnership a better-case scenario in a crisis that poses a particular threat to homeless individuals, many of whom already have complex health concerns.

If theres one thing the coronavirus proves, she said, it is housing really is health care."

As difficult as it is for people who have been impacted by this virus and have to quarantine at home, if you dont have a home its even more frightening and challenging, she said. Its both a hunger crisis and a health-care crisis and a housing crisis for those that are experiencing homelessness.

 HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to hear from you.

Step Up to the Plate is just one of several strategies the city is working on to address the risk to homeless people, said Eva Gladstein, deputy managing director of health and human services.

For one, the city is eagerly trying to procure rapid coronavirus tests specifically for homeless-services providers  but theres only one manufacturer and many customers competing for the same supply. For another, officials still aim to open a 24-hour respite center in Kensington, to allow at least small numbers of people to come indoors and access services.

The city is also looking at housing options to isolate medically vulnerable people  though hurdles include staffing such facilities and designing a system to prioritize those at greatest risk.

For now, the meal program solves one of the most pressing problems  albeit in a manner that confounds everything the city has prized in its homeless response up until now.

For years, weve worked to make sure people who are homeless are served indoors, with dignity, where they can be connected to services," Gladstein said. "The COVID crisis has turned that on its head.

Still, outside City Hall, Tesha Jones, 30, accepted her bag of food graciously. This is the best thing out here. The food is delicious, she said, swatting away a companion who was already demanding she hand over her cookie.

The program is also not a cure-all for out-of-work caterers.

Catering by Designs Peter Loevy estimates that, financially, he would have been better off closing temporarily and laying off all staff. To get the massive orders filled, even his bookkeeper and sales team have taken turns on the line, in the rush to ramp up production while minimizing the number of people coming into the kitchen.

Still, he said, its a win-win, in that were all participating in what we love to do, which is feeding people. So Im happy to keep it going, until, God forbid, somebody gets sick and we need to shut it down."

For now, the launch of Step Up to the Plate in Kensington solves one of the most pressing problems, as staples St. Francis Inn and Prevention Point both cut back from two meals a day to one grab-and-go lunch.

 READ MORE: As the pandemic surges, no one deserves whats brewing in Kensington.

Jose Benitez, executive director of Prevention Point, said there will be hand-washing stations and chairs set up in the parking lot  encouraging people to sit and eat while social-distancing. The goal is to restore some semblance of hospitality, and also contain some of the litter generated by thousands of takeout containers. Prevention Point and Philadelphia FIGHT will be providing medical care on site  and aim to roll out coronavirus testing in the next few weeks.

What it really shows is Philadelphians taking care of Philadelphians, Benitez said. I think thats something that is reassuring. We dont know how long this is going to last, but we at least have formulated some sort of coordinated response.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.
Reader stories on the coronavirus

The Opinions section asked readers to tell us how their lives have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Read collections of their stories:

A special series of firsthand stories, shared through podcasts: All Told

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A mother who felt judged by a stranger for not toilet training her four-year-old has hit back, explaining that her daughter will learn how to 'in her own time'.

Laura Mazza, 33, from Melbourne, said she was angry when she was met with a 'disapproving look' from a fellow parent for not toilet training Sofia, 4.

'She is four years old. Four years, five weeks and one day. And she isn't toilet trained,' Laura wrote on her Instagram profile.

A mother who has been judged by strangers for not toilet training her four-year-old has hit back and defended herself, explaining that her daughter will learn how to 'in her own time' (Sofia Mazza pictured)

Laura Mazza (pictured), 33, from Melbourne, said she wanted to explain herself as a mum after she was met with a 'disapproving look' from a fellow parent for not toilet training Sofia, 4

Laura continued: 'When she was six months old, she didn't sit up. Not even at eight months.'

Laura explained that she took Sofia to a specialist to find out if there was something wrong because she wasn't sitting up.

'He said she's fine, she will do it "in her own time". And she did,' she said.

The 33-year-old said that Sofia learned to walk and speak much later than other children too, and while she and her partner worried sometimes, they were repeatedly reassured by professionals that 'she will get there, she's just doing it in her own time'.

Laura explained she took Sofia to a specialist to find out if there was something wrong because she took a while to talk, walk and sit up but was told she was fine (Laura and Sofia pictured)

When should you toilet train a child? * Keep using nappies until your child show signs that they are ready to start toilet training, including: - age  your child needs to be between 18 months and three years before they are mature enough to recognise the urge to use the toilet. - interest  your child expresses curiosity in watching others go to the toilet. Although this might seem embarrassing at first, it's actually helpful to the child if they can see parents or older siblings using the toilet. - dryness  their nappy stays dry for up to two hours, showing they are able to store urine in the bladder. For example, their nappy may be dry when they wake up from their afternoon nap, - disliking nappies  they may tell you they hate wearing nappies, or else try to take them off themselves, particularly after soiling them. - awareness  your child can tell you they're pooing or weeing while they're doing it, or can tell you straight after. If they can tell you before it happens, they are definitely ready for toilet training. - attention  they have the ability to sit in one position for two to five minutes. Source: Better Health Victoria Advertisement

The mum-of-three (pictured) said she has her suspicions that she is 'somewhere on the spectrum of something', but that is why when she watches her, she said she is 'in awe'

'She [Sofia] hates loud noises. She covers her ears. She frightens easily. She barely plays with other children. She likes her alone time,' Laura wrote.

'She has different traits than her brothers and sisters. She has met milestones later than them. She's different.

'But I've done nothing different. I've loved them the same.'

The mum-of-three said she has her suspicions that Sofia is 'somewhere on the spectrum of something', but that is why when she watches her, she said she is 'in awe'.

'She drives me crazy because she's a force to be reckoned with and that's what I love about her the most. I love that she is so different,' she said.

Laura said when she was met with the 'disapproving look full of shock and judgement' from another parent, she was angered.

'I confidently shook my head and I proudly said, "she will do it. In her own time".'

According to the Better Health channel, parents should keep using nappies until their child starts showing signs they may be ready to be toilet trained.

This usually comes between the ages of 18 months and three years, and signs they are ready include dryness in their nappy after several hours, interest in using the toilet and a general dislike of nappies.

Laura's post online was met with a wash of praise from other parents, many of whom agreed that all children are different and will develop and learn in their own time (Laura pictured)

'This sounds exactly like my 3.5 year old son. I applaud you for letting her do it in her own time. They will all get there in the end,' one mum wrote (Sofia pictured)

Laura's post was praised by other parents, many of whom agreed that children develop and learn at different rates.

'This sounds exactly like my 3.5 year old son. I applaud you for letting her do it in her own time. They will all get there in the end,' one mum wrote.

Another parent added: 'I actually want to applaud you for taking her to specialists!'

'There's this backlash about milestones and how kids are fine, when in reality the milestones and benchmarks for child development are there for a reason - so parents, doctors, and specialist can more easily identify if further testing and therapies are needed.'

A third said her little boy is nearly three and she gets some 'looks' when she tells others he isn't potty trained.

'No one will remember any of this when she is 20 and living her best life!' she said.
The Regions Foundation, an Alabama-based nonprofit initiative of Regions Bank that supports community investments, on Thursday announced a $25,000 grant for the Tornado Relief Fund established by United Way of Greater Chattanooga and the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.

The donation will support immediate and long-term recovery efforts following the violent storms that swept through the area late Sunday and early Monday. The Regions Foundation is serving as a pacesetter contributor to the fund as United Way and the Community Foundation seek additional contributions to help meet urgent needs.

This is an especially difficult season, and we know many of our neighbors are suffering great losses, but we also know our community is defined by our collaborative spirit and generosity, said Michael Mathis, Chattanooga Market Executive for Regions Bank. Through this donation, our goal is to be part of the rebuilding and healing of our community in the days, weeks and months to come. We appreciate the leadership role both United Way and the Community Foundation are taking in supporting recovery needs.

The Tornado Relief Fund has been established to provide grants to nonprofits delivering vital services as part of immediate and long-term recovery efforts. The joint fund will be held at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, and its grants will be informed by a community task force. The task force will be assembled in partnership with United Way and the Community Foundation, with input from local officials and a focus on understanding the most pressing needs on the ground.

Leaders from United Way and the Community Foundation said the fund will allow nonprofits to concentrate on delivering vital services in surrounding communities while United Way and the Community Foundation connect generosity with needs.

In times of crisis, our community responds with acts of compassion and a helping hand, said Maeghan Jones, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. Because of the leadership and generosity of Regions, relief organizations will have the resources they need to effectively respond, and the victims of this disaster will have critical support in their time of need.

In recent days, our community has experienced substantial challenges due to COVID-19 and most recently with the tornado and severe storms that came through our region. Although these events have been great, the response from eager individuals and generous community partners like Regions has been greater, said Lesley Scearce, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Chattanooga. We know focused and collective efforts like this, that go above and beyond, are what are required to not only meet but overcome the challenges that face our neighbors.

In addition to the grant from the Regions Foundation, Regions Bank is announcing special financial services available to those impacted by the storms. Services available to customers in impacted areas, for a limited time, include:

No check-cashing fee for FEMA-issued checks

Regions Mortgage Disaster Relief Purchase and Renovation loan programs

Personal and business loan payment assistance

Regions Bank maintains an ongoing customer assistance program designed to listen to customers unique needs and identify additional areas where the bank may assist. Customers can call 1-866-298-1113 to discuss payment or assistance options related to Regions credit cards, personal loans, home equity loans and business loans. Also, the Regions Mortgage Payment Assistance team can be reached at 1-800-748-9498. Additional banking needs can be discussed by calling 1-800-411-9393.

The above services are in addition to ongoing financial services announced March 20 for customers impacted by COVID-19. Details on those services are available at this link.
Signage at an Amazon facility in Bethpage on Long Island, N.Y., on March 17, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Amazon Has Suspended 6,000 Seller Accounts for Pandemic Price Gouging

Amazon said in a letter to investigators on Thursday that more than 6,000 seller accounts were suspended due to price gouging amid the CCP virus pandemic.

The companys CEO, Jeff Bezos, said the firm also removed more than 500,000 listings on its website for price gouging.

Amazon turned over information about sellers we suspect engaged in price gouging of products related to COVID-19 to 42 state attorneys general offices, Bezos wrote in a filing. To accelerate our response to price-gouging incidents, we created a special communication channel for state attorneys general to quickly and easily escalate consumer complaints to us.

The suspensions of accounts came after a letter from Congressional lawmakers to Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph Simons called for investigations into reports of price gouging.

The FTC should be just as vigilant as ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said in a letter to Simons, dated Tuesday.

Although these are incredibly difficult times, they are an important reminder that what we do as a company can make a big difference in peoples lives, Bezos also said Thursday. Customers count on us to be there, and we are fortunate to be able to help. With our scale and ability to innovate quickly, Amazon can make a positive impact and be an organizing force for progress.

Also on Wednesday, the Seattle-based company said it would temporarily suspend all activity in France, one day after a French court ruled it wasnt doing enough to protect its workers in the country amid the pandemic.

The online giant, which has six warehouses in France, said in a statement that this week, we are requesting employees of our distribution centers to stay at home. (In) the longer term, we will evaluate the impact of that (court) decision for them and our French logistic network.

Amazon said Wednesday it will temporarily suspend all activity in France, one day after a French court ruled it wasnt doing enough to protect its workers in the country amid the pandemic.

Amazon France also said it is appealing Tuesdays emergency ruling, which requires the company to stop selling non-essential goods for a month while it works out new worker safety measures.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WASHINGTONThis isnt a week where anyone in the U.S. has to go looking for problems. On Thursday morning, the New York Times reported the months jobless claims reaching 22 million, the small business bailout program running out of money, insufficient testing capacity to lift social-distancing restrictions, and a grim nursing home crisis illustrated by 17 dead bodies discovered at facility in New Jersey.

So what was President Donald Trumps biggest announcement of the week? Hes withholding U.S. funding from the World Health Organization (WHO). Someone must have botched this thing, and Trump has decided its the WHOs turn on the firing line.

The U.S. government has put a hold on funding to the WHO pending a review of the organizations coverup and mismanagement of the coronavirus outbreak, Trump said Wednesday, and brought it up again in a video call with G7 leaders on Thursday morning.

With the benefit of hindsight, theres plenty of blame to go around. The WHO was initially kept in the dark by China, and remains slow to call that country out. But it was sounding the international alarm by late January, when Trump was saying coronavirus was completely under control. In mid-February, a WHO executive said Chinas internal lockdown was the correct strategic response, whereas in early March, Trump was telling infected people they could go to work. The WHO made a test available in late January, but the U.S. decided to develop its own, which caused weeks of delays.

An epidemiological model released Tuesday said shutting down the U.S. a week or two earlier could have saved tens of thousands of lives  a sentiment that the countrys top expert in infectious diseases got into hot water for acknowledging recently. Dr. Anthony Fauci quickly walked that back while standing beside the president at a briefing, saying the question was hypothetical and, while earlier mitigation efforts would have saved more lives, you cant point fingers at people who were working with the best information they had at the time.

To paraphrase: hindsight is 20/20. And what were reckoning with at this point in 2020 is the difficulty of foresight. Trump claims his own was perfect and that the WHOs was lacking. For that, he wants to punish it.

To what end? In addition to co-ordinating the international coronavirus response, the WHO is also trying to keep a lid on new outbreaks of ebola, polio and diphtheria. The U.S. is its largest source of funding. Is there any way that global health, or even U.S. health, benefits from this move?

Nobody benefits from it except for Trump, said Robert Bothwell, a professor of international relations at the University of Torontos Munk School. Thats his only consideration.

Its also a very short-term benefit, he says, aimed at winning the news cycle and based on xenophobia and an impulse to blame someone else.

Bothwell says that for now, the practical considerations for the WHO may be minimal. I think probably other people or other countries are going to step up to the plate on this, he said. Dont forget, Bill Gates is the second-largest contributor to the WHO.

The bigger impact, Bothwell says, is a sharp reduction in U.S. influence on the WHO. What would an international organization be like without the United States? Obviously, it would start performing in ways that simply ignored American views.

The immediate reaction from within the federal government had a different tone from Trumps. On Wednesday, Centers for Disease Control director Robert Redfield said his organization continued to have a productive public health relationship with its great partner at the WHO. He said hindsight should wait: Id like to do the post mortem on this outbreak once we get through it together.

With the U.S. coronavirus death toll now over 30,000 and the number of new cases and deaths is still sharply rising, it would seem obvious there is enough to manage without picking fights about blame.

But pointing fingers is second nature to Trump. Hes already made clear he takes no responsibility for the slow U.S. response, which experts seem to agree was a bigger factor than anything the WHO did or didnt do. Most also acknowledge the WHO was not perfect, and perhaps has been too deferential to China, which misled the world early on. But then, the WHO is a United Nations organization that must use careful diplomacy in addressing its operational concerns.

As Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University told Vox, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised China, and perhaps he shouldnt have done it  but he also praised Trump, and perhaps he shouldnt have done that, either.

Trump is fixating on blame when doing so is unhelpful. Hes accusing others of something he seems manifestly culpable for himself. He is taking an action that serves no immediately useful purpose and may hurt U.S. interests in the long run.

On the other hand, hes redirected some attention from this weeks crisis headlines about the health and economy of the U.S.

The choice of targets, by any rational calculation, its insane, Bothwell said. But, you know, very typical of Trump.

Read more about:
Gov. Noem lauds state economy, but big legislative fights are coming

Noems speech flowed between business and economic development, lifestyle issues and social issues that were united by their conservative themes.
Separated lovers of New Zealand are just days away from emotional reunifications at the end of a month-long 'bonk ban'.

Barring an upswing of new COVID-19 cases in the new few days, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will on Monday decide to lower New Zealand's lockdown from level four to level three.

That will means the return of many workers to their workplaces, provided they can do their jobs safely.

It means schools are back in session, and restaurants will be able to open once more, for delivery or drive-through services only.

And, most importantly for loved-up Kiwis who live apart, it will mean they can see each other again.

Barring an upswing of new COVID-19 cases in the new few days, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) will on Monday decide to lower New Zealand's lockdown from level four to level three

New Zealand's severe coronavirus clampdown, which enters day 22 on Friday, includes restrictions on socialising between households, even between partners.

Ms Ardern has stressed the importance of keeping to one's 'bubble' as the key tenet of NZ's social distancing regime.

When New Zealand enters level three, Ms Ardern said Kiwis 'could expand your bubble a small amount'.

'If you have a caregiver that you need in your life, children who might be in a shared care arrangement, a de facto partner who is caring for others, or you're a single person who wants the company of a sibling, for example, you can extend your bubble.'

The prime minister's office then clarified the bubbles could extend to partners living under different roofs under strict terms.

'You need to remain exclusive to the person ... it needs to be local and needs to be small,' a spokesperson told AAP.

That's bad news for the polyamorous and promiscuous, but it's also unclear whether police have enforced the bonk ban by stopping any Kiwis in the name of love.

Of hundreds of breach notices, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said he wasn't aware of any issued to lovers breaking the rules.

One Australian state, Victoria, included a similar bonk ban in its regulations, only for the Chief Medical Officer to declare he wasn't interested in enforcing the rule.

Kiwi health officials announced just 15 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, down from a one-day peak of 89 earlier this month.
Not only that  we live in a culture that discourages empathy. A culture that too often tells us our principal goal in life is to be rich, thin, young, famous, safe, and entertained. A culture where those in power too often encourage these selfish impulses. ... I hope you dont listen to this. I hope you choose to broaden, and not contract, your ambit of concern. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, although you do have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all of those who helped you get to where you are, although you do have that debt. Its because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. And because its only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential  and become full-grown.
Six students from China, Russia and the United States shared their stories about the pandemic, stressing that courage, care, communication, equality and unity are needed to fight the global battle against COVID-19. The six speakers shared their own stories and reflections on worldwide cooperation and collaboration to fight COVID-19 and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Max Horne, a first-year student at Harvard, said China is his second home as he has studied Chinese since the age of 12, and paid numerous visits to the country.

When Wuhan was first hit by the outbreak, Horne filmed videos showing his support for those fighting on the front line against the virus. He said he wanted to show that the people of the United States wish to deepen engagement with China through people-to-people exchanges and through globalism.

"The need for close communication, collaboration and coordination between the world's nations is more important than ever," he said, calling for innovative, unorthodox channels to promote much-needed cross-cultural exchanges.

Alisa Topchiy, a student at Saint-Petersburg State University in Russia, said, "I believe that the coronavirus is above politics," she said. "And cooperation will be the only way to destroy the virus".

She said the good news for her is that China and Russia have not only offered each other, but also the world, a helping hand to cope with the pandemic. China had provided assistance to more than 120 countries amid the COVID-19 outbreak by the end of March.

Xue Feiyang, a student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, helped launch the "Chinese against racist virus" campaign by organizing a workshop and giving speeches in London.

She also shot documentaries about the Chinese people living abroad and the efforts they have made in fighting the virus together with students from different British universities. "We have every reason to hope that the world will become a safer place in which people are treated equally, as humans and not a virus," she said.

Zhu Jiayi, a first-year master's student at the University of Southern California, flew back to China in late March, partly because of xenophobia and an undercurrent of racism targeting Chinese students and Asian-Americans.

On her way back she recalled that customs officials and social workers who helped her with quarantine all gave her a warm welcome.

Zhu said doctors, nurses, construction workers, and many more, who chose to risk their lives fighting COVID-19, have been making those difficult decisions and doing things for the greater good rather than just themselves.

"Only in solidarity will we, as human society, have a chance to win this fight against COVID-19," she said.

Wang Ziyi, a fifth-grader at Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School, is rightly proud that seven of his family members became volunteers during the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province.

"My family is only one of the numerous families in Wuhan, who are doing their bit to pull the city together," he said. "Every ordinary person can be a hero."

"Without Wuhan's sacrifice and joint efforts from people from all walks of life, we wouldn't have done what we have achieved so far," he said.

Xiong Ziqing, a 21-year-old exchange student in Monterey, in the US, said that social distancing reminds him of the value of sharing, caring and communicating with others.

"The pandemic cannot sweep away friendship, goodwill and exchanges of ideas and knowledge," Xiong said. He added that the rapid rise in the use of video conference and social media have shown people's willingness to sympathize, communicate and work together regardless of distance.

Launched in January 2018 by China Daily, Vision China has been featuring global opinion leaders invited to discuss Chinese topics of international significance.

Thursday's event, the 11th edition, was a special one focusing on voices of the youths.

It was organized by China Daily in cooperation with Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the Canadian International School of Beijing.

SOURCE China Daily
Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - CFN Media (OTCQB: CNFN), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry announces the publication of an article discussing Innoviom, Inc., its business model, and leadership team.

Figure 1: Innoviom, Inc.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5503/54504_727960009464289f_001full.jpg

The COVID-19 outbreak has severely disrupted the economy and could push the world into the sharpest economic contraction since the Great Depression in the 1930s. While the cannabis industry has been largely spared thus far, companies have been forced to adopt new business models and strategies to succeed in the 'new normal'.

Innoviom, a nimble beverage and foods start-up that builds on consumer market trends and takes them to scale, is well-positioned to succeed in the current macroeconomic backdrop given its highly experienced management team, its unique focus on relaxation beverages and its rapid pivot to sell products through ecommerce channels-including Amazon.com in recent weeks.

If you're an accredited investor interested in functional beverages, you can sign up to receive the company's investor presentation and learn more about its current offerings.

Perfectly-Positioned Beverage Products

Innoviom's great tasting, low-calorie, adaptogen-containing relaxation beverages are designed to relieve stress, reduce anxiety and enhance mood without causing drowsiness with lavender, lemon balm, chamomile, green tea, and other all-natural ingredients. In addition, Wowie by Tranquini includes 20mg of hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD, per can.

These innovative products are uniquely suited to address consumer needs in the current high-stress COVID-19 environment. All of Innoviom's products allow you to work/study from home with less stress and anxiety from juggling all the responsibilities with little outside help. Reducing stress while being active, helps consumers to be at their best even in the current situation.

With cannabinoid-free and CBD-only versions, consumers across the spectrum can access these products in any market without having to visit a dispensary or worry about the legal status of cannabis in their state.

CEO Ahmed El Azizi explains what makes Innoviom products unique.

Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RAYmis02uc

With an established supply chain, manufacturing and distribution network already in place, the company is well on its way to expanding distribution throughout the United States. The company's move to trademark the name in 120 countries and seek regulatory approval in 30+ countries suggests that international expansion is in the cards.

Reaching Millions of Customers via Ecommerce Sales

Innoviom recently began selling its Tranquini brand of products, with or without CBD, on Amazon.com and Tranquini.com. With its agile management team, the company was able to pivot to e-commerce and significantly expand upon its existing presence in U.S. retail chains, like Meijer. The company also works with distributors, like KeHE and UNFI.







Figure 1: Relax and be positive with Innoviom's Tranquini adaptogen-blend beverages.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5503/54504_727960009464289f_002full.jpg







Figure 2: Take a break and hang loose with Innoviom's CBD-infused beverages.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5503/54504_727960009464289f_003full.jpg

"A cultural shift in consumption also contributes [to the growth in CBD beverages]," says Duane Stanford, Beverage Digest Executive Editor. "Consumers [are] increasingly looking for natural products with health benefits and are reducing their alcohol intake. CBD drinks are positioned as a potential aid for conditions from anxiety to muscle pain."

The functional beverage market is projected to grow at an 8.66% CAGR to reach $208.13 billion by 2024, according to Research and Markets. Zenith Global believes that CBD beverages will be among the fastest-growing subsets of the functional beverage industry, growing from just $86 million in 2018 to $1.4 billion by 2023.

A Unique Investment Opportunity

Innoviom is led by CEO Ahmed El Azizi, former Global VP of Functional Beverages at PepsiCo. He is joined by Group CFO Christine Morcos, who worked with Pfizer, Gillette and Procter & Gamble and Julia Trofimova, who formerly served at Diageo, Red Bull and other mainstream consumer product companies.







Ahmed El Azizi discusses management's experience in the space.

Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vczZF8cDPVs&

Accredited investors interested in the functional beverage and CBD industries can sign up to receive the company's investor presentation and details about their offerings.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.cannabisfn.com/led-by-an-expert-team-in-the-beverage-industry-innoviom-is-adapting-and-driving-their-business-despite-the-current-pandemic/

Company Contact:

Innoviom, Inc.

Ahmed El Azizi

CEO

ahmed.elazizi@innoviom.com

CFN Media

Frank Lane

President

flane@cannabisfn.com

About CFN Media

CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN) is the owner and operator of CFN Media, the leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the legal cannabis industry.

For Visitors and Viewers

CFN Media's Cannabis Financial Network (CannabisFN.com) is the destination for savvy investors and business people profiting from the worldwide cannabis industry. Viewers will see breaking news, exclusive content and original programming involving the people, companies and investments shaping the industry.

For Cannabis Businesses & Companies

CFN Media is a leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the cannabis industry. We help private, pre-public and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada attract capital, investors and media attention.

Our powerful digital media and distribution platform conveys a company's message and value proposition directly to accredited and retail investors and national media active in the North American cannabis markets.

Since 2013, CFN Media has enabled the world's preeminent cannabis companies to thrive in the capital and public markets.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: https://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54504
The US military on Wednesday denied killing a Somali civilian in a strike last week against Al-Shabaab militants, providing rare details of its operations against the jihadist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

US Africa Command disputed reports from two news outlets that said an innocent civilian was killed in the precision air strike near the southern town of Jamaame on Friday.

These allegations are based on al-Shabaab propaganda and are false, Africom said.

The terrorist that was killed in the Apr 10 air strike was an al-Shabaab member complicit in the murder of at least six innocent Somalis.

To support its claim, Africom  which has been accused by Amnesty International of concealing the number of civilian victims in its almost daily drone strikes  gave details of the incident.

Immediately prior to the air strike, this al-Shabaab terrorist displayed the murdered bodies of Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers in a village, the statement said.

Once isolated in a remote and secluded area, the terrorist was killed by an air strike.

Africom named one of the news outlets as al-Shabaab associated news affiliate SomaliMemo.

Army Major General William Gayler said that it was a war crime by an al-Shabaab terrorist who desecrated bodies to scare and intimidate innocent Somalis into submission.

Amnesty last year accused the US military of indiscriminately hitting civilians, killing farmers, workers and even children in Somalia.

After an internal investigation, the military admitted responsibility for the death of a woman and a child.






Volkswagen has announced that it will pick up the tab for up to six months' worth of new-car payments for buyers who get thrown out of work. The offer joins a growing list from automakers who are working to reassure jittery new-car buyers as the coronavirus sends unemployment soaring.

In order to be eligible for six months of payment forgiveness from Volkswagen, the vehicle must have been financed though Volkswagen Credit, and the offer is good for 12 months from the date of purchase. Other specifics: The job loss must be due to economics (not performance), the buyer must be collecting unemployment, the buyer must have been employed for 3 months before getting laid off, the job loss can't be within 90 days of purchase, and the buyers in New York are not eligible.

Separately, VW has added a 60-month, 0% financing offer for its Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. The company had previously announced interest-free financing over 72 months for new-car loans. And it is offering deferral of first payments for up to 180 days.

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Ambassador Deng Xijun, head of the Chinese mission to ASEAN, affirmed his countrys strong support for Vietnams chairmanship of the bloc in 2020 during a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.

Ambassador Deng Xijun, head of the Chinese mission to ASEAN

The Special ASEAN Summit and the Special ASEAN+3 Summit, which gathered leaders of ASEAN countries and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, on COVID-19 were held online under the chair of Vietnam on April 14.

Ambassador Deng said China has followed closely on the efforts of ASEAN led by Vietnam as the Chair in promoting cooperation in the fight against COVID-19.

According to him, the release of the Chairmans Statement on ASEAN Collective Response to the Outbreak of COVID-19, and the convening of a series of important special video conferences and meetings among ASEAN member states and among ASEAN 3 countries, including the latest Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN+3 Summit, all demonstrate the strong leadership of Vietnam as the ASEAN Chair and the ASEAN+3 Chair.

He held that these efforts have shown the solidarity and willingness to enhance cooperation of regional countries in this battle and greatly helped with the policy coordination and sharing of information, experience, best practices and technologies, which will eventually bring victory over COVID-19 in the region.

The diplomat also expressed thanks to the Vietnamese government and people for their support and assistance to China after the outbreak of COVID-19, affirming that China is ready to work more closely with Vietnam and other ASEAN member states to safeguard the health security of the peoples in the region.

Regarding the Special ASEAN+3 Summit on the coronavirus disease, Deng said this event was the first special meeting so far among ASEAN+3 leaders since the mechanism was set up, and also the first leaders meeting that covers the East Asia region in response to COVID-19.

This milestone in the ASEAN+3 cooperation history highlighted once again the countries fine tradition of mutual assistance in times of difficulties, as well as the close bond between each other, he said, noting that held at a challenging time when countries around the world are battling COVID-19, the meeting produced strong political momentum for the collective response of the region.

Ambassador Deng added the consensus reached at the summit made clear both the goal and route to revitalise regional economy after the pandemic, which will greatly boost market confidence, provide strong momentum to economic growth in the region, and contribute to the development of East Asia. VNA
The federal government has approved about N200 billion for the power sector to boost the supply of gas to the electricity generation companies (GENCos).

The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, who disclosed this on Wednesday, said the provision was part of the governments effort to boost electricity supply during the lockdown period.

Me Kyari spoke at the end of his meeting with the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, and the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Usman Mohammed, at the Ministry of Power in Abuja, according to an official statement.

The federal government has approved the payment of over N200 billion to the power sector in the two or three days. This will go a long way in making sure that those payment issues are resolved. We are engaging as the government to make sure that those payment issues are fully settled, the NNPC boss said.

He said the meeting was held at the instance of the minister of power to further improve on gas supply to the power plants.

Mr Kyari said he would visit some of the power plants on Thursday to ensure any hitch in the system was sorted out to give Nigerians stable electricity supply during the period of lockdown.

Mr Mohammed assured that although there was sufficient gas to supply, there were several power plants that do not have gas supply agreements.

Such agreements, he said, spell out the terms and conditions under which gas is supplied by the suppliers to the buyers.

The suppliers always divert the available gas to other places, and from time to time, the government always face some constraints in the supply of gas to electricity producers, which is a big problem, he said.

Mr Mohammed said the minister prevailed on the GMD of NNPC to assist in the supply of gas to the power plants, to allow for more sustainable power supply going forward, especially during the current period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Also at the meeting was the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Chiedu Ugbo, who said the NIPP GENCos under the companys operations would get the gas fund and pay up.

He said the NDPHC would soon receive its part of the payment and has already assured the GMD of NNPC that as soon as the NDPHC was paid, payment vouchers would be ready, for the immediate remittance to the gas companies.

He said the Calabar NIPP was the only plant with a standard gas supply agreement.

With the availability of gas during this period, he said electricity generation could be ramped up above 400 megawatts (MW) when every other plant was down.

On the distribution section, Mr Ugbo said his firm has been intervening by providing 500KVA transformers, wires and cables to replace faulty ones in the networks of the DISCos to ensure there was more access to electricity during this period.

The TCN MD also said DISCos needed investment in the transmission infrastructure to evacuate more electricity to consumers.

The order NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission) issued recently is going to assign responsibility on the side of the DISCos for them to be able to pay for capacity they fail to take.

That will compel them to put up the necessary investments in the network and meter customers, Mr Mohammed said.
New Yorks sweeping shutdown will last until at least May 15, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Thursday as he urged people to prepare for a new normal while the state sputtered into reopening over the next few months.

This is going to be a moment of transformation for society, and we paid a very high price for it, he said. But how do we learn the lessons so that this new normal is a better New York?

The governors guidance, including that businesses begin considering how to reimagine workplaces by weighing more regular use of telecommuting and sustained social distancing, came as he announced that his states official death toll had risen by 606 to 12,192, an increase in fatalities that was the states lowest in 10 days. (The tally did not include the more than 3,700 people in New York City who were presumed to have died because of the virus.)

Although Mr. Cuomo and other public officials have been encouraged by some statistics suggesting that New Yorks efforts to stop the spread of the virus were working, he cautioned that reopening too hastily would cause the infection rate to swell.

The economic consequences of the pandemic came into clearer view when Mayor Bill de Blasio said that New York City would need at least $2 billion in very tough budget cuts in its next fiscal year. His proposal forecasts an extraordinary drop in the city governments tax revenue: some $7.4 billion over the current fiscal year and the next.

George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and liberal financier, is directing more than $130 million through his foundation to combat the effects of the virus, with $37 million aimed to help at-risk populations in New York City, including undocumented families and low-wage workers.
VKEIA presented medical products to Tay Ninh provincial Border Guard



Addressing at the working session, Dr. Pham Hai Chien, chairman of VKEIA awarded 6,000 medical masks, two boxes of Peka Antis hand sanitizer gel, three boxes of Bio Peka (biological products to prevent mosquitoes, cockroachs and ants when patrolling the border), and 20 sets of masks anti-drop shot for the Border Guard of Tay Ninh province.

Colonel Nguyen Van Dung, Deputy Political Commissar of Tay Ninh provincial Border Guard expressed his thanks to the association for their encouragement and support of essential medical products for the provincial Border Guard. He said that the gift is very meaningful and timely, contributing to equip staff and soldiers who are performing their duties at the border gates in the pandemic prevent and control.



The provincial Border Guard has arranged more than 100 posts for COVID-19 prevention and control along more than 240km border with Cambodia.

VKEIA presented medical products to Tay Ninh provincial Public Security



The association also gave 2000 medical masks, one box of antibacterial hand-washing gel, seven boxes of Bio Peka to Tay Ninh provincial Public Security that actively supported the provincial border guard in epidemics prevention and control.



On the same day, VKEIA visited soldiers at Cau Trang Border Guard and shared difficulties in the pandemic prevention./.
He says hell stop all funding until a review has been conducted. Stopping funding to an organization that handles pandemics in the middle of a pandemic is like slashing your own tires because youre mad you woke up late for work.  JIMMY KIMMEL

So far, hes blamed this on Obama, the governors, the media, the W.H.O.  has he blamed it on the Mexicans yet? No? OK, hell get to that.  JIMMY KIMMEL

And even if you dont think the W.H.O. is perfect, the middle of the pandemic  the middle of a pandemic  is not a good time to cut funding from a group that is an integral part of fighting coronavirus. Yes, the organization is not perfect, but this is not the time to cut them off. Its the same reason you dont give your Uber driver one star during the ride. You do that [expletive] after you are safe at home, not while youre doing 90 on the freeway.  TREVOR NOAH
Radical congresswoman Ilhan Omar is on track to pay her new husband's company nearly double the half million dollars she funneled his way last year, new figures obtained by DailyMail.com show.

In the first three months of this year Omar paid more than $290,000 to the E Street Group, a fundraising and consulting group run by Tim Mynett, who she married last month.

If she continues at this rate it will mean the company would get a whopping $1.16 million from Omar's campaign in 2020. It received a total of $523,000 for the whole of last year.

'Omar's campaign chest is looking more and more like a dowry,' Peter Flaherty, the head of a group which has filed a complaint with the FEC over Omar's spending, told DailyMail.com.

Radical congresswoman Ilhan Omar is on track to pay her new husband's company nearly double the half million dollars she funneled his way last year, new figures obtained by DailyMail.com show

THIS YEAR: In the first three months of this year Omar paid more than $290,000 to the E Street Group, a fundraising and consulting group run by Tim Mynett, who she married last month. If she continues at this rate it will mean the company would get a whopping $1.16 million from Omar's campaign in 2020. Pictured: Some of the payments Omar made to Mynett's company this year

LAST YEAR: Ilhan's campaign paid Mynett's company a total $523,000 for the whole of last year.

'Most candidates for federal office keep a close eye on their vendors to make sure they aren't being overcharged, but with her being married to her chief fundraiser the incentive may be the other way round as the money spent is going directly to the family.

'Basically, her campaign finance disclosures read more like a wedding registry where friends can make gifts to the happy couple,' added Flaherty, chairman of the conservative National Legal and Policy Center.

The raw figures, released late Wednesday by the Federal Election Commission, show that Omar's campaign committee, Ilhan For Congress, paid E Street a total of $291,059.91 between January 1 and March 31.

That includes regular monthly payments of $67,000, broken down as $50,000 for 'digital advertising,' $12,000 for 'fundraising consulting' and $5,000 for 'digital consulting.'

She had been paying the lower two figures through much of her time in Congress, but only started paying the $50,000 figure on a monthly basis in December, soon after both she and Mynett got divorced.

The other $102,000 is for expenses for items such as travel, postage and campaign merchandise.

Omar's spokesman did not answer specific questions that DailyMail.com put to him regarding the figures, instead pointing to a series of tweets that Omar made last month about her marriage to Mynett and his work for her campaign.

Omar's spokesman did not answer specific questions that DailyMail.com put to him regarding the figures, instead pointing to a series of tweets that Omar made last month about her marriage to Mynett and his work for her campaign

'We consulted with a top FEC campaign attorney to ensure there were no possible legal issues with our relationship. We were told this is not uncommon and that no, there weren't,' she said in one Twitter message

'We consulted with a top FEC campaign attorney to ensure there were no possible legal issues with our relationship. We were told this is not uncommon and that no, there weren't,' she said in one Twitter message.

Omar, 37, a Democrat whose district is based in Minneapolis, tied the knot with Mynett on March 11 in Washington, DC, so the FEC figures include the first three weeks of their married life, during which she paid E Street more than $120,000.

On the day of the quickie ceremony in a Washington park she shelled out $498.80 for travel expenses and the $50,000 monthly payment fell due the following day. In subsequent days she forked over $5,000 for research services and $1,046.83 for travel expenses. The actual details of the expenditure were not released in the FEC disclosures.

Then on March 30, there were two separate payments totaling $63,834.18 for 'mail, advertising, production and postage.'

Omar, one-fourth of 'The Squad,' a group of female leftist freshman Democrats in Congress, has courted controversy since she became one of the first two Muslim women ever elected to Congress in the 2018 elections.

The Somali-born congresswoman has refused to address claims that she married her own brother  a British subject  to allow him to enter the United States to study and angered millions when she described 9/11 as 'some people doing something,' in a speech in California.

The figures released by the Federal Elections Commission show Omar has raised just under $3 million since the start of 2019, putting her in the top 1 percent of all candidates running for election in November.

Omar, 37, a Democrat whose district is based in Minneapolis, tied the knot with Mynett on March 11 in Washington, DC, so the FEC figures include the first three weeks of their married life, during which she paid E Street more than $120,000. On the day of the quickie ceremony in a Washington park she shelled out $498.80 for travel expenses and the $50,000 monthly payment fell due the following day

Her figure is dwarfed by the top fundraiser, Republican House whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who raised $13.8 million and by her own Squad colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York with $5.4 million, but she still ranks 22nd of more than 2,700 announced House candidates, more than 1,000 of whom say they have raised nothing.

'It shows just how she has become a national figure,' said Flaherty. 'It is very impressive for a freshman congresswoman to raise that amount.

'But it raises the question: with all that money going to her husband's company, is it being used for other purposes?

'The ethical problem is that if a significant portion of her campaign funds are staying within the family it could become a way for special interests to buy influence with her.'

Flaherty said many other politicians have employed family members. 'But she is the first that I can think of to do it on this scale.'

Omar's series of tweets followed a Washington Post piece about her marriage and whether it raised ethical problems. She said E Street had worked for Keith Ellison, her predecessor in Congress, and Mynett's partner Will Hailer reached out to her after Ellison announced he was stepping down to run for Minnesota's Attorney General.

'My husband Tim was Keith's national fundraiser for a decade  raising millions of dollars across the country to support Keith  and is an expert in the business,' she said in one tweet.

'My relationship with Tim began long after this work started,' said another.

In a third, she wrote: 'We had roughly eight weeks to build a campaign and win a primary against more financially well-connected opponents. As a new candidate running in the Fifth (District), they were critical to getting a progressive like me with few resources elected.'

She insisted that she paid E Street 'fair market value' for its services, spending 'relatively little on fundraising compared to how much we raise, allowing us to invest more in organizing work to pass a bold progressive agenda.'

Another tweet read: 'As a family, we are committed to the practice of joy, compassion and love in our politics. And we are giving ourselves the permission to be happy and hope others will as well.'

Flaherty's group filed a complaint with the FEC last fall, asking it to investigate payments to Mynett's company. 'If Ilhan for Congress reimbursed Mynett's LLC for travel so that Rep. Omar would have the benefit of Mynett's romantic companionship, the expenditure must be considered personal in nature,' he wrote.

But because the FEC does not have enough members it hasn't been able to meet and consider the complaint. 'The FEC is in a state of paralysis,' said Flaherty.

'It looked like there might be confirmation of a Republican which would give it a quorum but the coronavirus derailed that.'

Omar represents one of the most Democratic districts in the country and would be almost guaranteed reelection. But first she has to beat off four Democratic challengers in a primary scheduled for August.

When she was first elected to the House in 2018, Omar she had just remarried Ahmed Hirsi, the father of her three children, but she soon started dating Mynett, who was already working for her.

As DailyMail.com exclusively reported, she was spotted holding hands with him over dinner at a California restaurant in March last year. Initially they both denied an affair.

She moved out of the family home in Minneapolis and into a penthouse apartment in the city's trendy Mill District.

Meanwhile, Mynett, 39, split with his wife Dr. Beth Jordan in April last year, when, according to Jordan's divorce filing, he 'made a shocking declaration of love' for the congresswoman.

Mynett and Jordan, who have a teenage son together, divorced in December.

Then in March Omar and Mynett married in Washington's John Marshall Park, right next to the H. Carl Moultrie courthouse where Mynett's divorce case was heard.

Mynett officiated at his own wedding, which is legal in DC in what is known as a 'self-uniting marriage.' Mynett converted to Islam shortly before the ceremony.
The Embassy of Armenia in Russia informs that many citizens of Armenia still prefer to stay at Moscow Domodedovo Airport and are causing accumulation which is a violation of the health and safety measures introduced by the Russian government. In this regard, the administration of Moscow Domodedovo Airport addressed the Embassy once again and stated that the accumulation of citizens has already created a problematic situation in the premises of the airport and is a violation of the rules for maintenance of the quarantine regime set in Moscow and Moscow Region.

Based on this and the need to rule out the possible application of administrative liability, the administration of the airport has transmitted its request to the Embassy of Armenia in Russia to urge citizens of Armenia once again to leave the premises of the airport as soon as possible.

In this sense, the Embassy of Armenia asks and urges citizens of Armenia to leave the airport and wait for the upcoming flight elsewhere. Once again, the Embassy of Armenia calls on citizens with problems with stay to take advantage of the opportunities to move to guest houses provided by the Embassy.

Once again, the Embassy states that there wont be a flight from Moscow to Armenia and will provide further information about a possible flight as soon as there is information.
Sheikh Mohammed Awal, a renowned Islamic Cleric has implored Ghanaians to unite behind President Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo to collectively fight the coronavirus as a country.



They should strictly observe all the precautionary protocols, respect the presidential directives and stay safe during this torrid period of the global crisis.



Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, the US-based Islamic Scholar, underlined the need for the citizenry to support the President to fight the common enemy.



He said it was important for the people to take the pandemic seriously and cooperate with the President and health authorities to overcome the dreaded disease.



We are fighting an enemy that cannot be seen but yet causing havoc across the world, he cautioned.



He added that Lets not take the problem on hand for granted as a people. This is a global pandemic which must be tackled with all seriousness due to its gravity.



He applauded the President for the leadership he had shown so far, saying that, all his efforts would be in vain if the people do not respond positively by adhering to the basic protocols geared towards containing the disease.



Sheikh Awal said the Presidents call for prayers in these difficult times was in the right direction but stressed the need for people not to solely rely on faith but also stay away from practices that could expose them to the virus.



He said while we prayed for Gods intervention, we must also learn to do the right things to bring the situation under control.



He entreated Ghanaians to adapt to the changes that the fight against the pandemic had brought to their daily lives, adding that, it was for the common good of everybody.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Coronavirus Restrictions Protest At Courthouse Park View Photos

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Sonora, CA  There was plenty of honking in show of support of the nearly 100 protestors that lined Courthouse Park in Sonora during the noon hour along Washington Street, as can be viewed in the image box video.

We reported earlier that many business leaders are concerned about Constitutional rights during the coronavirus pandemic, and smaller businesses being forced to close, while larger big box stores like Walmart can remain open. Still working on signs, one of the protestors, Amber Allen relayed, I think people are ready to go back to work and not let this economy slide further.

The protest was peaceful, but at one-point Sonora Police Chief Turu Vanderwiel voiced concerns to one of the main organizers, Cindy Zelinsky, about the need for improved social distancing among the group. Click here to view a video of the exchange.

Regarding concerns about staging the event, Chief VanderWiel commented, I got lots of calls, the sheriffs departments got a lot of calls, the health department, and city hall also with people generally concerned about the health of family members. They really wanted us to do something about this. He went on to disclose, I also understand this groups right to demonstrate. They have a point to make and I get it, but he added, I dont think now is the best time to do that. I think this message could be delivered after the order [stay at home] is lifted in a little safer manner.

After the chiefs talk with Zelinsky, the protestors did move farther apart and some began walking up and down Washington Street several feet apart as well.

BJ Hansen also contributed to this report.
The Independent Investor: Pandemic Reveals Weakness in U.S. Health-Care System

If it is not already apparent, our health-care system needs a lot of work. There is nothing like a global pandemic to point that out. The question is, that after decades of arguments, tinkering and promises, are Americans finally willing to do something to change it?

Now, I am not talking about how much a doctor is being paid, or what a pharmaceutical company can charge, or not charge, for a new wonder drug. Those are popular headlines that, time after time, distract us from the underlying weaknesses in the system. The main problem I have identified throughout this national disaster is the nation's inability to make centralized decisions.

It seems to me that we do not have the ability to provide Americans with a rational and efficient health-care supply and distribution system. Whether it is how to procure N95 masks and other protective gear, testing equipment, swabs, additional hospital beds, doctors, nurses and a thousand other variables, our system has been found sorely lacking when compared to other nations.

Think of it this way. You are a rancher, and pride yourself in growing the world's greatest beef products. What good does that do you if the livestock hitch you use keeps breaking down on the way to the slaughterhouse? And if the slaughterhouse is old and sloppy, and grinds up all your beef into ground beef (instead of steaks), and the packaging leaks, and the refrigerated train or truck they use to deliver your beef to the market breaks down constantly, in the end, what does it matter how good your product is?

Over the past few weeks, we have also witnessed the public rage and blame that has arisen over the bidding war between the states and the federal government over procuring the much-needed scarce supplies of life-saving medical equipment. This is insane, but understandable, given a health-care system with no central authority. No other country in the world competes against its own people in this matter.

Listening to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's daily briefing in the disaster afflicting New York City was also an eye-opener for me. There are 200 hospitals in New York state totaling 53,000 beds, of which 20,000 are in the city. These beds belong to both private, for-profit hospitals and state-run public hospitals, which are part of the New York State health-care system. Up until Cuomo took charge of this crisis, these hospitals were working independently, not only to assign beds, but to distribute and deliver medical services. It was not working, no matter how good their intentions.

The right hand had no idea what the left hand was doing until Cuomo took charge and effectively ordered them to meld their resources and form one big New York State hospital service. Cuomo effectively socialized the health-care system in a state that had more coronavirus cases than any other country in the world. His actions probably saved dozens of more lives.

As it stands, we still do not have nearly enough testing equipment, or the means to administer it. Like my rancher, when the product (a reasonable, low-cost coronavirus test) is finally developed, how long will it take, and how efficient will the supply and delivery system be to administer it to 331 million Americans?

There are so many other flaws in our present system that it would require several more columns to list them all. However, as an example, about 50 percent of Americans enjoy health-care insurance as a corporate benefit  unless they are fired, retired, or laid off. In which case, they can elect to pay Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) premiums for the next 18 months. The hole in this doughnut is that during an emergency, like this one, a laid-off worker will have to pay up for COBRA benefits at the very time they may need them most, while having no money to pay for them.

Critics of this column will argue that I am advocating for universal health care. It will evoke memories of the Bernie Sanders' primary campaign platform of health care, which was rejected by many as far too expensive to contemplate. My answer is that when all is said and done, the cost of the Sanders' program will look cost-effective compared to the money the government ultimately will spend to repair the damage to the health-care system and our economy that we have now.

Others will argue that this pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Many politicians will argue that things will go back to normal (inefficient and disorganized), in six months or so. Why, therefore, worry about it?

If recent history is any indication, the spread of global epidemics is increasing. They could remain a danger to the world's health system for years to come. SARS, the West Nile virus, Ebola, Marburg virus, and Lassa fever are just the latest plagues to bedevil us. Our present system provides no defense for the spread of such dangers, in my opinion.

Am I convinced that universal health care is the only answer? Not quite yet. When I look around the world, I see countries such as Italy and Spain, which do have universal health care. Their systems did not work well enough to stem the number of deaths and cases of the virus. But in places like Germany and Norway, their health-care system worked exceptionally well.

Maybe in the U.S. case, we might need a centralized governmental system for supply, distribution, and delivery, while maintaining private-sector incentives for research and development. As for maintaining the high quality of doctors, nurses, and other trained medical professionals, some system of free or discounted education costs could be offered in exchange for lower salaries. These are simply suggestions to jump-start a conversation. Please feel free to contribute your own ideas.

The point is that the system needs to be changed, but in a way that is uniquely American. Let's dispense with all those dated, nonsensical reasons why not, and come up with a system that we can all be proud of and that will, in the process, save lives.
Pakistan is plotting major terror attacks on Indian security personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, as per latest report accessed by Zee News. The report revealed that Pakistan has formed two new terror groups in valley with the help of banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The newly formed group The Resistance Front (TRF) and Tehreek-i-Milat-i-Islami (TMI) are covertly formed by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

After The Resistance Front (TRF), another new terrorist group Tehreek-i-Milat-i-Islami (TMI) has surfaced in Kashmir valley. Its commander Nayeem Firdous has issued an audio statement, asking all militant groups operating in Kashmir to unite. Both groups are active in social media and in whatsapp groups, said a security official.

Security agencies suspects The Resistance Front (TRF) also called JK Fighters is a wing of Lashkar-e Taiba but there is no clarity on TMI yet.

In a audio statement TRF Commander Abu Anas can be heard inciting the Muslims to join jihad against India and also warns for the consequences for them who will support the India. It is asking the Abdullah family to abandon Indian side and support Kashmiris, besides, the video maligns Kashmiri leader Altaf Bukhari as new Bakshi of Kashmir.

In another video, operation chief commander of Tehrik Milat Islam (TMI) Naeem Firdous can be heard asking all terrorist groups operating in Kashmir to unite.

Sources said that newly formed groups are eyeing to recruits locals, so that no one can blame Pakistan after the terrorist attack. Pakistan is trying to portray that there has been indigenous reaction in Kashmir due to removal of article 370. So they are promoting these two dummy outfits. said another official.

Security agencies input suggests around 430-450 trained terrorists are ready to infiltrate in to Kashmir out of which around 350 are Pakistanis.

The Resistance Front came under the radar of security agencies in the month of March when Jammu and Kashmir police had busted a module and arrested four terrorists from Sopore. The police had recovered huge amount of arms and ammunition from them.

Arrested terrorists identified as Ahtisham Farooq Malik, Shafqat Ali Tagoo, Musaib Hassan Bhat and Nisar Ahmad Ganai reveled that they were working under one Pakistan-based person known by the name Andrew Jones on Telegram Messenger and the Whats App ID of this man is Khan Bilal, who is operating a newly formed terrorist organization known by the name TRF/JK Fighters.

All four apprehended men were given task to recruit local youths for terrorist activities in Kashmir Valley particularly in North Kashmir and for the same they are instigating local youths to join terrorist ranks.

The main purpose of newly formed group is to accumulate the arms and ammunition in order to target politicians and police personnel.
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- North Shore Councilwoman Debi Rose, who chairs the City Councils Committee on Youth Services, will present the councils budget negotiating team and Mayor Bill de Blasio with a plan in the coming weeks to bring back the Summer Youth Employment Program remotely.

Earlier this month, the city announced it would cancel its annual Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) this summer out of an abundance of caution during the coronavirus outbreak.

Cutting the program will save the city $124 million over fiscal year 2020-2021 and the mayor added this cut in the fiscal 2021 executive budget he unveiled Thursday.

Roses announcement comes as the mayor insisted Tuesday he does not foresee the citys Summer Youth Employment program coming back even if the coronavirus outbreak improves.

The mayor said the city could not spend money on programs like SYEP where theres no guarantee it could happen.

But Rose said she and SYEP providers have been working on a plan to create remote and virtual programming without exposing the citys youth to the coronavirus.

I understand what [de Blasios] saying but what were saying is that taken into consideration all of his concerns there are some options that would allow us to do some modified programming for young people this summer, Rose said,

So many of these young people depend on these salaries for everything, their families depend on it, its not just disposable income for them, Rose continued. Their families use it to help pay bills, they buy their school supplies and school clothes.

Rose also said the city could start SYEP at a later date after the beginning of July to give the programs providers time to put together programs for the citys youth.

If the mayor and City Council agreed to a modified SYEP, Roses office does not anticipate funding to exceed the $124 million cost.

SYEP is the largest youth employment program and typically provides 75,000 city-funded summer jobs to New York City youth, including about 4,500 Staten Island youth between the ages of 14 to 24 every summer.

Rose said the city gave SYEP providers just 24 hours to shut down the decades-long program.

Last week, more than 70 SYEP providers wrote to the mayor and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to extend a deadline to allow them to come up with a programming solution.

They also called on the mayor and Johnson to help them set up remote programs this summer.

FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***
Green has convictions, between 2011 and 2018, on charges of manufacturing illegal drugs with intent to deliver, according to court records.

Allen was convicted of the same drug charge in 2013.

Wilson also has the same drug convictions, in 2013 and 2016, along with other drug possession convictions. He also faced assault and attempted murder charges in 2013 but those charges were nolle prossed, meaning they were dismissed but could be brought back at any time.

The Spotsylvania homicide case started on May 29, 2019, when Coleman, Ozuna and her son were all found dead inside the home at 8312 Arlene Acres Drive.

The teenage boys father discovered the grizzly scene when he went to the home after being unable to contact his son. A toddler and an infant, the children of Coleman and Ozuna, were found unharmed but dehydrated in the home.

The 10-month investigation involved a dozen law enforcement agencies, including Philadelphia police, Stafford Sheriffs Office, Maryland State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and DEA.

Spostylvania Sheriff Roger Harris said the homicides have torn several families apart and impacted the strong community that surrounds us. Im very grateful for the tireless efforts our Detectives were faced with along with the collaborative multi-agency assistance to bring these suspects to justice.
Petrobras has started shutting down production at 62 offshore platforms in the shallow waters off its coast, Reuters reported, adding that the cuts will amount to 23,000 bpd.

Petrobras said earlier that as part of a global effort to support oil prices, it would cut some 200,000 bpd from its daily production, an earlier Reuters report said.

OPEC+ agreed last week to reduce its combined production by 9.7 million bpd. This was less than most traders expected and a lot less than the slump in demand, which could be as much as 30 million bpd. However, with cuts from non-OPEC+ partners such as Brazil, Norway, Canada, and the United States, the total reduction in supply could reach 20 million bpd.

The bad news is this wont be enough. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its latest monthly Oil Market Report that the coronavirus outbreak has so far caused a record drop in oil demand, at 9.3 million bpd from 2019 levels. In April alone, demand fell by 29 million bpd. Over the second quarter, the IEA said, demand would recover somewhat, to 23 million bpd below 2019 levels, and then further down the road, it could recoup most of the losses, ending the year 2.7 million bpd below 2019 levels.

It is clear to everyone that the cuts are necessary, but it also seems clear that they will not be enough to offset the demand decline fully. Whats worse is that global oil storage is filling up, and it will continue filling up despite the cuts. This seems to be the only thing that could force additional production cuts from most, if not all, oil producers.

Brazil, too, may have to cut deeper. The country was on course to a new oil boom in its presalt zone offshore when the crisis hit and persistently low prices could be the death of this oil boom. Currently, the country is producing around 3 million bpd but had plans to increase this substantially. According to OPECs February MOMR, Brazils production was expected to grow by 310,000 bpd in 2020.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Aidan Mahon's elderly mother Phyllis is just one of the thousands of nursing home residents who have been closed off to the outside world since early March.

Phyllis (94) has been in a north Dublin home since she suffered a stroke several months ago. The home is currently Covid-19 free.

"I support the decision to restrict visits," Aidan told the Herald.

"I can't fault the nursing home at all. They threw me out on March 13 when I tried to get in.

"They said in no uncertain terms that I had to go and that was when there were queues outside from people trying to get in.

"My issue is whether they are getting enough support at the minute.

"We are hearing that over 50pc of the deaths are in nursing homes and that's massive.

"What is going on? What is being done?"

Mr Mahon said he and his five siblings are becoming increasingly worried at the statistics in relation to Covid-19 outbreaks in homes.

They are concerned what the situation might mean for their mother.

Unclear

"There are medical issues that would be concerning," he said.

"If residents have underlying conditions, are they going to get the care at the minute?

"Will they clear [a] run into the hospital or are they not going to be a priority? There doesn't seem to be any real clarity on anything and it's not the nursing homes who are being unclear."

Mr Mahon urged the Government to be more transparent on plans to help nursing homes.

"If nursing homes need help, we want to see them get that help," he said.

"Is there a specific plan for the nursing homes?

"Are the staff getting enough support? Do they have enough PPE? We don't have any answers to any of this.

"We don't know. The statistics aren't being highlighted enough. We want to see a roadmap for the homes. Show us what you are doing.

"If they don't do something, people like us will never be able to go in and visit our loved one," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 22:59:27|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday urged the U.S. government to review its decision to suspend its funding to the World Health Organization (WHO).

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding for the WHO which he accused of severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the COVID-19.

"Many counties have asked Trump to review his decision of suspending WHO's funding at a time when the organization is struggling to contain the pandemic of the coronavirus," Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad.

He said that it is time for cooperation and suspending the assistance to the WHO will only add to the difficulties of the world at this critical time.

Qureshi welcomed the decision of the Group of 20 (G20) to provide debt relief to countries including Pakistan, giving them fiscal space to combat COVID-19 related challenges.

"The relief is on both interest payment and the principal amount. It will have substantial impact and provide much needed fiscal space to Pakistan which will be used for the wellbeing and welfare of the Pakistani people especially the poor and disadvantaged segments of the society," Qureshi said.

He said Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for a global initiative for debt relief on Sunday and appealed to the global leaders and financial institutions to restructure debt of the developing countries to enable them to effectively handle the situation. Enditem
Scott Morrison has been grilled over why Australians who are least likely to die from COVID-19 are being hit the hardest economically during the crisis.

Graphs released by the Health Department on Thursday show people in their 20s have more coronavirus cases than any other age bracket, with zero deaths to date.

Of the adult population, 80 to 89-year-olds have recorded the second least number of cases, but the highest number of deaths at 22.

There have been no fatalities in Australia in people under 50.

The statistics were brought to the attention of Mr Morrison by Leigh Sales on 7.30 on Thursday night, with the ABC host questioning the huge burden lockdown measures were having on younger generations compared to the elderly.

Australia has more cases of COVID-19 in 20-29-year-olds than in any other age bracket

But there are no deaths for anyone below 50, with most deaths coming in the 80-89-year-old bracket

'Is it fair to say that the people who are bearing the hardest burden of the economic shutdown are not the people who are at the most serious health risk?' she asked.

Mr Morrison responded: 'Well, I think that is a reasonable assumption to make.

'But I don't think they would consider the death of any Australian would be an unreasonable burden to carry for the sake of another one of their fellow Australians.'

Sales suggested younger Australians could soon 'rebel' against tough coronavirus restrictions if their livelihoods were at stake.

'Are authorities worried that when you look at [statistics] like that, that if the hard lockdowns last too long, Australians under 50 could start rebelling and pushing back against the destruction of their jobs?,' she asked.

Leigh Sales questioned the Prime Minister on the inconsistencies of lockdown measures which have confused many Australians

'Well, sure, it is a social contract. I don't deny that for a second,' the prime minister responded.

'I think there's a social license here with governments about how these arrangements are put in place. And I can assure you no one wants these restrictions in any longer than they have to be.

'It's one of the reasons we don't go for that complete eradication strategy. I mean, it's very elusive. And the costs to those livelihoods are very significant with no clear additional benefit at least from what the evidence we're getting at the moment.'

Sales questioned Mr Morrison 'inconsistencies' of social restrictions that have left Australians scratching their heads - many who have been fined for breaking them.

'Do you accept that there's been some inconsistency in the restrictions that people find annoying? For example, why can't I sit in a park by myself and read a book but I can go on a bus with other people?' she asked.

Police are seen patrolling Bronte Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Monday

'Look, on a practical level on the ground and the way the states are implementing these issues, of course its difficult. We are in unprecedented, uncharted times,' Mr Morrison replied.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

'I think people have been very understanding of these issues and I think everyone's working to try and get these issues as consistent as they can.'

Mr Morrison announced at a press conference on Thursday coronavirus restrictions will be in place for at least four more weeks as Australia continues to reduce the infection rate.

He told Sales he is responding to health experts advice and ensured that the measures are in place to get back to regular life smoothly in the future.

'These tools are there to help every Australian to have a less restrictive environment, a stronger economy and helping save lives,' he said.

'We want your viewers to know that on the other side, we get out of this and we return to a life that we are missing at the moment.

'We will get it again, but we're going to have to work hard for it in these months ahead and on the other side we're going to need policies that ensure our economy can grow quickly again and we can get back to those living standards that we're currently missing.'

Two women doing yoga in Bondi on Monday while staying the required 1.5metres apart

Another month of pain: Australia will be in lock down for another four weeks as Scott Morrison announces the three benchmarks that Australia needs to hit before restrictions are lifted

Coronavirus restrictions will be in place for at least four more weeks as Australia continues to reduce the infection rate, Scott Morrison announced today after a National Cabinet meeting.

Wider testing, more rigorous contact tracing involving an app and plans for local lockdowns to combat outbreaks need to be in place before so-called 'baseline restrictions' can be removed across the nation, he said.

But Australia's biggest states will be able to relax some of their harsher restrictions sooner if they chose to do so.

'States and territories that went further than those baselines... will be reviewing those in the meantime,' Mr Morrison said.

NSW Police ask people to move on while patrolling during the Easter Long Weekend at Bondi Beach in Sydney

It means that pubs, restaurants and gyms will be kept shut, large gatherings will remain banned and working from home will be encouraged where possible.

Weddings are still limited to five people and funerals to ten people.

However, elective surgery could be resumed on Tuesday when the National Cabinet meets again.

There were only 19 new cases of coronavirus in Australia on Wednesday, taking the national total to 6,468. The crisis peaked at 460 daily cases on 28 March.

Mr Morrison warned that lifting restrictions too fast could be catastrophic.

'If you ease off too quickly too early, then you end up making the situation even worse and I don't just mean in the health terms,' he said.

'If you move too early and the health response gets out of control then the economic consequences will be even worse. We need to keep it finely balanced.'

The Prime Minister said over the next four weeks the government will work on measures to make it safe for restrictions to be lifted.

A police officer refrains a woman from swimming on Bondi Beach in Sydney

Testing - possibly including random community testing - is crucial to tracking the spread of the virus.

So far only certain 'hotspot' suburbs have made testing available to everyone due to a shortage of testing equipment including chemicals - but the government wants to expand the testing regime.

Secondly, contact tracing is crucial to stopping further outbreaks.

The government is working on an app that can tell people if they have come into contact with someone with the virus - but there are 'privacy concerns' to work through before it can be rolled out.

It will be similar to the trace app rolled out in Singapore, Mr Morrison said.

How will contact tracing app work? The Prime Minister said the government is working on an app that can tell people if they have come into contact with someone with the virus - but there are 'privacy concerns' to work through before it can be rolled out. It will be similar to the trace app rolled out in Singapore, Mr Morrison said. Singapore's TraceTogether app uses Bluetooth on mobile phones to link up with other phones nearby. It is then able to track when two people are in close proximity with one another, providing times, dates and locations. If officials then need to call upon this data, they can determine a person's close contacts based on the proximity to another person and the length of time spent with them. Mr Morrison said: 'The trace app which has been put in place in Singapore is a consent based model and the reason we are not quite ready yet is we are still working through ensuring that it meets the privacy protections. 'It is a complex area, but it is a tool that Australia will need to pursue the road out of this that we would like to pursue.' Advertisement

Thirdly, the Prime Minister said there need to be measures in place to rapidly re-introduce restrictions in certain areas if outbreaks occur, such as the one in north-west Tasmania.

Two hospitals there were closed this week after 45 medical workers and nine patients caught the disease. Extra soldiers and medical personnel were deployed to the area.

'You can't rule out increasing potentially restrictions at some point if things got a bit out of control because the virus writes its own rules,' Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison said social distancing and hand washing will be in place until a vaccine is found.

He also warned that Australia needs to brace for economic strife ahead - and flagged the government will adopt pro-growth policies such as lower corporate tax to help Australia recover.
I never really minded Barack Obama, the man, all that much. His policies were a different matter. Obama wasnt evil incarnate. He was just a politician from Chicago, a great communicator, who came into the White House to face a crippling economic depression not of his making, with America already hip deep in costly, needless wars started by Republicans.
Its a big shift for him personally, and his use of the bully pulpit is a new dynamic in Democrats push to shore up voting laws in key states before its too late to make a difference for them in the midterms.
ANN ARBOR, MI  Graydon Krapohl, who represented Ann Arbors 4th Ward on City Council until November 2018, has died following a long battle with cancer.

He was 59.

In a statement Wednesday, April 15, Mayor Christopher Taylor expressed condolences to Krapohls family, including wife Greta and daughter Grace, saying Ann Arbor mourns his loss.

My heart goes out to Greta and Grace, and all his loved ones. They have suffered an incredible loss, Taylor said, remembering Krapohl as an inspirational friend, council member, Marine, husband and father.

Krapohl, known for his humble and soft-spoken style, battled non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during his time on council.

He died at home with his family with him on Wednesday, according to city officials.

He was kind and true, Taylor said, and a profoundly decent and thoughtful man of great strength, diligence and integrity.

He loved, and was 100% devoted to, his family, community, and country, Taylor said.

He will be missed and remembered with deep admiration and affection by all who had the good fortune to know him.

Krapohl, a Democrat, was first elected in 2014 and re-elected to another two-year term in 2016. He lost his seat to Elizabeth Nelson in the 2018 election.

"Ann Arbor is an extraordinary community and I feel honored to be part of it," Krapohl said during his final run in 2018.

"It's a place where people want to live, they want to work, and they want to visit, and I'm proud of our many successes, especially over the last four years. During this time, we have increased road funding, accelerated construction on our roads to ease traffic and congestion, and we have a new roads plan to help manage it."

He was a former city parks commissioner who served as a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve for 30 years.

He announced at a council meeting in April 2016 he was undergoing treatment for cancer. It had been more than 10 years since his initial diagnosis, he said, so it was surprising and disappointing to see it return.

Fortunately, he said, he had a fantastic medical team at the University of Michigan and he was getting the best treatment available and optimistic for a full recovery.

A year later, Krapohl said followup testing showed a relapse and he would be undergoing more treatment, including chemotherapy.

The good news, he joked at the time, was they don't think I'll have to change my hairstyle at all throughout treatment. He always had a clean-shaven head.

Krapohl lived in the Lower Burns Park neighborhood. He and his wife moved to Ann Arbor in 2006 from the Washington, D.C., area, so they could raise their daughter here.

Krapohl was born in Ann Arbor and lived in southeast Michigan before moving away for many years, living in Virginia, Texas, Kansas, North Carolina, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

"I've seen good, and I've seen bad," he said in 2014, referring to the places he lived. "Ann Arbor is a unique place."

After completing his undergraduate work at UM in 1983, Krapohl received his masters degree in business administration from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He also had a master's degree in strategic studies from the U. S. Army War College, where he was an adjunct faculty member.

While making his first run for office, Krapohl said he saw development and transportation as two of the most important issues facing the city and he wanted to balance economic growth with preservation of what made Ann Arbor special.

Making his final run in 2018, he said he thought the city was headed in the right direction.

He said the city had put more money toward stormwater management to reduce flooding in neighborhoods, intervened in a lawsuit against polluter Gelman Sciences to try to ensure safe drinking water for residents, and implemented an urban forestry plan to bring thousands of new trees to neighborhoods.

"The groundwork for continued success has been laid," he said. "But I think, though, too, we have a lot of work to do, and there's a lot of decisions that are coming before us that are really going to shape the future of Ann Arbor for the next 10 to 20 years."

During what would have been Krapohls last meeting in November 2018, Taylor read a statement from Krapohl, who had been missing from council in recent months. As Taylor read the letter, some in the room got emotional and teared up.

Krapohl said he was sorry he couldnt be in attendance, noting he learned in July he had another relapse with an aggressive form of cancer and was in treatment at the Mayo Clinic.

He said it was an honor and privilege to serve on council and one of his favorite things was helping residents get questions answered and solving problems.

Serving on council has been an extraordinary experience, made all the better by having the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people in making the city a better place to live for everyone, he said in the letter.

Jen Eyer, who is seeking a 4th Ward seat on council this year, remembered Krapohl in a Facebook post Wednesday, calling him a true public servant and a friend.

I always appreciated Graydon's quiet and steady leadership on council, she said. When he spoke on an issue, it was to say something thoughtful and meaningful. True to his military background, he put his head down and worked hard for his constituents, even while battling cancer.

Council Member Zachary Ackerman, D-3rd Ward, recalled serving alongside Krapohl, saying he had an incredible ability to cut to the heart of issues and find a clear path forward.

Marine Corps colonels are some of the rarest people in this country. Graydon earned that responsibility through his intense dedication to our nation's people, strong ability to create change, and shear toughness, he said. There are few people who come to the City Council table fully qualified, but Graydon understood better than anyone how to lead a complex bureaucracy to accomplish great things for the public.

As a friend and colleague, Ackerman said he will miss their chats and Krapohls advice.

MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:

State law a hurdle for Ann Arbors 100% renewable energy plan

Ann Arborites asked to share photos, videos, thoughts on pandemic for future generations

Ann Arbor purchases new electric Chevy Bolts as city considers EV readiness ordinance

Help navigating insurance marketplace amid coronavirus being offered by Washtenaw Health Plan
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:41:57|Editor: mingmei

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Photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows a herd of ducks at a breeding center for ducks in Gaoyou City, east China's Jiangsu Province. In recent years, Gaoyou has made great efforts to promote its duck egg products by building local brands in a bid to boost this industry and bring wealth to locals. The number of cooked duck eggs Gaoyou produced in 2019 has totaled approximately 1.12 billion and the output value stood at 1.768 billion yuan (about 249.8 million U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Senator Penny Wong has said she would not 'take issue' with politicians' wages being cut in solidarity with Australians battling through the coronavirus downturn.

Ministers in New Zealand agreed to a 20 per cent cut on Wednesday but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said paycuts were 'not being considered' in Australia.

Ms Wong, Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman, said she would not complain if MPs were told to cut their $211,000 salaries.

Senator Penny Wong has said she would not 'take issue' with politicians' wages being cut

'That's not something I'd take issue with,' she told ABC Radio Adelaide on Thursday.

'I think it's very, very difficult for politicians to discuss their own pay and I just would rather this was dealt with by someone independent.'

MPs wages in Australia As at 1 July 2019, the base salary of federal MPs is $211,250 per annum. This is before travel allowance and electorate entitlements. Prime Minister Scott Morrison gets $549,250. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack is on $433,063. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is paid $396,094. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who is also Leader of the Government in the Senate, gets $396,094. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is on $390,813 Advertisement

On Wednesday New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, ministers in her government and public service chief executives agreed to take a 20 per cent pay cut for the next six months.

Ms Ardern said the decision was made in solidarity with New Zealanders who had lost jobs and income as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg dismissed calls for Australian politicians to follow suit.

Asked by reporters if politicians should take a pay cut, he simply said: 'We have frozen the pay increases for politicians here and for public servants.'

Later Scott Morrison told Perth radio station 6RP that paycuts were 'not being considered'.

On April 2 Mr Morrison said he was not considering cutting his hefty $549,250 salary which comes out of taxpayers' pockets.

The government and central bank are spending more than $300billion on measures to shore up the creaking economy, which will saddle Australia with debt for years to come.

One way to save money to pay back debts would be to reduce the wage bill in the public sector, including politicians.

Prime Minster Scott Morrison was asked if he was considering reforming franking credits or cutting ministers' salaries.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured), ministers in her government and public service chief executives will take a 20 per cent pay cut for the next six months

Mr Morrison replied: 'No, we're not reconsidering franking credits and these sort of things.'

Franking credits are a tax rebate to shareholders who get dividends, including retirees. Labor pledged to scrap them in the 2019 election campaign, and that policy was identified as one which cost the party an election it was expected to win.

Dozens of high-earning figures in the private sector have vowed to take pay cuts.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, whose base salary is $2.1million, has said he will not take a penny of his salary as long as coronavirus lasts.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg, who earns $1.2million, will take a 25 per cent pay cut - and has said he will sacrifice more if the players have their salaries cut further.

Politicians, judges and officials holding senior public office have had their pay frozen until the crisis is over - but some commentators say the freeze is not enough.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, whose base salary is $2.1 million, has said he will not take a penny of his salary as long as coronavirus lasts

John Roskam, Executive Director at the Institute of Public Affairs, said: 'Not all this extra spending has to be new money and debt. There should be a 20 per cent reduction in public service pay until the crisis is over.

'There needs to be a sense of shared sacrifice from the public service. We have seen a disconnect of bureaucrat elites from the productive economy.'

In late March One Nation leader Pauline Hanson demanded politicians take a pay cut.

'I have no problems with politicians wages being cut back in areas, and Im happy to tell the Prime Minister where to start,' she said.

The base salary for a federal MP is $211,250.

Ms Hanson also said politicians' perks should be removed, such as flying business class instead of economy and that committee payments should cease.

Last month Malta's Prime Minister said he would forgo a month's salary to send a message to the nation that he was also making sacrifices during the pandemic.
Amid the lockdown in America due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Indian embassy in the US has launched an online course for the popular classical dance Kuchipudi, according to the mission's website.

The Learn From Home course which begins on Thursday will be live streamed on social media platform Facebook.

It is part of the embassy's Learn from the Masters Series'.

Renowned exponent Bhavana Reddy will provide the lessons in the popular south Indian dance form twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday.

Reddy is one of the India's leading young Kuchipudi performers. She is the recipient of the coveted Sangeet Natak Akademi's Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, highest honour for the Indian performing artist under the age of 40.

Last month, President Donald Trump extended the social distancing measures in the US till April 30.

Many states and local governments already have stiffer controls in place on mobility and gatherings.

The US has over 637,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 30,826 deaths, the highest for any country in the world.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[April 16, 2020] Convoy Teams Up with Shippers and Truck Drivers Nationwide to Address Urgent Food Bank Needs

Convoy, the most efficient Digital Freight Network, today announced that the company will pay the trucking costs for any business in the U.S. wanting to donate a truckload of product to their local food bank. In an effort to address the growing food shortages facing millions of Americans impacted by COVID-19, companies like Land O'Lakes Inc. are partnering with Convoy to donate critical items to food banks across the nation. All businesses are eligible to participate in the program. With millions suddenly unemployed, food banks across the U.S. are experiencing unprecedented demand amid a shortage of supplies. According to Feeding America, more than 54 million Americans are now food insecure. Traditionally, grocery stores have been a major donation source, regularly contributing excess inventory. However, those stores are grappling with panic-buying and empty shelves, shifting their focus to restocking and adequately sanitizing grocery surfaces, instead of organizing donations to local food banks. Feeding America estimates that the cost of buying food to offset this drop in donations, and the decline in its volunteer labor force, is about $1.4 billion. Convoy's new sustainability program taps into Feeding America's network of 200 centralized food banks and 60,000 localized soup kitchens and pantries. Participating shippers reach out to Convoy with a full truckload donation and are matched with a food bank or soup kitchen, usually within 40 miles or less of their facility. Convoy's Digital Freight Network then finds, books, and pays a truck driver to deliver the goods to that local food bank. In addition to helping shippers support their local communities, this program also provides truck drivers with work to deliver the much-needed donations.



"In this unprecedented time of crisis, finding innovative ways to immediately help our communities feels more important than ever," said Alex Brewin, Transportation Procurement, Land O'Lakes Inc. "We are pleased to join forces with Convoy to share what resources we have with the people who benefit the greatest. We hope others in a similar position are able to take advantage of this opportunity to make a positive difference."

"The COVID-19 outbreak is making it difficult for food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens to fulfill their missions at a time when they're needed the most," said Dan Lewis, Convoy co-founder and CEO. "With our Digital Freight Network, we can immediately source high-quality drivers to move food donations to the communities where they're needed most." According to Feeding America, food banks seek the following items for shelf-stable food boxes: Canned protein (chicken, tuna, etc.)

Canned vegetables (green beans, corn, mixed vegetables, etc.)

Canned fruit (peaches, pears, etc./ideally in water or juice)

Canned soup (chicken noodle, vegetable, tomato, etc.)

Canned beef stew (chili w/meat, etc.)

Canned pasta (spaghetti rings, ravioli, etc.)

Peanut butter

Squeeze jam or jelly

Macaroni and cheese

Quick oats

Spaghetti sauce

Snack bars

Cereal

Juice (apple, berry, etc.) Current Convoy customers can contact their account manager to tender donation shipments. Shippers currently not working with Convoy can email [email protected] to coordinate truckload pickups for donation. SUSTAINABILITY AT CONVOY Sustainability at Convoy means driving positive environmental and societal impact to be a great corporate citizen. Convoy is focused on reducing the billions of dollars of waste in trucking and supporting the communities where we live and work. Visit www.convoy.com/sustainability to learn about Convoy's commitment to Sustainability. About Convoy Convoy is the most efficient Digital Freight Network. We connect shippers to carriers to move millions of truckloads, saving money for shippers, reducing hassle for carriers, and eliminating carbon waste for our planet. We use technology and data to solve problems of waste and inefficiency in the $800B trucking industry, which generates over 76M metric tons of wasted CO 2 emissions from empty trucks. Shippers like Anheuser-Busch, CHEP, and Waiakea trust Convoy to lower costs, increase logistics efficiency, and achieve environmental sustainability targets. For more information, visit www.convoy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005429/en/

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These actions will further align global supply and demand and streamline operations

Company continues to expect to incur approximately C$700 -800MM pre-tax charge in Q4 Fiscal 2020

SMITHS FALLS, ON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Canopy Growth Corporation ("Canopy Growth" or the "Company") (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) today announced a series of global operational changes designed to further optimize production, better align supply and demand, and improve efficiencies in its global operations. As part of its ongoing strategic review of the business, the Company announced today the following changes:

Africa : Canopy Growth has entered into an agreement to exit its operations in South Africa and Lesotho , targeting a transfer of ownership of all of its African operations to a local business. The Company expects to close the transaction in the coming weeks.

Canopy Growth has entered into an agreement to exit its operations in and , targeting a transfer of ownership of all of its African operations to a local business. The Company expects to close the transaction in the coming weeks. Canada : Canopy Growth will shut down its indoor facility in Yorkton, Saskatchewan , to further align production in Canada with market conditions. The Company is confident its production capacity in Canada will meet consumer demand into the future.

Canopy Growth will shut down its indoor facility in , to further align production in with market conditions. The Company is confident its production capacity in will meet consumer demand into the future. Latin America : Canopy Growth will cease operations at its cultivation facility in Colombia , moving to an asset-light model that leverages local suppliers for raw materials and Procaps for formulation and encapsulation activities as outlined in the previously announced agreement between the two companies . These activities will support the position of Colombia as the Company's LATAM production hub and the ongoing development of its cannabis industry.

: Canopy Growth will cease operations at its cultivation facility in , moving to an asset-light model that leverages local suppliers for raw materials and Procaps for formulation and encapsulation activities as outlined in the previously announced agreement between the two companies These activities will support the position of as the Company's LATAM production hub and the ongoing development of its cannabis industry. United States : Canopy Growth will cease its farming operations in Springfield , New York , due to an abundance of hemp produced in the 2019 growing season. The Company will continue using this supply to produce hemp-derived CBD products for the US market.

"When I arrived at Canopy Growth in January, I committed to conducting a strategic review in order to lower our cost structure and reduce our cash burn," said David Klein, CEO, Canopy Growth. "I believe the changes outlined today are an important step in our continuing efforts to focus the Company's priorities, and will result in a healthier, stronger organization that will continue to be an innovator and leader in this industry. I want to sincerely thank the members of the teams affected by these decisions for their contributions in helping build Canopy Growth."

The Company continues to expect, based upon information currently available to management, to record estimated pre-tax charges of approximately C$700-800MM in the quarter ending March 31, 2020. This relates to this announcement and previous announcements, as well as any additional changes made during the organizational and strategic review. The organizational changes announced today include a headcount reduction of approximately 85 full-time positions.

All figures reported above with respect to the quarter ending March 31, 2020 are preliminary and are unaudited and subject to change and adjustment as the Company prepares its consolidated financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2020. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the foregoing information. The Company does not intend to provide preliminary results in the future. The preliminary results provided in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, are based on several assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. See "Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements".

Here's to Future Growth.

About Canopy Growth Corporation

Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED,NYSE:CGC) is a world-leading diversified cannabis, hemp and cannabis device company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms, as well as medical devices through Canopy Growth's subsidiary, Storz & Bickel GMbH & Co. KG. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time. Canopy Growth has operations in over a dozen countries across five continents.

Canopy Growth's medical division, Spectrum Therapeutics is proudly dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public's understanding of cannabis, and has devoted millions of dollars toward cutting edge, commercializable research and IP development. Spectrum Therapeutics sells a range of full-spectrum products using its colour-coded classification Spectrum system as well as single cannabinoid Dronabinol under the brand Bionorica Ethics.

Canopy Growth operates retail stores across Canada under its award-winning Tweed and Tokyo Smoke banners. Tweed is a globally recognized cannabis brand which has built a large and loyal following by focusing on quality products and meaningful customer relationships.

From our historic public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange to our continued international expansion, pride in advancing shareholder value through leadership is engrained in all we do at Canopy Growth. Canopy Growth has established partnerships with leading sector names including cannabis icons Snoop Dogg and Seth Rogen, breeding legends DNA Genetics and Green House Seeds, and Fortune 500 alcohol leader Constellation Brands, to name but a few. Canopy Growth operates eleven licensed cannabis production sites with over 10.5 million square feet of production capacity, including over one million square feet of GMP certified production space. For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Canopy Growth or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the Company's ability to satisfy provincial sales contracts or provinces purchasing all cannabis allocated to them, and such risks contained in the Company's annual information form dated June 25, 2019 and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information or forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation

Related Links

canopygrowth.com


Dublin, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The Clothing Industry in Mozambique 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report focuses on the Clothing Sector in Mozambique and includes country information and research into major players, the state of the industry and the factors that influence it. There are profiles of nine companies including South African companies operating in Mozambique such as Mr. Price, Woolworths and Pepkor, major local manufacturers such as Moztex and Mozambique Holdings, and retailer Grupo Intermoda.



The Clothing Industry in Mozambique

Mozambique presents mixed opportunities for those looking to enter the clothing sector. While the outlook for clothing retailers over the next decade or more looks promising, given expected economic growth on the back of new gas finds, things are less certain for clothing manufacturers struggling to compete against a flood of imports of new and second-hand clothing as well as challenges such as expensive electricity and a challenging labour environment. While the country has a large number of retailers the informal and formal sectors, there are only a handful of manufacturers, most of whom use imported textiles to produce finished products.



High Cost

The sector faces a number of challenges including rising wages, electricity, water and transport costs and long delivery times. Manufacturers rely on imported textiles because of the shortage of quality local cotton. Challenges to retailers are lack of disposable income and competition from second-hand clothing and illegal clothing imports. A significant amount of used clothing is sold informally in markets. A key challenge in the clothing sector is the exclusion of small- and medium-sized manufacturers as well as the informal sector.



Government Support

Mozambique has significant trade imbalance when it comes to clothing and textiles. In a bid to revitalise clothing manufacturing, the government has proposed creating the special economic zone of Chimoio, in Manica province, and South African companies linked to the textile sector have shown some interest.



Story continues

Key Topics Covered



1. Introduction



2. Country Information

2.1. Geographic Position



3. Description of the Industry

3.1. Industry Value Chain



4. Size of the Industry



5. State of the Industry

5.1. Local

5.1.1 Regulations

5.2. Continental

5.3. International



6. Influencing Factors

6.1. Government Support

6.2. Economic Environment

6.3. Technology, Research & Development (R&D) and Innovation

6.4. Labour

6.5. Illegal Clothing Imports

6.6. Marketing



7. Competition

7.1. Barriers to Entry



8. SWOT Analysis



9. Outlook



10. Industry Associations



11. References

11.1. Publications

11.2. Websites



Company Profiles



Edcon Ltd.

Grupo Intermoda Ltda

Judy's Pride Fashions (Pty) Ltd.

Mozambique Holdings Ltda

Moztex S.A.

Mr. Price Group Ltd.

Nova Texmoque Ltda

Pepkor Holdings Ltd.

Woolworths (Pty) Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cmcv2z

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.



CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900


Canadian Dollar (CAD) Exchange Rates Rally as Oil Price Jump Back Above $20

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) struck higher on Thursday, with the appeal of the oil-linked currency bing bolstered by a rebound in crude prices.

WTI crude climbed back above $20 a barrel on Thursday, a day after the commodity collapsed to an 18-year low of $19.20 on the warning that global demand it set to fall to its lowest levels since the 90s.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Wednesday that global demand will plummet to just 29 million barrels a day in April, a slump not seen since 1995 as the coronavirus lockdown dramatically curbs both commercial and consumer demand.

Fatih Birol, Executive Director at the IEA said: In a few years time, when we look back on 2020 we may well see that it was the worst year in the history of global oil markets. During that terrible year, the second quarter may well have been the worst of the lot. During that quarter, April may well have been the worst month - it may go down as Black April in the history of the oil industry.

This has seen markets welcome reports that Russia is set to sharply drop oil exports over the next few months as suggested by St. Petersburg oil terminal.

The uptick in WTI oil prices also appears to have been supported by news of a big build up in US crude stockpiles on hopes it will mean producers have no choice but to deepen output cuts.

Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at AxiCorp suggests: The massive storage build, as counterintuitive as it sounds, did provide some price support as the build foreshadows that more wellhead closures are just around the corner, which effectively trims US supply.

However, most analysts agree that any sustained pick up in oil prices is likely to be limited given the scale at which global demand has collapsed as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Pound (GBP) Struggles as IMF Calls for Brexit Delay

At the same time, the Pound (GBP) struggled to find support on Thursday after the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva urged the UK to consider a delay to Brexit.

Asked about the possibility of a no-deal Brexit and its impact on the global economy, Georgieva called for the UK and EU not to add to the unprecedented uncertainty that has arisen from the coronavirus crisis.

Georgieva said: I really hope that all policymakers everywhere would be thinking about [reducing uncertainty]. It is tough as it is, lets not make it any tougher. My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, the UK, the EU, and the whole world.

So far the UK government has stuck by its commitment to exiting the Brexit transition period in December whether a deal is in place or not.

GBP/CAD Forecast: UK to Announce Lockdown Extension

Looking ahead, it seems safe to assume that the coronavirus crisis will continue to dominate market sentiment and dictate the direction of the Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate.

For GBP investors the main focus will be on the announcement of the extension to the UKs coronavirus lockdown and what, if anything, it has to say about its exit strategy.

Observers have suggested that in the absence of Boris Johnsons leadership the government has taken no clear steps towards creating a coordinated plan for how and when to begin easing lockdown restrictions, something which is unlikely to buoy Sterling sentiment.

Meanwhile, the publication of Canadas ADP employment report could dent the Loonie on Friday as Marchs figures are forecast to report a sizable contraction in employment growth as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
The mayor of a city in Victoria's south-west has been slapped with a $1652 fine and says he is "genuinely sorry" for breaching social distancing laws after he was photographed drinking a beer on the street with three men.

Police began investigating Tony Herbert, mayor of the City of Warrnambool, after a passerby noticed him drinking outside the Whalers Hotel while talking with some people amid the states COVID-19 restrictions.

City of Warrnambool mayor Tony Herbert. Credit:

The picture, taken by the passerby about 9pm last Tuesday, showed Cr Herbert standing next to his mayoral car, which appeared to be illegally parked and facing oncoming traffic.

In a statement later sent to The Age, Cr Herbert said he stopped for a brief and "unplanned encounter" with three business owners after seeing them as he drove along the main street on his way to buy groceries.
A CHINESE construction company -Power Construction cooperation of China Limited (Power China) has donated some equipment and materials to Tanzania National Road Agency (TANROADS) towards their coronavirus fight.

The items included 8,000 pieces of masks, 48 bottles of jet hand wash liquid soap and 16 bottles of disinfectant liquid that they would use while on duty to keep off the deadly virus.

Speaking during the handover at Tanroads headquarters in Dar es Salaam, recently the company's representative, Mr Shi Yong said the donation was part of expressing solidarity with Tanzania, being a country China shared historical bilateral friendship during hardships.

Tanzania and China are sharing long time bilateral friendships, and we hope we can fight against covid-19 together and win.

My company also has some construction projects being supervised by Tanroads, hence doing this is supporting the fight Tanzania government to fight the covid-19 pandemic as it ensures that infrastructure are supervised," said Yong.

He further said that Tanroads has been showing a good working relationship with Power Construction Corporation of China limited that is a parent company of Sinohydro Corporation limited.

"This is also a Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) of our company, and we are trying to do some selfless contribution and also in the near future," he added.

On his part, Tanroads' Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Engineer Patrick Mfugale, expressed his gratitude for the support that has come at the right time.

However, he advised China Power to adhere to experts' pieces of advice, while working to avoid its nearly 4,000 staff from contracting the COVID-19.

The Chinese Company is currently building the new Wami Bridge in Tanga Region and also has water projects contracts in different parts of the country.
[April 16, 2020] Cox Las Vegas, Las Vegas Review-Journal and Clark County School District collaborate to broadcast emotional-support programming

LAS VEGAS, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Las Vegas Review-Journal is using its digital platform to produce special Clark County School District-(CCSD) led programming titled "Coping and Handling Stress." The 16 mini modules feature counselors from the district's Social Emotional Wellness Corner offering support for students, parents and caregivers dealing with the stress of coping and self-care in a challenging environment. Cox Las Vegas has joined with the Las Vegas Review-Journal to broadcast this customized content beginning Monday, April 20 thru Friday, April 24. Programming will air on Cox's YurView Las Vegas Channel 14 and 1014 HD from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Content will also be available at yurview.com and 24/7 via www.LVRJ.com and the RJ news app. "These unprecedented times have shifted the education experience to home-based learning and we're aware of the added stress this has caused students and families," said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara. "Through a partnership with Cox Communications and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, we're bringing this recorded programming directly to students at home in Southern Nevada." "The Review-Journal encourages and appreciates the value of Clark County School District's Social Emotional Wellness Corner and the services CCSD counselors make available to its 325,000 students," says Review-Journal Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing Chase Rankin. "We are committed to providing the support needed until CCSD students are back in school." "We're proud to provide our broadcat platform and YurView community channel to share this important counselor-created content to our families with school-age children," said Cox Las Vegas Vice President and Market Leader Michael F. Bolognini.



The Las Vegas Review-Journal has been Nevada's news leader since 1909. A state, regional and national award-winning multi-platform news organization, the Review-Journal operates reviewjournal.com, a network of niche publications and community newspapers, e-newsletters, custom printing, a video production studio and more to meet the specific needs of readers and advertisers alike. Cox is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through broadband applications and services. The largest private telecom company in America, we proudly serve six million homes and businesses across 18 states. We're dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that make each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.

YurView, the local origination television network managed by Cox Communications, can be viewed on Cox Channel 14 and 1014HD in Southern Nevada. Cox's YurView network reaches more than four million homes in 25 Cox markets including Las Vegas; Cleveland; Kansas; Rhode Island; Connecticut; northwest Arkansas; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara in California; Pensacola and Gainesville/Ocala, Florida; Macon, Georgia; Greater Louisiana including Lafayette, New Orleans and Baton Rouge; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; northern Virginia as well as Hampton Roads and Roanoke. Visit www.yurview.com for a complete broadcast schedule for YurView's nationwide markets. CONTACT:

Susie Black-Manriquez, Cox Las Vegas

(702) 234-5323; [email protected] Wanda English Blair, Las Vegas Review-Journal

(702) 383-0223; [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cox-las-vegas-las-vegas-review-journal-and-clark-county-school-district-collaborate-to-broadcast-emotional-support-programming-301042151.html SOURCE Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Beijing today said the WHO has found no evidence coronavirus was man-made, fending off accusations that it was created in a Chinese lab.

President Donald Trump said yesterday his government was 'doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation,' while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Chinese 'need to come clean' on what they know.

But China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told Thursday's daily briefing that WHO officials 'have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory.'

It comes after scrutiny on Wuhan's Institute of Virology - first reported on by the MailOnline in January - came to head this week after The Washington Post published leaked State Department cables warning of the lab's safety standards in 2015.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Chinese President Xi jinping before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in January. By the time of this meeting the WHO was already parroting erroneous information about the virus fed to it by Beijing

President Donald Trump speaking at the White House on Wednesday. He halted $500 million in funding for the WHO this week, saying the UN agency had 'failed in its basic duty'

Trump halted $500 million of funding to the WHO this week and slammed the body that had 'failed in its basic duty' in its response to coronavirus.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he 'regretted' the president's decision and told a press conference yesterday 'this is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle.'

Critics of the UN health agency point to its uncritical parroting of Chinese government data, early claims that the disease was not spreading person-to-person, and praise for the country's leaders as evidence that it was not fulfilling its role

It comes as the number of people infected by COVID-19 worldwide soared to more than two million on Thursday, with more than 139,000 deaths.

The source of the virus remains a mystery. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday that U.S. intelligence indicates that the coronavirus likely occurred naturally, as opposed to being created in a laboratory in China, but there is no certainty either way.

Fox News reported on Wednesday that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bioweapon, but as part of China's effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States.

Researchers work in a lab of Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in February 2017. Reports have suggested lax safety standards there led to someone getting infected and appearing at a nearby 'wet' market, where the virus began to spread

This report and others have suggested the Wuhan lab where virology experiments take place and lax safety standards there led to someone getting infected and appearing at a nearby 'wet' market, where the virus began to spread.

At a White House news conference Trump was asked about the reports of the virus escaping from the Wuhan lab, and he said he was aware of them.

'We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened,' he said.

Asked if he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said: 'I don't want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just don't want to discuss, it's inappropriate right now.'

Trump has sought to stress strong U.S. ties with China during the pandemic as the United States has relied on China for personal protection equipment desperately needed by American medical workers.

As far back as February, the Chinese state-backed Wuhan Institute of Virology dismissed rumours that the virus may have been artificially synthesized at one of its laboratories or perhaps escaped from such a facility.

Pompeo, in a Fox News Channel interview after Trump's news conference, said 'we know this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' and that the Institute of Virology is only a handful of miles away from the wet market.

'The Chinese government needs to come clean,' Mike Pompeo told Fox News this week (pictured at a White House press briefing earlier this month)

'We really need the Chinese government to open up' and help explain 'exactly how this virus spread,' said Pompeo.

'The Chinese government needs to come clean,' he said.

The broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, the virus' official name, originated in bats.

Trump and other officials have expressed deep skepticism of China's officially declared death toll from the virus of around 3,000 people, when the United States has a death toll of more than 20,000 and rising.

He returned to the subject on Wednesday, saying the United States has more cases 'because we do more reporting.'

'Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China, and that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of deaths; does anybody really believe that?' he said.

No human-to-human transmission, no travel bans, but plenty of praise for Beijing: How WHO parroted Chinese lies as coronavirus pandemic unfolded

By Chris Pleasance

The World Heath Organisation has found itself with serious questions to answer after President Trump accused the UN agency of 'severely mismanaging' its response to the coronavirus pandemic and withheld $500million in funding.

The WHO has been spearheading global efforts to fight the virus, but has come under attack for playing along with China as the country sought to minimise its initial outbreak and the threat the disease posed.

Critics point to its uncritical parroting of Chinese government data, early claims that the disease was not spreading person-to-person, and praise for the country's leaders as evidence that it was not fulfilling its role.

Trump - who is facing heavy criticism for his own response - has blasted the WHO for advising against travel bans, which he claims 'accelerated the pandemic all around the world', and called for an investigation.

Here, the Mail Online has tracked key WHO statements about coronavirus - from the first cases, through China's outbreak, and beyond - to reveal what the world's largest health body said and when as the disease spread...

Donald Trump gives a briefing at the White House on Tuesday announcing that he will suspend all US funding to the World Health Organisation

December 31  China first reports a cluster of unusual pneumonia cases in Wuhan to the WHO

January 4  WHO tweets about a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan with no deaths, saying investigations into the cause are underway

January 5  The WHO issues its first guidance on pneumonia of unknown cause, saying there are a total of 44 patients and 11 in severe condition. The main symptom is listed as fever, with a few patients having difficulty breathing

The WHO says there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission and that no health care worker infections have been reported

January 7  China says it has identified the cause of the pneumonia as a novel coronavirus, initially named 2019-nCoV by the WHO

China first reported cases of 'pneumonia of unknown cause' to the WHO on December 31, and the agency put out its first tweet on January 4 saying the cause was being investigated

January 9  The WHO praises China for identifying the new virus in a short space of time and repeats its assessment that the virus does not transmit readily between people. It also advises against travel or trade restrictions on China

January 13  The WHO says it is now working with authorities in Thailand after reports of a case there, and may call a meeting of the Emergency Committee

January 14  The WHO tweets saying there is no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission in China, though later clarifies and says there may have been limited transmission via family members

Jan 20-21 - WHO's field team in China conducts a brief field visit to epicentre Wuhan

Jan 21  The first case is confirmed on US soil in Washington, in a person who had travelled from China a week before

Jan 22  A report from the WHO team sent to Wuhan notes human-to-human transmission is taking place, but says more research is needed to assess the full extent. The report notes confirmed infections in 16 medics, a clear sign of transmission from patients

The team recommends avoiding large gatherings, isolating infected people, and a focus on washing hands as the best way to combat the viruss spread

The same day, that WHO Emergency Committee convenes for the first time. Afterwards, Dr Tedros says he has spoken with the Chinese Minister for Health, and praises the government for its invaluable efforts to halt the virus. He calls a second meeting for the following day

Jan 23  With the Emergency Committee split, Dr Tedros says he has decided not to declare the virus a public health emergency of international concern. Referencing the lockdown of Wuhan, which was announced the same day, he says he hopes it will be effective and short in duration. He praises Chinas cooperation and transparency in tackling the virus

Dr Tedros says there is limited evidence of human-to-human transmission, mostly among families or doctors treating the virus. At this point, there are 584 confirmed cases and 17 deaths globally, including in Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and the US

He recommends screening at airports and tells countries to put testing facilities in place, but stops short of recommending a travel ban

On January 14, more than a month after the first infections at this seafood market are thought to have taken place, the WHO tweeted saying China had found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission

Jan 28  Dr Tedros and other senior WHO officials meet Xi Jinping in China, agreeing that a panel of experts should be sent to monitor the outbreak. He praises the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership and the transparency they have demonstrated

Jan 29  Dr Tedros gives a speech praising Chinas efforts to contain the virus, saying the country deserves our gratitude and respect for locking down swathes of the country to prevent the spread.

He notes a few cases of human-to-human spread outside China, which he says is of grave concern and will be monitored closely

Jan 30  The WHO Emergency Committee reconvenes early and declares a public health emergency of international concern. It comes after confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US

Dr Tedros again praises China for setting a new standard for outbreak response with its lockdowns, and says the small number of cases outside the country  98  is thanks to their efforts

Despite noting that a majority of cases outside China have a history of travel to or from Wuhan, he again recommends no measures to curb international travel or trade

Jan 31  Donald Trump announces travel restrictions on people coming from China

Feb 3  Dr Tedros gives a speech to the WHO updating on coronavirus, saying there are 17,238 cases in China and 361 deaths  now thought to be an under-estimate

He praises Xi Jinping for his individual leadership, and insists that cases outside China can be managed if world authorities work together and follow recommendations which include  no ban on travel or trade, supporting countries with weak health systems, investment in vaccines and diagnosis, combating disinformation and urgent reviews of emergency preparedness

Feb 7  Dr Li Wenliang, a doctor who first reported the existence of coronavirus and was initially silenced by China, dies from the virus

Feb 10  The WHOs team of experts arrives in China to assist with the outbreak

Feb 11  The WHO names the disease caused by the virus COVID-19, saying it avoided including a geographical name because it risks stigmatizing people. It says it will not be using the name SARS-CoV-2 because it risks causing unnecessary fear by linking it to the 2003 SARS outbreak

Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Secretary-General, pleaded for world leaders to refrain from politicising the virus 'unless you want more body bags'

Feb 12  Dr Tedros says the number of new cases being reported in China has stabilised but adds that it must be interpreted with extreme caution and the outbreak could still go in any direction

Feb 16-24  WHO team of experts convenes in China, visiting affected sites and sharing information on the best ways to tackle the crisis

Feb 17  Dr Tedros begins chairing daily updates on the coronavirus response, with each briefing beginning with an update on the number of infections including from China, which are repeated without caveats

He give an analysis of Chinese data on some 44,000 confirmed cases. He says the data shows that 80 per cent of cases are mild, 14 per cent lead to severe disease, and 2 per cent are fatal. The disease is more severe in older people, with the young largely spared.

He urges world leaders not to squander a window of opportunity to get ahead of the virus and prevent it from spreading

Feb 26  Donald Trump announces a dedicated coronavirus response team, which Mike Pence will lead

Feb 28  The team of WHO experts delivers its first report on the coronavirus. Among its major findings are that the disease likely came from bats, that it is spread through close contact with infected people and not through the air, and that most common symptoms include fever, dry cough and fatigue

The report praises Chinas response as perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history saying lockdowns were achieved due to the deep commitment of the Chinese people to collective action and had achieved a rapid decline in cases

Mar 9 - The whole of Italy is placed on lockdown as the virus spreads, the first European nation to enter total lockdown

Mar 11 - The WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic, meaning it is spreading out of control in multiple locations around the world. At this point, cases have been reported in more than 100 countries

Mar 13 - WHO says Europe is now the new epicentre of the virus after cases increase steeply, with Dr Tedros noting more cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic

Mar 19 - China reports no new domestic infections from coronavirus since the pandemic began

The pandemic has now infected some 2million people worldwide, with 128,000 confirmed deaths (pictured, a hospital in Italy)

Mar 20 - Dr Tedros issues a warning that 'young people are not invincible' to the virus after data from outside showed large numbers of people under the age of 50 ending up in intensive care

Mar 25 - As Donald Trump begins touting hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment, WHO warns that no drugs have so far been approved for treating the virus

The same day the organization calls for an extra $2billion in funding to help tackle the virus

Apr 3 - As millions of US citizens sign on for unemployment benefit, Dr Tedros and the IMF call for debt relief and social welfare to help people through the pandemic

Apr 6 - The WHO updates its guidance on masks to say they are effective at stopping spread of the virus, but must be used in conjunction with other methods.

It comes after the CDC updated its guidance to advise people to wear masks in public

Apr 8 - Following Trump's first barrage of criticism for the WHO, Dr Tedros urges world leaders to 'stop politicising the pandemic' unless they want 'more body bags'

Apr 13 - A group of scientists convened by WHO to research a vaccine for coronavirus issue a joint statement urging world leaders to keep listening to the scientific community when responding to the virus

How the man running World Health Organisation trashed by Trump as China-centric is a career politician who worked for a Communist junta and became WHO's first NON-doctor Director-General 'following intense lobbying from Beijing'

By Chris Pleasance

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a little-known figure before the coronavirus pandemic, has risen to prominence as Director-General of the World Health Organisation which is spearheading global responses to the virus.

Dr Tedros - who has never practised as a medical doctor - is a career politician who was born in what is now Eritrea, began work under the Communist Derg junta, came to study in the UK, then rose to the top of Ethiopia's government first as Health Minister and then Foreign Minister before being elected to lead the WHO in 2017.

He is now facing heavy criticism over his handling of the pandemic, especially for praise he heaped on China's communist party for its response - hailing the regime's 'commitment to transparency' and saying the speed with which it detected the virus was 'beyond words'.

That has led to allegations - mostly recently made by Donald Trump - that the WHO is 'China-centric', a position that the US President has promised to 'look into'.

Dr Tedros (left) became the first African head of the WHO and the first non-medical doctor to hold the role when he was elected in 2017, amid allegations of heavy lobbying by China (pictured, Dr Tedros in Beijing shortly after his election)

Trump has threatened to suspend US funding to the WHO until an investigation has been carried out, while suggesting that they withheld information on the virus.

Indeed, it is not the first time that Dr Tedros has been accused of cosying up to China. Shortly after his election victory in 2017, it was alleged that Chinese diplomats had been heavily involved in lobbying for him.

UN records also show that Chinese contributions to both Ethiopia's aid budget and the WHO have substantially increased during times when he was in top leadership positions.

Shortly after his election to the WHO, a report in The Times said: 'Chinese diplomats had campaigned hard for the Ethiopian, using Beijings financial clout and opaque aid budget to build support for him among developing countries.'

Dr Tedros - who is married and has five children - was born in 1965 in Asmara, which was part of Ethiopia at the time but is now in Eritrea.

As a child he saw his younger brother die to an infection, which he believes was measles, which he later said spurred his determination to work on health and health policy.

Before ascending to the top ranks of the WHO, Dr Tedros studied in the UK and served Ethiopia's ruling left-wing coalition as health minister and then as foreign minister (pictured in the role in 2015)

Dr Tedros was the first WHO head elected by member states, winning the ballot by a reported 133 votes to 50, with the near-unanimous backing of African states

He graduated from university in Ethiopia in 1986 with a degree in biology and went to work as a health official in the regime of Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, while the country was ruled by the Derg military junta.

According to the BBC, Dr Tedros then joined the hard-left TPLF - which started life as a Communist party and played a major role in overthrowing Mariam in 1991. It later became part of the EPRDF, a coalition of left-wing parties that ruled Ethiopia until last year.

Around the same time as Mariam's ouster, Dr Tedros left Ethiopia and came to the UK where he studied at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, graduating with Masters of Science in Immunology of Infectious Diseases in 1992.

He then went on to study at the University of Nottingham, where he received a PhD in community health in 2000.

After this, he returned to Ethiopia where he joined the health ministry and rose through the ranks from regional health minister all the way to national Minister for Heath - a position he took up in 2005.

During his tenure, which lasted until 2012, he was widely praised for opening thousands of health centres, employing tens of thousands of medics, bringing down rates of HIV/AIDS, measles and malaria, as well as bringing information technology and the internet into the heath system.

In November 2012 he was promoted to Foreign Minister, and was widely hailed for helping to negotiate a boost in UN funding for Ethiopia, including as part of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

Indeed, UN funding records show that around this time the country received millions in additional funding - including from China, which had previously given little or nothing to support the country.

In 2015 and 2016 China gave some $16million to Ethiopia in spending commitments and cash contributions, largely in support of food or refugee programmes.

In 2011, just before Dr Tedros took up the role, and in 2017, just after he left, China handed over another $44million in commitments and contributions.

Its total contributions outside of this period, dating back to the year 2000, were just $345,000.

In 2017, Dr Tedros left the Ethiopian government and entered the running for Director-General of the WHO as the tenure of Dr Margaret Chan, a Canadian-Chinese physician, was coming to an end.

Dr Tedros quickly embroiled himself in controversy at the WHO by trying to appoint African dictator Robert Mugabe (pictured at a conference together in 2017, the year of the appointment) but eventually bowed to pressure and dropped it

The election was the first to take place under a system of polling all UN member states as part of a secret ballot. Previously, leaders were chosen by a closed-door vote of an executive committee.

Eventually the field was boiled down to two candidates - Dr Tedros and Briton Dr David Nabarro, a life-long physician who had helped lead UN responses to previous outbreaks including bird flu, the cholera outbreak in Haiti, and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Dr Tedros won the ballot by a reported 133 votes to 50, becoming the first African leader of the WHO and the first non-medic to hold the role. His victory came in part thanks to 50 out of 54 African states voting for him.

However, he quickly mired himself in controversy by recommending African dictator Robert Mugabe as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador, amid allegations he trying to repay favours granted during the election.

There were reports that the move was also intended to reward China, a long-time supporter of Mugabe, for using its influence to have him elected.

The Times added: 'China has praised the authoritarian development model of Ethiopias regime, which rules under emergency powers and has put down pro-democracy protests.'

Dr Tedros (pictured with his family) was widely praised during his tenure as Ethiopia's health minister for helping to lower rates of measles, malaria, and HIV/AIDS as well as building thousands of health centres and hiring thousands of medics

During the 2017 election itself, several groups within Ethiopia opposed Dr Tedros's appointment due to his links with the TPLF and allegations that they stifled journalists and repressed minorities.

Dr Tedros was also accused of covering up three separate cholera outbreaks in 2006, 2008 and 2011 by mis-reporting it as 'watery diarrhea', allegations he dismissed as a 'smear campaign' by his British rival.

Following his election to the WHO, Dr Tedros vowed to reform the organisation by placing an emphasis on universal healthcare at its centre while also increasing funding.

Further UN funding records show that, during his tenure, assessed contributions to the WHO by China have also risen significantly - from roughly $23million in 2016 to $38million in 2019.

China has also committed to a further $57million in funding in 2020, though has yet to pay the balance.

Meanwhile funding from other major world economies - including the US, Russia, Japan and Germany - has remained largely flat or even fallen over the same period.

Assessed contributions make up only around a quarter of the WHO's budget, the rest of which comes from donations.

MailOnline has contacted the WHO for comment, but had not heard back at the time of publication. This site also reached out to the University of London and University of Nottingham to check biographical infomation on Dr Tedros, but had also not received a response.

Recent criticism of the WHO and Dr Tedros specifically stems from its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and in particular its perceived closeness to authorities in Beijing.

Dr Tedros visited Beijing himself back in January and spoke with President Xi about the country's response, returning to give a speech that praised the regime's transparency, the speed of its response, and credited it with saving lives both at home and overseas.

That is despite the fact that medics from Taiwan - which are not represented at the WHO since China claims it as part of its country - claimed to have raised concerns about the response as far back as December 2019.

Medics told the Financial Times that they had anecdotal evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus, something China was denying at the time and a key factor in turning the disease into a global pandemic.

The WHO Director is known for his hands-on approach, often personally visiting countries affected by disease outbreaks - including the Democratic Republic of Congo which was hit by Ebola in 2018 (pictured)

They claim this was reported to the WHO on December 31, but not shared with other countries. China itself did not report human-to-human transmission until almost a month later - January 20 - by which time the disease had began spreading throughout the country and across the world.

A petition calling for Dr Tedros's resignation which began in Taiwan has now topped 750,000 signatures.

China has also faced allegations it attempted to silence medics - including the now-deceased Dr Li Wenliang - who first reported on the disease, and covered up early cases.

At his Tuesday evening coronavirus briefing, Donald Trump took aim at the WHO, saying the US would consider suspending funding to the organisation until an investigation is carried out.

'They called it wrong, they missed the call,' he said, adding: 'They should have known and they probably did know,' suggesting the WHO was withholding information about the coronavirus.

'The WHO, that's the World Health Organization, receives vast amounts of money from the United States and we pay for a majority, the biggest portion of their money, and they actually criticized and disagreed with my travel ban at the time I did it,' Trump said near the top of the briefing.

'And they were wrong. They've been wrong about a lot of things.

'And they had a lot of information early and they didn't want to - they seemed to be very China centric,' he said.

Today Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, defended the organization.

He said: 'We are now in an acute phase of the pandemic - now is not the time to cut back on funding.'

He also said his administration would look into whether the US would withdraw its $513m funding.

Coronavirus has now infected at least 1.4million worldwide and killed more than 80,000 - though these figures are widely believed to be under-estimates.
Likewise, the top official indicated that the current legislation only considers granting posthumous promotion to members of the Peruvian National Police and Armed Forces who had lost their lives in armed conflicts.

For this reason, the Head of State indicated that a legislative decree has been approved to revert the situation and consider that benefit for the police and military, who are responsible for enforcing the Government's provisions during the current state of health emergency against the COVID-19.

"The legislative decree has already been approved. Surely, during the course of the day, it will be sent to Congress for the corresponding formalization purposes," he said.

Mr. Vizcarra assured that the change in the regulations will benefit the deceased members' relatives.

El presidente @MartinVizcarraC informa sobre la situacion del Estado de Emergencia en el #Dia32 y las acciones que realiza el Gobierno para contener la propagacion del COVID-19. En vivo: https://t.co/4b0DeGFOzw https://t.co/kNzMn4PtXO
A man walking a sheep has been fined for breaking lockdown rules in Italy, according to local media.

He was caught strolling with the animal on a lead around Palermo in Sicily.

Police reportedly stopped him as part of checks to enforce measures aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus.

He was then handed a fine, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

The man was discovered walking the sheep near an overpass by the citys ring road, according to local online paper Palermo Today.

People in Italy have been ordered to stay at home unless it is essential, for example, to buy groceries or go to work, in a bid to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

Italians are also allowed to take their pets out for walks if needed to keep them in good health.

Tougher sanctions for those who break the rules were brought in by the government in late March, with fines raised to between 400 (348) and 3000 (2,613) for those caught on non-essential trips outside.

So far, penalties have been handed out to a priest walking his cross through the streets, six people demonstrating in Rome against lockdown measures, and a cyclist who took his bike in the sea while trying to evade checks, according to Italian media.

A couple have also been charged after they were caught meeting up in a car in northern Italy.

Around 26,000 people were fined on Monday and Tuesday this week for ignoring the rules, according to interior ministry figures.

The restrictions on movement are aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19, which has infected more than 165,000 people in Italy to date.

Around 21,600 people have died in the country after testing positive for coronavirus as of Thursday, according to official figures.
Senator Robert Kennedy's widow, Ethel, has reportedly been a fan of revolutionary Che Guevara for years despite her family's struggle against communism during the 1960s.

The 92-year-old has a 'subversive streak' and even named her dog 'Che' after meeting with former Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, during the height of the Cold War, her son revealed.

Her adoration of the guerrilla leader came to light when a now-deleted image of Ethel was posted on social media, showing her on a sofa at her home in Palm Beach, Florida, with a photo of Guevara in the background.

Ethel's late husband was former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, was in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

Ethel Kennedy with her son Robert Kennedy Jr. in a picture he posted to celebrate his mother's 92nd birthday on Saturday. Robert Jr. also revealed she has a love of communist revolutionary Che Guevara

Robert F. Kennedy and wife Ethel sitting on the lawn at home during the 1960s. RFK served as a senator and the Attorney General when his brother and Lyndon B. Johnson were president

Despite the family leading America's fight against communist regimes, Ethel Kennedy still displays a picture of the revolutionary hero on a mantle at her home.

The framed picture could be seen in a Twitter post by granddaughter, Mariah Kennedy Cuomo, who is the daughter of Kerry Kennedy and New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo.

The tweet, posted on April 11 but which has now been removed, had the hashtag '#IStayHomeFor', to encourage social distancing to protect vulnerable people and to celebrate the family matriarch's 92nd birthday.

The caption added: '#IStayHomeFor'...my grandma Matilda and my grandma Ethel whose birthday it is today! Happy birthday!'

Ethel's family said she makes no apology for the photo that takes pride of place on her table and said she has been a fan of Guevara for years.

Infamous guerrilla leader, Che Guevara, who played a key role in the Cuban revolution of 1959

Mariah Kennedy Cuomo attends the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights gala auction in New York last December. She posted a picture of her grandmother on social media, revealing a picture of Che Guevara in the background

Her son, Robert Kennedy Jr., told the New York Post that his mother has a 'subversive streak' and even named her dog 'Che' because she 'loves' the guerrilla fighter, who was born in Argentina and played a major role the Cuban revolution.

Guevara was one of Fidel Castro's top lieutenants when the pair led a group of communists to over-throw US-backed dictator, Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

But Robert Jr. added that Ethel has been a fan of Fidel Castro for years and 'had a very good relationship' with the late dictator, who she met several times in Cuba.

He also claimed his mother once persuaded Castro to release political prisoners at the height of US-Cuba tensions.

Robert Kennedy Jr. pictured (above) demonstrating during 'Fire Drill Friday' climate change protest last November

Senator Robert Kennedy speaking at an election rally in 1968 - the year he was assassinated at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles

Cuban President Fidel Castro giving a speech in front of the US Interest Section in Havana in May 2004

According to the Boston Globe, Castro 'dined next to Ethel Kennedy while Cubans and Americans and even a few Soviet military guys danced exuberantly' in Havana's Revolutionary Palace at an event in 2002, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis.

But John F. Kennedy sought to overthrow Cuba's communist regime during the botched Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and his brother, Robert, also fostered anti-communist views.

During the Bay of Pigs a CIA-funded the brigade of Cuban exiles landed on the island in a failed bid to oust Castro.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union placed ballistic missiles on the Caribbean island as a stand-off between the two superpowers pushed the world to the brink of war.

Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Director Rory Kennedy in an undated photograph

Ethel Kennedy receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in Washington DC in 2014

As Attorney General, RFK was one of the president's key advisers in US foreign policy towards to Cuba. He wrote an account of the crisis in his book, Thirteen Days.

Robert was assassinated at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, as he campaigned for president shortly after winning the California primary.

Since the assassination of the Kennedy brothers, the family has been steeped in tragedy.

Most recently, Ethel Kennedy has lost two granddaughters and a great-grandson in the space of eight months.

Last August her 22-year-old granddaughter, Saoirse Kennedy Hill, died of an accidental overdose.

And earlier this month Maeve McKean and her son, Gideon, died in a canoeing accident in Chesapeake Bay.
Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand has joined WWF (World Wide Fund) India as its ambassador for education programme.

WWF India is celebrating its 50 years of conservation in India and it is delighted to see Anand lend his support to conservation and protection of the

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, governments, development organisations, corporates and individuals around the world are doing their bit to prevent the spread of the disease.

Talking about his association with WWF India, Anand, said, "Our children deserve a better, greener and more sustainable world than the one we are living in today and it is our responsibility as parents and elders to show them the way.

"I am very excited and happy to join WWF India and work together with them to enthuse more and more children and youth about the need to protect our natural world. I look forward to an enriching and progressive association with WWF India."



WWF India's education programme is as old as the organisation itself, starting way back in 1976 with the Nature Clubs of India (NCI) initiative.

Currently the environment education programme undertakes five large initiatives that reach out to school children, youth and citizens across the country and aim to create a generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers and environmentally conscious individuals.

The environment education programme currently reaches out to over 5,00,000 children across 2000 schools in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, April 16 : With passenger flights being suspended till May 3, full service carrier Vistara is considering diversifying its revenue stream by utilising aircraft to haul cargo, a senior company official said.

Accordingly, the airline which has 42 aircraft is considering various opportunities and it might soon commence cargo flights after "securing business at viable levels".

Currently, commercial domestic and international flights are banned since March 25, 2020, barring cargo operations.

The provision mandated under the national lockdown has dealt a heavy blow to the already struggling aviation industry.

Furthermore, the lockdown which has been deemed necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19, has dealt a heavy blow to commerce, leading to a temporary closure of shopping malls, dine-in restaurants, shutting down of factories and deserted market places.

"We are looking into various opportunities and cargo flights are definitely something we are considering subject to securing business at viable levels," Vistara's Chief Commercial Officer Vinod Kannan told IANS.

"We are keen to support all businesses that bring essentials to people in these tough times. We're exploring all viable possibilities at the moment." In terms of fixed cost savings during the extended lockdown period, the airline has instituted a compulsory "no-pay" leave for a section of its employees.

These leaves without pay range from one to three days, depending on employment grades.

As per the plan, senior-most employees will have to take three days of compulsory no-pay leave.

"The extension of lockdown and suspension of our services till May 3 further impacts our cash flow significantly. As part of a number of steps we are taking to conserve cash and save costs, we had to make the difficult decision of further reducing our staff costs with the objective of preserving jobs," a Vistara spokesperson was quoted as saying in an earlier statement.

"For the period between April 15 and April 30, about 30 per cent of Vistara's workforce will take compulsory no-pay leave of one to three days, depending on their employment grades (three days for senior-most employees). This decision does not impact the remainder 70 per cent of Vistara staff." Besides, the airline is working on finalising specific procedures that would be deployed as and when the operations start.

"Broadly, some important, stringent preventive measures includes temporary fleet-wide removal of all reading material from seatback pockets," Kannan said "Any passenger showing symptoms of fever or respiratory illness will undergo a precautionary check-up with the 'Airport Medical Support Team'." The Tata Group-Singapore Airlines JV airline had commenced commercial operations in 2015 and has since flown more than 20 million passengers.

(Rohit Vaid can be contacted at rohit.v@ians.in)
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday he doesn't believe the Chinese government has been transparent about the coronavirus after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Beijing to 'come clean' after reports the disease originated in a Chinese laboratory.

'I find it hard to trust much of what comes out of the Chinese communist party. They've been misleading us, they've been opaque, if you will, from the early days of this virus. So I don't have much faith that they're even been truthful with us now,' Esper said on NBC's 'Today Show.'

'We can't have one of the largest nations in the world hiding information or not being transparent when it comes to helping us deal with this,' he added.

Esper's skepticism about the Chinese came in the wake of reports that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory, not as a bioweapon, but as part of bungling experiments to prove that Chinese scientists were superior to Americans in identifying emerging virus threats.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he doesn't believe the Chinese government has been transparent about the coronavirus

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News Chinese officials need to 'open up' about how the coronavirus originated in their country

'This is something we've been watching closely now for some time,' the defense secretary said. 'The results are inconclusive if you will. We do know one thing, if the Chinese government, the party has been more transparent earlier it would have helped us in terms of staying ahead of this virus, being able to understand its DNA, develop therapeutics and vaccines much quicker. To this day, they need to be far more forthright than what they've been.'

And President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab.

After word of the outbreak finally became public, Chinese leaders were quick to blame Wuhan's 'wet market' where wild animals -- though not bats -- are sold for consumption, leading one source to tell Fox News the debacle is the 'costliest government coverup of all time.'

'Patient zero' worked at the Wuhan lab, and spread the virus into the local population after leaving work, sources who had been briefed on intelligence told the outlet.

China has refuted claims that the virus may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.

Pompeo urged Beijing to 'open up' about the virus.

'What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' Pompeo told Fox News on Wednesday evening. 'We know there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was. There is still lots to learn. The United States government is working diligently to figure it out.'

'We really need the Chinese government to open up' and explain 'exactly how this virus spread,' he said.

'The Chinese government needs to come clean,' Pompeo noted.

Asked about the new allegations at a White House press conference on Wednesday, Trump replied cryptically: 'More and more, we're hearing the story.'

Workers are seen next to a cage with mice (right) at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in a file photo. US officials reportedly believe coronavirus first crossed over to humans inside the lab

The Wuhan Institute of Virology is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility

'We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened,' Trump said.

Asked if he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said: 'I don't want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just don't want to discuss, it's inappropriate right now.'

Pompeo said in the interview that 'one of the best ways they [China] could find to cooperate would be to let the world in and to let the world's scientists know exactly how this came to be; exactly how this virus began to spread.'

'[There were] a lot of cases [and] a lot of movement; a lot of travel around the world before the Chinese Communist Party came clean about what really transpired there,' the secretary of state continued. 'These are the kinds of things that open governments [and] democracies don't do. It's why there's such risk associated with the absence of transparency. We need it still today.'

The Wuhan lab is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility, and has long been eyed with suspicion as scientists try to determine how the deadly virus crossed over into humans.

However, suspicion of the lab was quickly dismissed as a 'conspiracy theory' by some who insisted, like the Chinese leadership, that a wild animal market must have been the source.

Although the earliest confirmed case in Wuhan was a person who had no connection to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, Chinese officials quickly pinned the blame on the market, a talking point that was eagerly repeated by the World Health Organization.

'A large proportion of the initial cases in late December 2019 and early January 2020 had a direct link to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan City, where seafood, wild, and farmed animal species were sold,' the WHO website says about the possible origins of the pandemic, while acknowledging the exact source of the outbreak has not been determined.

'Many of the initial patients were either stall owners, market employees, or regular visitors to this market. Environmental samples taken from this market in December 2019 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, further suggesting that the market in Wuhan City was the source of this outbreak or played a role in the initial amplification of the outbreak,' the WHO says.

Though scientists say that genetic evidence indicates the virus was not artificially engineered, likely originated in bats, and probably crossed over to a human in a single event, there is nothing in the genetic data to indicate exactly where and how the virus first crossed to humans.

US diplomats warned of inadequate safety at the Wuhan lab (seen in a file photo), including risky experiments being done to identify coronaviruses in bats

A colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample

In early 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing sent two official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the Wuhan lab, including that it was conducting risky studies on pathogens in the coronavirus family in bats, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The cables warned about safety and management weaknesses at the lab and proposed more international assistance.

The Wuhan lab was originally set up with assistance from the French and American governments, but in recent years the Chinese have rebuffed international assistance there and tried to prove their ability to work independently.

After the coronavirus outbreak began, officials at the lab destroyed samples of the virus, erased early reports, and suppressed academic papers, sources told Fox News.

China is refuting allegations that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.

Officials at the Wuhan lab have previously dismissed any allegation that the virus emerged from the facility, calling them baseless conspiracy theories.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian cited the head of the World Health Organization and other unidentified medical experts as saying there was no evidence that transmission began from the lab and there was 'no scientific basis' for such claims.

'We always believe that this is a scientific issue and requires the professional assessment of scientists and medical experts,' Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday.

'Only with reasonable response can the international community win this fight,' Zhao said. 'China will continue to work together with other countries to help and support each other.'

China has also strongly denied claims it delayed reporting on the virus outbreak in Wuhan late last year and underreported case numbers, worsening the impact on the U.S. and other countries.

On Wednesday, it emerged that top Chinese officials waited six days to warn the public after becoming aware that a viral outbreak was causing a rash of deadly pneumonia cases in Wuhan.

In the meantime, residents in Wuhan hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people, and millions began traveling for Lunar New Year celebrations.

A worker is seen inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan. Chinese leaders waited six days after becoming aware of the outbreak in Wuhan to warn the public

Chinese President President Xi Jinping waited six days to warn the public after learning of the deadly outbreak in Wuhan that has gone on to kill 130,000 around the world

President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day after top Communist Party leaders learned of the outbreak, January 20.

In the meantime, the Chinese government arrested or silenced doctors and citizens in Wuhan who tried to speak out about the disturbing new outbreak.

Even the mayor of Wuhan suggested in an interview with Chinese state television that Communist Party leadership prohibited him from warning the public until January 20.

By the time Xi issued the public warning, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence, according to internal documents and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data.

The delay from January 14 to January 20 by the first country to face the new coronavirus came at a critical time - the beginning of the outbreak.

China's delay set the stage for a pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people and taken more than 133,000 lives worldwide.

'This is tremendous,' said Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient. We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhans medical system.'

Experts say that China's rigid controls on information, bureaucratic hurdles and a reluctance to send bad news up the chain of command muffled early warnings.

The punishment of eight doctors for 'rumor-mongering,' broadcast on national television on January 2, sent a chill through the city's hospitals.

'Doctors in Wuhan were afraid,' said Dali Yang, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Chicago. 'It was truly intimidation of an entire profession.'

Without these internal reports, it took the first case outside China, in Thailand on January 13, to galvanize leaders in Beijing into recognizing the possible pandemic before them.

It was only then that they launched a nationwide plan to find cases - distributing test kits, easing the criteria for confirming cases and ordering health officials to screen patients.

They also instructed officials in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, to begin temperature checks at transportation hubs and cut down on large public gatherings. And they did it all without telling the public.

The Chinese government has repeatedly denied suppressing information in the early days, saying it immediately reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization.

'Those accusing China of lacking transparency and openness are unfair,' foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday

US general admits 'we can't be certain' whether coronavirus originated at 'poorly run' lab in Wuhan

An Army general has said that the Wuhan lab cannot be ruled out as the source of the outbreak.

'There's a lot of rumor and speculation in a wide variety of media, the blog sites, etc,' Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said when asked if there was any evidence the coronavirus may have been developed in a Chinese laboratory.

'It should be no surprise to you that we've taken a keen interest in that and we've had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that,' he said.

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley addresses a news conference as Defense Secretary Mark Esper listens at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on Thursday

'And I would just say, at this point, it's inconclusive although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural. But we can't be certain.'

Other top experts have insisted that the truth needs to be pursued, wherever it leads.

'I don't think it's a conspiracy theory. I think it's a legitimate question that needs to be investigated and answered,' Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California at Berkeley told the Post.

'To understand exactly how this originated is critical knowledge for preventing this from happening in the future.'

China has not been forthcoming about many aspects of the early outbreak, and Trump recently said the country may not be revealing the whole truth about their rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths.

Trump and other officials have expressed deep skepticism of China's officially declared death toll from the virus of around 3,000 people, when the United States has a death toll of more than 20,000 and rising.

He returned to the subject on Wednesday, saying the United States has more cases 'because we do more reporting.'

'Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China, and that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of deaths; does anybody really believe that?' he said.
Our reporters at syracuse.com | The Post-Standard are working around the clock to make sure Central New Yorkers have the news they need to stay informed on this public health crisis. Because this information is so vital to our readers as they go about their daily lives, we have decided to make all our most essential coronavirus-related stories available to all readers, not just subscribers. However, If you are able, please consider helping support this important work with a subscription.

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Here is a look at Wednesdays top coronavirus-related stories:

Onondaga County update: 12th death, jump in cases: Onondaga County suffered its 12th COVID-19 death, County Executive Ryan McMahon announced. Also, a promising trend reversed itself  perhaps temporarily  within the past day: the number of current known infections jumped by 20, to 278, again overtaking the total number of recoveries.

State to require masks in public starting this week: A new executive order will require all New Yorkers to wear a mask in crowded public spaces, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The order will go into effect Friday and will apply in any space where its impossible to keep at least 6 feet away from others.

Syracuse hospital uses survivors' blood for treatment: Doctors at Upstate University Hospital have infused two patients over the past two days with blood plasma donated by people who have fully recovered from coronavirus. After someone recovers from a virus like COVID-19, their blood is rich with antibodies produced by their immune system to fight off the disease. The theory is that infusing severely ill COVID-19 patients with those antibodies will help them recover more quickly.

Restarting NY's economy: Cuomo's blueprint: Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday offered the first hints of how New York will approach restarting its shuttered economy. As he has for days, Cuomo emphasized that any approach to reopening businesses will depend on testing. It will be staggered and come in phases. Two key questions will be determine which business open and when.

CNY farmer fights for life; pregnant girlfriend also sick: Travis Duffy should be spending the day working on the farm he manages, while getting ready for the birth of his son in about five weeks. Instead, the 39-year-old Canastota man is in Upstate University Hospitals intensive care unit, fighting to stay alive. His pregnant girlfriend has also tested positive and is showing symptoms.

Prayers continue during pandemic: The Mosque of Jesus, Son of Mary, in Syracuse has covered the inside of the prayer room floor-to-ceiling in plastic for easier disinfecting. The room is lined with plastic and two machines siphon air out of the room to create negative pressure. Air in the room is recycled every four minutes. Irfan Elahi, an asbestos abatement expert who worships at the mosque, used the materials and expertise from his day job to create what he called a clean room. (photos, video)

At-home SAT test possible: A home version of the SAT college entrance exam is being prepared in case schools remain closed into the fall, College Board officials said Wednesday as they announced the cancellation of June testing.

Do you have questions about Coronavirus? Ask us: Do you have questions about daily life in the time of coronavirus? We are here to get you answers from experts and trustworthy sources of information. What do you want to know?

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Linkedin Dyaning Pangestika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:37 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd258889 1 National tourism,COVID-19,Jokowi Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has ordered his ministers to disburse a stimulus package for businesses in the hard-hit tourist and creative economy sectors to help them survive the economic impact caused by COVID-19.

We need to carefully prepare an economic stimulus for business players in the tourist and creative economy sectors so that they can survive without having to terminate employment on a large scale, the President said in a limited Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

He also asked his subordinates to ensure social safety net programs for workers in the aforementioned sectors to be conducted meticulously. Furthermore, Jokowi also asked the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry to reallocate its budget to labor-intensive programs that could help informal workers in the tourist sector.

We know that tourism has suffered the hardest impact from COVID-19. People in hotels, restaurants and craft businesses have been impacted, he said.

The measures were part of mitigation efforts to bolster tourism, which has been hit hard by the global pandemic. More than 1,260 hotels have closed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country affecting more than 150,000 employees, according to the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI).

Still, Jokowi expressed optimism that the grim situation in the tourist sector would only last until the end of this year. He urged his Cabinet to support the tourist sector as he believed that Indonesian tourism would bounce back after the pandemic is over by 2021.

We must take advantage of the tourism boom that will rise after COVID-19 is over, he added.

Read also: Online travel agencies hit hard by cancellations, bookings slump

Previously, Coordinating Maritime and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said that the government would revive the tourist sector soon.

Were paying serious attention to tourism. We see that China has recovered [followed by] South Korea and Japan within the next one or two months. That means they have tourists who want to go out after being in a stressful situation for months, he said on Tuesday as quoted by Kompas.com.

He added that Bali was among the local tourist destinations that would be boosted to attract foreign visitors from these countries.

Responding to Luhuts comment, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama clarified that the government did not yet to open the door to foreign tourists.

This plan will be implemented after the pandemic ends, since no one can go anywhere during this pandemic, Wishnutama said on Thursday.
The struggle to reopen Congress is more complex than just monitoring how far the coronavirus curve has been bent towards containment, then recalling more than 500 lawmakers to the Capitol.

This isnt at all like reopening a corporate headquarters in a city centre or a regional plant in a suburban office park, where employees are travelling a relatively short distance to their workplace.

Instead, Congress functions much more like a large college campus. More than 10,000 employees, on a normal day, are spread across the Capitol, seven office buildings for lawmakers and committees, the Capitol Police headquarters, the Library of Congress and a dormitory for Senate pages.

Then there are the more than 15,000 tourists a day who would visit the complex during the peak springtime season. That practice has been prohibited since 13 March, and few leaders are even contemplating when the general public would be allowed to return.

The most basic duties  100 senators showing up for a roll call, or up to 435 members of the House voting  are inherent violations of federal health guidelines that say groups should be limited to no more than 10 people.

And then there are the dozens of members of the House who, rather than rent or own a private apartment, live in their offices. Each morning these lawmakers use showers in the House gym to get ready for that days work representing their constituents.

Without access to the House gym, these lawmakers have nowhere to shower each morning, and all gyms in Washington have been ordered closed through District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowsers emergency orders shuttering all nonessential businesses.

On Wednesday, Bowser extended that order until at least 15 May, which is almost two weeks beyond what congressional leaders have set as their aspirational return to the Capitol.

Empty Pennsylvania Avenue with the US Capitol is seen amid the coronavirus pandemic (Getty)

Those leaders are now recognising just how daunting the task is to try to get Congress back to any semblance of normalcy.

People think we can do Congress by Zoom. Zoom is a Chinese entity that weve been told not to even trust the security of. So there are challenges, its not as easy as you would think, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday night on MSNBCs All In With Chris Hayes.

The Silicon Valley company, founded by a Chinese entrepreneur, has come under scrutiny for its security measures. Pelosi said a more detailed technology report would be delivered during a House Democratic caucus call Thursday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who is in charge of the chambers scheduling, acknowledged Wednesday that some things would have to change to make up for the lost time while Congress is shut down. He said lawmakers will go beyond the typical workweek of starting Monday evening and finishing Thursday afternoon.

Once were back, the schedule will likely change to accommodate the work we have to get done, Hoyer told reporters during a conference call, predicting some recess weeks for lawmakers to work in their districts would be cancelled. Theyll have less time at home, less time with their constituents, but more time acting on behalf of their constituents on work that we need to do.

An empty US Supreme Court is seen amid the coronavirus pandemic as the stay at home order has been extended in Washington (Getty)

To be sure, many members of Congress say they are working harder than ever before, just doing so from their homes trying to help the myriad local hospitals dealing with the deadly coronavirus and small businesses struggling through the economic crisis.

These constituent services have consumed their daily lives, but there remains the need to continue to work on legislation, both bills related to the coronavirus and others dealing with normal business like funding the federal government.

Committee chairmen have been holding teleconference meetings with rank-and-file lawmakers, but long-standing rules forbid actually holding formal hearings and votes on legislation from remote distances.

To change those rules, the full House and Senate would have to return to the Capitol, hold a debate and then vote on such changes. Hoyer said Wednesday that no such full return can happen until the advice of the health-care community is that doing so is safe.

Whenever that time comes, Hoyers planned five-day workweek in Washington requires lawmakers to travel from near and far, most on planes and trains, to get to the Capitol.

Any return to normalcy would then involve several hundred lawmakers trekking back home after five days in Washington, then repeating that exercise after a weekend at home.

That would place hundreds of lawmakers on two flights a week, the type of regular travel that many are reluctant to even think about now because of the constant exposure that would entail.

Im actually more concerned about members of Congress spreading this back in their district, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said in a recent interview.

Diaz-Balart, who contracted Covid-19 in mid-March, spent three weeks quarantining himself in his Capitol Hill apartment before he returned to Florida. With constant travel to and from Washington, even seemingly healthy lawmakers could be asymptomatic vectors of the virus.

Thats the last thing you want, Diaz-Balart said.

Some lawmakers live in group houses, which puts them in close quarters just like college students. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., has lived almost a decade in a townhouse with three other lawmakers.

Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Show all 20 1 /20 Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Top: Nabi Younes market, Mosul Bottom: Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Grand Mosque, Mecca Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Nabi Younes market, Mosul Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Basra Grand Mosque, Iraq Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Taj Mahal hotel, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Dubai Mall, UAE Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Gateway of India, Mumbai Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Victoria Memorial, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sidon, Lebanon Reuters

Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., has an even trickier routine. Every day he usually takes Amtrak from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Washington, then back at night  the type of travel on public transit that seems more dangerous than ever. On some occasions, when he has to stay overnight, Coons will bunk up with a fellow senator who has an extra room in their home near the Capitol.

Beyond the lawmakers are the more than 13,000 aides who work for them, some of whom are back home in their states. Since Congress finished a $2tn rescue package in late March, almost every staffer has been working from home, leaving the Capitol complex a bit of a ghost town.

Many office doors have signs telling cleaning crews not to enter because no one is working there.

Of the Senates dozen cafeterias and coffee shops, just one carryout remains open, mostly serving the police who still guard the buildings. In a cramped basement room, just four customers are allowed in at a time.

Any return to normalcy, just bringing back the lawmakers and a few staff each to the Capitol, would be an exponential growth from the current occupancy and likely require even more support staff to help operate dining areas and cleaning.

Leaders, for now, have few answers, other than hoping medical research can come up with a solution sometime soon.

We need to get the work of the American people done, Hoyer said.

The Washington Post
Chennai, April 16 : The Tamil Nadu government will continue supply of 5,450 tonnes of free rice to 2,895 mosques in the state during the Ramzan fasting period, said a top government official.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam said the state has been providing 5,450 tonnes of rice free of cost to 2,895 mosques in the state for Ramzan so that gruel could be prepared and given to those who fast.

He said the government held meetings with the Muslim community leaders and said rice will be supplied in bulk to the mosques.

As there is lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, Shanmugam said the government suggested to the Muslim community leaders that the mosques could repack the rice into smaller packs and deliver at homes.

Shanmugam said the community leaders have agreed to the proposal.

He said by March 19 the rice will be supplied to the mosques and they in turn will repack and deliver to the homes before March 22.


General Meeting change of date to 17th July 2020

Melbourne, April 15, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - iSignthis Ltd ( ASX:ISX ) ( FRA:TA8 ) provides the following update on the change of date for the General Meeting.The Company was scheduled to hold a General meeting on 15th May 2020. Due to the current restrictions in place due to COVID-19, the Company has elected to reschedule the General Meeting until 17th July 2020, per ASIC 20-068MR "Guidelines for meeting upcoming AGM and financial reporting requirements".Closer to the date, and in light of the COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time, the Company will provide further details about the General Meeting.About iSignthis Ltd

iSignthis Ltd (ASX:ISX) (FRA:TA8) is a hybrid monetary financial institution and also a RegTech leader in remote identity verification, payment authentication with deposit taking, transactional banking and payment processing capability. iSignthis provides an end-to-end on-boarding service for merchants, with a unified payment, electronic money and identity service via our Paydentity(TM) and ISXPay(R) solutions.

By converging payments and identity, iSignthis delivers regulatory compliance to an enhanced customer due diligence standard, offering global reach to any of the world's 4.2Bn 'bank verified' card or account holders, that can be remotely on-boarded to meet the Customer Due Diligence requirements of AML regulated merchants in as little as 3 to 5 minutes. Paydentity(TM) has now onboarded and verified more than 1.5m persons to an AML KYC standard.

iSignthis Paydentity(TM) service is the trusted back office solution for regulated entities, allowing merchants to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, and focus on growing their core business. iSignthis' subsidiary, iSignthis eMoney Ltd, trades as ISXPay(R), and is an EEA authorised eMoney Monetary Financial Institution, offering card acquiring in the EEA, and Australia.

ISXPay(R) is a principal member of Mastercard Inc, Diners, Discover, (China) Union Pay International and JCB International, an American Express aggregator, and provides merchants with access to payments via alternative methods including SEPA, Poli Payments, Sofort, PRZ24 and others.

Probanx Solutions Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of iSignthis Ltd, provides API based access to CORE Banking solutions, SEPA Core, SEPA Instant and SEPA business scheme, for neobanks, banks, credit unions and emoney institutions, and provides a bridge to the Eurosystem's Central Bank of Lithuania's CENTROLink service.
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The review did not draw a conclusion about whether Microsoft was appropriately declared the winner.



By ROBERT BURNS

AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON  A government watchdog agency said Wednesday the Pentagon's process for awarding a highly lucrative cloud computing contract to Microsoft was in line with legal and government purchasing standards.

The Defense Department inspector general found no evidence of White House interference in the contract award process. But the report said investigators could not fully review that aspect of the matter because the White House would not allow unfettered access to witnesses.





. . .
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 09:39:57|Editor: Xiaoxia

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SEOUL, April 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's ruling Democratic Party won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held amid the COVID-19 pandemic that delayed elections in other nations.

Preliminary results from the National Election Commission showed on Thursday that the Democratic Party secured 163 directly-contested constituency seats, while its sister Platform Party gained 17 proportional representations (PR) slots.

The quadrennial elections for the 300 members of the National Assembly were held nationwide on Wednesday to let voters cast ballots for 253 constituency seats and 47 PR slots.

It marked the first time since the constitution was amended in 1987 to end the past military dictatorship and adopt democratic elections that a single political party won three-fifths of the total parliamentary seats.

The main conservative opposition United Future Party and its satellite party garnered 84 constituency seats and 19 PR seats.

The minor progressive Justice Party won one constituency seat and five PR slots, while the center-left Open Democratic Party and the centrist People's Party won three respective PR seats.

Five independent candidates obtained the remaining constituency seats in the parliamentary elections, widely seen as a mid-term referendum on the Moon government.

The elections were held at a time of the COVID-19 outbreak across the world that delayed elections in other countries such as Britain, France and Australia.

Preparations were made to protect voters from possible infection while casting ballots, by disinfecting voting stations and marking the standing line at intervals of at least 1 meter.

Voters were allowed to enter the voting booths only after wearing masks, checking body temperature, rubbing their hands with sanitizer and putting on disposable plastic gloves.
Book by former PGC officer highlights unusual wildlife encounters

Dick Bodenhorn has published a book highlighting some of the unusual encounters he had while working with the Pennsylvania Game Commision.
Greenville mayor ends ban on drive-in church services after DOJ intervenes

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Democrat Mayor Errick D. Simmons of Greenville, Mississippi, has changed course and is now permitting drive-in church services after police officers issued $500 tickets to parishioners last Wednesday.

After churches filed federal lawsuits in the city, Simmons said in a Facebook news conference Wednesday that people may attend drive-in church services as long as they keep their windows rolled up.

Simmons also said he would allow churches to have up to 10 people in their buildings for worship services that are broadcast, but added that they must follow social distancing and health guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19.

On Friday, we had 48 cases. Today, we have 62 cases here in the city of Greenville. This is real, Simmons said. This is serious and this is a pandemic that is endangering all of our lives.

Simmons said he had called on Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to issue guidance on how his stay-at-home order impacts church services, and the governor answered that call by holding a conference call with mayors on Wednesday.

The governor today has answered that call and provided definitive guidance in regards to drive-in services, Simmons said. The governor stated today, for the very first time, that drive-in church services where families stay in their cars with windows up are safe.

In the city of Greeneville, the council will look at its order entered on April the 7th, he continued, adding that the order was made based on the data available at that time. All decisions that we make are data-driven, but more importantly based upon state and federal mandates that we receive at the time.

The city drew national headlines after it issued tickets to people attending drive-in church services last week on grounds that they violated the April 7 order.

The order banned all in-service and drive-in church services as long as Reeves' stay-at-home order was in effect, even though the governor never permitted or suggested there should be a ban on church services.

The next day, tickets were issued to members of Temple Baptist Church for attending a service Wednesday night in which people sat in their cars with the windows up in the churchs parking lot listening to the sermon via broadcast on an FM frequency radio.

One attendee of the church service told news station WREG3 that everybody in attendance received a ticket.

The church filed a lawsuit on Monday represented by the conservative legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, arguing that the April 7 order violates their religious rights protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

At the time, Simmons claimed that drive-in services can be considered a health violation. He explained during his Wednesday news conference that the city received on April 3 a guideline from the Mississippi Department of Health stating that many COVID-19 cases are specifically linked to church gatherings.

We all have seen across the country where folks have had church services and pastors themselves have lost their lives, Simmons said. Congregants have contracted the disease and transmitted it to 30, to 40 people that go to church gatherings.

We were very cautious, given a series of things that we looked at, including the bed space that we have in our hospital, the number of ICU beds, the number of known violations we had of folks doing in-person service over the CDC 10-people guideline. And also folks that were doing drive-in [services] and getting out of their cars.

The Associated Press reports that Reeves accused Greenville of being an overburdensome government that put more people at risk as police officers made attendees of the drive-in service roll their windows down to receive tickets.

At the news conference on Monday attended by more than 25 people, Simmons said he would not force attendees of the church to pay the $500 tickets but maintained the order. However, he continued to call on Reeves to provide more clarification on church services.

Simmons also said he detested accusations made on national television by King James Bible Baptist Church pastor Charles E. Hamilton that he targeted churches, according to the Delta Democrat-Times.

The King James Bible Baptist Church filed a lawsuit this week against the mayors order after the order intimidated the church from going through with plans for drive-in services. Backed by the First Liberty Institute, the lawsuit says the mayors order singled out churches for law enforcement.

After Simmons defended his April 7 order on Monday, the U.S. The Department of Justice intervened by filing a statement of interest in favor of Temple Baptist Churchs lawsuit against the city.

The federal agency said the city "singled churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all CDC and state recommendations regarding social distancing."

"The city of Greenville fined congregants $500 per person for attending these parking lot services  while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants, even with their windows open, the DOJs statement of interest reads.

Late Saturday evening, a spokesperson for Attorney General William Barr stated that action would be taken if officials singled out religious organizations to enforce social distance rules.

On Tuesday, Reeves thanked Barr for his strong stand in support of religious liberty.

The government cannot shut down churches. Mississippi is not China, Reeves stressed in a tweet. This is still America. We will help support this any way we can.

Jeremy Dys, special counsel for litigation and communications at First Liberty Institute, praised Simmons decision to allow drive-in services.

Pastor [Charles] Hamilton looks forward to being able to continue to meet the spiritual needs of his congregation while also abiding by public health guidelines and the governors policy, Dys said in a statement.
Four people in Dinh Anh Hoas family have been jammed in a 16sq.m-bedsit for two weeks.

Drivers for ride-hailing services can enjoy the Government's relief package from April to June. Photo thanhnien.vn

Three years ago, Hoa and his wife left their hometown  in Phu Tho Province  in search of a new life in Long Bien District, Hanoi.

He works as a freelance motorbike driver for the ride-hailing service Grab, while his wife cooks at a kindergarten canteen. They struggle to make ends meet and raise two children in the big city.

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned their lives upside down.

Due to school closure, my wife stays at home to take care of the children. I worked 10 to 12 hours a day, earning VND200,000 (US$8.6) daily to support the whole family, Hoa told Thanh nien (Young People) newspaper.

For a fortnight, ride-hailing services have been hit badly by the disease. I cannot make a single penny. If the situation worsens, I do not know how we will survive, he added.

Hundreds of migrant workers in the informal sector like Hoa, have hustled back home while the others choose to stay, clinging to hope that the pandemic shall pass.

However, with all the complicated developments, they seem to be caught in between.

Nguyen Thi Hoan, a scrap collector from Nam Dinh Province, said she did not dare to go home.

Im afraid to be sent to a quarantine camp. My landlord has reduced the monthly rent from VND1.5 million ($64.4) to VND1 million ($43). I received donated instant noodles and eggs, too, she said.

With the 15-day nationwide social distancing order, starting from April 1, all unnecessary services have been suspended, wiping out jobs of thousands of informal workers.

Nguyen Thanh Nhan, a massage practitioner from Thanh Hoa Province who works at a spa on Thai Thinh Street, said their wage was meagre, about VND1.5 million per month.

Our income comes mostly from tips. Because of the disease, the spa did not have any customers. Being the familys breadwinner, for the first time can I really feel the financial burden. My only wish at the moment is to have it contained. I just cannot hold on any longer, she said.

On April 10, the Government approved a US$2.6 billion relief package to support the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is estimated that 20 million people will enjoy the bailout including workers in the informal sector.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said that the group was the most affected by the disease. Each of them will receive assistance of VND1 million for three months from April to June.

The ministry will ask the Prime Minister to decide on certain groups, focusing on manual labourers including vendors, scrap collectors, porters, motorbike taxi drivers, cyclers, lottery vendors and servants at eateries, rooming houses or medical facilities, said Dung.

We ensure to support people who need the assistance the most, in a timely and transparent manner, he added.

According to the International Labour Organisation, there are nearly 18 million Vietnamese workers in the informal sector. They do not have a labour contract while earn low wages. Losing jobs in the time of COVID-19, to them, means losing income without being able to receive unemployment benefits.  VNS

Nearly 70,000 labourers in Hanoi lose jobs amid COVID-19 pandemic Nearly 70,000 labourers had lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 crisis as many enterprises in Ha Noi have been forced to scale down production or temporarily suspended operations, the citys Confederation of Labour has announced.
Since I announced earlier this week that my time at the Daily Times was coming to an end, Ive been humbled by the outpouring of support and kind messages.

Readers flooded my email, Twitter and Facebook accounts with kind words. Many of them noted how the job has changed and the many circumstances in the last few years that have made the job even more difficult.

Well, they were right about that.

But its not the toughest job.

They should try being married to me.

I arrived at the Daily Times on June 14, 1982. Flag Day. In a few weeks that would have 38 years.

One year and four days later, I tied the knot with Patty Perley, a Downingtown girl.

She has been beside me every step of the way since. Actually, even longer than that.

We met in 1978 at The Record, a daily newspaper in Coatesville that shares a dubious distinction with too many newspapers. It no longer exists.

She worked in advertising. I was a new hire in the newsroom. She always says that the first time I strode through the advertising department on my way to the composing room  no doubt resplendent in my spongy green pants and yellow ban-lon top  she knew she was going to marry me.

Thus started what I refer to as an extended dating period. OK, it took me four years to propose, and then mostly because she was tired of waiting.

I didnt have a dime to my name. Had an apartment in West Chester I could not afford. Only ate because I went to dinner at her house every Thursday night, and her Italian mother would load me up with enough groceries to get me through the week.

The first time my wife opened the refrigerator in that old apartment, she was confronted with two things  hot dogs with a mysterious white slime on them, and beer. She has not trusted my food choices or preparation since.

If you want to know what its like being married to a newspaper editor, I highly encourage you to ask her. Shell be more than willing to detail what it involves.

She likely did not know when she said I Do, she was marrying not just me, but the newspaper as well.

It was tolerable years ago when our daily focus was that beloved print product.

In recent years, with the advent of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, it has morphed into something else altogether. In a word, it has a tendency to be overwhelming.

Working nights, weekends and holidays was one thing.

A menage a trois  her, me, and my laptop  probably was not what she had in mind.

I think it finally hit home with me what she has been dealing with back on Aug. 13. We were sitting in the waiting room of a Virginia hospital, awaiting the birth of our first grandchildren.

She was nervously peering at the window waiting for our son to appear with word of the arrival of twin boys.

I was staring at my laptop.

Yes, you could say my priorities were a little mixed up.

Thats about to change.

Ill likely never repay her for all the years she spent playing second fiddle to my mistress, the newspaper. Now its her time.

I wonder how long it will take her to get tired of having me around?

Its now mandatory: Getting groceries? Wear a mask

First we were told it wasnt necessary.

Then it became a suggestion, albeit a strong one.

It started with the governor. Eventually Delaware County Council chimed in, adding their voices to the effort.

Its no longer a suggestion.

On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf and his Secretary of Health Rachel Levine made it mandatory. If you are venturing into a store, you must wear a mask or some other type of face covering. That means you wont be able to enter Commonwealth grocery stores without a mask.

This is not necessarily to protect you, but instead to protect others, specifically those crucial workers who are stocking the shelves and checkout counters, putting themselves in harms way as they come in contact with the public each day.

Same goes for those trips to the pharmacy.

You can get all the details here.
Nurses hold a rally at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center on Monday to draw attention to their need for PPE in treating coronavirus patients. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Update, Apr. 16: This article has been updated to reflect the latest number of unemployment claims reported.

With the United States experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, the facade of our health system has come crashing down. We simply cannot afford to go on with the current structure, starting with how we provide access to care.

Twenty-two million Americans have filed jobless claims in the last four weeks. Not only have they lost their incomes, they may have lost something even more valuable during a pandemic: health insurance.

Even before the past few weeks, there were about 5.1 million uninsured American adults who are at high risk of a serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus. These people are vulnerable through no fault of their own even though they live in the richest country in the world.

While losing a job can be dangerous for a persons well-being in any country, it is particularly hazardous in the U.S. A new report by the consulting firm Health Management Associates estimates that 12 million to 35 million Americans, including workers and their family members, could lose employer-based health insurance over the next few months. This situation is likely to last long after the immediate crisis abates, as was true after the last recession in 2008, which resulted in at least 9 million losing health insurance.

Even those who are able to keep their jobs and their private insurance through this pandemic will take a financial hit. Since the 1990s, premiums and deductibles for families with employer-based insurance have soared. Copays have risen so much that many drugs are cheaper if purchased directly by the consumer using services like GoodRx than through insurance.

Now with the additional costs of testing and treatment for COVID-19, insurance companies will almost certainly push some of those costs onto consumers. According to some estimates, a COVID effect could raise premiums significantly next year. Businesses that survive this recession may have to roll back employee benefits next year, forcing their workers to shoulder even more of the cost. For many people, this simply wont be affordable.

Story continues

Insurance isnt the only grave problem. The failure to provide adequate protection for health workers is further evidence of the dangerous cracks in the system. And now, at a time when many doctors are putting their lives at risk, their pay may be cut because hospitals expect to incur losses from steep reductions in clinic visits and elective surgeries, which are all being postponed.

In the short term, it is critical for the Trump administration to reverse its position and reopen enrollment to Affordable Care Act health plans during this crisis. Reopening enrollment would allow anyone without insurance to sign up even if they havent had a life-changing event such as loss of employment. This would be especially helpful for freelancers or gig workers who didnt have health coverage before.

Documentation requirements to qualify for ACA subsidies also should be eased. Another good proposal calls on Congress to pass an emergency measure to authorize Medicare coverage for all people eligible for unemployment benefits. Some states have already moved to cover newly uninsured workers by moving up open enrollment, which includes ACA exchange programs. Some states and health insurers have also suggested that Congress subsidize transitional insurance programs such as COBRA by 90%.

The current crisis has highlighted all the failings of our patchwork insurance system. In the long term, the U.S. has to move forward with universal coverage for all Americans. While Medicare for All isnt likely to be adopted given current political realities, there are alternatives. For example, a proposal from the Center for American Progress, called Medicare Extra, would make Medicare open to all as a public option that competes with private insurance. We must also stop running hospitals like hotels, being paid on a fee-for-service basis.

The pandemic has already changed many parts of medicine, like transforming most clinic visits to virtual visits, easing restrictions for doctors to work across states, focusing our attention on the dedication of healthcare workers and forcing the country to reckon with the deadly cost of ignoring public health.

In the coming months, there may well be a push to resurrect the American healthcare system as it was before COVID-19. We must not allow that to happen. The system was already failing most of us in peace time. It cant withstand this war against a virus. It is long past time to build it anew.

Haider Warraich is a cardiologist at the VA Boston Healthcare System, Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and author of State of the Heart  Exploring the History, Science and Future of Cardiac Disease.
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When the March 24 lockdown was announced in India, the insurance sector was worried. The concerns stemmed from the fact that agents won't be able to commute to distribute policies.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance was also worried, but the fifth-largest private life insurer in the country was prepared to tackle this unprecedented situation.

In an interaction with Moneycontrol, Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, said considering that the pandemic had affected several parts of the globe, the company was better prepared.

Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance

"While we had a business continuity plan, this is something very different. But we were agile and were able to get up and running soon, he said.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

The insurer is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv and global asset manager and insurer Allianz SE.

For the April to February period (FY20), Bajaj Allianz Life collected first year premium of Rs 4593.36 crore, showing a 22.8 percent year-on-year growth.

Talking about the business prospects, Chugh said it is difficult to predict impact of COVID-19 on the sector.

Also Read: Live updates on Coronavirus outbreak in India

"Everybody (in the insurance sector) is going to work on three scenario basis, best case, worst case and realistic case. It will take time to get back to normal. Whether it is July, September or January we dont really know," he said.

The distribution challenge

For the life insurance industry, agency is the major source of distribution. These individuals are the feet-on-street who visit clients and sell insurance products. But insurers have been forced to suspend face-to-face sales.

"The last 15 days of March accounts for almost 12 percent of the life insurance industrys annual business. We realized that the entire distribution has to work differently and things need to be virtual (or aided virtual) and video-centric," he added.

Chugh explained that the company now has something called a daily choreography where employees are given training on how to divide their day and how to pitch to customers over call.

Insurance has a lot to do about personal connect. Hence, the company invested in an entire rehaul of the training infrastructure. Sales staff is being trained on how to pitch differently, how to strike a conversation over call and how to have a more empathetic discussion with customers, he added.

How is employee management being done?

There is a lot of uncertainty in the market about the future of employment since there is no clear direction about how COVID-19 will pan out and how long it will take to be eradicated.

However, Bajaj Allianz Life is clear that it will stay invested in all of its 10,000 employees in the company.

Normally this is a time of the year when the churn happens in the staff strength. But we are going to retrain employees who are on performance improvement processes. Not a single employee will be fired, added Chugh. The company also paid salaries five days in advance in March 2020 (on March 25) to all its employees.

Despite the lockdown, since insurance is classified as an essential service, all services are up and running.

Out of its 10,000 staff, about three to five of Bajaj Allianz Lifes employees are required to go to office to handle the servers. These employees have special passes and travel to switch on/off the devices and servers.

How are customers being handled?

Policy sales continues to happen online across life insurance companies. The only difference is that customers do not need to interact through any intermediary.

Chugh explained that medical examination done before policy sales has now gone virtual. The idea, he said, is to waive lengthy underwriting processes.

"We have trained employees to medical underwriting using video. Customers talk directly to the underwriter and is willing to disclose a lot more. However, those will pre-existing ailments will need proper physical medical tests done which may not be possible right now," he added.

There is also a perception that considering the mortality rate under COVID-19, more Indians will realise the need to have a basic life insurance cover.

Chugh said that while there may not be an immediate demand, in the medium to long term, individuals will realise the need to buy a risk cover.

The shift will be towards guarantee-based products. How soon? We will have to wait and watch, he added.

In Charts | Economic impact of lockdown on Centre and states

Traditionally, the June quarter is a slow period for the life insurance sector. More than half the annual sales is done in the second of a fiscal. Even if the lockdown is lifted on May 3, industry officials expect revival in business to take another three to four months from that date.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 24

By Ilhama Isabalayeva  Trend:

About 10,000 Azerbaijani citizens have been evacuated from foreign countries up till now, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev said.

Hajiyev made the remark in Baku at the briefing in connection with the special quarantine regime announced in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

The fact that Azerbaijani citizens understand the measures which are taken in the country is worthy of appreciation, assistant to the president of Azerbaijan added.

"During the evacuation, the preference is given to young children and women with children, Hajiyev added. However, they must remain in quarantine for 14-21 days. No infection was detected in the country until recently thanks to the measures which have been taken in Azerbaijan. Those who were abroad have been infected there and returned to Azerbaijan being coronavirus carriers.

Each citizen is entitled to return to the motherland and Azerbaijan takes the necessary measures in this sphere, assistant to Azerbaijani president said. However, if there are quarantine conditions in foreign countries in which Azerbaijani citizens are staying, it is important to comply with the relevant requirements."

Azerbaijan remains one of the countries, least affected by the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The country's official structures are applying necessary measures to prevent any possible exposure of coronavirus. Azerbaijan has also imported necessary medical equipment to carry out coronavirus tests.



Azerbaijan's official structures have also set up quarantine centers in the country's districts, which would allow to react faster to the possible outbreak due to joint borders. Azerbaijan shares border with Iran, where coronavirus is currently spreading rapidly.
A leading pro-Trump super PAC is testing a new ad campaign to paint Joe Biden as soft on China and redirect criticism of President Trumps coronavirus response.

Driving the news: Beginning Friday, America First Action will spend $10 million in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania  which yielded pivotal but bare victories for Trump in 2016  to brand the presumptive Democratic nominee as Beijing Biden and see what sticks.

These states all have been impacted economically by China in terms of jobs, manufacturing or steel.

Why it matters: The ads come as Trump campaign officials lay plans to try to make the general election campaign more about the former vice president's past approaches to China than Trump's response to the coronavirus, or Trump's own approaches to China.

Details: The ads, previewed by Axios, are slightly different for each state, to target different audiences. They attack Biden for "his weakness" on China and globalist ideals, which the group charges led to "hundreds of thousands of jobs" being sent overseas.

Each ad shows a clip of Biden speaking at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, in 2011: I believed in 1979 . . . and I believe now that a rising China is a positive development," he said.

A spokesperson for America First Action tells Axios that the PAC has already poll-tested these themes, and as the ads air will continue monitoring their performance.

The group is simultaneously unveiling a new website, "BeijingBiden.com," carrying opposition research that highlight's Biden's ties to China and China's failures in addressing the pandemic.

Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, told Axios: Joe Biden called on Donald Trump to lead. He publicly urged him not to believe China's spin about the worst public health crisis in over 100 years, and to insist that our CDC experts be given access there.

Instead, despite repeated warnings from our intelligence agencies and medical experts, Trump spent vital weeks praising China's response as successful and transparent while deceiving the American people about the extreme threat we faced and failing to prepare our country, Bates added.

By the numbers: The digital, cable, broadcast and mail campaign will continue until through the end of May. The breakdown:

Michigan: $2 million spent in the Traverse City, Flint and Grand Rapids media markets. This ad states that Biden "attacked" Trump over his January ban on travel to China, and shows Biden accusing Trump of "xenophobia and fear mongering. (As fact checkers have pointed out, Biden made no reference to the China travel restrictions when making these comments and never said he opposed them).

$2 million spent in the Traverse City, Flint and Grand Rapids media markets. This ad states that Biden "attacked" Trump over his January ban on travel to China, and shows Biden accusing Trump of "xenophobia and fear mongering. (As fact checkers have pointed out, Biden made no reference to the China travel restrictions when making these comments and never said he opposed them). Wisconsin: $2.7 million spent in the Wausau, La Crosse and Green Bay media markets. It has a greater focus on U.S. manufacturing jobs and how "America must stop" Chinese growth.

$2.7 million spent in the Wausau, La Crosse and Green Bay media markets. It has a greater focus on U.S. manufacturing jobs and how "America must stop" Chinese growth. Pennsylvania: $5.5 million spent in the Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Johnstown, Erie and Wilkes-Barre media markets. It states that "China is killing our jobs, stealing technology, putting Americas health in danger," juxtaposed against a clip of Biden saying "Theyre not bad folks."

Be smart: Beijing's flawed coronavirus response has exacerbated public outrage toward China.
Citizens complain of a lack of coordination and direction from authorities as country copes with coronavirus pandemic.

Bosnians returning to their country have complained of long delays and a lack of coordination among authorities as the nation implements measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

To date, Bosnia has confirmed more than 1,160 coronavirus cases, including 43 deaths.

Earlier this month, authorities began setting up triage tents at border crossings for returnees to receive a medical examination before being sent to quarantine facilities for a minimum period of 14 days.

But many citizens have complained that they had to wait for as long as 30 hours to be examined and receive directives about the length of their quarantine period.

Meanwhile, early on Sunday morning, a fire destroyed three triage tents set up at the Maljevac Bosnia-Croatia border crossing, in western Bosnia.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. The 50 people who were present were not injured.

At the nearby Izacic border crossing, a returning citizen posted a video on Facebook in which he complained that the tents set up there lacked electricity and water.

Shouting for answers

Some 370km (230 miles) away in Sarajevo, citizens arriving in the capital by plane have complained of a similar situation of confusion.

More than 100 Bosnians who recently landed at the capitals airport are in quarantine at the Bjelave student residence.

Even though some of them have been locked in their rooms for 10 days, they say that since their arrival, they have not been examined or tested for coronavirus, nor have they received any official information on how long they will be required to stay there in quarantine.

They say the only communication they have had is with security and employees who bring them food.

Nejra, who studies in London, has been residing at the Bjelave student facility since her return to the country on April 9.

She told Al Jazeera Balkans that residents had not received any medical examinations, including having their temperatures checked, nor were they asked to fill out basic medical information.

Citizens at the residence said the only official who they have seen visiting the site is Mario Nenadic, prime minister of the Sarajevo Canton, who only stood in the yard, without addressing them.

A few people asked him informally, literally from the balconies, as to when well receive results. He responded saying that he wasnt responsible and that we should refer to someone else, even though we dont have anyone to refer to, Nejra told Al Jazeera Balkans.

There have been many reports of confusion among citizens about who they should contact for information and about a lack of coordination among authorities.

Goran Cerkez, the assistant minister of health for Bosnias Federation entity and a member of the crisis staff, told Al Jazeera Balkans that directives on the quarantine were issued, but that he does not know why they have not been delivered to citizens, since this work is done at the cantonal level.
Investors are repeating the mistake they made all through February and early March. They are again underestimating the immense economic shock of COVID-19.

Can there be any parallel in market history to the surreal clash of narratives we saw this week? Global bourses soared even as the International Monetary Fund painted a series of scenarios ranging from dire - the most violent slump since the Great Depression - to catastrophic, with all the potential chain-reactions spelt out in its Global Financial Stability Report.

Markets should not be counting on a swift recovery. Credit:AP

Yet Goldman Sachs tells us that COVID-19 is under control and the worst is over. "The number of new active cases looks to be peaking globally, projections of cumulative fatalities and peak healthcare usage are coming down," it says.

From this breathtaking premise, Wall Street's fashion leader argues that we should "look through" the Great Lockdown to sunlit uplands ahead, anticipating a further 8 per cent rise in the S&P 500 index by the end of the year.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:54:44|Editor: huaxia

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Medical staff work at Intensive Care Unit in Sant'Orsola-Malpighi hospital in Bologna, Italy, on April 15, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)

More than five weeks into Italy's national coronavirus quarantine, the outbreak is showing signs of coming under control.

On Tuesday, Italy took a small step toward re-opening certain economic sectors, including book and stationery stores.

ROME, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The expert task force appointed to help shepherd Italy through the gradual re-opening of the country's economy has to maintain a delicate balance between economic and health concerns, analysts said.

More than five weeks into Italy's national coronavirus quarantine, the outbreak is showing signs of coming under control. The number of COVID-19 patients in Italian hospitals is slowly falling, and the rate of new infections has slowed.

On Tuesday, Italy took a small step toward re-opening certain economic sectors, including book and stationery stores, businesses selling baby products, and electronics repair shops. Grocery stores and pharmacies have remained open since the start of the national lockdown. The new rules will remain in place until at least May 3.

The next step, according to Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, has been dubbed "phase 2": gradually widening the reopening process while re-organizing public spaces to allow for widespread safeguards, such as social distancing and the use of masks and gloves in public.

A shop selling children's products reopens in Rome, Italy, April 15, 2020. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

To decide when and how "phase 2" will begin, Conte appointed a special task force of economists, labor leaders, managers, and psychologists led by Vittorio Colao, a former chief executive for mobile phone giant Vodafone, to advise him on the topic. The task force will work together with the pre-existing Technical and Scientific Committee.

"The appointment of Colao is a sign that the government is taking the task force very seriously," Tommaso Monacelli, an economist with Bocconi University of Milan, told Xinhua. "Colao is a person of great abilities with a proven ability to find unusual solutions to problems. I don't think he would have taken the job if there was not going to be a substantive role to play."

Monacelli pointed out that it was still not clear what the full mandate of the task force will be or what powers it will have.

Giuseppe Arleo, coordinator of the department from the think tank Competere which monitors the restart of the European economy after the retreat of the pandemic, said the way this intermediate stage is carried out will decide how soon Italy can return to normal life.

A medical worker works at Intensive Care Unit in Sant'Orsola-Malpighi hospital in Bologna, Italy, on April 15, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)

"This next stage has to be done correctly," Arleo said in an interview. "The challenge is to balance the health needs of residents by making sure they are as safe as possible, while also taking into account the economic needs of the country."

Arleo said it was clear the Italian economy would not be able to wait for a coronavirus vaccine to re-open, raising the stakes for how "phase 2" is carried out.

"If things are re-opened too quickly, the virus could come rushing back," he said. "The plan has to involve simplifying bureaucracy and making sure the equipment needed, like masks and gloves, are available. But it has to get done as quickly as possible. We cannot stay in the first stage indefinitely."

"Prime Minister Conte is in an extraordinarily difficult position, and he has made an important decision about who will help him get through it," Arleo noted.

Medical staff work at Intensive Care Unit in Sant'Orsola-Malpighi hospital in Bologna, Italy, on April 15, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)
The learning setbacks that schoolchildren commonly experience over a summer vacation can easily wipe out one or two months of academic growth. The learning losses that are likely to result from more than 50 million children in the United States being shut out of school for weeks or months because of the coronavirus pandemic could well be catastrophic by comparison.

Consider an alarming new study from the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit organization that works with school districts to measure student performance. The study projects that students who lack steady instruction during the coronavirus school shutdown might retain only 70 percent of their annual reading gains compared with a normal year. Projections for the so-called Covid slide in math look even bleaker. Depending on grade level, researchers say, students could lose between half and all of the achievement growth one would expect in a normal academic year.

These setbacks would be particularly disastrous for fifth graders, who need to be tooling up for the more complex tasks that will come their way in the upper grades. In addition, this grim scenario will surely yield worse outcomes for students whose families are grappling with hunger, unemployment or homelessness.

A learning reversal of this magnitude could hobble an entire generation unless state leaders quickly work to reverse the slide. Any reasonable approach would include: diagnostic testing to determine what children know when they return to the classroom; aggressive remedial plans and an expanded school calendar that makes up for lost instructional time; an outreach effort, without which many disadvantaged students might not return to school at all; and a blueprint for how states will deliver high-quality instruction the next time an emergency prompts a long-term shutdown of the nations schools.
By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will divert 19 million barrels of Gulf oil from state-run firms to strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs) skipping direct purchases from producers to help refiners get rid of extra oil as their storage is full, three sources said.

India's decision to divert cargoes meant for state refiners will not soak up excess oil from the market following the demand collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but it will help local companies to avoid demurrage charges at a time of expensive freight.

It also secures purchases at a low price.

The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL), a company charged with building SPRs, had planned to buy oil directly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to fill the caverns, sources said last month.

Since then situation has changed as Indian fuel demand has collapsed following a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus, leading some refiners to declare force majeure on crude purchases.

Force majeure exonerates parties from contractual obligations because of circumstances beyond their control.

"It is good for ISPRL as it is getting crude at the April official selling prices of Saudi and U.A.E," one source said on condition of anonymity.

Global oil prices rose to around $32 a barrel on Wednesday, continuing a recovery from 18-year lows hit last week, ahead of a meeting on Thursday of the Organization of the Petroleum Countries and other producers on output cuts to prop up the market.

India's state refiners have resorted to exporting refined products to avoid full closure of their plants after local fuel demand collapsed.

The world's third biggest oil importer, India has built SPRs at three locations in southern India to store about 37 million barrels of oil or about 5 million tonnes to protect against supply disruption. Another source said Indian refiners have until the third week of May to supply oil as the unloading of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) at Mangalore port stops then because of monsoon rains.

Story continues

Hindustan Petroleum will supply 400,000 barrels of Iraqi oil to fill the nearly 7.5-million-barrels Vizag storage in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, the sources said. India has already stored Iraqi oil in Vizag cavern.

U.A.E's Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) has leased half of the nearly 11-million-barrel Mangalore storage, while the ISPRL has bought 4 million barrels of Saudi oil for 18.5-million-barrel Padur storage. The facilities are in Karnataka state.

Indian Oil Corp will divert 2 million barrels of Saudi oil and 5.7 million barrels of ADNOC oil, they said.

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd will move its 6 million barrels and Bharat Petroleum Corp will provide 4.6 million barrels of Saudi oil for the caverns, the sources said.

The four state refiners did not respond to Reuters emails seeking comments. ISPRL's managing director H.P.S. Ahuja declined to comment.

ISPRL has signed memorandum of understandings with ADNOC to lease half of Padur facility and with Saudi Aramco for a quarter.

Pending final agreements with ADNOC and Saudi Aramco, India decided to help state refiners, one of the sources said.

"It is cheaper to divert the cargoes rather than keeping them floating... it is a win win situation for all," this source said.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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A Jersey City man was hospitalized with fractured skull after he was attacked by three people on Easter night, authorities said.

The 24-year-old victim told police he was walking on West Side Avenue at 6:47 p.m. and he was followed into a building, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. The man was then assaulted, and the beating spilled back onto the sidewalk.

The victim, who was beaten unconscious, was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center to be treated for a depressed skull fracture and multiple bruises to the head and body, according to the criminal complaint against one Ernie Nunez, 22, one of his accused attackers.

The victim has been released from the hospital. The criminal complaint said the weapons used in his assault were chairs.

Nunez and Shaheed Clemons, 41, were arrested by Jersey City police. Nunez was charged with burglary/entering a structure, resisting arrest, aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, endangering an injured victim and conspiracy.

Clemons was charged with aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, endangering an injured victim, conspiracy, unlawful possession of weapons and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The criminal complaint, based on police reports in the case, noted that the victim and the officers who went to hospital were possibly exposed to COVID-19 because the JCMC is deemed 100% airborne contaminated with COVID-19.

The accused attackers, including a third man, were identified by surveillance camera footage, the criminal complaint said.

This report was updated with new information at 3:40 p.m.
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WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

Lata Mangeshkar admitted to ICU in Mumbai Hospital after testing positive for Covid

COVID-19: Google Doodle thanks all food service workers

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Apr 16: Google on Thursday has paid tribute to food service workers operating under tough conditions amid the novel coronavirus outbreak with a doodle.

Today's doodle features a heart emoji for food-service professionals. As you hover over the illustration, the message "To all food workers, thank you" pops up.

As the deadly virus whose epicentre was Wuhan in China continues to ravage lives around the world with more than 2 million cases confirmed, millions of people are self-quarantining and isolating at home following several countries imposing lockdown to check the virus' spread.

Coronavirus outbreak: Maharashtra, Delhi see dip in COVID-19 cases

Only people providing essential services like food industry workers, doctors, nurses, police personnel, grocery vendors, and farmers are allowed to step out.

The search engine giant Google is honouring those heroes with a series of appreciation doodles.

"This week, we're beginning a series of Doodles to recognise the many people responding to COVID-19 from doctors and nurses caring for people on the front lines, to teachers and food service workers ensuring essential goods and services are still available," Google said in an official statement.

The California-based multinational technology company said, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honour many of those on the front lines."

The doodle series has shown gratitude towards those working in emergency services, sanitation services, farmers, doctor, nurses and medical workers so far.

On Wednesday, Google doodle thanked those working in the packaging, shipping and delivery sector.

The restaurant industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak worldwide with millions of cooks, servers and bartenders losing their jobs.

The National Restaurant Association estimates the outbreak will cost the food industry $225 billion.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, April 16, 2020, 14:12 [IST]
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya's battle with the deadly coronavirus outbreak is running into difficulties with populations thought to be most at risk of catching the virus becoming hostile to health authorities
Self Made is a four-part series on Netflix starring Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer, who is one of my favorite actresses, as Madam C.J. Walker.

The series tells tells a story of Madam Walker, a real person and one of the first female self-made millionaires in the U.S. (along with her real-life nemesis Annie Malone). In real life, Walker worked as a commission agent selling products for Malone (1869  1957) (whose character likeness in the series Self Made is renamed Addie Monroe). Malone was a St. Louis hair-care entrepreneur, millionaire and owner of the Poro Co. So, for me, the local connections added a little flavor to the idea of the series.

Walker, born Sarah Breedlove (1867  1919), near Delta, Louisiana, moved to St. Louis in 1888, where three of her brothers lived and worked as barbers. In 1906, she married Charles Joseph Walker, a newspaper advertising salesman. Through this marriage, her third, she became known as Madam C. J. Walker. Prior to marrying Walker, Breedlove was once widowed (by her daughter ALelias father) and once divorced, respectively. She and Walker divorced in 1912.

Malone eventually became the nemesis of Madam C. J. Walker, as well as the villainess (Addie Monroe) in Self Made, which made me feel sad since Malone started her business in Brooklyn, Illinois. In the early 1900s, Malone moved with her older siblings to Brooklyn, then known as Lovejoy, in St. Clair County. While experimenting with hair and different hair-care products, Malone developed and manufactured her own line of non-damaging hair straighteners, special oils and hair-stimulant products for African-American women. Her products and sales began to revolutionize hair-care methods for all African Americans.

Malone eventually moved her business to St. Louis, in 1902; Madam Walker started her own hair-care business in Denver, in 1905, moved it to Pittsburgh in 1908 and, in 1910, Walker established a new base in Indianapolis, where she established the headquarters for the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Co. In 1913 she established an office and beauty salon in New York Citys growing Harlem neighborhood.

The acting in Self Made is superb. My only problem with Self Made is that, except for the use of some names, the story is mostly fiction. I have issues when writers rewrite history to fit their own devices. After I watched the Netflix series, I looked up Malone and Madame Walker.

Although Self Made implied that Madam Walker was THE U.S.s first female millionaire, its actually Malone who was the first female U.S. millionaire. And, in the series, the locations are all wrong. As mentioned earlier, Madame Walker started her first company in Denver, not Indianapolis.

But, given there were six writers and two directors for the series, you wouldnt know so many were involved. The story flows throughout the series.

Tiffany Haddish plays Walkers daughter and Blair Underwood is Charles Joseph Walker. Kevin Carroll is Ransom. Carmen Ejogo plays Monroe (Malone), an excellent foil to the Madame Walker character.

Spencer is spectacular as Madam Walker. Her facial expressions are wonderful and her interactions with Underwood and Haddish are explosive.

I loved Underwood in this role, while I both loved and hated his character. I felt the characters pain, as Madam Walkers husband, when he felt his wife emasculated him.

Self Mades sets and costumes are gorgeous and very typical of the period, but the music wasnt.

For some reason, the director chose to use modern music. They should have used something from Scott Joplin, a St. Louis musician who wrote at the time of Walker and Malone. Using Joplins music would have immediately set the time period, at the beginning of the series, and been so much more appropriate.

I really enjoyed this series, even with all the flaws in the script. Self Made is worth spending four hours to watch.

I give this series five stars.

Movie critic Mary Cox lives in Wood River and studied film at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has worked in L.A. with various directors and industry professionals. Contact Mary at mlcwriter1@gmail.com.
JERUSALEM  The Israeli president on Thursday handed the task of forming a government to Parliament, starting a 21-day countdown that could lead to new elections, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief rival, Benny Gantz, missed another midnight deadline to reach a power-sharing agreement.

The step, which was mainly technical, on its own does little to find a way through Israels yearlong political impasse. Neither Mr. Netanyahu nor Mr. Gantz can currently muster a majority without joining forces, and their parties issued a joint statement on Thursday saying that negotiations for a unity government would continue.

But the step taken by the president, Reuven Rivlin, set a timer: By law, lawmakers have 21 days to come up with a viable government, whether a unity coalition or some other configuration. Failing that, Parliament will automatically disperse on May 7 and, for the fourth time in little over a year, send Israelis back to the ballot box.

The last election, on March 2, produced no clear winner. Mr. Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving prime minister and leader of the conservative Likud party, has beseeched Mr. Gantz, a former army chief who is leader of the centrist Blue and White party, to join him in a national emergency government to contend with the coronavirus crisis.
Company to host business update conference call on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 6:00 PM CEST (Paris time) 1:00 PM (New York time)

Regulatory News:

Mauna Kea Technologies (Paris:MKEA) (OTCQX:MKEAY) inventor of Cellvizio, the multidisciplinary probe-based and needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE/nCLE) platform, announced today that it will publish its financial results for 2019 and its first quarter 2020 sales on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 5:45 PM CET (Paris time).

An English-language conference call will be held at 6:00 PM CEST, Paris time (1:00 PM, New York time), to review the financial results, recent operational accomplishments, 2020 perspectives and answer questions

To access the conference call, please use one of the following dial-in numbers at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time:

USA: +1 646-722-4916

UK: +44 (0)20 7194 3759

FR: +33 (0)1 72 72 74 03

Followed by the PIN code: 85475867#

Following the live call, a replay will be available:

- on the Mauna Kea website: https://www.maunakeatech.com/fr/investisseurs

- or by phone, during 90 days, please dial one of the following numbers:

USA: +1 (646) 722-4969

UK: +44 (0)20 3364 5147

FR: +33 (0)1 70 71 01 60

The passcode for the replay is 418925561#.

About Mauna Kea Technologies

Mauna Kea Technologies is a global medical device company focused on eliminating uncertainties related to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases thanks to real time in vivo microscopic visualization. The Company's flagship product, Cellvizio, has received clearance/approval in a wide range of applications in more than 40 countries, including the United States, Europe, Japan, China, Canada, Brazil and Mexico. For more information on Mauna Kea Technologies, visit www.maunakeatech.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005672/en/

Contacts:

United States

Mike Piccinino, CFA

Westwicke, an ICR Company

443-213-0500

France and Europe

NewCap Investor Relations

Thomas GROJEAN

+33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

maunakea@newcap.eu
All inmates and detainees at the Essex County Correctional Facility will be tested for COVID-19  whether they have symptoms or not  using a recently approved antibody blood test that can deliver results in 15 minutes, according to the county.

The correctional facility is set to receive nearly 2,800 testing kits over the next two weeks and will then house individuals based on whether they have been exposed to the novel respiratory virus or not, county officials said in a statement.

The jail is the first correctional facility in New Jersey to announce that widespread antibody testing would be available to its incarcerated population, officials said.

The antibody tests will have the ability to determine if individuals are positive and in the early stages of exposure to COVID-19, are positive with the virus but beginning to develop immunity, have developed immunity to the virus after exposure or if the person is negative, allowing the jail to separate inmates based on their test results, officials said.

The kits were purchased by the correctional facilitys healthcare provider, CFG Health Network, and the first round of testing started on April 10, the county said.

Denise Rahaman, the executive director of CFGs correctional division, said like all other healthcare providers, CFG has been reaching out to their suppliers and making arrangements for needed equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, including testing kits. CFG ordered the tests as soon as it became available in late March, the county said in the statement.

Rahaman did not say how the health network obtained the testing kits and from whom. She said CFG recognized how susceptible employees and inmates at correctional facilities are to the virus.

Given the challenges associated with this virulent disease, we are making every effort to mitigate this, she said. Testing is one avenue used in this process.

The announcement of the testing comes as advocacy groups and attorneys have been pressuring local and state officials to begin releasing inmates and immigration detainees who are housed in correctional facilities across the state in order to mitigate a coronavirus outbreak. Health officials have warned that jails and prisons are primed for an outbreak, as individuals are housed in closed-quarters and do not have the ability to social distance.

Experts have keyed in on antibody testing as playing a role in re-opening the country and allowing Americans to return to public spaces, but it is still unknown if someone has immunity once they develop antibodies. However, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC News, that is the working hypothesis among medical experts. If that is true, Redfield said it would give great confidence for some of the public to return to work.

In a joint statement, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., Freeholder Board President Brendan Gill and vice president Wayne Richardson, said the county has undertaken a comprehensive set of initiatives to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus at the jail, but recognized that testing and social distancing were critical components of doing that. The testing kits will allow them to now do that, they said.

The rapid blood test will help CFG to immediately identify who has been exposed to the virus so that more aggressive measures can be taken to reduce the amount of people who come in contact with the virus and decrease its transmission, the county officials said in the statement.

The Essex County jail, which has a total population of more than 1,700, has already released more than 150 inmates and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees housed at the jail in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, which 52 employees, two ICE detainees and one inmate have tested positive for.

The test, which is called COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test cassette, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month. It is performed via a finger-stick for blood.

The testing will be rolled out in stages and administered based on the availability of the tests, the county said.

The first group that will be tested using the kits is those who are showing symptoms of the virus. The jail has nearly 100 individuals currently held in separate units designated for symptomatic individuals.

On Monday, 25 individuals were tested using the new testing kits. According to the county, three ICE detainees tested positive for COVID-19, while 13 others tests revealed they had developed immunity to the virus after exposure and can be re-introduced to the general population. The other nine tests came back negative for the virus, according to the county.

The second group of inmates/detainees to be tested will be those who have pre-existing medical conditions which makes them a higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness. The final group will be those who are asymptomatic.

Correctional officers and staff members at the jail can also get tested upon request, the county said.

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In the event of fires, earthquakes, or in other emergency situa-tions, rescue forces are often called to free persons caught in buildings. These rescue missions are very risky: Dangers are difficult to assess in advance and the helpers themselves may suddenly need help. To support them as quickly as possible, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a system to locate injured or buried rescue forces in buildings. For positioning, no GPS signal is needed.

Conventional positioning methods that work well outdoors reach their limits when applied indoors. Satellite positioning by GPS, for instance, is very unprecise as soon as obstacles prevent direct vis-ual contact to the satellite. "In crisis situations, a WLAN signal for radio positioning may be lacking and construction plans of buildings are not always available," says Nikolai Kronenwett of KIT's Institute for Control Systems. "A technology for reliable indoor positioning is still lacking." Together with Gert Trommer, retired professor of KIT, Kronenwett has now developed an autonomous system for locating rescue forces in buildings without any radio connection to the outside.

System Fixed to the Shoe Measures Direction and Speed

The measurement system of a few centimeters only in size can be fixed easily to the shoe of the user. From the accelerations and rotation rates measured by sensors, the direction and speed of movement of a person can be determined - a technology that is also used in smart watches. "The unique selling point of the measur-ing system is smart stance phase classification. A person's gait is analyzed and four different phases are distinguished: The stance and roll-off phases, the swing phase, and loading response," Kronenwett explains. This corresponds to a normal step forward. The sensors also detect when movement stops. These zero-speed measurements help estimate and compensate sensor errors and considerably improve positioning accuracy.

Before entering a building, the system determines the current posi-tion by GPS. Then, no further signals are needed. A person is posi-tioned with the help of an algorithm that calculates its current posi-tion from the movement information supplied by the sensors. Via an external, independent radio connection, current positions of all res-cue forces are transmitted to the commander's computer. In case of an emergency, the exact locations of the persons are known and the commander can react quickly.

System on the Wrist Scans the Surroundings

In addition to the measurement system fixed to the foot, Kronenwett is also working on a system worn on the wrist. "The foot system precisely determines the position of the user, but does not transmit any information about the surroundings and the structure of the building," the scientist says. "The hand-carried system contains a camera that scans the surroundings with infrared radiation and gen-erates a 3D model of the rooms through which the person moves." In this way, the commander is given a better idea of the situation inside the building.

The measurement system cannot only be used for the positioning of rescue forces in distress. It can also be applied to locate police forces and security staff at airports, in shopping centers, or at train and underground stations, to find miners in underground caves or tunnels, or as an orientation aid for the blind.

###

Press contact: Sandra Wiebe, Press Officer, Phone: +49 721 608-21172, Email: sandra.wiebe@kit.edu

Being "The Research University in the Helmholtz Association", KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,300 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 24,400 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
On his Facebook page, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan, who is also the Commandant for the state of emergency declared in Armenia, wrote that another batch of necessary medical accessories and equipment required for combating the novel coronavirus has been transported from China to Armenia through the second special flight organized by the Commandants Office.

The Commandant reported that Armenia has received more than 87,000 protective medical uniforms, 24,000 face masks, 20,000 KN95 protective masks, 101 remote thermometers, medical instruments and biochemical raw material for preparing coronavirus diagnosis tests.

Avinyan also said most of the items of the batch were obtained through funding provided by the UNWFP, the companies of Eduardo Eurnekian, the My Step Foundation, the Izmirlian Foundation, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the St. Sarkis Humanitarian Foundation, the Armenian General Benevolent Union and other donors.

Medical accessories and equipment obtained at the expense of Armenias state funds and donated by Chinese benefactors were also transported via the plane.

Avinyan expressed gratitude to all the government agencies involved in the process, as well as to the Chinese government for making the flight possible.
D onald Trump has unveiled a phased approach reopening the US economy which has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

New guidelines outlined on Thursday give a step-by-step approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places with strong testing and a declining number of Covid-19 cases.

The president revealed the plans to ease social distancing measures on a call with the nation's governors on Thursday.

They aim to clear the way for an easing of the lockdown in areas with low transmission of coronavirus, while keeping them in places harder-hit by Covid-19.

Donald Trump listens during a briefing about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House / AP

In his daily briefing on Thursday, the US leader declared the phased reopening as "the next front in our war" against the deadly virus.

"America wants to be open and Americans want to be open," he said.

"A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution."

Mr Trump said a prolonged lockdown risked inflicting a serious toll on public health and warned of a "sharp rise" in drug abuse, alcohol abuse, heart disease, and other physical and mental problems.

New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures 1 /34 New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures The Supermoon rises behind the Empire State Building while it glows red in solidarity with those infected with coronavirus as the outbreak of the disease (COVID-19) continues in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters A nearly empty Times Square AFP via Getty Images Riders, some wearing masks and gloves as a protective measure over coronavirus concerns, enter a New York City subway train AP People try to keep a social distance while they enjoy a sunny day at Central Park Reuters Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, that the zoo said on April 5, 2020 has tested positive for coronavirus disease WCS/Handout via Reuters People wear face masks AFP via Getty Images A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan Reuters US President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on March 31, 2020, in Washington, DC AFP via Getty Images Felix Hassebroek waves to his classmates, who he has not seen in 2 weeks through a livestream video meet up during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brooklyn, New York Reuters Friends and neighbors, Sarah and Elizabeth, talk about their weekends from opposite sides of the road as they maintain social distance in a neighborhood in Syracuse, New York Reuters Light morning traffic seen on the FDR drive on March 24, 2020 in New York City AFP via Getty Images A subway customer uses a tissue to protect her hand while holding onto a pole AP Workers construct what is believed to be a makeshift morgue behind a hospital during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters Beds separated by black fabric are set up as a temporary field hospital for Covid-19 patients in Queens, New York AFP via Getty Images New York's Hart Island where the department of corrections is dealing with more burials Reuters Medical workers wait for patients at a special coronavirus intake area in New York Getty Images Patients wear personal protective equipment while maintaining social distancing as they wait in line for a COVID-19 test at Elmhurst Hospital Center AP The One World Trade Center tower in Manhattan is seen illuminated in blue light Reuters Pictures drawn by children as part of the Quarantine Rainbow Project in Brooklyn, New York Reuters U.S. Army National Guard personnel load boxes of free food provided by multiple New York City agencies into a taxi for distribution to local residents in the Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19) in New York Reuters Traders work during the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 17, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City AFP via Getty Images A man in a wheelchair crosses a nearly empty 7th Avenue in Times Square in Manhattan Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS

He said healthy citizens would be able to return to work "as conditions allow but that members of the public would be asked to maintain social distancing measures if unwell.

Re-opening the US economy would be done "one careful step at a time, Mr Trump said, but called on state governors to move "very, very quickly.

The 18 pages of guidelines set out how places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phase reopening of businesses and schools.

In phase one, the plan recommends strict social distancing for all people in public. Gatherings larger than 10 people are to be avoided and non-essential travel is discouraged.

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In phase two, people are encouraged to maximise social distancing and limit gatherings to no more than 50 people unless precautionary measures are taken, with travel potentially resuming.

Phase three envisions a return to normality for most Americans, with a focus on identification and isolation of any new infections. Mr Trump said recent trends in some states were so positive they could almost begin phase one.

Each phase would last at least 14 days, meant to ensure that the virus outbreak does not accelerate again.

Those most susceptible to the respiratory disease would be advised to remain sheltered in place until the final phase.

Mr Trump said recent trends in some states were so positive they could almost begin phase one.

They will be able to go literally tomorrow, he said, although the guidelines give no target date for easing restrictions that have crippled the worlds largest economy, forcing 22 million Americans to apply for unemployment benefit in the last month.

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Mr Trump briefed the nations governors on the plan, saying they were going to be responsible for deciding when it is safe to lift restrictions in their states.

Youre going to call your own shots, he said. Were going to be standing along side of you.

The plan was criticised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who pointed to a lack of clarity on a national testing strategy.

Testing is the key to opening our country to resume our lives. The White Houses vague and inconsistent document does nothing to make up for the Presidents failure to listen to the scientists and produce and distribute national rapid testing, she said.

The federal guidelines come after seven governors in the Midwest announced they will coordinate on reopening the economy, after similar pacts were announced earlier this week in the West and Northeast.

The economic costs were clear in new federal data showing that at least 22 million Americans have been thrown out of work in the last month.

But the legislators repeatedly urged the president not to sacrifice public health in an effort to reopen the economy.

The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA

My highest priority on this task force will be to ensure the federal governments efforts to reopen our economy are bipartisan, data-driven, and based on the expertise of public health professionals, said Democratic Sen Mark Warner of Virginia.

Business leaders, too, raised concerns to the president in a round of calls on Wednesday, warning that a dramatic increase in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary before they can safely revive operations.

The federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available  a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year.
Painting a squalid if not shocking portrait of sickness behind bars, the inspectors  two veteran D.C. criminal justice experts  said inmates with the virus are isolated and prohibited from showering or cleaning their cells. The inmates are also barred from contacting loved ones or attorneys and cannot change soiled clothes, linens or masks for the duration of the illness, inspectors said.
Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhalvi was on Thursday booked for culpable homicide by the Delhi Police after some attendees of the congregation held earlier in March died due to coronavirus

Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhalvi was on Thursday booked for culpable homicide by the Delhi Police after some attendees of the congregation held earlier in March died due to coronavirus. The event was attended by more than 2,000 people from across the country and abroad.

Kandhalvi had reportedly organised the event at Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi, against the social distancing protocol imposed by the Centre to curb the spread of the deadly COVID-19 disease. With several attendees testing positive for coronavirus, the event emerged as a leading cluster in the country.

Follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

An FIR was registered against the Kandhalvi on 31 March at the Delhi Police's Crime Branch station on a complaint of the Station House Officer of Nizamuddin. He was earlier booked for holding the event, PTI reported.

A police official was quoted by the report as saying, "After several attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat event succumbed to coronavirus, we added IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in the FIR against the leader."

Some foreigners who attended the event have also been booked for violation of visa norms. According to reports published on Wednesday, 46 foreigners, including 20 from Malaysia, were arrested in Bihar for violating visa norms.

"The police had traced 18 foreigners in Araria, 10 in Buxar district and the rest in Patna. The nationals from Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and Indonesia went to Delhi to attend the Tablighi Jamaat Congregation after landing in Bihar last month," a report by The New Indian Express said.

Meanwhile, while Kandhalvi said that he was exercising self-quarantine after the event Nizamuddin centre of the congregation emerged as a hotspot, two of his relatives tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the district administration has sealed Mufti locality in Mandi area, Saharanpur DM Akhilesh Singh was quoted by PTI. He said eight other people from the area were placed under quarantine.

The two people who tested positive are Kandhalvi's in-laws and they had stayed at the Nizamuddin Markaz before the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed. They had recently returned from South Africa and quarantined along with two other persons.

The Tablighi Jamaat issue so far:

The FIR registered against the Tablighi Jamaat event said that the Delhi Police contacted the authorities of Nizamuddin markaz (centre) of the congregation on 21 March and reminded them of the government order which prohibited any political or religious gathering of more than 50 people.

It says that despite repeated efforts, the event organisers failed to inform the health department or any other government agency about the huge gathering inside the markaz and deliberately disobeyed government orders.

The sub-district magistrate of Defence Colony inspected the premises several times and found that around 1,300 people, including foreign nationals, were residing there without maintaining social distancing. It was also found that there were no arrangements of hand sanitisers and face masks, the FIR adds.

So far, more than 25,500 Tablighi members and their contacts have been quarantined in the country after the Centre and the state governments conducted a "mega operation" to identify them.

At least 9,000 people participated in the religious congregation at the Nizamuddin centre. Later, many of the attendees travelled to various parts of the country.

With inputs from agencies
UPPER THUMB  The coronavirus cases in the Upper Thumb crept up again April 16, with 83 confirmed cases being reported in the state data.

Tuscola County is reporting a total of 50 coronavirus cases, which is only 17 less than Bay County to the west. Sanilac County is reporting 25 cases and Huron County saw an increase to a total of eight coronavirus cases.

Tuscola County also had an additional coronavirus-related death, bringing the county total to 10 and region total to 12. According to previous reports by the Tuscola County Health Department, at least seven of the county deaths were associated with the Tuscola County Medical Care Facility.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a press release April 16 announcing that MDHHS staff has been reviewing death certificate information in the states databases and comparing records to laboratory confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and if a cause of death is missing, the record is updated and the appropriate local health department is notified. According to the release, todays statewide totals include 65 additional deaths that have been identified through this methodology. It is unclear if any of those deaths were local.

The statewide coronavirus cases and deaths also increased in the daily report. According to the report, the state has 29,263 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 2,093 people have died from the virus.

The state and local health departments have been urging residents to understand the numbers reported are not necessarily reflective of the true spread of the virus, due to earlier issues regarding testing availability and capacity.

According to Huron and Tuscola County health departments Public Health Officer Ann Hepfer, as of April 15 there had been 219 tests from Tuscola County processed by the state lab and 73 tests from Huron County.

Recently the state has opened up the criteria for testing to include any person that is displaying signs and symptoms of the coronavirus. If someone believes they are infected with the coronavirus, health officials recommend reaching out to their doctor for a pre-screening before seeking testing.
Social distancing restrictions imposed to limit the spread of coronavirus could be lifted in as soon as four weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said.

The Prime Minister said three requirements must be met before the rules are changed: more testing, better contact tracing and quicker reactions to outbreaks.

"We need an even broader testing regime," Mr Morrison said.

"We have one of, if not the most, extensive testing regimes in the world today. We need to do even better than that."

The Prime Minister said technology will be used to create "even greater tracing capability than we have now", as the federal government finalises a mobile app it hopes will help track contacts of those who contract coronavirus.

"We will use the next four weeks to ensure that we can get these in place," he said.

"And the baseline restrictions that have been set will remain place until we are able to achieve those three goals."

Mr Morrison said the restrictions would be reviewed on a state-by-state basis.
Crucial work to produce much needed NHS scrubs under way at three Welsh sites

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Apr 16th, 2020

Work to produce much needed medical scrubs for the NHS is under way at three sites across Wales.

It comes after the Welsh Government secured fabric from within the UK market after being notified that Far East and sub-continent would be partially closing down production at the end of March due to coronavirus.

Enough fabric to produce up to 2500 scrubs per week in Wales was purchased. This has now been passed to Alexandra, a UK based company that supplies the NHS with scrubs but is heavily reliant on overseas markets for both material and production.

The Welsh Government then linked Alexandra with Welsh business and social enterprises that could assist with the sewing of garments and production is now underway at three sites across Wales. These include:

ELITE Clothing Solutions, a social enterprise based in Ebbw Vale and within the Welsh Governments Valleys Taskforce area, which had previously furloughed its staff as a result of lock down. It now has 15 machinists back in work to support the Welsh effort to produce scrubs.

Brodwaith, on Anglesey, which has 13 to 15 people coming back from furlough to assemble the much needed PPE.

Workplace Worksafe, in Ruthin, which has 13 machinists back from furlough working on the assembling scrubs.

All these employees are now back to receiving full pay.

Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters, who has responsibility for the Valleys Taskforce, said: Ensuring our healthcare heroes have the equipment they need to do their jobs at this unprecedented time is of paramount importance.

We are working hard to supply the NHS as it provides high-quality care for people with coronavirus, and we will continue to do so.

We have also been able to foster an opportunity to secure supply of much needed material and join together three Welsh enterprises to join us in fighting this national health crisis.

Together, we will continue to protect frontline staff and in turn help them save lives.

ELITE Clothing Solutions CEO Andrea Wayman said: ELITE Clothing Solutions are extremely proud to be supporting the NHS, through a collaborative approach with other Welsh manufacturers, in our production of garments that will help protect NHS staff in the fight against COVID-19.

As a social enterprise, our key aim is the support of our communities, and the NHS and care sector are currently central to our communities needs.
A woman who was recently in India for a pilgrimage became Sri Lanka's first coronavirus case reported from outside quarantine centres, the health ministry said on Thursday.

Over 3,500 people, including foreigners, remain quarantined in more than 40 centres across Sri Lanka following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Coronavirus tests at present are mainly confined to those who are in quarantine centres.

A woman who was in India for a pilgrimage and had returned few weeks ago became the first COVID-19 positive case reported from outside the quarantine centres, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.

"She is the only patient we have diagnosed (COVID-19 positive) outside the circle of our quarantine programme. All other cases came from quarantine centres," Wanniarachchi said.

Lanka has so far reported 268 coronavirus cases, including seven deaths, since the first viral infection was reported on March 11.

Dr Anil Jasinghe, Director General of Health Services, said the department has been able to prevent community spreading of the deadly virus.

"Still it is a long process as cases surface through contacts. We are keeping a close watch," he said, adding that 68 people so far have been "completely cured" of the disease.

A strict nationwide lockdown is in place till April 20 to contain the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy here said China has provided 20,000 test kits, 120,000 masks and a large quantity of other medical assistance to help the island nation combat the virus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Before COVID-19 hit, Jennifer Uy would get her groceries from big supermarkets such as Costco and the Real Canadian Superstore, but in the past month shes been buying ingredients at smaller shops and even restaurants near her home in Scarborough.

I havent even thought of going to the supermarkets in the past month, says the mother of two and owner of wellness company Happy Natural Products. I have in-laws over 80, I have a three- and nine-year-old; I just want to be in and out when Im getting groceries and not be in a big line.

Uy is among others in the city who have shifted where they get food, opting for smaller neighbourhood grocers, independent stores that pivoted to online ordering, and restaurants that now sell pantry staples. For some, its to avoid the lineups; for others, its a way to support small businesses.

Uy now gets her food from Cosmos Agora, a Greek butcher shop and grocer in a small plaza at Lawrence Avenue East and Warden Avenue. They have a bakery, too, so she was able to ask for a bit of fresh yeast when all the other stores were out.

Listen to Karon Liu discuss how COVID changed how we shop

Another time, she was at her go-to Chinese barbecue spot East Court and Mikes BBQ getting barbecue pork and asked if they had any extra carrots and cabbage to make a stir fry. Another week, she went to Agincourt Bakery and Italian Kitchen, hidden in the corner of a plaza at Pharmacy Avenue and Finch Avenue East, for fresh breads and tortellini for her son.

I grew up in Kensington Market and this is how we shopped, she says. We got meat from one place, bread from another, vegetables in Chinatown. Were now used to going to the big supermarket where we can get everything in one place. But now with the lines, its just faster to go to the smaller places where I can get what I need quickly.

You also feel better for helping out the smaller stores, especially the restaurants, so I sometimes ask if they have any ingredients I can buy because I know they have a lot of it sitting around. I cant order takeout every day, but I do need vegetables, milk and eggs.

In the Roncesvalles neighbourhood, marketing executive Amrita Gurney also made the switch to businesses on the strip and smaller online grocers.

I started doing it a month ago because these smaller stores had less foot traffic so you could limit exposure to other people, she says. But after hearing stories of local businesses trying to keep staff employed, its now more of a mission to make sure my money goes to these places so that they continue to exist.

Gurney now gets bi-weekly deliveries from artisan bread-maker Blackbird Baking Co. Before working from home, shed visit the bakerys Kensington Market location once every few months. For produce, she orders from Grow, Gather and Co.

She also gets weekly deliveries from Alimentari, an Italian pasta shop and restaurant on Roncesvalles Ave. that has closed its dining room but ramped up its retail offerings in the last month.

They have an amazing puttanesca sauce, fresh cheeses, canned goods like chickpeas, pesto, dried pasta and cookies, she says. Its all contactless delivery and you can get it quicker than some of the big box stores where its harder to get a delivery slot.

In the weekend before March 17, when Ontarios restaurants were ordered to close their dining rooms and people were starting to panic buy, Alimentari saw sales double, says Sarah Terpstra, who owns the store with her husband, Christopher.

Christopher saw what was happening in Italy and started placing huge orders on canned tomatoes and dried pasta to stock the store early on, she says. We used to only carry 00 and semolina flour, but now we also have 0, which is more similar to all-purpose, (plus) chickpea flour, chestnut flour. We wouldnt normally think anyone would buy it, but its been flying off the shelves. Same with eggs. We also have wine so you dont have to line up at the LCBO. Were just trying to be a one-stop shop.

Without a dining room, they had space to store the bags of flour and canned goods that were coming in. They order large packs of yeast from restaurant suppliers and repackage them into smaller portions for home bakers. The fridge was freed up for more groceries. Christopher does delivery as well.

Ive heard from people that they feel more comfortable coming into a store like ours. We have the Plexiglas shields and hand sanitizers, but also a more steady stream of people throughout the day since we no longer have a lunch or dinner rush, says Terpstra. We also do online orders, so if we get 15 orders in a day thats 15 fewer people in the store. Well see how this will change the business and what the people in Roncesvalles want. We may not even reopen the restaurant side because who knows what the restaurant culture will be like after.

Leandro Baldassarre of fresh pasta wholesaler and takeout shop Famiglia Baldassarre in the west-end Wallace Emerson neighbourhood also paid attention to Italy going on lockdown and ordered large amounts of flour and tomatoes.

Customers also started to ask if he sold pantry staples and produce, so Baldassarre began turning his wholesale and takeout pasta shop into more of a retail operation, ordering from restaurant suppliers and stocking essentials such as sugar, salt, eggs, butter, milk, tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, tuna, lentils and multiple kinds of flour.

I think I sold 500 packs of yeast in the past two weeks, he says. We get them by the pound so we have to divide them into smaller portions. Same with the flour that comes in 20-kg bags.

Still, he says shifting to retail hasnt been a big money-maker. For one thing, the space is tiny and wasnt built to be a retail store. It can only fit so many pantry items, which he cant charge a lot for, and theyve been allowing one customer in at a time to minimize contact.

Now I realize why convenience stores are more expensive because they cant sell the volume that a big grocer does, he says. But for now, we have people coming in and getting fed, the staff gets a paycheque. If the company isnt making money, it doesnt matter right now.

Financial services worker Luke Kumar started going to IC Food World in Mississauga at Fieldgate Drive and Bloor Street after he waited an hour to get into his local Food Basics supermarket. The mid-sized grocer used to be a No Frills, Kumar recalls, and he says hes now doing all his shopping there.

Its convenient, its close to home, the prices are comparable, its like finding a nugget, he says. I never really went there before; that was my fault, but Im going to continue shopping there because I can find everything I need. Buying local and supporting small businesses will go a long way in helping the community.

The influx of new customers is a welcome sight for many independently run grocers at this time, but it can also be overwhelming for those not equipped to handle the volume.

Julie Liao and Roger Wang have owned the Plank Road Market at Danforth and Coxwell Avenue since 2006. Its a small neighbourhood grocer no larger than the average convenience store. For them, business has picked up dramatically in the last month, including orders from new customers who didnt shop there before the pandemic. The two had to close the storefront and move to an online ordering system.

My kids help a bit in the afternoon when theyre finished online schooling, but its just me and my husband every day, and we can only handle so many orders, she says. Even at night we have to tend to emails and organize orders; theres a lot of paperwork.

Liao says sales havent increased by much since the pandemic because she and her husband can only process so many orders a day. But right now, her priority is to get food to those in her neighbourhood.

We have so many regulars and seniors around. They are why we stay open, she says. These are the people that have been with us for 10 years and we dont want to lose them.

Correction - April 16, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the location of IC Food World in Mississauga.

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She's the most controversial star in the history of Married At First Sight.

And this week, Ines Basic set tongues wagging once again by stripping down for a pair of X-rated Instagram photos.

In the first image, the 30-year-old showed off her incredible figure in a racy red lingerie set.

Red hot! Former Married At First Sight star Ines Basic sent fans into a frenzy by stripping down to red lingerie this week

Captioning the photo, she wrote: 'Red really does make you go faster. Look at me daddy I can fly.'

In the next image, the Bosnian beauty posed completely topless on a couch inside a hotel room.

The picture was a throwback from last year, when Ines was personally flown out to Los Angeles to attend a promotional event for Booby Tape.

Confident: In another image, the Bosnian beauty posed completely topless on a couch inside a hotel room

The former Married At First Sight star recently revealed that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ines was portrayed as one of the villains on last year's season, which resulted in plenty of backlash as the show aired.

She told The Daily Telegraph in March: 'I have experienced so much hatred, death threats, shame about migrating to Australia from another country, racism and more because of what MAFS chose to show of me.'

Struggles: The former Married At First Sight star recently revealed that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder

'I wasn't well during and after [the show], I think that was obvious, but it got even worse last July,' she added.

'That's when it was the most brutal time for me and I was diagnosed with complex PTSD.'

Despite her struggles with fame, Ines has been able to turn herself into a full time Instagram influencer since appearing on MAFS.

The former legal assistant regularly shares sponsored posts for products like bikinis, fake tanning lotion, and skincare.
Social distancing measures should remain in place indefinitely until a coronavirus vaccine is available, an expert has said. (PA)

Social distancing should remain in place indefinitely until a coronavirus vaccine is available, an expert has said.

Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, said as restrictions are eased, more testing will be needed to isolate individual cases and trace their contacts to keep future outbreaks under control.

Prof Ferguson, who is advising ministers, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that significant social distancing will most likely be needed until there is a vaccine.

We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available, he said.

He said that without social distancing, estimates show there is relatively little leeway.

If we relax measures too much then well see a resurgence of transmission, he said.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world

Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area

6 charts and maps that explain how coronavirus is spreading

What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner.

And I should say, its not going to be going back to normal.

His comments come as the government was expected to extend the coronavirus lockdown for another three weeks.

Ministers were set to meet on Thursday morning to agree to prolong the social distancing controls announced on 23 March, amid signs the outbreak in the UK is beginning to peak.

The number of people who have died in hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 has now reached almost 13,000 and concerns are rising over the growing number of deaths in care homes.

On Thursday morning, health secretary Matt Hancock warned that things will not go back to how they were, at least in the short term.

Coronavirus: what happened today
KV Navya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Street dwellers in the city are having a hard time finding public washrooms to use, because of the lockdown. Already hard enough, most washroooms close by early evening, thus leaving these dwellers at lurch.

Nandini Vinoth, who lives on the pavement at Nainiappan Naicken street said, the public toilet there opens at 6 am and is locked by noon. "Anyone who needs to use the washroom post noon has no option but to search for an open space. It is all the more difficult for women. We are having to dig pits, and relieve ourselves," she said.

Senthil Kumar, who lives at Perambur Barracks street said, there is only one washroom for the 70-odd families that are on footpath there. "The washroom is not even cleaned with phenoyl here, forget disinfection. Since it gets locked by 9.30 pm, we have to walk all the way to Stanley hospital to relieve ourselves," he said.

These dwellers are mostly daily-wage laborers, currently jobless due to the lockdown. However, they are still forced to pay anywhere between `3-10, each time they use the washroom.

"We are struggling for meals, still are forced to pay for toilets. The government says the charge is for cleaning, but washrooms are mostly dirty. At least, till the lockdown ends, we must be allowed to use it for free," S Sridhar, president of Pavement Dwellers' Rights Association said.

When contacted, a senior official from the Greater Chennai Corporation said, the matter will be discussed with local zonal officials.
The United States needs to see increased testing for the coronavirus before businesses can begin to reopen, Business Roundtable President and CEO Joshua Bolten said Thursday.

"We've clearly got a long way to go, but there's progress being made every day ... all the CEOs in our organization agree that testing is an absolutely crucial gating element to getting us back and running safely," Bolten said on CNBC's "Power Lunch." "So everything we can do to expand the availability of fast and accurate testing is going to be probably the most crucial element to reopening promptly and safely."

The lack of testing for the virus has been one of the main issues facing the U.S. during the pandemic, with many places limiting who could be tested as the virus spread across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said tests it sent out early on were found to be defective.

Bolten said returning to a more normal economic environment should involve a "phased" plan in which some businesses open before others and that policymakers should be working on those arrangements now.

"It's not too soon to plan for a safe and rapid reopening. In fact, it's very important that the planning go on now," Bolten said.

The shutdown of nonessential businesses by state and local governments across the country has led to a historic rise in unemployment, with more than 22 million Americans filing jobless claims in the past four weeks.

President Donald Trump said in a briefing Wednesday evening that he would on Thursday release guidelines for states on how to reopen their economies. Northeastern states including New York and New Jersey announced on Thursday that they were extending the closure of nonessential business until at least May 15. Bolten said he hoped that some areas of the country could begin to reopen on that day.

Bolten's organization, which includes the CEOs of major companies such as Amazon, Apple, American Airlines and 3M, sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence earlier this week, asking the federal government to produce guidelines for workplace safety, among other steps.

"The companies in the Business Roundtable unanimously endorse the position that safety has to come first," Bolten said. "And that's not just true as a proposition for protecting our employees and customers, it's also a true as a matter of business. Because if people don't have confidence that it's safe to go out and go to your job or go to a store, they're just not going to go regardless of what the government says."

Bolten's comments echoed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' shareholder letter, which said widespread testing was needed for businesses to reopen around the world.
Following Egypts January 25 uprising in 2011, Ethiopia started building a huge dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), upriver. The concrete volume of the dam is 10.5 million m3, making it the largest damper volumein Africa. It is located on the Blue Nile, 700 kilometers northwest of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, and about twenty kilometers from the EthiopiaSudan border. It is worth noting that the Blue Nile accounts for more than half of the average annual flow of Nile water to Egypt.

Ethiopia claims that the sole purpose of building the dam is to generate energy necessary for its economy. The dam represents an important connection between water security and energy generation. In general, building a dam for energy generation should not be a problem because the water that will run the turbines will continue flowing to downstream countries, in this case to Egypt and Sudan. However, the construction of this gigantic dam, which has a 74-billion-cubic-meter reservoir that can theoretically store as much water as the total annual share of Egypt and Sudan combined, is a completely different story.

Hoping for a better life and access to electricity, the Ethiopian people funded the GERD with their limited resources in the hopes that it might generate a projected power capacity of at least 6,000 megawatts. Different experts, such as San Diego State University professor of mechanical engineering Asfaw Beyene, have agreed that the GERD is oversized, and that it will not be able to generate the amount of energy that has been publicly announced, or even half of it. In addition, most of the generated hydropower is slated for export, leaving the poor Ethiopians in darkness. It is clear that politics in this case trump legitimate engineering and human principles in favor of storing water and controlling the Blue Nile.

The GERD will store water in an area of 1,800 square kilometerslarger than the size of Londonresulting in enormous evaporation and seepage losses in addition to possible upstream usage. These billions of cubic meters in losses will be cut from Egypt and Sudans water share. The potential reduction in the Nile water flowing to Egypt comes at a time when the country is significantly dropping below the water poverty line and approaching the absolute scarcity limit. The water poverty line is reached when the available freshwater share per person is 1,000 cubic meters of water every year. Egypt is approaching the 500-cubic-meter mark per person (per year). An additional water shortage caused by the GERD will enlarge the existing gap between the water supply and current demand.

Clearly, Egypts key concern regarding the GERD is safeguarding the lives of more than 100 million Egyptians and sustaining the countrys water supply, especially since Egypt depends on the river for 97 percent of its water needs, with the remaining three percent supplied by light rainfall on the northern coast and in the Sinai Peninsula and by non-renewable groundwater.

Indeed, the risk of water shortage caused by the GERD will directly affect food production and security in Egypt. Moreover, reducing the flow of water to Egypt will dramatically affect the resilience of the Egyptian Aswan High Dam, which stores water to be used by Egypt and Sudan during draughts. This in turn will also negatively affect the amount of electricity generated from the Egyptian dam. In addition to the technical and economic impacts of the dam on Egypt, the GERD will have serious environmental consequences such as higher soil salinity, less groundwater recharge, and more seawater intrusion.

Therefore, reaching an agreement between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt on the filling and long-term operation of the dam before Ethiopia starts filling GERD is a serious issue for Egypt. A reduction of water availability by only one billion cubic meters at Aswan (a value that is much lower than most GERD filling and operation prediction scenarios) will result in an agricultural production loss of $430 million and of almost 294,000 feddans in agricultural land, as well as an increase in agricultural imports by 2.2 percent. Moreover, 290,000 families will lose their income, which will increase the possibility of migration and displacement of people to neighboring countries, create more instability and potentially exacerbate the threat of terrorism, from which the region is already suffering.

The Fight over Resources

The GERD project is an alarming example of competition over water, energy, and food resources in the Nile Basin. Ethiopias use of the dam to generate energy while Sudan and Egypt wait for their share of water to produce energy and food could become a grave issue, especially as populations inhabiting basin countries increase dramatically and their water, energy, and food demands rapidly grow.

In order to secure these three resources for the entire basin, there is a need to understand the reality regarding their availability. Indeed, there is a misconception that Egypt is getting the biggest share of the Nile water compared to the other Nile Basin countries. As a matter of fact, the river water reaching Egypt amounts to about 0.8 percent of the rainfall of the eleven Nile Basin countries. This means there is more than 99 percent of water resources that Egypt cannot access.

The key to resolving the current conflict is for Nile Basin countries to collaborate in making use of the 1,660 billion cubic meters of annual rainfall in the Nile Basin or even the 7,000 billion cubic meters of annual rain that falls specifically in the eleven Nile Basin countries. This can be used in generating energy and producing food rather than affecting the main source of water in Egypt, which only utilizes 55.5 billion cubic meters of Nile water a year, representing only three percent of the total rainfall over the basin. There is a need to think in a more cooperative and participatory way, where all Nile Basin countries collaborate in harvesting rainwater rather than disturb the only lifeline for Egyptians. This is what we call benefit-sharing and a win-win solution.

In fact, Egypt has a long history of supporting Nile Basin countries in water management projects on the upper reaches of the river. Egypt has never objected to the development of the Nile Basin nor does it object to the construction of dams that do not cause significant harm to Egyptians. On the contrary, Egypt has supported the construction of dams in different Nile Basin countries for either hydropower or rainfall-harvesting purposes. For example, Egypt supports South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Congo, and Tanzanias pursuits to build new dams and implement water development projects.

Starting in 1949, Egypt signed an agreement and provided 1 million to support the construction of Owen Falls dam in Uganda. The dam helped provide hydropower for development and regulate the flow of water downstream toward the southern regions of Uganda. Recently, the Egyptian company Arab Contractors in a joint venture with Elsewedy Electric Company announced that it had started work on the 2,100-megawatt Stieglers Gorge hydroelectric dam in Tanzania. This project is endorsed and supported by the Egyptian government. Moreover, Egypt conducted the feasibility studies for a multi-purpose dam in South Sudan.

This spirit of collaboration should extend to agriculture and food production projects. There is much fertile land and enough rainfall in the basin to produce energy and food for everyone. Energy is not only restricted to hydropower; solar energy in the basin is underutilized, especially when considering that the basin includes areas that are among the highest in solar radiation on earth. A political vision which considers all countries along the Nile as one unit that shares knowledge and resources is key to having sufficient water, energy, and food for all Nile Basin countries.

A Technological Solution for Water Scarcity

Aside from the GERD, current water scarcity and food production in Egypt, like in most Middle Eastern countries, are serious challenges that are directly linked to population growth and the overuse of water. To produce one kilogram of wheat requires about 800 liters of water, and on average, fifteen thousand liters of water are needed to produce one kilogram of beef, an amount of water which is almost the volume of one-and-a-half concrete mixer trucks. These numbers differ from one country to another and depend mainly on production techniques and the technologies used. The moral of these figures is that more than two-thirds of the worlds freshwater is used for agriculture, such as in Egypt, where about 80 percent of the freshwater is used for agriculture irrigation. In order for Egypt and the entire Middle East to deal with water scarcity, researchers are focusing on fostering and applying the concept of producing more with less, or to use another expression, more crop per drop, which means producing more food using less water.

Our research team at the American University in Cairo (AUC) is working to understand the interrelationship between water and food to minimize the water footprint of our foods. Realizing the importance of research efforts geared toward solving the irrigation water problem more than tackling drinking or industrial water, the Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES) at AUC established the WEF nexus lab five years ago. It aims to contribute to water, energy, and food security not only in Egypt, but also in the Middle East and Africa.

The focus of the CARES WEF (Water-Energy-Food) nexus model is to use solar energy to power desalination, which is expensive due to its high-energy consumption, and then use the desalinated water to produce food in an environmentally friendly manner. The adopted desalination technique, Forward Osmosis, has low energy consumption which allows the complete use of solar energy for the desalination process. The desalinated water is then used to produce crops and fish from the same unit of water. Fish waste then serves as nutrients for the crops, which help produce 100 percent organic food.

In addition, the desalination reject brine (which is a harmful byproduct for the environment) was successfully tested and proven to produce algae and is currently being tested to produce artemia, or brine shrimp. If the testing of the artemia proves successful, it will close our nexus loop since it would be used as feed for the fish. The very success of this research depends on developing a closed loop in which the sun and seawater are harvested to produce fish and crops without disposing of any waste into the environment, and in which the fish are then fed.

CARES is now collaborating with several national and international partners and is working toward commercializing its WEF model and bringing it into application. Nothing can replace Nile water for Egypt, but more research and innovation similar to the work carried out by CARES is urgently needed to enhance water use efficiency and develop new technologies for desalination and wastewater treatment. Such innovations could be part of the solution to face the increasing population and associated water demand in Egypt and the entire Middle East, especially when such solutions are based on local resources such as the sun, seawater, and sand.

*A version of this article was first published on 14 April in The Cairo Review

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After Dharavi in Mumbai, a densely populated slum at Belgachhia in north Kolkata is rapidly turning into a Covid-19 hotspot, with at least six people reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus infection.

The administration sealed the slum on Tuesday  putting up barricades at all entry points  besides launching a door-to-door survey on Thursday.

Local Trinamool Congress (TMC) corporator and Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, who himself is a doctor and leading the administrations operations from the front, said, I cannot give numbers of people testing positive but there have been a few cases and the administration is taking all precautionary measures.

The slum has a population of about 50,000 and there are over 5,000 households, Sen said.

Since there have been a few cases, all our focus is on this slum now, as it is very densely populated and houses have no gaps between them. Even sleeping space is shared rotationally depending on ones work hours. Now, with the lockdown, the entire population is staying in the slum, causing further space crunch. We are reaching out to every single household, Tarun Saha, chairman of KMCs borough no 1 said.

Dharavi in Mumbai is home to nearly 15 lakh people who live in shanties. As many as 71 cases of Covid-19 positive have been reported from Dharavi till Thursday morning.

At Belgachhia slum, according to a senior health department official of the state government, Six persons, including two from a family, have tested positive for Covid-19. Other members of these families have been sent to government quarantine centres at Rajarhat and to the Haj House.

On Thursday, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) workers and staff from the health department launched a door-to-door survey to inquire about symptoms of influenza and severe acute respiratory infection. They were all wearing personal protective equipment or PPE.

A meeting was held exclusively to handle the Belgachhia situation on Wednesday and it has been decided that all lanes and by-lanes will be sanitized on a daily basis. Fifteen teams have been formed, with each team comprising of two health workers and representatives of the corporator. They were given a briefing today, following which door-to-door survey started, Sen said.

A school teacher living in the area, who did not want to be named, said that panic and rumours are spreading in the slum faster than the virus. It is difficult to maintain social distancing here. Think of 10 people living in an 8 ft x 8 ft room. Usually, many people sleep on the streets at night due to shortage of space at home. Besides, there is illiteracy that is helping rumours to spread in the area and panic as well, the schoolteacher said.

Several non-government organizations have already launched the work of providing relief to local residents. They include the local Jamaa Masjid, the Islamic Library, local clubs and Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha, the science wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

We are not allowed to move into the slum. So, we are gathering at its entrance with hand sanitizers and so that our workers can prepare some food. People from the slum are coming to the entry point and collecting those, Anindya Chowdhury of Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha said.

Kolkatas deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh said that a similar door-to-door survey would be carried out in all slum areas of the city.

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Testing numbers fall in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanias testing numbers are way down.

Earlier in April, the state health department was reporting the results of more than 7,000 coronavirus tests per day. For each of the last three days, health officials have announced the results of fewer than 4,000 tests.

State health officials said they want to do more testing but havent been able to get the necessary supplies. A mass testing site in Philadelphia has also shut down.

Weve had great difficulty accessing the reagents and chemicals, the state health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, said Thursday. Wed like to do much more widespread testing.

Berks County sounds alarm

A sharp rise in coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals in Berks County, officials said Thursday.

Tower Healths Reading Hospital and Penn State Health St. Joseph released a model that shows a looming shortage of regular hospital beds and ICU beds. Hospital officials said they are working to avoid that worst-case scenario by creating additional bed capacity, adding staff and procuring supplies.

The hospital executives took part in a news conference arranged by the Berks County commissioners.

Board chairman Christian Leinbach said virus cases are rising at a sharper rate in Berks than in neighboring counties. He chided Berks residents and businesses for failing to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

The numbers are bleak in Berks County, Leinbach said. We are not doing well. Businesses and individuals are not doing enough of the basic things, like wearing a mask.

More than 1,400 Berks County residents have tested positive for the virus, according to the state health department. Leinbach, citing data from the coroners office, said 52 have died.

Wolf joins call for more federal aid

HARRISBURG  Gov. Tom Wolf has written to President Donald Trump to back calls from other governors for another $500 billion in federal aid for states fighting the spread of the coronavirus, warning that his office is projecting a budget deficit of up to $5 billion.

The letter, dated Wednesday, was issued with two other Democratic governors, Tony Evers of Wisconsin and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.

Trump won all three states narrowly in 2016, states that had long backed Democrats in presidential contests.

In the letter, they acknowledge that the federal government is making an initial $71 billion available to meet some immediate cash flow needs of state and local governments.

But, they write, the magnitude of the crushing economic impact this virus has had on our states and residents cannot be overstated.

In Pennsylvania, Wolf said the projected deficit ranging between $4.5 billion and $5 billion will make it incredibly difficult to focus the states efforts on supporting workers and businesses as it attempts to rebuild its economy.

Over the weekend, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York issued a call for the additional $500 billion. Hogan is chairman of the National Governors Association and Cuomo is the vice chair.

TSA allows sanitizers, wipes

Even though few people are likely taking to the skies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Transportation Security Administration is providing tips for safe travel.

With many people turning to hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial wipes  if they can find it  the TSA said they are currently allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces, per passenger in carry-on bags until further notice. Usually, no containers larger than 3.4 ounces were permitted through the security checkpoint. All other liquids, gels and aerosols must fit the previous requirement.

Individually packaged and even jumbo containers of anti-bacterial wipes are also allowed on carry-on or checked luggage.

With Gov. Tom Wolf calling for residents to wear masks when outdoors, TSA said it will allow people to continue to wear masks through security, though TSA may ask travelers to adjust their mask to visually confirm their identity when checking travel documents.

Travelers are also encouraged to wash their hands before and after going through the security screening process given how often baggage changes hands.

TSA also said that licenses or identifications that expired on or after March 1 can still be used as acceptable identification at the checkpoint since residents may not have been able to renew them during the pandemic. TSA will continue accepting such documents a year after expiration or 60 days after the duration of the emergency, whichever is longer.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also previously announced the extension to obtain a Real ID-compliant drivers license, with that deadline now Oct. 1, 2021.

Staff and wire reports
3 1 of 3 Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Show More Show Less 3 of 3





GREENWICH  An unauthorized entry at Greenwich Point has led to another arrest, according to police.

Officers have been issuing warnings to people who congregate in town parks, under an order from Town Hall that recreational facilities are closed to the public for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak. A number of misdemeanor summons have also been issued, including one issued Sunday afternoon, police said.
Russian citizens held a protest Thursday in front of the Russian Embassy in Armenia.

According to one of the rally participants, citizens came to Armenia for various reasons.

There are about 300 people and 78 cars. Many have run out of money, and they cannot stay in hotels, spend the night in cars because they cannot return home due to the state of emergency, as Georgia forbade Russian citizens to travel to Russia through its territory, one of the rally participants said.

According to him, as soon as we were planning to go to the UN office with this issue, the Russian embassy informed the UN and other embassies that bus transfers would be arranged. However, this can be fraught with risks if one of the passengers is infected with a coronavirus. In addition, upon arrival in Russia, citizens will be placed in compulsory quarantine, and people will not be able to leave home. This is not counting the fact that today there is a restriction on traffic. We appeal to the Embassy of Georgia and Switzerland with a request to resolve the issue of transit. We are ready to pay the costs of the Police or the UN if a convoy is provided.

After numerous attempts to meet with the ambassador, I became convinced that the embassy, where our demands are considered rudeness, is incompetent. Only the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan can help us. He can contact the Georgian government and resolve the issue of transit, he added.

Russian Embassy in Armenia has earlier organized flights to evacuate its citizens, urging them to use flights to avoid further difficulties.
A caravan of protesters circled Michigans Capitol for the second day in a row to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmers handling of the coronavirus pandemic, this time calling her to increase protections for incarcerated residents.

Thursdays demonstration was smaller, less boisterous event compared to Operation Gridlock" protesters who defied social distancing and honked in a procession of vehicles that clogged streets for several hours around downtown Lansing one day earlier. Protesters in roughly 50 vehicles organized by prison reform group Nation Outside drove outside the Capitol while leaders of the protest communicated their message to supporters through an online broadcast.

Troy Rienstra, a board member and outreach director for Nation Outside, said the group is asking Whitmer to implement a series of measures to protect staff and prisoners facing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in state prisons. The first Michigan prison inmate died from the coronavirus on April 4, and the state health department since reported 10 inmates and two staff have died and 472 tested positive for the infectious respiratory disease.

Demonstrators called on the governor to suspend Michigans Truth in Sentencing Law, which requires MDOC inmates to serve their entire minimum sentence before being considered for parole. Suspending the law could release of 3,000 to 5,000 people who demonstrate good behavior, organizers said.

We want to make sure that people are taken care of and for those that can be released, that the government would do that expeditiously, Rienstra said. Its not only an act of mercy, but its an act of wisdom. They can do it today if they wanted to.

Protesters also advocated for Whitmer to grant emergency special commutations, waive the two-year requirement between filing for commutation, expedite the parole process and convene a task force to evaluate other emergency measures. Rienstra said he also wants to expand testing of inmates who are reluctant to report their symptoms.

We want to address the needs and concerns of both sides because only addressing one can drive a wedge between the two, Rinestra said. Were really concerned about the quiet within the population because that is a signal that theres potential trouble on the rise.

Prisons and jails across the country have become COVID-19 hotspots, prompting a $2 billion federal program to fund coronavirus testing and early-release efforts in state prisons and county or local jails. Reinstra said the state should prioritize the early release of non-violent offenders who are close to serving their sentences.

Coronavirus quarantine areas have been created in each of the states 29 prisons, and the department is working to expand testing and provide more protective masks to inmates and prisoners. MDOC spokesman Chris Gautz said the state took action before the first case was confirmed on March 10 by ramping up the production of cleaning supplies and implementing various other measures.

A few examples Gautz highlighted include restricting movement at prisons experiencing an outbreak, reducing the size of educational classes and the number of inmates served meals at one time, restricting group fitness activities and increasing sanitation practices.

To minimize the infection risk inside Michigan jails, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order on March 29 allowing counties greater flexibility to release prisoners early. The order also requires screening of all people arriving or departing at corrections facilities, restricts visitations and suspended transfers into state prisons.

Reinstra, who served 22 years in jail for an armed robbery conviction before starting a new life as a prison reform activist, expressed optimism that Whitmer and other state officials will be open to the groups demands. He said activists want to extend an olive branch to MDOC officials and start a dialogue with lawmakers.

Ben Roussel, a spokesperson for the event, said organizers wanted to present a stark contrast between their rally and the Operation Gridlock" rally. Thursdays event was meant to emulate a funeral procession in observance of inmates who have died, and protesters displayed orange flags with a black cross from their vehicle windows.

Reinstra said protesters were advised to stay in their vehicles and fill their gas tank in their hometown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Organizers of Wednesdays Operation Gridlock rally gave similar instructions to anti-Whitmer protesters too, but hundreds of demonstrators, many who did not wear protective masks, ignored that advice.

We understand the governors requirements and we also understand that were in a really unique position, Reinstra said. We dont want to come across as people who are rebellious, but in a time of a crisis like this, we believe that its critical to be present. Its very unfortunate what happened yesterday. Hopefully, itll come across that we have shown theres a respectful and responsible way to express yourself.

Protesters didnt go easy on the governor, claiming her administration has demonstrated gross neglect of the states prison population in a release. Several vehicles at the protest carried statements like Gov. Whitmer has power of life and death in her hands, prisons are public health disasters and #LetMIPeopleGo, a social media campaign that spread across Twitter this week.

.@GovWhitmer reminded us that we MUST take aggressive measures to #StopTheSpread and this should extend to state prisons @MichiganDOC. Now is the time to begin a robust effort to process and expedite commutations. #LetMIPeopleGo #ClemencyCoastToCoast @LtGovGilchrist pic.twitter.com/sM9McNixoV  Detroit Justice Center (@justcitydetroit) April 14, 2020

Demonstrators said incarcerated people are reporting dangerous conditions inside state prisons, including an inability to observe social distancing due to overcrowding, a shortage of cleaning supplies and a failure to quarantine sick inmates.

Gautz said its impossible to maintain social distancing in congregate settings 100% of the time, but Whitmers orders have ensured prisons arent at capacity. He said 700 to 900 inmates are released on parole each month, while no new inmates are coming into state facilities.

Our prisons are not overcrowded, especially right now, he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is also urging Whitmer to release elderly and medically vulnerable people from state prisons. The organization began running television ads in Lansing to spread that message.

Governor Whitmer knows that reducing the number of people locked behind bars is critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19, and she took a bold and necessary step to release vulnerable people in jails, said Dave Noble, Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan. But 40,000 people sitting in state prisons, as well as prison staff, their families, and communities, face the same threats, and their lives are just as important. She can save lives by acting now, but these disturbing reports prove that time is running out.

The ACLU also highlighted the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African Americans in Michigan, who make up 40% of COVID-19 deaths, but only 14% of the state population. Decades of unresolved systemic racism caused people of color to be incarcerated and face a higher risk of infection, the organization said.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

Read more on MLive:

Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine

Whitmer says shes disappointed in coronavirus stay-at-home protest, but supports free speech rights

Gov. Whitmer extends emergency child care services in Michigan during coronavirus crisis

4 corrections officers at private prison in Baldwin have coronavirus

Oakland County could use ice arenas to store coronavirus victims bodies

Support cant come quickly enough say mid-Michigan small businesses

Unemployment claims top 1M in Michigan as coronavirus closures continue
Alleging that coronavirus was genetically-engineered in a Wuhan lab, an Indian-American survivor of the deadly virus has urged President Donald Trump to seek compensation from China, running into trillions of dollars, for the thousands of deaths and harming the American economy.

"The unleashing of global death and suffering with the coronavirus, a plague upon all of us, is worse than Pearl Harbor, and given its deception, and later, cover-up, lack any semblance of Honor," Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra said in a letter to the president.

"On the established rules of law, China is at least guilty of negligence in proximately causing a world pandemic, where nearly two million people have suffered its pain and suffering, and nearly 122,000 souls have lost their lives and left their families damaged and fractured," he said in a letter dated April 14.

China owes us civil compensation - at least for negligence - a fair and reasonable amount, "which I recommend match our standard for 9/11, but no less than USD1 million dollars for every American who tested positive for Coronavirus, USD5 million for every American who died, and USD100,000 for every American who has to be 'locked down'," he said.

"I recommend, given the cover-up, which exacerbated the injury, pain and suffering globally, as well as avoidable deaths, that China's ownership of debts in every country - for example the USD1.2T in China's ownership of our T-Bills - be cancelled," Batra said.

In his letter, Batra charged China with hiding the actual source of coronavirus.

He also accused Beijing of ignoring "the fraudulent assertion" by the Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Czar that Wuhanan Seafood Market, with zero Bats, has any value to getting to the source."



China, it appears, is following an old playbook it developed in SARS outbreak, he alleged.

On Wednesday, Fox News, in an exclusive report, said COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bio-weapon, but as part of China's effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States.

This may be the "costliest government coverup of all time," one of the sources was quoted as saying by Fox

When asked about the Fox's report, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the administration is doing a thorough investigation of it. "More and more we're hearing the story...we are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation," Trump said in response to the question.

In his letter, Batra alleged COVID-19 has a reversed-engineered and grafted-on in a lab of the natural-to-bats "receptor-binding" domain structure, the "mushrooms" on the surface, of the "SARS-CoV".

"The natural 'mushroom' on the surface of 'SARS-CoV' is in a lab genetically added/spliced/grafted onto '2019-n-CoV' - which I have, from personal experience, called a Trojan Horse to have a friendly 'handshake', is in fact accurate biochemically - as 'receptor-binding' unlocks the human cell, and enters the human body much easier!" he alleged.

The SARS' 'Bat-SL-CoVZc45' and 'Bat-SL-CoVZXC21' - with its natural Bat-based 'mushrooms on the surface - did not enter humans," Batra said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
7 Fire on Timber Ridge Drive in Bay Terrace

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two women rescued from a house fire in Bay Terrace remain in critical condition on Wednesday, according to police.

The FDNY previously said that five people, including two firefighters, were injured in the blaze that started on Tuesday at around 2:48 a.m. in a townhouse complex at 296 Timber Ridge Drive.

A 64-year-old man, a 54-year-old woman and a 36-year-old woman were rushed to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze. The man remains in stable condition, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

Neighbors said the injured are a husband, wife and daughter who all live in that condominium.

The firefighters suffered minor injuries, the FDNY said previously.

City fire marshals will determine the cause of the fire.
Gov. Tom Wolf said he hasnt made up his mind about extending the states stay-at-home order.

Wolf spoke with the news media about the states efforts to suppress the coronavirus. The governor was asked if hell follow the lead of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced the stay-at-home order in the Empire State would remain until mid-May.

Pennsylvania is under a stay-at-home order through April 30 but Wolf didnt say if an extension was coming.

I dont have any plans along those lines yet, Wolf said.

Wolf said he understood Cuomos decision, but added, I have made no decision along those lines for Pennsylvania.

The governor said hes not ready to provide a date for when social distancing measures can be eased. Wolf said the state needs to develop metrics to decide when the state can move to the next phase. He said his administration is still working to define those metrics.

But he understands at some point, the public wants to know when that can happen.

Pennsylvanians need some certainty when we are going to be able to start to get back to life as we once knew it," Wolf said.

The governor fielded a host of questions in a 25-minute call with reporters.

Reopening businesses

Wolf explained his plans to veto measures that would allow more businesses to open their doors.

On Wednesday, the state Senate approved a bill that would allow more businesses to open their doors, sending the measure to Wolf. The governor intends to veto the bill. He also said hell veto another bill that would have allowed counties to decide on their own if businesses can reopen.

Wolf has said a mass reopening of businesses would endanger public health and also hurt the states economic recovery efforts.

This is not a time to start looking to open up, Wolf said.

Earlier today, the state Department of Health said more than 700 people have died due to the coronavirus and 27,735 cases have been reported statewide. Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said the curve is flattening.

We need to keep people safe, Wolf said. We are seeing real progress but I dont think its time to declare victory.

Wolf noted some businesses that are permitted to open have had to close due to a lack of workers showing up. There are employees who might not feel safe coming to work," Wolf said.

The governor has ordered the closure of businesses that arent deemed life sustaining by his administration. Republican lawmakers said they want to follow federal guidelines which would allow more businesses to open while still protecting employees and workers.

On Wednesday, the Wolf administration issued an order requiring shoppers and workers in stores to wear masks. The order takes effect Sunday.

Car dealerships

Wolf was asked if hed consider allowing car dealers to reopen.

Car dealers have been frustrated by the states order shutting down most businesses. Some auto dealers have said they could implement measures to operate safely, such as scheduling appointments and doing most work over the phone or online.

Theres no plan to reopen car dealerships, Wolf said, adding, Theres no reason to take our feet off the brakes.

Unemployment claims

Wolf was asked about the backlog of unemployment claims. More than 1 million people have filed unemployment claims since mid-March.

The governor said he wants to ensure people are no longer having to wait to submit claims or get paid. Many have said theyve endured lengthy waits to submit claims.

We have put more and more people into our call center so we can respond better, Wolf said.

We acknowledge we are not where we need to be. The wait time is entirely too long, Wolf said.

Moving hospital supplies

Wolf said he hasnt had to move hospital supplies from one facility to another. He issued an order allowing the Health Department to take equipment from facilities if necessary to send supplies to hospitals that need them.

The governor said hospitals and health systems have done a good job working with each other.

More from PennLive

Face masks are now mandatory in Pa.: Weve unpacked the order requiring everyone to wear one
Insurance premiums could rise by up to 16% if hundreds of people cancel their private health cover, an industry observer has warned.

An announcement is expected this afternoon from the main insurance companies on their plans for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, including Irish Life, Laya and VHI.

The measures could include rebates and some concessions for people forced to reduce their cover.

The Government's deal with private hospitals to operate as public facilities was seen as a key measure in the country's response to Covid-19. Some 2,000 beds, nine laboratories and thousands of staff have been drafted into the public system.

Dermot Goode from Total HealthCover.ie said this move, as well as the financial impacts of Covid-19 on people's incomes could lead to some of the 2.3 million people with private health insurance cancelling their policies.

"We're expecting increases of maybe 7% to 8% each year (and) that could be doubled if a lot of people are forced to cancel their private health cover," he said.

Of today's expected announcement, he added there were likely to be two areas of focus: "One is some level of rebate and the other could be concessions for people who have had no choice only to reduce their cover down."

Meanwhile, in a video posted to Twitter, Health Minister Simon Harris said some people who have paid private health insurance may get some money back because of the pandemic.

Go to 7.53 in the video below to see the Minister's comments on insurance:[i/]
Felicity Huffman is channeling her dysfunctional side for her new film Tammy's Always Dying.

The Desperate Housewives star plays a chaotic, alcoholic who comes to rely on her adult daughter after learning she has terminal cancer and is given only 'six to 10 months to live.'

Anastasia Phillips plays Huffman's overwhelmed daughter as she deals with her difficult dying mom in the dark indie comedy.

Parental guidance: Felicity Huffman plays a chaotic, alcoholic who comes to rely on her adult daughter after learning she has terminal cancer in Tammy's Always Dying

Tammy's Always Dying is the third project Huffman has released since her stint behind bars for the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.

The actress is seen crying, partying and sleeping off hangovers as she lives out her final days in the trailer for the Amy Jo Johnson directed film.

While she's always had to keep an eye on her substance-dependent mom, Tammy's daughter Catherine becomes her full time caretaker after learning the lush is dying of cancer.

Back at work: Tammy's Always Dying is the third project Huffman has released since her stint behind bars for the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal

Responsible one: Anastasia Phillips plays Huffman's overwhelmed daughter as she deals with her difficult dying mom in the dark indie comedy

Party animal: It's clear from the trailer that Tammy likes to have a good time

Long night? The actress is seen crying, partying and sleeping off hangovers as she lives out her final days in the trailer for the Amy Jo Johnson directed film

But she gets no love for it, as he prickly mother tells her: 'Taking care of me is the only thing youve ever been good at.'

In one scene she finds Tammy motionless and face down on the floor in her underwear.

Thinking the worst has happened, Catherine prods her mom only to jump when she comes to.

Stings: Catherine gets no love from her mother, who tells her 'Taking care of me is the only thing youve ever been good at'

Side effects: Tammy is seen dealing with side effects of chemo

Crisis: Mascara dripping down her face, you can tell Tammy isn't handling things great

Ruh oh: In one scene she finds Tammy motionless and face down on the floor in her underwear

'I thought you were...' Phillips character tries to explain.

'What? Dead? Don't look so excited,' her mom grumbles back.

As caring for her mom continues to take an emotional toll, Catherine even lashes out at her mother and wonders: 'Why wont you just die?'

Though harsh, Tammy responds with a cackle.

End of the road? 'I thought you were...' Phillips character tries to explain

Sobering up: In one scene she's seen pouring out her booze

Hold your horses: 'What? Dead? Don't look so excited,' her mom grumbles back

Critical acclaim: Felicity is already getting high praise for her performance in the film, with THR saying she 'fully embodies Tammy as a feral, aging mother with a sharp tongue'

Felicity is already getting high praise for her performance in the film, which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2019.

'Huffman fully embodies Tammy as a feral, aging mother with a sharp tongue,' wrote the Hollywood Reporter.

The film is her third release since her involvement with the college admissions scandal, preceded by the film Otherhood and the Ava DuVernay Netflix miniseries When They See Us.

Tammy's Always Dying is slated for release via video on demand on May 1, 2020.
New Delhi, April 16 : Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that this is not the time to fight with the government but give constructive suggestions in the fight against coronavirus.

While he said he differed with the Prime Minister, but said, "I don't want to get involved in 'Tu Tu Main Main' (blame game) as the country is fighting a tough battle against the virus and we will only be successful to contain it when everybody works together." "There should be no declaration of victory, it is a long fight. I disagree with PM Modi on a lot of issues but we have to unite and not fight. We have to defeat the virus together," said Rahul Gandhi.

"We are in a very serious situation, that is clear. I think all political parties and the people of India have to work together if we want to solve the problem and defeat the virus," Rahul said while addressing a press conference through video conferencing.

"It is possible that the structure of our democracy changes, but our priority is to defeat the virus," and we know how to bring the Democratic norms back," he said.

He suggested that the Prime Minister should listen more to the Chief Ministers.

"Our strength to fight Covid-19 is at state and district level. Success in Wayanad has been due to district level machinery. So, I suggest that the approach to fight against Covid should not be top-down but bottom-up. Prime Minister should empower states," Rahul added.

He said, "the Congress will give constructive suggestions, it's up to the government to listen or not to listen, but I don't want to be on credit hogging," Rahul said.

"Let's forget what has happened so far with testing. But we are in an emergency situation now. So all of India needs to fight this together. We have to work not by adopting weak methods but with a strategy." Lockdown allows time and space to put in medical resources, ramp up testing abilities, prepare hospitals, get ventilators. "A misconception that I want to clear is, in no way does a lockdown defeat the virus, it stops the virus for sometime," said Rahul.

Rahul Gandhi said that the government should think of the exit strategy and economic burden which is going to come in months. "Decide what your exit strategy would be after the lockdown," he said.

Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (https://compare-autoinsurance.org/) announces a new blog post, "What You Need to Know About Your Car Insurance in This Period of Coronavirus Outbreak" that explains how the current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the car insurance industry.

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The effects of the coronavirus for the car insurance industry are already quite severe. Many drivers are quite concerned about their abilities to pay their next insurance bills. Fortunately, many providers have understood the severity of the current situation and are offering payment relief, halting insurance cancellations, and providing online claims processing. Some of them are even providing partial premium refunds because many consumers aren't driving very much due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

No one could have anticipated the damages done by the current crisis. For his reason, the car insurance industry and the drivers are adapting and are making a few changes:

Failure to pay insurance premiums on time no longer leads to policy cancelation. Insurance providers and their regulators realize these aren't normal times due to the coronavirus outbreak. Insurance companies are offering new programs and procedures to assist drivers who may have suffered a job loss, reduced hours, or medical issues. Drivers who need assistance should contact their insurers for help and guidance.

Insurance providers and their regulators realize these aren't normal times due to the coronavirus outbreak. Insurance companies are offering new programs and procedures to assist drivers who may have suffered a job loss, reduced hours, or medical issues. Drivers who need assistance should contact their insurers for help and guidance. Car Insurance companies are offering extended grace periods. Given the current situation, most insurance providers are extending grace periods and halting cancellations for customers who can't make their payments. Many car insurance providers have announced case-by-case programs to assist customers who have financial troubles.

Given the current situation, most insurance providers are extending grace periods and halting cancellations for customers who can't make their payments. Many car insurance providers have announced case-by-case programs to assist customers who have financial troubles. Switching to a new insurer is not recommended. Drivers can't just simply switch to a new insurer and obtain cheaper premiums. However, in this involuntarily pause caused by the coronavirus outbreak, drivers can research their insurance options and check if they need to make changes to their coverages, insurance company, or deductibles.

Drivers can't just simply switch to a new insurer and obtain cheaper premiums. However, in this involuntarily pause caused by the coronavirus outbreak, drivers can research their insurance options and check if they need to make changes to their coverages, insurance company, or deductibles. Drivers who are no longer using their cars to drive to work can get a discount . Drivers should contact their insurers to see if they can dial back the declared mileage until the crisis is over. Many insurance companies have already announced automatic premium rebate programs.

. Drivers should contact their insurers to see if they can dial back the declared mileage until the crisis is over. Many insurance companies have already announced automatic premium rebate programs. Canceling coverage during this time should be avoided . Most drivers still need to drive their cars to grocery stores or to medical appointments. Cars can still get stolen or damaged by natural events like storms, floods, or tornadoes. Also, insurance providers don't like to see lapses in coverage, and they can raise their premiums after the crisis is over.

. Most drivers still need to drive their cars to grocery stores or to medical appointments. Cars can still get stolen or damaged by natural events like storms, floods, or tornadoes. Also, insurance providers don't like to see lapses in coverage, and they can raise their premiums after the crisis is over. The current crisis doesn't affect the ability to file a claim . While the coronavirus pandemic is no reason for affecting the driver's ability to file a claim and get the car repaired, this crisis can cause some delays. Most insurance providers are offering online claims portals where drivers can upload documents, photos of the vehicle, and any property damage. Also, claims adjusters may ask drivers to shoot videos that highlight vehicle damages, so they can appraise the damages remotely.

. While the coronavirus pandemic is no reason for affecting the driver's ability to file a claim and get the car repaired, this crisis can cause some delays. Most insurance providers are offering online claims portals where drivers can upload documents, photos of the vehicle, and any property damage. Also, claims adjusters may ask drivers to shoot videos that highlight vehicle damages, so they can appraise the damages remotely. Dealing with a collision or with a police stop has changed. Drivers should perform all of the duties that are required to do by law while trying to put as much distance between themselves and the other driver as possible. They can do that by placing their documents - driver's licenses, registration, and insurance cards - on the hood of their cars, then letting the other party photograph them with their smartphone, then doing the same with their documents. While being stopped by the police, drivers should do exactly what they are told to do.

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View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585389/Car-Insurance-Guide-for-Drivers-Affected-by-The-Coronavirus-Outbreak--What-Drivers-Need-to-Know-In-This-Difficult-Time
Its been a strange spring at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Normally bustling with field trips and families, the Newport attraction has been eerily quiet, save the barking of sea lions and chirping of birds.

This time of year, you hear children laughing, said Julie Woodward, spokeswoman for the aquarium. Its just weird to walk around the grounds and just to be here. None of that is happening.

Behind closed gates at animal-based attractions across Oregon, employees are still hard at work taking care of the thousands of critters who continue to swim, flap, climb and eat, even as businesses, schools and venues grind to a halt amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Most Oregon attractions have been closed to the public since mid-March, most shutting their doors even before Gov. Kate Brown issued her stay-home order and banned large public gatherings.

The governors order happened to come on the first day of Oregon schools spring break, normally a busy time for zoos, museums and tourist destinations.

At the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the loss of spring break revenue was a major hit, Woodward said. The Newport attraction has since furloughed about 80 percent of its employees, leaving a skeleton crew of 26 to care for the animals, as well as 30 senior staff to manage the business.

The staff is feeding, cleaning, giving vitamins and then doing any veterinary care when necessary, work thats usually aided by more than 400 paid staff and volunteers, Woodward said. Theyre working extremely hard.

And while the aquarium has cut back on expenses during the closure, its still expensive to care for all its animals.

A single otter costs about $18,000 a year to feed, Woodward said, while a sea lion costs about $11,000 a year. Some animals, like octopus, only eat a few times a week, but others eat three times a day.

We have over 15,000 animals we still have to feed and take care of every day, and that doesnt change if our doors are open or closed, Woodward said.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium, like several other attractions, gets some money from private donors that can help keep the operation up and running. But the loss of admission revenue, cafe sales and other sources of income have been gutting, Woodward said. From mid-March to mid-May the aquarium expects to lose more than $2.8 million.

Its been a similar struggle at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, home to more than 2,500 animals, including elephants, primates, big cats and birds.

Metro, which operates the Oregon Zoo, cut 40 percent of its overall staff in March, which translates to 45 full and part-time employees, or 25% of its staff. The zoo also laid off 262 temporary or seasonal staffers.

Staff are still caring for the zoos animals, albeit with more precautions. The zoo had already required social distancing and N95 masks between people and primates, but extended the practice to all mammals following the reported COVID-19 infection of a tiger at the Bronx Zoo.

The Oregon Zoo has also modified existing work areas and schedules to limit overlap between employees, a practice the Oregon Coast Aquarium has also adopted.

No animals at the zoo have shown symptoms of the virus and no employees have been diagnosed with it, the zoo said Wednesday.

While the temporary closure has been distressing, the zoo is taking the opportunity to research how animals behavior changes without the presence of visitors, deputy director Sheri Horiszny told The Oregonian/OregonLive last week Staff will observe animals through in-person interactions and video monitoring, and will measure and compare endocrine or hormonal changes in the animals.

Its not often that we get to measure in a zoo with no visitors, Horiszny said.

An otter gnaws on a fish at the High Desert Museum near Bend. The museum received a donation of 1,400 pounds of trout after closing amid the coronavirus pandemic.High Desert Museum

Closures have also hit smaller operations in Oregon like the High Desert Museum near Bend, which cares for 150 animals including birds of prey, otters, turtles and porcupines, in addition to its exhibits on arts, culture and history.

Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the museum, said theyre managing well enough for now, but there is concern about the near future.

When we get out of the next couple of weeks, couple of months, its going be a really challenging time, she said. Were going to need to innovate and be a different museum.

Already the High Desert Museum is changing the way it serves the community of central Oregon. Field trips, which can bring 1,500 students a week to the museum, are now going virtual, offering students a chance to see exhibits from home. Museum educators are also learning how to connect with kids from afar.

Like the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the High Desert Museum also spends a lot to take care of its animals, including about $2,000 a month in food. Though the museum did receive a little help this spring.

The Central Oregon Sportsmans Show, which was scheduled to take place March 12-15 in Redmond, donated 1,400 pounds of trout to the museum after organizers had to cancel the event. Originally destined for a fishing pond, the fish now fills a freezer behind the museum and is being used to feed its animals during the closure.

The otters love trout, Whitelaw said. Good for us, bad for the fish.

With the museum closed, staff are taking the opportunity to do landscaping and make repairs that theyd been putting off, including fixing a leaky turtle tank thats been at the museum since 1982.

More solitary by nature, the eagles and owls don't seem to mind the extra peace and quiet these days. More social animals, like otters, have been craving human interaction.

Whitelaw works at the museum only a couple days a week, but when shes there she said she likes to have her lunch down at the otter habitat. Those visits are good for the animals, she said, but theyve also been healing for her.

Otters are charismatic and engaging and have such joy and play in their lives, which is exactly what all of us need right now to see, Whitelaw said. You just cant help but honor that type of approach to the world right now. And I think that thats a wonderful way to be a little more present in this time.

--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Henry H. Moomaw III will join USOSM as CFO, effective immediately. Im excited to join USOSM. Its a dynamic team with a lot of opportunity for growth, and the business model provides great value for the surgeon partners and practices. I look forward to being a key part of delivering that value and growth.

U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM)  a specialty management services company headquartered in Irving, Texas, that exclusively serves premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons  has named Henry H. Moomaw III as chief financial officer, effective immediately. As CFO, Moomaw will be an integral part of the executive management team.

Im excited to join USOSM, says Moomaw. Its a dynamic team with a lot of opportunity for growth, and the business model provides great value for the surgeon partners and practices. I look forward to being a key part of delivering that value and growth, and will be working closely with the rest of the executive management team, our surgeons and our equity partners.

Moomaw has more than 25 years of financial leadership experience and has spent the past 20 years working with private equity-backed companies as they grew and advanced to recapitalizations, sales and IPOs. Previously, Moomaw served as CFO for Excalibur Resources and TEAK Midstream in the energy sector, where he led both companies through sales initiatives. Prior to that, he spent 13 years as VP controller for Animal Health International, where he led accounting efforts in support of the companys IPO. Moomaw also served as controller for Fireboard Corp, assistant controller for Hadson Corp, a senior analyst for Electronic Data Systems and an auditor with Arthur Andersen.

Henry Moomaw is a seasoned financial executive and a highly effective leader, who is able to motivate employees, and establish and improve financial controls and processes to drive improvements and increase value for all. Were honored that he has joined our team, notes Richard Hall, USOSM president and CEO.

In addition, Moomaw is skilled in mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt sourcing, risk management and system conversions. He is a CPA in the state of Texas and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Moomaw has served on a number of company and community boards and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM has partner practices spanning six states: Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Minnesota and Alabama. A shared services organization, USOSM collaborates with premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons to offer a partnership solution for continued and accelerated practice success. USOSM provides operational, marketing and administrative support services, reinvests resources, and applies best practices to improve clinical and financial performance and produce steadier, more profitable growth for all.
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Epidemiologists have predicted that the final death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic in the US could have been 90 percent lower than is currently projected if the government had enforced social distancing two weeks earlier than they did.

Currently, 60,000 people are predicted to die across America from the virus by mid July. Social distancing began officially across the country on March 15.

But two scientists writing for The New York Times on Wednesday have suggested that if it had begun a week earlier, on March 9, the final death toll projection would be 22,000 - some 6,000 fewer than have already died.

If it had begun the week before that, on March 2, they say the death toll would have just been 6,000 - which is around half of the people who have already died in New York alone.

As of Thursday, 28,585 people have died in America from the virus and more than 600,000 are infected.

Scientists predict that if the US had begun social distancing sooner, the projected deaths would be far less than they are now

There are now questions over how much the White House knew about the risk the virus posed and whether or not officials, including President Trump, ignored recommendations to shut the country down early.

The scientists used data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at The University of Washington.

They used the actual rate of growth and change in projections and applied that to the weeks before schools were closed and groups of 10 or more were banned to reach their figures.

They note that while they are not 'absolute', what is crucial is that had social distancing been implemented sooner, many more would have lived.

'The absolute numbers are largely beside the point.

'No model is a crystal ball, and there is far too much uncertainty in the trajectory of the U.S. epidemic to conclude that a certain prediction will be borne out.

'What matters more is the relative effect of moving earlier rather than later in trying to contain the spread.

'The relative effects of moving earlier necessarily depend on the assumed rate of growth, but the general conclusion is the same: Earlier is better,' Britta L. Jewell and Nicholas P. Jewell, the scientists, wrote.

Trump has insisted that he handled the pandemic response perfectly by closing the border to China before any other country.

He has vehemently denied a scathing New York Times article which cites sources claiming the administration was warned in November that the virus was far deadlier than the world was expecting.

It has since been claimed that it did not originate in a wet market - as has been the story told by Chinese officials from the beginning - and that it escaped from a lab.

Trump has also been criticized by other governors for seeming to prioritize the economy over human life.

They slammed him for not initiating a national lockdown, leaving it down to them to close down their states, but for now saying he wants to decide when they will reopen.

Mike Pompeo demands truth from Beijing as US investigates if COVID-19 escaped from Wuhan lab during experiments and China covered it up by blaming 'wet' food markets

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has demanded that China 'come clean' following reports that coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory, not as a bioweapon, but as part of bungling experiments to prove that Chinese scientists were superior to Americans in identifying emerging virus threats.

It comes after President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab.

After word of the outbreak finally became public, Chinese leaders were quick to blame Wuhan's 'wet market' where wild animals -- though not bats -- are sold for consumption, leading one source to tell Fox News the debacle is the 'costliest government coverup of all time.'

'Patient zero' worked at the Wuhan lab, and spread the virus into the local population after leaving work, sources who had been briefed on intelligence told the outlet.

China has refuted claims that the virus may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.

'What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' Pompeo told Fox News on Wednesday evening. 'We know there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was. There is still lots to learn. The United States government is working diligently to figure it out.'

Workers are seen next to a cage with mice (right) at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in a file photo. US officials reportedly believe coronavirus first crossed over to humans inside the lab

Asked about the new allegations at a White House press conference on Wednesday, Trump replied cryptically: 'More and more, we're hearing the story.'

'We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened,' Trump said.

Asked if he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said: 'I don't want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just don't want to discuss, it's inappropriate right now.'

Pompeo said in the interview that 'one of the best ways they [China] could find to cooperate would be to let the world in and to let the world's scientists know exactly how this came to be; exactly how this virus began to spread.'

'[There were] a lot of cases [and] a lot of movement; a lot of travel around the world before the Chinese Communist Party came clean about what really transpired there,' the secretary of state continued. 'These are the kinds of things that open governments [and] democracies don't do. It's why there's such risk associated with the absence of transparency. We need it still today.'

The Wuhan lab is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility, and has long been eyed with suspicion as scientists try to determine how the deadly virus crossed over into humans.

However, suspicion of the lab was quickly dismissed as a 'conspiracy theory' by some who insisted, like the Chinese leadership, that a wild animal market must have been the source.

Although the earliest confirmed case in Wuhan was a person who had no connection to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, Chinese officials quickly pinned the blame on the market, a talking point that was eagerly repeated by the World Health Organization.

'A large proportion of the initial cases in late December 2019 and early January 2020 had a direct link to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan City, where seafood, wild, and farmed animal species were sold,' the WHO website says about the possible origins of the pandemic, while acknowledging the exact source of the outbreak has not been determined.

'Many of the initial patients were either stall owners, market employees, or regular visitors to this market. Environmental samples taken from this market in December 2019 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, further suggesting that the market in Wuhan City was the source of this outbreak or played a role in the initial amplification of the outbreak,' the WHO says.

Chinese President President Xi Jinping waited six days to warn the public after learning of the deadly outbreak in Wuhan that has gone on to kill 130,000 around the world

Though scientists say that genetic evidence indicates the virus was not artificially engineered, likely originated in bats, and probably crossed over to a human in a single event, there is nothing in the genetic data to indicate exactly where and how the virus first crossed to humans.

Official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the Wuhan lab, including that it was conducting risky studies on pathogens in the coronavirus family in bats, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The cables warned about safety and management weaknesses at the lab and proposed more international assistance.

The Wuhan lab was originally set up with assistance from the French and American governments, but in recent years the Chinese have rebuffed international assistance there and tried to prove their ability to work independently.

After the coronavirus outbreak began, officials at the lab destroyed samples of the virus, erased early reports, and suppressed academic papers, sources told Fox News.

China is refuting allegations that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.

Officials at the Wuhan lab have previously dismissed any allegation that the virus emerged from the facility, calling them baseless conspiracy theories.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian cited the head of the World Health Organization and other unidentified medical experts as saying there was no evidence that transmission began from the lab and there was 'no scientific basis' for such claims.

'We always believe that this is a scientific issue and requires the professional assessment of scientists and medical experts,' Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday.

'Only with reasonable response can the international community win this fight,' Zhao said. 'China will continue to work together with other countries to help and support each other.'

China has also strongly denied claims it delayed reporting on the virus outbreak in Wuhan late last year and underreported case numbers, worsening the impact on the U.S. and other countries.

On Wednesday, it emerged that top Chinese officials waited six days to warn the public after becoming aware that a viral outbreak was causing a rash of deadly pneumonia cases in Wuhan.

In the meantime, residents in Wuhan hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people, and millions began traveling for Lunar New Year celebrations.

President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day after top Communist Party leaders learned of the outbreak, January 20.

In the meantime, the Chinese government arrested or silenced doctors and citizens in Wuhan who tried to speak out about the disturbing new outbreak.

Even the mayor of Wuhan suggested in an interview with Chinese state television that Communist Party leadership prohibited him from warning the public until January 20.

By the time Xi issued the public warning, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence, according to internal documents and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data.

The delay from January 14 to January 20 by the first country to face the new coronavirus came at a critical time - the beginning of the outbreak.

China's delay set the stage for a pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people and taken more than 133,000 lives worldwide.

'This is tremendous,' said Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient. We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhans medical system.'

Experts say that Chinas rigid controls on information, bureaucratic hurdles and a reluctance to send bad news up the chain of command muffled early warnings.

The punishment of eight doctors for 'rumor-mongering,' broadcast on national television on January 2, sent a chill through the citys hospitals.

'Doctors in Wuhan were afraid,' said Dali Yang, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Chicago. 'It was truly intimidation of an entire profession.'

Without these internal reports, it took the first case outside China, in Thailand on January 13, to galvanize leaders in Beijing into recognizing the possible pandemic before them.

It was only then that they launched a nationwide plan to find cases - distributing test kits, easing the criteria for confirming cases and ordering health officials to screen patients.

They also instructed officials in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, to begin temperature checks at transportation hubs and cut down on large public gatherings. And they did it all without telling the public.

The Chinese government has repeatedly denied suppressing information in the early days, saying it immediately reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization.

'Those accusing China of lacking transparency and openness are unfair,' foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to media during a press conference in the Blue Room at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 3, 2020. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Restrictions to Remain in Place at Least 4 Weeks: Australian PM

Australias CCP virus restrictions will remain in place for at least four weeks until three criteria are met, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said after a meeting with National Cabinet the morning of April 16.

The three criteriawider testing, contact tracing with an app, and plans for local lockdowns to combat outbreakswill need to be in place before restrictions related to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, begin to ease.

In about a month from now there will be changes to the baseline restrictions that we put in place a few weeks ago, Morrison said. When we have in place the broader testing regime surveillance, the automated contract regime in place, and we have scaled out our capacity to respond to outbreaksthat is what we are looking to do in the next four weeks.

But the prime minister said social distancing measures would remain in place for the foreseeable future while a vaccine is unavailable.

When it comes to the specific economic restrictions that have been put in place, after the next month then there will be the opportunity to review that and potentially make some changes, he said.

Some Australian states and territories who have gone beyond the baseline restrictions could relax some of their tighter restrictions, Morrison said. State and federal governments would also look at restarting high-value, low-risk economic activity in mid-May if those goals can be met.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said Australia must hold the course while the health system was readied for the worst of the disease.

Our numbers are looking very encouraging at the moment, Murphy said. We cant afford to do relaxation until we have a public health system which is so finely tuned that it can detect and respond to any outbreak, Murphy said.

Despite a modest rise of 0.1 percent in Australias unemployment rate, Morrison warned Australians to prepare for some very sobering economic news at the other end of the pandemic.

To make sure we can achieve growth that will be necessary for our economy to get people back into work, economy back on track, it will be a different world on the other side of the virus and there will be many challenges.

Morrison added that Australia was now in the suppression phase of the response, which will last for some time.

Restrictions will be reviewed regularly and planning for the medium to long-term has begun. Over the following months further enhancements of the public health response capability will be implemented to allow future considerations of some relaxation of distancing measures, Morrison said.

Morrison said that Australia was not in an eradication mode nor are we in the other mode where we would just see some sort of herd immunity approach, these are not the approaches we are following in Australia.

We are not at the Sweden end, nor are we the New Zealand end when it comes to how were approaching things.

As of April 16, there are 6,468 cases of the CCP virus and 63 deaths in Australia. More than half have recovered.

We want to send the very clear message that we are well ahead of where we thought we might be at this point, Morrison said.

National cabinet will meet again on April 21 to discuss easing restrictions on elective surgeries.

Parliament is not scheduled to resume until August, but Morrison said he would be talking to Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese about having a trial week of Parliament in May.

The Australian Associated Press contributed to this report.
Matt Hancock has been told care workers need more than a pat on the head after offering employees across the sector a new brand on par with the NHS as a way to mitigate the strain of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

As part of a new range of policies aimed at supporting care workers during the coronavirus crisis  including Covid-19 testing for both service users and staff, and access to protective equipment  Mr Hancock also unveiled a new brand for social care across the UK.

Referring to a lapel pin with the word CARE on it, which he said the government intended to make available to workers across the country, he said: This badge will be a badge of honour in a very real sense, allowing social care staff proudly and publicly to identify themselves, just like NHS staff do with that famous blue and white logo.

I know that many businesses will want to offer the same recognition and benefits as they do wonderfully to the NHS.

However officials from charities, unions and the world of politics have all hit out at the scheme, saying the minister would do better to ensure higher wages and more protective equipment for staff.

Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart  DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe  Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

Rehana Azam, national officer of the GMB union, said care workers need more than a badge and a pat on their head to define their precious role in society.

They need the protective equipment and testing on the frontline now to protect their lives. Ministers should be moving mountains to support our care sector to get the kit workers need available where and when they need it, she added.

Meanwhile Edel Harris, CEO of the learning disability charity Mencap, said that beyond well-meaning gestures, the sector would much prefer to see funds available so that the hard working frontline social care workforce can be given a pay rise on a par with the NHS to really value the incredible work they do.

Opposition politicians were also quick to criticise the measure. Andy Burnham, Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, tweeted in response: Of all the things that long-suffering social care staff in England most need, I would put a badge close to the bottom of the list, while MP Barbara Keeley wrote: A badge for social care staff? They need PPE, testing, decent pay and conditions and proper recognition of the vital role they do. But a badge?

Questions have also been raised over how new the policy is. The pin, worn by the health secretary during his press conference, was first rolled out by independent care home body Care England in June last year to similarly galvanise the sector.

Plans for the care sector set out by Mr Hancock also include strengthening recruitment efforts to get tens of thousands of more staff into the profession, with the government offering to pay for initial induction training.

Everyone knows the job isnt easy, whether supporting people of working age, who are some of the most vulnerable in society, or supporting people and their families with dignity at the end of their lives, but I know what a fulfilling profession it is and I know that many will answer our call, he added.
New Delhi [India], April 16 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that doctors will soon start the trial of plasma therapy to treat the coronavirus patients in the national capital.



Addressing a press conference he said, "The trial of plasma enrichment technique will start in the next 3-4 days. If successful, we can save the lives of serious COVID-19 patients."

He said that the Delhi government on April 14 had sought permission from the central government for the trial and today we have been approved for the same.

Divulging on other issues he said, "Food has been distributed to 71 lakh ration cardholders and 15 lakh people have already applied for the ration card."

"We are providing cooked food to 10 lakh people on a daily basis," he added. (ANI)
Berlin: German authorities said police arrested four suspected members of the Islamic State group alleged to be planning an attack on American military facilities.

Federal prosecutors said the suspects were arrested by tactical police units early on Wednesday, Berlin time, at various locations in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

They identified the men as Azizjon B, Muhammadali G, Farhodshoh K and Sunatullokh K - all citizens of Tajikistan. The suspects' surnames weren't released for privacy reasons.

Police arrested four people suspected of planning a terrorist attack in Germany. Credit:Getty Images

The men's alleged leader, a 30-year-old Tajik man identified only as Ravsan B, has been in jail since March 2019 on unspecified charges.
This article by Jared Keller originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues.

A Navy veteran who was the subject of a months-long domestic terrorism investigation allegedly planned on bombing a hospital due to his fears over the government's response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to court documents.

Timothy Robert Wilson, 36, died following a March firefight with FBI agents at his home in Belton, Missouri, after law enforcement agents attempted to arrest him on suspicion of plotting an attack against a Kansas City-area hospital.

Wilson enlisted in the Navy in July 2002, serving aboard the destroyer McCampbell and rising to the rank of culinary specialist 3rd class (E-4) before his separation in February 2006.

His awards included the Navy "E" Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon.

Wilson ended up on the FBI's radar after communicating with Army Pfc. Jarrett Williams Smith, a 24-year-old Fort Riley, Kansas, soldier charged this past September with sending instructions on how to make bombs triggered by cellphones over social media.

According to newly unsealed court documents reviewed by the Kansas City Star, Wilson planned on detonating a vehicle filled with explosives in the parking lot of the Belton Regional Medical Center in Cass County, visiting the site of the planned attack with an undercover FBI agent two days before his death.

While Wilson expressed a "racial, religious and anti-government animus" that alarmed the FBI prior to his planned attack, he apparently grew "more concerned" about the government's response to COVID-19 one week after Missouri reported its first cases of the virus on March 8, accelerating his timeline and settling on the medical center as his target.

From the Kansas City Star:

"[Wilson] messaged the confidential informant and the FBI agent, telling them to delete 'everything you have from me' if martial law goes into effect, which was widely rumored as federal and state governments started to contemplate stay-at-home orders and other measures to slow the spread of the virus.

"Wilson said he knew people who had gotten out of the military who had been called back.

"'That is not a good sign,' Wilson told the confidential informant. The informant told the FBI that Wilson was serious during a subsequent phone conversation -- no joking, no laughing.

"On March 18, Wilson told the undercover agent that they needed to accelerate their timeline. The agent said he could be in town by the weekend of March 21.

"Wilson said "hitting a hospital would be like prime target right now' before mentioning KU Hospital, given that coronavirus patients were going there but acknowledged he didn't know what security was like at the KCK hospital.

"'(W)e could drive around and kinda look at things, but I think right now with the way everything is going it could be prime time,' Wilson said, 'like I'd hate to wait til' April and then the worst-case scenario you know they've locked everything down tight where you can't travel and we miss the opportunity.'"

"Wilson considered various targets and ultimately settled on an area hospital in an attempt to harm many people, targeting a facility that is providing critical medical care in today's environment," the FBI said in a statement following Wilson's death in March.

Smith, the soldier who allegedly fed Wilson bomb-making materials, signed a formal plea agreement with prosecutors in February, per The New York Times. He faced up to 40 years in prison.

More articles from Task & Purpose:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 06:08:02|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock warned on Thursday that the world body will have to close 31 of its 41 aid programs in Yemen in a few weeks as a result of lack of funds.

"This means we will have to start eliminating many of the activities that may offer Yemenis' best chance to avoid COVID-19," Lowcock told the Security Council in a virtual briefing.

The UN Children's Fund will have to stop immediate assistance for families displaced by conflict or natural disasters. That means up to 1 million displaced people would not receive critical supplies, including hygiene items that help protect against diseases like cholera and COVID-19, he said.

Nutrition programs will also be cut, affecting 260,000 severely malnourished children and 2 million more children with moderate malnutrition. These children's immune systems will be weakened, making them much more vulnerable to COVID-19, cholera and other diseases, he warned.

People who do fall sick are likely to find fewer clinics to help them. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of health services provided through the response could stop at the end of April, said Lowcock.

"This could mean disbanding local health teams that have been essential in detecting and containing past disease outbreaks. We need these teams more than ever -- not just to keep on top of COVID-19, but to contain a growing risk that cholera will rebound as the rainy season starts."

The humanitarian community -- UN agencies, international NGOs and others -- believes that the world's largest aid operation cannot afford extended cuts during this unprecedented emergency, said Lowcock.

UN agencies estimate they need more than 900 million U.S. dollars to carry them through July for Yemen, he said.

He thanked Saudi Arabia for its pledge last week of 500 million dollars for the UN-led response and 25 million dollars for COVID-19 activities. He expressed the hope that these funds can be quickly disbursed so that the programs at risk can continue.

So far, the United Nations has received about 800 million dollars in pledges and contributions for the response in Yemen this year, compared with 2.6 billion dollars at this time last year, said Lowcock. "So I am urging all donors to pledge generously now and immediately release at least enough money to cover response operations through July. For operations beyond July, we understand some donors may choose to disburse the remainder of their pledges only after observing future developments."

Despite conditions on the ground, and the real threat to UN staff's safety and health, humanitarians are staying in Yemen and delivering. Some international staff were rotated outside Yemen when the airports closed several weeks ago. The rest remain in country and are working with their Yemeni colleagues to deliver critical aid programs during this difficult time, said Lowcock. "We have enough staff in the country to deliver critical programs. What we don't have is the money."

The humanitarian operation remains a lifeline for millions of Yemenis. Every month, more than 13 million people across the country get help, he said.

Humanitarian access faces serious impediments in Yemen, said Lowcock.

Precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 are not slowing down aid operations in a major way. But other restrictions imposed on staff and cargo movements, mostly in the north, continue to constrain humanitarian work, he said.

In the north, access challenges remain severe. Although Houthi authorities have approved 13 aid projects since early March, agencies still have 92 requests pending, including 40 that have been waiting for months to get started, he said.

Local officials still arbitrarily refuse missions, and humanitarian staff continue to experience severe movement restrictions in the field, he said.

There are problems in government-held areas as well, including bureaucratic impediments and insecurity. Humanitarian organizations are still waiting for government officials to approve 43 projects that would assist 2.3 million people. Many of those requests have been pending for months, said Lowcock.

Civilian casualties continue to rise, with more than 500 people killed or injured in the first quarter of the year. One in every three civilian casualties has been a child. In Al Jawf, where hostilities escalated in mid-January, that rate is now one in two, said Lowcock.

Since January, at least 60,000 people have fled conflict in Al Jawf and neighboring areas. Most of them have arrived in Marib, where more than 800,000 displaced people have sought refuge since 2016. If conflict expands deeper into Marib, more than 1 million people could suddenly be on the move, he warned.

Lowcock welcomed the recent moves toward a nationwide cease-fire, including the Saudi-led military coalition's announcement of a unilateral cease-fire in Yemen on April 8. "I urge all parties to join this effort, which is urgently needed not just to give Yemen a fighting chance against COVID-19, but to relieve the disproportionate burden of the war on civilians."

The Yemeni government confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the country on Friday.

More than five years of war have severely degraded Yemen's health infrastructure, exhausted people's immune systems and increased acute vulnerabilities. As a result, epidemiologists warn that COVID-19 in Yemen could spread faster, more widely and with deadlier consequences than in many other countries, said Lowcock. "We are, in other words, running out of time." Enditem
Silvana Bonino, a gynecologist at a private clinic in Barcelona, was heading to work on Tuesday when she discovered that her car had been spray-painted with the message infectious rat.

At first I couldnt believe it, I didnt understand. I was surprised and sad to be the target of this attack, she told the Spanish news agency EFE, which published a photo of the damaged vehicle. The car, which was parked in the communal parking lot of Boninos building, also had two punctured tires. The doctor returned home very upset and had to borrow her parents car to go to work. It was her husband who convinced her to report the incident to the Catalan regional police, the Mossos dEsquadra.

The head of the Barcelona College of Physicians (COMB), Jaume Padros, contacted Bonino on Wednesday to express his support, as did the lawyer for COMB, who indicated that the case could be considered violence against health workers.

I think it is despicable and I feel sorry for people like that, said Bonino. I have never had a problem with anyone. The doctor has said she did not know who was responsible but the saddest part is that it could have been a neighbor.

We want to ask you, for everyones sake, to look for another home Anonymous message left addressed to a supermarket worker

Bonino is not the only person to be targeted amid coronavirus fears. The day that Clara Serrano told her roommates she had the virus, her landlord told her she had to leave. He told me I was selfish because, working where I do, I knew I was going to get infected, says Serrano, who is a 31-year-old nurse from Spains east-central province of Cuenca. For more than a month, Serrano has been working in a Madrid ward for coronavirus patients. According to her, she always maintained a safe distance from her roommates. I decided to go to the kitchen only to cook and wash my clothes, and I was eating in my room, she explains.

On March 19, she began to experience symptoms and became stricter with her isolation measures. I began to use a separate bathroom, and we took turns using the kitchen, disinfecting it before and after, she says. However, four days later when she tested positive for Covid-19, the response was clear: You are going to have to go.

Hours later, she was forced to leave the apartment. A police patrol had to come and tell them that they couldnt throw me out, she says. But [the landlord] insisted that I go. Thanks to support from the nursing union Satse, she moved to Colon Hotel, which has been turned into a hospital for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms. She has been staying there ever since. I felt like it was an attack against the [nursing] collective, says Serrano. It seems there was another guy who had the same thing happen to him and was living in his car, with a fever, without a bed to sleep on. Many more arrived later on.

These actions have been condemned by Maria Pilar Allue, police commissioner and head of staff at the National Police. They are hate crimes. They are reportable, reprehensible and prosecutable [offenses], she said on Tuesday, during the daily press conference on the coronavirus crisis in Spain. The state of alarm, declared in a bid to slow the coronavirus outbreak, has confined most Spaniards to their homes since mid-March. Only essential workers such as doctors, nurses and supermarket cashiers, as well as some non-essential workers, have been allowed to continue going to their workplaces during this period.

Elena, a warden at a health center, found the door to her apartment sprayed with bleach. EL PAIS

A few weeks ago, Elena, a warden at a health center in Alcorcon in the Madrid region, found the door to her home covered in bleach. The 48-year-old suspects that it was the work of a neighbor whom she had clashed with just a few days earlier. I follow very strict cleaning measures, she explains by phone. I take off my shoes, I disinfect them and I have a shower before touching my children. The day of the argument, Elena had forgotten her boots outside her front door and this infuriated her neighbor, who told her she should be ashamed of herself. She told me that I was going to infect the whole building, and that I would have to disinfect the stairs and the common doorknobs, every time I came home, recalls Elena.

Elena never imagined that something like this would happen to her. When the neighbor rang her doorbell, she thought it was to ask her to buy something from the pharmacy or the supermarket, which she had offered to do when the lockdown first came into effect. They are an elderly couple and they shouldnt be coming and going, explains Elena, who says she understands her neighbors fear and feelings of helplessness. What would happen if she decides to take it up a notch and spray me with the bleach instead? she asks. This virus is not just a cough. It is bringing to light the darkest side of people.

In the case of Jesus, a 28-year-old medical graduate who is doing his residency at the La Mancha general hospital in the province of Ciudad Real, a note was left on his door. It read: Hello neighbor. We know of your good work at the hospital and it is appreciated, but you also have to think about your neighbors. There are children and seniors here. There are places like [Hotel Insula] Barataria [in the town of Alcazar de San Juan] that are housing professionals. While this lasts, I ask that you consider it. Jesus saw the message when he came home after working 12 hours at the hospital. He was not expecting it. You arrive exhausted from work, and of course seeing that on my door made me sad, he says.

Jesus sent a photo of the note, which his mother shared on Facebook. Hours later he was flooded with messages. I still have messages of support that I have not replied to. They have invited me to dinners, they have put up a sign that says A hero lives here on the front door, says Jesus, who is from Tenerife in Spains Canary Islands. The mayor of Alcazar de San Juan, Rosa Melchor, even went to the hospital on Sunday to hand Jesus a letter of appreciation. I want that to be what I take away from all this. And to think that the person who wrote [the note] did so out of the fear we all feel, he says.

The note addressed to Jesus, a medical resident at a hospital in Ciudad Real, asking him to move out (translation in article).

Miriam Armero, a supermarket worker from Murcia, was also targeted by her neighbors. They put up a sign with sticky tape on a mirror in the main entrance to the building. It read in capital letters: We are your neighbors and we want to ask you, for everyones sake, to look for another home while this lasts, because we have seen that you work at a supermarket and many people live here. We dont want any risks. Thank you. The message, like the one Jesus received, was anonymous. Shortly afterwards, Armero  whom EL PAIS was unable to reach for comment  put up her own note beside the sign. She asked for less applause at 8pm, and more empathy for the people who have to work and who have a family, in reference to the nightly applause for the efforts of essential workers who continue to do their jobs under the coronavirus lockdown.

The supermarket worker also responded to the note in a video she shared on Facebook. In the video, which has been seen more than 700,000 times, an emotional Armero says: I am not going to leave my home. I know perfectly well what I have to do when I arrive. I am the first to know that I cant give my son a kiss until I take off my clothes. She concludes: We are dealing with enough already with what we go through every day, to have to endure this as well.

English version by Melissa Kitson.
Some of Volkswagen's plants in Europe are to restart production next week.

The car manufacturer had ceased production at all its plants worldwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, production is to be resumed at the plants in Zwickau and Bratislava in Slovakia from Monday, April 20, with other plants in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Russia and the USA to restart production in the week from April 27.

Subsequently, in the course of May, production will be resumed successively in South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

Volkswagen Group Components had already started to resume production step-by-step at its plants in Brunswick and Kassel from April 6, followed by the components plants in Germany as well as the Polish plants, from April 14, to safeguard component supplies for vehicle production in China.

The auto giant said 32 of its 33 plants in China have now returned to production. No cases of coronavirus have been reported among the employees there.

Ralf Brandstatter, COO of the Volkswagen brand, said: With the decisions by the federal and state governments in Germany and the loosening of restrictions in other European states, conditions have been established for the gradual resumption of production.

Volkswagen has introduced measures to protect its employees health and short-time working is to continue at the carmaker's plants in Germany.

Andreas Tostmann, Board Member of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Production and Logistics, said: The health of our employees has the highest priority. We are providing safe workplaces and the maximum possible level of health protection with a 100-point plan.
Maybe youve binge-watched everything you ever wanted to see  twice.

Or maybe youre looking for something local to tide you over until you can go to live theater again.

The Omaha Community Playhouse and Pitch Pizzeria have an offer for you.

A Playhouse performance of Eminent Domain, a drama by Omahan Laura Leininger-Campbell, now will be available online.

And Pitch is offering two takeout meals you can eat while youre watching the plays premiere at 7:30 p.m. Friday. A link can be found at omahaplayhouse.com.

The world premiere of Eminent Domain was in August 2017 at the Playhouse. Its a riveting and fascinating story of a rural Nebraska family whose members are angrily divided over a proposed pipeline on their land, with a cast that includes some of the top actors in the city.
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Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 09:47 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd22fa93 1 World Jokowi,Indonesia,Russia,Vladimir-Putin,COVID-19,coronavirus Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo had a fruitful conversation over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, during which the two leaders talked about intensifying cooperation amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Russian Embassy in Jakarta confirmed the phone call took place through its official Twitter account @RusEmbJakarta on Wednesday, citing a previous statement issued by the Kremlin on Monday.

Vladimir #Putin had a telephone conversation with President of #Indonesia Joko #Widodo at the Indonesian sides initiative.



Two presidents confirmed their intention for close cooperation in the fight against the #coronavirus infection.



Source:https://t.co/wFdJaW9JMP pic.twitter.com/FmwwZIlmv2  Russian Embassy, IDN (@RusEmbJakarta) April 15, 2020

According to the statement, the phone call was initiated by Indonesia.

When discussing the coronavirus pandemic, the two presidents confirmed their intention for close cooperation in the fight against the infection," the Kremlin said.

"They agreed, in particular, to step up contacts between the healthcare ministries of Russia and Indonesia."

The Kremlin also said that Putin and Jokowi touched upon current issues of developing bilateral cooperation in other areas, though the statement did not mention any specific details about the matter.

Earlier this month, Moscow donated a package of medicines to Jakarta to help the Indonesian government fight the pandemic.

The Russian embassy said on its official Facebook page that the donation was the result of interactions between Moscow and with Indonesian Health Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Home Ministry, Antara news agency reported.

According to Worldometers data, Russia recorded 24,490 confirmed coronavirus cases with 198 fatalities as of Wednesday.

The number of cases is higher than Indonesia's official count of 5,136 cases, although the death toll is far lower than the 469 fatalities in Indonesia.

The Foreign Ministry said last week that Indonesia had so far received 58 foreign aid packages from foreign governments, international organizations, NGOs and the private sector.

The ministry said it would prioritize accepting seven kinds of medical equipment, namely personal protective equipment, N95 and surgical masks, rapid testing kits, viral transfer media (Dacron swabs), ventilators and RT-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing with reagent and thermometers (infrared and thermal).

The State Palace was not immediately available for a comment when asked on Wednesday about Jokowi's call with Putin. However, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah confirmed the call mainly revolved around cooperation during the pandemic.
COVID-19 testing is being expanded for residents of Bostons Roxbury, Dorchester and East Boston neighborhoods.

Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury started offering rapid testing to residents this week. Appointments can be made by calling the health center.

The East Boston Community Health Center expanded testing to residents at its Suffolk Downs site, as well as health care workers and others on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.

When the Suffolk Downs site first opened in March, officials conducted testing solely for first responders.

The Codman Square Community Health Center in Dorchester, which has been testing those who show symptoms and are considered high risk, will expand access to testing this weekend to more residents, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Wednesday during a news conference outside City Hall.

The Codman Square health center, along with the Whittier Street and East Boston health centers, received a grant from the Boston Resiliency Fund to continue testing.

Codman Square Health Center is grateful to the Boston Resiliency Fund for providing this grant to expand access to testing in our community, Sandra Cotterell, CEO of Codman Square Health Center, said in a statement. Based on initial data collected by the city of Boston, we know that COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting people of color and people living in certain neighborhoods. These funds will allow us, and other community health centers receiving grant funds, to ensure access to neighborhood-based testing, and identify ways to prevent spread.

Black and brown residents have been the hardest residents hit in Boston, as in cities across the U.S. On Wednesday, when the city reported 4,286 coronavirus cases, about 33% of those residents were white, 29% were black, 15% were Asian, 14% were Latino and 9% identified as other.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Boston now has 4,609 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Across Massachusetts, 29,918 people have tested positive. More than 1,000 people have died.

Altogether, 18 organizations received grants totaling $1.7 million from the Boston Resiliency Fund.

Six of the 18 organizations that received funds from the city reported seeing higher incidences of COVID-19 in their communities. These organizations also serve predominantly minority, working-class communities.

Those are the Bowdoin Street Community Health Center, Codman Square Community Health Center, DotHouse Health, Mattapan Community Health Center, Uphams Corner Community Health Center and Whittier Street Community Health Center.

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By Lisa Baertlein and Siddharth Cavale (Reuters) - Amazon's moves to reduce strain on its grocery businesses by putting new online shoppers on wait lists and switching more Whole Foods resources to filling orders, is unmasking limitations at the company that was expected to upend the supermarket industry. The coronavirus pandemic should be Amazon's moment to shine. Some 90% of U.S

By Lisa Baertlein and Siddharth Cavale

(Reuters) - Amazon's moves to reduce strain on its grocery businesses by putting new online shoppers on wait lists and switching more Whole Foods resources to filling orders, is unmasking limitations at the company that was expected to upend the supermarket industry.

The coronavirus pandemic should be Amazon's moment to shine. Some 90% of U.S. shoppers are under stay-at-home orders and Amazon.com Inc offers grocery delivery through its 487 U.S. Whole Foods stores.

Instead, Whole Foods has been overwhelmed. Amazon Prime subscribers, who pay $119 a year for free delivery, are having difficulty finding Whole Foods delivery windows, according to interviews with a dozen customers and numerous posts on social media. And when their orders do arrive, many desired products are unavailable, they say.

"I'm really surprised that they weren't able to scale for this. I was expecting them to perform better. It seems like more than anything Amazon is a supply-chain company," said Ellen Sullivan, 37, a Chicago-based office manager.

Sullivan was a regular Amazon food delivery user before COVID-19 spread widely in the United States. Her last successful order was March 12, and even then, 10 of the 27 items were sold out and had to be replaced.

"Now I'm sitting on 6 pounds of frozen corn," Sullivan said.

Amazon told Reuters the setbacks are due to the spike in demand and social distancing constraints in its facilities and stores.

Amazon has said it would hire an additional 75,000 people for jobs ranging from warehouse staff to delivery drivers and switched a California Amazon grocery store and a Manhattan Whole Foods to online-only as demand for orders surges.

Whole Foods said its distribution network is strong and that it is working with suppliers to overcome increased demand and supply chain constraints without compromising quality standards that "further limit the number of products we can source".

DISRUPTOR DISRUPTED

The world's biggest online retailer sent a shock through the stodgy U.S. supermarket business in 2017, when it bought Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. Some experts predicted that Amazon would hasten the move to online grocery shopping and doom traditional operators like Walmart Inc and Kroger Co.

But now Amazon is buckling under unprecedented COVID-19 supply-and-demand disruptions that sent the entire grocery industry scrambling to adapt. After expanding and speeding up Whole Foods delivery, the company is retrenching.

On Sunday Amazon told Reuters it would put new grocery delivery customers on a wait list and curtail shopping hours at some Whole Foods stores to focus on orders from existing online customers.

The company - which also delivers food from its own warehouses through Amazon Fresh - last month suspended its Prime Pantry delivery service for non-perishable groceries.

"They were separating themselves from the pack and that's not happening anymore. This doesn't happen to Amazon ... they don't screw up like this," said Bill Bishop, co-founder of supermarket consultancy Brick Meets Click.

Amazon inherited - and failed to address - many of the problems that are now plaguing its grocery business, a half dozen experts told Reuters.

In particular, they said the e-commerce giant with $55 billion on its balance sheet did not fortify Whole Foods' foundation, which relies on outdated technology, outside suppliers and real estate unsuited for the unprecedented surge in demand.

As a result, the chain's systems "creak very badly under the strain," Bishop said.

Walmart and Kroger are also fighting to keep in-demand products like flour, toilet paper and cleaning supplies on shelves, but their regular technology investments and tight control over supply chains have been a competitive advantage over Amazon and Whole Foods, experts said.

Those companies - the top two U.S. grocery sellers - operate fleets of trucks and own dozens of large warehouses, while Amazon is more apt to outsource.

Whole Foods depends on United Natural Foods (UNFI), a debt-laden grocery distributor, to supply dry grocery items like canned goods and toilet paper.

UNFI told Reuters it has "greatly increased" routes and hired over 1,000 employees to support clients.

REAL ESTATE RISKS

Whole Foods has 10 small regional warehouses for perishables like fruit, vegetables and meats. UNFI has a network of 59 distribution centers, which average about 500,000 square feet.

Walmart and Kroger, which have significantly more stores, have bigger distribution centers designed to swiftly move pallets of goods.

While a Walmart distribution center can deliver two full truckloads of goods to a store from a single driver, Whole Foods has difficulty digesting even one truckload, Strategic Resource Group managing director Burt Flickinger said.

Whole Foods' "center store was never the big money generator for them," supermarket analyst David Livingston said, referring to the area where dry groceries are sold.

Indeed, many stores have wine bars, hot food stations and cafes that made them popular gathering places but are of little use right now.

"They're (Whole Foods) a restaurant alternative. It's really tough," Livingston said.

(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in Bengaluru and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Krystal Hu in New York and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
With the economy reeling under the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Ashish Bhasin, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has sent a detailed set of recommendations on behalf of the members of AAAI to Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar. In this he has stressed the importance of advertising industry for the accelerated revival of the economy.

In a statement issued, it was pointed out how the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the pandemic has come at a huge economic cost. The Advertising Agency business, like many other businesses, has been seriously affected. The bulk of the agencys costs are fixed in nature, be it Salaries, Rent, Electricity, Communication, Upkeep, Media Audience measurement reports, etc. The income and cash flow has been in serious stress in the last month and unless there is some intervention, many businesses will either file for bankruptcy or will have to undersize considerably, the statement added.

AAAI acknowledged the move by INS and IBF, the media associations representing the interest of Print and TV respectively, to permit AAAI members to pay monies they have collected from their clients and not insist on what is due to them on the due dates. But the continuity of the agencies business cannot be for long without the help of the Government of India, the statement insisted.

Bhasin said, What we have asked the Government is very reasonable. We want principally money that is owed to us by way of IT & GST refunds, and dues from Government & PSUs for our advertising bills to be settled immediately. We have also said that any payment made to us should not suffer any TDS deduction going forward, since there is unlikely to be any significant profit for the year. Further, we have sought a direction to banks and our debtors that they provide the much needed cashflow to pay salaries and meet other essential expenses, etc.

He maintained that these measures would not lead to any revenue loss to the Government and affirmed that the timely help they will provide actually is the help they are providing to the people of India, since advertising is a critical input that can provide a ripple effect in reviving many sectors of the economy.

One other recommendation made is to treat advertising expenses as an investment and have this cost amortised over the next three years. AAAI believes this will encourage larger advertising outlay, which will help revive the economy faster. In the same vein, AAAI also suggested that advertising expenses could be given weighted deduction while computing taxes. The suggestion was that every Rs 100 spent on advertising, should be treated as Rs 200, while computing the taxable income.

AAAI urged the Government to look at the requests made with full earnest and urgency.
A Lagos based research platform, SBM Intelligence, has revealed that at least 979 deaths were recorded in Nigeria between January to March 2020.

On Tuesday, the organisation published a report titled Media Reported Killing in Nigeria, which showed killings from violent incidents, including attacks from Boko Haram, kidnapping, herdsmen, various militia, and communal clashes.

The project was in partnership with the civil society organisation, Enough is Enough.

The methodology of this report is simple  incidents recorded are those that were reported in three different verified national newspapers, Confidence Isaiah, a security analyst at SB Morgen Intelligence, told PREMIUM TIMES in a phone interview on Wednesday.

He said, The violence toll in various security trackers, the Council for Foreign Relationss Nigeria Security Tracker, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), and our own locally generated reports, is worse, Mr Isaiah said.

He added, But we opted to use only those reported in the media for the purposes of this report, which means that there are many incidents that we ignored.

The report, however, covers the numbers of fatalities across 30 states and the FCT, including the six geopolitical zones in the country. The report showed that a total of 113 security personnel with 77 soldiers, 26 Police officers, and 10 Naval officers were killed in three months.

The security report also recorded 249 deaths of terrorists and bandits.

Breakdown

According to the index, the northwest region got the highest number of recorded cases at 452 deaths between January and March; while the South-South, an oil-rich region that has faced issues of Niger-Delta Militants recorded the least recorded at 38 deaths.

The Northcentral region recorded 152 deaths, while the Southwest had 157 deaths.

For the other regions, the North-East, where millions have been displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency, the index showed a total number of recorded 162 deaths. While the Southeastern region recorded 118 deaths.

PREMIUM TIMES had also reported a London based research group, Conflict Armament Research (CAR) in January, that revealed arms used in the farmers/herders conflict in North-West Nigeria come from the same source as those used by the terror group, Al Qaeda, in Mali and other Sahel countries.

The Kaduna state recorded the highest number of deaths at 405, while Sokoto state, also from the northwest region recorded the least number of killings with one case only in three months.

Also in the report, Borno State recorded the second-highest number of deaths at 148; while Niger and Plateau states recorded 53 and 52 deaths respectively.

On Tuesday, the Taraba State Police Command confirmed that 25 persons were killed and several others injured in a bloody clash between Shomo and Jole ethnic groups in Lau Local Government Area of the state.

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, had since directed the Nigerian Army to join the police to flush out bandits from forests around the country, particularly in Plateau and Sokoto states.
At about 8 a.m., the Portage Police Department said it believed the inmates were headed toward Madison and were no longer in Portage.

Due to the escape, Portage Community School District meal deliveries Thursday were cancelled and will be held Friday instead, Superintendent Margaret Rudolph said.

Both inmates had escaped from custody before. Newman escaped from a supervised living facility in Jackson County on July 17, 2012, according to state Department of Corrections inmate records. He was located and placed in a supervised living facility July 24, 2012 in Florida and then returned to Jackson County in October 2013. He was eventually found guilty in Jackson County on felony charges of escape (sentenced to six years in state prison), kidnapping (sentenced to 25 years) and theft of movable property (sentenced to six years).

Newman was initially found guilty in Brown County in 2009 on six felony counts of discharging a firearm in a vehicle or building, according to online court records. His probation for these charges was revoked in 2011 and state Department of Corrections inmate records show that he had been imprisoned since 2011 and was at CCI since November 2018.
[April 16, 2020] US ITC: Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Finds No Infringement of Hanwha Q-Cells' Patent by REC Group

SAN MATEO, California, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 10, 2020, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issued an Initial Determination (Order No. 40) finding that REC Group's accused solar cells do not infringe the asserted claims of Hanwha Q-Cells' '215 patent. The ALJ's Initial Determination further confirmed that REC's N-Peak and Alpha solar cell technologies do not infringe the asserted claims of the '215 patent and would not be subject to any exclusion order sought by Hanwha Q-Cells. If Hanwha petitions for review of the ALJ's Initial Determination, the Commission has until May 27, 2020 to determine whether it will grant review. According to Steve O'Neil, CEO at the pioneering solar energy company, headquartered in Norway, "The order is a testament to REC's confidence that Hanwha Q-Cells' claims against REC are and have always been without merit." "REC is committed to remaining 'Solar's Most Trusted'. For more than 23 years, REC has been empowering homeowners, businesses, and communities around the world with clean and affordable solar energy via our inhouse invented, high-efficiency products. We will continue with that mission, even during these uncertain times surrounding COVID-19. With our broad precautionary measures, we are able to continue production ramp up of our most recent innovation, the REC Alpha Series. Our customers and partners can rely on us to bring new and exciting pioneering technology to the marke to support the global energy transitions," O'Neil said.



In October 2019, REC started production of its 60-cell REC Alpha panel at an annual capacity of 600 MW. Combining innovative heterojunction cell technology with advanced?interconnection technology and a patented panel design, the REC Alpha provides a significant power density of 217W/m2. In May 2020, REC is kicking off the production of the?Alpha 72-cell version.?REC's Alpha solar panels are perfectly suited for the rooftop segment?and ground mount installations with space restrictions where system costs can be greatly?compressed thanks to its high-power; helping to provide greater energy autonomy and combat climate change. High-resolution pictures available for download in REC's Image Gallery .

About REC Group: REC Group is an international pioneering solar energy company dedicated to empowering consumers with clean, affordable solar power in order to facilitate global energy transitions. Committed to quality and innovation, REC offers photovoltaic modules with leading high quality, backed by an exceptional low warranty claims rate of less than 100ppm. Founded in Norway in 1996, REC employs 2,000 people and has an annual solar panel capacity of 1.8 GW. With over 10 GW installed worldwide, REC is empowering more than 16 million people with clean solar energy. REC Group is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway, operational headquarters in Singapore, and regional bases in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Find out more at recgroup.com and on: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For further information please contact:

Agnieszka Schulze

Head of Global PR, REC Group

Tel.: +49 89 54 04 67 225

E-mail: [email protected] REC Solar EMEA GmbH

Leopoldstrae 175

80804 Munich, Germany

Managing Director: Cemil Seber

Court of Registration: Munich HRB 180306

VAT ID-No: DE266243545 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-itc-administrative-law-judge-alj-finds-no-infringement-of-hanwha-q-cells-patent-by-rec-group-301041733.html SOURCE REC Group

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Popstar Rihanna, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and rapper Jay-Z have announced that they will be donating USD 6.2 million towards coronavirus relief efforts, both in the US and abroad.

The grant from Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation, Dorsey and Jay-Z'sShawn Carter Foundation (SCF) will be distributed among 11 organisations.

The funds will also be used to provide shelter, food and healthcare services to homeless youth in New Orleans, to building virus testing capacity across the Caribbean and to the set-up of ICUs, hospital beds and isolation units in sub-Saharan Africa, among others.

In a statement, the Clara Lionel Foundation released the list of organisations that will be receiving the grants. These include Doctors Without Borders, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, the Mayor's Fund To Advance New York City and Covenant House New Orleans.

A grant will go to the Hispanic Federation for "triage shelters, supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for a network of over 20 clinics across Puerto Rico".

Previously, Rihanna and Dorsey had donated USD 4.2 million to help victims of domestic violence in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
From Broadway to Syracuse and all over the world, theaters remain dark due to social distancing orders during the coronavirus pandemic. Syracuse Stage has announced that two shows originally scheduled for this spring, will move to dates in September.

The Tony Award winning musical Once will move to Sept. 16-Oct. 4. Single tickets for Once will be on sale again beginning July 25. Also moving to September is the Cold Read Festival of New Plays, playing Sept. 22-27. Both remain part of the currently suspended 2019-2020 season.

New comedy Yoga Play, slated to close the 2019/2020 season will replace Eureka Day in the 2020-2021 season line-up, playing Mar. 3-21, 2021. Artistic director Robert Hupp said he hopes to produce Eureka Day in a future season.

Above all, our focus is on the health and safety of our patrons, artists and staff, Hupp said. Consequently, we believe our amended season plan offers the best path forward for Stage and our audiences. Moving Once into the fall and Yoga Play into the new season assures our patrons of excellent theatrical experiences as we conclude our 47th season and move seamlessly into our 48th.

The theater will be contacting patrons concerning their tickets for rescheduled shows.

Syracuse Stage had to abruptly end their three week run of Amadeus after just one night due to COVID-19, but through the help of WCNY, they were able to offer a video of the production through pay-per-view. Although Syracuse Stage has temporarily suspended all performances, the production crews are still at work behind the scenes  constructing masks for medical personnel at Upstate Medical University and Crouse Health.

Making Masks for Local Hospitals Although Syracuse Stage, like theaters around the country, has temporarily suspended performances, the production crews are still at work behind the scenesconstructing masks for medical personnel at Upstate Medical University and Crouse Health. Members of the scene, costume, and props departments are working at home to produce masks following specifications determined by medical practitioners. Posted by Syracuse Stage on Monday, March 23, 2020

Their annual live gala originally scheduled for April 24 will now be a virtual event including a silent auction on June 12. Tickets for the gala are available online.

A full six show season has already been announced for 2020-2021 and plans are proceeding to go ahead with it.

Our art form brings people together to share uplifting and inspiring experiences, Hupp said. We cant do that right now. But were working every day to ensure that were ready to go when the time is right.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

A Syracuse bicycle shop was threatened as 'non-essential; heres how it found a way to stay open

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com
For all those living in the Seattle region hunkering down in their homes, there is new evidence that social distancing is reversing coronavirus infection rates, a green shoot of hope in this frightening spring of 2020.

After analyzing results of more than 25,000 nasal swab tests taken in hospital emergency rooms and daytime clinics in the greater Seattle area, researchers have found compelling evidence that COVID-19 infections in the heart of Washington states outbreak peaked roughly on March 28 and are now in steady decline.

At that apparent apex of infections, about 13% of those tests taken outside of hospitals were coming back positive. If that downward trend  and rigorous physical distancing  continues, researchers predict that by mid-May as few as 2% of tests in the region will be positive.

This is the first objective data that suggests the incidence of infection appears to be decreasing here, said Dr. Larry Corey, past president and director of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a professor in its Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division and an author of the unpublished study.

Its gratifying to see that the sacrifices people are making are having results, he said. I want to thank the people of this region, the governor and the mayor for how they have responded to this crisis.


The Bengal government on Thursday said three more deaths due to Covid-19 had been confirmed by its audit committee comprising of five doctors, taking the toll in the state to 10, while 24 new cases were detected since Wednesday.

Chief secretary Rajiv Sinha said Kolkata and Howrah figured in the red zone earmarked by the Union health ministry. Red zones indicate that the number of cases (in the area) is doubling in four days. Many districts are in the orange zone, he added.

Sinha said there are 144 active Covid-19 cases in Bengal on Thursday while 3,811 people had been tested for the infection till date. On Wednesday, the figure stood at 3,470, he said.

I cannot understand why the media is biased towards the Centre and is comparing data on different parameters. Rest assured there are no lapses on the part of the state government. The state and the Centre work together, Sinha said at a press conference at Nabanna, the state secretariat, when he was asked whether door-to-door survey was being done following guidelines of the Union health ministry. He was speaking in the presence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Agitated by repeated complaints on unavailability of rice and other items at fair price shops, which triggered agitations and road blocks in several districts, Banerjee on Thursday pulled up the civil supplies department and transferred Manoj Agarwal, its secretary. She announced this at the press conference.

There was disruption in supply in around 10 per cent places in the state. We will appoint a new secretary. The ration shop owners were not ready for this crisis. Also, many of them do not have enough space to stock up a months quota of ration for enlisted beneficiaries in that area. I have asked the administration to use the premises of local community clubs to disburse ration. As announced, we will give five kg rice to all those who are needy along with pulses. People will get ration for six months free of cost, said Banerjee.

Let me make it clear that this is government-supplied ration and not anyones personal property, the CM said in a veiled threat to Trinamool Congress workers in some districts who have been accused of using food distribution to gain mileage for local party units.

Banerjee also announced that acting on requests from sweet shop owners the government was extending their time of operation from 8 am to 4 pm. Earlier, the shops were allowed to open at 12 pm.

On Thursday, the government also allowed online registration of property so that people dont have to visit registration offices. The chief secretary said people would get a 20 per cent discount on registration fee with the maximum ceiling on the discount fixed at Rs 20,000.

Asked how the government was determining death figures, Sinha said, We list all deaths and these are sent to the audit committee of doctors. We are not aware how many deaths the audit committee has reviewed so far and how many it has marked as non Covid-19 related.

Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, a member of the global advisory committee set up by the state government, told the media in Banerjees presence that the audit committee of doctors reviewing the deaths is following guidelines of ICMR and WHO.
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund in the New York Community Trust today announced that 276 New York City-based social services and arts and cultural nonprofits affected by the coronavirus public health crisis have received support to date. These mainly small and mid-size nonprofits are receiving grants and interest-free loans totaling $44 million, with additional funding being issued to more organizations over the coming weeks. The support  which currently ranges from $8,000 to $250,000 given per grant and from $100,000 to $3 million per loan  is to help these vital community organizations across New York's five boroughs with the continuity of their daily operations and to help offset the lost revenue that has diminished their ability to pay rent, make payroll, and fulfill their public service missions.

A full list of the initial organizations receiving assistance through the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund is here.

The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund was launched on March 20 with 18 lead funders that contributed a total of $75 million. Over the past weeks, the Fund has grown to over $95 million thanks to the contributions of 500 foundations, corporations, and individuals, including over 20 donors of $1 million or more. The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund is administered by the New York Community Trust (The Trust) with an advisory committee of leaders in public health, community development, and the arts helping guide their efforts. The Trust is overseeing the grants and Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) is administering the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund interest-free loans, as well as providing additional resources to organizations receiving loans through this initiative.

"The response of the philanthropic community and the city's nonprofits during this dark time represents New York at its very best," said Lorie Slutsky, President of the New York Community Trust. "Nonprofits have stepped forward to serve, while New Yorkers across the city are now rallying to back them up in the face of this unprecedented crisis. Nonprofits are asking for help to maintain contact with clients and audiences by moving online, and to meet expenses, including salaries, in the face of huge financial losses. We are pleased to give that help."

"Particularly for small organizations and those led by and serving people of color  who may face disadvantages accessing other resources  these grants and loans are critical to helping nonprofits survive and continue to serve our communities," said Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of NFF. "We're thankful for the support of so many funders and hope more will join us to help meet the demand."

To date, 276 nonprofits are receiving assistance through the Fund. $26,180,000 is going to human services organizations and $17,909,530 to arts and cultural organizations, inclusive of $10.3 million in approved loans to be closed shortly. In human services, priority has been given to direct service providers, such as those supporting essential healthcare, housing, and food insecurity. In the arts and cultural sector, the Fund is providing support to organizations that are community anchors, providing employment as well as creative content and enrichment for young people, adults, and families. Grant and loan committees are approving additional awards on a fast, rolling basis to meet significant demand.

"We serve thousands of New Yorkers in Brooklyn and the Bronx who are impacted by HIV/AIDS, mental health issues, substance abuse, and homelessness. We provide a trauma-informed gathering space for health and support services, prevention services, and housing support to some of the city's most vulnerable communities," said Nadine Akinyemi, Executive Director of Bridging Access to Care. "Many clients do not have access to phones, internet, or other digital ways to stay connected and get the treatment they need. We have to find new ways to reach them and help them navigate the system in the context of this virus. If we are uprooted, our clients will be uprootedthis would create an additional public health crisis. That's why our work is more important now than everand this will support will help us."

"Our organization serves more than 700 students in the Bronx, providing both free and affordable arts education in music, dance, drama and more," said Madaha Kinsey-Lamb, President and Founder of Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center. "This pandemic shines a light on how racial disparities and inequities of opportunity, education, employment, housing, and health eventually affect us all as New Yorkers and global citizens. The COVID-19 Impact funding has been so critical for us. We have been able to provide free remote classes for the hundreds of students who are now out of school and looking to continue the growth of their creativity and talent. Donations from New Yorkers and this group will help us keep our amazing staff employed, it will help us adapt so we can reach our students and keep our facility safe."

"Only two weeks after the disruption to our operations caused by the global pandemic, the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund made a loan commitment that allowed us to confidently move forward with our work serving low income communities in New York City," said Alexa Sewell, President of Settlement Housing Fund. "This philanthropic response was crucial to our ability to continue the frontline services we deliver today, and to our long-term financial health. We know that the communities and families we serve are disproportionately impacted by this crisis and are grateful for the unwavering support of the philanthropic community."

The founding members of the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund include Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, Joan Ganz Cooney & Holly Peterson Fund, Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund, The JPB Foundation, The Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Jennifer and Jonathan Allan Soros, Jon Stryker and Slobodan Randjelovic, Charles H. Revson Foundation, Robin Hood, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, UJA-Federation of New York, and Wells Fargo Foundation. A full updated list of the major contributors to the Fund can be found here.

"New York City's social service and arts organizations perform critically important work that is urgently needed right now  and that's why we launched the Response & Impact Fund together with some of our strong philanthropic partners," said Michael Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP, three-term mayor of New York City. "Bloomberg Philanthropies is supporting the fund to ensure that organizations that mean so much to our city can continue to operate and help people through this crisis."

"Trinity Church Wall Street is pleased to support the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund in its efforts to help the many organizations providing critical services to New Yorkers in need," said the Rev. Phillip A. Jackson, Priest-in-charge and Vicar of Trinity Church Wall Street. "During this crisis, it's crucial to support the most vulnerable in our community, who are suffering most from the health and economic impacts of the virus. The city's local nonprofits are uniquely positioned to help but need the funding and assistance that the Response & Impact Fund can provide."

"We're grateful to have the opportunity to join together with other funders to support the critical work of New York's nonprofit sector which addresses the needs of millions of New Yorkers every day," said Jonathan Soros.

"Without fanfare or limelight, New Yorkers are banding together to make the city safer, keep essential services intact, and build the foundations for resilience and the eventual recovery of vital sectors," said Deborah T. Velaquez, President of the Altman Foundation. "As foundations formed for the public good, we follow their example when we push our institutions to be bolder, creative problem-solvers and come together in joint efforts such the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund. We hope that more donors will consider both grant support and program-related investments in the loan fund."

This initiative is providing grants and no-interest loans for needs including:

Unrestricted, flexible funding to support new and emergency needs and meet community demands, particularly for service offerings outside normal operations required to respond to social distancing, isolation and quarantine.

Technology to support remote work and services  laptops and remote calling capacity (ie. Zoom) for staff, securing staffing and training to fulfill their mission.

Temporary staff support to cover for shortages caused by employees who are ill, may have to quarantine, or stay home to care for family members or children during school closures.

Equipment and supplies such as masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, and cleaning supplies.

Additional cleaning services to augment in-house operations.

Support to aid the loss of operational revenue from facility closings, cancelled programs, events, and other disruptions.

To be eligible, an organization must meet the following criteria:

501(c)3 nonprofit organization

Based in New York City

Recipient of New York City and/or New York State government funding

No more than $20 million of annual non-governmental revenue

Track record of robust programming and services for New York residents

Interested donors and organizations can get more information here.

SOURCE Bloomberg Philanthropies

Related Links

www.bloomberg.org


An Indian Air Force Chetak helicopter headed to Chandigarh with samples to be tested for coronavirus made an emergency landing on Outer Ring Road here due to a technical snag on Thursday.

The chopper was flying from Hindon, Ghaziabad, to Chandigarh and was carrying test samples collected from Leh.

Approximately, three nautical miles out of Hindon, the aircraft developed technical snag and carried out a safe precautionary landing on Outer Ring Road highway, an official statement said.

The actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct. No damage to any property has been reported. Recovery aircraft was launched immediately from Hindon. The aircraft was rectified and recovered promptly and safely at Hindon, the statement added.
Expedia Group chairman and senior executive Barry Diller told CNBC's Squawk Box on Thursday morning that Expedia will slash ad spending this year, joining a chorus of advertisers that are putting campaigns on hold or cancelling spend altogether.

"At Expedia, for instance, we spend $5 billion a year on advertising. We won't spend $1 billion on advertising probably this year," Diller said. "You just rip that across everything." He noted that advertising spend across the board would be hit in the second quarter.

Advertisers have pulled back significantly because of budget uncertainty in the months ahead. Companies in the travel space, for example, have little reason to buy ads when much of the globe is under stay-at-home orders.

Shares in Expedia Group, whose brands include Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago, Orbitz and more, were down roughly 1% Thursday morning.

Expedia Group and its peers, like Booking Holdings, spend heavily on Google, since so many travelers search for trips with terms like "flight to London" or "hotel in San Francisco." On the company's February fourth-quarter earnings call, Diller mentioned Expedia is one of Google's biggest advertisers and that Expedia is trying to move away from its "reliance on Google and Metasearch" to grow more direct relationships with its customers.

That came after shares of Expedia reached new year-to-date lows in November when the company said changes in Google's search algorithm has lessened its visibility on search results, resulting in a heavier reliance on paid advertising.

MediaRadar in a March research report called the deceleration in ad spend in the travel industry "like a car hitting the brakes in advance of an oncoming accident."

In a survey last month, the Interactive Advertising Bureau surveyed nearly 400 media planners, buyers and brands responsible for U.S. ad spend, and found that 74% of them believe the coronavirus will have a greater impact on ad spend in the country than the 2008-09 financial crisis. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they have paused all ad spend for the rest of the first and second financial quarters.
One of the biggest unknowns regarding COVID-19 is how many people get the disease, recover from it, and develop immunity without being captured in our official statistics  perhaps without showing symptoms at all. Some suggest this number could be incredibly high indeed, implying that the disease spreads quickly but has a lower-than-expected fatality rate.

We should have good answers on this soon thanks to serology tests, which detect whether someone has antibodies for COVID (meaning they had the virus at some point in the past even if they are not currently infected). But here Id like to offer a quick overview of what we already know. My own guess is that while we are substantially undercounting cases, it is unlikely that more than, say, 10 percent of the population already has it. Since about two-thirds of the population need to get it to achieve herd immunity, that would give us a long way to go if we just lift the lockdowns and hope for the best.

To begin, some very simple numbers. At this writing, the U.S. has about 600,000 confirmed cases and a population of about 330 million people. If we are undercounting cases by a factor of ten, that still puts us around 2 percent. To get to 10 percent infected wed need to be undercounting by a factor of about 50.

So what does the evidence say? Well, theres a lot of it, pointing in a lot of different directions. Heres a sampling:

To start with the most optimistic piece, a study recently profiled in The Economist points out that states with high rates of COVID-19 also had a lot of amorphous influenza-like illnesses earlier in the year. If these illnesses were actually undetected COVID, that would mean lots of cases with symptoms werent counted. All told, we could be undercounting cases by a factor of 100 or even 1,000.

. . . well, actually, probably not 1,000, since that would give us more infections than people. Even 100 is officially impossible in New York State now, because its diagnosed 1 percent of its entire population.

Story continues

At the national level, 100-fold undercounting would imply that 20 percent of people have already had it. Cross your fingers but dont bet on it. On a side note, I recommend this thread from the author of the Economist piece, which provides a lot of context the story doesnt and forcefully argues against lifting containment measures. (It also links a bunch of data not included in this piece, for those who want a deeper dive.)

Make no mistake, these pieces of information all suggest were undercounting infections by quite a bit. A ten- or even 20-fold undercount wouldnt shock me at all. But it strikes me as wishful thinking to believe the U.S. is anywhere near herd immunity already, which would require us to be undercounting by several-hundred-fold.

More from National Review
Netflix's Tiger King has caused jaws to drop across the world since its launch on the streaming service at the end of March.

Despite its protagonist Joe Exotic's flaws, the former zoo-keeper has been lauded for his flamboyant style.

One such example of his sartorial prowess was seen in the second episode of the docu-series when he sported a pink sequin shirt that wouldn't look out of place in the Strictly ballroom. And now it could be yours after it was put on eBay.

The shirt was obtained by Vincent Baron, who now owns the Greater Wynnewood Zoo, which Exotic formerly owned.

This shirt is guaranteed authentic and is a very rare piece, the description reads on eBay. The zoo has sold off the shirts worn by his backup helpers from the various shows performed at the zoo, but this is the only one of the bunch that was WORN by Joe Exotic himself.

Exotic in another of his sequin button-downs / Netflix

Get it while you can, before Carole Baskin does! the description adds, in reference to Exotics arch nemesis in the series.

The shirt has currently amassed 38 bids and bidding is now at $6,101 (4, 880) - see the EBay listing here.
Many teachers lament lack of personal interaction and are not fully adept with use of digital tools.

Seoul, South Korea  Two months ago, South Korea was in a state of low-level panic over the coronavirus. People were buying face masks by the dozen, deliveries from online marketplaces surged and the streets were mostly empty of people.

But South Korea has more recoveries than new infections now even though it once had the second-largest outbreak in the world. And life is beginning to return to some kind of normality.

Last week, schools began to reopen, five weeks later than scheduled. But classes for all government schools will now be conducted virtually, starting with the oldest students.

I have been thinking about whether the government can come up with a better solution than this, but this feels like the best choice for now, Jang Eun-ki, an 18-year-old student at Wonjong high school, told Al Jazeera. It feels like it was an inevitable decision to take classes online.

In some ways, South Koreas back-to-school move for its more than one billion students will be a test case for the rest of the world. In some corners of the globe, school closures have sparked a fierce debate about whether pupils should repeat the academic year or continue distance learning.

South Korea is integrating its students into online teaching on a complicated schedule, based on age. The oldest children started classes a week ago, and others start on Thursday (April 16).

A teacher gives a virtual class as older students resumed classes a week ago following the coronavirus shutdown [Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo]

The youngest will only resume studies on April 20, while kindergartens and daycare centres will remain suspended indefinitely.

For South Koreas highly-educated student population, the move online has triggered mixed emotions.

It has been really exhausting to keep up with the unexpected delays and changes in schedule, Jang lamented. Many of us students have wanted to keep studying independently at the library while school is out, but all the libraries are closed.

Wired woes

South Korea is the most wired country in the world as nine out of 10 people owned a smartphone in 2018. But teachers and parents are still concerned about the unprecedented move to online learning.

South Koreas Ministry of Education estimates that some 170,000 students lack access to smart devices, while local governments have pledged to help low-income students who need devices or internet access. At the same time, teachers in public and private schools are worried whether the switch to virtual learning is being rushed out as teachers have not been properly trained.

I think the government and schools have done well in terms of coping with COVID-19 the best they can, but professors lack the technological training [to conduct online classes], said Noh, who works at a private academy in Seoul and teaches speech to college-aged students. She did not want to reveal her full name as she did not have permission to speak to the media.

Already, some students couldnt take the class or mark their attendance because of technical issues. Others couldnt hand in their assignment files or videos.

South Korea closed schools as the coronavirus took hold, but classes are now resuming on a staggered basis via online learning. Under-nines will be the last to start lessons on April 20 [Yonhap via EPA]

Universities around the country have begun distance learning but have faced technical difficulties. South Korean news reports have described servers shutting down because of surges in traffic and have not been able to verify attendance. Some lecturers have even used video functions on KakaoTalk  the countrys most popular messaging app  to communicate with students.

Kim, a teacher at a public elementary school who requested anonymity because she did not have permission to speak to the media told Al Jazeera she was not sure how her students would fare once classes started in late April.

Im worried how were going to overcome technical issues at the elementary school level, she said. Young kids cant type or figure out how to log in, and their parents cant be with them every day, all the time.

Futures furloughed

South Koreas highly pressurised education system is still largely based on exam results, and students compete fiercely to enter the countrys top universities starting from when they are 15.

The most high pressure exam, the Suneung or CSAT, has so far been postponed by two weeks to December 3, but teachers such as Noh and Kim are worried about whether digital learning can make up for the hours lost due to school closures.

When I compare people taking classes online versus face-to-face, I am sure those taking online classes are naturally less focused, Noh said. They turn on the video and multitask, doing something else. You lose that face-to-face participation, and it is definitely less efficient.

Im worried about freshmen and seniors [in university], Noh added. Freshmen cant take their courses in-person, so I worry about them missing some fundamentals. For seniors, I am not sure how they can possibly get a good score on their exams, which is important for getting a job after graduation, when they are missing in-person studies.

Schools have been closed for weeks because of the coronavirus and even now lessons are resuming only online [Yonhap via EPA]

For younger children, their academic future seems even more uncertain.

Kim is concerned that online classes are less effective than face-to-face lessons and then there is the social aspect of school

Studying isnt the only thing that students do at school, she said. We teach kids how to act as members of society, and we socialise them through various activities. We dont just have them learning from textbooks.

At the same time, even with the virus seemingly in retreat, many parents are reluctant to put their children back in school again.

A recent government survey suggested that only 66 percent of parents supported the idea of online classes, while others were worried about their kids health when schools do eventually restart.

I absolutely will not send my children back right away. I will wait longer to see how everyone is doing first, said La Dale Johnson, a parent of two from Washington, DC, who now lives in Daegu, the city where South Koreas outbreak started.

I have no idea what [social distancing] other families are abiding by, and I dont want to put my kids at risk.

Mitch S Shin contributed to this report.
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The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is again extending deadlines for expiring licenses, inspection stickers, plate registrations and other things due to the coronavirus crisis.

Those facing May 2020 expiration dates will have 60 additional days to renew a variety of different motor vehicle documents. Previously registry officials extended licenses and other permits for 60 days if they expired in March. Those drivers who will now have an additional 60 days, or a total of 120 days from the date of expiration, to renew their license, state officials said.

All licenses, inspection stickers or plate registrations that expired in April have been extended by 60 days to June of the original expiration date.

The extensions apply to expiring motor vehicle inspection stickers, passenger plate registrations, professional credentials, drivers licenses, learners permits, commercial drivers licenses and commercial drivers license permits, officials said.

These additional extensions under Governor Charlie Bakers declaration of a State of Emergency the week of March 9, replicate the ongoing measures the RMV is taking to reduce the need for customers to physically visit an RMV Service Center or one of its business partners facilities, allowing for social-distancing by decreasing non-essential travel and customer volume, officials said.

Under the regulations, all drivers license, including commercial drivers licenses and learners permits that expire in May or March will now expire in July on the original date of expiration. Anyone holding a limited term license should visit Mass.gov/RMV for more information.

All Commercial Drivers License medical certificates which expire between March 1 and April 30 will be extended to June 30 and do not need to be renewed. Extensions are to prevent elective medical visits and reduce demand on physicians during the state of emergency, officials said.

The extensions also apply to inspection stickers and passenger plate registrations, which will move from March and June expiration dates to July expiration dates. Plate registration renewals can continue to be done online.

Professional credentials for school bus certificates, school pupil transport licenses, inspector licenses, inspection station licenses, driving instructor licenses and driving school licenses that expire in May 2020 will now be extended for 90 days after the State of Emergency is lifted, officials said.

There is currently only 10 Registry of Motor Vehicle offices open and they operate by appointment only for essential services that cannot be done online. They are in Springfield, Pittsfield, Worcester, Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence and Plymouth. Two others in Millford and Wilmington are open only for commercial drivers licenses, permits and road tests.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 21:12:42|Editor: huaxia

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A medical worker prepares to enter the COVID-19 patients' wards at a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, April 9, 2020. (Photo by Francisco Avia/Xinhua)

The death toll in Spain increased to 19,130 after 551 patients inflicted with COVID-19 died in the last 24 hours.

The last two days have seen a sharp increase in the number of new cases recorded in the country, but Health Minister Salvador Illa explained the increase was partly due to a rise in the number of tests.

MADRID, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Both the numbers of new cases and deaths from COVID-19 have risen in the past 24 hours in Spain, according to data released by the country's health ministry on Thursday.

The death toll in Spain increased to 19,130 after 551 patients inflicted with COVID-19 died in the last 24 hours.

The country confirmed 5,183 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the tally to 182,816.

The ministry said that the total number of recovered cases has reached 74,797.

Medical workers plan the care work for COVID-19 patients at Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, April 13, 2020. (Vall d'Hebron Hospital/Handout via Xinhua)

The last two days have seen a sharp increase in the number of new cases recorded in the country, but speaking at the Health Commission in the Spanish Parliament on Thursday, Health Minister Salvador Illa explained the increase was partly due to a rise in the number of tests.

Illa insisted that the tendency in Spain was still that the spread of the virus has slowed down: "The rise in new cases is 2.9 percent today; two weeks ago it was 7 percent," he commented, adding that the reduction was "visible in the intensive care wards."

"We are on the right track, but we have to remain alert because there are still difficult weeks ahead of us," he said.

Madrid continues to be Spain's worst-hit region, with 6,877 deaths from 50,694 cases. The local authorities reported the number of cases and deaths in the region surrounding the capital is almost certainly much higher, due to deaths in care homes for the elderly and people who have passed away in their own homes. 
A HIGH Court trial over a 1.64bn tax demand made by the Revenue Commissioners against US pharmaceutical group Perrigo will not proceed as planned next week due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Perrigo, which has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, wanted the hearing to go ahead despite the lockdown, by imposing strict conditions on the number of people attending the trial each day and subjecting the courtroom to a deep cleaning at the end of each session.

The drug company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a $7.1bn (6.5bn) market capitalisation, has previously said it wanted a speedy resolution to the litigation.

In 2018, the Revenue Commissioners here hit Perrigo with a 1.64bn tax claim related to the drug company's acquisition of Irish pharma firm Elan. Eight months prior to its acquisition by Perrigo, Elan had sold a 50pc in Tysabri to US pharma firm Biogen.

Elan received an upfront cash payment of $3.25bn from Biogen, as well as an ongoing royalty stream.

The upfront proceeds from the sale were counted by Elan as trading income, which attracts a 12.5pc corporation tax rate. But the Revenue Commissioners have argued that the cash proceeds should have been treated as capital gains, taxable at 33pc.

Perrigo's lawyers wrote to solicitors for the Revenue Commissioners on April 2, proposing a protocol that would enable the case to proceed as planned on April 21.

In light of restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, Perrigo suggested that during each day of the trial, no more than four members of each legal team would be present in court, and that in the event of any member of the legal teams or the judge being affected by the virus, an adjournment could be sought.

But the Revenue Commissioners said their office had been closed due to the pandemic and that it would not be feasible for the case to begin on April 21.

Their lawyers said the proposed protocols from Perrigo were impracticable.

They also said that the solicitor dealing with the case on the Revenue's behalf would be unable to attend the hearing due to health reasons.

Revenue sought an adjournment of the proceedings, which was opposed by Perrigo on the basis that it was premature - and because of the importance of the case to the company and the prejudice its lawyers said the company would suffer if the case was unnecessarily delayed.

The judge presiding over the case, Justice David Barniville, said he consulted with the president of the High Court, and held a brief hearing with the parties to discuss the matter.

However, he has decided not to let the trial commence next week.

He acknowledged that the case involves a Revenue assessment on a commercial transaction of an enormous amount of money and that Perrigo sees its resolution as being urgent enough to bypass Government restrictions.

I cannot agree that the case is so urgent that the Government restrictions should be sidestepped or bypassed, and public health and the health of those involved in the trial potentially put at risk by a physical hearing involving more than 10 people present in the courtroom at any one time, said the judge.

While the applicant may well believe that the case is of such urgency and importance, I do not.

He said he is willing to let the parties apply for a remote hearing when such arrangements are announced.

He also noted that as

the Revenue Commissioners offices have been closed, it has not been physically possible for staff to attend the office to deal with four bankers boxes of documents furnished by Perrigos solicitors, copied and provided to counsel.

The judge also said he could not say at this stage whether or not the non-jury trial will be suitable for remote hearing.

Perrigo has indicated its opposition to a remote hearing in light of the trials predicted length, the volume of the documentation involved and the complexity of the issues raised.

Unfortunately, I have reached the conclusion that a remote hearing of this case would not be possible, at least on April 21, said the judge.
The coronavirus pandemic has made the stock market extremely volatile. Hence, it is of paramount importance to create a portfolio of low-beta stocks that are protected against market volatility and have the potential to deliver healthy returns.

Meaning of Beta

Beta measures the volatility or risk of a particular asset in comparison to the market. In other words, beta measures the extent of a securitys price movement relative to the market. In this article, we are considering the S&P 500 as the market.

If a stock has beta of 1 then the price of the stock will move with the market. So, the stock is more volatile than the market if its beta is more than 1. In the same way, the stock is not as volatile as the market if its beta is less than 1.

For example, if the market offers a return of 20%, a stock with beta of 3 will return 60%, which is overwhelming. Similarly, when the market slips 20% the stock will sink 60%, which is devastating.

Screening Criteria:

We have taken beta between 0 and 0.6 as our prime criterion for screening stocks that are less volatile than the market. But this should not be the only factor to be considered while selecting a winning strategy. We need to take into account other parameters that can add value to the portfolio.

Percentage Change in Price in the Last 4 Weeks greater than zero:This ensures that the stocks saw positive price movement over the last one month.

Average 20 Day Volume greater than 50,000:A substantial trading volume ensures that the stocks are easily tradable.

Price greater than or equal to $5:They must all be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher.

Zacks Rank equal to 1:Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks indicate that they will significantly outperform the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Here are five of the 26 stocks that qualified the screening:

Based in Nelsonville, OH, Rocky Brands, Inc. RCKY is primarily engaged in designing and marketing finest footwear. In the past 60 days, the stock has witnessed upward earnings estimate revisions for 2020.

Story continues

Headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, FTI Consulting Inc FCN primarily offers services related to business advisory. Notably, the company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the prior four quarters, the positive earnings surprise being roughly 48%, on average. Also, in the past 60 days, the stock has witnessed upward earnings estimate revisions for 2020.

Headquartered in El Segundo, CA, Stamps.com Inc. STMP primarily provides solutions related to shipping through the Internet. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the prior four quarters, the average positive earnings surprise being 55.96%. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 earnings has been revised upward over the prior 60 days.

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM, based in Phoenix, AZ, is among the fastest growing retailers in the domestic market and primarily offers affordable organic food products. The stock is likely to see earnings growth of 4.8% and 3.3% in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. RDY, headquartered in Hyderabad, India, is the provider of innovative medicines at affordable rates. The company has seen positive earnings estimate revisions for fiscal 2020 and 2021, respectively.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.



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Microsoft India on Thursday announced addition of five more Indian languages to its translator tool to provide real time translation in text mode.

This takes the total number of India language available on the translator to 10.

"Microsoft Translator will now offer real-time translation in five additional languages viz., Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam and Punjabi," the company said in statement.

The translator already has translation service for Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

"With this, the service will now allow over 90 per cent of Indians to access information and work in their native/preferred languages, making computing language-agnostic and more inclusive," the statement said.

Microsoft said its translator app can recognise and translate languages from text, speech and even photos.

"Microsoft is also rolling out support for these languages in the Microsoft Office 365 and the Swiftkey keyboard," it said.

The tool will help app and software developers in creating Indian language support in their products and services.

"We have supported Indian languages in computing for over two decades, and more recently have made significant strides on machine translation across languages. With this release, we are bringing in cutting edge machine learning tech to democratise access to information for everyone in India," Sundar Srinivasan, General Manager, Microsoft India (R&D) Pvt. Ltd said.

Microsoft also announced support for email addresses in multiple Indian languages across most of its email apps and services.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
FORT COLLINS, Colo., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Declared an essential health service as a home health agency, Senior Helpers, one of the nation's premier providers of personalized in-home senior care, today announced its locations across Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, Laporte and Greeley, will bolster its corps of caregivers to support local seniors and their families. Further, Senior Helpers of Northern Colorado has partnered with several local businesses to produce and deliver meals to families in need throughout its communities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seniors are exceptionally vulnerable to the novel Coronavirus and should avoid being out in public. This situation makes in-home care one of the safest options available for seniors today. As a result of the community's growing needs, Senior Helpers will immediately add up to 15 new caregivers across its regional franchise network, to include personal care workers and home health aides that will complement its existing team of professionally trained in-home senior care experts.

"We know that older adults and their families need tremendous support in keeping elderly loved ones healthy and safe during this global pandemic, and we are committed to offering this essential service safely in their homes," said Gil Atanasoff, owner and executive director at Senior Helpers of Northern Colorado. "Our community can rest assured knowing the Senior Helpers team is dedicated to offering premier in-home care and that we will do so with proper precaution."

Senior Helpers provides each franchise owner across its nationwide network with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) that is needed to help ensure all caregivers and clients remain safe under its care amid the current pandemic. Further, Senior Helpers of Northern Colorado will host virtual interviews, pre-hire, and new hire sessions for a safe and effective hiring process for all new team members. The company recently digitized all documents and forms to ensure the safety of its new and existing team members, while also improving and streamlining the hiring process.

"In this time of complete uncertainty, we are proud to be able to continue offering local-area seniors and their families the care they need," said Peter Ross, chief executive officer, Senior Helpers. "Preserving the safety and health of our team and clients will continue to be our highest priority, and we encourage seniors and their families to continue seeking safe, effective in-home care, knowing Senior Helpers will follow every precaution and procedure with the utmost consideration."

Additionally, Senior Helpers of Northern Colorado, together with FoCo Cafe, Jay's Bistro, Fort Collins Delivery Network, The Alternative Board  Northern Colorado, Me Oh My Cafe and Mill City Church, is coordinating meal deliveries and pickup sites to support families in need. The meals, created by Jay's Bistro for Easter and by FoCo Cafe ongoing, are hand-delivered to Senior Helpers clients, low-income independent living senior apartments, homeless community members, families with school-aged students and more. The company has also collaborated with Me Oh My Cafe and Mill City Church to set up pickup points for local families to safely obtain meals to take home. The initiative began Easter Sunday with a brunch menu consisting of Glazed Ham & Herb-crusted Leg of Lamb, Bistro Potatoes, Deviled Eggs and much more, and FoCo Cafe anticipates delivering meals ongoing to those in need within the community during these uncertain times. The organizations delivered over 250 meals on Easter Sunday alone.

"With schools closed until the fall and older adults relying on others to bring them groceries so that they stay out of harm's way, we know that far too many families in our communities are struggling to obtain daily essentials like food," added Atanasoff. "We knew we had to do something more to help our clients, their families and others throughout Northern Colorado, and we are so grateful for our partners who have given us the opportunity to be involved in the distribution of meals to those who need it most."

Senior Helpers of Northern Colorado and its caregivers are available to continue providing immediate care and support for the local senior community and their families. Senior Helpers will continue to be transparent with any new developments and will provide any further updates as necessary. For more information on Senior Helpers of Northern Colorado and how to apply, please visit https://www.seniorhelpers.com/co/fort-collins/careers. To find out more about Senior Helpers of Northern Colorado's meal donation program, visit https://www.facebook.com/SeniorHelpersNoCo/.

About Senior Helpers 

Senior Helpers is the nation's premier provider of in-home senior services ranging from specialized care for those with diseases, such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, to personal and companion care to help individuals looking for a little assistance with daily activities. Founded in 2002 with a vision to help seniors age with dignity despite age-related illnesses and mobility challenges, Senior Helpers has hundreds of franchised and owned businesses that have cared for tens of thousands of seniors.

Senior Helpers was the first and remains the only national in-home care provider to be certified as a Great Place to Work. The company has been named by Fortune Magazine as one of the best places to work in the aging services category and one of the best places to work in the state of New York. Senior Helpers is one of Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchise Companies and is an approved partner in the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Senior Helpers is also an active member of the Healthcare Leadership Councilan exclusive alliance of leading healthcare companies from all health sectors committed to advancing the American healthcare system. Learn more by visiting http://www.seniorhelpers.com.

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A senior Nepalese police officer has been relieved of his duties for his alleged involvement in the physical assault of three doctors at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital early this week, a media report said on



Thursday.

The incident happened on Wednesday when a few policemen assaulted three doctors going home after their duty, allegedly without any provocation, my Republica reported.

Following the incident, the authorities have transferred Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Lamsal till the investigations are on.

"Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Lamsal, who headed the Metropolitan Police Circle Office, Maharajgunj, has been relieved of his duties over the incident," the paper reported, citing an official order.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Police has formed a three-member team led by Senior Superintendent of Police Kiran Bajracharya to investigate into the incident.

Nepal is under complete lockdown till April 27 to contain the spread of coronavirus that has affected 16 people so far.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Albany, N.Y.  Gov. Andrew Cuomo today offered the first hints of how New York will approach restarting its shuttered economy.

As he has for days, Cuomo emphasized that any approach to reopening businesses will depend on testing. It will be staggered and come in phases.

The two key questions will be how essential a given business products or services are and how high its risk is of spreading infections among its employees or the public, Cuomo said.

Only essential businesses can operate with on-site staff now. Cuomo closed nonessential businesses in March to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus in New York.

The states eventual reopening plan will look to identify the next tier of companies that could start up again.

A slide from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's presentation on how New York's economy could reopen.Gov. Andrew Cuomo YouTube

Allowing a business to reopen will also depend on how effectively it can implement measures to limit spreading new infections. That could include steps like separating desks more and limiting in-person meetings or conferences.

Businesses can start to redesign their workplaces to think that way, Cuomo said. That is almost a business by business evaluation that has to go on.

Businesses considered more essential and with a low risk of spreading new infections would be top priorities for reopening. Others may be allowed to reopen too, but with special precautions or reduced staffing in place.

Companies requiring serious precautions, including those with customers or workers who are especially vulnerable to the virus, would reopen last.

A slide from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's presentation on how New York's economy could reopen.Gov. Andrew Cuomo YouTube

New York and six other states announced earlier this week that they will collaborate on a strategy to reopen their economies. Cuomo said he expected to hear the beginnings of a plan within weeks, although there is still no precise timeline for an actual restart.

Even if the states don't move in lockstep, the idea is to ensure their policies don't conflict or potentially work against each other, Cuomo said.

Cuomo extended the closure of schools and nonessential businesses until at least April 29 earlier this month. The states other social distancing measures remain in place as well.

New Yorkers should only go out for exercise or needed errands. Cuomo also said today hes planning an executive order to require that all New Yorkers wear masks in crowded public spaces.

Over 11,000 people in the state have now died due to the new coronavirus.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

A Syracuse bicycle shop was threatened as 'non-essential; heres how it found a way to stay open

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
: Telangana Minister for IT



and Industries KT Rama Rao inspected the COVID-19 containment zones in Khairatabad, Asifnagar and Mallepally areas here and interacted with locals.

"The government is taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus and as part of it, the government has come up with containment zones," he said.

The minister enquired about their health and well-being and the visit has provided a strong reassurance to the people living in these containment zones, an official release said.

He appealed to the citizens to spread more awareness among their family members and neighbours.

"Social distancing is the only way to keep coronavirus away," he said.

The minister assured the people that the government will ensure free flow of supply of essential goods to the localities.

According to a press release issued by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, there are 139 confinement zones in the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Its the time of year when spring weather beckons us to come outside, turn our faces to the sun and enjoy our beautiful state. Its not easy to do when  like everyone else on the planet  you are carefully following health guidelines so we can more quickly end this unprecedented pandemic.

If you are sheltering with your family and you refuse to waste one more minute of sunshine, you have options. Weve made a list of nine Alabama cities decorated with paintings that help illustrate their history, or just to provide pretty backdrops to our daily routines. You can take your family for a drive and find all kinds of wonderful surprises. The best part? Its free.

Lets take a look at a few you can see without ever leaving your car, in alphabetical order.

NOTE: This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of Alabama cities with murals. The following cities were featured because they have numerous paintings to see on a drive downtown. If you have murals in your town that you'd like to add to my next list, email kkazek@al.com.

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Birmingham

A drive through the former industrial metropolis of Birmingham is like visiting an open-air art museum. Many of its neighborhoods and downtown districts feature art that made boring brick facades into canvases.

While it's difficult to determine an exact number, the city has more than four dozen colorful and oversized works of art. Click here for photos and information on specific murals.

Shown, a mural in downtown Birmingham.

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Tamika Moore | AL.com File

This mural was painted to commemorate the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham. It was commissioned by Wells Fargo and unveiled in 2014.

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Chip Ghigna

Local artist Chip Ghigna's mural graces the wall outside of Mojo' Pub in Birmingham. Click here to read more.

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Carol M Highsmith | Library of Congress

Dothan

Dothan, Ala., known as "The Peanut Capital of the World," is home to the National Peanut Festival, held in the city each November. The city of about 65,000 residents is decorated with at least 19 murals in its historic downtown. Subjects include local history, famous people from the area and a mural called "Salute to the Peanut Industry." Click here for a full list.

Above, a colorful mural in downtown Dothan.

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Carol M. Highsmith | Library of Congress

A mural depicting scenes from Dothans history.

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A mural in downtown Dothan.

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Huntsville

Huntsville, a city with nearly 200,000 residents, recently moved into place as the second-largest city in Alabama. Recent efforts to encourage more art have created a boom in murals in town.

Huntsville is home to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp, so many of the murals have space themes. Others are just for fun, like giant koi floating downstream of a parking deck, shown above.

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Visitors to Huntsville's Big Spring Park get a reminder of the city's space legacy, just steps away from the spring where John Hunt founded the city in 1805.

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A galaxy mural in downtown Huntsville.

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Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com

Jasper

This small Walker County city of fewer than 15,000 residents put some abandoned downtown buildings to good use. The crumbling ruins of brick buildings made the perfect canvases for an open-air art installation downtown, shown above.

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Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com

Abandoned buildings in Jasper were turned into art galleries.

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Courtesy/FIN Branding Group LLC

Mobile

Mobile, with a population of about 190,000 residents, is known for being home to Americas first Mardi Gras celebration. The old city is filled with lots of fun surprises you can see from your car window, including some eye-popping murals.

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AP File Photo | Kevin McGill

A mural of the Clotilda, the last ship to bring slaves to America.

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Monroeville

This quaint small town in Monroe County is known as the birthplace of Harper Lee and the inspiration for one of Americas most beloved books, To Kill a Mockingbird. Several of its downtown murals depict scenes from the book, like the one above.

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A mural in Monroeville.

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Montgomery

Montgomery, our state capital, has been the site of much of our states history so it should be no surprise the city has lots of murals. Some can be found downtown but there are also several beautiful murals on the campus of Alabama State University, like the one shown above depicting a Civil Rights bus boycott.

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A mural featuring Rosa Parks during the Civil Rights movement.

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Tourism Council of Bullock County

Union Springs

Union Springs, a town of fewer than 4,000 residents in Bullock County, has five downtown murals and counting. The city established the Murals on Main program to help brighten the city. See the full list here.

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Tourism Council of Bullock County

A mural of Eddie Kendricks and the Temptations in Union Springs.

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Tourism Council of Bullock County

A mural in Union Springs.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora preferred the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing from the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine for his citys COVID-19 response.

The mayor told CNN Philippines on Thursday that the rapid testing is an inconsistent method of testing probable COVID-19 patients.

Posibleng sa unang rapid test, positive ka. Sa pangalawang test, negative ka. Sa pangatlong test, positive ka, said Zamora.

[Translation: Possibly in the first rapid test, you are positive. In the second test, you are negative. Then in the third test, you are positive.]

Rapid testing, he said, is also very costly and wastes the efforts of the San Juan LGU in solving the COVID-19 situation in their area.

Kung magtitiwala tayo sa rapid test kit, posibleng false positive ka tapos iti-treat yung pasyente. Yun pala, wala syang COVID-19, the mayor explained.

[Translation: If we rely on the rapid test kit, it is possible that a patient may have been false positive and undergoes treatment even if not sick with COVID-19.]

Zamora added they will get their share of PCR test kits in those allocated by the national government for Metro Manila.

Based on their teleconference meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Wednesday, Zamora said 96,000 PCR test kits are allotted for Metro Manila and will be divided among the 17 local government units in the region.

Yung slots na makukuha ng San Juan at kung anong ospital ang ma-assign sa amin ay malalaman ko within the day or tomorrow, Zamora said.

[Translation: I will find out within the day or tomorrow the slots available for San Juan and the hospital assigned to us.]

Meanwhile, Zamora announced the San Juan LGUs partnership with Xavier School in establishing a quarantine facility for persons under investigation of the disease in the city.

Bahay Kalinga is free of charge and provides free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and internet use.

We make it comfortable for them. We dont want their quarantine to be a bad experience for them, added Zamora.

The San Juan mayor also urged his constituents to register in the Stay Safe website, for the local government to easily track their daily health status.

The application also has a heat map on the health situation of barangays in San Juan City.

If the resident exhibits COVID-19 symptoms through their daily health status in the website, Zamora said there will be free medical consultations to them.

The city hospital will also pick up the resident from his house if his situation gets worse and the city will provide free hospitalization.

As of Thursday afternoon, San Juan City has confirmed 170 COVID-19 cases along with 31 deaths and 36 recoveries.
By Dmitriy Turlyun and Maria Vasilyeva

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A man living France who lost his mother to the coronavirus has filed a police case against the leader of his native Belarus, accusing President Alexander Lukashenko of failing to take adequate measures to fight the spread of the pandemic.

Aleksander Matveyev said he had reported Lukashenko to Belarus police for investigation over the death of his mother, Lydia Matveyeva, 68, who died on April 2 in a hospital in Vitebsk, a city in northeast Belarus.

"Lukashenko did not take the necessary measures in time," her son told Reuters in a video call. "And if this person who exercises power does not take those measures, he does nothing, he should be held accountable like any other citizen."

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has been one of the world leaders most publicly sceptical about the need for strong action to curb the coronavirus. He has criticised suggestions that he order a lockdown, suggested remedies such as drinking vodka and visiting saunas, and called fear of the virus "psychosis".

Challenged by a journalist in late March over a decision to take part in a hockey match, he said: "There are no viruses here. Did you see any of them flying around?"

The Belarus health ministry, which encourages people to reduce contact to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, says 36 people in Belarus have died of it. But Lukashenko has said all victims had other health problems. On Monday he said he believed nobody in Belarus would be killed by the virus.

Matveyeva's death certificate, an image of which was sent to Reuters by her family, records her "main cause of death" as "coronavirus".

"From the very beginning I was calling and asking if it was the coronavirus. And they told me no, no, it's viral pneumonia," her son said. "I found out about the coronavirus diagnosis only when, after her death, it was on the certificate."

Lukashenko's office and the interior ministry did not respond to a request for comment. A person who answered the phone in the hospital director's office declined to comment on Matveyeva's death.

(Reporting by Dmitriy Turlyun and Maria Vasilyeva in Moscow; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Peter Graff)
Catfish exporters hope that orders from China will increase again as this country has passed the Covid-19 epidemic peak.

Navicos managers believe that the companys 100 percent self-supply of catfish materials is a great advantage that will allow it to increase catfish exports to China.





In 2019, China spent $728.6 million dollars to import catfish from Vietnam. In the same year, Navico exported 3,290 containers of products with revenue of $153.5 million, a 10-year high, an increase of 19 percent compared with 2018.



However, Navicos exports to China dropped sharply by 87 percent last February, posing threats to the companys goal for sustainable growth.

According to Doan Toi, Navicos general director, the company keeps production, but at lower capacity. Catfish exports in the first two months of the year brought turnover of $2.03 billion, down by 10.2 percent compared with 2018.

China, together with Southeast Asia and Europe, are the three major export markets for Navico.

According to Doan Toi, Navicos general director, the company keeps production, but at lower capacity. Catfish exports in the first two months of the year brought turnover of $2.03 billion, down by 10.2 percent compared with 2018.



The Chinese market consumes 36 percent of Vietnams catfish exports.



The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) reported that Vietnams exports to China dropped by 52 percent in the first two months of 2020 because of the sluggish retail network and stuck delivery system in Covid-19.



As exports to China go down, Vinh Hoan JSC has lowered the business target by 10 percent, while increasing exports to the EU.



Vinh Hoan expects to see net revenue increasing by 10 percent this year, but the post-tax profit may decrease by 19 percent as predicted by BIDV Securities (BSC).



The selling price is predicted to decrease by 2 percent from 2019, while the input costs are predicted to increase by 9 percent.



According to Duong Nghia Quoc, chair of the Vietnam Pangasius Association, China has tightened requirements on food hygiene on imports and strengthened its own domestic catfish farming.



The Chinese Evergreen Group, which can process 7,000 tons of catfish products a year is a big rival which may cause Vietnams catfish market share in China to decrease.



Meanwhile, GSOs (General Statistics Office) latest report showed that the catfish price is at a 10-year low.



The catfish output in March 2020 is estimated at 74,700 tons, down by 8.8 percent compared with the same period last year. The figure is 242,800 tons in Q1, down by 3.7 percent.



However, many businesses believe that the decline of the Chinese market is just temporary, and that more orders will come as the epidemic peak in the country is over.

Kim Chi

Catfish farming in danger, farmers leave ponds idle Catfish exports to China dropped by half in the first two months of the year in comparison with the same period last year, resulting in a 32 percent decrease in total export turnover for the entire seafood industry.
16/04/2020 - The OECD and member countries that provide foreign aid are exploring how they can work to help the most vulnerable countries to weather the Covid-19 crisis, as new data showed a rise in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2019, particularly to the poorest countries.





ODA from members of the OECDs Development Assistance Committee (DAC) totalled USD 152.8 billion in 2019, a rise of 1.4% in real terms from 2018, according to preliminary data collected from official development agencies. Bilateral ODA to Africa and least-developed countries rose by 1.3% and 2.6% respectively. Excluding aid spent on looking after refugees within donor countries  which was down 2% from 2018  ODA rose by 1.7% in real terms.





This increase in the global development effort is an important first step, particularly as we now have an additional duty to step up support to those countries facing the harshest impacts of all from the coronavirus crisis, said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. The response of development providers in the weeks and months ahead will be a critical force in the global battle against Covid-19. ODA has proved to be recession-proof in the past, including during the 2008 financial crisis, and I am confident it can be again.





Total ODA in 2019 was equivalent to 0.30% of DAC countries combined gross national income, down from 0.31% in 2018 and below a target ratio of 0.7% of ODA to GNI. Five DAC members  Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom  met or exceeded the 0.7% target (the same five countries as in 2018.) Among non-DAC donors, which are not counted in the DAC total, Turkey provided ODA equivalent to 1.15% of its GNI.





ODA rose in 18 DAC countries, with the largest increases in Austria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Norway and Slovenia. It fell in 11 countries, most notably in Poland, Portugal and Sweden, in some cases because of lower spending on refugees. Net ODA has risen for the most part steadily in volume terms from just below USD 40 billion in 1960. Despite the 2008 crisis, ODA rose by 69% in real terms between 2000, when the Millennium Development Goals were agreed, and 2010, as donors committed to increases.





On April 9, the DAC issued a joint statement acknowledging the importance of ODA to help developing countries through the Covid-19 crisis, and saying members would strive to protect ODA budgets.





Its good news that ODA is increasing and that more of it is going to Africa and the poorest countries. We must build on this positive trend, because this global crisis demands strong global cooperation. Least developed countries will be the hardest hit by COVID-19. DAC members are already using ODA to help them respond to the double hit of health and economic crises. We will need to keep doing so throughout 2020 and beyond, said DAC Chair Susanna Moorehead.





DAC members are sharing what they are doing to help developing countries combat the health crisis and economic fallout of the pandemic, with some donor countries already announcing reallocation of ODA money to support basic living conditions, build emergency health facilities and provide liquidity to developing country banks.





Mr. Gurria, in a joint statement with Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Development Programme Administrator, called on the international community and DAC members to act urgently to support those most vulnerable in the face of the crisis, including by increasing and sustaining ODA commitments. Ms Moorehead and OECD Development Co-operation Director Jorge Moreira da Silva urged DAC members to stand by their ODA commitments in March, to target efforts to health systems and vulnerable people and to ensure optimal coordination of humanitarian and development aid. To help them, the OECD is tracking the spread of Covid-19 in the worlds most fragile and insecure places on its States of Fragility platform.





The OECD is also working to analyse debt relief and other financial mechanisms for developing countries, donor support for women who make up the majority of health and care workers, support for global public goods  including research for new medicines or vaccines  and on longer-term analysis and guidance to help developing countries mitigate social and economic impacts. All official direct Covid19-related support to ODA-eligible countries, whether to invest in health systems or to protect and rebuild livelihoods will count as ODA.





Defined since 1969 as government aid that promotes and specifically targets the economic development and welfare of developing countries, ODA makes up over two thirds of external finance for least-developed countries. The OECDs aid statistics track official flows from DAC donors. The OECD also monitors flows from some non-DAC providers and private foundations. Preliminary data each April is followed by final statistics at the end of each year with a detailed geographic and sectoral breakdown.





The 2019 total comprised USD 149.4 billion in the form of grants, loans to sovereign entities and contributions to multilateral institutions; USD 1.9 billion to development-oriented private sector instrument (PSI) vehicles, USD 1.4 billion in net loans and equities to private companies operating in ODA-eligible countries and USD 149 million of debt relief. Bilateral sovereign loans increased by 5.7% in real terms from 2018, suggesting some donors may be providing more concessional lending to low-income countries.





As in 2018, the 2019 data is expressed on a grant equivalent basis, offering a more realistic comparison between grants and loans, which account for around 17% of gross bilateral ODA, and a fairer measure of donor effort. Until 2018, loans were expressed on a cash basis, meaning their full face value was included then repayments were subtracted as they came in. The grant-equivalent methodology means only the grant portion of the loan, i.e. the amount given by lending below market rates, counts as ODA.





Links to aid data and background information:

2019 ODA statistics in detail

More information on ODA (including Frequently Asked Questions, eligible countries, and all OECD aid data including charts on donors & recipients since 1960)

For further information, journalists should contact Catherine Bremer in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 8097.)

The DAC is an OECD committee that serves as a forum for 30 donors and observer bodies. ODA is defined as official financing flows to promote the economic development and welfare of low and middle-income countries. Net ODA is total ODA spent minus repayment of loan principals by recipient countries.

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.

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2,000 families join National Backyard Campout led by Christian alternative to Boy Scouts

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UPDATE: April 17 at 2 p.m: A spokesperson for Trail Life USA told The Christian Post that the number of families participating in the National Backyard Campout has increased from 2,000 to 5,000.

Original:

A Christian youth scouting organization will observe its first-ever National Backyard Campout event, created in response to stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Approximately 2,000 families have already registered for the event, scheduled to take place on Friday, which was organized by the scouting group Trail Life USA.

To help with the inaugural observance, Trail Life included suggestions for recipes, activities, as well as how-to guides on outdoor camping on their website.

Trail Life CEO Mark Hancock told The Christian Post in an interview on Tuesday that his organization wanted to create a fun event amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We think that families need something to look forward to in this time and we wanted to create for kids a positive experience out of this difficult time, Hancock said.

"Adults may look back on it as a time of uncertainty and shortages and layoffs, but kids can look back and say, 'wow, that's when our family came to the backyard.'"

Hancock also told CP that Trail Life was seriously considering making the National Backyard Campout an annual event, even after the coronavirus pandemic comes to an end.

"Our initial thoughts were that we needed a special event in this special time, he said, but we're hearing from more families that they really like the idea and it will certainly be something we're considering for the future."

For the time being, Hancock hoped that families who participate in the campout on Friday will find a new way to bond through the experience.

That, in these difficult times, they find purpose in being together in what may be a different way and that they carry that forward and it makes family bonds stronger and better, Hancock said.

Trail Life USA was officially launched on New Years Day 2014 in response to the Boy Scouts of America voting to change their policies to allow for openly gay members.

We believe that homosexuality is sinful and immoral, as is any sexual activity outside of the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, stated Trail Life on the FAQ portion of their website.

Consistent with this belief, we have specific policies that address membership and sin in both youth and adult members.

Trail Life also does not permit the chartering of a troop by any church that does not accept the doctrine of the Trinity, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Non-Trinitarian denominations do not participate in our program because our specific Statement of Faith adheres to Trinitarian doctrine, explained Trail Life on their website.

Since its establishment in 2014, Trail Life has grown to include over 30,000 members and more than 830 troops in all 50 states.
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Linkedin M. Chatib Basri, Rema N. Hanna and Benjamin A. Olken (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Cambridge, Massachusetts  Thu, April 16, 2020 08:59 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd22ab8a 3 Opinion #COVID19,#coronavirus,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,coronavirus,COVID-19,Insight,social-protection-program,middle-class Free

The world has been transformed. Countries have temporarily, and somewhat frantically, shuttered their economies in the hope of slowing the spread of COVID-19. And even those countries that have not implemented severe lockdowns are being battered by the coming global recession.

Indonesia faces these same challenges. Greater Jakarta is under a large-scale social distancing regime, while many other districts nationwide debate how to respond. The economic costs of the crisis are starkly visible, as millions may already be experiencing food insecurity.

Given the challenging and quickly transforming environment, it is vital to expand social protection. When people are locked down, or practicing some form of social distancing even without a lockdown order, they are unable to earn a living, and unable to meet basic needs.

The Indonesian government rightly reacted quickly. For example, the government rapidly increased aid distributed through the Family Hope Program (PKH) and the Sembako Program and is making electricity free for households with 450 VA and 900 VA connections.

Even more is needed. In particular, Indonesia needs to further increase the number of people who can receive government assistance  and identify these people in new ways  as the COVID-19 economic shock affects members of the middle class.

Many of the governments typical social protection programs, such as the PKH and Sembako Program, are geared toward the poor. Targeting in these programs is based on a households assets. This makes sense for antipoverty programs  these assets reflect long-term poverty well.

But, these programs miss workers who have recently been hit with a major shock, such as lost wages or lost income from business. In fact, many lowermiddle class workers were gainfully employed just a month ago but now have no income. Many do not have enough savings to get by if they lose their income.

These are precisely the people who are not covered by existing programs: Just because you dont live in a house with a dirt floor doesnt mean you have enough savings to feed your family if you lose your income.

Without help to manage these tough times, many of these families will be thrust back into poverty, reducing the gains Indonesia has made over the last 20 years in poverty reduction. There is also a risk of social unrest.

What can the government do? We suggest three ideas.

First, the government recently announced the new preemployment card program, rapidly altered to help deal with the crisis. The program provides online training and incentives of Rp 600,000 (US$38.52) per month for four months and it is aimed at more than 5 million unemployed people.

This program is a terrific start. It can be improved further by quickly increasing funding to expand the number of individuals who can access it.

The training component can also be further improved. Having some training is important. It can help improve skills when the economy opens. And, equally importantly, asking people to sign up for, and complete, a training program can be used as a mechanism to identify those most in need.

That said, a key benefit of online training is that it can be scaled cheaply. It doesnt cost much more to deliver an online training course to 10,000 people as it does to deliver it to 1,000 people. Since the training will all be online, the portion of funding that goes toward training can be reduced dramatically as the program scales up. The money can instead be used to increase cash benefits.

A second option is to work with the Home Ministry, telecom firms and banks to identify the lowermiddle class through their cell phone records. Transfers could then be made through phone credit or e-wallets, which could be converted to digital wallets that can be used to purchase goods or cash out.

Most SIM cards can be linked to national identity numbers (NIK), so the government can use this to make sure to cover only those households that arent already receiving support under other programs and make sure nobody receives a transfer more than once. While the government might not normally want to do this for privacy reasons, it may want to consider doing so temporarily as an emergency response.

This program could be automatic  e.g. everyone who is identified receives it  or the government could further target it by asking for applications from the unemployed and using this data as part of a verification process.

A third option may be to identify individuals through community-based targeting. Previous research in Indonesia has shown that communities are good at identifying those most in need  not only in rural areas, but urban areas as well. These communities can be leveraged now to identify households hardest hit by the CO VID-19 economic shock.

Providing transfers to communities that can redistribute within  with clear guidelines on doorto-door distribution through the neighborhood unit network that respects physical distancing  can be an effective way to quickly reach the lower-middle class.

Given the unprecedented health and economic crises that have been brought about by COVID-19, society is making sacrifices to protect health and well-being. However, it is important that this burden is not disproportionally felt by the most vulnerable of society, and that no one is left behind.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
The pandemic spreading over the world has affected over 185 countries and territories so far, with over 2 million cases and 134,354 deaths. In response, many countries and regions have enforced lockdowns, in addition to the almost universal recommendations for social distancing. One of the most significant impacts has been the effect on economic activity the world over.

A new pre-print study published on medRxiv looks at the effect of the pandemic-associated lockdown and resulting drastic reduction in economic activity, in terms of environmental pollution. The researchers found that air pollution at both ground level and tropospheric levels were reduced by 20% across 20 countries. The parameters measured included nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and fine particulate matter. These reductions were linked to improvement in health outcomes over the short term as well.

Development must mean pollution

Many developing countries have found that economic activity and financial growth are inextricably linked to the use of fossil fuels, resulting in increased greenhouse gases, particulate matter, and, therefore, increased air pollution.

Air pollution has severe adverse consequences on human health and the environment. Research shows that an estimated 9 million deaths occur prematurely every year due to the presence of fine particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5). Meanwhile, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) causes 4 million new cases of asthma to emerge in children each year.

Lockdown reduces air pollution

The study was based on the hypothesis that lockdowns are linked to lower levels of air pollution during February and March 2020. Satellites imagery provided data on the global air pollution levels, and ground measurements were derived from 10,000 air quality stations, adjusting for variations in local and global weather conditions.

The changes in various air pollutants over time were then examined with relation to the reduction, if any, in the number of premature deaths and new cases of childhood asthma compared to the expected incidence.

Manhattan, New York, USA - March 28, 2020: No crowds in Times Square after self-quarantine and social distancing was put in place in New York City. Image Credit: haeryung stock images / Shutterstock

LONDON, UK - 22 MAY 2018: Empty London. Oxford Circus with no traffic or pedestrians. The busy shopping district is normally gridlocked with human traffic. Image Credit: pxl.store / Shutterstock

Moscow, Russia, April 5, 2020. Coronavirus Quarantine, COVID-19, in Moscow. Empty streets in the city center. Image Credit: Dmitry Bezrukov / Shutterstock

Satellite data

When the satellite-derived data were observed, the researchers found a 10% reduction in NO2 concentrations in the troposphere over the populated parts of the world, with a 30% decline over Europe and a 12% fall over China. Ozone levels showed a slight increase of 2.4%, which they explain as due to the decline in nitrogen oxide emissions, causing reduced consumption of ozone by reaction with ozone (local titration of ozone), along with the photochemical formation of ozone catalyzed by nitrogen oxides.

Nitrogen dioxide lasts for only about a day in the atmosphere, which allows local fluctuations to be seen clearly. Ozone lasts for weeks at a time, and its variations over time are affected by the weather as well. The limited amount of sunlight during the lockdown months of February and March also reduces the rate of photochemical ozone reactions in the atmosphere over the colder countries of the world. In the warmer regions of the globe, the levels of ozone may increase and accumulate to a marked extent.

The concentration of PM2.5 is mirrored by the aerosol optical depth (AOD). This also went up, though slightly, by 13%, but this is mostly above the boundary layer and does not represent the changes at ground level.

Sao Paulo, SP / Brazil - March 22, 2020: Empty streets and avenues are seen in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Image Credit: Nelson Antoine / Shutterstock

Ground-level data

At ground level, the changes from the expected baseline in the levels of NO2, ozone, and PM2.5 were -23%, +5.4%, and -17%, respectively. The change is both greater and in the opposite direction in the case of PM2.5, when compared to the satellite-generated data, showing how important it is to take both types of data into consideration.

The reduction in NO2 and PM2.5 levels is apparent from the middle of January and increases thereafter, which, according to the researchers, could be because of the initial lockdown in Wuhan and then in Hubei province at the beginning of the pandemic, followed by increasing number of lockdowns all over the world. They also pointed out aberrations, such as much more significant reductions in Australia and Mexico. While the first may be the result of the earlier bush fires in Australia, the second, they say, is more difficult to explain.

8 April 2020 - Cape Town, South Africa: Aerial view over Cape Town during COVID-19 lockdown. Image Credit: fivepointsix / Shutterstock

How are these deviations linked to the lockdown and the health outcomes?

The next step was to analyze only the ground-level concentrations of each pollutant on a country-wide basis and for only the first 2 weeks of lockdown rather than the average in the months of February and March. The researchers adjusted for weather and local climatic conditions, which could markedly affect these parameters.

The results showed that NO2 and ozone levels went down by almost a third and a tenth, respectively. The PM2.5 levels, however, seem to be affected more by energy generation, agriculture, and residential use of power than land transport and small-scale business activity. Mineral dust blown over immense distances by the winds also seems to play a significant role in determining PM2.5, which masks the local reductions of this pollutant.

The researchers say that just two weeks of lockdown, which brought most industries and traffic to a near-complete halt, has resulted in a net reduction of 7,400 premature deaths and 6,600 cases of asthma in children in 27 countries where such measures were in force. 6,800 of the avoided deaths were due to PM2.5, 540 to NO2, and 50 to ozone reductions. For asthma in children, the corresponding reductions are 850, 5700, and 50, respectively.

When data from India and China alone are examined, the number of early deaths due to the presence of PM2.5 in the air went down by 5,300 and 1,400, respectively. These are the countries with the highest pollution levels and the greatest density of population.

It is fair to assume that if this trend were to be maintained for the whole of 2020, there would be about 0.80 million fewer early deaths and 1.6 million cases of asthma in children. The small reductions in PM2.5 would contribute to much of this benefit, at 0.6 million avoided deaths and 1.1 million avoided pediatric asthma cases.

What does the study show?

The study has several limitations due to the type of data used, namely, using city-wide or multi-city trends to generalize over a whole population. Secondly, they cannot predict if the premature deaths said to have been avoided would have happened in the period covered. The study also does not account for other exposures like smoke from indoor solid fuel stoves.

Despite this, the researchers conclude that the reduction of air pollution by reducing the emissions related to regular business activities is associated with significant potential for improvements in health outcomes. The longer total lockdown duration in most countries and the interplay between air pollution and COVID-19 deaths is yet to be known, and these estimates may, therefore, be at the lower limits of the real benefits.

Economic activity cannot, obviously, be suspended indefinitely, yet should the world return to its business as usual patterns that clearly drives air pollution and related deaths? While the lockdowns were intended to minimize the number of deaths from COVID-19, the resulting avoidance of premature deaths due to air pollution has been a side benefit. They conclude, Finding economically and socially sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based transport and industry are another means of reaching the pollutant declines we have 235 observed during the global response to COVID-19.

Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A man has been charged in a Huntsville shooting that killed two people and injured two others at a motorcycle club last month.

Albert J. Vinson, 31, is charged with two counts of murder, and one count each of discharging a firearm into an occupied building and first-degree assault, according to the Huntsville Police Department. Hes being held in the Madison County jail with bail set at $165,000. If convicted of murder, the most serious charge, he could face up to life in prison.

Albert Vinson was arrested on charges of murder, assault and discharging a firearm into an occupied building, according to Huntsville police.

Lt. Michael Johnson said investigators expect to arrest more suspects.

This is not over with, he said.

The deadly situation happened outside a motorcycle club on Mastin Lake Road on the night of March 26.

Bernard E. Griffin, 53, and Kelcey W. Smith, 45, were shot to death, according to Huntsville police. Two other men  ages 38 and 46  were injured by gunfire.

The shooting happened at the culmination of an ongoing dispute between two motorcycle groups with nearby offices, according to police Chief Mark McMurray.

Theyve been arguing for some time, and this just erupted last night, the chief said when asked about the case at a press event the next morning. It finally came to a boil.

The situation at the motorcycle club was one of three shootings that happened in Huntsville during an eight-hour span, leaving two dead and six injured.

It wasnt immediately clear whether suspects have been charged in the other two shootings.

Further details werent immediately available.
Russia said it would "certainly accept" President Donald Trump's offer to send ventilators to help with the country's battle against the coronavirus.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Mr Trump said he planned to send the machines to help Russia.

"I think Russia is going to need ventilators. They're having a hard time in Moscow. We're going to help them," he said.

Thursday, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said that "Russia will certainly accept the kind offer if necessary," according to the Associated Press.

It won't be the first exchange of medical equipment between the countries during the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this month, Russian news outlet RBC reported that the US may have violated its own sanctions against Russia by purchasing ventilators and other personal protective equipment from the country.

Footage surfaced of ventilators from Russian tech firm KRET  which is one of the companies under sanction by the US  being unloaded in New York.

Brian O'Toole, a former senior sanctions adviser for the US Treasury Department, told RBC that there are rules that allow sanctioned entities to be licensed for specific needs.

"[US Office for Foreign Assets Control] can always issue a specific internal licence for a transaction involving a sanctioned party," Mr O'Toole said. "But the Trump administration might not have issued any licence."

He went on to say that the incident should "still be considered a formal violation of sanctions."

Moscow called the shipment of medical equipment "humanitarian aid," but Washington confirmed that it paid for half of the shipment.

Russia has 27,938 coronavirus cases and 232 deaths.

Recommended Watchdog overseeing coronavirus relief demands transparency from Trump

Mr Trump said the US would also send help to Italy, Spain and France, which are also facing supply shortages.

The move comes at a time when the US is facing its own shortage of ventilators. Hospitals have had to develop policies for how they will distribute ventilators in the event of a shortage, a decision that could potentially be the difference between survival and death for some patients.

In anticipation of possible machine shortages, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of CPAP and BiPAP machines - often used to treat sleep apnea - to be used as last-resort ventilators. To try to make up for the shortage, Ford, Tesla and General Motors have begun manufacturing ventilators in their factories.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Ohio officials on Wednesday reported that 272 state prisoners have tested positive for the coronavirus, an increase of 122 cases in a single day.

The increase in prisoner cases came after the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said it was conducting mass testing at three facilities where the virus has rapidly spread so officials can take additional measures to prevent more cases. A spokeswoman said Wednesdays spike is partially a result of mass testing at the Marion Correctional Institution, the Pickaway Correctional institution in Orient and the Franklin Medical Center in Columbus.

Two of the most significant jumps in cases happened at Marion and Pickaway, making up for much of the overall increase.

Prison officials reported 92 positive cases at the Marion prison on Wednesday, up from 48 the day before. At Pickaway, where three inmates have died from the coronavirus, 132 prisoners have now tested positive for the virus, compared to 74 on Tuesday.

The number of staff members who tested positive for the virus now stands at 159, up from 143 the day before. One has died.

As of Wednesday, more than 21,000 inmates at 15 prisons are under quarantine and 331 are in isolation. Officials have tested 1,156 prisoners, and 744 cases are pending. One-hundred-forty cases came back with negative results.

Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday deployed members of the Ohio National Guard to the prison to assist with medical care.

He also said Wednesday that he had approved the early release of 105 inmates from state prisons, all of whom were convicted of non-violent crimes and were already within 90 days of completing their sentences. The group was among 141 inmates the governors office flagged last week for early release to reduce the prison population, but separate from another group of more than 60 inmates that either have a chronic health condition, are nearing their release or have given birth or are pregnant.

Still, advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio have said the governors measures are not enough and more needs done to reduce the population of an already crowded prison system.

Read more:

Two more Ohio prison inmates have died, likely from coronavirus

Every prisoner will be tested for coronavirus at three Ohio prisons, Gov. Mike DeWine says

Gov. Mike DeWine recommends releasing 167 more Ohio prison inmates due to coronavirus crisis
With around a fourth of the total cases in the country, Maharashtra on Thursday has become the first state to cross 3,000 Covid-19 cases.

The number of infected people in Mumbai rose over 2,000 with 177 new cases.

The state government has claimed that there was a drop in the rate of doubling of the cases and increase in recovery of Covid-19 patients.

The state government has also started planning to relax the lockdown restrictions in about half of its districts from next week by allowing the industrial operations and within district movements.

A total of 286people tested positive on Thursday taking Maharashtras tally to 3,202, while deaths of seven more patients took the number of casualties to 194.

Among those who died, four were from Mumbai while three were from Pune. Four of them were above 60 years of age while the others were above 40. Six had underlying ailments including diabetes, heart ailment, asthma and high blood pressure, the state health department said in a statement.

The number of positive cases reached 2,063 in Mumbai which remains the most affected city in India.

The health department said it has conducted 56,673 tests at various public and private facilities till date. Of them 52,762 people tested negative. Maharashtra currently has 297 active containment zones.

A total of 5,664 survey teams comprising doctors and assisting staff have screened more than 20.50 lakh people. Three hundred patients have been discharged from the hospitals after their recovery from the infection, 71,076 people in the state are home quarantined, while 6,108 are under institutional quarantine.

State health minister Rajesh Tope said that the rate of the doubling of cases has improved to 5.5 days from 2 and 3.5 days a few days ago. We expect to improve it further. It is true that the mortality rate in the state is high at 7%, but it is due to the co-morbidity among the patients. 83% deaths are related to underlying ailments such diabetes, and ailments related to heart and kidney. We have also formed a task force of experts to suggest measures to minimize death rate and clinical management of Covid-19 patients who are critically ill, he said.

He added that the percentage of the patients being discharged after the successful recovery from the Covid-19 infection has increased. Our focus on expediting the recovery has been reaping fruits as the rate of discharging patients has increased. 300 patients have been discharged so far, he said.

The minister said six more labs are expected to be added in the existing count of 36 laboratories for testing samples for coronavirus.

We are expecting the approval from the ICMR to our proposal of pool testing rapid testing, he said. He said that all 1400 people from Maharashtra, who had attended international congregation at Nizamuddin in Delhi, have been traced, quarantined and tested.

Only 50 of them are Covid-19 positive, the rest are kept in quarantine facilities, he said.

The state government is also planning to relax the lockdown restriction in the state from April 20. The relaxation will, however, be in the non-affected areas and limited only to the essential services, industries and agriculture sector by strict following of the lockdown norms. Tope clarified that no public gathering will be allowed or educational institutions such as school and colleges will be allowed to function.

The state government is also planning to increase the workforce in government offices to 33%. In a video conference on Thursday, top level officials held discussion on the guidelines by the central government. Based on the notification issued by the Centre, we have already included a few auxiliary sectors in exempted essential activities. The districts with no Covid-19 patients or less than 15 patients can have more relaxation from the lockdown restrictions, said an official on condition of anonymity.

There are seven districts with no positive patients and four other districts whose rural parts are unaffected. These districts will get maximum relief though all the activities will be released within the district boundaries which have been sealed. The districts with less than 15 patients are expected to get relief in the unaffected areas. However the most affected areas, mostly governed by municipal corporation will continue with the lockdown with its strict implementation, said the official.

Industries minister Subhash Desai said that the state government was considering allowing industrial operations in at least 20 districts which have either no case or very few cases from April 20. Following the Centres guidelines for the second phase of lockdown and by using our own powers we are preparing a proposal to begin industrial operations in some districts. The industrial units following the standard operating procedures (SOP) and making arrangements for their employees would be allowed to begin operations, he said.

The minister said that the industrial units will have to make arrangements for the shelter and transportation of the workers. According to officials, the state government has planned to begin operations of at least 60% MSMEs by month end.
French president Emmanuel Macron delivered a televised address on Monday night to defend his governments disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic. Macron also announced an end date to the nationwide quarantine, without providing any health-based justification for doing so.

Across Europe, governments are compelling workers to return to work in the midst of an epidemic. In Spain and Austria, workers anger has erupted on social media in the face of return-to-work orders imposed by the trade unions, even as thousands of new coronavirus cases are reported each day. The British and Spanish governments openly declare that a majority of the population will have to catch the disease, in the hope that the survivors develop an immunity allowing them to continue to work.

Macron had already raised the need to return to the job, which would sustain the hundreds of billions of euros that the central banks and government are pouring into the financial markets. His speech Monday fell within the same basic framework. Without specifying what change in the situation would allow a safe ending of the quarantine, the president ordered a return to work, delaying it until May 11.

A family watches French President Emmanuel Macron's televised speech, Monday April 13, 2020, in Lyon, central France. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Workers cannot trust the president of the rich with such a life-and-death question. A general quarantine was adopted in Europe only after a wave of strikes in Italy that spread to France, Spain, Great Britain and beyond. The question is posed of a movement of the working class to impose a rational, planned and scientific response to the pandemic on a global scale.

While an Odoxa poll indicates that 70 percent of the population do not trust the government, and that 88 percent think the quarantine should have begun earlier, Macron began his speech this week with congratulations to his own government. He praised himself for the fact that the hospitals have been able to treat all those who were presented to them.

In fact, the hospitals, on which Macron imposed austerity spending cuts immediately prior to the pandemic, were able to treat everyone only because they admitted a fraction of the most serious cases. Most patients were told to treat themselves at home; an unknown number of older patients died in retirement homes. The current 50 percent increase in the mortality rate among French people in their homes appears to reflect the death of non-hospitalized coronavirus patients.

The lack of masks and anti-bacterial gels in France, and of gloves and coats for nurses and healthcare workers, has worsened the pandemic that has killed 119,000 people internationally and over 15,000 in France. More than 6,000 nurses have been infected in France, while seven doctors and nine health staff have died. Hundreds of doctors have filed suit against Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and former Minister of Solidarity and Health Agnes Buzyn, which threatens the two officials with two-year prison sentences.

Macron referred in passing to these disasters before minimizing them as misfirings. With breathtaking indifference, the French president added: We will draw all the necessary lessons in the appropriate time.

The time to secure the required supplies of medical treatments and equipment is not in the vague future, but in the here and now.

Thousands of people across Europe and elsewhere are dying every day, even as Macron announced the end of the quarantine and the reopening of all schools in less than four weeks time, with the return of tertiary students delayed until the summer. He did not explain why elementary and secondary schools, as much key transmission mechanisms for the virus as the universities, should reopen, besides the obvious fact that this would be necessary to allow the students parents to get back to work and produce profits for business. Macron said that the reopening of schools would be prepared with the social partners, the trade unions.

Nonetheless, Macron indicated that the May 11 return was not assured, criticizing the so-called strategy of collective immunity advocated in Berlin and London. Instead of adopting this strategy and coldly allowing a majority of the population to become infected with the disease, Macron proposed betting on a coronavirus vaccine.

Today, according to preliminary data that will soon be improved, the president argued, a very small minority of the French population has contracted COVID-19. This means that we are far from what specialists call collective immunity, the point at which the virus stops spreading of its own accord because enough of us have already contracted it. The most talented researchers in the world are working on this problem nowand France is internationally recognized in this field.

This raises questions to which Macron gave no answer. He stated that the development of a vaccine would take many months12 to 18, according to scientists. But he was silent on what should be done between May 11 and when that vaccine might be available.

Above all, Macron did not explain his attitude toward the strategy of collective immunity. Even assuming a mortality rate of one percent, allowing 70 percent of the population to become infected would lead to half a million deaths in France, and hundreds of millions internationally.

The fear of a social explosion in France and internationally is a decisive factoralthough rarely referred toin Macrons policy. Terrified by two years of yellow vest protests and shaken by stoppages in the automotive industry and at Amazon in Europe and America, he chose for the moment not to adopt openly the same quasi-genocidal policy as elsewhere on the continent.

The risk of having to re-impose a quarantine following a renewed outbreak of the virusa possibility that he briefly referred tono doubt played a role. Nonetheless, there is no fundamental difference between the policy of Macron and that of Boris Johnson in Britain or Angela Merkel in Germany. All want to send workers back to work, without safe conditions, in order to boost the profits of the financial elite.

Macron hypocritically sought to soften this brutal class reality, declaring that Our country depends entirely on men and women that our economy repays so little, before invoking the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789, Social distinctions can be founded only on the common good. These words, Macron continued, are imposed upon us today, adding into the bargain that a portion of the debt of African countries would be cancelled.

Workers cannot have any confidence in these empty promises. Macron is discredited by years of austerity and war, in addition to his catastrophic response to the coronavirus pandemic. This crisis has demonstrated that social distinctions based on class inequality play a disastrous and even fatal role in the world today. Macron is known as a ruthless and bloody defender of the financial elite. He is now negotiating with the business federation and the unions to impose a slashing of paid leave and unpaid overtime.

The working class must decide the conditions for any end to the quarantine, in complete independence from the parties and unions that collaborate with Macron. Through the formation of independent rank-and-file workplace and neighborhood committees, workers can fight for a safe end to the quarantine, which would necessarily involve no return to work for non-essential production, safe conditions for all workers in industries that are essential to fight the virus and guaranteed protection of allincluding prisoners and refugees.

These demands require a struggle for socialism and against capitalism and the European Union, for the bringing down of Macron and the establishment of a workers government.
Rabbi Abraham Heschel points out that the first holy object in the history of the world was not a mountain or an altar but a day. The Sabbath, he contends, was something entirely new. Other religions celebrated sacredness by designating places or objects as sacred. But,

Judaism teaches us to be attached to holiness in time, to be attached to sacred events, to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of a year. The Sabbaths are our great cathedrals; and the Holy of Holies is a shrine that neither the Romans nor the Germans were able to burn.1

Heschel also explains that though God rested, the ancient rabbis spoke as though God had created something new on the seventh day. That something, he says, in menuha, the Hebrew word normally rendered as "rest." In the context of the Sabbath passages, rest meant far more than simply taking a day off or engaging in leisurely pursuits: "To the biblical mind, menuha is the same as happiness and stillness, as peace and harmony ... What was created on the seventh day? Tranquility, serenity, peace, and repose.

He goes on to say that menuha eventually became equated with the life to come: "Six evenings a week we pray: 'Guard our going out and our coming in'; on the Sabbath evening we pray instead: 'Embrace us with a tent of Thy peace.'" The Sabbath is to be like warm shelter, a safe place, a day in which Jewish people can experience God embracing them with his peace.

So Sabbath is much more than leisure. A day at the beach might relax us. A massage and a visit to the spa might delight us. But these do not constitute Sabbath rest. Susannah Heschel, the daughter of Abraham Heschel, comments on how Friday evenings at their home was always the climax of her week, as they were for every Jewish family: "Shabbat comes with its own holiness; we enter, not simply a day but an atmosphere." Sabbath is meant to be a foretaste of paradise, a testimony, she says, to God's presence. Her father taught her that just as it was forbidden to kindle a fire on the Sabbath, one must not kindle a fire of righteous indignation. That's why her family refrained from talking about politics, the Holocaust, or the war in Vietnam on the Sabbath, focusing instead on topics that would help create a sense of menuha. Her father also taught her that Sabbath was a day for the body as well as the soul and that it was a sin to be sad on that day.

But the peace of Sabbath does not magically materialize. It takes work and preparation. In Jewish homes the preparation often begins early in the week because everything needs to be readied by sundown on Friday when Sabbath begins--a festive meal, a clean house, chores completed, enough food to ensure that no cooking needs to be done for the next twenty-four hours. Somehow this is fitting since Sabbath is intimately connected to the rest of the week, whose days are thought of as a pilgrimage toward the Sabbath.
Hannas Apogee essay: nearly 680 words

General

expenses that comes

Review and Rating



Content:

12. Rating  4.5

13. The final word --- Be patient and cool in the hall



Thank you Daagh for your time on GMAT Club and all your contributions! Thank you for everything you did!

Your work will remain a great tribute to you here on GMAT Club !

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Hi everyone. i just started studying for my gmat last week, so I am completely new to writing the AWA. I have a feeling this isn't very good, but since its my first time, i would love to get some feedback on my essay and what areas I could improve on. Also, tips would be lovely!The following appeared in a memorandum from the business department of the Apogee Company. When the Apogee Company had all its operations in one location, it was more profitable than it is today. Therefore, the Apogee Company should close down its field offices and conduct all its operations from a single location. Such centralization would improve profitability by cutting costs and helping the company maintain better supervision of all employees.The argument that the Apogee Company (AC) fails to describe the reasoning for the current day profits of the company, and why they believe it was profitable in the past.: 680 words are too much for an AWA essay. The average is around 500 maximum. Then only there will be some time for manual proofreading.Firstly, the lack of financial information makes it difficult to think that the reason the AC was doing better in the past was because all of its operations were in one location. Moreover, the use of the word more profitable is vague and, unless it is quantified, cannot be a credible statement. There may be many other factors that are leading to this lack of profitability that need to be explored. Lastly, the business model and offerings were not described, and thus the assumption that the lack of profits is based on the operations, and not based on the market or other factors, is questionable.While having operations in one place could cut costs, it is essential to check how much of the companys profits in the past were attributed to the operational costs and expenses. If this argument included the financial statements and information that depicts the operational expenses being a small proportion of the costs, compared to todays financial statements that would show the opposite, it would be easier to conclude this.However, due to the lack of this information, one may think that the reason for the difference in expenses may not be because of the location, but because of the increase in staffing and compensation, increase in equipment and other fixed and variable 1.with a companys growth. Therefore, to move all the operations to one location may be detrimental to the company, as it will not be able to keep up with demands, since moving all the operations to one place would mean that jobs may need to be cut, and 2. their will be a lack of space for equipment required for operations. In addition, utilizing the word more profitable is ambiguous. Without financial statements, it is hard to conclude whether the profitability is due to revenue or expenses.1. expenses that 'comes' is SV error. Make the verb as plural "come'2. Their should be thereIt is crucial to discuss other factors that are leading to the lack of profitability, such as social, 2. economical, political, and technological. For instance, the lack of profitability may be because the company is not utilizing the correct technology that will make their operations more efficient. Thus, the Apogee Company should look into all the reasons why they may not be profiting, and ways that they can modernize their business in order to increase profits, instead of scaling down. By scaling down, they may be risking and sacrificing a huge part of the market, as they will be using 3. less resources that are from other markets, and marking their presence there. This includes getting to know the consumers and being able to gain insights from them.2. economical should be economic3. less resources should be fewer resourcesAnother flaw worth investigating is that the companys business model is not explained within the argument. What does the company do? What kind of products or services does it offer? Undeniably, if the offering of the company in the past was in higher demand, the profits and revenue would reflect this. Therefore, the question remains whether the company is currently offering the same and if this offering is still desired by the market. If not, moving the companys operations may not solve their problem, but rather, they need to come up with a more effective business model that will reflect todays market.Therefore, in order to strengthen their argument, the Apogee company needs to divulge into their current business model and explain that their business model takes the market demand into account and the only reason for the lack of profits is due to operating expenses, not because their offering is undesirable. In addition, they need to ensure that centralizing will not harm their market presence that they have grown and established in, and will not reduce their future opportunities in being part of new markets.Thank you for your help!1.Construction  Ok2.Length 680 words --- too long3.Flow --- ok.4. Proofreading  okay; Considering the length of the essay and the lack of many errors, it looks like software - proofread. If that is so, then please avoid it as in the hall one can only do manual proofing.5. Paragraphing--- okay;6. Opening; You have started a GMAT AWA essay with a fragment. This is a disaster. The argument that the AC fails to describe is a noun phrase and has no verb.The correct sentence would be --- That the Apogee Company (AC) fails to describe the reasoning for the current day profits of the company, and why they believe it was profitable in the past is unsustainable in an argument. One must be careful in the beginning as well as at the end of an essay.7. Closing --- ok but could be more striking or creative such as  I think the member is rather day-dreaming rather than wanting to face factsInclude some old sayings like proverbs or quotes.  Past history and performances are more an exception than a rule. ---an Indian saying8. Rhetoric: Perhaps you could have given some data, study reports, anecdotes or examples. They are the hallmarks of a strong argument.9. Grammar --- Though very few, they are basic too. That is a problem. Otherwise, it is ok.10. Flow --- easy and smooth.11. Style  fairly goodWith one or two good statistics, it could easily go up. But keep an eye on timing._________________
Phoebe Wyncote, a long-term care facility for senior citizens, on Wednesday transferred 37 of its residents to another building the parent company owns in Allentown. The moves were made because a significant number of staff members at the home have called out sick because of COVID-19. Read more

The announcement was made after dinner had been served Wednesday at Phoebe Wyncote, a long-term care facility for seniors in the Montgomery County community of the same name. All 37 residents of the facilitys skilled nursing floor needed to gather their belongings and prepare for a trip north.

One of them, a woman in her 80s, said staffers in masks and long gowns came to bundle her up, put her in a wheelchair, and strap her into a bus with two of her neighbors, spaced out to comply with social distancing, and set off.

They told us that we were going to be moved. They didnt ask if we wanted to be, said the woman, who asked not to be identified because she feared retribution from managers at the facility. It was mandatory. My family is too far away to do anything about it anyway.

An hour later, they arrived at Phoebe Allentown, another facility owned by Phoebe Ministries. And the woman was placed in the room she said she will occupy for the next two, or possibly four, weeks because the nonprofit emptied her floor of the Wyncote building after more than two dozen staff members called out sick because of COVID-19.

The relocation comes at a time of mounting national concern about deaths at long-term care facilities, with 17 bodies of COVID-19 patients found earlier this week hidden in storage at a nursing home in New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, nursing facilities account for about half the states COVID-19 deaths.

Normally, nursing homes cannot move patients without their permission under federal regulations, said Diane Menio, executive director of the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, a Philadelphia nonprofit.

A lot of the regulations have been suspended, she said. She said its been common for nursing homes to move residents to other facilities to isolate residents with COVID-19. Thats the first time I heard of people getting totally moved, she said of Phoebe Wyncote.

Phoebe Ministries announced the move Wednesday, but area residents whose loved ones live at the Wyncote location say the plan had been discussed since Monday, as the number of staffers reporting to work continued to dwindle.

What the company has not announced, and declined to tell The Inquirer on Thursday, is how many residents at the Wyncote facility have tested positive for the virus or have died. Montgomery County has had 84 of its residents die from COVID-19 in long-term and other senior-care facilities as of Thursday, 65% of the countys deaths from the pandemic.

 Help us report about the coronavirus: Do you have a loved one in a long-term care facility for seniors in the Philadelphia region? We want to hear from you about what youre seeing, how this is affecting you and your families

Phoebe Ministries cleared out only the Wyncote residents requiring the most direct supervision, according to Brynn Buskirk, the companys vice president of marketing and external relations. An additional 17 personal-care residents and 22 independent-living residents remained in Wyncote, and their families have been given the option to move them out.

Buskirk said the relocation was done to help ensure we can provide those residents the high-quality care they deserve.

We took these important actions in part to allow those members of our Wyncote team impacted by COVID-19 to take the appropriate time to recuperate at home and prepare to return to work, she said.

Buskirk declined to answer further questions about relocating the 37 seniors or provide the number of staffers who have tested positive for the virus.

Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh and her colleagues have been providing daily updates on the number of positive cases in the county: 556 cases involving residents, and 315 cases of infected staff members. She has declined to name the facilities, citing privacy concerns.

Insight into life inside these facilities has been difficult to come by. The relocated Phoebe Wyncote resident told The Inquirer that changes to the facility came quickly in the last few weeks.

The dining hall where the more independent residents ate their meals was closed, with meals instead delivered to individual rooms. On her floor, daily exercise included walks up and down the hallway. After COVID-19 struck, residents were told to walk laps inside their apartments.

A lot of things are changing. I am really concerned about the virus itself, she said. You have to sort of be in connection with people who might have it when youre in a facility like this.

A woman whose mother has been relocated to Phoebe Allentown said the lack of communication has been the biggest, and most troubling issue.

Just tell me. Call me and tell me whats going on, said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity. I wont wonder. If you have to wonder and have no way of getting an answer, that makes things worse.
Coronavirus: In a conversation to a leading website Karanvir Sharma expressed his concern on the growing infected cases of coronavirus. The actor said in a hospital 25 patients were found infected with no travel history.

Coronavirus in India: The number of coronavirus positive cases has been increasing rapidly in the nation. The number has now jumped to 12,380 with a death toll of 414. By looking at the numbers, a leading website took an online interview with Karanvir Sharma, to know his viewpoints in the current scenario.

Karanvir lauded the governments decision of lockdown extension, he said its the best decision was taken by closing the doors which can put brakes in the spread of the virus. However, feeling bad for the daily wage workers as they dont have the income to complete their basic needs.

Karan further added, by looking at the positive cases, some people who have had been affected dont have a travel history, so it might be community spread. So, staying at home can only solve the situation and soon things will back to normalcy as there was news that 25 new cases came in the hospital without travel history.

Expressing his concern, he said its a big battle and we have to deal with the situation, yes, bit of scared from the situation. Asking about the household chores, Karanvir said, hats off to all the maid who does all the odd jobs to earn, currently he promised to himself that he will clean his washroom once a week.he also found some of the things which were lost, scarier than exorcism of Emily Rose (laugh).

Indeed, Bollywood is playing a key role in creating awareness related to the virus, from donations to PM CARES fund to feeding thousands of needy people.

For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App
WHO chief says "regret" U.S. decision to halt funding to WHO

GENEVA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said the WHO regretted the U.S. decision to halt its funding to the WHO.

Speaking at a virtual press conference from Geneva, Tedros said that WHO is reviewing the impact of any withdrawal of U.S. funding and will work with its partners to fill any financial gaps to ensure the work continues uninterrupted.

"Our commitment to public health, science and to serving all the people of the world without fear or favor remains absolute. Our mission and mandate are to work with all nations equally, without regard to the size of their populations or economies," he said.

"The U.S. has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so," the WHO chief said.

"WHO is not only fighting COVID-19. We're also working to address polio, measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer, diabetes, mental health and many other diseases and conditions," he noted.

Tedros called all the nations to be united in the common struggle against a common pandemic, because "When we are divided, the virus exploits the cracks between us."

"WHO is committed to serving the world's people, and to accountability for the resources with which it is entrusted," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding to the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

Shortly after the announcement, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the WHO must be supported, as it is "absolutely critical" to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19.
Donald Trump has once again referred to the United States as a developing nation while slamming the World Trade Organisation, claiming its policies favour Beijing over Washington during a press briefing at the White House.

The president made the remarks on Wednesday during a briefing with members of his administrations coronavirus response task force.

He said the organisation has been treating the United States for decades so badly, and theyve been so in favour of China while adding: China took off when it joined the World Trade Organisation, because of whats happened.

Think of it: theyre considered a developing nation  and were not,  Mr Trump said. Well, were a developing nation, too, in my book, okay? Were developing too.

The president has ramped up his criticism of the Chinese government in recent days, pointing his finger at groups like the World Health Organisation for supporting claims from Beijing in the initial months of the Covid-19 outbreak that said there were no reported human-to-human transmissions of the novel virus. His comments come as the administration has attempted to cast blame for the countrys widespread outbreak on China, where the disease was believed to have originated.

Just two days earlier, Mr Trump announced he was temporarily suspending the nations funding of the WHO while accusing it of severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus, citing the groups disastrous opposition to his ban on travel from China during the initial weeks of the pandemic.

With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether Americas generosity has been put to the best use possible, the president said.

Its not the first time hes asserted the US was a developing nation while rebuking the World Trade Organisations policies.

Earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Trump said he had a dispute running with the organisation for quite a while because the US hasnt been treated fairly.

China is viewed as a developing nation. India is viewed as a developing nation. Were not viewed as a developing nation, he said. As far as Im concerned, were a developing nation too.

He added: They got tremendous advantages by the fact that they were considered developing and we werent. And they shouldnt be. But if they are, we are.

The president also said at the time that his administration was talking about a whole new structure with the World Trade Organisation, adding: Or well have to do something.

The World Trade Organisation has said its rules for developing countries allow poorer populations to grow into the global trade system by reducing poverty and increasing employment and financial opportunities for citizens.

The Trump administration has sought to make it easier for nearly two dozen countries identified as developing nations to face penalties by the World Trade Organisation, and reduced its own list of developing and least-developed countries.
A 48-year-old garda has reason for a double celebration after successfully beating Covid-19 following a two-week stay in hospital during which he found out that he had been promoted to Sergeant.

Sgt Paul Cullen, a father-of-three from Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was initially under the impression that he had a chest infection.

He had finished a course of antibiotics from his GP when his symptoms deteriorated to the point where he required hospitalisation at Beaumont Hospital.

The Sergeant, who works in north inner city Dublin, went to the Emergency Department at the beginning of April with a high temperature and shortness of breath.

He believes that having a public facing role as a Garda had probably put him at greater risk of contracting the virus. He said he never anticipated going from experiencing a shortness of breath to being told he required an induced coma.

"Thankfully I didn't need the induced coma in the end. The doctor had said 'this is serious. I think you may need to go into an induced coma'.

You are thinking 'I might not get through this'. You are afraid that you won't see your wife and kids and two grandkids again. People are lucky and the induced coma can work very well. But of course you worry that you may not wake up.

"The staff are amazing but of course you cannot see your family in hospital. You start thinking of funerals and of course nobody can be at them now so it is really cold. And you think about all that people are going through."

Sgt Cullen said initially he thought he had a chest infection and quarantined himself at home for a few days.

"I'm the type of person who always looks at the good side of things," he said.

"I'm rarely ever sick. I was hopeful that it was just the flu and not a big deal  but at the back of my mind I was a bit worried. Like everyone else I was glued to the news and constantly refreshing my phone for updates  you couldn't avoid it.

"I had heard that Covid-19 was more severe for older people and those with compromised immune systems and other chronic conditions.

But I quickly found out the virus does not discriminate. I was young, fit and healthy with no risk factors. And working as a Garda probably didn't help as we deal with the public all the time. People coughing and spluttering.

When Paul arrived at the hospital the respiratory team felt from his clinical presentation that he had all the symptoms of Covid -19.

He was tested and within 24 hours it was confirmed that he had the virus. The team needed to act immediately to give him every chance of making a recovery.

Paul needed supplementary oxygen from admission, and was told that he had a very high chance of needing a ventilator or admission to the ICU within the first 48 hours.

Paul says it is hard to put the symptoms into words.

"It was like the flu, but not the flu," he said. "It is hard to explain. I lost a lot of sensations, not just my breathing, but I couldn't think correctly.

"I felt like my lungs were getting harder, and the only thing to make me feel better was to cough up something that wasn't there.

"The sensation was overwhelmingly hard because of the breathing, congestion and constant coughing," he said.

Paul was treated with oxygen, and then required very high intensity support with continuous positive airway pressure ventilation for five days. Thankfully he didn't need to be intubated.

After 14 days of treatment Paul was recently released from hospital. Arising out of Covid-19 restrictions Paul had not seen his family for the duration.

Paul with staff from Beaumont Hospital.

He said: "After what I went through I needed them just like I had needed the oxygen to help me breathe.

"I can't stress enough the amazing work that the staff do and I am so grateful," Paul says. "As soon as I came in, feeling very scared, I felt that they cared, they were so compassionate and explained every step. To them, I wasn't a Covid-19 patient (in the statistical sense) but a patient who had unfortunately contracted Covid-19.

The staff are taking incredible risks themselves but what was very clear is that the patient came first.

Sgt Cullen says the team at Beaumont continue to monitor him at home.

"I am so happy to be home now. I'm not 100% yet but the team are monitoring my oxygen sats, pulse and breathlessness score which I input a few times a day on the MPOWER app on my phone so the team can keep a watchful eye on me and act accordingly.

"At least I know it's going in the right direction but I also know that if it wasn't for Beaumont staff and particularly Prof. Ross Morgan, Consultant Respiratory Physician and his team and the nursing and support staff in St Pauls Ward, it could have been a very different outcome.

"I am very grateful for that and I am looking forward to getting my strength back and returning to work in a few weeks time. I am grateful to be at home with my wife Sharon. I am looking forward to being able to spend time with my dad again as its hard to be away from him and the kids and grandkids.

"As for the promotion. That was a surprise as I didn't think that would happen with all that is going on."

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Nairobi, April 16, 2020  In response to Ethiopian authorities new terrorism allegations against broadcast journalist Yayesew Shimelis today, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement:

Ethiopian police had no business arresting journalist Yayesew Shimelis in the first place, and now they are doubling down on his detention by introducing new dubious accusations, revealing how little they care about due process, said CPJ sub-Saharan Africa Representative Muthoki Mumo. Yayesew should be released immediately and unconditionally, and authorities should stop weaponizing the legal process to retaliate against journalists, which will chill the flow of information

Police first arrested Yayesew, who hosts a weekly political program on Tigray TV and contributes a column to the privately owned Feteh magazine, on March 27, on allegations that he alarmed the public by spreading false information about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to media reports and CPJ research from the time. Yesterday morning, a court in Addis Ababa ordered Yayesew be released on bail, but police appealed the order, and then accused him today of violating anti-terror laws, according to news reports and the journalists lawyer, Tadelle Gebre Medhin, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. The Federal High Court ordered him to remain in custody until April 20, according to Tadelle.

Tadelle told CPJ that over the past three weeks Yayesew had suffered medical problems in custody, including back pains and a stomach ailment.
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (TSE:CP) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 11% in the last quarter. But over three years, the returns would have left most investors smiling In fact, the company's share price bested the return of its market index in that time, posting a gain of 48%.

Check out our latest analysis for Canadian Pacific Railway

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Canadian Pacific Railway was able to grow its EPS at 18% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. The average annual share price increase of 14% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

TSX:CP Past and Future Earnings April 16th 2020

It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. This free interactive report on Canadian Pacific Railway's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Canadian Pacific Railway, it has a TSR of 53% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Canadian Pacific Railway has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 6.9% in the last twelve months. And that does include the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 6.1% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks, for example - Canadian Pacific Railway has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

Canadian Pacific Railway is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
As another day of battle between the coronavirus COVID-19 and humanity came to an end, the total number of cases across 185 nations reached 2,101,164 and the death toll stood at 140,773 at 11.45 pm (IST) on Thursday.

The US continues to record the highest number of cases at 641,166, followed by Spain at 182,816, Italy at 168,941, Germany at 135,663, and France at 134,598. With a massive jump, US has witnessed the highest death toll across all the nations at 31,590, followed by Italy at 22,170, Spain at 19,130, France at 17,188 and the UK at 13,755.

Various countries around the world are wondering when and how to ease coronavirus lockdowns, though the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that should be done slowly and only when there is the capacity to isolate cases and trace contacts.

The UNITED STATES, which has the world`s highest infections and deaths, is inching toward a gradual resumption of business. President Donald Trump has cited May 1 as a target, but a 50-state patchwork of policies is likely, with many state governors forming regional alliances to coordinate actions. New York, the epicentre of the country's COVID-19 epidemic, has suffered more than 14,000 deaths across the state alone. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump promised to unveil plans to reopen the US economy, claiming his country has "passed the peak" of the coronavirus crisis despite the record daily death tolls.

Italy is keeping the lockdown largely in place although it lifted restrictions on two categories of shops - stationers and children`s clothes - on April 14. A group of doctors and other scientists in Bologna are testing new surgical masks to ensure they meet EU safety standards, hoping to get them faster to medical workers fighting coronavirus. A group of professionals at the University of Bologna's Policlinico di Sant'Orsola hospital are working around the clock to test and validate the surgical mask prototypes to European safety standards. Shortages of masks for hospital workers have been a persistent challenge in Italy and around the world since the coronavirus emergency began, and many have worked without appropriate protection, risking their lives.

Over 100 doctors have died in Italy alone, according to estimates. "It's not easy to make a mask. It seems like a small thing but it's not," said chemical and materials engineer Christiana Boi. "You have to leave it open enough to breathe, but close it enough to block the aerosol."

In SPAIN, construction and manufacturing sectors returned to work on April 13, but the government has said the nationwide confinement in force until April 26 would likely last until May.

FRANCE plan to extend current measures and President Emmanuel Macron said schools and shops would gradually re-open from May 11, but restaurants, hotels, cafes and cinemas would remain shut for longer.

Britain on Thursday extended its nationwide lockdown for at least another three weeks on Thursday, as stand-in leader Dominic Raab ordered Britons to stay at home to prevent the spread of a coronavirus outbreak. "We have just come too far, we`ve lost too many loved ones, we`ve already sacrificed far too much to ease up now, especially when we are beginning to see the evidence that our efforts are starting to pay off," he told reporters. Raab is deputising while Prime Minister Boris Johnson recuperates from COVID-19 complications that nearly cost him his life. Raab chaired an emergency meeting on Thursday to review scientific evidence on the impact of the existing lockdown "Based on this advice ... the government has decided that the current measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks," he said. "Relaxing any of the measures currently in place would risk damage to both public health and the economy." The announcement, which had been widely expected, means Britons must stay at home unless they are shopping for basic necessities, or meeting medical needs. Citizens are allowed to exercise in public once a day and can travel to work if they are unable to work from home.

GERMANY, Europe`s largest economy, will allow stores of up to 800 square metres (8,611 square feet), car dealers and bike shops, to reopen from April 20, while schools will reopen on May 4.
WASHINGTON  President Trump continued on Wednesday to search for parties to blame for the coronavirus pandemic, once again pointing fingers at the World Health Organization but also castigating China for deceiving the rest of the world about the scope of the outbreak.

Do you think youre getting honest numbers from some of these countries? Trump wondered at one point during the days briefing of the White House coronavirus task force. Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China? And that they have a certain number of cases, a certain number of deaths: Does anyone really believe that?

The official coronavirus statistics for China include 83,356 infections and 3,346 deaths, the majority of both in Hubei province, where the virus appears to have originated in a wet market. Aggressive lockdown measures surrounding the pandemics epicenter in the city of Wuhan have been credited with ending the outbreak in China, so much so that life is returning to normal even in Wuhan itself.

Yet some suspect China has not been truthful about the scope of the epidemic. Even the World Health Organization could not say, in its report on the outbreak, how many people were tested for the coronavirus outside the Guangdong province. Chinese journalists investigating the outbreak have gone missing.

President Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the coronavirus Wednesday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump had previously called the disease the Chinese virus, but later backed off that terminology, which many deemed racist. He has significant reasons not to offend Chinas leaders, since the U.S. is importing medical supplies from China to help combat the spread of the coronavirus, and Beijing recently agreed to buy $200 billion in American goods. That deal put an end to a ruinous trade war between the two nations.

Even so, a bellicose attitude toward China remains just under the surface. Among the first to issue warnings about the virus was Peter Navarro, a White House economic adviser who is known as an unapologetic critic of China. And former White House chief political strategist Steve Bannon has been flaying the nation on War Room: Pandemic, a podcast he hosts with Jason Miller, a 2016 Trump campaign veteran.

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The Chinese government has lied at every step in this pandemic, Miller told Yahoo News on Wednesday evening. In fact, this outbreak might not have even reached pandemic proportions if the Chinese Communist Party hadnt lied and covered up the coronavirus.

Even if the worst of the pandemic in China has passed, scrutiny of how the virus was handled there remains. On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Beijing waited six days to warn the Chinese population that a deadly virus had been let loose on the nation, which recalled the hesitation and prevarication that marked the Kremlins response to the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in 1986.

Writing recently in the Atlantic, former deputy national security adviser Nadia Schadlow argued that China has played a particularly harmful role in the current crisis, enumerating the various ways in which China downplayed the outbreak.

Trump has also at various points minimized the severity of the disease, finally grasping the seriousness of the outbreak last month. About 28,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus. That is about nine times the fatalities in China, if the statistics emanating from Beijing are indeed accurate.

Commuters wear protective masks as they exit the subway during rush hour on Wednesday in Beijing. China lifted its lockdown on the city of Wuhan, the first epicenter of COVID-19 after 76 days last week, allowing healthy people to leave. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

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Click here for the latest coronavirus news and updates. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please refer to the CDCs and WHOs resource guides.

Read more:
Former Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday held a press briefing wherein he talked about the prevailing coronavirus situation in the country.

Gandhi said that the lockdown is not a permanent solution to the coronavirus outbreak in the country and described the measure as a pause button.

He also slammed the government saying that the coronavirus testing in the country is not up to the mark and is also not strategic. He also said that though he disagreed with PM Modi on many issues, right now, the time isnt to fight.

I disagree with Narendra Modi with a lot of issues but now is not the time to fight. Unite and fight the virus, he said.

Heres a look at what else the Congress leader had to say:

1. My main suggestion is that blunt instruments must not be used. We must work strategically. Lockdown has not resolved the problem, it has only postponed the problem.

2. Lockdown is in no way a solution to the Covid-19. Lockdown is like a pause button. When we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again.

3. If you want to fight the virus, youve to increase the testing dramatically and your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of it. Youve to move to random testing and pre-empt where the virus is moving.

4. Biggest weapon against coronavirus is testing - testing at scale so you know where the virus is moving and you can isolate, target and fight it.

5. Our testing rate is 199 out of a million, all tests that weve done in the last 72 days, work out to an approx average of 350 tests per district.

6. We need to push testing aggressively and use testing strategically to assist the states in their fight.

7. Use testing not to just track patients but to create a map of India to see where the virus is moving.

8. Now weve reached a level, where we are in an emergency situation. India must unite and fight against it.

9. To fight against coronavirus, our main force is working at the state and district levels. Success has been achieved in Wayanad, Kerala because of the effective machinery at the district level.

10. Centre needs to work on the strategy on the issue of migrant labourers.
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CHESHIRE  An effort to distribute personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to residents of state-sponsored housing during the coronavirus pandemic came to Cheshire and beyond this week.

Courtney Rice, chief communications officer with the HAI Group, which provides public and affordable housing insurance programs, said officials gathered in Cheshire before the equipment was distributed to agencies in Bridgeport, Bristol, Greenwich, Hamden, Middletown, Naugatuck, Norwalk, Orange, Ridgefield, Stamford and Trumbull.
Furor is growing among Indian nations in the lower 48 as the Trump administration refuses to change course on what the leader of one of the largest tribes in the United States calls a " robbery happening in broad daylight ."

With just one day left for tribes to submit critical information to receive a share of a much-needed $8 billion relief fund, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney remains startlingly silent on the controversy. During a coronavirus conference call on Wednesday, she refused to take questions from the 1,000-plus who were on the line, according to people who participated.

Sweeney's second-in-command even warned tribal leaders not to bring up any concerns about the $8 billion fund. They were essentially told that the matter -- whether Native corporations in Alaska are entitled to a share of the huge chunk of money -- was settled.

"That consultation period ended," Mark Cruz , a citizen of the Klamath Tribes who serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development, said on the call, according to participants.

They got to "Yes": With a major assist from the Trump administration, Alaska Native corporations are poised to claim a large share of an $8 billion #Coronavirus relief fund despite not being tribal governments. #COVID19 #CARESAct https://t.co/Dy8YVqJg8O  indianz.com (@indianz) April 14, 2020

The hands-off approach from official Washington has tribal leaders extremely troubled. They are calling on Sweeney, who is a former executive at the wealthiest Native corporation in Alaska, and the Trump administration to live up to the government's trust and treaty responsibilities and ensure that the $8 billion goes to governments, not corporate entities.

"I'm at a loss to see it from their point of view," Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. told Indianz.Com on Wednesday.

"I've not seen anyone lay out a defense of this in any comprehensive manner," Hoskin asserted.

Amid a slew of requests for "meaningful" government-to-government talks from all corners of Indian Country, Hoskin believes neither the Department of the Interior , nor the Department of the Treasury ,, have explained why they believe corporations that are organized under state law are entitled to be treated in the same manner as tribal nations, whose existence pre-dates the U.S. Constitution. He noted that the issue only became known widely on Friday -- a day after the last consultation call on the the $8 billion fund took place and only three days before the close of the comment period.

"The fact is that it feels like a robbery happening in broad daylight," Hoskin said, "with Alaska Native corporations poised to take funds that are meant for Indian Country tribal government operations, to extend us a lifeline."

"It's wrong," the leader of one of the two largest tribes in the U.S. said in the interview. "It's not just and I think that tribes across the country are going to do everything we can to get justice."

"The fact is that it feels like a robbery happening in broad daylight": Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr just told https://t.co/0yYFAWzrcJ that Cherokee Nation will do what it takes to ensure $8 billion #Coronavirus relief fund goes to tribal governments--not corporations. @ChuckHoskin_Jr pic.twitter.com/tzcHQNQOJd  indianz.com (@indianz) April 15, 2020

Doing everything includes going to court. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe -- whose leadership has joined others 15 others in the Great Plains region in calling for Sweeney to step down over the controversy -- is preparing to sue the Trump administration should Alaska Native corporations receive a share of the $8 billion coronavirus relief fund.

"ANCs are for-profits incorporated under state law and the lands are fee lands subject to state jurisdiction and state taxing authority," Chairman Harold Frazier said on behalf of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association in a letter to the two members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet who are ultimately accountable for the money -- Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin

"To include these entities and these lands in the Coronavirus Relief Fund would strip hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars from federally-recognized Tribal governments with federally-recognized reservations in the lower 48 states of money we need to save our people from COVID-19," Frazier continued.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe stands ready to sue the Trump administration to ensure the $8 billion #Coronavirus relief fund does not end up in the hands of corporate entities. @CRSTChairman #COVID19 #CARESAct https://t.co/AAaBS7ij8O  indianz.com (@indianz) April 15, 2020

The Cherokee Nation is also considering a lawsuit, Hoskin told Indianz.Com. He's even brought up potential litigation before the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes , whose well-connected leaders are among those pushing the Trump administration to change course on the distribution of the $8 billion.

"I certainly am prepared to take legal action," Hoskin said.

The leader of the other largest tribe in the U.S. is also speaking out. President Jonathan Nez , whose citizens in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah are being hit the hardest by the coronavirus, said the Navajo Nation "strongly opposes" the inclusion of Alaska Native corporations in the $8 billion fund. "The Congressional intent of these funds were to relieve tribal governments," Nez said on Thursday, as he continues to remain in self-quarantine, a step he is taking after coming into contact with an emergency medical technician who has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. "We need provided relief for our tribal communities, not shareholders. We demand answers from the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury on how they are upholding their trust responsibility to federally-recognized tribes by considering this action."

"The $8 billion tribal set-aside should provide much-needed relief to tribes, not for-profit corporations. These for-profit corporations will take away resources from tribes, Nez concluded.

This Just In: The Navajo Nation, hardest hit by #COVID19, is joining outrage in Indian Country over the $8 billion #Coronavirus relief fund. President Jonathan Nez says tribal governments--not "for-profit corporations"--must benefit. @NNPrezNez #CARESAct https://t.co/zth3OODXuN  indianz.com (@indianz) April 16, 2020

But even though the deadline for tribes to submit "certification" forms is midnight on Friday , Hoskin said there is still time for true dialogue. Frazier is in the same camp, a spokesperson told Indianz.Com, with the Cheyenne River council only planning to go to court if the Trump administration doesn't change its mind on the Alaska Native corporation issue.

"Across Indian Country, we've raised enough of a concern that it's incumbent now upon the agency -- including the Assistant Secretary -- to reach out and engage in meaningful consultation," Hoskin said.

"There's always time for that," Hoskin added. "We can always carve out time for that."

"The money has not been disbursed," Hoskin pointed out.

The Department of the Interior has not responded to a request for comment about the steps Sweeney is taking, or has been taking, to address the issues raised in the lower 48. But with the Department of the Treasury saying eligible tribes -- including Alaska Native corporations -- will be paid "no later than April 24, 2020," some tribal leaders feel their voices have already been ignored in the nation's capital.

"This is a tough one to swallow," Toby Vanlandingham, a council member for the Yurok Tribe , said on social media on Wednesday. "ANCs, some not even wholly owned by Alaska natives, will be taking a huge chunk of relief money earmarked for tribal governments."

"We as well as many other tribal governments continue to oppose this double dipping but so far go unheard," Vanlandingham said

"We can't put these corporations before tribal governments & people," Schumer said on social media on Thursday. "Sweeney used to be an exec for an ANC, and she wants to profit!"

Pres. Trumps @ASIndianAffairs Tara Sweeney is diverting funds for tribal governments during coronavirus to for-profit Alaska Native Corporations.



We can't put these corporations before tribal governments & people.



Sweeney used to be an exec for an ANC, and she wants to profit!  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 16, 2020

Before President Donald Trump tapped her to serve as the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs , Sweeney served as an executive vice president for Arctic Slope Regional Corporation . The firm, whose portfolio depends on the energy industry and on federal contracts, largest Native business entity in terms of revenue

Sweeney has benefited from the corporation's economic success. According to her financial disclosure form , she earned a salary of more than $1 million in 2017 and in the early months of 2018.

On top of her salary, Sweeney participated in two additional "incentive" programs for being employed at the Alaska Native regional corporation. According to the disclosure form, she valued each payment at $250,001 to $500,000.

In order to be confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, the government official with the most responsibilities to tribes and their citizens, Sweeney two years ago promised to recuse herself from playing a role in "any" decisions that impact her former employer. When pressed about the matter by members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs , she further promised never to seek a waiver from her pledge

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney shows a visitor some Alaska Native traditional food she keeps in her office at the Department of the Interior headquarters in Washington, D.C. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Sweeney, though, did not pledge to give up her "inherited financial interest" in Arctic Slope though she agreed to do that for Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation , which is an Alaska Native village corporation. Regional and village corporations are eligible for the $8 billion fund, according to the Department of the Treasury. In addition to the 13 regional corporations, there are more than 200 village corporations.

Amid the fire, some Alaska Native corporation executives are standing up for Sweeney , who served among their ranks until joining the Trump administration in the summer of 2018 . In a statement, they said her "abilities, intellect and desire to serve our people are unparalleled."

"When it comes to the CARES Act and which organizations are included, it was Congress who made the decision," Gail Schubert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bering Straits Native Corporation ; Sophie Minich, President and CEO of CIRI ; Sheri Buretta, Chairman of the Board and Interim President and CEO of Chugach Alaska Corporation ; and Shauna Hegna, President of Koniag , said in the statement.

The bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act , also known as the CARES Act , is the law which created the $8 billion fund.

As Indian Country works day and night to protect vulnerable communities from the deadly #Coronavirus, a new crisis has emerged from the Trump administration. The $8 billion promised to tribal governments might land in hands of corporate entities. #COVID19 https://t.co/cmUnsHOXXu  indianz.com (@indianz) April 13, 2020

"Assistant Secretary Sweeney is simply following the law as she is mandated to do by Congress and her position of trust," the executives added. "The CARES Act is unambiguous: Alaska Native villages, Alaska Native regional corporations, and Alaska Native village corporations are 'tribes' under the law."

But while the executives said Indian Country is stronger when "standing together," they also lashed out at the lower 48. They accused the National Congress of American Indians , whose membership excludes corporate entities organized under state law, such as those in Alaska, and other tribes of spreading "patently false" information in the media and to members of Congress.

"When we publicly bicker and attack a long-time tribal advocate in a time of crisis," the executives said in reference to Sweeney, who is Inupiat and is the first Alaska Native to serve as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs , "the benefit comes not to our tribes and our people, but to those who oppose our traditions, self-determination and economic opportunity."

The Alaska Federation of Natives , the largest organization of its kind in the 49th state, also took issue with NCAI, which is the largest inter-tribal advocacy group in the entire U.S.

"Now is not the time to get into petty squabbles over resources," AFN President Julie Kitka said in a letter to Secretary Bernhardt and Secretary Mnuchin on Monday, which was the last official day to comment about the $8 billion coronavirus relief fund.

"Everyone needs help," Kitka said in a letter that bore her signature and not those of the AFN co-chairs. "Our simple request is that you just follow the law as it is written and include our Alaska Native Corporations as required by law in the distribution formula."

Our effort to stop the Alaska corporate cash grab of limited #IndianCountry #CARESAct funds has nothing to do with native Alaska tribes. One just joined the effort. The issue is the fleecing of funds Congress meant for tribal government everywhere in the U.S., including AK. https://t.co/VUlx8H4xrR  Chuck Hoskin, Jr. (@ChuckHoskin_Jr) April 16, 2020

With the deadline to submit "certification" forms quickly approaching, some Alaska Native corporations told Indianz.Com they are eager to help their shareholders and the people they serve weather the coronavirus. Among them is CIRI , whose president joined the statement in support of Sweneey.

"CIRI will participate in any aid programs that we are legally eligible for and that benefit our corporations shareholders," a spokesperson said. The corporation, whose 1.3 million acres are located in the Cook Inlet Region in and around Anchorage, the most populous city in Alaska, has had to cancel critical meetings and rush out payments to more than 9,100 people during the crisis.

"CIRI is not immune from economic impacts that are a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," the spokesperson told Indianz.Com. "It is our duty to our shareholders to utilize the tools available to this corporation that mitigate any losses and protect the companys assets for future generations."

Other corporations are taking steps to ensure tribes in their regions are aware of the Friday deadline to participate in the $8 billion fund. Calista , whose 6.5 million acres covers the the Yukon-Kuskokwim River area, is offering to submit information on their behalf.

"Calista wants to see the people of the Y-K Delta Region have the resources that are needed to protect against COVID-19," an April 13 notice states.

Navajo Nation strongly opposes CARES Act funding for Alaska Native Corporations pic.twitter.com/k3vsZxDBe4  Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez (@NNPrezNez) April 16, 2020

Another corporation told Indianz.Com that it is coordinating with the ANCSA Regional Association to ensure the public is aware of the role their entities play in the state. Collectively, the 13 Native regional corporations are responsible for the interests of 138,000 shareholders, according to the organization. They have used their revenues to further social , economic, education , health and cultural programs for their people and others in Alaska.

Leaders in the lower 48 do not dispute the large and significant role the Native corporations play in the state. But they argue that these entities are able to tap into a slew of coronavirus programs that Congress authorized and funded through the CARES Act.

"We, along with other federally-recognized tribes, aggressively advocated for tribal funding to be included in the CARES Act and now we must continue fighting to keep what was allocated for us," President Nez of the Navajo Nation said on Thursday. "Alaska Native Corporations are for-profit entities that have billions of dollars in revenue, and can access other funding sources in the CARES Act."

Chief Hoskin of the Cherokee Nation agrees with the sentiment. In calling on Assistant Secretary Sweeney to address the pleas of tribal governments, he said the path to a decision is clear.

"The right thing to do is to exclude the Alaska corporate interests," Hoskin told Indianz.Com. "Certainly they have other avenues under the larger provisions of the CARES Act to seek relief."

@SenSchumer Even for you, this is an ignorant and despicably low attack that could not be further from the truth. Perhaps you should read the law you negotiated and voted for as Alaska Natives are entitled to receive the funding from @USTreasury. https://t.co/6hIAT5Y9qa https://t.co/Yr2OX6clhO  Assistant Secretary Tara Sweeney (@ASIndianAffairs) April 16, 2020

But as tribes await word from Sweeney, she appeared to be occupied with another subject: her own reputation. In response to Sen. Schumer's critical post, she accused him of an "arrogant and despicably low attack that could not be further from the truth."

"Perhaps you should read the law you negotiated and voted for as Alaska Natives are entitled to receive the funding from @USTreasury," Sweeney's post read.

The post was composed as hundreds more tribal leaders were waiting to hear from her on a government-wide COVID-19 call on Thursday afternoon. Despite her focus on responding in a public forum, she did not address the corporation controversy during her presentation at the beginning of the call, according to people who participated.

"Assistant Secretary Sweeney is an honorable person, and a tireless advocate for ALL Native people," a spokesperson for CIRI told Indianz.Com. "We are disappointed at the mere suggestion of impropriety on her part."

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OSLO  Ice patches that melted from the slopes of a remote mountain pass in Norway have revealed artifacts that provide new insight into the livelihood of hunters, traders and travelers along a route thousands of years old, archaeologists said this month.

The relics of this distant past include tunics and mittens woven with wool, leather shoes, arrows are still adorned with feathers, and snowshoes made for horses. Giant stone cairns mark old pathways once used by traders to find their way through fog and heavy snow. Antlers, bone and animal dung have also been found, the archaeologists behind the project said.

The discoveries, outlined in the scientific journal Antiquity, were made on the central mountain range in Norways Innlandet County by the Glacier Archaeology Program, one of many programs worldwide studying what glaciers and ice patches are laying bare as they shift and melt because of climate change.
We all know how important our health-care providers are as we battle against the coronavirus.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Supplied St. Boniface Hospital ER nurses.

We all know how important our health-care providers are as we battle against the coronavirus.

So we asked our readers to share their appreciation.

Thank you doesnt seem enough for all of the health-care workers, firefighters, paramedics, mail persons and all of the people working to allow us to continue getting supplies. I feel so uncomfortable after getting groceries, like I need to shower and wash my clothes, so I cant imagine how working all day must make you feel. I hope that once this is over, people never forget how important you are. Please stay safe and healthy, and a huge thank you from my family.

 Wendy Hedley

Thank you. These words are not enough to express my sincere appreciation to all those who work to provide care, comfort and hope to those in our hospitals and personal-care homes, and to those who respond to 911 calls for help. I also think of those people working behind the scenes in public health to stay on top of the rapidly evolving pandemic and to do the testing and the contact tracing necessary to try and manage this monster. Thank you again.

Heather McLaren

Thanks to all of you for your courage, dedication, compassion and humanity. The job you do is almost impossible to do and, I, for one am deeply grateful!

 Anonymous

Along with the health-care workers, I would like to applaud the workers at Canada Post who bring us our mail, even if they do bring us bills, and also to the Winnipeg Free Press carriers who bring us our daily printed newspapers.

 Ron Rentz

Supplied On Lori and Phil's front porch window.

We applaud your dedication to the well-being of Manitobans!

 Lori and Phil Klassen

A heartfelt thank you to all the dedicated health-care workers who are working tirelessly to keep us safe.

 Darlene Gerrior

It is an early April Manitoba morning in the year 2020

Another day dawns,

In this, our altered, upside down world

The sun, in its full glory

Paints the sky in awesome colour

Unfettered by the invisible chains

Holding us hostage in forced isolation

And yet...

Geese fly in anticipation of a spring

Snow comes and disappears as temperatures warm

Clouds still float idly by

Soon leaves will green and tulips bloom

Mother Nature, it appears, is undaunted

By this deadly, invisible force

Marching across the globe

From one end to the other

Showing little mercy or discretion

Preying on those most vulnerable

Bringing us all down to our knees,

Changing... perhaps forever

All that we know and love

And yet...

Into this chaos, they come,

The front-line workers of essential services

Those everyday heroes from all walks of life

Dedicated and determined

Stepping up and staring down this invisible enemy

Called COVID-19

Sacrificing much, to do what must be done.

Protecting the vulnerable

Often at considerable personal risk

Keeping us all as safe as possible

And so...

To all of these brave souls I say, "Thank you"

Your courage and dedication gives me hope

Your caring and compassion gives me comfort

Your desire to make it better makes me proud to be from Manitoba

So that all I must do is social distancing, wash my hands and stay home

I pray with all my heart, that you and yours will all be safe as well.

 A poem written by Janet Bock, one grateful senior from Winnipeg, on Good Friday

We wish to thank Dr. Roussin and Lanette Siragusa for their dedication and expertise as they deliver the daily COVID-19 updates. We realize this is a huge commitment to the people of Manitoba. Also, we wish to commend and offer our support and thanks to all health-care workers who are caring for very sick patients in such difficult times. Thank you to them. We are truly grateful.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Marlene Maykut

A piece of verse to the front line:

How do we thank those who're most vital of all? The ones on whom when we're sick we do call? This terrible virus, a pain in the butt, has caused us to re-think ourselves and our rut. There's lots of new rules that we must obey. Please keep your distance and home you must stay, say Ms. Siragusa, Dr. Roussin and Tam. So let's try our best, I know that I am. Don't go on a rant, don't say that you can't; let's all get together and set up a chant. Let's all do our best, let's mindfully work, we can beat this virus if none of us shirk. For those who work behind scenes everyday, we're with you in hopes that it won't stay this way. We know there's no glory, some days it is rough; we're thankful to have you prepared to be tough! We'll hear those who help us when things seem most broken; we'll do what we must and heed those who have spoken. 'Tis the best way to turn that big curve into planks, and give those who help us our most grateful thanks!

 Margaret Mills

I've been on kidney dialysis for five years. I receive kidney dialysis treatments three times a week at Sherbrook Dialysis Unit. The dialysis nurses provide professional and caring service. They are calm, patient and friendly to me. I appreciate all my nurses. They are my angels during my four-hour dialysis treatment. I wish them safety on their jobs and good health.

 Roman Kohoot, a very grateful patient
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 15:59:34|Editor: huaxia

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HARBIN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Hubei, the former center of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, has sent medical supplies to the border province of Heilongjiang in northeast China amid the rising pressure of imported COVID-19 cases.

Three planes carrying medical protective suits, N95 masks and ventilators landed at the airports in the provincial capital of Harbin and the border city of Mudanjiang on Wednesday afternoon, according to the publicity department of the provincial committee of the Communist Party of China.

The materials, worth about 30 million yuan (around 4.2 million U.S. dollars), were later delivered to the city of Suifenhe, which is under the jurisdiction of Mudanjiang at the China-Russia border.

After the epidemic outbreak, Hubei saw more than 1,000 medics assigned from Heilongjiang to assist the treatment of COVID-19 patients, as well as an influx of medical supplies and rice from Heilongjiang. Now that the number of imported COVID-19 cases keeps rising at the China-Russia border, the assistance has been rushing to Heilongjiang, said an official with the department.

By Wednesday, the province had reported 354 confirmed imported COVID-19 cases, with another 50 asymptomatic cases. Enditem
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Some of Indias oldest Indian Institutes of Technology have decided to boycott all of the Times Higher Education rankingsconsidered one of the most prestigious along with QS world rankings for institutes of higher education this year, saying that criteria used for rankings by the organisation is not transparent enough.

IITs including those in Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee in a joint statement on Thursday said that the decision not to participate in the rankings has been made after the THE failed to convince the institutions of the parameters and transparency in their ranking process.

"These IITs will reconsider their decision next year if Times Higher Education is able to convince them about the parameters and transparency in their ranking process," the statement said.

According to sources in the Union Human Resources Development ministry, the top IITs have been particularly peeved that some younger IITs have been ranked higher recently in THE rankings.

Director of one of the IITs confirmed this too.

This is one of the issues we had raised when the discussions happened with THE officials. There should also be greater clarity on ratio and the calculation being used for the ranking and we have been constantly flagging this, he said.

With the THE, there are a lot of grey areas that are problematic. While, QS and the National Institutional Ranking Framework have been using latest data regarding research, students and other parameters, the THE is using for two year old data and we are not comfortable, the director also said.

The HRD ministry too, urged by the IITs, has been asking the global ranking organisations, to revise the ranking parameters amid allegations that some of their criteria do not suit Indian institutions. These parameters include heavy weightage given to points such as foreign faculty and international students.
The Annual General Meeting of Orkla ASA was held today, 16 April 2020, in Oslo, Norway.



All proposals on the agenda were adopted, cf. the notice of the Annual General Meeting that was sent to the Oslo Stock Exchange on 26 March 2020.



The General Meeting approved the Board's proposal to distribute a dividend for 2019 of NOK 2.60 per share. The dividend will be paid on 27 April 2020 to shareholders of record as of the date of the Annual General Meeting.

A translation of the minutes from the Ordinary General Meeting will be distributed when finalised and also be made available on www.orkla.com.



Orkla ASA

Oslo, 16 April 2020



Ref.:



Group Director Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs

Hakon Mageli

Tel.: +47 928 45 828

Email: hakon.mageli@orkla.no



VP Investor Relations

Elise Heidenreich

Tel. +47 951 41 147

Email: elise.andersen.heidenreich@orkla.no

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
RTHK: Pelosi blasts plan to put Trump on stimulus cheques

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed Donald Trump as "shameful" on Wednesday after it emerged that the president's name will be printed on stimulus cheques, potentially delaying payments to Americans struggling during the coronavirus crisis.

The Treasury Department confirmed that Trump's name will be printed on paper cheques of up to US$1,200 that soon will be rushed out to tens of millions of people.

The unprecedented Treasury order could delay the process by a few days, The Washington Post reported late on Tuesday, citing senior Internal Revenue Service officials.

"Delaying direct payments to vulnerable families just to print his name on the cheque is another shameful example of President Trump's catastrophic failure to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands," Pelosi said in a statement.

Other Democratic lawmakers and members of the public joined in the criticism online, some attacking Trump for politicizing an election-year crisis.

The payments stem from a US$2 trillion emergency rescue package crafted by congressional Democrats, Republicans and the White House that Trump signed into law in late March.

The massive bill, the largest of its kind ever passed by Congress, was aimed at delivering urgently needed relief to millions of American families and businesses devastated by the deadly pandemic.

Trump himself had said on April 3 that he was not interested in signing the cheques.

"It's a Trump administration initiative, but do I want to sign them? No," he said during a daily coronavirus task force briefing.

The cheques feature Trump's name, not his signature. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2020-04-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Cape Town (AFP) - South African police on Tuesday fired rubber bullets and teargas in clashes with Cape Town township residents protesting over access to food aid during a coronavirus lockdown.

Hundreds of angry people fought running battles with the police, hurling rocks and setting up barricades on the streets with burning tyres in Mitchells Plain over undelivered food parcels.

"We have small children. We want to eat. They must also eat," said resident and mother Nazile Bobbs.

"They said we are going to get parcels, where (are) the parcels? How long are we (going to be) in the lockdown?"

South Africa is currently in the middle of a five-week lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus which has so far infected more than 2,400 people.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to provide basics such as water and food supplies to the poorest South Africans.

Many people, especially those working in the informal economy, are unable to ply their trade and have lost income due to the lockdown which came into effect on March 27.

Community leader Liezl Manual said people came out of their homes "frustrated wanting to know" where the food parcels were.

"I don't think Ramaphosa is doing something," said another resident Denise Martin, adding that people would "rather die of coronavirus than to die in our homes of hunger".

Some government officials were starting to become overwhelmed by the surging needs in a country ranked among one of the world's most unequal.

"People are so desperate for aid such that even those people that would not be provided by us think they can get support from us," Busisiwe Memela-Khambula CEO of SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), a government department responsible for distributing food aid.

The department normally helps people with disability, those who failed to access their social security grants or those generally experiencing hardships, she said.

"But unfortunately now everybody is experiencing hardships," she said on local television.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 22:22:58|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Ministry of Finance announced on Thursday that public investments will be increased by 10 billion Egyptian pounds (nearly 633 million U.S. dollars) to create more job opportunities.

"The move is aimed at paying the dues of contractors and suppliers and upgrading the quality of services introduced to the public," Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said in a statement.

The minister added that Egypt's economic reform program, that has been adopted since 2016, helped in mitigating the impact of the coronavirus.

He highlighted "the government's keenness on supporting the economy's various sectors to keep the production cycle operating along with applying the preventive and precautionary measures."

He stressed that the government is eager to make available strategic and food commodities for the people and support the service sectors affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Finance Ministry has provided the allocations required for buying nearly five million tons of wheat, the minister added.

Egypt is expected to purchase 3.6 million tons of wheat starting from April 15 to cover 4.5 months of consumption. Enditem
The NSW government is set to ease restrictions preventing gay men from donating blood and redress discriminatory red-tape to shore up blood supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

Independent MP Alex Greenwich on Thursday wrote to Health Minister Brad Hazzard asking the government to consider cutting the time gay men have to wait to give blood after sexual contact from 12 months to three months.

MP Alex Greenwich, right, and NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard in July 2019 outside Parliament House. Credit:James Alcock

"During the current COVID-19 pandemic it is vital that blood donations are available to save lives," Mr Greenwich wrote to Mr Hazzard.

His letter followed new recommendations from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) that all federal and state governments should adopt the shorter deferral time.
The police have announced the arrest of four men they believed participated in the murder of Funke Olakunrin. A suspected crime lord who led the team was also declared wanted after detectives laboured in vain to arrest him for several months.

Mrs Olakunrin, a daughter of Afenifere leader Reuben Fasoranti, was killed in July 2019 by armed men, who were not immediately identified.

The murder sparked nationwide outrage, especially amongst leaders in the south, and worsened distrust between Yoruba leaders and the Buhari administration, which has been accused of not doing enough to curb the activities of marauding herders and other criminal gangs.

On Thursday, the police announced they have made a significant progress in their efforts to apprehend the killers.

The suspects so far taken into custody in alleged connection to the murder are: Lawal Mazaje, 40, from Felele area of Kogi State; Adamu Adamu, 50, from Jada area of Adamawa State; Mohammed Usman, 26, from Illela area of Sokoto State and Auwal Abubakar, 25, from Shinkafi area of Zamfara State.

It was unclear when the suspects would be arraigned, but the police said they were looking for their leader who has been at large.

He was identified only as Tambaya, and detectives could not immediately determine his full identity.

He was described as capable of communicating in Hausa, Fulfude and Pidgin English; fair in complexion and suspected to be between 27 and 30. He was last known to be in Isanlu, Kogi State and has a visible scar from stitches on his forehead down to his nose and mouth.

Ms Olakunrin was murdered on July 12 near Ore, Ondo State. She was believed to be on her way to Lagos when gunmen opened fire and fatally shot her.

Police spokesperson Frank Mba said the suspects were arrested after being linked to a separate case of armed robbery and kidnapping in the neighbouring Ogun State.

On March 4, a team that was investigating an armed robbery attack first arrested Mr Abubakar, Mr Mba said. He then led officers to two other members of the gang, Messrs Usman and Mazaje, in Benin, Edo State. A cache of ammunition was subsequently recovered before Mr Adamu was picked up in Akure.

Following physical and forensic evidence allegedly linking the suspects to Mrs Olakunrins murder, homicide detectives went further to conduct additional identification probe on April 8, during which a survivor of the attack identified the suspects, police said.

The survivor gave a clear description of the roles each of the identified suspects played in the killing, police said.

The suspects then allegedly voluntarily offered a no-holds-barred confession of their roles in Mrs Olakunrins murder.

Detectives now believed at least eight men took part in the murder, and they have their operational base across the Southwest and Edo State. They have also been linked to other active cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and vandalism




Good Morning, Nigeria, Welcome To Naija News Roundup Of Top Newspaper Headlines In Nigeria For Today Thursday, 16th April 2020

The factional leader of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau has put the blame for the current coronavirus pandemic at the feet of evil action by people.

He also said he and the members of his sect cant be infected by the virus.

2. Lagos State Discharges 16 Coronavirus Patients

The Lagos State government has discharged 16 Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients,

Naija News reports that the governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced this in a series of tweets on the micro-blogging site, Twitter on Wednesday evening, April 15.

The headquarters of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja was gutted by fire on Wednesday.

Naija News recalls that this is the second federal government office that will go up in flames in recent times after the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation also caught fire.

Five new cases of Coronavirus has been confirmed in Kano State by the state Government, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the state to nine cases.

The development was confirmed by the media aide to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Salihu Tanko Yakasai, on his Twitter account on Wednesday.

The Lagos State Government has confirmed the death of a COVID-19 patient in the state,

The Commissioner of Health in the state, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who confirmed this via his twitter handle noted that the deceased is a 63-year-old male, Nigerian who had no history of travel or contact with any confirmed case.

The Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari, has condemned the ethnic clash in Taraba State which led to the death of about 25 people.

Recall that about 25 people lost their lives, while several others injured in a clash between Shomo and Jole ethnic groups in Lau Local Government Area of the state.

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has volunteered to donate his blood for experts working on vaccines against Coronavirus in Nigeria.

Governor Makinde stated that the state government is looking for a local solution towards the prevention and cure of COVID-19.

Popular Dugbe Market in Ibadan, Oyo State known as the hub for transport and trading was gutted by fire on Wednesday.

The firefighters from the Oyo State Fire Service were mobilized to the scene of the incident to put the fire out.

The ruling All Progressives Congress has revealed the Federal Governments welfare plans, and strategy against hoodlums using lockdown to attack Nigerians.

The spokesperson of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu in a statement noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government will ensure the safety of lives and property.

Leaders of the National Assembly have tabled a request before President Muhammadu Buhari for the reform of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

This is part of discussions during the meeting between the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday, with President Buhari.

Thats the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.

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President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, April 14, 2020, in Washington. Read more

WASHINGTON  Leading Republicans say the coronavirus shutdown cannot go on. Car-honking activists swarmed a statehouse Wednesday to protest stay-home restrictions. Capitol Hill staff are quietly drafting bills to undo the just-passed rescue aid and push Americans back to work.

Behind President Donald Trump's effort to accelerate re-opening the U.S. economy during the pandemic is a contingent of GOP allies eager to have his back.

Its very much time to start having that conversation and start figuring that out, said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who has shared his views with Trump.

The push to revive the economy is being influenced and amplified by a potent alliance of big money business interests, religious freedom conservatives and small-government activists, some with direct dial to Trump. They are gaining currency as a counter-point to the health professionals who warn of potentially deadly consequences from easing coronavirus stay-home restrictions too soon.

The mobilization is reminiscent of the tea party rebellion a decade ago, when conservatives roared against federal intervention in recession recovery. Its drawing a similar band of deficit hawks alarmed by the $2.2 trillion rescue package, religious congregants who say their right to worship is being violated and conservative lawmakers warning of a slide toward big government socialism with expanded safety net programs.

How do you rein in some of the tyrannical enforcement? said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, in a radio interview.

Economist Stephen Moore is leading a new coalition to fire up activists nationwide. The conservative Heritage Foundation put forward a five-point re-opening plan. Republicans discuss options almost weekly on the House GOPs private conference calls.

Its about promoting liberty and freedom, Moore said. Its about stopping spending that will bankrupt the country and getting the $20 trillion engine that is the American economy started again as soon as possible  as in tomorrow.

Early on in the crisis, Trumps instinct to re-open was kept in check by two unlikely forces  the health professionals on the White House's coronavirus task force and the Trump campaign, which warned that widespread fatalities would be more damaging to the presidents reelection than the economic fallout, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private assessment.

But as the national stay-home guidelines appear to have limited the virus spread, and the mounting death toll, now beyond 27,000, is less than first envisioned, those political calculations seem to be shifting toward the economic concerns, the person said.

We have to learn to live with this, said Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, which is holding weekly virtual town halls with members of Congress, igniting an activist base of thousands of supporters across the nation to back up the effort.

Advocates say they are focusing on parts of the economy and regions of the country where virus spread is low or workers can do their jobs while maintaining social distancing. They point to construction, landscaping and factory floors. They envision new rules  everyone wears face masks  and other safety precautions.

These Republicans warn that the public health emphasis has failed to take into account the broader societal toll of a prolonged shutdown and potential for a Great Depression. The government cannot keep throwing around money to prop up the economy, they say.

Toomey worries that diseases of despair, including substance abuse, will deepen with unemployment and rising poverty, and supply chain disruptions could lead to civil unrest. He said there are segments of the economy, particularly in rural Pennsylvania, "that could be open today."

One early shutdown opponent was the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, which argued businesses should be allowed to adapt and innovate.

With one in 10 American workers suddenly unemployed and dismal corporate quarterly earning reports expected, key Republicans on Capitol Hill say it's time to shift strategies now.

Were really trying to get this thing going quicker than a lot of people may expect, said Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., in a radio interview. He spoke to the president over the weekend, he said, and Trump was already thinking about the transition.

What we see right now is the free market, free-enterprise system is under threat, Perdue said. Dont come in and tell us how to run our lives.

Democrats warn that jumping ahead of public health guidelines could have disastrous effects if Americans retreat from social distancing and spark new hot spots that overrun hospitals with more patients than available beds.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a stark warning for Americans to ignore the lies" and "listen to scientists and other respected professionals to protect themselves and loved ones.

All of us want to resume the precious and beautiful lives that Americas unique freedoms provide, Pelosi wrote in a letter to Democratic colleagues. But if we are not working from the truth, more lives will be lost, economic hardship and suffering will be extended unnecessarily.

Some leading Republicans are pushing health care solutions. Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the chairman of the health committee, wants a "Manhattan Project for testing, referring to the wartime effort to develop nuclear weapons, to give Americans confidence that children can return to school in the fall.

Across the nation, though, end-the-shutdown protests are flaring up.

In Texas, conservative state legislators said in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott it's ultimately the individual Texan's responsibility to keep themselves safe. Many are backed by Texas oilman Tim Dunn, who co-authored a similar letter to Trump.

On Wednesday, drivers staged Operation Gridlock at the Michigan state capitol after Gov. Gretchen Whitmers decision to toughen rather than relax what already was one of the nations strictest stay-home orders.

Among the groups promoting the effort on Facebook was one with ties to the politically connected DeVos family, even though Education Secretary Besty DeVos stopped her political spending when she joined Trump's Cabinet.

Associated Press writers David Eggert in Michigan and Paul Weber in Texas contributed to this story.
Updates related to COVID-19 and its effects on Albuquerque and the rest of NM.

PICTURES





UPDATES

6:30 p.m.

Navajo Nation creates official donation fund; restaurants to close during weekend curfew

The Navajo Nation Health Command Operations Center has created the Navajo Nation COVID-19 Fund to accept donations during the current public health crisis. In a video update Thursday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said the official fund would be used to purchase medical supplies and personal protective equipment for Navajo healthcare workers, law enforcement and communities.

To donate, visit http://www.nndoh.org/donate.html, call (928) 871-6206 or email general@nndoj.org.

The Navajo Department of Health, Navajo Area Indian Health Service and Navajo Epidemiology Center reported 121 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, for a total of 1,042 COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation. The agencies reported three additional deaths from the disease, bringing the COVID-19 death toll on the Navajo Nation to 41.

In Thursdays video update, Dr. Jill Jim, executive director of the Navajo Department of Health, announced that restaurants and food vendors would be closed during the upcoming 57-hour weekend curfew in an effort to curb community spread of the disease. Gas stations and grocery stores may operate during the weekend curfew, but must limit their hours and occupancy.

The weekend curfew begins on Friday, April 17, at 8:00 p.m. and ends on Monday, April 20 at 5 a.m. The Navajo Nation will also have a weekend curfew from April 24 to April 27.

Navajo residents do not have to remain inside during the curfew, but should limit movement to their home area. Essential employees are exempt from the curfew, but must have identification from their employer. Navajo police have set up checkpoints throughout the reservation. As of Wednesday evening, the Navajo Police Department had confirmed nine employees tested positive for COVID-19, and are in self-isolation.

During the townhall update, David Nez, Incident Commander for the Navajo Health Command Operations Center, said that chapter houses are still providing essential services like water and food deliveries and trash pickup. On Wednesday, the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department delivered 80,000 pounds of food to be distributed to elders and vulnerable residents on the reservation in Sheep Springs, Standing Rock and Thoreau.

Heres how to help.

 Theresa Davis

4:25 p.m.

8 reported dead on deadliest day of NM coronavirus outbreak

New Mexico health officials reported eight more deaths Thursday as the coronavirus outbreak continued to grip the state, pushing the total number of dead to 44.

It was the most deaths reported in any one day since New Mexicos first confirmed case was reported March 11.

The deaths includes people ranging in age from their 30s to their 80s  including five adults in San Juan and McKinley counties, which both have high Native American populations.

Read more >>

 Dan McKay

3:19 p.m.

AGs investigation into La Vida Llena reveals deficiencies

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says that an Albuquerque retirement community where dozens of residents and employees have become infected with COVID-19 has failed to follow public health orders, provided inadequate updates to residents and discouraged personnel from wearing personal protective equipment.

Balderas is also raising financial concerns about La Vida Llena, home to over 400 people in Albuquerques Northeast Heights.

In a letter Thursday to DeAnn Eaton, CEO for La Vida Llenas parent company, Balderas wrote that his offices investigation into the facility is ongoing, but that he wanted to detail some of the early findings In the hopes that these deficiencies can be immediately improved upon to prevent future risks of harm to LVLs staff and residents.

Read more >>

 Jessica Dyer

6:05 a.m.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 cases reach 921

The Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service reported 83 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, for a total of 921 cases. The Navajo Nation also reported an additional five COVID-19 deaths. There are now 38 COVID-19 deaths on the Navajo Nation. The agencies reported a total of 3,239 negative tests.

In a short video update Wednesday, Navajo President Jonathan Nez said the Navajo Area Indian Health Service had received rapid test kits and 50 ventilators from the federal government.

President Nez said many residents on the reservation are starting to receive stimulus checks from the federal government. He urged Dine to shop local, follow social distancing guidelines, and wear masks and gloves when shopping at grocery stores and other essential businesses.

Navajo Vice President Myron Lizer encouraged Navajo residents to save what money they could, and to fight the urge to ride off into our border towns to spend that money.

For those of you who can, sit tight, stay home, and let others who desperately need to get out there to our local supermarkets get their necessities, Lizer said.

The Navajo Health Command Operations Center hotline is (928) 871-7014.

Heres how to help.

 Theresa Davis
HealthyChildren.org 2020 Mother's Day Sweepstakes Event

HealthyChildren.org, the official parenting website of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), celebrates moms everywhere with a 7-day Mother's Day Sweepstakes event. Fourteen lucky winners will receive a $200 Amazon.com* gift card. The contest begins May 4 and ends on Mother's Day, May 10, 2020.

Registered users may enter once each day during the event. Winners will be drawn on or about May 11, 2020. Full rules and more information can be found here.

About HealthyChildren.org

The only parenting website backed by 67,000 AAP member pediatricians, HealthyChildren.org offers trustworthy, up-to-the-minute health advice and guidance for parents and caregivers, along with interactive tools and personalized content. Registered users enjoy a customized home page that features articles geared to the ages of their children. The site also offers a Find a Pediatrician service, an Ask the Pediatrician tool, the KidsDoc Symptom Checker, and more than 5,000 articles on childrens health and safety in English and Spanish.

*Amazon.com gift cards are given away on behalf of HealthyChildren.org. Amazon is not a sponsor of this contest.
California Department of Education

News Release

California Department of Education

News Release

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Task Force to Close Digital Divide

SACRAMENTOState Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced today the creation of a new task force to close the digital divide for California students who lack access to resources such as internet connectivity and devices. The Closing the Digital Divide Task Force will be co-chaired by California State Senator Connie Leyva.

This task force signals a new era, that California is now working with focus and urgency to close the digital divide in the most concrete way we have ever seen, said Thurmond. COVID-19 is a public health crisis in California and all around the world, but its also revealed other crises like the technology gap that has persisted for too long, leading to opportunity and achievement gaps for Californias students.

As the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I strongly believe that ensuring equity for California students is critically important, said Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino). One vital step to ensuring equity is by closing the digital divide, which has become that much more evident and urgent as distance learning is now the new reality for millions of school children during the current COVID-19 crisis. I look forward to co-chairing this important task force as we all continue to work together to meet the needs of students in California.

The Closing the Digital Divide Task Force will help facilitate donations, create more publicity, and cast a bigger spotlight on those who can help. It also plans to hold a public hearing where internet service providers may be called upon to testify on their efforts to improve internet access during the pandemic.

The California Department of Education (CDE) has in recent weeks assessed the technology needs for all California students and is working with partners to secure devices and Wi-Fi hotspots to close the technology gap. This effort comes following a strong recommendation last month from State Superintendent Thurmond for all schools to focus on distance learning models due to the COVID-19 health crisis.

The CDE also announced last week that it partnered with the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation (CDE Foundation), the private non-profit partner of the CDE since 2011, to create the California Bridging the Digital Divide Fund. The fund is a joint effort of the Governors Office, State Board of Education, CDE, and CDE Foundation, and is a centralized resource for state leadership to provide essential device, connectivity, and related digital learning supports for pre-K-12 students, teachers, and their families.

The fund is focused particularly on building more equitable teaching and learning environments, which are currently in even greater jeopardy due to the uneven impacts of COVID-19 on students, families, and educators. This includes special attention to special education, English learner, low-income, and rural populations, for which additional virtual educator professional learning webinars are now in development.

The California Bridging the Digital Divide Fund accepts individual contributions at bit.ly/CADigitalDivide. Corporate and institutional donors may contact Mary Nicely at mnicely@cde.ca.gov.

# # # #

Tony Thurmond  State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Last Reviewed: Wednesday, October 13, 2021




London, April 16, 2020

CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) shareholders at the Annual General Meeting ("AGM"), held today in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, approved the Company's 2019 EU-IFRS Annual Report (including the Consolidated Financial Statements and Separate Financial Statements of CNH Industrial N.V.).

Suzanne Heywood was re-elected as executive director. Leo W. Houle, John Lanaway, Alessandro Nasi, Lorenzo Simonelli, Jacqueline A. Tammenoms Bakker and Jacques Theurillat were re-elected as non-executive directors. Howard W. Buffett, Nelda (Janine) Connors, Tufan Erginbilgic and Vagn Srensen were elected as non-executive directors. In addition, Ernst & Young Accountants LLP was reappointed as independent auditor of the Company.

Full details of all matters approved today at the AGM and the Chairperson's and Acting Chief Executive Officer's speeches are available on the Company's website).

***

Concurrently with the AGM, the Company published its 2019 Sustainability Report. This Report was prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, the main international framework for reporting on governance, environmental and social themes, and the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles Standard.

To view the 2019 Sustainability Report online, please visit the following link: www.cnhindustrial.com/2019_sustainability_report

CNH IndustrialN.V.

Media contact:

Corporate Communications

Email: mediarelations@cnhind.com

Attachment
WHO must be supported -- UN chief

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:08, April 15, 2020

UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) must be supported, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump' announcement of halting his country's funding to the organization.

"It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19," the secretary-general said in a statement issued by his spokesman.

It is "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus," the secretary-general said.

"Once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis," he said. "The lessons learned will be essential to effectively address similar challenges, as they may arise in the future."

The UN chief noted that "now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences."

Guterres also recalled his statement made on April 8 that said "the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most dangerous challenges this world has faced in our lifetime. It is above all a human crisis with severe health and socio-economic consequences" and the WHO is supporting member states and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, "with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services" as they fight the virus.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to WHO, a move experts have warned against.

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Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh has said action has been ordered against a reporter and an anchor of a news channel for allegedly running a "false" story that state minister Jitendra Awhad's daughter tested coronavirus positive at the time of return from Spain.

IMAGE: A police official steps out of the sanitation van at Dharavi in Mumbai. Photograph: Kunal Patil/PTI Photo

In a series of tweets, Deshmukh said the code of conduct of not revealing the name of any coronavirus-infected patient was violated in the process.

He did not name the news channel concerned.

On his part, state housing minister Awhad on Thursday said Deshmukh asked him to register a case, but he has decided against it as he does not want to act out of vengeance.

Deshmukh said there are rules in the law regarding not revealing the names of girls, and what the channel did "deliberately and irresponsibly was quite serious".

It is wrong to broadcast "false and terrorising" news at a time when an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the country due to the spread of coronavirus, he said.

"Hence, order has been issued to take action against the reporter and anchor of the news as per rules," Deshmukh tweeted late Wednesday night.

Awhad thanked Deshmukh for expressing concern over the news report and asking him to register a case.

"I think instead of vengeance I have decided to not register case against anybody. The channels do their job. Let people decide #ForgiveAndForget," Awhad tweeted.

A police official with whom Awhad interacted recently tested positive for coronavirus.

Hence, as a precaution, the minister has quarantined himself.

On Wednesday, Awhad said his test report has come out negative for coronavirus and he is fit and fine.

Journalist beaten up for writing about qurantined families

A 35-year-old jouranlist was assaulted in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district for publishing a report about some families who had been home quarantined to prevent the spread of coronavirus, police said on Thursday.

Balasaheb Navgire was assaulted by a group of over 12 persons, most of them women, at Panegaon near Newase in the district on Wednesday, said an official of Sonai police station.

Navgire had written in a local newspaper about 17 families who had been quarantined at home for suspected exposure to coronavirus, he said.

The accused allegedly believed that due to the report, their employers did not allow them to work and turned them away.

On Wednesday, a group of over a dozen persons reached Navgire's house and beat him up.

A case was registered against them for assault, rioting as well as for breaking quarantine. No arrest has been made yet, the police official said.
[April 16, 2020] MaxHome Announces They Are Honoring Health Care Professionals and First Responders for Their Service During COVID-19

MaxHome, a Louisiana and Texas-based remodeling company, will donate four shower or bathtub renovations in honor of health care professionals and first responders in the company's service area. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005195/en/ Recognizing Healthcare and First Responder Heroes (Photo: Business Wire) Larry Closs, Owner and CEO of MaxHome, said, "We wanted a way to recognize and thank all healthcare and first responders who are working around the clock to serve our communities during this worldwide pandemic. To show our heartfelt gratitude, we are going to donate 4 (bath) renovations." Closs went on to say, "Collectively, we are dealing with higher stress and anxiety levels, and healthcare professionals are facing unprecedented challenges. For them, having a moment of relaxation to wash away the day has never been so important."



MaxHome is requesting nominations of local healthcare professionals at www.maxhome.com/heroes now through May 3, 2020. A panel of employees and local leaders will select from the application on May 4, 2020, and installations will take place in June. About MaxHome

Founded in 2003, MaxHome LLC focuses on providing an easy, convenient, and affordable 1-day shower or bath remodel. As one of the fastest-growing bath renovation companies in America, MaxHome services the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas. Our passion is delivering overall value to our customer's home and life by creating beautiful, safe, and maintenance-free bath renovations. MaxHome offers a broad selection of wet area solutions from leading national brands, like Jacuzzi, and Kohler (News - Alert), and is the sister company of Renewal by Andersen of South Louisiana. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005195/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
President Trumps announcement Tuesday that he will suspend congressionally approved funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) drew a torrent of criticism from Democrats, health experts, business groups and global leaders.

What Trump said: During his coronavirus briefing Tuesday evening, Trump said he would halt payments to the WHO pending a 60-to-90-day review of its pandemic response, charging that the UN agency had made a series of deadly mistakes in trying to combat the global outbreak. Trump said his administration would assess the World Health Organizations role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus. He added: So much death has been caused by their mistakes.

Wait, what is the WHO? Founded in 1948 and based in Geneva, it is the United Nations agency responsible for global public health. It now has 194 member states and more than 7,000 employees in 150 offices across the globe. During health emergencies, the WHO says it seeks to identify and mitigate risks, support the development of necessary tools and support delivery of essential health services in fragile settings.

The WHO is funded through membership fees and voluntary contributions, and the United States is its largest donor. For the 2018-2019 biennial funding cycle, the United States reportedly paid $237 million and another $656 million in voluntary contributions for a total of $893 million, or about 15% of the agencys roughly $6 billion budget.

Shifting blame: Seeking to deflect blame and fend off criticism over his slow response to the spread of the virus, Trump has joined some congressional Republicans in targeting the WHO, ramping up his attacks in recent weeks. He has called the WHO very China centric, criticized the group for opposing his decision in late January to restrict travel from China, and charged that the agency pushed Chinas misinformation about the coronavirus and failed to properly investigate early claims about the viruss ability to spread from person to person.

Story continues

In effect, Mr. Trump was accusing the worlds leading health organization of making all of the mistakes that he has made since the virus first emerged in China and then spread rapidly, Michael D. Shear and Donald G. McNeil Jr. write at The New York Times. As numerous news outlets have noted, Trump himself praised Chinas pandemic response in January, as his administration was negotiating a trade deal with Beijing.

Global context: The question of whether the W.H.O. was not aggressive enough in recommending action against the virus has been raised in other countries. Some governments have noted that the organizations leadership did not challenge Chinas assertion in mid-January that there was not human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus, the Times notes. But the W.H.O. did issue urgent advisories throughout January about the potential dangers from the virus and announced that it constituted a public health emergency of international concern a day before the Trump administration made a similar declaration.

The blowback: World leaders have urged Trump to rethink the decision, with China calling for the U.S. to fulfill its obligations, Germany and New Zealand calling for unity, while Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the WHO was not immune from criticism, Forbess Isabel Togoh notes.

While some congressional Republicans publicly supported Trumps decision, condemnation for the move was widespread. Among the reactions:

The American Medical Association called Trumps decision a dangerous step in the wrong direction and urged him to reconsider.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the decision senseless and another example of Trumps ineffective response to the pandemic. This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged, she said.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that he regrets Trumps decision. The United States of America has been a long-standing and generous friend to the WHO and we hope it will continue to be so, he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the WHO is absolutely critical to the worlds efforts to win the war against COVID-19 and that now is not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.

Bill Gates , whose Gates Foundation is among the largest voluntary donors to the WHO, criticized Trumps move in a tweet: Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President Myron Brilliant said that while the business group supports reforming the WHO, cutting the WHOs funding during the COVID-19 pandemic is not in U.S. interests given the organizations critical role assisting other countries  particularly in the developing world  in their response.

Can Trump really halt WHO funding? As Pelosis comment above indicates, Democrats say withholding WHO money would be illegal. President Trump is violating the same spending laws that brought about his impeachment, said Evan Hollander, spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee, according to The Washington Post.

Its unclear exactly what mechanism Trump intends to use to withhold WHO funding, much of which is appropriated by Congress, CNBCs Berkeley Lovelace Jr.s reported. The president typically does not have the authority to unilaterally redirect congressional funding. The administration reportedly may argue that the president has the right to redirect WHO funds to any global aid program, a position some Democrats reportedly said may be accurate. A senior Democratic aide told the Post that Democrats were reviewing their options, including asking GAO for an opinion given their opinion that the Presidents hold on Ukraine funding was illegal.

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The United States agencies released a joint advisory warning of significant cyber threat posed by North Korea-linked hackers to the global financial sector.

The U.S. Departments of State, the Treasury, and Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a joint advisory that is warning organizations worldwide about the significant cyber threat posed by the North Korean nation-state actors to the global banking and financial institutions.

The advisory contains comprehensive resources on the North Korean cyber

threat that aims at helping the international community, industries, and other governments to protect their infrastructure from state-sponsored attacks. The document also includes a list of recent attacks attributed to North Korean state-sponsored hackers.

The DPRKs malicious cyber activities threaten the United States and the broader international community and, in particular, pose a significant threat to the integrity and stability of the international financial system. Under the pressure of robust U.S. and UN sanctions, the DPRK has increasingly relied on illicit activities  including cybercrime  to generate revenue for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. reads the advisory.

In particular, the United States is deeply concerned about North Koreas malicious cyber activities, which the U.S. government refers to as HIDDEN COBRA. The DPRK has the capability to conduct disruptive or destructive cyber activities affecting U.S. critical infrastructure,

Due to the pressure of U.S. and UN sanctions, North Korea has increasingly relied on cyber capabilities to target banks and financial institutions and to generate revenues.

In particular, the United States is deeply concerned about North Koreas malicious cyber activities, which the U.S. government refers to as HIDDEN COBRA. continues the advisory.

The DPRK also uses cyber capabilities to steal from financial institutions, and has demonstrated a pattern of disruptive and harmful cyber activity that is wholly inconsistent with the growing international consensus on what constitutes responsible state behavior in cyberspace.

They develop and deploy a wide range of malware tools around the world to enable these activities and have grown increasingly sophisticated.

According to the experts, the state-sponsored hackers have attempted to steal as much as $2 billion through these cyber activities.

The U.S. government is also offering a monetary reward of up to $5 million to anyone who can provide information about the activities carried out by North Korea-linked APT groups. The offer also includes information about past hacking campaigns.

If you have information about illicit DPRK activities in cyberspace, including past or ongoing operations, providing such information through the Department of States Rewards for Justice program could make you eligible to receive an award of up to $5 million. states the advisory.

To support international efforts to disrupt North Koreas illicit activities, the State Departments Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program offers rewards of up to $5 million for information that leads to the disruption of financial mechanisms of persons engaged in certain activities that support North Korea, including money laundering, sanctions evasion, cyber-crime, and WMD proliferation, reads the Reward for Justice website.

The list of cyber activities against financial institutions carried out by North Korea-linked hackers to generate revenues includes:

Cyber-Enabled Financial Theft and Money Laundering

Extortion Campaigns

Cryptojacking

The advisory states that revenues generated through cyber activities are used by the regime for its activities, including the building of weapons of mass destruction.

The list of the cyberattacks publicly attributed to North Korean nation-state actors, includes:

Individuals and entities engaged in or supporting DPRK cyber-related activity, including processing related financial transactions, should be aware of the potential consequences of engaging in prohibited or sanctionable conduct. concludes the advisory.

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs  North Korea, hacking)
The sweep of COVID-19 throughout Canada's nursing homes is proving more devastating than expected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday as he warned that reopening the economy too early would be "absolutely disastrous."

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The sweep of COVID-19 throughout Canada's nursing homes is proving more devastating than expected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday as he warned that reopening the economy too early would be "absolutely disastrous."

With the number of deaths from COVID-19 in Canada nearing 1,200  and seniors by far the hardest-hit group  the prime minister said Ottawa would discuss additional supports for provinces in tackling outbreaks in long-term care homes, including a request by Quebec for military relief.

"I think one of the things we've seen over the past number of weeks is a far more severe impact on a number of seniors' residences and long-term care centres than we had certainly hoped for, or more than we feared," Trudeau said.

"It is impossible to imagine the anguish families and indeed our elders are going through in this situation  there is just so much fear, so much uncertainty," he said.

"We need to do a better job of being there for them. The federal government is looking at ways to support the provinces, as they deal with this issue."

While the overall curve of new confirmed COVID-19 cases is "bending," the proportion of outbreaks in long-term care homes has led to a higher death rate than expected, Canada's top doctor said.

Dr. Theresa Tam, the country's chief public health officer, said more than 90 per cent of the patients confirmed to have died from the virus are over the age of 60, and half of them lived in long-term care homes.

However, seniors are not the only vulnerable group, she said, noting more must be done to help people experiencing homelessness and precarious housing  conditions that also make it difficult to maintain physical distancing and hand-washing protocols.

"Without immediate action there will be more outbreaks and avoidable deaths with broader societal and public health implications... We cannot crush this curve unless and until everyone is looked after," she said.

There are more than 30,000 presumptive and confirmed cases of the virus across Canada, including 1,193 deaths and 9,701 resolved cases. Tam said models are now predicting 1,200 and 1,620 deaths by April 21.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

While some provinces, including New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, reported no new cases Thursday, the numbers continued to rise by the hundreds in the two provinces hardest hit by the virus.

Quebec recorded 997 new cases, for a total of 15,857, including 143 new deaths. So far, 630 people have died from the disease in the province.

Premier Francois Legault said most of the newly recorded deaths had not occurred over the last day but were added following a change in data collection methods.

Some 2,000 doctors responded to Legault's call for assistance in the province's overburdened long-term care homes, he said, but the federal government said the province has also formally requested military support.

"Obviously, it's going to be a big challenge to have everyone work together, people who are not used to working together," Legault said of the new dynamic, but he invited everyone to "put a little bit of water in our wine."

"It will not necessarily be easy, especially in conditions that are really exceptional. But, I am convinced that with good faith ... we will be able to have these people work together."

The prime minister said the two governments are trying to sort out a response, which could involve the Canadian Red Cross, the military or volunteers.

While the Canadian Armed Forces do have doctors, the military is normally sent to help during natural disasters and other such crises rather than medical crises, Trudeau said, but he noted the pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge.

In Ontario, where 514 new cases and 38 more deaths were reported Thursday, Premier Doug Ford said he wouldn't hesitate to make a similar request if the situation called for it.

"Everything's on the table," Ford said.

Economic relief was also at the forefront Thursday, as Ottawa announced more financial help for small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought much of Canada's economy to a standstill.

The federal government said it was expanding a loan program for small businesses and introducing a new program to help small businesses pay their rent for the next three months.

Some small and medium-sized businesses with payrolls just under or just over the initial threshold had complained that they were not eligible for the loans.

Major tourism attractions joined them in sounding the alarm, with both the Vancouver Aquarium and the Toronto Zoo calling for immediate financial support.

The aquarium said it could close for good within months without a lifeline of at least $1 million a month, while the zoo announced a fundraising campaign to cover $1 million in annual food costs for its animals, which it said were normally funded through parking and admission fees.

While renewing his pledge to help businesses weather the pandemic, Trudeau said Canada is a "long way" from even considering reopening its economy.

"It would be absolutely disastrous for us to open up too early or too quickly and have another wave hit us that could be just as bad as this one and find ourselves in a situation of having to go back into quarantine the way we are now and have everything weve done these past weeks be for nothing," he said.

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It was a much different story across the border Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a phased approach to reopen parts of the country.

Trudeau said it will be a while before the U.S.-Canada border reopens.

An agreement between the two countries to limit border crossings to all but goods and a small number of essential workers is due to expire in days, but Trudeau said it will be "many weeks" before the restrictions are loosened.

The issue was discussed Thursday morning in a call with other G7 leaders to go over the ongoing global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau was to hold a teleconference call Thursday evening with provincial and territorial premiers, where the discussion is expected to be dominated by the crisis in long-term care facilities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.
The interior minister, Lt. Gen. Saif bin Zayed, said the bulbous helmet with a large mirrored visor will be used by specialized police teams. It has night vision and facial recognition cameras and can process car license plates, but its main use now will be to monitor people who might have the virus from a safe distance.
Immune Therapeutics Announces Settlement with Major Creditors as part of licensing agreement

Immune Therapeutics Announces Filing of 10K Extension Under SEC Allowance for COVID19 Disruption

Forte Aims to Develop and Commercialize Lodonal and IRT=101 for the Treatment of Cancer and Inflammatory Disease in Companion Animals

Orlando, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Immune Therapeutics Inc. (OTC PINK: IMUN), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, and Forte Biotechnology Intl Corp, a privately-held biotech company focused on innovations in the veterinary drug space, today announced their entry into a licensing agreement whereby Immune Therapeutics sub-licensed so Forte Biotechnology exclusive worldwide rights to research, develop and commercialize Lodonal (IRT=103) and IRT-101 for the for the treatment of immune disfunction, inflammatory diseases and cancer in companion animals.

Under the terms of the agreement, Forte will issue 15% of the issued and outstanding common stock to Immune after the assumption of approximately four million dollars in defaulted debt incurred over the last six years by Immune. The creditors include noteholder, employees, consultants, and accounts payable have agreed to the assumption. The Creditors have agreed to accept unregistered stock in lieu of repayment at $.25 cents a share.

Immune will receive annual payments on the license and is eligible to receive payments from future regulatory, clinical and commercial milestones, assuming approval in both the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). In addition, Forte agreed to pay Immune single-digit royalty payments based on future net sales of Lodonal and IRT-101.

Additionally, Immune has filed and received a 45-day extension on March 30, 2020 under the new COVID19 policies at the SEC that allow companies additional time to for SEC filings due to the pandemic. This extension will mean that our 10K will be filed on our before mid-May. The extension was accepted by the SEC and filed accordingly.

Michael Handley IMUN CEO, commented, "The last months have clearly been arduous times, not only for the Company and its shareholders, but also the Company's creditors. This licensing agreement provide us with the opportunity to seek to obtain value for the shareholders." He further noted, "The creditor participation is an important first step in addressing our balance sheet issues and allows us to continue our development programs for the immediate future while we pursue additional financing and strategic options for Immune. This will allow the company to monetize the veterinary applications of Lodonal and IRT-101 and focus on drug development in humans especially now with our focus of our collaboration agreement with Cytocom Inc on seeking FDA approval for the treatment of COVID-19.

The Company is concurrently finalizing to resolve claims from additional creditors that total amount owed a total of $2,617,201 million dollars.

"We admire Forte 's passion and dedication to innovation in the discovery and development of new veterinary medicines in the rapidly growing companion animal health marketplace," said Michael K Handley Chief Executive Officer of Immune. "Forte has the expertise and resources to advance cutting-edge drug candidates like Lodonal and IRT-101 toward becoming a potential new treatment for companion animals that may benefit from it. Therefore, we believe Forte is the ideal partner to maximize our drug compound's value in veterinary medicine and look forward to working with them on future animal health technologies. This partnership enables us to monetize our non-core indications, as we continue to focus on advancing the development of Lodonal and IRT-101 in our lead human indications for cancer indications as well as development our rights in emerging markets. "

About Immune Therapeutics, Inc.:

Immune Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, acquiring, developing and commercializing therapeutics in the disease areas of immunology, inflammation and oncology. Its goal is to be an industry leader in each of these therapeutic areas and to enhance and extend the lives of patients suffering from such diseases. More information can be found at www.immunetherapeutics.com

About Forte Biotechnology Intl Corp.:

Forte Biotechnology Intl Corp, a privately-held biotechnology company based in Fort Collins Colorado. Forte's goal is to acquire late stage modulator drugs and immune modulator biopharmaceuticals for cancer, chronic inflammation, pain, and neurodegenerative disease in companion pets

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those projected due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the possibility that some or all the matters and transactions considered by the Company may not proceed as contemplated, and by all other matters specified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are made based upon current expectations that are subject to risk and uncertainty. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements in this news release to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking information. Assumptions and other information that could cause results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking information can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov), including its recent periodic reports.

Contact:

Immune Therapeutics:

Michael K. Handley

(888) 613-8802 Ext. 100

www.immunetherapeutics.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54531
Most of the UK is expected to bask in warm sunshine on Thursday, with temperatures hitting a high of 21C in London.

However, isolated showers may fall over parts of southern England, Wales and the Midlands later in the day. Conditions will be cloudier and cooler in parts of Scotland and northeast England.

The fine weather will dissipate overnight as clouds gather, with some heavy rain expected to fall over the south of the UK on Friday morning.

The band of rain is expected to move into parts of the Midlands and Wales later in the day. However, further north, conditions will be mostly fine and dry but quite breezy and rather cold.

Unsettled weather will remain in place throughout the weekend, splitting conditions across the country two ways.

Spells of rain will affect the south and west of the country on Saturday, but most of the north and east will be dry, with long spells of bright sunshine.

Sunday will be a sunnier affair for most, especially the north, but a few showers are expected to sprinkle across the south.

As we move into yet another week of lockdown, as part of an effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic, things are likely to get dry and sunny again more widely on Monday

The 15 best songs about the weather Show all 15 1 /15 The 15 best songs about the weather The 15 best songs about the weather 15. "Purple Rain"  Prince Matt Sayles/Invision/AP The 15 best songs about the weather 14. "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!"  Dean Martin Getty Images The 15 best songs about the weather 13. "Who'll Stop the Rain?"  Credence Clearwater Revival EPA The 15 best songs about the weather 12. "Ill Wind"  Frank Sinatra In 1958 Frank Sinatra described Holiday as the most important influence on American popular singing in the last 20 years Getty The 15 best songs about the weather 11. "It's Raining"  Irma Thomas Getty The 15 best songs about the weather 10. "Here Comes the Rain Again"  Eurythmics Annie Lennox Alamy Stock Photo The 15 best songs about the weather 9. "Sunny Afternoon"  The Kinks Dave Davies: 'Me and Ray used to bump heads because we always had so many ideas in The Kinks' The 15 best songs about the weather 8. "Umbrella"  Rihanna Getty Images The 15 best songs about the weather 7. "Ain't No Sunshine"  Bill Withers Rex The 15 best songs about the weather 6. "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"  Bob Dylan Getty The 15 best songs about the weather 5. "Stormy Weather"  Billie Holiday In a jam : Billie Holiday during a studio session Getty The 15 best songs about the weather 4. "The Wind Cries Mary"  Jimi Hendrix Hannu Lindroos / Lehtikuva The 15 best songs about the weather 3. "Here Comes the Sun"  The Beatles Paul McCartney, left, with John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, 1963 PA The 15 best songs about the weather 2. "Cloudbusting"  Kate Bush Kate Bush at her family home in East Wickham in 1978 - the year she released 'Wuthering Heights' Getty The 15 best songs about the weather 1. "Singin' in the Rain"  Gene Kelly

No matter what the weather is where you are this week, the British public is urged to stay at home and only go out for exercise, to work if you cannot work at home, or for essentials.

The coronavirus outbreak has infected 98,476 people in the UK. The latest daily number of deaths because of Covid-19 was 761 on Wednesday, pushing the toll up to 12,868.
In what it called a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, Iraq says Turkish airstrikes inside its airspace targeted a refugee camp and killed three civilians Wednesday.

We deplore the penetration of Iraqi airspace by Turkish aircraft, the Iraqi government-affiliated Security Media Cell wrote on Twitter. This provocative behavior is inconsistent with the obligations of good neighbors.

On Wednesday, news outlets in Iraqs Kurdistan region reported that that an strike killed three civilians near a refugee camp in the mountainous Makhmour region and that another airstrike destroyed a shelter in the city of Rawanduz belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an armed Turkish insurgent group. Turkey has attacked the refugee camp before, saying it is a haven for the PKK; The Associated Press quoted Iraqi officials today as saying the strike was made with a drone.

The shelter bombing, which took place just 200 meters away from a peshmerga headquarters northeast of Erbil, took out two telecommunications towers, a local official told Rudaw. Turkeys Defense Ministry said, Turkish fighter jets neutralized four PKK terrorists, according to a statement carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency. The ministry said the jets struck Wednesday in the Qandil region near the Iraq-Iran border.

Under its military campaign dubbed Operation Claw, Turkey has been targeting PKK strongholds in neighboring Iraq, which it says are used by the militants to launch cross-border attacks inside Turkey. In January, Turkish airstrikes killed at least four Yazidi fighters affiliated with the PKK in northern Iraqs Sinjar Mountain region.

As Iraq reported civilian casualties from Wednesday's strikes, Turkeys Defense Ministry said one of its soldiers was killed in a separate attack south of its border in Iraq's Hakurk region.

A hero fellow soldier was martyred by the explosion of a mine/handmade explosive previously placed by terrorists from the separatist terrorist organization PKK, the ministry said in a statement today.

The PKKs decades-long violent insurgency against the Turkish state has left more than 40,000 dead on both sides. Ankara, the United States and the European Union all label the Kurdish militant group a terrorist organization.

In October 2019, Turkey launched a military operation in northern Syria to drive away from its border the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), elements of which Ankara views as terrorists linked to the PKK.
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Nanalysis Scientific Corp. ("Nanalysis") (TSXV: NSCI)(OTCQX:NSCIF)(FRA: 1N1) is excited to announce that it will be participating in the Planet MicroCap Virtual Showcase 2020 on Wednesday, April 22.

Mr. Sean Krakiwsky, CEO of Nanalysis will be hosting an investor presentation, answering questions from investors, participating in one-on-one investor calls, and participating in a panel discussion hosted by Mr. Paul Andreola of SmallCap Discoveries.

Caption: Sean Krakiwsky, Nanalysis Founder and CEO with their flagship 60MHz device

Mr. Krakiwsky said, "We are excited to share our story with new investors in the United States after being cleared to trade on the OTC markets. We believe that American investors will be interested in hearing our story and Planet MicroCap is a great platform to do that. Investors are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we are eager to share our exciting story with a new group of investors south of the border."

Mr. Andreola said, "I'm happy to bring a group of great companies to a wide American audience and it's important to highlight investment stories that continue to be compelling even in these uncertain times."

Mr. Robert Kraft, CEO of Planet MicroCap, said, "Over the past 7 years, Planet MicroCap has built a large group of small-cap investors and we are eager to bring our conference online."

To access the live presentation, please use the following information:

Planet MicroCap Showcase Virtual Investor Conference 2020

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Time: 5:00 PM Eastern Time / 3:00 PM Mountain Time

Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2059/34162

In addition to the company's webcast, Nanalysis will be participating in a virtual panel titled, "Best Canadian Non-Resource MicroCap Ideas During Coronavirus Crisis", hosted by Paul Andreola, Founder and Editor of Small Cap Discoveries, on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

To access the virtual panel, please use the following information:

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Time: 3:30 PM Eastern Time / 1:30 PM Mountain Time

Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2059/34220

If you would like to book 1-on-1 investor meetings with Nanalysis, please make sure you are registered for the virtual event here: https://www.planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup

1-on-1 meetings will be scheduled and conducted via private, secure video conference through the conference event platform.

If you can't make the live presentation, all company presentations "webcasts' will be available directly on the conference event platform on this link under the tab "Schedule': https://www.planetmicrocapshowcase.com/presenting-companies

About Nanalysis Scientific Corp. (TSXV: NSCI, OTCQX: NSCIF, FRA: 1N1)

Nanalysis trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) in Canada with ticker symbol "NSCI' and over the counter in the United States under the ticker symbol "NSCIF'. The company's business is what we term "MRI for industry': It develops and manufactures portable Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers or analyzers for laboratory and industrial markets. The NMReady-60 was the first fully featured portable NMR spectrometer in a single compact enclosure requiring no liquid helium or any other cryogens, and the company has followed-up that initial offering with new products and continues to have a strong innovation pipeline. Nanalysis recently announced that it will begin selling a 100MHz device in mid-2020. The Company's new device will be the most powerful non-cryogen, permanent magnet NMR device ever brought to market.

Nanalysis devices are used by chemical professionals in many industries (oil and gas, chemical, mining, pharma, biotech, flavor and fragrances, agrochemicals, and more) as well as numerous government and university research labs around the world. The company continues to exploit new global market opportunities independently and with partners.

For further information, please contact:

Sean Krakiwsky

CEO, Nanalysis Scientific Corp.

T +1.587.436.1291

About Planet MicroCap Showcase

Planet MicroCap Showcase brings together promising companies with well-known and influential microcap, investors, fund managers, and newsletter writers for three days of company presentations, one-on-one meetings, and networking.

If you would like to attend the Planet MicroCap Showcase, please register here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup

Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements and Legal Disclaimer

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "would" occur. These statements are only predictions of what we believe might happen. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Corporation is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Nanalysis Scientific Corp. via Planet MicroCap

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585468/Nanalysis-to-Present-at-the-Planet-MicroCap-Virtual-Showcase-Investor-Conference-2020
India is fast-tracking procedures to supply hydroxychloroquine, a drug considered to be efficient in fighting the coronavirus, to the UAE after a request from the country's government, media reports here quoted the Indian envoy as saying.

India's Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor said there is a huge demand for the anti-malarial drug from many countries and India is considering it on a case to case basis.

"As the drug is on the restricted list, we are obviously giving exception to the UAE, given the friendly relations between the two countries," Khaleej Times quoted Kapoor as saying. The global demand for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) manufactured by India got a boost after some studies indicated that the drug, when paired with azithromycin, helped clear patients of the virus at a much faster rate than seen usually.

There was a request from the government of the UAE to help out with the supply of HCQ, the Gulf quoted Kapoor as saying.

Kapoor said a few companies in the UAE requested the government to import the drug to the country.

"We received a note verbale from the UAE government also seeking support for the supply through those companies, he said.

"Whatever requests were made, we made sure that they reached the right authorities in the right format since this is a restricted medicine, Kapoor said.

He said India is permitting the export of HCQ on a case-by-case basis on the request from governments of friendly countries. With the UAE government backing up the local companies' request for import for the medicine, he said, India is fast-tracking the procedures.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Wednesday announced 432 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 5,365. The country has reported 33 deaths, including five expats of different nationalities.

In a humanitarian gesture, India on Wednesday gifted life-saving drugs, including Hydroxychloroquine tablets, to Mauritius and Seychelles to help them deal with the coronavirus pandemic that has infected 2 million people worldwide.

Mauritius Vice Prime Minister Leela Devi Luchoomun Dookun received the consignment of half a million Hydroxychloroquine tablets that arrived here on Wednesday evening through a special Air India cargo flight from Delhi, the Indian High Commission in Port Louis said in a statement.

Mauritius is one of the first countries to receive supplies of this medicine after a special exemption was granted for a few countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

When playing his favorite game as a youngster, cops and robbers, Cedric Dixon always insisted on being the one wearing the badge.

He had to be a cop, Monique Dixon, his youngest sister, said. That was always his goal.

Mr. Dixon died on March 28 while wearing the badge of a detective with the New York City Police Department. He was 48.

The cause was complications of the new coronavirus, Ms. Dixon said. His death, at North Central Bronx hospital, is believed to be the first of a sworn N.Y.P.D. officer caused by the virus.
New Delhi, April 16 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed members of the U Mumba kabaddi team for their appeal to download the Aarogya Setu app amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

U Mumba tweeted a video featuring Ajinkya Kapre, Athul MS, Surinder Singh and Abhishek Singh. "Our players have an important appeal to make to our fans. Download the Aargoya Setu app and stay informed about COVID-19," said the team in their tweet.

Modi responded to the tweet on his personal handle saying: "Trust our Kabaddi players to know a thing or two about giving a good fight. And here, they are telling you what will help in the fight against COVID-19." U Mumba then replied to the Prime Minister: "Thank you Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sir. We are all in this fight together!" Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday morning, urged the countrymen to download the 'Aarogya Setu App'.

In his address to the nation, he told the states, "You will be monitored till April 20 and conditional reprieve may be given on how well you perform".

"The fight against coronavirus will be more strictly enforced in the next one week. By 20 April, every town, every police station, every district, every state will be evaluated on how well lockdown is being followed or which areas have been able to protect itself from coronavirus," he told the States through his address.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Ew, imagine if you were one of those people who dressed up in a coronavirus-inspired costume for Mardi Gras. How would you feel now that city is in the midst of a medical and economic catastrophe with no end in sight?

Attorney Randy J. Boudreaux is philosophical. In his view, Carnival is all about abandon, and wicked humor is always part of the picture. In fact, its one of Boudreauxs favorite parts of the big party.

Its just what happens, he said.

Hes right. Anyone who has guffawed at the papier-mache anatomical outrages perpetuated by Krewe du Vieux each year can tell you that during Carnival, good taste is no match for the craving for bad jokes. And lets not forget Krewe dEtats jaw-dropping excesses. Remember this year's float that depicted Hillary Clinton choking convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein? There was even a troupe of Swingin Epstein dancers, alluding to Epsteins death, which was ruled a suicide.

Twisted topicality is a traditional part of New Orleans seasonal blowing off of steam.

On Mardi Gras morning, Boudreaux and several buddies dressed up in white hazmat-style suits, complete with now-familiar surgical masks and sky-blue rubber gloves. Their partially unzipped sanitary coveralls revealed Corona beer T-shirts. They sipped suds from Corona beer koozies as they wandered the Marigny and French Quarter amid the throng of fellow revelers.

"Had we known this was going to happen, and wed be living like we are now, said Boudreaux, I doubt wed do it.

But back on Feb. 25, as Carnival came to a climax, practically no one anticipated the impact of something the news called COVID-19.

Boudreauxs costume certainly alluded to the ominous new disease that had ravaged Wuhan, China, but mostly it poked fun at an urban legend that had popped up, alleging that Mexican-made Corona beer had some relationship to the coronavirus.

We were not making fun of the situation, we were just enjoying the double entendre, Boudreaux said.

Boudreaux wasnt the only Mardi Gras celebrant who found the preposterous pun irresistible. Far from it.

+7 Mardi Gras 2021 preps begin, but how is coronavirus affecting it all? Carnival parade season is still more than 10 months away, but preparations for the big party have already begun rolling forward. The trouble i

A pack of self-styled satirists was seen wearing full-body Corona beer bottle costumes, topped with signs that read "GO VIRAL."

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Another costumer somehow found a hazard suit that perfectly matched the golden-yellow color of Corona beer. He carried a small Corona cooler and wore a Corona beer box on his head, as well as a mask and protective goggles.

The costumer, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was bit apprehensive about hitting the streets wearing a costume that alluded to the epidemic. In fact, hed brought along an alternative outfit in case he got cold feet.

I asked myself, is this too macabre, too dark, he said.

But when he arrived in the Marigny on Mardi Gras morning, he was greeted with approval.

As soon as I got out of the car, a guy instantly said he loved it. There was no push back.

The anonymous costumer said he finds sardonic Carnival humor to be cathartic.

Thats whats special about Mardi Gras day, he said. You see all kinds of edgy stuff. People make fun of current events. Sometimes its political, sometimes mocking. But its all in jest, not mean-spirited.

History will remember that, at the time, neither state nor city officials had been shown reason to call off Carnival 2020.

On Mardi Gras morning, the New York Times reported: As of Tuesday, the United States has just 57 cases, 40 of them connected to the Diamond Princess, the cruise ship overwhelmed by the coronavirus after it docked in Japan. Those patients are in isolation in hospitals, and there are no signs of sustained transmission in American communities.

The first two coronavirus deaths in the United States took place in Washington state on Feb. 26, the day after Mardi Gras.

Theres immeasurable irony in the fact that, as costumers cavorted as germ-phobic Corona beer drinkers, the Crescent City was serving as a coronavirus hothouse.

Theres no humor in it now, Boudreaux said of his COVID-19 satire. We may look back on it and laugh in, like, 20 years. But this Halloween, I wouldnt reuse that costume.
The government should be more radical and put in place serious policies to fight the climate crisis with the same urgency as it has to coronavirus, voters believe.

A new survey by pollsters Opinium found 48 per cent of the public agree that the government should respond "with the same urgency to climate change as it has with Covid-19", with just 28 per cent saying it shouldn't.

Environmentalists said the polling figures were a "green light" for the government to be more ambitious in tackling the climate crisis and that politicians had not yet caught up with public opinion on the issue.

The polling is the latest evidence that public opinion is moving fast towards seriously tackling the crisis, following a surge in attention given in the issue last year amid international protests. The start of 2020 was punctuated with climate-related disasters like forest fires in Australia and major flooding.

But activists say the coronavirus has also "created an unrivalled opening" for more radical measures, with old political certainties about the role of the state evaporating overnight. The UK has committed to cutting its carbon output to net zero but its own Committee on Climate Change has warned that its current measures are far from adequate to meet its legal goal.

I think these polling figures are really exciting. That is a pretty big green light to say governments should be far more ambitious when it comes to tackling the climate crisis then that have ever dreamed of being before," Green MP Caroline Lucas told the Compassion in Politics Podcast, which commissioned the poll.

"All too often you get the sense that they wont do what they know they should do because they are concerned about out the public would respond to it.

"This polling shows that yet again the public are far ahead of the politicians and if those politicians can put in place a clear strategy with clear tactics along the way then they can bring the public with them and we can then, I think, get ourselves on to a much safer course when it comes to climate than we are currently on. So I am very excited by this poll and I hope it will be a spur to more action on climate.

The Covid-19 crisis itself has produced a major, if temporary, cut in carbon emissions, with analysts predicting the largest ever fall in CO2 output as economic activity grinds to a halt or moves online across the globe.

One analysis by the website CarbonBrief published on Wednesday suggests the pandemic could cause global emissions cuts this year in the region of 2,000m tonnes of CO2 (MtCO2), based on the evidence currently available.

The crisis also however gives an indication of the scale of the challenge: the emissions cut is equivalent to around 5.5 per cent of the total global output, but scientists say a sustained 7.6 per cent reduction each year will be needed to keep global warming below the crucial 1.5C level to prevent disaster.

Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Show all 50 1 /50 Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent

Jennifer Nadel, Co-Director of Compassion in Politics told The Independent: The public are way ahead of the government on their willingness to tackle climate change and where they lead, politicians will have to follow. This polling is a mandate to the British government to go further, do more, and think bigger on climate than ever before.

The public's response to Covid-19 has shown how we can rise to any challenge and do so with compassion, concern, and consideration for one another. The exact same spirit, the exact same creativity, and the exact same determination will be needed to stop climate breakdown and to build back better.

"This crisis has created an unrivalled opening where the government could use the economic levers it has at its disposal to finally address climate change. Instead of bailing out carbon heavy industries it could build back better investing in a green new deal so that Britain emerges from this crisis a more resilient and just society.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 16.04.2020 - Switzerland allocated CHF 3.074 billion to official development assistance (ODA) in 2019, CHF 42 million more than in the previous year. As a share of gross national income (GNI), Swiss ODA remains stable at 0.44%.

The ODA/GNI ratio of 0.44% is below the 0.48% average estimated for the period of the Dispatch on Switzerland's International Cooperation 201720 and below the 0.5% target set by Parliament in 2011. This is mainly due to lower asylum-related costs included in ODA reporting and cost-cutting measures in Switzerland's international cooperation credit lines adopted by the Federal Council and Parliament in 2016 and 2017.

Certain costs relating to assisting refugees, asylum seekers and people temporarily admitted into Switzerland are included in ODA reporting. In 2019, these costs amounted to CHF 284 million, representing 9% of total ODA. Not including these asylum-related costs, Switzerland's ODA/GNI ratio was 0.4% in 2019, the same as in 2018.

Swiss international cooperation is mainly implemented by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the FDFA's Human Security Division (HSD), whose framework credits (excluding operating expenses) cover 7075% of Swiss ODA. In addition to this spending on international cooperation, some spending by other federal offices also counts as ODA (including asylum-related costs), as do contributions by Swiss cantons and municipalities.

Through its international cooperation, Switzerland helps to reduce poverty and global challenges such as pandemics or climate change, promote peace and respect for human rights, and mitigate the causes of forced displacement and irregular migration. Switzerland also contributes to sustainable, environmentally-friendly development worldwide, in particular in terms of the sustainable management of natural resources. The Dispatch on Switzerland's Strategy for International Cooperation 202124 was adopted by the Federal Council on 19 February 2020. Based on available estimates, Switzerland will allocate around 0.46% of GNI to ODA in the period 202124.

ODA is calculated on the basis of guidelines issued by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This allows a statistical comparison of the international commitments of the 29 DAC member states in terms of their share of GNI spent on ODA.

According to the OECD press release, the amount of aid given in 2019 increased in18 DAC countries, including Switzerland, and fell in 11 countries. In 2019, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom reached the United Nation's 0.7% target of GNI to be spent on ODA. Switzerland ranked 8th in 2019 among OECD DAC donors.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

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Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

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New Jersey police have found 17 bodies piled in a nursing home's tiny morgue, after an anonymous tip that a body was being stored in a shed outside amid the coronavirus pandemic.

By the time police arrived at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, in Andover, on Monday night, the body had been removed from the shed.

But a search around the facility - which is one of the state's largest residential care homes - revealed 17 corpses had been stacked in a small morgue designed to hold no more than four.

The home, which has room for 700 beds, has suffered 68 deaths in recent weeks, including two nurses.

Of those who died, 26 have tested positive for the coronavirus. The cause of dearth of the others is not known, and it is possible more may also have been killed by the disease.

Police were called to the largest nursing home in New Jersey after reports of a body being left outside in a shed. In the end 17 bodies were found and moved to this refrigerated truck

'They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring,' Andover police chief Eric C. Danielson told the New York Times.

Thirteen of the discovered bodies were moved to a refrigerated truck outside a hospital in the nearby town of Newton. A funeral home picked up the other four.

Seventy-six patients who are still housed at the facility have tested positive for coronavirus, and 41 members of staff are out sick with it.

A lack of personal protective equipment and tests for residents and staff have allowed deaths to continue mounting at nursing homes across the country, say experts.

Federal officials ordered residential homes in mid-March to ban visitors, stop group activities and screen workers for respiratory symptoms on every shift.

Like many nursing homes across the country there has been a lack of testing for coronavirus and PPE for staff at the Andover Subacute home to wear

The extent of the outbreak at Andover has outraged family members, who have demanded answers from congress.

'The challenge we're having with all of these nursing homes, is once it spreads, it's like a wildfire,' said Representative Josh Gottheimer. 'It's very hard to stop it.'

Family members have also started a group on Facebook.

'I feel so helpless. I feel like everyone is going to get Covid. What do we do?', one relative wrote.

New Jersey Governor Philip D Murphy, pictured, has said that once the pandemic is over, the state will conduct a proper investigation into what went wrong

'It's scary for everybody  for the residents and for the staff,' Gottheimer said. 'What is surprising to me is how many are dying in house, versus the hospital.'

Gottheimer, a Democrat, told the Times that he had thought about bringing in FEMA or even medics with the National Guard.

New Jersey's Department of Health had sent 3,200 surgical masks, 1,400 N95 masks and 10,000 gloves to the nursing home and sick patients are being quarantined on separate floors.

One patient who died three weeks ago was 84-year-old Lily Repasch.

Her three daughters and her son used to visit regularly but after visitors were barred from coming into the home due to state restrictions, there was no way for them to reach their mother, who had dementia.

There have been at least 26 deaths from the virus in recent weeks at the home, pictured

'Her death was inevitable,' said daughter Lee Repasch to the Times. 'But she was a vulnerable woman with dementia. It was inevitable, but it didn't need to be like this.'

New Jersey Governor Philip D Murphy has said that once the pandemic is over, the state will conduct a proper investigation into what went wrong although he did appear to be surprised at the high number of deaths.

'It's pretty clear that a big weakness in the system, and in reality, is long-term care facilities,' he said. 'I don't know if I'm shocked by any means.'

In New Jersey alone, at least 6,815 patients in long-term care facilities are believed to be infected with coronavirus, with most of the state's homes reporting at least one case.

On Wednesday, the state announced there were a further 351 coronavirus-related deaths with at least 45 of them coming from the residents of care homes.

In total, the state has recorded 71,030 coronavirus cases so far, and 3,156 deaths.
DANBURY  A large company of clinical volunteers and medical reservists who have signed up to help active duty health care workers fight the coronavirus are yet to be deployed at hospitals here and across the state.

The reason: Hospitals have enough beds and staff to handle the onslaught, even as the number of COVID-19 patients needing hospitalization continues to climb daily across the state.

Were holding our own, says Andrea Rynn, a spokeswoman for the seven-hospital network Nuvance Health, which runs Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk hospitals. We still have capacity in Connecticut.

The fact that Danbury has not used its 25-bed field hospital that was built three weeks ago, or the 220-bed medical space at Western Connecticut State University that was built two weeks ago doesnt mean the state has seen the worst of an unprecedented health crisis.

But it does mean that six weeks since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Danbury on March 8, hospitals have been able to suspend elective procedures, convert surplus beds for COVID-19 care, re-purpose excess hospital space to treat the pandemic, and reassign staff to new coronavirus duty.

Were extremely proud and grateful for the willingness of our employees to be reassigned from areas that we werent using so that we can add new beds within the four walls of our hospitals, Rynn said Wednesday.

As a result, several hundred volunteers with clinical backgrounds, such as retired doctors, former nurses and EMTs, are on standby while Nuvance hospitals in Connecticut and New York manage the coronavirus crisis.

The same thing is happening at hospitals in New Haven and Hartford counties, where the virus continues to spread.

The Nuvance experience is not unique  all the hospitals in Connecticut are moving their clinical staff around and expanding their critical care capacity, said Paul Kidwell, senior vice president of policy for the Connecticut Hospital Association. What we are seeing, especially in Fairfield County, is an expanded infrastructure that is giving hospitals the ability to manage the cases.

In March, at Gov. Ned Lamonts urging, the heads of Connecticuts big-three health systems submitted a plan to boost the states critical care capacity from 7,000 to 10,000 beds. The surge plan called for the construction of mobile hospitals by Connecticuts National Guard as well as repurposing surplus hospital space.

At the time, a top Lamont official projected that a surge of infections could require 50,000 hospital beds at the same time.

The surge of COVID-19 infections  which has played out dramatically in other areas of the world such as Italy  had been predicted to hit Connecticut as early as last week.

On Wednesday, 1,900 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Connecticut.

It doesnt mean that we shouldnt continue to prepare for an uptick, the CHAs Kidwell said. We are continuing to plan for the worst.

Kidwell said while there are still unknowns about how COVID-19 spreads, the states stay-at-home directives were working.

The governor has been fantastic to help us get the social distancing message out, Kidwell said. We are seeing some of the benefits of that now.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
The number of EU nationals in Britain who will be left undocumented after Brexit could be far higher than the Home Office thinks, according to a report which warns that unless the department invests in new data it will be impossible to know how many people are set to lose their status.

The government estimates that 3.4 million non-Irish EU citizens are living in the UK, but the Migration Observatory report warns this is not a good guide to the numbers of people eligible to apply to the EU settlement scheme, and that the actual figure could be considerably higher.

Around three million EU citizens have so far been granted authority to remain in the UK under the settlement scheme, for which the deadline is currently set for June 2021, but will be pushed back if the post-Brexit transition period is extended.

The report notes that official estimates of the EU citizen population in the UK exclude or undercount several groups of people, including those in dormitories, care homes or caravan parks. It also points out that the Home Office figures would be inflated by an unknown number of people who applied for status but then emigrated from the UK.

It calls on the Home Office to develop data to measure directly the numbers and characteristics of people who have not secured status, such as by linking administrative data sources together.

The Home Office has already come under criticism from charities who say not enough has been done to ensure vulnerable groups, such as children in care, domestic abuse victims and elderly people, have the support they need to apply to the scheme.

Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory and author of the report, said: The government has invested a lot of effort in making the EU settlement scheme easy to use, but with any scheme of this size it is inevitable that some people will fall through the cracks. It will be very hard to know to what extent this has happened, without a parallel investment in new data.

For a host of reasons, its possible that the number of EU citizens granted status through the scheme could greatly exceed the current official estimate of 3.4 million but that wouldnt necessarily mean the task is finished.

"Any discussion about whether to extend or drop the deadline next year will have to take place without a clear picture of how many people have not yet applied.

SNP shadow Immigration Minister Stuart McDonald MP warned that without urgent action from the government, hundreds of thousands of EU nationals and family members risked losing their status overnight in July 2021, threatening an "even wider-reaching immigration scandal than Windrush".

UK government plans to force EU nationals to apply to stay post-Brexit have been fundamentally flawed from the day the Tory government first proposed them," he said.

This latest report confirms the Home Office can have no idea of what percentage of EU nationals have yet to apply for settled status, and provides a stark reminder that many people will lose their rights to remain in their home country because theyve been denied the support they needed or misunderstood their own immigration status."

Mr McDonald called for a declaratory system, which would automatically grant EU nationals post-Brexit status: "This means that no-one loses their rights but still has the incentive to apply to the settlement scheme, so they have a document proving their rights. Its time for the Tories to fix this before its too late.

Maike Bohn, co-founder of the3million, a campaign group representing EU nationals, urged the government to find solutions to ensure that EU citizen secures their status, warning that those who fail to do so face "dire consequences within the hostile environment".

"As this report is showing, the UK does not know how many people must apply, how many people have applied, and they also dont know whether the people who have applied successfully have been granted the right status," she said.
Woman says she survived tornadoes that killed 9 in SC by calling on Jesus

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A woman who escaped unhurt after a series of powerful tornadoes swept across South Carolina Monday morning, leaving at least nine people dead, says she survived by calling on Jesus.

Rich Okulski, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Columbia, told the Post and Courier that the storm system was the states most severe weather event in 12 years with several long-track, violent tornadoes streaking across South Carolina over a six-hour period.

North resident Allison Ritter told The Times and Democrat that she was at home when she heard the howl of the tornado begin to rip through her neighborhood.

"Once I heard that wind blowing, I knew. My children and I were in the house when it happened. I never experienced anything like that before. My mom ended up calling me right before it happened and about five minutes later was when I ran and got my kids," she said.

"I started hearing all the wind blowing, windows breaking, trees cracking, debris just hitting up against the house. It was a lot."

The frightened mom said she gathered her children together, including a newborn, and sheltered in a bathroom. When it was done, she found an uprooted tree and twisted metal scattered outside.

"I just wanted to make sure we were safe. None of the kids knew what was going on. Between all the wind blowing and trees falling, I just kept calling on Jesus. That's all I know to do in a case like this. He just kept His hand over us," Ritter said.

Ritters neighbors, Robert Logan Moss and his wife, Jennifer, werent as lucky as their home, part of which landed in Ritters backyard, was a total loss. They had to be dragged from the wreck and rushed to the hospital.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said the tornadoes were an extra hit on the people of his state already battling the impact of the new coronavirus but insisted that they would rebuild.

We saw more tragedy in the midst of what is already one of the most trying times our state has endured. We lost at least 9 precious lives across South Carolina last night to the tornadoes that swept through our state, he said in a statement on Twitter. They left in their wake utter destruction, but the one thing they could not destroy is the spirit of our people. We will rebuild after these storms just as we do after hurricanes and how we are battling the Coronavirustogether.
Dublin, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Labour Recruitment and Provision of Staff in South Africa 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report focuses on Labour Recruitment and the Provision of Staff, including the state of the sector and employment, performance of major players, and factors that influence the sector. There are profiles of 17 companies including significant players such as Adcorp and Workforce Holdings. Other profiles include medical staffing company Ambition 24 Hours and executive search companies such as Mindcor and People Perfect.



Labour Recruitment and the Provision of Staff: The labour recruitment industry plays a significant role in the South African economy. The unemployment rate of 29.1% is at its highest level since comparable data was first recorded in 2008. According to Stats SA approximately 40.1% of South Africa's 20.4 million young people aged 15 to 34 are not in employment, education or training of any sort. The Confederation of Associations in the Private Employment Sector (Capes) represents more than 1,200 independent staffing businesses and more than 10,000 employees.



The Temporary Employment Services Industry: Despite continued pressure from trade unions that want to end the practice of labour broking, clients and temporary employment services have remained firm in defending the rights of business to retain the flexibility that they say is essential especially in tough economic times. In 2019, there were several decisions, from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, the Bargaining Council and the Labour Court, confirming the legitimacy of temporary employment services.



Employment Outlook: South Africa's hiring outlook is bleak, especially for small and micro enterprises. Opportunities for job seekers are expected to be strongest in the finance, insurance, real estate and business services sectors. Industry players indicated that businesses were proceeding with caution on their spending and hiring strategies. A major player said that the economy is generally absorbing only one in two potential workers, and if the economy did not improve, the unemployment rate would increase.



Key Topics Covered



1. Introduction



2. Description of the Industry

2.1. Industry Value Chain

2.2. Geographic Position



3. Size of the Industry



4. State of the Industry

4.1. Local

4.1.1. Regulations

4.1.2. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development

4.2. Continental

4.3. International



5. Influencing Factors

5.1. Economic Environment and Rising Operating Costs

5.2. Government and Private Industry - The Social Compact

5.3. Technology, Research & Development (R&D) and Innovation

5.4. Labour

5.5. Cyclicality



6. Competition

6.1. Barriers to Entry



7. SWOT Analysis



8. Outlook



9. Industry Associations



10. References

10.1. Publications

10.2. Websites



Company Profiles



Story continues

Adcorp Holdings Ltd

Primeserv Group Ltd

SET Recruitment Consultants (Pty) Ltd

Workforce Holdings Ltd

CSG Holdings Ltd

People Perfect (Pty) Ltd

Staffing Logistics (Pty) Ltd

Mindcor (Pty) Ltd

Afrizan Personnel (Pty) Ltd

Kamo Placement CC

Assign Services (Pty) Ltd

Supercare Services Group (Pty) Ltd

ADvTECH Ltd

Ambition 24 Hours (Pty) Ltd

Kempston Investments (Pty) Ltd

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator

Lulaway Holdings (Pty) Ltd

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vdpxwf

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.



CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

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MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Chartwell Retirement Residences is withdrawing its 2020 outlook due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Chartwell logo is shown in Quebec City, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. Chartwell Retirement Residences is withdrawing its 2020 outlook due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Chartwell Retirement Residences is withdrawing its 2020 outlook due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company, which owns and operates seniors living residences, says restrictions on residence visits during the pandemic are expected to hurt occupancy levels as it is not permitting visits by prospective residents.

Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Chartwell says it believes occupancy in its retirement residences will be temporarily affected as a result of reduced move-in activity.

Retirement homes have been hard hit by the pandemic.

Chartwell says 18 of its residences have confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in either a resident, employee or other workers providing direct services to residents.

The company plans to release its first-quarter results on May 7. It has 196 residences and 29,300 suites under management.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CSH.UN)
President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to adjourn the House and Senate to allow him to appoint officials whose nominations he claimed were being blocked by Democrats in Congress.

"I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress," Trump told reporters at the White House.

He accused Democrats in the Senate of stalling the nominations of several top administration officials and said adjourning Congress would allow him to make the appointments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Qej.cn scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 21 Jul 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

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With the lockdown being extended for another two weeks, we have a lot more time to check out shows or films that weve missed out because of work, responsibilities etc. So, weve decided to give you guys something a little different this time with the Best Anime shows on Netflix. Anime has been on a tear lately with a ton of shows and films making their way to Netflix and what better time to check out some of the best anime series on Netflix. Some of these shows arent meant for children so do be careful.

Anime is basically animation that follows a particular style, which really originated in Japan. The genre has a long and storied history and has finally made its way to our shores. Some of these shows are also some of the most-watched series on Netflix and are some of the best animation shows on Netflix as well. These anime shows on Netflix will thrill, delight and even scare you so prepare yourself. There are a lot of Netflix anime shows in 2020 but well be taking a look at shows that span earlier decades as well.

So, lets get started, shall we?

Naruto

You all know how awesome Naruto is so lets skip the platitudes and get right into the meat of the show. Naruto has some of the best action anime has to offer and the combination of mysticism and martial arts really puts the show ahead of its peers. Naruto charts the tale of Naruto as he battles rival Ninja academies and even himself as Naruto is incredibly powerful but must control his rage lest he ends up destroying everything hes ever loved.

Castlevania

Written by famed comic book scribe Warren Ellis, Castlevania (read our review here) is one of the best Netflix series on the platform. Its got everything you could ask for with vampires, insane religious cults and even big bad Dracula himself. The story follows Trevor Belmont, who comes from a long line of monster hunters as he battles religious fanatics and Dracula which delivered some eye-popping action and beautiful animation. Also, this show is definitely not for children.

Fullmetal Alchemist

With a 51 episode season, Fullmetal Alchemist is easily one of the longer anime out there. The story follows two brothers on a mission to find the Philosopher's stone, an object that can change the properties of matter, to try and revive their mother. Also, one of the brothers is a corporeal being housed in a suit of armour. Together they must battle the physical manifestations of the Seven Deadly Sins. The series has won numerous awards but a word of warning, if you're a fan of the anime, know that halfway through the season, the story does diverge from the original series so do expect a surprise.

Devilman Crybaby

Another one on the not for children list, Devilman Crybaby features no crybabies but a whole lot of violence and a thumping soundtrack that will have you tapping your feet whether you like it or not. Its one of the best-animated shows on Netflix and has a unique animation style as well. The story basically retells the events of the original 1970s story but updated to fit more with modern times. Its a violent show that does not hold back on the bloodshed so do watch it at your own risk.

Little Witch Academia

Little Witch Academia is basically Harry Potter on Japanese steroids and its exactly as nutty as youd expect. The story follows a young girl who enrols in a school that trains young witches and she is ostracised because shes a muggle. But, as fate would have it, she finds her own magic wand in the form of the Shiny Rod and thats when things start to get interesting. The animation is beautiful and fluid and this Netflix anime series is definitely one that is meant for kids and younger audiences.

Kengan Ashura

For fans of Mixed Martial Arts and professional fighting in general, Kengan Ashura is exactly the show you need to watch. A tale of a corporate war fought by proxy through the world best martial artists, the show is incredibly faithful to the art of MMA with the right moves and submissions that really go a long way in helping the credibility of the show. The animation is slick and the fights are some of the most bone-crunching bouts weve ever seen. If you practice MMA, youll definitely want to watch this show.

Baki

Grappler Baki is one of the most well-known anime shows on Netflix but its origins date back to the 1980s. The story follows Baki as he enters a martial arts tournament to prove that he is the most powerful fighter in the world. The tournament also attracts some of the most dangerous fighters on the planet and if anything, these fights are nasty and really showcase some of the best action on the screen.

Hellsing

Hellsing follows the adventures of the vampire Alucard and his oath to protect the Royal Order of Protestant Knights. If youve ever wanted to see a vampire unleashed all of its powers, then Hellsing is the show for you. Oh, did we mention the fact that the villains in this series are literal Nazi vampires? Oh yeah, just when you thought Nazis were the worst, now youve got unkillable Nazi vampires? Oh Lord have mercy.

One Punch Man

Weve talked about the insane awesomeness of One Punch Man before but the show is good that we dont mind spilling the beans again. The show follows the story of Saitama, who basically looks like a cue ball with a body, as he battles his way through some truly otherworldly threats while basically trying his best to avoid fighting. Its a funny and action-packed show that is ideal for fans of regular action movies who want a little substance in their action.

Death Note

Death Note is one of the most popular shows on Netflix and theres a damn good reason for that. The show has a unique story wherein a boy named Light finds a notebook that basically kills anyone whose name is written on the pages of said book. This leads to a cat and mouse game as Light becomes the villain of the story as he starts killing people at random using the notebook. Its one of the most interesting stories in Anime and deserves at least a watch.
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Celebrity stylist Jo Ferguson has been farewelled by her mother, brother and his wife at a humble funeral service - a stark contrast to how she lived her life.

Ferguson, 46, died in hospital on April 8 from serious health problems including liver and kidney failure, both stemming from years of much publicised alcohol abuse.

At the height of her career, Ferguson was fashion editor at Cleo magazine and the go-to stylist for many leading celebrities.

She was a regular at A-list events and on red carpets.

But none of that glamour was on display at the small chapel in Adelaide on Thursday.

Ferguson's mother Patricia, Scott and sister-in-law Eliza smiled bravely as they arrived to mourn their loved one.

Celebrity stylist Jo Ferguson, 46, has been farewelled by her mother Patricia, brother Scott and his wife Eliza at a humble funeral service in Adelaide - a stark contrast to how she lived her life

Ferguson's loved ones managed brave smiles as they arrived alone for the private funeral on Thursday afternoon

Once a stylist to the stars, Ferguson, 46, died in hospital on April 8 from serious health issues including liver and kidney failure, both stemming from years of much publicised alcohol abuse

Strict coronavirus measures meant there could be no more than 10 mourners in the service, while travel restrictions affected the ability of friends travelling interstate to attend.

After the brief service, a wicker coffin with Ferguson's body was taken away on a motorbike to be cremated - just as she had requested.

Despite losing some of her celebrity friends as her life spiralled over the years, many paid tribute to the stylist in the wake of her death.

A friend, Lisa Poulos, asked people to light a candle at 1pm, the time of Ferguson's funeral, to honour her and to leave messages of love which would be passed on to her family.

Among those to write a lengthy tribute was model Kristy Hinze, for whom Ferguson was bridesmaid at her 2009 wedding to U.S billionaire James Clark.

'Ive met some of the best people I know in the world because of Jo Ferguson. Jo was my best friend,' Hinze wrote.

But she said 'depression, anxiety and alcohol didn't mix well' with her friend's mental health issues, and she wished they had got the chance to 'part differently'.

'When I knew Jo she was vivacious with an infectious smile and a lust for life. The girl every girl wanted to be,' Hinze wrote.

'Quick with wit, confidence sublime, charismatic and beautiful inside and out.

Strict coronavirus measures meant there could be no more than 10 mourners in the service, while travel restrictions affected the ability of friends interstate to attend

'She was here. She was loved. Her life made a difference,' an emotional death notice written by her loved ones read

At the end of the small service Ferguson's body was taken away on the back of a motorbike to be cremated - just as she wanted

Her emotional brother Scott, his wife Eliza and mother Patricia look on as the wicker casket is placed on the motorbike

In a raw tribute, Ferguson's best former friend Kristy Hinze said 'alcohol didn't mix well' with her mental health issues and admitted she wished they had got the chance to 'part differently' (The pair are pictured leaving Bondi Icebergs together in 2008, at the prime of their socialite days)

'I'm heartbroken that we never had the chance to part differently. I can't change that now but I wish upon wish that I could see that sparkle again.

'I love you Jo. I hope you are finally at peace.'

Ferguson once dated TV star Tom Williams and alongside Hinze been regulars at top party spots across Sydney - taking photos with celebrities from Jon Bon Jovi to local Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr.

Once among the most recognisable faces on the town, Ferguson's downwards spiral began in the early 2010s.

She quit her job at Woman's Day with a sudden email at 4.30pm one Friday in 2011, a move that concerned many of those close to her.

Soon she was asking friends for money and had turned to alcohol.

But a funeral notice from her family this week gave insight into Ferguson's desperate efforts to turn her life around in recent years.

'I love you Jo. I hope you are finally at peace,' Hinze (left) wrote about her friend Ferguson (centre) and admitted she wished they had been able to end things on a different note

Ferguson was a red carpet regular and often rubbed shoulders with celebrities such as American music legend Jon Bon Jovi

Her style knowledge landed her much sought after media jobs as fashion editor for magazines like Cleo and Woman's Day

The bubbly blonde is pictured with supermodel Miranda Kerr at an A-list party in Sydney on September 13, 2007

'Jo lived three lifetimes in her amazing 46 years. She travelled the world during her spectacular styling career and her enthusiasm and joyous nature helped her achieve considerable recognition, which made her whole family proud,' the notice read.

'She spent an inordinate time on her phone... buying things. Her new house was her dream and she filled it with striking artworks and stunning furniture.

'Numerous parcels continuously arrived at her home... Christmas every day.

She was here. She was loved. Her life made a difference... Funeral notice by Jo Ferguson's family

'She was here. She was loved. Her life made a difference.'

Ferguson, who was diagnosed with blood poisoning in late 2019, was placed on a life support machine in March, only to be discharged and then readmitted.

The blood poisoning came after a complication from a blood transfusion, following a fall down the stairs of her Sydney apartment in 2016.

She moved to Adelaide to be closer to family after the accident.

In her final days, Ferguson asked doctors to turn of her life support instead of staying sober for six months which would have qualified her for a life-saving liver transplant.

Tributes flowed from the Sydney celebrities she once styled and partied with in the days after her death was announced by brother Scott.
Every celebrity is trying to make the utmost use of social media to spread relevant messages to fans. From reminding them of lockdown rules to urging them to stay at home, Bollywood celebrities are using the power of social media to educate. However, if there is one star who is acing the whole game is Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.

salman

On Thursday, he put out a hard-hitting message to 'jokers' who were flouting government-imposed guidelines and venturing out during the ongoing lockdown, putting at risk countless lives to the deadly coronavirus.

Salman Khan/Twitter

In a 10-minute hard-hitting video shared on Instagram he begins with a "Hello, namaste, salaam, sasriyakaal, Kem Cho' in typical TV reality show 'Big Boss' style and goes on to say 'Zindagi ka Bigg Boss' has begun with the entire country staying in lockdown mode at home. He said he had taken a two-day "chhutti" (leave) but "This corona, COVID-19 has given everyone a 'chutti'."





Here's everything that Salman's unofficial PSA meant to communicate:

Khan said he was staying at his farmhouse in Panvel near Mumbai with his family including his mother, two sisters their children and some other people who had come to visit. In the video, he said that he had sent a friend to get rations for the family from a village around five kilometers away.

He recounted that the police stopped him and in the process, his friend took off the mask to speak to the policeman who reprimanded him and asked him to put the mask back on. Salman said that he too chided his friend for doing such a thing.

Agencies

"Don't go out, don't do social gatherings, stay with your family, the government has said if you are doing namaaz, do it at home, do pooja at home..." the actor said, adding that those who had a wish to kill their families should step out.

AFP

"Go out get your ration, nobody is stopping you, go nearby but wear your masks, your gloves, go alone," the actor said underlining that the government has assured that everybody will get ration.

The actor said that whoever does not understand a coronavirus positive patient's pain is anti-human.

Agencies

He pointed out that doctors, nurses, and policemen are putting in long hours to curb the spread of coronavirus and urged people to respect their work and stay inside. Talking about the doctors and policemen who are putting their lives at risk to stop the spread of coronavirus, he slammed people and said,

"Ye kamaal hai! Doctors aur nurses apki jaan bachane k liye aaye aur aapne unhi par patthar barsa diya! Jo corona se detect ho raha, wo hospital se bhag raha hai! Bhaag k jaoge kahan? Agar ye doctor initiative nahi lete aur police sadako par nahi utarti toh chand logo ki wajah se, jinke dimag mein chal raha hai ki unko nahi hoga, wo Hindustan ke aadhe logo ko leke chal baste (This is surprising! Doctors and nurses are trying to save your lives and you pelted stones on them! Those getting detected coronavirus positive, are running away from the hospital. Where will you run to? Which direction are you running to? If these doctors did not try to cure you or the police did not patrol the roads for you, then because of a few people, who think that they won't get affected, many would have been killed)."

The actor said policemen would not have taken action and hit people if they followed guidelines and stayed inside.

Heroes

"If you weren't going out with friends, police wouldn't have hit you. Do you think the police are enjoying it?" he asked.

Appreciating the efforts by the frontline warriors and said, "the virus that started in China is over in China now, but because of a few jokers, the whole of India will sit at home for a long time."

bccl

He added that he was aware of many people who wouldn't come out of their homes earlier but have started doing so since they've been asked to not go out. "You are putting everyone's lives at risk," the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor said.

Salman concluded by urging people to respect the work of the doctors, nurses, police personnel and those who work in banks, take care to ensure that the disease does not spread further and pray that it does not come to a situation where the military has to be called in to stop people from doing the wrong thing.

BCCL

Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri re-shared Salman's video message. He wrote: "Very well said @BeingSalmanKhan I hope wisdom prevails everywhere," he tweeted.



Well, out of all the videos that celebrities have been posting, nothing makes more sense than what Salman posted! Agree?




Washington: US President Donald Trump has threatened to suspend both houses of Congress so he can make appointments to vacant government positions, leading to accusations he was behaving like the leader of a "banana republic".

The US constitution gives the President the authority "on extraordinary occasions" to convene or adjourn the House of Representatives and Senate, a power experts say has never been used before.

Trump's remarkable threat  which came on the day US recorded its highest number of coronavirus deaths  drew immediate criticism, including from a constitutional scholar who argued against his impeachment last year.

The US recorded 2492 new coronavirus deaths on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), the highest daily death toll so far, taking the total American deaths beyond 30,000.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering case to investigate the entire funding of Tablighi Jamaat Markaz at Nizamuddin, both from within India and abroad, using which it organises religious congregations and travel of foreigners to different states, two officials confirmed to HT.

The central anti-money laundering probe agency has initiated its probe under Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the basis of a Delhi Police Crime Branch FIR registered against Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Muhammad Saad and five others under the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 and Indian Penal Code after it was found that the Jamaat members flouted the nationwide lockdown.

A separate case for culpable homicide was also registered by the Delhi Police against Saad. He has been named accused by the ED as well under the PMLA.

According to the government, Tablighi Jamaat members were the reason for almost 35% Covid-19 positive cases in India till April 7 and close to 26,000 contacts of Tablighis were in quarantine across the country.

Around 1800 foreign Tablighi workers have also been blacklisted by the ministry of home affairs for violating their visa conditions.

One of the officials cited above said that ED will focus on whether donations received by Markaz were part of money laundering and if it was moved through hawala or non-banking channels.

For this, we will examine all their financial transactions, travel details, usage of money in different events and identify the handlers of money. Saad and his associates will also be summoned soon, said the officer.

Saad has claimed so far that he is in self-quarantine and hasnt joined Delhi Police investigation.

Earlier this month, Jamaat had issued a statement in which it denied allegations against the organisation.

A senior government official said that Income Tax department may also soon start looking into possible non-declaration of income, tax evasion by the trustees of Tablighi Jamaat and channeling of funds for personal gains.

The Delhi government and Delhi Police have maintained that Tablighi Jamaat members were asked much in advance to vacate the Markaz at Nizamuddin, but they violated the directions risking many lives.
Two days after a massive unrest by migrants, the ruling Shiv Sena vowed to 'nail the conspiracy', but simultaneously said with this experience, Maharashtra must ensure that troublemakers who desert the state in this critical hour should not return.

Targeting the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Sena asked that there were similar crowds of migrants who gathered in Surat (Gujarat) and other cities as they were keen to return to their home states.

In a sharp edit in the party newspaper, 'Saamana', the Sena pointed out that there was no rumour about resumption of trains services and there was even a circular to this effect from the railways.

"It was in the news. How did the railways accept reservations after April 15? Even before it became clear that the Prime Minister will extend the lockdown, it was a crime to make 40 lakh ticket bookings and create confusion among the people," slammed the Sena.

Blaming the railway ministry for the fracas at Bandra and the state Opposition for 'stooping to a new low', the Sena pointedly demanded: "Will Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis demand resignation of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal?"

The edit added that long-distance trains depart not only from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, but also from Mumbai Central Terminus, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, but the crowds collected only in Bandra, while the TV news channels totally blanked out the situation that built up in Surat.

"This is a huge conspiracy and we will unmask it. We shall nail those who attempted to use the Corona crisis as an excuse to create disturbances for the Maharashtra Government," the Sena vowed.

Admitting to the plight of the migrant workers and the Bandra episode as the angst of the poor people of 'Bharat', it said the clapping and clanging of thaalis or lighting lamps by the rich in 'India' would not lessen the sufferings of those who eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.

"Everybody is in deep problems, but the situation of the poor in such times becomes worse especially when cities like Mumbai shut down. For them, the government must adopt a different yardstick. Under such trying times, running the state government requires huge courage," the Sena said.

Tweaking the ears of the restive migrants, the Sena said that the state looked after and fed them, but suddenly today they want to desert Maharashtra which is tantamount to 'beimani' (treachery).

"Those who remain with us in times of crises are the real 'sons of the soil'. With this experience, the government must ensure that those who want to create trouble by leaving the state should not return. The government must find out the credentials of those who crowded in Bandra by violating the lockdown rules and attempting to harm the state," the Sena urged.

Indirectly hitting out at its ruling ally, the Nationalist Congress Party Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, the Sena wondered what the police were doing when so many thousands gathered, while they (police) keep 'caning' anyone else who moves out during lockdown.
As this mandated isolation period wears on, were seeing the enormous toll its taking on small businesses. Alcohol sales continue to be high, but independent producers that dont sell through grocery stores arent necessarily seeing the benefit of that. In fact, I reported earlier this week that California craft breweries have seen a 43% drop in sales, on average, and many are afraid they may have to permanently close.

Restaurants have been getting creative  by selling off rare wines from their cellars and by offering all sorts of ingenious takeout and delivery options; restaurant critic Soleil Ho and I recently wrote about some of our favorite to-go food and drinks. When this is all over, restaurants may look a little different than what were used to: As we learned yesterday in Gov. Gavin Newsoms speech, they may have to instate some dramatic new protocols when they are finally allowed to re-open, like taking customers temperatures at the door.

Well be continuing to follow what this strange new situation means for beverage producers and restaurants.

Bulk wine!

Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle

Do you know what bulk wine is? If youre not a wine professional, you probably dont need to know. But if youre curious, I provide a laymans explanation in my column this week, which is about two very inexpensive new wine brands that have capitalized on the bulk wine markets extremely low prices over the last several months.

As we settle into this recession, wine prices like these will undoubtedly be very welcome to consumers. But their existence  that is, these brands abilities to offer high-end wine at such discounted prices  may expose some trouble for the wine industry, which has been experiencing flattening growth (the recent boost in retail sales under quarantine notwithstanding).

In any case, I loved the wines from these two new brands, Becheur and De Negoce. Here are the wines each is currently offering.

 Becheur Chardonnay Anderson Valley 2018 (price varies, 13.7%): Michael Terriens bulk wine brand, Becheur, operates on dynamic pricing, meaning that the cost per bottle increases as more people buy the wine. (To snag the best deal, buy a wine as soon as its released.) This initial offering is a gorgeous Chardonnay from a single vineyard (but we dont know which one; thats how bulk wine works!). I paid $14.50 per bottle and consider it one of the best values Ive ever purchased. Its got rich notes of lemon curd and bread dough but also a thrilling almond skin-like bitterness, cut through with bracing minerality.

 De Negoce Cabernet Napa Valley 2018 ($10, 14.6%): Cameron Hughes initial offering through De Negoce, a project he refers to as futures for bulk wine, is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Cabernet Franc. The winery that made it, Hughes says, sells the wine for $50, but he can offer it for just $10. Its a blockbuster Napa wine, ripe and silky, tasting like juicy, oozing blueberry cobbler and bitter cherry.

What else Im drinking

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Esther Mobley / The Chronicle

 Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County 2019 ($22, 14.1%): Bibiana Gonzalez Rave, a former Chronicle Winemaker of the Year, has been growing her Alma de Cattleya label substantially in recent years, a lower-priced counterpart to her Cattleya and Shared Notes brands. Her 2019 Sauvignon Blanc veers strongly toward the grassy, tropical side of the varietal, recalling fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with all its pleasing tartness.

 Tessier Gamay Noir Barsotti Vineyard El Dorado County 2019 ($35, 13.2%): Winemaker Kristie Tacey does beautiful work with light-bodied red wines, and her Gamay  from one of the few California vineyards that grows the grape  is a perfect expression of her style. It tastes like dusty red cherry, violets, orange peel and clove. Though you might be tempted to, dont rush to empty the bottle: It tasted even better the day after Id opened it.

 Abacela Tinta Amarela Umpqua Valley 2016 ($30, 14.4%): This southern Oregon winery has been a leading producer of Spanish- and Portuguese-style wines for decades, and it continues to make solid renditions of Tempranillo, Graciano and Albarino, among other wines. But I was particularly excited to try this Tinta Amarela, a Portuguese grape variety that Abacela owners Earl and Hilda Jones believe they were the first in the U.S. to bottle as a varietal wine. Im sure Ive had Portuguese red blends, including Ports, that have included Tinta Amarela before, but Id never tasted it on its own. Abacelas version is densely structured, with forest berries, graphite and cocoa powder flavors.

Drinking with Esther is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles wine critic. Follow along on Twitter: @Esther_Mobley and Instagram: @esthermob
To help combat a staff shortage during the ongoing fight against the coronavirus pandemic, University Hospital in Newark is getting help from the United States Army.

Eighty-five medical professionals, part of the Armys Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces, will assist clinical staff at the hospital. The group consists of 13 doctors, five physician assistants, 13 nurses, four respiratory therapists, 16 medics, eight pharmacists, 18 medical support specialists, and eight administration and supply specialists.

The staff of 85 medical professionals is capable of providing the equivalent care of a 250-bed hospital, a release said.

I want to thank the United States Army and the US Department of Defense for lending their brave and skilled soldiers to University Hospital during this crisis. Our own staff continue to be essential in this crisis, and they will benefit tremendously with the Army medical personnel by their side, Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, President and CEO of University Hospital said in a statement.

These soldiers are clinicians and staff who normally serve fellow service members medical needs, at home and abroad. Now they are joining our war against this virus, side by side with us. Its a beautiful thing, and a great morale boost for our staff.

Ten Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces have been dispersed across the country to aid in the fight against the coronavirus. The group joining University Hospital comes from the U.S. Army Reserve 332nd Medical Brigade, which is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Our team is honored to support our fellow Americans during this time, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the outstanding medical professionals at Newark University Hospital, said U.S. Army Maj. Erin Velazquez, the commander of the task force joining the hospital.

University Hospital has already been pushed to its limits by the coronavirus, searching for ways to add personnel to aid the high influx of COVID-19 cases.

Two other Army medical units are expected to be deployed to other hospitals in New Jersey, while four will travel to New York.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Government of National Accord (GNA) leader Faiez Serraj Wednesday ruled out possibilities to sit down again at a negotiation table with his rival Khalifa Haftar that he accused of committing crimes against all Libyans.

In an interview with Italys La Repubblica, published Wednesday, Serraj charged the east-based retired military General with bombing indiscriminately Tripoli, residential zones, civil institutions and even the public hospital of Al Khadra, in the center of the capital.

I will never sit down with Haftar, after the disasters and the crimes he committed against all Libyans, Sarraj told La Repubblica.

We have always tried to solve our disputes through a political process, but any agreement has been soon rejected by Haftar, he added.

Both sides have been vying over the control of the oil-rich country territory following the demise of former leader Muammar Gaddafi killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

The GNA over one year, has been defending capital Tripoli after Haftar launched a surprise military campaign to unseat the UN-backed government. The GNA this week managed to recover several cities which fell under Haftars control amid the ongoing around Tripoli battles.

Serraj also laid into Haftar for taking the advantage of novel coronavirus spread to attack his troops.

We had agreed the ceasefire and the humanitarian truce, without letting our guard down, Sarraj told La Repubblica. We expected that the dangers of the epidemic would have turned Haftar into a man of his word, for once. But he saw in the pandemic an opportunity to attack us.

Both sides have received backing from several countries. Turkey and Qatar have thrown their supports behind the GNA while Haftar is endorsed by UAE, Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and France.

Serraj has refused admit the crucial help from Turkey which has sent military experts, equipment and mercenaries to Tripoli to prop GNA forces.

Both sides signed in Ankara, late in November 2019 a maritime and security deal which allows Turkey to intervene militarily in crisis-devastated North African country.

Posted by North Africa Post North Africa Post's news desk is composed of journalists and editors, who are constantly working to provide new and accurate stories to NAP readers.
BUCHAREST -- One of Romanias best-known intellectuals' involvement in a controversy over a racist depiction of Roma is seen as symbolic of a larger problem with racism in the country.

Vladimir Tismaneanu, an acclaimed Eastern European scholar at the University of Maryland, posted a meme late on April 10 in which Roma were compared to crows, a widely used, derogatory expression in Romanian for Roma and Africans.

A Facebook post by Romanian-American Tismaneanu and the reactions to it exposed the prevalence of anti-Romany racism in Romania and the prejudice faced by the minority, of which an estimated 600,000 to 1 million live in Romania.

Tismaneanu called a photo of a group of crows sitting on a fence with an inference to them being Roma "very cool." He later deleted the post, saying he didn't understand the racist connotations because he doesn't "live in Romania," from where he defected in 1981.

Apology

On April 11, he issued a full apology in English on his Facebook page for the racist, inappropriate, and most importantly, hurtful meme I posted yesterday. Tismaneanu has been a contributor to RFE/RL's Romanian Service since 1983 and currently writes a weekly blog for its website.

"I know there are no magic words to fix the pain I have caused," Tismaneanu told RFE/RL on April 14, adding that he was "open to working with those active in the [Romany] community about how to combat hate, intolerance, and bigotry. I will learn from this mistake and I hope the reaction has shown others that these sorts of jokes are not funny and hurtful to many."

"Racism is absolutely still rampant in Romanian society, as it is worldwide," he said. "If there is one positive from this situation, it's that the conversation is now being had in public."

One leading Romany expert said the episode had lifted a lid on the widespread racism that she says exists in Romania.

It is not an accident that the anti-Romany racism manifests itself so brutally, both inhumanly and primitively, in all possible circles of our society, Margareta Matache, director of the Romany program at the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, told RFE/RL on April 14.

Romania has not made a break with its anti-Romany past and the sins of the enslavement and the Holocaust, she said. Many Romanians, from writers to policymakers, journalists, medical doctors, and teachers continue to embrace and practice, implicitly -- and most often explicitly -- anti-Romany racism.

Europe's leading human rights organization, the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), also cited evidence of such behavior in Romania.

It said in a June 2019 report that "racist and intolerant hate speech in public discourse and on the Internet has become a widespread problem, mainly targeting Roma, the Hungarian minority, LGBT persons, and the Jewish community."

It added that "violent attacks" against those groups occur sporadically and that the organization is "concerned about alleged cases of racial discrimination and racial profiling by the police, notably against Roma."

The ECRI concluded that Romania's National Strategy for the Inclusion of Romanian Citizens Belonging to the Roma Minority, begun in 2015, has had "little impact so far."

Before his apology, Tismaneanu received support from other Romanian intellectuals.

Some of them leapt to his defense, recalling he had faced anti-Semitic slurs in the past and had also been subjected to intense criticism while heading the 2006 Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania.

But there was little regard online for the Roma who are often seen as a fair target in Romania.

The argument that 'he led the communism committee and condemned his father therefore he cannot be racist'...just shows how little 'intellectuals' understand about racism in Romania in the first place, tweeted Simina Dragos, a supporter of Romany activism and integration, on April 11.

Support For Tismaneanu

Writer Mircea Cartarescu and historian Andrei Oisteanu defended Tismaneanu.

Others noted that he had not ever been cited for racism in any of his prolific writings over several decades and had also written in support of Romany rights.

Cartarescu said his post was careless, something that doesnt characterize him, and called his apology a noble gesture which many arent capable of. He called Tismaneanus critics "Pharisees."

Cartarescu took a very elitist and offensive approach, claiming that those who critiqued Tismaneanu were people who had nothing to say in the world. It almost brings us back to the master-enslaved mindset, as they see us, Roma, as too less of a people to claim or deserve their apology, Matache said.

Csaba Asztalos, chairman of Romania's National Antidiscrimination Council, told RFE/RL on April 16 that the organization had received complaints from three or four nongovernmental organizations and the Roma Party about Tismaneanu's April 10 post.



He said he had written to Tismaneanu seeking an explanation. After the organization receives that, he said, it will issue a ruling.



He told RFE/RL that he welcomed Tismaneanu's apology.

The offensive Facebook post cited the southeastern Romanian city of Tandarei, where there is a large population of Roma, showing a dozen crows on a fence with the caption "Tandarei Airport: All flights are cancelled."

It was initially published on Facebook by Denisa Comanescu, a director-general at Romanias largest publishing house, Humanitas.

Both she and Tismaneanu were criticized for their actions by the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania. Like Tismaneanu, Comanescu issued an apology for "not realizing" the racism in the post.

WATCH: Sri Lankan Breadmakers Spark Anger In Romanian Village

The University of Bucharest, where Tismaneanu is the coordinator of the Hannah Arendt Center for Totalitarian Research, said it distanced itself from the public position expressed by Professor Vladimir Tismaneanu.

Defending human dignity, the fight against xenophobia and racism, the defense of individual liberties are some of the nonnegotiable values which are part of the activity of the academic community of our university, it wrote.

Matache noted that both Tismaneanu and Comanescu allowed racist justifications from other 'intellectuals' on their Facebook accounts after they issued apologies.

Tismaneanu, 68, is director of the University of Marylands Center for the Study of Post-Communist Societies. He has written numerous articles and books on Stalinism, the communist period in Romania, nationalism, and the Soviet Union.

Romania received some ugly headlines in February when some 1,800 people in the northern village of Ditrau signed a petition against an "immigrant inflow" after a bakery hired two Sri Lankan men to make bread.

An angry city council meeting ensued with many racist statements made.

The men -- said by an Antena 1 report on April 13 to be learning both Romanian and Hungarian -- continue to work at the bakery.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Romanian Service

Note: This article was amended to add that Asztalos later stated his acceptance of Tismaneanu's apology.
The man at the centre of the 2017 Fyre Festival scandal, Billy McFarland, has requested that he be released from prison early due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

McFarland is currently serving a six-year sentence for two counts of wire fraud at the Elkton Federal Correctional Institution in Ohio, having pleaded guilty to his crimes in March 2018.

However, in documents obtained by The Wrap, McFarland's lawyers have asked for early prison release, arguing that the 28-year-old has pre-existing health conditions that make him susceptible to the virus, such as asthma and extreme allergies.

Mr McFarland is not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety, they wrote.

The crime to which he pleaded guilty for was the non-violent financial crime of wire fraud. However, he is [at] a low risk of recidivism for such financial crimes as he has explained that he has a supportive family that has attested to providing for his basic needs.

Recommended Why the Fyre Festival documentaries were so terrifying

Local news has reported that at least 67 inmates and 12 members of staff in the prison have contracted Covid-19, with three prisoners dying of the virus in the last week.

A repeated scammer, McFarland promised that Fyre Festival would be a luxury music festival held on Pablo Escobars former private island in the Bahamas, with Blink-182, Migos and Disclosure booked to perform and influencers including Emily Ratajkowsi, Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid appearing in the promotional video.

The event was a notorious disaster, collapsing in chaos after issues with food, security and accommodation arose and guests documenting everything on social media.

Billys involvement in the scheme was the subject of two documentaries: Netflixs Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened and Hulus Fyre Fraud, both released in 2019.
SEATTLE  Before stay-at-home orders are lifted, the nations public health agencies want to be ready to douse any new sparks of coronavirus infection  a task they say could require tens of thousands more investigators to call people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine.

Without the extra help, officials insist, states cannot possibly be ready to resume normal everyday activities, and some agencies are so desperate they are considering recruiting librarians and Peace Corps volunteers to join the effort.

We are trying to build these teams and processes in the midst of a crisis, said Sharon Bogan, a public health spokeswoman for Seattle and King County, which are seeking at least 20 more investigators.

As federal officials weigh how and when to reopen the country, experts worry that the United States does not have enough public health workers to suppress another outbreak, especially those qualified to do contact tracing, the critically important search for people who may have been exposed to the virus.

While the exact number of workers needed is a subject of debate, a top federal health official this week acknowledged the mandate to find many more.

Everybody agrees that our public health capacity at the local and state level is not ready to take this on at a very large scale without reinforcements, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who oversees the agencys coronavirus response work.

The work could require as many as 300,000 public health workers  a daunting number given that the combined federal, state, and local public health workforce has been shrinking and is now probably less than 280,000, according to some estimates.

To address the shortage of help, governments are weighing whether to enlist people with little to no experience in public health, including the Peace Corps volunteers, furloughed social workers and public health students. San Francisco is training librarians, medical students and people who work for the city attorneys office.

The extra workers would help conduct testing, isolate sick cases and trace everyone those sick people had contact with.

Its crucial that such a system be in place before government officials ease social-distancing guidelines, reopen schools or lift stay-at-home orders, said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former CDC director.

If we have explosive spread when we reopen, well have to close again. That will be very damaging, not just economically but from a health standpoint, Frieden said.

The U.S. government has funneled about $800 million to states for coronavirus response work that can include contact tracing. On top of hundreds of staff sent to states to help with coronavirus work, the CDC has already assembled community protection teams of six to 12 people each to do contact tracing and investigate tools that could help with it. Some have already been deployed to states where spread of the virus has been relatively low.

Tiny Rhode Island has nearly 100 people focused on nothing but contact tracing, reaching out to hundreds of contacts of infected people each day, Gov. Gina Raimondo told reporters. She has urged all residents to take a minute each evening to write down who they physically encountered that day and where those encounters took place.

If Im going out to the store, Ill put the date, what store I went to, and then the time I was there, said Drew Grande, 40, of Cranston, Rhode Island. He started a contacts diary on a note-taking app on his phone after he heard the governors request.

Contact tracing has changed over the last few months in the U.S. When the first handful of infections were being identified, teams of 20 or more might be assigned to each confirmed case. Investigations would often start with a staffer or two doing an in-person interview at a hospital bedside. Disease trackers might spend hours asking a sick person and that persons relatives who they had been in contact with since symptoms surfaced.

In-person interviews are often better, said Isaac Ghinai, a CDC disease tracker assigned to Chicago to work with that citys health department.

Theres a value to looking someone in the eye. You can build a relationship face to face that you cant always do by phone, he said. Some people are comfortable sharing personal details over the phone but others require more cajoling.

With hundreds of new cases emerging each day in Chicago, that kind of attention to individual infections has largely stopped. Instead, the priority is large groups of people who are particularly vulnerable, like those at nursing homes or homeless shelters. Many new confirmed cases are not being investigated, and when they are, the interviews may be done by only two or three people, and over the phone, Ghinai said.

Could there be a digital solution? Apple and Google are teaming up on a contact-tracing app, and other efforts use Bluetooth to gather data from phones that came close to an infected person. Seattle scientist Trevor Bedford has developed a digital interview that public health departments can use if they dont have enough people trained in contact tracing.

Whatever the solution, it will take a while.

People have to be tested and diagnosed before contact tracing kicks into gear, and testing remains limited in many parts of the country. This week, the Association of American Medical Colleges sent a letter to the White House Coronavirus Task Force saying that testing materials and machines remain in short supply.

President Donald Trump has floated the idea of easing at least some restrictions as early as May 1.

Some observers believe restrictions could be eased first in places where the spread is low, if rigorous testing and contact tracing could prevent a sudden explosion in infections.

But Schuchat warned that there is no way the entire country could relax mitigation on May 1 and the country not experience a major resurgence.

___

Stobbe reported from New York. Associated Press writer Michelle R. Smith in Providence contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Sitting inside a trailer on the set of her latest TV series, Laura Carmichael is giving the most demure up-yours possible.

Frequently glancing away, towards a pair of Doc Marten boots lined up against the wall like toddlers in a time-out, she speaks about her decision to take the role of Agatha  a damaged woman desperate to have a baby in the miniseries The Secrets She Keeps  that flies in the face of the advice given to her by the man who made her a star.

It was Dont try and destroy an image that people have of you, that they enjoy, says Carmichael, of the guidance given to her by Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, the TV series that brought Carmichael worldwide acclaim for her six-season role as dowdy middle sister Lady Edith Crowley. He advised her to stick to period pieces. I can understand the logic in it, says Carmichael, slowly, with a voice of the finest sandpaper. But I also think theres something in actors that you want to  flex every muscle and push yourself, and do something different.

Laura Carmichael, Michael Sheasby and Jessica De Gouw in The Secrets She Keeps. Credit:Network Ten

Carmichael looks off, out the window of the trailer, towards Auburn Hospital in western Sydney, where the climax of the domestic noir series was filmed.
The most recent capital raise by Fancards is part of a $5.5 million raise expected to be completed in 2020. As part of the transaction, previous investors holding convertible notes received Series A equity, eliminating over $4.4 million of company debt.

With this capital, Fancards will further grow its university-branded Mastercard Gift and General Purpose Reloadable ("GPR") card programs through its online site and in major retail locations. Fancards continues to roll out its direct-to-consumer distribution of prepaid GPR cards through Usio that allows fans across the country to share their school loyalty and passion while using their personalized card everywhere Debit Mastercard is accepted. Fancards Prepaid Reloadable cards include over 40 unique card designs available in Apple Wallet for fans to utilize contactless payments.

University Fancards co-founder and CEO Lynn Boggs, a payments technology industry veteran, stated "We are excited to see the continued support of our vision for collegiately-licensed prepaid cards. We are grateful to have completed this funding during such a trying and unusual time for our country and the world."

Mr. Boggs continued, "During the 2nd quarter of 2020, we will continue to see rapid expansion of our Prepaid Reloadable card as we have partnered with Netspend, a division of Global Payments to distribute our cards nationwide through their network of retailers in the United States. Beginning in May, you will find our Prepaid Reloadable cards in thousands of retail locations including Dollar General, Kwik Trip, Cumberland Farms, and The Exchange, among others."

As for its university-branded Mastercard Gift cards, this year Fancards will continue to expand its retail presence in approximately 15,000 locations nationwide, including some of the most recognizable big box and grocery retailers in the country.

Robert Walker, Chairman of the Board noted, "We are thrilled to have Zach McElroy, founder of Zaxby's, join our Board, given his tremendous entrepreneurial success and long history of sports promotional activity. We also are excited to be recognized by MetaBank, one of the leading financial institutions in FinTech and prepaid."

Mr. Boggs continued, "This financing, together with recent partnerships with major retailers, will allow us to significantly increase our market presence across the country. In addition, we are focused on rapidly expanding our digital media campaign to bring awareness of our reloadable cards to the passionate fanbases of our Fancard teams, with reloadable cards available for direct ordering and delivery from myFancard.com "

The Fancard Prepaid Mastercard is issued by Sunrise Banks N.A., Member FDIC pursuant to a license from Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. This card may be used everywhere Debit Mastercard is accepted.

About Fancards

As the nation's leading provider of collegiately-licensed prepaid products, Fancards creates new ways for fans to pay with team pride through a fintech-focused approach designed to reach every fan of over 25 partner universities. Fancards collegiate partnerships include premier brands such as the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, Michigan Wolverines, Texas Longhorns, and more.For more information, please visit www.myFancard.com , follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , LinkedIn , or contact Fancards at [email protected] .

SOURCE University Fancards

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WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to let Donald Trump down gently Thursday, warning that Canada is still a long way from being ready to agree to relax mutual travel restrictions along its border with the United States.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to let Donald Trump down gently Thursday, warning that Canada is still a long way from being ready to agree to relax mutual travel restrictions along its border with the United States.

Trudeau said he discussed the issue with the U.S. president during a videoconference with fellow G7 leaders, and the two agreed, given the unique relationship between the two countries, that they would continue to take a different approach to managing bilateral travel with each other from the ones they use with the rest of the world.

That does not mean, however, that a decision to relax the travel ban is imminent, he added.

"The work that we continue to do to keep our citizens safe, while co-ordinating very carefully, is unlike our approaches with other countries around the world. There's a recognition that as we move forward, there will be special thought given to this relationship," Trudeau said.

"But at the same time, we know that there is a significant amount of time still before we can talk about loosening such restrictions."

Trump, who often makes it abundantly clear that he's in a hurry to get the American economy back on its feet, seemed to suggest Wednesday that his impatience might well extend to the northern border  a shift in the usual balance of anxieties that has tended to define the Canada-U.S. relationship.

The toll of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. exceeds that of anywhere else in the world, with more than 560,000 active cases and 33,000 deaths to date. Canada, by comparison, has about 18,500 active cases and just over 1,000 deaths.

Trump seemed to suggest the two were comparable.

"Our relationship with Canada is very good  we'll talk about that. It will be one of the early borders to be released," the president said. "Canada's doing well, we're doing well, so we'll see."

It's been nearly a month since the two countries negotiated their 30-day ban on non-essential travel in both directions, a remarkable agreement that exempted the flow of trade and commerce, as well as vital health care workers like nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border.

In terms of permitting the movement of goods and services into the U.S., the arrangement has held up better than expected, notwithstanding a few hiccups, said Mark Agnew, director of international policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

"Most of the challenges that we have received are around individuals travelling for work purposes," Agnew said. "Companies are finding a variance in how officers and specific points of entry are interpreting rules for identical situations for travellers going across."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Some making legitimate efforts to enter the U.S. have been turned away, he noted. And he cited a peculiarity of the way traffic is managed by the two countries at entry points: in some cases, Canadians who are denied entry to the U.S. and forced to turn around have then been ordered to quarantine by Canadian Border Services Agency officials.

"This is a quirk in the system that should be looked at, since they have not gone past the point of entry into the United States."

The agreement is due to expire by Tuesday, and talks on extending it have been underway for several days, said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who insisted that keeping the restrictions in place would be "the neighbourly thing to do."

Despite those "extremely friendly, extremely neighbourly and extremely effective" discussions, however, Canada won't do anything that would risk putting its citizens in jeopardy, she insisted.

"What I can guarantee is that decisions about Canada's border are taken by Canadians, full stop," Freeland said. "Our government will only (open the border) when it is appropriate and when it is not a risk to the health and safety of Canadians."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Ottawa to "say no right away," and said he wished Canada had closed its doors earlier, although he was quick to insist he wasn't criticizing the federal government.

"Until we have this under containment, we need to keep our borders closed," Ford said. "We should have shut down the borders a lot sooner."

Trump issued national guidelines Thursday aimed at steering the country's economic recovery, even as congressional and state lawmakers persisted in warning of the dangers of going too fast, too soon. The president has eased away from his earlier insistence that the decision would be his alone to make  a power that in fact rests entirely with state governors.

Public health officials in the U.S., while they point to clear signs of improvement in the effort to slow the rate of infection, continue to drive home the importance of maintaining measures already in place  physical distancing, staying home where possible and aggressive personal and environmental hygiene  as critical to long-term success.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Trump's three-phase strategy  "Opening up America Again," a riff on his famous campaign slogan  appears to hew to that approach, focusing primarily on those parts of the country with a declining infection rate and a robust testing regime. In such regions, physical distancing would persist in public, and non-essential travel and gatherings of more than 10 people would be discouraged.

"We are not opening up all at once, but one careful step at a time," he said. "This is a gradual process."

Over time, provided infections continue to decline, larger gatherings and recreational travel would be allowed to resume, provided new cases are carefully tracked and isolated.

Nearly 30 per cent of the country has reported no new cases in the last seven days, Trump said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.

 Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle
Oil supermajor Shell announced on Thursday its ambition to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 at the latest, joining other majors such as BP and Eni in unveiling plans to curb carbon emissions.

Shell will be working with its customers to address the emissions which are produced when they use the fuels they buy from Shell, the supermajor said.

Societys expectations have shifted quickly in the debate around climate change. Shell now needs to go further with our own ambitions, which is why we aim to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner. Society, and our customers, expect nothing less, Shells chief executive Ben van Beurden said, adding that even at the times of immediate challenge such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the company should not lose focus on the long term.

Over the past two months, BP and Eni have also announced targets to cut emissions.

In February, before the oil price crash, BP said it would aim to become a net-zero company by 2050 or sooner, but it drew criticism over the lack of specifics about how it would achieve its goal.

Italys Eni also said in February that it expects its oil production to start declining after 2025 as part of a new long-term strategy to rely on natural gas, renewables, and new technologies to cut net greenhouse gas emissions of its energy products by 80 percent by 2050.

Shell has been setting carbon footprint targets in the past few years, but todays plan is one of the most ambitious in terms of net-zero commitments in the industry.



Related: Trump Threatens Very Substantial Tariffs On Oil Imports

The world needs to get to the point at which it will no longer add to the stock of greenhouse gases, and reducing emissions to net zero is the only way to go, van Beurden said last summer, calling on businesses to work together to move faster in addressing climate change.

While the Church of England Pensions Board and Robeco, co-lead as part of the Climate Action 100+ dialogue with Shell, welcomed Shells latest commitment, Teresa Anderson, climate policy coordinator at ActionAid International, said that The net of net zero is a giant loophole that fossil fuel companies are using to avoid scrutiny.

We mustnt let corporate greenwash or the COVID-19 pandemic distract us from the real and urgent transformation needed to avoid runaway climate change, ActionAid said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Activist reporter Mike Coudrey drew attention to this fact on his Twitter account in a post from Sunday:

The Global Vaccine Action Plan was announced in 2010 as a public-private partnership of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

This plan will build on the successes of current work to achieve key milestones in the discovery, development and delivery of lifesaving vaccines to the most vulnerable populations in the poorest countries over the next decade, WHO wrote in their press release about the project.

As the NIAID director, Fauci helped guide the vaccine-pushing project as a member of its Leadership Team. He was joined by other globalist kingpins including Anthony Lake, Executive Director for UNICEF; Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO; Joy Phumaphi, Chair of the International Advisory Committee and Executive Secretary, African Leaders Malaria Alliance; and Tachi Yamada, President of Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The project was designed to assemble some of the most powerful globalist actors on the planet and encourage them to conspire on ways to peddle vaccines throughout the world.

The Global Vaccine Action Plan will enable greater coordination across all stakeholder groups  national governments, multilateral organizations, civil society, the private sector and philanthropic organizations  and will identify critical policy, resource, and other gaps that must be addressed to realize the life- saving potential of vaccines, WHO wrote in their press release about the scheme.

Fauci has been the primary voice in the Trump administration urging the public to be skeptical of hydroxychloroquine, a possible miracle treatment for coronavirus. Fauci has remained a critic of hydroxychloroquine despite indications that it can be effective in helping the afflicted recover from the disease.

No. The answer is no, Fauci said last month after he was asked about whether or not there was any evidence showing that hydroxychloroquine can be effective in treating the coronavirus.

When it became clear that hydroxychloroquine can be effective in treating the coronavirus, Fauci walked back his comments.

Although there is some suggestion with the study that was just mentioned by Dr. Oz, granted that there is a suggestion that there is a benefit there, I think weve got to be careful that we dont make that majestic leap to assume that this is a knockout drug, Fauci said during an appearance on FOX & Friends last week.

Fauci may be trying to halt the use of hydroxychloroquine as part of the Global Vaccine Action Plan that he plotted many years ago. Gates has already talked about digital tracking implants being tagged into peoples skin for authorities to enforce their vaccination schedule. Fauci could be serving as a bureaucratic enabler of Gates sociopathic Big Brother ambitions.
Ljubljana, Slovenia, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RAFARMA PHARMACEUTICALS INC. OTC:(RAFA) - Rafarma Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is pleased to announce acquisition of all outstanding US and Australian patents from Vladislav Laskavy, PhD. The patents that the company has acquired will give the company access to several new technologies including the new generation immune modulator XR. The company intends to license XR in Thailand and Malaysia and start offering new revolutionary technologies to patients in Southeast Asia.



Further, to update shareholders on the impact of Coronavirus, Rafarma has not had to lay off or furlough any workers. The company still has more than 20 employees working in various capacities. Some have been repositioned temporarily. Harvesting and production should continue as planned and we are prepared to weather the temporary economic uncertainty in the global markets. I believe the company will grow even stronger as the global economies recover from this pandemic and I see huge opportunity as countries get back with business as usual CEO Vladimir Dolgolenko stated.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as may, will, to, plan, expect, believe, anticipate, intend, could, would, estimate, or continue, or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risk, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our managements beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with OTC Markets. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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RAFARMA

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Were going to get back to living life, even if it kills us
Earths molten core may be leaking heavy isotopes of iron, according to a study led by geoscientists from Aarhus University and the University of California, Davis.

The boundary between the liquid iron core and the rocky mantle is located some 2,900 km (1,800 miles) below Earths surface.

At this transition, the temperature drops by more than a thousand degrees from the hotter core to the cooler mantle.

The new study suggests heavier iron isotopes migrate toward lower temperatures  and into the mantle  while lighter iron isotopes circulate back down into the core.

This effect could cause core material infiltrating the lowermost mantle to be enriched in heavy iron isotopes.

If correct, this stands to improve our understanding of core-mantle interaction, said Professor Charles Lesher from the University of California, Davis and Aarhus University.

Understanding the physical processes operating at the core-mantle boundary is important for interpreting seismic images of the deep mantle, as well as modeling the extent of chemical and thermal transfer between the deep Earth and surface of our planet.

Professor Lesher and colleagues analyzed how iron isotopes move between areas of different temperatures during experiments conducted under high temperature and pressure.

Our findings can explain why there are more heavy iron isotopes in mantle rocks than in chondrite meteorites, the primordial material from the early Solar System, Professor Lesher said.

If true, the results suggest iron from the core has been leaking into the mantle for billions of years.

Computer simulations performed by Professor Lesher and co-authors show this core material can even reach the surface, mixed with and transported by hot, upwelling mantle plumes.

Some lavas erupted at oceanic hot spots such as Samoa and Hawaii are enriched in heavy iron isotopes, which the team proposes could be a signature of a leaky core.

The teams paper was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

_____

C.E. Lesher et al. Iron isotope fractionation at the coremantle boundary by thermodiffusion. Nat. Geosci, published online April 6, 2020; doi: 10.1038/s41561-020-0560-y
Dogs Trust supports frontline workers by offering temporary foster care for their pets: Nurse Annie Mathews with her 9 year old Schnauzer Lily after Dogs Trust announced an initiative that allows frontline workers to sign up to a special temporary fostering programme that they can avail of at any time during the pandemic.15/04/2020 Photograph:Fran VealePLEASE CREDIT.NO REPRO FEE if used specifically in relation to Dogs Trust press release.

An animal welfare charity is offering temporary foster care for the dogs of frontline workers throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Dogs Trust Ireland launched the initiative to help healthcare staff concerned about their capacity to look after their pets as their workloads increase due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The charity is offering essential workers a free Dogs Trust frontline foster care card which will allow them to sign up to a special temporary fostering programme which they can use at any time during the pandemic.

Throughout the #CoronavirusPandemic, incredible #FrontLineHeroes are tirelessly working to give essential services & care for those who need it most. To help, we've launched our Dogs Trust Frontline Foster Care service, a free temporary fostering programme to care for their dogs.  Dogs Trust Ireland (@DogsTrust_IE) April 16, 2020

Nurse Annie Mathews described it as a fantastic initiative.

Its a relief to know this service is available and that my dog would be well looked after for a few weeks if I need it, she said.

The charity has adapted its current canine care card in order to help people on the front line in the Covid-19 fight.

Becky Bristow, executive director at Dogs Trust Ireland, said: Its so important at a time like this that we all pull together.

Many people are at home right now and want to be able to support frontline workers in some way.

The amount of offers we have received to foster dogs has been truly uplifting for us in these worrying times Becky Bristow, Dogs Trust Ireland

The amount of offers we have received to foster dogs has been truly uplifting for us in these worrying times and we are delighted to now expand our teams services to assist essential workers.

We want to help lighten the load of Irelands frontline workers who are facing one of the biggest challenges of our lifetime.

They are doing everything they can to keep us safe, healthy and food and supplies on shelves, so its the least we can do to take some pressure off them by offering to care for their dogs.

Karla Dunne, head of operations at Dogs Trust Ireland, said: Although dogs are a fantastic emotional support to their owners, the majority of our frontline workers are working extra days and longer shifts now so may be worried about their dogs on top of everything else, and thats where our team can help.

As with all dogs in our foster programme, we take great time and care to ensure they are matched with the perfect temporary home for them and their needs, and we are delighted that we can now extend this to frontline staff so they can rest assured that their dog will be loved and cared for while they are caring for others or keeping essential services operational.

 More information can be found at DogsTrust.ie/Frontline.
Airlines ordered to refund tickets booked during lockdown period

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The government has said that if a passenger has booked a ticket during the first lockdown period between March 25 and April 14 and a refund is sought, then the airline shall refund the full amount.

The order by the Ministry of Civil Aviation says that if a passenger has booked a ticket during the first lockdown period and the airline has received the payment for booking of the air ticket for the same period, for both domestic and international flights and the refund is sought then the airline shall refund the full amount collected without levy of cancellation. The refund shall be made within a period of three weeks from the date of request of cancellation.

Civil Aviation ministry holds meeting with airlines: Refund for cancelled flights discussed

If a passenger has booked a ticket during the first lockdown period and the airline has received the payment for booking of air tickets during the first lockdown period for travel during the second lockdown period ( April 15 to May 3) for domestic and international air travel and the passenger seeks refund, then the airline shall refund the full amount collected without levy of cancellation charge. The refund shall be made within a period of three weeks form the date of request of cancellation, the order also states.

The government has directed the DGCA to monitor the compliance of the advisory.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, April 16, 2020, 17:05 [IST]
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio Right to Life sent a letter to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, urging him to continue employing pro-life principles to guide Ohio during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the letter, Ohio Right to Life provided a comprehensive list of guiding principles for hospitals and healthcare providers, outlining proper triage and medical care to be followed during times of crisis.

"During this trying time, it is more important than ever to ensure that the sanctity and dignity of all human life is upheld," said Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. "As our brave medical professionals daily risk their own health and safety in the fight against COVID-19, all while having to make life-and-death decisions, it is imperative that we offer support for them to respond ethically and compassionately to this crisis."

Ohio Right to Life's guidelines affirm that patients cannot be discriminated against by denial of care due to their age or ability. They also reaffirm that euthanasia or assisted suicide is strictly forbidden, stipulating that no one can deliberately cause the death of a patient.

"Although COVID-19 poses an unprecedented challenge to our health care system's response, as Americans, we can never rationalize depriving the elderly, disabled or countless other vulnerable groups from lifesaving treatment," said Gonidakis. "All humans, regardless of age or ability, are deserving of dignity. Every life is precious."

Although the guidelines do allow for medical professionals in situations where they must equitably allocate scarce resources to assess patients and prioritize care based on who will live or die with treatment, it does not allow such decisions to be made based on arbitrary judgements of a patient's worth.

"It is our mission and privilege to promote and defend innocent life from fertilization until natural death," said Gonidakis. "Ohio Right to Life is incredibly grateful for Governor DeWine's compassionate and unwavering leadership in this time of crisis and we continue to trust that his strong pro-life convictions will guide decisions in Ohio moving forward."

Ohio Right to Life will continue to work with Governor DeWine and Ohio's medical community to ensure that all lives are protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of age, ability, or any other determining factor.

To read Ohio Right to Life's letter to Governor DeWine, click here .

To read Ohio Right to Life's guidelines for end-of-life care, click here .

Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 chapters and local affiliates, is Ohio's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.

SOURCE Ohio Right to Life
New Delhi, April 16 : The well-known Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has warned in an advisory last week.

In the advisory, issued on April 12, it is mentioned that "secure use of Zoom meeting platform is for private individuals and not for use of government offices or official purposes". The government said that CERT-In on the same lines had been informed on February 6 and March 30 this year clarifying that "Zoom is not a safe platform".

In a set of guidelines for the safety of private users, the CCC division of the MHA mentioned that "those private individuals who still would like to use Zoom for private purposes" should follow certain guidelines like prevention of unauthorised entry in conference room and unauthorised participants to carry out malicious activity on terminals of others in the conference. The advisory also suggested to "avoid 'DOS' attacks by restricting users through passwords and access grant".

Zoom app has apparently become a favourite and famous tool among people during the lockdown and it is being used by schools and many private players. "Most of the settings can be done by logging into users zoom account at website, or installed application at PC/Laptop/Phone and also during conduct of conference," the guidelines from MHA mentions.

Officials in the Home Ministry told IANS that the app has some specific weaknesses so it is necessary to avoid its use for official purposes as it can encrypt meeting data.
APRIL 16, 2020  Murtuza Jadliwala, an assistant professor in UTSAs computer science department, has been awarded the National Science Foundations Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, grant.

This prestigious $499,512 five-year award for early career faculty will fund Jadliwalas research on securing modern ubiquitous sensing and computing technologies, such as mobile, wearable and internet-of-things systems, against private data inference and exfiltration threats.

Jadliwala is the director of the Security, Privacy, Trust and Ethics in Computing research lab in the Department of Computer Science at UTSA. Dr. Jadliwala is one of our rising stars and our ninth home-grown NSF CAREER awardee, a remarkable achievement for a CS department with only about 20 tenure-track/tenured faculty. I also credit the excellent tradition of mentorship and nurturing for early career faculty within this department, said Sushil Prasad, the department chair.

My project is motivated by the fact that we as humans are living in a society where we are constantly surrounded by sensors, which are continuously sensing every smallest activity/event in our lives, Jadliwala explained. We have sensors in our pockets in the form of smartphones, sensors on our bodies in the form of smartwatches and sensors in our immediate surroundings in the form of smart home devices and appliances. There is no doubt that these devices have improved our lives significantly by enabling useful applications, but at what cost?

Dr. Jadliwala is one of our rising stars and our ninth home-grown NSF CAREER awardee.

Jadliwala said that sensor data collected byor originating frommodern ubiquitous sensing and computing systems, such as smartphones, wearables and IoT devices, can be easily exploited to significantly compromise users privacy unless the current weaknesses are addressed.

Although individually some of these devices and applications running on them may provide limited means for privacy protection, they do not holistically work across all the different types of devices, sensors and applications surrounding users.

The main challenge is that most of these device and sensor platforms are pretty heterogenous in natureproduced by different manufacturers, running different operating systems or operated by different providers, Jadliwala said. As a result, these different systems dont talk to each other when it comes to holistically protecting users privacy. For instance, a protection mechanism on your smartphone that restricts when an application accesses your phones camera might not help protect against a snooping surveillance camera in your house.

To overcome these challenges, Jadliwala and his research team will focus on uncovering new security and privacy risks in modern ubiquitous sensing and computing environments comprising of functionally heterogeneous and isolated sensors, devices and applications.

The team will also design and evaluate a promising new approach to protect against uncoordinated and unregulated sensing and actuation in such environments. This approach will efficiently and securely determine sensitive user-contexts and share it in a user-friendly fashion across a diverse set of sensing devices and applications to provide complete or holistic privacy protection.

Using his research findings, Jadliwala will develop a curriculum in mobile and IoT security that local high school teachers can implement in their classrooms.

After talking to educators in the San Antonio Independent School District, I was excited to learn that cybersecurity courses are already being offered in some of the high schools in our community, he said. However, the problem is that the high school teachers are not always exposed or get an opportunity to expose themselves to the recent advancements in the field. One of the goals of the project will be to train the teachers themselves by involving them in our research.

This work is a prime example of how research being conducted at UTSA drives what students are learning in the classrooms and the importance of having strong K-12 partnerships, said Kimberly Andrews Espy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Congratulations to Dr. Jadliwala for carrying on a proud tradition of tenure-track faculty at UTSA receiving this recognition. CAREER awards are bestowed to the most talented junior faculty, and this award is reflective of the high quality of the UTSA academic experience.

Local high school students will also have an opportunity to participate in cybersecurity summer camps, which Jadliwala is currently planning.

For enrollment at these camps we will specifically target students from San Antonio areas underrepresented and impoverished communities who ideally would not be able to afford attending expensive educational camps in the summer, said Jadliwala. The team will also offer a summer camp for veterans who are interested in a career in cybersecurity.
The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Thursday (this file will be updated throughout the day). Web links to longer stories if available:

This file is no longer updating. Click here for Fridays rolling file

9.27 p.m. There are 30,106 cases of COVID-19 in Canada. Eleven are presumed to be COVID-19, and 30,095 are confirmed cases, including 1,196 deaths, and 9,729 resolved cases, according to The Canadian Press.

This breaks down as follows:

Quebec: 15,857 confirmed (including 630 deaths, 2,841 resolved)

Ontario: 8,961 confirmed (including 423 deaths, 4,194 resolved)

Alberta: 2,158 confirmed (including 50 deaths, 914 resolved)

British Columbia: 1,575 confirmed (including 78 deaths, 983 resolved)

Nova Scotia: 579 confirmed (including three deaths, 176 resolved)

Saskatchewan: 305 confirmed (including four deaths, 219 resolved)

Newfoundland and Labrador: 252 confirmed (including three deaths, 170 resolved)

Manitoba: 239 confirmed (including five deaths, 121 resolved), 11 presumptive

New Brunswick: 117 confirmed (including 80 resolved)

Prince Edward Island: 26 confirmed (including 23 resolved)

Repatriated Canadians account for 13 confirmed cases

Yukon: eight confirmed (including six resolved)

Northwest Territories: five confirmed (including two resolved)

Nunavut reports no confirmed cases.

6.21 p.m. Three correctional officers have tested positive for COVID-19 at a jail in Brampton in what has been declared an outbreak by Peel Public Health.

The source of the infection was community transmission, according to Peel Public Health, and the officers were contagious while at work.

Some inmates at the Ontario Correctional Institute are now in medical isolation and rush testing is being done for inmates who have symptoms or who may have been in close contact with staff affected, according to the Ministry of the Solicitor-General and Peel Public Health.

Staff members who have been in contact with the officers who have tested positive are also being contacted.

5.19 p.m. A total of 500 people have now died of COVID-19 in Ontario and the provinces epidemic has grown to more than 10,000 cases, according to the Stars latest count.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Ontarios regional health units had reported another 55 COVID-19 deaths, up from 445 at the same time Wednesday.

Those included the largest single-day increase in the death toll in Toronto, an increase of 26 cases to 147. According to Dr. Eileen de Villa, the citys chief medical officer of health, 92, or about two-thirds of the citys deaths so far, have come in the outbreak in long-term care homes.

By the Stars count, nearly half of the people who have died of COVID-19 in the province were residents of a long-term care home.

As of Thursday evening, Ontarios health units were reporting a total of 10,124 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases, an increase of 533 since the same time Wednesday, or a relatively low 5.6-per-cent jump.

On a percentage basis, the epidemics spread has slowed in recent days. Last week, the province averaged 8.6-per-cent daily growth; the week before that, it averaged 15.6-per-cent growth.

Earlier Thursday, the province reported it had completed 9,001 COVID-19 tests the day prior, meeting Premier Doug Fords pledge to reach 8,000 tests a day by Wednesday.

According to the province, 807 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 248 in an intensive care unit, of whom 200 are on a ventilator. The totals remain significantly less severe than Ontarios worst-case projections. The province also says 4,194 patients have now recovered after testing positive.

Ontario says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of deaths, 423, may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in its reporting system. In the event of a discrepancy, data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date, it said.

The Stars count, which is based on the health units public tallies and statements, includes some patients reported as probable COVID-19 cases. This means they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test.

5 p.m. There are 10,124 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, including 500 deaths. Thats up 533 cases (5.6 per cent) and 55 deaths from the same time Wednesday.

4.59 p.m. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has declared a COVID-19 outbreak on an in-patient surgical unit, a spokesperson confirmed to the Star late Thursday afternoon. An outbreak in a hospital means patients came in for unrelated issues and ended up with COVID-19.

Two COVID-positive patients have been identified, and this meets the definition of an outbreak, said Sybil Millar, of Sunnybrook, in an email.

The two patients have been transferred from the unit and are being cared for with appropriate precautions, she added. All other patients in the unit have been tested and are negative. The unit is now closed to new admissions out of an abundance of caution.

4.41 p.m. There are 29,930 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Canada, according to The Canadian Press. Of these, 11 are presumed to be COVID-19 cases. There have been 1,191 deaths, and 9,701 cases resolved.

The total breaks down as follows:

Quebec: 15,857 confirmed (including 630 deaths, 2,841 resolved)

Ontario: 8,961 confirmed (including 423 deaths, 4,194 resolved)

Alberta: 1,996 confirmed (including 48 deaths, 914 resolved)

British Columbia: 1,561 confirmed (including 75 deaths, 955 resolved)

Nova Scotia: 579 confirmed (including three deaths, 176 resolved)

Saskatchewan: 305 confirmed (including four deaths, 219 resolved)

Newfoundland and Labrador: 252 confirmed (including three deaths, 170 resolved)

Manitoba: 239 confirmed (including five deaths, 121 resolved), 11 presumptive

New Brunswick: 117 confirmed (including 80 resolved)

Prince Edward Island: 26 confirmed (including 23 resolved)

Repatriated Canadians account for 13 confirmed cases

Yukon: eight confirmed (including six resolved)

Northwest Territories: five confirmed (including two resolved)

Nunavut reports no confirmed cases.

4.30 p.m. New White House guidelines outline a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places in the U.S. with strong testing and seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases, according to The Associated Press.

President Donald Trump unveiled his administrations plans to ease social-distancing requirements on a call Thursday with the nations governors. The new guidelines are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit locations.

Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phased gradual reopening of businesses and schools, with each phase lasting at least 14 days, meant to ensure that the virus outbreak doesnt accelerate again.

3.45 p.m. There are 2,881 cases of COVID-19 in Toronto, according to Dr. Eileen de Villa, medical officer of health for the City of Toronto. Of these, 2,559 are confirmed, 230 are hospitalized, 88 are in intensive care and 147 people have died.

There have been 92 deaths among 41 long-term care homes, and three deaths among 13 retirement homes.

De Villa says Toronto Public Health has launched its own COVID-19 coronavirus tracking system. She said the provincial database wasnt able to keep up with Torontos demands, and the City needed a more nimble system. Its internal and secure, and the information it generates will help TPH share data with the public, she added.

De Villa urged residents to continue to stay home to help save lives.

Mayor John Tory applauded Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for new rent-relief program to help small- and medium-sized businesses as very welcome news for the small business community in Toronto .... It will make a real difference in saving many small businesses in the city of Toronto.

The Mayor announced the expansion of the Citys Digital Main Street program to help businesses go online or expand their online presence. The program started in 2016, but is more important now that many businesses are temporarily shuttered. It now operates Ontario-wide.

The City began implementing Ontarios order to limit some long-term care workers to a single work site. The City has asked staff in City homes to declare the City as their prime employer, and it has offered benefits, including offering part-time staff full-time hours.

De Villa talked about the closure of The Works supervised injection site amid an outbreak in the building. It wasnt set up for distancing, and many users already have illness. The closure is frustrating and worrying for many, she said. The site is aiming to re-open this weekend.

Mayor Tory was asked about TTC operators refusing to work over lack of personal protective equipment. Tory said the TTC is working with staff and Toronto Public Health to address the concerns.

Asked if its safe to get coffee from drive-throughs, de Villa said the safest thing is to maintain a two-metre distance from others.

She stressed that the safest course of action is to stay home as much as possible.

3.01 p.m. There are 29,929 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada, according to The Canadian Press. Of these 11 are presumed to be COVID-19, and 29,918 are confirmed, including 1,191 deaths, and 9,687 resolved.

These break down as follows:

Quebec: 15,857 confirmed (including 630 deaths, 2,841 resolved)

Ontario: 8,961 confirmed (including 423 deaths, 4,194 resolved)

Alberta: 1,996 confirmed (including 48 deaths, 914 resolved)

British Columbia: 1,561 confirmed (including 75 deaths, 955 resolved)

Nova Scotia: 579 confirmed (including three deaths, 176 resolved)

Saskatchewan: 304 confirmed (including four deaths, 205 resolved)

Newfoundland and Labrador: 252 confirmed (including three deaths, 170 resolved)

Manitoba: 239 confirmed (including five deaths, 121 resolved), 11 presumptive

New Brunswick: 117 confirmed (including 80 resolved)

Prince Edward Island: 26 confirmed (including 23 resolved)

Repatriated Canadians account for 13 confirmed cases.

Yukon: 8 confirmed (including six resolved)

Northwest Territories: five confirmed (including two resolved)

Nunavut reports no confirmed cases.

2:47 p.m. Italy will begin administering experimental coronavirus immunity tests on an initial 150,000 people nationwide in early May as part of its efforts to reopen after a weekslong shutdown.

Italys commissioner for the pandemic, Domenico Arcuri, told state-run RAI news Thursday that the government hopes the first wave of tests will progressively grow in number and become the national standard.

Italy, the European epicenter of the pandemic, has imposed a lockdown and production shutdown through May 3.

2:24 p.m. Canadas smallest province finds itself in an enviable position during the COVID-19 pandemic, with just 26 people who have tested positive since the outbreak began, and 23 of those have recovered.

Dr. Heather Morrison, the provinces chief public health officer, says its proof the decision to quickly implement rules for self-isolation and social distancing was the right one.

Morrison says every case has been the result of travellers who returned to the Island, and there has been no community transmission.

People arriving at the Confederation Bridge or the Charlottetown Airport must prove they are a P.E.I. resident and have the ability to self-isolate for 14 days. So far 36 people have been turned away.

2:20 p.m. Bombardier Inc. is helping to produce 18,000 ventilators for the Ontario government at its temporarily shuttered plant in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The plane-and-train maker says it will carry out sanding, painting and assembly work on the equipment for Brampton, Ont.-based O-Two Medical Technologies, which manufactures respiratory care products.

Bombardier says O-Two found its supply chain disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and started hunting for help to churn out portable ventilators amid a looming shortage in Canada.

Bombardier expects to start work on April 27, drawing on between 40 and 50 employees  most of whom had been temporarily laid off  over three to four months.

2:10 p.m. Ontario has seen the greatest decline in electricity use among four Canadian provinces since COVID-19 restrictions shuttered many businesses in mid-March.

Electricity demand is down nearly 10 per cent in Ontario. That compares to a less than five per cent drop in British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick, according to a study released Thursday by the University of Calgary School of Public Policy.

The four provinces are the ones where electricity data is publicly available.

Unlike job numbers and GDP, which have a time lag in reporting, electricity demand provides a real-time snapshot into economic activity, said energy and environmental economics professor Blake Shaffer, who co-authored the report with Andrew Leach and Nic Rivers.

2:05 p.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed back Thursday against allegations levied by the opposition that he is afraid of resuming debate in Parliament.

Trudeau said Thursday he believes in the role of Parliament, now more than ever.

Our democracy is healthy and I know that our institutions must continue to function not in spite of the crisis but because of the crisis, he said.

So we are in talks with the opposition parties to find a way to continue the important work that is being done by our democratic institutions.

1:59 p.m. An inmate has died from an apparent complication related to COVID-19 at a prison in B.C.

Correctional Services of Canada says it is the first death from the novel coronavirus at a federal prison.

The agency says in a statement the inmate died at Abbotsford Regional Hospital on Wednesday. The inmate, who has not been identified, was serving time at Mission Institution.

Correctional Services says 54 people have tested positive at the medium-security prison.

1:40 p.m. A Canadian R&B singers video for his debut single has gotten a boost amid the COVID-19 lockdown from a new fan: Idris Elba.

Need You, by London, Ont.s Emanuel, caught the ear of the British actor  one of the first celebrities to test positive for the virus  and Elba put out a call on social media for photos and videos from his followers of the things and people that comfort them in self-isolation.

Within 24 hours, more than 3,000 submissions came in for the songs visual collage; the final total exceeded 4,500 entries from over 20 countries. The resulting video debuted Thursday on YouTube.

1:36 p.m. The TTC announced Thursday morning it would start blocking off some seats on buses to enable social distancing. On Twitter, the agency said it will initially use caution tape or duct tape, but could institute a more permanent solution later on.

1:35 p.m. Ford says Trudeau should say no right away to keep the border closed to the United States. I dont want them in Ontario.

1:32 p.m. Premier Doug Ford says he will be discussing business relief measures with Prime Minister Trudeau and the premiers this afternoon. Wants support for both the businesses and the landlords. Ford also said he will tell Trudeau we need help on enhancing wages for workers in long-term care homes.

1:28 p.m. Police in a small New Jersey town got an anonymous tip Monday about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the states largest nursing homes.

When police arrived, the corpse had been removed from the shed, but they discovered 17 bodies piled inside the nursing home in a small morgue, intended to hold no more than four people.

The 17 were among 68 recent deaths linked to the long-term care facility, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, including two nurses, officials said. Of those who died, 26 people had tested positive for the virus.

For the others, the cause of death is unknown.

1:25 p.m. Quebec Premier Francois Legault says 143 more people have died of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 630.

He says most of the deaths did not occur in the past 24 hours, but have been added the list following a change of data collecting methods by the public health department as well as post-mortem investigations.

There were also 997 new cases, for a total of 15,857.

Legault said 2,000 doctors responded to his call yesterday to come help in the provinces overburdened long-term care homes.

1:25 p.m. The British Columbia government is offering cash-strapped communities relief measures that include tax payment delays, debt-borrowing initiatives and a 25 per cent commercial property tax cut, but not an outright financial bailout some cities have requested.

Finance Minister Carole James says most commercial property tax bills will be cut by a further 25 per cent with a second reduction in school property tax payments, which have already been chopped by 50 per cent.

James says in order to give businesses and landlords more time to pay commercial property taxes, the late payment date has been extended to October 1 from July.

She says to better address municipal cash flow and revenue shortfall issues, the province will allow local governments to borrow, interest-free, from their existing capital funds and carry debt into next year.

1:24 p.m. The Toronto Zoo is looking for funds to keep its animals fed while it remains closed due to COVID-19.

The zoo says that it relies on parking and admission fees to feed its 5,000 animals at a cost of roughly $1 million per year.

To make up for lost revenue, the zoo is fundraising with the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy.

The conservancy was established last year and typically focuses its efforts on protecting endangered species.

It will be reaching out to the public to provide information about the animals feeding needs.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Aquarium says it could be forced into bankruptcy and permanent closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aquarium has been closed since March 17 but faces monthly costs in excess of $1 million for animal care and habitat maintenance.

Ocean Wise Conservation Association, which operates the aquarium, says bankruptcy is likely by early summer if funding is not found.

The not-for-profit aquarium currently houses more than 70,000 animals.

1:19 p.m. Premier Doug Ford says Ontario should have updated modelling on the COVID1-9 toll next week.

1:14 p.m. New York state will extend its stay-at-home restrictions at least through May 15 amid signs the initial wave of the coronavirus outbreak is slowing down.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that transmission rates still need to be tamed as he prolonged the restrictions that have left most New Yorkers housebound.

The number of people hospitalized statewide has ticked down to around 17,000, far below initial projections. But there are still close to 2,000 newly diagnosed people coming into hospitals daily, Cuomo said.

New York recorded 606 COVID-19-related deaths Wednesday, the lowest daily number in more than a week.

12:58 p.m. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 today for a total of 252 confirmed cases.

Chief medical health officer Doctor Janice Fitzgerald says the new cases are in the provinces Eastern Health zone.

Fitzgerald says 170 cases are considered recovered or resolved.

Shes urging people to stay in their bubble in order to stay safe.

12:57 p.m. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada is talking with the United States about the agreement keeping the border closed to non-essential crossings.

Freeland says Canadas position is that the agreement should be extended.

She says regardless of what U.S. President Donald Trump says about wanting to re-open the border, decisions about opening Canadas side will be made by Canadians only.

Freeland says there are also discussions between premiers about interprovincial travel restrictions.

12:52 p.m. Prince Edward Island is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, keeping the provincial total at 26 cases.

The provinces chief public health officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, says there is a collective sigh of relief every time there are no new cases on the Island.

Twenty-three cases are considered recovered.

Morrison says all cases on P.E.I. have been travel-related with no cases of community transmission.

12:50 p.m. Ontario Premier Doug Ford to give an update on COVID-19 at 1 p.m. EST. A livestream of the news conference will be available on thestar.com.

12:38 p.m. Italy reported its highest new coronavirus cases in four days on Thursday, as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte consults emergency task-forces to map a restart for businesses trapped in a nationwide lockdown.

There were 3,786 new cases of the disease, compared with 2,667 a day earlier, the highest since April 12, civil protection officials said at their daily briefing in Rome. Confirmed cases in the country now total 168,941.

Italy registered 525 deaths linked to the virus, compared with 578 the day before. That brings the total number of fatalities to 22,170. Hospitalized patients and intensive care patients both declined. Tests rose to a record high at 60,999.

12:35 p.m. Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer of Canada, says models are now predicting between 1,200 and 1,620 deaths from COVID-19 by April 21.

Last week the projections expected between 500 and 700 deaths this week, and Canada today has confirmed 1,048 deaths.

Tam says the overall curve is bending when it comes to the number of new infections being confirmed in Canada but the death rate is higher than expected because such a high proportion of outbreaks are in long-term care centres.

Tam says more than 90 per cent of the patients confirmed to have died from COVID-19 are over the age of 60, and half of them lived in long term care centres.

(UPDATED) 12:25 p.m. Public Procurement minister Anita Anand says 1.1 million more N95 respirator masks will be distributed to the provinces this week.

She says six flights of supplies from China have already arrived, and four more are coming this week.

Anand says already 17 million surgical masks and 800,000 N95 respirators have arrived.

Anand also said Irving Oil is the latest Canadian company that is shifting its business to help in the pandemic, adjusting some of its operations to produce hand sanitizer.

12:24 p.m. Cottagers are being barred from Hiawatha First Nation near Peterborough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hiawatha First Nation has established a checkpoint station to stop non-permanent residents from entering the area or travelling through it.

Cottagers and other seasonal residents with property at Hiawatha, or those who must travel through the reserve to access their property, are not being allowed access.

Upon arrival, volunteers at the checkpoint are asking permanent residents to provide their drivers license or a bill, for proof of permanent residency.

12:21 p.m. Peel Public Health has confirmed an outbreak at the Ontario Correctional Institute, which means there are two or more cases at the provincial jail in Brampton. Mayor Patrick Brown said Wednesday night that three staff members at the jail have tested positive for COVID-19. An inmate at the institution told the Star on Wednesday afternoon that six inmates had been quarantined at the jail and that the inmates refused to eat in the cafeteria. Food was instead brought to their ranges, he said.

Peel Public Health are expecting to have an update on the ongoing investigation this afternoon. The Ministry of the Solicitor General has not yet provided an update on the number positive tests at jails province-wide. As of Tuesday, four inmates had tested positive at jails across the province, according to the ministry. Three from the Toronto South Detention Centre and one from Monteith Correctional Complex. Three staff members had tested positive, one from Toronto South, one from the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre and one from the Ontario Correctional Institute.

12:15 p.m. Nova Scotia is reporting 30 new cases of COVID-19 today for a total of 579 confirmed cases.

Health officials say that as of yesterday, there are seven licensed long-term care homes in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19, involving 42 residents and 23 staff.

While most cases in the province have been connected to travel or a known case, officials say there is now community spread.

To date, Nova Scotia has 18,453 negative test results and three deaths.

11:58 a.m. New York City is getting ready to use 11,000 empty hotel rooms for coronavirus quarantines, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

After initially lining up hotels to become temporary hospitals, the city is now planning to use the rooms as quarantine sites for some people in crowded apartments, for some homeless shelter residents and for health care workers who dont want to risk infecting family members, de Blasio said.

In some communities where infection rates are high, some people are living in cramped multi-generational households, the mayor noted.

If there is a threat that someone might get infected in the home and it might spread amongst the members of that family, we have to guard against that, he said.

De Blasio said the city will work with community health centres to identify who needs the service and will start moving people into hotel rooms April 22.

11:54 a.m. The number of nursing home residents testing positive for COVID-19 has gone up 12 per cent in the last day, double the rate in the general population, according to statistics released Thursday by the Ontario government.

Another 99 nursing home residents have contracted the potentially deadly illness that is taking a heavy toll in several long-term care facilities, prompting Premier Doug Ford to target more resources to the sector he says has been hit like a wildfire by the virus.

At least 933 residents of nursing homes have tested positive to date, along with 530 staff, an increase of 77 in the government statistics based on reports from public health units as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.

While the province reports 162 nursing home deaths so far, a Star compilation from public health units shows at least 219 have died, raising concerns the provincial figures are too slow to be updated and do not provide officials with an accurate picture.

11:48 a.m. Facebook is about to begin letting users know if theyve spread bad information about COVID-19.

The company will soon be letting users know if they liked, reacted to, or commented on posts with harmful misinformation about the virus that was removed by moderators, by directing those who engaged with those posts to information about virus myths debunked by the World Health Organization.

Social media is awash in bad takes about the outbreak and platforms have begun to combat that misinformation.

Facebook said Thursday that people will begin seeing warning messages in coming weeks.

11:42 a.m. The U.S.-Canada border isnt opening again any time soon if Canada has anything to say about it.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it will be many weeks before the two countries can loosen restrictions that are keeping the frontier closed to all but goods and a small number of essential workers.

Thats to keep the virus that causes COVID-19 from crossing back and forth with travellers.

An agreement between Canada and the United States to limit border crossings is due to expire in days.

President Donald Trump says hes eager to start returning to normal life, even as his country grapples with the worlds biggest outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

11:35 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it would be absolutely disastrous to reopen the economy too early and allow another explosion of cases that would undo all efforts to date.

Trudeau says reopening is also not possible until Canada has a plan for responding to cases that arise in second or third waves.

He says that response would include massive levels of testing, and rapid response plans to trace contacts and isolate patients immediately.

11:28 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is expanding a loan program for small businesses suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and is working on a new support for companies having trouble paying rent.

The loan program will now be open to businesses that had payrolls last year between $20,000 and $1.5 million.

The Canada Emergency Business Account previously offered up to $40,000 in loans to business with payrolls between $50,000 and $1 million.

Trudeau also says a program is coming to help businesses cover rents for at least three months but the details still need to be worked out with the provinces and territories.

11:02 a.m. Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 44 COVID-19 deaths since Wednesday morning, a 24-hour period that also saw the lowest daily growth in coronavirus cases on a percentage basis since the beginning of the Stars count.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, the health units were reporting 9,738 confirmed or probable cases of the disease, a jump of 470 cases or 5.1 per cent in 24 hours.

On a percentage basis, the epidemics spread has slowed in recent days. Last week, the province averaged 8.6 per cent daily growth; the week before that, it averaged 15.6 per cent growth.

Despite this, the daily death toll appears to still be rising in the province. By the Stars count, which is based on the public tallies and statements of Ontarios 34 health units, an average of 43 people have died of COVID-19 each day this week. Last week, that average was 25 a day; the week before that, it was 17.

In total 469 people have now been reported dead of the disease in Ontario.

By the Stars latest count, nearly half of the people to die in the province were residents of a long-term care home.

Earlier Thursday, the province reported it had completed 9,001 COVID-19 tests the day prior, meeting Premier Doug Fords pledge to reach 8,000 tests a day by Wednesday. The province has said it has capacity to complete about 13,000 tests daily.

According to the province, 807 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 248 in an intensive care unit, of whom 200 are on a ventilator  totals that remain significantly less severe than Ontarios worst-case projections. The province also says 4,194 patients have now recovered after testing positive.

The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of deaths  423  may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in its reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date.

The Stars count includes some patients reported as probable COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test.

11 a.m. Ukraines two rival Orthodox churches clashed Thursday over public health guidelines for forthcoming Easter celebrations, after the one said believers could gather outside places of worship despite a government ban on public gatherings due to the pandemic.

The head of the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church in Ukraine did urge believers to stay home and watch televised Easter services. But Metropolitan Onufriy added that those who wanted could come and pray outside churches while maintaining social distancing.

Orthodox Easter is celebrated this week, culminating in Easter Sunday on April 19.

10:56 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce more financial help for small businesses struggling to survive COVID-19 at 11:15 a.m. EST. A livestream of the news conference will be available on thestar.com.

10:37 a.m. The Canadian premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which was to begin in Toronto in October, will now be postponed till 2021.

It was to debut Oct. 23 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre with an all-Canadian cast, but David Mirvish and other producers announced the postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of physical distancing requirements, the months of preparations and rehearsals necessary to stage the technically complex production, with its acclaimed illusions and special effects could not take place in time for the fall opening.

10:29 a.m. Ontario is expanding its testing for COVID-19 priority groups, including for residents and staff of homeless shelters and group homes, people living with health-care workers and cancer patients.

Premier Doug Ford has expressed frustration that Ontario has been processing a daily number of tests well below its capacity of 13,000.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Christine Elliott says the new guidelines will help Ontario take full advantage of the testing capacity it has built, and will help the province more effectively identify and contain cases among vulnerable populations.

The new guidelines say people living and working in congregate settings such as homeless shelters, correctional facilities and group homes should be tested as soon as possible if they have symptoms such as fever, pneumonia or any new or worsening symptom.

Essential workers, cross-border workers, and people living with health-care workers, care providers and first responders are also now to be tested as soon as possible if they develop symptoms.

The guidelines also say people who need to be in frequent contact with the health system, including cancer patients, people undergoing dialysis and pregnant women should be tested as soon as they develop symptoms.

10:19 a.m. COVID-19 has been confirmed in more than two dozen people working on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard said.

While an offshore rig might seem like an unlikely place for the virus to show up, workers share close quarters and frequently touch surfaces including handrails that make it difficult to stop the spread, nola.com reported Wednesday.

As of April 8, 26 offshore workers in the Gulf had tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Only seven of the 680 platforms in the Gulf had been affected at that point.

BP is among the companies that has had offshore workers test positive for the coronavirus, said spokesman Jason Ryan. The workers were already onshore when the virus was confirmed, he said, and the platform has since been cleaned and has new crew members on board.

9:56 a.m. Japans state of emergency has been expanded to the whole country from seven prefectures, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday, as the novel coronavirus crisis deepens.

Everyone in Japan needs to reduce their social contacts by 80 percent in order to stem new infections, Abe urged, as the number of cases climbed to nearly 10,000, including 712 on a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo in February.

About 180 people have died of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.

The government needs to take measures to keep the flow of people to minimum before this years Golden Week holidays that start in late April, Yasutoshi Nishimura, the countrys economic minister, told a government meeting.

9:05 a.m. The 2020 RBC Canadian Open has been cancelled. The PGA Tour, Golf Canada and RBC announced the events long-speculated cancellation on Thursday morning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was scheduled for June 8-14 at St. Georges Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

The Canadian Open is the third oldest event on the PGA Tour schedule behind the British Open and U.S. Open.

6:45 a.m.: Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said the online retail giant is developing COVID-19 testing capabilities as a first step toward a system of regular checks on its employees globally.

In an annual letter to shareholders, the billionaire founder outlined other steps the e-commerce giant has taken to curb the coronavirus, from shutting down non-essential services like Amazon Books to overhauling processes at Whole Foods. The next step was regular testing for all staff  including those who showed no symptoms, he said. On Thursday, Bezos said his company had assembled a team comprising scientists, managers and software engineers to build internal testing capacity, and hoped to build its first testing lab soon.

Regular testing on a global scale, across all industries, would both help keep people safe and help get the economy back up and running. For this to work, we as a society would need vastly more testing capacity than is currently available, Bezos said in the letter, which offers a rare window into the thinking of the worlds richest man and his plans for the company he founded.

6:28 a.m.: The head of the World Health Organizations European office is hailing a show of support, including some commitments from around the world, for the U.N. health agency after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a halt to funding for it.

Amid an increasingly fraught financial situation for the WHO as it battles the coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Hans Kluge said: We have been overwhelmed by the support of European countries.

In an online briefing, the WHOs regional director for Europe credited the United States for its historic support for the agency. The U.S. is WHOs top donor, contributing between $400 million to $500 million annually in recent years. Trump on Tuesday ordered a temporary halt to U.S. funding pending a review of its alleged missteps in managing and responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

We are looking at the finance situation. Some commitments have come in, Kluge said, without elaborating. But for the time, were in the midst of the crisis. So what we focus on is to save lives.

The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region, Kluge said, noting that case numbers are still rising  and have doubled to nearly 1 million over the last 10 days.

He said the WHOs European region is facing about 50 per cent of the global burden of COVID-19.

6:19 a.m.: More than 1 million coronavirus tests will be rolled out starting next week in Africa to address the big gap in assessing the true number of cases on the continent, the head of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Maybe 15 million tests will be required in Africa over the next three months, John Nkengasong said.

Africa has suffered in the global race to obtain testing kits and other badly needed medical equipment. While the number of virus cases across the continent was above 17,000 on Thursday, health officials have said the testing shortage means more are out there.

South Africa, the most assertive African nation in testing, has carried out perhaps 80,000 tests so far, Nkengasong said.

5:59 a.m.: China is refuting allegations that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian cited the head of the World Health Organization and other unidentified medical experts as saying there was no evidence that transmission began from the lab and there was no scientific basis for such claims.

We always believe that this is a scientific issue and requires the professional assessment of scientists and medical experts, Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday.

Only with reasonable response can the international community win this fight, Zhao said. China will continue to work together with other countries to help and support each other.

China has also strongly denied claims it delayed reporting on the virus outbreak in Wuhan late last year and underreported case numbers, worsening the impact on the U.S. and other countries. The virus is widely believed to have originated with bats and have passed via another animal species to humans at a wildlife and seafood market in Wuhan, although a firm determination has yet to be made.

Allegations about a leak of the virus from the lab have been made in the U.S. media without direct evidence, and President Donald Trump has vowed to suspend funding for the World Health Organization, partly because of what he claims is its pro-China bias.

5:52 a.m.: Vietnam is donating 200,000 domestically made medical masks to the U.S., which has seen deaths from the novel coronavirus top 30,000.

The masks are worth at least $100,000, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an email statement. The gift to the U.S., Vietnams largest single export market, follows similar mask donations to other countries, including Russia, France, Italy and Cambodia. Vietnam delivered 450,000 medical protective suits made by DuPont Inc.s Haiphong facility to Dallas, Texas earlier this month.

The mask give-aways come as Vietnams garment industry shifts from making shirts and skirts to medical protective gear as the virus spread has led to slowing orders from the U.S. and Europe.

5:21 a.m.: Cameroons main opposition leader said he wants a top court to declare a power vacuum because President Paul Biya hasnt addressed the coronavirus crisis in the country.

Africas second-longest serving president has been criticized on social media for his silence amid the rapid spread of the disease. Cameroon diagnosed the first case of the coronavirus on March 6 and is now among the most affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with 855 patients. The 87-year-old was last seen on March 11 after receiving the U.S. ambassador.

In the face of the unprecedented political situation in which our country finds itself, characterized by the prolonged and unexplained absence of the head of state, I have decided to act, opposition leader Maurice Kamto said on his Facebook page Wednesday. Kamto called on the speaker of parliament to seize the Constitutional Court.

Known for his secretive leadership style and his frequent, months-long stays in Switzerland, Biyas silence has also fueled widespread speculation about his health.

5:10 a.m.: President Donald Trump is expected to announce new guidelines Thursday, allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work.

On Wednesday, industry executives cautioned Trump that the return to normalcy will be anything but swift.

The new guidelines, expected to be announced Thursday, are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.

4:57 a.m.: The British government is set to extend a nationwide lockdown for several more weeks, as health officials say the coronavirus outbreak in the country is peaking.

Authorities are expected to announce an extension of restrictions on movement and business activity after a meeting Thursday of the governments crisis committee, COBRA.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it is too early to make a change to the lockdown introduced on March 23 in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

But as other European countries cautiously ease their measures, U.K. authorities face pressure to explain when and how the country will reopen.

As of Wednesday, 12,868 people had died in U.K. hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus. The figure does not include deaths in nursing homes and other settings.

4:57 a.m.: The coronavirus outbreak is set to wipe out more than $10 billion from Indonesias tourism revenue this year as leisure travel comes to a near complete halt, the government said Thursday.

The country is preparing stimulus packages for the industry and a safety net for workers to blunt the impact, President Joko Widodo said at a cabinet meeting Thursday. He predicted a leisure travel boom for next year after the pandemic is over, urging the industry to prepare for that opportunity.

The number of foreign tourists is expected to fall to 5 million this year from last years more than 16 million as countries impose travel restrictions to stop the spread of the deadly disease.

Economic stimulus for businesses in the tourism and creative industry must be prepared so they can survive and dont resort to large-scale layoffs, Widodo said. I am confident that this will only last through the end of this year and by next year there will be a boom in tourism.

Indonesia may see a peak of virus infections next month with total cases reaching 106,000 by July, according to Wiku Adisasmito, an official at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Everyone wants to get out, everyone wants to enjoy the beauty that is in the regions that have tourism, Widodo said Thursday. Dont let us get caught up in pessimism.

4:43 a.m.: Business leaders across industries in South Africa are following President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet in taking about a third of their pay for the next three months and donating the money to a government fund to fight the coronavirus, Bloomberg reports.

For Rob Shuter, the chief executive officer of Africas largest mobile-phone company MTN Group Ltd., that will mean a donation of about 1.43 million rand ($77,000), based on his basic annual pay last year of 17.3 million rand. Alan Pullinger, the CEO of the continents most valuable bank, FirstRand Ltd., will be giving away more than 730,000 rand.

4:37 a.m.: Denmark is resuming citizenship ceremonies after temporarily suspending a handshake requirement with mayors due concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the government said Thursday.

The government had halted naturalization ceremonies following advice from health authorities, leaving 2,700 applicants in limbo. The handshake requirement, which was introduced by the previous government, has been criticized for targeting immigrants whose religious beliefs prevent them from touching members of the opposite sex.

The Social Democrat-led government plans to reinstate the handshake requirement as soon as health authorities advise that it no longer poses a health threat.

4:10 a.m.: Security personnel in Nigeria have killed at least 18 people enforcing restrictions introduced to slow the spread of coronavirus, ThisDay reported, citing a report by the National Human Rights Commission.

Whereas COVID-19 has led to the death of about 11 patients to date, law-enforcement agents have extra-judicially executed 18 persons to enforce the regulations, the Lagos-based newspaper said, citing NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu. The Nigerian prison service and police force were responsible for 15 of the killings that happened between March 30 and April 13, with 12 of the total taking place in the northern state of Kaduna, it said.

4:09 a.m.: Singapore officers patrolling the city-state to enforce safe distancing measures have met some nasty response.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said criminal force has been used by recalcitrant citizens against a number of officers on the frontline.

He said an enforcement officer was slapped Wednesday by a man who didnt comply with safe distancing measures, while a volunteer Safe Distancing Ambassador was punched after advising an errant member of the public to wear his mask properly. He wrote in a Facebook post that these were but two cases that the police will investigate.

Masagos warned that such behaviour was unacceptable and that action would be taken against these individuals. He said authorities have set up a mobile app for members of the public to flag instances of such misbehaviour and send other feedback on the safe distancing measures.

Enforcement officers were Thursday given special passes and red armbands for the public to identify them.

Singapore has reported 1,167 new coronavirus cases in the past three days to take its tally to 3,699, with 10 deaths. Most of the new cases are linked to foreign workers living in cramped dormitories, who now account for about half of total infections.

The city-state of under six million people has imposed a partial lockdown until May 4 and made it mandatory for people to wear masks outside their homes.

4:01 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce today more financial help for small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought much of Canadas economy to a standstill.

Its likely to involve some changes to the eligibility rules for the Canada Emergency Business Account program that banks and credit unions began delivering last week.

Under the program, the federal government is backing interest-free loans of up to $40,000 for businesses with annual payrolls between $50,000 and $1 million.

One-quarter of each loan will be forgivable if the remainder is paid off by the end of 2022.

Some small and medium-sized businesses with payrolls just under or just over the threshold have complained that theyre not eligible for the loans.

In a motion passed Saturday during an emergency sitting of the House of Commons, the federal government effectively promised to expand the loan program.

3:41 a.m.: South Africas mining industry could lose more than 45,000 jobs during a prolonged nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus, according to the countrys biggest producers.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended a 21-day lockdown by two weeks, keeping most mines mothballed to the end of this month. A prolonged shutdown could curb output by 15%, threatening the viability of marginal operations, the Minerals Council South Africa said.

A longer lockdown period, with lower production and no mechanisms in place to support the industry, could put 10% of the workforce at risk  and this excludes jobs in supplier industries, said the Minerals Council, which represents major producers.

Moreover, producers arent prepared to pay for wages beyond the original 21-day shutdown, which was due to end this week, said Johan Theron, a spokesman for Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. After that, workers will have to make alternative arrangements, such as approaching government agencies for assistance, he said.

While the companies had received government permission to resume partial operations at some mines, police have blocked workers from returning. More than 450,000 mineworkers were sent home when the lockdown started.

2:58 a.m.: Australia is planning a business-as-usual week of Parliament in May in an indication that the country is weathering the pandemic better than the government had feared. Parliaments schedule was scrapped a week into March and a scaled-down assembly has sat on only two days since to pass billions of dollars in emergency economic stimulus measures. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday he will discuss with the opposition and state leaders arranging for lawmakers to return to Canberra for a trial week in May. Obstacles include a shortage of domestic flights and most states demanding interstate travellers quarantine in hotels for two weeks.

Australia has recorded 6,457 cases of COVID-19, mostly infected overseas, but new detections have recently slowed to fewer than 50 a day. The death toll stands at 63 on Thursday with 42 patients in intensive care.

11:15 p.m.: 1,700 WestJet pilots have been laid off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company told the Star Wednesday night. The layoffs are effective on May 1 and June 1, depending on the pilot.

These notifications are in response to the COVID-19 global crisis that is shutting borders, encouraging only essential travel and forcing a dramatic reduction in flying, a spokesperson for the airline said.

Almost three quarters of the airlines fleet has been reduced as a result of such measures, they said.

Issuing layoffs, in response to this crisis, has always been a last resort for WestJet; however, the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry is colossal, and WestJet is making difficult but necessary decisions to right-size our airline to weather the crisis. Read more: WestJet lays off 1,700 pilots amid COVID-19 pandemic

9 p.m.: Dozens of front-line TTC employees at two of the agencys garages staged work stoppages Wednesday over claims management isnt doing enough to protect them from COVID-19.

At least 38 bus drivers at the TTCs Wilson and Queensway divisions refused to go out on shift, according to the agency and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, which represents most TTC employees. Read the Stars Ben Spurrs report: At least 38 TTC bus drivers stop work over COVID-19 fears

7 p.m.: U.S. President Donald Trump is suggesting that travel restrictions along the Canada-U.S. border could be relaxed sooner rather than later.

Trump, during a news conference at the White House, said Canada is doing well in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and that the border shared by the two countries could be among the first to be released.
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Turkish and Russian troops on Wednesday conducted their fourth joint patrol in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish Defense Ministry said in a written statement.

"The fourth joint Turkish-Russian land patrol was conducted today by air and ground vehicles on M4 motorway in Syria's Idlib province, as part of the earlier Turkey-Russia agreement," said the ministry.

Turkey and Russia sealed a deal on March 5 for a temporary cease-fire aiming to calm down escalated tensions between the Syrian government and Turkish troops there.

Russia and Turkey agreed to create a safety corridor 6 km to the north and the south from the strategic M4 highway, which connects Aleppo in northern Syria with Latakia in the northwest.

Moscow and Ankara also agreed on joint patrolling on the highway as part of the efforts to reduce tensions in Idlib.

The agreement came after direct confrontation between Turkey and Syrian forces took place several times in Idlib in early 2020.
A police personnel was killed by



suspected Naxals in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said on Thursday.

The body of assistant constable Ramesh Kursam, bearing injuries marks, was found on the outskirts of Farsegarh village on Thursday morning, a senior police official said.

Kursam, who was posted at Farsegarh police station, was missing since Tuesday evening, he said.

Some locals spotted the body and alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and sent the body for postmortem.

The police personnel was apparently stabbed with sharp-edged weapons, the official said.

A handwritten note of Maoists was recovered from the spot wherein the national park area committee of ultras purportedly claimed responsibility for the killing, while accusing Kursam of harassing local villagers, he said.

"Prima facie, it seems to be the handiwork of Maoists but we are also investigating any personal enmity as the reason behind the killing," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Irans dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision, were not in accordance with the internationally recognized . . . rules of the road or internationally recognized maritime customs, and were not in accordance with the obligation under international law to act with due regard for the safety of other vessels in the area, the statement said.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has helped lead Democrats' efforts to attach aid to hospitals and local governments to a bill adding funding for a popular small-business loan program. (Molly Riley / Associated Press)

As hard to believe as it may be, Republicans and Democrats couldn't agree Thursday to a deal to pump more money into the new Paycheck Protection Program, which doled out $350 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses in less than two weeks. So the program will go dark, most likely until next week, despite the enormous demand from companies struggling to keep their payrolls intact during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Naturally, the finger-pointing got underway immediately:

National Democrats hate small business. https://t.co/V6miR0mT7h  Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) April 16, 2020

FACTS:

Democrats strongly support #PaycheckProtectionProgram & #EIDL & increased $$$ to help #smallbiz.

Trump Admin claims #PPP is out of $$$, but vast majority of approved business have yet to see a dime.

Dems want to enhance #PPP & increase $$$, but Sen McConnell says no  Senator Jack Reed (@SenJackReed) April 16, 2020

This reminds me of the blame-slinging whenever there's a government shutdown. One side accuses the other of obstructionism; the other says the first side is intransigent. The public almost always blames the side that triggered the shutdown by refusing to vote for the deal on the table, regardless of whether the other side is acting in good faith.

Story continues

Here, the deal offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is simply to pour $250 billion more into the PPP, a good program in concept that got off to a rough start and has some fundamental flaws. Most notably, banks have an incentive to extend the loans just to companies with whom they already do business, which skews the aid toward large and more established firms.

Democrats have pushed to improve the program instead of simply throwing more money at it, and that makes sense. But they've also demanded that the bill address other major needs, providing billions of dollars for hospitals, food aid and pandemic-ravaged state and local governments.

I don't blame them for latching on to the only piece of legislation that's guaranteed to get through Congress right away. The combination of the PPP's popularity and its dire budget straits gave Democrats some leverage. And it's not as if Republicans have been concerned about deficit spending; there is broad bipartisan support for the government trying to replace some of the spending that has evaporated in the private sector.

But this one feels like an overreach. Holding out for improvements in the PPP program to make sure its loans get to all the small employers it was designed to help makes sense. Taking the PPP hostage to help other needy programs, even if they're desperate for help, seems like a power play unsuited for the moment.

I know, I know  part of the blame here lies squarely at McConnell's feet, given his refusal to let the Senate legislate. Even now, with so many problems that Congress should be addressing, the majority leader has continued to insist that lawmakers wait and watch how the last big stimulus bill (the $2.2-trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which created the PPP) plays out. And with lawmakers largely confined to their homes, the only way bills can move is through unanimous consent, which even the bipartisan CARES Act couldn't muster.

Yet the public frowns on pols who hold up federal dollars in pursuit of larger agendas, and rightly so. The funding problems at hospitals and state and local governments are real, and Republicans can't ignore them. But the PPP was helping thousands of businesses, and it's not helping anyone now. Lawmakers should focus on fixing the program's flaws and refilling its tank, then get back to work on the next set of issues and the next piece of must-pass legislation.
A Texas judge said he was inclined to agree that the state should be required to allow voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic as an alternative to voting in person.

Travis County District Judge Tim Sulak on Wednesday appeared to accept a Texas Democratic Party lawyers argument that voters faced two bad choices  disenfranchisement or disease  unless they are allowed to submit mail-in ballots in upcoming elections. The judge didnt immediately issue a final ruling.

Texas has sharp restrictions on who is eligible to vote by mail, allowing mail-in ballots only for people over age 65, people who are incarcerated but not yet convicted, residents who are outside the country, or those who are sick or disabled.

At the same time, the state has issued a statewide stay-at-home order to curb the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises Americans to avoid large gatherings, and several states have postponed elections.

Texas Democrats filed a lawsuit last month seeking to clarify state elections law. The partys lawyer, Chad Dunn, argued in court Wednesday that the state legislature did not write the vote-by-mail restrictions with the expectation they would force voters to face dire risks in a public health crisis.

It cannot be the situation  and is not the fact  that the Texas legislature provided a situation that in a pandemic circumstance the right to vote is in conflict with public health, Dunn said.

State Attorney General Ken Paxton said the laws provision allowing mail voting for those with a disability was not meant for voters who want to avoid traveling into a pandemic.

Mail ballots based on disability are specifically reserved for those who are physically ill and cannot vote in-person as a result, Paxton said in a statement. Fear of contracting COVID-19 does not amount to a sickness or physical condition as required by...

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A new study shows that using mathematical modeling and accounting for several factors such as age distribution and density of the population, a clearer picture of COVID-19 infection in a population could be gained.

The study titled, "Level of under-reporting including under-diagnosis before the first peak of COVID-19 in various countries: Preliminary Retrospective Results Based on Wavelets and Deterministic Modeling," is published as an accepted manuscript in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Study - Level of under-reporting including under-diagnosis before the first peak of COVID-19 in various countries: Preliminary Retrospective Results Based on Wavelets and Deterministic Modeling. Image Credit: Travelerpix / Shutterstock

What was this study about?

COVID-19 pandemic has reached massive proportions across the world, with over 2 million reported cases and tens of thousands of deaths across the world. There is a global problem of underreporting experts. According to the developers of this new model, a more realistic picture of the viral infection in a community could be obtained despite under-reporting.

Dr. Arni S.R. Srinivasa Rao, director of the Laboratory for Theory and Mathematical Modeling in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, explained, "Actual pandemic preparedness depends on true cases in the population whether or not they have been identified. With better numbers, we can better assess how long the virus will persist and how bad it will get. Without these numbers, how can health care systems and workers prepare for what is needed?"

The study was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Steven G. Krantz, professor of mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Rao, also the corresponding author of the study, said, "We wanted to provide info on the real magnitude of the problem, not just the tip of the iceberg."

What did the researchers do?

The team used their mathematical model with data on the number of persons infected with COVID-19. The numbers were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO). They also included other factors such as the density of the population, the proportion of the population that is living in the urban regions, and in close proximity with each other. The third factor they considered was three age groups of the population, including less than 14 years, 15 to 64 years and over 65 years. In addition, the team also assessed the number of new cases ten after the first peak was reached.

Rao explained that because the rate of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 is very high, this model helped them to calculate the "transmission probability." They also included other factors such as the evidence regarding the time the virus survives on different surfaces and in the air. This can further aid the model to sharpen its predictions, explained Rao. For this study, the team looked at data from WHO gathered up to 9th March 2020.

What did they find?

Italy

Italy was one of the first and worst affected nations with overwhelmed intensive care units and a large number of cases as well as deaths. The deaths among healthcare workers there are also among the highest.

The researchers explained that Italy is a small European nation and the fifth most densely populated nation in Europe. A large part of the population lives in urban areas and thus lives within close proximity to each other. Because the virus is highly infectious, the presence of the people living and working close to each other is, therefore, one of the significant contributors to the country's high infection rate.

From the WHO records, the team found that initially, Italy did a comparatively good job of reporting early on, with 1 case reported for every four cases that Rao and Krantz projected. Up until 9th March, there were 30,223 cases that were not reported, they wrote. They added that 9th March was not the peak for the COVID-19 cases in Italy, and still, many cases were reported after that.

South Korea

South Korea was one of the nations that had the highest reported cases and were testing more than any other country. The team found that South Korea was also reporting an average of one in four cases of likely COVID-19.

Spain

Spain is one of the nations that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Until 19th March, there were over twenty thousand deaths in the country, and the peak rise in active cases was 27 percent. The model predicted that Spain was reporting only 1 case out of 53 cases that were active COVID-19. If this was used to calculate the estimated number of actual cases, Rao explained that it would come to 87,405 cases that were not reported.

China

China has been accused of underreporting COVID-19 cases. This mathematical model found that one in 149 active cases was reported. Another range suggested that only one on 1,104 cases was being reported in China. This ranges between 12 to 89 million cases that went unreported from China speculate the researchers.

The United States

The viral spread in the United States was much higher after 9th March, and thus the number of unreported cases could not be predicted at the time of this study. Rao said that by 9th March, there were 500 cases in the United States, and the model predicted the actual number of cases to be 90,000. They predicted that by 6th April, there would be 561,000 cases, and of these, only 367,000 cases would be reported. There is a prediction of 8,910 deaths by 6th April, says the model. The team calculated that the U.S. is reporting 2 out of 3 cases of COVID-19. Rao explained that 194,000 unreported cases include 3,298 children aged below 14 years, 147,441 aged between 15 and 64 years, and 43,262 aged 65 years and over. These individuals, he added, do not know that they are COVID-19 positive and are not self-isolating and maintaining social distancing. This could mean that they would spread the infection among large populations.

Conclusions and implications

Rao said in his statement, "A model tells us something which has not been directly observed. It's a biological experiment done on computers rather than in a lab." He said that this could be used for several diseases, including non-infectious ones such as heart disease. He called for social distancing among the people with the widespread underreporting that has been revealed. He said, "Social distancing is a must, must, must."
The practice of quarantining new prisoners at Cork Prison for 14 days was clarified today following concerns expressed by a District Judge that the protocol might be unconstitutional.

On Wednesday, several prisoners had been due to appear by video link at Cork District Court from Cork Prison and the judge was told that since last week new prisoners were being put in 14 days of isolation.

Judge Olann Kelleher was concerned this might infringe their rights to appear in court within one week of their first remand in custody. Prison authorities have since clarified the position.

At the end of todays sitting of the court Sergeant John Kelleher said: I have been made aware there is a difference between quarantine and isolation.

"When a prisoner first goes into prison he is in quarantine for two weeks. This does not stop him appearing by video link from prison or in person in court.

Judge Olann Kelleher said: There was a misunderstanding yesterday.

Sgt. Kelleher said it had been clarified that quarantining did not interfere with a prisoners right to appear in court. It is a different matter if they are in isolation due to Covid-19, Sgt. Kelleher said.

The judge said a prisoner not appearing because of isolation due to Covid-19 was like the situation that occurred when a prisoner could not appear in court due to any other illness.

The judge added: That is perfect, I am glad that it has been clarified.

The confusion arose at Cork Prison where prisoners being quarantined were described as being in isolation and were not being brought to the video room in the prison for their appearances at Cork District Court.

It is understood that the practice of quarantining new prisoners is precautionary and is being done in respect of all prisoners arriving at the prison.

On Wednesday there were about seven cases where a prisoner due to appear by video link was unavailable to appear.

It has now transpired being in quarantine should not have been an obstacle to appearing and further, if a quarantined prisoner made his court appearance by video link it would not affect the 14-day duration of quarantine.

If he appeared in person in court and later returned to Cork Prison this would see his 14-day quarantine recommence from Day 1.
Chennai, April 16 : The human beings are not like buildings and other lifeless structures to be sprayed with disinfectants as a protection against coronavirus as it may result in other complications like skin, eye irritants, said a senior health official.

The Tamil Nadu government has decided against the installation of disinfectant tunnels in the state as its efficacy is not proven but may result in other complications.

The District Collectors have been asked to refrain from permitting such tunnels.

Incidentally it was in Tamil Nadu, the first disinfectant tunnel was set up at the hosiery town Tiruppur at a vegetable market.

"The disinfectant tunnel may not disinfect a person of coronavirus. The best way to prevent the virus spread in maintaining social distance, washing hands with soap regularly. If a person is infected with coronavirus, then the virus cannot be killed by external disinfectants," the health official told IANS preferring anonymity.

According to him, the disinfectant also poses the risk of resulting in skin allergies, eye irritation and other unwanted problems at this critical hour.

"Tunnels may look fancy. There is an ocean of difference between having a bath in a village well and in a swimming pool. In a village well one can swim for hours but in a swimming pool it is not so. Further, after a session in the swimming pool one has to take a bath. The disinfectant tunnel is like the swimming pool," he said.

He also wondered, what if large number of persons turn uncomfortable and want to wash themselves immediately.

"Prevention is better than cure," he added.

The Tamil Nadu government was advised by an expert committee that there is no sufficient proof that disinfectant tunnel sprayers kill the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, many other states have started installing such tunnels at places frequented by large number of people.

"In Tamil Nadu technically speaking such disinfectant tunnels cannot be set up," the official added.

The chemicals used in the tunnel include Sodium/Calcium Hypochlorite or Hydrogen peroxide.
Addis Ababa claims that Egypt is an intransigent country that refuses to allow Ethiopia to exploit its own water resources and build dams with the aim of achieving development and generating electricity for the poor Ethiopian population deprived of services. Furthermore, Ethiopia claims that under the previous regime, relations between the countries witnessed a lack of cooperation, provoking internal unrest, while the truth is that Ethiopia realised great gains during this period, as Egypt turned a blind eye to the construction of the Tekeze Dam on Atbara River, in addition to the construction of the Tana Belestunnel on the Blue Nile in order to generate electricity and cultivate vast areas of Ethiopian lands. Egypt also agreed that the Nile Basin Initiative would fund feasibility studies of four major Ethiopian dams on the Blue Nile (Karadobi, Beko-Abo, Mandaya and Border) with a total capacity of 140 billion cubic metres, or nearly three times the annual yield of the Blue Nile, in order to expand agricultural land by about one million feddans.

In 2008, Egypt agreed that the World Bank would fund the feasibility study of Border Dam with an estimated capacity of 14 billion cubic metres. It is worth noting that after the Egyptian revolution in January 2011, Border Dam was replaced by GERD (the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) after increasing its capacity to 74 billion cubic metres, and Ethiopia undertook unilaterally the design and construction of GERD without notifying downstream countries or consulting them about its negative impacts and risks.



This Ethiopian behaviour towards Egypt in regard to GERD has been always characterised by seizing opportunities and evading any obligations imposed by international law, while no other country in the world pursued this approach except Turkey by building the Ataturk Dam during the period of Iraqs preoccupation with its war with Iran, a dam that deprives Syria and Iraq of most of their historical water share. Similarly, Ethiopia took advantage of turmoil and internal struggles in Egypt amid the 2011 revolution and laid the foundation stone of GERD, announcing the beginning of its construction even before performing the required studies. In spite of this, Egypt willingly entered negotiations over the dam with Ethiopia and accordingly an International Panel of Experts (IPoE) was formed in order to assess Ethiopian studies of the dam and share the results with the countries immediately concerned (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia). Ethiopia requested that the experts' report be consultative and not binding.



By the end of May 2013, the IPoE issued its final report which stated that there are many important observations to make regarding the constructional design as well as the hydrological, environmental and socio-economic studies of the dam, which should be started over. In order to consider the recommendations of the IPoE, two meetings of the water ministers of the three countries were held during the months of November and December 2013 where both Ethiopia and Sudan agreed that it would be sufficient to form a committee of national experts from the three countries with the aim to supervise the implementation of the IPoEs recommendations, while Egypt called for the participation of international experts in the committee to ensure impartiality. Unfortunately, the two meetings failed to achieve their objectives and Egypt was forced not only to waive its demand, but also to accept the Ethiopian request "not to conduct dam safety studies through the committee." Meetings continued to select an international consultant to conduct the required studies without any results on the ground, even after the three countries signed the Declaration of Principles in March 2015.



In 2016, the three countries agreed to contract two French consultancy firms (according to Ethiopia's desire). The consultant submitted the inception report, but Ethiopia rejected it and suggested to form a scientific committee that comprises academics from the three countries in order to work instead of the consultant! Egypt went along with the Ethiopian request, which intended to exclude the participation of any international experts who might condemn the Ethiopian side for the massive repercussions of GERD on Egypt and Sudan. The scientific committee did not succeed to reach any agreement between the three countries, and Egypt announced the failure of negotiations and resorted to request international mediation. The United States with the World Bank agreed to supervise the negotiations with a view to reaching an agreement concerning the filling of the dam and its operation. Subsequently, serious scientific and technical negotiations took place through several sessions where dam filling and operation rules were agreed upon. However, disagreements emerged on both operational rules and how to settle disputes that may arise during the filling or operation of the dam, as well as the means of coordination and application of the rules agreed upon in this agreement.

The United States and the World Bank drafted a compromise agreement regarding these differences, to be discussed during the last round of negotiations. Egypt initialed the agreement, while Ethiopia was absent from this meeting under false pretences. It then refused to continue negotiations under US and World Bank supervision.

Ethiopian behaviour of assuming absolute sovereignty over its resources, including shared international rivers, is a public policy applied with neighbouring countries Kenya and Somalia, a clear example being the case of the Omo River shared between Ethiopia and Kenya where Ethiopia had constructed a series of dams to generate electricity, cultivate large areas of sugar cane, and build sugar factories without taking into account the interests of Kenya. The Omo River has historically flowed into one of the most beautiful African lakes, Lake Turkana in Kenya, a habitat for rare wild animals and a source of fish wealth, drinking water and agricultural water for local people. The river dried up, which drove its local population to migrate. Similarly, Ethiopia built a series of dams on the Ganale Dawa River, which is the source of the Juba River that flows into Somalia and into the Indian Ocean, causing great problems for the citizens of Somalia, taking advantage of instability in this sister country.



In recent weeks, Ethiopia revealed its true direction after nine years of fruitless negotiations by declaring that any upcoming discussions should include allocating an Ethiopian water share from the Blue Nile, through the application of the rules stipulated in the Cooperation Framework Agreement, which is also called the Entebbe Agreement, neglecting the fact that both Egypt and Sudan are not part of this agreement and have concerns about it. Furthermore, Ethiopia has no hydrological relationship (from far or near) with the countries of the Equatorial plateau.



Last, but not least, Ethiopia recently announced the reduction of the number of turbines in the GERD to 13 instead of 16, so that the capacity of the power station is less than 5,000 megawatts, thus reducing the maximum water discharge of the dam by about 20 percent, which will have negative impacts on Egypt and Sudan. It is worth noting that this new power capacity could have been produced through the construction of a smaller dam of no more than two-thirds of the current dam's capacity, which confirms that the real goal is to build the largest possible dam to block water from Egypt until it has to agree to a compulsory water share for Ethiopia.



After all the previously mentioned encounters, and after the fact that Ethiopia has unilaterally announced that it will start filling GERD this coming July, what guarantees does Egypt have as to the seriousness of any further negotiations with Ethiopia?

The writer is former minister of water resources and irrigation and professor of water resources in the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University.

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Colleges and universities across Pennsylvania are making alternate plans for commencement for the class of 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced colleges and universities to rethink how they will celebrate commencement this year. Some schools plan to hold virtual ceremonies to confer degrees then hold formal ceremonies at a later date  in the summer or fall or in at least one case, next year.

And, many have already made the move for summer 2020 classes to be all online.

Here is a roundup of what we have found.

Allegheny College

Commencement will be held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 25.

Alvernia College

The school is making arrangements for commencement to be held in December 2020.

Bucknell University

Commencement will be held at 9 a.m. July 19. If an adjustment is needed, that information will be made available no later than June 5.

Cabrini University

Degrees will be conferred during a virtual ceremony on May 17. Commencement ceremonies will be held Aug. 8.

Carlow University

Commencement will be held at noon Dec. 20 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. Baccalaureate Mass is at 10 a.m. on Dec. 19 at St. Paul Cathedral.

Carnegie Mellon University

Planning an online conferring of degrees at the end of the semester. An in-person commencement celebration on campus is being planned in the next academic year.

Cedar Crest College

Commencement will be held on Saturday, Aug. 22 at the PPL Center in Allentown

Central Penn College

Commencement exercises will be held Sept. 12.

Delaware Valley University

We are exploring alternatives and will share details as information becomes available.

Dickinson College

Dickinson is planning a ceremony at another time and planning a virtual way to acknowledge your accomplishments.

The Dickinson College commencement was held in front of Old West on the Dickinson campus, Carlisle, Sunday, May 19, 2019. Karen Attiah is presented with the honorary degree of doctor of journalism. Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLiveVicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive

Duquesne University

A virtual celebration will be held on May 8, the original commencement date. The school is planning an on-campus, in-person commencement celebration in the fall.

Eastern University

Commencement will be held on campus, potentially in late summer or early fall. Degrees will be conferred on May 31.

East Stroudsburg University

Graduates are invited to participate in the December 2020 commencement exercises. Diplomas will be mailed on June 26.

Edinboro University

A commencement ceremony will be held in the fall. A date has not yet been determined.

Elizabethtown College

Considering a ceremony in another format or at a later date as well as holding other traditional events honoring the accomplishments of our students, especially our seniors, and will communicate those updates as soon as details are finalized.

Franklin & Marshall College

Looking at other dates to hold commencement.

Gannon University

Commencement will be held on Oct. 4 in Erie. Graduates also may choose to attend the December commencement ceremony.

Gettysburg College

Planning a ceremony for later in the year, no date yet determined.

HACC

Graduates are invited to participate in the December 2020 ceremony.

The 2019 HACC graduation at Giant Center. May 9, 2019 Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com PENNLIVE.COM

Harrisburg University

An online ceremony will be held on May 7 to award degrees. An in-person ceremony will be held at a later date.

Haverford College

Is looking at alternatives.

Juniata College

Diplomas will be conferred on May 14. Looking at holding a ceremony in late July.

Kutztown University

Will be rescheduled, possibly in the fall.

Lebanon Valley College

Degrees will be conferred on May 9. We will definitely have a traditional celebration at a later date, as well as a virtual celebration for graduates in May.

Lehigh University

A new date for commencement has not been set. A virtual celebration will be held at the end of the academic year.

Marywood University

Commencement is tentatively rescheduled to Aug. 15.

Messiah College

Will hold an in-person ceremony as soon as it is safe for us to do so.

Misericordia University

May graduates will be invited to participate in the December 20, 2020, commencement.

Moravian College

Graduation will be held on Oct. 24 during homecoming weekend.

Penn State University

President Eric Barron said he and his staff will likely try to hold some form or virtual commencement in May with the typical pageantry of a commencement but with names going up on the screen instead. And will hold a broader community celebration later in the year, as the coronavirus restrictions ease.

St. Josephs University

Degrees will be conferred virtually on May 16. An on-campus celebration is being scheduled for the fall.

Seton Hill University

Degrees will be conferred on May 9. An in-person commencement ceremony is being considered for a weekend in August.

Shippensburg University

Is planning a virtual senior week and celebration that will honor your original graduation date.

Susquehanna University

Commencement will be held at 1 p.m. Aug. 9 in the field house

Temple University

Degrees will be awarded on May 7. The university is exploring alternatives for commencement.

University of Pennsylvania

A virtual celebration will be held on May 18. Plans are in the works for a campus ceremony.

University of Pittsburgh

An online event will be held at 11:30 a.m. April 26. An in-person ceremony will be held at a later day.

University of Scranton

Commencement is May 30-31. If that needs to be canceled, then commencement will be held Oct. 24-25. Students will be notified by May 11.

Villanova University

At 4:30 p.m. May 15 degrees will be conferred during a live-streamed event. Dates are being explored for a future in-person ceremony.

Washington & Jefferson College

Commencement and baccalaureate will be held July 31-Aug. 1.

West Chester University

The university is looking at future dates and will notify students 45 days in advance.

Widener University

Commencement has been scheduled for next year  May 15, 2021, at The Mann Center.

Wilson College

Degrees will be conferred during a digital ceremony on May 17. Commencement ceremonies will be held Oct. 25.

York College

Plans are being made for a future, in-person commencement ceremony.

The Penn State Harrisburg Spring 2018 Commencement was held at The Giant Center, Hershey, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive HAR

MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS ON PENNLIVE

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The mission will assist in the mine-clearance, preparation for the local elections and provision of free access to the humanitarian organizations

Open source

The European Parliament offers to create the international peacekeeping mission at the Russian-Ukrainian border as Radio Liberty reported citing the draft report.

The draft report condemns the actions of Russia in the countries of the Eastern Partnership  Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, including destabilization, invasion and annexation.

The document also offers to create extended international peacekeeping forces along the Ukrainian and Russia border which should hold a mission headed by the EU on the provision of the aid in such tasks as mine-clearance, assistance in the preparation for the local elections and provision of free access to the organizations of the humanitarian aid.

Earlier, France stated its readiness to send its peacekeeping forces to Donbas as part of a UN mission if it is necessary.

As we reported, the European Parliament offers to create a single economic space with the Eastern Partnership states.
Oil War And Peace: A Russian-Saudi Standoff Is Over -- At What Cost To The Kremlin?

By Todd Prince April 15, 2020

When the alliance of oil-producing countries known as OPEC+ reached a deal to slash crude-oil output by a historic amount, it staved off a further collapse in the price of Russia's main export commodity.

The April 12 agreement requires Russia to cut crude-oil production by nearly one-quarter in May and June, a much deeper reduction than the one Moscow rejected when Saudi Arabia proposed it in early March. And the showdown may come at a steep long-term cost for the Kremlin, harming a relationship with Riyadh that had been budding after careful cultivation.

President Vladimir Putin has been wooing Saudi Arabia for years as part of efforts to expand Russia's influence in the energy-rich Middle East, where the United States has been the dominant outside arbitrator since the Cold War.

The first-ever visit to Russia by a Saudi king, in 2017, followed a historic agreement by Moscow a year earlier to join Riyadh in output cuts under the new OPEC+ umbrella -- and seemed to underscore the Kremlin's new clout in a region where its profile had been lowered considerably in the wake of the Soviet collapse of 1991.

Last October, Putin made his first trip to Saudi Arabia since 2007 as their countries -- two of the top three oil producers on the planet -- toasted their partnership in OPEC+ and agreed on investment deals.

'Fully Devoid Of Truth'

That picture has been badly clouded by the standoff that started when the two nations failed to reach an agreement on oil-output cuts.

With the coronavirus already depressing global demand, Saudi Arabia came to a March 6 meeting of OPEC+ in Vienna with a proposal to reduce output by 1.5 million barrels per day -- and Russia rejected it.

As Moscow and Riyadh publicly exchanged accusations over who was to blame, global oil prices tumbled.

The worsening COVID-19 crisis closed borders and drastically reduced travel and industrial activity, putting huge amounts of downward pressure on the demand for energy.

Six months after he was feted in Riyadh, Putin was reprimanded by the Saudi foreign minister, who said a statement in which he pointed the finger at Saudi Arabia was "fully devoid of truth."

Fair-Weather Friends?

"I think this crisis was a litmus test for Russian-Saudi relations -- it proved this relationship is transactional rather than strategic," Rauf Mammadov, an energy analyst focusing on the former Soviet Union at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told RFE/RL.

"The nature of a partnership is revealed during crisis times and this showed that there are huge flaws" in the two countries' understanding of one another, Mammadov said.

In 2015, Russia -- hit by Western sanctions that were imposed over its seizure of Crimea, and which have curtailed foreign investment -- signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia that foresaw Riyadh investing $10 billion into the former Soviet republic.

However, only about a quarter has been invested so far  a fact that had rankled the Kremlin.

But if unhappiness over investment flows was one reason for Russia's decision to reject the Saudi proposal, Riyadh may have fired back soon after the showdown in Vienna.

Days after the rancorous March 6 meeting, Russian media reported that a deal between the Russian Direct Investment Fund, a state-owned investment vehicle, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) to acquire a nearly 31 percent stake in a Russian oil services company had been put on hold.

As it reportedly turned away from Russia, PIF bought stock in four of the European Union's top energy companies -- Equinor ASA, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Total SA and Eni SpA -- worth about $1 billion over the past month.

Meanwhile, Igor Sechin, an influential Putin ally who heads state oil giant Rosneft and who Russian media reported was behind the Kremlin's decision to break with Riyadh at the OPEC+ meeting, later said the alliance had lost its significance as the United States and other countries raised output to counter its cuts.

Murky Motives

The motives behind Russia's move are murky, though, and may have been multiple. Some analysts said Moscow was out to punish the U.S. shale-oil industry, while others said that Russia's coordination with OPEC+ may have been undermined by different aims more broadly, beyond energy markets.

James Phillips, a Saudi Arabia analyst at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, said the nations' common goal of higher oil prices -- a result of their heavy reliance on the commodity to fill their budgets -- contrasts sharply with their divergent foreign-policy interests and makes it difficult for them to cooperate.

"It was an arms-length relationship to begin with, based on shared economic interests but clashing foreign-policy interests, so I think it will be difficult for either side to closely cooperate with the other," Phillips told RFE/RL. "They will continue on in kind of a cold, transactional relationship."

Riyadh and Moscow back opposite sides in the war in Syria, while the Kremlin continues to support the government in Iran, a political and religious adversary of Saudi Arabia.

A day after Russia rejected its March 6 proposal, Saudi Arabia unexpectedly announced it would significantly ramp up oil output in April by more than 2 million barrels a day even as the coronavirus caused demand to drop.

The aggressive move -- which caused the largest one-day decline in oil prices in nearly three decades -- was viewed as Riyadh's attempt to get the Kremlin back to the negotiating table.

Winners, Losers

Moscow didn't take the bait and stood its ground at the time, boasting it could withstand lower oil prices longer than Riyadh on account of its higher foreign currency reserves and the lower price it needed for its budget to break even.

However, analysts say no one could have anticipated the demand destruction just around the corner caused by the coronavirus that would send Russia's crude blend Urals to as low as $10 a barrel in some parts of Europe.

Russia needs a Urals oil price in the low $40s to balance its budget, according to the BCS Brokerage.

Moscow was forced back to the table with Riyadh to discuss historic production cuts, analysts said, raising questions of whether Putin miscalculated.

Konstantin Sonin, a Russian economist and professor at the University of Chicago, told RFE/RL that, even if Moscow had agreed to the initial Saudi proposal, it would not have avoided the eventual price decline brought on by the coronavirus-driven collapse in demand weeks later or the need to agree again on new output cuts.

Nonetheless, Sechin's name in Russia will inevitably be tied to the events due to his perceived prominent role in scuttling the agreement with Saudi Arabia, he said.

"Sechin will be blamed for this anyway, because in bad times people like to find scapegoats," Sonin said. But he added that this would not hurt Sechin's standing with Putin, calling the Russian president "extremely loyal" to such allies.

If Russia was eager to get back to talks, so too were the Saudis, who were facing the prospect of having no buyers for their increased output, said Ellen Wald, president of U.S.-based Transversal Consulting and a specialist on Saudi Arabia.

"If they had not agreed to cut production when they did, then [the Saudis] would have looked very stupid if they had filled all these tankers and they were just sitting there with nowhere to go," Wald told RFE/RL.

Saudi Arabia's actions may have also damaged its strategic relationship with the United States, said Phillips. Six U.S. senators, mainly from oil-producing states, called for cutting American support for Riyadh if it did not reduce oil production.

There was almost no such talk about Russia by senators, and Putin may be hoping that the agreement to end the price war  which U.S. President Donald Trump pressed hard for and helped broker  could provide a platform for an improvement in ties with the United States.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-saudi-standoff-oil-war- peace-kremlin-cost/30557642.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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By Trend

Amid the current situation, the issue of imposing curfew after April 20 is not discussed in Azerbaijan, Ibrahim Mammadov, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, said.

Mammadov made the remark in Baku at the press-conference on April 15, Trend reports.

The Interior Ministry recommended the citizens not to go out at night, the spokesman said.

"Having a work permit, some people go out at night after returning from work, Mammadov said. It is recommended for people not to abuse official permission and not to leave the houses unless there is an urgent need."

At the same time, it is wrong to consider the recommendation of the Interior Ministry as a curfew, he added.

The movement restriction has been imposed in the country within a special quarantine regime which is used to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan has made such a decision in connection with the movement restriction in the country from 00:00 (GMT+4) April 5, 2020 to 00:00 April 20, 2020 to protect life and health of the population, ensure uninterrupted operation of state structures and life support facilities, as well as activity of economic entities in the current situation at the appropriate level.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Shoe designer John Fluevog will release a Dr. Bonnie Henry-inspired heel in support of the fight against COVID-19.

The Dr. Henry shoes, two-tone pink Mary Janes, were designed with the blessing of British Columbias chief provincial health officer, according to a release put out by Fluevog on Wednesday night.

It says 100 per cent of the proceeds from the limited edition presale will support Food Banks BC. The company began in Vancouver.

At times like these, were so fortunate to have someone who is calm and comforting but direct, and positive and realistic, informing and educating us day to day, said Fluevog, a self-proclaimed admirer of Henrys.

To hear about and see that our admiration for Dr. Henry was mutual was just a beautiful cherry on top of an already great idea sundae.

The presale is to begin later this month. The light and dark pink leather heels also feature some of her wisest words stamped on the bottom: to be kind, be calm, and be safe.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Seventy students graduating this year from St. Josephs College of Nursing in Syracuse didnt get a chance to celebrate with a graduation ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But today, they got a surprise and a thank you after their last day of clinical classes.

Faculty, hospital workers and parents gathered to clap and cheer as the seniors walked out of classes in an informal celebration, complete with graduation marching music.

Everyone tried their best to maintain a 6-foot distance apart, but sometimes the emotion of the moment got the best of the students.

The Onondaga County Sheriffs Office, Syracuse Police Department and AMR ambulance company also joined in. The ceremony was organized by a parent of a student.

The students will become registered nurses once they pass their boards. Most will work at St. Josephs hospital.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

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Cuomo extends closure of schools, nonessential businesses into May

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

Coronavirus survivor donates blood to give Syracuse patient second chance

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com
(Photo : VIDO-InterVac on Reuters) Chinese Lab Coronavirus Theory: Virus Intentionally Created But Accidentally Released Says Report (Photo : ALY SONG on Reuters) Chinese Lab Coronavirus Theory: Virus Intentionally Created But Accidentally Released Says Report

Where does Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 come from? The United States of America (USA) has recently found an interesting theory of the real origin of the deadly virus.

Report of Fox News allegedly reveals that a particular lab in Wuhan, China was the first one to create the virus. Unfortunately, Patient Zero-- which was the first person to acquire Coronavirus-- turned out to be working on the same lab and started the spread in the region and the whole world. The U.S. now demands accountability from China.

U.S. demands an explanation from China after revealed Chinese lab COVID-19 theory

As first reported via Fox News, the Secretary of U.S. State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, Apr. 15, the country is now demanding China to 'come clean' and account for their real connection with the spread of the virus.

It turns out that China seemed to be the ones that created the virus, after all. Fox News revealed that SARS-CoV-2 initially came from a bat. However, a particular Chinese lab in Wuhan called Wuhan Institute of Virology allegedly studied to recreate the virus. Interestingly, Patient Zero-- which was the first case of Coronavirus in the world-- worked on the same lab and possibly got expose to the virus, resulting in him to spread out the virus, causing a pandemic unintentionally.

The news agency even called the Coronavirus outbreak as China's "costliest government cover up of all time."

Report: China's creation of the virus is not for bioweapon but only to compete with the U.S.

Unlike the original theories that China may have intentionally released the virus to be used as a bioweapon against rival countries, Fox News reiterated that the country did not aim to use the virus for this purpose.

It was found that China might create the deadly virus to compete against America's combating skills with viruses-- for them to be "equal or more than the U.S."

Associated Press also reported that China didn't warn the public about the virus within the first six days of its spread. Experts claim that if only the country announced the pandemic early in time, more lives would be saved during the first week.

"This is tremendous," said Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. "If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients, and medical facilities would have been sufficient. We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhan's medical system."

U.S. wants China's explanation now!

As said, the U.S. State is now looking for an explanation from China regarding these allegations.

"The Chinese government needs to come clean and needs to be accountable," said Pompeo. "It needs to explain what happened and why it is the case that that information wasn't made more broadly available."

Pompeo also mentioned that his counterparts around the world share the same confusion and want China to explain everything regarding the issues.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Taltech Professor Maarja Kruusmaa monitoring the progress of the U-CAT fish-robot interaction experiments at SalMar fish farm. Credit: Taltech

Several hundred thousand salmon swim closely together in fish farms. For at least some time, the fish farmer and the fish have the same goal: to keep the fish healthy, eating and growing. Therefore it is necessary to provide fish with environmental conditions where the stress level is low, parasites do not pose a risk to their health and there is enough food. Stressed and sick fish do not eat or grow or bring profit to the fish farmer.

The Head of TalTech Centre for Biorobotics, Professor Maarja Kruusmaa says, "In order to effectively observe fish in their natural state, a technology is needed, which would enable reaching each nook of the fish farm, where frightened specimens might be hiding, for example. It must be observed whether the feed reaches all the fish or only the more aggressive alpha specimens, whether the fish have parasites or any other health problems, etc."

The behaviour of fish in a fish cage is traditionally investigated by using human divers or underwater robots. Divers' work is expensive and, most importantly, fish are afraid of the invader and therefore by diving it is not possible to observe fish in their natural state. The same problem applies to the use of big underwater robots.

Therefore, researchers from Tallinn University of Technology, the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the research organization SINTEF and one of the world's largest fish farm companies SalMar, conducted experiments to find out what kind of inspection robots should be used for observing fish in their natural state. The behavior of fish in the presence of a diver and different robots was analyzed and compared to identify what features are important in the development of robots for more efficient monitoring of animals.

The results of the experiments showed that fish behave very calmly and naturally in the presence of the small and slowly moving robot turtle U-CAT, invented by TalTech biorobotics researchers. A conventional commercial underwater robot scares fish off and forces them to flee rapidly and a diver does not get close enough to the fish at all to observe them underwater, while U-CAT is able to get closest to the fish in the fish farm and provide valuable insights on their state. The study provided other useful cues for the development of robots intended for observing animals, such as what colour should the robot be and how should it move.

Professor Maarja Kruusmaa says, "Robot-human interactions have been investigated for decades, but animal-robot interactions and communication is almost unexplored. However, these studies are of considerable importance: they would inspire advances in environmental monitoring and agriculture automation, and would help to build robots facilitating wildlife research."

Fish farming has a larger market share compared to wild fishing worldwide, and the share is increasing steadily, constituting currently an industry with turnover of over 3 billion dollars.

Explore further Study shows salmon in fish farms prefer to be monitored by small robot

More information: M. Kruusmaa et al, Salmon behavioural response to robots in an aquaculture sea cage, Royal Society Open Science (2020). Journal information: Royal Society Open Science M. Kruusmaa et al, Salmon behavioural response to robots in an aquaculture sea cage,(2020). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191220

Provided by Estonian Research Council
SEATTLE - Before stay-at-home orders are lifted, the nation's public health agencies want to be ready to douse any new sparks of coronavirus infection  a task they say could require tens of thousands more investigators to call people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 file photo, public health nurse Jennifer Morgan, right, checks-in via phone with a patient self-quarantined at home who had some risk of exposure to the coronavirus as University of Washington epidemiology student Erika Feutz observes at Public Health  Seattle & King County, in Seattle. Before Washington state lifts its stay-at-home order, health officials in Seattles King County say they need more disease investigators to do the important work of contact tracing. Across the nation, between 100,000 and 300,000 public health workers may be needed. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

SEATTLE - Before stay-at-home orders are lifted, the nation's public health agencies want to be ready to douse any new sparks of coronavirus infection  a task they say could require tens of thousands more investigators to call people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine.

Without the extra help, officials insist, states cannot possibly be ready to resume normal everyday activities, and some agencies are so desperate they are considering recruiting librarians and Peace Corps volunteers to join the effort.

We are trying to build these teams and processes in the midst of a crisis, said Sharon Bogan, a public health spokeswoman for Seattle and King County, which are seeking at least 20 more investigators.

As federal officials weigh how and when to reopen the country, experts worry that the United States does not have enough public health workers to suppress another outbreak, especially those qualified to do contact tracing, the critically important search for people who may have been exposed to the virus.

While the exact number of workers needed is a subject of debate, a top federal health official this week acknowledged the mandate to find many more.

Everybody agrees that our public health capacity at the local and state level is not ready to take this on at a very large scale without reinforcements, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who oversees the agencys coronavirus response work.

The work could require as many as 300,000 public health workers  a daunting number given that the combined federal, state, and local public health workforce has been shrinking and is now probably less than 280,000, according to some estimates.

To address the shortage of help, governments are weighing whether to enlist people with little to no experience in public health, including the Peace Corps volunteers, furloughed social workers and public health students. San Francisco is training librarians, medical students and people who work for the city attorneys office.

The extra workers would help conduct testing, isolate sick cases and trace everyone those sick people had contact with.

Its crucial that such a system be in place before government officials ease social-distancing guidelines, reopen schools or lift stay-at-home orders, said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former CDC director.

If we have explosive spread when we reopen, well have to close again. That will be very damaging, not just economically but from a health standpoint, Frieden said.

The U.S. government has funneled about $800 million to states for coronavirus response work that can include contact tracing. On top of hundreds of staff sent to states to help with coronavirus work, the CDC has already assembled community protection teams of six to 12 people each to do contact tracing and investigate tools that could help with it. Some have already been deployed to states where spread of the virus has been relatively low.

Tiny Rhode Island has nearly 100 people "focused on nothing but contact tracing, reaching out to hundreds of contacts of infected people each day, Gov. Gina Raimondo told reporters. She has urged all residents to take a minute each evening to write down who they physically encountered that day and where those encounters took place.

If Im going out to the store, Ill put the date, what store I went to, and then the time I was there, said Drew Grande, 40, of Cranston, Rhode Island. He started a contacts diary on a note-taking app on his phone after he heard the governor's request.

Contact tracing has changed over the last few months in the U.S. When the first handful of infections were being identified, teams of 20 or more might be assigned to each confirmed case. Investigations would often start with a staffer or two doing an in-person interview at a hospital bedside. Disease trackers might spend hours asking a sick person and that person's relatives who they had been in contact with since symptoms surfaced.

In-person interviews are often better, said Isaac Ghinai, a CDC disease tracker assigned to Chicago to work with that city's health department.

There's a value to looking someone in the eye. You can build a relationship face to face that you can't always do by phone," he said. Some people are comfortable sharing personal details over the phone but others require more cajoling.

With hundreds of new cases emerging each day in Chicago, that kind of attention to individual infections has largely stopped. Instead, the priority is large groups of people who are particularly vulnerable, like those at nursing homes or homeless shelters. Many new confirmed cases are not being investigated, and when they are, the interviews may be done by only two or three people, and over the phone, Ghinai said.

Could there be a digital solution? Apple and Google are teaming up on a contact-tracing app, and other efforts use Bluetooth to gather data from phones that came close to an infected person. Seattle scientist Trevor Bedford has developed a digital interview that public health departments can use if they dont have enough people trained in contact tracing.

Whatever the solution, it will take a while.

People have to be tested and diagnosed before contact tracing kicks into gear, and testing remains limited in many parts of the country. This week, the Association of American Medical Colleges sent a letter to the White House Coronavirus Task Force saying that testing materials and machines remain in short supply.

President Donald Trump has floated the idea of easing at least some restrictions as early as May 1.

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Some observers believe restrictions could be eased first in places where the spread is low, if rigorous testing and contact tracing could prevent a sudden explosion in infections.

But Schuchat warned that "there is no way the entire country could relax mitigation on May 1 and the country not experience a major resurgence.

___

Stobbe reported from New York. Associated Press writer Michelle R. Smith in Providence contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
[April 16, 2020] Publix Improves Florida Watersheds with Tree Plantings

For the fourth year in a row, Publix has donated proceeds from the sale of green Publix-branded reusable bags to the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in damaged Florida watersheds. This year's $125,000 donation brings the four-year total to $480,000. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, Publix's donations have made it possible to plant 480,000 trees across 710 acres. These trees are estimated to intercept more than 52 billion gallons of rainfall and absorb more than 140,000 net tons of carbon dioxide over the next 50 years. A watershed is any area of land that drains water from higher ground into bodies of water. Trees are essential for helping slow rainfall runoff, which means water has more time to soak into the ground, where it filters into the aquifer. In addition, trees help absorb excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, preventing them from entering the water system. Healthy watersheds restore natural habitats for wildlife, which can help protect endangered and threatened animal species. "When you start learning about watersheds and what they do, you discover how foundational they are to our quality of life because almost every area of land is a watershed, especially in Florida," said Publix Director of Environmental and Sustainability Programs Michael Hewett. "Part of our mission at Publix is to be responsible citizens in our communities. By working with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in key watersheds, we're doing good together by restoring areas that work as natural filters for the water we all drink and use every day." "Over the course of four years, Publix has demonstrated how a coninued commitment to tree planting can benefit an entire region in the long-term, creating thriving environments for people and wildlife," said Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe. "We are grateful for their continued partnership and its immense impact on Florida's watersheds."



The $125,000 donation, made in late 2019, was used in early 2020 to plant 125,000 trees in Florida's Little Orange (News - Alert) Creek Preserve and Withlacoochee River watersheds. Previous years' donations were used to plant trees in Florida's Upper Ocklawaha River basin, Little Orange Creek Preserve and Withlacoochee River watersheds. More information about Publix's sustainability efforts is available at sustainability.publix.com. About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than 1 million members, supporters and valued partners. Its vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty and hunger. As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arborday.org. About Publix Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 200,000 associates, currently operates 1,242 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 23 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company's website, corporate.publix.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005483/en/

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Shocking footage has emerged of a sulky race early on Wednesday morning on the N22 Cork to Killarney Road in which carriages raced each other at 50-kilometre speeds through traffic and onto the hard shoulder.

The drivers were followed by at least two vehicles also occupying the hard shoulder at periods during the race.

Three occupants of one of the cars stood and leant out windows egging on the drivers with shouts and bad language.

Gardai in Killarney have seized one horse which may have been involved in the race, bringing to three the number of horses impounded in Killarney in the past few days.

Supt Flor Murphy of Killarney Gardai has appealed to witnesses for dash cam footage of the N22 race.

We are investigating events surrounding a sulky race which we understand took place on the N22 at around 7am on Wednesday morning.

"We are satisfied this behaviour was witnessed by road users and we are appealing for witnesses and for dash cam footage.

A well as the racing with horses on the public roadway, the Gardai are looking into possible breach of road traffic laws by accompanying vehicles, Supt Murphy said.

Foul language and roars of go on, you good thing, can be heard in the recording of the race between Loo Bridge and Glenflesk village.

The footage was put up on Facebook and other social media but later taken down after a storm of criticism.

Killarney councillor Niall OCallaghan (Ind) who viewed the footage before it was removed said: I am absolutely disgusted. There was no regard for road safety  never mind Covid-19 and social distancing guidelines.

He noted that as well as crossing over the white lines on the main road, they moved at speed around bends and narrowly avoided a bus.

Oncoming cars can be heard blowing their horns as the sulky race reaches 32 miles an hour, speeds, according to the commentary on the footage.

A screenshot of the video appeared on Facebook.

It is the latest negative incident involving horses in Killarney.

Earlier in the afternoon Gardai received a report of a horse in the water in Ross Castle and 14 males gathering, and not observing social distancing. That too was posted on social media.

And a horse was seized in the Ballyspillane area and taken to the Cork Pound on Wednesday night after complaints were received the horse was being driven around the estate with a very young child in charge.

The Ballyspillane area has been at the centre of a Traveller feud over the past 18 months.
 Flash

Spain's former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is being investigated for a possible breach of the country's confinement regulations, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed on Wednesday.

A video broadcast on Spanish TV network La Sexta on Tuesday showed Rajoy walking briskly along a street close to his home on the outskirts of Madrid and the network reported it was not the first time the man who led the right wing People's Party (PP) government of Spain between December 2011 and June of 2018 had been seen exercising outdoors.

The video also shows that Rajoy is not carrying any bags, which could have indicated that he had been out to buy food or medicine.

Spaniards have been prohibited from exercising outdoors since the State of Alarm was imposed by current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on March 15 in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

When asked about Rajoy's apparent breach of the regulation in the weekly 'control session' in the Spanish Parliament, Grande-Marlaska replied that "investigations are being carried out to examine Mr Rajoy's alleged breach of the obligation to stay at home."

"The principal of legality is one of the foundations of a State of Law," said the minister, adding that Rajoy's status as a former prime minister would not help him.

"A person's name does not determine how the law is applied," added Grande-Marlaska.

The Ministry of the Interior confirmed on Wednesday that since the beginning of the State of Alarm, 4,981 people have been arrested for breaking lockdown rules, while 571,807 people are facing fines of between 601 to 30,000 euros (654 to 32,600 U.S. dollars). The possible prison terms for resisting arrest or serious disobedience during the State of Alarm range from three months to a year.
Thomas Aguillon was far more excited about Fiesta for his family, especially his 11-year-old daughter Karina, than for himself.

Today wouldve been the big day for the 72nd Rey Feo, had not a global pandemic changed the world and halted crowds from gathering for anything.

April 16 wouldve kicked off the 11-day blowout benefiting good causes in San Antonio. It wouldve provided crucial earnings to entrepreneurs hawking everything from paper flowers to parking spaces, too.

Fiesta started as a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Alamo, but it long ago lost that significance, especially given all we know about its myths.

For the great majority of us, Fiesta has been a spring tradition like many celebrated around the world, except more colorful and out of control.

For me, its a family tradition, when great pains are taken to get just the right spot to watch a parade, and friends and family endure traffic jams and stand in long lines to get a beer or gordita for you. Thats love.

Fiesta unmistakably appropriates all things Mexican: its cuisine, language, decor and more. Instead of moaning about that, Ive decided its important to keep teaching the youngest among us to acknowledge the cultural appropriation and respect the culture and its people.

It still pains me to hear San Antonians utter racist and cultural ignorance while wearing a $300 guayabera and chomping on a No. 2 plate served by a Mexican immigrant. Its grand irony.

San Antonios racial, ethnic and socioeconomic divide gave birth to Rey Feo. The ugly king, a Spanish tradition imported to the Americas, was established by the League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 2.

Its courts now reflect the citys class division, but you must admit theyre the faux royals having the most fun. Their floats look like they can barely make their way along the Fiesta Flambeau Parade route.

Its not the weight of the court combined, really, I mean it. Its their unabashed joy. When theyre dancing to Selenas La Carcacha, the structure looks like its about to give.

Rey Feos also make news, as Larry Benson Sr. did in 2013, when he was ousted from the Battle of Flowers Parade for tossing beads to the crowd; and then again last year when the Rey Feo Scholarship Foundations unsavory deeds were revealed in an unethical land sale.

Still, Rey Feos have raised more than $7 million for scholarships, according to its website, and it remains an answer to the Texas Cavaliers King Antonio. That all-male membership group, around for almost a century, crowned its first Mexican American king in 2017.

Aguillon, 47, qualified to serve as Rey Feo in 2018, after raising $272,00 for scholarships. He had competed for the honor against Dr. Sal Barbaro III. Aguillon raised the most money and couldve reigned over Fiesta 2019 but opted out of serving as the 71st Rey Feo.

The director of government affairs for Charter Communications, Aguillons job required him to travel to Austin during last years Texas Legislature.

But the number mattered, too, and 72 has been good for Aguillon. It started when he born  in 1972. He and his mom, a nurse and single mother, lived near Alamo Stadium and then in Alta Vista. He watched a city grow from those vantage points.

His mother worked to send him to private Catholic schools. It was a sacrifice, he says.

Aguillon graduated from Central Catholic High School, where so many of the citys male leaders have been drawn.

When he worked at City Hall in the 1990s, he watched the late Councilman Roger Flores Sr.s exuberant reign. Aguillon then served on the courts of three other Rey Feos.

If Aguillon is disappointed about Fiestas postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, hes not showing it. Hes all in to #StayHome for a #Quarantine with a goal to #FlattenTheCurve.

As more experts warn that crowds arent likely to gather until well into 2021, Fiestas new dates, Nov. 5-15, look less and less certain.

Aguillon says he can wait. He visited a few schools in February, where he gifted them a book, I Will Be Fierce, about a brave girl explorer. He also shared his education motto: Believe to Achieve.

Its a tribute to a seventh-grade teacher who did not let me fail, he says. Aguillon remembers the teacher saying, You have to believe in yourself. I believe in you. Your mom believes in you.

It changed my life, Aguillon says.

Today wouldve been move-in day at a downtown hotel. No matter.

Whenever Fiesta resumes, Aguillon will do his best Fiesta wave, whether its to 20, 200 or 20,000 San Antonians who love Fiesta as much as he does.

Elaine Ayala is a columnist covering San Antonio and Bexar County. To read more from Elaine, become a subscriber. eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala
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Kano State has confirmed its first record of death from the coronavirus infection only four days after it recorded its index case.

The death was announced by the state ministry of health in a tweet late on Wednesday night posted at about 11:55pm.

Naija News reports that from recording its first case on Saturday, 11th April, Kano has already confirmed 21 cases and one death from the coronavirus infection as of Wednesday, 15th April, 2020.

The details of the person who died of the infection in Kano State was however not disclosed.

The state ministry of health, however, noted that efforts are ongoing to trace all possible contacts of the confirmed cases.

Wednesday, 15th April 2020. As at 11:55 pm, 1 death of #COVID19 has been recorded in Kano State, the government said in a tweet.

After Saturdays index case, three other persons were confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kano State, and by 10:35 am on April 15, 2020, the state ministry of health recorded five new additional cases, bringing the states total to nine.

However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in an update at 11:23 pm on April 15, confirmed 12 new cases in the state, raising the total to 21.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus, Naija News reports the State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has already ordered a one-week complete lockdown of the state, which will take off on Thursday.

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(Kitco News) - Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR; Sandfire) said yesterday that is has all the required permitting in place for its 85%-owned Black Butte Copper Project in Montana, USA.

Sandfire said the undeveloped Johnny Lee deposit is one of the highest-copper-grade projects in the

world. The measured and indicated undiluted resource measures 10.9 million tonnes at 2.9% Cu for 311,000 tonnes of contained copper, including a lower copper zone with a copper grade of 6.8%,

plus an inferred resource of 2.7 million tonnes at 3.0% copper for 80,000 tonnes of contained

copper, at a 1.0% Cu cut-off.

The company's CEO, Karl Simich, said the next steps are working on the feasibility study.

"With this final permit now in place, we can move to complete the final elements of the Black Butte

Project Feasibility Study and financing considerations. The final timing of that will be advised in due

course once we have a clearer insight into the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our

work programs," said Simich.
Representative image: AP

Even before the coronavirus arrived in Manila, a saying in the capitals sprawling San Roque slum  No one dies from a fever  crystallized the many threats that its residents faced in their daily lives.

Drug-fueled petty crime. Food shortages. Overcrowding and poor sanitation. Fever, body aches and coughs were commonplace long before the virus came.

President Rodrigo Dutertes lockdown of Luzon, the Philippines largest island and home to Manila, is moving into its second month, plunging San Roques people even deeper into poverty as the virus continues to rage. Yet the restrictions have not stopped runny-nosed children from playing tag in the slums labyrinth of alleyways as parents shout half-hearted admonitions to stay away from one another.

Home to roughly 6,000 families  conservatively, about 35,000 people  San Roque, in Manilas northern suburb of Quezon, has for years been home to some of the poorest people on the fringes of Philippine society.

Many of the men are day laborers who work at construction sites in the ever-expanding metropolis. Others are provincial migrants whose journeys took them to the slums squalid shanties, made from dilapidated cardboard and rusting iron sheet roofing.

Now it is a nightmare for people like us, said Susana Baldoza, a grandmother of four who has lived nearly half her 59 years in San Roque, subsisting on odd jobs. Now that there is a lockdown, we cant go outside to look for jobs, to survive.

She said she does not doubt that the virus is a killer but believes that many are likelier to die of hunger because government aid has been slow to trickle in. Now neighbors are helping neighbors as the community turns inward to feed its poorest residents.

Frustration over the lockdown recently exploded into violence. An April 1 gathering in San Roque became an impromptu rally, with dozens taking to the streets demanding answers from the government about when they would receive promised relief.

Police officers in riot gear and fatigues responded with force, scuffling with protesters and sending 21 people to jail. Duterte accused Kadamay, a group that advocates for the poor, of inciting the violence and warned that his government would not be lenient toward those who challenged it.

Now is the time to set an example to everybody, Duterte said, telling police to shoot them dead if they believed protesters were endangering their lives. I am not used to being challenged. Not me. Let this be a warning to all.

So far, there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in San Roque, although Baldoza is almost sure that residents have been infected.

I pray to God that there wont be any, but how could there be none? she said.

As of Wednesday, 349 people had died in the Philippines from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and 5,453 infections had been confirmed. But that figure is likely to rise sharply, with the Philippine government having just begun mass testing this week.

Community leaders in San Roque have been tacking up cardboard signs reminding people not to spit. Some people have started wearing face masks, but most dont. Wearing them in the citys stifling heat can be suffocating, some said; others said they would rather spend what little money they had on food.

Yumi Castillo, a volunteer social worker with Kadamay, said it was hard to explain the concept of social distancing to people who spend their lives crammed into small, makeshift spaces.

Her group had printed out information about the virus for volunteers to distribute. But judging from the many children playing in congested alleyways and streets, the message didnt seem to be getting through.

There are practically no health services here. No one teaches them, Castillo said at a community center where rice, food, drinking water and rubbing alcohol were sorted and stored.

Baldoza, the grandmother of four, was volunteering as a cook for a community kitchen in San Roque, serving fried herring over rice, courtesy of the Catholic Church and a civic group that has been helping residents weather the crisis.

People here are very poor, as you can see, said Baldoza, frying fish outdoors in a wok. We dont have money and the luxury of going to the supermarkets. We havent received help from the government, no help from the outside, except the donations that they give us. And people cant work.

Her neighbor Analyn Mikunog was waiting for the food to be served. Mikunogs partner has no permanent job, although sometimes he is lucky enough to find work on construction sites. He had just been hired as a day laborer when Duterte imposed the lockdown.

Now the familys future is bleak. With four young children to feed, the gaunt-looking Mikunog, 28, said she was at her wits end trying to figure out how they would survive.

Sometimes we talk and wonder how long this lockdown will last, she said. Will we die hungry?

Priests in clerical collars and rugged jeans were busily making lunches, but their camaraderie belied the seriousness of the situation. As the meals were being prepared, riot police officers moved in to break up the feeding program. They accused leftist organizations of using it to recruit people to campaign against the government.

The officers, some in black uniforms and others in combat fatigues, carried batons and long firearms. They confiscated signs that read, Help, Not Jail. After tense negotiations, a commander, who refused to identify himself, finally relented. But he warned the group to break up after the food was distributed and to practice social distancing.

We are just serving the people, said King Garcia, a 39-year-old priest.

The government has left them in the fringes at a time when they needed help the most, he said. If the virus does not kill them, hunger will.

c.2020 The New York Times Company
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Get ready for some more snow to kick off your weekend before things warm up.

The National Weather Service forecast for this weekend calls for additional snowfall in some parts of Northeast Ohio Thursday night into Friday morning as the snows move west to east. Some areas could see 2-4 inches of additional accumulation.

Highs Friday will top out around 40 before falling back to around freezing overnight. Expect more sun on Saturday and along into Sunday before rain showers return to end the weekend. Highs Saturday will try to reach 50 while Sunday will see highs in the mid fifties.

Hazardous weather outlook

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect on Lake Erie until 4 a.m. Friday morning.

Work week outlook

Northeast Ohio should see more sun with highs in the 50s to start the work week on Monday and Tuesday.
Technavio has been monitoring the geofencing market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.48 bn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of about 26% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005548/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Geofencing Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Apple Inc., Esri, Localytics, Simpli.fi, and Thumbvista, are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Increase in location-based marketing has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Geofencing Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Geofencing market is segmented as below:

Product Fixed Mobile

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30876

Geofencing Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our geofencing market report covers the following areas:

Geofencing Market Size

Geofencing Market Trends

Geofencing Market Industry Analysis

This study identifies increased use of analytics as one of the prime reasons driving the geofencing market growth during the next few years.

Geofencing Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the geofencing market, including some of the vendors such as Apple Inc., Esri, Localytics, Simpli.fi, and Thumbvista. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the geofencing market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Geofencing Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist geofencing market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the geofencing market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the geofencing market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of geofencing market vendors

Table Of Contents :

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT

Market segmentation by product

Comparison by product

Fixed Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Mobile Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by product

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 10: MARKET TRENDS

Growing applications of geofencing

Increased use of analytics

Increased availability of geofencing API

PART 11: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

PART 12: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Apple Inc.

Esri

Localytics

Simpli.fi

Thumbvista

PART 13: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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* Investors fear pushback on EU emissions goals

* Steel and cement sectors lobby EU on carbon credits

* Carbon border costs a key pillar of EU's "Green Deal"

By Kate Abnett and Simon Jessop

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - Cement and steel companies are being warned by investors over their lobbying on planned European Union carbon costs, saying they are effectively asking to be compensated twice over.

A review of public consultation responses by Reuters shows lobbyists want the EU to maintain an existing scheme to support firms with carbon credits at the same time as it introduces a new carbon border tax to shield them from outside rivals.

Manufacturers of cement and steel contacted by Reuters said such concerns were misplaced and they are fully committed to the EU's goal to decarbonise its economy by 2050.

"We as a company welcome it," Cedric de Meeus, Swiss cement maker LafargeHolcim's head of public affairs, said.

"This is going to be a complex transition. We are prepared to play our part," de Meeus added.

Imposing carbon costs at its borders is a central pillar of EU chief executive Ursula von der Leyen's Green Deal policy and aims to protect firms who incur costs in meeting the target.

The fear is that competition from Chinese, Turkish, African firms and others subject to less stringent climate policies could prompt EU firms to relocate outside the bloc. This risks causing "carbon leakage", where emissions move elsewhere rather than falling in line with climate targets.

"Companies should not be compensated twice for the potential risks of carbon leakage," Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change chief executive Stephanie Pfeifer told Reuters.

This European group of mainly pension funds and insurers has some 30 trillion euros ($32.6 trillion) of assets under management, whose 230 investor members will hold shares and bonds in European steel and cement firms in their portfolios.

With climate change topping lists of investor concerns before the coronavirus crisis, money managers have become increasingly vocal over any perceived risk that corporate lobbying could undermine tougher action on emissions.

Story continues

"The decarbonisation pathway of this sector to-date already looks to miss the mark," Bruce Duguid head of stewardship at EOS, the corporate engagement arm of British asset manager Hermes told Reuters, referring to cement.

"We do not agree that it is necessary to have in place both free allocations and a border adjustment mechanism," he added.

The European Commission says it will publish a proposal in 2021 on the border charges and has therefore begun the consultations on the plans.

For an interactive version of the graphic, click here https://reut.rs/2wpzlqK.

BATTLE LINES

Battle lines have been drawn in more than 200 responses submitted to a consultation by the European Commission on its planned carbon border charges last month over whether the measures would replace, or be applied on top of, existing industry support.

At present, the EU gives industry a share of free carbon credits under its emissions trading system (ETS), allowing them to produce a certain amount for free.

For an interactive version of the graphic, click here https://reut.rs/3e5gUsh.

In responses reviewed by Reuters, groups including cement industry association CEMBUREAU, EUROFER, which represents steelmakers, and Aluminium Europe said the carbon border tax must complement, not replace, these free carbon credits.

Companies adopting this stance included LafargeHolcim and Luxembourg's ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, while Germany's biggest steelmaker ThyssenKrupp told Reuters it holds the same position. ArcelorMittal submitted EUROFER's position paper in the consultation.

"It is essential that the free allocation of emissions allowances under the EU ETS up to 2030 be strengthened and continued, applying realistic benchmarks and with no additional reduction of allocations," ThyssenKrupp said.

EU carbon credits will drop as Brussels attempts to steer industry towards decarbonisation, although firms will continue to receive some free permits until at least the 2030s.

CEMBUREAU, EUROFER and LafargeHolcim all said they were not seeking double compensation, but instead proposing a hybrid system in which any new border mechanism avoided the same emissions being covered by both forms of protection.

Under their proposal, EU companies would continue to receive free carbon permits, while companies exporting into Europe would receive a comparable share of "free" emissions, and pay a carbon border tax for any extra emissions.

"What we ask for is that third country importers are treated equally to European producers," CEMBUREAU chief executive Koen Coppenholle told Reuters.

"There should be no double protection for the same emissions," a EUROFER spokesman said. "But there should be protection for those emissions costs that are not covered by free allocation."

Aluminium Europe said existing protections should remain untouched because a border tax could not fully address the sector's carbon costs, which are mostly incurred through the large amounts of electricity needed to make aluminium.

Some say such measures will only serve to delay action to phase out free allocations of carbon credits.

"We want disruptive change, we want new low-carbon alternatives," Georg Zachmann, senior fellow at Brussels think-tank Bruegel, said.

"Therefore, we should really shift away from any measure that protects investments into dirty technology." ($1 = 0.9205 euros)

(Writing by Matthew Green; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Will Accelerate Clinical Translation and Commercial Scale-Up of Technology

DUBLIN, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Avectas, an Irish based cell engineering technology business, has completed a significant new Series C equity funding of approximately $20 million, bringing the total equity invested in the business to date to $40 million. The funding was led by existing shareholders, including Seamus Mulligan, an experienced biopharmaceutical executive.

The funds raised in this latest equity round will be used to accelerate the clinical translation and commercial scale-up of Avectas' proprietary cell engineering technology platform (Solupore). To support this next phase of its activities, Avectas will also expand its commercial, regulatory and technical organisation with new hires in Ireland and the U.S., as Covid-19 related conditions permit.

"We are delighted to have completed our largest ever funding and are appreciative of our investors' continued support at a time when scientific advances are more critical than ever," said Michael Maguire, Ph.D., Avectas' Chief Executive Officer. He continued "Building on our recent collaborations, this Series C funding allows us to make further investments in our technology and organisation to address a significant market need in the rapidly growing gene and cell therapy market."

Cell and gene therapies offer the potential to transform the treatment of diseases, including cancer, for millions of patients worldwide. However, new cell engineering technologies are urgently needed to enable these cutting-edge therapies to achieve their potential. Avectas' patented Solupore technology addresses it's academic and commercial partners' need for an efficient, non-viral cell engineering solution. The technology achieves excellent engineering efficiencies for delivery of a broad range of payloads (including mRNA, DNA, proteins and gene editing tools) to primary T cells and NK cells for immuno-oncology and gene editing applications.

Mary Martin, Ph.D., Avectas' Executive Chair commented "Ireland has a deep history in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector and I am excited to see it build on that legacy with companies like Avectas, which are at the cutting edge of the new cell and gene therapy sector."

This funding raise follows an excellent first quarter for Avectas. In March 2020, the company announced both the issuance of a U.S. Patent core to its cell engineering technology and a collaboration with Vycellix to advance next-generation solutions for the optimized manufacture of cell & gene therapies. The company also announced, in February, that it had entered an agreement with the centre for commercialization of regenerative medicine (CCRM) based in Toronto, Canada to accelerate the translation of Avectas' non-viral cell engineering platform (Solupore) into the clinic. In January 2020, the new competence center for next-generation NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy ("NextGen-NK") established at Karolinska Institutet ("KI"), Stockholm, Sweden welcomed Avectas as a collaborative partner.

About Avectas

Founded in 2012, Avectas is a cell engineering technology business developing a novel delivery platform to enable the ex-vivo manufacture of its partners' gene modified cell therapy products, which will retain high in-vivo functionality. Avectas employs 29 people including 19 with doctorate degrees in Ireland. The vision of Avectas is to be a leading non-viral cell engineering technology provider, integrated into manufacturing processes for multiple autologous and allogeneic therapies, commercialised through development and license agreements. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: www.avectas.com.
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The government managed last week to restore limited operations at one of its refineries, those insiders say. But the plant for now is capable of producing only low-quality fuel that must be mixed into a commercial product. Its actual output, at least for the next several weeks, they say, will probably be little to none as repairs continue.
[April 16, 2020] New Website Integration API Delivers Cutting-Edge Third-Party Experience on Dealer.com Platform

BURLINGTON, Vt., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dealer.com, a leading automotive industry end-to-end digital marketing solution, announces a new integration enhancement to its website platform to help dealers deliver a better online user experience. The new website integration API makes it easier to create immersive third-party experiences on the Dealer.com platform, ultimately building more trust between shoppers and dealers through seamless user interactions. In its ongoing commitment to deliver a convenient and relevant digital storefront experience, Dealer.com continues to analyze and optimize how third-party technologies plug in to its platform. Through innovation and direct partnership with both third parties and dealers, the new API simplifies and streamlines the process for implementing third-party code on dealer websites. The API makes the process more efficient for dealers eliminating the need for custom integrations. Dealer.com anticipates the needs of today's consumers during these unprecedented times, helping dealers build important relationships that drive growth in an ever-changing consumer landscape. With more online traffic, security and data remain top priorities for dealers. The website integration API helps to protect dealer data while offering unprecedented access to Dealer.com's proprietary platform, allowing third parties to control and update their own experiences. This API also minimizes the impact of third-party code on the overall quality of the digital storefront experience, while optimizing performance for consumers with improved site loading time and user experience best practices. "We want to simultaneously help dealers improve their website integrations while also taking proactive measures to help protect their data," said Wayne Pastore, vice president and general manager of Dealer.com. "With Dealer.com's new API, we can track what third parties are doing on the platform to help ensure data securiy. We also can observe and monitor third-party code performance and provide feedback to both dealers and third-party providers on the user-experience of their integrations."



Dealer.com is working with all third parties to comply with these new integration methods. The company will continue to communicate and partner with all third parties to ensure the best possible user experience, data protection and performance for clients and their customers. To learn more about Dealer.com's website integration API, please contact [email protected]. To learn more about Dealer.com's Integrated Partner Program, visit https://www.dealer.com/products/integrated-partner-program.

About Dealer.com Dealer.com is the premier digital marketing solution for the automotive industry. Providing an integrated platform of Websites, Advertising, Digital Retailing and Managed Services, Dealer.com allows OEMs, dealer groups, retailers and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology, data and insights to deliver the shortest, fastest and most personalized path to customer engagement. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of progress, with a focus on community, health, and wellness. Based in Burlington, Vermont, Dealer.com is a Cox Automotive brand. For more information, visit www.dealer.com. About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, VinSolutions, vAuto and Xtime, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $21 billion. www.coxautoinc.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-website-integration-api-delivers-cutting-edge-third-party-experience-on-dealercom-platform-301041627.html SOURCE Dealer.com

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MEMOIR

WE SWIM TO THE SHARK

by Georgie Codd (Fleet 14.99, 336pp)

I happen to be married to an ichthyophobe, so Im familiar with the condition. Unable to bear even the sight of a goldfish, my husband avoids looking into ponds.

His summer-lunch nemesis would be a whole garnished poached salmon with its head still on, lidless eyes wide open.

So I leapt on this memoir, written by an ichthyophobe with the unfortunate name of Georgie Codd.

Like my husband, Georgie reached adulthood with an irrational fear of fish, brought on by a few minor traumatic encounters in childhood, including seeing the film Jaws.

Unlike my husband, who lives with the condition, Georgie decided to set about conquering her phobia.

Georgie Codd has written a novel about getting over her irrational fear of fish (file image)

Learning from her friend who did a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course to overcome her arachnophobia, Georgie embarks on a self-imposed regime of thinking about fish, staying with her fear rather than running from it, to face it down.

Never one to do things by halves, she sets her heart on swimming in the Indian Ocean with one of the worlds most monstrous fish, the 20-tonne whale shark.

I want to look into its eyes and say: Im not afraid. 

(Dont tell me any more about it, said my husband.)

She must be mad, you think. Why not just leave your phobia alone to fester in a corner? It soon becomes clear that its safety itself that Georgie is afraid of.

About to turn 30, with a job in London, a safe boyfriend and the prospect of being tied to a mortgage, Georgie has a profound urge to throw it all in and spend all her savings on attaining her self-imposed whale shark goal.

She yearns for the simplicity of life in the deep blue ocean, and for the serenity and climactic epiphany of swimming with her shark.

The only thing is, the worlds whale shark population has no idea of this, and seems particularly elusive.

This book is all about Georgie  Ive never seen so many shoals of first-person pronouns in one place, and by the end I was desperate for Georgie to find her shark, so she (and we) could move on.

But its also revealing about the nature of all phobias where an irrational fear is transmuted into an irrational obsession with the thing feared. To conquer hers, Georgie begins by doing a scuba-diving course in Thailand.

When she first dives in to the Gulf of Thailand, my insides retreat. I prepare for the worst  but nothing happens. Having trained herself to think about swimming among fish, she feels remarkably untraumatised.

Being behind the screen of her diving mask is a huge psychological help: it makes her feel shes watching it all on television. Whats more, the fish take no notice of her.

In order to keep facing down her fear, Georgie researches the worst dangers of diving and becomes unhealthily addicted to underwater thrill stories. (Perhaps you ought to get on with acquiring that mortgage, I found myself urging her.)

She meets a bathynaut called Dr Jon Copley, who descended one kilometre below the surface in the Antarctic in his mini-submarine.

Down there, in the ultra-high pressure, a tiny leak in the sub could cut a man in half.

WE SWIM TO THE SHARK by Georgie Codd ( Fleet 14.99, 336pp )

The advice Copley gives her is that if you spot a drop of wetness on the inside of the sub, you should taste it.

If its fresh water, its condensation. If its saltwater  youd better mention it.

Time to find her whale shark now, but as so often with wildlife, when youre looking for it, it doesnt appear.

Georgie learns that even conservationist Jacques Cousteau only ever saw two whale sharks.

With her remaining savings, she flies all the way to Mafia Island, off the coast of Tanzania, where, on the final day, her moment comes.

She spots it from the boat: My whale shark. She dives down.

Thirty foot long, its head looks purely Jurassic: wide and solid and ancient. It shows her no threat, and no sign of being threatened.

Miraculously, it permits her to follow it through the dappled water.

She doesnt want it to end. But the moment is over, and now she must face life itself.
The prospect of a long-awaited recovery in WA's property market has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the latest ANZ/Property Council survey, industry participants  including developers, builders and banks  have reported the lowest ever levels of confidence.

WA's property industry is reporting the lowest confidence since they began measuring.

Despite a slight gain in confidence before the onset of the pandemic, confidence levels were half what they were at the beginning of the year.

The results reflect concern about planned building, staffing levels and economic growth, with property participants across Australia uniformly reporting an immediate negative impact on their business from the pandemic, which they anticipated would only get worse.
A 20-year-old man is due to appear in Hamilton District Court today after spitting at police while being arrested. Police had been called to a central Hamilton supermarket yesterday around 11:30am after the man had been suspected of shoplifting. After arresting the man he tried to flee and while being detained he spat at officers numerous times. As a result of the incident the man has been charged with common assault, escapes custody, theft and wilful damage. The health and safety of officers is a priority for Police and we have a range of measures in place to protect our people, however given the frontline nature of Police work there are risks, says Inspector Andrew Mortimore, Acting Waikato District Commander. Behaviour where people spit at members of the community including Police officers will not be tolerated. "While rare, such behaviour is highly concerning and potentially extremely dangerous. The officers involved in the incident yesterday have received support and medical advice but have not had to go into self-isolation. While we recognise these are challenging times and the current situation may be causing stress and uncertainty for many, that does not excuse criminal behaviour which puts the community at risk."
Mark Curtis, founder and CEO of the Splash Carwash chain, had a very simple email written in his head Monday, ready to send to Livvy Floren, his state Representative in Greenwich.

His message: Connecticut cant wait until May 20 to reopen for business  or at least, the state shouldnt decide now that were definitely closed until then. If we have a decent couple of weeks of flattening, Curtis said, at that stage youre going to see a lot more pressure and a lot more concern from people that cant sustain a second month of being closed.

Its no coincidence that Gov. Ned Lamont and five of his fellow governors from the Northeast came together Monday to plan the Grand Reopening of the region, as a region. Oh, sure, Lamont and New Yorks Andrew Cuomo and New Jerseys Phil Murphy can say its about science and medicine, and to a point, it is.

Its also about politics, as the competing interests of business and public health will inevitably clash. Not now, but soon.

Its no coincidence that this was the first Monday after the start of a backlash, mostly but not entirely from Republicans, saying, wait a minute. Were on board with staying closed for now, but lets at least keep our options open.

That pressure mattered, and it plays out in the political arena.

Lamont and the governors from Delaware to New England  seven, as of late Monday when Charlie Baker of Massachusetts joined the club  all said the same things about how and when theyd decide to reopen  slowly, carefully, one step at a time, based on science and medicine, period.

Its one step forward after research and consultation with experts, said Cuomo, the ringleader. You take one step forward and then you measure it.

Said New Jerseys Murphy: An economic recovery only occurs on the backs of a complete healthcare recovery....If you jam it too early, you could throw gasoline, even inadvertently, on the fire. And thats bad for the economy.

Lamont turned a phrase on a conference call with six of the governors, talking about how the novel coronavirus spreads along highways and transit lines. Its the commuter corridor for us, but its also the COVID corridor which is why its so important that we work together on this, he said.

Trouble is, to do this strictly by science we need better testing than well have, both for active infections and antibodies, showing that people are over COVID-19. We will need to make decisions before we have the answers.

Thats called politics.

To make that go smoothly, the governors crafted an orderly process. Each will send three people to a central committee, most likely via Zoom or one of the other services weve come to love and hate. One top health official, in our case, Albert Ko of Yale; one top business emissary, from Connecticut, Lamont friend and adviser Indra Nooyi, a fellow Greenwicher and former PepsiCo CEO; and each governors chief of staff, in Connecticut Paul Mounds Jr.

It sounds like a technocratic effort based on knowledge that Cuomo stressed should come from what weve learned from other nations that have peaked and started to reopen. It sounds like a lot of nuts and bolts, the almost mundane business of coordinating transit schedules, public employee operations, supply lines, communication with local leaders and a million other details connected to the reset button on the American economy.

Cuomo even goaded President Donald Trump, who suggested the federal government  read, Donald Trump  will decide when the nation reopens.

Go ahead, Cuomo said, make my crisis. The New York governor, son of a New York governor, then proceeded to outline all the precise steps that he, you, me and the rest of the American people all know Trump has no interest in taking.

The clarity here is important and there is no conceptual answer. This is a very specific answer, Cuomo said. Youre president of the United States. You want to put forth a model? Lets hear the model.

Lamont was much more conciliatory with Trumps claim to power, saying the White House is working with the states  after a jab: Actually we wanted him to get more involved when it came to buying ventilators and PPE, Lamont said, referring to personal protective equipment.

The point is, no matter how we dress this up, in the end its one man  or thankfully in Rhode Island, one woman, Gov. Gina Raimondo  making a decision in a political process.

There will be people who say, lets go already. On Monday, we saw Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano slamming Lamont for not already having a plan to reopen.

There will be people who say, Hold on, coronavirus is still killing victims. There will be governors who want restaurants to open first, and governors who want anyone over 65 to stay home.

Thats all politics, not just science.

And Mark Curtis of Splash Carwash, among myriad other actors on the stage, will make his voice heard. Fortunately, he and most everyone else in this unfolding tragedy is reasonable, moderate and looking out for the broader welfare.

Curtis mostly has hand-washing locations, which had to close under Lamonts orders. But he could have kept his six automated locations open these last three weeks, as essential businesses. (Dont ask  in New York, where he has six locations, hes ordered shut). He opted to close completely, he said, trying to keep people in their houses rather than giving them another reason to go wandering around.

He laid off most of his 150 employees, knowing theyd be better off under the worker protections in place than if he kept them on in a limited furlough. And he sat tight, losing money but with a cushion built up over 39 years.

Now he waits for the key moment.

There is a point of no return at which the damage done economically is going to outstrip the damage that would be caused at that point by the virus, he said.

That doesnt mean we trade lives for the almighty buck. It just means the decisions will have to be made before the last person gets sick and dies, because coronavirus in some form is here to stay.

Scientists and economists dont make those decisions. Elected leaders do, and thats why politics is not a dirty word in the strangest restart of American culture any of us will ever hope to see.

dhaar@hearstmediact.com
T he one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles has never seemed like such a small obstacle to discovering great films.

More people than ever, it seems, are looking to discover foreign-language film, with Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite winning Best Picture at the beginning of the year and turning new generations of fans onto international movies.

Cinemagoers are frustrated at the moment, but streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and MUBI are great places to discover new movies, with plenty of hidden gems tucked away just waiting to be discovered.

This is by no means a guide to the greatest foreign-language films ever made  there are plenty of favourites weve missed out here. Instead, these are the best movies available for subscribers to enjoy right now on streaming services without having to rent them at extra cost. There are more recent releases than classics too, with Netflix and the like scooping up critical hits from the last few years and making them available online.

These are our picks of the best foreign-language films to watch now.

Roma  Netflix

Alfonso Cuarons Roma is a stunning ode to Mexico, following a young housekeeper and the middle-class family that employ her in the early 70s. Its vast in scale, exploring both intimate relationships, family dynamics and expansive geopolitical themes. Theres a timeless beauty to the film, and its deeply moving and heartbreaking in parts.

Kaili Blues  Amazon Prime Video

Kaili Blues  originally released as Lu Bian Ye Can in 2015  features some of the most incredible cinematography on this list, and forms an arresting tone poem on rural China. The debut from Chinese director Bi Gan is a dreamlike film, which follows a doctor as he encounters figures from his past, blurring time and memory in the process.

Atlantics  Netflix

Mati Diop's Cannes prize-winning debut tackles a challenging subject matter  the tragic deaths of migrants at sea  in a surprisingly life-affirming way, following a love story at the very edges of human capabilities. Its found an audience online after debuting in 2019.

Infernal Affairs  Netflix

Hong Kong crime thrillers have become a sub-genre all of their own, with tales of the triads put to screen in the likes of The Mission, A Better Tomorrow and Hard Boiled  all worth checking out. Infernal Affairs is one of the more compelling and stylish of its kind, dealing with deception and double-crossing. It was later remade by Martin Scorsese as the Departed in 2006.

The Lady without Camelias  Amazon Prime Video

Michelangelo Antonionis subtle and enigmatic 1953 drama The Lady without Camelias is one of the most interesting mid-century movies about the film industry, and one of the most overlooked. The stylish movie sees a young Italian woman plucked from obscurity by a movie executive, only for her career to be compromised by her husband and exploitative producers.

Adelheid  Amazon Prime Video

Frantisek Vlacils bleak drama takes a harrowing look at life in postwar Czechoslovakia, focusing on the tragic relationship between a Czech man and a German woman. As a historical document, its captivating. As a tale of love and loss, its devastating.

The Platform  Netflix

High-concept Spanish sci-fi The Platform is one of the more recent films on the list, having arrived on Netflix earlier this year. The movie takes place inside a prison, referred to as a "Vertical Self-Management Centre with more than 300 floors. Its occupants are fed by a platform, which is filled with food and slowly lowered from floor to floor. If you like your dramas dark and nihilistic, this is for you.

Toni Erdmann  Amazon Prime Video

German comedy, anyone? This film, directed, written and co-produced by Maren Ade, became a surprise international hit in 2016 after winning over audiences around the world. It tells the story of Peter Simonischeks Toni, a divorced father with a penchant for practical jokes, who makes a concerted effort to reconnect with his daughter.

The Hunt  Amazon Prime Video

Mads Mikkelsen plays a kindergarten teacher in unsettling Danish movie The Hunt, who is falsely accused of sexually abusing one of the children in his class. The film proves Mikkelsen as one of the finest actors of his generation, analysing how one lie can cause an entire life to unravel.

Divines  Netflix

Multi-faceted French drama Divines from first-time director Houda Benyamina is part thriller and part romance, telling the story of two young women in love. Their relationship plays out against the tough streets of inner city Paris and the banlieues, with the couple harbouring dreams of making a life elsewhere.

The Raid  Netflix

The Raid is a curious thing  an Indonesian action movie directed by a Welsh filmmaker, Gareth Evans  which features some of the most unforgettable action sequences of the past decade. The entire movie is essentially one extended fight sequence, following an elite team as they infiltrate a high-rise building run by a notorious drug lord. The incredible set-pieces hark back to Bruce Lee and the martial arts movies of the 60s and 70s, with added nastiness and visceral violence.

The Salesman  Amazon Prime Video

This Iranian drama follows married couple Emad and Rana, whose lives are irrevocably changed after Rana is assaulted during a performance of Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. It won the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 2017, beating the likes of Toni Erdmann.

Le Corbeau  MUBI

Le Corbeau is one of the top selections currently on MUBI  one of the best places to discover a rolling selection of foreign-language movies online, each made available for 30 days at a time. The 1943 French movie focuses on the inhabitants of a small town, who all receive letters containing damning information which threatens to tear the community apart.

Under the Shadow  Netflix

A mother and a daughter are haunted by a shapeless evil force in 80s Tehran in this strange and inspired supernatural horror. The threat of air-raids during the Iraq-Iran war looms large over the film, which is claustrophobic, affecting and unforgettable.

8   Amazon Prime Video

The first movie Fellini released after the monumental success of La Dolce Vita saw him embrace touches of the surreal, as he focused on the life of protagonist Guido Anselmi  an acclaimed director struggling with a creative drought.

I Lost My Body  Netflix

Animated French fantasy film I Lost My Body takes a sideways look at immigrant life in Paris with a unique narrative, focusing on a severed hand which escapes from a laboratory to be reunited with a young boy. The movie, which became the first ever animation to win the Nespresso Grand Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, tackles themes of alienation and identity in a truly original way.

A Fortunate Man  Netflix

Danish drama A Fortunate Man, set in the 19th century, focuses on a young man who turns away from his familys deeply religious life to follow a career in engineering and marry a Jewish woman against their wishes. Its well worth watching, even if for the resplendent choreography and period costume alone.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire  MUBI

This stunning movie has emerged as one of the most compelling romances of 2020, with director Celine Sciamma creating something truly special. Noemie Merlant and Adele Haenal both deliver inspired performances as a young painter and her unruly subject, who enter into a passionate relationship.

Sheherazade  Netflix
People limit the size of their families for many reasons  environmental worries, social norms  but financial and logistical considerations play a big role. Children can be pricey. The cost of infant day care in a large city can easily top $400 a week or $20,000 a year, making even one child daunting when median earnings for a woman working full time are about $42,000 a year. As for logistics, parenting standards have gone up; time diary studies show that both mothers and fathers have spent more time with their children in recent decades than in the 1960s. If one or two children seem to take all our available time, we marvel at those with more. Have they manufactured more hours in the day?

[Family size isnt always a choice. NYT Parenting readers share their stories.]

Certainly, big families have their strategies. Kaethe and Jonathan Ward live in Milwaukee with their six children (13, 12, 10, 8 and 4-year-old twins). We intentionally live close to school, church, my husbands work is pretty close, plus the Y where we go, parks, libraries, said Kaethe Ward. We dont spend much time commuting at all. That makes a difference. Older children can be sent across the street to the grocery store, and do their own laundry.

Its a good way to teach natural consequences, said Ward, who works part-time at her twins school. I dont have time to worry about a favorite shirt not being clean in the morning. Simple meals win out. Everyones happy with lots of soups and bread, she said. Or anything customizable: burrito bowls, pasta.

Families like the Wards, with up to six children, often swear by the relatively economical eight-seater Honda Odyssey minivan (the Wards drive two). Past six kids, families sing the praises of the Ford Transit, more commonly employed as an airport shuttle.

Thats what designer Lisa Canning, an HGTV television personality and author of The Possibility Mom, who just had her eighth child, drives. The family recently moved from Toronto to a walkable Florida neighborhood in part for the logistics; its easier to keep track of flip-flops than eight pairs of mittens, boots and hats.

She and her husband, Josh, prioritize a weekly Wednesday date night, but schedule it after the kids (all ages 10 and under) are asleep or in their rooms. This makes finding a sitter easier. The person just has to sit and be a responsible adult in the house  many people will do that, she said.
The government has suffered a major setback after a court ruling ordered it to compensate a Nairobi businessman to the tune of Sh859 million.

Mike Maina Kamau, the owner of Marble Arch Hotel, won the case against the state when Justice John Mativo ruled in his favour.

The judge ordered Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the Attorney General to follow up and ensure the Mr Kamau is compensated as soon as possible.

The case involved the demolition of Kamaus 8-bedroom mansion in Nairobis Spring Valley to pave way for the Redhill road.

The compensation is broken down as Sh847,277,351 for the demolished property and Sh12,259,342 as the cost of the case. By his own admission, Kamau said he had bought the piece of land at Sh80 million, and spent Sh299 million to put up the house.

It is unclear what criteria was used to value the property, which would make it one of Kenyas most expensive private houses.

The state on its part argued that the land was government land, and had changed ownership over the years through fraudulent ways.

The businessman had already been awarded 711 million in December 2017 as compensation, but returned to court to seeking to have the government compelled to make speedy payment, on top of interest.

The state opposed this new case, saying it was already in the process of appealing the old ruling.
Olafssons partner on the force and as Trappeds moral center is fellow officer Hinrika Kristjansdottir, who is brilliantly brought to life by Ilmur Kristjansdottir. Both thesps are allowed to bring depth to their characters.

Nina Dogg Filippusdottir co-stars as Olafssons estranged wife in Trapped but is front and center in The Valhalla Murders, which was released to acclaim in Iceland late last year before becoming the first Icelandic series to stream on Netflix.

Filippusdottir stars in Valhalla as Kata Eligsson, a detective who follows the murders of several middle aged and elderly folk to a long closed boys home where its young inhabitants were subjected to truly lurid actions by its staff. Reinforcement from Norway is brought in in the form of a profiler, Detective Arnar, and the suspects and body count increase from there.

As with many serialized crime whodunits, the masterminds behind the crime come as a surprise at the conclusion of Valhallas eight episode run which, as a whole, makes for an enjoyable and well-crafted binge. Both Filippusdottir and Bjorn Thors, as Arnar, are terrific to watch, both solving crimes together and dealing with matters on their respective home fronts.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The number of deaths from the coronavirus continued to rise in the United States this week. By midday Tuesday, more than 25,000 Americans had died from COVID-19, the highest reported death toll in the world.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 78% of deaths occurred in those age 65 and older. Children are generally safe from the disease's physical risks, but many could lose a grandparent or someone else who's important to them. That's why it's important to be prepared to talk about grief with even young kids, said Bob Jann, a child psychologist in Bucks County.

"The loss of a grandparent creates a kind of loss children are unaccustomed to experiencing," he said. "They often don't know how to deal with feelings they're having, and parents should explain how grieving makes people feel better."

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children who have problems with processing grief may experience extended periods of depression, inability to sleep, or a sharp drop in school performance. Having conversations with children now about the possibility of losing a close family member can better prepare them emotionally, said Gail Karafin, a certified school psychologist based in Doylestown.

If a child overhears conversations a parent is having with doctors or relatives on the phone, it's good to address any questions the child may have afterward, Jann said.

"You can say something like 'Grandma is getting sicker in the hospital and the doctors are trying very hard to help her,' " he said. "That way, the child has some kind of expectation that all is not going well, even though you're not giving them the same kind of detail. Don't send children out of the room, because it could make things worse."

One thing parents should keep in mind is that children grieve differently, said Karafin. If they're really young, they might not understand the permanence of death. In that case, calm conversations about how doctors are trying very hard to make their grandparents or parents healthy again can be helpful. But no matter how children react, parents should try to maintain a sense of normalcy and tell them it's OK to feel the physical effects of worry or sadness like stomachaches or trouble sleeping.

"Children will need the opportunity to discuss their feelings, and it's important for parents or parental figures to be a role model to the child as the family endures stress at this time," Karafin said. "It's important to convey to the child that there is someone there to take care of them, to love them. If their parents are very distressed, it's going to increase stress on the child."

Instead, she said that conversations should focus on how the person who died loved and cared about the child, so they can move forward with a positive mind-set.

It's also helpful during those conversations to be as open and frank as possible without using euphemisms, like saying someone "went to sleep," since kids can be extremely literal, Jann said.

It's important to make sure children know they're not alone during the grieving process, said Mary Fitzgerald, CEO of Eluna Network, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that supports children and families affected by grief.

"When kids are kept in the dark, they have more anxiety and fear," Fitzgerald said. "If you give them permission to grieve, to share their emotions and open up a little more, and take the stigma out of talking about this in a safe and supportive environment, it can help them develop resilience."

Fitzgerald recommended taking cues from children about what they're worried about, instead of bringing up conversations about grief when they're not ready to talk about it yet.

"You want to be age appropriate," she said. "As adults, whether we are parents or guardians, we should focus on being reassuring and let kids know what we're doing to keep them safe."

Having a small memorial ceremony in a family setting during a time when traditional funerals are near-impossible could be helpful for children, Jann said.

"It can be very spontaneous, just people talking about Grandma or Grandpa," he said. "Like getting some pictures out and talking about happy memories. Knowing that someone has been memorialized can help ease that emptiness a little bit."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
After the first positive coronavirus test at a Virginia nursing home in mid-March, its administrator said, the staff restricted visitors, conducted temperature checks at the end of every workers shift and isolated residents who had tested positive into separate areas.

Even so, there suddenly was another case. Within two weeks, dozens of others inside were falling ill.

Now, about a month after the first case, at least 46 residents are dead at the nursing home, the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Richmond  more than a quarter of the facilitys population and one of the highest known death tolls in the United States.
A Florida judge has one request for attorneys showing up for court hearings via Zoom: Get out of bed and put on some clothes!

Broward Circuit Judge Dennis Bailey made the plea in a letter published by the Weston Bar Association, news outlets reported.

It is remarkable how many ATTORNEYS appear inappropriately on camera, Bailey said in the letter. One male lawyer appeared shirtless and one female attorney appeared still in bed, still under the covers.

Bailey isnt making any exceptions for lawyers lounging in the Florida sunshine, either.

Putting on a beach cover-up wont cover up youre poolside in a bathing suit, he wrote.

Since courthouses shut down on March 16 to help slow the coronavirus pandemic, Broward Countys judicial system has held about 1,200 Zoom meetings involving some 14,000 participants, WPLG-TV reported.

Bailey, for one, said he wont hold a complicated trial over the video conferencing site, given the technologys shortcomings.

Often, lawyers are not looking at their screens but down at their files, their outlines and notes, or simply out the window, and cannot see the judge is hollering Stop! Stop! because an objection has been made and the audio stays with the witness rather than obeying the judge, he said.
Blood tests for the coronavirus could play a key role in deciding whether millions of Americans can safely return to work and school. But public health officials warn that the current Wild West of unregulated tests is creating confusion that could ultimately slow the path to recovery.

More than 70 companies have signed up to sell so-called antibody tests in recent weeks, according to U.S. regulators. Governments around the world hope that the rapid tests, which typically use a finger-prick of blood on a test strip, could soon ease public restrictions by identifying people who have previously had the virus and have developed some immunity to it.

But key questions remain: How accurate are the tests, how much protection is needed and how long will that protection last.

The blood tests are different from the nasal swab-based tests currently used to diagnose active COVID-19 infections. Instead, the tests look for blood proteins called antibodies, which the body produces days or weeks after fighting an infection. The same approach is used for HIV, hepatitis, Lyme disease, lupus and many other diseases.

Because of the relative simplicity of the technology, the Food and Drug Administration decided to waive initial review of the tests as part of its emergency response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Right now, the tests are most useful for researchers studying how the virus has spread through the U.S. population. The government said last Friday it has started testing 10,000 volunteers. The White House has not outlined a broader plan for testing and how the results might be used.

With almost no FDA oversight of the tests, Right now its a wild west show out there, said Eric Blank of the Association for Public Health Laboratories. It really has created a mess thats going to take a while to clean up.

In the meantime, youve got a lot of companies marketing a lot of stuff and nobody has any idea of how good it is, he said.

Members of Blanks group, which represents state and local lab officials, have urged the FDA to revisit its lax approach toward the tests. That approach essentially allows companies to launch as long as they notify the agency and include disclaimers. Companies are supposed to state that their tests have not been FDA-approved and cannot rule out whether someone is currently infected.

Last week, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement that the agency will take appropriate action against companies making false claims or selling inaccurate tests.

During an interview Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, Hahn expressed concern that tests being sold may not be as accurate as wed like them to be.

What we dont want are wildly inaccurate tests, he said. Thats going to be much worse, having wildly inaccurate tests than having no test.

Dr. Allison Rakeman of New York Citys Public Health Laboratory says some local hospitals are assuming the tests, which are listed on FDAs website, have been vetted, when they have not.

The danger of faulty testing, Rakeman says, is that people will mistakenly conclude that they are immune or are no longer spreading the virus.

Then somebody goes home and kisses their 90-year-old grandmother, said Rakeman. You dont want to give someone a false sense of security.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

For many infections, antibody levels above a certain threshold indicate that the persons immune system has successfully fought off the virus and is likely protected from reinfection. For COVID-19, its not yet clear what level of antibodies render patients immune or how long immunity might last.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that both legitimate companies and fraudulent operators appear to be selling the kits. Distinguishing between the two can be a challenge.

Officials in Laredo, Texas, reported this month that some 2,500 antibody tests set for use at a local drive-thru testing site were likely frauds. City officials had ordered what they were told were FDA-approved COVID-19 rapid tests, from a local clinic. But when they checked the tests accuracy, it fell well below the range promised, the city said in a statement.

Examples of U.S. companies skirting the rules appear online and in emails sent to hospitals.

Promotional emails sent to hospitals and reviewed by The Associated Press failed to include required disclaimers. Some kits sold on websites promote themselves as FDA-approved for home testing. The agency has not yet approved any COVID-19 home test. The blood tests have to processed by a lab.

If you see them on the internet, do not buy them until we can give you a test thats reliable for all Americans, said Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, at a recent briefing.

20/20 BioResponse is one of dozens of U.S. companies selling the tests to hospitals, clinics and doctors offices. The Rockville, Maryland-based company imports the tests from a Chinese manufacturer but CEO Jonathan Cohen says his company independently confirmed its performance in 60 U.S. patients. He estimates the company has shipped 10,000 tests and has had to limit orders due to demand.

He said antibody tests are not a panacea but theyre not garbage either.

Cohen called them a tool in the toolbox that will have some value along with other tests.

The companys test is registered on the FDA website and includes all the required disclaimers.

To date, the FDA has only authorized one COVID-19 antibody test from North Carolina diagnostics company Cellex. The agency used its emergency powers, meaning a formal review is still needed.

The White House has also tried to temper expectations for the tests, while still promising that millions will soon be available.

Dr. Brett Giroir, the federal health official overseeing U.S. testing, told reporters a week ago that the FDA and other agencies are working to confirm the accuracy of the antibody tests.

Were going to be very careful to make sure that when we tell you youre likely immune from the disease  the test really said that, Giroir said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics COVID-19 USA
A committee under Finance Secretary S Krishnan has been formed to devise the exit strategy post May 3 when the extended lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to end, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami told reporters on Thursday.

The state reported a fresh Covid-19 death taking the virus toll to 15, while 25 more people tested positive for the disease on Thursday, prompting the CM to describe the virus as a disease of the rich and a big challenge. In all, there are 1,267 coronavirus cases in the state.

After chairing a meeting of district collectors to take stock of the preventive measures being implemented across the state, the CM said that the exit strategy could be a phased one. The new committee will discuss finalising which industries may be allowed to function after April 20, as permitted by the Centre.

Palaniswami said the lower number of fresh cases showed the government was containing the spread of the contagion. It is a disease of the rich. People who had travelled abroad or to other states have imported it (to Tamil Nadu). It did not originate here, he said.

Explaining the states fight against COVID-19, the chief minister said that the state took an early lead by launching screening of air passengers and placing orders for personal protective equipment as early as January.

There were adequate stocks of ventilators, PPE and masks while enough strength of health workers has been ensured, including new appointments.

Further orders have also been placed. The rapid test kits ordered by the state with China have been diverted to another nation, and even Centre was awaiting the consignment, he said. The state was in the second stage of the spread and todays new number of cases of 25 against 38 yesterday showed the state has managed to contain it, he said.

The first batch of 5.5 lakh antibody-based rapid test kits arrived in Delhi from China on Thursday. The stock is expected to be dispatched to six regional depots, including one in Chennai, on Friday morning.

Fresh cases in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday stood at 38, a little more than Tuesdays tally of 31, unlike higher numbers seen earlier in the week. The state had reported 98 fresh cases on Monday and 106 on Sunday. As many as 87 lakh people had been screened in 558 containment zones in the state.

Palaniswami expressed hope the number will soon touch zero as the rate of people getting cured was also increasing. As many as 180 people have been discharged so far, as against the 118 on Wednesday, he said.

He said that the government will extend government support to journalists who have contracted the virus and would provide an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh in the event of their unfortunate death. These will apply to accredited journalists, he added.

To a question, Palaniswami said peoples essential needs, including of those in the containment zones, were being taken care of by the government.

This included cash assistance and provisions of free rice and pulses to rice ration card holders and financial help to those in the unorganised sector.

About 13,000 migrant labourers were lodged in 311 facilites and their needs were being taken care of, he added.

The police were also strictly enforcing the lockdown, with the authorities having clamped section 144 of the CrPC, which bars assembly of more than five people, for this purpose.

Police have filed 1.94 lakh cases and arrested over two lakh people for lockdown violations, besides seizing 1.79 lakh vehicles, he said. A sum of Rs 89 lakh has been collected as fine. Meanwhile, the police announced returning the seized vehicles and said this will be done after verifying the documents. The process will be carried out at the local police station limits and the vehicles will be returned to owners after informing them, police said.

(With inputs from Agencies)
Image: Ramesh Pathania/Mint via Getty Images

Picture for representation

The story, first published in April 2020, has been updated after it was announced on October 17, that the Kalrock Capital-Murari Jalan combine has won the bid for Jet AirwaysAmritesh Singh* is glad he is not a pilot. Technically he may be one, but 10 years ago when getting a pilot's job became tough, Singh re-skilled himself and got a 'ground' job. One solace for the aviation lover was that he landed a job at Jet Airways , then the country's largest airline."I spent 10 years in the company. It was a great time. We were at the forefront, when it came to industry practices," says Singh.But his tone changes when asked about the days leading to April 17, 2019, when Jet Airways suspended its operations. "It became difficult. When close friends or relatives would ask if they should book or not, I wouldn't know what to say," recounts Singh, who joined a non-airline company in May.The 36-year-old admits he was among the luckier ones, especially compared to his pilot colleagues."I know of colleagues who had to move to smaller houses, to save money. Another had planned to put his kids in a better school. But couldn't. And there are many who are still in Jet," says Singh.Like Anwar Hussain*, one of the 1,600 pilots that the airline had. After April 2019, he started reaching out to other airlines, but didn't resign from Jet Airways. "I didn't want to be officially 'jobless,'" says Hussain.It finally worked, and he landed a job at a budget airline in January this year. But that's when the COVID-19 brought everything to a standstill. "I was initially told that my training had been put off. But when the lockdown was announced, the airline said the training has been further delayed to June," says Hussain. And now with the lockdown further extended to May 3, he is not sure if his training would happen anytime soon.As Jet Airways had a fleet of Boeing aircraft, Hussain - like hundreds of his colleagues who joined the budget airline that has Airbus planes - has to get retrained before he can begin flying.It's been more than a year since he drew a salary. "My total dues in Jet Airways are about Rs 35 lakh," says Hussain.Singh says about his dues, "I can't count on it. I can't plan my life around it. If I get something, it will be a bonus."As tragic as the financial loss may sound, the bitterness in the voices of Singh and Hussain evaporates when asked, "How do you look back at your stint in Jet Airways?""With pride," says Singh. "With fondness," says Hussain.What gets employees, and industry executives and customers, so nostalgic about an airline that ended, nearly, in a dramatic collapse?Jet Airways started its operations in 1993, the year when Damania Airways and ModiLuft also began services. East-West Airlines had already started flying customers a year ago."From day one, unlike its peers, Jet Airways was a classic airline. It was classy, not flashy," says Sanjiv Kapoor, an industry veteran and former Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer at Vistara.While Damania Airlines made headline for serving beer for breakfast, Jet Airways, led by Naresh Goyal, focused both, on service and operations. Customers quickly took to the airline."I had shifted to Jet Airways in every sector that I travelled on," says Vipul Prasad, founder and CEO of Magadh Capital. "What one remembers was the personalised service that they offered both in flight, as well as on-ground. When at its peak, it was much ahead of every other airline," adds Prasad, also a member of the carrier's loyalty programme Jet Privilege.Goyal, the former travel agent-turned-airline entrepreneur, had modelled Jet Airways after Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, two airlines renowned for their service."He knew how to take care of the premium customer, and in return got loyalty," points out Kapoor, now an advisor with GoAir. And rest of the industry, adds Kapoor - who had started his career in American carrier Northwest Airlines - celebrated Jet Airways and its founder.It was a remarkable foresight for someone who was otherwise known to be rustic, content to have a meal of 'bhindi and kadi' and stuck to white shirts. But that didn't stop him from creating luxurious first-class cabins in Boeing 777 aircraft.Goyal especially worked to woo corporate clients, and despite the competition from Air India, quickly made Jet Airways a favourite for passengers wanting to fly non-stop to international destinations. He courted the rich and the famous and was known to love the company of Bollywood stars.And his employees, especially the pilots, loved him. "Goyal created a class system in Jet Airways, a system where pilots were the gods," says a former employee. "Who else sends pilots on a paid vacation to New Zealand, for training. Jet Airways pilots were the highest paid in the industry," she adds.How did the love story turn sour?Goyal was a master of circumstances, adept in turning seemingly unfriendly situations to his favour. Like how he once was vociferously against FDI in aviation, but suddenly changed his opinion and got the first foreign investment for an Indian airline.But even the master misread a changing market, especially when it came to two sets of competition.The first one was right under his nose, in India. The name was IndiGo, the leader among low-cost carriers. One incident is a telling statement on how Goyal and rest of the senior management at Jet Airways were blind to the threat posed by the Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal-led airline.In 2006, just a year after IndiGo started flying, a team of aviation consultants gave a presentation to the senior management of Jet Airways. Pointing to IndiGo's 100-aircraft order - unheard of for a newcomer - the consultants warned their hosts that "business as usual is not an option", and that some of the present carriers "will disappear".The reaction of the Jet senior executives? "They laughed at us," says an executive who was present at the meeting.At the same time, Goyal was wary of Vijay Mallya, who had started Kingfisher Airlines as a full-service carrier, giving direct competition to Jet Airways. Goyal, say industry insiders, was worried about the fast-growing popularity of Mallya's airline.To keep Kingfisher at bay, Goyal acquired Air Sahara, which at Rs 1,500 crore remained an expensive buy that only added to the debt pile of Jet Airways, which eventually ran out of money to pay the interest costs.The second set of competition that worried Goyal, was the Middle-East carriers. "Goyal underestimated the impact they would have on Jet's traffic to Europe. He couldn't beat them, so he joined them," says a senior executive from the industry.While the FDI from Etihad Airways was seen as a masterstroke, industry experts have wondered if Jet Airways ever benefited from the partnership."Etihad insisted that Jet flights now stopped at Abu Dhabi, the former's hub. Goyal tried to overcome that by creating a hub at Brussels, but that was a wrong move as the Belgium capital didn't have enough local traffic coming to India. A hub, say like Dubai or Frankfurt, needs to have enough local traffic," says the senior executive quoted above. By the time Goyal shifted the European hub to Amsterdam, it was probably too late.These decisions proved costly for Jet Airways, which was beginning to lose ground in the home market to the fast emerging low-cost carriers, led by IndiGo.In 2018, the situation grew grim as high fuel prices and a weak rupee put pressure on the airline's finances. By December, it didn't have enough money to meet debt repayment commitment, or even pay salary to its once-feted pilots. The company owed banks more than Rs 8,000 crore.Through the first few months of 2019, both, Jet Airways bankers and employees were hoping that Goyal will bring in the much-needed liquidity.Goyal had made the most of the ups, and found ways to survive the downs. He could surely do it again. He could convince Etihad to bring in more money or perhaps put in his own money."Even after April 17, we had continued working," says Singh, the former Jet Airways employee. But by the end of May, even hopeful employees like Singh started leaving, and soon enough the banks, led by State Bank of India, took the airline to the National Company Law Tribunal, in June. In another two months, Goyal came under the lens of the Enforcement Directorate, which raided homes and offices of the Jet Airways founder. The ED continues to probe Goyal's transactions and allegations of money laundering.Even as the investigations against the entrepreneur continue, the insolvency process seems to have reached a dead-end, with multiple extensions failing to attract a bid.The insolvency process may have got another 90 days, but the dramatic collapse of the aviation sector post the COVID-19 outbreak has extinguished whatever hopes that remained."We have moved on," says Singh. "Both in our personal and professional lives," he adds.Tail note:Dramatically, a little over a month after the story was published, the whole process was restarted and fresh EoIs were called. Jet Airways got a long list of suitors . And one of them, Kalrock Capital, has won the bid to restart the airline*Names have been changed.Original Source:
Five bulldogs and seven Yorkshire Terriers are getting another chance to live their best life, thanks to the Houston SPCA and police.

The animal rescue and law enforcement saved the pups Wednesday from the poor living conditions they suffered at the hands of a backyard breeder in northeast Houston.
Families across Houston and across the country are hurting. Millions have already lost their jobs, and economists are forecasting that the unemployment rate will hit at least 30 percent in the coming months. The pandemics widespread economic disruption is bringing massive food and housing insecurity. Many people are already making the choice between buying food and paying their rent. Eighty-five Harris County families attested to their own food and housing insecurity in a virtual town hall hosted by The Metropolitan Organization (TMO).

The CARES Act provides for mortgage forbearance for federally backed mortgages. Homeowners and landlords can forego payments to their lenders for up to twelve months. The payments are to be tacked onto the end of the loan without penalty. This relief will prevent millions of homeowners and landlords from losing their homes and rental properties through foreclosure during this health emergency. To avoid a massive foreclosure crisis, mortgage lenders must embrace their key role and facilitate forbearance for homeowners and landlords.

The CARES Act provides no similar relief to renters. Businesses are eligible for rent relief in the form of grants and loans. Families are only offered a delay in the eviction process and protection from landlords charging them fees or penalties for non-payment of rent. This means that if they fail to pay rent throughout the pandemic then they will face eviction as soon as it is over.

The CARES Act does create a Coronavirus Relief Fund to allow cities and counties to respond to their urgent needs. Harris County will receive over $800 million from this fund. At least $100 million should be used for rental assistance and other resources needed by families who will not receive funds from the CARES Act.

Suspending rent throughout the course of the pandemic would guarantee housing security for renters. At the end of the pandemic, renters should not owe their landlords anything for missed rent payments or face retribution for non-payment of rent. Landlords who have federally backed mortgages can defer their payments until it is over. Landlords who do not can receive relief through a Small Business Administration Disaster Loan.

The suspension of rent, and the forgiveness of any debts related to its non-payment, is a profoundly biblical idea. We find it in the Hebrew Bible, in Leviticus 25:8-55 God gave Moses extensive laws that are to govern the year of jubilee, a period when all debts were forgiven, and property was to be widely redistributed throughout the community. In Deuteronomy 15:1 we encounter a text that reads, Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts.

These laws were meant to remind people that the land is Mine (Leviticus 25:23) and that we are all temporary residents on the Earth. Therefore, the text teaches you must provide for the redemption of the land (Leviticus 25:24).

If there ever was a time to be inspired by such biblical lessons, it is now. Suspending rent and forgiving debt, heeding the scriptural injunction for a jubilee, will provide security for millions of families. It will also help to slow the spread of the virus. And that will benefit not just them but all of society. We invite religious leaders across the community to join our call. We pray that public officials will heed it. Its time for jubilee!

Fr. Albert Zanatta, Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen, Rev. Carissa Baldwin-McGinnis, Rabbi David Segal and Rev. Edward C. Jones, III are clergy who work with The Metropolitan Organization.
One more person tested positive for coronavirus in Jharkhand on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 29, a government official said.

The fresh case has been reported from Dhanbad's Kumardubhi area, about 50 km from the coal city, Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar said.

This the first COVID-19 case in Dhanbad district.

Dr Raj Kumar, in-charge of one of the quarantine centres, said a 36-year-old man had come home from West Bengal's Asansol in the first week of April.

"When he came to the hospital, his samples were taken and he was asked to remain in quarantine at the Sadar hospital in Dhanbad, but he went home, Dr Kumar said.

After his sample tested positive, a team of the Health Department went to his house and sent him to an isolation ward of the Sadar hospital. His parents, wife and two children were put in a quarantine centre," he said.

Fourteen positive cases have been reported from Ranchi, nine from Bokaro, two from Hazaribag and one each from Dhanbad, Simdega, Koderma and Giridih districts.

The total number of cases include two deaths -- one in Ranchi and another in Bokaro district.

The first case of COVID-19 was detected at Hindpiri locality, where a 22-year-old Malaysian woman tested positive for the disease on March 31.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
HOLMDEL, N.J., April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (VG), a global business cloud communications leader, will hold its annual meeting of stockholders on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 10:00 AM ET. The 2020 annual meeting webcast will be accessible live through Vonage's Investor Relations website .



Shareholders at the close of business on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 are entitled to attend the virtual annual meeting. Shareholders will be able to vote shares and submit questions electronically during the virtual annual meeting. Non-shareholders will be able to attend the annual meeting electronically, but will not be able to vote or participate.

About Vonage

Vonage is redefining business communications once again. We're making communications more flexible, intelligent, and personal, to help enterprises the world over, stay ahead. We provide unified communications, contact centers and programmable communications APIs, built on the world's most flexible cloud communications platform. True to our roots as a technology disruptor, our flexible approach helps us to better serve the growing collaboration, communications, and customer experience needs of companies, across all communications channels.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Israel, Australia and Asia. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage . To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage . To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage .

Investor Contact: Hunter Blankenbaker (732) 444-4926; hunter.blankenbaker@vonage.com
Carry The Load's Continuum of Care program is a collaboration with corporate and nonprofit partners to raise awareness and funds to assist military, veterans, first responders and their families. This program supports essential recovery services for front line heroes, such as counseling, adaptive training, suicide prevention, job placements, scholarships for children of the fallen, and more.

Chase, the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co., is the title sponsor of Carry The Load for the sixth consecutive year. This support helps ensure that Carry The Load can live out its dedication to honor and remember our nation's heroes.

"Over the past weeks and months, we have all witnessed the heroism of those working on the front lines to protect our health and safety. Carry The Load's National Relay has always reminded us to come together as a community to honor these sacrifices," said Retired U.S. Army Colonel Mark Elliott, Global Head of Military and Veterans Affairs at JPMorgan Chase. "Perhaps now more than ever, we are grateful for the opportunity to join Carry The Load virtually to pay special tribute to our heroes past and present."

Carry The Load is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2011 by veteran U.S. Navy SEALs Clint Bruce and Stephen Holley. Carry The Load's mission is to provide an active way to honor and celebrate our nation's heroes by connecting Americans to the sacrifices made by our nation's military, veterans, first responders and their families. For more, visit CarryTheLoad.org.

Contact: [email protected]

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By Akbar Mammadov

In January-March 2020, Azerbaijan exported 84.598 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables worth $113.2 million, the State Customs Committee (SCC) told local media on 15 April.

Compared with January-March 2019, the export of fruits and vegetables in quantitative terms decreased by 14.4%, while in value increased by 9.5%.

In particular, in January-March 2019, Azerbaijan exported 32.769 thousand tons of tomatoes to foreign countries, which amounted $43.0 million (an increase in quantitative terms compared to January-March 2019 was 53.3%, in cost - by 72, 5%.)

In January-March 2020, Azerbaijan also exported the following products: hazelnuts - 6 thousand tons (decrease by 18%) by $36 million 940.12 thousand (decrease by 5.2%), apples - 18.186 thousand tons (decrease by 37, 9%) by $7 million 752.86 thousand (decrease by 36.5%), persimmon 17.947 thousand tons (decrease by 24.7%) by $14 million 135 thousand (decrease by 21.2%), tea - 325.12 tons (an increase of 5.4%) by $2 million 225.4 thousand (an increase of 11%).

--

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
NEWTOWN BOROUGH >> The Newtown Borough Council welcomes the new year with three new members of council and a new borough mayor. District Court Judge Mick Petrucci was on hand on January 3 to administer the oath of office to the towns new mayor, Republican John Burke, who replaces longtime mayor Charles Corky Swartz who decided not to run for...
"School Life" (Netflix film in French and Arabic languages, originally titled "La Vie Scolaire"); Cast: Zita Hanrot, Liam Pierron, Soufiane Guerrab, Moussa Mansaly, Alban Ivanov; Direction: Grand Corps Malade and Mehdi Idir; Rating: * * * (three stars)By Vinayak Chakravorty A coming-of-age drama, set in a suburban school with a bunch of unruly students, invariably finds its lead character in a (preferably not very old) teacher who'll walk in brimming with confidence, tossing ideas that will transform the campus into a happy place.

The template works everywhere -- from Bollywood (random recall: "Sir" or "Hip Hip Hurray") to Hollywood (think "To Sir, With Love") - and the formula can be moulded to suit whatever socio-political or cultural context a filmmaker may wish to convey.

This French-Arabic film, originally titled "La Vie Scolaire", draws its context from the racial factor of the locality in which it is based -- Saint-Denis, which is a Paris suburb mostly populated by migrants of colour.

For viewers in India that societal mapping may not hold much interest, unless you consider it is rendered with an autobiographical edge. Saint-Denis is the home turf of the film's writer-director duo of slam poet Grand Corps Malade and hip-hop dancer Medhi Idir. Even without getting their commentative nuances, you don't miss the emotional intimacy the director duo establishes in each character and situation. The outcome is endearing realism, a kind of feel-good chaos that grows on you.

In the undisciplined, unmotivated milieu of a Saint-Denis middle school arrives Samia (Zita Hanrot), the new vice-principal. Not many believe the students of the school have any sort of a bright future, and that includes the students themselves. Samia, however, sees things differently. She is convinced there is light at the end of the tunnel for the disillusioned bunch.

If directors Malade and Idir draw from personal memories to keep the story real, they have been smart with the casting, too. Most of the school kids are played out by local non-professionals. It adds an element of raw sincerity to the overall plot progression. Liam Pierron is particularly effective as Yanis, an intelligent but cynical boy whose bitterness about the treatment meted out to immigrants overrides his potential.

The script tries justifying why a polished academic as Samia should arrive in a locality as Saint-Denis through a personal subtext for the character. It needn't have. All the same, Zita Hanrot's performance as Samia remains the livewire that lights up this film.

"School Life" doesn't bank on too many twists. Rather, the film portrays teen immigrant angst within the confines of its very French reality with bittersweet drama and humour. There is an element of universality about its characters and storyline that, though not wholly novel, could keep you engaged through its 111-minute runtime.

(Vinayak Chakravorty can be reached at vinayak.c@ians.in)
Central relief body with army and health workers is urgently needed

The government will issue ration cards for 50 lakh vulnerable families during the countrywide shutdown.







Amid allegations over theft of rice meant for poor, the government has postponed the open market sale (OMS) and taken an initiative to issue cards for lower-income group people across the country to sell them rice at Tk 10 per kg.

Under this programme, rice will be sold to those having cards in presence of officials from the local administration, law enforcers and local public representatives including councillors.





Despite understanding the reason of the arrangement to be managed by the government, yet we can say it with all the confidence that such a body with persons named will not succeed. Thieving and mismanagement will continue.







We also find lack of urgency about need of the hungry people. What should not be unknown to the government is that it does not enjoy the people's trust about its management capacity and control to ensure honest distribution of relief materials. The process is bound to be slow but the need is about life and death.





What is needed is a trusted and effectivenon-political body. The government itself had decided to take help from the armed forces but it is now showing no interest to make their involvement helpful in the most effective way.







We urged the government from the very beginning that a central body should be formed in association with army officials for efficient use of them.





It seems the people around the government are so much out of touch with the general people and also lacks competence that they are not in a position to give the government the right kind of advice.







They have no interest in knowing how desperate and urgent is the need of the people for getting basic necessities like food etc. who have lost earnings to live and survive though not infected by the deadly virus.





We fail to appreciate why the government does not understand that the government machinery is non-functional. By now the government should have realised that it is not surrounded by competent persons for running the government.

There is not much honesty to be found in them. The recently introduced OMS arrangement failed to work for corruption.







We have to think of the human aspect of the crisis. The health system is not well-equipped, because service to the people was not a consideration of the government. Now things are coming out in the open. It is no time for politics as usual.





The lack of human consideration is obvious in the fact that the government is only thinking of selling rice at lower price. The out of jobs people need more than rice. There are other essential necessities for the day to day need of family members including children.





The crisis has to be sensibly analysed and plans must be prepared for making relief materials available to the people. In simple terms we understand that the task is not so easy. But emergency survival kits must be available at the door of every needy family.





This is our collective national duty at this time of life and death situation for our helpless people to do everything to mitigate their inhuman sufferings.







It is shocking to hear from a woman who spoke to a television journalist that when she went with her mother to a well known government hospital in Dhaka for medical help it was told by an official (may not be a doctor) that he was not bound to listen to her because he is not paid by her father.







But he is paid by her father, the people. This is how some employees in the government think that the people are nobody. Money they are paid are not the people's money. We would not have taken note of the matter if the hospital was not a distinguished government hospital.







Anyhow, if a trusted body, as being suggested, is in place, we are sure many private individuals will come forward with help.
China reported on Thursday fewer new coronavirus cases involving travellers arriving from overseas, but locally transmitted infections rose, with the Chinese capital seeing new local cases for the first time in more than three weeks.

New imported cases dropped to 34 on Wednesday from 36 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said, down for the third straight day, amid stringent border checks and reduced international flights.

But the number of locally transmitted cases rose to 12 from 10 a day earlier, with the city of Beijing seeing three new local cases for the first time since March 23.

The other new local cases on Wednesday were in the provinces of Heilongjiang and Guangdong, both of which have been battling with an influx of infected travellers from overseas, mostly Chinese nationals returning from abroad.

Overall, mainland China reported 46 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the same as a day earlier, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 82,341.

The number of new asymptomatic cases increased to 64 from 57 a day earlier.

China does not include patients with no clinical symptoms such as a cough or a fever in its tally of confirmed cases.
Let them take the lead

If I try and show the kids something, they dont want to know about it. They say mum this is boring. But if you leave it out, theyll find it organically and ask questions about it. Sometimes structured play is effective if you leave things out for them to look at."

If youve got a garden, use it

During the first two weeks [of lockdown] where it was sunny but cold, they would go out in the garden a lot. There was loads of stuff out there and wed make things like obstacle courses."

Ration activities where you can

Were trying to ration when they do things because Tom was getting out five or six different activities throughout the day and I said, No, let them sit on things or were going to use up everything weve got."

Its okay to let them get bored

If the kids get bored theyll find their own activities, which I dont think they do as often nowadays. I think it is healthy to get bored because thats where creativity stems from."

Combine screen time with play time

The boys like to put on a film like Cars but will have their toy cars out and theyll be acting out bits of the film. So theres a blurred line between screen time and playing."

Make the most of this time

This is the one time in our lives where were all at home together for long periods, its about making the most of that time rather than letting all the stresses creep in."
The Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has shut down Med Contour plastic surgery facility, days after a botched surgery at the medical center led to an uproar on social media.

The FCCPC commenced an investigation againt Med Contour after receiving petitions against the facilitys owner, Dr Anu Fella. The plastic surgeon was accused of engaging in unprofessional, misleading and potentially injurious conducts.

Med Contours facility in Lagos was sealed today April 15, by the agency, in an abundance of caution & consumer safety pending further inquiry.

The post FG shuts down Med Contour plastic surgery facility after several complaints appeared first on .

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Yesterday marked four years since BCs last and still ongoing declaration of a public health emergency: the opioid overdose crisis.

The opioid crisis took the lives of 981 British Columbians last year alone. Contradictory to anecdotal opinions that falsely associate the opioid crisis to individuals who are street-entrenched, many of the people who have died because of an opioid overdose are normal working-class citizens. No, its not just junkies who are dying; the most high-risk and hard to support population is men between the ages of 30 and 64, primarily working in some kind of trades job. There is overlap in the impacted populations of the opioid and COVID-19 crises.



Both of our newfound medical heroes, Dr. Bonnie Henry & Dr. Theresa Tam, have called for safe drug supply (i.e., decriminalization and dispensing medical grade drugs) for years, suggesting that it would be a silver-bullet it curbing unnecessary deaths. Maybe now, given our countrys current admiration for these PHOs, is the time to finally take their advice.



We wouldnt want to be seen as cherry-picking advice or being hypocritical, would we? Why would we isolate at home, shut down the economy, and take on multigenerational government debt under their guidance for one crisis, but ignore their recommendations for the other crisis (which is killing profoundly more Canadians). That doesnt seem right, does it? I strongly suggest that Dr. Henry and Dr. Tam have earned our respect and trust enough to start heeding their advice beyond just the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ross St. George
Some say there are two states of Idaho. Its true that the Gem State divides by mountains, desert and a time zone; its also true that its split by radically different political temperaments. On the one hand theres the spirit of cooperation and belief that government can help; on the other theres outright contempt for anything governmental. And though other Western states also exhibit this mostly urban-rural split, Idahos extremes can seem extreme indeed.

In the state capital of Boise, population 225,000, where I live, signs of a positive response to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic are everywhere, with American flags flying on some streets to show this is a time for patriotism.

After Gov. Brad Little stepped up on March 25 to close non-essential businesses and order Idahoans to stay at home as best you can, helping-out initiatives have been so numerous in Boise that our two local newspapers (yes, we have two!) cant document them all. Consider just one: Residents began sewing protective masks well before the recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control.

Boises mask-making campaign enlisted 1,300 participants in 13 days, and one woman alone cuts out 800 cloth masks a day for others to add strings. The initiative expects to provide 10,000 masks to clinics, hospitals and retirement homes.

In Idaho Falls, population 62,000, a group called the Sewing Sisters is filling a request for 4,000 masks from nursing homes and other care centers. The 200-person Idaho Falls Chinese community raised $9,500 to buy masks from around the world for hospitals.

Under Littles order, construction continues full-tilt in this fast-growing state. The hospitality industry has slowed to a crawl, though we still can buy takeout cocktails at local bars. Yet enough of us are working from home that it appears the governors order has been mostly followed, at least in southern Idaho.

In more rural, northern Idaho, where about a quarter of Idahoans live, its a different world.

Mary Sousa, a state legislator from Coeur dAlene, told the Idaho Statesman that not a single constituent has spoken to her in support of the governors order.

Tim Remington, another Coeur dAlene legislator and pastor, defied the governors order by holding in-person church services. In nearby Bonner County, Sheriff Daryl Wheeler not only supports mass church services, but, in a letter to the governor declared it was also unconstitutional for him to prohibit healthy people from going to work.

Not surprisingly, Ammon Bundy, the rancher who organized the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge four years ago, defied the governor by holding a rally in Emmett, Idaho, on Easter Sunday for about 100 people. He said people needed to challenge government orders that infringed on constitutional rights: We want to be with each other. We thrive on that. Its part of our life. Its part of liberty, reported the New York Times.

Moreover, northern Idaho is the center of whats called the Redoubt Movement. This movement of well-armed survivalists imagines a future in which adherents from eastern Washington and eastern Oregon, along with partisans from western Montana and western Wyoming, will join with Idaho in self-defense when society inevitably disintegrates. During this pandemic, Redoubt advocates have purchased ever more arms and ammo, saying they need to be prepared to fight outsiders coming for their food and land.

Meanwhile, this years session of the Idaho Legislature appropriated $2 million for virus testing but otherwise paid little attention to the pandemic. It did, however, prevent transgender persons from changing their sex on a birth certificate, authorize concealed carry of weapons for nonresidents, and came close to defunding public television. At issue was the childrens cartoon Clifford the Dog, which apparently offended because the dog visited a lesbian couple. Northern Idahos extremists have many friends in the state Legislature.

Yet here in Boise there is a schools out quality to these radiant spring days, though hard times lie ahead: This is a state that ranks near the bottom in most categories of education and social well-being, and where about a third are renters living paycheck to paycheck  and now without paychecks.

Recovery will be largely dependent on the federal government, and that will be a bitter pill to swallow for the disaffected government-haters of this state. Like it or not, we are all in this together, and most of us want to help each other, not run away or stockpile more guns.

Jerry Brady is a contributor to Writers on the Range.org, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He published the Idaho Falls Post Register for 25 years.

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BUCHAREST -- Its a familiar sight in Romania this month: police and military officials stopping cars to check whether motorists and passengers are carrying compulsory written statements that justify their trip.

Offenders risk a fine of at least 1,000 lei (207 euros).

Most people quickly comply with the measure, which is part of a military ordinance introduced during the month-old state of emergency decreed by President Klaus Iohannis, who extended it for another month on April 14.

Romanias center-right government has followed with tight restrictions on peoples movements and deployed military troops to patrol the streets to help halt the spread of the novel coronavirus, which by April 16 had sickened more than 7,700 people and killed nearly 400 in this southeastern European country of around 19 million.

But not all has gone as smoothly as most of the roadside checks.

There have been scattered accusations of official infringements on individual rights and freedoms since authorities were given sweeping powers under the state of emergency.

In one case, video was posted to social media of a police officer in Bucharest punching a man who was violating the 10 p.m. curfew on April 7 and refused to show police his identity papers. Bucharest police say they have begun an internal inquiry into the incident.

There is a risk and temptation of abuse in this situation," Cristian Parvulescu, dean of the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, a public university in the capital, told RFE/RL. "Police and gendarmes see themselves as the bosses.

He said Iohannis had been forced to adopt the state of emergency "under pressure from experts because [lockdown] recommendations werent being respected."

Without the emergency measure, Parvulescu suggested, Romanian officials are largely helpless "to impose certain things."

Unlike the Netherlands and Sweden, there is another political culture here," he added. "Measures need to be imposed categorically, like in Suceava, and [other] places where the civil administration proved to be absolutely incompetent."

'No Tanks On The Streets'

Although Prime Minister Ludovic Orban had vowed there would be no tanks on the streets, the northern city of Suceava has been put under a strict lockdown, with police and troops on patrol, since an outbreak at that city's hospital accounted for about one-third of Romanias coronavirus cases.

Tandarei, town of around 12,000 in southeastern Romania that gained international notoriety for child trafficking and other cross-border crime, is under a strict lockdown enforced by military troops since 800 residents flouted quarantine orders after returning from Western Europe.

Locals were refusing to stay at home and observe social distancing, instead gathering at parties and barbecues that could spread the highly contagious coronavirus, before the arrival of soldiers.

In some places, there have been allegations of police overstepping their authority and taking photos of peoples personal details, a violation of privacy rules, according to Monica Macovei, a veteran rights activist and former justice minister who is now in the European Parliament.

I havent seen sanctions applied to decision makers or senior or junior officials," Macovei told RFE/RL. "Yesterday, I saw that police were photographing peoples statements with their personal phones, an inadmissible and unforgivable thing."

Even if police dont have the tools at hand to check that people are complying with restrictions, she said, nothing justifies retaining peoples private details in their personal phones."

Macovei said the pandemic had uncovered inherent weaknesses in the system, including what she described as the political appointment of managers.

Romania currently has three hospitals under military command, after managers resigned following outbreaks at their facilities.

Parvulescu said the crisis has cast public administration in a bad light.

"The image of civil administration has been damaged, for example in Suceava, where the military are the only ones who [appear] capable" of running a hospital facility, he said.

In some places, local officials who say residents are not respecting stay-at-home orders are appealing to the military for help.

Viorel Ionescu, mayor of Harsova, called on the military to guard key state institutions in his town to free up gendarmes to patrol the streets.

He told RFE/RL on April 10 that about 170 people had returned to the community of 11,000 from Britain, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands since the outbreak began. Some didn't respect self-isolation rules and police had to place them in institutionalized quarantine, he said.

We are discussing rights being restricted, including the right to free movement, Ionescu said. But the first right is the right to health and life -- that is the first place -- followed by education, access to information, and then free movement.

At the moment, free movement has to be restricted because it endangers the right to life," he added. "Its not my right to go when and where I want, when I can infect you.
An Iranian news agency has reported that despite the coronavirus epidemic, the reconstruction, development and restoration projects carried out by Iran in Iraq's Shiite shrines have continued.

Demolishing the buildings in the vicinity of the shrine of Imam Hossein to extend the grounds has continued with full consideration of health requirements, Rasa News reported on April 11.

Part of the said project was assigned in 2018 to Iran's Astan-e Qods-e Razavi, the administrative organization which manages the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, the capital of Iran's Khorasan Province.

An official of the Astan-e Qods in August 2018 said more than 200 of its reconstruction and restoration experts were carrying out various projects in Iraq including the gilding of the domes and verandas of shrines.

Iran's Headquarters for Reconstruction of Holy Shrines in Iraq was formed in 2003 as a charity organization but the appointment of its new head in August 2018 by the Qods Force former commander Qassem Soleimani indicated that it became a branch of the Qods Force of the Revolutionary Guard. Like his predecessor Hassan Palark, the new head of the rebuilding outfit, Mohammad Jalal-Ma'ab, fought during Iran-Iraq war under Qassem Soleimani's command.

Several of high-ranking officials in Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's are also among the officials of the Headquarters which in the past 15 years has been active in various Iraqi cities. According to some reports as many as 3,000 Iranians were involved in the projects carried out by the Headquarters in Iraq.

Although officially a charity, the Headquarters receives a budget from the government. In early 2017 the Head of the Headquarters said an annual budget of 5 trillion rials ($1.5 billion at 2017 rate) had been forecast for the organization for the next six years.

The Headquarters' activities in Iraq and Syria extend beyond reconstruction and restoration of shrines. These activities includ large sums of money and aid shipments to Iraq and Syria and its lack of transparency are often criticized by Iranian social media users.

Iran has demanded an emergency $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to fight the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
New Jersey was the first state to propose a bill that would mandate insurers cover COVID-19-related losses under their business interruption policies, and the insurance industry was quick to express its concern. But that hasnt stopped some states from rolling out similar proposed legislation.

New York and Pennsylvania have recently proposed their own COVID-19 business interruption bills, bringing the total to seven states that have introduced legislation like this. Similar to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania is legislation that has been floated in Louisiana, Ohio, Massachusetts and South Carolina. None of the proposed bills have yet passed.

The concern among the insurance industry is that legislation like this could place too much financial strain on insurers that didnt price for virus-related losses, which were initially excluded from policies nearly 15 years ago through an Insurance Services Office (ISO) exclusion for loss due to virus or bacteria. The ISO exclusion was introduced in July 2006 and later approved by regulators. Similar exclusions exist in forms issued by other insurance organizations or in insurer-drafted forms, Insurance Journal previously reported.

I think in laymans terms, it would implode the industry, Doug Jones, managing director of JAG Insurance Group, told Insurance Journal in a March webinar on business interruption and the coronavirus. At the end of the day, the ripple effect of what that would cause down the road, and Im talking short-term, not long-term; Im talking about months from now, not years from now. It would be difficult for anybody to buy any type of insurance.

Additional concerns among the insurance industry about this type of legislation surround The Contracts Clause in the U.S. Constitution, which places limitations on states ability to interfere with private contracts.

Its just not constitutional, Don Hayden, co-founder and partner of Mark Migdal & Hayden, added. I mean, what youre essentially doing is creating insurance where there is nothing. Youre essentially throwing out the underwriting and the risk evaluation that insurance companies have done before writing a policy and saying, You have to cover this. Even though you had expressly said that you would not cover it in your exclusion and in your insurance agreement.'

Proposed Bills in Pennsylvania, New York

In Pennsylvania, HB 2372  or An Act Providing For Insurance Coverage For Business Interruption  has been introduced. While the bill has not yet seen a vote, it calls for any insurance policy that covers loss or damage to property, including the loss of use and occupancy and business interruption, to cover business interruption losses due to global virus transmission or pandemic. If enacted, the legislation would be retroactive for policies in force on March 6, 2020, when a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency was first declared in the state regarding this pandemic.

The proposed bill applies to insurance policies that have been issued to insureds with fewer than 100 eligible employees in Pennsylvania, meaning full-time employees who work a normal week of at least 25 hours, according to the proposed legislation. The bill also states insurers that pay claims related to business interruption stemming from the coronavirus pandemic can apply to the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner for relief and reimbursement.

As a general matter, business interruption insurance will only pay when there has been a physical loss (such as a fire) to the premises of the building, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman said in an emailed statement regarding the proposed legislation. The product generally was not designed or priced to cover communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, and generally policies that we have seen in mediating complaints contain clear exclusions.

This is an issue that has garnered attention in Washington, D.C., as U.S. Congress considers strategies to assist business owners, Altmans statement continued.

The industry argues that proposals to retroactively apply coverage to policies that excluded benefits in such policies, though beneficial to the policyholder, are unconstitutional and threaten the viability of the broader industry, Altman said. We understand those concerns and recognize the need for a national solution to this growing challenge confronting businesses across the nation.

Similarly, New York has proposed A 10226 in the State Assembly and S 8178 in the State Senate, which would require certain perils to be covered under business interruption insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate bill is being sponsored by State Senator Shelley B. Mayer, while the bill in the Assembly was introduced by State Assemblyman Robert Carroll. Neither bill has yet been voted on.

The proposed New York bills read similarly to the Pennsylvania legislation, applying to policies issued to insureds with fewer than 100 eligible employees, meaning full-time employees who work a normal week of 25 or more hours, according to the bills. The legislation would be retroactive for policies issued on or after March 7, 2020. If enacted, insurers required to pay business interruption claims related to the coronavirus would be eligible for reimbursement with the New York Department of Financial Services. A spokesperson for DFS said it does not comment on proposed or pending legislation.

Industry Opposition

Insurance industry associations have continually expressed opposition regarding such legislation. In an April 13 letter to Pennsylvania Representative Tina Pickett, Chair of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Insurance Committee, The Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) stated it believes HB 2372 in Pennsylvania, as proposed, would have far-reaching, significant negative impacts to all consumers and businesses relying on the insurance market to protect them now and in the future.

Any action to fundamentally alter business interruption provisions specifically, or property insurance generally, to retroactively mandate insurance coverage for viruses by voiding those exclusions, would immediately subject insurers to claim payment liability that threatens solvency and the ability to make good on the actual promises made in existing insurance policies, the letter stated.

In a statement released by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), President and CEO Charles M. Chamness said calls for the insurance industry to provide coverage for perils that are excluded in a business interruption policy are misguided, Insurance Journal previously reported.

If elected officials require payment for perils that were excluded, never underwritten for, and for which no premium was ever collected, catastrophic results will occur and we may deal with a second crisis: insurance insolvencies and impairments. There will also be irreparable harm done to contract law, and the impact of this will be felt by every business in America, Chamness said.

Seeking Relief for Small Businesses

In a previous interview with Insurance Journal, however, Massachusetts State Senator James Eldridge  who introduced Bill SD.2888 regarding business interruption insurance and the coronavirus in Massachusetts  said legislation like this is important because it comes on the back of a big push about relief for small businesses amidst the coronavirus crisis.

I personally think this kind of pandemic should be covered by insurance companies, he said.

The challenge is, unlike big businesses, many small businesses may not have the financial ability to fund coverage litigation or to absorb the loss of income they are facing, Alexandra Roje, partner in Lathrop GPMs insurance recovery practice, previously told Insurance Journal.

It remains to be seen how long big business can absorb losses in the current environment, but it is clear that if small businesses do not get help from their representatives, they and their employees will face dire consequences, she said.

Jones stated he is sympathetic to the concerns of small businesses being impacted by COVID-19 right now. Although he said he believes legislation like what has been proposed in several states would result in great consequences for the insurance industry, he is optimistic relief for businesses hurting due to this pandemic is on the horizon.

I think keeping hope alive is human nature, Jones said. I dont blame any one of my clients that calls me expecting for this to be covered by their policy, because they may or may not understand the terms of the contract. Im not mad at those people for thinking that or for being optimistic that legislation may pass. I think that ultimately, there will be other avenues for small businesses like the stimulus package and whatever else is going to follow-up with the payroll protection program  things of that nature. That is where youre going to get or have the ability to get the funds that you need to stay open.
Amlak Social Insurance Organisation Development Company, the Bahrain-based real estate arm of the Social Insurance Organization (SIO), announced the creation of a Half a Million Support Fund, that will financially support its impacted tenants.

This is in line with the directives of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to support the national campaign to support the kingdoms financial and economic conditions due to the current global situation.

The Amlak Support Fund, offers multiple schemes and is aimed towards bringing market stability. This is based on market studies and the category of each tenant; the types of support will vary based on monthly assessments and will be activated immediately.

Commenting on this initiative, Yusuf Al Thawadi, Chief Executive Officer of Amlak, said: Considering current conditions, we wish to reassure our tenants that as always they have our continued support. Amlaks Support Fund aims at relieving the financial strains the tenants and community shops, which will reflect positively on the consumers, residents and the citizens of our beloved kingdom.

He also added: We are keen to support the kingdom in all of its initiatives, in addition to supporting the long-term relationship we have with our tenants. It is important to understand that this situation is only temporary and the efforts of Team Bahrain have proven to be highly successful, and together, we will overcome those economic and social challenges. We would like to express our sincerest appreciation and gratitude to our government for their efforts, in implementation of the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the countrys monarch, may God bless and protect him, monitored by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman, Prime Minister, and exceptionally lead and implemented by the Crown Prince. -- Tradearabia News Service
New Delhi: Congress leader Kapil Sibal interacts with the IANS leadership team of Sandeep Bamzai and Deepak Sharma during an exclusive interview, in New Delhi on March 17, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, April 16 : The Congress has once again attacked the government for the plight of the migrants and poor people, saying that they were suffering due to the nationwide lockdown. Party leader Kapil Sibal said on Thursday that the people could not be helped by mere lecturing.

Sibal in a tweet said, "Our people ready to support government...Government must also be ready to support people, Not by lathi charges, Not by 'bhashans', But by 'rations' and Cash for survival." While Kapil Sibal said, "We salute who feed: Migrants and the poor.... Gurdwaras, Mandirs, NGO's with community support." The Congress has been demanding free ration for the poor till September 20 and Sonia Gandhi has also written a letter to the Prime Minister on this.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also appealed the government on Wednesday to issue "emergency ration card" to feed the poor, who are suffering from lack of provisions, including the migrants and poor who are not getting rations through the PDS.

Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet on Wednesday that it was inhuman that grains were rotting and people were with empty stomachs.

He said, "We appeal to the government that in this difficult time issue emergency ration cards, this should be for those people who are suffering due to lockdown and don't have food grains, lakhs of citizens are not able to take ration from PDS ,the foodgrains is rotting in godowns and peopleare hungry, inhuman."
Andrea Evans, a first-grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary School, gives a no contact hug while talking with parent Danielle Johnson. Evans asked Johnson to give the hug to her 5-year-old son, Silas, who is a student at the school. Read more

During the first week of social distancing, Lisa Bien found herself in line at a Mount Laurel Shop Rite chatting it up with a shopper behind her.

We were just laughing and talking and having a great time," said Bien a motivational speaker, television host, and author and self-described hugger. And then I reached out  and we caught ourselves. We just stopped and I immediately felt sad. Because even though she was a stranger, we had connected and the next logical step was to hug her or shake her hand, or something.

Its been weeks since weve been able to touch a human being, who we dont live with. That means no hugs from our parents. Beloved nieces and nephews no longer just plop down on our laps. The soothing touch of our favorite manicurists, pedicurists, or massage therapists are long lost. Handshakes are in danger of extinction. There have been no spontaneous high fives.

 READ MORE: Social distancing dos and donts

Why is the loss of touch leaving many of us feeling anxious and melancholy? Because on top of all the stress and uncertainty COVID-19 has introduced into our lives, we can no longer rely on one of our most natural ways to cope with anxiety: taking comfort in human touch.

Why touch is important

We are social animals, so touch is incredibly important to us," explained Melissa Hunt, a clinical psychologist and associate director in the department of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. When babies arent touched, Hunt explained, they stop eating and stop growing. Patients who are touched in the ICU recover faster. This is in large part, scientists believe, because a touch releases the powerful bonding hormone, oxytocin.

Oxytocin is important to our well-being and connection to the world, Hunt said. It bolsters our immune system and represses the stress hormone, cortisol. As we sludge through these days and months without touch, not only will we feel lonely, there will be biological consequences to our neuroendocrine system, the system that regulates our moods, our metabolism, and our sex drive.

No wonder were feeling a bit bummed.

The bad news says Philadelphia-based psychologist Marquita Williams, is that nothing replaces human touch. But there are things we can do that can stimulate the same good feelings touch does. The goal, Williams said. Is to get through this safely and as sanely as we can.

Here are some tips to help you cope.

Hug the ones youre with

If youre fortunate enough to shelter in place with your family, or perhaps even a roommate, make an extra effort to simply touch them more, Hunt said. When you are walking by your son or daughter, place your hands on their shoulders. Or when in conversation, reach out and touch a siblings shoulders. If your roommate says something funny, give them a high five. Every time you do that you are expanding that positive feedback loop," Hunt said.

Pet your pet

Studies show that petting your dog or your cat releases the same calming sensations as human touch, said Stephanie Krauthamer-Ewing, a clinical and developmental psychologist at Drexel University. Dogs are particularly wonderful because they give as much love as they get, but a purring cat will do wonders for your mood. Dont have a furry friend? Inquirer reporter Grace Dickinson reported last month that the majority of animal rescue centers are open for you to adopt or foster a pet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 READ MORE: How to adopt or foster a dog or cat in the Philly area during the coronavirus

Practice self-massage

Whether you knead tense muscles with low-tech roller or fancy Theragun, make time to rub your body down. Not only is it soothing, it keeps muscles flexible and helps with stiffness," said Bryn Erace, who is the owner of Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spas in Cherry Hill, the Northeast and Feasterville. Its not only a great form of self care, It keeps muscles flexible and helps with stiffness," said Erace who recommends using CBD oil if you have it. Aneesh Chaudhry, owner and founder of SoulPhysio Lifestyle, a California-based fitness boutique for the brain, concurs adding that massage, activates our parasympathetic nervous system and calms down our fight or flight response [just] as if you were touched by a friend, Chaudhry said.

Do a little yoga

You dont have to stand on your head, Chaudhry said, but a yoga position like the eagle pose is literally a self hug designed to help you go inward. Use this touch-less time to create other rituals that ease anxiety, said Linda Copel, a professor at the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University and a marriage and family therapist. If intense balance is not your thing you can practice simple neck, shoulder, and back stretches. A good back stretch: Sit on the floor cross-legged and hug yourself while gently twisting your spine as far as you can go. You will surprised how this simple stretch can do wonders for your well-being, Erace said.

 READ MORE: What you can do if youre laid off or furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic

Keep warm

Being touched feels good to us because we are responding to the warmth of another body, Hunt said. And that toasty feeling can elicit the same biological responses as touch, Hunt said. Keep your home above 68 degrees. Feeling funky? Fix yourself a cup of hot tea and cradle the cup while sitting under a blanket. Cuddle up with a heating pad. You might also want to take a bubble bath, or if you dont have a bathtub, take a soothing hot shower.

Get out the stuffed animals

Young children love stuffed animals because they are soft, squishy, and comforting, Hunt said. That tactile feeling is assuring to little ones, Hunt said. If you gave away all of your stuffed animals in a Marie Kondo moment, curl up on your couch with a throw pillow while binge-watching television. Miss the beau you dont live with, Williams said, sleep next to a life-size pillow. Having something to hold will calm down your nighttime anxiety, she said. Its what I do. It may seem weird, she says, but it works.

 READ MORE: If weve both been self-isolating, can I hang out with my friend? Can I visit my family?

Send a gift

Remember, Bien said, a hug is a gift. So if you are missing gentle touches from the family youve been quarantine from seeing, send something to show you care. Think small: a letter, a small pot of flowers, cookies, a bottle of wine, a gift card. When we are giving we trigger the same feelings as a soft touch," Bien said. And that benefits everyone in the long run."
Press Release

16 April 2020

STR remains committed to keeping the hospitality industry updated on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our webinar series will provide in-depth updates on world regions around the globe. However, if you are unable to watch the full recording during this stressful time, you can find a summary of key points below.

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Peru occupancy reflects government measures to combat the spread of COVID-19

Peru was one of the first countries in the region to implement measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. The country's year-over-year occupancy declines eased slightly during the final week of March due to an influx of medical workers and first responders in the market.

Photo: STR

Latin America: one month of occupancy declines

Hotel performance in all Latin America countries has been affected by COVID-19, especially those markets highly dependent on international demand. Likewise, decreases in occupancy are greater as virus containment measures have intensified throughout the region. However, Brazil showed high growth during the first week of March due to the rebound effect of Carnival celebrations.

Photo: STR

Brazil: all hotel classes affected by COVID-19

All hotel classes in Brazil saw similar occupancy declines during March. Midscale and Economy Class hotels in Brazil posted a 41.5% decline when compared with the same week last year.

Photo: STR

Sao Paulo, one of the cities most affected by COVID-19

Sao Paulo has been one of the markets most affected by COVID-19. The market presented decreases in occupancy as bad as 93% (9 April). Likewise, occupancy in Rio de Janeiro decreased 72% that same day.

Photo: STR

ADR declines in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo

The two main cities in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, had been posting 10-15% ADR growth on average since the beginning of the year. Rio de Janeiro rate increases spiked during 21-26 February but fell dramatically in the early days of March due to the rebound effect of Carnival celebration. ADR decreases have been more frequent in each of Brazil's top two markets.
Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial.

At his coronavirus press conference on Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued a stunning threat-slash-promise-slashconstitutional fantasy. Complaining that Democrats were blocking his judicial appointees, the president said that the Senate should either end its current pro forma session and come back to Washington amid a pandemic to approve his appointees or officially adjourn so that he can make recess appointments. The Senate has left Washington until at least May 4, Trump said. The Constitution provides a mechanism for the president to fill positions in such circumstances, the recess appointment, its called. The Senates practice of gaveling into so-called pro forma sessions where no one is even there has prevented me from using the constitutional authority that were given under the recess provisions. The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so that I can make recess appointments.

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If the House will not agree to that adjournment, he continued, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress. The current practice of leaving of town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis. It is a scam what they do.

Trump is likely referencing Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution, which provides that the president can on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper. Does he have the power to actually do this, though? According to this 1964 article from the New York Times, the Senate parliamentarian issued an opinion in that year, regarding presidential authority to adjourn Congress: The answer is yesbut only under, certain unusual circumstances. These conditions are so limited that a President has never exercised the power to adjourn Congress.

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The clause as written seems to require that the president can only force the Senate to adjourn in Case of Disagreement between them, which suggests that it operates in cases where the House and Senate disagree about a date for adjournment. But the House and Senate have already agreed on a date: Jan 3, 2021.

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Trump, it seems, needs Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a majority of senators to come back to Washington to adjourn the Senate, which would then trigger a disagreement with the House of Representatives, as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would presumably then refuse to adjourn. On Wednesday, McConnells office said that he had spoken with Trump about the recess appointment question but also indicated that he would not be altering Senate rules to get Trump his appointments. If McConnell were to adjourn along a party-line votepossibly blowing up the filibuster in the processtheoretically, Trump would then adjourn the two disagreeing bodies. Recess appointments under this scheme would last only until January of 2021, but it would still be an unprecedented power grab. As historian Michael Beschloss tweeted, Wilson, Taft and FDR were all urged to adjourn Congress and all refused.

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They know theyve been warned and theyve been warned right now, Trump said. If they dont approve it, then were going to go this route and well probably be challenged in court and well see who wins.

Indeed, if Trump did manage to get Senate Republicans to go along with this plan, one wonders what the conservative-controlled Supreme Court might do. In 2014, the Supreme Court validated the legitimacy of holding pro forma sessions for the purpose of preventing recess appointments in NLRB v. Noel Canning, but that case did not involve the use of this unprecedented mechanism by a president. It would be challenged on a number of fronts.

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It is unclear that we have an extraordinary occasion in the sense that the Framers were using it, University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias told me in an email. It is not surprising that the provision has never been invoked, because no president has ever found the existence of an extraordinary occasion that warranted exercise of this power, even [though] the [United States] had the Civil War and two declared World Wars, while the House and Senate have always been able to agree on a time to adjourn.

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Its possible that the move is also just intended as a feint to distract from Trumps disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the spiraling economy. Trump desperately wants to change the subjectaway from the pandemic hes so badly handled thats killing Americans and toward this, Georgetown Law professor Josh Geltzer told me. Its important to explain why he is out of step with American constitutional traditions. But its also important not to let him change the focus at this critical time.

Ultimately, the real concern is that someone has advised Trump that he has the power to adjourn Congress and hes building an argument for it; his White House counsel and Justice Department are doubtless crafting the fanciful legal scaffolding right now. As is often the case when the president makes broad claims about untested constitutional authority, the worry is less that he will adjourn Congress tomorrow and more that he is recreationally floating insane notions, bolstering them with in-house analysis, and laying the groundwork for emergency powers he may someday seek in earnest. Its happened before and there is no reason it cant happen again.

For more on the impact of COVID-19, listen to Thursdays What Next.
BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- China will expand the pilot policy of selective tariffs on domestic sales to all comprehensive bonded zones from Wednesday, amid efforts to relieve the tax burden on export enterprises.

The announcement was jointly made by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the General Administration of Customs (GAC), and the State Taxation Administration.

The move to expand the pilot policy of selective tariffs can help cut the tax burden on enterprises, stabilize foreign trade and expand domestic demand, said He Daixin, deputy director of the financial research office of the National Academy of Economic Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The policy, according to the GAC, will allow manufacturers operating in bonded warehouses and selling their products to the domestic market to declare their products either as imported raw materials or as finished or partly finished products, depending on their assessment of the convenience and the tax pressure on their companies.

On the same day, the MOF also announced to exempt interest on tax deferred for domestic sales of processing trade enterprises from Wednesday to Dec. 31 in a bid to stabilize processing trade.

The tax policies are expected to help export companies survive the decline in overseas orders and explore the domestic market amid the global fight against COVID-19.
With school lessons online and in-person activities suspended, Nick Smith of Midland is stepping up to help the local fight against coronavirus. The 12-year-old is making surgical mask strap holders for doctors and nurses using his 3D printer.

I didnt want to sit around doing nothing when I can be doing something good for others, Smith said.

Smith was inspired to make the strap holders after his mom told him about 12-year-old Canadian Scout Quinn Callander of Vancouver who has made over 1,700 plastic ear guards for local medical personnel. Smith also heard from a friends mom, who works at MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland, how those strap holders would be greatly appreciated by the staff.

Two weeks ago, Smith got to work, using a 3D printer he received last Christmas. He is currently using PLA, which is more bendable and hence slightly more comfortable to wear. It takes Smith about five hours to make a group of four strap holders at a time; to date, he has made about 115 straps.

I tried to lower the time it would take, but I didnt want to lower the quality of the straps, he said.

Smith has already given a set of strap holders to his friends mom and is working on an order to send to his dads friend, who works in an emergency room in Madison, Wisconsin.

Its a nice thing to do to help everybody, Smith said.

Smith plans on continuing production and encourages others to help where they can as well. Callanders design for the strap holders can be found at https://bit.ly/2RzTOR9
Washington defunding WHO a 'move against humanity' amid global pandemic

Global Times

By Chen Qingqing and Li Aixin Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/15 17:43:40

US sets horrible example for global community, weaponizing populist sentiment

Halting funding to an organization that plays an irreplaceable and vital role in helping countries get prepared for and respond to the pandemic is a "move of genocide" against humanity, especially when most virus-stricken places are still suffering, and shifting the blame to the World Health Organization (WHO) won't help cover up US President Donald Trump's catastrophic mishandling of the coronavirus crisis, leading the US into a very dangerous situation, predominant experts and observers said.

Trump announced on Tuesday the US would halt funding for the WHO over its coronavirus response, accusing the organization of severely mismanaging and covering up the outbreak and claiming that the WHO made a dangerous decision in opposing travel restrictions from China and other nations.

This decision to unilaterally slash funding to the organization, which is widely recognized for its essential role in providing global governance over health and disease crises, came after the Trump administration was slammed for mishandling the pandemic, which has so far caused over 600,000 confirmed cases in the US, with reportedly over 2,300 deaths on Tuesday - the highest daily death toll.

Trump under criticism

Many foreign and Chinese experts, from medical professionals and key opinion influencers to geopolitical observers, voiced strong opposition to the decision, particularly when the majority of countries and regions across the world have been fighting the pandemic with the help of the WHO.

"Trump's decision to suspend US payments to the WHO in the midst of the present pandemic is outrageous and grossly irresponsible," said Martin Jacques, who was a senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University, noting that the move prioritizes his own electoral interests over the needs of Americans and people around the world.

The novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) pandemic cannot be solved on a nation-by-nation basis and instead requires concerted global action to bring all nations together, the expert noted. "It is a classic example of the fundamental importance of global cooperation," Jacques told the Global Times on Wednesday.

China expressed serious concern on Wednesday about the US' move. The US halting WHO funding will undermine the WHO's ability and global cooperation in combating COVID-19. All countries, including the US will be affected, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a press conference.

Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in his latest article to be published on Party-affiliated Qiushi journal that solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapon against the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that China is willing to work with the WHO and international community to safeguard regional and global public health safety.

Scapegoating

Trump has been sharpening his criticism of the WHO in recent days, claiming that the specialized UN agency focused too much on China and issued inappropriate guidelines. However, since the beginning of the outbreak, the WHO has been issuing warnings and sharing experiences with countries and regions across the world.

The WHO warned countries and regions across the world in mid-January and declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on January 30.

Based on that, the US government made the decision to restrict entry from China, though the WHO advised against the application of travel restrictions. While Trump paid little attention to WHO's advice, he also reportedly ignored a warning from a senior government advisor in late January, insisting that he was "not concerned" about the public health crisis in an interview on March 7.

Withholding funding for the WHO once again reflected Trump's populist stance - hoping the world will make contributions to the US while the US itself makes no contribution to the world, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"The US, which has shown no interest in global collaboration since Trump assumed office, is encouraging countries to stew in their own juices," he said.

"It is totally an attempt to divert attention from his failure to prepare the US for the coronavirus despite a two-month warning. Tens of thousands of Americans have died as a result of such failures to prepare," John Ross, a senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The US response to the coronavirus is still inadequate with no real lockdowns in large parts of the country and cutting off funding to the WHO is cynical politics which therefore threatens not only the international community but also Americans, Ross noted.

Some veteran medical experts said that this diversion of public attention from the US' own failure in dealing with COVID-19 to an international health organization is truly unethical and disgraceful.

The US government thought the country would be safe by banning travelers from China but completely ignored the warnings of experts, did nothing to supervise and prevent the spread of the virus in communities and did nothing to prepare for the epidemic.

Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of well-known medical journal The Lancet, tweeted that the decision to defund the WHO "is simply this - a crime against humanity. Every scientist, every health worker, every citizen must resist and rebel against this appalling betrayal of global solidarity."

Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Global Times that now is the right time for the WHO to play its role as the global community tries to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and the US attempt to pass the buck to the organization is "unethical and will only make it more isolated in the world."

The US is the biggest financial contributor to the WHO for 2020-2021, accounting for 22 percent of the total assessed contributions from the organization's member states, according to WHO data. Trump also noted on Tuesday that American taxpayers provided between $400 million and $500 million per year to it while China contributes about $40 million per year or less.

Brett McGurk, a former senior national security adviser to three American presidents, said that ceasing contributions to the WHO in the middle of a raging global pandemic is "an embarrassment - a sign of weakness, panic, and scapegoating."

Thirty percent of countries around the world have no COVID-19 response programs and depend on the WHO for assistance, McGurk said in a tweet. The US is not about to fill this gap, and more people will die and the virus will spread in order to distract people from Trump's negligence.

The US showed little interest in cooperation amid the pandemic, which was soon revealed in its disputes with its close allies after the outbreak.

For instance, in early April, the US blocked exports of masks from 3M, one of the biggest US mask manufacturers, to other countries. The move soon met with condemnation from Canada.

Washington was also accused of "piracy" by Berlin for reportedly diverting a shipment of masks intended for Germany.

"The cut to the WHO is characteristic of Trump's unilateralist attacks on multilateral organizations which have so far included UNESCO and the UNHCR," Tom Fowdy, a British political and international relations analyst and graduate of Durham and Oxford universities, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

In doing so, the US president aims to both deflect his own failures regarding the pandemic and weaponize populist sentiment to save US taxpayers money through pushing American aid cuts, he noted.

Jacques, who is also the author of When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order, said the halt of funding to the WHO is a graphic example of how Trump's America First - or, more accurately in this context, Trump First - policy is backward-looking and contrary to the imperatives and needs of a globalized world.

Influential American billionaire Bill Gates said in a tweet that it is a dangerous move, as the WHO is slowing the spread of the virus, and if that work is stopped, no other organization can replace it.

"The world needs the WHO now more than ever," he said.

Impact of the withdrawal

The US suspension of funds to the WHO won't impact the international health organization in its sharing of information with the world, but may result in a shortage of funds for staff salaries and some projects, Zeng from China's CDC said.

While more countries recognized the role of the WHO, which is widely seen as indispensable in boosting solidarity and allocating resources to protect citizens and save lives, countries like China and the UK made much more donateon to the organization since the outbreak, in a contrary to the US unilateral stance.

Zhang Dan, vice-president and director-general of the United Nations Association of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday that if the US freezes its funding to the WHO, the organization is bound to be affected.

Zhang noted that most of the WHO budget is used for expenditures in projects worldwide, including the procurement of medical equipment, payments for local services and costs for program operations. A shortage of funds will lead to difficulties, causing the slowing down or even scaling down of such projects, she said.

"But the US suspending funding to the WHO will not play a decisive role in that," Zhang added.

Voluntary contributions account for the majority of the WHO's funding and emergency fundraising is a crucial part of it. For instance, organizations like the UN Refugee Agency, UN Children's Fund, UN Food and Agriculture Organization can all appeal for urgent funds amid a major public health emergency of international concern.

The money will come from governments and civil organizations as well. The WHO can do the same. The Trump administration has no right to ask its citizens not to donate to the organization, Zhang explained.

"That being said, not all funding from the US will be halted," Zhang said, noting quite a few non-governmental organizations are enthusiastic in making donations to the WHO.

With the Trump administration continuing to withdraw from international organizations and now defunding the WHO, voices calling for China to step into the power vacuum and lead the world have again emerged on the internet.

"This is an extreme way of portraying China's efforts," Li said, noting that China is doing everything within its ability to coordinate global efforts in the fight against the coronavirus, as well as contributing its resources and experience to other countries, but China is not dominating, or manipulating others' fights in the battlefield.

China and the WHO are fulfilling their duties by trying hard to pool what resources they can mobilize as collaboration and solidarity are badly needed to fight the global pandemic, according to experts.

Some American netizens slammed Trump's decision to defund the WHO, particularly during a pandemic, claiming it is tantamount to genocide.

"Instead of spending money on wars and arms for dictators, we should invest in the WHO and ensure our national security by protecting the health of all people," a netizen said.

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KCMO Health Department Reports No New Deaths Today: As of April 15, Kansas City has recorded 371 positive COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths

KC Donation Day Debuts

One Mission. One Voice. ONE KC. WE all have united for a one-day 'digital day of giving' - Thursday, April 16th - to raise money for the Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

Gift Of Life Still Needed

Local centers collecting plasma donations from recovered COVID-19 patients to help others KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Plasma donations might be a key in helping people recover from the coronavirus. On Monday, the FDA cleared the way for the treatment of people suffering from COVID-19 using plasma. Centers across the state are starting to collect from people who already caught the virus.

Veggies To Go Amid Pandemic

Parkville opening farmers market next weekend, but as drive-thru only PARKVILLE, Mo. -- Overland Park is delaying the opening of its farmers market this year, and Lenexa is postponing the opening of its seasonal market indefinitely. Parkville, though, will open on schedule next weekend, but with some changes.

Show-Me Check Tracker

Missouri Auditor Galloway creating online portal so public can track COVID-19 stimulus money JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMOV.com) - Federal funding is now flowing into the State of Missouri, but one state leader says she's going to keep a very watchful eye on how it's spent. Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway says she is creating an online portal so anyone can go online to track how federal funding is being allocated in the state.

Conspiracy Theories Now Considered Via MSM News

US explores possibility that coronavirus started in Chinese lab, not a market US intelligence and national security officials say the United States government is looking into the possibility that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory rather than a market, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter who caution it is premature to draw any conclusions.

COVID-19 Mutates

'Significant' coronavirus mutation discovered, could make vaccine search 'futile,' study says Researchers have discovered what they described as a "significant" mutation of the novel coronavirus, which they believe "raises the alarm" that the search for a vaccine could become "futile" down the line. The study, published on the biorxiv.org repository, notes researchers were able to analyze a sample of SARS-CoV-2 from India on January 27 and found a mutation that "leads to weaker receptor binding capability."

Money Warning: Coronavirus Could Kill Wallets

Top Wall Street Regulators Warn Against Coronavirus Investment Scams The kind of financial schemes depicted in movies like The Wolf Of Wall Street and Boiler Room never went away, and Wall Street's top cops are warning investors that the coronavirus has only created new opportunities for that type of financial fraud.

New Data Denial Hotness

Climate Science Deniers Turn to Attacking Coronavirus Models A vocal set of conservative critics have increased their attacks recently on the data modeling behind the novel coronavirus response, and they claim-despite scientific evidence to the contrary-that the flaws also prove the limits of climate change forecasts.

COVID-19 Starts Class War

How the Coronavirus Could Create a New Working Class Experts predict the outbreak will lead to a rise in populism. But will workers turn their rage toward corporate CEOs, or middle-class "elites"?

Build The Wall To Fight Spread Of Coronavirus?!?!

Democrats Are Asking The Trump Administration To Stop Border Wall Construction Nearly 100 Democrats in Congress are urging the Trump administration to halt construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall during the coronavirus pandemic. Ninety-one Democrats in the House and Senate signed onto a letter addressed to key members of the Trump administration, requesting that "all border wall construction halt immediately."

COVID-19 Peaking Seyz Prez

Trump says virus has 'passed the peak' in US President Donald Trump says the US has "passed the peak" of new Covid-19 cases and predicted some states would reopen this month. At the daily White House virus briefing, Mr Trump said new reopening guidelines would be announced on Thursday after he speaks to governors.

Americans Suffer From Threat Of Deadly Sniffles

Allergy medicines containing steroids may hamper the body's response to coronavirus, a virologist says A virologist said there are concerns that taking allergy medication with steroids may prevent the body from fighting off the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. After inhaling a droplet carrying the coronavirus, the virus enters the body, latches to a cell and begins to replicate itself until the body is flooded with viral particles.

Show-Me Price Check

Hundreds of Missourians complaining about price gouging on necessary items in grocery stores KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Some items are hard to find, but sometimes you find what you are looking for and just can't believe the price. Joe Jackson is keeping an eye on prices in his community and he's reporting it. "I'm asking people to share pictures of receipts," Missouri resident Joe Jackson said.

More Cash Help Proposed

Americans would receive $2,000 stimulus check each month through COVID-19 crisis under proposed legislation by: fox8webcentral and Nexstar Media Wire Posted: / Updated: OHIO- Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced legislation Tuesday that would provide a $2,000 monthly payment to qualifying Americans until employment returns to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Rehab Outrage Redux

Son calls Riverbend's release of dying father 'totally irresponsible' KANSAS CITY, Kan. - "Ridiculous, absurd and totally irresponsible" is how a Kansas City-area man characterized Riverbend Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center's decision to release his father from its facility two days before he died. The Kansas City, Kansas, rehab center has been one of the Kansas City area's worst hot spots for COVID-19.

More Missouri Harsh Times

Many self-employed Missourians out of work having trouble when filing for unemployment benefits FLORISSANT, Mo. (KMOV.com) - A growing number of self-employed Missourians who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 are hitting roadblocks when filing for unemployment insurance. Melissa Dunlap, a hair stylist at Rock, Paper, Scissors Salon in Florissant said she's been out of a job for almost a month and keeps getting denied.

Police Report Kansas City Lockdown Beat Downs Persist

Shelters, police say domestic violence up in Kansas City since stay-at-home order took effect KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Synergy Services has three shelters and they're all running beyond capacity. "We're seeing for sure a 25 percent increase in our domestic violence calls, and then we're seeing an increase in calls for help across-the-board," said Jennifer Hurst, development director at Synergy Services.

Heartland Layoffs Contd

Unemployment continues to soar in Kansas, Missouri KANSAS CITY, Mo. - New unemployment claims continue to skyrocket in Kansas and Missouri. Kansas spent more than $22.9 million last week alone on unemployment claims after ponying up more than $14.8 million the week before, according to data from the state's Department of Labor.

NEWS CELEBRATES SLEAZE SCUMMIT STIMULATION!!!

Lee's Summit woman's bank account stimulated with more than the correct zero's LEE'S SUMMIT, MO (KCTV) - Many area residents have been checking their bank accounts just to see when their COVID-19 stimulus check will hit their account. For one Lee's Summit woman, she got her money a little bit earlier than she thought she would, and it was a lot more than she expected.

Mayor Q Considerations

Mayor Lucas: Decisions in Kansas, Missouri impact KC stay-at-home order KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's decision to extend the statewide stay-at-home order through May 3 could play a factor in what happens on the other side of the state line.

The latest pronouncement from public officials that will influence public policy . . .Tonight's roundup:Developing . . .
The Union Agriculture Ministry on Thursday laid down the standard operating procedure (SOP) to guide farmers on safety precautions that need to be strictly followed during planting of kharif crops amid the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.

Paddy is the main kharif (summer) crop, besides pulses, oilseeds and commercial crops like cotton and sugarcane. The sowing of kharif crops has already begun in some parts.

"Transplanting of paddy and vegetables are labour-intensive activities. Hence, strictly follow guidelines on social distancing, sanitizing and wearing masks," as per the SOP released by the ministry during the national video conference on kharif crops.

Farm workers should wash their hands, legs and face with soap when coming out of the field for meal or rest, it said.

For preparing land for sowing of kharif crops, the ministry said farmers should minimise labour and use tractor driven machineries. Farmers should use seed-cum-fertiliser drills and reduce the number of workers in the field.

As per the SOP, social distancing and sanitization norms should be followed during field preparation, sowing and fertiliser application.

"Maintain social distance at least 1-2 metre during farm operations. Workers should be assigned separate duties with regard to farm activities," it said.

"All farm equipment from seed drill, plough to tractor should be sanitized before use. Those working in the farm field should wear masks or cover their face with three layers of "chunnis, gamchha or towel," it added.

Each worker should have a separate utensil and clean it with soap after use, it said.

For other operations like weeding and spraying of fertilisers/pesticides, the ministry said farmers or workers must follow all protocols of social distancing and sanitize the equipment.

"Burn or bury in soil empty packets of pesticides. Sun dry empty bags of seeds, fertilisers for two days for re-use," the ministry said.

The ministry also mentioned that after the day's work, farmers should bath and wash clothes with soap and sundry.

For harvesting of rabi crops, the ministry said farmers should prefer mechanised harvesting and threshing, and maintain 4-5 metres social distancing during harvesting, threshing, packaging, eating and resting.

Farmers have been asked to keep farm produce in open, preferably under sun for 48 hours before storing.

Agriculture and allied activities have been exempted from the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
We know these are tough times for employers, and we look forward to bringing them some peace of mind and solutions during these trying times.

Payroll Management Inc. (PMI), an online payroll and HR software that provides payroll, tax administration, human resources, employment practices, employee benefits, workers compensation, time and labor solutions, recently partnered with Enquiron to launch the PMI Employer Resource Center. In these unprecedented times, PMI is more dedicated than ever to its clients, and the PMI Employer Resource Center exemplifies that.

All PMI clients will be personally introduced to a variety of human resource content, tools, advice and resources, including training courses, personalized alerts, policy-building software, and more. Enrolled clients will also have the ability to ask questions to employment law attorneys, who will be able to quickly answer questions that many employers have at this time, including leaves of absences, sick-time, telecommuting, and others.

In our commitment to provide and maintain a full suite of workplace solutions we are pleased to announce our PMI Resource Center. This will provide our valued clients state of the art access to current and changing employment law and human resource guidance. Now more than ever we think this is the time to be forward thinking and proactive in this historical environment, said Chris Hedges, CEO of Payroll Management Inc. Our newly dedicated PMI Resource Center is powered by Enquiron. Since 1996, Enquiron has been a trusted consultative business solution to hundreds of thousands of employers in 50 states. We strongly recommend this offering as a Best Practice Solution.

We know these are tough times for employers, and we look forward to bringing them some peace of mind and solutions during these trying times, said Mike Naclerio, President & CEO of Enquiron. PMI wants to support their clients on the front-lines of these employment challenges, which is why they launched the PMI Employer Resource Center. We look forward to the opportunity to help PMIs clients, point them in the right direction, and offer essential guidance.

ABOUT PAYROLL MANAGEMENT INC.

PMI was formulated with the concept of combining the products and services of a national payroll company with unparalleled client support. Through years of experience PMI has developed a systematic and consultative approach to providing payroll and human resource solutions. With a broad product line and a certied, knowledgeable staff, PMI provides organizations an outstanding end user experience on both management and employee levels.

ABOUT ENQUIRON

Enquiron, http://www.enquiron.com, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, provides consultative business solutions to employers in all 50 states, across various industries, sectors and sizes. Since 1996, Enquiron has revolutionized the way that services impacting Human Resources, Employment Law, Healthcare, Retirement, Cyber Security and more are delivered to and utilized by employers. Enquiron has locations across the United States and is a trusted partner to organizations who need specific answers to specific questions. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
On select Tuesdays throughout the coming months, the SRT Tuesday webinar series will bring technologists and end-users together to discuss how organizations can leverage SRT for streaming low latency, high quality video over unpredictable internet connections.

Haivision, a leader in video streaming solutions, announced SRT Tuesday  a series of virtual events hosted by Haivision, Microsoft, and the SRT Alliance featuring the latest innovations using the SRT open source protocol.

On select Tuesdays throughout the coming months, the SRT Tuesday webinar series will bring technologists and end-users together to discuss how organizations can leverage SRT for streaming low latency, high quality video over unpredictable internet connections.

The first web event  Broadcast Reimagined: SRT  The Simple Solution for Your Remote and At-Home Workforce  will take place on Tuesday, April 28 at 11am ET. Attendees will learn how broadcasters are leveraging the benefits of SRT in their remote workflows for at-home staff for overcoming todays challenges of crowded internet connections, firewalls, poor quality video conferencing, packet loss, and latency. In this webinar, video experts will discuss how SRT has become an integral part of the new normal workflows, connecting remote employees and broadcast centers with live interviews, at-home contribution, and remote production monitoring.

SRT Tuesday Webinar



Title: Broadcast Reimagined: SRT  The Simple Solution for Your Remote and At-Home Workforce

Day/Time: Tuesday, April 28 at 11am ET

Speakers:

Corey Behnke, producer and co-founder, Live X

Selwyn Jans, technical video engineer, Haivision

Marcus Schioler, vice president product marketing, Haivision

Registration: https://www.haivision.com/resources/webinars/srt-tuesday/remote-workflows/

Originally developed and pioneered by Haivision, SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) is an open source video transport protocol and technology stack that makes it possible to stream high-quality, low-latency live video from anywhere to anywhere over the public internet. With secure streams and simplified firewall traversal, SRT delivers the best quality video over the most unpredictable networks.

About Haivision

Haivision is the leader in live video streaming technologies, providing more than 25,000 organizations globally with video solutions that help them stream broadcast-quality, low-latency video from anywhere. Founded in 2004, Haivision is a profitable, privately held company with headquarters in Montreal and Chicago, and regional offices located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. To help solve the worlds most difficult video streaming challenges, Haivision open sourced its award winning SRT low latency video streaming protocol in 2017 and founded the SRT Alliance, which now has over 350 industry leading companies supporting this new standard. Awarded an Emmy for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision is also recognized as one of the most influential companies in video by Streaming Media and one of the fastest growing companies by Deloittes Technology Fast 500. Learn more at haivision.com.
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. Military ships by crossing the ships bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. The guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) is conducting joint interoperability operations in support of maritime security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations on April 15, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

Iranian, US Ships Come Dangerously Close as Disputes Continue in Persian Gulf

Almost a dozen Iranian naval vessels made dangerous and harassing maneuvers near U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command stated on April 15.

In a statement, the Navy said 11 vessels from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came dangerously close to six U.S. vessels, repeatedly crossing their bows and sterns while they were conducting integration operations with U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters to support maritime security outside of Irans territorial waters.

Iranian naval vessels came as close as 10 yards of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maui, and within 50 yards of the USS Lewis B. Puller, a ship that serves as an afloat landing base, according to the statement. Other vessels among the U.S. ships included the USS Paul Hamilton, a Navy destroyer, and the USS Firebolt.

Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. military ships by crossing the ships bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. U.S. forces are conducting joint interoperability operations in support of maritime security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations on April 15, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

The U.S. ships attempted to issue multiple warnings, through bridge-to-bridge radio, long-range acoustic noisemaker devices, and five blasts from the ships horns, but U.S. crews received no response from the IRGCN.

The IRGCN vessels responded after roughly one hour by radio and moved away from the U.S. ships.

Irans state media, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), issued a brief Farsi-language story on the U.S. Navys report. There was no official statement from Iranian authorities.

Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. military ships by crossing the ships bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. U.S. forces are conducting joint interoperability operations in support of maritime security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations on April 15, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

The U.S. Navy said the dangerous and provocative actions from the IRGCN increased the risk of miscalculation and collision and were not in accordance with the internationally recognized Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (pdf).

They were not in accordance with the obligation under international law to act with due regard for the safety of other vessels in the area, the statement said. While Iran is a signatory of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, it never ratified the treaty.

Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. military ships by crossing the ships bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. The guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) is conducting joint interoperability operations in support of maritime security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations on April 15, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News that he and the Pentagon had discussed the issue and they are now, as a team, evaluating how best to respond and how best to communicate our displeasure with what  took place.

Regional Tensions

The incident comes as tensions between the United States and Iran and their allies have risen this year, following the killing of the Iranian regimes top military official, Qassem Soleimani, which Attorney General William Barr described in January as a legitimate act of self-defense.

Soleimani was killed on Jan. 2 by a U.S. airstrike near Baghdads international airport under orders from President Donald Trump, following attacks on an Iraqi military base housing coalition counter-terrorism forces. The Pentagon said the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.

Trump earlier this month said that Iran or its proxies planned a sneak attack on U.S. targets in Iraq, and warned they would pay a very heavy price. A number of coalition forces have died from attacks by Iran-backed proxy groups.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Residents in Birr town expressed concerns that social distancing guidelines were ignored at a large funeral in the town earlier this week.

Concerns grew when more than 150 people from the Traveller community attended a burial at Clonoghill cemetery in Birr. More than 50 cars and vans were parked outside the cemetery in Birr where the funeral of a member of the Traveller community took place earlier this week.

The scenes prompted concerns in the local community where residents were both angry and concerned that safety recommendations were far exceeded at this week's funeral. Gardai said that discussions took place between the family and the priest on the day of the funeral and as a result, social distancing was observed a the church prior to the burial. However, Gardai confirmed that a large number of people turned up at the cemetery.

Local sources said around 150 people were in attendance, including a significant number who had travelled from London and other parts of the UK.

In this week's 'Tribune', local Gardai said that under the supervision of Superintendent, Patrick O'Callaghan, an operation was mounted in Birr to ensure Covid-19 guidelines were adhered to in Birr after a large group of mourners moved from St Brendan's Church, Birr and congregated at Clonoghill graveyard.

Gardai said that any directions from An Garda Siochana were adhered to and the incident passed off without incident and that the Gardai will continue to work with all groups within the community.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, An Garda Siochana has worked with the Traveller community to produce an educational video which details the risks of the pandemic and offers advice about how to protect people from the virus.
Darby Auto Center, Darby PA We Are Currently Selling Cars Through An Online Contactless Process Only, In Full Compliance With PA Government And CDC Guidelines. We have added extra cleaning and disinfecting measures for every car, in an attempt to reduce exposure.

In times of crisis and anxiety, few things are as important as owning a reliable car or truck. For anyone in immediate need of a vehicle, Darby Auto Center is open normal hours and provides contact-less auto buying that is safer from COVID-19. The process of selling cars and approving financing now takes place online or by telephone. Delivery of the vehicle is made in full compliance with CDC and Pennsylvania state guidelines. Once a purchase is completed, the sanitized and disinfected vehicle is delivered by tow truck direct to the purchasers home. This avoids any contact between dealer personnel and customers.

The car delivery team at Darby Auto Center will thoroughly disinfect and sanitize all used cars and trucks for contact-less delivery during the coronavirus crisis. Delivery by tow truck to the customers house provides added peace of mind to anyone urgently needing to purchase a used car or truck at this time. Also, customer can browse Darby Auto Centers selection online in its virtual showroom. For anyone looking for a used vehicle not currently in inventory, Darby staff will work to locate it and bring it into inventory if possible. This allows car buying to proceed during these extraordinary times for anyone urgently needing a vehicle.

Our Repair Shop is Open During the Quarantine and We're Selling Used Cars Online

We are currently selling cars through an online contact-less process only, in full compliance with PA government and CDC guidelines. We have added extra cleaning and disinfecting measures for every car, in an attempt to reduce exposure. Darby Auto Center is a Philadelphia buy here pay here car dealership with an outstanding reputation and more than 25 years in business. Clients enjoy a wide selection of high-quality used cars, trucks, and SUVs at fair prices with custom financing options that can help many buyers. Darby Auto Center is well-known for helping people with past credit problems reestablish their credit in order to buy used cars. During the COVID-19 crisis when income interruptions and closings make it impossible to obtain a car loan, they can help. Credit applications are online and decisions are prompt.

Because Darby Auto Center is locally owned by experienced automotive experts, it is able to offer customer enhanced services during times of significant need. As soon as the COVID-19 crisis closings began to occur, it developed a unique system to allow auto sales and delivery for those with urgent needs. Providing car and truck buying options to those most in need is always part of Darby Autos mission. Everyone on staff operates with respect and integrity toward each customer. Its also why Darby Auto Center is famous for helping people buy used cars and reestablish their credit simultaneously. They are able to help many people who may have been turned down for auto loans elsewhere.

Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Financing Comes Direct from Darby Auto Center

With many offices and companies shut down or operating slower than normal because of COVID-19, Darby Auto Centers car loan operation is operating normally. As a buy here pay here car dealer serving Delaware County, PA, and the surrounding area, they offer financing direct to customers. It means any approved buyer can purchase a car, truck, or SUV from Darby Auto Center. Any approved buyer can make their loan payments online, through their bank account or in person. For many people looking to start or restore their credit, it greatly simplifies the process and lets them get behind the wheel of a new ride more easily. Approvals and decisions are direct and quick.

Conventional auto dealers and their financing organizations are well-known for declining many buyers, despite their abilities to pay their loans on time. By taking a more personal interest in each buyer, the Darby Auto Center team can approve many people who would otherwise be turned down elsewhere. Especially in trying times like these, anything that removes obstacles and simplifies the used car buying process is especially crucial. The contact-less sales, financing, and delivery process offered to used car buyers during the COVID-19 crisis is the latest customer-friendly initiative to be pioneered by Darby Auto Center. Family-owned local businesses have a track record of innovations to help their customers.

About Darby Auto Center

During ordinary times, Darby Auto Center, is easy to reach from anywhere in southwest Philadelphia and Delaware County, PA. Conveniently located on McDade Boulevard/U.S. 13, they are a short distance from many nearby towns and neighborhoods. Few Upper Darby used car dealerships can match the auto financing options and quality vehicles at Darby Auto Center. They are a family-owned business operating with respect and integrity in everything they do. Custom auto loans and buy here pay here used cars are a specialty.
By Sanjeev Miglani and Aftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has brought charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the chief of a Muslim seminary for holding a gathering last month that authorities say led to a big jump in coronavirus infections, police said on Thursday.

The headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat group in a cramped corner of Delhi were sealed and thousands of followers, including some from Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh, were taken into quarantine after it emerged they had attended meetings there in mid-March.

Police initially filed a case against Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi, the chief of the centre, for violating a ban on big gatherings but had now invoked the law against culpable homicide, a police spokesman said.

Delhi police had filed a first information report earlier against the Tablighi chief, now section 304 has been added," the officer said, referring to culpable homicide in the penal code, which carries a maximum punishment of a 10-year prison term.

A spokesman for the Tablighi Jamaat group, Mujeeb-ur Rehman, declined to comment saying they had not confirmed reports about the new charges.

The Tablighi is one of the world's biggest Sunni Muslim proselytising organisations with followers in more than 80 countries, promoting a pure form of Islam.

Authorities said at the beginning of the month that a third of the nearly 3,000 coronavirus cases at that time were either people who attended the Tablighi gathering or those who were later exposed to them.

India's tally of coronavirus infections has since jumped to 12,380, including 414 deaths, as of Thursday.

In the coronavirus hot spot of Delhi, 1,080 of its 1,561 cases were linked to the group's gathering, according to the city government data on Wednesday.

The Tablighi administrators earlier said many of the followers who had visited its offices in a narrow, winding lane in Delhi's historic Nizamuddin quarter were stranded after the government declared a three-week lockdown, and the centre had to offer them shelter.

Story continues

Critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government have cautioned against fanning communal tension by laying the blame for the spread of the coronavirus on the Muslim group.

Officials have rejected suggestions they were unfairly targeting the Muslim community, but said they had to rebuke the group because it had behaved irresponsibly by ignoring social-distancing rules.

The Tablighi was also linked to a surge of cases in neighbouring Pakistan where it cancelled a similar gathering, but only at the last minute when thousands had already arrived at a premises in the city of Lahore.

A gathering organised by the group in Malaysia also led to a surge of cases there and in several other Southeast Asian countries.

Pakistan has recorded 6,505 cases according to its latest data, a jump of 520 over the previous day. About 60 percent of Pakistan's cases load was linked to the Tablighi or were people who had gone on religious pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia and Iran, officials said.

Here are official government figures on the spread of the coronavirus in South Asia:

* India has 12,380 confirmed cases, including 414 deaths

* Pakistan has 5,988 cases, including 107 deaths

* Bangladesh has 803 cases, including 39 deaths

* Afghanistan has 784 cases, including 29 deaths

* Sri Lanka has 238 cases, including 7 deaths

* Maldives has 21 cases and no deaths

* Nepal has 16 cases and no deaths

* Bhutan has five cases and no deaths

For an interactive graphic on global spread of coronavirus click : https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-HEALTH-MAP/0100B59S39E/index.html

(Additional reporting by Nigam Prusty in Ndw Delhi, Gibran Peshimam in Islamabad, Writing by Sanjeev Miglani)
Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday discussed measures, including amendment to the states industry policy to attract companies to UP that have been shifting base from China.

Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Siddharth Nath Singh and minister for industry Satish Mahana held a meeting with senior officers and asked them to work out a road map including incentives and capital subsidy that could be given to companies planning to shift base from China.

Following directives from chief minister Yogi Adityanath we discussed measures to attract investment to UP from Japanese, Korean, European and American companies shifting out of China, said Singh.

Singh said the officers had been asked to get in touch with the union government to decide future course of action in this regard. He said discussions were held on making amendments to states industry policy to attract investment. He said major food processing, automobile and garments companies of the world were shifting their base from China and some of them have expressed willingness to shift their base to Uttar Pradesh. Singh said the state government would extend all cooperation as more investment would create more jobs avenues in the state.

UP DISTRICTS GETS A NODAL OFFICER EACH TO TAKE CARE OF FOREIGNER/OTHER STATE RESIDENTS

Lucknow: Nodal officers, who will take care of food and other necessary needs of foreigners and residents of other states during lockdown, were appointed for each UP district on Wednesday.

The district magistrates of all the 75 districts made the nodal officers name and contact details available to the chief secretary office here on Wednesday, a day after they were told to do so.

Now, we have asked DMs to make publicity of name and phone numbers of nodal officers in their districts so that any foreigner or a resident of any other state can contact them in an emergency, chief secretary, Rajendra Kumar Tiwari said.

Vaibhav Mishra (9415005004), ADM (F&R) is nodal officer for Lucknow, while Vinay Kumar Singh (9454417030), ADM, has been appointed nodal officer for Varanasi. Similarly, nodal officers for Prayagraj, Agra and Kanpur are Vinay Shankar Dube (9454417592), Pushpa Raj (9454417592) and Basant Agrawal (9454416409) all ADMs. Anil Kumar Singh (9454464880), CDO, has been appointed nodal officer for Gorakhpur.
Amid the Novel Coronavirus pandemic, Bollywood stars have been urging people to stay indoors and practice social distancing to keep the deadly virus at bay. Salman Khan recently shared a video on his Instagram page in which the superstar spoke at length about COVID-19 and slammed lockdown violators, who are venturing out of their houses and putting their families at risk.

The Dabangg 3 actor began the 10-minute IGTV video by greeting fans in his familiar, Bigg Boss fashion with 'namaste, salaam, sasriyakaal, kem cho'. Salman said that 'zindagi ka Bigg Boss' has begun with the whole country staying at home now.

The star said he went for a two-day 'chhutti' but instead, COVID-19 has done everyone's 'chhutti'.

Salman revealed that he is currently stationed at his Panvel farmhouse with his mother Salma, sisters Alvira Agnihotri and Arpita Khan Sharma, brother-in-law Aayush Sharma, nephew Ahil and other friends.

He narrated an incident where he sent one of his friends to buy basic essentials for the family from a nearby village. On being stopped by the cops on the streets, his friend took off his mask to speak to them. However, the cops told him to wear it back. When Salman came to know about this incident, he too, told his friend that taking off the mask was a bad call.

Salman even addressed the social stigma associated with the Novel Coronavirus and said that not understanding a Coronavirus positive patient's pain is anti-human. He also mentioned that whatever needs to be done, even the prayers can be done at home.

The superstar said that if people had followed protocol by staying indoors, the lockdown would have ended by now.

Further in the video, Salman spoke at length about those putting their families and everyone's else's lives at risk by not following the lockdown rules. He said that because of such people, the COVID-19 pandemic has got worse in the country while China is already out of the bad phase.

The star slammed the lockdown violators and said, "Agar aap bahar nahi nikal rahe hote apne dost aur yaaron ke saath, toh policewaale aapke putto pe danda nahi maar rahe hote (If you weren't going out with friends, police wouldn't hit your behinds with canes). Do you think the police is enjoying it? He added that those who wish to kill their families should definitely step out."

Salman urged fans to be more grateful of the frontline warriors and said, "Doctors aur nurses aapki jaan bachaane ke liye aaye aur aapne unpe patthar barsa diye (You started pelting stone at doctors and nurses who wanted to save your lives?) Those who have been diagnosed with Coronavirus, are running away from the hospitals. Wah! Where are you running? Towards life or death?"

The actor concluded the video by saying, "Dua karo wo naubat na aaye jaha pe aapko samjhaane ke liye military bulayi jaaye."

Check out Salman Khan's Instagram post here.

Salman Khan Shows How To Set Example Of Communal Harmony During Coronavirus Crisis

Salman Khan To Start His Own YouTube Channel 'Being Salman Khan'
Silicon Valley mainstay the Mayfield Fund has raised $750 million across two new funds, the firm said today.

The venture capital firm said its Mayfield XVI will continue to invest in early-stage companies, while its Mayfield Select II will invest in later-stage rounds of breakout portfolio companies. One difference in the new Select fund will be its ability to invest in growth-stage companies outside of its portfolio.

Navin Chaddha

In its blog post announcing the new funds, Mayfield managing partner Navin Chaddha recalled the timing of its fund XIII, raised in September 2008 right after the market crash.

In the wake of the crisis, Chaddha writes, Mayfield stuck to core principles. The firm decided not to dramatically increase the size of its investment vehicles (unlike some of its peers, which now hold several billion under management in current funds), and kept to a four-year fundraising cycle.

Kleiner Perkins, by contrast, went through a $600 million investment vehicle in about a year and went back out to market to raise another fund shortly thereafter.

"We stuck to our conviction of staying as an early-stage venture investor over four subsequent funds even as the venture industry was shifting. We went deeper into domains we were already experts in vs. following shiny new objects. We raised funds at a measured pace of every four years and built a team of investors who were company builders," Chaddha wrote.

To date, Mayfield has backed a slew of companies that have gone on to successful exits, including Lyft, Marketo, ServiceMax and SolarCity -- all deals that came out of the 2008 financial crisis and its subsequent funds. Current portfolio companies, like the CRISPR-focused biotech company Mammoth Biosciences and retail investments like PoshMark, show that the firm hasn't lost its luster for picking new deals.

The secret to the firm's continued success is its focus on what Chaddha considers to be the "craftsman model" of investors "working closely with a handful of entrepreneurs."

"As many of our peers raised mega-funds, it took courage and discipline for us to stay focused rather than follow the crowd. We raised a similar size fund every four years and invested in thirty companies per fund. We primarily led Series A investments and were comfortable with the fact that the companies we invested in will evolve," Chaddha wrote.

So what's next for the venerable firm as it heads into its latest fund? Chaddha flags biology as technology; human-centered artificial intelligence; the resurgence of chip design; the future of work; privacy and security; and next-generation consumer brands as areas where Mayfield will look to commit capital.
International travelers may have encountered some very basic screening for COVID-19 symptoms at certain airports recently, probably amounting to nothing more than a temperature check and some questioning. But a new wave of screening coming to airports this month goes way beyond that, using advanced techniques to test passengers on site for the presence of the coronavirus itself.

In Dubai, Emirates said this week it has become the first airline to start conducting on-site, pre-departure quick COVID-19 testing at Dubai International Airport. The airline, working with the Dubai Health Authority, takes passenger blood samples at the airport before departure and said it can obtain test results within 10 minutes. The first test of the system was conducted this week on passengers traveling on an Emirates flight to Tunisia.

We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights. This will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers travelling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates, said Emirates chief operating officer Adel Al Redha. It was not clear if the Emirates is testing for the virus only, or for antibodies.

At Japans Tokyo Narita Airport, meanwhile, officials have introduced on-site COVID-19 testing for arriving passengers from widely infected countries like Italy and the U.S., who are required to undergo a virus check. However, the test can take anywhere from six hours to two days for the test results to come in, according to media reports. Arriving travelers who undergo the test arent allowed to use public transportation, so unless they arrange for someone to pick them up, they have to stay in the airport to await test results.

To help with this, Tokyo Narita has arranged some special accommodations for those unlucky travelers who must wait in its baggage claim area. Those accommodations consist of special temporary beds made of heavy-duty cardboard, along with a mattress and a quilt. The jury-rigged system probably works for now because the number of arriving international passengers is currently so small. (You can read more about one traveler's experience here.)

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Hong Kong last week started mandatory COVID-19 testing last week for all travelers arriving at its international airport. Passengers coming in from countries that are considered high-risk will be given tests that can produce results in about eight hours, and theyll have to wait out that time at a temporary testing facility in an exhibition center near the airport. Those coming from lower-risk places will get a different test that may take days to produce results. They wont have to stay at the airport, but theyll have to wear a tracking wristband that officials can check on to make sure they self-isolate.

We havent seen any COVID-19 on-site testing at U.S. airports yet, but XpresSpa Group Inc., operator of passenger spas at 23 airports including San Francisco International (which are currently closed because they are considered non-essential services), recently created a new subsidiary called XpresTest Inc. for that very purpose.

The company said it is working with health care partners to develop COVID-19 screening and testing technology for deployment in U.S. airports. But those tests, initially at least, wouldnt be for airline passengers.

While nothing definitive has yet been finalized, XpresSpa is currently in discussions with three major airports, JFK International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport to pilot COVID-19 screening and testing for airline employees, contractors and workers, concessionaires and their employees, TSA agents, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, the company said.

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Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil



Kumar Modi on Thursday urged migrant workers, desperate to return home amid the lockdown, to stay put wherever they were and assured that his government would make arrangements for their safe return no sooner than the restrictions were lifted.

In a video message, the senior BJP leader expressed dismay over "unfortunate incidents witnessed recently in places like Mumbai, Surat and Delhi" which he blamed on "rumour-mongering that trains were available to ferry the migrant workers back home".

"Trust me, had it been possible to arrange for special trains to bring you back to your homes in this hour of distress, it would have been a done deal," the deputy CM said, in an apparent rebuff to opposition leaders like RJD's Rabri Devi a former chief minister herself who have mocked the Nitish Kumar government for its inability to facilitate Bihari migrants' journey back home,



She had cited the example of Andhra Pradesh pilgrims who left for their places from Varanasi earlier this week.

"Please be rest assured that we are making all efforts, coordinating with governments of the states where you may be stranded, to ensure that your needs are taken care of. Our government has extended a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each to 6.67 lakh Biharis so far, spread across the length and breadth of the country," said the deputy CM who also holds the finance portfolio.

Modi disclosed that among the beneficiaries of the special assistance scheme, Delhi had the highest number at 1.30 lakh, followed by 95,999 in Haryana. In Maharashtra, the number was 72,243, while in Gujarat it was 61,964.

"We have received 13.26 lakh applications so far. We are committed to providing assistance to the remaining 6.59 lakh at the earliest. Those who are yet to receive benefits are requested to upload their details on the website concerned," he maintained.

Help will reach all, he said, urging the relatives of migrants to make this known to their loved ones far away so that they do not panic.

"I assure you all, as soon as the lockdown is lifted we will make arrangements for vehicles to bring the migrants back home. The government is sensitive towards the anxieties people are feeling amid the coronavirus pandemic," he added.

A large number of migrants had returned in the end of March from the national capital, ferried by buses arranged by the Yogi Adityanath government at the Delhi-UP border, triggering fears of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.

Huge crowds had turned up at Bandra in Mumbai and in Surat earlier this week when migrants marched to railway stations allegedly in the wake of rumours that upon the expiry of the three-week-long lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, trains would resume operations.

On April 13, the prime minister extended the lockdown till May 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The subject of dignity in death has dominated many debates across Kenya this week, all triggered by the rather bizarre burial of the countrys eighth COVID-19 victim last weekend.

But Kenya is not alone. Similar debates have been rife globally as a rather conservative human race slowly adjusts to the way the coronavirus pandemic has instantly, yet radically, changed burial rituals everywhere.

READ ALSO: Man United midfielder Juan Mata makes surprise pick for Premier Leagues greatest ever player

File photo. COVID-1p pandemic has changed death rituals across the globe. Photo: UGC.

Source: Getty Images

READ ALSO: Ken Walibora: Police launch manhunt for bus driver who hit celebrated author

Many Christians across the world no longer have the privilege of a week or so to mourn their departed loved ones.

Muslims are unable to huddle together to wash the corpses of loved ones, and mass graves have become the order of the day in the US, Italy and other developed nations.

While this new order has mainly been informed by government rules on social distancing and other health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 spread, questions over the ability of victims bodies to infect are complicating the matter even further.

A recent World Health Organization (WHO) guideline that corpses are not infectious has been quickly followed by reports of the coronavirus being transmitted from a victims body to a medical examiner in Thailand. Things have been unfolding fast as scientists learn more about the disease with every passing day.

This has presented the world with a delicate situation that calls for extreme caution to ensure the dead are accorded the respect they deserve while not spreading the disease.

But there is no denying that James Onyangos burial in Siaya was undignified. He deserved better.

While the government has apologised over the bizarre burial in the wake of national outcry, it is well in order that the Ministry of Health has now publicised new guidelines on how people who die from the disease should be laid to rest.

The primary aim of the guidelines, developed in line with the Public Health Act Cap 242 and the WHO protocols, is to protect the kin of the deceased and any other person who will come close to the body from being infected with the coronavirus.

The procedure requires that once it is confirmed that one has succumbed to COVID-19, the disposal of the body should be done in a manner that prevents infections while being respectful to the culture of the bereaved.

It all starts with the identification of the body, followed by the issuance of a death certificate and then the burial. This should be done within 48 hours.

If an investigation by a credible health professional shows that the dead person did not have the coronavirus, his/her body may be taken to a funeral home or crematorium.

But if it is confirmed that the person died of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health is notified, and its officials may do a laboratory test to confirm the cause of death.

The family of the deceased will be notified of the procedures, even before the handling of the body begins. This is to ensure the deceased is handled in a dignified manner, and that their personal and religious rights are observed.

The team handling the burial process will include a public health officer, a family representative, the area chief or his assistant, a security officer and any other health professional from the government.

Once the body arrives at the burial site/home of the deceased, the staff, who should not be wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when entering, will greet the family and offer condolences for losing a member.

They will then start unloading the necessary material from the vehicle, after requesting the family representative to step forward and be part of the process.

The communicator will have a chat with the family representative to ensure the final rights are done appropriately.

The health officials will then wear their protective gear and spray the body, before placing it in a body bag.

If the family prefers a coffin, it needs to be placed outside from where the health officials will place the body of the deceased.

The family member, who will need protective gloves, will be asked to step forward and close the coffin, after which it will be disinfected. The body will then be interred.

After the burial is completed, the health officials will disinfect the clothes, rooms and any other thing the deceased may have used. The government team will then be free to leave the home.

While the new guidelines differ from the normal burial arrangements, the flexibility to observe cultural, personal and religious rights offer a welcome relief to those mourning during this difficult season.

The writer is Robert Mungai, a regular commentator on social, economic and political affairs.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are his and do not necessarily represent the position of TUKO Media Ltd in any way.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

Kenyans in China speak out on the discrimination of Africans by Chinese citizens | Tuko TV.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
A correctional officer at Stony Mountain Institution was airlifted to hospital Wednesday night after being assaulted by an inmate with an edged weapon, officials say.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A correctional officer at Stony Mountain Institution was airlifted to hospital Wednesday night after being assaulted by an inmate with an edged weapon, officials say.

The officer was slashed in the throat with a homemade weapon, James Bloomfield, prairies regional president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said in an interview Thursday.

According to a news release from Correctional Services Canada, the staff member was assaulted in the structured intervention unit of the federal prison around 6:30 p.m. STARS air ambulance was called, and the officer was airlifted to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg for evaluation and treatment.

The officer has since been discharged from hospital and is recovering at home, Bloomfield said.

"As you can imagine this incident is very, very traumatic for anybody," Bloomfield said, adding staff responded "extremely well" to the incident.

"Fortunately, we are talking about a recovering officer instead of the other way around."

Correctional Services Canada said the alleged assailant has been identified and appropriate steps have been taken.

"We can take disciplinary action right away, usually the person is being removed from the population so we can prevent further incidents and also prevent contamination of the crime scene," said Isabelle Robitaille, regional communications manager for CSC.

"We do have means to lay charges."

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The structured intervention unit, which has replaced segregation at Stony Mountain, is an area rife with operational concerns for correctional staff, Bloomfield said. The inmate involved in the attack had been placed there after repeated threats and violence towards correctional officers over the past two weeks, he said.

"We feel that for the behavioural individuals that constantly lash out, that constantly assault staff, (the unit) is a problem area for us, but the real focus in this situation is this was during a normal operation. There was not a lot of individuals out  there was one inmate out at the time, and that inmate attacked the officer," Bloomfield said.

The inmate will be formally charged by RCMP and has been moved to a facility in Quebec, Bloomfield said.

RCMP said Thursday police officers responded immediately to a call of assault with a weapon at the institution, and worked with Stony Mountain staff to secure the scene.

Correctional Services Canada, RCMP and Stony Mountain Institution continue to investigate.

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca
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Linkedin Sanjeev Miglani and Aftab Ahmed (Reuters) New Delhi, India  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:30 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2572b2 2 World India,Indian-Muslims,religious-gathering,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine Free

India has brought charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the chief of a Muslim seminary for holding a gathering last month that authorities say led to a big jump in coronavirus infections, police said on Thursday.

The headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat group in a cramped corner of Delhi were sealed and thousands of followers, including some from Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh, were taken into quarantine after it emerged they had attended meetings there in mid-March.

Police initially filed a case against Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi, the chief of the center, for violating a ban on big gatherings but had now invoked the law against culpable homicide, a police spokesman said.

Delhi police had filed a first information report earlier against the Tablighi chief, now section 304 has been added," the officer said, referring to culpable homicide in the penal code, which carries a maximum punishment of a 10-year prison term.

A spokesman for the Tablighi Jamaat group, Mujeeb-ur Rehman, declined to comment saying they had not confirmed reports about the new charges.

The Tablighi is one of the world's biggest Sunni Muslim proselytizing organizations with followers in more than 80 countries, promoting a pure form of Islam.

Authorities said at the beginning of the month that a third of the nearly 3,000 coronavirus cases at that time were either people who attended the Tablighi gathering or those who were later exposed to them.

India's tally of coronavirus infections has since jumped to 12,380, including 414 deaths, as of Thursday.

In the coronavirus hot spot of Delhi, 1,080 of its 1,561 cases were linked to the group's gathering, according to the city government data on Wednesday.

The Tablighi administrators earlier said many of the followers who had visited its offices in a narrow, winding lane in Delhi's historic Nizamuddin quarter were stranded after the government declared a three-week lockdown, and the center had to offer them shelter.

Critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government have cautioned against fanning communal tension by laying the blame for the spread of the coronavirus on the Muslim group.

Officials have rejected suggestions they were unfairly targeting the Muslim community, but said they had to rebuke the group because it had behaved irresponsibly by ignoring social-distancing rules.

The Tablighi was also linked to a surge of cases in neighboring Pakistan where it cancelled a similar gathering, but only at the last minute when thousands had already arrived at a premises in the city of Lahore.

A gathering organized by the group in Malaysia also led to a surge of cases there and in several other Southeast Asian countries.

Pakistan has recorded 6,505 cases according to its latest data, a jump of 520 over the previous day. About 60 percent of Pakistan's cases load was linked to the Tablighi or were people who had gone on religious pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia and Iran, officials said.

Here are official government figures on the spread of the coronavirus in South Asia:

* India has 12,380 confirmed cases, including 414 deaths

* Pakistan has 5,988 cases, including 107 deaths

* Bangladesh has 803 cases, including 39 deaths

* Afghanistan has 784 cases, including 29 deaths

* Sri Lanka has 238 cases, including 7 deaths

* Maldives has 21 cases and no deaths

* Nepal has 16 cases and no deaths

* Bhutan has five cases and no deaths
San Bernardino County Department of Public Health staffers work at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at Montclair Plaza. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

What is the WHO? The U.N.s global health agency, tasked with fighting outbreaks of serious illness, has taken a leading role in the coronavirus crisis, and has also drawn the ire of President Trump.

Speaking at the White House, Trump announced Tuesday that he would temporarily halt U.S. funding for the Geneva-based World Health Organization. That sparked a wave of criticism, some of it fierce, but also highlighted long-standing scrutiny of the agencys effectiveness in times of crisis.

The world is in the throes of a pandemic whose like has not been seen in a century. Global cases of the new coronavirus stand at more than 2 million, and more than 136,000 people have died. Economies including that of the United States are plumbing depths not seen since the Great Depression, and daily lives have been thrown into chaos by strict stay-at-home orders.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking Wednesday in Geneva, defended the agencys performance since the virus emerged in China late last year, and expressed regret over Trumps move. He pledged to work with partners to make up any shortfall and press ahead with the organizations role as a front-line public health entity.

The agency urged keeping the focus on the coronavirus fight, with special envoy David Nabarro saying in an online briefing that any recriminations should wait until the outbreak is quelled.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a news conference in Geneva in March. (Fabrice Coffrini / AFP/Getty Images)

Here is a look at the WHO and its mission:

Where does the money come from?

Melinda and Bill Gates, whose foundation's work focuses on global health and development. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images)

The United States is the largest donor, covering about one-fifth of the organization's costs with an annual contribution of more than $400 million. Other major funding sources include the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, whose work focuses on global health and development, and the United Kingdom, which has pledged more than $80 million to the WHO's coronavirus response.

WHO receives regular assessed contributions from member states that are earmarked for its principal functions and solicits voluntary funds for specific programs and public health emergencies. It wasnt immediately known whether any action by the Trump administration would affect both types of funding. And a countrys assessed contributions are normally made toward the end of the year, leaving open the prospect for a resolution before then.

Story continues

When and why was WHO created?

A Doctors Without Borders health worker carries a child suspected of having Ebola in Paynesville, Liberia, during the 2014 outbreak. (John Moore / Getty Images)

Set up by the United Nations in 1948, the Geneva-headquartered agency's aim is improving health standards worldwide. WHO now has offices in 150 countries and operates in many others. High-profile actions have included a lead role in the 1970s in the push to eradicate smallpox, and coordination of the international battle against other epidemics, including Ebola. It has also been involved in combating AIDS, malaria, polio and other infectious diseases.

How was Trump's announcement received?

International reaction was overwhelmingly negative. The foreign policy chief of the 27-nation European Union, Josep Borrell, tweeted that there was no reason justifying such a step in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. Bill Gates, also on Twitter, called the move "as dangerous as it sounds."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres deemed the WHOs role in the coronavirus fight absolutely critical and said it should be supported. Germanys foreign minister, Heiko Maas, wrote on Twitter that apportioning blame doesnt help. China said the United States should fulfill pledges to the organization, and Russia called Trumps move selfish and ill-timed.

Domestically, the picture was polarized. Public health experts and Trumps political opponents decried the presidents announcement, even while acknowledging some missteps by the organization. But amid rising criticism of Trumps own management of the crisis, many among his political base have enthusiastically embraced his escalating attacks on WHO and others on whom he has cast blame, including some governors and the news media.

What is WHO's role in the current pandemic?

The agency plays an advisory role in any major public health crisis, especially one with international dimensions. As in past outbreaks, it is helping coordinate research worldwide  this time, into drugs that can be used to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and into a potential vaccine. And it issues alerts and assessments of emerging and growing health threats, such as its designation, on March 11, of COVID-19 a pandemic.

What does Trump say about it?

President Trump the daily coronavirus briefing at the White House this week. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

Trump accuses the agency of promoting falsehoods by China, which was initially secretive about the outbreak. At a White House briefing on Tuesday, he railed against the WHO's larger role, saying that so much death had been caused by its mistakes."

In addition to blaming the organization as having initially played down the outbreak  as he himself has been criticized for doing more recently  the president has faulted the agency for failing to get medical experts into China to investigate the virus, although it has no enforcement powers.

WHO experts were not allowed to visit China and investigate the outbreak until Feb. 10, weeks after mysterious cases of pneumonia appeared in the city of Wuhan.

What were some past controversies for WHO?

After the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009-10, the WHO was accused of overestimating its severity and failing to be transparent about potential conflicts of interest regarding vaccines.

A different but even more damaging scenario played out in 2014, when the organization was pummeled by criticism for failing to act decisively in the face of the deadly Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. More than 11,000 people died, and the agencys then-director-general, Margaret Chan, acknowledged serious shortcomings in WHOs response.
With the mother and two other family members of a three-month-old baby boy infected with the novel coronavirus and undergoing treatment at AIIMS Raipur, the four nurses are now giving motherly care to the infant.

Raipur: While combating the deadly coronavirus, four nurses of the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had not envisaged one day they would have to play the role of a mother in the city-based hospital.

With the mother and two other family members of a three-month-old baby boy infected with the novel coronavirus and undergoing treatment at AIIMS Raipur, the four nurses are now giving motherly care to the infant.

The AIIMS on Wednesday posted a video on its Facebook page wherein two nurses, donning protective gear, are seen feeding milk to the baby through a bottle.

"The 27-year-old woman (the infant's mother) tested positive on April 12. Her two kids - a 22-month-old girl and a three-month-old boy - were also brought along with her to AIIMS and kept in a separate room in the isolation ward," AIIMS Raipur Public Relations Officer (PRO) S S Sharma told PTI.

"Since no close relative of the woman was immediately available to take care of the kids, our nursing staff came forward to look after them," he said.

Later, the woman's brother was called to take care of the children but he also tested positive for coronavirus, Sharma said.

Then doctors called the maternal grandmother of the children but unfortunately, she was also found positive for the viral infection, he said.

As the two children were in direct contact with the infected persons, their samples were also sent for screening which came out negative, he said.

However, a second test on both kids will be conducted in the next five days and if the results came negative they will be handed over to their other family members, he said.

The two kids have been kept under observation and are being fully taken care of by the nurses of the isolation ward, Sharma said.

Their father, who later reached the hospital, is looking after his elder child, while the infant boy is under the care of four members of the nursing staff, he said.

As many as 20 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment at the government-run AIIMS.

All of them are from Katghora town of Korba district.

Katghora, located around 200 km from the state capital Raipur, has emerged as the state''s top COVID-19 hotspot, recording 24 cases so far.

Till now, 33 coronavirus positive cases have been reported in the state. Of these, 17 have been discharged after recovering from the infection.
Idris Hodge, left, Juan Reina, center, and James Scott, right, stack boxes of food on a distribution table at the corner of 25th and Diamond on Monday April 6, 2020. Read more

A line of dutifully distanced Philadelphians wrapped around the 1700 block of South Broad Street on a recent Thursday morning. It stretched around the corner, past the Tasker-Morris subway stop, down Morris to 13th Street.

Elsewhere in Philly, similar lines formed at 39 other sites, from Parkside to Port Richmond, Olney to Elmwood, Bustleton to Roxborough. All were waiting to receive free boxes filled with five days worth of food.

That day, more than 12,000 boxes were distributed. Every box was claimed, sometimes in only a matter of minutes. The next week, the operation scaled up to 16,000 boxes, 400 per site. Since the no-questions-asked program launched on March 30, almost 72,000 boxes have been handed out.

This is a team effort between the city and two of its largest food banks  Philabundance and Share Food Program  to feed thousands of Philadelphians who suddenly find themselves food-insecure during the coronavirus pandemic. It supplements the citys 350-plus food pantries and 80 or so student meal sites established after schools closed. Like every other part of Pennsylvania, Philadelphias unemployment rate has spiked in recent weeks.

Every Monday and Thursday morning, the boxes are stacked up and shipped out from a warehouse in Roxborough. The round-the-clock process to assemble them requires money, resourcefulness, and manpower.

Its a lot of moving parts, said deputy managing director Joanna Otero-Cruz, who oversees the assembly process in Roxborough.

Philabundance and Share Food provide the contents inside the boxes, and filling them may be the most challenging part of this process. When many of the nations restaurants closed, panicked shoppers bought up shelf-stable goods in bulk, clearing store shelves. Restocking requires manufacturers to crank up production unexpectedly, with the same amount of staff, equipment, and supplies, at a time when thats not so easily achieved.

They didnt foresee this  none of us really foresaw this happening, said Philabundance spokesperson Samantha Retamar.

Retamar described Philabundances food acquisitions team chasing down leads on rice, pasta, cereal, and other goods, working nonstop to see when [vendors are] getting food in, how much we can buy  because we obviously cant buy them out, she said. The food banks have to leave supply for grocery stores, which often get first pick. And the rules of supply and demand dont let up during a pandemic.

Prices are increasing across the board for dry goods, Retamar said.

Share Food executive director George Matysik said that the nonprofit spent $4 million purchasing dry goods last year and expects that figure to nearly double this year as a result of the pandemics effects.

Were putting a lot of money out of pocket right now, Matysik said. If there was ever a time for us to put everything on the line, this is it.

To fill their warehouse-sized pantries, food banks rely on donations from grocery stores, farmers, manufacturers, and wholesalers, as well as purchases made with state and private funds. With grocery stores supplies cleared out, the mass donations of shelf-stable goods are down. But other categories are up.

Were getting record amounts of produce. I can show you our freezer now, which is packed to the gills, Matysik said while leading a tour of Share Foods Hunting Park warehouse.

Though the space was much emptier than usual  Were seeing parts of the floor we havent seen in a while  there were still pallets upon pallets of boxed arugula, grapes, kidney beans, puffed rice cereal, walnuts, peanut butter, canned beef with juices, eggs, cheese, precooked chicken strips, frozen green beans, Campbells vegetable and cream of chicken soups, and Starkist tuna.

What folks need to know is that the supply chain in Philadelphia is among the strongest in the country, Matysik said. Food continues to come in.

The challenge of the citys distribution program is ensuring a good mix of produce and shelf-stable food  enough for 16,000 boxes per cycle. Recent boxes have contained dry goods like egg noodles and tuna, dried navy beans, yellow split peas, and pancake mix; canned goods such as peaches, peas, collard greens, sweet potatoes, and pears; orange juice and shelf-stable milk; and fresh produce including bananas, salad mix, carrots, and Kennett Square mushrooms. Recently, the city has started to distribute dry goods on Mondays and perishables on Thursdays.

Once the contents of the box are determined, the food is centralized at a Roxborough warehouse (the future home of a brewery) that Philadelphia is using rent-free to package and distribute the boxes. It takes about two full days to ready one mornings distribution, with the help of a rotating cast of 60 to 100 volunteers and Community Life Improvement Program staffers per shift. The city has worked with Easter Outreach and Liberti Church network to find volunteers; in the first week of operation, more than 200 volunteers showed up to help build boxes.

Social distancing measures are enforced by team leads: We have to be  kind of militant," Joanna Otero-Cruz said. You get into your flow and, next thing you know, youre just a couple feet away. So reminding folks that  even though were wearing masks and gloves  we still want that friendly distance for everybodys well-being. Bright-orange signs have been posted in the warehouse to keep people attuned to distancing, and efficiency has increased each week.

The process starts with building cardboard boxes, which are loaded on a conveyor belt and carefully packed with 10 to 12 pounds of food before theyre stacked into a pallet 67 boxes high. Each pallet is shrink-wrapped, then loaded by forklift  at the appropriate time  into a fleet of 12 delivery trucks.

Its very helpful to be able to stack them up the night before of day of distribution, said Otero-Cruz. We learned very quickly we cannot do that with produce and vegetables, which means that you have to allow for more time in the morning. (Recently, some refrigerated trucks were enlisted to help.)

By the time most distribution sites begin passing out boxes each Monday and Thursday morning, the lines are stretched down the street and around the block. The seemingly never-ending need doesnt daunt Share Foods Matysik.

We were here long before this crisis, and well be here long after, he said.
New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich planned to give President Donald Trump sound and honest advice about when to reopen Americas economy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Democrat was picked by the White House on Wednesday to be part of a congressional task force to advise the president on the issue. Heinrich participated in a phone call with Trump on Thursday. He said he would be participating in a similar call with Vice President Mike Pence on Friday.

I told the president weve got to have more testing, and weve got to work with companies to increase the supply, the senator said in a press call with members of the New Mexico media. Heinrich said he was backed up by both Democratic and Republican members of the task force.

We need to box the virus in and get our numbers down, Heinrich said.

He said he understood how stressful and devastating the emergency closures have been for small businesses, but he voiced a concern about opening too soon only to have coronavirus kick back up in the fall, which would force businesses to close again.

Ignoring science- and evidence-based recommendations and prematurely resuming business as usual would undoubtedly risk the lives of all of us, he said in a statement released by his office earlier in the day.

I want to open the economy, Heinrich said. The key is to have a plan in place.  Weve got to get our numbers down to where they are manageable.

He said government officials have a moral responsibility to make sure every single American whose life and livelihood has been upended by this crisis is made whole when this is all over.

The senator said life cant get back to normal and the economy cant be fixed until we have gotten a handle on the spread of the coronavirus.

That is why our primary focus must remain on the public health challenges at hand, starting with a much more comprehensive and faster testing infrastructure to track and respond to the spread of the virus, Heinrich said.

He is one of 13 Senate Democrats on the task force, according to reports. Every Republican senator is on the task force except Mitt Romney of Utah.
LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's coronavirus curve has flattened but the good news is still not enough for the country to lift lockdown measures and reopen its tourism-dependent, export-oriented economy, government ministers said on Wednesday.

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's coronavirus curve has flattened but the good news is still not enough for the country to lift lockdown measures and reopen its tourism-dependent, export-oriented economy, government ministers said on Wednesday.

Portugal has so far reported 18,091 cases and 599 deaths, far below more populous Spain, where more than 18,000 people have died. Health Secretary Antonio Sales said Portugal's coronavirus death rate is 5.5% per 100,000 people, lower than in most European nations.

Sales said told a news conference the curve flattened due to the "excellent behaviour and civism of the Portuguese people" who obeyed lockdown rules imposed by the government from March 18.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will extend the nationwide lockdown until May 1.

Though the developments are positive, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said earlier on Wednesday the time to "gradually and progressively" reopen the economy had yet to come.

"We can only resume activities when we have the needed certainty and comfort, and sufficient confidence in society, that by reopening it we don't increase the risk of contamination beyond what is controllable," Costa told RTP television.

Costa made his comments a day after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that Portugal's economy will contract by 8% this year, way above the central bank's predictions last month of a drop between 3.7% and 5.7%.

The unemployment rate that has been falling for several years as the country slowly recovered from a severe debt crisis, should more than double to 13.9% this year, the IMF said, expecting the budget deficit to spike to 7.1% after a surplus of 0.2% in 2019 - Portugal's first in 45 years of democracy.

The massive gap in the number of cases and mortality rate between Portugal and other countries is hard to explain. Some experts and doctors have pointed to the fact that Portugal restricted movement of people early on, when cases were still in their hundreds and with just two deaths.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony, Sergio Goncalves and Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Andrei Khalip and Angus MacSwan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
We might be stuck at home, but that isnt stopping companies from springing fresh devices upon us. Apple just dropped a new iPhone SE, LG and Motorola are both prepping flagship launches, while a slew of midrange phones have been unveiled in the past two weeks. OnePlus also showed off the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro this week. MWC may have gotten canceled in February, but it seems mobile device makers are pushing forward with their products, in the middle of this pandemic.

While theyre hardly ever at Mobile World Congress, Apple still contributed to this months remote phone launch season by revealing the new iPhone SE. Not only is this a long-awaited update to the companys compact, budget-friendly line, but its also noteworthy for its premium processor. With the new iPhone SE, youll be getting the same A13 Bionic processor that powers the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, but for just $399. Of course, you wont find the same multi-camera setup. The 4.7-inch handset only houses a single 12-megapixel sensor. Still, though, youre getting plenty for less than $400. And such a small phone with modern specs is pretty hard to find these days.

One of the biggest names we were expecting at MWC was LG, typically showing up in Barcelona with its latest flagships with horribly clunky names. Case in point: The LG V60 ThinQ 5G or the G8X ThinQ Dual Screen. Those really arent the sexiest names for flagship phones. LG Velvet, on the other hand, immediately conjures up mental images of soft, luxurious fabric. Well, thats what LG is hoping, anyway. The company has been struggling to remain relevant for years and this week it announced its upcoming flagship will be named Velvet. In a press release, LG said the word is meant to evoke images of lustrous smoothness and premium softness.

Chris Velazco / Engadget

The new branding is a move away from alphanumeric naming standards, which, good riddance. As a reviewer, I loathed having to write LG V60 ThinQ 5G over and over. The Velvet will feature a unique Raindrop camera and symmetrical, flowing form factor that is both pleasing to the eye and pleasing to touch. If I had to attempt to translate that to normal human speak, Id say that probably means this handset will be curvier and perhaps less boring than the existing V-series.

Speaking of curvy phones, Motorola also announced itll be hosting a virtual launch event on April 22nd for the rumored Edge+. Based on the leaks weve seen, this might be the companys first high-end phone in years, following a slew of midrange and budget-friendly handsets like the G and E series. The Edge+ is said to have a 6.7-inch display that curves away from the front on both edges and feature a 108-megapixel camera with wide-angle and telephoto options as well. It reportedly packs a premium Snapdragon 865 processor with a sweet 5,000mAh battery, too. A less exciting version called the Edge will reportedly be available too, just with a Snapdragon 765 processor instead.

These two companies have been lagging the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google for a while, and its nice to see them try harder to challenge the industry leaders. The smartphone industry could use some variety. Though, Im not entirely convinced that the Velvet nor the Edge+ can give the Galaxies, iPhones and Pixels any serious competition.

Chris Velazco / Engadget

This week, we also saw OnePlus launch its latest phones. Though the company started out with a mission to make flagship killers that offer high-end specs for much cheaper than the competition, its new devices indicate an evolution in strategy. The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro can no longer be considered affordable alternatives to premium flagships because theyre, well, not that much cheaper anymore. But theyre straight up great devices. These are beautiful handsets with super smooth screens, speedy performance and capable cameras. And while the OnePlus 8s $699 starting price is too high to be considered affordable, it at least costs hundreds less than the likes of a Galaxy S20 or an iPhone 11.

Theres also been a slew of midrange phones launching. TCL unveiled the 10 series recently, while Samsung unleashed about half a dozen A-series phones last week. We also saw Chinese phone maker Oppo unveil the Reno Ace 2, which features the worlds fastest wireless charging -- so far, anyway. It supports 40W charging, which will get the phones 4,000mAh battery fully juiced in 56 minutes. Anyone whos ever tried wirelessly charging their phone will know -- thats practically light speed. Like most Oppo phones, though, the Reno Ace 2 is unlikely to find its way stateside.

Thats a ton of phones to hear about in a matter of weeks, which just goes to show that, even a global pandemic and the cancellation of MWC cant keep phone makers down. But whats nice to note is the prices here. Instead of the $1,000 flagships weve seen from Samsung and Apple, some of these guys cost about $700 or less, depending on the configuration. Considering were gearing up for a global recession, maybe luxury smartphones arent the wisest purchase for awhile.
The two most powerful men at Royal Mail have been running the crucial service from their homes on the Continent during the coronavirus crisis.

Chief executive Rico Back and operating chief Achim Dunnwald are understood to be working from Switzerland and Germany respectively, having left the UK after the lockdown.

Critics yesterday claimed German executive Back, dubbed 'the Flying Postman' because he commutes to Britain, was too far away to effectively run the company and called for him to resign.

Tough at the top: Chief executive Rico Back (pictured) left the UK after the coronavirus lockdown

Back, 66, is working from his 2.3m family home, a luxury penthouse overlooking Lake Zurich. The father-of-four, who took over as Royal Mail boss two years ago, usually travels by air to the UK for the working week and returns to the property during weekends.

But after the postal service's London office was shut on March 24, it is understood Back returned to Switzerland and has remained there.

He took over as group boss from Dame Moya Greene in 2018, receiving 6m for changes to his contract. He was paid 647,000 last year but can earn up to 2.7m. Critics have questioned whether he could effectively run Royal Mail, which employs 140,000 staff, while being partly based abroad.

Back and Royal Mail have defended the arrangement, saying he would be in the UK every week or 'as and when requested'.

He flies to the UK covers the costs himself, including those of his London accommodation. It is understood that he has been keeping in regular contact with colleagues, including chairing daily meetings on the crisis. Dunnwald, who was made chief operating officer this month, is working from his native Germany.

Yesterday it emerged that Royal Mail has yet to cut executive pay, despite cancelling its full-year dividend. It is understood the pay committee will soon review the matter.

Terry Pullinger, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents twothirds of staff, said: 'No other national postal service would have handed the keys to such a domestically-focused public service to someone who lives in a different country.

FIRMS HIT BY 1,200 BILL TO FORWARD THEIR POST Small businesses are being charged up to 1,200 for their post to be forwarded after being told to shut. They have lashed out as Royal Mail, which turned a 241m pre-tax profit last year, attempts to profit from businesses fighting to survive. Many need the forwarding service to receive crucial items such as bills, bank statements and invoices. But Royal Mail is charging over 1,200 to forward post for three months for businesses in a shared premises. For companies operating out of a single premise, for example a shop, it is charging 259. There are concerns business owners are being forced to collect post because they cannot afford the fees. Ashleigh Watson, who owns waxing salon Waxology in East Kilbride, Scotland, said it was 'unreasonable' to be charged so much after her 11,000 monthly income disappeared. The mother-of-one, 27, still has monthly bills of 1,700 before the wages of her three staff, and Government support is not paid until June. She said: 'I receive two or three letters a week  to be charged close to 300 is ridiculous.' Mike Cherry, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: 'These exorbitant costs cannot be justified. Royal Mail has a monopoly over this service.' Royal Mail said: 'We play an important role in helping to keep the wheels of commerce turning. To enable us to do this, we need to charge. Our business redirection and diversion services offer very good value for money.' It added: We would like to reassure any customer who has taken out a Business Redirection during the COVID-19 crisis (after 16 March 2020) that should they return to their usual premises before their Business Redirection or Business Diversion expires, they will be refunded for any unused time.

'His 6m golden hello and annual reward package was, and still is, a disgrace. He must go before this vital service, which is keeping this country connected through this crisis, is lost forever. The board must act.'

Back is also currently embroiled in a row with the CWU over protective equipment given to postal workers.

As 'key workers' under Government lockdown rules, posties have continued their delivery rounds. The CWU says concerns raised by 'truly scared' staff are not being addressed. Royal Mail insists that staff have been provided with adequate protection.

It said: 'Rico Back is leading Royal Mail's response to the emergency. Our priorities during coronavirus are clear: protect our people, protect the country and protect our company.

'We are working hard to deliver the most comprehensive service we can. Executive remuneration matters will be considered by the remuneration committee as part of our year-end process.'
[April 16, 2020] Analysis of COVID-19-Digital Education Publishing Market in the US 2019-2023 | Innovative Marketing Strategies to Boost Growth | Technavio

Technavio has been monitoring the digital education publishing market, and it is poised to grow by USD 1.28 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005853/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Digital Education Publishing Market in the US 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Cengage Learning, Inc., Houghton mifflin harcourt, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH. are some of the major market participants. Innovative marketing strategies will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Innovative marketing strategies has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Digital Education Publishing Market is segmented as below: End-user K-12 Higher Education Corporate/skill-based

Product Digital Textbooks Digital Assessment Books Others

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?reprt=IRTNTR31118



Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our digital education publishing market report covers the following areas:

Digital Education Publishing Market size

Digital Education Publishing Market trends

Digital Education Publishing Market industry analysis This study identifies an increasing shift toward content customization as one of the prime reasons driving the digital education publishing market growth during the next few years. Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the digital education publishing market, including some of the vendors such as Cengage Learning, Inc., Houghton mifflin harcourt, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the digital education publishing market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist digital education publishing market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the digital education publishing market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the digital education publishing market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of digital education publishing market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Market segmentation by end-user

Comparison by end-user

K-12 - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Higher education - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Corporate/skill-based - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by end-user PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT Market segmentation by product

Comparison by product

Digital textbooks - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Digital assessment books - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Others - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by product PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers

Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS HTML5 emerging as main programming language for content publishing

Growing shift toward content customization

Growing popularity of virtual schools PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Cengage Learning, Inc.

Houghton mifflin harcourt

McGraw-Hill Education

Pearson

Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology

List of abbreviations PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005853/en/

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Saudi, Russia outline record oil cut under U.S. pressure as demand crashes FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind a crude oil pump jack on a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County

By Rania El Gamal, Olesya Astakhova and Ahmad Ghaddar

DUBAI/MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC, Russia and other allies outlined plans on Thursday to cut their oil output by more than a fifth and said they expected the United States and other producers to join in their effort to prop up prices hammered by the coronavirus crisis.

But the group, known as OPEC+, said a final agreement was dependent on Mexico signing up to the pact after it balked at the production cuts it was asked to make. Discussions among top global energy ministers will resume on Friday.

The planned output curbs by OPEC+ amount to 10 million barrels per day (bpd) or 10% of global supplies, with another 5 million bpd expected to come from other nations to help deal with the deepest oil crisis in decades.

Global fuel demand has plunged by around 30 million bpd, or 30% of global supplies, as steps to fight the virus have grounded planes, cut vehicle usage and curbed economic activity.

An unprecedented 15 million bpd cut still won't remove enough crude to stop the world's storage facilities quickly filling up. And far from signalling any readiness to offer support, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Saudi Arabia if it did not fix the oil market's problem of oversupply.

Trump, who has said U.S. output was already falling due to low prices, warned Riyadh it could face sanctions and tariffs on its oil if it did not cut enough to help the U.S. oil industry, whose higher costs have left it struggling with low prices.

A White House aide said Trump held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and King Salman of Saudi Arabia about the talks, after a U.S. official said the OPEC+ move towards cuts sent an "important signal" to the market.

Officials from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia have said the scale of the crisis required involvement of all producers.

"We are expecting other producers outside the OPEC+ club to join the measures, which might happen tomorrow during G20," the head of Russia's wealth fund and one of Moscow's top oil negotiators, Kirill Dmitriev, told Reuters.

Story continues

Thursday's OPEC+ talks will be followed by a call on Friday between energy ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, hosted by Saudi Arabia.

OPEC and Russian sources said they expected other producers to add 5 million bpd to cuts, although an OPEC+ statement on Thursday made no mention of any such condition.

Brent oil prices, which hit an 18-year low last month, were trading around $32 a barrel on Thursday, half their level at the end of 2019.

U.S. DILEMMA

OPEC+ would cut output by 10 million bpd in May to June, OPEC+ documents showed. All members would reduce output by 23%, with Saudi Arabia and Russia each cutting 2.5 million bpd and Iraq cutting over 1 million bpd.

Under the plans, OPEC+ would then ease cuts to 8 million bpd from July to December and relax them further to 6 million bpd from January 2021 to April 2022, the documents showed.

The United States, whose output has surged to surpass Saudi and Russian production, was invited to Thursday's OPEC+ talks but it was not clear if it had joined the video conference. Brazil, Norway and Canada were also invited.

U.S. officials have already said U.S. output would fall naturally over two years but have not committed to any cuts.

In a sign OPEC+ was struggling to win broader support, Canada's main oil province of Alberta said output had already dropped and that it had not been asked by OPEC for more cuts. The province said it backed a U.S. idea for tariffs on imported crude.

Before the talks, Moscow and Riyadh had been at odds over what level of production to use to calculate reductions, after Saudi Arabia hiked its supply in April to a record 12.3 million bpd, up from below 10 million bpd in March. Russian output, meanwhile, has been running about 11.3 million bpd.

The two nations fell out during an acrimonious meeting in Vienna in March, when a previous production deal collapsed.

The two sides agreed on Thursday that cuts would be made from an 11 million bpd baseline for both countries, OPEC+ documents showed.

"We have managed to overcome differences. It will be a very important deal. It will allow the oil market to start on a path to recovery," said Dmitriev, who last month was the first official to propose a deal involving members other than OPEC+.

Several U.S. states could order private companies to limit production under rarely used powers. The oil regulator in Texas, the largest producer among U.S. states with output of about 5 million bpd, meets on April 14 to discuss possible curbs.

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler, Shadia Nasralla, Vladimir Soldatkin, Sonali Paul; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Jason Neely and Edmund Blair)
16.04.2020 LISTEN

The lack of face masks in Ghana and the world is one of the major challenges associated with the spreading of the coronavirus. Medical professionals need them, as do members of the general population who are either infected or at high risk of contracting the coronavirus.

To help with the shortage,the Amansan Skill Training Institute(ASTI) a COVET accredited institution typically known for training apprentices and master craftsmen in cosmetology, textiles, and garment has reprioritized operations and is expanding its production unit to make medical supplies like face masks amid the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus.

The institute shift in production reflects a dire need for even the most basic protective equipment here. Like Ghana, most African countries have little experience manufacturing medical supplies, instead of relying on imports from China and foreign aid.

But as the coronavirus spreads more widely on the continent, African governments are coming up against stiff competition from heavily industrialized economies in bids for masks and other gear. Some are relying almost entirely on donations made by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, who has shipped 6 mil-lion masks to Africa, in addition to huge numbers of gloves, swabs, protective suits and even 500 ventilators.

This is an unprecedented time, companies with the ability to innovate and provide resources to make a difference are needed now more than ever we have to help, Amansan Board Chairman Maxwell Kofi Ju-mah.Community isnt defined just by physical proximity; its coming together in a time of need to act in the interest of the greater good.

Maxwell Jumah noted that the materials approved by the World Health Organisation for making the face masks are non-woven and include polypropylene materials No. 17 and Polypropylene No. 20.
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Matt Hancock today insisted the public cannot be trusted with a coronavirus 'exit strategy' as they might stop obeying lockdown rules.

In a bad-tempered interview as the government prepares to extend draconian curbs for another three weeks, the Health Secretary said he recognised that 'everybody wants to know what the future looks like'.

But he flatly dismissed calls for the government to flesh out how the restrictions will finally be eased, despite mounting fears that they are wreaking havoc on the economy.

Mr Hancock said the 'clarity of messaging' had a 'direct impact on how many people obey' social distancing rules.

In bruising clashes with Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4''s Today programme, Mr Hancock angrily told the interviewer to stop interrupting.

'The communications are part of the policy. That is why we will not be distracted in to confusing that messaging. The scientists can say what they like, the commentators can say what they like,' he swiped.

The bitter spat came as one of the government's own key experts condemned the response from ministers and warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place.

Professor Neil Ferguson insisted schools and more shops should not be open until everyone with symptoms, and everyone they have come into contact with, can been screened. Even then, he warned there is no possibility of the country returning to 'normal' until a vaccine is produced.

The epidemiologist - who has been modelling the outbreak for the government - delivered a withering verdict on the performance of ministers, urging them to 'accelerate action'. He suggested the organisation in Whitehall was not on the same scale as the effort on Brexit, despite the crisis being much bigger.

Dominic Raab is set to confirm that lockdown will stay in place until at least mid-May after a Cobra emergency committee meeting this afternoon.

In other developments as the country struggles under the coronavirus strain:

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets, as they are the businesses most likely to boost the economy and pose the smallest risk of spreading the virus;

There are claims that the population could be 'segmented' to ease restrictions with young people allowed to go back to work and primary schools opened, while pensioners and the vulnerable are ordered to stay in isolation;

The first newly-adapted ventilator design has been approved by regulators, with the government ordering 15,000 of the Penlon's Prima ES202 model;

Matt Hancock has rejected calls for ministers to take a pay cut in solidarity with hard-hit workers, after counterparts in New Zealand announced they would;

Mr Hancock insisted the government could hit its 100,000 a day testing target by the end of the month, despite questions over why it is still not using the current capacity of 25,000.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks via videolink at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham today

As the government prepares to extend draconian curbs for another three weeks, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he recognised that 'everybody wants to know what the future looks like'

Dominic Raab (pictured in Whitehall today) is set to confirm that lockdown will stay in place until at least mid-May after a Cobra emergency committee meeting this afternoon

Health minister Nadine Dorries suggested last night that a vaccine is the only true 'exit strategy' from coronavirus lockdown

Government's own expert condemns slow response to coronavirus One of the government's key experts today condemned the government's response and warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place. Professor Neil Ferguson warned that there is no possibility of the country returning to 'normal' until a vaccine is produced. The epidemiologist - who has been modelling the outbreak for the government - delivered a withering verdict on the performance of ministers, urging them to 'accelerate action' to create a system where everyone with symptoms, and everyone they have come into contact with, is tested. He suggested the organisation in Whitehall was not on the same scale as the effort on Brexit, despite the problem being on a totally different scale. Discussing whether lockdown measures could be eased after another three weeks, Professor Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it depended on 'getting on top of things like transmission rates in hospitals and care homes'. 'I think the other thing I would say is that it really requires a single-minded emphasis in Government and the health system on scaling up testing and putting in place the ability to track down cases in the community and contact-trace. 'Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway; if we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission. 'What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner. 'And I should say, it's not going to be going back to normal. We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available.' Asked whether the Government is moving towards having an exit strategy in place, Prof Ferguson said: 'I'm not completely sure. I think there's a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated. 'We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation for this. 'I'm reminded by the fact we had a Department for Brexit for Government - that was a major national emergency, as it were - and we're faced with something which is, at the moment, even larger than Brexit and yet I don't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation.' Prof Ferguson added: 'There needs to be more co-ordination I think, yes. That may be going on, I don't have unique insight, but I think it could be enhanced.' Advertisement

In a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Hancock insisted it was 'too early' for an exit strategy.

Mr Hancock said he did not want to 'waste' the efforts of the public by lifting the lockdown measures prematurely, because coronavirus would 'run rampant once again'.

'I'm not going to pre-judge the formal decision that is going to be taken, however, I think everybody can see that we've been clear that we think that it is too early to make a change,' the Health Secretary told BBC Breakfast.

'And whilst we have seen a flattening of the number of cases, and thankfully a flattening of the number of deaths, that hasn't started to come down yet, and as far as I'm concerned is still far too high.'

Mr Hancock added: 'I understand those who are calling for an end to the lockdown or some kind of exit strategy to start now, but I think it's just too early for that.'

Asked about comments from health minister Nadine Dorries urging people to stop asking about an exit plan, Mr Hancock told Good Morning Britain that it is 'far too early' for things to return to normal.

'What Nadine is saying is that this talk about an exit strategy, with the idea that we go immediately back to exactly how things were before, it is far too early for that,' he said.

'We are seeing that peak, but it's still far too high. And so it is too early to be making changes.'

Mr Hancock defended the government's handling of testing, despite it already having missed a target of carrying out 25,000 tests a day by mid-April. Levels have been hovering around 14,000.

Mr Hancock said the daily capacity for testing was 25,000.

The Health Secretary told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'In the middle of March, we expected the rate to be, in around four weeks, at around 25,000.

'That is what our capacity is today.'

Asked why the full capacity of testing was not being reached, Mr Hancock said: 'We have increased the capacity, over the Easter weekend far fewer people came forward to be tested frankly than we expected.

'Hence, yesterday, I could say that all social care staff who needed to be tested can be tested, and residents in social care and people coming from hospital to social care, precisely because we have got that capacity.

'We've increased the capacity and that is on a trajectory to get to the 100,000 by the end of the month'.

Discussing whether lockdown measures could be eased after another three weeks, Professor Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think that will very much depend on quite how quickly case numbers go down, and that does require us to get on top of things like transmission rates in hospitals and care homes.

'I think the other thing I would say is that it really requires a single-minded emphasis in Government and the health system on scaling up testing and putting in place the ability to track down cases in the community and contact-trace.

'Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway; if we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission.

'What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner.

'And I should say, it's not going to be going back to normal. We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available.'

Hancock dismisses idea of ministers taking a pay cut amid economic crash During a GMB interview, Piers Morgan accused Mr Hancock of waffling to gloss over government mistakes Matt Hancock today flatly dismissed the idea ministers should take a pay cut in solidarity with millions of workers facing coronavirus hardship. The Health Secretary was challenged on whether he would volunteer for a reduction during a bruising interview with Piers Morgan on ITV's Good Morning Britain. The government's watchdog has warned that crippling lockdown measures will plunge the economy into the worst recession for 300 years. The Office for Budget Responsibility suggested GDP will be slashed by a third and two-million people lose their jobs if the curbs last three months. Many sectors have already seen vast numbers of staff 'furloughed', with the government picking up a proportion of their wages, or impose pay reductions. Mr Hancock previously demanded footballers curb their pay, and in New Zealand the government has said it will be taking lower salaries. But asked if ministers here should follow suit he said: 'I am not proposing to do that. 'What I am proposing to do is work every hour that there is.' During the interview, Morgan accused Mr Hancock of waffling to gloss over government mistakes, but the minster angrily insisted: 'Let me speak.' Furious Morgan replied: 'You don't actually run this show... You don't decide how I run an interview.' But Mr Hancock replied: 'If you interrupt me again I will just keep talking.' Advertisement

Asked whether the Government is moving towards having an exit strategy in place, Prof Ferguson said: 'I'm not completely sure. I think there's a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated.

'We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation for this.

'I'm reminded by the fact we had a Department for Brexit for Government - that was a major national emergency, as it were - and we're faced with something which is, at the moment, even larger than Brexit and yet I don't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation.'

Prof Ferguson added: 'There needs to be more co-ordination I think, yes. That may be going on, I don't have unique insight, but I think it could be enhanced.'

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has said a three-week extension of lockdown measures would be 'reasonable'.

Mr Ashworth told BBC Breakfast: 'We would expect the lockdown to continue, we would support that, I actually called for a lockdown before the Government introduced one.

'But we also want more details from the Government about what happens next.

'I mean, last night the junior health minister Nadine Dorries was complaining on Twitter saying that people shouldn't be asking about an exit strategy because there's no exit strategy until we get a vaccine.

'Well that could be 18 months away so if the Government are saying we're in lockdown for 18 months they probably need to tell us.'

'And I would argue that the best way to come out of lockdown or to manage a way out of lockdown is to move to a testing and contact-tracing strategy.'

A report drawn up by Conservative peer Lord Gadhia and GlaxoSmithKline chairman Sir Jonathan Symonds has suggested a way out of the lockdown.

It called for a small number of high street stores to open as Britain 'must learn to live with Covid' until a vaccine is mass produced in 12 to 18 months.

All of these shops will have to practise social distancing with gaps between tables to ensure they are safe.

The report, seen by the Sun, says: 'The initial focus for reopening the economy should be on sectors that have the greatest multiplier effects with minimum risks  such as coffee shops and restaurants which support agriculture.

'The property market is another that has wide multiplier effects. We need to avoid a stop-start economy which would sap public morale and damage business confidence yet further.'

The fast food giant is serving meals at 11 branches across the country but with a limited menu and no eating in (file photo)

Recently, Burger King, KFC and Pret have announced plans to partially reopen

Schools, cafes and shops could be early steps out of lockdown - but OAPs must stay home Ministers are today facing calls to start reopening schools, cafes and non-essential shops within weeks to avert an economic apocalypse - despite government experts warning that without mass testing it risks creating a second peak in the coronavirus outbreak. MPs and industry chiefs are heaping on pressure for an 'exit strategy' from the draconian curbs threatening to slash a third from GDP and destroy millions of jobs. There are rumours that reopening primary schools will be an early move in the process, with the focus shifting to making sure pensioners and the vulnerable stay at home - although any steps are likely to depend on the scale of infections in each part of the country. One report today suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen, as they are the businesses that would boost the economy most and pose a relatively low risk of spread. Advertisement

Several high street chains like McDonalds, Primark and Topshop have closed their doors due the coronavirus outbreak.

Recently, Burger King, KFC and Pret have announced plans to partially reopen.

Their shops will open near hospitals and GP surgeries for delivery and takeaway services only.

Ministers could be given the green light to start planning an exit from the lockdown within ten days, the Chief Medical Officer suggested last night.

Chris Whitty said Government experts hoped to have enough evidence about the transmission of the coronavirus by that point to 'judge how we can go into the next phase'.

The lockdown is set to be extended today for at least three weeks, despite fresh warnings about the long-term impact on the economy.

The Cabinet is expected to rubberstamp the extension in a conference call this morning ahead of a formal decision this afternoon by the Government's emergency committee Cobra, which will be attended by Nicola Sturgeon and political leaders in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Multiple Government sources said there would be 'no surprises', with restrictions rolled over for another three weeks and the next review unlikely before May 7.

He added: 'We will not lift these measures until it is safe to do so.'

But at the daily Downing Street press conference, Professor Whitty said the epidemic was 'probably reaching the peak overall' and 'we do all think this has flattened out.'

Graph shows the UK's average daily coronavirus deaths for the previous seven days, based on official figures. The dip at the end shows the numbers falling for two days - the first drop since the crisis began. Although it could be a sign of numbers plateauing, Chris Whitty yesterday said he expected a rise in deaths today as officials catch up with a lag in reporting over Easter

Which KFC branches have reopened? Manchester (Deansgate)

Manchester (Hulme)

Stockport (Heaton Chapel)

Birmingham (New Oscott)

Tamworth

Portsmouth

Aldershot, Hampshire

Ipswich (Cardinal Park)

Glasgow (Pollokshaws Road)

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He added: 'The more understanding we have of where that is, which will happen over the next ten days, the more easy it is to judge how we can go into the next phase in a way that is properly evidence-based.'

Discussing the coronavirus crisis in Downing Street last night, Professor Whitty said: 'On the issue of the peak, our view is that it is probably reaching the peak overall and that is what the flattening shows.

'I think it is important, and I am saying this because new data will come out presumably tomorrow, my expectation would be that the number of deaths may well go up because there has been after every weekend we see a dip over the weekend and for the two days afterwards and then an increase as we catch up with the numbers.

'After a long four day weekend there may well be a bounce up tomorrow. I think it is very important we don't get to the point where we say, look at the numbers of deaths that means we have passed the peak.

'But we do all think that this has flattened out. Sadly we do think that high numbers of deaths will continue, certainly for a short while on from where we are at the moment.

'So I think at the moment we are not yet at the point where we can say confidently and safely this is now past the peak and we can start thinking very much about the next phases.'

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab - standing in for Boris Johnson as he continues to recuperate from the disease - will chair the meeting of the Cabinet this morning.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called on ministers to publish an 'exit strategy' from the lockdown, which has been in place since March 23.

There is also growing unease in Tory circles about the economic damage being caused.

Former Chancellor Sajid Javid said it was vital to 'phase out this lockdown as soon as we possibly can based on scientific advice'.

NHS drops guidance saying care home residents should NOT 'ordinarily be taken to hospital' during coronavirus crisis as Health Secretary insists only 15% of homes have outbreaks - despite providers saying the figure is four times higher

The NHS has dropped controversial guidance which told care homes to try and avoid taking their residents to A&E in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

Health chiefs have rowed back after saying that care home residents should not be taken to casualty without carers first seeking advice from a 'clinical adviser'.

Homes had been advised to try not to take residents to A&E if they had problems that could be dealt with elsewhere, dementia patients with minor head injuries, anyone with a do-not-resuscitate order or over-70s who recovered from fainting.

But now NHS England has retracted the advice, which had been dubbed 'prejudiced' by one senior member of the health service.

It comes as the Government faces backlash over its 'shambolic' handling of the crisis unfolding in care homes, where unknown numbers of vulnerable people at dying with COVID-19.

No routine testing is being done in residential homes and coronavirus deaths are not being recorded quickly - the Office for National Statistics has only recorded 217 fatalities so far but care homes themselves say the true figure is higher than 1,400.

And there are signs the Department of Health has lost its grip on what is happening behind homes' doors - Health Secretary Matt Hancock said just 15 per cent of homes have outbreaks but industry bosses put the figure at around two thirds.

A leaked letter from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) to the Department of Health and Social Care says Downing Street has caused 'confusion and additional workload' through mixed messages.

Bosses inside the social care sector have described the Goverment's shambolic handling of the COVID-19 crisis they face while caring for some of society's most vulnerable people.

Pictured: Health Secretary Matt Hancock with the 'badge of honour' for care workers he unveiled yesterday as he faces criticism for the Government's handling of the crisis

CARE BOSSES HIT OUT AT 'SHAMBOLIC' PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES IN LEAKED LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH A letter sent from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) to the Department of Health at the weekend has shown the care chiefs accuse a senior figure at the Department of overseeing a 'shambolic response'. It raised concerns about testing in care homes, funding for the sector, and inadequate amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, the BBC reported. Adass said it was facing 'confusion' and additional work as a result of mixed messaging put out by the Government. It said the situation around PPE, which is now mandatory for all healthcare workers, was 'shambolic' and that deliveries had been 'paltry' or 'haphazard'. The care sector, which looks after around 400,000 of Britain's most vulnerable people, was being overlooked while officials focused on the NHS, Adass said as they raised fears of a 'significant imbalance'. The bosses added that they welcomed coronavirus swab testing for people working in social care but said it looked as it if it would be 'rolled out without being given thought to who is going to be tested and what we are going to do with the result,' according to the BBC. Advertisement

The A&E guidance had been published over the Easter weekend but has since been withdrawn, the HSJ reported.

A boss inside the NHS, speaking anonymously, told the specialist news site the guidance had been 'prejudiced against older people, those with dementia and those in care homes.'

They added that it would have placed 'obstacles' between vulnerable elderly people and emergency departments.

And the notes advising homes not to take to hospital dementia patients who had hit their heads but were 'functionally unchanged' was at odds with policy set out by the NHS regulator, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

NHS England said it regularly updates guidance and this time had changed it within four days.

A spokesperson said: 'Decisions about when a patient would benefit from hospitalisation are judgements for clinicians to take in consultation with patients and their families in the usual way.'

Older people are known to be the most at risk of dying if they catch coronavirus - in England 52 per cent of all victims so far have been over 80 and a further 40 per cent were between 60 and 79.

In Scotland, a quarter of all people who have died of COVID-19 have died in care homes, according to a report by the National Records of Scotland.

The report showed 962 people diagnosed with, or suspected of having, COVID-19 had died and of those, 237 (24.6 per cent) were in care homes, 586 in hospitals, 128 in homes and one in an undisclosed location.

The care home figure was five times higher than the five per cent officially recorded in England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS has published data only including 217 care home deaths up to April 3, out of a total 3,700 recorded by that time.
A 29-year-old man was arrested



by suburban Vakola police on Thursday for allegedly spitting on a woman from Manipur ten days ago, an official said.

The accused was identified as Amir Khan, resident of Kurla (West).

The woman, who is around 30 years old, was walking from Geeta Vihar junction towards Kalina Military Camp in Santacruz where groceries and other essential items were being distributed amid lockdown for coronavirus on April 6.

Suddenly a motorbike-rider spat on her before speeding away, she alleged.

Police identified the accused with the help of CCTV footage which showed the motorbike's registration number.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 8) Manjunath Singhe said Khan is a salesman.

"We have arrested him under IPC section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 352 (Punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation) of the IPC," the DCP said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP National President JP Nadda interacts with party leaders and cadres through video conferencing during the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus pandemic; on Thursday. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, April 16 : BJP President JP Nadda on Thursday appealed to his Yuva Morcha colleagues to ensure that each of them makes 40 individuals download the Aarogya Setu App that the government has come up with for all information on Covid-19 and alerts.

The App which was launched on April 2 is meant to alert users if they have come in contact with a Covid-19 positive patient. In fact, the App has reached 50 million users in just 13 days - the fastest ever globally in comparison to other Apps.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the citizens to download the Aarogya Setu application. The tracking App is an essential tool in the Covid-19 fight, insisted Modi. It was developed by the National Informatics Centre.

Nadda told this to members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) during a video conference. While the meeting was mostly attended by the next gen of the BJP which included Poonam Mahajan, Rohit Chahal, Amit Malviya, it was also attended by a few senior leaders of the party. General Secretary (Organization) BL Santosh and Muralidhar Rao were also present.

During the conference, Nadda also stressed on the importance of feeding the poor while highlighting that the party is already feeding 5 crore people each day during the lockdown period.

India recently extended its shutdown till May 3, after Covid-19 cases continued to rise. The first leg of the shutdown ended on April 14.
We dont know when normal will return to the Texas economy, but we do know this much: It will be a gradual process, one that proceeds in stages, with each step building upon the preceding one. You will not see, as Dr. Anthony Fauci said so memorably, a light switch turned on. The coronavirus shutdown began like that, with more and more restrictions, and it will end that way, with fewer and fewer of them.

In both cases, the progression of the disease will dictate the pace. In February and March, when we began to realize we were knee-deep in a nightmare, the ban on non-essential businesses came quickly. In May or June, the reverse will happen more slowly.

All of this depends, of course, on current projections that the virus will begin to fade soon. If new infections and hospitalizations begin to decline, and more testing becomes available, some of the closed signs on business front doors can be turned around.

The first beneficiaries should be companies that can still practice social-distancing better than others. A large shop or factory with a small number of workers laboring within it would be a good candidate. If those workers have been tested and cleared, and they have little or no contact with customers or vendors, they should get the green light.

The problem, however, is that most companies that have been shut down dont meet those criteria. Most offices have desks side by side, and retail shops dont have much dead space either. Real estate costs money, and profitable businesses have learned to use every square inch of it. If your shop has customers coming in the front door all the time, theres no real way to protect employees from getting infected.

That is, unless the presence of the virus in the general population has dropped to near-zero levels. Researchers are trying to determine if people who caught the virus earlier (and may not have known it) might be immune from reinfection. If scientists affirm that immunity, those workers could serve one customer after another with little danger.

Time matters here. No small business can survive a forced layoff like this without pain, but some owners can just grit their teeth and wait it out. If you own your premises and dont have to pay rent, thats a huge advantage. Some companies can also expect a burst of new business when commerce resumes, basically the orders that have been frozen for several weeks, from flowers for rescheduled weddings to long-postponed haircuts. If there is enough of that pent-up business in the pipeline, the turnaround will be must easier for those firms.

Many workers can get by on unemployment and Uncle Sams $1,200 check for a while. But thats all theyre doing  getting by. Theyre not buying a new car or washing machine; their budget is focused on needs, not wants. Theyll need steady paychecks again before they can ramp up spending.

In theory, this gradual unfolding happens this summer, which is ironic timing. Summer is traditionally a time to take vacations and relax; some businesses even close for a week or two. You wont see that this summer with most companies eager to regain lost sales.

More Information States with most virus job losses 1) Nevada - 5.32% increase in unemployment, 66,656 jobs lost. 2) Hawaii - 5.09% increase in unemployment, 26,926 jobs lost. 3) Montana - 4.64% increase in unemployment, 18,230 jobs lost. 4) Florida - 4.51% increase in unemployment, 352,753 jobs lost. 5) Mississippi - 4.47% increase in unemployment, 40,929 jobs lost. 6) Wyoming - 4.46% increase in unemployment, 9,850 jobs lost. 7) (tie) South Carolina - 4.39% increase in unemployment, 79,802 jobs lost. 7) (tie) Alaska - 4.39% increase in unemployment, 10,946 jobs lost. 9) Vermont - 4.37% increase in unemployment, 11,334 job lost. 10) New Mexico - 4.34% increase in unemployment, 29,016 jobs lost. Source: www.BusinessInsider.com See More Collapse

Right now, no one knows how all this will play out. All we can do is take one day at a time and hope its not as bad as we expected. Our best option might be to keep taking a step forward each day or each week, being grateful for each inch the door is reopened. Thats progress, even if its slow, and its better than nothing.

TTaschinger@BeaumontEnterprise.com
Nursing homes and residential facilities are taking the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak, amid a chronic shortage of staff and alarming death rate.

More than 200 clusters have been identified in all such facilities nationwide, and 245 people in nursing homes have died after contracting the virus. The overall death toll from Covid-19 in the Republic is 444.

One Dublin nursing home has had at least 15 deaths, with four elderly people all dying on the same day last week.

A midlands nursing home lost a third of its residents, with nine deaths over the bank holiday weekend.

One nurse, who worked several shifts last weekend in a Dublin nursing home, said where there is an outbreak the staff are "overwhelmed".

Read More

The woman, who asked not to be identified, expressed concerns to the Irish Independent about oxygen supplies available to patients.

"The HSE needs to get oxygen in to all of these homes. This is a respiratory disease that affects your breathing and patients struggling with it need oxygen. Nobody is talking about what is happening in our nursing homes."

The issue of oxygen supply has also been raised by nursing home owners in the private sector, who had been reporting difficulties in procurement. However, the HSE said it is working closely with contracted suppliers of oxygen to ensure continuity of supply to all users of oxygen and that there are no shortages at present.

"The focus early on was on PPE and oxygen has fallen under the radar," said Tadgh Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI).

"This is something we have realised with the department and to be fair it has been addressing it. What was happening, was that we had homes that were ringing up suppliers for oxygen and they were being told there was none left because it was all going to the HSE.

"I spoke to colleagues in the NHS who told me that oxygen was being sequestered... We saw it here too, maybe not as dramatically, but we saw it with the private sector trying to get access to that sort of stuff. It was all going into the national effort. The national effort is Ireland on call, not HSE on call."

Mr Daly said that he has not received as many reports about shortages in the past number of days, but that the issue was a "pressure point" in recent weeks. "PPE was getting all the focus, but we were raising the oxygen issue because there were challenges in getting hold of it," he said.

"Members are resilient, so depending on relationships they are sourcing their own."

As the infection spreads among the most vulnerable, Dr Jack Lambert, a consultant in infectious diseases who works in the Mater hospital, has called on the Government to mobilise a response to the nursing home crisis within 24 hours. "We need boots on the ground," he said.

"Most of these homes are chronically short-staffed, they rely on agency staff. Up until last week there was no way of getting testing of the staff and no way of getting testing of residents.

"There are huge gaps in the plan that the Government has put together to address what was a problem a few weeks ago and now is a disaster in the making if they don't act quickly."

Dr Lambert said that nursing staff from nursing homes had become infected and ended up in critical care units.

"I have nurses from nursing homes who have been admitted critically unwell to the hospital," he said.

"The reality is there is very little co-ordinated service going on at the minute.

"It's all been put back in the hands of the nursing homes. I know there are nursing homes filled with Covid. The residents have Covid, the staff have Covid and (until recently) they couldn't get a swab done. It's chaotic. There is no organisation from the top down."

Many argue that the crisis nursing homes are now facing did not come without warning. It has been clear from the start of the year that Covid-19 disproportionately affects the old and the frail.

However, the initial focus of the HSE and the Department of Health was to improve the readiness of acute hospitals, as well as ramping up community testing efforts. Meanwhile, the virus took hold in nursing homes, where it now appears to be running rampant.

"Unfortunately, the Government dropped the ball with the nursing homes," claimed Dr Lambert.

"I was watching TV reports on Spain and Italy, seeing what was happening in nursing homes and I was hoping we wouldn't be in this situation.

"It was perfectly appropriate to have the initial focus here on acute hospitals and close down the country, but there are things that need to be done and Government has failed to do all in parallel. Instead, things have been done things sequentially.

"In some things they (the government) are ahead of the curve but in relation to nursing homes they are way behind the curve."

At the end of January, as the coronavirus epidemic swept across China and into Italy, NHI began communication with members about how to prepare for a case here.

In a letter dated February 28, NHI sought dedicated Covid-19 advice for the nursing home sector. On March 6, NMI imposed nationwide visiting restrictions on private facilities.

On March 10, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the blanket restrictions should be lifted because they were premature and impacted on residents' social interactions.

The conflicting approaches caused significant problems within the sector. Several homes were confronted with disgruntled family members, quoting the chief medical officer and demanding access.

In one case, a video clip of Dr Holohan's comments was shown to nursing home staff as reason to permit a visit.

Three days later, on March 13, the visiting ban was imposed, or re-imposed, as part of a package of restrictive measures.

Then on March 25, at a time when there were only a handful of clusters of Covid-19 in homes, NHI complained that it had made numerous representations to Health Minister Simon Harris and his officials, but no offer of a meeting had been forthcoming.

NHI appealed for "specific guidance" for what nursing homes should do in the crisis and predicted homes would experience severe staff shortages.

When asked about guidance, Dr Holohan said there were "extensive arrangements" in place and infection control guidelines for healthcare settings "that should have been applied" in nursing homes.

Meanwhile, nursing homes, including the one in Dublin where more than 15 have now died, were already dealing with deaths.

By April 4, when Mr Harris announced a 72m support package for nursing homes, at least four of its residents had already died from Covid-19. An expert team from the HSE has since entered the facility to help stem the infection and prevent further deaths.

While announcing the support package for nursing homes, Mr Harris warned that agency staff, who move from nursing home to nursing home, presented a risk of spreading the virus. The Irish Independent understands that there are ongoing issues in relation to this.

"It's very hard to police that but the agencies have a responsibility here too," said Mr Daly. "Staffing levels are the biggest issue because we have so many out waiting on test results. We are resilient and we are coping but we do need continued support."

Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain of the HSE said a strategy is now in place to support nursing homes, including providing staff from the public system.

Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland

A HSE spokeswoman told the Irish Independent that it was working closely with contracted suppliers of oxygen, and assurance has been provided that supply chains have been and will be maintained.

"There is no shortage of oxygen or oxygen concentrators for nursing homes at this time," she said.

The HSE also said: "The advice offered to private nursing homes is driven by the highest standards of clinical practice."

It added: "From the beginning, we have been aware that vulnerable groups, including the elderly, are at greater risk from this virus.

"These groups will continue to be our priority. This is reflected in the suite of actions that the HSE is currently implementing.

"We will continue to work with all providers to support them in their obligations of providing residential care services to their residents and to work with them through the critical stages of outbreaks in their centres as is required."
Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend has revealed she was left with anxiety after finding being in the spotlight due to her high profile relationship 'terrifying'.

Former model and actress Florence St George, nee Brudenell-Bruce, 34, who grew up in Fulham, south-west London, dated the Duke of Sussex, 35, for two months in 2011.

She also had a two-year relationship with Formula One driver Jenson Button between 2006 and 2008 before going on to marry multi-millionaire Henry St George in July 2013.

The couple and their two children, Iris, five, and Jimmy, three, are currently on lockdown on the island of Grand Bahama - where Henry is vice-president of the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Florence St George, nee Brudenell-Bruce, has revealed she was left with anxiety after finding being in the spotlight due to her high profile relationship 'terrifying'. Pictured on The Great Pottery Throw Down

Speaking about her high profile relationship, Florence said: 'I have utmost respect for anyone who does live in that spotlight, but it left me with a total fear of the camera and anxiety, which I think was creeping in even before the postnatal depression.' Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Commonwealth Day service last month in London

Speaking to The Times, Florence said she decided 'quite quickly' that having such a high profile partner didn't suit her.

'When I glimpsed for five, six, seven days  we were together a bit longer than that but that's how long it was in the press  what it was like to be under that focus I found it really terrifying and I made a decision quite quickly that it wasn't the right thing for me,' she told the publication.

'I have utmost respect for anyone who does live in that spotlight, but it left me with a total fear of the camera and anxiety, which I think was creeping in even before the postnatal depression.'

Florence has previously spoken candidly about her battle with PND after giving birth to daughter Iris.

Florence married multi-millionaire Henry St George in July 2013, with whom she has two children

She told The Times how she'd led a 'charmed life' but struggled with the transition from 'pretty model' to 'fat and frumpy mum'.

After three months of struggling she saw a doctor who prescribed her a low dose of Prozac, which she admitted 'changed her life'.

She stayed on the antidepressant throughout her pregnancy with Jimmy, until he was 18 months old - and credits her love of pottery for helping her wean off the drug.

'The gratifying feeling of being able to make something from nothing was huge. It definitely had a bearing in helping me very gently  and with the help of a doctor  come off Prozac,' she said.

Florence had a two-year relationship with Formula One driver Jenson Button between 2006 and 2008

Earlier this year Florence appeared on The Great Pottery Throw Down and made it to the midway point of the competition.

Now she regularly forages for her own clay and is currently busying herself making mugs and uploading Instagram tutorials to help other amateur enthusiasts.

She admitted the Bahamas is a lovely place to be in isolation amid the coronavirus crisis, but added it is 'quite intense' and does generate anxiety, especially given her son Jimmy is susceptible to pneumonia.

At two weeks old he narrowly avoided cot death, after Florence found him a grey-blue colour, and was diagnosed with bronchiolitis at hospital and intubated.

When he was starting to get better he suffered a pulmonary haemorrhage, which Florence described as 'the scariest moment ever'.

Florence, pictured in 2012, told The Times how she'd led a 'charmed life' but struggled with the transition from 'pretty model' to 'fat and frumpy mum'

Jimmy is now healthy but Florence worries for his health as she doubts there are any ventilators on the island.

Well-educated and from a close knit family, Florence is the youngest of four children of Old Etonian wine merchant Andrew and his French wife Sophie.

Scouted by a model agency at age 15 coming out of Topshop, Florence finished her A-levels at Stowe school before going on to model in her gap year, landing a campaign for Adidas in America, vamping up John Lewis' image with a swimwear campaign, and posing in Elizabeth Hurley's designs.

Florence regularly forages for her own clay and is currently busying herself making mugs and uploading Instagram tutorials to help other amateur enthusiasts

She also completed a History of Art degree at Bristol University and has modelled collections for British brand Anonymous by Ross+Bute and Scottish knitwear brand Brora.

In 2009 she starred in Bollywood romcom Love Aaj Kal (Love These Days) as a Swiss love interest.

She also appeared in the TV detective drama Lewis where she had to lie in a morgue on a table with a silver sheet over her head.
Even though the nationwide lockdown in India has been extended till May 3, people do not seem to be taking the danger of gathering during the outbreak seriously.

The government and PM Modi have been requesting people to practise social distancing to help flatten the curve but it seems like that some people just do not care.

Twitter/Shiv Aroor

A video shared by an editor associated with India Today, Shiv Aroor, shows at least hundreds if not thousands of people out of their houses attending the funeral of a bull.

The video that is now viral was shared with the caption This large crowd gathered yesterday at Muduvarapatti village in Tamil Nadu for the funeral of a Jallikattu bull.

This large crowd gathered yesterday at Muduvarapatti village in Tamil Nadu for the funeral of a Jallikattu bull. Tamil Nadu has 1,242 #Covid19 cases. pic.twitter.com/AEH9PZiwep  Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) April 16, 2020

This funeral took place on April 12 and the district administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident. On April 15, DM TG Vinay said that an FIR has been lodged against the people who attended the funeral.

Total 3000 cases have been registered till date by Tamil Nadu Police for violating #CoronavirusLockdown in Madurai, this includes cases against few people who attended funeral of a bull in a village in Madurai on April 12," ANI quoted the Madurai District Collector TG Vinay as saying.

Total 3000 cases have been registered till date by Tamil Nadu Police for violating #CoronavirusLockdown in Madurai, this includes cases against few people who attended funeral of a bull in a village in Madurai on April 12: Madurai District Collector TG Vinay pic.twitter.com/Brlraf3sNi  ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2020

Tamil Nadu currently has over 1,200 COVID-19 positive cases and gatherings such as these are a real threat to the lives of thousands of people.
Paramedics and healthcare officials are seen outside Andover Subacute and Rehab Center, during the CCP virus outbreak, in Andover, N.J., on April 16, 2020. (Stefan Jeremiah/Reuters)

US Virus Death Count To Include Probable Cases

The COVID-19 death toll in the United States will rise by at least hundreds as a new change by the federal agency keeping the official count said it will now include both confirmed and probable cases and deaths.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directed states on Tuesday to include the probable cases and deaths in the reports they make to the agency.

Confirmed cases or deaths are defined by laboratory testing. Probable cases and deaths can fit under several definitions.

A probable case or death is defined by i) meeting clinical criteria AND epidemiologic evidence with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19; or ii) meeting presumptive laboratory evidence AND either clinical criteria OR epidemiologic evidence; or iii) meeting vital records criteria with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19, the CDC said in an update on its website.

The change was made to reflect a statement (pdf) issued earlier this month by the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists. The councils committee recommended the federal agency include probable cases in its criteria and issued a definition for probable cases thats similar to the one published on the CDCs website.

The change was made in part because of the growing body of evidence that points to a significant percentage of people who become infected with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year, never showing symptoms.

Goods are donated for distribution to those in need at North Babylon High School in New York on April 16, 2020. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The CCP virus causes COVID-19, a disease that can cause serious illness or even death in some patients, primarily among the infirm.

The reporting change will give officials a better picture of the burden of COVID-19 in the U.S, the CDC said in a statement.

Some states and cities are already beginning to report probable cases and/or deaths.

New York City added 3,778 probable deaths to its count this week while New York state officials are contacting facilities to try to find deaths where patients may have died from COVID-19 but arent currently counted in the states death toll.

We want to make sure that every New Yorker is counted that has been taken from this vicious virus, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot told reporters in Manhattan.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo cited the CDCs updated guidelines as spurring the change.

Ohio and Wyoming included probable cases and deaths in its update on Thursday, with Ohio reporting 175 probable cases and 16 probable deaths. The state has 8,239 confirmed cases and 373 confirmed deaths. Wyomings Department of Health said there are 288 laboratory confirmed cases, 105 probable cases, and two COVID-19 related deaths in the state.
"The US dollar's Achilles' heel is undoubtedly the Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy, so once the global economy starts to revive, demand for the currency can be expected to weaken significantly. But beware of premature optimism." Marc-Andre Fongern, currency analyst at Fongern Global Forex.

Measured dollar reaction to a further 5.2mn increase in jobless claims, Euro/dollar trapped below 1.0900, Sterling/dollar consolidates near 1.2500

After fear dominated on Wednesday, there was a more measured reaction to Thursdays data and fresh surge in unemployment claims.

US initial jobless claims declined to 5.25mn for the latest week from a revised 6.62mn the previous week, although slightly above consensus forecasts of 5.1mn. Continuing claims increased to 12.0mn from 7.45mn the previous week, but below market expectations.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate increased to 8.2% from 5.1% and the highest rate on record while there has been an increase in claims of 22mn over the past four weeks

The jobless claims data overall continued to indicate that the unemployment rate will increase substantially in the short term, but the rate of deterioration is slowing.

Andrew Grantham of CIBC Economics commented; with the new claims down from the prior week, the data suggest that the weekly increases in claims may be past their peak.

He added that the cumulative rise in initial claims over the past month represents almost 15% of the previously employed population. However, the fact that continuing claims aren't rising quite as quickly as previous initial claim figures would have implied, suggesting that at least some of the claims have been short-term in nature, and accounting for a likely drop in labor-force participation, we don't expect the increase in unemployment rate to be quite as severe as this, Grantham said.

Nevertheless, their forecasts of a 12-13% peak for Q2 would still easily surpass the peak seen in the 2008-9 financial crisis.

ING analysis forecasted a higher unemployment rate; The fact that we have seen more than 22 million people fired or furloughed since the data collection week for the March jobs report suggests that we are going to break the record of 1.959m jobs lost in September 1945 in the wake of military demobilisation.

We tentatively estimate payrolls will fall by around 15 million with the unemployment rate hitting 14%. This would mean all the jobs gained since 2009 have been lost in the best part of a month!

The Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index declined sharply to -56.6 for April from -12.7 previously. The figure was well below market expectations of -30.0 and the weakest reading since 1980. The new orders component slumped even further to a record low of -70.9 while unfilled orders also declined. Both prices and employment also declined sharply over the month with the lowest reading for prices paid since 2009. Companies remained generally optimistic over the six-month outlook.

In contrast to the reaction to Wednesdays economic data, there was a measured market reaction. US equity futures managed to hold tentative gains, although there were small losses at the market open.

The US dollar also held relatively steady with no immediate evidence of fresh defensive demand as risk appetite held steady. Nevertheless, the mood inevitably remained fragile as economic data remained dire.

Euro/dollar traded around 1.0885 from earlier lows near 1.0850 while US dollar/ Japanese yen held just below 107.50. Sterling/dollar also traded around the 1.2500 level from earlier lows around 1.2460.
Unidentified gunmen attacked Hurra community of Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau, killing nine persons and torching 33 houses.

Sunday Abdu, the National President of Irigwe Development Association (IDA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the incident occurred on Tuesday night.

Mr Abdu said two other persons were severely injured in the attack and were presently receiving treatment at the hospital.

According to him, residents of the community have been thrown into mourning following the incident.

Nine persons including a pregnant woman have been killed by gunmen in Hurra village of Irigwe chiefdom.

The nine persons were killed when the assailants stormed the community, shooting sporadically and also set 33 houses ablaze.

Residents of the area who survived the attack have been thrown into serious mourning.

These latest killings came days after more than 10 other persons died in similar attacks in other communities within Irigwe chiefdom, he said.

The president, who decried the continuous killings and wanton destruction of property, charged security agencies to intensify efforts to end the incessant attacks

Confirming the incident, Ibrahim Shittu, the Media Officer of Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), described the incident as unfortunate.

He said the commander of the task force, Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, a major-general, had visited the community on Wednesday and promised to place troops in the area on red alert.

Mr Shittu, a major, said Mr Okonkwo, who assumed office as commander on March 7, promised to ensure that peace was restored to all parts of Plateau and other areas of operations.

(NAN)
The government could improve this process significantly by establishing a bank account for every American at the Federal Reserve. House Democrats floated the idea in their version of the legislation authorizing the stimulus payments, but it didnt make the final draft. Sweden actually launched its own version in February. The premise is simple: If everyone has a Fed account, with none of the fees or minimum balance restrictions that discourage millions of Americans from opening accounts at commercial banks, then it would be easier to distribute stimulus payments  particularly to those who are both most in need and hardest to reach. The government could deposit funds directly; people could withdraw the money at ATMs, make payments with debit cards or move the money to a bank.

Under the current system, even the fastest payments  direct deposits  move much more slowly in the United States than in many other developed nations.

The Treasury initiated the payments on Friday afternoon by instructing the Fed to remove money from the governments account and transfer it to individual accounts at banks across the country. The Fed, however, doesnt work on weekends, so banks were not notified of the deposits until Monday. Furthermore, the Fed allows banks to wait at least one business day before making the full amount of a federal deposit available for withdrawal.

A handful of banks voluntarily provided the money early; most waited until Wednesday.

Such a waiting period once was unavoidable. A bank presented with a check from another bank needed time to confirm that the check was real and that the funds were available, and then for the money to move. The waiting period still exists, however, because the Fed, which operates the system used for most of those confirmations and transfers, has been dragging its feet.

Japan has required real-time payments since the 1990s. Mexico mandated instant transfers in 2004. The United Kingdom joined the club in 2008. And last year, the Fed announced that it, too, finally was developing a real-time payment system, but it wouldnt come online before 2023.

The banking industry doesnt mind the wait. Banks have developed a lucrative business in allowing customers  particularly those waiting for a check to clear  to withdraw more money than is legally available, and then charging a hefty fee for the overdraft. Aaron Klein, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, calculates delayed deposits have cost consumers more than $100 billion since 2008  a combination of bank overdraft fees plus fees collected by check-cashing companies that offer an alternative to waiting, at a high price.

The effect is a transfer of wealth from poor customers to rich shareholders. Some 75 percent of overdraft fees are paid by 8 percent of customers, according to a study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. These are lower-income customers with low balances. Meanwhile, the chief executive of a Minnesota bank named his boat the Overdraft.
" " This graphic shows a simple illustration of the food supply chain, from farm to table. Icograms.com/Howstuffworks.com

If you've been to a supermarket in the past month or so, you may have been shocked by the sight of empty shelves and cartons of eggs that cost up to three times as much as usual. It's been more difficult to get meat as well. In early April, a major meat processing plant had to shut down indefinitely because employees tested positive for COVID-19, and since then, scores of other meat plants across the U.S. have closed or else are running at limited capacity.

Meanwhile, in California, which produces much of the nation's fruit and produce, are struggling. A survey released May 5 by the California Farm Bureau Federation found that one third of farmers haven't been able to start routine planting cultivation and care of crops because they lack protective equipment for their laborers, who must work in close proximity to one another.

Even with all this grim news, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief economist wrote in an April 16 blog post that the department's data indicated that "the U.S. agricultural market will remain well supplied and food will continue to be affordable." Even so, the still-escalating crisis clearly has put stress on the supply chain that normally enable foodstuffs to get from farm fields to Americans' dinner tables, and do it so efficiently that many of us probably barely even think about where our usual bountiful supply of fresh fruit, veggies, meats and countless varieties of pasta and breakfast cereal comes from. Even fast food giant Wendy's had to pull burgers and other beef dishes from the menus of nearly 1,000 of its restaurants because of a meat shortage, while Beyond Meat, the plant-based alternative to beef, reported skyrocketing first quarter sales increases of 141 percent.

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Coronavirus Rocked the Nation's Food Supply

Experts say that the risk of COVID-19 has forced food processing plants to utilize precautions that have slowed production lines, and reduced the variety of products in the interest of efficiency. Additionally, as shutdown orders deter Americans from dining out, the surge in demand for food that can be prepared at home  and the difficulty of making it available to consumers while maintaining social distancing  has compelled grocery stores to revamp their way of doing business on the fly. Even after the pandemic eventually becomes a bad memory, the changes and innovations that resulted from it may permanently alter the way that Americans get their food.

One of the biggest challenges has been that the pandemic forced a sudden, drastic change in where and what Americans eat. In normal times, for every dollar that Americans spend on food, 54 cents of every dollar goes to eating in restaurants or buying takeout meals, according to Doug Baker. He's vice president of industry relations for FMI, the Food Industry Association, which represents producers and retailers. But starting in mid-March, as states began imposing lockdown and stay-at-home orders, that all abruptly changed. With schools and businesses closing down in rapid succession, Americans of all ages soon were eating all of their meals at home, and needing more and more groceries.

"It was almost a perfect storm, in terms of food industry," Baker says.

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What's Changed for Farmers and Food Producers?

The sudden change created massive problems for farmers and food producers, who were used to growing and packaging a lot of their output in industrial-size quantities for restaurants and school cafeteria kitchens. As this New York Times article describes, without restaurants frying onion rings  a food that people seldom make at home  there suddenly was no market for 50-pound (22-kilogram) sacks of onions. Ditto for the vast quantities of milk that go into lattes and other drinks at coffee shops across the land. That left farmers with little choice but to dump or bury their output, and led critics to castigate the Department of Agriculture for what they said was slowness in reorganizing to get the surplus to people who needed it.

"It's not a lack of food, it's that the food is in one place and the demand is somewhere else and they haven't been able to connect the dots", former Obama Administration Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Politico in late April. "You've got to galvanize people."

Meanwhile, ordinary consumers were clamoring for different foods and other products that they were afraid they might not be able to get.

"Early on, it was home cleaning products, household care, personal health," Baker recalls. "Then as we came into the major spike, and people were asked to be able to shelter in place, the concern became being able to access food." Initially, people cleared the shelves of perishable products such as milk, eggs and bread, and gradually, as fears of quarantines arose, they began grabbing up canned and frozen vegetables, pasta, ramen noodles, and other stuff that would last longer in a crisis.

According to Baker, the result was an unprecedented surge in demand that peaked during the third week in March, with the nation's grocery retailers seeing sales go up by 30 percent. "It was sort of like having Easter every day, " Baker says. After that, demand eased off a bit, with people following government orders to stay at home, or else not feeling comfortable going out and possibly risking infection.

But by then, the shift in consumption already had rocked the nation's food supply chain, in which products pass through a variety of stages before they reach the people who eat them. As Baker describes, food that's grown on farms goes to processing plants, where it's made into products and packaged. Then it's shipped to warehouses, which in turn deliver it to grocery stores, where it's picked off the shelves and tossed into shopping carts by the eventual users.

" " The food supply chain starts at the farm with the farmers. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

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The Food Supply Chain During Normal Times

In normal times, the different parts of the supply chain each maintain several months' worth of safety stock, so that they can cope with fluctuations in supply and demand. When the coronavirus crisis hit, though, those backup supplies throughout the system were used up in just 10 days, according to Baker.

Replenishing those supplies of food has been tougher, because of the coronavirus. So far, only a few facilities actually have had to suspend operations due to COVID-19 cases among the workforce, according to Martin Bucknavage, a senior food safety extension associate in the food science department at Penn State University. But staying open has necessitated changes in practices that can slow down and limit output.

"These precautions are necessary to help protect workers who may work in close proximity to each other on production/processing lines," Gregory P. Martin, a poultry extension educator for Penn State Extension, explains via email. "Hand sanitizing and donning outerwear are normal practices in food processing plants, so additional personal protection equipment would be another layer of protection for the worker."

"It has been an adjustment for facilities to adjust, for example, to enact spacing, where possible and other precautions," Bucknavage says. "We may be able to tell more after a few more weeks regarding supply chain issues."

In order to keep production rolling with those added measures, "many operations have simplified their product offerings, and this is one thing that is noticeable at the grocery store  less selection, for example and sizes," Bucknavage explains.

" " If a farmer can't get his product to the market, either directly or through another means of distribution, then that breaks the supply chain. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

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How Food Suppliers Are Adjusting

In order to cope with the demand, food manufacturers started cutting the warehouse step out of the chain, shipping from their plants directly to supermarkets. But at the retail end, other challenges emerged. As stores rushed to install plexiglass sneeze shields for cashiers and equip employees with protective gear, consumers increasingly began ordering their food online, either from stores or food delivery services such as Instacart, FreshDirect and Peapod. Before the pandemic, about 3 percent of grocery stores' business was e-commerce, according to Baker. While hard figures aren't yet available, retailers have seen rises ranging from 12 and 20 percent, he says.

This is significant, because buying groceries over the internet turns out to be surprisingly labor-intensive. "As a customer, I normally pick my food and put it into basket myself," Baker says. "Now, grocers have to do it." There's only so much labor to handle those orders, which is forcing grocery stores to schedule curbside pickup and delivery windows days in advance, due to the demand. (Here are more details from GroceryDive on how e-commerce grocery services scrambled to keep up.)

Additionally, the sudden surge in e-commerce means that store employees or delivery-service workers are grabbing groceries and products off the same shelves that old-school in-person shoppers are relying upon, so there's not as much stuff for them. To fix that problem, Baker says, some retailers have been setting up separate, automated micro-fulfillment centers, which get their own shipments of groceries.

The micro-fulfillment centers are a grocery industry trend that most likely will accelerate, according to Baker. Additionally, even before COVID-19 retailers, such as Walmart had begun to look at using autonomous vehicles to make deliveries. At some point in the future, it may be that when you order groceries online, robots will handle much of the process of getting it to you. That could make it a lot easier to get food during future pandemics.

For the present, though, U.S. food supply chain will continue to depend upon human labor. Even with added precautions that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19, especially if the virus rapidly spreads in rural areas the way that it has hit urban populations. There are worrisome signs that is already happening. An analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that mostly rural counties saw a 125 percent increase in coronavirus cases and a 169 percent increase in coronavirus-related deaths in the two weeks prior to April 27, which was higher than cases in metro counties, where a significant part of the U.S. population lives.

"Categories which are produced in indoor, large-scale labor intensive plants (such as meat) are most at risk," explains Karan Girotra, a professor of operations, technology and information management at Cornell University and an expert in supply chain, explains via email. "As social distancing is harder in these factories, employees are financially insecure, labor is often migrant labor, and there is limited access to health care for these employees. So they are vulnerable and given the high level of consolidation, even one facility or one breakout can take significant supply off the market. Labor is the weakest link in these categories."

Now That's Interesting A poll conducted in mid-March on behalf of online loan marketplace LendingTree found that 63 percent of Americans had purchased supplies related to the coronavirus outbreak, such as food, cleaning products and medication, with the average consumer spending $178.44.

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Originally Published: Apr 16, 2020
A judge put proceedings for a trial in motion Wednesday for a man accused of kidnapping his ex-wife, using a stun gun to control her and then raping her in a wooded area outside of Rocker in November 2018.

In other cases before District Judge Robert Whelan, a man accused of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in Butte pleaded not guilty, as did a man with eight drunken-driving convictions whos accused of his ninth and nearly striking a car driven by the Rosebud County sheriff.

More than 16 months have passed since Seidel Lee Pine, 33, was accused of kidnapping and other crimes, but there has been no plea agreement in the case and defense counsel and prosecutors told Whelan they were prepared to go to trial. Whelan set that for May 26 and will have court officials try to draw a jury pool of 85 people.

He said he would have that done soon because hes not sure if enough jurors will make themselves available given current coronavirus concerns.

I want to give it a little time to see what response we get, Whelan said.

But discovery is completed and Whelan has already ruled on several pre-trial motions, including ones allowing the alleged victim to testify and Pine to appear in his own clothes during trial instead jail garb.

Pine previously pleaded not guilty to felony counts of aggravated kidnapping and sexual intercourse without consent and a misdemeanor count of partner/family member assault. He appeared for a final pretrial hearing Wednesday via videoconference from jail, where he remains with bond set at $200,000.

Aggravated kidnapping is punishable by death, life in prison or up to 100 years, and the sex charge carries a maximum life term or up to 20 years. The kidnapping charge carries a minimum two-year term, but Kelli Fivey, the chief prosecutor in the case, is not seeking the death penalty.

The victim says she and Pine, who was released from state prison in July 2018 after serving time on a drug conviction, got back together in November that year but he was constantly drunk and high on meth and became abusive.

The woman, 33 at the time, says Pine took her to Walmart and Safeway on occasions and threatened her with a stun gun if she tried to flee. He used it on her at times and a later medical examination found bruises on her body and injuries consistent with a Taser or stun gun, prosecutors said in charging documents.

Police had responded to an altercation between the two on Nov. 17, 2018, and although they had been fighting in a neighborhood street in Butte, they told officers everything was fine.

But the woman says she couldnt leave and nine days later, he drove her in a Jeep to a dirt road near Rocker, punched her in the face, took her to the woods and made her strip naked and walk around in the cold. He then raped her and later drove her home to Butte, she said.

According to prosecutors, Pine denied making her get undressed and go out in the cold and said he did not sexually assault her. He eventually admitted they had sex on Nov. 26 but said it was consensual.

He blamed the woman for the domestic violence and said she attacked him, at one point cutting him with a knife near his navel during the drive, prosecutors said. He admitted owning a stun gun but denied using it on her.

In the other cases Wednesday:

Jacob Mitchell Young, 20, pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent for allegedly having sex with a 13-year-old girl in Butte between Oct. 1 and Nov. 11 last year.

Youngs attorney, David Maldonado, asked Whelan to reduce his clients $150,000 bail but prosecutor Ann Shea objected, citing public safety reasons. Whelan asked Maldonado to file a written motion for bail reduction but for now, Young remains behind bars.

Police say the girl's father contacted officers on Nov. 11 and said he believed his daughter had sex with a 19-year-old. The charge carries a maximum life sentence, and under Montana law, there is a minimum sentence of four years if the victim is under 16 and the offender is four or more years older.

Everett Leroy Jones, 61, of Butte, pleaded not guilty to felony DUI-fourth or subsequent offense, and remains jailed with bail set at $30,000.

According to police, Jones nearly smacked into a car driven by Rosebud County Sheriff Allen Fulton as they were pulling into the Town Pump in Rocker on Feb. 11. Fulton says he quickly deduced that Jones was highly intoxicated.

Prosecutors say Jones was convicted of drunken driving in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002. He was arrested and charged for DUI again in 2015 but the case was ultimately dismissed.

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Derek Sherman and Katie Conrad seem to be on shaky ground as they prepare to head into Decision Day on the Apr. 15 episode of Lifetimes Married at First Sight Season 10.

After eight weeks of marriage, the five Season 10 couples will have to decide whether they want to stay together and get a divorce. And judging by Dereks recent exclusive interview with PopCulture.com and Katies comments on Married at First Sight: Unfiltered, it doesnt look like it will be an easy decision for either one of them.

Katie Conrad | MAFS Lifetime via Instagram

Katie claimed Derek didnt initiate sex enough in some of their arguments

Derek and Katie fought bitterly almost immediately after they returned to Washington, D.C., after their honeymoon in Panama.

26-year-old Katie was frustrated with 26-year-old Dereks dreams for the future, which she deemed immature. She also seemed jealous of his romantic history and even got into it with him on their last couples retreat before Decision Day. When Derek laughed it up with his castmate Taylor Dunklin, Katie wasnt too happy.

The young couple also got into a massive argument the same weekend about Dereks lack of initiative, both in their relationship in general and specifically in their sex life.

According to Reality TV World, the Married at First Sight alum and Unfiltered host, Jamie Otis, confronted Katie about her comments to Derek about never making a move on her.

It seemed like Derek suggested he does initiate and that you say no, Otis wondered.

But, in keeping with Katies ongoing complaint that Derek seems young for his age and isnt manly enough, she claimed that Derek didnt have enough game for her. So, Derek had tried, one time, and I felt like it was just so forced, the Married at First Sight star told Otis of her sex life with her husband.

Derek said he was frustrated to hear Katies comments about their sex life

Meanwhile, Derek didnt seem too pleased with his wife during a recent exclusive interview with PopCulture.com about his feelings going into Decision Day.

The Married at First Sight star said it was disheartening to hear Katies negative comments about him on the show. He also didnt agree with her repeated comments about their sex life and claimed that he had often tried to initiate sex, but had been turned down.

I felt frustrated, Derek said in the interview. There have been time and time again Ive tried giving her romantic attention, but half the time shes either not feeling it, its that time of the month or we just had an argument that day.

The Married at First Sight star also indicated that he wasnt happy about Katies love of conflict. Maybe its just me, but I dont get sexually excited after our arguments, he said sarcastically.

The Married at First Sight star also claimed he had had too much patience with his wife

In the interview, Derek expressed other doubts about his tumultuous marriage to Katie in advance of his decision. He hadnt liked Katies jealousy over his interactions with Taylor, for example.

I started asking myself if this was how it was going to be if I ever have some of my closest friends over, the Married at First Sight star confessed. I understand that I could do a better job of making her feel more special than everyone else if were all hanging out. But is it really that bad if Im able to enjoy myself in a conversation with someone that isnt her?

Derek even seemed to muse that he might have been too much of a pushover with his wife, as many viewers have claimed while watching their onscreen arguments.

Another thing I took out of this is that sometimes patience isnt key, Derek said. Throughout most of our relationship there were definitely times that tested my patience, but I always tried to hold onto it. It wasnt until later that I realized sometimes its just better to let it out. Otherwise they may never stop.
Everywhere I go now, people ask me about Peapod the pocket squirrel, the smooth-talking, perm-sporting, palette-knife-wielding Ross said in an episode of his Joy of Painting show on PBS. You saw him in some of the earlier series, and Peapod, I think I might have mentioned before, hes grown up and weve turned him loose and hes got his own family now, a little condo in Miami, BMW, car payments every month  same thing we all have, except I dont have a BMW.
U.S. diplomats welcome the latest exchange of detainees.

The United States has called on the Russian Federation to immediately release all unjustly imprisoned Ukrainians.

"Despite today's progress, many Ukrainians remain unjustly imprisoned by Russia and its proxies, and Russia continues to unlawfully violate Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call on Russia to immediately release all other Ukrainians who remain unjustly imprisoned and to fully withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory," the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said after the latest swap of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia-occupied Donbas.

Read alsoEx-political prisoner Sentsov comments on today's prisoner swap

"We welcome today's news of the return of liberated captives from Russia-controlled Donbas and commend the Ukrainian government on its continued efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to the Russia-instigated conflict in Ukraine," the Embassy said.

"As we have repeatedly stated, the United States will maintain sanctions against Russia until the Russian government returns control of Crimea to Ukraine and fully implements the Minsk agreements," it added.

As UNIAN reported, the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and the two self-proclaimed republics in Donbas took places in two stages on April 16. Twenty Ukrainian citizens were released by Russia-controlled illegal armed formations. Among those released were mainly civilians, as well as two servicemen and one law enforcement officer.
About 40% of Upstate New York business leaders say theyve had to lay off employees during the coronavirus pandemic, and an additional 8% anticipate more layoffs by Aug. 1, according to a new survey by Siena College.

The survey of chief executive officers found that most expect it will take longer than six months for New Yorks economy to recover from the steep economic decline caused by the pandemic.

Only 35% of Upstate CEOs expect the states economy to return to pre-virus levels of revenue and employment within the next six months, the survey found.

Despite the economic setbacks, business leaders agreed (57 to 35%) that New York government leaders should continue to focus on public health and not relax restrictions on business operations on May 1.

The survey found widespread disruptions to business across Upstate New York.

This virus has turned life upside down for virtually every New York business, just as it has for nearly every New Yorker, said Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute.

Almost every CEO took steps to protect staff and clients from the virus, more than three-quarters have employees working from home, two-thirds have canceled planned initiatives and almost half have borrowed in order to meet ongoing expenses, Levy said.

The survey also found strong optimism that Upstate New York companies will make it through the pandemic and that business will return to normal. About 89% of CEOs said they expect to be in business a year from today.

The good news is that virtually all the CEOs we interviewed expect their business to survive this crisis, Levy said.

About 61% of executives agree with New Yorks social distancing restrictions that forced many businesses to close their offices and manufacturing plants.

Those closings and other disruptions to business convinced almost 90% of the CEOs to downgrade their revenue and profit expectations for the year. About 58% of Upstate businesses have also cut back on buying equipment, the survey found.

More than 59% of business leaders say they are confident the federal government will take the appropriate steps to assist business recovery.

About 72% of Upstate CEOs say they plan to participate in the U.S Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program, a $349 billion program which offers forgivable loans to companies that keep employees on the payroll through the pandemic.

Sienas survey of 307 business leaders across Upstate New York was conducted April 3 through April 14. The Business Council and New York State and Center State CEO, a Syracuse-based economic development organization, were among a coalition of groups that commissioned the poll.

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Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

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What kind of lockdown is ideal? Most probably, an ideal lockdown is not compatible with common people for a long period. Therefore, one should introduce it at the right point of time. India extended the lockdown till May 3, but the country is expected to reach the peak of Covid-19 outbreak during June-July 2020. Nepal, being its immediate neighbour, may also assume its peak at the same time. So are we in a position to extend the lockdown like our neighbour?

We are limiting all our available resources before the Covid-19 pandemic hits the country. While counting the total Covid-19 patients to 16, we have already had lockdown for three weeks. Thus, we can honestly question our resources and preparations when it reaches the climax.

The Government of Nepal has extended the lockdown for 12 days. A further extension will certainly increase the hardship of citizens. Is introducing the pandemic emergency for a period of time an answer to this hardship?

The government should also introduce tools to maintain social and economic activities. It may provide a certain degree of ease in the daily life of lockdown-suffered citizens, at the same time checking the transmission of the disease. A significant increase of Covid-19 cases can be documented during the period of emergency, which can help policymakers to reevaluate the governments strategy. It can bring effective lockdown into action.

Epidemiologists, clinicians and public health experts strongly recommend social distancing and practicing hygienic measures to flatten the curve of Covid-19 pandemic. How social distancing can be effectively implemented is at the crux of current discussions. Based on their own need and unique situation, governments of various countries are adopting different strategies in containing the pandemic. A strict lockdown per se is very effective to slow down the speed of transmission and therefore to flatten the pandemic curve, thus helpful in ensuring the health services are not overwhelmed by the infected cases in a high number.

However, there should be some emergency measures that will provide a much-needed window period to the lockdown-fatigued citizens to gather some motivation and strength, physically and psychologically. Remember, the harsh conditions of the lockdown should not break us emotionally and psychologically, but we should break the pandemic. We should remain prepared for it.

I am aware of the risks and challenges of this pandemic. What makes me concerned is we do not understand this disease clearly yet and the vaccine is so far. This pandemic is going to teach us a lot in the months to come. But one may say, at this time, we do not have any curve to flatten in Nepal which requires the lockdown.

We should not forget that a long span of lockdown will certainly have short and long-term implications over the health of the population. Just having Covid-19 patients in a less number is not enough to preserve the health of the citizens. In addition, economic activities and health are interconnected. Todays need is all about taking a calculative and balanced action in combating this pandemic. Whichever approach we follow, we should act as one country and one government. The government, Nepali communities, governmental institutions and health workers of Nepal should work hand in hand in winning the war against Covid-19.

Shrestha is a non-resident Nepali doctor working in Switzerland. He is a radiation oncologist interested in public health issues.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend

About 2,270 trucks transported products from Iran to Iraq over the past day, said Spokesman for Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Rouhollah Latifi, Trend reports citing Young Journalist Club.

According to Latifi, as Iraq's main border with Iran is closed due to the spread of the coronavirus, the exports are made through Iraqi Kurdish region.

Latifi added that these trucks handed over their cargo to Iraqi trucks at the border customs of Bashmaq, Tamerchin and Parvizkhan where from the cargo is transported to Iraq.

As many as 847 trucks and 27 fuel tankers went through the Parvizkhan border customs, 720 trucks and 35 fuel tankers through Bashmaq customs, and 641 trucks through the Tamerchin customs, the spokesman added.

Due to the spread of the coronavirus in Iran, neighboring countries have imposed a number of restrictions on the borders with Iran.

Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 77,900 people have been infected, 4,869 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 52,200 have reportedly recovered from the disease.

The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.

The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.
OAKVILLE, ON, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("APUC") (TSX/NYSE: AQN) today announced plans to release its first quarter 2020 financial results on Thursday, May 7, 2020, after market close. APUC will hold an earnings conference call at 10:00 a.m. eastern time on Friday, May 8, 2020, hosted by Chief Executive Officer, Ian Robertson and Chief Financial Officer, David Bronicheski. Also in attendance on the call will be Chris Jarratt, Vice Chair and Arun Banskota, President.

Conference call details are as follows:

Date: Friday, May 8, 2020 Time: 10:00 a.m. ET Conference Call Access: Toll Free Canada/US 1-800-319-4610

Toronto local 416-915-3239

Please ask to join the Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. conference call Presentation Access: http://services.choruscall.ca/links/algonquinpower20200508.html

Presentation also available at: www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com Call Replay:

(available until May 22, 2020) Toll Free Canada/US 1-855-669-9658 Vancouver local 1-604-674-8052

Access code 4357

Phone networks are currently very busy due to the pandemic. It is recommended that you start trying to connect 10 - 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. If you have tried all the appropriate numbers provided above several times and still can't get through, consider whether you have another phone on a different phone network that you could try.

About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

APUC is a diversified international generation, transmission and distribution utility with approximately U.S.$11 billion of total assets. Through its two business groups, APUC is committed to providing safe, reliable and cost effective rate-regulated natural gas, water, and electricity generation, transmission and distribution utility services to approximately 804,000 connections in the United States and Canada, and is a global leader in renewable energy through its portfolio of long-term contracted wind, solar and hydroelectric generating facilities representing over 2 GW of installed capacity and more than 1.4 GW of incremental renewable energy capacity under construction.

APUC strives to deliver continuing growth through an expanding global pipeline of renewable energy, electric transmission, and water infrastructure development projects, organic growth within its rate-regulated generation, distribution and transmission businesses, and the pursuit of accretive acquisitions. APUC's common shares, Series A preferred shares, and Series D preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D. APUC's common shares, Series 2018-A subordinated notes and Series 2019-A subordinated notes are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQNA and AQNB.

Visit APUC at www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities.

SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

Related Links

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Photo credit: All Royalty-Free licenses include global use rights. - Getty Images

From Harper's BAZAAR

As Covid-19 infection rates start to slow in some countries around the world, several governments are now figuring out how to protect citizens in the long-term. Many countries, such as China, Italy and the US, are looking at how and when to lift lockdowns safely to allow people to return to work.

The World Health Organisation has warned that lifting restrictions prematurely could lead to a resurgence of the virus. These latest developments have reignited the debate over whether herd immunity, as opposed to social distancing and self-isolating, can help to stop the spread of coronavirus.

But what exactly is herd immunity and how does it work? Professor Willem van Schaik, professor of microbiology and infection at the University of Birmingham, explains what herd immunity is and how it could affect the coronavirus pandemic.

What is herd immunity?

In theory, herd immunity means not everyone in a community needs to be immune to prevent the spread of a disease. "Herd immunity describes the phenomenon that at-risk individuals are protected from infection because they are surrounded by immune individuals. The spread of the virus is thus minimised," Prof van Schaik says.

How does herd immunity work?

Herd immunity describes the resistance to the spread of a contagious disease within a population due to a sufficiently high proportion of individuals being immune, either through vaccination or by developing immunity after infection.

"Currently, we talk mostly about herd immunity in the context of vaccines. If a sufficiently high number of individuals in a population are vaccinated, they will provide herd immunity to the small number of people that are not vaccinated," says Prof van Schaik.

Photo credit: Hanna Lassen - Getty Images

Herd immunity in the UK

In March, the government's chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance said that about 40 million people in the UK may need to catch Covid-19 to build up herd immunity in order to manage the spread of the infection and prevent the disease from coming back in the future.

Story continues

Health secretary Matt Hancock denied the government was taking this approach.

What percentage is needed for herd immunity?

Prof van Schaik has expressed his concerns about the success of using herd immunity to curb the rate of infection in the UK.

"Unfortunately, a very rough estimate suggests that we will only reach herd immunity to Covid-19 when approximately 60 per cent of the population is immune (and remember that immunity is currently only reached by getting the infection as we have no vaccine)," Prof van Schaik says.

What are the risks of herd immunity?

The professor expressed serious concerns about the risk implications involved. "The major downside is that this will mean that in the UK alone at least 36 million people will need to be infected and recover. It is almost impossible to predict what that will mean in terms of human costs but we are conservatively looking at tens of thousands of deaths, and possibly at hundreds of thousands of deaths."

"The only way to make this work would be to spread out these millions of cases over a relatively long period of time so that the NHS does not get overwhelmed."

Herd immunity examples

Herd immunity currently exists for the flu, thanks to large proportions of the population getting the flu vaccine that can protect non-immunised individuals. However, given there are different strains of the flu, it is not always 100 per cent effective.

Covid-19 is unique in that it is a novel virus, meaning that everyone is currently at risk of infection. "Herd immunity can only be reached by widespread vaccination (but there is currently no vaccine, and it may take a long time before an effective vaccine becomes available) or by individuals falling ill or recovering, thereby developing natural immunity against the virus," Prof van Schaik says.

Photo credit: Ian Cuming - Getty Images

How effective is herd immunity?

While it is true that herd immunity makes it harder for a disease to spread due to people becoming immune after already catching it or getting vaccinated, there are "considerable risks and downsides" of letting a potential lethal infectious disease burn through a population in order to reach herd immunity.

"This is why we still need to all work together to try to slow down and minimise the spread of Covid-19 by practicing hand hygiene and social distancing. This will hopefully reduce the pressure on the NHS, allowing for more people to be treated and thus reducing the number of people dying of this infection," advises Prof van Schaik.

Potential problems

The problem with trying to work out when herd immunity will eventually arise and be successful is that we do not know exactly how our long-term immunity to COVID-19 will work. It is not clear whether those who have had mild symptoms develop as strong an antibody immune response as those with stronger symptoms. Also for all statistical modelling we need to know how long our immunity will last after having this particular coronavirus.

We also believe at present that even in the hardest hit areas it is still a minority of the worlds population that have confirmed infection. With further testing we will know more and hope that herd immunity will build, but we still have a long way to go to reach the 60 per cent. Maintaining the flattening of the curve by social distancing and isolation so that intensive care beds and the health services can cope with the impact, is currently still of paramount importance in the interim.

The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In need of some at-home inspiration? Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for skincare and self-care, the latest cultural hits to read and download, and the little luxuries that make staying in so much more satisfying.

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While its campuses are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Needville ISD is proceeding with its business.

According to a news release, the Needville ISD School Board held a virtual emergency meeting on Tuesday morning via Zoom video conferencing to discuss possible plans for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Needville ISD is located in Fort Bend County with a student population of about 3,200 students and the equivalent of about 370 staff members.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Infection rates at Harris County Jail continue to rise

Perhaps of most significance out of Tuesdays emergency meeting for Needville High School seniors is what could happen to their plans for graduation.

No one has a crystal ball, Superintendent Curtis Rhodes said at the meeting. Fort Bend ISD has already announced they will not return to class this school year, but a lot of districts are waiting on a decision, and were one of them. Still, why would you bring thousands of kids back and put them in a closed environment when everyone in the medical profession is suggesting not to? Why would you have them come back and put people at risk when there are only a few weeks of school left, anyway? We sure dont want to see a resurgence in this country like they had in Italy and China.

If Needville ISD students do not return to class this school year, that means no annual banquets and awards programs, no prom, no senior scholarship program, and no traditional graduation ceremony.

Breaking News: Get email alerts from Chron.com sent directly to your inbox

It is possible for the district to have a virtual graduation with seniors names read individually via a webcast.

Believe me, we realize how important graduation is to everyone, but peoples health and safety is even more important, Rhodes said. We want to get our seniors graduated and get them certified so they can go on to college or the military or whatever they have planned, and we will do just that.

In other business:

Needville ISD reports that there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 within the district. I have not been notified by self-disclosure or by anyone with Fort Bend County or anyone with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) that any of our people have coronavirus, Rhodes said.

Trustees approved the hiring of Stephen Janecek as assistant principal at the high school, replacing the retiring Jeff Abbe; Sarah Wilkins as counselor at the middle school, replacing the retiring Jane Shafer; and Jana Rychlik as a math teacher at the high school.

The board announced the next meeting is set for 7 p.m. April 29. The meeting will be held via Zoom and information on how to virtually attend will be posted on www.needvilleisd.com next week.

The board also discussed how to move forward with regard to the grading process.

Grading at the high school is a little trickier than at the other campuses because the high school has to deal with GPAs (grade point averages) and credits and things. They will have to recalculate everything independently for each student, Rhodes said in the news release. Learning is continuing at all grade levels in the district. Teachers are making sure the kiddos are doing their work. We want them to all be able to move up a grade level, and the seniors to graduate.

Rhodes reported that all Needville ISD employees are being paid as usual, with most working from home.

Our staff is dedicated to our students and committed to continuing to provide our standards of excellent education to each and every one of them, he said. Teachers are continually communicating with our students, and most offices throughout the district are open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

Food service employees continue to provide meals to students who qualify for the districts free and reduced-lunch program. About 30 percent of students qualify for the meals.

For students who do not have internet access at home, paper packets are distributed.

Some families have a computer, but several children in different grades, or not enough band width because so many people are online now, so they need paper packets as well, Rhodes said. Still others simply prefer the paper packets weve been handing out at the campuses. Were happy to accommodate them, however they choose to continue to learn.

Rhodes routinely sends messages of encouragement to the districts staff, thanking them for their commitment to excellence and encouraging them to love, serve and care about their community.

This experience is proving how important all of you are to the education and well-being of all of our students and our community, he reportedly wrote in one message. Our task is not only to academically prepare students for life but also teach them how to communicate, lead, compete, succeed graciously, fail yet not give up, respect themselves and those around them, work as a team and find that a social-emotional balance to enjoy their journey through life.

While acknowledging the trying nature to the end of the 2019-20 school year, Rhodes looks forward to next year.

We believe our students here at Needville ISD are not going to move backward as a result of the distance learning we find ourselves dealing with, and my hope is that we will be able to start off the 2020-2021 school year in August as normal, he said. Weve got everything rolling along and well do what we need to do to make sure our kids succeed. Its hard for everybody, but something good will come out of it. It almost always does.

rkent@hcnonline.com
There's new evidence to suggest that speaking and not just coughing and sneezing can spread Covid-19.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine has found tiny droplets that come out of the mouth while speaking are infectious.

Professor of Immunology at Trinity College Dublin Luke ONeill says the research proves everyone should be wearing a mask.

"The original idea was that you'd protect the other person from coughing. But now the fact that you can breathe the stuff out...

"You've got to wear a mask. This science supports that. We need a scientific basis for claiming things and that's why I think these studies are so good."

However, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, Dr Cillian De Gascun warned masks can have the effect of increasing complacency. He said: "The question is how people manage them when they're on, and whether people increase the risk of (other) people touching them, and therefore contaminating their hands and therefore contaminating surfaces.

"There's evidence to suggest when people wear masks a lot, that can increase a sense of complacency."

University of San Francisco data scientist Jeremy Howard recently led a review panel with 18 other experts from around the globe on the effectiveness of masks in warding off the virus. He said: It actually looks a lot like (wearing masks) could be one of our most important tools."

Mr Howard cited World Health Organisation assistant director-general David Heymanns comment that masks were equally or more effective in combating the spread of Covid-19 than social distancing, and said the situation in Taiwan provided further proof.

The entire country of Taiwan has five deaths. Now heres an example of a great country that is distributing masks to everybody, Mr Howard said.

He added:

Most scientific evidence points in the same direction: keep your droplets to yourself  wear a mask.

Our teams review of the literature found substantial evidence in favour of widespread mask use to reduce community transmission, based on droplet dynamics, mask material analysis, efficacy studies, and behavioural studies.

The key insight is that most discussions assume that the purpose of the mask is to protect the wearer, since this is what all doctors learn about in medical school. But actually masks work far better at blocking the infection at the source. This is called source control.
INVITATION TO AN INVESTOR CALL ON SSH COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY'S FINANCIAL STATEMENT RELEASE, JANUARY 1 - MARCH 31, 2020

SSH Communications Security's Financial Statement Release January 1 - March 31, 2020, will be published on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at approximately 09.00 EET.



A conference call for Finnish media, investors, and analysts will be held on the same day. The financial statement will be presented by CEO Teemu Tunkelo. Please note that the conference will be held in Finnish.



The presentation material. Conference call links will be sent to registered participants during the afternoon of April 22.



.

SSH COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY CORPORATIONNiklas NordstromCFOSSH.COM helps organizations access, secure and control their digital core - their critical data, applications, and services. We have over 3,000 customers around the world, including 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies, many of the world's largest financial institutions, and major organizations in all verticals. We are committed to helping our customers thrive in the cloud era with solutions that offer secure access with zero inertia, zero friction, and zero credentials risk. SSH.COM sells online; through offices in North America, Europe and Asia; and through a global network of certified partners. The company's shares




Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong

16.04.2020 LISTEN

A 28-year-old pregnant nurse, Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, has died of the novel coronavirus but her baby survives.

Ms Agyapong is a Ghanaian national resident in the UK.

According to BBC Channel 4 News, the baby girl is alive and being treated  however it is still unclear if the child, also named Mary, has tested positive for Covid-19.

According to reports, the nurses condition had initially appeared to improve before deteriorating prompting medics to perform the caesarean in a bid to save the infant.

Mary died a few days after her baby was born, Channel 4 News reported.

Colleagues said Mary was a fabulous nurse and a great example of what we stand for.

Friends and co-workers paid tribute to her on a GoFundMe page set up to help her grieving family.

Died After Giving Birth

Renai Mcinerney wrote: Sister Mary was my colleague, I worked alongside her for a few years.

She deserves her family to be looked after, after she devoted her life to the NHS as a nurse.

It's time to look out/after our own and return the selflessness persona Mary carried and give something so small, but so big to her family in this time of need. RIP Sister Mary!

---Daily Guide
SHIP BOTTOM, N.J., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this week, AccuTitle, a cloud-based title management and real estate closing platform, acquired Closers' Choice, a premier title software company based in Jacksonville, Florida. The acquisition further expands AccuTitle's customer base and reach into the Southeastern region. With a shared mission to streamline and automate the title production and closing process, together, the companies power title agencies across the eastern seaboard with over 1,100 clients processing over 450,000 transactions annually.

AccuTitle provides an entirely cloud-based solution designed and developed by title professionals for title professionals. Together with Closers' Choice, these long-standing industry experts will offer unprecedented functionality and integrations, connecting essential third-party organizations for our entire client base. These best-of-breed systems will enable clients to seamlessly use their single management platform for all their daily workflow needs. AccuTitle and Closers' Choice offer a unique combination of business experience and decade's worth of state-specific knowledge, creating a strong and experienced team.

The entire Closers' Choice team will be joining AccuTitle to leverage their deep subject matter knowledge and client-focused mindset. "The synergies of these two exceptional teams and technology solutions leverages decades of industry experience to offer premium Realtech software solutions," said Bill Bartzak, CEO of AccuTitle. "We are excited to offer best-in-class solutions, exceptional customer service, and the ability to quickly launch innovative products."

Mark Long, CEO of Closers' Choice, stated, "We are thrilled to join another industry leader with a shared vision in this rapidly changing industry." President of Closers' Choice, Sriram Vemuri added, "Our cutting-edge technology and vast integration experience will address future needs and serve all our customers well." The companies are already working together to roll out essential Remote Online Notarization (RON) solutions enabling real estate closings to proceed virtually.

About AccuTitle:

AccuTitle, owned by Kai Group Holdings, Inc., is a leader in the title industry, providing cloud-based technology focused on automating and streamlining the title production and closing process. Our mission is to produce title software to make an intricate process more manageable and provide custom solutions to unique problems. AccuTitle empowers title insurance entities to securely access their data both in and out of the office, reducing time on administrative, networking, and support issues. To learn more visit www.accutitle.com.

About Closers' Choice:

Closers' Choice, owned by Millennium software Developers, Inc., is a leader in the title industry for over four decades, providing cloud-based and standalone software that simplifies and organizes the complex closing process to deliver an efficient and timely closing. With hundreds of integration partners seamlessly integrated, and with its unique concepts, Closers' Choice is continuing to raise the bar and set new standards of excellence while keeping the clients' cost down. To learn more visit www.closerschoice.com.

Contact: Samantha Taibi, AccuTitle

Phone: 877 354 1170 x 224

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE AccuTitle

Related Links

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AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / ????Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, has acquired a new feature-length documentary, Juice: How Electricity Explains The World. www.juicethemovie.com

"Enlightening and powerful"

- Birth. Movies. Death.

"a must-see for everyone."

- Flixchatter

Poverty, women's' rights, climate change - indeed, many of the world's most pressing challenges - can be explained by answering one question: Can you turn your lights on in the morning?

Juice, starring author and journalist Robert Bryce, was produced and directed by Tyson Culver. The film shows how electricity explains everything from women's rights and climate change to Bitcoin mining and indoor marijuana production. Over a three-year period, the Juice team traveled 60,000 miles to gather 40 on-camera interviews with people from seven countries on five continents.

"We face lots of tough challenges," explains Bryce. "But the defining inequality in the world today is the chasm between the High-Watt and Low-Watt worlds; it's the disconnect between the electricity rich and the electricity poor." He continued, "Electricity inequality matters most to women and girls. Today, some 2.5 billion women around the world are still washing clothes by hand. Electricity frees women and girls from the pump, the stove, and the washtub."

Over the last three decades, Bryce has published six books and more than 1,000 articles. His latest book, A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations, was written in tandem with the production of the film and was released on March 10 by PublicAffairs.

Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions for Gravitas, said Juice was "by turns informative, aggravating, moving, and instructive...the touchstones of a great documentary."

Culver says that the goal of the film is to change the conversation. "Energy politics are tribal, and Robert and I come from different places politically. But access to electricity shouldn't be driven by politics - it's a humanitarian issue. " Culver adds that "Anyone who talks about climate change without addressing energy poverty is just kicking the can down the road for the next generation to figure out."

Producing the film required a lot of travel. Stops included Lebanon, India, Puerto Rico, Iceland, New York, and Colorado, which allowed Bryce to talk with engineers, authors, academics, and politicians, as well as regular people who are struggling to keep their lights on. During their three-year production effort, Bryce and Culver uncovered some staggering facts:

About 3.3 billion people around the world are living in places where per-capita electricity use is less than what's consumed by a typical American refrigerator.

The power density inside a marijuana grow house is nearly equal to what's found inside data centers run by companies like Amazon and Google.

The average American uses as much electricity in three weeks as the average resident of India uses in a year.

Juice explains who has electricity, who's getting it, and how developing countries all over the world are working to bring their people out of the dark and into the light. "The message of the film is simple," says Bryce. "Darkness kills human potential. Electricity nourishes it." Adds Culver, "Electricity does, in fact, explain the world. We're going to show you how."

Media Contact:

David Swofford

Phone: (512) 750-9098?

Email: dswofford@conleyswoffordmedia.com?

About Gravitas Ventures

Gravitas Ventures is a Cleveland-based independent film distributor that lets consumers find popular movies in theaters and on streaming platforms. With its multi-channel model, Gravitas releases over 300 films per year and has the ability to release a film in over one billion homes worldwide. Gravitas is a Red Arrow Studios company. For more information, please visit gravitasventures.com, or contact MaryKate McHugh: MaryKate@GravitasVentures.com.

About Robert Bryce

Robert has been writing - and talking - about energy for more than three decades. Bryce, based in Austin, Texas, is the author of six books on energy and innovation that have covered everything from Enron's bankruptcy and the digitization of drilling rigs to nuclear energy and the future of batteries. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications, ranging from the Wall Street Journal to USA Today, and Atlantic Monthly to the New York Times. He has also appeared on a myriad of TV and radio shows ranging from Fox News to Al Jazeera. For more, see: ?www.robertbryce.com.

About Tyson Culver

Tyson is the co-founder of C2C Media, an Austin-based video production company. For the past 20 years, he has produced commercials and branded content for numerous national and international brands, including Whole Foods Market, Sonic Drive-In and The Home Depot. Tyson has been awarded 18 Pollie and Telly Awards, honoring the best political and advertising spots in film and television. For more on Tyson and C2C, see: ?www.c2cmecdia.tv.

Related Images

Related Links

Film Website

Press Kit

Related Video

SOURCE: Electric Elephant Films

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585324/New-Documentary-Juice-How-Electricity-Explains-the-World-Acquired-by-Gravitas-Ventures
Sleeping mats and storage bins are placed six feet apart, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines, as protection against the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the floor of the Ben Boeke Ice Arena in Anchorage, Alaska, March 21, 2020. Matt Waliszek | Orzel Photography | Bean's Cafe | Handout | Reuters

Homeless shelters across the country are facing volunteer shortages and increased costs as they struggle to contend with the deadly coronavirus outbreak while continuing to take in residents. Several shelters have made adjustments to continue offering the same services while minimizing contact. That means spreading out beds, sterilizing surfaces more frequently and offering services at a distance. It's been tricky for shelters around the country to adjust to new social distancing guidelines. But many have found solutions in which they're still responding to people who need a place to stay while adhering to any government-issued advice or rules. "Now you're trying to optimize the space you have, so you're going to be either serving less people" or finding "alternate space for these folks" like trailers, motels and large tents, which can become costly measures, said Larry Haynes, executive director of Mercy House, a California nonprofit that provides about 1,200 beds in emergency shelters. It's difficult to quantify the pervasiveness of homelessness because government agencies use different definitions to calculate it in the United States. The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that 552,830 people experienced homelessness on any given night in 2018, counting people living in public streets and public spaces without a shelter, and people living in emergency and time-limited shelters. As the coronavirus continues to spread, even as some states see infection rates plateau, a large burden falls on shelters and programs for those experiencing homelessness. Herb Smith, president of Los Angeles Mission, said that he's concerned about the virus hitting the homeless population especially hard. People living on the streets may find themselves unable to seek adequate help if they catch the disease. Some shelters told CNBC that they have been rapidly losing much-needed volunteers because of a fear of catching or spreading the coronavirus. Still, many shelter workers have been on the front lines every day, keeping them running and supporting residents and any newcomers. The outbreak has spread to dozens of countries globally, with more than 2 million confirmed cases worldwide and over 138,008 deaths so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 639,600 cases in the United States and at least 30,985 deaths, according to the latest tallies. This story is based on conversations with seven homeless shelters and with three people experiencing homelessness in New York, California, Michigan and Washington, four states that have seen some of the highest numbers of confirmed cases in the country.

The losses

In states like New York, where officials declared a stay-at-home order to curb the spread of the virus, people have found ways to bypass feelings of isolation, using technology to keep in touch with others. But for some people living on the streets, isolation is not new. James Winans, interim CEO of the Bowery Mission, which operates five residential shelters in New York City, said that people experiencing homelessness usually don't have predictable access to technology and often can't rely on it to talk to loved ones. Restaurant closures and the shuttering of public spaces created another obstacle. "People without a home lost access to all of their bathrooms," Winans told CNBC. "Their bathroom was at a Starbucks, at a library, at a recreation center." To mitigate the issue, the Bowery Mission and other organizations have set up mobile hand-washing stations and shower units. "There are very few options right now for hygiene if you don't have a home," Winans said. The closures have also made it tricky for families who are experiencing homelessness to care for their kids, said Executive Director Marty Hartman of Mary's Place, a nonprofit in Seattle that provides shelter to women, children and families. "This crisis has made them feel unstable, not sure where they're going to find the resources to stay in housing, where they're going to find child care, how they're going to get their kids education, how they're going to put gas in their car, how they're going to be provided the food that they need when food banks are running lower," Hartman said, adding that Mary's Place tries to eliminate some of these worries and helps people get on their feet. Some people who've entered homeless shelters in recent weeks have lost out on time with loved ones. A woman who works at a nursing home decided to temporarily stay in a shelter to prevent potentially spreading the disease to her aunt and uncle, who are both in their 80s. She and her 8-year-old son found beds at Mary's Place. Kimberly Austin, a grandmother staying at the Mustard Seed Shelter in Michigan, said she misses her family, too, and would normally visit them. Under stay-at-home guidelines, she can't. "My grand kids, I'm thinking, are they thinking of me? My daughter, what's going on there? How are they doing?" Austin said she wonders. "I'm hoping they don't get sick. Or [I'm wondering] what are they doing." While she's still been able to FaceTime them, she misses in-person contact. "I'm a hugger," she said.

The front lines

Several shelters told CNBC that they've lost out on much-needed volunteers once officials recommended shelter-in-place guidelines, forcing staffers to step up. "Volunteerism has absolutely plummeted" at Mercy House, executive director Haynes said. To get around it, the organization has put in place "a much more aggressive staffing plan." It's also more expensive. "You have to have people pick up extra shifts or work overtime or we need to hire additional stuff," he said. "So you need to find paid personnel, which will elevate your cost. Food preparation has to be more carefully considered." Mary's Place in Seattle saw similar drops in volunteer service, according to executive director Hartman, who noted that many volunteers were health-care workers. "A lot of those workers have more demands at their current hospital," she said. Mary's Place has hired more people to help the 300 children in its shelter with online learning and other needs. It's getting pricier to pay for the shelter's normal staff as well. "With staff callouts, you realize you're paying time and a half or double time," Hartman said. At the Bowery Mission in New York, some residents act as volunteer crew members, one man who currently stays there said. David, who asked that CNBC not use his last name due to privacy concerns, works from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the kitchen every weekday. Mustard Seed in Michigan has also lost its volunteers, Director Amy Bartels Roe said, but its staffers have continued running the shelter with adjustments in place. Shelters are taking other steps to keep their services available. At Mustard Seed, for example, mental health services are now virtual. "But our ladies are saying it's not the same as having the one-on-one meeting with a therapist or going to an AA meeting in person," Roe said. South Oakland Shelter, also in Michigan, has paid for motel rooms to house people, said Ryan Hertz, president and CEO of Lighthouse, the social services organization behind South Oakland. "We started immediately raising funds to cover the cost of the rooms," he said, describing a crowdfunding effort Lighthouse is running. Lighthouse sets up "rotating" emergency shelters in churches or synagogues in Michigan, each of which can hold between 30 and 35 people at a time, Hertz said. Donations and grants have allowed the organization to pay for hotel and motel rooms for residents and increase capacity. "Our hope is that it'll be around 200 people very soon," Hertz said.

The future
South Korean health officials are investigating several possible explanations for a small but growing number of recovered coronavirus patients who later test positive for the virus again.

Among the main possibilities are re-infection, a relapse, or inconsistent tests, experts say.

South Korea had reported 141 such cases as of Thursday, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Experts believe that one reason people are relapsing may be that the virus attacks immune cells called T lymphocytes that play a major role in the body's ability to identify infections and start to mount a response.

Killer T immune cells (green) attack pathogens, including viruses and cancer (pictured in blue) and alert the rest of the immune system to their presence - but a study suggests coronavirus may disable these protective cells, allowing the virus to 'reactivate'

RE-INFECTION OR RELAPSE? SOUTH KOREAN SCIENTISTS SUSPECT THE VIRUS MAY 'REACTIVATE' IN SOME PATIENTS

Although re-infection would be the most concerning scenario because of its implications for developing immunity in a population, both the KCDC and many experts say this is unlikely.

Instead, the KCDC says it is leaning toward some kind of relapse or 're-activation' in the virus.

A relapse could mean that parts of the virus go into some kind of dormant state for a time, or that some patients may have certain conditions or weak immunity that makes them susceptible to the virus reviving in their system, experts said.

Kim Jeong-ki, a virologist at the Korea University College of Pharmacy, compared a relapse after treatment to a spring that snaps back after being pressed down.

'When you press down a spring it becomes smaller, then when you take your hands off, the spring pops up,' he said.

Even if the patients are found to have relapsed rather than to have been re-infected, it could signal new challenges for containing the spread of the virus.

'South Korean health authorities still haven't found cases where the 'reactivated' patients spread the virus to third parties, but if such infectiousness is proven, that would be a huge problem,' said Seol Dai-wu, an expert in vaccine development and a professor at Chung-Ang University.

HOW CORONAVIRUS MAY ATTACK T CELLS AND KEEP THEM FROM PREVENTING REINFECTION

A recent study by doctors in China and the United States suggested the new coronavirus can damage T lymphocytes, also known as T cells, which play a central role the body's immune system and ability to battle infections.

Collaborating researchers at the Fudan University in Shanghai and the New York Blood Center put T cells and the new coronavirus - SARS-2-CoV - together in a petri dish.

The virus disabled the T lymphocytes, an effect not in experiments combining these immune cells and the virus's closest relative, SARS (the infection that first broke out in 2002).

We have millions of T and B lymphocyte cells, which are responsible for detecting viral infections, alerting the immune cell and helping to stop the infection's spread.

Over-activity of the variation of T cells responsible for sounding the infection alarm - called a 'cytokine storm' - is thought to be the ultimate culprit of most coronavirus deaths because it leads to overwhelming inflammation.

The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 can infect T cells (shown in top row, with arrow to virus) while the cells are not affected by the virus that causes SARS (bottom)

Another type of these cells, aptly named killer T cells, kills off cells that are already infected by pathogens - whether a virus like the one that causes COVID-19 or cancer - so that those cells can't replicate and fuel the spread of disease in the body.

If disease overcomes these T cells, they can't fight off other infections or illnesses either. HIV's devastating effects on T cells are the reason that most people who become infected and develop AIDS are killed by a secondary infection, not HIV itself

Disconcertingly, the presence of coronavirus may damage the cells too, meaning they're not able to detect resurging levels of the virus or when someone has re-encountered the virus and, as a result, T cells don't trigger the production of antibodies to defend against it.

LIMITS OF TESTING MAY LEAD SOME PATIENTS TO GET POSITIVE RESULTS AFTER SUPPOSEDLY CLEARING THE VIRUS

Patients in South Korea are considered clear of the virus when they have tested negative twice in a 48-hour period.

While the RT-PCR tests used in South Korea are considered generally accurate, experts said that there are ways they could return false or inconsistent results for a small number of cases.

'RT-PCR tests boast an accuracy of 95%. This means that there still can be 2-5% of those cases that are detected false negative or false positive cases,' Kim said.

Remnants of the virus could remain at levels too low to be detected by a given test, Seol said.

On the other hand, the tests may also be so sensitive that they are picking up small, potentially harmless levels of the virus, leading to new positive results even though the person has recovered, Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of KCDC said at a briefing on Tuesday.

The tests could also be compromised if the necessary samples are not collected properly, said Eom Joong-sik, professor of infectious diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Centre.
The antimalarial drug President Donald Trump has been advocating as a potential treatment for the coronavirus has been found to have no benefit to patients, according to a study published by French scientists.

The researchers looked at 180 patients - some of whom were using the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and others who were not - and found that patients' outcomes were nearly identical.

The data used in the study encompassed research provided by doctors and scientists from 12 hospitals and public research institutions across France, according to the South China Morning Post.

The paper has yet to undergo peer review.

In the study, the researchers claim their "results do not support the use of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalised for documented Sars-CoV-2-positive hypoxic pneumonia."

President Trump - who was shown to have a limited financial interest in companies by The New York Times - has been pushing hydroxychloroquine since billionaire founder of Oracle Larry Ellison talked to him about the drug.

Individuals in Mr Trump's orbit - including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Fox News host Laura Ingraham - also recommended the drug to Mr Trump.

When Dr Anthony Fauci - the top medical professional on the White House's coronavirus task force - suggested more research was needed to determine if the drug was a viable treatment option in the fight against the coronavirus, Mr Trump and his trade adviser, Peter Navarro, wrote off the doctor's concerns.

Mr Navarro suggested that "doctors disagree about things all the time," and Mr Trump suggested that "we don't have time" to wait for testing.

"We don't have two hours because there are people dying right now," he said.

The US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency order to approve hydroxychloroquine as an option for doctors treating Covid-19.

Mr Trump wasn't alone in his adoption of the drug as an effective treatment; Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York also embraced the drug and asked the president to increase the federal supply. Mr Cuomo told reporters there "has been anecdotal evidence that it is promising."

A pair of previously published studies - one from Marseilles, France and another from Wuhan, China - reported that the drug had been effective in patients suffering from Covid-19. However, the results of those tests couldn't be replicated.

The most recent study, led by the University of Paris, conducted their tests in a "real-world setting," using the data from four French hospitals and looking at data from 181 patients with similar genders, ages and health conditions. All required oxygen due to lung infections.

The French doctors believed this composition of patients was more reflective of the people that would actually need the drug, as opposed to the individuals tested in Wuhan, who mostly had mild symptoms.

Of the study patients who took hydroxychloroquine, 20.5 per cent of them entered an intensive care unit or died within a week. Of the patients who did not take the drug, 22.1 percent met the same fate.

In addition to the drug's apparent uselessness in fighting Covid-19, the researchers also examined the possible side effects of using the drug, which had the potential for a number of severe complications, including sudden cardiac death.

The French team found that nearly 10 per cent of the patients who used the drug had abnormal heartbeats that resulted in doctors ending their use of the drug after four days. In most of the cases, the heart muscle did not recharge between beats at a normal rate.

"One patient who received no other medication that might interfere with cardiac conduction presented a first-degree atrioventricular block after two days of hydroxychloroquine treatment," the authors said.

"In conclusion, we found that hydroxychloroquine did not significantly reduce admission to ICU or death at day seven after hospital admission, or acute respiratory distress syndrome in hospitalised patients with hypoxemic pneumonia due to Covid-19," the authors said.

The authors said the results were "of major importance" and that they did not "support the use of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalised for a documented Sars-CoV-2-pneumonia.
A security guard wearing a facemask amid the concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus closes a gate outside the forbidden city (back) in Beijing on April 12, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing Facing a Chernobyl Moment for its Pandemic Handling, Experts Say

The Chinese regimes attempt to cover up the CCP virus outbreak marks the countrys Chernobyl moment, according to an open letter signed by over 150 politicians and experts on China.

The April 14 letter pinpointed the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) authoritarian rule as the root cause of the global pandemic and urged for a review of what its draconian policies may have cost the world.

The current global crisis has been caused by the regime so many of you have been tolerating or supporting for decades, stated the letter addressed to Chinese citizens and friends of China worldwide. Politicians who have signed on the letter include multiple parliament members from Britain, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and the European Union.

The 1986 Chernobyl disaster in then-Soviet Ukraine 34 years ago remains the worst nuclear accident in world history and likely led to tens of thousands of deaths. Kremlin officials did not acknowledge the catastrophe for days despite the lethal threat of radiation fallout on Soviet citizens and neighboring countries.

Totalitarian governments rule by fear and lies, said Jakub Janda, executive director at Czech-based think tank European Values Center for Security Policy.

After decades of the communist occupation in his own country, Janda saw many similarities between Soviet communists and current Chinese communists, he said in an email.

The current COVID-19 pandemic coverup by the CCP is the same thing Soviet communists did during the [1986] Chernobyl disaster. Just this time, its much worse, he said. The think tank also endorsed the letter.

Roots of the Pandemic

Chinese authorities knew there were human-to-human transmission risks for the virus, but hid the information from the public, initially telling the World Health Organization (WHO) there was no clear evidence of such risks. It was only on Jan. 20, three days before the epicenter of the virus, Wuhan, went under lockdown, that the regime publicly confirmed it.

Wuhans mayor, in a Jan. 27 interview with state media, admitted that the central government had made the decision to withhold information about the outbreak.

Meanwhile, a string of police summons, arrests, and forced disappearances continued in China as the regime suppressed citizen journalists Fang Bin and Li Zehua, and doctor Li Wenliang, who voiced critical warnings from the ground.

College student Zhang Wenbin disappeared shortly after he posted a message reflecting on the ruling regimes history of repression and calling on the Party to step down.

The latest open letter called the CCP cover-up the roots of the pandemic and urged people to never forget that Chinas Chernobyl moment was a self-inflicted wound.

An April 7 report by Washington-based think tank the American Enterprise Institute estimated that China likely has around 2.9 million confirmed cases rather than the reported figures of less than 100,000. A recent report by the UK-based Henry Jackson Society suggested that the Chinese regime is responsible for at least $4 trillion of pandemic-related damages worldwide.

The global pandemic forces us all to confront an inconvenient truth: by politicizing all aspects of life including peoples health, continued autocratic one-party rule in the Peoples Republic of China has endangered everyone, the letter said.

A growing body of U.S. lawmakers and international experts have also highlighted the Chinese regimes role in the global health disaster.

On April 14, seven Republican senators called on the WHO to release communications it sent and received from the CCP relating to the virus. A Wisconsin state senator introduced a resolution to condemn Beijing for deliberately and intentionally misleading the world about the true situation in Wuhana response to the local Chinese consulate requesting he praise the regimes outbreak containment efforts.

The letter makes a point of drawing a distinction between the CCP and the Chinese people, who are most victimized by the regime, and shows solidarity with them.

I think that the Chinese people are a wonderful and great people, Wisconsin Senator Roger Roth told The Epoch Times. Theyve just been held hostage by this brutal, oppressive regime for the last 70 years.

China is so much larger than the regime that occupies its halls of power, said Shuvaloy Majumdar, director of the Centre for Advancing Canadas Interests Abroad at Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

The people of China, and friends of the people, deserve to know that the propaganda their government is disseminating is patently false, that the world shares in the aspirations and fears of the Chinese people, he said via email.

Zhang, the recently disappeared student, is one example of a greater awakening in China beyond government propaganda at schools and wider control of information, Majumdar said.

The Chinese people are discovering the truths of the Communist Party legacy.
Many eateries have stopped serving offline and shifted to selling online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The going online strategy offers two major benefits. The owners of restaurants dont have to worry that their clients may become infected with coronavirus, and they can cut operation costs.

Many eateries have stopped serving offline





Hai Nam, a chicken rice shop on Nguyen Tri Phuong street in district 5, HCM City, is one of the pioneers in the going online movement.



The owner of the shop was seen chopping chicken into small pieces, while five workers were seen in front of the shop ready to support. All clients buy chicken rice there and take it away.



When asked if customers can eat chicken rice at the shop, a worker said no, affirming that the shop only sells take-away chicken rice. A sign is hung over the entrance door which describes its new policy.

Many eateries have stopped serving offline and shifted to selling online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Coffee House said the chain has closed 100 shops in HCM City. Customers need to use a specific app of The Coffee House and get door-to-door deliveries.



Small shops and startups are the pioneers in the going online movement.



On its fanpage, 4An Vegetarian, a startup providing vegetarian food, has announced it will close all offline shops to shift to online sales. 4An Vegetarian now has two shops, including one on Cao Thang street in district 3 and the other on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street in district 1.



The startup exempts shipment fees for all orders made on its website, while those who order food on four apps, GoViet, Baemin, Grab and Now, enjoy preferences offered by the apps.



Nguyen Phi Van, advisor to 4An, said that 4An thought of shifting to the virtual restaurant model before the epidemic outbreak. And now it is accelerating the transformation.



Star Home Spa is also going online after the local authorities request to stop operation during the pandemic.



Just one day after closing five branches, Star Home Spa began providing beauty and relaxation services at clients home with prices unchanged.



Golden Gate, the largest F&B company in Vietnam which manages 200 shops with 20 brands, on February 28 began taking orders online for some of its brands, including Gogi, Ashima, Kichi Kichi, Huton and Manwah.

A survey by Nielsen Vietnam found that 25 percent of people said they had increased online purchases and decreased offline shopping activities because of the epidemic.

Kim Chi

Online sales rise sharply amid pandemic As Vietnamese are now favoring contactless purchases in Covid-19, online sales have increased rapidly.
LANSING, MI  Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has sent a cease and desist letter to the owners of a Detroit apartment building that was attempting evict nearly 80 tenants during the outbreak of COVID-19.

The attempted evictions by the company that oversees Jeffersonian Apartments, 9000 E. Jefferson Ave., are a violation of Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive order, Nessel said. Many of the tenants are elderly people, according to a news release.

The order signed on March 20 prohibits any person or entity from removing a tenant from a leased home during the pandemic unless the person poses a substantial risk to another person or an imminent and severe risk to the property.

People cannot be evicted from their homes during this public emergency except under extreme circumstances as outlined in the Governors executive orders, Nessel said.

The fact that a landlord would threaten to kick out tenants  especially senior citizens  during this situation shows not only a disregard for the laws governing this state during the COVID-19 crisis, but a lack of compassion for our fellow Michiganders. We must remain committed to working together through this pandemic, and that starts by having empathy and respect for our neighbors.

The Jeffersonians management company hand-delivered notices that demanded tenants pay the rent owed or vacate the premises within seven days of receiving the notice.

Nessel conceded that the executive order preserves a landlords right to receive rental payments due under a residential lease, but it cannot be read in a manner that goes against the orders intent  keeping people in their homes during Michigans state of emergency.

In other words, any demand for rent cannot also include demand for possession, the ceast and desist letter reads.

Willful violations of Gov, Whitmers executive orders can result in a $1,000 fine and/or 90 days in jail for each offense, as well as licensing penalties for businesses and other entities.

Violations should be reported to law enforcement agencies overseeing the jurisdiction in which the alleged offense occurred.
The COVID-19 curfew broke down



religious barriers in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal city, after Muslims helped perform the last rites of their Hindu neighbour, whose relatives were unable to make it to the funeral.

In a display of harmony during this unprecedented crisis, Muslim residents of Teela Jamalpura locality in the old city, carried the body of their 50-year-old neighbour, who succumbed to a liver ailment on Wednesday.

"The woman died while undergoing treatment for a liver ailment in the early hours of Wednesday. And since none of her close relatives were around because of the lockdown, we took her body to the cremation ground at Chhola Vishraghat," Shahid Khan, who made all the funeral arrangements, told PTI.

The deceased woman's husband Mohan Namdeo is a small-time vendor and the couple has two sons, he said.

"The family is poor and the woman was ailing for a long time and died at government-run Hamidia Hospital," he said.

People were mindful that only 20 persons could participate in the funeral as per lockdown norms, or else the entire community would have shown up for the last rites, he said.

Videos of Muslim men, wearing masks and skull caps, carrying the woman's body on their shoulders to the cremation ground, were shared on social media.

A similar initiative was taken by Muslim men in Indore earlier this month.

Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath praised members of the Muslim community, saying such acts of humanity strengthen communal harmony, love and brotherhood.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A quarter of all coronavirus deaths in Scotland have been in care homes, official data shows.

Figures by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) revealed 962 people diagnosed with, or suspected of having, COVID-19 had died by April 12.

Of those, 237 (24.6 per cent) were in care homes, 586 in hospitals, 128 in homes and one in an undisclosed location.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said 433 care homes  about 40 per cent of all those in Scotland  have now reported cases of the virus.

Mrs Sturgeon has promised that every care home worker and resident who shows symptoms of the disease will now be tested.

New figures by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) revealed that 962 people who were diagnosed with, or suspected of having, COVID-19 had died

Of those, 237 (24.6 per cent) were in care homes, 586 in hospitals, 128 in homes and one in an undisclosed location

The weekly NRS figures account for all deaths registered in Scotland when COVID-19 was mentioned in the death certificate. They differ from the Scottish Government's tally of 566, which only includes cases where a laboratory has confirmed a positive diagnosis

Nicola Sturgeon told ITV's Good Morning Britain programme that she now accepted that PPE is not being prioritised for hospitals in England

Of the 962 coronavirus deaths in Scotland, 40 per cent occurred outside of hospitals - which raises questions about the UK's official death count.

The Department of Health's says there have been 12,868 victims in all of the home nations, but it only includes patients who have died in hospitals.

If the same percentage difference was applied to the UK's overall toll, it would mean the true number of deaths is more than 18,000 - 5,150 higher than is being reported.

The weekly NRS figures account for all deaths registered in Scotland when COVID-19 was mentioned in the death certificate.

These statistics are higher than the daily deaths announced by the Scottish Government, which only include cases where a laboratory has confirmed a positive diagnosis.

Announcing the daily figures, Nicola Sturgeon said a total of 699 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 84 from 615 on Tuesday.

Some 6,748 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 390 from 6,358 the day before.

There are 195 people in intensive care who have tested positive for coronavirus or are feared to have it - down by one from Tuesday. An extra 1,748 people are being treated in hospital with the virus.

The majority of coronavirus deaths have been in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, followed by Lothian and Lanarkshire

Most victims have been aged 75 and over but middle-aged men have also been hit hard

Nine Covid-19 related deaths have been reported at Tranent Care Home in East Lothian, pictured

WHAT IS THE UK'S TRUE DEATH TOLL? On Wednesday, health officials announced just 761 more COVID-19 victims in hospitals across the home nations. It took the Department of Health's overall number of fatalities to 12,868. Because the four governments all record their own data at different times, the true number is slightly higher. For example, there has been 699 deaths in Scotland, 463 in Wales and 140 in Northern Ireland - a total of 1,302 on top of the 11,656 in England, which equals 12,958. Data published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics suggested the true number of deaths is actually 52 per cent higher than the count given by the Department of Health every day. The Office for National Statistics counted 5,979 deaths in England by April 3, compared to the 3,939 figure given by health chiefs on the same day - a difference of around 2,000. If the same percentage difference was applied to today's updated UK death toll, it would mean the true number of COVID-19 deaths in Britain would be in the region of 19,500 - around 6,500 higher. As well as being 50 per cent higher than the Department of Health's, ONS' toll was 15 per cent higher than the one given by NHS England, which only takes into account hospital deaths that are backdated. The Department of Health figures are affected by a backlog in hospital recordings, meaning that hundreds of deaths that are announced each day actually occurred in the week before - not overnight. Advertisement

Ms Sturgeon announced all symptomatic residents will be tested from now on, instead of just the first person showing COVID-19 symptoms in a home.

But she said she has 'no evidence' that more testing of care home residents and staff at an earlier stage could have reduced the number of deaths.

The First Minister confirmed symptomatic care home workers will also be tested.

She added: 'We already test the first residents in any care home to become symptomatic of coronavirus in order to establish the presence of the virus in that home and then ensure that all appropriate measures are taken to protect all residents.

'However, we're moving now to test all symptomatic patients in care homes.

'The advice to me is that while this is not strictly necessary, nor will it change the clinical management of cases at care homes, it is nevertheless important for the confidence of relatives staff and the wider public, given the vulnerability of care homes.

'But let me also stress that guidance to care homes is already very clear about isolation and social distancing, and that remains the most important factor in making sure that we're managing and preventing infections in care homes.'

The interim chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, confirmed increased testing will not change the measures care homes take in the event of a positive diagnosis.

He said: 'The most important part is to make sure that the risk assessment of how those patients are shielded from the risk of infection, and that infection prevention and control mechanisms are in place within each one of those care homes and are maximised to prevent further spread.'

Ms Sturgeon said people leaving hospital to return to care homes in Scotland will not be routinely tested, in contrast to England.

She said testing people not showing symptoms is unreliable and she does not want to give care homes 'false assurance' that a person returning is not infected, arguing it could cause staff to wrongly relax infection control measures.

Following the release of the latest statistics, Age Scotland chief executive Brian Sloan called for assurances that 'care home residents have fair and equal access to medical treatment'.

He said: 'It is devastating to learn that 237 care home residents in Scotland have died as a result of coronavirus. The fear we have had over the past few weeks about the impact this is having on some of the people most at risk has now sadly become a reality.

'No age group is immune but these grim figures highlight once again the devastating effect that this virus has on the lives of older people.

'Each and every death is a tragic loss to those who knew and loved them. Care homes must be supported with everything they need to prevent and stop the spread of this virus among residents and staff.'

Wear gloves and a gown and you can say a last goodbye to granny: Families with loved ones dying in care homes WILL be allowed to visit in major U-turn as Matt Hancock tears up 'blanket DNR orders' for elderly and vulnerable

Care homes have been ordered to allow grieving relatives a last chance to say goodbye to loved-ones before they die from coronavirus amid shocking reports of elderly victims dying alone.

Matt Hancock will reportedly outline new measures to allow compassionate visits to nursing homes and outlaw the blanket use of 'do not resuscitate' (DNR) plans, which staff claim they've been asked to routinely sign during the crisis.

Families have complained of having to say their last goodbyes over Skype or from outside buildings as facilities do not want them to enter because of the infection risk.

One family revealed they were forced to wave goodbye to a deceased loved one from a nursing home car park in Nottingham while the body was removed by undertakers on Easter Monday.

The loved ones of a deceased resident at Wren Hall nursing home in Mr Hancock's intervention comes amid fears that the death toll in care homes in England and Wales is 20 times higher than the reported 217. Industry figures say the true count is much closer 4,000 since the outbreak started.

According to the Evening Standard, Mr Hancock will use the daily press conference this evening to say that 'everyone has a right to say goodbye' and that 'wanting to be with someone you love at the end of their life is one most human instincts there is'.

Former professional footballer Cyril Lawrence, 99, passed away after catching the coronavirus at a care home in Bolton

Carole Foster, 77, passed away last Wednesday at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, Kent, just one day after being admitted

'Coronavirus has made this much more difficult, and I've heard heart-breaking stories of people dying without a loved one nearby.

'We are sensitively making sure we can limit the risk of infection while giving people's closest loved ones the chance to properly say goodbye.'

The newspaper reported that guidance has been issued saying: 'It is unacceptable for advance care plans, including Do Not Attempt Resuscitation orders, to applied in a blanket fashion to any group of people, and the CQC have been urgently contacting providers where this practice has been brought to their attention.

'Everyone at risk of losing mental capacity or nearing the end of their life should be offered the opportunity and supported, if they wish, to develop advance care planning that make their wishes clear, and to make arrangements, such as lasting power of attorney for health and social care decisions, to put their affairs in order.'

The Government's U-turn comes after a harrowing report emerged of a family having to wave goodbye to a deceased loved one from a care home car park.

Relatives watched on as the body of a resident at Wren Hall nursing home in Nottinghamshire was removed by undertakers on Easter Monday.

A lack of testing means health officials have no idea how many care home residents are dying to the virus.

Care home managers had banned families from visiting over fears they could bring the virus into homes, where it could have devastating effects on highly vulnerable elderly residents often with serious underlying health conditions.

HIDDEN EPIDEMIC OF CORONAVIRUS IN CARE HOMES MAY HAVE COST 4,000 LIVES, EXPERTS WARN A 'hidden epidemic' of coronavirus in care homes may have cost 4,000 lives, experts warned last night. They believe deaths are being hugely under-reported because of a lack of testing. GPs are also sometimes reluctant to write COVID-19 on death certificates and figures from care homes are not included in the official daily toll. The latest report from the Office for National Statistics says the virus killed 217 care home residents in England and Wales up to April 3. But industry figures say the true count is much higher  potentially 4,000 since the outbreak started. Campaigners and MPs warned yesterday of an 'unfolding horror' that could end up with tens of thousands of forgotten victims. Ministers face urgent calls to get a grip and get virus tests for all staff and residents with symptoms, more protection gear and a Cabinet minister to deal with the crisis. Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night pledged action on testing and is also expected to outline a plan to address the crisis in a social care strategy. Care home operators complain they are being overlooked, with desperate short - ages of testing and staff safety equipment making it extremely hard to stop the disease ravaging their sites. Advertisement

The latest report from the Office for National Statistics says the virus killed 217 care home residents in England and Wales up to April 3.

But industry figures say the true count is much higher  potentially 4,000 since the outbreak started.

Campaigners and MPs warned yesterday of an 'unfolding horror' that could end up with tens of thousands of forgotten victims.

Ministers face urgent calls to get a grip and get virus tests for all staff and residents with symptoms, more protection gear and a Cabinet minister to deal with the crisis.

This morning it was revealed eight people have died with suspected coronavirus at Green Heys Care Home in Waterloo, Merseyside.

The virus appears to be sweeping through nursing homes up and down the country.

Stanley Park care home in County Durham lost its 13th resident to the virus on Monday, while 12 people have died at a home in Cranhill, Glasgow.

Wren Hall nursing home in Nottinghamshire has lost 10 to the virus, eight at another in Dumbarton - plus 13, 11 and 15 at homes in Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Luton.

Mark Adams, chief executive officer for Community Integrated Care, which runs the home said: 'Whilst this is a devastating number, it may have been higher had it not been for the dedicated and selfless response of our team, who have exemplified the commitment, bravery and skill, that exists within the social care workforce.'

Debbie Cholwill said her mother, who had dementia and was living in a care home, passed away on April 10 after testing positive for coronavirus

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night pledged action on testing and is also expected to outline a plan to address the crisis in a social care strategy.

All care home residents and staff with symptoms of Covid-19 are to be tested as the Government faces a backlash over its handling of the growing crisis.

Social Care Minister Helen Whately told BBC Breakfast this morning: 'We have been doing everything that we can to protect those really vulnerable people living in care homes or receiving care at home.

Chris Schmid told MailOnline his great aunt Isabel Francis, 94, passed away in Fieldway care home in Mitcham, South London on Friday, April 10

'From the moment it looked like coronavirus was coming our way... we have been working really hard to do whatever we can to protect those receiving care from this truly awful, horrible illness.'

She added it had been 'harder to get heard' on social care issues than for the NHS and said the Government had 'taken huge steps to get PPE out to the care sector'.

Care home operators complain they are being overlooked, with desperate short - ages of testing and staff safety equipment making it extremely hard to stop the dis - ease ravaging their sites.

Jeremy Richardson, chief executive of Four Seasons, which has 191 care homes across the UK, told the Guardian that the official figures 'materially understated' the crisis, adding: 'From colleagues in the sector and in Four Seasons' experience, it is closer to 60 per cent (infection rate).'

It comes after furious families today accused the Government of 'sacrificing' Britain's elderly in the fight against coronavirus by discharging COVID-19 patients into care homes and signing the 'death warrant' of the most vulnerable in society.

NHS hospitals have been ordered to drastically free up beds, meaning thousands of patients have been released, with scores of elderly Britons meeting the criteria sent to care homes dotted across the UK.

TRUE DEATH TOLL COULD BE 12,000 There are no official figures on the number of care home deaths so far, but some estimates put the toll as high as 12,000. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says evidence from France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Ire - land suggests between 4 2 per cent and 57 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths happen in care homes. There have been 1 2,000 deaths officially in the UK so far, according to Government figures which only cover hospitals. It could mean there have been another 1 2,000 in care homes. The Office for National Statistics puts the number at only 217 but its figures are 11 days out of date at a time when the death rate has risen dramatically. Care England, which represents independent care providers, and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey both estimate the toll to be at least 1,000. The Mail's own audit has found 951 deaths, but many care homes have declined to give figures. The Alzheimer's Society estimates there have been 2,500 deaths Advertisement

In a revolt against the 'dangerous' drive, some care homes have already refused to accept patients over coronavirus fears - not everyone is swabbed for the killer virus before they are discharged from hospital.

But one home in Essex was allegedly forced to accept an elderly COVID-19 patient 'against their wishes' before they were re-admitted to hospital the next day. The daughter of a 96-year-old resident accused Number 10 of 'recklessly exposing' others to the infection.

In Herefordshire, a dementia-stricken 78-year-old was discharged from hospital to a care home, without her family being told. She also had a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) notice along with the orders not to send back to hospital if she caught coronavirus.

Mark Gordon fears his mother Susan (above), a 76-year-old terminally-ill cancer patient, is too weak to fight off coronavirus after contracting the infection while at a Tayside care home. He claims staff did not use PPE when dealing with patients

Demanding action from Downing Street, her daughter said: 'My mother has worked all her life and paid into the NHS they do not have the right to sign her death warrant because she's old and has dementia.'

Despite hospitals being told to free up space, it was revealed last night that London's Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel Centre sat almost empty with just 19 coronavirus patients treated over the Easter weekend.

George Hillhouse's 74-year-old mother, Helen Smith, died at Almond Court care home in Drumchapel, Glasgow, on Saturday

It comes after care industry bosses yesterday suggested that two thirds of all homes across Britain have recorded coronavirus cases. Around 500,000 people are in care homes in the UK.

Grim statistics released yesterday also showed the number of coronavirus deaths in care homes rose ten-fold by the start of April, up from just 20 for the week ending March 27.

But the true scale of the coronavirus catastrophe in Britain's care homes is a mystery because the figures released by the Office for National Statistics are almost two weeks out-of-date.

Number 10 is under mounting pressure to start recording all coronavirus deaths, wherever they happen, amid the accusations the true toll is being swept under the carpet.

The UK's care home regulator, the Care Quality Commission, announced it would step in to collect daily numbers of coronavirus deaths.

Helen Buniak revealed her 96-year-old mother's home was 'ordered' to admit a coronavirus patient from hospital 'against their wishes' on April 8.

She alleged that the Birchwood Residential Care Home, in Ilford, was told it was 'Government policy'.

The discharged patient only stayed in the facility for one day before they were re-admitted to hospital, Ms Buniak claimed.

She told MailOnline: 'How shocking and completely reckless to allow the virus to enter into a care home that was clear of the virus.

'However much the staff did their best to isolate the patient, there is still a serious risk that the virus could spread and cause multiple deaths.'

Ms Buniak said it seemed like the lives of older people in care homes are 'invisible' and argued: 'The Government is willing to sacrifice them.'

'The Government's so called policy to shield those most vulnerable clearly does not apply to the elderly in care homes.'

The Birchwood care home, which looks after around 40 elderly patients, is one of dozens to have limited routine visits from family members.

Another MailOnline reader revealed her elderly dementia-stricken mother was discharged to a care home, without checking with her.

LONDON'S NEW MAKE-SHIFT HOSPITAL HAD JUST 19 PATIENTS OVER EASTER A hospital bed and respirator at ExCel London London's Nightingale Hospital sat almost empty with just 19 coronavirus patients treated over the Easter weekend. The 4,000 capacity flagship hospital was opened by Prince Charles via video link almost two weeks ago and is designed to handle a large surge in coronavirus cases. However data circulated to health chiefs and seen by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) shows some hospitals have been able to double their ICU capacity, to 1,555 beds, despite rising levels of infections. It also showed only 19 patients were receiving treatment over the Easter weekend at the facility located in the Docklands. Advertisement

Her mother, of Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, was stuck in hospital because health officials had yet to find a care package for her.

She told MailOnline: 'Due to the COVID-19 outbreak most care homes in Hereford with places refused to take her so she was there a while.

'The hospital were getting really annoyed because they wanted her out as soon as possible and the bed freed up.

'On Sunday (April 12) they discharged her to a care home in Worcestershire without consulting me or checking the home could meet her complex needs.'

The woman - who wanted to remain anonymous - added: 'She arrived with a DNR, which said do not transfer back to hospital if she contracts COVID-19.

'My mother has worked all her life and paid into the NHS they do not have the right to sign her death warrant because she's old and has dementia.

'If my mum gets sick with COVID-19 she will be left to die and the hospital will refuse to admit her because the DNR will be in her notes.'

NHS trusts are trying to discharge patients who do not need round-the-clock care to free up capacity for the expected surge in COVID-19 cases.

But care home managers are refusing to accept elderly people over fears they might bring the virus into the homes.

Under guidance issued by the government last week, testing is not mandatory for discharged patients.

David Steedman, the manager of Arlington House care home in Sussex, admitted he had five empty rooms but refused to take in people discharged from hospitals.

He said it would be 'madness' to expose residents and staff to the risk of infection, the Guardian reports.

Last week the Government promised every social care provider in the country would receive deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks.

Mr Steedman told the paper: 'The personal protective equipment issued for staff is laughable.

'These masks, as well as having an expiry date of 2016, are the sort of flimsy, paper thing that dentists wear with gaps all round the edges.

'The instructions say they should be used if a resident has symptoms of the virus or actually has it. But these masks are completely useless in those situations.'

Avice Howarth's mother, who was living in a care home. passed away on April 10

It comes after it was warned last night that a 'hidden epidemic' of coronavirus in care homes may have cost 4,000 lives. Experts believe deaths are being hugely under-reported because of a lack of testing.

GPs are also sometimes reluctant to write COVID-19 on death certificates and figures from care homes are not included in the official daily toll.

Jane Rudge's mother is a resident at Hopwood Court care home in Alvechurch, Worcestershire. The 94-year-old is now ill, with suspected COVID-19

The latest report from the Office for National Statistics says the virus killed 217 care home residents in England and Wales up to April 3.

But industry figures say the true count is much higher  potentially 4,000 since the outbreak started.

One leading statistician the numbers were being underestimated because GPs were unwilling to record covid on death certificates if they hadnt seen the patient.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, who is based at the Faculty of Mathematics at Cambridge University, highlighted emergency laws which came into force last month which enable doctors to certify deaths without being in physical attendance.

Under the Governments Coronavirus Act, which was passed on March 25, doctors are allowed to carry out the process of death registration over-the-phone.

The new powers were intended to reduce the likelihood of GPs contracting the infection but Sir David said the upshot was that they were less inclined to record the virus as the cause of death.

Other organisations including the Alzheimers Society and Care England, the main representative body for social care organisations, said the death toll was being hugely underplayed by the lack of tests.

Currently only hospital patients and some frontline staff are being tested for the virus, although the Government hopes to roll this out to other key workers and the wider public if the capacity increases

Sir David said: Less than 10 per cent of deaths are being coded for COVID-19 deaths outside hospitals. Thats at home, or in care homes.

Under a new regulation, doctors do not actually have to see a patient to register their deaths now. They can do it over the phone with a description of their symptoms.

I could understand many doctors or GPs not being willing to put COVID-19 on a death certificate when theyve neither had a test, nor seen the patient.

Unfortunately, we dont seem to know yet how many of these extra deaths are being registered without even seeing the patient. That seems to me very important to have that piece of information.

Speaking to the BBCs World At One, he added: There are suggestions going around that doctors are kind of being encouraged not to put covid on the death certificate.

He did not explain who was pressuring doctors not to report the virus on the death certificates or why.

Debbie Cholwill said her mother (pictured) passed away on April 10. On Facebook, she wrote: 'It is with deep sadness that I am putting this message on sadly after six years of my mum being in a care home with dementia she sadly passed away last night, after testing positive for Coronavirus'

Elaine Shirt had to put her 'lovely' father Cyril Lawrence, 99, into respite in a care home after her mother was taken ill recently and went into hospital. Pictured, Mr Lawrence (front row, third from left) with Stan Mortensen (front row, sixth from left) at Blackpool in 1939

Something funny, Care Minister? Moment grinning MP Helen Whately LAUGHS as Piers Morgan confronts her over 4,000 coronavirus care home deaths She said her laughter was a reaction to him showing her the front page of the newspaper, when she was unable to see him due to not having a screen visible showing the GMB host. Care minister Helen Whately was blasted today for sniggering in a car crash TV interview as it was revealed a 'hidden epidemic' of coronavirus in nursing and old-people's homes may have cost 4,000 lives. She was taken to task by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain as he grilled her over an exclusive report in the Daily Mail that deaths in care facilities are being hugely under-reported because of a lack of testing. Mrs Whately, 43, the MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, was sent out to face the media this morning as anger and questions increased over the vulnerability of care home residents amid a lack of testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff. Appearing on GMB she insisted that the Government has been working hard to tackle the crisis, but Piers insisted she answer questions about deaths in care homes, telling her he expected her to be working hard. He asked: 'Is it true that 4,000 people have died in care home? Yes or no?' Advertisement

But medical professionals are urged not to record an illness as cause of death unless they are very sure.

Nick Stripe, head of the health analysis and life events division at the Office for National Statistics said: It could be that the doctor certifying the death, to the best of their knowledge, is not sure enough that there is possibly covid involved to put it on the death certificate.

Its dependent of the doctor, understanding the patients background and recent symptoms in terms of what in their medical opinion they put on the death certificate.

Research by the London School of Economics over the weekend suggested that about half of coronavirus deaths in Europe were occurring in care homes.

In Belgium the figure was estimated to be 42 per cent, rising to 53 per cent in Italy and 57 per cent in Spain.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the official figures were airbrushing older people out like they didnt matter.

She added: Any suggestion that these spiralling care home deaths are somehow inevitable would be utterly wrong, sounding suspiciously like an excuse for failings of national policy and practice.

Christina McAnea, assistant general secretary of Unison which represents many care home staff said: These figures are just the tip of the iceberg.

A comprehensive programme of testing of staff and the people they look after should start at once.

Without daily updates on the number of people dying in residential care and their own homes, its impossible to track the spread of the virus. Hospital deaths are only part of the picture.

Campaigners and MPs warned yesterday of an 'unfolding horror' that could end up with tens of thousands of forgotten victims.

Ministers face urgent calls to get a grip and get virus tests for all staff and residents with symptoms, more protection gear and a Cabinet minister to deal with the crisis.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night pledged action on testing and is also expected to outline a plan to address the crisis in a social care strategy.

Care home operators complain they are being overlooked, with desperate short - ages of testing and staff safety equipment making it extremely hard to stop the disease ravaging their sites.

Care minister Helen Whately was blasted today for sniggering in a car crash TV interview about the 'hidden epidemic' of coronavirus in care homes.

She was taken to task by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain as he grilled her over a Mail exclusive that deaths in care facilities are being hugely under-reported.

Mrs Whately, 43, MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, insisted that the Government has been working hard to tackle the crisis.

But Piers insisted she answer questions about deaths in care homes, telling her he expected her to be working hard.

He asked: 'Is it true that 4,000 people have died in care home? Yes or no?'

The Social Care Minister then thanked him for acknowledging what the government is doing and said the work was 'really important'.

Piers interrupted to say tell her that it was more important that 4,000 people have died, only for the Minister to start laughing.

The host said: 'Why are you laughing? What do you find funny about this?'

She said: 'I don't think it's funny in the slightest.'

He responded: 'Well why do you keep laughing then? I'm not laughing at all,' she said.

Piers replied: 'I literally just asked you is it true that 4,000 elderly people have died in hosp and all you can do is laugh what's the matter with you?'

As she continued to insist she wasn't laughing and asked Piers not to suggest she had been, he said: 'We literally just saw you.'

But she said her laughter was a reaction to him showing her the front page of the newspaper, when she was unable to see him due to not having a screen visible showing the GMB host.
There are too many names to know about and remember in this crowded world, but I hope I can hang on to Rami Aman for a while. He has been in the news lately. And he is in custody, in the Gaza Strip. You dont want to be held in Gaza, if you can possibly help it. Rami Aman is in the hands of Hamas.

He is a peace activist, the leader of a group called the Gaza Youth Committee. For five years, the group has had video chats with Israeli counterparts. The participants speak in English. Their chats have gone under the playful name Skype with Your Enemy.

You may read about this in the New York Times, here.

On April 6, there was a chat, not on Skype, but on Zoom. More than 200 people took part, more than had ever taken part before.

Palestinians and Israelis talked about all manner of things: Whats life like on the other side? What are you doing in social isolation? What are the possibilities for future peace?

Not everyone was thrilled about this conversation. As the Times reports,

[Rami Aman] came in for vituperative criticism online, and early Thursday morning, a freelance Gaza journalist, Hind Khoudary, posted angry denunciations on Facebook of Mr. Aman and others on the call, tagging three Hamas officials, . . . to ensure it got their attention.

Oh, it did. Hamas promptly arrested Aman and others. Their crime? Holding a normalization activity.

I want to make it a point to remember at least Rami Amans name  there are other arrestees too, of course  and to remember that there are brave and heroic souls among the Palestinians, as among all peoples.

One more thing: Conservatives like me often mock peace activists. Often, they are mockable. But there are some really good and gutsy ones among them, all over the world. I have met a few. More than a few. Impressive.

 Cordell Hull has been on my mind. Strange, I know. Hull, you recall, was the Tennessean who served as FDRs secretary of state. He held that position for almost the whole of that long presidency. In 1945, Hull won the Nobel Peace Prize, chiefly for fathering the United Nations, which would succeed the tattered League.

Story continues

A few weeks ago, David Frum published a remarkable piece called The Coronavirus Is Demonstrating the Value of Globalization. The subheading: We are experiencing a painful introduction to anti-globalism and its consequences.

David quotes Hull, who, in the summer of 1942, said the following: Nationalism, run riot between the last war and this war, defeated all attempts to carry out indispensable measures of international economic and political action, encouraged and facilitated the rise of dictators, and drove the world straight toward the present war.

David then writes,

Hull was 70 when he spoke those words  old by the standards of his time. Some of the younger New Dealers dismissed him as an anachronism. His ideas about free trade, they said, should be consigned to the dead past, not the exciting new future of national planning and state control. The old man was right, though, and the bright young New Dealers were wrong. Hulls memory of how things had been proved the opposite of reactionary. Adapted to the new conditions of the postwar world, the old ideas delivered even more abundant prosperity and an even more secure peace than they had before. We need Cordell Hulls for our time.

Hear, hear. As I read Davids piece, I was reminded of Hulls peace prize, which I wrote about in a 2012 book, Peace, They Say. Thats a history of the Nobel Peace Prize.

I would like to quote a paragraph from the book:

Giving the presentation speeches in 1945 was a new committee chairman, Gunnar Jahn  an economist of the Liberal party, a Resistance leader during the war.

Let me interrupt to say that were talking about Norway, in whose hands Alfred Nobel placed the peace prize. (The other prizes were to be handled in Sweden, Nobels native country). Okay, lets continue:

In his speech for Hull, [Jahn] cited and praised the laureates fathering of the U.N., of course. But he spoke about much more than that. Hull had evidently not received the Nobel prize for the U.N. alone. Jahn spent some time on Hulls career-long devotion to lower tariffs and free trade, hailing him as representative of all that is best in liberalism, a liberalism with a strong social implication. He also made a point of Hulls opposition to isolationism in foreign policy.

Names come and go. Cordell Hulls was a very, very big one, for many years. But now . . . faded out almost entirely. I have enjoyed getting reacquainted with him a bit.

 Let me recommend an interview with David French, late of National Review, published in Reason magazine. It is superb  because of David, of course, but also because of Stephanie Slade, his interviewer, who asks probing questions. The interview is like a Back to Basics, politically speaking. And we have sore need of those basics today, I think.

The Right is splintered, with the word conservative all but meaningless. Some people call themselves common-good conservatives. David says, I tend to think that liberty has independent value. . . . I think the protection of liberty is a common good. So do I.

Common good sounds good, doesnt it? But beware: It usually boils down to Do it my way. Not yours, mine. People are always trying to bring others to heel  ever and always, from myriad angles.

Anyway . . .

 People like me talk about the media. The media this, the media that. My recommendation is: Dont let us get away with it, too much. There are many writers, many talkers, many outlets in these United States. There are even many writers and many talkers within individual outlets. Usually, when we say the media, we mean writers and talkers and outlets we dont like. Almost no one uses the media positively.

When one of us says the media, you may want to ask, Whaddayou mean? Did some article or column or cable hit tick you off? (The answer is probably yes.)

 At his press briefing on Tuesday evening, President Trump threatened to walk out. He threatened to leave his own briefing, because he didnt like a reporters questioning. Keep talking and Ill leave, he said.

I was reminded of Harold Pinter. My friend and colleague David Pryce-Jones made Pinter leave his own dinner table one night. And get this: David wasnt even there. A guest mentioned P-J favorably, and Pinter was so affronted, he left his own table, in a snit.

Extraordinary.

 I was watching Lucrezia, who gives Italian lessons on YouTube. The particular lesson involved the phrase Grazie tante, which means Thanks a lot, sarcastically. (Or Thanks for nothin.)

You might say to your older brother or sister, Hey, would you help me with my homework? He says, Nope, Im playing a video game. You might say  if you were Italian  Grazie tante, eh?

I was reminded of Robert Bork  who was talking about the difference between classroom discipline now and classroom discipline then. When he was in school  high school, I think  he was sent to the principals office simply for saying Thanks a lot in a sarcastic tone of voice.

I approve. (Of Bobs being sent to the office, I mean.) (I think he approved too, later.)

 This obit is headed Bruce Baillie, Essential Avant-Garde Filmmaker, Dies at 88. Interesting life, interestingly written up. The obit ends, Mr. Baillie lived his Zen. Im not sure what that means, but I like it, a lot.

 I also like this TV-news report from Long Island. It tells a story of innovative help in this time of pandemic. A text accompanying the video says, Youve probably heard of people making and donating masks because of the shortage during the COVID-19 crisis. But volunteers in the East End are putting together face shields.

At the end of the video, my glorious nephew Drew appears. (Just sayin.)

 Speaking of glorious kids, though this ones much younger: Check out a video, in which a little boy is asked by his father, Did you kick your brother in the head? What ensues is just marvelous. Should win some kind of award, for short film or something.

My favorite part, I think, is when the dad says, So do you say youre innocent? The boy, after thinking it over, says, Half.

 Here is another video, from a group called New York City Relief. This is a group that aids the homeless. Furthermore, there is a project called Commissions4Covid, in which Wall Street firms partner with such groups as New York City Relief.

I will quote from a press release: Financial services professionals are pledging their salaries and trading commissions on Friday, April 17, 2020 to COVID-19 relief organizations.

Lotta good going on in our country, and throughout the world, as civil society kicks into gear.

 An amazing photo, over an article in the Boston Globe, here. The articles headline: Separated by coronavirus, 88-year-old Watertown man uses bucket truck to see wife at nursing home. The faithful husband commented, They could have lifted me ten stories, and it would not have bothered me. As long as I got to see her.

Talk to you soon, everyone. Thanks.

If youd like to receive Impromptus by e-mail  links to new columns  write to jnordlinger@nationalreview.com.

More from National Review
Chair of the Armenian parliamentary committee leading a probe into the circumstances of the Four-Day Artsakh War Andranik Kocharyan today told reporters that the session with third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will last long.

The deputies still have questions. Well return after a 15-minute break, he said.

When told that Serzh Sargsyan has declared that he also has questions and when asked if Serzh Sargsyan asked those questions, Kocharyan was surprised and said the following: Serzh Sargsyan cant ask us questions. The committee is the one asking the questions. It is Serzh Sargsyans right to answer or not. Serzh Sargsyan has shared his views, we have accepted them, and we will include them in the final conclusion.

Kocharyan added that Sargsyan had answered all questions.
Are you dreaming of being able to leave your house and your town to go on an exciting overseas adventure?

Well Tropic Now has got you covered for when all this covid-19 gloominess has passed (or at least we can certainly help with those daydreams!)

Cairns-based Coral Expeditions, Australia's first luxury small ship adventure cruise company, has just expanded its itineraries and is going to some truly remarkable places across the world - some of which you can't reach any other way.

Here are their top 16 locations, which are both domestic and international spots. The bonus is that they're visited by boutique ships and are some of the more remote areas of the world, so are likely to be safe to travel to well before the big cities!

Tropic tip: bookmark this page for future reference!
Rice University has paid the U.S. government more than $3.7 million to resolve claims that for nearly 12 years it improperly used National Science Foundation research and development awards, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

As of March 2020, Rice had 215 active science foundation grants that were specified for research under uniform administrative rules, Ryan K. Patrick, U.S. Attorney for the District Court for the Southern District of Texas, said in a news release.

Under those rules, the university should have only charged expenses to the awards if they were incurred for research purposes, were beneficial to the award, were vital for the operation of the awardee, and were in accordance with the agencys terms and conditions, Patrick wrote.

Instead, Patrick said authorities learned that from November 2006 through September 2018, Rice knowingly engaged in a pattern and practice of improperly charging graduate students stipends, tuition remission and related facilities and administrative charges to NSF awards.

A portion of the charges were also used to pay graduate students for performing teaching duties that were unrelated to Rices National Science Foundation awards, Patrick wrote.

Rice has agreed to pay the U.S. a total of $3,754,186  double the loss the NSF incurred, but the university does not admit any wrongdoing.

Rice University strongly believes it complied with the law and with the relevant federal rules in all respects regarding this dispute, Rice spokesman Doug Miller wrote in an email to the Houston Chronicle.

The university does not admit any liability or violation of the law, Millers email said. However, the university has agreed to pay a settlement in order to avoid the delay, uncertainty, inconvenience and expense of protracted litigation with the federal government.

The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science and to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare. The foundation supports about 24 percent of all federally-supported basic research conducted by higher education institutions in the country.

But Patrick wrote of Rice, The activities were not specifically incurred for the research awards, did not benefit those awards and otherwise were not allowable or allocable to the NSF awards and thus were in violation of NSFs award terms and conditions and the False Claims Act.

Authorities began investigating the universitys use of foundation funding in 2016, with suspicions that Rice had budgeted stipends for graduate students in its grant proposals but instead used a portion of the money to pay the students for teaching duties unrelated to the foundation awards.

Allison Lerner, the science foundations inspector general, commended the U.S. Attorneys Office on this case.

The NSF is a strong supporter of basic research at colleges and universities, Lerner said in a written statement. However, the Agency expects grant recipients to follow the federal cost principles.

brittany.britto@chron.com
Good morning.

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked the states undocumented workers, many of whom pick fruits and vegetables, care for the sick and perform other critical jobs.

Then he announced a plan to help them: The federal coronavirus relief package does not include aid for undocumented immigrants. So Mr. Newsom said the state would step in with $75 million, plus another $50 million from philanthropic organizations, to be paid to affected families who are undocumented.

He said it was the first such move in the nation.

Mr. Newsom also signed an order aimed at gig economy workers in a move that could set up a clash with Washington.

(Heres the sign-up, if you dont already get California Today by email.)
The tragedy of COVID-19 has hit closer to home, with Prairie Mountain Health seeing its first related death, public health officials announced Wednesday.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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The tragedy of COVID-19 has hit closer to home, with Prairie Mountain Health seeing its first related death, public health officials announced Wednesday.

The woman, who was in her 60s and had underlying medical conditions, was in hospital but not in intensive care at the time, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitobas chief public health officer, said during the daily news conference.

Her death is Manitobas fifth during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Rick Chrest offered his "sincere sympathies" for the family and friends of the woman during Wednesdays COVID-19 City of Brandon livestream update.

Her death, he added, is "a sobering indication of the impact of this terrible disease."

This is the first time a person who died of COVID-19 in Manitoba had not been in intensive care prior to their death.

The first case, which was reported March 27, involved a woman who was also in her 60s.

The others included a man in his 50s and a man in his 60s  both of whom had underlying medical conditions  and a man in his 70s who had previously been living in a personal care home.

All four were from Winnipeg.

Roussin said Wednesday he did not have information on whether the woman in Prairie Mountain Health had contracted the virus through travel, community transmission or had a connection with a known case of COVID-19.

Nine other people are currently hospitalized in Manitoba with COVID-19, of whom four are in intensive care.

Roussin said he is not aware of any other COVID-19-related admissions in Prairie Mountain Health.

Two new cases of COVID-19 were also identified as of Wednesday morning, while two cases that had been considered probable positives have been ruled as negative, leaving the total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba unchanged at 246.

Manitoba now has 132 active cases, while 108 people have recovered from COVID-19.

Prairie Mountain Health has seen 12 cases of COVID-19: 11 confirmed cases and one probable positive case.

"Were keeping in (line) with the hospitalization rate and the ICU rate, and our mortality rate (about two per cent of the positive cases) is keeping in line with that of Canada," Roussin said.

More than 1,000 people in Canada have now died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to a CBC News tally on Wednesday.

There are 27,540 confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, supplies of personal protective equipment are being shipped out daily to rural health centres, Shared Health chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa reported Wednesday.

"They let us know when theres challenges with shipments coming in," she said in response to a question about rural doctors perhaps being unwilling to see patients for fear of not having sufficient PPE available.

"But they also reassure us that the supplies are being delivered," she said, adding there is, or soon will be, an online portal for health facilities to request additional supplies.

"When we talk about conservation (of supplies) ... its a mix of keeping people safe and working in a different way," Siragusa said, adding doctors are able to conduct virtual visits with their patients, while those who have to see patients in person should have access to protective equipment.

The supply chain for personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns and masks is "precarious," Siragusa said.

Shared Health is looking at distributing them in short bursts to where they are needed, she added.

"So we have a long-term strategy, but also re-evaluating frequently, making sure that distribution goes out instead of maybe, big bulk deliveries (to) shorter amounts so that they can ebb-and-flow with the challenges that were facing."

Siragusa noted 21 health-care workers in Manitoba have tested positive for COVID-19, primarily in the Winnipeg region. There are none in Prairie Mountain Health.

 brobertson@brandonsun.com, with files from Drew May
The US 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf said today that 11 Iranian vessels repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches against multiple US naval ships operating in international waters.

The [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy] vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the US vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, the US Navy said in a statement. The 11 Iranian vessels came within an unsafe range of six American ships, including within 10 yards of the US Coast Guard cutter Maui. No injuries were reported.

Why it matters: Tensions between the United States and Iran have continued to flare up across the region despite the fact that both countries are mired in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump publicly warned Tehran against attacking US troops and assets in Iraq earlier this month. And last month a rocket attack on a US base in Iraq killed a US soldier, a US airman and a British servicewoman, prompting Trump to retaliate by bombing the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia. The back-and-forth has persisted since December, and Trump went so far as to order a strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani while the Quds Force commander was visiting Baghdad in January.

Whats next: In addition to the military tension, Tehran and Washington are locked in a battle over biting US sanctions. Iran has called for sanctions relief as it combats the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical supplies are not subject to sanctions under humanitarian exemptions. However, the Trump administration has instead stepped up the sanctions and is blocking Irans $5 billion emergency request for an International Monetary Fund loan to help fight COVID-19.

Know more: Read Congressional Correspondent Bryant Harris account of how the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the stakes over the Iran sanctions debate.
By PTI

BENGALURU: The lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has turned out to be a deeply painful story for the Kannada film industry.

Schedules have gone awry following the stay-at-home curbs and operators in Sandalwood, as the industry is popularly known as, say about 100 films under production are affected.

They include big budget movies- 'Raja Veera Madakari Nayaka', 'Kotigobba 3', 'Robert' and 'Yuvaratna.' Noted producer Rockline Venkatesh told P T I that the loss to the industry is to the tune of hundreds of crores of rupees.

In addition, it's a challenge for producers to secure the content of their movies from "piracy and leak" during long periods of time before their release, Venkatesh, who is Secretary of Karnataka Cine Artistes' Association, said.

A leading distributor said even after the lockdown is lifted and situation returns to normalcy, it remains a big question if investment in film business will pay off at all.

"People don't have money. We will know the impact when things become normal. Questions many ask if people will return to cinema halls like the way they did before or they prefer to stay away from crowd." Venkatesh, who had also produced Rajinikanth-starrer 'Lingaa' and co-produced 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' with Salman Khan in the lead role, said it would take at least one to one-and- half years for the industry to be back on its legs.

"That too if the government does hand-holding but if the industry faces a bad hit in terms of income tax and GST and other taxation, 80-90 per cent of the industry will face closure," he said.

"It does not matter if the Government does not help the industry but they should trouble us with things like IT and GST," Venkatesh, who is also a director, distributor and artiste, said.

A top director said people's "behaviour" towards movies is crucial for the industry's health in the post lockdown scenario.

"With people likely to shy away from going to malls, cinema theatres because of large gatherings there, it's going to be a long road to recovery for us", an industry insider said.

Striking a philosophical tone, Venkatesh said all that people worry now is to save their life and keep good health, adding, amassing money and wealth is the last thing on their mind.

Producers Soorappa Babu and Umesh Banakar, who is also Vice-President of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, told P T I that the industry has taken a huge hit.

Banakar said the loss to the industry due to the lockdown is at least Rs 1,000 crore.

"The coronavirus has affected the entire world. We don't know what to do; we just have to wait," Soorappa Babu, producer of Kiccha Sudeep-starrer 'Kotigobba 3', said.
A man allegedly stabbed an online gambling consultant five times at an arranged meeting in Belfast, a court was told on Thursday.

Cameron McClements is accused of inflicting knife wounds as the victim tried to escape from his city centre offices.

Police also claimed the 24-year-old defendant said his only regret was not killing the other man during the attack on September 10 last year.

McClements, of Gloucester Park, in Hillsborough, Co Down, faces charges of attempted murder and possessing a kitchen knife in public.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard he got to know the victim through a gambling website.

The alleged attack was launched after McClements arrived for an afternoon meeting at the other man's offices in the Scottish Provident Building on Donegall Square West.

According to a detective he then stabbed the consultant five times.

"Injuries to his back and elbow were caused as he fled the scene," she said.

District Judge Mark Hamill was told the two men knew each other through mutual friends and got on well.

"Mr McClements made it clear it was nothing personal, he simply decided he was going to stab somebody that day," the detective added.

Opposing bail, she claimed he also revealed an intention to carry out a further knife attack once released from custody.

McClements had allegedly concealed those thoughts during an appointment with his GP a day before the stabbing.

Defence counsel John O'Connor said his client was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time.

Based on medical assessments, he indicated the charges will be defended on the grounds of insanity.

The barrister insisted McClements is now in remission following months of hospital treatment.

"It was purely this psychosis which caused this incident, there was no vendetta against the injured party," he contended.

Bail was refused, however, due to the potential threat to the public.

Remanding McClements in custody for another four weeks, Mr Hamill said: "You're asking me to take a heck of a risk, and I'm afraid I'm not prepared to do so."
The nationwide lockdown triggered by the spread of the novel coronavirus has been extended until May 3 and entrepreneurs, the original hustlers, have had to make plenty of changes to their daily routine to adapt to working from home (WFH). Their daily schedules have been disrupted and their long drawn out usual meetings have been replaced by video calls. Not to mention the stress of a looming economic slowdown and pressure from investors.

Moneycontrol looks at how a scrum of business leaders is dealing with these fast-changing times. In todays edition of Virtual Leaders Rakesh Khar spoke to Kris Gopalakrishnan, the co-founder of Infosys and chairman of Axilor Ventures.

You can read other editions of Virtual Leaders here.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Q: How does your average day look like pre-COVID and post-COVID?

A: All meetings are either Tele-conferencing or Video-conferencing. Travel time is available. You have more time at hand. You are more productive. To my mind, there is no difference. Yes, the normal chit -chat that one did pre- and post-physical business meetings doesnt exist today. I have, therefore, found a way to speak to a few people on a daily basis to keep the personal quotient alive. Rest, since you are at home you tend to sit a lot. Every one hour, I do a little walk. Post-COVID, more and more business executives would partly work from home as per the industry. More and more meetings would be video enabled to avoid travel. Travel will, accordingly, come down significantly.

Q: You are an established start-up investor and mentor. How has the work-from-home syndrome impacted the start-up universe?

My business interest is in the start-up ecosystem. I am happy that the start-up community has come together and is doing whatever it can to help in this situation. Start-ups, at least some of them, are out there repurposing their solution. Some of them are geared for the opportunity. Definitely, some of them are repurposing fast.

For example, companies in content and video output (I have invested in some of them) are seeing growth. Companies in hospitality, though, definitely are not doing well. Cloud kitchens are offering solutions (serve meals) and corporates are supporting such initiatives either through philanthropy or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). They have found a purpose. I am happy that the startup ecosystem is getting together to contribute in this crisis.

Q: How do you see the work-from-home syndrome pan out post-COVID?

A: For example, in the IT services space, 20 percent of staff working from home will become the norm. It will give them a disaster recovery capability which was a requirement in this downturn. Nobody had planned disaster recovery capability from home. Now they will include this as part of the drill. They will train employees to be productive working from home and create the requisite infrastructure.

At the macro level, start-ups are asking why we need an office. We can either meet in a restaurant or maybe in a shared conference room. All such models will come, and for sure utilisation of office space will come down.

Q: Post-COVID, will HR perspective on work from home change dramatically?

A: If you introduce work from home as part of your normal business model, I would see that happen. But fundamental practices would stay in the physical office. The punch card thing is a way for capturing attendance. It is required legally. Tomorrow if there is a dispute on billing one of the evidence could be attendance log and secondly it is also a security issue. But for sure there will be adaptation and new models will emerge.

Q: What are the lessons in leadership from the COVID-19 crisis?

A: I talk to my colleagues in the industry across business verticals. Many are feeling the pain and are hurt at this point. The key message is to save costs and be cost efficient. A manufacturing vertical doesnt have much scope in work from home syndrome but a section of the services sector can obviously shift some staff to work from home.

Q: Have you been in touch with co-founders of Infosys during the lockdown period?

A: We have constantly been in touch. I am in touch with all my friends. I make a list daily of people I want to call and call them. Yes, we dont get together that often. We do one-on-one calls. Physical meetings are not done. We are all above 60 and we are categorised as high risk, hence telephone and video calls are the order of the day.

Q: Has work from home given you an opportunity to spend more time with the family? Or, actually catch up with either a passion or hobby?

A: Reading  I am taking more and more time to read up more things. I am now not doing the long-form read. The reading has essentially been COVID-related stuff so that I can understand better what the virus is doing to the world at large. I am trying to read up on how others are managing during this crisis. Research, another interest area, is also taking up my time. I am trying to read on research to possibly arrive at some solutions and possibly contribute personally.
A man is fighting for his life tonight after being stabbed at a flats complex in Dublins north inner city.

The victim, aged in his early 20s, suffered severe stab wounds shortly before 10pm tonight at the Dublin city council complex Ballybough House in Dublins north inner city.

A garda spokesman said he was rushed to the nearby Mater Hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Gardai believe the victim lives in the complex or in the immediate vicinity. However the circumstances of the stabbing are not known at this time.

The area has been sealed off for a forensic investigation and inquiries are ongoing.

No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
The latest:

Trump says new coronavirus guidelines will be announced Thursday

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that new guidelines regarding preventing the spread of coronavirus while reopening the economy will be announced at a news conference Thursday.

Trump announced that data suggests that nationwide, we are past the peak on new cases, citing flattening of the curve in Detroit and Denver, new cases declining in New York, and great progress in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and St. Louis.

These encouraging developments have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country, which well be announcing. Were going to be talking about that tomorrow; well be having a news conference tomorrow sometime during the afternoon. Were going to be announcing guidelines and well be talking about various states and it's very exciting, Trump said.

As CNN has reported, the new recommendations would mimic the social distancing guidelines the president announced in March and extended at the start of April; while not mandatory, they carry the weight of the federal government and the presidency.

The comments come the same day Trump was told by many business stakeholders that more testing was needed in order for Americans to return to work.



Checks arrive as damage to US economy continues to grow



Government relief checks began arriving in Americans bank accounts as the economic damage to the U.S. from the coronavirus piled up Wednesday and sluggish sales at reopened stores in Europe and China made it clear that business wont necessarily bounce right back when the crisis eases.

With lockdowns and other restrictions bringing factories to a shuddering halt, American industrial output shriveled in March, registering its biggest decline since the U.S. demobilized in 1946 at the end of World War II. And retail sales fell by an unprecedented 8.7%, with April expected to be far worse.

The worlds biggest economy began issuing one-time payments this week to tens of millions of people as part of its $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package, with adults receiving up to $1,200 each and $500 per child to help them pay the rent or cover other bills. The checks will be directly deposited into bank accounts or mailed to households, depending on how they filed their tax returns.

World surpasses 2 million cases

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 2 million on Wednesday, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.

COVID-19 had infected at least 2,006,513 people and killed at least 128,886 people globally as of Wednesday morning.

The United States leads with the most deaths and the most confirmed cases worldwide. There are at least 609,995 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 26,069 deaths from the disease.



US marks highest number of deaths in a day after several days of a downward trend

The U.S. recorded its highest number of coronavirus deaths in a day after several days in which the death toll had fallen or was nearly flat.



The daily death toll was 2,405 on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.

Despite the grim numbers, health officials have said they believe U.S. numbers are leveling, but warn states shouldn't yet ease up on social distancing measures, because a resurgence of the virus is highly likely once Americans begin getting out of the house again.

What will be key to preventing another deadly wave in the country are the tools to track and monitor new cases.

"You want your resources to be able to very efficiently in real-time identify, isolate and contact trace," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said.

In the meantime, finding the right time to reopen the country is still a work in progress.

A team led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has drafted a strategy to return the country to work that includes guidance for local and state governments on how to reopen the country safely and in phases, the Washington Post reported. CNN has reached out to the government agencies for comment.

Meanwhile, governors across the country have also begun diving into discussions about the first steps toward reopening their economies, with many of the nation's stay-at-home orders, as well as the federal government's social distancing guidelines, set to expire at the end of the month.

But many state leaders who are still seeing their number of cases climb say it's still too soon to begin thinking about lifting any measures.

How will states know when to reopen?

Nearly a dozen states have begun working together to determine what the first steps should be once stay-at-home orders are lifted.

But with experts cautioning that each state should be treated as a separate situation and assessed individually, there are still few answers to the questions of when each part of the country will begin reopening and what that will look like.

All that some state leaders have offered so far are indicators of when their state may begin thinking about reopening.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said he'll be working with Washington and Oregon to determine a path forward, announced Tuesday a set of indicators that will help the state pin down the right time to begin lifting measures.

Those include the state's ability to track and monitor infected individuals through testing, contact tracing and isolating procedures, as well as its ability to prevent infection of at-risk groups.

"Science, not politics must be the guide. It cannot be ideological," he said. "We can't get ahead of ourselves. ... I don't want to make a political decision. That puts people's lives at risk."



Starting at midnight, Los Angeles residents will be required to wear a face covering or mask while venturing out for essential services, County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told CNN.

Masks clearly are something that I think is here, and I believe is going to be here for a while, Barger said.

About sporting events and other mass gatherings, Barger said she believes they are unlikely until a vaccine for coronavirus is available. When it comes to bars and nightclubs, Barger said, I think thats way out there.

Fitness centers and gyms are also probably low on the list for reopening but many construction projects are considered essential and still working within social distancing guidelines.

"Masks definitely are going to be and are a must at all construction sites, Barger said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he is issuing an executive order that all people in the state must wear a mask or mouth and nose covering in public, whenever they are in a situation where they cannot maintain social distancing of 6 feet or less.

If you're going to get on public transit, you're going to get on a bus, you're going to get on a subway, you're going to stand on a subway platform, you're going to walk in a neighborhood that is busy, you're going to be on a sidewalk, you're going to pass other people on a sidewalk, you're not going to be able to maintain social distancing, you must wear a mask, Cuomo said.

There will be a three-day notice period before the order is enforced, allowing New Yorkers to secure masks or face coverings, Cuomo announced Wednesday afternoon.

Local governments should start to enforce it, but there won't be any penalties as of right now, he added.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told residents of his state he was expecting "difficult days and weeks ahead."

He said officials have begun conversations around reopening the state, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done before a plan is set into motion.

The state will need to have testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine procedures in place to reopen, the governor said.

Baker, who will work together with other governors of the Northeast in a plan toward reopening said that while his priority is doing "what's right for Massachusetts," it will also help staying in sync with other state leaders.

"I think it's going to be really important that we all pay attention to what the others are up to, and to make sure that nobody does anything that puts somebody in a really bad spot, because they just weren't thinking about what that impact was going to be on some other part of the Northeastern part of the U.S.," he said.



In Ohio, Director of the Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton said that the state would first need to see a sustained decrease in the number of new cases  so low that officials could trace each infected resident  before considering reopening the state.

But even when that happens, until there's a vaccine, daily life won't look like it did before, the state's governor said, and institutions will need to take precautions to prevent further infections.

"Until there is a vaccine  this monster is going to be working around us. When we start opening businesses and schools back up, it's going to be different," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.

We might not go back to normal for another 2 years

DeWine's assessment was underscored by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who published findings Tuesday that projected the U.S. may have to endure social distancing measures  such as stay-at-home orders and school closures  until 2022, unless a vaccine becomes available.

"Intermittent distancing may be required into 2022 unless critical care capacity is increased substantially or a treatment or vaccine becomes available," they wrote in their report.

Those findings directly contradict research cited by the White House that suggests the pandemic could stop by this summer.

And much like experts have already warned, the Harvard team warned that another round of the virus is possible once social distancing measures are lifted.

"Even in the event of apparent elimination, SARS-CoV-2 surveillance should be maintained since a resurgence in contagion could be possible as late as 2024," they wrote.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday issued emergency use authorizations for two new coronavirus antibody tests, which are able to detect past infections after people have recovered.

A total of three tests are now authorized by the agency, which determined that the benefits of using the quickly-designed tests during the pandemic outweigh the risks  such as false negatives or false positives.

The tests, which use blood samples instead of a swab, are limited to use in authorized laboratories. Instead of looking for traces of the virus, they look for our bodys response to the virus: antibodies.

The FDA, though, is warning that the tests could lead to false negatives, since antibodies arent present at the earliest stages of infection.

A negative result may occur if you are tested early in your illness and your body hasnt had time to produce antibodies to infection, the agency said in fact sheets published Wednesday.

While the tests may miss some recent infections, experts say theyre useful to understand how widespread the coronavirus really is  since they should be able to detect past infections, even if people had few or no symptoms.

Its unclear how long immunity might last after someone recovers from COVID-19, but the antibody tests could also offer insight into who may be protected against re-infection.
A Derry woman has won a prestigious poetry award.

Clare Gallagher was this week announced as the winner of the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2020 for her poem 'Meabh at a Mirror'.

The award is regarded as one of the most important in the world of emerging poets and carries with it a lot of prestige.

It is the only award which the family of Seamus Heaney, who died in 2013, have allowed his name to be associated with.

The Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2020 has been organised for the past six years by the

Community Arts Partnership with the financial support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

People are initially invited to submit poems for a poetry book.

Judges then decide on a longlist of poems which go forward to be considered for the overall award.

This year, 14 poems made it on to the longlist.

Of these, Ms Gallagher's poem was chosen as the winner.

It was originally planned that the winner of the award would be announced at a ceremony at the Seamus Heaney Homeplace Centre in Bellaghy,

However, the event was cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the winner was instead announced this week online.

It was the second major accolade for Ms Gallagher this year.

In February, another of her poems, The Clearance, was chosen as the monthly winner of the New Irish Writing award by the Irish Times.

As a result, the poem was published in the paper.

Ms Gallagher is a primary school teacher.

She writes both poetry and fiction and has been published in local anthologies and journals.

As a finalist in the Bath Spa 25-Word Novel Competition in 2017, her work was published in The Guardian and recorded by Jeremy Irons.

In July 2019, she was selected to attend a week-long poetry masterclass with Carol Ann Duffy and Michael Woods in Scotland.

Below is the poem for which Ms Gallagher won the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2020.

--------------------------------

Meabh at a Mirror

You lean over the pink plastic sink, smile at finding

yourself in a mirror. Theres nothing you dont yet like.

I envy you your ease. You strike the tap

and it sings back,

This is the way

we wash our face.



The mirror is cheap and narrow but you may

get used to it; you will grow up in glass.

Each day, it will take a copy of you.

Its just getting started. Bone structure. Eyes.

Symmetry. Skin.



Youll take its likeness too: borrow

its tendency towards reflection, its ability

to hold when shattered, its need always

to give something back.

In time youll try to give these back,



only to number them

among the nonreturnables. And so

you will walk towards it, invite mirrors

into the rooms of your house, place them

where light is kindest



I can do little

about what you will see there.

And I am too early to speak

of shallow waters, you are young

and in love with yourself.



Instead

I turn the plastic tap

and we smile to the sound

of a tiny sink

filling with nothing at all.
Oregons federal public defender said Wednesday she fears an inmates suicide and other reports shes received of inmates harming themselves stem in part from the continued coronavirus lockdown at the federal prison in Sheridan.

Though Lisa Hay said she didnt know exactly why the inmates chose to hurt themselves, she said the prisoners face unprecedented strain from having to stay in their cells with no visits from family or friends or their attorneys.

The psychological and physical stress of the 14-day lockdown is becoming overwhelming for some of the inmates and detainees at Sheridan according to reports we are receiving, said Hay, who runs the federal governments Public Defenders Office in Oregon.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons this week extended the lockdown through May 18.

Sheridans population has fallen by 17 inmates from 1,804 to 1,787 since Attorney General William Barr on April 3 ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons to review all at-risk inmates for consideration for early release, according to Hay.

She said thats not enough and has called on the warden of the sole federal prison in Oregon to alert the U.S. District Court that inmates over 65, who face a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus, are eligible for compassionate release.

A judge would then decide case by case -- without having to wait 30 days for the wardens decision on a defendants eligibility as is required under federal law. One of the compassionate release motions that Hay has filed for an inmate was rejected by a judge, who found the inmate hadnt exhausted that 30-day administrative step through the warden of the Sheridan prison.

Instead of going through that long administrative review process, which they dont have the staff to accomplish right now, they should send those directly to the courts, Hay said.

Inmates are locked in their cells now, she said, and have almost no ability to request compassionate release from the warden themselves.

This is a crisis, Hay said. We need many hands helping before the coronavirus infects those at Sheridan.

Federal prosecutors in Oregon have argued in cases that have already made it to court that the 30-day requirement for a warden to respond to an inmates petition for compassionate release is important to obtain and review an inmates medical records and give victims a chance to weigh in.

No inmate or staff at the prison in Sheridan is known to have tested positive. Nationwide, 451 federal inmates and 280 federal prison staff have confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16 inmates have died from the disease, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

A map showing the locations of federal prisons or regional re-entry centers, better known as halfway houses, where either staff or inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Hay said she was disturbed by a suicide at the prison early Monday.

She also has received reports from other inmates at Sheridan of two inmates who severely cut themselves  one who slashed himself in the neck, she said.

Its not known if the lockdown played any role in Brian Cluffs decision to kill himself. He was found unresponsive in his cell and an autopsy found that he died by hanging. The FBI is investigating.

The 47-year-old Idaho man had been in custody at Sheridan since last December serving a sentence of 26 years and 10 months for conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine and gun possession.

Suicide rates increased from 8.1 per 100,000 federal inmates in fiscal 2016 to 14.7 per 100,000 inmates in fiscal 2018, with 66 inmates who died from suicide during that time, according to the bureau. Information on number of suicides at the prison in Sheridan wasnt immediately available.

No one at the prison or from the Bureau of Prisons responded to requests for information about steps being taken to prevent inmates from hurting themselves.

Sue Allison, a spokeswoman for the prisons bureau, said three inmates have died by suicide in federal-operated facilities since Jan. 1. The Bureau is providing "enhanced screening'' of inmates placed in quarantine or isolation due to confirmed COVID-19 or high-risk exposure, with a psychologist required to see an inmate within 24 hours of their placement in such conditions.

"Inmate suicide prevention remains a high priority and anytime inmates report or are suspected of being at elevated risk of suicide, a suicide risk assessment is completed consistent with the Bureau suicide prevention policy,'' Allison said. "A portion of the Bureau inmates are classified as needing frequent, routine treatment. Psychologists continue to monitor these inmates closely and ensure they are being seen on a regular basis.

On its website, the agency says it recognizes that incarceration can be stressful for both inmates and their family members and that the agency works to educate its staff and inmates on suicide prevention.

According to the bureau, when an inmate arrives at a prison, theyre given information about mental health services available.

The BOP's suicide rate is lower than that of the United States population as a whole, however, one life lost is one too many, its website says.

On Wednesday, the Office of the Inspector General also announced it will be starting remote inspections at various Bureau of Prisons facilities, to ensure the agency is complying with the governments guidance and best practices to prevent and contain a coronavirus outbreak behind bars. The goal is to assist the Bureau of Prisons in "mitigating the health risks arising from the pandemic,'' according to the Inspector Generals office.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.

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Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter
- Providing strategic counsel to Lazard's global Restructuring practice -

Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) announced today that Christopher Mallon will join Lazard Financial Advisory as a Senior Adviser, effective immediately. Christopher has more than 30 years of restructuring advisory experience, serving in senior roles advising a number of companies. Christopher worked most recently as a Senior Restructuring Partner at the global law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher Flom LLP.

As a Senior Adviser, Christopher will provide strategic counsel to Lazard's global Restructuring practice and its clients across industry groups. Based in London, he will work closely with Cyrus Kapadia, UK CEO of Financial Advisory, and Richard Stables and David Burlison, Restructuring Managing Directors, as well as Lazard's Restructuring, M&A and capital markets professionals across Lazard's global network.

David Burlison, Managing Director and Co-Head of Lazard's EMEA Restructuring practice said, "Chris is an outstanding restructuring adviser with a formidable reputation built over decades advising on many high-profile assignments. His experience and connectivity will bolster our market-leading global Restructuring practice and strengthen our ability to help clients navigate the fundamental challenges impacting their businesses.''

Christopher Mallon said, "Lazard is recognised as the leading global restructuring advisory firm. Having worked alongside and across the table from Lazard on many occasions, I have experienced first-hand the quality of the Restructuring team and how it works closely with Lazard's industry groups and capital advisory professionals. I look forward to leveraging my experience for the benefit of Lazard's clients."

Christopher is a member of the Insolvency Lawyers Association, the International Insolvency Institute and the City of London Law Society. Christopher will continue as Non-Executive Director to GCX Limited, a role he has held since May 2019. He will also continue as co-editor of "The Law and Practice of Restructuring in the UK and US."

Lazard's Restructuring Group is one of the leading restructuring practices globally. Its practitioners, based in many jurisdictions across the world, combine an extensive knowledge of restructuring strategies with M&A expertise, credit analysis skills, capital markets knowledge, industry expertise and negotiation experience in distressed situations. Lazard has advised on many of the largest and most complex restructuring assignments. Recent examples include Abengoa, Forever 21, Global Cloud Xchange, Interserve, OTAS, PG&E, Seadrill, and Weatherford International.

Ends

About Lazard

Lazard, one of the world's preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, operates from 40 cities across 25 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Central and South America. With origins dating to 1848, the firm provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, strategic matters, restructuring and capital structure, capital raising and corporate finance, as well as asset management services to corporations, partnerships, institutions, governments and individuals. For more information, please visit www.lazard.com. Follow @Lazard

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005569/en/

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Thiruvananthapuram, April 16 : Continuing his tirade against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday named Vijayan as the first accused on the data transfer of Covid-19 suspects to a US-based PR and marketing firm Sprinklr.

"Vijayan is the first accused in this data fraud case as this is an agreement with an international marketing and PR firm, but there is not a single government file that is there. (Do not know, if something has now been made out) More importantly, data in international parlance is the most priceless thing and according to estimates this transfer of data is worth Rs 200 crore in the international market and it could go as high as Rs 700 crore," said Chennithala to the media.

Chennithala was responding to Vijayan's point to point rebuttal on the issue.

"Am very happy that Vijayan, yesterday (Wednesday) agreed to quite a few things that I have raised. We are now told that this US company was working in Kerala since the days of floods (2018). Now this company is using the defence of Vijayan as accolades and is used to further their interest there. So we wish to know from Vijayan, how long has this company been working in our state," said Chennithala and added that it's quite mysterious when Vijayan, who even informs the media that he has taken steps to give food even to the ants in the state, has never ever mentioned a word of this 'free service' being provided by this US firm.

On Wednesday, Vijayan said he has nothing to hide in this as state-owned C-DIT will have the full control of the data and so, there will be no data leaks and some people want to create a smokescreen over a non-issue.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Love: Husband and wife Mindy Brock and Ben Cayer, who are nurses at Tampa General Hospital in Florida, give each other a reassuring embrace in full protective gear before their shift on a coronavirus team. The photo was taken by chief nurse anaesthetist Nicole Hubbard in recent weeks and posted on Facebook, where it went viral. Picture: AP

Japan could suffer more than 400,000 deaths from coronavirus if the country does not follow social distancing rules and other measures, according to a dire projection released by its health ministry yesterday.

Research commissioned by the government and carried out by Hokkaido University found that in a worst-case scenario, Japan could see some 850,000 people fall seriously ill as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The report projected that 420,000 of those would die, because the country's health system would not have the numbers of intensive care units or ventilators to cope with so many seriously ill people.

Coronavirus cases have been shown to be particularly severe among older people, and Japan has the world's oldest population. The country has avoided a total lockdown and Japanese companies have been slow to adapt to remote working protocols, prompting fears that the country has done too little, too late to respond to the pandemic.

The new projections should serve as a wake-up call for people to enforce social distancing more stringently, said Hokkaido University professor Hiroshi Nishiura, one of the leading experts advising the government on its coronavirus response. "We can stop the transmission if all of us change our activity and significantly reduce interactions," he told said.

Japan has had more than 8,800 cases of infection and 231 deaths, including about 700 positive cases from a cruise ship that was quarantined at a port near Tokyo earlier this year.

Tokyo has been particularly hard hit by the virus, with about a quarter of the country's cases, and with more hospitals and even hotels taking in patients to maintain isolation.

A panel of medical experts has warned that the healthcare system in the capital is on the brink of collapse.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other districts on April 7, and then extended it nationwide on Saturday. But rather than enforce a lockdown, the government has merely requested citizens not to congregate in restaurants, bars and nightclubs, which remain open.

Mr Abe said that in order for the emergency declaration to be lifted within a month, "social interactions must be reduced by 80pc, or at least 70pc". "To achieve this, people's further co-operation is needed," he said.

The government has declined to offer compensation for workers who have lost earnings, and is accused of doing little to help an office culture bound to fax machines and old-school paper seals make the move online.

According to one 'New York Times' report, companies applying for remote working support because of coronavirus must print out a 100-page application and deliver it in person.

Worldwide, deaths have topped 130,000 and confirmed infections have surpassed two million, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University in the US.

The figures understate the true size of the crisis, in part because of limited testing, different ways of counting the dead, and concealment by some governments

The US has reported approximately 27,000 deaths - the highest in the world - and more than 600,000 confirmed infections, by Johns Hopkins' count.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said residents would now be required to wear face coverings when they are near others, such as on the street or a subway platform. He said there would initially be no penalties for violating the measure.

"It can be a mask. It can be a cloth. It can be a bandanna. Make it colourful. Make it advertising," he said. "What's the big deal?"
It's been 20 years since Looking for Alibrandi hit movie screens in Australia.

And to mark the milestone, the film's stars Pia Miranda and Kick Gurry have reunited for a nostalgic photo shoot.

On Thursday, Pia, 46, shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a photo shoot with WHO magazine on Instagram.

Just like old times: Looking for Alibrandi stars Pia Miranda, 46, and Kick Gurry, 41, reunited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic film by posing for a nostalgic photo shoot for WHO magazine this Thursday

The actress wore a purple floral-print gown that featured a racy thigh slit, and a pair of black heeled sandals.

Meanwhile Kick (whose real name is Christopher), 41, dressed in a plain white T-shirt, black jeans and sneakers.

The two create appear to look at each other adoringly, somewhat re-creating the same chemistry they did while creating the iconic coming-of-age film.

Iconic film: Looking for Alibrandi centres on the life of seventeen-year-old Josie Alibrandi as she struggles to accept her Italian culture, meets her long-lost father, attends a private girls school and navigates her first romance. Pictured film still of Pia and Kick together

Looking for Alibrandi is based on the 1992 novel by Melina Marchetta, and the 2000 film was directed by Kate Woods.

The story centres on the life of seventeen-year-old Josie Alibrandi as she struggles to accept her Italian culture, meets her long-lost father, attends to a private girls school and navigates her first romance.

Since making the film Pia went on to star on TV with roles in The Secret Life of Us and Wentworth.

She also is married to musician Luke Hanigan, and they share two children Lily, 10, and James, seven.

Winner, winner! More recently, the actress was crowned the winner of last year's Australian Survivor: Champions vs Contenders, taking home a $500,000 cash prize

At home in Hollywood: Meanwhile, Kick is now based in Los Angeles and has actings credits to his name on big name films such as Speed Racer, Jupiter Ascending and War Machine with Brad Pitt. Pictured: Kick on the red carpet in Los Angeles, 2017

More recently, the actress won last year's Australian Survivor: Champions vs Contenders and took home a $500,000 cash prize.

Meanwhile, Kick is now based in Los Angeles and has actings credits to his name on big name films such as Speed Racer, Jupiter Ascending and War Machine with Brad Pitt.

Looking for Alibrandi also starred embattled actor and film director Matthew Newton, who is the son of Australian TV legends Bert and Patti Newton.
New Delhi, April 16 : Probe agencies in India are tracking the banking exposure of UAE based billionaire B R Shetty who is now facing several charges.

Reports suggest that Indian billionaire B.R. Shetty has flown to India as legal troubles are mounting in his UAE based companies, NMC Health and UAE Exchange, Arabian Business reported.

According to reports, Shetty has not been in UAE for atleast a month and five active legal cases are being pursued there.

Indian agencies will be looking at Shetty's exposure to Indian banks given the active legal cases in UAE pertaining to fraud and forgery.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, which has the largest exposure to NMC Healthcare, has filed a criminal complaint, alleging "fraud and forgery" against six people, including founder B.R. Shetty, and former CEO Prasnath Manghat, linked to the embattled group, Khaleej Times reported.

ADCB confirmed the move in a statement on Wednesday but did not identify the accused.

As per the report, besides Shetty and Manghat, other four accused as Suresh Kumar, Prashanth Shenoy, Saeed Mohamed Butti Mohamed Al Qebaisi and Khaleefa Butti Omair Yousif Ahmad Al Muhairi.

ADCB said it was "acting on its own behalf and on behalf of its subsidiary Al Hilal Bank and its acquired bank United National Bank". The charges levelled against the accused include forgery of financial records and fraud.

"The fraud was committed as a result of collusion between the accused to fabricate and use forged financial statements in which they had willfully misstated the accumulated liabilities of the NMC Group," said the complaint.
Lori Templeman knew she had connected when she received a thank you message from the Lincoln County Sheriffs office.

Templeman, a fitness instructor with Lincoln City Parks and Recreation, was the DJ for a Zoom dance party Wednesday to thank the areas essential workers who have stayed on the job during the coronavirus pandemic.

The sheriffs office not only participated enthusiastically in the dance party, but sheriff Curtis Landers was in costume.

Asked if she previously knew Landers had serious dance moves, Templeman paused and said: I did not.

The sheriffs office employees were actually the funniest, Templeman said. I went back and watched the footage. It was hilarious.

Having a good time was the idea. Lincoln City Parks and Reccreation has been using Zoom as a way to keep connected to the community after the coronavirus forced the office shut its doors to the public and curtail in-person programming.

When Zoom fitness classes and dance sessions proved popular, city parks and recreation director Jeanne Sprague conferred with her employees. They decided a superhero-themed dance party would be a great way to show appreciation for frontline hospital, public safety and grocery workers.

They got the word out with phone calls and emails.

Luckily, this is a tight-knit community and word spread, Sprague said.

Templeman put together a playlist of songs with a superhero motif. Once the show started rocking, she said there were somewhere between 35 and 40 engaged Zoom squares.

Some of the squares had multiple dancers, she said. I would say we had over 40 people that took part. It was wonderful to see. 

It was 20 minutes to step away, dance it out and smile. It was great seeing people react to other people. If you looked at the different squares you could see what everybody was doing.

No matter how crazy or discombobulated it was.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

Different people would laugh, and smile and get a kick out of it, Templeman said.

Even the Parks & Rec employees were cutting it up.

I dont know if you define any of us as dancers, Sprague said. But seriously, its fun. And its funny.

Lincoln Citys Zoom dance parties will continue. The next one is at 3 p.m. Friday. It will have an 80s theme.

The next dance party to honor frontline workers will be Tuesday, April 28, also at 3 p.m. A bigger crowd is expected.

Templeman, meanwhile, is growing into her role as DJ.

I need a DJ name, she mused, before turning serious about why first resonders frontline workers are superheroes.

The dance party is just a way to say thank you, she said.

-- Ken Goe

kgoe@oregonian.com | @KenGoe

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial and territorial leaders will speak tonight about ways to better protect those in long-term care facilities, which have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial and territorial leaders will speak tonight about ways to better protect those in long-term care facilities, which have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

Topping the agenda for the weekly first ministers' conference call is Trudeau's promise of federal support to top up the wages of personal support workers and other front-line health workers in long-term care homes.

The objective is to encourage more of those essential workers to stay on in those higher-risk jobs, and compensate them for orders in some provinces banning them from working in multiple facilities.

Roughly half of Canada's more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in long-term care facilities.

Trudeau promised Wednesday that the federal government would provide financial assistance to essential workers who earn less than $2,500 a month.

But the federal government wants to co-ordinate its support with measures taken by provincial governments.

Quebec has already announced it will top up the wages of essential workers in nursing homes.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his province will follow suit but first he wants to see what Ottawa intends to offer.

"It's very simple. These people are working day in and day out and they need to have their wages enhanced, in my opinion," Ford said Thursday.

"So we need their support, we need the federal support. Yes, we'll come to the table as well, but I want to see what the federal government has to offer."

Ontario has issued an emergency order, starting April 22, that will prevent long-term care staff from working at multiple homes. The province has acknowledged some outbreaks in those facilities were the result of staff who work in two or three homes and inadvertently spread the virus between facilities.

Health-care workers' unions have long raised the issue, saying staff often work at multiple facilities because they're unable to get full-time positions.

At his daily briefing earlier Thursday, Trudeau said he'll be talking with premiers later in the day "about how to ensure better protection for our elders in long-term care."

"It is impossible to imagine the anguish that families and indeed our elders are going through in this situation. There is so much fear, so much uncertainty," he said.

"We need to do a better job of being there for them. The federal government is looking at ways to support the provinces as they deal with this issue. We're discussing pay top-ups for people who work in those situations because the conditions are getting more and more difficult."

Trudeau added that there are also "more regulations" that can be discussed to better protect the most vulnerable. He did not elaborate.

One measure the premiers have ruled out, however, is having the federal government invoke the never-before-used Emergencies Act, which would give it sweeping powers to override the provinces and restrict the flow of goods and people, among other things.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, chair of the premiers' council, sent Trudeau a letter Wednesday saying provincial and territorial leaders are agreed that the act is not needed. They believe provincial and federal governments already have all the powers they need to address the pandemic.

Trudeau has said he hopes the act, which he's called a "last resort," will never be needed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.
Coronavirus cases in Turkey have reach almost 70,000 with the addition of 4,281 new cases, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday.

Stating that there were 115 more deaths from the coronavirus in the country over the past 24 hours, Koca said on his Twitter account that these new numbers bring the death toll to 1,518.

So far, a total of 5,674 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

He also said 34,090 tests were conducted over the past day, with the overall number of tests reaching 477,716.

READ: Coronavirus cases in Turkey reach almost 70,000 with addition of 4,281 new infections

Crews tracking patient contacts break the cycle of outbreak in Turkey

A team tasked with tracking contacts of COVID-19 patients poses outside the headquarters of the public health directorates pandemic center in Ankara, Turkey, April 15, 2020. (AA Photo)

Filyasyon  A method basically involving putting a halt to the chain of infections by tracking down coronavirus patients and whoever they were in contact with.

READ: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/crews-tracking-patient-contacts-break-the-cycle-of-outbreak-in-turkey/news

Clean Environment, Healthy Fethiye!

First prisoners released from Dalaman and Seydikemer prisons

Turkey released the first batch of prisoners on Wednesday after the parliament ratified a penal reform law to stem the spread of coronavirus in jails. The law was passed on Tuesday by a 270-51 vote.

Some 2,700 prisoners were released from Dalaman and Seydikemer Esen prisons after necessary procedures by gendarmerie forces. The evacuated convicts underwent health checks, given masks to wear and transported by Metro Turizm buses.

The penal reform law enables house arrest for some inmates over 65, women who have children aged six and under, and sick prisoners who cannot take care of themselves.

The measures will roughly double the number of people of people serving non-custodial sentences from about 45,000 to 90,000.

The law excludes prisoners convicted for sex and drug crimes, first degree murder, violence against women and terror acts.

Source: https://gercekfethiye.com/seydikemer-ve-dalamandan-tahliyeler-basladi/26718/

EasyJet weighs up empty middle seats once coronavirus rules are eased

EasyJet said winter bookings were well ahead of last year. It includes customers who were rebooking flights following the Covid-19 outbreak in recent weeks. Photograph: Paul Marriott/Rex/Shutterstock

EasyJet may keep middle seats empty to follow physical distancing rules once coronavirus travel restrictions are lifted, its chief executive has said.

Johan Lundgren said it was one of the options being explored as the low-cost airline started planning for flights to resume, following the grounding of EasyJets entire fleet on 30 March. The chief executive said a drop in passenger demand would make it easier to keep middle seats empty when travel restrictions are eased.

Lundgren said it was too soon to say when flights would be back to normal and how profits would be affected, but he said EasyJet had a dedicated data science team modelling various scenarios.

READ: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/16/easyjet-weighs-up-empty-middle-seats-once-coronavirus-rules-are-eased#_=_

Transfer options for British Nationals to Istanbul

Source: UKinTurkey

Coming weeks critical as Europes Covid-19 deaths pass 90,000

The World Health Organizations European office says despite some optimistic signs in some of the countries worst hit by the new coronavirus, the number of cases was rising and approaching one million in the continent alone. We remain in the eye of the storm, WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, tells an online news conference, urging countries to put adequate controls in place before easing lockdown restrictions.

READ: Coming weeks critical as Europes Covid-19 deaths pass 90,000

COVID-19 and lockdown: The unbearable lightness of being home

When another day stuck at home seems unbearable, take some time to remind yourself of the many important reasons to stay inside. (iStock Photo)

Many of us are realizing that we dont need much and that having just what we truly want and crave can actually be more fulfilling, thus self-isolation is truly teaching us the lesson that less is more.

Have a read of this great article by Leyla Yvonne Ergil:

COVID-19 and lockdown: The unbearable lightness of being home

Global statistics

The number of global coronavirus cases surpassed 2 million on Wednesday.

There are now 2,108,792 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, of which 526,053 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 137,053.

Source: Worldometer.

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Todays featured image: Moorings by Lyn Ward
This artists concept shows the trajectory and configuration of NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during Checkpoint rehearsal, which is the first time the mission will practice the initial steps for collecting a sample from asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

After the successful completion of its "Checkpoint" rehearsal, NASA's first asteroid-sampling spacecraft is one step closer to touching down on asteroid Bennu. Yesterday, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft performed the first practice run of its sample collection sequence, reaching an approximate altitude of 246 feet (75 meters) over site Nightingale before executing a back-away burn from the asteroid. Nightingale, OSIRIS-REx's primary sample collection site, is located within a crater in Bennu's northern hemisphere.

The four-hour Checkpoint rehearsal took the spacecraft through the first two of the sampling sequence's four maneuvers: the orbit departure burn and the Checkpoint burn. Checkpoint is so named because it is the location where the spacecraft autonomously checks its position and velocity before adjusting its trajectory down toward the location of the event's third maneuver.

Four hours after departing its 0.6-mile (1-km) safe-home orbit, the spacecraft performed the Checkpoint maneuver at an approximate altitude of 410 feet (125 meters) above Bennu's surface. From there, the spacecraft continued to descend for another nine minutes on a trajectory towardbut not reachingthe location of the sampling event's third maneuver, the "Matchpoint" burn. Upon reaching an altitude of approximately 246 ft (75 m)  the closest the spacecraft has ever been to BennuOSIRIS-REx performed a back-away burn to complete the rehearsal.

During the rehearsal, the spacecraft successfully deployed its sampling arm, the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), from its folded, parked position out to the sample collection configuration. Additionally, some of the spacecraft's instruments collected science and navigation images and made spectrometry observations of the sample site, as will occur during the sample collection event.

This first rehearsal provided the mission team with practice navigating the spacecraft through both the orbit departure and Checkpoint maneuvers and with an opportunity to verify that the spacecraft's imaging, navigation and ranging systems operated as expected during the first part of the descent sequence. Checkpoint rehearsal also gave the team confirmation that OSIRIS-REx's Natural Feature Tracking (NFT) guidance system accurately estimated the spacecraft's position and speed relative to Bennu as it descended toward the surface.

The mission team has maximized remote work over the last month of preparations for the Checkpoint rehearsal, as part of the COVID-19 response. On the day of rehearsal, a limited number of personnel monitored the spacecraft's telemetry from Lockheed Martin Space's facility, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Arizona, taking appropriate safety precautions, while the rest of the team performed their roles remotely.

"This rehearsal let us verify flight system performance during the descent, particularly the autonomous update and execution of the Checkpoint burn," said Rich Burns, OSIRIS-REx project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Executing this monumental milestone during this time of national crisis is a testament to the professionalism and focus of our team. It speaks volumes about their 'can-do' attitude and hopefully will serve as a bit of good news in these challenging times."

The spacecraft will travel all the way to the asteroid's surface during its first sample collection attempt, scheduled for Aug. 25. During this event, OSIRIS-REx's sampling mechanism will touch Bennu's surface for approximately five seconds, fire a charge of pressurized nitrogen to disturb the surface and collect a sample before the spacecraft backs away. The spacecraft is scheduled to return the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023.

Explore further Rehearsal time for NASA's asteroid sampling spacecraft
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Think of a scientist and a lab-coat-wearing bod staring at a petri dish tends to spring to mind.

Dr Mike Gil is a living reminder that being a scientist can also involve adventuring in some of the earth's most remarkable and remote spots  amid some of its most astonishing creatures.

Mike, 34, you see, is a marine biologist and while, yes, his job does involve a fair dollop of non-adventuring, for around three months of the year he's like an aquatic Indiana Jones, exploring exotic marine realms to find out how humans affect its ecosystem treasures.

Fancy a dip? This stunning photograph shows what lies underwater around the coast of Moorea in French Polynesia - blacktip reef sharks, for starters

Paradise found: A stunning panorama of Moorea, which was an 'office' for Mike recently

He's come face to face with jellyfish the size of dustbin lids, watched courting whales, swum across tiger shark territory  in inky blackness  and visited a fair few paradise islands, Maiao and nearby Moorea in French Polynesia, for example.

He's a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz, but also, perhaps not surprisingly, a National Geographic Explorer.

Maiao, he told MailOnline Travel, is one of the most remote places he's visited.

He said: 'It's a tiny unspoiled tropical paradise with a few hundred residents. Visitors are so infrequent, that when my colleagues and I arrived on the island to survey the surrounding coral reefs - we were studying an outbreak of a coral-killing snail - the island's mayor and his whole family greeted us, unexpectedly, with a picnic. It was heartwarming, but became problematic while diving.'

The island, he reveals, is possibly his favourite location  a 'contender that's nearly impossible to beat'.

Not all visits to paradise are quite as serene, though.

Mike's wife, Heather Hillard, is also a marine biologist and they led a joint expedition to Thailand last summer - one that became enveloped in drama extremely rapidly.

When they touched down in Thailand they realised one of the islands they were going to was closed to visitors. Local businesses told them they could get to the island if they left straight away, so they did.

Hes behind you! Mike dives into the deep and stops to take a daring selfie with a shark

However, Heather was suffering from food poisoning and so did not enjoy the five-hour car ride and one-hour boat ride to the island.

When they arrived, Heather ran off to be violently ill and Mike helped the driver haul their 135kg luggage two kilometres across the beach to their accommodation  they were staying in a bungalow with elderly Thai hosts.

The low tide stopped the driver from pulling up to shore, so they trekked across the thin sand, carrying their bags overhead when parts of the beach became submerged in water.

Mike said: 'By the time we'd finished, my shoulders were cut up from the bag straps, and we were beat. I tipped our driver heavily - as you do in such circumstances - and he thanked us profusely before departing.'

Their hosts were the only people around as far as the eye could see.

Since their tiny rustic bungalow was right by the water Mike went for a snorkel while Heather rested inside.

Maiao (also Mai'ao), Mike told MailOnline Travel, is one of the most remote places he's visited

The sea, to Mike's delight, was teeming with fish and coral, a splendid reward after a hard journey.

Heather wasn't having such a great time, though. She saw a giant rat crawl out of their bags with a granola bar it had found.

Mike continued: 'Our Thai hosts showed up quickly, laughed a fair bit at the situation, violently killed the rat in the bathroom, and then went about their day. To Heather's horror, the bathroom was covered in blood when she returned. When I got back from the snorkel, Heather wasn't a happy camper.'

That night a 'terrifyingly loud thunderstorm' hit and they thought the ocean was going to 'swallow the bungalow'.

The reef protected them, but the roof eventually gave way and a small waterfall fell into their room.

They moved to a different bungalow the next day.

Mike said that this enormous jellyfish, in the Gulf of Thailand, was one of the most amazing creatures he'd ever had a close encounter with

Fascinating, sometimes inconceivable, sea creatures, as well as beautiful locations, make regular appearances on Mike's travelling agenda.

He said: 'One of the strangest animals I've seen has to be a totally massive jellyfish  over a-foot-and-a-half wide [dustbin-lid sized] - that I nearly swam into by accident, while collecting data on fish behaviour in a remote coral reef in the Gulf of Thailand.

'The jelly was pushed nearshore by a big storm the night before. What made this encounter so memorable wasn't just the size of the alien creature, but the fact that it had, living atop and within it, a whole ecosystem of critters -- hitchhikers, ranging from small crabs and brittlestars, to an entire school of juvenile fish. What's better than a free ride that provides structural defences in the form of massive stinging tentacles?'

In Moorea, meanwhile, he witnessed two humpback whales courting  a very rare spectacle to see close up.

Dinnertime: Mike took this amazing shot of a quartet of humpback whales 'lunge-feeding' on anchovies as birds swoop around in the hope of picking a few tit-bits

He's had a few shark encounters, too  and even bravely swum across a bay he said 'certainly could have contained tiger sharks' in pitch darkness.

This wasn't a swim he undertook out of choice, though. He did it after the engines on his boat died on the way back from a day studying coral reefs with a colleague.

The research station was within sight, but the receding tide was pulling the boat back out to sea, so a decision about whether to swim for it had to be made fast.

Recounting the story on a YouTube video, he says: 'We jump in and each take a piece of the anchor line and wrap it around our shoulders and we team-swim the boat back. All you can "see" is pitch blackness. The swim felt like it took hours, but it was about 35 minutes. We were very relieved we weren't a tiger shark snack.'

Mike's favourite animals to work with are coral reef fish, such as parrotfish, rabbitfish and surgeonfish, better known as the 'roving herbivores'.

In Moorea Mike and his wife, Heather (who took this picture), witnessed two humpback whales courting  a very rare spectacle to see close up

He said: 'They're not only beautiful, quirky animals, but they serve a critical purpose: clean coral reefs of algae that can otherwise take over and kill coral reefs, especially when we humans add pollution and overfishing to the equation.'

Mike actually hated science when he was a child and started as a journalism major in his first year of university.

On a whim, Mike applied for a scholarship to take a field course on marine ecology on Lizard Island, in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. He applied because he was interested in the island's name, not because he had a clue about marine ecology.

When he arrived on the island, he quickly realised his 19-year hatred of science was misdirected and took steps to protect our wildlife.

Deep-sea dinner: A hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelys imbricata) dines on a corallimorph at 80 feet

Mike said: 'I learned, first hand, that it was an exhilarating process of discovery limited only by the creativity of the scientist. I also fell in love with coral reefs on that trip. When I got back, I changed my major, and the rest, as they say, is history.'

Mike's lessons involve taking students into the field to show them how exhausting, challenging and rewarding the career is.

He took a group of students to Akumal, Mexico, for three weeks to show them marine research first-hand.

He said: 'I've taken many students into the field that think they want to be marine biologists. Some leave this experience further validated - others realise that they had no idea what they were getting into!'

His students never expected how tiring and unpredictable the job would be.

They spent five months planning how they would conduct their research but had to adapt all their methodology as soon as they saw their surroundings.

But at the end of the trip his students were amazed to see their research come together and realise the impact of their work.

Climb every mountain: Mike comes up for air and explores the islands he visits every now and then, even taking on Mooreas volcanic peak, Mount Rotui

Mike advises anyone interested in marine biology to get research experience first. It usually begins as an unpaid internship and gets better once you have your foot in the door.

Mike runs a YouTube channel and has given Ted talks to raise awareness about marine biology and share his incredible work with people.

He said: 'I get to dream up ideas and make discoveries that have the potential to help humanity. I also get to spend an inordinate amount of time in remote corners of the natural world, offering me sights and experiences that I could have only dreamed of as a kid.'

For more about Dr Mike Gil visit mikegil.com and you can find him on Twitter here.
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The great bell of Notre Dame rang out in a message of hope last night on the first anniversary of the fire that nearly destroyed the 850-year-old cathedral.

Parisians who watched in horror as flames engulfed the church on April 15, 2019 were applauding last night as the bell rang out to coincide with a tribute to medics battling coronavirus.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed the survival of Notre Dame as a 'symbol of the resilience of our people' and their 'capacity to overcome hardships'.

However, Macron's pledge to restore the cathedral in time for the Paris 2024 Olympics has been thrown into doubt by the pandemic, which has brought a halt to recovery work.

Parisians stand on a road on the banks of the Seine and listen as the great bell of Notre Dame rings out last night, one year exactly after the 850-year-old landmark was nearly destroyed by fire

The great bell of Notre Dame is rung last night by people wearing hazmat suits and masks - to protect them from lead, not coronavirus - one year on from the blaze in Paris

Before and after: The spire of Notre Dame is engulfed by flames (top image) during the nightmarish fire on April 15, 2019 which nearly destroyed the church. The bottom image shows the same view on Monday this week

Extensive repair work to rebuild much of the building's structure is on hold for the foreseeable future after lockdown measures stopped workers from accessing the site

The great bell had sounded just once since April 15 last year, when the blaze broke out and consumed the spire and the roof.

Officials say the fire came within 30 minutes of razing one of the Western world's most treasured pieces of heritage to the ground.

Last night's bell-ringers were wearing hazmat suits and masks last night to shield themselves from the huge quantities of toxic lead which were dispersed during the fire.

High in the southern belfry, the three bell-ringers took turns to heave on a rope and swing the bell's clapper for five minutes.

The bell sounded at 8pm, just as Parisians came out onto their balconies and leaned from windows to applaud the medics and carers battling the health crisis.

The outbreak has killed more than 17,000 people in France.

'The restoration of Notre Dame.. is a symbol of the resilience of our people, of their capacity to overcome hardships, and to recover,' President Emmanuel Macron said.

People listen to the great bell of Notre Dame ringing out on the banks of the Seine last night, one year after the fire

A group of Parisians - some of them wearing masks because of coronavirus - take pictures on their phones as they listen to the symbolic bell-ringing from Notre Dame

Flames on the roof of the Notre Dame cathedral make their way towards the steeple one year ago on Wednesday

Crowds flock on the bank (top) and look on in horror as flames ravage their way through Notre Dame. Bottom, the deserted work site shows the fragile structure as it awaits repair work

Notre Dame's cathedral rector Patrick Chauvet, Auxiliary Bishop of Paris Denis Jachiet and Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit attend a meditation ceremony in front of the holy crown of thorns to celebrate Good Friday in a secured part of the cathedral

Notre Dame rector Patrick Chauvet repositions the Crown of Thorns, a relic of the passion of Christ, after a meditation ceremony celebrating Good Friday

The above picture shows rubble and damage during preliminary work in the Cathedral conducted in May 2019

Prosecutors said the cause of the fire was still unclear. Above, parts of destroyed scaffolding sit blackened and charred with soot, as pictured in July 2019

Above, parts of a destroyed rib vault and scaffolding can be seen in July 2019, three months after the fire ravaged the cathedral

Twelve months ago, Parisians were lining the banks of the Seine, singing hymns and lighting candles as they watched the fire rage into the night before it was eventually extinguished.

Investigators have still not determined the cause of the fire though prosecutors say they suspect faulty electrical wiring or a poorly extinguished cigarette was at fault. The roof was under renovation at the time.

Pope Francis spoke at the time of the sadness he felt for the French people mourning the devastation of Notre Dame.

One such person was local artist Frederique Galey-Jacob who on Wednesday returned to the cathedral to sketch the scene.

'It allowed me to express my feelings, to fight against the feeling of powerlessness that we felt as it burned,' Galey-Jacob said. 'Its a need, I dont know how to explain it.'

As the bell stopped tolling, cheering erupted from surrounding streets.

Work to repair Notre Dame will resume once France's lockdown measures have been lifted. Above, one worker assesses the mounds of debris that need clearing

Despite extensive damage to the exterior of the building, many of its artefacts remained unscathed. Above, experts prepare to lift a statue out from within

Scaffolding at Notre Dame cathedral on Good Friday on April 10 in Paris. Easter celebrations took place in an unprecedented format in Paris at the time of the coronavirus crisis and the first anniversary of the fire of Notre Dame cathedral

Workers survey the extensive damage caused by the fire, though current lockdown measures mean the work site is devoid of employees tasked with the mammoth job of restoring the UNESCO heritage site

Macron reiterated a promise to rebuild Notre Dame within five years, though the works to ensure the cathedral is structurally sound are running months behind schedule, delayed first by winter storms and now by the pandemic.

'Our objective is to prepare the cathedral for mass on April 16, 2024,' said Jean-Louis Georgelin, the retired army general leading the restoration project.

'Of course, that doesn't mean everything will be finished.

The 60 to 70 workers who are normally on site have not yet removed the tangled web of metal scaffolding tubes that fused together in the inferno. Officials said the roof cannot be rebuilt in its original form.

Until this the metal scaffolding tubes are removed, workers cannot install a more durable temporary roof to protect the church's priceless artworks from rain.

The heart and transept at Notre Dame is pictured top in June 2018 and, bottom, the same view one day after a fire devastated the cathedral

Much of the debris has been removed from the nave, which allowed Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit to hold a small Good Friday ceremony in the church last week.

The cathedral's renowned organ must also be removed to have its nearly 8,000 pipes cleaned from a layer of lead dust deposited by the melting of the roof and spire.

Countless other cleaning and restoration operations await, and the project's chief architect Philippe Villeneuve has warned that new challenges could arise as the work progresses.

The southern belfry where the 13-tonne bell - cast in 1681 and the second biggest in France - is housed, is structurally undamaged. The three celebrated 'rose windows' also survived against the odds.

It is traditionally rung for major religious celebrations, papal visits and presidential funerals, and has sounded once since the fire, in September 2019, in tribute to former President Jacques Chirac who died that month.

Flames and smoke rise from the blaze at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris that destroyed its spire and its roof, but spared its twin medieval bell towers

An aerial shot of the fire damage just days after the fire erupted reveals the extend of the damage. Close to $1 billion has been pledged worldwide to fund the cost of repairs

France's ultra-rich have pledged huge donations to help restore the cathedral, including billionaires Bernard Arnault and Francois-Henri Pinault among the biggest donors

Above, work begins on the roof of the site in September 2019, four months after the devastating blaze. Officials have still yet to decide whether to rebuild the cathedral exactly as it was using traditional techniques and materials, or adopt a more modern approach to its restoration

Photos from within Notre Dame show the one of the famous northern Rose windows amid the debris. Despite damage, all three of the church's iconic stained-glassed windows survived the blaze

A combination of two pictures shows (top) people attending a mass in June 2018, a stark comparison to the devastation pictured (bottom) a day after the fire tore through the cathedral
New Delhi, April 16 : After doing her duty from morning to evening, IPS officer Shalini Singh, who is the Joint Commissioner of Police (West Zone), never returns to her home. Instead, she visits every checkpost in her area to encourage the police personnel who have been deployed on 'corona duty'.

Everyday Singh begins work by arranging food and other essential items for needy people with the help of her colleagues. She stays with the police staff -- whether men or women -- voluntarily preparing food for poor people, ensuring social distancing and spares time to encourage her female subordinates who are voluntarily preparing masks to distribute.

It has been 22-23 days since the lockdown was implemented but she never thinks of going home as she believes that people need her more than her family. "Hunger, tiredness, boredom or laziness etc., they would capture you whenever you think about these things, hence, I am totally engaged in serving people whether they are common citizens or my staff. I can take rest any time in future but this time people need me," Singh told IANS when asked how she manages.

Speaking about her routine she said, "A total of three -- Dwarka, Outer and West -- districts come under my jurisdiction and I am supposed to supervise them. Besides, on humanitarian grounds and being a senior, I have other responsibilities as well. Hence, I try to reach each and every one of my staff." When asked how the women police personnel in her area prepare face masks for 10-12 hours on a war-footing besides performing their other duties, she said: "When you do anything with your own will and an intent to serve, then it never feels like a burden, and tiredness can't even touch you." All the districts in west Delhi share a border with Haryana which increases the possibility of liquor smuggling. The Joint CP said that smugglers tried their best to bring liquor from Haryana to the national capital but the Delhi Police have foiled all their attempts. The best example of it is Haridas Nagar Police Station where the maximum cases of liquor smuggling have been filed. The smugglers believe that no one would check during the lockdown but the police are always one step ahead of criminals.

"For instance, a man tried to smuggle the liquor in LPG cylinder by cutting it from the bottom but the police caught him. In many incidents, the criminals tried to run over the police personnel in an attempt to flee but nothing worked before us. Still, liquor smuggling is a big problem for Delhi Police," Singh concluded.

(Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be reached at sanjeev.c@ians.in)
Press Release

16 April 2020

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is teaming up with Serta, Inc., the nation's leading mattress brand, to contribute to its "Stay Home, Send Beds" initiative, which is providing bed donations to help address nationwide shortages at hospitals and temporary medical facilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning today, members of Choice Hotels' award-winning Choice Privileges loyalty program can donate their points towards beds for hospitals in need, and Choice will increase the impact by matching 100 percent of donated Choice Privileges points for a limited time. All Serta mattress donations are being facilitated through Relief Bed International, a nonprofit organization that provides beds to impoverished people and disaster victims around the world.

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"We are so grateful to our nation's tireless healthcare workers and recognize the increased needs and demands hospitals are facing to support and treat those affected by COVID-19," said Robert McDowell, chief commercial officer, Choice Hotels. "We want to do our part to help those on the front lines and facilitate care for those in need, and right now, every bed counts. Our customers are looking for ways to safely give back during this pandemic, and we're proud to give them a way to do just that by supporting communities in need and contributing to this important cause."

This is the latest example of the ongoing efforts by Choice and its franchisees to support those impacted by COVID-19 and local communities, including:

American Red Cross: Choice Hotels is a member of the Red Cross Disaster Responder Program, which ensures the American Red Cross is prepared to respond to disasters and meet the needs of those affected anytime and anywhere across the United States. Guests can aid this life-saving organization by redeeming Choice Privileges points that convert to a cash donation.

Choice Hotels is a member of the Red Cross Disaster Responder Program, which ensures the American Red Cross is prepared to respond to disasters and meet the needs of those affected anytime and anywhere across the United States. Guests can aid this life-saving organization by redeeming Choice Privileges points that convert to a cash donation. Operation Homefront : Due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, family members of ill or injured service members are being displaced from their current housing. Choice is providing Choice Privileges points donations towards hotel rooms to help these families during this transition. Choice Privileges loyalty members are also able to donate points to benefit this cause.

: Due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, family members of ill or injured service members are being displaced from their current housing. Choice is providing Choice Privileges points donations towards hotel rooms to help these families during this transition. Choice Privileges loyalty members are also able to donate points to benefit this cause. International Franchise Association: Choice is supporting the association's Franchising Gives Back program, which provides education, resources and direct financial support to small businesses and local non-profit partners across the country. Choice Privileges members can donate points to the program to help fund initiatives contributing to communities and families in need, and Choice is currently matching the first 5 million points donated.

Choice hotels are also offering discounted hotel rates to essential workers and volunteers serving communities across the country during the COVID-19 crisis. The company's Choice Cares rate is available at participating locations to all workers and volunteers identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers.

"Our franchisees are some of the most dedicated and inspiring people on the frontlines, putting their staff and communities at the forefront of their action," added McDowell. "We applaud the commitment of our owners in opening their doors to essential workers, providing care packages and supplies to the individuals who need them, and making a difference in numerous other ways for their hotels and communities during this time of need."

Choice hotels across the nation are housing members of the National Guard, first responders, essential healthcare staff and various other groups affected by the pandemic. For example, a Sleep Inn in Harrisonburg, Virginia, has donated all of its rooms for medical professionals to quarantine and protect their families. Countless franchisees are also supporting their communities in other practical and creative ways. Some hotels, such as the Ascend Esquire Hotel in Gastonia, North Carolina, are using their restaurants to provide free meals or vouchers to furloughed and essential workers. The Cambria Hotel & Suites in Traverse City, Michigan, thanked local healthcare professionals by contributing to goody bags as part of the local "Community Care Project" and donated sheets to "Seamstresses for Safety," which were used to make gowns and masks for healthcare workers. In addition, the WoodSpring Suites hotel in Allentown, Pennsylvania donated a dozen handmade superhero masks to healthcare workers currently staying at the hotel. Many hotels flying the Choice flag are also participating in the American Hotel and Lodging Association's Hospitality for Hope program, which connects hotels with essential workers looking for safe housing and support during the pandemic.

To donate Choice Privileges points toward beds for hospitals or other causes, interested members can visit https://www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges/redeem-points/donations. For more information on recent travel policy changes due to the impact of COVID-19, visit www.choicehotels.com.

About Serta, Inc.

Serta, Inc. ("Serta"), through its licensees, is America's leading mattress brand. Serta's product portfolio includes the Perfect Sleeper, which is the Only Official Mattress of the National Sleep Foundation, and the iComfort Sleep System, both named Consumers Digest Best Buys. Serta through its licensees also manufactures the iSeries Hybrid Sleep System.

As the leading provider of mattresses to the hospitality industry, Serta partners with many hotel groups. In addition, Serta is distributed internationally in more than 150 other countries.

With its worldwide network, Serta is able to respond quickly to customers' needs while still preserving strict control standards to ensure the highest quality. For more information, visit www.serta.com.
Chavez got herself into a squatting position in the water, and her midwife suggested she push. I didnt believe I had progressed that far, it hadnt felt hard enough, she said. But after three pushes, with her hands at her vagina, Chavez felt her son emerge and put her arms behind him, bringing him up onto her chest.

Do scientific studies support these claims?

The earliest documented account of a water birth was described in a French medical journal in 1805: after many hours of laboring, a woman was ordered into the bath by her doctor, for relaxation purposes. Shortly afterward, she gave birth into the water. The doctor noted that the baby survived.

Most babies born in water do not ingest water, nor do they take a breath until they are pulled out. Dr. Meera Garcia, M.D., chief of general obstetrics and gynecology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, explained that this is because of something called the diving reflex. We see this when a baby is learning to swim. When cold water hits the babys face, the heart rate slows down, and blood is shunted to vital organs, and they hold their breath a little, said Dr. Garcia. With regard to water birth, though, Garcia cautioned that the diving reflex is not completely reliable. We have no way of knowing which baby is going to gasp, and which baby is not going to gasp.

Today, adverse outcomes arising from laboring or birthing in water are rare, but water birth is not without risks. If the diving reflex doesnt kick in, even one mouthful of bath water can lead to electrolyte imbalance or infection, said Dr. Garcia. She also pointed out that the pressure differential that occurs when a baby is pulled out of the water can lead to umbilical cord avulsion, a serious condition in which the umbilical cord snaps. This occurs in 1 out of every 288 water births, according to a study done across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, compared to one out of 1,361 land births.

Dr. Garcia does not allow her patients to give birth in water, but she is a strong advocate of laboring in water. When women labor in water, they feel more empowered, more relaxed, need less pain medication, and feel more satisfaction after the delivery, said Dr. Garcia.

Recent, albeit small, studies have borne this out. One study, for instance, found that, compared to 132 women who had conventional or epidural births, the 66 women who were assigned to water births had more positive experiences. In this study, water birth was also associated with a decreased likelihood of perineal lacerations and a higher rate of breastfeeding initiation. Another study done in the United Kingdom noted that anxiety and pain may trigger a stress response, leading to less uterine activity, and concluded that laboring in water could be a helpful option when labor progress is slow.

Water-assisted labor has been called an aquadural, because studies suggest women who labor in water request epidurals less often. One nine-year observational study showed lower rates of analgesic use in water births, and fewer episiotomies and perineal lacerations.
A Long Island woman who gave birth earlier this month while fighting coronavirus on a ventilator has finally met her newborn son.

Yanira Soriano, 36, got to meet her baby Walter on Wednesday, 12 days after he was born.

Nurses and doctors gathered at the entrance of Southside Hospital in Bay Shore in New York to cheer and applaud as Sorianos son was gently handed to her.

The mother, who was wearing a mask, seemed overcome with emotion as she looked down at her little one.

Soriano arrived at Bay Shore hospital with difficulty breathing and contractions when she was 34 weeks pregnant and was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia.

Long Island woman Yanira Soriano, 36, who gave birth earlier this month while fighting coronavirus on a ventilator finally met her newborn son Walter on Wednesday, 12 days after she gave birth unconsciously in an emergency C-section. Pictured holding Walter for the first time

Soriano arrived at Bay Shore hospital with difficulty breathing and contractions when she was 34 weeks pregnant and was diagnosed with COVID-19 and placed into a medically induced coma

Doctors performed an emergency C-section on April 3 while Soriano was unconscious. On Monday she was well enough to be taken off a ventilator and on Wednesday she was discharged from the hospital with her baby

Doctors decided to put her in a medically induced coma and put her on a ventilator.

Doctors performed an emergency C-section on April 3 on Soriano while she was unconscious.

'In most instances you're awake when you deliver the baby and you can bond with the baby right away. But in this context because the mom was so ill, she had to be put on a ventilator and put to sleep right before the baby was born,' Dr. Benjamin Shwartz who delivered baby Walter said to ABC30.

On Monday Soriano was finally well enough to be taken off a ventilator and was able to meet her baby two days later.

Walter has since tested negative for COVID-19, but doctors say theyll continue to monitor him via telehealth visits.

'It was a moment full of happiness and joy for me,' Soniaro said to Univision Thursday.

New York is the global epicenter of the virus with over 213,000 people infected with COVID-19 and 11,000 deaths reported so far.

Nurses and doctors gathered at the entrance of Southside Hospital in Bay Shore in New York to cheer and applaud as Sorianos son was placed into her arms

Walter has tested negative for COVID-19, but doctors say theyll continue to monitor him via telehealth visits

Soriano pictured Wednesday overcome with emotion as she looks at her baby for the first time surrounded by the doctors and nurses who helped deliver him

Soriano was treated at the Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, Long Island

Similar births and pregnancies are unfolding across the country in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic where stricken mothers fall so ill they have to be placed on ventilators and give birth while unconscious.

In Ohio, nurse Megan Jeffries, 27, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and placed in a medically-induced coma.

Doctors performed an emergency C-section on her on April 9, and she still does not know that she gave birth.

Yanira Soriano pictured above showing off her baby bump on social media before she was hospitalized

Proud mom and dad: Yanira and her husband pictured above

'She doesn't know that she had her baby, and her baby was delivered at 29 weeks,' her sister-in-law, Kacie Jeffries, explained to WDTN.

Megan was seven months pregnant when she first tested for the virus after slowly developing the normal symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Her premature baby boy has been tested for the virus twice and has tested negative each time. He remains in the NICU.

Her husband, Donny, was finally able to hold the baby three days after it was born. The newborn has not been given a name yet.

In Ohio, nurse Megan Jeffries, 27, was diagnosed with COVID-19 was placed in a medically-induced coma. Doctors performed an emergency C-section on her on April 9, and she still does not know that she gave birth. Jeffries pictured with her partner and daughter

In Vancouver, Washington respiratory therapist Angela Primachenko, 27, was placed in a medically-induced coma while suffering a severe case of COVID in March. On April 6 she woke up from the coma and realized she had given birth to her 4.5lb baby girl Ava

Premature: Doctors induced labor and she delivered a 4.5 lb. baby girl named Ava, who is still in the NICU but tested negative for the virus

In Vancouver, Washington respiratory therapist Angela Primachenko, 27, was placed in a medically-induced coma while suffering a severe case of COVID in March.

On April 6 she woke up from the coma and realized she had given birth to her 4.5lb baby girl Ava while she was unconscious.

'Obviously nobody expected that I was going to get that sick, so no, absolutely not, I did not expect to deliver my child,' she told Today.

'After all the medication and everything I just woke up and all of a sudden I didn't have my belly any more. It was just extremely mind-blowing.'
The Philippine health secretary came under heavy criticism Thursday as a majority of the nations senators sought his resignation over comments suggesting that the government had the coronavirus outbreak under control, although the country has recorded the highest infections in Southeast Asia.

Fourteen of the 24-member Senate signed a resolution asking Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to step down, citing his failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight and inefficiency in the performance of his mandate as health chief.

Senators, as peoples representatives, have been observing and are severely disappointed with the response of DOH to this big crisis, Sen. Sonny Angara told reporters, referring to the Department of Health by its acronym. We were late for testing, contact tracing is almost non-existent, hospitals short of protective gear.

The legislators said Duques moves had resulted in poor planning as well as a delayed response in addressing the crisis, as they underscored the health secretarys alleged flip-flopping policies and measures in combating the disease.

Many officials as well as a large part of the public have expressed dismay at Duque for repeatedly flaunting what he described as low infection rates in the country, which he credited to President Rodrigo Dutertes quick decision making.

We are one of the countries with a low infection rate that shows the decisiveness of our beloved president, Duque told a news conference last week, citing Dutertes order to place the entire island of Luzon under a monthlong lockdown in March, as well as his order to bar the entry of Chinese tourists.

But the Philippines has since surpassed Southeast Asian neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia in number of COVID-19 infections. On Thursday, the government recorded 13 new deaths, bringing the toll to 362. Health authorities also confirmed seven new cases, taking the countrys cumulative tally to 5,660.

Malaysia has so far reported 5,182 cases with 84 deaths, while Indonesia has 5,516 cases with 496 deaths. Globally, more than 2 million infections have been recorded with the death toll at almost 140,000 as of Thursday, according to data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Sen. Christopher Go, who was previously Dutertes closest aide, was not among those who signed the resolution calling for Duques ouster. He agreed that the health department may have had missteps, but he said it was not the time for political infighting while the country was battling the pandemic.

Go, chairman of the Senates committee on health, noted that 51 people at the health departments offices had been confirmed positive for COVID-19.

Medialdea: Health secretary ordered to stay put

Dutertes executive secretary, Salvador Medialdea, told reporters that the president has decided to keep Duque in the meantime.

The President has made a decision for Health Secretary Duque to stay put, Medialdea told reporters.

The state-run think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, in projections done this month but released this week, said nearly 19 million Filipinos would get infected by the coronavirus nationwide if the government failed to implement intervention measures.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Thursday said Duterte may extend the lockdown if some Filipinos continued to violate a home quarantine imposed by the government.

Duterte ordered a lockdown on the main island of Luzon five days after health officials confirmed the countrys first domestic transmission on March 7. Last week, Duterte extended the lockdown until the end of this month.

Roque said Duterte had been informed about reports of a recent traffic buildup in the capital, where residents had been ordered to stay at home.

We Filipinos should be ashamed because we lack discipline. We are doing this because we want our countrymen to avoid getting infected, Roque told reporters.

There's no decision yet to enforce a total lockdown, but that will be considered if we don't bring down the number of new COVID-19 infections in the country, he said

In his late-night televised address to the nation Thursday, Duterte acknowledged that the so-called enhanced quarantine imposed by his government had caused anxiety among the people.

This is not martial law, but it is like martial law in the sense that I have to impose something on you for your own good and for the good of the country and people, he said, as he urged Filipinos to follow the movement restrictions.

Nonoy Espina in Bacolod city contributed to this report.
Upcoming The King: Eternal Monarch has released new still shots of Kim Go Eun and Lee Min Ho in totally contrasting situations. This SBS fantasy-romance drama is set to air every Friday and Saturday, and will also be featured on Netflix on April 17.

This will be Lee Min Ho's comeback drama series after Legend of the Blue Sea in 2016, where his role is a highly-skilled con artist who fell in love with a mermaid.

On May 12, 2017, Lee Min Ho began his mandatory military enlistment. Then, he was discharged on April 25, 2019.

Before Lee Min Ho became popular, especially in Asia, he has done so many dramas as well. He got his break when he landed the role of Gu Jun Pyo in Boys Over Flowers in 2009. He also captured so much attention from viewers when he starred in other popular TV series, such as City Hunter (2011) and Heirs (2013).

On the other hand, his co-star Kim Go Eun is an award-winning South Korean actress from the critically acclaimed 2012 film, A Muse, where she received Best New Actress awards. She then took a two-year hiatus to focus on her studies.

Afterward, Kim Go Eun's roles in the films Monster (2014), Coin Locker Girl (2015), and Memories of the Sword (2015) impressed the critics. The hit drama Cheese in the Trap (2016) was her debut in television-acting. She also starred in the top-rated drama Goblin (2016-2017).

Kim Go Eun will play the role of detective Jung Tae Eul, who must protect the people and especially the ones she loves. Lee Min Ho, on the other hand, will play Emperor Lee Gon, his second role as a constitutional monarch who will try to close the doors that were opened by demons to a parallel world.

The new photos of the two casts appear to be in entirely different situations between two worlds. Jung Tae Eul is seemingly digging through rubbish to find evidence. Emperor Lee Gon, however, is in a bakery, having conversations with a warm look in his eyes.

Hwa&Dam Pictures hopes that Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun's romantic pairing will make the people watch and tune in as to the chemistry they produce on-screen. Both superstars will surely create a pair we don't want to miss.

Directed by Baek Sang-Hoon, he is also the director of the hit TV drama Descendants of the Sun in 2016.

The King: Eternal Monarch will premiere on April 17 at 10 p.m. KST.
PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-16 13:04:02

Thank you for looking after us, let us help look after you

400,000 of vouchers for NHS workers, to be used towards their international money transfers helping family and friends abroad

Covid-19 sending waves through international money transfer market

Shift to digital payout options: Mobile Money, bank transfers and airtime top up

WorldRemit Gifts 400,000 to NHS Workers in the UK

For further information please contact

worldremit@powerscourt-group.com

Christine Longworth +44 (0)7557 405790

Jack Shelley +44 (0)7917 886576

WorldRemit says thank you to NHS workers who selflessly look after our loved ones, by helping them with vouchers worth 50 per customer to use towards the money they send home to look after their loved ones around the globe.

In England alone approximately 13% of the NHS workforce report non-British nationality1. Many others are second generation migrants, with parents who made the journey to the UK to start a new life here. WorldRemit champions and supports migrants by helping them to send money abroad through a variety of options such as bank transfer, mobile money and airtime, providing safe and convenient digital alternatives in addition to its cash pick up offering.

More information on how to access this offer is available here. The offer is available to new and existing WorldRemit customers with a valid NHS email address.

Breon Corcoran, WorldRemit CEO, said: We hope this gesture will go a small way towards helping our NHS staff look after friends and families across the world as well as they are looking after the British public. You look after our loved ones, this is our way of being there for you.

This gesture comes against the backdrop of an international money transfer market transformed by the impact of Covid-19 on individuals and nations.

As countries across the globe impose lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid-19, insights from international money transfer service WorldRemit show this is causing significant changes to the way people send money abroad.

In countries like the US, Canada, Spain, Italy and the UK where movement restrictions are in place, WorldRemit has seen an increase in customer acquisition throughout March. People who still need to send money abroad and have previously used traditional bricks and mortar agents are beginning to move to digital methods.

For the recipients of WorldRemit transfers, cash pick up is still available in most countries. However, data collected by WorldRemit in the last few weeks suggests that where cash pick up is limited due to lockdown, there has been a significant shift to digital. In countries such as Thailand and Fiji, the shift from physical payout to digital methods like mobile money, airtime top up or bank transfers during the first half of March.

Breon Corcoran continued: Over the last few weeks we have seen a shift towards digital money transfer in preference to physical cash methods and this is likely to continue for as long as Covid-19 continues to be a threat. While its likely we will see some customers return to cash as their preferred method in the medium term, overall this trend will only accelerate the move towards mobile money and other forms of digital payment.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1 NHS staff from overseas: statistics, [..]

About WorldRemit

WorldRemit is a leading UK fintech providing international money transfer services. We disrupted an industry previously dominated by offline legacy players by taking international money transfers online - making them safer, faster and lower-cost. We currently send from 50 to 150 countries, operate in 6,500 money transfer corridors worldwide and employ over 800 people worldwide.

On the sending side WorldRemit is 100% digital (cashless), increasing convenience and enhancing security. For those receiving money, the company offers a wide range of options including bank deposit, cash collection, mobile airtime top-up and mobile money.

Backed by Accel, TCV and Leapfrog  WorldRemits headquarters are in London, UK with a global presence including in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

For more information visit www.worldremit.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005
West Australian parents, teachers, school staff and students will learn on Friday how education is set be delivered in term 2.

It was expected the announcement about the new education model would be delivered on Thursday after the national cabinet meeting at which the return of school education was a key topic.

WA teachers have run online classes from home or in the classroom ahead of school holidays. Credit:Scotch College

But Premier Mark McGowan said now a list of principles had been agreed upon nationally, the state government needed to finalise how schools in WA would approach next term after very careful consideration.

There are different approaches to schools, right around the world, but we will strike the right balance here in Western Australia," he said.
The agency responsible for protecting the health of Ontarians is vastly under-reporting the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 at long-term-care homes in the province, a Star analysis has found.

As of Wednesday morning, Public Health Ontario was reporting 144 residents of Ontario long-term-care homes had died during a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak. But a Star analysis of deaths reported by the provinces regional public health units and local media reveals there have been at least 219 deaths at Ontario long-term-care homes  a difference of more than 50 per cent.

Having an accurate and timely picture of the viruss impact in long-term care settings is crucial not only for provincial officials, medical workers, and home administrators and staff planning responses to outbreaks, but also residents and their families, experts say.

How can you plan or get the right equipment or get the right staffing if you dont have the right information, asked Jane Meadus, a staff lawyer at the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly in Toronto.

If you dont know theres a problem you cant fix it. If you dont know theres an issue, you cant provide resources. You cant do anything.

Every morning, Public Health Ontario releases a detailed summary of information on COVID-19 cases taken from a provincial database called the integrated Public Health Information System. The summary notes that the system relies on all 34 public health units across the province to enter numbers by 4 p.m. the previous day, so the data may be under-reported.

The provincial data does not provide a case-by-case breakdown of long-term-care home deaths, so it is impossible to know which cases being counted by the Star are not being reported by the province  but in some cases the differences are obvious.

Notably, the provincial data has for several days listed just 18 COVID-19 deaths in the cottage-country health district of Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge. That region is home to the Pinecrest Nursing Home, where 29 residents of the long-term-care facility have died; the health units website has listed a total of 33 deaths for nearly a week.

The problem isnt so much that the provinces data is wrong, said University of Toronto epidemiologist David Fisman, its that the delays built into the reporting system make it more difficult to know where you are so you can plan ahead.

One of the issues that Ive had for a while is there doesnt seem to be a capacity to look at todays numbers and know what the implications are, he said, The information is coming, but its maddening that its late, because its a public health crisis.

Such a system in a post-SARS world where information can be shared quickly is simply not acceptable said Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of the national seniors advocacy group CanAge.

This is not acceptable because people are not numbers. People are not cases. These arent things that just happen, she said, noting that relevant and timely data would make it easier to ensure proper care, infection control and planning for future outbreaks.

Tamblyn Watts is calling for the creation of an integrated data portal where information from across the province is stored and easily accessible to all stakeholders in seniors care.

We can then, as a province, make sure that we know how to order what we need and how to make sure that we put in protective measures at the time that we need them, she said. If we dont have the data, its going to happen again.

Hayley Chazan, a spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott, said Ontarios public health system is incredibly decentralized with 34 public health units and that these health units are responsible for reporting deaths from COVID-19, as this information is provided to them by hospitals, long-term-care homes and other relevant health facilities.

She added that the provincial governments action plan for responding to the virus includes $100 million in additional investments for health units to support COVID-19 monitoring and testing, including funding to support enhanced contact tracing.

This funding would enable public health units to hire more personnel to assist with more timely data entry, she said.

Not all of Ontarios 34 public health units report deaths in long-term-care homes. In cases where the health unit did not report the number, the Star relied on local media reports or statements made by unit officials. The Stars tally is therefore likely conservative.

A long-term-care home offers government-funded care, including 24-hour access to nursing and is part of Ontarios health-care system. Where possible, the Stars count has excluded any deaths listed in a retirement home, which is private-paid tenancy in which residents can purchase private health-care services.

Tragic and disturbing stories from long-term-care homes across the province have begun to emerge over the last week as testing for the virus has begun to confirm what many feared: COVID-19 is exacting a terrible toll on the provinces population of seniors.

As of Tuesday, Toronto Public Health was reporting 68 COVID-19 deaths in long-term-care homes in the city, including 23 at the privately run Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, and 22 deaths at city-run Seven Oaks in Scarborough. On Tuesday, Almonte Country Haven, a long-term-care facility near Ottawa, reported its 18th death from the virus.

Earlier this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford moved to ban long-term-care staff from working in more than one facility in an effort to stop the wildfire spread of the virus, but on Wednesday it was revealed that the emergency order wont take effect until Apr. 22.

And on Monday, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas Chief Public Health Officer, said close to half of all deaths related to COVID-19 were linked to outbreaks in long-term-care facilities. Ontario Public Health reported Wednesday that about 41 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Ontario are in people 60 years of age and older.

Speaking broadly on the ramifications of delayed reporting on deaths and outbreaks, Dr. Anna Banerji, a professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, told the Star that not hearing about relevant information in a timely manner could mean it takes longer to put steps in place to try to mitigate the issues.

If the local health unit is not on top of it, if there needs to be response at a federal level some of those delays (mean)  you dont act in time, Banerji said.

Banerji said that the increased workload facing public health employees is likely contributing to the delays.

I dont think this is intentional or with the attempt of being misleading, she said, noting that she believes that the government is working hard to provide accurate information. I think the problem is that there can be delays, because theres many steps that go in place and many people involved in processing the information.
It seems an eternity ago that David Cameron was prime minister, talking up the prospect of a golden era for Britains relations with China, and enjoying a pint of bitter with his friend Xi Jinping in the boozer next to Chequers, not so very far from where his successor is recuperating from a disease that originated in the east of the peoples republic.

The Tory partys divisions over China are opening up, and posing some substantial questions for the UK in the 2020s. The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the extent to which the west, including the UK, is reliant on China industrially and technologically. From the very earliest stages of the pandemic it was apparent that long just in time global supply chains ended up more often than not in China. Everything from components for a Nissan car made in Sunderland to a face mask used by a doctor in Belfast originated in China, and was suddenly in short supply.

One of the first acts of Theresa Mays government was to review the involvement of Chinese companies in Britains civil nuclear power programme  key national infrastructure. We already knew that the wests trade deficits leave many nations literally in hock to China  to the tune of trillions of dollars. Chinese investors hold huge swathes of American and European government debt and stakes in private companies.
In an attempt to spread a message of communal harmony in the testing times of a pandemic, Salman Khan shared a picture that sets an example of India's unity in diversity

In an attempt to spread a message of communal harmony in the testing times of a pandemic, superstar Salman Khan on Wednesday shared a picture that sets an example of India's unity in diversity.

(Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak)

The 54-year-old actor took to his social media to share the picture in which two neighbours belonging to different faiths are seen sitting and praying in their balconies at the same time.

The picture featured a man sitting in his balcony with folded hands and another man wearing a skull cap sitting and praying with his hands joined for evening prayers.

Keeping his caption simple yet powerful, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan wrote, "Setting examples... #IndiaFightsCorona."

Check out Salman Khan's post here

He also shared a video chiding those who have been violating the lockdown and have consequently been putting their families at risk. He even expressed his anger at attacks on doctors and nurses.

Doctors aur nurses aapki jaan bachaane ke liye aaye aur aapne unpe patthar barsa diye (Doctors and nurses are saving your lives, and you are pelting stones at them)," he said.

Here's the video

Khan, who is currently staying indoors at his Panvel farmhouse, has been donating in different ways to help the country combat COVID-19. He has pledged to financially support 25,000 daily wage workers from the film industry in the wake of the national lockdown, according to Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE).

According to FWICE president B N Tiwari, Salman, via his Being Human Foundation reached out to their organisation to help the workers.

"Salman's Being Human Foundation has come forward to help daily wage workers. They called us three days ago. We have about 5 lakh workers out of which 25,000 are in dire need of financial help. Being Human Foundation said they will take care of these workers on their own. They have asked for account details of these 25,000 workers as they want to ensure that money reaches them directly," Tiwari told Press Trust of India.

(With inputs from Asian News International)
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AAA Tree Service, one of the popular local tree service contractors, has prepared its crew and is ready for the upcoming summer season. The company is well prepared for different kinds of tree removal service request it is likely to get. Most summers, potential storms tend to knock down several trees.

Tree removal after strong winds in Long Island this week Crews are removing trees after major strong winds all over Long Island

The uprooted and knocked down trees need to be removed at the earliest so that they do not disrupt the normal flow and working of the local masses. The company prides itself on offering some of the best tree services as their staff has been given adequate training in this regard.

Along with assisting in uprooted trees; the company also offers different packages to care for the trees and surroundings. Their tree pruning, tree trimming, and even emergency tree service have put them in the right light as they have a tremendous amount of positive reviews to back their reputation.

One of the key spokesmen for the company was quoted as saying, "Simply planting trees is not enough. Trees must be taken good care of. This is what we aspire to do. From pruning to beautify them and even taking care of the ones that have been knocked down, we do all of it to make sure that things are in order."

AAA Tree Service prides itself on making use of the best and modern high-quality equipment. This ensures that the property will stay safe and the rate charged is justified as well. Along with this, it is the promptness of service that makes them a name to be reckoned with. They are affordable, reliable, and a great choice as far as tree cutting services are concerned.

Those who would like to explore more about the kind of services that AAA Tree Service has to offer should make it a point to visit https://www.aaatreeserviceny.com/

About AAA Tree Service

AAA Tree Service is one of the established names in the field of tree cutting, pruning, and maintenance. They take care to remove all the knocked out trees that tend to be damaged because of the storm or other reasons.

Media Contact:

John Ruise

[email protected]

516-9031082

https://www.aaatreeserviceny.com/

SOURCE AAA Tree Service

Related Links

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DUBLIN, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Perrigo Company plc (NYSE; TASE: PRGO) today announced that it will release its first quarter financial results on Thursday, April 30, 2020. The Company will also host a conference call beginning at 8:30 a.m. (EST).

The conference call will be available live via webcast to interested parties in the investor relations section of the Perrigo website at http://perrigo.investorroom.com/events-webcasts or by phone at 888-317-6003, International 412-317-6061, and reference ID #7953093. A taped replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 12:00 p.m. (EST) Thursday, April 30, until midnight Thursday, May 7, 2020. To listen to the replay, dial 877-344-7529, International 412-317-0088, and use access code 10142899.

About Perrigo Company plc

Perrigo Company plc (NYSE; TASE: PRGO) is dedicated to making lives better by bringing "Quality, Affordable Self-care Products" that consumers trust everywhere they are sold. The Company is a leading provider of over-the-counter health and wellness solutions that enhance individual well-being by empowering consumers to proactively prevent or treat conditions that can be self-managed. Visit Perrigo online at http://www.perrigo.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These statements relate to future events or the Company's future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "forecast," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, including: the effect of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the associated economic downturn and supply chain impacts on the Company's business; general economic, credit, and market conditions; future impairment charges; customer acceptance of new products; competition from other industry participants, some of whom have greater marketing resources or larger market shares in certain product categories than the Company does; pricing pressures from customers and consumers; resolution of uncertain tax positions, including the Company's appeal of the Notice of Assessment (the "NoA") issued by the Irish tax authority and the draft and final Notices of Proposed Assessment ("NOPAs") issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the impact that an adverse result in any such proceedings would have on operating results, cash flows, and liquidity; pending and potential third-party claims and litigation, including litigation relating to the Company's restatement of previously-filed financial information and litigation relating to uncertain tax positions, including the NoA and the NOPAs; potential impacts of ongoing or future government investigations and regulatory initiatives; potential costs and reputational impact of product recalls or sales halts; the impact of tax reform legislation and healthcare policy; the timing, amount and cost of any share repurchases; fluctuations in currency exchange rates and interest rates; the consummation of announced acquisitions or dispositions and the success of such transactions, and the Company's ability to realize the desired benefits thereof; and the Company's ability to execute and achieve the desired benefits of announced cost-reduction efforts and strategic and other initiatives. An adverse result with respect to our appeal of any material outstanding tax assessments or pending litigation, including securities or drug pricing matters, could ultimately require the use of corporate assets to pay such assessments, damages from third-party claims, and related interest and/or penalties, and any such use of corporate assets would limit the assets available for other corporate purposes. Statements regarding the separation of the Rx business, including the expected benefits, anticipated timing, form of any such separation and whether the separation ultimately occurs, are all subject to various risks and uncertainties, including future financial and operating results, our ability to separate the business, the effect of existing interdependencies with our manufacturing and shared service operations, and the tax consequences of the planned separation to the Company or its shareholders. These and other important factors, including those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as well as the Company's subsequent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Perrigo Company plc

Related Links

http://www.perrigo.com


The Alliance sees a continued pace of Russian military activity, says Stoltenberg.

Security challenges have not diminished because of COVID-19. On the contrary, potential adversaries will look to exploit the situation to further their own interests, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

NATO is seeing "a continued pace of Russian military activity," Stoltenberg told reporters following a virtual meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Defense Ministers' session.

"Terrorist groups could be emboldened. The security situation in Afghanistan and Iraq remains fragile. And we see a continued pace of Russian military activity. So we must maintain our deterrence and defense. So we must maintain our deterrence and defense," said Stoltenberg.

"Because our core mission remains the same: to ensure peace and stability," said the NATO chief.

The defense ministers also discussed the importance of countering disinformation  both from state and non-state actors, "trying to sow division in the Alliance and in Europe" and to "undermine our democracies."

Read alsoThink tank: La Stampa's findings on intel-gathering nature of Russian "aid" mission in Italy confirmed

"We are countering these false narratives with facts, and with concrete actions. We are also working even closer with Allies, and the European Union, to identify, monitor, and expose disinformation. And to respond robustly," said Stoltenberg.

There are good reasons, the NATO chief believes, for looking into further strengthening cooperation between the civil society combating a health crisis and military capabilities, providing support to those civilian efforts because health crisis "doesn't mean that more traditional security threats disappear."

"Cyber threats are still real. And we see a more assertive Russia continue to support the separatists in eastern Ukraine, which are violating the ceasefire again and again. Or we see Russia being present in Syria, making it possible for Assad to do what he does against his own population. And we see, also, many other challenges and threats," said Stoltenberg.
Fran Ruchalski/The Enterprise

State District Judge Tim Sulak of Austin is signaling that he will expand the states rules on voting by mail because of the coronavirus disruptions, and he should issue a formal order to that effect. Even though state law on this issue doesnt specifically mention a pandemic, it does present many voters with a sickness or physical condition that is noted in the law. That should be sufficient for this unprecedented crisis, at least until the Legislature meets again and has a chance to clarify this provision of voting law.

Sulak is leaning to the above interpretation favored by Democratic plaintiffs, while Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking a hard line in opposition to any change. Many Republicans in Texas oppose mail voting because they believe it would increase voter fraud. But there is no evidence of that happening in other states  including Republican-controlled Florida and Nebraska. President Trump himself voted by mail from Florida in 2018, and openly boasted about it.
Zoom is a very popular video-conferencing platform. It managed to become popular really fast, but unfortunately, there are a lot of problems linked to it. The last piece of info is really serious. A new report claims that hackers are now selling zoom passwords on the dark web.

This information comes from Bleeping Computer. According to the info, user accounts are being sold for less than one cent, and some are being given out for free.

Attackers have reportedly used logins that were gathered from previous data breaches, which are not related to Zoom. Successful attempts to log in were compiled into lists, and are now on sale.

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Hackers are selling Zoom passwords on the dark web, do not reuse your passwords

This is actually a really good lesson when it comes to passwords. Do not reuse your passwords. Use a different password for each service. There are several really compelling password managers you can use.

According to Cyble, the company reached out to hackers and purchased around 530,000 stolen Zoom accounts in order to warn customers affected by the breach. The exact price of each account was $0.0020. So, if we do the math, all those accounts, over half a million of them, were worth a little over $1,000.

Cybles spokesperson said that the information was shared with them privately, via Telegram. A Russian-speaking actor communicated with them. Cyble is advising all Zoom users to use complicated passwords that are not used elsewhere.

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This issue with hackers selling passwords is not the first problem that Zoom faced thus far, though truth be said, this is not entirely Zooms fault. Zoom is under the magnifying glass due to recent issues, and many hackers are aiming at the service, mainly because its vulnerable.

We recently also talked about Zoom leaking personal information to strangers due to some poor functionality choices within the app. And thats only one of several reports out there.

Several companies have advised their employees not to use Zoom at this point, citing security concerns. Zoom is working to improve, though, and its doing so publicly.

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The company has a plan to fix its security / privacy issues

The company has laid out a 90-day plan to combat its security issues. It also announced a cross-industry collaboration for security. It has announced the formation of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISCO) Council and Advisory Board.

Well see what will happen next with Zoom, but the company faced a ton of issues lately. The popularity of this app increased even more due to the recent outbreak, as people are forced to communicate with their loved ones with their phones / computers.

Zoom is still going strong, but all of this negativity and issues will have an impact on the company. It remains to be seen if it will be major or not.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture says Ottawa should make the industry a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, second only to the health of Canadians, to safeguard the countrys food supply.

Federation president Mary Robinson told a news conference Thursday that the industry is struggling with farmers being hit by higher costs due to the pandemic and a shortage of temporary foreign workers.

We do not mean to create panic. At the same time, it would be irresponsible not to sound the alarm about the realities Canadian farmers are facing, Robinson said.

Canadian farmers need immediate, meaningful help from our federal government to continue fulfilling that responsibility. Agriculture, the foundation of our overall food supply, is at this very moment in time at a tipping point.

Robinson said the federal government needs to establish an emergency fund so producers can overcome mounting costs. She didnt specify how much money should be put aside.

Canadian farmers are feeling increasingly stressed. In fact, right now, some farmers are so worried about the mounting challenges, they are strongly considering halting their farming operations altogether, Robinson said.

Another fear is if planting does go ahead, will harvest and processing be possible without sufficient labour or will crops rot in the field as we are seeing now in other countries?

She warned that consumers could see a decrease in the amount and variety of food in grocery stores, as well as higher prices, if action isnt taken.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the government does recognize the importance of the agriculture sector and has provided a substantial amount of assistance already. She said Ottawa will look at the request.

As our food producers and supply chains continue to adjust, we welcome recommendations provided by the sector as we work together to respond to the exceptional situation we are in, Bibeau said in a statement.

Farmers and food businesses are doing a huge service to feed the nation and they can be confident that their government has their back.

Bibeau also spoke Thursday with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. She said she affirmed agriculture and food production as critical infrastructure and they spoke of the importance of uninterrupted food and agriculture trade between the two countries.

RELATED STORIES Canada Canadian agriculture sector scrambling to offset consequences of COVID-19 crisis

The CEO of Food and Consumer Products of Canada is backing the demand for further assistance.

Michael Graydon said farmers represent the first line of Canadas food supply and need to be reassured.

Anything less will harm our rural communities, cities and all Canadians now and well into the future, he said.

Its an unprecedented challenge. Weve worked hard to keep up with record spikes in demand for foods, help employees stay healthy and upholding the most rigorous food-safety standards.
The Deputy



Commissioner, SP and joint director of health of Morigaon have been asked to stay in home quarantine as they were in contact with the two persons who tested COVID-19 positive on Thursday, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Two persons of Lahorighat in Morigaon district tested positive on Thursday today taking the total confirmed cases in the state to 34, including one dead, the minister said.

Deputy Commissioner Rituraj Bora, Superintendent of Police Swapnil Deka and Joint Director(Health) Rohini Borkotoky have been asked by the health department to quarantine themselves with immediate effect.

A group of local journalists who also met the duo at the Lahorighat Model Hospital have also been quarantined, a health official of Morigaon said.

The two new patients who tested positive on Thursday are both secondary contacts of persons who attended the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz, the minister had tweeted in the evening.

The cumulative number of patients in Assam now stands at 34, which include one dead and five patients who have been cured, he said. Thirty-three of the 34 patients in the state are related to the Jamaat event.

Three persons were released on Thursday from Goalpara Civil Hospital and two others on Wednesday from Sonapur District Hospital.

Twenty-eight patients are currently undergoing treatment in the state along with another patient from Nagaland who tested positive in Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY  Rite Aid will open a drive-thru coronavirus testing site Saturday at its store on Route 303 in Valley Cottage. The site will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and use self-swab nasal testing.

People will perform self-swab tests in the stores parking lot, overseen by Rite Aid pharmacists. Rite Aid expects to be able to conduct more than 200 tests daily.

Eligible people will be required to schedule appointments online.



Testing will be free to patients meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, which can be found here. Patients are required to provide government issued identification, be at least 18 years old and need to pre-register online in order to schedule a time slot for testing.





Google maps

As part of the testing process, people must remain in their vehicles from the time they arrive and until they depart.

Rite Aid officials said they have partnered with Verily and its Baseline COVID-19 to provide screening, scheduling and return of results to patients.

Rite-Aid has already opened four similar testing sites in Pennsylvania. At the time, "We plan to have additional testing sites at stores across seven states in the coming weeks," Heyward Donigan, Rite Aid president and CEO, said in a release. "Through our partnership with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and with tremendous support from state and local officials, we will significantly expand COVID-19 testing to more than 5,000 tests daily in our country's key hot spots when fully operational."

Those spots include New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan and Virginia.

Rite Aid officials said they selected BioReference Laboratories to provide COVID-19 laboratory testing to all drive-up locations. Clinical oversight for the COVID-19 testing program is provided by PWNHealth, a national clinician network that enables safe and easy access to diagnostic testing. The goal is flattening the curve through accessible diagnostic testing.





This article originally appeared on the New City Patch
Even as the union human resource development (HRD) ministry and respective state governments have delayed entrance exams and the admissions process for higher education courses for the time being, the state Common Entrance test (CET) cell late on Wednesday released the seat matrix for post graduate medical courses.

While admission dates are yet to be released, students and parents have pointed at discrepancies in the quota seats yet again. Despite an overall increase of 150 seats in PG courses this year, many have pointed that most popular courses have got fewer than three new seats across medical institutes and whats worse is that even after a Supreme Court order clarifying that the economically weaker section (EWS) quota should only be implemented after increasing seats by at least 10%, the order is being flouted, said parents.

Students are now planning to approach the Supreme Court despite the ongoing lockdown.

Maximum seat increase in government-run medical institutes (GMCs) are in non clinical branches and yet, EWS is applicable on all branches. Due to this, students in the open category are left with fewer seats compared to last year despite increase in seats in 2020-21, said Sudha Shenoy, activist and parent of a medical student.

In January this year, the Medical Council of India (MCI) approved new seats in medical institutes across the country, including 150 new seats in Maharashtra based institutes. Experts however, have pointed out that the distribution of these news seats gives very little advantage to students as all seats in clinical courses (surgery, paediatrics, and medicine), which are more in demand have been allotted to private medical institutes whereas the GMCs have got non-clinical seats (microbiology, physiology, social and & preventive medicine) that attract very few takers.

Private Institutes tend to charge more fees, which students cant afford and GMCs are giving no respite to our students either. With the lockdown in place, we are not even sure if the court will accept our petition now, said a PG medical aspirant. Students had finished the online registration process in February itself but due to the lockdown, the rest of the admissions process has been stuck in limbo.

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Many governments across Eastern Europe and Central Asia have pursued an "extensive offensive" against human rights, deploying draconian tactics and tools of the state to suppress protests, freedom of expression, and civil society, Amnesty International says in its annual regional review.



But while human rights defenders, journalists, nongovernmental organizations, and protesters faced mounting pressure in 2019, peaceful demonstrators took growing collective action in their fight to hold their governments to account, according to the report released by the London-based human rights group on April 16.



The already dire situation last year across a region spanning from Belarus to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Russia comes as governments implement emergency measures and a wide range of restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, raising concerns those health measures will be deployed to further squash rights.



Daniel Balson, the advocacy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty, described the states of emergency declared across the region as a fertilizer for human rights abuses.



"By and large, governments in the region have not used the pandemic to invent new ways to repress people but have accelerated their use of well-honed methods," he told RFE/RL. "What has changed is that many governments have viewed the pandemic as a carte blanche to roll out even more draconian methods and overtly telegraph their abuses."



Last year, the right to freedom of assembly "continued to be violently repressed" in many countries, Amnesty said in the report, adding that "street power showed that people knew it mattered and they were brave enough to reclaim it back" by protesting against rigged elections while also demanding good governance, environmental protection, and a better life.



In Russia, where authorities used legal tactics and police force to quell protests, people nonetheless took to the streets across the country in growing numbers to raise their voice against a range of issues including corruption and worsening human rights.



In July and August, Moscow saw some of the largest protests in years after authorities refused to register opposition candidates for the capitals city election.

"The reprisals against participants of mass protests in Moscow kick-started an unprecedented solidarity campaign that signals the further awakening of human rights awareness and people power in Russia," said Marie Struthers, Amnestys regional director, for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Meanwhile, freedom of expression and media remained under assault all across the region in 2019.



Despite media pluralism in Ukraine, regular violent attacks against journalists were rarely properly investigated,

Bar Set 'Ominously Low'



And in Russia, legislation on "foreign agents" and "undesirable organizations" was "systematically wielded against human rights and other [nongovernmental organizations], alongside criminal prosecutions and smears in government-controlled media," Amnesty said.



It added that the authorities "further set the bar ominously low" with new legislation expanding the status of "foreign agents" to individuals, including bloggers and journalists.



In Tajikistan, "national security" was invoked to clamp down on nongovernmental organizations, as well as defenders of human rights and media freedom, while torture and ill-treatment remained pervasive, according to Amnestys report.



It said the grim record of Azerbaijan continued unabated with severe restrictions across the board on any dissent against the government.



Across the region certain ethnic minorities, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, some religious groups, and those with disabilities sometimes faced discrimination, prosecution, and even violence, Amnesty said.



Domestic violence against women and children also continued to plague societies.

Rights abuses against individuals and groups across the region were exacerbated by judicial systems subject to political pressure, Amnesty said.
T he Government was today warned that up to a third of independent shops will be unable to reopen when the lockdown lifts after facing horrible delays in accessing emergency government loans.

Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, said that without access to the funding lifeline thousands would not be able to replenish stock and would have nothing to sell.

He said: The delays are just horrible for retailers, for any business, and they are rapidly running out of cash, it is as simple as that. Those loans were designed to provide short-term cashflow for companies that were told to shutdown with four hours notice. But they are just not coming through.

His warning came at figures showed retail sales plummeting at their fastest rate on record in March as the lockdown was introduced.

World Health Organisation warns that Europe is still in the 'midst of a storm' during the coronavirus crisis

Total sales fell by 4.3 per cent, the steepest fall since the BRC-KPMG monitor began in 1995.

Business leaders across all sectors of the economy echoed the warning saying that the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans (CBIL), which were announced almost a month ago by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of a 330 billion package of support, are still not coming through. So far only 3 billion of loans have been paid out.

Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Business, said: Many members tell us its difficult to get to the formal application stage  banks are still too slow to respond to enquiries. Even if you do get your forms through, the process is very demanding.

Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said banks needed to guarantee all existing business customers interest and fee-free overdrafts for the next six months while they waited for government loans to be approved.

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Former Labour leader and shadow business secretary Ed Miliband today urged the Government to speed up the loans process by increasing its underwriting guarantee from 80 per cent to 100 per cent of the advance, as is the case in Switzerland.

Writing in the Standard today, he said: Its scheme paid out 12 times more money in business loans in one week than we have in three. This complete underwriting by government would take the risk off the shoulders of the banks The process of underwriting needs to be simplified  in Switzerland its a one-page form.
Energy conservation lies at the core of every physical theory. Effective mathematical models however can feature energy gain and/or loss and thus break the energy conservation law by only capturing the physics of a subsystem. As a result, the Hamiltonian, the function that describes the system's energy, loses an important mathematical property: it is no longer Hermitian. Such non-Hermitian Hamiltonians have successfully described experimental setups for both classical problems -- in e.g. some optical systems and electrical circuits -- and quantum ones, in modelling the motion of electrons in crystalline solids. In a new paper in EPJ D, physicists Rebekka Koch from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Jan Carl Budich from Technische Universitat Dresden, in Germany, describe how these functions provide new insights into behaviour at the edges of topological materials.

However, non-Hermitian Hamiltonians break with concepts that are known from energy-conserving systems such as the bulk-boundary correspondence (BBC) in these materials. This correspondence relates the topological properties of the bulk of the material to the physics of the edges. In the Hermitian case, the bulk of such a material can be described by neglecting the edges and just assuming the material to be infinite or periodic, since boundary effects do not affect the physics of the inside.

Surprisingly, this holds no longer true if the energy is not conserved: the properties of the boundary suddenly have a huge influence on the bulk system and subsequently have to be taken into account. It leads to a drastically altered BBC (bulk-boundary correspondence) for non-Hermitian systems. In particular, Koch and Budich studied different strengths of the coupling between boundaries and their effect on the bulk system. Knowing that in realistic quantum mechanical systems there is always an interaction between the edges -- admittedly an extremely small one -- they explored the extent to which decoupled edges are generally observable. Koch and Budich found that the spectrum of the topological material is stable under physically motivated perturbations such as the suppressed interactions between the boundaries.
Cultivating A Fanbase: How A Net Promoter Score Can Increase An Artists Following

Today, anyone can record and release an album from the comfort of their bedroom. Not only that, but most artists have mutual access to the same marketing tools as well. So how does one get ahead of the crowd? Here we look at unique tool called the Net Promoter Score (NPS), and how it can be used to grow a sustainable, loyal fanbase.

Guest post by Marcella Nahas from Berklees Music Business Journal

Introduction

Today, anyone can record an album in their home studio and release it to the world. Anyone can pay for Instagram or Facebook ads, as well as apply to be featured on Spotify-curated playlists. This is not breaking news to anyone in the music industry. If everyone has access to the same tools, how do artists stand out? How do artists develop a brand and get fans to go to their shows? The real challenge for independent artists lies within marketing: placing their product in front of the right people and convincing them that it is good enough for them to spare their time.

Independent artists have been focusing on the wrong marketing tools. Internet advertisements can help an artist gain a few likes and comments, but not create loyal fans that will follow their next steps and consume upcoming releases. With Spotify-curated playlists, the same applies; an artist may get a lot of streams for one song, but those listeners wont necessarily go to shows.

To grow organically, artists can adopt the concept and principles of the Net Promoter Score (NPS), aiming to create a more sustainable, loyal fanbase as well as build an army of superfans. This strategy is especially useful when an artist doesnt have the support of a label, manager, or marketing company, as it will provide them with a starting point for developing a promising career.

What is the Net Promoter Score?

Developed by Fred Reichheld and Bain and Company, the Net Promoter Score is a measure of how well a company generates relationships worthy of loyalty. The Net Promoter Score value is generated by asking one question to customers: On a zero-to-ten scale, how likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague? Notice that the us in the question refers to the business overall brand and everything it represents, rather than just a specific product. Answers are separated into three categories: detractors (those who grade 1-6), passives (7-8) and promoters (9-10). Once all data is gathered and calculated, results will range from -100 to 100; scores above 0 are considered good, and scores above 50 are considered excellent. In other words, this means that the higher the Net Promoter Score of an artist, the more loyal their fans will be. For this article, the concept behind the Net Promoter Score value will be discussed, rather than the actual value itself  and how this concept can help artists grow organically.

Companies from all sectors have implemented the Net Promoter Score; from Guitar Center to Apple and AT&T. The concept of the NPS revolves around the idea that customers will recommend your product to their friends and relatives because of how much they love it. Not just because they like your product, but because it makes them feel better about themselves  and this makes them have the desire to share it with others.

Net Promoter Score Case Studies

Apple has always been very consumer-centric, and customers are at the core of the business, so the Net Promoter Score seemed like a perfect fit. The company reached an average NPS of 89 in 2016, which is a very impressive achievement, with the best Apple stores accomplishing scores higher than 90. Apple Retail focused on training employees to become promoters themselves, and help spread the message of the brand to the world. Ron Johnson, the executive who developed Apples retail, created the following mission: to enrich the lives of customers and employees. By establishing a deeper purpose, Johnson was able to connect to customers that shared the same values, and therefore, get them to become promoters of the company as well. He aimed to create a sense of community in the stores, in which customers would have an experience; they would gather and learn, not just buy. Experience is key, as well as creating and nurturing consumer-employee relationships.

American Express also utilizes the Net Promoter Score to satisfy existing customers, as well as to expand into new markets. In an interview for the Net Promoter System Podcast, Luis Angel-Lalanne, vice-president of customer listening for American Express, comments on how the NPS was implemented on the company, and how it helped the company get involved with over 25 markets. American Express is known for its excellent customer service and for treating its customers with premium experiences; for example, allowing access to VIP American Express lounges in airports, which are exclusive to clients. The company gathered over 7 million survey responses throughout 2019 and analyzed the answers, giving immediate feedback to the frontline employees. This system allows the business to rapidly recover from detractors by turning them into passives and sometimes even promoters. This process is extremely important because it can transform a simple metric into action and solution.

Over 220 large and successful companies have adopted the Net Promoter Score, and utilize it as their key metric to measure success. A similar strategy could serve as a huge advantage for the music industry. Take the biggest current artists  Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Selena Gomez  what they have in common is that everyone is always talking about them. They all grew because their fans recommended them to their friends.

People tend to trust their friends more than internet advertisements, so this strategy becomes a very valuable tool. One superfan will convert their friends and family into fans  the growth curve becomes exponential. What this means is that an artists fans will do the marketing for them, which helps minimize the burden of marketing costs for artists.

How Can This Strategy Be Implemented For Independent Artists?

How do fans discover their favorite artists? Probably from a friends recommendation. No artist or band has ever been successful in the music industry without having their fans tell their friends about their content  so why are independent artists not investing their time and resources into growing their community organically? Here is how it begins: by separating the NPS strategy into online and offline.

The Distinction Of A Like And A Share

Many independent artists have a solid following on Instagram or Facebook. Some may have bought followers or likes to grab the attention of potential fans or record labels, however, most people would consider this a fake following. There is no real meaning or intention behind likes and followers  it does not equate to more people at an artists shows or more streams. Shares, however, are much more impactful and are considered to be NPS. If someone shares an artists music to their profile, they are being active promoters of the product. The bottom line is that it is all about trust and credibility  one will trust a friends recommendation more than an ad. That is the key difference between paid advertisements and spontaneous shares.

To achieve this, artists may create campaigns that encourage fans to share their music  be it through the Spotify tool that allows people to share their music on Instagram Stories, or regular Facebook post shares. Customers are attracted to exclusivity. With this in mind, artists can develop creative campaigns in which they release exclusive content or provide unique experiences in exchange for customers sharing and tagging them in posts; possibilities are infinite. The Instagram Close Friends feature, for example, can be used as an important tool, allowing artists to release unique content to an exclusive audience.

To illustrate this idea, here is an example of an NPS-driven Instagram campaign: an artist publishes a post on their page, outlining the benefits a fan will get if they follow the artist and share that specific post to their stories (of course, always tagging the artist). The benefits might include being added to the Close Friends list of the artist, in which they will upload exclusive content and have more interaction with the fans. It could also include, instead, premium access to new music, even free merchandise, or VIP access to shows. Once the post is shared by the fan, all of the fans followers will have access to it and may want to join in  and that is the power of the Net Promoter Score multiplication.

Offline: How Do You Get People To Come To Your Shows?

Artists must shift the burden of promotion from themselves to the fan  cutting marketing costs drastically. Many times, independent artists will have friends come to their shows. Notice that friends are not necessarily fans  however, they can help the artist build an army of fans by dragging their friends along. If that occurs, then NPS is happening  and now, the artist has the opportunity of converting that person (which is a passive, 7-8 on the NPS scale) into a fan. Getting that person to keep up with your content, though, is the real challenge. Once the experience is over, they must connect with the artist on social media to close the loop, so that they are updated on future shows and releases. Personal conversation and contact with potential fans, especially when the artist is in the beginning phase of the career, is essential. The customer must be aware of the fact that the artist cares about their thoughts, so going up to talk to them makes them feel like they had a more personalized experience. This raises the chances of coming to watch the artists next concert.

Artists can use strategies that include the principle of exclusivity to get more fans to go to their shows. They can, for example, encourage their fans to bring others by giving that fan a link to a free demo for each friend they bring. They can also connect the offline world to the online one, by announcing onstage that whoever shares a video of the show on their social media and tags the artist will get access to exclusive content. Artists can become extremely creative with the rewards, and this will help draw people in, growing the fanbase exponentially.

The most important and unique aspect of the offline experience is the personal and physical interaction that the artist shares with the fan; this is what sets it apart from the online experience, and it is what truly converts customers from passives to promoters. The artist needs to think about this interaction and how it can be made unique and special, and what will set it apart from other experiences.

Conclusion

The Net Promoter Score is much more than a simple metric  it carries a whole system behind the number, which is more meaningful than the number itself. It has been proven that the Net Promoter attitude helps companies reach success  so why hasnt the music industry fully adopted it yet? While other marketing methods are useful and help with promotion, what the Net Promoter Score has to offer is far more valuable: trust, credibility, loyalty, and lower costs. Artists must never forget that fans are at the core of the business and that without them, the whole system collapses. Because of this, to maintain their fans loyalty, artists have to remind themselves of their true purpose to create content. Product and purpose work together to create fan loyalty by playing the music to the right ears.

Photo credit: Ananta Arora @aroraaphotography

Works Cited

1. Reichheld, Fred. In Introduction: From Score to System. The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World. Edition Number. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2011.

2. Ibid

3. Apple Net Promoter Score 2020 Benchmarks. Apple Net Promoter Score 2020 Benchmarks. Customer.guru. Accessed February 14, 2020. bit.ly/2SRzV7Y.

4. Gocheva, Cvetilena. 4 Key Ingredients Fueling Apples High Net Promoter Score. Experience Benchmarks. Customer Gauge. Accessed February 14, 2020. bit.ly/39yd7Ra.

5. Reichheld, Fred. In Chapter 6: Winning Results With NPS. The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World. Edition Number. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2011.

6. Ibid

7. Ibid

8. Ibid

9. Angel-Lalanne, Luis. Ep. 168: American Expresss Luis Angel-Lalanne | Uncovering Customer Insights Beyond the Score. The Net Promoter System Podcast. Podcast audio, Nov. 21, 2019. Accessed February 14, 2020. bit.ly/2OQKjvi

10. Ibid

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TORONTO, April 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Schulich School of Business at York University and Pycap Venture Partners today announced the establishment of the COVID-19 Small Business Support Centre designed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs access financial support programs.



The Centre will help business owners and entrepreneurs with the following:

assess their grant eligibility and learn about additional financial support programs that range from government subsidies to loan programs;

assist with preparing their funding applications, which can be complex and time-consuming; and

provide additional business and financial strategies to help them during the pandemic.

Many business owners and entrepreneurs are overwhelmed right now with the process of assessing the increasing number of government and private sector programs available to them, says Stuart Browne, CEO of Pycap Venture Partners and an instructor in the Schulich Entrepreneurial Studies Program, where he teaches a course on Venture Capital & Private Equity. Our opening goal is to help 3,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs in the next 90 days, but our partnership with Schulich is allowing us to scale our support services exponentially.

Schulich is proud to team up with Pycap Venture Partners to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs, says Dezso J. Horvath, Dean of the Schulich School of Business. Our School has a long and successful track record of supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Canada. The Support Centre will provide critical assistance to help small businesses stay afloat during these unprecedented times.

The Schulich Pycap COVID-19 Small Business Support Centre will also create jobs for fifteen Schulich students and recent graduates. Schulich students and graduates will also receive additional training from Pycap Venture Partners in real-world venture capital and/or corporate finance-related skills. To learn more about the Centre, please visit: www.pycap.ca/c-19-support.

About Schulich

Known as Canadas Global Business School, the Schulich School of Business offers business programs year-round at its state-of-the-art complex at York University; at its Miles S. Nadal Management Centre located in the heart of Torontos financial district; and at its campus in Hyderabad, India. Schulich also operates a number of satellite centres in Beijing and Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India; Seoul, South Korea; Mexico City, Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Schulich offers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate business degrees that lead to rewarding careers in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, and has more than 30,000 alumni working in over 90 countries. The School pioneered Canadas first International MBA and International BBA degrees, as well as North Americas first ever cross-border Executive MBA degree, the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA. The School has one of the largest portfolios of one-year, specialized Masters programs of any business school in North America.

About Pycap Venture Partners

Pycap Venture Partners is a venture capital and corporate finance firm providing financing and value creating solutions for early stage companies, administrative, investment and management services for venture capital and private equity investment vehicles. Pycap CEO Stuart Browne has spent 10 years in the venture capital industry working directly with early-stage companies as an advisor, investor, interim CFO and managing partner. Stuart has been a trusted partner for many entrepreneurs in navigating their companies through difficult times and helping them thrive despite being against the odds.

For more information, please contact:

Chris Carder, Co-Director of Schulichs Entrepreneurial Studies Program & Entrepreneur-In-Residence: chris@chriscarder.com or 416-275-3647

Stuart Browne, CEO of Pycap Venture Partners: sbrowne@pycap.ca or 416-315-7892
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Linkedin Linda Sieg (Reuters) Tokyo, Japan  Thu, April 16, 2020 15:05 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd248e8d 2 World Japan,Prime-Minister,Shinzo-Abe,Akie-Abe,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,physical-distancing,social-distancing Free

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife came under fire on social media on Thursday over a report she visited a shrine last month with about 50 people, adding to public disapproval of how the premier has handled the coronavirus crisis.

The prime minister's support has been hurt by what critics say is a timid and sluggish response to the outbreak, and by widespread criticism that he has appeared tone deaf to the severity of the crisis in his own social media posts.

Abe's wife, Akie, became a trending topic on Japanese Twitter on Thursday, with her name gaining more than 17,000 retweets by mid-morning after a weekly magazine said she had visited a shrine in southwest Japan on March 15.

That was about two weeks after her husband asked schools to close and organizers to scrap or curtail events, but before he declared a state of emergency.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Abe's parliamentary office was not immediately available for comment. Reuters was not able to reach representatives for Akie Abe for comment.

"Schools were closed at that time but the prime minister's wife seemed to have too much time on her hands. Kids were stuck at home. This is Japan's shame," said one user.

"If she got infected this way, would she get special treatment with high-class medical care?" said another user, although some people also defended her as a private citizen.

Support for Abe's cabinet fell to 39% in an NHK survey published on Monday, down four points.

Seventy-five percent said Abe's April 7 declaration of a state of emergency came too late.

Last weekend Abe drew an angry response from some Twitter users after sharing a video of himself lounging on a sofa with his dog, drinking tea and reading, with a message telling people to stay at home.

"Who do you think you are?" became a top trend on Twitter, with many posts saying Abe's message ignored the plight of those struggling to make a living during the outbreak.

Japan Inc has also given a thumbs-down to his economic response, with most firms in a Reuters poll saying his stimulus has been a disappointment.

Akie Abe, an often controversial figure, was also criticized after pictures emerged of her at a cherry blossom viewing event despite calls for people to stay home, but Abe defended her, saying it was a private gathering at a restaurant.
YEREVAN.  Today is Police Day, let me congratulate the entire Police staff on this important holiday. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mentioned this at Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the government of Armenia, and called on everyone to applaud the police.

"[Police] reforms continue to be one of the most important priorities of our agenda, he added, in particular. "There are two important pillars on that agenda. The first is the public's complete trust in the police, and the second is the effectiveness of the police work. In this context, improving the image of the police is also important. The police really need to change and need to change in a way that they meet the demands of today's Armenia ().

Pashinyan added that taking into account the current quarantine situation in Armenia, todays Police Day shall be marked in the most limited way possible.
Opec Fund for International Development (OFID) said its governing board has dedicated $1 billion to fund Covid-19 impact and recovery efforts in developing countries.

The allocation will be deployed in the form of Opec Fund public, private and trade finance loans.

OFID was established in January 1976 by the then 13 member countries of Opec; including the UAE. It is the development finance institution established as a channel of aid to developing countries.

At the 171st virtual governing board session, Opec Fund Director-General Dr Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: "We recognise that many of our partners are refocusing efforts and resources to contain and mitigate the impact of Covid-19. We are committed to supporting them to do precisely this and the Board has endorsed a robust fast-track approval process as part of our emergency response initiative."

The Opec Fund is joining global efforts to address the socio-economic challenges the world is now facing, said the top official.

The organisation will work closely with the financial institutions of the Arab Coordination Group, with multilateral development banks, as well as with specialised agencies of the UN, to provide collective, well-coordinated and impactful development financing where it is needed most, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
A Florida man was speeding through a construction zone, and falling asleep at the wheel when he caused a crash in Lancaster County that killed a person, state police said in court documents filed Wednesday.

James H. Cofield, 54, of Palm Coast, Florida, was charged with vehicular homicide after an investigation into a four-vehicle crash on June 24 that killed one person and seriously injured another on Route 222 in East Cocalico Township, a criminal complaint said.

Cofield was traveling south near mile marker 43, and following too closely to the car in front of him while the left lane was closed for roadwork, according to the complaint.

The unsafe following distance  combined with the speeding and his semi-conscious state  made Cofield culpable, state police are contending.

In addition to the homicide charge, Cofield is facing charges of aggravated assault by vehicle, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and various driving-related offenses.

A warrant is out for his arrest, and requests his extradition to Pennsylvania to face charges.

READ MORE:

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After years on the run, woman goes to prison for sexually abusing central Pa. girl
Lafarge Africa PLC returns to profit in 2019

16 April 2020

Lafarge Africa PLC has reported revenues of NGN213bn (US$551.5m) for the year ended 31 December 2019 as against NGN218bn in 2018. Operating expenses fell from NGN29.89m to NGN23.42m. Financing costs also declined from NGN41.6bn to NGN20.2bn. The company ended 2019 with a profit after tax of NGN15.5bn compared with a loss of NGN8.1m in 2018.

Lafarge Africa also reduced its debt from NGN208bn in 2018 to NGN52.6bn in 2019, while total equity jumped from NGN135bn to NGN345bn in 2019.

Speaking on the results, Khaled El Dokani, managing director and CEO of Lafarge Africa Plc, said: "Our turnaround and cost-reduction strategy in 2019 and the divestment of the South African business, have delivered strong results. The decrease in net debt has significantly strengthened our balance sheet and has placed us in a vantage position to face the future.



"The Nigerian cement industry growth momentum is expected to slow down in FY20 compared to 2019 on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenging global macro-economic environment."

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Brittany Smith, an Alabama woman who says she acted in self-defense when she killed the man she says raped her, has lost an appeal in her murder case.

That means the case is likely headed to a trial at which she could face up to life in prison if convicted.

Now that Brittany Smith lost an appeal in her Stand Your Ground case, the judge has scheduled a murder trial, at which Brittany could face up to life in prison. Her attorney can still ask the Alabama Supreme Court to hear the appeal. Case background: https://t.co/hrHTkrCK6d pic.twitter.com/CctY9eqmDQ  Ashley Remkus (@aremkus1) April 21, 2020

However, one of the five judges who considered Brittanys appeal said the case raised concerns about how such appeals are pursued and asked that the Alabama legislature consider changing state law to improve the process.

Brittany is charged in the fatal shooting of Todd Smith (no relation). It happened Jan. 16, 2018 in the kitchen of Brittanys home in Stevenson, a tiny city in Jackson County in northeast Alabama.

Brittany has testified that she fatally shot Todd, an acquaintance, while he was choking her brother, Chris McCallie, and threatening to kill them all. McCallie was at Brittanys house early that Tuesday morning to confront Todd, who was accused of raping, strangling and assaulting Brittany earlier in the night.

In a unanimous decision, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals denied Brittanys appeal seeking immunity from prosecution and the dismissal of her case. If the court ruled in Brittanys favor, the case would have ended and she would have walked free.

[Read more: With Brittanys case already at the Court of Criminal Appeals, new evidence emerges]

Brittany has argued that she is immune from prosecution under Alabamas broad Stand Your Ground self-defense law. Earlier this year, Jackson County Circuit Judge Jenifer Holt declined to grant immunity, saying Brittany hadnt credibly shown that she acted in defense of herself or her brother.

While all five judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Brittany hadnt proven that she was entitled to immunity, Judge Elizabeth Kellum expressed concerns about the appellate process.

To appeal Judge Holts denial of her Stand Your Ground argument, Brittany had to file whats known as a petition for writ of mandamus. Kellum wrote that the petition, which is the only appellate option in Stand Your Ground cases, is an extraordinary remedy that places a particularly heavy burden on the person filing the appeal.

When considering a petition for writ of mandamus, the Court of Criminal Appeals has to determine whether the trial court judge abused her discretion, in addition to considering the merits of the case.

In Brittanys appeal, defense attorney Ron Smith (no relation) asked the Court of Criminal Appeals to determine whether Holt Judge Holt abused her discretion and to order the judge to change her ruling.

I question whether a petitioner would ever be successful in challenging a circuit courts pretrial immunity ruling by mandamus, Kellum wrote in a concurring opinion.

Kellum, who has raised the same concerns in other Stand Your Ground cases, asked the Alabama legislature to change state law to allow people like Brittany to appeal their cases in a fairer way.

Brittanys trial was put on hold pending the outcome of her appeal. She can now ask the Alabama Supreme Court to consider the appeal, but her attorney said he doesnt yet know whether they will do so.

If the case goes to trial, Brittany can still argue to a jury that she acted in defense of herself and her brother.

[Read more: Alabama woman says she killed her rapist in self-defense. She could spend life in prison.]

Updated on April 21 to show a trial date has been scheduled for June 22, 2020.
"The Board is excited by the impressive background Peone brings to SWAIA to lead Indian Market through our Centennial year (2022) and into the next century. Peone's 30 years of experience in Indian Country, astute business and financial background, as well as great managerial and leadership skills were a perfect fit for SWAIA's needs going forward," said Board Chair Tom Teegarden.

Peone's father Richard (Eastern Band of Cherokee), and mother Annabelle (Colville Confederated Tribes), met while attending the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and started a family. Peone was born in Santa Fe a city known as an American Indian art mecca.

Kim Peone's career has taken her across Indian Country from coast to coast, serving tribes and tribal entities in numerous professional capacities. Most recently, Peone was the CEO/CFO of an extremely successful tribal corporation in Washington State. Her full circle journey has led her back to Santa Fe to pursue professional opportunities. Her expertise is building accountable, sustainable, and disciplined Native organizations that exceed expectations of key stakeholders.

The Board has an ambitious vision for the future of SWAIA, building on past successes and taking the organization to new levels of impact that benefit Native artists. Part of SWAIA's mission is to form solid partnerships to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization; this aligns with Peone's leadership philosophy.

"It was a tough decision to postpone the 99th Indian Market this year in the wake of COVID 19, especially given the economic impact on our artists and the event's $165 million-dollar impact on the economy of northern New Mexico," said Traci Rabbit, artist and Board member. "We must move forward, and I am confident Kim's background and abilities will successfully lead SWAIA into the future. There are many challenges ahead for organizations like SWAIA, and the Board is committed to ensure that its legacy and influence will not only withstand those challenges, but emerge stronger with lessons learned."

About SWAIA: The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is a non-profit organization supporting Native American arts and culture. It creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native American artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market, the biggest and most prestigious Indian art event in the world since 1922. SWAIA plays an ongoing role in supporting Native American arts and culture year-round, cultivating excellence and innovation across traditional and non-traditional art forms and developing programs and events that support, promote, and honor Native artists.

SOURCE Southwestern Association for Indian Arts

Related Links

https://swaia.org/


The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has commended the hardworking staff of the Covid-19 Call Centre for their contributions to the national fight against the Covid 19 pandemic.



Speaking during a visit to the Centre on Thursday 16th April, 2020 Vice President Bawumia emphasised that the gathering and availability of data has played a significant role in Ghana's battle against COVID-19 so far.



Governments reliance on data anchors Ghanas approach to the fight, which is based on testing, tracing contacts of confirmed cases and treating them, and the work of the Covid-19 Centre is a major source of such primary data, the Vice President indicated.



As you know, Government runs on information, and information produces data. We can then analyse the data and take decisions based on that. The setting up of this centre is very important because government needs to hear the people on the issues that concern them.



The information being gathered here is key to Governments decisions on the approach to dealing with the Covid 19 crisis. I am very impressed by what Im seeing here today.



The work that is being done here is collecting a lot of information that will allow government to be able to track, test and treat people and I think that it is a key weapon in fight against Covid-19.



Nobody should take Covid-19 lightly Dr Bawumia warned. President Akufo-Addo has put in a lot of measures to tackle the pandemic, and these measures have resulted in an outcome that is reasonable for Ghana.



As at yesterday, out of 50,719 tested, almost 99% was negative. Only about 1% positive, 641. This is because we are chasing the virus; we are not waiting like some other countries for the virus to come, for people to get sick and get to the hospitals. Ghana is doing something different. We are chasing the virus into the community, to trace, test people and treat them. Very different architecture that we are implementing in Ghana.



If we hadnt done this, all these people would have been going round infecting other people. I think the Presidents focus on testing, tracing and treatment have yielded very good results. 1% of people tested are infected, but by the grace of God, 94 % of this 1% have only mild or no symptoms. We have only 2 people who are critically and 8 people have died, who had underlying conditions already.



So God has been good to us, but we have to continue implementing all the guidance that we are doing right now. No large gatherings. We wash our hands. We dont shake hands. We continue all the social distancing measures. I can see that everyone here is wearing a mask, which is very good.



Speaking earlier, the Minister of Information, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, disclosed that the Centre has received 12,340 calls between 1st and 15th April, with enquiries largely centred on the provision of basic necessities and what to do if a case is suspected.



Vice President Bawumia also took the opportunity to respond to a call from Eno Mary, who said she lives around the Bawjiase road in Kasoa. The caller, who could not believe she was speaking to the Vice President in these trying times, was assured that her complaint of a shortage of water, would be addressed by the Ghana Water Company.



The state of the art National Information Contact Centre (NICC) which has been in operation since the start of April and manned 24/7, has been recalibrated as a COVID-19 Call Centre and staffed with personal from the Ghana Health Service and Emergency services.



By calling 311, anyone can receive information on Covid 19 and also request assistance and guidance in the fight. The Centre also collates data on the national Covid-19 effort.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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[April 16, 2020] BlackRock Reports First Quarter 2020 Earnings

BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) today released its financial results for the first quarter of 2020. The company's earnings release and supplemental materials are available via ir.blackrock.com/QuarterlyResults. Teleconference, Webcast and Presentation Information Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Laurence D. Fink, President, Robert S. Kapito, and Chief Financial Officer, Gary S. Shedlin, will host a teleconference call for investors and analysts on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. (Eastern Time). Additional speakers will include Chief Operating Officer, Robert L. Goldstein and Head of ETFs and Index Investments, Salim Ramji. Members of the public who are interested in participating in the teleconference should dial, from the United States, (800) 374-0176, or from outside the United States, (706) 679-8281, shortly before 7:30 a.m. ET and reference the BlackRock Conference Call (ID Number 9995895). A live, listen-only webcast will also be available via the investor relations section of www.blackrock.com.



Both the teleconference and webcast will be available for replay by 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, April 16, 2020 and ending at midnight on Thursday, April 30, 2020. To access the replay of the teleconference, callers from the United States should dial (855) 859-2056 and callers from outside the United States should dial (404) 537-3406 and enter the Conference ID Number 9995895. To access the webcast, please visit the investor relations section of www.blackrock.com. About BlackRock

BlackRock's purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, our clients turn to us for the solutions they need when planning for their most important goals. As of March 31, 2020, the firm managed approximately $6.47 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate | Twitter (News - Alert): @blackrock | Blog: www.blackrockblog.com | LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005315/en/

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-The agreement grants Iksuda an access to Legochem Biosciences' next-generation payload and proprietary linker to discover and advance lead ADC for difficult-to-treat tumours

LegoChem Biosciences, Inc. ("LCB") (KOSDAQ:141080), based in Daejeon, South Korea, announced today that it has entered a research collaboration and license agreement with Iksuda Therapeutics ("Iksuda") for the development of antibody-drug conjugates in oncology.

Iksuda gains certain rights to LCB's antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology, ConjuALL, including LCB's cancer-selectively activated payloads as well as its proprietary linker and conjugation platform, to research, develop and commercialize targeted anti-cancer therapeutics. Under the terms of the agreement, Iksuda has the rights to use the LCB technology to develop therapeutics directed to up to three undisclosed targets.

LCB will receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to $407.25 million as well as royalties on the sales of any resulting ADC products. In addition, LCB is eligible to receive a prearranged percentage of sublicense revenue if Iksuda enters into a license agreement with third party companies.

Iksuda, a UK-based biotech company established in 2012, is focusing on the development of novel ADC therapeutics. Iksuda has built up a world-class R&D team including Dr. Robert Lutz, CSO of Iksuda, who is a global ADC expert and has significantly contributed to the successful development and commercialization of a blockbuster drug, Kadcyla as well as several other ADC therapeutics when he was at Immunogen.

"We plan to advance ADC products from this partnership to clinical stage as quickly as possible," said Dr. David Simpson, the CEO of Iksuda. "This collaboration will allow us to leverage LCB's next-generation linker and payload platform and combining it with our expertise and capabilities in ADC development will enable success."

"We are pleased to collaborate with Iksuda given its experience and expertise in ADC research and development. This agreement highlights that not only is LCB delivering unique, differentiated linker technology, but great potential and wide applicability of our proprietary payload, is also now endorsed by global experts from Iksuda," said Dr. Yong-Zu Kim, the CEO President of LCB. "Our goal is to demonstrate the competitiveness of LegoChem Bio in human trials in a most efficient way by applying our ADC platform to Iksuda's pipelines."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005271/en/

Contacts:

LegoChem Biosciences

Daeyoung Jeong

+82-70-4811-3260

jdy@legochembio.com
If you are also interested in offering advanced customer service, then feel free to contact us at HoduSoft and get a customized HoduCC Contact Center Software for your business.

By the advancements in technology Work from Home, culture has gained popularity among working professionals. Several companies, primarily service-based organizations, offer flexibility to employees to do Work from Home. It provides the freedom for employees to work in the comfort of their homes with high efficiency.

Now lots of software are developed to make Work from Home tasks more engaging and exciting, and they have filled the communication barriers caused due to the physical absence of employees at the office.

HoduSoft's HoduCC is a consolidated and comprehensive contact center software. It comprises several features to make work of call centers more productive and straightforward. This Omnichannel Contact Center Software offers advanced features, intelligence, and security. HoduSoft has launched a Omnichannel Contact Center Software with a remote agent that enables work from Home to help call centers in functioning smoothly.

Kartik Khambhati, the Co-Founder & CBDO of HoduSoft said, "Our Omnichannel Contact Center Software offers the innovative feature of remote agents to enable work from Home. We have come up with Omnichannel Contact Center Software to help companies to work effectively from Home during this coronavirus outbreak."

He also added that our new Omnichannel Contact Center Software has all features to meet the requirements of customers and establish loyalty with them towards the product and services offered.

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Dark clouds are looming over Wall Street, and the storm only appears to be intensifying. The market was dealt another blow on Wednesday April 15, with all three of the major U.S. stock indexes sliding on grim economic data and disappointing earnings reports from banks.

According to a Commerce Department report, March saw retail sales fall sharply, 8.7% to be exact. This marked the largest one-month drop since 1992, when the department began tracking the metric. Manufacturing in the New York area also declined by its largest margin ever, reaching a historic low to exceed levels witnessed during the Great Depression. Add in lackluster first quarter figures from Bank of America and Citigroup, and you have a recipe for heightened investor concern.

Sure, the economic landscape appears gloomy, but if you look carefully, theres a bright spot. COVID-19's worldwide rampage has slashed the price tags of some compelling names, providing attractive entry points.

As a result, risk-tolerant investors have penny stocks on the mind. At under $5 per share, you get more bang for your buck and even minor share price appreciation can reflect huge percentage gains. However, due diligence is important here as Wall Street pros remind investors the bargain price could be a sign that a particular name faces overwhelming headwinds.

Bearing this in mind, we used TipRanks database to pinpoint three Buy-rated penny stocks that have earned a thumbs up from members of the analyst community. Not to mention each boasts substantial upside potential of over 50%.

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals (ACRX)

AcelRxs unique approach involves using a single-strength tablet in a distinct dosing unit to deliver drugs, which are designed to avoid the types of medication errors associated with injectable opioids. Shares have surged 53% in just the last month, but at $1.29 apiece, several analysts believe this stock is still undervalued.

Writing for H.C. Wainwright, five-star analyst Ed Arce cites its Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals acquisition as a major positive. He argues that the deal could help ACRX establish a hospital-based commercial drug portfolio as Tetraphases only commercially available product, XERAVA, achieved Q4 sales of $1.5 million. As this result reflects a 49% sequential gain, Arce thinks the drug is on a sustainable growth trajectory.

Story continues

Arce doesnt dispute the fact that theres some concern surrounding Tetraphases financing risk and that its modest revenue and significant cost basis could signal a long path to profitability. However, by combining DSUVIA and XERAVA net product sales under one streamlined cost structure, we believe the combined company may realize both revenue synergies (access to more areas across the hospital to promote both products) as well as more obvious cost synergies by removing duplication across operations, especially in sales and marketing, he commented.

Arce added, Further, in addition to the acquisition which is expected to close in 2Q20 (see financial details below), the companies have agreed to enter a co-promotion arrangement effective immediately. As such, the companies plan to eliminate about 40 sales positions immediately (roughly half from each company), which provides an immediate cost savings of $8 million annually, before additional efficiency benefits from the acquisition itself.

To this end, Arce stayed with the bulls, reiterating a Buy recommendation. That being said, he did trim the price target from $9 to $7, but this still leaves room for 443% upside potential. (To watch Arces track record, click here)

All in all, the rest of the Street is on the same page. Receiving 3 Buys and 1 Hold over the last three months, ACRX earns a Strong Buy consensus rating. At $1.29, the average price target implies shares could soar 381% in the next twelve months. (See AcelRx stock analysis on TipRanks).

OPKO Health, Inc. (OPK)

Hoping to address the unmet needs of patients, OPKO Health has developed innovative products, comprehensive diagnostics laboratories, a robust research and development pipeline and unique pharmaceutical business solutions to achieve this goal. With a price tag of $1.63 per share, analysts believe that now is the time to pull the trigger.

Part of the excitement surrounding this healthcare name is related to the interim results of two clinical studies for its Rayaldee therapy. On March 25, OPK published data from a Phase 4 clinical trial evaluating Rayaldee compared to three other treatment regimens for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in adult patients with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and vitamin D insufficiency and a Phase 2 clinical trial of Rayaldee for SHPT in adult patients with stage 5 CKD who need hemodialysis and have vitamin D insufficiency.

The Phase 4 trial results were encouraging as they showed that at the given dose, the therapy could increase serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D to the level required to effectively suppress elevated plasma intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in CKD patients. Not to mention the drug showed a robust safety profile.

As for the Phase 2 trial, Laidlaw analyst Yale Jen noted, The results so far achieved its initial goal of: 1) this level of drug is tolerable; 2) calcifediol, the active ingredient in Rayaldee can be activated in patients with absence of kidney function; and 3) SHPT can be treated in ESRD patients with this medication (>30% response rate).

The outcome is especially promising as it opens the door for Rayaldees use in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We are encouraged by the activation of calcifediol in ESRD patients possibly due to elevated activities of ex-renal enzyme as renal enzyme no longer functions. This could be an important discovery that might change the dogma of conventional understanding. The preliminary interim results of the Phase 2 in ESRD patients bode well, in our opinion, for the future second part of the Phase II study (n=300) given some of the key potential hurdles might have been removed, Jen explained.

Even though the company will need to discuss the Phase 2 data with the FDA and progress through the second part of the study before it can initiate pivotal trials in 2021 or 2022, Jen sees big things in store for OPK.

As a result, the analyst left a Buy rating and $6 price target on this penny stock. Should the target be met, a twelve-month gain of 258% could be in the cards. (To watch Jens track record, click here)

Turning now to the rest of the Street, other analysts have also been impressed with OPK. With 100% Street support, the consensus is unanimous: the stock is a Strong Buy. Additionally, the $4.33 average price target brings the upside potential to 158%. (See OPKO Health stock analysis on TipRanks)

VEON Ltd. (VEON)

Switching gears now, VEON offers connectivity and digital services to millions of people all over the world. Like the broader market, 2020 has been rough on this company, but with a $1.61 share price, there could be an opportunity for Wall Street observers to capitalize on its recent weakness.

This is the stance taken by HSBC analyst Herve Drouet. He acknowledges that the company has faced significant headwinds related to both COVID-19 and recent weakness in many of its operating currencies. The company issued a new trading update on 31 March 2020. The company expects COVID-19 led disruption to pose headwinds for roaming and equipment revenues. It also expects pressure on margins in Russia and Pakistan, while Ukraine is expected to continue its strong momentum, he stated.

As a result of these challenges, questions have been raised regarding its debt and ability to maintain its dividend payment. While the dividend is a concern for the analyst, he isnt as alarmed by the debt situation.

However, in terms of its debt situation, we believe that the company should be able to refinance / meet its obligations using current cash and available credit lines. Furthermore, the company has capex flexibility  in case it is pushed to maximize cash flows for the short term. Any steps to rationalize its asset portfolio or improve margins in Russia should aid the stock, Drouet commented.

On top of this, VEONs valuation is a key component of Drouets bullish thesis. ...on an EV/EBITDA basis appears to be trading at 3.3x 2020e EBITDA  below its 1yr forward average trading multiple of (3.6x) over the last five years and close to past trough levels on EV/OpCF basis (See page 5). Current valuations imply that the market is assuming a cost of equity of c17% for VEON (HSBCe:16%) or USD-RUB exchange rate of c88 vs current rate of c76. Any positive news like limited COVID-19 impact, oil price increase, or RUB appreciation should bode well for the stock, in our view, the analyst noted.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Drouet remains optimistic. Having said that, along with a Buy rating, he cut the price target from $3.10 to $1.80. (To watch Drouets track record, click here)

All in all, VEONs Moderate Buy consensus rating breaks down into 2 Buys and a single Hold. Based on its $2.43 average price target, the upside potential comes in at 50%. (See VEON analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.
Doors at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building are locked and covered with blinds as a sign posted advises that the office will be closed during the partial government shutdown in Seattle, on Jan. 16, 2019. (Elaine Thompson/AP)

Virus Relief Checks Wont Have to Be Repaid, Feds Say

CHICAGOVideos and online reports claiming that millions of Americans will have to repay the relief checks they receive from the federal government under the $2.2 trillion CCP virus economic recovery bill are not true.

The government began issuing the one-time payments this week. Most adults who earned up to $75,000 will see a $1,200 payout, while married couples who made up to $150,000 can expect to get $2,400. Parents will get payments of $500 per child. The checks will be directly deposited into bank accounts or mailed to households, depending on how youve filed your tax returns in the past.

Blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia, Pa., on Feb. 11, 2005. (William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

In recent days, social media posts have falsely claimed theres one catch to this moneythat youll eventually have to pay it back.

Next year, youre automatically going to owe $1,200 come tax season, one of the videos, viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube, falsely claims. The video has also been shared widely on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

The U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, which are working to deliver the money to people, confirmed to The Associated Press that households will not have to pay back the money in next years tax filing.

This is not an advance and there is absolutely no obligation to pay it back, Treasury spokeswoman Patricia McLaughlin said in an email.

The federal government uses information from 2018 or 2019 tax returnswhichever was filed most recentlyto determine eligibility for the payouts. Those payments begin to get smaller for adults making more than $75,000 and phase out entirely for those earning more than $99,000. For married couples, the payments get smaller for those earning more than $150,000, falling to zero at $198,000. For heads of household with one child, the benefit starts to decline at $112,500 and falls to zero at $136,500.

The confusion on social media appears to have stemmed from language in the economic rescue bill that refers to the checks as an advance refund because the money is being given out in the 2020 tax year, before Americans have even filed their tax returns for the year.

The 2020 tax form has not been printed but the relief checks will not have any bearing on your income deductions next year, said Eric Smith, a spokesman for the IRS.

By Amanda Seitz
It is on public domain that the Northern States Governors Forum, in a meeting recently conducted via teleconference and chaired by the forums Chairman, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, discussed the impact of coronavirus in the region as well as measures adopted by individual states to deal with the disease.

The governors according to the release by Lalongs Director of Press and Public Affairs, Macham Makut, among other decisions resolved to strengthen preventive measures against the pandemic through enhanced boundary controls and surveillance, as well as greater collaboration to ensure that there was a synergy among them in restriction of movement. They (northern governors) agreed that at the moment, each state would adopt the measure suitable to its setting because total lockdown of the region will come at a very high cost since most of its citizens are farmers who need to go to farms since the rains have started, the statement read.

At a glance, such resolutions by the northern governors not to lock down the region based on the consideration that total lock down of the region will come at a very high cost since most of its citizens are farmers who need to go to farms since the rains have started, naturally elicits the following. First, it postures the governors as a bunch that places the economic interest of the governed at heart. Their action also support the experts believe that long term strategies of successful and foresighted leaders can almost always be characterized precisely in a very simple and natural way. And most importantly, the northern governors demonstration of unity even at this precarious moment of global existence shows that strategy is really no more than a plan of action for maximizing ones strenght against the forces at work in any given environment,

This development, however, should not come as a surprise to any student of history. As the concept of one united Northern Nigeria where the leaders speak with one voice predates the nations independence.

As noted in a recent report, not even the creation of 19 states out of the former Northern region has shaken this believe that the north is one entity where tribe and tongue may differ but they are united in fighting a common course to protect the interest of all from northern Nigeria. The north is united in fighting for the political, economic, socio-cultural and religious interests of its people within the large enclave called Nigeria. The people have common economic and financial institutions that promote the development of their region. This unique position of the north is very different from that of its southern counterpart which was never administered by one administrator right from the colonial days. The position of the north on issues is very different from those of its southern counterparts.

Historically also, the Northern Region under the Premiership of the late Ahmadu Bello never hid its desire for separate identity. Just before independence, the Region threatened to pull out of Nigeria if it was not allocated more parliamentary seats than the south. The departing British colonial masters, desirous of one big entity, quickly succumbed to the threat. In fact, the North at that time did pretend it never wanted to have anything to do with Nigeria. For example, the motto of the ruling party in that region at that time was One North, One People, and One Destiny. And name of the party itself Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, was suggestive of separatist fervor, distinct identity.

All of these things are admirable and deserve our highest praise but we must admit that this courageous stands from the Northern Governors are still far too few. The sublime decision of these leaders on the present situation moves all too slowly in actual practice.

In my views, the northern governors demonstration of unity and consideration of the people when formulating policies are very narrow and too restricted. They must turn more of their energies and focus their creativity on the useful things that will translate to empowerment of the people. At this critical point of our nationhood, the northern governors must do the work-and in doing the work, stimulate their people particularly the youths to learn and acquire higher levels of skills and techniques for economic independence.

Presently, what the region needs is a restless determination to make the idle of governance a reality in the region and the nation at large.

There are certain technical steps that must be taken.

First, it is time for the governors to recognize that any region desirous of securing the future of its people must invest in education. This is more urgent in the north where historical underdevelopment in Western education is responsible, more than the diversity in religious loyalties, for the social imbalance between the region and the south. State governments in the north are enjoined to embark on aggressive education of their people, ensuring its compulsion to a certain level. The bulk of money to this state needs to be devoted to this objective.

Similarly, the hour has come for the governors from the region to adopt and support the 2030 sustainable agenda- a United Nation initiative and successor programme to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)- with a collection of 17 global goals formulated among other aims to promote and cater for people, peace, planet, and poverty. And has at its centre; partnership and collaboration, ecosystem thinking, co-creation and alignment of various intervention efforts by the public and private sectors and civil society.

The reason for this assertion is barefaced.

It was in the news sometimes last year that Mathew Hassan Kukah- a well-informed, self-contained and quietly influential Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto had during a four day workshop tagged Interfaith Dialogue and Engagement for Christians and Muslims in Minna, Niger state that the Kukah Centre (TKC), promised to introduce skill acquisition centers in the Northern part of the country where about 10 million Almajiri children will acquire vocations of their choice.

Certainly, with the slow economic but high population growth in Nigeria, such programme qualifies as an effective tool for fighting unemployment and consolidating economic growth. But for yet to be identified reason(s), no governor from the north bought into that opening provided or encouraged their youth to access such opportunity.

I hold an opinion that that it is in the interest of the government to create jobs for the youths as a formidable way of curbing crime and reducing threatening insecurity in the country. It should be done not merely for political consideration but from the views of national development and sustenance of our democracy.

What of the future? Will it be marked by the same types of action as the past period?

The region needs development and growth of industries. When this is achieved, it will in turn increase the purchasing power of the people, and this purchasing power will result in improved medical care, greater educational opportunities, and more adequate housing.

To catalyze this process, a shift in action is important as we cannot solve our socio-economic challenges with the same thinking we used when we created it. And this time is auspicious for northern governors to bring a change in leadership paradigm by switching over to a leadership style that is capable of making successful decision built on a higher quality of information and sees one north as a region that is development focussed.

Jerome-Mario Utomi([email protected]) , Writes from Lagos Nigeria.
U.S. retail sales in March plunged 8.7 percent from the prior month, the biggest one-month drop on record, according to a federal report released Wednesday.

Retail and food service sales last month were estimated at $483 billion, a decline of 6.2 percent from a year ago, according to the latest report from the U.S. Commerce Department. The monthly report is based on a survey of approximately 5,550 retail and restaurant companies nationwide.

These numbers should come as no surprise given the mandated shutdown of our economy to slow the spread of the virus, said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist with the National Retail Federation. March was a month that started out with many stores still open, but far more are closed now. Dont be surprised if the data going forward shows a worsening situation.

Retailers, already struggling with changes in consumer preferences that led to the decline of malls and the rise of online shopping, are taking a gut punch from the novel coronavirus, which has forced many malls and so-called non-essential stores to limit operations or temporarily close.

RETAIL WOES: Bleak outlook as retailers face unprecedented mix of woes during coronavirus pandemic

More Information Biggest Retail Sales Declines Retail and food service sales suffered their worst one-month decline on record, falling 8.7 percent in March, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Here are the retail categories hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Clothing and accessories: -50.5 percent month over month Automotive vehicles: -27.1 percent Furniture and home furnishings: -26.8 percent Restaurant and bars: -26.5 percent Motor vehicle and parts: -25.6 percent Sporting goods, hobby, music and books: -23.3 percent Department stores: -19.7 percent Gasoline: -17.2 percent Electronic and appliances: -15.1 percent See More Collapse

While grocery and beverage sales were up 25.6 percent in March, apparel and accessories sales were down 50.5 percent, furniture and home furnishing sales were down 26.8 percent and porting goods sales were down 23.3 percent, according to the Department of Commerce. Department store sales fell 19.7 percent and electronics and appliance sales dove 15.1 percent month over month.

This is a market of haves and have-nots, Kleinhenz said. The haves are the stores that remain open with lines out the doors to buy daily necessities while the have-nots are the stores that have closed and are taking the brunt of the impact of the pandemic.

To mitigate the financial fallout from the pandemic, many retailers are furloughing and laying off workers, cutting expenses and delaying new store openings.

The National Retail Federation, the industry trade association, estimates that as many as 6.1 million retail jobs could be lost during the first three months of the pandemic, representing about 11 percent of the 52 million retail jobs nationally.

Almost every sector in the economy has been greatly impacted by this crisis, and retail is at the top of that list, NRF Chief Executive Matthew Shay said.

Best Buy on Wednesday said it would furlough most of its 51,000 hourly employees during the pandemic. The furloughs will begin on Sunday, and affected employees can keep their health care benefits at no cost for a minimum of three months, the company said.

MALLS IMPACTED: Coronavirus delivers another dagger in the heart of malls across the country

Several Houston-based retailers have also furloughed staff during the pandemic.

Group 1 Automotive, the nations fourth-largest dealership group, last month said it would furlough 5,800 employees globally, lower executive compensation and suspend its cash dividend. The Houston company is furloughing 3,000 U.S. employees for 30 days, roughly a third of the 11,300 workers nationally.

The automotive retailer said many of its dealerships are closed or have severely reduced operations because of stay-at-home orders. Sales of new and used vehicles at Group 1 dealerships started plunging in early March, and are down about 50 percent to 70 percent from normal March sales, the company said.

Stage Stores last month said it furloughed virtually all of its 13,600 full- and part-time employees after temporarily closing all of its 738 department stores. Only 80 key associates who perform essential functions have not been furloughed, the retailer said. The company also said it reduced executive compensation by at least 25 percent.

Mattress Firm last month said it furloughed an undisclosed number of employees at its stores, distribution centers and corporate office; suspended some benefits and reduced salaries and store hours at some locations. Furloughed employees will continue to receive health care benefits, the company said.

Retailers say they expect furloughed workers can get back to work once the pandemic passes and stores reopen. Some industry analysts, however, worry consumers may not come back quickly to shopping in stores.

Even if the the economy begins to reopen in May, consumer behavior may take a long time to adjust, said Kleinhenz, the NRF economist. The road to recovery could be long and slow.

paul.takahashi@chron.com

twitter.com/paultakahashi
Mohammed Atiku-Abubakar, a son of Nigerias former vice-president, has continued to test positive for coronavirus four weeks after he was confirmed, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

He remained isolated without symptoms, a development that has surprised medical experts.

Mr Atiku-Abubakar, 31, tested positive for the virus on March 19. He was subsequently moved to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where most COVID-19 cases around the Nigerian capital are treated.

Despite being placed on medication, including antiretroviral and immune-boosting vitamins, he has continued to test positive 28 days on, according to medical officials familiar with his case.

He tested positive again yesterday, an official told PREMIUM TIMES. We are doing all that is in our power to ensure his recovery, but he can only be released after he has been deemed completely recovered.

Another official told PREMIUM TIMES Mr Atiku-Abubakars unique condition has puzzled experts at the NCDC.

We have been saying that this is a unique condition, but we are confident he will recover soon, the official added.

READ ALSO:

Mr Atiku-Abubakar remained asymptomatic even one month after he caught the virus, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Both officials spoke with PREMIUM TIMES under anonymity because the NCDC does not comment on individual cases unless otherwise determined by its top management.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, head of NCDC, declined comments about Mr Atiku-Abubakars situation Thursday afternoon.

Mr Atiku-Abubakar confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that he was still at the isolation facility on Thursday afternoon, but declined further comments on his test results and treatment.

Unwanted alliance

As of April 15, Abuja has 58 cases out of 407 nationwide tally, NCDC reported. At least 128 people have recovered and been discharged from isolation centres across the country, according to NCDC. Two Nigerian governors, Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde, who tested positive well after Mr Atiku-Abubakar have since been certified recovered.

Although the maximum period a person can carry coronavirus is still a subject of scientific research, some experts have said the virus can last for 37 days.

But Mr Atiku-Abubakar, at 28 days, appeared to be amongst the longest carriers of the virus in Nigeria so far. Another similar case to Mr Atiku-Abubakars in Nigeria appeared to be Abba Kyari, President Muhammadu Buharis chief of staff, whose recovery has not been announced yet. His case was first made public on March 23.

No matter how you look at it, this is not a normal situation based on our observation in Nigeria, Ifeoma Ezeonu, a Nigerian professor, told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Thursday afternoon.

Ms Ezeonu, a microbiologist and molecular geneticist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, said Mr Atiku-Abubakars case was looking like a prolonged carrier and should be closely monitored by the NCDC.

Ordinarily, he should have been cleared by now because of his young age and the period he has spent under treatment in isolation, Ms Ezeonu said. We know that the virus can be transient or chronic, and this case is looking like a classic case of a carrier.

We just hope it is not an extended carriage as it is a very dangerous situation because it now looks like his system has come into an agreement with the virus, she said.

The professor, who emphasised that she has yet to hear of any case similar to Mr Atiku-Abubakars, said anyone still testing positive for COVID-19 would be able to infect others for as long as the virus has not completely cleared from the system.

If someone is asymptomatic as he has been, then you expect the immune system to clear the virus on time so the person can be negative again, Ms Ezeonu said. They should keep treating him there until he is able to clear the virus.
But many of the people who cause problems are likely the ones who could benefit from a long-term city partnership with a mental health service provider.
An NHS contact-tracing app would only completely stop the spread of coronavirus if 80 per cent of current smartphone owners use it, researchers have warned.

The team from the University of Oxford simulated how COVID-19 might spread in order to support the development of contact-tracing apps across Europe.

However, a previous survey of potential contact-tracing app users suggested that only 73.6 per cent of UK smartphone users would be likely to install one.

That study, of 6,000 people across five countries, also found that under 80 per cent of phone users in the US and Germany would at least 'probably' install such an app.

Of the five nations, only France and Italy appear likely to secure enough users to make the app effective at completely suppressing coronavirus on its own.

Nevertheless, lower levels of uptake coupled with social distancing efforts would still help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and put off a second lockdown period.

In fact, the team predicts that  regardless of overall uptake  a contact-tracing app could 'prevent approximately one infection for every one or two users of the app.'

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An NHS contact-tracing app would only completely stop the spread of coronavirus if 80 per cent of current smartphone owners use it, researchers have warned

HOW WOULD AN NHS CONTACT-TRACING APP WORK? According to the researchers, the app being developed by NHSX would likely work as follows: Users install the app on their smartphones. The app logs every time the device comes into close proximity of another app user's phone. Users exhibiting coronavirus symptoms self-report on the app. The app tells these users to self-isolate, along with their household. It also notifies any other users logged as having recently come into contact with them/ These users also isolate, along with their households, and so on. Advertisement

'We need strategies to exit from the lockdown whilst minimising the risk of resurgence,' said report author Christophe Fraser, of the University of Oxford.

'Combined with other interventions such as community testing and continued shielding of vulnerable individuals, digital contact tracing can help prevent coronavirus from rapidly re-emerging.'

'Weve simulated coronavirus in a model city of 1 million inhabitants with a wide range of realistic epidemiological configurations to explore options for controlling transmission.'

'A digital contact tracing app, if carefully implemented alongside other measures, has the potential to substantially reduce the number of new coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and ICU admissions.'

'Our models show we can stop the epidemic if approximately 60% of the population use the app, and even with lower numbers of app users, we still estimate a reduction in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths.'

The uptake required to stop the epidemic  specifically, 56 per cent of the population  is equivalent to 80 per cent of all existing UK smartphone users, based on data from communications regulator Ofcom, Professor Fraser told the BBC.

These figures, however, work on the assumption that the vulnerable population of people over the age of 70 are 'shielded'  that is, kept in quarantine for their own protection.

The team's research  looking at how COVID-19 initially spread in China  has found that almost half of all transmissions of the virus between people occurred before symptoms were exhibited.

Their models also indicated that delaying contact tracing by even a day after the onset of symptoms could mean the difference between bringing the spread under control and seeing the coronavirus undergo a resurgence.

Nevertheless, the app coupled with social distancing efforts would still help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and put off a second lockdown period. In fact, the team predicts that a contact-tracing app could 'prevent approximately one infection for every one or two users of the app'

The use of such a contact-tracing app would depend on people self-reporting based on symptoms, rather than testing, the team explained.

'Initiating contact tracing based on symptoms makes sense epidemiologically because its fast enough to reach people before they transmit,' explained report author David Bonsall, also of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Medicine.

'Our simulations predict loss of epidemic control when tracing is delayed to wait for test results, and overall results in more deaths, and more people in quarantine.'

However, the team noted that testing of app users after they have self-reported could help to ensure that they and their contacts are released from self-isolation should the test prove that they are, in fact, not infected with coronavirus.

'You achieve the best of both worlds when virological tests are used to follow-up and promptly release people,' Dr Bonsall added.

'With the right configuration, we can all use the technology to save lives and help to protect vulnerable groups.'

'By openly sharing our models and our algorithm we are providing governments and health services with the epidemiological tools to compare and evaluate different strategies for contact tracing alongside other approaches,' said Professor Fraser.

'Enabling all countries to consider optimising the apps epidemiological settings before and after launch will help to ensure countries make the greatest possible contribution towards controlling the epidemic.'

The full findings of the study can be read on GitHub.
US WHO Funding Cut Affects All Nations, China Says

By VOA News April 15, 2020

China said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withhold funding to the World Health Organization would affect all countries as the world faces a critical stage in combating the coronavirus pandemic.

The comments from the Foreign Ministry followed Trump's announcement Tuesday in which he said the WHO did not adequately investigate early reports of the virus in China.

Germany joined the defense of the agency, with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas saying Wednesday that assigning blame "doesn't help."

"We have to work closely together against #COVID19," Maas tweeted. "One of the best investments is to strengthen the @UN, especially the under-funded @WHO, for example for developing and distributing tests and vaccines."

European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said there is no justification for Trump's decision when WHO efforts "are needed more than ever."

"Only by joining forces we can overcome this crisis that knows no borders," Borrell said.

There are about 2 million confirmed cases worldwide, but with difficulties in accessing tests in many areas, the true figure is surely higher. Johns Hopkins University statistics Wednesday put the worldwide death toll at more than 126,000.

France said its own toll had surpassed 15,000 people, making it the fourth country to do so, along with the United States, Italy and Spain.

Italy and Spain are among several European nations that have started to ease strict lockdowns meant to stop the spread of the virus, while France just extended its measures.

Discussions of when and how to ease the restrictions are taking place in governments all over the world. In the western U.S. state of California, Governor Gavin Newsom said he will only consider lifting lockdown orders when the number of hospitalizations decline for at least two weeks, testing is more widespread, more protective gear for health care workers, and officials have better ability to track and isolate those who are infected.

India announced Wednesday it plans to allow manufacturing and farming activity to resume in rural areas on April 20, while a nationwide lockdown remains in place until early next month.

The differing measures reflect the path of the outbreak, with earlier hotspots seeing promising signs the worst could be over, while other parts of the world are just starting to experience higher case numbers.

That has been reflected with a number of new lockdown orders this week in Africa. Malawi is among the latest, with President Peter Mutharika announcing Tuesday a 21-day order that begins Saturday.

"I would like to urge you to fully comply with the measures because they are for the good of our country," Mutharika said.

Japan urged people to cooperate with calls for people to stay home and for businesses to close, as a government-commissioned estimate said as many as 850,000 people could become seriously ill, and about half as many could die in a worst-case scenario unless such prevention measures are followed.

On the economic front, the stay-at-home orders have led to a vast drop in oil consumption.

The International Energy Agency issued a forecast Wednesday of a drop in demand for April of 29 million barrels per day, reaching levels the world has not seen in 25 years.

In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced she and other top officials are voluntarily cutting their salaries by 20% in a symbolic move acknowledging the country's economic hardships in response to the outbreak.

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SPRINGFIELD  A man suspected of trying to set a Jewish-sponsored assisted living center on fire will be released on bail after his arrest by FBI agents on Wednesday.

John Michael Rathbun, 36, faces two counts of attempted arson in U.S. District Court after allegedly placing a gasoline-filled tank at the entrance to Ruths House on Converse Street in Longmeadow and attempting to ignite it.

The FBI raided Rathbuns home on Lori Lane in East Longmeadow Wednesday morning; his arrest followed in the afternoon. He appeared before Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson via videoconference later Wednesday. Bail terms were not available.

According to court documents, Longmeadow police officers on April 2 found the tank with a charred piece of paper  later determined to be a Christian religious flier  inside. It apparently did not sufficiently catch fire and no injuries have been reported.

Lab tests revealed Rathbuns DNA profile on the religious flier, which had bloodstains on it, according to investigators. His DNA profile is in law enforcement databases because he is a previously convicted felon, according to a sworn statement by FBI Special Agent Ryan Mcgonigle.

During their investigation, agents reviewed white supremacy online sites. In the court affidavit they quote a user liberally, though they do not specifically say Rathbun was the user.

Among the quotes cited in the affidavit were: F--- Jews, I hate Jews and We should make a real holocaust someday.

The unnamed user, called User 1 in court documents, also suggested targeting Ruths House for mass killings.

On or about March 4, 2020, a user (User 1) specified two choices for mass killings, including that jew nursing home in longmeadow massachusetts, the affidavit reads, also adding that other users should set dates on their calendars including April 2 as hating n-----s day" and the following as jew killing day.

Ruths House is operated by JGS Lifecare Inc. and is guided by Jewish value, but serves all faiths, according to its website.

Rathbun denied having any involvement on the social media platforms or connection to the attempted arson at the assisted living home, according to the affidavit.

When asked about Platform 1, he stated that he only uses the internet to access a dating site and pornography, Mcgonigle wrote.

When agents pressed him on how his DNA could have gotten on the Christian literature in the gas tank, Rathbun had no answer.

Rathbuns criminal record includes multiple arrests for breaking and entering and receiving stolen property, according to the court records. He was last flagged by police in Chicopee on March 3 after he broke a screen in a hotel room, where he was holed up with a prostitute and high on drugs and alcohol, Rathbun told agents.

He had been unemployed since his former boss accused him of stealing copper wire from his shop, the affidavit says.

Rathbun told agents he drives by Ruths House every morning on his way to a methadone clinic.

This case highlights the very real threat posed by racially motivated violent extremists and make no mistake, the FBI will use every investigative tool available, along with the expertise and skills of our partners on our Joint Terrorism Task Forces, to identify, assess and disrupt threats like this one to keep our communities safe, said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division, adding that the gas tank was placed a short distance from three synagogues, a Jewish private school and a Jewish community center.
In a new memoir that lifts the lid on the cabinet tensions, Mr Turnbull writes that Finance Minister Mathias Cormann tried to shut Mr Morrison out of some of the talks on tax in order to prevent the details being leaked.

Mr Turnbull says the tactics infuriated ministers to the point where he thought Mr Morrison would offer to resign as treasurer after an especially damaging media leak about superannuation and negative gearing.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been blamed for media leaks that weakened the government during high-stakes cabinet debates on tax reform, in an explosive claim from his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Turnbull wondered whether Mr Morrison was out of his depth and told a cabinet meeting in February 2016 that the leaking had to stop  a remark he aimed at his treasurer and raised again in private talks after the meeting.

I have spoken to Morrison again and again about this and it was important the cabinet see that I am putting my foot down, Mr Turnbull wrote in his diary at the time, in an extract included in the new memoir, A Bigger Picture, to be released on Monday.

He has to be, and be seen to be, on notice. He almost offered his resignation to me afterwards but didnt. In my study here in The Lodge we agreed to go forward but strictly on the basis that we agree on matters like this privately and then announce. No more front-running.

Malcolm Turnbull addresses the media after the party room meeting for the leadership spill in 2018. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Turnbulls claims, and his blunt conclusion that Mr Morrison played a double game in the governments leadership turmoil, come at a time when the Prime Minister is seeking national unity to counter the COVID-19 virus.
Iceland's strategy to track the spread of the coronavirus can be used in the U.S., deCODE Genetics CEO Kari Stefansson told CNBC on Wednesday.

Stefansson, whose Reykjavik-based company is known for its work analyzing the human genome, noted the obvious size differences between the U.S. and Iceland.

For starters, the U.S. has about 330 million people while Iceland has just about 347,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

But Iceland's ability to test around 10% of its population and deploy robust contact tracing when someone is diagnosed with Covid-19 should not be seen as something only small countries can do, Stefansson argued in an interview with CNBC's Meg Tirrell.

"It ought to be even easier in a country of your size with your resources, with this incredible amount of talent you have," Stefansson said of the U.S. "If you were to bring this all to bare, you would easily be able to do the same thing as we."

Iceland has 1,727 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and eight deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

In the U.S., where about 3.2 million people have been tested for the disease, there are more than 634,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, per JHU data. Nearly 28,000 have died.

Stefansson, a neurologist who was formerly a professor at Harvard University, said that in addition to an early commitment to widespread testing, Iceland's government also deployed "an extraordinarily vigorous" system of contact tracing.

This involves putting everyone who tested positive in isolation and then determining all the people who have been in contact with people who have the disease, he explained. Those who came into contact with an infected person are put in quarantine, he said.

"By doing this, we seemed to have brought this epidemic under some sort of control," he argued.
New Delhi, April 16 : The Delhi Bar Association on Thursday requested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to allow lawyers to commute to their offices amid the nationwide lockdown that's in place to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

In a letter written to Kejriwal and Delhi Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava, the bar association sought a direction to the police authorities to allow advocates to commute from their residences to their chambers on verification of their ID cards.

To substantiate their point, the letter made a reference to the Central government's notification which allowed 'self-employed' persons to carry out their activities from April 20.

"Delhi Bar Association is of clear view that the office activities of the advocates limited to their offices can be carried out while strictly following the prescribed norms of social distancing," the letter undersigned by DBA President Sanjeev Nasiar said.
Avectas, an Irish cell engineering technology company, has completed a significant new Series C equity funding of approximately $20m.

The round, which brought the total equity invested in the business to date to $40m, was led by existing shareholders, including Seamus Mulligan.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the clinical translation and commercial scale-up of its proprietary cell engineering technology platform (Solupore) and expand its commercial, regulatory and technical organisation with new hires in Ireland and the U.S.

Founded in 2012 by Michael Maguire, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Avectas is a cell engineering technology business developing a novel delivery platform to enable the ex-vivo manufacture of its partners gene modified cell therapy products, which will retain high in-vivo functionality. The patented Solupore technology achieves engineering efficiencies for delivery of a broad range of payloads (including mRNA, DNA, proteins and gene editing tools) to primary T cells and NK cells for immuno-oncology and gene editing applications.

The company employs 29 people including 19 with doctorate degrees in Ireland.

FinSMEs

16/04/2020
FDA Asks Recovered CCP Virus Patients to Donate Plasma

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma to assist in the development of blood-related therapies.

People who have fully recovered from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus have antibodies in their blood to ward off future infections, and plasma can help make treatments for severely ill patients, according to the agency.

Convalescent plasma is an antibody-rich product made from blood donated by people who have recovered from the disease caused by the virus, the FDA said in a release April 16, adding that there are studies suggesting that convalescent plasma has the potential to lessen the severity or shorten the length of illness caused by COVID-19, the disease associated with the CCP virus.

The agency said those who have recovered from COVID-19 could produce an immediate impact by donating plasma to help others who contract the virus.

A researcher conducts a COVID-19 test at the University Clinical Research Center of Bamako in Mali on March 19, 2020. (Michele Cattani/AFP via Getty Images)

In fact, one donation has the potential to help up to four patients. Convalescent plasma can also be used to manufacture a biological product called hyperimmune globulin, which can similarly be used to treat patients with COVID-19, the news release states. We encourage individuals to consider donating and hope this information will serve as a helpful resource to facilitate this important act of kindness, the FDA said.

However, the FDA will only consider patients who have fully recovered from the CCP virus for at least two weeks. They can contact their local blood or plasma donation center, the agency said.

It is important that we evaluate this potential therapy in the context of clinical trials, through expanded access, as well as facilitate emergency access for individual patients, as appropriate, according to the release.

Earlier this month, the FDA asked the Red Cross to collect convalescent plasma from patients who have recovered.

In one instance, an Oklahoma man who contracted the virus, possibly during a trip to Europe, said that he donated plasma after he recovered. The plasma was used to treat a woman who had a severe case of COVID-19. Doctors told local station KRMG that the woman who received his plasma has shown dramatic signs of improvement.
By Manojna Maddipatla and Trisha Roy (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc on Wednesday reaffirmed its financial targets for the year, but cautioned it was uncertain of the impact of elective procedures being postponed by Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals across the country, on the recommendation of the U.S. government, are postponing elective surgeries in anticipation of need for beds as more people are diagnosed with coronavirus, while some patients, leery of going to a hospital, are canceling appointments themselves.

By Manojna Maddipatla and Trisha Roy

(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc on Wednesday reaffirmed its financial targets for the year, but cautioned it was uncertain of the impact of elective procedures being postponed by Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospitals across the country, on the recommendation of the U.S. government, are postponing elective surgeries in anticipation of need for beds as more people are diagnosed with coronavirus, while some patients, leery of going to a hospital, are canceling appointments themselves.

"Like the broader health system in recent weeks, we have seen a reduction in elective care," UnitedHealth Chief Executive Officer David Wichmann said on a post-earnings conference call.

The deferred care is impacting its OptumCare delivery business, which runs a network of physicians who offer home health services and surgical care to patients, the company said.

It is very difficult to project when the deferred patient volumes will come back into the system, given all the uncertainty out there, Wichmann said.

The company said it continues to expect adjusted net earnings of $16.25 to $16.55 per share for the year, the mid-point of which is above analysts' estimate of $16.22, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

"UNH's outlook demonstrates how well protected managed care sector earnings will be from the COVID-19 crisis in near term from the unprecedented restrictions on elective health care," Stephens analyst Scott Fidel said.

For the first quarter, the company reported medical loss ratio - a measure of the percentage of premiums paid out for medical services - of 81.0%, a decrease of 1% from a year earlier, benefiting from the return of the industry-wide health insurance fee.

The ratio beat analysts' estimates of 81.57%.

However, based on the current environment the ratio could be elevated in the second half of the year, the company warned, adding that it could be its lowest in the second quarter. A lower ratio is better for health insurers.

The company also acknowledged that its employer-sponsored health insurance business could be pressured from rising unemployment levels in the country, while its Medicaid and individual business lines could benefit.

The company reported first-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.72 per share, beating estimates of $3.63, helped by 24.6% year-over-year jump in Optum revenue.

Shares of the company, the first health insurer to report quarterly results, were up 1.2% at $273.7.

(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla, Trisha Roy in Bengaluru and Caroline Humer in New York; Editing by Maju Samuel)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Betel leaf or 'paan' farmers



have urged the West Bengal government to fix a minimum support price for their produce, as the ongoing lockdown has resulted in "huge losses", an official said on Thursday.

Betel leaves are mostly cultivated in South 24 Parganas district, which accounts for over 50 per cent of the output, besides Nadia and Midnapore districts.

"We seek immediate government support to fix a minimum price, as our realisation is far below our costs. The crisis has hit one lakh families associated with the trade," All Bengal Betel Leaf Farmers Samity Secretary Kartik Das told PTI.

'Paan' is widely consumed in India in different fillings as an after-food mouth freshener.

Das said 1,500 pieces of betel leaf are being sold at Rs 200, which is "significantly lower" than normal prices.

"We also demand that the commission should be at par with government-controlled markets -- 5 per cent. In the Kakdip market in South 24 Parganas, we have to pay 9 per cent commission," Das claimed.

He said middlemen were taking advantage of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, leaving farmers in the lurch.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
No Albuquerque Police Department officers have tested positive for novel coronavirus, but officials worry its just a matter of time before someone is infected.

In a briefing earlier this week, Mayor Tim Keller and Police Chief Michael Geier discussed the lessons they have learned from other departments across the country grappling with the pandemic. The city now has a three-tiered system in place to replace field officers with those in investigative units as officers have to be isolated after possible exposure or put in quarantine due to the virus.

I think the unfortunate thing is at some point this is probably going to happen, Keller said Monday. Some of our officers and some of our first responders are going to come down with corona. The key is that were able to contain that spread. So thats what were setting up now, and thats what, unfortunately, a lot of these other departments did not have in place in advance.

Geier said officers or civilian staffers who think they may have been exposed to coronavirus  either on or off the job  are told to report it to a lieutenant who has been designated to coordinate the departments response. The officers or staffers are then isolated, sometimes in hotel rooms away from their families, until they can be tested.

However, taking officers out of the field periodically can greatly reduce the ranks.

Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, said there are 340 active-duty field officers, with 12 to 26 staffing each shift, depending on the time of day and area command.

To prevent a significant impact on the departments ability to respond to calls, Geier said, APD has implemented a three-tiered system to pull officers from specialized units and put them into the field.

He said that, in the first tier, the department has identified 135 officers and 35 supervisors who can be pulled without affecting any investigative units. The second tier taps further into investigative units and includes an additional 39 officers and six supervisors.

The last tier, which we hope wont happen, utilizes both Tier 1 and Tier 2, and an additional 215 officers 50 supervisors, Geier said. Its going to significantly impact all but the most critical investigative units.
Nairobi governor Mike Sonko was this week in the news after claiming that alcohol has been found to kill the Coronavirus.

Sonko was making food donations, in which he included small bottles of Hennessy cognac. The controversial governor made false claims that the World Health Organization had recommended alcohol consumption as a measure to fight the virus.

We will have some small bottles of Hennessy in the food packs that we will be giving to our people  Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko Note: WHO warns that drinking alcohol does not protect you against COVID-19 and can be dangerous pic.twitter.com/vuSuVAb8dy  Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) April 14, 2020

While its true that alcohol kills viruses, it only works outside the body. It was not clear whether this move was an honest mistake or his idea of a joke. But it did make news waves around the world.

Major news organizations like the Daily Mail, The New York Post etc. ran the story.

The premium alcohol maker has now responded, stating that neither their brand nor any other alcoholic beverage protects against the COVID-19.

Heres the statement.
A new study has found young people are leaving it 'too late' to seek help for eating disorders, citing fear of losing control over their eating or weight, denial, and failure to perceive the severity of the illness as reasons not to get professional advice.

The recent online survey of almost 300 Australian young adults aged 18-25 years found a majority had eating, weight or body shape concerns, and even those with anorexia or bulimia reportedly found reasons to delay getting treatment or expert interventions.

The first author of the study, Kathina Ali, Research Associate in Psychology at Flinders University, explains that concern for others and the belief one should solve their own problems were the two most common barriers towards seeking help for eating concerns.

Not wanting others to worry about their problems was the highest endorsed barrier - it reflects the wish for autonomy and also the fear of being a burden to others in this group of young adults." Kathina Ali, Research Associate in Psychology at Flinders University

Feeling embarrassed about their problems or fearing that other people do not believe eating disorders are real illnesses even prevented young adults experiencing symptoms of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa from seeking help, says fellow psychology researcher Dr. Dan Fassnacht.

"Concerningly, only a minority of people with eating disorder symptoms had sought professional help and few believed they needed help despite the problems they were experiencing," says Dr. Fassnacht, Flinders University Psychology Lecturer, co-author of a new paper just published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.(Wiley).

In the research article, entitled 'What prevents young adults from seeking help? Barriers toward help?seeking for eating disorder symptomatology', the Australian and German researchers recommended clinicians (counsellors, health workers and others) and the public be made aware of these barriers.

More information and education about the severity and the impact of eating disorders - and how symptoms can get worse without interventions or treatment - should be available to young adults, including the importance of seeking help, and self-management strategies.

Helpful and free evidence-based online resources are available at websites such as Australia's Butterfly Foundation and the National Eating Disorders Collaboration.
DUBLIN, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Genomics Market Global Report 2020-30" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global genomics market was worth $851.96 million in 2019. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.71% and reach $1,475.11 million by 2023. North America was the largest region in 2019.

Rising government funds for research on genomics drives the growth of the single-cell genomics market. The government funding focuses on efforts to resolve the complexity of the human genome, define the genomic basis of human health and disease, and ensure that genomics is used safely to enhance patient care and benefit society through government, public and private institutions.



For instance, in 2018, in the U.S, The All of Us Research Program, a part of the National Institutes of Health, gave funds of $28.6 million for establishing three genome centers in the USA. These centers will start generating genomic data from the biosamples contributed by the participants of the program.



The technology limitation in single-cell genomics hinders the growth of the single-cell genomics market. Due to cost and technical constraints, the use of genetic sequencing to better target and treat rare and chronic diseases was largely out of reach for most health care organizations. Therefore, limiting the market's growth.



Companies are investing in new product launches to increase their revenue and expand their consumer base and also for gaining a competitive edge over their rivals. For instance, in 2018, NanoString Technologies, Inc., a USA-based biotech company, specialized in developing cancer diagnostics tools launched a CAR-T characterization panel, a new gene expression panel for the molecular characterization of CAR-T cells in research, development, and manufacturing. The panel was developed in partnership with eight leading CAR-T therapy centers and helps in ease of workflow and aims to advance the field of CAR-T therapy.



In November 2019, Exact Sciences Corp., a USA-based molecular diagnostics company specialized in colon cancer screening, screening test research, and development, non-invasive cancer screening for early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, acquired Genomic Health Inc. for $2.8 billion in cash. The acquisition is expected to help Exact Sciences Corp. to broaden its offering of cancer tests and expand its footprint in more than 90 countries. Genomic Health Inc. is a USA-based life science company that specializes in the development of genomic-based clinical diagnostic tests for cancer.



Major players in the market are 10X Genomics, Qiagen, Fluidigm Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Zephyrus Biosciences, Illumina, Affymetrix, Angle, Denovo Sciences and Diagnologix LLC.



Key Topics Covered



1. Executive Summary



2. Genomics Market Characteristics



3. Genomics Market Size and Growth

3.1. Global Genomics Historic Market, 2015-2019, $ Billion

3.1.1. Drivers of the Market

3.1.2. Restraints on the Market

3.2. Global Genomics Forecast Market, 2019-2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

3.2.1. Drivers of the Market

3.2.2. Restraints on the Market



4. Genomics Market Segmentation

4.1. Global Genomics Market, Segmentation By Product Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion



Instrument (Including Systems, Service Contract and Software)

Reagents (Including Reagents and Consumables)

4.2. Global Genomics Market, Segmentation By Process, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Cell Isolation

Sample Preparation

Genomic Analysis

4.3. Global Genomics Market, Segmentation By End User, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Academic Institutes

Biopharmaceutical Companies

Clinical Research Institutes

5. Genomics Market Regional and Country Analysis

5.1. Global Genomics Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5.2. Global Genomics Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion



Companies Mentioned



10X Genomics

Affymetrix

Agilent Technologies Inc.

Angle PLC

Beckman Coulter

Becton Dickinson

Bio-Rad

Carl Zeiss Microscopy

Cell Microsystems

CellBio

Cellsee Diagnostics

CellSorter

Cytena

CytoTrack

Denovo Sciences Inc.

Diagnologix LLC

DNA Electronics Ltd.

Dolomite Bio

Enumeral

Epic Sciences

Fluidigm Corporation

Fluxion Biosciences

Illumina, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson Private Limited

Kellbenx Inc.

Qiagen N.V.

Resolution Bio Science Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Wafergen Bio-systems Inc.

Yikon Genomics Co. Ltd.

Zephyrus Biosciences Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pd3y8j

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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All three members of Wyomings delegation in Washington have been named to President Donald Trumps newly formed task force to reopen the economy, the White House announced last week, giving the Equality State an outsize amount of influence on the otherwise sprawling committee.

In a joint news release Thursday, Sens. John Barrasso and Mike Enzi and Rep. Liz Cheney expressed their enthusiasm in joining the much-hyped bipartisan task force, which features dozens of officials representing areas from private industry to the legislative branch of government.

Americans have made incredible sacrifices to get us to the point where we can start discussions in earnest about reopening our country, Barrasso said in the release. I see that unity every day in Wyoming. The president has asked me  and I have agreed  to serve on the task force to reopen America. I have talked with my Senate colleagues and will continue to convey their views from across the country as we get ready to reopen. I have every confidence we will get this right.

Cheney  who has publicly split with the president in advocating for a gradual, state-by-state approach to loosening restrictions on business  expressed a similar sentiment in her statement, while explicitly noting any plans to reopen businesses must come with expanded testing, access to personal protective equipment, and accelerated research and development of therapeutics and vaccines as key elements in getting America working again.

I am confident we will defeat the virus and restore our economy if we work together, across party lines, and I am pleased this is a bipartisan task force, she said. Americans have overcome every challenge we have faced, and we will overcome this one.

The 97-person roster, while technically bipartisan, is still heavily slanted, featuring 22 Democrats and 74 Republicans, a number that includes all but one Republican member of the Senate: Utahs junior Sen. Mitt Romney, the lone Republican member of the Senate who voted to convict Trump in his impeachment trial.

Early on, it is largely unclear what the aims of the task force will be, with governors largely leading the charge and with early meetings held this week resulting in little tangible action due to the number of people involved in the call. On a Thursday call with governors, Trump released a series of guidelines for states to begin lifting restrictions on businesses in places with strong testing and reported decreases in COVID-19 cases.

When those conversations begin in earnest, Wyoming will have a significant influence on those discussions. According to a roster of legislative leaders on the task force, Wyoming is one of just a handful of states with at least three members of its delegation on the committee. (Ohio led the way with six members; Texas and Florida each had five; and Missouri, New York, California and Louisiana each had four.)

I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration on this task force to address when and how we can begin to restart our economy, Enzi said in a statement. This virus has closed businesses, which in turn lay off employees. It has closed schools. It has changed every aspect of our daily lives  and it has left people isolated. Getting our economy back on track will be critical, but it is important that sacrifices we have already made are not in vain.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Govt mulls easing curfew as cases drop

BANGKOK: The government may start to ease the curfew by the end of this month if COVID-19 cases continue to fall. However, Siriraj Hospital is urging the authorities to do so sooner.

COVID-19Coronavirus

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 16 April 2020, 08:48AM

Bamrung Muang Road, in Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok, which is famous for being lined with shops selling statues of Buddha, is deserted after 10pm on April 3 night. Prime Minister Prayut Chao-cha earlier announced a 10pm-4am nationwide curfew to combat the outbreak of the COVID19 virus. Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill / Bangkok Post

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration yesterday (Apr 15) reported 30 new cases of the coronavirus, increasing the national figure to 2,643. The figure was down four when compared to cases recorded on Tuesday.

The government imposed a nationwide curfew between 10pm and 4am from April 3 to April 30 as a measure to combat coronavirus transmission.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, speaking after a Cabinet meeting yesterday, noted a decline in the number of newly recorded virus cases per day.

Gen Prayut said the CCSA will take this fact into account and consider whether to ease curfew restrictions.

He said the curfew will be reviewed during the last week of this month as the government looks for alternative measures to flatten the curve of infections.

Restrictions will be gradually eased but measures to prevent a second wave of infections must be put in place, Gen Prayut said, adding the CCSA also will weigh whether to extend the nationwide state of emergency, which is set to expire on April 26.

I have realised that restrictions under the emergency decree have affected people, he said.

The government is trying to come up with alternative measures.

Prasit Watanapa, dean at the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, said curfew restrictions should begin to be relaxed after April 22, following a 14-day incubation period for new infections.

The suggestion to ease curfews early followed a request from the business sector.

In Chon Buri, the provincial communicable disease committee has already begun to ease restrictions by allowing electronic retailers in department stores to reopen for business from May 1.

Dr Prasit said the declining number of new infections after the 14-day period should be used as the real indicator of when the curve is being flattened in Thailand.

According to that indicator, starting on April 9, new infections should slow, he said.

Even though the number of new cases showed a downward trend, the kingdom must not lower its guard or else the novel coronavirus disease will continue to affect the country.

If the number of new cases grows, Thailands public health service could collapse due to a critical shortage of resources, including beds, tools, manpower and medicine. This is why authorities stress flattening the curve, to alleviate pressure on the system.

However, Dr Prasit said the country has been doing a good job to curb the number of new cases, with reductions by 30 to 40 per day, noting a study by the hospital found new cases should not exceed 32.7 cases per day.

If we have truly seen a decreasing number of new cases, death rates, and several recoveries, it means that the outbreak is going to ease, he said.

Then the government could gradually ease restrictions on some activities.

Additionally, the cabinet on Wednesday endorsed a proposal to extend the COVID-19 financial compensation programme for formal workers under the social security system (SSS) affected by the pandemic.

The compensation will cover members who have lost their job or were suspended due to the outbreak which hit the country in the beginning of this year.

The proposal to do so was approved on Tuesday (Apr 14) by the social security board which agreed the impact of the outbreak on workers was legally considered as force majeure.

It will also cover workers with COVID-19 and those under the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Read original story here.
United Nations, April 16 : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) supports India's "very wise" decision to impose a national lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic despite the resulting economic slowdown, according to Changyong Rhee, the organisation's director of the Asia and Pacific Department.

He said at a news conference on Wednesday, "India entered the pandemic turmoil in the midst of a credit crunch induced slowdown and its recovery prospect becomes more uncertain." The IMF drastically revised India's growth rate projection for the current fiscal year to 1.9 per cent from the 5.8 per cent made in January, which was lower than the 7 per cent made in October.

Rhee said that India's strict action against the COVID-19 pandemic "can cause a drop in economic activity (and) growth rate will go down definitely, but I think that is a very wise and important decision to minimise the long-term cost of this disease spread." He said that the fiscal stimulus as well as the monetary policy easing adopted by the Indian government and the Reserve Bank are in the right direction, but whether they will be enough "depends on how this containment policy which is just adopted, how successful it will be".

He said that he hoped that India's efforts will be successful, "but if the situation becomes aggravated, then I think in the short run they have no choice but to use more fiscal and monetary policies to contain the slowdown of the economy".

After the COVID-19 crisis is over, he said India will have to go back to carrying out structural reforms and take steps for a more inclusive growth by focusing on priorities like the infrastructure.

Surveying the Asian region, he said that for the first time in 60 years its growth will be at "a standstill" - or zero per cent - this year.

But he added that even this performance will be "better than other regions." Similarly, India with its paltry growth rate projection of 1.9 per cent this year will be the fastest growing major economy in the world, according to the IMF's projections.

And China with 1.2 per cent comes next.

IMF projects world economic growth to go below zero -- the economy shrinking by 3 per cent -- this year.

The economies of developed countries are projected to shrink by 6.9 per cent, the US economy by 5.9 per cent and the Euro area's by 7.5 per cent.

Rhee said, "For 2021, there is hope: if containment policies succeed, we will see a rebound in growth. However, it is highly uncertain how this year will progress." The IMF expects India to rebound in the next fiscal year with a growth rate of 7.4 per cent, more than the 6.5 per cent projected in January.

For the region as a whole, Rhee said the first priority is to support and protect the health sector to contain the virus and introduce measures to slow contagion.

If there are not enough fiscal resources to carry out these, countries will have to re-prioritise from other expenditures, he added.

Because the coronavirus containment measures are severely affecting economies, countries will have to provide targeted support to hardest-hit households and firms. He said.

Jobs and industries, especially small and medium size enterprises, need to be protected directly, not just through financial institutions, he said.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned against lifting coronavirus restrictions too soon arguing it would risk a 'second wave' of infections.

The Liberal Party's deputy leader resisted calls to unwind the economically-debilitating lockdowns, arguing some countries had eased restrictions as COVID-19 rates fell, only to reimpose those measures as coronavirus cases rose again.

Today Show host Allison Langdon asked if there was a 'four to six-week plan to reopen schools and the economy' being looked at by the government.

'If you look at Japan, if you look at Singapore, in those countries they thought they were making real progress, they started to relax restrictions and they saw a second wave of infections across their country,' Mr Frydenberg said on the program.

Economists fear more than one million Australians have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus shutdowns. Pictured: Closed shops in a Canberra mall

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned against lifting restrictions on Australian businesses in case of a 'second wave' of COVID-19 infections

'There are real challenges ahead. People should not be complacent. Patience is a real virtue.'

Australia has managed to flatten the curve of infection rates - there are now an increase of two per cent of coronavirus cases in Australia daily.

This week was the first time Australia was seeing more people recorded as having recovered from the virus than there were new infections.

Governments in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory announced on March 22 that businesses such as restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes would be forced to close within 48 hours.

Those figures had prompted many commentators to say the time was now right for the government to put a near-term end to restrictions that were introduced last month to slow the virus' spread.

Among those measure were the forced closure of restaurants, pubs, gyms, cinemas and other place of public gathering.

Many others chose to shut their doors due to the lack of customers during the lockdown, causing the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.



He said Australia had managed to flatten the curve - there were now an increase of two per cent of coronavirus cases in Australia daily. Pictured: Shops closed in Byron Bay due to coronavirus

The alleviate some of the impact, the government had introduced the Job Keeper package under which businesses receive money which it then passes onto employees who had been laid off to tide them over until the businesses can reopen.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

The federal government and the Reserve Bank of Australia have spent $320billion on stimulating the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

'I understand the severe economic impact that the health restrictions are having on businesses. But everyone understands that we do need to take the medical advice, that we need to preserve lives and livelihoods,' Mr Frydenberg said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report on Tuesday forecasting that Australia's economy would shrink by 6.7 per cent due to coronavirus, marking the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the early 1930s.

The IMF did predict a 'V-shaped' recovery from the recession, with a GDP increase of 6.1 per cent in 2021.

However Mr Frydenberg said the depth of the downturn and the timing of the bounce back depended upon when the restrictions would be lifted.

Mr Frydenberg said the unemployment figure would be five per cent higher if not for the Job Keeper package, which offers businesses money to cover their employees' wages Pictured: Cotton On in Byron Bay closed

The federal government had not given any firm timetable on when it would begin lifting restrictions, but it was discussed by the National Cabinet on Thursday for the first time.

Australia's unemployment rate ticked up by 0.1 percentage points to 5.2 per cent in March, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics surveys taken earlier in the month before the shutdowns.

Treasury is expecting the jobless rate to hit 10 per cent by the end of June, a level last reached in early 1994.

It forecast the jobless rate hitting 1930s Great Depression levels of 15 per cent without the government's $130billion JobKeeper package to provide $1,500 fortnightly wage subsidies to six million workers.

Economists fear more than one million Australians have lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus shutdowns.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 12:23:00|Editor: huaxia

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MEXICO CITY, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Latin American countries reported more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to nearly 80,000.

In Peru, a total of 1,172 new cases were reported, bringing the number of infections to 11,475 with 254 deaths, the Health Ministry said.

"We have tested 109,385 people for COVID-19, obtaining 11,475 positive results and 97,910 negative results," the ministry said in a statement.

Seven legislators are among those who have tested positive, the statement added.

In Chile, a total of 8,273 cases have been reported with 94 deaths, said the Health Ministry.

In the past 24 hours, 356 new infections have been detected with three deaths, all of which are in the Santiago Metropolitan Region or in the La Araucania Region, the two most affected regions in Chile.

Some 743 healthcare workers out of a total of 360,000 have been infected with the virus and have been quarantined, according to the ministry.

Argentina has reported 128 new cases of COVID-19 across the country within the past 24 hours, with the total infections reaching 2,571, the Ministry of Health said.

"Today, 128 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, bringing the total number of positive tests in the country to 2,571," the ministry said in a daily bulletin late Wednesday.

To contain the spread of the virus, Argentina's capital Buenos Aires announced on Monday that it was stepping up measures to curb the COVID-19 outbreak by making face masks mandatory on public transit starting Wednesday.

Besides, all those in a position to deal with the general public are required to wear a face mask, such as bus drivers, newspaper vendors, store clerks and civil servants.

As part of social distancing measures put in place by the government, supermarkets have limited the number of people shopping at one time to 30 and people who fail to wear face masks in public can be fined.

Noelia Mendoza, a housewife, said she supports making face mask compulsory in public.

"I think it's good, because some people who don't have symptoms may have the disease. It helps us take care of each other," said Mendoza.
All that waitress Thabile Vilakazi requires is some maize meal, sorghum malt and three litres of water to concoct five litres of creamy, thick traditional South African brew, known as umqombothi.

Since President Cyril Ramaphosa banned alcohol sales as part of a coronavirus shutdown, booze-deprived South Africans have turned to homebrew fermenting to get around the prohibition.

"The idea came because there is no alcohol, there is no supply of alcohol anywhere," said 32-year-old Vilakazi, stuck at home in the leafy Johannesburg suburb of Randburg.

Fermented over at least three days, making umqombothi is inexpensive but time-consuming.

Although traditionally served at special ceremonies where ancestral spirits are evoked such as funerals and weddings, the brew with a creamy texture and a pungent smell is gaining popularity.

Nigerians make a similar brew called "burukutu", from the fermented grains of sorghum and millet. By Kola Sulaimon (AFP)

"It's a very sacred beverage," said Vilakazi admitting it's the first time she has tried to make the beverage, usually the preserve of her eldest sister for family ceremonies.

The pre-mixture of maize and sorghum can also be cooked and served as a breakfast porridge and it is also believed to soothe stomach ulcers.

But the sudden dearth of liquor sales has inspired creativity on how to get tipsy.

A plethora of recipes, tips and hints are being shared on social media by professional chefs and novices alike.

According to data on the Google trends website, there has been a rise in the search on "how to make your own alcohol" -- starting especially as the country entered its second week of lockdown.

'Back to our roots'

"This lockdown is taking us back to our roots, especially for the African youth who aren't aware of traditional life," traditional healer Luthando Finca told AFP.

He said the regular use and widening popularity of the brew was reminiscent of pre-colonial African society.

"Umqombothi was enjoyed widely in African communities before Western beverages were brought onto the market," Finca said.

South African police have been arresting those suspected of breaking the alcohol sales ban during the lockdown. By Luca Sola (AFP)

In a 1999 study author Anne Mager noted that the notion of "European liquor" in colonial discourse suggested that the liquor of colonial masters was something to aspire to among Africans.

"'European liquor' was repeatedly contrasted to indigenous brews of lower alcoholic content that were pronounced to be uncivilised and primitive.

"It implied that drinkers of sorghum beer, palm wine and other beverages fermented from African grains and fruits would progress to the 'superior' beverages of their colonial masters," wrote Mager.

The anti-coronavirus regulations have pushed locals to return to ancient methods of making alcohol, "reminding us of our history and heritage," the traditional healer said.

Battle to unban booze

According to a World Health Organisation 2016 report, South Africa rubs shoulders with the top ten heaviest consuming nations as the average drinker had 30 litres of pure alcohol.

A regional South African association of tavern and shebeen owners representing about 20,000 micro and small businesses has threatened legal action if regulations on alcohol sales and distribution were not relaxed.

They said the lockdown was likely to "ruin" their businesses.

But the government appears far from caving-in.

The minister for cooperative governance in Ramaphosa's office has ruled out relaxing the ban.

"We are stressing the prohibition of the transport of liquor. The only alcohol that is allowed to be transported, is the one that is used for commercial purposes, for our sanitisers," minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told a news conference on Thursday.

"But liquor that you drink is not allowed to be transported in the same way, that it is not allowed to be sold."

Parliament's health portfolio committee chief Sibongiseni Dhlomo has pleaded with Ramaphosa to not yield to those who want to sell alcohol.

"A person who is under the influence of alcohol has a poor sense of judgement," Dhlomo said. "This lockdown period does not need people who have poor sense of judgement."
More than 200 people in Northern Ireland have been fined for breaching coronavirus lockdown regulations, including one family who drove from Enniskillen to Spelga Dam for a picnic, the PSNI has said.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, speaking on Radio Ulster's Nolan Show, said that his officers are being "flexible and reasonable" with the public on how far they can travel for exercise.

ACC Todd said that his officers are using discretion, adding that only four people have been fined for taking exercise since the regulations came into force.

Read More

He added that members of the public can travel "modest distances" for exercise.

"To put this in context, out of the 207 fines that have been issued up until yesterday across Northern Ireland, four of them related to individuals around the subject of exercise, he said.

"The vast majority of it was for unnecessary travel with no reason, house parties, socialising in peoples' vehicles and public drinking.

"So those are the much bigger issues we are having to deal with, by and large people understand the message.

"By and large people are doing the responsible thing and I don't want to say anything that would encourage people to think they should be more relaxed around the restrictions and veer away from what thus far has been really successful protecting the health service and keeping people alive."

Read More

He added: "We will continue to police this on a reasonable basis, we will continue to engage and explain. Enforcement is only a last resort for people who are clearly in breach. It is a test of reasonableness.

"We have had people drive from Portadown to the Glens of Antrim to go fishing. We have people driving from Enniskillen to Spelga Dam to have a picnic.

"We would all take a view on the reasonableness of this, but if you accept there is a reasonableness test, you have to except that will be the judgement of officers on the ground."

Last week ACC Todd said that over a 100 fines had been issued to people including to those dropping kids of at friends' house, attending house parties and going to barbeques.

Following his appearance on the Nolan Show, ACC Todd said an unapproved statement from an officer posted on both the Larne and Carrickfergus PSNI Faceook pages had said exercise was to "start at the front door" was inaccurate.

He added: "The contents of the post were inaccurate and did not reflect the corporate position of the police on people travelling for exercise under the new Covid-19 Regulations, this post was later removed.

"The restrictions are clear in that they require you to not only have a reason to leave home, but a necessity.

"Leaving home without that necessity may put you in breach of the restrictions.

"The keys for us are, is your journey necessary and is it reasonable? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you travel because the test of reasonableness and necessity are the parameters within which police officers must operate.

"The vast majority of people are abiding by the guidance and the rules and we appreciate their support and cooperation.

"I want to say thank you to our communities at this time. I know that you are being asked to make extraordinary changes to your lifestyle and I know this is a really difficult time for people. But you are making a difference and you are saving lives."
The Watchmen alum Malin Akerman wore a CDC-recommended coronavirus face mask to walk her female terrier-mix dog through Los Angeles' Griffith Park on Wednesday.

The Swedish-born, Toronto-raised 41-year-old was breaking social-distancing rules as the City of LA Recreation and Parks Department closed all Griffith Park facilities and trails back on March 27, according to LA Times.

Los Angeles County's stay-at-home order was extended through May 15 due to the 10,517 confirmed COVID-19 cases in LA, which has led to 405 deaths as of Wednesday - according to Johns Hopkins University.

Bra-less: The Watchmen alum Malin Akerman wore a CDC-recommended coronavirus face mask to walk her female terrier-mix dog through Los Angeles' Griffith Park on Wednesday

Faux pas: The Swedish-born, Toronto-raised 41-year-old was breaking social-distancing rules as the City of LA Recreation and Parks Department closed all Griffith Park facilities and trails back on March 27

This Thursday, Akerman will celebrate the 7th birthday of her son Sebastian from her seven-year marriage to Italian drummer Roberto Zincone, which ended in 2014.

The platinum blonde bombshell wed second husband Jack Donnelly 16 months ago, and the couple are likely planning fun indoor festivities for little Sebastian while at home in quarantine.

Malin and the 34-year-old Englishman will next play the characters Molly and Jeff in Friendsgiving, which is still scheduled to hits US theaters in October.

'#familytime': This Thursday, Akerman will celebrate the 7th birthday of her son Sebastian (R) from her seven-year marriage to Italian drummer Roberto Zincone, which ended in 2014 (pictured March 28)

Blended family: The platinum blonde bombshell wed second husband Jack Donnelly (R) 16 months ago, and the couple are likely planning fun indoor festivities for little Sebastian while at home in quarantine (pictured May 1)

Hitting US theaters in October! Malin and the 34-year-old Englishman will next play the characters Molly and Jeff in Nicol Paone's dramedy Friendsgiving

Nicol Paone's ensemble Thanksgiving dramedy also features Jane Seymour, Christine Taylor, Kat Dennings, Aisha Tyler, Wanda Sykes, and Margaret Cho.

On February 6, Akerman wrapped her role as Anna Wyncomb on the Puerto Rican set of Chick Fight, in which Alec Baldwin plays her trainer Jack Murphy.

Paul Leyden's ensemble action comedy also features Bella Thorne, Kevin Connolly, Dulce Sloan, Fortune Feimster, Alec Mapa, and Dominique Jackson.

'That's a wrap!' On February 6, Akerman wrapped her role as Anna Wyncomb on the Puerto Rican set of Chick Fight, in which Alec Baldwin (R) plays her trainer Jack Murphy (pictured in 2019)

'Really looking forward to sharing this gem!' Paul Leyden's (R) ensemble action comedy also features Bella Thorne (2-R), Kevin Connolly, and Fortune Feimster (pictured in 2019)

'Had an absolute blast making Chick Fight with an amazing cast and crew!' the Dollface actress - who boasts 1.1M social media followers - gushed at the time.

'Thank you to everyone who participated...for all your passion and love that you poured into this project. @paulleyden1 we did it. Thank you for your leadership and friendship. Really looking forward to sharing this gem with the world.'

But Billions fans should not expect to see anymore of Malin in the 12-episode fifth season - premiering May 3 on Showtime - as her divorced character Lara Axelrod moved to California to raise her sons.
Cars form lines at a federally-supported drive-thru testing site for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, April 4, 2020. K. C. Wilsey | FEMA | via Reuters

As the United States reels from the massive economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak, there are growing calls by President Donald Trump and others to start to reopen businesses, schools and other public spaces so that the nation can begin to recover financially. On Thursday, Trump tweeted he would be holding a "Major News Conference" that evening to "explain Guidelines for OPENING UP AMERICA AGAIN!" TWEET But health experts and several top business leaders warn that the country  which might not see a coronavirus vaccine for 18 months or more  should not reopen on a broad scale unless there is a huge increase in the relatively small number of tests currently being done for Covid-19 infection. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, in a note to shareholders early Thursday, wrote: "Regular testing on a global scale, across all industries, would both help keep people safe and help get the economy back up and running." "For this to work, we as a society would need vastly more testing capacity than is currently available," Bezos noted. NBC News later reported that Democratic lawmakers in calls Thursday with Trump insisted that he wait until there is widespread testing available before he pushes to reopen the nation. But Trump indicated to them that such an economic reopening would have to occur before an expansion of testing levels, Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., told NBC News. Health experts also say the country needs a related and equally robust program to trace the people who have had contact with infected people, to avoid seeing those contacts themselves spread the coronavirus to others. There are only about 120,000 samples or so being tested each day for the coronavirus in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts say that millions of people will have to be tested each day, even as many as 20 million to 30 million people, before the nation can return to a semblance of economic normality. That is much more than the number of tests even projected to be produced by some major manufacturers by June.

"To avoid a second wave of viral spread you have to do what South Korea and other countries, including Germany, have done. You have to have testing in place, and aggressive testing," said Dr. Tom Moore, an infectious disease specialist in Wichita, Kansas. "We don't have to test everybody, but we definitely need to test a significant portion of the community," said Moore, a former board member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. "This is a Herculean task," he said. "I don't know how it's going to be solved in the immediate future, but it needs to be." Moore and other experts say that a second or third wave of Covid-19 infections could end up killing more people than the first wave, lead to another series of shutdowns of businesses, and ultimately end up doing greater economic damage than has been seen to date from the pandemic.

As of Thursday, there were more than 639,000 cases of coronavirus reported in the U.S., with nearly 31,000 people dead from the disease.

Millions of tests a day

Officials at the Rockefeller Foundation told CNBC they expect to release in coming days a paper outlining the scope of the work that needs to be done to get the U.S. on track to safely returning to work, school and leisure time activities. The philanthropic group is a major donor for efforts related to health, science and other areas. The foundation said that it has been in contact with the Trump administration, national groups of governors and mayors, and leading American corporations as it prepares its recommendations. "It's going to [initially] cost at least $100 billion and upward of $500 billion over the long haul," said Eileen O'Connor, senior vice president for communications, policy and advocacy at the Rockefeller Foundation. The foundation's plan, which will propose that the cost be financed directly and subsidized by the federal government, estimates that 20 million to 30 million tests each day would need to be performed to get many Americans back to a more normal life. But the foundation also estimates that there will ultimately need to be 200 million to 300 million tests each week to have the economy functioning as it was before the outbreak began. That level of testing assumes multiple rescreenings of individual Americans in the absence of a Covid-19 vaccine. The Rockefeller Foundation's plan calls for changes in logistics to optimize the current capacity of testing in the U.S., which by June or July could allow for 2 million to 3 million tests per week, O'Connor said. At the same time, O'Connor said, "We need to invest in the different kinds of tests that can be ramped up even more quickly and as efficiently" as possible. She said a medium-term goal is to ramp up the testing capacity with a "huge investment" that could lead to "up to 10 million tests per week, before we can get certain sectors back to work." Even that number of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests would be a tiny fraction of the U.S. population of 330 million or so.

The first sector to target with a testing capacity of 10 million or so tests per week would be health-care workers, many of whom have contact with coronavirus patients, police and emergency workers, O'Connor said. Then food production workers, including farm workers, and then trucking workers. That target could be reached by this fall, the foundation believes. After that, the goal would be to have tens of millions of tests done every day to have the country fully return to work.

More tracking

The Rockefeller Foundation's plan also will call for "data aggregation" platforms that will track where tests and testing-related supplies such as swabs and chemical reagents are located and where they should be allocated. "We then have to also marry that with testing results and contact tracing ... so that we can know where the disease is going next," O'Connor said. The contact tracing could be aided by digital apps and geolocators to identify where infected people have been, she said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said the state, which is currently ground zero for the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S., will need an "army" of contact tracers to identify people who have been with infected individuals. He called on the federal government to fund that effort. Tweet Thomas Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the news site STAT this week that "We need an army of 300,000 people" to do contact tracing nationwide. O'Connor said, "There is no doubt we need to get the economy back and running, and if we don't the damage will be long lasting." "Everybody is focused on the safest return to work possible, but the only way you do that is testing," she added.

A long road ahead

The Rockefeller Foundation's plan does not estimate that the U.S. workforce will be back to normal anytime soon. And while the foundation's projections for the number of needed tests might seem high to some people, it comes on the heels of projections published by the Edmond Jr. Safra Center for Ethics last week. "These [projections] suggest that, depending on what tracing technology is used in conjunction with testing, at least millions and possibly hundreds of millions of tests per day will be needed," that analysis said. "While we estimate that such capacity is possible by late spring or early summer," the authors wrote, "we must invest much more aggressively if we are to allow a return to work." Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, and a CNBC contributor, has called for a plan that would test anyone who visits a doctor, which would be nearly 4 million people per week. But Gottlieb also said in a Vox interview this week that getting to the point where the United States has the capacity to perform 2 million to 3 million tests each week "is going to be very hard." He said it would be possible to reach that level by September but added that Congress would need to support that effort. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, said Thursday, "I say we should not send you back to work till it's safe to send you back." Choosing between the economy and health "is a false choice," he said. "The way you revive the economy is you defeat the disease," said Biden, who argued that widespread testing will be needed to determine who can return to work and which workplaces and public spaces can be opened again. BlackRock CEO and co-founder Larry Fink said during an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Thursday: "We're going to still see elements of the disease increasing in other parts of the world and until we have adequate testing, rapid testing, it's very hard to see how we're going to reboot in the next 30 days." Fink said he expects that treatments for Covid-19 could be improved to speed up that economic rebooting, "But it may not be in June or July. It may be in August." He noted that a number of business leaders told Trump during conference calls on Wednesday that "we need to have adequate" testing "to make sure we have a secured environment." Trump himself this week said, "Our country has to get open, and it will get open, and it will get open safely and hopefully quickly. Some areas quicker than other areas." The president, who is running for reelection this fall, also claimed "there's tremendous testing, and the governors will use whatever testing is necessary, and if they're not satisfied with their testing, they shouldn't open." But Trump's own leading infectious disease advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told the Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that the U.S. is "not there yet" in having enough testing capability or contact tracing systems in place to rely on for reopening the economy.

Equipment shortage

Complicating the effort to increase the number of tests performed in the U.S. is a shortage in equipment needed to conduct those screenings. This week, the American Academy of Medical Colleges wrote Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House's Coronavirus Task Force, and said the group appreciated the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had taken steps "to reduce regulatory barriers to developing, validating, and deploying" coronavirus tests. But the group added that while those tests hold the promise for increased numbers of Covid-19 screenings, "we have come to learn over the past several weeks, despite the best efforts of all parties, not one of these components [needed to run those tests] is readily available in sufficient quantities to each and every lab that needs them." "Widespread but uneven shortages in one or more of the essential components for testing have resulted in a situation where few labs are able to maximize the testing capacity of any one machine, platform, or test," the letter said. Qiagen, a major manufacturer of the RNA extraction kits used to detect the coronavirus for tests, told CNBC on Thursday that it "produced enough kits in March to purify RNA for coronavirus testing of about 3.3 million patient samples, up from about 1 million in February and an average of 400,000 a month during 2019." The company added that it "aims to double production to about 7 million in April and ramp up to about 20 million a month by October 2020  well ahead of our original plan that we announced on March 17." That level of production would still, for Qiagen at least, be far short of the levels of testing the Rockefeller Foundation plans to call for.

'The test has to be affordable'
Trump Filling Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Ease Pressure on Crude

First 23 million barrels leased to keep U.S. oil flowing

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced Tuesday that it is currently negotiating with 9 American oil-industry companies to store 23 million barrels of U.S. crude oil in Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) facilities. The oil industry has been strongly affected by reductions in demand due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

The awards are a first step in the DOEs plan to fill the SPR, as ordered by President Trump. Approximately 23 million barrels of crude oil capacity will be leased across all four SPR sites. The SPR currently contains 635 million barrels (MMB) of crude oil, with separate storage caverns for sweet (low sulfur, 250 MMB) and sour (higher-sulfur, 385 MMB) crude oils. In comparison, the total capacity of the SPR is 713.5 million barrels.

According to a statement by the DOE, most of the crude supplies will be delivered to the SPR in May and June of this year, although early deliveries in April are possible. The DOE said that if negotiations are successful, Awardees can schedule return of their oil through March 2021, minus a small amount of oil to cover the SPRs cost of storage. The nine companies will store oil from small, medium, and large American producers.

When producing oil, you have two optionsyou either use it, or you store it. With the impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing an enormous decrease in demand as our country works to contain the virus, said U.S. Secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette. This is why making storage capacity available in the SPR is so important. Providing our storage for these U.S. companies will help alleviate some of the stress on the American energy industry and its incredible workforce.

The DOE issued a Request for Proposals on April 2 to lease facilities in the SPR as temporary storage capacity.

Free Oil Markets

The announcement came as figures within the American oil industry cautioned against heavy-handed market intervention in the form of production quotas or tariffs. American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers said that U.S. production was declining organically in the face of declining demand. In the U.S., market conditions have led U.S. producers to reduce U.S. oil production to meet historic drops in demand, he said.

Free-market policies have built the domestic [energy] industry into a global powerhouse, and the free market is needed to help it remain one. Read more: https://t.co/27FHCWrA3x  American Petroleum Institute (@APIenergy) April 14, 2020

Strategic Reserves for Turbulent Times

The worlds largest emergency store of crude oil, the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), was established after the mid-1970s to protect the nation against disruptions in the supply of petroleum products, and it continues to act as a deterrent to oil embargoes. It also assists the United States in fulfilling its obligations as part of international energy programs and alliances, as well as to supply crude oil to refineries in the case of supply disruptions such as hurricanes.

The federally-owned oil stocks are stored in huge underground salt caverns at four sites along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the DOE. SPR oil is sold competitively when the President finds, pursuant to the conditions set forth in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), that a sale is required. Such conditions have only existed three times, most recently in June 2011, when the President directed a sale of 30 million barrels of crude oil to offset disruptions in supply due to unrest in Libya.

The Secretary of Energy is also permitted to authorize oil exchanges with bodies outside of the Federal Government, such as to acquire additional oil to ease oversupply issues.
Asia is expected to witness zero percent growth in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, its worst growth performance in almost 60 years, but still the world's largest and most populous continent is likely to fare better than other regions in terms of activity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said

New Delhi: Asia is expected to witness zero percent growth in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, its worst growth performance in almost 60 years, but still the world's largest and most populous continent is likely to fare better than other regions in terms of activity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.

The IMF in a blog titled "COVID-19 Pandemic and the Asia-Pacific Region: Lowest Growth Since the 1960s" further said the impact of the coronavirus on the region will be "severe and unprecedented".

"Growth in Asia is expected to stall at zero percent in 2020. This is the worst growth performance in almost 60 years, including during the Global Financial Crisis (4.7 percent) and the Asian Financial Crisis (1.3 percent)," it said.

It further noted that "Asia still looks to fare better than other regions in terms of activity".

The global economy is expected to contract in 2020 by 3 percent -- the worst recession since the Great Depression, the IMF said adding Asia's key trading partners are expected to contract sharply, including the United States by 6.0 percent and Europe by 6.6 percent.

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It pointed out that COVID-19 crisis is expected to inflict a "steep decline" in output across Asia.

According to the IMF, China's growth is projected to decline from 6.1 percent in 2019 to 1.2 percent in 2020.

"This sharply contrasts with China's growth performance during the Global Financial Crisis, which was little changed at 9.4 percent in 2009 thanks to the important fiscal stimulus of about 8 percent of GDP.

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"We cannot expect that magnitude of stimulus this time, and China won't help Asia's growth as it did in 2009," it said.

Downward revisions are substantial, ranging from 3.5 percentage points in the case of Korea -- which appears to have managed to slow the spread of the coronavirus while minimizing prolonged production shutdowns -- to over 9 percentage points in the case of Australia, Thailand and New Zealand -- all hit by the global tourism slowdown, and in the case of Australia by lower commodity prices, the IMF said.

Noting that this is a crisis like no other, the IMF said it requires a "comprehensive and coordinated" policy response.

"The first priority is to support and protect the health sector to contain the virus and introduce measures that slow the contagion. If there is not enough space within countries' budgets, they will need to re-prioritize other spending," it said.

Observing that the pandemic is also affecting financial markets and how they function, the IMF suggested, "Monetary policy should be used wisely to provide ample liquidity, ease the financial stress of industries and small and medium-sized enterprises, and, if necessary, relax macro-prudential regulations temporarily."

The IMF on Tuesday projected a GDP growth of 1.9 percent for India in 2020. With this subdued forecast, India is likely to record its worst growth performance since the 1991 liberalisation.

However, the International Monetary Fund, in its latest edition of the World Economy report, has placed India as the fastest-growing emerging economies of the world.

India is among the only two major countries, which will register a positive growth rate in 2020. The other being China, for which the IMF has projected a growth rate of 1.2 percent.
More than 22 million jobless claims have been filed in the aftermath of a purposeful economic shutdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Here at home, more Texans  roughly 760,000 of our neighbors  have applied for unemployment in the last four weeks than in all of 2019.

These stark numbers are deeply troubling, as each represents a different family or individual facing economic distress.

A thoughtful article in this newspaper recently highlighted the story of two Houstonians  Erin and Patrick  who own a small barbecue joint in Harris County. Like countless small business owners across America currently struggling to stay afloat, Erin and Patrick have furloughed their staff, stopped paying rent and paused food orders for their restaurant.

Its hopefully temporary, Erin told the Houston Chronicle of her dire situation. I guess well know when we get through this.

That disquieting combination of hopeful optimism and smothering anxiety is something Ive heard frequently from constituents in my district. People understandably want to know how long the pause on the economy will last and when they can get back to work or open their business. We must provide real answers to these questions.

When I was in the Navy SEALs, if we were ambushed, wed take whats called a tactical retreat. It is a strategic effort to regroup, analyze our enemy, bolster our capacity to respond and then go on offense. That last part is key  we never stayed in a perpetual retreat. To do so would mean defeat.

Understandably, we made a tactical retreat when confronted with the invisible enemy known as COVID-19. But locking down society has wreaked havoc on our economy and upended livelihoods, a consequence that may have its own public health consequences: suicides, mental health problems and delayed medical procedures. Its time to go back on offense.

Recently, I spoke with Harvard professor Danielle Allen, who argues that we should take a mobilize and transition approach to battling this pandemic. The approach can be summed up as mobilizing to transition to a society with pandemic resilience that permits maximal mobility for as large a portion of the population as possible even when the pandemic is ongoing.

What would that look like practically?

First, we must continue to expand diagnostic testing. 3.3 million tests have been given thus far and the administration expects millions more to come online shortly. Antibody serology tests also must be deployed in the millions, as they are easier to produce and administer. These can determine who has contracted the virus, subsequently recovered, and thus, gained immunity.

To expand the capacity of our health care system, we must take a granular approach at the county level, like Harris County has already done. A national-level focus on PPE and ventilator production is already underway, and we must direct capacity to hotspots that need it most.

Additionally, we must focus on mass producing the most promising treatments for coronavirus. As former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb recently noted, promising antibody tests and antiviral treatments are in development right now, and the FDA should increase the pace of safe approval of these treatments. Treatments do not replace the urgent need for a vaccine, but they can help bridge the months-long gap that will exist before a viable vaccine is developed.

Finally, public education must be part of our strategy. Americans must recognize the need to wear masks, limit large gatherings, practice proper personal hygiene and maintain a safe distance from one another. Businesses, restaurants and sporting events may have to implement various levels of risk mitigation and social distancing. Such measures may differ between locales, but they will allow for a structured return to regular operations with proper precaution.

This approach is not a panacea. Cases may re-emerge, but we must accept that as an inevitability and not a failure of our efforts. A mobilization strategy will help us be prepared for an uptick in cases and handle them appropriately, alongside a functioning economy and society.

Critically, we must engage in a debate about how to do this without the political opportunism that has infected our country alongside coronavirus, as I wrote recently. We need to stop offering the American people a false choice: save lives or save the economy. Such a claim is both disingenuous and counterproductive.

There is a balance between reopening the economy and battling the public health crisis. Doing so will allow us to stop our retreat and begin our attack against the coronavirus that has already cost countless livelihoods.

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, represents Texas 2nd Congressional District.
In Britain, the Labour Party's change of leadership is unlikely to have much of an impact on politics or governance in the near future, as people are preoccupied with the COVID-19 emergency and will then have to face its economic, financial and social consequences.

Labour's capacity to influence the course of events is weak both inside the Westminster parliament and outside. The Conservative government is largely united and has a solid majority of MPs.

That said, the possibility cannot be discounted that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his ministers might face the wrath of the public before too long, having made a colossal mistake or two in their handling of the coronavirus crisis or its consequences.

Nonetheless, for the time being, the impact of Labour's changes at the top is likely to remain underwhelming.

Former leader Jeremy Corbyn announced his intention to stand down shortly after last December's General Election, when Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party won a big majority of the seats in the Westminster parliament.

In the Labour Party leadership elections which followed, a majority (56%) of party members and registered supporters voted for Sir Keir Starmer over Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy to replace Corbyn.

This represents a turn to the right inside the Labour Party, although not one as straightforward as some of Starmer's critics or supporters might think.

Firstly, while leaders wield extraordinary power in Britain's major parliamentary parties, it is not unlimited. This is certainly true of the Labour Party, although Tony Blair did his utmost as party leader and prime minister to centralize decision-making into his own hands and those of a small number of ministers and advisers.

For instance, Jeremy Corbyn was never in a position to impose a change of official Labour Party policy  which is decided at annual conferences of party delegates  in a number of major areas. Instead, he had to consider very carefully what to say, and how to vote and campaign in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to reconcile official conference policies with his own longstanding principled positions.

Moreover, he had to do this in ways which maintained the support of hundreds of thousands of left-of-center activists, a range of trade unions and millions of not so left-leaning electors, while not provoking yet another rebellion by a hundred or more anti-Corbyn Labour MPs (whose supporters maintained their hold on many local party organizations).

In addition, for part of his time as Labour leader, Corbyn did not have the support of officials in charge of the party's central apparatus, nor a clear left-wing majority on its ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) which comprises representatives of constituency parties, unions, other affiliated bodies, councilors, parliamentarians and Westminster MPs.

Thus, while most Labour MPs dropped their "austerity-lite" position and embraced Corbyn's total opposition to cuts in public services and welfare benefits, and support for more taxes on wealth and corporate profits, he had to abide by official party policy and cease calling for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union and NATO.

When he urged swift implementation of Brexit the day after the initial June 2016 referendum, most of his Shadow Cabinet of MPs resigned and within days the Parliamentary Labour Party had declared "no confidence" in him, forcing a new leadership election.

Before and during Labour's conferences in 2017 and 2018, Corbyn fought to uphold the party's official line to respect  which could only mean to implement  the Brexit referendum result. Many Labour MPs were doing their best to frustrate every possible arrangement for leaving the EU.

Ambiguous Labour conference resolutions opened up the possibility of Labour joining the call for a second referendum, a demand first raised by Tony Blair's political allies and sections of big business in the hope of overturning the result of the first.

Labour went into the December 2019 General Election committed to a repeat referendum, with senior party leaders  except for Corbyn himself  making clear their intention of campaigning to remain in the EU, regardless of any exit arrangements negotiated between a future Labour government and the EU itself.

This proved a disastrous error on top of the sustained, ferocious ruling class and media assault on Jeremy Corbyn aided and abetted by numerous current and defecting Labour MPs.

As such, Johnson swept to victory, capturing 54 seats from Labour, 52 of which had voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.

Keir Starmer played a significant role in these developments. He joined the Shadow Cabinet rebellion against Corbyn in June 2016, believing that only a new leader could offer effective opposition in the wake of the "catastrophic" vote for Brexit.

He then campaigned in the resulting leadership campaign for Owen Smith, a candidate whose leadership qualities had been well hidden and whose challenge won only 38% of the vote. Back in the Shadow Cabinet soon afterwards as Labour's Brexit spokesperson, Starmer refrained from publicly criticizing Corbyn and Labour's progressive economic and social policies  indeed, he genuinely supported many of them.

Behind the scenes, though, he worked hard to push Labour into supporting a second EU referendum, then broke ranks publicly at Labour's 2018 conference when suggesting that an option to remain in the EU should be on the ballot paper. In the run-up to last year's General Election, he exceeded his brief again by declaring that he would campaign to keep Britain in the EU in the event of a second referendum.

On many economic and social issues, Starmer is mildly left-of-center. Decades ago, as a lawyer, he already established himself as a supporter of trade unions and human rights.

On international affairs, he is a typical social democrat who basically supports EU and NATO membership. However, he would not necessarily support every British or U.S. military adventure. He voted against British military intervention in Syria, for example.

As Labour's new leader, he wants to unite much of the party around himself and his preferred policies. However, many in his leadership contest team  which he inherited largely from Owen Smith  want something more, namely, a purge of the socialist left from the party and its governing apparatus. In this, they enjoy the avid support of most of Britain's mainstream mass media.

Already, the left has lost three elected seats on the NEC and Starmer's likely Shadow Cabinet representatives will probably tip the balance in favor of the right.

Together with his advisers, Starmer has chosen a Shadow Cabinet which undoubtedly signifies a rightward shift, but without purging the left entirely, Blair-style.

He had no choice but to accept Angela Rayner as the elected deputy leader. A former trade union activist, she is firmly on the left and  like Corbyn  has opposed British military interventions abroad.

However, she will now be under great pressure from Starmer to uphold official Labour policy on the EU and "national security" issues. Starmer has also given key economic and financial portfolios to anti-socialist MPs who openly opposed Labour's left turn under Corbyn towards policies of radically progressive taxation and the renationalization of key industries.

Intriguingly, though, new Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy has long argued that Labour should have honored the EU referendum result, instead of trying to block or delay Brexit as most Labour MPs have been doing up to the present day.

After five years of near silence, it would mark a major change to hear prominent left-wing Labour MPs speaking out clearly once more against the EU, NATO and in defense of the peoples of Palestine and Venezuela.

Even so, that will come too late for many erstwhile Labour Party members. Some have already quit the party in anger or despair; many will end up staying; others have already applied to join Britain's Communist Party.

The danger is that many Labour activists will drift out of organized political activity altogether, when mass campaigning will be vital in order to defend public services, living standards and democratic rights from a post-coronavirus tidal wave of austerity measures.

Robert Griffiths is a former Senior Lectuer in Political Economy and History at the University of Wales and currently the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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The BHU has also delayed the School Entrance Test (SET) which was slated to be conducted between May 1 and May 6.

The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has postponed its Undergraduate Entrance Test (UET) and Postgraduate Entrance Test (PET). The UET and PET were scheduled to be held on 26 April and 10 May respectively.

The university has said that fresh dates for the entrance tests would be announced later. Candidates are advised to visit official website of the BHU - http://bhuonline.in/ - at regular intervals for updates related to the entrance test.

The UET and PET have been deferred in view of the extension of the coronavirus lockdown to May 3.

BHU has also delayed the School Entrance Test (SET) which was slated to be conducted between 1 May and 6 May. In this case too, the university would announce dates later.

Various entrance and school examinations in the country have been postponed due to coronavirus outbreak.

Banaras Hindu University has also contributed to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund). In a letter to the State Bank of India, the BHU requested it to transfer Rs 1.15 crore from the special fund to PM CARES fund.

The deadly virus has infected over 12,350 people and killed more than 400 in the country, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to invoke his constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress to confirm nominations to his administration he said are needed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so that I can make recess appointments," Trump said during a Rose Garden news conference. "If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers."

According to Article II, Section 3, a president may, "on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper."

The Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-controlled House would have to disagree on when to adjourn in order for Trump to intervene.

Trump's ire seems to be directed at the Senate, which has the power to confirm appointments.

The Senate, which is not due back in Washington until May 4, has been holding pro forma sessions, in which the upper chamber convenes briefly. Trump called on the Senate to stop holding these sessions or formally adjourn so he can make recess appointments, which he said are crucial to his administration's response to the spread of COVID-19.

He called the extended recess during the coronavirus pandemic "a dereliction of duty."

"The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro-forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis," he said. "It's a scam and everybody knows it, and it's been that way for a long time."

If the Senate is in recess, the president could then appoint some officials who would otherwise require Senate confirmation, which is why the upper chamber holds "pro forma" sessions in order to block the president from making recess appointments.

Story continues

The Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that then-President Barack Obama's recess appointments made in 2012 were invalid because he made them while the Senate was holding pro-forma sessions.

Trump acknowledged such an action would get a legal challenge.

"If they don't approve it, we will go this route. And we'll probably be challenged in court and we'll see who wins," he said.

"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke with the president to discuss Senate Democrats unprecedented obstruction of the presidents well-qualified nominees and shared his continued frustration with the process," a spokesman for the Kentucky Republican said. "The Leader pledged to find ways to confirm nominees considered mission-critical to the COVID-19 pandemic, but under Senate rules that will take consent from Leader Schumer.

Jonathan Turley, a constitutional lawyer who argued against Trump's impeachment last year, said the power has never been used before "and should not be used now."

President Trump has called Congress' extended recess during the coronavirus pandemic "a dereliction of duty."

"Senators of both parties should vote to support the congressional control over adjournment. Absent a 'disagreement' there is no presidential power to adjourn under Article II. A pandemic should not be an invitation for pandemonium," he tweeted.

Barb McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and University of Michigan law professor, questioned whether Trump really has the power to dismiss Congress.

No and no. Trump has no authority over a separate and co-equal branch of government. It is odd that he keeps boasting of authority he lacks, while rejecting responsibility he has," she said.

During the news conference, the president railed against Democrats for holding up long-pending appointments, including the undersecretary of agriculture, who is responsible for food security programs, two members of the Federal Reserve Board and the director of national intelligence.

"Perhaps its never been done before; nobodys even sure if it has," he said. "But were going to do it. We need these people here. We need people for this crisis, and we dont want to play any more political games."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Trump threatens to invoke power to adjourn Congress
This company article has been removed.
As India continues if the battle against Coronavirus, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday termed the virus as a "disease from wealthy people and not from poor". He further added that the virus did not generate in the state and it was imported from other countries.

"It is a disease from wealthy people not from the poor. It was brought here by the rich who travelled abroad and other states in the or country. People are afraid to talk to wealthy people due to the spread of this disease. This virus was not generated in Tamil Nadu," said Palaniswami in a video conference.

The Chief Minister further praised journalists for COVID-19 coverage and announced treatment assistance in case they get infected from the virus and Rs 5 lakh compensation if they succumbed to the disease.

"All you people are extensively covering COVID-19 cases, you have to visit various places for coverage. While doing so, if any one of you gets infected with this virus, our government will look after you. The state government would bear the treatment expenses if any of the accredited journalists contracts coronavirus," he said.

"We will provide all medical and financial help to you. Even after this, if any one of you succumbs to this disease, recognised journalist from the government of Tamil Nadu will get a Rs 5 lakh compensation," he added.

READ: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India receives 5 lakh anti-body test kits; tally reaches 12759

With 25 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, the state tally of virus-infected people has risen to 1267. He informed that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Relief Fund has received Rs 134.64 crore to undertake various measures in the fight against COVID-19. The Chief Minister further thanked all the people for showing their support to the state government in the COVID-19 battle and contributing generously towards the relief fund.

"In Tamil Nadu, we have 27 COVID-19 laboratories. Around 5,590 tests are being done every day. 25 more people have detected positive for coronavirus today, taking the state tally of COVID-19 positive cases to 1267," said Palaniswami.

READ: PM Modi reviews COVID-19 impact on economy in meeting with FM; 2nd stimulus discussed

As per the latest data, there are 12,759 confirmed COVID-19 cases in India out of which 1514 persons have recovered and 420 casualties have been reported. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries. PM Modi has extended the lockdown till May 3, with a relaxation possibility in non-COVID hotspots after April 20.

READ: ICMR confirms '5 lakh anti-body test kits received', explains India's COVID testing ratio

READ: Health Ministry says COVID-19 recovery rate at 12%, mortality rate at 3.3%

(with inputs from ANI)
Neutrinos are responsible for matter dominating its counterpart antimatter in the early universe, according to a study which sheds light on the role played by the neutral fundamental subatomic particles in the evolution of the cosmos.

The scientists, including those from Imperial College London in the UK, said the current laws of physics do not explain why matter persists over antimatter even though equal amounts of the two were created at the beginning of the universe.

They said the two entities should have wiped each other out, annihilating the universe as it began.

However, according to the study, published in the journal Nature, there must be differences in the way matter and antimatter behave that explain why matter persisted and now dominates the universe.

The researchers explained that each particle of matter has an antimatter equivalent, with the ones for neutrinos called antineutrinos.

The two should be exact opposites in their properties and behaviour, which is what makes them annihilate each other on contact, the scientists said.

Contrary to this prediction, the scientists found the strongest evidence yet that neutrinos and antineutrinos behave differently, and therefore may not wipe each other out.

"This result brings us closer than ever before to answering the fundamental question of why the matter in our universe exists," said study co-author Patrick Dunne, from the Department of Physics at Imperial College London.

If confirmed - at the moment we're over 95 per cent sure - it will have profound implications for physics and should point the way to a better understanding of how our universe evolved," Dunne said.

While scientists had earlier found some differences in behaviour between matter and antimatter versions of subatomic particles called quarks, the dissimilarities were not large enough to account for the dominance of matter in the universe, the study noted.

But the current study indicates that the differences in the behaviour of neutrinos and antineutrinos appear to be quite large.

Neutrinos and antineutrinos can come in three 'flavours', known as muon, electron and tau, and they can 'oscillate' -- changing into a different flavour -- as they travel, the researchers said.

In the study, the scientists fired beams of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos from the J-PARC facility at Tokai, Japan, and detected how many electron neutrinos and antineutrinos arrived at the Super-Kamiokande detector 295km away.

When they looked for differences in how the neutrinos or antineutrinos changed flavour, they found that neutrinos appeared to be much more likely to change than antineutrinos.

Based on the data, the scientists strongly discount the possibility that neutrinos and antineutrinos are as just likely as each other to change flavour.

"What our result shows is that we're more than 95 per cent sure that matter neutrinos and antineutrinos behave differently," Dunne said.

"This is big in itself, however we do already know of other particles that have matter-antimatter differences that are too small to explain our matter-dominated universe," he added.

According to the researchers, measuring the size of the difference is significant for determining whether neutrinos can answer this fundamental question.

"Our result today finds that unlike for other particles, the result in neutrinos is compatible with many of the theories explaining the origin of the universe's matter dominance," Dunne said.

The researchers hope to reduce any uncertainties with further studies, and gather more data by upgrading the detectors and beamlines.

"When we started, we knew that seeing signs of differences between neutrinos and antineutrinos in this way was something that could take decades, if they could ever be seen at all, so it is almost like a dream to have our result be celebrated on the cover of Nature this week," said study co-author Yoshi Uchida from the Imperial College London.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The coronavirus hasnt devastated Kenya yet. Its ripple effects, however, have proved deadlier here than the virus itself.

Police have killed at least 12 people while enforcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew that began more than two weeks ago, making Kenyas lockdown one of the deadliest in the world. But the true death toll is higher still: an untold number of others have died because of the curfew itself and the fear prompted by police batons and bullets.

That fear gripped Vidia Nduku Mati and her husband as the delivery date for their baby approached at the end of March. They prayed that she wouldnt go into labour in the overnight hours  but fate wouldnt cooperate. It was the deep of night, well into curfew when the pain became unbearable.

First, the midwife refused to come, saying she feared the policemen in their rural community who a day earlier had beaten even the people who raced inside their homes, Vidias husband recalled.

Their last resort to get to a hospital, a motorcycle taxi driver named Festus Nzuki, also declined, even though he was a close friend and could hear the pain in her voice over the phone. Police had beaten his mother-in-law simply for sitting outside her house  they were merciless to her in plain sight of her children, Nzuki said.

The couple resolved to wait until curfew lifted, but then Vidias water broke, and blood gushed out instead.

It was the longest wait of my life, said Mati Nyamai, Vidias husband. By the time Festus got us to the hospital in the morning, she was bleeding so much, she was drowning in blood.

Police officers order a driver to turn around after Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a ban on movement in and out of Nairobi (Getty)

While human rights groups and police oversight agencies collect and verify reports of those killed directly by police during curfew enforcement  a number that is already higher than the countrys Covid-19 death toll of 10  more, like Vidia and her unborn child, are dying uncounted.

At least one a night since curfew began, said Wilfred Olal, who coordinates a network of social justice centres in slums across Kenya that is trying to keep track of curfew-related deaths since the measure was put into place 19 days ago. To be honest, weve lost count. Its dozens. There are many more.

The Kenyan governments Independent Policing Oversight Authority says it has recorded 35 watertight cases of police brutality related to curfew enforcement, 12 of which resulted in death.

It is spreading all over this country, said Jonathan Lompodui, the bodys vice chairman.

The polices national spokesman, Charles Owino, and the governments spokesman, Cyrus Oguna, did not respond to requests for comment on the circumstances that led to Vidias death and on the documented police killings. Government officials have largely refrained from speaking publicly about the curfew crackdowns. President Uhuru Kenyatta briefly noted it in a news conference a day after the story of Yassin Moyo, a 13-year-old boy killed by police while on his own balcony, made headlines.

I want to apologise to all Kenyans, maybe for some excesses that were conducted, or happened, he said before moving on.

Police brutality and a strict curfew has forced people to fear leaving their homes for any reason, even making money (Getty)

Tallies from independent groups point to a spike in incidents of police brutality on the first night of curfew, 27 March, and sustained cases in the nearly three weeks since.

Police brutality is common in Kenyas slums and small towns, where corrupt officers act with impunity. Moyos father, Hussein Moyo Motte, said that despite the uproar over his sons killing, he still sees the officer who shot him patrolling the street outside his house. The police did not respond to requests for comment on the officers status.

A national survey in 2018 found that most Kenyans believed the biggest risk to their lives was violence by police. Since the inception of Kenyas police oversight body in 2011, less than 1 per cent of the cases it has pursued have resulted in convictions.

According to Amnesty, 624 Kenyans have been killed by police since 2007, including 49 already this year, with only 26 officers having been formally charged (Getty)

An Amnesty International report in 2017 said that of 177 reported cases of police killings in Africa, 122 of them were in Kenya. According to Amnesty, 624 Kenyans have been killed by police since 2007, including 49 already this year, with only 26 officers having been formally charged. Last year was the deadliest on record.

The curfew is making the violence so much worse because now they can be killing in the name of corona, Olal said. They simply do not understand: You cannot fight corona with a baton and whip.

To some victims, the curfew is just a new pretext for the violence they are used to. Francis Otieno and his brother, Ibrahim Onyango used to scavenge scrap metal to get by, and Otieno said they would frequently get beaten by the police. On the first weekend of the curfew, Onyango was walking home after dark when policemen caught him and clubbed him repeatedly on the head with batons, his brother said. Onyango died in a hospital the next day.

These are things that happen here in the ghetto, Otieno said. There is nowhere to start for us to get justice, so it will be a waste of energy. All we want to do is to bury Ibra.

Almost all of the incidents have taken place in Kenyas most marginalized communities, where many arent literate and dont have access to phones they could use to report the violence.

There have been disinfectant operations carried out across Kenya and other parts of Africa (Getty)

Cases like Onyangos are not part of the police oversight bodys official tally. Poor people in slums and small towns have for years turned to networks of human rights activists like Olal to document the toll in their communities.

Lompodui acknowledged it was possible that many cases like Onyangos wouldnt come to the attention of his police oversight body without the help of activists. It doesnt help that many of the agencys employees are working from home and Kenyas courts remain closed because of the coronavirus.

Even in their attempts to help, police have triggered events that led to deaths and injuries. Last week, for instance, a food donation was organised at a police station in Kibera, a sprawling slum in the capital, Nairobi. But instead of creating an orderly distribution for the thousands who gathered there, the food was placed on the ground, and a stampede ensued, killing two and injuring many more.

They made it so that getting the food depended on how strong you were, Roselyn Amboka said in an interview as she returned from a hospital, her legs swollen from being trampled on.

Near the border with Somalia, police intercepted a bus they deemed to be breaching travel and social distancing restrictions and put the 40-plus occupants, including 16 children, in quarantine in a government building.

The facility they used was so rudimentary that the passengers slept on the dirt outside and drank fetid, green water from a tank, said Adan, a traveller who spoke on the condition that he be identified only by his first name for fear of reprisal from the police. There were no toilets. They were given bread and tea for two days before at least a dozen of them escaped over a wall.

Both us human beings and donkeys were made to drink from the same water point, Adan said. His account was confirmed by two other passengers who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

The rest were released three days into a 14-day quarantine. The incident raised similar concerns about the polices understanding of public health protocols as a police crackdown in the coastal city of Mombasa on the first night of curfew in which hundreds were detained in close quarters.

Recommended Police shoot dead at least eight people in Kenya slums in two months

And on Tuesday, police inspector general Hilary Mutyambai announced that anyone moving about in public without a mask would be arrested, even though the Kenyan government has acknowledged it has nowhere near the 15 million masks it needs for its health-care workers alone.

The spiralling crisis means little to Vidia Nduku Matis husband, who is not only grieving but now must raise his six children on his own. His fate already got tangled with the curfew, and it cant be reversed.

If there was no curfew, Nyamai said between sobs, my wife would be alive.

The Washington Post
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Google's parent company Alphabet Inc. has decided to slow down on hiring for the remainder of the year. This was informed by CEO Sundar Pichai to employees over an email on Wednesday.

According to a Bloomberg report, Pichai wrote that much like the 2008 financial crisis, the entire global economy is hurting and Google and Alphabet are not immune to the effects of this global pandemic.

The Google CEO added, We exist in an ecosystem of partnerships and interconnected businesses, many of whom are feeling significant pain.

Pichai said that while the company in 2019 had hired 20,000 Googlers and had been targeting a similar number for 2020, they believe it is time to significantly slow down the pace of hiring while keeping the momentum in a small number of strategic areas.

Google had earlier committed over $800 million towards efforts to tackle the COVID19 pandemic. Subsequently, Sundar Pichai donated Rs 5 crore to Give India, matching Google's earlier donation to the non-profit organisation.

Google has also teamed up with Apple to work on a contact tracing approach that aims to slow down the spread of coronavirus. Both the companies will work together to create a system where mobile devices can trade information via Bluetooth to alert people if they are in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID19.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

The demand for individual quick freeze (IQF) fruits is largely influenced by the prominent wellness and health trends in the world. Also, the rising occurrence of pancreatic disorder due to overconsumption of poorly-preserved fruits is expected to stimulate the demand for IQF fruits among consumers globally. In



2018, the global market for IQF fruits is anticipated to close in on US$ XX Bn in terms of revenues, surpassing consumption of over XX Mn tonnes of volumes.



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Growing awareness on the health benefits of consuming fruits with nutritional additives is one of the major factor driving the growth of the market. The consumption of natural and organic fruits assorted with artificial ingredients is surging, which has resulted in a positive impact on the demand for quick freeze fruits. However, the growth of the global market will face challenges owing to the lower acceptance of IQF fruits as an alternative for conventional fruit preservation processes.



By product type, the global market for IQF fruits is expected to exhibit dominance from strawberry segment. Strawberry additives will account for more than US$ XX Mn revenues, while blueberry additives will be adopting a y-o-y growth rate of XX% and increase their revenue share by 2018-end. Increasing consumption of berries in preparation of smoothies and other fruit drinks will also influence the product growth in 2018 and beyond.



On the basis of the buyers, the groceries and wholesaler outlets will continue to account for substantial share in the global market value. Dairy product manufacturers are also expected to increase their demand for IQF fruits in order to develop new edible and drinkable products. In 2018, cake shops and confectionary outlets will emerge as one of the key contributors for rising consumption of IQF fruits.

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The key fruit suppliers and consumer companies in the global market for individual quick freeze fruits include, Dirafrost Frozen Fruit Industry NV., Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Uren Food Group Ltd., Danone, Rosemary & Thyme Limited, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Nestle S.A, and Milne Fruit Products Inc., among others.



The global IQF fruit market is projected to expand at a XX% CAGR in terms of revenues, during the forecast period 2018-2025. The global individual quick freeze fruits market is anticipated to be value at US$ XX Bn by end of the forecast period.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Catching the next bus? Dont forget to cover up.

Starting Friday, all riders throughout the MTA system will be required to wear face coverings in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The new MTA policy is in line with the executive order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday, mandating that all New Yorkers wear face coverings in public spaces where social distancing is not possible.

Pursuant to the Governors Executive Order, all customers will be required to wear a face covering while traveling with us during this pandemic, effective Friday April 17. We commend the Governor for his leadership in ensuring a safe environment for the essential workers riding with us," said MTA Chairman and CEO Pat Foye.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

Foye went on to encourage riders to only travel when absolutely necessary and take all possible steps to maintain social distancing during their commute.

We remind New Yorkers to stay home and observe social distancing measures whenever possible. Walk down the platform, board a different train car or wait for the next train or bus where possible -- we all need to change our behavior to protect each other. Wearing masks and other face coverings in public will help stop the spread and ultimately save lives, Foye added.

On Thursday, Cuomo elaborated on the parameters of the executive order, stating that riders must wear masks when riding either public or private transit systems, including for-hire vehicles, and people operating those systems must wear masks at all times.

Wearing a mask is one of the best things that we can do, Cuomo said. It really is a simple measure that can save lives.

The required face coverings will be a welcome sight for MTA employees, many of whom have fallen ill operating the citys transit network amid the ongoing pandemic.

Tragically, 68 of our brave colleagues have lost their lives during this pandemic. New York City Transit alone has more than 2,400 subway and bus employees who have tested positive for COVID-19. Another 4,400 of our colleagues are under quarantine and thousands more are calling out sick, Foye said during a Thursday morning press conference.

While we are starting to see more employees return to work, we are not nearly out of the woods from an employee availability point of view, he continued.

MTA EMPLOYEE TESTING

In an effort to slow the spread of the virus throughout the MTA workforce, the agency has partnered with Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care to provide priority testing for symptomatic transit workers at urgent care clinics throughout the region.

We remain relentlessly committed to doing everything we possibly can to keep our frontline workers safe, Foye said. We will continue working to identify any and all solutions we can deploy to help protect our employees. The region simply cannot function without the essential and heroic workers of this pandemic.

Northwell has agreed to provide priority testing to symptomatic MTA employees at a rate of 50 per day, or 350 per week, similar to the previous agreements reached between Northwell and the NYPD and FDNY.

Northwell will begin reaching out to MTA employees who have self-identified as symptomatic via the MTA COVID-19 hotline, arranging testing appointments that will begin on Friday.

As the largest employer of healthcare workers in the state, we understand how vital it is to have a functioning mass transit system during this time of unprecedented challenges, said Northwell Health President and CEO Michael J. Dowling.

Untold numbers of our own employees depend on mass transit to get to work each day. Our relationship with the MTA is a mutually essential one and we look forward to partnering together in the days and weeks to come to make sure that MTA workers can get tested at our more than 50 urgent care locations around the region," Dowling continued.

Last week, the MTA deployed a Temperature Brigade" of medically trained personnel to check employees temperature as they report to work at 22 locations throughout the region.
There are a variety of prison documentaries on Netflix that give glimpses into various aspects of life in jail. The popularity of true-crime documentaries such as Making a Murderer and series like Orange Is the New Black have only increased viewers' desires to see life behind bars (though the latter may not provide the most realistic portrait of prison life).

If you want a more real understanding of how the prison system works, these Netflix prison documentaries might just be for you. From a series documenting the crimes of those convicted of murder to one that takes place in a small correctional facility for young women in Madison, IN, these documentaries provide several details about prison life.

- Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes

Related: In the Mood For a Steamy Show? Here Are the Sexiest Options Netflix Has to Offer
WASHINGTON (AP)  New White House guidelines outline a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places with strong testing and seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.

President Donald Trump unveiled his administration's plans to ease social distancing requirements on a call Thursday with the nation's governors. The new guidelines are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit locations.

Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phased gradual reopening of businesses and schools, with each phase lasting at least 14 days, meant to ensure that the virus outbreak doesnt accelerate again.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the guidelines before their public release.

New Orleans airport has third-most TSA agents stricken with coronavirus among U.S. airports Louis Armstrong International Airport ranks third among U.S. airports for the number of Transportation Security Administration employees who h

The recommendations make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak.

At earliest, the guidelines suggest that some parts of the country could see a resumption in normal commerce and social gatherings after a month of evaluating whether the easing of restrictions leads to a resurgence in virus cases. In other parts of the country, or if virus cases resume an up-tick, it could be substantially longer.

Trump briefed the nation's governors on the plan Thursday afternoon, saying they were going to be responsible for deciding when it is safe to lift restrictions in their states.

Youre going to call your own shots, Trump told governors, according to an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press. Were going to be standing along side of you.

Meanwhile, under the federal guidelines, those most susceptible to the respiratory disease would be advised to remain sheltered in place until their area enters the final phase  and even then are advised to take precautions to avoid close contact with other people.

The federal guidelines come after seven governors in the Midwest announced Thursday they will coordinate on reopening the economy, after similar pacts were announced earlier this week in the West and Northeast.

Trump held conference calls earlier Thursday with lawmakers he named to a new congressional advisory task force. The economic costs were clear in new federal data showing that at least 22 million Americans have been thrown out of work in the last month. But the legislators repeatedly urged the president not to sacrifice public health in an effort to reopen the economy.

My highest priority on this task force will be to ensure the federal governments efforts to reopen our economy are bipartisan, data-driven, and based on the expertise of public health professionals," said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia.

+4 Coronavirus in Louisiana: 29 new deaths reported in Orleans and Jefferson; see local data Louisiana health officials reported that coronavirus-related deaths rose by 15 in Orleans Parish and 14 in Jefferson Parish on Thursday.

Business leaders, too, raised concerns to the president in a round of calls Wednesday, warning that a dramatic increase in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary before they can safely revive operations.

The federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available  a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year.

Its not going to immediately be a situation where we have stadiums full of people," said Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Thursday. Were Americans. We will adapt, he added.

Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said at a news conference before the call with the White House that he planned to ask the president for direct cash assistance, citing the states troubled tax revenues. He also said he would press for robust health care infrastructure" and mass testing with quick turnaround times before reopening the economy.

+2 Coronavirus in Louisiana: Deaths increase by 53 after two days of high numbers; see data The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Louisiana rose by 53 people after three days in a row of high reported death tolls.

Trump said Wednesday that data indicates the U.S. is past the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic. He said the numbers have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, added that data from across the country showed the nation improving, but that Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.

She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen new cases per day. She said those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors under the guidelines set to be released Thursday.

But participants in a Wednesday call with Trump that included executives of dozens of leading American companies raised concerns about the testing issue, according to one participant who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion.

+3 Editor Peter Kovacs: Have you read this? A story about medical professionals that makes us proud Thanks to the great coronavirus plague, the spring of 2020 will be remembered darkly, as a time of dread and dislocation and death.

Another participant said it was stressed to Trump that expansion of testing and contact tracing was crucial, as well as guidelines for best practices on reopening businesses in phases or in one fell swoop.

The participant said those on the call noted to the administration that there was about to be a rush on personal protective equipment. Many businesses that are now shuttered will need the protective equipment to keep their employees and customers safe.

Trump was told "the economy will look very different and operations will look very different," one participant said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump, said the lack of widespread testing was an impediment to lifting the social distancing guidelines. We are struggling with testing at a large scale.," he told ABC's The View. "You really cant go back to work until we have more tests.

'It's becoming more frustrating each day': Issues persist with Louisiana unemployment agency Jobless workers in Louisiana continued to complain Wednesday that they have yet to receive the full amount of federal unemployment benefits th

But some of Trump's conservative allies, like economist Stephen Moore, have encouraged him to act swiftly, warning of a mini Great Depression if we keep the economy shut down."

That is a catastrophic outcome for our country. Period, Moore said he advised the president. We cant have 30 million people in this country unemployed or youre going to have social chaos.

The panel, which Trump dubbed the new Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, also could help give him a measure of cover. If cases surge once restrictions are lifted, as many experts have warned, Trump will be able to tell the public he didnt act alone and the nations top minds  from manufacturing to defense to technology  helped shape the plan.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Washington, Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, and Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed reporting. Madhani reported from Chicago.
According to online records, Deering was convicted of numerous charges in Milwaukee County including kidnapping, sexual assault and burglary. He was also convicted of battery by a prisoner in 2015 and an escape charge in 2002.
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Abuja, Nigeria, April 16, 2020  Ghanas military should investigate the recent attacks on the press by soldiers and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On April 5, in the Aboaba Akurem community in south-central Kumasi city, a group of soldiers attacked and briefly detained Yussif Abdul Ganiyu, a reporter with the German government-funded Deutsche Welle news agency and the local privately owned Zuria FM radio station, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via phone and messaging app, and statements by the Ghana Journalist Association and Deutsche Welle spokesperson Christoph Jumpelt, both of which CPJ reviewed.

Separately, on April 10, soldiers enforcing pandemic restrictions assaulted Samuel Adobah, a journalist with the privately owned TV Africa broadcaster, while he was reporting on a fire in the Ablekuma district of the Greater Accra region, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via phone calls and messaging app, and a statement from the journalists association reviewed by CPJ.

The attacks on Samuel Adobah and Yussif Ganiyu are unfortunately just the most recent examples of security officials in Ghana attacking journalists for their work. Its a pattern that must be reversed, said Angela Quintal, CPJ Africas program coordinator, in New York. It is outrageous that soldiers from Ghanas military are spending time and energy attacking the journalists working to keep the public informed about the COVID-19 pandemic instead of focusing on keeping the public safe and supporting the response to the public health crisis.

Ganiyu said he was reporting on ditch cleaning efforts to combat COVID-19 when nearby soldiers enforcing lockdown measures called him over and the groups leader, a female military official, slapped him and asked him why he had criticized the military. Ganiyu said the soldiers then told him to get in their car, but a bystander intervened and he was permitted to continue his reporting.

Ganiyu had recently reported on alleged misconduct by security officials, and on March 31 received a call from the same female military officer warning him to stop publishing critical stories, he said.

After the assault, Ganiyu informed the central Kumasi police station about the incident and had returned to his office when five soldiers arrived and took him to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ashanti police, he said. At the station, the soldiers questioned him for three hours, forced him to delete the recording of the March 31 call from the military officer from his phone, and again threatened him with violence if he continued his critical reporting, before releasing him without charge, Ganiyu said.

Ganiyu told CPJ that Deutsche Welle reported the incidents to Ghanas Ministry of Information. On April 14, he gave a statement to a team of investigators with the military police, he said.

In his assault on April 10, Adobah told CPJ that one soldier slapped him to the ground while another smashed his phone. He said that the soldier who attacked him accused the journalist of being part of the media that reported on everything they came across. Bystanders pulled them apart and explained to the soldier that Adobah was just doing his job, the journalist said.

Adobah said he reported the attack to police in Anyaa, a nearby community also in Ablekuma district, and that on April 14 he was interviewed as part of a military investigation into the attack.

CPJs calls and text messages to Ghanas information minister, Kojo Opong Nkrumah, went unanswered.

Contacted over the phone by CPJ, a spokesperson for Ghanas army, Aggrey Quarshie, said that he was not aware of the attack against Ganiyu, but said any officer found overstepping their boundaries would be sanctioned. Quarshie also confirmed that there was a military investigation into the attack against Adobah.
Accra, April 10, 2020- GB Foods Africa -Ghana, manufacturers of Gino & Pomo range of food products, has donated money and other items valued at GHS 350,000 to the government to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The donation comprises a cheque of GHS 100,000 and sanitary and medical items including hand sanitizers, liquid hand washes soaps, paper towels, and GB Foods products comprising Gino rice, tomato mix, pasta, and seasoning tablets.

GB Foods General Manager of BU Ghana, Mr. David Kofi Afflu in presenting the items said, During this period, we understand that people across all sectors are facing a range of difficulties with an outbreak such as this unprecedented one. This donation is a demonstration of GB Foods commitment to supporting Government in its fight against the disease as well as health workers and the wider community.

The cheque will go to the Government of Ghana COVID-19 Fund while the medical items will be delivered to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

The Veronica Buckets and GB Foods products will be given to the Ministry of Local Government to be placed in open markets in Accra and Kumasi to aid with frequent hand washing while the food will go to support the feeding of those who are vulnerable.

Management of GB Foods used the opportunity to urge all Ghanaians to observe the protocols established by the Ghana Health Service and other relevant international and local authorities to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

Ghanas total confirmed Covid-19 cases as of Wednesday 11.04.2020 stood at 636 including 8 deaths and 17 recoveries. Eight regions have so far reported cases  Upper East Region, Central Region, Ashanti Region, Upper West Region, Eastern Region, Northern Region, Greater Accra Region, and North East Region.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque is in the crosshairs of what law enforcement authorities fear could be potential war between two outlaw motorcycle gangs, as a notorious newcomer  the Mongols  prepares to wage violent conflict that could spill over to unwitting members of the public.

The alleged threat, according to a federal search warrant affidavit unsealed Wednesday, appears to be escalating as members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club stockpile firearms and conduct surveillance for assaults on a rival motorcycle gang, the Bandidos, a club that has traditionally dominated in New Mexico.

An early-morning law enforcement raid Wednesday hit the Albuquerque residences of three alleged members or officers of New Mexicos first Mongols chapter, formed a year ago. The raid aimed to recover evidence of racketeering and other crimes while mitigating the threat of violence between the two outlaw groups, the affidavit says:

This search warrant affidavit is being submitted  to aid the FBI in stopping several imminent threats made by the Target subjects and other (Mongols) members. The threats have been directed at rival (outlaw) motorcycle gang members, their supporters, citizen motorcycle riders, witnesses and the general public.

The affidavit characterized the three men whose residences were searched as the most aggressive proponents of a violent conflict because they were conducting reconnaissance on their rivals, encouraging others to join them in assaulting and killing rivals while in possession of firearms, ammunition and ballistic vests.

Two of the three  William Westfall and Isaiah Matthew Chavez  were arrested on federal firearms charges and are set for an initial appearance in U.S. Magistrate Court in Albuquerque on Thursday. The third, Carlos Alvarado Jr., the alleged president of the New Mexico Duke City Mongols chapter, was searched for club tattoos and wasnt charged.

The teams of SWAT agents from state, local and federal agencies took extra safety precautions conducting the searches Wednesday, given that two of the three suspects targeted had prior charges of assaulting law enforcement. Westfall shot a Bernalillo County sheriffs SWAT deputy through a closed door during a search warrant execution in 2010.

Westfall was sentenced in 2011 to serve three years in prison but was incarcerated less than a year and was released on probation, New Mexico court records state. The SWAT deputy suffered permanent nerve damage.

Westfall, a former member of the Bandidos, is alleged to be the sergeant-at-arms of the Duke City Chapter of the Mongols.

Chavez, described as a Mongols member, is awaiting trial on state charges that include aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon in August 2019. He had been on pretrial release in state District Court in Albuquerque and wasnt permitted to possess firearms. Law enforcement agents who searched his residence found a Taurus revolver and a Taurus pistol in his bedroom closet  on top of his Mongols Motorcycle Club patches.

5 instances of violence

The affidavit relies in part on information from six confidential informers. One told investigators that Alvarado, a Mongols member who moved here from Arizona, frequently commented how lax New Mexico laws were, compared to Arizona and Colorado. And, that would help boost the growth and goals of the Mongols Motorcycle Club.

At least five instances of violence between the two clubs have occurred since the Mongols muscled into New Mexico last year, the affidavit says. Two motorcycle club members or prospects were killed, and a Mongols member resisted arrest and assaulted a Bernalillo County sheriffs deputy in August.

In March, a top Mongols leader in Albuquerque told fellow members he had run a member of the Bandidos off the road with his car and the motorcyclist subsequently died.

The affidavit says the investigation by the FBI-led multiagency Violent Crime Task Force was spurred by a Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office gang detective who in February reported an escalating conflict over the expansion of the Mongols into New Mexico.

Although they represent themselves as motorcycle clubs, both the Bandidos and the Mongols may more accurately be described as outlaw motorcycle gangs whose primary purpose is the proliferation and maintenance of the gang through criminal activity, the federal affidavit says.

MMC members, like most outlaw motorcycle gangs, direct attacks on their rivals, as well as members of the general public who might unwittingly come into contact with the Mongols in a way that might be deemed disrespectful to the organization.

Such circumstances often occur when members of the motoring public do not move out of the way of MMC motorcycle riders, follow them too closely or otherwise show contempt in the eyes of the MMC members.

One of deadliest clubs

The Mongols, with chapters around the world, has about 1,500 members and is considered by some federal prosecutors as one of the deadliest outlaw clubs of its kind.

The MMC have a well-documented history of criminal activity, to include murder, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, firearms trafficking, drug distribution, extortion, motorcycle theft and hate crimes directed at African Americans who run afoul of the MMC, the affidavit says.

Mongols members can often be distinguished from the other 99% regular citizen motorcycle clubs because of the patches they wear. One patch is diamond shaped with 1%er MFFM inside the diamond. The patch labels the wearer as Mongols Forever, Forever Mongols, the affidavit says.

The trademark logo is a declaration used to define its members as within the 1% who are not ordinary and do not adhere to the law or the rights of others. Patches may be awarded for committing violence on behalf of the gang, killing on behalf of the gang, serving time in prison and sexual conquests of women.

The clubs website boasts, The Mongols M.C. has been under Federal Indictment for 9 years.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a federal court jury in December 2018 convicted the Mongols organization of racketeering and conspiracy charges, concluding that it shared responsibility for murder, attempted murder and drug crimes committed by individual members. A federal judge fined the outlaw club $500,000 and put it on probation for five years.

But California prosecutors werent successful in persuading the judge to strip the notoriously violent group of its trademark logo.

In New Mexico, the FBI-led task force affidavit sought to execute the search warrants to gather evidence of violations of racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, interference with commerce by threats or violence, possession of body armor by a violent felon, use of a firearm to further a violent or drug crime, felon in possession of firearm, stolen firearm, transmitting threatening communications and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Members of both organizations believe they are at war with the other, but a select few Mongols are instigating and fueling the conflict, the affidavit says.

Outlaw motorcycle gang members told one informer in the case that most states, including New Mexico, had no restrictions on possessing body armor. So the Mongols and Bandidos are encouraging members to acquire such vests for escalation of the conflict.

In applying for the search warrants, the SWAT teams sought court permission to knock, announce and then immediately begin breaching locked entry points Wednesday.

The FBI was concerned that if agents delay their entry into the residence for more than a few seconds, Target Subjects may arm themselves and shoot at agents or destroy evidence.

The search warrant affidavit said that even sworn law enforcement officers or law enforcement support employees maintain friendly or social and unprofessional relationships with outlaw motorcycle gang members.

This is an unfortunate phenomenon that frequently compromises OMG investigations around the country.

Federal search warrant affi by Albuquerque Journal on Scribd
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:30:45|Editor: huaxia

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ROME, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The expert task force appointed to help shepherd Italy through the gradual re-opening of the country's economy has to maintain a delicate balance between economic and health concerns, analysts said.

More than five weeks into Italy's national coronavirus quarantine, the outbreak is showing signs of coming under control. The number of COVID-19 patients in Italian hospitals is slowly falling, and the rate of new infections has slowed.

On Tuesday, Italy took a small step toward re-opening certain economic sectors, including book and stationery stores, businesses selling baby products, and electronics repair shops. Grocery stores and pharmacies have remained open since the start of the national lockdown. The new rules will remain in place until at least May 3.

The next step, according to Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, has been dubbed "phase 2": gradually widening the reopening process while re-organizing public spaces to allow for widespread safeguards, such as social distancing and the use of masks and gloves in public.

To decide when and how "phase 2" will begin, Conte appointed a special task force of economists, labor leaders, managers, and psychologists led by Vittorio Colao, a former chief executive for mobile phone giant Vodafone, to advise him on the topic. The task force will work together with the pre-existing Technical and Scientific Committee.

"The appointment of Colao is a sign that the government is taking the task force very seriously," Tommaso Monacelli, an economist with Bocconi University of Milan, told Xinhua. "Colao is a person of great abilities with a proven ability to find unusual solutions to problems. I don't think he would have taken the job if there was not going to be a substantive role to play."

Monacelli pointed out that it was still not clear what the full mandate of the task force will be or what powers it will have.

Giuseppe Arleo, coordinator of the department from the think tank Competere which monitors the restart of the European economy after the retreat of the pandemic, said the way this intermediate stage is carried out will decide how soon Italy can return to normal life.

"This next stage has to be done correctly," Arleo said in an interview. "The challenge is to balance the health needs of residents by making sure they are as safe as possible, while also taking into account the economic needs of the country."

Arleo said it was clear the Italian economy would not be able to wait for a coronavirus vaccine to re-open, raising the stakes for how "phase 2" is carried out.

"If things are re-opened too quickly, the virus could come rushing back," he said. "The plan has to involve simplifying bureaucracy and making sure the equipment needed, like masks and gloves, are available. But it has to get done as quickly as possible. We cannot stay in the first stage indefinitely."

"Prime Minister Conte is in an extraordinarily difficult position, and he has made an important decision about who will help him get through it," Arleo noted. Enditem
CARACAS, Venezuela - With friends and family stuck indoors and buses rarely running, Onasis Munoz missed several lifesaving dialysis sessions for his failing kidneys. When his blood pressure started to dangerously spike, he had one option left: a 20-minute hike to the nearest clinic.

Venezuela's strict national coronavirus lockdown wasn't his main problem. Rather, this broken country, which boasts the world's largest proven oil reserves, is running out of gas.

"There were no medicines [before], and now no gasoline," said Munoz, 28, who lives in Venezuela's coastal Carabobo state, two hours from the capital. When drugs were scarce last year, he said, he went eight months without medication. Now he can source his medicines, but the gasoline shortage has made his dialysis sessions, at a hospital 17 miles from his home, nearly impossible to reach.

"What hope do I have?" he asked.

Stung by one of the globe's worst economic crises long before anyone had heard of covid-19, the socialist nation is used to deprivation. Venezuelans have struggled for years against shortages of everything from food to toilet paper to drinkable water.

Shortages of gasoline - nearly free and considered a national entitlement in this OPEC nation - began in some parts of the country years ago, as local refineries started to fail, and smugglers funneled truckloads of cheap Venezuelan fuel to black markets in Colombia and Brazil. But analysts are calling the severity of the current gas shortage unprecedented - so bad that vegetables are rotting on farms, doctors can't get to work and even the people of Caracas, a bubble ordinarily spared the worst of Venezuela's misery, are waiting in gas lines miles long.

The energy crisis is the latest bad news for authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, who is now facing the most perilous moment of his embattled tenure.

Venezuela's pivotal oil sector, long in decline, has entered a free fall as prices drop amid the pandemic-induced global economic slowdown and output plummets to the lowest level since the 1940s. Venezuela's inability to sell its crude - partly due to U.S. sanctions, but also shrinking global demand - has led the government to idle some of its oil fields.

The coronavirus, meanwhile, is presenting Venezuela's already crippled health-care system with a critical test, one that local doctors say it is uniquely unprepared to pass. Sensing his vulnerability, Maduro's adversaries in the Trump administration are ratcheting up efforts to oust him. The Justice Department indicted Maduro and his senior officials last month on narcoterrorism charges, and the Pentagon has dispatched warships to the Caribbean to shut down the cocaine corridor that Washington says helps keep Maduro afloat.

Maduro's domestic political nemesis - Juan Guaido, the National Assembly president recognized by the United States and more than 50 other nations as Venezuela's rightful leader - has faded into the background during the outbreak, unable to hold mass rallies and dealing with a growing revolt within his own coalition. But Guaido's weakness does not mean Maduro is strong.

"The gas shortages are turning into one of the biggest challenges he's faced since he took power," said Geoff Ramsey, Venezuela director for the Washington Office on Latin America. "Gas shortages are not new in Venezuela, but the extent of this one is. Health workers can't even go to work. It has a ripple effect across Venezuelan society."

The myriad reasons behind the gas shortages underscore the breadth of Maduro's woes.

Venezuela sits on massive oil reserves, but a lack of spare parts and a brain drain of technicians have crippled its gasoline refineries. Venezuela for years sent shipments of its particularly sludgy crude to Citgo, a U.S. subsidiary of PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil giant, which processed the oil and shipped back gasoline. But that arrangement ended after Washington broke ties with Maduro last year, wrested control of Citgo from PDVSA and slapped an oil embargo on the country.

The Russian state-controlled oil giant Rosneft stepped in, striking lucrative deals with Venezuela to ship and sell its oil on global markets. But then the Trump administration sanctioned Rosneft's trading arm in February for aiding Maduro, and the company sold its Venezuelan investments to a more secretive entity owned by the Russian state.

Russia appears to have halted gas shipments, at least for the time being.

"They aren't getting gas from the Russians," said Russ Dallen, a managing partner at Caracas Capital Markets, a financial and consulting firm that tracks Venezuelan oil.

The government has received recent shipments of diesel under ongoing deals with European firms that have holdings in the country, allowing Maduro to mobilize some trucks for food distribution, particularly in the capital. The country has sought new deals for gasoline through a handful of Mexican companies that are now shipping its oil to Asia, according to industry insiders, with limited success.

The government managed last week to restore limited operations at one of its refineries, those insiders say. But the plant for now is capable of producing only low-quality fuel that must be mixed into a commercial product. Its actual output, at least for the next several weeks, they say, will probably be little to none as repairs continue.

Desperate for a lifeline, the government turned last month to a loyalist billionaire - Wilmer Ruperti - for help. The Venezuelan oil magnate helped Hugo Chavez, Maduro's late mentor, manage a gas shortage in 2002 by hiring a fleet of Russian tankers to ferry fuel to Venezuela in the midst of a general strike.

An invoice obtained by The Washington Post shows that Ruperti's Swiss-based Maroil Trading billed the Maduro government $12 million for up to 250,000 barrels of gasoline.

"But it hasn't arrived yet - they're trying to find the ships to bring it," said one of the Venezuelan oil insiders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of government retribution. "Even when it does, if it does, it won't last long."

Ruperti, whose gasoline deal with Maduro's government was first reported by the Associated Press, could not be reached for comment. Venezuelan government officials did not respond to a request for comment.

In mid-March, massive lines for gas, long a fact of life in some provincial capitals and rural areas, began to hit more insulated Caracas. A government-issued list of pandemic-related "priority" customers included doctors, but even they are whiling away precious hours in line.

"On Monday, I got to the gas station at 4:10 a.m.," said Luis Baez, a surgeon at the city's Avila Clinic. "I was 49th in the special line for the medical personnel. I had to wait nine hours and 45 minutes to fill my tank.

"I felt impotent sitting there, waiting."

Gas station workers say authorities are now rationing supplies to 5 gallons for small cars and 10 for trucks, vans and ambulances. Eulodio Diaz, 61, works at a pump in southern Caracas.

"As we run out of gasoline, we decrease the amount we can offer per customer," he said. "What we receive lasts only for a few hours because of the high demand. Many times they are aggressive with us. This not my fault; I'm only following orders."

For the people of Caracas, the lines are the latest sign of the crumbling state. Francisco Duran, a 35-year-old food distributor, was one of 100 customers waiting recently at a gas station in northern Caracas. He parked his white Honda Accord before dawn. Seven hours later, he was still hours away from the pump.

"I have a quarter-tank left and I desperately need gas," he said. "I can't skip work. Not under these circumstances."

Though the gas shortages are causing delays in Caracas, they do not yet seem to have impacted the availability of essential goods in the stores. That's less true farther from the capital.

Locals in Tachira state, near the Colombian border, have weathered days-long gas lines for years. Robert Maldonado, a farmer and agricultural activist, said farmers in the region managed to haul only 10 percent of their produce to a large weekend wholesale market due to the shortages. He said most of the rest - about 4,500 tons - is now at risk of rotting on the farms.

"We are losing our produce because . . . we don't have gas to get it to market."

- - -

Faiola reported from Miami. The Washington Post's Mariana Zuniga in Caracas contributed to this report.
A New Zealand firefighter was killed by a stag that attacked him on his farm.

Police said the man was attacked Wednesday evening at his property in the town of Makarewa and suffered fatal injuries. Police said the stag was euthanized and a coroner would investigate the man's death.

Ben McLean had been a volunteer and professional firefighter for 43 years, according to the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union.

It said McLean's own colleagues had been called out to respond to the attack.

He was highly respected by his crews and colleagues and will be remembered as a true character of the Invercargill brigade, National Secretary Wattie Watson said in a statement.

In a 2018 interview with organization Stuff, McLean said he had always wanted to work for his town and had attended several thousand fires.

We do the best we can," he said at the time.

McLean helped fight a house fire the night before his death, Stuff reported.

It is currently the mating season for deer in New Zealand, a time when stags can become more aggressive and combative.

It is rare for deer to kill people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bondholders of Digicel have indicated overwhelming acceptance for a deal that would see up to $1.7bn (1.6bn) of the company's debt written off while Denis O'Brien retains full control of the telecoms empire.

But bondholders owed $925m due to be repaid in 2023 did not accept the offer.

Digicel has said its debt pile of around $7bn is not sustainable and earlier this month proposed a deal to swap the outstanding debt for a reduced amount of new bonds. If bondholders refused, they risked triggering an even bigger crisis at the sprawling company.

Mr O'Brien has sweetened the deal somewhat. He will put $50m of his money into the business - half cash and half by way of a Digicel office block he owns in Jamaica.

By an early deadline for acceptance of April 14, bondholders owed more than $5bn indicated agreement to write off enough debt to bring the total down to about $5.4bn.

The consent solicitation process will run until April 28.

However, a cohort of bondholders owed $925m that is due to be repaid in 2023 did not accept the offer.

Under the terms on offer, those 2023 bonds would be swapped for $786m of debt due in 2027.

The early deadline for acceptance has been extended until April 28, but it now seems likely the wider deal may simply happen around the 2023 bondholders - leaving their bonds intact.

Acceptance levels among other bondholder groups were overwhelming, ranging between 86pc and 97pc.

That is far in excess of the levels of 50pc and 75pc required to carry the various classes of bondholders in a new structure.

The deal will substantially reduce Digicel's debt levels at a stroke, though Mr O'Brien will need to refinance part of the new debt structure within the next three years, or some bondholders who will be given a convertible bond under the terms of the current deal will be able to swap it for 49pc of the firm's shares.

Digicel operates across 32 markets in the Caribbean, central America and Asia-Pacific.

But it has struggled under the scale of its debt, in particular because of a mismatch between the local emerging market currencies customers pay in versus dollar-denominated debt servicing costs. The debt deal marks the second time in two years that the telecoms group has had to negotiate with its lenders.

Digicel spent much of the second half of 2018 in talks that eventually saw bondholders owed $3bn agree to swap their paper for debt falling due much later.

This time around, the process has been far swifter, with agreement from most bondholders secured within a matter of weeks.
T he family of one of three Heathrow workers to die with suspected Covid-19 today paid tribute to a hardworking and loving father.

Terry Gill, a father of three and grandfather of seven from Southall, had worked for Air India for more than a decade but died in hospital on Monday, two weeks after falling ill.

His death follows those of two Border Force officers and comes amid calls for staff to be provided with more protective equipment to screen them from incoming passengers.

Mr Gills son, Dharmender, 42, who also works at Heathrow, said: Its difficult to put into words what dad meant to us. He was a hardworking and loving family man. The hardest thing about all this was not being able to see him before he died.

He added: He started getting ill about two weeks ago and was taken to hospital. The doctors tested him for coronavirus, it was positive.

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Mr Gill worked in flight control at the airport where he assisted with arrivals, departures and counter management at the Air India desks.

The first confirmed Heathrow death was Terminal 3 Border Force officer Sudhir Sharma, 61, who died last month. He is not believed to have contracted the virus at work.

The death of a second Border Force officer, who is reported to have fallen ill while at work, was announced yesterday. He has not been named so far but is understood to be in his fifties and from west London and to have had no known underlying health problems.

Border Force director Nick Jariwalla paid tribute to the dedicated and professional officer, known for his kindness and generosity.

The news has prompted calls from the Public and Commercial Services union for passport and customs staff to be equipped with more personal protective equipment. General secretary Mark Serwotka said: The Home Secretary must intervene and ensure our members can go to work fully protected.

Figures published this week by Heathrow showed more than three million passengers arriving last month despite the huge cancellation of flights. A Heathrow spokesman said the airport had increased thorough cleaning processes and increased availability and provision of hand sanitiser.

The Home Office said Border Force staff did not wear protective equipment routinely but, in line with Public Health England guidance, it was available to those who have close contact with a person displaying symptoms.

Meanwhile, tributes were paid today to a student nurse described as compassionate and inspirational who has joined the list of NHS workers to die with Covid-19.

Ade Raymond, 47, was studying at Middlesex University to become a mental health nurse and was in the first year of a BSc. He had worked for many years at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust as a health care assistant.

Jinjer Kandola, chief executive of the trust, described Mr Raymond as highly respected.
There have been more than 1,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in Iraq, and more than 79 people have died from the disease. UNDP is working with its partners to marshal resources to prepare, respond, and recover as a crisis unparalleled in our lifetime hits a country struggling to recover from years of conflict.

The governments of Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden have committed US$5 million to support the COVID-19 response. The money will contribute to UNDP Iraqs initial US$22 million response package, which is being implemented under the umbrella of the Funding Facility for Stabilization.

UNDPs response includes increasing the testing capacity of laboratories, providing personal protective equipment to healthcare workers, increasing the number of isolation wards, and undertaking assessments to establish post-COVID-19 recovery strategies. Focusing on the most vulnerable communities in Iraq, activities will be rolled out in nine hospitals selected by local authorities in the underserved areas of Anbar, Diyala, Dohuk, Basra, Karbala, Najaf, Ninewa and Salah Al-Din.

Number one priority

Containing the coronavirus outbreak is now the Government of Iraqs number one priority, particularly as infection rates rise, putting more pressure on the Iraqi healthcare system outside the major capitals. Were extremely grateful to Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden for acting swiftly to commit these funds for prevention activities to stem this crisis, said UNDP Iraq Resident Representative Zena Ali Ahmad.

UNDPs Funding Facility for Stabilization has been operating in Iraq since June 2015, helping Iraqis to rebuild critical infrastructure, establish sustainable livelihoods and promote peace after the countrys liberation from ISIL. It has facilitated the return of more than 4.6 million people displaced by the conflict.

Due to the strict curfews imposed by the Government of Iraq, weve had no choice but to temporarily halt the implementation of our stabilization activities. However, by capitalizing on the tried-and-tested processes of our successful stabilization work, we will respond to this unprecedented global health crisis with the speed and agility UNDP Iraq is known for, she said.

Protecting public spaces

In Anbar province, 11 Local Peace Committees have taken the initiative to protect their communities from the pandemic by sterilizing public spaces.

Twenty-four Local Peace Committees were formed in Anbar, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din, three governorates liberated from ISILs occupation in Iraq, as part of a project undertaken by UNDP Iraqs Integrated Reconciliation Programme and funded by the Danish government.

They were developed to promote community cohesiveness in liberated areas by facilitating dialogue, and mediating and brokering local peace agreements between communities. Due to the pandemic the committees are now using their resources to help protect communities from COVID-19.

Markets, streets, residential areas, schools, government institutions, mosques, and displacement camps in major areas in Anbar are being disinfected by trained response teams in coordination with Anbars ministries of Defence, Health and Municipalities.

Managing the outbreak

Established in 2018 by UNDP Iraq, the committees are made up of security officers, local authorities, civil society organizations and tribal sheikhs. Each committee is led by their local mayor, who, since the onset of the pandemic, has been working to instruct the public to adhere to health protection measures, and have shifted the committees focus to managing the outbreak.

We carried out many campaigns, including visits to hospitals and emergency rooms late at night to monitor the readiness of medical personnel to receive urgent cases, said Habbaniyah district mayor Ali Dawood Suleiman. We will also monitor prices in the markets in coordination with security agencies to ensure the price of goods does not rise.

While the Anbar governorate is under curfew, food stores are open to residents during defined time periods. The work of the committees is ensuring that residents can shop for necessities as safely as possible.

In January 2020, UNDP and Kurdistan Human Rights Watch (KHRW), with funding from the German government, trained 60 women in Ninewa how to sew and tailor.

They didnt know it at the time, but their newly developed skills would play a role in keeping Iraqis safe from the global pandemic.

Disposable face masks

When a pharmaceutical company contracted by the Ninewa Department of Health was asked to produce five million disposable face masks in response to the spread of COVID-19, 30 of the recently trained women were employed to produce them. After briefings on the health standards and nature of the environment required for mask production, they began making thousands of masks every day, despite the curfew in Ninewa.

I am working on developing myself in the sewing profession and in the future, I would like to create a workplace for sewing or a small factory, says Nora, who took part in the training.

The organization and facilitation of skills development workshops with Kurdistan Human Rights Watch is part of a project spearheaded by UNDP Iraq under the Social Cohesion Programme, which aims to improve peace and social cohesion in all areas of Iraq.

Once this pandemic is under control, our stabilization activities will resume. Until then, we will work closely with the Government of Iraq, the World Health Organization and other UN agencies to curb the crisis as best we can, Ms Ahmad said.
[April 16, 2020] FBL Financial Group Schedules First Quarter 2020 Earnings Release Date, Conference Call and Webcast

FBL Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: FFG) will announce its first quarter 2020 earnings approximately 15 minutes after the close of the market on Thursday, May 7, 2020. The first quarter earnings release and financial supplement will be posted on the FBL Financial Group website (www.fblfinancial.com) at that time. FBL Financial Group will hold a conference call to discuss first quarter 2020 earnings on Friday, May 8, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The conference call will be webcast live on the Internet. Investors and interested parties who wish to listen to the call on the Internet may do so at www.fblfinancial.com.



The call may also be accessed by telephone at (866) 218-2403. A transcript of the prepared comments from the call, as well as an audio replay, will be available shortly after the call on FBL Financial Group's website. An audio replay will be available via telephone through May 22, 2020 by calling (877) 344-7529 and entering code 10137324 when prompted. FBL Financial Group is a holding company with the purpose to protect livelihoods and futures. Operating under the consumer brand name Farm Bureau Financial Services, its affiliates offer a broad range of life insurance, annuity and investment products distributed by multiline exclusive Farm Bureau agents. Helping complete the financial services offering, advisors offer wealth management and financial planning services. In addition, FBL Financial Group manages all aspects of two Farm Bureau affiliated property-casualty insurance companies for a management fee. Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, FBL Financial Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FFG. For more information, please visit www.fblfinancial.com and www.fbfs.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005600/en/

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Astrophotographer Mark Lissick sent in a photo of Lyrid meteors and the Milky Way, taken on April 22, 2013, in Hope Valley, California (near Lake Tahoe).

The Lyrids are a prominent meteor shower that peaks in late April. While the shower is not as flashy as others during the year, the Lyrids have been known to have unusual peaks of activity. A typical shower displays between five and 20 meteors an hour at the peak, but some of the more spectacular shows have 100 or more meteors an hour.

In 2021, the shower will pass by Earth around April 16-30, and the peak is expected to be shortly before dawn on April 22.

Related: Lyrid meteor shower 2020: When and how to see it

Chinese astronomers recorded the shower as far back as 687 B.C., according to NASA. The source for the meteors is Comet Thatcher, which was discovered by amateur astronomer A.E. Thatcher on its last closest approach to the solar system in 1861. The comet is expected to return in 2276.

Historical Lyrids sightings

The Lyrids have been chronicled in many cultures over the past 2,700 years. Chinese astronomers noted prominent displays in 687 B.C. and 15 B.C. Also, in 1136, a report from Korea chronicled the shower with the words "many stars flew from the northeast," according to Space.com's skywatching columnist Joe Rao.

In 1803, residents of Richmond, Virginia, went outside late at night after a fire alarm. A report from that time noted that the meteors resembled rockets in the sky.

"Shooting stars. This electrical [sic] phenomenon was observed on Wednesday morning last at Richmond and its vicinity, in a manner that alarmed many, and astonished every person that beheld it. From 1 until 3 in the morning, those starry meteors seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of sky rockets," wrote a journalist at the time, in an account republished on Space Weather.

NASA stated that similarly impressive shower sightings took place in 1922 in Greece, 1945 in Japan, and 1982 in the United States.

The shower's radiant is located at the center of this stellar map, in the constellation Lyra. (Image credit:  Dominic Ford/ In-The-Sky.org

Where the Lyrids are

The Lyrids look like they're coming from Vega, a bright start in the constellation Lyra, which the shower is named after. The "radiant" point is easy to spot in the summer sky because Vega is one of the brightest stars, making it visible even in spots with light pollution. The meteors, however, are best viewed under dark skies.

Lyra's precise location is:

Right ascension: 19 hours

Declination: 40 degrees

Latitudes: Between 90 and -40 degrees

NASA recommends that skywatchers go outside after Lyra rises (after 9 p.m. local time), and after moonset, to watch the show, which runs until dawn. Allow 30 minutes for eyes to adjust, and look away from the radiant, where longer and more spectacular meteors will be visible. Gazing at Lyra directly will show short meteors due to a phenomenon known as foreshortening.

While the Lyrids are not the brightest ones out there, NASA said the meteors "are known for their luminous dust trains, which can be observable for several seconds." A typical meteor from that shower moves about 30 miles (49 kilometers) per second.

Although the shower appears to come out of Lyra, the meteors are actually chunks that have sloughed off of Comet Thatcher.

Related: The greatest comet close encounters of all time

Comets disintegrate as the sun's heat causes ice and other debris to break off from the core. This leaves a trail of rubble in space. In the case of Thatcher's path of debris, the Earth runs into it once a year and produces the sky show known as the Lyrid meteor shower.

It's hard for astronomers to predict which years will produce more spectacular showers, the North American Meteor Network noted in a report from 1999.

"The orbit determination relies heavily on photographic and radar results, which are seldom obtainable every year  hence gaps in the data and our knowledge of the shower," the network wrote. "Studies of the years with higher Lyrid activity have found, however, that outbursts of fainter meteors occurred prior to the normal meteor maximum."

Additional resources:

Read more about the Lyrids from NASA Science.

Find out how to see the best meteor showers of 2020.

Learn what makes a meteorite, a meteorite.

This article was updated on April 6, 2021 by Space.com Reference Editor Vicky Stein.
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Researchers working at the University of Edinburgh have been taken off their own projects to test existing and experimental drugs to find a coronavirus treatment.

A team of up to 150 researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Inflammation Research are working to discover new therapies ahead of a vaccine.

The STOPCOVID project will focus on the inflammatory pathways that lead directly to lung injury which is associated with the most severe aspects of the virus.

Drugs will be tested to see if they can stop inflammation caused by COVID-19 and change the course of infection - preventing the need for ventilators.

Researchers working at the University of Edinburgh have been taken off their own projects to test existing and experimental drugs to find a coronavirus treatment

Professor Kev Dhaliwal from Edinburgh said the team would be testing samples received from patients to understand why some end up in hospital for a long time.

'Over the last 30 years at the centre there's a deep understanding of some of the mechanisms of what's been happening in the lungs of these patients,' he said.

They will work to understand the patients themselves to develop therapies to help those that suffer from the most severe COVID-19 symptoms.

'It is that small proportion of patients who develop devastating lung inflammation that's causing the problems,' Dhaliwal told BBC Radio Scotland in an interview.

'As you're all aware, this demand for ventilators and having that critical care capacity is needed,' he added.

'The NHS has coped incredibly well, and I think we're all pretty confident the NHS will be resilient and be able to do that.

'But for other parts of the world where they don't have that capacity, or that ability to do that, we must find ways to stop the inflammation, that's what we will be doing.'

The team will collaborate with pharmaceutical companies from around the world, having already identified key drugs and mechanisms currently in development or being used for other diseases.

Inflammation is said to be important in fighting infection but excessive inflammation with the disease causes the lungs to fail, leading to death.

Drugs will be tested to see if they can stop this in the early stages of COVID-19 to change the course of infection and prevent the need for ventilators.

Dhaliwal said: 'There are drugs that are used to treat other conditions, not just lung conditions, that actually block or target inflammatory pathways.

Professor Kev Dhaliwal from Edinburgh said the team would be testing samples received from patients to understand why some end up in hospital for a long time.

'And the UK as a whole is moving that way to think about this field of experimental medicine for us to start to look at these as fast as possible.

'It could have been used in rheumatoid arthritis or in skin conditions and other lung inflammation conditions, we can repurpose now into this condition,' he said.

The team will work to test samples that they are sent from patients to better understand the path the virus takes.

They will also be doing a series of small experimental studies as part of the UK framework when the studies reach that stage.

'And in Scotland we have exceptional clinical facilities, great research teams, and that's what we need to do,' he said.

'Small studies, not large studies, just to understand whether these drugs are working and scale them out.'
The Vietnamese Government on April 16 presented 200,000 antibacterial cloth face masks to the US government and people to support them in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the ceremony to hand over Vietnam's medical supplies to the US (Photo: VNA)

On this occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also presented 50,000 medical face masks to the White House.

Speaking at the ceremony to hand over the medical supplies to the US, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said Vietnam and the US have taken effective cooperation steps in preventing and combating COVID-19 both bilaterally and multilaterally, adding that the two countries have provided mutual support in terms of medical equipment and experience as well as citizen protection.

Vietnam will continue working closely with the US to push back the pandemic soon and mitigate negative impacts caused by COVID-19, he said.

On behalf of US President Donald Trump and the US people, US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink said in the spirit of the bilateral comprehensive partnership, the US will continue to coordinate closely, maintain the sharing of information and strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in protecting health and safety of people and in joint efforts to cope with the pandemic.

Vietnam presents medical supplies to Japan, Russia

Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung (right) and Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (left) presents medical supplies to Envoy of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam Shinichi Asazuma

Vietnam on April 16 presented medical supplies as gifts of its government and people to their Japanese counterparts to support them in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, the Vietnamese government donated made-in-Vietnam face masks and medical supplies worth 100,000 USD in total to Japan.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also presented 50,000 medical face masks to the Russian Presidential Office and the Japanese Cabinet Office.



While handing over the medical supplies to the Japanese government and people, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said amid the complicated developments of COVID-19, Vietnam and Japan have soon deployed cooperation within bilateral and multilateral frameworks to combat the pandemic, including coordination in successfully holding the online Special ASEAN 3 Summit on COVID-19 on April 14.



Asazuma Shinichi, Envoy of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, thanked the Vietnamese government and people for their valuable support, saying the gifts are a source of great encouragement and demonstrate the sentiment and solidarity Vietnam has given to Japan.

The official described Vietnam as a model in coping with COVID-19 and affirmed that, based on the bilateral extensive strategic partnership, Japan will continue coordinating closely, sharing information and cooperating with Vietnam to combat the disease.



Presenting the gifts to the Russian Presidential Office, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said as a comprehensive strategic partner and traditional friend of Russia, Vietnam has always kept a close watch on the situation in Russia and highly evaluated the prompt and drastic measures that Russia has taken to prevent and control COVID-19.



Vietnam believed that under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin and the solidarity of the Russian people as well as its world-leading medical capacity, the country will soon win in the fight against the pandemic, Dung added.

He affirmed that, as a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam is willing to share experience and join hands with other countries to implement countermeasures against COVID-19.

Russian Ambassador to Vietnam K. Vnukov thanked Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as well as leaders of the Government Office, ministries, and sectors of Vietnam for the support.

Vietnamese in Russia present masks to locals

Vietnamese Garment Company 9-5 presented the first batch of 500 reusable cloth masks to police officers in Plavsk city in Russia's Tula province on April 16, in an effort to join hands with local residents to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam presents Laos with medical supplies for COVID-19 fight

The handover ceremony takes place at the Bo Y International Border Gate in the Central Highlands Kon Tum province.

The Military Commands of Kon Tum, Binh Dinh, and Quang Ngai provinces on April 16 handed over medical supplies to their counterparts in the Lao provinces of Champasak and Attapeu to fight COVID-19.

The handover ceremony took place at the Bo Y International Border Gate in the Central Highlands Kon Tum province.

Including thermometers, protective suits, face masks, rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant, the medical supplies are worth nearly 1 billion VND (42,500 USD).

Agencies in the two countries have joined hands over the last two months to combat the pandemic in border areas and coordinated with local authorities in communications efforts to raise public awareness of the virus.

Colonel Xocxay Phimmala from Attapeus Military Command thanked the Vietnamese side for its assistance, which will contribute to promoting the friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in general and the Military Commands in particular.

Dak Nong gives support to Cambodian province in COVID-19 fight

At the handover ceremony



Vice Chairwoman of the Dak Nong Provincial Peoples Committee in the Central Highlands, Ton Thi Ngoc Hanh, presented medical equipment to representatives from the Cambodian province of Mondulkiri and the local Vietnamese association at the Bu Prang border gate in Quang Truc commune, Tuy Duc district, Dak Nong province, on April 16.

Valued at nearly 500 million VND (21,700 USD), the equipment, including disinfectant, medical and antibacterial masks, protective suits, infrared thermometers, and hand sanitizer, among others, will be used to fight COVID-19.

Goods totaling over 300 million VND came from Dak Nong, with the remainder coming from neighboring Dak Lak province.

COVID-19: Vietnamese in Czech Republic present medical gear to local people

At the handover ceremony

Overseas Vietnamese in the Czech Republic handed over medical supplies to two nursing homes in Pragues Districts 5 and 8 on April 15 to help them fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overseas Vietnamese in the Czech Republic handed over medical supplies to two nursing homes in Pragues Districts 5 and 8 on April 15 to help them fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The gifts are part of 90,000 medical masks overseas Vietnamese in the country and the Prague-based Saparia JSC have presented to the Czech Government to support the prevention and control of COVID-19.

Addressing the handover ceremony, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Petricek expressed his thanks to the Vietnamese community for their support amid the spread of COVID-19.

He highly regards the close cooperation from the Vietnamese Government in the fight against the virus, highlighting the efforts of relevant Vietnamese agencies in arranging a recent flight taking Czech and EU citizens home from Vietnam.

He also expressed his thanks to Vietnam for caring for Czech citizens infected with COVID-19 while in Vietnam.

Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Malacova expressed her thanks for the gifts, saying they will be handed over to social institutions in urgent need.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan, overseas Vietnamese in the country have actively joined hands with the local government and people in the prevention and control of COVID-19 and donated masks, food, and cash.

A Bamboo Airways flight ferried over 280 Czech and European citizens from Hanoi to Prague on March 25. The flight also carried medical gear presented by the Vietnamese Government to the Czech Republic.

The Military Zone 5 High Command co-ordinated alongside relevant units on April 16 to donate medical equipment worth VND4.7 billion to support both Laos and Cambodia in their fight against COVID-19 epidemic with the donation taking place across four border gates in the provinces of Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Le Thanh, Gia Lai, and Dak Nong.

The move is set to serve to further boost the traditional friendship and spirt of co-operation that exists between the three nations, as well as their respective armies, said Major General Truong Thien To.

The haul of medical supplies includes medical face masks, infrared thermometers, and antiseptic solution, in addition to essential food supplied aimed at helping residents of Laos and Cambodia overcome the current challenging period brought about by the COVID-19.

Moreover, the Military Zone 5 High Command has also worked closely with local authorities to purchase medical equipment used in epidemic prevention activities as well as essential items aimed at protecting the lives of both civilians and soldiers from the two countries. VNA/VNN
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Body and Mind Inc. (CSE: BAMM) (OTCQB: BMMJ) (the "Company" or "BaM"), a multi-state operator, is pleased to report the opening of the ShowGrow San Diego dispensary.

The newly opened ShowGrow San Diego dispensary is located at 7625 Carroll Road in the Miramar area of San Diego. The dispensary is now operational and serving medical and recreational customers with an emphasis on COVID-19 social distancing and health protocols. The San Diego dispensary is approximately 3,700 square feet with over 25 parking spots in and a central location of northern San Diego and La Jolla.

ShowGrow San Diego offers a wide variety of popular brands including Body and Mind branded pre-rolls, distillate and live-resin cartridges and concentrates including live sugar, live resin, shatter and badder. The dispensary is owned by NMG San Diego LLC, which is a 60 percent (60%) owned subsidiary of the Company.

"California is a key part of our growth strategy and opening in the limited license jurisdiction of San Diego expands our presence in this key market. I'd like to thank the team at Australis Capital who were instrumental in commencing this deal and we look forward to adding meaningful revenue to our top and bottom line," stated Michael Mills, President and Interim CEO of Body and Mind. "Our gratitude goes to the team who have moved through the licensing and development process to create value for our shareholders. As the retail world has changed our team has worked tirelessly to ensure our dispensary is prepared to serve patients and customers in a clean and safe environment.

"We are thrilled BaM has achieved this expansion milestone," stated Scott Dowty, CEO of Australis Capital Inc. "Australis Capital and the BaM team worked closely together to facilitate this opportunity and we are delighted they have achieved this significant milestone in such a difficult market."

Final closing regarding the previously announced definitive agreement (see July 3, 2019 news release) is ongoing. View images at https://bamcannabis.com/showgrow-san-diego-opening/

About Body and Mind Inc.

BaM is a publicly traded company investing in high quality medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production and retail. Our wholly owned Nevada subsidiary was awarded one of the first medical marijuana cultivation licenses and holds cultivation and production licenses. BaM products include dried flower, edibles, oils and extracts as well as GPEN Gio cartridges. BaM cannabis strains have won numerous awards including the 2019 Las Vegas Weekly Bud Bracket, Las Vegas Hempfest Cup 2016, High Times Top Ten, the NorCal Secret Cup and the Emerald Cup.

BaM continues to expand operations in Nevada, California, Arkansas and Ohio and is dedicated to increasing shareholder value by focusing time and resources on improving operational efficiencies, facility expansions, state licensing opportunities as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Please visit www.bamcannabis.com for more information.

Instagram: @bodyandmindBaM

Twitter: @bodyandmindBaM

For further information, please contact:

Company Contact:

Michael Mills

President and Interim CEO

Tel: 800-361-6312

ir@bamcannabis.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation of activities, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release.

Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54510
A band of rebel HSBC shareholders converged on the doorstep of Hong Kong's securities regulator on Thursday, urging the local watchdog to intercede on their behalf with the Bank of England over their loss of dividends.

Christine Fong Kwok-shan, a district councillor in Hong Kong, took a letter representing over 500 HSBC investors to the Securities and Futures Commission's headquarters demanding that the regulator fight to safeguard the interests of local investors.

"We understand that HSBC cancelled dividend payments at the order of the British regulator. As usual, it needs a regulator to talk to another regulator," Fong said. An SFC employee accepted the letter but declined to comment on the brewing conflict.

The event was the latest in a series of protests by HSBC shareholders over the past two weeks against the London-headquartered bank's decision to suspended dividends and share buy-backs on April 1 at the request of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), an arm of the Bank of England.

HSBC shareholders protest outside SFC's offices. Photo: May Tse alt=HSBC shareholders protest outside SFC's offices. Photo: May Tse

The British regulator was aiming to bolster banks' capital buffers when it made the request to protect them against the economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 2 million people worldwide.

"The PRA's orders have hit many retirees hard in Hong Kong, including my father who invested in HSBC shares for decades," Fong said.

The rebel shareholders are gunning for the support of 5 per cent of the shareholder base, enough to call an extraordinary general meeting. As of Thursday, about 3 per cent had pledged their support.

The 420,000-strong Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, as well as a Facebook group of over 6,000 shareholders calling themselves the HSBC Shareholders Alliance, are the major forces behind the opposition.

Story continues

Fong said her 500-strong group of HSBC shareholders would support the call for an EGM to demand that the bank revoke its decision to suspend the dividend or to pay the dividend in the form of shares instead of cash.

A 69-year old protester at the SFC, who only wanted to identify himself as Uncle Man, owns 40,000 HSBC shares, half of which he bought after the bank declared in February it would pay a fourth interim dividend for the financial year ended December 31 of US$0.21 a share on Tuesday. He would have received HK$65,520.

"I expected to receive the HSBC dividend to cover my daily expenses, but now it is all gone," Man said.

Hong Kong retail investors own around one-third of the bank's total shares and lost US$1.28 billion from the latest dividend cancellation.

The bank, the largest note-issuing bank in the city, is favoured by local investors for its high dividend yield at 5.9 per cent, higher than banks' deposit rates in the city which are languishing at close to zero.

HSBC shares dropped 2.2 per cent on Thursday to close at HK$39.7, fell 10 per cent from March 31 the day before the bank cancelled the dividend.

Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
President Trump told governors on a conference call today that he wants to begin to reopen the U.S. economy on May 1.

He called on governors with low coronavirus numbers to begin to reopen their economies on May 1, with the caveat that states should go at their own pace.

"You states with beautifully low numbers, let's get your states open and get back to work," Trump said, according to one person on the call and one person familiar with the call.

The White House distributed a document of guidelines for "Opening up America Again" that offers proposed phased reopenings in states or regions that meet certain "gating" criteria.

It includes metrics around cases, symptoms and hospital capacity.

It also includes three distinct phases for states, beginning when they satisfy an initial list of progress based on the metrics above.

A slightly softer lockdown, with a phased reopening of some offices and social distancing still encouraged. For nonvulnerable population, life largely returns to normal. Nonessential travel can resume for nonvulnerable populations. For vulnerable populations, life can begin to normalize, but with social distancing for those people.

The backdrop: During the 1.5-hour call on Wednesday with Trumps new Great American Economic Revival Industry group, the economic advisers told him an extended shutdown would be catastrophic, and they urged him to allow parts of the country with lower coronavirus cases to begin reopening, according to one of the advisers on the call.

The adviser told Axios most people said they were very eager to get back to work and offered Trump strategies for what would be needed for the reopening process  including guidelines for testing, contact tracing, liability protection, training and infrastructure.

The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Read the guidelines:

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.
Gardai investigating after the stabbing in Ennis of Eoin Boylan. Photo: Press 22

A man was stabbed to death in front of his partner and her three children after he was attacked in the home they shared.

Eoin Boylan, of Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh Estate, Ennis, Co Clare, was rushed to hospital but died en route.

The 32-year-old was a mature student in LIT and yesterday neighbours and friends recalled him as kind, gentle and unassuming.

It is understood the fitness enthusiast was at home with his partner when the suspect gained access to the property shortly before 3pm on Tuesday.

A source said one theory is a struggle ensued as Mr Boylan attempted to protect his partner from the suspect, who is known to her.

A short time after the incident, a man in his late 30s was arrested by gardai.

Expand Close Gardai searching for a weapon. Photo: Press 22 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gardai searching for a weapon. Photo: Press 22

Struggle

A neighbour provided medical assistance to Mr Boylan at the scene before paramedics arrived.

Mr Boylan is understood to have moved to the area within the last two months.

Neighbours yesterday recalled him as "pleasant and friendly".

Expand Close Eoin Boylan / Facebook

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One woman, who witnessed the aftermath of the horrific incident, said the community was stunned by the tragedy.

"I saw the ambulance arriving, and I immediately thought it must be someone sick with the coronavirus. I didn't hear any commotion before that," she said.

"They brought him out a couple of minutes later in what looked like a wheelchair.

"His poor girlfriend and the kids were all outside looking in to the ambulance, and then all the guards started arriving.

"I didn't realise what happened until another neighbour said it.

"The ambulance was parked outside for a good while, and I just kept praying for him.

"I saw one of the children standing on the footpath, and I was about to bring him inside here when a guard came and brought him into another house.

"I can't believe what's happened. I only knew him to see, but he had a nice way about him. He was friendly and pleasant."

Eoin Boylan's sister paid tribute to gardai and the paramedics who battled to save her brother.

In a Facebook post, Aoife Boylan said: "I want to say a huge thank you to the gardai of Ennis and the paramedics who assisted my brother and helped my family in our time of distress and need."

Mr Boylan was a fitness enthusiast and was skilled in martial arts, in particular taekwondo.

He was a member of Banner Martial Arts and Fitness club and a spokesman paid a moving tribute.

"We have lost one of our own. We have received word that our friend and student, Eoin Boylan, was killed today," they wrote.

"It is too soon to use many words."

A suspect in the killing was arrested a short time after the attack and was last night being detained at Ennis Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Throughout Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, garda search teams combed the area close to the attack.

Gardai believe the suspect may have disposed of a weapon prior to his arrest.
The Delhi government will ask people quarantined in home to send their selfies through a mobile application, saying it's a "helpful move" to contain the coronavirus.

A government official told PTI that all district magistrates (DMs) have been directed to ask the people in home quarantine to download the designated app in their mobile phones, a step aimed at tracking their movement. According to the official, it was observed that some people, who have been put under home quarantine by the government, were not following the rules. "This app will be very helpful in ...
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Coronavirus outbreak: Madhya Pradesh Tablighi event attendee tests positive for COVID-19

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Khargone, Apr 16: Madhya Pradesh officials on Thursday said that a 60-year-old man from the state, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month has tested positive for coronavirus.

He is admitted to a hospital in Khargone and booked for negligent act, they said.

Culpable homicide charge added against Tablighi leader Maulana Saad

His test report came out positive on Tuesday, district nodal medical officer Dr Anupam Atre said.

Kotwali police inspector Lalitsingh Dagur said that the man left Khargone on March 5. He then attended the religious congregation in Delhi and returned on March 12.

He concealed information about attending the religious event in the national capital, despite government instructions to report to the authorities concerned, the official said.

A case was registered against him on Tuesday evening under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act, he added.

Over 2,000 nationals attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi

The religious congregation organised by Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi last month emerged as one of the major coronavirus hotspots in the country.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, April 16, 2020, 13:45 [IST]
Maharashtra health minister



Rajesh Tope said on Thursday that the rate of doubling of coronavirus cases in the state has fallen, while complaining that the state has not recieved enough N-95 masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits.

In a video message, he also said all the 1,400 persons who arrived in the state after attending Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhi have been traced, and only 50 of them have tested positive for coronavirus.

The rest have been quarantined, he said, without elaborating on their test status.

"We have demanded eight lakh N-95 masks and 1.50 lakh PPE kits but received only one lakh masks and 30,000 kits," he said.

"However, the state's doubling rate of COVID-19 cases has slowed down significantly.

"The rate when COVID-19 cases double from its earlier figures is known as doubling rate. It was earlier two days which slowed down to three and a half days and now it is five and a half days. It is a promising sign," said the minister.

"We have also sought permission from the Centre to use the plasma of recovered patients to treat infected people. There has been research to support it, and we need official permission from ICMR," Tope said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(CNN)  Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro has fired his health minister after weeks of infighting and threats over the country's coronavirus strategy.

"I just heard from President Jair Bolsonaro the notification of my discharge as Health Minister," the outgoing minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta tweeted Thursday, thanking his colleagues and wishing success for his replacement.

Bolsonaro announced that he will replace Mandetta with Nelson Teich, an oncologist who supported his presidential campaign.

Mandetta was one of Brazil's biggest proponents of social distancing, supporting governors' decisions to shut down schools and businesses.

But his approach put him at odds with Bolsonaro, who has previously downplayed COVID-19 as nothing more than a "little flu" and warned that the economic fallout from isolation could be worse than the virus itself.

Mandetta also challenged the president's insistence that malaria drugs are the solution to the COVID-19 crisis. While Brazil has launched trials involving the drugs, Mandetta has warned there is no evidence that they are effective in treating the symptoms.

Luiz Henrique Mandetta during a press conference on April 3, 2020.

National and local governments in Brazil have issued mixed messaging on how to behave during the pandemic. While Bolsonaro has been pushing against strict restrictions, state and local governments in some of the country's hardest-hit areas have promoted social distancing, with firefighters and police in the streets urging people to stay indoors.

In Rio de Janeiro, governor Wilson Witzel extended quarantine measures in most of the state's major cities through the end of April and urged people to stay home.

Two governors and more than ten members of Bolsonaro's inner circle have tested positive for coronavirus. But Bolsonaro has been seen flouting the guidelines issued by his own health experts, wandering into bakeries and greeting supporters with handshakes and hugs.

The decision to remove Mandetta comes as coronavirus continues to spread through the vast Latin American country: beds in intensive care units are filling up in Brazil's biggest cities and in the northern Amazon region, authorities warn the health system is already collapsing.

Brazil has reported more than 30,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. More than 1,900 people have died.

At the same time, fears are growing that the virus could ravage Brazil's indigenous communities. A 15-year-old Yanomami boy from the village of Rehebe in northern Brazil died on Friday from complications related to Covid-19, according to the Health Ministry. The Association of the Indigenous People of Brazil (APIB) said the boy was the third indigenous person to die of the disease in Brazil.
Image taken by CHEOPS from a star known as HD 88111. The star is located in the Hydra constellation, some 175 light years away from Earth, and it is not known to host any exoplanet. CHEOPS took an image of the star every 30 seconds for 47 consecutive hours. Credit: ESA/Airbus/CHEOPS Mission Consortium

CHEOPS has reached its next milestone: Following extensive tests in Earth's orbit, some of which the mission team was forced to carry out from home due to the coronavirus crisis, the space telescope has been declared ready for science. CHEOPS stands for "CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite," and has the purpose of investigating known exoplanets to determine, among other things, whether they have conditions that are hospitable to life.

CHEOPS is a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, under the leadership of the University of Bern in collaboration with the University of Geneva (UNIGE). After almost three months of extensive testing, with part of it in the midst of the lockdown to contain the coronavirus, on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, ESA declared the CHEOPS space telescope ready for science. With this achievement, ESA has handed over the responsibility to operate CHEOPS to the mission consortium, which consists of scientists and engineers from approximately 30 institutions in 11 European countries.

Successful completion of the CHEOPS test phase despite the coronavirus crisis

The successful completion of the test phase took place in very challenging times, with essentially all the mission team being required to work from home towards the end of the phase. "The completion of the test phase was only possible with the full commitment of all the participants, and because the mission has an operational control system that is largely automated, allowing commands to be sent and data to be received from home," explains Willy Benz, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Bern and Principal Investigator of the CHEOPS mission.

A team of scientists, engineers and technicians put CHEOPS through a period of extensive testing and calibration from the beginning of January until the end of March. "We were thrilled when we realized that all the systems worked as expected or even better than expected," explains CHEOPS Instrument Scientist Andrea Fortier from the Univerisity of Bern, who led the commissioning team of the consortium.

The luminosity of the star HD 88111 as derived from each of the 5,640 photos taken by CHEOPS over 47 hours is shown in Figure 2 as a "light curve." Credit: ESA/Airbus/CHEOPS Mission Consortium

Meeting high requirements on measuring accuracy

The team began by focusing on the evaluation of the photometric performance of the space telescope. CHEOPS has been conceptualized as a device of exceptional precision capable of detecting exoplanets the size of planet Earth. "The most critical test was in the precise measurement of the brightness of a star to a variance of 0.002% (20 parts-per-million)," explains Willy Benz. This precision is required so as to clearly recognize the dimming caused by the passage of an Earth-sized planet in front of a Sun-like star (an event known as a "transit," which can last several hours). CHEOPS was also required to demonstrate its ability to maintain this degree of precision for up to two days.

CHEOPS surpasses the requirements

To verify this, the team focused on a star known as HD 88111. The star is located in the Hydra constellation, some 175 light years away from Earth, and it is not known to host planets. CHEOPS took an image of the star every 30 seconds for 47 consecutive hours (see Figure 1). Every image was carefully analyzed, initially using a specialized automatic software package, and subsequently by the team members, to determine in each image the brightness of the star as accurately as possible. The team had expected the brightness of the star to change during the period of observation due to a variety of effects, such as other stars in the field of view, the tiny jitter motion of the satellite, or the impact of cosmic ray hits on the detector.

The results of the 5,640 photos taken by CHEOPS over 47 hours are shown in Figure 2 as a "light curve." The curve depicts the change over time in the brightness measurements from all the images, showing a root-mean-square scatter of 0.0015% (15 parts-per-million). "The light curve measured by CHEOPS was pleasingly flat. The space telescope easily surpasses the requirement for being able to measure brightness to a precision of 0.002% (20 parts-per-million)," explains Christopher Broeg, Mission Manager for the CHEOPS mission at the University of Bern.

Top: The first transit light curve of CHEOPS. The giant exoplanet called KELT-11b orbits the star HD 93396 in 4.7 days. The dip due to the planet can be clearly seen, starting at about nine hours after the beginning of the observation. Bottom: Residuals obtained by subtracting from the CHEOPS data points the transit fit (red curve above). Credit: CHEOPS Mission Consortium

An exoplanet that would float

The team observed other stars, including some known to host planets (these are called exoplanets). CHEOPS focused on the planetary system HD 93396 which is in the Sextans constellation, some 320 light years away from Earth. This system consists of a giant exoplanet called KELT-11b, which was discovered in 2016 to orbit this star in 4.7 days. The star is almost three times the size of the sun.

The team chose this particular system because the star is so big that the planet takes a long time to pass in front of it: in fact, almost eight hours. "This gave CHEOPS the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to capture long transit events otherwise difficult to observe from the ground, as the 'astronomical' part of the night for ground-based astronomy usually takes less than eight hours," explains Didier Queloz, professor at the Astronomy Department of the Faculty of Science at the University of Geneva and spokesperson of the CHEOPS Science Team. The first transit light curve of CHEOPS is shown in Figure 3, where the dip due to the planet occurs approximately nine hours after the he beginning of the observation.

The transit of KELT-11b measured by CHEOPS enabled determining the size of the exoplanet. It has a diameter of 181,600 km, which CHEOPS is able to measure with an accuracy of 4'290 km. The diameter of the Earth, in comparison, is only approximately 12,700 km, while that of Jupiterthe biggest planet in our solar systemis 139,900 km. Exoplanet KELT-11b is therefore bigger than Jupiter, but its mass is five times lower, which means it has an extremely low density: "It would float on water in a big-enough swimming pool," says David Ehrenreich, CHEOPS Mission Scientist from the University of Geneva. The limited density is attributed to the close proximity of the planet to its star. Figure 4 shows a drawing of the first transit planet system to be successfully observed by CHEOPS.

Benz explains that the measurements by CHEOPS are five times more accurate than those from Earth. "That gives us a foretaste for what we can achieve with CHEOPS over the months and years to come," continues Benz.

An infographic of the first transiting planet observed by CHEOPS. The coloured circles show the relative size of the star (coloured) to the transiting planet (black), for the case of HD 93396 (orange) and its planet, Kelt-11b, and for comparison the Sun (yellow), Earth and Jupiter. Credit: CHEOPS Mission Consortium

CHEOPSin search of potential habitable planets

The CHEOPS mission (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) is the first of the newly created "S-class missions" of ESA (small class missions with an ESA budget of less than 50 million), and is dedicated to characterizing the transits of exoplanets. CHEOPS measures the changes in the brightness of a star when a planet passes in front of that star. This measured value allows the size of the planet to be derived, and for its density to be determined on the basis of existing data. This provides important information on these planetsfor example, whether they are predominantly rocky, are composed of gases, or if they have deep oceans. This, in turn, is an important step in determining whether a planet has conditions that are hospitable to life.

CHEOPS was developed as part of a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland. Under the leadership of the University of Bern and ESA, a consortium of more than a hundred scientists and engineers from eleven European states was involved in constructing the satellite over five years.

CHEOPS began its journey into space on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 on board a Soyuz Fregat rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Since then, it has been orbiting the Earth on a polar orbit in roughly an hour and a half at an altitude of 700 kilometers following the terminator.

Explore further CHEOPS space telescope takes its first pictures
French President Emmanuel Macron has repeated his promise to rebuild cathedral within five years.

The great bell of Notre Dame cathedral has rung over Paris to mark one year since an inferno almost gutted the historic landmark.

French President Emmanuel Macron repeated his promise to rebuild the cathedral within five years, calling it a symbol of resilience.

Al Jazeeras Charlotte Bellis reports.
By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijani citizens abroad will be able to return to the country after the special quarantine regime ends on April 20, Spokesman for the Cabinet of Ministers Ibrahim Mammadov said at a press conference on April 15.

Mammadov said that it will be possible to receive 300 to 400 citizens per week after April 20, adding that most of the arrivals are expected to be from Russia. On April 17, Azerbaijan will launch "Ev gedirm" ("I am going to home") portal to facilitate the citizens arrivals.

"Those who want to come from Russia can register on this portal. This process will begin after April 20. After that, citizens from Turkey and other countries can be gradually brought to the country. The citizens brought from abroad will be placed in the quarantine regime for the duration of 14-21 days", the spokesman concluded.

It should be noted that 1,253 infected people have been detected in Azerbaijan; 404 of them recovered, 13 people died, and 836 people are being treated in special hospitals.

The condition of 24 people of them is severe, the condition of 27 people is assessed as moderate, and the condition of the rest is stable.

Over the past period, 75,397 tests have been conducted to detect new cases of infection.

Azerbaijan is building six modular hospitals to treat the COVID-19 patients and a new clinic to fight the disease was inaugurated recently.

Since March 24, a special quarantine regime has been operating in Azerbaijan. Under this regime, citizens over 65 are not allowed to leave their homes and apartments. In addition, the movement of residents was restricted as of April 5 until April 20.

On March 19, President Aliyev announced the creation of the Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus.

Initially, the government allocated $11.7 million to the fund and the president and the first lady donated their annual salaries to the fund. As of April 8, the fund had collected about $65.1 million. Donations have been made by 2,692 legal entities and 8,223 individuals.

Earlier, on March 3, President Ilham Aliyev announced the allocation of $5.8m for fight against the spread of coronavirus in the country.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
A group of agriculture economists said on April 15 the coronavirus pandemic will cause billions of dollars in damage to Iowas crop and livestock industries.

In a report released from Iowa State Universitys Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, the economists said the ethanol industry will see $2.5 billion in losses due to lower fuel demand and the states hog industry $2.1 billion in losses due to a drop in restaurant business and closing packing plants.

For farmers, damage to corn is estimated at $788 million, soybeans at $213 million and cattle $34 million.

Economists Dermot Hayes, Chad Hart, Keri Jacobs, Lee Schulz and John Crespi note the numbers will change as the pandemic evolves.

Iowa is the United States second-largest agricultural state, and the impact on Iowas agricultural producers, especially of soybean, corn, ethanol, pork and beef is expected to be massive, they said.

They said social distancing policies appear to be reducing the rate of infection but they severely curtail economic output and restrict demand.

Agriculture trade groups and the states congressional representatives are asking for increased aid to ease the economic damage.

On April 14, pork industry leaders asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy $1 billion worth of bacon, ribs and other products. The items had been intended for restaurants but would be sent to food banks.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics COVID-19 Agribusiness Iowa
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Professor John Hooper. Credit: Mater Research

An international research team, led by scientists from Mater ResearchThe University of Queensland, have discovered they can overcome chemotherapy resistance in an ovarian cancer subtype by using low doses of a drug which slows cell growth.

Principal Investigator, Professor John Hooper and his team based at the Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Brisbane, Australia, collaborated with researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Mayo Clinic in the United States of America.

In a pre-clinical study, they found that 2-deoxy-D-glucose, could be used at very low levels to significantly improve the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drug, carboplatin, in treating laboratory models of clear cell ovarian cancer.

Their work, which was published in the scientific journal, Cancers, provides the rationale for a clinical trial to evaluate the use of low-dose 2-deoxy-D-glucose in treating patients with this type of cancer, according to Professor Hooper.

"Ovarian clear cell carcinoma is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy," he said.

"The key finding from our study is that low levels of 2-deoxy-D-glucose markedly improved the efficacy of carboplatin against preclinical models of this ovarian cancer.

"Our pre-clinical work used cells taken from patient tumours, so we were very encouraged that we could use such a low dose of 2-deoxy-D-glucose to overcome resistance to chemotherapy in this cancer and stop tumour growth.

"This drug has been trialled previously in other cancers, but we were able to use a 10-fold lower dose than previously reported so that it's safer for patients and is less likely to cause side-effects."

The team is hoping to begin trialling the treatment combination in patients within the next 12 months, following the announcement they had received an award to progress the ovarian cancer research.

The peak, national gynaecological cancer clinical trials organisation for Australia and New Zealand, ANZGOG, awarded the team its Fund for New Research 2019Judith Meschke Memorial Grant to study whether "modulation of metabolism can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for clear cell ovarian cancer".

Professor Hooper gratefully acknowledged the generosity of the ANZGOG funding from a bequest of Judith Meschke.

"The involvement in the project of so many talented people, scientists and clinicians, is in the spirit of the creative process fostered by the diverse and talented Australian arts community exemplified by the achievements of Ms Meschke," he said.

Explore further Researchers identify protein governing platinum resistant ovarian cancer

More information: Tashbib Khan et al, Disruption of Glycogen Utilization Markedly Improves the Efficacy of Carboplatin against Preclinical Models of Clear Cell Ovarian Carcinoma, Cancers (2020). Tashbib Khan et al, Disruption of Glycogen Utilization Markedly Improves the Efficacy of Carboplatin against Preclinical Models of Clear Cell Ovarian Carcinoma,(2020). DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040869

Provided by Translational Research Institute
Data from the US Commerce Department and the Fed released yesterday show that the American economy entered a steep decline in March with still worse to come this month.

Retail sales, in seasonally-adjusted terms, fell by 8.7 percent from a month earlier, the biggest such fall since records began in 1992. Sales at clothing stores were down by more than 50 percent.

The percentage decline in spending on motor vehicles, furniture and electronics was in the double digits, the Commerce Department reported.

An empty parking lot is seen as retail stores are closed, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, in Whitestown, Indiana. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Figures released by the Fed showed that industrial production, including manufacturing, mining, oil and natural gas production, dropped by a seasonally-adjusted 5.4 percent. This was the biggest monthly decline since 1946 when US industry was switching from war production.

In an indication of the collapse of economic confidence, the National Association of Home Builders reported that its housing market index for April had fallen to 30 from 72 the previous month. A level of 50 indicates neither expansion nor contraction.

The Feds beige book, based on anecdotal evidence from businesses around the country, said US economic activity had contracted sharply and abruptly and companies expected conditions to worsen with further job cuts. Over the past month almost 17 million workers have registered for unemployment benefit.

Any notion there will be a rapid recovery once the immediate effects of the pandemic passand there is no indication of that as the US death toll continues to riseis being dispelled.

The senior economist at Oxford Economics, Lydia Boussour, said the drop in retail sales was just the beginning of the consumer pull-back.

Plummeting consumer confidence, collapsing employment, and lockdown restrictions have compounded into an extraordinary and multi-faceted shock to consumer spending and brought the economys main engine to a sudden halt.

Manufacturing output fell by 6.3 percent. The largest decline was in the production of motor vehicles and parts, which fell 28 percent, while the production of business equipment dropped 8.6 percent.

Oxford Economics issued a note to clients yesterday warning that factory activity would fall even further this month. We anticipate industrial production will shrink by nearly 15 percent from peak to trough, it said.

In a further indication that worse is to come, the Empire State manufacturing survey, which measures business confidence in New York, fell to minus 78.2 this month. This far exceeds its previous low of minus 34.3 recorded in February 2009 in the midst of the global financial crisis.

The message is that it will be a brutal spring quarter for the economy, Joshua Shapiro, an economist at the consulting firm MFR, told the Financial Times.

He said while there would a bounce back when the economy reopened, returning to the levels of activity that prevailed pre-crisis is going to take a long time, and indeed probably will be measured in years for the most affected sectors.

Craig Johnson, the president of the retail consulting firm Customer Growth Partners, told the Wall Street Journal the March decline was literally unprecedented. But April would the cruellest month because it was only in mid-March that the closure of large retail outlets began.

The International Monetary Fund has warned in its latest economic outlook that the world is entering the most significant contraction since the Great Depression, expected to amount to at least $9 trillion over 2020 and 2021. This is equivalent to the economic output of Germany and Japan combined. It has forecast that the US economy will shrink by 5.9 percent this year.

One of the clearest expressions of the crash now underway in the global economy is the crisis in the oil industry. Despite an agreement earlier this week by major oil producers to cut production by 9.7 million barrels a day, the price of oil has continued to fall.

The executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol, said: The oil industry is experiencing a shock like no other its history.

With oil prices now down to as low as $20 a barrel, many firms are facing bankruptcy, particularly in the US.

Whiting Petroleum filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of the month. Many of the US shale-oil producers that sprung up in the last decade, as oil prices rose, are certain to follow.

Rystad Energy has said that at $30 a barrel more than 70 US oil and gas producers would have problems meeting interest payments on their debts this year. At $20 a barrel for crude this would rise to about 140 companies.

In its monthly oil report, the IEA said demand in April would drop by 29 million barrels a day, equivalent to 29 percent of global oil consumption in 2019.

It said the global economy was under pressure in ways not seen since the Great Depression as businesses failed and unemployment rose, with activity in the transport sector falling dramatically almost everywhere.

One oil trader told the Wall Street Journal that if you bought a cargo today you are not sure you will ever find a buyer for it because everyone has too much oil. He expected that in a couple of weeks oil markets would become dysfunctional.

But amid the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the misery for billions of workers around the world, there is money to be made big money.

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported on a London investment fund that had made a total of $2.6 billion in trades during March. More than $800 million came from trades in derivatives based on market volatility with a further $1.8 billion resulting from trades in share market, gold and credit derivatives.

The richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has increased his wealth by $24 billion this year, taking his total fortune to more than $138.5 billion.

His former wife MacKenzie Bezos, who was left with a 4 percent share in Amazon as a result of her divorce settlement, has seen her net worth climb by $8.2 billion this year to $45.3 billion.

As a result of the increase in online shopping, shares in Amazon have been rising and jumped by 5.3 percent on Tuesday.

Bloomberg reported that while the wealth of the worlds 500 richest people in its Billionaires Index had taken an initial hit, it had surged by 20 percent since March 23.

The official mantra is were all in this together. But as one financial analyst told the news agency, the wealth gap is only going to get wider with whats going on now.
Can you tell the political affiliation of this mayor of a Connecticut city hit hard by the coronavirus? Right now this is about healing our state, healing our nation, if you will. There is really no value in sniping at each other.

Or from this statement by another mayor of a city with a high number of coronavirus deaths: You know were all in this together. Were part of history. This is something that none of us has ever experienced before.

The first is by a Republican mayor, the second by a Democrat. Their common humanity underscores that the deadly coronavirus pays no heed to political parties.

If any good is to come from this pandemic experience  and, yes, there will be good emerging from the horrible depths of death and despair  one is that leaders are able to put aside political differences when required and work together for the benefit of all.

I think the governor has struck a solid path, said Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, a Republican who had sought to be governor.

The governor he referred to in a conference call this week is Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, who extended the states shutdown to May 20.

There is no Republican or Democratic way to deal with this pandemic, said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, a Democrat, who also was on the call and spoke of being all in this together.

These mayors are first and foremost trying to do whats best for the residents of their cities; party fiefdoms are counterproductive to what must be a comprehensive, unified, regional approach to dealing with the pandemic.

Too often, in the past, issues of importance to the quality of life in Connecticut quickly devolved into party entrenchment. A clear-eyed debate on tolls, a prime example in recent months, was not going to happen. The lines were drawn and not to be moved an inch.

An automatic negative response is not productive. Republicans were too quick to criticize Lamont for this week joining the seven-state coalition to develop a strategy for reopening business and easing social constraints. A plan to form a plan, is what Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano called it, without offering a better solution.

We consider the coalition a pragmatic approach. Simultaneously, Lamont is creating a Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group with members representing health, business and bioethics. Members should also reflect small businesses that have been affected by the shutdown.

Our call for continued bipartisanship in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is not to say there should never be dissension by political parties. A healthy democracy requires robust debate at every level, which is aided by a two-party (at minimum) system.

Blind obedience to an unquestioned leadership is not in the best interests of the citizenry.

This is the time, however, for bipartisanship in dealing with the grave health, economic and social ramifications of a never-before-seen virus.

God forbid we should ever have to go through anything like this again in the future, said Boughton, the Republican.
BRIDGEPORT  A retired city police officer claims state officials are depriving him of a gun permit at a time  the COVID-19 pandemic  when he needs to carry a gun the most.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, John Brenner claims James Rovella, the commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and members of the state licensing and Board of Firearms Permit Examiners units are depriving him of his constitutional right to bear arms.

The deprivation of the plaintiffs Second Amendment rights is occurring at a time when law enforcement is only arresting for the most serious crimes and prisoners are being released due to COVID-19 health concerns, the lawsuit states.

A nurse, Brenner states in the suit that as a major part of his medical practice, he provides in-home treatment for medically underserved inner-city communities and frequently travels into areas in Bridgeport which are plagued by extreme violence. He states that when traveling to these areas, he has carried a concealed sidearm.

The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Brenners lawyer, Robert Berke, declined comment on the lawsuit.

DESPP officials did not immediately return emails for comment.

Brenner, who retired as a lieutenant from the Bridgeport Police Department in 2013, did have a gun permit and a concealed carry permit. However, his permit was revoked in June 2019 after he was charged by Shelton police following an incident in May 2019 at a Walgreen store.

Brenner got into a dispute with a store security guard after the guard accused him of shoplifting, according to a police report. Brenner was charged with second-degree breach of peace and impersonating a police officer but the charges were dismissed on July 23, 2019, by a judge. He is now suing Shelton police for false arrest.

In the lawsuit filed Thursday, Brenner states he appealed the revocation of his gun permit after his criminal case was dismissed but was told his appeal would be subject to a review by the firearms licensing unit and would not be heard until May 2021. The hearing has since been moved to July 9 of this year.

Brenner, in his suit, claims his permit should immediately returned to him.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega re-appeared Wednesday after 34 days in which he was not seen in public.

Ortega made a televised address to the nation in which he said Nicaragua had suffered only one death from the coronavirus pandemic and that the countrys three confirmed cases were imported.

There had been concerns about the health of the 74-year-old former guerrilla leader, but he appeared well and was not using a mask during his speech.

Ortega has refused to adopt the social-distancing and lock-down measures used in other countries, and has in fact encouraged Nicaraguans to participate in mass gatherings.

Nicaraguans havent stopped working, because if this country stops working, it dies, Ortega said. The government did extend Holy Week school vacations to two weeks; classes are scheduled to resume April 20.

Ortega did not comment on how many tests have been carried. Experts suspect there are many undetected cases.

Ortega used the address to criticize the United States, saying it was holding Nicaraguan migrants in poor conditions and couldnt even provide health care to its own citizens.

The biggest power on Earth isnt able to provide for its own citizens in cities in the United States, he said. There is a lack of beds and medical equipment, because health care isnt available to the people, to the poor in developed nations.

Ortega said the pandemic was a sign from God against militarism and hegemony.

These transnational forces that just want to take control of the planet, that is a sin, Ortega said. And the Lord is sending us this signal.

In a statement Wednesday, the rights group Amnesty International said the government of President Daniel Ortega is flagrantly ignoring the recommendations of international human rights organizations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, putting at risk the health and lives of thousands of people in Nicaragua.

Its surprising that, after preventing and suppressing any form of social protest for the past two years, it (the government) is now promoting mass marches and gatherings, exposing the population to the pandemic, said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.
Brian Thompson leads the Veterans Correspondence Team at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

As the world battles a pandemic, my own memories of war have come rushing back to me.

Over a decade ago, my U.S. Army unit patrolled the rugged terrain and tribal regions of Afghanistan. I remember arriving at a small village near the Pakistan border.

Villagers stepped outside their mud huts to greet us. They had never seen Americans before.

Through an interpreter, we told them we were working with their government to bring safety and security to Afghanistan.

They responded: "What's a government?" "What's Afghanistan?"

I looked up from their bewildered faces to the imposing mountains and wondered how we would win the war if the people we were trying to help didn't even understand our goals.

In this fight against COVID-19 -- a fight we cannot afford to lose -- we're all soldiers. Everyone plays a critical role in slowing the virus' advancement.

And so, our leaders and media must be crystal clear in communicating our marching orders.

When the crisis started, many of us felt as confused as those villagers in Afghanistan. How serious is it? How concerned should we be? Is this like the flu? Is it deadlier?

There were conflicting reports. There were rumors. There was no clear authority of information.

During the early stages of a largely unknown virus, confusion is understandable. Scientists are racing to get a handle on something spreading at an exponential rate.

Governments and the media can't control that. But what they can control is the language they use to describe events to an anxious public.

That's why it's important to use words everyone understands. When spoken to the public, terms like zoonotic, asymptomatic and community transmission can sow confusion and worsen fears. But scientific terminology can be broken down into plain language we all can understand.

That's the concept of readability. It matters in warfare, too, and our armed forces recognize that.

Case in point: The U.S. military uses a readability assessment to ensure service members can understand technical manuals. Complex weapons systems are useless if operators don't know how to pull the trigger.

In the fight against a virus, equipment like masks, gloves and testing kits are the weapons of health care workers.

We citizen soldiers are best armed with information. To make good decisions, we need a clear understanding of the risks and the effective precautions -- a civic technical manual for a pandemic.

Readability means dropping the jargon, getting to the heart of the matter as clearly as possible, and empowering people through understanding.

I'm not suggesting that using words those Afghanistan villagers understood would have clarified our mission and brought us success.

But like the concepts of "government" and "Afghanistan," a virus is invisible to the naked eye. The best we can do as citizens is understand its meaning, its risks and its vulnerabilities through words we all know.

Through that understanding, we stand a fighting chance.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
US Returns $300 Million Seized From Malaysian Financier

By VOA News April 15, 2020

The U.S. says it has returned $300 million to Malaysia that was stolen from the country's state-owned investment fund in part of an elaborate corruption scheme.

The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday the money came from assets forfeited by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low. A U.S. federal judge handed down a series of judgements last year ordering Low and his family to forfeit more than $700 million in assets located in the United States, Britain and Switzerland.

Low has been accused of siphoning money from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund and using it to buy high-priced items. These include luxury homes, art and jewelry, a boutique hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and numerous business investments, including the Hollywood feature film "The Wolf of Wall Street."

The U.S. Justice Department says it now has recovered more than $600 million in funds stolen from 1MDB, which was created by former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to promote economic development. U.S. prosecutors say Najib and his associates looted at least $4.5 billion from the fund between 2009 and 2015.

The accusations against Najib led to the stunning 2018 defeat of his ruling coalition, which had been in power since Malaysia's independence in 1957. Najib also is facing numerous criminal charges in connection with his role in the scandal.

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THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is looking at relaxing quarantine measures by imposing localized restrictions only in barangays with confirmed coronavirus cases to allow economic activity to restart.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday, April 14, 2020, that the task force held initial discussions on the matter after Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Ma. Joey Concepcion stressed the need to jumpstart the economy.

Concepcion, in a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte that was broadcast late Monday, said: Now is the time that we should really look and plan on how to gradually shift towards reviving the economy. Because in the end, social amelioration cannot last forever. We have to bring back the jobs.

President Duterte, however, said he will consider the lifting of the quarantine measures only when the Philippines gets hold of the antibodies needed to cure Covid-19.

The President said a giant pharmaceutical company has been developing antibodies against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Antibodies, or immunoglobulin, are proteins produced by humans and other life forms that bind to and inactivate foreign substances such as pathogens like the novel coronavirus.

As of April 13, the Department of Health has recorded 4,392 Covid-19 cases with 315 deaths and 242 recoveries.

Roque said Concepcion also suggested mass testing and allowing the manufacturing companies that produce non-essential items to operate.

Dominguez, for his part, suggested that ECQ measures must be eased in areas which are not severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Roque, there's also a suggestion that people who have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and respiratory problems should remain on lockdown.

He added that balancing health and economic obligations is still a challenge for the national government. (Sunstar Philippines)
Ruling party must restore partnership with opposition parties



Liberals secured a landslide victory in Wednesday's general election, which drew significant international attention as the first nationwide election in the world to be held amid the coronavirus pandemic.



The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and its "satellite party" garnered 180 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly, while the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) and its satellite party secured 103. The remaining 17 were shared by smaller parties and independent candidates.



The results have many political connotations. First of all, the creation of a powerful ruling party will give President Moon Jae-in fresh momentum as he pushes his policy agenda for the remainder of his term, which ends in May 2022. Technically, with a strong majority, the DPK can change laws as it wants without support from any other parties  except for revising the Constitution which requires at least a two thirds vote  from May 30 when the next National Assembly is convened.



On the other hand, the UFP has a rough road ahead. The first thing it has to do now is to learn the lesson from the election debacle and choose new party leaders who are capable of bringing positive changes to the party and regaining the public's confidence. While vote counting was in progress Wednesday night, UFP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn resigned from the post, taking responsibility for the defeat. Surely, it has now been proven that, without changes, there is no future for the conservative party.



The stunning victory will certainly put the ruling party in a dominant position in the legislature, but it doesn't necessarily mean the political situation will stabilize in the future. The DPK should be humble and not arrogant in dealing with the opposition, or it will lose public support.



No doubt, the election results will bring about a seismic change to the country's political landscape. Regardless of this, however, South Koreans have good reasons to be proud of this election. It proved a nationwide election could be held, even during this COVID-19 pandemic, with adequate safety measures. It had been widely expected that the coronavirus outbreak might deter people from going to polling stations, but the voter turnout was 66.2 percent, the highest in a general election in 28 years. South Koreans braved the coronavirus to vote, and they deserve to be proud of this. After the elections, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated South Koreans on holding "successful" elections despite the COVID-19 outbreak, describing the country as a model for the world. U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris also tweeted the high voter turnout was a testament to the country's dedication to democratic ideals.



Their compliments are good to hear. But the election is over, and the country faces grave imminent challenges. It should win the war against the coronavirus, and overcome the ongoing economic crisis. Without a partnership with the opposition, the fight will be much harder for Moon and the DPK.


Jaipur, April 16 : The BJP on Thursday hit out at the ruling Congress government in Rajasthan advising it to seek the help of Central forces to control the corona hotspots in the state, including Jaipur's Ramganj, Kota, Jodhpur and Tonk, if it is unable to enforce strict lockdown in these places.

State BJP chief Satish Poonia accused the state government of following the policy of appeasement due to which, he said, COVID-19 has spread to 25 districts of the state despite the lockdown which earlier was limited to only four districts.

Poonia said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was favouring a particular community due to which the state government has failed to enforce total lockdown and curfew in hotspot zones.

"The virus which was limited to four districts 20 days back spread soon to 25 districts despite the lockdown," he said in a video conference with media.

Poonia said the policy of appeasement of the government was clear when the state government removed information on Tablighi numbers who entered Rajasthan and tested positive later. It was only on Wednesday -- after a sudden jump in corona positive patients in Rajasthan -- the state government registered a case against one Tablighi member in Tonk, he added.

Poonia said people belonging to a particular community are flouting all norms even in CM's home constituency. The district collector, feeling helpless, had written to the CRPF and BSF officials on April 12 requesting them to send forces to the district.

"The government has not made this letter public", he added.

Speaking on the Bhilwara model, he said, "The credit for breaking the corona chain in Bhilwara goes to the people, policemen and health workers. Now, if the Chief Minister wants to take credit, he should repeat Bhilwara story in Ramganj," Poonia said, adding the BJP stood with the Congress government initially and had given all positive suggestions.

"However, when the government is discriminating on ration and food distribution, then we have to speak up," he added.
The figures followed a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that forecast oil demand would fall by 29 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, to the lowest in 25 years, and just below 30 percent of global demand before the coronavirus outbreak.

Tokyo: Oil rose on Thursday, with US crude rebounding from near-20-year lows in the previous session on hopes that a big build-up in US inventories may mean producers have little option but to deepen output cuts as the coronavirus pandemic ravages demand.

Brent crude was up 69 cents, or 2.5 percent, at $28.38 a barrel by 0102 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate was up 56 cents, or 2.8 percent, at $20.43.

With official data showing US inventories surging the most on record, WTI fell on Wednesday to its lowest since February 2002, with Brent slumping more than 6 percent.

The figures followed a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that forecast oil demand would fall by 29 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, to the lowest in 25 years, and just below 30 percent of global demand before the coronavirus outbreak.

That number is well above production cuts in the pipeline. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allied producers including Russia, a grouping known OPEC+, have agreed to reduce output by 9.7 million bpd, while hoped-for cuts of another 10 million bpd from other countries including the United States could lower production by 20 million bpd.

The massive storage build, as counterintuitive as it sounds, did provide some price support as the build foreshadows that more wellhead closures are just around the corner, which effectively trims US supply, said Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at AxiCorp.

Last week, the US Energy Information Administration said U.S. production is expected to slump by 470,000 bpd.

Some countries have also committed to increasing purchases of oil for their strategic stockpiles, but there are physical limits to how much oil can be bought.

The use of strategic petroleum reserves in China, India, South Korea, and the US could add about 200 million barrels of temporary storage, but this only buys a few months of wiggle room, said Innes.

Further cuts to production will be required to avoid another collapse in oil prices, he said.
The global biodefense market was valued at US$ 4,108. 24 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 8,350. 74 million in 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9. 4% from 2020 to 2027. Favorable government initiatives, increase in the number of naturally occurring outbreaks, and increasing threat of biological weapons and nuclear armed ICBM are some of the major factors driving the growth of global biodefense market.

New York, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Biodefense Market to 2027 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Product and Geography" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05882103/?utm_source=GNW

However, low government R&D funding in developing and underdeveloped economies is expected to restraint the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Disease outbreaks are usually caused by an infection transmitted through person-to-person contact, animal-to-person contact, or from the environment.The emergence of infectious diseases has increased significantly during the recent years.



The World Health Organization warned in its 2007 report that infectious diseases are emerging at a high rate across the world.Since 1970, about 40 infectious diseases have been discovered, including SARS, MERS, Ebola, chikungunya, avian flu, swine flu, zika, and most recently, COVID-19.



According to the estimation of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,) in the US, nearly 30 million people suffered from influenza between 2016 and 2017.Biodefense techniques, such as vaccinations against influenza help reduce the illness by 17% and medical visits and hospitalizations by 18% and 19%, respectively.



The growing prevalence of Ebola and Zika virus infections is also likely to contribute to the market growth. For instance, according to the CDC, as of November 2015, over 28,000 Ebola virus cases and more than 3,800 deaths because of Ebola virus were reported in Guinea. Additionally, due to coronavirus outbreak, more than 210,000 cases have been reported to WHO, and more than 9,000 people have lost their lives till March 20, 2020. Further, on March 18, 2020 Emergent BioSolutions signed a development and manufacturing agreement with Vaxart for their oral vaccine experiment on infected candidate for Coronavirus Disease. The growing prevalence of infectious diseases, such as coronavirus, Ebola, and zika virus is likely to boost the investments in the field of biodefense, thereby driving the market growth.

The global biodefense market is segmented into product and geography.Based on product, the biodefense market is segmented into anthrax, small pox, botulism, radiation/nuclear and others.



The anthrax segment accounted for the largest market share in 2019. The anthrax segment is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period owing to increasing funding by the governments of other countries to develop and stockpile adequate vaccines against anthrax mainly through a variety of initiatives, such as BioShield Act, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical & Biological Defense.

Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization (WHO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Socio-Economic Contribution of the European Cosmetics Industry (SECECI), and Emirates Standardization and Meteorological Authority (ESMA) are some of the essential secondary sources included in the report.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05882103/?utm_source=GNW



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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 14:49:04|Editor: huaxia

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Citizens bid farewell to medics from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, April 15, 2020. The last medical assistance team started leaving Hubei Province Wednesday as the COVID-19 epidemic in the hard-hit province has been subdued. The medical team consisting of over 180 medical workers from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital arrived in the provincial capital of Wuhan on Jan. 26. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)
It's amazing how many political uses Democrats can hook onto the coronavirus crisis to advance their leftist agenda.

They've now got a political advocacy surge going on behalf of one of their priority constituencies, illegal immigrants .... because coronavirus.

Very convenient. For themselves.

Here's the Daily Caller:

Nearly 100 Democrats in Congress are urging the Trump administration to halt construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall during the coronavirus pandemic. Ninety-one Democrats in the House and Senate signed onto a letter addressed to key members of the Trump administration, requesting that all border wall construction halt immediately.

Here's another from San Diego's KGTV Channel 10:

SAN DIEGO (KGTV)  On Wednesday, Senator Kamala Harris Office sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General to call for an investigation into the treatment of detainees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Seriously, at a time when Democratic state and city leaders are demanding that Americans shelter in place, these Democrats are insisting that illegals be free to walk about the country?

And at a time when mass layoffs are taking place in restaurant, hotel, service, and other industries, the typical jobs illegals who work might take from Americans, these Democrats are proposing to flood those markets with a new wave of cheap foreign competition?

Talk about a double standard. Talk about America Last.

But here we have the Democrats, arguing for the illegals.

The Democrats' letter arguing against wall construction is a model of concern-trolling. According to Axios:

What they're saying: Wall construction "defies" CDC social distancing and quarantine policies while money being used on the "ineffective and wasteful border wall" should be invested in fighting the virus, lawmakers wrote. "It's insulting that in the middle of this emergency, instead of having the focus on making sure we got supplies, making sure that we're beating all of this, they're still going with this wall  this campaign promise from the president," Cuellar told Axios.

"The last thing we need is to put workers and the surrounding communities at risk when they already lack the health care infrastructure to handle this public health crisis," Heinrich told Axios in a statement.

So in other words, they'd like those Americans laid off for 'their own good' while illegals should be free to walk about the country, spreading whatever it is they might have.

And as if at this time, America needs more dishwashers and other menial laborers when those trades in particular are being hit by mass layoffs.

Walls, after all, do stop human smuggling or at a minimum, raise the cost of it. Stopping the wall construction amounts to a cost-cutting bonanza for human smugglers to bring more illegals in, even if there is no work for them.

More illegals though, are useful to Democrats, helping them pad their congressional districts in a census year, as well as obtain more federal welfare millions and hire more bureaucrats in order service the foreign indigents.

Detention centers, meanwhile, which hold illegals, some of whom carry disease, are now being called upon to free their illegals, the better to spread their highly contagious illnesses here.

In the KGTV report, the local activist given the soapbox (in the no-balancing-counterpoint report) is openly calling for detained illegals to be freed.

We don't believe what [private contractor]CoreCivic is saying. We believe the people that are the victims of this kind of abuse and retaliation, said [activist Alex] Mensing. He believes the call for an investigation is a first step. However, I think that this is not the time for just investigations. We need people to be freed immediately, he added.

(The one-sided report, by the way, doesn't even mention the word 'immigrant' in its advocacy for freeing detainees, let alone the words 'illegal aliens.' The reporter, Jennifer Kastner, recognizes that even the word 'immigrant,' now a code-word for illegal immigrant, was sure to turn off the public from her report. Meanwhile she left out a little detail about Mensing, the expert she cited, of Pueblo Sin Fronteras. He's one of the very organizers of the Central American caravans that created a migrant surge into the U.S. not too long ago, the ones where Tijuana residents protested the migrant tent camps clogging their city vehemently.)

Don't think this isn't spin for the Democrats. It's the Democrats' whole idea.

Sen. Kamala Harris, who'd got a long history of sucking up to the Democratic establishment (just ask Willie Brown) signed both the anti-wall letter as well as the anti-detention letter, so she's at the forefront of this appalling bid to use the pandemic to make political hay for illegals.

Harris, recall, is the former prosecutor who famously imprisoned scores of petty marijuana dealers while later giggling to a radio host about smoking pot herself, and refused to allow prisoners who completed their sentences out of the can because she wanted to use their labor to fight wildfires. Her demand that Americans give up their freedom but allow illegals to come and go as they please is completely in character with her other hypocrisies.

She's been joined on the wall letter by about 90 other House and Senate Democrats, including all of the previous principle Democratic Party presidential hopefuls -- Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand -- to demand an end to the construction of the U.S. border wall.

Democrat agenda? Sure sounds like it - every last one of these people, bar none, raised their hands on providing free health care to every illegal, if they were on the Democratic stage during the primaries, and the others are for it, too.

Now that the fear of the coronavirus is abating, they're pretty well getting back to business as usual, using any crisis as a hook to push their 'transform America' agenda. Doing it for illegals, at a time when this doesn't make sense on any front, in particular, just plain stinks.

Image credit: Television broadcast screen shot from a cell phone camera
Amid the surge in Coronavirus cases around the globe, a total of 55 countries has been approved to get Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) drug out of which 21 countries will get it on a commercial basis and others on a grant, that is in very small quantities. India has also approved the supply of HCQ to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), sources said.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had said that the government has more than enough stock of HCQ for meeting the current requirement. It had said that the Centre has done proper preparation and planning with respect to current and future requirements of the drug.

Sources further said that the total number of Indians infected with COVID-19 abroad is 3,036 from 53 countries while Indians infected with COVID-19 who died abroad are 25. "Our advice is to stay put and reach out to the Indian missions which will provide maximum support."

So far, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA's) 24-hour COVID-19 control room has received 18,000 emails from across the world, 5,000 phone calls and 2,000 public grievances. India has repatriated 35,000 foreign nationals from 38 countries, as per sources.

READ: ICMR says HCQ shall be used as preventive healthcare, not COVID-19 treatment

Is Hydoxychloroquine effective?

Notable Cardiac Surgeon Dr Ramakanta Panda in an exclusive telephonic interview with Republic World on Saturday shed light on the usage of Hydroxychloroquine and its efficiency to combat Coronavirus. Dr Panda stated that at present, HCQ is being used on a trial basis and there is no strong evidence that it can combat the virus. He informed that the drug is being given to two specific groups of people who are the most prone to COVID-19.

Speaking to Republic World, Dr Panda said, "This particular medicine is being given on a mere experimental basis rather than based on a strong ground of evidence. So that is a reason we do not know whether it is effective when a person has contracted the disease. It is currently recommended for people who are at a high risk of contracting the virus. i.e. basically two groups: 1. Healthcare workers 2. Families of those looking after a COVID patient."

READ: Health Ministry says COVID-19 recovery rate at 12%, mortality rate at 3.3%

Coronavirus in India

As of date, 10477 active cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 1488 have been discharged and Maharashtra reported the highest at 2916. 414 deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries. PM Modi has extended the lockdown till May 3, with a relaxation possibility in non-COVID hotspots after April 20.

(With inputs from ANI)

READ: ICMR confirms '5 lakh anti-body test kits received', explains India's COVID testing ratio

READ: PM Modi reviews COVID-19 impact on economy in meeting with FM; 2nd stimulus discussed
A fifth person has died from the novel coronavirus and nine remained in hospital Wednesday as the provincial government debated enhanced powers for provincial health officials to steer Manitoba through a critical time" in the outbreak.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/4/2020 (636 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A fifth person has died from the novel coronavirus and nine remained in hospital Wednesday as the provincial government debated enhanced powers for provincial health officials to steer Manitoba through a "critical time" in the outbreak.

Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said a woman in her 60s who lived in the Prairie Mountain health region died of complications of COVID-19. She had underlying health conditions and was hospitalized, but not in intensive care, he said.

The province reported two more probable cases, and a total of 132 active cases. The number of individuals considered to be recovered from the virus sits at 108 and two previous probable cases were ruled negative.

"This is still a very vital time, a very critical time in our outbreak," Roussin said. "Certainly we want to continue to see low numbers, but the only way thats going to happen is if Manitobans continue to strictly adhere to the social-distancing strategies."

The Progressive Conservative government introduced legislation Wednesday to amend the Public Health Act to give the chief provincial public health officer additional powers. The bill passed and received royal assent Wednesday evening.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin.

The legislation allows Roussin to prohibit and restrict people from travelling within specified areas in Manitoba and from travelling to and from the province.

Under the law, Roussin can order people who travel into and out of specified areas to take specific actions, and order people who arrive in Manitoba from elsewhere to take measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

He was non-committal on how he intends to use the new authority, but did not rule out restricting travel within Manitoba and from urban centres to rural communities or cottage country. Additional public-health orders may be made this week, he added.

"Were going to need to continue to focus on situations that would be high-risk if the virus was introduced," he said. "So things like long-term care facilities, congregant settings and including remote, isolated communities."

Were going to need to continue to focus on situations that would be high-risk if the virus was introduced. So things like long-term care facilities, congregant settings and including remote, isolated communities.  Dr. Brent Roussin

International travellers  particularly from the United States  present the greatest risk for the virus to enter the province, he said. International travellers are required to self-isolate for 14 days under the federal Quarantine Act.

However, Roussin said he is considering whether travellers moving between neighbouring provinces and other Canadian jurisdictions where high numbers of COVID-19 cases are reported ought be subject to additional public-health orders.

Bill 59 also gives a medical officer or inspector broad powers to deal with anyone failing to comply with a public-health emergency order.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Shared Health's chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said 21 health-care providers in the province have tested positive for COVID-19.

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The province continues to work on projections of the virus progressing through the population but is not yet prepared to release its models publicly, Roussin said.

"Because of where we are in our trajectory, because weve had relatively low numbers because were early on, the modelling data proves more difficult," he said. "The more data you can enter into these models, the more likely they're going to be reflective of numbers that are reasonable to share and to guide some of our practice."

Chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said 21 health-care providers  seven nurses, four medical staff, 10 allied health and support staff  have tested positive. Nineteen work in Winnipeg and two are from the Interlake-Eastern regional health authority. Nine have returned to work and 12 continue to self-isolate.

Siragusa said no health-care workers have tested positive since April 9.

Roussin advised Manitobans to continue to seek medical attention as required at hospitals and clinics for conditions unrelated to COVID-19 and said the province's health-care clinics and hospitals are safe.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
Police have told people in England they can go out to buy alcohol, take an animal to the vet or stop to have a rest while on a walk during the coronavirus lockdown.

Officers have issued a series of guidelines on what are 'reasonable' excuses to leave home, such as buying several days' worth of food including luxury items.

The list issued by the National Police Chief's Council and College of Policing also says people should be allowed to collect surplus basic food items from a friend.

It also permits providing support to vulnerable people or moving to a friend's address for several days to allow a 'cooling-off' following arguments at home.

What do police say is 'reasonable behaviour' during the lockdown? NECESSITIES Buying several days worth of food, including luxury items and alcohol.

Buying a small amount of a staple item or necessity (eg, a newspaper, pet food, a loaf of bread or pint of milk).

Collecting surplus basic food items from a friend

Buying tools and supplies to repair a fence panel damaged in recent bad weather EXERCISE Including: going for a run or cycle or practicing yoga. Walking in the countryside or in cities. Attending an allotment.

Driving to countryside and walking (where far more time is spent walking than driving).

Stopping to rest or to eat lunch while on a long walk.

Exercising more than once per day - the only relevant consideration is whether repeated exercise on the same day can be considered a reasonable excuse for leaving home. WORK A key worker or other essential worker travelling to work where it is not reasonably possible to work from home.

A non-key worker or non-essential key worker travelling to work where it is not reasonably possible to work from home.

A person delivering food packages to vulnerable people. OTHER REASONS Taking an animal for treatment.

Moving to a friend's address for several days to allow a 'cooling-off' following arguments at home.

Providing support to vulnerable people. Advertisement

Other permitted acts include buying a small amount of a staple item or necessity, and purchasing tools to repair a fence panel damaged in recent bad weather.

They can also stop to rest or to eat lunch while on a long walk, or drive to the countryside and walking - where far more time is spent walking than driving.

Forms of acceptable exercise during the period include going for a run or cycle or practicing yoga, walking in the countryside or in cities and attending an allotment.

Employees are allowed to travel to work whether or not they are key or essential staff, as long as it is not reasonably possible to work from home.

However, police say it is not reasonable for people to go out to buy paint and brushes, simply to redecorate a kitchen.

Driving for a prolonged period with only brief exercise is also banned, as is a short walk to a park bench, when the person remains seated for a much longer period.

In addition, police say a person should not work in a local park if they can work from home, and no one should be knocking on doors offering cash-in-hand work.

They also say that visiting a vet's surgery in person to renew a prescription where this could be done over the phone is also banned.

Furthermore, visiting a friend in their home or meeting in public to socialise is also banned under the guidelines after the lockdown was brought in on March 23.

The document was released on a day that:

Lockdown in the UK was expended for 'at least' three more weeks

The UK has announced 861 more deaths from coronavirus, taking the total number of victims to 13,729;

A poll for MailOnline has suggested the public is not ready for the lockdown to end, with 80 per cent said they would not have felt safe returning to normal life at the moment;

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets, as they are the businesses most likely to boost the economy and pose the smallest risk of spreading the virus;

There are claims that the population could be 'segmented' to ease restrictions with young people allowed to go back to work and primary schools opened, while pensioners and the vulnerable are ordered to stay in isolation;

One of the government's own key experts, Professor Neil Ferguson, has warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place and criticised the government's slow action;

World Health Organisation director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, said the UK, along with Russia and Belarus, is one of the reasons the continent is 'still in the eye of the storm' of the coronavirus crisis;

The first newly-adapted ventilator design has been approved by regulators, with the government ordering 15,000 of the Penlon's Prima ES202 model;

Matt Hancock has rejected calls for ministers to take a pay cut in solidarity with hard-hit workers, after counterparts in New Zealand announced they would;

Mr Hancock insisted the government could hit its 100,000 a day testing target by the end of the month, despite questions over why it is still not using the current capacity of 25,000.

But as ministers met to agree the details of the lockdown extension, one of the scientists advising them questioned whether the Government had done enough work on an exit strategy.

Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London said: 'I think there's a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated.

'We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation for this.'

The Cabinet meeting to agree prolonging social distancing measures came amid signs the epidemic in the UK is beginning to peak.

But ministers were playing down expectations in the wake of those signs with health minister Nadine Dorries urging reporters to stop asking about an exit strategy.

She said: 'There is only one way we can 'exit' full lockdown and that is when we have a vaccine. Until then, we need to find ways we can adapt society and strike a balance between the health of the nation and our economy.'

Mr Hancock said he agreed that things will not go back to how they were, at least in the short term.

He stressed the number of deaths is still 'far too high' for any exit strategy to be set out.

Crime in general has reduced by more than a quarter during the period in the UK with assaults, robbery, rape, burglaries and shoplifting all significantly down, it was revealed yesterday

A total of 13,729 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm yesterday, up 861 on the figure the day before.

What do police say is banned during the coronavirus lockdown? NECESSITIES Buying paint and brushes, simply to redecorate a kitchen EXERCISE Driving for a prolonged period with only brief exercise. A short walk to a park bench, when the person remains seated for a much longer period. WORK A person who can work from home choosing to work in a local park A person knocking on doors offering to do cash-in-hand work. OTHER REASONS Visiting a vet's surgery in person to renew a prescription (where this could be done over the phone). Visiting a friend in their address or meeting in public to socialise. Advertisement

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said his party will back an extension to the lockdown, but has called on ministers to set out an exit strategy explaining how restrictions will eventually be lifted.

The Cabinet meeting today comes after the number of people who have died in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 reached almost 13,000, with growing concern over increasing deaths in care homes.

Downing Street also confirmed that a review will take place into why people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds appear to be disproportionately affected by coronavirus.

The PM's spokesman said the NHS and Public Health England would take the lead in reviewing the evidence.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also released data confirming the death rate for men with coronavirus in England and Wales is twice as high as that of women.

Covid-19 was the underlying cause in 3,372 deaths in March - the equivalent of 69 per 100,000 people.

It accounted for 7 per cent of all deaths in England and Wales that month - 9 per cent of all deaths for males and 6 per cent for females.

Yesterday, it was revealed police have issued 3,500 fines relating to the coronavirus pandemic with anti-social behaviour uand domestic abuse both rising.

But crime in general has reduced by more than a quarter during the period in the UK with assaults, robbery, rape, burglaries and shoplifting all significantly down.

Overall crime is down 28 per cent in the four weeks to Easter Sunday, while serious assaults and personal robbery have fallen 27 per cent and rape is down 37 per cent.

Meanwhile fraudsters have scammed Britons out of 1.8million, through getting into the homes of vulnerable people, phishing emails and fake products or investments.

Demand on victim support charities is also rising, and there has been a 59 per cent increase in anti-social behaviour - much of it related to social distancing breaches.

Lockdown for AT LEAST three more weeks: Dominic Raab declares coronavirus curbs are working but must stay in force despite huge hit to economy - as he rejects demands for an 'exit strategy'

by JAMES TAPSFIELD, Political Editor, for MailOnline

Dominic Raab tonight declared that coronavirus lockdown will stay for at least another three weeks despite growing alarm at the economic consequences.

The Foreign Secretary confirmed the public's 'efforts are starting to pay off' but draconian curbs cannot yet be lifted after he chaired a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee.

He said scientists believe transmission in the community is 'almost certainly' below the level at which the outbreak will peter out, although there is still spread in hospitals and care home.

'Based on this advice the government has decided the measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks,' he told the daily Downing Street briefing.

The government is under massive pressure to set out an 'exit strategy' from the social distancing measures, after its own watchdog warned GDP could plunge by a third and two million people lose their jobs. It came as the UK announced 861 more deaths from the coronavirus, taking the total number of victims to 13,729.

In another dark milestone Britain has now officially diagnosed more than 100,000 people with the virus - making it only the sixth country in the world to do so. But the rising number of cases remains stable, with just 4,618 positive tests in the past 24 hours resulting in a total case count of 103,093.

However, Mr Raab said the biggest threat to the economy was from failure to stay on top of the outbreak and rejected calls for transparency. 'We are being as open as we responsibly can at this stage,' he said.

Instead he merely offered five criteria for when the lockdown could start being loosened. They are certainty that the NHS will not be overwhelmed, a consistent reduction in the death rate, evidence that transmission is at manageable levels, capacity for wide scale testing and PPE provision, and low danger of a 'second peak'.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested earlier that the public cannot be trusted with a blueprint for how the restrictions could be eased, as they might assume the rules are lifted.

But Nicola Sturgeon risked enraging Westminster counterparts by insisting the public does have a right to know how politicians plan to get out of the crisis, as it threatens to rip the economy to shreds.

Dominic Raab tonight declared that coronavirus lockdown will stay for another three weeks despite growing alarm at the economic consequences

Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks via videolink at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham today

Raab's five criteria before loosening lockdown Dominic Raab batted away calls to to set out an 'exit strategy' from lockdown tonight. Instead he merely offered five criteria for when the lockdown could start being loosened. # They are: 1. Ensure NHS can provide enough critical care treatment 2. A 'sustained and consistent fall' in daily death rate 3. Reliable data showing rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels 4. Testing capacity and PPE supply are ready to meet future demand 5. There is no risk of second peak to overwhelm the NHS Advertisement

In a sombre speech in Downing Street, Mr Raab - who is deputising for Boris Johnson as he recuperates at Chequers - said: 'Overall, we still don't have the infection rate down as far as we need to.

'As in other countries we have issues with the virus spreading in some hospitals and in care homes and in sum, the very clear advice we have received is that any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus.

'That would threaten a second peak of the virus and substantially increase the number of deaths.

'It would undo the progress we have made to date and as a result would require an even longer period of the more restrictive social distancing measures.

'So early relaxation would do more damage to the economy over a longer period and I want to be really clear about this.

'The advice from SAGE is that relaxing any of the measures currently in place would risk damage to both public health and our economy.'

He added: 'Based on this advice which we very carefully considered the government has decided that the current measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks.'

Mr Raab said the public needed to show 'patience' and stick with the restrictions to stop the spread of the virus.

'There is light at the end of the tunnel but we are now at both a delicate and a dangerous stage in this pandemic,' he said.

'If we rush to relax the measures that we have in place we would risk wasting all the sacrifices and all the progress that has been made.

'That would risk a quick return to another lockdown with all the threat to life that a second peak to the virus would bring and all the economic damage that a second lockdown would carry.'

Mr Raab said when the government has met its criteria it will look to adjust the measures to make them 'as effective as possible in protecting public health whilst allowing some economic and social activity to resume'.

'But we will only do it when the evidence demonstrates that it is safe to do it,' he said.

'It could involve relaxing measures in some areas while strengthening measures in other areas.'

Mr Raab insisted 'there is light at the end of the tunnel' but refused to set out a 'definitive timeframe' for easing the lockdown measures.

He said: 'The Prime Minister said at the outset that it would take three months to come through the peak and I think that, broadly, is still the outline.

'We can't give a definitive timeframe, that would be to prejudge the evidence, that wouldn't be a responsible thing to do.

'But our message to the British public is: there is light at the end of tunnel, we are making progress, but at the same time we must keep up the social distancing measures.'

But the stance contrasted with that of Ms Sturgeon earlier, when she pledged to set out a 'framework' for loosening lockdown when the time comes.

Answering questions from other Scottish party leaders over video conference this afternoon, Ms Sturgeon said: 'We must continue the lockdown measures for at least another three weeks... we are not yet confident enough that the virus has been suppressed sufficiently.'

Government's own expert condemns slow response to coronavirus One of the government's key experts today condemned the government's response and warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place. Professor Neil Ferguson warned that there is no possibility of the country returning to 'normal' until a vaccine is produced. The epidemiologist - who has been modelling the outbreak for the government - delivered a withering verdict on the performance of ministers, urging them to 'accelerate action' to create a system where everyone with symptoms, and everyone they have come into contact with, is tested. He suggested the organisation in Whitehall was not on the same scale as the effort on Brexit, despite the problem being on a totally different scale. Discussing whether lockdown measures could be eased after another three weeks, Professor Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it depended on 'getting on top of things like transmission rates in hospitals and care homes'. 'I think the other thing I would say is that it really requires a single-minded emphasis in Government and the health system on scaling up testing and putting in place the ability to track down cases in the community and contact-trace. 'Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway; if we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission. 'What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner. 'And I should say, it's not going to be going back to normal. We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available.' Asked whether the Government is moving towards having an exit strategy in place, Prof Ferguson said: 'I'm not completely sure. I think there's a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated. 'We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation for this. 'I'm reminded by the fact we had a Department for Brexit for Government - that was a major national emergency, as it were - and we're faced with something which is, at the moment, even larger than Brexit and yet I don't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation.' Prof Ferguson added: 'There needs to be more co-ordination I think, yes. That may be going on, I don't have unique insight, but I think it could be enhanced.' Advertisement

Ms Sturgeon said 'people do want to know what the thinking is for beyond that period and she wanted to 'share the thought process'.

'I hope over the course of next week to not announce those decisions... but to set out the framework of decision making.'

In a bad-tempered interview earlier, Mr Hancock said he recognised that 'everybody wants to know what the future looks like'.

But he flatly dismissed calls for the government to flesh out how the restrictions will finally be eased, despite mounting fears that they are wreaking havoc on the economy.

Mr Hancock said the 'clarity of messaging' had a 'direct impact on how many people obey' social distancing rules.

In a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Hancock insisted it was 'too early' for an exit strategy.

Mr Hancock said he did not want to 'waste' the efforts of the public by lifting the lockdown measures prematurely, because coronavirus would 'run rampant once again'.

'I'm not going to pre-judge the formal decision that is going to be taken, however, I think everybody can see that we've been clear that we think that it is too early to make a change,' the Health Secretary told BBC Breakfast.

'And whilst we have seen a flattening of the number of cases, and thankfully a flattening of the number of deaths, that hasn't started to come down yet, and as far as I'm concerned is still far too high.'

Mr Hancock added: 'I understand those who are calling for an end to the lockdown or some kind of exit strategy to start now, but I think it's just too early for that.'

Asked about comments from health minister Nadine Dorries urging people to stop asking about an exit plan, Mr Hancock told Good Morning Britain that it is 'far too early' for things to return to normal.

'What Nadine is saying is that this talk about an exit strategy, with the idea that we go immediately back to exactly how things were before, it is far too early for that,' he said.

'We are seeing that peak, but it's still far too high. And so it is too early to be making changes.'

In bruising clashes with Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4''s Today programme, Mr Hancock angrily told the interviewer to stop interrupting.

'The communications are part of the policy.

'That is why we will not be distracted in to confusing that messaging.

'The scientists can say what they like, the commentators can say what they like,' he swiped.

Research for MailOnline by Redfield & Wilton found 80 per cent would not feel safe going back to everyday life at the moment

Around half the public are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place into June

Four-fifths of Britons say they would not feel safe going back to normal life now with HALF resigned to curbs lasting into June Britain is not ready for the coronavirus lockdown to be lifted even if the government wanted to, a poll revealed today. Research for MailOnline found 80 per cent would not feel safe going back to everyday life at the moment, with nearly 60 per cent saying they are not comfortable leaving the house. Around half are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place into June - and 37 per cent say they will keep obeying the rules indefinitely if the government believes it is necessary. The extraordinary findings in the polling by Redfield & Wilton come despite some 43 per cent reporting that the crisis is damaging their mental health. The figures underline the challenge for ministers amid fears that the message that people must stay at home to save the NHS has been too successful. Advertisement

Schools, cafes and shops could be early steps out of lockdown - but OAPs must stay home Ministers are today facing calls to start reopening schools, cafes and non-essential shops within weeks to avert an economic apocalypse - despite government experts warning that without mass testing it risks creating a second peak in the coronavirus outbreak. MPs and industry chiefs are heaping on pressure for an 'exit strategy' from the draconian curbs threatening to slash a third from GDP and destroy millions of jobs. There are rumours that reopening primary schools will be an early move in the process, with the focus shifting to making sure pensioners and the vulnerable stay at home - although any steps are likely to depend on the scale of infections in each part of the country. One report today suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen, as they are the businesses that would boost the economy most and pose a relatively low risk of spread. Advertisement




Around 100 migrant workers



gathered in an industrial area of Surat city in Gujarat on Thursday afternoon and protested over the issue of food being served to them during the lockdown, officials said.

The migrant workers and their family members, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, sat on a street in Pandesara area, complaining that the food being served to them is not as per their taste, a local police officer said.

After being alerted about the incident, a police team, led by DCP Vidhi Chaudhari, rushed to the spot to convince the workers to adhere to lockdown rules.

"It was a small issue about their food. The situation was brought under control," Chaudhari said.

Talking to reporters, some of the migrants said that food being served to them by NGOs is not as per their taste, as they prefer spicy and non-veg food.

On Wednesday, hundreds of migrant workers had hit the streets in Pandol industrial area with a similar demand.

Thousands of migrants working in factories, diamond polishing units and textile units are stuck in Surat due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. They are being served food by the authorities with the help of NGOs.

Two days back, migrant workers had come out in large numbers in Varachha area demanding that they should be allowed to go to their native places.

Last week, migrant workers, mostly from Odisha, had engaged in stone pelting and arson in Laskana area of the city with similar demand.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Election questions answered

Will the county clerk send absentee ballot applications?

The secretary of state is asking the Supreme Court to clarify that question. It is unclear at this point whether county clerks or the state office will send absentee ballot applications, but voters can in the meantime apply for an absentee ballot directly by using an online portal, bit.ly/3epbNmN, or by mail.

When is the deadline to request an absentee ballot?

May 28.

How will votes be tabulated with the influx of absentee ballots?

County clerks may start processing absentee ballots to ensure they are valid as soon as 14 days before election day and begin feeding them through tabulators five days before June 2. Officials are encouraging a head start to avoid a potential bottleneck in totaling votes on election night, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said. They are expecting "an unprecedented number of absentee ballots in this election," she added.

When is the deadline to cast an absentee ballot?

Absentee ballots can be mailed prior to Election Day and delivered by hand to a polling location or to a county clerk's office until 7 p.m. June 2. Toulouse Oliver recommends not mailing a ballot after the Friday before Election Day because ballots that are postmarked but not received by 7 p.m. that day will not be counted.

When does early voting start?

Early voting starts May 5, and more than 100 polling locations will have to be open for early voting.

Is there a safe way to vote in person?

Officials recommend that people cast an absentee ballot. But if you must vote in person, the Secretary of State's Office is working on developing rules to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus among poll workers and people who show up to vote in public.
At a time, when most of us are confined at home, our beds have become a haven now more than ever. Keeping this in mind, Duroflex has released a film, titled #StayIn, with the social message urging people to #StayIn and #StayHome because currently, our bed is the safest and most comforting space we have.

The film narrates the intimate relationship we have with our beds and how that has become even more important in the current scenario. With this social message, Duroflex also aims to spark conversations with the audience, create positive communication and encourage people to look at staying in as a joyful experience. For the same, the brand is asking people to share their joyful moments of staying in.

The brand also wants to encourage people to get their 7-8 hours of sleep to help build immunity, the need of the hour. They have further activated the #StayIn#StayHome message through renowned influencers who go live from the brands handle, indulging in various activities from the comfort of their home. These activities include Working Out with celebrity trainer Yasmin Karachi Wala, Running Drills with Ayesha Bilimoria, Bed Yoga for Better Sleep with Vandana Gupta and many more to enrich the #StayIn #StayHome experience.

Along with these, Duroflex has also partnered with Bangalore-based technology start-up Dozee to supply a medical-grade contact-free health-monitor that tracks heartbeat, respiration, sleep and stress recovery, which is claimed to be 98.4 per cent accurate.

In conversation with Adgully, Smita Murarka, Vice President - Marketing, Duroflex Mattresses, speaks at length about her companys marketing strategy during the tough COVID-19 times, the strong CSR vision behind all initiatives and navigating the post-COVID-19 world.

To understand more and know about the brand Duroflex and what are they planning during Covid-19 and what is their long-term plan post Covid-19, ADGULLY had the opportunity to have tete-e-tete with Smita Murarka, Vice- President Marketing, Duroflex Mattresses.

How is Duroflex Mattresses joining the fight against COVID-19?



Our approach and strategic thinking on this exercise has been authentic and completely narrative and is clearly focused towards the purpose identified by us. Durloflex as a brand offers sleep solution. To further elaborate on our major role towards COVID-19, we partnered with Dozee, a start-up from Bangalore, where we had an indirect engagement with them and our thoughts and value systems were matching with them towards our end objective. Dozees monitoring devices were used to reach out to people who were quarantined at home where the device helped in giving early signals and assisted them to take the right action and not rush to hospitals, etc.

What are your long-term plans amid the COVID-19 crisis?



Our intent is to currently support and help Dozee in terms of funding and help them reach out to homes where patients are quarantined. We have partnered them for a good cause as of now, but in the long run we could strategically tie up with them, but nothing is confirmed on that front. Our immediate objective is to help each other from a CSR point of view by reaching out to doctors and hospital.

Our communication is clearly to demonstrate about how sleep provides health and fitness, which is seen as a key pillar, while it is missed out by many. Even in our conversations when COVID-19 started and immunity was an important factor, we started our conversation on #SleepForImmunity and created a TV campaign to build awareness on sleep. While people do not forget to focus on food and workouts; sleep, which is one of the key pillars to good health, is never on the top of ones health regime.

How you plan to take CSR forward as a long-term activity?



The group strongly believes in CSR activities and campaigns related to CSR. We have been doing CSR consistently, especially where our factories are located. In the past, when there were floods in Chennai and Kerala, we had extended our support. Besides that, we are supporting primary schools with academic tutorials, materials and utilities. We have also given away beds to orphanage, provided employment opportunities in small villages from where we hail. Ambulances have been donated to hospitals. Thus, we continuously keep ourselves active by contributing substantially on the CSR front.

What is your communication strategy during the current situation?



Our core proposition is sleep solutions. So, what we are doing is a preventive measure to drive home the immunity aspect, which is the most important factor. Immediately after Prime Minister Modi announced the lockdown, we reached out to all channels and spoke about the importance of sleep, which was led by our MD, Mathew Chandy, who is a sleep evangelist, and shared detailed information on how sleep immunity functions and what are the various ways to benefit from it. To complement this, we have started our TV campaign, where we are encouraging people to stay home and stay in bed.

We have also tied up with influencers like fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala to handle our fitness programme. So, we have a two-fold approach here, where we want to communicate to people on the importance of sleep as a precautionary measure and encourage people to stay home and enjoy during these times.

How are you strategising for a post-COVID-19 world?



Yes, there is going to be a new world and actually it has already happened. Consumption of content online has now slowly shifted to older age groups and so digital is going to be a major part of our communication strategy. We will be also strengthening our product range, especially in Duropedic, as the product addresses serious health benefits. With technology and innovation, we will drive our message as experts in sleep solutions and to further push our marketing, we will own the thought leadership position to advice and guide our customers. Our sleep evangelist Mathew Chandy (Managing Director), who has immense experience, will share his knowledge on the subject of sleep, which is part of our DNA.
As the states shutdown order goes on, Pennsylvanians who are still working are questioning whether their employers are truly life-sustaining businesses. At the same time, the state legislature passed a bill that would reopen more businesses despite a top health officials warnings.

 Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

My colleagues Aubrey Whelan and Jason Laughlin spoke with nurses who say theyre stunned by how their employers react when theyve tried to point out the risks theyre facing and the lack of protective gear they have. Some have been punished for speaking out and have even been fired.

Yesterday, nurses protested outside several Philadelphia-area hospitals, calling for better safety practices on the job. The Pennsylvania Department of Health estimates that about 5% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state are health-care workers, but thats likely an undercount.

The legislation would basically redefine essential businesses and provide a road map for employers to reopen if they take certain safety precautions. Its unclear, though, if Gov. Tom Wolf will sign the legislation.

Thats partly because he would be going against the advice of the states top health official, his own administration, and Democratic party leaders. If he vetoes the bill, Republicans do not have enough votes to override it.

Theres some ambiguity around which Pennsylvania businesses qualify as life-sustaining. Thats leaving some workers wondering whether they are unnecessarily risking their lives to do their jobs. Some workers said they dont feel safe going to work, but cant afford to take unpaid leave or to lose their jobs. Others said they were afraid to take on their employers.

Pennsylvania officials yesterday implemented new rules that will require all businesses to make sure their employees and customers wear masks.

What you need to know today

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

Umm ... I cant stop looking at this. The pink fur, the color-blocked jacket, the smile, the hairstyle that looks like the dog played guitar for Queen in the 80s, all of it. Thanks for sharing, @_marcphilly_.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

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Opinions

All that to say that the pandemic hasnt just done a number on the world as we knew it. Its also doing a number on our identities. Who the hell am I anymore?  writes columnist Helen Ubinas about how coronavirus is throwing her into an identity crisis.

Outside of the hospitals and testing centers, theres another group of frontline workers that need more support, writes Patrick Sharkey, a sociology and public affairs professor at Princeton.

Formerly incarcerated women give advice on how we can cope with isolation during the coronavirus.

What were reading

Your Daily Dose of | Bringing joy

With Camden students quarantined at home, a caravan of middle and elementary school teachers decided to bring joy and connection to them in their own way. Just before Easter, a group of faculty and staff from KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy drove through several neighborhoods in Camden, honking and waving at students.
I agree with the commentator Shelly, animals need to be protected. Im personally partial to dogs, but all animals need to have our care, our loving care and watch over them. I prefer my dog, Rocky, to most humans. He is the most loving, the light of my life, and he doesnt ask for much. Food water and health care when necessary. He brings me so much joy and gives me unconditnional love. I cant say that for many humans.
"We're amazed at how our industry has come together to lend a hand," a spokeswoman for Vrbo told CNBC in a statement. "We're seeing vacation home owners and property managers opening their doors to medical staff, first responders, and displaced students. We're seeing property managers sharing vital cleaning supplies with neighbors in need. Across the nation, we're seeing the vacation rental community step up."

"Airbnb has committed more than $250 million to support our host community through this global crisis which has brought the entire travel and tourism industry to a virtual standstill," an Airbnb spokesman told CNBC in a statement. "We are also working hand-in-hand with local governments to both support temporary restrictions on travel and ensure short-term rentals are an available resource for frontline responders and those sheltering in place during this crisis."

In response to the restrictions, Airbnb said it is making efforts to support local governments by providing guidance to hosts regarding applicable orders and advising guests to check local travel restrictions before booking. The company is also maintaining an updated travel restriction directory page where hosts and guests can check restriction orders from around the globe .

Heading into the year, the San Francisco tech company was eyeing an entry into the public markets. The company had lined up bankers to lead the offering, which would test whether Airbnb could live up to its $31 billion private market valuation from 2017. Instead, the company is raising $2 billion in new debt funding at a valuation of $18 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported in February that Airbnb lost $322 million over the first nine months of last year, after reporting a $200 million profit in 2018, as it ramped up spending.

For Airbnb, these government restrictions are the latest obstacle in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the entire travel industry. Last month, Airbnb told its employees that it would institute a hiring freeze, suspend its marketing, cut executives' salary and that it did not expect to give out bonuses for 2020.

These measures are necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to government officials who spoke with CNBC. But hosts say the restrictions can be confusing, and they are putting additional pressure on small business-owners who rely on short-term bookings to cover their mortgages and bills.

From Maine to the Coachella Valley in California, state and local governments have passed measures to prevent property managers from booking short-term rentals through websites like Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com.

Short-term rentals have been banned across the entire states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Delaware, Maine and Vermont. Numerous other counties and cities have taken similar steps, including Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Sonoma County, California.

These temporary bans are the latest headache for short-term rental hosts, many of whom are already reeling from a wave of cancellations from vacationers who have not been able to travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In some cases, these cancellations have cost hosts thousands of dollars in lost revenue, according to numerous hosts who have spoken with CNBC.

"It's already hard enough to operate in this kind of slower travel economy," said Sean Rakidzich, who manages approximately 100 Airbnb properties across the U.S. "But the moment the government says you're not allowed to operate, there's nothing you can do. There's no best practices to operate your business when it's illegal to operate."

For Anneliese Caserta and her husband, local bans have ended bookings to their Airbnb properties in Reddington, Florida, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The state of Florida and city of Myrtle Beach have both banned short-term rentals through April, although Florida is still allowing hotels and other similar businesses to operate.

"We have to decline reservations every single day. It's unbelievable," Caserta said. "To me it seems that the safest place to be if you're going to go on vacation is a house. I think it would be safer than a hotel, pressing elevator buttons and sharing doors with everybody in close quarters."

A spokesman for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told CNBC that the decision to suspend vacation rentals is part of his approach to deter the travel of individuals into the state and combat the spread of COVID-19.

"Under normal circumstances, vacation rentals are a great and popular way for families and large groups of people to enjoy our coastline or major attractions," the spokesman said in a statement. "Given the need to limit these groups from traveling to the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor feels it is prudent to temporarily restrict vacation rentals."

Caserta still has bookings for May and June. She would like to honor those reservations, but if Florida and Myrtle Beach extend their bans, she would like to know sooner rather than later so that she can convert her properties into long-term rentals and generate some revenue that can go toward paying the properties' bills.

"We're just in limbo hoping for the best," she said.

For some hosts, keeping up with local orders can be confusing. Liam McLaughlin, who manages 14 properties in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said he understands there is an order restricting short-term rentals but finding details has been difficult.

McLaughlin cites an email sent by Jessica Walls-Lavelle, the southwest region director for the office of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, that says short-term rentals for vacations are banned, but hosts may still rent to guests in the military, medical and emergency workers as well as "travelers engaged in non-vacation commercial activities."

McLaughlin said he now asks his guests if they are traveling for non-vacation commercial reasons. If they say yes, he accepts their reservation.

"How do you define someone who's there for a non-vacation commercial activity?" said McLaughlin, noting that one of his guests is a mom who is in town to help her college-age son move off campus. "Is that a non-vacation commercial activity?"

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on April 8 announced that the state would ban short-term rentals at least until April 30.

"This action is one of many steps that we are taking to keep people safe from this dangerous virus," Kemp said in a news conference.

As a result of that ban, Preston Czigans said he was forced to cancel Airbnb reservations for his property in Ellijay, Georgia. Czigans had to contact Airbnb support to ensure his host rating was not affected and avoid fees for the cancellations. He said he's unsure whether to accept bookings for May at the risk that the state will extend its ban.

"I'm scared to book May because I don't want that to hurt me," he said.
Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez is proposing a $300,000 small business emergency relief fund to assist city businesses impacted by COVID-19

The city plans to tap unallocated Community Development Block Grant money to provide one-time grants of $2,000 each. The grants can be used to pay for operational costs, including paying rent, utilities and payroll.

These are unprecedented times, businesses are struggling and in need of support," Donchez said in a news release. "We are fortunate to have funding available to be used toward this program and will continue to craft programs to provide support to our business community.

The program creation is expected to be on Bethlehem Citys Council agenda for action Tuesday night.

CDBG dollars are federal funding with specific eligibility criteria. To be eligible, businesses must be located in the city of Bethlehem and comply with low-to-moderate-income funding requirements in the block grant guidelines.

The city will give priority to businesses in the retail, food, and beverage and personal service industries within the citys central business districts and limited commercial zoning districts. All businesses are encouraged to apply once the program is up and running.

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Testing is being held up as the world's best bet for ending the economically crippling -- and emotionally draining -- coronavirus lockdown. But some doctors at the Italian epicentre of the health crisis doubt that countries can test their way out of confinement. "It is a nonsense," Milan's Polytechnic Institute professor Davide Manca said. "Conceptually, I am sceptical." The reason for Manca's scepticism is plain to see in the math. Milan's Lombardy region has 10 million people and 11,142 officially registered COVID-19 deaths. The economically vibrant area the size of Belgium has been under one of the world's strictest lockdowns since early March. Few regions need testing more. Yet Lombardy has been conducting just 6,500 tests daily over the past 10 days. Manca estimates it would take more than five years for everyone in Lombardy to get tested just once. "And you need people tested every 15 days for it to have any meaning," Manca said in a phone interview. "Even if you raise that number 10 times, that would still take 200 days for one test. That's six or seven months." - 18.2 percent - Manca was talking about the swab tests that doctors insert up people's noses to see who is COVID-19 positive. Their shortage has made Lombardy's death ratios look stark. The region had conducted 234,870 tests and confirmed 61,326 cases by Wednesday. A jarring 18.2 percent of those officially infected with the virus have died of COVID-19. The death rate stood at 4.2 percent on Wednesday across the United States. The swab shortage means that Lombardy is only testing those most clearly showing symptoms -- and therefore those least likely to survive. "In addition, Lombardy has not tested the elderly in retirement homes, where the virus has circulated a lot," Milan's Vita-Salute San Raffaele University professor Roberto Burioni said. - 'Phase Two' - This means that Italy still does not know how many people have really died of the new illness. It also makes looking forward to the day when people are back out on the streets that much more difficult. Countries are now looking to certify separate blood tests that determine whether someone already has had the virus and so, theoretically at least, have become immune. These healthy people would presumably be allowed out of their homes first. But doctors are not certain how well -- or for how long -- COVID-19 immunity works. It is possible that those who suffered only a mild case of the illness are only slightly immune for a short time. The new blood test kits are still weeks away from being approved and Italian authorities are focused on scaling up the old-fashioned swabs. They intend to distribute another 2.5 million of them ahead of "phase two" -- a post-peak era in which Italians learn to live with COVID-19. "In phase two, we would like to extend the testing across the country to find those who are infected as early as possible -- including those without symptoms," Italy's ISS public health institute director Silvio Brusaferro said. - 'Atomic bomb' - Being able to test asymptomatic people is seen as critical for Italy's immediate future. Many Italians think this was their Achilles' heel -- not realising in time that the virus could jump between perfectly healthy looking people. "That is the one thing we did not think of at the start of the pandemic," San Raffaele's Burioni said. "The virus had been spreading for many weeks by the time we discovered it," Lombardy's regional health chief Giulio Gallera added. "We didn't have the chance to contain the outbreak: an atomic bomb exploded here." The fallout has forced Italians to wonder when and how it might be safe to finally come out of their homes. The rising number of daily fines issued to those out on the streets suggests that Italians are growing tired of sitting at home. But Manca said he still did not understand how the end of confinement would work. "Herd immunity is very difficult to achieve with COVID," the Milan professor said. "You need 90-95 percent (of the people) to have COVID for immunity. That number is too high to reach."
Washington: US President Donald Trump says his government is trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing "needs to come clean" on what they know.

The source of the virus remains a mystery, although the broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, its official name, originated in bats. It is generally believed that it infected humans via another animal, possibly a pangolin, sold at a wet market in Wuhan.

General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday, US time, that US intelligence indicated the coronavirus likely occurred naturally, as opposed to being created in a laboratory in China, but there was no certainty either way.

A vendor unloads boxes of goods at the Baishazhou wet market in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged has stirred back to life following a lockdown lasting for months. Credit:Bloomberg

Fox News reported on Wednesday that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bioweapon, but as part of China's effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses were equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States.
19-year-old Minnoli Aya, who lost her mother Madhvi, a healthcare worker, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19), poses in Floral Park, New York, U.S., April 14, 2020. Picture taken April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

"Home soon," Madhvi Aya texted from her hospital bed. "Love you."

It was the last exchange she had with her only daughter, 18-year-old Minnoli. Three days later, Madhvi Aya died of Covid-19.

Aya, 61, was a physician assistant who had treated patients with the coronavirus. Then she became a patient herself.

She was admitted to the Long Island Jewish Medical Center on March 18 after being infected and died 11 days later. Her family believes she contracted the respiratory illness at her workplace - the emergency room at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.

Expand Close A text message exchange between Minnoli Aya and her mother Madhvi, who died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is seen in this screenshot provided to Reuters on April 13, 2020. Courtesy of Minnoli Aya/Handout via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp A text message exchange between Minnoli Aya and her mother Madhvi, who died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is seen in this screenshot provided to Reuters on April 13, 2020. Courtesy of Minnoli Aya/Handout via REUTERS

She told her husband and daughter that she had treated infected patients while wearing only a surgical mask, which offers little protection from airborne infection. Woodhull hospital declined to comment on Aya's case or whether it had been able to provide its staff with enough protective gear amid widespread shortages nationally.

Aya is among 51 US healthcare workers identified by Reuters as having died after being diagnosed with or showing symptoms of the virus. They include nurses, doctors and technicians who have died in the United States after contracting the disease, according to interviews with hospitals, union representatives and families and a Reuters review of local media reports and obituaries.

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There's no official tally of the deaths among US healthcare workers, and the total could be much higher than the number counted by Reuters.

Expand Close Minnoli Aya poses with her parents Raj and Madhvi on her graduation day in this undated handout photo provided by the family to Reuters on April 13, 2020. Courtesy of Minnoli Aya/Handout via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Minnoli Aya poses with her parents Raj and Madhvi on her graduation day in this undated handout photo provided by the family to Reuters on April 13, 2020. Courtesy of Minnoli Aya/Handout via REUTERS

Minnoli is a freshman at the State University of New York at Buffalo with hopes of becoming a trauma cardiothoracic surgeon. She continued texting her mother for days after her death.

"I kept texting her wanting to believe it wasnt true," Minnoli said. "She deserved to live and see me graduate, and become a doctor, and get married and have kids."

Aya became a physician assistant because she was determined to create a good life for her daughter. The job entailed 12-hour shifts in the emergency room of her Brooklyn hospital.

Since March 1, when the first coronavirus case was confirmed in New York, 28,183 people have tested positive in Brooklyn, and 1,869 people have died, accounting for more than 28pc of New York City's confirmed coronavirus deaths.

Risking their lives

More than 28,440 people in the United States have died from Covid-19 so far.

Of the 51 deaths among healthcare workers identified by Reuters, at least 16 were in New York, one of the hardest-hit states. At least seven were in Michigan, six in Florida, and six in New Jersey.

At least 27 were nurses.

They include Patrick Cain, 52, an intensive care nurse in Flint, Michigan, originally from Canada. When he died, the hospital played Oh Canada, the national anthem, over the loudspeakers, according to another nurse at the hospital.

Expand Close 19-year-old Minnoli Aya, who lost her mother Madhvi, a healthcare worker, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19), looks on in Floral Park, New York, U.S., April 14, 2020. Picture taken April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs / Facebook

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Whatsapp 19-year-old Minnoli Aya, who lost her mother Madhvi, a healthcare worker, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19), looks on in Floral Park, New York, U.S., April 14, 2020. Picture taken April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

Everyone knew then, the nurse said.

His obituary in the Flint Journal describes him as a passionate nurse who always advocated for patients. He tended to those in need who were exposed to the coronavirus, which eventually took his life, his obituary reads.

At least 10 of those who died were physicians or resident doctors. Florida doctor Alex Hsus daughter Dria described him as calm and reassuring, and said he made others feel heard and important. The 67-year old was the "epitome of self-sacrifice and selflessness," Dria told Reuters.

"He is our hero," she said.

Emergency medicine doctor Frank Gabrin, who worked at two New York area hospitals and died from Covid-19 last month, said he believed he contracted the virus while he was forced to reuse the same n-95 mask because of a shortage, according to his best friend Debra Lyons.

"He said it was from having to wear the mask four shifts in a row," Lyons said in a phone interview. "He got the kit the first night of his first shift, and he used the same kit for all four shifts, 12-hour shifts."

At least five of the deaths identified by Reuters were hospital technicians, and at least four were EMTs.

The youngest deceased healthcare worker Reuters found was just 20: Valeria Viveros, a nursing assistant in Riverside, California. At least 15 people were in their sixties, and 12 in their fifties.

A kiss before work

If Madhvi Aya was anxious about treating coronavirus patients without the recommended N-95 respirator mask, she never expressed it, said her husband Raj, a retired accountant.

She was an optimist who rarely called in sick or took a day off, Raj told Reuters.

Aya, who immigrated with her husband from India in 1993, awoke at 4 a.m. and would kiss her daughter on the forehead before she left for work.

Shifts in the emergency room were grueling. When Raj picked up his wife from work in the evening, she was usually quiet on the drive home. She would need to close her eyes for 15 minutes before they talked.

"The emergency room is like a war zone, Raj said. "Even though I was very close to her, she would never discuss it."

She developed a cough and fever in mid-March. Raj convinced her to call in sick on March 14 and took her to Woodhull Hospital to get a coronavirus test.

At home, she soon needed Rajs help to get dressed. She was too weak to get out of bed. Her fever persisted.

On March 18, she asked Raj to take her to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, the hospital closest to their home in Floral Park, Long Island. He waited outside in the car, unable to enter because of the hospitals no-visitor policy.

She was admitted. She got the coronavirus test result from Woodhull the same day: positive.

Minnoli returned home on March 20 after classes were moved online. She tried calling her mother for a week, but Aya was too weak to answer.

"I'm still praying for you to come home safely to me. I need you Mommy," Minnoli texted on March 25. "None of us can live without you. I believe in you, please fight back. You're so strong mommy. I love so much more than you can imagine."

"Love you," her mother wrote back. "Mom be back."

'Mr Aya, we are sorry'

Raj called the hospital every day for updates. He learned that Aya was getting intravenous fluids and oxygen. As the days passed, she began having more trouble breathing.

On March 28, the doctor treating Aya raised the possibility of intubation as a final attempt to raise her oxygen levels, Raj said.

Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland

In her last texts to Raj on Saturday, she asked her husband to consult her brother, a doctor in India, on whether she should agree to being intubated. Raj read about intubation on the internet, contacted her family and consulted friends.

They told him he needed to say yes, that intubation is a last resort.

The medical team tried to intubate her on Sunday, March 29. But during the process of inserting the breathing tube, doctors discovered blood clots in her lungs, Raj said. They tried to remove them but they were unsuccessful.

"Mr. Aya, we are sorry," said the person who called from the hospital to tell him his wife had died.

Aya's death was reported earlier today by The New York Times.

Woodhull Hospital spokeswoman Michelle Hernandez said Aya was one of three hospital staff members who had recently died, but she declined to say if the others had succumbed to Covid-19.

Two weeks after Aya's death, Minnoli sleeps downstairs in the living room to avoid her mothers bedroom upstairs. She and Raj have lost the supermom who kept the family together, Minnoli said. They have also lost their health insurance and income.

A friend has raised more then $46,000 for Raj and Minnoli through a GoFundMe campaign to cover their expenses. Several of Aya's coworkers and friends have contributed.

"Madhvi was more than just a colleague to me. She was a great friend and mentor," one wrote on the campaign page.

"I will always remember you," said another.

Each night in New York City, neighborhoods around hospitals cheer for healthcare workers to express gratitude for the risks they are taking to save lives. Minnoli watches videos of the applause on social media.

I cant help but think, what about the ones who have fallen? What about the ones who are already dead? Minnoli said. She was a hero unnoticed.
Wednesdays event, known as Day of the Sun, honours Kim Jong Uns grandfather and the countrys founder, Kim Il Sung.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has skipped one of Pyongyangs most important and largest holidays  the birthday commemoration of his grandfather and the countrys founder, Kim Il Sung  marking his first absence from the ceremony since taking power in 2011.

Official photos published on Thursday showed senior North Korean officials visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to pay tribute during the 108th anniversary of Kim Il Sungs birth on Wednesday.

Among the senior officials in attendance were Pak Pong Ju, who has twice served as the countrys premier, as well as Choe Ryong Hae, a military official and the head of North Koreas assembly who is under US sanctions.

Another image showed military officers carrying a wreath as they marched ahead of the senior officials in front of an oversized statue of Kim Il Sung and his successor Kim Jong Il, the late father of the current leader.

Wednesdays commemoration is also known as the Day of the Sun  in reference to the leader who led North Korea after it split from the south.

Current leader Kim Jong Uns sister and close aide, Kim Yo Jong, who is in charge of propaganda affairs and is suspected to be the reclusive countrys second-in-command, was also not present at the event.

On Sunday, it was reported that Kim Jong Un had ordered a reshuffle of the State Affairs Commission  the Norths highest decision-making body  replacing more than a third of its members. [Reuters]

As recently as Monday, it was reported that Kim Jong Un had ordered a reshuffle of the State Affairs Commission  the Norths highest decision-making body  replacing more than a third of its members, including two officials who served as foreign ministers, Ri Yong Ho and Ri Su Yong.

NK News, a news website dedicated to North Korea, quoted Korea watcher and analyst Peter Ward as saying that Kim Jong Uns absence could suggest a change in priorities in the countrys propaganda, or that the young leader may be suffering from health issues.

The last undated image of Kim Jong Un was published by North Koreas Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, April 11.

In the photo, the North Korea leader was shown taking part in a meeting with officials of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea.

Another undated photo published on April 10 showed Kim Jong Un with army officials during a military drill.

On Tuesday, the eve of South Koreas parliamentary elections and Kim Il Sungs birth anniversary, North Korea fired cruise missiles towards the Sea of Japan, in a major show of force.

The back-to-back missile launches from the ground and air were the most high-profile among a series of weapons tests that North Korea has conducted recently amid stalled nuclear talks with the United States, and outside fears about a possible coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Pyongyang has insisted that the country is free of the coronavirus, although it has ordered a quarantine on more than two thousand people, and over 300 foreigners due to the disease.
A Chicago hospital treating severe Covid-19 patients with Gilead Sciences' antiviral medicine remdesivir in a closely watched clinical trial is seeing rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms, with nearly all patients discharged in less than a week, STAT has learned.

Remdesivir was one of the first medicines identified as having the potential to impact SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19, in lab tests. The entire world has been waiting for results from Gilead's clinical trials, and positive results would likely lead to fast approvals by the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies. If safe and effective, it could become the first approved treatment against the disease.

More from Stat News:

The University of Chicago Medicine recruited 125 people with Covid-19 into Gilead's two Phase 3 clinical trials. Of those people, 113 had severe disease. All the patients have been treated with daily infusions of remdesivir.

"The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great. We've only had two patients perish," said Kathleen Mullane, the University of Chicago infectious disease specialist overseeing the remdesivir studies for the hospital.

Her comments were made this week during a video discussion about the trial results with other University of Chicago faculty members. The discussion was recorded and STAT obtained a copy of the video.

The outcomes offer only a snapshot of remdesivir's effectiveness. The same trials are being run concurrently at other institutions, and it's impossible to determine the full study results with any certainty. Still, no other clinical data from the Gilead studies have been released to date, and excitement is high. Last month, President Donald Trump touted the potential for remdesivir  as he has for many still-unproven treatments  and said it "seems to have a very good result."

In a statement Thursday, Gilead said: "What we can say at this stage is that we look forward to data from ongoing studies becoming available."

Gilead had said to expect results for its trial involving severe cases in April. Mullane said during her presentation that data for the first 400 patients in the study would be "locked" by Gilead Thursday, meaning that results could come any day.

Mullane, while encouraged by the University of Chicago data, made clear her own hesitancy about drawing too many conclusions.

"It's always hard," she said, because the severe trial doesn't include a placebo group for comparison. "But certainly when we start [the] drug, we see fever curves falling," she said. "Fever is now not a requirement for people to go on trial, we do see when patients do come in with high fevers, they do [reduce] quite quickly. We have seen people come off ventilators a day after starting therapy. So, in that realm, overall our patients have done very well."

She added: "Most of our patients are severe and most of them are leaving at six days, so that tells us duration of therapy doesn't have to be 10 days. We have very few that went out to 10 days, maybe three," she said.

Reached by STAT, Mullane confirmed the authenticity of the footage but declined to comment further.

Asked about the data, Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, described them as "encouraging."

"The severely hit patients are at such high-risk of fatality. So if it's true that many of the 113 patients were in this category and were discharged, it's another positive signal that the drug has efficacy," he said, adding that it will be important to see more data from randomized controlled studies.

Gilead's severe Covid-19 study includes 2,400 participants from 152 different clinical trial sites all over the world. Its moderate Covid-19 study includes 1,600 patients in 169 different centers, also all over the world.

The trial is investigating five- and 10-day treatment courses of remdesivir. The primary goal is a statistical comparison of patient improvement between the two treatment arms. Improvement is measured using a seven-point numerical scale that encompasses death (at worst) and discharge from hospital (best outcome), with various degrees of supplemental oxygen and intubation in between.

The lack of a control arm in the study could make interpreting the results more challenging.

A lack of data has led to yo-yoing expectations for the drug. Two studies in China had enrollment suspended partway through because there were not enough patients available. A recent report of patients given the drug under a special program to make it available to those who are very ill generated both excitement and skepticism.

In scientific terms, all the data are anecdotal until the full trial reads out, meaning that they should not be used to draw final conclusions. But some of the anecdotes are dramatic.

Slawomir Michalak, a 57-year-old factory worker from a suburb west of Chicago, was among the participants in the Chicago study. One of his daughters started feeling ill in late March and was later diagnosed with mild Covid-19. Michalak, by contrast, came down with a high fever and reported shortness of breath and severe pain in his back.

"It felt like someone was punching me in the lungs," he told STAT.

At his wife's urging, Michalak went to the University of Chicago Medicine hospital on Friday, April 3. His fever had spiked to 104 and he was struggling to breath. At the hospital, he was given supplemental oxygen. He also agreed to participate in Gilead's severe Covid-19 clinical trial.

His first infusion of remdesivir was on Saturday, April 4. "My fever dropped almost immediately and I started to feel better," he said.

By his second dose on Sunday, Michalak said he was being weaned off oxygen. He received two more daily infusions of remdesivir and recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, April 7.

"Remdesivir was a miracle," he said.

The world is waiting to find out if it is really so.
A Virgin Australia pilot has penned a heartfelt open letter explaining why Australians should fight to keep the airline afloat.

Shane Murdock, who has more than 40 years' flying experience, has called for public support for the company's request for a $1.4billion bailout from the federal government to survive the coronavirus travel shutdown.

In his letter, which was shared on social media, he said the airline's survival would save more than 16,000 jobs and keep a vital element of competition to the Australian domestic travel market.

Virgin Australia had been fighting for survival after grounding most of its flights last month due to strict travel restrictions designed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The airline had said that failure to garner a taxpayer-funded bailout would see the company go into voluntary administration.

Senior cabinet ministers have appeared reluctant to handover the cash due to fears it could set a costly precedent when many businesses were at risk of failure, and given the experience of huge sums being granted to a car industry that ended up abandoning Australian operations anyway.

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Shane Murdock, who has more than 40 years flying experience, has called for others to support the company's request for $1.4billion from the Government to help it survive the coronavirus pandemic

Virgin Australia has been fighting for survival after grounding most of its flights last month after strict travel restrictions were put in place to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Virgin should not be seeking financial help from government but rather from its major shareholders: Etihad Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Chinese conglomerates Nanshan and HNA, and Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

'We want to see our major airlines continue to operate in Australia. But, at the same time, the government is not in the business of owning an airline,' Mr Frydenberg told the Today show.

'Our focus has been on industry-wide support, providing relief from various taxes and charges and other regulatory measures and both Virgin and Qantas have been the beneficiary of that.'

Mr Murdock, who has been flying with Virgin for 18 years, called the Treasurer's position 'political manoeuvring' and slammed it as 'un-Australian'.

'This has to do with jobs,' he wrote.

'Due to decisions which were beyond the control of employees such as myself we haven't made a profit for at least seven years so no money has disappeared off shore. Is that my or indeed any of my colleagues fault? No it's not.

Chief executive officer Paul Scurrah (centre) said the airline's demise would have a 'catastrophic' impact on the economy

'Have any of these offshore investors taken a dividend? I don't think so. Have 10,000 employees paid tax? Yes they have.

'Has the airline paid air navigation charges and landing fees at all the airports we land at? Yes it has.

'Has the airline paid tax on fuel? Yes it has. In no small way the airline has paid its way and contributed to the economy of Australia.'

Commentators have claimed a new airline would step in to take its place if Virgin were to collapse, rather than leave Qantas and its subsidiary Jetstar as an effective monopoly.

Aviation experts believe the new airline could establish itself in just a year, however, others claim it could take up to five years.

Mr Murdock called the idea of a new airline forming in as little as a year 'laughable'.

'It would take a decade or more for a new entrant to have any impact on the larger airline. In short our opposition will undertake fare gouging for the next decade.'

He urged for others to contact their local MPs to beg those in cabient for a lifeline.

'If you have flown with our opposition you would have benefited from our existence by virtue of competitive fares and add ons. If you have flown with us you would have seen the benefits directly.

'This country needs two airlines competing to give YOU the travelling public a fair deal.'

Virgin asked for a two-day trading halt on Tuesday before requesting another suspension on Thursday.

The federal government has ruled out taking an equity stake in the company in return for a bailout.

Mr Frydenberg is instead putting pressure on the company's shareholders.

This graph shows how Australia's unemployment rate will likely nearly double to peak at 10 per cent for the June quarter as a direct result of the coronavirus crisis - but it could have been far worse if the government hadn't introduced JobKeeper

'They've got deep pockets,' Mr Frydenberg told ABC radio on Thursday.

Mr Frydenberg said the government was continuing to talk to the company as well as Qantas, having already provided more than $1 billion in relief for the aviation industry.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said any public funding for aviation would be spread across the entire sector

'We want to see Virgin continue, we want to see two airlines in the domestic market, but we're not in the business of owning an airline,' he said.

Virgin has already suspended all but one domestic route, stood down 8,000 workers and had its credit rating downgraded.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any public funding for aviation would be spread across the entire sector.

'We haven't been picking any winners or picking any favourites here,' he told Nine.

'What we have been doing is ensuring sector-wide support, which has been already quite significant for the aviation sector.'

The government has already confirmed it will provide financial support for regional routes and stump up $100 million to address the cashflow crisis among a dozen small airlines.
Chilean writer Luis Seplveda, author of the novel The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, has died after a six-week battle with the new coronavirus. He was 70 years old.

The Spanish regional government of Asturias, where Seplveda lived, confirmed his death Thursday. It gave no further details. Seplveda showed the first symptoms of infection at the end of February when he attended a literary festival in the north of Portugal. At the time he thought it was flu.

Later identified as one of the first cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, he was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 29 in Spain, officials from the Asturias government told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the press.

Born in Ovalle, Chile, in 1949, Seplveda fled his country in 1977 amid Gen. Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. After living in Germany in the 1990s, he moved to Gijn in Spain.

Seplveda also wrote The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly" and was a political activist.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haidilao  whose name means scooped out of the sea  was on track for another year of growth before the virus hit. Diners used to wait in dense lines for hours for a table, with Haidilao offering free manicures and shoe shines to help pass the time. Now Haidilao says that at some shops, a robot can scoot to the entrance with take-home orders packed by an employee in a hazmat suit so people can avoid interacting with any other human. As customers wait for the robot, they can read the daily temperature readings of employees on the Health Wall.
Attempts to question the health secretary over criticisms of the governments procurement of ventilators for coronavirus patients have descended into an outlandish spat on morning television.

The governments request for ventilators that would stabilise patients for a few hours at minimum has been condemned as no use whatsoever by the UKs professional body for intensive care practitioners, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

If we had been told that that was the case, that the ventilators were only to treat a patient for a few hours, wed have said: Dont bother, youre wasting your time. Thats of no use whatsoever, said Dr Alison Pittard, dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.

Piers Morgan, co-host of ITVs Good Morning Britain, put these allegations to Matt Hancock on Thursday morning.

After the health secretary denied them, Mr Morgan responded: So its not true any of the ventilators you got made to specifications given by your department  its not true that any got made to a specification that has rendered them useless for anyone who needs one for more than a few hours, which is actually most people.

The health secretary then began to criticise Mr Morgans interviewing style, sparking a row over what both believed the public wanted to hear in a time of crisis.

Im going to keep answering the questions, Piers, and I would appreciate the ability to do so  thats why I come on the programme, Mr Hancock said.

Mr Morgan replied: You said something wasnt true that the FT said was true, and it quoted the people at the sharp end of this actual issue. Im just interested if you think the FT is lying? Morgan interjected.

Well, I was about to answer that before you interrupted me again, Hancock said. This is a national emergency. People want to hear the answers to your questions rather than you just asking and ...

The television host interrupted him, saying: Stop playing that game with me, Mr Hancock. With the greatest of respect, youre just buying yourself a bit of time.

I would admire you more if you just admitted that you werent properly prepared, rather like Emmanuel Macron has admitted that they werent prepared.

But your resolute refusal to concede that youve made any mistakes here grates with me. I think that also misjudges the public mood, to quote your phrase.

Visibly frustrated, Mr Hancock then began trying to dictate to the presenter what would follow, saying: Im now going to answer your previous question ... and youre not going to interrupt me.

This prompted a reminder from Mr Morgan that the health secretary neither decides how the show is run, nor how presenters conduct their interviews.

No, but Ill decide what I say as health secretary ... he managed, before Mr Morgan interrupted: Sure, and Ill challenge you. You do your job and Ill do mine.

If you would do your job, then you would let me answer, Mr Hancock replied, adopting an increasingly clipped tone. Right, I will answer these questions and if you interrupt me again, I will just keep talking, so dont. Thank you.

The uneasy truce held out long enough for Mr Hancock to explain that there are many different types of ventilator, the lower level of which can be used for patients who are less ill. Both types are being built, he said.

He asserted that the governments procurement scheme is a very positive project and the governments core goal of ensuring that capacity remains greater than demand on the NHS, which some people said was impossible, has been met throughout.

The ITV host was not the only target of Mr Hancocks ire on Thursday morning, with the health secretary also lashing out on the BBCs Today programme.

Nick Robinson, far less combative in his approach than Mr Morgan, asked the health secretary how the government could look to ease the current lockdown, referencing calls from adviser Professor Neil Ferguson to implement a Brexit-style department to handle these preparations.

The minister took listeners by surprise as he entreated the BBC veteran to let me please, let me finish this answer as he explained the governments reservations in publicising some of their decision-making.

Whitehalls communications have a direct impact on the amount of cases we have, and therefore the amount of people who die, he said, adding after his outburst: That is why we will not be distracted into confusing that messaging.

The scientists can say what they like, the commentators can say what they like, frankly, the interviewers can say what they like, but we will do what is best by dealing with this virus.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Office announced that it has placed an order for 15,000 of Penlons Prima ES202 model, after it became the first newly adapted ventilator design from the governments ventilator challenge to receive regulatory approval.

The first 40 were to be sent to the military logistics hub MoD Donnington on Thursday for distribution to the NHS, the Press Association reported.
By Tom Balmforth and Andrey Ostroukh

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin, citing the deepening coronavirus crisis, said on Thursday Russia would postpone its May 9 celebrations including a huge military parade across Red Square to mark 75 years since the Soviet victory in World War Two.

The Kremlin had hoped to mark the anniversary with particular pomp this year and that an array of world leaders would attend, but Putin said in televised comments there was now no choice but to push back the event.

"The risks associated with an epidemic that has not passed its peak are extremely high. And this does not give me the right to begin preparations for the parade and other public events," he said.

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia began rising sharply this month, although it had reported far fewer infections than many western European countries in the outbreak's early stages.

Russia confirmed 3,448 new cases on Thursday, a record daily rise that brought its nationwide tally to 27,938. Officials say 232 people have died.

Several war veteran organisations appealed to Putin this week to postpone the parade, saying they wanted it to be a memorable and spectacular event, something that looked unlikely with Moscow and many of Russia's regions observing a lockdown.

Speaking in comments broadcast on state television nationwide on Thursday, Putin did not say when the parade would take place, but said that it would definitely be this year.

In power as president or prime minister for more than two decades, Putin oversees the May 9 military parade every year from a tribune packed with war veterans.

The Soviet military campaign in World War Two has become a sensitive subject for Moscow ahead of the 75th anniversary. Putin has accused Russia's detractors of diminishing the Soviet war effort and the country's huge loss of life.

Many western leaders shunned the May 9 event after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea pushed relations to post-Cold War lows, but this year the Kremlin had hoped many world leaders would attend again.

Story continues

The heads of 17 countries, including India, France, Cuba, and Venezuela, had said they would attend this year, the Kremlin said in August last year.

The Kremlin had invited U.S. President Donald Trump, but Washington said it would send his national security adviser, Robert O'Brien. Trump had wanted to go, but was told by advisers not to, U.S. officials said.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
(Natural News) Theres been a lot of sparring lately at the White House press conferences between members of the media and President Donald Trump, who insists that his response to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) has been tremendous and exceptional. But if this is true, then why did Trump repeatedly denounce the severity of the virus early on in the apparent hope that it would all just go away?

It was back in late January when Dr. Carter Mecher, a senior medical adviser at the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), wrote in an email to a group of public health experts that, Any way you cut it, this is going to be bad, referring to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). But it was several weeks later before the president finally got on board with this, having previously likened the virus to a seasonal flu, perhaps because he was listening to Rush Limbaugh who repeatedly claimed the coronavirus was no worse than the flu.

Fast-forward to mid-April and there are now well over 600,000 cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, and more than 26,000 deaths, as most Americans live under lockdown inside their homes, many without gainful employment. How did we get here, and is there more that the Trump administration could have done to nip this thing in the bud early?

Natural News had long warned that this thing was likely to spiral out of control, resulting in the type of social upheaval that has now come to pass. But many were in denial about this up until the last minute, and are only now reluctantly admitting that we were right all along.

When should Trump have taken action?

Getting back to Mecher, he had tried to urge the upper ranks of the nations public health bureaucracy to do something about the virus about a week after the first case of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified. But nobody listened, he says, and some even mocked him.

You guys made fun of me screaming to close the schools, he wrote to this group, which calls itself Red Dawn, this being an inside joke based on the 1984 movie about a team of Americans trying to save the country from collapse after a foreign invasion. Now Im screaming, close the colleges and universities.

As you may recall, it took President Trump a full six weeks after the first known case of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared in the U.S. to finally respond to the crisis, but it was already too late. Many tens of thousands of people are now infected, and tens of thousands have died.

To be fair, the mainstream media had also been downplaying the virus, even after the time when Trump finally agreed to take more aggressive action. And the media is still thwarting efforts to stop the virus by downplaying the potential benefits of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug thats showing lots of promise in the fight against the outbreak.

The president has been insistent that he did take early action, including by limiting travel from China as far back as late January. But many believe he should have done a lot more a lot sooner, and taken a more aggressive approach from the moment we saw things collapsing over there in Wuhan.

Trumps administration, however, says that all of this criticism against the president is unfair, and that many lies were being spread by communist China during that time. Trump either wasnt getting the right information, they claim, or the information he was getting ended up being discredited.

More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is available at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ChicagoTribune.com

NaturalNews.com
Exhibitions and events organiser Informa has gone cap in hand to investors to raise as much as 1 billion as it tries to weather the coronavirus pandemic.

The FTSE 100-listed group turned to the emergency share placing after admitting the impact of the outbreak was 'progressively deeper and more far-reaching' than it first thought in March.

The company was still hammering out the price of the 250m shares being offered to its institutional backers last night, though they are expected to be around 400p a pop. Informa generates around two-thirds of its turnover from organising more than 500 in-person  and often international  events such as the World Tea Expo and the Monaco Yacht Show.

No events are going ahead this month, shows worth around 460m of revenue have been postponed and one of its planning scenarios sees a 'reduced level of activity' in the exhibition arm continuing into the third quarter.

Around half of the world is under some kind of lockdown but, increasingly, firms are worried about how long social distancing measures will need to stay in place once stricter rules are relaxed. Industry events would still be non-starters under many measures  and whether or not companies can afford to attend costly exhibitions will come into question the longer the slowdown lasts.

As well as the fundraising, Informa has axed its dividend, announced cuts to staff salaries and cut discretionary spending. It is hoping to lop off a significant chunk of its debt, taking the pile from 2.4 billion to around 1.4 billion. Informa's plans cheered investors, with shares rising 4.9 per cent, or 20.6p, to 437.4p on the news.

Informa wasn't the only firm getting on the market's good side. Housebuilding heavyweight Barratt Developments climbed 6.4 per cent, or 27.5p, to 460.8p as it furloughed 85 per cent of its staff through the Government's job retention scheme and bosses at several levels of the business agreed to an open-ended 20 per cent salary cut. It finished building 11,713 homes from the start of the year to April 12, up from 10,954 on the same period of last year, but work is now expected to grind to a halt.

Pest controller Rentokil was also in favour, rising 4.4 per cent, or 17.1p, to 409.6p after reporting that firstquarter revenues rose 4.4 per cent to 634m. The group, which has trained 7,000 staff for deep cleaning services, has put in place a raft of cost-cutting plans including laying off staff and cutting board members' pay by 35 per cent.

It expects a rocky second quarter while many of its markets are in lockdown. Homeware group Dunelm got a 3.8 per cent boost, rising 31.5p, to 857p, after it became the latest retailer to resume online trading and said it was re-tooling a curtain factory to make medical gowns for NHS staff.

Chief executive Nick Wilkinson has also agreed to take a 90 per cent pay cut for three months while it seeks a Government-backed loan. The wider stock market steadied after a two-day slump following the long Easter weekend, with the FTSE100 up 0.55 per cent, or 30.78 points, to 5628.43 and the FTSE 250 up 0.20 per cent, or 31.01 points, to 15378.57.

The Government gave the green light to a ventilator design that engineers Meggitt (up 2.3 per cent, or 5.7p, to 249.1p) and Rolls-Royce (down 0.3 per cent, or 0.9p, to 309.1p), and a wider consortium, have been working on, allowing them to go into production.
New Delhi, April 16 : Since the coronavirus outbreak hit the world, a big debate has also emerged on whether hydroxychloroquine is the cure to the deadly virus which has so far claimed 420 lives in India.

The Medical Superintendent of India's premier Safdarjung Hospital believes that HCQ is more of a protection mechanism than a cure saying that the anti-malarial drug has capabilities to "prevent the virus from entering the cell".

"In my opinion HCQ definitely prevent the virus from entering the cell and to a large extent this is the reason this is given to doctors treating high-risk COVID patients," said Dr Balwinder Arora, Medical Superintendent (MS), Safdarjung Hospital.

Arora, however, clarified that HCQ isn't enough to treat COVID-19. "For treating this virus, HCQ has not much of a role unless it is combined with other antiviral drugs. It has been found by various entities like WHO that HCQ if combined with other drugs helps in treating the virus." The only point is that people above the age of 60 or with some underlying disease should not take it and even general population should not use this drug without proper medical consultation, he added.

Reacting to the recent instances of assault on doctors who are busy treating COVID patients, Arora said, "Doctors, nurses and other health care workers are angels sent by God, we should respect them and their service. Such instances would also lead to a bad impression of our society in the international media."
The Maharashtra Chief Minister's



relief fund has so far received donations worth Rs 245 crore in support of the state's fight against coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said people of Maharashtra have joined the state government in the war against the virus.

"Till today, Rs 245 crore have been deposited in the relief fund to provide a helping hand to the government in thefight against coronavirus," he said.

Apart from the cash donations, help has also come in the form of food grains, supply of food and shelter to the needy people, the chief minister added.

Contributions made to the relief fund can be claimed as a deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, Thackeray said.

So far, there are 3,081people have tested coronavirus positive in the state, of whom 187 have died, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stephanie Scurlock recently shared a powerful photo on Instagram of her three children - Ryan, 6, Rory, 4, and Griffin, 18 months - dressed in her husband Josh's scrubs to emphasize the importance of social distancing. Because of Josh's role as a chief general surgery resident at a hospital in Massachusetts, Stephanie knows how stressful being a parent on the front lines can be.

"It's pretty difficult to convey all of my feelings during this time," she wrote. "So many thoughts. So many worries. But, I think this photo sums up the gist of it. To anyone on the healthcare front lines, you are our heroes and I am praying for your safety, both physically and mentally."

Related:

Mom's Experience Giving Birth in Hospital During COVID-19

A Mom Shares What It Was Like Giving Birth in an NYC Hospital Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak

Although Stephanie admitted that Josh has been handling the situation like a pro by remaining "calm and collected" through the COVID-19 outbreak, she acknowledged that the situation has put a lot of stress on her family.

"There have been a lot of polarizing points of view regarding social distancing," she told POPSUGAR. "I've read statements saying: 'Healthcare workers signed up for this. They knew the risks when they became a doctor or a nurse.' I also hear arguments against social distancing along the lines of, 'I'm young and healthy, I'll be fine.' As the wife of a physician, this is upsetting on a myriad of levels, but what I hoped to convey through my photo of the kids was that it isn't just about the healthcare workers, it's not just about you."

"My husband may have 'signed up' to be a doctor, but my kids sure didn't."

Stephanie continued, noting that the pandemic truly affects society as a whole, whether you work in a hospital or not. "Other people's lives are directly affected by your choices, good or bad," she said. "My husband may have 'signed up' to be a doctor, but my kids sure didn't. They are exposed to whatever he brings home with him whether they like it or not."

Story continues

Related:

How to Cut Kids' Hair at Home

Everything Parents Need to Know Before Cutting Their Kids' Hair During Self-Isolation

Obviously, as a parent, Stephanie said keeping her kids safe is a top priority. However, Josh has nowhere else to stay, which complicates the situation. "With all the stress that Josh - along with every other healthcare worker - already has to deal with on a daily basis because of COVID-19, he also has to worry about bringing the virus home and exposing his family to it," Stephanie said. "If people won't stay home for healthcare workers or the elderly, maybe they'll stay home for their children."

Ultimately, Stephanie wants to give essential workers the credit they deserve. "Every person out there doing their job in the public right now - whether it's the grocery store cashier, the truck driver, the postal worker, the nurse, or emergency service workers - are heroes in their own right," she said. "They are showing up in the face of this virus, despite the fact that they have families at home who they're putting at a greater risk by doing so."
Researchers are ramping up production of a promising drug that has proven effective in obliterating SARS-CoV in cellular cultures. The team hopes that the drug might also be effective in the fight against SARSs close genetic cousin, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Led by Northwestern University and ShanghaiTech University, the team has produced the promising molecule, called valinomycin, in a cell-free system. With this approach, they increased production yields more than 5,000 times in just a few rapid design cycles, achieving higher concentrations of the molecule than achieved previously in cells.

Because we use cell-free systems, we can optimize production faster than in cells to further increase yields, said Northwesterns Michael Jewett, who co-led the study. For example, pathway optimization cycles take days rather than weeks or months, and this speed could be ever so important when dealing with a pandemic like the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.

The research was published online recently in the journal Metabolic Engineering and will appear in the July 2020 print issue.

Jewett is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern Engineering and director of Northwesterns Center for Synthetic Biology. He co-led the work with Jian Li, an assistant professor in the School of Physical Science and Technology at ShanghaiTech.

Jewett leads multiple projects that use cell-free biotechnology to accelerate COVID-19 therapeutics. His group takes the molecular machinery out of cells, and then uses that machinery to make a product, such as therapeutics, in a safe, inexpensive and rapid manner. The idea is akin to opening the hood of a car and removing the engine, which allows researchers to use the engine for different purposes, free from the constraints of the car.

A naturally occurring peptide, valinomycin has recently emerged as a potential antiviral to treat SARS. Jewett imagines using cell-free synthetic biology to find similar molecules or to modify valinomycin to make it safer and more potent.

Jewett is a member of Northwesterns Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

The research, Total in vitro biosynthesis of the nonribosomal macrolactone peptide valinomycin, was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, and the Shanghai Pujiang Program.
Jussie Smollett was at the center of one of the biggest celebrity stories of 2019. In Jan. of that year, he said he was the victim of a racist and homophobic hate crime. Investigators later said his story was false.

There were two other men at the center of the story: brothers Abimbola Abel Osundairo and Olabinjo Ola Osundairo. Smollett allegedly paid the brothers $3,500 to stage a hate crime. Now, a source claims Smollett had a relationship with Abimbola Osundairo.

Jussie Smollett once portrayed Jamal Lyon on Empire. | FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

Jussie Smollett and Abimbola Abel Osundairo

What was the relationship between Smollett and Abimbola Osundairo prior to the alleged attack? In 2019, The Chicago Sun-Times reported Osundairo met Smollett when he had a small role on Smolletts show, Empire. The two worked out together and socialized.

According to Complex, a source says Smollett was closer to Abimbola Osundairo than he initially appeared to be. The source said Smollett and Osundairo would party together at a bathhouse in Chicago frequented by affluent gay men and had a sexual relationship. Smollett is openly gay, though he has not claimed to have had a relationship with Osundairo.

The Osundairo brothers sue Jussie Smolletts lawyers

Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo were unknown to most of the world until recently. In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday they say Jussie Smollett "directed every aspect of the attack." Who are they? https://t.co/Z6SyRgLg4G  Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) April 23, 2019 Abimbola Abel Osaindairo (left) and Olabinjo Ola Osundairo (right)

The Osundairo brothers have publicly disputed any claims they are gay. They feel these claims are hurting their reputations. According to PageSix, the Osundairos reponded to these claims in a statement. It read We have sat back and watched lie after lie being fabricated about us in the media only so one big lie can continue to have life. These lies are destroying our character and our reputation in our personal and professional lives.

On a related note, the Osundairo brothers are suing Tina Glandian and Mark Geragos, Smolletts lawyers, for insinuating they are gay. According to the Osundairos lawsuit, these insinuations are endangering their lives and the lives of their family members. The Osundairos have made this claim because they are from Nigeria, a country which has anti-LGBT laws.

What Jussie Smollett is facing right now

Jussie Smollett |VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

In their lawsuit, the Osundairos lawyer, Gloria Virginia Schmidt Rodriguez, attacked Smollett. She claimed he got everything he ever wanted out of the news story he created. She also said Smollett has become famous across the United States without ever admitting his wrongdoing.

In addition to being criticized by Schmidt Rodriguez, Smollett is under investigation. According to CBS Chicago, a special prosecutor named Dana Webb is actively investigating Smollett, and a Cook County court has granted him authority to re-indict Smollett. Under these facts, Smolletts criminal proceedings have not terminated. Smollett still claims he did not work to stage the alleged attack. He said the money he gave to the Osundairos was for drugs, not to stage a hate crime.

Meanwhile, Smolletts acting career is undergoing a shift. The writers of Empire wrote his character out of the show. Smollett has not made any TV or movie appearances since the alleged hate crime. Fans and former fans of Smollett are wondering if his career can recover following the controversy.

Also see: Wendy Williams Says Jussie Smollett Is Done
Normal spring semesters have gone for most colleges. Summer classes too will be online or canceled. But even as the federal and state governments say the reopening of society will depend on many factors in the fight against coronavirus, university chiefs are already trying to figure out how to handle new students and new courses in the fall.

"Most institutions need somewhere around a six-week to two-month runway to ... be able to be open," said Barbara Mistick, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

She said some of the more than 1,000 higher learning institutions her group represents across the country are now considering keeping their campuses shut to students in the fall semester. "There is concern about bringing students back to campus too soon and perhaps having an outbreak."

While that's a general concern for schools, businesses and any place where large numbers of people can gather, colleges and universities have extra considerations, Mistick said.

"Most institutions have students that are coming from all sorts of different states around the country," she said. "Some states are still in the midst of the crisis. The curve isn't flattening everywhere at the same exact moment."

And that's before you factor in the many international students who enroll in US institutions from all over the world.

But there is a fear that keeping classes online for health concerns could lead to students falling behind academically, with some research indicating that attrition rates for online-only students are higher than those for traditional students.

Then there's the economic crunch. The growing financial crisis is creeping into the way students think about their futures. A recent survey of around 30,000 US high school students found more than 80% of juniors and seniors since the outbreak were more concerned about paying for college as jobs started to disappear. Schools, too, face economic dangers -- their endowments were rocked by market tumult and they could lose revenue from the loss of lucrative programs like summer school.

At Howard University in Washington, admissions officers have seen a higher than expected number of incoming freshmen commit to come to school in August, whether the campus is open or not. But that's not as good an indicator as people might think, said university president Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick.

"Intent to come, I want to be clear, may not translate to students actually showing up," he said. "The full economic impact is not there [yet.]"

The new school year is in limbo. And even if students are committed to learning whether online or in-person, there are all the other parts of the college experience.

"Human contact is really important and that is something that we will be missing out on," said Sarah Fahmy, a PhD candidate at University of Colorado Boulder.

Frederick from Howard would agree.

"I often say at orientation that you may spend 20% of your time in a classroom while you are here. The 80% that occurs outside of the classroom is just as important for your overall education as the time spent in the classroom," he said.

"And that is our challenge: How do we recreate that."
MADISON, Wis. - Gov. Tony Evers legal counsel signalled Thursday that the May 12 special election in northern Wisconsins 7th Congressional District will likely go on as scheduled, a week after he said the governor was eyeing delaying it due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Evers had pushed to stop in-person voting in the April 7 presidential primary and spring election but was blocked in court and the election went off as scheduled. Voters and poll workers wore masks and other protective equipment and there were long lines at polling places in Milwaukee and Green Bay.

The special election is to replace retired U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, a Republican. The seat has been vacant for six months.

Evers on Thursday extended until May 26 the states stay-at-home order that was to end on April 24. The order closed all K-12 schools through the academic year and kept most nonessential businesses closed, didnt make any changes to the election.

Evers attorney, Ryan Nilsestuen, said that the governor is keeping a close eye on the election, listening to clerks and public health officials in the district.

He emphasized differences between the special election and the one held last week. The congressional district is rural and fewer people have the coronavirus than in urban areas like Milwaukee, where people waited in line for hours to vote last week. There has also been more time for clerks to prepare for the special election and for voters to submit absentee ballots, Nilsestuen said.

The congressional district covers all or parts of 20 northern and northwestern Wisconsin counties and is the states largest congressional district, geographically.

The race pits Democrat Tricia Zunker, president of the Wausau school board, against Republican state Sen. Tom Tiffany. Zunker was endorsed Thursday by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Tiffany on Thursday released a campaign ad, making a nod toward the social distancing recommendations in place due to the coronavirus outbreak.

While Id prefer to shake your hand and ask for your vote, thatll have to wait, Tiffany said.

___

Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sbauerAP
Court awards atheist group $456K over public school graduation prayer lawsuit

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A court awarded an atheist group approximately $456,000 after they won a years-long lawsuit against a South Carolina school district for holding graduation ceremonies with prayer and hymns.

Last year, the American Humanist Association won a lawsuit against Greenville County School District for their practice of holding graduation ceremonies with sectarian religious elements.

The U.S. District Court for South Carolina awarded AHA $446,466 in attorney fees and $9,776 in other expenses on Tuesday, which was below the previous requested amount of $584,026.

Greenville County Schools told local media outlet Fox Carolina that they are probably going to appeal both the fee and decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Throughout this case, the School District has argued that students, like other citizens, have the right to free speech, including that of a religious nature, stated the school district.

On this main point, Greenville County Schools successfully convinced the Court to uphold its consistent position on the central issue of protecting student speech and supported the districts belief that students should be allowed to speak from a religious or secular perspective at a graduation.

Greenville added that they will continue to remain committed to protecting students rights to free speech, while remaining neutral to religion.

In 2013, the AHA sued the school district on behalf of an anonymous family whose child attended a graduation ceremony that featured Christian prayers delivered by students and religious music.

In July 2019, District Court Judge Bruce Hendricks issued a permanent injunction against the school district, ordering that the school district, among other things, could not include a prayer as part of the official program for a graduation ceremony.

The district also shall not include an obviously religious piece of music as part of the official program for a graduation ceremony, wrote Hendricks.

The district and/or school officials shall not encourage, promote, advance, endorse, or participate in causing prayers during any graduation ceremony.

Hendricks also ruled that students could, under certain circumstances, include religious content in their speeches provided that no one else was asked to participate.

The judge further ordered that any programs or fliers for a ceremony with a student speaker include a disclaimer saying that the students remarks did not reflect the opinions of the school district.

We are thrilled that the court is finally putting an end to flagrant school-sponsored prayers and Christian hymns at public school graduation ceremonies, said Monica Miller, AHA senior counsel, in a statement last year.

This was a long fight for justice for students who do not wish to encounter government-sponsored religion at their own graduation ceremonies.
Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, on Thursday thanked India for the medical supplies that the country received on Wednesday.

PM Jugnauth thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the generous donation of medical supplies amid the coronavirus crisis.

I am very thankful to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for the generous donation of medical supplies from the Government of India which reached Mauritius yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, by a special flight of Air India, Jugnauth tweeted out on Thursday.

(1/2) I am very thankful to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for the generous donation of medical supplies from the Government of India which reached Mauritius yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, by a special flight of Air India. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/OcJuOynHUf  Pravind Jugnauth (@PKJugnauth) April 16, 2020

This high mark of goodwill underscores, once again, the close bonds between Mauritius and India, his tweet read.

India has sent crates of medical supplies to hundreds of countries in the past two weeks.

A top government official told Hindustan Times that India is supplying nearly 85 million hydroxychloroquine tablets and close to 500 million paracetamol tablets to the 108 countries.

The HCQ tablets were sent as gifts to Mauritius and Seychelles on special Indian Air Force planes on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson-led UK government on Wednesday thanked New Delhi for approving the export of nearly 3 million packets of paracetamol to ease shortage and supply gaps of the drug in the United Kingdom amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last week, the US received a large consignment of the antimalarial drug, which President Donald Trump has promoted as a potential game-changer in the fight against the coronavirus.

US President Donald Trump thanked New Delhi and tweeted out in his support.

Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight! Trump had tweeted.
Hikari Aizuma helps workers stay sharp and maintain a balanced lifestyle while working from home.

Like a lot of companies, Japanese tech firm Gatebox has its employees working from home these days, as opposed to having them commute to the office in downtown Tokyo during the coronavirus pandemic. However, while the employeesa familiarity with modern technology means theyare not having any problems with the technical aspects of telecommuting, there are some psychological issues the company is worried about.

Working from home can be a silent, solitary way to spend the day, with a lack of verbal communication creating a feeling of isolation. In addition, not having anyone else around you can make it hard to regulate your time, both in terms of flipping the switch and getting into mental work mode in the morning and clocking out when the day is done, as well as taking proper breaks to ward off stress and exhaustion.

So to help aaddress those issues cutely,a Gatebox has done what it does best: combine technology and a love of cute anime girls to provide virtual companionship in the at-home office.
BUDAPEST, April 15 (Xinhua) -- China Railway Group Limited (CREC), a listed Chinese construction company, has donated 300,000 surgical masks to Hungary to show its solidarity, the company's Hungarian branch said in a statement on Wednesday.

The donation will support the government and people of Hungary in their fight against the novel coronavirus, said the statement, adding that the CREC has full confidence in Hungary in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hungarian Railways (MAV), Hungarian Ministry for Innovation and Technology, Hungarian National Asset Management Inc. and other relevant departments received the delivery, according to the statement.

Robert Homolya, president of MAV, thanked CREC for bringing these urgently-needed supplies at this crucial moment.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed. The CREC is a trustworthy friend for us, and we believe, as the two nations stand closely together, we sure will tide over the difficulties," Homolya said.

Shang Zhizhong, chief representative of the CREC Hungarian branch, said "The CREC believes in a community with a shared future for mankind and is convinced that through solidarity and mutual assistance, we will prevail over this pandemic."

According to official figures, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hungary stood at 1,579 by Wednesday, with 192 recoveries and 134 fatalities.
SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Each of the new shares will have a nominal value of BGN 1 and an issue value of BGN 8. The new share issue will allow First Investment Bank to attract fresh financial resources and, at the same time, raise up to BGN 200 million top-quality capital. The Bank intends to use the capital increase to ensure implementation of its strategy to expand its market presence in retail banking and SME lending.

After the issue of the new shares, the total share capital of the Bank will increase from BGN 110 million to BGN 135 million. As of March 31, 2020, the Bank's regulatory equity amounted to BGN 1,365 million.

The issue price was determined after a comprehensive analysis taking into account the interests of all shareholders of the Bank, including:

Book value per share as a key factor in determining the price;

Market data and estimates of recent acquisitions of other banks in Bulgaria ;

; Financial indicators, market position and size of the Bank;

Expected development taking into account the innovative profile of the Bank;

Risk factors and measures taken to eliminate them;

The excellent condition of the Bulgarian banking system as a whole and the positive outlook for the forthcoming ERM II membership.

The shares' carrying value is based on the audited financial statements of the Bank as at the end of 2019, and amounts to BGN 8.57 per share on an individual basis and BGN 8.87 per share on a consolidated basis. In order to attract wider interest among investors, the issue price of the new shares includes a 10% discount over the book value per share on a consolidated basis. At the end of March, the book value of the Bank's shares increased further to BGN 8.63 per share on an individual basis and BGN 8.90 on a consolidated basis. The earnings per share for 2019 amounted to BGN 1.25. This capital increase will be considered successful if at least 2,500,000 shares are subscribed and paid.

As part of its strategy to diversify its sources of funding, at the end of last year, First Investment Bank successfully launched an EUR 30m bond issue. The short timeframe in which the issue was realized indicated the high interest in the Bank among the investment community. Investing in one of the largest banks in the country allows direct entry into the Bulgarian economy, which shows sustainability and is on the verge of joining the euro area. At the same time, last year the Bank passed a comprehensive assessment under the criteria of the European Central Bank (ECB), including an asset quality review and stress tests.

In 2019, Fibank's assets increased by more than BGN 1 billion, reaching BGN 10,660 million on a consolidated basis. Regulatory capital reached BGN 1,284 million for the same period, with an increase of BGN 176 million. During the year Fibank's deposits grew by BGN 761 million its total borrowings exceeding BGN 9,104 million. In 2019, the Bank successfully issued a debt-equity instrument totaling EUR 30 million, which, after permission by the BNB, was included in Tier 1 capital. The consolidated profit for 2019 before impairment was BGN 257.7 million, which was retained and added to the Bank's capital. By the end of 2019, through capital raising and risk mitigation measures, the Bank formed an additional capital buffer of more than EUR 197 million.

In the first quarter of 2020, Fibank's capital position strengthened further after the 2019 profit was included in its equity following BNB permission. As of March 31, 2020, the total capital adequacy ratio of Fibank was 19.09%, the Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio 19.03%, the CET1 capital adequacy ratio 15.48%, and regulatory own funds amounted to BGN 1,365 million. For the first quarter of 2020 the profit before impairment was BGN 30.9 million. Liquidity coverage ratio was 273.87%, indicating a stable liquidity position. Reported growth in the Bank's SME loan portfolio for the first quarter of 2020 was BGN 13.8 million or 7.2% YoY, and in the Retail loan portfolio BGN 47.3 million, or 10.4 % YoY.

With the placement of the new issue, the Bank will fulfill 100% of the latest recommendation of the European Central Bank. Bulgaria's accession to the European Banking Union and the ERM II will provide the country with both the financial security of ECB's strict control, and access to privileges and facilities available to euro area Member States.

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The UK is recording the largest number of new coronavirus cases in Europe and the rate at which they are soaring is 'frightening' other EU states, Austria's health minister said yesterday.

Rudi Anschober highlighted the rapid growth in UK cases at a press conference in Vienna where he hailed Austria's own success in slowing the outbreak.

The minister held up a chart showing the average daily growth in infections over the last 10 days, on which Austria performed best and Britain worst.

'That's what's frightening a lot of people on a European level at the moment, that's the figure in Britain of 7.5 per cent,' he said, pointing to the UK column.

The equivalent figure for Austria was 1.8 per cent, according to the minister's graph.

The figures were 5.7 per cent in Sweden, 3.7 per cent in France, 3.2 per cent in Spain, 3.0 per cent in Germany, 2.5 per cent in Italy and 2.2 per cent in Switzerland, his figures showed.

Several countries are seeing a slowing down in the spread of coronavirus after half the population of the world found themselves under lockdown.

Previous hotspots like Italy and Spain are seeing new infections start to decline, but Dr Hans Kluge, World Health Organisation director for Europe, said the 'optimistic signs' of the virus receding on some parts of the continent were being cancelled out by bad news elsewhere.

He pointed to the United Kingdom, along with the likes of Belarus and Russia, as reason to believe that Europe is still 'in the eye of the COVID-19 storm'.

Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober highlighted the rapid growth in UK cases at a press conference today where he hailed Austria's own success in slowing the outbreak

The figures were 5.7 per cent in Sweden, 3.7 per cent in France, 3.2 per cent in Spain, 3.0 per cent in Germany, 2.5 per cent in Italy and 2.2 per cent in Switzerland, his figures showed

'Of the 10 countries in the region with the highest numbers of cases, there have been optimistic signs in terms of the climbing numbers in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland in recent weeks.

The UK is among a handful of countries singled out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for having 'tempered' positive signs that Europe is passing the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Dr Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said while there have been 'optimistic signs' in countries worst affected by coronavirus, others such as the UK demonstrate 'sustained or increased levels of incidents'.

He was speaking on a day that:

Lockdown in the UK was expended for 'at least' three more weeks

The UK has announced 861 more deaths from coronavirus, taking the total number of victims to 13,729;

A poll for MailOnline has suggested the public is not ready for the lockdown to end, with 80 per cent said they would not have felt safe returning to normal life at the moment;

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets, as they are the businesses most likely to boost the economy and pose the smallest risk of spreading the virus;

There are claims that the population could be 'segmented' to ease restrictions with young people allowed to go back to work and primary schools opened, while pensioners and the vulnerable are ordered to stay in isolation;

One of the government's own key experts, Professor Neil Ferguson, has warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place and criticised the government's slow action;

World Health Organisation director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, said the UK, along with Russia and Belarus, is one of the reasons the continent is 'still in the eye of the storm' of the coronavirus crisis;

The first newly-adapted ventilator design has been approved by regulators, with the government ordering 15,000 of the Penlon's Prima ES202 model;

Matt Hancock has rejected calls for ministers to take a pay cut in solidarity with hard-hit workers, after counterparts in New Zealand announced they would;

Mr Hancock insisted the government could hit its 100,000 a day testing target by the end of the month, despite questions over why it is still not using the current capacity of 25,000.

The latest figures from the Department of Health show 13,729 patients had died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Wednesday - an increase of 861 on the previous day - with the UK braced for an extension of lockdown.

The UK is among a handful of countries singled out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for having 'tempered' positive signs that Europe is passing the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak

A graph showing the number of new infections in various countries, starting on the day they first recorded five infections. The graph shows a rolling average, meaning it shows trends in the data rather than exact figures. The Y-axis is scaled due to the large difference in numbers between worst-hit countries such as USA and Britain, and countries which were less badly hit, such as Australia and South Korea. In an evenly-scaled graph, the worst-hit countries' readings would show a much steeper curve

During the weekly WHO Europe briefing on Thursday morning, Dr Kluge described how 'the storm cloud' of Covid-19 'still hangs heavily over the European region'.

The UK was one of a handful of countries he singled out for providing an antidote to optimism elsewhere among the 53 members in the WHO's European region.

He said: 'Of the 10 countries in the region with the highest numbers of cases, there have been optimistic signs in terms of the climbing numbers in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland in recent weeks.

'But small positive signals in some countries are tempered by sustained or increased levels of incidents in other countries, including in the UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.'

The UK was one of a handful of countries he singled out for providing an antidote to optimism elsewhere among the 53 members in the WHO's European region.

Dr Kluge said the number of positive coronavirus cases reported in Europe 'nearly doubled in 10 days' to nearly one million, accounting for around half of all cases reported worldwide.

Dominic Raab claims international data does not support WHO criticism of UK At the press conference on Thursday Mr Raab was asked about the World Health Organisation's assessment of the UK in battling the deadly pandemic by Metro journalist Dominic Yeatman. He responded: 'I don't think the data internationally, and Patrick talked through some of it which shows the international comparisons, would bear that out. 'But I haven't heard and seen the direct comments so I'll pass judgement on that for now.' Advertisement

Some of the worst-hit countries in Europe, including Spain and Italy, have announced a slight relaxation of some lockdown measures, including partial returns to work.

He added: 'The next few weeks will be critical for Europe.

'Make no mistake - despite the spring weather, we are in the middle of a storm.'

Current figures show the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 2 million people worldwide, with more than 137,000 deaths recorded.

The US has recorded more than 30,000 deaths - the most in the world - and over 600,000 confirmed infections, according to a Johns Hopkins University count.

It came as foreign leaders rushed to the defence of the WHO after president Donald Trump again vowed to halt US payments to the agency over allegations it has not sounded the alarm sooner over the virus.

The WHO said the US contribution represented around 15% of its budget and called on the president to re-think.

Graphs show coronavirus infections 'flattening' for countries coming out of pandemic 'peak' - but the WHO warns Britain's numbers are a black mark among Europe's 'positive signs'

by Chris Pleasance for MailOnline

The spread of coronavirus appears to be slowing down or leveling off in countries around the world after half the world's population found itself under lockdown orders.

Graphs charting the number of daily infections in countries such as the US reveal how dramatic increases throughout March have now begun to stabilise.

Meanwhile previous hotspots such as Italy and Spain have seen new infections begin to tumble - a month after nationwide lockdown measures were first put into place.

Dr Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, said there were 'optimistic signs' that the virus has begun to recede on some parts of the continent - but they were being cancelled out by bad news elsewhere.

He singled out the UK, along with the likes of Belarus and Russia, as reason to believe that Europe is still 'in the eye of the COVID-19 storm'.

'Of the 10 countries in the region with the highest numbers of cases, there have been optimistic signs in terms of the climbing numbers in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland in recent weeks.

'But small positive signals in some countries are tempered by sustained or increased levels of incidents in other countries, including in the UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.'

Today the UK reported 4,618 new cases and 861 more deaths, both slightly higher than yesterday, taking Britain's infection total past 100,000. The latest figures are 103,093 cases and 13,729 deaths.

'The next few weeks will be critical for Europe,' Kluge said. 'Make no mistake - despite the spring weather, we are in the middle of a storm.'

Underlining his point is the fact that daily death tolls have continued to rise in many places even as new infections fall, due to the time it takes an infected person to become sick enough to die.

Here, MailOnline graphs reveal how the surge in coronavirus cases has begun to slow down:

GLOBAL

A graph showing the number of new infections in various countries, starting on the day they first recorded five infections. The graph shows a rolling average, meaning it shows trends in the data rather than exact figures. The Y-axis is scaled due to the large difference in numbers between worst-hit countries such as USA and Britain, and countries which were less badly hit, such as Australia and South Korea. In an evenly-scaled graph, the worst-hit countries' readings would show a much steeper curve

USA

A graph showing the total number of new coronavirus cases confirmed each day in the US. After three weeks of continual rises, the number of new cases reported each day has stabilised over the past 10 days

A graph showing the total number of deaths from coronavirus reported each day in the US. The number has kept peaking even as new infections have stabilised, because of the time it takes for a newly infected person to get sick enough to die

NEW YORK

A graph showing the number of people ending up in hospital in New York state each day, the worst-affected of the American states. Governor Andrew Cuomo has begun discussing how to reopen the state after the daily total began falling

A graph showing the net change in total hospitalisations in New York state per day, revealing that the number of people ending up in hospital has been slowing since April 2 and went into reverse in the past week

A graph showing the number of new infections recorded each day in New York state. While the state hit a record 11,571 on Tuesday, the figure had been largely stable or in decline before that - indicating that it is likely a blip in the data

A graph showing the daily death toll from coronavirus in New York state, revealing that it has remained high by stable over the past week as the number of new cases also stabilises

UK

Two charts showing the number of new coronavirus deaths each day in the UK, and the number of new infections, both of which have remained high but stable as government advisers say it appears the country has passed its peak

ITALY

A graph showing the number of new coronavirus cases in Italy, the world's worst-affected country. The number of new infections has been falling consistently for a month, as the government begins easing some lockdown restrictions

A graph showing the daily death toll in Italy, which has been falling consistently for three weeks. Italy has the highest death total of any world country at more than 21,000, but the situation there is improving

SPAIN

A graph showing the daily total of new coronavirus infections in Spain, which has also been trending downwards since the start of the month - prompting the government to relax some lockdown rules

A graph showing the daily total of deaths from coroanvirus in Spain, also showing a strong downward trend during April

GERMANY

A graph showing the total number of coronavirus cases each day in Germany, which shows that infections have been trending gradually downwards since the start of the month - but with several steep peaks and troughs

A graph showing the daily number of deaths in Germany, which have kept rising even as cases go into gradual decline because of the delay between people getting infected and becoming sick enough to die

SWEDEN

A graph showing the daily infection totals in Sweden, which had been climbing steeply but now appear to be trending downwards. Sweden is significant because it is one of a handful of European countries not to go into lockdown

A graph showing the daily number of deaths in Sweden, which have begun to peak around a week after infections

AUSTRALIA

A graph showing the number of daily infections in Australia, overlaid with a line graph showing the rate of increase. Both have been trending strongly downwards since late March - though the country will remain in lockdown for another month

Lockdown for AT LEAST three more weeks: Dominic Raab declares coronavirus curbs are working but must stay in force despite huge hit to economy - as he rejects demands for an 'exit strategy'

by JAMES TAPSFIELD, Political Editor, for MailOnline

Dominic Raab last night declared that coronavirus lockdown will stay for at least another three weeks despite growing alarm at the economic consequences.

The Foreign Secretary confirmed the public's 'efforts are starting to pay off' but draconian curbs cannot yet be lifted after he chaired a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee.

He said scientists believe transmission in the community is 'almost certainly' below the level at which the outbreak will peter out, although there is still spread in hospitals and care home.

'Based on this advice the government has decided the measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks,' he told the daily Downing Street briefing.

The government is under massive pressure to set out an 'exit strategy' from the social distancing measures, after its own watchdog warned GDP could plunge by a third and two million people lose their jobs. It came as the UK announced 861 more deaths from the coronavirus, taking the total number of victims to 13,729.

In another dark milestone Britain has now officially diagnosed more than 100,000 people with the virus - making it only the sixth country in the world to do so. But the rising number of cases remains stable, with just 4,618 positive tests in the past 24 hours resulting in a total case count of 103,093.

However, Mr Raab said the biggest threat to the economy was from failure to stay on top of the outbreak and rejected calls for transparency. 'We are being as open as we responsibly can at this stage,' he said.

Instead he merely offered five criteria for when the lockdown could start being loosened. They are certainty that the NHS will not be overwhelmed, a consistent reduction in the death rate, evidence that transmission is at manageable levels, capacity for wide scale testing and PPE provision, and low danger of a 'second peak'.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested earlier that the public cannot be trusted with a blueprint for how the restrictions could be eased, as they might assume the rules are lifted.

But Nicola Sturgeon risked enraging Westminster counterparts by insisting the public does have a right to know how politicians plan to get out of the crisis, as it threatens to rip the economy to shreds.

Dominic Raab tonight declared that coronavirus lockdown will stay for another three weeks despite growing alarm at the economic consequences

Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks via videolink at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham today

Raab's five criteria before loosening lockdown Dominic Raab batted away calls to to set out an 'exit strategy' from lockdown tonight. Instead he merely offered five criteria for when the lockdown could start being loosened. # They are: 1. Ensure NHS can provide enough critical care treatment 2. A 'sustained and consistent fall' in daily death rate 3. Reliable data showing rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels 4. Testing capacity and PPE supply are ready to meet future demand 5. There is no risk of second peak to overwhelm the NHS Advertisement

In a sombre speech in Downing Street, Mr Raab - who is deputising for Boris Johnson as he recuperates at Chequers - said: 'Overall, we still don't have the infection rate down as far as we need to.

'As in other countries we have issues with the virus spreading in some hospitals and in care homes and in sum, the very clear advice we have received is that any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus.

'That would threaten a second peak of the virus and substantially increase the number of deaths.

'It would undo the progress we have made to date and as a result would require an even longer period of the more restrictive social distancing measures.

'So early relaxation would do more damage to the economy over a longer period and I want to be really clear about this.

'The advice from SAGE is that relaxing any of the measures currently in place would risk damage to both public health and our economy.'

He added: 'Based on this advice which we very carefully considered the government has decided that the current measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks.'

Mr Raab said the public needed to show 'patience' and stick with the restrictions to stop the spread of the virus.

'There is light at the end of the tunnel but we are now at both a delicate and a dangerous stage in this pandemic,' he said.

'If we rush to relax the measures that we have in place we would risk wasting all the sacrifices and all the progress that has been made.

'That would risk a quick return to another lockdown with all the threat to life that a second peak to the virus would bring and all the economic damage that a second lockdown would carry.'

Mr Raab said when the government has met its criteria it will look to adjust the measures to make them 'as effective as possible in protecting public health whilst allowing some economic and social activity to resume'.

'But we will only do it when the evidence demonstrates that it is safe to do it,' he said.

'It could involve relaxing measures in some areas while strengthening measures in other areas.'

Mr Raab insisted 'there is light at the end of the tunnel' but refused to set out a 'definitive timeframe' for easing the lockdown measures.

He said: 'The Prime Minister said at the outset that it would take three months to come through the peak and I think that, broadly, is still the outline.

'We can't give a definitive timeframe, that would be to prejudge the evidence, that wouldn't be a responsible thing to do.

'But our message to the British public is: there is light at the end of tunnel, we are making progress, but at the same time we must keep up the social distancing measures.'

But the stance contrasted with that of Ms Sturgeon earlier, when she pledged to set out a 'framework' for loosening lockdown when the time comes.

Answering questions from other Scottish party leaders over video conference this afternoon, Ms Sturgeon said: 'We must continue the lockdown measures for at least another three weeks... we are not yet confident enough that the virus has been suppressed sufficiently.'

Government's own expert condemns slow response to coronavirus One of the government's key experts today condemned the government's response and warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place. Professor Neil Ferguson warned that there is no possibility of the country returning to 'normal' until a vaccine is produced. The epidemiologist - who has been modelling the outbreak for the government - delivered a withering verdict on the performance of ministers, urging them to 'accelerate action' to create a system where everyone with symptoms, and everyone they have come into contact with, is tested. He suggested the organisation in Whitehall was not on the same scale as the effort on Brexit, despite the problem being on a totally different scale. Discussing whether lockdown measures could be eased after another three weeks, Professor Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it depended on 'getting on top of things like transmission rates in hospitals and care homes'. 'I think the other thing I would say is that it really requires a single-minded emphasis in Government and the health system on scaling up testing and putting in place the ability to track down cases in the community and contact-trace. 'Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway; if we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission. 'What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner. 'And I should say, it's not going to be going back to normal. We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available.' Asked whether the Government is moving towards having an exit strategy in place, Prof Ferguson said: 'I'm not completely sure. I think there's a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated. 'We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation for this. 'I'm reminded by the fact we had a Department for Brexit for Government - that was a major national emergency, as it were - and we're faced with something which is, at the moment, even larger than Brexit and yet I don't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation.' Prof Ferguson added: 'There needs to be more co-ordination I think, yes. That may be going on, I don't have unique insight, but I think it could be enhanced.' Advertisement

Ms Sturgeon said 'people do want to know what the thinking is for beyond that period and she wanted to 'share the thought process'.

'I hope over the course of next week to not announce those decisions... but to set out the framework of decision making.'

In a bad-tempered interview earlier, Mr Hancock said he recognised that 'everybody wants to know what the future looks like'.

But he flatly dismissed calls for the government to flesh out how the restrictions will finally be eased, despite mounting fears that they are wreaking havoc on the economy.

Mr Hancock said the 'clarity of messaging' had a 'direct impact on how many people obey' social distancing rules.

In a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Hancock insisted it was 'too early' for an exit strategy.

Mr Hancock said he did not want to 'waste' the efforts of the public by lifting the lockdown measures prematurely, because coronavirus would 'run rampant once again'.

'I'm not going to pre-judge the formal decision that is going to be taken, however, I think everybody can see that we've been clear that we think that it is too early to make a change,' the Health Secretary told BBC Breakfast.

'And whilst we have seen a flattening of the number of cases, and thankfully a flattening of the number of deaths, that hasn't started to come down yet, and as far as I'm concerned is still far too high.'

Mr Hancock added: 'I understand those who are calling for an end to the lockdown or some kind of exit strategy to start now, but I think it's just too early for that.'

Asked about comments from health minister Nadine Dorries urging people to stop asking about an exit plan, Mr Hancock told Good Morning Britain that it is 'far too early' for things to return to normal.

'What Nadine is saying is that this talk about an exit strategy, with the idea that we go immediately back to exactly how things were before, it is far too early for that,' he said.

'We are seeing that peak, but it's still far too high. And so it is too early to be making changes.'

In bruising clashes with Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4''s Today programme, Mr Hancock angrily told the interviewer to stop interrupting.

'The communications are part of the policy.

'That is why we will not be distracted in to confusing that messaging.

'The scientists can say what they like, the commentators can say what they like,' he swiped.

Research for MailOnline by Redfield & Wilton found 80 per cent would not feel safe going back to everyday life at the moment

Around half the public are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place into June

Four-fifths of Britons say they would not feel safe going back to normal life now with HALF resigned to curbs lasting into June Britain is not ready for the coronavirus lockdown to be lifted even if the government wanted to, a poll revealed today. Research for MailOnline found 80 per cent would not feel safe going back to everyday life at the moment, with nearly 60 per cent saying they are not comfortable leaving the house. Around half are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place into June - and 37 per cent say they will keep obeying the rules indefinitely if the government believes it is necessary. The extraordinary findings in the polling by Redfield & Wilton come despite some 43 per cent reporting that the crisis is damaging their mental health. The figures underline the challenge for ministers amid fears that the message that people must stay at home to save the NHS has been too successful. Advertisement
The US military staged a show of force this week on its Pacific island territory of Guam with the clear aim of threatening China.

Billions of dollars worth of US warplanes were paraded on the tarmac of Guams Andersen Air Force Base Monday in what is known as an elephant walk, a term used during the Vietnam War to describe the slow-moving lines of B-52 bombers waiting for takeoff for airstrikes that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Cambodians.

Mondays formation included 14 warplanes, including five nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers, six KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelers, an MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, and two unmanned aerial vehicles: an Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk and a Navy MQ-4C Triton.

B-52s lined up at Andersen Air Force Base

These operations are meant to prepare pilots for the launching of fully armed warplanes in a mass attack against a common target. In the case of Andersen Air Force Base, located 1,800 miles east of China, the identity of the target is clear.

The Air Forces 36th Wing, which is part of the Indo-Pacific Command, issued a statement declaring that The Elephant Walk showcases the 36th Wing's readiness and ability to generate combat airpower at a moment's notice to ensure regional stability throughout the Indo-Pacific.

This showcasing of the US militarys ability to launch a nuclear war against China at a moments notice came amid an increasingly virulent anti-China campaign by the Trump administration aimed at diverting growing social anger over the governments failure to carry out the most basic measures to contain the deadly virus that has now cost 30,000 American lives.

It was also a demonstration of US air power under conditions in which its carrier strike groups, one of the principal instruments for the projection of US imperialisms military might in Asia and internationally, have been sidelined by the spread of the coronavirus through the close quarters of US Navy ships.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt remains docked in Guam, its crew under quarantine with nearly 600 having tested positive and one of them dying Monday from COVID-19, the second member of the US military killed by the disease. Another five of the ships sailors have been hospitalized, one of them in intensive care.

The evacuation of the aircraft carriers crew, with the exception of a skeleton force tending to its nuclear reactors and weapon systems, came after a heated controversy triggered by a demand by the ships commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, that his crew be taken off the ship and quarantined. After his immediate superiors stonewalled his appeal, Crozier sent a letter to at least 20 senior naval officers in which he stated, We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to take care of our most trusted assetour Sailors."

The letter, which cut across the Trump administrations attempt to minimize the pandemics impact as well as the Pentagons determination not to allow the outbreak to interfere with its aggressive worldwide operations, triggered a political firestorm. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly relieved Crozier of his commandapparently on the direct orders of Trumpand then flew to Guam to address the Theodore Roosevelts crew, denouncing the Captain as stupid, naive" and a traitor, while berating the crew for having staged a demonstration of support for Crozier as he disembarked from the carrier. The tirade was delivered over the ships loud speakers, without any direct contact between Modly and the crew. After a recording of it surfaced on social media, Modly himself was compelled to resign.

While the Theodore Roosevelts crew remains quarantined in Guam, other aircraft carriers are also paralyzed. The USS Ronald Reagan is docked in Yokosuka, Japan because of COVID-19 cases on board. The USS Nimitz, meanwhile, has had its crew quarantined in Washington state after infections there. The close quarters of these ships allow for the rapid spread of the disease.

Amid the sidelining of the US militarys carrier strike groups, the Chinese navy sent the Liaoning, its first operational aircraft carrier, together with two guided-missile destroyers, two guided-missile frigates and a supply ship, into waters between Japans islands of Miyako and Okinawa and Taiwans east coast.

The US Defense Department announced Wednesday that its total number of COVID-19 cases had surpassed 5,000, more than half of them active-duty members of the military. There are increasing recriminations within the US military over what was known about the deadly virus and the failureas in US society as a wholeto take measures earlier to protect enlisted personnel from it.

The US military command has signaled that no matter how pervasive the spread of the disease within its ranks, it is prepared to order US troops to fight. I dont want anyone out there in the world to think that somehow the US militarys readiness is significantly degraded. It is not, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said last week. If needed to defend the interests of US imperialism, it is prepared to send carriers crewed by sick sailors to sea against China. As Milley said of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, we could get it back out to sea quickly if we had to."

In February, as the coronavirus was spreading throughout the world, including within the US and its military, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper told Congress that the highest priority remains China, as its government continues to useand misuseits diplomatic, economic and military strength to attempt to alter the landscape of power and reshape the world in its favor, often at the expense of others.

This remains Washingtons geostrategic priority. The catastrophe wrought by the coronavirus on the US and the world has not deterred US military aggression in the slightest. Where it can, as in Venezuela and Iran, both blockaded by US sanctions, Washington has sought to employ the disease as a weapon. In the case of China, as the elephant walk" in Guam demonstrates, the ravages of the disease have only increased the recklessness of US imperialist policy and the threat of world war.
[April 16, 2020] Enterprise Engineering, Inc. and ebankIT expand services in the North America for Open Banking and Banking Platform Solutions

NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enterprise Engineering, Inc. (EEI), an industry leader and trusted advisor to the financial services industry, today announced expanded services offerings and banking platform solutions with ebankIT, a premiere global digital banking platform provider. The expanded offerings bolster EEIs unique position as an Open Banking implementer/integrator and boosts ebankITs solutions presence in North America. Both companies recently completed a webinar series focused around Open Banking Solutions for North America featuring what to expect from Opening Banking. Our speakers touched on the idea of limited access to traditional branch banking and greater focus around online banking services with Open Banking. Over 50 banks and wealth managers attended the series from North America. The webinar featured opening remarks from George Anderson, Founder of EEI & Renato Oliveira, CEO of ebankIT. Additionally, there was commentary from industry experts Arthur Wasson, Managing Director, Venture Banking Group at Signature Bank & Kate Drew, Fintech Strategy & Research Practitioner at Grant Thornton. The attendees were given the opportunity to see demonstrations of the latest technology, strategy and solutions for Open Banking and Digital Transformation through the ebankIT Digital Platform. The replay of the featured webinar can be found at: https://resources.ebankit.com/signup-webinar-video . Additional information about available demonstrations and services from ebankIT are also available via this site. It is a unique time in the world in terms of how people interact with banks to access their money. Most financial institutions will require guidance on how to safely and securely grant that access. Thy will need to either develop or buy products to enhance the user experience and maintain leading edge products and services to attract and service their customers. EEI and ebankIT have a powerful combination of both to help financial institutions in North America, said William Trapani, EEIs Chief Revenue Officer. This is a strategic program for both ebankIT and EEI.



With ebankITs omnichannel digital banking platform, the opportunity now exists for North American Banks and Credit Unions to have a new and innovative way to provide full-service banking capabilities. Once connected to a core banking system, ebankIT allows banks to rapidly deploy world-class dynamic banking solutions for both their customers and in-house teams. (see www.ebankit.com for more details.) In the second half of 2020, EEI and ebankIT will be hosting a series of live educational half-day seminars on Open Banking and banking solutions kicking off in New York in September.

About ebankIT

ebankIT is an international company that develops a leading omnichannel digital banking platform with capabilities to enable Banks and Credit Unions to run lean, run smart and innovate fast. ebankITs mission is to help the banking business realize their full potential, strengthen customer relationships while minimizing costs and increase digital revenues. Operating at a global scale, ebankIT is helping customers to transform their businesses by delivering a fast-seamless omnichannel Digital Banking Transformation with an innovative banking platform with out-of-the-box omnichannel capabilities. For more information, please visit: www.ebankIT.com About Enterprise Engineering, Inc. (EEI)

EEI has been a trusted advisor to the financial services industry since 1995. From the outset EEI has been successfully guiding our clients through the challenges of digital transformation and Open Banking. We advise, build and improve on leading-edge solutions that offer secure, competitive advantages to our customers. EEI was recently named 20 Most Promising Big Data Solutions by CIO Review and Best Global Financial Solutions Provider of the Year by M&A Today: Global Awards. We were also named a Leading Provider of Financial Services Technology Solutions by Wealth and Finance. For more information, please visit www.joineei.com MEDIA CONTACT:

Rita Ranieri

SVP of Sales

646.623.9556

[email protected]

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[April 16, 2020] Gantry Arranges $175 Million in Financing Across Multiple Property Types

Gantry, Inc., the largest independent mortgage banking firm in the U.S., arranged financing for 28 separate transactions, totaling more than $175 million in debt over the past 30 days. The transaction volume encompasses commercial real estate assets across multifamily, mixed-use, retail, office and industrial property types. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005705/en/ Ainsworth & Dunn Building and 10 Clay Apartments, a mixed-use property in Seattle (Photo: Business Wire) "Despite the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, Gantry production teams have worked tirelessly to create solutions for each unique borrower and loan situation. As a result, our firm has been consistent in closing at least a deal per day since the pandemic started," said Michael Heagerty, Principal and Chief Financial Officer of Gantry. "The market is adjusting and responding in these tough times. That is encouraging to see and gives us hope for brighter days in the weeks and months to come." One of the deal highlights is a $40-million permanent financing forthe Ainsworth & Dunn Building and 10 Clay Apartments, a mixed-use property in Seattle. Gantry's Mike Taylor and Mike Wood arranged the loan for the 62-unit apartment building with commercial and office tenants through a life insurance company.



Another example of the types of deals closed in the multifamily asset category was a $12-million construction to permanent loan for the Nesbit Apartments in Seattle. Gantry's Brian Bonipart arranged the loan through a regional bank for the 68-unit property in a transit corridor of Seattle. In the retail property category, Gantry's Blake Hering arranged a $15-million acquisition loan for the Vancouver Village on NE Thurston Way in Vancouver, WA. Financing for the 104,466 square-foot asset was funded by a life company.

"The extraordinary turbulence in the public markets is being amplified by the unknown economic impact from the COVID-19 coronavirus situation," Heagerty said. "Borrowers who need to transact due to either maturing debt or acquisition requirements are having to work through a disjointed marketplace. We are helping our clients navigate this new world and find advantageous solutions despite the turmoil. We are encouraged by the lenders who have been able to stand behind their commitments and close despite the market uncertainty." Category highlights for this period include 10 multifamily financing deals totaling $44.2 million, six retail financings totaling $32 million, two mixed-use loans totaling $46.4 million, three office loans totaling nearly $20 million, six industrial loans totaling $27 million, as well as a $5-million marina transaction. Leading into this period, Gantry finalized the acquisition of Norris, Beggs & Simpson's commercial real estate mortgage banking group, which included production and servicing offices in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. With this addition, Gantry's combined production for 2019 exceeded $4 billion in loan volume. About Gantry Gantry, a privately-held company based in San Francisco, is a full-service commercial mortgage banking firm. Established in 1991 as Newmark Realty Capital, Gantry is staffed by 90 employees in its regional offices. Gantry is the correspondent/servicer on behalf of a roster of the leading life insurance, CMBS and Agency lenders in the nation, placing more than $4 billion per year in loans. Gantry's national servicing platform exceeds $16 billion, representing over 2,000 loans located in 40 states. Gantry is rated as a Primary Servicer by Standard & Poor's and is one of a select few non-banking/non-insurance-chartered companies with this designation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005705/en/

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Head of parliaments Budgetary and Planning Committee Hussein Eissa said on Saturday that Egypts new budget for the fiscal year 2020-21 had been referred to parliament for debate on 30 March.

But the committee members will not be able to discuss the new budget immediately for two reasons, Eissa said. In line with Ministry of Health precautionary measures to limit the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, MPs will not be able to gather in one place to discuss the budget. Moreover, we are not in a hurry as the constitution gives us 90 days [three months beginning on 1 April and ending on 30 June] to discuss the budget, he said.

Eissa indicated that due to coronavirus fears, the ministers of finance and planning would not be required to come to parliament in person to deliver statements on the budget and the five-year plan this year.

It is enough for them to send their statements so that the committee can discuss them at the most appropriate time, Eissa said, adding that MPs could examine the budget and new development plan at home and then send in their comments by email for discussion when work resumes.

Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal, indicated in a statement on Sunday that the House of Representatives will meet on 29 April as scheduled. We have a busy legislative agenda that should be discussed soon and cant be postponed any longer, said Abdel-Aal, adding that the House will discuss proposed real estate tax exemptions and state employees bonuses, both aiming to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus on low and limited-income classes and support businesses hit by the pandemic.

Abdel-Aal indicated that when MPs meet on 29 April, they will not sit close to each other, and they will be required to wear face masks and follow strict sanitisation and disinfection measures.

Secretary-General Mahmoud Fawzi also indicated on Monday that parliamentary committees with a large number of members, such as the Budget and Planning Committee, will be allowed to use the Shura Council hall to hold their meetings. This means that the budget committee led by Eissa might opt to meet in the Shura Council hall to discuss the budget on 29 April.

Eissa said that the new budget increased allocations to the healthcare sector. For several years, we have asked different governments to raise allocations to the healthcare and education sectors, but to no avail, he said, indicating that the economic reform programme between 2016 and 2019 came at the expense of vital sectors such as health, whose budget has not quite been enough over the last few years.

The coronavirus crisis had led the government to earmark greater allocations to the two sectors of healthcare and education. Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said on Tuesday that the healthcare allocations in the new budget will increase by LE78.9 billion, or from LE166.6 billion in the 2019/2020 financial year to LE245.5 billion in the 2020/21 financial year. The budget of the education sector will increase by LE46.6 billion to reach a total of LE336.6 billion, and that for scientific research will reach a total of LE60.4 billion, an increase of LE7.8 billion.

He indicated that the LE100 billion that President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi had ordered on 14 March be allocated to help fight the coronavirus and its economic costs would be part of the present and the new budget.

The new budget aimed at improving the living conditions of the Egyptian people, he said. To achieve this objective, the budget allocates LE326.3 billon to subsidies, or 5.3 per cent of GDP, Eissa said, indicating that LE19 billion would go to pension payments, LE5.7 billion to social housing, LE170 billion to pension funds, LE7 billion to boosting exports, and LE280.7 billion to government investments.

Following the approval of the new budget in a cabinet meeting on 26 March, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said the 2020-21 budget reflected the directions of the political leadership to raise the standard of living of Egyptians through initiatives that should contribute to improving the quality of public services and strengthening the pillars of social protection to ensure that all groups in society benefit from development returns.

Eissa said the social aspects were quite clear in the new budget. Allocations to salaries will be increased by LE34 billion [11.3 per cent] to reach LE335 billion in total, and this is another expression of President Al-Sisis instruction that employees salaries and wages be increased this year in a bid to mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus, he said.

The new budget also takes into account President Al-Sisis orders that the bonuses granted to the medical professions be increased by 75 per cent in appreciation of their role in fighting the coronavirus, he added. A total of LE2.25 billion will be disbursed to medical teams who stand on the front lines of fighting the coronavirus.

The 2020-21 budget includes expenditures of LE1.7 trillion and revenues of LE1.3 trillion. Despite the harmful economic costs of the coronavirus, the budget aims to reduce the budget deficit to 6.3 per cent of GDP and even achieve a primary surplus of two per cent, Eissa said.

It also increases government investments to LE280.7 billion, or 64.3 per cent over the current fiscal year, thus contributing to economic activity and continuing to improve infrastructure and create an investment-friendly environment.

Maait said it had been the bold economic reform programme that had been implemented between 2016 and 2019 that had helped Egypt fight the coronavirus. Due to this unexpected crisis, the budget forecasts that GDP growth will not exceed three per cent, or down from an earlier expectation of six per cent, Maait said.

But growth of three per cent will still be one of the highest rates in the Middle East.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 16 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Budgetary equations on hold

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Kellie J. Falk Managing Director for Drucker + Falk, based in Raleigh, North Carolina "TAA is a leading non-profit trade association dedicated to the advancement of the rental housing industry and that is something we feel very passionately about, and we will continue to support them in the future. - Kellie J. Falk, Managing Director for Drucker + Falk

Drucker + Falk is a performance-driven real estate service and investment firm among some of the most respected property management and commercial real estate companies in the country. For more than 80 years, Drucker + Falk has been seen as a leading multifamily apartment management company, and is honored to recognize several employees who have dedicated their time to the Triangle Apartment Association (TAA).

TAA, the local affiliate of the Apartment Association of North Carolina and the National Apartment Association, represents individuals and companies who develop, own, manage, and provide goods and services to the apartment industry in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill and surrounding area.

Steve Hayworth, Director of Maintenance, recently received an award from TAA, highlighting his service and dedication to the board for two years. His efforts not only with TAA, but his growth and longevity within Drucker + Falk are admired and notable. Along with Hayworth, who has logged countless hours of service to the TAA board, Katy Boone, Property Manager at Crosstimbers Apartments, was installed in January 2020 and is now also on the TAA Board of Directors. At TAA, there are three boards; TAA, Triangle Apartment Association Education Foundation (TAAEF), and TAA New Lease on Life. Other Drucker + Falk employees who donate their time to these associations include, Lisa Price, immediate past Vice President and current board member for TAAEF, Nikki Worthley, DF Regional Property Manager and current Secretary/Treasurer for TAAEF, and Deanne Faison, DF Property Manager at Sumter Square and on the board of directors for TAAEF.

Kellie J. Falk, Managing Director, says, Drucker + Falk is committed to staying involved here in the southeast when it comes to local apartment associations. TAA is a leading non-profit trade association dedicated to the advancement of the rental housing industry and that is something we feel very passionately about, and we will continue to support them in the future.

ABOUT DRUCKER + FALK

Founded in 1938, Drucker + Falk is a full service real estate and investment firm managing a diverse portfolio of nearly 40,000 apartment homes and approximately 3,000,000 square feet of office, retail and industrial space in 13 states. In addition to managing a broad range of properties, including class A+ to affordable apartment communities, mixed-use and all types of commercial properties, Drucker + Falk partners with clients on developing new properties, renovating and repositioning assets, converting historic properties to unique, upscale apartment homes and offers commercial leasing and sales services. For more information visit Drucker + Falk.

ABOUT TRIANGLE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1984, the Triangle Apartment Association is a non-profit trade association serving the multifamily rental housing industry. Our members are individuals and companies who develop, own, manage, and provide goods and services to the apartment industry in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.
When the giant Currowan fire jumped the Shoalhaven River on the NSW south coast and roared into the Kangaroo Valley in early January, it trapped four fire crews in a so-called Dead Mans Zone of danger.

A wind change on the evening of January 4 had forced the mix of a dozen or so volunteer and paid firefighters to abandon their battle against the suddenly extended flank of flames on Tallowa Dam Road.

Mike Gorman, deputy captain of the Kangaroo Valley Rural Fire Service unit, said his crew was in a "near-miss incident" during a big fire in January. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The last of the convoy, a Landcruiser run by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), hit a fallen tree and was destroyed by fire. Its crew of two survived by jumping into a farmers dam. A second vehicle also got stuck and its team would have to wait at least six hours to be rescued.

Our brigade came very close to losing all three trucks and crews that evening, Mike Gorman, deputy captain of the local Rural Fire Service unit who was in one of the vehicles, writes in his submission to the NSW bushfire inquiry. It is the most serious near-miss that I am aware of in the history of the Kangaroo Valley Brigade.
Turkeys stance on its S-400s hasnt changed, even as the United States appeared to dangle support in Syria in exchange for Ankara abandoning the controversial Russian missile defense systems, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday, Al-Monitor writes in the article Intel: Turkey says S-400 stance unchanged despite US pressure.

It is not appropriate to put preconditions when an ally is in need, an urgent need, like [is] happening in Idlib, said Cavusoglu during a webinar hosted by the Atlantic Council and the Turkish Heritage Organization.

Earlier this month, US ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison suggested a package to assist Turkeys military operations in northwest Syria was conditioned on Ankara rejecting the missile defense system, which she said was deterring some of the capabilities that we would be able to give [Turkey] to fight against the Syrian aggression.

Turkeys acquisition of two Russian-supplied surface-to-air missile systems remains a source of friction between the two NATO allies. In early March, US Syria envoy James Jeffrey said that the S-400 issue left US officials split over whether to provide further support to Turkey in rebel-held northwest Syria.

Ankara and Washington have been at odds over the S-400s, which the United States says pose a threat to NATOs air defense capabilities and may compromise the security of its own F-35 stealth fighter jets. The United States threatened sanctions in response and booted Turkey from the joint strike fighter program in July.

Although CAATSA, a sweeping sanctions law passed in 2017, mandates financial penalties for countries doing business with the Russian military, the Trump administration has held off on imposing sanctions for Turkey's S-400 purchase.

Ankara, which supports some of the opposition groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, requested in February that the United States deploy Patriot batteries along its southern frontier to defend Turkish troops. Cavusoglu reiterated Tuesday his country is ready to buy them if made a good offer by the United States  a nonstarter for the Pentagon unless Turkey returns its S-400s.

We prefer to purchase from our allies. If not, I have to take alternatives, Cavusoglu said.

The S-400s, the first shipment of which arrived in Turkey in July 2019, have not yet been activated. Cavusoglu didnt say whether the Russian military hardware would be made operational later this month, as expected.

After a summit with his Russian counterpart March 5, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the plan remains for the S-400s to be fully deployed in April.
If youve scrolled through your Facebook news feed - and we know you do as you sit at home waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic - you may have noticed family and friends posting their old high school senior pictures.

You may have even posted your younger self.

The idea is to show support for this years class of graduates who are missing out on the final weeks of their senior year because of the coronavirus. People are posting senior portraits, including the high school name and graduation year.

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning, however, about the #Classof2020 Facebook challenge.

Beware, the BBB says, for scammers or hackers who could potentially use the name of your high school and graduation year, which are common online security questions, in an additional internet search to reveal more information about you, such as family members, your full name, birthdate or where you live.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

These other potential scams have shown up recently in this time of self-quarantine and isolation. Other recent viral personal list posts include all the cars youve owned (including makes/model years), favorite athletes, and top 10 favorite television shows.

The Better Business Bureau wants to remind people these favorite things are commonly used passwords or security questions. If your social media privacy settings arent high, you could be giving valuable information away for anyone to use.

The BBB has released tip to keep safe on social media.

Resist the temptation to play along. While its fun to see others posts, if you are uncomfortable participating, it is best to not do it.

Review your security settings. Check your security settings on all social media platforms to see what you are sharing and with whom you are sharing.

Change security questions/settings. If you are nervous about something you shared possibly opening you up to fraud, review and change your security settings for banking and other websites.

For more information about privacy concerns online, see the Better Business Bureaus scam alert on Facebook quizzes.

For tips for staying safe online, read BBB's tips on staying cybersecure.

Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker.

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.
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Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 15:12 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2492f6 1 World COVID-19,citizen-protection,Australia,Malaysia,Egypt,Kuwait,diaspora,Indonesian-Embassy Free

Indonesians diplomatic missions are ramping up efforts to help citizens abroad who are facing hardship amid the stringent measures imposed by many countries in the battle against COVID-19.

For the last few days several embassies have been actively delivering aid to isolated citizens or those whose livelihoods have been disrupted as a result of the policies of the countries they live in.

In Australia, for instance, the Indonesian Consulate General in Sydney has delivered aid packages to 210 Indonesians with Work and Holiday Visas (WHV) who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

The packages consisted of staple foods such as rice, cooking oil, eggs, sugar, milk, instant noodles and hand sanitizer  all of which are now scarce in Australia. They were delivered to three states  New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia  Indonesian Consul General in Sydney Heru Subolo said in a statement on Thursday.

Heru explained that the aid aimed to help Indonesians who were affected by the physical distancing policy. He also suggested they arrange for their return to Indonesia if they thought it was too difficult to maintain their livelihoods over the next six months.

The Indonesian Embassy in Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait, said on Wednesday that it had been receiving reports from Indonesian citizens starting to face difficulties. The embassy received about 240 reports on April 2, but the number rose to 1,700 on Tuesday.

The embassy said in a statement on Wednesday that most Indonesian citizens were concentrated in Sharq, Jahra, Fahaheel, Abu Halifa and Kuwait City, as well as Jleeb and Mahboulla  the two areas that are currently under regional lockdown as authorities in Kuwait have found a significant increase in confirmed cases there.

As of Tuesday, the embassy had delivered 860 packages of aid to the affected Indonesian citizens.

Aside from food supplies, they [Indonesians] also asked for aid to cover their residential costs and one-way tickets to return to Indonesia as companies in Kuwait are also facing hardships amid this crisis, the statement said.

Read also: COVID-19: Indonesian mission in Turkey offers virtual assistance to diaspora

In Egypt, the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo is monitoring more than 7,500 Indonesian students, of whom more than 1,400 have notified the embassy that they need assistance amid the pandemic.

COVID-19 has forced the students to halt their part-time jobs. In addition, many of the students families in Indonesia also faced financial struggles that made providing financial support for the students a challenge.

The embassy has, so far, delivered 210 packages of staple foods to the students.

The next phase is to begin soon, said Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Helmy Fauzy in a press release on Monday, adding that the embassy would also provide personal protective equipment for them.

In Malaysia, Indonesians who lived in red zones such as in Selangor, for instance, had also received a total of 600 packages of aid on Monday.

The Malaysian government has been isolating seven villages in Hulu Langat  a district 30 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, where 500 Indonesian nationals live  since March 30 after 71 cases of COVID-19 were found in the area.

"The team [from the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur] managed to enter the red zone of Hulu Langat in Selangor after trying for the last three weeks [to get through], said Soeharyo Tri Sasongko, the embassys first secretary in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday as quoted by antaranews.com.

Soeharyo said the convoy carrying the supplies had to face at least seven checkpoints and roadblocks before it finally arrived at the location. The supplies were then transferred to Malaysian authorities vehicles as they only allowed people wearing hazmat suits to enter the area.
Mumbai, April 16 : Two days after a massive unrest by migrants, the ruling Shiv Sena vowed to 'nail the conspiracy', but simultaneously said with this experience, Maharashtra must ensure that troublemakers who desert the state in this critical hour should not return.

Targeting the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Sena asked that there were similar crowds of migrants who gathered in Surat (Gujarat) and other cities as they were keen to return to their home states.

In a sharp edit in the party newspaper, 'Saamana', the Sena pointed out that there was no rumour about resumption of trains services and there was even a circular to this effect from the railways.

"It was in the news. How did the railways accept reservations after April 15? Even before it became clear that the Prime Minister will extend the lockdown, it was a crime to make 40 lakh ticket bookings and create confusion among the people," slammed the Sena.

Blaming the railway ministry for the fracas at Bandra and the state Opposition for 'stooping to a new low', the Sena pointedly demanded: "Will Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis demand resignation of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal?" The edit added that long-distance trains depart not only from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, but also from Mumbai Central Terminus, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, but the crowds collected only in Bandra, while the TV news channels totally blanked out the situation that built up in Surat.

"This is a huge conspiracy and we will unmask it. We shall nail those who attempted to use the Corona crisis as an excuse to create disturbances for the Maharashtra Government," the Sena vowed.

Admitting to the plight of the migrant workers and the Bandra episode as the angst of the poor people of 'Bharat', it said the clapping and clanging of thaalis or lighting lamps by the rich in 'India' would not lessen the sufferings of those who eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.

"Everybody is in deep problems, but the situation of the poor in such times becomes worse especially when cities like Mumbai shut down. For them, the government must adopt a different yardstick. Under such trying times, running the state government requires huge courage," the Sena said.

Tweaking the ears of the restive migrants, the Sena said that the state looked after and fed them, but suddenly today they want to desert Maharashtra which is tantamount to 'beimani' (treachery).

"Those who remain with us in times of crises are the real 'sons of the soil'. With this experience, the government must ensure that those who want to create trouble by leaving the state should not return. The government must find out the credentials of those who crowded in Bandra by violating the lockdown rules and attempting to harm the state," the Sena urged.

Indirectly hitting out at its ruling ally, the Nationalist Congress Party Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, the Sena wondered what the police were doing when so many thousands gathered, while they (police) keep 'caning' anyone else who moves out during lockdown.
W ere a few weeks in now, and the UK like the rest of the world is still in the grips of the coronavirus lockdown.

Things are tough out there, but theres a silver lining  the UKs cultural output has moved online, and millions of us have been tuning in for theatre shows, live comedy and art exhibitions from our sofas.

Nightlife, too, has been making its way into peoples homes through virtual club nights, and people are finding ways of enjoying live music during testing times.

These are our top picks of the things to get up to online today  make sure to check out our main guide for things to keep yourself occupied with at home, too.

Take a pub quiz with Sink the Pink

Sink the Pink are bringing the party to the living rooms of the nation tonight with its first virtual pub quiz. The LGBTQ+ collective is teaming up with Wildcat Gin to open up "The Queens Head" for its first weekly event  expect an appearance from Ginger Johnson, as well as cabaret, fantastic cocktail recipes and lockdown prizes like booze and bog roll. Tune into Sink the Pinks Instagram from 7.30pm to get involved.

Learn how to pair beer with food

Learn how best to partner up your favourite booze with your favourite food with Camden Town Brewery, who are hosting an online session on Instagram live from 7pm. Beer expert Mark Dredge will talk viewers through the science behind food pairing, as well as his top tips for getting the most out of your beer. The brewery is also encouraging viewers to donate and support the industry via JustGiving.

Head to Ross Nobles comedy bunker
MOSCOW, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Russia's biggest metal and mining company Norilsk Nickel, owned by Vladimir Potanin, has donated RUB10.5bn ($143mn) to combat the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and to protect the health of its workers. The funds will provide medical equipment, medicine and personal protective gear for local healthcare facilities, Company's operating sites and employees, as well as extend additional support to employees and to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nornickel's regions of operation.

"Norilsk Nickel is dealing with this crisis with a sufficient safety margin to ensure the maximum possible protection for our workers and all residents of the cities hosting our enterprises,"  said Vladimir Potanin, Norilsk Nickel president and Russia's wealthiest businessman.  "Viruses, no matter how dangerous, come and pass, but we must never lose sight of our main asset: our talented people. I have ordered additional measures to support our workers and residents in our cities. I am certain that together with our employees, the residents of our cities, as well as with the whole country, we will overcome this challenge successfully."

Nornickel will spend 3 billion rubles on medical and protective equipment, and the development of medical infrastructure in its regions of operations, which will include procurement of testing equipment and lung ventilators (ALV). Two stationary and five mobile laboratories will be deployed in Norilsk and on the Kola Peninsula. The number of beds in the infectious ward of the Norilsk hospital will be doubled and may be increased to a 1000, if needed. Efforts to strengthen hospitals capacity are also underway in Monchegorsk and the Pechenga district. A portion of the Nornickel COVID-19 funding allocation will provide support for small businesses in the regions of its operations.

In full compliance with the local regulations Nornickel has transferred its employees to remote work, with the exception of those workers, whose presence is required to ensure production and business continuity. In addition, the company retains salaries for those who do not have remote access and employees with young children who are unable to keep work schedules due to the closure of child care facilities.

Nornickel telecommunications subsidiary in Norilsk has granted the use of its own channels to mobile operators in Norilsk to provide the population with high-speed Internet connections for remote work and training.

In the Russian Far North Norilsk Nickel extended its support to local SMEs by introducing rent holidays to more than 100 of its tenants. Social entrepreneurs who previously received loans from Norilsk Nickel as part of the company's charity project have been offered payment deferrals for six months.

About

(MMC "Norilsk Nickel", "Nornickel" or the "Company").

MMC Norilsk Nickel is a diversified mining and metallurgical company, world's largest producer of palladium, high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper; it also produces cobalt, rhodium, silver, gold, iridium, ruthenium, selenium, tellurium, sulphur and other products.

SOURCE MMC Norilsk Nickel
An ER doctor has criticised President Donald Trump, for suspending funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO), during the coronavirus outbreak.

Stephen Sample, who works as an emergency room doctor in Jasper, Indiana, discussed Mr Trumps decision on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams.

Dr Sample criticised the presidents decision and told host Brian Williams that now is not the time to stop funding the organisation.

Defunding the World Health Organisation in the middle of a pandemic is about like me refusing emergency trauma care to a teenager in a car crash, because the police officer told me that he was texting and driving, he said.

Dr Sample added that the government needs to listen to scientists in order to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

He mentioned Mr Trumps criticism of the organisation, but said that the world needs their help right now, and in the future.

Did they screw up? Hell man I dont know, Im a redneck ER doctor in southern Indiana, but I will tell you this, we need them, he said.

They are gonna keep us safe. These viruses are coming from tropical areas, from East Asia, and weve got to see them coming.

Dr Sample added: If we dont have them on board, I dont know what were doing.

The president announced on Wednesday that the US will be suspending its funding of the World Health Organisation (WHO), so that they can review their response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The reality is the WHO failed to obtain, vet and share information in a timely fashion, Mr Trump said. The WHO failed in its basic duty and must be held accountable.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, the US has upwards of 640,291 people have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 31,195.
With the first whispers about the gradual loosening of self-isolation just beginning, there is a general understanding that economic conditions will definitely not be the same as they were before.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the first whispers about the gradual loosening of self-isolation just beginning, there is a general understanding that economic conditions will definitely not be the same as they were before.

But no one can predict exactly what the peculiarities of the new reality will actually be.

Some small business owners are already starting to worry that one of the support measures the federal government was applauded for because of how quickly it went live  the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)  might have some unintended consequences.

Renee Raeside owns a variety store in Pine Falls called Deal for Dollars that has stayed open on reduced hours as an essential service during the state of emergency.

Raeside is getting ready to extend hours but is having trouble getting staff to come back because in some cases they would earn more on CERB than they would from the part-time hours she had been offering them.

Her sister owns a few more locations as part of a family owned business that has been operating in small towns in southern Manitoba for about 20 years and is encountering the same challenge.

"Its our problem and Im not upset about it, but I just wonder if government has thought this through," she said.

The enormity of the unprecedented social actions taken to mitigate the spread of the virus has led the Canadian government to initiate billions of dollars of support funding in record breaking time. The possibility of some shaky outcomes is perhaps not so surprising.

John Graham, the director of government relations for the Retail Council of Canadas Prairie office, said some of the federal government programs were announced before the details were completed.

"Government was moving at the speed of light and the CERB was put together very quickly," he said. "Everyone is doing their very best in days and week as opposed to months and years."

CERB will provide $500 per week for 16 weeks for folks out of work who made $5,000 last year. The program was purposefully set up so as not to restrict people who really need the support with so much of the economy forced to go on "pause" to maintain social distancing.

On Wednesday, the program was broadened even further to catch more people in the net, including workers who have recently exhausted their regular employment insurance benefits but cant return to work or regular seasonal work as a result of COVID-19.

Jonathan Alward, of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, understands that recruiting people back to work might be tricky for some businesses who are starting to think about staffing up again.

"Candidly, it is a bit of a difficult matter," he said. "We have heard those concerns from some members in Manitoba."

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

He said that fundamentally, CERB is supposed to be for people who are off work because there is no work available to them.

But as Raeside said, "Its just human nature to prefer to stay home if you can make more money than you would going back to work."

Graham said officials from the retail council are in conversation with officials in the minister of finance and Prime Ministers offices.

"We think the CERB will eventually be adjusted to ensure it finds the right balance of safeguards for Canadian workers and at the same time removing any incentives to not return to work where it is safe to do so," Graham said.

He said some of those discussions include providing a way for people to not have to risk their CERB benefits but still pick up some shifts allowing those workers and their (former) employers to stay connected.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Live Q&A: Education professor gives tips on homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic Were talking to SUNY Oswego assistant professor of education Doreen Mazzye about learning and teaching during the coronavirus pandemic. What are your questions? Ask them in the comments. Posted by syracuse.com on Wednesday, April 15, 2020

As part of Syracuse.coms series of Q&A sessions with experts to help us cope with life in the time of coronavirus, we chatted Wednesday with an education expert about at-home and online schooling.

Doreen Mazzye, assistant professor of education at SUNY Oswego, offered some advice to parents trying to keep an eye on their childrens lessons while also managing their own jobs and the stresses of daily life.

You can listen to the whole conversation by clicking on the video above. Here are some highlights:

Q: Does online instruction work for children in K-12 grades?

There's clearly a learning curve right here for both students and for teachers. There are situations where it can work for students, and I think we can be hopeful to use the resources we have to make progress during this time. However, there is likely a lag in the learning experience for a lot of kids.

[Mazzye noted that many states require online educational experiences for K-12 students.]

However, there is a difference in what were experiencing compared to that. There was an existing infrastructure within those states. This was planned out. They had professional development training schools that were designated to be online learning schools.  Our teachers are just innovating trial by error, because of such a quick turnaround.

Kids can learn through online experiences. It may be more difficult. There may be challenges. And just like in face-to-face instruction, teachers will have to be reflective. What's working? What's not working? How can I adjust to make sure that the needs of my students are being met?

Q: You have taught classes both in person and online. How do you adjust what you do based on which format youre using?

A: I find that when Im teaching face to face with students, oftentimes students can just get away with just sitting back and  just listening to a lecture or not participating as much. And where online, if you require certain things like participation in a discussion board, or they have certain clicks that they have to do in your PowerPoint presentation, or you can create different interactions that require every student in your class to participate. And I think as course designers, that is thats going to be really important, because we know that learning needs to be active.  Teachers know how to create active learning experiences. And so they just have to think about it in a different way as theyre designing their online content.

Q: What can you say about the differences in how some students are going to experience this time of education, depending on whether or not they have technology in their homes to do online or interactive lessons?

A: Your question highlights some of the social justice disparities that are in existence in our society. Some people have better internet.  A lot of the schools are still providing food for kids that had reduced and free meal plans.  And Spectrum has been incredibly generous to the area by donating high-speed internet to students. Many districts have provided devices on loan with internet codes that the kids can use.

Also in our area, WCNY has partnered with Syracuse City Schools and their dynamic teachers, as well as other organizations, and they really have fantastic programming all day long with lessons that the kids can watch on TV. For example, I'm a part of an organization called the Reading League, and they have daily, explicit reading instruction lessons for primary grade students. And in addition to that, there's science, math, social studies, and this is just regular TV that the kids can just watch at different times, depending on their grade level. If you watch the lessons, there are quite high quality.

[Mazzye also noted that teachers need to design visual content to be read aloud on by a screen reader or a text to speech program, to ensure access to all students, including students with disabilities.]

Q: Children usually have a pretty long school day, but its not all instruction time. While at home, how long should they be working on their lessons?

A: That varies from student to student and district to district. And it also depends on how focused the student is during that time. With my own kids, if theyre texting their friends during the time theyre supposed to be working, it takes a lot longer for the learning take place. As parents, we can be really helpful to create spaces for kids to do their work without interruption. 

[With]the elementary kids, it's going to be a lot less time. But high school kids, it depends on their content and their studies. And they are still going to have to do extensive reading and write papers and do projects. That will take a full school day.

I think its important for us as parents to be the parents and notice: Do my kids need to go play outside for a few minutes? We can really be supportive as parents by providing a focused environment. And a lot of praise along the way: Youre doing an awesome job. I love how you put together this essay, response or whatever. So its important for us to be encouraging to them.

Q: How much should parents be over their childrens shoulder, monitoring schoolwork?

A: We want to see kids taking responsibility. When kids are in school, they do take responsibility for their work. So we dont want to change that situation too much. But at the same time, they are adjusting to a very new platform of learning. And for many kids, its hard to stay motivated when youre home in your pajamas.

One of the things that I've found to be helpful  is that I have a meeting with my kids in the morning. What's your to-do list today? We look through what the teacher sent. It's a really helpful way to ask them to take responsibility and ownership for their work, where they learn how to check off from a list. And that's a really great life skill.

[Mazzye checks in again midmorning.] When they're finished, I check in and we have a final meeting before they're free to go do whatever they feel like. And that's really when I'm trying hard to use a lot of specific praise.

Hear more at 12:43.

Q: How long will it take for kids to catch up?

A: When we get back together, what are the expectations going to be? Teachers are going to have to benchmark  to find out exactly where they are and then remediate from there. Depending on how much access kids have to the content, it will vary from child to child. And its going to be really important that we as a country really come alongside kids. And instead of saying, no, youre in fourth grade, were going to start with fourth grade curriculum, you might have to dip back into third grade a little bit and do some remediation. And its going to be really important that schools are using data that the kids produce from their assessments to inform their instruction. Theyre going to have to just start where the kids are at and move forward from there.

Hear more at 19:35.

Q: Any suggestions for parents on how to get kids through this rough patch without their peers and their teachers?

Explore the simplicities of life with your kids. Were in springtime. So much is happening outside, and you can be socially distant outside in the woods in your yard. Plant seeds and chart their growth. Instead of doing math problems on a worksheet, go outside in the driveway with your colored chalk. Read with your children. There are so many online books through the library systems that even if you dont have them at home, use your library card and get an online account and read, read, read with your kids.

One fun math thing that my girls and I have been doing is converting British recipes to English standard measurements. Make up riddles and games. Have a vocabulary word of the day and use it as many times as possible as a family. There are lots of apps that have a new vocabulary word of the day.

 Build theaters and forts out of blankets. Let your house be messy. It's OK. No one is coming over, you know. Let your kids learn and play and play with them.

The things that really keep you going are just fresh air and exploring the simplicity of life and learning and laughing together.  Just make some memories during this time. You want to look back on COVID-19 and think about what we built together.

Q: Where can parents find resources to enrich schooling at home?

A: Its been incredible what the educational community has made available for free. I want to just compliment all of the protected copyrighted content that has been made available to support kids and learning. Wilson Reading, which supports special education work, has made available all of their handouts. ... A lot of decodable readers for young children have been made widely available. Flyleaf Publishing has put all of their books online for kids to be able to read and to follow along with. So many companies have done this; just Google educational resources. ... If you go to the Reading League website, they have lots of educational resources. [Use the hashtag #ParentsAreTheNewTeachers on social media to turn up more resources.]

At 35:14, hear more about cutting yourself some slack  figuring out how to fit in working from home  how to involve children in helping around the house  what to do about screen time 

Mazzye had some parting words about emotions:

Its OK if your kid is upset or emotional. Theyre experiencing significant loss right now, and its starting to get real for them. Maybe for the first couple of weeks, there was a honeymoon period where you noticed some lack of self-control or some behaviors that were challenging. And you thought to yourself, how am I going to make it?

One of the things thats really helpful for kids is to establish routines, do check-ins with them, encourage them, tell them theyre doing a great job and point out specific things you notice that theyre doing a great job with.

And its OK if they cry. Its OK if theyre upset. Just listen to them and show that you love them and you care about them. That, to me, is how were all going to make it.

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On this occasion, the President was joined by some members of the Council of Ministers. The event was held at the Government Palace in Lima.

Thursday marks the thirty-second day of mandatory social isolation.

El presidente @MartinVizcarraC informa sobre la situacion del Estado de Emergencia en el #Dia32 y las acciones que realiza el Gobierno para contener la propagacion del COVID-19. En vivo: https://t.co/4b0DeGFOzw https://t.co/kNzMn4PtXO
Bill Gates

United States President Donald Trumps decision to stop funding the World Health Organization has been deemed dangerous by philanthropist tycoon Bill Gates. He said on April 15 that the move to withhold WHO funds as long as it awaits a review of how the coronavirus pandemic crisis was "mishandled" is as dangerous as it sounds.

For live updates on coronavirus, click here

Within a week of WHO declaring the spread of the novel coronavirus a public health crisis that demands international concern, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had provided financial assistance worth $100 million to help curb the spread of COVID-19. A large chunk of the amount was directed to the WHO. The fund was meant to help conduct research to develop a vaccine, improve detection, better treatment facilities, etc.

The founder of Microsoft, who has been urging Trump to impose a countrywide lockdown since March, took to Twitter on April 15 and wrote:

The US President has said that once the WHO review report is out, it will expose the international organization's severe mismanagement and how it worked hand in glove with China to try and cover up the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In Charts | Economic impact of lockdown on Centre and states

He also said: Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China's lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death.

Notably, the US supports the WHO with $400 million to $500 million in funds annually, whereas China contributes to barely about $40 million.

Responding to this, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, requested the US to not politicize the pandemic outbreak.
FP Trending

Instagram has launched stickers to help small businesses who are facing immense challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. These stickers are presently available in the US and Canada and will soon be rolled out globally in the coming weeks.

In its blog, Instagram said that businesses can share the new fundraiser stickers, gift card, and food order in their Instagram Stories and on their profiles in the app.

Users can then see these gift cards or food orders and click on them, following which they will be directed to the website from where they can make purchases.

Instagram said that for fundraisers when one clicks on the sticker, they will be directed to a personal fundraiser on Facebook created by business owners or their supporters. Fundraiser will be coming soon, the Facebook-owned social media app said.

For many businesses right now, every sale helps. Well continue to work on features that make it easier to support the small businesses you care about, the blog post added.

Last month, Instagram had come up with regulations to stop the spread of misinformation regarding coronavirus in the app.

It said that anyone who searches for information relating to COVID-19 will be directed to an educational message connecting the user to resources from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health ministries.
Local Parliamentarians and General Election candidates are divided on the question of whether or not New Zealand should go to the polls on September 19.

Nationals Chris Penk, who is the MP for Helensville, says that due to Covid-19 disruptions, it is unlikely that the country will be in a position to hold an election in September.

I think most Kiwis will want the chance to get involved fully and thatll be impossible if public meetings arent practical for a large part of this year, Mr Penk says.

Obviously classic campaign activities such as shaking hands and kissing babies are also out for the foreseeable future, so theres a real danger that democratic participation will be denied if we dont allow more time.

Last month, New Zealand First leader and deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, called for the election to be delayed until November 21, but Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern has been steadfast in her commitment to a September election.

The latest that an election could be held without a law change under New Zealands constitutional framework is December 12.

In response to suggestions about a possible mid-November election, Mr Penk says that giving Kiwis a couple of months breathing space might be helpful, but its too early to say if that would even be enough time.

People in this area are struggling with uncertainty in terms of health, jobs, social contact and life in general right now, so itd be good if the Government respects that by allowing more time before campaign activity gets underway.

However, Rodney-based Labour MP Marja Lubeck says it is as important to hold an election during a crisis as it is at any other time.

Its very important the public gets to hold its government to account, especially when the government is exercising extraordinary powers. We do that through elections, Ms Lubeck says.

So long as the independent experts at the Electoral Commission say it can be done safely, we should go ahead as planned.

ACT Party deputy leader Beth Houlbrooke says her party is raring to go no matter what date the election is held.

However, it is premature to call a preference as we have no idea what level well be at in August/September. We need to wait until at least next month to see if the lockdown has worked in terms of health outcomes, Ms Houlbrooke says.

Despite a likelihood that public gatherings will be restricted for some months, MPs and candidates were against using online voting in place of paper based ballots.

Rodney-based Social Credit candidate, Callan Neylon, says the controversial 2018 census shows the country is not ready for online voting.

There are still a significant number of Kiwis unable to use or access the internet. As a last resort, we could use postal voting as we do with local body elections, Mr Neylon says.

Rodney-based NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft says increasing the number of polling booths at different locations across the district would help to mitigate the possible spread of Covid-19.

Coincidentally, law changes drafted after the Christchurch mosque shootings came into effect last month that allow for voting to take place in more places including supermarkets and shopping malls.

You could be voting while you line up for your food shopping, Ms Marcroft says.

If the spread of Covid-19 prevented an election being held before the end of the year, one possibility would be a special government of national unity in which portfolios are shared across major parties.

The last time a government of national unity was called was during World War I in 1915, and it continued to preside over the country during the Spanish influenza epidemic.

However, Rodneys MPs on both sides of the house agree that the special Epidemic Response Select Committee formed at the start of the lockdown has worked effectively and a special government is not required.

The committee meets virtually several times a week and allows Opposition MPs to question the Government.

Weve been able to provide scrutiny in a way thats responsible but robust, getting a chance in Select Committee to ask searching questions of ministers, officials and other experts, Mr Penk says.

That seems a better path to tread at the moment than attempting to lump in all views behind closed doors.
A planet with a similar size to Earth, orbiting a distant star some 300 light-years away, and is likely suitable for life, was discovered by astronomers examining data collected by the now-defunct Kepler space telescope.





According to a recent article in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the exoplanet planet named Kepler-1649c is 1.06 times bigger than our home planet and was found to be orbiting a red dwarf star. Red dwarf stars are much smaller in size and have cooler temperatures than our sun.

The astronomers revealed that the exoplanet gets around 75% of the amount of light that Earth receives from the sun. It indicates that the surface temperature of the planet could be like Earth.

The scientists said that the exoplanet is found within the so-called habitable zone of its star. This means that it is located in an area that is just the right distance for liquid water to exist on the surface. Scientists have long suggested that the presence of liquid water on the surface of a planet signifies that it could support life.

Earth-Sized planet from a distant galaxy called Kepler-1649c found by astronomers, and is likely habitable

Researchers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) investigated 2,681 exoplanets discovered by the Kepler space telescope from 2009 to 2018.

Out of these exoplanets, the study discovered that Kepler-1649c is the most similar in size to and probably has the same temperature as Earth. Astronomers defined exoplanets as planets that are orbiting stars beyond our solar system.

Data from the space telescope revealed that this particular planet is nearer to its parent star than our planet to the sun. The study showed that it could complete an orbit around its star every 19.5 Earth days.

The study explained that radiation flares could batter Kepler-1649c, which could threaten the existence of any possible life. However, there is no indication that flares have occurred during the observation period.

Little known world

Although the findings are promising, astronomers still know very little about the planet and its atmosphere. They pointed out that the distance of Kepler-1649c to its star is similar to the case of Venus in our solar system.

Thomas Zurbuchen, an associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said that it intrigues him that distant worlds give us even greater hope that a second Earth lies among the stars, waiting to be discovered.

Nearly missed it

An earlier study using a computer algorithm called Robovetter classified it as a false positive, which is why Kepler-1649c was initially overlooked as a planet. Computers can make mistakes, so researchers in the Kepler False Positive Working Group who analyze all false positives took another look. This led to its new classification as a planet.

Lead researcher Andrew Vanderburg of the University of Texas at Austin explained that of all the mislabeled planets they have discovered, Kepler-1649c is the planet that particularly excites him--not with its similarities to Earth--but its interaction with its neighboring worlds.

The Kepler space telescope was a space telescope launched by NASA in 2009 to discover Earth-size planets orbiting other stars. It was named after astronomer Johannes Kepler.

The planet-hunting space telescope was retired in 2018 after nine years of operation. Although now out of commission, the data collected by the spacecraft could lead to more discoveries in the future.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Bloomberg) --

Broadcom Inc. warned customers theyll need to place orders for parts at least six months ahead of time, a surprisingly long lead time that points to wider than anticipated disruptions to the tech industrys global supply chain.

Lockdowns in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines are closing or severely restricting business operations, according to a letter to customers from Nilesh Mistry, Broadcoms vice president of sales, dated April 13 and seen by Bloomberg News. He urged clients to put in their orders at least 26 weeks ahead of delivery -- meaning anything ordered now will get shipped right around the crucial holiday season. The typical lead time for deliveries is about two to three months.

The missive from Broadcom -- which makes crucial components for Apple Inc.s iPhone -- drives home concerns that Covid-19 is disrupting the tech supply chain well beyond China, where the novel coronavirus first emerged to impact global production lines. While Chinas recovering its footing, lockdowns and quarantine orders in crucial regions such as Southeast Asia are exerting a still-unknown impact on the supply of everything from Nintendo Switches to smartphones.

Air and sea transport options have become unreliable and become more expensive and have increased delays, Mistry wrote. His letter to customers didnt specify which products are experiencing delayed shipments and what Broadcoms normal lead time is between orders and delivery. We hope that as the global community finds better methods to address the Covid-19 pandemic, the conditions will abate and we will be able to resume our normal operations.

The San Jose, California-based company declined to comment.

Not Made in China Is Global Techs Next Big Trend: Supply Lines

Terry Gou, whose Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. makes many of the worlds most recognizable consumer electronics including the iPhone, said in March Chinas production restart had proven faster than expected. But he was worried that disruptions outside of China could become an issue as the coronavirus spreads globally.

Story continues

Broadcom is part of the same supply chain that most of the worlds chipmakers use to outsource production, testing and packaging of their products. Its a critical link for products from mobile phones to data-center hardware. Any delays in the delivery of its semiconductors could spread throughout that supply network, potentially leading to missed launches of some of the worlds most high-profile and widely used electronic devices.

Intel Corp. and Texas Instruments Inc. will report earnings next week, when theyre certain to face questions from investors about their ability to keep their factories running and fill customer orders. Products from companies such as Qualcomm Inc., Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. are built mostly by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., then tested and packaged by other companies in China and Southeast Asia. Some companies perform elements of the process in-house, and a shrinking group are capable of doing all the steps themselves.

Wireless customers include Apple and Samsung Electronics Co., which use Broadcom chips to add Wi-Fi and other connectivity to some of the worlds best-selling smartphones. In networking, Broadcoms switch chips are the market leaders, going into machinery thats used by all of the biggest equipment makers, including Cisco Systems Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co., and companies such as Amazon.com Inc. that build their own gear.

Read more: Nintendo Is Likely to Suffer Global Switch Shortages From VirusOn March 12, Broadcom withdrew its annual sales forecast and gave weak near-term guidance, citing the impact of the pandemic. Chief Executive Officer Hock Tan told investors that, while fundamental demand was still strong and he hadnt see any negative impact in the first quarter of the year, visibility was lacking.

As part of a bond offering last week, Broadcom warned investors it was experiencing some disruption to parts of its global supply chain. In the related risks section of a regulatory filing, the company highlighted that a main warehouse and a number of assembly and test subcontractors are in Malaysia, which has shut down all non-essential businesses. The warehouse is fully operational, but many of the facilities of our suppliers and service providers are not, the company said at the time.

An extended closure of these facilities may require us to move assembly and test services to providers in other countries, and may, eventually, lead to a shortage of some components needed for our products, Broadcom said. In the event restrictive measures in Malaysia are intensified and our warehouse is shut down or required to operate at a reduced capacity, our ability to deliver product to our customers would be severely limited.

The test and assembly of chips includes coating them in protective plastic, adding electrical contacts that let them communicate with the rest of the device, and making sure they function. Such work is less expensive and easier to conduct than the processing of silicon wafers that make up the fundamental circuits of the chips. Much of the packaging work was shifted to countries with lower labor costs decades ago.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

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E-commerce companies such as Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal have been told by the government that they are allowed to service both essentials and non-essentials, but State governments have the choice to decide on how far they can allow them, according to sources.

Products such as phones, laptops and televisions are among the first ones to be allowed to be sold on various e-commerce platforms. Governments of Rajasthan and Maharashtra have already allowed the e-commerce firms to sell and deliver non-essentials products, while as governments of Karnataka, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh are ...
 We feel like were standing on the edge of the cliff and that at any point were going to be pushed off, but we just dont know when. This is what one of the consultant doctors at a major London hospital has just told Emma Glass, a senior nurse who works in the hospitals paediatric outpatient department. Glass also happens to have written a rather good novel, Rest And Be Thankful, about a nurse who works in an isolation ward looking after sick children, which by bizarre coincidence, was published just as coronavirus was taking off.

While the novel is not about a pandemic  its more poetic auto-fiction with a ghost story element  Glass does evoke the exhaustion and relentlessness of working long hospital shifts, the pain, the bleeding and cracked skin that comes with endless hand scrubbing, and most poignantly, the grief of the bereaved, in excruciating detail. Tiredness falls off like shrivelled snakeskin, an ill baby has ghastly tentacles of gleaming plastic flow[ing] out of his nose and his chest, and when a mother learns her child will not survive, She coughs and coughs and spews out the grief. And mucus. And tea. Watery and running. The tea is still hot. I feel it soak through my tunic. The smell is acrid, acidic, a smell of sugar and sour milk and nicotine. I am slick with sick. I am stained with grief.

Her account is loosely based on her previous job at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where for two years she looked after massively immune-compromised children in an infectious disease unit. So it kind of gives me the creeps that my book has come out at this exact time, because were all about hand washing, scrambling for the alcohol gel and isolation precautions now, and that was very much part of childrens lives at GOSH.

After two years of working flat out, Glass left GOSH to work in the childrens outpatients of another London hospital  she has asked me not to divulge which  with regular daytime shifts, and mostly healthy children who went home after their consultations every day. I was cutting out night shifts and weekends, scrabbling around for some balance.

Today the department is quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of noisy children gone, as it is repurposed to store all the personal protective equipment needed in other parts of the hospital. Im not the nurse in the protective equipment managing a child or adult on a ventilator, but I am helping to make decisions about where our staff are best deployed, maintaining morale and making people feel that even if their role is small, it still has a purpose. She describes the extraordinary willingness of everyone to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. Yesterday one of the clinic rooms had to be used to store some bedside lockers from the intensive care department and within minutes, five occupational therapists were down there helping. Everyone has a big can-do attitude even though they may feel vulnerable travelling to and from work on public transport and going back to empty homes. We are putting ourselves at risk coming to work every day.

As a manager, she struggles with not knowing what lies ahead, because things are changing all the time. My team want to know what are our jobs are going to be next week. Were waiting to see how corona progresses and make ourselves as ready as we can be to help the teams with the adult patients, where the need is greatest.

Glass grew up in Swansea and studied English and Creative Writing at Kent University before retraining as a nurse in 2008 when the recession meant there were far fewer jobs in the creative industry. Her mother is also a nurse; her father is a plumber. They were adamant that I should be able to look after myself and feel useful, and these are important values that have been instilled in me.

It hasnt stopped her writing though. Her first novel Peach, which came out in 2018, was a really weird avant-garde book about sexual assault, she says, that took her ages to write. By contrast, Rest And Be Thankful poured out in two four day-long spurts over eight months. Once the idea is there, the words flow. Its like sleep-walking, it just happens and feels very self-indulgent. The idea was based on a ghost story Glass heard when she was at GOSH. We liked to creep each other out on night shifts and tell spooky stories. One was about a nurse in Victorian times who was feeding a baby on a night shift, fell asleep and dropped the baby, who died.

There is a third novel in her head but nursing remains her calling and never more so than now. No one is whisking me off to author-land any time soon in a limousine. In some ways Im glad because nursing keeps me grounded. If I have a really bad day at work, I tell myself that if I was a writer, I wouldnt have to put up with this. But I wouldnt change being a nurse for the world, its what Im meant to be doing with my life.


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Kaitlyn Kincaid, a math teacher at Wahkiakum High School, has been using YouTube, Google Classroom, Instagram, email, and more to interact with students.

Wahkiakum School District may have closed their doors to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in the community, but teachers, including the high school teachers profiled here, are reaching out from their own homes using technological and traditional resources to draw students back into the classroom, one constructed in their own homes and in their own minds.

Since Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a statewide order to close public and private schools throughout the state, WSD Superintendent Brent Freeman, administration, staff, and teachers have gone into high gear to figure out not only how to feed students throughout the week, but how to keep them moving toward their educational goals.

"There's a misperception among some that teachers and students were given an early summer vacation when Governor Inslee decided to close brick-and-mortar schools for the remainder of the year," said Don Cox, who teaches History at Wahkiakum High School. "That couldn't be further from the truth. What's been going on since the schools were closed on March 13 is the development of plans to take everything online, something my colleagues and I have been working hard at doing."

His U.S. History class had been scheduled to take a field trip this spring to visit the forts that protected the Columbia River during World War II, but after Inslee's announcement, Cox started thinking about how to continue with the plan without ever getting on a bus.

"The problem was solved, thanks to Google Maps, YouTube, and other sites that take us places without ever leaving home," Cox said. "I just had to tweak the parameters of the activity a bit."

"Recreating activities for online engagement isn't difficult; what is more challenging is keeping students engaged outside the classroom," he said. "I try to encourage students by shaping activities to the current world situation. For example, in my Honors U.S. History class, one activity involved rewriting Winston Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches..." speech to make it seem as though he were speaking about Covid-19 instead of Nazi Germany. In my American Government/Global Issues class, students compete to see who can come up with the most bizarre news story dealing with peoples' responses to the pandemic. These would be things like the Australian researcher getting magnets stuck inside his nose, or the leader of Turkmenistan fining his people for wearing masks in public. My wife and I recruited a few of my English students into a reading club when we came across Year of Wonders, a work of historical fiction looking at a village during England's plague year of 1666. I find that you get the greatest interest when you show the most relevance."

"What surprises me in all this is the number of students who want to engage," Cox said. "I have a freshman, for example, who wanted to do some of the activities I'm putting out to my juniors and seniors, just because they looked "fun"! Another student begged for a follow-on activity because she'd enjoyed the initial one so much. Although you'll probably not get too many teenagers to admit it, most of them actually want what we have to offer them. Curiosity about the world isn't dead with this generation, at least not yet."

Teachers are working solo and in teams to make contact with all their students. They have been keeping track of each contact, and Freeman has a spreadsheet he can go to when a parent calls, wondering why no one has reached out to his or her child.

They have been.

"For me, this initially meant emailing and calling students and families," Kaitlyn Kincaid, a math teacher at Wahkiakum High School said, "but it has evolved over the last couple of weeks."

She emailed a link to a Google Forms survey to all students and their families over the past weekend, hoping to learn several things. What kind of access did students have at home to a computer? What is their internet reliability? How did students want to engage in their learning? Would they prefer Google Classroom, emailed assignments, paper packets, or textbooks? Did they have any challenges she should be aware of?

Kincaid has already received several responses from her students, and she will be reaching out to the families of the ones who have not responded, in order to ascertain "what supports are needed."

"Social media plays a big role in our society and the lives of students," Kincaid said, "so I created a private Instagram account for my students. I post updates and reminders so that they are informed of what is going on. I have been and will continue posting in Google Classroom."

While researching ways to engage students, she found herself going to YouTube frequently when she had a question about one thing or another. The medium inspired her to start her own YouTube Channel, "Math with Ms. Kincaid."

She posts tutorials there, admitting that the videos are more general at the moment, but she plans to start posting math lessons next week.

Meanwhile, there are students and families in outlying areas who through no fault of their own, do not have reliable internet access.

Kincaid is creating packets and preparing a textbook and students can either pick them up later this week or go with the school district bus drivers, who are already delivering meals.

"These packets will include calendars, options for communication, lessons, and practice," Kincaid said. "I am available to students by phone, email, Instagram or Zoom to answer any questions they may have about the lessons."

She also has office hours through Zoom to provide support and answer questions.

"Students can join by accessing Zoom on the internet or by calling into the meeting using a phone," Kincaid said. "In order to keep these meetings as secure as possible, and so that only students and families have access, a password is required and I approve people before they can join. The safety and well being of my students is definitely a top priority."

"These may not be the best of circumstances, and this experience brings its own unique challenge, but it has been amazing to see the district and community pull together," Kincaid said. "We have staff making sure students are fed and that they get the tools they need, such as textbooks and packets. Our teams have been working on collaborating to support students as best as we can. It is certainly a learning curve for all of us. I am grateful to be a part of such an amazing team."

"I miss seeing my students' faces everyday, but I am optimistic that we will all come out of this stronger than ever before."

"My plans are evolving and changing daily as I try to figure out what will work best for my students," said Jeff Rooklidge, who teaches science and robotics.

"Normally during this time of year, my Biology and Environmental Science students are engaged in survey work and monitoring and data collection on migratory birds using the Pacific Flyway," Rooklidge said. "Students learn about some of the billions of birds that migrate along the Pacific Flyway in search of nesting habitat, food sources, and favorable climate conditions, etc. Students are often involved in monitoring our Wood Duck artificial nest boxes on the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge, a program that was initiated by Andrew Emlen over 20 years ago. In the past, students have taken field trips to the refuge and other areas along the Columbia River to photograph and document nesting sites and species arrival. They have even taken kayak trips in past years with local experts Andrew Emlen and MD Johnson to learn about migratory birds.

"With covid-19 and the Stay at Home order, these options are no longer possible," Rooklidge said. "This is my Plan B. I am designing a unit in which students learn about bird biology from their backyards and local neighborhoods. I am sending home learning opportunities to support student understanding about flight adaptations, feeding, nesting and courtship behaviors that enable birds to be so successful and valuable to our ecosystems. Students will photograph, make observations and collect data about many of our local bird species including:

"Purple Martin scouts who have been arriving from the Amazon rainforest this spring and searching for nest sites; Rufous Hummingbirds who have been arriving from the wintering grounds in Mexico and Southern US to the Pacific Northwest, some traveling 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico during this migration. These are just a couple of the many species of birds that students will have the opportunity to research, document, observe and learn about.

"I am sending home support learning materials to help students gain a basic background in ornithology to prepare them for project research at home."

Rooklidge is communicating with students via text, phone calls, emails, and FaceTime. He is exploring Zoom, as he considers whether to use it for classroom discussion, but he's discovered that "low bandwidth levels in the Elochoman Valley are presenting tough challenges for this method of communication so far."

Spring Break was just last week. Meals were provided throughout, but it remained intact, a vacation from education for students and teachers.

Audrey Petterson, who teaches English at Wahkiakum High School, is learning to use Zoom for the first time, and shares a similar struggle with Rooklidge and some of their students: "the limitations of...home internet."

With unreliable internet at home, Petterson will have some Zoom classes and Zoom office hours, but she plans to give students weekly schedules for activities through Google Classroom for those with internet and packets to be picked up at the school on Thursdays and Fridays for those without.

"Pre-break was crazy madness, trying to connect with families, finding the ways that different students and families could or would respond, always considering individual circumstances and social emotional learning," Petterson said, "We care about the students. It's hard to understand how they are when we don't hear from them."

From the beginning, Petterson asked her students to journal, in order to "reflect on this exceptional time," with specific focus on initial thoughts and healthy habits.

She also asked them to align something they were doing at home with a common core standard, but it turned out to be a more difficult task, and without the motivation of grades, Petterson didn't get a very big response.

While some students will need to be contacted for missed work, others are looking for more to do. Like Cox said, there are students who want to engage.

One such student was thinking outside the box when he asked Petterson if pursuing fiction writing might be a good way to develop his argumentative writing.

"I thought that was cool," Petterson said, admitting she gave him the long answer.

On April 6, during Wahkiakum's Spring Break, Governor Inslee extended the statewide school closure through the end of the academic year.

"Now that we've returned from Spring Break and know that face-to-face contact with our classes won't reoccur this year, we're building up to continue providing differentiated instruction for all," Petterson said. "Some days, it seems like trying to custom-build a vehicle for each student while driving it, but we are working on meeting the challenge."

More recently, there was another shift in their approach, "Every student will need to participate to the extent they are capable."

Petterson is teaching AP/College in the High School classes, honors classes, and is an advisor for the senior class. She's not only working every day to stay in touch with her students, but she has also been reaching to the latter group to make sure they're in line to graduate.

"I miss the students," Petterson said, echoing an earlier sentiment. "I know that they miss each other."
SALEM, Ore.  Oregon will be receiving nearly $38.6 million to help support families child care needs and child care providers through the pandemic, senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Thursday.

The money will be in the form of Child Care and Development Block Grant funding. It is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress approved last month.

MORE: LAWMAKERS SEEK $50 BILLION IN RELIEF FOR CHILD CARE WORKERS

Oregon will be able to increase income limits for applicants from 185% of the Federal Poverty Level to 85% of state median income or 250% of the federal poverty level, whichever is higher. Lawmakers said this will allow the grants to go to a larger share of essential workers who rely on child care.

A temporary emergency rule has waived copayments for families that participate in the program.

Participating child care providers closed due to the pandemic will continue to remain eligible for ongoing payments, and providers that are open will be paid for an increased number of absent days for children who are enrolled but not attending because of the emergency.
A second resident at the Berks Heim Nursing and Rehabilitation has tested positive for COVID-19, county commissioners announced Thursday.

Berks County announced another resident tested positive on Monday, a week after two employees tested positive as well.

The second resident to test positive received confirmation on Wednesday, the county said.

The resident, along with their entire housing unit, are under quarantine. The families of those under quarantine were notified. These same measures were taken when the first resident tested positive.

The county and home are following guidance from the CDC, Centers or Medicare and Medicaid Services, the county Department of Emergency Services and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Though the home has two employees that have tested positive for COVID, the county said both employees were home monitoring symptoms before they tested positive.

As of Thursday, Berks County has reported 1,419 positive cases and 3,306 negative results with 31 deaths.

Read more on PennLive:
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BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- "Ding!" It's the sound of Customs officers scanning the electronic health codes of travelers in the exit-entry hall before allowing them into the country.

China's border ports are the main battlefield in the control of imported COVID-19 cases.

All airlines have posted health declaration QR codes at check-in counters and boarding gates of all flights to China so passengers can fill in their health information on the WeChat Mini-Program or declaration app, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

As of April 8, the number of health declarations on the mini-program was about 3.69 million, with about 7.82 million page views and 1.96 million WeChat users. Declarations on the website and app totaled about 119,000.

The testing laboratory is also a battlefield. With the continuous rise in imported cases, the GAC has fully mobilized and integrated its detection capabilities, and deployed detection personnel and equipment to frontline quarantine work.

Much-needed detection equipment was added, including 40 nucleic acid extraction instruments, 39 fluorescence quantitative PCR instruments, and five new P2 laboratories.

Specialists conduct difficult molecular biology tests for more than 10 hours a day in the Customs laboratory under the protection of relatively high biosafety .

In addition, the GAC has strengthened big data risk analysis in cooperation with the foreign affairs, industry and commerce, health, immigration and civil aviation authorities.

Customs personnel kept a close eye on key countries, key flights and key passengers based on big data technology.
In annexed Crimea, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) has detained a citizen of Ukraine and a Russian citizen who are accused of spying for the benefit of Ukraine. It was reported by TASS with reference to the FSBs press service.

The Russian security department noted that the "spy group" included a citizen of Ukraine, as well as a Russian who is a serviceman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, in 2017-2018, the Russian provided the Ukrainian military intelligence with the state secret that was entrusted to her. Criminal cases of espionage and treason have been initiated against them.

The citizen of Russia is under house arrest because she has underage children and the Ukrainian citizen is in custody.

As we reported earlier, on March 11, Russia's FSB detained four people after the searches in Bakhchisarai, Crimea: Seytumer Seytumerov (journalist of the ATR TV channel), Osman Seytumerov, Amet Suleymanov (journalist of the Crimean Solidarity initiative), Rustem Seitmemetov. They were taken to the FSB department.

All detainees are charged under article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of Russia ("Organization of a terrorist organization and participation in the activities of such an organization").
Maybe he was at home. Or maybe he was at his favorite Swiss hotel.

It had been 35 days since anyone saw the president of Cameroon - or, at least, since anyone had revealed his whereabouts - and people in the central African country had questions.

"Sir, are you alive?" one man asked on Twitter.

The public absence of Paul Biya - who, at 87, is the oldest leader in Africa - during the coronavirus pandemic fueled outrage, concern and wild theories before the strongman turned up Thursday in a photo with the French ambassador to Cameroon.

"On the menu for our exchange this afternoon: managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon, France and around the world," Biya tweeted.

"You have risen?" someone wrote in response.

"We don't ask you to receive people," another said. "We ask you to address the nation."

The photo surfaced one day after Maurice Kamto, the president's chief political rival, called on Cameroon's legislature to declare a power vacancy and hold a new election.

The prominent politician, who challenged Biya in the 2018 race, cited the country's constitution, which dictates that voting must begin within 40 days of a president's death, resignation or "permanent incapacity."

"Cameroonians are expecting him to address the nation, to tell them exactly what is going on, to share his vision," Kamto told The Washington Post. "Whether that photo is real? Authentic? I don't know."

Christophe Guilhou, the French ambassador, retweeted the image, which showed the men sitting on separate cream couches.

Neither he nor Biya's office responded to requests for comment.

Altered-photo scandals involving the president have damaged trust in the past, said Doris Toyou, a Cameroonian lawyer in New York.

An obviously manipulated photo of Biya at a funeral for fallen soldiers appeared on the presidential website in 2015. (He was in Europe, not at the event.)

"The photo was illegally modified by someone who managed to hack into the site," the communications minister told France 24 at the time.

People want more than evidence of a meeting with the French ambassador, Toyou said.

"The question remains the same," she said. "Is he able and willing to perform presidential function?"

Citizens had been wondering: Is Biya's hand really signing those presidential decrees? Who is actually behind his Facebook posts?

On social media, Cameroonians demanded to hear him speak about the coronavirus pandemic, which is rattling Cameroon and much of the world. The nation has recorded 848 cases and 14 deaths. The airports are closed. Schools and places of worship have shuttered.

Biya's ministers have done the talking since the first case emerged on March 6. The top health official tweets daily updates in English and French.

The silence is a stark contrast to other presidential approaches to covid-19, the disease the novel coronavirus causes.

The Senegalese leader has released a video of himself washing his hands. The Ugandan president posted footage of his indoor workout. The Guinean ruler gave a speech with face masks shielding his microphones.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who spent a week in intensive care with a severe case of the virus, allowed cameras to film him this month in a hospital bed.

"During this pandemic, every single country in the world needs to hear from their head of state," said Kamto, the Cameroonian opposition leader.

The chances of Cameroon declaring a power vacancy are slim to none. The National Assembly and the Constitutional Council, which handle such matters, are crowded with members of Biya's party.

They've defended him over the decades - Biya took office in 1982 - through allegations of military brutality, rigged elections and an extraordinary amount of time spent on private trips abroad - even as a separatist uprising and Boko Haram attacks have rocked the country.

Biya spent a third of his time overseas in 2006 and 2009, according to one widely shared report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, an international group of investigative journalists.

During some of his stays in Switzerland, Cameroonians in the country protested outside his preferred hotel: the InterContinental Geneva.

Has he been there lately?

"I do not have any information," a receptionist told The Post before hanging up.

Biya is known for taking long breaks away from the public eye, said Jeff Smith, the founding director of Vanguard Africa, a pro-democracy nonprofit organization.

"It's not an uncommon refrain to hear Cameroonians lament the fact that they have a 'ghost president,' " he said.

However, Smith added, "his absence is really quite shocking during a time in which Cameroon has experienced the most cases and deaths due to the coronavirus in all of Central Africa."
- Mary Agyapong was confirmed positive for coronavirus and was admitted for urgent treatment

- Doctors handling her recommended an emergency cesarean section immediately she got admitted in order to save her baby

- The deceased woman was one of the over 12,000 deaths reported in the UK which registered close to 100,000 positive cases as by April 16

Doctors in the UK have been forced to sacrifice an ailing pregnant nurse for the sake of her baby after she contracted coronavirus.

Twenty eight-year-old Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong who was a nurse at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, had been taken ill at the facility on April 5 for urgent medical attention.

READ ALSO: Siaya family sues government over undignified burial of kin who died from COVID-19

Mary is a Ghanaian nurse who worked at a hospital in the UK. Photo: Sandy O'Donnel.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Naibu gavana wa Kilifi Gideon Saburi aachiliwa kwa bondi

Considering her condition and that of the baby, doctors opted for an emergency cesarean section to save the little angel, The Guardian reported on April 16.

The hospital said Mary, who is a Ghanaian national, had finished her schedule mid March and was not at work by the time she was confirmed positive.

READ ALSO: Teso South couple donates 2 acres of sweet potatoes to villagers as coronavirus bites

READ ALSO: Mutahi Kagwe is blindly leading us to nowhere, lacks strategy - Lawyer Ahmednasir

It was not immediately established whether or not the new mother got the disease while handling COVID-19 patients.

The nursing community led by David Carter mourned their deceased colleague as a fabulous nurse and an example of what humanity entailed.

"She was a fantastic nurse and a great example of what we stand for in this trust. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Mary's family and friends at this sad time," said hospital's director David Carter.

In an online fundraiser, her sister Rhoda, said Mary was a blessing to everyone she came across and her love, care and sincerity would be irreplaceable.

"You will forever be in our hearts Mary. Your memories are still with us and we will cherish them forever until we meet again. We will forever miss you," she wrote.

The deceased woman was one of the over 12,000 deaths reported in the UK which registered close to 100,000 positive cases as by April 16.

The country's prime minister Boris Johnson who contracted the virus was moved to intensive care unit from where he survived.

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Kenyans in China speak out on the discrimination of Africans by Chinese citizens | Tuko TV.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:12:59|Editor: huaxia

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CAPE TOWN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Thursday expressed concern over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The South African government is very concerned and alarmed at the announcement by Trump to suspend funding for the WHO, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.

Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO, accusing the organization of "failing to adequately obtain, vet, and share information in a timely and transparent fashion."

South Africa is particularly alarmed that the decision is made amid a global health crisis that requires a full-capacity WHO to provide support in combatting the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.

"It is alarming that this very regrettable decision is announced as this deadly virus strikes Africa and the poorest and most vulnerable states," said Monyela.

The WHO is mandated to promote health and ensure universal health coverage globally and is tasked to lead global efforts to suppress the transmission and stop the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

"It is the sole global health agency, with the core focus on universal healthcare. As such, its efforts to coordinate a genuinely global response against this scourge should be recognized and supported," said Monyela.

With the coronavirus cases escalating at a rapid pace by the day, the announcement by the U.S. to cut its funding to the WHO will have a significantly adverse impact on its programs, and the world's ability to fight and eliminate this pandemic, Monyela said.

At this time now more than ever, the international community has to stand together and work in the spirit of human solidarity and cooperation with one another, he said.

"We believe that, more than ever before, the WHO deserves increased support from member states in particular to bolster its efforts to suppress transmission and stop the pandemic," Monyela said.

South Africa is hopeful that the U.S. government will reconsider its decision and re-join the international community in fighting this pandemic, he said. Enditem
The U.S. Navy says 11 vessels of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) made "dangerous and harassing approaches" toward U.S. naval ships in the Persian Gulf.



The U.S. ships were in international waters carrying out exercises at the time of the incidents on April 15, the U.S. 5th Fleet said on Twitter.

One of the IRGC vessels came within about 10 meters of one of the U.S. ships, it said, while another came within 50 meters of a U.S. ship.

The ships took "actions deemed appropriate to avoid collision," according to the fleet, which said the IRGC vessels "maneuvered in an unsafe & unprofessional manner."



The fleet said there were no injuries, but it added that the IRGC ships actions violated "both proper seamanship in accordance with the rules of the road & due regard for the safety of other vessels in the area as required by international law."



The 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, also released photos showing one of the vessels it says was targeted, the USS Lewis B. Puller, with smaller ships around it.



The incident comes a day after unidentified armed men boarded a Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.



The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said on April 14 that the vessel was boarded while anchored just off the Iranian coast in the Sea of Oman, but added that the ship was later released.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had discussed the incident with the Pentagon.



We're evaluating how best to respond and how best to communicate our displeasure with what...took place, Pompeo said in an interview on Fox News.



Close interactions with Iranian military vessels have occurred in the region in the past, drawing warning shots from U.S. Navy ships when Iranian vessels got too close.



Tensions between Iran and the United States increased in January after the United States killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq.



Iran retaliated with a rocket attack on the Ain Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq where U.S. forces were stationed. No U.S. troops were killed but more than 100 were later diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.

With reporting by Reuters and AP.
The Sikkim government on



Thursday decided to provide patients from the state who are stranded outside because of the lockdown with a one-time aid of Rs 30,000.

"With a view to mitigate the hardship of those patients who are undergoing treatment in various hospitals outside the State and are stranded due to the lockdown on account of COVID-19 pandemic, the State Government has decided to provide financial relief amounting to Rs 30,000 per patient from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund," said a notification issued in this regard by Chief Secretary S C Gupta.

The government will also provide all ASHA workers with an honorarium of Rs 5,000 in view of their efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus infection in the state which has so far reported no COVID-19 patient.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang informed Governor Ganga Prasad of these measures during a meeting at Raj Bhavan, an official statement said here.

The chief minister also apprised Prasad of his recent visit to Rangpo and Melli check posts bordering West Bengal to take stock of the precautionary measures.

The state government has extended the lockdown in Sikkim till May 3 following the decision of the Centre, Tamang said.

He also briefed Prasad about the steps taken to distribute relief materials to the needy people.

The state government has also launched a portal to inform people about the COVID-19 situation in the state.

The governor handed over to the chief minister a cheque of Rs 11 lakh as a contribution made by Dharampal Gulati, CEO of MDH spices, to the Chief Minister's Relief fund.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Germany Arrests 5 in Plot Against US Bases

By VOA News April 15, 2020

German prosecutors announced Wednesday the arrest of four Islamic State members accused of planning attacks against U.S. military sites in Germany.

A statement said the group had guns and ammunitions needed for their attacks, along with some materials for building explosive devices.

The prosecutors said the group had already scouted U.S. Air Force bases in Germany.

They identified the four, along with a fifth person in custody since last month, as nationals of Tajikistan who founded a terror cell in Germany after joining the Islamic State group last year.

Authorities said they were in contact with and received instructions from high-ranking Islamic State leaders in Syria and Afghanistan.

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A Shelby County barbershop is planning to reopen its doors Friday in defiance of the states order shuttering non-essential businesses after its owner said it was left with no other choice.

The Male Room, a full-service barbershop in the Inverness Corners shopping center off Highway 280, will be offering its services by appointment only starting Friday and with safety measures in place, Scott Farr, president and partner of Ervin, Farr Inc., which owns the barbershop, said in a Facebook post Tuesday. Farr could not be reached by AL.com, and nobody was at the business when AL.com stopped by Wednesday afternoon. A sign hung on the front door said The Male Room was closed due to COVID-19.

Granted, we are not designated, according to the state of Alabama as essential, but the income in which we have been deprived through governmental mandate is essential to our staff and their families, Farr wrote.

The Male Room and its employees filed for stimulus programs intended to blunt the impact of the coronavirus, Farr said, but the benefits may take time to reach the business.

And while this relief may eventually find its way to us, we are left with no other choice than to reopen for business now, he said. So, given the circumstances The Male Room will reopen for business on Friday, April the 17th at 10 a.m.

Under Gov. Kay Iveys stay-at-home order that also bars non-essential businesses like barbershops from operating, businesses and individuals that flout the order may be charged with a misdemeanor and up to a $500 fine. Separate violations are issued for each day the order is defied.

Mitigations will be implemented during the reopening, Farr said, including limited services (haircuts and neck shaves only), conducting services by appointment only, no more than four staff members will be working and ample social distancing between stations. Workers will also be wearing face shields and only credit card payments will be taken.

Employees will not be required to work, and Farr said some have contacted him saying they are uncomfortable working.

The Male Room owner said he understands the plan to reopen will be a controversial one and that the health and safety of staff and customers are of utmost importance.

Every practical precaution in the operation of the business will be utilized, he said. We are making this difficult decision because not doing so ensures the business will fail. I cannot in good conscience stand by and voluntarily forego a business that many people have worked so hard to build and maintain.

Although Farr said he takes full responsibility for the decision to reopen, he said that does not extend to his business liability should anyone contract the coronavirus.

Farrs full Facebook post is below:
Photo: Google Street View Victoria City Hall

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps wants the B.C. government to use its emergency powers to requisition empty hotel and motel rooms for people without homes during the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a motion going to committee of the whole today, Helps and councillors Sarah Potts and Jeremy Loveday urge the province to take immediate action to get people off the streets or, failing that, to allow the city to declare a local state of emergency.

Helps told reporters Wednesday that the city has hit a wall after working hard on the issue with B.C. Housing and Island Health for the past month.

She said B.C. Housing requires increased powers to secure the rooms, while Island Health needs more resources to provide supports to people once they move off the street.

It is absolutely naive to think that COVID-19 will not hit the unsheltered population in our city, and when it does, those people are going to be using the same hospital beds and acute-care beds that everybody else will, she said.

Helps has appealed directly to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry as well, writing that Victoria is in a crisis situation.

Shelters were forced to reduce their numbers to allow for physical-distancing, so now people with mental-health and addiction challenges are living in more than 120 tents crowded together on Pandora Avenue, Helps says in the April 4 letter, a copy of which was included in councils agenda package.

The mayor states that although the city and B.C. Housing have secured nearly 200 hotel rooms for people without homes, hotel owners have made it clear that they dont want people with mental-health and addiction problems staying in them.

Maybe the province should issue an order to all motel owners noting that they must make their facilities available to B.C. Housing for whatever purpose B.C. Housing deems necessary, she writes.

Meanwhile, the city has established a temporary tenting site at Topaz Park, which is now at capacity.
An officer from the Sheriff's Department speaks with a homeless woman pulling her cart of belongings beside the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2018. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Orange County City Sues to Stop Hotel From Housing Transients With COVID-19

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CNS)In what appears to be a first in the state, Laguna Hills has sued to stop a state-and-federal program administered by Orange County to house transients infected with COVID-19 in a hotel in the south county city.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Orange County Superior Court on April 14, alleges a public nuisance that will directly endanger the health and safety of the residents of the city.

A temporary restraining order hearing is scheduled for the afternoon of April 16 in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Orange County opened up the 76-bed Laguna Hills Inn at 23061 Avenida de la Carlota on April 15 to transients under Project Roomkey, a state program in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The county has also opened up a hotel in Orange and is about to open one in Stanton as well.

The program is meant to quarantine transients who have underlying health conditions making them vulnerable to COVID-19, or homeless people who either have tested positive for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus or have symptoms associated with the disease.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

The lawsuit alleges the project will ultimately result in importing into the community a large group of sick and at-risk persons, when the city of Laguna Hills has thus far only had minimal occurrences of the virus.

Laguna Hills, which has a population of 31,572, has 13 cases of COVID- 19, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Laguna Hills City Manager Don White claimed the project would increase that number at least 600 percent.

Our city took this extreme action because we have been put in an extreme position by this project, Laguna Hills Mayor Janine Heft said.

It is horrifying to propose to place a substantial number of COVID-19 patients in the Laguna Hills and Laguna Woods vicinity, where there are over 20,000 of the persons most at riskseniors. We could not stand by and watch this happen.

The lawsuit further alleges that the hotel is also only 250 meters away from a high-density mobile home park of 252 residences, comprised of mostly families, and including a significant percentage of high-risk elderly residents.

The lawsuit alleges that without adequate safety protocols, the project is a public nuisance.

Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said, The city elected officials are doing what they need to do to feel like theyre protecting or representing their residents to the best of their ability, but were working under the governors mandate, and every county  is tasked with setting up these self-isolation facilities.

Bartlett said the hotels are 24/7, lockdown isolation facilities, meaning the transients who opt into the program are not free to come and go as they please. Health care workers who tend to them will also leave the area immediately after their shifts are done, Bartlett said.

All medical services are done on the premises, food services are done on premises, Bartlett said. Health care workers, when they leave for the day, they follow the same protocols as in a hospital, and will walk out to their vehicle and drive out of the area, so they wont be remaining in the area at all.

The hotel will only house transients based in south Orange County, Bartlett said.

And at this point we have no homeless individuals who have tested positive in south county, Bartlett said. So this isolation facility may never even be used, but pursuant to the state mandate we had to get a property under contract.

Three more COVID-19 deaths were reported on April 15 in Orange County, putting the total death toll at 22.

Orange County also reported 87 new cases of COVID-19, increasing the total to 1,376.
Worlds second-largest economy has slowed to a standstill because of the coronavirus outbreak, and small businesses are among the worst affected.

China is expected to release its latest quarterly GDP figures on Friday and analysts are not expecting good news.

The worlds second-largest economy has slowed to a standstill because of the coronavirus outbreak, and small businesses are among the worst affected.

Al Jazeeras Katrina Yu has this report from Beijing.
Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday directed state waqf boards to ensure strict implementation of lockdown and social distancing guidelines during the holy month of Ramzan starting next week amid the coronavirus pandemic.

At a meeting via video conferencing, Naqvi asked the state waqf boards' officials to create awareness among people to offer prayers and perform other religious rituals like "iftar (breaking of fast)" during Ramzan, which begins on April 24 or 25, staying inside their homes.

More than seven lakh registered mosques, eidgahs, imambadas, dargahs and other religious and social institutions come under state waqf boards across the country. The Central Waqf Council is the regulatory body of state waqf boards in India.

"We should cooperate with health workers, security forces, administrative officers, sanitation workers. They are working for our safety and well-being even putting their own lives at risk in this coronavirus pandemic," Naqvi said.

"We should also demolish rumours and misinformation being spread about quarantine and isolation centres by creating awareness among people that such centres are only meant to protect people, their families and the society from the pandemic," the minister said.

Naqvi told all the state waqf boards and religious and social organisations that everyone should remain cautious of any type of fake and conspiracies aimed at creating misinformation.

"Authorities have been working for safety and well-being of all citizens of the country without any discrimination. Such type of rumours and conspiracies are a nefarious design to weaken the fight against coronavirus," he said.

"We should work united to win this fight against corona by defeating any type of rumour, misinformation and conspiracy," the minister said.

Naqvi asked officials of all the state waqf boards to play an active and effective role in ensuring that people follow the guidelines of the Union Home Ministry, state governments and the Central Waqf Council while fulfilling religious responsibilities during Ramzan.

In view of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, all religious and social activities and mass gatherings in all the temples, gurdwaras, churches and other religious and social places of the country have been stopped, he said.

Similarly, any mass gatherings in mosques and other Muslim religious places of the country has also been stopped, Naqvi said.

He said that due to the COVID-19 threat, religious leaders as well as religious and social organisations from all regions of the country, have appealed to people to offer prayers and perform all other religious rituals staying inside their homes during Ramzan.

Most of the Muslim nations of the world have also banned mass gatherings at mosques and other religious places during the holy month, he pointed out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in cooperation with all the state governments, has been working effectively for the safety and well-being of the people, he said.

The cooperation of the people has brought great relief to India in the war against COVID-19 Naqvi said, adding that several challenges are still there before the country.

"We can defeat these challenges of the coronavirus pandemic by following all the guidelines of the central and state governments strictly," he asserted.

Chairman and senior officials from state waqf boards such as Uttar Pradesh (Shia & Sunni), Andhra Pradesh, Bihar (Shia & Sunni), Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar, Assam, Manipur, among others participated in the meeting.

State waqf boards from Rajasthan, Telangana, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttarakhand also participated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bhopal, April 17 : Eight persons including two brothers were reported dead in the past 24 hours, taking the toll of COVID-19 patients to 61 in Madhya Pradesh, according to the state health department. With 226 persons testing positive on Thursday, the number of coronavirus positive cases rose to 1,164.

The virus has now expanded its footprint to 26 out of 52 districts of the state.

Indore has reported the highest 707 positive cases in the state with 163 new cases being reported in the last 24 hours, health officials said.

In Bhopal, 29 more cases were reported, which took the tally of COVID-19 patients in the state capital to 196.

With 17 more persons testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the number of cases in Khandwa has gone up to 33, fourth highest in the state after Indore, Bhopal and Khargone, said the health department bulletin.

Of the 61 COVID-19 deaths in the state 45 have occurred in Indore alone. So far, five persons have died in Bhopal, six in Ujjain, three in Khargone and one each in Chhindwara and Dewas.

Morena district has recorded 14 positive cases, Jabalpur 13 (one new), Ujjain 30, Hoshangabad 16, Khargone 39, Barwani 22, Raisen 08 (four new), Gwalior six, Khandwa 33 (17 new), Dewas 17 (two new), Sheopur 03, Vidisha 13, Chhindwara 04, Satna two, Dhar 6 (three new), Shivpuri two, Ratlam 12, Shajapur 5 (one new), Mandsaur 07 (five new), Agar Malwa 4 (one new) and Betul, Tikamgarh, Alirajpur and Sagar one each, health officials said.

So far 65 patients have recovered and returned home, the officials said.

The health officials also said that 405 containment areas have been declared across the affected cities in the state.
Tofu, soy milk and veggie mince. More and more Danes are opting to supplement or completely replace their consumption of animal-based proteins with plant-based proteins. Climate considerations are part of their reasoning.

We often use soy-based protein when experimenting with vegetarian cooking. But, new research from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Food Science demonstrates that fava beans hold great promise as a non-soy source of plant protein. Moreover, favas are a better alternative for the environment:

"Many consumers are crying out for alternatives to soy, a crop that places great strain on the environment. This prompted us to find a method of processing fava beans in such a way that allows us to produce a concentrated protein powder. One of the advantages of fava beans is that they can be grown here, locally in Denmark. This is excellent news for the climate," explains Iben Lykke Petersen, an assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Food Science, and one of the researchers behind the new study published in the journal Foods.

Far more climate friendly

Fava beans are better suited for climate considerations because they can be cultivated locally, unlike soybeans, which are primarily grown in the United States and South America -- and then exported to Denmark.

Moreover, numerous farms in Brazil and Paraguay have cleared large tracts of forest to create space for soybean fields. This has had severely negative consequences for wildlife, biodiversity and CO2 emissions.

"Another important factor is that, unlike fava beans, lots of soy is genetically modified to be able to tolerate Roundup, an herbicide. Within this context, many consumers are critical of soy's environmental consequences," explains Iben Lykke Petersen.

New method makes fava powder that bursts with protein

To find an alternative to environmentally taxing soybean, the study's researchers tested various crops, looking for those with the greatest potential as a protein powder, while also being able to be grown locally. Here, fava beans outperformed lentils, amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa.

Using an incredibly unique method known as 'wet fractionation', the researchers succeeded in concentrating fava bean protein and removing substances that would otherwise inhibit the digestion of the protein. This allows nutritious fava bean proteins to be more readily absorbed when consumed.

"Wet fractionation is accomplished by milling beans into a flour, and then adding water and blending the mixture into a soup. Thereafter, it becomes easier for us to sort out the less beneficial substances and produce an optimized product," explains Iben Lykke Petersen. She adds:

"Our results demonstrate that this method significantly increases protein content. Furthermore, through our tests, we can see that this protein is nearly as readily digested as when we break down protein from animal products, such meat and eggs."

Competitive color, taste and texture.

The content and nutritional quality of a protein is one thing. Taste is something else! Here too, fava beans can compete with soy and other plant-based protein alternatives. Iben Lykke Petersen explains that when fava beans are processed correctly, their proteins retain their naturally bright colour, along with a neutral taste and good texture.

"Manufacturers prefer a product that is tasteless, has a neutral color and a firm texture. Fava beans check each these boxes, unlike peas, which often have a very bitter aftertaste," she concludes.

Fava beans are grown primarily in the Middle East, China and Ethiopia, but are already available in Danish supermarkets and health food stores.

###
President Trump announced that he would halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) pending an investigation into the agencys handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The White House based its decision on a series of misleading statements issued by the WHO, as well as on director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysuss effusive praise of the Chinese government. (Not coincidentally, China backed Tedross bid to lead the organization in 2017.)

Critics charge Trump with scapegoating the WHO for the administrations failures, while others caution that pulling funding will weaken efforts to combat the pandemic. They are wrong on both counts.

Its no secret that the White House got off to a late start in combating the coronavirus. Trump downplayed the threat of the disease even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans to brace for an outbreak, and we criticized him for it. But this obviously doesnt vindicate the World Health Organization. We noted its failures last week.

Tedros objected to Trumps correct decision to impose travel restrictions on China, claiming it would have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit  a stark contrast with his deferential statements about Chinas response. In mid January, the WHO announced that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus, despite numerous reports to the contrary. Parroting Chinese misinformation wasnt enough for Tedros: He went on to praise the Chinese Communist Party for setting a new standard for outbreak control. Later, Tedros overruled the objections of WHO colleagues and delayed the declaration of a public-health emergency, which cost the world precious time in preparing for the pandemic.

Because there are no existing vaccines or proven treatments for COVID-19, information is our most valuable resource in fighting this pandemic. Policymakers must calibrate their responses based on data collected domestically and received from abroad. In its capacity as the facilitator of international information exchanges, the WHO is supposed to vet and disseminate data from its 194 member states. The organization fell down on this most basic task by buying Chinese spin wholesale.

Story continues

Some argue that withholding our funding of the WHO  $400 million a year  will hinder its international relief efforts. This is a legitimate concern, but the WHOs missteps themselves hindered the fight against the pandemic at a critical stage. In any event, U.S. funding of pandemic relief does not depend on any single multilateral bureaucracy. In fact, the U.S. has already spent more than $500 million on foreign aid to combat the pandemic  roughly 25 percent of the WHOs annual budget  on top of existing contributions to multilateral and nongovernmental organizations. During the 60-day hold on funds to the WHO, the White House says it will redirect resources to public-health programs untainted by Chinese influence. While the White House conducts its investigation, the WHO will retain the bulk of its considerable resources. In the meantime, it will deservedly face more international scrutiny for its apparent complicity in Chinas coverup of the coronavirus.

The more the World Health Organization capitulates to Chinese soft power, the less effective  and the less deserving of our support  it will be. The White House is right to bring serious pressure to bear to try to check this trend.

More from National Review
Katie Price's reality show My Crazy Life will return to Quest Red in May for a special one-hour show where she will discuss her emergency stint at The Priory.

The mother-of-five, 41, was spotted outside the rehabilitation centre earlier this year, following a host of rehab stints over the past two years in the wake of legal issues and substance abuse.

And Katie will candidly discuss her most recent emergency admission to The Priory on the hour-long special after suffering with 'severe stress'.

Special: Katie Price's reality show My Crazy Life will return to Quest Red in May for a special one-hour show where she will discuss her emergency stint at The Priory

The episode will see the TV star in the run up to her breakdown as she tries to cope with bankruptcy and her split from on-off fiance Kris Boyson.

Also on the show, it will show Katie attempt to get her her 'life back on track' following a tumultuous few months and her rehab stint.

The former glamour model will promote her new single on a trip to the French Alps, embark in make-up masterclasses and look for a new home.

Yet things soon take another stressful turn for Katie with the COVID-19 crisis which leaves her self-isolating with son Harvey, 17, who has a 'high risk of dying' if he catches the virus, and unable to see mother Amy who has a terminal lung condition.

Candid: The mother-of-five, 41, And Katie will candidly discuss her most recent emergency admission to The Priory on the hour-long special after suffering with 'severe stress'

Life back on track: Also on the show, it will show Katie attempt to get her her 'life back on track' following a tumultuous few months as she heads to the French Alps to promote her new single

Katie last visited The Priory in September 2018 and spent 28 days in the facility after her family urged her to seek help following wild partying antics in Mallorca.

At the time, she was confronted by her loved ones after shocking footage emerged of her rapping 'I love coke' during a booze-fuelled hen do.

Katie broke down after the intervention and admitted she needed help to get over her chaotic behaviour, which she blamed on her PTSD.

In November 2019, the mother-of-five was declared bankrupt at a court after facing further legal action over her spiralling debts, said to be worth 800,000.

New business: The star will also embark in a new business venture as she starts make-up masterclasses

Upsetting: Yet things soon take another stressful turn for Katie with the COVID-19 crisis which leaves her self-isolating with son Harvey, 17, who has a 'high risk of dying' if he catches the virus, and unable to see mother Amy who has a terminal lung condition

The CBB star had been pursued by creditors and the taxman after revealing she has spent her entire 45million fortune.

Meanwhile Katie split from fiance Kris, 31, late last year after a nearly two-year on-off relationship.

The couple were thought to have rekindled their romance in December with a festive 'make-or-break' trip to New York.

Katie admitted she had cheated on the fitness enthusiast twice over the course of their relationship.

Split: Katie split from fiance Kris, 31, late last year after a nearly two-year on-off relationship (pictured in 2018)

In a scene from her reality show My Crazy Life, she was confronted by Kris after being widely reported to have had flings with toyboys Alex Adderson and Charles Drury.

Owning up to her infidelity and confirming their engagement is off, Katie told him bluntly: 'Yes, I cheated on you twice.'

An upset Kris replied: 'What Kieran [Hayler] put you through is what you are putting me through right now.'

Ex: Katie's estranged husband Kieran, 32, famously cheated on her with her two best friends Chrissy Thomas and Jane Pountney (Kieran pictured with new girlfriend Michelle Penticost)

Katie's estranged husband Kieran, 32, famously cheated on her with her two best friends Chrissy Thomas and Jane Pountney.

The pair split in 2018 following a five-year marriage and their divorce is said to be 'weeks away' after the former stripper proposed to new girlfriend Michelle Penticost last month.

Katie Price: My Crazy Life premieres at 10pm on Monday 4 May on Quest Red
An Uber driver who died in hospital started to experience symptoms of coronavirus after a passenger trip to Heathrow Airport, his friend has said.

Father-of-two Rajesh Jayaseelan, 45, died in Northwick Park Hospital on April 11 after testing positive for the virus.

His friend of eight years Sunil Kumar told the PA news agency that Mr Jayaseelan started to experience symptoms shortly after a trip to the international airport for a passenger.

Father-of-two Rajesh Jayaseelan, 45, (pictured with his two sons) died in Northwick Park Hospital, London, on April 11 after testing positive for the virus

Mr Jayaseelan, who lived in Harrow, west London, moved to the UK from Bangalore, India, a decade ago and worked as a driver for the ride-hailing app for the last few years.

As his wife and two sons, aged four and six, live in India, video calls between Mr Jayaseelan and his family were arranged when his condition deteriorated.

'I spoke to the ward nurse and she said he was very, very sick and the chance of survival was fading,' Mr Kumar said.

'I managed to organise video calls to his family, to his wife, mum and kids, and I got to see him on video as well.

'A few hours later, the hospital called me to say he had died.'

Mr Kumar said information provided to him by Uber showed that Mr Jayaseelan made a trip to Heathrow Airport on March 25.

As his wife and two sons, aged four and six, (pictured left) live in India, video calls between Mr Jayaseelan (pictured right with one of his sons) and his family were arranged when his condition deteriorated

Shortly afterwards, the 45-year-old started to show symptoms and was advised to stay at home and self-isolate.

He drove himself to hospital on April 3 after his condition worsened.

Mr Kumar, an NHS IT support worker, said the hospital's bereavement team had confirmed that Mr Jayaseelan had tested positive for the disease.

He thought it was 'highly possible' that he could have contracted Covid-19 while working.

According to Mr Kumar, the Uber driver had been forced to leave his rented home because of his profession, and was forced to sleep in his car before he managed to find temporary accommodation.

Rajesh Jayaseelan's friend of eight years, Sunil Kumar, said information provided to him by Uber showed that Mr Jayaseelan made a trip to Heathrow Airport on March 25. He developed coronavirus symptoms a few days later

In a tribute to his friend, Mr Kumar said: 'He was very down to earth, always kept to himself, he was very humble and would go out of his way to help people.

'We helped each other in hard times.'

Mr Kumar has set up a fundraiser on the GoFundMe website to help Mr Jayaseelan's family, as the driver was the 'sole breadwinner' of the family.

The fund, which he said will go towards helping shape the future for his children, has raised more than 7,000.
Firefighters have been drafted in to move the bodies of coronavirus victims in one of the UKs most badly hit regions.

As rising casualties further strain emergency services, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) crews have begun to retrieve bodies from hospitals, care homes and homes.

Andrew Scattergood, regional secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said "we hoped that it would never come to this but staff volunteering to work in the new Body Movement Team are proud to provide a humanitarian service.

Firefighters are working 12-hour day and night shifts, moving and handling bodies and placing the deceased into body bags, the union said.

In the week ending 3 April, the West Midlands recorded 1,812 deaths  more than any year since records began in 2005, according to Office for National Statistics data. Nearly one in four were attributed to coronavirus.

The region's mayor, Andy Street, was forced to play down concerns that its hospitals may struggle to cope with a disproportionately large tally of victims.

A new NHS Nightingale hospital has since opened at Birmingham's NEC, one of seven field hospitals planned across the country.

We hoped that it would never come to this, but there are now a considerable number of casualties in the West Midlands and firefighters are ready to step up and assist with the movement of bodies, Mr Scattergood said.

Our members are proud to provide a humanitarian service. They are best placed to assist with this harrowing aspect of the crisis.

All emergency services are pulling together in this difficult period to help our communities through this outbreak. Its deeply unpleasant work, but it is, unfortunately, necessary at this time.

The Body Movement Team is comprised of WMFS officers who have the necessary experience and training, the union said.

All firefighters taking part have volunteered to carry out the work. The union has secured training and health and safety arrangements in the West Midlands, after a national agreement was reached at the end of March.

On Thursday, it was agreed that firefighters across the nation would also assist with antigen testing, transportation of NHS outpatients to appointments or to receive urgent care, and providing instruction to others on non-blue light ambulance driving, the Local Government Association announced.

The West Midlands team has undergone psychological readiness training covering emotional resilience, welfare, compassion fatigue, and burnout, the union said, and will be offered 24/7 support from the fire brigade.

The firefighters have also been provided with personal protective equipment including a face mask with a reusable respirator, the union said.

Firefighters join their service to save lives and for most body recovery is a rare task, said Steve Price-Hunt, the unions regional brigade secretary.

These teams will likely see more bodies far more frequently than they are used to  and do so under far more hazardous circumstances.

We know this work will be difficult, but the FBU has worked hard to make sure that firefighters have the proper training and support to carry out this work safely.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 05:49:26|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival Benny Gantz failed to meet a midnight deadline on Wednesday night to form an emergency unity government.

Negotiation teams with Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party and Gantz's centrist Blue and White party convened for coalition talks on Wednesday evening, but no agreement was signed before the deadline.

Both parties did not immediately issue statements.

Senior officials with Blue and White party told Israel's public TV Kan that the Likud has raised "absurd" demands, including giving Netanyahu immunity from a possible decision by the supreme court to ban him from running again because of his looming criminal trial in which he faces corruption charges.

The talks between the teams have continued overnight also after the deadline has expired, Kan reported.

The move means that Israel might face a fourth round of election after three rounds of votes in less than a year produced no clear winner.

On Thursday, Gantz's mandate to form a new governing coalition, given to him following the March 2 elections, is expected to be returned to the parliament.

Any lawmaker who could raise 61 supporters could be eligible to receive a new mandate to form a governing coalition from the president who oversees the coalition talks.

A 28-day mandate given to Gantz, speaker of the Israeli parliament and Israel's former military chief, to put together a governing coalition was expired at midnight between Monday and Tuesday.

However, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin gave him another 48 hours to reach a unity deal after Gantz and Netanyahu said "a substantial progress" was made toward an emergency government that will deal with the COVID-19 crisis and the nation's unprecedented yearlong political deadlock.
Mizoram Chief Minister



Zoramthanga on Thursday wrote to his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma seeking his assistance to extend humanitarian aid to the Mizo community, who are living in Meghalaya.

Zoramthanga said that a sizeable Mizo community live in Shillong and other parts of Meghalaya that comprises of students, professionals, permanent residents and also visitors, who are stranded in the state due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown.

"I would like to request you to kindly extend assistance to them by way of security, food, other daily requirement and medical care," Zoramthanga said in his letter.

He said that his government has extended all possible help to outsiders, including those from Meghalaya.

Zoramthanga also thanked the Meghalaya government for its tireless efforts and help extended to late Dr John L Sailo Ryntathiang, the first COVID-19 patient in Meghalaya, who died on Wednesday, from the time he was diagnosed with the virus till his burial.

The Mizoram chief minister also thanked the residents, local leaders and Presbyterian Church of Riathsamthiah for allowing the burial of Dr Sailo's body in their locality.

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Mizoram branch on Thursday deeply mourned the sudden and untimely death of Dr John L Sailo Ryntathiang.

In a letter addressed to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the association said Dr Sailo dedicated his whole life in the service and care of the people of Meghalaya.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After the coronavirus lockdown, the nearest ration shop is his only source of sustenance because he lost employment at a construction site in Agra city last month. With a clutch of papers in his hands, Ramneek Lal says free ration is only for those whose names are there on the ration card, provided under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). I have six members in my family, including children and elders, but the names of only three are there on the ...

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Former President Donald Trump, his sister Maryanne Trump Barry and the estate of his late brother Robert Trump tried on Tuesday to convince a New York judge to dismiss a lawsuit by Mary Trump that accused her family of swindling her out of at least $10 million. Attorneys for the Trump siblings argued Mary Trump's claims are time-barred by a six-year statute of limitations and prohibited by legal releases she signed in 2001 when the family settled the estate of Fred Trump Sr., the former president's father. The Trumps also argued Mary Trump possessed "boxes and boxes of information" about the estate settlement that should have given rise to any claims at the time.
Ahram Online has compiled a list of some of the most important figures concerning Egypts capabilities and efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.

-Egypt has 2,505 confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide, including 183 fatalities. The total number of recoveries from the virus so far stands at 553.

-To date, Egypt has 14 functioning quarantine hospitals, out of 30 hospitals have already been prepared for the current phase.

-The health ministry's quarantine hospitals have 2,241 beds and 407 ICU beds, and are equipped with 346 ventilators.

-The ministry has 56 fever and pulmonology hospitals that carry out triage and referral of coronavirus patients before they are taken to quarantine hospitals.

-The health ministry has 25 central laboratories nationwide to perform coronavirus tests.

-Till last week, Egypt has conducted 25,000 coronavirus tests and has increased its capacity to around 2,000 tests a day.

-The health ministry received 477,257 inquiries in March about the coronavirus pandemic through its 105 and 15335 hotlines through 300 operators, including English-speaking ones.

-The Armed Forces have 22 quarantine hospitals equipped with 3,700 beds, 300 ICU beds, and 140 ventilators.

-The military has also set up four mobile field hospitals, with 502 beds.

-The army has set up production lines for facemasks and protective suits with a capacity of 100,000 masks and 1,000 suits a day, while maintaining reserves of 5 million masks. Some 50,000 suits are planned to be produced.

-The higher education ministry has allocated 33 buildings to serve as isolation hospitals at the universities of Cairo, Alexandria, Ain Shams, Assiut, Mansoura, Minya, and Helwan as a first phase, with 5,828 rooms capable of serving 11,304 individuals.

-The cabinet has allocated EGP 2.3 billion to compensate the irregular and seasonal workers affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus, amounting to EGP 500 a month per individual.
In the global coronavirus pandemic, workers and young people in Australia, as in every country around the world, confront crucial political issues amid the worsening health, economic and social disaster.

In fighting against mass unemployment, financial ruin and the danger to their very health and lives in many workplaces, the chief political obstacle confronting the working class is the Labor Party and the trade unions.

It is not only employers and the Liberal National Coalition government that are pressing for workers to return to work in unsafe conditions, but the Labor and the union bureaucracy. They are working hand-in-glove with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his ministers, including to provide billions to employers and banks that workers will inevitably be forced to pay for.

Working people are watching with shock, revulsion and growing outrage the scenes of mass deaths across the US, UK and continental Europe produced by the contemptuous indifference and profit-driven responses of the governments in these world capitalist headquarters.

Despite premature and misleading claims about flattening the curve of infection, workers know that similar scenes could rapidly emerge across Australia. That danger is shown by the COVID-19 outbreaks in places such as Tasmanian hospitals, Victorian healthcare services and western Sydney aged care and disability facilities.

This pandemic is an indictment of the failure of the capitalist system, which subordinates everything, including human life, to the profit requirements of the financial elite.

But Labor and the unions are intent on shoring up this rapacious social order at all costs, including by helping employers slash jobs, wages and conditions during the pandemic and beyond.

That was spelt out in no uncertain terms when Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Sally McManus went on national television on April 5 to promise employers that, in terms of cutting pay and conditions, you can get everything you want through cooperation with the unions.

The Labor Party has formed a virtual power-sharing regime with the Morrison government. Labor leader Anthony Albanese and his shadow ministers meet weekly with their government counterparts, behind closed doors, to help devise the governments measures.

Labor also holds a majority in Morrisons national cabinet of state and territory government leaders, who effectively rule the country by decree, exercising vast emergency powers.

In just one month, with the full support of Labor and the ACTU, Morrisons government has provided big business with more than $325 billion in tax concessions, subsidies, grants and loans. This dwarfs the totally inadequate sums allocated for the public health facilities and mass testing urgently needed to combat the coronavirus.

The ruling class will demand that every cent be clawed back from the working class by way of deeper cuts to social spending, increased tax, reduced pay and conditions and further privatisations and asset sales.

Fearing widespread social unrest, it needs Labor and the unions to try to suppress the developing opposition in the working class, including among teachers, child care workers and building workers.

In order to defend their lives, livelihoods and futures, workers and youth will have to wage a political struggle against the Labor and union apparatus. That means soberly reviewing the history of the Labor Party and drawing the necessary political lessons.

Already there is widespread hostility to the Labor Party and unions as a result of decades of betrayals, particularly since the union-employer-government Accords of the Hawke and Keating Labor governments in the 1980s and 1990s.

Union membership has shrunk to less than 10 percent of private sector workers. Among young workers, aged under 25, the rate is just 5 percent.

Labors electoral support base also has collapsed. At the federal election last May, its vote plunged to 33 percentits lowest level in a centuryeven though the Coalitions vote dropped as well. For good reason, millions of workers simply did not believe Labors phony promises to secure a fair go from the wealthy elite.

But anger and disgust are not enough. Those who cast a protest vote to try to pressure Labor to mend its ways will be bitterly disappointed. Its only response to the election debacle was to shift sharply further to the right, led by Albanese, who pledged to boost wealth creation and appeal to successful people.

Now it is in the forefront of propping up the capitalist system even as workers are becoming aware that it places profit ahead of all else, including the health, well-being and lives of the population, and are beginning to consider a socialist alternative.

It is not simply a question of corrupt or poor Labor and union leaders, but rather the entire perspective of Laborism.

From its birth, formed by the unions in the 1890s, Labor was committed to the defence of the Australian capitalist nation state, providing its founding racist ideology of White Australia.

Labor leaders have always insisted that it was not necessary to overthrow capitalism as the working class could improve its lot through militant union struggles or by voting for Labor. Within the framework of a nationally-regulated economy, the ruling class could be pressured for concessions.

Resting on aspiring labour bureaucrats and parliamentary careerists, the Labor Party rejected vehemently the fight of the Marxist movement for a unified global struggle of workers to overthrow capitalism and reorganise society for the benefit of all, not private profit.

That is why Labor has been called to office in every great crisis of capitalist rule. During both world wars and the 1930s Great Depression, the Australian ruling establishment turned to Labor governments, supported by the unions, to enforce the sacrifices of lives and livelihoods it required.

During the post-World War II boom, the capitalist class could afford to make limited concessions to head off the struggles of the working class. But the national-reformist program of Labor and the unions was shattered by the globalisation of production from the 1980s, which enabled transnational corporations to readily shift their operations from one country to another to secure lower labour costs.

The Accords of Hawke and Keating marked the transformation of Labor and the unions, like their counterparts worldwide, into apparatuses that work to reverse the past gains of the working class in order to help make their national capitalist economy competitive on the world market.

No longer was a question of pressuring employers for concessions to workers, but rather of the unions strong-arming workers for trade-offs to ensure employers remained profitable.

Today, we see the end product of that process. For Labor and the unions, workers must be put back to work as quickly as possible so that their labour power can be exploited once again, even if that means countless deaths.

Conclusions need to be drawn. The coronavirus pandemic graphically demonstrates that there is no possibility of reforming the capitalist system in Australia or anywhere else in the world. Aided and abetted by all its political servants, including the Labor and union apparatus, the ruling classes are willing to let hundreds, thousands and even millions die to ensure the flow of profits to the wealthy few.

This social order does not deserve to continue and must be overthrown. The working class is the only social force capable of carrying out that historic task and building a socialist society.

Instead of big business and the banks being propped up by the intervention of the capitalist state, they must be placed under public ownership and democratic workers control. This means the working class must take power out of the hands of the financial elite and reorganise society to meet the pressing needs of the overwhelming majority of society, not the wealthy few.

Rather than capitalist nation-states fighting each other for resources and profits, it is necessary to establish workers governments working together in a globally coordinated response to the threat to humanity presented by the coronavirus.

The critical lesson of all the strategic experiences of the 20th century is that to overthrow capitalism, a revolutionary party is needed to educate, mobilise and lead the working class in the struggle for power. That is the perspective of the Socialist Equality Party and its sister parties internationally. We urge our readers to join the SEP to take forward this struggle.
Conflict Between Facebook, Google and Publishers Spotlighted Amid CCP Virus Crisis

Shadow Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is the latest voice in a growing chorus of executives and politicians pushing tech giants Google and Facebook to compensate media publishers for re-using their content.

In recent weeks, Australian media companies have been caught between a rock and a hard place as they deal with falling advertising revenues. This has been caused by two things, the ongoing loss of market share (pdf) to the digital giants; and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

Its actually a perverse situation where the media is actually getting good ratings because people are at home and ready to consume, said Rowland.

However, media companies could not sell advertising because the economy has shut down and at the same time they were losing revenue to the digital platforms.

French Ruling Against Google

Rowlands comments follow a ruling against Google by the French competition regulator on April 9.

The injunction requires Google to negotiate with media publishers in France on a remuneration model for re-using content.

Negotiations must begin within three months and any deal will be backdated to include content released from late 2019 onward.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher supported the move saying the tech giants needed to find a way to pay Australian content producers and publishers.

Google and Facebook in Australia

In July 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released the Digital Platforms Inquiry report, which made recommendations on a framework for regulating the digital media space.

The federal government acted on the report by establishing a new special unit within the ACCC to monitor the state of competition in digital media. Another initiative was to ask media entities, along with Facebook and Google, to negotiate a voluntary code to address the issue.

The ACCC will update the government on progress in May 2020. If no agreement is finalised by November, the government will consider implementing a mandatory code.

In an interview with Radio National on April 2, Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australia admitted that progress was slow and they couldnt show they had even got to the first base.

Fiona Martin, senior lecturer in Convergent and Online Media at the University of Sydney, told the Epoch Times in an email that Google has traditionally been slow to respond to government attempts to regulate it.

When Spain introduced a similar law in 2014, Google shut down its local Google News service and removed Spanish media outlets from its feeds, she said.

Martin said Google tended to change its corporate behaviour only when it was forced by hard regulation or fines.

She cited a 50 million euro fine (AU$86 million) imposed on Google by French data regulators in early 2019 for Googles failure to abide by privacy laws.

Martin held little hope a voluntary code would be reached locally saying the dire economic state of Australian media companies would make an agreement unlikely and the federal government would eventually have to step in.

CCP Virus Impact on Domestic Media

The CCP virus crisis has placed pressure on businesses, who in turn, have cut advertising spending. These cuts have forced media companies to make drastic cost savings.

In recent weeks, Foxtel made redundant 200 employees, News Corp suspended 60 regional newspaper titles, and industry body Commercial Radio Australia, asked for a government bailout.

The federal government responded with a media relief package on April 15.

Martin was not optimistic about the long-term prospects of traditional media outlets saying, It will certainly spell the end of most, if not all, print newspapers. But the biggest catastrophe in media is the hit to television and film production, with many shoots cancelled, and production houses and publicists without work, along with freelance crews, post-production businesses, and caterers.

Even if an agreement with the tech giants is struck, Martin said, That would be at least one small sliver of hope in an otherwise grim media outlook.
Far From Home unveils the first gameplay teaser for their sci-fi, action-survival game coming to Steam Early Access in 2022 and later to consoles.
Press Release

April 16, 2020 IMEE: ALL WE ASK IS ONE-YEAR DEFERMENT, NOT DEFAULT ON DEBT PAYMENTS The G20 forum of the world's major economies have joined the largest international lenders and even Pope Francis in a unanimous call for debt relief to the world's poorest countries, Senator Imee Marcos said. "What do we lose by asking for a one-year postponement of interest payments, a mere delay after decades of punctual payments, certainly not the default on debt that the Department of Finance dreads," Marcos said. "Already the message is clear: the world's richest nations and the world's top lenders like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank have called for a debt moratorium for the poorer nations, and the Philippines is included in last night's list of 75 countries," Marcos added. "As always Pope Francis said it best, asking for lenders to find it in their hearts not only to delay payments, but even 'reduce if not forgive' loans to the world's less fortunate," Marcos also said. Marcos said further that she would like the opportunity to explain her position to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, who balked at her proposal to temporarily delay the country's debt payments and use the funds saved for the government's social amelioration program amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Philippines' rank as the 28th poorest nation in the world and puts it among 76 nations to which the G20 said private creditors could grant debt relief to cope with the global pandemic. The G20's call coincided with its decision to suspend the loan obligations of the world's 25 poorest by May 1 until yearend, or even into 2021 if the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Debt relief will allow poor nations to use their limited resources to boost weak health care systems and welfare aid, the G20 said. Although the Philippines' 28th-poorest ranking is a two-notch upgrade since 2017 and is expected to improve further to 31st in 2023, the country will remain at the lower end of 126 economies, based on projected gross domestic product per capita analyzed by the international economic research group FocusEconomics.
Authorities are trying to identify a group of people who they stole beer and food from a Montgomery store, and were in violation of the COVID-19 curfew while doing so.

The offenses happened shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at a convenience store in the 7600 block of Vaughn Road. Central Alabama Crime Stoppers said the suspects, once identified, will be charged with theft of property.

They also could face a fine of up to $500 and/or up to 180 days in the Montgomery City Jail for violating the citys coronavirus curfew that was enacted March 27 to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The citys curfew is nightly between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Anyone with information about the identity of the suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867) or via the P3-tips app. Information leading to an arrest and conviction could lead to a reward of up to $5,000.
They cited a Twitter post by the W.H.O. on Jan. 14 saying that the Chinese government had found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus as evidence that the W.H.O. was covering up for China. And they noted that in mid-February, a top official at the W.H.O. praised the Chinese for restrictive measures they insisted had delayed the spread of the virus to other countries, saying, Right now, the strategic and tactical approach in China is the correct one.

It is very China-centric, Mr. Trump said in announcing his decision on Tuesday in the Rose Garden.

I told that to President Xi, he said, referring to Xi Jinping of China. I said, The World Health Organization is very China-centric. Meaning, whatever it is, China was always right. You cant do that.

Public health experts say the W.H.O. has had a mixed record since the coronavirus emerged in late December.

The health organization raised early alarms about the virus, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the groups director general, held almost daily news briefings beginning in mid-January, repeating a mantra: We have a window of opportunity to stop this virus. But that window is rapidly closing.

But global health officials and political leaders  not just Mr. Trump  have said the organization was too willing to accept information supplied by China, which still has not provided accurate numbers on how many people were infected and died during the initial outbreak in the country.

On Wednesday, Scott Morrison, the prime minister of Australia, called it unfathomable that the W.H.O. had issued a statement supporting Chinas decision to allow the reopening of so-called wet markets, the wildlife markets where the virus is believed to have first spread to humans. And in Japan, Taro Aso, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, recently noted that some people have started referring to the W.H.O. as the Chinese Health Organization.
The state's coronavirus tally has risen by 11, including five more people at an aged care facility in western Sydney, with thousands of people coming forward to get tested after the government widened its testing criteria.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday morning there have been 11 new cases in the past 24 hours, as she welcomed the fact that more than 3000 people were tested on Wednesday.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian provides an update on the state's coronavirus numbers on Thursday morning. Credit:AAP

"This is a very positive outcome because we know the more people with symptoms or people who think they might have the virus who get tested, the better we can get a handle of the spread and control the spread," Ms Berejiklian said.

"In one day, we saw the testing rates go up from just over 1000 to over 3000 again, we want to get that back up to 4000. We are nearly there and thank you to everybody for coming forward."
NASA analyzed weakening Tropical Storm Jeruto's rainfall and found one small area of moderate rainfall displaced from the center, because of strong wind shear.

In general, wind shear is a measure of how the speed and direction of winds change with altitude. Outside winds were pushing against the storm and displacing the heaviest rainfall east of the center.

On April 15 at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC), The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that Tropical Storm Jeruto was barely holding onto tropical storm status with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/65 kph). Jeruto was located near latitude 16.2 degrees south and longitude 83.1 degrees east, about 828 nautical miles southeast of Diego Garcia.

Seven hours later, NASA gathered data on the precipitation occurring in the weakening storm. NASA has the unique capability of peering under the clouds in storms and measuring the rate in which rain is falling. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core passed over Jeruto from its orbit in space and measured rainfall rates in the storm on April 16 at 12:06 a.m. EDT (0406 UTC). Winds pushed the heaviest rainfall east of the center, where it was falling at a rate of 1.6 inches (40 mm) per hour in a small area.

Jeruto is expected to dissipate on April 16.

Tropical cyclones/hurricanes are the most powerful weather events on Earth. NASA's expertise in space and scientific exploration contributes to essential services provided to the American people by other federal agencies, such as hurricane weather forecasting.

Both the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA and NASA manage GPM.

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This job expired on 14 May 2020.
The natural disaster and the fires in Chornobyl exclusion zone have nothing in common, the Centre's Director says

Dust storm in Kyiv espreso.tv

Ukraine's Hydrometeorological Centre explained why the dust storm emerged in Kyiv region on April 16. The authority's press office reported that on Thursday evening.

"A dust storm, quite an unusual natural feature for this city, was observed in Kyiv in the afternoon of April 16. The worsening of meteorological situation was, in fact, visible all over the territory of the capital, which caused certain alert among the public", reads the press office's message.

According to Director of the Centre Mykola Kulbida, the dust storm was caused by the increase of the western wind speed to 15-20 meters per second. The upper layers of dry soil were blown away, creating a dust screen.

The official insisted that the dust storm has nothing to do with the fires in Chornobyl exclusion zone. The storm is of no chemical or radiation threat, he said. The wind speed is fading, and the dust storm will be over by April 17, Kulbida concluded.

Earlier, Head of the State Emergency Service Mykola Chechotkin said rescue teams need another few days to cope with the smoldering after the fire in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. On April 14, the situation in the area worsened, because the fire was hard to take under control. The Service sent a large number of vehicles and staff workers to put it out. The rain helped firemen extinguish the fire.
Congress recently gave the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve broad authority to lend out trillions of dollars to businesses, states and municipalities struggling because of coronavirus distancing orders. The key question is whether that money ends up helping working people or flows instead to the managers, executives and investors who have already taken so much of the income gains in the past decade.

The Congressional Oversight Commission, which I was appointed to by the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, last week, is the only body that can investigate the decisions made by the Treasury and the Fed without interference from President Trump, who has already tampered with the two other oversight bodies the CARES Act created. The publics best hope is for Congress to quickly appoint the other four commissioners and let us get to work on the behalf of taxpayers, tracking the more than $2 trillion in lending that is already in the pipeline

Because the Fed can put 10 times or more of its own money behind the $500 billion from the CARES Act, there is likely to be many trillions more in publicly directed lending to come.

Congress placed certain conditions on some of the funds: Some of the money is set aside for companies critical to national security; certain loans to companies must come with restrictions on shareholder payouts and executive compensation; foreign companies as well as companies controlled by the top executive branch officials and members of Congress (and their families) cant receive loans. But beyond those basic rules, the Treasury and the Fed decide who gets money, how much they get and on what terms.
You finally found The One! After doing the virtual legwork to search for an apartment, youre ready to take the plunge and sign on the dotted line. But how do you sign a lease on an apartment that you've yet to see in person?

The virtual leasing process doesnt need to be all that different than if you were able to tour it in person, says Laurence Jankelow, co-founder and chief operating officer of Avail, an online rental management service.

Once the virtual showing has been done through Zoom, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts, the rest can be done online as well," he says.

Online applications, credit checks, and deposit payments can make the process of leasing an apartment easier for both renters and landlords or property managers. Even if shelter-in-place orders are keeping you from touring an apartment firsthand, here's how signing a lease from home would work.

By email

Pre-pandemic, some landlords or property managers may have been slow to embrace technology, but the new normal has forced them to get up to speed. This means leases can be sent to you by email, signed by you, scanned or photographed, and emailed back. You also may have the option of mailing your signed lease.

Some landlords will ask tenants to sign a document stating that they understand the risk of renting an apartment sight unseen, to avoid liability in case the tenant is disappointed in the actual apartment. Experts recommend tenants read the lease carefully and not rush to sign until they are satisfied that all of their questions have been answered.

Renters should be cautious of any hidden fees above and beyond rent. Some buildings have additional charges for amenities like gym, pool, and parking, says Liz Goldman with William Raveis Real Estate in Connecticut.

Goldman advises tenants, if not using a real estate agent, to consult an attorney before signing if they dont understand the terms of the lease. Be sure to keep a copy of all the paperwork that you and the landlord sign as they are official documents.

Rental property website

Many apartment complexes offer the option of signing the lease through the propertys website. But before signing the lease, experts recommend that tenants know the exact location of the apartment being rented and to ask to see it, rather than just a model.

They are entering in a legally binding contract, so they need to make sure they are comfortable with everything outlined in the lease, says Adam Goldfarb, chief operating officer at Manco Abbott Real Estate Management and president-elect for the California Apartment Associations board of directors.

Once you decide to rent the apartment, you can visit the property's website to begin the process to sign the lease.

For example, at one of Goldfarb's properties, tenants would go through their general leasing procedures by logging on to the portal, filling out an electronic application, and uploading necessary documents that the on-site staff would review. Then the staff would process the application and schedule the move-in.

"At time of move-in, we would need to verify that our future resident is the person that applied, given the ID that was uploaded, says Goldfarb.

Digital signature software

Under the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of 2000, digital signatures are legally binding, just like written signatures. Digital signatures allow tenants to sign leases no matter where they are located. Any updates on changes are automatically sent to both parties.

Digital leases that are state-specific automatically update based on real-time changes to the laws, and can be signed digitally, doing away with the process of printing and faxing documentsor the need to sign a lease in person amid the pandemic, says Jankelow.

He says the largest risk isnt the online process of leasing, but rather fraudulent landlords who dont really manage or own the property. He says renters need to be certain that theyre talking to the real landlord before they sign a lease or pay any money.

When it comes time to pay the first months rent or deposit, never, ever wire money. Wires are nonreturnable. Instead, paying with ACH or credit card, or through a secure, online platform for landlords, is probably the best option, says Jankelow.

Some common and secure online tools renters use to pay rent and deposits include Yardi, Buildium, AppFolio, and Avail.

The post How To Sign a Lease on an Apartment You've Never Set Foot In appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
As confirmed cases of coronavirus surge among staff and inmates inside Connecticut prisons, Gov. Ned Lamont isnt changing his plan to rely on existing policies to release inmates at only a slightly higher rate than normal.

As of Wednesday, 199 inmates and 139 staff members have tested positive for the virus, nearly triple the number of cases that existed inside the prisons a week ago.

The increasing number of cases and the death of an inmate this week prompted advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, and families to again double down on their call for the Lamont to develop a plan to release more inmates, faster.

What is remarkably bad is that we see all of this really positive news of curve flattening outside of prisons, said David McGuire, executive director for the ACLU of Connecticut. But when you look at the DOC population, its a straight line up. If there was a town that size, there would be a plan in place today.

McGuire, who acknowledged the ACLU has advocated for the end of mass incarceration for more than a decade, said despite the virus infiltration of the prison system, it is not too late to develop a plan for the thoughtful release of inmates.

Lamont, in his daily press briefings, has been clear: his No. 1 priority is public health both in and out of the prisons, but the mass release of inmates isnt likely.

My number one criterion is public health, he said Monday. Were opening up wings of the correctional facilities, making sure those older prisoners, if we find theres not a safe place for them to be outside of the correctional facility, if we find the safest place for them to be is in the facility under close medical attention thats where theyll be. Were not resting on the status quo, were continuing to move people where theyll be most healthy and safest.

On Wednesday, dozens of protesters in cars circled the Bridgeport Correctional Center honking horns and demanding inmates release.

A spokesman for the Department of Correction did not return a request for comment about the pace of inmate releases and details of its plan for keeping inmates safe.

Connecticuts overall prison population has been on a steady decline since March 1, hitting another record low Wednesday and dipping below 11,500.

But a Hearst Connecticut Media investigation revealed Monday the record decline in the states prison population since March 1 has been overwhelmingly the result of fewer prisoners entering the system, not more releases. The department released 980 prisoners through April 10  which exceeds the average of three similar periods in the last year by 115 people.

Advocates and families were angered but unsurprised by the results of the investigation into the states dwindling prison population, and said the results confirmed what they had already suspected: that the rate of release wasnt the source of the overall decline.

I had thought that it would be higher just given the pandemic, so I was quite saddened by that, said Kenyatta Thompson, lead community organizer for the Katal Center, an advocacy organization that has organized protests and called on Lamont to release inmates at a higher rate.

For a long time a number of us had been watching the numbers drop, and we knew it wasnt necessarily attributed to COVID-19 since the decline started on March 1 but the governor did not talk about releasing incarcerated people until more recently, Thompson said. We had presumed these numbers were not related to COVID, but we didnt have the exact data.

Melvin Medina, public policy and advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, which has filed a lawsuit against the state demanding a plan for the broad release of inmates, said hes heard anecdotally from families that few people who thought they would qualify for an early release have actually been granted the opportunity.

Everything matched up with what I was hearing from family members about a lack of clarity and I think that, to me, is probably whats most frustrating, Medina said.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 09:04:57|Editor: huaxia

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HARBIN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Wednesday reported four new confirmed COVID-19 cases transmitted locally and 16 new confirmed cases from overseas, the provincial health commission said Thursday.

All the new imported cases were Chinese nationals returning from Russia. Of them, two were previously asymptomatic cases, according to the commission.

By Wednesday, the province had reported a total of 356 confirmed imported COVID-19 cases. It had traced 2,089 close contacts, with 1,336 still under medical observation.

On Wednesday, Heilongjiang reported a new imported asymptomatic case. The province had a total of 50 imported asymptomatic cases by Wednesday.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  The DeVos family has endorsed Peter Meijer in the Republican primary for Michigans 3rd Congressional District seat.

The powerful West Michigan family  whose late patriarch, Richard DeVos, co-founded Amway  said in a statement that Meijer is a thoughtful candidate with strong ideas and a commitment to principled governance.

After careful consideration, the DeVos family has committed its support to Peter Meijer for the Third Congressional seat, said family spokesperson Nick Wasmiller. Among other strong candidates, Peter stood out. Family members have found him to be a thoughtful candidate with strong ideas and a commitment to principled governance.

Meijer, 32, is the great grandson of Hendrik Meijer, who started the Walker-based Meijer retail chain. Prior to running for office, Meijer served in the U.S. Army, and later went on to work in the business and nonprofit sectors. He has not held public office.

Im humbled and honored to have earned the support of really wonderful community leaders like members of the DeVos family among many others, said Meijer, who entered the race in July.

The DeVos family has been a high-profile player in Republican politics for decades, donating to numerous candidates and conservative causes.

Meijer is among six candidates running in the August Republican primary to represent Michigans 3rd Congressional district.

The district encompasses the city of Grand Rapids and a large portion of Kent County, part of Montcalm County, as well as Ionia, Barry and Calhoun counties. Its currently represented by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, I-Cascade Township.

On Wednesday, April 15, Amash announced he was pausing his reelection campaign and considering whether to run for president.

The other five candidates running in the Republican primary are state Rep. Lynn Afendoulis, R-Grand Rapids Township; former Sand Lake Village President Tom Norton; Andrew Jackson Willis, pastor at Maplelawn Baptist Church in Wyoming; Lyons Village Trustee Joe Farrington; and Battle Creek attorney Emily Rafi.

According to Wasmiller, the members of the DeVos family that have contributed to Meijers campaign are: Dan DeVos, Pamella DeVos, Cheri DeVos, Steve Ehmann (Cheri DeVos husband), Doug DeVos, Maria DeVos and Dalton DeVos.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her husband, Dick, have not supported federal candidates since she took her confirmation pledge in 2017, Wasmiller said. The couple are not endorsing or supporting any candidates in the 3rd Congressional District race, he said.

The latest federal campaign finance reports, covering January through March, are due by the end of Wednesday, April 15. Wasmiller declined to say how much the DeVoses have contributed in advance of the release of the reports.

On Monday, April 13, Meijers campaign announced he had raised more than $350,000 between January and March and has well over $600,000 cash on hand. Meijer has consistently raised more money than the other Republican candidates, past campaign finance reports show.

To date, Meijer has received donations from several prominent business executives, members of the Meijer family, as well as philanthropist and Republican donor Peter Secchia, records show.

In addition to the DeVos family, Meijer said he has been endorsed by Dave and Carol Van Andel, Mark Bissell, chief executive of Bissell Inc, a leading manufacturer of vacuums and other small appliances, and others.

According to the Michigan Secretary of States Office, Meijer, Afendoulis and Farrington have submitted the at least 1,000 signatures required to appear on the August primary ballot.

As of now, candidates have until April 21 to submit the necessary signatures, though the Secretary of States Office has asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to extend the deadline to May 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to department spokesperson Tracy Wimmer.

Meijer earned a bachelors degree in cultural anthropology from Columbia University in 2012. He served in the Army Reserves for eight years, from 2008 to 2016, including a mid-college deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011.

After graduating, he went to work as a conflict analyst for a humanitarian organization from 2013 to 2015. He earned a masters degree in business administration from New York University in 2017. Most recently, from April 2018 to January 2019, he worked as an analyst at Olympia Development of Michigan.

He also volunteered for Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that deploys veterans to assist in disaster relief throughout the globe, between summer 2012 and fall 2013.

The DeVos family were longtime supporters of Amash, but announced last spring they were no longer financially backing him. At the time, the family said its decision was based on Amashs inability to "advance efforts connected to important policy matters.

Read more:

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to help funders identify specialists to peer-review proposals for emergency COVID-19 research has been developed. It aims to help fast-track the allocation of funding, and in turn, accelerate the scientific response to the virus.

The open-access publisher Frontiers has specifically developed the recommendation tool to aid funders during the crisis by helping them identify new reviewers. Under normal circumstances, the review process for research funding typically takes place by committee and can take a matter of months. However, since the COVID-19 outbreak, experts have become less available, and the urgency of this situation commands a tighter timeframe.

Simona Grasso, adviser in health research and health innovation at the Research Council of Norway, said: "The reviewer recommender tool made available from Frontiers media, has been helpful and crucial in recruiting experts for our COVID-19 Emergency Call. Due to the short time to assess the proposals, the broad thematic areas of the call and the amount of received application, has been a challenge recruiting many experts with a profile that fully fits the applications. The AI-based recommender tool is straightforward, user-friendly and allowed us to speed-up the recruiting process. In three clicks we managed to get a full 'application-customized' list over potential reviewers and their relative contact information. This tool is highly recommended."

Fred Fenter, executive editor at Frontiers, said: "It is fantastic to see the research community rallying to solve this crisis and, in particular, the response by funders to issue rapid response calls for research projects into the virus. This, however, will put a lot of stress on their review processes. This is where we can contribute by making available our technology and network of experts to help alleviate the huge reviewer demand in a narrow field of expertise. Using our AI platform, funders can circumvent some of the disruption being created by COVID-19. They can identify a broader pool of specialists and expedite the review process."

The publisher's in-house technology team has exploited the AI technology they use to review research articles when they are submitted to any one of its 79 scientific journals. The Coronavirus Reviewer Recommender suggests experts based on keywords or thorough semantic analysis of text.

Fred Fenter added: "Experts in fields related to Coronavirus are going above and beyond the call of duty to save lives as clinicians and to conduct vital research. We ask any funder who has announced emergency funding for Coronavirus and COVID-19 research to make use of the technology, and to exert sensibility and common sense when contacting experts."

The Coronavirus Reviewer Recommender is the latest tool made available on Frontiers' Coronavirus Knowledge Hub. This includes the Coronavirus Funding Monitor, a centralized portal of current funding opportunities for the research community offering a curated list of open funding calls and other support for researchers, non-profit organizations and commercial organizations. Both tools have been developed by Frontiers to help increase the impact of and coordinate information about unprecedented amounts of emergency research funding being mobilized across the globe to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information: Coronavirus Reviewer Recommender: Coronavirus Reviewer Recommender: coronavirus.frontiersin.org/reviewer-recommender
Despite what youve heard about Americans buying up more alcohol to sustain them during the coronavirus shelter in place, business is not good for small craft breweries.

The Brewers Association recently reported these breweries, on average, expected a 59.5% decrease in sales. More than a quarter of American breweries have stopped production, and more than 60% have already laid off some employees or anticipate needing to do so.

In California, the picture looks just as bad. Of the brewery owners the California Craft Brewers Association polled, 99% said their business had been negatively affected by the coronavirus closures. They also reported current sales were down 43%. Here in Northern California, brewery owners report a 42% decrease in sales.

Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association, points out a sort of misconception around what some believe to be a boom in can sales. While packaged distributed volume is up nearly 10% (because drinkers are buying cans and bottles to consume at home), its not making up for the total loss of draft beer sales.

While there likely is a bump for the overall category in off-premise, he said, this isnt helping the smallest micros, taprooms, and brewpubs that much, since much of the bump is concentrated in bigger retailers and larger package sizes.

Employment figures are dire too. Nearly a third of Californias breweries  29%  have laid off all their employees; half of the respondents are planning more layoffs to come.

Heres the bleak reality: Theres a high probability Bay Area breweries will close, and its not yet clear how many. One has already shuttered. Nearly half, 46%, of California breweries say they can last 1-3 more months, but no longer. 60% of breweries nationwide believe theyll need to close by mid-July if social distancing is still in effect.

The majority of craft breweries are small businesses that sell all or most of their beer through their brewery and direct to their communities, not through third parties like grocery stores, Joanne Marino, Director of the Bay Area Brewers Guild said this week. These breweries saw revenue streams disappearing overnight.

Owners in the meantime are looking to the state and federal governments for assistance, but right now, theres one thing you can do to help: Order beer from your local brewery, or buy cans from your local bottle shop. Many are offering to-go cans and crowlers  heres a list  and those that arent have created gift card links and crowdfunding campaigns for laid off and furloughed employees.

What Local Brewing's Regan Long told me last month still rings true: "Support small businesses as much as possible."

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGate digital editor. Email: alyssa.pereira@sfgate.com | Twitter: @alyspereira


The "Commander" is a 13-year old boy who is a self-affirmed terrorist and neo-Nazi, claiming links to several international plots like a savvy adult.

He called himself that moniker online and even plan religious attacks at a Las Vegas Synagogue, including rigging a car to blow sky high at major a US news outlet.

According to sources, he was the de-facto leader of the Feuerkrieg Division. He lived in Estonia while connected to the Feuerkrieg Division, he was traced by authorities without knowing it.

Soon after, he was questioned by authorities in Estonia early this year, that prompted him to disavow any links to the neo-Nazi group. Confirmed by police and an Estonia newspaper.

The Estonian Internal Security Service, via the spokesman Harrys Puusepp, commented to Associated Press on Thursday that the police did an intervention in January because the child's activities were already suspect of impending danger.

Also, his activities as the Feuerkrieg Division had to be mitigated by authorities before things got worse.

Puusepp added. "As the case dealt with a child under the age of 14, this person cannot be prosecuted under the criminal law and instead other legal methods must be used to eliminate the risk. Cooperation between several authorities, and especially parents, is important to steer a child away from violent extremism."

The police spokesman explained that they never said he was the leader of the group, further stating that he used "Commander" on online chats with the members of Feuerkrieg. The 13-year old only alluded to being the founder and mentioned he was from Saaremaa, Estonia's largest island.

He was never its leader, added the Estonian authorities to clear up any notion the child was the leader.

Also read: Coronavirus Weak Spot Discovered: Researchers Find Out That Virus is 'Low Shielding'

According to a report that was published on Wednesday in the Estonian newspaper Eesti Ekspress, it said that Estonian security officials looked at the involvement of a 13-year old boy, who was allegedly running the Feuerkrieg Division operations out of a small town in the country. The newspaper stated that the group is a decentralized type of organization. The Estonian teen was privy to some facts but he was not the leader. However, he was a key figure overall.

The Anti-Defamation League confirmed that the Feuerkrieg Division as a group that advocates for a race war and believes in white supremacy movement. Organized in 2018, it had 30 members in the start, who were active online, according to the ADL.

Oren Segal, vice president of the ADL's Center on Extremism, children are more than just a target audience for these hate groups, as they make white supremacy and violence seem so attractive to younger audiences. These kids are enjoined to participate and spread hate, believe in neo-Nazism from the comfort of their homes.

Members of the Feuerkrieg Division on the Wire online platform were monitor by the FBI, with confidential sources to crack the groups communique, said federal court records.

Feuerkrieg Division members communicated over the Wire online platform. The FBI used confidential sources to infiltrate the group's encrypted chats, according to federal court records.

Other members of the Feuerkrieg Division were nabbed like 24-year-old Conor Climo in April 2019, and U.S. Army soldier Jarrett William Smith, pleaded guilty in February to separate charges.

There more neo-Nazi children seduced at the age of 13 years old, and care must be taken to shield them.

Related article: Fang Fang's Wuhan Diary May Shed Light on What Really Happened During Coronavirus Lockdown

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
President Donald Trump, flanked by officials and business leaders, announces a national emergency with regard to the coronavirus in the White House Rose Garden in Washington on March 13, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Trump Questions Accuracy of Chinas CCP Virus Death Toll

President Donald Trump questioned the accuracy of Chinas official CCP virus case and death toll statistics during a press briefing held by members of the coronavirus task force on April 15.

Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called Chinaand that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of deathsdoes anybody really believe that? Trump told reporters at the briefing.

Do you think youre getting honest numbers from some of these countries? he asked earlier, pointing out that in the United States every death is reported.

Internal government documents obtained by The Epoch Times have highlighted how the Chinese regime purposefully underreported cases of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) viruscommonly known as the novel coronavirus and which causes the disease COVID-19and censored discussions of the outbreak, fueling the spread of the disease.

While responding to questions, Trump said everything we have is documented, reported, and that in the United States we have more cases, because we do more reporting.

All I know is: We report the facts, and were a country thats getting better, he added.

Trump, administration officials, and lawmakers, meanwhile, have recently become more vocal in addressing Chinas mishandling and coverup of the CCP virus.

At the same time, Beijing is continuing to focus on the United States and the president himself as part of an aggressive propaganda initiative. Most recently, the regime has been using Facebook ads to criticize Trump, spread disinformation, and attempt to alter narratives on the pandemic.

Beijing unintentionally admitted to having hidden the number of virus cases in the country when it announced it would begin reporting cases of asymptomatic carriers on April 1, revealing that it hadnt been doing so. Chinas National Health Commission also acknowledged that asymptomatic carriers can infect others and cause outbreaks, which it had previously dismissed.

In the past three months, the number of Chinese cellphone users dropped by 21 million, suggesting that deaths due to the CCP virus may have been a factor. Since Sept. 1, 2010, China has required all cellphone users to register the devices with their real identification.

In Chinas Shandong Province alone, daily new infection numbers were up to 52 times higher than officially published data. Information provided by residents in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, also indicates the death toll there could be more than 32,00012.7 times the official figure.

And for the second time this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Chinas top diplomat, this time pressing China to be fully transparent about the pandemic.

In an April 15 phone call with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi, Pompeo stressed the need for full transparency and information sharing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent future outbreaks, according to a State Department statement.

Earlier this week, Trump said he would stop U.S. funding of the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its role on behalf of China as the administration reviews its response to the global crisis. At a news conference, he said the organization had failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable.

Trump said the U.N. agency had promoted Chinas disinformation about the CCP virus that likely led to a wider outbreak of the virus than otherwise would have occurred. The United States is the biggest overall donor to the Geneva-based WHO, contributing more than $400 million in 2019, roughly 15 percent of the organizations budget.

In a Jan. 14 Twitter post, the WHO repeated Chinese propaganda, writing that preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus that originated in Wuhan.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx expressed similar concerns in an April 15 interview with ABCs The View.

I think once this is over, well be able to look back and see, Did China and the WHO say and do everything to alert the rest of the world to the nuances of this virus Birx told the network. Because when it first explodes, someone had to have known that there was human-to-human transmission.
On Jan 14, China's top health agency told provincial officials that they were facing a likely epidemic from a new coronavirus but didn't alert the public for six days.

Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press show the National Health Commission ordered secret pandemic preparations, even as they downplayed the outbreak on national television.

President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day, Jan. 20. By then, more than 3,000 people had been infected during nearly a week of silence, according to retrospective infection data.

Takeaways from the internal documents:



For almost two weeks, China's Center for Disease Control did not register any cases from local officials, internal bulletins obtained by the AP confirm. Yet during that Jan. 5-17 period, hundreds of patients were appearing in hospitals not just in the city of Wuhan but across the country.

Doctors and nurses in Wuhan say there were many signs the coronavirus could be transmitted between people by late December. But officials muzzled medical workers who tried to report such cases.

They required staff to report to supervisors before sending information higher. And they punished doctors who warned about the disease.

The muffling of warnings left top leaders in the dark. It took the first confirmed case outside China, in Thailand on Jan 13, to jolt leaders in Beijing into recognizing the possible pandemic before them. An internal memo cites China's top health official, Ma Xiaowei, as saying the situation had changed significantly because of the possible spread of the virus abroad.

The memo, on a secret Jan 14 teleconference held by Ma, shows that Chinese officials were deeply alarmed and had come to a much grimmer assessment than they were letting on in public.

For weeks, officials had stuck to the line that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission, calling the disease preventable and controllable. But during the teleconference, Ma said that clustered cases suggest human-to-human transmission is possible.

The epidemic situation is still severe and complex, the most severe challenge since SARS in 2003, and is likely to develop into a major public health event, the memo cites Ma as saying.

After the teleconference, officials adjusted their language slightly, but continued to downplay the threat.

We have reached the latest understanding that the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is low, Li Qun, the head of China CDC's emergency center, told Chinese state television on Jan 15.

Before the teleconference, health authorities had focused narrowly on Wuhan, the central China city where the outbreak started.

They searched for visitors to a market that dealt in live game, believing the virus was largely transmitted from animals to humans. But rattled by the case in Thailand, Chinese leaders launched a nationwide hunt to find cases, the documents show.

The memo warned the risk of transmission was higher with many people traveling for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. All localities must prepare for and respond to a pandemic," it said.

Officials distributed test kits and ordered health officials across the country to screen patients. They ordered hospitals to open fever clinics, and doctors and nurses to don protective gear. They instructed officials in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, to begin temperature checks at transportation hubs and cut down on large public gatherings.

They did it all without telling the public. Even as the new measures began to turn up hundreds of cases across the country, tens of thousands of people dined at a mass Lunar New Year banquet and millions traveled through Wuhan.

The documents show how political considerations may have shaped China's response to the outbreak.

In the memo, Ma demanded officials unite around Xi. It made clear that social stability was a key priority during the long lead-up to China's two biggest political meetings of the year in March.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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On April 9, right in the middle of New Yorks epic battle against COVID-19, the state legislature passed, and Governor Cuomo signed, a bill that legalizes commercial surrogacy. As of February 15, 2021, residents of New York will be able to enter into legally enforceable surrogacy contracts.

From the beginning to the end, this debate was never driven by any serious consideration of whats good for women and children, but by heartstrings rhetoric, celebrity endorsement, and especially, gay-rights advocates.

As I predicted, the final proposal lacked adequate and necessary safeguards against the exploitation and commodification of womens bodies, or the commercialization of children. Underscoring the shameful nature of this legislation, proponents secured its passage by subterfuge, smuggling it past both religious conservative and feminist opponents in the mandatory budget measure, even though commercial surrogacy has nothing to do with the state budget.

So now, in New York, amidst all the rhetoric about human dignity, the poor and marginalized, and protecting the vulnerable, lawmakers have kicked wide the door to potential exploitation of surrogates, particularly those from low-income backgrounds.

The exploitation of poor women is the subject of a bestselling and award-winning 2019 novel, The Farm. In the book, set fittingly in a New York of the not-too-distant future, a tiny, wealthy, highly-unrepresentative slice of the population are the beneficiaries while the poor are exploited.

In real life, as I have said before, commercial surrogacy is led by same-sex couples, who benefit while poor women are exploited. According to an informal study commissioned by the Chicago Tribune in 2016, ten to twenty percent of donor eggs in fertility clinics went to gay men ordering babies through surrogacy. The overall number that represents was, at the time, skyrocketing, up fifty percent in just five years.

Also, when you consider that self-identified gay people make up about 3% of the population, and not all of them are attempting to become parents from a lab, you realize just how much this population group is driving the surrogacy movement. Not coincidentally, the sponsors of New Yorks law, like the sponsor of the similar 2018 Washington state law, are openly gay.

Both of these laws reflect the most destructive cultural views of our time. One idea is that love is love, which, if you remember, was the slogan behind the advance of same-sex marriage.

The problem is that the slogan is Gnostic. It only makes sense if we pretend bodies dont exist and if we exclude biological realities from any consideration of what love means. Once thats done, those who have intentionally chosen sterile unions, arguing in fact that procreation is irrelevant to such unions, can now demand the right to have children.

Not only that, but the love is love mantra is extended beyond procreation to parenting, as if there were no differences between a mothers love and a fathers love and as if intentionally depriving children of one or the other is completely acceptable.

After demanding children without sex, we now impose on those children an upbringing without a mom or a dad, intentionally, as if a second dad could replace a mom or a second mom could replace a dad. Its the final chapter in the long and brutal history of the sexual revolutions most terrible myth: the kids will be fine.

But theyre not, and neither are poor women, who are made even more vulnerable to exploitation by commercializing their bodies. India, whose per capita GDP is three percent that of New Yorks, sees this, and thats why they banned surrogacy.

Katy Faust of the childrens rights group Them Before Us and a speaker at our upcoming Truth. Love. Together. live event, puts it this way: abortion and reproductive technologies [like surrogacy,] are two sides of the same child-commodifying coin.

Abortion says, If a child is unwanted, I can force her out of existence even if it violates her right to life. [Surrogacy] says, If a child is wanted, I can force her into existence, even if it violates her right to her mother and father.

This New York law is shameful. Like all bad ideas, it will leave victims in its wake. Especially women and children.

Originally posted at breakpoint.org
Richmond Community Schools has 166 employees and when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closed all Michigan schools last month, school officials deemed all of those employees essential to the continued operation of the district.

The designation was given even though the employees titles might be bus driver, media center aid or classroom para pro. Everyone, but teachers, who will teach students remotely, will be expected to work at the school for at least 12 hours a week helping pack lunches for the Eat Up and Meet Up program that provides food to students at home.

Although hours are reduced and social distancing is to be observed, the plan upset many employees who are being asked to leave the safety of quarantine in their home to venture out and be around others.

Timothy Ducharme, whose wife is a para pro in the district, has seemingly become the spokesperson for the concerned employees. He wrote several emails to the Voice outlining their concerns. In part one email read:

Many Richmond school employees are very afraid, not only for themselves but for families, and dont know what to do. They are writing me personally for fear of repercussions.

Superintendent Brian Walmsley said the idea that he would direct any negative attention to someone who wasnt comfortable working the hours in the cafeteria is ridiculous.

Are they scared and afraid, of course they are, theres so much uncertainty right now every day for everyone, Walmsley said. I understand, do you think Im not worried when I get home every night to my wife and daughter? But we all have to do a little bit of what we can to help and remember how many families this food is going to feed.

Walmsley said he selected the food service program for additional help because they recently added weekend meals and he feels the need is going to increase soon.

The food program delivers free meals by bus on Mondays and Thursdays to students, making up 7 days worth of breakfasts and lunches. Walmsley said the program provided 3,000 breakfasts and 4,000 lunches in March. The district also implemented a drive-up meal pickup plan starting April 20.

After a brief training session on April 13, employees reported to the cafeterias in all three schools and Walmsley said he told them to make up their own system for packing lunches. If they finish early they are welcome to go home without being penalized, he added.

The employees are given masks and gloves, are instructed to keep the six feet social distancing rule with no more than 10 people in a room at one time.

When asked about the idea that hes putting his employees in harms way to just bag lunches, Walmsley was offended by the implication.

We are doing whatever we need to do for the safety of our employees and tell me this, are you saying the food service workers life isnt as important as the Para Pros because the food service people have to work, Walmsley said in response to a question about the concerns raised by Ducharme. Oh, and the answer to that is no.'

Change to paychecks, too

The original payment plan Walmsley laid out for the non-essential employees on April 7 was that they each would work 12 hours a week in the school cafeteria. If they didnt work the 12 hours that would be deducted from their normal hours. So, if they usually worked 37 hours but didnt help in the kitchen then they would only be paid for 25 hours.

At an April 13 Board of Education meeting, officials changed that plan and decided that if the employee didnt work the 12 hours as scheduled by Walmsley, they would not be paid at all.

What they decided was basically, if you choose not to work than we are not paying you, Walmsley said. And the board directed to me that if an employee does not want to work their scheduled time, after sick leave and vacation time are used up, they are not going to be paid.

Theres also a chart in place in case an employee who has agreed to the 12-hour work week happens to need to take a shift off over the next nine weeks. For every hour they miss, 2.5 hours will be deducted from their paycheck.

Walmsley explained the equation was arrived at because when you consider an employee is being paid for working 36 hours but only actually works 12 hours, he has already tripled their hourly rate so that has to be considered when hours are missed.

The changes prompted confusion and exasperation from some as expressed on the Facebook Page Richmond Community Schools Watchdogs, where Ducharme is the administrator. One recent post read: I have talked with a few people who are scared to speak out and who are having to go in and work or having to use their sick or vacation time or not get paid at all. I am just so sad and frustrated for these workers going in out of fear. I dont know why this was not more thought out? There had to of been a better way? If the government is asking us to stay home why is that not being done.

In an email Ducharme said: So many more emails I can send you but everyone is afraid of losing their job if they speak. You may get them fired if you use names. People are reaching out but afraid, you wouldnt believe the emails I get from teachers and staff.

Walmsley said its unfortunate employees feel this way about a plan he actually put in place so nobody would get laid off. He said considering all the people who have lost their jobs, including his own wife, being paid for 37 hours when you only worked 12 seems more than fair.

Barb Pert Templeton is a freelance reporter. She can be contacted at barbperttempleton.reporter@yahoo.com
After United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed concern over reports on segregation of Hindu and Muslim Covid-19 patients in two separate wards in a hospital in Gujarat, New Delhi has strongly reacted, accusing the panel of adding religious colour to the fight against the virus in India.

As if its peremptory commentary on religious freedom in India is not enough, the USCIRF is now spreading misguided reports on the professional medical protocols followed to deal with the spread of Covid-19 in India, Anurag Srivastava, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in New Delhi.

For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here

The USCIRF  an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the American Congress  earlier tweeted expressing concern over reports of Hindu and Muslim Covid-19 patients being segregated in two separate wards at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. (The) USCIRF is concerned with reports of Hindu & (and) Muslim patients separated into separate hospital wards in #Gujarat, the panel posted on Twitter. Such actions only help to further increase ongoing stigmatization of Muslims in #India and exacerbate false rumors of Muslims spreading #Covid19, it added.

The commission is mandated by the American Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. It makes foreign policy recommendations to the US President, the US Secretary of State and US Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.

It has been publicly criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modis government in New Delhi on the issue of religious freedom. It also recommended to the US President Donald Trump in December 2019 to impose sanctions on Indian Home Minister, Amit Shah, who piloted the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill through the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The Government of Gujarat denied the media reports about the segregation of Covid-19 patients on the basis of religion at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.

It (USCIRF) must stop adding religious colour to our national goal of fighting the pandemic and distract from larger efforts. No segregation is being done in civil hospitals on the basis of religion, as clarified by the Gujarat Government, Srivastava, the MEA spokesperson, said.
Michael Green, who served as a high-ranking Asia policy aide under President George W. Bush, said U.S. allies have expressed frustration over the White Houses move against the WHO. Although Green acknowledged that the agency has too often seemed willing to regurgitate Beijings talking points, he emphasized that allies have said the United States would be better served by working with its partners to register objections to Chinas behavior than in making unilateral threats.
Radio stations nationwide broadcast lessons following the closure of schools as part of coronavirus containment efforts.

More than a billion children worldwide are facing disruption to their education through restrictions on movement caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Education providers across the globe  including in Africa, the continent with the worlds youngest population  are racing to launch remote learning options as students face the prospect of staying out of school for months.

In Liberia, the same students whose entry to secondary school was delayed by the 2014-16 West African Ebola epidemic now find their final year disrupted by the pandemic. But education officials in the country say they have learned from Ebola and are now able to deliver better content, faster.

Indeed, soon after schools across Liberia closed on March 16, when the countrys first coronavirus case was confirmed, authorities launched a radio schooling initiative to bridge an education gap.

Within two weeks, the first lessons were aired on radio stations nationwide. Today, some 32 stations now broadcast several prerecorded lessons a day, each lasting half an hour, catering to different educational levels.

It is a hands-on venture, with senior officials from the Ministry of Education devising and recording their own lessons. Other classes are produced by private education providers, including Rising Academies, which manages a network of some 140 schools in Liberia and neighbouring Sierra Leone.

Lessons cover subjects from literature to maths and science to social studies, interspersed with health tips and messages promoting the wellbeing of students and their families.

Many of the lessons feature the now ubiquitous sound of President George Weahs coronavirus awareness song, in which the head of state informs listeners about the symptoms of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the pathogen, and measures to prevent its spread.

What makes a good distance learning programme will vary from country to country, said Susannah Hares, a co-director for education policy at the Center for Global Development. The right technology will be the one that the most people can access and already know how to use.

Radio lessons are the most scalable option for distance learning in Liberia, according to George Cowell, managing director of Rising Academies in Liberia. While students in many other countries access remote lessons online, internet connectivity is unavailable for much of Liberias rural population.

Launching a radio learning scheme was, therefore the clear and logical thing to do, said Cowell.

Beyond Liberia, Rising Academies aims to reach more than 10 million students around the world during the pandemic by sharing audio recordings and lesson scripts for local adaptation through its free Rising On Air initiative.

Children at Zunna Town Public School, Montserrado County [Courtesy Rising Academy Network]

Learnings from Ebola

Liberia has so far confirmed 59 cases of COVID-19, including six deaths. Authorities have announced a series of coronavirus containment measures and declared a national health emergency as the country gears up to fight a potentially severe outbreak with a defunct health system.

But the countrys education authorities had a head start over counterparts in other countries when it came to devising a COVID-19 distance learning programme.

Schools were closed for up to eight months following the emergence of Ebola six years ago. During that outbreak, a basic radio learning campaign was conducted, but too many things were happening at the same time, said Felicia Doe-Sumah, Liberias assistant minister for basic and secondary education.

We didnt have the experience to know how the lessons should be designed and they werent grade specific.

At first, we thought schools would only be closed for a week or so, Doe-Sumah added. This time around, we have planned for an initial six weeks and are already thinking beyond that.

Protecting girls

Beyond filling the gap in learning, the programme also seeks to protect vulnerable children  and especially girls  as they spend months out of school, and avoid a recurrence of the spike in teenage pregnancies that occurred during Ebola.

Using radio or other technologies to promote safeguarding and health messages, ideally supplemented by human interaction with their teachers or other community leaders, could help protect adolescent girls from sexual abuse, violence and pregnancy, said Hares.

We want our students to keep safe, agreed Doe-Sumah, while conceding that messaging alone will be insufficient where economic disadvantage means girls place themselves in vulnerable positions for financial gain.

Providing support to children is already a challenge. People go out to get what they need, she added.

One way to improve child safeguarding is by promoting parental participation in radio learning.

We want parents to listen along in order to open up a communication line with their children that might not otherwise be there, said Doe-Sumah.

Lessons cover subjects from literature to maths and science to social studies, interspersed with health tips [Courtesy: Rising Academy Network]

Maintaining student engagement

Another aim of the radio initiative is to maintain pupils engagement with the education system to increase rates of return once schools reopen. This will be particularly important in the face of the inevitable economic hardship following the pandemic, which will hit poor families hardest.

Were trying to narrow the gap between schools closing and education coming through to reduce the instances of school drop-outs, said Cowell.

But radio alone, he admits, is not enough: This isnt about trying to be as good as classroom education.

The next phase will be to increase interaction with pupils through text messages and phone-ins.

Learning providers are also investigating options to distribute physical reading materials to accompany the radio classes. Publishing exercises in newspapers might be one solution, said Cowell.

Radio should be combined with teacher outreach and the provision of learning materials, agreed Hares, who suggested teachers should follow up with phone calls to students to improve learning outcomes.

Human contact will make radio more worthwhile.
U.S. rejects most Spirit, JetBlue requests to halt additional flights A JetBlue passenger jet lands with New York City as a backdrop

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department said on Thursday it had rejected most requests by JetBlue Airways Corp <JBLU.O> and Spirit Airlines <SAVE.N> to halt additional flights in the wake of the pandemic that has sent passenger traffic down by 95%.

The department last week issued final rules setting minimum flights requirements for airlines receiving government assistance allowing airlines to dramatically cut and consolidate but not eliminate service.

Spirit must resume flights to the New York City area and outstate New York airports after it suspended service to all New York, New Jersey and Connecticut airports it serves in early April, including New York LaGuardia, Newark, New Jersey; Hartford, Connecticut; Niagara Falls, New York, and Plattsburgh, New York.

Airlines can petition to temporarily eliminate service to airports. The department is reviewing requests from another eight airlines.

The department said it would allow the airlines to stop flying to Puerto Rico, but would require JetBlue to keep flying to nine destinations, including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; Bozeman, Montana; Reno-Tahoe, Nevada; Dallas/Fort Worth; Sacramento, California; Houston; and Minneapolis.

Spirit must resume flights to a total of about two dozen locations, including Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis; and the San Francisco area within a week of getting government assistance.

Spirit said it would "fully comply with the U.S. Department of Transportation requirements and will continue to take care of our Guests during this unprecedented time."

JetBlue did not immediately comment.

This week the U.S. Treasury had reached agreements in principle with 10 major airlines as it moves to award $25 billion in cash grants to help carriers with payroll costs. The carriers could get the funds as early as this week and will need to repay 30% in a low-interest loan over 10 years and grant the government warrants equal to 10% of the loan.

JetBlue said this week it expected to receive $935 million in payroll assistance. Spirit said it has not yet reached agreement with Treasury on payroll assistance but said Tuesday it expected to agree on terms soon.

Story continues

United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Delta Air Lines and others have sought exemptions before resuming some flights, especially some seasonal flights to vacation destinations.

American Airlines <AAL.O> wants to delay resuming flights to airports that serve Colorado ski resorts such as Vail and Aspen, as well as to several Hawaiian island airports.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis)
Super funds have five days to pay out members who want to access to their retirement savings early, according to new guidelines released by the prudential regulator, as the sector braces for a raid on balances starting next week.

The peak body representing industry fund trustees has slammed the deadline set on Thursday as "incredibly short" raising the potential for identity fraud as access to the scheme is based on self-approval process with little paper work through the Australian Tax Office.

Eva Scheerlinck, chief executive of Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, said funds were comfortable meeting tight deadlines, such as the two-day turnaround for people wanting to switch funds, but the early access scheme was different. "Those queries don't come in at potentially thousands all at the same time," she said.

Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees CEO Eva Scheerlinck says super funds need more than five days to process early access payments. Credit:

Australians who have lost 20 per cent or more of their income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic will be able to withdraw up to $20,000 from their super in two staggered instalments from Monday in a controversial policy waived through parliament last month. Once the application is approved by the ATO it is sent to funds so payments can be processed.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.  The Klamath County Sheriff's Office says that it has arrested a second suspect related to a shooting at a mobile home park in the Klamath Falls area in February that left two people injured.

Around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies took 27-year-old Ty Antonio Golden of Klamath Falls into custody in the 1800-block of Fargo Street. KCSO said that Golden was a "person of interest" in the Summers Lane shooting on February 28.

Police arrested 29-year-old Christian Pena in March after KCSO also identified him as a person of interest in the case. Pena remains in jail awaiting trial for the case, held on a list of charges that include two counts of Attempted Murder.

It's unclear at this time how Golden and Pena are both believed to be related to the case, as the court documents in Pena's case make no mention of Golden or a second suspect.

According to a probable cause statement from the officer who arrested Pena, one of the victims identified him as the man who fired six shots into the crowded Plaza Manor trailer park, hitting two people.

"One victim suffered a shattered femur and significant blood loss," the officer wrote. "The other victim suffered a severed femoral artery and is in critical condition."

Golden has been lodged in the Klamath County Jail on six counts of Recklessly Endangering, six counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Assault in the First Degree, two counts of Attempted Murder, and Felon in Possession of a Weapon.
CHINAs Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodonghas has reacted on claims of mistreatment, discrimination and stigmatisation against African nationals in China raised by some African diplomatic envoys, saying the government of the second largest economy in the world is paying serious attention to the issues.

Chinas position on the claims was revealed in a statement released to the media on Tuesday after the Chinese official met and held talks with representatives from 20 African countries to deliberate on the situation in Guangdong Province with regard to the local COVID-19 response.

According to Mr Chen, the African people have always been dear friends and brothers to share joys and sorrows.

"Ours is an unbreakable friendship that has taken deep root in the hearts of people both in China and Africa," he said.

He pointed out that the COVID-19 outbreak has further strengthened the relations between the two sides (Africa and China) to countries to fight the challenge.

He, however, noted that China felt deeply for African friends who are now also battling the virus and decided to provide emergency containment supplies to the continent despite its own outbreak challenge.

Mr Chen noted that the outbreak is a serious test, thus the two countries needed to strengthen solidarity and maintain friendship and cooperation more than ever.

"The Chinese side will do everything it can to deliver more support to Africa, and fight with Africa until the final victory is won against the outbreak," noted Mr Chen.

Elaborating on the allegations, he said China has taken the most comprehensive, stringent and thorough action to fight the virus and is the reason why they managed to contain the outbreak.

The assistant minister disclosed that the country is still facing a growing challenge in preventing imported cases.

"This is particularly the case with Guangdong, a leading province in China's opening-up endeavor, with much higher risks of inbound transmission.

We must institute more rigorous measures across the board and tighten all potential loopholes that may trigger a rebound.

"This is the only way to make sure that everything we have worked so hard to achieve will not be lost. China is doing this not just to be responsible to its own people, but also to the Africans and indeed all foreign nationals in Guangdong," he said.

Thus, Guangdong authorities were taking a number of steps to improve its response, therefore health measures are implemented in a non-differential way.

Mr Chen further stated that from the day of the meeting, measures on Africans who are neither confirmed cases nor close contacts (suspected cases included), will be lifted in a phased way pursuant to relevant containment protocols.

He said a mechanism for effective communication will be established with African consulates general in Guangzhou.

"The Chinese government treats all foreign nationals in China alike. This is China's consistent policy and position. In China, we always make sure that African friends are treated in a fair, just and friendly manner.

The Foreign Ministry will stay in close contact with Guangdong to earnestly address the legitimate concerns of the African side," stressed the Chinese official.

The Acting Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and other African diplomatic envoys expressed appreciation to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for holding the meeting and having open, in-depth discussions with them on the situation of the Africans in Guangdong.

They said it demonstrates the seriousness and sincerity of the Chinese side in dealing with this matter and sends a positive message of the two sides being willing to engage in friendly consultation.

The envoys recognised the profound friendship between Africa and China that has withstood the test of time.

"When the outbreak began, African leaders and people were among the first to voice support for China. African envoys in China chose to stay behind and stand firmly together with the Chinese people," stated the dean.

They thanked China for actively supporting and assisting Africa's control efforts in spite of difficulties.

Among other concerns raised by the envoys include specific issues in Guangdong Province's outbreak control related to African nationals, such as nucleic acid testing, accommodation, visa, and the treatment of African students.

They commended the Chinese side for informing them of the steps already or to be taken by Guangdong authorities, including establishing channels of dialogue and communication with African consulates general in Guangzhou.

The envoys said that they will immediately, fully and faithfully report to their capitals and notify their nationals in Guangdong, and look forward to the timely and effective implementation of such measures.

The African side will work with the Chinese side to urge and guide African nationals to abide by Chinese laws and observe the containment measures of China.
The Iowa Department of Public Health said Thursday it has been notified of 146 additional positive cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, for a total of at least 2,141 positive cases in the state.

An additional seven deaths were also reported, adults between 61 and 80 years old from Allamakee, Polk and Linn Counties, adults 81 and older from Polk and Tama Counties , adult between 41 and 60 from Louisa County and an adult between 18 and 40 from Polk County.

There are 175 Iowans hospitalized by the disease and 987 Iowans have recovered, the department said.

Pottawattamie County remains at 18 positive cases, of which 11 have recovered, according to Pottawattamie County Public Health. Four are self-isolating at home and two are hospitalized. One person from the county, a Council Bluffs woman, has died.

The current projected peak of the disease in Iowa remains at sometime around May 5.

The state's new website tracking COVID-19, coronavirus.iowa.gov, lists no changes in the number of cases in southwest Iowa. The numbers were updated at 10 a.m. Thursday.

There are 12 cases of COVID-19 in Harrison County, with 11 recoveries; in Shelby County there have been seven cases and seven recoveries; in Mills County, two cases and two recoveries; Cass County and Montgomery County have one case apiece, with the Cass County case listed as recovered; Page County has had three cases and three recoveries; both Crawford and Monona Counties have had six cases, with five recoveries. Fremont County has not had a confirmed case reported.

Crawford County has had one death from COVID-19.

From Pottawattamie County:

The best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 is to stay at home as much as possible. Only leave home for essential reasons. Do not visit big box stores except for essential grocery and pharmaceutical needs. If you must leave home, practice social distancing, and stay at least six feet away from others. Implement excellent hygiene and disinfectant practices. Wash hands and disinfect frequently touched surfaces multiple times per day. Isolate if you are sick.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms or develop symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath), contact your healthcare provider before going to the doctors office or an emergency room.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact globally, the African continent, while less affected, is preparing to undergo its own severe social and economic crisis. As of April 7, over 10,000 cases have been reported across 52 countries in Africa (less than 1% of cases globally)

.

Yet despite the slow onset, Africas fragile health systems will be overwhelmed if the virus continues to spread. To avoid this scenario, governments are implementing contingency measures with striking collateral damage in the form of shops and factories closing, workers being sent home, and jobs being cut, with the effect that an economic recession is looming.

In response, the African Development Bank has raised an exceptional $3 billion, three-year bond to help alleviate the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A portion of these funds will help finance access to health and other essential goods and services as well as the infrastructure needed to address the crisis and create favourable conditions for resilience.

The Bank believes that digital technologies can and will play a critical role in strengthening resilience by enabling fast responses to this crisis while helping alleviate its impact.

There are a number of specific use cases where digital technologies help create an enabling environment for human resilience during these difficult times.

A shift to a cashless economy

Physical money currently acts as a vector for the virus spread whereas technology makes payments possible and safe. Governments and start-ups across Africa are implementing measures to shift payment transactions toward mobile money and away from cash, as recommended by the World Health Organization. A case in point is Kenya, the pioneer of mobile money, where the payments industry has collaborated to ensure that digital payments can be made across the board, especially by the most vulnerable. For a three-month period, digital transactions below 1,000 Kenya Shillings ($10) will be free.

Ghana too has instituted measures to drive digital payments and combat the virus. The Central Bank of Ghana has directed mobile money providers to waive fees on transactions of 100 Ghana Cedis ($18) or less and has allowed for the opening of mobile money accounts using existing subscriber registrations with mobile operators. South African fintech start-ups are encouraging the use of contact-less payments through point-of-sale devices.

Online business (e-commerce)

Online business and e-commerce platforms help maintain social distancing and reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Online delivery applications have become the ideal medium to order food, groceries and medical supplies. E-commerce platforms, whether web-or app-based, are gaining new users.

Digital health infrastructure is helping communities safely navigate the pandemic. Telemedicine platforms based on chatbots enable people to ask questions about symptoms and treatment. These platforms also allow the public to assess the probability of infection. Other innovations, such as medical tips generated via sms or WhatsApp, advise recipients on responsible behaviors. Chatbots can also direct patients to nearby hospitals and enable healthcare professionals to track the pandemics spread in real-time.

Digital work and learning spaces linked by internet infrastructure and virtual platforms have increasingly become a mainstay for businesses and learning institutions as they connect remote workers and students across countries, regions and globally.

The pandemic has spurred innovative approaches that are helping society respond to and minimize its impact. Even before the global pandemic however, digital technology in general and digital financial services in particular had begun accelerating economic resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable. In 2019, the Bank partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Government of Luxembourg and Agence Francaise de Developpement to set up the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI). ADFI is a blended finance vehicle that aims to scale up digital financial services in Africa to accelerate financial inclusion and ensure that digital financial systems include and empower everyone, especially women.

Boost Africa is another initiative that is leveraging technology to spur inclusive growth. A partnership of the Bank, the European Commission and the European investment Bank, Boost Africa uses venture capital to support high growth SMEs that are tech-enabled and driven by disruptive technologies.

The Social Impact Investment Program (SIIPA), a joint initiative of the Bank and the European Commission, leverages technology to deliver social goods and services to underserved populations.

The COVID-19 pandemic is severe, and its economic effects are only just beginning to be felt in Africa. Still, innovative solutions and technology tools offer a glimmer of hope for human efforts to boost resilience and slow or halt the spread of the virus. We must seize upon the current urgency to rapidly develop and deploy digital services that are universal and inclusive, and which will help shield Africas most vulnerable from future economic shocks.

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By PTI

MUMBAI: A Mumbai court here on Thursday granted bail to a television journalist arrested for allegedly 'spreading misinformation' through his report that the government was thinking of starting train services to ferry migrants, which allegedly led to a crowd gathering in Bandra.

Rahul Kulkarni, journalist with a Marathi news channel, was arrested by the Mumbai Police on Wednesday, a day after several migrant workers gathered near Bandra railway station here demanding that they be sent back to their home towns.

Kulkarni was produced before Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court of P B Yerlekar on Thursday, where the police sought his custody.

Police told the court that the probe revealed that the accused had a role in the crime.

The accused was arrested since he was not cooperating in the investigation, the police said.

The police sought his custody saying that they wanted to probe themotive behind the news report and the gathering in Bandra.

The court, however, refused to entertain the police's plea and remanded Kulkarni in judicial custody, following which his advocate Subodh Desai immediately filed a bail application.

Desai argued that there is no connection between the report which was aired by the channel at the instance of the accused, and the assembly.

He pointed out that the journalist had filed the report based on a genuine letter, which he had accessed.

The said news was carried in the morning, but after Prime Minister Narendra Modi address at 10 am, the channel ran various reports on the extension of the lockdown and cancellation of trains till May 3 as announced.

Therefore the gathering, which occurred hours later, cannot be linked to the news report of the journalist, the lawyer argued.

Finding merit in the argument, the court granted bail to the accused on a surety of Rs 15,000.

Ten others arrested in the case were remanded in police custody till April 19.

The police booked Kulkarni under Indian Penal Code Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 505(b) (intent to cause fear or alarm among public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquility), and provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

According to police, Kulkarni allegedly gave a "false" story, saying the Railways was going to start special trains to ferry migrant workers stranded in Maharashtra back to their native states.

The police said hundreds of migrant workers gathered at the Bandra railway station on Tuesday after watching the news, and they were later dispersed.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut hailed court's decision to grant bail to Kulkarni.

He said the arrest of the journalist in connection with the gathering of migrants in Bandra was unfortunate.

Talking to a news channel, Raut said the government and media were both important pillars of democracy.

"Both sides should be alert that such an incident should not happen again. I am happy journalist Rahul Kulkarni got bail. The police should find out truth into the charges on which he was arrested," the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut, who is the executive editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', said he was speaking as a journalist andnot as a Sena leader.

He said the "Railways was also responsible for the problem".
Austrian cultural spaces including museums, libraries and bookshops will be allowed to reopen from mid-May as part of the country's step-by-step loosening of its coronavirus lockdown, the government said on Friday.

Austria took a first step in relaxing its month-old lockdown on Tuesday by letting DIY stores, garden centres and smaller shops reopen. Other shops and hairdressers should follow from May 1.

The conservative-led government says the action it took early in the outbreak and the fact infections are increasing by less than one per cent a day make it possible to reopen parts of the economy, but it will make adjustments if infections accelerate.

"From mid-May it will be possible for presentation venues in the artistic and cultural field, definitely museums ... to reopen," Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler of the junior coalition party, the Greens, told a news conference, adding that a specific date had not been set yet.

Junior minister for art and culture Ulrike Lunacek said libraries and bookshops would also be allowed to reopen then but the state-owned federal museums, which include some of Austria's top attractions like the Belvedere in Vienna that houses Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss", have decided only to reopen in late June.

A specific date for when in mid-May all museums will be allowed to reopen has not yet been set, Kogler said, adding that large events involving many people standing close together, such as music festivals, would remain banned until August 31.

Reuters
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Three months into the coronavirus outbreak, the Philippines has a case fatality rate of 6.6 percent, the Department of Health said Thursday.

This is slightly higher than the global average, which is 6.4 percent.

"The global case fatality rate is 6.4 percent, and this is superseded by Italy with 12.9 percent case fatality rate and Spain at 10.5 percent case fatality rate and Indonesia with 9.4 percent case fatality rate," Health Undersecretary Lilibeth David said in an online hearing of the House of Representatives' Defeat COVID-19 Committee.

"The Philippines, in comparison has a case fatality rate of 6.6 percent," she said.

The Philippines now has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia, with 5,453. Of this number, 349 have died while 353 have recovered.

The county contributes to 0.28 percent of cases worldwide, and 0.28 percent of global deaths, David said.

She added that most of the fatalities belong to the age group 50 years old and above.

"The last three months have been difficult, extremely difficult for the agency, even difficult is an understatement," Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said. The Philippines confirmed its first case in January  a Chinese national from Wuhan City where the coronavirus outbreak began.

Duque recognized the health workers who have risked their lives in the fight against the coronavirus disease, with some of them contracting the viral illness.

The DOH earlier said more than 200 doctors and nurses have tested positive for COVID-19, and that 12 of them have died. The Philippine Medical Association, however, said at least 17 have died of COVID-19 due to the shortage of personal protective equipment.

David said the country has procured more than a million PPE sets, and targets to deliver 15,000 to health facilities daily.

She added that hospitals designated for COVID-19 treatment currently have a low occupancy rate  40 percent in DOH hospitals, 23 percent in local facilities, and 35.4 percent in public hospitals.

COVID-19 has infected more than 2 million people worldwide and killed over 137,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 global tracker.

Eight in ten, or around 80 percent, of infected patients experience "mild illness" and eventually recover from COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. Some 15 percent experience severe illness while 5 percent become critically ill, the WHO said.

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte placed Luzon under enhanced community quarantine, restricting people's movement, while other local government units imposed their own lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus.
University Place has excellent walkability, is very bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options, according to Walk Score's rating system.

So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in University Place look like these days  and what might you get for your money?

We took a look at local listings in University Place via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to find out what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this Houston neighborhood.

Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.)

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

5162 Morningside Drive

Listed at $1,100/month, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo, located at 5162 Morningside Drive, is 23.3% less than the $1,434/month median rent for a one bedroom in University Place.

The building features garage parking and a swimming pool. In the unit, expect hardwood flooring and a dishwasher. Pet lovers are in luck: This rental is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.

(See the complete listing here.)

2425 Underwood St.

Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo situated at 2425 Underwood St. It's listed for $1,150/month for its 830 square feet.

In the unit, look for a balcony, stainless steel appliances, a dishwasher and granite countertops. When it comes to building amenities, expect a swimming pool. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental.

(See the complete listing here.)

7551 Kirby Drive

Here's a 715-square-foot apartment with one bedroom and one bathroom at 7551 Kirby Drive that's listed at $1,349/month.

You can expect a mix of hardwood floors and carpeting, a dishwasher and in-unit laundry in the apartment. Pet lovers are in luck: This rental is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Building amenities include garage parking. Look out for a $60 application fee and a $150 administrative fee.

(See the listing here.)

4100 Greenbriar Drive

Then, check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 4100 Greenbriar Drive listed at $1,355/month.

The building offers secured entry and a gym. The unit also includes a dishwasher, a walk-in closet, in-unit laundry and hardwood flooring. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome.

(Here's the listing.)

7550 Main Street

And finally, here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment situated at Morningside Drive and Main Street. It's listed for $1,425/month.

The apartment includes large windows, hardwood flooring and stainless steel appliances. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: This spot doesn't allow cats or dogs.

(See the listing here.)

This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Additionally, get free local real estate marketing ideas and tools for agents, brokers and more.

Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
President Trump is simply wrong as a matter of constitutional law when he claims that he has the authority to overrule the decision of governors and order the reopening of the economy.

On Monday, President Trump sent a tweet, For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect ... It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. Even more chilling, on Monday night, he said, When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total.

Such a statement is inconsistent with the most basic notions of checks and balances. As a matter of federalism, it is the states that have the power to issue quarantine and shelter-in-place orders. Absent a federal statute, and no such law exists, the president has no authority whatsoever to lift the public health orders imposed at the state and local level. President Trump can urge governors to do so, but he is limited to his powers of persuasion.

It is basic constitutional law that state governments have the police power and can do anything that is not prohibited by the Constitution. The federal government can act only if there is authority granted by the Constitution. The police power long has been understood to give the states the ability to take needed actions to stop the spread of communicable disease. In 1905, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, in upholding a state law mandating vaccinations against smallpox, the court explained: the police power of a state must be held to embrace, at least, such reasonable regulations established directly by legislative enactment as will protect the public health and the public safety. The court was explicit that this includes the power to take action against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.

For the president to act, there must be constitutional or statutory authority. Nothing in the Constitution can be interpreted as giving the president the power to overrule state and local governments that choose to impose quarantine orders. There is no clause in the Constitution, and one certainly would have been anathema to the framers who distrusted executive power, that bestows on the president broad powers to act in an emergency. For example, during the Korean War, the Supreme Court emphatically held that President Truman could not seize the steel mills even though he claimed that continued steel production was essential to the war effort.

Congress is granted the power to regulate commerce among the states and conceivably could pass a law to require that businesses reopen. But it is has not done so and is unlikely to at this stage of the pandemic.

In fact, the key federal statute  the Public Health Act  is clear that the federal government does not have the power that President Trump is claiming. The statute gives to the surgeon general the power to take actions to stop the spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the States or possessions, or from one State or possession into any other State or possession. Ordering businesses to open could not possibly be seen an action to stop the spread of communicable diseases.

Moreover, a provision of the Act explicitly states that it does not preempt state and local public health regulations: Nothing in this section ... or the regulations promulgated under such sections, may be construed as superseding any provision under State law.

Simply put, it was not President Trump who ordered the closures, it was the governors, and it is not President Trump who can end the closures. To be sure, he can exhort state governors to lift their quarantine and shelter orders. Some might listen. But he has no power to mandate the opening of businesses and we all should be frightened when a president tells us that his authority is total.

Erwin Chemerinsky is the dean of Berkeley Law.
President Hassan Rouhani's advisor has blasted the state-run television for "advertising" a device that the Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday claimed could detect the coronavirus within a radius of 100 meters.

Referring to the state- run television's report on Wednesday in which the mask-wearing Revolutionary Guard Commander Major-General Hossein Salami announced a breakthrough in detection of coronavirus, Hesameddin Ashena called the broadcast an "advertisement in a news program".

"Do not advertise vaccines, medicine, [coronavirus] test kits or unique and innovative virus detection devices that have not been approved by the Health Ministry," Ashena who is Rouhani's media advisor wrote sarcastically.

Displaying the device which consisted of several parts including a handheld detector with an antenna and a dish-like part, the IRGC commander claimed it had been tested in various hospitals and had a reliability rate of about 80%.

Len Khodrokovsky, a senior State Department advisor's tweet about the IRGC coronameter.

Iran's Health Ministry Spokesman Dr. Kianoush Jahanpur on Wednesday said the device "had not been approved yet" and required the Ministry's Food and Medicine Department's permit to be mass-produced.

Since the breakout of coronavirus in Iran in February the Revolutionary Guard has made several claims about production of masks, test kits and cures for coronavirus none of which has so far been actually put in use.

Iranian social media users have posted pictures that show a similar device being used for detection of metals, fuel and other solid and liquid substances and chemicals apparently modeled on a toy readily available in western countries. A video posted on Twitter shows the device being tested at a health facility with everyone looking baffled as it fails to detect the virus even a couple of feet away.

Jokes about the device are going viral on social media. Even the Persian-language Twitter account of the U.S. State Department has posted one which says: "It is strange that the device always beeps when it is nearing the guards. Can you next build a device for detection of jinns?"
Sudanese police fired teargas Thursday at backers of ousted president Omar al-Bashir who demonstrated outside the army command's headquarters in Khartoum, demanding the fall of the transitional government, witnesses said.

The protesters -- who lambasted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's recent austerity policies and higher food prices -- rallied in defiance of a ban on large gatherings to stem the coronavirus outbreak.

"Dozens arrived in front of the Armed Forces' General Command from the east, carrying signs calling for the downfall of the Hamdok government," an eyewitness told AFP.

"Some (signs) read 'No, no to the government of hunger'."

The brief and small-scale protest was quickly dispersed by police, with army soldiers also posted at the site.

The demonstration comes a year after long-time autocrat Bashir was removed from power following large-scale protests.

The popular uprising led to the formation of a transitional political authority, comprised of military and civilian figures.

Thursday's small rally was the first in which protesters have reached the army's central command area since last June, when a sit-in protest there was bloodily dispersed.

Sudan has announced a three-week curfew starting Saturday in Khartoum state, including the capital and its twin city Omdurman, after reporting its biggest daily jump in confirmed novel coronavirus cases.

Thirty-two cases of the coronavirus have been officially recorded so far.

Despite Sudan's political transition, which has raised hopes of more reforms, the economy remains in deep crisis.

Many in Sudan still have to queue for hours to buy bread.

Last week, Sudanese authorities announced an increase in bread prices, meaning one Sudanese pound (about two US cents) now buys only a 50-gram loaf of bread, compared to one weighing 70 grams previously.

A tripling of the price of bread was the trigger for the first street protests against Bashir in December 2018.

The demonstrations went on for months before the army deposed the longtime ruler on April 11, 2019.

Hamdok sacked Khartoum governor Ahmed Abdoun, the premier's office announced in a statement later on Thursday.

The governor's duties would be transferred to the minister of federal government until a new appointment is made, it added.

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Archaeologists have unravelled the demise of a high-ranking warrior in Ancient Greece who underwent incredibly complex head and neck surgery 1,500 years ago.

It is thought the male was a high-ranking Caballarius  a mounted archer or lancer  in the Grecian army whose life was ultimately ended by a fatal ear infection.

Detailed analysis of the bones from a site at Paliokastro, on the Greek island of Thasos, revealed he underwent 'extraordinary' surgery.

A blow to his head ruptured his eardrum and caused infection. Complications then led to the need for pioneering surgery from a highly-skilled military physician.

A series of holes around 9mm wide were carefully bored into the bones of his head in an attempt to alleviate pressure, pain and unwanted effusions.

Despite the best efforts of the prominent surgeon, the muscle-bound archer died either during or shortly after surgery from his infection.

Scroll down for video

Detailed analysis of the bones from a site at Paliokastro, on the Greek island of Thasos, revealed a high-ranking soldier underwent 'extraordinary' surgery (pictured, evidence of the cuts made by the skilled physician)

it is believed a blow to the head of the warrior ruptured his eardrum and caused infection. Complications then led to his death, and even a highly-skilled physician battled in vain to save his life by boring holes into his bones with great precision (pictured, one of the holes)

Researchers from Adelphi University studied the ten skeletons, four women and six men, who were buried on the Island of Thasos from the fourth century AD. Pictured, the burial site

'The surgical operation is the most complex I have ever seen in my 40 years of working with anthropological materials, said Professor Anagnostis Agelarakis, anthropologist at Adelphi University in New York, who led the research.

'It is unbelievable that it was carried out, with most complicated preparations for the intervention, and then the surgical operation itself which took place, of course, in a pre-antibiotic era.'

The wounded Caballarius was among ten entombed individuals found at the site on the island.

Researchers noted an almost perfect cylindrical hole drilled through his mastoid process  the pointy piece of bone behind the ear.

Analysis revealed this to be a form of trepanation, a surgical procedure involving the drilling of holes into the human skull to treat various health problems.

However, it was done carefully and with exceptional precision in order to avoid penetrating the dura mater, a thick membrane that surrounds and protects the brain.

Anthropologists used modern forensic anthropology techniques, including high-resolution X-ray imaging, to reveal the extent of the surgeon's attempts to save the soldier's life.

It is thought the individual suffered a blow to the head, potentially also suffering serious facial and cranial lacerations.

This ruptured his eardrum and allowed the spread of pathogens causing serious infection.

It is believed this led to a severe middle-ear infection and, in a pre-antibiotic era, complications would have seen his condition worsen.

The warrior's health deteriorated and led to growths on the skin which eventually caused 'destructive effects to the adjacent tissues of the brain, to nerves and blood vessels by increased physical pressure, infection, and erosion'.

The wounded Caballarius was among ten entombed individuals and researchers noted an almost perfect cylindrical hole drilled through his mastoid process  the pointy piece of bone behind the ear (pictured)

This hole measured around 9mm in diameter and it was hoped it would relieve some of the pain and effusions caused by the middle ear infection

The trepanation was done with great care as to not penetrate the protective membrane that surrounds the brain. To ensure this, the physician scraped a smooth ridge around the hole, making the surgical site around 21mm across

'This was possibly the reason for the trepanation at the mastoid process, perceived at this context as a mastoidectomy, the researchers write.

'In order to alleviate some of the most painful and debilitating consequences suffered by the patient by draining the middle ear and mastoid cell effusions.'

In regards to the operation, Professor Agelarakis, added in a statement: 'Even despite a grim prognosis, an extensive effort was given to this surgery for this male.

'So it's likely that he was a very important individual to the population at Paliokastro.'

Researchers from Adelphi University studied the ten skeletons, four women and six men, who were buried on the Island of Thasos from the fourth century AD.

One of the females was a young woman, thought to be aged between 14 and 17.

The others were adults ranging in age from 35 to 60 years old. All of them have signs of robust build and were muscle-clad people who lived physically demanding lives.

Evidence of large muscles on the neck, shoulders, back and arms reveals the people, irrespective of gender, trained and fought relentlessly.

It is also thought this regime would have encouraged superior stamina and reduction in fatigue levels, the authors write.

The researchers add: '[These physical attributes] must have been required during the carrying out of considerably load-bearing and repetitive physical actions performe.

'The nature and specificity of which were suggestive of long term training and association with the military arts, particularly the use of the bow, spear and/or sword.'

Pictured, a figure fromthe scientific paper showing the operation sites and the range of procedures undertaken by the physician 1,500 years ago. the main site of the trepanation is seen in the centre a a black hole with blue and yellow arrows pointing to it

The island of Thasos is located just off the mainland coast and between Constantinople and Thessaloniki. It has a rich history of war due to its strategic location and its inhabitants trained for warfare

Pictured, a map of Thasos island, with the location of its capital city Limenas, its villages and settlements and the location of Paliokastro (where the remains were found) in the region of Rachoni village

Several other injuries were found among the ten remains, including well-healed breaks to legs, thought to be caused by horse-riding over the island's rough terrain.

Injuries were dealt with by the same physician, who may have been permanently stationed at the remote site.

Professor Anagnostis Agelarakis, anthropologist at Adelphi University's department of history, who led the study, said: 'According to their skeletal-anatomical features, both men and women lived physically demanding lives.

'The very serious trauma cases sustained by both males and females had been treated surgically or orthopedically by a very experienced physician/surgeon with great training in trauma care.

'We believe it to have been a military physician.'

Ailments affecting limbs were often treated and healed well enough for the individual to regain full use of the arm or leg, despite infection often occurring.

The findings have been described in a new book, published by Archaeopress, Access Archaeology.
(Newser)  Six US military warships conducting exercises in international waters off Iran on Wednesday were interrupted by what the US calls a "harassing" group of nearly a dozen Iranian vessels. A statement from the US Navy's 5th Fleet says that 11 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy vessels came very close to the US Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Persian Gulf and zipped around at high speeds, coming within 10 yards of the UCG cutter Maui's bow, per Fox News. The US ships blew their horns, issued radio warnings, and used long-range acoustic noisemakers in response. Iran's vessels retreated after about an hour, the statement notes.

story continues below

"The IRGCN's dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision," reads a US military statement, which adds the maneuvers also violated internationally recognized nautical navigation rules. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a Wednesday Fox News interview that the US is trying to figure out how to voice its "displeasure" regarding the incident, per CNBC. Reuters notes interactions like this between the US and Iran were more common in 2016 and 2017, though they haven't happened of late. (Tensions between the two countries have been high since a US drone strike killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani earlier this year.)
Former CaptureRx CEO Christopher Hotchkiss, whose quirky management style included padding around the office barefoot, resigned last year amid accusations that he made threats against the San Antonio company.

Now hes suing his ex-employer, alleging that executives sought to undermine his leadership and intentionally and maliciously slandered him.

Hotchkiss seeks more than $1 million in damages in the lawsuit, filed April 7 in state district court. Neither the former executive nor his attorney responded to requests for comment.

For its part, CaptureRx disputes his accusations.

We deny the allegations and look forward to presenting our defense in court, a spokesperson said.

Hotchkiss and Edward Gilmartin co-founded NEC Networks LLC, which does business as CaptureRx, in 2000. The company acts as an administrator for hospitals, clinics and health centers participating in the 340B program, a government initiative requiring pharmaceutical companies to sell drugs at a discount to health care providers caring for underserved populations.

Hotchkiss led CaptureRxs expansion to more than 180 employees and over $45 million in annual revenue, the suit says. The San Antonio Express-News profiled him last year, highlighting his unconventional approach to management, which included giving cash to employees who could recite the companys values.

As the head of the company, Hotchkiss said in the suit, last year he started growing frustrated with the lack of execution of CaptureRxs strategy by other leaders. He told the companys board of managers about his concerns, which they ignored, the suit says.

He alleged that other executives undercut him, giving instructions to employees that conflicted with his, withholding information and shifting the companys resources away from priorities he set.

They also subverted Hotchkiss by perpetuating false and malicious rumors that succeeded in diminishing Hotchkiss reputation within the company and, once those rumors made their way into the press, within the broader industry community, according to the suit.

The company published false statements, exposing Hotchkiss to public hatred and contempt as well as impugning Hotchkiss integrity and reputation, the suit alleges.

Hotchkiss, who is suing for breach of contract and defamation, seeks to recover unspecified compensation and benefits, among other things.

When he stepped down last summer, Hotchkiss was accused by employees of making threats and creating a toxic workplace.

An employee called police to CaptureRxs downtown office in August to report threats Hotchkiss allegedly made against the company. Management posted an armed guard at the entrance to CaptureRx on East Houston.

In response to alleged threats by Mr. Hotchkiss, CaptureRx has taken steps to provide additional measures of safety to all family members, employees and board members, a spokesperson for the company said at the time.

Three CaptureRx employees, who asked to remain anonymous because they feared for their safety, said Hotchkiss threatened members of the companys board and the family of an employee.

Workers also accused Hotchkiss of punching holes in office walls, yelling at employees and ripping a door off its hinges, with one employee characterizing his actions as a pattern of violence and abuse.

Hotchkiss denied threatening anyone and said he was befuddled by the allegations.

Im not aware that police were called based on threats, he said at the time. I made no threats. I was told police came in and interviewed employees.

He admitted to punching through walls twice and screaming at employees but denied tearing the door off its hinges. Hotchkiss also said hes been told hes intimidating and has a loud voice.

I can get emotional when my employees make significant mistakes, Hotchkiss said, and (in) those instances, thats what it was.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
United Airlines Holdings Inc. is warning employees of bleak times and potential long-term payroll cuts despite billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer assistance, as the outlook for travel demand remains depressed into next year.

The carrier will further chop its flight schedule in May to roughly 10% of the capacity it had planned at the start of 2020, and similar cuts are in store for June, said Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby. As an example of the shortfalls, the carrier will fly fewer people during all of next month than on a single day in May 2019.

Travel demand is essentially zero and shows no sign of improving in the near term, Munoz and Kirby wrote in a message to employees late Wednesday. While we have not yet finalized changes to our schedule for July and August, we expect demand to remain suppressed for the remainder of 2020 and likely into next year.

The dire tone underscored the depth of the crisis facing airlines as the Covid-19 pandemic and government travel restrictions force people to stay home. Rescue funds contained in the U.S. stimulus package signed into law last month will help airlines pay employees while obliging them not to cut jobs through Sept. 30. But United signaled that deep cost reductions will be necessary for the company to survive.

The challenging economic outlook means we have some tough decisions ahead as we plan for our airline, and our overall workforce, to be smaller than it is today, starting as early as October 1, Munoz and Kirby said.

Government Aid

United will collect about $5 billion from the government in grants and a low-interest loan, part of $25 billion in airline assistance being doled out by the U.S. Treasury.

Carriers are also in line for $25 billion in additional loans as part of the overall economic rescue plan of about $2 trillion. Airlines seeking quick review of their loan applications have been told by Treasury officials to file by April 17.

More than 20,000 United employees have accepted voluntary leave and separation programs that the company has offered in recent weeks as it seeks to reduce labor expenses. The Chicago-based airline, which had a workforce of about 95,000 at the start of the year, said it would renew efforts to interest more workers in the programs.

The challenge that lies ahead for United is bigger than any we have faced in our proud 94-year history, Munoz and Kirby said. We are committed to being as direct and as transparent as possible with you about the decisions that lay ahead and what impact they will have on our business and on you.

Kirby will assume the role of CEO on May 20, with Munoz becoming executive chairman.

Americans Video

American Airlines Group Inc. released a somewhat more upbeat video late Wednesday in which CEO Doug Parker told employees that the almost $11 billion the carrier expects to receive in U.S. grants and loans should help get the company through the crisis.

It feels strange and even a little frightening when we dont have as many people to care for as were used to, Parker said. But this will pass and when it does, the American team will be ready to safely care for our customers.

About 32,000 employees at American have chosen to retire early or accept reduced work hours, he said.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.

(This story has been published from a wire agency without modifications to the text)

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YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The government of Armenia has allocated 90,000,000 drams to the high tech ministry for it to provide the funds as a grant to the Engineering Association NGO to launch the manufacturing of ventilators.

The High Tech Ministry had accepted around 300 bids and proposals in a call for designs and research of ventilator productions.

The production is expected to begin in 4-6 months with an output of 40-50 devices in a month.

Speaking about the possibility of the coronavirus pandemic dying out sooner, healthcare minister Arsen Torosyan said even if that were to happen the healthcare system will still need the ventilators for other patients.

Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan admitted that the project is risky in terms of spending public funds on something they arent sure will bring the expected results, but called it a justified risk.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
The British royal family has been following a particular rule of succession since the beginning. However, Prince Charles allegedly once betrayed Queen Elizabeth II so that he could sit on the throne as soon as possible.

Talks about Queen Elizabeth II passing the crown to Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, have been making headlines over the past few years. Her Majesty will turn 94 soon, but she is still not giving any sign that she will finally let her son rule the monarchy.

Although the Prince of Wales has already publicly unrolled his plans for the monarchy as if he was sure that the Queen would abdicate soon, he has actually been waiting for that event to happen decades ago.

Way back in 1998, an ill-judged press release from his household revealed that the heir to the throne would be "delighted" if the Queen could step down as soon as possible.

Veteran royal correspondent Robert Jobson explained the ruckus further through his 2006 book "William's Princess".

"In November 1998, a person never identified was responsible for a spectacularly misguided attempt to burnish Charles' reputation and enforce his position as heir to the throne," Jobson said.

He added that the blunder made by a St. James' Palace aide only sparked Queen Elizabeth II's outrage, pushing an embarrassed Prince Charles to the corner.

Queen Elizabeth II and the members of the royal family could have just referred to it as an act of defamation against Prince Charles. However, the news came from a source close to the heir to the throne, and he could have just kept the information to himself.

"This was an act of treachery as far as the Queen was concerned," Jobson then concluded.

Queen Elizabeth II pledged during the official coronation ceremony that she will serve the monarchy as long as she can.

Even Margaret Rhodes, Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin, once told PEOPLE that Her Majesty planned to offer her entire life serving the monarchy.

If that is the case, then Prince Charles should forget about holding a celebration, as Her Majesty quitting as long as she lives will not happen.

Prince Charles Tried To Clean The Mess?

When the misguided document surfaced, the heir to the throne was on an official royal engagement in Bulgaria. However, the distance did not stop the Queen from contacting him.

Prince Charles claimed that he had no idea about it, but he agreed to release a joint statement with his mother, in which he would point out his "abiding admiration and affection for the Queen".

It also rubbished the theory that he was too interested in the idea of Queen Elizabeth II abdicating.

"Prince Charles insisted that if any of his staff had been guilty, heads would roll," the royal correspondent said. "Whatever Buckingham Palace suspects, the investigation proved nothing, and nobody was hung out to dry."

Aside from that, Jobson also recalled how the Prince of Wales reacted to the news, saying that he saw how Prince Charles' then-press secretary, Sandy Henney, expressed an ashened face.
Up to 25,000 people could soon lose their jobs due to the economic slump in Northern Ireland, Stormont's Economy Minister warned.

House prices are also set to be negatively affected, while trade and investment are predicted to stall, Diane Dodds added.

She said: "While this analysis is based on assumptions and indicators which can, and do, change, we can say with certainty that the economic impact is set to be deep and far-reaching.

"Many across Northern Ireland will need ongoing support."

Ulster Bank's survey of businesses, published yesterday, showed evidence of steep decline.

Mrs Dodds said: "In assessing all the available economic indicators and data, my department's economists fear that the number of workers in Northern Ireland directly impacted by the shutdown could well go beyond 200,000, with widespread job losses, too, potentially as many as 25,000 in the short-term."

Official support has been promised.

The first payments under the small business grant scheme were made nine days after the original announcement.

Since then nearly 15,000 businesses have received 10,000 grants totalling almost 150 million, the minister said.

She told MLAs: "I know from speaking to owners that these payments are helping businesses to survive, to pay their staff and to plan for the future."

This scheme has been extended to include some small industrial businesses.

This expansion will cover around 2,500 additional firms.

It followed warnings that the Northern Ireland economy is enduring its "fastest and deepest" decline ever.

The latest purchasing managers' index (PMI) with Ulster Bank for March underlined the scale of the downturn.

It noted that businesses here saw a reduction in sales and output at a rate surpassing the previous record at the height of the global financial crisis in early 2009.

The survey took place largely before Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a full UK-wide lockdown.

And it has been warned that "the pace of contraction will accelerate further to fresh record lows" in April.

Ulster Bank's chief economist Richard Ramsey has warned that "the pace of contraction will accelerate further to fresh record lows".
A ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England has been delayed by six months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The throwaway items were due to be banned from April to tackle pollution and protect the environment, after a consultation revealed overwhelming public support for the move.

The ban has exemptions allowing those who need to use plastic straws for medical reasons or a disability to buy them from registered pharmacies or request them in restaurants, pubs and bars, and the use of plastic-stemmed cotton buds for medical and scientific purposes.

The public consultation showed more than 80% of respondents backed a ban on the distribution and sale of plastic straws, 90% a ban on drinks stirrers, and 89% a ban on cotton buds.

Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown 1 /25 Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown People queue at a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased lockdown restrictions Reuters A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket in Itay Reuters Customers hold flowers in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective face masks and gloves walk in the streets as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy, Reuters People queue to enter a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen following lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP A man wearing a face mask shops in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters "Respect the 2 meters distance" banner is seen at a fish stand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Venice, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Turin, Italy Reuters Customers line up in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria APA/AFP via Getty Images Gianfranco Mandas wears a face mask as he sorts out clothing in his children's clothes shop after it was allowed to opens following restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A man wears a protective face mask and gloves at the newsstand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy Reuters People wearing face masks work in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy Reuters A general view of the parking area of a hardware store during the partial reopening of shops after the Austrian government loosens its lockdown restrictions during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna Reuters

It is estimated that 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used each year in England, with around 10% of cotton buds flushed down toilets, often ending up in waterways or oceans, the Government said.

It is hoped millions of pounds could be saved annually on clean-up efforts of used plastics.

But the Environment Department (Defra) has now delayed the introduction of the ban due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

A Defra spokesman said: Given the huge challenges posed to businesses by coronavirus, we have confirmed we will delay the introduction of our ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds until October 2020.

We remain absolutely committed to turning the tide on the widespread use of single-use plastics and the threat they pose to our natural environment."

The delay was criticised by campaigners against plastic pollution.

Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet said: If the demand for this delay actually came from the NHS and frontline workers rather than the plastics industry; of course every plastic activist would be in agreement.

But no, the plastic lobbyists have been working overtime and have succeeded here.
Coronavirus outbreak: Shiv Sena threatens BJP of exposing its 'conspiracy' on migrant crisis

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Mumbai, Apr 16: Shiv Sena on Thursday said the Maharashtra government would expose the "conspiracy" behind the recent migrants' unrest in Mumbai, and accused the opposition BJP of leaving no chance to disturb the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation in the state.

In its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena said outstation trains not only depart from suburban Bandra, but also from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai Central and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in the metropolis. But, the crowd gathered only at Bandra.

Coronavirus outbreak: Maharashtra, Delhi see dip in COVID-19 cases

"What do you call this? It is a big conspiracy and we will unmask it. The state government will nail attempts to see the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to create disturbance. We are sad that the opposition should stoop to a new low," the Marathi daily said.

More than 1,000 migrant workers ignored the lockdown norms and gathered near Bandra station on Tuesday demanding transport arrangements to go back to their native places. This came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the coronavirus-enforced curbs till May 3.

The Sena said the present crisis has affected a cross-section of society, but daily wagers are the worst hit and the government needs to take a different stand for poor people.

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Story first published: Thursday, April 16, 2020, 16:54 [IST]
April 15, 2020

Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Virtual Meeting With NATO Defense Ministers

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Jonathan R. Hoffman provided the following readout:

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper met with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and his fellow NATO defense ministers during a virtual Defense Ministerial today. Allied ministers focused on maintaining a strong NATO deterrence and defense posture to preserve Alliance security during our collective battle with COVID-19. Allies reaffirmed their commitment to readiness and to continue ongoing operations. They emphasized the importance of countering disinformation from both state and non-state actors who are using the pandemic to spread false and harmful narratives. The world's strongest alliance remains ready and vigilant.

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2151532/

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With schools, libraries, and bookstores closed indefinitely, childrens authors have had to cancel their travel plans and appearances during the Covid-19 outbreak. Many publishers are finding creative new ways to spread the word about new releases and connect authors with their readers through digital platforms while maintaining social distancing protocol. PW is continuing to track some of the new and forthcoming books that have taken a hit, and will be featuring these roundups regularly.

Picture Books

If We Were Gone: Imagining the World Without People

John Coy, illus. by Natalie Capannelli. Lerner/Millbrook, $19.99 Mar. 3 ISBN 978-1-5415-2357-9

Due to the pandemic, bookstore and library tours for Coys picture book were canceled, yet the storys premise feels more eerily relevant than ever: what would happen to Earth if humans vanished? Featured in our list of noteworthy books for Earth Day, the book pairs unsettling text with Capannellis watercolor illustrations, which further explore how nature might reclaim the planet. Back matter gives additional context and offers suggestions for what all of us can do to protect the environment.

Prance Like No Ones Watching: A Guided Journal for Exploding Unicorns

James Breakwell. Little Bee Books/BuzzPop, $12.99 Mar. 31 ISBN 978-1-4998-1031-8

Comedian and social media superstar James Breakwell, best known for his family Twitter account @XplodingUnicorn, brings his brand of comedy to the page in a new guided journal, encouraging kids to develop their own humorous and creative voices by finding the funny in everyday triumphs and tragedies. Breakwell had a Midwest book tour planned with launch events at Barnes & Noble in Indianapolis, Andersons Bookshop in Chicago, and Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee, as well as local school visits. The events were all canceled before the books release. Breakwell was also scheduled to appear at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which has since been rescheduled for October. In response, he is planning to promote the book to his more than one million Twitter followers, while also offering some of the activities from the book online as downloadable content.

The Strange Birds of Flannery OConnor: A Life

Amy Alznauer, illus. by Ping Zhu. Enchanted Lion, $18.95 June 16 ISBN 978-1-59270-295-4

This picture book based on the life and work of Flannery OConnor was five years in the making for the author, and four years in the making for the artist, who marks her childrens book debut with its publication. The book is about a woman who found hope in the darkness. Im with her, said Alznauer, who called OConnor a moving figure for troubled times. An extensive tour was planned, starting with a celebration of OConnors birthday and a parade in Savannah, Ga., with follow-up events planned in New York City (the illustrators hometown) and Chicago (the authors hometown). Just days before kick-off, Enchanted Lion publisher Claudia Bedrick told PW, we had to cancel eight flights, one car, and many, many bookstore, museum, school, art center, and book festival events in Georgia. The books illustrator was disappointed but tried to be philosophical: The experience of celebrating and debuting years of work has been postponed, and it is hard not to feel a sense of loss, Ping said. My goal is that we can still share the fruits of our labor in creative ways to keep people connected, and provide some solace and hope for everyone, as we need it now more than ever.

Middle Grade

When Stars Are Scattered

Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illus. by Jamieson. Dial, $20.99 Apr. 14 ISBN 978-0-525-55390-8

Based on Mohameds childhood after fleeing Somalia on foot with his younger brother, this graphic novel, cowritten with the Newbery Honor-winning author of Roller Girl, follows the brothers childhood spent waiting in a Kenyan refugee camp. Their two-week tour, which included schools, bookstores, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and the Kids Comics Fest in Boston, had a focus on reaching schools with students who are refugees themselves, as well as Title I schools. But like all other book tours since the coronavirus crisis, it had to be canceled, along with a post-tour appearance at Wordplay and school visits in Minneapolis, which has the countrys highest Somali refugee population. Earlier this week Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., hosted a launch event on Crowdcast with the authors. Toward the end, Mohamed answered an audience question about how the authors were coping during this hiatus. He said, When these things are happening here I am worried about the refugee camps. Imagine Covid-19 hitting these poor refugees with no medical units and with nothing, no supplies. I pray for them all the time.

Wink

Rob Harrell. Dial, $16.99 Mar. 31 ISBN 978-1-984815-14-9

When cartoonist and author Rob Harrell was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer, his was only the 25th case ever identified. Through breakthrough treatment, he was able to keep his eye, despite losing his vision. He says he wrote Wink for people with cancer, but also for those without it, as a reminder that anyone going through a cancer diagnosis is looking for the same things we all are: friendship, empathy, kindness, and acceptance. His two-week school tour was canceled due to school closures and health concerns. He has posted a few videos on his YouTube Channel, and plans to post more; his publisher is looking into virtual event opportunities as well. Though I was really looking forward to meeting kids and talking with them about Wink in person, Harrell says, Im still so excited to have readers meet Ross. This book is for everyoneboth those going through a hard time and those around people who are struggling. Kindness and understanding are so important, no matter what youre dealing with.

Young Adult

All Boys Arent Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto

George M. Johnson. FSG, $17.99 Apr. 28 ISBN 978-0-374-31271-8

Featured in our LGBTQ coverage for spring, journalist and activist George M. Johnsons debut presents a personal account of growing up black and queer in America today. Promotional plans originally entailed multiple pre-publication appearances, including an All Boys Arent Blue ball that was to feature a performance by the cast of Pose, followed by a tour in May and events throughout Pride Month in June. Building off of Johnsons social media following, FSG is shifting to a virtual launch and will look to reschedule canceled events for later in the year.

Dragon Hoops

Gene Luen Yang. First Second, $24.99 Mar. 17 ISBN 978-1-62672-079-4

In his new graphic novel, Gene Luen Yang turns the spotlight on his life, his family, and the high school where he teaches; PW called it a triumphant, telescopic graphic memoir in a starred review. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, his extensive book tour, which included stops in Tucson, Denver, Louisville, Chicago, and Oakland, had to be canceled, and his festival appearances, including the Tucson Book Festival, Wondercon, and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, have either been canceled or postponed. To still be able to engage with his readers, Yang decided to tour as a cartoon on his Instagram page, hosted a Facebook Live event, and led a TalkShopLive session. Hell also participate in virtual festivals like Everywhere Book Fest, where hell give the opening keynote; Wordplay, where he will talk with Minh Le about superheroes; and Comics Relief: A First Second Festival, where he will be the opening session speaker.

Incendiary

Zoraida Cordova. Little, Brown, $18.99 Apr. 28 ISBN 978-1-368-02380-1

PW said of Cordovas new series starter, This Spanish Inquisitioninspired fantasy beguiles with evocative prose, organic worldbuilding, and an ethnically diverse cast. As a child, Renata was kidnapped and brought to the palace of Andalucia, where she was used by the crown to carry out a siege against her own people. Now, Renata is a rebel spy working to take down the king. Cordova, who is the author of YA fantasy novels including the Brooklyn Brujas series, the Vicious Deep trilogy, and Labyrinth Lost (winner of the 2017 International Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel), has had to reschedule her five-city tour for October. In the meantime, she will hold virtual events upon the books release.

For our previous collections of childrens books affected by the coronavirus, click here and here. And stay tuned for our next roundup.
Irelands three main health insurers are giving customers a premium rebate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

VHI is to refund an average of 50% of the premiums paid by customers over the three months that private hospitals are being taken over by the State.

Laya will redirect claim cost savings back to members in three equal instalments over the period - 195 for every adult and 60 for each child member.

Irish Life Healthcare will lower the premiums by between 36% and 60%, depending on the plan, for April, May and June.

The Health Insurance Authority welcomed the measures announced by the insurers that include a range of supports for their customers.

Health Minister Simon Harris welcomed confirmation by the health insurance companies to offer customers a rebate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government recently announced a partnership agreement with private hospitals as part of the national effort to respond to the public health emergency.

Since the announcement, there have been meetings between the HIA, the Department of Health, health insurers, the HSE and the Central Bank to discuss the private hospital arrangements.

The measures announced are being taken in recognition of the temporarily changed landscape in which health insurers currently operate, said Mr Harris.

Health Minister Simon Harris

The agreement with private hospitals if for an initial three-month period as the State seeks to optimise the use of private and public facilities throughout the country in response to the emergency.

The Department of Health, together with the HIA will continue to monitor the situation and how it is affecting the health insurance sector.

Vhi, Irelands largest insurer, said that because of the changed situation, customers would see premium waived by an average of 50% over an initial three months  mid-May to mid-August.

As many dental practices remain closed for non-emergency business due to Covid-19, Vhi will also be waiving 30% of the premium for customers with Vhi dental insurance over the same three month period.

Laya is to redirect claim cost savings in the form of a benefit and they will amount to 510 for a family of two adults and two children.

The total will be split into three equal instalments and paid over three months  April to June, with the first instalment paid at the end of the month.

If a members employee pays for their health insurance, separate payments will be made to the employee and the employer.

Irish Life said their premium reduction would be applied retrospectively to premiums paid by customers for April, May and June and would be offset against premiums due in the following months.

Those on plans with largely public hospital cover would receive between 17% and 21% of their monthly premium back.

For the hospitals that are included in the agreement, insurers will cover the public hospital charge for in-patient services of 80 per day up to a maximum of ten days.

Insurers will continue to provide cover for services that fall outside the deal struck between private hospitals and the HSE.

This will include cover for private care in public hospitals. It also includes psychiatric care, maternity care and addiction treatment.
N etflix has just launched another true crime docuseries - albeit this time with no tigers in sight - called The Innocence Files, which uncovers terrifying flaws in the American criminal justice system.

There are eight episodes, each revealing the personal story of a man falsely convicted for crimes he had nothing to do with.

The Oscar-winner Alex Gibney is one of the directors at the helm, and it's based on the non-profit legal organisation The Innocence Project, that tries to free those wrongly convicted through DNA testing.

In the TV series, each case is told in meticulous detail, supplemented by Nineties America archive footage and moving scenes of the innocent men finally being freed.

Here's a round-up of all the cases featured on the show:

Netflix: The Innocence Files 1 /12 Netflix: The Innocence Files Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix

Levon Brooks

Brooks served 16 years in prison and was convicted for capital murder and sexual battery

In the 1990s, three-year-old Courtney Smith was taken from her bedroom window in the middle of the night, raped, and murdered - and the only witness was her five-year-old sister.

Despite this, Brooks was deemed culpable due to bite mark evidence.

He was exonerated in March of 2008, and sadly died of cancer ten years later aged 58.

Kennedy Brewer

In 1992 three-year-old Christine Jackson was taken from her home in the middle of the night, raped, and murdered. At the time Brewer was dating the victims mother.

Brewer was convicted for the rape and murder of the toddler, just two years after a near identical crime in the same county sent another innocent black man - the aforementioned Levon Brooks - to prison based just on bite-mark evidence.

Instead of considering they may have arrested the wrong man, authorities attributed this second death to a copycat killer. It was only after the Innocence Project looked into Brewer's case, that Brooks' case was re-examined.

His case prompted The Innocence Project to fast-track cases relying on bite mark evidence, and in February 2008 all charges against Brewer were dropped and he was exonerated.

Keith Allen Harward

It was the middle of the night in 1982, and a strange man broke into the home of Teresa Perron in Newport, Virginia. He murdered her husband, then raped her, and all she could recollect of the villain was that he was a sailor.

Harward served 33 years in prison for murder and sexual assault despite not matching the assailants described height.

All the evidence against him comprised of bite marks and the testimony of a guard who claimed he was wearing a bloody uniform when he returned to base.

He was freed in April 2016, and the real culprit, Jerry Crotty, was later arrested.

The Innocence Files was released on Netflix on April 15 / Netflix

Franky Carrillo

Carillo's case is especially shocking; he was convicted of murder and six counts of attempted murder following the death of Donald Sarpy in 1991.

Sarpy was known to be friends with gang members but was well respected. Six witnesses argued that 16-year-old Carrillo murdered him to gain clout in the ganglands.

Carillos served 19 years in prison before he was exonerated in March 2011.

He then filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, which was later settled for $10.1 million.

Thomas Haynesworth

Haynesworth was 18 years old and with no criminal record when he was convicted for raping Janet Burke at knife point in Richmond, Virginia in 1984.

Four other white women were attacked in a similar manner over the next month, and Burke claimed to recognised Haynesworth face as the culprit.

But after his arrest, the crimes continued; the rapist, known as the Black Ninja, always targeted white women.

Incredibly, when Haynesworth was released in 2011 he forgave his accuser and both of them travel nationwide, campaigning for DNA testing and against the reliability of eye witness testimony.

The Innocence Files is made up of eight episodes detailing different cases / Netflix

Chester Hollman III

In Philadelphia in 1991, 24-year-old Tae Jung Ho was robbed and shot to death, and it was alleged the shooter drove a white Chevrolet Blazer with four people in it.

Hollman's clothing wasn't a match with the shooter, but his car was, so he was arrested for second degree murder and robbery, and served 25 years in prison.

It turns out Hollman's passenger at the time, Deirdre Jones, gave a false testimony as police urged her to co-operate or face charges herself.

She later retracted her testimony, and The Innocence Project discovered that one of the prosecutions main witnesses also had a lengthy criminal record. Hollman's charges were dismissed in July 2019.

Alfred Dewayne Brown

Brown served 10 years in prison for capital murder after a shopkeeper was shot and killed during a robbery of a cash-checking store in Houston, Texas, in April 2003.

He claimed to have been sleeping at his girlfriends house during the time of the shooting, but those involved in the robbery denied this and said he was the murderer.

There was no DNA evidence pinning the crime to Brown, and there was no gun residue. His grand jury trial also failed to meet basic requirements.

He was found innocent in May 2019.

Kenneth Wyniemko

In April of 1994, a man broke into a womans home in Clinton, Michigan while she was sleeping.

The criminal apparently wore a nylon stocking on his head and masked and blindfolded her, so she couldn't accurately see him - but she was made to sketch her attacker.

Based on this drawing, the police arrested Wyniemko, but none of the plentiful DNA evidence was ever tested.
Residents in Wisconsin were told to lock their doors, after two inmates escaped from a maximum security prison.

The inmates, 37-year-old James Newman and 46-year-old Thomas Deering, escaped from the Columbia Correctional Facility on Thursday.

The Columbia County Sheriffs Offices released a statement on Twitter and Facebook, informing residents that the inmates had escaped.

Report of inmate escape at Columbia Correctional Facility (CCI) please lock your doors, and stay home, the statement read.

See anyone suspicious call 911. This is an ongoing investigation. Both white males, James Robert Newman age 37 and Thomas E Deering age 46.

In their statement on Facebook, they added that these individuals are considered dangerous. Anyone that has information regarding the whereabouts of these escaped suspects should immediately call law enforcement.

Recommended Inmate released over coronavirus fears arrested for murder

The sheriffs office updated their Facebook post later in the day, informing residents that the inmates were no longer in the state.

At this point the public is no longer in danger. We believe the suspects have travelled outside of Columbia County.

Mr Newman has been convicted of kidnapping and theft and Mr Newman has been convicted of sexual assault and battery, in addition to kidnapping, according to NBC.
Coronavirus: Turkey bans layoffs for three months Parliament passes anti-crisis measures, help for workers

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, APRIL 16 - Turkey has banned layoffs for three months, with exceptions for special reasons. The measure is one of several passed by the Turkish parliament as part of an economic package for the COVID-19 emergency, which was announced in recent days by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Workers that have already been on unpaid leave since March 15 will receive emergency state aid for three months of 39 liras per day (about 5.2 euros).



Ankara has also set up a special redundancy fund for companies that have been forced to interrupt their activities due to circumstances beyond their control due to the COVID-19 emergency. The state will in this period also cover expenses in this period for healthcare facilities hosting the elderly and the disabled. Other measures approved include the temporary suspension of rent payments, bills, loan payments, and taxes for several categories. A committee will be set up to monitor price speculation and hoarding of goods. (ANSAmed).




Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:07:51|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to place on hold all funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) will have a colossal and detrimental impact on the programs in countries like Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka's former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Thursday.

In a letter sent to the U.S. President, Wickremesinghe said that in view of the grim impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has created, the U.S. President should reconsider his decision on humanitarian grounds and restore the U.S. funding to the WHO, pending investigation, and thereafter determine the appropriate course of action.

"However, you will agree with me that the COVID-19 global pandemic has had a disastrous impact on local economies and crippled civilian life in all countries in ways that are unprecedented and perhaps even ambiguous at present," Wickremesinghe said.

"Consequently, it is vital that the WHO continues its program of action at this juncture given the lack of any other multilateral institution to provide global leadership to international health and safety issues in the coming months," Wickremesinghe added.

Trump on Tuesday announced he was halting funding to the WHO. Enditem
Actor Ram Charan knows just how to win his wife Upasana Konidela over. Upasana has revealed in a tweet that when her husband cooks for her, he also cleans up after. She said thats what makes him her hero.

When Ram Charan cooks dinner for the missus. To all the husbands there  he cooked dinner & also cleaned up after. Now thats what makes him my hero, Upasana tweeted. In a video shared by Upasana along with her tweet, Ram Charan is seen pan-frying some veggies and what appears to be some paneer. Ram Charan and Upasana got married in 2012. The couple is quite popular for working out together and several of their videos have gone viral.

When @AlwaysRamCharan cooks dinner for the Mrs. 

To all the husbands out there - he cooked dinner & also cleaned up after. Now thats what makes him my hero !  pic.twitter.com/HOK8N1B7vc  Upasana Konidela (@upasanakonidela) April 15, 2020

On the career front, Ram Charan will next be seen in SS Rajamoulis upcoming magnum opus RRR, which also stars Jr NTR, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Samuthirakani in key roles. In RRR, NTR and Ram Charan play brothers in the modern day portion and will be seen as Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju in the period portion which will be the flashback episode.

Also read: Actor Vijay worried for stranded son in Canada amid lockdown: report

Rajamouli has said that RRR will be a fictional story set in 1920s pre-independent era and it will be based on few years in the lives of two real heroes and well-known revolutionaries  Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem.

There are also reports doing the rounds that Ram Charan might play a cameo in his uncle Pawan Kalyans upcoming yet-untitled Telugu period drama. The project, to be produced by AR Rathnam, will mark the maiden collaboration of filmmaker Krish Jagarlamudi and Pawan Kalyan, who has returned to acting after a hiatus of two years.

Krish has completed the script work and is currently busy finalising rest of the cast and crew. Tipped to be a period drama set in pre-independent India, the film will feature actors from multiple industries including Bollywood.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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New York, April 16 : The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has raised funds to help Hindus impacted by Pakistan's travel restrictions who have been denied help by Pakistani NGOs.

HAF said that following several media reports that minorities in Pakistan were not being given food assistance by NGOs working in coordination with the government, it partnered with Haray Rama Foundation in Sindh province to help them.

Within 72 hours of making an appeal, HAF raised $6,000 for Hindus denied food aid in Sindh and another $6,000 for Pakistani Hindu refugees living in camps in Jodhpur in India, it said.

The Sindhi Hindu American community committed an additional $6,000 in matching funds for the appeal, it added.

HAF Managing Director Samir Kalra said in a statement that the COVID-19 lockdowns have only amplified the "unimaginable difficulties and dangers" the minorities in Pakistan "face as a result of institutional and social discrimination".
GALVESTON  Shortly before 10 p.m. on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig was working 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana when a sudden burst of natural gas  one executive would later describe it as the equivalent of a 550-ton freight train  shot thousands of feet up a drilling pipe to the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

The gas ignited almost immediately, sending an explosion ripping through the rig, killing eleven men and injuring scores of others. And when the 400-ton blowout preventer that was supposed to seal off the well failed, 3.2 million barrels of crude began flowing into the Gulf.

For three months, the world watched some of the largest and richest companies in the world  the British oil major BP, the Swiss drilling contractor Transocean and the Houston oil field services company Halliburton  struggle to bring the damaged well under control. It was located a mile beneath the oceans surface.

Ten years later, the tragedy hangs not only over the lives of the families whose men were lost and an industry whose reputation was forever damaged, but also region that has long relied on the vast oil and gas deposits buried beneath the Gulf to drive its economy.

Sitting in his office on the Galveston waterfront, looking out over an old drilling rig that serves as an offshore oil museum, Nick Gutierrez, the manager of a seafood market and fishing company, said the Texas fishing industry was left relatively unscathed by Deepwater, but he couldnt help but worry of a repeat closer to their fishing grounds.

Its all tied together here. A lot of peoples jobs are in the oil industry, and we rely on them to come over here and buy fish, he said. But I think about it, that it could happen around here.

The events leading to the explosion that April night began years earlier, as companies pushed farther and farther out into the Gulf as shallower and easier-to-drill oil and gas deposits ran their course. Macondo, as BP dubbed the well, was not only located a mile underwater, but also stretched another 3 1/2 miles beneath the sea floor, where the weight of the overlying rock puts incredible pressure on the oil and gas deposits.

High-wire act

Controlling that pressure is a high wire act, requiring oil crews to pump huge volumes of drilling fluid and cement into the hole to counterbalance the pressure below. Its a highly technical process honed over decades, but according to a federal commission assembled by former president Barack Obama after the explosion, the companies drilling the well made a series of seemingly small but critical errors that effectively turned Macondo into a ticking time bomb.

There are recurring themes of missed warning signals, failure to share information, and a general lack of appreciation for the risks involved, the presidential commission said in its report. Though it is tempting to single out one crucial misstep or point the finger at one bad actor as the cause of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, any such explanation provides a dangerously incomplete picture of what happened.

POLITICAL FALLOUT House Dems pass offshore drilling ban

In the days and weeks after the blowout, the full scale of the disaster would slowly come to light.

BPs attempts to kill the well from the surface  through underwater robots and a containment dome placed on the sea floor  all failed. That forced the companies to lay their bets on drilling a relief well that would take months to complete. In the meantime, tar balls started washing up on Gulf Coast beaches.

Kara Fox, now an ecologist with the environmental group Audubon Society, joined the cleanup, running boat crews setting up floating booms along the Alabama coastline, to protect plants and wildlife from the crude as it came in on the tides.

As we saw in Louisiana, when the oil gets into the wetlands its devastating, she said. One day we flew up and those beautiful beaches were absolutely orange, and I thought, this is never going to be the same again.

For the oil industry, the Deepwater Horizon explosion represented perhaps the largest public relations crisis in its history. Two decades earlier, the Exxon Valdez made international headlines when it hit a reef in Alaskas Prince William Sound, ripping open its hull and spilling 250,000 barrels of crude into the pristine waters.

Deepwater Horizon was not only a much larger oil spill, but one that threatened some of the nations most visited tourist areas and prime fishing grounds.

In the days after the explosion, the Obama administration ordered a moratorium on deep water drilling and set government regulators in motion to overhaul federal rules governing oil and gas operations in the Gulf, the first wave of which were in place by the following February.

But the reputational damage was done. President Obama, who had run on an all-of-the-above energy strategy, announced a month before the explosion his administration would move ahead with plans to expand offshore drilling along the Florida Gulf Coast and the Atlantic seaboard.

Those plans were later abandoned, amid protest from coastal communities worried about a repeat of Deepwater Horizon in their waters.

It was awful, Erik Milito, president of the offshore drilling trade group National Ocean Industries Association, said of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. Thats not the industry we want the public to think we are.

Blow to confidence

The oil sector prides itself on its technological acumen and ability to manage risk, presenting its development of oil fields as as more science than business.

But in the months after the explosion, a series of lapses came to light that would challenge offshore oil companies confidence.

Six weeks behind schedule and $58 million over budget, BP was at the time of the tragedy under pressure to finish Macondo, which had proven difficult to drill and was dubbed by the Deepwater Horizon crew the well from hell. Federal investigators found that BP and Halliburton, which provided engineering services on the drilling operation, potentially failed to adequately test the cement they were pumping down the well.

DRILL BABY DRILL: Offshore drilling rules scaled back

According to the report, Halliburton rushed to finish the cement work before the 48-hour waiting period for testing was complete. And while the company performed a second test, the results of which suggest the cement was stable, it was unclear whether Halliburton had results from that test in hand before it pumped the job, the report read.

Halliburton did not send the results of the final test to BP until April 26, six days after the blowout.

When the Deepwater Horizon crew tested the strength of the well around 5 p.m. on the day of the blowout, they encountered unexpected pressure.

Wyman Wheeler, a toolpusher on the crew, was convinced that something wasnt right, said one supervisor on the platform, according to the report. But then Wheelers shift ended and a new crew came on and decided to abandon that testing method in favor of one that produced the result they were looking for.

What that second, unconventional test failed to catch was that the cement at the bottom of the well was cracking, allowing highly pressurized natural gas into the well.

When the crew began pumping seawater down the well to shut it down  to maintain pressure before the drilling rig moved to its next job  they unknowingly set off a chain reaction that would take the lives of 11 the 126 men onboard.

My heart sank

Alicia Cochran, the daughter of Transocean driller Dewey Revette, was away at college, expecting her father was on his way home to Mississippi, when she got the call from her mother about the explosion.

It wasnt until later that we found out my Daddy was unaccounted for and missing. I remember asking, Well what does that mean? Maybe he took the other boat, or maybe hes still on the rig waiting to be rescued. Where is he? she said in an email. When a room full of people with sad eyes looked at me, not knowing how to answer my question, it hit me like a ton of bricks and my heart sank to my feet.

BP ended up paying more than $60 billion in criminal penalties, civil claims and clean-up costs following Deepwater Horizon. The company said in a statement: The accident and spill forever changed BP.

The lessons weve learned and the changes weve made  from tougher standards, to better oversight  are at the core of becoming a safer company, the company said.

A decade later, the consequences of Deepwater Horizon still linger, not just for the families of those lost or the oil industry, but the Gulf itself.

FUEL FIX: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox

A report by the National Wildlife Federation in 2018 found that many marine species were still suffering the effects of the oil spill. Bottlenose dolphins are experiencing high rates of lung disease and anemia, and their populations could take decades to recover. More than a thousand oiled dolphin carcasses were found along the Gulf in the four years after the explosion.

Laughing gulls, known for their high-pitched cries, lost almost two-thirds of their population following the spill and have yet to rebound.

A study by scientists at the University of Miami earlier this year found that toxins related to the oil spill traveled much further through the Gulf than previously understood, suggesting scientists still have a long way to go to understand the full environmental consequences of Deepwater Horizon.

Push and pull

Some good did come of the spill. Billions of dollars from the penalties paid by BP flowed to coastline restoration projects that have allowed species including the Gulf Oyster and the Brown Pelican, which were already threatened before the spill, to rebound.

For those along the Gulf Coast, its part of the push and pull of life next to one of the worlds largest offshore oil fields, which provides livelihoods for tens of thousands of workers and their families.

Oil drilling is something we live with with, said Bob Stokes, director of the non-profit Galveston Bay Foundation. Is it a positive for the environment? Probably not. But it is economically. Its part of our culture. Its who we are.

james.osborne@chron.com

Twitter.com/@osborneja
The Delaware Rivers comeback from its polluted state decades ago has established it as a model for other river restoration efforts across the county and made it an environmental advocacy groups 2020 River of the Year.

The distinction from American Rivers comes in the organizations annual Most Endangered Rivers report, which identifies 10 waterways across the U.S. in need of help.

(Read the full report here)

The Delaware, which flows between Pennsylvania and New Jersey on its 400-mile route from New Yorks Catskills to the Delaware Bay, can be a map for others, the report says.

The Delaware River is a national success story, Bob Irvin, president and CEO of American Rivers, said in a news release. The Delaware shows how a healthy river can be an engine for thriving communities and strong local economies.

A 2013 re-enactment of George Washington's daring crossing of the Delaware River.Alex Remnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The rivers 13,600-square-mile watershed supplies drinking water to millions of people, including the Easton area, New York City and Philadelphia, and contributes $22.5 billion a year to local economies via outdoor activities, American Rivers says.

The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofits report says that 75 years ago industrial pollution left parts of the Delaware uninhabitable for aquatic life. It credits clean-water safeguards and community stewardship with the rivers restoration, evidenced by the return of fish species like Atlantic sturgeon and American shad to its tributaries via dam removals.

Interstate 80 and the Delaware River run through the Delaware Water Gap, separating New Jersey and Pennsylvania.Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com | LightHawk

American Rivers was among the organizations that opposed the infamous Tocks Island Dam project in the 1970s, which would have flooded out the Delaware Water Gap and created a 37-mile lake.

Groups that have invested in the health of the Delaware River and its watershed, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to local breweries, gathered in Allentown over two days last October to discuss the biggest threats facing the river, including pollution, development and climate change.

The American Rivers report says that kind of coordination, along with support from elected officials on federal, state and local levels, is necessary to continue the rivers rejuvenation.

A view of Phillipsburg to the east from above the Route 22 toll bridge over the Delaware River.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com

For the reports 10 most endangered rivers in 2020, it named: the Upper Mississippi; the Lower Missouri; Big Sunflower River in Missouri; Puyallup River in Washington; South Fork Salmon River in Idaho; Menominee River in Michigan and Wisconsin; Rapid Creek in South Dakota; Okefenokee Swamp and St. Marys River in Florida and Georgia; Ocklawaha River in Florida; and the Lower Youghiogheny River in western Pennsylvania.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A grieving father who watched a group of teenagers drinking in the street minutes after receiving a call to tell him his 'father figure' had died of Covid-19 caught on a single supermarket visit has filmed a tearful plea for people to take the virus seriously.

Father-of-four Steve Legge, 47, had just received the call to say stepfather Kev Raynor, 59, had died of coronavirus after allegedly contracting the illness while shopping at Aldi when he looked out of the window of his home in Bath, Somerset, and saw the teens hanging around together.

The property maintenance business owner, who was raised by Kev in Barnsley, South Yorks after his mum Aileen, 68, separated from his biological father when he was a baby, said he was left furious people could be 'carrying on as normal' amid the pandemic and his devastating loss - and so instantly filmed the heartfelt request for Britons to stay at home.

Steve Legge, 47, (left and right with his wife Sabrina) posted a video urging people to stay at home during lockdown after seeing teengaers drinking in the streets after his father died

Steve, who is currently self-isolating with wife Sabrina, 42, and children, Chloe, 17, Dylan, 16, Colston, 13 and Jessica, nine, believes the only place his stepfather, who died on April 6, could have caught the virus was during the last trip to Aldi he made before the lockdown just two days before he was admitted to hospital with a temperature and breathing problems.

Father-of-three and grandfather-of-five Kev spent three days on a ventilator before showing promising signs he could breathe on his own again - only to take a turn for the worst just hours after coming off oxygen and passing away four days later when he suffered organ failure.

Steve said: 'Kev brought me up from being about six years old, so he was my first real father figure.

Steve's stepdad, Kev Raynor, pictured with his grandson Alexander, has died from Covid-19

'Even after he split with my mum he remained in our lives and he would be round at my mum's at least three or four times a week.

'My childhood memories are filled with him and things he did for us as a family - and when I grew up we went fishing together.

'He was a big strong guy, growing up I thought he was superman.

'I never thought for a second that this virus would get a man as strong as him.

'The day after lockdown he went straight to Aldi after leaving my mum's because he was worried he didn't have enough in.

'Two days later he was admitted to hospital gasping for his breath and dripping with sweat from a temperature.

Steve is self isolating at home with his children, Chloe, 17, Dylan, 16, Colston, 13 and Jessica, nine, as well as wife Sabrina who is pictured at work as a radiologoist assistant

'I know what Kev was like and I can imagine him just quickly grabbing one of the trolleys from the carpark that hadn't been disinfected - he hadn't been anywhere else so there's no other explanation as to where he picked up the virus from.

'When I decided to post the video, I'd just had the worst call in the world from my heartbroken mum telling me Kev had died and I looked out the window to see four or five kids walking down the street laughing and swigging beer.

'I was so angry and upset - I felt like screaming at them and telling them that I'd just lost my stepdad.

'Do people really need to lose their own loved ones before they take this seriously?'

Born and raised in Barnsley with his mum and Kev, Steve remained close with his stepfather even after Kev split with his mum and Steve moved down south to live in Bath.

Kev, who is photographed with grandson Alexander, is thought to have caught coronavirus whilst on a food shopping trip to Aldi

On the first weekend the UK was put into lockdown, Kev arrived at Aileen's house for his usual coffee and catch up - but she told him he needed to go back home immediately and to call if he needed anything.

Instead, Kev decided to make a last minute trip to Aldi to get some final essentials, but only the next day rang Aileen complaining of feeling ill.

By March 30, the father-of-two, who usually insisted on having 'no fuss', was gasping for breath, dripping with sweat and telling Aileen to phone an ambulance.

When he tested positive for Covid-19 at Barnsley Hospital the following day, Kev was put into an induced coma and onto a ventilator for three days before medics believed he was showing promising signs and decided to see if he could breathe on his own on April 2.

Steve's stepdad Kev who has lost his life is photographed inside a car as a younger man

But after coming off the ventilator, Kev developed an infection and Aileen was asked to sign a 'do not resuscitate' order as his condition deteriorated to the point where his kidneys began to fail.

The much-loved family man passed away in hospital the following Monday, April 6.

Now Steve's video pleading with the nation to take the pandemic seriously and properly isolate has wracked up 950,000 views and 45,000 shares on Facebook.

Steve said: 'We are absolutely distraught.

'We went from a glimmer of hope to having a call saying his kidneys were failing.

'None of us could even be there with him, the last time any of us ever spoke to him was when he told my mum that the paramedics had arrived the day he was admitted to hospital.

'Not being able to be there for him and tell him I loved him is the most heart wrenching feeling in the world.

Kev, photographed with wife Aileen, spent three days on a ventilator before showing promising signs he could breathe only to take a turn for the worst

'But I'm still taking the dog out once a day for 30 mins and seeing people carrying on as normal, I can't believe it.

'People are gathering in the town centre or they're sat out in parks having picnics.

'I feel like showing these people pictures of Kev and telling them what we have lost, and asking them if they want the same thing to happen to their loved ones.

'My wife works as a radiology assistant and I'm petrified every time she goes out the door for work that she will come home ill.

'You can catch this virus anywhere, what happened to Kev has shown that, I don't know what more can be said to make people understand.'

Graph shows the UK's average daily coronavirus deaths for the previous seven days, based on official figures. The dip at the end shows the numbers falling for two days - the first drop since the crisis began.

Steve's mum Aileen, a mum-of-three and retired seamstress, has also paid tribute to her ex-husband, who she said stayed part of her life ever since they broke up 20 years ago.

The 68-year-old added: 'He has been a big part of my life for over 40 years.

'Even when we split up he still came to our house like he was coming home.

'He was easy to get along with and he was always there for me if I needed something.

'He didn't always take much notice of me, and Kev being Kev had to go to the supermarket just to make sure he had enough in.

'That was the start of it and now he's gone. I can't believe it.'
Robert Mercer speaks on the phone during the 12th International Conference on Climate Change hosted by The Heartland Institute on March 23, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have one of their old allies back in the big money fundraising game after he stepped back from helping the commander-in-chief.

Robert Mercer, one of Trump's original financiers during his first run for president, gave his first six-figure check of the 2020 election cycle to the Trump Victory committee in February, according to a new financial disclosure report. The $355,200 contribution to the joint fundraising committee, which raises money for both the Trump campaign and RNC, comes after Mercer was relatively silent since assisting Trump get to the White House. The committee finished the quarter raising $63 million.

Representatives for the RNC, Trump campaign and Mercer did not return a request for comment.

During the 2016 presidential election, Mercer funneled millions of dollars into supporting Trump's run, including investing at least $15 million into the now-shuttered data-gathering firm Cambridge Analytica, which was used to harvest private information of more than 50 million Facebook profiles.

His daughter, Rebekah Mercer, was on the board of the data-gathering company, which also boasted former Breitbart News boss and top Trump advisor Steve Bannon as an executive. The information that was gathered was used by the Trump campaign to create social media ads in an attempt to influence voters.

A year before the recent congressional midterms, Mercer stepped down as CEO of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies and sold his stake in Breitbart News, the conservative online news platform, to his daughters.

CNBC first reported in 2018 that Mercer had retreated in leading the way in financially backing the president after a wave of public scrutiny for his assistance just two years earlier. During the 2018 election cycle, him and his wife combined to contribute just over $6 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics [CRP], including $400,000 to pro-Trump super PAC, the Great America PAC. None of that money went to Trump Victory.

Mercer and his family foundation did spend millions backing conservative causes that same year.

Mercer has since appeared to have contributed two separate $2,700 checks to the Trump campaign and $5,400 to the RNC but the data from CRP shows the contributions to the president's campaign may have been refunded. There have been no other contributions to Trump-related entities this year.

Still, having Mercer potentially getting ready to give more six-figure donations to Trump and the RNC is yet another boost to a growing campaign war chest. It comes as apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden is trying to raise more money to keep up with Trump's operation.

Trump, the RNC and their joint fundraising committees combined to raise over $212 million in the first quarter of 2020. The two combined to raise $63 million in the month of March.

As part their expanded efforts, Trump Victory is deploying finance chairs to all 50 states in the build up to the November general election.
Leaders of the Arakan Army gather with other leaders and of various Myanmar ethnic rebel groups at the opening of a four-day conference in northern Kachin State. July 26, 2016. Myanmar blacklisted the AA as a terrorist group on March 23, 2020.

Two editors facing charges under Myanmars Counter-Terrorism Law for interviews with the Arakan Army after the ethnic force was declared a terrorist group have gone into hiding to avoid arrest amid domestic and international appeals to drop their cases, supporters said on Wednesday.

Thar Loon Zaung Htet, editor in chief of Khit Thit News, and Khine Myat Kyaw, editor in chief of Narinjara News, were charged last month under the Unlawful Association Act for publishing the interviews with AAs spokesman Khine Thukha. They were detained and later released.

Another editor arrested on March 31 with the two men, Voice of Myanmar (VOM) editor-in-chief Nay Myo Lin, was released on April 9 after prosecutors told him could not proceed with the case against him, so they had to free him.

Nay Myo Lin faced up to life in prison had he been found guilty of charges filed by police under two sections of Myanmars Counter-Terrorism Law for quoting the AA, which is battling for greater autonomy in western Myanmars Rakhine state after it was declared an unlawful association and terrorist group on March 23.

Kyaw Swa Min, secretary of the Myanmar Press Council, said the group has sent appeals to withdraw the charges against two editors, who are both members of the Council.

We have sent the appeals for the release of two other editors in the day after the release of the VOM editor. We intend to pressure them to back off," he said.

We sent the appeals to the Minister of Home Affairs, who is the chair of counter-terrorism task force, with copies to the State Counselors Office, the Presidents Office and the military commander-in-chief.

He said the journalists were just doing their jobs by interviewing the insurgency group spokesperson, which does not mean condoning the group.

Journalists should be able to contact and interview anybody. It shall not be labeled as supporting a terrorist group. We view this as direct violation of freedom of expression and free press, said Maung Saungkha, director of Athan, an advocacy group for freedom of expression.

VOM editor Nay Myo Linn said the journalists were required by their profession to interview both sides of the issue to show complete and balanced views.

Charging journalists under the draconian acts has degraded the standard of press freedom of Myanmar, he said, adding: This is not proper action for a democratic country.

The anti-corruption watchdog group Transparency International issued a statement saying it had worked with Khit Thit Media and others in Myanmar on anti-corruption training and civic engagement projects.

It is appalling that some of these partners are now being persecuted under trumped up terrorism charges for informing the public about the situation in their country. We urge Myanmars authorities to drop the charges against these journalists immediately, said David Ondracka, a member of the board of Transparency International.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maun Written in English by Paul Eckert.
When Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron decided to quarantine together Bachelor Nation sounded the alarm. It was finally happening! Cameron and Brown were finally getting together, creating one the most dynamic, attractive power couples Bachelor Nation has ever seen!

Tyler Cameron and Hannah Brown | Mark Bourdillon/ABC via Getty Images

For some fans, Cameron and Brown reuniting was the highlight of their isolation.

hannah brown and tyler cameron hanging out during the corona quarantine is giving me hope that theres still good in the world, tweeted one fan on March 18.

We dont deserve Hannah brown and Tyler Cameron and the quarantine crew and Im obsessed with it idk i wish they would just kiss already, tweeted another fan on March 26.

Hannah Brown leaves Tyler Cameron to go home

Brown and Cameron teased Bachelor fans with their sometimes flirty Tik Toks with the Quarantine Crew up until recently when Brown returned to her family in Alabama. It was a blow for Bachelor Nation.

now that hannah brown has left her florida quarantine with tyler cameron I have absolutely nothing to look forward to every day. what an absolutely horrible revelation that that content was the best thing I had going on SOS, one fan reacted on Twitter.

I am embarrassingly upset that Hannah Brown supposedly left Florida, and we wont be getting content with her & Tyler Cameron with the Quarantine Crew anymore. This better be an April fools joke I swear, wrote another.

After they parted ways, Cameron told fans that he and Brown are just friends and Brown confirmed that she is indeed single. But that doesnt mean Cameron, Brown shippers are giving up hope just yet.

Bachelorette fans are Venmo-ing Tyler Cameron money to buy Hannah Brown an engagement ring

Instead of tweeting at or commenting on their Instagram pages that Brown and Cameron should get together, some fans are trying a new tactic. Bachelorette fans have been sending Cameron money via Venmo for Hannahs engagement ring.

A little something to add to the ring fund get her something sparkly, wrote one fan on Camerons public venmo.

You know what its for, wrote another along with a big engagement ring emoji.

my generous contribution to hannah browns engagement ring, i hope its not too much get her something nice, wrote another.

Hannahs engagement ring. Get her something special king, commented another.

I know engagement rings can be expensive. Get hannah something nice, wrote another venmo user.

I know engagement rings are expensive so I thought Id help you out for miss Hannah Brown, wrote another fan.

For the engagement ring (4 Hannah), wrote another.

Considering Cameron just told fans that he and Brown are just friends, its a safe bet that he probably wont be using that money to go ring shopping. But maybe fans are hoping the overwhelming support of a Brown, Cameron relationship will convince the model to take his relationship with the former bachelorette to the next level.

Read more: ABC Is Recasting Clare Crawleys Season of The Bachelorette
The average Latino in Nevada heard from our campaign 22 times, and we showed that works, Mr. Rocha said. Were experiencing something weve never experienced before, and we want to build something that has never been built before.

The pandemic, and its lasting health and economic effects, will pose challenges, however. Though the demographics of infection rates have been uneven, early indicators suggest that Latinos are seeing a disproportionate spike. In Boston, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital reported last week that nearly 40 percent of coronavirus patients were Latino, though they typically make up less than 10 percent of patients in the hospital. And in New York City, Latinos are dying from the coronavirus at twice the rate of white people, according to preliminary data released by city officials.

This climate is enormously complex and these are families with tremendous needs, said Eric Rodriguez, who oversees policy and advocacy for UnidosUS, a nonprofit that has spent months organizing voters across the country. We are going to have an election in a moment when we are really focused on leadership and I think what we are starting to see for sure is more outrage at the way political leaders are acting. The more that outrage intensifies, the more work there is for us to do telling people how to use that politically.

Several Latino activists say they are disseminating information about health and safety for now, but are preparing to pivot to make the case that the Trump administrations handling of the crisis has further endangered their communities.

We have to brace ourselves for the fact that there is going to be devastation in black and brown communities  and we need to connect that to the ballot box, said Maria Teresa Kumar, the chief executive of the nonprofit group Voto Latino, which backed Mr. Biden on Thursday, the first time the group had endorsed a presidential candidate. There is no better moment to do that.

Many Latino activists are also pressing for Congress to include benefits for undocumented immigrants in a fourth recovery package, a position that has also been pressed by Mr. Sanders, who dropped out of the presidential race last week. So far, the benefits have excluded any households that pay taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, as undocumented workers do  leaving an estimated 12 million people ineligible.
US police found 17 bodies piled up in a nursing home morgue in New Jersey, media reported Thursday, highlighting how the coronavirus outbreak is overwhelming long-term care facilities.

Officers in the small locality of Andover, around 52 miles (80 kilometers) west of New York City, discovered the bodies following an anonymous tip-off, according to The New York Times.

The discovery came on Monday at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Unit -- one of the largest care homes in New Jersey, a state badly hit by coronavirus.

The cause of death of the 17 has not been confirmed but 68 people have recently died at the facility, and 26 of those tested positive for COVID-19, the Times reported.

Police did not confirm the number of bodies found.

But in a statement posted on the Andover police Facebook page, one of the home's owners, Chaim Scheinbaum, said the morgue, which normally houses four bodies, "never had more than 15 present" on Monday.

"The staff was clearly overwhelmed and probably short-staffed," Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson told CNN.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he was "outraged" that bodies had been allowed to pile up and ordered an investigation.

COVID-19 has killed more than 32,000 people across the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University, with New Jersey the worst-hit state after New York.

The outbreak has reportedly claimed thousands of lives in retirement homes, spotlighting how vulnerable the elderly are to the illness.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Steven Lazarus (left, with his son Michael), 76, was using a ventilator for two weeks at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California

An American cruise ship passenger has died from coronavirus - becoming the first international death stemming from the disease-riddled ship.

Steven Lazarus, 76, was using a ventilator for two weeks at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California. His wife Elissa was also a passenger and has tested positive, but she has no symptoms.

His son Michael shared an emotional tribute to Mr Lazarus on Twitter.

'He was the rock of our family, someone who I relied on for advice and who steered me wrong,' Michael wrote.

Michael Lazarus told the ABC that he is unable to properly support his grieving mother due to her diagnosis.

'It's the way it took my dad. It's that I cannot comfort my mom physically,' he said.

'It pains my family deeply that we cannot comfort her like we should be able to and she has to deal with losing the love of her life on her own.'

His son Michael shared an emotional tribute to Mr Lazarus on Twitter

The Ruby Princess has been ordered to leave Australian waters by Sunday, as police investigate whether the ship's senior staff were ordered to downplay the coronavirus risk on board.

The cruise liner is docked at Port Kembla on the New South Wales south coast with about 1,000 crew members on board.

Nearly 3,000 passengers were on March 19 allowed to disembark the ship in Sydney without health checks, before dispersing across the country in a calamitous blunder that border authorities blame on NSW Health.

More than 600 passengers have since been diagnosed with coronavirus and 19 people have died. The ship is the biggest single source of COVID-19 infection in Australia.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller on Wednesday said Ruby Princess wouldn't be docked at Port Kembla much longer.

The cruise liner is docked at Port Kembla (pictured) on the New South Wales south coast with about 1,000 crew members on board

'Ive drawn a line in the sand and I want this ship gone by Sunday,' he told The Australian.

Investigators are questioning staff on board the ship on whether they were pressured to downplay the sickness of passengers before it docked in Sydney.

'What pressure may or may not have been on captains and on doctors, that would be crucial to the criminal investigation and the commission of inquiry,' Mr Fuller said.

The probe comes after an ACT woman in her 60s died from COVID-19 in Canberra Hospital on Thursday after being on the vessel.

There are currently 140 cases of coronavirus on the boat, with 1,056 crew in quarantine.

The crew are reportedly running out of water on board, with staff members asked to take shorter showers to conserve supplies

'Otherwise, we come into a situation that we cannot supply you water to take that shower,' the crew were told via a PA announcement, according to The Daily Telegraph.
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Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 17, 2020 05:38 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd265248 1 World COVID-19,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,citizen-protection,Indonesian-diaspora Free

The number of Indonesians infected by the novel coronavirus overseas increased to 391 on Thursday, after the Foreign Ministry recorded 79 new confirmed cases emerging over the past seven days.

On its official Twitter account @Kemlu_RI, the ministry said the Indonesian citizens were infected across 28 foreign territories as well as aboard international cruise liners.

According to ministry data, cruise liners had the highest number of infected Indonesians, with 101 cases, of which nine have recovered and 91 were currently in stable condition.

In Southeast Asia, neighboring Singapore and Malaysia hosted the highest number of infected Indonesians with 47 and 44 cases, respectively. Meanwhile, four positive coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Brunei Darussalam, two in Cambodia, one in the Philippines and one in Thailand.

Seventy-one Indonesians have tested positive for COVID-19 in India, which is now imposing the largest lockdown in history. Thirteen have recovered and 62 are in stable condition. Pakistan has recorded 16 cases of COVID-19 involving Indonesians.

South Korea and Macau have recorded one and three cases, respectively, while Taiwan has three cases.

In the Middle East, nine Indonesians have tested positive in Saudi Arabia, one in Oman, three in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and four in Qatar.

The United States, which currently has the most coronavirus infections of any country around the globe, has recorded 27 Indonesians testing positive for COVID-19 among more than 630,000 cases on its soil.

One Indonesian citizen has tested positive in Canada.

Ten European countries have also reported Indonesian citizens among their confirmed coronavirus cases.

The Netherlands has recorded six Indonesians with COVID-19, while Turkey and Belgium have two cases each.

Meanwhile, six Indonesians tested positive in the United Kingdom, three in Italy and seven in Germany.

Spain  now the hardest hit by the coronavirus in Europe  has reported 11 Indonesians among more than 182,000 cases recorded as of Thursday, while the Vatican has recorded seven cases involving Indonesians.

Ireland and Finland recorded one case each.

According to the Foreign Ministry's data, 16 Indonesians overseas have died from COVID-19, with five reported in the US, three in the Netherlands and two in Singapore and Malaysia. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Turkey and one cruise ship each reported that one Indonesian had died from the disease.

Of the 319 confirmed cases abroad, 71 Indonesians have recovered.

As of Thursday, confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed 2 million worldwide  in 210 countries and territories  with at least 136,036 fatalities, according to Worldometer data.
China on Thursday rushed medics and medical supplies by air to two towns close to its border with Russia and built a mobile hospital as imported coronavirus cases surged following an exodus of Chinese nationals from the neighbouring country.

China has reported 46 new coronavirus cases, including 34 imported ones.

The authorities strengthened medical facilities in the country's northeast bordering Russia to stem a sudden flare-up of infections among Chinese nationals arriving from across the border.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) in its daily report on Thursday said 12 new cases of domestic transmission were reported, including five in Guangdong province, four in Heilongjiang Province and three in Beijing while no fresh cases were registered in epicentre Wuhan.

It said, 46 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the mainland on Wednesday, of which 34 were imported taking the total number to 1,534 with 898 still undergoing treatment.

Also the increasing number of asymptomatic cases continue to be a major concern for Chinese health officials as 64 new asymptomatic cases were reported on Wednesday of which 61 of them local people.

According to Mi Feng spokesman of the NHC, 6,764 asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus infection, including 588 imported ones, were reported in China as of Tuesday, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Hubei province, till recently the centre of the coronavirus outbreak in China, has sent medical supplies to the Heilongjiang province bordering Russia.

Three planes carrying medical protective suits, N95 masks and ventilators landed at the airports in the provincial capital of Harbin and the border city of Mudanjiang on Wednesday afternoon, Xinhua reported.

A "mobile hospital" was put into use in the city of Suifenhe near the Russian border. The hospital consists of a remote consultation vehicle and an X-ray vehicle.

Facing the mounting pressure of imported COVID-19 cases, Suifenhe also built a temporary hospital. The hospital, converted from an office building, will provide 600 beds for asymptomatic cases and patients with mild symptoms, the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government has started



fencing along the India-Myanmar international border near Moreh town in Manipur to check the movement of people in the wake of coronavirus, officials said on Thursday.

The fencing work started a few days back and is progressing well, Th Krishnatombi Singh, the Additional Superintendent of Police of Tengnoupal district, told PTI.

The temporary fence is being put up between Moreh town in Tenugopal district on the Indian side, and Nanphalong Market in Tamu town in Myanmar, he said.

Singh, who is leading a police team in putting up the fence, said it will aid the district administration in checking the spread of the deadly virus from Myanmar.

The work has been done till the Muslim Basti area in Moreh, he said.

Manipur has so far reported two COVID-19 cases and one of them has recovered.

India shares a 1,624-km-long border with Myanmar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced today that the country's ban on large public gatherings will be extended through August 31st, which seems to mean that Gamescom 2020 can no longer take place (at least physically) as planned in Cologne the last week of August.

This would be a significant blow for the event itself and the European game industry at large, as Gamescom has become (at least in terms of sheer attendees) one of the largest game industry events of the year.

However, Gamescom organizers have been operating under the threat of an unfolding coronavirus pandemic for some time, and made it clear in press releases earlier this year that Gamescom 2020 has expanded digital components and will "definitely take place online" regardless of whether the physical event is allowed.

Organizers also promised to refund attendee tickets and exhibitor payments if the event was prohibited by official order, which now seems to have happened.

As of this writing no official announcement has been made about the future of Gamescom 2020's physical event, though Gamescom organizers did take to Twitter today to acknowledge that while today's extension of Germany's ban on large events through August does affect planning, "gamescom 2020 will definitely take place digitally" and they expect to announce more details shortly.

Update: A statement shared today by the Gamecom team reaffirms that Gamescom 2020 is now on track to be a digital event during the end of August, and notes that planning on that front is moving ahead at full speed.

Just like many of you, we are disappointed, because, as the gamescom team, we have been working on a wonderful gamescom 2020 for months, just like the many exhibitors," reads a portion of that full statement. "However, it is also quite clear to us that, in the face of the corona pandemic, we must stand united. This means that we must all be considerate of each other and reduce the risk of infection.

More details on the form that digital event will take are due out in the next few weeks, though organizers note that all paid tickets for the now-canceled on-location event will be automatically refunded shortly.
Images and video of Spirits humanitarian flights can be found HERE

MIRAMAR, Fla., April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 1,300 people who were struggling to return to the United States from Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras are finally coming home, Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) announced Wednesday. Over the past 13 days, the airline has organized flights to all six countries to pick up U.S. citizens, residents and family members who have been in limbo since flight restrictions went into effect in mid-March.



The announcement comes after weeks of careful coordination with U.S. embassies and local governments to obtain an exemption to those restrictions on international flights. Based in South Florida, Spirit is proud serve its Guests as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, and the airline has already flown a total of eight flights bringing people back to the United States. The airline plans to operate additional flights based on embassy requests.

Flight Details Route: Date: Bogota (BOG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Thur. April 2 Bogota (BOG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Mon. April 6 Medellin (MDE)  Cartagena (CTG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Mon. April 6 Cali (CLO)  Bogota (BOG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Thur. April 9 Panama City (PTY)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Sat. April 11 Port-au-Prince (PAP)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Sat. April 11 Aruba (AUA)  Cartagena (CTG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Wed. April 15 Bogota (BOG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Wed. April 15 Cali (CLO)  Medellin (MDE)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Thur. April 16 Santo Domingo (SDQ)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Thur. April 16 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - San Pedro Sula (SAP) - Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Sat. April 18 Medellin (MDE)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Tue. April 21 Bogota (BOG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Wed. April 22 Cali (CLO)  Cartagena (CTG)  Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Thur. April 23

We have been looking for ways to bring our Guests home ever since international travel restrictions started being implemented, said Ted Christie, President and CEO at Spirit Airlines. Our company is made up of Team Members who care deeply about doing whatever we can to help. I sincerely thank our Spirit Family, our airport partners and our government officials for working with us to reunite people around the Americas with their families.

Guests make these trips on board one of Spirits signature bright yellow planes with every middle seat blocked off to improve social distancing. As these humanitarian flights continue, Spirit will be following health and safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) while remaining in close contact with authorities to ensure the safety of its Guests and Team Members.

Spirits repatriation efforts have been made possible by U.S. embassies in Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras. Guests needing to return home from an international destination should contact their countrys embassy in that location.

About Spirit Airlines:

Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) is committed to delivering the best value in the sky. We are the leader in providing customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare. This allows our Guests to pay only for the options they choose  like bags, seat assignments and refreshments  something we call A La Smarte. We make it possible for our Guests to venture further and discover more than ever before. Our Fit Fleet is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the U.S. We operate more than 650 daily flights to 77 destinations in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, and are dedicated to giving back and improving the communities we serve. Come save with us at spirit.com . At Spirit Airlines, we go. We go for you.
Fungicides allow for a more intensive production system, enabling higher output from a smaller area due to greater disease control

It is important to utilise as many control measures as possible as part of an integrated pest management system (IPM) for effective disease control in tillage crops.

Over-reliance on any one tool will be ineffective and unsustainable.

One of the key elements in any IPM system is fungicides. These allow for a more intensive production system, enabling higher output from a smaller area due to greater disease control.

For example, Europe accounts for 11pc of the world cereal production from only 6pc of the world's cereal acreage, indicating highly intensive cultivation. Similarly, Europe accounts for about 80pc of the worldwide cereal fungicide market.

Until the mid-1960s, fungicide use on wheat in Europe was unusual, says Ashley Williams of croplife.org. However, during the '60s there was increasing evidence that diseases of wheat were causing more losses than had previously been acknowledged. At the end of the decade, the first foliar fungicides targeted specifically at cereal diseases were introduced.

Midway through the '70s, new fungicides were developed to significantly broaden the number of diseases treated.

By '79 about 25pc of the cereal hectares in Western Europe - and 50pc in the UK - received at least one foliar fungicide treatment.

Since the '90s, more than 95pc of wheat acres in the UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands have been treated with fungicides.

Fungicide use has been a major factor in rising European wheat yields since the '70s.

However, while fungicides are a key component in the production of high-quality tillage crops, their availability to Irish farmers is being reduced every year due to increased EU regulation.

For example, the EU decided last year to ban Chlorothalonil, a highly effective multi-site fungicide that has been used for over 50 years.

The ban takes effect next month, and a withdrawal period for the product is due to end here on May 20.

The EU cited "scientific evidence and research which points to concerns around the chemical's impact on aquatic life and human health" for banning the product.

Teagasc crop expert Shay Phelan says that while new products are being introduced, the Chlorothalonil ban may lead to increased resistance to active ingredients in other fungicides.

"Two new products have been introduced on the back of Chlorothalonil being banned - Revysol and Inatreq have both been approved recently," says Phelan. "However, Chlorothalonil is not alone a fungicide in its own right, it also helps protect the other fungicides that it is used alongside.

"We have to be aware that fungicides have a finite lifespan so the more times they are used, the less of an impact they have.

"So through using Chlorothalonil, farmers were using less of other fungicides, which meant there was less chance to build up resistance to them; so without it, the other active ingredients will come under pressure quicker."

"In Ireland, most cereal products are being used for animal feeds, so the risk to consumer health is small. Chlorothalonil is being banned mainly due to user-health concerns, despite farmers being well trained in wearing adequate PPE gear," Phelan said.

Teagasc research has found that the ban, which is due to come in next month, will see tillage farmers' average net margins reduced by over 50pc in wheat and 65pc in barley for growers achieving national average yields.

Cereal production will only be economically viable on the highest-yielding sites with low costs of production as the risks of financial loss will increase dramatically on other sites.

Teagasc also said that Irish growers will lose competitiveness as it is anticipated that other regions will not suffer the same losses, and consequently grain prices will not rise in Ireland to offset yield losses.

Ireland also has a greater need for fungicides due to our wetter climate, says Shay Phelan.

"Ireland has more fungi due to our damp weather compared to some of our drier European counterparts. The EU, unfortunately, can't give derogations to some member nations, based on climate, because it could open a can of worms on a whole host of other issues."

Consumer lobby groups also have massive influence when it comes to banning products, which Phelan says can have a big influence on policy-making.

"It is very hard to disprove something. As a result, certain decisions are made on science but others are made on sentiment."
H ealth Secretary Matt Hancock today lost his temper during an interview about the Government's lockdown exit strategy.

The outburst happened as Mr Hancock was being interviewed by Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4's Today show.

Pressed on reports the Government has been mishandling the coronavirus crisis, Mr Hancock said: How we communicate as a Government, as ministers, has a direct impact on the amount of cases that we have and therefore the amount of people who die...

"We have this core goal to make sure the NHS isnt overwhelmed, which everybody a month ago was telling me it was impossible to achieve and that has been achieved thus far - that core messaging has a direct impact on how many people follow the guidelines

Mr Robinson then tried to interject with a further question, but Mr Hancock responded: "Let me, please! Let me finish the answer!"

Matt Hancock lost his cool in an interview on Radio 4 (REUTERS) / via REUTERS

The outburst did not go unnoticed as listeners took to Twitter to point it out.

One Twitter user wrote: A bit ominous to listen to Matt Hancock lose his cool on Today this morning. Granted he was being interrupted but still not good and doesn't bode well post lockdown.

Another said: Sounds like Matt Hancock has had enough of Nick Robinson on Today. Will ministers refuse to come on the programme again?

Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, also commented on the clash, saying: "So @MattHancock loses his temper on @BBCr4today just now. Maybe he is upset that all his misrepresentations are catching up with him."

BBC host Andrew Neil added: Matt Hancock very feisty with Nick Robinson on Radio 4 Today. Lets see what happens with Piers Morgan on GMB.

Mr Hancock said earlier he did not want to waste the efforts of the public by lifting the lockdown measures too early, because coronavirus would run rampant once again.

He said: I understand those who are calling for an end to the lockdown or some kind of exit strategy to start now, but I think its just too early for that.

It came as Mr Hancock said coronavirus testing kits would be made available immediately for care homes.

He said on Wednesday he was determined to ensure that everyone needing a test should have access to one, with testing remaining a key part of the Governments coronavirus battle plan.

Speaking on Sky News on Thursday, he said: The systems are in place so that they can get the tests immediately, yes.

The tests dont yet come through the post, were working on that, thats a new technology that doesnt yet exist, but immediately  yes.

Matt Hancock: Testing kits for care homes will be made available immediately

Previously, only the first five symptomatic residents in a care home setting are tested to provide confirmation of whether there is an outbreak.

The new rollout means tests will also be provided to all residents before they are discharged from hospital, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Mr Hancock said: "We are doing everything we can to keep workers, residents and their families safe.

We have already begun testing social care workers and will roll this out nationwide over the coming days.

"And as we continue to ramp up our testing programme, we will test all current care home residents with coronavirus symptoms and all new care home residents who are discharged from hospital into care.

Matt Hancock: Everybody Going From Hospital Into Social Care Will Be Tested And Isolated

But Mr Hancock's comments follow intense criticism of the Governments treatment of the social care sector, with claims it has been forgotten as the disease spread.

Labours shadow minister for social care Liz Kendall has said that only 500 care staff having been tested to date, and social care needs a much greater priority and focus than it has had so far.

Care home providers have also warned they are seeing a higher number of cases and deaths than are officially reported, in part due to a time lag with the ONS figures.

It comes after fifteen residents died at a Luton care home after five tested positive for the coronavirus, while another 13 who suffered coronavirus symptoms at Stanley Park Care Home in Stanley, County Durham, have died.

Robert Kilgour, who owns Renaissance Care, which runs 15 care homes across Scotland, told BBC Breakfast that the sector was facing a tsunami wave of coronavirus cases.

Care home director says the sector was left unprepared to fight virus

Mr Kilgour, who said 17 residents in four care homes had now died, called for increased testing for social care staff, adding that action from the Government was too little, too late.

Its warm words that are welcome, but we need concrete action and the Government must deliver on this, he said.

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Because we have had a lot of deaths in care homes to date, in Scotland and the UK, and my fear is if we dont get this right, there could be a lot more.

And really the testing, it is good to say what he has said, but he did add when capacity allows and thats my biggest concern.

It is a huge task and the care home sector are facing a tsunami at the moment, a tsunami wave.

Priti Patel: Sorry if people feel there have been failings over PPE

Anita Astle, who owns and runs Wren Hall Nursing Home in Selston, Nottinghamshire, also believes sparse information about Covid-19 has left staff feeling ill-equipped to respond appropriately to the virus.

She told the the BBCs Breakfast programme: Its emotionally and physically draining. People are frightened  they are leaving their own families to care for others and there is also a lack of information.

So we dont know whats the right thing to do.
Canadian housing once seemed so infallible that the head of the world's biggest asset manager in 2015 described Vancouver condos as a better store of wealth than gold.

The coronavirus is putting that theory to the test.

While lockdowns, job losses and uncertainty are roiling property markets from the U.K. to Australia to Hong Kong, Canada's situation is more precarious than most. As its oil sector shriveled in recent years, Canada's economy became ever more driven by real estate, an industry now in a state of paralysis. Nearly one in three workers has applied for income support.

What's more, its households are among the world's most indebted, poorly placed to weather the storm.

"I think it is the Great Reckoning," says Douglas Hoyes, a bankruptcy trustee in Kitchener, Ontario. "We've been in a period for so long where it didn't matter what property you bought or how highly leveraged you were. Well, guess what? Now it matters."

Since the economy began shuttering in mid-March to slow the spread of coronavirus, policy makers have raced to buttress the property market. Banks are offering mortgage holidays, including to landlords with multiple loans on investment properties.

That has raised eyebrows even within the real estate industry. "Should someone with four properties really be granted financial assistance?" asks Steve Saretsky, a Vancouver realtor. "Where exactly do we draw the line?"

The country may not have much of a choice but to prop up housing. Real estate has become Canada's largest sector. Including residential construction, it accounted for 15% of economic output last year; energy accounted for 9%.

If it collapses, there's not much that can pick up the slack -- certainly not oil nor the seemingly unflappable consumer.Canadians have been on a two decade spending spree since a downward shift in mortgage rates began in the 1990s. Toronto and Vancouver, the two biggest housing markets, haven't had a major correction during that time. Housing turned into a wealth-conjuring machine. As values spiraled higher, homeowners felt richer -- they spent more, borrowed more, and sent prices even higher.

That virtuous circle just popped. The City of Vancouver fears it's heading for insolvency after it surveyed residents and found that 45% of households say they can't pay their full mortgage next month and a quarter expect to pay less than half of their property tax bills this year.

It's a stunning contrast to 2016, when those lucky enough to own a detached house in the west coast city watched their net worth balloon on average by more than C$1,600 ($1,130) a day without ever leaving home. In one year, the city's properties surged in value by C$47 billion, more than double the cumulative take-home income of all its residents.

Tellingly, billboards by the consumer financial watchdog began cropping up -- "Don't use your house like an ATM" -- as homeowners borrowed against those gains to fund renovations, vacations, and rental properties.

Today, Canadian households owe C$1.76 for every dollar in disposable income. In Vancouver, that spikes to more than C$2.30 -- a ratio that puts the so-called supercar capital of North America on par with Iceland before the global financial crisis.

Recessions tend to be deeper and last longer when households are mired in debt -- an alarming prospect for a nation that may already be experiencing its sharpest contraction on record. Canadians owe C$2.3 trillion in mortgages, credit card, and other consumer debt, about equal to the country's GDP, which is an even higher ratio than the U.S. had before its housing bust.

"You have all of these flammable items that just need a spark, some external shock," says Anthony Scilipoti, president of Toronto-based Veritas Investment Research Corp. "And this virus is a worst-case scenario none of us would have predicted."

It doesn't take much to tip a seemingly tight market into a meltdown. If only 2% of the housing stock were to be listed for sale, it would trigger the kind of supply shock behind a 1990 crash, according to Veritas.

That's most likely to come from investors, half of whom weren't generating enough cash to cover the cost of owning their rental properties, Veritas found in a survey last September.

For loss-making landlords, things are about to get a lot worse: about 30% of apartment rent due April 1 went uncollected, according to estimates by CIBC Economics. That's in line with similar estimates of U.S. rental collections.

Then there are those who invested in properties for the short-term rental market that's all but dried up because of travel restrictions. Nearly a third of Canada's Airbnb hosts -- who jointly had 170,000 active listings in late 2019 -- need the income to avoid foreclosure or eviction, Airbnb said in a letter to the Canadian government last month.

Confronting a swiftly collapsing pool of renters, more than 200 Canadian listings have exploded across Vrbo and Airbnb in recent weeks pitching themselves as isolation or quarantine havens, many offering Covid-19 discounts, according to data from Toronto-based Harmari, which analyzes online classifieds. Former Airbnb rental units have also cropped up in sales listings.

Economists and lenders have long pointed to two pillars that have underpinned housing: a robust labor market and the biggest increase in international immigration in more than a century. Neither is holding up.

Nearly 6 million Canadians have applied for income support. Lenders had deferred nearly 600,000 mortgages, about 12% of the mortgages they hold, as of April 9. Meanwhile, immigration targets, based upon an earlier growing labor shortage, will almost certainly be scaled back.

In steps that dwarf those taken during the global financial crisis, the federal housing agency and the Bank of Canada are ready to purchase billions of dollars worth of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities to backstop the market, while lawmakers passed a historic wage bill to stem job losses.

"It's great we have a government that says they have the fiscal firepower to do this but anyone with any math skills can calculate that my daughter's grandchildren aren't even going to be able to pay this off," says Reza Sabour, a Vancouver mortgage broker. "What's the plan after?"
Earlier this year, the most surprising nominee in the Oscar race for Best International Feature Film was Corpus Christi, about an ex-convict who shows up at a small-town church in Poland claiming to be the preacher theyve been waiting for. Three months later, The Quarry puts an American indie spin on the same kind of story, with its lead character a criminal on the run who shows up at a small-town Texas church claiming to be the preacher theyve been waiting for.

In both films, the new preacher comes in with a plainspoken style so dramatically different from what the congregants are accustomed to seeing that he becomes a big hit  and in both films, the deception changes the deceiver as much as the deceived, until his past catches up to him.

Apart from these few plot similarities, though, Corpus Christi and The Quarry are miles apart. In Jan Komasas Polish film, which was based on a real event, the young preacher has energy and charisma, and he uses his newfound stature to pry into the towns secrets. But theres a quieter, more dour impostor at the center of The Quarry, and the tension that grips the film mostly has to do with his own secrets.

Also Read: 'Corpus Christi' Review: Poland's Oscar Entry Explores the Rough Road of Redemption

Directed by Scott Teems and based on a novel by Damon Galut that was set in South Africa, The Quarry is a slow-burn Western noir built around terrific but understated performances by Michael Shannon and Shea Whigham, who have worked together repeatedly since Tigerland in 2000 (Take Shelter and Boardwalk Empire being two notable collaborations). Originally scheduled for a SXSW premiere and a day-and-date theatrical opening from Lionsgate, The Quarry lost those to the coronavirus and is now premiering on demand on Friday.

Its a patient film that could have used the immersive aspect of a theatrical run, but it still has plenty of pleasures to reward attentive viewers on any platform.

Story continues

Whigham plays a character known only as The Man, though if you press him for his name you might get a dark answer: It doesnt matter. My name is sinner. Hes found lying by the side of the road by a reverend heading for the small church where hell be stationed  but when the preacher figures out that his passenger is on the run and asks a few too many questions, the Man kills him and leaves him buried in a shallow grave in a quarry outside town.

A new life awaits me where Im going, the preacher says shortly before hes killed. It could be the same for you. The Man takes those words literally, assumes the preachers identity and shows up in the small border town ready to take the job. You might wonder how somebody so surly and monosyllabic is going to make it as a preacher, but the parishioners take to his blunt, non-judgmental ways. (Besides, only eight people show up for his first service, and seven of them dont speak English.)

Also Read: Amazon Prime Video to Stream Titles From Canceled 2020 SXSW Film Festival For Free

Complications, of course, arise almost immediately. The Man is so exhausted when he gets to town that he leaves his bags  or, rather, the dead preachers bags  in the back of the stolen van. That van is broken into by the local drug dealer and his 12-year-old brother almost immediately, and they see the bloody clothes and figure out that the new preacher is hiding something.

The burglary brings in Chief Moore, played by Shannon as a veteran lawman whos spent his years watching the world grow colder and meaner and lose honor, and watching his town die once the interstate went through a few miles away. The apartheid setting of the novel is replaced by a town where the remaining whites dont trust the Mexican immigrants who outnumber them, and Chief Moore quickly sets his sights on the brothers as the likely burglars  and, when the body in the quarry is found, the likely murderers.

At the same time, Moore doesnt notice that theres a picture of the new preacher on his bulletin board behind him, with the notation Wanted for homicide and felony arson. The Man rips the wanted poster down as soon as the chief leaves the room, and from there the tension rises: The guy whos guessed the truth is in jail and nobody believes him, the preacher is finding a place where he seems to belong and the cop has vague misgivings but an easy way to wrap up the case.

But the plot details matter less than the tone and mood that Teems creates, and the nuances that Whigham and Shannon bring to their performances. The Quarry is a quiet movie with quiet performances; the two men almost never even raise their voices, but we know the stakes and feel the urgency in every muttered aside. Meanwhile, Heather McIntoshs music lays back but is adept at heightening the tension when it needs to.

Guilts a heavy burden, isnt it, reverend? asks Moore at one point. Most men cant carry it alone. The Man clearly tries to do just that, but the transgressions in his past weigh heavy as he plays his new role. More and more, the movie focuses on a question: If a man without conscience pretends to be a man of God, will he inevitably develop a conscience?

You can think of The Quarry as a subtle thriller, but its more of a meditation on guilt, forgiveness and redemption in the West. By the end, though, its hard not to think of the words of a writer from the South, William Faulkner: The past is never dead. Its not even past.

Read original story The Quarry Film Review: Michael Shannon and Shea Whigham Shine in Quiet, Guilt-Ridden Western At TheWrap
Northern Italy was rattled by an earthquake near the heart of the coronavirus outbreak today.

The 4.5-magnitude tremor struck near Coli in the region of Emilia-Romagna, around 30 miles north-east of Genoa and 60 miles south of Milan.

Emilia-Romagna has more than 21,000 virus cases and the epicentre was near the border with Lombardy, which has recorded more than 62,000 infections.

Some people reported seeing their furniture shake and a 'slight wave movement' in Genoa while another witness said the earthquake felt like a passing truck.

This map shows the epicentre of the 4.5-magnitude earthquake today, around 30 miles from Genoa and 60 miles from Milan

The US Geological Survey says the quake struck at 11.42am local time at a depth of six miles with an epicentre near Coli.

Coli is a commune in the province of Piacenza, which has recorded 3,223 cases of coronavirus since the outbreak began.

The wider region of Emilia-Romagna has confirmed 21,029 cases including 2,788 deaths, more than many countries.

Lombardy has seen 62,153 cases and 11,377 deaths and has been under lockdown since March 8, slightly longer than the rest of Italy.

Emilia-Romagna has 325 people currently in intensive care with coronavirus, while neighbouring Lombardy has 1,074.

Hospitals in northern Italy have been overwhelmed and doctors have been forced into agonising life-or-death decisions over who should receive intensive care.

The number of new cases has slowed in Italy, while the death toll is down from a peak but its decline has stalled in recent days.

Italy can be prone to earthquakes, notably a 6.2-magnitude quake which killed nearly 300 people in the town of Amatrice and nearby villages in 2016.

Modena in northern Italy was hit by a 5.8-magnitude quake in 2012 which killed 17 people and injured another 350.
Nagaland will soon have a level-3



Bio-safety Laboratory (BSL-3) to conduct COVID-19 sample test, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Thursday.

Nagaland does not have a BSL-3 lab at present and all suspected COVID-19 samples are sent either to Assam or Manipur for testing.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu announced the arrival of equipment for setting up of BSL-3 lab at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima, which has also been designated and made functional as COVID-19 hospital.

"Equipment for setting up of BSL-3 at NHAK, along with technicians have reached Nagaland," Rio tweeted.

He thanked the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Delhi for fulfilling the long felt need of the state government to have own testing facilities.

The chief minister asserted that the work will begin immediately, round-the-clock, so that it is functional at the earliest.

The Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Department said that the state has no COVID-19 positive case, adding that the one positive case of a 33-year-old man from Dimapur has been added to the tally of Assam as sampling was done in Guwahati Medical College Hospital and the patient is undergoing treatment there only.

Health department officials also revealed that five medical personnel from the state have recently completed training at Indian Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh on the functioning of the BSL-3 lab.

Meanwhile, NHAK COVID-19 Hospital in the state capital is ready to take COVID-19 patients, said Dr Sentimeren Aonok, Public Information Officer (PIO) of the hospital.

He said the hospital is ready with 67 beds for COVID- 19 patients and can be upgraded to accommodate more patients.

Aonok said the hospital authorities have already prepared a roster for a team of around 500 health workers, including 40 doctors, 137 nurses and more than 300 other staff to take care of the patients.

At present, the ICU has 20 beds with nine ventilators, he said.

Aonok said the Chedema COVID-19 hospital in the outskirts of the state capital is also ready with 40 bed facility.

On the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) of different qualities for the health workers, he said the government through the Health and Family Welfare Department has provided 2055 PPEs, 1100 N95 masks, 2600 FFPA masks, 12,300 triple layer masks, 10 each Infrared Thermometer and High Viral Transport Medium.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 15, 2020 / This press release is being disseminated as required by National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Take over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues regarding the disposition and acquisition of securities of CanadaBis Capital Inc. ("CanadaBis").

On April 15, 2020, 2011939 Alberta Ltd. ("2011939"), purchased a total of 2,500,000 Common Shares or 2% of the issued and outstanding shares of CanadaBis for cash consideration of $125,000 or $0.05 per Common Share. Following the share purchase 2011939 will beneficially own, control or have direction over, directly or indirectly, an aggregate of 12,917,715 Common Shares representing 10.48% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. The Common Shares are being acquired for investment purposes and in the future, 2011939 may further decrease or increase their beneficial ownership of the securities of CanadaBis.

A copy of the early warning report will be available on CanadaBis Capital Corp.'s Sedar profile at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: 2011939 Alberta Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585307/Early-Warning-Report-Shares-of-CanadaBis-Capital-Corp
Cuomo orders all New Yorkers to wear face coverings in public places where social distancing not possible
These 5 Decidedly Weird Animal Butts Are The Distraction We All Need Right Now Science Alert (Chuck L)

Coronavirus Philly: Move over Pizza Rat, Philadelphia has a Pizza Groundhog 6abc (furzy)

Zoo May Feed Animals to Animals as Funds Dry Up in Pandemic New York Times (furzy) :-(

Eye to I: Self Portraits from the National Portrait Gallery YouTube. Another virtual tour.

A Quiet Revolution in Botany: Plants Form Memories GetPocket (David L)

Newly discovered chemical in willow trees kills various cancer cells New Atlas (David L)

Questionnaire survey identifies potential separation-related problems in cats PhysOrg (Chuck L)

Neutrinos could shed light on why the Universe has so much more matter than antimatter Nature (Kevin W)

Scientists Confirm Dramatic Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet Guardian

The fate of carbon in a mature forest under carbon dioxide enrichment Nature (UserFriendly)

That tremor called trauma Synaps (Chuck L). Important.

#COVID-19

Make this go away. This is on the order of WMD in Iraq, or Assad gassed his own people when he was winning: US is investigating if COVID-19 escaped from Wuhan lab during experiments and China covered it up by blaming the wet markets  sparking Mike Pompeo to demand that Beijing come clean Daily Mail. I am having a hard time living in a world where no one cares about truth. Although what looks to be a cultivated campaign in Chinese social media to depict the US as the source of coronavirus (PlutoniumKun clued us in early) may have give the cray-crays the leverage to launch this propaganda salvo.

Science/Medicine
MANZINI  The Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital is operating with 26 men down and staff members support the call to close the facility.



This is because 26 staff members, including nurses and support staff members, have been put in self-isolation. This follows the fact that they were in direct contact with patients who were later confirmed to be positive for COVID-19.

The patients include the woman who gave birth to twins last week and COVID-19 case number 15 in the country.



Positive



A source close to the matter said after the woman was confirmed to be positive, a total of 24 workers, including nurses and support staff, were tested and put in self-isolation for 14 days.

Again, when the man, who is case number 15, was confirmed to be positive of the virus, two workers, including his wife, were tested and put in self-isolation, the source said.



In that regard, the workers, especially nurses at the hospital, said they fully support the call by their union, the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), to close the facility, fumigate all wards and departments and also test all the staff members.



They said this was because currently, the ministry considered testing and isolating staff members who had direct contact with a patient who had been confirmed positive for coronavirus.



The ministry disregards those who had indirect contact with the COVID-19 positive patient. This is regardless of the fact that those who had indirect contact with the patient will be regarded as direct contacts if those who were assisting the positive patient test positive, the workers argued.

On the other hand, the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, said RFM Hospital, especially the Maternity Ward, was decontaminated last week. She said the decontamination was done after the woman who gave birth to twins was evacuated to Lubombo Referral Hospital.



The ward has been cleaned and is safe to use, the minister said.

On top of that, the minister said all those who were in contact with the COVID-19 positive woman, were screened and sent to self-isolate.

Furthermore, she said all the workers at RFM Hospital were being tested as the teams work on contact-tracing.

In that regard, the minister said there was no reason to shutdown the hospital.



This publication also gathered that since some of the hospitals nursing staff was in self-isolation, government, through the Ministry of Health had deployed five of the newly-hired nurses, to the facility.



Tracing



However, RFM Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Benjamin Simelane said they needed more nurses because the ongoing contact- tracing might see more nurses being put in self-isolation.

On another note, the CEO pleaded with their patients to be open to the medical staff. For instance, he said if a patient had been tested by the Ministry of Health for COVID-19, it meant that he/she had contact with a COVID-19 positive person and that made him/her a suspected case.



He said such people should open up to the medical practitioners so that they could protect themselves.

I am aware that some people might be afraid to do so because of stigma issues, but I encourage them to trust the health workers, the CEO said.



SWADNU made the call for the RFM Hospital to be closed on Tuesday. It said after being closed, the whole hospital should be fumigated, while staff members should be tested for COVID-19 before the facility could be reopened.
With reports emerging that donors are not coming forward to give blood during the coronavirus outbreak, Nani has proved that hes a real hero. As donors are feeling unsure about safety, he wanted to quell all the fears.

The actor went to NTR Trust in Hyderabad and donated blood to help patients.
S hell has pledged to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 despite a crisis in the oil industry  but urged consumers to play their part in protecting the planet.

The oil major upped its target for reducing its carbon footprint from energy products it sells to customers by around 65% by 2050 - an increase from a target of 50% originally set out in 2016 - and by around 30% by 2035, an increase from around 20%.

The company said it had moved targets following a global shift to a target of lowering average temperature rises to 1.5 degrees in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change. A wave of climate activism sparked by Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion has piled pressure on the industry.

Bernard Looney, the new boss of rival BP, this year set a target of being net zero carbon by 2050, with Spanish giant Repsol the first to set that goal last December.

Shell said that it is responsible for just 15% of its emissions through generating and consuming energy, and consumers using its products account for 85% of its emissions. It said: Our customers can themselves take action on emissions.

The move comes despite the coronavirus puncturing demand for oil. Ships, tanks and pipelines holding oil could be overwhelmed in weeks, the International Energy Agency has warned amid what is being dubbed Black April for the industry.

Shell boss Ben van Buerden said: With the COVID-19 pandemic having a serious impact on peoples health and our economies, these are extraordinary times. Yet even at this time of immediate challenge, we must also maintain the focus on the long term.

Societys expectations have shifted quickly in the debate around climate change. Shell now needs to go further with our own ambitions, which is why we aim to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner. Society, and our customers, expect nothing less.

Adam Matthews, director of ethics and engagement for the Church of England Pensions Board, said: This announcement significantly increases Shells ambitions and commitments. It is indicative of Shells confidence in not only navigating the immediate situation but rightly sets the focus on developing net-zero pathways in key sectors that shape the demand for energy.
Saudi-led Coalition Conducts 26 Air Raids on Yemen's North, West  Houthi Spokesman

Sputnik News

10:10 GMT 15.04.2020

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Saudi-led coalition has conducted 26 air raids on Yemen's northern and western provinces despite the alliance's step towards a ceasefire in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Yahya Sarai, the spokesman for the Houthi rebel movement, said on Wednesday.

"Air forces of the Saudi-US [coalition] launched more than 26 air raids, with 18 of them [having been conducted] on the districts of Majzar and Sarwah in the Marib [northeastern province], six on the district of Khabb Wa Shaaf in the Jawf province [in the northwest]", Sarai said.

He added that two more air raids were conducted on the northern province of Saada and the western Bayda.

The news comes after on 10 April, the legitimate government's foreign minister, Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, said that the coalition's ceasefire became a necessity, and called on the warring parties to join the efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

The coalition announced on 8 April that it would halt all military operations for two weeks in response to a UN call for a global ceasefire due to the worldwide crisis.

Yemen has been facing a long-running armed conflict between the government forces, led by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, and the Houthi rebels, which has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis.

 Sputnik

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USS Theodore Roosevelt transits the Pacific Ocean on April 7, 2017. Photo: US Navy

Despite four aircraft carriers being affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the US is still holding naval operations near China in an attempt to maintain its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, but a Chinese expert said on Wednesday that the moves cannot conceal the US Navy's weak position and may also lead to further infections.

The US Pacific Fleet said on its Twitter account on Wednesday that the Bunker Hill, a US guided missile cruiser, was operating in the South China Sea, and the America, a US amphibious assault ship, conducted a replenishment-at-sea operation while sailing in the East China Sea.

On Friday, the America also operated together with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Akebono in the East China Sea, and US guided missile destroyer Barry transited the Taiwan Strait, the US Pacific Fleet said.

These operations came at a time when four US aircraft carriers - the Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Carl Vinson and Nimitz - all reported positive COVID-19 cases which rendered them unsuitable for deployment, leaving the US with no carrier to use in the Asia-Pacific region, analysts noted.

Beijing-based military expert Wei Dongxu told the Global Times on Wednesday that the US aircraft carriers will not be able to conduct missions for some time, and said the US Navy was attempting to use other types of warships to replace them.

Even though the America amphibious assault ship repeatedly conducted takeoff and landing exercises with its F-35B fighter jets and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft during its voyage in an attempt to showcase the warship's capabilities both at sea and in the air, it still has very limited use in this aspect compared to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Wei said, noting that the US military operations were only the best ones among bad choices, and cannot conceal the US Navy's current weak condition.

With the recent US naval operations, the US Navy is trying to show it is still capable of mobilizing troops overseas, but the fact is that the US' capability to wage war has greatly declined, Wei said.

"In a bid to maintain the US' image of a maritime hegemony, the country's recent operations risked its sailors' health and safety as more of them could be infected by the coronavirus. This is irresponsible," he said.

Having done a good job in controlling the epidemic situation, China's Liaoning aircraft carrier task group on Friday crossed through the Miyako Strait, Bashi Channel and then entered the South China Sea for exercises, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy announced on Monday.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 14:33 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2436e7 1 Health fabric-face-masks,cloth-face-masks,face-mask,face-masks,COVID-19,#COVID19,coronavirus,#coronavirus Free

Homemade fabric face masks are often seen as the eco-friendly, affordable alternatives to mass-produced masks, given the governments recommendation to wear masks to flatten the COVID-19 curve.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend such masks for the public because surgical masks or N-95 respirators should be reserved for medical staff.

The effectiveness of cloth masks depends on the fabrics ability to filter particles while still being comfortable to wear. According to the University of Utah Health, in the United States, cotton and T-shirt fabrics can be used as materials. And even if your face is covered, it is important to avoid touching the masks surface and to wash your hands properly for 20 seconds after wearing them.

Washing your reusable cloth masks is equally important as virus droplets may stick to their surfaces and it's highly recommended to clean them after each use.

The CDC note that the frequency of washing your masks depends on how often they are worn.

Read also: DIY cloth masks: Not ideal but good zero-waste alternative

Dimitar Marinov, assistant professor of the Medical University of Varnas department of hygiene, told Huffington Post that people should wash their masks every two hours, especially when theyre in public places where physical distancing can be a challenge.

The way you wash your fabric face masks should be adjusted to the type of fabric. The CDC recommend putting cloth face coverings in washing machines.

Similarly, the University of Utah Health also recommends that fabric masks are cleaned with hot water (71.1 degrees Celsius) in a washing machine with soap or detergent. Afterward, rinse them with water and hang them to dry.

If a washing machine isnt available, dermatologist Emily de Golian suggests hand-washing by using soap or detergent and scrubbing for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water, according to cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com. (wir/wng)
The question on many minds during our time of quarantine: How far can state government officials go in curtailing constitutional rights like the freedom of association, free exercise of religion, and right to travel among and between the states, in service to public safety by reducing the spread of the coronavirus?

The courts have been there, done that, and the answer is, "quite far."

This is not the first time our country has faced a life-threatening epidemic. Our Founding Fathers saw mass death due to the mosquito-borne Yellow Fever on a nearly year-in, year-out basis in the 1790s and the decades that followed.

They did not know that the fever was mosquito-borne, and that their efforts to quarantine would not "flatten the curve." They simply knew the fever took lives indiscriminately. And so they quarantined. In 1798 conditions became so bad that the governor of Pennsylvania banned travel between Philadelphia and New York.

The most significant early decision from the U.S. Supreme Court to mention the state power to quarantine occurs in an 1824 case known as Gibbons v. Ogden. Considered a landmark decision on the federal power to regulate commerce on the interstate waters, Chief Justice John Marshall -- our greatest chief justice; the competition is only for second -- explained that one of the powers the state possessed was the power to quarantine.

This was not controversial; as Marshall put it, the power to quarantine was seen as a power "flowing from the acknowledged power of a State to provide for the health of its citizens."

The Supreme Court's most direct comment on the power to quarantine arose in Compagnie Francaise de Navigation a Vapeur v. Louisiana Board of Health, a case from Louisiana, when the court considered a broad quarantine order, not unlike some of the quarantine orders our state leaders have considered over the last few weeks. Louisiana had faced outbreaks of Yellow Fever two out of every three summers throughout the 19th century, leading to a very aggressive state stance on the power to quarantine. The order the court considered read: "hereafter in the case of any town, city, or parish of Louisiana being declared in quarantine, no body or bodies of people, immigrants, soldiers, or others shall be allowed to enter said town, city, or parish so long as said quarantine shall exist."

The Supreme Court, by a vote of 7-2, approved that order as constitutional when it was challenged by individuals who attempted to enter the state on a ship from Italy. Even though there was no evidence of symptoms of the fever or other disease on board, the court held that a state was justified to keep people out in order to protect the citizens of the state; that to do so did not violate the Constitution.

The broadest of the statewide shelter-in-place orders in California, New York or Pennsylvania go further than past precedent -- controlling economic activity and populations over vastly more territory. But assuming courts are likely to approve today's quarantine measures, what should we look for as Americans to make sure the government is not taking advantage of this otherwise unconstitutional power to restrict constitutional rights during this emergency?

First, these powers are by their nature temporary. They are justified by the extraordinary circumstance of a pandemic, in which a highly communicable and frequently lethal disease can be spread by infected people merely interacting with others. The government is acting legitimately if the purpose and scope of its actions is to prevent infected people from harming others. Do we know when the virus will subside? Of course not. But when the pandemic ends, the justification for the extraordinary assertion of government powers ends, too.

Often our government has used real emergencies -- like the 9/11 terrorist attack -- or manufactured emergencies -- like the so-called drug war of the 1970s and '80s -- to take on additional powers and then refuse to relinquish those powers when the crisis subsides. Americans should watch their government officials carefully to make sure they do not exploit this emergency after it ends.

Vigilant Americans should also monitor the government to make sure it does not abuse the quarantine power during the pandemic. Is the government quarantining an individual as a pretext for some other improper reason to hold that individual? Officials who would exploit their powers in this manner must be dealt with severely, and there is precedent of courts ending quarantines when this power is abused.

Or are the officials privileging some politically favored activities and curtailing others under the guise of the pandemic? If we are in a quarantine, then the government should not play favorites. Protecting the public must be paramount; if the government appears to allow some violations of quarantine orders but arbitrarily prohibits others, the people will lose faith in their leaders and fail to heed otherwise justified quarantine orders. That will jeopardize lives and is an abuse of power.

One should not assume the governors and other officials who have issued these orders are seeking to violate the Constitution. But it's up to us as Americans to not accept our government's actions without question. The law provides broad authority to our elected officials to respond to an emergency, but when our leaders violate the limits of that power, Americans must call them on it.

Mark Miller is a senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
Lucknow, April 16 : General Secretary of Journalists Union of Uttar Pradesh R. Jayan on Saturday has hit out at those members of Tablighi Jamaat who are trying to intimidate India's largest independent newswire IANS. He has urged the Union Government to take the matter very seriously and demanded action against those responsible for this.

"It is a criminal offence to try and intimidate the subscribers and journalists of Indo-Asian News Service by a few so called members of Tablighi Jamaat for reporting the truth. This is also an attack on the fourth pillar of democracy," Jayan said.

"The Union Government must take this matter very seriously and act immediately against such elements," he added further saying that, "We have written to the President and Prime Minister of India to demand a fair investigation into the expose` done by the news agency IANS." President of Bundelkhand Women Journalists Association Priyanka Tripathi said that at a time when the world is fighting a crucial battle against Covid-19 pandemic, there are attempts to attack journalists and media institutions, which is a cause of concern.

"The attempt to intimidate and silence one of the prestigious organisations like IANS is one such example. Strong actions need to be taken against those responsible for it," she said.

"This must stop and those responsible should be booked under the NSA in national interest," she added.
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Leo Varadkar said any change to the restrictions will be gradual (Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland/PA)

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he doesnt know whether the Government will be able to relax the current restrictions, which are in place until next month.

Mr Varadkar said any change to the restrictions will be gradual and will happen over a number of months.

Speaking in the Dail on Thursday, Mr Varadkar also sent his condolences to the 444 people who have died from Covid-19 in Ireland.

In the times ahead there are three questions we need to consider as an Oireachtas, Mr Varadkar added.

The first: when we can begin to lift the current restrictions and start getting things back to normal bit by bit.

The second is what we need to do to get people back to work and revive and rebuild our economy.

The third is how we can take what we have learnt in recent weeks and some of the things we have done to build a better society in the aftermath of Covid-19, and how we can honour the sacrifices made in every community.

The answer to the first question is being developed as we speak, based on expert opinion. We have the advantage of being able to look at other countries that are a few weeks ahead of us and seeing how their strategies are working or not.

I dont know yet if we will be able to relax restrictions on May 5. I know that if we can at all, its going to be gradual and will happen over a number of months.

Mr Varadkar said only a scientific breakthrough, a vaccine or an effective antiviral medicine will allow life to go back to normal.

He added: Other breakthroughs, like a reliable antibody test, could really help though, and I am optimistic about the capacity of the brilliant minds in our international pharmaceutical companies and universities to deliver.

The second and third questions must be answered by the new government, and every single person in this Oireachtas will have a role to play in shaping those responses, whether its part of the government or playing a constructive role in opposition.

Mr Varadkar added that the Governments overriding priority in the days and weeks ahead is the protection and survival of as many people as possible and to minimise the loss of life.

The current crisis gripping nursing homes across the State was also raised by political parties.

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said that around 200 clusters have been identified in nursing homes.

He pointed out that the 245 people who died in nursing homes from Covid-19 account for over half the total coronavirus deaths in Ireland.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he knows of a nursing home that has been told by the Department of Health that it should not give out information about the number of coronavirus cases in the facility.

Mr Martin claimed that nursing homes did not get the same attention as acute hospitals and were left behind significantly in Government planning.

Mr Doherty described the cases in nursing homes as a massive crisis.

Mr Doherty told the Dail: Its a massive issue that we need to address and we need some transparency in relation to this.

We know that staff in the sector have been raising serious issues in terms of PPE in particular for quite some time, and when we talk to HSE officials they tell us that theres nothing to see here.

Unfortunately, we know from some of the revelations that there is a lot to see.

It comes as new HSE figures show that the number of patients in critical care with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19 is showing signs of levelling off.

Figures published on Thursday show that 142 people with confirmed cases of Covid-19 were in critical care, while 27 suspected cases were also occupying critical care beds.

Of the confirmed cases, 94 patients were on ventilators yesterday evening.

The patterns show that the number of people in critical care has been levelling off for almost a week.

St Jamess Hospital and Tallaght Hospital in Dublin have the highest number of patients in critical care.

While there were a total of 127 vacant critical care beds across the country at 6.30pm on Wednesday, Tallaght Hospital was one of seven hospitals that were at full capacity.

The figures also show that the number of coronavirus cases admitted to hospitals across the country is beginning to level with a total of 846 people needing hospital care.

The HSE report states the number of patients admitted to hospitals and awaiting the Covid-19 test results is also declining.

It comes as Irelands coronavirus death toll rose to 444 on Wednesday, with 38 further deaths reported in the previous 24 hours.

One of those who died was 23  Irelands youngest victim to date.

There were 1,068 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ireland, bringing the total since the outbreak began to 12,547.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Local governments must ensure children with parents or guardians who have been infected with the novel coronavirus will not suffer from neglect and abandonment, a child welfare group said.

[T]he health crisis may also lead children to risks of neglect, abandonment, violence, and exploitation through a loss of or separation from primary caregivers, said Atty. Alberto Muyot, chief executive officer of Save The Children Philippines.

The organization also called on local officials to provide protective measures for children who may be discriminated after their caregivers test positive for coronavirus disease.

COVID-19 positive patients, families, and health workers have experienced stigma even before mass testing has been implemented, it explained.

Among the instances the organization cited was a health worker in Sultan Kudarat getting attacked with bleach on the way home last month.

Following the incident, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered police and military to watch out for those might assault frontliners.

A rise in cases of discrimination and physical violence against health workers and COVID-19 patients has also been observed by the Metro Manila Council, which is made up of the regions top officials. The council has called for passage of local ordinances punishing such acts.

READ: Metro Manila mayors want to punish discrimination of health workers, COVID-19 patients

Save The Children Philippines said local governments should ensure children keep receiving care from trusted adults even after their parents and guardians get isolated or hospitalized because of the virus.

It is preferable for these children to be placed in the care of their closest relatives, but in case this may not be immediately possible, alternative care must be provided. said the organization.

Community guidelines must also integrate the specific needs of children with disabilities should their parents and guardians get infected, Muyot added.

We call on local leaders to provide child-friendly, gender, and disability sensitive information to help children know how they can protect themselves from getting infected by COVID-19, be protected from abuse and exploitation, and where to report and seek help, said Muyot.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arranged for money generated from their royal wedding broadcast to be used to help feed children during the coronavirus pandemic.



Harry and Meghan asked for $112,000 - the excess profits from the BBC's broadcast - to be given to the charity Feeding Britain, The Daily Mail reported.



Harry and Meghan phoned the Archbishop of Canterbury, who conducted their marriage ceremony in 2018 and who is president of Feeding Britain, to discuss the donation to the charity's countrywide projects.

"During that time, there are many tens of thousands of children who we are helping to supply with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day," national director of Feeding Britain Andrew Forsey said.
Photo: (Photo : Photo from Megan Jeffries Facebook account)

A nurse from Ohio gave birth while sedated and on a ventilator.

27-year-old Megan Jeffries is a nurse based in Celina. She gave birth last week, April 9, via Caesarian section. However, Jeffries, until today, is not aware that she has already given birth at 29 weeks.

In her seventh month of pregnancy, Jeffries was diagnosed with COVID-19. Her condition quickly worsened within twenty-four hours. From only experiencing fever and colds, which she thought was just sinus infection, Jeffries was sedated and was put on ECMO by the hospital. ECMO is used as an artificial lung to pump out blood fro oxygenation and then pumps the blood back in.

Undergoing C-Section

On April 9, the doctors decided to do an emergency C-section to Megan, even if she was only in her 29th week. That is to save both of them from the danger of the effects of the disease.

Jeffries' baby boy has been tested twice after being born prematurely. Both tests came out negative. The baby boy of Megan and her husband Donny is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital. He is the second child of the family. Because of the current circumstances, Donny was only able to see their son after three days.

Megan, on the other hand, remains on the ventilator.

No Name Yet

Even after one week of being born, the family has yet to give a name to their baby boy. They decided to do so because they are waiting for Megan's recovery, so she too can have a say on the name of their baby boy.

This baby is the second child of Megan and Donny. Their firstborn, a girl, is staying with his father but is continually looking for her mother.

The Mean Virus

According to the relatives of Jeffries, the 27-year-old-nurse knew what she was against - the mean virus (as Megan's brother, Shaun would describe it). She once told her mother the fear of dying if she gets the virus while working as a nurse. But she still insisted on going to work until she tested positive of COVID-19.

Right now, the family appeals to the public to take the virus seriously. They are experiencing first hand how this virus can immediately damage a person, even if they are living a healthy life. The relatives of Megan never thought that this virus would infect her because she was well and is not even a smoker.

Pregnant Women as Health workers

In the United Kingdom, expecting healthcare workers are full of apprehension nowadays. Especially after reports of other healthcare professionals who become infected. An even worse case was the death of a pregnant nurse who was close to giving birth.

Pregnant Women During the Coronavirus

The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, says that the majority of pregnant women do not become seriously unwell when affected by the coronavirus. But they are still advised to take precautionary measures to avoid obtaining the virus.

Studies also show that infants whose mothers are infected with coronavirus are COVID-19 free when born.




One of the scenes and messages in the free Love & Hope Digital Decoration. "The Love & Hope digital decoration will make it easy for any home or business to display animations of encouragement and support to others."

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, people are finding countless new ways to express their support for their community, from placing hearts in windows to projecting encouraging images on the face of the Matterhorn. AtmosFX, the company known for pioneering decorating with a projector or TV, is no different. In response to impassioned requests from their customers, and a desire to support all those affected by this crisis, AtmosFX has released its Love & Hope digital decoration to the world for free.

Our customers love to decorate for many holidays, but right now they want to share messages of hope and gratitude during these trying times, says AtmosFX Co-Founder, Pete Reichert. Our new Love & Hope digital decoration will make it easy for any home or business to display animations of encouragement and support to others in their neighborhood, whether with a projector or even just a television.

The AtmosFX Love & Hope digital decoration features a dynamic mix of animated hearts, rainbows and balloons interspersed with messages of love, hope and gratitude for our essential workers. This digital decoration is available for download at atmosfx.com/love-and-hope.

About AtmosFX

AtmosFX is a Seattle-based company that seeks to dramatically change how people decorate their homes for holidays, parties and other celebrations. Through the use of beautifully animated characters, stories and atmospherics, AtmosFX Digital Decorations are an ingenious  and easy  way to decorate anywhere, any time of year. Endlessly versatile and entertaining, AtmosFX offers a variety of innovative, Hollywood-quality decorations that can be viewed on any TV or monitor, and projected on surfaces such as windows, walls  even thin air.

AtmosFX was founded in 2008 by Pete Reichert, a former MTV Producer, and Pete Williams, an animator and show creator. Both were inspired by the high-end video installations theyd produced for amusement parks and museums. Today, AtmosFX is the fastest growing digital home decorating company with customers in more than 130 countries.To learn more about AtmosFX, visit http://www.atmosfx.com.
The latest:

President Donald Trump has unveiled new guidelines meant to help states loosen their social distancing restrictions even as business leaders, lawmakers and governors warn persistent testing shortfalls could hamper any effort to reopen the country.

He spoke Thursday at the White House about his Opening Up America Again plan, describing how his administration is advising new guidelines for governors to take a phased and individual approach.

"We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time," Trump said, adding that some states will be able to open up sooner than others. According to the administration, reopenings could be done on a statewide or county-by-county basis at a governor's discretion.

Trump said that instead of a blanket shutdown, the country will focus on sheltering highest-risk individuals.

Were starting our life again, Trump said during his daily press briefing. Were starting rejuvenation of our economy again.

Citizens will continue to be called on to telecommute when possible, stay at home when you feel sick and be highly conscious of their surroundings. He called those tools powerful weapons.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, said the administration didn't put a timeline on any of the phases in which changes could happen. Trump said a number of governors said theyre in good shape. He said in the next few days and as early as Friday, the U.S. could hear about reopenings for states.

In a document provided to all state governors during an afternoon phone call and obtained by CNN, the White House spelled out when states should begin easing social distancing guidelines.

The benchmarks including a sustained decrease in cases over a 14-day period and a return to pre-crisis conditions in hospitals, according to the document.

The phased approach encourages all individuals to continue good hygiene practices like washing hands and to "strongly consider" using face coverings in public. And the document encourages employers to enact social distancing, temperature checks, testing and sanitation practices in their workplaces.

In the first phase of reopening, the plan suggests, schools that are currently closed should remain so. Large venues, including some restaurants, can operate under strict social distancing protocols. Gyms can open as long as they maintain social distancing guidelines, but bars should remain shuttered.

The guidelines, meant to speed Trump's goal of restarting a moribund economy, won't be mandatory and the ultimate decisions on how and when to open will fall to individual governors, many of whom have already extended restrictions into May or banded into regional collectives that will determine their own reopening plans.

5.2 million more seek unemployment aid as job losses mount



The ranks of Americans thrown out of work by the coronavirus ballooned Thursday to more than 20 million in just four weeks, an unprecedented collapse fueling widening protests and propelling President Donald Trumps push to relax the nations social distancing guidelines.

The government said 5.2 million more people applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the running total to about 22 million out of a U.S. work force of roughly 159 million  easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record.

Some economists say the unemployment rate could reach 20% in April, the highest since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Governors extend stay-at-home orders

Governors extended stay-at-home guidelines and called for more testing to fight the coronavirus, ahead of the president's expected announcement on guidelines to help states loosen those recommendations.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state will extend its social distancing plan through at least May 15. And he issued an executive order requiring people to wear a mask in public situations.

Six other Northeast states extended stay-at-home orders to May 15, as well.

"What happens after then, I don't know. We will see depending on what the data shows," Cuomo said.

Hospitalization, ICU admission, and intubation rates are all down, he added said.

"The good news is we can control the virus ... we can control the spread," he said.

Before social distancing mandates are relaxed, experts say that increased coronavirus testing will have to be conducted nationwide to track how much the virus has penetrated communities and enable officials to separate those who are infected.

"It does us no good to send everybody back to work and then get everybody sick," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.

In addition to testing to proactively contain the virus, frontline workers need adequate supplies of protective gear to prevent its spread, said Jeff Johnson, the state director of Florida's AARP.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also called rapid testing the key to determining when emergency restrictions can be lifted. "We need to build the equivalent of a fire brigade," he said.

While Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said his city will likely not permit public sporting events and concerts until next year, Inslee was not ready to go that far yet.

"I wish I had a crystal ball to say when, why, what game, what day, what sport," the governor said. "I can't do that."

Former Vice President Joe Biden called choosing between reopening the economy and ending the pandemic a "false choice" Thursday morning. In an interview on MSNBC, Biden  the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee  was asked by Joe Scarborough what he would say to those who want to go back to work as soon as possible.

"I'd say we should not send you back to work until it's safe to send you back to work," Biden said. "This is a false choice. The way you revive the economy is you defeat the disease."

Trump has signaled a desire to "reopen" the economy May 1.

Protesters rally against restrictions in two states

Medical experts have emphasized that the key to fewer coronavirus cases is for people to practice social distancing. As a result, all but seven states are under stay-at-home orders from their governors.

But in at least two states, protesters rallied against the social distancing mandates, calling them a violation of individual freedoms.

In Lansing, Michigan, vehicles jammed several streets around the capitol in a protest organized by conservative groups against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

"It's time for our state to be opened up. We're tired of not being able to buy the things that we need," Brenda Essman of Kalamazoo told CNN affiliate WLNS. "We need to open our businesses."

And in Raleigh, North Carolina, demonstrators gathered outside the state legislative building Tuesday to protest the state's stay-at-home order, CNN affiliate WRAL reported.

Police officers told them they were defying social distancing rules by standing too close together and asked them to disperse. Most left.

Companies report changes in testing

Some commercial lab companies say they've seen some recent decline in demand for coronavirus tests following weeks of increases.

Quest Diagnostics said demand declined in recent days, allowing the company to wipe out the remnants of its coronavirus test backlog. Its average turnaround time is now less than two days.

Another company, Eurofins USA, said its labs have excess testing capacity, in part because many hospitals are now testing in-house. A company spokesperson said another contributing factor is some of its labs have been denied entry into some insurance plan networks.

The United States has been looking beyond its borders to work with European medical agencies and other agencies to expedite clinical trials on potential coronavirus vaccines and treatments, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said during a live video interview with The Washington Post Thursday.

"We have relationships with our brother and sister regulatory agencies around the world, and we absolutely are participating in that," Hahn told The Washington Post's Robert Costa.

"Let me describe one effort with respect to vaccine development," Hahn said. "We want to develop what's called a master protocol, which is where multiple different vaccines  and this can be done for therapeutics and has been done for therapeutics  can be entered into this protocol using a very similar clinical trials approach and statistical approach. It's a very efficient way of looking at multiple therapeutics, vaccines.

Officials are optimistic but with a caveat

Despite the daily rising death tolls, the number of infections nationwide is flattening out, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

But officials are warning that states shouldn't yet ease up on social distancing measures because a resurgence of the virus is highly likely once Americans begin getting out of the house again.

Finding the right time to reopen the country is still a work in progress.

A team led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency has drafted a strategy that includes guidance for local and state governments on how to reopen safely and in phases, the Washington Post reported.

With many stay-at-home orders set to expire at the end of the month, governors have started discussions on the first steps toward reopening their economies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A sign depicting Smithfield Food, Inc. as a pig-shaped money bag is visible on the back of a car during a protest on behalf of employees calling for a safe and healthy workplace drives past Smithfield Foods, Inc. in Sioux Falls, S.D. Read more

Thousands of complaints have been filed with federal officials on behalf of workers during the pandemic about exposure to coronavirus and related safety concerns, according to records obtained under a Freedom of Information request and reviewed by The Washington Post.

The complaints offer a snapshot of the fear experienced by working Americans compelled to go to work even as the majority have been urged to stay home, and they come from an array of workplaces: hospitals, construction companies, grocery stores, pharmacies and shipping companies.

Collectively, the records depict the desperation of the employees and their frustrations with employers, who in the view of workers were at best simply unprepared for a pandemic and at worst callously unconcerned with worker safety. Thousands of OSHA complaints filed over coronavirus safety lapses, including lack of masks and working in close quarters.

Some of the employees complain of a lack of masks and gloves, others that there is not enough space to stand six feet from one another, others that they have been forced to work with others who appear sick.

"Delivery drivers are required to disinfect vehicles using personally bought chemicals, without been trained on the hazards associated with such activities and chemicals," one complaint reads.

 FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered

Another says of an employer: "They are forcing employees to work in very close contact with other employees and employees are worries for their health and safety."

The records include numerous complaints from health-care workers, including by those given "plastic ponchos" and masks made out of paper towels. Employees report lack of hand sanitizer or soap in bathrooms, as well as pharmacists and technicians forced to work in close proximity without protective gear.

Citing the Freedom of Information Act, The Post requested all worker complaints regarding coronavirus filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from January through early April. There were more than 3,000 such complaints filed. The records do not state what actions were taken as a result.

The actual number of complaints from employees about coronavirus, however, is likely far higher because that count does not include the complaints from the roughly 20 states that collect the complaints on their own.

The toll on workers has been startling.

More than 500 workers at the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, have reportedly come down with the virus. Already there have been deaths of workers at a Trader Joe's in Scarsdale New York, a Giant in Largo, Maryland, and a Walmart in the Chicago area. At least 29 registered nurses have died in the United States, according to National Nurses United, a union.

The conditions have set off worker protests in the United States as employees demand extra protections - masks and gloves, for example - or hazard pay. Some of the first events arose at Instacart on March 30, when thousands of its workers stopped responding to delivery orders. But here thave been protests by workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, at Whole Foods and at McDonald's.

Initially, at least, some large retail chains, including Walgreens, Target and Office Depot, asked that workers not wear masks or gloves on the job, according to news accounts.

Despite requests from unions and members of Congress, OSHA has yet to issue a specific coronavirus standard for employers that would protect "essential" workers.

The result has been a patchwork of attempts to deal with safety issues. Some stores let customers in without masks; others do not. Some places offer employees masks; others have forbidden employees from wearing them, either out of concern that they would scare customers or because they are in short supply.

Early on in the epidemic, on March 6, OSHA issued a 35-page booklet with suggestions for what employers ought to do to protect employees. The documents tells them to "promote frequent and thorough hand-washing," "encourage respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes" and "provide customers and the public with tissues."

It further recommends that when the virus is present in an area, employers should "consider offering face masks to ill employees and customers" and that health-care workers dealing with sick patients "should wear respirators."

But the booklet notes that these recommendations are not in anyway legally binding on employers.

"This guidance is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations," the booklet begins.

Amid the confusion, unions, members of Congress and others have been asking for more rigorous protections for employees, and for OSHA to issue specific standards rather than merely making suggestions.
A surfer hangs ten and a bit more while catching waves as some tried to regain some semblance of normality during days of the coronavirus pandemic at Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County Ventura on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Point Mugu State Park has been temporarily closed since April 7 in an effort to prevent visitation surges to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) (Genaro Molina/Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

On a beautiful, sunny day in Southern California, an invisible but very official line marked a difference between those who ventured to the beaches along Pacific Coast Highway amid the coronavirus outbreak and those who mostly stayed home.

On the Los Angeles County side of the line, at Malibu's Point Dume State Beach, Westward and Zuma beaches, few people on Wednesday jogged or walked along the paved paths. Despite the relative desolation, many wore masks. Just a few miles north, in Ventura County, larger numbers of people gathered at Point Mugu State Park, where they boogie-boarded, swam and surfed. Few covered their faces.

After weeks of gloomy and rainy weather, the temptation to hit Southern California beaches, despite strict guidelines meant to slow spread of the virus, must have been strong on such such a gloriously pristine day.

Most people did not take a bite of the apple. But some took a nibble.

Its hard to be at home with a 7-year-old child and not leave the house for weeks, said West Hollywood resident Asia Zukowska, 34, who parked on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway outside Point Mugu State Park with her partner and son.

Weve been following the rules, but you have to spend some time outside too.

Although Zukowska did not climb down 40 feet through rock and sand to access the beach from the road, about 45 visitors did, a few with dogs. Most appeared to be practicing some social distancing.

Atwater Village resident Chris Sadler enjoyed a double bonus on Wednesday. Not only did he find a relatively sparse beach at Point Mugu State Park, but the 45-year-old father of two was also thrilled to get there in only 44 minutes.

I think we set the land-speed record, he quipped.

Sadler picnicked with his wife and children. A day in the sun was necessary, he said.

The kids havent been out in almost a month and they needed a break, said Sadler.

Beaches just beyond the Ventura County line extending to the Sycamore Canyon Campground and nearly reaching Point Mugu Rock included access for groups of 30 to 50 people. There was even a photo shoot at one beach, with swimsuit models posing around a bright yellow McLaren race car even as cases of COVID-19 continued to rise in the county.

Story continues

Manuela Sichau, of Santa Monica, enjoys a socially distant perch overlooking Deer Creek beach in Ventura on Wednesday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

All this despite changes to fight the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of the state park. The county also banned gatherings of two or more people outside their homes.

Just south in L.A. County, a group of sheriff's deputies, lifeguards and volunteers combed the beaches, evidently keeping an out eye for scofflaws.

A sheriffs cruiser passed one entrance to Zuma Beach roughly every 20 minutes, while a volunteer sheriff was stationed at a remote access way along Westward Beach.

The surveillance kept visitors off the beach. Beyond the waves, packs of dolphins cavorted.

Malibu resident Ellen Burson, 62, was one of the few people walking along the beach.

Ive never seen anything like this, Burson said. Ive been living here for five years and to see this beach closed and empty is unbelievable.

Burson walked from the outskirts of Zuma Beach to Westward Beach with her friend, 56-year-old Westlake Village resident Jennifer Grimes.

The two passed several warnings along the beaches announcing their closing, including on 42-inch red pylons placed about 20 feet apart and on parking signs. There were also two large white banners near a Westward Beach parking lot.

This is surreal, Grimes said of the barren beaches. I just didnt expect this.

Most visitors to the L.A. County beaches wore some sort of facial covering  a departure from the majority of people who ventured onto the Point Mugu State Park beaches.

Chris Kuan, 48, said he wasnt afraid of contracting COVID-19 while jogging along a relatively empty stretch near Westward Beach.

Still, the 13-year Malibu resident said it was best to follow precautions.

For me, this is great to have an empty beach and to run alone, he said, But we have to take care of each other and avoid doing things that could hurt other people.




For example, the real estate agent who sold our previous house  a delightful person, but not one Id developed a close personal relationship with  sent her usual listings with an additional sweet missive: I am here for you.

While she would not be holding public showings of homes, she said, private visits were available, with extra precautions. Reassuringly, she assured me, I will remain strategic and steadfast, which was somewhat mystifying but very nice.

Soon, almost every email I received opened with a new salutation, something along the lines of I hope this finds you safe and well before getting down to the pitch. Justin Boots, the cowboy footwear company that was swallowed up by Berkshire Hathaway, promised: The Stampede Collection offers classic western boots that are crafted to get you through anything and everything, including the uncertain times were facing today, as if one of the features of the Jackson Roper was some kind of personal protective equipment.

You can stomp on the viruses, my wife said. Just squish em!

Yes, these are stressful times. Many of these people are just doing their best, trying to keep their heads above water and struggling to find anything at all to say that conveys the fact that they know something awful is going on, while practically begging: Please baby please, Were Still Out Here. Please Buy Something.

Dont get me wrong. I am warm and sympathetic, too. And I would really appreciate it if you would laugh, just a little, at my jokes. I can already hear people saying, Too soon! All I can say is, Ill keep things sparkling clean for you.
In this Special Issue of Science, five Reviews highlight new insights into the impacts of drought on social, ecological and agricultural systems worldwide. Political fragmentation in how community water systems are managed in the United States contributes to disparities in water security in American communities and households, says Megan Mullin in one Review. Even though, by global standards, most Americans have reliable access to safe drinking water, access to clean water is still unequal within the country, particularly in the nation's rural and impoverished communities. This inequality is made worse by the ever-growing risk of drought, says Mullin; increasing drought can push most communities to the brink of their water supplies. Identifying and addressing weaknesses in water management policy is a crucial step towards ensuring water security for all Americans, Mullin says. Toby Ault highlights the various definitions and physical causes of drought and the analytical tools that enable us to evaluate and predict drought risks in another Review. In a third, Timothy Brodribb and colleagues discuss the vulnerability of Earth's forests as many regions become hotter and drier; according to Brodribb et al., many long-lived tree species may be particularly susceptible to damage via water stress. Aditi Gupta and colleagues discuss our current understanding of how plants alter their physiology to adapt to water insufficiency - research that is informing the development of high-yield, drought-resistant crops. In a final Review, Franciska De Vries and colleagues discuss the growing body of research highlighting the importance of soil microbiota in endowing plants with resilience to environmental stressors; understanding how crop plant microbiota responses buffer drought may enable sustainable food production on a drier planet.

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By Linda Doherty

New Jerseys food retail industry is perplexed and stunned at the barrage of attacks by some environmentalists on our request to temporarily pause bans on single-use bags during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The suggestion that this is somehow a nefarious master plan to undermine bag bans is a farfetched conspiracy theory peddled by extremists who ignore the truth when it is most convenient for them.

The New Jersey Food Council has been the only business trade association to support a statewide ban on single-use plastic and paper bags and had been working in partnership with these same environmental groups just a few weeks ago to achieve this goal. With the COVID-19 outbreak, our efforts were diverted to developing recommended best practices to assist grocers and their workforce function as an essential business during this unprecedented time.

One of the many proposed policies is for the handful of New Jersey towns to temporarily suspend their single-use bag bans. States like Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Illinois, as well as cities like San Francisco, have paused their bans on single-use bags, and for good reason.

We know that only about 3% of shoppers actually clean their reusable bags, and a study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that COVID-19 can survive on plastic surfaces up to 3 days. Store employees staffing the checkout lines and interacting with customers simply do not want to touch a customers reusable bags in fear that these bags are harboring the invisible COVID-19 virus.

Stores have been taking extraordinary steps to ease their employee concerns, and some have banned their employees from handling reusable bags, requiring customers to bag their own groceries. But for those customers who refuse to self-bag or are unable to do so because of physical limitations, employees have no choice but to handle the reusable bags since single-use paper and plastic bags are not readily available in areas where bans exist.

This simple request to help our stores function during a global public health emergency is blasphemy to New Jerseys environmental lobbyists. Activist organizations like the Sierra Club, Environment New Jersey and Clean Water Action could care less about the health and safety of workers; they were outraged by the idea of pausing a few local ordinances.

These same tone-deaf lobbyists also have no sympathy for those facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. Many of these local ordinances that the New Jersey Food Council is asking a temporary reprieve from place fees on single-use bags, meaning customers without reusable bags pay for every single-use paper or plastic bag. Asking someone who just lost their job, is depending on food assistance programs, or might be facing reduced hours to pay a quarter for a bag is just kicking people while they are down.

The policy purists fail to recognize that protecting the public health and providing economic relief in a time of crisis doesnt have to be at odds with efforts to stem the flood of plastics. We will have time to pursue a statewide program once this crisis is over. For now, the paramount concern must be the health, safety, and economic security of customers and our workforce.

And, for those environmentalists who like to throw grenades from the safety of their living rooms, I invite them to make a true difference: Work in a grocery store. We need every set of able hands we can get.

Linda Doherty is president & CEO of the New Jersey Food Council.

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"And that is a catastrophic outcome for our country. Period," Moore said. "You're going to have social chaos." Loading Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.1 million people and killed over 140,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, though the true numbers are believed to be much higher. The death toll in the US reached about 31,000, with around 650,000 confirmed infections. The spread of the virus is declining in such places as Italy, Spain, France but is rising or continuing at a high level in Britain, Russia and Turkey, authorities said.

In New York, the most lethal hot spot in the US, reported more encouraging signs. The number of people in the hospital with the virus dropped to around 18,000 statewide - well short of the apocalyptic projections - and new deaths were put at about 600, down from the high 700s last week. "We've controlled the beast. We've brought the rate of spread down," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. Still, Cuomo extended the state's lockdown through at least May 15, and New York City is lining up 11,000 empty hotel rooms to quarantine people living in crowded apartment buildings. Police acting on an anonymous tip found at least 18 bodies over two days at a nursing home in Andover Township, New Jersey. All told, 68 deaths, including residents and nurses, have been linked to the home. Corpses were found packed into a room used to hold the dead until they can be picked by a funeral home. Some leaders and citizens around the US, especially in rural areas and other parts of the country that have not seen major outbreaks, have called on governors to reopen stores, factories and schools.

An estimated 3000 to 4000 people turned out this week to decry the Michigan governor's restrictions, police broke up a demonstration in North Carolina, and protests also took place in Oklahoma, Kentucky and Virginia. Donald Trump wants the economy reopened after tens of thousands have died. Credit:AP "Those people that know they're vulnerable, self-quarantine. And everybody else, let them go back to work," said Aaron Carver, a laid-off housing contractor who joined a protest outside the governor's mansion in Richmond, Virginia, to decry what he said was the government's trampling on people's rights. But health authorities and many politicians have warned that lifting restrictions too soon could allow the virus to come storming back. The decisions rest not with the White House but with state and local leaders, who imposed the mandatory lockdowns and other measures over the past month. Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday that they will coordinate on reopening their economies, after similar pacts were reached earlier this week among states in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, with more than one-third of the nation's coronavirus deaths, was among those urging caution. Loading "Everyone wants our economy to restart," he said. But "if we can't provide the basics for our people, then you can kiss your recovery goodbye." In the US, economists said the unemployment rate could reach 20 per cent in April, the highest since the Depression of the 1930s. Layoffs are spreading well beyond stores, restaurants and hotels to white-collar professionals such as software programmers and legal assistants. Jacques Primo, 40, was laid off from his bartending job at a Savannah, Georgia, seafood restaurant.

"It's just shut down everything, turned off the whole city," Primo said as he waited in line at a food pantry. "Before, I've never been worried, because I'll go find another job. Now you can't. It's impossible." By all accounts, the lifting of restrictions, when it happens, won't be like flipping a switch. Restaurants and other businesses may be reopened in phases, with perhaps a limited number of entrances or reduced seating areas, while grocery stores may stick with one-way aisles and protective shields at the cash registers, experts say. Even then, it could take a while before business comes back, if China and certain places in Europe are any indication. Jeremiah Juncker, manager of the Rappourt pub in Ann Arbor, Michigan, wonders whether anyone would come if he were even allowed to re-open. "It might be 'back to normal' for everyone else, but people still don't feel comfortable gathering at restaurants and bars," he said.

The economic damage, meanwhile, escalated around the world. Loading Many European countries, like the US, have seen heavy job losses, but the social safety nets there tend to be stronger. Places like Germany and France are using government subsidies to keep millions of people on payrolls instead of letting them go on unemployment. Political leaders on the continent are trying to find a balance between the country's health and its wealth. Italy's hard-hit Lombardy region is pushing to restart manufacturing on May 4, the day the national lockdown is set to end, with perhaps staggered opening hours to avoid crowding on public transportation. But Italy's deputy economic development minister, Stefan Buffagni, warned that approach could lead to confusion.

Britain, with over 13,700 dead, extended its nationwide lockdown on schools, pubs, restaurants and most stores for at least three more weeks in a move that appeared to have wide public support. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, "Any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus." Swiss authorities announced a staggered series of reopenings, starting in late April with medical and dental offices, hair salons and other select businesses, followed in May and June by other stores, schools, zoos, libraries and museums. "Ladies and gentlemen, the transition is beginning," Home and Health Minister Alain Berset said. "We want to go as fast as possible, and as slow as necessary." Other indicators suggested the worst has yet to come in some parts of the world.
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Linkedin (Reuters) Brussels, Belgium  Thu, April 16, 2020 09:08 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd22b546 2 Food Brussels,Belgium,beer,brewery,coronavirus,COVID-19,lockdown,pandemic,delivery Free

With beer sales hit by the coronavirus lockdown, small Brussels breweries are offering a delivery service to the homes of thirsty customers and for some business is booming.

All bars in Belgium have been shut since the start of the lockdown a month ago, dealing a blow to smaller brewers such as Brasserie de la Senne, en Stoemelings or La Source Beer, whose products are hard to find in supermarkets, which remain open.

To keep business alive, half a dozen of the microbreweries are encouraging their fans to buy online, charging around 50 euros for a case of 24 bottles, bicycle delivery included.

Some even offer to donate up to 30 euros or a percentage of such direct beer sales to Brussels hospitals to help fight the pandemic. More than 5,500 people are currently in Belgium's hospitals with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Read also: Ambev turns Brazil beer brewery into sanitizer plant to help coronavirus fight

Jeroen Verhoeven, 42, who runs the Bicy KLET beer delivery service for Brasserie de la Senne, said he has been in business since 2013, but that during the lockdown volumes have soared and he sometimes has to ask friends to help, to meet all the demand.

Before the lockdown he would deliver about 40 cases a month but now he is delivering that number in just one day, he said.

"It is now really taking off, I sometimes deliver 40 cases a day," he told Reuters. As soon as he gets money in his account, he hops on the bike and delivers the beer, depositing the crate on the doorstep to avoid direct contact with the buyer.

"It is nicer now in the lockdown because there is far less traffic in the streets," Verhoeven said.
The British government has been condemned for offering social care workers a "badge of honour" as the sector continues to face huge pressure during the coronavirus pandemic.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a single brand symbolising the entire profession would allow individual workers to "proudly and publicly identify themselves" during the outbreak, giving them the same public recognition as NHS staff.

But the move was met with criticism from industry figures, who pointed to the urgent need for more protective equipment and increased testing.

Rehana Azam, national officer of the GMB union, said care workers "need more than a badge and a pat on their head to define their precious role in society".

She said: "They need the protective equipment and testing on the front line now to protect their lives. Ministers should be moving mountains to support our care sector to get the kit workers need.

"Care workers are serially undervalued, highly skilled and massively underpaid.

"It will take far more than branding to get them the recognition and support they deserve and that battle will continue until care workers are treated the same as NHS workers."

Andy Burnham, Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, tweeted: "Of all the things that long-suffering social care staff in England most need, I would put a badge close to the bottom of the list."
Two of New Jerseys most powerful female lawmakers say they want a public accounting of whats going on behind the walls of the state womens prison after a scathing report from the U.S. Justice Department found sex abuse of prisoners by staff remained an open secret.

State Sen. Linda Greenstein, who chairs the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, said she was appalled and disheartened that federal investigators found the abuse, which dates back decades, had persisted to this day.

Greenstein, whose committee held a public hearing two years ago following a series of reports from NJ Advance Media detailing problems at the prison, said she would convene another one to seek answers from the Department of Corrections, which did not participate in the first hearing.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg called the federal report very disturbing and said she was working with Gov. Phil Murphys administration to get a clear understanding of what needed to be done to prevent any more abuse and avoid costly legal action by federal officials.

The report, released Monday, found conditions at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women violate the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the federal Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.

Asked Wednesday about the findings, Murphy called the report deeply troubling but placed blame on previous administrations.

Its a black mark without question in the corrections history in our state, and frankly its a black mark in our states history. Im not dodging it in any way, shape or form, he said. Its a situation we inherited, and we have taken a whole range of steps to address the situation we inherited.

It is true that state lawmakers, the governor and corrections officials have enacted a host of measures in the last two years aimed at curbing abuse, from policy changes and more cameras inside the prison to a series of reform laws passed by the Legislature and signed by Murphy.

But it is not true that the allegations in the DOJ report were limited to before Murphy took office.

Indeed, credible allegations of sexual abuse by both correction officers and civilian staff continued to surface throughout 2018 and into 2019, despite the attention focused on the issue," said the report, detailing the results of a nearly two-year federal inquiry by the New Jersey U.S. Attorney and the departments Civil Rights Division in Washington.

The federal inquiry found New Jerseys reform efforts had not changed the reality that prisoners continued to face.

(State officials) and Edna Mahan have been aware that their women prisoners face a substantial risk of serious harm from sexual abuse, and they have failed to remedy this constitutional violation, the report said.

Weinberg, who last year empaneled the state Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics, said she had spoken with Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks about the problem and was promised a full accounting.

What I would hope from the administration is honesty about what is still not corrected there and what they need to do to correct it, Weinberg said. Pretending that something is different is not good for the inmates and its not good for the administration.

Weinberg, D-Bergen, said the working groups efforts have been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, but they, too, could take up the issue.

We know sexual harassment and worse is prevalent in our society at large, she said. Certainly to find it in a womens prison, which sets up power and victimization in a classic way, is very disturbing.

Greenstein, D-Middlesex, said she would be scheduling a hearing in the near future and hoped state corrections officials would show up to testify.

I feel that the time has come for us to have a new hearing about Edna Mahan to see what we need to do to meet the minimal remedial measures laid out by the Department of Justice and to make sure once and for all that the states only womens prison is not a national disgrace, she said.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Feldman was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1918. After serving overseas as a medic during World War II, he returned home to marry the late Eleanor Schimmel in 1945. His start in the liquor business was modest, as he began his career in 1947 as a night clerk in a liquor store in Miami Beach, Florida. Before long, he worked his way into the position of general manager of a 26-store liquor retail chain called Winkle's.

In 1959, Feldman and his family moved to New York, where he accepted a position as the assistant national sales manager of the Schenley Imports Co., a selling division of Schenley Industries. Schenley was founded in the 1920s and became the largest liquor company in the United States by the mid-1930s, going on to be known as one of the "Big Four" liquor companies (along with Seagram, National Distillers, and Hiram Walker) for decades thereafter.

Feldman held a number of positions during his tenure at Schenley, including president of Knickerbocker Liquors (a wholly owned Schenley distributorship in Metro New York), president of the Cresta Blanca Roma Wine Company, president of Schenley Affiliated Brands, president of Schenley Industries and, ultimately, chairman of the board of Schenley Industries. He was the recipient of many industry accolades and awards, and was a popular keynote speaker at numerous industry conventions and meetings.

Feldman was a role model to many, both in business and in life, earning admiration for his professional accomplishments as well as his hearty appreciation of a good joke and his love of traveling throughout the world well into his 90s. Many who worked for or with him at Schenley later became affiliated with McCormick Distilling Co., including majority owners Edward A. Pechar and the late Michael S. Griesser, among others. The impact that Feldman had on their careers cannot be overstated.

Feldman retired from Schenley in 1990. In 1993, he and his son, Allyn, formed Feldman & Associates, a sales and marketing liquor brokerage firm in New York that has represented numerous McCormick products throughout the Northeast for many years. Howard Feldman retired from the industry for good in 2014 at the age of 96.

Feldman was a beloved member of the McCormick extended family and will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife Mary Ann; his son Allyn and daughter-in-law Donna; his daughters Marlene and Mindy; his grandchildren Jamie, Todd, Stephen, and Emily; and his great-grandchildren Ryan, Allie, Ellie, Cole, Devin, and Kyle.

The family has requested that any donations made in his memory should be directed to either the American Cancer Society or any reputable charity that is offering support to first responders and those impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

SOURCE McCormick Distilling Co.
Social distancing rules would remain in place until May 3.

Germany has achieved a fragile intermediate success in its fight against the coronavirus and will take small steps out of lockdown with the partial reopening of shops next week and schools from May 4, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

Social distancing rules would remain in place until May 3 under the measures to which Merkel and the governors of Germanys 16 states agreed at Wednesdays meeting. They plan to meet again on April 30 to review how to proceed after May 3.

Under Wednesdays agreement, retailers whose shops are up to 800sq metres (8,611sq ft) will be allowed to open next week, along with car and bicycle dealers, and bookstores, though they must practise strict social distancing and hygiene rules.

Schools would start opening from May 4, with priority given to final-year students. Hairdressers could also reopen then.

The federal and state governments strongly recommended Germans wear face masks on public transport and when shopping.

Religious gatherings will remain banned and restaurants, bars, cafes, cinemas and music venues shut, with big events banned until August 31.

We are now moving forward in small steps, Merkel told a news conference. It is a fragile situation in which caution is required, not exuberance.

In a document outlining their agreement, the federal and state leaders said they would support voluntary use of a contact tracing app, when available, so people can quickly learn when they have had been exposed to an infected person.

They backed a European initiative called Pan-European Privacy Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT).

Germanys confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 2,486 to 127,584, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said, with a reported death toll of 3,254 people.

Merkels cabinet had already decided to extend border controls to Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark by 20 days to early May, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Little leeway

Merkel said the virus reproduction or transmission rate in Germany was around one  meaning one person with the virus infects one other on average.

With a transmission rate of 1.1, Germanys healthcare system would hit its limits in October, she said. With a rate of 1.2, it would hit the limit in July, and with a rate of 1.3, it would do so in June.

So you see what little leeway we have, Merkel added.

Companies and politicians are worried about the economic impact of a long shutdown, although the government has tried to cushion the blow with a range of measures, including a 750 billion-euro ($818bn) stimulus package.

We are in a new normal that will not be short but will be with us for some time, until we have managed to develop better medicines and vaccines to prevent the spread of the pandemic, said Finance Minister Olaf Scholz.

The Economy Ministry said Germany entered a recession in March, and the slowdown is likely to continue until the middle of the year.

Collapsing global demand, interruption of supply chains, changes in consumer behaviour and uncertainty among investors are having massive impact on Germany, it said.

It said that even if social distancing measures were eased, economic activity would continue to be very subdued and would only pick up gradually.

Some 725,000 companies in Germany had applied for short-time work by April 13, the Labour Office said on Wednesday, a roughly 12 percent rise from the previous week.

Short-time work is a form of state aid that allows employers to switch employees to shorter working hours during an economic downturn to keep them on the payroll. It has been widely used by industry, including Germanys car sector.
UTICA, N.Y.  In honor of Autism Awareness Month, the Kelberman Center is recognizing families that support the organization and raise awareness for autism.

Wyatt Humpf, of Holland Patent, was diagnosed with autism in 2007, and receives self-direction services through the Kelberman Center. Over the past several years, Wyatt has participated in the clubs and activities offered in the self-direction program.

According to the Kelberman Centers website, the self-direction program provides three professionals to support the individual and their family in making decisions and creating an annual service budget.

Wyatts older brothers, Dalton and Cooper, and his parents, Bob and Mindi, are all active in supporting Wyatt and the center.

Bob and Mindi have been spreading awareness in their community since they participated in their first Walk for Autism. Dalton also held a bowling event to raise funds for the Kelberman Center in 2009. The bowl-a-thon has become a tradition that Cooper now continues, raising more than $4,000 for the center.

"We continue to raise money so that other families can utilize the activities and services at the Kelberman Center, said Cooper.

Since the bowl-a-thon cannot be held this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cooper has organized a bottle and can drive to raise money.

For more information on the drive, or other programs and services at the Kelberman Center, email Kelly Carinci at: kelly.carinci@kelbermancenter.org.
A law requiring 120 days' stay in India to claim Non-Resident Indian (NRI) status needs to be changed, an association representing NRIs has demanded, citing economic disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Citing economic disruptions due to COVID-19, the US-based Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to change the provision, implemented through the Finance Act, 2020, saying it is a "hard blow" to many NRIs.

In a letter to Sitharaman, GOPIO president Sunny Kulathakal has said NRIs and the People of Indian Origin (PIO) have been substantially contributing to the Indian economy.

According to a World Bank report, India is the top recipient of remittances in the world. In 2018, the Indian diaspora sent a whopping USD 79 billion back home, a rise of 14 per cent from the previous year, Kulathakal said.

"In view of the world-wide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented disruption of economic activities, GOPIO appeals to the government of India for immediate repeal of the revised NRI status duration rule of 120 days and make it 182 days, which has existed for long," he said.

The new rule is akin to penalising all NRIs, Kulathakal said.

"Entire nation is suffering due to the closure of borders, shutdown of airlines and other means of transportation. Many NRIs are forced to stay longer in India due to quarantine and travel restrictions imposed on them to combat the pandemic, resulting in losing their NRI status," he said.

In view of these disruptive developments that are beyond our control, we plead before you to revoke the provision on NRI status introduced through the Union Budget 2020, Kulathakal said.

The GOPIO is the largest network of the Indian diaspora, which was founded in 1989 in New York, the letter said.

Though the initial focus of the organisation was on human rights violations against the people of Indian origin, over the past three decades, it has been actively involved in the social, economic, cultural and educational issues of the PIO community and NRIs around the globe.

The GOPIO has been striving to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives such as Make in India, Skill India and Digital India among the NRI-PIO community, the letter said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
'We have a whole globe to protect': Pandemic vaccine research speeds up

At least 70 research teams, including some in Canada, are racing to develop potential pandemic vaccines within a year  an accelerated pace in an unprecedented search for an end to humanity's lockdowns.

So far, the number of vaccine developers that have shifted from lab studies in animals to early-stage clinical trials in human volunteers can be counted on one hand. But scientists are hopeful they can speed up the research and bypass some of the usual red tape that slows down the vaccine approval process.

In a pandemic, no one has immunity to the virus because it is new. The goal of a vaccine is to expose our immune system to part of the virus so our antibody fighters can prepare to attack the virus that causes COVID-19.

Dr. Scott Halperin, of the Canadian Immunization Research Network, said it's important to have multiple versions of the vaccine that achieve the same purpose but work in different ways.

"Hopefully there'll be five, six, seven, eight successful vaccines, because we have a whole globe that we need to protect," the Halifax-based physician and researcher said.

The first phase of clinical trials focuses on safety, with about 30 to 50 volunteers testing out different doses of shots.

A critical next step is Phase 2 trials in a larger number of people to look for signs that the jabs meet the goal of protecting against infection.

China's CanSino Biologics is beginning the second phase of testing a vaccine candidate, adapted from the company's Ebola research, according to China's Ministry of Science and Technology. Another vaccine candidate is in Phase 1.

Brooklyn Currie/CBC

In the U.S., Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals began a Phase 1 trial last week of its vaccine candidate that uses the DNA sequence extracted from the key spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The idea is to train the person's immune system to seek out the telltale crown, or corona of spikes that gives the coronavirus its name.

Story continues

"It's like an FBI poster," said Inovio's president and CEO, Joseph Kim. "Anytime you see any signature, something that looks like this spike, go pounce on that with the full force of your immune system."

WATCH | How do you predict who will be hit hard by COVID-19?

The big 'if'

Earlier this week, the first person received a second dose of another potential U.S. vaccine from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna Inc.

NIH infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci told The Associated Press there are "no red flags" so far and he hoped the next, larger phase of testing could begin around June.

If SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate widely into fall, it might be possible to complete larger trials in human volunteers sooner than the 12 to 18 months he originally predicted.

"Please let me say this caveat: That is assuming that it's effective. See, that's the big 'if,'' Fauci said. "It's got to be effective and it's got to be safe."

A potential vaccine from researchers at the University of Oxford in the U.K. is also listed as Phase 2, although doses for the trial are still being made.

Normally, it takes from seven to 10 years to go from the lab to the arms of patients, Halperin said.

"What's mainly being accelerated are the various administrative steps, not the safety steps," he said.

WATCH | What mathematical simulations tell us about how the pandemic will play out

Halperin said Canadian researchers hope to have some potential vaccines in clinical trials within the next four to six weeks.

Jonathan Kimmelman, a biomedical ethics professor at McGill University in Montreal, is watching how both scientific and ethical standards are maintained while the pandemic vaccine trials progress at breakneck speed.

"My concern is that, in the fear and in the haste to develop a vaccine, we may be tempted to tolerate less than optimal science," Kimmelman said. "That to me seems unacceptable. The stakes are just as high right now in a pandemic as they are in non-pandemic settings."

To show how long the process can take, Kimmelman points to the example of the ongoing search for an effective HIV vaccine that began in the 1990s.

Before healthy people worldwide receive a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the risk/benefit balance needs to tip in favour of the vaccine's efficacy in offering protection over the potential risks, he said. The balance still exists even in the face of a virus wreaking an incalculable toll on human health and society.
The malam said: there is no corona!

We also say: there is no corona!

A video of crowds shouting this refrain circulated on Nigerian social media in late March.

The malam or teacher they were referring to is Shaykh Sani Yahaya Jingir, an Islamic scholar based in Jos, Plateau State, in Nigerias religiously and ethnically diverse Middle Belt. He is a senior figure within the Islamic reform movement Jamaat Izalat al-Bida wa-Iqamat al Sunna (Izala for short), the largest Salafi group in Nigeria.

Shaykh Jingir has caused a stir in recent weeks with his incendiary sermons denouncing the coronavirus pandemic as yet another Western plot to stymie the practice of Islam. It is grist to his mill that travel to Saudi Arabia for the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca (umrah) has been stopped, and that several states across Nigeria have suspended congregational prayers in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

Recognising the danger of inflammatory messages like Shaykh Jingirs, the Jamaatu Nasril Islam, an umbrella organisation for Nigerian Muslims, issued a statement cautioning Islamic preachers against misleading their followers over COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Under pressure from both the religious establishment (including the Izala leadership) and state authorities, Shaykh Jingir has now backpedalled.

Read more: Debunking 9 popular myths doing the rounds in Africa about the coronavirus



Alas, he is not the only person to publicly air doubt about the threat posed by COVID-19 being real. In northern Nigeria, others  from a wandering street preacher to a local music celebrity  have expressed similar views, as Sadisu Salisu Idris, a Kano-based community activist and Quranic school graduate who collaborated with me on this research, has found.

As of April 14, most of Nigerias 373 confirmed COVID-19 cases are in Lagos (214) in the south and in Abuja/FCT (58). However, confirmed cases have also started to appear across the north of the country, including in Bauchi (six), Kaduna (six), Katsina (five), and Kano (four).

Lockdowns are in place in the most heavily affected Nigerian states. Many other states have closed their borders and restricted large gatherings including markets. Mosques and churches in many parts of the country have been ordered to cap attendance, or to close.

But state authorities have been struggling to see heavy restrictions through. Met with popular opposition to mosque closures, on April 9 Katsina state announced they would be allowed to reopen for Friday congregational prayers.

Widespread suspicion

There is a history of scepticism in northern Nigeria towards global public health measures. The drive to eradicate polio in the early 2000s was troubled by widespread fears, fanned by religious and political leaders, that vaccines were intentionally contaminated with anti-fertility agents and HIV to decimate the Muslim population. Almost two decades later, polio still remains endemic in the region.

Its difficult to know how many people in predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria are swayed by the idea that the coronavirus pandemic is merely fake news and social media are likely to magnify extreme viewpoints. However, given the virulence of the virus, public health measures will only be effective if the vast majority of the population follows them. Understanding and addressing the wider political experiences underpinning opposition to public health measures is therefore crucial.

Interventions seen to originate in the West frequently spark suspicion in northern Nigeria, and trigger questions about the motivations that underpin them. Memories of the British colonial occupation certainly matter, as do perceptions of current geopolitics. The War on Terror in the wake of 9/11 is still fresh in peoples minds and is widely perceived as primarily a hate campaign against Islam.

The persistent anti-Islam rhetoric of some Western leaders has been noted. Events in other parts of the non-Muslim world, including violent clashes between Muslims and Hindus in India and mass incarcerations of Uighur Muslims in China, have not been lost on the northern Nigerian public either.

In these circumstances, it doesnt come as a surprise that people question whether highly disruptive measures, encouraged by mostly non-Muslim outsiders including the World Health Organization, are indeed well-intentioned.

Difficult task

Widespread perceptions of Nigerian politicians as self-interested and corrupt fuel suspicions further. The news that Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, tested positive for COVID-19 in late March was met with suspicion by some Kano residents, my research collaborator Salisu found. They believed his positive test result was fabricated and part of yet another fraudulent scheme to access federal resources allocated to states affected by COVID-19.

People in northern Nigeria have not forgotten the massive misappropriation of federal funds destined to tackle the Boko Haram crisis in north-eastern Nigeria and to support its victims. In this environment, rumours of COVID-19 being a hoax appear plausible, especially as so far most confirmed cases reported by the media have been among the elites. Their international mobility explains this, but privileged access to testing facilities is also likely to contribute to the high number of elite Nigerians confirmed to have the virus.

Recurrent rumours that the world may soon come to an end further complicate an already challenging situation, as they raise the stakes in religious observance. If the end times are imminent, the umma or Muslim community should live extra-righteously. The suspension of communal prayers seems to impede that.

Convincing the faithful that it is right to stay at home will be no easy task, especially with Islams holy month Ramadan just around the corner. Unequivocal messages from Islamic leaders across the religious spectrum will be crucial.

However, stay-at-home messages from Islamic leaders will only work if the government and international community do their part to rebuild trust. This means protecting ordinary northern Nigerians from the devastating effects heavy lockdowns are likely to have on their already precarious livelihoods.

Hannah Hoechner, Lecturer in Education and International Development, University of East Anglia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

THE CONVERSATION IS PREMIUM TIMES SYNDICATION PARTNER. WE HAVE PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH ITS CONTENTS.

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Kylie Jenner, 22, fired back at an online troll on Wednesday after they attempted to insult her post-baby body on Instagram.

The exchange went down after a fan account shared a throwback snapshot of Jenner from 2017 that prompted one user to comment that her 'skinnier' body was 'much better.'

'I birthed a baby,' replied Jenner, who welcomed her now two-year-old daughter Stormi back in 2018.

Owned: Kylie Jenner, 22, fired back at an online troll on Wednesday after they attempted to insult her post-baby body on Instagram

The photo that sparked debate over Kylie's figure was taken during a red carpet appearance for the grand opening of the Sugar Factory store in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the photo, Jenner rocked her signature brunette tresses and figure-hugging clothes, but had a noticeably smaller frame.

One fan wrote, 'wow she's so skinny here,' while another stated that they believed her body was 'way better here.'

Many others took the high road and, instead, urged commenters to lay off the comparisons between Kylie and her past self.

2017 versus 2020: The exchange went down after a fan account shared a throwback snapshot of Jenner from 2017 that prompted one user to comment that her 'skinnier' body was 'much better'; Kylie pictured in 2017 (left) and Kylie pictured in 2020 (right)

Kylie has notoriously owned her curvier figure on her various social media platforms.

The Kylie Cosmetics CEO shares Stormi - born in February of 2018 - with ex boyfriend and rapper Travis Scott.

The pair recently rekindled their romance, after having called it quits in September of last year.

After giving birth to her daughter, Jenner used her YouTube channel to speak openly about the insecurities she harbored about her post-pregnancy body.

Proud of her curves: Kylie has notoriously owned her curvier figure on her various social media platforms

In the video - that has since amassed over 10million views - a then 20-year-old Jenner insisted that although 'people think that [her] bounced back super fast, which I guess I did,' she thinks 'people can get the wrong idea on Instagram sometimes.'

She was joined by former BFF Jordyn Woods for the video, as she listed off particular parts of her body she noticed the most change in.

'My boobs are definitely three times the size, which bothers me. I have stretch marks on my boobs. My stomach isn't the same, my waist isn't the same, my butt's bigger, my thighs [are] bigger,' said Jenner.

Changes: 'My boobs are definitely three times the size, which bothers me. I have stretch marks on my boobs. My stomach isn't the same, my waist isn't the same, my butt's bigger, my thighs [are] bigger,' said Jenner after giving birth to her daughter Stormi

As for her clothing, Kylie admitted that she had to change how she styles herself n order to accommodate her new curves.

'And honestly, I'm finding I have to change my style a little because nothing in my closet fits me from before.'

Though the changes she underwent physically were a lot to take in at age 20, Jenner insisted that pregnancy was, overall, 'a beautiful thing.'

'It was such a great pregnancy and birth. And I'm so happy. I would have done the same thing over again,' concluded the KUWTK star.
There is a "tremendous danger" of a COVID-19 resurgence in China due to Beijing's censorship and suppression during the coronavirus outbreak, Human Rights Watch warned on Thursday.

Meanwhile the "culture of denialism" among the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Brazil was costing lives, HRW executive director Kenneth Roth told reporters in Geneva via a virtual press conference.

The non-governmental organisation's chief said China was the "most notorious abuser" when it came to exploiting the pandemic to indulge in censorship.

He said Beijing had allowed the virus to spread by having "censored and suppressed the Wuhan doctors" who first tried to warn of the outbreak there in December.

"That's a classic example of how censorship is disastrous," said Roth.

"There's a tremendous danger that censorship is going to permit the virus to reactivate," he added. President Xi Jinping "has almost staked his personal prestige on saying there is no more human to human transmission within China", said Roth.

If a local authority in China found a new series of transmissions in their community, "are you going to tell anybody?". "That message from Beijing that we don't want accurate information but good only is a recipe for the coronavirus's re-emergence."



Roth said some governments were using the pandemic as an "opportunity for brutality", citing Uganda, Kenya and El Salvador while other leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had been using the virus as a pretext for power-grabs.

Meanwhile, a denialist approach from US President Donald Trump and his Mexican and Brazilian counterparts would prove costly. Trump's "two-week delay in recognising the severity of the pandemic probably caused 90 percent of the deaths so far in the United States," said Roth.

He said the response to the crisis echoed that of the September 2001 terror attacks when "governments seized that opportunity to over-react" with highly intrusive surveillance.

"The fear is that this kind of over-reach is happening again," and "is going to be with us for a long time".

However, some human rights, such as better healthcare access for the less well off, might well improve as a result of the crisis. "We are no safer than the weakest segments of society," said Roth. Remote voting, as a way to protect public health, could lead to enhanced voting rights.

And surveillance apps being introduced for coronavirus tracking had raised the concerns over privacy.

"When our mobile phones become basically surveillance apps, coronavirus is forcing a reassessment of that," said Roth.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Because the stay-at-home order is set to expire on April 30, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is looking to submit a post-enhanced community quarantine plan to President Rodrigo Duterte by next week, its spokesperson said Thursday.

Task force spokesman Karlo Nograles said in a televised briefing that the group of technical experts, tasked to come up with possible scenarios after the lockdown over Luzon is lifted, vowed it would have something to present to the policy makers on COVID-19 response by Monday.

They are the ones currently gathering data and data analytics, Nograles added.

Nograles reiterated the technical committee and the task force would base their decision on whether or not to ease the current restrictions on five factors: the trends in the COVID-19 epidemiological curve, capacity of the healthcare system, social, economic and security factors.

A group of experts from the University of the Philippines has proposed relaxing quarantine measures, noting that the virus seems to be spreading more slowly, due to the government's outbreak control strategies. The UP COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team - composed mostly of mathematicians - theorized prolonged lockdown over a large area can unnecessarily paralyze local economies.

The experts proposed that provinces (or even lower-level LGUs) may be put under enhanced community quarantine, depending on how close or far they are to an estimated outbreak threshold instead.

Luzon has been under quarantine for almost a month now.

The lockdown shuttered businesses, except those offering essential goods and services. It also emptied streets by prohibiting mass gatherings and ordering most, except for those rendering vital services, to stay at home. It is the most extreme measure taken yet to combat the viral disease, which still does not have either a cure or a vaccine.
S ocial care chiefs issued a damning warning to the Government over the supply of personal protective equipment to care home staff as the coronavirus outbreak worsened, a leaked letter reveals today.

They wrote to the Health Department criticising the national handling of providing PPE to care workers as shambolic, with early deliveries being paltry and more recent ones haphazard.

The letter, sent by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, and seen by the BBC, also highlighted worries over testing, funding, the shielding of vulnerable people, and claimed that mixed messages from Whitehall had created confusion and additional workload.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock accepted that more needed to be done to support care homes but insisted his latest plan, unveiled yesterday, would increase testing and supplies of vital kit. In particular, he stressed that patients leaving hospital to go to care homes would be tested for Covid-19.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock gets frustrated at interruption during coronavirus interview

Meanwhile a woman of 97 who worked at Britains Second World War code-breaking centre told today how she felt the welfare of care home residents had been put on the back-burner by the Government.

Elizabeth Diacon, a teleprinter room supervisor at Bletchley Park from 1944 to 1945, said ministers had been slow in delivering support for care homes.

Now in a home in Wiltshire, she told BBC Radios Today programme that staff were working off their feet to look after residents. They have just received their PPE (personal protective equipment), she said.

I could not say we have been abandoned by the care home but possibly some of the Government have been a bit slow. They have put the residents and people in charge of care homes on a bit on the back-burner.

She also told how she and other care home residents had been asked to sign letters which she understood to say that if hit by the virus, they would not go to hospital.

She would prefer to be ill in the home. Im not afraid of dying but Im rather afraid of how I might die, she added, explaining that she had not felt pressurised to sign the letter.

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Mr Hancock defended the use of the letters, provided residents wishes were sought on an individual basis on medical grounds.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast
Egypt's interior ministry released on Thursday 146 prisoners upon a presidential pardon, and 315 others were released conditionally.



The releases are a continuation of the president's decision to release prisoners who meet release conditions on the occasion of Egypt's 68th Police Day, marked on 25 January, the ministry said in a statement.



A list of those released was not immediately available.



In February, the interior ministry released 498 prisoners upon a presidential pardon and conditional releases in commemoration of the 68th Police Day.



According to the Egyptian constitution, the president can issue pardon decrees for prisoners who had received final court rulings that cannot be further appealed.

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Over the past two weeks, almost 10 percent of Lebanons total coronavirus cases have been recorded in Bsharre.

Beirut, Lebanon  When Nicolas Tawk saw cases of coronavirus multiplying in Beirut last month, he left the city for his native Bsharre, some two hours drive away.

The town of about 5,500 residents is nestled on the edge of a deep chasm in the rugged green mountains of north Lebanon, 1,500 metres above sea level.

Bsharre is famed for its ancient cedar forest, of which only a sliver remains due to deforestation, and its picturesque red-roofed houses that become covered with snow in the winter months.

It was a perfect getaway for the freelance photographer. My mind is at ease up there  alone with the camera and nature, Tawk told Al Jazeera. I see no one and no one sees me.

But over the past two weeks, almost 10 percent of Lebanons total coronavirus cases have been recorded there  some 60 out of 663. Roughly 1 percent of the towns inhabitants have been infected. A two-week total lockdown came into effect on April 10 and soldiers now patrol the streets.

We were surprised by the scale, Bsharre Mayor Freddy Keyrouz told Al Jazeera.

He said authorities were unable to trace the source of the towns outbreak, though he suspected that some of those who came to the town from urban areas as the country went into lockdown in mid-March may have brought it with them.

Dr Antoine Geagea, the CEO of Bsharreh Government Hospital, said that close ties between residents and family members  many of whom live by the dozen in the same building  facilitated the viruss rapid spread.

In an attempt to identify and contain the outbreak in the town, the hospital implemented widespread testing for the virus among residents, and has carried out some 600 tests.

We have implemented the German protocol  massive testing, random testing, following every case. With this system, we are not in danger, Geagea told Al Jazeera.

He said the policy of widespread testing in Bsharreh could serve as a lesson for the rest of Lebanon, where testing rates are relatively lower. Some 18,115 tests have been carried out across the population of more than six million, according to the information ministry.

If you did the amount of testing we are doing across Lebanon, you would find the real numbers are certainly higher, Geagea told Al Jazeera.

Hidden numbers

Lebanon recorded its first case of coronavirus on February 21 and numbers steadily increased until a national lockdown was announced on March 15, supplemented by an overnight curfew 11 days later. Of the 663 cases recorded so far, there have been 21 deaths and 85 recoveries according to the information ministry.

But experts say the official numbers do not reveal the real scale of the outbreak. Only about 500 tests have been carried out each day, amounting to roughly 2,500 tests per million people.

Those nations that have won international plaudits for their response to containing the global pandemic, such as Germany and South Korea, have tested at a rate of about 10,000 tests per million and 20,000 tests per million respectively.

But limited resources in Lebanon have made that difficult. The countrys healthcare system was already struggling under the weight of years of austerity, coupled with the worst dual economic and financial crisis in the countrys history that came to a head late last year.

Moreover, the government owes years of dues totalling hundreds of millions of dollars to many private hospitals, which have, in turn, cut services and failed to pay staff. Sleiman Haroun, the head of the syndicate of private hospital owners, said earlier this week that 15 hospitals would soon close if the state failed to pay them. The cabinet on Thursday allocated the equivalent of some $150m to pay private hospitals money owed, although the hospitals claimed last year they were owed more than one billion dollars.

In an attempt to increase its financial capabilities, the government has sought the help of the World Bank, the United Nations, and individual countries, including China. But the nationwide lockdown is seen as the governments only real way of preventing even a relatively small surge in cases that could quickly overwhelm hospitals.

Bsharre is a stronghold of the Lebanese Forces party [Nicolas Tawk/Al Jazeera]

Bsharres outsized standing

The large-scale testing in Bsharre is an exception, made possible by the small towns outsized standing in Lebanon and abroad.

It is a stronghold of the Lebanese Forces party, a large Christian group whose leader, Samir Geagea, along with his wife Sethrida Geagea, are both natives.

Lebanons establishment parties  each of which claims to represent one of the countrys religious communities  have traditionally secured support by providing services that are usually the prerogative of the state. This crisis is no different.

According to Dr Geagea, area MPs and former LF-affiliated ministers, including former Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani, have made donations of money and equipment to Bsharre Government Hospital.

He said that donations have also poured in from Australia, where the Lebanese Forces has many loyal supporters, part of a large Lebanese diaspora community that spans the world.

These resources have enabled Bsharre to test more than 10 percent of the towns population. Geagea said they discovered that 25 percent of those infected showed no symptoms.

Its a very big number. These are the people who spread it without knowing. Those cases, he said, showed precisely why large-scale testing is vital to controlling the pandemic in Lebanon. If this is a race, we are trying to run in front of the virus and catch it.
A claim that cases of Covid-19 are prevalent in areas with 5G technology is being investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI).

A conspiracy theory linking 5G mobile phone technology to the outbreak of the coronavirus has been gaining momentum worldwide.

Now a claim that the technology negatively impacts on individuals and that Covid-19 cases are prevalent in 5G areas is one of 11 complaints being investigated by the watchdog Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI)ASAI in relation to the coronavirus global pandemic.

The independent body is also investigating complaints into claims that a product or treatment boosts immunity and reduces the chance of getting Covid-19.

Conspiracy theories about health risks associated with 5G have circulated since at least 2016. The technology offers internet data speeds up to 10 times faster than the standard 4G technology.

However, as Covid-19 began to spread from China to the rest of the world earlier this year, fringe groups began claiming that the virus was linked to the roll out of 5G technology.

Last week two mobile phone masts in Donegal were set on fire in what gardai believe was a deliberate act. At least 20 mobile phone masts have been attacked in the UK, some set on fire, and British telecommunications companies have issued statements saying the 5G conspiracy theory has led to abuse of their employees.

Some social media companies have taken action to limit the spread of coronavirus conspiracy theories on their platforms. YouTube said that it would ban all videos linking 5G technology to coronavirus, saying that any content that disputes the existence or transmission of Covid-19 would now be in violation of YouTube policies.

The ASAI told the Irish Examiner it has received 11 complaints to-date in relation to the Covid-19 outbreak. Along with 5G and immunity from Covid-19, the organisation is also examining complaints in relation to ads claiming that a Covid-19 mask is a medical mask. Earlier this month, the ASAI warned advertisers that any claims being made for products and services referring to Covid-19 should be adequately substantiated.

The ASAI considers that it is absolutely necessary to remind all advertisers of the need to advertiser responsibly and to avoid claims that undermine public health advice or exploit peoples anxieties.
Thousands of traders protest in Mzuzu and Blantyre against pending 21-day lockdown, vowing to disregard it.

Informal traders have taken to the streets in Malawi, protesting against a coronavirus lockdown which comes into effect at the weekend, vowing to disregard it.

Thousands of vendors in the northern town of Mzuzu on Thursday marched to the city councils offices protesting against the shutdown.

They brandished banners with slogans such as: Lockdown more poisonous than corona and Wed rather die of corona than of hunger.

Council spokesman MacDonald Gondwe said: They came to our offices, but they did not present any documents, so we are not in a position to comment.

In Ndirande township in the commercial capital, Blantyre, vendors at the countrys largest market said the lockdown order would be devastating.

In the case of us vendors who live from hand-to-mouth, it would cripple us, Chancy Widoni, chairman of a 5,000-strong vendor group, told the AFP news agency.

If we close the market for even one day, then we will not be able to feed our families, he said.

Lockdown may be extended

President Peter Mutharika has announced a 21-day lockdown starting on Sunday to contain the spread of the new coronavirus which has killed two people in the southeast African country.

Mutharike warned that the lockdown may be extended if circumstances warrant.

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I would like to urge you to fully comply with the measures because they are for the good of our country, he said.

So far, 16 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Malawi, mainly in the main cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, the government said this week.

Meanwhile, the civil rights organisation Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) is seeking a court order to stop the government from implementing the lockdown.

The group said its action is based on the governments failure to announce any measures to cushion the poor during the lockdown. Malawi is one of the poorest countries on the continent where more than half of the population live below the poverty threshold.
The scammer on Facebook said he just wanted to help.

He claimed hed got an easy $100,000 from the federal governments new benefit program for those whove lost income over the pandemic. And now, he said, he wanted to help his Facebook friends get their own tidy profit.

In reality, hed stolen a retirees identity. It was a trick to get the seniors friends to give up their confidential information.

Canadians are used to phone calls from criminals posing as angry CRA agents around tax time, but now police are warning you to watch out for a new kind of scam: This time, the fraudsters are calling to say theyre eager to help you out in this time of crisis. Maybe youre worried you have the virus? Or perhaps you need a job? Surely youd like free points at Shoppers Drug Mart?

Cybersecurity experts note that this is a prime time for career scammers around the world to monetize fear. And in Canada, criminals are increasingly exploiting the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain Canadians personal banking information while posing as representatives from government, health care and research companies, police warn.

Its all about using fear and urgency, Det. Sgt. Ted Schendera of the OPP anti-rackets squad said in an interview. Its a scammers way of life.

Instead of leaning on strangers, police urge consumers to turn to websites like the Government of Canada COVID-19 for health, financial and security resources; Financial Consumer Agency of Canada COVID-19 for financial information; Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for the Public Health Agency of Canada; Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak for the World Health Organization and your insurance provider for any health insurance benefits questions.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which works with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau and the Ontario Provincial Police, has a growing list of COVID-19 scams, including the Facebook benefits scheme.

Beware of unsolicited requests or offers, the centre warns. Dont click on links or open attachments. Dont provide personal or financial information to and unsolicited request. Make sure your devices are up-to-date including operating systems, software and anti-virus protection.

In one of the current Canadian scams, a caller claims to be from the Public Health Agency of Canada and says youve tested positive for COVID-19. Youre asked to confirm your health card number and your credit card and banking information, so that they get go ahead with your treatment.

You might also get a call from a bogus representative of a charity  the Red Cross, say  who offers you free medical supplies, such as masks, in exchange for donations. Again, youre expected to click a link to get things moving.

In the early days of the virus, before social distancing, salespeople knocked on doors posing as representatives of cleaning or heating companies. Theyd promise to supply you with special air ducts or filters to guard against the virus.

Now, such scams are conducted online and over the phone.

Perhaps youll be contacted by a high-pressure financial consultant with a stock tip that will let you profit from pandemic-related products like test kits, vaccines and cures.

You might also be offered supposed a COVID-19 test kit of your own, or bogus products  including a Miracle Oil  promising to treat or prevent the virus. Again, you just have to click on a link.

Scammers might claim to be from respected agencies like the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization. They might offer you a chance to buy a fake list of people who have COVID-19, so you know the neighbourhoods to avoid.

They might try to scare you by claiming you are dangerously behind on your household utilities.

They may even try to comfort you by offering a job. Of course, youll be told, the interview and employment will be entirely online because of the pandemic. But first, provide your personal and banking information.

You might receive an email that appears to be from Shoppers Drug Mart, promising to help Survive COVID-19 with a special off of free Optimum points. You just have to complete a quick survey, and click that link.

Shoppers Drug Mart itself has posted a security alert warning of this scam: If youve received one of these messages  Do not click any of the links or reply with any personal information. Immediately delete the text, the alert reads, also asking anyone receiving the messages to report them to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, or 1-888-495-8501.

I think perfect storm is the right term for it, said Chris Dalby, managing editor for InSight Crime, a foundation that analyzes organized crime, particularly in Latin American and the Caribbean.

An added challenge of the pandemic is that employees around the world are suddenly working from home without easy contact with their companys IT departments. Many people are also desperate for information about the pandemic.

If you do not have security software such as virus scanners and a firewall installed on your computer, a trusted computer professional can help you choose what you need, the OPP anti-rackets squad urges in a press release. Scammers may have also gained access to your online passwords or other personal information. Change these using a secure computer. If you paid someone by credit card or through an electronic funds transfer, contact your financial institution or credit card company immediately. They may be able to stop or reverse the transaction.

The wide range of fraud schemes is still growing, but the scammers were quick to jump on COVID-19.

Shortly after announcing the new benefits program, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned of attempts to exploit it.

Im sorry to say, there appears to be a text scam going around on the new emergency response benefit, Trudeau said in a televised address in late March. I want to remind everyone that the governments website is the best place to find reliable information on everything were doing.

Such attempts to profit from pandemic fears arent just a Canadian thing.

In an interview, Oxford University Criminologist Federico Varese said that someone impersonating an Oxford colleague contacted him in an attempt to draw him into a similar scam.

I received them (fake emails) from my own university, said Varese, a widely-respected expert on international organized crime. Fake email from my own university.

Shortly after social distancing lockdowns began in March, the international police agency INTERPOL co-ordinated raids resulting in 121 arrests worldwide of people said to be connected to 37 European organized crime groups.

Interpol said law enforcement officials were able to seize more than 34,000 items, including counterfeit masks, faulty hand sanitizers and suspect medicines that were being sold on 2,000 websites.

The bogus network included a fake website purporting to be from a legitimate Spanish company that sold face masks.

Those arrested in this case had no connections to the medical equipment industry. They were simply experienced fraudsters who saw an opportunity with the outbreak of COVID-19, Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock said after the busts.

The agency followed up by posting a warning on its website: INTERPOL would like to remind members of the public to be vigilant as organized crime groups continue to adapt their activities to benefit from the global health crisis.
A high-profile jeweller who refused to shut up shop during the COVID-19 lockdown has accused the government of 'terrorism' and claims retailers that have closed 'ought be ashamed' - as calls grow for business to get back to work.

Holloway Diamonds' founder Garry Holloway has plastered his Canterbury shop, in Melbourne's leafy inner east, with banners declaring: 'We Are Open' and 'People need to be paid'.

With more than 100,000 retail workers stood down since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the economy in freefall, pressure was mounting on the government to re-open shops as the curve of infections continues to trend downward.

But a cautious Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg warned against lifting restrictions on Australian businesses too early as it would risk a 'second wave' of infections.

Holloway Diamonds' boss Garry Holloway says retailers that have closed their doors should be ashamed of themselves for putting people off work

A sign stuck in the window of Holloway Diamonds in Melbourne's inner east. Holloway Diamonds' boss Garry Holloway says retailers should go back to work

A Just Jeans retail outlet in Melbourne stands closed after the decision by its parent company Premier Investments was made to shut it's stores and stand down staff on March 29

'There are real challenges ahead. People should not be complacent. Patience is a real virtue,' he said on Thursday.

People walking past Mr Holloway's shop on Thursday stopped to take photos of his public protest.

One sign in his shop window read: 'Retailers that shut and laid off people should be ashamed of themselves! Only nails and beauty salons have been closed by law.'

'These are crazy times,' one woman told Daily Mail Australia.

But a defiant Mr Holloway stood by his statements when questioned by Daily Mail Australia.

'They should be ashamed of themselves,' Mr Holloway said on Thursday.

'Because they've put people off. What are they going to do for money?'

Mr Holloway said while it was simple for large retailers, with more financial clout to close down, smaller retailers should remain open to support their staff.

'Those part timers, they're not going to get paid. They're closed, so they're not going to get the $750 a week. So consequently nobody goes to the shops,' he said.

Mr Holloway said people could not survive long without immediate income coming in.

'It's pretty bad. You've put people off now for two or three weeks ... How many people that work in retail and tourism and all sorts of businesses now don't have anything to pay the rent? To pay for food?' he said.

'In a year we're going to be stuffed if people don't stand up to be counted and actually force the government to relax a little bit.'

It was a growing sentiment among many of the nation's retailers, who have joined the chorus in asking the government for a view to the end of the lockdown.

Holloway Diamonds in Canterbury is a shining beacon of retail health among a quiet strip of shops that includes another jeweller just down the street, which remains closed

One of many signs stuck to the windows of Holloway Diamonds in Canterbury, just outside of Melbourne

Closed shop fronts are seen inside an Outlet Shopping Centre in Canberra on Wednesday

The Grim Reality Of Australia's Retail Doom According to data from retail point-of-sale software provider Vend, turnover fell an average 28.4 per cent from February to March Victorian retailers were hardest hit, with turnover falling 40 per cent Turnover for West Australian and NSW retailers fell about 34 per cent Sales last week were down 48 per cent compared with an average week in February Advertisement

Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott told the AFR that government efforts to flatten the curve through social distancing and tackling areas of highest risk had been effective.

'As infection rates decrease, it does give us the ability to start relaxing these restrictions, but it needs to be done in a cautious way,' Mr Scott said.

Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said it was vital that the government clarified the plan for a way out.

'A lot of businesses wont come back, so the economy that we had before wont be the economy we have in the future,' he said.

Shane Fallscheer, the chief executive of jewellery chain Lovisa, agreed that more clarity on lockdown laws was needed, saying retailers and consumers were confused about what they could and could not do.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association declared retailers should continue trading to keep people in work.

Mr Holloway said there was no law that prevented people from leaving their homes during the lockdown.

'They're asking you nicely not to leave your home. The police are booking people, but the police commissioners in every state have said: 'We're not actually going to make all these people pay these fines",' he said.

'What they're doing is a terrorist campaign. There is no law to say that I have to close.'

Mr Holloway, who did not remove his mask while speaking with Daily Mail Australia, said he had been operating responsibly during the crisis.

His 56 square metre shop allows 14 people to be inside it at any time, staff wear masks and they frequently disinfect surfaces, he said.

A lone person walks through an empty shopping arcade in Melbourne this month amid the COVID-19 lockdown

Another sign stuck to the windows of Holloway Diamonds in Canterbury. The shop has remained open amid the COVID-19 chaos

Holloway Diamonds' boss Garry Holloway says retailers that shut shop should be ashamed of themselves for putting people out of work

'The thing that is going on isn't fair from a point of view that the (International Monetary Fund) has said rich companies will go down by six percent GDP - in the GFC the lowest we got to that in the rich country world was 0.1 percent average,' Mr Holloway said.

'So this is going to be much closer to the 1930s depression and it's going to make GFC look like a walk in the park.'

Mr Holloway said if the government did not begin to start relaxing the lockdown by mid-next month, Australia faced worse problems than the deaths caused by COVID-19.

'We're going to have suicides like we've never seen, mental health (issues) are just going to soar - and the government is going to have to fund (agencies). Domestic violence, kids' behaviour is off the charts. It's terrible,' he said.

Mr Holloway is no stranger to life changing situations and controversy after his business was repeatedly robbed by African gangs in 2017.

The shop is now fitted with a state-of-the-art security system that fills it with smoke when activated.

Back then, Mr Holloway hit out at Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for failing to address the issue.

'They're not talking about it. They don't want to talk about it,' he said at the time.

Mr Holloway told Daily Mail Australia he has managed to keep his businesses afloat with a commonsense approach that allows staff to work within the shop and from home.

Clever thinking has further allowed him to identify new avenues of business that is producing good results during the lockdown.

'I've had a few people say that this is irresponsible, but we're trying to be as responsible as we can,' Mr Holloway said.

'If we don't pay people, we're going to have huge ramifications and it's those huge ramifications that concern me.'
The prospects for Mr. Moons party did not look good until less than two months ago. He and his partys approval ratings had been slumping over a decaying job market, stalled diplomatic efforts with North Korea and scandals involving Mr. Moons closest allies. The coronavirus had initially appeared to work against Mr. Moon and his party, as they were criticized for underestimating the threat.

But their political fortune shifted once Mr. Moons government began testing large numbers of people in February to screen out patients for isolation and treatment. South Korea, once home to the worlds second-largest outbreak, with as many as 813 new cases a day, has reported fewer than 40 new patients a day in the past week.

As President Trump and other foreign leaders called Mr. Moon, asking South Korea for supplies of test kits or advice in handling the outbreak, his popularity rebounded at just the right time.

During the campaign, Mr. Moons conservative rivals accused him of coddling the nuclear-armed North Korea and undermining the alliance with Washington by taking Seoul too close to Beijing, criticisms which Mr. Moon strongly rejected.

With their victories on Wednesday, South Koreas liberals achieved more political clout than they have ever held.

Their ascent began when former President Park Geun-hye, a conservative, was impeached and then ousted on corruption charges in 2017. Mr. Moon won the presidency in an election that same year, becoming the first left-leaning president in nearly a decade. In 2018, his party won all but three of the 17 contests for big-city mayors and provincial governors.

By taking over the Parliament as well, the progressives complete replacing the conservatives as the mainstream political force in South Korea, said Park Sung-min, head of Min Consulting, a political polling company in Seoul.
After a tornado obliterated their rural home, a family in Mississippi lost everything after a tornado annihilated their rural home on Easter Sunday, but they all survived because of a home safe-room that doubles as a closet.

In a two-day period, as severe storms ripped across the South, more than 30 people were killed and leaving more than 1 million homes without power. Janice Dean, Fox News senior meteorologist, said there were reports of close to 80 tornadoes linked to the violent weather.

Dean said they have one reported tornado in Mississippi that tracked over 100 miles, this tornado that hit was one for the record books on terms of how many tornadoes they have.

In two-day time, storms stretched from Texas to Mississippi, and then farther east to the Georgia coast and northward to Virginia. Hundreds of trees down across the region were reported by the National Weather Service (NWS), including many that punctured roofs and downed power lines.

On Tuesday, Dean said that this is going to be a trying time for the people in the South.

Members of a family in a dazzled area of Mississippi said they just managed to get into their safe room seconds before a tornado struck.

In an interview, one of the survivors, Andrew Phillips said that he was in there about 20 seconds when the tornado hit. Their house and everything else is gone with only the safe room left.

Phillips and his family had only been living in their home for a few weeks. He said the safe room was built from concrete blocks, acted as a closet and was one of the reasons he bought the home.

Some homes in the so-called "Tornado Alley" are adapted with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)- approved "safe rooms," which, according to the organization, is a hardened structure specifically designed to meet FEMA criteria and provide life-safety protection in extreme wind, including tornadoes and hurricanes.

On Easter Sunday, the family was watching an online service when Phillips, a volunteer firefighter, started tracking the weather online and on a fire radio.

As the tornado drew near his home in Moss, he hurried the family into the room. Phillips said he saw the funnel cloud outside, and then he grabbed pillows from his bedroom before running back to cover his family.

Read Also: China May Be Testing Nuclear Weapons, Sparks Concern from Other Nations

The storm obliterated their home, with the safe room the only part left standing he shared on Facebook.



Phillips wrote on Facebook that the more he looks at what is left of their house, it makes him think of the tomb Jesus Christ was in there protecting them.

The whole family of four survived the tornado without a scratch.

Phillips added that since their tomb is empty they have risen and will return soon. The damages will be handled by the insurance and he added to trust in the good Lord.

On Monday, Phillips said they are going to try to come back bigger and better.

While Phillips's family have survived the storm, others in Mississippi were not as fortunate. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported 11 confirmed deaths in the state and multiple injuries due to the storm.

The Lawrence Country Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook that Deputy Robert Ainsworth and his wife, Paula, were killed in their home when the tornado annihilated across the state.

The Sheriff's office said that Robert left this world a hero, as he shielded Mrs. Paula during the tornado and that he was a very valuable employee and will be greatly missed.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves stated that the storms were as bad as or worse than anything they have seen in a decade.

Gov. Reeves said Despite the fact that they are used to tornadoes hitting them, they are not used to tornadoes with this intensity.

Related article: German Zoos May Resort to Feeding Some Animals to Others Due to Scarcity

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA: Scientists Discover Earth-Size Potentially Habitable Planet Hidden In Old Kepler Data

A team of transatlantic scientists taking a second look at data observations from NASAs Kepler space telescope, which the agency retired in 2018, have discovered an earth-size exoplanet orbiting in its stars habitable zone, the space agency announced in a press release on April 15.

The planet, called Kepler-1649c, is located 300 light-years from Earth and is most similar to it in size and estimated temperature, being just 1.06 times larger than our planet, NASA said. The amount of starlight it receives from its host star is 75 percent of the amount of light Earth receives from our sun, suggesting the exoplanets temperature may be similar to Earths too.

Kepler-1649c is also located within the habitable zone of its star, existing at just the right distance where liquid water can exist on the surface, suggesting that it could potentially support life as we know it.

An illustration of what Kepler-1649c could look like from its surface. (NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter)

Unlike Earth though, it orbits a red dwarf star. Such stars make up the largest population of stars in the galaxy and are much smaller and cooler than our Sun. Though none have been observed in this system, this type of star is known for stellar flare-ups that may make a planets environment challenging for any potential life.

While much is still unknown about the new-found exoplanet, including its atmosphere, which could affect its temperature, and correct size, NASA said the discovery is intriguing for scientists searching for worlds with potentially habitable conditions.

This intriguing, distant world gives us even greater hope that a second Earth lies among the stars, waiting to be found, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The data gathered by missions like Kepler and our Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite [TESS] will continue to yield amazing discoveries as the science community refines its abilities to look for promising planets year after year. The exoplanet joins others that are estimated to be closer to Earth in size, like TRAPPIST-1f, while TRAPPIST-1D and TOI 700d are considered to be closer to Earth in temperature. However, Kepler-1649c is by far the most intriguing exoplanet yet as it may be similar in both size and temperature to Earth and lies in the habitable zone of its system. According to Nasa, Kepler-1649c was overlooked because a computer algorithm called Robovetter, which helps to sort through massive amounts of data produced by the Kepler spacecraft, classified it as false positive. Astronomers know computers make mistakes, so researchers in the Kepler False Positive Working Group, analyze all the false positives to ensure they are genuine errors and not exoplanets, took another look. As it turns out, Robovetter had mislabeled Kepler-1649c, and thus, it was identified as a planet. Out of all the mislabeled planets weve recovered, this ones particularly excitingnot just because its in the habitable zone and Earth-size, but because of how it might interact with this neighboring planet, said Andrew Vanderburg, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin and first author of the study. If we hadnt looked over the algorithms work by hand, we would have missed it. Researchers believe there may also be a third planet in the system but have so far been unable to spot it. They noted that this might be because its too small to see or is at an orbital tilt that makes it impossible to find using Keplers transit method. The more data we get, the more signs we see pointing to the notion that potentially habitable and Earth-size exoplanets are common around these kinds of stars, said Vanderburg. With red dwarfs almost everywhere around our galaxy, and these small, potentially habitable and rocky planets around them, the chance one of them isnt too different than our Earth looks a bit brighter.
NEW FAIRFIELD  It hasnt been long since the town established short-term rental regulations, and officials are already facing a new challenge  enforcing a rental ban on the cusp of vacation season.

Gov. Ned Lamont implemented an executive order last month prohibiting non-essential, short-term lodging during the coronavirus crisis.

It is imperative to take aggressive mitigation measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 within our state and region, and one such measure ... is to ensure that people stay home and avoid unnecessary travel or temporary lodging for vacation or leisure purposes, Executive Order No. 7T states.

The order applies to hotels, timeshares and other types of lodging, including Airbnb, VRBO and other properties rented for 31 or fewer days.

At this point, enforcement of the executive order falls on the town, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco said Monday.

Like some of the other provisions of the executive orders, its kind of a first time we notify you and notify you what the requirements are, and encourage compliance. And I would take that perspective with this (order) as well, she said.

Del Monaco said the executive orders have the effect of state law, but the state has not provided clear guidance on how they should be enforced.

The state has recommended local police enforce the order, she said, but there have been different opinions in different state agencies as to where enforcement should come from.

The executive order was enacted a month after New Fairfields new short-term rental regulations went into effect.

The Zoning Commission established the regulations after spending more than a year looking for ways to regulate short-term rentals while maintaining the towns tradition of renting lakeside properties. They were sparked by complaints from residents who said renters were packing large groups into small houses, causing strained septic systems, crowded parking and noise disturbances for neighbors.

Selectman Kim Hanson said those neighbors may play a big role in the enforcement of the executive order. Del Monaco and fellow selectman, Khris Hall, agreed.

We know that there (have been) complaints. We know that there are houses out there being jam-packed with people, and that the neighbors are disturbed about it, Hall said. I think it is going to depend to a very great degree on reporting by neighbors when they see something that disturbs them.

Hall also suggested the Board of Selectmen notify the resident state troopers office about the importance of enforcing the executive order.

The board decided to try and notify short-term rental property owners in town of the new state directive.

Del Monaco said she will talk to the towns zoning enforcement officer, Evan White, about getting their names and numbers.

Airbnb has added an alert to its website advising people searching for rental properties to check travel restrictions before booking and to follow government guidelines and travel only if its essential.
Russia Claims To Break Up Ukrainian Spy Group In Annexed Crimea

By Crimea Desk, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 15, 2020

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have uncovered a Ukrainian intelligence "sabotage and terrorism" group in annexed Crimea that included a female Russian military officer who allegedly divulged "state secrets."

The FSB said on April 15 that the Russian servicewoman had handed state secrets to Ukraine's military intelligence in 2017-18, and that a Ukrainian national also allegedly spied on orders from Kyiv.

Both suspects are being investigated for treason and espionage. The Ukrainian national has been detained, while the Russian military officer was put under house arrest because she has a child, the FSB said.

According to the FSB, the operation was directed by Colonel Oleg Akhmedov, the head of military intelligence in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson.

The alleged espionage activity was uncovered during a separate investigation opened in January against another Russian suspect accused of building weapons caches in Crimea on the orders of Akhmedov, the FSB said.

The timing of the announcement has raised eyebrows, as it comes a day after the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said one of the country's top officials had been detained on suspicion of collaborating with the FSB.

The SBU said Major General Valeriy Shaytanov was suspected of high treason and terrorism for working for the FSB in 2014 and had planned "terrorist acts" in Ukraine.

Among the allegations, the SBU said Shaytanov planned to kill Adam Osmayev, the leader of Chechen volunteers fighting on the Ukrainian side against Russia-backed separatists in the east. Osmayev was injured and his wife was killed in an ambush near Kyiv in October 2017 that Ukraine has pinned on Russian agents.

Shaytanov also allegedly provided information to Moscow about secret operations against the separatists in eastern Ukraine and recruited additional agents, the SBU said.

The alleged spy cases come ahead of an expected prisoner exchange before Orthodox Easter on April 19 between the Ukrainian government and the separatists.

Relations have been strained since 2014, when Russia seized Ukraine's Crimea region after sending in troops and staging a referendum deemed illegitimate by at least 100 countries.

In April that year, Russia threw its support behind armed separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where some 13,200 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict.

With reporting by TASS, Interfax, and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-claims-to- break-up-ukrainian-spy-group-in- annexed-crimea/30557493.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The coronavirus pandemic is prompting developers in the Moncton region to assess week-by-week what construction projects can move ahead this year.

Construction is allowed during the province's state of emergency, though companies must follow physical distancing rules.

Delays or cancelled projects could result in lost work for tradespeople involved in construction in an already declining economy and, for the municipality, the possibility of lower revenue when costs are rising.

"There's not a lot of certainty around the situation," said Vaughn MacLellan, the president of Westmount Developments.

Westmount and its partners planned to break ground in May on a six storey mixed use building called Tannery Place North along Vaughan Harvey Boulevard.

Shane Magee/CBC

"We're monitoring what we can do in terms of construction, what delays may be and, if the situation continues, if we can keep on with the same time frame."

The building, part of a multi-phase development known as The Junction, would be adjacent to a similar building still under construction.

He said that building remains on time with precautions in place, including screening all workers entering the site.

Jim Dixon, a principal with The Ashford Group, said construction could start this spring on another six storey building that the company has planned for a block bounded by Elm, Gordon and Highfield streets.

Submitted/The Ashford Group

The 65-unit apartment building received approval by the city's planning advisory committee last week. It still requires a building permit. He said the total cost of the building would be about $13 million.

"We're still going forward until circumstances suggest that's not the prudent thing to do," Dixon said.

Dixon said Ashford will defer most work on plans for another apartment building along Lorentz Drive until next year because of uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

Shane Magee/CBC

The company recently demolished the former Paramount Theatre building on land it purchased downtown last year.

Story continues

"We're still proceeding with our planning and by the time we're ready to execute, we'll be hopefully moved to a more positive phase of life," Dixon said.

For the municipality, the buildings are expected to result in more people living downtown and an increase to the city's tax revenue.

Kevin Silliker, Moncton's director of economic development, said the city is contacting builders to talk about construction projects that were planned to assess whether any changes are anticipated.

"We're still in the relatively early stage," Silliker said. "So far, most projects seem to be on track."

Nadine Fullarton, president of the Moncton Northeast Construction Association, said its members have reported delays to industrial or commercial construction.

Fullarton said the pandemic has led to many layoffs of administrative workers and skilled tradespeople.

The region's municipal governments, chamber of commerce and economic development agency are preparing a business survey to gather data about layoffs. Silliker said results may be available by the end of the month.

Shane Magee/CBC

Just months ago, the region was in the midst of a boom. Population growth was lowering residential and commercial vacancy rates, prompting new construction. Home sales and prices were climbing.

But the nation's economy shrank a record nine per cent in March, Statistics Canada estimated Wednesday. The Canadian Real Estate Association reported home sales fell 14 per cent nationally last month.

Premier Blaine Higgs said two weeks ago that up to 30,000 people in the province have been laid off.

The provincial and federal governments have launched financial relief programs in an attempt to cushion the blow.

Shane Magee/CBC

MacLellan said Westmount Development will consider a number of factors when deciding whether to continue with its plans this year, including financing terms, the labour market, whether further restrictions are placed on construction activity and supply of building materials like steel and concrete.

Beyond the two Tannery Place buildings, a third building facing Main Street was tentatively expected to start next year with a fourth expected to include a hotel.

MacLellan said they're taking a long-term view of the projects and now looking at a 20 to 30 year timeframe.

"We don't know ultimately the degree of economic damage we're going to have," MacLellan said. "We're certainly going to have a recession. Are we going to encounter something that's more similar to a depression?  If that happens, that can have long-lasting impacts."
Milan, 6 April 2020 - Can 3D Printers support extra-terrestrial colonisation in Space?

One of the major challenges related to space exploration is the development of production technologies capable of exploiting the few resources available in extra-terrestrial environment. Laser 3D printing of lunar dust may be the answer to such queries. Reduction of elevated supply chain costs and times connected to space exploration were amongst the main drivers which brought to the joint investigation on behalf of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Aerospace Science and Technology of the Politecnico di Milano to on the feasibility of 3D printing a lunar regolith simulant (NU-LHT-2M).

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing systems may allow the realisation of components when required, employing locally available resources and through a direct conversion from the digital CAD geometry to the final object. 3D printing can thus enable the manufacturing of lightweight structures, with improved performance (heat exchange, impact resistance, etc.) and greater reliability due to significant reductions in the number of components.

The research was coordinated by Professor Bianca Maria Colosimo, (Department of Mechanical Engineering), and was carried out with support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and European Space Agency (ESA). The project saw the collaboration of a team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering who worked on the development of the laser 3D printer led by Prof. Barbara Previtali with the support of Dr. Ali Gokhan Demir, Leonardo Caprio and Eligio Grossi (Department of Mechanical Engineering), who developed the prototype 3D laser beam printer. Concurrently, a team from the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology composed by Prof. Michele Lavagna, Prof. Giuseppe Sala and Lorenzo Abbondanti-Sitta contributed by providing the lunar dust simulant, cooperating during the various experimental campaigns and conducted materials characterization of the final products.

First author of the study "Determining the feasible conditions for processing lunar regolith simulant via laser powder bed fusion", published in the peer-reviewed journal Additive Manufacturing, is Leonardo Caprio, PhD candidate in Advanced and Smart Manufacturing at the Politecnico di Milano. He stated that "a stable system architecture based on the use of an efficient laser source is fundamental in order to enable the technological transfer from a prototypal system to space applications". The research demonstrated that lunar powder or regolith could be 3D printed through the optimisation of processing conditions and laser parameters. Following the research's positive results, it was possible to define guidelines for the design of a future 3D printing system for use in space.

The ASI-Politecnico Agreement Project Manager Danilo Rubini said: "The Italian Space Agency, which has training and research support as its cornerstone, sees partnerships with universities of national excellence as one of its priorities." The partnership with the Politecnico di Milano is a perfect example of cooperation between institutions and universities which starting from basic research to generate technologies and applications which contribute to socio-economic growth. If we consider the impact that space activities and satellite data can have on our daily lives we can see how Space is an always growing enabling element. Technological developments such as 3D printers and Additive Manufacturing when applied to space elements, such as the lunar regolith, can contribute to new lunar missions through In-Situ-Resource-Utilisation (ISRU) but may also help us to understand how to improve the management of terrestrial resources."

###

Leonardo Caprio

Graduated with a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a specialisation in Advanced Materials and Technologies from the Politecnico di Milano in April 2017. Since then, he has been actively involved in the additive manufacturing laboratory (Add.Me Lab) of the University's Department of Mechanical Engineering as a PhD student. His research is focused on the development of innovative solutions for laser-based 3D printing processes. Whenever the opportunity arises, he travels abroad at international conferences to confront himself with the scientific community. He has a passion for challenges and adventures and is always eager to learn about new cultures (Team Genghis's Panda, Mongol Rally 2016).
Photo: Blake Connally/Unsplash

Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Miami.

Police chief orders probe in handcuffing of black doctor on front lines of coronavirus fight

An African American doctor was detained and handcuffed in front of his home by a police sergeant as he was loading his van with supplies.

Read the full story on ABC World News Tonight with David Muir.

No car needed to receive free food items in Overtown neighborhood

Dozens of people stood in line Wednesday morning for food distribution in Overtown. What was unique about this giveaway is that people were allowed to walk up to get their food items, instead of only being allowed to drive up.

Read the full story on Graham Media: WPLG Local 10.

Dog owner claims pit bull mix attacked his pup

A Miami man's pet was nearly killed by a neighborhood dog, and he says police refused to get involved, due to the pandemic.

Read the full story on Graham Media: WPLG Local 10.

Crime spree scares residents of Miami neighborhood

A Miami man was robbed at gunpoint in front of his home, and police believe he wasn't the only victim targeted in a crime spree along Northeast 44th Street in Miami.

Read the full story on Graham Media: WPLG Local 10.

This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Ashwini M Sripad By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: This migrant worker couple too suffered the effects of the lockdown. But luckily for them, their story ended on a happy note. The couple from Jharkhand, who ended up staying on a footpath, were not just traced and given medical assistance, but will be guests at a government guest house in Bengaluru.

Deepak worked at a laundry in Davanagere. His wife Kusuma is in her seventh month of pregnancy and Deepak made all arrangements to drop her at their hometown. Till they reached Bengaluru Yeshwantpur railway station, everything was fine. Their world turned upside down when just then lockdown was announced to contain the spread of coronavirus and Deepak (left) and his wife Kusuma trains were stopped.

Migrant couple can stay at guest house till lockdown ends

They were worried as they didnt know what to do. Finally, they decided to go to Kusumas cousins house in Attibele. The cousin, who is a daily wage worker, gave them shelter for a couple of days. As he too was bearing the brunt of the lockdown, he could not continue to feed them or accommodate them in his small house and asked them to look for an alternative arrangement.

Thats when a Good Samaritan offered them a small shed to stay. On Tuesday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown extension, he too said he could no longer offer them hospitality and asked them to see if they can look for some alternative. With no place to go, the couple took refuge on the footpath near Jain temple in Attibele. A few passersby saw them and tweeted along with their phone number. The authorities and the public started calling them intending to help them.

Unable to understand the language, they got scared and switched off the phone and went to hide in a nearby dilapidated building. The Information department and Labour department officials along with police tried tracing them, but they could not. Next day, the husband switched on the phone. The officials then could trace their location through the mobile tower, Vijay Grover, one of the Corona Sainkas, told The New Indian Express. First, they were taken to the Information department. A doctor from the ESI was called to check Kusuma. Later, the couple was given a place to stay at the Government guest house . The couple will be allowed to stay till lockdown ends, he said.
Donald Trumps move prompted condemnation from world leaders as global coronavirus infections passed the 2 million mark.

Geneva/Washington: The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday he regrets US president Donald Trumps decision to pull funding for the agency, but that now is the time for the world unite in its fight against the new coronavirus.

Trumps move prompted condemnation from world leaders as global coronavirus infections passed the 2 million mark.

The United States is the worlds worst-affected country and its coronavirus death toll topped 30,000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally. The fatalities have doubled in just a week and set a record single-day increase for the second day in a row.

New US cases have been rising by about 25,000 a day, down from a peak of 35,000, according to a Reuters tally. Trump said the data suggests the nation has passed the peak of new coronavirus infections and that he will announce guidelines for reopening the economy on Thursday.

After gradually becoming more hostile toward the Geneva-based WHO, Trump accused it on Tuesday of promoting Chinese disinformation about the virus, saying this had probably worsened the outbreak.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference that the United States has been a long-standing and generous friend of the WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so.

WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of US funding and we will work with partners to fill any gaps and ensure our work continues uninterrupted, Tedros added.

Global health campaigner and donor Bill Gates tweeted that Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds ... The world needs WHO now more than ever.

But Washington showed no sign of softening its stance, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Chinas top diplomat on the need for full transparency and information sharing to fight the pandemic.

There was a sign of global unity among the Group of 20 major economies, including the United States, which agreed to suspend debt service payments for the worlds poorest countries from 1 May until the end of the year. Meeting host Saudi Arabia said this would free up more than $20 billion for them to spend on their health systems.

Money going elsewhere

The United States contributed more than $400 million to the WHO in 2019, roughly 15 percent of its budget. A senior administration official said Washington would stop a $58 million assessed contribution that it was due to pay for 2020.

The United States also traditionally provides several hundred million dollars a year in voluntary funding tied to specific WHO programs. That money will be spent with other partners, said a second senior Trump administration official.

The WHO has appealed for more than $1 billion specifically to fund operations against the pandemic, which reached 2 million confirmed cases on Wednesday, including more than 131,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.

New York City, center of the US epidemic, revised its COVID-19 death toll sharply higher to nearly 11,000  around a third of the overall US total  to include victims presumed to have died of the disease but who were not tested.

But declines in hospitalistions and need for intensive care for coronavirus patients across New York state prompted Governor Andrew Cuomo to say on Wednesday that fears of its healthcare system becoming overwhelmed had not materialised.

Many of the hardest-hit countries have acknowledged that they are failing to register large numbers of coronavirus deaths among elderly people living in nursing homes, where testing is rare.

Data from Belgium indicated that almost half of its coronavirus-related deaths had occurred in nursing homes.

Easing the lockdown

Spain and Italy, which have almost 40,000 coronavirus deaths between them, have begun this week to allow some non-essential businesses to reopen in the hope of reawakening locked-down economies nosediving into recession.

The WHO said the world stood at a pivotal juncture and countries that eased restrictions should wait at least two weeks to evaluate the impact before easing further. Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday some shops in Germany could reopen next week and that schools would be allowed to open gradually from 4 May, but that social distancing rules would remain in place for now.

But Englands chief medical officer said that although Britain, with almost 13,000 deaths, was probably close to the peak of its epidemic, it was too soon to think about next steps.

Some 94 percent of Americans have been under government stay-at-home orders, but a top US health official said governors of about 20 states spared the worst of the coronavirus outbreak may start reopening their economies by Trumps May 1 target date.

Trump is forming advisory groups on how to open up the country. On Wednesday, Amazon.com chief executive Jeff Bezos and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg participated in White House conference calls, their firms said.

In a vivid reminder of the economic damage wrought by efforts to curb the health crisis, data showing the US economy in a deep downturn and reports of persistent crude oil oversupply and collapsing demand sent global shares falling.

The MSCI gauge of stocks around the world fell 2.4 percent after the International Energy Agency forecast a 29 million barrel per day dive in April oil demand to levels not seen in 25 years, and US retail sales plunged 8.7 percent in March.

On the bright side, 106-year-old Connie Titchen, thought to be the oldest patient in Britain to beat the coronavirus, was discharged from hospital.

I feel very lucky that Ive fought off this virus, she said. I cant wait to see my family.
A man who pulled a gun on a Harris County deputy was shot several times early Thursday morning, police said.

The deputy, a 5-year veteran who was working in a proactive task force in the Greensopint area, spotted a speeding driver along Sweetwater Lane around 1:40 a.m., according to Harris County Sheriffs Office Lt. Robert Minchew. The deputy tried pulling the car over, but a man riding in the car jumped out and started running as the car sped off, Minchew said.

MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: Sisters encouraged gunman to shoot teens as they fled, Houston police say

The deputy ran after the man, who allegedly pulled a gun during the short foot pursuit. The deputy pulled his gun and opened fire, striking the man several times in the legs, Minchew said.

Any time a suspect has a gun in his hand, were in fear of our lives, Minchew said.

The deputy immediately applied a tourniquet and called for paramedics, who rushed the man to a nearby hospital where he remains in critical condition. Hes expected to survive, Minchew said.

Deputies are still searching for the driver and car.

Deputies found a bag of methamphetamine as well as the firearm with the man, Minchew said. It is unclear what charges, if any, he will face.

The deputy was uninjured.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com
LEBANON  Kelley Story has been waiting four years for the opening of a permanent home for Samaritan Treatment & Recovery Services  also known as STARS  in Lebanon.

Story, who was hired by Samaritan Health Services as the director of substance abuse inpatient rehabilitation in April 2016, will have to wait just a little while longer for the program to move into its new home.

On Wednesday afternoon, Story led a tour of the new facility, which is located in the Barbara & Larry Mullins Center on North Santiam Highway, across the street from the parking lot of the Lebanon Senior Center. The STARS center has 16 beds, equally divided into separate wings for men and women, and will provide inpatient treatment for people with substance abuse disorders. It will also serve as the new home for Samaritans outpatient services, which are currently offered at a clinic near the hospital.

Construction on the building has been completed, although there is still some landscaping work in progress. The building is ready for staff and patients to move in, but thats not possible at this time because of COVID-19, said Marty Cahill, CEO of Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital.

As you can see, were ready. Weve got the staff, weve got the building, weve got the facilities, were ready to go. Theres a couple of things that are standing in our way. Im not sure if youve heard of it, but its COVID-19. Thats holding us up a little bit right now, Cahill said. The other piece of it is when the governor will give her decree that we can start to reopen health care and the economy.

Cahill said it would not be the right decision at this time to open a residential treatment facility. If the new coronavirus were to gain a foothold in the facility, that could endanger both patients and staff.

In addition, Samaritan Health Services administrators believe it is prudent to hold the facility in reserve for potential use as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds.

When you look at the  potential for a surge, this is a self-contained building that we could put 16 people in, Cahill said. It has restrooms, kitchen, its self-contained. Could this be used for staffing for folks that dont want to go home because they are treating COVID patients? Could this be a place for nursing home patients to come who test positive? This is a resource that could be utilized in the face of COVID right now. To turn it over to the program at this time might not be in the best interest.

There is hope, however, that the STARS center can open relatively soon. There is certainly no lack of need for residential substance abuse treatment in the mid-Willamette Valley.

The project was first announced four years ago with a projected price tag of $4 million. Cahill said the project was delayed two years because of issues in the Oregon Legislature. Fundraising began in earnest two years ago, and the final cost of the project was $4.2 million, with the additional amount directly due to the increase in construction costs over this period.

He thanked the boards of commissioners for both Linn and Benton counties for their financial contributions to the project and noted that the city of Lebanon waived its permitting fees.

But it wasnt just large donors who made the new treatment center a reality. More than 500 donors contributed to the project, and the contractor, Dorman Construction, provided its services at a discount.

Story said residents will be referred to the facility in many different ways. They may be referred by their own primary care physician or a specialist, parole and probation, child protective services, or they may simply seek help on their own.

They can be referred from any system, Story said.

All prospective patients will go through an assessment to determine whether inpatient or outpatient services are most appropriate.

The center is not program-based, and there is no set period of inpatient treatment.

Its really based on a medical, clinical model. I dont run a program-based model, and it depends on a patients progress, Story said.

Individuals in need of substance abuse treatment can contact Samaritans outpatient program at 541-451-6388. The program is staffed by two physicians who are board-certified in addiction medicine: Dr. Richard Hindmarsh and Dr. Bruce Matthews.

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A tiny town in Louisiana has the highest coronavirus death rate per head across the the US.

Nestled between chemical plants and oil refineries along the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans dubbed 'Cancer Alley', furious residents of St John the Baptist parish in southern Louisiana claim its coronavirus death toll is linked to the area's notoriously poor air pollution levels.

Despite its sparse population of just 43,000, the parish is seeing an unprecedented number of coronavirus deaths across the community. Data from the Louisiana Department of Health shows 569 people had tested positive for coronavirus and 47 people had died as of Wednesday, CNN reported.

St John the Baptist Parish sits among a sprawling collection of chemical plants and oil refineries

Nearly a third of those deaths - 16 - reportedly happened at the Southeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Reserve, Louisiana.

The latest New York Times figures show the death toll in St. John the Baptist parish stands as 108 in every 100,000 people - more than fives times the rate across the state of Louisiana (24 in every 100,000 people).

By comparison the death rate in New York city - the epicentre of the outbreak in the US - stands at 97 for every 100,000 people.

The analysis from the The New York Times shows the parish has the highest coronavirus death rate per head in the US.

LaPlace is the main city in St John the Baptist Parish, and home to the Denka Performance Elastomer

And now a fierce debate is raging over whether coronavirus deaths are linked to the parish's petrochemical pollution levels.

St John the Baptist Parish sits along an 80 mile stretch of Mississippi river bank dubbed 'Cancer Alley' because of its notorious air pollution levels.

The parish's largest city of LaPlace is home to the Denka Performance Elastomer neoprene plant - the only facility in the US that still emits chloroprene.

Although chloropene was named as a likely cause of cancer in 2010, a decade later the Denka Performance Elastomer still plumes smoke and steam much to the fury of residents.

A report from the the Environmental Protection Agency's National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) map in 2015 showed those who lived near the Denka plant in LaPlace were at the highest risk of developing cancer caused by airborne toxins, Fox News reported.

Residents' ongoing alarm over parish pollution levels saw them establish Concerned Citizens of St. John, a group which has targeted the Denka chemical plant for years.

Group leader Robert Taylor Jr told CNN: 'We are suffering at this great percentage because ...(of) the battle we have been in for years in our systems.'

At a protest on Saturday, where attendees wore masks and gloves as a means of protection from coronavirus, Taylor told the crowd: 'We are dying at unprecedented numbers right here in St. John'.

One group member, George Handy Sr, said: 'If you're breathing in these chemicals every single day it automatically affects your immune system. COVID attacks mostly people with low immune systems. Those are the people that are dying.'

Wilma Subra, an environmental activist and community advocate, told The Guardian: 'The Denka facility has been releasing toxic chemicals into the air for 50 years. All the community have some type of respiratory impact, some more than others.

'But theyre already very vulnerable. And then you add the exposure to the virus, which has a huge impact on the lungs, then they are much more apt to get it and then to have very detrimental effects.'

Parish coroner Dr Christy Montegut told CNN the numbers were 'tremendous' for a parish this size, and that 'this virus is just overwhelming people. It's just been a real surge, like an onslaught'.

Geri Broussard, owner of the Baloney Funeral Home in LaPlace, Louisiana, said: 'It feels like what we went through with (Hurricane) Katrina. It fills every space in your life, like the sky is falling.'

Broussard added that the funeral home is seeing twice the intake it normally would in a month.

A Denka spokesperson has rejected claims that its air pollution fumes are linked to the virus

Denka has strongly refuted the claims that plant emissions are linked to coronavirus.

A spokesperson told CNN: 'Denka Performance Elastomer's operations do not have any impact on health outcomes or COVID-19 sensitivity.

'In this critical time, it is important to look to our state and federal health officials for guidance. Health data suggests illnesses including diabetes, hypertension and obesity to be linked to COVID-19 mortality.

'DPE's operations are in no way related to these illnesses and health data show no negative health impacts resulting from DPE's operations.'

Scientist Susan Hassig is an epidemologist - someone who looks at diseases within populations - at Tulane Univeristy and has been studying coronavirus data from St. John and its neighbouring river parishes.

She said: 'It certainly gave me pause, because it was so high. And then I looked at all the parishes near it, and they were also elevated.

'In epidemiology, we call that an ecologic correlation. So it's a big factor that connects and fits a pattern. But unless we can make the connection at the individual level, it's not something that we can really act upon.'

Pictured, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks at his briefing of media members on the state's current situation dealing with the COVID-19 public health threat on April 15

And in response to the soaring coronavirus death toll, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre imposed a 9pm curfew for all residents from April 3 in a bid to curb numbers, Fox8Live reported.

Sheriff Tregre said: 'The curfew is necessary because of the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths in St. John Parish.

'The curfew will help our officers assure that the governors order is being followed for the health and well-being of all of our citizens, as well as help our officers monitor businesses that are closed so that these businesses may remain secure.'

The curfew is running in conjunction with the statewide stay-at-home order issued by Governor John Bel Edwards on March 22 and due to expire on April 30.

Under the measures residents must not visit family or friends or go to work unless providing essential services. They must also maintain a distance of at least six feet from others when out their homes.
Hungarys health authorities have started inspecting the countrys 1,579 elderly care homes, concentrating on larger facilities where there is a higher risk of transmission of the new coronavirus, the chief medical officer told an online press briefing.

Cecilia Muller said that an investigation was still under way at a home on Pesti Road, in Budapests eastern suburbs, in which 10 seniors recently died after having tested positive for Covid-19. Overall, 200 elderly residents have tested positive.



The inspectors will check if the homes have implemented coronavirus-related measures, if they have a doctor, staff and members have been informed, if they have sufficient personnel and supplies, and if the relevant protocols are in place, she said. She noted that the infection has been reported from several such institutions both in Budapest and the provinces.



Muller warned that the country must prepare for a massive increase in case numbers, adding that this is why hospital capacities are being expanded. She said Covid-19 patients that require hospitalisation should have beds, personnel and ventilators to avoid patients lying on hospital corridors as in some EU countries.



Muller insisted that not all patients are sent home from hospital, adding that patients are released based on a decision by their doctors as well as on the basis of health protocols.



Nobody can be sent home with the prospect of damage to their health. At present, only those patients are being admitted to hospital whose symptoms are so serious that they cannot stay at home, Muller said. Otherwise, life-saving operations and urgent procedures will not be cancelled, she added.



MTI Photo: Marton Monus
Photo: (Photo : Screenshot from Fox11 News report)

26-year-old Sagal Hussein appeared in court on Wednesday. This is after an investigation on the whereabouts of her 5-year-old son Josias revealed that the son was already dead in his mother's vehicle. But the cause of his death is still to be identified.

Hussein will be back in court on April 29 for the charges which will be filed.

How it all started.

On January 26, a neighbor reported to authorities that two children of Hussein were outside their house unsupervised. After this, officials started an investigation on the whereabouts of Hussein's third child, 5-year-old Josias.

An investigation starts to roll.

According to the investigation, the boy was last seen by neighbors on November 25, 2019. But Hussein insists that the child was with his father. She also said that she was not able to contact Josias after his father picked him up on January 9.

Since then, Child Protection Services cannot contact the father of Josias because Hussein was not able to provide an address and contact details. Police, likewise, cannot confirm Hussein's statement. Officers also saw many inconsistencies in Hussein's statements. Just like when the police initially responded to the report of a neighbor on January 26, Hussein said that she was only running some errands for ten minutes, but later on, said that she was out for forty minutes. Aside from these facts, Hussein was also not cooperating with authorities. That resulted in Hussein's arrest on March 30.

Along with her arrest was a warrant that allowed the police to search her house and car in Brown County.

Josias' body found in the mother's vehicle.

The search led to the State Crime Lab in Madison to find a corpse in Hussein's vehicle. It was confirmed by an autopsy report on March 31, that the body is indeed that of Josias'.

The young boy, according to her grandmother, was born with medical issues. He was said to be blind and he had been suffering from severe seizures.

A charge will be filed.

The judge gave two weeks to the State to file a criminal complaint against Hussein. According to District Attorney David Lasee, they are still waiting for the report on what caused the death of the child so that an appropriate charge will be filed against her.

Hussein's Mother is appalled.

In an interview with Fox 11 News, the mother of Husein, Amal Ismal, said she was confused as to why her daughter said that Josias was with his father. Especially because Ismal thinks the father of the kids was not caring. Ismal also said that the father of the kids left the kids to Hussein for California and was not doing his part.

Ismal, through an interpreter in the same interview, also shared that her daughter is a loving person and a good person, and she believes that it will never be Hussein's intention to hurt or kill Josias.

The other two children

After the arrest of Hussein, the other two children, who are two and six years old, were initially put under the care of their grandmother Ismal.

But according to Ismal, the two children are under foster care now. Although Ismal also said that the family of the children's father would like to bring the kids to California, something that Ismal hopes not to happen.
Elderly people wear protective masks as they walk down a street in London on April 1, 2020. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Britains COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 13,000 as Health Official Urges Longer Lockdown

Britains COVID-19 death toll has soared to almost 14,000, official government figures show, while the countrys health minister says its too early to lift the lockdown.

The number of deaths reported in the UK on April 15 due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, fell 861 from its April 8 single-day peak of 938.

These figures do not include deaths outside hospitals, such as those in care homes, British authorities said. The figures on deaths relate in almost all cases to patients who have died in hospital and who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Similarly, the number of new infections, which on April 15 stood at 4,618, is down from its peak. Both trends are a sign that the outbreak may be slowing.

Still, British health minister Matt Hancock said on April 16 that while the outbreak is starting to peak, its too early to lift the lockdown because the virus would run rampant.

We think it is too early to make a change, Hancock said at a briefing. While weve seen a flattening of the number of cases, and, thankfully, a flattening of the number of deaths, that hasnt started to come down yet.

If we just released all the measures now, then this virus would run rampant once again, and we cant let that happen, Hancock said.

British minister Nicola Sturgeon was cited by the BBC as saying that shes increasingly confident that lockdowns are having an effect on the virus, but added, We are by no means through this yet.

She urged people to continue to stay home and avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary, adding that some restrictions would remain in place for a considerable period of time.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a police-enforced lockdown on March 23, with a review three weeks later to determine if an extension was needed.

Dominic Raab, Britains foreign secretary and acting deputy to Johnson, who is recovering following his hospitalization for COVID-19 infection, said on April 9 that the lockdown would only be lifted if the outbreak showed clear signs of abating.

At a government briefing, Raab said the restrictions would have to stay in place until weve got the evidence that clearly shows weve moved beyond the peak.
A total of 1,659 inmates have



been released from 31 jails across Assam as per the Supreme Court guidelines to decongest prisons in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official said on Thursday.

Assam Inspector General of Prisons Dasarath Das said the authorities are considering to release more prisoners in the coming days and evaluating proposals for sending to the Centre for consideration.

"As per the guidelines, we have released a total of 1,659 inmates so far from different jails across the state since the coronavirus crisis emerged. This includes 1,591 undertrials, who were released on bail and personal bonds," he told PTI.

Das said that another 68, who are convicts, have been allowed to go home on annual leave from different jails.

Eligible convicts get 30 days of annual leaves for emergency purposes as per the rule.

"We have received proposals of parole from 18 convicts and they are eligible for that. So, we will release them in a day or two," the IG said.

He further informed that the jails had released a huge number of inmates under remission during the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

"We are looking at it again now. If we find such eligible prisoners, we will send the proposals to the Government of India for consideration," Das said.

On March 23, the Supreme Court had directed all states and Union Territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and undertrials for offences entailing up to seven-year jail term to decongest prisons in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 8,810 inmates are currently lodged in 31 jails across Assam.

The state has six central jails, 22 district jails, one open-air jail, one special jail and one sub-jail.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following the announcement that Air Arabia and Etihad will not delay the launch of the joint venture low-cost carrier in Q2 2020, Amber Barnes, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData offers her view

Following the announcement that Air Arabia and Etihad will not delay the launch of the joint venture low-cost carrier in Q2 2020;

Amber Barnes, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

Not delaying the launch could be setting the low-cost airline up for failure from the onset. In the short term the airline may prove to be an economic challenge due to current low demand that is seeing many airlines grounding fleets and seeking government help.

The future is extremely uncertain as the lengths of all travel restrictions remain very much unclear. COVID-19 has brought international travel to a halt and the decision to not delay the launch is questionable as it could be a long time until the airline industry regains some sort of normality.

Other airlines have delayed launches due to travel restrictions and uncertainty. Qatar Airways announced the launch of new flight routes until July and later said this will be pushed back further. This is sensible considering the current situation in the airline industry, suggesting Air Arabia and Etihad should follow suit.

The budget airline should prove to be a success in the long term if the launch is managed correctly now. A no-frills concept allows affordable travel for travelers and has the potential to dominate the airline market share as seen in Europe. According to GlobalData Q3 2018 consumer survey results, 54% of UAE respondents stated affordability is a major motivator when going on holiday.

The UAE is expected to reach a peak infection rate in four weeks and if this comes to pass, travel restrictions may be lifted sooner than expected. However, the demand for travel will take time to recover as travelers will have doubts and some countries are now recommending to not travel for the rest of the year.

Air Arabia and Etihad must react to evolving news updates and react appropriately to ensure the success of the budget airline. If the UAE aviation sector is still at a standstill closer to the launch, delaying the launch would be beneficial.

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I used to read on the tour bus to keep from missing my family, says the country music star, whose new book is Me & Patsy Kickin Up Dust, about her friendship with Patsy Cline. Now I read at night. I live way out and it gets real quiet.

What books are on your nightstand?

My family Bible. My husband, Doolittle, gave it to me in 1966. I treasure that gift.

Whats the last great book you read?

I am loving those audiobooks. The older you get, the worse your eyesight becomes. My new favorite book is The Shack, by William Paul Young. Its a good story and it shows how our ideas about God can be too narrow. When it first came out, it made a lot of people mad. Preachers were preaching against it and everything. I know a thing or two about controversy.

Are there any classic novels that you only recently read for the first time?

Doesnt the Bible count here?
A Non-Governmental Organization, Maltiti Foundation donated boxes of locally made alcoholic based hand sanitizers to the people of Nima in Accra.

The initiative according to the founder, Madam Hajj Fawzie is to equip the less privileged against the spread of the deadly COVID-19 fight.

She urges natives and Ghanaians, in general, to safeguard themselves against the pandemic.

Promising talents, Obiri Tete and Rayan Junior who are also close associates of the foundation urged Ghanaians to observe protocols and precautions rolled out by the Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organization.

Maltiti Foundation is one of Ghanas active NGOs known for its social intervention activities that has helped many in the areas of rural development, health, education and girl child activism.

The foundation is open and ready to accept support from other individuals and organizations who are willing to support or partner on subsequent projects.
WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump faced intense blowback on Wednesday due to his decision to withhold the nation's funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the U.S. Congress, called the decision "senseless," as the WHO leads the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

"We can only be successful in defeating this global pandemic through a coordinated international response with respect for science and data," Pelosi said in a statement.

While saying the decision is "dangerous" and "illegal," the speaker vowed that it "will be swiftly challenged."

Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Washington D.C.-based Georgetown University, tweeted on Wednesday that in the United States, Congress "appropriates funds for special purposes" and the "executive branch is usually required to expend funds."

"But Trump could delay & disrupt. His refusal to fund would raise major ethical/legal implications -- grounds for investigation & oversight," he warned.

During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday announcing the move, Trump claimed that the "WHO failed to adequately obtain and share information in a timely and transparent fashion," adding that a review is being conducted.

On Wednesday, he doubled down on his criticism of the Geneva-based UN specialized agency, accusing it, without providing any evidence, of what he has alleged as cover-up and mismanagement of the coronavirus outbreak.

The remarks came as the Trump administration is aggressively defending its handling of the crisis in the United States after it has been scrutinized for downplaying the threat from the coronavirus early on and faulted for delays in testing.

The virus has caused at least 637,000 infections and more than 30,000 deaths in the United States, both the highest on record.

U.S. lawmakers and health experts have said the White House is scapegoating the WHO in the hope of distracting the public from its own failures in responding to the pandemic.

"The WHO had produced 1.4 million tests by the end of February," Chris Murphy, U.S. senator from Connecticut, tweeted on Wednesday. "We took none of them, because Trump decided to produce his own test, then botched the development and roll out."

"It wasn't the WHO that put us in the position we are today. It was our own President," Murphy added.

Gostin, in other tweets on Wednesday, said pulling funds from the WHO "would be disastrous."

"Poor countries about to hit #COVID19 peaks rely on WHO for resources and expertise," the professor wrote. "Without more funds, many more will die. It will also blow back onto the US."

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tweeted on Wednesday that halting funding for the WHO during a world health crisis is "as dangerous as it sounds."

"Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever," the philanthropist stressed.

According to a new tally from Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday night, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has topped 2 million, with more than 136,000 deaths.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on Wednesday that the coronavirus doesn't discriminate between rich and poor or large and small nations, regardless of people's nationalities, ethnicities, or ideologies.

"This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat -- a dangerous enemy," he said. "We will continue to work with every country and every partner, to serve the people of the world, with a relentless commitment to science, solutions and solidarity."

Besides, the director said the WHO's performance in tackling the pandemic will be reviewed by its members and independent bodies in due course.

"This is part of the usual process to ensure transparency, accountability and recommendations for future outbreak responses," he added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 8) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said the country has made the right decision to implement a lockdown in the whole of Luzon as it prevented a large-scale community outbreak.

Philippines, because of the lockdown, we are not experiencing so-called large-scale community outbreak," said WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Dr. Takeshi Kasai in an interview with CNN Philippines Not Politics As Usual. "What's really important is to try to stay in this stage as much as possible, and if possible, to suppress.

Kasai said peoples full participation and public health interventions are necessary to make the lockdown halt the spread of the deadly virus.

Even it is lockdown, its important for everyone to stay home, protect yourselves, and your family," he said. "Second thing is even under the lockdown, infections might continue, so its very important to organize public health intervention such as tracing and identifying the contact."

When asked if the lockdown must be extended beyond the end of the month, Kasai suggested that new interventions must be considered to flatten the curve.

It is important to be vigilant and make cautious, thorough decision," he said. "When you extend the lockdown, its not continuing the same level of interventions, there are some options to peel one by one.

The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon was extended until April 30 to further contain the spread of the coronavirus disease.

The country now has 3,870 cases of COVID-19, with 182 deaths, and 96 recoveries.

Meanwhile, mass testing is ongoing for the target patients.

COVID-19 National Task Force spokesperson Restituto Padilla said Wednesday that the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) is expected to process 100,000 COVID-19 tests a day in the next three months.

He added that the RITM is also preparing to distribute 900,000 test kits in all accredited test facilities in the country.
Advice on policies such as 'social distancing' can become lost in translation during crises, say researchers. Credit: Citta di Parma/Flickr, licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0

The rapidly changing coronavirus pandemic means governments and health authorities need to act fast. But medical adviceand pleas for helpare being hindered by language barriers and misinformation online. Improving communication for vulnerable communities in particular has become a race against time.

The pandemic has now led to roughly half the world's population being ordered by their governments to stay at home. Social media use has jumped. Use of Facebook's messaging service has increased by more than 50% in the hardest hit countries. Daily Twitter use is up 23%.

But all this increased traffic could be harmful. According to a 2018 OECD report, wider internet access has exacerbated misinformation. The report found that misinformation devalues expert information and can have a 'devastating' impact on public order as governments struggle to correct rumours.

"I think one of the problems with social media is that it's completely uncontrolled during such (a) crisis," said Professor Harith Alani of the Knowledge Media Institute at the Open University, UK.

The uncertainty surrounding coronavirus means people can fall victim to misinformation online, he says. '(Misinformation) tends to be built around these gaps in our knowledge or build on certain emotions and fears," he said.

'(People) start to lower the barrier to what they would normally believe in."

Some of the bogus coronavirus stories Prof. Alani has found include fresh garlic being a cure, mosquitos transmitting the disease, the virus dying in temperatures above 25 degrees, or it being a man-made bioweapon.

"Most people don't understand that viruses evolve all the time and can spread rapidly the way they are, and prefer an easier explanation, such as that it was manmade," he said.

He warns that not all false information is easily disproven. "The danger is that if people do believe them, then they will probably not take some other precautions that are effective."

Response

Prof. Alani and his team are collecting false coronavirus stories as part of a 47.5 million emergency call by the European Commission to contain the pandemic. The team works on a project called HERoS, which is looking at how select cities and countries in Asia and Europe are handling the pandemic when it comes to communicating with the public. The project aims to see how their response to and governance of the crisis can be improved.

His team uses automatic algorithms to trawl through coronavirus-related social media content and compare it with trusted, fact-based sources such as the World Health Organization.

The project aims to let policymakers and researchers see faster how misinformation gets shared as the pandemic spreads. It is also looking at how different governments try to tackle coronavirus-related misinformation, such as the UK's relaunched 'Don't Feed the Beast' campaign and dedicated task force. Dr. Alani hopes the project will provide more evidence about such policies' efficacy in halting misinformation.

The algorithmic tools come from work Prof. Alani is doing as a partner in the Co-Inform project, and were designed to help citizens, journalists and policymakers combat misinformation. The pandemic, he says, shows the need to boost people's 'information literacy."

The project works with fact-checking charities such as the organisation FactCheckNI in Northern Ireland. Co-Inform's algorithm can both spot misinformation online and then quickly explain why the information is misleading or wrong.

The project has already released an early web app called MisinfoMe, which lets people search the misinformation that may be linked to a Twitter account. It is also developing a web-browser plugin that will alert people that a site or link comes from an untrustworthy source.

In a previous project called COMRADES, Prof. Alani's team also trained algorithms to automatically detect what help people are asking for on social media during crises. A project partner, a team from the University of Sheffield, UK, developed an algorithm to check the veracity of rumours of social media posts during a crisis situation. The algorithms, available on the project website, have attracted requests from multiple aid agencies for customised versions, he says.

Different languages

Although COMRADES' algorithms are multilingual, such algorithms can be impeded if countries' official communications neglect residents who speak a non-official language. "What you see during crisis is that the content or the messages (are) coming from people in many different languages even within the same country," said Prof. Alani.

Sharon O'Brien, a professor of Translation Studies at Dublin City University in Ireland, says that globally, few crisis policies acknowledge that communication needs to be in more than official languages to quickly reach a country's multicultural, multilingual population.

"Timely and accurate communication also means in a language that can be understood by minorities within your country," she said.

She and the team at a project called INTERACT looked at how countries communicate to vulnerable culturally and linguistically diverse communities during times of crisis. These include migrants, refugees, tourists, sign language communities and people on business trips. Her team was consulted by officials in Wuhan in late January to make sure they were following best practice for foreign nationals in the city.

These practices included recruiting translation students from local universities and liaising with embassies to help with translations. Public information videos were subtitled into multiple languages.

In her view, European countries did not translate their medical advice for linguistic minorities early enough. "We could have already started translating the basic "how to avoid (contracting coronavirus)" type of information, and (in Europe) we weren't doing that."

The significance of official advice can also get lost if translated literally. "With COVID-19 we are starting to hear that "social distancing" is not a concept that translates easily into other cultures," she said, explaining that the anglophone term becomes ambiguous among non-English-speaking cultures that regularly socialise collectively.

If people don't understand the messaging, says Prof. O'Brien, they are more likely to contract the virus and spread it.

Inadequate translation puts many within Europe's multilingual landscape at risk.

In Poland, the government omitted the fact that testing and treatment for coronavirus is also free for foreigners in their translated documents. Doctors in the country are asking the government to publicise this information. A language barrier prevented a Bangladeshi man from receiving help after he called emergency services in Madrid, Spain. He later died at home. In Germany, activists decried the lack of official information in German sign language.

Speed up

Prof. O'Brien's project looked at the official emergency response guidelines of Ireland, the UK, the United States, Japan and New Zealand to see what multilingual crisis communication policies served immigrant and refugee communities best. One project aim was to show which policies speed up communication between first responders and those seeking help.

Of the five countries researched, Prof. O'Brien said that the United States has developed the most advanced crisis translation policy. The US Department for Homeland Security, which is responsible for disaster relief efforts, has a list of interpreters that can be called on in an emergency. "This was the best practice that we had come across," she said.

In contrast, she says unprepared health services in Europe scramble for interpreters during a crisis. A country's approach depends on how mature their translation lobbies and rules are.

She gives the example of Ireland, whose lack of translation policy has led to hospitals and lawyers turning to family members, even children, to interpret. This happens ad-hoc and not just in times of crisis, she says. "The situation has, I imagine, become worse now that the (coronavirus) numbers in hospitals are escalating," she said.

Ethical problems also arise when untrained people are asked to interpret. "As the person who's been plucked to come in, it puts massive stress on you," said Prof. O'Brien. "You might see things, hear things that you're not prepared to see and hear."

Prof O'Brien notes that the deaf communities can be one of the most vulnerable in a crisis, as sign language is often mentioned only in passing in emergency response guidelines. Though she notes the Irish government has a coronavirus interpreting service for deaf people.

Machine translation

Machine translation tools could make a difference, according to Prof. O'Brien, and should be developed for local languages in advance of the next crisis.

The project has recently published its own 'Translation 101' video guides developed alongside the New Zealand Red Crossaining for any community volunteers on the basics of translation and interacting with machine translation.

"These are for organisations who we know are asking people to translate in a crisis, but those people have no training whatsoever," said Prof. O'Brien. She hopes that volunteers will subtitle the course content for their own language communities.

"If we can get to a point where translation is not an afterthought, but is part of the crisis planning and an integrated part of crisis communication policy, I think we'd have made a big step forward."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
ONeill was previously the chief underwriting officer of specialty at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS), as well as a member of its board of management. This latest appointment marks his return to the Asia-Pacific region, as he was regional manager for energy at AGCS from 2003 to 2007. He spent more than 16 years with Allianz.

A chartered engineer, ONeill was in the chemical engineering field before moving into insurance, where he performed risk-engineering reviews for the London insurance market. While working at Lloyds, he transitioned into underwriting and, since then, has held several senior leadership roles.

Paul will join us at a hugely exciting time as RKH and Howden come together to blend the full breadth and strength of our product expertise with our growing regional ambitions in Asia and beyond, said Paul Redgate, deputy chairman of RKH Specialty. We are focussed on making our distribution channels more accessible, more efficient and more effective for our clients and we will continue to invest in and strengthen resources to deliver this.
Brightway Insurance has made changes to its franchise contract in a move that is designed to make it easier to attain franchise ownership during the current coronavirus pandemic.

According to Brightway President and CEO Michael Miller, the company will offer a stay-at-home option for franchisees to launch their businesses while deferring costs incurred until they are able to open their insurance store.

Normally when a new Brightway franchisee opens a retail location, the company requires the store to be in a traditional retail space with a storefront. Franchisees also must have three employees working in the location by the end of the first year in business.

Under the agreement available while COVID-19 stay-at-home orders are in place, the company is not requiring the new franchisee to open a retail office space or to staff according to the traditional agreement.

Rather, new franchisees may work from home initially. Once officials lift stay-at-home orders, a franchisee will have 60 days to find a professional office space for the business. When the office space is operational, the franchisee will have 90 days to hire an employee.

According to Brightway, providing flexibility for new franchisees will reduce initial expenses involved with leasing retail office space and outfitting it with furniture and exterior signage.

The franchisee will have one year from the time the business moves into the office space to relocate to a fully operational retail space with three employees.

Our cloud-based infrastructure empowers our franchisees to continue to operate and be there for our customers in their greatest hour of need, Miller added.

Brightway employs a centralized team of staff to offer training and support in areas including customer service, accounting, marketing, distribution, business analytics, carrier appointments, licensing, onboarding, training, hiring and retaining personnel.

Brightway Insurance is a national property/casualty insurance distribution company with more than $660 million in annualized written premium. Brightway got its start in 2008 and has since grown to more than 900 people in 206 offices across 22 states serving customers in all 50 states.

Topics COVID-19
 Flash

Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri stated that there is considerable space for China and India to cooperate in controlling the spread of COVID-19.







Addressing an online press conference on Tuesday, Misri said the immediate priority in the bilateral cooperation lies in the procurement of much-needed medical supplies from China for frontline healthcare workers fighting the outbreak in India.





China is one of the world's largest producers of medical products needed to combat the virus, including ventilators, protective suits and testing kits, and the two governments have been in close contact to ensure stable and orderly trade of these products, said the ambassador.





It is important that high-quality medical supplies continue to be available at reasonable and stable prices, Misri said. "We appreciate the efforts of the Chinese government to put in place mechanisms to guarantee the quality of the exported goods."





He also emphasized the urgency of establishing, or in some cases re-establishing, freight and cargo lines, which were disrupted by the initial impact of the pandemic. "Not only the production and procurement, but also the transport of the goods in an efficient and timely manner, is a very high priority."





In the medium- to long-term basis, there is enormous scope for India and China to cooperate in the scientific research to fight COVID-19, as well as general public health issues, Misri said.





"It would be mutually beneficial to intensify engagement between our biologists, epidemiologists and other scientists, as well as relevant national institutes in efforts including developing a vaccine," he said.





As of 10 a.m. CET on April 14, India had a total of 10,363 confirmed cases and 339 deaths, according to the daily COVID-19 report released by the WHO.





In a televised address on Tuesday, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension to the nationwide lockdown until May 3. The initial 21-day lockdown began on March 25.





Misri explained that despite different circumstances in the two countries, India can learn from China's prevention and control measures, with regard to movement and transport restrictions, the use of technology for surveillance, and the modification of factories to produce medical protective equipment.





"These are all distinctive features that we did notice, and that we can adopt in our own circumstances."





According to Misri, the Indian Embassy in China and government agencies back in his own country have taken part in video conferences about the sharing of China's experiences in tackling the COVID-19 crisis. "There may be more opportunities in the future to do so. And we look forward to participating in them."





This year marks the 70th anniversary of China-India diplomatic ties. Misri said the two sides had agreed to celebrate the event through a symbolic 70 activities. "Obviously, with the challenges that this outbreak has now presented us with, we may not necessarily be able to undertake every activity, but it remains our intention."





"This is a very important occasion, and we remain committed to observing it in an appropriate manner. We hope that we can resume engagement at the earliest possible time, whenever it is safe and healthy to do so," the ambassador added.





During the almost-hourlong virtual news briefing, Misri also showcased India's efforts focusing both on internal and external cooperation while fighting the global pandemic.





Responding to widely-circulated speculation that India would become one of the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, Misri argued that the proactive measures adopted by the government since its first case was detected on Jan. 17 have safeguarded 672 out of 750 districts in the country from being severely affected. This is thanks to the gradually tightened travel restrictions and the regional-to-nationwide lockdowns.





"The lockdown itself is not a beginning but continuation of our epidemic control strategy and what is notable is that I think it has wide political consensus and public support behind it," the ambassador expounded.





The country currently has around 85,000 isolation beds and 8,500 beds in ICUs. To better meet the demand, another 40,000 refurbished isolation beds and 36,000 additional ICU beds will be made available for treatment.





Meanwhile, amid one of the busiest seasons for the movement of the labor force, India has set up more than 27,000 camps to house around 1.5 million migrant workers. It has also issued $22 billion in aid to vulnerable groups, such as farmers and laborers, to alleviate the challenging circumstances.





According to Misri, as one of the largest pharmaceutical producers in the world, India has not only delivered its key products to partners such as the United States, Brazil and Israel, but also another 25 countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean region.





It has been delivering medical assistance to Myanmar and Mauritius and been able to provide essentials to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan when necessary. It has also provided supplies to several countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Nepal.





"We manage to respond to the needs not only for our Indian neighbors but also many other countries around the world, in terms of delivering essential assistance," the ambassador said before quoting Prime Minister Modi, "It is for us to take precautions but not to panic."




Life is quite unusual these days. With coronavirus (COVID-19) affecting people from all walks of life, even some of your favorite celebrities are getting sick. From Andy Cohen to funnyman Tom Hanks and his wife, it seems every day theres a new celebrity making the news with a diagnosis. And even though soaps are on hiatus right now, that hasnt kept some of your favorite soap stars from getting coronavirus either. Take Christie Clark, for example. She and her husband are finally on the mend after their battle with the virus.

Christie Clark, Days of Our Lives alum

Kate Mansi, Patrick Muldoon, Christie Clark, Austin Peck and Terri Conn | Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Days Of Our Lives

Clark was born in California in 1973, so the spotlight was almost always in her future. Her first role wasnt actually in the soap world, but as Angela Walsh in 1985s A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddys Revenge. Clark made her debut as Carrie Brady on Days of Our Lives in 1986, where she played the character for numerous years off and on, even making a brief return in 2018. Her last departure was so that she could travel the world with her family, and she ultimately ended up in England, where she resides currently.

In her first years, she played a young Carrie, winning two Youth in Film Awards. She left the show for two years, and upon her return, was an adult with a business mindset. She has received two Emmy nominations, was part of the Hottest Romance couple with co-star Austin Peck. During her break after her exit in 1999, Clark traveled around the world and met her future husband, Thomas Barnes. They were married in 2002 and have three kids.

Coronavirus is hitting people hard

Not all people are sharing their experience with coronavirus publicly, so when someone does, it gives a peek into what it must really be like. Clark is one of the celebrities who are currently on the mend after battling coronavirus for over 10 days. She took to Instagram to keep fans posted on what the virus was like for her and her family.

This is most likely a coronavirus story, she shared. Cant get tested unless you check in to hospital in the U.K. Woke up Tuesday with chills, fever, headache, body aches and major sore throat. Was in bed for 3 dayszapped of energy. Our yoga instructor was told she had it and I was with her 5 days previous to getting this strange virus.

She acknowledged that most people arent affected that badly and that shes had worse flu symptoms. However, she was particularly worried about her parents and in-laws. She also thanked her neighbor in her post, This angel made dinner for us every night and left it on our door. She recommended that people stock up on easy dinners, in case two parents get it at the same time which is what happened to my husband and me.

How Christie Clark is recovering

In a recent Instagram post, Clark shared that she was just starting to feel OK after 10 days or so of having the virus. Oh my goodness, just starting to feel ok on this end. My husband Tom and I have had coronavirus fairly bad. Not as bad as some, no hospital needed. She further shared that having the virus is hard when you have kids. When you get it, you cant call the grandparents for help, cause they will get sick.

Theyre not the only ones in their circle of friends that have had it either. We know about 10 people in our little circle that have had it. Like clockwork, Day 7,8,&9 were tricky and havent been able to taste food for a while. But the best part of her recovery is most likely her excitement about getting back to normal  at least normal in the world of coronavirus. So excited to be in the land of the living again & start exercisingsoon.

What other celebs are saying

Some outspoken celebrities certainly have theories about the coronavirus. Kourtney Kardashian thinks its Gods way of punishing us. Cardi B leans more toward conspiracy theories. But many celebs just want to help you through these tough times with some motivational words as a way to say, Hang in there.
NORRISTOWN  The Montgomery County Commissioners have extended a countywide emergency disaster declaration as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the areas way of life.

The proclamation allows the countys Department of Public Safety and Office of Public Health to coordinate response efforts to take all appropriate action needed to alleviate the effects of this disaster, to aid in the respiration of essential public services and to take any other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to this disaster emergency, Montgomery County Commissioners Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh read from the initial resolution earlier this month when it was formalized.

The announcement goes through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Services Code, she said.

The declaration was valid for 45 days and set to expire on April 21, according to the revised resolution. The current legislation would maintain the declaration for roughly two more months.

County Solicitor Joshua Stein emphasized the importance of the extension because it appears we will need this for some time.

Pay raises approved

The commissioners also approved a pay increase for essential county workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a county spokesperson, the legislation would allow for qualified full- and part-time employees to receive an increase of up to $400 per pay period.

Stein added that the eligible employees have jobs that are deemed essential and  would otherwise put them at increased risk of contracting COVID-19.

New hires

Meanwhile, county officials authorized the hiring of several new employees.

They include a park ranger within the Montgomery County Department of Assets and Infrastructure, a case worker for the children and youth sector of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, a deputy coroner for the Montgomery County Coroners Office, and a program specialist for the Montgomery County Office of Developmental Disabilities.

While Commissioner Ken Lawrence Jr. did vote in support of this action, he voiced some reservations about hiring during this time of uncertainty.

We need to continue to be vigilant about any new positions during this time, and  we may have some very tough decisions to make over the next few weeks or month, he said.

Redevelopment Authority

In other business, the commissioners also mobilized the creation of the Montgomery County Redevelopment Authority. The legislative entity features aid for three economic programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MontcoStrong Small Business Grant Program allows for financial support for small businesses, according to the resolution. The Montgomery County Opportunity Loan Program works to help small and medium sized businesses grow their employee base and maximize the value of their investments in land and capital equipment.

According to the resolution, the countys redevelopment authority would also serve as the designated certified economic development organization, permitting it to manage and administer loans funded by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority.

Thanking residents

Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Arkoosh expressed her appreciation to area residents for their efforts adhering to social distancing guidelines.

We know that this is coming with significant, significant personal sacrifices  but hopefully by continuing to do this we will get out of this as quickly as possible, she said.

Arkoosh said limiting contact and social distancing has allowed essential operations to continue running smoothly including at hospitals and grocery stores.

Those efforts have created a relatively stable situation here in the county, she said.

However, she did acknowledge the difficult economic toll as non-essential businesses remain closed.

We want people to know that we are working to figure out options for starting to relax social distancing and for opening up businesses across our region, Arkoosh said.

She encouraged her constituents to hang in there during this difficult time.

We will absolutely get through this, and the quickest way that we will get through this is to continue the strict social distancing that has gotten us in a relatively good position compared to other places in the United States, Arkoosh said.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP)  A Roman Catholic diocese in New Mexico announced Wednesday it will reopen churches and allow a small number of people to attend public celebrations of Mass in what could be the first move to alter a diocese-declared ban on public services in the U.S.

Priests were encouraged to hold public Mass at Las Cruces Diocese parishes while having parishioners abide by social distancing restrictions ordered by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, diocese spokesman Christopher Velasquez said.

That means churches can only hold Mass with five or less people in attendance and they must stay 6 feet apart, Velasquez said.

If you show up to your parish without calling first, you might be turned away, Velasquez said.

The diocese also announced it would allow priests to hold outdoor Mass services while people stay in their cars.

The Santa Fe Archdiocese and Gallup Diocese  New Mexicos other Catholic dioceses  are continuing a ban on gatherings and in-person Mass services.

Las Cruces Bishop Peter Baldacchino made the decision about the limited opening of churches after hearing news reports about the spread of COVID-19 in southern New Mexico, Velasquez said

We are hearing reports about divorces, drug abuse and now people losing their jobs, Velasquez said. The church is here to offer hope.

The Catholic News Agency reports Baldacchino is the first in the nation to modify a declared diocesan ban on public Masses.

The bishop also made provision for priests to resume weddings and funerals as along as state regulations on social distancing are followed.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops shared steps with members that could be taken in response to the outbreak. Since then, bishops across the U.S. moved to cancel in-person Mass services, closed schools and halted Easter pilgrimages.

States also have imposed restrictions on social gatherings involving places of worship.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

___

Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras
The IRS said around 80 million people will receive a direct deposit of their coronavirus stimulus payments this week.

Some citizens have reported getting their payments without a hitch, but others are in a state of confusion.

When they go to the new Get My Payment tool, which is supposed to allow recipients to see when they will be getting their coronavirus stimulus payments, they get errors, get locked out or see wrong bank account information for their direct deposits.

Consumers fumed about the problems on social media and in emails to NJ Advance Media, with some saying their payments have gone to closed bank accounts, and in some cases, to bank account numbers the consumers didnt recognize.

THANK YOU for responding to these people. NOW. Please respond to the people who now have their stimulus in random/wrong bank accounts. Seriously please. I am one of these people.

U cant leave people in the dark about this type of thing. Especially when its NOT OUR FAULT.  IndigoBluezz (@BluezzIndigo) April 15, 2020

So what can frustrated people do? The IRS has issued additional guidance on its website.

Heres what the IRS says about the bank account information and the other errors people are getting when they use the tool. The information below is directly from the IRS website.

My bank account information has changed since I filed. Can I update it using the tool?

Yes, in some situations, the IRS said on its website.

Get My Payment cannot update direct deposit bank account information after an Economic Impact Payment has been scheduled for delivery, it said. To help protect against potential fraud, the tool also does not allow people to change direct deposit bank account information already on file with the IRS.

However, it said, people who didnt use direct deposit on their last tax return, or when their direct deposit information was inaccurate and resulted in a refund check, can use the tool to provide account information to "speed their payment with a deposit into their bank account.

Can I use Get My Payment to check the direct deposit status if I changed my payment method to direct deposit?

Yes., the IRS said.

You can use Get My Payment to check the status of your direct deposit after you provided your bank information. Updates to your payment status are made no more than once per day, it said.

Where did the IRS get my bank information, and what if I need to change it?

The IRS said your information is usually captured from the most recently filed tax return if you received a refund by direct deposit in 2018 or 2019 or if you provided the bank information on our Get My Payment application or if you had to use the Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info Here tool.

If the Get My Payment says your payment is pending or in process, you cannot change your bank account information, it said.

I used direct deposit to split my refund between several accounts when I filed my tax return. Can I use Get My Payment to designate which account I want my payment deposited in?

In this case, the IRS said, you cannot use Get My Payment to select your preferred account.

We will deposit the payment to the first bank account that you listed on Form 8888, Allocation of Refund, it said. If your direct deposit is rejected, your payment will be mailed to the address we have on file for you.

I no longer have the bank account that I used for direct deposit on my tax return. Can I change it using Get My Payment?

If the bank account is closed, the IRS said your bank will reject the deposit. Then, you will be issued a check to the address the IRS has on file.

If the Get My Payment tool says your payment has been processed, you cannot change your bank account information, it said.

What does it mean when Get My Payment says, Need More Information?

The IRS said this means you are eligible, but the IRS does not have your direct deposit information.

You should provide your bank information once you have properly verified your identity. Make sure the routing number, account number, and account type are correct. You can find this information on one of your checks, through your online banking applications or by contacting your financial institution directly," it said.

If you choose not to provide your bank information, your payment will be sent to the address the IRS has on file for you, it said.

I receive a Form SSA-1099 or RRB-1099 and do not file a tax return because I dont meet the income requirement to file. Can I use Get My Payment to provide my bank information to receive my EIP by direct deposit?

The IRS said you will not be able to use Get My Payment to provide your bank account information because you did not file tax returns for 2018 or 2019.

The IRS will use the information on the Form SSA-1099 or Form RRB-1099 to generate your payment. You will receive your payment as a direct deposit or by mail, just as you would normally receive your benefits, it said.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

And heres what the IRS said about the long list of problems reported by users.

How long will it take for my payment status to change?

Updates to your payment status are made no more than once per day, it said.

Does Get My Payment display different stages of my payment?

The IRS said Get My Payment will display one of the following payment statuses:

1. Payment Status (one of two statuses):

Either it will say a payment has been processed, a payment date is available, and payment is to be sent either by direct deposit or mail.

Or it will say you are eligible, but a payment has not been processed and a payment date is not available.

2. Need More Information: This means you are eligible for a payment, but the IRS does not have your direct deposit information. You will be given the opportunity to provide your bank information once you have properly verified your identity, it said.

3. Payment Status Not Available: This means the IRS cannot determine your eligibility for a payment. For example, it said, if you didnt file either a 2018 or 2019 tax return, or you recently filed and the return has not been fully processed.

If a payment date is not provided, updates to your payment status are made no more than once per day, the IRS said.

Why am I getting Payment Status Not Available?

The IRS said in certain cases, the Get My Payment tool will be unable to tell you the status of your payment. You may receive this message for one of the following reasons, the IRS said:

If you are not eligible for a payment (see IRS.gov on who is eligible and who is not eligible).

If you are required to file a tax return and have not filed in tax year 2018 or 2019.

If you recently filed your return or provided information through Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info on IRS.gov . Your payment status will be updated when processing is completed.

If you are a SSA or RRB Form 1099 recipient, SSI or VA benefit recipient  the IRS is working with your agency to issue your payment; your information is not available in this app yet.

It said you can check the app again to see if there are updates, and the data on the tool is updated only once per day.

What does it mean when Get My Payment says, Please Try Again Later?

This means your account has been locked, the IRS said. You will able to access the application after 24 hours have passed. Please do not contact the IRS, it said.

Why cant I get my payment status?

To use Get My Payment, you must first verify your identity by answering security questions, the IRS said.

If the information you enter does not match our records multiple times, you will be locked out of Get My Payment for 24 hours for security reasons, it said. If you are unable to verify your identity, you will not be able to use Get My Payment. No action is needed to contact the IRS.

If you verified your identity and received Payment Status Not Available, the IRS said this means it cannot determine your eligibility for a payment.

This may occur for a variety of reasons, for example, if you didnt file either a 2018 or 2019 tax return or you recently filed and the return has not been fully processed, it said.

Why am I receiving an error message when answering the security questions?

The IRS said you should use the help tips provided when entering the information requested to verify your identity.

If the information you enter does not match our records, you will receive an error message. Check the information requested to ensure you entered it accurately. You may want to check your most recent tax return or consider if there is a different way to enter your street address. If the information you enter does not match our records multiple times, you will be locked out of Get My Payment for 24 hours for security reasons. There is no need to contact the IRS, it said.

My address is different from the last tax return I filed. Can I change it using Get My Payment?

No, you cant.

Get My Payment will not allow you to change your address, the IRS. To change your address:

If you have not filed your 2019 tax return, enter your new address on your return when you file. The IRS updates its records when your return is processed. File electronically to ensure your return will be processed more quickly.

If you have filed your 2019 tax return and you did not receive a refund via direct deposit, your payment will be mailed to the address the IRS has on file for you. This is generally the address on your most recent return or as updated through the United States Postal Service (USPS).

I requested a direct deposit of my payment. Why are you mailing it to me?

The IRS said its possible that it doesnt have the correct bank account information for you, or your financial institution rejected the direct deposit. In either case, your payment will be mailed to the address the IRS has on file for you.

We encourage Americans who did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 to use Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here to submit basic personal information to quickly and securely receive their Economic Impact Payments, it said.

Those who did file but did not include direct deposit information should use Get My Payment to provide banking information to get a faster payment.

The IRS said Get My Payment will not allow you to change your bank information once your payment has been processed. No action is needed to contact the IRS because representatives cant change your bank information either, the IRS said.

For security reasons, the IRS plans to mail a letter about the economic impact payment to the taxpayers last known address within 15 days after the payment is paid, it said. The letter will provide information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment. If a taxpayer is unsure theyre receiving a legitimate letter, the IRS urges taxpayers to visit IRS.gov first to protect against scam artists.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

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Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
PKK terror attack martyrs Turkish soldier in N. Iraq

On May 27, Turkey launched Operation Claw against the PKK in Hakurk followed by its second and third phases in July and late August.

A Turkish soldier was martyred in a terrorist attack in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

DUE TO EXPLOSION OF HANDMADE EXPLOSIVE

On April 15, 2020, in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq, a hero fellow soldier was martyred by the explosion of a mine/handmade explosive previously placed by terrorists from the separatist terrorist organization PKK, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar posted a message of condolence on his Twitter account and extended his condolences to the family of the martyr and the Turkish nation.
New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Hit hard by the Covid-19 outbreak, Automobile major Hyundai Motor India on Wednesday reported sales of only 32,279 units in March. Notably, the current sales figure cannot be compared on a YoY basis due to prevalence of extr Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, April 16 : Automobile major Hyundai Motor India (HMI) on Thursday handed over Covid-19 'Advanced Diagnostic Testing Kits' to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The diagnostic kits worth Rs 4 crore have been imported from South Korea and can cater to the testing requirements of over 25,000 individuals.

"To provide further assistance to the Government's efforts, we have handed over Globally Proven - COVID-19 Advanced Diagnostic Testing Kits imported from South Korea," SS Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India was quoted as saying in a statement.

"These highly accurate diagnostic kits can help the Government scale up the testing efforts in affected regions and arrest the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in India."
A resident wearing a mask against coronavirus walks past a government propaganda poster featuring Tiananmen Gate in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. One theory holds that a virus from a natural source could have leaked accidentally from one of Wuhan's laboratories. Read more

Of all the mysteries about the novel coronavirus, its origin excites the most fervent debate. At the outbreak's beginning, there were conspiracy theories that the virus was man-made; recently, questions have focused on whether a natural virus was accidentally spread through research.

In the United States, such speculation largely comes from politicians hawkish against Beijing and keen to defend the Trump administration. Scientists, meanwhile, are often the most hesitant to speak out, wanting to focus on research that helps end the outbreak  not who, if anyone, caused it.

But the theories have spread widely, prompting a response from U.S. officials and President Donald Trump himself. So, here is a skeptic's take on three rapidly mutating theories: one clearly false, one possible but not supported by known evidence and one broadly true.

1. The outbreak was linked to bioweapons research.

As China placed Hubei province under lockdown in January, the Washington Times, a conservative U.S. newspaper, cited research by former Israeli military intelligence officer Dany Shoham to argue that "Coronavirus may have originated in lab linked to China's biowarfare program" in Wuhan, the Hubei capital.

That article suggested that the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory and the Wuhan Institute of Virology had been working on biological warfare. Both institutions are real  they were hardly secretive  but there is no evidence of this. When contacted by The Washington Post for a Jan. 29 article, Shoham refused to comment further.

Experts suggesting that the virus was man-made relied on a shoddy understanding of the science. "Based on the virus genome and properties there is no indication whatsoever that it was an engineered virus," Richard Ebright, a professor of chemical biology at Rutgers University, told The Post.

Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University in New Orleans, later told Science News in March that the virus was fundamentally unlike something that would have been designed. "It has too many distinct features, some of which are counterintuitive," he said.

Despite this, a Pew poll released last week found almost 3 out of 10 Americans believed the virus could have been made in a lab; Those on the Republican side of the spectrum were twice as likely to believe this as Democrats.

2. The novel coronavirus leaked from a lab accidentally.

As the bioweapon theory subsided in February, it was replaced by a more plausible alternative: That a virus from a natural source could have leaked accidentally from one of Wuhan's laboratories.

This idea attracted high-profile political support. "We don't know where it originated, and we have to get to the bottom of that," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News in mid-February, before dismissing early suggestions that the virus had spread at a Wuhan market. "We also know that just a few miles away from that food market is China's only biosafety level 4 super laboratory that researches human infectious diseases."

Some scientists don't dismiss this outright. In January, Ebright did not want to talk on the record about the idea of a leak because it was too speculative. He changed his mind and this week told The Post that he thinks it "at least as probable" as an incident outside of a lab, a position other scientists disagree with.

There is circumstantial evidence. Researchers at the Wuhan branch of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention did conduct research on bat coronaviruses, which some viewed as risky. The State Department expressed concern about the safety standard of the Wuhan labs in at least two cables, The Washington Post's Josh Rogin reported this week.

But that does not prove that the novel coronavirus was ever studied in Wuhan, nor that it leaked. "There is no evidence of escape from a lab," Andrew Rambaut, a microbiologist at the University of Edinburgh, wrote in an email. "The virus is just like a virus we would expect to see in wild bat populations, similar viruses have jumped from nonhuman animals to animals in the past, so I see no reason to speculate about this any further."

3. The Chinese government misled the world about the coronavirus.

With no direct evidence of a leak from a laboratory, Cotton and others have noted that China has blocked the release of information about the early days of the outbreak. This is true: The Post reported on China's obfuscation of information about the outbreak as early as Feb. 1.

Beijing was slow to share data with outsiders, including experts from the World Health Organization. An investigation by the Associated Press published Wednesday found that Chinese officials withheld information for six key days, allowing the virus to spread without restriction at a crucial moment.

Chinese journalists have published articles that suggest officials undercounted the death toll in Wuhan. Scientific research that suggested China was the source of the outbreak has been withdrawn. Some Chinese officials, such as Foreign Ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao, have floated unfounded theories that the virus may have originated from the United States.

Academics who study Chinese propaganda say that the measures were an attempt to distract from early coronavirus failures. This can certainly be seen as a cover-up, though Beijing is hardly the only government accused of withholding information related to the virus.

The U.S. government has considered these theories. The New York Times reported this weekend that intelligence agencies investigated but did not detect "any alarm inside the Chinese government that analysts presumed would accompany the accidental leak of a deadly virus from a government laboratory."

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley confirmed that intelligence agencies were considering the origin at a briefing on Tuesday. "At this point it's inconclusive, although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural, but we do not know for sure," Milley said.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Trump was asked an unusually specific question about the laboratory leak theory by John Roberts of Fox News, but he declined to answer.

Understanding from whatever mistakes were made in China could mean a new era of openness and cooperation between Washington and Beijing. Indeed, the State Department memos showed, the U.S. government used to help fund the laboratories in Wuhan  the Trump administration cut funding to a U.S. pandemic research program that worked with the Chinese labs in 2019.

In the face of a pandemic, its understandable that many are looking for someone to blame. But a cascade of small errors is more likely than one grand conspiracy. Learning from that may not be satisfying, but it could go a lot further in preventing this from happening again.
Samsung surpassed Apple in mobile chip market share and entered 2020 as the worlds third-largest manufacturer of smartphone application processors (APs). Thats according to Counterpoint Research, as as reported in the newest edition of its chipset tracker. The quarterly insights primarily focus on production volumes, which makes them reliable indicators of yearly handset shipments by brand.

The industry watchers data reveals Samsung and Huawei are the only chipset makers that grew their mobile businesses in 2019. Whats even more amazing is that the Chinese giant did so from an unenviable position. Namely, Huawei remains burdened by U.S. trade sanctions crippling its supply chains. Its AP arm  HiSilicon  has been feeling the effects of the American embargo like no other Huawei subsidiary.

In the meantime, Qualcomm saw its AP operations plateau, dropping to just over a third of the total global market. MediaTek didnt fare much better as it shrunk to less than a quarter of the overall industry output. Counterpoint Research predicts Samsung will maintain this positive momentum throughout 2020. However, its expected to do so without so much as feigning a direct threat to the leading duo.

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Samsung & Huawei clawing chip market share with 5G

Yet its notable that Samsung and Huaweis estimated annual expansion rates are similar, standing at 2.2 and 2.5 points, respectively. In other words, Qualcomm and MediaTek account for the majority of that 4.7-point difference. Apple, on the other hand, recorded a flatter peak with a 0.5% decline year-over-year. An optimistic Cupertino investor may argue every other silicon manufacturer combined lost ground three times as fast in 2019. However, that would be a textbook example of a strawman argument; its not like companies such as Unisoc were ever anywhere close to being major AP suppliers in the smartphone era.

Counterpoint Research points to 5G as a key factor contributing to Huawei and Samsungs market share inroads. Both companies directed massive resources at related R&D efforts, striving to fully embrace the next wireless revolution. But whats likely even more important is the inclusive business strategy permeating those bets. Instead of a sluggish trickle-down approach to 5G connectivity, Samsung and Huawei pursued its non-flagship implementations almost immediately. As with all things concerning consumer electronics, early accessibility commitments are a pretty straightforward road to mainstream adoption.

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Not to diminish the immediate effects of Huaweis domestic refocusing, of course. If anything, the fact its first reaction to sanctions from the worlds strongest economy amounted to an overall net positive is a great reminder of how absolutely colossal Huawei  the mobile business  truly is.
Ukrainian Spies Trying to Stage Terror Attacks Enlist Russians Detained in Crimea - Security Service

Sputnik News

13:51 GMT 15.04.2020

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian law enforcers have detained in Crimea a group of Ukrainian intelligence officers recruiting Russians, trying to organise terror attacks and to steal information containing state secrets, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Wednesday.

"The exposed intelligence operations were organised by the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence department, located in the city of Kherson, Maj. Oleg Akhmedov, born in 1975", the FSB said in a statement.

The FSB specified it had thwarted the activities of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's Chief Directorate of Intelligence, aimed at staging terror attacks, stealing state secrets and recruiting Russians.

The FSB specified that the group of agents recruited by Akhmedov included a Russian female military officer, suspected of providing Ukrainian intelligence with top secret information in the period between 2017 and 2018, and a Ukrainian citizen, suspected of spying under instruction of Ukrainian special services.

"The Russian FSB's Investigative Directorate has initiated criminal cases on state treason and espionage", the statement read on.

The woman has been put under house arrest due to the fact that she has children of minority age, and the Ukrainian citizen has been put in custody, the FSB added.

A Sputnik

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For the second straight year, students from St. Helena High Schools drama program have been admitted to some of the nations best and most exclusive performing arts colleges.

Senior Sofia Osborne was accepted by the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh, UCLAs School of Theater, Film and Television, The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, and Point Park Universitys Conservatory of Performing Arts. She has until May 1 to choose a school.

Senior Sam Smiley has committed to attending the University of Michigans School of Music, Theatre & Dance, which he said was his top choice. Each year the program reserves only about 11 slots for students from outside Michigan.

Osborne and Smiley follow in the footsteps of fellow St. Helena Drama star Mia Pelosi, who was admitted last year to New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts.

In February, Osborne and Smiley both auditioned in Los Angeles  where various performing arts schools hold unified auditions  and at one point performed a dance call together.

We would occasionally run into each other in the halls and say Break a leg, Osborne said. It was really fun.

My goal is to inspire change

Osborne, who lives in Calistoga, spent a month traveling to Boston, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and back to Los Angeles to apply and audition for musical theater, acting and directing programs. She still isnt sure which one shell pursue.

Debuting in The Sound of Music in third grade, Osborne has gone on to star in shows like Fiddler on the Roof, Shakespeare in Love, Mamma Mia and Newsies. Shes also co-directed (with Pelosi) 12 Angry Jurors in 2018 and directed last falls The Laramie Project, after studying directing at Carnegie Mellons pre-college program last summer.

She said this years productions  The Laramie Project and Newsies  have been the highlight of her time with St. Helena Drama, especially the final performance of Newsies that was livestreamed from an empty auditorium after the coronavirus pandemic cut short the musicals two-week run.

It was amazing to do the show one last time and to have enough energy to make it equal to the other performances wed done with an audience, she said. It was a testament to how much everyone put into the production and how much we love and support each other.

Under Drama Director Patti Coyle, St. Helena Drama provides lessons in teamwork and problem-solving that students can use in any career, whether they pursue the arts or business or something else, Osborne said.

Each production changes everyone in the cast and the crew, she said.

Going into Februarys auditions, shed been more interested in directing than performing. However, the auditions were so much fun that they rekindled her interest in acting.

I was expecting to be full of nerves and dreading every moment, but I had such a wonderful time that it changed my whole perspective, she said. So (acting and directing) are kind of equal loves for me right now.  Ill probably dabble in everything.

The director part of her is drawn to film.

My goal is to inspire change with social justice, environmental sustainability, and all of the things that I really value, Osborne said. Film offers a bigger platform to make change.

Osborne hasnt committed to a school yet, but shes been sitting in on virtual classes Carnegie Mellon is offering via Zoom during the pandemic.

Its a really wonderful community of artists, and the faculty is so supportive of each student, she said.

An actor in the making

During his audition for the University of Michigan, Smiley performed a pair of monologues and discussed the characters with two instructors. They asked him to re-perform one of the monologues  a very serious scene  as if he were a stand-up comedian. He was knocked for a bit of a loop, but he did his best to give his performance a comedic tone.

A week later, he found out hed been accepted.

Immediately after moving to California in 2014, Smiley auditioned for St. Helena Drama, landed a part in Once Upon a Mattress, and found his niche.

When he was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2017, the drama department rallied around him, putting on a Sing For Sam benefit show that raised $22,000 for his chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant.

Sam has delighted so many audience members and cast mates with his talents, now its our turn to show our love and support, Coyle said in 2017.

Despite the foray into comedy during his audition, Smiley said hes primarily drawn to dramatic roles. His favorite parts have been Ponyboy in The Outsiders in 2015 and Jack Kelly in Newsies last month.

Smiley will pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree with an emphasis on acting. Having sung with Craig Bonds St. Helena Teen Choir, Smiley is also considering a minor in jazz performance, specifically jazz vocals.

Smiley said Coyle has been a valuable mentor ever since he joined her program as a seventh-grader.

Shes given me the challenges I think every actor should face, he said. Shes been almost like a mother to me. I dont think Id be where Im at without her.

You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.

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Linkedin Ban Barkawi (Reuters) Amman, Jordan  Thu, April 16, 2020 13:06 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd23d1d5 2 Entertainment Turkey,Netflix,boycott,LGBTQ,series,Love-101 Free

Rumors of a gay character in a new Turkish Netflix series, Love 101, have ignited calls for a boycott of the streaming service and sharp criticism from the broadcast regulator.

A furore erupted after a now-deleted Twitter account @love101netflix suggested one of the main characters in the show - a story about students helping their teacher find love, which is set to air when Ramadan begins on April 24 - could be gay.

"We will not tolerate broadcasts that are contrary to the national and spiritual values of our society," Ebubekir Sahin, president of the Radio and Television Supreme Council, was quoted as saying by Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit this week.

Netflix Turkey did not immediately respond to requests to confirm whether @love101netflix was a fake account or whether the show included a gay character.

"A lot of false information is spreading from fake accounts ... believe only what you hear from us about the series and the characters, not the rumors," Netflix Turkey said in an earlier statement.

Although homosexuality is not a crime, there is widespread hostility to it across Turkish society. Authorities have cracked down on LGBT+ events since an attempted coup in 2016 gave them power to ban public gatherings including Pride marches.

Read also: Netflix 'gay Jesus' film sparks backlash in Brazil

The government says it has improved rights and freedoms since it came to power in 2003, but a 2019 report on LGBT+ rights from the advocacy group ILGA Europe ranked Turkey second to last out of 49 countries.

Thousands of Turks took to social media, using the hashtag #NetflixBeAMan to condemn the appearance of LGBT+ characters in Turkish shows, with some calling it an insult to Islam.

"Netflix is trying to normalize immorality under the name of Love 101," said Omer Farukii in a post on Twitter that received about 13,000 likes.

Another online critic named Osman Cekir called Netflix "Islam's enemy" and called for it to be banned in Turkey, while some said the airing date was intentionally provoking Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

Others voiced support for Love 101, with one Twitter user called Chlo rejecting people's use of "religion to legitimize their hate".

Netflix is likely to face calls to reveal more about the sexuality of the show's characters during an online question and answer session with the cast before it airs.
BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 15, 2020 / Thornton Law Firm LLP alerts investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. on behalf of ServiceMaster shareholders (SERV). SERV investors interested in participating as a lead plaintiff in the case are encouraged to contact the firm at https://www.tenlaw.com/cases/SERV. Shareholders may also email shareholder@tenlaw.com or call 617-531-3917.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: https://www.tenlaw.com/cases/SERV

The lawsuit alleges that ServiceMaster did not disclose material information to investors in a timely manner, causing investors to suffer losses on October 22, 2019 and November 5, 2019.

On October 22, 2019, ServiceMaster announced disappointing preliminary financial results for the third-quarter 2019, having missed revenue and earnings estimates, and issued downward adjusted EBITDA guidance. The press release attributed the disappointing results to "termite damage claims arising primarily from Formosan termite activity," primarily in Mobile, Alabama. The Company further stated that this had been a known issue, having taken mitigating measures "starting in 2018." Finally, the Company announced the sudden departure of Matthew J. Stevenson in his role as President of Terminix Residential.

On this news the price of ServiceMaster common stock fell $11.44 or 20 percent, closing at $44.70 on October 22, 2019, down from its $56.14 closing price on October 21, 2019.

On November 5, 2019, before the start of trading, ServiceMaster released its third-quarter 2019 financial results. In this press release discussing the "challenging quarter," the Company revealed that it had been impacted by certain "legacy risks," including "termite damage claims." That same day, Defendants held an earnings call with analysts and investors to discuss ServiceMaster's third-quarter 2019 financial results. On the call, Defendants informed the market that the increase in termite litigation-which had occurred "[i]n the past few years"-had impacted termite revenue and these issues would continue throughout 2020.

Story continues

On this news, the price of ServiceMaster common stock fell $1.42, or 3.5 percent, to close at $39.15 on November 5, 2019. As the market continued to digest the disappointing news, ServiceMaster shares further declined by $3.41, or 9 percent, closing at $35.74 on November 6, 2019. All told, following the November 5, 2019 disclosure, ServiceMaster stock suffered a total decline of $4.83 from the November 4, 2019 closing price.

Investors who have suffered a loss as a result of their investment in SERV stock (SERV) are encouraged to contact the Thornton Law Firm's shareholder rights team at http://www.tenlaw.com/cases/SERV, by email at shareholder@tenlaw.com, or calling 617-531-3917.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.tenlaw.com/cases/SERV

Thornton Law Firm's securities attorneys are highly experienced in representing individual shareholders and institutional investors in recovering damages caused by violations of the securities laws. Its attorneys have established track records litigating securities cases in courts throughout the country and recovering losses on behalf of shareholders. This may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

CONTACT:

Thornton Law Firm LLP

State Street Financial Center

1 Lincoln Street

Boston, MA 02111

www.tenlaw.com/cases/SERV

SOURCE: Thornton Law Firm LLP





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/585325/SERV-INVESTOR-ALERT-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Filed-Lead-Plaintiff-Deadline




Scott Morrison has rejected trying to wipe out coronavirus with a longer lockdown as he claims it would be against Australia's way of life.

The Prime Minister announced on Thursday that the country would stay at stage three restrictions for another four weeks, then review relaxing them.

He was asked why he had ruled out following New Zealand in trying to eradicate the virus as the number of new cases plummeted to just 34.

Scientists have predicted this could be slashed to zero by the middle of June if the lockdown persisted for another two months.

Modelling from the Universities of Sydney (orange) and Melbourne (green) shows Australia can get to zero new cases within 90 days of lockdown. The current trend in recorded cases (yellow) is already ahead of this

But Mr Morrison said the economic and social damage that would cause was 'not a wise trade-off' and he didn't want to 'copy' New Zealand.

'Eradication pathway involves an approach which would see even more economic restrictions that are currently in place,' he said.

'The policy we have been following for a month has sat well in the groove of Australia's ethos and how we live.

'It is rubbing at the edges a bit in parts of the country and that is understandable. We like our freedom and being able to do what we want to do.

'We like to have the barbecue we like going out, we are very sociable beings, Australians, and we miss it.

'We miss our kids being able to get together and go to school and be with their friends, we miss all of that.'

Mr Morrison said Australia would stick with the suppression strategy that tries to limit the spread of the virus to what the health system can manage.

Scott Morrison rejected trying to wipe out coronavirus with a longer lockdown as he claims it would be against Australia's way of life

Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said Australia may eradicate coronavirus with the current plan anyway

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said at the same press conference that Australia may eradicate coronavirus with the current plan anyway.

'It is quite possible we could eradicate the virus in some parts of the country. Some states have had no cases for days or a small number of imported cases,' he said.

'We are on the same trajectory of New Zealand which is aiming for eradication.

'The difference [is] that we don't feel the need to hold the country very seriously locked down until we have no cases. If that happens with the measures we are doing now, that would be fantastic.'

Travel bans, closed borders, and business shutdowns have slashed the number of new cases a day by up to 90 per cent in less than a month.

The country only recorded 34 new cases on Wednesday, compared to 460 on March 28, raised the total number to 6,449 with 63 deaths.

Stage three restrictions on gatherings and leaving the house brought in on March 31 are expected to crush the curve further over the rest of April.

Australia's measures have been so successful that Mr Morrison and state premiers next month will begin planning how to wind back the lockdown.

However, a collection of scientists believe Australia's local transmission cases could be reduced to zero if the restrictions are kept in place another two months.

'We like to have the barbecue we like going out, we are very sociable beings, Australians, and we miss it,' Mr Morrison said in defending his strategy

Scenes like this one in Melbourne where a family is told to go home from St Kilda beach under stage thee lockdown need to continue for another two months

Analysis by the Grattan Institute concluded that the country would not need a tougher lockdown to achieve this, but to extend stage three a little longer.

'A successful elimination strategy would give most Australians a good chance of resuming a near-normal life well before the end of the year,' authors Stephen Duckett and Jonathan Nolan wrote.

They pointed to separate recent modelling by two Australian universities predicting a 90-day lockdown would result in no new cases by mid to late-June.

Dr Jason Thompson at the University of Melbourne said his modelling showed local transmission of coronavirus would be eradicated by June 19 on average across states.

His model assumed 85 per cent of Australians followed social distancing rules 85 per cent of the time and 90 per cent of those told to self-isolate did so.

Analysis by the Grattan Institute of these models concluded that the country would not need a tougher lockdown to achieve this, just extending stage three a little longer

Dr Jason Thompson at the University of Melbourne said his modelling showed coronavirus would be eradicated by June 19 on average

James Jansson at the University of Sydney came to the same conclusion, writing that if Australia tried to eliminate transmission of the virus, the 'pain would be measured in months, rather than years'.

'This can give both business and citizens the strength and determination to stick to the lockdown and be ready to exit the other side with all pistons firing,' he wrote.

Dr Ducket and Dr Nolan said this strategy was being employed in New Zealand with its even harsher lockdown with great results - and Australia could do even better.

'The prospect of 90 days of stage three restrictions is daunting, but there are good reasons to believe we could bring cases down to zero earlier than that,' they wrote.

The pair wrote that Australia's new cases have been halving every 4.2 days for the past week, far less than the 16 days employed by the models.

'Even if that trend slows over the next few weeks, there's a real prospect that many states could begin easing spatial distancing as early as May, with a clear plan in place by Anzac Day,' they wrote.

Australia has made significant progress in the fight against coronavirus, with a clear flattening of the curve on the graph that measures the daily infection rate

Manly Beach in Sydney is shut down to stop the spread of coronavirus. Big beaches could be reopened soon but scientists argue they should stay shut another 2 months

Knocking out that last few cases and preventing them from starting new outbreaks would be the hardest part, requiring every patient to be locked down fast. Testing centres like this one in Bondi will be a key part of that effort

Knocking out that last few cases and preventing them from starting new outbreaks would be the hardest part, requiring every patient to be locked down fast.

Australia is already gearing up for this by ramping up contact tracing abilities with an army of health workers tracking down everyone an infected person had contact with.

The government is also floating the idea of digital tracking of the individual's movement via mobile phones, as used in Singapore and Taiwan.

The app, which will be optional, would require at least 40 per cent of the population to be on board for it to be effective, according to the ABC.

However, the trade off is that international travel would be off limits for many months to come, to prevent Australians contracting it abroad and bringing back, restarting local transmission.

The downside of Australia's relatively few cases is the lack of herd immunity, leaving locals vulnerable to any new flare-up.

Dr Thompson said there are means to regulate international travellers, such as requiring them to be certified as virus-free before arriving, being quarantined for two weeks upon return as they are now, or both.

'Wouldn't we all prefer to at least have unrestricted movement within our own country in the meantime?' he wrote.

Borders could also be opened to individual countries as they got the virus under control, such as New Zealand which is on track to stop their transmissions.

Grattan Institute said this strategy was being employed in New Zealand with its even harsher lockdown with great results - and Australia could do even better

Overseas travel would be off limits for some time, but could be relaxed if arrivals were quarantined in hotels, like this woman at Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney

Australia's policy had been to flatten the curve of the rate of infection to prevent a spike in pressure on hospitals rather than introduce the most stringent methods to eliminate transmission.

Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said the country's peak of cases could be as late as November based on current modelling.

Under this suppression method, stage three restrictions could be relaxed within weeks but others may have to remain for far longer.

'Unless herd immunity is achieved, a significant proportion of the community will continue to be susceptible and illness and death will result, albeit at a lesser rate than in the 'let it rip' scenarios,' Dr Thompson wrote.

'Significant social and economic restrictions will still need to continue for an unknown duration.'

State and federal leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss when restrictions on travel and gatherings of people can be relaxed.

Mr Morrison has stressed that a premature relaxation of all restrictions risked a rise in infections, but said the government was ready to discuss plans to gradually re-open the economy.

'That's what we're working on as a National Cabinet,' he said.

'We will be considering further plans about how we can chart that way back to get the economy operating at a much higher level than it is now so it can support people's incomes.'
Utilising emergency powers invoked by the state Labor government in Victoria, ostensibly to curb the spread of COVID-19, police in Melbourne shut down a political demonstration last week, arresting one protester and fining 26 others.

The April 10 protest was held in opposition to the continued inhuman imprisonment of refugees by the federal Liberal-National government, which is putting the detainees at extreme risk of contracting the coronavirus.

The police action, which state Premier Daniel Andrews Labor government must have authorised, constitutes a direct attack on the right to protest and other fundamental democratic rights, including free speech. It indicates that governments are exploiting the coronavirus crisis to establish police-state precedents for wider use.

The protest was organised in front of the Mantra Hotel in the northern Melbourne suburb of Preston, which the federal government is using as a makeshift prison to house about 60 asylum seekers evacuated from offshore detention centres for medical treatment.

Refugees protesting their confinement at the Mantra Hotel in Melbourne

Sleeping up to three men to a room, the detainees are unable to practice any form of safe social distancing. Security guards, hired from the multinational company Serco, regularly come in and out of the hotel. The refugees are at a high risk of potentially fatal infection due to pre-existing medical conditions.

In order to abide by the state governments social distancing laws, the protesters organised a car motorcade around the building, holding signs to the windows of their cars. Despite there being no threat to public health, the police issued 26 fines of $1,652 to each protester.

The organiser of the protest was earlier arrested at his house and charged with inciting the others to join the demonstration. He was taken to the Preston police station where he spent nine hours in custody while police obtained a warrant to seize his phone and home computers. He faces court in August.

The men imprisoned in the hotel also joined the protest, holding makeshift signs saying they had no social distancing protections. Some said they had been imprisoned for seven years and asked: Wheres the humanity?

A police spokesperson told the media: While Victoria Police respects the publics right to protest, these are extraordinary times and the health and safety of every Victorian needs to be our number one priority at this time.

In reality, the police banned the protest despite the organisers informing them in advance of the measures they would take to avoid any danger to health or any infringement of the social distancing rules.

All the federal, state and territory governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike, have adopted far-reaching state powers to enforce COVID-19 lockdown measures imposed by a bipartisan national cabinet.

While such measures have become necessary because of the global pandemic, the Melbourne ban is a warning. These powers are being utilised already to silence discontent and will be used more broadly against the working class as the government gears up to force people back to work, regardless of unsafe conditions.

The crackdown came amid protests by detainees in Sydney and Brisbane and an upsurge of opposition to their continued detention by the federal government during the pandemic.

After a guard was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus at the Kangaroo Point Hotel, a cramped and dirty makeshift prison in Brisbane, a petition was created to demand the shutdown of the facilities and release all the prisoners. Having reached its initial goal of 25,000, it now has more than 41,000 signatures.

Nearly 1,200 doctors and other health professionals also signed an open letter calling for all asylum seekers to be released into the community during the pandemic. The letter said the hotels being used as detention sites constitute a very high-risk environment for detainees mental and physical health.

At the hotel in Brisbane, refugees are conducting an ongoing protest, which has lasted for a fortnight, holding signs desperately asking for release.

In Sydney, detainees at the Villawood detention centre have climbed on the roof holding signs asking to be freed. A group of 35 men imprisoned have been on a five-day hunger strike as part of the protest.

Ghader Mohammed, an Iranian man who has been imprisoned for seven years, told the media it was impossible to maintain the 1.5-metre social distancing. The situation here is absolute chaos, he said.

After the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) imposed further restrictions on the detainees, forbidding families to visit the centres. While the AFP justified this as a precautionary measure against the virus, Mohammad revealed that the staff are entering and leaving the centre without gloves or masks, placing everyone at risk.

Mohammad told the media of the cramped conditions at the prison, with up to six people housed in one room. If youre talking about gatherings, which are [restricted] at no more than two people, we are here more than 35 people in one place and we are nearly hugging each other, he said.

This criminal treatment of refugees is part of Australias bipartisan border protection regime, which detains all refugees who try to flee to Australia by boat and bans them from ever settling in the country.

Similar outrages are occurring globally. In Europe, where the virus is continuing to spread rapidly with nearly 80,000 deaths across the continent, the facilities where refugees are imprisoned in Greece are turning into death camps. Some 42,000 refugees are packed in crammed living quarters, which lack even soap and running water.

In the United States, 55,000 immigrants are trapped in crowded prisons, which are rapidly becoming epicentres for the spread of the disease. More and more people are testing positive for COVID-19 in the facilities. Detainees are staging hunger strikes in protest, demanding their immediate release.

On February 28, the WSWS published a statement by the International Committee of the Fourth International, entitled For a globally coordinated emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic! It insisted: Urgent attention must be directed to the millions of people who are being housed in immigrant and refugee camps set up by the major capitalist powers in Europe and the United States. These camps will be major danger areas for the spread of the virus. All those currently in such camps must be given secure housing and access to health care.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has put yet more pressure on "wealthy" Korea to cough up money for the upkeep of the U.S. Forces Korea.

"My view remains that South Korea is a close and trusted ally of ours, but they're a wealthy country," Esper said in a press briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday.

He was responding to a recent Reuters report that U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed what was effectively a done deal to increase Seoul's contribution by "at least 13 percent from the previous accord."

"They can and should pay more to help for our mutual defense and their specific defense," Esper added. Reuters last Friday cited sources as saying Trump "already rejected what was probably Seoul's best offer."

But Esper washed his hands of the nitty-gritty. "I defer to the State Department on that," he said, referring to the epic bilateral talks. "They're leading the negotiations."

Esper nonetheless admitted that he has gotten involved in the negotiations through talks with his Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeong-doo.

On April 6, he tweeted, "I appreciate Korean Defense Minister Jeong taking my phone call today to discuss the importance of equitable burden sharing across the alliance. It is critical that we get a fair, balanced, and comprehensive agreement signed quickly."

There is little chance that Trump will back down from his demand for an exorbitant increase of Seoul's share of the upkeep cost, one of his key campaign promises, ahead of the November presidential election. But it is not easy for Korea to accept more than the 13 percent hike, already an all-time high since 2001. Public sentiment would probably not bear it.

Meanwhile, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in the press briefing that the Pentagon's assessment of North Korea's latest short-range surface-to-ship cruise missiles "was mixed right now but the missiles were not particularly big."

He added, "I don't think it is particularly provocative or threatening to us as to what happened. It may be tied to some celebrations that are happening inside North Korea as opposed to any deliberate provocation against us."

He was apparently referring to Pyongyang's celebrations of regime founder Kim Il-sung's birthday on Wednesday.


What happened

The S&P 500 is down 2.75%, and Wednesday looks like it's going to be another down day in this topsy-turvy, coronavirus-tossed stock market of ours.

Cruise stocks in particular are taking it on the chin today, with shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) down 4.6%, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE:NCLH) off 5%, and Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) sinking 6.3% as of 11:30 a.m. EDT.

So what

Let's begin with Carnival. On Monday, Carnival Corporation's namesake cruise line, Carnival Cruise Line, announced that in compliance with an extension of the CDC's March 14 "no sail" order, it will cancel all of its cruises through late June, resuming operations no earlier than June 27, 2020.

One day later, additional Carnival subsidiaries, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line (and in the evening, Holland America as well) made similar announcements, canceling cruises through June 30, 2020.

While as of yet, I haven't seen similar announcements out of Royal Caribbean or Norwegian, it's starting to look like the writing is on the wall. With the CDC instructing cruise ships to remain in port until 100 days after its March 14 order (barring new instructions from either the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services), it looks like all three of these stocks are going to be basically out of commission at least through the end of June.

Now what

At the same time, though, the affixing of an end date to this "no sail" order -- even one that gets extended from time to time as the situation develops -- keeps hope alive that cruise lines will sail again one day, and that the recession in cruise travel will end as well. Indeed, speaking on CNBC yesterday, Carnival CEO Arnold Donald assured investors that "Social gathering at some point will return, and when it does, people will want to cruise." He also noted that bookings for 2021 are "strong."

The real question investors need to ask is which of these three cruise lines will be able to remain solvent long enough to collect on those bookings, and profit from the industry's revival? Judging from today's price action, investors aren't at all certain that they know the answer to that question.
President Trump took off Wednesday on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, inaccurately saying she invited people to parties in San Franciscos Chinatown in late February after he had taken his first significant steps to try to limit the U.S. spread of the coronavirus.

Trump said at his daily White House news briefing that after he barred travelers from China on Feb. 2 and set up screening rules for U.S. citizens returning from the country, Nancy Pelosi was trying to have in San Francisco parties in Chinatown because she thought it would be great.

Trump was misleadingly describing a tour of Chinatown that Pelosi made Feb. 24 with local merchants, having lunch and visiting shops and businesses as customers vanished from the area.

We should come to Chinatown, she said outside the Dim Sum Corner Restaurant on Grant Avenue. Precautions have been taken by our city. We know that there is concern surrounding tourism ... but we think its very safe to be in Chinatown and hope that others will come.

The speakers tour took place more than three weeks before Bay Area health officers told people to shelter in place starting March 17 and ordered nonessential businesses to send employees home.

Pelosi asked for everyone to please come and visit and enjoy Chinatown. ... Its beautiful and there are some good bargains here now. But she also had a more serious purpose: warning against discriminating against Asian American people and businesses because of the coronavirus, which first erupted in China.

Asked if it was irrational for people to avoid Asian American businesses, Pelosi said, This fear is  I think  is unwarranted in light of the precautions being taken here in the United States. While there was concern about whether China had done all it could against the virus, Pelosi added, that should not be carried over to Chinatown and San Francisco.

Trump, pushing back against criticism from Pelosi and others that he was slow to respond to the coronavirus crisis, said Wednesday that the San Francisco Democrat was in no position to judge his actions.

The Chinatown visit, the president said, showed that Pelosi wasnt concerned about the virus.

She wanted to show that (the coronavirus) doesnt exist, Trump said.

Taylor Griffin, a spokeswoman for Pelosi, said afterward that the Asian American community is battling the pandemic on multiple fronts as their health, dignity and safety are under attack with the rise of anti-Asian racism. As she communicated during her visit to Chinatown three weeks prior to the shelter-in-place order, Speaker Pelosi remains staunchly committed to combating bigotry while ensuring the safety and economic well-being of the Asian American-Pacific Islander community.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
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A large number of American companies like Google, Uber and IBM are offering their resources to help India successfully fight the battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Resources range from providing free digital education platform, donating face masks, boosting up ventilator production to converting shipping containers into ICU.

The death toll due to coronavirus in India rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 in the country on Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

"So many businesses Indian and US are turning their tools towards specific needs that society has in beating back the pandemic. They are helping to bring all of their resources towards this battle, Nisha Desai Biswal president of US India Business Council told PTI in an interview.

"So that when you have a surge in critical cases, and a shortage of ICUs house those that you can use other assets to try to do that," she said.

"(Indian) companies like Dynamitic, Mahindra, Tata are re-engineering their production capacity to make what is necessary. Companies like Abbott is fielding rapid coronavirus testing or Becton Dickenson, Medtronic, which are really boosting up ventilator production," Biswal said.

Google is partnering to do more online education for students in partnership with Pratham.

"Everyone is going into this with an attitude of what is the need of the hour and what can we do to help provide that until that critical need, Biswal said.

Google has partnered with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to facilitate contributions to the PM CARES fund through Google Pay.

It is working closely with various ministries to help users to find useful information across its products and platforms and have rolled out an India-specific website on COVID-19 to share comprehensive information such as key helpline numbers, educational content, and a running snapshot of global and Indian statistics.

Working closely with MyGov, Google is surfacing locations of food shelters & night shelters on Google Maps, Search and Google Assistant, to help migrant workers & affected people across cities.

Infrastructure company Jacobs is part of an international alliance that is seeking to convert shipping containers into plug-in pods to expand intensive-care units (ICUs) during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jacobs is working in partnership with the World Economic Forum and individuals from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

SAP has set up an India Solidarity Fund for migrant labour, vulnerable population, infected patients and senior citizens.

It has also partnered with United Nations Development Plan (UNDP) India and HelpAge India to strengthen the public health requirements such as ventilators in hospitals, N-95 masks, sanitisers, monthly dry ration and food packets.

With NITI Ayog's Coalition for Rapid Anti-Covid Response (CRACR), SAP is proposing to build predictive models to showcase various possible pandemic scenarios taking into account multiple variables.

General Motors has offered manufacturing blueprints for face masks to 600 auto parts suppliers amid virus pandemic.

3M has increased the production of respirators, surgical masks and hand sanitisers in the range of 35 per cent to 40 per cent and almost exclusively directing supplies to a large number of government and private healthcare providers, front-line healthcare workers and nodal agencies in India.

Uber has partnered with Flipkart and BigBasket to deliver essential items.

Pfizer in India donated 40,000 N95 masks to healthcare workers, ventilators to hospitals and food packets through NGOs. It is also conducting anti-viral compound screening.

GSK Pharma has announced to provide 40,000 augementin duo, 3K Augmentin IV 300 mg, 3500 PPE kits with N95 mask, 2 proton plus critical care ventilator.

Gilead Sciences has announced that it will donate 1.5 million individual doses of its COVID investigational drug, Remdesiir.

Cepheid, which has developed an automated molecular test for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has already introduced it in India.

The test can provide rapid detection of the current pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in approximately 45 minutes with less than a minute of hands on time to prepare the sample.

ZoHo is providing free software (11 pieces of software) for all companies going remote to encourage remote work to avoid the spread of the virus.

BP is mobilising Rs 11 crore to help fight the outbreak. It is providing select government hospitals with personal protective equipment.

IBM is offering the agritech start-ups a 30-day free trial of its Operations Dashboard from The Weather Company (TWC) to help these firms with supply chain operations.

Farmers in India are getting ready to harvest rabi crops like wheat, barley, mustard, sesame and peas, but many agritech companies who manage supply chains are facing complex challenges due to the lockdown.

"The Dashboard can help supply chain managers make faster, more-informed decisions by combining our accurate weather forecasts with their unique business insights, the company said.

JP Morgan Bank has extended benefits to customers who have been hurt by the ongoing coronavirus crisis by introducing measures such as waivers for late fees and a 90-day grace period for mortgage and auto loan payments.

MSD in India (subsidiary of Merck & Co. Inc. USA) has contributed Rs 3.5 Crore to PM Cares Fund towards fighting COVID19 in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A group of black ministers is pleading with the Trump Administration to offer more information about the coronavirus death rates in communities of color where -- in many cities -- a disproportionate amount of African Americans are dying at alarming rates.

Rev. William Barber II of the Poor People's Campaign has served as one of the loudest voices in black communities demanding more attention in neighborhoods and regions without equitable access to health care, remote learning, food and coronavirus testing.

Like major cities around the country, Cleveland, where about 49.6 percent of the population is black, has not been immune to the amount of African American deaths as a result of COVID-19.

Issues like transportation, access to primary-care doctors, housing, lack of sick leave and others make some people more susceptible to the potentially fatal virus, said Dr. Heidi Gullett, Cuyahoga County Board of Healths medical director.

As of Wednesday, of Ohios 7,119 cases in which race is known, 64.2% are white, 24.3% black and the rest are other races or multi-race. Ohios population is 81.9% white and 13% black, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Rev. Eddie Anderson of Los Angeles sees African Americans being affected by the virus.

"We have limited testing for coronavirus, but no place to get care except one hospital," Anderson said. "The coronavirus may get us sick, but America's racism is what's killing us today."

Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, the senior pastor at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Atlanta, is "advocating for black and brown people" who have disproportionately been infected and died from the virus. She noted that many African Americans in the Atlanta area are in the frontline fighting as healthcare workers.

"Not only are they jeopardizing their own safety, but the safety of those they return home to," she said. "Given the fact they are giving so great of a sacrifice, it is appalling that these men and women have to struggle with a shortage of healthcare equipment needed to save lives such as ventilators."

Bishop Yvette Flunder of City of Refuge United Church of Christ in Oakland California shared a similar sentiment. She serves a population of 70 percent African American and said the area she serves fears an explosion of COVID-19. For some of the community around her, there is "no shelter in place when there is no shelter."

"As homelessness is often created as urban populations are experiencing huge rent increases while median income has declined," she said. "...it (coronavirus pandemic) reminds me of medieval Europe during the plagues. I have seen the proliferation in Oakland, and our seniors and our homeless and our housing-insecure people are in grave danger. There is no sheltering in place where there is no shelter and the most vulnerable are the people who are housing insecure. Something must be done."

Pastors from Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and other cities participated in the Zoom call Wednesday afternoon to address the problem that is the high rate of death when it comes to African Americans in the coronavirus pandemic.

Barber, who is also president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach and pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in North Carolina, demanded that the Trump Administration use the Defense Production Act to mobilize manufacturers to make personal protective equipment without price gouging sectors who are on the frontline.

He also demanded that there be more test sites and field hospitals built in areas with more black and poor people, and to ask the states that have not expanded Medicaid to do so. States should also provide immediate eligibility for Medicaid for anyone out of work as a result of the pandemic.

The pastors also asks that the Trump administration unleash a recovery bill that focuses on poor and minority communities to ensure people make livable wages and have access to paid sick leave, adequate child care, rent forgiveness and healthcare.

Finally, they ask that the administration release better coronavirus data related to its impact on minority neighborhoods and communities.

Repairers of Breach, a not-for-profit organization based in North Carolina that builds a moral agenda and movement for all, hosted the discussion.

Pastors also told stories of things they have seen themselves while serving in their respective communities. The full video conference is available here.

"Blacks often live in communities with less access to high-quality, affordable healthcare," Barber said. "This limits testing and treatment, which results in more severe cases and deaths. This is why we must guarantee health and living wages as a right, not a privilege, especially in states that have refused to expand Medicaid."

Mississippi, for example, has a death rate reported to be 70% among blacks, Barber said.

Those who participated in the conference included Barber, minister of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina; the Rev. Traci Blackmon, executive minister of justice and witness ministries of The United Church of Christ and senior pastor of Christ The King United Church of Christ in Florissant, Missouri; and the Rev. Dr. Leslie Callahan, the first female pastor of the 119-year-old St. Paul's Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

The pastors stressed that systemic racism plays an outsized role in the public health of communities of color.

"We live in a country where skin color is hazardous to one's health, and mortality is not determined by one's genetic code, but instead by one's zip code," Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, of Dallas said.

A study by the National Academy of Medicine has shown that African Americans have less access to healthcare and lower quality of healthcare than white people all across the county.

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Press Release

16 April 2020

LAS VEGAS - MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) today announced a broad range of donations and initiatives intended to help alleviate supply shortages and support local communities through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. By leveraging its supply chain, procurement capabilities, distribution systems, supplier network and other resources, MGM is delivering on a daily basis, urgent logistical support to help manage supply shortages of critical items.

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"We are leveraging the resources of our company to make a difference by delivering much-needed support and product where it is most required. We are committed to providing relief to medical staff and others who are on the front line of this global battle against COVID-19 as well as the volunteer organizations on the ground serving local communities," said Bill Hornbuckle, Acting CEO and President of MGM Resorts International. "We are fully mobilized and doing all we can to support as many people as possible during this difficult time."

MGM provided logistical support helping the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force transport 250,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits and meet vital storage needsthe tests must remain frozen to be viablefor the State of Nevada. The company donated large freezer and refrigeration units from its Mandalay Bay property to the University Medical Center (UMC) of Southern Nevada for COVID-19 rapid test storage. MGM partnered with Penske Trucks to meet the demand for freezer and refrigerated storage. These efforts will help UMC process a high volume of COVID-19 tests.

The Company is working closely with MGM Macau to source and ship much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers in Nevada, including 200,000 gloves and 261,000 gowns. By leveraging its global arm in China, MGM is procuring and transporting orders of medical grade gloves and gowns for the COVID-19 Task Force to distribute to healthcare workers who are in desperate need of this equipment.

"We have been working closely with the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force to identify current pressing needs. By leveraging our supply chain, we can help source critical items that are in high demand," said Stacey Taylor, Senior Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer, MGM Resorts International.

MGM is working closely with community partners throughout the country to understand unique regional demands to provide support where it is needed most. So far, the Company has donated more than 555,405 pounds of food, which equates to 462,837 meals. The Company has contributed much needed personal hygiene supplies, furniture and other items.

Starting April 14, chefs from the company's resorts will cook and donate 1,000 hot meals a day for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. The effort - which will last through April 30, 2020 meets an essential need for the facility, which just recently reopened its Emergency Night Shelter after a shelter client was confirmed as positive with COVID-19.

"We are closely monitoring COVID-19 pandemic developments through the lens of how we can help people on the ground during this crisis, at local, regional, national and global levels," said Jyoti Chopra, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Sustainability Officer for MGM Resorts International. "Our model is predicated on public-private-partnerships to deliver goods and services, on scale, where it matters most so that we can embrace humanity and protect our planet."

Additional information below:

Nevada COVID-19 Task Force Donations:

The goal of the Nevada COVID-19 task force is to expand the capacity of Nevada's healthcare system. MGM Resorts is working closely with the task force to transport and store 250,000 rapid response test kits to the state of Nevada. MGM's donations to this effort include utilization of Corporate Sourcing resources and global supply chain, Corporate Social Responsibility resources and freezer and refrigeration units used to store the tests. The Company is also working closely with MGM Macau to source and ship much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers in Nevada the shipment includes The Company is working closely with MGM Macau to source and ship much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers in Nevada, including 200,000 gloves and 261,000 gowns.

Community Donations Across the Nation

The company is working with local community partners to ensure products and services are delivered to meet local needs, primarily in underserved areas.

MGM Resorts International (Las Vegas, NV): Across Las Vegas, MGM Resorts has provided extensive on-the-ground support and in-kind donations to several local community organizations and agencies. So far, the resort group has donated 363,000 lbs., equivalent to 302,000 meals to community members in need. Beginning, April 14 - April 30 the company will prepare and donate an additional 1,000 meals a day to Catholic Charities to help feed the underserved population. Donations of furniture and soap have been made to the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center and linens and personal hygiene items have been donated to the Cashman ISO-Q Facility to help the homeless. The company has also donated various items to the US Vets and PPE items to UMC and the Southern Nevada Healthcare System.

MGM National Harbor (Oxon Hill, Md.): MGM National Harbor worked with food donor partner Nourish Now to contribute 55,000 pounds of food to community nonprofits such as Nourish Now. The food will provide more than 45,000 meals to Maryland residents throughout Prince George's County. Donations to make personal hygiene kits were also sent to the Prince George's County Professional Firefighters Union.

MGM Springfield (Springfield, Mass.): MGM Springfield has donated 12,000 pounds to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Open Pantry Community Services and Friends of the Homeless. These donations will provide over 10,000 meals to Springfield residents in need. In addition, MGM Springfield donated portable sleeping cots and outdoor heaters to Mercy Hospital and the City of Springfield.

MGM Grand Detroit (Detroit, Mich.): To provide critical help to the city, MGM Grand Detroit has donated approximately 20,000 pounds of produce and dairy products to Forgotten Harvest, a food distribution channel equal to 17,000 meals. MGM Grand Detroit donated PPE to medical professionals throughout the city as well as the Detroit Police Department.

Beau Rivage & (Biloxi, Miss.): Beau Rivage has donated 25,000 pounds of food to multiple organizations including Extra Table, Loaves & Fishes, Lord is My Help and the Hancock County Food Pantry for individuals and families across the city. The effort will provide more than 20,000 meals to South Mississippi families who may have suddenly found themselves in need. The company has donated personal hygiene items to the Seashore Missions and PPE items to the Biloxi Police Department and the Gulfport Memorial Hospital Foundation. Donations were also made to Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.

Gold Strike: (Tunica, Miss.): Gold Strike has donated 7,800 pounds of food, which is the equivalent of 6,500 meals to Sacred Hearth Southern Mission.

Borgata: (Atlantic City, NJ): The Borgata has donated more than 35,000 pounds or about 30,000 meals to the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic County and to the Community Food Bank of NJ.

Empire City:(Yonkers, NY): Cariats of Port Chester NY received approximately 25,000 pounds of food from Empire City, which equates to 20,000 meals.

MGM Northfield Park (Northfield, Ohio): Working with JACK Casino and JACK Thistledown, MGM Northfield Park has donated more than 7,000 pounds equal to 5,800 meals of food to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, offering support to the Northeast Ohio community. They are continuing to donate throughout the week.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday that while he has no immediate plans to require the use of masks in public to combat the coronavirus, restaurant and other workers may be directed to do so.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a change from its earlier stance, has recommended that people wear masks in public and the governor has too. However, some states are mandating their use generally or while visiting certain areas, like grocery stores.

"Whether I would mandate individuals to wear a mask, I am not certain," Edwards said. "We are going to look at what the CDC recommendations are on this."

The governor's current stay-at-home order, which applies to all but "essential" workers, extends through April 30.

Edwards has said repeatedly that what happens next will be announced several days before the end of the month, but that it is too soon to tell how any current directives will be loosened.

The governor said he has been generally pleased by the number of people wearing protection to help combat the spread of the virus.

"I am told that more and more individuals are choosing to wear a mask in public," Edwards said. "It is something we should wrap our minds around. It is going to be the normal for some time."

The governor traveled to Monroe and other parts of northeast Louisiana after tornadoes touched down on Easter Sunday.

"When I was in Monroe nobody came close to where I was that didn't have a mask on," Edwards said. "I am not sure if that is the way it is everywhere."

Edwards made his comments during his daily briefing on the virus, and he formally issued his proclamation that public schools will not re-open in the current academic year.

Acting State Superintendent of Education Beth Scioneaux, who appeared with Edwards, said key issues will be left to local educators, including assessments on where students stand academically and whether summer school classes are needed.

The governor emphasized that distance learning will continue in schools statewide, either high- or low-tech.

"This is not the end of learning for the academic year," he said. "It is just the end of students going to physical campuses for the remainder of the spring semester."

He added, "Remote learning will continue and, we will all work together to make sure that our students do not fall behind academically. In addition, we expect that school systems will continue to provide nutrition and meals for students.

Scioneaux said local educators are to use the final six weeks of the school year to identify learning levels of students  a key concern.

She also said local officials are to map plans for any additional academic time.

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Some superintendents have suggested summer school as a way to address possible learning gaps, especially since internet access varies statewide and makes online education impossible in some areas.

Scioneaux said whether widespread summer school classes are needed is also best left to district-level educators.

Sandy Holloway, president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said Wednesday she has named two BESE members  Preston Castille and Ashley Ellis  to serve as liaisons with the state Department of Education on how academics will unfold amid the schools closure.

Edwards announced earlier this week that public schools would remain closed for the rest of the academic year, which had been scheduled to close in late May.

Louisiana schools to remain closed for academic year amid coronavirus, John Bel Edwards says Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday he will order public schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year because of the coronavirus, 

The governor initially shuttered schools effective March 16 as part of efforts to stem the spread of the virus and later extended his order through April 30.

The move to keep classrooms closed was backed by the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, leaders of BESE and the Louisiana School Boards Association.

All three groups said health concerns prompted their calls as well as practical problems re-starting schools for what would generally be for three weeks.

Keep Louisiana schools closed amid coronavirus, superintendents ask John Bel Edwards Louisiana public school superintendents Wednesday asked Gov. John Bel Edwards to extend his schools closure order through the end of the acade

State education leaders have said action is needed to avoid students missing nine weeks of classroom instruction.

But Dannie P. Garrett III, an attorney for the Louisiana School Boards Association, said that is overstating the gap.

In an email, Garrett noted that standardized tests were set to run through April 9, most districts planned to take off the following week and that there is "very little academic instruction that takes place after the end-of-year assessments have been completed."

Early school year, summer school are possible to make up for coronavirus closures in Louisiana Summer school, starting the 2020-21 school year early, and customized education plans are among the ideas being tossed around if students end 

"The point remains that, as a practical matter, students only lost two weeks of instruction prior to the beginning of the end-of-the-year assessments," he said.

The annual exams were canceled because of the coronavirus.
WASHINGTON  The Navy is looking into whether it can reinstate Capt. Brett E. Crozier, who was removed from command of the carrier Theodore Roosevelt after he pleaded for more help fighting a novel coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.

Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, has indicated that he may reinstate Crozier, who is viewed as a hero by his crew for putting their lives above his career, officials said.

No final decisions have been made, Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the admiral, said in a statement to The New York Times on Wednesday. Christensen added that Gilday was reviewing the findings of a preliminary investigation into the events surrounding Croziers removal.

But Gildays decision could be upended by President Donald Trump, who has not been shy about intervening in military personnel cases. Just five months ago, Trump fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer for opposing the presidents intervention in support of a Navy SEAL accused of murdering a wounded captive with a hunting knife during a deployment to Iraq in 2017.

No one in the Navy wants a repeat of those events, which came complete with Trump on Twitter admonishing the Navy leaderships handling of the SEAL case. But Navy officials insist that Gilday will make a decision based on the findings of the investigation into the Roosevelt crisis, and not on what he thinks the president wants him to do.

Trump himself has indicated he may be open to reassessing the events around the firing. He said recently that Crozier made a mistake, but he also noted that the captain had a bad day. It remained unclear how the president would view a move to reinstate Crozier, or when action would be taken.

Crozier, who is in isolation on Guam with coronavirus, was removed from command on April 2 by Thomas Modly, the acting Navy secretary at the time, a move that drew outrage among the carriers crew and across the country and eventually led to Modlys resignation.

Gilday and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had both cautioned Modly not to fire Crozier until after an investigation into the case has been completed. Modly, believing Trump wanted the captain fired, ignored them, officials said.

As of Wednesday, 615 Roosevelt crew members have tested positive for coronavirus; five are in the hospital with one in intensive care, and one has died. The death of the sailor on Monday was a poignant punctuation to Croziers March 30 plea for help, after four days of being rebuffed by his superiors in his request to evacuate the ship, because, he wrote, sailors dont need to die.

That plea, sent in an email to 20 Navy personnel, became public and angered Modly, which led to his decision to remove the captain from his post.

Gilday indicated last week that he was open to the possibility of reinstating Crozier once the preliminary investigation was completed. I am taking no options off the table as I review that investigation, he told reporters. I think that is my responsibility.

Any decision to reinstate Crozier would come with its own problems. Navy officials remain unhappy with the captains decision to send an unclassified letter pleading for help to so many people, instead of relying on his chain of command. For the Navy to reinstate him, Gilday would have to determine that Croziers superiors were not being adequately responsive to his pleas for help before he sent the letter, Navy officials said.

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Gilday already has the findings of an initial investigation into the Roosevelt case. But that investigation was conducted by Adm. Robert Burke, the Navys second-highest admiral, who was involved in the situation aboard Roosevelt. It was Burke who, as part of the investigation, called the senior medical officer aboard the ship and criticized the doctor, saying he had failed as a leader, according to crew members.

In the run-up to Croziers letter, the ships medical staff and the captain advocated swift, decisive action, while Croziers immediate boss, Rear Adm. Stuart Baker, countered that less drastic measures would still protect the crew and leave the Roosevelt in operation.

Gilday told reporters earlier this month that a focus of the investigation was determining why Crozier, a Naval Academy graduate with nearly 30 years of service, felt compelled to send his four-page letter outside normal communications channels and whether that illustrated a breakdown in communications with his chain of command, particularly with Baker. The Navy has said Crozier did not copy Baker on his letter.

Before the results are made public, Gilday will consult with the new acting Navy secretary, James McPherson, as well as with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Milley.

The Navy investigation now in progress should take its time and make sure we truly understand the detailed ticktock of events that preceded the letter launched by Capt. Crozier, said James G. Stavridis, a retired admiral and former top commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. If it becomes clear that his chain of command was not responsive, it makes a potential case for rehabilitation much stronger.

Esper, the Pentagons top civilian, has not indicated where he stands on the investigation. Appearing on Fox News on Wednesday, he appeared to acknowledge that he may eventually have to weigh in. At some point it likely will come to me, he said. But the most important thing though is taking care of our sailors who are now in Guam.

The investigation will not examine why the Roosevelt, and its nearly 5,000 crew members, made a long-scheduled, four-day port call in Da Nang, Vietnam, beginning on March 5, despite reported cases of coronavirus in the country.

The top U.S. military officer in Pacific, Adm. Philip Davidson, ordered the visit to proceed as a show of American military might in a region increasingly worried about Chinas growing territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Navy and Pentagon officials have since defended the decision, saying there were only a handful of reported coronavirus cases, mostly in the northern part of the country, at the time the Roosevelt pulled in. Navy officials publicly say they are not sure how the virus got aboard the ship, but privately acknowledge that it almost certainly happened during the port call.

In Guam, many among the Roosevelts crew say they are hoping Crozier will return as their captain. One crew member described his fired commander as having proved prescient during every chapter of the crisis. While the ships interim commander, Capt. Carlos Sardiello, who commanded the Roosevelt previously, is viewed favorably by much of the crew, he is not seen to be as receptive to them as Crozier was when he was in charge.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Company highlights strong financial position and cash flow; sets date for fiscal 2020 second-quarter earnings release

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (ASH) today provided an update for preliminary fiscal 2020 second-quarter financial results, its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and strong financial position. Additional information regarding second-quarter fiscal earnings will be shared during a conference call webcast with securities analysts on May 6, 2020.

Preliminary fiscal 2020 second-quarter financial results

The Ashland portfolio performed well during the quarter, despite the global macroeconomic uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales were approximately $610 million, down 9 percent versus the prior-year period. Our legacy Pharmachem business and previously communicated prior-year business losses in oral care represented approximately half of this decline. The overall results in the quarter are reflective of the defensive nature of the products we produce and the markets we serve. We did not experience significant demand issues, consistent with our performance during past economic downturns.

Ashland expects a loss from continuing operations during the second fiscal quarter of approximately $580 million, or approximately -$9.56 per diluted share, driven primarily by a goodwill impairment charge following the business unit realignment during the quarter (see Table 1 for estimated significant key item amounts and descriptions). Adjusted earnings from continuing operations are expected to be approximately $52 million, or $0.84 per diluted share, including an effective tax rate of approximately 18 percent. Net loss (including discontinued operations) is expected to be approximately $587 million. Ashlands Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $142 million.

Ashland is well positioned to meet the operating and financial challenges of the global pandemic, said Guillermo Novo, chairman and chief executive officer, Ashland. Our priorities are the health and safety of our employees and the continued supply of products to customers in the critical industries which we serve. From the beginning of the crisis in January, we have implemented our global and regional incident management response plans and teams, which include significant new safety protocols throughout our operations. We are also taking broader actions designed to help further prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, including limiting domestic and international travel and implementing work-from-home arrangements, among others.

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We understand how critical our supply reliability is to our customers in the industries they serve, and we are considered an essential supplier by many government agencies around the world, continued Novo. Thanks to the rapid engagement and active management by our teams, our global manufacturing facilities and supply chain capabilities have not been significantly impacted at this point, and we are well positioned to remain a reliable technology and solutions provider to our customers.

The rapidly evolving pandemic has created significant uncertainty around future demand and supply dynamics across the globe. The extent and duration of the pandemics impact on our business remains uncertain. We are evaluating the expected effect of the pandemic and the policy responses of governments on our financial results for the remainder of the year and will provide an update during our second quarter earnings conference call.

Strong financial position and focus on cash generation

Ashlands balance sheet and cash position remained strong at the end of the second fiscal quarter, with ample liquidity and resilient cash flows.

In todays highly uncertain macro environment, we recognize the importance of cash and liquidity. We are closely monitoring our business performance in addition to reducing our working capital, capital spending and operating costs so that we will be well positioned to continue to generate strong free cash flow, continued Novo. We are adjusting our manufacturing operations to match the current demand outlook for each of our businesses and rebalance high inventory levels. These actions will improve our cash position but negatively impact fixed-cost absorption in the short term.

Ashland has adapted quickly to the current dynamic and challenging conditions, concluded Novo. We expect to safely and successfully navigate the challenges the pandemic creates, and I am confident our high-value technologies, leading market positions in critical industries, and deep customer relationships will put us in a position to capture new opportunities in the recovery expected to follow. I want to thank the entire Ashland team for their dedication and unwavering commitment to each other, to our customers and to the communities in which we operate.

Ample liquidity: At the end of the second fiscal quarter, available liquidity was over $1 billion including approximately $350 million of cash-on-hand, revolver availability and other long-term investments. The outstanding balance on our $600 million revolving credit facility was approximately $250 million.

Resilient cash flows: Our cash position was strong at the end of the second fiscal quarter, and we are taking proactive actions to further support free cash flow. We are aggressively managing operating costs, reducing net working capital, and targeting at least a $20 million to $25 million reduction to our $175 million planned capital expenditures for fiscal year 2020.

Limited debt service: Ashlands balance sheet is well positioned with no significant maturities related to our term loans, revolving credit facilities or bonds until August 2022. As of March 31, our net debt was $1.7 billion. Our credit agreement includes only leverage and interest coverage covenants that are not expected to impact our ability to access the full amount of our revolving credit facility if needed.

Committed to our dividend: Ashland increased its quarterly dividend by 10 percent in May 2019 and paid the most recent dividend on March 15, 2020. We plan to maintain our dividend of at least $0.275 per share per quarter.

Share repurchase: Ashland maintains an $800 million share repurchase authorization. We do not plan on utilizing the share repurchase authorization in the present financial environment.

The information in this release is preliminary, based upon information available at the time of this news release, and actual results may differ. Ashland plans to provide a further update on its second-quarter financial results and financial outlook on its upcoming Conference Call Webcast on May 6, 2020.

Conference Call Webcast

Ashland plans to issue its second-quarter earnings release at approximately 5 p.m. ET on May 5, 2020. The live webcast with securities analysts, which will include an executive summary and detailed remarks, will take place at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. At the same time, the company will post a slide presentation in the Investor Relations section of its website at http://investor.ashland.com .

Among those participating in the webcast presentation will be:

Guillermo Novo, chairman and chief executive officer;

Kevin Willis, senior vice president and chief financial officer; and

Seth Mrozek, director of investor relations.

The webcast will be accessible through the Investor Relations section of Ashland's website at http://investor.ashland.com , along with supporting materials. Following the live event, an archived version of the webcast and supporting materials will be available on the Ashland website for 12 months.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

Ashland believes that by removing the impact of depreciation and amortization and excluding certain non-cash charges, amounts spent on interest and taxes and certain other charges that are highly variable from year to year, adjusted EBITDA provides Ashlands investors with performance measures that reflect the impact to operations from trends in changes in sales, margin and operating expenses, providing a perspective not immediately apparent from net income. The adjustments Ashland makes to derive the non-GAAP measure of adjusted EBITDA exclude items which may cause short-term fluctuations in net income and which Ashland does not consider to be the fundamental attributes or primary drivers of its business. Adjusted EBITDA provides disclosure on the same basis as that used by Ashlands management to evaluate financial performance on a consolidated and reportable segment basis and provide consistency in our financial reporting, facilitate internal and external comparisons of Ashlands historical operating performance and its business units and provide continuity to investors for comparability purposes.

Key items, which are set forth on Table 2 accompanying this release, are defined as financial effects from significant transactions that, either by their nature or amount, have caused short-term fluctuations in net income and/or operating income which Ashland does not consider to most accurately reflect Ashlands underlying business performance and trends. Further, Ashland believes that providing supplemental information that excludes the financial effects of these items in the financial results will enhance the investors ability to compare financial performance between reporting periods.

Tax-specific key items, which are set forth on Table 2 accompanying this release, are defined as financial transactions, tax law changes or other matters that fall within the definition of key items as described above. These items relate solely to tax matters and would only be recorded within the income tax caption of the Statement of Consolidated Income. As with all key items, due to their nature, Ashland does not consider the financial effects of these tax-specific key items on net income to be the most accurate reflection of Ashlands underlying business performance and trends.

Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a performance measure used by Ashland and is defined by Ashland as earnings (loss) from continuing operations, adjusted for identified key items and divided by the number of outstanding diluted shares of common stock. Ashland believes this measure provides investors additional insights into operational performance by providing earnings and diluted earnings per share metrics that exclude the effect of the identified key items and tax specific key items.

About Ashland

Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (ASH) is a premier global specialty materials company serving customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including adhesives, architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, nutraceuticals, personal care and pharmaceutical. At Ashland, we are approximately 4,700 passionate, tenacious solvers  from renowned scientists and research chemists to talented engineers and plant operators  who thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Ashland has identified some of these forward-looking statements with words such as anticipates, believes, expects, estimates, is likely, predicts, projects, forecasts, objectives, may, will, should, plans and intends and the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. Ashland may from time to time make forward-looking statements in its annual reports, quarterly reports and other filings with the SEC, news releases and other written and oral communications. These forward-looking statements are based on Ashlands expectations and assumptions, as of the date such statements are made, regarding Ashlands future operating performance, financial condition and expected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ashlands business, operating cash flow and liquidity, as well as the economy and other future events or circumstances. These statements include but may not be limited to Ashlands expectations regarding its ability to drive sales and earnings growth and realize further cost reductions.

Ashlands expectations and assumptions include, without limitation, internal forecasts and analyses of current and future market conditions and trends, management plans and strategies, operating efficiencies and economic conditions (such as prices, supply and demand, cost of raw materials, and the ability to recover raw-material cost increases through price increases), and risks and uncertainties associated with the following: the impact of acquisitions and/or divestitures Ashland has made or may make (including the possibility that Ashland may not realize the anticipated benefits from such transactions); Ashlands substantial indebtedness (including the possibility that such indebtedness and related restrictive covenants may adversely affect Ashlands future cash flows, results of operations, financial condition and its ability to repay debt); severe weather, natural disasters, public health crises (including the current COVID-19 pandemic), cyber events and legal proceedings and claims (including product recalls, environmental and asbestos matters); the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the geographies in which we operate, the end markets we serve and on our supply chain and customers, and without limitation, risks and uncertainties affecting Ashland that are described in Ashlands most recent Form 10-K (including Item 1A Risk Factors) filed with the SEC, which is available on Ashlands website at http://investor.ashland.com or on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. Various risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those stated, projected or implied by any forward-looking statements. The extent and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations is uncertain. Factors that will influence the impact on our business and operations include the duration and extent of the pandemic, the extent of imposed or recommended containment and mitigation measures, and the general economic consequences of the pandemic. Ashland believes its expectations and assumptions are reasonable, but there can be no assurance that the expectations reflected herein will be achieved. Unless legally required, Ashland undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

1Financial results are preliminary until Ashlands Form 10-Q is filed with the SEC.

 Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Investor Relations: Media Relations:

Seth A. Mrozek Carolmarie C. Brown

+1 (302) 594-5010 +1 (302) 995-3158

samrozek@ashland.com c cbrown@ashland.com

Attachments
Police in New Jersey found 17 bodies at a nursing home facility after receiving an anonymous tip that a corpse was being kept in a shed near its buildings.

Officials said the bodies were discovered at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Centre I and II in Sussex, Delaware, according to The New York Times.

The nursing home, like many others across the country, has been severely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring, Eric C Danielson, the police chief in Andover told the paper.

Officers did not find a body in the shed, but discovered 17 corpses piled up inside a small morgue only meant for four people.

Some 26 of the 68 recent deaths in the facility were said to have tested positive for the disease, however, it was not clear if the 17 bodies in the morgue had died from Covid-19.

Two of those who died were reported to be nurses at the facility.

Some 76 people at the nursing home have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 including 41 staff members, county health records shared on Wednesday with a federal official.

The challenge were having with all of these nursing homes, is once it spreads, its like a wildfire, Representative Josh Gottheimer told The Times. Its very hard to stop it.

The discovery sparked fear among family members of those still residing at the 700 bed facility.

According to The Times, the home told local health officials they have been separating sick patients on separate wings or floors of the facility.

A spokeswoman for the states Department of Health told the newspaper it was sending the nursing home a shipment of protective gear to help slow the spread of the disease.

At least 13 of the bodies found on Monday were reportedly moved to a refrigerated truck outside of a hospital in a nearby town, the four other bodies are said to be due to be picked up by a local funeral home.

Staff members who answered the facilities phone lines told The Times they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Dorrance Hamilton Hall at The University of the Arts, where students have petitioned for partial refunds of tuition now that classes have been moved online for the rest of the semester due to the coronavirus. Read more

Skylar Watkins, a film major at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, has four studio classes this semester, and they just havent been the same since all instruction moved online due to the coronavirus.

The 21-year-old Nashville native says she doesnt have the equipment she needs to do the work. One professor, she said, told her: Film something, and youll pass.

Its not the kind of educational experience she feels is worth the tens of thousands of dollars in tuition she is shelling out, she said. She wants at least half her money back for the spring semester.

Around the country, students at dozens of colleges, from Columbia to the University of California, Northwestern, and the University of Florida, to local colleges including Temple and Drexel, are launching change.org petitions, seeking refunds. Watkins and her roommate started one that has garnered more than 1,000 signatures.

Other students have resorted to lawsuits to recoup tuition and fees; the South Carolina-based Anastopoulo Law Firm has filed suit against Drexel University and the University of Miami. The lawyer representing students said more legal action is coming.

We are currently investigating dozens of cases across the country, including in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, said lawyer Roy Willey, noting the firms website for fielding complaints, collegerefund2020.com. There is some product being delivered that has a value, but it does not have the same value of what students paid for.

 READ MORE: More colleges move to, plan for online classes as coronavirus spreads

But some experts say the complainants will have a tough case to prove, given that the universities have maintained instruction, taught by the same faculty. Most traditional colleges charge the same for online and on-campus courses, said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Savingforcollege.com, a guide to saving and paying for college.

A college certainly should give a refund if they have to cancel the class, he said. But if they move it to an online format, its a much more difficult case.

Drexel, which enrolls about 24,000 students, declined comment on the lawsuit, but defended its course delivery.

The university remains committed to providing students with a challenging and engaging academic  and social  experience, utilizing an array of creative digital tools to keep connected to their professors and to each other, said spokesperson Niki Gianakaris.

Tuition and fees for first-year students at Drexel exceed $54,000; costs differ in subsequent years because most students work co-op jobs and dont pay tuition during that time.

Many universities have provided refunds or future credit for room and board after forcing most students off campus last month and moving instruction online. Drexel has said it wont charge room and board for spring term, which started last week.

But colleges have held fast on not refunding tuition, noting that students can still learn remotely and get credit for the work.

 READ MORE: Teaching coronavirus: Some college professors have written it into their lesson plans

We have been paying students back for things they no longer can use, said Ray Betzner, a spokesperson for Temple University, which has refunded students money for parking in addition to room and board. They are still being taught by the same faculty, and therefore, the tuition is still being used to pay for those faculty members and that education.

Temple hasnt refunded fees, Betzner said, noting that the school has trained the faculty, bought and distributed equipment, and enhanced campus technology to bolster online learning and still offers student services, such as counseling.

West Chester University also will continue to charge tuition, technology, and educational service fees, but has reduced some charges by 50%, including activity, health center, recreation, and parking fees. Thats in addition to cutting room and board by half.

The university absolutely understands the financial hardships that have fallen on students due to the global pandemic, and it has been working hard to minimize costs, said spokesperson Nancy Gainer.

 ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters.

Neumann University in Aston also does not plan tuition refunds for spring. The semester started in-person and students got support through the transition, said president Chris Domes.

But the university, which enrolls about 2,400 undergraduates and graduate students, will cut tuition by 30% for summer undergraduate courses, which will continue to be delivered online. (Rates for masters and doctoral credits also will be reduced.)

The difference, Domes said, is that the entire term will be online.

We know our families are stressed financially, he said. We understood that and we wanted to do something to help them.

Pennsylvania State University also announced lower tuition for summer session this week.

But Siobhan Montenegro, a student at Drexel (who signed the petition but is not part of the lawsuit), said students deserve relief for spring semester.

In these difficult times it is the responsibility of Drexel University to understand the financial hardships its students are facing, but instead, Drexel is unfairly charging a full tuition and a $790 activity fee for canceled activities with no transparency as to what that money is being used for, she said.

Sara Goldrick-Rab, a Temple education-policy professor and longtime advocate for hungry and homeless college students, has vociferously called for support for students in need during the pandemic. And she acknowledges that online experiences are not the same as in-person, though they can be done well.

But when it comes to tuition refunds, she said she can see both sides.

This is a really hard thing, she said. This is about a shift due to a crisis. It was not a decision. It was a necessity.

Colleges have bills to pay, and it wouldnt be right to cut faculty pay midsemester when everyone is working hard to make the transition to online, she said.

Combat pay, thats what faculty deserve right now, she said.

Citing financial losses from the coronavirus, Temple this week announced a 10% cut in pay for officers, deans, and advisers to the president, and a 5% cut for nonunion employees earning more than $100,000.

Watkins, the University of the Arts student, said she is still hoping for help. She submitted the petition, which seeks a refund of half the tuition costs and fees for the semester, to the university.

They just havent replied to me, and I dont know they are going to, which is really disappointing, she said.

The university did not respond to emails from The Inquirer seeking comment.

Johanna Barbosa, a junior dance major, signed the petition. She estimates she pays $43,000 annually in tuition to the University of the Arts. The online classes, she said, are inadequate.

It does not work for performing arts students and art students in general, she said, noting that their education is heavily dependent on studio courses, which require access to facilities, space, and equipment, none of which are available to us now.
Days after unrest among migrant labourers were witnessed in some cities, the Centre on Thursday asked states to immediately undertake a review of the situation and conduct an exercise to ascertain the number of those stranded in cities following the COVID-19 lockdown.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba shot off letters to State Chief Secretaries and Union Territory Administrators asking them to immediately appoint nodal officers, if not already appointed, for coordinating and monitoring issues related to migrant labourers. In metropolitan areas, Municipal Commissioners may be assigned the responsibility of implementation of welfare measures.

He asked the state governments to instruct District Collectors to immediately undertake a review of the situation concerning migrant labourers, as there were reports of unrest among migrant labourers in Surat in Gujarat and Bandra in Maharashtra. There were also reports about migrant labourers stranded in Delhi's Yamuna Ghat.

Gauba also asked the states to undertake a comprehensive enumeration of migrant labourers and stranded persons and make all necessary arrangements for providing food and shelter for them.

In his letter, he also said every relief camp meant for migrant labourers should be under the charge of a senior officer.

"They may also enlist the support of civil society organizations and the network of mid-day meal facilities to provide food for all the stranded persons and migrant labourers during the period of lockdown. Psycho-social counseling may also be provided to such persons, as per guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in this regard," it said.

He also reminded the states to ensure effective implementation of detailed guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for ensuring safety, shelter and food security of migrant labourers.

As the lockdown has been extended to May 3, stranded migrant labourers' hope to return to the villages have been delayed. With no work, many are staring at income loss as well as job loss and have been demanding that they should be let to go back home.

Protests demanding they be sent back to their villages were recently witnessed in Bandra and Surat.
WASHINGTON  President Trump made another head-turning claim of executive power in the middle of a briefing about the Covid-19 pandemic  threatening on Wednesday to force Congress to adjourn so that he may unilaterally install judicial nominees and other officials who would typically require Senate confirmation.

No president has ever purported to do such a thing. Here is an explanation of the legal issues.

What does Mr. Trump want to do?

He wants to make recess appointments.

The Constitution  written at a time of travel by horse, when Congress could be in recess for lengthy periods with no ability for lawmakers to swiftly reconvene  creates an exception to the general rule that the Senate must confirm certain important officials before a president may appoint them to fill vacancies. When the Senate is in recess, a president may unilaterally appoint such officials to serve in those positions until the end of the next session of Congress.

Why cant Mr. Trump make such appointments now?

Because even though the Senate is on an indefinite break amid the pandemic, it did not formally adjourn for a lengthy recess. Rather, it has been holding so-called pro forma sessions, in which a member from the Republican majority comes into the all-but-empty chamber every three days to bang the gavel.
Massachusetts is launching an effort to reach everyone in the state who may have the coronavirus and get them tested and into isolation or treatment if needed. The ambitious goal is to stop -- not just slow -- the destructive power of COVID-19 through the tedious, yet powerful public health tool called contact tracing.

Contact tracing starts with a call to someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, and then follow-up with everyone that person was in close contact with -- family, friends, colleagues or others they got closer than 6 feet from for more than a brief encounter. Everyone on that list is interviewed about their contacts and symptoms.

This is a routine, resource-intensive public health strategy thats been successfully used in the U.S. and around the world to contain infectious disease outbreaks  from measles to smallpox to tuberculosis to Ebola and more.

Local public health workers across the U.S. are already using this strategy with COVID-19 -- a few cases at a time. Last week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield told NPR that very aggressive contact tracing would be necessary before the country could start to return to any sort of pre-pandemic normalcy. In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker had already begun a statewide effort.

We need to get out ahead of this and do everything we possibly can here in Massachusetts, through and in the aftermath of the surge, Baker said during a briefing about the project on April 3.

The state is partnering with the Boston-based nonprofit Partners in Health, and has begun hiring and training some of the 1,000, or so, people who will call everyone who tests positive.

Many of the thousands of Massachusetts residents who will receive calls wont know that they may have been exposed to the virus. Callers will keep the name of the infected person private, although organizers acknowledge it may not be difficult for the call recipients to determine the source of their COVID-19 exposure.

In an ideal scenario, everyone whos been in close contact with someone who is positive would be tested, even if the person receiving the call does not have symptoms. But Massachusetts, like most states, still doesnt have the capacity to do that. As of Sunday, at least 25,475 people had tested positive. There were 6,499 tests conducted daily, on average, in Massachusetts last week.

Anyone who has had close contact with someone who is positive will be asked to quarantine for 14 days, even if they get tested and are negative. Thats because the incubation period for the coronavirus is believed to be up to two weeks. Close contact here is defined as spending 15 minutes or more within 6 feet of someone who is positive.

Public health experts say many more tests for the coronavirus are needed to cover everyone who will be identified by this project. And waiting up to five days for test results, as some people still do, is a problem.

The delay in how long it takes to get the results remains too long to make contact tracing very effective, said Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the School of Public Health at Boston University.

But Galea noted that testing capability could change anytime.

Yesterday, we probably did not have the tools, he said. Whether well have the tools tomorrow remains to be seen.

And then theres the question of how to assist people who are not sick and need to be quarantined so they dont spread the virus, or for those who are sick and need care in isolation. Some people will have enough space at home to stay relatively isolated from other members of their household. But many others  those who share bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms, or who live with someone at increased risk for a severe case of COVID-19  will be given options.

The Baker administration, which says it plans to spend $44 million on the contact-tracing project, is looking at setting up isolation units in dormitories and hotels. People in quarantine as well as those in isolation will need food delivery, possibly child care, and lots of additional help so that they dont interact with others and spread the virus.

Its going to be a huge job, said Dr. Joia Mukherjee, the chief medical officer at Partners in Health. I know we will succeed somewhat and we will fail somewhat  we wont be able to find every single person  but we will hopefully prevent a lot of deaths.

Mukherjee said even if contact tracing cant stamp out the coronavirus, it can not only flatten but shrink the curve so that fewer people will get infected.

Mukherjee, who has helped organize similar projects to fight Ebola in West Africa, calls contact tracing going on the offensive against the coronavirus. She argues a defensive strategy alone isnt good enough.

Lets just spell out what the defensive [strategy] is. The defensive is, Were going to get creamed, and lets just make sure our hospitals are staffed,' she said. What were saying is, Lets use tools that can reach into that silent epidemic and start to cut that off.'

Some public health leaders and infectious disease doctors are questioning the timing of this launch in Massachusetts. Galea said contact tracing is usually more effective at the beginning of an epidemic, before a disease like COVID-19 has spread.

I dont know that its too late -- its certainly late, he said. Had we had the tests and were we organized enough to do contact tracing right upfront, it would have potentially taken us down a very different path in this epidemic.

Baker said contract tracing is a powerful tool the state must try to prevent more infections. Galea said it might help Massachusetts control a second wave of infections that could come when stay-at-home orders and advisories are lifted.

Massachusetts may be rolling out the most robust expansion of contact tracing so far, but Utah, North Dakota and other states are also launching projects. The CDCs Redfield said his agency has 600 staffers doing this work and plans to add more.

But its still not clear how much financial assistance states can expect from the federal government.

Partners in Health is collaborating with 36 community health centers in Massachusetts to conduct the tracing. Health centers say the deal means they can bring back employees who were furloughed recently when elective medical care stopped; Partners in Health is connecting the tracing project to clinics where people could be tested and speak to a nurse or doctor.

Neither making nor receiving these calls will be easy, and cultural sensitivity is important too, according to a task force from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security that recently looked at what case finding and contact tracing might entail across the United States.

The contact tracer may be the first person to alert someone they may be infected with the coronavirus. Stacey King, director of practice at Harvard Universitys Chan School of Public Health, has been working with student volunteers whove teamed up with local boards of health in Massachusetts to assist with contact tracing. King said building trust while asking about symptoms, contacts, recent activities and the health of family members will be challenging.

Especially when people are under so much stress right now, she said, I think it will be one of the hardest things that we experience.

Even if your state isnt ramping up contact tracing efforts, you might still get a call from a local public health official if youve been exposed to someone with a confirmed coronavirus test result. In the event you get a call someday soon and are asked to trace your contacts, it might help to start keeping notes now, say public health workers: Who have you recently spent more than a few minutes with  and been within 6 feet of?

The Partners in Health project is set to continue through October and wind down in January 2021.

This story is part of a partnership that includes WBUR, NPR and Kaiser Health News, a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
In this Tuesday, March 10, 2020, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping talks by video with patients and medical workers at the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Top Chinese officials secretly determined they were likely facing a pandemic from a novel coronavirus in mid-January, ordering preparations even as they downplayed it in public. Internal documents obtained by the AP show that because warnings were muffled inside China, it took a confirmed case in Thailand to jolt Beijing into recognizing the possible pandemic before them. Read more

In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people; millions began traveling through for Lunar New Year celebrations.

President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day, Jan. 20. But by that time, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data.

Six days.

That delay from Jan. 14 to Jan. 20 was neither the first mistake made by Chinese officials at all levels in confronting the outbreak, nor the longest lag, as governments around the world have dragged their feet for weeks and even months in addressing the virus.

But the delay by the first country to face the new coronavirus came at a critical time  the beginning of the outbreak. Chinas attempt to walk a line between alerting the public and avoiding panic set the stage for a pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people and taken more than 133,000 lives.

This is tremendous, said Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient. We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhans medical system.

Other experts noted that the Chinese government may have waited on warning the public to stave off hysteria, and that it did act quickly in private during that time.

But the six-day delay by Chinas leaders in Beijing came on top of almost two weeks during which the national Center for Disease Control did not register any cases from local officials, internal bulletins obtained by the AP confirm. Yet during that time, from Jan. 5 to Jan. 17, hundreds of patients were appearing in hospitals not just in Wuhan but across the country.

Its uncertain whether it was local officials who failed to report cases or national officials who failed to record them. Its also not clear exactly what officials knew at the time in Wuhan, which only opened back up last week with restrictions after its quarantine.

But what is clear, experts say, is that Chinas rigid controls on information, bureaucratic hurdles and a reluctance to send bad news up the chain of command muffled early warnings. The punishment of eight doctors for rumor-mongering, broadcast on national television on Jan. 2, sent a chill through the citys hospitals.

Doctors in Wuhan were afraid, said Dali Yang, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Chicago. It was truly intimidation of an entire profession.

Without these internal reports, it took the first case outside China, in Thailand on Jan. 13, to galvanize leaders in Beijing into recognizing the possible pandemic before them. It was only then that they launched a nationwide plan to find cases  distributing CDC-sanctioned test kits, easing the criteria for confirming cases and ordering health officials to screen patients. They also instructed officials in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, to begin temperature checks at transportation hubs and cut down on large public gatherings. And they did it all without telling the public.

The Chinese government has repeatedly denied suppressing information in the early days, saying it immediately reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization.

Those accusing China of lacking transparency and openness are unfair, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday when asked about the AP story.

The documents show that the head of Chinas National Health Commission, Ma Xiaowei, laid out a grim assessment of the situation on Jan. 14 in a confidential teleconference with provincial health officials. A memo states that the teleconference was held to convey instructions on the coronavirus from President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, but does not specify what those instructions were.

The epidemic situation is still severe and complex, the most severe challenge since SARS in 2003, and is likely to develop into a major public health event, the memo cites Ma as saying.

The National Health Commission is the top medical agency in the country. In a faxed statement, the Commission said it had organized the teleconference because of the case reported in Thailand and the possibility of the virus spreading during New Year travel. It added that China had published information on the outbreak in an open, transparent, responsible and timely manner," in accordance with important instructions repeatedly issued by President Xi.

The documents come from an anonymous source in the medical field who did not want to be named for fear of retribution. The AP confirmed the contents with two other sources in public health familiar with the teleconference. Some of the memo's contents also appeared in a public notice about the teleconference, stripped of key details and published in February.

Under a section titled sober understanding of the situation, the memo said that clustered cases suggest that human-to-human transmission is possible. It singled out the case in Thailand, saying that the situation had changed significantly because of the possible spread of the virus abroad.

With the coming of the Spring Festival, many people will be traveling, and the risk of transmission and spread is high, the memo continued. All localities must prepare for and respond to a pandemic.

In the memo, Ma demanded officials unite around Xi and made clear that political considerations and social stability were key priorities during the long lead-up to Chinas two biggest political meetings of the year in March. While the documents do not spell out why Chinese leaders waited six days to make their concerns public, the meetings may be one reason.

The imperatives for social stability, for not rocking the boat before these important Party congresses is pretty strong, says Daniel Mattingly, a scholar of Chinese politics at Yale. My guess is, they wanted to let it play out a little more and see what happened.

In response to the teleconference, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing initiated the highest-level emergency response internally, level one, on Jan. 15. It assigned top CDC leaders to 14 working groups tasked with getting funds, training health workers, collecting data, doing field investigations and supervising laboratories, an internal CDC notice shows.

The National Health Commission also distributed a 63-page set of instructions to provincial health officials, obtained by the AP. The instructions ordered health officials nationwide to identify suspected cases, hospitals to open fever clinics, and doctors and nurses to don protective gear. They were marked internal  not to be spread on the internet, not to be publicly disclosed.

In public, however, officials continued to downplay the threat, pointing to the 41 cases public at the time.

We have reached the latest understanding that the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is low, Li Qun, the head of the China CDCs emergency center, told Chinese state television on Jan. 15. That was the same day Li was appointed leader of a group preparing emergency plans for the level one response, a CDC notice shows.

On Jan. 20, President Xi issued his first public comments on the virus, saying the outbreak must be taken seriously and every possible measure pursued. A leading Chinese epidemiologist, Zhong Nanshan, announced for the first time that the virus was transmissible from person to person on national television.

If the public had been warned a week earlier to take actions such as social distancing, mask wearing and travel restrictions, cases could have been cut by up to two-thirds, one paper later found. An earlier warning could have saved lives, said Zhang, the doctor in Los Angeles.

However, other health experts said the government took decisive action in private given the information available to them.

They may not have said the right thing, but they were doing the right thing, said Ray Yip, the retired founding head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls office in China. On the 20th, they sounded the alarm for the whole country, which is not an unreasonable delay.

If health officials raise the alarm prematurely, it can damage their credibility  like crying wolf and cripple their ability to mobilize the public, said Benjamin Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

The delay may support accusations by President Donald Trump that the Chinese governments secrecy held back the worlds response to the virus. However, even the public announcement on Jan. 20 left the U.S. nearly two months to prepare for the pandemic.

During those months, Trump ignored the warnings of his own staff and dismissed the disease as nothing to worry about, while the government failed to bolster medical supplies and deployed flawed testing kits. Leaders across the world turned a blind eye to the outbreak, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for a strategy of herd immunity  before falling ill himself. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro sneered at what he called a little cold.

The early story of the pandemic in China shows missed opportunities at every step, the documents and AP interviews reveal. Under Xi, Chinas most authoritarian leader in decades, increasing political repression has made officials more hesitant to report cases without a clear green light from the top.

It really increased the stakes for officials, which made them reluctant to step out of line, said Mattingly, the Yale professor. It made it harder for people at the local level to report bad information.

Doctors and nurses in Wuhan told Chinese media there were plenty of signs that the coronavirus could be transmitted between people as early as late December. Patients who had never been to the suspected source of the virus, the Huanan Seafood Market, were infected. Medical workers started falling ill.

But officials obstructed medical staff who tried to report such cases. They set tight criteria for confirming cases, where patients not only had to test positive, but samples had to be sent to Beijing and sequenced. They required staff to report to supervisors before sending information higher, Chinese media reports show. And they punished doctors for warning about the disease.

As a result, no new cases were reported for almost two weeks from Jan. 5, even as officials gathered in Wuhan for Hubei provinces two biggest political meetings of the year, internal China CDC bulletins confirm.

During this period, teams of experts dispatched to Wuhan by Beijing said they failed to find clear signs of danger and human-to-human transmission.

China has many years of disease control, theres absolutely no chance that this will spread widely because of Spring Festival travel, the head of the first expert team, Xu Jianguo, told Takungpao, a Hong Kong paper, on Jan. 6. He added there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission and that the threat from the virus was low.

The second expert team, dispatched on Jan. 8, similarly failed to unearth any clear signs of human-to-human transmission. Yet during their stay, more than half a dozen doctors and nurses had already fallen ill with the virus, a retrospective China CDC study published in the New England Journal of Medicine would later show.

The teams looked for patients with severe pneumonia, missing those with milder symptoms. They also narrowed the search to those who had visited the seafood market  which was in retrospect a mistake, said Cowling, the Hong Kong epidemiologist, who flew to Beijing to review the cases in late January.

In the weeks after the severity of the epidemic became clear, some experts accused Wuhan officials of intentionally hiding cases.

I always suspected it was human-to-human transmissible, said Wang Guangfa, the leader of the second expert team, in a Mar. 15 post on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform. He fell ill with the virus soon after returning to Beijing on Jan. 16.

Wuhans then-mayor, Zhou Xianwang, blamed national regulations for the secrecy.

As a local government official, I could disclose information only after being authorized, Zhou told state media in late January. A lot of people didnt understand this.

As a result, top Chinese officials appear to have been left in the dark.

The CDC acted sluggishly, assuming all was fine, said a state health expert, who declined to be named out of fear of retribution. If we started to do something a week or two earlier, things could have been so much different.

It wasnt just Wuhan. In Shenzhen in southern China, hundreds of miles away, a team led by microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung used their own test kits to confirm that six members of a family of seven had the virus on Jan. 12. In an interview with Caixin, a respected Chinese finance magazine, Yuen said he informed CDC branches of all levels, including Beijing. But internal CDC numbers did not reflect Yuens report, the bulletins show.

When the Thai case was reported, health authorities finally drew up an internal plan to systematically identify, isolate, test, and treat all cases of the new coronavirus nationwide.

Wuhan's case count began to climb immediately  four on Jan. 17, then 17 the next day and 136 the day after. Across the country, dozens of cases began to surface, in some cases among patients who were infected earlier but had not yet been tested. In Zhejiang, for example, a man hospitalized on Jan. 4 was only isolated on Jan. 17 and confirmed positive on Jan. 21. Shenzhen, where Yuen had earlier found six people who tested positive, finally recorded its first confirmed case on Jan. 19.

The Wuhan Union Hospital, one of the citys best, held an emergency meeting on Jan. 18, instructing staff to adopt stringent isolation  still before Xis public warning. A health expert told AP that on Jan. 19, she toured a hospital built after the SARS outbreak, where medical workers had furiously prepared an entire building with hundreds of beds for pneumonia patients.

Everybody in the country in the infectious disease field knew something was going on, she said, declining to be named to avoid disrupting sensitive government consultations. They were anticipating it.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The stay-at-home orders across the United States and in many places worldwide are intended to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. But as the days stretch into weeks and the weeks into months, a different hazard has emerged, one that concerns researchers like Penn's Susan B. Sorenson.

"When the governors and mayors and others were issuing the stay-at-home guidance, my antenna went up right away," says Sorenson, director of the Ortner Center on Violence & Abuse and a professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice. "COVID-19 is a threat to health, but the danger isn't always just in crowds. Sometimes it's in the most intimate of spaces."

Sorenson is referring to intimate partner violence, a subject she has studied for decades. Though we likely won't know the pandemic's full effect on this for years, data are already showing spikes as people who might previously have been able to limit exposure to an abusive partner are now required to shelter in place with that person.

Around the world, reports of domestic violence have increased, according to statistics released by the United Nations. France, Argentina, Cyprus, and Singapore, for example, have experienced at least 25% more calls of this kind in the past month, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a plea for the world to pay attention, one echoed on Monday by Pope Francis.

Penn Today spoke with Sorenson about new challenges surrounding intimate partner violence in the era of COVID-19 and about the uptick in gun purchases since this crisis began.

Being told you should never or barely ever leave your house is daunting to anyone. But what about for those who live with someone abusive?

It's a terrifying prospect for them. Under normal circumstance, many womenbecause it's mostly women who are abusedfigure out how to manage being with someone who is abusive upon occasion. They manage it so that the children are not around when the abuse occurs or that the abuse is minimized. They have all sorts of coping techniques.

But when people must stay home, such as in this current situation, their kids will be there. Maybe one partner is working from home. Maybe both are furloughed or laid off. The kids are loud, clamoring for access to computers and TV. It's a trying circumstance for healthy people with good stress-management skills. But these circumstances can exacerbate tensions and increase the risk of violence, particularly if there's been prior abuse. And if there hasn't been prior abuse, this is a recipe for stress and distress in a family.

Social distancing is crucial, already flattening the curve in some places. How can we continue doing what's needed to stop spreading the virus but also protect those who are most vulnerable?

It's important for the people issuing stay-at-home orders to recognize that home is not a safe place for a lot of people. Instead, they could issue the orders with a caveat, saying, 'If your home is a safe place, we want you to stay there, to shelter in place there. If your home is not a safe place, we urge you to find one, to stay with friends, relatives, or elsewhere, a place where you are comfortable and where you are safe.'

It also would be great if, during this emergency, time-bound hotel vouchers were issued for people who might not have alternatives. This would keep them safe and provide some income for the hotels, which are laying off workers. This, in turn, would help with the local economy. Hotel vouchers are given sometimes when shelters for battered women are full, so this is not a wild, untested idea. It's an application of an existing practice.

The term 'intimate terrorism' has been used to describe this type of abuse. Can you explain what that means?

When they hear the word 'terrorism,' most people alive today think of bombings, Al Qaeda, and the like, which could make some reject the term out of hand. I don't want people to reject the concept, so I tend to talk about 'coercive control' instead. Coercive control underscores the psychological and emotional tactics an abuser uses to gain control over someone, to say whether she can have contact with family members, whether she can go out. It's used to create and sustain a climate of fear and eats away at one's identity and self-confidence. It facilitates physical and other forms of abuse.

Shifting gears for a moment, there have been reports of increased gun sales in the past month. Have gun sales gone up?

Oh, yes. Oh my gosh, they've really gone up. Guns sales have been remarkable. It used to be the highest days and highest weeks were associated with the mass shootings around Sandy Hook and San Bernardino. Now the highest days and highest weeks are COVID-related. The FBI reports that the highest single day for background checks was Friday, March 20, when more than 210,000 checks were done. And it's not just a single-day blip. Three of the five highest weeks for background checks are related to COVID-19.

Why?

It's fear. People are simply afraid.

That's understandable, but it's still hard to connect the dots between an infectious disease and the perceived need for a gun.

I'm speculating, but it could be fear that food-distribution networks are going to fall apart, which would lead to people thinking they'll need to confront each other. We've seen that Feeding America, which supplies most of the food banks across the country, has had a substantial drop in donations. The foodbank supply chain is being disrupted. Who uses the food banks? People who are laid off, who are already stressed and were already having a hard time prior to COVID-19. And people who were in good circumstances suddenly aren't so secure.

When people get desperate, they sometimes take desperate measures. That could be one thing motivating gun purchases, people who fear others and fear that their own circumstances will deteriorate. That's the sort of scenario we're seeing play out in terms of an apparent spike in first-time gun buyers: 'I have to protect myself because this is getting really bad.'

In addition, there's a lot of confusion and mistrust about where all this is going. You have one person in government saying one thing and another saying something else, one saying there could be 100,000 deaths in the U.S. and another saying we should focus on getting back to work quickly. When people don't know what to believe, their anxiety increases and sometimes they take extreme measures.

Is there anything else you wanted to add?

This is a very difficult time for lots of reasons. For people dealing with intimate partner violence, the question of why she stays always gets raised. There are myriad reasons: She loves or at one time loved this person and hopes things will change, just like people do with someone who has a drug or alcohol problem. They might be wonderful people except when they're drinking. If you could get the drinking to stop, it would be great. Often, that's what abused women want. They don't want the relationship to end; they want the violence to stop.

In this situation, in the midst of the intense fear, being told they have to stay at home, these women may be walking on tip toes, feeling even more like they're on thin ice. If they don't have alternatives, they can feel even more isolated. That's why it was so important when the U.N. Secretary General spoke out. COVID-19 is about safety and health, and it's important not to make things worse for some people.

Explore further Abused children and family, people with mental illness are more vulnerable in quarantine
Though coral reefs are in sharp decline across the world, scientists say some reefs can still thrive with plentiful fish stocks, high fish biodiversity, and well-preserved ecosystem functions.

An international team, led by Professor Josh Cinner from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU), assessed around 1,800 tropical reefs from 41 countries across the globe.

"Only five percent of the reefs were simultaneously able to meet the combined goals of providing enough fishing stocks, maintaining biodiversity and a working ecosystem," Prof Cinner said.

"These are like the Hollywood A-listers of coral reefs. They have it all, but they're also rare and live in exclusive areas--remote locations with little human pressure. Our study shows how to help other coral reefs get on that A-list."

The research team assessed if no-fishing marine reserves and other fisheries restrictions helped reefs to meet multiple goals. The study found that implementing such local efforts helped, "but only if the management efforts are in the right locations," Prof Cinner said.

"It's all about location, location, location," he said. "Marine reserves placed in areas with low human pressures had the best results for helping reefs get on the A-list."

"We also had a B-list of reefs, which met all the goals, but to a lesser degree. Reserves in areas with intermediate human pressure made the biggest difference to getting reefs on our B-list. Quite simply, they occurred in less exclusive locations than our A-listers."

However, marine reserves made little difference in areas where the environment was so severely degraded that only wider seascape conservation could help.

Co-author Jessica Zamborain-Mason, a Coral CoE and JCU PhD candidate, says coral reefs worldwide are facing intense degradation due to numerous anthropogenic drivers, such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

"There is an increasing need to manage coral reefs to meet multiple goals simultaneously," she said.

"Our findings provide guidance on where to strategically place local management to achieve the greatest benefits."

Co-author Professor Nick Graham from Lancaster University says the study uses data to show what works.

"Coral reef science and management is often focussed on meeting just a single goal," Prof Graham said.

"Managing for just one goal at a time is common, but what if you want it all? The multiple goals of biodiversity, fisheries and functioning ecosystems are often required at any given location, yet the science to understand when and how this can be achieved has been lacking."

"We looked at the fish communities, not the coral communities, and these are affected by different drivers--overfishing really drives the former and climate change the latter."

"The study not only has important implications for the placement of new marine reserves, but is also relevant to future socioeconomic changes, such as how infrastructure development and population growth may impact the efficacy of reef conservation," Prof Cinner said.

"We show where managers will be able to maximise multiple goals, and likewise, where they will be wasting their time."

The study concludes that, while international action on climate change is crucial for ensuring a future for coral-dominated reefs, effective management is also critical to sustaining reefs--and the millions of people whose livelihoods depend on them.

###

PAPER

Cinner J, Zamborain-Mason J, Gurney G, Graham N, MacNeil A, Hoey A, Mora C, Villeger S, Maire E, McClanahan T, Maina J, Kittinger J, Hicks C, D'agata S, Huchery C, Barnes M, Feary D, Williams I, Kulbicki M, Vigliola L, Wantiez L, Edgar G, Stuart-Smith R, Sandin S, Green A, Beger M, Friedlander A, Wilson S, Brokovich E, Brooks A, Cruz-Motta J, Booth D, Chabanet P, Tupper M, Ferse S, Sumaila R, Hardt M, Mouillot D. (2020). Science. 'Meeting fisheries, ecosystem function, and biodiversity goals in a human-dominated world.' DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9412

CONTACTS FOR INTERVIEWS

Prof Josh Cinner

Phone: + 61 417 714 138

Email: joshua.cinner@jcu.edu.au

Jessica Zamborain-Mason

Email: jessica.zamborainmason@my.jcu.edu.au

Prof Nick Graham

Phone: +44 7479 4389 14

Email: nick.graham@lancaster.ac.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION

Melissa Lyne

Media Manager, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Phone: +61 (0) 415 514 328

Email: melissa.lyne@jcu.edu.au
(Alliance News) - Schroders PLC on Thursday said assets under management shrank in the first quarter of 2020 though added its business had proven "resilient" in the face of "extreme market volatility".

The asset and wealth management group reported assets under management of GBP470.5 billion as at March 31, a 5.9% drop from GBP500.2 billion at the end of 2019.

Gross inflows totalled GBP60.1 billion while gross outflows amounted to GBP29.7 billion, giving net flows of GBP30.4 billion. Investment returns, meanwhile, fell by GBP60.1 billion.

Chief Executive Peter Harrison said: "During this period of extreme market volatility and social and economic uncertainty, the business has proven to be resilient."

Harrison added: "As an investor in many companies we remain actively engaged in supporting business through these extraordinary times with the aim of protecting the long-term interests of all stakeholders. We are committed to supporting our clients, colleagues and the wider community throughout the current Covid crisis. We are not seeking any government assistance globally, nor are we furloughing any employees or enacting any related redundancy programmes."

Harrison further stated that the company's "strategy of maintaining a strong capital position allowing investment in our business through the market cycle" has not altered in the case of the pandemic and the firm is still confident in generating long-term value for clients share shareholders.

The company will hold its annual general meeting on April 30. Only three employee shareholders will attend due the the UK government's stay at home measures. Shareholders ave been asked to vote by proxy.

Shares in Schroders were up 2.0% at 2,457.00 pence in London on Thursday morning.

By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has said it would release impounded vehicles for minor offences after the lockdown.

Recall that on Tuesday, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu ordered the agency and VIO to release all impounded vehicles to the owners in a bid to reduce the financial burden on offenders, following the stay-at-home order.

Also Read: Lockdown: Sanwo-Olu Orders LASTMA, VIO To Release All Impounded Vehicles

LASTMA General Manager, Olajide Oduyoye, told the News Agency of Nigeria the agency is going to release impounded vehicles after the lockdown without payment.

He expressed that the governor was specific about minor offences committed during the lockdown and did not cover vehicles with capital offences.

He further warned people violating the lockdown order that his agency is still impouding vehicles.
Ama Serwaa [not her real name] is a twenty-four-year-old blind girl who lost her eyesight some four years ago and is one of the vulnerable in society who is finding difficulties surviving amid the COVID-19 pandemic.



Ama is an orphan and lives with her 70-year-old grandmother who sells sachet water in Accra. She sees herself as a burden.



Starr News got hold of information about her predicament and threw more light on her with Francis Abban on the Morning Starr, Wednesday.



According to Ama, friends she assumed would help demand sex from her before rendering help. She also noted that she had at a point contemplated suicide.



The Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison announced that about 400,000 vulnerable Ghanaians will receive free food amid the lockdown in Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi.



However, Ama says due to her condition, she cannot go to the collection point to take a share of the food packages.



Meanwhile, Local Government Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama has directed NADMO officials to take food aid to homes of the vulnerable instead of sharing them on streets.



The directive came on the back of the public anger at how food distribution to the vulnerable in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown has been done.



Ama Serwaa explained on the Morning Starr said because of social distancing and I cannot go with anybody since I can't see properly, how can I go and do things for myself. Im an orphan and its very hard for me, its not easy for me at all and Im really suffering.



Francis Abban asked; Because of this challenge have you had people who have offered to help you? She replied, no sir, as I said when you go to someone for the person to help you, that person wants to sleep with you before helping you.



Reiterating the question for clarity he asked wait let me be sure I heard you right. You are saying that when you go to people to help you in giving you food, in giving you things to survive, they demand sex from you? She replied yes please. As a pre-condition, yes please.



When asked whether these were people who live in her neighbourhood, she replied: yes pls, some too are my friends when I was sighted.



The host went on I hope you are saying no to them. Ama responded Yes I dont. I always say Ill not want my condition to be that people will help me because God has a purpose for everything. If God willing Ill get it back, fine, so I dont have to do anything like that.



Ama Serwaa indicated that she sometimes cries a lot, but her friends dont care. She was a beautician and became blind after graduating from the beauty school.



When I think about it, I shed tears a lot, she lamented.



It even came to a time I wanted to take my life. Because being in this situation and all these things are happening then it will be better for me to end my life. I know that will be okay for me. I will not be a burden to anybody, to my friends or granny.



When asked what she needed in terms of supplies to survive she stated: I had a surgery and sometimes I do feel pains in the eyes and I dont have money to buy drugs, eye drops to put in the eye.



Im a woman, I may have my menses and all that. Ill need soap to bath. And also the food Ill eat and all that. And some little money that I think ill need to take care of myself as well.



She is currently a student at the Akropong School for the blind but is currently home because of the lockdown.

Source: starrfm









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Study finds that children prefer storybooks that are rich in causal information, suggesting such books could help to increase their motivation to read

Children have an insatiable appetite to understand why things are the way they are, leading to their apt description as "little scientists". While researchers have been aware of children's interest in causal information, they didn't know whether it influenced children's preferences during real-world activities, such as reading.

A new study in Frontiers in Psychology finds that children prefer storybooks containing more causal information. The results could help parents and teachers to choose the most engaging books to increase children's interest in reading, which is important in improving early literacy and language skills.

Children have a burning urge to understand the mechanics of the world around them, and frequently bombard parents and teachers with questions about how and why things work the way they do (sometimes with embarrassing consequences). Researchers have been aware of children's appetite for causal information for some time. However, no one had previously linked this phenomenon to real-world activities such as reading or learning.

"There has been a lot of research on children's interest in causality, but these studies almost always take place in a research lab using highly contrived procedures and activities," explains Margaret Shavlik of Vanderbilt University, Tennessee.

"We wanted to explore how this early interest in causal information might affect everyday activities with young children - such as joint book reading."

Finding the factors that motivate children to read books is important. Encouraging young children to read more improves their early literacy and language skills and could get them off to a running start with their education. Reading books in the company of a parent or teacher is a great way for children to start reading, and simply choosing the types of book that children most prefer could be an effective way to keep them interested and motivated.

Shavlik and her colleagues hypothesized that children prefer books with more causal information. They set out to investigate whether this was true by conducting a study involving 48 children aged 3-4 years from Austin, Texas. Their study involved an adult volunteer who read two different but carefully matched storybooks to the children, and then asked them about their preferences afterwards.

"We read children two books: one rich with causal information, in this case, about why animals behave and look the way they do, and another one that was minimally causal, instead just describing animals' features and behaviors," said Shavlik.

The children appeared to be equally as interested and enthusiastic while reading either type of book. However, when asked which book they preferred they tended to choose the book loaded with causal information, suggesting that the children were influenced by this key difference. "We believe this result may be due to children's natural desire to learn about how the world works," explains Shavlik.

So, how could this help parents and teachers in their quest to get children reading? "If children do indeed prefer storybooks with causal explanations, adults might seek out more causally rich books to read with children - which might in turn increase the child's motivation to read together, making it easier to foster early literacy," said Shavlik.

The study gives the first indicator that causality could be a key to engaging young minds during routine learning activities. Future studies could investigate if causally-rich content can enhance specific learning outcomes, including literacy, language skills and beyond. After all, learning should be about understanding the world around us, not just memorizing information.

###

Notes to Editors

Please link to the original research article in your reporting: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00666/full

Corresponding author: Prof. Amy Booth

Email: amy.booth@vanderbilt.edu

Corresponding Author's Institution: Vanderbilt University

Frontiers is an award-winning Open Science platform and leading Open Access scholarly publisher. Our mission is to make research results openly available to the world, thereby accelerating scientific and technological innovation, societal progress and economic growth. We empower scientists with innovative Open Science solutions that radically improve how science is published, evaluated and disseminated to researchers, innovators and the public. Access to research results and data is open, free and customized through Internet Technology, thereby enabling rapid solutions to the critical challenges we face as humanity. For more information, visit http://www.frontiersin.org and follow @Frontiersin on Twitter.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 16, 2020 - 11:51 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Sake breweries across Japan have begun producing high-alcohol content liquids for use in place of the alcohol-based sanitizers that have become as scarce as face masks during the coronavirus crisis.

Kazuki Haruta, president of Kikisui Sake Co. based in Kochi Prefecture, said he arrived at the idea of producing a spirit with 77 percent alcohol content after considering how his company could contribute to the coronavirus fight while utilizing the large quantities of raw materials the brewery has on hand.

(Supplied photo shows a production line making high-alcohol content liquids in March 2020.)[Courtesy of Meirishurui Co.]

Over 10,000 orders and inquiries from across Japan flooded the company about the product, which went on sale last Friday, following its announcement.

"I was surprised by how many inquiries we received from hospitals and medical staff as well," Haruta said, despite the product being aimed at general consumers.

The sudden interest in liquor with an extremely high percentage of alcohol as a sanitizer replacement can be traced back to a statement made by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in March, in which it indicated that even medical facilities could use beverages with an alcohol content of between 70 to 83 percent as sanitizers if left with no other choice.

On April 10, the health ministry further approved the use of high concentration alcoholic drinks as hand sanitizers due to dire shortages of the product in Japan.

In reality, industrial-grade ethanol used in sanitizers comes from glucose, the same raw material which when fermented produces alcohol in brewed products like the top-quality Japanese spirit shochu.

Domestic companies import 90 percent alcohol made from raw materials such as sugarcane in Brazil, or corn from the United States, and distill it to 95 percent.

Manufacturers of sanitizers then purchase this alcohol and dilute it to 80 percent concentration to prevent it from evaporating. Moisturizing agents are also added when making hand sanitizers, according to industry sources.

Meirishurui Co., a brewery based in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, released a spirit with 65 percent alcohol content on April 6 following an inquiry from a regular customer about whether they could produce something similar to sanitizer.

Wakatsuru brewery in Toyama Prefecture has also started selling a product with 77 percent alcohol, while Okinawa's Seifuku Distillery Co. has commenced sales of re-distilled "awamori," a local rice-based spirit. Whisky makers are also moving to manufacture sanitizers from their domestically-produced products.

But although it may sound simple to dilute 95 percent alcohol with water, equipment in factories requires upgrading as mass-produced liquor with an alcohol content of 70 percent or above is regarded as a dangerous substance under Japan's fire protection laws.

Subsequently, breweries were only able to sell their strong alcohol products after long negotiations with local governments.

Meanwhile, sanitizer manufacturers have also been working hard to ramp up production. Industry leader Kenei Pharmaceutical Co. in Osaka has been running its plants around the clock, while Kao Corp. has increased production 20-fold.

While the government intends to provide subsidies for companies to expand and improve equipment, overcoming the shortages still remains far on the horizon.

"I heard that a mixture containing fuel grade alcohol harmful to humans is being sold online for disinfecting. Although sanitizers are optimal, using drinking alcohol is another way," said Shigeharu Oie, a professor specializing in infection control and prevention at Sanyo-Onoda City University, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 9:43PM

Yes, Samsung is still making tablets. After unveiling the Galaxy Tab S6 back in July, the Korean tech giant released a more pared-down version in the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. Its listing showed up on Samsung Indonesia's site, but it seems to have been taken down by the time of this writing.

The tablet features a unibody metal design with a 10.4-inch 2,000 x 1,200-pixel LCD. It's a 0.1-inch smaller than the regular Tab S6 and its Super AMOLED panel with a 2,560 x 1,600-pixel resolution. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite also loses an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Samsung doesn't mention the processor powering the Lite model but says it has an octa-core processor with a maximum clock frequency of 2.3GHz. GSMArena speculates it is an Exynos 9611 chipset. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes with 4GB RAM onboard with either 64GB or 128GB storage. While it has less RAM and smaller capacity storage than the Galaxy Tab S6, it has expandable storage of up to 1TB.

This slate runs on Android 10 with One UI 2.0 out of the box. It offers Samsung Knox. If you have a Samsung smartphone running on Android Pie or higher with at least 3GB of RAM, you can even answer calls and reply to text messages from this tablet.

On the camera front, you get an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel selfie shooter in front. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes with Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, and LTE connectivity. It has a 3.5mm audio jack and AKG-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos. Expect a long battery life with its 7,040mAh battery, which charges via USB-C.

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes with an S Pen stylus. Samsung plans to sell a Book Cover that connects to the tablet magnetically. It even has a slot for the S Pen, making it easier to carry around.

It will come in three colour options: Oxford Gray, Chiffon Pink, and Angora Blue. Details about pricing and availability weren't seen yet. And according to the Indonesian Samsung page, it comes with a four-month free YouTube Premium subscription.
Esper Says South Korea 'Can, Should' Increase Payment for US Troops Stationed There

Sputnik News

07:24 GMT 15.04.2020(updated 08:00 GMT 15.04.2020)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - South Korea has the capability and should pay more for the US military stationed in the country, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

"My view remains that South Korea is a close and trusted ally of ours, but they are another country. They can and should pay more to help for our regional defence and their specific defence", Esper said during a briefing.

According to the official, the State Department is leading the talks with Seoul on the matter.

The United States and South Korea are negotiating the extension of their cost-sharing deal dubbed Special Measures Agreement (SMA). Under the previous agreement, Seoul paid $870 million, however, the US has demanded that South Korea increase their payment to $5 billion under the new SMA.

A Sputnik

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By Dan Benson

As New Jersey residents are urged to work from home and avoid unnecessary travel, public buses and trains are emptier than ever before. I do want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the dedicated employees who are putting their lives on the line to keep the systems operational for other essential workers in this unprecedented time of crisis. NJ Transit and Port Authoritys PATH rail system officials report a 90% drop in ridership. Transit agencies expect to incur unprecedented losses in revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although this crisis has stressed an already troubled system, there are reasons to be hopeful for New Jerseys mass transit system and opportunities beyond the crisis.

New Jersey will receive $1.76 billion in federal funding to aid transit systems as part of the federal COVID-19 stimulus package, the CARES Act. The $25 billion allocated to transit agencies is almost triple whats normally budgeted through Federal Transit Administration programs.

For a historically underfunded agency like NJ Transit, which has been trying to claw its way back from years of neglect, this much-needed infusion of funding should be viewed as a relief and an opportunity for growth.

An overwhelming majority of this funding will be crucial to helping NJ Transit stay afloat during this public health crisis. It will help fill the gaps left by the steep decline in ridership and modified schedules, while still allowing the agency to serve essential workers who depend on access to public transportation. It will also cover new cleaning and sanitization expenses for public buses, trains and stations.

Its my hope that NJ Transit will also use a portion of this money to help plan for its future. This public health emergency wont last forever. When commuters do return to work and school, they deserve better service from NJ Transit. The agency should use these new federal funds and lull in service to make critical improvements, both in infrastructure and in the culture of communications to its riders.

We are already seeing NJ Transit take advantage of unoccupied rail lines and train cars by ramping up testing of the federally mandated safety system known as positive train control (PTC). NJ Transit has been slow to implement PTC. Now NJT could have a chance to meet its Dec. 31, 2020 deadline to complete the project. This is also a time to expedite the long-delayed Portal Bridge replacement.

There are sure to be more opportunities for NJ Transit to be the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes. The Legislature laid out recommendations during a series of hearings with NJ Transit last year, from developing a five-year plan to improving the bus system to addressing staffing shortages. Improving communication between NJ Transit and riders should continue to be a top priority as the agency works toward enhancing customer service and overall experiences. Now is the time to focus more on those efforts.

Lets not squander this opportunity to build a better future for NJ Transit. When we reach the end of this crisis, thousands of commuters will want to know their first train back to work will be one that is on time.

Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Mercer, Middlesex) represents the 14th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly. He chairs the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee.

The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
AUSTIN, Texas, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of COVID-19, grief-wellness company Eterneva is organizing a GoFundMe for death care professionals who are in dire need of PPE and N95 masks. Eterneva is partnering with the NFDA, Good Grief, the Funeral Service Foundation, and the SoGal Foundation to raise the funds necessary to get these essential workers the protection they need in order to continue serving families who have lost loved ones. Every funeral professional who receives a mask will also receive toolkits and grief resources on how to build resilience in children and families during and following this pandemic.

With a goal of $200,000, which can supply approximately 50,000 N95 masks, all masks will be given directly to funeral homes most affected by COVID-19.

"This is undoubtedly a dark and difficult time for our country, yet we are inspired by what we've seen. So many people have come together to serve and celebrate our first responders and while we are so thankful for each of them, we would also like to acknowledge our last responders," says Adelle Archer, co-founder and CEO of Eterneva. "We know how important this is because we've already donated 500 masks to our partnered funeral homes and have seen how necessary they were and how quickly they were used."

While providing PPE to funeral professionals is the financial focus of this GoFundMe, Good Grief's CEO, Joe Primo, says, "We need a multifaceted approach to address the practical needs for both professional safety and supporting families and communities. We are proud to provide grief resources for the families and communities that funeral professionals serve so that no child or family is left to grieve alone during this unprecedented and chaotic time."

A lead contribution to this GoFundMe has already been made by the Funeral Service Foundation, through its COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund.

"The Funeral Service Foundation is pleased to support this worthy project through our COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund. As the National Funeral Directors Association's charitable arm, the Foundation applauds this collaboration among funeral service professional associations, industry partners and the grief community to source desperately needed PPE for our professionals in the field," says Lee Wiensch, Funeral Service Foundation Executive Director.

SoGal Foundation is the largest global platform for the education & empowerment of diverse entrepreneurs, with the mission to close the diversity gap in entrepreneurship and venture capital.

Most of the 40 million people in the U.S. acting as caregivers for aging family members identify as women, and more and more women are moving into death care professional careers. The SoGal Foundation sees this PPE fundraiser as crucial to supporting those women changing the death care industry for the better. As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, all donations to this effort are tax deductible.

Supporting those who are putting their lives at risk by helping families who are grieving during uncertain times is crucial.

If you or your funeral home is in need, please fill out this form . To donate to the cause, please visit the GoFundMe page .

Media Contacts:

Alyx Sealy, [email protected]

Michael Goldberg, [email protected]

About Eterneva

Eterneva is a consumer technology company and grief wellness brand that celebrates lives by making diamonds from ashes. Eterneva designed an intricate eight-month process to create these soulful remembrances, which is a journey that is as special as the diamond and the person behind it. Customers personalize diamonds' size, color, cut, and inscriptions, so they serve as meaningful connections to their lost loved one. From interactive video packaging to hand-written letters, to a courier service that hand-delivers the diamond in a homecoming service, customers experience a level of thoughtfulness they've never seen before. Eterneva is based in Austin, TX, and was recently featured on Shark Tank , and on both Inc and Forbes' 30 Under 30 lists. To learn more visit eterneva.com , hear from customers at Eterneva reviews , and learn more about the science of ashes to diamonds .

About Good Grief

Good Grief is a leader in delivering grief services to children and their families at its family support centers and also through its Good Grief Schools program. Good Grief is a registered 501(c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization whose mission is to build resilience in children, strengthen families, and empower communities to grow from loss and adversity. For more information, please visit our web site www.good-grief.org

About NFDA

NFDA is the world's leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.

About the Funeral Service Foundation - FuneralServiceFoundation.org

Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the profession's philanthropic voice. As the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997, the Foundation receives operational support from NFDA and donors across the profession to help advance its mission to support funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and the communities it serves.

About SoGal Foundation

SoGal Foundation is the largest global platform for the education and empowerment of diverse entrepreneurs with 50 chapters across five continents. Our nonprofit mission is to close the diversity gap in entrepreneurship. For more information, visit www.iamsogal.com or find us on social media @iamsogal

SOURCE Eterneva

Related Links

https://eterneva.com


Millions of Americans have already received their coronavirus pandemic economic relief direct deposit from the IRS.

Not everyone has, however, and many are even running into issues on the federal government website that is designed to track where your payment is and how much youre getting.

Here are some questions you might have today:

What does payment status not available mean?

Were glad you asked, and trust us, many of you have asked.

Heres what the IRS says:

If you verified your identity and received Payment Status Not Available, this means we cannot determine your eligibility for a payment at this time, the IRS writes.

This may occur for a variety of reasons, for example, if you didnt file either a 2018 or 2019 tax return or you recently filed and the return has not been fully processed.

The Verge has bullet point info from the IRS about other reasons you might have received that message:

If you are not eligible for a payment

If you are required to file a tax return and have not filed in tax year 2018 or 2019

If you recently filed your return or provided information through Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info on IRS.gov

If you are a SSA or RRB Form 1099 recipient, SSI or VA benefit, recipient

Note, however, that even some people who are absolutely eligible for a check are receiving that payment status not available message. The IRS told ABC news that it isnt having tech problems due to overwhelming website volume at this time, but clearly it is.

Patience is a virtue, even in this crazy time, but it certainly isnt easy. If you believe you are eligible but arent seeing that on the IRS site, try again later in the day.

Why didnt I get my payment yet but my neighbor/friend/spouse/parent did?

This is a question that has lit up social media since the IRS acknowledged that it had started depositing money over the weekend, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason to who has received their payment yet and who hasnt.

Anecdotal evidence from this author has found that those who filed their 2019 tax return in late January or early February seem to be the people who got their deposits first, but that hasnt applied to all early filers who are eligible for a stimulus payment.

Where can I track my payment again?

Visit the IRS Get My Payment portal by clicking here.

There, youll have to enter your social security number, birthday, the street address of your house (but not your town!), and the zip code.

If verified, youll see how much youre getting and where its being sent. If you need to update any information, you can do that, too, but only if youre verified to get a payment.

Who is eligible?

Per the IRS:

"U.S. residents will receive the Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 for individual or head of household filers, and $2,400 for married filing jointly if they are not a dependent of another taxpayer and have a work eligible Social Security number with adjusted gross income up to:

$75,000 for individuals

$112,500 for head of household filers and

$150,000 for married couples filing joint returns

"Taxpayers will receive a reduced payment if their AGI is between:

$75,000 and $99,000 if their filing status was single or married filing separately

112,500 and $136,500 for head of household

$150,000 and $198,000 if their filing status was married filing jointly

"The amount of the reduced payment will be based upon the taxpayers specific adjusted gross income.

"Eligible retirees and recipients of Social Security, Railroad Retirement, disability or veterans benefits as well as taxpayers who do not make enough money to normally have to file a tax return will receive a payment. This also includes those who have no income, as well as those whose income comes entirely from certain benefit programs, such as Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Retirees who receive either Social Security retirement or Railroad Retirement benefits will also receive payments automatically.

What if Im a non-filer?

Click here to enter your payment information.

More coronavirus coverage:
When it comes to college admissions for the fall, the key word is flexibility.

Some Texas colleges are extending deadlines, hosting virtual tours and freshman orientation in lieu of in-person ones, and are reconsidering how they will accept admission applications and test scores as high school counselors face challenges in submitting documents. Others are making SAT and ACT exams optional, while other universities are still figuring it out.

I dont know for how long, but this is an unprecedented event in our lives, James Steen, vice president of enrollment at Houston Baptist University, says of the novel coronavirus pandemic. It has caused us to do unprecedented things.  We come up with ideas and new ways of doing things every day.

College officials are being as accommodating as possible with current and prospective students as they navigate the many effects of the virus.

Actual enrollment is another issue.

Texas Higher Education Commissioner Harrison Keller said its hard to predict what will happen during and after the pandemic. Many institutions are expecting a 20 percent or 30 percent decline in summer enrollment projections. But as colleges shift from response to recovery mode and Texas residents attempt to gain new or more skills amid an economic downturn, enrollment for fall is expected to surge.

Higher education institutions will be critical as people attempt to gain new or more skills and credentials, which will help drive up the recovery of the Texas economy, he said.

Both of those will have pretty dramatic implications for higher educations institutions, Keller said.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which Keller leads, continues to work on its initiatives to ensure Texans who have some college or lack credentials secure a post-secondary education.

Now, those conversations take on more urgency as much larger numbers of Texans upskill and reskill, Keller said.

Officials at the Alamo Colleges District, a network of five community colleges in San Antonio, expect spikes in enrollment in health care and information technology fields as the economy recovers from the pandemic.

We do know that as people are losing their jobs and are furloughed, and as the economy shifts  people are looking for other opportunities, said Kristi Wyatt, a spokeswoman for the district.

High school seniors and current college students who have plans to move away for college may also be reconsidering the Alamo Colleges as a more affordable option if their financial situation has changed, Wyatt added. The district enrolled about 57,000 students last fall.

Other education officials also believe there will be significant enrollment growth, particularly in health-care-focused programs and online courses.

What we anticipate is that students who have been converted to online courses  will begin to expect to be able to take classes online or will be more comfortable online, said Kyle Scott, vice chancellor of strategic priorities at Lone Star College in Houston. Were planning for that shift.

Lone Star, a community college system, already ia working to ensure there are enough courses and faculty ready come fall for those students interested in online learning or those who are looking to gain more or new skills as the economy shifts and the labor market experiences layoffs or furloughs, Scott said.

Were literally troubleshooting things on a daily basis that werent even possibilities or on the radar six weeks ago, Steen said. In a lot of ways, theres almost nothing that weve done traditionally that hasnt been altered in some way.

Colleges and universities have altered their typical ways of doing admissions.

Trinity University has stopped requiring applicants to submit ACT and SAT scores and will do without it for three years to get enough data to consider dropping it permanently.

On ExpressNews.com: Trinity University in San Antonio suspends SAT/ACT requirement for admissions

Texas A&M San Antonio is providing online information sessions for prospective students about admissions, financial aid and housing.

The University of Texas at San Antonio, A&M San Antonio, St. Marys University, the University of the Incarnate Word and Trinity all are advertising virtual campus tourr, in which interested high school seniors can drag a mouse around to get a 360-degree view of the campus and move from building to building.

UTSA and the University of Houston both have announced they will continue summer courses online.

All 22 of the University of Houstons orientation programs, campus visits, tours with student ambassadors and other events have launched virtually or online  with a hybrid of live and pre-recorded sessions, said Mardell Maxwell, UHs executive director of admissions.

UH has extended its admissions deadlines by a month. And officials have vowed to be flexible with students who might not have the ability to take ACT or SAT exams or meet upcoming payment deadlines.

We recognize for many families and many students this is a difficult time not only personally but also financially, Maxwell said. We want to help them navigate through that.

On ExpressNews.com: Extending coronavirus changes, UT San Antonio will teach summer term online

The University of Texas at Austin will provide a virtual campus visit for prospective students, create online sessions for students tailored to interests and desired programs, and will arrange phone calls with students and their families in the coming weeks, said Miguel Wasielewski, UTs executive director of admissions.

At Baylor University, faculty and staff have filmed more than 100 selfie videos to welcome prospective students and will offer an opportunity for a scholarship to students who visit the site.

Baylor will similarly host campus visits, events and virtual appointments with financial aid officers online for high school and prospective students, said Jessica King Gereghty, assistant vice president of undergraduate admissions and enrollment.

Baylor has extended deadlines for transfer students, is accepting high school transcripts from high school counselors in various forms, including screenshots, and will host academic advising online this summer, King Gereghty said.

Rice University, the University of St. Thomas and Texas A&M University have already admitted their students for the fall, but will still put new methods in place to accommodate students.

Were simply being flexible, Joseph Pettibon, vice president for enrollment and academic services at Texas A&M.

.

Staff Writers Ashley McBride and Krista Torralva contributed to this report. brittany.britto@chron.com
Ensuring health insurance for all workers would be major challenge for the industry that is already grappling with cash crunch, and the government should have borne the cost.

The government may have allowed industries in rural areas, special economic zones, and export-oriented units to resume operations from April 20 with some health riders, but experts say these conditions have the potential of increasing cost of operations.

Protecting health will come at a cost for firms, as they have to provide for all necessary measures, including dormitory and transportation. The cost to company will considerably rise, said K R Shyam Sundar, professor (human resources management), XLRI Jamshedpur.

Guidelines released by the Union home ministry, on Wednesday, mandate firms to follow a standard operating procedure for social distancing at offices, workplaces, factories and establishments.

For starters, all premises have to be disinfected. Wearing of masks has been made compulsory.

Companies will also have to provide transport to employees, with 30-40 per cent passenger capacity in each vehicle.

Workers will have to go through mandatory thermal screening at their workplaces.

Medical insurance for all workers is mandatory.

A top executive of the Confederation of Indian Industry said ensuring health insurance for all workers would be major challenge for the industry that is already grappling with cash crunch, and the government should have borne the cost.

According to the guidelines, there should be no overlap in shift timing, though this might not be a big issue as it is already a mandate under the Factories Act of 1948.

Large gatherings or meetings of 10 or more people to be discouraged.

"Seating of at least 6 feet away from others on job sites and in gatherings, meetings and training sessions to be ensured, the guidelines read.

Sundar said this would lead to one-third of workers in a unit being left out, according to back-to-the-envelope calculations.

But with negotiations between employers and trade unions, there could be an arrangement by which all workers are called, but in rotation, he added.

Importantly, employees who have children below the age of 5 and those with co-morbidities will be encouraged to work from home.

The government has provided relief to self-employed workers such as electricians, mechanics, plumbers, and carpenters by allowing them to go to work.

These measures are largely targeted at reinstating the informal sector economy.

"It will certainly support the workforce that has left cities and returned to villages, whether it is in the construction sector or tea and plantation industry, said Rituparna Chakraborty, senior vice-president, Teamlease Services.

She said that though the order also helps the e-commerce sector in some ways, the real challenge would be to find workers because most have already left for home.

While she agreed that cost of companies will rise in the short run, she said it would become the new normal.

You cannot afford to restart work at the cost of health, she added.

Sundar said that since the circular gives a lot of leeway to open up the rural economy, governments should make an effort to transport migrants stuck in urban areas back to their villages.

Photograph: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka.

Saturday, April 11

9:24 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Jasper Township residence in reference to a 28-year-old female homeowner who reported an unknown pickup truck driving recklessly by her residence. The woman said the truck did a "doughnut" in the roadway and the tires threw stones at her vehicle, which was parked in her driveway. There was no damage to the caller's vehicle and she wished to have the incident documented with the request of extra patrol. The deputy checked the area and did not locate the truck.

8:43 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a Ingersoll Township business in reference to a breaking-and-entering. Deputies made contact with the 63-year-old complainant/owner. It was determined an unknown person or persons gained entry into the business and stole a variety of tools and equipment. It is unknown how many items were stolen from the business at this time. This complaint remains under investigation.

8:31 p.m. -- Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash in the 6200 block of Eastman Avenue.

7:30 p.m. -- Deputies investigated the death of a 35-year-old man in Lee Township. The death appeared to be suicide. An autopsy has been scheduled.

5:40 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a field fire in Lee Township. The fire was under control when the deputy arrived. A Department of Natural Resources conservation officer was on-scene and handled the investigation.

5:34 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a two-vehicle crash in Lee Township.

5:25 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Hope Township residence to speak with a 52-year-old man in reference to a case of destruction of property on his lawn. The deputy arrived on-scene and noticed a vehicle had driven off the road, about 10 feet into the complainant's yard, causing about $100 in damage to his lawn. The tire tracks showed the vehicle gradually drove off of the roadway, onto the lawn, and then immediately drove back onto the roadway. There are no suspects.

5:05 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Homer Township park in reference to a 6-year-old girl lost in the woods. Deputies, assisted by MPD and the Homer Township Fire Department, arrived on-scene and a 64-year-old grandparent said the child had been found. The 64-year old said she was walking through the wooded trail with her 6-year-old granddaughter, and the 6-year-old took off running ahead of her. The 64-year-old said she lost site of the child. The 64-year-old spoke with a 54-year-old man who was also walking the trail, and told him that she had lost her grandchild. A short time later, the man found the child and returned her to the parking lot.

12:16 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Mills Township residence in reference to a 16-year-old girl being bitten by a stray cat. The deputy handled the report over telephone. An isolation notice was completed, and placed in the Animal Control mailbox. No animal owner information is known.

3:26 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a Edenville Township residence in reference to a suspicious person. The complainant, a 30-year-old Edenville Township man, said he observed an unknown person running through his backyard. The man explained he wanted this incident documented just in case something comes up missing. Deputies searched the area, but nobody was located.

2:33 a.m. -- A deputy assisted a state trooper with a breaking and entering complaint at a Midland Township business.

1:11 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a Jerome Township residence for a report of a loud party. Deputies made contact with everyone at the party and told them to go home due to the governor's orders.

12:14 a.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of U.S.-10 and Eastman Road.
Reliance Industries and social-media giant Facebook could come together to create a WeChat like super app for India.

Reliance Industries and social-media giant Facebook could come together to create a WeChat like super app for India. The report comes in the backdrop of a nation-wide lockdown thats in effect till May 3 to curb the spread of Coronavirus in India. WeChat is a multi-purpose messaging app in China thats used for text-messaging, social media, mobile payments, flight booking and more which is why its often dubbed as a super app.

According to a report published by The Economic Times that cites four people familiar with the matter, Reliance And Facebook are exploring the possibility of a multipurpose app built off the back of WhatsApp. This app will not only serve as a messaging platform but also a one-stop-shop for users to shop for groceries or apparel and even pay by JioMoney.

The concept is very similar to Chinas WeChat that offers a wide range of services to users from its app and has over one Billion monthly active users. The app has become a part of Chinas lifestyle since its launch back in 2011. With such a huge user base, WeChat eventually fell prey to Chinas mass surveillance system with the user's activity now being monitored by the government on the app.

In juxtaposition, India being the worlds largest democracy is now seeing its biggest conglomerate play around with the idea of a super app backed by the worlds most popular social media company Facebook. As per the ET report, Morgan Stanley has been appointed as the investment banker for the project with consultants and lawyers looking at taxes and Intellectual Property Rights.

Reliance wants to engage with users and a super app will allow the company to expand its consumer businesses while also providing an understanding of the spending habits of its users.

The negotiations are being compartmentalized. So, someone working on the commercial side wouldnt know whats happening on the technology or the financial aspects of the deal. This is going to be a defining partnership, and its not just a financial investment. The deal is about creating value and a business that would differentiate both Facebook and Reliance, a person with direct knowledge of the project told this to ET.

While nothing is set in stone currently, its unclear how both Reliance and Facebook are going to leverage WhatsApp to build a super app. Will it be a different app from WhatsApp or will more functionalities be added to the instant messaging app isnt known currently. The report also notes that due to the ongoing health crisis around various parts of the world, the discussions are a bit delayed. However, well keep an eye out for developments in this area for you.
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament has approved amendments to the law regulating TV and radio broadcasting and reinstated the Public Televisions right to air commercial advertisements.

The Public TV will be entitled to air up to 5-minute ads during one-hour airtime. Social ads will be aired for free from 00:00 until 18:00. Gambling and nightclub ads are banned.

Reporting and writing by Anna Grigoryan

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) is suing two of its longtime rivals, Altria Group (NYSE:MO) and Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM), for copyright infringement.

In the lawsuit filed in a Virginia federal court on Thursday, British American alleges that certain features of IQOS, a smoking device made by Philip Morris and distributed in the U.S. by Altria, infringe on its patents. British American makes a similar product called Glo, which, like IQOS, heats tobacco rather than burning it.

British American says it has also filed a similar complaint with the International Trade Commission.

In a statement quoted by The Wall Street Journal, British American said "[g]iven the significant investment we have made in developing our products, we simply cannot allow competitors to use our patented innovations and technology in their devices without a license."

Altria and Philip Morris have both pledged to "vigorously" defend themselves.

The latter tobacco company is already at odds with British American over alternative consumption devices. In 2018, Philip Morris brought a lawsuit in Japan alleging that Glo is, in fact, the product that has infringed on certain patents covering IQOS technologies. The resolution of that legal action is still pending.

The stakes are high with alternative smoking devices such as Glo and IQOS. Cigarette sales volumes have been notably on the decline, and theoretically healthier alternatives could make up for the declines. IQOS was introduced to the U.S. last October, and so far is the only tobacco heating product on the market.

On Thursday, BAT, Altria, and Philip Morris stocks all rose, by 2.8%, 1.9%, and 0.9%, respectively. They were helped by a stock market that also moved higher on the day, buoyed by positive investor sentiment about consumer goods stocks.
Neighbors call police after seeing man hop Cancun fence

Cancun, Q.R.  In the midst of the health contingency, a subject was detained while trying to remove material from a school in Cancun.

In a police statement, the arrest of 23-year-old Abraham N was announced for the crime of theft and damage to a school located in central Cancun.

His capture was achieved when elements of the Quintana Roo Police, who were conducting surveillance patrols, responded to the report of a robbery-in-progress. Police made their way to the primary school where they saw the male leaving, carrying a cardboard box.

Police arrested the man who had filled the box with various items stolen from inside the school. They responded to the report after a neighbor called authorities, reporting he had seen a young male hop the school fence.
By Davide Barbuscia, Marwa Rashad and Andrea Shalal DUBAI/RIYADH/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Finance officials from the Group of 20 major economies agreed on Wednesday to suspend debt service payments for the world's poorest countries from May 1 until the end of the year, as a group of private creditors also backed offering debt relief. The moves to freeze both principal repayments and interest payments will free up more than $20 billion for the countries to spend on their health systems and help tackle the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan said. Saudi Arabia is hosting the G20 meetings this year

By Davide Barbuscia, Marwa Rashad and Andrea Shalal

DUBAI/RIYADH/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Finance officials from the Group of 20 major economies agreed on Wednesday to suspend debt service payments for the world's poorest countries from May 1 until the end of the year, as a group of private creditors also backed offering debt relief.

The moves to freeze both principal repayments and interest payments will free up more than $20 billion for the countries to spend on their health systems and help tackle the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan said.

Saudi Arabia is hosting the G20 meetings this year.

The debt standstill affects the world's poorest and least-developed countries, as defined by the World Bank and the United Nations, as long as they are current in their debt service payments to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The initiative is part of efforts to bolster the global economy amid the coronavirus outbreak, which is pushing the world into the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz called the move "an act of international solidarity with a historical dimension," adding it would let the countries invest in healthcare "immediately and without time-consuming case-by-case examination".

A source familiar with the agreement said it would cover $12-$14 billion in bilateral debt service payments.

The G20 also called on private creditors to participate in the initiative on comparable terms.

The Institute of International Finance, which represents 450 banks, hedge funds and other global financial firms, said it would recommend that private sector creditors voluntarily grant similar debt relief to the poorest countries, if they requested it.

A French finance ministry official on Tuesday said private creditors had agreed voluntarily to roll over or refinance $8 billion of the debt of the poorest countries, on top of $12 billion in debt payments to be suspended by countries.

A further $12 billion is owed to multilateral lenders, mainly the World Bank, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told reporters.

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IMF director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank Group President David Malpass praised the deal.

"This is a powerful, fast-acting initiative that will do much to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of millions of the most vulnerable people," they said in a joint statement.

The debt suspension will last until the end of the year but creditors will consider a possible extension during 2020, the G20 said.

Eric LeCompte, executive director at the not-for-profit Jubilee USA Network, estimated the agreement could result in $25 billion of relief for the poorest countries. But he said there were questions about what would happen to the interest on suspended payments, as well as the potential debt relief needs of other developing and middle income countries.

Georgieva, in a statement to the G20 leaders, also said the IMF was "urgently" seeking some $18 billion in new resources for the Fund's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust for poor countries and was exploring how the use of special drawing rights could aid this effort.

(Reporting by Davide Barbuscia, Marwa Rashad, Andrea Shalal, Ghaida Ghantous, Maher Chmaytelli, Michael Nienaber; Editing by Toby Chopra and Mark Potter)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
At least three persons were reportedly shot by police while scores sustained various degree of injuries as a result of protests by residents of Sapele, who thronged the streets to express discontent against the two weeks lockdown extension by the Delta State government over COVID-19.

The protest which was originally embarked by hundreds of women in Sapele Local Government Area of the state, drew interest of youths and became free for all, culminating in clashes with the lockdown order enforcers.

The Nigerian Voice gathered that the victims, a woman and two youths are alive and responding to treatment, were shot by members of certain vigilante group in the heat of the violence protest.

The women, who were protesting the two weeks lockdown and the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa decried what they regarded as insensitivity of the state government in addressing the compelling hunger induced by the lockdown and now with curfew in the state.

The protesters had defied the stay-at-home order, lamenting the economic hardship induced by the lockdown and the worsening absence of palliatives from the state government to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

Our Correspondent learnt that the women had stormed the popular Olypia Roundabout in Sapele to vent their anger over the extension, when rampaging youth protesters, mixed with hoodlums hijacked the protest, just when the Sapele Council Chairman, Hon Eugene Inoaghan, was addressing the protesting women. .

The hoodlums who hijacked the protest were alleged to have pelted the council chairman and other members of his entourage with stones, creating a tensed atmosphere and compelled the Police escort in the Council boss's entourage to teargas the protesting mob.

The situation turned violent and to disperse the rampaging youths, some vigilante members reportedly shot into the crowd and hit the victims.

The hoodlums subsequently took advantage of the situation to invade shops where they allegedly carted away goods belonging to traders who were observing the lockdown.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onowakpoyeya, confirmed the violence protest, saying that some of the hoodlums had been arrested by the Sapele Area Command.
How is travel with demand responsive transport experienced? What factors play a significant role, and what can be done to create better travel experiences? This has been studied by researchers at CTF, Service Research Center at Karlstad University, who have released a new handbook with new knowledge and recommendations on how this type of travel can be developed to provide a better experience for the vulnerable travel groups.

The researchers have studied how travel groups with different disabilities experience their demand responsive travel journeys, this with a focus on user-friendliness and how the user and the driver together handle situations that may arise. The researchers have also looked at what kind of vulnerability this travel group is experiencing, and what during the journey that leads to it, as well as what kind of management strategies both the traveler and driver use to reduce the experienced problems.

Drivers, as well as other staff, need to pay more attention to the physical, behavioral, communicative and sequential aspects when meeting the travelers. Much of the well-being of travelers lies in the details of the interaction, such as the staff's hand movements, body position and gestures. It is also important that traveler's own behavioral abilities are taken in consideration and are utilized." Per Echeverri, Project Manager

"That the travel often is perceived as physically uncomfortable, that the travelers sometimes feel treated as a commodity, or do not get enough information about where they are going, how long the trip will last and if there will be more travelers picked up, add to the feeling of vulnerability among travelers," says Nicklas Salomonson, Associate Professor at the University of Boras and visiting researcher at CTF. "To reduce vulnerability, it is important that drivers inform and are responsive to travelers' subtle verbal and nonverbal signals during the journey. Some of these are explicit while others are implicit. The signals are either reactive or proactive and are shown in ten different strategies used by travelers to manage their perceived vulnerability."

The studies also show that it is helpful when the staff takes in consideration that the travelers may end up in a "void", for example in gaps in the transition places such as between the transport system and the healthcare system, or in connection with drop-off at the final destination. This is a step in the journey where extra help and information may be needed, says the researchers.

The handbook is based on results from several different studies in which the researchers, often in connection with the actual trips, followed and interviewed demand responsive transport travelers, drivers and booking staff.

The handbook is aimed at actors in the public transport sector, and the researchers hope that it can serve as a support for future development in the area. The handbook includes recommendations on how to develop relatively simple methods to create a better understanding of the travelers, and even how to involve the travelers in the development and creation of future sustainable transport solutions.

"Our handbook provides an increased understanding of how this group of travelers are experiencing their demand responsive transport journeys, knowledge that can be used to improve this type of travel to better suit the needs of the travelers," concludes Per Echeverri.

The study was conducted within the research project RESPONSE, which aims to develop knowledge about and alternative forms of demand-responsive public transport. RESPONSE is a collaboration between regions, universities, public transport companies and public transport authorities from Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway and Denmark with support from the EU Development Fund Interreg Baltic Sea Region.
The number of people on the planet infected with COVID-19 passed the two million mark on Wednesday, with the pandemic killing nearly 8,000 people in a single day. Half of those were in Europe, still the hardest-hit continent, while the largest single-country death toll was in the United States, some 2,482 people.

Nearly 5,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus in the last two days, but neither the American government nor the corporate media seem to care. At the White House coronavirus press briefing Wednesday, Trump vented his grievances against his political rivals and threatened to shut down Congress, while offering nothing to halt the spread of the infection or save the lives of tens of thousands now under threat.

American network television broadcasts barely even took note of the record death toll on Tuesday, and they said even less when this figure in turn was exceeded on Wednesday. Instead, they reported on the mounting demands (from big business and the ultra-right) to reopen the economy and force workers back to their jobs regardless of the dangers to their health and lives. Meanwhile, the military continues to build field hospitalsnot for todays patients, but to house the far greater numbers still to come.

Hardware store in the Benito Juarez district of Mexico City, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

COVID-19 is a global crisis, and the death tolls on a per capita basis are even higher in Italy, Spain, France and Britain than they are in the United States.

On Wednesday the pandemic killed 1,438 people in France, 761 in Britain, 578 in Italy and 557 in Spain, bringing the cumulative death toll in these four countries to 70,492, according to figures posted on WorldoMeter. Britain will reach 100,000 coronavirus cases today, joining France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

One of the hardest-hit countries, in terms of deaths per million people, is Belgium, which has suffered 4,440 deaths, far more than China, which has 100 times as many people. Germany too, portrayed as a comparative success in Europe, has lost more of its citizens than China, where the coronavirus first made its appearance last December.

While presently the US accounts for 30 percent of coronavirus cases and Europe for about 50 percent, there is a surge in cases in Brazil, India, Egypt, Indonesia and other countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These figures only give a glimpse of the potential impact of this 21st century plague when it reaches the poorest countries, with the weakest public health and sanitation systems. The response of the Trump administration, however, is to turn its back on the majority of humanity by halting its funding contribution to the World Health Organization.

Contrary to the predictions of a decline at White House press briefings and official models, the number of new cases continues to rise, and the number of deaths per day in the United States has doubled in only nine days.

At this terrible milestone of two million human beings infected, it is worth reviewing the speed with which the pandemic has spread, and the complete incapacity of capitalist governments in both Europe and the United States, the richest and most technologically advanced societies on the planet, to do anything effective to halt it.

On January 22, WorldoMeter began keeping count of the numbers of cases in the outbreak that had its epicenter in Wuhan. On that day, 580 people harbored the coronavirus virus. Initially dubbed 2019-nCoV, the virus was officially given the name SARS-CoV-2 and the disease associated with it became COVID-19 (Corona Virus 2019).

On January 24, the day Chinese authorities implemented a massive lockdown of Wuhan city and Hubei province, an unprecedented quarantine of a massive geographic area impacting nearly 60 million people, the official count stood at just over one thousand. By this time, the genetic code for the virus had been shared with the world, and a test that could detect the virus had been provided to all countries by the WHO. Six days later, the WHO issued an official notice of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

At the end of January, the number of cases had jumped to over 10,000 with several nations having confirmed imported cases, including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Australia, Germany, Italy, United Arab Emirates, India, Russia, Spain and the United States.

At an international level, scientists, epidemiologists and virologists were engaged in elucidating the nature of this SARS-like coronavirus. Several publications describing clinical experiences with the infection were made available free in online journals.

In practice, there was initially a wide range of national experiences with the virus. The massive lockdown in China, combined with the mobilization of the countrys health care personnel and economic resourcestwo hospitals to treat patients with COVID-19 were constructed in a matter of daysultimately seemed to have an impact. The number of cases in Wuhan and Hubei province stabilized, and other parts of China were not greatly affected.

By mid-February, however, reports from Iran suggested the outbreak there had grown out of control. US sanctions thwarted efforts to direct assistance by various governments and international aid groups. In the same period, a cluster of infections associated with a religious sect in South Korea saw a rapid escalation of community transmission leading to an essential lockdown of the city of Daegu. Massive testing and contact tracing were initiated that helped drastically curb the spread.

In March, however, the virus exploded across Europe and the United States. On March 6, the global count surpassed 100,000. On March 9, Italys lockdown was extended to the whole nation as the number of cases rapidly escalated, followed by a huge number of deaths of Italian physicians and health care workers. The videos of coffins by the truckload being transported in the dark hours of the night had a profound effect on the consciousness of the world.

The first few cases in the United States, on the west coast, led to the first death near Seattle, Washington, and a cluster of infections at a Seattle-area nursing home. The Trump administration established its coronavirus task force, with Vice President Mike Pence named its head and Dr. Deborah Birx the response coordinator. At this point, the CDC had only performed a few thousand tests, and the White House continued to exude complacency and indifferenceTrump was only energized when reports on the epidemic led to a sharp fall in the financial markets.

On March 11, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom formally designated the coronavirus as a pandemic, declaring at a press conference, In the past two weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has tripled. There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have lost their lives.

On March 13, with total cases in the US at over 2,000, Trump declared a national emergency which granted access to $50 billion in funding for US states and territories. State after state began shelter in place policies, first closing schools, then most businesses. Though Trump promised testing capacity would increase, he told those without symptoms, Its totally unnecessary. This will pass.

Only on March 17, during a news conference exactly one month ago today, did Trump finally ask everyone to work at home, if possible, postpone unnecessary travel, and limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people.

A week later, as the number of cases approached 100,000 in the US, with New York City at the epicenter of the pandemic, came Trumps infamous statement complaining that the financial cost was more important than stemming the rising death toll. The cure cant be worse than the problem itself, he tweeted.

On April 2, the world passed the threshold of one million cases. The number of deaths had exceeded 50,000 people. Two weeks further on into this global crisis, and both figures have more than doubled.

Throughout this process, while doctors, nurses and other health care workers have labored heroically, through great difficulties and at great risk to their own survival, to save lives, the capitalist governments of Europe and America have been preoccupied with a different problem: how to preserve and even increase the accumulated wealth of the capitalist ruling class, at the expense of the working class, no matter how high the death toll rises.
UN Chief Says It Is 'Not the Time' to Reduce WHO Resources to Fight COVID-19

Sputnik News

01:43 GMT 15.04.2020(updated 02:57 GMT 15.04.2020)

The statement follows the announcement made by US President Doland Trump that the United States would halt funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO), which the president accused of mismanaging and covering-up the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that it was not the time to reduce the WHO's resources to fight COVID-19.

"...it is also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organisation or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus", the official statement by the Secretary-General said.

Guterres has once again called on the international community to "work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences".

Last week, Guterres said the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most dangerous challenges the world faced in our lifetime, adding that it was above all a humanitarian crisis with severe health and economic consequences. He said that later, when the pandemic was over, there must be a time to look back to understand how such a disease had emerged and spread its devastation so fast, but that now it was not that time.

According to the latest situation update by the WHO, the number of COVID-19 cases has reached 1,844,000 globally, with over 117,000 people dying.

 Sputnik

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Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she won't "stand in the way" of the Army helping to combat the Covid-19 emergency in Northern Ireland.

Speaking at yesterday's daily Stormont press conference, the Sinn Fein vice-president appeared to backtrack on her weekend remarks when she hit out at Health Minister Robin Swann, claiming he had asked for the Army's assistance without consulting his Executive colleagues.

Mrs O'Neill was speaking as First Minister Arlene Foster confirmed the current lockdown regulations will continue for at least another three weeks.

On Saturday Mr Swann had revealed that he had made a formal request to the Army for help in distributing life-saving equipment.

He also requested assistance from the Ministry of Defence in planning for a Nightingale hospital at the site of the former Maze Prison.

But Mrs O'Neill responded by saying that while her party will not rule out any measure necessary to save lives, no proposals to use the Army for roles normally performed by civilians had been put before the Executive.

When asked to clarify her previous remarks, Mrs O'Neill yesterday said she wanted to "put the issue to bed", adding that she had since had a conversation with Mr Swann about the matter.

She added: "I have said here on this platform I don't know how many times and I'll say it today, my number one priority is to save lives.

"Whatever is required, including using the British Army, to save lives then I will not stand in the way.

"That's what I'm here to do, I only have one objective.

"I have raised concerns with the Health Minister around how that was communicated and the fact there wasn't an Executive discussion, but I've had that conversation with Robin.

"There clearly is guidelines around these things and all departments will be aware of those guidelines."

Earlier this month her Sinn Fein colleague, Finance Minister Conor Murphy, had indicated the party would consider such a request.

Meanwhile, the DUP leader has confirmed that the lockdown regulations will continue until early next month.

Mrs Foster said after that period the Executive will again review the decision before announcing any further extension or relaxation.

She said that it was "appropriate and proportionate" to keep the current regulations in operation.

Mrs Foster urged people to remain on their guard, saying that by sticking to the restrictions people will relieve pressure on the NHS and "save lives".

She added: "We review the regulations every three weeks and we will now review that again based on the data that we have as to what should happen in the future.

"When this all started the process was about containing, then it was about delaying, then it was about mitigation, and the next phase of that is recovery.

"We're not at that stage yet, but what we will be doing in the Executive will be planning for the recovery.

"But the regulations stay in place for the next three weeks and we will be reviewing that coming up to that date as to whether we can relax those or whether we need another period of time.

"I think it is right, it is appropriate, it is proportionate that we keep in place these regulations for another three weeks."

Mrs O'Neill warned that the biggest danger in this period is "complacency".

She added: "Obviously the measures are showing positive results but if any of us start to relax our attitude or behaviour then we will be in danger.

"We must keep going for this for as long as we need to.

"Keeping these measures in place remains a necessity."

The Deputy First Minister stressed that lives were being saved due to the measures.

"We know it's not easy, but this is the time to dig in," she said.

"This is the time to stay strong and this is the time to stay at home and to save lives.

"The message again has to be for people to follow that public health advice."
Negotiations over a Brexit trade deal should be extended to avoid adding to the uncertainty created across Europe by the coronavirus pandemic, the head of the International Monetary Fund has suggested.

It comes as the UK government faces escalating pressure to request an extension to the 11-month transition period  due to end in December  or risk barriers to exports and imports being erected if no deal is reached with the EU.

But Downing Street flatly rejected any prospect of delay, saying: "We will not ask to extend the transition period and if the EU asks, we will say No."

Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: "Extending the transition would simply prolong the negotiations, prolong business uncertainty and delay the moment we control our borders. It would keep us bound by EU legislation at a moment when we need legislative flexibility to respond to coronavirus."

Asked about the prospect of no trade deal and no extension to the talks between London and Brussels, the IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said that due to unprecedented uncertainty caused by the covid-19 it would be wise not to add more on top of it.

She told the BBC: I really hope that all policymakers everywhere would be thinking about [reducing uncertainty]. It is tough as it is, lets not make it any tougher.

Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart  DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe  Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

Pressed again, she continued: My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, the UK, the EU, and the whole world.

Earlier this week, the IMF warned that it is very likely the global economy will suffer its worst recession since the Great Depression almost a century ago, but predicted a partial recovery in 2021.

The remarks from Ms Georgieva follow poll by BMG for The Independent that found some 47 per cent of the public want Boris Johnson to ditch his 31 December deadline for the conclusion of the Brexit trade trade talks and request an extension.

But No 10 has repeatedly insisted they are sticking to the New Years Eve deadline for a deal to be reached, and Mr Johnson has not yet removed his threat to walk away from the talks in June if no progress is made with Brussels.

According to a joint statement from both sides, the UK governments chief negotiator David Frost held a constructive meeting with his opposite number Michel Barnier via videoconference on Wednesday.

The two sides took stock of the technical work that has taken place since the first negotiating round on the basis of the legal texts exchanged by both sides, they added.

While this work has been useful to identify all major areas of divergence and convergence, the two sides agreed on the need to organise further negotiating rounds in order to make real, tangible progress in the negotiations by June.

The statement added that a crunch meeting in June will take stock of the progress made. Under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, any extension to the transition period must be made by July.

The Scottish National Party's leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford, said it was "beyond reckless" for the government to impose a hard Brexit deadline in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

"People, public services and businesses are already struggling to get by," said Mr Blackford. "Imposing a Tory hard Brexit at the end of the year would deal another devastating blow at a time when our economy will need all the support it can get to recover.

UK ministers must think again, do the responsible thing and request an extension to the transition period. It would be deeply irresponsible and completely unforgivable to put blind Brexit dogma ahead of the interests of the people and nations of the UK."

Naomi Smith of the Best for Britain campaign said: "By attempting to complete talks with the EU at the same time as dealing with coronavirus, the government risks doing both jobs badly.

"Without a full trade deal, and without an extension to the transition period, the country faces a double whammy of a painful no-deal Brexit at the same time as a coronavirus-induced recession.

"That would be unfair on everyone who is currently making huge sacrifices, particularly businesses struggling to stay afloat while paying their employees."
Former prime minister H D Deve Gowdas grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy is entering into wedlock in a low-key ceremony on Friday, with the family forced to shelve grand plans in view of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Only close family members will attend the marriage to be held at a farmhouse in nearby Ramanagara district.

Nikhil, son of former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, will tie the nuptial knot with Revathi, the grandniece of former state housing minister M Krishnappa, at the farmhouse in Bidadi town.

Both families had earlier decided to have a grand wedding ceremony in Ramanagara, the political turf of Kumaraswamy.

With congregation of any type not allowed during the lockdown to check coronavirus spread, Kumaraswamy explained in a video message that the event will be a low-key affair of two families with minimum number of people.

He also appealed to his party workers, relatives and well-wishers not to visit the venue.

According to him, after the lockdown was announced, the marriage was planned at their home here itself but since social distancing will be a challenge, it was decided to organise it at Ramanagara.

He cited Bengaluru being in the Red Zone with maximum COVID-19 cases in the state as also a reason for shift in the venue.

It is difficult to maintain social distancing if the event is organised at home. Thats the reason we are organising the event at our farmhouse in Bidadi. I request my workers and well-wishers to avoid attending the event, Kumaraswamy said.

The decision to organise the marriage was taken after consulting doctors, including those in his family, he said.
Around 4,000 military medics dispatched to Hubei, epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China have returned with approval from Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The military medics, sent in three batches since January 24, were put in charge of patients at three hospitals, the Huoshenshan Hospital, Wuhan's Taikangtongji Hospital and Hubei Provincial Women and Children's Hospital.

None of them have contracted the coronavirus.

Those military medics have also supported other major hospitals in Wuhan.
The origin of the novel coronavirus is still a mystery despite the research efforts of scientists around the globe.

Zhao Guoping, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, pointed out that it is difficult and time-consuming to trace a virus, and the process could be full of uncertainties.

Finding the source of a virus is vital for preventing and controlling infectious diseases. Only by knowing how the etiology developed into a virus can we answer the question of whether the virus outbreak will reoccur, such as the novel coronavirus outbreak.

At least two steps are needed to trace an unknown pathogenic virus. The first is to find the pathogen and the second is to determine which animal was the first to be infected, or the natural host of the virus.

Based on the second step, we also need to explore the process and mechanism of how the virus transferred to infect people and spread from person to person, Zhao said.

Zhao Wei, with Southern Medical University, said that the epidemiological investigation of the traceability of infectious diseases starts from unearthing the contact history of the first infected patient. But the work is very difficult.

Take AIDS as an example. From October 1980 to May 1981, five healthy young people in the US suffered from pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, a very rare but serious infection which usually appears in people with a weak immune system.

The conditions of the five people worsened rapidly, and two of them died before their cases were reported. These are the earliest AIDS patients ever discovered in the world, but at that time it was speculated this disease had spread in the world for a significant amount of time.

In recent years, bioinformatics technology has developed rapidly. Scientists can study the genetic relationship and transmission process between different virus strains through gene homology comparison, though in terms of traceability these methods cannot replace traditional epidemiological investigations.

According to Zhao Guoping, the coronavirus contains single strands of RNA, and its genomes are larger (three times that of HIV), which easily leads to mutations such as gene deletions and recombination. However, most of the mutations are discarded during viral replication.

Virus tracing is extremely difficult and contains many uncontrollable factors. Some evidence, once lost, may never be found, and some is not necessarily clear through long-term research, he said, calling on the public to have a reasonable expectation over the coronavirus origin.
Representative Image

The nationwide lockdown has been extended and so have been the powers of the government under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 and Disaster Management Act, 2005. Already, the government has issued advisories and notifications against companies terminating the services of their employees or cutting their wages during the lockdown.

The Home Ministrys directive to factories, shops and establishments to pay workers their wages without any deduction has been actioned by the Chief Labour Commissioner, which has asked the regional heads to take strict action for violation.

In his speech on April 14 where he announced an extension of the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged companies to be kind to employees. Yet, many corporates have already announced salary cuts, some have asked employees to leave, and others have asked their employees to go on furlough, the term for leave without pay. Aviation, media, hospitality, banking and financial services have been among the worst-hit sectors.

Industry sources told CNBC-TV18 that some attempts to lay off staff in the hospitality sector have been opposed by the employees by invoking their current rights. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has set up 20 control rooms to address wage-related grievances of the workers.

Legal experts point out that any change in the terms of employment during such times can be construed as an offence.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

MHA order of 29th March 2020 requires that during the lockdown period, employers should pay wages to all workers without any deductions and in my view, any violation of this order will have legal ramifications, said Rupinder Malik, Partner, J. Sagar Associates.

Labour laws in India protect the rights of the workmen, who are blue collar workers operating plant and machinery. But the latest directives by the government do not make any distinction between workmen and white collar employees, and those hired on contract by companies.

Rashmi Pradeep, Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas says, "These directives do not make a distinction between workmen and non-workmen. They interchangeably use the terms, worker, employee, outsourced worker, employer, principal employer thus trying to cover every category of workforce."

So how are layoffs still happening? Rashmi Pradeep says, It must be noted that it must have consent from the employees, but we are seeing that companies are able to cut cost through many creative ways.

HR consultants say companies can stay within the rule by asking employees to go on furloughs, capping salaries, withholding performance-linked pay, or re-configuring job roles such that employees think they are better off quitting.

Also, while the lay-off, companies ask employees to hand in their resignation letters. Most employees agree, rather than taking their employer to court as it could hurt future job prospects. This ensures that companies cannot be accused of firing people.

"I don't think there is a blanket prohibition on changes to any and all terms of employment. As far as terminations and layoffs go, where a state has passed an order restricting any termination, under duly delegated authority under the National Disaster Management Act, then there could be prosecution for violating the same. But not all states appear to have done that," said Atul Gupta, Partner, Trilegal.

At a time when companies are incurring losses because of zero revenues during the lockdown, many employers may genuinely not be in a position to pay full wages on time. So employees would agree to take a lower salary than be out of a job.
The Australian Federal Police warned that Nationals MP George Christensen could be questioned in the Philippines by local police given rising concerns about his payments to women and lengthy stays in "seedy" hotels.

Mr Christensen was about to travel on official business to the Philippines when the AFP called a meeting with then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to warn him the government MP could be detained in Manila for questioning.

Details of the AFP probe into George Christensen's travel are divulged in Malcolm Turnbull's book. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen/Renee Nowytarger

Mr Turnbull reveals in his new memoir, A Bigger Picture, that he was briefed by then AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin in a one-on-one meeting that summed up months of police inquiries.

"Colvin described how Christensen had an unusually complex online presence and had been spending substantial sums in Manila bars and nightclubs as well as making many small payments to women there," Mr Turnbull writes.
Originally posted on Chalkbeat by Stephanie Wang, Dylan Peers McCoy on April 13, 2020

One month after Indianapolis schools closed their doors, Elvira Rangel Beltrans four children are working on paper packets while many of their classmates video conference with teachers.

Local schools have pointed families toward widely publicized offers for free internet access during the coronavirus crisis, but Rangel said she has been blocked from a free 60-day deal because of an old unpaid bill.

The provider, Spectrum, wont connect the internet until she pays her balance in full, Rangel said. She cant afford the payment of several hundred dollars because shes out of work while hair and nail salons are shut down under the states stay-at-home order. That means her children are cut off from school, Rangel said through a Spanish translator, and missing out on their education.

While providers such as Spectrum, AT&T, and Comcast have touted free internet offers to bridge technological divides, some families across the country still cant afford service, which can come with strings attached. Low-income families and families experiencing financial hardships are turned away because of outstanding bills or deterred by pricey installation fees.

Not having internet access presents a critical barrier to education during this time of remote instruction, said Justin Ohlemiller, executive director of Stand for Children Indiana. The parent advocacy organization has been helping families find resources and urging internet service providers to change their policies.

Were hoping some of the internet providers do the right thing and help support families, Ohlemiller said, adding that internet access is no longer a nice-to-have, its a must-have. In our minds, its as essential as heat or clean water.

A Spectrum spokesman didnt respond to emails from Chalkbeat asking about its policy for Indianapolis families with unpaid bills. The fine print on Spectrums offer notes that families must have no outstanding obligation to qualify for two months of free internet access. It also says the offer could still come with other charges, including an installation fee.

In New York, Spectrum recently waived its policy requiring past-due bills be paid after Chalkbeat revealed how it barred some students from pursuing their education.

Among other Indianapolis providers, Comcast temporarily changed its policy to allow customers with outstanding debts to qualify for two free months of service during the public health crisis.

A lot of families may be in a crisis-mode right now, which is a challenge made more difficult if a family was already struggling before stay at home orders were issued, Mike Wilson, public relations director for Comcast in Indiana, wrote in an email.

AT&T spokesman Phil Hayes did not answer whether the companys offer for two months of free internet for low-income families extends to those with unpaid bills, saying the question from Chalkbeat was hypothetical.

Ensuring internet access for families is a top priority for the city of Indianapolis newly launched e-learning fund, but theres no coordinated plan yet for how to address the issue, said Patrick McAlister, the director of the mayors Office of Education Innovation.

The city is considering a range of strategies, including providing internet hotspots at apartment complexes with large numbers of students and pushing internet providers to expand service, McAlister said. But before efforts move forward, officials are waiting for responses to a survey of charter schools and districts to understand their urgent needs due to COVID-19. Once we have a more holistic picture, its something that we can respond to, he said.

So many families lack internet access in Indianapolis Public Schools that the school district purchased about 1,500 mobile hotspots for families. But Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the city needs a more comprehensive, long-term solution.

IPS has also sent laptops to high school students, including Rangels older children. Her younger children have tablets, but those devices are far less useful without the internet.

Rangel hoped that Spectrum could add internet service right away while putting her on a payment plan. But so far, shes been unable to get online.

Rangel drove her children to a friends house a few times so they could log on to video meetings from there. But she knows such visits pose health risks, with the coronavirus spreading quickly in Indiana.

She feels powerless, she said through the translator. Its not even about asking for a free pass, its just asking for something to be worked out.

An unpaid debt is also preventing Swentalla Nelson and her daughter in third grade from getting access to the internet. When Nelson called Spectrum last month, she was told that she would need to pay nearly $500 in old cable bills first. Im not trying to get out of paying the bill. I just need the internet for this time that everything is shut down, she said.

Without the internet, her daughter, who attends Edison School of the Arts in IPS, hasnt been able to use online learning software.

I feel like thats a resource that has been taken away from her, Nelson said. I dont have all the material here to teach her what she needs to know in order to go on to the next grade.

Even parents without outstanding bills have sometimes struggled to get internet service. Shawanda Tyson has been trying for weeks to sign up for broadband so her 11-year-old son can do schoolwork and video chat with teachers. When Tyson initially called Spectrum, she said she was told that in order to get the internet up and running, she would need to prepay $150 to cover installation and service. She couldnt afford the payment, so she didnt get broadband.

Over the past week, Tyson has been driving to her sisters day care to use the internet, but she and her son arent working inside. Instead, from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, the pair have stayed in the car, doing assignments and meeting with teachers by video. A fifth-grader at Ignite Achievement Academy at School 42 in IPS, Tysons son has autism and ADHD, so he also has sessions with his occupational and speech therapists.

After two more calls to Spectrum, Tyson was finally able to get internet access on Monday.

Tyson is still frustrated, however, that even though she said she had school-age children at home, the first two salespeople didnt tell her about the free service.

Its great that theyre offering the service, but its not good that they will try to sell things to people that are already under a lot of pressure, Tyson said. Dont ask me to buy other stuff when Im trying to figure out how Im gonna put some food in these kids mouths.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
As Orangeburg County recovers from Mondays deadly tornadoes, groups and churches are coming together to support the people in their communities.

Among them is Sunny Vista Church of God in North, which will host a meal for the family of the two people killed in Mondays storms.

Of course, we knew the lady that passed away. We knew her pretty well and her husband. I visited them a couple of times and gave them communion. As far as I know, her heart was so weak. She was not able to physically come to church, said the Rev. Obed P. Ortiz.

Gerald Jerry Lee Chavis, 63, and his wife, Doris Ann Hoover Chavis, 68, were killed by a tornado as storms rolled through Orangeburg County near dawn on Monday, causing widespread damage.

Ortiz will conduct a private graveside service for the couple at 3 p.m. Thursday. The church is serving lunch for immediate family members at 11 a.m. ahead of the service.

Our ladies got together and will be serving the family in that capacity. It means so much to them. We always try to reach out as best we can. We try to give them some comfort and some support during grief. Its not going to be the same. That grief is going to be with them for a long time, the pastor said.

His wife, Ramona, said it will be important for the church to support the entire community and spread Gods love beyond its four walls.

She recalled her and her husbands own close call with the tornado, which they said sounded like a train. They went out to survey the damage and realized that they could have been impacted the same way.

I sat on the porch Monday. There was so much commotion going on. I sat there and all I could do was say, Thank you God, she said.

She said her heart goes out to the Chavis family.

I know what its like to lose your parents. Ive lost both of mine, and its heartbreaking, she said.

The American Red Cross is standing ready to assist individuals impacted by the tornadoes that struck Orangeburg County.

Orangeburg (County) is one of the hardest-hit areas. Weve got a hotel open in Orangeburg right now. In a usual circumstance, we would open up a shelter when we have this many people displaced. But because of COVID-19, that is not the best option for us at this time, said Ben Williamson, communications director for the American Red Cross of South Carolina.

Williamson said more than 20 Orangeburg County residents were sheltered at the hotel on Tuesday night.

Across the state, we had more than 230 people that stayed in hotels across the state (Tuesday) night. We have opened up assistance cases for 63 people so far across the state, he said.

Williamson added, Were feeding breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel. We also open up cases and help families that may not need to stay at the hotel. They may be able to stay with friends or family, but that doesnt mean we dont help them. Were still helping them. Were looking at it case by case, but the feeding is happening at the hotel.

Sending out Red Cross teams to meet with people face-to-face to open cases and conduct home damage assessments has been put aside, at least for now amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Weve been working with the local emergency management to identify the hardest-hit areas. Then we have our team connect with the families impacted. So a lot of that is being done virtually because of COVID-19, getting their contact information over the phone, through FaceTime, things like that, and doing that work virtually, Williamson said.

We are doing like mobile damage assessments. So maybe instead of a group of two or three volunteers, were having just one volunteer. The volunteers go out individually in cars and do damage assessments from their cars. Our mission is the same. It just looks a little bit different.

Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD

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Disciplinary action against a University of Queensland student known for criticism of the Chinese government risks becoming a political headache for the university as Liberal MPs publicly warn against any actions that would jeopardise free speech.

Drew Pavlou, an outspoken activist on human rights issues and critic of UQ's strong ties to Beijing, faces a disciplinary hearing later this month and possible expulsion following complaints about his protest activities and comments on social media.

University of Queensland student Drew Pavlou. Credit:Attila Csaszar

The university has presented 11 allegations of misconduct against Mr Pavlou, 20, arguing his activities breached integrity and harassment policies and the student charter. The university said he harmed its reputation, engaged in intimidating and disrespectful conduct and disrupted normal staff operations.

While the 186-page document outlining the allegations is confidential, Mr Pavlou said they included social media comments about the Hong Kong protests where he identified himself as speaking "on behalf of the university" as an elected student representative on the UQ senate.
Low-cost carrier GoAir is gearing up to take to the skies from May 4 in a phased manner with new operating procedures, according to an official statement released on Thursday.

"GoAir is in full preparation mode for a gradual commencement of flights from 4 May 2020," the airline's chief executive Vinay Dube said in the statement.

The airline said it has enhanced all of its cleaning procedures in the interest of customers' and employees' health and safety. The Wadia Group-controlled carrier said it will take maximum health and safety measures when it restarts operations, including social distancing measures, longer check-in time for passengers, longer turnaround time in between flights to thoroughly disinfect the fleet along with suspension of all onboard sales to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"We are going above and beyond the government recommendations in an effort to ensure maximum health and safety measures are undertaken as we gradually emerge from this unimaginable and unprecedented global crisis," Dube added.

Apart from GoAir, rivals, Vistara and IndiGo, have also announced plans to resume flight operations from 4 May, after the completion of the nationwide lockdown.

Also Read: Coronavirus effect: SpiceJet, GoAir cut March salary by up to 30%

GoAir suspended all international operations, starting March 17 to April 15, which has been further extended till May 3. Domestic flights in India were suspended on March 25 in wake of travel restrictions due to the outspread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 announced that the nation-wide lockdown will be extended for 19 more days till May 3. Originally, the 21-day nation-wide lockdown was to end on April 14.

GoAir flies to 35 destinations, including eight international ones. The overseas destinations are Phuket, Male, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bangkok, Kuwait, and Dammam.

Also Read: Coronavirus impact: 'Refund passengers for cancelled tickets within 3 weeks,' Centre tells airlines

After suspension of international operations, GoAir announced a pay cut in March salary amid grounding of operations due to coronavirus outbreak. GoAir also deferred a part of March salaries for its staff in addition to salary cuts implemented earlier.

India's aviation industry, reeling from the impact of the global outbreak of COVID-19, is seeking help from the government to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic. COVID-19 driven lockdowns have adversely impacted the industry, leading to significant economic headwinds. Several airlines, both in India and abroad, have been forced to undertake severe measures amidst tough market conditions to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic.

By Chitranjan Kumar
Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here!

Editor's Note: updating earlier story to include more details from report, comments from economist and updated prices.

(Kitco News) - Another 5.25 million Americans filed for first-time U.S. jobless claims in the week to Saturday, the Labor Department said Thursday.

As of 8:45 a.m. EDT, spot gold pared its early gains, but was still trading up $9.90 to $1,725.90 an ounce.

Consensus expectations compiled by news organizations called for initial jobless claims to be around 5 million to 5.5 million. The previous weeks 6.61 million claims were revised to 6.62 million.

This was the fourth straight week that new claims topped 3 million after the previous all-time high had been 695,000 back in October 1982, according to Labor Department figures. Markets are closely monitoring the data for a barometer of the damage to the U.S. economy due to lockdowns and social-distancing measures across the country to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many businesses temporarily closing their doors.



However, with the new claims down from the prior week, the data suggest that the weekly increases in claims may be past their peak, said Andrew Grantham of CIBC Economics.

This was the fifth straight week the Labor Department issued a statement attributing a rise to layoffs as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The increase was especially pronounced the last four weeks, with a total 22.03 million claims filed during this time period.

Grantham said the cumulative rise in initial claims over the past month represents almost 15% of the previously employed population, and the data are still ahead of the survey week for April nonfarm payrolls data, which is being collected this week.

However, the fact that continuing claims aren't rising quite as quickly as previous initial claim figures would have implied, suggesting that at least some of the claims have been short-term in nature, and accounting for a likely drop in labor-force participation, we don't expect the increase in unemployment rate to be quite as severe as this, Grantham said. The 12-13% peak we forecast for the unemployment rate in Q2 would still, admittedly, easily surpass the peak of the 2008-9 financial crisis.

Meanwhile, the four-week moving average for new claims  often viewed as a more reliable measure of the labor market since it smooths out week-to-week volatility  rose by 1.24 million to 5.51 million.

Continuing jobless claims, which counts the number of people already receiving benefits and reported with a one-week delay, increased by 4.53 million to a seasonally adjusted 11.98 million during the week ending April 4, the government said. This was the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment recorded in the history of the data, the government said.

Likewise, the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate of 8.2% for the week ending April 4, a weekly increase of 3.1 percentage points, was the highest ever in the history of this data. The previous high was 7% in May of 1975, the Labor Department said.

The jobless-claims report came out at the same time as March housing starts and the April Philadelphia Federal Reserve manufacturing index.
For 11 festive days every April, the streets of downtown San Antonio are filled with the sounds of clink-clanking medals intertwined with firework explosions and Tejano music.

Fiesta, the city's biggest party, was first celebrated in 1891 and, in recent years, has attracted millions of revelers to more than 100 official events.

But like almost every event worldwide, Fiesta is taking a back seat to the coronavirus. The event, which was supposed to begin Thursday, was postponed and will now take place from Nov. 5-15. This is Fiesta's first interruption since it was canceled from 1942-1944, during World War II.

Text messages to friends to map out Fiesta plans and set up carpools have now been replaced with "How are you holding up?" and "Viva Fiesta" swapped with "Stay safe" in an April upended by the wrath of the pandemic.

On ExpressNews.com: Postponed by coronavirus, Fiesta to rise again in November

Amy Shaw, executive director of the Fiesta Commission, said the March 13 decision to hold off on the beloved tradition wasn't an easy one.

"Nobody wanted to postpone," she said. "But we're hopeful we'll have a very special Fiesta in the fall."

The postponement came amid growing concerns over the coronavirus and was a blow to the economic impact the event has on the city. Fiesta generates more than $340 million annually and supports 3,464 full-time equivalent jobs, according to the Fiesta Commission. It also hurts nonprofits that rely on the 11-day party for funding.

With a temporarily lid on this year's event, business owners, party-goers and Fiesta leaders are finding alternative ways to keep the city's spirits up and to uphold the "party with a purpose" mantra.

"We don't know what the world will look like months from now," said Rey Feo LXXII Thomas Aguillon, a member of the Fiesta Royal Court. "But San Antonio will make the best of every situation thrown at us. The city will come together and support each other."

Over the next few days, Aguillon will participate in virtual events created by the commission to help shine a light on more than 100 nonprofits.

Garrett Heath, a party enthusiast who owns SA Flavor, a Fiesta medal company, is working to help promote nonprofits by selling their medals on the online store's website.

On ExpressNews.com: Postponing Fiesta until November amid coronavirus concern has many nonprofits, service industry workers scrambling

Every year, Heath also works with individual medal makers to create custom designs, which he then sells on his platform. A dollar from each sale benefits a nonprofit of the creator's choosing. Rather than waiting until the end of the Fiesta season to make the donations to the groups, Heath said he's trying to funnel the money to them on a weekly basis.

In a normal year, he would spend Fiesta eve packing up his display tables for Pin Pandemonium, an annual event where people purchase and trade medals. Instead, he'll be helping out with the online version of the event Thursday night.

"I'd be drinking a Dos XX, listening to music and wearing my big Fiesta hat on Thursday," he said. "But I'll break out my NIOSA cups from past years for margaritas at home  it's still Fiesta time."

The Fiesta Commission has organized a series of "Fiesta At Home" virtual activities  including Pin Pandemonium  for residents with the Fiesta blues.

One San Antonian trying to stay cheerful is Chrisina Liserio, who is one of Heath's medal makers and a Fiesta enthusiast. She loves the event so much she hosts her own spin-off soiree she calls "Chalupa Fest" and takes time off work for a "Fiesta staycation" to attend as many events as possible.

On ExpressNews.com: 'My heart has never been so broken': San Antonio reacts to Fiesta being postponed until November

Though she can't show support by buying event admission or noshing on Fiesta snacks, Liserio says she is finding ways to help.

"I'm looking at this as an opportunity to jump in and help where I still can, to donate to important causes where I can," she said. "After all, Fiesta has always been a party with a purpose, so I'm trying to keep that spirit alive from home. I put up my own decorations outside to keep me smiling."

Liserio is holding out hope for what is shaping out to be a busy fall for San Antonio. In one month's time, the city will celebrate Halloween, Dia de Los Muertos, Diwali, Fiesta and Thanksgiving.

Unlike Liserio, Miss Fiesta 2011 Lauren Holt said she can't bring herself to display her decorations, calling the situation heartbreaking.

"We look forward to this every year, it's one of our milestones and it's one of the most-exciting times of the year. For us, it's like Christmas time again," Holt said.

The former queen said the fall Fiesta schedule may be a "weird anomaly," but it will be a year no one will forget. She also praised the commission and the city's leadership for putting public health and safety ahead of the economic impact.

"I'm really proud of our city for not going through with something that wouldn't have been the best for us," she said.

For now, the city waits to awaken again.

"I'm looking forward to the fall, people are going to want to be out of the house," Heath said. "People are going to want to party."

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye
We can't travel right now, but that doesn't mean we have to limit our perspectives to this side of the Atlantic when it comes to the pop culture we consume. Here is a guide to some of the best international TV offerings on Netflix and other streaming platforms.

- - -

If you like romantic drama/comedy:

- "Crash Landing on You" (2019)

Sure, the premise of this South Korean drama - about a wealthy South Korean business executive who ends up on the North Korean side of the region's demilitarized zone after a paragliding outing goes awry - necessitates some suspension of disbelief. But the popular K drama (one of the highest-rated shows to ever air on South Korean cable before its arrival on Netflix) is so charming it's easy to forget reality's constraints and binge your way through. And as Washington Post Beijing bureau chief Anna Fifield recently noted, the show is rather groundbreaking in its nuanced portrayal of North Koreans.

- "Lovesick" (2014)

Leave it to the Brits to make a charming, quirky and romantic (seriously) comedy about a man who is forced to track down all of his sexual partners after he tests positive for chlamydia. The three-season Channel 4 import, which first premiered under a somewhat unfortunate title, is available to stream on Netflix.

- - -

If you like reality shows:

- "Terrace House" (2012)

This beloved Japanese franchise is the low-and-slow version of reality's go-to formula (X number of strangers together in an obnoxiously nice house), putting emphasis on vulnerability rather than drama. The result - available, in various iterations, on Netflix - is a singularly intimate window into the lives of the show's cast members.

- "The Great British Baking Show" (2010)

This decidedly pleasant U.K. competition show, which pits amateur bakers against each other under the watch of a judging panel led (for its first seven seasons) by beloved "Queen of Cakes" Mary Berry, features just about the most gracious reality show participants we've ever seen. Stream it on Netflix.

- - -

If you like action or suspense:

- "La Casa de Papel" ("Money Heist") (2017)

Suspense oozes through this Netflix caper series about a carefully curated team of robbers - guided by an enigmatic mastermind - who attempt a stunning heist at Spain's Royal Mint. The third season has been among the platform's top offerings since its premiere this month.

- "Queen Sono" (2020)

This South African spy thriller, which marks Netflix's foray into original content produced in Africa, isn't for the faint of heart: Its titular secret agent (played by Pearl Thusi) is ruthless as she defeats foes across the African continent. Since its late February premiere, the series has earned praise for its well-paced and empowering plot, along with its charismatic lead.

- "Fauda" (2015)

This gripping Israeli series follows a former Israeli Defense Forces soldier who returns to his elite counterterrorism unit to track down a notorious Hamas operative. The show - which released its third season Thursday on Netflix - comes highly recommended from Ruth Eglash, The Post's Jerusalem bureau chief, who recently wrote that "the show captures the complicated personal relationships and geographical tangle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

- - -

If you like family dramas:

- "Shtisel" (2013)

This Israeli drama's simple focus on the everyday lives of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family in Israel is precisely what makes it so absorbing. The series, which came to Netflix years after its original run, has earned a cult following with its thoughtful depiction of community and what it means to be religiously devout.

- "Srugim" (2008)

This series has drawn comparisons to "Friends," which is to say it follows a different kind of a family: a close-knit group of modern Orthodox singles trying to find love as they approach their 30s. The show, available to stream on Amazon Prime, is unique in its exploration of the tension between religious observance and modern society.

- - -

If you like teen TV:

- "Elite" (2018)

File this Netflix drama about the competitive and impossibly beautiful students at a Spanish prep school under teen TV that's not exactly for teens. Each season gets more ridiculous (in the best way) as the pupils of Las Encinas scramble to conceal murder, blackmail and other crimes from a local police interrogator, and each other.

- "Dance Academy" (2010)

We can't recommend this Australian series enough: Just prepare to become emotionally invested in the lives of Tara Webster (Xenia Goodwin) and her classmates at Sydney's prestigious (and fictional) National Academy of Dance. The three-season series (available to stream free on Vudu) is tender and surprisingly profound right up until the end - after which, you'll be glad to know you can also stream a delightful feature-length movie (on Netflix) that follows Tara as she pursues her ballet career in New York City.
Parul Yadav has come a long way in her acting career by starting out in Tamil and Malayalam films and then debuting in Sandalwood with Govindaya Namaha. The 17-film-old actress then ventured into production with the south Indian remakes of Kangana Ranauts Queen (under her banner Mediente International Films).

However, the move led to a lot of speculation about Paruls acting career as a leading lady as she hasnt signed a single project for a while now. However, the Butterfly star has refuted the rumours of quitting acting in her latest interview with the New Indian Express. Parul said, Who says so? I am working on a bunch of subjects with a few young filmmakers in Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil. These films will be produced under our own banner, and will also see me playing the lead.

Parul Yadav then went on to state that her focus is currently on projects where she can play the protagonist. Although I am happy to be part of hero-centric movies, what I dont want to do at this stage of my career is to be in a movie where my character is just a prop for the hero. One of my projects will be a bilingual made in Kannada and Telugu, while the other one will just be in Tamil. More details will be revealed once I have the script in hand, and we are ready to go. I am open to working with other production houses, and am even holding discussions with a couple of filmmakers from other production houses, she said.

On being quizzed about the delay in the release of the Queen remakes (titled Butterfly in Kannada with Parul Yadav, Paris Paris in Tamil starring Kajal Aggarwal, Mahalakshmi in Telugu starring Tamannaah Bhatia and Zam Zam in Malayalam with Manjima Mohan), Parul replied, Since the project took off around the same time in all four languages, we are looking to have a simultaneous release on the same day. While we have received certificates from the censor board for the Kannada and Malayalam versions, we are yet to receive it for the Tamil and Telugu versions. We will not be able to release them until we get these two certificates as well.

She went on to add, It is frustrating, but there isnt much we can do. Now that the entire world is under lockdown, due to COVID-19 pandemic, we are waiting for the quarantine period to end, after which we will work towards getting the clearance and releasing the films. (sic)
Citizens bid farewell to medics from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, April 15, 2020. The last medical assistance team started leaving Hubei Province Wednesday as the COVID-19 epidemic in the hard-hit province has been subdued. The medical team consisting of over 180 medical workers from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital arrived in the provincial capital of Wuhan on Jan. 26. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

WUHAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The last medical assistance team started leaving Hubei Province Wednesday as the COVID-19 epidemic in the hard-hit province has been subdued.

The medical team consisting of over 180 medical workers from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital arrived in the provincial capital of Wuhan on Jan. 26.

Among the total, 179 medics left Wuhan Wednesday, and six will continue to stay there to assist local medical personnel in the treatment of patients.

"There are still a small number of patients who have not fully recovered. We hope they can get better as soon as possible," said Guo Fan, a member of the medical team assisting the Tongji Hospital in Wuhan.

The medical team treated 109 critically ill patients admitted to the designated hospital.

"I have left home for over 80 days, I'm looking forward to seeing my family," said Guo.

A farewell ceremony was held in the early morning in Zhonghe International Hotel, where the medical team stayed in Wuhan.

"They worked very hard. I often saw many fall asleep while having breakfast. They deserve our heartfelt gratitude," said Liu Yanxia, a kitchen helper in the hotel, who left her post to see off the medical team.

Liu Chunhong, 56, is a community volunteer in Wuhan. He and another four volunteers drove to the hotel to bid farewell to the medical team.

"The medical personnel have sacrificed a lot for Wuhan. I come here to express my appreciation," said Liu, who put on a volunteer vest with names of the team members signed on it. "I will keep this vest permanently as a souvenir."

After the ceremony, the medical workers headed for Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at around 10:50 a.m., with police motorcycles and cars escorting the buses and local residents lining the streets and waving goodbye to them.

GONE BUT REMEMBERED

Many citizens also came to the airport to bid farewell to the batch of medical personnel. Doctors and nurses received several souvenirs, including local signature snacks, books, and a special boarding pass.

"The withdrawal of the last medical assistance team shows that the epidemic is under well control in Hubei. I am very happy to see the victory day against the epidemic," said Li Tong, a nurse who was dispatched from Beijing to Wuhan on Feb. 7.

"There were so many unforgettable moments during my 69 days here. Wuhan is my second hometown. I hope it gets better and better," said Li.

Ma Xiaowei, head of the National Health Commission, also spoke highly of the medics for their extraordinary contributions to the fight against the epidemic.

"The assistance team was one of the first medical teams to arrive in Wuhan and the last to leave. They are a team of heroes," said Ma.

Since the virus outbreak, over 42,000 medical workers from across the country were dispatched to aid Hubei to curb the spread of the epidemic.

"Medics, like diseases, have no borders. They have done a wonderful job and that everyone is grateful to them. I hope that all these doctors who came to help our city will be able to rest a little," said Frederick Simon, a French national living in Wuhan.

"They have all my respect, recognition and admiration for their sacrifices," he added.

While reporting their departure at the airport, Pablo Diez, a journalist with Spanish newspaper ABC, said he was deeply impressed by their selfless dedication to the fight against the epidemic.

"The doctors and nurses are the real heroes. Everyone's lives are in their hands. I want to thank them," said Pablo Diez.

"As for the people of Wuhan, we have to support them and to honor them because they have gone through a challenging time," the journalist added.

ORDERLY WITHDRAWAL

On March 16, a leading group of China's COVID-19 response demanded the orderly withdrawal of medical staff supporting the virus-hit Hubei as the epidemic continued to ebb away in the province.

On March 17, the first batch of medical assistance teams started leaving Hubei. The 3,675 medical staffers belonging to 41 medical teams from across China have assisted 14 temporary hospitals and seven designated hospitals in Wuhan.

Dai Zongdong, an airport ground staffer, said he witnessed the arrival of almost every medical worker supporting the hard-hit province since Jan. 24.

"I also bid farewell to each of them at the airport. Today is the last batch," said Dai. "I feel very sad because it's like my family are leaving me."

"I hope the epidemic will come to an end soon and everything will return to normal," added Dai.

At 1:00 p.m., a plane carrying the 179 members of the medical assistance team from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital took off at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport and soared into the air. All three people working in the 115-meter-high air traffic control tower stood solemnly.

"It is a silent farewell. We stand to see the plane take off. Gratitude and blessing are deep in the heart," said Zou Xiugai, a tower instructor controller.
A cruise director who has been quarantined on a liner off Australia's east coast since March 18 has given her followers a glimpse of life on the ghost ship, as the 1,000 crew members finally make their way to the Philippines and a potential flight home.

Chloe Loddo, who is the cruise director on the Carnival Splendor and hosts all the main events on board for more than 3,000 guests, has been stranded on board the ship for almost a month after the Federal Government placed a 30-day ban on liners docking in Australia unless they had special permission.

The charismatic worker updated her 7,000 Facebook fans on Easter Sunday with a live video, pointing out that they'd finally been given clearance to travel to the Philippines.

Scroll down for video

Chloe Loddo, who is the cruise director on the Carnival Splendor and hosts all the main events on board for more than 3,000 guests, has been stranded on board the ship for almost a month

She had to move from the Carnival Splendor to the Carnival Spirit on Saturday April 11 (the Carnival Splendor near Port Kembla, NSW, in March)

She had to move from the Carnival Splendor to the Carnival Spirit on Saturday April 11 while docked in Gladstone, Queensland, after they were informed all non-Filipino crew would be boarding the Splendor en route to Indonesia.

'The Indonesian government said they won't let any non-Indonesians off the ship there, so we will be heading to the Phillipines instead,' she said.

Calling it a 'very smooth operation' the Spirit has now departed Gladstone and is headed for Manila, with hopes the crew on board will be allowed to return to their respective homes, which for Chloe is the United Kingdom.

But there are no guarantees.

'The Indonesian government said they won't let any non-Indonesians off the ship there, so we will be heading to the Phillipines instead,' she said

'It's pretty wild, things change overnight. I don't know where the Splendor and Spirit will be going after Indonesia and the Phillipines,' she said.

'We're all doing well and keeping our spirits up. So much is out of our control, we're just rolling with the punches.'

During the video update Chloe panned her phone camera around to show the very empty bars, theatres and hallways that fill the ship now that it's at less than a third of its capacity.

Carnival Australia has suspended all cruises until June 15 so Chloe wasn't sure when guests would be allowed to board the ships again (Chloe on a previous trip)

Carnival Australia has suspended all cruises until June 15 so Chloe wasn't sure when guests would be allowed to board the ships again.

She assured her followers there were zero cases of coronavirus on either the Carnival Spirit or Splendor and they are all feeling 'healthy'.

The harsh restrictions around cruise ships came into force after 2,647 passengers from the Ruby Princess ship that docked in Sydney on March 19 were released without further testing, and 18 people have since died from COVID-19.

DAY ONE: Chloe's crew members dropped off their passengers in Sydney before turning around to head out to sea

DAY TWO: Everyone spent ample time cleaning out their lockers and disinfecting the ship

Chloe has spent the last month documenting her quarantine on social media, which has been spent working out, playing cards, making coffee and cleaning.

Isolation hasn't been a holiday for the cruise director and her crew, who are keeping productive despite the eerily, quiet decks.

On the second day of their quarantine on the Splendor a group of Chloe's friends finished jigsaw puzzles in the 'coffee shop' after a day spent disinfecting their surroundings.

DAY THREE: They were conducting a rehearsal of Dr Seuss - a show they normally put on for guests

DAY THREE: Chloe headed to the gym for a quick workout while on board

By day three they were conducting a rehearsal of Dr Seuss - a show they normally put on for guests - and Chloe headed to the gym for a quick workout.

She has been livestreaming some of their shows to her fans, with musical numbers and comedy skits providing a welcome distraction to cruise fans tuning in.

She noted that the lights had been dimmed to conserve energy on the ship but little else had been affected.

DAY FOUR: Chloe curated some workshops that would help those who usually conduct the 'Welcome Aboard' show for travellers

DAY FIVE: 'We are back in Sydney on day five of quarantine so we can pick up some more provisions and sail back out again,' Chloe announced the following day

On day four Chloe curated some workshops that would help those who usually conduct the 'Welcome Aboard' show for travellers, and visited the gym again.

'We are back in Sydney on day five of quarantine so we can pick up some more provisions and sail back out again,' Chloe announced the following day.

'I took some time to relax today. Thank you Julie Andrews for keeping me company,' she said, sharing a photo of a book she was reading.

Day six was 'inventory day' where they counted how many charity 'Wiggle for Westmead' shirts they have and bingo boxes.

DAY SIX: Day six was 'inventory day' where they counted how many charity 'Wiggle for Westmead' shirts they have and bingo boxes

DAY SEVEN: The crew tested their 'towel animal' skills by folding tiny animals that would usually be placed on a freshly made bed

Things looked similar on day seven with more inventory and cleaning, with the crew testing their 'towel animal' skills by folding tiny animals that would usually be placed on a freshly made bed.

Chloe reported that day eight was a teaching time for staff and involved a few relaxing card games like Uno.

With 'unlimited wifi' on board Chloe will be continuing to update her followers while in isolation, with details about how they will go attempting to get home to come.
Amid Pandemic, Facebook Stifles Information Showing Chinas Cover-Up

The Epoch Times recently published a documentary to Facebook, Tracking Down the Origin of Wuhan Coronavirus.

The documentary went viral across different channels, including Facebook, generating a lot of healthy discussion and more than 70 million views collectively, at last count.

However, independent fact checkers erroneously marked the video as false. Click here to read the justification provided by the fact checker.

The fact checker appears to take issue with some of the expert opinions the documentary presents. With the Chinese Communist Party having destroyed evidence and prevented research into the origin of the virus, its very difficult to draw any definitive conclusions. Its not the intent of the film to provide a definitive answer.

Aside from the expert opinions, the film explores purely the known facts surrounding the CCP virus (commonly known as the novel coronavirus) and the global pandemic.

The documentary has had a strong impact, creating interest in potential origins for the virus that challenge the official Chinese Communist Party talking points of its origin at the Huanan Seafood Market.

Following the publication of the documentary, these related articles were published:

Washington Post: State Department cables warned of safety issues at Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses Washington Times: Joint Chiefs chairman: U.S. intel investigating whether coronavirus leaked from Wuhan lab Fox News: Sources believe coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab as part of Chinas efforts to compete with US

Clearly, many took our documentary very seriously. On top of this, there are several issues that render the fact checking performed spurious, notably:

The fact checking is done based on an article published by The New York Post, not our documentary. There may be some overlap with respect to evidence, but a number of points cited have nothing to do with our documentary. One of two experts cited, Danielle Anderson, is not independent, as she states: I will disclose that I am a scientist trained to work in high containment and have collaborative projects with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). I have worked in this exact laboratory at various times for the past 2 years. I can personally attest to the strict control and containment measures implemented while working there. The staff at WIV are incredibly competent, hardworking, and are excellent scientists with superb track records. A key fact check claim is actually false: There is no evidence supporting claims that biosecurity is poor in the Wuhan Institute of Virology or that lab animals are being sold or consumed. This claim is false based on articles 1 and 3 mentioned above. The headline for this fact check is Scientific evidence indicates virus that causes COVID-19 infection is of natural origin, not the result of human engineering. The highlighted fact check claim at the top of the page is evidence points to SARS-CoV-2 research being carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is marked INCORRECT. This fact check conflates the idea of lab origin with engineeringa coronavirus (one of many held at these specific labs) could be under research but not a product of bioengineering. And the virus could have spread from the lab to the general population without being engineered.

We call on Facebook to remove its incorrect label and allow more people to see this very timely documentary. At The Epoch Times, we are firm believers in freedom of the press. Especially now, as the global pandemic continues, it is vital for audiences around the world to be provided with independent and accurate information to make informed decisions.

In speaking out for the need for a free press, we are standing with the position taken by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. As he said at Georgetown University in October 2019, As a principle, in a democracy, I believe people should decide what is credible, not tech companies.

Correction: a previous version of this article referred to a single fact checker, where Facebook refers to multiple fact checkers, and it identified Danielle Anderson as that fact checker, where the fact checking article quotes her as an expert. The Epoch Times regrets the errors.
[April 15, 2020]

SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS ANAB, MESA, XP INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits

NEW ORLEANS, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits:



XP Inc. (XP)

Class Period: shares issued in connection with its December 2019 Initial Public Offering.

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 21, 2020

MISLEADING PROSPECTUS

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-xp-inc-securities-litigation

AnaptysBio, Inc. (ANAB)

Class Period: 10/10/2017 - 11/7/2019

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 26, 2020

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-anaptysbio-inc-securities-litigation







Mesa Air Group, Inc. (MESA)

Class Period: securities issued in connection with its August 2018 initial public stock offering.

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: June 1, 2020

MISLEADING PROSPECTUS

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-mesa-air-group-incorporated-securities-litigation

If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above.

If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com
The daughter of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman appeared on a Facebook live stream Tuesday packing boxes with food and supplies for the elderly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico.

Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman was then accompanied by her team of workers as she visited various poor neighborhoods to deliver the aid across the Guadalajara metropolitan area.

'You have toilet paper. There are flavored cornstarches. There is also seasoning for noodle soups and noodle soups,' she said.

'We have three different types of soups. There are crackers, oil, sugar, beans and rice, too.'

Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman is using the earnings from her fashion line, Chapo 701, which is inspired by her dad Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, to help deliver aid to the elderly who have been impacted by the coronavirus global pandemic in Guadalajara, Mexico. She appeared in a Facebook live stream Tuesday packing boxes with food and supplies

Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman (right) hands a box with basic food and supplies to an elderly resident in the Guadalajara metropolitan area on Tuesday

Guzman's main goal is to focus on reaching out to the city's aging population, who are affected by the current the economic crisis.

During the live Facebook broadcast, Guzman wore a face mask with a likeness of her incarcerated father, who is serving a life sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.

During his heyday as the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, it was normal for El Chapo to distribute his massive billion dollar fortune among the poor in his hometown.

Elderly residents from the Guadalajara metropolitan area who do not have the support of the government and immediate family members are being targeted as recipients by aid being delivered by El Chapo's daughter

His daughter is now using the earnings she has amassed from her company Chapo 701, a fashion line inspired him.

Some of the product is made by the prisoners being held in the jail which El Chapo famously escaped from in 2001.

Guzman appeared in a second video Wednesday calling on the public to share the contact information of any elderly person who needs help they delivered the much-needed aid to some folks who perhaps really did not need the assistance.

'We want to ask you to please refer us to people who really need help, who do not have basic government support, neither from family nor grandchildren,' Guzman said.

'That they are lonely or low-income people who really need it.'

Elderly residents in Guadalajara, Mexico, are being helped out by Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman, whose father El Chapo is currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison

An employee of El Chapo's daughter provides a box with food and supplies to an elderly woman in Guadalajara
Dome of historic church in Haiti goes up in flames, devastating UNESCO World Heritage site

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A historic church in Haiti that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site has been significantly damaged following a fire that engulfed and destroyed its wooden dome.

The Royal Chapel of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Milot, Haiti, located just outside the city of Cap-Haitien, is among three structures within the National Historic Park in the Caribbean nation's northern region. An early Monday morning blaze consumed the entirety of the dome of the church and by the time firefighters arrived it was too late as it had been completely burned, according to the Miami Herald.

This church is the pride of Milot. Its the pride of the North. Its the pride of Haiti, said parish priest, Father Alain Prophete, in an interview with the Miami Herald. I am in shock.

Locals in the town attempted to put out the blaze on their own but their efforts were short-lived.

They fought, and fought; some were even injured, Prophete said. In the moment we are speaking, we do not have a church. ... Only the walls are standing.

Patrick Durandis, director of the National Heritage Preservation Institute, told the South Florida Caribbean News Tuesday that he was told by someone in site that the fire started at around 3 a.m. in an annex building.

We were waiting for the firefighters who were there but who unfortunately could not intervene for various reasons. It is difficult for us to have clear ideas to intervene suitably on this building, especially since we are caught elsewhere by the epidemic of coronavirus, Durandis said.

The church roof had previously collapsed in 1842 when an earthquake hit the region. It was rebuilt in 1934 after the U.S. occupation of Haiti ended. Other repairs on the dome were reportedly done two years ago to fix leaks.

The parish priest said the cause of the fire is now being investigated.

The disaster coincides with the bicentennial of King Henri Christophe, the self-proclaimed ruler of Haiti who led the divided nation after Jean-Jacques Dessaline Christophe, a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti, died. It was he who ordered the 1804 Haiti massacre of the remaining white population of native French people, having declared the nation free from French rule on Jan. 1, 1804. The destructive fire also coincides with the 350th anniversary of the creation of the city of Cap-Haitien.

The now-roofless chapel is located at the entrance of the historic park of the Laferriere citadel, which since 1982 has been classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
An oversight report found several missteps and cases of ethical misconduct, but could not substantiate allegations of White House interference in the award of the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract to Microsoft.

The long-awaited report from the Defense Department Office of Inspector General, released April 15, did not include answers from White House officials on charges that personal animus on the part of President Trump to Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos had an effect on the contract award.

At the White House, the report revealed DOD CIO Dana Deasy briefed then acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on JEDI cloud. Additionally, Deasy contacted Chris Liddell, a deputy chief of staff, for information on how to get "correct information" to Trump on JEDI on July 29. According to the report, Liddell told Deasy that "President Trump was not engaging anyone on the topic."

Confirming White House involvement directly was not possible for OIG. According to the report, OIG "could not review this matter fully" because of assertions of privilege when it came to communications between DOD and White House officials on the cloud procurement, with DOD witnesses being ordered by senior DOD lawyers not to talk.

"We could not definitively determine the full extent or nature of interactions that administration officials had, or may have had, with senior DoD officials regarding the JEDI Cloud procurement," the report states. Additionally, deeper in the report, OIG officials note that as an executive branch agency and due to the law authorizing IGs to conduct internal investigations of federal agencies, they are permitted to obtain such privileged information.

However, according to the report, the White House stonewalled DOD lawyers on the matter of privilege. The IG also took the step of permitting lawyers from DOD's Office of General Counsel to sit in on interviews with key players including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Deputy Secretary David Norquist "for the sole purpose of objecting to the witness responding to any questions that would elicit information about meetings or communications with the President or his advisors and staff that they believed were exempt from disclosure to the OIG because of the need to protect presidential communications."

Despite these conditions, the OIG report concludes that the DOD personnel involved in source selection and evaluation "were not pressured regarding their decision on the award of the contract by any DoD leaders more senior to them, who may have communicated with the White House."

The Defense Department agreed in a statement, saying that the report confirms that DOD "conducted the JEDI Cloud procurement process fairly and in accordance with law" and found that "there was no influence by the White House or DoD leadership on the career source selection boards who made the ultimate vendor selection."

Watchdog groups were less thrilled with the process of investigating White House interference.

"The IG couldnt say definitely whether there was improper White House involvement in this contract because the White House didnt cooperate with the investigation," Liz Hempowicz, director of public policy at the Project on Government Oversight said in a tweet.

Microsoft welcomed the finding. The Inspector Generals report makes clear the DoD established a proper procurement process," company spokesman Frank Shaw said. "Its now apparent that Amazon bid too high a price and is seeking a do-over so it can bid again. As the IGs report indicates, Amazon has proprietary information about Microsofts bid that it should never have had. At this stage, Amazon is both delaying critical work for the nations military and trying to undo the mistake it made when it bid too high a price

The argument that the White House did interfere in the source selection remains a key matter in an ongoing lawsuit by Amazon Web Services.

FCW contacted an AWS representative for comment, and this story will be updated if any response is supplied.

Disclosures to AWS

The report also found that a contract specialist shared proprietary information with AWS about Microsoft's bid in the JEDI procurement within an hour of the award being made on Oct. 25, 2019. Four days later, defense contract specialists realized the mistake when AWS questions seeking a more substantial debriefing about the award included proprietary Microsoft information.

The disclosure of proprietary information set off a flurry of bureaucratic finger-pointing described in detail in the report. One key element here is that DOD's Washington Headquarters Services contacted AWS to ask why the company didn't notify DOD about the disclosure of proprietary information and why AWS used that information in crafting its post-award debrief questions.

"All offerors have an obligation to conduct themselves with integrity and in accordance with the law," officials told AWS.

For its part, according to the OIG report, AWS "reasonably presumed that DoD appropriately" in supplying post-award information.

The OIG concluded that by sharing Microsoft's information, "the DoD also potentially provided AWS an unfair advantage in the cloud services marketplace." The report recommends that officials take up administrative and disciplinary action against individuals involved in neglecting to review reports for adequate redactions and for disclosure of proprietary information.

So far, DOD has not provided the response sought in the report from Director of the WHS Acquisition Directorate, the Chief Management Officer and other senior officials who supervise the rank-and-file contract specialists and managers who were responsible for the disclosures.

Conflicts of interest

The report did substantiated conflict of interest allegations against former Amazon employee Deap Ubhi but, as was found in a federal court, indicated that his involvement with the JEDI procurement was not sufficient to taint the outcome. OIG recommended to DOD that this misconduct be taken in mind should Ubhi ever apply in the future for a security clearance.

The report also revealed that senior DOD acquisition official Stacy Cummings participated in JEDI despite a declaration of ownership of between $15,001 and $50,000 in Microsoft stock. Similarly, the IG report found that Cummings' involvement in JEDI did not steer the decision to award the contract to Microsoft, but did recommend that DOD consider action against Cummings for the violations such as counseling or training.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia declined to pursue charges against Cummings or Ubhi and declined also to elaborate on the reasons for those decisions in the OIG report.

This article first appeared on FCW, a partner site with Defense Systems.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The deaths of three more Clevelanders from the COVID-19 coronavirus were reported Wednesday by Mayor Frank Jacksons administration.

The deaths, the most for the city in one day, push the total number of Clevelanders who have died from the virus to nine. Six of those deaths were reported this week.

The three new deaths involved two women, one in her 80s and one in her 90s, and a man in his 70s, the city said.

The city also learned Wednesday from the Ohio Department of Health that 17 more Cleveland residents were confirmed as having been infected with coronavirus, lifting the total number of confirmed cases for Cleveland to 352. They include males and females ranging in age from less than 1 year old to more than 90.

The new cases involved both men and women ranging in age from their 20s to their 90s. The city did not release any further information about the patients, citing a need to protect the individuals privacy.

The Cleveland Department of Public Health will work to identify any people who were in close contact with these residents and who now would require testing or monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19.

The Cleveland cases are part of 1,281 coronavirus cases the state reported for Cuyahoga County. Those cases involve 359 hospitalizations and 39 deaths.

Across the state, 361 Ohioans have died of the novel coronavirus, including 15 people who had died of probable COVID-19, according to Ohio Department of Health figures on Wednesday afternoon.

There were 7,791 cases, including 163 under the new definition, which includes diagnosis through new tests and physicians, clinics and hospitals that have ruled out other diseases and have a case that presents as COVID-19.

This is up from Tuesday, when the state reported COVID-19 had killed 324 Ohioans and infected 7,280 people. Cases of coronavirus have been found in 87 of Ohios 88 counties.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 605,390 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the United States as of Tuesday. The death toll from the virus was reported at 24,582 cases.

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Technavio has been monitoring the home Wi-Fi router market, and it is poised to grow by USD 966.37 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005254/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Cisco Systems, D-Link Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co., and NETGEAR are some of the major market participants. The adoption of smart homes will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

The adoption of smart homes has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Home Wi-Fi Router Market is segmented as below:

Type Fixed Wi-Fi Router Mobile Wi-Fi Router

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31020

Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our home Wi-Fi router market report covers the following areas:

Home Wi-Fi Router Market size

Home Wi-Fi Router Market trends

Home Wi-Fi Router Market industry analysis

This study identifies partnerships among telecom network providers and Wi-Fi router manufacturers as one of the prime reasons driving the home Wi-Fi router market growth during the next few years.

Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the home Wi-Fi router market, including some of the vendors such as ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Cisco Systems, D-Link Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co., and NETGEAR. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the home Wi-Fi router market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist home Wi-Fi router market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the home Wi-Fi router market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the home Wi-Fi router market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of home Wi-Fi router market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TYPE

Market segmentation by type

Comparison by type

Fixed Wi-Fi router Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Mobile Wi-Fi router Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by type

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

D-Link Corporation

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

NETGEAR

PART 14: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

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Trying to completely eradicate the coronavirus in Australia is not worth the economic cost and would be extremely difficult to achieve, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned.

The Australian leader said on Thursday night there was 'no clear additional benefit' to tightening social distancing rules to an extent the economy was left in complete ruin.

The phrase 'suppression phase' is instead being used by the government to describe the fight against COVID-19 as the national growth rate in cases continues to slow.

Mr Morrison also provided a road map for Australia's exit route out of its coronavirus restrictions - with the easing of restrictions on the construction, manufacturing and retail industries a high priority.

Pedestrians walk past a closed Bondi Beach last week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stayed firm with the government's 'suppression phase', saying idea of completely eradicating the coronavirus is 'very elusive'

'I can assure you no-one wants these restrictions in any longer than they have to be in,' Mr Morrison told ABC's 7.30.

'It's one of the reasons we don't go for that complete eradication strategy - it's very elusive.

'And the costs to those livelihoods are very significant, with no real clear additional benefit, at least from the evidence we're getting at the moment.

'You can win the health war and lose the economic war - youve got to deal with both of them at the same time.'

Mr Morrison said in an earlier press conference restrictions would only be eased after clear signs that testing, tracing and local efforts to stop outbreaks of the virus were working.

Mr Morrison said the easing of restrictions on the construction, manufacturing and retail industries was a high priority

Australia has made significant progress in the fight against coronavirus, with a clear flattening of the curve on the graph that measures the daily infection rate

A temperature checking and hand sanitiser station is seen at the entrance to the Sydney Fish on Friday

He warned Australians could not afford to be complacent about the dramatic decrease in the spread of COVID-19 in recent weeks.

'Look at New York, London, Spain, all of those places  that could be Australia,' he said. 'We should not kid ourselves.'

'If you dont keep it under control, it will get away from you quickly and then youll have to lock down even harder and the economic costs will be even worse.'

Mr Morrison also reported back from the National Cabinet meeting on Thursday morning, where the resumption of certain industries was discussed.

'Already were going to want to move on things like construction and manufacturing,' he said.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

'Once you go to the next phase, in retail there will be opportunities there. Youll see more people being able to work at work, perhaps on a roster-type basis. Some of that is happening already.'

Earlier on Thursday, the prime minister said Australia's biggest states will be able to relax some of their harsher restrictions sooner than the four-week mark if they chose to do so.

'States and territories that went further than those baselines... will be reviewing those in the meantime,' Mr Morrison said.

It means that pubs, restaurants and gyms will be kept shut, large gatherings will remain banned and working from home will be encouraged where possible.

Weddings are still limited to five people and funerals to ten people.

However, elective surgery could be resumed on Tuesday when the National Cabinet meets again.

There were only 19 new cases of coronavirus in Australia on Wednesday, taking the national total to 6,468. The crisis peaked at 460 daily cases on 28 March.

Mr Morrison warned that lifting restrictions too fast could be catastrophic.

'If you ease off too quickly too early, then you end up making the situation even worse and I don't just mean in the health terms,' he said.

'If you move too early and the health response gets out of control then the economic consequences will be even worse. We need to keep it finely balanced.'
CLEVELAND, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Evergreen Podcasts is pleased to announce the launch of This American President. As part of the partnership agreement, This American President will join the growing list of podcasts on the Evergreen Podcasts network. Evergreen will invest in new marketing campaigns to enhance the popularity of this show. In addition, Evergreen will be selling advertisements and sponsorships for the podcast. This American President is hosted by Richard Lim and produced by Michael Neal.

The United States has had 45 presidents and each one represents a unique chapter in this country's history. Those chapters are filled with triumphs and tragedies, successes and failures. Some of the American presidents were brilliant and others were just plain bizarre. But they all have a story and This American President helps to share that rich, presidential history of the United States.

"We are passionate about telling good stories, and so is Evergreen Podcasts," noted Richard Lim and Michael Neal of This American President. "We are excited to join their network so we can reach new listeners and focus more on creating content for our fans to enjoy. We look forward to collaborating with Evergreen and other podcasters in the network."

"Having This American President join Evergreen Podcasts is a monumental moment for us," offered Michael DeAloia, CEO of Evergreen Podcasts. "This podcast offers up the best in what a podcast should beit is informative, captivating and inspirational. We expect big things for This American President."

This American President podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and anywhere listeners get their podcasts. Other shows published by Evergreen include Burn the Boats, Rebel Force Radio, Novel Conversations, Riffs on Riffs, Pit Pass Moto, Professional Book Nerds, Banking Transformed, Your Teen, The Chad & Cheese Podcast, and Unleash Your Super Nova.

Richard Lim is available for interviews on all media platforms including TV, radio, digital media, and newspapers. Contact information is below.

About Evergreen Podcasts

Evergreen Podcasts features a growing catalog of entertaining and informative podcasts, rooted in high creativity and production values. We are a podcasting community where people think big, capturing the color and diversity of modern makers. From entrepreneurs and musicians to philosophers and artists, Evergreen is in the business of uniting audiences with boots-on-the-ground storytellers. Our talented team works with top brands and thought leaders to tell inspiring stories through branded content, original shows, and partner podcasts. Ask us how our comprehensive podcast production, creative marketing, and distribution solutions can connect your brand to a worldwide audience.

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People space out to observe social distancing on the Millennium Bridge in London during the coronavirus lockdown. (AP)

Lifting the coronavirus lockdown will not mean a fast track back to normal, European health chiefs have warned.

As many countries cope with a list of restrictions, the pressure is starting to mount on the UK government to announce how the country will come out of lockdown.

Earlier, health minister Nadine Dorries warned Britain could face over a year in lockdown while the world waits for a vaccine.

World Health Organization European director Hans Kluge said the continent was in the 'eye of the storm' of the coronavirus pandemic. (Getty)

Now Hans Kluge, the European director of the World Health Organization (WHO), has told a press briefing that the continent remains in the eye of the storm.

Highlighting the continuing high COVID-19 figures, he said: "Case numbers across the region continue to climb. In the past 10 days, the number of cases reported in Europe has nearly doubled to close to 1 million.

In countries like China, where lockdown was lifted last week, workers back on the job are wary of spending much or going out; shoppers are staying away from the few reopened shops; masks and social distancing measures are not fading; and many fear coronavirus could return if lockdowns meant to stop its spread are eased too much, too quickly.

Kluge said optimism that the spread of the virus was declining in Italy, Spain and France was tempered by the knowledge that it was rising or sustained at a high level in the UK, Russia and Turkey.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world

Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area

6 charts and maps that explain how COVID-19 is spreading

For lockdown measures to be relaxed, Kluge said countries must ensure several key things including that evidence shows their COVID-19 transmission is being controlled, outbreak risks are minimised, and that health systems have the capacity to identify, test, trace and isolate cases.

He added: "if you cannot ensure these criteria are in place before easing restrictions, I urge you to re-think.

"There is no fast track back to normal."

Story continues

On lifting lockdowns, Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat said measures could be reintroduced if necessary and that easing measures is "not a one way street".

Meanwhile, Dr Catherine Smallwood said: "We need to think of ourselves as in a period of new normal until a vaccine is developed.

Italy's hardest-hit region of Lombardy is pushing to relaunch manufacturing on 4 May, the day that the national lockdown is set to lift.

Regional officials are also considering ordering companies to stagger opening hours to avoid cramming public transport.

But Italy's deputy economic development minister, Stefan Buffagni, called the plan premature.

"Going in a random order risks fuelling confusion among citizens and businesses," Buffagni said.

In China, where the virus first emerged in December, even people who still have jobs have been wary of spending much or going out.

Some Chinese cities tried reassuring consumers by showing officials eating in restaurants.

In Brussels, the pandemic was making the EU redraw all of its budget plans to focus on tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc's next trillion-euro budget will have to be re-imagined as "the mothership of our recovery.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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A locally-made non-invasive ventilator has been introduced by Da Nang-based private Duy Tan College to help the fight against COVID-19.

A locally-made ventilator is introduced by a research team at Da Nang-based Duy Tan College. The ventilator can be used for COVID-19 patients.  Photo courtesy Duy Tan College

Head of the research team, Dr. Le Hoang Sinh, said the prototype ventilator was the first product made by the college to help beat the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the materials were sourced locally by engineers from the college.

Sinh said the team is finalising the design to soon put it into mass production at a cost of VND20 million (US$870) each.

The DTU-vent can run on batteries for three hours in case of a power cut, he added.

Local firm QCM Technologies, an embedded software system developer, also debuted a non-invasive ventilator at Da Nangs high-tech park.

A non-invasive ventilator made by local engineers of QCM Technologies at Da Nang Hi-Tech Park. It's the first made-in-Da Nang ventilator in the fight against COVID-19.  Photo courtesy Nguyen Thanh Chuong

Nguyen Thanh Chuong, director of the company, said the non-invasive prototype ventilator was manufactured by engineers and workers at the company.

We could manufacture 20 non-invasive ventilators a day. It uses 50 per cent local materials for a competitive price of VND25 million ($1,000) each," Chuong said.

He said the prototype ventilator was produced using recommendations from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the US Food and Drug Administration.

The company plans to produce ventilators for export in the future, he added.

QCM, which was granted an investment licence at the park in 2017, has been a unique provider of technology solutions  including shrimp size and weight grading machines  for domestic use and export.

Also on Tuesday, the citys young business association presented two ventilators and 1,000 COVID-19 test kits (worth $62,000) to Da Nang general hospital and centre for disease control.  VNS

Vietnam accelerating ventilator production The crucial ventilating equipment used to save the lives of coronavirus patients are becoming a commodity much sought after by many countries, including Vietnam.
The Sree Chitra



Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) here has developed a much cheaper and faster diagnostic test kit (Chitra Gene LAMP-N) which is highly confirmatory for the diagnosis of COVID-19 that has claimed over 400 lives in the country.

The test kit can detectthe "N Gene of SARS COV2 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP).

We are not aware of anybody else in the world doing lamp for N gene for corona virus, Institute Director," Dr Asha Kishore told PTI.

This technology is much cheaper, faster, can check 100 per cent matching with PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) and accuracy. It will be very easy to deploy it across the country, being very cost effective, she said.

"This will be one of worlds first few if not the first confirmatory diagnostic test for N gene of SARS-CoV-2 using the RT-LAMP technique.

The test kit which is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene can detect two regions of the gene which will ensure that the test does not fail even if one region of the viral gene undergoes mutation during its current spread," a press release from the institute said.

The institute has informed theIndian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) about the test kit and is awaiting approval.

Using Chitra Gene LAMP-N, the gene detection time is 10 minutes and the sample to result time (from RNA extraction in swab to RT LAMP detection time) will be less than two hours,she said, adding 30 samples can be tested in a single batch in a single machine.

The significantly lower machine waiting time will allow large number of samples to be tested each day in a single machine in multiple shifts, she said.

The kit was developed by a team led by Dr Anoop Thekkuveettil, a senior Scientist of the Biomedical Technology wing of the Institute and scientist-in-charge of the division of molecular medicine under the Department of Applied Biology,in the last three weeks.

The new device for LAMP testing costs around Rs 2.5 lakh and the test kit for two regions of N gene(including RNA extraction) will be less than Rs 1000/test, while the RT PCR machine costs around Rs 15 lakh to Rs 40 lakh and the PCR kit cost is Rs 1900-2500/test.

The testing facility can be easily set up even in the laboratories of district hospitals with limited facilities and trained laboratory technicians,Dr Asha said.

The institute had developed the technologyfor detection of TB-Bacteria in 2018-19 and was awaiting multi-centreclinical trials in India in March 2020, when the coronavirus struck.

Dr Asha said it was thenthey decided to see if this technology could be used for detecting coronavirus.

It took them only 14 daysas most of the technology was validated and kept, only the organism was different,she said.

"We had to design the primer RNA.The micro organism is different-- one was a bacteria, while COVID-19 was a virus."



The Microbiology department developed the primers to pick up the RNA of the virus.

Certain things had to be re-done to make sure the gene would pick up the same technology by the primers designed here, she said.

The technology was transferred for manufacture to Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, based in Ernakulam, a leading company in In vitro diagnostics with national and international operations, and an already established partner of the Institute in the segment of in vitro diagnostics.

According to her, with the validation results from NIV, Agappe Diagnostics will applyto Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for license to manufacture the kits.

The company has already applied for funding from the DST's Technology Development Board for manufacture.

The Institute has also allowed waiver of the license fee to encourage any industry which takes its technologies to manufacture such products to meet the immediate needs of the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As it turns out, the Kicks has been trademarked here in the Philippines for quite some time now. Nissan had filed the name since November 28, 2018, and was registered on May 30, 2019. If there's further evidence suggesting that the Kicks will be launched here eventually, this could be it. At the time of writing, the status of the Kicks trademark is active.

It's been spied several times in the region already; more recently it was spotted with no camouflage at all in Thailand. As more and more details spill out, we decided to do a little bit more digging.

It also seems likely that the Kicks will replace the Juke as Nissan's subcompact crossover for Southeast Asia. Trademarks have been filed in neighboring countries as well including Laos, Singapore, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Also, the facelifted Kicks will be assembled in Thailand, which has become the de facto regional automotive manufacturing hub.

According to an industry insider, filing nameplate trademarks in various countries is standard practice, even for models that may not be launched there. In this case though, we expect a bit of follow through from Nissan.

As for the vehicle itself, the new Kicks now features a new front fascia and new wheels. The interior is likely to get some upgrades over last year's model as well. It will even come with Nissan's e-Power hybrid generator system too.

Yutaka Sanada, Nissan Regional Senior Vice President, Nissan Motor Asia & Oceania, even expressed a strong interest in introducing this technology into the Philippines way back in 2017. Should the Kicks arrive here in the country with e-Power (and alongside the Nissan Leaf), we expect Nissan Philippines will finally spark a hybrid and electric revolution here.
The NSW parole board intends to release one of four Sydney brothers convicted of gang rape.

The now 40-year-old, given the pseudonym MAK, was sentenced to a maximum of 19 years in prison following the aggravated sexual assault of two teenage girls in 2002.

The victims, aged 16 and 17 at the time, were visiting MAK and his brothers at their Ashfield home in Sydney's inner west when they were raped at knifepoint.

His sentence is due to end in July 2021.

The four brothers, who were referred to at the time as the K Brothers, were recent immigrants to Australia from Pakistan.

The NSW parole board intends to release one of four Sydney brothers convicted of gang rape. One of the four brothers is pictured

The State Parole Authority on Thursday announced it intended to grant parole, and the matter would be listed for a public review court hearing to allow victims and the state to make submissions.

With 15 months left on MAK's sentence, the Serious Offenders Review Council has told the SPA it is imperative he be supervised on parole for as long as possible rather than releasing him without supervision at all.

'The authority considered the risk to community safety is increased if the offender is to be released at the end of the sentence without a period of supervised parole,' an SPA statement said.

The SPA said parole had been recommended by Community Corrections and MAK had participated in programs and counselling to address his offending.

If released on parole, he would be subject to an ongoing forensic treatment plan, all conditions of the child protection register, and electronic monitoring.

MAK would be banned from contacting the victims or entering the Junee Shire and Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas.

The date for the public review hearing is yet to be determined.
16.04.2020 LISTEN

The official vehicle of the National Youth Authority (NYA) for the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions has been stolen in Sunyani.

Madam Fati Bamba, Director of the Authority speaking in an interview with Citi News, said the vehicle  a white Toyota Hilux Pick-up with registration number GV 379-18 was stolen at her bungalow on Wednesday.

She told Citi News that I heard dogs barking at the time and woke up. Looking through the windows I saw three guys, one in the car and the other two pushing it backward.

Madam Fati added that I began shouting and the two who were pushing the vehicle began to run away before the one in the vehicle started the engine and move with the car.

She thus urged the government to install vehicle tracking devices in all government vehicles.

Mr. Akomea Sakyi, Secretary of the Sunyani Youth Development Association who visited the NYA Director with his team in an interview said the tracking devices could help trace the location of any stolen vehicle.

He added that there is a need to fence all government bungalows and ensure their security.

Mr. Sakyi pleaded with the security personnel at the various barriers to be on the lookout for the vehicle.

---citinewsroom
A Cambodian woman has been found wandering lost in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam after she was tricked and trafficked to China.

A Cambodian woman has been found wandering lost in Thanh Hoa Province

On April 14, Cao Van Cuong, chairman of Muong Lat District, said a Cambodian wandered into their area on February 29 and they were helping her with accommodation.



The police and border guards in Muong Lat District were working at Cha Lan Village when they found a wandering foreign woman who didn't have any personal papers with her. According to the woman, she was born in 1995 from Pou Senchey District, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.



The police and border guards brought the woman to the quarantine area and reported the case to Thanh Hoa People's Committee and the Department of Foreign Affairs to contact with the Embassy of Cambodia in Vietnam.



The Cambodian authorities later confirmed that the woman was one of their citizens and was trafficked to China. She was brought to Ba Vet-Moc Bai Border Gate on February 24. The Embassy of Cambodia asked Thanh Hoa authorities to help the woman while they complete procedures to bring her home as soon as possible. Due to the ongoing outbreak, they will arrange a suitable time to receive the woman.



"The Embassy of Cambodia can't receive the woman yet so she is being taken care of at our medical centre and provided VND120,000 (USD5) a day," Ho Van Trong, director of Muong Lat District, Medical Centre said. Dtinews

COVID-19: Vietnam presents medical equipment to Laos, Cambodia Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung on April 3 handed over medical equipment worth $304,000 as gifts from the Vietnamese Government and people to their Lao and Cambodian counterparts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The novel coronavirus, which is believed to have been spread from a wet market in China before causing global devastation, has gripped the world as many suffer and hundreds of thousands die.

There are now more than two million cases of the deadly virus  which causes respiratory illness and symptoms such as a fever, cough and difficulty breathing in more severe infections  and more than 130,000 deaths worldwide.

In New York alone there have been more than 8,000 deaths, nearly three times the number of victims of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

A view of the temporary hospital on the East Meadow lawn in Central Park, New York City. Source: Getty

The US has become the epicentre of the virus, surpassing the number of deaths in China and even Italy where the virus has gripped one of the worlds art and history capitals, killing more than 21,000.

As the virus took hold of the globe, medical and world leaders alike were in uncharted territory when it came to how to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of the virus.

But some countries made mistakes that led to the death of thousands, with the severity of the virus brushed off until it was too late.

Heres where some of the worst hit countries went wrong.

Italys affectionate culture risks spread

According to The Conversation, there are five main reasons why Italy was one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus.

With social distancing of at least 1.5 metres necessary to reduce the spread of the infection, it isnt a practise that sits well with Italys affectionate culture.

With hugs and cheek-kisses common as greetings not just among family members, but also friends and colleagues, the virus is likely to be spread at a much faster rate.

There was one mishap however, that did lead to the coronavirus spreading far and wide through the country.

In March, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree that would plunge 16 million Italians in the nations north into quarantine for about a month.

Italians are known for their affectionate culture, which could have quickened the spread of coronavirus. Source: Getty

However, there was chaos and confusion hours before Conte signed the decree, as word leaked that the government was planning the quarantine.

Story continues

Italians scurried from packed bars and restaurants, swapping dinners and drinks for masks and suitcases as they shoved their way onto trains in a race against time to avoid the lockdown.

This act further risked the spread of the coronavirus rather than containing it to one particular area.

UK criticised for governments initial reluctance

Before Prime Minister Boris Johnson tested positive for COVID-19, the leader was criticised by opponents for his conservative governments initial reluctance to impose tough restrictions on movement and the economy to try to stem the spread of the virus.

In early March, Johnson recounted shaking hands with medics treating coronavirus patients at a hospital and said: I continue to shake hands.

The governments initial advice was that people should wash their hands frequently.

According to The Guardian, many Britons were still attending major sporting events early last month, with the culture secretary Oliver Dowden saying there was no reason to direct sporting events to be played behind closed doors, despite countries like France and Greece already taking those steps.

The organisers of the Cheltenham racing festival were also slammed by legendary jockey AP McCoy for staging the iconic event at the early stages of the coronavirus.

Pictures show thousands of people packed into the Cheltenham racecourse shoulder to shoulder on March 13.

Racegoers stand in a pack at Cheltenham Racecourse last month. Source: Getty

Early on, the UK had a focus on herd immunity  a situation in which a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease to make its spread from person to person unlikely.

The nation appeared to be forging its own path with a strategy to fight COVID-19 in early March that was far more reliant on herd immunity than other countries.

The British government's chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, went on BBC radio and told the country one of the key things we need to do is to build up some kind of herd immunity so more people are immune to this disease and we reduce the transmission.

Boris Johnson was criticised for his response to coronavirus before he tested positive. Source: Getty

The idea that the UK was embracing herd immunity caused widespread concern among the public and scientific community with epidemiologist William Hanage, from the Harvard's Chan School of Public Health, saying he thought it was a joke when he heard about the apparent plan.

As the number of cases soared, that escalated to include the closure of schools, restaurants and non-essential shops and a nationwide order for everyone but key workers to stay home.

There are currently more than 12,000 deaths in the UK.

America has it under control

By the time President Donald Trump first spoke publicly about the coronavirus, it may already have been too late.

Interviewed at Davos, at a gathering of global elites in the Swiss Alps, the president on January 22 played down the threat posed by the respiratory virus from China, which had just reached American shores in the form of a solitary patient in Washington state.

We have it totally under control, Trump said on CNBC.

Its one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. Its going to be just fine.

In the 11 weeks since that interview, the coronavirus has reached every corner of the globe.

Donald Trump claimed the US had the coronavirus all under control. Source: Getty

It has rewritten the rules of society, isolated people in their homes, closed schools, devastated the economy and put millions out of work.

There have been more than 30,000 deaths in the US.

New York City counts for a third of total coronavirus deaths in the US and there are concerns officials underestimated the risk.

On March 2, as New York state's second case was confirmed in New Rochelle, just north of New York City, Governor Andrew Cuomo said they did not think it was going to be as bad as it was in other countries. He was wrong.

It wasnt until March 16 and after much hesitation that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio closed public schools, bars and restaurants.

The governor then announced all non-essential businesses would close and on March 22 said residents had to stay home.

But there has been debate over whether the actions were too little too late.

The mayor and the governor were being pushed and pulled by two opposing forces, Irwin Redlener, public health professor and expert in disaster preparedness at Columbia University, said.

"One was saying we have to close schools and restaurants as quickly as possible, the other saying there were lots of economic and social consequences of shutting down everything early.

"Everyone was getting mixed messages, including from the federal government, from (President Donald) Trump.

Ecuador unprepared for coronavirus onslaught

Ecuador's economic capital Guayaquil is reeling from the most aggressive outbreak of COVID-19 in Latin America after the pandemic hit the city "like a bomb".

Mayor Cynthia Viteri has emerged from her own bout with the virus to battle the worst crisis the port city of nearly three million people has known in modern times.

"There is no space for either the living or the dead. That's how severe the pandemic is in Guayaquil," Viteri told AFP in a phone interview Monday.

The 54-year-old mayor admitted the city was "unprepared" for the onslaught.

"Nobody believed that what we saw in Wuhan, people falling dead in the streets, would ever happen here, she said.

Authorities now predict the city will have a death toll of more than 3,500 in the coming months. The capital has been especially vulnerable due its air links to Europe.

The coronavirus cases in Guayaquil, Equador, exploded 'like a bomb'. Source: Getty

The first case of infection  Ecuador's "patient zero"  was an elderly Ecuadoran woman who arrived from Spain in February.

"This is where the bomb exploded, this is where patient zero arrived, and since it was vacation time, people travelled abroad, some to Europe or the United States, and our people who lived in Europe came here," Viteri said.

"And when they arrived there were no controls like they should have been if we had known that this was already coming by air. And the city of Guayaquil simply convulsed."

Too late, the city went into lockdown as authorities imposed a 15-hour curfew and bodies began to accumulate in homes, and even on the streets.

France ignores social distancing practises

Despite the French government urging its citizens to practise social distancing of 1.5 metres or more, many still flocked to public spaces in groups which prompted authorities to crack down.

Some consider theyre little heroes when they break the rules, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said last month.

Well, no. Youre an imbecile, and especially a threat to yourself.

After days of non-compliance by people refusing to stay home and venture out only for essential tasks, France sent security forces into train stations to prevent people from travelling to their vacation homes, potentially carrying the virus to the countryside or beaches where medical facilities are less robust.

People initially ignore social distancing rules in Paris and walk on the banks of the river Seine. Source: Getty

The popular Paris walkway along the Seine River was closed and a nightly curfew was imposed in the French Mediterranean city of Nice by Mayor Christian Estrosi, who was infected with the virus.

In France there are more than 17,000 deaths.

Sweden paying heavy price for approach to pandemic

Crowds swarm Stockholms waterfront, with some people sipping cocktails in the sun. In much of the world, this sort of gathering would be frowned upon or even banned.

Not in Sweden.

It doesnt worry Anders Tegnell, the countrys chief epidemiologist and top strategist in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The 63-year-old has become a household name in Sweden, appearing across the media and holding daily briefings outlining the progression of the outbreak with a precise, quiet demeanour.

As countries across Europe have restricted the movement of their citizens, Sweden stands out for what Tegnell calls a low-scale approach that is much more sustainable over a longer period.

US President Donald Trump has suggested that a rising number of COVID-19 deaths indicate Sweden is paying a heavy price for embracing the idea of herd immunity  that is, letting many individuals get sick to build up immunity in the population.

Sweden has taken the herd immunity approach to dealing with coronavirus. Source: Getty

Sweden did that  the herd. They called (it) the herd. Sweden is suffering very, very badly. Its a way of doing it, Trump said.

Tegnell insists that Swedens approach still seems to make sense, though he also acknowledges that the world is in uncharted territory with the virus.

He argues that while Sweden might have more infections in the short term, it will not face the risk of a huge infection spike that Denmark might face if it lifts its lockdown.

The Swedish government has not enforced mandatory rules and instead said it was up to the people to be responsible and follow social distancing guidelines.

There are currently more than 1,200 deaths in Sweden.

China reports mysterious pneumonia outbreak

On New Years Eve, China informed the World Health Organisation of a mysterious pneumonia outbreak spreading through Wuhan, an industrial city of 11 million.

The government closed a seafood market at the centre of the outbreak, moved all patients with the virus to a specially designated hospital and collected test samples to send to government laboratories.

Doctors were told to stay quiet; one who issued a warning online was punished. He later died of the virus.

The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which has been linked to cases of Coronavirus. Source: Getty

Outrage was rife in China in February following the death of the coronavirus whistleblower who tried to alert others of the imminent threat before it became a global crisis.

Li Wenliang was one of eight young doctors who attempted to spread awareness on a SARS-like virus last year, but was condemned and censored for doing so, CNN reported.

Dr Li was accused of spreading rumours about the major health threat, and only spoke out to warn his peers to protect themselves, he told CNN.

On February 1, he confirmed he had tested positive for the virus and just days later he was dead.

With AP and AFP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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ALBANY  The Hearst Foundations announced Thursday evening that it is granting more than $50 million in emergency funding to more than 100 U.S. medical, humanitarian and cultural organizations severely effected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Locally, St. Peter's Hospital Foundation is in line for $1 million.
Radio presenter Cate Conway has been announced as the ambassador for AWARE, the depression charity for Northern Ireland.

The role will enable Cate to become involved in a cause that she is passionate about, having experienced first-hand the impact of poor mental health following the loss of her former Q Radio co-host Stephen Clements earlier this year.

Stephen died suddenly on January 7, aged 47, just hours before he was due to go on air on his mid-morning programme on BBC Radio Ulster.

Cate said she would like to use her new role to encourage people to realise the immense power in speaking up when they dont feel strong and access help and support.

In her role as an AWARE ambassador, the Carryduff native will be supporting the charitys campaigns, attending events and helping to raise significant awareness of the charity as it looks towards its 25th anniversary in 2021.

Being in my forties Ive been through quite a few major life changes recently that all took their toll on my mental health, the U105 presenter said.

"I found great relief in reaching out to friends and co-workers when I didnt feel like myself and it was affecting my ability to work and socialise.

"I hope I can use my position as an ambassador to raise awareness of the importance of mental health issues and of the good work carried out by AWARE.

"At this time one in nine people in Northern Ireland are living with a diagnosis of depression, so its really important to encourage open discussion around the subject.

AWARE has an established network of support groups in rural and urban areas across Northern Ireland which are run by trained volunteers supporting people with depression and mental health issues as well as carers for people with the illness.

The charity also delivers mental health and well-being programmes into communities, schools, universities and colleges and attend outreach sessions and community events to give more information about the charity and its services.

Chief Executive of AWARE, Karen Collins, said the charity was "delighted" to welcome Cate as an ambassador.

"Depression does not discriminate, and we are full of admiration for Cates genuine desire to help support us at a time when mental health issues are so prevalent," she said. "Cate is extremely passionate and committed and we look forward to creating a positive change together."

Further information about AWARE or to access support or useful resources during the Covid-19 pandemic go to aware-ni.org/covid-19-support
The leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea bows during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, in a gesture to express gratitude for voters' support in Wednesday's general election. / Yonhap



By Kang Seung-woo



The ruling bloc achieved a sweeping victory in the general election, Wednesday, winning nearly three-fifths of the 300 National Assembly seats.



The landslide win has made the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), and its "satellite" offshoot Civil Together, an unprecedented political presence that will be able to pass any bill without the cooperation of other parties  except for constitutional revisions that require a two-thirds majority  a huge boost for the Moon Jae-in administration



According to the National Election Commission, Thursday, the DPK won 163 out of 253 constituencies while its affiliate was given 17 proportional representation seats. The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) and its satellite, the Future Korea Party, won 84 directly contested seats and 19 for proportional representation. The satellite parties are expected to merge with their "parent" parties soon.



The minor opposition Justice Party had six seats, including five proportional representation slots, followed by the People's Party and the Open Minjoo Party, both of which were given three from the proportional representation poll.



This is the first time for a liberal party to win a super-majority in the National Assembly since 2004. In addition, the DPK will go down in history as the first party to grab 60 percent of the vote in a general election since the country adopted free democratic general and presidential elections in 1987.



The general election served as a referendum on President Moon, who is now in his third year in office and in that respect, the outcome is likely to help him smoothly operate state affairs amid the coronavirus pandemic and a sluggish economy.



During the outgoing Assembly, Moon often saw his key reform initiatives stalled as the rival parties bickered over them, preventing any progress; but in the incoming parliament, the ruling bloc will be able to avoid such political conflicts as it can now fast-track the passage of bills without support from the other parties.



"I feel a heavy responsibility as the people entrusted the DPK and Civil Together with the task of overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and the economic slowdown by supporting us in the election," Lee Nak-yon, co-chairman of the DPK's election committee, said in a party meeting at the National Assembly, Thursday. Lee won a fifth term after defeating UFP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn in the Jongno District of central Seoul.



"We will calmly but clearly act so that the Moon administration's state affairs agenda will progress with concrete outcomes," he added.



While the ruling party is reveling in the election win, the UFP, which has now suffered a fourth-straight election loss dating back to 2016, has found itself in post-election turmoil.



Hwang, once a leading hopeful for the 2022 presidential election, announced Wednesday night that he would step down from his post to take responsibility for the conservative party's defeat.



Kim Chong-in, chief of the UFP's election committee, admitted Thursday that his party failed to meet the public's call for change.



"I take the election results as the people's call for the opposition party to reform itself," Kim said during a party meeting at the Assembly.



"I believe that the Moon administration is still leading the nation in the wrong direction, but the people's decision means we have to support the government. We will follow it."


With a dip in demand and time on their hands, a group of Dieppe businesses have teamed up to make 1000 meals for those in need.

Xtreme Cold is supplying the kitchen space, much of the manpower and the freezer facility, Partner Seafood is supplying the cod, Cavendish Farms the potatoes, and Sai Krishna Food Service designed the menu.

The small team will dish up their meals into single serve containers, and freeze them until they can be donated to the Food Depot Alimentaire, Crossroads for Women and the Multicultural Association of Greater Moncton (MAGMA).

Shikha and Ramen Sobti immigrated to Moncton from Dubai and started Sai Krishna Food Service Corp. a year ago.

The couple makes and sells frozen samosas and sold about 50,000 of the savoury pastries in their first year of business.

"It was going pretty well, people love our samosas, and we are supplying to University of Moncton, Mount Allison [University], Casino New Brunswick  but because of the current situation, the business got impacted," said Shikha.

Ramen said they are used to working hard, having run businesses for more than two decades, but with the dip in demand it seemed like the perfect opportunity to focus on other things.

Nicolas Steinbach/Radio Canada

"This is the right time for us to relax and think about the community," said Ramen.

He says the 1000 meals they are making are an Atlantic Canadian spin on an Indian food classic. Ramen took the rich creamy sauce from the perennial favourite, butter chicken, but used cod instead and added roasted potatoes.

Butter cod a way to thank the community

They hope the meal will be something special for people who are having a hard time.

"Moncton welcomed us when we came to Canada so that is a thing in our mind. It's payback time to the community that welcomed us, who gave us so much love and affection," said Shikha.

Paul Farrah, the CEO of Xtreme Cold, said the group will first make and distribute 500 meals "to people in need right now in the greater Moncton area."

Story continues

Paul Farrah, Xtreme Cold

When those have been handed out, they'll make another 500.

He said it isn't an easy thing to do when money is tight for so many companies, but he hopes it inspires others.

"I really hope other companies will take the lead and follow up and do the same thing."

'A thousand smiles'

Shikha Sobti said ,while the pandemic has been a set back, she believes her business will bounce back.

"We are taking baby steps and we are going to come back because we have our existing clients. As soon as the business picks up I think we will be back."

Regardless of what happens in the future, she's happy to contribute to something positive today.

"I hope people who are in need, they love this and we can give a thousand smiles, at least."
Dominic Raab took aim at China tonight, warning the hardline Communist state it faces 'hard questions' about the source of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Foreign Secretary and temporary UK leader said there would have to be a 'deep dive' into the facts around the outbreak, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

After telling the nation it faces at least a further three weeks under lockdown he said that there could be no flinching from a hard examination of what had happened.

It came as Beijing today said the WHO has found no evidence coronavirus was man-made, fending off accusations that it was created in a Chinese lab in Wuhan.

Taking questions this evening Mr Raab said: 'I think there absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after the event review of the lessons - including of the outbreak of the virus - and I don't think we can flinch from that at all, it needs to be driven by the science.'

He said the UK had good co-operation with China in relation to the return of UK nationals and in procurement of equipment.

'So we ought to look at all sides of this and do it in a balanced way, but there is no doubt we can't have business as usual after this crisis, and we will have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier.'

The Foreign Secretary and temporary UK leader said there would have to be a 'deep dive' into the facts around the outbreak, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan

President Donald Trump said yesterday his government was 'doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation'

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Chinese President Xi jinping before a meeting in Beijing in January. Mr Trump has accused the WHO of parroting erroneous information about the virus fed to it by China

Trump halted $500 million of funding to the WHO this week and slammed the body that had 'failed in its basic duty' in its response to coronavirus by failing to stand up to China.

He said yesterday his government was 'doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation,' while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Chinese 'need to come clean' on what they know.

But China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told Thursday's daily briefing that WHO officials 'have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory.'

It came after scrutiny of Wuhan's Institute of Virology - first reported on by the MailOnline in January - came to head this week after The Washington Post published leaked State Department cables warning of the lab's safety standards in 2015.

Mr Raab had earlier taken his seat alongside world leaders including Mr Trump as he represented the UK at a virtual G7 conference on coroanvirus.

In the ongoing absence through illness of Boris Johnson he joined leaders including US president Donald Trump to discuss how to reduce the economic impact of the pandemic that has effectively shut down global trade.

In pictures released by Downing Street he was showing in a No 10 briefing room with aides, and other world leaders on a large screen in front of him.

Speaking afterwards, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said: 'We all remain committed to doing whatever it takes to help people and our economies rebound after this crisis.'

There was no immediate communication from No10 on the discussions over whether Mr Raab had challenged Mr Trup, whose nation chairs the G7 currently, on his decision to defund the WHO.
DONGGUAN, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 03: Cory Joseph #6 of Canada reacts during FIBA World Cup 2019 Group H match between Lithuania and Canada at Dongguan Basketball Centre on September 3, 2019 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province of China. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings guard Cory Joseph has never forgotten about his roots and is stepping up for his community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joseph and his family, who grew up in the Toronto area, are donating face shields through Operation Canadian Shield for frontline workers in hospitals across the city.

Kings assistant coach Roy Rana is helping Joseph with the effort in conjunction with Frontier, Sunnybrook Foundation and University Health Network. Rana is a Canadian coaching legend, previously coaching now-defunct Toronto high school powerhouse Eastern Commerce, before moving onto Ryerson University, and the Canadian mens national team.

It is heartbreaking to witness the effects of this pandemic around the world, so I wanted to do my part to help where I grew up, Joseph said in a statement released by the Kings. The courageous work of the hospital community is admirable, and it is important to help protect them. I look forward to providing support in Toronto along with upcoming community efforts throughout Canada and Sacramento as we fight this virus together.

This is a tragic situation for all of us, and at the same time it is inspiring to see Corys leadership in this effort, Rana said. I am honored to help him aid these healthcare heroes back home while they put their lives on the line to save others.

Joseph played for the Raptors in 2015-16 and 2016-17 before being traded to the Indiana Pacers.

Its the latest development in the world of sports showing leadership for their communities during the pandemic, and itll certainly be appreciated by those affected across the city of Toronto.

More coverage from Yahoo Sports
Prof Dr Ngo Thi Phuong never thought that she would become a teacher for online courses.

The philosophy faculty of the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, where Phuong works, is in charge of teaching philosophy and sciientific socialism to all the member schools of Hanoi National University.





At present, Phuong has two classes, one at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the other at the University of Natural Sciences. There are about 80 students in each class. The number of classes will be higher beginning on April 13.



Each online teaching period is equal to one offline teaching period. In order to make teaching hours more interesting, lecturers are requested to cut the time for theoretical knowledge and increase the time for students interactions.

Each online teaching period is equal to one offline teaching period. In order to make teaching hours more interesting, lecturers are requested to cut the time for theoretical knowledge and increase the time for students interactions.

In addition to teaching hours, Phuong also has to do many other things, such as creating forums for students to discuss, give exercises and topics for discussion, checking the forums and exchanging views with students.



The biggest difficulty when going online is the hesitancy and fear of not being able to use modern technology, Phuong said. Older teachers are slower than young people in getting used to new technology."



Phuong said she spent two weeks to prepare for online teaching, during which she attended training courses, read documents, and tried and called for support if there was something wrong.



A group of lecturers acted as teachers and students in a class, practiced speaking before computers and operating with the software, she said.



The lecturer said she lost two kilograms in the last two weeks when making hectic preparation for online teaching hours. In return, her online teaching hours have been running smoothly, lesson plans have been designed, the system of exercises and questions have been completed and learning materials have become ready.



Everything is okay. I feel I can be very close to students. We can interact with each other. I can correct students works and give back to them more quickly, she said, adding that students continue to concentrate during lessons.



Nguyen Nam, a first-year student majoring in Tourism Management Administration Travel, said he has six online learning subjects in second semester.



As for philosophy, Nam said it requires high concentration to learn. The advantage of online lectures is that he can review lectures thanks to the apps function on lecture recording.



Meanwhile, Ngo Hong Ngoc, a second-year student of Philosophy Faculty said there is no difference between online and offline learning, except the place where students are.



We still make presentations and study as usual, she said.

Mai Lan

Online teaching offered during school closure Teachers at schools, colleges and universities in HCM City are applying a wide range of teaching methods to help their students learn online while the schools are closed until February 9 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski will present his opinion on whether or not it is safe to carry out May presidential elections amidst the coronavirus pandemic at the end of this week or at the start of next week, he said on Wednesday.

"When I give the decision to the Polish prime minister, I will present it to the people...it'll be at the end of this week or the beginning of the next," Szumowski told Polish private broadcaster TVN.

He added that he believes Polish society will be grappling with the repercussions of the epidemic for between a year and two years.

(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska; Editing by Chris Reese)
In my lifetime there have been some monumental decisions that have affected a lot of American lives, but given the Viet Nam fiasco, our list of stupids is ever bothersome. For instance, whenever I get to heaven I can hardly wait to learn where Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara are, this after 58,209 guys like me were killed and another 2,500 went missing, and all for what? In Operation Freedom we lost another 4,000  how did that one turn out, with the Iraqis now throwing rocks at us? Now there is Afghanistan, where they say the war ended in December with 2,351 Americans killed, but somebody is still shooting rockets into our foreign bases. Give me the name of the moron who placed our nation in this spot.

I am completely serious. After over 67,000 killed in battle who I have mourned in my lifetime and with paltry little to show, trillions of taxpayer dollars have been spent, and not one American leader with a heavy enough fist to end any of them within a month. Sure, we could have done it, but more decisions from our limp-wristed, bleeding hearts  the liberal faction knows who they are down deep inside - dragged the Viet Nam debacle on for 20 years. Who will accept blame for that? I say forget the rules  our adversaries sure do  so win big, win fast, and get out. To heck with Wall Street, General Dynamics, Honeywell, Boeing and or any other war machine shareholders. Make American lives the priority.

You cry "Roy, you are so wrong  you have no clue of the worldwide ramifications " and Ill readily agree if youll remember we did it your way and 67,000 died. Whats happened since? Excuse me, in each country where our boys breathed their last, whats the view in each today? But, hey, thats just me and thats because Ive been to too many terribly sad funerals where, quite plainly, it would be awfully hard to convince a grieving mother to look at the big picture. Im a hawk, Ill admit it, but Im a win big in within three days type and dont hold your breath for me to apologize for retribution after Pearl Harbor. Do not tread on me, you get it?

Now there is a new foe. In the United States as of 7 oclock last night we have had 641,507 cases of the coronavirus in just three months. The greatest loss to strife in our nations history was our own Civil War. Casualties are believed to have been 650,000. This catastrophe is bigger.

As I ask you to keep your mind on the 58,209 killed in Viet Nam, our dead from the virus right now is 27,808 with 2,545 in the last 24 hours. Thats about half of the Viet Nam dead (in over 20 years) that the virus has challenged in a quick 90 days. Please, understand the magnitude of this.

Right now, we have 557,890 active cases with 27,492 more in the last 24 hours. We have 50,893 now recovered, joined by 6,049 in the last 24 hours, which is heartening. But nationally we have Titanic losses by the hour, so when do we part our shuttered curtains and get this country moving? Retail sales down eight percent in March, we cant wait. Layoffs lending to 17 million seeking unemployment, we can hardly wait any longer. Americans are scared to open their door but decaying within.

Now comes the biggest decision, far greater than any in my lifetime. When does the United States get back on its feet against this coronavirus? I pray for our nations wisdom every night because if ever the Damocles Sword has been dangling by a thread, the time is nigh, and it is at hand. Leave egos, political posturing, and the ever-whining Pelosi at home.

My God, who would have ever thought small-business stimulus is political? Our nations hospitals are absolutely sapped and $300 million of the now-clogged stimulus goes to the arts! The minute the Kennedy Center got its $25 million they fired the orchestra. Seriously. When we have those with no conscious making idiotic blunders at a time when the right decisions are critical, we fall prey to leftist foolishness. Please, remind yourself that this is for our nation.

So, what is the best way to open the country back up? To me the only solution is county-by-county, to be determined by each state. And who is the most qualified to make the decision when to open the country back, this in a nation where every vote counts in every election? No, there will be no vote. In this Land of the Free, let each person decide for themselves. How, when, and where. It is their right as an American.

Look at this: Tennessee, with a population of 6.6 million, is number 19 among the states with 6,082 coronavirus cases reported. As of April 15, there are now 3,748 active cases, there are 2,196 recoveries (with 525 new in the last 24 hours), and 135 fatal (26 new).

* -- HAMILTON COUNTY, population 357,546  There have been 110 cases reported. There are 46 active cases, 53 recovered and 12 fatal. Our emergency management officials tell us there are beds available, ICU facilities available, and respirators on ready.

But a far better view comes when you tour the counties adjacent to Hamilton County. Let's start at 12 oclock on a clock dial, and at 12 oclock to our north is 

* -- RHEA COUNTY (Dayton), population 32,608  There have been ZERO cases reported, thus no active, no recovered, none fatal.

* -- MEIGS COUNTY (Decatur), Population 11,962  There have been THREE cases, 1 active, 2 recovered, none fatal.

* -- McMINN COUNTY (Athens), Population 52,733  There have been FIVE cases, 1 active, 4 recovered, none fatal.

* -- BRADLEY COUNTY (Cleveland), Population 104,557  There have been 33 cases, 8 active, 24 recovered, 1 fatal.

NOTE: In the state of Georgia (population 10.4 million), there have been 14,987 cases of the coronavirus reported, this as of April 15. There are 14,435 active cases (1,366 new), 552 fatal (72 new).

* -- DADE COUNTY, GA (Trenton), Population 16,633, there have been THREE cases, 2 active, 1 fatal).

* -- WALKER COUNTY, GA (LaFayette), Population 68,609, there have been 13 cases, 13 active (6 new), none fatal.

* -- CATOOSA COUNTY, GA (Ringgold), Population 65,870, there have been 17 cases, 17 active, no fatal).

* -- WHITFIELD COUNTY, GA (Dalton), Population 103,963, there have been 34 cases, 31 active (3 new), 3 fatal.

* -- MURRAY COUNTY, GA (Chatsworth), Population 39,444, there have been 17 cases, 17 active (3 new), no fatal.

Moving back to Tennessee counties surrounding Chattanooga ...

MARION COUNTY (Jasper) Population 28,417, There have been 26 cases, 10 active, 15 recovered, 1 fatal.

SEQUATCHIE COUNTY (Dunlap) Population 14,112. There have been THREE CASES, three active (2 new), none fatal.

BLEDSOE COUNTY (Pikeville) Population 12,876. There have been EIGHT cases, five active (2 new) 3 recovered (3 new), and none fatal.

* * *



So, with 392,324 of Hamilton Countys immediate neighbors, there have now been 162 cases of the coronavirus reported. Yes, I think there are more that are unreported, but does .04 percent close down Southeast Tennessee? I understand that Chattanooga, with 110 cases and 12 deaths, may take a few prudent days more than Rhea County, or most of the surrounding counties where roughly 400,000 sit idle because of 162 who are sick, but this is not in the best of common sense.

In Rhea County the Finnish tire maker Nokian should be able to whistle up its 400 employees and go to work. Volkswagen, with other assembly lines ramping up across Europe, should provide face masks and hand-washing stations but tell the hale-and-hardy to come in on their own roll-of-the dice. VW employees are stir-crazy. Lets try it, lets go.

With what is said to be an onslaught of testing supplies, come in an hour early and if you test clean, lets work. If you test negative, go to the nearby Erlanger satellite and await instructions.

Lets play offense  safe county by safe county  but to stall 400,00 in rural areas because of 160 cases is ridiculous, especially with the safe distancing, the proper hygiene and the face mask regimen.

Wait, it will be mid-June for Nashville, Detroit, Chicago and other large cities, but to hold the whole of Tennessee to an idiotic national standard is foolish and Governor Bill Lee, as he looks statewide at county by county, can clearly see the folly of holding virus-free Rhea County to the same standards of President Trumps Washington, D.C.

The one person who should really decide? Not Trump, not any governor  instead, each person. Yes, you pay taxes  make your own call. Any company who forces an employee back to work should be heavily fined. Conversely, they should greet each employee with sanitation protocol and restore their salaries and benefits when the employee feels it is safe to accept them.

Given the numbers and the facts, Governor Lee should restore elective surgeries at hospitals. Let the patient decide the date, with the doctors counsel, effective Monday morning. As long as every adult knows the risks, they are entitled to the liberty of each personal decision.

Once again, 12 counties surrounding Chattanooga  392,394 people, 162 coronavirus cases. One hundred and fourteen active, 48 recovered, three fatal.

Let each person make the toughest decision. It is what has made America the greatest among all the nations.



royexum@aol.com
The Duke of Cambridge has praised the 'herculean effort' of NHS staff and thanked them for their 'selfless commitment' as he officially opened Birmingham's Nightingale Hospital today.

Prince William, 37, said the temporary field hospital - built inside the NEC exhibition centre in just eight days - was also a 'wonderful example' of the 'pulling together' going on up and down the UK amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

He later released footage of a call he made to the team behind the hospital to thank them for their efforts - and was told the temporary facility was built 'on kindness'.

William spoke to a group of staff via videophone from his Norfolk home to learn more about the project and their experiences working while the country is in lockdown, a clip of the conservation was posted of the Kensington Royal Instagram page.

The Duke of Cambridge, 37, has praised the 'herculean effort' of NHS staff and thanked them for their' 'selfless commitment' as he officially opened Birmingham 's Nightingale Hospital today. Pictured, pictured speaking via video link from his home, Amner Hall in Norfolk

Workers were touched as the future King said the hospital to thank them for their efforts - and was told the temporary facility was built 'on kindness.' The footage of the call was shared by the Kensington Palace Instagram account

The Duke of Cambridge recognised the NHS staff, armed forces, local government, and the private sector who have collectively stepped up to turn the exhibition centre into a hospital. Pictured, some of the fifty attendees

During the conversation, held before the royal formally opened the hospital, project director Morag Gates told the Duke: 'It was phenomenal teamwork from everybody. It is probably the best example of teamwork I've ever seen in my entire 40-year NHS career.'

The temporary field hospital was built inside the NEC exhibition centre in just eight days, and William replied: 'It is incredible to think how quickly you've done that. That is phenomenal speed.'

He added: 'It is so impressive how you all work together, and how well everyone is pulling together.'

William went on to say: 'I can't congratulate and thank all of you enough for all of your hard work in putting this together. It's a herculean effort and you should be, rightly, very proud of what you've achieved. Thank you for everything you've done. It really means a lot to everybody.'

He also joked with one worker saying he was 'very brave' to let his neighbour 'mow the lawn' amid the crisis.

In two calls, Prince William , 37, said the temporary field hospital - built inside the NEC exhibition centre in just eight days - was also a 'wonderful example' of the 'pulling together' going on up and down the UK amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Duke of Cambridge spoke via videolink as he officially opened the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, in the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on Thursday (pictured)

Some of the fifty attendees, including those from the military, health professionals and those who helped construct the facility (pictured)

Prince William (pictured via video link) told how the temporary field hospital was a 'wonderful example' of the 'pulling together' going on up and down the UK amid the coronavirus outbreak

Professor Jamie Coleman, an associate director of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said after the video call that the Duke asked 'lots of very pertinent questions', including about local generosity, 'both businesses and people'.

He said: 'We were able to tell him about the overwhelming support that we have had, anything from supermarkets to Nestle Easter eggs. He warned about our waistlines!

'He was very interested in family life, and how this was affecting us all. It is very easy for us in a way, because we have had a real focus, even if it has been working incredibly long hours.

'We have been able to get out of our houses, we have had something to distract our minds from the social isolation others are feeling. He was touched by the personal stories of support and generosity of the public at this quite difficult time in everybody's life.

'My neighbour has been mowing my lawn, very kindly. He suggested that I went and had a look and made sure that they hadn't mowed their own initials into my back garden!'

The NHS Nightingale Hospitals have been built to provide extra beds for patients with coronavirus symptom as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the disease. Pictured, Prince William speaking via videolink

Speaking of the NHS workers (pictured), Prince William said: 'Their selfless commitment has touched the hearts of the entire nation'

The Duke of Cambridge (pictured via video link) added that the Nightingale hospitals will rightly go down as landmarks in the history of the NHS

The professor said the idea was for the hospital to take less severe patients, to allow other hospitals in the area to provide critical and acute patients.

He added the facility would need to be adaptable and could end up treating patients who have had delayed surgery or treatment for other conditions.

William said he was happy to be attending 'in digital spirit at least' and later joined in remotely with a clap for carers.

Personally recognising the hard-working staff who had made the project a reality, he deviated slightly from his prepared speech by saying 'hospitals are about the people and not the bricks'.

Addressing the cavernous space into which hundreds of ward beds have now been installed, he said: 'The Nightingale hospitals will rightly go down as landmarks in the history of the NHS.'

Prof Coleman said about the Duke: 'His real pertinent question was, will there be any positives to come out of this really quite challenging situation?

The interior of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, in the National Exhibition Centre, which was built in just eight days

William personally recognised the hard-working staff who had made the project a reality and said 'hospitals are about the people and not the bricks.' Pictured, making a speech via video link

'It is kindness all around - people taking time to be kind. Life is usually so rushed that nobody does that. He was struck by that.

'What makes the hospital is the people.

'It is the kindness of the people, both internally and externally, not the bricks, that will make Nightingale work.

'He said that was something he noticed himself as well, and hoped that would be something for the future, not only of Britain but of the world as a whole.'

The hospital, built by Interserve Construction, is the second of seven planned Nightingale NHS facilities to open, after the first became operational at London's ExCel centre.

With 500 beds already installed, the NEC-based field hospital, which has its own mortuary and pop-up Tesco shop, could be increased to take up to 4,000 people if needed.

It has yet to take its first patients since becoming fully operational on April 10, with clinicians hoping it will never reach anything like capacity.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured) also spoke via videolink at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital

More than 400 civilian contractors, together with military personnel and about 500 clinical staff, have been involved in the setting-up. Pictured, health Secretary Matt Hancock spoke via video link

During his speech, Matt Hancock (pictured) said: 'I'm glad to say that the huge huge efforts of the people of the West Midlands and across the country appear to be now working'

More than 400 civilian contractors, together with military personnel and about 500 clinical staff, have been involved in the setting-up.

In his speech to about 50 healthcare, military and civilian personnel - all socially-distanced - the duke commented: 'Let me start by reiterating all that has been said so far and paying tribute to the incredible work that NHS staff across the country have been doing to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

'Their selfless commitment has touched the hearts of the entire nation.'

He added: 'The building you are standing in is yet another example of how people across the country have risen to this unprecedented challenge.

'The Nightingale hospitals will rightly go down as landmarks in the history of the NHS.

'The NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham is a wonderful example of Britain pulling together.

Matt Hancock (pictured), who also spoke over video-link, said the hospital would help create vital extra NHS capacity

Sir Simon Stevens (pictured), CEO of the NHS, spoke at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham

'Having spoken to some of the people who helped build it, hospitals are about the people and not the bricks.

'NHS staff, armed forces, local government, and the private sector have collectively stepped up to turn this exhibition centre into a hospital.

'You all deserve our huge thanks, and you should all be hugely proud of what you have achieved in such a short space of time.

'I know that the Nightingale Birmingham will provide invaluable resources for hospitals from miles and miles around.

'This will reassure people across the Midlands that if their local hospitals reach capacity, there will be extra beds available for their loved ones here.

'I find that very comforting and I know many other people will too.

'I want to thank you all so much for what you are doing to ensure we give the best possible care to those affected at this most challenging of times.

'Finally, I am delighted to declare the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham officially open.'

The hospital is the second of seven planned Nightingale NHS facilities to open, after the first became operational at London's ExCel centre. Pictured, some of the fifty attendees who helped construct the facility

With 500 beds already installed, the NEC-based field hospital, which has its own mortuary and pop-up Tesco shop, could be increased to take up to 4,000 people if needed. Pictured, the interior of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham

The interior of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, in the National Exhibition Centre (pictured)

Before the speech, the duke spoke to staff involved in the build, including associate medical director Jamie Coleman, and lead nurse for clinical environment, Helen Gyves.

Mrs Gyves said: 'It was lovely, he took quite a decent amount of time to chat to us all, had something really nice to say, asked us all about our families, which is quite emotional, I suppose - that we're all here and we feel like everything's revolving around here and our families are all at home, isolated.

'He asked us what we'd learned from it all, how we felt it had all gone, what messages we had and I think Jamie Coleman said a very good statement: that this is about the people in the building, not the bricks and mortar.

'So let's get past how it looks, let's just get on and look after the patients as best we can, like we would anywhere.'

During his speech, Prince William added that the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham (pictured, the interior) is a wonderful example of Britain pulling together

During his speech, Prince William spoke to those involved in the project (pictured) and said: 'You all deserve our huge thanks, and you should all be hugely proud of what you have achieved in such a short space of time'

Jacqui Smith (pictured), Chair of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust spoke at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, in the National Exhibition Centre (NEC)

The facility will be run by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust (UHB), taking patients convalescing from coronavirus, freeing up the main hospitals to care for the most critically ill.

Trust chief executive Dr David Rosser said the hospital would help prevent 'awful scenes' like those seen in Italy of critical care wards filled to capacity.

He added there was now 'a different problem' emerging, as it became clearer the peak could be managed, with Covid-19 affecting the population over the longer term.

'We need to think how else we use this facility to help us through the next couple of years,' he said.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, speaking over video-link, said the hospital would help create vital extra NHS capacity.

'I'm glad to say that the huge huge efforts of the people of the West Midlands and across the country appear to be now working,' he added.

Around fifty attendees, including those from the military, health professionals and those who helped construct the facility, at the official opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, in the National Exhibition Centre (NEC)

Some of the fifty attendees, including those from the military, health professionals and those who helped construct the facility, at the official opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, in the National Exhibition Centre (NEC)
New Delhi: In a sting operation on Thursday (April 16), Zee News exposed the sinister conspiracy hatched around the Nizamuddin Markaz in its "Operation Virus" during the lockdown in the wake of coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic. The operation shows how one Maulana Ghulam Sarwar boasted to have helped 15 Tablighi Jamaat members flee from the Nizamuddin area of New Delhi.

Describing coronavirus as the curse of Allah, Maulana Sarwar said the virus came to India due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that this deadly pandemic is spreading in those parts of the world where people are being oppressed.

Maulana Ghulam Sarwar, who is the national spokesperson of the All India Muslim Front and the founder and secretary of the All India Muslim Dalit Morcha, made several shocking revelations in the sting operation.

While investigating the COVID-19 connection of Tablighi Jamaat, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Zee News came to know about Maulana Ghulam Sarwar and his network in the capital.

When the SIT team talked to Sarwar, he made many shocking revelations and claimed to have driven away about 15 Jamaatis. "When I came to know that some Jamaat members have taken shelter in a mosque, I quietly reached there and put them in the car and managed to shift at least 15 to a safer place."

The shocking revelation shows the sinister design when crores in the country are religious observing a complete lockdown in the fight against coronavirus but a few people are trying to foil the whole effort.

When the reporter asked from where did he evacuate these Jamaatis? From Nizamuddin? He took pride in saying that lockdown raids were being conducted in mosques except for Nizamuddin and there were many staying in different mosques.

Maulana Sarwar confessed that he secretly evacuated jamaatis from COVID-19 hotspot Nizamuddin, using a media pass, adding "They called me and I brought a fellow from Nizamuddin Guest House."

Connecting coronavirus with religion, Maulana Sarwar termed it as the curse of Allah. Talking about the deadly virus, he said even China failed to come to a conclusion about it. "Let me tell you the formula: drink hot water at least 2 to 3 times. He poohpoohed doctors claim and said, "cough can occur anywhere. Smokers often get a cough. They are terming sneezing, cough, and fever, which often occur after getting wet in the rain, as coronavirus."

The maulana further said "This is a curse of Allah on those countries which have oppressed human beings, otherwise why China, America, Germany, France, and Italy are suffering. They are prosperous and have everything." "It is a natural calamity, no vaccine will ever come," he said while holding PM Narendra Modi responsible for spreading COVID-19 in the country.

When the reporter asked that does it have a relation with the Quran? Maulana Sarwar said that all these things happen. "In the Quran, we have been told about the doomsday but that is yet to come. Right now, people are being punished.

When asked about Maulana Saad, Maulana Sarwar said that he made a mistake by hiding. He, however, questioned the administration saying when he can get a pass, then why was Maulana Saad not provided this facility.

When the reporter hinted at the mistake committed by Maulana Saad, he said that when the alarm bell rang, he should have made arrangements for their departure. "There was another mistake as you failed to give details of those who came on a tourist visa. He (Maulana Saad) was absolutely careless, and his carelessness created this whole issue. When the lockdown was announced on March 23, he came into action and reached the police station."

(Disclaimer: This sting operation has been carried out in public interest. The intention of the sting operation is to unmask the enemies of society and it does not intend to hurt the feelings of any community and religion)
A four-year boy in New York is unable to get chemotherapy because he has tested positive for coronavirus.

Matteo Ferruzzi was recently rushed to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms but when he started to cross his eyes, doctors discovered he has a brain tumor.

He had two surgeries to mitigate the effects of the brain tumor, which is inoperable and malignant, but Cohen Children's Hospital advised he return home to recover before starting a course of chemotherapy.

The situation has been made even worse as now both he and his mother have tested positive for coronavirus.

Scroll down for video

Matteo Ferruzzi was recently rushed to hospital with coronavirus symptoms but doctors found out he has a brain tumor and went ahead with two surgeries to mitigate the effects

His mother Jennifer Ferruzzi has also tested positive and is isolated from him. 'It was hard for me to be in the bedroom, so sick, and hearing him out there and not being able to tell him, "It's OK. Mommy's here",' she said

Now the pair are unable to be in close contact as they are both in isolation.

'It was hard for me to be in the bedroom, so sick, and hearing him out there and not being able to tell him, "It's OK. Mommy's here",' Jennifer Ferruzzi told WISTV.

'It's such a crazy time for the whole world. We are all in a crisis. The best time I can get a good cry in is when I am in the shower.'

In New York there were more than 223,000 confirmed coronavirus cases Thursday evening and more than 12,000 confirmed deaths.

The mother is desperate for Matteo to recover as soon as possible so he can get chemotherapy for a year to 15 months to help him.

They recently got retested but they are both still positive.

Cohen Children's Hospital advised he return home to recover before starting a course of chemotherapy for a year

Friends of Ferruzzi and the child's father Anthony have started a GoFundMe page to raise $5,000 to help the family during this time. They also have children Nicolette and Nico

As of Thursday evening the crowdfunding effort had raised $43,416 to help the family

Now she has urged other parents to act fast if their child appears to be ill.

'If your child is showing symptoms or complaining about something, absolutely get them into their pediatrician right away, and even if it's nothing, it is better to be safe than sorry,' she warned in the interview with WISTV.

Friends of Ferruzzi and the child's father Anthony have started a GoFundMe page to raise $5,000 to help the family during this time.

They also have children Nicolette and Nico.

As of Thursday evening the crowdfunding effort had raised $43,416.

'The outpouring of love from Saint James ... thank you everyone from the bottom of our hearts,' she told News 12.
MONTREAL - WSP Global Inc. is withdrawing its 2020 guidance due to "unprecedented uncertainty" prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, blue/pink, cultured in the lab. Also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus causes COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, NIAID-RML

MONTREAL - WSP Global Inc. is withdrawing its 2020 guidance due to "unprecedented uncertainty" prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The engineering firm has seen several projects delayed and postponed some capital expenditures as lockdowns snarl construction activity across the globe.

However, WSP remains relatively stable amid the crisis, with most staff working remotely and clients "generally" staying committed to their projects, particularly in the public sector, which accounted for 56 per cent of revenues last year.

The virus has also triggered new government-funded assignments, including an emergency isolation room expansion at a Montreal hospital and advisory services for health care facilities in the United Kingdom.

Operations in Hong Kong and mainland China are starting to return to normal as quarantines are lifted and production centres come back to life, WSP said.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Analyst Frederic Bastien of Raymond James said the company is "well-positioned for a bounce," pointing to governments from Norway to New Zealand moving to "rush out billions of dollars in infrastructure projects" to stimulate their economies.

In Canada, Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna is among the cabinet members preparing plans to channel billions in economic aid toward large-scale stimulus projects, opening opportunities for WSP and other engineering and construction companies.

First-quarter results are not expected to be "materially affected" by the pandemic, the Montreal-based company said after markets closed Wednesday.

The firm's stock value has dropped about eight per cent since Feb. 24 compared to a decline of more than 20 per cent for the S&P/TSX composite index.

This story by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.

Companies in this story: (TSX:WSP)
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Apple and Google have generated much hope and controversy with their plan to create a Covid-19 tracking app. Too bad it wont work.

Public debate has focused on how to balance the right to privacy with the potential to save lives. Theres ample reason for skepticism -- for example, anonymous Bluetooth tracking can be deanonymized. But thats not what I care about. What concerns me is that the whole concept of a tradeoff is false from the start, because no app can fix the thoroughly inequitable U.S. health care system.

Before we go there, lets talk about why people are so psyched about the app. They point to the breathlessly marketed story of Singapore, which used smartphone technology to combat Covid-19. Yet the countrys prime minister attributed its success to traditional detective work  that is, intensively interviewing the infected and tracking down contacts. Only one in six people in Singapore have downloaded the smartphone app, which is opt-in just like the Apple/Google offering. It wasnt really that crucial.

Now consider the app in the U.S. context. To be effective, it must help the most vulnerable -- people who, due to characteristics such as race, income, age and occupation are disproportionately exposed and dying. Yet many of them simply dont have smartphones. Theyre homeless, in nursing homes, in prisons. Its the same old access story, similar to how Verily, a division of Googles parent company Alphabet, can help people find and arrange coronavirus testing -- but only if they have a Google account. The people who need the service most are locked out.

Thats not all. Assume for a moment that all these people had phones, downloaded the app and would thus find out if they were exposed. What would they do? Many arent insured, so testing and treatment would be prohibitively expensive, even if it were available. Or suppose they have gig economy jobs, such as Instacart delivery. What good would it do them to be told they were exposed? They know theyre at high risk. They need the work, otherwise they would have quit already. And if they really were sick, why would they risk their livelihood by volunteering the information to an app?

Story continues

President Trump has said hospitals will be compensated for treating uninsured Covid-19 patients, but it's unclear how that limited money will be distributed, and people might be wary of risking it. Even before the current crisis, nearly a quarter of Americans avoided medical care because of cost considerations. For that matter, millions of undocumented workers are likely not eligible for help. Even insured people are reasonably worried about getting hit with multi-thousand-dollar surprise out-of-network charges, even when their hospital is in-network.

Its starting to look like the app will be helpful only to people who have money and good health insurance, not the people we should be worrying about.

So what would work? In addition to detective work, Singapore covered the cost of all treatments and tests - which were widespread and accessible -- and provided sick pay for people who had to stay home. The U.S. has a long way to go to match that. Even the best smartphone app wont solve systemic problems.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Cathy ONeil is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a mathematician who has worked as a professor, hedge-fund analyst and data scientist. She founded ORCAA, an algorithmic auditing company, and is the author of Weapons of Math Destruction.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
The president said he was very glad that the first part of the citizens of Ukraine had already been released.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said another stage of mutual release of held persons is taking place within the framework of the agreements reached during the Minsk process and the Normandy format, and assured the Ukrainian authorities will fight until every Ukrainian captive returns home.

"I, as any person, have only positive emotions. Today we're bringing back our men, our citizens of Ukraine, and I rejoice every time we have our military heroes returned, political prisoners and ordinary citizens of Ukraine. Because for us, ordinary citizens of Ukraine are the same heroes since they had been thrown behind bars because they defended our Ukraine, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity," he told journalists during a working trip to Zakarpattia region.

Read alsoEx-political prisoner Sentsov comments on today's prisoner swap

"The time will come and we will return everyone, first of all, as we said, we will return everyone both within the framework of the Minsk agreements and the agreements of the Normandy Four. We will free everyone and fight until every Ukrainian returns home," Zelensky added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, another stage of the prisoner swap has kicked off in Donbas today, April 16, to bringing home 19 of Ukrainian citizens who have been held in captivity in the temporarily occupied territories.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police arrested on Wednesday four suspected members of Islamic State, all from Tajikistan, believed to have been planning deadly attacks in Germany, prosecutors said.

Special forces in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia made the arrests near the cities of Essen and Duesseldorf and raided properties in the area.

Prosecutors suspect the four men, with a fifth who has been in detention for the last year, of being in contact with leading members of Islamic State in Afghanistan and Syria and of receiving instructions from them.

"Targets for the attacks were supposed to be institutions of U.S forces in Germany or even individual people," said prosecutors in their statement.

"In particular, they planned a murder attack on one person who had made public comments that they viewed as being critical of Islam," the prosecutors added.

The prosecutors said they believed the suspects had already carried out surveillance of the targeted individual and were procuring weapons, ammunition and components for a bomb.

Prosecutors identified the suspects as Azizjon B., Muhammadali G., Farhodshoh K. and Sunatullokh K., in line with German privacy rules. The fifth man who is already in detention was identified as Ravsan B.

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Peter Graff)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen again apologized publicly that all EU member states could not come to the aid of Italy on time amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Her remarks came at the European Parliament Plenary on the EU coordinated action to combat the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences.

Yes, it is true that no one was really ready for this. It is also true that too many were not there on time when Italy a needed a helping hand at the very beginning, she said. And yes, for that, it is right that Europe as a whole offers a heartfelt apology. But saying sorry only counts for something if it changes behaviour.

According to her, all EU member states and the European Commission have already changed their behavior. The truth is that it did not take long before everyone realised that we must protect each other to protect ourselves. And the truth is too that Europe has now become the world's beating heart of solidarity. The real Europe is standing up, the one that is there for each other when it is needed the most, she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:07:53|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China's civil aviation authority has moved to ensure air cargo transport of supplies for the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak worldwide.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) approved 655 temporary cargo flights from April 1 to 13, up 612 percent year on year. In March, it approved 1,919 temporary cargo flights, up 435 percent year on year.

China has provided support to the international community within its capacity while ensuring its domestic epidemic control and prevention, said Jin Junhao, an official with the CAAC.

From April 13 to 19, a total of 98 carriers in the sector of scheduled air cargo transport will operate 1,690 cargo flights from China to 90 destinations in 40 countries around the world.

To support the worldwide joint efforts in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, China's civil aviation authorities and enterprises are joining hands in uplifting efficiency and capacity in air cargo transport.

SF Airlines, China's largest air cargo carrier, uses its all-cargo freighters to provide medical supplies and other necessities for daily life and work resumption.

The airline has been exploring potentials from its fleet of 58 all-cargo freighters and air logistics linking more than 60 destinations worldwide, targeting to serve the international anti-pandemic works with reliable and high-quality fast transport.

Starting from March, the cargo airline has opened five international air cargo routes to Southeast Asia and another two routes to Europe for emergency supplies.

Thanks to CAAC's "green channel" for the international air cargo transport, these new cargo air routes received support and quick approval, according to SF Airlines.

The "green channel" is among CAAC's six major measures to comprehensively ensure the international supply chain and air cargo transport.

The CAAC issues new policies and measures in reducing cost on international air cargo transport, improving approval efficiency, encouraging modified passenger aircraft for cargo missions.

Meanwhile, the CAAC also plays roles in arranging point-to-point charter cargo flights, connecting information between enterprises and carriers, and open temporary flights and charter flights for critical supplies. Enditem
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The Middle East, already wracked by high numbers of unemployed youth, unrest, conflict and large numbers of refugees, will sink into a recession this year sparked by the double shock of the coronavirus outbreak and low oil prices, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

The impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, threatens to leave in its wake significant economic turmoil across the region, the international lender says. If governments mishandle the outbreak, the IMF warns this will sow the seeds for even more social unrest and instability.

Given the magnitude of the global crisis, the lender is calling on governments to prioritize health care spending, regardless of fiscal capacity, in order to contain the crisis as swiftly as possible.

In Lebanon, which had been roiled by protests over the state of the economy before the pandemic, the IMF projects a 12% contraction of the economy, nearly double last years recession rate. In Libya, torn by years of conflict and rival governments, the international lender projects a whopping 59% contraction this year.

Iran was already in deep economic recession due to U.S. sanctions that were reimposed after President Donald Trump pulled America out of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. It is now struggling to manage the outbreak of the virus. The country's economy is expected to contract this year by 6%, according to the IMF.

The Middle East has recorded more than 174,000 cases of the virus, and over 6,600 deaths, most of them in Iran.

Globally, the IMF expects the world's economy to shrink 3% this year before rebounding in 2021 with 5.8% growth. Prospects for a rebound, however, are far from certain.

As millions of people lose their jobs around the world due to lockdowns, closures and curfews, cash-strapped governments are racing to secure loans from the IMF to support the most vulnerable people.

The IMF has said it is prepared to commit its $1 trillion in lending capacity to assist nations.

In a sign of just how dire the situation has become in Iran, the government requested a $5 billion loan from the IMF in recent weeks  the first such request made by Iran in nearly six decades. The IMF says it's still looking into the request and seeking additional information from Iran.

Story continues

Jihad Azour, who oversees the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia department, said it's too early to tell just how many people have lost their jobs across the region amid the crisis. He cautioned that the Mideast is going through only the first wave of shock and should be prepared for long-lasting impacts.

The message this year is we are facing one of the really most challenging crises that the region has ever experienced, Azour told The Associated Press.

A certain number of measures are needed, and the priority needs to be put behind health care, he added.

In Egypt, the blow to tourism and remittances threatens to push even more people into poverty as the country stops shy of implementing a full lockdown for fear of further damaging the economy.

While the IMF does not expect Egypt to slide into recession this year, growth will shrink from over 5% last year to just 2% this year.

Across wealthy oil exporting countries in the region, the IMF says oil prices under $30 a barrel could result in more than $230 billion in lost annual revenue for these nations.

In Saudi Arabia, the economy will slide into recession, contracting by about 2.3% this year before climbing to nearly 3% projected growth in 2021, according to the IMF. The kingdom has also lost vital tourism revenue as holy sites in Mecca and Medina remain closed to pilgrims from around the world.

For other oil exporting countries like Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq and Oman, the international lender said low oil prices threaten to deplete financial reserves as spending increases to combat the virus.

In addition to lower oil prices, the hits to tourism and aviation will impact the United Arab Emirates and Qatar particularly hard. The UAEs economy is expected to contract by 3.5% this year, while Qatar's economy will contract by just over 4%, according to the IMF.

The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. Worldwide, almost 2 million people have been infected and more than 127,000 have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The IMF said the biggest challenges in managing the virus, however, will be in conflict-torn countries like Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as countries with large refugee populations such as Lebanon, Jordan and Pakistan. For these six countries, the IMF projects negative growth this year.

The IMF did not give any economic projections for Syria, where the civil war, now in its tenth year, has forced some 6 million Syrians to flee the country and displaced another 7 million internally.
COLLINSVILLE  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Collinsville Food Pantry (CFP) has had to adapt to stay open, but its mission is more important than ever.

The pantry, located at 201 E. Church St., has seen a huge increase in the number of clients since Governor J.B. Pritzkers stay-at-home executive order, which went into effect on March 17 and has been extended until at least April 30.

The pantry normally serves about 100 people per week, but during March, it served more than 770 people.

Typical operating hours for the pantry are 9-11 a.m. on Tuesday and Friday and 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, but it is also providing emergency food throughout the week, by appointment only Tuesday through Friday.

We have a doorbell and if somebody rings it, we go and serve food, said Judy Grantham, fund development coordinator for the pantry. We will be here until the last person leaves.

We stay in close communication with the Madison County Health Department, which is how we are allowed to stay open. We are doing everything that they suggest and the minute they come up with something new, they contact our director (Angelica Lipham) and we implement it immediately.

The pantry is typically only to Collinsville residents but is currently providing food to anyone in need.

With unemployment surging due to layoffs and business closings related to the pandemic, many of the pantrys current clients have never visited a food pantry before.

Several pantries have closed, and we are still open, Grantham said. Weve had people from East St. Louis, Cahokia, OFallon, Granite City, Troy, Maryville and many other places. We will not deny anyone food but if the pantry in their area is still open, we will refer them to those pantries.

Previously, clients would sign into the pantry when they arrived and then they would enter the building and do their own food shopping.

Due to the coronavirus, pantry staff and volunteers now bag the groceries themselves, including dry goods, produce, bread, frozen meat, deli and milk.

The staff and volunteers take the food bags to the front door, where clients put them in a cart and take them to their car. Once the bags are unloaded in their trunk, they bring back the carts, which are disinfected.

Due to safety recommendations from the Madison Health Department, Collinsville Food Pantry is not accepting food donations from outside sources during the pandemic because of the potential risk of the virus living on the surface of donated goods.

Instead, it is getting all its food directly from suppliers or from local grocery stores, which follow stricter guidelines.

We have gone onto Facebook and several other ways that we communicate with folks, and we are asking for monetary donations instead of food, said Grantham, who picked up 50 gallons of milk from one local store on Tuesday.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Collinsville previously delivered food orders from Collinsville Food Pantry to clients with disabilities or no transportation. This service has stopped during the pandemic, leaving numerous clients without a way to get food.

That means that other people have had to step up to provide delivery, and much of that task has fallen to pantry employees, including Grantham.

We had an 85-year-old woman crying on the other end of the phone because she wasnt getting her food delivered, so Im delivering to her, Grantham said. We had a single mother of nine and Im delivering to her.

When someone calls and says they are hungry, I feel like I have to go.

Grantham said the number of volunteers for the pantry has decreased during the pandemic due to the practice of social distancing and to prevent the spread of the virus. The number of potential volunteers has increased due to people having more time on their hands.

The pantry is running with no more than 10 people at any time.

We have our core volunteers, basically a skeleton crew, but that has been enough for us to serve the families that come for food, Grantham said. The director (Lipham), manager (Micaela Rodgriguez) and pantry coordinator (Tony Viviano) are the pantry every day making sure everything runs smoothly.

CFP is allowing patrons to visit the pantry only once a month instead of twice.

We want to make sure to prevent the spread of the virus and also make sure we have enough to help as many families as we can during these times, Grantham said.

To donate to CFP by PayPal, go to www.collinsvillefoodpantry.org or text Collinsville Cares to 44321.

More information is also available by visiting Collinsville Food Pantry on Facebook.
Australians forced to self-isolate or take leave during the coronavirus period don't necessarily have to dip into their annual leave or starve.

Coronavirus restrictions can differ from state to state in Australia, leaving many people confused as to what they can and can't do in this unique time.

Unprecedented sanctions have been put on workers and employers in non-essential industries, with many wondering if they are eligible for government payments and whether their boss can cut their salary amid restrictions.

Australians are permitted to leave their home for essential reasons, leaving room for many grey areas, while social distancing measures and travel rules have left many scratching their head.

Below, Daily Mail Australia answers some of the most common questions during life in coronavirus Australia.

Police patrol people exercising in Centennial Park in Sydney for breaches of social distancing rules on Monday

Australians are allowed to leave their home for exercise in groups of two or less only. Pictured: walkers on Bondi Beach on Saturday

For what reasons are you allowed to leave your home?

The rules vary from state to state (see box below), but Australians are generally only allowed to leave their homes to get food, travel for work or education purposes, to exercise, to receive medical care or for compassionate needs.

Can more than two people travel together in a car?

Social distancing and isolation restrictions mean gatherings of more than two people are not permitted.

However, households of more than two people are able to travel together so long as they are travelling home or to an essential place.

The NSW government public health orders site says there are exemptions to the two-person limit.

'The two person rule does not apply to people travelling in cars, or gatherings at public transport stops, stations or platforms,' the website states.

A police check point for motorists travelling on the Gold Coast Highway at the Queensland and New South Wales border on March 26

A cyclist wearing a protective face mask waits at traffic lights in Sydney CBD on Saturday

Can I exercise away from my local area?

Australians are permitted to exercise, but are not allowed to travel for non-essential reasons.

People have been fined for breaching coronavirus restrictions after being found far from their residence without a reasonable excuse for being there.

A 64-year-old man from Woollahra in Sydney's east was found almost 300km away at Boomerang Beach near Forster on the state's mid-north coast.

When asked why he was there, he allegedly told police 'he had been on the beach for two hours using his mobile phone'.

Exercising away from home is one of the many grey areas. Police will use their discretion when handing out all coronavirus restriction-related fines.

Sensei Vicki Bell teaches an online karate class from her home due to self-isolation measures

A closed section of the beach at Surfers Paradise last week after bans on large public gatherings were enforced

Australians are permitted to exercise, yet exercising away from home is one of the many grey areas. Pictured: walkers at Bronte Beach on Monday

How does social distancing work in the workplace?

Anyone who can be working from home should be working from home, yet some industries are unable to conduct business remotely.

Many workplaces have taken steps to provide extra space for employees during this period to comply with government regulations.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison advised each person should have four square metres to themselves to maintain a safe distance from others and prevent the spread of the disease.

Other effective distancing measures include doing phone calls or video conferences instead of meetings, keep windows open, avoid shaking hands and eat at your desk away from your colleagues.

Tradesman eat lunch in Martin Place in Sydney while practicing social distancing in March

Can I be forced by my employer to take annual leave in this period?

The Fair Work Commission changed 99 awards on April 8 so employees can get 14 days of unpaid pandemic leave.

It is available immediately for full-time, part-time and casual workers and they don't need to have used up all their annual leave to be eligible.

The arrangements are staying in place until June 30, 2020 but the industrial umpire could extend those COVID-19 provisions if the lockdowns need to continue.

Employers are subject to their enterprise agreement with staff as to whether they can enforce leave during this time.

The Fair Work website reads that an employer can direct staff to take annual leave if the direction is reasonable, which includes circumstances where the employer is shutting down its business because of the impact of the coronavirus (stock image)

Shoppers practice social distancing restrictions at Woolworths in Kellyville in Sydney

'Under the Fair Work Act the employer can direct them to take annual leave if the direction is reasonable, which includes circumstances where the employer is shutting down its business because of the impact of the coronavirus,' the Australian government Fair Work website reads.

Employees can access up to two weeks of unpaid pandemic leave if they can't work due to self-isolation requirements or medical restrictions.

Workers are also able to make agreements with their employer to take annual leave at half pay and double their time off work.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

Can my salary be reduced during this period?

Workers in many industries are taking pay cuts to ensure their business survive during this tough period.

Rulings on changes to payments and salaries vary depending on the individual circumstance.

'When an employee is subject to a JobKeeper enabling direction about location or duties, the employer must pay them either the JobKeeper payment or their usual pay for any hours that the employee works (whichever payment is higher),' the Fair Work website reads.

'The employees hourly base pay rate cannot be reduced.'

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The symptoms are similar to colds and flus including fever, sore throat, cough, tiredness and difficulty breathing.

How does COVID-19 spread?

COVID-19 spreads through close contact with infected people in the 24 hours before their symptoms appear.

You can get coronavirus through contact with a contaminated person's cough or sneeze, or by touching a surface they have touched and then touching your mouth or face.

What should you do if you develop symptoms?

Call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080.

Victoria Smith working in her home office space in Adelaide during the coronavirus period

How can you prevent the spread of coronavirus?

Taking strict personal hygiene measures and keeping your distance from others is the best way to defend yourself against the virus.

Regularly wash your hands, cover your face when you cough, stay home if you are unwell and practice social distancing measures.

Should you get tested for coronavirus?

A doctor will tell you whether or not you need to be tested. Their decision will be based on a range of factors including whether you have been overseas in the last 14 days or have been in close contact with an infected person.

Cruise ship passengers, health care workers and people living in high risk areas will be recommended to be tested.

If someone you live with is being tested, you may need to isolate yourself too.

Who is the highest risk of contracting coronavirus in Australia?

Recent overseas travellers, those in close contact with confirmed cases and those in correctional facilities are high risk of getting the disease.

Indigenous Australians aged 50 years or more with chronic health problems, people over 65 with chronic health problems and people over 70 are considered high risk.

Should you wear a face mask?

If you are healthy you do not need to wear a mask.

Health experts advice says that if you are healthy you do not need to wear a face mask during the coronavirus period

Who is eligible for the JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments?

More than 850,000 people have applied for JobKeeper payments in the coronavirus period.

The payment is available to Australian residents aged 16 or older who were employed in a full-time, part-time, or long-term casual role for more than 12 months as of March 1.

The payment is $1,500 per fortnight.

Self-employed people are also eligible to receive the payment.

To be eligible for the JobSeeker payment you must be an Australian resident between 22-years-old and pension age, with your income and assets below test limits.

You must be unemployed and looking for work or unable to work or study due to sickness or injury.

The payment is $565.70 a fortnight for singles without children, which works out to be $282.85 a week. That reduces to $510.80 each if you have a partner.

A single person with a dependent child can get up to $612 a fortnight.

What is an essential worker?

Anyone who still has a job in the current economy is considered an essential worker.

SOCIAL DISTANCING LAWS EXPLAINED STATE-BY-STATE: HOW TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT OUT Queensland Gatherings are restricted to two people, with residents only allowed out of their homes for a few essential reasons. This includes buying food or essential goods, getting a medical treatment or engaging in physical exercise. You can also visit a terminally ill relative or attend a funeral. Students are also allowed to attend childcare, school, college or university. From April 3, the state's borders will be closed to everyone except residents and essential workers. New South Wales NSW officials are also enforcing the two-person limit, with residents legally obliged to stay at home unless they have a 'reasonable excuse'. This includes travelling to work or school, buying food or other essentials, exercise and medical reasons. It is left up to police officers to decide who will get the fines, with the maximum being an $11,000 fine or six months in prison. Victoria The state has also brought in the two-person limit inside and outside the home - not counting pre-exisitng members of the household. Its chief medical officer Dr Brett Sutton confirmed an exception would made for people visiting their boyfriend or girlfriend if they lived separately. Otherwise, people are allowed to leave the house for one of five reasons - shopping for food, work and education, care reasons, exercise or other extenuating circumstances. Australian Capital Territory The ACT is also enforcing the two-person limit, but people are allowed up to two guests inside their homes - only if there is at least four square metres per person. It also only allows people to leave home for essential reasons, including shopping for essentials, medical reasons, exercise, work or study. Offenders are being issue with warnings, but may get a fine if they are found to be breaking the rules again. Western Australia As well as closing its borders to non-residents, WA has also introduced fines for people who cross out of their region. Nine regions have been carved up, and people cannot move between them for anything but an essential reason. This includes going to work, medical appointments, school or other types of education. Drivers are also allowed to transport freight, and people can go to a shop outside of their area if the essentials are not available closer to home. Northern Territory In NT, police are still enforcing a 10-person limit rather than just two people. But chief minister Michael Gunner warned it may take further action if people don't stick to the rules. All non-essential arrivals in the state must self-quarantine for 14 days, and people are not allowed to visit remote communities. Tasmania Tasmania also has brought into law the two-person limit, with residents only allowed to leave home for essential reasons. This includes shopping, exercising, and going to healthcare apppointments. Going to a vet is also allowed, as is going to school or caring for another person. Arrivals must self-isolate for 14 days. South Australia SA has also stuck to the 10-person limit, with $1,000 on-the-spot fines for people who have a larger group. Again, all arrivals into the state must self-isolate for 14 days. Advertisement

Students and teachers are studying in an online setting due to restrictions on large gatherings

What penalties are there for breaching isolation restrictions?

Disobeying a COVID-19 rule incurs a $1,000 fine in NSW, Western Australia, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

In Queensland it's $1,334.50, in Victoria it's $1,652 and in the Northern Territory, $1,099.

In Victoria, the state's deputy commissioner Shane Patton has promised to review every fine, after police interrupted a funeral despite mourners adhering to the 10-person rule.

'I will review every one of those personally to ensure they have been appropriately issued and that common sense is being applied,' he said.

Can I leave my home at all if I am told to isolate?

Those forced to self isolate are not allowed out of their home for two weeks, even to buy groceries if they have coronavirus or have been interstate or overseas.

The Queensland state government has set up a Community Recovery Hotline so those in self isolation can call 1800 173 349 to get food or medicines delivered.
[April 16, 2020] Helium 10 Announces $1M Business Assistance Fund to Support E-Commerce Sellers on Amazon

IRVINE, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Helium 10 has set aside $1 million of business assistance in the form of discounted subscriptions to help qualified sellers with re-investment and expansion of their businesses during this uncertain time. Existing Helium 10 customers who qualify for assistance will receive 80% off regular subscription fees. In this effort to spur continued e-commerce growth and empowerment of entrepreneurs, new customers will also get an immediate 80% off their first month with Helium 10. The company has stated its commitment that there has never been a better time for Amazon sellers to invest in their businesses. "Amazon sellers are perfectly positioned to take advantage of a move towards e-commerce buying behavior," explains Bojan Gajic, Chief Operating Officer. "Helium 10 has been the leading all-in-one software suite of tools that help those sellers maximize their sales, and we saw an opportunity to help sellers invest in their own growth. Any small business Amazon seller that qualifies will be able to get easy acces to world-class tools that help them research and adapt to a rapidly shifting marketplace."



Helium 10 data shows that Amazon sales have been increasing steadily since March (with sales up 20% from March of last year), as people spend more time in their homes, practicing social distancing and shopping online more. Helium 10 believes the nature of this global crisis makes it an opportune time for those who haven't considered selling online to begin, and for existing Amazon sellers to increase investment in their businesses. The $1 Million Business Assistance Fund confirms Helium's 10's unrelenting commitment to the success of its customers and e-commerce sellers on Amazon, especially through difficult times, so they can take full advantage of future growth today.

Terms and conditions will vary. Existing customers and those looking to begin selling online can visit Helium 10 to see if they qualify. About Helium 10: Founded in 2016, Helium 10 is an all-in-one software suite of tools for Amazon sellers and major global brands. Helium 10 offers solutions for Amazon product research, keyword research, listing optimization and maintenance, account alerts and automation, inventory monitoring, email marketing, financial analytics, and reimbursement assistance. The company has helped over 250,000 sellers scale their businesses on Amazon. Helium 10 strives to deliver highly accurate, data-driven, comprehensive software to Amazon sellers everywhere. Helium 10 is headquartered in Irvine, California, with multiple satellite offices and rapid growth worldwide. For more information, visit Helium10.com. Media Contact:

Matt Sky

[email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/helium-10-announces-1m-business-assistance-fund-to-support-e-commerce-sellers-on-amazon-301041923.html SOURCE Helium 10

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 07:00:48|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, April 15 (Xinhua) -- It is up to the governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO) to decide where to seek funds in its COVID-19 fight, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.

Stephane Dujarric said it was up to the World Health Assembly, the 194-member state governing body, to decide where to look for funding in the face of the United States withdrawing from WHO financing.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding for the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

Trump's action was seen by many as a distraction from his tardiness in acting.

The spokesman was asked at a regular virtual briefing where the WHO was looking to replace the U.S. funding while a "review" was conducted by the Trump administration.

"The WHO is a specialized agency with the World Health Assembly as its governing body and it is up to that governing body to go forward on funding," Dujarric replied.

"The secretary-general's message is very clear: now is not the time to stop funding of the WHO or any other humanitarian organization that is involved in the COVID-19 response," Dujarric said.

The spokesman said the secretary-general "made clear once more that once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis. But now is not that time."

A caution note for children from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the WHO, other UN agencies and partners, was issued Wednesday.

They warned that millions of children are at increased risk of harm as their lives move increasingly online because of lockdowns during the pandemic, the spokesman said.

More than 1.5 billion children and young people have been affected by school closures worldwide and many of these students are now taking classes and socializing online.

Spending more time on virtual platforms can leave children vulnerable to online sexual exploitation and grooming and may also expose children to potentially harmful and violent content as well as risk cyberbullying, he said.

A new technical note urges governments, information and communication technology industries, educators and parents to be alert, to take urgent measures to mitigate potential risks and ensure children's online experiences are safe and positive during COVID-19, Dujarric said.

In India, the WHO said it will work with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to leverage the strategies that helped the country win its war against polio into the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spokesman said.

The WHO national polio surveillance network will be engaged to strengthen COVID-19 surveillance and WHO field staff will continue to support immunization and elimination of TB and other diseases, he said.

India eliminated polio in 2014.

Dujarric said the UN staff in Myanmar, together with national and international partners, is supporting health authorities and scaling up efforts to prevent and control the outbreak of COVID-19 and improve access to health care in humanitarian settings.

The United Nations is focusing on vulnerable communities and frontline health workers, he said. Myanmar's Humanitarian Fund has mobilized the first reserve allocation of 2 million U.S. dollars to support a coordinated response for displaced people and other vulnerable crisis-affected people in Chin, Rakhine, Kachin, Shan and Kayin states.

The UN team in Myanmar, together with national authorities, has mobilized funds to obtain necessary medical equipment to conduct 20,000 COVID-19 tests, the spokesman said.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, urged countries in Latin America, and elsewhere in the world, to open their borders to their nationals stranded abroad in the COVID-19 pandemic, many of them with little or no access to healthcare.

Bachelet said that under international law, everyone has the right to return to their home, even during a pandemic.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs cautioned in a new policy brief that many commodity-dependent economies in Africa and Latin America will likely face an economic crisis before they are directly hit by COVID-19, which will further limit their ability to handle a health crisis.

The new brief warned that action is needed now to avert a full-blown debt crisis, as the economies are in a significantly tighter fiscal position than they were in 2009 when they were hit by the global financial crisis, making it very difficult for them to borrow externally and finance large fiscal stimulus.

In Nigeria, UN colleagues report that a shipment of ventilators and other essential medical supplies obtained by the United Nations in the country has arrived to fight COVID-19, Dujarric said.

The shipment, which is the first of several, also includes personal protective equipment, which will be deployed throughout Nigeria to health facilities in need.
Regina Pendleton and Mairead Wilson play the bagpipes to staff of Fruithill Nursing home in Belfast

Jennifer Carson celebrates what would have been her wedding day with co-workers at Richmond Nursing Home

It wasn't how Jennifer Carson imagined her wedding day would look.

The Co Down nurse's big day was cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak - but yesterday she was surprised by her colleagues who threw her a special party on what was supposed to be her wedding day.

Jennifer (29), who works at Richmond Nursing Home in Cultra, was delighted when her colleagues threw the impromptu wedding party yesterday.

The Bangor woman was due to get married to her fiance Stephen Turnbull (38) at Belfast City Hall before flying out to Portugal but the plans were ruined after the spread of Covid-19.

Instead, Jennifer spent the day caring for the residents and spending time with her team without a single complaint that it was meant to be her wedding day.

The usual mid-morning scones were transformed into a glamorous affair including non-alcoholic bubbles and even a chance to catch the bouquet.

"It was really lovely and a really nice surprise," Jennifer told the Belfast Telegraph. "The residents were involved as well and it really brightened up their day.

"They made toilet paper wedding veils to add to it and we threw the bouquet as well.

"The bouquet was actually already in the home as there's lots of flowers in the home already."

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Despite her disappointment over the cancelled wedding, Jennifer just hopes that everyone gets through the coronavirus pandemic safely.

Manager of Richmond Nursing Home, Simon Bryans, added: "Our staff are doing such an amazing job caring for the residents and keeping their spirits high at a time when we unfortunately cannot have visitors.

"This was just a small gesture but it really lifted the mood today for residents and staff. Jennifer is an exceptional nurse and we are so pleased we could celebrate with her on what should have been her wedding day."

Although the celebrations were not the day Jennifer had planned, they certainly added a bit of joy and excitement to both the residents and staff at this difficult time.

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Meanwhile, Regina Pendleton and Mairead Wilson played the bagpipes to staff of the Fruithill Nursing Home in Belfast.

The pair have visited nursing homes during the lockdown playing music which is part of a programme developed for people suffering from dementia.
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Chinas local infections on rise

China sees 46 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the same as a day earlier, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 82,341.

China reported on Thursday fewer new coronavirus cases involving travellers arriving from overseas, but locally transmitted infections rose, with the Chinese capital seeing new local cases for the first time in more than three weeks.

IMPORTED CASES DOWN FOR THE 3RD DAY

New imported cases dropped to 34 on Wednesday from 36 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said, down for the third straight day, amid stringent border checks and reduced international flights.

But the number of locally transmitted cases rose to 12 from 10 a day earlier, with the city of Beijing seeing three new local cases for the first time since March 23.

The other new local cases on Wednesday were in the provinces of Heilongjiang and Guangdong, both of which have been battling with an influx of infected travellers from overseas, mostly Chinese nationals returning from abroad.

Heilongjiang saw 16 new imported cases, all Chinese nationals who came from Russia. The province has become a front line in Chinas fight to keep out imported cases as infected Chinese nationals return overland from Russia.
Trump administration senior advisor Kellyanne Conway, appeared to misunderstand what the number 19 in Covid-19 refers to, during a Fox News television appearance.

Speaking on Fox and Friends on Wednesday, the White House official spoke about the virus while discussing president Donald Trumps decision to suspend funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Ms Conway explained that some of the scientists and doctors say that there could be other strains later on, and added that this could come back in the fall in a limited way.

She added that the organisation has done a poor job of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic so far, but seemingly misunderstood the origin of the name, Covid-19.

This is COVID-19, not COVID-1 folks, and so you would think the people charged with the World Health Organisation facts and figures would be on top of that.

On its website, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the name, Covid-19, was chosen because the first outbreak occurred in 2019.

Recommended Kellyanne Conway goes after de Blasio and Biden during pandemic

The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, CO stands for corona, VI for virus, and D for disease, the website reads.

Formerly, this disease was referred to as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV.

A White House official told The Independent that Ms Conway was well aware that 19 referred to the year.

The official added that she attended Task Force meetings daily and sat behind Drs Birx and Fauci. Ms Conway never mentioned 18 other coronaviruses.

The president announced on Tuesday the US will be suspending its funding of the World Health Organisation (WHO), so it can review its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The reality is the WHO failed to obtain, vet and share information in a timely fashion, Mr Trump said. The WHO failed in its basic duty and must be held accountable.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, the US has upwards of 632,874 people have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 27,850.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The owner of a Columbus bridal shop sued Ohio Health Department Director Dr. Amy Acton on Thursday, claiming the states enforcement of a coronavirus stay-at-home order as it pertains to businesses violates her constitutional rights because it doesnt provide a way for a business to challenge a forced closure.

Tanya Rutner Hartman, owner of Gilded Social: The Fancy Occasion Shop, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Columbus. The suit said Actons order, which expires May 1, has no meaningful post-closure process built into it to determine whether a business is essential and can re-open.

Gilded Socials website says the store is shut down until May 1 and that employees are only available for virtual appointments. Hartmans attorney Maurice Thompson, of the libertarian-leaning 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, said his client closed the store on her own and had faced no action by local or state health officials.

However, Thompson said he had reached out to the health officials to see if there was a way to determine whether Hartmans store fit the definition of essential under the order. He said he was told by Columbus Public Health and the state Health Department that there was not a forum to decide such questions.

Thompsons news release announcing the lawsuits filing said that many businesses are forced to choose between financial ruin or prosecution, as a violation of the order can result in a second-degree misdemeanor criminal charge.

Hartman asked the judge for a temporary restraining order that bars the state from enforcing the stay-at-home order to the extent that it doesnt require the state to provide an immediate hearing for a business closed by the government, in which officials must specifically say why a business is not essential.

While the State is entitled to latitude when confronting a pandemic, that latitude does not permit trampling of basic constitutional rights, particularly when policies endure over an extended period of time without legislative action or administrative rulemaking, the news release states.

Thompson said Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley ordered the state to respond by 5 p.m. Friday, prior to a hearing that the judge will preside over on Monday.

Acton first issued a stay-at-home order effective March 23 and renewed it on April 2. While many grocery and big-box stores are allowed to remain open, the order has forced many small businesses to lock their doors.

The order includes a list with a broad array of stores and companies that may remain open, provided the employees can stay socially distant and adhere to guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The stay-at-home order has built-in a dispute resolution panel for situations in which similar businesses are being treated differently in different counties or health districts. The lawsuit, however, says the panels power is limited and says health districts are limited to answering questions regarding the order only if the public official enforcing the order has questions.

The lawsuit notes that weddings are allowed to continue under the order and that Hartmans business can make coronavirus-prevention accommodations.

Without the capacity to open their business on or before May 1, 2020, Plaintiffs business will fail, and either bankruptcy or closure would be a virtual certainty, the lawsuit states.

The health director and Gov. Mike DeWine have said the order is meant to prevent further spread of the virus in Ohio, where 8,239 people have tested positive and 373 people have died as of Thursday.

Some conservative lawmakers have urged DeWine to ease restrictions as the economic fallout continues, and the governor during a televised address on Thursday spoke of a plan to re-open parts of the state starting May 1.

Spokespeople for DeWine and Acton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Read more:

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says Ohio will begin to reopen after coronavirus May 1

Gov. Mike DeWine facing increasing pressure from state lawmakers to roll back coronavirus closures

Gov. Mike DeWine extends Ohios stay-at-home order until May 1

Ohio issues stay-at-home order for all residents to combat spread of coronavirus
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:14:16|Editor: huaxia

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BELGRADE, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 5,318 people have been infected with COVID-19, a coronavirus-caused disease, in Serbia, with 103 deaths, Serbian health ministry stated in a press release on Thursday.

Over the past 24 hours, 445 new infection cases have been reported, according to the ministry. So far, 443 people have recovered, while 3,511 people are hospitalized.

Serbia has tested 29,472 people, of which 3,194 were tested in the previous 24 hours. Among the 6,070 healthcare workers tested for the virus, 593 were infected, according to the release.

Serbia has been in a state of emergency since March 16, which has restricted the movement of people with curfews. The government has announced a stricter curfew during this weekend, from Friday 5 p.m. to Tuesday 5 a.m.

Since the beginning of the outbreak in Serbia, China has donated tons of medical supplies and sent a medical expert team to help.

Key equipment, which was donated by Chinese companies for the two laboratories in Belgrade and Nis, also arrived in Serbia on Wednesday. After the completion of the laboratories, the testing capability of the country will be further increased. Enditem
Australian oil and gas giant Woodside fears a landmark commitment from top oil-producing countries to the deepest production cuts ever negotiated will fall short of what is required to counteract the demand destruction inflicted by coronavirus.

More than a month after the start of a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia sent oil markets crashing to nearly 20-year lows, the two countries and other nations agreed to a truce vowing to slash global oil supply by 10 per cent, almost 10 million barrels a day, to stabilise plunging prices.

Woodside has put LNG projects worth more than $50 billion on hold amid the global coronavirus crisis and oil crash. Credit:Michele Mossop

Woodside chief financial officer Sherry Duhe welcomed the deal as "constructive" but said it's unlikely to ease the dramatic downturn in global oil demand due to the pandemic crippling global commerce and restricting travel.

"The demand destruction is so material right now that it's hard to see how, in the very short term, that it's going to magically fix things," Ms Duhe told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.
China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, the U.S. State Department said in a report on Wednesday that could further fray U.S.-Chinese relations.

The finding may worsen ties already strained after President Donald Trump said the U.S. is investigating the possibility that coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab and was covered up by Beijing.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily briefing in Beijing that China was committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests and said the United States was making false accusations.

The State Department report does not prove that China violated nuclear test ban treaties, but says there is disturbing evidence of secret activity at the remote Lop Nur test site in the western province of Xinjang.

Lop Nur was China's sole nuclear testing site until 1996, when both China and the U.S. signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and vowed to adhere to its terms.

China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, the State Department said

The State Department report does not prove that China violated nuclear test ban treaties, but says there is disturbing evidence of secret activity at the remote Lop Nur test site in the western province of Xinjang

Now, the U.S. State Department says that suspicious activity at the site throughout 2019 raises concerns that Beijing is breaching the treaty's 'zero yield' standard for test blasts.

Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead.

'China's possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities ... raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard,' the report said, without providing evidence of a low-yield test.

Beijing's lack of transparency included blocking data transmissions from sensors linked to a monitoring center operated by the international agency that verifies compliance with a treaty banning nuclear test explosions.

The 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) allows activities designed to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons.

A spokeswoman for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, which verifies compliance with the pact, told the Wall Street Journal there had been no interruptions in data transmissions from China's five sensor stations since the end of August 2019 following an interruption that began in 2018.

File photo taken during a military parade shows China's Dongfeng 21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, capable of traveling more than 1,500 kilometers

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A senior U.S. official said the concerns about China's testing activities buttressed President Donald Trump's case for getting China to join the United States and Russia in talks on an arms control accord to replace the 2010 New START treaty between Washington and Moscow that expires in February.

New START restricted the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads, the lowest level in decades, and limited the land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers that deliver them.

'The pace and manner by which the Chinese government is modernizing its stockpile is worrying, destabilizing, and illustrates why China should be brought into the global arms control framework,' said the senior U.S. official on condition of anonymity.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily briefing in Beijing: 'China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed.

'The U.S. criticism of China is entirely groundless, without foundation, and not worth refuting.'

China, estimated to have about 300 nuclear weapons, has repeatedly rejected Trump's proposal, arguing its nuclear force is defensive and poses no threat.

Chinese Presdient Xi Jinping is seen in a file photo. Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab

Russia, France and Britain - three of the world's five internationally recognized nuclear powers - signed and ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which still requires ratification by 44 countries to become international law.

China and the United States are among eight signatories that have not ratified it. But China has declared its adherence to its terms, while the United States has observed a unilateral testing moratorium since 1992.

It comes after President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab.

After word of the outbreak finally became public, Chinese leaders were quick to blame Wuhan's 'wet market' where wild animals -- though not bats -- are sold for consumption, leading one source to tell Fox News the debacle is the 'costliest government coverup of all time.'

'Patient zero' worked at the Wuhan lab, and spread the virus into the local population after leaving work, sources who had been briefed on intelligence told the outlet.
Akima today announced that its subsidiary, Affigent has added Oracle Cloud Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS) services to its General Services Administration (GSA) MAS Contract under SIN 518210C. The expansion of Affigents GSA schedule (GS-35F-0509S) ensures government agencies have direct access to Oracle hardware and cloud services at the best value.

As an Oracle partner for more than 10 years, we are proud to have helped hundreds of agencies across the federal government and the Department of Defense implement enterprise-class, reliable cloud and database solutions with the flexibility to meet any mission requirement, said Carol Rivetti, President of Affigent. The addition of Oracle Cloud services to our GSA schedule enhances the agility required to meet our customers needsnot only from a technology standpoint, but also through streamlined procurement.

Oracles FedRAMP-compliant cloud services span across SaaS, and IaaSmaking it easier than ever for government agencies to digitally transform legacy mission systems securely, efficiently, and effectively. As one of the leading small business partners with over 300 Oracle technical and sales certifications, Affigent continues to accelerate innovation while reducing complexity for its customers.

Affigent is a strong partner for Oracle, and we are pleased they are now able to offer our portfolio of cloud services on a best-in-class contract vehicle, said Randy Zewe, vice president of Federal Channels at Oracle. From building the next generation of government services to improving command decision-making, we are committed to helping agencies protect their existing investments while continuously improving. Having an experienced partner like Affigent to help facilitate this mission is critical to our success.

For more information about Oracle Cloud services, visit http://www.affigent.com/partners/oracle. To request an immediate quote, please visit http://www.affigent.com/request-a-quote or reach out to Affigent Sales at affigentsales@affigent.com / 866.977.8524.

About Affigent, an Akima Company

In a crowded market, Affigent stands apart as a turnkey IT solutions provider that repeatedly demonstrates the right offerings, technology knowledge, and business process expertise needed by government customers. Affigent takes a holistic approach to delivering solutions, seeking visibility into the interdependencies between y enterprise systems and the business processes that guide your mission. This enables us to identify immediate areas for performance improvement, align technology with business priorities, and build strategic frameworks for long-term growth. Learn more about how Affigent can support your agencys IT needs at http://www.affigent.com.

About Akima

Akima is a global enterprise with more than 7,500 employees, delivering agile solutions to the federal government in the core areas of aviation, construction, facilities and logistics, IT and mission support, protective services and detention management, and systems engineering. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 14,300 Inupiat shareholders, Akimas core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Inupiat values. In 2019, Washington Technology ranked Akima #38 amongst the top 100 government contractors. To learn more about Akima, visit http://www.akima.com.

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracles partner program designed to enable partners to accelerate the transition to cloud and drive superior customer business outcomes. The OPN program allows partners to engage with Oracle through track(s) aligned to how they go to market: Cloud Build for partners that provide products or services built on or integrated with Oracle Cloud; Cloud Sell for partners that resell Oracle Cloud technology; Cloud Service for partners that implement, deploy and manage Oracle Cloud Services; and License & Hardware for partners that do business with Oracle software licenses or hardware products. Customers can expedite their business objectives with OPN partners who have achieved Expertise in a product family or cloud service. To learn more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork.

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16.04.2020 LISTEN

For many Americans, COVID-19 was an illness that people were getting in China. Nothing to worry about here. No one thought we would find ourselves quarantined during a global pandemic just months after the first case hit the media in December of 2019. Most of us thought it would never be a problem in the states.

We thought wrong.

What is it?

It is COVID-19, a strain of Coronavirus. The virus finds its way into your lungs and airways. This highly infectious respiratory disease was found in gravely ill patients in China in December of 2019 and has now become a global pandemic. It has changed everyday life as we know it. The key to staying sane and healthy during this somewhat frightening time in our world is knowing what it is and how it works.

How Does the Virus Spread?

The main source of contamination is believed to be person-to-person contact. This can occur when people are in close contact of less than six feet apart or through droplets that are produced when someone sneezes or coughs. If the droplets are inhaled into the mouth or through the nose of another person who is nearby or inhaled directly into the airway, contamination can occur.

People can be asymptomatic and still carry the virus and spread it. The highest level of contagion is believed to be when people are the most symptomatic, though.

It is possible for a healthy person to touch a surface after someone with COVID-19 has sneezed or coughed into their hand and then touched that surface to become infected. Picture this: youre in line at the grocery store keeping your social distance from the person in front of you. This person sneezes into their hand and then uses the same hand to push buttons on the point-of-sale machine to finish their transaction. Your turn. You slide your card and touch the same spots the person before you touched. Your eye itches, and you instinctively rub it with the same hand you just used to put your pin number in with. Get the picture?

Initially, healthcare workers were only concerned if someone had been travelling. COVID-19 seems to be aggressively community spread, which is why it is vitally important to take strict Coronavirus droplet precautions to protect yourself and others. The spread is easy and sustainable within geographical areas filled with cases who have no idea how or where they became infected.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

Currently there is no vaccine for the COVID-19 virus. The best way to avoid being infected is to avoid exposure. Most of our nation is on stay at home, shelter in place, or quarantine orders from the local government. This is an effort to stop the spread of the disease from person-to-person or surface contact.

People still have to leave their homes, though. Some have jobs that are essential and cannot be done from home. Going out for food or medical supplies will be needed. When going out, remembering to keep a social distance from people around you is critical. This means a six-foot bubble around you. If someone is in your bubble, try to create space between the two of you.

Be sure to wash your hands frequently for at least twenty seconds each time. If you have been in a public place and cannot wash your hands or utilize hand sanitizer, do not touch your face at all (especially your eyes, nose, and mouth).

If a family member is sick, he/she should be in a room away from the rest of the family. Disinfect the surfaces in your home frequently. The surfaces most touched in your home should get the most attention such as:

Doorknobs

Light switches

Tables

Countertops

Handles

Desks

Phones

Keyboards

Refrigerator

Stove

Sinks

Faucets

You can make your own disinfectant by adding 1/3 cup of bleach to a gallon of water. Do not reuse spray bottles that have had other cleaning solutions in them, as chemical mixtures can be caustic. Be sure to crack a window in your home while disinfecting for ventilation.

COVID-19 Symptoms

Globally we have seen COVID-19 cases that ranged from mild in severity to fatal. Some cases only experience a fever and a cough while others are put out ventilators to help them breathe. It is believed that the symptoms of the disease will appear two to fourteen days after exposure. Its important to remember that there are asymptomatic carriers (people who carry the virus but have no symptoms).

The most common symptoms of the illness are:

Fever

Cough

Shortness of breath

Be aware that no list of symptoms can be all inclusive, but you should seek medical attention immediately if:

An abnormal state of confusion sets in

There is painful pressure in the chest that is persistent

The lips or face turn blue

Difficult or painful breathing is an issue

How to get Tested

There are lab tests that can determine if a person has contracted COVID-19. Health departments on the state and local level have received tests dispersed by the CDC. The tests are all Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase (RT)-PCR Diagnostic Panels that provide results within four to six hours.

Everyone does not need to have a test for COVID-19. Many of the people who contract the disease experience mild illness and can recover at home. There is no treatment for COVID-19 as of yet. The CDC has released guidelines as to who should be tested but decisions regarding who is getting tested are at the discretion of health departments at the state and local levels.

If you suspect you may have COVID-19, call your local health department for guidance on where you can go to be tested. Understand that it may be difficult to get tested as soon as you would like, because there are criteria as to who gets tested.

What to do if Youre Sick

If you are showing symptoms of having even a mild flu or cold, stay at home. Do not venture out for any reason other than to seek medical care. If your symptoms become critical, call 911 and alert the dispatcher that you think you may have COVID-19.

If you go to the doctor, you should let them know at the time of the appointment that you have/may have COVID-19. Always wear a face mask when you are around other people. Even within your home, you should isolate yourself from the rest of the family. You should not share dishes or eating utensils as well as linens. Any items that are exposed to the virus should be washed thoroughly immediately.

Enjoy Your Home

This is a frightening time for our nation. We are not accustomed to pandemics and quarantines. Try to make the best of this time. Make a meal you have been meaning to make but havent had the time. Turn on music and dance. Binge watch your favorite television show. Try not to worry. Try not to stress. Take advantage of social media. Play games with your friends. If you find yourself afraid of what is happening, there are telehealth professionals available. Isolation does not mean you have to feel isolated.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

Trend:

Statement of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has been circulated as UN General Assembly and Security Council document, Trend reports.

The statement was sent as an annex to the letter dated 13 April 2020 from the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations Yashar Aliyev addressed to the UN Secretary-General.

I have the honour to transmit herewith a statement by the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan in connection with the recent ceasefire violations committed by the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia (see annex). I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 32 and 37, and of the Security Council, reads the letter.

The statement says that the current escalation in the Line of Contact are again a painful reminder of the consequences of a missing peace and the need to step up the efforts for supporting the peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the recent skirmishes on the frontline once again confirms that Armenia is simply not interested in peace. At a time when the world is facing COVID-19 pandemic and despite the threat posed by it to human lives, Armenia and the occupying regime in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, remaining true to their disposition, continue their illegal and provocative activities even under these circumstances by keeping civilian residents under constant fire, reads the statement.

The document says that starting from April 2020, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia use high-calibre machine guns against civilian residents of the Gazakh region of Azerbaijan.

We are very concerned about Armenian military activities which threaten Azerbaijani civilians residing near the frontline. All these actions are directed against the statement of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, who called to raise the voices for peace and to silence the guns! Unfortunately, the war unleashed against Azerbaijan by Armenia devastated all our livelihoods. We, the Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, have expressed many times our readiness for the peaceful coexistence with Armenians. We all stand for peace and cooperation which exclude occupation and ethnic cleansing and we demand the Armenian leadership to implement the UN Security Council resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993) adopted in this regard, reads the statement.
Simon the Fiddler

By Paulette Jiles

William Morrow. 341 pp. $27.99

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Science fiction and fantasy are soaring higher, and romance is hotter, but the sun has never set on the American western. The dusty genre that Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour once rode up the bestseller list is still kickin'. You may not find a "Western" section in your local bookstore anymore, but you can still spy plenty of books grounded in that old territory. In the frightening complexity of the early 21st century, those tales of cowboys and gunslingers, settlers and outlaws offer an irresistible escape - and sometimes a profound examination of our past.

While the canon once felt predominantly male, it has long since opened up to include a number of talented female writers such as Sandra Dallas, Mary Doria Russell and Molly Gloss. In March, the annual Spur Award for best western novel went to "Cherokee America," by Margaret Verble, an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Last year, one of my favorite books was "Inland," a fantastic American western by Serbian American writer Tea Obreht. And this month brings an endearing new western by Paulette Jiles titled "Simon the Fiddler."

I've been reading Jiles's work for almost 20 years, since she published "Enemy Women," her first novel about the Civil War. As an accomplished poet and thoughtful historian, she brings to light the lives of folks swept up in that awful conflict. Two years ago, she wrote a novel titled "News of the World" about Captain Kidd, a veteran of the War Between the States who returns a 10-year-old girl to her relations in San Antonio. "News of the World" was a finalist for a National Book Award and was named one of the 10 best books of 2016 by The Washington Post.

Jiles's new novel takes place about five years earlier, as the Civil War is winding down. Although a slightly younger Captain Kidd makes a cameo appearance, "Simon the Fiddler" is not so much a prequel to "News of the World" as a companion to it.

Our hero, Simon Boudlin, is a spunky, redheaded musician who has managed to avoid fighting in the war because he can pass for a 15-year-old boy. Also, people love to hear him play so much that they're inclined to protect him, even hide him - a reminder of what a cherished place musicians once held before the advent of recorded music. "His repertoire seemed to be without end," Jiles writes. "He had a bottomless supply of waltzes, jigs, reels, hornpipes, and slow airs. Some of the slow airs could bring men and women to a standstill, their eyes brimming with tears for a remembered love or a certain long-lost valley at twilight or another country without war, taken by emotions of loss and exile for which they had no words."

But Simon is no weepy sentimentalist. He's a little bulldog of a man with a quick temper. "People often badly misjudged him," Jiles warns. Saloon drunks disrespect Simon at their peril. Orphaned early and far from home, he protects his beloved fiddle with his life. "It was all he had against a chaotic world," Jiles writes, "and the mindlessness of a losing war, against corruption, thievery, cowardice, incompetence, cactus, gunsmoke, and hominy."

"Cactus, gunsmoke, and hominy" - that's essentially the chorus of this romantic western, which is sweeter than Jiles's previous work but no less attentive to the texture of the American Southwest. She re-creates Texas when it was a sad, ruined place, struggling to rise under the weight of martial law. Everything is contested and anarchic. In the great rush for land and profit, rules are determined by bluster and violence.

Early in the novel, in the aftermath of the Confederate surrender, Simon and his makeshift band are forced to play at a military dinner. There, Simon spots Doris, a pretty Irish nanny waiting on an officer's family. It's a moment of pure unabashed Romeo-and-Juliet love at first sight. Simon should be going over the music he's about to play, but "he instantly abandoned all thoughts of key changes," Jiles writes. Doris "filled his entire vision with her pale round face." Simon knows nothing about this young woman except that she's the only woman for him, the fulfillment of his dream to own a little land and start a family.

There are, of course, obstacles: Simon has no money, and his beloved is indentured to an abusive officer with designs on her virtue. But such challenges are what make the pursuit worthwhile. After all, this is a chivalric quest with spurs. "Simon was having heroic thoughts. Rescuer's thoughts. Savage thoughts," Jiles writes. "Whatever Simon determined on, he would not quit until he had it or was dead or incapacitated." When he discovers that the object of his affections is also "brave and conniving," he's convinced - and so are we - that theirs is a match made in heaven.

I won't give anything away, but if you understand how a romantic quest works, you know the conclusion is already locked and loaded. And if the plot of "Simon the Fiddler" unfolds at a fairly leisurely trot, well, at least it's never anything less than thoroughly charming. And when the final battle royal arrives in San Antonio, it's just the rousing ballad we want to hear.

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Charles writes about books for The Washington Post and hosts TotallyHipVideoBookReview.com.
Identity and access management in 2022 - what will the future look like?

As we enter into 2022, there is still a level of uncertainty in place. Its unclear what the future holds, as companies around the world still contend with the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote working has been encouraged by most organisations and the move to a hybrid working system has become business as usual, for the majority of businesses. Some have reduced their office space or done away with their locations altogether. Following best security practices With all this change in place, there are problems to deal with. According to research, 32.7% of IT admins say they are concerned about employees using unsecured networks to carry out that work. Alongside this, 74% of IT admins thought that remote work makes it harder for employees to follow best security practices. This need to manage security around remote work is no longer temporary. Instead, companies have to build permanent strategies around remote work and security. The coming year will also create a different landscape for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Here are some key predictions for next year and what to start preparing for in 2022: The reality of SMB spending around security will hit home SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working, especially in comparison to their size. They had to undertake significant digital transformation projects that made it possible to deliver services remotely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve seen a shift in mindset for these companies, which are now more tech-focused in their approach to problem solving. According to our research, 45% of SMBs plan to increase their spending towards IT services in 2022. Around half of all organisations think their IT budgets are adequate for their needs, while 14.5% of those surveyed believe they will need more, to cover all that needs to be done. Identity management spending to support remote work For others, the COVID-19 pandemic led to over-spending, just to get ahead of things and they will spend in 2022, looking at what they should keep and what they can reduce their spending on. Areas like identity management will stay in place, as companies struggle to support remote work and security, without this in place. However, on-premise IT spending will be reduced or cut, as those solutions are not relevant for the new work model. Services that rely on on-premise IT will be cut or replaced. The device will lead the way for security We rely on our phones to work and to communicate. In 2022, they will become central to how we manage access, to all our assets and locations, IT and physical. When employees can use company devices and their own phones for work, security is more difficult. IT teams have to ensure that theyre prepared for this, by making sure that these devices can be trusted. Wide use of digital certificates and strong MFA factors Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication There are multiple ways that companies can achieve this, for example - By using digital certificates to identify company devices as trusted, an agent, or strong MFA factors, like a FIDO security key or mobile push authentication. Whichever approach you choose, this can prevent unauthorised access to IT assets and applications, and these same devices can be used for authentication into physical locations too. Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication. Understanding human behaviour Alongside this, it is important to understand human behaviour. Anything that introduces an extra step for authentication can lead to employees taking workarounds. To stop this, it is important to put an employee education process in place, in order to emphasize on the importance of security. The next step is to think about adopting passwordless security, to further reduce friction and increase adoption. Lastly, as devices become the starting point for security and trust, remote device management will be needed too. More companies will need to manage devices remotely, from wiping an asset remotely if it gets lost or stolen, through to de-provisioning users easily and removing their access rights, when they leave the company. Identity will be a layer cake Zero Trust approaches to security Identity management relies on being able to trust that someone is who they say they are. Zero Trust approaches to security can support this effectively, particularly when aligned with least privilege access models. In order to turn theory into practical easy-to-deploy steps, companies need to use contextual access, as part of their identity management strategy. This involves looking at the context that employees will work in and putting together the right management approach for those circumstances. For typical employee behaviour, using two factor authentication might be enough to help them work, without security getting in the way. How enterprises manage, access and store identity data There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time For areas where security is more important, additional security policies can be put over the top, to ensure that only the right people have access. A step-up in authentication can be added, based on the sensitivity of resources or risk-based adaptive authentication policies might be needed. There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time, so that it aligns more closely with those use cases. Identity management critical to secure assets in 2022 There are bigger conversations taking place around digital identity for citizenship, as more services move online as well. Any moves that take place in this arena will affect how businesses think about their identity management processes too, encouraging them to look at their requirements in more detail. Overall, 2022 will be the year when identity will be critical to how companies keep their assets secure and their employees productive. With employees working remotely and businesses becoming decentralised, identity strategies will have to take the same approach. This will put the emphasis on strong identity management as the starting point for all security planning.
CHONGQING, China, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle Industry Service Summit was held in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area on March 25, according to Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee. Topics including new business forms of digital economy were discussed by local governments, enterprises and industrial organizations through online exchanges. Following the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development Region, the Yangtze River Delta Integration, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle has become another important regional development strategy of China. With the national central cities Chongqing and Chengdu as the core area, China plans to develop an significant growth pole in its western region based on the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

As the first national development and opening-up new area in inland China, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area witnesses its tenth anniversary of establishment in 2020 and the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle initiative is also a new opportunity for the new area. This year, it will coordinate the COVID-19 prevention and control as well as economic and social development to minimize the impact of the pandemic with a high standard of openness. Liangjiang New Area has now seen a full resumption of production in the enterprises above designated size and foreign companies. Some enterprises resisted the downward trend through industrialization and clustering development, which reduced the cost of supporting system and logistics, and maintained flexibility in industrial chain and supply chain.

As an important global automobile manufacturing base, Chongqing's automobile industry has witnessed its milestone in high-end, high-quality and high-tech development. The All-New Lincoln Corsair was recently rolled from the assembly line in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, marking the very first time of Lincoln manufacturing outside Northern America. Chen Anning, vice president of Ford Motor Company Group and president and CEO of Ford Motor (China) Co., Ltd., expressed his firm determination on the Lincoln brands to further explore Chinese market.

At present, there are eight vehicle manufacturers and hundreds of core components enterprises in Liangjiang New Area, forming a massive and complex industrial chain. The resumption of the industrial and supply chain spearheading by the major enterprises helps accelerate automobile production capacity in Liangjiang New Area. In the meantime, enormous opportunities have emerge from the the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle initiative promoted by the central government. As an opening-up window to Chongqing and western China, Liangjiang New Area has seen continuous optimization in the international business environment and has become an important destination for overseas investment in western China.

From the recently released third-party evaluation of China Demonstration Base for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2019, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area ranked the first among all 14 regional new areas across China. Liangjiang New Area provides preferential industrial policies for settled enterprises, including tax exemption, property coordination and talent recruitment along with a number of innovative policies covering the entire process from start-up to listing. In the future, Liangjiang New Area will focus on building an open portal of inland China through optimized business environment, high-quality and efficient services so as to become a vital global investment destination.

For more information, please visit the official website: http://www.liangjiang.gov.cn.

SOURCE Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee

Related Links

http://www.liangjiang.gov.cn


Egypt reported its highest daily increase in coronavirus cases yet on Thursday at 168 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,673, the health ministry said.

The death toll now stands at 196, with 13 new fatalities on Thursday, the ministry added.

Forty-three patients have fully recovered and left isolation hospitals and quarantine facilities on Thursday, which brings the total number of recoveries from the virus thus far to 596.

The number of cases who have retested negative, including those who have fully recovered, has now reached 781, ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said.

All the new cases are Egyptians. They were detected through the ministrys investigation and contact tracing protocols, Megahed added.

Hala Zayed, the minister of health, held a meeting on Thursday via video conference with the administrative and medical staff of six isolation hospitals to ensure that all their needs are being met and that treatment and infection control standards are followed.

The minister also thanked the Chinese government and people for sending to Egypt a shipment of medical supplies, which arrived on Thursday. She stressed the strength of relations between the two countries.

The shipment included four tonnes of medical protective supplies, including 20,000 N95 respirator masks, 10,000 protective gowns and 10,000 PCR testing kits, the ministry said.

Zayed praised the precautions taken by China to contain the pandemic as per the World Health Organization's guidelines.

She also hailed the efforts exerted by the Chinese side to increase the production capacity of a Cairo mask plant, which operates under an Egyptian-Chinese partnership.

The plant is expected to install five additional production lines, each with a capacity of 100,000 masks per day, the minister added.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  The Department of Health is studying the use of rapid antibody test kits as a "clearance mechanism" for COVID-19 patients, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said on Thursday.

Pinag-aaralan ngayon ng DOH kunyare kung pasyente ka, tapos tini-treat ka sa hospital tapos gumaling ka na  hindi ka na magpa-swab, gamitin nalang ang rapid test, task force spokesperson Karlo Nograles said in a televised briefing.

[Translation: The DOH is studying whether recovering patients could be tested using the rapid test. Instead of swab tests, a rapid test could be administered.]

Nograles said if the rapid test becomes the "clearance mechanism" for patients with COVID-19, it could go a long way in removing the backlog of coronavirus tests in laboratories.

Under the current protocol, trained professionals swab the nose and the throat of COVID-19 patients to extract sputum. This is to find out whether they no longer have the coronavirus. Once their repeat test yields a negative result, they will be allowed to go home.

The Department of Health does not recommend the use of the rapid test kit, a controversial diagnostic tool used by other countries to slow the spread of the viral disease.

DOH and local infectious disease experts support the use of the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or rRT-PCR test, as it gives a definitive diagnosis. But while it is the gold standard test," it takes longer to process than a rapid test.

The advise against rapid testing has been met with criticisms from the public, saying health officials lack the sense of urgency amid a worsening health crisis.

President Rodrigo Duterte himself was getting impatient over the slow response of some departments to the pandemic, his spokesperson said on Thursday.

Ang patunay nga dito ay ang desisyon niya na siya na nga ang mag-authorize ng pagbili ng rapid test kits dahil nababagalan siya sa aksyon ng mga bureaucrats, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

[The proof of this is his decision to authorize the procurement of rapid test kits because he finds the actions of some bureaucrats too slow.]

Duterte on Monday said he ordered the purchase of rapid test kits despite the product still lacking approval from the countrys Food and Drug Administration.

The Food and Drug Administration earlier warned against the use of rapid test kits. But due to the rising need for increased testing to determine the spread of the virus, the FDA has given the green light to several brands of rapid antibody test kits for commercial use.

Nograles said the DOH is currently crafting the guidelines for clinicians on how to use the rapid test kit and interpret its results.
The Alabama League of Municipalities is considering the possibility of seeking a postponement of elections scheduled for most cities and towns across the state this August because of the coronavirus pandemic.

State law says regular municipal elections are held on the fourth Tuesday in August every four years beginning in 1984, making this the election year for most municipalities. Runoffs, if necessary, are held six weeks later.

Most of the states largest cities are exceptions, though, and are not scheduled to have elections this year. Those include Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Auburn.

Kayla Bass, public affairs associate for the League of Municipalities, said the leagues executive committee would make a decision Thursday about whether to seek postponement of this years elections for other cities and towns.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey postponed the states primary runoff election from March 31 to July 14 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This story was corrected at 8:02 a.m. on April 16 to remove some cities from the list not having elections this year.
This is a notorious disease that has no respect of person  geographically, by race, economically, said McQuinn, a delegate since 2009 and former member of the Richmond City Council. Lets take this thing seriously. We have an obligation to protect our friends and our community.

COVID-19 already has cost the lives of several members of her extended family, former classmates and longtime friends, including Bishop Gerald Glenn, a politically active minister and former state director of juvenile justice who died of complications from the disease on Saturday.

For McQuinn, the hardest part of the experience was witnessing the suffering of her daughter, who had the disease first and worst. Theres nothing you can do but pray, she said tearfully. Its just painful.

The family ordeal began a week after the General Assembly adjourned its extended 65-day session on March 12. Daytriel came home from work feeling ill with symptoms that immediately alarmed her mother, who contacted the Virginia Department of Health.
He was complaining about something related to the D.C. government, and I looked to see what the city had done about it, said his son, Wayne Thomas, who was born and raised in the District and now lives in Southern Maryland. He wasnt fully aware because he was locked out of that digital dialogue.
Korea takes lead in global fight against pandemic



Korea exported 600,000 coronavirus test kits to the United States, Tuesday. The shipment followed a phone call between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump, March 24, during which Trump requested Korea's assistance with medical supplies. Afterward, two Korean firms signed contracts with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to export their test kits upon winning interim approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.



There had been cases of Korean makers supplying small numbers of test kits to some areas of the U.S. However, it was the first large-scale orders placed by a U.S. federal agency. America is the world's largest pharmaceutical market, and gaining FDA approval is quite difficult. The U.S. regulator's preliminary go-ahead to the Korean-made test kits is significant in itself.



The export of the diagnostic kits is also likely to exert some influence on how Koreans and Americans perceive the relationship between their two countries. Although Korea's national power has grown, many Koreans still regard the bilateral relationship as a vertical one, in which the U.S. unilaterally helps and protects Korea. Now that Korea has come to the aid of the U.S., it remains to be seen how many will rethink the relationship as a horizontal one.



As the Korean model for fighting COVID-19 receives favorable comments from the international community, an increasing number of countries are asking for help. So far, Korea has exported about 7.7 million diagnostic kits. Unlike the case of coping with external military threats based on "confrontation and conflicts," international healthcare cooperation should start from a structure of "collaboration and coexistence."



The leaders of ASEAN and three Northeast Asian countries  South Korea, China and Japan  held a special video summit Tuesday and discussed how they would cooperate to contain COVID-19. In a statement, President Moon said, "Korea will secure an additional budget for humanitarian aid, and will offer maximum cooperation to requests for help from ASEAN and other countries as much as the nation can afford." This is time for East Asian nations to establish a joint response system for infectious diseases based on the awareness that if one country is unhealthy, there will be repercussions on the health of the others.




A New York father had to watch the birth of his first child over FaceTime after coming down with COVID-19 symptoms.

Jack Hedges, 39, of Bedford, New York, had been experiencing symptoms like high fever for a week, but had been unable to get a test before his wife Valeri's water broke  a whole month ahead of her due date.

Good Morning America reports that Valeri drove herself to the hospital alone, where doctors placed a FaceTime call so Jack could watch his daughter Adrienne's birth from a safe distance.

Staying safe: Jack Hedges of Bedford, New York, stayed home while his wife Valeri gave birth to their daughter Adrienne because he was awaiting COVID-19 test results

Tuning in: Doctors FaceTimed the new dad so he could witness the birth of his daughter

Jack started showing symptoms on March 27, including a fever  but no respiratory distress. He was 'bedridden' for three days, with a fever peaking at 103.5 degrees. He said it was the 'sickest' he's ever been.

He tried unsuccessfully for days to get an appointment, but wasn't able to schedule one until April 4.

That day, his wife's water broke. She wasn't due until May 5.

'Here we are a month early, I'm still sick and I can't go to the hospital with her,' Jack said. 'There were moments of immediate panic.'

Valeri, 39, went to the hospital alone, where she tested negative for coronavirus.

Jumping the gun: Valeri went into labor a month before her due date  the same day Jack finally managed to get a coronavirus test

Twist: Just two hours after Adrienne was born, Jack got his test results back. He tested negative for coronavirus

The next day, April 5, doctors FaceTimed Jack while Valerie was in active labor.

'I could see a little bit of my wife and doctors moving around and they kept telling her, "Push! Push!" he said. 'I was [also] encouraging her. It was a joyous, but surreal experience.

In an unexpected twist, just two hours after Adrienne was born, Jack got his test results back. He tested negative for coronavirus.

Jack said that if he didn't have COVID-19, he must have had the flu  or else, he figures, the virus was already out of his system by the time he got tested.

Love at first sight: Because Jack was able to provide his negative test results, he was allowed to come to the hospital to visit his daughter. He, Valerie, and Adrienne are now home

'I'm terrified there's worse out there than what I had because what I had was brutal,' he said.

While he said he's 'disappointed' that he couldn't support Valeri in-person and she had to go through it alone, both still feel confident they made the right decision.

Valerie added that she is 'so grateful' for the nurses and staff at Northern Westchester Hospital for helping her through.

And because Jack was able to provide his negative test results, he was allowed to come to the hospital to visit his daughter. He, Valerie, and Adrienne are now home.
UK arms giant sold 15bn in weapons to Saudi Arabia during Yemen war: Report

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 6:54 AM

Britain's leading arms manufacturer is found to have sold above 15 billion ($18.9) worth of arms to Saudi Arabia since the kingdom started a brutal war against Yemen, the Arab world's most impoverished nation.

The Guardian carried a news article on Tuesday, citing data obtained from the BAE (British Aerospace) Systems' most recent annual report that has also been newly analyzed by Britain's Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT).

The sum includes 2.5 billion in revenues that the company received from Saudi arms sales in 2019.

The sales came despite a ruling by Britain's Court of Appeal in June last year that all British arms exports that could be used against Yemen were to be halted.

Andrew Smith of the CAAT, meanwhile, said, "The last five years have seen a brutal humanitarian crisis for the people of Yemen, but for BAE it's been business as usual. The war has only been possible because of arms companies and complicit governments willing to support it."

The data further showed that the true value of the UK's arms sales to Saudi Arabia is far greater than the 5.3bn total value of the country's export licenses since March 2015, when Riyadh and a coalition of its allies launched the military campaign.

The gap has been due to the fact that arms have also been sold to the Saudi kingdom under open licenses, which authorize the sales without recording the cost under the official export total.

"These figures expose the cozy relationship between the Saudi regime and BAE. But they also imply that the value of UK arms sales is far greater than government figures show," Smith added.

Riyadh is BAE's third biggest buyer. The company maintains and supplies Tornado warplanes to the kingdom and provides "operational capability" to its Air Force and Navy.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have been staging indiscriminate attacks against Yemen since March 2015 to put the country's former Saudi-allied officials back in the saddle.

The war  which has the support of the UK, the US and other Western states  has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and rendered at least 80 percent of Yemen's 28-million-strong population dependent on aid for survival.

The UK government has been under fire for keeping up arms sales to the Saudi regime despite widespread reports that the weapons are being used against Yemeni civilians and non-military infrastructure.

Last week, the invaders claimed they were halting military operations in support of United Nations peace efforts and to avoid further spread of the new coronavirus in Yemen.

The Yemeni army, however, reported days afterwards that it had been forced to repel several Saudi-led assaults on various fronts in just one day.

The Houthi Ansarullah movement  which runs Yemen and leads its armed forces  said the Western-backed coalition had even ramped up its acts of aggression since announcing the so-called truce.

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For investors with a long-term horizon, examining earnings trend over time and against industry peers is more insightful than looking at an earnings announcement in one point in time. Investors may find my commentary, albeit very high-level and brief, on Haitian International Holdings Limited (SEHK:1882) useful as an attempt to give more color around how Haitian International Holdings is currently performing.

Check out our latest analysis for Haitian International Holdings

Was 1882 weak performance lately part of a long-term decline?

1882's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2019) of CN1.8b has declined by -8.7% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 8.2%, indicating the rate at which 1882 is growing has slowed down. Why could this be happening? Let's examine what's going on with margins and whether the rest of the industry is experiencing the hit as well.

SEHK:1882 Income Statement April 15th 2020

In terms of returns from investment, Haitian International Holdings has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 13% instead. However, its return on assets (ROA) of 7.9% exceeds the HK Machinery industry of 4.9%, indicating Haitian International Holdings has used its assets more efficiently. Though, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Haitian International Holdingss debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 17% to 14%.

What does this mean?

Though Haitian International Holdings's past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. Companies that are profitable, but have unpredictable earnings, can have many factors impacting its business. I recommend you continue to research Haitian International Holdings to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 1882s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 1882s outlook. Financial Health: Are 1882s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2019. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Last Saturday, my best friend called and I let it go to voice mail. Sorry, I texted. Rescuing a lady in Caracas. Then I went back to Googling how to escape police handcuffs.

The closure of theaters, into June at least, has meant a surge in the availability of filmed performances and live readings. I have moused and clicked through a few, mostly ones I could watch without covering the screen whenever the children walked by. In all but the best filmed theater, a sense of something missing  evanescence, a snack bar  persists. And these days, with my focus as finely honed as the blob of Play-Doh stuck to our carpet, I look at the screen, I look away. Someone demands milk with a curly straw or needs place value explained. I give up.

But two weeks ago, I received an email from Candle House Collective, a theater company specializing in remote immersive experiences. I have always liked immersive theater  a form of performance, usually but not always site-specific, in which audiences participate, to lesser and greater degrees. This is probably because Im the kind of person always waving her hand when a magician asks for a volunteer. And because when I participate actively, my mind seldom drifts toward unfolded laundry and pandemics.

So I wrote to Candle House and requested the deluxe Leap of Faith package. After the company sent an email clarifying that the encounters feature intense/disturbing content, I tried, not quite hard enough, to downgrade. By scrolling through my inbox and a guide to remote and online experiences, aggregated by the site No Proscenium, I discovered other companies offering milder encounters. I booked five. At best, this would mean an all-inclusive vacation for my neocortex. At worst, a break from what I like to call Mommys Disaster Montessori, accreditation pending.
Its unclear whether the same opposition will arise in other countries as they try to pivot from more than a month of restrictive measures aimed at slowing the pandemics spread. Officials are weighing the negatives of distance learning, which can exacerbate inequality, and the reality that many parents wont be able to return to work if their children are still home  a point that Denmarks prime minister specifically noted Wednesday in a surprise visit to a school here.
Syria's close ally Russia clashed with European nations in the UN Security Council on Wednesday over a report from the global chemical weapons watchdog blaming the Syrian air force for a series of attacks using sarin and chlorine on a rebel-held town in 2017.

Moscow dismissed it as baseless and the Europeans demanded accountability for the government's action.

An investigative team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a 82-page report issued April 8 that the Syrian air force dropped bombs containing either chlorine or sarin on a hospital and open farmland in the central town of Latamneh, injuring over 70 people and killing at least three a surgeon and two others.

The exchanges between Russia and the Europeans took place at the monthly meeting on Syria's chemical weapons, which was closed. Russia, Germany, Britain and Estonia distributed the statements of their ambassadors.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said U.N. disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitusu briefed the council, including on the findings of the OPCW report, and stressed that they were deeply distressing.

Dujarric said Nakamitsu reiterated Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' position that the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, is intolerable and impunity for their use is equally unacceptable. It is imperative to identify and hold accountable all those who have used chemical weapons. But Syria was not named.

The investigative team concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe the perpetrators in Latamneh of the use of sarin on March 24 and 30, and chlorine on March 25, 2017, were part of the Syrian Arab Air Force, OPCW coordinator Santiago Oate-Laborde said.

When the report came out, a Syrian Foreign Ministry official, quoted on state media, said Syria condemns in the strongest terms what was stated in the report, and categorically denies that it used toxic gases in the town of Latamneh or in any other Syrian city or village.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council that all of Syria's chemical weapons were destroyed and accused the OPCW experts of echoing baseless accusations by some unnamed countries, biases, and preparing a report without even the slightest traces of due diligence. Syrian authorities repeatedly refused to cooperate with the investigation, the report said.

The investigation included interviews with witnesses, analyses of samples taken from the sites of the attacks, as well as review of symptoms reported by those affected and medical staff, along with examination of imagery, including satellite images.

Germany's deputy U.N. ambassador Jurgen Schulz told the council: Accountability is essential and impunity for these heinous crimes is not an option. Responding to Russia without naming it, he said, Now is definitely not the time to repeat old and invent new, unsubstantiated claims to undermine the OPCW's legitimacy, or the professionalism, objectivity, impartiality and independence of its technical experts.

Estonia's U.N. Ambassador Sven Jrgenson supported the report's findings, condemned the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, and said those responsible must be held accountable.

Without accountability, the atrocities will continue, if not by the Syrian regime, then by others emboldened by the ability to use these horrendous weapons to hold onto power, Jurgenson said. We, therefore, call on the states parties of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Security Council to act decisively and in a united manner to respond to the findings of this report.

Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador Jonathan Allen said the OPCW's investigation adds to the evidence of two previous U.N.-mandated investigations that found the Syrian government responsible for using chemical weapons against its own people on at least four occasions.

Allen said he took note of the Russian ambassador's statement but the problem is, one cannot just assert what one wants to be true in the face of evidence, which may well be inconvenient evidence to the contrary.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A salsa dance teacher has unwittingly become the face of the coronavirus pandemic after his stock picture was used to illustrate several articles about isolation.

Jeremy Tang, from Sydney, was surprised when his image was used to illustrate a man in self-isolation by a bank and several news websites.

The 26-year-old agreed to take part in a stock photoshoot two years ago while he was living in Serbia to make some extra cash.

He was offered 100 euros, which at the time was an entire month's rent so he took the opportunity.

'The photographer wanted to add some diversity as there are not that many Asians or Africans in Serbia,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I was broke at the time and was nearing the end of my trip and 100 euros is like a month's worth of rent in Serbia.'

One of the original images of Jeremy Tang shows him on the couch playing on the phone with a dog nuzzling his ear

The second original photo of Mr Tang shows him looking exasperated with a laptop open near him

He said he's always wanted to do some modelling as a hobby and took the photographer up on her offer.

'I really enjoy it - it was just something I've always wanted to do and I think it was a good opportunity.

'I don't regret it at all it was super fun.'

The two images that went viral show Mr Tang on the couch playing with his phone with a dog next to him.

The other image shows an exasperated Mr Tang, leaning his head on his hand with a laptop open nearby.

Two years on, Mr Tang has been surprised to find himself illustrating articles about the coronavirus.

Mr Tang was shocked to find his photos used for coronavirus advertising in Australia (Pictured - ANZ coronavirus ad)

The dance teacher was shocked to find his face was used for coronavirus advertising

A college used Mr Tang's photos to promote free courses for students

Appearing in coronavirus advertising from ANZ and Domain in Australia, as well as one in Canada.

SBS Spain has also used his image for an article, and a university in France used it for educational purposes.

From the beginning it bothered Mr Tang to be the face behind coronavirus advertising without his permission, but he soon got over it.

'It was just a phase of two days like this was getting annoying but now I'm laughing every time it comes up,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Posting one image of himself featuring in a coronavirus advert he wrote: 'Why don't they use a non Asian guy or girl for the coronavirus advertising?'

Mr Tang said he would not waste his time responding to any racist comments as he is proud of his heritage.

'If they're ignorant I'm not going to waste my time and energy on them to explain and carry on with my life.'

Mr Tang hopes to build up a profile and pick up a few modelling gigs once everything settles down.

He said he will use all the advertising materials in his portfolio and show them that, 'look hey I was on Domain, ANZ and SBS'.
Several regions of Spain are refusing to accept the central governments plan to give a universal passing grade to non-university students as a result of the difficulties some are facing due to coronavirus-related school closures.

Although Education Minister Isabel Celaa, of the Socialist Party (PSOE), believed she had secured a general consensus on Wednesday at her meeting with regional authorities, the agreement did not last long.

According to four sources who were present at the Wednesday meeting, the overall feeling was that everyone, save perhaps for the Basque Country, accepted the conclusions of the ministrys document. But that all changed on Thursday, when several regions raised serious objections.

Madrid, Andalusia, Castilla y Leon and the Basque Country said that they will not be implementing the document as they disagree with at least two of its items. Murcia said it does not support the document either, but that it will nevertheless comply with the Education Ministrys decision to give most students a universal pass. Catalonia has not yet revealed its plans, but said that it is working on its own decree.

The lack of general agreement paves the way for significant grading differences across Spains regions

Despite the rejection, the Education Ministry is still planning to approve the order, which will only apply to the regions that endorse the document, said ministry sources.

The lack of general agreement paves the way for significant grading differences across Spains regions, affecting not just whether students get held back a year, but also their chances of taking their university entrance examinations.

Leticia Cardenal, president of the parent confederation Ceapa, said that the new scenario represents a great injustice, and that the government should use its powers under the state of alarm to force all regions to comply with the plan. The government could have used a decree to frame its education plans, but even this would require congressional approval, and the PSOE-Unidas Podemos coalition is far from having the required majority to push initiatives through without support.

Spanish children have been confined to their homes for more than a month due to the coronavirus pandemic, and schools have been scrambling to roll out virtual teaching tools and online classes with varying degrees of success. Not all schools have the same resources, and educators have expressed concern that students in families with no access to technology could be left behind.

Source of disagreement

The first source of discord is the universal passing score for students, which in effect means that most of them would automatically move on to the next grade with very few exceptions. There is also disagreement over the plan to award graduation diplomas to last-year students of compulsory secondary school and first-year students of Bachillerato (the post-16 stage of education) even if these students have failed some of their subjects.

Some regional authorities feel that the Education Ministry should set a specific number of failed subjects that would still allow these students to move on to the next stage of education, rather than leave that number up to the regions, which could lead to inequalities.

Meanwhile, officials in the Basque Country hold the opposite view and say the ministry should not be setting common rules for everyone, because it encroaches on the regions powers over education. Basque officials added that they are working on their own plan to deal with the educational effects of the coronavirus crisis, and that they emphatically reject the ministrys document.

The government's proposal includes plans to open schools in July for voluntary review classes. Eduardo Parra (Europa Press)

We owe our allegiance to our own education community, and that is our working framework, said the regional education chief, Cristina Uriarte. Weve been working for a long time on defining the essential curriculum content between now and the end of the academic year. Were also working on the evaluations, and on the criteria and tools to carry out these evaluations.

The northwestern region of Galicia on Thursday said it will apply the guidelines out of institutional loyalty but noted that it disagrees with the universal pass for students. All of these regions, except for the Basque Country, are governed by the Popular Party (PP).

We cannot share the proposal, said the Madrid regional government in a release, noting that it would mean that some students could graduate despite having failed several subjects.

Madrid officials said that they will continue to follow Spains national education law, LOMCE, which states that first-year Bachillerato students can only move on to the second year with a maximum of two failed subjects, and that second-years can only graduate and take their university exams if they have passed all their subjects.

Murcia authorities also requested more information about the financial aspects of the voluntary review courses planned for the summer, as proposed by the ministry on Wednesday.

English version by Susana Urra.
Generational Equity Advises Excel Fabrication in its Sale to Alpine 4 Technologies

Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of its client, Excel Fabrication to Alpine 4 Technologies Ltd. The acquisition closed February 21, 2020 and details were not disclosed.

Located in Twin (News - Alert) Falls, Idaho, Excel Fabrication fabricates and installs sanitary process piping, steam, condensate return, air, mechanical, and utility lines as well as waste water systems. The Company also provides welding fabrication of sheet metal items, from 26 gauge to 1/2" inch thick stainless steel and maintains an ASME R-Stamp and U-Stamp certification for pressure vessels and pressure piping. Excel Fabrication also performs field work such as maintenance support, shutdown work, turnarounds, millwright work for equipment removal and installations, project management, and general contracting.

Alpine 4 Technologies (Alpine), located in Phoenix, Arizona, is a publicly traded enterprise with business related endeavors in, software, automotive technologies, electronics manufacturing, and energy services & fabrication technologies. However Alpine 4's acquisition model is industry agnostic and is based around their driver, stabilizer, and facilitator business model.

Four principles are at the core of Alpine's business: Synergy (News - Alert), innovation, drive, and excellence. Alpine believes that synergistic innovation drives excellence. By anchoring these words to their combined experience and capabilities, they are able to aggressively pursue opportunities withinand across vertical markets.







Generational Equity Executive Managing Director of M&A - Western Region, Stephen Crisham, with support from Managing Director Mergers & Acquisition, Mike Meredith, successfully closed the deal. Senior Managing Director James Carr established the initial relationship with Excel Fabrication.

"Excel Fabrication performs high-quality work and will be an excellent addition to Alpine 4's portfolio of companies," said Meredith.

About Generational Equity

Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, and DealForce are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America.

With over 250 professionals located throughout North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing merger, acquisition, and wealth management services. Their five-step approach features exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, M&A transactional services, and wealth management.

The M&A Advisor named the company the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Investment Banking Firm of the Year. For more information, visit https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005218/en/
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Gusty winds during the evening. Low 27F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Gusty winds during the evening. Low 27F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Addressing an online conference hosted by the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York on April 14 to discuss a report on the UN Mission overseeing the realisation of the peace agreement in Colombia, the diplomat suggested armed groups adopt a long-term ceasefire towards a conflict-free Colombia, for peace and development.

He expressed support for the priorities of the UN Secretary General identified in the report, as well as for the efforts made by the UN mission in Colombia to supervise the implementation of the agreement.

Participants from UNSC member nations praised the efforts and support measures taken to contain the COVID-19 outbreak as well as the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia.
by John Dotson

Communist Party leaders fear incidents similar to those that broke out on the border between Hubei and Jiangxi. While fighting the pandemic, law enforcement agencies must be loyal to the regime. The cases in Inner Mongolia, Henan and Sichuan. "Social stability" is the fundamental concern for the CCP.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - When citizens of Hubei, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, clashed with the inhabitants of neighboring Jiangxi, the police from the two provinces joined the fight. Chinese leaders fear that these incidents may recur, threatening social stability in the country, their main concern. To avoid new unrest, Beijing has launched a political indoctrination campaign for police, seen as the frontline of defense against possible riots related to the pandemic crisis. The analysis by John Dotson, journalist and editor in chief of China Brief. Courtesy of the Jamestown Foundation.

Introduction: A Riot on the Border of Epidemic-Wracked Hubei Province

The central Chinese city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province, was the original epicenter from which the COVID-19 viral outbreak first emerged in November-December 2019. Hubei Province was placed under a strict lockdown in mid-January that lasted for over two months (China Brief, January 29). On March 25, authorities in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) announced the lifting of most travel restrictions for residents of Hubei Province, with the exception of Wuhan City itself (Xinhua, March 25). (Restrictions for residents of Wuhan were later eased on April 8). However, the lifting of these restrictions has not proceeded entirely smoothly. On March 27, a major social disturbance occurred on the bridge over the Yangzi River that connects the town of Xiaochi in far eastern Hubei with the town of Jiujiang in northern Jiangxi Province. On that Friday, Hubei residents attempted to cross the bridge, but were blocked by police from the Jiangxi side. A tense stand-off escalated into a riot that reportedly involved not only citizens and police, but also clashes between police from the two bordering provinces (Radio Free Asia, March 27).

Regional tensions were revealed in video of the incident, in which angry citizens could clearly be heard to chant Lets go, Hubei when marching to confront barricades set up by Jiangxi police (HK Free Press, March 27). The police barricades were presumably ordered by Jiangxi officialsacting in apparent contravention of official national policywho were fearful that an influx of people from Hubei could once more spread COVID-19 infections. This likely revealed skepticism on the part of regional officials towards the central governments message that the epidemic has been contained in Hubei. It also revealed issues of fear and discrimination against Hubei persons on the part of Chinese from other provinces, a problem acknowledged in official PRC press outlets (China Daily, March 30).

The March 27 incident provided a dramatic example of the sort of social unrest that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials have clearly feared could materialize in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths inside China and across the globe. [1] Hubei citizens have been subject to harsh conditions under government quarantines, resulting in a steady build-up of popular anger (China Brief, April 1). This incident may not be the last of its type to emerge as a result of the pandemic, and the CCP has taken active steps over the past two months to reinforce political indoctrination for local police agenciesthereby attempting to ensure that police officers will remain loyal to the ruling party in the event of any major incidents that might threaten social order and stability in the country.

Intensified Propaganda and Political Loyalty Indoctrination Directed at Chinese Police

Since at least early February, PRC local government and state media outlets have emphasized consistent themes that, amid the ongoing pandemic crisis, Chinese police must maintain a high-level sense of political responsibility thinly coded language for loyalty to the ruling CCP. Police have been further advised to keep a steadfast political position [and] maintain a high level of uniformity with the Party center. These exhortations also frequently involve the message Dont Forget [Our] Original Purpose, Keep Firmly in Mind the Historical Mission, a slogan closely associated with CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping since it was unveiled last year (China Brief, July 31, 2019).

Specific illustrations of this trend, drawn from media coverage of the Public Security Bureaus in three different regions of the country, are provided in the examples below. The themes (and often, specific use of phrasing) are broadly consistent among these examples, suggesting higher-level direction for a propaganda campaign intended to reinforce police loyalty to the CCP. These examples also extend to regions far beyond the pandemics epicenter in Hubei, indicating that CCP authorities are concerned for bolstering the political indoctrination of police agencies nationwide.

Xinghe County, Inner Mongolia

Reporting on the Public Security Bureau in Xinghe County (Inner Mongolia) indicates that in epidemic prevention work the first matter is the political mission, keeping to ones post, combating the epidemic, preventing dangers [and] ensuring public security and promoting stability. Both the regular Peoples Police and the Auxiliary Police were praised for maintaining a high sense of political responsibility [and] sense of the historical mission. Per this account, the Xinghe police were so dedicated in their loyalty to the CCP that, alongside their other responsibilities, they especially talked politics while manning security checkpoints established for the purpose of epidemic control (Peng Pai News, February 2).

Zhumadian City, Henan Province

A press account from Henan Province provides a heroic account of Guo Yuanzhe, a political instructor with the Public Security Bureau in Zhumadian City, Henan Province. Guo is praised as a model police official and Party member, who is both tireless in his work on behalf of the public, and absolutely loyal to the central CCP leadership. Per this account, once the epidemic broke out, Guo energetically answered the call to raise high the Partys flag on the front line of the epidemic prevention battle. To this end, Guo helped to organize Party member shock troop teams to disinfect suspected contaminated areas. Guo also worked to inspire fellow CCP members among the police by organizing lectures to emphasize that his colleagues must resolutely bring into play the party organization fortress combat functions, and set forth party members as a model vanguard amid counter-epidemic operations (Henan Xinyu Wang, March 30).

Qingyang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province

Another account is provided by the civil government of Qingyang District in the city of Chengdu. In addition to the standard calls for police to display a high-level sense of political responsibility and to strengthen political consciousness, police are advised that Party leadership must run through epidemic control work from beginning to end. Both the practical and ideological work of the police should be merged, in order to combine together the deployment of political thought work with prevention and control duties.

Per this reference, police should also view the epidemic crisis as an opportunity to strengthen both Party organizations and wartime political thought work. The police should build the combat fortress of party organizations on the front line of epidemic control work, while party cadres should serve as examples to the public. The epidemic also provides an opportunity to build the CCPs image: propaganda follows in the footsteps of the police, [and] propaganda follows the circumstances of the battlefield (Qingyang District Government, February 19).

Conclusion

Even in the most settled of circumstances, social stability is a cornerstone concern for the CCP. Aside from its human toll, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted normal life across vast regions of China, severely damaged the economy, and created a crisis of governance for the CCP central leadership centered around Xi Jinping. As the CCPs first line of defense against social unrest (with the heavier paramilitary Peoples Armed Police in reserve behind them), local police agencies are naturally a focus of attention for the CCP authorities at a time when the prospects for social unrest are greater than ever. As both Chinese citizens and CCP officials seek to cope with the fallout of the pandemic, the Party is likely to grow ever-more insistent in its calls for police to maintain the proper political position.
Retirement fund body EPFO settled 3.31 lakh PF withdrawal claims worth around Rs 950 crore in last 15 days to give relief to the members during the lockdown.

The provision was noti?ed on March 28, 2020, for special withdrawal from the EPF Scheme to tide over the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) package, has provided timely relief to the working class of the nation, a labour ministry statement said.

Since the introduction of this program, in just 15 days, Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has processed 3.31 lakh claims disbursing an amount of Rs 946.49 crores, the ministry said.

In addition, Rs 284 crore have been distributed by the exempted PF Trusts under this scheme, notable among them being TCS, it added.

Under this provision, non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of the basic wages and dearness allowances for three months or up to 75 per cent of the amount standing to member's credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, is admissible.

The member can apply for lesser amount also. This being an advance, does not attract income tax deductions, it stated.

EPFO is committed to serve its members during this crisis, and its offices are functional to maintain the continuity of essential services even in difficult situations.

The availability of these facilities through online services has brought much relief to the needy subscribers during the lockdown period, coming to their rescue during these testing times, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the federal government continues to send out coronavirus relief checks to citizens, some people are reporting mishaps, including instances where the funds are being deposited into the wrong accounts or being sent to deceased individuals, news outlets reported.

The $2.2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, called the CARES Act, was signed into law March 27 and made it so all single taxpayers earning up to $75,000 would receive $1,200. Married couples who have filed taxes jointly should get $2,400, and adults will receive $500 for children under the age of 17.

Millions of Americans were expected to start seeing the money turn up via direct deposit in their bank accounts as early as this week, but many have encountered roadblocks.

The Internal Revenue Service posted its online "Get My Payment tool Wednesday to let people track the status of their checks and submit direct deposit information to the agency if they had not already done so in previous tax filing years.

However, error messages were almost immediately seen on the app, ABC News reported.

For some, a popup showing the words please wait stalled visitors visitors from accessing the initial form for minutes. Others saw alerts saying their payment status was not available after submitting their personal information.

Trying to check on the status of my stimulus payment and I'm getting the error "Payment Status Not Available" on the IRS website. What the heck does that mean?? #getmypayment pic.twitter.com/HtFv5p4ZJ1  Joseph Lucas (@lucasodell) April 15, 2020

The IRS noted the app will not be able to tell people the status of their payments if they have not filed tax returns for 2018 or 2019 or if they are not eligible for a stimulus check.

Taxpayers likely will not qualify for relief money if their annual income is greater than $99,000, if they were claimed as a dependent on someone elses returns, if they do not have a valid Social Security number or if they do not have valid citizenship, according to the IRS.

The agency told ABC News there were no issues with the user experience on the payment tracking tool. The IRS has urged taxpayers to only check the tool once per day due to high web traffic.

You can check the app again to see whether there has been an update to your information, the agencys website says. Data is updated once per day, so theres no need to check back more frequently.

For New Jersey resident Bryan Leeds, the relief funds went into a different bank account altogether. When he checked the IRSs online tracking tool, the money was reportedly in an account with a number one digit off from his own, according to ABC Newss article.

They messed up one digit and it was the last digit and I was confused because they have my direct deposit information. So how could they screw that up, for lack of a better term? Leeds told the news outlet.

Others have reported payments going to individuals who are dead. U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky tweeted a message from a friend claiming his deceased father had received a check.

The problem may be inevitable in certain situations, though, as the IRS is relying on data that may be two years old.

Dad got his stimulus check of $1,200. He died in 2018, Massies friend wrote. Does he have to spend it online?

Ok this is insane, but just the tip of the iceberg. This is a direct text to me from a friend. I called to confirm this actually just happened. pic.twitter.com/GBRPcmYMXW  Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 15, 2020

An Indiana man saw a shocking amount of money in his account because of the mishaps, though.

Charles Calvin, a volunteer firefighter, went to an ATM to withdraw money from his bank account on Friday. He was expecting to see an additional $1,700 from the stimulus relief money. He instead received more than $8 million, WGN9 reported.

But by Monday morning, the funds were gone, according to WGN9s report.

It kind of sucks, Calvin told the news outlet. You go from being a millionaire one second then back to being broke again."

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Octapharma USA is supporting a new investigator initiated clinical trial led by George Sakoulas, M.D. of Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California focused on treating the most critical patients at the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, those experiencing respiratory failure who become ventilator dependent. The trial is entitled Randomized Open Label Study of Standard of Care Plus Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) Compared to Standard of Care Alone in the Treatment of COVID-19 Infection.

Dr. Sakoulas, an infectious disease clinician and Associate Editor for the New England Journal of Medicine's NEJM Journal Watch Infectious Diseases, hopes to identify:

Whether or not IVIG can halt coronavirus progression to respiratory failure requiring transfer into the intensive care unit (ICU) and mechanical ventilation in admitted COVID-19 patients; and

Whether adding IVIG to the standard of care will reduce days requiring oxygen therapy and total hospital days.

It is currently believed that 80% of COVID-19 subjects will require no medical treatment, 15% will require non-ICU medical care, and 5% may require ICU admission. The goals of this study are to evaluate three parameters: the rate of subjects requiring mechanical ventilation; number of days patients require oxygen therapy; and length of hospital stay." George Sakoulas, M.D. of Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California

Secondary objectives of the study are to identify whether adding IVIG to the standard of care will reduce days requiring oxygen therapy; and to identify whether adding IVIG to the standard of care will reduce total hospital days.

"Although we are currently collecting convalescent plasma for future preparations, we need a treatment option for COVID-19 now for critical and soon-to-be critical patients," said Octapharma USA President Flemming Nielsen. "There is no known effective treatment for patients who are infected with COVID-19. IVIG is well-understood to treat immune mediated diseases and for prophylaxis and treatment of severe infections, especially in immunocompromised patients."

COVID-19 causes an immune response in some patients that ranges from insufficient to overly-active. In an earlier clinical trial in Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus outbreak began, it was noted that death from the disease is frequently the result of an abnormal pulmonary immune system response with multiple respiratory viral infections in which there is an elevation of cytokine and chemokine production referred to as a "cytokine storm" and associated with poor clinical outcomes.

"There have been few human cases analyzing the effects of utilizing IVIG for COVID-19 infection," said Dr. Sakoulas. "One small case series of three patients from China demonstrated clinical improvement allowing hospital discharge in clinically deteriorating COVID-19 patients. Motivated by this small study, our team employed a similar algorithm in a 62-year-old female with diabetes, hypertension, and a history of prior chemotherapy due to breast cancer who was clinically deteriorating from COVID-19 infection, with oxygen requirement increasing from 2L to 6L in the first 48 hours of hospitalization. After receiving IVIG, the patient demonstrated a remarkable clinical improvement, becoming afebrile and breathing normally without external oxygen treatment in less than 72 hours, accompanied by improvement in inflammatory markers. She was discharged home uneventfully. We believe that at least some COVID-19 patients may benefit from IVIG treatment, especially when given at the right time before full-blown acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) sets in ."

Dr. Sakoulas hopes to enroll 20 adults hospitalized with COVID-19 requiring significant oxygen, but not on mechanical ventilation. Patients will be randomized to receive standard of care alone, or standard of care with IVIG treatment. For complete study information, please contact Huub Kreuwel, Vice President Scientific and Medical Affairs, Octapharma, at [email protected]
[April 16, 2020] VITAL4 to Assist Banks With AML/KYC Compliance by Offering Free Subscriptions to VITAL4SEARCH Amid COVID-19 Crisis

ATLANTA, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VITAL4, a woman-owned SaaS data technology company based in Atlanta, Georgia, is giving away free subscriptions of their software to small community banks and credit unions nationwide that are approved to process Payment Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EDIL). VITAL4 realizes that banks are struggling to keep up with the process and are also concerned about maintaining compliance while processing high volume loans. VITAL4 recognizes the compliance challenges for the banks and the importance of expeditious screening during this time, especially for small businesses that are still waiting to obtain a loan. On April 3, the Financial Crimes Enforcements Network (FinCEN) put out a notice to address the concerns and challenges that Financial Institutions face with respect to complying with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and their continuing obligations during this crisis. The notice stated: Compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) remains crucial to protecting our national security by combating money laundering and related crimes, including terrorism and its financing. FinCEN expects financial institutions to continue following a risk-based approach, and to diligently adhere to their BSA obligations. Source: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, April 3, 2020. FinCEN also appreciates that financial institutions are taking actions to protect employees, their families, and others in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created challenges in meeting certain BSA obligations, including the timing requirements for certain BSA report filings. FinCEN will continue outreach to regulatory partners and financial institutions to ensure risk-based compliance with the BSA, and FinCEN will issue additional new information as appropriate. As a Screening Provider that offers comprehensive, AI-driven data to financial institutions to combat terrorism and money laundering activities, VITAL4 is donating their SaaS Anti-Mone Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Screening tool and sees it as an excellent opportunity to help. Unfortunately, this crisis has created an environment that is ripe for fraud, and the banks are concerned about liability. In some cases, they are only offering loans to already "vetted" customers to mitigate risk. Unfortunately, this process is causing a major delay for many businesses to get the critical funds they need to stay alive.



"We want to make our technology and data available to the small banks and credit unions across the country to help keep the process compliant and fast. We are giving them the ability to use our platform to vet new and existing customers, to make it easier and more cost-effective to comply with BSA requirements with as little friction as possible. The team at VITAL4 is willing to help in any way we can to fight the war against COVID-19, and as a small business ourselves, we know first-hand the urgency of this effort," said Kristin Stafford, VITAL4 CEO. Co-Founder and President Amy Barbieri stated: "Time is of the essence for small businesses in this country, and it is more challenging than ever for banks to mitigate risk. We really want our efforts to help both the banks and small business owners across the U.S. get through these challenges."

If you are a small bank or credit union facility approved to service PPP and/or EIDL loans, VITAL4 is extending this offer to you. Please contact VITAL4 through the link here https://vital4.net/contact/. About VITAL4 VITAL4 provides global screening solutions to help organizations maintain regulatory compliance and mitigate third-party risk. As a cloud software platform made fast and powerful by proprietary machine learning technology, VITAL4 was developed to bring the agility of SaaS services to enterprise compliance regimes and eliminate slow update cycles, shallow source pools and the human-error risks of manual legacy processes. VITAL4 was built with four fundamental concepts in mind: compliance, accuracy, global insight and value. VITAL4 Contact:

Todd McCormick, Chief Revenue Officer 770-763-8931

[email protected] www.vital4.net Related Images sba-loan-processing.jpg

SBA Loan Processing

VITAL4 is extending assistance during COVID-19 to help process SBA loans more affordably while maintaining compliance. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vital4-to-assist-banks-with-amlkyc-compliance-by-offering-free-subscriptions-to-vital4search-amid-covid-19-crisis-301041931.html SOURCE VITAL4

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:33:50|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzania government cabinet minister on Thursday warned traders against hoarding sugar with the intention of hiking prices of the commodity during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Innocent Bashungwa, the Minister of Industry and Trade, said the government has formed a commission that will inspect all warehouses used by the traders to stockpile sugar.

"I am warning all traders that have stockpiled sugar in order to sell the commodity at hiked prices during the COVID-19 crisis to stop the malpractice forthwith," he told a news conference in the capital Dodoma.

Bashungwa said the commission is comprised of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and trade officials from regions across the country.

The minister said the government is taking measures to increase sugar production in the country.

He added that the government has ordered 20,000 tons of sugar to ensure that the commodity was available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to government statistics, actual demand of sugar in the country is about 420,000 tons annually while local sugar factories could produce a total of some 320,000 tons of the commodity annually. Enditem
Another 38 people have been released, and 34 of them transferred, as a result of the release and transfer operation today.

This has been the fourth release and transfer operation since the beginning of the conflict that the ICRC has participated to in its role of neutral intermediary. Today, another 38 people have been released, and 34 of them transferred, some of them after six years of detention. Their willingness to whether they wanted to go for transfer has been respected, the press service of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine reports.

The ICRC states that its representatives participated in the operation of simultaneous transfer and release of detainees with the main aim to confirm through a neutral actor that the detainees were willing to be transferred, and that the operation takes place in line with international humanitarian standards.

As noted, these operations of release and transfer of detainees have a hefty humanitarian value.

They bring people back to their families on both sides of the contact line. It shows that even in the conflict, against the hardest and the most challenging of times, humanity can prevail. And it is this very notion of humanity in time of conflict that the ICRC has been promoting around the world for 157 years, the organization underscores.

At the same time, the ICRC stressed that in time of novel coronavirus threat, consequent preventive measures had to be taken and assured that the operation had been completed smoothly, and the detainees would be soon on their way home, after all necessary precautions related to COVID19 outbreak had been taken.

They will be able to see their families in the near future, which is all the more important during this pandemic, the statement reads.

As reported, Ukraine returned 20 citizens, who had been held captive in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, during the next stage of mutual release of detained persons held today.

Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak informed that the negotiations on the release of Ukrainians held in Russia-occupied Crimea and in Russia were ongoing.

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Nollywood actor, Adeniyi Johnson has taken to his social media space to criticize men that complain and maltreat about their wives.

Information Nigeria recalls the actor earlier advised women on how to spice up their marriages during this lockdown period.

Johnson also decided to advise the men against treating their their wives poorly.

In his words;

Some now complain the belle is big, your yansh is hard you hide your wife when going to some functions  all your wears na designer how many does she have? her phone is nothing to write home about .. youve been home for weeks you didnt touch here when u see semi nudes online your dick go charge  Alaye calm down abegShes is suppose to be your glory.. but instead na your shame eskiss sir.. shame on you!!!

Read Also: Adekunle Gold Gushes Over Simis Songwriting Skills

See his post below:
Baker Donelson has announced firm-wide pro bono efforts focused on addressing legal needs created by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.



The Firm's Pro Bono Shareholder Samuel T. Bowman said, "We are calling on our attorneys to give back during this unprecedented situation by performing pro bono work to address the many legal issues brought about as this pandemic continues to touch virtually every aspect of life in our communities. Just as we are continuing to provide uninterrupted legal services to our clients throughout this crisis, we are encouraging our attorneys to perform pro bono work for those most in need within the communities we serve."



As part of the Firm's related pro bono efforts, it is implementing an approach focused on multiple opportunities where its attorneys can serve.



 Firm attorneys will be assisting state bar associations and local legal aid organizations with creating, managing and serving on COVID-19 task forces to provide remote counsel to address various legal concerns brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. As an example, Baker Donelson's Nashville office has been working with the Nashville and Tennessee Bar Associations on these types of efforts. The Firm has also been working with the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts to provide remote legal representation.



 Baker Donelson attorneys will be volunteering to address questions posed online on ABAFreeLegalAnswers.org. This online platform allows any eligible user with an Internet connection to access civil legal advice and resources at any time by posing questions to attorneys who provide pro bono legal counsel remotely. Modeled after a legal advice portal created in Tennessee, ABAFreeLegalAnswers.org has become a national resource, offering a free service for low-income clients in 42 jurisdictions and access to more than 7,000 pro bono attorneys.



 The Firm's attorneys will also be providing pro bono services to assist non-profits, as they face many of the same operational, legal, regulatory and governmental issues as for-profit businesses as a result of COVID-19.



 Baker Donelson is also working with other law firms nationwide on additional pro bono opportunities arising as a result of the pandemic.



As part of Baker Donelson's existing pro bono efforts, each of the Firm's attorneys can receive billable hour credit for up to 100 hours per year of pro bono work.



"Just as we established a Coronavirus Task Force focused on addressing the many legal issues our clients are facing, we are encouraging our attorneys to commit time to serve the people most in need who will be severely impacted by this crisis," Baker Donelson President and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer P. Keller said. "We're very proud of Baker Donelson's longstanding reputation as a leader in pro bono service. This is a time of tremendous need when we can once again lead the way."
The Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin has said the best possible care must be delivered to vulnerable patients and those who die from the Covid-19 are more than statistics.

Bishop Denis Nulty issued a statement following the deaths of nine people in the Maryborough Centre at St Fintans Hospital in Portlaoise. The town and most of Laois is part of Bishop Nulty's Dioceses.

"The news brings home to us in a very dramatic way the huge need for special care for those who are grouped together in similar centres or in homes for vulnerable or older people.

"A very special word of thanks to all who work in any capacity in caring for those who have contracted or are threatened with this terrible virus - management, medical and nursing staff, carers, general workers in those centres and hospitals, suppliers and those who deliver those supplies to meet the many varied needs at this time of crisis.

"The hearts and hands of the staff are the hearts and hands of family to many many patients at this time. It is imperative that the best possible treatment is made available to those who are most vulnerable to Covid-19 and that staff working in these homes and facilities are equipped with a sufficient and proper supply of PPE. Every life matters. Every life counts. Every life is precious irrespective of age or potential productivity.

"In the nightly news reports, we hear many statistics that may confuse us. I am conscious that we might lose the person that is behind every statistic  this is someones mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, brother, sister, son, daughter or friend.

"I am reminded of the very evocative poem composed and recited by a listener in memory of her recently deceased sister, on Joe Duffys Liveline, broadcast on RTE Radio 1, earlier this week My sister is not a statistic. And neither is she or anyone who dies because of Covid-19 or who has tested positive.

"During this Easter week, we must all turn in confidence to the Risen Christ and pray that he will soon bring these threat-filled times to an end, knowing that he walks with all of us and always calms our fears," he said.

Bishop Nulty offered a prayer for those who have passed away, their families and carers.

We pray for those who have passed away in such distressing circumstances.

We offer our deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the deceased.

We give them and all who have worked to care for their loved ones the assurance of our prayers.




CBC Saskatchewan and CBC Saskatoon got eight nods from Radio Television Digital News Association Canada's prairie region awards.

RTNDA Canada recognizes the best journalists, programs, stations and news gathering organizations in radio, television and digital.

"Our winners are across all platforms and highlight some of the exceptional work we did in 2019," said David Hutton, managing editor at CBC Saskatchewan.

The outlet took home the Digital Media Award for its digital coverage overall.

In addition to that, seven pieces were recognized:

Promise to Matty Bonnie Allen, radio

Matthew Brandon has attended the Sergeant Major's Parade at RCMP Depot division in Regina every Tuesday for the past six years. And every week, he would see his favourite sergeant, Pierre Gosselin. When Gosselin retired after 37 years, he promised to continue the weekly ritual.

Saskatoon mother shares experience of grieving following the suicide of her teenage son Nichole Huck, radio

Losing a child may be the most painful thing a parent will ever have to experience. Losing a child to suicide often complicates that grief, leaving many parents with guilt, anger and questions about how it could have been prevented.

Road Project Stopped Jason Warick, continuing coverage

A controversial road project has been put on hold by the local municipality in central Saskatchewan after First Nations rallied to preserve the rare artifacts and sites found along the route.

Pinehouse elders Madeline Kotzer, radio

Thanks to the ripple effect of Annie Natomagan's survival knowledge, two young men in Pinehouse, Sask., are dreaming of taking down a bull moose, rather than hitting the bottle.

Finding Home Janani Whitfield & Michael Bell, web series

Eight people invited us into their kitchens and living rooms, opening up about their lives and how they've found a sense of belonging and community in Saskatchewan's capital city.

Michael Bell

The Pit

Courtney Markewich, Alicia Bridges, Victoria Dinh  social media

Story continues

In 2015, Saskatchewan police found Sheree Fertuck's abandoned truck at a small-town gravel pit. She's never been found but police have established a theory of murder.

Happy Rebirthday Adrienne Mahoney for CBC Saskatchewan, commentary

Adrienne Mahoney suffers from a rare autoimmune disorder that caused her heart to all but fail. She lived precipitously with a device to assist her heart's function, until it came time for a full heart transplant.

CBC Saskatchewan and CBC Saskatoon journalists had been nominated for 19 awards earlier this year.

Their wins will now go on to compete against finalists from other regions in the RTNDA National Awards in May.
A man has been jailed after biting and spitting at police officers while claiming to have coronavirus.

Terry Simmons, 32, was seen banging on the front doors of homes in Cambridge, demanding to be let in and threatening people with violence, Cambridgeshire Police said.

He claimed he had coronavirus as he barged his way into one house, before he was forced back out by the people inside, police said.

Simmons assaulted the police officers who arrested him following the incident on Tuesday last week.

Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images

He spat at one as he was being put into the back of a van. He then bit the hand of another while he was taken into custody.

Simmons admitted two counts of assaulting an emergency worker when he at Cambridge Magistrates' Court on Thursday last week, police said.

Simmons, of Cambridge, also admitted using violence to secure entry and using threatening words to cause alarm or distress.

He was jailed for 36 weeks and ordered to pay 125 in compensation, police said.

PC Sean Feline said: "Assaults on emergency workers who are simply trying to do their job are completely unacceptable, even more so during this difficult time we are all experiencing.
Dr Mehmet Oz had called reopening schools amidst the coronavirus outbreak a very appetising opportunity, accepting there would be a two to three per-cent increase in deaths as a result.

I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing that the opening of schools may only cost us two to three per-cent, in terms of total mortality, Dr Oz said in an interview on Fox News.

The doctor did not make it explicitly clear whether he thought the increased rates of mortality would apply directly to school children or the entire general population.

Three per-cent mortality of all schoolchildren in America would mean the deaths of approximately 1.7 million children, based on calculations from the government statistics of the number of children attending elementary, middle, and high schools in America

The approximate mortality of three per cent of the total population, not specific to schoolchildren, would mean the deaths of around 9.9 million Americans, based on statistics from the United States Census Buerau.

Dr Oz said the loss of two to three per-cent of life in the process of reopening schools might be considered a worthwhile payoff.

I tell you, schools are a very appetizing opportunity, he said.

Talking to host Sean Hannity about how the US could go about restarting its economy, Dr Oz said the country should begin by re-opening things that would not get the nation into a lot of trouble.

We need our mojo back, the doctor said. Lets start with things that are really critical to the nation where we think we might be able to open without getting into a lot of trouble.

He went on to say that any life is a life lost, but to get every child back into a school where theyre safely being educated, being fed and making the most out of their lives, with a theoretical risk on the backside, that might be a tradeoff some folks would consider.

A paper published in The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, stated: Recent modelling studies of Covid-19 predict that school closures alone would prevent only two to four per-cent of deaths, much less than other social distancing interventions.

Fox later directed The Independent to a tweet in which Dr Oz said he said he misspoke on the matter.

"Ive realised my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention," he wrote in the post.
WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

Aarogya Setu becomes worlds fastest app to reach 5 crore downloads

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The Government's mobile app Aarogya Setu, developed for tracking coronavirus patients, has become the world's fastest app to reach 5 crore downloads in just 13 days, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on April 14 appealed to people to download the app.

"Telephone took 75 years to reach 50 million users, radio 38 yrs, television 13 yrs, Internet 4 yrs, Facebook 19 months, Pokemon Go 19 days. AarogyaSetu, India's app to fight COVID-19 has reached 50 mn users in just 13 days-fastest ever globally for an App," Kant said in his tweet.

PM Modi wants you to download the Aarogya Setu App: How it works and where to download

The Aarogya Setu app alerts people if any person in their vicinity has tested positive for COVID-19.

District administrations have been asking all educational institutions and government departments to push people to download the app. The more people install the app on their phones, the more effective it becomes at identifying through location data and Bluetooth data, which phones have come into close contact with an infected person.

The app accesses data of infected persons from the Ministry of Health and alerts people if they have come into contact with a Covid-19 infected person.

According to sources, Tata Consultancy Services is working on testing the app and some of its other aspects while Tech Mahindra and the Mahindra group is working on the next version of this application leveraging data science and next-generation technologies such as machine learning.

Aarogya Setu app can be an e-pass to facilitate travel

Tech Mahindra is also working on expanding the reach of Aarogya Setu to all types of phones. The current version of Aarogya Setu app is fit for use on smartphones only.
Hilarie Burton has joked she's 'aged 300 years' and gone grey in quarantine.

The actress, 37, praised her 'rock', husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 53, for supporting her during her 'freak outs' as they spend the coronavirus pandemic in their rural home, Mischief Farm, in Dutchess County, New York.

The TV star, best loved for playing Peyton Sawyer on One Tree Hill, raises children Augustus, 10, and George, two, with The Walking Dead actor.

The struggle is real: Hilarie Burton has joked she's 'aged 300 years' and gone grey in quarantine, while praising her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 53, for supporting her during these tough times

Sharing a picture of herself with her husband, Hilarie wrote: 'I've aged 300 years in the last month. And I've got all the grey hair to prove it'

Sharing a picture of herself with her husband, Hilarie wrote: 'I've aged 300 years in the last month. And I've got all the grey hair to prove it.

'After absorbing all the messages asking for help, I've also had more than one freak out.

'So I just publicly want to thank my husband @jeffreydeanmorgan for being the rock of our family. The calm in the storm.

'Thanks for letting me cry, for not caring that the house is a disaster, or that dinner is usually at 9pm.

'Also, thanks for bringing me coffee in bed this morning. You're nice. Xxx #fullmoon @themischieffarm #gratitude so much.'

Hilarie also paid tribute to her good friend and former OTH co-star Antwon Tanner, who played Skills Taylor on the hit CW series, as he celebrated his 45th birthday this week.

Sweet: Hilarie also paid tribute to her good friend and former OTH co-star Antwon Tanner, who played Skills Taylor on the hit CW series, as he celebrated his 45th birthday this week

She shared: 'I can't tell you how many times I've cried on his shoulder, or how many wild nights out we've had. He's my family'

Special friendship: The pair have remained incredibly close over the years and Antwon was a guest at her 2019 wedding

The pair have remained incredibly close over the years and Antwon was a guest at her 2019 wedding.

Sharing a sweet collection of pictures of the duo together over the years, Hilarie captioned the images: 'It is my sweetheart @antwontanner2214 's birthday.

'This man has been my friend - my true blue, do anything for you, can call in the middle of the night kinda friend - for my entire adult life.

'I can't tell you how many times I've cried on his shoulder, or how many wild nights out we've had. He's my family.

'I love you buddy. I miss you. I'm so glad I saw you in February. Sending you and your beautiful wife and kids so much love today. Happy Birthday, Antwon.'

Hilarie has certainly been keeping busy during the COVID-19 crisis, launching a new podcast beginning April 17.

Doing her bit: Hilarie has certainly been keeping busy during the COVID-19 crisis, sewing masks for local medical workers

Rural living: Hilarie and Jeffrey are also launching a new podcast beginning April 17 (pictured on her farm with son Augustus)

The pair will be discussing life in quarantine and helping local communities in the new weekly broadcast, called Friday Night In with the Morgans.

The down-to-earth actress has also being doing her bit to help provide medical staff with much-needed PPE, as well as giving her fans tutorials about how to sew masks.

Sharing a picture of the finished product, Hilarie wrote: 'I didn't get dressed today. But, I did finish another 13 masks for my local #healthcareheroes using Amazon gift bags and a cut up @jimmykimmellive T-shirt.

@jeffreydeanmorgan will just have to go back on the show at some point to get another. Thanks @jimmykimmel !

'Put your energy into acts of love - for your nearest and dearest and for total strangers.

'Reach out to local grocery stores and pharmacies and see if their employees need PPE.

'Encourage them to allow workers to wear protective gear! Our essential workers need us to be their advocates.#noexcusessewingclub'.
New Delhi: Actress Kangana Ranauts sister Rangoli Chandel, who does not shields away from expressing her views and opinions on Twitter, has reacted to the suspension of her account over a controversial post. Her Twitter account was suspended recently, but a screenshot of her original tweet that kicked off the controversy is still doing the rounds online. Her posts were being considered as hate tweets aimed at a community and thus, it reportedly led to the suspension of the account.

In a statement over the action taken by Twitter against her, Rangoli blamed the micro-blogging site of being  biased and anti-India and added that if she cannot express her opinions on a particular matter freely, she wont revive her account.

Twitter is an American platform absolutely biased and anti-India. You can make fun of Hindu Gods, call Prime Minister and Home Minister terrorists, but if you say anything about people pelting stones on health workers and police forces, they suspend your account. I have no desire of empowering any such platforms with my perspective and honest opinions, so I am not reviving my account, Rangoli said.

She further stated that there are many ways of reaching out to the people apart from Twitter.

I was my sisters spokesperson. Now watch out for her direct interviews, she is a huge star she has many ways of reaching out, a biased platform can be easily avoided," Rangoli added.

Rangoli is Kanganas spokesperson for years now and often takes up issues on the actress behalf on social media.

As of now, the entire Ranaut family is in Manali, their hometown, due to the lockdown.
Federal prosecutors say a western Massachusetts man tried to torch a Jewish-affiliated assisted living center that white supremacists had targeted for violence on social media sites. John Michael Rathbun, 36, is accused of leaving a homemade incendiary device near the entrance to the Ruth's House facility in Longmeadow on April 2, but the device was intercepted by police and didn't explode.

Rathbun was charged with two counts of attempted arson in a federal criminal complaint released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. Prosecutors say Rathbun's DNA was found on a five-gallon gas can filled with flammable gasoline that was left along a pedestrian pathway about 50 yards from the facility. A charred piece of paper, later identified as a Christian religious pamphlet, was found in the nozzle of the canister and had apparently been lit on fire in an attempt to ignite the gas, the complaint says.

"In times of national crisis, hatred based on religion often blossoms into violence," U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a statement. "The charges in this case allege that the defendant tried to blow up a Jewish assisted living residence with a five gallon gas canister, at the same time that the facility was being discussed on white supremacist online platforms."

wshm.jpg

Federal investigators search the East Longmeadow, Mass. home of a man accused of trying to blow up a Jewish assisted living facility WSHM

Massachusetts state Senator Eric Lesser decried the case as a "horrific act of anti-Semitism," reports MassLive.com. He said it was emblematic of a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism and hate crimes across the country.

"I hope all people of conscience will join me in condemning this horrendous crime, which strikes at the very heart of our nation's founding edicts," Lesser told the news site.

Ruth's House is "guided by Jewish value, but serves all faiths," according to its website. It's located within a square mile of other Jewish community sites including three temples, a private school and a community center.

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The facility had been discussed on two social media platforms by a white supremacist group that the FBI found has promoted mass killings against religious and racial minorities, discussed using explosive devices including Molotov cocktails, posted pictures of weapons and tactical gear, and identified targets including synagogues and mosques.

On March 4, according to the complaint, a user of one of the social media sites described two targets for potential mass killings, one of which the user referred to as "that Jew nursing home in longmeadow massachusetts." The FBI believes the user was referring to Ruth's House, and that the same user also created racist and anti-Semitic calendar invitation posts on another social media site. One was an April 2 event the user referred to as "Hating n----s day," and the other was an April 3 event referred to as "Jew killing day." The location for the April 3 event was listed as "that Jew nursery home," another apparent reference to Ruth's House, and contained the message "F---- Jews," according to the complaint. The FBI believes the message was a call to violence to target the assisted living facility, according to the complaint.

The user's profile on the site's forum for the group said: "I hate jews. We should make a real holocaust sometimes. Only mistake Hitler made," and "Hey n---r. I hate n----s."

According to the complaint, the FBI hasn't determined whether Rathbun is involved with the white supremacist group or any other white supremacist activities. On Wednesday, investigators served out a search warrant at his East Longmeadow home after the Massachusetts crime lab found his DNA profile matched that of blood stains found on the Christian pamphlet found in the gas can.

When confronted by federal investigators and Longmeadow police, Rathbun denied having anti-Semitic sentiments or being involved with white supremacists. He admitted using heroin and driving past a Jewish school every day on his way to a methadone clinic, but denied knowing that Ruth's House was a short distance from the school on the same road.

Investigators found gas cans at his home, which he said he used for a lawnmower. When he was confronted by investigators with photographs of the blood-stained pamphlet and told that his DNA matched the blood, "Rathbun's demeanor visibly changed, and a short while later, he stated that he did not know what he was going to do and that he wanted to cry," the complaint says.

Rathbun's mother, who lives at the home, told investigators she distributes Christian pamphlets but didn't recognize the one found in the gas can. An agent saw that Rathbun had visible cuts on his hands.

Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division, said in a statement that the case "highlights the very real threat posed by racially motivated violent extremists," a group that includes white supremacists. The FBI recently designated such groups a "national threat priority."

Rathbun is not facing hate crime charges and a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Massachusetts declined to comment when asked whether such charges would be filed in the future. She said the investigation is ongoing.

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Uruguay evacuated on Wednesday the last 15 passengers aboard the Australian cruise ship Greg Mortimer that had been anchored off the South American coast since March 27 with more than half its passengers and crew infected with the new coronavirus.

A charter flight with equipment and medical staff will fly the tourists to Miami. From there, European and Canadian citizens - nine in total - will return to their countries on commercial flights.

On Friday, Uruguay evacuated 112 Australians and New Zealanders from the cruise ship operated by Australia's Aurora Expeditions.

Uruguay had originally refused to let passengers off the cruise ship, after authorities said that 128 of the 217 people tested on the ship were positive for the new coronavirus.

They later sent medical teams to the ship to ensure people's health and monitored the situation via WhatsApp.

The Greg Mortimer departed March 15 on a voyage to Antarctica and South Georgia that was titled "In Shackleton's Footsteps," a reference to Ernest Shackleton, the polar explorer who led British expeditions to the region and died there in 1922.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Californias crushing five-year drought came to a welcome end after record rain three winters ago. Or did it?

Although forests are greener, reservoirs are fuller and widespread water restrictions are gone, many believe the past few years, in which there was pretty decent rainfall, were just a blip on a troubling long-term skid into drier times.

A group of scientists now says that the American West, including California, has been in the midst of a prolonged drought since the beginning of the century  one on par with only four mega-droughts experienced over the past 1,200 years and one capable of causing major social upheaval.

The last mega-drought that the researchers describe, between 1575 and 1593, is believed to have forced Native Americans to relocate whole communities from sprawling mesas to lower river valleys in search of water. The mega-drought before that, in the 1200s, is thought to have contributed to the fall of the cliff-dwelling Anasazi civilization in the Southwest.

The past two decades look a lot like how the biggest mega-droughts of the past millennium developed, said Park Williams, bioclimatologist at Co lumbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and lead author of the study published Thursday in the journal Science. These mega-droughts are not like anything weve seen in recent centuries. Theyre viewed as mythical beasts. Theres nothing thats come even close to them.

The fear is that if current dry times continue, which the papers authors say is more likely than not, the modern era soon will be in the grip of its first mega-drought.

Though society is better equipped to handle a sustained period of dryness, Williams said, with dams and other technologies to boost water supplies and massive delivery systems to share water, there are also more people and more demand today.

Big cities are poised to face water shortages, farms may be unable to plant crops, forests will brown up and be susceptible to pests, and the risk of wildfire will grow.

We may be getting closer to the point where we cant tolerate more drought intensity, Williams said.

Williams and his colleagues at Columbia University, the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Idaho drew their conclusions by looking at soil moisture levels across nine states and northern Mexico between A.D. 800 and 2018. In the absence of soil data, they used tree rings from thousands of trees  some analyzed in prior studies and some evaluated for the first time  to model what soil conditions would have looked like in the past.

The researchers found that 40 prolonged droughts occurred over the 1,200-year span, four of which they identified as mega-droughts because soil moisture was far less and the dry periods ran much longer  lasting decades. The monster dry spells emerged in the late 800s, the mid-1100s, the 1200s and the late 1500s.

The team then compared the moisture levels from the four mega-droughts with moisture levels during the first 19 years of this century. They found that the current era is off to a worse start than three of four of the mega-droughts. Only the drought in the late 1500s was drier.

The current dry period also is far broader geographically than any of the previous mega-droughts, stretching from Oregon east to Montana and south to California and New Mexico.

The reason for the present dryness, the researchers say, is largely human-caused climate change. Whereas in past dry spells, the natural variability of weather  what Williams calls bad luck  drove the mega-droughts, he and his colleagues marshaled 31 studies on the effects of global warming and concluded that rising temperatures were responsible for about 47% of the aridity today.

People who keep plants indoors or dry clothes on a line know that when the temperature is hotter, things dry out faster, he said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Williams also said that with climate change in play, it becomes that much harder to avoid or emerge from a protracted dry period.

Theres a lot of inertia here, he said. Its going to require more and more good luck to break out of droughts like this.

Mega-droughts look different in different places and dont necessarily mean there arent bouts of significant rainfall during their run. Californias wet winter of 2016-17 is an example of a break from an otherwise extraordinarily dry couple of decades, the researchers say. California and much of the West get most of their precipitation in the wintertime.

This past rainy season in Northern California tracked on the dry side. Despite late-season storms, many areas, including San Francisco, have received 50% or less of the average rainfall. The U.S. Drought Monitor, which measures short-term dryness, estimates that 36% of the state is experiencing moderate drought conditions.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA who did not contribute to the new study, said it makes sense that Western states may be plunging into a drought comparable to some of the worst in 12 centuries.

What Swain calls weather whiplash, the large swings between wet and dry years at the hands of climate change, is occurring against a backdrop of rising temperatures and shows little sign of abating. The presence of stormy periods, he said, can make it appear as though there is no drought even as heat continues to sap moisture from the atmosphere.

If its still raining sometimes, but its warmer, Im not sure that we as individuals notice (the drying) as much, he said. It does sort of change our experience of what drought is, and it makes it harder for us to perceive.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
A Melbourne brothel has been busted for allegedly employing a child as a sex worker.

Police stormed the business in September 2019 where the minor was allegedly being paid as a prostitute.

Police released details on Wednesday but did not say how old the child was.

Two male workers, aged 32 and 60, and a woman, 50, from the brothel were arrested in October last year by the Victoria Police Sex Industry Coordination Unit.

A brothel has been busted for allegedly employing a child as a sex worker (stock image)

The trio face a string of charges, including having a child over 18 months in a brothel, obtaining payment for sexual services provided by a child and allowing a child to take part in sex work.

They will face Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 22.

SICU investigates both allegations of illegal brothels and licensed brothels that could be involved in illegal activity.

The unit made 51 visits to legal brothels and more than 150 visits to suspected illegal brothels in 2019.

Brothels are among the long list of venues that have been banned from operating during the coronavirus pandemic.

Police have been cracking down on companies operating illegally during this time.

A Sydney brothel was fined $5000 for continuing to operate and three staff were each fined $1000 on March 29.


Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a White House press briefing on Monday with Vice President Mike Pence.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

The director of a top Italian research hospital said he would welcome Dr. Anthony Fauci with open arms if President Donald Trump were to fire him.

Dr. Giuseppe Ippolito, the scientific director of the Lazzaro Spallanzani hospital in Rome, told the Associated Press that "the world needs Fauci."

According to the AP, Ippolito wrote a letter to Italian President Sergio Mattarella and other officials in which he said "Italy should welcome Fauci with open arms." He also praised Fauci's "generosity" and credited his Italian heritage.

Trump and Fauci have expressed different approaches to tackling the coronavirus outbreak in the US, though both Fauci and the White House have dismissed reports of tension.

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Related Video: What Would Be the Fastest Way to End the Coronavirus Crisis?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is a leading member of the White House's coronavirus task force, has been invited to work at one of Italy's top hospitals if President Donald Trump were to fire him.

Dr. Giuseppe Ippolito, the scientific director of the Lazzaro Spallanzani hospital in Rome, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that Fauci's knowledge of infectious disease was unparalleled. Lazzaro Spallanzani was the first research center in Europe to isolate the genomic sequence of COVID-19.

"There is no one else who has written the history of medicine and infectious diseases like Tony Fauci," Ippolito told the AP. "There is no one else who has been able to write about, and to decrypt, the secrets of infectious diseases."

Ippolito added that removing Fauci from his position in the US  as some have speculated might happen after Trump shared a tweet that said #FireFauci  "would be disastrous news not only for the United States, but for the whole international community."

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"Politicians don't like uncomfortable scientists  they always want servile scientists," he told the AP. "The value of science instead is to say uncomfortable things, too, in all contexts and always, because the principle is to defend science, not to please politicians."

"The world needs Fauci," he added. "America needs Fauci."

According to the AP, Ippolito wrote a letter and sent it to Italian President Sergio Mattarella and other officials, in which he said "Italy should welcome Fauci with open arms." The letter also highlighted Fauci's expertise and "generous and selfless help" to hospitals around the world that Ippolito said reflected "a generosity that we like to associate (with) his Italian heritage, always remembered with pride."

Fauci's blunt demeanor sometimes clashes with Trump's optimistic messaging around the US coronavirus outbreak.

As of Wednesday evening, the US had the most reported novel coronavirus cases in the world, with more than 637,000 confirmed cases and more than 30,000 deaths. Italy, a former COVID-19 hot spot, has the second-highest death toll in the world, with more than 21,000 deaths.

Fauci, who often appears alongside Trump during the daily White House coronavirus press briefings, recently pushed back on Trump's public desire to lift coronavirus mitigation efforts by Easter, and he has said the US is likely to see "millions of cases" of COVID-19 and more than 100,000 deaths in the months to come.

Trump on Sunday evening retweeted a tweet from the conservative conspiracy theorist DeAnna Lorraine that said "Time to #FireFauci."

The White House has disputed reports that Trump plans to fire Fauci, saying on Monday that speculation was "ridiculous."

Fauci then went on C-SPAN and said that while Trump could fire him, it was unlikely that he would.

"I'm on the task force serving at his pleasure," Fauci said. "He could remove me from the task force. I was with him for quite a while today  he has no intention of doing that."

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USA is the largest donor of W H O for several years and any donor has the right to question the functioning style of W H O, if the donor country has any suspicion about it.





by N.S.Venkataraman





Section of media has reported that some countries like China, Russia and some countries in European Union have protested against US Presidents decision to suspend donation to W H O. However, a number of other countries like Japan, Australia have all saw the merit in Trumps decision to stop donation to W H O and have not been critical.









There is no doubt that there is world wide disappointment about the performance and moves of W H O with regard to the COVID 19 crisis. There is widespread view that W H O has been considerate to China with regard to Chinas claim on COVID 19, for whatever reasons.





The Australian Prime Minister has condemned the W H Os supportive stance on wet market in China. Australian Prime Minister clearly echoed the world wide view, when he said that W H Os support for the reopening of Chinas wet market after the deadly coronavirus originated in Wuhan region, is unfathomable.





President Trump has convincingly explained his justification for stopping the donation to W H O. He has clearly said that present functioning style of W H O is China centric and Trump has expressed his misgivings about the motives of the present leadership of W H O and expressed his suspicion about its honesty of purpose at the present time, in so many words.





USA is the largest donor of W H O for several years and any donor has the right to question the functioning style of W H O, if the donor country has any suspicion about it. As the largest donor to W H O , USA certainly has a strong case to question W H O , if it suspects its motives at any time.





If some countries are critical of President Trumps decision to stop the donation to W H O, these criticizing countries can increase their donation to compensate for the loss of donation to W H O due to the decision of President Trump. While China has said that it would fill the gap, so far it has not said to what extent it would increase its donation. Other criticising countries simply remain silent about increasing their donation.





It should be kept in mind that President Trump has not made any critical observation about the past contribution of W H O to the cause of world health nor has he questioned the need and relevance of W H O.





President Trumps objection is to the partiality of present leadership of W H O in favour of China. He has further said that the American tax payers money cannot be spent for an organisaiton in whose credibility USA has developed doubts. This view is understandable.





It is hoped that the withdrawal of donation by USA would force UNO / W H O to have a relook at the functioning style and mend its ways. Instead of accusing the US President of politicalizing the issue , Director General of W H O should have the wisdom to send the top office bearers of W H O to USA and explain what W H O has done and what it has not done with facts and figures.





The withdrawal of donation of President Trump to W H O would serve its purpose, if it would bring a quality change in the leadership of W H O with the present Director General and top team of officials to come forward and own responsibility and quit the job.





The world community want W H O to function efficiently and competently. But, what is the use of W H O , if its leadership would be an object of suspicion and criticism.





USA has made significant contribution to W H O in the past more than any other country and world community should be grateful to USA for this. Certainly, U S A would certainly resume its donation to W H O, if and when leadership of W H O would mend its ways.
Starting tomorrow, 777 supermarkets in California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Nevada will begin stocking the Impossible Foods plant-based meat substitute.

Fueling the increased distribution and a push to expand its product suite and geographic footprint domestically and internationally is a $500 million round of funding the company closed in March.

Some of that money is supporting the company's debut at stores like Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Pavilions, Safeway and Vons.

In all, the company said it would be in nearly 1,000 grocery stores by tomorrow. That includes all Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Gelson's Markets in Southern California; all Safeway stores in Northern California and Nevada; Jewel-Osco stores in Chicago, eastern Iowa and northwest Indiana; Wegmans stores on the East Coast and Fairway markets in and around New York.

Since its debut in September, the company said it was the number one item sold at the locations it was available on the East and West coasts.

The company's 12-ounce packages are sold for somewhere between $8.99 and $9.99 and it plans to soon introduce the Impossible Burger at even more stores nationwide.

Weve always planned on a dramatic surge in retail for 2020 -- but with more and more Americans eating at home, weve received requests from retailers and consumers alike, said Impossible Foods president Dennis Woodside, in a statement. Our existing retail partners have achieved record sales of Impossible Burger in recent weeks, and we are moving as quickly as possible to expand with retailers nationwide.

Even as the company announced its expansion, it made moves to assuage any consumer concerns over the processes in place at its manufacturing facilities.

Impossible Foods said it had instituted mandatory work from home policies for all of its employees who can telecommute; restricted visitors to its facilities and those operated by co-manufacturers; banned all work-related travel; and implemented new sanitizing and disinfection procedures at its workplaces.

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Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our employees, customers and consumers, Woodside said. And we recognize our responsibility for the welfare of our community, including the entire San Francisco Bay Area, our global supplier and customer network, millions of customers, and billions of people who are relying on food manufacturers to produce supplies in times of need.

The company said it was proceeding with its research and development initiatives; accelerating the ramp of its production facilities; and moving to broadly commercialize its Impossible Sausage and Impossible Pork products.

Impossible Foods has raised $1.3 billion from investors, including Mirae Asset Global Investments, Khosla Ventures, Horizons Ventures and Temasek.
Long before the coronavirus closed most of the worlds playhouses, one company pioneered creating theater at a distance.

The Belarus Free Theater, founded in 2005 by dissident artists in the former Soviet republic, has operated clandestinely in the capital, Minsk, and in London, where the artistic directors, Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin, have lived in exile since 2011. For performances in Belarus, where most of the 12-person ensemble is still based, the troupe rehearses its provocative productions over Skype and puts them on in changing underground locations, in defiance of a government ban.

Their plays, which often lay bare political corruption and social decay in the authoritarian country, have been raided by the K.G.B., Belaruss secret police. Audience members and actors alike have been jailed.

The Belarus Free Theater has nevertheless been able to present its productions abroad, and it has performed in over 40 countries. The troupe was getting ready to celebrate its 15th anniversary with an ambitious lineup of productions and workshops and the premiere of a documentary film. But then the coronavirus struck.
Do inductions cause C-sections?

Some of the earliest research suggesting that inductions increase the risk of cesareans was published in the 1970s and into the early 2000s. In one study, published in 1999 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, for instance, researchers analyzed records of 7,000 women who were induced at a Kansas City hospital between 1990 and 1997. They found that the first-time mothers who were voluntarily induced had double the risk of C-section than the group that went into labor spontaneously. Another study, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology in 2000, found similar results: Among the 1,135 women analyzed, the first-time mothers who were induced between 38 and 41 weeks were twice as likely to have a C-section as the women who werent.

But those and other studies were flawed, said Dr. Alison G. Cahill, M.D., an ob-gyn and subspecialist in maternal-fetal medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., because they were either observational  not randomized controlled trials  or poorly designed. They used the wrong comparison group, comparing those undergoing induction to those in spontaneous labor, said Dr. Cahill. No one can control when spontaneous labor occurs.

Two recent studies have revealed something entirely different: that inducing healthy women at term was not, in fact, associated with more C-sections, and may even offer some benefits.

One study of more than 600 healthy women published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016, for example, revealed that inducing labor in women over age 35 at 39 weeks did not raise their chances of a cesarean. In 2018, Dr. Grobman and colleagues from several universities took that finding a step further with a randomized controlled trial  the gold standard of medical research  of more than 6,000 healthy first-time mothers, half of whom were induced at 39 weeks, and half who went through labor on their own. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that the women who were induced had 3 percent fewer C-sections than those who werent.

I think it clearly shows that labor inductions do not cause cesareans, said Dr. Cahill, who was not involved with the study. Its one of those times in medicine where we can appreciate the value of a well-done trial to answer an important clinical question.

Additionally, when Dr. Grobman and his colleagues compared the health of moms and babies in the induction and non-induction groups, the researchers were surprised to find that the women who were induced were less likely to develop high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia after their procedures than those who werent induced. In another twist, the moms who were induced also reported less pain during labor and felt more in control of their birth experiences. And their newborns needed less help breathing than those who went into labor without an induction.

[Spicy foods, acupuncture, sex  does anything actually make you go into labor?]

Should you be induced?
More than a fifth of Brits are now cooking every meal from scratch, compared to just one in eight before the lockdown.

A study of 2,000 adults found more than half have been experimenting and using extra ingredients in their cooking more often since the call to stay at home.

This has led to the nation rediscovering the joys of home cooking, with the average household now spending almost seven hours a week cooking their meals  compared to just six hours previously.

It also emerged one in five have widened their repertoire of recipes since lockdown began and 35 per cent are better at using leftovers to avoid food waste.

The research, which was commissioned by Tesco, also found a quarter of households are spending increased time cooking together, and 33 per cent said mealtimes have become more of an occasion.

As a result, two-fifths enjoy cooking more now than they did before, with 89 per cent vowing to continue making food from scratch once the restrictions are lifted.

Alessandra Bellini, chief customer officer at Tesco, said: Weve been celebrating Food Love Stories  the food people love to make, for the people they love  for more than three years.

So, during these uncertain times, it is really encouraging to see people turning to cooking to help bring them closer to family and friends, be that in real life or virtually.

Much of the world is reporting on the rise of people trying their hand at cooking while in lockdown (Getty)

While we may not all be able to physically be together at the moment, many are finding comfort in cooking and we are delighted to see how families are coming together.

The study also found when it comes to inspiration, 28 per cent said the dishes they cook at home are influenced by their mum, followed by celebrity chefs (12 per cent) and social media (11 per cent).

And 41 per cent use family recipes that have been passed down to them, including classics such as stews and cakes  with women (45 per cent) more likely to do this than men (36 per cent).

Dishes being made from scratch during lockdown are also timeless, with roast chicken, casseroles and spaghetti Bolognese among the top choices.

Sausage and mash, cottage pie and pizza also proved popular.

The shift in cooking styles comes after 37 per cent blamed a lack of time for their reluctance to cook from scratch prior to lockdown, while more than a quarter put it down to having no motivation.

But now, 34 per cent feel relaxed when cooking, a quarter calm and 21 per cent even find it therapeutic.

A sixth of those polled, via OnePoll, believe food is a means of bringing people together  albeit digitally  and more than a tenth have cooked while on a video call with someone to share tips.

More than one in 10 have also enjoyed a virtual meal  eating at the same time as someone else while on a video call with them.

It also emerged that of those with children at home, 40 per cent said their youngsters have shown an interest in cooking during the lockdown.

A further 46 per cent have even got involved with food prep and more than a third of kids are eating at the dinner table more often than before.

SWNS
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- For Asias most prosperous societies, Covid-19 has exposed a big vulnerability: People simply arent having enough babies to replenish their aging populations. It's foreign workers that make these countries function.Thats why pulling up the drawbridge to halt further spread of the disease and protect domestic businesses would be perilous. Even Japan and South Korea, often seen as hostile to outsiders, have been coming to terms with their reliance on employees from abroad in recent years. In Singapore, long open to immigration, foreigners make up about a third of the workforce, be they bankers, kitchen staff, bus drivers or mail handlers.

Not only is the regions economic health at stake, but also its legacy as a big winner of globalization over the past few decades. The International Monetary Fund forecasts global gross domestic product will shrink 3% this year, easily exceeding the decline of 2009. Trade, the lifeblood of many Asian economies, will fall 11%. Growth in this engine of world commerce would sputter without immigration.

Fertility statistics across the region are grim. In Singapore, the number of children per woman sank to a record low 1.14 in 2018. Korea's rate recently slipped below 1, the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Japan is at 1.4; Hong Kong at 1.3 and Taiwan at about 1. The rate at which a population can replace itself is 2.1.

Singapore has worked hard over the past two decades to encourage couples to have more children, introducing measures such as paid maternity leave, childcare subsidies, tax breaks and one-time cash gifts. The government also picks up most of the tab for in vitro fertilization treatment. Live-in nannies, many of whom are Filipino and Indonesian, provide affordable and readily available help. Yet the fertility rate has remained stubbornly low, as Poh Lin Tan of the National University of Singapore wrote here.

Now, this demographic hurdle is colliding with the coronavirus. While the country won early plaudits for efforts to contain the pandemic, infections have more than trebled since the start of April to 3,699 as of Wednesday. Many of the new cases are linked to dormitories housing foreign workers.Until Covid-19 struck, more than 200,000 low-wage migrants  almost 4% of the population  lived in 43 dormitories, many of which were overcrowded. In one, workers said rooms were infested with cockroaches, rubbish was piling up and toilets were overflowing, the Straits Times reported.

Story continues

These workers make Singapore tick, serving in key industries like construction, logistics and transportation. At least 15 of their housing units have been identified as virus clusters and eight have been declared isolation areas, the Straits Times reported. In an effort to contain the outbreak, the government has shifted some essential employees to offsite facilities, including repurposed hotels, convention centers and military barracks. Officials are increasing testing and warned that infections may rise further.The government has stressed it will take care of foreign workers, improve hygiene where they live and appreciates their contribution to the local economy. Essentially, we are sparing no effort to contain the spread of the virus in the foreign worker dormitories, Lawrence Wong, minister for national development and co-chair of the virus task force, told reporters last week. We have a responsibility for these foreign workers who have come all the way here at considerable expense to make a living in Singapore.Demographic challenges aren't unique to Asia. Fertility rates are dropping in Europe and North America, too  in some ways its a symptom of success. Plugging the gap between natural population growth and job vacancies with personnel from abroad is pretty easy in good times. The sheer need to fill positions tends to outweigh discomfort about newcomers. Even if some politicians eschew the word, immigration has to be part of the answer.

For Singapore, this issue is broached in existential terms. To secure our future, we must make our own babies, enough of them. Because if all of the next generation are not our own, then where do they come from and what is the point of this? Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in October at the Forbes CEO Global Conference. If we can push [up] the fertility rate, not to 2.1 which would be replacing ourselves, but maybe 1.3, 1.4, we produce two-thirds of what we need, then the balance one-third  well, I am prepared to top up from overseas, and the numbers are not too enormous and will not overwhelm us."

Hes right; it is about survival. Not just of nation states, but of an economic model thats delivered success to billions of people across the region. Rather than sealing borders, maintaining mobility of labor will be critical for surviving the economic hit from Covid-19.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. Previously he was executive editor of Bloomberg News for global economics, and has led teams in Asia, Europe and North America.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
What on earth is going on in the films of John Cassavetes? Any movie lover is bound to confront that question, perhaps under a cloud of misconceptions and secondhand impressions. Maybe you heard that Cassavetes, a critical figure in American independent film, had ushered in a new era of realism in movies. Maybe you saw Shadows, which inaugurated the actors directorial career in the late 1950s, and believed its closing title card: The film you have just seen was an improvisation. (It wasnt, at least in any meaningful sense; the Shadows most of us know revised an earlier feature.)

And watching the fits of pure impulse that animate Husbands (1970)  in which three mourning friends suddenly jet off to London, among other surprises  or the childlike mannerisms of the characters that Gena Rowlands, Cassavetess wife, sometimes played, it is tempting to ask: Would anyone actually behave this way?

But Cassavetess films offer shades of humor, joy, terror and sadness that have no analogues elsewhere in cinema. Crucial to understanding them is the realization that raw is not the same as recognizable, and that if his films deserve the loaded label of realism, it is only in a sense that he creates characters whose psychologies are too personal to classify. That is even the subject of his wonderful Opening Night (1977): Rowlands plays an unraveling actress unable to perform until she has synced with her roles idiosyncrasies.
As the tricity remains under lockdown for Covid-19 for over three weeks now, health authorities are racing against time to come up with answers to untraced sources of the disease as the count of patients with no known history of contact with people from infected zones has gone up to four.

Teams tracing the 113 contacts of a Panjab University teacher and Chandigarhs 19th positive case are clueless about the disease source.

As of now, the search has narrowed down to the teachers 64-year-old mother-in-law, who came down from Delhi to help during her daughters pregnancy and childbirth.

The teacher who tested positive last Friday, is in the intensive care unit of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). Even as his wife (32) and infant daughter are negative, the mother-in-law and elder daughter (8) have tested positive. We have not been able to trace his source. The man has no travel or contact history, says Chandigarh health secretary Arun Gupta.

The only man with history of foreign travel the teacher had come in contact with on March 10 had tested negative. So, the only possibility is that he might have caught infection from his mother-in-law, who came from Delhi, Gupta adds.

Contacts of teachers relative being tested

However, even as the Chandigarh administration had written to Delhi to test the womans family, calling it a case of community spread would be wrong, Gupta cautions.

A PGIMER based epidemiologist, however, does not agree, saying: We are afraid this could be a case of community spread.

Indicating that there is no need to panic, the epidemiologist says other indications of community spread are not holding true for Chandigarh. For instance, we are not finding corona positivity among patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). But, its worrisome if source is not found.

Sources of three more cases in Mohali that are yet to be traced include the panch of Jawaharpur village in Dera Bassi, because of whom 38 more cases turned positive, pushing up Mohali districts tally to 56, the highest in Punjab.

The source of infection of the tricitys first fatality, a 65-year-old Nayagaon man who died on March 31, also remains a mystery even though 35 of his contacts were traced.

On April 7, the reports of another 78-year-old from the Mundi Kharar area of Mohali district, a woman, came out positive after her death. Only 15 of her contacts could be traced, of whom two tested positive.

Markaz link

We are trying our best to find the primary source, but have not been able to do so, says Dr Manjit Singh, civil surgeon, Mohali.  As far as the panch of Dera Bassi is concerned, we are suspecting that he came in contact with a worker who in turn came in contact with one of the attendees of the Tablighi Jamaats Markaz event at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month, but we have not confirmed this yet, he adds.

Apart from the four, the Panchkula health department is also struggling to trace the source of infection of the a 44-year-old woman living in the citys Sector 15, who tested positive on Tuesday, following which eight of her family members were also infected.

(With inputs from Yuvraj Kaushal)
Russia sees Trump's 'selfish' WHO decision 'most concerning'

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 5:06 PM

US President Donald Trump's 'selfish' decision to cut funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) is worthy of condemnation, the Kremlin says.

Trump said on Tuesday that Washington would suspend the WHO funding over what he called the UN body's "mismanagement" of the new coronavirus pandemic, in a move that has drawn widespread international condemnation.

"We see yesterday's announcement by Washington on freezing funding of the WHO as most concerning," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency TASS.

"It is a sign of the very selfish approach of the US authorities to what is happening in the world due to the pandemic."

"Such a blow to this organization just when the international community is looking towards it... is a step worthy of condemnation and every reproach."

The Russian diplomat also called on Washington to "cease further attacks on the WHO and take a responsible course."

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Trump's decision showed that Washington's main priority is to name and shame the "guilty" and shows its own flawlessness.

"For politicians of this country, there is always someone to blame. In the pandemic, it is China and the WHO," TASS quoted Zakharova as saying.

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It was an effort, like many across the country, to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus in jails. But one day after officials in Hillsborough County, Fla., released more than 160 inmates, one of them shot and killed a man in Tampa, the authorities said.

The inmate, Joseph Edward Williams, 26, was arrested this week and charged with second-degree murder, resisting an officer with violence as well as drug and gun charges, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office.

Mr. Williams had been released on March 19 from the Orient Road Jail in Tampa, awaiting resolution of lower-level, nonviolent drug offenses, the sheriffs office said. He was accused of committing the murder the next day.

Mr. Williams was the only one of the 164 inmates released from two county jails to have been arrested again, the sheriffs office said on Wednesday. But the case could reignite criticism from some law enforcement officials and prosecutors who had warned that releasing inmates as a public health response to the virus could jeopardize public safety.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

A lawsuit was filed Wednesday against The Hartford insurance company by the owner of San Francisco's historic John's Grill after the restaurant could not collect on a claim for business interruption losses due to the coronavirus, attorneys for the restaurant said.

"I did not want to file a lawsuit," owner John Konstin said in a statement. "Hartford now denies coverage, claiming that the specific provision that says we are protected if a 'civil authority' shuts us down, doesn't mean what it says."

All nonessential businesses in San Francisco and the Bay Area have been forced to at least shut down temporarily to help limit the spread of the virus. John's Grill shut down March 16.

MORE: Not enough San Franciscans are wearing masks so this popular brunch spot closed instead

San Francisco supervisors on April 7 passed a resolution that, in part, declares the coronavirus an extreme danger to the public in an effort to get insurance companies to cover business interruption claims due to the virus.

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Spokesman Jay Cheng said California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara needs to step in because all business interruption claims have been denied.

Apparently, many restaurants are ready to join the lawsuit.

"We are hearing from restaurants and small businesses from all over California and the rest of the country," Brian Danitz, an attorney representing Konstin and John's Grill, said in a statement. "This lawsuit will be followed by many more from business owners who have been unfairly denied coverage during this pandemic."

Neither a call nor an email was returned Wednesday seeking comment from executives at The Hartford.

Copyright  2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Yes, Theyre Open" is a new web series highlighting local bars and restaurants that are still open for takeout, delivery or pickup during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Live streams from the featured restaurants are broadcast on the Advance Facebook page every weekday around 3 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Advance/SILive.com visited ONeills, a traditional Irish pub that is open for pickup and delivery orders. The restaurant, located at 1614 Forest Ave. in Port Richmond, offers a full menu, to-go drinks and tap beer. Staff members say they will deliver anywhere within a 20-minute drive of the restaurant.

ONeills also has partnered with Rolling Thunder to donate more than 300 meals to veterans across the borough on a weekly basis.

Staten Island restaurant owners: If you would like your establishment featured for free as part of Yes, Theyre Open, email reporter Victoria Priola at vpriola@siadvance.com.

For a full list of restaurants and bars that are still open for takeout, delivery and curbside pickup, click here.

YES, THEYRE OPEN: ONeills, a traditional Irish pub, is open for pickup and delivery at 1614 Forest Ave. Call 718-273-4481 to place your order. Posted by Staten Island Advance on Wednesday, April 15, 2020

MORE ON YES, THEYRE OPEN

Maxs Es-Ca, 1559 Richmond Road.

Harvest Cafe, 694 New Dorp Lane

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1650 Richmond Ave., 1407 Forest Ave. and 7001 Amboy Road

Kings Arms Diner, 500 Forest Ave.

Giovannis Trattoria, 3800 Richmond Ave.

Reggianos, 7339 Amboy Road

Beso, 11 Schuyler St.

Blue, 1115 Richmond Terrace

In Fine Fettle, 961 Jewett Ave.

West Shore Inn, 3955 Victory Blvd.

Better Gourmet Health Kitchen, 2333 Hylan Blvd., 400 Forest Ave., 4077 Victory Blvd. and 877 Huguenot Ave.

Campania Coal Fired Pizza, 3900 Richmond Ave.

Call It A Wrap, 1198 Forest Ave.

Beans and Leaves, 422 Forest Ave.
The head of the World Health Organisation's European office is hailing a show of support, including some "commitments" from around the world, for the UN health agency after US President Donald Trump announced a halt to funding for it.

Amid an increasingly fraught financial situation for the WHO as it battles the coronavirus outbreak, Dr Hans Kluge said: "We have been overwhelmed by the support of European countries."



In an online briefing, the WHO's regional director for Europe credited the US for its historic support for the agency.

The US is WHO's top donor, contributing between USD 400 million to USD 500 million annually in recent years.

Trump on Tuesday ordered a temporary halt to US funding pending a review of its alleged missteps in managing and responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"We are looking at the finance situation. Some commitments have come in," Kluge said, without elaborating. "But for the time, we're in the midst of the crisis. So what we focus on is to save lives."



Kluge said some countries like France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland have shown "optimistic signs in terms of declining numbers" in recent weeks, but the "small positive signals in some countries are tempered by sustained or increased levels of incidents in other countries, including the UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian Federation".

"The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region," Kluge said, noting that case numbers are still rising - and have doubled to nearly 1 million over the last 10 days.

He said the WHO's European region is facing "about 50 per cent of the global burden of COVID-19".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Koreas Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un remained absent from commemorations of his grandfathers birth anniversary which triggered speculations around unusual break away from traditions. Experts have reportedly suggested that the Norths leader might be looking to establish himself as an independent and modern leader rather than a mere descendant of his predecessors.

In North Korea, April 15 is considered as one of the most important days in the countrys annual political calendar to celebrate the dynasty. According to media reports, analysts believe that Kim wants to distance himself from the cult of personality when the people of North Korea are taught to revere Kim II Sung and Kim Jong II, father of the current Supreme Leader.

However, Kim has been visibly absent from two major events this week which raised further questions regarding the decision. On April 12, North Korean legislature held its third session in the absence of its Supreme Leader as the world is struggling to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Read: Kim Jong Un Absent As North Korean Legislature Holds Third Session Amid Pandemic

No reported coronavirus case

North Korea has not reported a single case of coronavirus case so far which the Politburo reportedly called a result of countrys top-class emergency anti-epidemic measures from the outset. Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that it has been receiving weekly updates from the health ministry and the country even has the capacity to test coronavirus in its national reference laboratory in Pyongyang.

Read: Experts Doubt Kim Jong Un As North Korea Hasn't Reported Single Case Of COVID-19

Earlier, Norths senior health minister had also insisted that the country is free from coronavirus saying it does not have a single case of the disease. Pak Myong Su, director of the anti-epidemic department of the Norths Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters, said that North Korea sealed its borders late January, shortly after the coronavirus outbreak news emerged from neighbouring China.

According to the WHO website, North Korea, Lesotho, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have not reported a single coronavirus case. However, several foreign experts have raised doubts over the veracity of report from North Korea, which shares a border with China and South Korea.

Read: Kim Jong Un Announces Measures To Contain Coronavirus In North Korea

Read: North Korea's Kim Jong Un Calls For Stronger Anti-virus Efforts

(Image source: AP)
Part of PPP requires us to reach our old level of employment to get debt forgiven; we have to hire people back and keep them for two months, she said. My restaurant is not going to reopen in two months, and then Ill have to lay off everybody all over again. They (employees) are not going to come back, if its only for a short time before we close our doors again. If we cant turn these loans into grants, all were doing is saddling restaurants with debt they can never pay off.
UN police officers in Mali step up action against human trafficking and migrant smuggling with UNODC support

Photo:  UN Photo / Gema Cortes

Mali, 16 April 2020 - In Mali, action against human trafficking and smuggling has strengthened following the cooperation of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with the UNs Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and the training of UN police officers deployed under the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA).

Most importantly and as a result of this cooperation, victims are saved: for example, one of the trained UN police officers supported Malian police units in 2019 to rescue Guinean women exploited in prostitution in Mali after they had been lured with job offers in hair salons or supermarkets.

As of January 2020, MINUSMA had trained 140 police officers (89 male and 51 female).

Conflict fuels human trafficking and migrant smuggling. In turn, these crimes threaten stability, peace and rule of law in fragile States. In Mali, MINUSMA operates since 2013 to stabilize the country, support restoration of State authority, protect civilians and promote human rights.

In order to support MINUSMA in carrying out its mission, UNODC partnered with DPO and the Police component of MINUSMA to help UN police officers better understand how trafficking and smuggling manifest and affect civilians in Mali.

With UNODCs support, MINUSMA is now offering hands-on, practical and context-specific training on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants to all UN police officers upon their deployment. UNODC has also supported MINUSMA police officers in delivering training on trafficking and smuggling to Malian law enforcement in Gao.

Marking the completion of this pilot project, UNODC published today the Training Manual developed with DPO and MINUSMA to support the training. On this occasion, John Brandolino, Director, Division for Treaty Affairs, UNODC, said: We welcome this training effort and the results achieved as a milestone in UNs response to support war affected states. Threats associated to trafficking and smuggling are exacerbated by conflict, and call for resolute and robust action. UNODC worked closely with the Department of Peace Operations in Mali and stands ready to replicate this pilot intervention in other countries, in response to the mandates given by the Security Council.

Mark Pedersen, Chief, Integrated Training Service, DPO, stated: We recognize the work to integrate this mission-specific training module into the induction training of our mission in Mali, and the assistance towards the training of the police officers that are to deliver the session, using practical scenario-based exercises and case studies. The lessons learned will enhance the work of MINUSMA UNPOL in this area and the support being given to the host state in protecting and addressing the needs of trafficking victims and smuggled migrants. 

The pilot project and the publication of the Manual were made possible with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland.

Further Information

Introduction to Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants: TRAINING MODULE FOR POLICE OFFICERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED STABILIZATION MISSION IN MALI
Thousands of conservative demonstrators  a number of them armed  have brought chaos and gridlock to the centre of Michigans capital to protest over the governors stay-at-home coronavirus order.

Ignoring Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmers order to keep off the streets to try and reduce the spread of the virus, thousands of protesters, many of them waving Donald Trump banners, poured into Lansing as part of what was termed Operation Gridlock.

There they honked their horns and chanted lock her up, a slogan the president typically encouraged his supporters to shout at his rallies in reference to Hillary Clinton.

The protesters took over the streets of the centre of the city, and posed for images on the steps of legislative and other government buildings.

The protest was organised by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, which claims the Republican Party has taken an unhealthy turn to the left.

We are all concerned for those afflicted with Covid-199. Yes, many of the personal behaviours we have been reminded to use are good practices. Wash your hands. Cover your cough. Stay home if you are sick, read a message on the MCCs website. That said, Michiganders are fed up!

It added: Our governor and her allies are infecting ALL of us with their radical, progressive agenda. There is NO reasoned and public plan to promote our overall physical and economic health!

Dope stores? Open. Abortion clinics? Open. Churches? Shut down. Local businesses? Going broke!

The organisation did not immediately respond to enquiries.

Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan Show all 13 1 /13 Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan A protester holds a sign comparing Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer to a Nazi during a demonstration at the State Capitol in Lansing over coronavirus lockdown measures AP Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan An armed protester taking part in a demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan EPA Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan Vehicles sit in gridlock during a protest in Lansing, Michigan over lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic AP Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan People protest against coronavirus lockdown measures in Lansing, Michigan AP Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan An armed man stands outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan during a protest against lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic AFP via Getty Images Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan A 2020 Trump Unity sign is displayed during a protest against coronavirus lockdown measures at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan AP Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan A protester calls for the impeachment of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer during a demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures in Lansing EPA Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan A slogan on the back of a truck during a protest against coronavirus lockdown measures in Lansing, Michigan EPA Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan Drivers sit in gridlock as part of a protest against lockdown measures in Michigan outside the State Capitol in Lansing during the coronavirus pandemic AFP via Getty Images Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan Protesters wave US flags outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, during a demonstration against lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic AFP via Getty Images Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan People protest against coronavirus lockdown measures at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan AFP via Getty Images Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan A protester holds up a banner directed at Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer during a demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures near the State Capitol in Lansing AFP via Getty Images Operation Gridlock: Anti-lockdown protests in Michigan People take part in a protest against lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan AFP via Getty Images

Meshawn Maddock, a spokesperson for the group, told NBC News: There is no reason why she cant be looking at some safe ways to be opening up businesses. Instead of talking about whats essential and nonessential, lets talk about whats safe and not safe. Safe businesses and safe workers need to get back to work.

The move comes as the president has engaged with a war of words with governors across the nation, first suggesting that he alone had the authority to decide when social distancing measures put in place to halt the spread of the virus should end.

Many governors have pushed back, saying that while it is important to restart their economies, their priority has to be public safety.

CNN pointed out the orders put in place in Michigan were among the toughest in the country.

Ms Whitmer  whose state has the fourth highest number of coronavirus infections and the third highest number of deaths  last week extended her stay at home order to prohibit gatherings of any people who are not part of a single household, to end in-state vacations or travel to second homes, and to order that large stores may only have four customers for every 1,000 square feet of customer floor space.

 Illinois governor says he's 'given up on' waiting for coronavirus testing help from the federal government

JJ MacNab, a fellow at George Washington University and an expert on anti-government groups and extremists, has been monitoring the protests in Michigan. She said another event was being planned for Saturday in Austin, Texas, backed by Owen Shroyer who works for Alex Joness conspiracy theory-promoting InfoWars. Events are also planned for Oregon, Utah, Idaho Washgton state and California.

She told The Independent the lines between extremists and anti-government protesters had been increasingly blurred.

What theyre doing is, theyre coming in pickup trucks and whatever and just blocking the streets around the capital, she said.

She added: When you see a long line of cars driving in from one particular town which is population 3000. And if they are coming from their town to the do this protest, imagine what theyre carrying back to that little town that probably doesnt have a big hospital, lots of beds, an ICU and ventilators.
WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Thursday rejected Roger Stone's demand for a new trial, ruling in a blistering opinion that the jury forewoman in Stone's trial was not biased against President Donald Trump's longtime political confidant.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that while the juror might have expressed strong opinions about Trump on social media, she did not lie in answering a pretrial questionnaire probing potential jurors for bias or have a prejudicial view of Stone.

The assumption that the forewoman could not fairly consider the evidence against Stone based on her views about Trump "is not supported by any facts or data and it is contrary to controlling legal precedent," Jackson wrote in an 81-page opinion. The judge called Stone's motion "a tower of indignation" with "little of substance holding it up."

"While the social media communications may suggest that the juror has strong opinions about certain people or issues, they do not reveal that she had an opinion about Roger Stone, which is the opinion that matters," Jackson wrote.

She also took Stone's lawyers to task for not doing basic research on the juror before she was allowed to join the panel.

"The information in the motion could have easily been found with the exercise of due diligence: by posing a few pointed follow-up questions in person, or by using the same search engines that quickly brought the public social media posts to light the day the juror identified herself to the rest of the world," Jackson wrote. "The evidence the defense claims was critical was never 'concealed' - it was a few clicks of a mouse away."

The ruling came months after Trump issued public statements stoking controversy over Stone's case by attacking the integrity of the judge, jurors, federal prosecutors and the judicial system. The attacks were punctuated by the president's blasting of the forewoman and Jackson as biased before and during a February hearing - despite warnings by Attorney General William Barr to stop tweeting about Justice Department criminal cases.

"There has rarely been a juror so tainted as the forewoman in the Roger Stone case," Trump tweeted during a hearing earlier this year in which federal prosecutors were defending the jury verdict. "Look at her background. She never revealed her hatred of 'Trump' and Stone. She was totally biased, as is the judge. Roger wasn't even working on my campaign. Miscarriage of justice. Sad to watch!"

Trump has hinted on Twitter that he might pardon Stone.

A jury convicted Stone in November of lying during testimony to the House Intelligence Committee in September 2017 to conceal his central role in the Trump campaign's efforts to learn about Democratic computer files hacked by Russia and made public by WikiLeaks to damage Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton. Stone, the last defendant charged in special counsel Robert Mueller III's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, suspended pending his motion for a new trial.

At a hearing earlier this year, Jackson rebuked Trump and some conservative commentators for subjecting the juror to intimidation and harassment, while allowing Stone's defense and federal prosecutors to question the forewoman and two other jurors about her actions.

At the hearing, Jackson drew a distinction between animus against Stone that could have denied him a fair trial and commentary on other political topics by the forewoman. Though the forewoman was not named by the court, she has publicly identified herself as Tomeka Hart, a former president of the Memphis City Schools Board of Commissioners and unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Congress.

Jackson pointed out that during jury selection it was she, the judge, who pressed the potential juror about her ability to remain impartial, and that Stone's defense attorney said he had no questions.

"The defendant has not shown that the juror lied; nor has he shown that the supposedly disqualifying evidence could not have been found through the exercise of due diligence at the time the jury was selected," Jackson wrote in her decision, which the defense is expected to appeal.

Jackson has ordered that Stone must report to prison when he is notified to do so by the U.S. Probation Office, but she added that he would have at least two weeks from the time of her ruling.

Stone defense attorney Seth Ginsberg said Hart was not truthful when she said she did not recall commenting publicly on Stone's case. Ginsberg cited her retweet of a news article the day of Stone's arrest in January 2019 about him and other charged Trump associates, with the comment, "Brought to you by the lock her up peanut gallery." Ginsberg also singled out an August post in which, he said, "the foreperson equated being a supporter of Trump with being a racist."

"She failed to disclose evidence regarding her strong views of Mr. Stone and the political issues in this case," Ginsberg said.

Stone's attorneys conceded during the hearing that neither they nor his jury consultants chose to run a Google search on the juror, despite knowing for days she was likely to be among the first selected, citing "cost-slash-strategic" considerations.

For her part, Hart insisted she had "no intention" of misleading the court in her responses before she was selected and said she ignored anything about the case that came to her via social media during the trial.

Prosecutors argued that Stone's "frivolous" motion "appears to be nothing more than an attempt to fuel its public campaigns to undermine the jury's verdict" by fanning "a conspiracy-laden narrative" that he was convicted by "a biased judge and hijacked jury."
Depending on which plans stick, school officials may also be forced to navigate complicated relationships with unionized teachers, who work on 10-month contracts. Elizabeth Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union, said she is not opposed to adding extra school days but leaders should work with the union on any calender changes. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has called on Congress to include money in a stimulus bill that would pay teachers who volunteer to work hours beyond their teacher contracts.
KAMPALA  All 1162 suspected coronavirus samples tested negative on Thursday at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, ministry of Health has announced.

That means Ugandas confirmed coronavirus cases remain at 55 with 19 recoveries and 0 deaths.

A statement by Ministry of Health noted out the 1162 samples tested, 839 were samples from cargo truck drivers while 323 were from individuals under quarantine and their contacts across the country.

Today, eight (8) patients who were positive for COVID-19 have fully recovered, tested negative twice for COVID-19 and discharged from Mulago Hospital Specialized (7) and (1) Hoima Hospital, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services at the Ministry of Health.

He said that the total number of patients who have been been discharged is now 20.

Uganda banned public transport and non-essential private transport until May 5.

Cargo trucks with a total of 3 crew, including the driver, are still allowed to cross borders with government intensifying testing at border entries.

Between Wednesday and Thursday, Mulago national referral hospital discharged eight patients who have fully recovered from the coronavirus disease.

According to the officials, the discharged patients have tested negative twice and are now clinically free of the virus.

The eight were part of the 23 patients that the hospital has been managing.

Elsewhere in East Africa Tanzania on Thursday reported 11 news case, raising it total infections to 94, Rwandas infections stand at 139 with confirmation of two new cases on Thursday whereas Kenya has 234 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Related
Hungary says it will begin expelling 14 Iranian students on April 16 for alleged violations of coronavirus quarantine rules.



The Iranians "displayed blatantly antisocial, violent behavior" while under quarantine in a Budapest hospital last month, police Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kiss said on April 15.



Eleven of the students are to be expelled on April 16; the other three are to be sent home on April 23, Kiss said at a news briefing.



The expulsions follow complaints by the Hungarian Health Ministry accusing them of leaving their hospital rooms without permission and without protective clothing. They refused to return to their rooms, loudly demonstrated their dissatisfaction, and behaved aggressively toward medical staff, the ministry said.



The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC), a rights group that represents one of the students, has called Budapests accusations about its client "absurd.



The 33-year-old pharmacy student was put in hospital quarantine on March 7 and given an expulsion order within a week despite obeying the rules, according to HHC. Her appeal against deportation to Iran was then rejected by a Budapest court on April 8.



The HHC said in an earlier statement that all the students later proved to have no symptoms of COVID-19.



A spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Abbas Mousavi, told Iranian media last week that the expulsion decisions were "deeply regrettable."



Hungary, which has a population of almost 10 million, has recorded some 1,600 COVID-19 infections and 134 deaths, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University.



On March 30, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was granted emergency powers indefinitely by the Hungarian parliament to tackle the pandemic and its impact.

Based on reporting by AFP.
Green economies, a bulwark against COVID 19 for Lake Chad communities

April 16,2020 | Source: IndiaEducationDiary

COVID 19 is causing a shockwave around the world and is now the number one concern of the international community. It is fundamental and legitimate to focus on the present of the pandemic. But we must not forget the root causes. It is also essential to think now about the post-crisis, the reconstruction phase, which should be about not only health, economic and social issues but also the environment.



In 2019, when the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services was published, it was demonstrated for the first time that human activity was responsible for the erosion of 75% of terrestrial ecosystems. Large natural ecosystems are fragmented or destroyed to make way for human economic activity that encroaches on the habitat of centuries-old species, leading to overcrowding that is detrimental to all. For example, in the case of the 2003 SARS epidemic, it was scientifically proven that the civet was the intermediate host and natural reservoir of the virus. In the case of COVID-19, nothing can yet be confirmed, but a consensus among researchers seems to revolve around the pangolin and another intermediate host, the bat, which is known to be a reservoir of the virus. A scientific article published in February in the journal BioRxiv by Zhang et al. (2020) revealed that SARS-CoV-2 shares 91.02% of its genome with strains isolated from pangolins. It should be recalled that this highly prized animal in Asia is the most poached species in the world with 100,000 individuals captured per year.



Finally, let us remember that in the case of Ebola fever, whose intermediate host is the bat, the great apes, our closest cousins, have been contaminated and populations have been decimated, sometimes by as much as 95%.



These pressures on biodiversity and its natural habitats, by bringing species closer together, favour the emergence of zoonoses such as COVID-19. It is therefore necessary to take note of these mechanisms now and to draw the consequences in order to avoid a new tragedy. More than ever, we need to rethink our link with nature.



For nearly 50 years, UNESCO, through its Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, has been at the forefront and has been promoting the need to ensure that human activities do not harm nature and that they are interconnected in a way that is not only neutral but positive. Biosphere reserves play a key role in this respect.



Biosphere reserves are laboratories of harmonious interaction between people and nature, allowing for advances in the sciences and in traditional knowledge. They facilitate the sharing of knowledge, promote the interaction between science and society and help bring concrete improvements to the lives of local populations



Ms. Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, talks on how we can assist countries in this economic, social and environmental reconstruction:





The project BIOsphere and Heritage of Lake Chad (BIOPALT) provides some possible solutions. This project promotes the safeguarding of Lake Chad and the sustainable management of natural resources in favour of peace and the development of communities, especially women, youth and indigenous peoples.



Within this framework, UNESCO is mobilized with these Lake Chad communities, which are among the poorest on the planet, and applies the principles of the MAB Programme in the implementation of income-generating activities (IGAs) based on green economy. These activities are now helping to mitigate the expected socio-economic impacts of the crisis linked to COVID 19.



In Niger, these IGAs strengthen the socio-economic resilience of nearly 30,000 people, including 13,000 women.



Lake Chad and its basin are the economic and ecological lungs for more than 45 million women, men and children. Shared between Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic and Chad, the area abounds with exceptional biodiversity symbolized by the presence of biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites and wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites).



The region is the cradle of a thousand-year-old civilization and a formidable unifying element between the communities of North Africa and the ones just south of the Sahara. It has always been a place where cultures have converged and intermingled.



Over the last four decades, the surface area of Lake Chad has decreased considerably. It decreased by more than 90% between 1960 and 1985 due to the drop in rainfall, l which has not been compensated by the rising water levels observed since the 2000s. This has led to significant imbalances and a weakening of the ecosystems.



The region faces other environmental challenges such as biodiversity conservation, deforestation, drought, desertification and land degradation. In addition to this environmental crisis, there is a security and humanitarian crisis marked by the rise of violent extremism and significant population migration.



In response to this situation, UNESCO and the Lake Chad Basin Commission have joined forces to implement the BIOPALT project with funding from the African Development Bank through ADF funds. This project was launched in 2018 for a period of three years. Income-generating activities based on green economies in Niger are implemented in partnership with the UNDP Small Grants Programme.

 IndiaEducationDiary ,2020

Theme(s): Others.
She filmed herself brushing her teeth with full makeup on and in her underwear and crop top on her Instagram live Tuesday.

And two days later, Emily Ratajowksi shared a snap of herself posing topless while wearing bikini bottoms from her Inamorata brand.

Hours before, the 28-year-old supermodel opted to forgo a top again while sporting a blazer paired with a skirt in another look from her clothing label.

Lovely: Emily Ratajowksi shared a snap of herself posing topless while wearing bikini bottoms from her Inamorata brand on Thursday morning

Emily, who captioned it with a lemon and the Instagram handle for Inamorata Woman, showcased her toned abs and her ample cleavage in the sultry snap.

The stunner donned Inamorata's Melba Bottom in the Burgundy Leopard pattern, that retails for $80, with a denim bucket hat and her hands covering up her chest.

Emily went topless again in another snap while rocking a black blazer and mini skirt from her brand.

The beautiful brunette posed on a staircase in the Inamorata Vista Skirt, which retails for $75, paired with the Los Feliz Blazer, which is $135.

Wow factor: Hours before, the 28-year-old supermodel opted to forgo a top again while sporting a blazer paired with a skirt in another look from her clothing label

Edit: She later showed off a poster for her brand crafted from her original photo

The actress donned white ruched boots with gold earrings, opting to leave her locks loose and sleek.

Emily shared an outtake from her topless bikini bottoms shoot to her stories as well.

The night before, Emily posed in her bedroom at her LA home while sporting a silky red slip dress for a mirror selfie.

The model launched her brand as Inamorata Swim in 2017 with a daring swimsuit collection.

All angles: Later Emily shared a cheeky glimpse of their back of her saucy look

Gorgeous: Emily shared an outtake from her topless bikini bottoms shoot to her stories as well

Wow: The night before, Emily posed in her bedroom at her LA home while sporting a silky red slip dress for a mirror selfie

In February 2019 she revealed she is expanding with a lingerie and bodywear line - Body - under the umbrella of her label, which she now calls Inamorata Woman; she's also added casual pieces and workwear.

In a February 6, 2019 post, Emily shared a snap of herself in a lace bra and underwear while at a convenience store with the caption: 'A little over a year of @inamoratawoman and I'm so thrilled to finally share what I've been working on for you guys. Introducing BODY, a category that is so much more than lingerie. I hope you guys love it as much as I do.'

Emily is married Sebastian Bear-McClard, a 32-year-old actor and producer; they tied the knot on February 23, 2018 in a New York City courthouse.

Views: The star shared a look at her well designed living room on Wednesday

So cool: Emily also shared a look at her new sweater featuring her dog Colombo's cute face

Cuties: Emily is married Sebastian Bear-McClard, a 32-year-old actor and producer; they tied the knot on February 23, 2018 in a New York City courthouse

Model: She filmed herself brushing her teeth with full makeup on and in her underwear and crop top on her Instagram live Tuesday

Homebound: Emily, Sebastian and Colombo flew back back to LA from NYC last week amid the global COVID-19 pandemic
WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

Lata Mangeshkar admitted to ICU in Mumbai Hospital after testing positive for Covid

COVID-19 patients can spread infection two days before symptoms says study

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: Patients with COVID-19 shed, or excrete, infectious coronavirus two to three days before showing first symptoms, according to a modelling study which says control measures taken after symptoms appear may have a reduced effect in curbing the pandemic.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, noted that several factors can affect the efficacy of control measures designed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

These include the time between successive cases in a chain of transmission, and the incubation period between exposure to an infection and the appearance of symptoms, according to researchers, including Eric Lau from the University of Hong Kong.

Coronavirus patient could still pass on virus 8 days after their symptoms disappear

If the serial interval is shorter than the incubation period, this would indicate that transmission may have happened before overt symptoms develop, they said.

In the study, the scientists assessed the temporal patterns of viral shedding in 94 patients with admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital in China.

They analysed throat swabs collected from these patients from when symptoms first appeared until 32 days later.

According to the study 414 swabs were analysed, and the scientists found that the patients had the highest viral load at the onset of symptoms.

They also modelled COVID-19 infectiousness profiles from a different sample of 77 transmission pairs' from publicly available data.

Each of these pairs comprised two patients with COVID-19 with a clear epidemiological link, with one patient highly likely to have infected the other, the scientists explained.

From here, the researchers inferred that infectiousness started 2.3 days before symptoms appeared and peaked at 0.7 days before their appearance.

After symptoms end, can coronavirus spread again?

By their estimate, 44 per cent of secondary cases were infected during the pre-symptomatic stage, with infectiousness predicted to decrease quickly within seven days.

According to the scientists, limitations of the study include the reliance of the research on patient recall of the onset of symptoms, which may have introduced bias, as there may be a delay in the recognition of the first symptoms.
The Australian economy faces a projected hit of up to $60 billion within the next three years while international students are blocked from coming here due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The blow from each six-month intake of foreign students lost could equate to the hit the economy took when Australia lost its entire car manufacturing industry.

The countrys eight most prestigious universities face the largest loss of revenue, because of their greater intake of international students, but smaller and regional universities are also likely to suffer severe financial consequences that could force them to shed staff and cut back on courses.

Universities face an estimated hit of $10b to $19b in lost revenue from international students. Credit:Louie Douvis

Modelling by Victoria Universitys Mitchell Institute projects that Australias university sector will lose between $10 billion and $19 billion between 2020 and 2023, depending on how quickly the nations borders are reopened to students.
Group to hold "Re-open Missouri Rally" at Capitol JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) - A Facebook group called "Reopen Missouri" plans to hold a rally in Jefferson City, Mo. in protest of the state's Stay at Home order. The "Re-open Missouri" rally is schedule for noon on Tuesday, April 21 outside of the State Capitol.

In other cities, this. However, we've seen these local social media efforts pop up over the course of the lock down and they usually fizzle before the meetup date . . . Here's the latest:
Globally known for critically and commercially acclaimed movies, Lionsgate Play, the latest streaming service from Global Content leader Lionsgate, will be launching digital premier of Nicolas Cage starrer, sci-fi action thriller film titled NEXT in India on Friday,17th April 2020.

NEXT is American science fiction action thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel. The film tells the story of Cris Johnson, a small-time magician based in Las Vegas, who has limited precognition; his ability allows him to see into the very immediate future. His gift makes him a target not only of a highly motivated and heavily armed group of terrorists, but also wanted by the FBI to help them fight those same terrorists.

Cinephiles can watch the film on leading telecom partner apps of Lionsgate Play - Vodafone Play, Idea Movies & TV and Airtel Xstream.
The coronavirus pandemic has shown societies value the health of their citizens more than the health of their economies, Mark Carney said today.

The former Bank of England governor said companies would be judged 'by "what they did during the war", how they treated employees, suppliers and customers, by who shared and who hoarded', and that the crisis was a 'test of stakeholder capitalism'.

Carney, who took over Britain's central bank five years after the 2008 financial crisis, wrote the article for The Economist and said what was deemed valuable would change after the pandemic.

Mark Carney said the trend of an asset or activity needing to have a market value to be deemed valuable could change after the coronavirus pandemic

Previously, he said, an asset or activity needed to have a market value in order to be seen as valuable.

But he wrote: 'Fundamentally the traditional drivers of value have been shaken, new ones will gain prominence, and there's a possibility that the gulf between what markets value and what people value will close.'

He added that our new way of living locally and connecting digitally will create four broad trends:

- An increasingly fragmented global economy;

- The taking up of company enterprise value by lost cashflows and increased financial support from governments;

- A change in how companies balance risk and resilience and prepare for catastrophe;

- Less appetite from individuals to take on financial risk from markets, sectors and companies as they face the fear of being unemployed, uninsured or worse.

Speaks out on climate change

The man who ran the Bank of England for seven years also shared thoughts on how our response to the coronavirus pandemic could affect our response to climate change, an issue he has become increasingly vocal about in recent years.

He is due to become a special envoy on climate change and finance for the United Nations, and said late last year 'every company, every financial institution, every asset manager, pension fund or insurer' needed to spell out their plan for dealing with climate change.

Carney wrote today that a trend towards isolation and individualism amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen individual countries enforce their own individual lockdowns and scramble over each other to try and procure tests and protective equipment, and US president Donald Trump withdrawing funding from the World Health Organisation would be tested by climate change.

He wrote: 'After all, climate change is an issue that i) involves the entire world, from which no one will be able to self-isolate; ii) is predicted by science to be the central risk tomorrow; and iii) we can only address if we act in advance and in solidarity.'

The new series in The Economist is called 'the world after Covid-19.'

Mr Carney stepped down as Bank of England governor last month and was replaced by Andrew Bailey.

A few days before stepping down, the base rate was cut to 0.25 per cent from 0.75 per cent just ahead of the Budget, delivered by Rishi Sunak.

Three days after Mr Bailey's appointment, base rate was cut to an all-time low of 0.1 per cent in response to the coronavirus outbreak and the economic chaos it is predicted to create.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of 12 Missouri hospitals have filed a civil suit in Greene County Circuit Court against manufacturers, distributors and retailers of opioid-based drugs. Between 2006 and 2014, opioid distributors shipped nearly 2.2 billion pills to Missouri, equaling 362 opioid doses for every man, woman and child in the state. By 2017, 71.8 opioid prescriptions were written for every 100 persons, higher than the national average of 58.7 per 100.

Several years ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. Today's suit alleges the retailers, distributors and manufacturers of the drug are largely responsible for this crisis and the associated health care costs resulting from patients with opioid-related health conditions.

The suit details how the drug manufacturers' deceptive marketing messages to hospitals and physicians claimed there was a low risk of developing dependence when prescribing opioids to treat chronic pain, overstating the benefits of opioids and trivializing the risk of long-term use. Distributors and retailers ignored mounting evidence of a crisis, disregarded their duties to maintain effective control of the pills and failed to identify, report and take steps to halt suspicious orders in the pursuit of profit.

"For almost two decades hospitals have experienced financial harm addressing the fallout from the opioid crisis, and they continue to fund treatment for many opioid-addicted patients with little or no reimbursement," said Greg Aleshire, attorney with Aleshire Robb & Rapp, in Springfield. "As the world steps back and stays home, hospitals serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 global pandemic, while continuing to suffer the financial and operational impact of the opioid epidemic. Hospitals need financial relief now more than ever to help ensure resources will be available to care for our communities."

The opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. Between 1999 and 2014, more than 165,000 Americans died of opioid overdose and the trend continued to accelerate. More than 45,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses in a 12-month period ending September 2017.

Widespread drug addiction imposes many costs on a community including the expense of health care and substance abuse treatment. Hospitals in Missouri and across the country, bound both by their missions and by federal law, have a responsibility to stabilize and treat any patient, regardless of their ability to pay. As a result, more than any other kind of institution, hospitals have borne the financial brunt of the opioid crisis.

The Missouri hospitals join more than 650 hospitals across the United States to file state-based lawsuits against the manufacturers, distributors and retailers responsible for the opioid crisis. Learn more about the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic on America's hospitals at https://hospitalopioidcrisis.com/

The case number is 2031-CC00459 in the Circuit Court of Greene County, Missouri.

Media Contact: Philip Betbeze, [email protected], 615-750-9035

SOURCE Aleshire Robb PC
The Supreme Court of Canada has decided it will not hear the sentencing appeal of a student who killed four people and injured seven others in a mass shooting in La Loche, Sask., in 2016. The ruling means the shooter has no further avenues of appeal and a publication ban on his name is no longer in place.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Randan Dakota Fontaine is led out of court in La Loche, Sask. on Friday, Feb.23, 2018 after a provincial court judge decided that he would be sentenced as an adult in the 2016 shooting spree that left four people dead and seven others wounded in La Loche. The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from a young offender who was sentenced as an adult in a mass shooting at a northern Saskatchewan school.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

The Supreme Court of Canada has decided it will not hear the sentencing appeal of a student who killed four people and injured seven others in a mass shooting in La Loche, Sask., in 2016. The ruling means the shooter has no further avenues of appeal and a publication ban on his name is no longer in place.

Here is a timeline of events:

Jan. 22, 2016, before 1 p.m.  Two teen brothers are gunned down in a home on Dene Crescent. There is a chilling exchange between friends chatting online. "Just killed 2 ppl,'' a youth writes to his friends. "Bout to shoot ip the school.''

Jan. 22, 2016, shortly after 1 p.m.  Police begin receiving calls from frantic students and teachers who say there is a shooter in the high school. Students, just returning from lunch, flee for their lives. Some run for the doors, others hide in classrooms and in gym dressing rooms.

Jan. 22, 2016, between 1:08 p.m. and 1:10 p.m.  Police arrive at the school. Officers see an outside door has been shot. They see a shooter inside and chase him deeper into the school.

Jan. 22, 2016, 1:15 p.m.  Police challenge the shooter and he surrenders without negotiation or incident. Officers find nine people shot. Teacher's aide Marie Janvier, 21, dies at the school. Teacher Adam Wood, 35, is rushed to hospital, but cannot be saved.

Jan. 22, 2016, after 1:15 p.m.  Police receive a call about a body in a house. They rush to the home and find Drayden Fontaine, 13, and Dayne Fontaine, 17, dead.

Jan. 25, 2016  Randan Dakota Fontaine, two weeks shy of his 18th birthday, makes his first court appearance. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder.

Jan. 29, 2016  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits La Loche. He assures the community that his government will offer support for years to come.

Feb. 26, 2016  Students return to the high school after changes are made, including added security and counsellors.

Oct. 28, 2016  Randan Fontaine pleads guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder. The Crown says it wants him sentenced as an adult. Two weeks are set aside for a sentencing hearing in May and June.

Jan. 9, 2017  Greg Hatch, principal of the La Loche high school, says students and staff are still suffering and feel they've been abandoned to deal with the trauma alone.

May 15-18, 2017  The first week of a sentencing hearing is held in Meadow Lake, Sask. An agreed statement of facts details the shooting and the court hears from victims who talk about their survivors' guilt. The mother of the two brothers killed, who are also Randan Fontaine's cousins, forgives him. There is very little explanation for motive. Fontaine's lawyer, Aaron Fox, says there isn't a simple explanation for what happened. He notes his client has cognitive, social and developmental issues.

June 13-16, 2017  The second week of a sentencing hearing hears from Fontaine, who tearfully says if he could talk to Wood, he would tell the teacher he was sorry. "I would say to him: 'I didn't really know you, but I heard you were a good person, a kind person ... and I'm sorry I shot you.''' He also apologizes to Marie Janvier's mother. "I'm sorry I ruined your life and took your daughter away. All she wanted to do was help students.''

Oct. 20, 2017  After delays, the sentencing hearing concludes. The Crown argues Fontaine should be sentenced as an adult because he pleaded guilty to serious crimes, researched school shootings and guns and carried out his plan "with stark efficiency.'' The defence says the killer has fetal alcohol syndrome and cognitive impairments, and should be dealt with as a youth. Judge Janet McIvor says she will deliver her decision in La Loche.

Feb. 23, 2018  McIvor rules that Fontaine will be sentenced as an adult. She tells a courtroom in La Loche that a youth sentence would not be appropriate because of the profound impact the shooting has had on the community.

May 8, 2018  McIvor hands down a sentence of life with no chance of parole for 10 years, calling the shootings "senseless'' and "coldly horrific.'' She criticizes a lack of counselling in the community. "They have been abandoned,'' she says. "They have been let down.''

June 5, 2018  Fox says he will appeal the sentencing decision.

April 11, 2019  Fox tells the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal that his client was an isolated teenager crying out for help that never came. He says Randan Fontaine will not get the psychological help he needs in a maximum-security prison.

Oct. 31, 2019  In a 2-1 decision, the Appeal Court dismisses the appeal. It says it could find no errors in the judge's decision that a youth sentence was not sufficient to hold the shooter accountable.

Dec. 3, 2019  Fox says he plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.

April 16, 2020  The Supreme Court decides not to grant Fontaine leave to appeal his sentence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020
The COVID-19 lockdown has caused massive disruption in the food and grocery supply chain. Not only are manufacturers and distributors finding it difficult to supply products to retailers, but also the e-commerce grocers are unable to meet the heightened demand. To begin with, transporters were not allowed to ship essentials. It was followed by a massive shortage of manpower. The only ones which have risen to the occasion are the neighbourhood Kirana stores. Since distributors were unable to supply, most kirana store owners have been hopping from one distributor to the other trying to pick up as many grocery products as they can. "We are unable to open our stores early in the morning as we have to go to the distributor to pick up supplies ourselves. None of the big companies are sending their distributors,"says Dharmesh Patel, a kirana store owner in suburban Mumbai.

"The kirana stores are doing a much better job at ensuring that essentials are available to the consumers. They are physically picking up products from our warehouses and distributors," agrees R.S. Sodhi, MD, Amul. No wonder grocery shopping in kirana stores during the lockdown has witnessed a 39 per cent growth, as per a recent report on Indian food retail by McKinsey during the COVID-18 pandemic. The report says that 29 per cent of shoppers have shown an intent to go back to their good old neighbourhood kirana stores even after the pandemic subsides. The demand for large format modern retail supermarkets dipped by 5 per cent, and the report says that post the pandemic there could be an 8 per cent increase in shoppers.

Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Zoom app not safe, warns government; issues advisory: COVID-19 tally at 12,380

The pandemic has led to a lot of consumers rediscovering their culinary skills, which has led to more consumers buying food ingredients from grocery stores as opposed to ordering food from restaurants. The McKinsey report says that groceries purchased from grocery stores during the lockdown has gone up by 53 per cent, while ordering from restaurants saw a growth of 11 per cent. The report says that even after the pandemic subsides there will be a 48 per cent growth in consumers buying grocery to cook at home.

While bulk of consumers preferred shopping at their neighbourhood grocer, they also gave lot of importance to the hygiene at those stores. Availability of hygienic services at the stores has been the first preference of over 50 per cent, while 38 per cent gave more preference to the assortment available at the store, says the report. The important factors that will determine store selection over the next four weeks would be stable availability of fresh foods products (39 per cent), store location (39 per cent) and number of shoppers in the store at a given time (38 per cent).

The McKinsey report also shows a distinct trend of consumers willing to go out of their comfort zone to try out newer products and brands. Over 65 per cent of consumers have switched from their regular brands. In fact, Arvind Mediratta CEO of Metro Cash and Carry, in a recent interview with Business Today, said that COVID-19 has compelled consumers to try out newer brands. At kirana stores, die-hard fans of brands such as ITC's Aashirvad Atta are also open to buying the unbranded atta sold by the grocer. This is largely due to the unavailability of their preferred brands. The McKinsey report, however, says that 89 per cent of the respondents said that they would go back to the brands they usually purchased.

Also read: HDFC Bank finalises three names for top post; could announce Aditya Puri's successor soon

Also read: Coronavirus: You may have to maintain some degree of social distancing till 2022
PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-16 07:17:02

Real-world evidence supports benefits seen in Aimovig clinical trials



Open-label data highlight long-term efficacy and safety profile of Aimovig in episodic and chronic migraine



Post-hoc and real-world data show preventive treatment with Aimovig significantly reduces need for acute medications



These additional long-term data complement the position of Aimovig as the most prescribed anti-CGRP, with more than 350,000 patients prescribed worldwide since launch1

Basel, April 16, 2020  Novartis today announced that clinical data for Aimovig (erenumab) was reported in Neurology. The data strengthens the role Aimovig as a preventive migraine treatment and confirms its real-world and long-term safety and efficacy benefit in patients with episodic and chronic migraine. The data were scheduled to be presented at the 2020 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Toronto on April 25-May 1, which was cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

These newly shared data reinforce Novartis commitment to reimagine migraine care and add to the growing body of real world and long-term evidence demonstrating the efficacy of Aimovig for migraine prevention across the migraine spectrum, said Estelle Vester-Blokland, Global Head Neuroscience Medical Affairs, Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Novartis and Amgen are proud to lead the way based on the vast breadth of experience with Aimovig in showing how patients can take their life back from this highly debilitating disease.

Migraine is a highly debilitating disease that has a profound and limiting impact on peoples' lives, including time spent with family and friends, or at work2,3. Aimovig, co-marketed in the US by Amgen and Novartis, is the first and only FDA-approved migraine preventive treatment that targets the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor. It is self-administered once monthly via the SureClick autoinjector, does not require a loading dose and is easy to use4.

Real-world Data

Interim exploratory results from the real-world TELESCOPE study, conducted with 109 patients in Germany, showed that 80% of patients taking Aimovig reported a reduction of migraine intensity and 92% had fewer attacks, with an average reduction of 8 monthly migraine days (MMD). Furthermore, interim results from the real-world PERISCOPE study in 19,740 migraine patients including 91 patients taking Aimovig with an overall mean disease duration of 18 years, also conducted in Germany, showed that 85% of patients taking Aimovig could cope better with daily activities. Importantly, 83% lost fewer days to migraine since starting the treatment.

Long-term Data in Episodic and Chronic Migraine

Results from a 4.5-year interim analysis of the open-label treatment phase of the Phase II clinical trial in patients with episodic migraine showed that long-term treatment with Aimovig resulted in sustained reductions in MMD. Patients with episodic migraine who switched from 70 mg to 140 mg and remained on 140 mg at 4 years, had an average of 5.8 fewer MMD compared with study baseline (8.7 MMD).

In a separate subanalysis of patients with chronic migraine and acute medication overuse (AMO) (NCT02066415), long-term treatment with 70 mg and 140 mg Aimovig reduced MMD by 8.9 days and 10 days, respectively, and by 8.2 and 10.8 days in non-AMO patients. These results further support the use of Aimovig for migraine prevention across the migraine spectrum. Final results are expected to be presented at a medical meeting later this year.

Data on Migraine Days and Acute Medication Use

Results from a post-hoc analysis of 428 patients with episodic (STRIVE, NCT02456740) and 457 patients with chronic migraine (NCT02066415) using acute migraine specific medications (AMSM) showed that preventive treatment with Aimovig plus AMSM as needed significantly reduced MMD, AMSM use and disability compared with AMSMs alone.

Further research using real-word data from pharmacy and medical claims databases reinforced the potential benefits of Aimovig over AMSMs. In this retrospective cohort study using data from 43 of 185 patients, more than one-third of those who initiated Aimovig discontinued AMSMs and more than 80% reduced the amount (units) of AMSM used.

About Aimovig (erenumab)

Aimovig is the first EMA, Swissmedic, Australian TGA and FDA-approved migraine prevention treatment designed specifically to block the CGRP-R, which plays a critical role in migraine. Aimovig has been studied in several large, global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to assess its safety and efficacy in migraine prevention. More than 3,000 patients have participated in our overall clinical trial program. This includes 2,600 participants across the four placebo-controlled pivotal Phase II and Phase III clinical studies as well as participants in further studies such as LIBERTY, a dedicated study in a difficult-to-treat treatment failure population. The most common side effects in the clinical program to date have been viral upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, influenza, and back pain.

Novartis and Amgen are co-commercializing Aimovig in the US. Amgen has exclusive commercialization rights to the drug in Japan and Novartis has exclusive rights to commercialize in the rest of the world.

About Migraine

Migraine is a distinct neurological disease5. It involves recurrent attacks of moderate to severe head pain that is typically pulsating, often unilateral and associated with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, sound and odors6. Migraine is associated with personal pain, disability and reduced quality of life, and financial cost to society7. It has a profound and limiting impact on an individual's abilities to carry out everyday tasks; the World Health Organization reported migraine to be one of the top 10 causes of years lived with disability for men and women8. It remains under-recognized and under-treated7,9.

About the Amgen and Novartis Neuroscience Collaboration

In August 2015, Amgen entered into a global collaboration with Novartis to develop and commercialize pioneering treatments in the field of migraine. The collaboration focuses on investigational Amgen drugs in the migraine field, including Aimovig (approved by the FDA in May 2018 for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults). In April 2017, Novartis obtained co-commercialization rights of Aimovig in the US. For the migraine programs, Amgen retains exclusive commercialization rights in the US (other than for Aimovig as described above) and Japan. Novartis has exclusive commercialization rights in Europe, Canada and rest of the world. At the center of the Amgen and Novartis neuroscience collaboration is the shared mission to fight migraine and the stereotypes and misperceptions surrounding this debilitating disease.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as potential, can, will, plan, may, could, would, expect, anticipate, seek, look forward, believe, committed, investigational, pipeline, launch, or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AGs current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 109,000 people of more than 145 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartisnews

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit https://www.novartis.com/news/media-library

For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com

References

1. Novartis Q4 2019 and annual results, January 29, 2020.

2. Lipton R, Bigal ME, Diamond M, et al. Migraine prevalence, disease burden, and the need for preventive therapy. Neurology. 2007;68:343349.

3. GBD 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 19902017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2018;392:17891858.

4. Novartis. Data on File. March 2019.

5. Migraine Research Foundation. Migraine facts. Available from: https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/about-migraine/migraine-facts/ [Last accessed: April 2020].

6. National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Migraine information page. Available from: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Migraine-Information-Page [Last accessed: April 2020].

7. World Health Organization. Headache disorders. Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/ [Last accessed: April 2020].

8. GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 19902015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016;388:1545602.

9. Diamond S, Bigal ME, Silberstein S, et al. Patterns of diagnosis and acute and preventive treatment for migraine in the United States: Results from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study. Headache. 2007;47:355363.

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Matilda, the Musical  performed in just 30 seconds by a Friendswood High School student and his family  could be a highlight of the 18th annual Tommy Tune Awards if it is shown when the honors are presented online at 7:30 p.m. April 28 in a Tony Awards-style ceremony.

We were asked to upload brief videos to the Tommy Tune Awards coordinator; so we will be on the lookout for them on awards night, said theater teacher Kathy Powdrell, who directed this years FHS production of Matilda, the Musical.

The show scored 13 nominations, including best musical, in the yearly competition among Houston-area high schools.

Dechlan Stopher, a sophomore who played Bruce in the FHS production, produced a comic 30-second version of the musical and submitted it for the awards show, which is usually held at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston.

The son of Dylan and Mollie Stopher recruited his entire family to tape the miniversion of Roald Dahls tale of a 5-year-old British prodigy who discovers she can move objects with her mind. The video is not available online.

Other cast members also submitted short videos thanking those who supported the musical.

Theatre Under the Stars, which sponsors the annual celebration of high school musical theater, announced last month that the 2020 show will be broadcast instead as an online event on YouTube and Facebook, said Lisa Holmes, the manager of communications and public relations for TUTS.

Its going to be very different from anything weve ever done before, said Israel Jimenez, the director of community engagement at TUTS. I wont ruin all of the surprises, but it will be a combination of different elements from past awards shows, along with the announcement of all the winners.

Matilda at FHS also won nominations for best ensemble, leading actress (Taylor Greny in the title role), leading actor (both Eric Jensen as evil Miss Agatha Trunchbull and Thomas Massey as Matildas father, Mr. Wormwood), featured performer (Taylor Campbell as Mrs. Wormwood), direction, lighting design, scenic design, stage crew & technical execution, orchestra, musical direction and choreography.

A highlight of every Tommy Tune Awards is the medley of best leading actor and best leading actress finalists, and Powdrell allowed that, earlier this month, she and co-music director Melissa Smith facilitated a social-distancing taping of Greny, Jensen and Massey, each performing a song from Matilda.

We then uploaded them to TUTS for virtual use, Powdrell said.

Other FHS faculty members who contributed to Matilda included Julio Sanchez (pit band director), Kyndal Kennedy (choreographer), Michael Tyer (co-music director) and Amy Thornton (production manager and technical aspects).

Both Greny and Massey applied for TUTS scholarships, whose recipients will be announced during the awards broadcast.

Students who apply for a Tommy Tune scholarship must be pursuing a major in music, musical theater or theater in college, Powdrell said.

Each year, we at FHS look forward to participating in the Tommy Tune Awards program, she added. We support its mission to celebrate the educational value, artistry, technical advancements and participation in the community of high school musical theater in the greater Houston area.

It is an honor for us, especially in a time like this, she said. No matter what a students role is in the creative process, the arts cultivate confidence, spark creative thinking and inspire lifelong learning.

For further information, visit www.tuts.com.

Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey's export of chemical products to Azerbaijan increased by 25.37 percent from January 2020 through March 2020 and amounted to $83.2 million, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish Trade Ministry.

Turkey's export of chemical products to Azerbaijan amounted to $34.2 million in March 2020, showing an increase of 46.9 percent compared to March 2019.

In 1Q2020, Turkeys export of chemical to world markets decreased by 5.1 percent compared to the same period of 2019, and amounted to $4.7 billion. Meanwhile, Turkeys export of chemicals amounted to 11.1 percent of the country's total export.

In March 2020, Turkey exported chemicals worth $ 1.554 billion to world markets, which is 15.4 percent less than in the same month of 2019. Turkeys chemicals export amounted to 11.6 percent of the country's total exports.

From March 2019 through March 2020), Turkey exported chemical products in the amount of $20.3 billion.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
On April 10, the television anchor George Stephanopoulos went to a pharmacy in East Hampton, N.Y., wearing a mask and gloves, nine days after his wife, the actress Ali Wentworth, revealed she had tested positive for the coronavirus.

In the moment, he was just a husband and a father running an errand.

But Ms. Wentworth had opened up about her symptoms on Good Morning America telling viewers that her husband was the only one in the family entering her room.

Mr. Stephanopoulos, 59, an anchor of the show, said that he was taking care to protect himself. Im definitely being careful in wiping down and wearing gloves, he said. I have not been wearing a mask.

Ms. Wentworth ended her video by saying: be safe, stay home.

So it irked Carrie Doyle, an author who lives in New York City and East Hampton, when she saw Mr. Stephanopoulos at Whites Apothecary about a week later. The pharmacy is offering free delivery and has urged customers to take advantage of the service to protect the health of staff and customers who need to come in to talk with the pharmacist.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 08:30:10|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Liverpool, home of the current English Premier League leaders, fell silent Wednesday as the city remembered the 96 fans killed in Hillsborough disaster.

During an FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on 15 April 1989, 96 Liverpool supporters died due to a crash.

A final memorial service was due to be held at Anfield on the 31st anniversary of the tragedy but had to be canceled because of COVID-19.

But the city still managed to remember the victims. Liverpool FC officials, players and fans, as well as leaders from City Hall, took part in a minute's silence.

Flags were flown at half-mast on civic buildings and at Anfield Stadium, and the bells at Liverpool Town Hall chimed 96 times for those killed.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp issued a video on the club's website with a message for fans.

A wreath was laid at Anfield stadium's Hillsborough memorial and a commemorative banner placed inside the ground.

The message on the wreath read: "We stand together today as a family to remember the 96 Liverpool fans -- men, women and children -- who so tragically lost their lives at Hillsborough.

"It's saddening that during these unprecedented circumstances that we cannot be together today in person at the last ever Memorial Service at Anfield to pay our respects to the 96, their families, the survivors and everyone affected by this tragedy. We hope to reschedule the memorial service in the near future so that we can come together to celebrate the lives of the 96. Despite this, we are together in spirit today to offer our love and support on this very difficult day," it said.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah

16.04.2020 LISTEN

The High Commission of the Republic of Ghana to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland hereby acknowledges concerns expressed by all well-intentioned people, especially our compatriots about the well-being of His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

We wish to inform you that indeed the High Commissioner has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and to assure all of you that he is in a stable condition. Meanwhile, we take this opportunity to entreat all to be restrained in their utterances and avoid uninformed speculation about the health status of our High Commissioner.

While thanking all well-wishers for the solidarity and warm wishes extended to the High Commissioner, we urge all of you to join us in praying for his full recovery.

We call on all to observe laid down protocols on the pandemic and to stay safe.

GHANA HIGH COMMISSION,

LONDON 15th APRIL 2020
Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, and it is an absolute stinker. While the device may look modern with its thin bezels and slim form factor, the inclusion of a TFT panel means that you should give the Tab S6 Lite a miss. Seriously, why release a 339.00 (~US$425) tablet with a TFT panel in 2020?

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Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, in Indonesia at least. Following on from our report yesterday, the 10.4-inch tablet will feature an Exynos 9611 processor, 4 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of storage. Available in LTE and Wi-Fi variants, Samsung has confirmed that the Tab S6 Lite also supports up to 1 TB microSD cards.

Shown in three colours, it seems that Samsung will sell a pink version of the Tab S6 Lite in some markets. The tablet is 7 mm thick too and weighs in at 467 g with a 7,040 mAh battery.

Argos failed to disclose that the Tab S6 Lite has a TFT panel, though. To the retailer's credit, Samsung has chosen to hide this within the tablet's technical specifications. Clearly, the South Korean company wants to gloss over that it has released a device in 2020 with a panel type typified by dreadful viewing angles and poor colour accuracy. Oddly, even the Galaxy Tab S5e has an AMOLED panel.
LOS ANGELESAs the coronavirus pandemic continues and social distancing rules remain in effect through most of the country, porn shoots have  like numerous other business activities  come to a sudden halt. But one producer, Himeros founder Davey Wavey, now says hes figured out how to shoot a sex scene safely, without violating the distancing rules in place to slow the spread of the virus.

According to a report by The Gay UK on Wednesday, the producer has worked out how to continue shooting during the lockdown by filming a voyeuristic scene through a window.

Were going to have glass between us and the couple, its about finding creative ways, Wavey said on a recent edition of his Episode 101 podcast. The performers in the planned scene will be making their Himeros debuts, and are actually a local gay couple, according to the Gay UK report.

Wavey said that his studio is simply looking for new ways to add to its library of content at a time when many others have been forced to cut back.

Were in a good position because we have a lot of content already filmed, but we want to keep added to the stockpile of content that we have, he said on the podcast.

Himeros plans to release the scene later this year. But Wavey is not the only producer taking out-of-the-box approaches to creating adult content during the pandemic-induced shutdown period. As AVN.com reported earlier this week, Barcelona-based producer Erika Lust just released a new film, Sex and Love in the Time of Quarantine, shot entirely by performers themselves, in their own homes.

Lust then edited the footage into a documentary-style feature in her own home in Spain. The film is scheduled to be released Thursday on her XConfessions site.

For both Wavey and Lust, the process of creating new porn during the coronavirus shutdown entailed maintaining distance from their subjects, and using performers who are real-life couples and who therefore should be safe from transmitting the virus between them.

Though coronavirus is not specifically a sexually transmitted disease, meaning that it is not transmitted primarily via sexual contact, the virus lives in saliva and mucus, meaning that even casual contact  including simply being in the same room as an infected person  could pass the disease from one person to the next.

Photo By Wickedkewl YouTube Screen Capture
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Finance informs that a total of 967 million and 936 thousand drams has been donated to the Armenian government for its anti-coronavirus efforts, ARMENPRESS reports the government said.

The treasury account (900005001947) was opened on March 17th for citizens and organizations willing to make donations.

The government said a total of 3736 payments were made since.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Digester Explosion Rocks Pixelle Specialty Solutions' Androscoggin Mill in Jay, Maine Wreckage smolders at the Androscoggin Mill after an explosion took place in the wood pulping area of the mill. According to local news outlets, the explosion shook the ground and produced a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles around.(Robert F. Bukaty/AP) April 16, 2020 - An explosion just before noon yesterday shook Pixelle Specialty Solutions' Androscoggin Mill in Jay, Maine. According to the company, the explosion happened in the area of the pulp mill's digester. Fortunately there were no injuries. Androscoggin Mill spokeswoman Roxie Lassetter, speaking to reporters said, "Everyone is accounted for and there are no injuries on that mill site . . . it's nothing short of a miracle and we are grateful." Joel Davis, of the State of Maine Fire Marshal's Office said there were a couple instances of respiratory problems due to the dust and debris, but people were treated and released. Pennsylvania-based Pixelle Specialty Solutions, which owns the mill, released a statement Wednesday saying at approximately 11:55 a.m. there was an apparent rupture in a pressure vessel in the pulp mill that released a mixture of wood fiber, water and pulping liquor. "We are in the preliminary stages of assessing the situation. First and foremost is our concern for the safety of our employees, contractors, and visitors on our mill site." Pixelle said it would immediately start evaluating the potential environmental impact, and that the damage was extensive, but its exact scope was unknown. Androscoggin Mill The Androscoggin mill has the capacity to produce approximately 425,000 tons of paper per year and currently produces flexible packaging papers, release liner base, specialty labels, kraft papers and linerboard. SOURCE: Multiple news reports
(Bloomberg) -- Key Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate are calling on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to provide a lifeline to mortgage-servicing firms that are bracing for a wave of missed payments.

The Fed and Treasury should use powers given to them under recent stimulus measures to provide liquidity to servicers facing shortfalls, House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters and Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said in a letter Wednesday. Steps that government-sponsored Ginnie Mae have taken may not be enough, the lawmakers wrote.

Mortgage servicers are expected to face increased strain as millions of homeowners and renters lose jobs, are furloughed, or see reduced hours, all of which will keep them from making mortgage and rent payments, as a result of this public health crisis, the lawmakers wrote. We must not allow the pandemic to destabilize critical markets, including our housing market.

The letter is the latest in a fight in Washington about what steps regulators should take to save non-bank mortgage servicers such as Quicken Loans, Freedom Mortgage and Mr Cooper Group Inc. Its a boost to Wall Street lobbying efforts seeking to quell the fallout of the coronavirus crisis on the mortgage market.

Servicers collect payments from borrowers and make sure investors in trillions of dollars of government-backed bonds get paid each month. With millions of homeowners predicted to start missing payments, the industry says it needs a lifeline to head off servicer failures that could threaten the housing market.

Powell said last week that the Fed is watching the situation carefully, and Mnuchin said earlier this week that Treasury is going to make sure that the market functions properly.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.
This week marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13, the dramatic lunar mission which NASA later regarded as a successful failure. Although Apollo 13s crew did could not completing their original mission to land on the Moon, since an explosion damaged their spacecrafts service module, they did succeed in their updated mission  getting home safely.

There are a few virtual ways in which you can participate in commemorating this milestone anniversary digitally

The Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum will host two live chats on Thursday, April 16. First they will hold an Air and Space Live Chat about the Apollo 13 mission on Facebook Live at 1 pm EDT. They will then conduct an Apollo 13 Film Discussion on YouTube Live at 8 pm EDT.

On Friday, April 17 at 2 p.m. Pacific time, the San Diego Air & Space Museum will host a live chat with Apollo 13 Astronaut Fred Haise, Mission Lead Flight Director Milt Windler, and Flight Directors Gerry Griffin and Glynn Lunney on the Museums Facebook page (click HERE). The event will take place exactly 50 years to the day after the splash down for one of NASAs most heralded missions. It is the real life story about what it took to save the crew from what seemed like certain death in deep space.

The Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum will also field another interesting program replaying the lecture  The 40th Anniversary of Apollo 13 from 2010, which features flight director Gene Kranz and the original crew slated for Apollo 13, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Ken Mattingly, and an introduction by John Glenn! As readers will no doubt recall, Jack Swigart replaced Mattingly on the actual Apollo 13 mission due to the latters perceived illness, but this proved a crucial element in the crews salvation, as it was Mattingly who figured out how to safely reboot the Command Capsule on the journey home. NASMs website also hosts a virtual tour inside the museums lunar module (LM-2) so visitors can get a sense of where Apollo 13s crew spent most of their journey home  they used their lunar module, Aquarius, as a life boat for much of this voyage.
It wasnt long after my arrival at the hospital in Brescia that I smelled something I know too well. I have smelled it many times working as a photojournalist in conflict zones.

I do not actually know if it is the smell of death or the smell of a sterilizing product or something like a mix of both. It is a smell I am not used to when I hear people around me speaking my language, Italian.

Blue light from an ambulance, responding to a caller with suspected symptoms, in the hard-hit province of Bergamo. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A security guard tells me I am in front of the wrong entrance, then backs away. I am perceived as dangerous: he thinks I am ill and looking to be hospitalized, like the many people who arrive here every day.

From a distance, I cannot hear what he is saying to me behind his mask. Every word is audibly distorted beyond recognition.

An emergency room set up in a tent outside the Ospedali Riuniti Padova Sud in Monselice, near Padua. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Beds in a COVID-19 unit are filled at a hospital in Brescia. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Doctors and nurses treat a suspected COVID-19 patient who arrived to Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo with breathing problems. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

When I am no longer considered a threat, I am taken to a room with about 20 beds. I am wearing a cap, protective coveralls and glasses, and shoe coverings. I hear a sibilant whirring sound. It is the oxygen, they tell me.

Each of the patients heads looks as though it is enclosed in a glass ball. I cannot tell if these people are conscious, until a man instinctively tries to touch his face but is unable to do so.

Linda, a nurse coordinator in the COVID-19 ward at Santa Maria delle Croci hospital in Ravenna. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Discolored obituary portraits at the printing plant of L'Eco di Bergamo in Erbusco; the newspaper dedicated more pages to accommodate the death toll. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Above the beds, you can see their names and dates of birth. Often, it seemed as if the eldest of our country were being targeted by the coronavirus. But here is a man my age, 37. I am not immune.

I look around to take some pictures, but there is nothing I want to capture. I do so anyway, to try and justify my presence in this place to others. To justify it to myself. I want to believe that it is important for history. But what history will this story teach us?

Francesco, an anesthesiologist tasked with sedating and intubating patients, at the Santa Maria delle Croci hospital in Ravenna. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Don Renzo, the parson of Ospedali Riuniti Padova Sud in Monselice, near Padua. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A hearse driver outside a cemetery in Bergamo awaits information about the next destination. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

I did not think much about the virus emerging in China when I heard about it in January. It was only after it had spread to Italy, and the northern region of Lombardy became the European epicenter, that I realized how protected we can feel in our small bubble  and what happens when that protection shatters.

The pandemic shows us that all of us are closer and more connected than we think.

Story continues

An empty Piazza del Duomo in Milan. The city was included in the early March lockdown of much of Italy's north, before the restrictions on movement were instituted nationwide. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Armed forces outside the Colosseum, one of Rome's top attractions. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

An emergency worker is disinfected after an ambulance brought a suspected COVID-19 patient to the hospital in Parma. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

In Piacenza, a military field hospital was constructed to accommodate dozens of COVID-19 cases. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

An undertaker and a young family member accompany a coffin at a cemetery in Bergamo. While funerals are prohibited, few close family members can accompany a coffin during the burial. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

The purpose of this trip was to tell the story of how, in just a few weeks, Italy had become unrecognizable.

By the time I crossed the border into Lombardy on March 13, hundreds were dead. By mid-April, more than 20,000 people had lost their lives.

In Venice, a gondola is illuminated along a canal. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A stall in the Mercato Centrale, where many shops are closed, in Florence. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A walkway typically filled with shoppers is deserted in Venice. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

St. Marks Square, normally bustling with tourists, sits empty. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A closed coffee shop in St. Mark's Square. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

I visited towns ravaged by the virus, small and large. In Seriate, I saw coffins laid in rows on the floor of a chapel. In Nembro, a town of 11,000 where local volunteers told me more than 120 people had died by the time I visited, residents were making their own face masks in the back of a factory, then distributing them to others, free of charge.

In Ravenna and other places, I witnessed firsthand the bravery of our doctors and nurses, many of whom have sacrificed their lives to treat the unwell. I saw them sweat and toil, and I saw them cry for lost colleagues. Every day they work, it is a double shift.

The Tower of Pisa in March. Tourist attractions remain closed across Italy due to the pandemic. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A statue inside a church, which can house up to 80 coffins, in Seriate. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Due to the lockdown, people were barred from entering St. Peter's Square when Pope Francis delivered the Urbi et Orbi (

I wonder every day if the infection will arrive. Every day, I check my blood oxygen level. Pulse oximeters, thermometers, masks and hand sanitizers have become almost impossible to find. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

I also went to our busiest cities, to see how they had become semideserted shells of themselves. From the empty Piazza del Duomo in Milan to St. Marks Square in Venice, the lawn near the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the streets around the Colosseum in Rome, the throngs of tourists had disappeared.

Instead, you could see police, the armed forces, traffic wardens, various Italian ambulances and hearses, coming and going steadily.

After an assessment by health workers on the outskirts of Piacenza, an elderly woman experiencing COVID-19 symptoms is taken to a hospital. Her daughter, a nun, helps the rescuers. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

The woman's empty bed after emergency workers took her to the hospital. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A son hugs his father before the older man, a suspected case of COVID-19, is hospitalized in Piacenza. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

A woman suspected of having contracted COVID-19 waits for emergency workers to take her to a hospital in Piacenza. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

At a hospital in Parma, a coffin is prepared to be moved to a crematorium or cemetery. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

The silence in the city squares scared me. For Italians, la piazza symbolizes our culture and our social life. Its where we go to be together. Now, there is no noise at all. How do you photograph silence?

Ive heard this called a war  that we are in the trenches, and medical workers on the front lines. My friends from Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen ask how I am and how my family is doing  and not, for once, the other way round.

But to me, this is no war. There are no sides, and there is no alternative to victory. We will only overcome this virus if we do it together.

Workers produce face masks at Pradas factory in Montone. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME

Rolls of newsprint are stored inside one of Italy's largest newspaper printing centers in Erbusco, east of Bergamo. | Lorenzo MeloniMagnum Photos for TIME
Israel-based Pileus, which is officially launching today, aims to help businesses keep their cloud spend under control. The company also today announced that it has raised a $1 million seed round from a private angel investor.

Using machine learning, the company's platform continuously learns about how a user typically uses a given cloud and then provides forecasts and daily personalized recommendations to help them stay within a budget.

Pileus currently supports AWS, with support for Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure coming soon.

[vimeo 359698754 w=600 h=338]

With all of the information it gathers about your cloud usage, the service can also monitor usage for any anomalies. Because, at its core, Pileus keeps a detailed log of all your cloud spend, it also can provide detailed reports and dashboards of what a user is spending on each project and resource.

If you've ever worked on a project like this, you know that these reports are only as good as the tags you use to identify each project and resource, so Pileus makes that a priority on its platform, with a tagging tool that helps enforce tagging policies.

My team and I spent many sleepless nights working on this solution, says Pileus CEO Roni Karp. Were thrilled to finally be able to unleash Pileus to the masses and help everyone gain more efficiency of their cloud experience while helping them understand their usage and costs better than ever before.

Pileus currently offers a free 30-day trial. After that, the service shows you a $180/month or $800 per year price, but once you connect your accounts, it'll charge 1% of your savings, not the default pricing you'll see at first.

The company isn't just focused on individual businesses, though. It's also targeting managed service providers that can use the platform to create reports and manage their own customer billing. Karp believes this will become a significant source of revenue for Pileus because "there are not many good tools in the field today, especially for Azure."

Story continues

It's no secret that Pileus is launching into a crowded market, where well-known incumbents like Cloudability already share mindshare with a growing number of startups. Karp, however, believes that Pileus can stand out, largely because of its machine learning platform and its ability to provide users with immediate value, whereas, he argues, it often takes several weeks for other platforms to deliver results.
Alphabet Inc's Google will slow hiring for the rest of the year, Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai told the company's staff in a memo on Wednesday.

"We'll be slowing down the pace of hiring, while maintaining momentum in a small number of strategic areas, and onboarding the many people who've been hired but haven't started yet", a Google spokesperson said.
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Suzlon Energy on Wednesday said its board would decide on April 18 about convening a fresh extraordinary general meeting, which was to be held in the day.

Earlier in the day, the company cancelled the extraordinary general meeting of its shareholders scheduled on April 15, in view of the extension of nationwide lockdown till May 3, to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

The extraordinary general meeting (EGM) was originally scheduled to be held on March 24, 2020, and was subsequently postponed to April 7, 2020 and was further postponed and rescheduled to April 15.

Later in the day, the company said in a regulatory filing that it would convene a fresh extraordinary general meeting. The company informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on Saturday, April 18 to consider and approve various proposals.

The company proposes to issue equity shares, optionally convertible debentures and warrants on preferential basis to the lenders in terms of the Resolution Plan for restructuring of debt of the Company and its certain identified subsidiaries formulated under the Reserve Bank of India (Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets) Directions, 2019 issued by Reserve Bank of India vide its circular dated 7th June 2019 as also provide in-principle approval for conversion of loan to equity in terms of the Resolution Plan.

Secondly, it proposes to issue equity shares / equity-linked instruments for restructuring of foreign currency convertible bonds. The board will also vet the proposal of Preferential issue of equity shares and/or compulsorily convertible debentures and/or warrants of the Company to certain persons/entities (including the Promoters).

The board will decide about the convening of an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Company through video conferencing for obtaining shareholders' approval for issuance of the aforesaid securities or seeking approval of the shareholders through postal ballot.

Also read: Wipro share price falls 6% post Q4 results; brokerages cut target price
A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution, President Trump told reporters at a briefing Thursday evening, emphasizing that it was time for restrictions to be lifted where the virus has been less prevalent. I think we will have a lot of states open relatively soon, he added.

Many governors and health experts caution that if business conditions return to normal too quickly, a second wave of coronavirus infections could spread.

In the meantime, job losses are sure to mount, though perhaps at a slower pace.

The silver lining with this bad number is that it looks like the wave of job destruction has peaked, said Torsten Slok, chief economist at Deutsche Bank Securities. Getting a date for reopening and getting more certainty about reopening is critical.

Mr. Slok expects the unemployment rate to hit 17 percent this month, up from 4.4 percent in March and higher than any mark since the Great Depression. These are truly stunning statistics that tell you the severity of the situation, he said.Lets not forget we talked about 200,000 in jobless claims in January and February and now we are in the millions. That illustrates how bad a number this is.

When restrictions are lifted, the recovery is expected to be gradual. My worry is that it will be a slow rollout, as it should be, which means a slow recovery, said Beth Ann Bovino, chief U.S. economist at S&P Global. Turning on the U.S. economy isnt like turning on a light bulb. Its just too big.

If businesses begin to reopen in May, we wouldnt be surprised to see one-third of the jobs lost come back by July, she said. But it will take years for unemployment to return to pre-crisis levels.

Like the coronavirus outbreak itself, the situation for workers varied by state. Georgia, which did not issue a shelter-in-place order until April 3, showed the biggest increase in those filing unemployment claims, with a jump of 256,000.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in's ruling party is projected to win a parliamentary election on Wednesday, exit polls showed, as mask-wearing voters cast their ballots under strict precautions against the novel coronavirus.

The election is being closely watched around the world as one of the first nationwide votes since the epidemic began. The coronavirus has caused delays in many other political calendars.

A ruling party majority in parliament would help Moon to push through his agenda in his final two years in office, with a looser fiscal policy aimed at creating jobs, a higher minimum wage and engagement with North Korea his priorities.

Voters at some 14,000 disinfected polling stations across the country had to wear masks, have their temperatures checked, use hand sanitizer and plastic gloves and maintain a safe distance from others.

Voter Choi Sun-hwa told Reuters she was initially apprehensive about coming out to vote because of the virus.

"But having come here and seen for myself, I felt it's good we voted as planned, and people are taking greater precaution about distancing," said Choi, 56, outside a Seoul polling station

Moon's progressive camp is on track to secure up to 177 seats in the 300-member, single-chamber parliament. The conservative main opposition party is expected to win as many as 131 seats, according to exit polls conducted by TV networks.

South Korea's largely successful campaign against the coronavirus has provided an unlikely boon for Moon and his party.

Once grappling with the first big outbreak outside China, South Korea has largely managed to bring it under control without major disruption thanks to an extensive testing campaign and intensive contact tracing.

"Though the situation is still tough, I think the government's response to the coronavirus, including its preparations for today's vote, could have helped in the election," Han Ga-hae, a 28-year-old voter, told Reuters.

Story continues

Former prime minister Lee Nak-yon, who ran the ruling party's campaign, said in a televised speech after winning a key Seoul constituency that his victory was an "order from the people to do our best to tackle the coronavirus and minimise its economic impact".

HIGHEST TURNOUT IN 28 YEARS

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 27 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 10,591. The daily tally of cases has hovered around 30 in the past week, mostly people arriving from abroad.

In all, 229 people have died because of the coronavirus in South Korea.

Authorities have warned that infections could surge at any time and called for special vigilance on election day.

Voter turnout of 66.2% was higher than any parliamentary elections held since 1992, according to the National Election Commission.

A boost for turnout came from record-high participation in early voting last weekend, when about 27% of 44 million eligible voters cast ballots.

Among them were about 2,800 coronavirus patients, who the NEC allowed to vote by mail or in person, using special booths.

The coronavirus hung over the campaign, forcing candidates to wear masks and bump fists instead of pressing the flesh and holding mass rallies.

More than 13,000 in self-quarantine who had signed up to vote were allowed to do so after the polls closed.

"We advised them not to use public transportation ... and disinfected the booth before the next voter comes in," said Jeon Kyung-ha, a Seoul city official.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Minwoo Park and Hyun Young Yi; Editing by Gerry Doyle, Robert Birsel and Gareth Jones)
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Nothing can compare to the crushing economic tsunami created by the coronavirus pandemic, but in the housing market, there are some parallels to natural disasters.

Lessons learned from those devastating events are helping the industry cope now.

In 2017, after Hurricane Harvey swamped Houston, thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. Many were single-family rental homes owned by one of the nation's largest rental REITs, American Homes 4 Rent.

With about half of its 3,200 homes damaged, several hundred severely, and some staff members unable to get to their offices, the company had to mobilize quickly, remotely.

Thanks to its national scale and online platforms for payment and maintenance, the company was able to relocate tenants and modify rental agreements for those who could no longer make their monthly payments.

"The fact that we have gone through Harvey and other hurricanes, having to close our home office meant that the ability to work from home and provide service to residents was something we already had a blueprint for," CEO David Singelyn said.

The coronavirus pandemic is of course hitting on a much larger, national scale, but some of the same rules apply. The rental REIT, along with others like Invitation Homes, which own thousands of single-family rental homes across the nation, is working with tenants on an individual basis, offering repayment plans and changing lease terms.

"We're not going to evict anyone," said Singelyn.

In April, his company received about 95% of it normal rental payments, but Singelyn expects the numbers to fall more sharply in coming months, as more tenants experience financial hardship.

The same is true at Invitation Homes, the largest single-family rental REIT, with 80,000 properties across 16 major housing markets. It is also taking lessons learned in the past and applying them to today.
President Donald Trump's administration is urging an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it doesn't rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China.

Beijing has said that the virus, which has killed more than 138,700 people worldwide, was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan "wet market" that butchered exotic animals -- a longtime focus of concern for public health experts.

But The Washington Post and Fox both quoted anonymous sources who voiced concern that SARS CoV-2 may have come -- accidentally -- from a sensitive bioresearch centre in the metropolis.

"We're doing a full investigation of everything we can to learn how it is the case that this virus got away, got out into the world and now has created so much tragedy -- so much death -- here in the United States and all around the world," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox

He did not reject the reports and said that the United States knew that the Wuhan laboratory "contained highly contagious materials."



"In countries that are open and transparent, they have the ability to control and keep them safe and they allow outside observers in to make sure all the processes and procedures are right," Pompeo said.

"I only wish that that had happened in this place. We would know more about it and we would know more about what has transpired there, if anything, today."



Trump, asked about the laboratory theory at a conference on Wednesday, said that "more and more, we're hearing the story" and that the United States was "doing a very thorough investigation."Trump, who has faced wide criticism at home for his handling of the pandemic that has killed more than 30,000 people in the United States, has repeatedly blamed China and the World Health Organization.

The origin of the virus is a popular topic on social media, with conspiracy theorists suggesting it is a Chinese bioweapon and a Chinese official outraging Washington by saying that US troops may have brought it to Wuhan.

Neither Fox News nor The Washington Post said that the virus was spread deliberately or that the laboratory was definitively determined as the source.

A column by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin said that US embassy officials visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology two years before the pandemic and warned of inadequate safety at the laboratory, which studied bats blamed for the SARS coronavirus in 2003.

Fox News said that "patient zero" in the new pandemic may have been infected by a bat at the laboratory and gone into the population in Wuhan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
YPSILANTI TWP., MI - A shooter wounded two men in Ypsilanti Township Wednesday night before fleeing the scene, police said.

Deputies responded to a shots fired call at 7:47 p.m., April 15 in the 1500 block of Village Lane, said the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office. Before officers arrived, the two gunshot victims were already driving themselves to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, police said.

The 55-year-old man from Adrian and 49-year-old man from Ann Arbor Township both were shot multiple times, police said. Their current health status is unknown, police said.

The two men met the shooter while visiting an apartment on Village Lane, police said, before an altercation escalated into the shooting. The suspected gunman is unknown and at large, police said.

The case remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriffs office by calling 911 or the confidential tip line at 734-973-7711 or calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-773-2587.

Read more from The Ann Arbor News:

Color the Quarantine books for kids: 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis

It has taken a toll on me like no other,' Washtenaw County sheriffs sergeant says of COVID-19

Michigan expanding coronavirus test criteria to anyone with symptoms
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lexington Biosciences, Inc. (CSE: LNB) (the Company or Lexington) is pleased to announce the appointment of Donald McInnes as chief executive officer of the Company, filing the vacancy left by the resignation of Eric Willis.



Since 1993, Mr. McInnes has been the founder, president and a director of a number of public natural resource companies. He is currently the Chairman of Sun Metals Corp. and a director of Liberty Gold Corp. and Lattice Biologics Ltd. Mr. McInnes was a Director of Fronteer Gold Inc., founder of Kutcho Copper Corp. (formerly Western Keltic Mines Inc.) and cofounder of True Gold Mining Inc. and True North Nickel Inc.. He was the founder and Vice Chair and CEO of Plutonic Power Corporation, that invested $1 billion in creating BCs largest independent clean power company. Mr. McInnes is a past Chair of the Independent Power Producers Association of British Columbia, a past Governor of the Business Council of British Columbia, past President and Director of the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia, and past Director of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. He is a recipient of AME BCs Gold Pan Award, a lifetime Achievement Award from CEBC, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award and holds a Honorary Doctor of Technology Degree from BCIT.

On Behalf of the Board,

Doug Janzen

Doug Janzen

Chairman & Director

CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.
EU countries using mobile apps to curb the spread of coronavirus should ensure their compliance with privacy rules and avoid the use of personalized location data, said the European Commission.

The recommendations are part of a single European approach to using technologies to combat COVID-19 and were adopted after several EU countries launched applications that have been criticized by activists in the field of data privacy.

Strong privacy safeguards are a pre-requisite for the uptake of these apps, and therefore their usefulness, Reuters reported quoting European digital chief Thierry Breton.

The European Commission said that mobile apps must be approved by public health authorities, voluntarily installed and removed, and should also be based on anonymous data. Location data is not necessary nor recommended for the purpose of contact tracing apps, as their goal is not to follow the movements of individuals or to enforce prescriptions, the Commission document said, citing security and privacy risks.
Essential workers are putting their lives on the line to serve the rest of the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, a group of St. Louisans thinks they should be appreciated for their selflessness and dedication.

In Milan, people sang patriotic songs together from their balconies. In New York, residents applaud hospital workers as they come to work.

In the St. Louis area, an organization called Rise Up for Heroes wants residents to go outside their homes at 7 p.m. every night beginning Saturday  always keeping a safe distance  and sing or cheer or pray or applaud or even dance as a way to let local essential workers know they are appreciated.

This is a movement of how were calling on the 3 million people in the region to thank the people on the front lines, said marketing executive Keith Alper, who is one of the area business people behind Rise Up for Heroes.

The heroes in this case are everyone from first responders and hospital employees to grocery store workers, restaurant staffs and delivery people, Alper said.
The Authority of Social Contribution  Maan has announced it has started working to provide a new food support scheme in Abu Dhabi for people whose income has been affected by the current health and economic situation.

Individuals, couples or families most affected and those who meet the conditions can apply for support if their income is not enough to meet basic requirements and they are either a UAE citizen or resident living in Abu Dhabi.

Working in partnership with Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, eligible applicants will be provided with baskets of high quality, nutritious and healthy essential food and kitchen cupboard items including rice, pasta, dates, beans, tea, jam and noodles. For those with young children, baby supplies will also be provided.

The food baskets are being paid for by the contributions made to Maans Together We Are Good programme.

Around 100,000 baskets will be provided to the most affected population in Abu Dhabi, with applications opening on April 19 through the Together We Are Good website in coordination with Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, until the end of April. Applicants will be asked to fill in a form and provide documentation proving income and expenses.

To obtain this temporary support and for urgent cases, applicants must be resident in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, have lost some or all of their income temporarily (through unpaid leave, for example), and have not previously received support from any other government agency. The support will run every month for three months, and will be dependent on the number of family members.

Deliveries of the food baskets will begin from May 1, with items sourced from local supermarket suppliers, Lulu Coop, Abu Dhabi Coop and Al Ain Coop. The Authority of Social Contribution  Maan will bear the cost of the food baskets through the financial contributions received via its Together we are Good programme.

Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of Maan, added: Our community has pulled together in an unprecedented way this last month to respond to the current health and economic challenges that are impacting not only Abu Dhabi, but the rest of the world.

Together We Are Good and Maan has been the channel for those generous contributions from Abu Dhabis community and these food baskets are just one of the many ways that peoples contributions are helping to ease the situation for affected individuals.

By working together, we will ensure that the most vulnerable in our community receive the support they need during this period. I encourage people to come forward and apply through our website. I also continue to urge the community to consider how they can contribute to Together We Are Good - each contribution is highly valued and appreciated and is having a direct impact on the lives of people in our community.

The Together We Are Good programme is the first project of Maans Social Fund that allows community contributions to help tackle social challenges. The Social Fund is the official government channel to receive contributions from the community to tackle pressing social challenges. To date, the funds contributed have been used to provide additional relief to the health sector and food packages to those in quarantine.

This week, Maan launched a new toll-free helpline (800-3088) and a specially created microsite (togetherwearegood.ae) for those in need of relief to contact the Authority of Social Contribution  Maan about their requirements.

Starting with education support initially, beneficiaries will get assistance in due course across three other key areas of relief: health support; food supplies, as well as basic needs. -- Tradearabia News Service
Milan during the coronavirus outbreak.

Reuters

Italy's high coronavirus infection rate means it has more people who might donate plasma to help treat people severely suffering from COVID-19, according to CNN.

The hope is that antibodies in plasma from recovered patients or people who were infected with the virus could be successful at treating severe coronavirus patients.

An effective antibody test has yet to be developed, however.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

After being the epicenter of Europe's coronavirus outbreak, with more than 165,000 infections, Italy is looking for a silver lining.

According to CNN, the country is hoping to use antibodies from those who have recovered from COVID-19 to treat those who remain sick.

A doctor told CNN that the high number of infections meant there were more people who could donate plasma.

"Good can come out of this," Fausto Baldanti said. "We had such a huge outbreak  now we have many potential donors."

Business Insider previously reported that donor blood plasma from a recovered patient was being tested as a coronavirus treatment. The antibodies in the plasma could help fight against the virus in a patient's body.

CNN noted that such treatments had long been used to treat patients with other illnesses.

Baldanti is a virologist at the University of Pavia San Matteo Hospital in the Lombardy region of Italy. Lombardy was the epicenter of Italy's outbreak and accounts for the most infections and deaths. At one point the region pulled doctors out of retirement and asked to have nursing students graduate early to help with the influx of cases.

Baldanti told CNN he hoped "this plasma treatment can be crucial for controlling the infection in patients admitted to intensive-care units," but the treatment is still in an experimental phase in the country.

Its utility will largely depend on a reliable, proven way to test for coronavirus antibodies, according to CNN.

Story continues

Several companies including Abbott have launched new antibody tests that they hope to make available in the near future.

CNN reported that the Food and Drug Administration recently tightened restrictions on antibody tests in the US after previous relaxed rules caused low-quality tests.

In Italy, Giancarlo Maria Liumbruno, the director-general of the Italian National Blood Center, is looking to have an antibody test available in weeks.

"We should have a serological exam (blood test) that is approved to test if someone has antibodies by the end of April," Liumbruno told CNN. "We will start selecting the first donors by the end of the month."

Trials of this process have already started in some hospitals in Northern Italy. Plasma from patients who recovered and tested negative for at least two weeks is used on those still battling COVID-19.

Italy has more than 1.7 million blood donors the country could screen to see if they've had COVID-19 and now have antibodies that could fight the virus, Liumbruno told CNN.

Their goal is to have repeat volunteers with antibodies donate plasma that could be used.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Coronavirus in the Isle of Man - by Paul Craine

About the Author: Paul Craine is the author of the Isle of Man Population Atlas and associated website https://iompopulationatlas.paulcraine.im



I am very conscious of the fact that many people find the seemingly constant barrage of coronavirus data simply too awful or too frightening to view. This post may not be for them, although some aspects of the map and graphs that follow are very positive.

I am also hugely aware that the information is not just statistics but represents real people facing real threats. The loss of four lives on the Isle of Man, so far, puts the data in perspective.

For some people, the data may help us to understand what is going on in these strange days. In the graphics that follow, my aim is to help make the Islands coronavirus data more visual and more easily understood. I recognise that the data raise as many questions as answers  especially about the real level of coronavirus given that many people with the virus may be symptomless and never tested.

The DHSC monitoring the curve graph is enormously important. I have produced my own version of this as the first image below. It is important because the curves indicate how the behaviour of all of us can change the pattern that the pandemic will take here in the Isle of Man. It also shows the number of new cases each day since the first positive test here on 20 March.

The government aim, as in countries across the world, is to flatten the curve  to delay the spread of the virus so that the NHS can cope with the demand of those who fall seriously ill. If we all maintain social distancing and meet with as few people as possible we might hope to follow the flatter, orange curve on the graph. The peak of perhaps 50 new cases a day would be higher than anything we have yet seen and would undoubtedly stretch the NHS  but it would be considerably preferable to the 75 or 115 new cases per day if we followed the red or blue curves.

Graph 1  IOM: Coronavirus scenarios

How are we doing so far? Well the data suggests that the lockdown, as far as it goes, may be having the required effect. On Graph 1, look at the green bar graph of actual cases each day since 20 March. We are clearly not following the blue line. Dare we hope that the apparent reduction in new cases in recent days is a good sign? Possibly - possibly not.

Graph 2  IOM: New coronavirus cases

The numbers involved are small, making patterns very irregular and trends very hard to discern. Levels of testing and the return of test results vary in number from day to day. Graph 2 shows an enlarged version of the number of new cases. The highest peaks on 2 and 9 April were the two days when most tests were returned (completed). The number of completed tests exceeded 600 in each of the weeks beginning 29 March and 5 April, but in the four days between Sunday 12 and Wednesday 15 April only 161 tests were completed. It would be tempting to assume that less testing accounts for the apparent drop in new cases. The number of people waiting for test results on 15 April (155) is the highest for a week and when these results come through they are likely to bring an increase in confirmed cases. On the other hand, the number of people waiting to be tested (66) is much lower than the average of over 150 during the period between 30 March and 5 April.

Graph 3  IOM: Total coronavirus cases and recoveries

There is much international debate about when a sufferer can be said to be clear of the virus, and whether people can catch the virus a second time. The Manx governments twice daily briefings include a figure for persons presumed recovered from the disease. Graph 3 shows the total number of confirmed cases in the Isle of Man (254 on 15 April) and the number of those who are presumed to have recovered (151 on 15 April)  or almost 60%). This is a very positive reminder that most people affected by the virus have already come through it.

Map 1  IOM and UK: Coronavirus and testing and cases

This map is based on data reported for Tuesday 14 April. It shows very clearly that the Isle of Man has a much higher level of testing (shown in blue) than the four countries that make up the UK. The Isle of Mans 2,064 completed tests in a population of approximately 84,000 amounts to nearly 25 tests per 1,000 people. The UK countries range from under 6 (England) to 7 (Northern Ireland) per 1,000 people. Testing in the Isle of Man is 3 to 4 times higher than in the UK countries.

The number of cases in the Isle of Man (shown in yellow) appears to be high. The 254 confirmed cases in a population of 84,000 amounts to 3 per thousand. This is higher than in the other UK countries but is simply the result of the higher level of testing in the Isle of Man.

I have not attempted to analyse the number of deaths on the Island  remember these are not just statistics. The numbers in relation to population size are very much lower than the UK (by a factor of 7 or 8), but then our first confirmed coronavirus case on 20 March was three weeks after the first confirmed case in the UK.

The state of emergency in the Isle of Man has been extended to mid May. We cannot afford to ease up on our current restrictions over the next few weeks.
The office of the Attorney General announced several new initiatives Thursday aimed at helping small businesses in Massachusetts cope with the economic downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maura Healey said her office created a fund based on settlement payments to help bolster municipalities and regional planning agencies who are assisting small businesses in the communities they serve," according to a statement issued Thursday.

So far, Healey says her office is committing $500,000 to the cause, and local governments or planning agencies can award no more than $50,000 per request.

This is an incredibly difficult time financially for people across the state  and our small businesses have been hit especially hard, Healey said. We hope that these resources will provide some much-needed relief and support to help keep their workforce employed. We will get through this crisis together.

The AGs office is also partnering with a group of law firms, nonprofits and government agencies to provide pro bono legal support to impacted businesses and mission-driven organizations during the outbreak.

The announcement of the fund comes the day the Small Business Administration said its rescue loan program hit its limit and is out of funds.

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Olaf Scholz, Germany's finance minister at a press conference after the Eurogroup negotiations in Berlin. (Michael Kappeler/Picture alliance via Getty Images)

Financial ministers from EUs 19 eurozone states met late into Wednesday morning via video-conference, but failed to thrash out an agreement on a stimulus package to help EU states withstand the economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic.

Discussions have now been postponed until Thursday 9 April. The main bone of contention is whether member states should pool their debt.

Diplomatic sources told Reuters news agency that: The Italians want a reference to debt mutualisation as a possible recovery instrument to be analysed more in the future. The Dutch say no.

German finance minister Olaf Scholz said this morning that the finance ministers  also known as the Eurogroup had almost agreed but not quite. Scholz said there were three proposals under debate, with a combined volume of 500bn ($542bn, 440bn).

Ahead of the meeting, it was clear that the Eurogroup would discuss three main measures including the European Stability Mechanism, a pot originally set up during the euro crisis, but loans come with stringent conditions, and are subject to oversight by the European Central Bank, the European Commission, and the International Monetary Fund.

Scholz reiterated his recommendation that the tough conditions to access ESM funds needed to be relaxed, so that that if a country says it wants to use these funds there's not then a load of commissioners who go there and first spend weeks discussing with them how they should change their policies in the coming years.

The Commission is also putting forward 100bn into a short-time work initiative called SURE, modelled on Germanys Kurzarbeit scheme, where the government pays companies 60% or more of an employees salary whilst they are stood down or have their hours reduced.

The European Investment Bank proposed a pan-European fund of to guarantee up to 200bn in loans to small and medium-sized companies.

However, the debate about debt mutualisation, which has been wrangled over since the financial crisis, is now centre stage again.

Story continues

Read more: Angela Merkel: EU facing its greatest test since its founding

Nine countries, led by Spain and Italy, have been very vocal about how they feel debt mutualisation would strengthen EU solidarity. They say they should not have to borrow and be subject to rigorous checks and repayment schedules  or forced to later enact austerity measures  as the coronavirus pandemic is a symmetrical shock and called for corona bonds.

Eurobonds were much debated during the euro crisis a decade ago but ultimately rejected by Germany and a few other countries, who were loath to assume debt liability for countries like Italy and Greece, whose economies needed an overhaul.

Corona bonds would be more or less the same idea: they would allow heavily indebted countries to borrow money at better terms as countries with robust economies, like Germany, would be co-guarantors, making the weaker ones a safer bet.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez wrote in the Guardian that Europes future was at stake and that it is time to act with solidarity in creating a new debt mutualisation mechanism.

Scholz stands with chancellor Angela Merkel in opposition to corona bonds.

Read more: Merkels final act is her biggest challenge so far

Some German finance experts, including the president of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) are pro-debt mutualisation. Marcel Fratzscher told the Rheinischer Post (link in German) newspaper that the German economy is an integral part of a European economy that can only be as strong as its weakest link  and these are Italy and Spain at the moment.

Sharing financial risks is the next necessary step in European integration," OECD secretary general Angel Gurria told Germanys Suddeutsche Zeitung (link in German), noting that he was absolutely in favour of the euro states issuing issue community bonds to combat the economic consequences of the corona crisis.
HARTFORD - A Superior Court judge on Wednesday reserved decision on a class action lawsuit by the ACLU of Connecticut seeking an emergency order to release inmates from state prisons to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Judge Barbara Bellis said she would attempt to rule on the case by the end of the month following a telephone conference with lawyers for the state and ACLU.

Ten lawyers were on the call for the 40-minute proceeding with Bellis.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a critical emergency, and it is rapidly spreading in Connecticut prisons and jails. One person has already died in the Connecticut DOCs care, and the lives of people living and working in Connecticut prisons are at risk. The court should be moving with the extreme urgency this life or death situation demands, said Dan Barrett, legal director of the ACLU of Connecticut and an attorney on the case. It is appalling that instead of concentrating on protecting and saving the lives of people living and working in Connecticut prisons and jails, the state is focusing its arguments on legal technicalities and bureaucratic nonsense.

The ACLU of Connecticut filed the lawsuit in Superior Court on April 3, seeking immediate action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people who are incarcerated in state Department of Correction prisons and jails. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and six people who are incarcerated, including one man with an autoimmune condition and another scheduled for release in May.

>>SEARCHABLE DATABASE: Details about recently released or incarcerated CT inmates

On April 14, the New England Healthcare Employees Union, 1199 SEIU, submitted a friend of the court brief in support of the lawsuit. In that brief, the union states it is the exclusive representative of approximately 600 frontline health care workers in the DOC, including doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, and other health care professionals in Connecticuts jails and prisons.

However, Bellis did not accept the brief.

People who are incarcerated and their loved ones do not have the luxury of time, and they need the court to act now to protect them, said David McGuire, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut. In the past week alone, one person incarcerated by the state has died, the number of COVID-19 cases among incarcerated people has nearly quadrupled, the number of COVID-19 cases among DOC workers has nearly tripled.

Assistant Attorney General James Belforti argued during Wednesdays conference that a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs would effectively circumvent the executive authority of Gov. Ned Lamont and DOC Commissioner Rollin Cook and the legislature along with the Judicial Branch. He called the plan reckless and potentially dangerous.

Belifort stated the plaintiffs are seeking the release of thousands of prisoners who have been incarcerated by one form of judicial order or another during a time when social services and communities are unable to provide adequate help.

Belforti also argued that the CCDLA had no standing since they have suffered no injury. This isnt an association of inmates who are seeking redress for a wrong, Belforti said. The six inmates named in the lawsuit also have no standing since they have no legal right to demand release, he added.

Bellis said she hoped to have a ruling by the end of the month but was shooting for some time next week.

I appreciate the arguments today, she said. I do have my work cut off for me.
In Japan, Taro Aso, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, recently noted that some people have started referring to the World Health Organization as the Chinese Health Organization because of what he described as its close ties to Beijing. Taiwanese officials say the WHO ignored its early warnings about the virus because China refuses to allow Taiwan, a self-governing island it claims as its territory, to become a member.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday asked China for full transparency, as Washington stepped up its attack on Beijing on the coronavirus outbreak. China, on its part, insisted that it has been transparent and sharply criticised US officials who cast doubt on that.

The Secretary stressed the need for full transparency and information sharing to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and prevent future outbreaks, a US State Department statement said on the call between Pompeo and Chinas top diplmate Yang Jiechi.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Yang told Pompeo it was crucial for Washington and Beijing to properly manage their relations during the outbreak and that he hoped the United States would meet China halfway, focus on cooperation and help to promote their relationship.

ALSO WATCH | If WHO knew the gravity of: US President Donald Trump doubles down on allegations

This came hours after US President Donald Trump said that his government is trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan in China.

We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened, Trump said at a White House news conference.

Asked if he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said: I dont want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just dont want to discuss, its inappropriate right now.

Pompeo, in a Fox News Channel interview after Trumps news conference, had said, we know this virus originated in Wuhan, China, and that the Institute of Virology is only a handful of miles away from the wet market.

We really need the Chinese government to open up and help explain exactly how this virus spread, said Pompeo.

The source of the virus remains a mystery. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had said on Tuesday that US intelligence indicates that the coronavirus likely occurred naturally, as opposed to being created in a laboratory in China, but there is no certainty either way.

Fox News reported on Wednesday that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bioweapon, but as part of Chinas effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States.

This report and others have suggested that the Wuhan lab where virology experiments take place and lax safety standards there led to someone getting infected and appearing at a nearby wet market, where the virus began to spread.

The virus has no far infected more than two million people across the globe and killed thousands.
The citys busiest supervised injection site is slated to reopen this weekend after being shut in March, but front-line workers say the month-long closure has put a vulnerable community at further risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, Dr. Eileen de Villa, the citys medical officer of health, said Toronto Public Health hopes to reopen the site this weekend using an appointment-based model.

The site, located inside Toronto Public Healths headquarters at 277 Victoria St. near Yonge-Dundas Square, closed March 18 after several Toronto Public Health staff tested positive for COVID-19 and the entire building was temporarily shut.

De Villa said the site was not well set up for appropriate physical distancing after at least one staff member at The Works contracted the virus. Fencing was erected in front of the building to help keep people away from the entrances.

I know that this has been frustrating and worrying for many, myself included, de Villa said during a press conference at city hall.

The team is actively working to identify solutions to quickly resume providing these critical life-saving services that are provided at The Works.

Coun. Joe Cressy, the chair of the citys board of health and the chief advocate behind the opening of supervised injection sites last council term, said Thursday it was unacceptable The Works was closed.

In the midst of COVID-19, live-saving harm reduction sites are needed now more than ever before and while COVID-19 has brought enormous challenges into every front-line environment, we have a fundamental duty to those were taking care of to find a way to keep these services open.

The Works first opened in 1989 and it became the citys first legally-sanctioned supervised injection service in 2017.

Supervised injection involves people bringing their own drugs and taking them under the watch of a health-care worker, who monitors for signs of overdose or infection. The spaces also provide an opportunity to be connected to addiction and other health services.

Meanwhile, the overdose crisis in the city rages on. In March, de Villa said, the city recorded the highest number of suspected opioid overdose deaths in any month since March 2019.

The Works recorded 3,853 visits in February before strict social distancing measures were put in place as a result of the pandemic. Visits in March fell by nearly half to just 1,993 by the time it closed on the 18th.

Front-line workers say the closure has had a big impact on the harm reduction community.

Zoe Dodd, a co-organizer with the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society, said overdoses spiked on the street immediately after the closure, including outside of the nearby Fred Victor site on Queen Street E., where there was a lineup to get in to use the supervised consumption site, she said. A sign on the door of The Works directed people to the Fred Victor site.

The moment they closed we felt the impact on the street, Dodd said.

Importantly, she said, The Works is also open on weekends and holidays, which is not true of all sites.

They serve a particular group of people that dont kind of go to other sites, she said. There had been no communication about why The Works was closed or when it might reopen.

Dodd said harm reduction workers play an important role checking in on the general health of people and encouraging them to be assessed if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19.

Nanky Rai, a family physician based out of the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, said theyre experiencing the impact in the west end as well. She has clients in clinical care using The Works because it is the site they trust.

The overdose crisis continues irrespective of what happens with this pandemic and its only worsening because of the pandemic, she said.

Overdose prevention spaces, strategies, physical locations should be increasing their hours, not decreasing them and shutting down, she added.
Taxfix founders Lino Teuteberg and Mathis Buchi

Taxfix, a Berlin, Germany-based tax management app provider, raised $65M in Series C funding round.

The round was led by Index Ventures with participation from Valar Ventures, Creandum and Redalpine.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations, development efforts and its business reach.

Co-founded by Lino Teuteberg and Mathis Buchi, Taxfix provides an app for users to collect and manage tax. Since its launch, the company has helped collect 270m for users. It is currently processing around 2m of refund a day, and its revenues have more than tripled in the past 12 months. Taxfix has a team of 200 people and plan to add another 100 people, expand its operations in Europe and offer additional tailored financial services, such as helping users with investments, credit and other kinds of financial products.

FinSMEs

16/04/2020
A snake catcher has captured the terrifying moment a massive carpet python was found lurking beneath a bedside table.

Luke Huntley, owner of Snake Catcher Noosa, was called to relocate a reptile from a home at Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland on Wednesday.

The owners were away and had asked friends to check the vacant property before it is rented it out remotely.

But upon entry, the inspectors found dried snake poo and a tail poking out from beneath furniture in one of the bedrooms and quickly rang the removalist.

Snake Catcher Luke Huntley (pictured) found a massive carpet snake curled up beneath a bedside table on Wednesday

A video taken shortly after Mr Huntley arrived shows him picking up a bedside table to uncover a huge carpet Python tightly curled up on the floor.

'Beautiful, look at that,' Mr Huntley says as he picks up the snake and turns around as it extends towards the camera.

'There we go guys. One carpet python in the bedroom,' he says.

'As you can see, as the nights start to cool down, they get more and more interested in warm places and this one has obviously found its way in through an open door or something and got warm and comfortable.'

Mr Huntley told Daily Mail Australia said the house was open a few weeks ago but had been closed and sealed off.

He said the snake had gone in when it was open and had been locked inside since.

There was nothing for it to eat in the house, but Mr Huntley said snakes can go a long time without food and water.

'It had the run to a very nice house all to itself,' he said.

'It is lucky no one had moved in and got into bed next to it. That would of been a very interesting call out.'

Once picked up, the tightly-bundled snake extended its massive metres-long body

It was taken to a nearby creek and released.

The footage made Facebook users squirm after it was posted to the Snake Catcher Noosa page shortly after the catch.

'To late I would of burnt the house down by now,' one person wrote.

Another added: 'Cant watch. Would give me nightmares.'

Carpet Pythons are non-venomous large snakes that grow up to four metres long and can be found throughout northern, eastern and southern Australia.
Like an elevator that goes from floor 12 to 14 without an unlucky 13, I should probably have skipped part 13 of this series yesterday and proceeded directly to part 14. After posting part 13 early yesterday morning, I sought to participate in Minnesota Governor Tim Walzs daily press briefing by contacting Walz press secretary Teddy Tschann, as directed by Minnesota Department of Health information officer Michael Schommer. Tschann did not favor me with the courtesy of a reply. I have tried again today. Im feeling lucky.

As of this morning, the death toll attributed to COVID-19 by the Minnesota authorities ramped up from 79 to 87. I listened to the governors daily press briefing live streamed on the Alpha News Facebook page. Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm stated that the 9 new deaths were heavily concentrated among the elderly. Indeed, all 9 were residents of nursing homes or assisted-care living facilities. Video of yesterdays briefing is archived here

The median age of decedents is 87. That too remains unchanged since the day before. See the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Situation Update. Decedents so far have fallen within an age range from 56 to 100 (screenshot below).

The state of Minnesota remains on lockdown under the shutdown order announced by Governor Tim Walz on March 25 and now extended to May 4. At the press briefing yesterday, Department of Employment & Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove announced that nearly 465,000 unemployment compensation claims have been filed since March 16, when the first COVID-19 related Unemployment Insurance applications started, as the department puts it. That is a staggering number.

Governor Walz asserted that Groves department leads the nation in implementing the CARES Act as fast as possible. According to Walz, Minnesota is the first state to implement the 13-week CARES Act extension of unemployment benefits. And thats not all. They continue to improve processes. Woo hoo!

To the extent unemployment was addressed at all, the governor and his commissioners addressed it in terms of claims processing. Theyre dancing as fast as they can. The question why the state must be shut down to protect those whose lives are put at risk by the virus went unasked.
Egypt decided on Thursday to impose a 14-day lockdown on Kafr El-Agmy village in the northern Kafr El-Sheikh governorate after the detection of 10 coronavirus cases among the villagers, reported Ahram Arabic news website.

The newly-detected cases  eight people from one family, a university student, and a physician  were transferred to an isolation hospital in Baltim city.

The governor ordered the village's daily needs be provided to minimise direct interaction between its people.

The village will be cordoned to restrict movement for the duration of the lockdown.

In late March, the country quarantined a number of families in 10 governorates in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to the health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed.

The increase in cases has come despite unprecedented restrictions to stem the spread of the virus amid fears that the medical facilities in the country, with a population of 100 million, will be overwhelmed.

The country has so far logged 2,505 infections and 183 fatalities.

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His thanks come as Vietnamese in the city presented 635 pairs of medical socks on April 11 to health workers at the hospital with direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

He lauded Vietnam as a good example to follow in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Strict physical distancing and social unity, he said, have helped the country avoid the serious consequences caused by the disease in Europe and the US.

Russias Komsomolskaya Pravda (Komsomol Truth) newspaper, meanwhile, ran an article on April 14 with images of Vietnamese citizens presenting free face masks to local residents.
IMF head Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday suggested that Britain and the EU extend their deadline on striking a post-Brexit trade deal in the face of coronavirus uncertainty.

"My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, the UK, the EU, and the whole world," Georgieva told the BBC when asked if she would advise on an extension.

"I really hope that all policymakers everywhere would be thinking about" reducing uncertainty, she added.

"It is tough as it is, let's not make it any tougher."



The International Monetary Fund this week warned that the coronavirus pandemic is pushing the global economy into the deepest recession in a century, cutting world output by three percent this year, and cautioned that the crisis could get even worse.

British and European Union officials meanwhile have agreed to schedule three new rounds of post-Brexit trade talks, starting next week by video conference, after the coronavirus epidemic disrupted negotiations.

However, a joint statement following a call between EU negotiator Michel Barnier and UK counterpart David Frost made no mention of postponing the end of Britain's transition out of the bloc beyond December 31.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists there is no question of the UK remaining under EU rules after that date, while some observers have warned that the COVID-19 pandemic has made a quick deal impossible.

The UK government was Thursday expected to extend a nationwide lockdown for another three weeks, as the country's coronavirus death toll approached 13,000.

The British economy could shrink by 13 per cent this year in the case of a three-month lockdown, according to the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Its now 75 years since Soviet troops liberated the notorious death camp at Auschwitz and the vast majority of Holocaust survivors are no longer with us. The impact of continuing to research the Holocaust can, therefore, not be underestimated. The further away we move from the events and the more first-hand witnesses we lose, the more disconnected we feel, both individually and as a society.

As an archaeologist, I have experienced first hand how using a measured, scientific approach to the investigation of these atrocities can help to answer questions, heal communities, bring closure and allow for a more balanced approach to the representation of the subject.

The presentation of rigorously researched scientific evidence to support the known (and sometimes forgotten) history, has become ever more important at a time when this is being challenged by misinformation, competing narratives and populist movements.

As is the case for most British people, what I knew about the Holocaust was originally limited to what I had learned during secondary education and through my exposure to the subject in the media. I did not study the Holocaust at degree level or make a determined effort to develop a greater awareness. Now, through my work in the field of Holocaust archaeology I know different.

For my generation growing up in an age when the internet was just emerging, the information on the Holocaust was limited to academic research disseminated through school and traditional media. Todays students have access to an unmanageable amount of material and the choice to search without restriction. But this access does not guarantee increased awareness or knowledge.

Recent surveys have suggested that one in 20 people in the UK dont believe the Holocaust happened, while one-third of people from seven surveyed European countries know little or nothing about these events.

Additionally, a study of English secondary schools found that few students could accurately describe the events of the Holocaust, even though this is a compulsory part of the curriculum. This is a worrying trend for future generations.

Traditionally, Holocaust education has centred on historical sources and testimony from survivors. But  as these statistics show  new and innovative methods of collecting and presenting these facts are required to engage and, crucially, generate an awareness in people to ensure that these events are not forgotten or become rewritten. The use of an archaeological approach to research and present the Holocaust is therefore relevant and timely.

Our knowledge of the Holocaust tends to focus on the main camps rather than the tens of thousands of more diverse Holocaust sites across Europe. Many of these remain unprotected, understudied and known only to comparatively few people. Each of these sites contains individual stories which, when told, can illustrate direct relevance to our contemporary society.

Respecting remains

The practice of Holocaust archaeology, uses desk-based archival research, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, remote sensing, topographic survey and geophysical techniques to identify destroyed camps, lost killing sites and hidden mass graves. Importantly, these techniques avoid excavation that would disturb human remains, a practice which is forbidden under Jewish Law. Staffordshire Universitys Centre of Archaeology, of which I am a member, has worked at more than 40 sites across Europe.

To provide an example, several killing sites and mass graves that were regarded as lost and under immediate threat have recently been identified by our team using these innovative archaeological methods. Sites in Rohatyn and across the regions of Vinnytsia and Zhytomir in the Ukraine, now have protected status and newly dedicated memorials to the victims.

Collected data can be visualised in a multitude of innovative ways with the primary objective being digital preservation, simplicity of access and increased awareness to a wide audience.

An emotional task

During my time on these projects, I have personally seen and been subject to the unequivocal evidence of the true scale of the Holocaust. I have experienced the profound effects of being presented with the graves and the remains of the victims and have seen the positive effects of presenting the evidence of the research to the public.

My experiences have been viewed through the eyes of someone who knew our modern history and was aware of the scale and effect of war  but I had no direct involvement in it. My archaeological background, however, meant I was more familiar with our ancient past than the generation that preceded me.

Working in this field, the effect on me has been thought-provoking and life-affirming. Put simply, I am more appreciative of the everyday opportunities and freedoms of life. I have been able to see the victims as individuals, whose lives and aspirations were cut short and whose memory should not be so easily manipulated or forgotten.

Many of these experiences would have been made all the more difficult without the collective support of my colleagues. The discussion that follows the analysis of victim testimonies, historic photographs and archaeological fieldwork is an important part of processing the raw reality of the Holocaust.

William Mitchell , Author provided

My work in this field has taken me to more than 15 sites across Europe, from Norway, Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia to Poland and the Ukraine. It is evident that governmental and personal responses to the recognition and presentation of these sites vary in each nation. Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism is ever-present in the UK and across Europe more generally  and this is even more apparent at these sites. It is partly as a response to these continued pressures that these research projects are undertaken.

Raising awareness

There have, on many occasions, been causes to be pessimistic about human nature. I have encountered Jewish memorials that have been used for target practice, cemetery sites that have been historically and recently desecrated, and denial and hostility by local residents.

Distressingly, there have been several sites that have been looted, resulting in human remains, clothing and belongings being scattered across the surface, perhaps due to the misguided belief that mass graves contain items of value. These encounters highlight the fact that indifference and prejudices, but also social inequalities, are still prevalent.

Thankfully, positive events and achievements outweigh the bad. The grateful thanks of relatives, religious leaders and heritage groups, the raising of awareness within communities, schools and the media, and the identification of the exact boundaries of mass graves and camp buildings resulting in protection and memorialisation, are the successes to hold on to.

These projects also lead to the re-interment of remains. And, at sites that were erased by the Nazis, we were able to provide physical evidence relating to the nature of incarceration and extermination.

I am grateful to be in a position to continue to tell the story and get recognition for the sites that have been disturbed or neglected for decades. Helping to tell the stories of these lost individuals is especially important at a time when intolerance and indifference is becoming an accepted part of society.

The scale and extent of the devastation of the Holocaust means there is still much work to be done, especially given the current challenges of continued prejudice and misinformation.

William Mitchell, Project Archaeologist, Staffordshire University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
- One of KQ's Boeing 787-8 planes was headed to London on Thursday, April 16, carrying over 40 tonnes of fresh produce

- Airline's CEO, Allan Kilavuka, said expanding cargo services would help KQ earn some more revenue after passenger flights were grounded

- Almost all airlines in the world are struggling following travel restrictions issued to curb the spread of coronavirus which has killed over 130,000 people

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has converted four of its wide-body passenger aircraft to cargo flights to help in the movement of essential supplies across the world.

The airline's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Allan Kilavuka, said on Thursday, April 16, that the move will not only improve freight movement but also boost KQ's revenue base at this time when passenger operations have been grounded by the coronavirus pandemic.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Uganda to send back home Kenyan truck driver who tested positive

KQ's Boeing 787-8 plane will be head to London today with fresh produce. Photo: Alex Chamwada.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Ken Walibora's relatives struggling to come to terms with author's death

Kilavuka added the airline would help plug freight shortage in Africa which was caused when major players started concentrating on serving America and Europe.

"We are exploring different options to keep the lights on in the organisation, cargo is one of those areas. We have converted four of our wide-body aircraft to cargo aircraft. We are also looking at the narrow-body aircraft for shorter missions across Africa.

There is demand for cargo aircraft across the world with the main freighters operating mostly in Europe and America creating a shortage in Africa," said Kilavuka.

READ ALSO:Aliyekuwa katibu Lilian Omollo apoteza KSh 34M kwa serikali

Airline's CEO Allan Kilavuka said expanding cargo services will help KQ earn some more revenue. Photo: KQ.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Landlords and tenants association orders all tenants to stop paying rent citing COVID-19 impact

TUKO.co.ke learnt one of KQ's Boeing 787-8 planes, which had been turned into a cargo carrier, was headed to London on Thursday, April 16, carrying over 40 tonnes of fresh produce.

"The airline is a key strategic asset and will be one of the catalysts for the rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. We are therefore positioning ourselves to be ready for the bounce back," the CEO said.

Some of the fresh produce set to be exported to Europe by KQ. Photo: Alex Chamwada.

Source: UGC

As earlier reported, the airline had protested a decision to hand a cargo transportation deal to its rival, Ethiopian Airlines.

On Tuesday, April 14, Ethiopian Airlines announced that the United Nations (UN) had given it a deal to move material used in the fight against coronavirus across Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines landed a deal to transport equipment used in fight against coronavirus. Photo: Ethiopian Airlines.

Source: UGC

The UN also opened a humanitarian transport hub in Addis Ababa.

Kilavuka nonetheless said KQ was having useful discussions with the government to ensure that the airline retained stability until normalcy returned.

"We are engaging with the government for their continued support during this time and we are having very useful discussions around the same," he stated.

KQ crew getting examined by a medic before flying to t London. Photo: Alex Chamwada.

Source: UGC

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

I have forgiven the men who killed my husband- Dorcas Wandera | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
The third President of the Republic of Armenia (RA) Serzh Sargsyan issued a statement before Thursdays hearings of the National Assembly Inquiry Committee for Examining the Circumstances of the Military Activities of April 2016. Below we present an abridged version of this statement.

President Sargsyan has agreed to take part in these hearings, as he considers it his duty to close the topic of all kinds of speculations related to the four-day April war.

Before the sitting of the committee, the RA third President made a statement, which reads [in particular]:

The issue of the April war must in no way divide our people, weaken our unity, and endanger our defense capabilities.

I am proud of our army. In April 2016, our boys fought with great courage.

They crushed and stopped the advance of the elite [military] divisions of Azerbaijan, and according to the intelligence data of ours and some of our partners abroad, they inflicted lot more losses on the adversary than we had.

The soil is kept with blood. And glory to all those with whose blood the soil of the homeland is soaked.

However, the day will come when Baku will try to do the same again, and when they take that step, it will be impossible to save everyone again.

If we want to have no losses, we must give up our national goal of living freely and with dignity in our own homeland.

After the war, negotiations with the adversary on the diplomatic front shall bring peace and ensure the implementation of that agreementbut not at the expense of the vital interests of our people.

We have no right to be divided on issues of national importance and, first of all, on the issue of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)].

I myself, too, have questions according to all the rules of waron sowing dark suspicions among the society by some forces about the victory of the Armenian army, various speculations, the purpose of setting up a parliamentary inquiry committee into the April war, and a number of other topics.

And today, at the session of that committee, I am going to look directly into the eyes of the committee members and say what I know and, also, what I think.
For people with asthma, the outbreak of a pandemic that can lead to respiratory failure has not been a welcome event. Many health organizations have cautioned that asthmatics are most likely at higher risk for severe illness if they get the coronavirus. Theres been a run on inhalers, and coronavirus patients like the actor Idris Elba have openly worried about their asthma.

But this month, when New York State, the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, began releasing data on the top 10 chronic health problems suffered by people who died from coronavirus, asthma was notably absent from the list. State officials said only about five percent of Covid-19 deaths in New York were of people who were known to also have asthma, a relatively modest amount.

The research at this early stage is minimal and not always consistent, as one would expect. A recent commentary published in Lancet by a group of European researchers called it striking that asthma appeared to be underrepresented in the comorbidities reported for patients with Covid-19  comorbidity being the term for a secondary health problem. A small study of 24 critically ill patients in Washington State noted that three had asthma.

Were not seeing a lot of patients with asthma, said Dr. Bushra Mina, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, which has treated more than 800 Covid cases. The more common risk factors, he added, are morbid obesity, diabetes and chronic heart disease.
ICRC is ready to fulfill its role as neutral intermediary as detainees are being released by opposing sides in eastern Ukraine and transferred to temporary accommodations.

As of the early hours of this morning, ICRC teams have prepared to fulfill their role as neutral intermediary, as detainees are being released by opposing sides in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine and transferred to temporary accommodations before they can join their families safely, reads the ICRCs statement in relation to the simultaneous release and transfer of detainees.

As noted, the release carries humanitarian values as it brings people back to their families on both sides of the contact line.

The humanitarian value of the release of people detained in time of conflict cannot be underestimated. Six years of the conflict and separation have been difficult. Therefore, the actions that bring humanity and caring are important, because even conflicts must have limits, the ICRC underscores.

As reported with reference to the Office of the President of Ukraine, the next stage of the mutual release of detained persons began in the morning.

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Ever since the news about Mahesh Babu joining hands with Parasuram broke out, everyone has been wondering about the leading the lady of their film. Just a few days back, we told you that Parasuram is making a family entertainer with Mahesh in the lead, and Gopi Sunder has been brought on board to score the background music for the same.

The untitled project will be bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers and is expected to go on floors from July onwards. As for the female lead, initially, it was being said that Keerthy Suresh was being considered for the film. However, later we reported that Mahesh Babu was quite keen on roping in Kiara Advani. And turns out, this piece of information isn't actually wrong.

Yes, we hear Kiara is already in talks with the makers of Mahesh Babu-starrer and it's very much likely that she will sign on the dotted line. Though an official announcement is still awaited, the Kabir Singh actress recently did gave a hint about signing a Tollywood biggie. During an interview, the 27-year-old revealed that she hasn't been able to take up any offers in Tollywood as Bollywood films have been keeping her very busy.

But the good-looking actress also added that she would sign a Tollywood film very soon. Guess, Kiara was subtly hinting at Parasuram's directorial venture. Since Kiara has already worked with Mahesh Babu in Bharat Ane Nenu, we are pretty sure these two will set the screen on fire if they come together on 70mm once again. Don't you guys agree?

Pushpa: Kiara Advani To Feature In The Allu Arjun Starrer? Deets Inside!
Police responding to an anonymous tip found more than a dozen bodies at a nursing home in north-western New Jersey, according to reports and an email from an owner of the home.

Five bodies were found on Sunday and 13 more were found on Monday at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Centre, Andover Township Police Chief Eric Danielson told The New Jersey Herald.

The remains found at the facility were among 68 deaths linked to the home, including both residents and two nurses, The New York Times reported, citing Danielson, other officials and county records shared with a federal official. At least 26 of those deaths were confirmed by laboratory tests to be related to COVID-19, the newspaper said.

Staffing at the facility was adequate, but an extraordinary number of deaths over the weekend overwhelmed the facilitys resources, a co-owner of the home said in an email to the office of US Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey.
A file photo of a COVID-19 test vial at a drive-up testing station at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on April 6, 2020. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Orange County Doctor Who Started Early COVID-19 Response Sees Results

Dr. Gregg DeNicola began orchestrating curbside COVID-19 testing in Laguna Beach, California, on March 10, making him one of the first doctors to do so in Orange County.

He was also one of the first to put together a multi-step treatment program for severe cases.

DeNicola is the chief medical officer for Caduceus Medical Group and has had a 35-year career in medicine. But this pandemic was something his years of experience didnt fully prepare him for, he said.

At this point, theres really no experts in this, because before three [or] four weeks ago, no doctor ever treated it in America. So its hard to have anybody be an expert in it, DeNicola said in an interview with The Epoch Times.

Dr. Gregg DeNicola, chief medical officer for Caduceus Medical Group, began early aggressive treatments for COVID-19. (Courtesy of Gregg DeNicola)

Finding the Right Treatments

He didnt know exactly what to do, but he knew he had to move quickly with lives on the line. When his team received more and more positive test results for COVID-19, he decided to learn what he could from the countries that were hit hardest.

We started just reading everything we could of what was used in Italy, Spain, you know, the high-risk countries, he said.

The common denominator was the anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine. Its also known by the brand name Plaquenil. He said he had read some anecdotal reports that it might help, [so] we started using it.

A file photo of Plaquenil tablets in a pharmacy, on April 6, 2020. (Benoit Doppagne/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)

On March 28, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency use of the drug. DeNicola started treating severe cases with it right away.

He said 75 percent of his patients experienced definite improvement. He currently has a queue of 60 severe cases being treated with the drug.

But the drug has been hard to find.

Supply Shortages

Ive heard reports theres millions of doses being released, but we have not found thatwe have to call around, DeNicola said. Sometimes its being on the phone an hour trying to find a pharmacy that has them and most pharmacies require positive results faxed to them.

President Donald Trump has commented positively on hydroxychloroquine in recent press conferences. A subsequent surge in demand has made the drug even harder to obtain.

The Food and Drug Association issued an emergency sign-off on April 7 to allow more suppliers to manufacture it generically. The drug has traditionally been used for patients with malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. The shortages have impacted these patients.

Some have criticized Trumps public support of the drug without more trial results. Some early studies have suggested it is effective, while others have suggested it isnt, according to a research summary by medicinal chemist Katherine Seley-Radtke in an article for The Conversation.

Were not political in any way, DeNicola said. Were just trying to pick any drug that works.

On April 9, the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced in a press release that a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine will begin at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Other trials are being done in labs around the world.

James P. Kiley, an NIH lung disease specialist, stated in the press release: Hydroxychloroquine has showed promise in a lab setting against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and preliminary reports suggest potential efficacy in small studies with patients.

However, we really need clinical trial data to determine whether hydroxychloroquine is effective and safe in treating COVID-19.

DeNicola said he has heard the argument that patients who seemed to recover because of the drug might have recovered anyway without it. And thats a good argument, he said.

But when you interview [patients] and they say, Weve been coughing in high fever and having trouble breathing for seven days now, and 24 hours after Plaquenil, they feel 50 percent betterwe think thats probably a positive sign that it worked.

I think we have treated 5556 people, and weve only had one go into the hospital, DeNicola said. In our opinions, [Plaquenil] definitely kept the number of patients out of the hospital.

We dont feel in any way [that] we are doing anything wrong by using it. Weve got to use whatever we can right now.

DeNicola isnt relying on the drug alone. His treatment regimen for COVID-19 includes other measures. But, because of the rapid improvement he has observed directly after administering hydroxychloroquine, its no doubt, no question that the drug is helping, he said.

Pulmonary Hygiene

Pulmonary hygiene is another part of DeNicolas treatment program, which means laying on your side, coughing, turning, coughing, turning again, coughing, he said. The goal is to get the mucus from the bottom of the lungs up to the middle of the lungs.

DeNicola said the virus is a lung-eater, and he and his team have evolved from a testing mentality to a treatment mentality.

He began this treatment regimen on March 23. It was much more rigorous than treatments in some other areas at the time.

By comparison, a COVID-19 patient from Irvine, whom The Epoch Times interviewed in March, received an inhaler and nothing else when he experienced severe symptoms around the same time.

The COVID-19, once it gets to the lungs it eats the lungs, said DeNicola. It pours out fluid and causes severe pneumonia. So the whole goal [of the program] is to keep the fluid out of the lungs, thats the whole purpose.

Medical staff look at the scan of a patients lungs at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hosting the COVID-19 patients at the ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo, Italy, on April 3, 2020. (Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)

DeNicola also suggests to his patients what he calls the double Zszinc and Z-Pak. The latter is also known as Zithromax (azithromycin), and it is an antibiotic used for respiratory, skin, and other bacterial infections.

Then, the next step is percussion and drainage, which requires a partner (who wears the proper personal protective equipment). The partner cups his or her hands and pounds on the patients back firmly, which loosens all the mucus, causing the patient to cough it up.

The entire exercise takes 15 minutes and DeNicola recommends patients do it three times a day.

Curbside Testing

The curbside testing DeNicolas staff uses is the nasal swab test, or the PCR test, which is considered the gold standard for accurate results.

Its by far the most accurate, he said. We actually looked into buying some of those quick kits that you can do with either a throat swab or a fingerprint, but the false negative rate was just too high on all of them.

The patient never comes into the office, DeNicola explained. The pre-evaluations are all done through telemedicine calls. Then the testing is done at the curbside in front of the office. The city of Laguna Beach gave DeNicolas office five free parking spaces to conduct the testing.

A medical staff member takes nasal swab samples at a drive-through COVID-19 testing point in Zagreb, Croatia, on April 1, 2020. (Denis Lovrovic/AFP via Getty Images)

Caduceus Medical Groups other locations are also offering curbside testing, including one in Yorba Linda. The results are ready within three to five days.

Flattening the Curve

Self-isolation is working, in DeNicolas opinion, which is why the demand for testing has dropped off in recent weeks.

One of the remaining concerns he has is the uncertainty around how long patients who recover from the virus will still be contagious.

Patients are testing positive two to three times in a row after they no longer have symptoms, he said. Which means they feel good, but could they still be a carrier? And the answer is, maybe.

The Centers for Disease Control guidelines for when recovering patients can discontinue self-isolation include the disappearance of symptoms, as well as two consecutive tests with negative results taken more than 24 hours apart.

Another discussion surfacing within the medical community is whether the virus is airborne or spread through droplets. DeNicola believes theres truth to both claims.

The evidence appears to be right now through droplets, he said. But that could be airborne because if you sneeze or cough hard enough, they travel airborne.

DeNicola thinks the six-feet social distancing rule isnt enough, because some studies even showed it was living as far as 20 feet away after a bad cough.

So the reason this is different from the flualthough people compare it to the fluis [with] the flu, you got to be pretty close to the person and they get it, he explained. You have to kiss them or be right next to them. But for this, this seems to be very easy to spread.

An unintended consequence of the lockdowns is that other kinds of infections arent spreading from person to person. Were not seeing any infectious disease at all right now [aside from COVID-19]like Im not getting any emails for strep throat or normal common colds, because nobodys going out to spread those, he said.

Were going to see it again

There are other coronaviruses that have been around my whole career, and they recur every year, DeNicola said. So theres no doubt were going to see it again, I think.

The questions DeNicola poses are: Will we have a vaccine which would mitigate a lot of its scare? And will we have herd immunity? In other words, will 90 percent of the population be immune to it?

[That] would make it much less serious, he said. We wouldnt go through all this quarantining and shutting everything down.

Many people in and outside of the medical community are examining how the virus compares to the common flu, and whether the flu is deserving of an annual quarantine period, too.

Even though the flu is a mutation every year, there is some herd immunity to the flu and theres a vaccine to the flu, said DeNicola. So, yes, the flu has terrible numbers but the likelihood of you getting the flu in a normal flu season is probably 1020 percent; the likelihood of you and I getting coronavirus if we hadnt done all this might have been 80 percent.

With treatments being worked on, DeNicola believes the virus will return, but will never do anything at this level again.
A Minneapolis couple with a USAA account  a disabled veteran and his wife  were anxiously awaiting their relief payments, the wife said. She and her young family had just moved into their own apartment after living with their extended family while they struggled to get out from under thousands of dollars of debt.

But the woman, who did not want to be identified by name out of concern that her financial troubles could harm the careers of family members, had to quit her job after being unable to find child care when some Minnesota day care centers closed because of the virus. She had been counting on a relief payment to help pay rent and buy formula for her 10-month-old daughter.

But USAA told the couple that it was keeping the money because their account was overdrawn.

The woman showed The New York Times screenshots of a Twitter exchange between her husband and a USAA representative. Using USAAs verified Twitter account, the representative explained that if the familys bank account had a negative balance, any deposits to the account will go toward the negative amount owed to the bank.

After this article was published on Thursday, USAA said it would pause overdraft collections for the next 90 days.

This will allow members access to their full stimulus payment to help cover the costs of rent, food and other important necessities, Matthew Hartwig, a bank spokesman, said in an email. Beginning as early as today, we will apply this policy retroactively to any member accounts with a negative balance at the time the first stimulus checks were deposited, so that members will have access to their stimulus funds.

The government checks are meant to cushion the pandemics financial blow to some of the hardest-hit Americans. Anyone who earns up to $75,000 in adjusted gross annual income and has a Social Security number will receive $1,200. Married couples who file joint tax returns will receive $2,400 if their adjusted gross income is under $150,000. The amount declines for those who make more.

In a March 2018 survey, the Pew Charitable Trusts, a nonpartisan research institute, found that more than 39 million Americans had incurred overdraft fees within the past year, with people essentially using overdrafting as credit.
- It was announced that some COVID-19 patients at St. Lukes Hospital are now getting better

- The improvement was seen after they received blood plasma from those who recovered from the disease

- A doctor in the said hospital revealed that the oxygenation requirement of patients has reduced

- The people who survived from the virus are now encouraged to donate blood that contains antibodies

PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed

An improvement was recently seen on patients of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) who received blood plasma from recoveries.

KAMI learned that it was Dr. Francisco Lopez, a hematologist at the St. Luke's Medical Center, who disclosed the good news to the public.

He told Sandra Aguinaldo of GMA News that the oxygenation requirement of some of the patients has reduced already.

There is also an improvement spotted in some important factors like the chest x-ray and the biomarkers of inflammation.

Slowly, we are seeing improvement in their chest x-ray and also yung mga oxygenation requirement bumababa na rin Kung nasa ventilator sila, sa machine, dahan-dahan yung requirement ng oxygen na bumababa," the medical frontliner said.

"We don't want to create a hype. We want more evidence," he added.

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

It can be remembered that the survivors of COVID-19 in the Philippines were encouraged to donate blood that contains antibodies.

The St. Lukes Medical Center and the Philippine General Hospital are accepting survivors who are generous enough to donate blood.

In a previous article by , a COVID-19 vaccine candidate has received approval to enter the second phase of clinical trials.

The Philippines is one of the countries that is greatly affected by the novel coronavirus. For the first time since day 1, the total number of recoveries surpassed the number of fatalities on April 15.

Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts!

A Filipino found his own way to help frontliners amid pandemic. They had to walk an hour, an hour and a half to get to work. I mean, coming from an 8-hour shift sa hospital, tapos palalakarin mo pa yung nurse o kahit security guard. Parang hindi makatarungan, diba?  on HumanMeter!

Source: KAMI.com.gh
Seattle resident Maggie Mohamed was looking forward to spending the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in her native Egypt. Now, with the spread of the new coronavirus, flying is off the table.

So is having friends and relatives over for a potluck iftar, the breaking of the fast. Mohamed is older than 65 and says she cannot risk it.

It's very sad. We were very excited, she said. But, I don't take it as a punishment. I take it as a wake-up (call).

Ramadan unites Muslims the world over in fasting and worship. This year, it follows a string of religious holidays that have also unified the faithful from different religions in grappling with how to observe familiar rituals and celebrations in a time of unfamiliarity.

Mohamed is contemplating workarounds. She always looks forward to the special Ramadan prayers, known as taraweeh, at the mosque. She will now pray at home with her daughter. But what about the dua, or supplication? The imam moves her to tears. As he prays for dead loved ones or those suffering in faraway lands in his miraculous voice, sobs rise from the faithful and intermingle with chants of Amen recited in unison.

Mohamed wonders: Can he make dua over Zoom video conferencing? That would help us a lot, she said, even as she noted it wouldn't be the same. At the mosque, after the tears comes the laughter. Their faces still wet with tears, female worshippers hug and chat after the prayers as children scurry around and dates and chocolate are passed from hand to hand.

It feels like happiness, Mohamed said. Now, I cannot hug.

Ramadan, which starts later in April, marks when Muslims believe God first revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. The faithful abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset as they strive for self-purification and empathy. It's a time for prayers, introspection and charity. Normally, it's also a time for family, friends and festive feasting for many.

This year, uncertainty looms over the month amid indications the outbreak will cast a pall over many beloved rituals.

Many Muslims have been praying for the coronavirus cloud, which has already disrupted Islamic worship the world over, to lift before Ramadan.

Mosque closures and modified calls for prayers urging the devout to pray at home have left many feeling emotional. They are relying on worship at home and online religious classes. This year, some are planning virtual interfaith iftars.

Texas-based imam Omar Suleiman said empty mosques are reason for reflection.

What would make us worthy again of His sanctuaries? he said by phone. How do we build ourselves to where we are more connected to Him? added Suleiman who has been streaming sermons and nightly reflections to more than 1.4 million Facebook followers.

Now we have a chance to develop empathy with those that have not had access to their religious spaces due to oppressive circumstances.

Muhammad Sajid, imam at Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta, said normally hundreds flock to the mosque for iftars and prayers.

If coronavirus restrictions continue, people will still fast, they will still pray, but definitely we will lose the spirit of togetherness.

Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore have banned popular Ramadan bazaars where hawkers sell food and drinks in congested open-air markets or roadside stalls. In predominantly Muslim Malaysia, vendors are now planning to bring their businesses online through mobile apps or digital platforms provided by local authorities during the fasting month.

Mohamad Fadhil, a trader in Malaysia's southern Johor state, said he was resigned to not being able to do business at the Ramadan bazaar or perform the taraweeh prayers at the mosque. It feels odd that we can't do all the familiar things we take for granted during Ramadan but in this time of crisis, we just have to be patient and follow orders.

In Iran, suffering one of the world's worst outbreaks, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested that mass gatherings may be barred through the holy month. In the absence of these meetings, remember to heed your prayers and devotions in your lonesomeness, he said.

The Islamic Waqf, which administers the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Islam's third-holiest site, has closed the compound to worshippers.

Ramadan prayers, which typically attract hundreds of thousands of people, are now in question, though a final decision hasn't been made.

It's very difficult to see Ramadan in Jerusalem without the mass prayers in Al-Aqsa, said Sheikh Azzam Khateeb, the director general of the Waqf. Still, the health of the worshippers comes before anything else. We pray to God that this crisis will end.

In Egypt, the Ministry of Religious Endowments decided to suspend communal Ramadan activities, including mass charity iftars around mosques. Mosques have already closed for prayers there and the country is under a night-time curfew.

Ramadan is normally lively in the country of more than 100 million -- and steeped in tradition.

Ordinarily, worshippers fill mosques and shoppers swarm markets. Loved ones gather over scrumptious iftars. Strangers break bread together in street banquets that feed the needy. Cafes teem with patrons chatting over a cacophony of gurgling water pipes and blaring music. And Ramadan lanterns cast a colorful glow over bustling streets.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
FMCG major Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) on Thursday said the new guidelines would help the companies restore the supply chain in the second phase of the lockdown.

However, availability of labour for the industry is still the biggest challenge in scaling up production, and the government should encourage people to come back to work in a "graded manner", it added.

Terming the availability of labour as critical in scaling up production, it has suggested the government to have tripartite dialogues with worker associations/unions and industry to allay the health and safety concerns of the workers and a Covid-19 insurance scheme.

We are hopeful that the recent guidelines issued by the government will help restore supply chain operations in this second phase of the lockdown, in a staggered manner.

It will be critical to ensure that these guidelines are uniformly and speedily implemented on the ground to avoid stock shortages and to ensure availability of essential items, GCPL Managing Director and CEO Vivek Gambhir told PTI.

According to him, the government is attempting to strike the "delicate balance between lives and livelihoods through a gradual revival of economic activity.

A gradual ramp up of manufacturing in key sectors, while ensuring that the appropriate safety standards and hygiene protocols are in place is a welcome step, said Gambhir.

He also said that it was important for the government to encourage people to come back to work, in a graded manner.

Labour availability continues to be one of the biggest challenges in scaling up production. Bringing back workers to their workplaces through compassion and care would be critical, he said.

Gambhir has also said that concerted efforts are also necessary to support farmers, daily wage earners, migrant workers and MSMEs, particularly, who have suffered greatly from this crisis.

Rural growth has been significantly impacted over the last few quarters, and we hope for some impetus from allowing agricultural and horticultural activities to resume for the harvest, he said.

The government on Wednesday issued new guidelines for the second phase of lockdown and allowed functioning of industrial units located in rural areas from April 20 although all kinds of public transport continue to be suspended till May 3.

India is presently going through an unprecedented lockdown since March 25 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Armenian third president Serzh Sargsyan said he is ready to answer all the questions.

Serzh Sargsyan will take part in the meeting of the National Assembly Inquiry Committee for Examining the Circumstances of the Military Activities of April 2016.

Before agreeing to attend this meeting, however, Sargsyan had posited several preconditions to this committee. The committee met the ex-presidents condition, and he will receive the video recording of his portion in this meeting.

I applied to the commission to hold the session with my participation after the end of the state of emergency. However, the commission considered it expedient to hold the session on April 16, he said.

I promise that after the end of the state of emergency, I will invite all the media outlets operating in Armenia and answer all the questions related to the April events, he added.

To settle the situation, my office will issue a statement in a few minutes, Serzh Sargsyan emphasized and left.
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Slovakia Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2023



Summary







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05878055/?utm_source=PRN





'Slovakia Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2023' report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Slovakian cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, cards, credit transfers, direct debits, and cheques during the review-period (2015-19e).



The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2019e-23f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.



The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.



'Slovakia Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2023' report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Slovakian cards and payments industry, including -

- Current and forecast values for each market in the Slovakian cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.

- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, direct debits, cheques, cash, and cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.

- E-commerce market analysis.

- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Slovakian cards and payments industry.

- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.



Scope

- The proliferation of digital-only banks is driving competition in the banking space, which helps to boost debit card holding. 365.bank, a Slovakia-based digital-only bank, was launched in the country in November 2018, after the completion of a pilot phase for six months. The bank offers a free account which comes with a Mastercard contactless debit card. Furthermore, it was the first bank in Slovakia to launch the payments service through wearable devices such as Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay, in June 2019. - In September 2019, Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) was enforced by the European Commission to increase payment security. The rule mandates all payment service providers (PSPs) to adopt a procedure to verify customer identity while making online card payments. PSPs can use any method including SMS, passwords, PIN numbers, biometric data/fingerprints, tokens, or control questions to authenticate payments. Furthermore, another regulation was passed in September 2019 that requires customers to enter the PIN for contactless payments by credit card, if they pay an amount less than or equal to 20 ($22.91) for five times in a row or if the total value of multiple transactions worth 20 ($22.91) exceeds 150 ($171.83). - The Slovak government and central bank are taking several initiatives to bring more of the population under the purview of a formal banking system. One such initiative is the introduction of law on basic bank accounts, which came into effect in January 2016. All the Slovak banks are mandated to offer free basic bank accounts to individuals whose monthly income is less than 400 ($458.2). However, this limit was revised in January 2019, with the minimum wage being changed to 520 ($595.7). Now, individuals can opt for a basic bank account if their income is less than 1.1 times of the monthly minimum wage, 572 ($655.3), and 15 times of the annual minimum wage, 7,800 ($8,935.3).



Reasons to Buy

- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Slovakian cards and payments industry and each market within it.

- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Slovakian cards and payments industry.

- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Slovakian cards and payments industry.

- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Slovakia.

- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Slovakian cards and payments industry.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05878055/?utm_source=PRN



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PHOENIX  Attorney General Mark Brnovich is trying again to get the legal go-ahead to sue the Arizona Board of Regents over what he claims is its illegal methods of setting tuition at the states three universities.

Assistant Attorney General Beau Roysden told the Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday that his boss has an inherent right to sue and go to court on behalf of the public interest. And in this case, that involves Brnovichs contention that the board is ignoring the constitutional requirement that tuition be set based on the actual cost of providing instruction.

But Brnovich has so far been thwarted in his attempt to make that argument after both a trial judge and the state Court of Appeals ruled he needs either specific statutory authority to sue the regents, which he does not have, or permission of Gov. Doug Ducey, who will not grant it.

So Brnovichs office wants the justices to conclude the lower courts were wrong and that he does have such inherent power.

But Joel Nomkin, the private attorney hired by the regents, told the justices that the Arizona Constitution spells out the role of the governor, including the power to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
During this time of the year, jewelry stores are packed with customers thanks to Akshaya Tritiya, an occasion when Indians spend on buying gold, silver or diamonds.

However, due to the lockdown in India, a step taken because of escalating coronavirus cases, Akshaya Tritiya is a lost opportunity.

After weddings were washed away due to coronavirus and lockdown, Akshaya Tritiya is another major lost event. We see bumper sales in Akshaya Tritiya. There is huge demand for small items in diamond jewelry in the range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000. But this opportunity is not going to come back. Unlike weddings, this cant be postponed, Saurabh Khandelwal, owner of Delhi-based Dhanvi Diamonds, told Moneycontrol.

However, Sachin Jain, President, Forevermark India, is optimistic and expects May to be a decent month in terms of business for jewelry industry due the ripple effect of Akshaya Tritiya.

But Khandelwal thinks that even after the lockdown when the business resumes, things will not be better as June-July is a lean period for the jewelry industry.

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Sales will only happen before Diwali so by October we will see normalcy in business. One quarter is washed and next quarter will be gone to rev up the credit cycle, demand and production, he said.

Before Akshaya Tritiya, jewelry industry lost business due to wedding cancellations.

As of now, we are seeing hundred percent cancellation of marriage bookings and there are no new orders. All our previous orders have been canceled and some are on hold. All marriage clients are saying they will be only able to replace the order once this situation is over and most of them have postponed their marriages to November-December, said Bhuvan Goel, founder, SKA Diamonds.

While jewelry stores have lost two of the most important opportunities, owners are hopeful business to comeback in the second half of the year. However, Khandelwal pointed out that same is not the case for the manufacturing segment.

The real problem is on the manufacturing side. Factories survive on daily production. But now they are sitting idle and until and unless there is production, they are unable to earn money and are finding it difficult to pay their workforce, he said.

Plus, many karigars have left for their hometown and will not be coming back soon. Also, restrictions might continue even after the lockdown is lifted in places like Delhi, Mumbai, Surat which are manufacturing hubs. So, we dont know how soon business can resume even after the lockdown, he added.

He further said for six months, the industry is badly hit. The credit cycle is hit. Also, jewelry is no priority for consumers. So, this demand would be in the last phase. Export is badly hit and for next six months I dont expect exports to pick up.

Amid all the woes the jewelry industry is facing due COVID-19, Jain remains positive as he thinks that demand for jewelry will see a spike whenever the situation settles.

Take Japans example, he said. When the Tsunami happened, the country was under lockdown for four months. But when they opened, people came back with a bang to buy diamonds. The relationship of consumers with jewelry is that people buy jewelry as an asset to the family, he said.

But like every other service industry, even jewelry stores will have to work on bringing consumer confidence back.

We will have to give a lot of comfort to the consumers to bring back normalcy and it is a journey, it will take time, said Jain.

Goel thinks post the lockdown it will be better to focus on online sales but that too in lower price category.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 09:54:37|Editor: Liu

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LISBON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said Wednesday that the country will see a transition from the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to a return to economic and social activities in May.

The president made the remark after meeting with economists, entrepreneurs, specialists, politicians and union members.

"If April goes well, this will make May start to be progressively different," he said.

"It is necessary to win in May," he reiterated, saying that it will be a cautious return.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa echoed the president, saying that the data so far indicate that the measures adopted "have been working."

"We must continue to make a big effort in April to regain freedom in May," Costa said.

"Each time we withdraw a restriction measure, the number of contagions will increase," the prime minister warned.

The "progressive and gradual" return to normality will have to be done with caution, he said, adding that he only foresees the arrival of the vaccine for the novel coronavirus in the summer of 2021.

"One day we will be able to live socially with this virus. What we cannot do is lose what we have already achieved," he stressed.

Costa insisted that despite economic costs, it is not possible at the moment to ease measures and send the wrong signal to the population that everything is fine.

On Monday, over 150 social figures signed a petition to the president, the prime minister and the parliament speaker, asking for a controlled return to economic activities.

The country declared a state of emergency first on March 18 and then renewed it on April 2 until April 17.

Both the president and the prime minister have pledged to extend the state of emergency until early May. The Portuguese parliament will vote to prolong it into the third phase for another 15 days.

On April 28, there will be a new meeting to decide what measures will be taken in the following month.

Portugal has registered 18,091 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 599 deaths, according to the bulletin released by the directorate-general of health on Wednesday.
COVID-19 has world's major economies on track for worst quarterly decline in history

The flood of negative economic indicators caused by COVID-19 is set to reach epic proportions in the second quarter, with the world's major economies poised to see a decline unlike any before.

"I don't think there's any question that the second quarter of this year is going to show the worst numbers for all major economies in recorded history," said Brett House, deputy chief economist at Scotiabank Economics.

In the U.S., Morgan Stanley economists are predicting a 30.1 per cent drop in gross domestic product from April to June compared to last year.

The Bank of Canada says there could be a similar decline in GDP in this country, with economic activity 15 to 30 per cent lower in the second three months of the year compared to the end of 2019. But the bank also said there's no point in releasing a formal forecast for the second quarter.

"The outlook is too uncertain at this point to provide a complete forecast," the bank said in its policy announcement Wednesday.

Scotiabank's House said recessions normally play out over multiple quarters. "In this case, we are compressing the downturn into one [quarter]. Which means the sharpness is particularly pronounced. And that's why we're getting these record numbers."

Watch: COVID-19 will hit the economy hard

The historic numbers, the breakneck speed of the downturn, the job losses centred in the labour-intensive services sector, the unpredictability of the virus and the long-term effect on consumer behaviour all make the COVID-19 recession unlike any other seen in modern economic history. All of those factors also make it next to impossible to determine how long it will take to recover.

"Economists for the first time ever are making their economic predictions based off of medical predictions. That's creating a fog of uncertainty," said Frances Donald, chief economist and head of Macro Strategy at Manulife Investment Management.

Story continues

"And it's leading major central banks, including the Bank of Canada, to throw up their hands and say 'forecasting? We just can't do it.'"

More indicators

There are a slew of other new indicators pointing to the unprecedented nature of the economic downturn.

Normally, Statistics Canada releases monthly GDP data 60 days after the period ends. But the pandemic prompted the agency to produce what it calls a flash estimate of GDP for March on Wednesday, even before several indicators for February are released.

Stats Can said its estimate indicates a decline of approximately 9 per cent in March, the largest one-month decline in GDP since the series started in 1961.

WATCH | IMF lauds speed, generosity of donor countries in helping poor countries sideswiped by COVID-19

Canada is also being hammered by collapsing oil prices, caused by a price war between OPEC members Saudi Arabia and Russia, but made exponentially worse by world lockdowns.

A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) released Wednesday said global demand for oil will drop by a further 29 million barrels per day in April, a record decline back to levels not seen since the mid-1990s. The IEA also said the buildup of unsold oil from the first part of the year "threatens to overwhelm the logistics of the oil industry  ships, pipelines and storage tanks  in the coming weeks."

COVID-19 also caused Canadian home sales to plunge 14 per cent in March. But even that number is out of date.

Consider early numbers for Toronto, Canada's largest real estate market, show a drop in listings of 64 per cent in the first two weeks of April and sales down a staggering 80 per cent.

"The people who are in the marketplace are serious buyers but just the sheer volume has dropped off significantly," said Cailey Heaps Estrin, managing director of Heaps Estrin Real Estate in Toronto.

She said they have had a number of sales including one this week with three bidders that sold for more than $100,000 over asking. But she said they're not proactively going out and bringing listings to market.

"We are having video meetings with people getting ready to launch their listings once the [lockdowns] are lifted."

Alex Kraus/ Bloomberg News

But even when travel and social distancing restrictions are relaxed, few economists expect the overall economy to immediately spring back to life.

"It's pretty easy for us to turn a manufacturing plant back on and have widgets come out on a conveyor belt," said Manulife's Frances Donald. "It's a lot harder to tell people 'go shake hands, go to a movie theatre, sit in a restaurant' when they still feel their personal safety is at risk."

"This recession, the length of it, is really going to be dependent on the evolution of the virus."
ITV drama Quiz came to a dramatic conclusion on Wednesday evening, leaving viewers incredulous with hints that 'coughing Major' Charles Ingram could be innocent.

And Matthew Macfadyen - who plays the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? cheat - was spotted enjoying a leisurely stroll in London with his wife Keeley Hawes in the wake of the much-talked about show's grande finale.

The 45-year-old actor was spotted out and about with his Bodyguard star partner as they made the most of the sunshine on Thursday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Stepping out: Matthew Macfadyen was spotted enjoying a leisurely stroll in London with his wife Keeley Hawes in the wake of ITV drama Quiz's grand finale

Matthew was casually clad for his one-hour allotted exercise time, sporting a tracksuit and sunglasses.

Keeley, 44, opted for loose shorts and a smart shirt, covering up by draping a jacket over her shoulders.

The couple's cute pet dog trotted along merrily beside them as they ventured out and about.

Fresh air: The 45-year-old actor was spotted out and about with his Bodyguard star partner as they made the most of the sunshine on Thursday amid the coronavirus pandemic

Low-key: Matthew was casually clad for his one-hour allotted exercise time, sporting a tracksuit and sunglasses, while Keeley, 44, opted for loose shorts and a smart shirt

Happily married: The couple got married in November 2004, with their daughter Maggie born a month later in December and their son Ralph born in September 2006

Keeley and Matthew met on the set of BBC's Spooks, where she played Zoe Reynolds and he starred as Tom Quinn.

The loved-up couple got married in November 2004, with their daughter Maggie born a month later in December and their son Ralph born in September 2006.

Keeley also has son, Myles, with her first husband, cartoonist Spencer McCallum.

Matthew is riding high on the success of Quiz, which has kept the nation gripped over the course of three episodes.

In demand: Quiz saw Ripper Street actor propelled back into the spotlight

Pampered pup: The couple's cute pet dog trotted along merrily beside them as they ventured out and about

Taking a break: The duo have had to pause their acting commitments amid the pandemic

Long-term loves: Keeley and Matthew met on the set of BBC's Spooks, where she played Zoe Reynolds and he starred as Tom Quinn

Charles and Diana Ingram were found guilty of deception and given suspended prison sentences, but the drama's final scene sees them break the fourth wall with Chris Tarrant asking viewers to offer their own verdict.

The hints left many fans rushing to Twitter to praise the three-part series with some also confessing they had begun to doubt whether the Ingrams did commit the crime.

In the series closing scenes, Charles and Diana have just learned that a documentary based on their crimes - which aired in 2003 two weeks after their trial - earned a record-breaking 17 million viewers.

Keeping things casual: Keeley completed her attire with a simple pair of white trainers

Popular programme: Matthew is riding high on the success of Quiz, which has kept the nation gripped over the course of three episodes

As they prepare to go to bed, Charles switches on the TV, leading host Chris Tarrant to address him directly. He asks him: 'What's your answer? We're all dying to know!' and Charles then pensively turns towards the camera.

The scene is taken directly from the 2017 West End play Quiz on which the series is based, which asks its audiences to vote whether the Ingrams are guilty or not.

Regardless the ending still left many viewers stunned, as it left a question mark over the Ingrams had been wrongfully found guilty.

Did he do it? The third final episode of Quiz aired on Wednesday night, and left viewers stunned with hints that 'coughing Major' Charles Ingram could be innocent

What? In the drama's final scene, host Chris Tarrant appeared to directly address viewers and ask them for an answer, hinting it was up to them to decide whether the Ingrams are guilty

Quiz ended with a note reminding viewers that Charles and Diana Ingram still protest their innocence to this day, and are continuing to work on appealing their guilty verdict.

Putting paid to any wonderment over innocence, on Thursday morning, Chris gave a radio interview, in which he said: 'I think a lot of people today will be waking up going, 'oh that poor Major, I think they've done him up',' the presenter said this morning...

'We wouldn't  the police prosecuted him, we didn't. At the time I think we were getting audiences of something like 13 or 14 million.

'We sold it to 132 countries around the world  America, Australia, India etc  so why would we go out on a limb to try and prosecute one of these guys?...
Amid the Coronavirus crisis, 11 foreign nationals who were linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi have been arrested on Wednesday in Bihar. According to reports, the police have registered a case against them for violating the visa rules in Buxar, Bihar. The arrested accused are reportedly from Indonesia and Malaysia.

According to Superintendent of Police Upendra Nath Verma, the foreign nationals were kept in quarantine; however, their tests did not reveal any signs of infection. Meanwhile, earlier on Wednesday, an FIR was registered against nine Bangladeshi nationals in Samastipur district for allegedly misusing their travel visa by being involved in religious preachings under Tablighi Jamaat and for violating lockdown restrictions.

Currently, in Bihar, there are 72 positive cases of Coronavirus, out of which 29 people have been reportedly recovered and one person has been reported to be dead due to the virus. The congregation in Delhi has become the epicenter of spreading of the Coronavirus across the country.

What is the Nizamuddin case?

A religious program was organised at Tablighi Jamaat's headquarters Markaz Nizamuddin mosque between 13-15 March which was attended by over three thousand people, from India and abroad, who since dispersed. After attending the meeting, which took place prior to the nationwide lockdown but after the Delhi government's own directive against such gatherings, many of the attendees returned to other parts of the country, with the spread of the COVID-19 virus now being confirmed from numerous states as a result.

Read: Fact Check: Are COVID-19 patients being segregated on religious lines in Gujarat hospital?

A case was registered by the Delhi Police against Maulana Saad and other officials of Tablighi Jamaat for violating the restriction pertaining to a religious gathering. Sections under the Epidemic Disease Act,1897 and Sections 269, 270, 271 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code were invoked.

Read: 2 relatives of Tablighi Jamaat chief test positive for COVID-19 in UP's Saharanpur

COVID-19 in India

According to the latest update of the Union Health Ministry, a total of 11,933 cases of Coronavirus in the country had been reported, including about 10,197 active cases. While 392 deaths have been reported overall, around 1,344 people have been cured/discharged/migrated.

Read: Migrants living under flyover near Yamuna to be moved to Delhi govt shelter: Kejriwal

Read: Health Min Harsh Vardhan lauds India's COVID response; aims 1 lakh tests daily by May end

(With ANI Inputs)
New Jerseys death toll from the coronavirus pandemic climbed steadily on Thursday, with state officials now reporting at least 3,518 dead and 75,317 total cases, with 362 new fatalities and 4,391 new positive in the last 24 hours the states largest single-day increase in cases.

This marked the third consecutive day that more than 300 new deaths were reported, though state officials have cautioned that there are some delays in confirming coronavirus in patients after they died.

Gov. Phil Murphy also announced the states death toll is now larger than the number of New Jerseyans who died in World War I.

God bless their souls, each and every one of them, Murphy said of the total deaths during his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. "3,518 is already 3,518 too many.

Murphy also announced he was extending the closure of all schools in New Jersey until at least May 15.

As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, there were 8,224 patients in New Jersey hospitalized with the coronavirus or under investigation for it. That includes 2,014 in critical care and 1,645 on ventilators.

Between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 10 p.m. Wednesday, 802 patients were discharged from the states hospitals.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said the daily growth rate in hospitalizations was flat Wednesday night. Since March 31, more than 8,000 patients with the virus or under investigation for it in New Jersey have been discharged from hospitals, Persichilli said.

The state has also reported that 76,513 people have tested negative for coronavirus. The positivity rate is 44.8%, Persichilli said.

Murphy said the states social-distancing orders have yielded positive results, but he continued to stress that residents must continue to stay inside because case and death totals are still rising.

Were not home yet, by any means," Murphy said. "But our efforts are working.

The partial county-by-county coronavirus cases include:

Bergen County: 11,409 with 668 deaths

Hudson County: 9,165 with 365 deaths

Essex County: 9,084 with 642 deaths

Union County: 7,904 with 301 deaths

Passaic County: 7,317 with 211 deaths

Middlesex County: 6,994 with 278 deaths

Monmouth County: 4,299 with 190 deaths

Ocean County: 4,272 with 185 deaths

Morris County: 3,701 with 216 deaths

Somerset County: 2,103 with 121 deaths

Mercer County: 2,037 with 87 deaths

Camden County: 1,734 with 60 deaths

Burlington County: 1,326 with 52 deaths

Gloucester County: 624 with 18 deaths

Sussex County: 578 with 43 deaths

Warren County: 501 with 33 deaths

Hunterdon County: 373 with 15 deaths

Atlantic County: 344 with 13 deaths

Cumberland County: 223 with 3 deaths

Cape May County: 186 with 10 deaths

Salem County: 95 with 4 deaths

Another 1,048 cases and 3 deaths remain under investigation to determine where the person resides.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Its difficult to get a complete picture of exactly how many people in New Jersey currently have COVID-19 because the state is testing only symptomatic residents and officials say testing has been backed up for up days. The state also is not reporting significant increases in daily testing, so it is unclear exactly how quickly the virus is spreading.

Of the total deaths with information, officials provided the following racial breakdown:

White 51.1%

Black 22.5%

Hispanic 15.5%

Asian 5.5%

Other 5.4%

Murphy said he and other governors will speak with President Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon to discuss how soon some states may be able to lift restrictions on residents and businesses to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Murphy said Thursday that the state cant begin the process of reopening unless there is stronger mass testing in place, with help from the federal government.

Weve got to do what weve got to do in New Jersey, the governor said. We want to do that in a coordinated way regionally. And God knows, we need the federal government.

Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon that he will hold a news conference at 6 p.m. to detail guidelines for OPENING UP AMERICA AGAIN!

Major News Conference tonight, the White House at 6:00 P.M. (Eastern), to explain Guidelines for OPENING UP AMERICA AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2020

Murphy said Wednesday that residents should expect a new normal in New Jersey even after the lockdown begins to lift, with some restrictions remaining and no mass gatherings for the foreseeable future."

He said Thursday morning during a television interview with NBC 10 in Philadelphia that May should be better than April.

I think we can continue to get back in our feet in the warm months, he said. I think itll still be important to not congregate in close proximity.

As of Thursday morning, more than 2 million people across the globe tested positive for the virus, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 138,000 have died and more than 525,000 have recovered.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

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by Vladimir Rozanskij

Easter Sunday will be April 19th. Meanwhile, virus-positive cases (25 thousand) and deaths (200) are growing. In Moscow, 15 priests are infected, including some collaborators of the patriarch. Criticism of Kirill, isolated in a residence outside Moscow, in the village of Peredelkino. In Russia efforts are being made to stream the liturgy. Special prayers to bless the Easter Cakes (kulichy), other desserts and colored eggs at home.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Russia is facing a dramatic increase in coronavirus infections during Holy Week. Under the liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Church, Easter Sunday falls on April 19th. The infected reached the figure of 25 thousand people; there are 200 dead. In the last 24 hours alone, 3388 new cases and 30 deaths have occurred. The mayor of Moscow has imposed special permits to travel by car (photo 2) or on public transport, creating endless - and even dangerous - queues in metro stations (photo 3).

Several Orthodox priests have tested positive. Among them, the parish priest of the Muscovite cathedral of the Epiphany in Elokhovo, Father Aleksandr Agejkin, a cleric very close to Patriarch Kirill. As a result, all of the patriarchate staff have been placed under observation.

In Moscow alone, 14 other priests are infected and 21 under observation; checks are also taking place in monasteries throughout the capital.

The virus has also spread among the monks of the Kiev Caves monastery (the first monastery of ancient Rus'), 90 of which tested positive, several were hospitalized in intensive care, and a strong impression. two monks are deceased.

After long hesitating to invite the faithful to stay away from the churches, the patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev) is currently in solitary confinement in a residence outside Moscow, in the village of Peredelkino, where the dachas of the high officials are located.

On Holy Wednesday he celebrated the last Lenten "liturgy of the pre-sanctified", before the Easter Triduum, in the chapel of his residence. His absence from Moscow is causing several discontent, further undermining his sliding popularity, already undermined by a past as a Soviet official and "ecclesiastical oligarch" of the Yeltsyn years, and the conflicts in recent years with the Putin administration and various branches within the Orthodox hierarchy.

The discontent eased somewhat when the patriarch noted that in recent days he had carried out the procession by car to bless the streets of Moscow, with the beloved Icon of Our Lady of Tenderness that belonged to St. Seraphim of Sarov. The icon was exposed to the overflowing crowds who participated in the canonization ceremony of the Russian "Saint Francis" in 1903, accompanying it on the 600 kilometers of the pilgrimage from Diveevo, Serafim's burial place, to Moscow. The sacred image had been hidden in the Soviet years, and given back to the patriarch in 1991, after the end of the USSR, as a symbol of the country's religious revival.

In the meantime, the faithful try to organize themselves to find forms of participation, even "virtually", at Easter celebrations, given the almost impossibility of going to church; in the churches which will remain open anyway, the udalenka signs, the protective "distancing" from the infection (the Orthodox attend the services while standing) have been laid on the ground. In some churches special YouTube channels have been organized to transmit the liturgies at a distance, and special sites to prayers for the dead during the services (photo 1).

In fact, for many Russians, more than the presence at the liturgies (which have an average participation of 2-3% of the population), traditional observances and folklore have greater value: above all, the blessing of the kulichy, the Easter cake (photo 4), the reason why in reality many people go to church on these occasions. The patriarchate has published instructions on the official website to perform the blessing at home together with that of the colored eggs and the ricotta, walnut and raisin cake called Paskha, singing the Easter announcement three times "Christ is Risen - Truly He is Risen" and proceeding with sprinkling. The website also has some additional prayers to solemnize the domestic blessing.

An initiative of the Orthodox magazine Foma, which invites people to light the Easter candles at their window, is becoming very popular on social networks (#oknaPaskhi, Easter window - see https://www.instagram.com/p/B_AcWg7gp3_/).

In fact, the Easter procession in which everyone lights a candle singing " Christ is risen!" before entering the church for the actual liturgy is a very popular rite. Almost everyone participates in this initial procession, although few stop at church. The patriarchate press office praised this initiative, but advised not to use dangerous candles with an open flame, preferring lamps or electric lights.
A camera journalist from a foreign media at a polling stating, Wednesday/ Yonhap



By Do Je-hae



The general election in Korea has captured global attention as one of the first cases of a COVID-19 hotspot to successfully undertake a major, national-level election.



Despite fears over infection from mass gatherings, Korea did not choose to postpone or cancel the Wednesday elections as was the case in countries such as France, Russia and some U.S. states.



"South Korea has never postponed an election including the presidential election of 1952, which went ahead despite the country being in the middle of the Korean War," a BBC report noted.



Above all, a big surprise in this election was the strong voter turnout at 66.2 percent, the highest for a parliamentary election in 28 years.



"The world is marveling at this election. Thanks to the active cooperation and participation of the people, we were one of the few countries to hold a national election amid the pandemic," President Moon Jae-in said in a statement, Thursday. "The people participated in the voting in an orderly manner and recorded a miraculous turnout, including those in self-quarantine."



Some foreign media reports interpreted the unexpectedly high turnout as a show of Koreans' commitment to democracy. A Bloomberg report said that Koreans see elections as "essential" after decades of authoritarian rule.



The foreign media is also calling Korea a model for the staging of a safe election. The Washington Post printed an editorial, titled "Global democracy will be weakened without fair elections. South Korea shows they're possible."



In particular, various reports are lauding Korea's preparedness for a safe election amid the pandemic.



Korea's National Election Commission implemented steps to ensure safety at the ballots, such as having voters wear face masks and plastic gloves, taking their temperatures and maintaining a 1-meter distance between voters when they lined up to enter the polling booth. President Moon was subject to the same precautionary measures when he took part in early voting, April 10.



People infected with COVID-19 and quarantined were allowed to vote by mail if they registered for it earlier, and others in self-quarantine were allowed to vote at polling stations in a separate time slot from the rest of the voters. These careful measures, in addition to the rapid drop in the number of infections, assured Koreans that it was safe to vote.



It was also the first time for 18 year olds to vote following a revision to the Election Law on the voting age.



The U.S. congratulated Korea on the elections. "The United States would like to congratulate the Republic of Korea on holding successful legislative elections. The ROK's dedication to democratic values in the face of a global pandemic is a hallmark of a truly free, open, and transparent society  qualities that are necessary in facing the current crisis, key to the Republic of Korea's successful management of COVID-19, and a model for others around the world," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.


Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

From Oprah Magazine

Prince Harry joined a video conference call with parents and members of his charity WellChild, discussing the complex challenges many families are facing during the COVID-19 crisis, from social isolation to accessing supplies, and the medical support those caring for sick children are in need of.

Full respect to every single one of you. This is hard on everyone, but it is especially hard on you. I know that WellChild are doing everything they can to support you the Duke of Sussex said.



Prince Harry, who is adjusting to life in isolation with Meghan noted the challenge of having one kid, an eleven month old saying its a whole different ballgame when you have kids, praising those caring for seriously ill children or "super parents, as he said.

The resilience and strength you guys have is absolutely incredible and you must never, ever, ever forget that. Of course there are going to be hard days but I cant even begin to imagine how hard it is for you. The Duke of Sussex said thanking the parents for their devotion.

Prince Harrys conversation took place over the Easter weekend with the CEO of WellChild Colin Dyer, a WellChild Nurse and two parents trying to cope through the crisis. It was the first time Harry, dressed in a casual blue polo short, had been seen since he and Meghan stepped down as senior Royals on March 31st.

When asked how he was, Harry shared, "Im not too bad. I think its suddenly strange times, everyone is suddenly experiencing the same thing in a very unique way," but in a sober moment he said the challenges were even greater for families dealing with high risk and vulnerable children. "The longer this goes on for, the harder this is for each and everyone one of you."



When Harry asked what people could do to show their support to families in duress, Dyer said, "Families need us more than ever," adding, "basic supplies are needed, from food, to cleaning products. A lot of families are finding it difficult getting themselves included on 'vulnerable lists.'"

Story continues

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have relocated but they are still wholeheartedly committed to their charities. Prince Harry, who has been patron of WellChild since 2007, attended their awards ceremony in October to pay tribute to the children who show exceptional bravery despite their illnesses.

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

During the ceremony, Harry made a moving speech. My wife and I feel incredibly privileged to join you tonight, to be in a room with such amazing human beings, he said. This year resonates in different ways because Im a father."



He added that the previous year, when they first attended as a couple, they knew they were pregnant, but no one else did. "I remember squeezing Meghan's hand so tight, and wondering what it would be like to have a child born with such immediate challenges. Being around these parents pulls at my heartstrings, Prince Harry reflected. In a way I could have never understood before I was a parent myself.

The couple who have been isolating themselves with Baby Archie in California have been working behind the scenes, taking part in meetings as they begin in the process of formulating their new non-profit which will be named Archewell.

In a poignant moment on the video call, The Duke of Sussex encouraged the children to stay hopeful and focused on their future. It is really nice to see you all smiling and happy. Keep going, keep the morale up, keep busy, keep being creative, dare yourself to try new hobbies and I hope to see you all again very, very soon!

The Duke of Sussex also shared that there have been benefits being at home with his wife and son. Having so much family time...youve got to celebrate those moments where you are just on the floor rolling around in hysterics."

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A government adviser says lockdown restrictions were working and had potentially saved lives. (AP)

A key government adviser has said coronavirus lockdown measures in the UK are working - and that they have stopped 800,000 people from dying within six months from the virus.

On Thursday, the governments Live Sciences Committee, chaired by Greg Clark, asked questions of how technology and science were helping in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK.

Professor Graham Medley, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said that if the country had gone into lockdown earlier in mid-January, we might have had very few cases.

A previous prediction claimed that 800,000 could die in six months if adequate precautions had not been taken at all.

The UK will remain in lockdown for a further three weeks "at least", the government announced on Thursday. (AP)

But when Medley was pressed on whether the current restrictions - brought into place on March 23 by Boris Johnson - had saved the NHS from becoming overwhelmed, he replied, Oh absolutely.

He continued: "It was very clear early on that... so we have a preparedness document, which was renewed in 2018 and was first published in 2009.

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And this document lays out what we call a reasonable worst case planning assumption which results in large numbers of deaths - 800,000 people dying in the space of six months.

Professor Graham Medley said there was evidence that social distancing measures had stopped the NHS from becoming overwhelmed. (BBC)

And it was clear early on that although this particular virus might not reach those kinds of levels it was certainly in the same ball park.

With almost complete certainty we had say that had nothing been done then we would now be in the middle of an epidemic of that kind of proportions.

Clark then asked: In terms of the adherence to the measures, is it beyond what you expected, or what you modelled what was predicted?

Medley replied: Well to my knowledge this has never been done before, its very hard to model something thats never been done before.

Story continues

I think had people tried to submit publications suggesting that everybody stay at home, it would have been rejected as unreasonable and that it would never happen. So we had no expectations, we can use the modelling to tell us if - but with no previous experience of this - the models cant tell you what will happen without making a very strong assumption about the impact of these measures.

On Thursday, the Government announced it will keep lockdown measures in place for at least another three weeks.

The nationwide lockdown imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19 will remain in place for the foreseeable future. (AP)

First secretary of state Dominic Raab said that social distancing restrictions would be extended as the infection rate had not been brought down as far as it needs to be.

Following a meeting with SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), he said any relaxing of social distancing measures would threaten to bring a second peak of the outbreak to the country.

Raab said: "Any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus.

"That would threaten a second peak of the virus and substantially increase the number of deaths. It would undo the progress we've made to date and, as a result, would require an even longer period of the more restrictive social distancing measures."

Across the UK, new coronavirus deaths rose by 861 in 24 hours on Thursday  bringing the death toll from 12,868 to 13,729, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

The Department of Health also confirmed that, as of 9am on 16 April, the total number of positive coronavirus cases had reached 103,093.

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Ukraine will take as many citizens as possible during the next stage of a mutual exchange of detainees with certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions according to the "all-for-all" formula. This is a part of a political agreement in principle reached during the Normandy format talks, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who is also the Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, has said.

"The "all-for-all" formula is a political agreement in principle reached by the Normandy format leaders in Paris in December 2019. However, a possibility of holding the "all-for-all" swap at a time definitely was not discussed. Therefore we should and we have to tolerate the fact that we will take as many [people] as possible at a time," he said in a flash interview to Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

Reznikov also said that the next mutual release of detainees is another stage of the "all-for-all" exchange process.
Themis announced today that Iain Dukes, MA, DPhil, currently Venture Partner at OrbiMed Advisors LLC, has been appointed as an independent director to the Company's Supervisory Board. In addition to his most recent experience in private equity, Dr. Dukes has amassed over 20 years in leadership roles at large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. His most recent position was as Senior Vice President, Business Development Licensing at MSD (tradename of Merck Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA). As Themis transitions towards rapidly ramping up the development of a coronavirus vaccine candidate towards the clinic in response to the global pandemic and being prepared to supply the initial stockpiles of its vaccine, Dr. Dukes' background will further enhance the range of experience on the Company's Board.

"With the versatility of the measles vaccine vector, Themis has created a very powerful platform for developing successful immunomodulating therapeutics. I have watched the Company advance over the past years, and I believe their approach has tremendous potential, not just in the infectious disease space, where they have proven their ability to execute advanced clinical programs, but also in immuno-oncology applications. I am excited to be a part of the organization's further growth," commented Dr. Iain Dukes.

Dr. Erich Tauber, CEO of Themis added: "We welcome Iain's perspective as an entrepreneur as well as his track record as a strategic leader for corporate development in the pharmaceutical industry. Iain's understanding of immunology complements our focus, especially as we expand our measles virus vector-based technology platform into new indications."

Dr. Iain Dukes joined OrbiMed as a Venture Partner in 2016. He is currently Chairman of Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASQ:IOVA) and serves on the Board of Directors of Ikena Oncology, KaNDy Therapeutics (formerly as Chairman), NeRRe Therapeutics, ReViral Limited and ENYO Therapeutics. He co-founded and is CEO of Theseus Pharmaceuticals and co-founded Kartos Therapeutics and Telios Pharma where he serves as President. Most recently, he has taken the role of Executive Chairman at Angiex. At MSD, Iain was responsible for all business development activity for MSD Research Laboratories. Before joining MSD, he served as Vice President of External Research and Development at Amgen and previously also held the position of Vice President, Scientific and Technology Licensing at GlaxoSmithKline in addition to executive leadership roles and Board positions at several biotechnology companies. Dr. Dukes received a DPhil degree from the University of Oxford where he also received an MA in Jurisprudence.

About Themis

Themis is developing immunomodulation therapies for infectious diseases and cancer. Through advanced understanding of immune system mechanisms, the Company has built a sophisticated and versatile technology platform for the discovery, development and production of vaccines as well as other immune system activation approaches. Initially focused on preventing infectious diseases, Themis has demonstrated the potential of its versatile platform through the rapid and successful completion of Phase 2 and near-term entry into Phase 3 clinical development for a vaccine against Chikungunya, a debilitating disease with global outbreak potential. Funded to date by leading venture capital firms, Themis has also gained prestigious non-dilutive funding for emerging infectious disease indications. The Company will apply its platform and commercial manufacturing capabilities to diseases with high market potential both alone and for its partners. For more information, visit http://www.themisbio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005256/en/

Contacts:

For Themis:

Dr. Erich Tauber, CEO

Phone: +43 1 236 7151

erich.tauber@themisbio.com

Media requests for Themis:

Gretchen Schweitzer or Jacob Verghese

Trophic Communications

Phone: +49 89 2388 7731

verghese@trophic.eu
In the multitude of headlines over anti-coronavirus masks being purchased by Israel across the globe, news about Israel donating 5,000 medical masks to Jordan drew little attention. Perhaps it was because the foreign and defense ministries kept it low-profile, informing simply that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will oversee the delivery of the medical gear. Still, discretion does not mean inaction.

Israels ambassador to Jordan, Amir Weissbrod, facilitated on March 26 the passage of some 200 Israeli Arab university students studying in Amman back to the country, after the Hashemite Kingdom closed movement across its borders. The latest news signals that even while engaged in a world battle over medical equipment  the last shipment of coronavirus test kits landed in Israel April 15 from South Korea  Israel does not forget its neighbor to the east.

Israel is obviously concerned about an outbreak in Gaza and, in this case as well, contacts are ongoing with another neighbor of Israel: Egypt. Israeli and Egyptian senior officials keep an open dialogue channel on the issue.

A recent incident in Morocco reveals another facade of Israels efforts vis-a-vis Arab countries amid the coronavirus crisis. Despite lack of formal relations, Israeli passports are accepted for entering Morocco. Reports on Feb. 3 suggested that Israel and the United States have been discussing a deal that would see the American administration recognize Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara. In exchange, Morocco would take steps to normalize relations with Israel. The deal did not materialize for the moment, but with positive sentiments prevailing, Morocco agreed to allow the evacuation of Israeli tourists from the country over the coronavirus.

Still, on April 16, Israeli media published that the exit of the Israeli tourists was blocked, after Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to evacuate both their citizens on a joint flight without first consulting with Rabat. Israel might have fallen victim here to unrelated regional tensions between two Arab players. That being said, the story exposes Israels ability to pull strings in one Arab country for moves in another.

And then there are efforts carried out on an entirely different level. Israels Foreign Ministry had published on its social media accounts a number of messages wishing Arab countries good health and success in the battle against the coronavirus  receiving positive reactions across the Arab world. A caricature uploaded on March 4 shows six persons  one Israeli and five from different Arab states  wearing masks and holding hands against the common coronavirus enemy. Internet users from Iraq, Morocco and even Saudi Arabia commented on these posts, hailing Israeli-Arab brotherhood. Some of them expressed thanks and even wished good health "to our cousins."
Protesters hold placards as they shout anti-China slogans during a rally in front of the Chinese consulate in Manila on to the anniversary of a U.N. arbitration court ruling ruling that rejected key Chinese claims on the South China Sea, July 13, 2019.

In an unusual show of unity against China, Southeast Asian nations have been pushing back on Beijings sweeping assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea amid dissatisfaction over its stance in negotiations for a Code of Conduct, analysts say.

Last week, China faced criticism from several quarters over the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel near the Paracel islands. That came not just from Vietnam and the United States  typically its boldest critics  but also the Philippines, which issued a statement of solidarity with Vietnam despite forging closer ties with Beijing.

This week, it emerged that a Chinese survey ship involved in a months-long standoff with Vietnam last year was on the move again. The Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 passed Tuesday through Vietnamese waters with an escort of China Coast Guard ships. On Wednesday, they were heading south for Malaysian waters, ship-tracking data reviewed by Radio Free Asia show.

Their destination could be the Luconia Shoals, a site of recent Malaysian oil exploration in the southern reaches of the Spratly Islands within Malaysias exclusive economic zone. Vessel tracking data shows the China Coast Guard ship Haijing 5203 has been loitering in that area since April 1.

But perhaps even more significant than all this activity at sea has been the diplomacy waged in the background.

There have been a flurry of diplomatic notes following a Malaysian submission to the U.N. in December claiming sovereignty over an extended continental shelf in the South China Sea off its northern coast, potentially an area with significant undersea resources. After China strongly objected, both the Philippines and Vietnam weighed in, submitting protests to Chinas own territorial claims.

Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), each cited a 2016 decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration brought by the Philippines that invalidated the legal basis of Chinas claims in the South China Sea.

Lai Yew Meng, a regional security analyst with the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, believes this could be intentional.

There could even possibly be a confluence of strategic interest to forge a united front among the three ASEAN states, sort of a de facto axis to leverage against Chinese assertive behavior and responses in the SCS (South China Sea), he explained.

That may reflect shared anxiety over Chinas efforts to bring an early end to protracted negotiations over the Code of Conduct.

The 10-nation ASEAN bloc and China agreed on a Declaration of Conduct back in 2002, which was a statement of principles on how parties should behave in the South China Sea. But completing a more detailed  and binding -- Code of Conduct (CoC) has proved much more difficult. Negotiations only began in earnest in 2016. A draft of the text of the agreement has since been released.

The tentative deadline for CoC negotiations is in 2021. Those closely watching the negotiations surmise China would like to end negotiations early, without touching basic but contentious parts of it  including what China actually claims in the South China Sea and what the South China Sea encompasses.

China could, by forcing an early resolution to the Code of Conduct, just shut everybody up, said Carl Thayer, professor emeritus at the University of New South Wales. Sorry, we closed the door, we cant change anything, what we occupy is China and you relinquish it, said Thayer.

Tracking China's Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 survey vessel travels since it left port at Sanya on Hainan Island, and headed into the South China Sea, from April 9-15, 2020. Chinas Unyielding Claims

Against this backdrop, Malaysia did something that it surely knew China would object to. It submitted its claim to the U.N.s Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).

Malaysian officials did not respond to a request for further comment this week on why they lodged their claim. After the claim was filed in December, then Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said, It is our sovereign right to claim whatever is there within our waters and which is not claimed by others."

Its doubtful Malaysia expected a quick ruling in favor of its sovereignty. The CLCS evaluates claims on a technical basis, and cannot make judgements on disputes. Whats really going on is that this is a forum where states publicly reveal their claims, said Julian Ku, the Maurice A. Deane distinguished professor of constitutional law at Hofstra Universitys law school.

The effect of the diplomatic note was to draw a response from China, stating its opposition to Malaysias continental shelf claim. And China did so in a way that characteristically set it apart from other claimants, with its assertion it has sole sovereignty over the South China Sea, based not just on its claims to land features, but also on the basis of having historic rights to the waters themselves  a maximalist position with no legal validity to it under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

As the CoC negotiations enter a key phase, Ku said theres been speculation that China would drop the assertion of historic rights. But it hasnt done that, so that means Chinas not really backing down, not even in a subtle way, he said.

A United Front?

In the face of Chinese intransigence on its claims, Thayer said that Malaysias submission to the U.N. was intended to prompt other claimants to follow suit, which they all did, with reference to the 2016 tribunal case between China and the Philippines.

Malaysia is trying to encourage its neighbors to enter into discussions so they can all make claims to the extended continental shelf and negotiate among each other how to reach a solution to this, Thayer said.

This helps explain why Vietnam then issued its own objection on March 30  not to Malaysias original claim, but to Chinas response to Malaysias diplomatic note  although it did follow up with two more notes on April 10 in response to Malaysia and the Philippines claims, simply reiterating its own claims to the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

Viet Nam opposes any maritime claims in the East Sea (South China Sea) that exceed the limits provided in UNCLOS, including claims to historic rights; these claims are without lawful effect, Vietnams initial note said, citing the 1982 convention as providing the sole legal basis for maritime entitlements.

Ku said the language of the Mar 30 note showed that Vietnam was starting to treat the tribunals 2016 decision as valid and not threatening to its own claims in the area.

I think we can read Vietnam's note as, 'We just want to make sure everyone's clear we don't accept any of these Chinese arguments, whatever they might be. And just to be safe they list all the possible arguments that China has made even though the statement China submitted doesn't spell out all those arguments, he said.

This potentially opens the door for Vietnam, the current chair of ASEAN, to pursue its own case against China. Vietnams foreign ministry spokeswoman was non-committal when asked about this possibility at a press conference last week. Ku said that Hanois decision to do so would be a political consideration, not necessarily a legal one.

Philippines shows solidarity

Under President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has not pressed its advantage from the 2016 tribunal ruling, preferring instead to foster better political and economic ties with Beijing.

Thats why its Department of Foreign Affairs statement of solidarity with Vietnam on April 8 over the sinking of the Vietnamese fishing vessel was so unusual.

It also followed Manilas two diplomatic notes in response to Malaysias continental shelf claim  one protesting Malaysias claim; another disputing Chinas note. The latter referred to the tribunal ruling and was very similar to Vietnams note.

The Tribunal conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, the note said. The Tribunal ruled that claims to historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction that exceed the geographic and substantive limits of maritime entitlements under UNCLOS, are without lawful effect.

The Philippines and Malaysia have an actual dispute over their continental shelves due to land both sides claim, which explains why the Philippines addressed Malaysias as well as Chinas claims in two separate notes. But Thayer believes the alignment of Malaysias submission and the Philippines note around the 2016 tribunal ruling means the two could work toward resolving that dispute in the interest of more unity against Chinas far more expansive claims.

However, other analysts remain skeptical about the prospects for a united front on the South China Sea issue.

Lai notes that there are other factors in play when it comes to how Southeast Asian nations manage relations with Beijing. He said that states seek a delicate balance in their ties with China to maximize their respective national interest.
The sun sets behind an oil production pump. (Getty)

Oil prices looked set to snap a two-day losing streak on Wednesday as traders hoped that an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia could reduce global output by 10 million barrels per day.

Crude oil (CL=F) was trading 3% higher at $24.34 per barrel. Brent (BZ=F) rose by 0.19% to $31.93.

In comments on Fox News, US president Donald Trump said once again that he expects the two countries to resolve the price war.

I think its all going to work out, Trump said, noting that he had spoken to Russian president Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about low oil prices.

Investors now expect significant progress when members of OPEC, which consists of 14 of the worlds major oil-exporting nations, and allied producers meet on Thursday.

Read more: Stocks fall as eurozone leaders fail to agree coronavirus stimulus deal

The price war and a major coronavirus-related fall-off in oil demand has seen prices plunge in recent weeks.

Demand for global oil has dropped by as much as 30%, or about 30 million barrels per day, since the crisis began.

Oil prices declined on Tuesday after the US energy department said that output was declining without government intervention, indicating that the country would not reconsider its refusal to intervene in oil markets.

Read more: Coronavirus sparks biggest drop in hiring since 2009 financial crisis

While members of OPEC have indicated that they are willing to broker a detente, they have thus far insisted that the US and Canada must play a role in curbing output. Recent comments from Trump had suggested the US was willing to participate.

Investors are wary if the US is going to join the production cut tomorrow, and this is what haunting traders now, said Naeem Aslam, the chief market analyst at Avatrade.

Remember, the initial actions of Donald Trump gave the markets the perception that this time the US will join the production cut as well, he said.

What we need here is a strong message, and that is whatever it takes. If the US joins the OPEC+ in the production cut, the message will be strong for the industry.
DETROIT  The people of Detroit had already endured a devastating month, marked by sickness and death, when the city's mayor, Mike Duggan, stepped in front of a livestreaming camera Tuesday night to deliver some more awful news.

Not only had the coronavirus sickened more than 7,000 residents, killing more than 400 of them, Duggan said, but it had also stolen an estimated $348 million from the city's budget for the next 16 months  nearly a quarter of the money the city had been counting on.

Thousands of workers, laid off from factories, restaurants and other businesses, had stopped paying income taxes. The three casinos that typically pay nearly a fifth of the city's expenses had been shut down by a state emergency order. And parking meters, court fees and other sources of city revenue had suddenly, unexpectedly, ground to a halt.

"We expected a downturn, and we prepared for it," Duggan said as he announced layoffs for all of the city's 200 part-time or seasonal employees, as well as steep pay cuts or reduced hours for more than 2,200 full-time staffers. "We didn't expect it to be this sudden or this dire."

It's a similar story across the country. In Cincinnati, the mayor tried to hold back tears as he announced the furlough of 1,700 municipal employees. In San Antonio, 270 employees have been furloughed. And in Miami Beach, Florida, 250 part-time employees have been laid off and 35 full-timers have been furloughed.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio put the budget impact at $5 billion to $10 billion and warned that the largest city in the country might not be able to function unless the federal government steps up with emergency funds soon.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

"It's a tough time for cities all over America," said Clarence Anthony, executive director of the National League of Cities. "The cost of COVID-19 is going to be devastating for the financial future of cities."

Story continues

Nearly every city in the country expects to face lower revenues as a result of the coronavirus crisis, he said. His organization, along with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, surveyed 2,400 local officials and found that many cities  26 percent of small municipalities and 47 percent of large cities  are planning layoffs. Even more are planning furloughs  59 percent of large cities.

City leaders are hoping the federal government will step up with another stimulus package that will include $250 billion in direct aid to municipalities. The $2 trillion stimulus signed by President Donald Trump last month, called the CARES Act, earmarked funds only for cities that have 500,000 residents or more, and those funds are intended to help cities pay for the cost of responding to the virus  not to make up for lost revenue.

Some congressional leaders have called for another major stimulus package, but that would be subject to negotiations between Congress and the White House.

Cities urgently need more help, said Nan Whaley, the mayor of Dayton, Ohio, which last month furloughed 479 of its 1,900 employees.

Without support, she said, city services that are even more essential during a pandemic will be hobbled.

Image: (Bryan Woolston / AP)

"We'll have less firefighters, less police officers," she said, noting that she has so far been able to protect her first responders from furloughs. "You have to retrench, because you know there's no money coming in."

Ohio cities are unusual in that most of their revenue comes from income taxes rather than property taxes. That has made the recent crisis particularly sharp in cities like Dayton, as residents lost their jobs when businesses shuttered last month to stop the spread of the virus. Whaley said she knew she had to immediately furlough workers, but she fears she's not done cutting her city's budget. She's asked her department heads to propose an additional 18 percent in cuts.

"Could our rec centers just no longer open again? Yep. That can happen," she said. "Could we decide not to pick up the trash as often? Yes. Could we decide to have less police coverage? Yes."

In Detroit, Duggan said the city's success in building a rainy day fund in the 5 years since it emerged from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history softened some of the blow of this latest crisis. So far, using savings, he's been able to protect police, fire and emergency workers, as well as bus drivers, from pay cuts and furloughs.

The city also expects $36 million from the CARES Act, which will help minimize the pain of budget cuts. But in addition to the layoffs of part-time workers, about 900 full-time employees who do jobs such as directing traffic, selling bus tickets, repairing roads and issuing building permits will lose about 90 percent of their salaries  keeping just enough to maintain health care coverage  and will essentially be furloughed until further notice. About 1,300 office workers, including accountants, financial managers and information specialists, will go down to four days a week and take 20 percent pay cuts, while top executives like the mayor will take 5 percent pay cuts while continuing to work full time.

Detroit, where the death toll had climbed to 538 by Thursday, is also facing the added expense of running coronavirus testing sites for residents. It has acquired instant testing equipment for the police and fire departments, as well as nursing homes. And while some of those expenses have been paid for by donors, the city has faced increased overtime and hazard pay expenses for emergency workers, as well as the cost of protective gear.

All of the above will force the city to cut back on crucial services, such as the effort to remove burned-out houses that have blighted city neighborhoods for years, a legacy of past financial crises. Duggan is asking the City Council to redirect $72 million that had been earmarked for blight remediation  as well as $33 million that was supposed to go to improving city property  so it can be used to pay city workers instead.

"You're going to see delayed road repairs. You're going to see closed recreation centers," Duggan said in his address Tuesday night. "Blight is going to get worse in the neighborhoods. We've got to find a solution to it, but that's the truth. These are painful cuts."

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The cuts Duggan proposed assume that the crisis will end relatively soon. But some economists say it could be two years before the economy fully recovers, and that would mean lower property tax revenues and higher unemployment. People will have more needs at a time when their local governments will be less able to help, said Betsey Stevenson, a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan.

"Detroit is just about one of the most fragile cities" in the country, Stevenson said. "It doesn't have a tax base it can lean heavily on. If it doesn't get help from both the federal government and the state, I think it's in pretty substantial trouble."

It's not just formerly bankrupt big cities that are worried.

"This is not a big-city problem," said Rochester Hills, Michigan, Mayor Bryan Barnett, the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. "This is an every-city problem."

Barnett's community, an affluent 75,000-person suburb north of Detroit with a $50 million annual operating budget, has already lost $7 million in revenue from sources including building permits and park rentals. As the crisis starts to affect property taxes, the pain could increase, he said.

The mayors group has been convening conference calls nearly daily in recent weeks, he said. Mayors share ideas about how to protect nursing home residents and police officers. They also share strategies for how to raise awareness of the looming crisis in their finances while also reassuring residents who are terrified about their loved ones' dying or their jobs' disappearing.

"As a mayor, you're trying to thread the needle between alarming and informing," he said. "I want my people to know that we are going to get through this and we will be stronger on the other side, but we have to take it seriously, and we have to work together."

Things are definitely tough, he said, but "I'm really focused on hope."
Donald Trump has claimed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) knowingly allowed the coronavirus to spread beyond China and accused European nations of unleashing the contagion around the world.

His comments, in an address from the White House, came after he suspended funding for the UN agency, saying it had mismanaged and covered-up the spread of the disease.

The president used the latest coronavirus task force briefing to berate the WHO for opposing his introduction of a travel ban on China at the beginning of February.

Over the objections of the WHO we took decisive action and early life saving action to suspend travel from China, said Mr Trump.

They didnt want to do it. They were angry that we did it. It was early on, they were angry that we did it. Took them a long time to release what was going [on] but I have a feeling they knew exactly what was going on.

The WHO declared a global health emergency on January 30 when seven cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed by the US Centres for Disease and Prevention (CDC).

Mr Trump then announced on January 31 that foriegn nationals entering the US from China would be banned.

He said on Wednesday: Tragically other nations put their trust in the WHO and they didnt do any form of ban and you see what happened to Italy, you see what happened to Spain, you see what happened to France.

New York Times data suggests that the State Departments advisory travel ban permitted almost 40,000 Americans and authorised travellers to enter the US from China since it was issued on February 4.

Meanwhile, Italian authorities introduced a complete ban - without exemptions - on all arrivals from China on January 31.

The US president continued to use European nations as a scapegoat for his handling of the pandemic on Wednesday, saying that WHOs guidance had failed to control their borders at a very crucial phase, quickly unleashing the contagion around the world.

That was a horrible tragic mistake or perhaps they knew, he added.

Whilst the WHO did condemn president Trumps move to partially close US borders, it did so on the basis that travel bans have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit,", said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in February.

Democrats and diseases experts opposed Mr Trumps ban on the basis that the disease had already begun spreading inside the US and internationally.
Steve Simpson thought he was getting ahead of the curve by filing for unemployment insurance right after losing his job in March.

Almost a month later, he's still stuck in bureaucratic limbo, along with millions of increasingly frustrated Americans. They're the self-employed entrepreneurs, contractors and gig workers who make up a big chunk of the 21st-century economy.New data on Thursday showed more than 5 million people filed unemployment claims last week, taking the total over the past month to 22 million. That means the coronavirus has wiped out a whole decade of job gains at an unprecedented pace, in what's likely the worst rout for the U.S. economy since the Great Depression.

Simpson's story shows the painful new daily reality behind those numbers, for many of those still left behind, as states scramble to get them help.

"I just paid up everything for April yesterday, and now I have a grand total net worth of $45," the 52-year-old aviation contractor from Lynchburg, Virginia said in an interview this week. "I can't go any further without some help. I need it now."

Extending jobless benefits to the self-employed, who wouldn't ordinarily qualify, was a key part of the $2 trillion rescue package known as the CARES Act approved by President Donald Trump and Congress last month.

But unemployment insurance in America is a patchwork of 50 state-level operations, and they need time to catch up. In Virginia, officials say their new system to handle claims by the self-employed and contractors will be up and running within weeks.

Simpson said he's only received two vague texts from state authorities about his claim, and been unable to get better guidance online or by phone.

"They're really taking way too long," he said. "It shouldn't be that hard to figure out."

Officials are struggling with out-of-date technology. But they are also creating a major new portion of the safety net on the fly, to reflect something that's been left outside it until now: the changing nature of employment in America, and the growth of contract-based and gig work.

And they're simply having to guess how many Americans now fall into this category -- because a clear definition and count of the "gig economy" has evaded analysts for years.In Colorado, officials preparing to open applications for the new benefits reckon that 300,000 self-employed workers might be eligible. But they admit they're flying blind."We don't truly know what the universe is in terms of percentage of the workforce," said Cher Haavind, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. "It's a little bit gauge-as-we-go."

One popular image of the gig economy, as a realm of Uber drivers and TaskRabbit contractors, misses a broader trend. Companies in recent decades have increasingly turned to consultants, contractors and temporary workers for everything from maintenance and janitorial work to logistics or human-resources management.

One in six workers in the U.S. count as gig workers under the criteria used by the ADP Research Institute, which are based on how people file their taxes. That's up 15% from the start of the decade, and would equate to more than 25 million Americans. A 2015 study by the Pew Research Center put the share of the self-employed and those working for them even higher, at about 30%.David Weil, a senior Obama administration labor official now at Brandeis University, says the U.S. has a "fissured" workforce and a labor regime that's allowed companies to evade their traditional responsibilities.

"The world changed underneath us but it took a crisis like this to reveal just how exposed people are," he said.

There's tension between states and the federal government over the design of the new measures, and why there have been delays in implementation. Illinois' Democratic governor tweeted on Monday that the Department of Labor has created "real regulatory obstacles" to implementing the CARES Act, saying that's holding back the state's effort to set up systems for the self-employed.States like Oregon and Colorado have also blamed slow federal guidance for the delayed rollout. In New Mexico, officials said they had to step in with one-time cash payments of $750 to the self-employed because of repeated changes in federal advice.

In response, federal officials point the finger at the states. Only two of them have actually begun administering and paying the expanded benefits to gig-economy workers, according to John Pallasch, assistant secretary for employment and training at the Department of Labor, despite six sets of federal guidelines related to covid-19 issued over the past month or so.

Whoever is to blame, the reality is that states are having to roll out a major new federal program, and build new IT and other infrastructure, at breakneck speed."Something that would be normally developed over years is being done in 3-4 weeks," said Timothy Kestner, director of economic information and analytics at the Virginia Employment Commission.In his state, Kestner estimates that almost 200,000 self-employed people and contractors could be eligible for help. And the problems won't be over once the basic framework is in place.Because of federal reporting requirements that companies have to abide by, officials have wage data available for traditional workers - but for the self-employed, they don't. Figuring out how much help they're eligible for will be more complicated.

State officials are also offering differing advice on how or when to apply.Virginia has asked workers like Simpson to file claims, and not panic if they're initially denied. In Massachusetts, officials have told the self-employed to hold off until a new website is up and running on April 30. In Michigan, approvals got underway on Monday; in Ohio, they might not start until mid-May.

Out of the bleak environment of the pandemic, some permanent gains for workers may yet emerge.

Benefits for the self-employed and contractors are due to expire at the end of 2020. But there is already palpable pressure to make them a permanent part of the aid America makes available to its citizens in economic emergencies. Temporary government programs have a history of sticking around, and crises have a way of spurring big rethinks.

The current one is spotlighting "a broader weakness of the U.S. economy," said Alex Colvin, who heads the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.

"We're set up as a very entrepreneurial economy, which can be good," he said. "But there's that danger of creative destruction, that if things get tough we don't have a strong safety net in place."

In the meantime, millions are left waiting for help.

Lupita Silva started working for food delivery service DoorDash in Portland, Oregon last October, while she was studying web development. She could earn $120 a day working five-hour stretches.

The spread of the virus made Silva, who has severe asthma, increasingly nervous about working. She filed an unemployment claim with the state website - and almost immediately realized it had gone to the wrong place.

But she's been struggling ever since to get information on where she should re-file, and what documents she might need. She keeps hearing from officials that help is coming soon, but "we're just running around right now, trying to figure out when 'coming soon' is."Meanwhile the money runs out. "I'm using all my savings to try to cover April," said Silva. "But then May is right around the corner."
Highlights The Motorola Edge will come with a triple rear camera system.

A 64-megapixel main camera will do most of the camera duties.

Motorola will announce the Edge series on April 22.

Motorola has been busy prepping the Edge series and given that it has a launch date now, the phone is expected to leak more than ever. It was originally supposed to be shown at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) earlier in February but as the COVID-19 halted half of the world, Motorola delayed the launch. Nonetheless, it is coming now and will mark Motorola's re-entry into the premium smartphone space. The entry-level model in this series, expected to be called the Edge, has just been spotted online.

Motorola is yet to show a glimpse of the phone officially but the leaks have given out a lot. Back in February, there were several photos of the prototypes showing the phone from different angles. Now, we have a photo that shows the phone from the back, courtesy of PriceBaba. The phone looks similar to what was shown before, although it seems that this could be from a production unit. Motorola seems to have gone ahead with a glass build.

The phone resembles the Motorola G8 Plus a lot from the back, especially with the uniquely arranged triple camera setup that resembles a quad camera setup -- a new design trend in Motorola phones. An inscription alongside the cameras suggests that the Edge will use a 64-megapixel camera as its main shooter, which is probably going to be accompanied by an ultra-wide camera and a telephoto camera. There's a Motorola batwing logo printed on the rear but there doesn't seem to be a fingerprint sensor present in it.

Sadly, the front of the device hasn't been shown but if itis anything like the previous leaks, you can expect the same curved edge display with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The display is said to have 3D curved edges and that could help with the aesthetics. Hence, the name Edge could have been adapted to define the display on the device.

It is still unknown as to whether Motorola will release the Edge series in the US only or whether it will spread it to other global markets. The standard model in the Edge series is expected to get a Snapdragon 765 chip with 5G enabled whereas the top-tier Edge Plus will make use of the Snapdragon 865 chip along with a 108-megapixel camera. Both phones are speculated to feature 90Hz refresh rate displays.
McDonald's will be offering free delivery this weekend to all Australians stuck at home amid coronavirus lockdown.

The deal accounts for all meals that are above $25 and ordered through contactless McDelivery via the UberEats app.

Customers can order their favourite meals for less from Friday to Sunday with more deals expected to come throughout the month.

McDonald's will be offering free delivery for all orders above $25 through UberEats this weekend

McDonald's Australia's marketing director Jo Feeney said the McDelivery app was a great way to let customers order food from the comfort of their home.

'McDelivery is a great way for our customers to continue to enjoy their Macca's favourites at home, through contact-free delivery straight to their door,' Ms Feeney said.

'Throughout this month, we'll be giving Macca's customers who order contactless McDelivery via the UberEats app free delivery on any orders over $25.

'To start with, the offer will be available for those who place a Macca's order on the UberEats app this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday.'

Delivery fees on orders normally range between $4.99 and $7.99.
Why has it taken so long for Ontario to deal with the human tragedy occurring in Ontarios long-term care sector, which comprises publicly funded and operated long term care homes, publicly funded and privately operated long-term care facilities, and for-profit retirement and assisted living homes?

Long-term care homes were understaffed before the COVID-19 pandemic because the work is demanding, poorly paid and precarious since much of it is part-time. The tens of thousands of mostly women workers in this sector cobble together what amounts to barely a living income (many earn under $20 an hour) by taking jobs at different care homes.

We learned in the SARS crisis in 2003 that health care workers who worked at multiple establishments were vectors of virus transmission. But we did not act on this knowledge. Part-time work is cheaper for employers because they can provide fewer benefits like breaks.

So, when COVID-19 hit long-term care homes hard we should not have been surprised. But what is surprising is that Premier Doug Ford has waited so long to address the problem.

On March 27, B.C. prohibited care workers from working at multiple facilities, and on April 10 B.C. issued an emergency order lasting six months requiring that every part-time and casual worker would be hired full-time and paid the same wages as those in collective agreements with public health authority-run facilities represented by the Health Employers Association of B.C.

The effect of this order is that the wages of thousands of personal services workers will be raised to $24.83, the starting salary for unionized care workers, which is nearly $7 an hour more than starting pay in many private and subcontracted care facilities. On April 2, Quebec Premier Legault announced that personal service workers would receive a $4 an hour wage increase.

So why did Ontario wait until April 15 to order workers in long-term care homes to stop working at multiple facilities as of April 22? This delay will cost lives. And why does Premier Ford expect care workers to shoulder this cost?

All that Ford is giving these workers is an unpaid leave of absence. In fact, the Premiers news release states: To help long-term care workers make up these lost wages, the government encourages long-term care employers to offer full-time hours to their part-time employees during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Workers are ordered to give up work and take a reduction in income, while employers are encouraged to provide them with full-time jobs. This double standard is a bit rich given that it is the workers who are risking their health and their lives.

Moreover, the premier has not announced any plans to increase the wages of these essential workers. In fact, those who work in public facilities are subject to the provinces 1 per cent wage cap. All Ford has promised is that employers can access emergency funds to assist them in covering the cost of turning part time jobs into full time ones. He has also opened up collective agreements at all long-term care facilities and given employers unfettered discretion to do what they want about staffing.

Why is Ontario so stingy to these essential workers? Could it be that the premier is more concerned about keeping the profits up at the retirement homes and keeping taxes low than in providing adequate staffing to care for vulnerable elderly people through decent pay and full-time jobs in long term care homes?

Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris is the chairman of the board of directors at Chartwell, Canadas largest for-profit retirement home chain and one of Canadas largest employers of personal service workers. While he was premier, Harris removed the minimum care standard in long-term care facilities. Todays crisis in long-term care facilities was long in the making and is the result of political decisions that have benefitted the few and hurt the most vulnerable.

If Premier Ford wants to see adequate and safe levels of staffing in long-term care homes, he needs to improve the terms and conditions of care work. Enough bluster  the premier needs to ante up if he cares about the people who live and work in care homes. Talk is cheap and it does not save lives.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 00:38:43|Editor: huaxia

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HOHHOT, April 15 (Xinhua) -- North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region announced Wednesday it plans to implement 890 major infrastructure projects this year, with an investment of about 130 billion yuan (about 18.41 billion U.S. dollars).

In the coming months, the region will carry out a number of major infrastructure construction projects, such as water conservancy facilities, highways, high-speed railways, airports, and information and logistics infrastructure, centering on the new requirements for high-quality development, said Gong Mingzhu, head of the regional development and reform commission, at a press conference.

For example, Inner Mongolia will accelerate the construction of a new airport in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region, and seven general airports. Meanwhile, construction on data center projects of Apple, Huawei and Alibaba in Ulanqab will be sped up.

The implementation of major projects will not only gradually fix the autonomous region's weak links in the infrastructure sector but also let investment play its role in boosting economic growth and stabilizing employment, said Gong.
She was a breakout star on Married At First Sight this year, after going into the show as an intruder bride.

And on Monday, KC Osborne just couldn't resist reading an article about herself in a women's magazine.

The 31-year-old dancer was caught checking out a titbit in a tabloid, as she shopped at a supermarket in Melbourne.

Something catch your eye?! MAFS star KC Osborne (pictured) was caught reading about herself in a magazine in Melbourne on Monday... after being slammed for catching a private jet with Michael Goonan amid COVID-19

The brunette was dressed casually on the outing, wearing a pink jumper and baggy black sweatpants.

She wore light makeup including foundation and wore her hair out and over her shoulders.

The reality TV star - who hails from Sydney's Cronulla - pulled the front layers of her hair back and off her face, which appeared to expose her tape extensions.

Low-key: The brunette was dressed casually on the outing, wearing a pink jumper and baggy black sweatpants

Making headlines: KC and boyfriend Michael Goonan made headlines this week when they caught a private jet from Melbourne to Sydney for a business trip on Wednesday

Meanwhile, KC and boyfriend Michael Goonan made headlines this week when they caught a private jet from Melbourne to Sydney for a business trip on Wednesday.

The pair - who met on MAFS - carried three Louis Vuitton bags as well.

The reality couple boasted of their flight by sharing pictures on Instagram, but fans slammed them for flaunting their wealth while while many Australians have lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the flight was completely legal, Michael and KC were also criticised for travelling when many people are in complete lockdown at home.

Backlash: The reality couple boasted of their flight by sharing pictures on Instagram, but fans slammed them for flaunting their wealth while while many Australians have lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Dance instructor KC received considerable backlash on Thursday when she uploaded a collection of photos from inside and outside the private jet, captioned: 'A work trip turned to a fun trip!'

Outraged, one fan commented: 'Just remember, things are hard for all Australians now. Don't sell yourself short and act like this in photos. You didn't have to show all the photos of inside the plane. That is just showing off.'

KC hit back, explaining that while she appears to live a glamorous life, she also spends days 'in her sweats with a messy bun, looking s**t going to the supermarket'.

Not impressed: Outraged, one fan commented: 'Just remember, things are hard for all Australians now'

Defending herself: KC hit back, explaining that while she appears to live a glamorous life, she also spends days 'in her sweats with a messy bun, looking s**t going to the supermarket'

'I have no disregard to what is going on in the world and I do what I can to give back and to encourage kids. I'm not perfect but this is MY LIFE and I will live how I want,' she hit back in a comment.

But KC's explanation was not enough, as the negative comments kept on pouring in.

'At a time where we are in a very troubled situation for many, you flaunt the private jet and superficial relationship you are in,' one person wrote.

They're not happy! But KC's explanation was not enough, as the negative comments kept on pouring in

Someone else added: 'Really? A private jet? Other Australians are struggling to get home once they are here, they are in quarantine for two weeks.'

The couple were legally allowed to fly from Melbourne to Sydney because the trip was for business, which is considered 'essential travel' by the Australian Government.

Unlike other states and territories, NSW and Victoria have not closed their borders, and therefore allow for business travel between the two economic hubs.

Michael is the company director of his family's commercial ice business and insisted that the flight was for commerce.
Since our founding, R.T. has worked tirelessly as a team member and leader to shape the Incident IQ platform to optimally serve K-12. Incident IQs rapid growth makes this move essential.

Today Incident IQ, LLC, the company thats transforming K-12 workflows to optimally support students, teachers and technology, named Robert Todd (R.T.) Collins Chief Operating Officer of the company.

One of Incident IQs first team members, joining the company in 2016, Mr. Collins has been serving as Vice President and General Manager of the company. In his enhanced role, he will provide direction and support for the companys teams serving Incident IQs fast-growing K-12 client community, including Product Development, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of R.T. Collins to the C.O.O. role at Incident IQ, said Travis Collins, Chief Executive Officer. Since our founding, R.T. has worked tirelessly as a team member and leader to shape the Incident IQ platform to optimally serve K-12. Incident IQs rapid growth makes this move essential. As teaching and learning increasingly depend on a technology-enhanced instructional model, Incident IQs unmatched ability to support teachers and students and manage technology will be more critical than ever.

Prior to joining Incident IQ, Mr. Collins served for six years as an active duty officer and Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force. He was recognized for his outstanding service in a variety of litigation and advisory roles at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX and finally as legal counsel to the USAF components supporting the National Security Agencys mission at Fort Meade, MD.

Mr. Collins holds a B.A. from Wake Forest University and a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law.

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About Incident IQ

Incident IQ is transforming K-12 workflows by digitizing service delivery to empower students, teachers, and support teams. From help desk ticketing and IT asset management to maintenance work orders and beyond, Incident IQ is revolutionizing the way school districts provide and manage services.
Next47, Siemens' Investment Arm, Leads New Round on Heels of Unprecedented First-Year of Adoption of VAST's Universal Storage By Fortune 500s, Analytics Driven Enterprises and Government Agencies

NEW YORK, April 16, 2020, a storage company breaking decades-old tradeoffs, today announced $100 million in Series C funding, led by Next47, at a valuation of $1.2B - a near-tripling since the company's launch in February 2019. The round brings the company's total funding to $180 million and includes strong participation from past investors as well as new investors, including 83North, Commonfund Capital, Dell Technologies Capital, Goldman Sachs, Greenfield Partners, Mellanox Capital and Norwest Venture Partners. The new funding will be used to drive global expansion and accelerate the company's next phase of growth.



Building from the ground up on game changing technologies, VAST Data has developed the world's first all flash storage platform that revolutionizes the economics of flash storage to make flash infrastructure affordable for all classes of data, thereby rendering the hard drive and storage tiering obsolete. The power of VAST's platform is applied across a number of industries, and is instrumental to organizations tackling the worldwide spread of COVID-19. This includes powering next generation life science advancements and helping financial services organizations stabilize the economy.

"We started VAST Data with a single mission, to simplify the data center and to enable insights that were never before possible. In 2019, VAST's early customer adoption and financial performance surpassed all historic benchmarks - validating that the technology and product-market fit were right for customers who are struggling under tiered storage architectures and the limitations of the hard drive," said Renen Hallak, Founder & CEO of VAST Data. "Considering that VAST has not even tapped into its $40M Series B financing, the company now has a $140M war chest to satisfy global customer demand for next-gen infrastructure, and to enable data driven applications through continued innovation."

Shattering Performance Benchmarks

This latest funding follows unprecedented company performance in 2019, where VAST's first year sales were significantly more than any other storage vendor in IT history. VAST highlights include:

Worldwide Customer Adoption: Across four continents, dozens of customers have now selected VAST technology to redefine how they extract value from vast reserves of data - with each spending over a million dollars (on average) to modernize their infrastructure. Customers include the US National Institutes of Health, an agency operated by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Squarepoint, Krystal Hosting, Ginkgo BioWorks, DownUnder GeoSolutions, Harvard Medical School, Zebra Medical, Fortune 500 companies, Oscar-winning content creators and many other leading hedge funds around the world.

Worldwide Employee Growth: Since the beginning of 2019, VAST has grown the size of its global team by 130%. In addition, the company is planning to fill over 100 positions as it prepares for the next wave of customer adoption. More information on currently open positions can be found at vastdata.com/careers (https://vastdata.com/careers/) .

Industry Leading Product Innovation: The pace of enhancement of VAST Data's Universal Storage is only increasing, with four major feature releases since product launch. In a few weeks, VAST will continue its push into the market with the release of Universal Storage 3.0, which will introduce a wealth of capabilities for mission critical enterprise customers who are eager to evolve beyond the hard drive, including support for Windows and MacOS applications, cloud based replication, encryption and much more.

Industry Accolades: VAST Data's Universal Storage has received several leading industry accolades, including being recognized by Storage Magazine and SearchStorage as the 2019 Storage Product of the Year, as one of CRN's 10 Hottest Data Storage Startups of 2019 and as a Channel Partners 2020 Channel Influencer.

"The world's most valuable resource is now data, and VAST Data's highly-disruptive infrastructure concept unlocks access to massive reserves of information - eliminating the complexity and compromises that have resulted from the long-standing performance and capacity tradeoff," said Lak Ananth, CEO & Managing Partner at Next47. "In a little over a year, VAST has delivered some truly record-breaking business results and we're thrilled to partner with them to further scale the business."

Customer and Partner Quotes

"As an early adopter of advanced storage systems, we've deployed scalable storage architectures to help HHS agencies to pioneer new scientific discoveries and improve public health," said Jose Arrieta, CIO of Health and Human Services. "As our component Operating Divisions move beyond the hard drive era, software-enabled storage architectures helps us modernize our scientific agenda and enable AI-driven research with the power of flash."

"At Squarepoint, we have deep expertise in trading, technology and operations and attribute our success to rigorous scientific research," said Olivier Delahaye, Chief Technology Officer of Squarepoint. "We invest in many cutting-edge technologies, which includes VAST Data's Universal Storage platform, to support our most intensive computing efforts, for hundreds of researchers on a global scale."

"AI infrastructure is moving out of the shadows and being operationalized across IT organizations," said Manuvir Das, Head of Enterprise Computing at NVIDIA. "Enterprises can take advantage of the deep learning performance of NVIDIA DGX AI systems and VAST Data's Universal Storage all-flash concept to simplify, scale and accelerate their AI adoption."

For more information on VAST Data, including soon-to-be-announced Universal Storage architecture enhancements, please visit VASTData.com .

About Next47

Next47 is a global venture firm backed by Siemens that invests in, and partners with, entrepreneurs who think big and build industry-defining companies. With offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Munich, Paris, Palo Alto, Stockholm, and Israel, Next47 gives start-ups unparalleled access to one of the world's largest portfolios of customers in the areas of industry, energy and infrastructure as well as domain expertise in the deep technologies that impact those customers. For more information about Next47, visit https://next47.com/ .

About VAST Data

Headquartered in New York City, VAST Data is a storage company bringing an end to complex storage tiering and HDD usage in the enterprise. VAST consolidates applications onto a highly scalable all-flash storage system to meet the performance needs of the most demanding workloads, while also redefining the economics of flash infrastructure to finally make it affordable enough to store all of your data on flash. Since its launch in February 2019, VAST has established itself as the fastest selling storage startup in history. VAST's Universal Storage now powers several of the world's leading data centric computing centers. For more information, please visit https://www.vastdata.com/ and follow VAST Data on Twitter and LinkedIn .
As the Long Beach Unified School District commits to keeping classes in-person, the city a new testing site opens for LBUSD employees and students only. The city is also ramping up its own testing efforts with a new 3,000-person per day testing site.
Businesses with a passion for fashion say current restrictions risk damaging the industry beyond repair.

Italys fashion leaders called on the government on Thursday to loosen restrictions imposed in response to the coronavirus crisis to allow them to resume some production, warning that a prolonged lockdown risked irreparably damaging the sector.

Fashion is a seasonal industry, and certain dates are not compressible. Not reopening shortly would mean giving up almost a years turnover, said Carlo Capasa, the chairman of Italys National Chamber for Italian Fashion (CNMI), in an online interview on the website of daily Corriere della Sera.

Current lockdown measures in Italy  the country with the third-highest number of confirmed cases after the United States and Spain  have been imposed until May 3. The countrys death toll increased by 525 on Thursday, down from an increase of 578 the day before, but the number of new cases accelerated sharply to 3,786 from a previous 2,667.

There were 2,936 people in intensive care on Thursday compared with 3,079 on Wednesday  a 13th consecutive daily decline.

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The government has not disclosed how and when it will start easing a nationwide ban on business activities deemed as non-essential.

Fashion and textile plants throughout the country have shut as they do not fall into the category of essential businesses.

Many labels have reconverted production to make medical devices such as masks and medical overalls to meet rising demand during the emergency.

With a turnover of 95 billion euros ($103bn) and 600,000 workers, Italys fashion and textile industry is the second-most important nationwide.

It accounts for a 41 percent share of the sector in Europe, followed by Germanys fashion and textile industry, which represents 11 percent of the total.

Capasa suggested April 20 as a date to gradually reopen manufacturing activities in order to deliver fall/winter collections on time to shops around the world, and to start production of spring/summer collections.

We are closed, but other countries like France, Spain, Portugal, Turkey are starting to reopen, said Claudio Marenzi, who is in charge of fashion at business lobby Confindustria, pointing out that the ban also had implications for Italy as a supplier.

This means that some brands may decide to switch to another supply chain, which in Italy is mainly made up of small companies. And once a company closes, you lose the know-how and you never recover, he added.

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Confindustria Moda represents 65,000 companies in the textile, fashion and accessories sectors. Most are small firms with only 15-20 employees, with sales highly dependent on foreign buyers.

Marenzi said Confindustria Moda had signed an agreement with unions over stringent health and security measures to adopt at production sites once these are allowed to reopen.

[The deal] shows that entrepreneurs and workers are aligned in their will to restart activities and save the Italian fashion industry, he said.

An economic epidemic could cause more lasting damage than the health one. If we have to live with this virus for so long, then lets live with it, Marenzi said, adding that if the industry could safely make masks and gowns, it could also make clothes.

The International Monetary Fund forecast this week that Italys economy  the eurozones third largest  would contract by 9.1 percent this year, the steepest drop in gross domestic product of any large European economy.

A 25 billion euro ($27bn) stimulus package in March increased financing for Italys health service and boosted funds to supplement the income of the self-employed and workers temporarily laid off.
Credit: Shutterstock

Our environment and regulation collective considered the parallels between COVID-19 and chemicals regulation, and how appropriate use of the precautionary principle can inform strategic policy when evidence is incomplete or emerging.

The COVID-19 crisis is the most complex situation any government has had to face for many decadesand scientific advice has been vital in informing difficult decisions and rapid government action. However, keeping up to date with the pace at which scientific knowledge and evidence is emerging is a real challenge.

The novelty of the disease means there are still many unknowns, and therefore policy has to be based on partial information. Our experts in regulatory decision-making have been considering how governments can practically make decisions in the face of uncertain and evolving scientific evidence.

The precautionary principle

The precautionary principle is one of several decision-making principles used internationally in chemicals regulation. It is considered together with evaluations about risk and impact to society, alongside socio-economic benefits and disadvantages.

In the 1992 Rio declaration on environment and development, the precautionary principle is defined as: "Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation."

This principle is used in international treaties, and is at the center of EU regulation. It is widely considered to include aspects of human health protection from environmental chemicals.

Fifteen academic and industry experts from the RSC's environment and regulation collective attended a virtual round table on 2 April, chaired by our senior policy advisor Camilla Alexander-White.

She told us "We would usually meet in our fabulous venue of Burlington House that enables rich and open discussion on topics such as this, but given the absolute necessity for us all to maintain social distancing, this was our first virtual policy round table.

"We discussed how the precautionary principle is implemented in UK regulation, and considered how it should apply in chemicals strategiesparticularly the new UK strategies under development.

"And although decisions on the safe use of chemicals in products and processes has less urgency at the current time, and can be supported by a larger base of evidence and data, we couldn't help but see clear parallels with measures being taken to contain and suppress COVID-19 in the UK and other countries."

Some relevant points were highlighted for making effective science-informed policy during the meeting, which apply to both regulation and current COVID-19 policy:

Be transparent, particularly about the limitations of your scientific evidence

Recognise that science is just one factor, alongside social, economic and ethical considerations

Be open to change

Be transparent, particularly about the limitations of your scientific evidence

In chemicals management, there are often situations where there is partial evidence. Regulatory decisions often rely on seeking to balance precaution in protecting the environment and human health, to an agreed level of risk, alongside estimating what the impacts of certain actions would be to society.

Some decisions to use chemicals can impact long-term health and environmental protection over decades, such as decisions in the last century, and which continue today, on the use of poly-fluorinated alky sulfonates (PFAS) and bisphenols in consumer goods. Even herewhere there is quite a lot of evidencethere remains uncertainty and sometimes disagreement between scientists in terms of that the evidence means for society.

To make decisions based on the best information and to help inform this balance, there need to be sound scientific advisory mechanisms, with the right experts at the table to enable decision-makers to draw upon available evidence in a credible and authoritative way. These mechanisms must allow for all points of view and perspectives to be discussed. Sometimes this can take time to reach consensusand with COVID-19 time is in short supply.

In any situation, however, the limitations and uncertainties in the evidence all need to be explained in a clear and transparent way. In the situation for COVID-19, the science is likely to be highly uncertain at the current time, and based on modeling predictions rather than empirical evidence, given the novelty of the disease. Where this is the case, this must always be acknowledged.

Recognise that science is just one factor, alongside social, economic and ethical considerations

Although science must play an important role by providing sound, trustworthy advice on what can be very complex questions, we recognize it is not the only consideration and scientists are not the decision-makers.

Elected politicians need good information that enables them to balance this evidence with the social and economic drivers. They do and should apply societal values to the decisions they make, particularly social attitudes to acceptable balances between risk and benefit.

In times when the evidence remains uncertain, policies are required that are based on due precaution, balanced against risks, impacts and economic costs to society. The severity of the outcome of life, death or gross morbidity plays a factor on the extent of precaution that is implemented.

We are seeing regulatory approval processes for some products, for example ventilators, relaxed to meet the needs of the fight against COVID-19, reflecting the large benefit from saving lives. At the same time, decision-makers are needing to manage risks of products potentially doing harm, such as tests that could give false negative results.

Be open to change

In another parallel, in chemicals management there is an acknowledgment that new data can show that a chemical poses different, lesser or greater risks than first thought, which could well be the case with COVID-19. Decisions therefore need frequent periodic review, particularly in the light of new evidence. As the economist JM Keynes said: "When the facts change, I change my mind."

Imperfect information should not block a new productfor example, we don't have perfect evidence on the safety of nanotechnologies. On the other hand, imperfect evidence should also not prevent restrictions on products for which there is strong (if imperfect) evidence of risk. The latter was arguably the case for tobacco during decades where economic pressures arguably took priority until the medical evidence became overwhelmingly certain.

Concluding remarks and useful resources

As well as the need to balance risk and benefit in decision-making, the discussion at our round table showed broad agreement that the precautionary principle is an important part of decision-making toolkits for regulation. It needs to be applied consistently, based on good, trustworthy evidence, with transparent decision-making by government.

Our discussion also highlighted several resources the Royal Society of Chemistry has produced:

Our discussion supported the balanced approach to decision-making set out in our Principles for the management of chemicals in the environment. This document provides food for thought on a range of issues, such as how to avoid regrettable substitutions, where one chemical that poses a significant risk is replaced by a similar one with similar risks.

The discussion will enable us to develop further our advice to the UK Government on its chemicals strategy, building on our paper on A chemicals strategy for a sustainable chemicals revolution.

In the current crisis, we continue to support our community and have COVID-19 response pages, setting out how the RSC can support members and where to find scientific information on it from our publications.

And finally, we salute the scientists working hard on treatments, vaccinations, modelingas well as those who work tirelessly to treat the sick, provide care, advise decision-makers and otherwise tackle the pandemic.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
"Serving in the military changes you. The shades and degrees of change vary for everyone, but no one is ever the same as...
London: The Qantas pilot of the first special flight carrying Australians home from the UK has described the "peculiar" experience of flying in near-empty skies.

The flight, which left London's Heathrow on Wednesday, was the first in a series of government-backed flights for hundreds of Australians in the UK who need to get home.

Around 150 Australians, including three medical professionals, were on board the 787 Dreamliner named "Skippy." They will all spend 14 days in quarantine before re-entering the community in Australia.

The flight flew to Melbourne via Perth, carrying thousands of kilograms of protective equipment, including highly sought after medical masks and gloves, sourced by Austrade officials from across the world.
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) announced today that it will report results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 before the market opens on Friday, May 8, 2020. The earnings announcement will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.OUTFRONTmedia.com.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss the results on Friday, May 8, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call number is 800-263-0877 (U.S. callers) and 856-344-9283 (International callers) and the passcode for both is 7675011.

Live and replay versions of the conference call will be webcast in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.OUTFRONTmedia.com.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its ON Smart Media platform, OUTFRONT is implementing digital technology that will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc.

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The US Navy has accused Iran of repeatedly harassing six of its ships on a training exercise in international waters.

US warships conducting drills with US Army Apache attack helicopters in the North Arabian Gulf were approached by 11 vessels belonging to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN).

The Iranian ships repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches to the US vessels, crossing their bows and sterns at close range and high speed, the US 5th Fleet reports.

The American ships involved were the USS Lewis B Puller, USS Paul Hamilton, USS Firebolt, USS Sirocco, USCGC Wrangell and USCGC Maui, all based out of Bahrain.

At one point the Iranian vessels came with 50 yards of the Puller, the Navys first purpose-built expeditionary mobile base vessel, and 10 yards of the Maui, a US Coast Guard Island-class Cutter.

US crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five blasts from the ships horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices.

They received no response from the Iranians for approximately one hour.

The IRGCN vessels then responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries and manoeuvred away from the US ships, opening up distance between them.

A US Navy statement says that the Iranians' dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision and were not in accordance with the rules of the road or internationally recognised maritime customs.

The Navy, Coast Guard, Marines and Army have been conducting joint interoperability operations near Iran in the North Arabian Gulf since late March.

Commanding officers retain the inherent right to act in self-defence, the Navy said.
[April 16, 2020] New Education Tool for Bronchiectasis Patients

CORAL GABLES, Fla., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NTM Info & Research (www.ntminfo.org) launched a companion website for bronchiectasis ( www.bronchiectasisinfo.org ) to empower and educate patients who have this common comorbidity. Bronchiectasis and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease are closely linked. Nearly all NTM patients have bronchiectasis, either before or as a result of NTM. "There hasn't been enough emphasis on the connection between NTM lung disease and the underlying lung damage, bronchiectasis, but the two go hand-in-hand," said Amy Leitman, Director of Policy and Research at NTMir. "Understanding and managing both give patients the chance for improved quality of life and better outcomes." Bronchiectasis is a condition characterized by physical changes in the airway structures that carry air and oxygen in and out of the lungs. The physical changes causing bronchiectasis involve areas of airway dilation (widening) and loss of elasticity, forming pouches or scarring, all of which can trap mucus. Many of the changes are permanent. Bronchiectasis can be treated, and symptoms improved, but it cannot be cured. Prevalence estimates suggest upto 522,000 patients have bronchiectasis, with 70,000 newly diagnosed annually. The use of high-resolution CT scans has enabled more accurate diagnosis, but experts believe bronchiectasis remains underdiagnosed. Bronchiectasis affects individuals from childhood to old age and more women than men.



"Understanding the underlying risk posed by bronchiectasis is critical in managing NTM lung disease, and understanding the risks associated with bronchiectasis is equally important in mitigating the risk factors in acquiring severe chronic lung infections," stated Leitman. NTM Info & Research (NTMir) is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed on behalf of patients with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease for patient support, medical education and research. The organization serves patients, healthcare providers and researchers dealing with bronchiectasis and NTM. It advocates a broad agenda to promote early diagnosis, improved treatments, and research. The mission is to bring a voice to the concerns of all our constituents with government officials and agencies that guide, research, and regulate therapies developed to treat these diseases. NTM Info & Research recognizes the need for advancement in education and treatment of bronchiectasis.

NTMir was founded by Fern Leitman, an NTM patient, and her husband Philip. During treatment at National Jewish Health in Denver, they met many patients from different parts of the country, who had experienced delayed diagnoses and were frightened for being unfamiliar with many aspects of NTM disease. We welcome you to visit the new website, bronchiectasisinfo.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. "We are honored to work with leading clinicians and researchers around the world including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia on a continuing basis to add relevant and useful content to the site," Leitman concluded. Media Contact:

Helga Rosado

Phone: 786-717-0304

Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-education-tool-for-bronchiectasis-patients-301042234.html SOURCE NTM Info & Research

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With the Union government extending the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 till May 3, higher educational institutes across Delhi are now deliberating on how to conduct the annual examination for hundreds of thousands of students.

While most institutes are waiting for the recommendations of the committee formed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), universities have also conducted internal meetings to brainstorm possible solutions.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday said it was trying to finalise the process for conducting exams on digital platforms. Keeping JNUs diverse student population in mind, registrar Pramod Kumar said a flexible yet efficient mechanism will be devised based on the recommendations of the deans and chairpersons, which are to be submitted by Thursday, and after wider consultations.

The academic committee has recommended cancelling the summer vacation this year. In its report, it also said students, who will not be able to appear for online examinations due to lack of access to internet connectivity, should be allowed to appear for their exams after the lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Najma Akhtar, vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, said the university had submitted its recommendations to the UGC panel. Following consultations with our teachers and deans, we have planned to hold five 20-mark online assessments based on each unit of a paper. The best of three will be taken as each students final score. This will give students an option to better their scores even if they get low marks in one unit assessment, she said.

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) made a list of recommendations to DU vice-chancellor and the UGC a day after the varsity held a meeting with its deans to discuss modalities of online examination which could be conducted for its nine lakh students. One of the options discussed included submission of answers via audio clips.

For a large university such as DU, an online examination system is not viable. The university neither has the infrastructure nor the capability of providing/ensuring a level playing field to the diverse student population it caters to, DUTA president Rajib Ray said in its letter to the V-C on Tuesday.

The recommendations listed by DUTA include conducting examinations as soon as universities reopen with priority given to final year students. The teachers body also said that shifting to an annual mode of teaching, especially at the undergraduate level, should be seriously considered.

ADMISSIONS

Generally, the May-June period is the time when universities and colleges across the capital conduct admissions for their academic session that begins in July-August. The rescheduling of board examination due to Covid-19 lockdown and delay in academic learning is bound to have a ripple effect, which will affect the admission process as well.

Delhi University is mulling over taking the admission process completely online, including the verification of documents and certifications. JNU has suggested conducting interviews via video conferencing. The Ambedkar University of Delhi said it was consulting faculty members and would not be able to comment yet.

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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is just the latest hospital to declare an outbreak of COVID-19.

A spokesperson confirmed to the Star late Thursday that two patients have tested positive on an in-patient surgical unit. They have both been transferred from the unit and are being cared for with appropriate precautions, said spokesperson Sybil Millar in an email.

The other patients in the unit have tested negative, and the unit is now closed to new admissions out of an abundance of caution.

But what does it mean when a hospital declares an outbreak of the disease?

With 29 reported to the province since January, you might be wondering, and worried about the impact on people with unrelated medical issues.

An outbreak is different from hospitals treating people infected with COVID-19. In an outbreak patients have come in for something else and gotten the novel coronavirus.

Trillium Health Partners, the hospital system made up of Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga Hospital and Queensway Health Centre, has had four outbreaks of COVID-19, spokesperson Keeley Rogers said in an email.

The source of these outbreaks vary, but our ongoing investigations suggest we are seeing both community spread and hospital spread, Rogers said.

One was on a rehab ward at Credit Valley Hospital involving four patients in late March and is now over. Two are on different wards at Mississauga Hospital involving 10 staff and one patient. And the most recent, declared April 12, is on a mental health ward at Credit Valley, involving two patients.

There have been 29 outbreaks of COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals since Jan. 15, according to the publicly available data posted by the province. There were 146 cases reported as part of those outbreaks, 87 in patients, and 58 in staff. Nine patients died.

Pre-pandemic, hospitals have grappled with outbreaks of everything from the flu to the potentially life-threatening bacteria C. difficile.

The current public health guideline for an outbreak is defined as when a unit has two or more patients who test positive for a respiratory illness (e.g. flu), acquired in hospital, within 48 hours, said Rogers.

There is currently no formal guideline specific to a COVID-19 outbreak.

A health ministry spokesperson did not respond by deadline to a request for comment on this.

Without that guidance, Trillium Health Partners has adopted its own more stringent definition for a COVID outbreak.

We are defining a COVID-19 outbreak as two or more patients and/or staff with confirmed COVID-19 identified within a five-day period where there is a reasonable epidemiological link between cases, Rogers added.

So far, 73 staff members across three Trillium Health Partners sites have tested positive for COVID-19.

An outbreak can mean even more changes for patients without COVID-19 who are feeling the impact of protocols to stop the spread.

There are already strict no-visitor policies (with a few exceptions), and screening at the door in hospitals across the province. Non-urgent surgeries have been rescheduled.

But in many cases a COVID outbreak means no new admissions to the floor where it happened. Thats whats been put into place in Mississauga.

The impacted hospitals there will also implement droplet precautions for all patients on the wards, basically treating them as if they all could have COVID-19. They are limiting staff members who usually rotate among multiple units to just one, contact tracing, and conducting enhanced cleaning of the units.

Outbreaks were also recently declared in two units at Burlingtons Joseph Brant Hospital, and in the intensive care unit at St. Josephs hospital in Toronto.

Jennifer Stranges, a spokesperson with hospital network Unity Health, said in an email that a patient at St. Josephs who had recently been in the ICU was confirmed positive for COVID-19 after developing a new respiratory illness while in hospital.

Over the weekend, two staff who were in contact with this patient also tested positive, she said.

We have implemented all outbreak precautions in our ICU. All patients who were in the ICU last week at the time that this patient was identified have been swabbed and results have come back negative.

All ICU patients are also on droplet precautions for the next two weeks.

Admissions to the ICU will continue from in-patient areas, she said. At present, any patients coming to the Emergency Department requiring an ICU level of care will be transferred to another facility which will be reassessed daily as we monitor the situation.

Two health-care workers and three patients have so far tested positive at Joseph Brant, according to a press release, and all patients on the units, along with staff and physicians who were exposed, have been tested.

The institution has taken a number of immediate safety measures including closing the unit to new patients, enhanced cleaning and more training on personal protective equipment.

The same hospital has a policy that staff who test positive for COVID but dont have symptoms should immediately come back to work, which administrators say is consistent with provincial guidelines. The cause of the outbreak is still being investigated, a spokesperson told the Star earlier this week.

There was also an outbreak declared at Brantford General Hospital in the Palliative and Complex Care Unit during the weekend, which is now closed to new admissions.

Five health-care workers and two patients have tested positive.

David McNeil, the president and CEO of the Brant Community Healthcare System, said on a conference call with reporters Tuesday it was not connected to the availability of protective equipment.

An outbreak is related to in-hospital transmission of a disease, he said.

And in this case we were able to identify transmission from a COVID-positive staff member that we had tested, to a patient that had been cared for by that staff member.

He assured the public that they are safe coming into the hospital.

We do have very good screening protocols in place, he said. We are testing staff, and we have put in place all of the control measures.

All staff within the hospital system are now masked and they continue to do deep environmental cleaning.

The fact that weve identified the cases very promptly should be reassuring, that we have the mechanisms in place to identify quickly, McNeil added.

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Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: The Delhi government on Thursday said that no new coronavirus case has been reported in the last 15 days here from the two hotspots in the National Capital  Vasundhara Enclave and Khichripur  which were sealed on 31 March as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the virus.

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For hotspots within the Red Zone, the Centre has identified about 170 districts. This is further divided into two groups i.e. there are 123 hotspot districts with a large outbreak and 47 hotspot districts with clusters.

The Centre has named hotspot districts as Red Zone as it needs to have attention in these areas reporting a large number of COVID-19 cases and high growth rate.

Taking intensive efforts for implementing containment measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Union Health Ministry has classified 170 hotspot districts in the 'Red Zone', while 207 non-hotspot districts with clusters and non-infected districts have been classified as 'Green Zone'.

While Delhi recorded just 17 new cases, its lowest single-day tally in April, Maharashtra reported 232  the lowest figure in the last six days. Nine new Covid-19 deaths were reported in Maharashtra and two in Delhi in the last 24 hours.

The number of fresh Covid-19 cases dropped on Wednesday in Maharashtra and Delhi, the two worst affected states, even as 29 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours across the country, taking the toll to 422.

In the first case, registered against the mob of around 800 to 1,000 persons for unlawful assembly, rioting, violation of prohibitory orders during the lockdown, nine persons were arrested on Wednesday.

The police have registered three cases in connection with the incident so far.

The police have arrested a total of 11 persons including a journalist with regard to the crowd of migrant labourers which gathered in suburban Bandra on Tuesday, officials said.

In the technique, antibodies from blood of patients, who have recovered from coronavirus, are used to treat severely infected patients. It is aimed at assessing the efficacy of convalescent plasma to limit complications in COVID-19 patients.

The clinical trial of the plasma enrichment technique will be conducted at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), according to an official.

The Delhi government on Wednesday decided to use the plasma enrichment technique to treat severely-ill coronavirus patients on a trial basis as the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the National Capital reached 1,578.

"We have decided to provide financial aid and relief to migrant workers and families from Bengal stranded in other states. We are a poor state and have limited resources. But we will still help our people stranded outside," Mamata told journalists.

Seventeen more people have, meanwhile, tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the state in the past 24 hours and five patients discharged after recovery. The total number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Bengal has risen to 163.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced that her government will provide financial aid and relief to migrant workers and families from the state stranded outside due to the nationwide lockdown.

Europe has reported 88,716 deaths, while the United States has the single highest toll at 26,950.

The coronavirus has killed at least 131,319 people around the world, with Europe accounting for more than two-thirds of the deaths, according to an AFP tally on Wednesday from official sources.

A Kerala man carried his 65-year-old ailing father in Punalur and walked close to one-kilometre after the autorickshaw he brought to take his father back from the hospital was allegedly stopped by Police, due to the lockdown guidelines in view of coronavirus.

The official said these hotels are located in the Southwest District of Delhi. The district administration has issued orders for setting up the paid-quarantine facilities by reserving 767 rooms in these hotels.

People using quarantine facilities at the Welcome Hotel, the Vivanta by Taj and the Piccadily Hotel will have to pay Rs 3,100, excluding the Goods and Services Tax, per day, according to the official.

The Delhi government will set up quarantine facilities at three private hotels in wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak, an official said on Wednesday.

A running tally from Johns Hopkins showed 2,569 victims, compared with the same time the previous evening, bringing the total number of deaths in the US to 28,326 - higher than any other nation.

The United States on Wednesday recorded nearly 2,600 additional deaths from the new coronavirus in 24 hours, a new record and the heaviest daily count of any country, Johns Hopkins University said.

In a series of tweets, Ghebreyesus said, "Great news: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organisation-South-East Asia initiated a systematic engagement of the WHO's national polio surveillance network, and other field staff, for India's Covid-19 response, tapping into the best practices and resources that helped India win its war against polio."

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday appreciated India's collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the systematic engagement of polio surveillance network across the country to fight against coronavirus.

As many as 1,488 people have been cured and discharged, and one has migrated, the ministry said, which takes the number of active cases to 10,477.

According to the data released by the Union health ministry on Thursday, the death count due to the novel coronavirus rose to 414 while the number of positive cases reached 12,380.

Two more deaths were also reported from Indore late Wednesday night, taking the toll in the state to 55. The viral infection has now spread in 26 out of total 52 districts in the state.

With 42 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Indore, the COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 980, health officials said on Thursday.

With 19 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday, the COVID-19 tally in the district in Uttar Pradesh climbed to 167, said gra District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh.

Reports of a 60-year-old man from Patna and 35-year-old man from Vaishali, which came in late Wednesday night, were positive, according to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar.

Two more individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 72, a top official said on Thursday. The fresh cases were reported from Patna and Vaishali districts, he said.

A complete lockdown has been issued in Raipur for three days, starting from 5 pm on 16 April to 5 pm on 19 April, said the District Relations Office. Vegetable markets and shops will remain shut and only emergency services will ply.

Parcel Loaders and e-commerce companies who want to send essential commodities may avail this opportunity.

The move is aimed at quick transportation of essential services to supplement the supply chain during the lockdown in view of COVID-19.

The running of Special Parcel Train Service has been extended till Secundarabad, said the Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai, Central Railways on Thursday.

With 19 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, the total number of case rose to 279 in the state.

The death of a senior citizen in Bengaluru on Thursday took Covid-19 related fatalities to 13 in Karnataka, said the health department. " A 66-year old man infected by coronavirus dies in Bengaluru, death toll in Karnataka rises to 13, said the state health department.

According to reports, 11 cases were reported in Tonk,10 in Jodhpur, two in Jhunjhunu while one each in Bikaner and Ajmer.

The total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Rajasthan reached 1,101 after 25 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday at 9 am, said media reports.

According to think tank organisation Indian Police Foundation as of Thursday morning, 42 police / CAPF personnel have tested COVID-19 positive and more than 350 are under isolation/home quarantine.

With the help of artificial intelligence, a team of doctors then could monitor the health of patients remotely and call them back to the hospital if their condition deteriorated.

Armidale hospital in NSW began the trial on Wednesday which would allow COVID-19 patients with moderate symptoms to return home with a monitoring device to report their vital life signs.

Australia has started a trial of its first "virtual hospital" for COVID-19 patients in the State of New South Wales (NSW), a local television network reported on Wednesday, reported Xinhua news agency.

The rupee had settled at 76.44 against the US dollar on Wednesday.

The rupee opened weak at 76.75 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to hit an all-time low of 76.80, down 36 paise over its last close.

Forex traders said the weakness in the rupee was largely due to strengthening of the US Dollar against the basket of currencies as investors fled to safe haven Greenback amid weakening risk appetite in the markets.

The Indian rupee tanked 36 paise to an all-time low of 76.80 against the US dollar in opening trade on Thursday, tracking weak domestic equities and sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the country.

Nine new COVID-19 positive cases reported in Andhra Pradesh from 7 pm on Wednesday to 9 am Thursday - 3 each in Krishna, Kurnool and West Godavari districts. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 534, including 20 discharged and 14 deaths: Arja Srikanth, State Nodal Officer told ANI.

"The video was shot in a house during the lockdown period, but the crew members ensured that guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare were not violated, Colaco told PTI.

The song shown in the video has been written and composed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Edwin Colaco.

Goa Inspector General of Police Jaspal Singh on Wednesday released the video, titled 'Gharantuch tum rav' (you stay indoors), on various social media platforms.

After spreading awareness about coronavirus by singing songs out on streets, Goa Police have compiled a video, featuring local artists, to highlight the importance of staying at home for protection against the deadly disease.

"We have found that 72 houses had taken delivery from that outlet and hence everyone has been told to follow precautionary measures and be under self- quarantine," Mishra told India TV.

According to DM BM Mishra, a delivery boy from a famous pizza chain in Malviya Nagar area tested positive on Tuesday, following which the authorities immediately decided to quarantine his 16 colleagues at the outlet. A detailed trail was followed to identify each house where food was delivered by the outlet.

A pizza delivery boy has tested positive for coronavirus. The administration has asked people living in around 72 houses to stay in quarantine, District Magistrate South Delhi told ANI on Thursday.

However, it was not immediately clear which one of the two patients recovered. The Health and Family Welfare Department said that with this recovery, the total number of persons cured of COVID-19 in the state is 19.

A 67-year-old man and an 18-year-old boy from the Bisra area in Sundergarh district had tested positive for the virus and were admitted to the a hospital in Rourkela. While the elderly man had attended a religious congregation organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi's Nizamuddin last month, the teenager was infected after coming in contact with him.

A COVID-19 patient from Odishas Sundergarh district has recovered and will soon be discharged from the hospital, the state government said.

Telangana Cabinet to meet on 19 April to discuss the further course of COVID-19 lockdown extension. The cabinet will discuss if there should be a total lockdown till 3 May or should there be some restrictions eased as per Centre guidelines.

Maharashtra is the worst-hit state with nearly 3,000 cases now and 295 deaths as of Thursday. The government has identified 170 districts across the country as COVID-19 hotspots or red zones, and another 207 districts as potential hotspots, reports Indian Express.

71 new coronavirus cases were reported as of 8 am on Thursday in the state, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This brings the total reported cases of coronavirus in Gujarat to 766.

With three more people succumbing to the novel coronavirus in Gujarat, the death count in the state on Thursday climbed to 36, said a state government official.

Hans Engineering Works is manufacturing 1.5 lakh Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits in Meerut for AIIMS, Delhi. "The hospital has placed an order for 1.5 lakh PPE kits. We've supplied 80,000 so far, rest to be supplied within a week."

The total number of novel coronavirus cases in India surged past the 12,000-mark on Thursday while the death toll has climbed to 414.

At 2,916, Maharashtra has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India. Maharashtra is followed by Delhi at 1,578 and Tamil Nadu at 1,242.

The mobile kiosk developed by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences can be deployed in hotspots and clusters to procure the throat swabs according to the guidelines issued by ICMR.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa inaugurated a mobile testing kiosk for the novel coronavirus in Bengaluru on Thursday. These mobile booths will start working in all wards of the Bengaluru to take samples for COVID-19.

"Their test reports were received and of them, one tested positive for the virus in Pakpattan. Similarly six other preachers tested positive for coronavirus in Sahiwal and two others tested positive in Bahawalpur," authorities were quoted as saying in the report.

The new cases emerged on Tuesday in different districts of the Punjab province. Two weeks back, 198 Tablighi Jamaat workers were quarantined in Pakpattan and nine of them have tested positive, Dawn newspaper reported.

At least nine Tablighi Jamaat members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pakistan's Punjab province, taking the total number of infections to 6,506 in the country, according to a media report on Thursday.

The buses have been provided by Warner Bros Studios Leavesden and bus operator Golden Tours to transport key workers between West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust's three sites, reported Variety.

Branded Harry Potter buses that generally take fans to Warner Bros' The Making of Harry Potter studio tour in the UK are now being used to transport key National Health Service (NHS) workers for free between hospitals battling coronavirus.

He is admitted to a hospital in Khargone and booked for negligent act, they said. "His test report came out positive on Tuesday," district nodal medical officer Dr Anupam Atre said.

A 60-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh who attended the religious gathering of Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi during mid-March has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Thursday.

The constable, a resident of Kandivali area, was on leave as he had not been keeping well since the last few days. After he started showing symptoms of coronavirus, his test was conducted which came out positive on Wednesday, the official said.

A constable attached to Juhu police station in Mumbai has tested positive for coronavirus, an official said on Thursday. Other police personnel who came in contact with the constable will also be tested, he said.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra reached 3,081 after 165 more individuals tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, said state health department.

The virus has been slower to hit the region, but it is starting to be felt with brutal force in some parts, particularly in Ecuador, where hundreds of people have died in recent weeks, overwhelming the business hub of Guayaquil.

The measure comes as cities across Latin America are struggling to keep people off the streets, despite quarantine orders that have been in places for weeks in most countries.

Bogota, Colombias capital and largest city, joined Panama this week in instituting a gender-based virus-prevention measure designed to limit the number of people in the streets. On odd-numbered days, men can leave the house to seek out essentials. On even-numbered days, its the womens turn.

Out of the 1,578 cases, 867 people have been admitted to hospitals. 29 patients are in intensive care, five patients are currently on the ventilator and 32 patients are dead.

"In the last 24 hours, with only 17 new cases being reported and two deaths, the total number of cases rises to 1,578 of which, 1,080 cases (68.4 percent) are Markaz cases," the Delhi Health Minister told ANI.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said that over 68 percent of the COVID-19 positive cases in the National Capital is because of the Tablighi Jamaat event at the Markaz Nizamuddin.

Rahul further proposed scaling of testing and using testing strategically across the nation.

Lockdown doesn't defeat the virus, it stops the virus for some time, said Rahul Gandhi during an online press conference on Thursday. "Lockdown is like a pause button. It is in no way a solution to the virus. when we come out of lockdown, the virus will start its work again. We need to have a strategy for that. Ramp up testing abilities, prepare hospitals," he adds.

Of the 34 new cases reported since Wednesday 5 pm, 17 of them were from Belagavi, all of them had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event.

"Till date, 313 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 13 deaths and 82 discharges," the state's health department said in its morning bulletin.

The Karnataka government on Thursday said 34 people tested positive for the novel coronaviirus till noon on Thursday, marking the highest single-day rise so far in the state. It also reported death of a 66-year old man from Bengaluru, with the total death count at 13.

"To fight against COVID-19, our main force is working at the state and district levels. Success has been achieved in Wayanad, Kerala because of the effective machinery at the district level," he said.

The Congress leader also highlighted the progress report at battling COVID-19 in state and district levels.

Rahul Gandhi pushed for strategic lifting of lockdown by ramping up testing facilities. "This has to be done via testing. You need two zones - hotspot and non-hotspot. When you lock people up, the disease gets locked up. When you open the door, the disease comes out," said Rahul.

Of the 11 new cases, four were reported from Mukund Nagar, two each from Social Nagar and Rajiv Nagar, and one each from Sai Raj Nagar, Transit camp and Ramji Chawl localities of Dharavi, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said.

With 11 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Dharavi, in south Mumbai, the overall COVID-19 tally in the slum area rose to 71 on Thursday, a civic official said.

"Lockdown is not a solution, not a treatment. Therefore we must find a strategy to come out from that lockdown phase. PM's role should be to empower the states," said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use testing to create a map of India to track the virus and help states to fight it.

"Our government must be very compassionate in dealing with migrants," he said.

Stressing on the migrant labourers issue, Rahul Gandhi said "Centre needs to work on a strategy on migrant workers. If you don't solve the problem, there will be social unrest. People are starving, you have to fix it. The government has to be sensitive and respond quickly."

"No public address system to be used by the staff of mosques for offering namaz," State Minority Welfare, Waqf and Hajj Department said.

With the Centre extending the nationwide lockdown till 3 May in view the novel coronavirus, the Karnataka government on Thursday ordered that no one will be allowed to perform five-time congregational prayers in mosques during the holy month of Ramzan at the end of April.

Bringing a sigh of relief to all Class 11 and college students, Banerjee said that they would be promoted to the next class and semesters respectively, reported The Times of India.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that WBBSE Class 12 exams would be conducted in June. The higher secondary examination was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

"We thought why not do our bit by donating something that is the need of the hour - non-surgical masks. These masks are being produced at a production facility with three workers who are being completely taken care of," Masaba wrote on Instagram.

The Mumbai-based designer, who owns the label House of Masaba which has come to a halt amid lockdown like any other workplace, has launched the self-explanatory initiative ''Maskaba''.

Fashion designer Masaba Gupta on Wednesday announced that she will be producing non-surgical masks as her contribution to the country's battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

The total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu climbed to 1,267 on Thursday after 25 more individuals tested positive for COVID-19, said chief minister K Palaniswami.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma also tweeted: "I am deeply saddened to inform that the first COVID-19 positive patient in Meghalaya passed away this morning at 2.45 am. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace."

Sampath Kumar, commissioner and secretary of Meghalayas Health Department has also confirmed the news of the passing away of the patient.

Meghalayas first COVID-19 patient, a 69 year old doctor, passed away on Wednesday morning. He breathed his last at around 2:45 am.

Electronic items like the mobile phones, TVs, laptops will be available on the e-commerce platforms from April 20, the official said.

The clarification from a senior home ministry official came a day after Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued revised guidelines for the extended lockdown period till May 3.

Mobile phones, televisions, refrigerators, laptops and stationary items will be allowed to be sold through e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal from April 20 during the lockdown, officials said on Thursday.

They are further sent to home quarantine for 14 days

Three COVID-19 positive patients who were being treated at the Goalpara Civil Hospital, Assam, have been discharged on Thursday after they tested negative in two successive tests, said Himanta Biswa Sarma.

It may be recalled that the Tamil Nadu government has directed companies and the district administration to ensure migrant workers were not stranded and were taken care of in view of coronavirus pandemic.

Over 600 migrant workers employed by concrete equipment manufacturer Schwing Stetter India in Tamil Nadu were provided accommodation, food and shelter following the lockdown, according to a top official.

At a meeting via video conferencing, Naqvi asked the state waqf boards officials to create awareness among people to offer prayers and perform other religious rituals like iftar (breaking of fast) during Ramzan, which begins on 24-25 April, staying inside their homes.

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday directed state waqf boards to ensure strict implementation of lockdown and social distancing guidelines during Ramzan starting next week amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday said it is deliberating upon forming a set of guidelines on refunds for flight ticket cancellations due to coronavirus lockdown.

After several people complained on social media, senior officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation and CEOs of Indian airlines companies met on Wednesday afternoon on the issue of cancellation refunds during the coronavirus lockdown period.

With the nationwide lockdown extended till 3 May, domestic airlines have again decided not to refund customers in cash for their cancelled flights and instead have offered them rescheduling of tickets for a later date without any additional fee.

Officials said all the children contracted the virus from family members who attended the Tablighi Jamaat meeting at Delhis Nizamuddin in March. "The jamaat returnees were unaware that they were infected, and inadvertently passed it on to their family members, among them are several children," an official said.

As many as 40 children in the age group of 3 to 17 years have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh. They are among the 475 active cases under treatment at various COVID-19 centres in the state, as on 15 April, The Indian Express reported.

"The areas that are not hotspots or containment zones, certain permissions may be given from April 20, 2020," Punya Srivastava, Joint Secretary, MHA told News18.

Joint Secretary, Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said on Thursday that the confirmed COVID-19 cases in India jumped by 941 in the last 24 hours, while 37 patients succumbed to the disease in the same time period. Overall, India has 12,456 cases and 423 deaths since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

An action plan has been prepared on strengthening our ongoing surveillance utilizing the services of WHO national polio surveillance network team.

Health Minister and MoS Health held a video conference yesterday, with health functionaries and field officers of the World Health Organisation (WHO), in which micro-plan for clusters and outbreak containment of COVID-19 at district-level was discussed.

MHA is monitoring on daily basis incidents of violation of lockdown guidelines including congregation of people and opening of shops and establishments. Instances of violence against health workers engaged in surveillance and quarantine measures etc are also being ascertained. The Ministry of Home Affairs would take action under the Disaster Management Act against officers found responsible for such violations.

The Union health ministry said that the total cases of coronavirus in the country rose to 12,759 on Thursday, iincluding 10,824 active cases, 1,514 cured/discharged/migrated and 420 deaths.

"In some places, it is even more than 10 percent. The discharging/cure rate is also very high in Kerala because of our systematic work. We evaluate every thing every day," she said.

Kerala health minister KK Shailaja said that the mortality rate due to coronavirus in the state is below 0.5 percent "whereas it's more than 5 percent in the world."

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that sweet shops in the state will be allowed to operate for 8 hours, from 8 am to 4 pm everyday. Earlier, the state government had allowed them to remain open for 4 hours from 12 noon to 4 pm everyday.

The Punjab health department said that 11 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state on Thursday, of which nine have contact history and two have a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI). The total coronavirus cases in the state rose to 197, including 29 cured and 14 deaths.

Today 12 new cases of coronavirus were detected in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar. With this, the city's tally has risen to 92. The official said that out of the 92 cases so far, 26 corona-infected patients have been cured and 66 are still undergoing treatment.

Seven fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported from Kerala on Thursday, taking the total number of active cases to 147 in the state,even as over 88,000 people are under observation. On Wednesday, only one positive case had been reported, the lowest in weeks.

At least 6.5 lakh rapid antibody testing kits and RNA extraction kits imported from China by the Central government are arriving to the country for Covid-19 patients on Thursday, ICMR officials said during a media interaction.

The Bihar government said that six new coronavirus cases were reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 80. All six positive cases are family members of the person from Munger who tested positive on Wednesday, the statement said.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "I have given orders to investigate how does it spread among so many health officials. Necessary action will be taken after investigation completes."

Bhopal district collector Tarun Pithode said that more than 90 officials from the health department and 20 from police department have tested positive for COVID-19 in the district till date.

The Delhi government on Thursday said that no new coronavirus case has been reported in the last 15 days here from the two hotspots in the National Capital  Vasundhara Enclave and Khichripur  which were sealed on 31 March as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the virus.

"That's a new trend, new disease new infection, we're still trying to understand nature of infection. Line of treatment/protocol remains same. We're following the advice by ICMR," the statement said.

Andhra Pradesh special chief secretary said that there are some COVID-19 patients who are below 11 years of age in the state.

The Gujarat health department said thay 58 more COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Thursday. The total number of coronavirus cases in the state is at 929, including 73 recovered/discharged and 36 deaths related to the virus.

"Out of the seven deaths today, five were men and two were women. Four of them aged over 60 years and three were from the age group of 40 to 60 years. Six out of these seven patients had high-risk co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease," the statement said.

300 patients have been discharged from hospitals in the state, including five on Thursday.

The Maharashtra health department said that 286 more COVID-19 cases and seven deaths (four in Pune and three in Mumbai) were reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 3,202 and the toll to 194.

ICMR on Thursday said that so far, 23 antibody-based rapid tests have been validated at ICMR-NIV Pune, and a list has been prepared of the ones that were found to be satisfactory. Nine of these kits are manufactured in India.

The Tamil Nadu government said that 25 more COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Thursday. The total number of coronavirus cases in the state is now at 1,267, including 180 discharged and 15 deaths.

The list of 'containment zones' in Delhi on Thursday rose to 60 with the areas of Street no 6, A block, Abu Fazal enclave, Shaheen Bagh and Street nos 3-5, East Ram Nagar, Shahdara included in the list.

The Himachal Pradesh government said that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 35, including 12 discharged patients and one death.

The UK officials on Thursday extended the lockdown as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus for 'at least next three weeks', AFP reported.

A total of 55 people in Rajasthan, including 23 from Bharatpur, 11 from Tonk, 11 from Jodhpur and three from Jaipur tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Thursday. The total number of positive cases in the state is 1,131.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the 'Odd-Even' system for vehicles will be implemented in the state after 20 April in districts with partial restrictions. Also, concession will be given to vehicles driven by women.

The Delhi health department said that 62 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths were reported in the National Capital in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 1,640.

The Bihar health department on Thursday said that three more people, including a 6-month-old baby, who are family members/contacts of an earlier positive case in Munger, have been tested positive for COVID-19. The total number of positive cases in Bihar rose to 83.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said that two more people tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.He said that both are family members of the first patient in the state.

Reports said that so far, 23 police personnel in Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus.

The Delhi Police said that an ASI officer posted with the security unit has been tested positive for COVID-19. He had a history of exposure while on duty on 5 April. Currently, he is asymptomatic and is in home isolation. His wife is also asymptomatic.

The toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the 'new normal'.

A total of 55 people in Rajasthan, including 23 from Bharatpur, 11 from Tonk, 11 from Jodhpur and three from Jaipur tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Thursday. The total number of positive cases in the state is 1,131.

A total of 3,02,956 samples from 2,86,714 individuals have been tested as on 16 April, 9 pm, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the 'Odd-Even' system for vehicles will be implemented in the state after 20 April in districts with partial restrictions. Also, concession will be given to vehicles driven by women.

The Delhi health department said that 62 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths were reported in the National Capital in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 1,640.

The Bihar health department on Thursday said that three more people, including a 6-month-old baby, who are family members/contacts of an earlier positive case in Munger, have been tested positive for COVID-19. The total number of positive cases in Bihar rose to 83.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said that two more people tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.He said that both are family members of the first patient in the state.

Reports said that so far, 23 police personnel in Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus.

The Delhi Police said that an ASI officer posted with the security unit has been tested positive for COVID-19. He had a history of exposure while on duty on 5 April. Currently, he is asymptomatic and is in home isolation. His wife is also asymptomatic.

The toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the 'new normal'.

AFP reported that the lockdown over coronavirus in New York was extended till 15 May on THursday.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The Delhi government on Thursday said that no new coronavirus case has been reported in the last 15 days here from the two hotspots in the National Capital  Vasundhara Enclave and Khichripur  which were sealed on 31 March as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the virus.

India's total number of coronavirus positive cases rises to 12,759 (including 10,824 active cases, 1514 cured/discharged/migrated and 420 deaths.

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to invoke the stringent National Security Act against those attacking policemen, health and sanitation workers involved in the fight against coronavirus.

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been postponed 'until further notice' on Thursday. The league was scheduled to begin on 29 March but was postponed till 15 April in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak that has halted all sporting activities all around the world.

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday directed state waqf boards to ensure strict implementation of lockdown and social distancing guidelines during Ramzan starting next week amid the coronavirus pandemic.

At a meeting via video conferencing, Naqvi asked the state waqf boards officials to create awareness among people to offer prayers and perform other religious rituals like iftar (breaking of fast) during Ramzan, which begins on 24-25 April, staying inside their homes.

Meghalayas first COVID-19 patient, a 69 year old doctor, passed away on Wednesday morning. He breathed his last at around 2.45 am.

Sampath Kumar, commissioner and secretary of Meghalayas Health Department has also confirmed the news of the passing away of the patient.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma also tweeted: "I am deeply saddened to inform that the first COVID-19 positive patient in Meghalaya passed away this morning at 2.45 am. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace."

With 11 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Dharavi, in south Mumbai, the overall COVID-19 tally in the slum area rose to 71 on Thursday, a civic official said.

Stressing on the migrant labourers issue, Rahul Gandhi said "Centre needs to work on a strategy on migrant workers. If you don't solve the problem, there will be social unrest. People are starving, you have to fix it. The government has to be sensitive and respond quickly."

"Our government must be very compassionate in dealing with migrants," he said.

Lockdown doesn't defeat the virus, it stops the virus for some time, said Rahul Gandhi during an online press conference on Thursday. "Lockdown is like a pause button. It is in no way a solution to the virus. when we come out of lockdown, the virus will start its work again. We need to have a strategy for that. Ramp up testing abilities, prepare hospitals," he adds.

Rahul further proposed scaling of testing and using testing strategically across the nation.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra reached 3,081 after 165 more individuals tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, said state health department.

Mumbai reported 107 positive coronavirus cases, said the health department.

105 new coronavirus cases were reported on Thursday in Gujarat, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This brings the total reported cases of coronavirus in the state to 871.

The death of a senior citizen in Bengaluru on Thursday took Covid-19 related fatalities to 13 in Karnataka, said the health department. " A 66-year old man infected by coronavirus dies in Bengaluru, death toll in Karnataka rises to 13, said the state health department.

With 19 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, the total number of case rose to 279 in the state.

According to the data released by the Union health ministry on Thursday, the death count due to the novel coronavirus rose to 414 while the number of positive cases reached 12,380.

As many as 1,488 people have been cured and discharged, and one has migrated, the ministry said, which takes the number of active cases to 10,477.

The Delhi government on Wednesday decided to use the plasma enrichment technique to treat severely-ill coronavirus patients on a trial basis as the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the National Capital reached 1,578.

The clinical trial of the plasma enrichment technique will be conducted at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), according to an official.

The police have arrested a total of 11 persons including a journalist with regard to the crowd of migrant labourers which gathered in suburban Bandra on Tuesday, officials said.

The police have registered three cases in connection with the incident so far.

In the first case, registered against the mob of around 800 to 1,000 persons for unlawful assembly, rioting, violation of prohibitory orders during the lockdown, nine persons were arrested on Wednesday.

The Centre on Wednesday issued guidelines for conditional relaxations in many sectors of the economy from 20 April, even as the country registered over 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day.

The Union health ministry said that the Centre would classify all districts into three categories, based on the number of cases reported. It also said that 170 districts across the country have been marked as COVID-19 hotspots while 207 districts had been identified as potential hotspots.

1,118 new cases, 39 deaths recorded in 24 hours

According to the data released by the Union health ministry at 5 pm, the toll due to coronavirus rose to 392 with 39 fatalities reported since Tuesday evening, while the number of cases saw a jump of 1,118 to go up to 11,933 on Wednesday. As many as 1,343 people have been cured and discharged, and one has migrated, the ministry said, which takes the number of active cases to 10,197. The single-day highest increase of 1,463 cases was recorded on Tuesday.

According to the Union health ministry, the highest number of cases was recorded in Maharahstra (2,687) followed by Delhi (1,561 cases).

However, a PTI tally said the number of COVID-19 infections went past the 12,000 mark while the death toll crossed 400.

In Maharashtra, the coronavirus positive cases continued to spike with 232 more infections detected on Wednesday, while the death toll went up by nine to 187, PTI quoted a health official as saying. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state now stands at 2,916, with Mumbai alone accounting for 1, 896 cases and 114 deaths.

Neighbouring Gujarat reported 127 new infections and five deaths taking the state tally to 766. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani went into self-quarantine after a MLA who had attended a meeting with him tested positive. The CMO said that he was in good health and would continue working through video conferences.

In Delhi, 17 more persons tested positive for the virus, taking the count to 1,578 while the toll rose to 32.

17 new positive cases & 2 deaths reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases in the national capital now stands at 1578 (including 1080 positive cases - under Special Operations). Total death toll stands at 32: Government of Delhi #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/9VzGuHlqJG  ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2020

New infections were also reported in other states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh while a policeman was among 12 new patients in West Bengal.

Data obtained from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that till 14 April the number of samples tested stood at 2,44,893, an increase of 27,339 from the corresponding figure till the previous day (2,17,554).

Health ministry identifies 170 districts as COVID-19 hotspots

The Union Health Ministry said it has identified 170 districts as COVID-19 hotspots and 207 districts as potential hotspots, reiterating yet again there has been no community transmission of the disease in the country so far.

Addressing the daily briefing, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Union health ministry , said states have been asked to classify districts which have reported a higher number of cases as hotspots, the districts where cases have been reported as non-hotspots, and green zones where no cases have been reported.

"Hotspots are those districts which are reporting more number of cases or where the rate of growth of COVID-19 cases is high," Agarwal said, adding a detailed direction has been issued to states stating consolidated efforts are required to utilise this period of lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba held a video conference with all chief secretaries, DGPs, health secretaries, collectors, SPs, municipal commissioners and CMOs where hotspots were discussed and orientation on field level implementation of containment strategy was given.

"They were told about large outbreak containment strategies, cluster containment strategies. Delineation of buffer and containment zone, parameter mapping, defining of entry and exit point were also discussed in detail," Agarwal said.

Meanwhile, Dr R Gangakhedkar of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that 73 private labs had been approved, and 22 private labs were currently conducting tests for coronavirus.

On being asked whether research had confirmed whether the COVID-19 strain had infected humans from bats, he said, "As per research in China, it was found that coronavirus might have originated due to mutation in bats. Bats might have transmitted it to pangolins, from pangolins it got transmitted to humans."

He added, "We also conducted surveillance, in which we found that there are two types of bats, and they carried coronavirus which was not capable of affecting humans. It's rare, maybe once in 1,000 years that it gets transmitted from bats to humans."

MHA issues guidelines for relaxations in several sectors

With the second phase of the national lockdown coming into force, the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) unveiled the consolidated revised guidelines' according to which restrictions will be lifted in various sectors including Agriculture, construction, Information Technology, industrial units in the SEZs and rural areas from 20 April till 3 May.

The permitted activities from 20 April are aimed at ensuring agricultural and related activities remain fully functional, rural economy functions with maximum efficiency, employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of labour force, select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols and digital economy, the MHA said.

The exemptions given will not be applicable in COVID-19 hotspots/ containment zones and the State/UT governments shall not dilute guidelines in any manner but may impose stricter measures as per local requirements, according to the MHA.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla emphasised on the need to follow social distancing norms and said that the relaxations will be withdrawn if there is any violation of norms for the lockdown that ends on 3 May. The home ministry also issued strict guidelines prohibiting public activities and making spitting a public offence under the Disaster Management Act. Any violation may result in imprisonment of up to one year or a fine, or both.

According to the guidelines, industrial activities and hospitality services, taxis and auto and cycle rickshaws and social, political, academic, entertainment and religious gatherings will not be allowed. No more than 20 people will be allowed to be present at funerals and people will be allowed to move between districts and states only if they are medical or other identified workers.

All health services, including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, chemists, AYUSH practitioners will remain open. Pharmaceutical and medical research labs carrying out COVID-19-related research can also be functional. Veterinary hospitals, clinics, labs and medicine suppliers can also conduct business. Farmers and farm workers have been allowed to work on field and the mandis operated by the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), manufacture and sale of fertilisers and seeds and movement of farm equipment have also been permitted. The guidelines stated that grocery stores, fruits, vegetables shops/ carts, milk booths, poultry, meat and fish shop will remain open during the lockdown. Courier services will also be permitted, irrespective or essential or non-essential. Wearing masks in public and at workplaces will remain mandatory.

Migrant workers in Surat take to streets for second consecutive day

Hundreds of migrant workers stranded in Gujarat due to the lockdown gathered on the streets in Surat's Ved Road area for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, officials said. "While one group of workers demanded that food be served near their houses, others wanted the serving point closer to them. These workers also complained that the food being served to them was tasteless. Luckily, police resolved the matter in time and dispersed these workers" said Assistant Commissioner of Police DJ Chavda.

On Tuesday, hundreds of migrant workers had come out on roads in Surat and in Mumbai, demanding that they be allowed to go to their native states. In Maharashtra, a journalist with a television channel was arrested in connection with the protests in Bandra the previous day. Police said he was booked for a report on the resumption of special trains for those stranded due to the lockdown. A Navi Mumbai resident was also arrested in connection to the protests, over social media posts which allegedly called for a protests if trains were not arranged for migrant workers.

Trump withdraws funding to WHO

US President Donald Trump halted funding to the World Health Organisation, hitting out at the organisation for promoting China's disinformation about the virus and "failing in its basic duty" of containing the spread of the outbreak. Later in the day, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he regretted Trumps decision to pull funding for the agency and called for world unity to fight the new coronavirus pandemic.

With inputs from agencies
Advertisement

North America's Great Lakes are a recreational mecca, offering all manner of watersports and scenic cruises.

They're also a gigantic graveyard  of shipwrecks, with these mesmerising, haunting photographs showing some of the 6,000 or so that lie in lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario, which collectively cover an area larger than the entire UK and Ireland put together.

Over 30,000 mariners lives have been lost on these colossal bodies of water.

Lake Huron - the fifth-largest freshwater lake in the world - stretches from the state of Michigan in the US over the border into Ontario, Canada. This wreck, near Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, can be clearly seen through the crystal-clear waters

The wreck, which lies in the Fathom Five National Marine Park, is popular with divers and snorkellers

A shipwreck in Lake Michigan. The ship was called The City Of Boston and it wrecked in front of the Green Point Dunes south of Frankfort, Michigan, on November 20, 1873

In these pictures the lakes look invitingly placid, but would-be sailors should note that they are prone to sudden and savage storms, and harbour hidden reefs and rocks.

Remarkably, hundreds of shipwrecks remain undiscovered, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

It says: 'Shipwrecks are true time capsules that not only provoke our imagination  shipwrecks contain real artifacts from another time, unexpectedly snatched from the surface world by the forces of nature.

'No one, at the time of a shipwreck, had time to prepare it for future discovery.'

Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario collectively cover an area larger than the entire UK and Ireland put together. Pictured is a 'shipwreck' in Jordan Harbour in Lake Ontario. This one, though, is a wreck because it was set on fire in 2003 by arsonists - and is now a popular local landmark. The ship dates back to 1914 and was cued up by a businessman in 1997 to become a restaurant or casino, but he passed away before his plan was realised

The wreck of the SS Francisco Morazan by South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan

The abandoned SS Ridgetown in Port Credit, Lake Ontario, the smallest of the Great Lakes. She was scuttled in 1974 to form a breakwater

Some areas contain high concentrations of wrecks, these include Lake Superior's 'Shipwreck Coast', which the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum describes as a 'treacherous stretch of shoreline with no safe harbor between Munising, Michigan, and Whitefish Point'. The famous Edmund Fitzgerald lies just 15 miles to the northwest of Whitefish Point, it adds.

Fathom Five National Marine Park in the Canadian side of Lake Huron, meanwhile, contains over 20 historical wrecks, most of which can be explored by snorkellers and divers.

And the 448-square-mile Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in the American side of Huron is home to over 70 wrecks, earning it the nickname Shipwreck Alley.

A shipwreck on a remote Lake Superior beach. This lake is the biggest of the Great Lakes - and the second-largest lake in the world at 31,700 square miles

A submerged shipwreck in Lake Superior's Alger Underwater Preserve recreational area

An old shipwreck on the shores of Lake Superior, which is over 1,300ft deep in places

Divers can safely examine many of the wrecks, which lie in water between five and 250 feet deep.

It's also possible to see them without getting wet  thanks to glass-bottom boat tours.

The most infamous night of terror from Lake Huron's maritime history came in 1913, when a great storm - nicknamed The Big Blow - sank 10 ships in one fateful night, and drove 20 more ashore.

The rusting wreck of the Niagara Scow upstream of the famous falls, enveloped by rapids. The boat brought two men unnervingly close to the edge of the falls in 1918

This image shows just how close the Niagara Scow came to the edge of the falls. It can be seen here on the right of the image

A wreck on a rocky stretch of Lake Huron coast, on the Michigan side

The storm raged for 16 hours and killed 235 seamen.

As recently as 2017, maritime archaeologists found two shipwrecks more than a century old on the Michigan side of the lake.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary officials said they had confirmed the identities of the wooden freighter Ohio and steel-hulled steamer Choctaw.

A map of the diveable wrecks in Canada's amazing Fathom Five National Marine Park

The Great Storm of 1913 - or The Big Blow as it's nicknamed - accounted for 10 sunk ships in one night on Lake Huron (pictured)

The Ohio sunk in 1894 and the Choctaw in 1915, both in collisions with other vessels. All crew members were rescued from both, but five died from the Ironton, one of the vessels involved in the collision with the Ohio. That schooner is yet to be found.

After the discoveries, Jeff Gray, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary's superintendent, said: 'These remarkable discoveries remind us that the mystery is still out there  there are still shipwrecks to find, our team is excited to further document Ohio and Choctaw, and tell their stories. We'll keep looking for other wrecks and working to ensure that these treasures are preserved for future generations.'

Charles P. Labadie, a maritime historian, commented: 'Ohio and Choctaw are remarkable examples of two very significant Great Lakes watercraft, and both are beautifully preserved. Virtually all of their rigging and deck hardware is intact, and there is clear evidence of the accidents that claimed both vessels.'

And only last year, the 'elusive' wreck of a 231ft freight vessel called The Russia was found in Lake Huron. It was lost during a storm in 1909.

Of course, not all the wrecks on the lakes are the result of tragic accidents. For example in Port Credit, Lake Ontario, lies the abandoned SS Ridgetown, scuttled in 1974 to form a breakwater.

You'll no doubt agree, having digested all this, that when travel restrictions are lifted, the Great Lakes will make for a wonderful place to be submerged in history.
Ashley Amon, 33, and her daughters Alysha, 2, and Alexandria, 4, attend a drive-in Easter service in Santa Ana. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County's new requirement on wearing face coverings went into effect Wednesday night. Here's a look at how that new law works, as well as similar orders around California.





How does L.A. County's face-covering order work?

Customers of essential businesses are required to wear a face covering while inside.

Also, employers of essential businesses must give all employees whose duties require contact with other people a cloth face covering to wear while working with other people.





Do I have to wear it while in the backyard or walking alone outside?

The L.A. County order, effective for all 10 million people who live in Los Angeles County, does not require mask-wearing while in the backyard or while on a solitary run or walk.

Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said wearing face coverings protects other people from your germs in case you're infected and don't realize it.

She suggested wearing the face covering while you're in places with other people, such as on a bus or a train while making an essential trip.

"If you're all by yourself ... you can put it on if you want to, but you're not required to," Ferrer said.

People who live together also are not required to wear masks while on a walk or a jog, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

The cities of Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own health departments, issued similar orders to be consistent with L.A. County's order. A similar order for the city of Los Angeles, with a population of 4 million people, went into effect Friday.

Have some cities issued even stronger face-covering rules?

Beverly Hills and Glendale require face coverings whenever people leave home, including for walks through the neighborhood.

Under the order, drivers traveling alone or with members of their households do not need to wear face coverings unless they lower their vehicles windows for any reason, including to interact with first responders, food service workers or others who are not members of their household.





Story continues

What about other counties in Southern California?

San Diego County requires employees who may have contact with the public to wear a cloth face covering, such as in grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, gas stations and banks, as well as on public transit and for childcare providers while serving food.

Orange County is strongly encouraging residents to wear face coverings when leaving home, as well as employees at essential businesses while working. The city of Costa Mesa, however, is generally making face coverings mandatory when residents or visitors are outside their home or personal vehicle while performing or accessing an essential service.

Riverside County requires everyone to wear a face covering when leaving home.

San Bernardino County requires everyone to wear a face covering when outside the home for essential activities.

Ventura County is urging residents to wear a face covering if they will be around others.

What about the San Francisco Bay Area?





San Francisco Bay Area counties, San FranciscoAlamedaContra CostaSan Mateo

Sonoma County is requiring people to wear face coverings before entering any indoor facility outside their home, such as grocery stores, dry cleaners, offices and post offices; in any enclosed open space, like construction sites; in taxis, ride-hail vehicles and buses; and in outdoor areas when people are unable to keep six feet away from others at all times, such as farmers markets, gas stations and drive-thrus.

Santa Clara County is urging people to wear face masks in public.

What do state and federal authorities say?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings such as grocery stores and pharmacies, where it can be hard to keep six feet away from other people.

The California Department of Public Health says wearing face coverings may reduce asymptomatic transmission of the virus and reinforce physical distancing.

"There is limited evidence to suggest that use of cloth face coverings by the public during a pandemic could help reduce disease transmission," the agency said. "Their primary role is to reduce the release of infectious particles into the air when someone speaks, coughs or sneezes, including someone who has COVID-19 but feels well.

"Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for physical distancing and washing hands and staying home when ill, but they may be helpful when combined with these primary interventions," the agency said.

What kinds of face coverings are acceptable?

Bandannas, fabric masks and neck gaiters are permitted. Officials are urging residents to reserve medical-grade masks and N95 respirators for medical professionals and first responders.

How should I care for my face covering?

Here's some advice by California health officials:
China reveals its most advanced nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-41, at the National Day parade in Beijing on October 1, 2019. Photo: Fan Lingzhi/GT

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday rubbished the US' accusation that China may have secretly conducted nuclear tests, and a Chinese nuclear disarmament expert said the groundless accusation is a US attempt to push China into a Western countries-led nuclear treaty while also diverting domestic pressures caused by the novel coronavirus.

The Chinese statements came after the US State Department on Wednesday released the Executive Summary of 2020 Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments, which claimed that China may have secretly conducted low-level nuclear test blasts at the Lop Nur nuclear weapons test site throughout 2019.

The report did not provide evidence for what it claimed to be "zero yield" nuclear test blasts, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The US' accusation is completely groundless, fictitious and not even worth refuting, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference held on Thursday.

Zhao said that China had been among the first countries to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and China always supported the aim and purpose of the treaty, kept its promise of suspending nuclear tests, and made important contributions to the work of the treaty's Preparatory Commission.

Zhao noted that the technical secretariat of the Preparatory Commission had given full affirmation to the data transmission work of observation stations in China.

The US side ignored facts and made groundless speculation, and its accusation against China is irresponsible and reflects ulterior motives, Zhao said.

Citing the US State Department report, the Wall Street Journal claimed on Wednesday that China had used special chambers to contain explosions, and that data transmissions from monitoring stations that were designed to detect radioactive emissions and seismic tremors recorded interruptions in past years, and a satellite photo taken on March 29 of Lop Nur showed cement truck activity.

Yang Chengjun, a Chinese expert on missile technology and nuclear strategy, told the Global Times on Thursday that the Lop Nur test site was built in the early 1960s, and more than half a century had passed, so it is normal that there would be construction machinery undertaking maintenance work.

No special chamber could completely seal off a nuclear test blast, and radioactive materials are bound to leak to some extent and cause local earthquakes, Yang said, noting that China did not undertake any "coverups" of observation data, and the data transmission interruption could have been caused by system upgrades.

The US should reflect on itself in terms of arms control and in the nonproliferation field, as it had prioritized its own interests by quitting multiple related treaties and going against the trend of the times, Zhao said.

"Quitting the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, withdrawing from the signing of the Arms Trade Treaty, obstructing negotiations for a protocol with a verification regime of the Biological Weapons Convention, having still not disposed of all stockpiles of chemical weapons, enhancing military power in all aspects  the US has seriously sabotaged the global strategic balance and stability, hindered international arms control and disarmament, and drawn general condemnation from the international community. It has no right to see itself as a referee or judge," Zhao said.

Yang said that the US has been trying to tie China down in a Western countries-led nuclear arms control arrangement, but China should not participate because the US possesses far more nuclear weapons than China, and the US has never stopped developing nuclear weapons.

By asking China to join the arrangement and seeing China refuse to do so, the US is also hoping to gain a public opinion advantage for itself to further make tactical, low-yield nuclear weapons, which the US has already developed and deployed on its missiles, Yang said.

Hyping groundless speculation about China conducting nuclear tests could also be an attempt to shift domestic focus, as the US is under huge pressure from the COVID-19 epidemic with more than 630,000 Americans infected, Yang said.
Its time for the U.S. Forest Service to put a stop to the state of Idahos relentless quest to kill as many wolves as it can on our public lands in Idaho, including in wildernesses.

Since being stripped of Endangered Species Act protections and having their management turned over to the states, thousands of gray wolves have been needlessly killed on public lands and wilderness areas across Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. But Idahos Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is carrying out its war on wolves to a grotesque extreme.

Witness IDFGs recent boasting  in a news release, no less  that using low-flying aerial gunships it chased down 17 wolves and executed them in the Lolo-Clearwater country adjacent to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

But thats only the latest in a long string of such actions taken by the state. And heres the thing: on national forests  federal lands that belong to all of us  IDFG cant do this on its own, it needs partners. In this case, Idahos extermination efforts are being aided or abetted by the Forest Service (FS). Consider this.

In 2013, IDFG hired a professional trapper to wipe out as many wolves as possible in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (RONRW). Incredibly, the FS regional forester in Ogden, Utah, went along with this plan, giving the trapper use of a Forest Service cabin for his base. Wilderness Watch and other conservation groups filed a lawsuit and, as a result, Idaho pulled the trapper from the wilderness before the courts could rule, but not before he killed nearly a dozen wolves.

But that isnt the end of the story. IDFG has a plan to eliminate 60% of wolves in the heart of the RONRW, and it devised an unlawful helicopter-assisted elk-collaring project to initiate it. The plan was simple, though not straightforward. Use helicopters to capture and collar elk, document that wolves killed some elk, then use that info to justify killing wolves. The Forest Service should have said "no," but instead the regional forester in Ogden again played lackey to IDFG and authorized their plan.

Thanks to another lawsuit by Wilderness Watch and our allies, a federal judge saw what the Forest Service apparently couldnt  that the project violated the Wilderness Act. But before IDFG could be stopped in court, it had collared the elk plus four wolves it wasnt authorized to target.

Then theres the case of aerial gunning mentioned above. Its the eighth time in the last nine years that IDFGs helicopter-riding gunners have attempted to wipe out wolves in a large part of the Clearwater National Forest. The FS regional forester in Missoula could intervene, but like her predecessors she just turns a blind eye to the plight of the wolves and the wild ecosystems where they live.

Still not satisfied in its blood lust, Idaho in 2020 has lengthened all of its wolf hunting and trapping seasons in Wildernesses and other national forest lands, and it increased wolf-killing quotas to an obscene 30 wolves per hunter and trapper yearly. Again, Forest Service officials sit idly by, despite having the responsibility to protect the wilderness character of the regions wildernesses and despite having the authority to intervene.

Why does Idaho have such a maniacal obsession with killing wolves? Because wolves have the audacity to eat elk that IDFG believes exist only for elk hunters. Never mind the ecological and moral bankruptcy of that mindset, its not likely to change without intervention.

Lets be crystal clear: By not standing up to IDFG, the Forest Service is complicit in the ongoing slaughter of wolves within federal Wildernesses and national forests across the state.

The Forest Service has the authority to stop IDFGs attempts to exterminate wolves on our national forests, and its long past time it did.

George Nickas is the executive director of Wilderness Watch, a national conservation organization based in Missoula.

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Kyrgyzstan admitted Thursday its medical staff face a "huge threat" from COVID-19, with infections within the medical community accounting for almost 20 percent of the Central Asian country's total

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2020 ) :Kyrgyzstan admitted Thursday its medical staff face a "huge threat" from COVID-19, with infections within the medical community accounting for almost 20 percent of the Central Asian country's total.

A health ministry spokesperson said that a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) had contributed to the coronavirus infecting about a third of epidemiological staff in the country and more than a hundred medics in all.

"Mostly medics are using disposable masks instead of proper respirator masks," ministry representative Elena Bayalinova told AFP by telephone.

"Doctors have not been trained, especially in the regions. Nurses and hospital kitchen workers did not have the necessary skills -- they did not know how to properly remove protective suits," Bayalinova said.

"The country was not ready for the epidemic. It took us by surprise."World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week that health-worker infection rates of more than 10 percent in some countries' totals represented "an alarming trend".
We were impressed by TriageLogics ability to quickly deploy a COVID-19 hotline and adapt it to the higher than expected call demand. The automated process has really saved us money and time.

TriageLogic, LLC is working with National Diagnostic Services, Inc. to provide a COVID-19 hotline in New Jersey. Implementing emergency support solutions like TriageLogics 24/7 hotline provides Governor Phil Murphy and his administration the tools they need to help burdened hospitals and identify patients who need further care. TriageLogic has provided New Jersey with operators to screen callers and an option for automated screening using CDC based guidelines and connects them to an NDS physician if further testing and treatment is needed.

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, cities, counties, and states like New Jersey have realized that changes must be made to accommodate the influx of patients that doctors and hospitals are seeing. In light of the challenges that the Coronavirus brings, many healthcare organizations have set up COVID-19 hotlines. These hotlines answer general questions and screen patients to either direct them to the care they need or reassure them that its safe to stay home. TriageLogic is helping these hotlines by screening patients with a fully automated system and sending information about the patients to providers when a further medical visit is appropriate.

The Benefits:

Balancing workloads and optimizing time management for doctors and nurses at a time like this is vital for an effective community response. TriageLogic understands that parsing or deciphering between sick patients and those who just need reassurance is a big part of navigating this pandemic successfully. Because of this, they are working with cities, counties and states to screen patients based on established guidelines with trained, non-nurse staff or with a fully-automated system.

Its no secret that many people today prefer to use their mobile phones or computers instead of placing a phone call. TriageLogic strives to make screening and sending information highly accessible and easy to use. In addition to being user friendly, their fully or partly automated phone lines save countless man-hours and cuts costs. TriageLogic has seen call volume skyrocket since the onset of the Coronavirus, overwhelming call centers and multiplying phone line costs.

With so many callers, calls cannot be taken in real time and caller information is delayed in getting to health care providers. TriageLogics remote patient communication system ensures that pertinent information is being collected and relayed to the proper caregiver in a timely manner. The automated system that TriageLogic has implemented avoids these extra costs and collects more of the patient information that providers would need to follow up, all while maintaining social distancing.

How it works:

1. TriageLogic sets up a custom screening process in conjunction with the medical director of the organization. The screening process is client-specific and customizable.

2. TriageLogic then builds a custom screening tool based on the states or municipalitys requirements. Users come to a website and access a link - or can call a hotline number to speak to an agent if they prefer.

3. The patient information as well as the results of their screening is capture in a HIPPA compliant system.

4. Users are sent information based on their questions. The users who need further care have their information sent to the appropriate for follow-up.

5. Patients who show symptoms of COVID-19 and need testing will have a visit with a telehealth doctor - of the state or municipality's choosing - to be evaluated further or to get a prescription for testing if indicated.

TriageLogic uses triage protocol and demographic data in compilation with a client-specific algorithm that separates different kinds of patients and funnels them through the correct channels to an appropriate provider. The process is concise, saving healthcare organizations the most valuable resource of all: time.

We were impressed by TriageLogics ability to quickly deploy a COVID-19 hotline and adapt it to the higher than expected call demand. The automated process has really saved us money and time.  National Diagnostic Services, Inc

Making this careful triage easily available to its citizens helps states like New Jersey manage the incursion of sick patients they are likely to see or have already seen. TriageLogic can help support communities by offering the same remote systems that New Jersey has implemented with our help. TriageLogic is ready to provide its easy-to-implement solutions to states, counties, or cities to help address the COVID-19 pandemic.

About TriageLogic

TriageLogic is a URAC-accredited, physician-led provider of top-quality nurse telehealth technology, mobile applications, and medical call center solutions, all with the purpose of encouraging positive patient behavior and improving access to healthcare. Founded in 2006, the TriageLogic Group now serves more than 9,000 physicians and covers over 20 million lives nationwide. They continue to partner with private practices, hospitals, and corporations throughout the U.S.

Visit http://www.TriageLogic.com for more information, or email them at info@triagelogic.com to get details about how this system can work for your community.
This article is not about the problems with testing that we all know about: it started too late, there was a problem with accessibility, it took too long to get results, there was a shortage of swabs, a shortage of testing centers, long lines, and many delays  but rather, its about another problem you may not be aware of: accuracy.

When you get any medical test, you want to have complete confidence that the results are accurate. You dont want to be told you have cancer if you really dont, or told youre not pregnant when you really are. This is why tests have to go through a rigorous approval process by the FDA. No one wants false positives or false negatives.

We tend to think that the governmental approval process is overly long, laborious, and not justified especially when people are sick and lives are at stake! We were glad when the FDA gave swift approval (even if only a provisional approval) to a variety of Covid-19 tests. But should we be?

Sampling

Tests are now available from different commercial and academic labs  some for detecting the virus (active infections) and others for detecting antibodies (revealing youve been exposed). For virus detection, most of these tests use samples from the nose, throat, or more recently, saliva. Studies have shown that active virus can be found in a variety of bodily locations (even feces), at different times, and in different people. A bronchoalveolar lavage yields the most reliable results (93% accurate) but is quite difficult to obtain: it requires placing a bronchoscope into your lungs which would be a surgical procedure.

No one body site is 100% reliable in everyone, but of the least invasive sites, the nose has the highest probability of giving reliable results and samples can be obtained readily without sophisticated instrumentation and risk. Thats why most diagnostic tests use nose swabs.

Reliability of Nasal Swabs

On average, the virus is found in nasopharyngeal samples about 72-73 percent of the time in actively infected people. That means in the 27-28 percent of the tests that come back negative, a portion of those patients could actually be positive but are shedding the virus from another bodily site. Getting a false negative means you could be spreading the virus to others unknowingly. Here are a few other reasons you can get a false negative result from your nasal swab:

Collection Technique: The correct way to obtain the sample is to place the swab all the way up the nose to the very back and turn it over and over, scraping the back of the nasopharynx. If youve had it done right, it should hurt and feel like they mustve sampled your brain.

Many technicians are afraid of hurting you and so do not go far enough up the nasal canal. You will likely get a negative result if you just sample from the bottom end of your nose.

Timing: The virus is only active in the nasopharynx for a short time  maybe 7 days. If you got sampled too early in your illness or too late (after the illness has moved into your lungs), you may no longer have enough virus in the nose to yield a positive result.

Sample Degradation: The virus will only be viable on the swab at most 8 hours at room temperature or 72 hours with refrigeration. Many testing sites were in parking lots and samples were kept outside, gathered up at the end of the day, and then transported without being on ice the entire time (or the ice may have melted).

Once the sample gets to the lab, the sample may sit for many days  hopefully in a refrigerator - before the test is run due to the labs being so backlogged.

I know people who did not get results until 12 days later. By then, the sample surely would have deteriorated and so it is not surprising that it yielded a negative result. Sample degradation due to poor conditions during storage and transport was responsible for 1,043 tests in Alabama being invalidated.

Are the Rapid Tests Better?

There is a new crop of COVID-19 tests that can give more rapid results, in about 15-30 minutes. Reports of the sensitivity of these tests are 34-80 percent, meaning that of the 20 percent or more that are negative, a portion of those may actually be positive. Plus, since the rapid tests use the same type nasal swab, they would be subject to the same errors of sample collection, timing and degradation explained above.

Approval Process is Suspect

The U.S. was late to start testing. Consequently, there was great pressure to greenlight any tests quickly to make up for the late start. Rather than the typical approval process involving thousands of real-life samples correlated with actual clinical outcomes, approvals were given for emergency use (called EUA) or other provisional status.

Each lab seeking approval was given 60 samples (30 known positives and 30 known negatives) which the lab had to score with 95% accuracy. But the samples they were given were not real-life samples from the nasal swabs from real patients. They were lab-made samples containing portions of the Covid viral RNA and a medium simulating nasal mucus. Although a lab can tweak their assay to score these test samples correctly, it bears little resemblance to the accuracy with which the labs assay can detect COVID-19 in real patient samples.

To be fair, no test is 100 percent accurate, even those that are subject to the full-fledged FDA approval process. But fast-tracking the current crop of COVID-19 tests means there has been little reconciling of the test results with the clinical patient data, few stringent studies, and known flaws. It is estimated that about 10-25 percent of all negative test results are actually positive. Knowing this, they tell patients that even if you get a negative result, you should still act like you are infectious and stay away from others, wear a mask, and so on. If thats the case, why get tested to begin with?

Are Antibody Tests Better?

Antibody tests use the patients blood  called serological testing  and not nasal swabs. Its purpose is to detect if you had the disease at some point in the past, whether you knew you had the disease or not. An antibody test cannot tell if you are actively infected because it takes 2-3 weeks after you get the disease for your body to build up enough antibodies in your bloodstream to be detected by the test.

By then, youre likely over the illness. If you have antibodies, you are immune to another bout with COVID-19 which is why they want to use antibody tests to determine if you are safe to go back to work. Even asymptomatic COVID-19 subjects will have antibodies, so widespread antibody testing can tell us the real number of people who actually had COVID-19 as well as how accurate the patients test result might have been (for those who had one of those tests). But, here are some problems with the antibody tests:

Unregulated: The antibody tests have been subject to same speedy approval process as the tests for detecting active COVID-19 infections (discussed above) but even more so. This is because they use similar techniques to existing antibody tests for similar viruses already on the market, so lots of the scrutiny has been grandfathered in. The approval of antibody tests has been dubbed the Wild West of unregulated tests.

Detection: Antibody tests work by detecting the viruss genetical material. Since all coronaviruses have a large portion of genetical material in common, they could yield positive results not just for Covid-19, but also for other corona viruses. This means, due the design of the test, it is easy for the test to give false positive results. Thus, you may think you have antibodies to Covid-19 when in fact you have antibodies to the common cold, another type of corona virus.

Significance: Just because a person has the antibodies and is no longer ill, we do not know whether the person can still spread the disease and be a carrier. There have been reports of people who had gotten over the illness but still were getting positive tests 28 days later, and people who got positive tests weeks after getting a negative test. At this point, we do not know whether this says more about the inaccuracy of the tests themselves or whether we still dont know enough about the lifecycle of this virus.

Duration: Antibody levels tend to drop off after a period of time. This is why it is recommended that you get a tetanus vaccine every 10 years, because your immunity wanes over time. For Covid-19, we do not know how long immunity will last nor what level of antibody is required to confer immunity. It is believed that the period of immunity is at least a year or two, but this has been based on animal models, not humans.

The Hype

Every time a commercial company announces a new test, a faster test, a better test, etc., their stock soars. A mention by the President in a press conference of one of these test-making companies is worth millions. The economic slowdown is not hurting everyone! Abbott and many other pharmaceutical and medical device companies are making out like bandits. And they didnt have to put very much effort into the pre-market approval due to the fast-tracking of their tests, so their development costs were fairly low.

State governments, HHS, CDC, and FEMA are buying these tests as fast as the manufacturers can make them. Even if the test gives false positives and false negatives, we look the other way because were so desperate to have something to help us deal with this crisis.

Whats the Real Harm?

If a person is tested for active infection and gets a false negative test, they will go on to spread COVID-19 to others because they will be less cautious, not wear a mask, go back to work, tell someone its okay to get close to them because theyve been tested and are negative. Those getting false negative results (but are really positive) are not counted among the COVID cases. If they die, they are not counted as a COVID-related death. When being treated in a healthcare setting, the caregiver may not be wearing the right protective equipment.

If a person gets an antibody test and gets a false positive, they will think they are immune to COVID-19 when they are not. They may be cleared to go back to work, they will be more risky in their behavior (forget about obsessive hand-washing, etc.), and will wind up acquiring the disease, spreading it, and it may be life-threatening to them or the people they spread it to.

Bottom Line

The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that no one test should be considered definitive. In fact, they consider these tests as research grade only. They recommend multiple tests and correlating it with the clinical symptoms.

My tip is that everyone should always act like they have the virus, regardless of what the tests say at least for now. At some point in the future, the data will be further analyzed, and hopefully the poorer tests will fall from the market.

Better yet, a reliable vaccine will be developed, eliminating the need for widespread testing. Then, well need widespread vaccination, and thats another story. Lets hope they dont fast-track the vaccine so much that it is as worthless as the tests.
A man uses a smartphone as he walks past a poster warning against spreading 'fake news' on the coronavirus in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 14, 2020. Photo by Reuters/Kham.

The Vietnamese government has decided to slap fines on people who put up false, slanderous or lurid content online.

A new decree, effective from April 15, imposes a fine of VND10-20 million ($426-$853) for taking advantage of social networks to provide fake information, slander or insult agencies and organizations, lower the honor or dignity of individuals; promote superstition, obscenity or depravity that is incompatible with the nation's traditions and customs; providing and sharing information describing the act of killing and horror, graphic images.

The new decree is used to replace the old one from 2013 that didnt specifically cover the fake news aspect.

Acts of providing, sharing fabricated information, causing confusion among the people, inciting violence, crimes, social evils and gambling; providing, sharing literary, artistic and publishing works without the consent of the author or not yet permitted for circulation will also be fined VND10-20 million.

The fine level also applies to acts of using social networks to advertise, propagate and share information on prohibited products and services; providing and sharing images of Vietnam maps but failing to show the proper national sovereignty in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea.

The act of revealing secrets of the government or individuals at the level not deemed damaging enough for criminal charges will be fined VND30 million.

The new decree comes as many people have made use of the complicated development of the Covid-19 pandemic to spread false information on social media to generate likes, views and shares.

Ever since the Covid-19 broke out in Vietnam, police in Hanoi have handled more than 70 cases of spreading fake news. Other localities have reported hundreds of such cases, too.

Many have been fined VND10-15 million ($426- 641).
Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenian-related top news as of 16.04.2020:

 The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 1,159 in Armenia, another death has been reported.

According to the latest data, 358 COVID-19 patients have recovered so far, whereas 18 others have died in Armenia from the disease.

As the health ministrys spokesperson Alina Nikoghosyan noted, the 73-year-old patient had the coronavirus disease, confirmed double pneumonia. The man also had concomitant chronic illnesses: ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension.

 Two Diaspora Armenians died from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, arevelk. am wrote.

Ardavazt (Arto) Boghossian and Ara Teller died in Beirut and Istanbul, respectively.

The number of Armenians who died of COVID-19 in Istanbul has reached 7, and the number of Armenians who died in Beirut of this disease has reached 3.

 Armenian third president, Serzh Sargsyan, took part in the meeting of the Armenian parliament Inquiry Committee for Examining the Circumstances of the Military Activities of April 2016.

Before agreeing to attend this meeting, however, Sargsyan had posited several preconditions to this committee. And the committee met the ex-presidents condition, and he will receive the video recording of his portion in this meeting.

As Sargsyan told reporters, the time has come and he is ready to answer all the questions.

According to his statement, he is going to look directly into the eyes of the committee members and say what he knows and, also, what he thinks.

 A charge was brought on April 13 against Vicar of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese, Archbishop Navasard Ktchoyan.

Based on the factual data, back in 2010, accomplices persuaded a certain entrepreneur to invest a large sum in a case involving allegedly owned diamond mines in Africa. AMD 11.442.068.000 was lured from the entrepreneur, the right to property, the property were mortgaged and more loans worth $ 9 million and AMD 361.500.000 have been received. A company registered in the offshore zone was used for money laundering, 33% of which belonged to the vicar.

A signature to not leave the country has been selected as a pre-trial measure against Ktchoyan.

Vicar doesnt accept the charge brought against him and says the case is phony, Ktchoyans attorney Hovik Arsenyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Ktchoyan is the only person involved as an accused on trial.

 The Armenian parliament has adopted in the second and final reading a controversial draft law on the confiscation of illegal property.

According to the authorities, the adoption of the law will enable the competent authority, the Prosecutor Generals Office to study the lawfulness of the acquisition of property and submit a claim demanding the confiscation of this property if it is discovered that the acquired property is not justified by sources of income, and the value of which currently exceeds the threshold of AMD 50 million.
Paris (AFP) - The kilometres-thick icesheet that covers Greenland saw a near-record imbalance last year between new snowfall and the discharge of meltwater and ice into the ocean, scientists have reported.

A net loss of 600 billion tonnes was enough to raise the global watermark 1.5 millimetres, about 40 percent of total sea level rise in 2019.

The Greenland icesheet -- which, until the end of the 20th century accumulated as much mass as it shed -- holds enough frozen water to lift the world's oceans by seven metres.

Almost as alarming, however, as the icesheet's accelerating disintegration are the forces driving it, the authors reported this week in The Cryosphere, a peer-reviewed journal published by the European Geosciences Union.

More than half the dramatic loss in 2019 was due not to warmer-than-average air temperatures but rather unusual high-pressure weather systems linked to global warming.

These anticyclone conditions blocked the formation of clouds over southern Greenland, causing unfiltered sunlight to melt the icesheet surface. Fewer clouds also meant less snow -- 100 billion tons below the 1980-1999 average.

In addition, the lack of snowfall left exposed darkened, soot-covered ice which absorbs heat rather than reflecting it, as pristine white snow does.

Conditions were different, but no better in the northern and western parts of Greenland, due to warm, moist air pulled up from lower latitudes, the study showed.

All of these factors led to accelerated melting and runoff, creating torrential rivers cutting through the ice toward the sea.

"These atmospheric conditions are becoming more and more frequent over the past few decades," said lead author Marco Tedesco, a scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

"This is very likely due to the 'waviness' in the jet stream," a powerful, high-altitude ribbon of wind moving from west to east over the polar region, he said.

Story continues

- Twice the global average -

The disruption of the jet stream's normal patterns have been linked to the disappearance of sea ice, the faster rate of atmospheric warming in the Arctic, and disappearing snow cover in Siberia -- all consequences of global warming.

Average temperatures in the Arctic region have risen two degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century, twice the global average.

"Climate change, in other words, may make the destructive high-pressure atmospheric conditions more common over Greenland," Tedesco said.

Indeed, 2019 is not the first time that such anomalies have emerged, with more than half the years this century showing similar, if less pronounced, patterns.

The impact of these high-pressure systems are not factored into climate models used by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to project the impact of global warming on the Greenland icesheet, the study warns.

"It is likely that we are underestimating the future melting by a factor of two," co-author Xavier Fettweis, a research associate in the Climatology Laboratory at the University of Liege in Belgium, told AFP.

The new study attributes nearly 70 percent of the meltwater runoff and iceberg discharge last year to the high pressure systems, and the rest to direct warming of the atmosphere under climate change.

The discharge last year was comparable to the record year 2012, but air temperatures in 2019 were significantly lower.

Through the 1990s, the Greenland ice sheet was roughly in a state of balance, but annual mass loss has risen since then.

In all, Greenland has shed about four trillion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2018, causing the mean sea level to rise by 11 millimetres, according to a study in December 2019 study in Nature.

The IPCC has forecast that global sea level rise could top a metre by 2100, due mostly to discharge from the icesheets on Greenland and West Antarctica.
Former vice president Joe Biden sometimes has a loose definition of time.

As we documented during the Ukraine controversy, Biden managed to squeeze several months of slow diplomacy into a damaging sound bite: "I looked at them and said, 'I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money.' Well, son of a b----. He got fired." The video clip has been widely circulated by the Trump campaign, making Biden out to look like a shakedown artist. In fact, he was simply carrying out a policy designed by the State Department.

During the novel coronavirus pandemic, Biden also has demonstrated a fuzzy sense of time. In the four cases documented below, he claims that he first called for a specific action sooner than he actually did. Sometimes he cites a Jan. 27 opinion article he published in USA Today, titled "Trump is worst possible leader to deal with coronavirus outbreak." The op-ed appeared only days after the Chinese government shut down the city of Wuhan in an effort to stem the crisis. But the article itself was more of an attack on President Donald Trump and a recollection of Obama administration steps taken against the 2014 Ebola outbreak than a detailed plan for action against a possible pandemic.

- Calling for use of the Defense Production Act.

April 1, El Show De Piolin: "The president was very, very slow out of the gate. I argued a month ago he should invoke what they call the Defense Production Act, but we didn't have enough ventilators to go out and say this, under the law, the president can become the commander in chief as in wartime, and dictate that companies produce things that are badly needed.

March 31, Brian Williams's show on MSNBC: "On January the 17th [sic], I think, I wrote an article for one of the major press outlets saying that we had to begin to act now. We knew what was happening in China and we talked - guys like me - and I'm not the only one - others talked about the need to employ the Defense Authorization legislation - act to be able to move, I think the president and his team have been very slow to move."

March 30, MSNBC's "Live With Katy Tur": "I talked about doing the Defense Production Act before anyone came along."

March 29, NBC's "Meet the Press": "I argued several weeks ago we should be using the Defense Production Act. It was there. I've been arguing for it for some time."

The reality: The earliest we can find that Biden called for invoking the DPA was March 18, in a news release: "Prioritize and immediately increase domestic production of any critical medical equipment required to respond to this crisis - such as the production of ventilators and associated training to operate - by invoking the Defense Production Act, delegating authority to HHS and FEMA."

Biden's statement came just minutes after Trump first said he would invoke the DPA.

Trump has been reluctant to use the DPA, calling it a "hammer" he holds in reserve. So Biden would have every right to call him out on that score. But Biden can't suggest he called for it as far back as January. His opinion article in USA Today did not mention the DPA.

- Building temporary hospitals.

April 7, interview on NBC10 in Philadelphia: "We also dealt with the whole pandemic that was in Africa. Kept it under control by doing what I urged the president to do months ago, he's doing now, get the United States military in building hospitals, et cetera, tent hospitals and the like."

The reality: Biden hadn't raised building hospitals "months ago." He first mentioned doing so March 12 during his speech on the coronavirus: "The president should order FEMA to prepare of [sic] the capacity with local authorities to establish temporary hospitals with hundreds of beds in short notice."

- Getting U.S. experts into China.

March 30, MSNBC's "Live With Katy Tur": "I suggested we should have people in China at the outset of this event, when it all started, in Luhan province [sic]. And what happened? We did not insist that they go into the areas we wanted to. I just - that's all I can do is do what I know has to be done. Say what I know has to be done."

March 27, remarks at a virtual CNN town hall: "He, in addition to that, when we were talking about early on in this crisis, we said - I said, among others, that, you know, you should get into China, get our experts there, we have the best in the world, get them in so we know what's actually happening. There was no effort to do that. He didn't put any pressure on Xi [Jinping]. I guess because of his trade deal, which wasn't much of a deal. And in addition to that, what happened was, we had one person in the country who was working - he pulled him out of the country."

The reality: As we noted before, Biden first said this during a Democratic primary debate Feb. 25, not in January: "And here's the deal," Biden said. "I would be on the phone with China and making it clear, we are going to need to be in your country; you have to be open; you have to be clear; we have to know what's going on; we have to be there with you, and insist on it and insist, insist, insist."

- Not trusting China.

March 26, "Jimmy Kimmel Live": "I don't understand, for example, when he was talking about China initially, talking about how Xi Jinping has done this great job and everything was working really well and I, and I wasn't the only one who suggested that we send people - our experts into China - see for ourselves."

The reality: Biden again suggests that he said this in January. But he first said China could not be trusted Feb. 26, during a CNN town hall: "The last point I'd make, and I know I'm going to get a lot of questions, is that what we did - what I would do were I president now, I would not be taking China's word for it. I would insist that China allow our scientists in to make a hard determination of how it started, where it's from, how far along it is. Because that is not happening now."

(The Biden campaign did not dispute the dates we identified as Biden's first public utterances on these topics.)

With Trump under fire for a slow and indecisive response to the coronavirus, Biden is clearly trying to demonstrate that he would have taken action sooner. That may well be case; certainly his op-ed indicated that he was concerned about this issue before many Americans had paid much attention. Unlike Trump, there is no record of Biden dismissing the urgency of the problem or suggesting that it will go away by itself.

But the vice president gets into trouble when he suggests that he first raised issues such as invoking the DPA or building hospitals as early as January - when in fact we can only trace such statements to late February or mid-March. By that point, the potential impact of the virus was becoming apparent to most Americans.

Two pinocchios.
H undreds of people have protested and blocked roads outside Michigan Capitol to show their anger at the state's stay at home orders and business closures during the coronavirus outbreak.

Operation Gridlock was organised by the Michigan Conservative Coalition after Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended a stay home order until April 30 and shut down schools and businesses deemed non-essential.

Roads were packed with cars on Wednesday as drivers honked their horns in protest outside the capitol building in Lansing.

Other protesters held signs which read "Gov Whitmer We Are Not Prisoners" and "Michigander Against Gretchens Abuses".

Michigan: Stay at Home Protest Rally - In pictures 1 /30 Michigan: Stay at Home Protest Rally - In pictures REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AP REUTERS AFP via Getty Images REUTERS REUTERS A man wearing a scarf on his face waves a flag as hundreds protest against the state's extended stay-at-home order REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS AP AP AP Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images

According to Darren Green from the Michigan State Police, traffic was backed up for more than a mile around the capitol in several directions.

This arbitrary blanket spread of shutting down businesses, about putting all of these workers out of business, is just a disaster. Its an economic disaster for Michigan, coalition member Meshawn Maddock said. And people are sick and tired of it.

The coalition group posted Operation Gridlock as an event on Facebook in which they referred to the lockdown measures as "tyranny".

The post reads: "Our Governor and her allies are infecting all of us with their radical, progressive agenda.

Supporters of the Michigan Conservative Coalition protest against the state's extended stay-at-home order / REUTERS

"There is no reasoned and public plan to promote our overall physical and economic health."

Gov Whitmer acknowledged the pain but said the restrictions were necessary to stop the spread of the Covid-19 that has killed more than 1,900 Michigan residents and overwhelmed hospitals in the Detroit area.

Gov Whitmer said she was really disappointed to see protesters close together without masks.

I saw someone handing out candy to little kids barehanded, the governor told reporters.

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People are flying the Confederate flag, and untold numbers who gassed up on the way here or grabbed a bite on the way home. We know that this rally endangered people.

This kind of activity will put more people at risk and, sadly, it could prolong the amount of time we have to be in this posture.

During the rally, Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield, who has urged Gov Whitmer to amend her orders, waved an American flag from a window at his office.

The number of deaths in the US is nearing 30,000.
A plane carrying medical aid from China arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday to deliver equipment needed in the fight against the new coronavirus.

Syria, a strong ally of China in the Middle East, has reported 33 cases and two deaths as a result of the virus pandemic, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

The country has been taking strict measures to limit the spread of the virus including closing down restaurants, night clubs, schools and universities as well as imposing a night-time curfew.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
One month into Montanas battle of the Steves, and it's already proving to be a high-dollar race for U.S. Senate.

Campaign finance reports for the first quarter of the year show Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock raising $3.3 million in March, which included his first three weeks as a candidate for Senate. Incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines reported net contributions of $1.3 million for the quarter.

Bullock had $3.1 million cash on hand to Daines $5.6 million for the cycle. Both candidates are veterans when it comes to running for federal office.

Bullock was a long-shot candidate for president of the United States in 2019. The governor dropped out of the presidential race early in December, but not before creating a national fundraising campaign that raised $5.5 million. He had just under $87,000 of that presidential campaign money left at the end of 2019.

Daines was elected to the U.S. House in 2012 then jumped to the U.S. Senate in 2015 after winning the race to replace Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, who had stepped down in 2014 to become U.S. ambassador to China.

Before Bullock entered the race, Democratic candidates had struggled to raise money to challenge Daines. Three Democrats running for U.S. Senate had raised $831,000 collectively in 2019. Two of those candidates, Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins and Cora Neumann, dropped out after Bullock reversed course and declared his Senate candidacy. For months, the governor insisted he would not run for Senate.

Democrat John Mues, who remains in the race, reported raising $51,291 in the first quarter. He has $3,160 cash on hand. During his candidacy Mues has raised $167,759, not including loans.

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'India entered the pandemic turmoil in the midst of a credit crunch-induced slowdown and its recovery prospect becomes more uncertain,' Chang Yong Rhee, the Director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department,

Washington: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday said that it supports India's proactive decision of a imposing a nationwide lockdown in its fight against coronavirus.

A day earlier, the IMF in its World Economic Outlook had forecast India's growth rate to be 1.9 percent in 2020.

"India entered the pandemic turmoil in the midst of a credit crunch-induced slowdown and its recovery prospect becomes more uncertain," Chang Yong Rhee, the Director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, told reporters during a news conference here.

"Despite the economic slowdown, the government implemented a nationwide lockdown and we support India's proactive decision," Rhee said.

On 25 March, India entered a three-week lockdown, which was slated to end on 14 April. The lockdown was extended till 3 May.

The impact of the coronavirus on the Asia-Pacific region will be severe, across the board, and unprecedented, he said, adding that Asia's growth in 2020 will come to a standstill.

This is worse than the annual average growth rates throughout the Global Financial Crisis (4.7 percent) or the Asian Financial Crisis (1.3 percent). Actually, Asia has not experienced zero growth in the last 60 years, he said. "That said, Asia's growth still fares better than other regions."

For 2021, he said, there is hope. If containment policies succeed there could be a rebound in growth, he said. However, it is highly uncertain how this year will progress, he added.

Noting that this is not a time for business as usual, Rhee said that Asian countries need to use all policy instruments in their tool kits. In doing so, policy trade-offs will be inevitable and will depend on policy space, he added.

China is expected to grow by 1.2 percent in 2020. The revisions to growth reflect both losses of domestic activity due to the social distancing measures, as well as loss of external demand.

"We expect a rebound in economic activity later this year. This is because China is emerging from the outbreak first. Nonetheless, there are clear risks: the virus could come back and normalisation could take longer," Rhee said.

Japan's economic outlook for 2020 has deteriorated significantly, he said. Real GDP in Japan is expected to decline by 5.2 percent, caused by the coronavirus impact, and a sharp deterioration of external demand, he said, adding South Korea's growth in 2020 is anticipate to be at -1.2 percent, he said.

Spelling out a set of recommendations for the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Rhee said the first priority is to support and protect the health sector to contain the virus and introduce measures that slow contagion.

"If there is not enough fiscal space, countries will need to re-prioritize from other expenditures," he said.

Noting that containment measures are severely affecting economies, he said targeted support to hardest-hit households and firms is needed.

This is a real economic shock unlike the Global Financial Crisis. Protect people, jobs and industries directly, not just through financial institutions, he said.

Observing that the pandemic is also affecting the financial market functioning, he urged countries to use monetary and macroprudential regulations flexibly to provide ample liquidity, ease financial stress of industries and SMEs.

"For emerging markets with limited fiscal space, they might need to consider how to use central bank balance sheets flexibly to help SMEs through risk sharing with the government, he said.

Asserting that external pressures need to be contained, he said that countries should seek and utilize bilateral and multilateral swap lines and financial support from the multilateral institutions.

There can be a role for capital flow measures to secure external sector stability as a prerequisite to use more aggressive domestic policies to prevent lasting social and economic distress, he said.

"Targeted support combined with domestic demand stimulus in a recovery will help to reduce scarring, but it needs to reach people and smaller firms."
Ohio's Republican Governor has announced his state will begin to reopen on May 1 as other areas, including New York and Washington DC, extend lockdowns by up to three weeks.

Gov Mike DeWine said on Thursday that the state is planning to reopen some businesses when President Donald Trump's lockdown guidance ends in two weeks.

The state currently has more than 8,400 infections and nearly 400 deaths.

'We must get Ohio's economy moving again. We must get people back to work,' DeWine said during his coronavirus briefing.

The governor said he had put together an economic advisory board, which is made up of small and big business CEOs, as part of the plan to start reopening come May 1.

Gov Mike DeWine said on Thursday that the state is planning to reopen some businesses when President Donald Trump's lockdown guidance ends in two weeks. He is pictured above on Wednesday at his daily coronavirus briefing

In re-opening any business, DeWine said it was essential to provide a safe working environment to avoid a spike in coronavirus cases.

'During the stay at home time, the companies that were allowed to continue have learned a lot and we've seen them put in place some very, very stringent measures. In a sense, this has been a trial period where we can see some of the things that work,' he said.

He said the advisory board was currently working on the plan, saying: 'We've got a lot more work to do between now and May 1 because we want to get this right.'

DeWine did, however, warn that life would not resume as normal for some period of time.

'I am an optimist and am confident that Ohioans will also live up to the challenge of doing things differently as we open back up beginning on May 1,' DeWine said.

His announcement came ahead of a planned call with President Donald Trump and the governors of each state that took place Thursday afternoon.

Trump unveiled his administration's plans to ease social distancing requirements on the call. The new guidelines are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit locations.

The announcement came after protesters continued to gather across the US, ignoring social distancing rules, to demonstrate against the lockdown orders they called 'tyrannical' and 'worse than the virus'. Protesters are pictured outside the Ohio Statehouse on Monday

Protesters stand outside the Ohio Statehouse on Monday ignoring social distancing guidelines put in place

Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phased gradual reopening of businesses and schools, with each phase lasting at least 14 days, meant to ensure that the virus outbreak doesn't accelerate again.

The recommendations make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak.

At earliest, the guidelines suggest that some parts of the country could see a resumption in normal commerce and social gatherings after a month of evaluating whether the easing of restrictions leads to a resurgence in virus cases. In other parts of the country, or if virus cases resume an up-tick, it could be substantially longer.

Meanwhile, seven Midwestern governors - including Ohio - announced on Thursday that they will coordinate on reopening their state economies after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

The governors in the partnership are Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, Ohio's Mike DeWine, Wisconsin's Tony Evers, Minnesota's Tim Waltz, Illinois' J.B. Pritzker, Indiana's Eric Holcomb and Kentucky's Andy Beshear.

DeWine and Holcomb are Republicans and the rest are Democrats.

Several governors, including Whitmer, have been criticized for their shutdown orders and the resulting negative economic impact.

Many Republicans and business leaders in Michigan have said Whitmer's latest order was too restrictive and needed to be revised. On Wednesday, thousands of demonstrators in cars with horns honking thronged around Michigan's state Capitol to protest Whitmer's order.

Protesters continued to gather across the US, ignoring social distancing rules, to demonstrate against the lockdown orders they called 'tyrannical' and 'worse than the virus'.

A startling image from Ohio showed a baying crowd at the window of the Statehouse Atrium on Monday. Two protesters wore Trump hats, others waved American flags and one was in a V for Vendetta mask.

Ohio's decision to reopen on May 1 comes as other states and areas across the country extended their lockdowns or tightened stay-at-home orders.

In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser extended the city's stay-at-home order, school closures and business restrictions from April 24 to May 16.

The governors of three states - Virginia, Kansas and Idaho - also pushed back the dates on social distancing policies on Wednesday, as did officials in cities across Missouri, Texas and Louisiana.

On Thursday, New York Gov Andrew Cuomo extended his stay-at-home order until May 15 and Wisconsin Gov Tony Evers extended his through May 26.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:44:00|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 92 after seven more people were confirmed, the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health said in a statement Thursday.

The ministry revealed that from the total of 401 medical tests that were conducted in the last 24 hours, seven of them tested positive for COVID-19, eventually bringing the total number of cases to 92.

According to figures from the ministry, all of the latest seven individuals were Ethiopian nationals - five males and two females.

The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health also said that 15 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have so far recovered from the virus.

The ministry has previously disclosed three patients have died due to COVID-19 related illnesses.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation with about 107 million people, confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 13.

The Ethiopian government has instituted a wide range of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Ethiopian House of People's Representatives - the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament - has already announced a five-month state of emergency to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Enditem
WASHINGTON  The ranks of Americans thrown out of work by the coronavirus ballooned Thursday to more than 20 million in just four weeks, an unprecedented collapse fueling widening protests and propelling President Donald Trumps push to relax the nations social distancing guidelines.

Trump planned to announce new recommendations later in the day, despite warnings from business leaders and governors that more testing and protective gear are needed first.

The government said 5.2 million more people applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the running total to about 22 million out of a U.S. work force of roughly 159 million  easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record.

Some economists say the unemployment rate could reach 20% in April, the highest since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

While some leaders and citizens have called on government to reopen stores, factories and schools, health authorities and many politicians warned that returning to normal is a distant goal and that easing up on restrictions too soon could allow the virus to come storming back.

The decision of when and how to ease up rests with state and local leaders, who imposed the mandatory lockdowns and other restrictions put in place over the past month.

The outbreak has infected more than 2 million people worldwide and killed more than 137,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, though the true numbers are believed to be much higher. The death toll in the U.S. reached about 31,000, with over 600,000 confirmed infections.

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Fallout from the virus spread in ways both predictable and devastating, from police torching an illicit food market in Zimbabwe, to emergency flights carrying foreign farm workers to Britain and Germany, and protests at U.S. state capitols against job losses.

In France, Amazon suspended operations after a court ruled it wasn't doing enough to protect its workers in the country. The online retailer has six warehouses in France.

In Britain, a government survey found that a quarter of companies had suspended business. Cargo traffic at Europe's massive port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands sank 9.3% in the first quarter from the same period a year ago, and its CEO warned of worse to come.

The World Health Organization's European chief said optimism that the spread of the virus is declining in Italy, Spain and France has been tempered by the knowledge that it is rising or remaining at a high level in Britain, Russia and Turkey.

"The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region," Dr. Hans Kluge said.

On Wednesday, the U.S. reported that American industrial output shriveled in March, registering its biggest decline since the nation demobilized in 1946 at the end of World War II. Retail sales fell by an unprecedented 8.7%, with April expected to be far worse.

The International Monetary Fund said fallout from what it calls the "Great Lockdown" will be the most devastating since the Depression.

That has made leaders all the more anxious to send people back to work and school and to rebuild devastated economies.

Italy's hardest-hit region of Lombardy is pushing to relaunch manufacturing on May 4, the day that the national lockdown is set to lift. Regional officials are considering ordering companies to stagger opening hours to avoid cramming public transportation.

But Italy's deputy economic development minister, Stefan Buffagni, called the plan premature: "Going in a random order risks fueling confusion among citizens and businesses."

In the U.S., thousands came out in Michigan and Oklahoma to protest the lockdowns they say have destroyed livelihoods.

In Michigan, some were masked and armed with rifles, but many unmasked people defied stay-at-home orders and jammed nearly shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the Capitol building in Lansing. In Oklahoma, cars plastered with protest signs drove past the Statehouse in Oklahoma City: "All jobs are essential," read one sign on the back of a pickup truck.

"This arbitrary blanket spread of shutting down businesses, about putting all of these workers out of business, is just a disaster. It's an economic disaster for Michigan," said protester Meshawn Maddock.

In Michigan's northern Leelanau County, Sheriff Mike Borkovich said enforcing the restrictions is taking a toll.

"People are frantic to get back to work. They have been very edgy," he said.

Troubling data indicate the worst may still be to come in many parts of the world.

Japan's prime minister announced he would expand a state of emergency to the entire country, rather than just urban areas, as the virus continued to spread. Japan has the world's oldest population, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The British government was set Thursday to extend a nationwide lockdown for several more weeks, as health officials say the coronavirus outbreak in the country is peaking. Britain awaited its first flight of Romanian farm workers, and more than 30,000 other workers registered for flights to Germany to help plant and harvest.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged stepped-up efforts to prepare Africa for the virus, warning that the continent "could end up suffering the greatest impacts."

In Zimbabwe, where food was scarce even before the outbreak, police raided a market, torching 3 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables and scattering farmers who had broken travel restrictions to try to sell their crops.

 The Associated Press

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Health workers in Wuhan carry out physical examinations for employees at a company who return to work on April 9, 2020. [Photo by Zhou Guoqiang/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Tightened regulations introduced for manufacturers

The Chinese Academy of Sciences announced on April 9 that its biomedical institute in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, had created a nucleic acid test kit that could produce results in just 45 minutes.

The kit, which also enables on-site testing, can be stored and transported at room temperature.

Wang Daming, leader of the research team at the academy's Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, started working on the kit in January. The following month, he went to Hubei province to test its efficacy.

The kit only requires 20 microliters of nasal swab or mucus samples to produce a result, the institute said.

A single test machine can analyze 60 samples an hour, it said, adding that more than 600 patients had been tested with an accuracy rate of over 99 percent. The cost of the testing was not disclosed.

China has been striving to develop more advanced test kits while also tightening regulations for manufacturers.

Beate Trankmann, the United Nations Development Programme resident representative for China, said the country is one of the few markets that has not banned exports of medical supplies and is actively supporting global procurement to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"What's impressive is the bilateral aid that China is putting forward," she said, adding that it is encouraging to see the nation "returning the favor after having received international assistance at the very beginning of the pandemic".

The kit developed by Wang's team uses a new technique called Hybrid Capture Immunofluorescence Analysis, or HC-IFA, which can dissolve the pathogen's exterior and directly detect the genetic material of the virus.

One of this method's biggest strengths is that it does not require polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, a commonly used process in nucleic acid test kits to amplify the COVID-19 viral signals for detection. The shortened procedure reduces the possibility of human error, making the new method less susceptible to false results.

Moreover, conventional PCR nucleic acid test kits must be transported in special cooling containers that use a considerable amount of dry ice, which has a surface temperature of minus 78 C.

However, only a few logistical companies can meet this transportation requirement, according to Zhou Yan, operations supervisor for Shanghai BioGerm Medical Biotechnology Co. This is because of dry ice's ability to quickly transmute into carbon dioxide, making it dangerous to store in a confined area, such as the cargo hold of an airplane.

The new test kit bypasses this problem, as its reagents are not as sensitive to temperature, so it is cheaper and more convenient to ship worldwide. The kit was approved by the National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, on March 24.

The Conformite Europeenne, or CE, mark is also being sought from the European Union, the institute said. Since 1985, the CE has been the EU's mandatory conformity marking for regulating goods sold within the European Economic Area.

Wang Yuedan, an immunology professor at Peking University, who was not involved in creating the test kit, said the new technique can be used to test for the virus, but it requires a special machine.

The professor has doubts over its cost-effectiveness for mass diagnosis.

Useful lessons

Zhang Shuyang, vice-president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said two of the most popular diagnostic methods for COVID-19 are PCR nucleic acid tests and antibody tests. The former is a tried-and-trusted method that is cost-effective for large scale diagnosis, as it only requires the use of swabbed tissue.

Based on Zhang's experience, nasal swabs are more accurate than throat swabs, but both methods may not include as much viral content as extracting fluid from the lower respiratory tract, which consists of the trachea and the lungs, she said.

"Samples collected from the lower respiratory tract tend to yield fairly accurate test results, because that's where the virus mostly resides," she said. However, this procedure is more time-consuming and difficult to conduct, and should be reserved for patients with more pronounced symptoms.

Feng Luzhao, a researcher from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news briefing last month that the average waiting time for nucleic acid testing results in China is about two to three hours, with a relatively high accuracy rate.

However, the time and accuracy may vary for test kits produced by other countries.

Another common issue with PCR nucleic acid tests is that they are prone to false results. Feng said the accuracy depends heavily on the quality of the test kit, how long a patient has been infected, and how rigorously the samples are collected, transported and processed.

Wang Jianbin, a researcher at the Center for Life Sciences jointly operated by Tsinghua University and Peking University, said a typical nucleic acid test kit has three components: the extraction reagent; enzymes and supporting chemicals; and primers.

The extraction reagent and supporting chemicals are genetic and can be found in other test kits, but the primers are uniquely designed to detect a specific pathogen. On Jan 21, Chinese scientists published genetic information about the primers, paving the way for other countries to develop their own kits.

Wang Jianbin said stepping up production too quickly could lead to quality control issues, because test kit manufacturers may not have the time or resources to optimize their products. This issue was especially prevalent during the early days of the outbreak in China.

Zhang said overworked staff members present another challenge that could hinder the accuracy of tests, adding, "If front-line medical workers are exhausted or not familiar with the test kit, they may not follow the detailed instructions properly."

According to the China Association for In-Vitro Diagnostics, laboratory testing for the novel coronavirus is highly dangerous. Employees must wear protective gear that meets biological safety level 3 requirements, the third-highest on a four-tier system for handling dangerous pathogens such as yellow fever, West Nile virus and bacteria that cause tuberculosis.

Zhang said: "To protect the testing staff, the samples are often sterilized for at least 30 minutes at 56 C. This procedure may destroy the virus' genetic material, making it difficult to detect the pathogen."

To solve these problems, China has optimized its biosafety standards, reducing the need to unduly process the samples, she said. Dozens of advanced bioresearch facilities nationwide have also been mobilized to serve as test centers for the virus.

In addition, Wang Jianbin said many designated hospitals have set up test labs, avoiding the need to transport samples to another testing facility, risking contamination in the process.

As the pandemic virus is just a single strand of fragile ribonucleic acid, samples that are collected must be tested within four hours to prevent the genetic material from degrading. If, for some reason, samples are not tested within 24 hours, they must be stored at a temperature of below minus 70 C, according to the China Association for In-Vitro Diagnostics.

Zhang said, "From clinical practices to scientific research, we are finding new solutions to our diagnostic issues by optimizing our procedures and improving the test kits."

On March 31, China stepped up oversight of exports of diagnostic tools after several European countries raised concerns about their accuracy. The country now requires exporters to obtain a registration certificate from the NMPA and for approval to be granted by the importing nation.

About a week later, Chinese customs officers confiscated just over 1 million unregistered test kits after some exporters attempted to bypass the new regulation by categorizing their kits for the virus as "rapid test kits."

Jiang Fan, a senior inspector at the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Foreign Trade, said at a news briefing last week, "The ministry will partner with other related government bodies to enhance oversight of production, approval and customs clearance for medical products.

"We will severely punish anyone who tries to sell counterfeit goods or disrupt the market. There will be no exceptions."

Jiang also urged other countries to strengthen oversight of such imports, and strictly follow the instructions for use of medical products. Her comments followed recent reports that fake CE marking by third parties was becoming more widespread.

Necessary measure

Experts and industry veterans said the new regulation is a necessary measure to ensure the quality of exported Chinese test kits, face masks and other medical supplies, as market demand has soared since the outbreak began.

Trankmann, from the UNDP, said it is important to have a dedicated team of medical experts to source quality goods. It is also vital to have a list of certified companies that allow buyers to confirm and compare their products, she added.

On April 5, Zhang Qi, deputy director of the Department of Medical Device Regulation at the NMPA, said at a news briefing that by the end of last month, China had approved 25 diagnostic test kits. They comprised 17 nucleic acid and eight antibody kits.

Zhang Qi urged overseas buyers to obtain test kits from the list of companies provided by the Foreign Ministry. "Foreign buyers have not reported any quality issues in test kits procured through this channel," she added.

Equal Ocean, a technology investment research company based in Beijing, said in an industry report that since last month, more than 80 Chinese nucleic acid test kit manufacturers had claimed to have acquired the CE marking.

However, the report estimated the average accuracy rate of these test kits to be about 70 to 90 percent, adding that the proportion could drop significantly if the product was hastily made or mishandled during use or transportation.

Yin Ye, CEO of genome research organization the BGI Group, said that due to massive global demand there has been a significant rise in the number of companies claiming to produce and export diagnostic kits.

"Quality should be the irrefutable red line for any test kits, and false results are more damaging than no results," he said. "Test kits that are poorly made not only ruin a company's public trust, but also tarnish the national image."
Many are drawing parallels with the 2008 financial crisis which wiped out more than 50 percent of the benchmark value in a matter of months. The meltdown which we are witnessing in 2020 is a health crisis which could well turn into a financial crisis as economies across the globe are virtually shut down.

The 2008 crash lasted around 300 days and the Nifty50 fell a total of 60 percent. But, the fall was not unidirectional, and the market fell in three steps. After each fall, the market saw a small (sharp) rebound only to fall lower in the next crash (refer chart).

The current crash, as such, has seen only the first step of the crash, though the correction has been much sharper. Experts feel that another down move is possible; however, there is a caveat and that is if we develop a vaccine for COVID-19, it could fuel a risk-on sentiment in equity markets across the globe.

The Nifty50 fell 38 percent from peak to bottom over a period of 66 days. Historically, most bear markets last for at least 3 months. As a result, depending on the extent of the lockdown in India and the rate of spread of COVID-19 across the world, the market may see further correction in the coming months, IDFC MF said in a report.

A big caveat to the above postulation is the discovery of a medical breakthrough in the treatment of coronaVirus leading to a dramatic fall in morbidity rate (currently at 5 percent). Then markets may have a significant, sharp relief rally and probably create a base which may not be breached, it said.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

The major differentiator between the current bear market and the past bear markets is the fact that economic activity is universally on a shutdown mode unlike in the past when bear markets were triggered due to the financial crisis.

I would concur with the fact that every crash has multiple legs and it generally does not end after the first leg of massive hammering. But, it would be very difficult to compare the current situation with the previous ones, Sameet Chavan Chief Technical Analyst, Angel Broking told Moneycontrol.

Chavan draws a few scenarios as to how markets could pan out in the near future:

a)If the actual impact of the coronavirus is in line with expectations, 7500 remains to be a bottom and the recovery would be slightly slower in nature.

b) If things do not turn that bad as the market already anticipated, we may see faster recovery.

c) Lastly (hoping for it not to happen), whatever market has already reacted, in reality, if things become worse than this, then we are likely to see another leg of the fall and historically, the last leg is more brutal than the previous one; because prices literally sink to a different level in this phase.

History suggests that there could be a possibility of a further fall in the markets which could be even more severe compared to the one which we have seen in March.

The Nifty50 has bounced back about 20 percent from the lows but as we approach higher levels there is a bit of resistance which suggests that it would not be an easy ride for the bulls on the way up.

There is some similarity between 2008 & 2020 fall but the cause of the falls is different, say experts. Similar to 2008 we are heading for a recession and longer bear phase.

Before the 2008 fall, there was a steep rise in global markets and valuations had gone to 2 Standard Deviation from its 10-year average. This time, at the peak, the Nifty-50 was at 1 standard deviation above its 10-year average.

In terms of impact on business and earnings, the current lockdown and its uncertainty of recovery will cause more disturbances than what we witnessed in the 2008-09 phase. During the financial crisis business activity was functioning but this time it has come to a standstill, Rusmik Oza, Executive Vice President, Head of Fundamental Research at Kotak Securities Ltd told Moneycontrol.

To this extent, the forthcoming impact on revenues and earnings will be far more harmful than that of the 2008 crisis. Based on this reading, we could see somewhat replication of what happened in 2008 and there could be internment down phases still to come. In a longer bear phase it is usual to see interim rallies of ~20% followed by steeper falls, he said.

History suggests that major bear markets have led to wealth destruction of 50-60 percent. In 2020 we have just corrected by about 30 percent at the index level since January 20, when the index hit a record high of 12,430.

Hence, investors should be more focused on individual stocks because volatility is likely to remain in benchmark indices.

Major bear markets in India witnessed wealth destruction of 50-60 percent from their respective bull market peaks. Hence, if we go by that fact then mechanically we should arrive at a bear market target of something around 6,200 levels if we are going to see wealth destruction of 50% from the top of 12400, Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist  Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol.

But, considering the fact that wealth destruction in financial markets is happening since January 2018 in the broader markets, at least in Indian markets, we might have reached a saturation point in terms of pessimism at least in the broader markets. Hence, for the next 12  18 months it can remain as a stock picker markets till normalcy catches up with economic activity, he said.

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Green has convictions between 2011 and 2018 on charges of manufacturing illegal drugs with intent to deliver, according to court records.

Allen was convicted of the same drug charge in 2013.

Wilson also has the same drug convictions, in 2013 and 2016, along with other drug possession convictions. He also faced assault and attempted murder charges in 2013, but those charges were dismissed.

The Spotsylvania homicide case started on May 29, 2019, when Coleman, Ozuna and her son were all found dead inside the home on Arlene Acres Drive.

The teenage boys father discovered the grisly scene when he went to the home after being unable to contact his son. A toddler and an infant, the children of Coleman and Ozuna, were found unharmed but dehydrated in the home.

The 10-month investigation involved a dozen law enforcement agencies, including Philadelphia police, Stafford Sheriffs Office, Maryland State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and DEA.

Spostylvania Sheriff Roger Harris said the homicides have torn several families apart and impacted the strong community that surrounds us.

Im very grateful for the tireless efforts our detectives were faced with, along with the collaborative multi-agency assistance, to bring these suspects to justice, the sheriff said.

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The governor of South Dakota has defended the states lack of a stay-at-home order, despite experiencing the countrys single largest cluster of coronavirus cases.

More than half the states 1168 confirmed cases were connected to the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant, prompting a request from governor Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls mayor Paul TenHaken to shut down operations.

With a total of 644 cases from the plant  518 employees and 126 direct contacts- it places the plant higher than the USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam (585), and Cook County Jail in Chicago (524) as the countrys largest single outbreak, according to data compiled by Keloland.com

The South Dakota Medical Association, which represents the states doctors, sent a letter to Ms Noem earlier this month urging a stay-at-home order to give health workers time and resources to manage the pandemic.We may soon be facing the challenges and hardships being seen in New York and other cities if a shelter in place order is not issued immediately, the group said.

In a Twitter thread earlier on Wednesday, Ms Noam said a statewide lockdown would not have prevented a breakout at Smithfield Foods given its status as a critical infrastructure business that needed to stay open to maintain the countrys food supply.

At a later press conference, Ms Noem said the CDC team would walk through and evaluate the Sioux Falls plant on Thursday before outlining what measures needed to be taken to resume full production.

This is a national food security issue that this plant run. It is defined and categorised as critical infrastructure; whether this virus impacts Sioux Falls, South Dakota or the country, this plant runs, she said.

There may be other things to mitigate outside of the plant, but inside the plant, we are making sure that it is running and that the employees are in a position to where they have no concerns for contracting the virus. 

In a statement announcing the closure on Sunday, Smithfield Foods CEO Kenneth M Sullivan said the plant processed about 130 million servings of food per week, which is estimated to be about 5 per cent of the countrys pork supply.

He said the closure of meat processing facilities across the industry was pushing the countrys meat supply perilously close to the edge.

It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running. These facility closures will also have severe, perhaps disastrous, repercussions for many in the supply chain, first and foremost our nations livestock farmers. These farmers have nowhere to send their animals, he said.

Billions of dollars worth of food previously destined for restaurants, schools and stadiums have reportedly gone to waste as farmers dump fresh milk and vegetables, with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition estimating $1.32bn worth of losses from March to May.
Surge in awareness regarding the benefits of natural cosmetics, rise in Internet penetration and availability of smart gadgets propel the growth of the global cold-pressed oil market. By type, the palm oil segment held the largest market share in 2018. On the other hand, by distribution channel, the online segment would garner highest revenue share until 2026. Moreover, North America dominated the market in 2018.

Portland, OR, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the report published by Allied Market Research, the global cold-pressed oil market registered $24.62 billion in 2018, and is estimated to reach $36.40 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 5.3% from 2019 to 2026. The report provides a detailed analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive landscape, and wavering market trends.

Rise in awareness about the benefits of natural cosmetics, increase in Internet penetration and accessibility of smart gadgets propel the growth of the global cold-pressed oil market. However, high product price and lack of awareness in underdeveloped nations restrain the growth to some extent. Moreover, change in consumer preference for cost-effective mineral cosmetics product is anticipated to create innumerable opportunities in the near future.

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The global cold-pressed oil market is segmented on the basis of type, application, and distribution channel.Based on type, the market is divided into coconut oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, and sunflower seed oil. The palm oil segment contributed to nearly one-fifth of the total market share in 2018 and is expected to dominate throughout the forecast period. On the other hand, the rapeseed oil segment is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2019 to 2026.

Based on distribution channel, the market is divided into convenience stores, departmental stores, modern trade units, and online retail.The modern trade units segment accounted for nearly half of the total market revenue in 2018 and is anticipated to lead the trail by 2026. However, the online retail segment is predicted to register the fastest growth of 6.6% throughout the estimated period.

Story continues

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Based on geography, the market is analyzed across Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and LAMEA. The region across North America held the largest share in 2018, contributing to nearly half of the total market share. At the same time, the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to garner the fastest CAGR of 6.5% till 2026.

Key market players analyzed in the research include Naissance Natural Healthy Living, Freshmill Oils, The Health Home Economist, COFCO, Gramiyum Wood Pressed Cooking Oil, Wilmar International, Cargill, Statfold Seed Oil Ltd, Lala's Group, and Bunge and Archer Daniels Midland Company.

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Kate Langbroek's dream move to Italy has become a living nightmare for the radio host and her family.

After relocating to the historic city of Bologna last year, they've spent the past six weeks under lockdown inside their apartment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 54-year-old said on Wednesday she hopes her family are deported from the country so they can return to Australia, as they face more time in isolation.

Move from hell: Australian radio personality Kate Langbroek (pictured) has compared her Italian home to a 'prison' as her family enter their sixth week in isolation amid COVID-19

Until they do manage to leave Italy, Kate, her husband Peter Allen Lewis and their four children must remain inside their home, which she has compared to a 'prison'.

'We are in a lovely prison - but still a prison. Hope no one gets shanked,' Kate joked, as the family entered their third week in quarantine in March.

The Langbroek clan first moved into their traditional apartment in Bologna, which boasts views of the world-famous Piazza Maggiore central square, in early 2019.

The property boasts oak-floors, antique furniture and features a rich colour palette and patterned decor.

It also has a large foyer with antique vases and a large circular table.

Stunning: They moved into a traditional apartment in Bologna, with views of the world-famous Piazza Maggiore central square, in early 2019, long before the deadly virus started

Traditional: The property boasts oak-floors, antique furniture and rich colours and patterns. Pictured: Kate's four children Lewis, Sunday, Artie and Jan at their dining table

Wow: Kate and Peter's master bedroom features striped green and yellow wallpaper

'We are in a lovely prison - but still a prison. Hope no one gets shanked,' wrote Kate to Instagram as the family entered their third week in quarantine in March

Kate and Peter's master bedroom features striped green and yellow wallpaper, patterned floral sheets and stunning views of Bologna.

They share a courtyard with neighbours, which they've been able to briefly use.

The family have been keeping active by cooking meals together and baking.

As of Wednesday, Italy has had 165,155 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 21,645 deaths. So far, just 38,092 people in the country have recovered.

During their brief trips out to stock up on supplies, Kate and her husband have run into trouble with the local police, and have struggled with the language barrier.

Pandemic: Kate and her family have spent six weeks under lockdown now, as Italy fights to prevent the spread of COVID-19. She has been home schooling her four children

Fresh air: They share a courtyard with neighbours, which they've been able to briefly use

Feasts: The family have been keeping active by cooking meals together and baking

Speaking to Fox FM's Hughsey and Ed on Wednesday, Kate said she's so frustrated with Italy's extreme coronavirus rules she hopes her family are deported.

Kate, who regularly appears on the show to give updates on her life in Bologna, recently revealed that her husband Peter, 44, had a run-in with local police for supposedly breaking lockdown rules by riding his bike.

'[The police] held him up for 40 minutes,' Kate said of the incident.

'They basically interrogated him and gave him a piece of paper (which he signed) even though it was in Italian, and he couldn't understand it. It said he's being sued by the police,' she added.

'It's the only way we'll get out of here': On Wednesday, Kate said she hopes her family are deported from Italy after nasty run-in with the police during coronavirus lockdown

Kate continued: ''I laughed and said: "Good, I hope they deport us. It's the only way we can get out of here!'''

The mother-of-four went on to reveal that she and Peter also had a run-in with police on Good Friday.

The couple were walking to the shops to buy Easter eggs when they were stopped by police who said they couldn't be outside together.

'I was so annoyed. I hate the one size fits all rule,' raged Kate.

'They basically interrogated him': Kate revealed that her husband Peter, 44, (right) recently had a run-in with local police for supposedly breaking lockdown rules by riding his bike
Greenpeace says todays Ministry for the Environment report, Our Freshwater 2020, clearly shows that New Zealands rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis.

The report cites the shift to intensive dairying, including increasing cow numbers and synthetic fertiliser use, as activities causing major water pollution alongside faulty urban and stormwater infrastructure.

Greenpeace agriculture campaigner Gen Toop says the report underscores the need for strong new rules to protect water, and a plan to transition New Zealand to regenerative farming.

Every New Zealander deserves to swim in clean rivers and drink safe water without fear of becoming sick, she says.

Not only are a majority of our lakes and rivers unswimmable, theyre increasingly uninhabitable for the native fish and animals that call them home, with 76 per cent of our native freshwater fish at risk of extinction.

Concerningly, we are also seeing nitrate and pathogen pollution rising in many areas, posing serious risks to human health.

Greenpeace is calling on the Government to bring in the long-awaited new regulations to protect freshwater, including a cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.

Covid-19 has shown us that we need to protect the things that keep us healthy and well, and that includes clean freshwater, Toop says.

This latest report should serve as a good reminder to the Government that it has a major opportunity, and responsibility, to accelerate the clean-up of our lakes, rivers and drinking water, through its infrastructure and stimulus package.

Greenpeace has released a Green Covid Response package, which has been presented to Government ministers. It calls for a billion dollar regenerative farming fund to help farmers adopt lower-polluting practices, as well as helping to fund the fencing and planting of streams and wetland restoration.

It also calls for major investment in upgrading and modernising the urban stormwater and wastewater network.

Through strong new water rules, like a cap on synthetic fertiliser and major Government support for regenerative farming, we can build a New Zealand where everyone can swim in clean rivers and access safe drinking water, now and into the future.
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North Korea Hackers Pose 'Significant Threat' to Global Finances, US Warns

By Jeff Seldin April 15, 2020

Banks and other financial institutions could soon find themselves in the crosshairs of North Korean hackers, according to a warning issued Wednesday by U.S. officials.

The advisory, issued by the State, Treasury and Homeland Security departments and the FBI, did not give a reason for the timing of the guidance, which came a day after Pyongyang carried out its latest missile test.

U.S. military officials Tuesday downplayed the risk from North Korea's test launch of short-range ballistic missiles, suggesting it might have been tied to the country's celebration of the birthday of its founder, Kim Il Sung.

But Wednesday's advisory warned that North Korea's ongoing cyber activities "pose a significant threat to the integrity and stability of the international financial system."

It also warned that North Korean hackers have "the capability to conduct disruptive or destructive cyber activities affecting U.S. critical infrastructure."

Reaction to advisory

A State Department spokesperson said Wednesday's advisory is part of the government's ongoing efforts to share threat information.

"It is vital to stay vigilant and to work together to mitigate the cyber threat posed by North Korea," the spokesperson told VOA. "This advisory collates the information on existing U.S. government resources in one place and provides a policy overview and recommended steps to counter the North Korean cyber threat."

But some private cybersecurity companies say the latest U.S. advisory suggests North Korea may be branching out by offering their cyber services to third parties.

"Though we knew that these operators were involved in freelancing and other commercial activity such as software development we had no evidence that they were carrying out intrusions and attacks on behalf of anyone other than the North Korean regime," John Hultquist, the senior director of intelligence analysis for FireEye Mandiant Threat Intelligence, told VOA in an email.

"It is rare for us to find evidence of state actors carrying out criminal side operations with the government's knowledge," Hultquist added. "Ultimately, this is yet more evidence that North Korea is heavily invested in their cyber capability and taking every opportunity to leverage and monetize it."

Previous accusations

Concerns about the potency of Pyongyang's cyber activities are not new.

The U.S. blames North Korea for the November 2014 cyberattack on Sony Pictures; has accused Pyongyang-linked actors of being behind campaigns to steal tens of millions of dollars from banks and automated teller machines; and has accused them of developing the WannaCry 2.0 ransomware that infected computers in more than 150 countries.

More recently, a U.N. report found North Korean hackers had generated $2 billion to offset money lost because of sanctions for its nuclear program.

State Department Correspondent Cindy Saine contributed to this report.

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The maneuver is routine in the Senate to prevent presidents from making recess appointments, which they can do if the Senate is in recess for 10 days or more.

The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty the American people cant afford during this crisis, Mr. Trump said on Wednesday. They have been warned.

If the Senate did not do his bidding, Mr. Trump said, he would use the very strong power afforded to him by the Constitution to force an adjournment. He appeared to be referring to Article II of the Constitution, which gives the president the power to adjourn Congress until a time of his choosing if the House and Senate are unable to agree on when they should go out of session.

But there is currently no disagreement between the two chambers  they have already agreed to adjourn on Jan. 3, 2021  and the office of Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, suggested in a statement on Wednesday evening that he was not inclined to change that.

A spokesman said that Mr. McConnell had spoken with the president earlier in the day about Senate Democrats unprecedented obstruction of his nominees and that he shared Mr. Trumps frustration with the process.
Squatters at Old Fadama, a slum community in Accra, have been compelled to sleep in the open after their makeshift homes were demolished by Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Wednesday.



Photos of the squatters sleeping rough raise questions by a claim by city authorities that temporary homes would be provided for the affected squatters.



Over 1,000 slum-dwellers at the Old Fadama in Accra, were rendered homeless, after the AMA demolished wooden structures that served as their homes to pave way for the dredging of the Korle Lagoon.



Speaking to Joy News Kwesi Parker-Wilson shortly after the demolition, some of the affected residents were of the view that the Assembly should have exercised patience until the restrictions on movement was lifted in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.



Watch photos of the squatters sleeping rough on Wednesday evening.

Source: Joy News









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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PNC Online Banking Latest: Taxpayers in America recently received their stimulus checks as the coronavirus pandemic continues to endanger the whole world. While the recipients were joyous of the financial aid amid the weakened economy, several problems among the online servers of major banks left many unable to access the funds they were hopeful for.

Users shared their experiences on Twitter only to find out that there were plenty of others who had the same issues with their logins. Majors banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Us Bank, PNC, and Capital all have had connection problems while their customers were trying to login.

Down Detector, a website that tracks other websites that are currently out or experiencing errors confirmed the service complications that the banks mentioned above have been trying to fix. The events happened at nearly the same time that IRS encountered problems of their own.

Several tweets below show users sharing their grievances on the ordeal.

My banking app wont let me log in so I'm gonna assume it has something to do with this stimulus money hitting, but if it's not I'm gonna be so annoyed lmao  great value Red Sonja (@c0rpsemaster) April 15, 2020

@ChaseSupport My roommate and I both cannot access our (separate) bank accounts. Weve tried both online and through the app and both are saying this service is not available right now when trying to log in  Lisa (@lisapizza93_) April 15, 2020

What are they doing about the issue?

One representative from JPMorgan Chase admitted that the server problems were caused by the massive influx of users trying to log in at the same time. They stressed the servers themselves had no issues whatsoever, and they were currently looking into it.

Another bank, US Bank, also announced they were having the same issues with their online services due to the volume of login attempts. The company stated it was aware of the problem and was investigating it as well.

I don't normally come on here to rant about businesses, but I'd like to say, @usbank really put the nail on the coffin with the system being down. I was on the fence about switching banks, but now I definitely am.  Stephanie Stephen (@stephstephen23) April 15, 2020

This is pretty much everyday now with @usbank pic.twitter.com/fR57vM9jGJ  Josh Joslin (@JoshJoslin) April 15, 2020

Capital One, another major bank in America, wasn't spared either. Similarly, the bank shared their insights on Twitter, stating that "some customers may be temporarily experiencing issues accessing online and mobile accounts. We are working on getting things back up and running as quickly as possible," it said.

@CapitalOne is the website down? I've been having trouble logging in all morning?  Nelson Nantanapibul (@thereelnerd) April 15, 2020

@CapitalOne How am I suppose to submit a payment/payments that are due tomorrow if your website or apps won't work. Seriously...some communication would be great  Kellie (@HokieGurl08) April 15, 2020

PNC Bank was no exception, as some users also posted their problems with the bank. The bank, based in Pittsburgh, also posted on Twitter they are aware of the problem and are engaging it through their technology team to get it resolved as quickly as possible.

Good morning to everyone except PNC cause their mobile banking app is down  lex. (@lexamillionn) April 15, 2020

Read Also: South Korea: A Look Into How To Hold Political Voting Amid Coronavirus Threat

What's a stimulus check exactly?

A stimulus check is a financial aid given to taxpayers to urge spending in the hopes of helping the economy grow. This is by having the recipient use the money to purchase from retailers and manufacturers, pushing the economy.

There have been plenty of instances where stimulus checks have been given out. The amount that is given to each person is different and is based on their filing status. Also, joint taxpayers will receive double the usual amount had they filed separately. For anyone who had unpaid back taxes would see an automatic application of their stimulus checks to whatever outstanding balance they have.

The US government announced they would issue guidelines about opening up the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. An amount of up to $1,200 would be received per person and will be transferred to their bank accounts. This was done in response to the severe impact the global virus has had in dwindling the dominant economy of the US.

Tune in for more PNC Online Banking Updates

Read Also: SpaceX Continues Launch Of Satellites To Support Globally Accessible Broadband Internet
NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vent Multiplexor, LLC (www.ventmultiplexor.com) and Yale New Haven Hospital announced today that the Food and Drug Administration has granted Emergency Use Authorization for the Vent Multiplexor, a life-saving emergency rescue device developed by Vent Multiplexor LLC in collaboration with Yale New Haven Hospital. The Vent Multiplexor is a patent-pending device designed to provide individualized emergency crisis care for two adult patients requiring mechanical ventilation when limited to a single mechanical ventilator. The FDA Emergency Use Authorization comes just over a week after Yale New Haven Hospital successfully deployed the Vent Multiplexor to co-ventilate two critically ill COVID-19 patients with different disease states, different lung sizes, and different tidal volume requirements, all while accurately measuring lung compliance of both patients in real time, a dramatic advancement in co-ventilation technology.

On April 1, 2020, in accordance with the Emergency Use Authorization for the emergency use of medical devices, including alternative products used as medical devices, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vent Multiplexor LLC requested the addition of the Vent Multiplexor on the list of emergency use products authorized by the FDA. The EUA review was conducted by a cross-disciplinary team at the FDA's Office of Health Technology. Vent Multiplexor, LLC President, Todd Higgins, thanked the FDA review team for their support and the around-the-clock effort to expedite the Emergency Use Authorization for the Vent Multiplexor. "When the history of the COVID-19 pandemic is finally written, there will be a long list of heroes to thank. Included among them will be the dedicated public servants at the FDA quietly doing our Nation's work in partnership with the private sector to ensure that lifesaving innovation quickly finds its way to the frontline." With FDA authorization in place, Vent Multiplexor LLC will focus its attention on quickly ramping up production while also beginning work with partners in countries around the world where looming medical equipment shortages threaten a wave of humanitarian crises. Mr. Higgins explained, "Ultimately, we are all part of a global community. The call to action is for all of us to do everything in our power to help wherever that help is needed. We intend to answer the call."

Thomas Balcezak, MD, Yale New Haven Health's Chief Clinical Officer and EVP welcomed the FDA authorization. "Yale New Haven Hospital is proud to have collaborated with Vent Multiplexor LLC and other groups on the development and successful trial of new technologies. We are committed to doing everything in our power to bring urgently needed new technologies and treatments to the community in the fight against COVID-19." Dr. Peter Kahn, MD, Medical Director for Vent Multiplexor LLC, applauded the collaboration with YNHH and its leadership at the forefront of emergency crisis care during the Covid-19 pandemic. "We are immensely grateful for the tireless efforts of the entire team at YNHH and their unwavering support for the rapid development of the Vent Multiplexor. This would not have been possible without them."

The successful deployment of the Vent Multiplexor, which was initially developed by two of the co-founders of Vent Multiplexor LLC, Brian Beitler and Tim Foldy-Porto, both of whom are students at Yale University, followed days of pre-clinical testing of the device, which is designed to control the individualized delivery of tidal volumes for two adult patients during emergency co-ventilation. Jonathon Siner, MD, Medical Director-Medical Intensive Care Unit for Yale New Haven Hospital and Associate Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, who led the COVID-19 critical care deployment of the device for YNHH, welcomed the Vent Multiplexor as an "important new tool" in the fight to deliver life-saving rescue care. Dr. Siner explained, "while we continue to hope for lower than predicted volumes of COVID-19 patients, we continue our planning for worst case projections. The Vent Multiplexor will help us to maintain critical care capacity during the pandemic and make a real impact in the MICU." Dr. Elaine Fajardo, MD, Medical Director of Respiratory Medicine and Assistant Professor at Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, who oversaw development of the clinical protocols for the Vent Multiplexor at YNHH and the implementation with patients, added that "enhanced strategies for co-ventilation are a crucial component in contingency planning for emergency critical care as possible ventilator shortages emerge in health care systems. New technologies like the Vent Multiplexor are a critical part of the path forward as we work to save as many lives as possible. And we are happy that we can participate in their development."

Additional Information on the Vent Multiplexor

The Vent Multiplexor is a patent-pending co-ventilation device developed in Connecticut by Vent Multiplexor LLC, in collaboration with YNHH, as an emergency rescue device intended to provide individualized temporary rescue mechanical ventilation until an additional ventilator is available to resume single mechanical ventilation or as soon as respiratory recovery is attained in either patient. The Vent Multiplexor has the potential to help reduce the clinical need for ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it permits the emergency sharing of ventilators between two patients who are not equally matched, by delivering individualized tidal volumes, while also providing critical validation data on the quality of patient matching using existing "T-connector" and similar ventilator splitting technologies, a potentially revolutionary paradigm shift in the delivery of pandemic emergency respiratory care.

On April 1, 2020, in accordance with the Emergency Use Authorization ("EUA") for the emergency use of medical devices, including alternative products used as medical devices, during the COVID-19 pandemic, issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for the emergency use of ventilators, anesthesia gas machines modified for use as ventilators, and positive pressure breathing devices modified for use as ventilators (collectively referred to as "ventilators"), ventilator tubing connectors, and ventilator accessories, Vent Multiplexor LLC requested the addition of the Vent Multiplexor on the list of authorized products included on Appendix B of the EUA. On April 2, 2020, The FDA confirmed that the EUA request for the Vent Multiplexor was submitted to the Office of Health Technology 1 (OHT 1: Ophthalmic, Anesthesia, Respiratory, ENT & Dental Devices) for review. The FDA formally issued the EUA for the Vent Multiplexor on April 15, 2020.

The Vent Multiplexor is manufactured using 3-D printing technology and requires little production lead time. Vent Multiplexor LLC anticipates that thousands of units will be made available for distribution as needed for emergency crisis care use during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on the Vent Multiplexor, please contact Vent Multiplexor LLC at [email protected].

For Vent Multiplexor LLC Media Inquiries:

Ben Sosenko, 916-529-3641; [email protected]

For Yale New Haven Health Media Inquiries:

Mark D'Antonio 203-506-5648; [email protected]

SOURCE Vent Multiplexor LLC

Related Links

http://ventmultiplexor.com


Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Ahmed el Tayyeb has greeted Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Diocese and all Copts on the the occasion of the Holy Week leading to Easter.

El Tayyeb on Thursday made a phone call to the pontiff, in which they prayed for Allah to protect Egypt and save its people and end all plights.

The imam praised the strong close bonds between the nations Muslims and Christians who set the perfect example of solidarity, particularly amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus worldwide.

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The coronavirus medical test equipment being procured by India from China to combat the pandemic gathered pace on Thursday as 6.50 lakh Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits were dispatched to the country.

In a tweet, India's Ambassador to China, Vikram Misri said the medical kits were dispatched early on Thursday from Guangzhou Airport in southern China.

"#IndiaFightsCoronavirus A total of 650,000 kits, including Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits have been despatched early today from Guangzhou Airport to #India," Misri tweeted.

Over two million test kits being procured from China will be sent to India in the next 15 days, Misri told PTI here.

The Rapid Antibody Test Kits deliver results in 15 minutes and work on blood samples instead of nasal swabs to tell whether a patient has ever been exposed to the novel virus. The RNA extraction kit enables the total RNA extraction from tissues. This extracted RNA is a mix of a person's own genetic material and, if present, the coronavirus' RNA.

Two major consignments of the medical kits were reported to have been sent to India from China earlier as part of the efforts to step up testing especially in hotspots during the ongoing lockdown in the country.

On Tuesday, Misri told the media here that India has placed orders to procure 15 million personal protection gear from China for medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients, besides three million testing kits.

The orders are being placed with bonafide firms with the help of the Chinese government.

"I think facilitation of our needs and our requirements in a timely manner, in a smooth manner, on a predictable timeline at prices that are stable and orderly, would be the best signal possible to send for the India-China relationship," Misri said.

As its factories resumed operations after over a two-month grim battle against the coronavirus, China is busy tapping into the vast business opportunities of export of key medical goods, especially ventilators and personal protection equipment (PPE), across the world, including India, where both private and government bodies are placing orders for the import of these products.

India has extended its ongoing lockdown to fight the coronavirus till May 3. It has reported 414 deaths due to the disease and 12,380 people have been infected by the disease in the country.

Considering the importance, Misri said the Indian embassy is facilitating commercial procurements besides coordinating flight linkages for their timely arrival in India.

As demand for Chinese medical supplies scaled up due to the spread of the virus in several parts of world, China on Wednesday asked all the countries to import these items through reputed Chinese firms cleared by the government and vowed to punish those involved in counterfeit behaviour.

Responding to questions about quality concerns raised by several countries related to medical equipment imports from China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Wednesday that the Chinese government is facilitating the orderly exports.

"We hope foreign buyers can choose products from companies that have been accredited by Chinese regulators with good production credentials," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kathmandu, April 16

As different groups of Nepalis living abroad have demanded that the government evacuate them to the homeland during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the government has finally begun collecting data about the citizens who are in grave problems due to the crisis.

In particular, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has begun collecting data about the migrant workers stranded due to the crisis, according to the ministrys spokesperson Suman Ghimire. He says the information about the Nepalis who need immediate humanitarian assistance is being collected via concerned Nepali diplomatic agencies.

Once the detailed information is collected, the government will take an appropriate decision, according to him. Maybe we can rescue, or maybe we can manage them differently, he says, We will make efforts to address their concerns.

The government has estimated that around 100,000 workers need either repatriation or other management options.

Officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have also said they are also trying to assess the situation. However, it will be almost impossible to repatriate all of them, according to the ministry.

Various embassies have already begun sending the data to the ministry. They are under pressure as various countries had begun ordering the undocumented workers to leave the countries.
MBABANE - Government has relaxated the partial lockdown regulations on businesses as 15 more sectors will now be allowed to operate from today. The partial lockdown was first announced 20 days ago as means to fight the spread of the coronavirus.



This was reveald by the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, at Cabinet Offices yesterday.

This means over and above essential businesses that were operating in the past 20 days after the initial partial lockdown was announced, non-essential businesses that will operate are only those classified as low-risk.



Khumalo explained that the reason they were calling them low-risk businesses was because they had less risk of people spreading the virus, provided they fully applied the measures put forward by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO).



Regulations



The reason for the relaxation of the regulations was meant to assist the economy not to collapse while on partial lockdown.

This is so that people would be able to survive as they will be able to put food on the table in the process, Minister Khumalo said.



The added businesses comprise car wash businesses, construction, craft vendors, food vendors, stationery shops, car dealerships, warehousing, agents and consultants, photographic studios, workshops and repairs, cleaning services, dry cleaners, driving schools, breakdown services, hawkers, furniture shops, manufacturers and clothing shops.



Only those manufacturers who would observe the WHO and Ministry of Health guidelines would be allowed to operate while clothing shops were going to operate only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The reason clothing shops were allowed to continue operating, according to Khumalo, was to allow people to purchase clothes for the winter seasons. They are expected to operate between 10am and 3pm on the mentioned days.



All the added businesses are expected to contact the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade and obtain permits that will ensure that their interpretation of low-risk non-essential service is aligned to what has been articulated (by government), stated Khumalo.

However, businesses dealing in cross-border trade will still be required to produce a permit at the border.



He further stated that municipalities and law enforcement agents were going to continue ensuring that appropriate controls were exercised and that the guidelines were adhered to.



Khumalo emphasised that all businesses that would operate have to adhere strictly to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health guidelines. These, he said, included social distancing as well as the sanitation of workplaces and clients. Wearing of masks, he said, was recommended to minimise the risk of transmission.



Khumalo stated that the businesses which were not allowed to operate had a high risk of transmitting the virus. This, he said, was because they involved a lot of contact which was not recommended by WHO.
Police in Pakistan on Thursday gunned down two terrorists during an encounter in the country's restive northwest.

The Counter Terrorism Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police conducted a security operation in the Swat district after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in the area.

Two terrorists were gunned down in the encounter. The police also seized huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession.

In a separate incident, two Afghan nationals were killed and three injured in hand grenade attack in tribal district South Waziristan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Newser)  The Navy captain removed from command this month after warning about a coronavirus outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt might be able to rejoin his admiring crew. Adm. Michael Gilday is reviewing the results of a preliminary investigation into Capt. Brett Crozier's removal, and while no decision has been made, he's indicated Crozier could be reinstated, Defense Department officials tell the New York Times. Crozier was removed by then-acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly after alerting Navy personnel to the outbreak in an email leaked to the media. Modly, who accused Crozier of acting outside of the chain of command, resigned days later after traveling to Guam and belittling the ousted Crozier in an address to the ship's crew.

story continues below

Crozier is likely to be reinstated if Gilday finds his superiors did not adequately respond to earlier requests for help, officials say. "I am taking no options off the table as I review that investigation," Gilday told reporters. "That is my responsibility." It's unclear if President Trump would interfere with any decision. He said he supported Crozier's removal. But he also said Crozier's "career prior to that was very good" and "I don't want to destroy somebody for having a bad day." Crozier ultimately tested positive for COVID-19, along with 615 crew members, more than 350 of whom are asymptomatic, per NBC News. Some 92% of the crew had been tested as of last week. (One sailor has died.)
Read what is in the news today:

Society

 Vietnam on Thursday morning reported the 268th case of coronavirus infection, a 16-year-old girl of an ethnic minority living in the mountainous province of Ha Giang, which borders China.

 The Department of Construction of Hanoi has allowed all construction works in the city to resume from Thursday, April 16, after a ban from April 1 to 15 during the social distancing period that has been extended by one week for the capital, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and nine other provinces.

 Eateries and catering stores in the central city of Da Nang are allowed to provide online and take-away services from Thursday after a required closure from April 1 to 15 during the social distancing period.

 The Government Office has proposed adding freelance tour guides to the list of people who will enjoy benefits of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs measures to support people facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Business

 The Ministry of Transport denied formulating a protection policy for national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines in an announcement on Wednesday night on solutions for supporting and resolving difficulties for Vietnamese aviation enterprises to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

 The Ministry of Industry and Trade and its finance counterpart have been requested to report to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the implementation of exporting 400,000 metric tons of rice in April, after the media reported that enterprises had not received sufficient information and faced difficulties in customs procedures.

 Vietnam Airlines and budget carrier Jestar Pacific have increased their services between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from Thursday, under the administration and licensing of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

Education

 Many provinces and cities in Vietnam have extended school closures until at least the end of April due the complicated development of COVID-19.

 Education officials in the southern province of Binh Phuoc are working to verify videos uploaded to Facebook on Wednesday afternoon that capture a violent fight involving two groups of teenage girls near a local high school on the same day.

World News

 The novel coronavirus has infected nearly 2,083,000 people and killed more than 134,600 around the world, according to statistics. More than 510,100 patients have recovered worldwide.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The House of Representatives and stakeholders in the power sector have agreed to set up a joint implementation committee on the proposed two-month free power supply to Nigerians.

The free electricity is part of the stimulus package aimed at alleviating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerians.

The House of Representatives had announced its decision to consider a fresh Stimulus Bill that will ensure that Nigerians get free electricity supply for two months.

In a statement Thursday, the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the joint panels mandate is to work out modalities for the proposed two-month bill waiver for the most vulnerable people in the country.

Mr Gbajabiamila said the panel is also expected to identify the group of Nigerians to benefit from the free power supply, the number of households connected to the national grid as well as find the way forward for regular power supply to Nigerians after the COVID-19 crisis.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, the speaker said the essence of the meeting was to proffer means of alleviating the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 on Nigerians during and after the crisis period through the supply of power.

At the meeting were the Minister of Power, Mamman Sale; the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), James Momoh; Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), Marilyn Amobi, as well as representatives of Distribution Companies.

Also at the meeting were the Leader of the House, Alhassan Doguwa; Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno; Deputy Leader, Peter Akpatason; Deputy Chief Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, and the Chairman, House Committee on Power, Magaji Dau-Aliyu, among others.

We are here to find out how we go about it. Im happy that in my previous engagements with the NNPC GMD, he was very interested, the Speaker said.

Whatever the issues are within the power supply chain, they have to be dealt with and set aside, but how we deal with the issue at stake is why we are here today.

This is not about technicalities or blaming any part of the power supply value chain; it is just about how we find a solution.

The objective is very simple: we are asking people to stay at home for several days or weeks, so we need to make their stay at home comfortable. We need to help the poorest of the poorest at this time in Nigeria.

How we go about it is why we are here today. So, the mandate is very simple with all the stakeholders here. I believe that the best stimulus that we can give our people right now is the supply of electricity to the very vulnerable households.

Even if we agree that this proposal as an investment scheme according to the power sector stakeholders, I think we need to keep our eyes on the ball. What is that ball? Get to the end-user, who is the beneficiary of that investment scheme

I wouldnt want to look at it as the DisCos or GenCos or even the Transmission Company as the beneficiaries. For me, the ultimate beneficiary is the Nigerian people.

If that is what the investment scheme takes, to supply power, it may not be 100 per cent, but lets say 70 or 80 per cent, then we would have succeeded.

So, we set up a group that will look into all the possibilities and implications and come up with a solution, so that the Nigerian poor can be taken care of during this period.

The Speaker, however, expressed his disappointment over the non-existence of the Power Consumer Assistance Fund by NERC.

He said the Fund would have served the purpose it was meant for, at this point, if it were in existence.

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After being informed that the fund has not been set up, the Speaker citing Section 83 of the Electricity Power Sector Act said, We have broken the law because the law mandated it; it is not optional. It is the Act that mandated its establishment.

If that had been set up, way back, perhaps we would have had the fund with which to assist this proposal. This is the kind of time that this fund was anticipating.

I think we should look into setting up this fund because we dont know when next this kind of issue may come up.

In his remarks, the Minister of Power, Mr Sale, said the Executive arm is ready to contribute its part to the success of the proposal.

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We will give all the support as well as technical advice toward the realization of this objective. We are ready whenever our input is needed.

On his part, the NNPC GMD, Mr Kyari, who noted that the issue of gas supply to the GenCos is critical to power supply in the country, said the proposal is workable if the issue of who is to carry the burden of cost and margins in the supply value chain is settled and agreed on by all the parties.

Saying that note had to be taken of the actual beneficiaries of the two-month free supply palliative because not every Nigerian falls into the category of the poorest, Mr Kyari pointed out that the existence of the industrial sector should be of concern at the end of the crisis period.

Mr Kyari said though 100 per cent uninterrupted power supply is impossible because not enough is generated due to the COVID-19 crisis, he assured that gas supply would not be an issue, as 100 per cent supply is guaranteed once the debt issue is addressed.

The DisCos assured that they can deliver the mandate as soon as all the details were worked out and agreed on.
*** FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE *** New private-hire vehicle service Kapten calls out rival Uber in new ad campaign which launched in London today. The new ad campaign takes a witty swipe at rival Uber, calling them out for not paying local taxes. The Kapten app launched in the capital today with 50% discount on all rides.

French ride-hailing company Chauffeur-Prive rebranded to Kapten just last year. At the time, the company had big expansion plans to compete with Uber in Europe across multiple markets. But Kapten is now going to merge with Free Now, another app from the same company  following this move, there will be a restructuring plan.

Kapten has had a rough corporate journey, so fasten your seat belt. Daimler AG acquired Kapten back in December 2017. More recently, Daimler AG and BMW Group agreed to merge their urban mobility services into a single holding company. Both German car manufacturers own a 50% stake each in five joint ventures  Reach Now, Charge Now, Park Now, Free Now and Share Now.

Free Now was originally created as the parent company of mytaxi, Kapten, Clever Taxi and Beat. Mytaxi then rebranded to Free Now and started using Free Now as the name of the service. As the original name of the company suggests, Free Now (the app) lets you hail a taxi and pay for a ride from your phone.

Kapten, however, is a direct Uber competitor. It operates a marketplace of independent professional drivers  not taxi drivers. The service is currently live in Paris, Lyon, Nice, Cannes, London, Lisbon and Porto.

Last year, Kapten said it wanted to operate in 15 major cities by 2020. There was no plan to merge Daimler AGs and BMW Groups ride-hailing services as it was time for growth.

It launched its service in Geneva but shut down six months later. The parent company announced internally that Kapten would merge with Free Now in late 2019  before the coronavirus crisis.

The merger should happen this year. As a result, there will be a single brand, a single app and a single team with Marc Berg at the helm.

According to the company, Free Now is in a difficult financial position. There will be a restructuring plan across the entire European team. There will be local teams, but the company will centralize tech teams in Hamburg, Berlin and Barcelona  the company will stop further investments in the tech hub in Paris.

Correction: An earlier version of the article mistakenly stated that Free Now would shut down the tech hub in Paris. The company will stop investments in the tech hub in Paris, but it isn't shutting it down.
Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all.

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THIS STORY IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED. IT'S REDIRECTED TO:

https://laist.com/mt/admin?__mode=view&_type=entry&blog_id=1&id=87003

Note on the data you see when clicking on a bubble: Confirmed cases include presumptive positive cases | Recovered cases outside China are estimates based on local media reports, and may be substantially lower than the true number | Active cases = total confirmed - total recovered - total deaths.

UPDATED: April 27, 1:55 p.m.

Jump to: California | Worldwide | SoCal Counties | Analysis

WHERE WE STAND

As of Monday afternoon, L.A. County has 942 deaths and at least 20,417 confirmed cases of coronavirus, reflecting 29 new deaths and another 900 new cases.

The U.S. is among a number of countries experiencing large-scale epidemics. The map above shows cumulative confirmed cases, deaths and recoveries and is updated in near real-time throughout the day. Zoom out to see more of the world.

Below are the recent totals for the United States and the nine other countries reporting the most confirmed cases of COVID-19. Italy, Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Iran are all reporting more confirmed cases than China, where the outbreak began late last year, but whose reported numbers have since greatly slowed.

These numbers are changing rapidly and experts have warned that confirmed cases are far under the actual total of infected individuals. For more detail check the full tracker, which includes death tolls and projections of cases on the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering site. Engineers there are collecting data from:

IN CALIFORNIA

Wednesday, April 22 marked the deadliest 24 hours of coronavirus in the state.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom reported Thursday that 115 people died the previous day, underscoring the vital responsibility to stay home and limit the spread of the virus.

[A previous version of this story incorrectly gave the number of deaths reported that day as 1,469, which was the total deaths at that point. LAist regrets the error.]

Earlier this month, Newsom announced a framework of six parameters he says it will take to reopen the state's economy. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a similar five-pillar plan.

Statewide, our friends on the L.A. Times data desk are tracking cases in California by surveying "numbers released by the dozens of local health agencies across the state." As of about 1:00 p.m. Monday, the newspaper is reporting California has:

43,942 confirmed cases

confirmed cases 1,725 deaths

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.

If you hit a paywall on the L.A. Times full tracker, please consider subscribing. They have a $1 for eight weeks special.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT A GLANCE

Latest updates as of Monday afternoon, April 27

LA COUNTY

19,567 cases

cases 916 deaths

*NOTE: L.A. County's total cases and deaths do not always include the latest numbers from Long Beach and Pasadena. Our numbers reflect the best available information at this time.

L.A. County public health officials are now providing a demographic breakdown of the deaths so far. [We have added overall demographic estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau for comparison.]

Here's what they reported Monday about the 865 deaths for which they have demographic information available (note, these percentages have shown very little movement this week):

14% African American [9% of county residents]

African American [9% of county residents] 18% Asian [15.4% of county residents]

Asian [15.4% of county residents] 37% Latino or Latina [48.6% of county residents]

Latino or Latina [48.6% of county residents] 28% White [26.1% of county residents]

White [26.1% of county residents] 1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 1% identified as belonging to a different race or ethnicity

ORANGE COUNTY

2,126 cases

cases 39 deaths

More from Orange County

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

1,751 cases

cases 82 deaths

More from San Bernardino County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

3,563 cases

cases 118 deaths

* More from Riverside County

Latest updates as of Friday afternoon, April 24

VENTURA COUNTY

497 cases

cases 17 deaths

* More from Ventura County

FLATTEN THE CURVE

As new cases continue to be confirmed, Californians are continuing to be under "safer at home" and "social distancing" orders. State and county officials have ordered the vast majority of Californians to strictly limit interactions with other people, wash hands frequently, and stay 6 feet away from others.

Remember, the goal of social distancing is to "flatten the curve" of COVID-19's spread.

HERE'S A LOOK AT CALIFORNIA AND LA COUNTY ARE DOING

These embeddable maps come from the JSK Journalism Fellowships at Stanford University and the Big Local News group, in partnership with the Google News Initiative.

NOTE: The confirmed case and fatality totals below may not be updated as frequently as the totals you see above. You can explore other counties, states and the U.S. on the whole at COVID-19 Case Mapper.

HOW CALIFORNIA CASES COMPARE

SOME STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT COVID-19



We're all living through this extraordinary and frightening pandemic. The vast majority of our newsroom has been working from home (here's some advice on that) since March 11 to bring you calm, helpful reporting. We are answering your questions and taking more.
- Spanish actor Alvaro Morte addressed his supporters from the Philippines

- He sent a short but meaningful message amid the novel coronavirus pandemic

- It happened during the video-conference call between him and the members of Philippine press

- The said celebrity is known for his The Professor role in the famous series entitled Money Heist

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Alvaro Morte, one of the stars in the famous Netflix series entitled Money Heist, has delivered a special message to Filipinos amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

KAMI learned that the Spanish actor, who is known for his role as The Professor, has a lot of fans in the Philippines because of his convincing acting skills.

He recently graced a video-conference call with the Philippine press to answer some questions about one of the most watched television series in the said online streaming platform.

Before he began responding to the inquiries, Alvaro decided to greet his Filipino supporters and wished for them to have enough strength amid the community quarantine.

Id like to send all my best wishes to all of the Philippines, and all my love, and the strength for this quarantine and the times were in, he quipped.

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

In a previous article by , Itziar Ituno, the woman who portrayed Inspector Murillo in the said hit series, revealed that she tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Money Heist is a Spanish television series that revolves around the story of a gang that robbed the Royal Mint of Spain and the Bank of Spain. Its newest season was released on April 3.

Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts!

A Filipino found his own way to help frontliners amid pandemic. They had to walk an hour, an hour and a half to get to work. I mean, coming from an 8-hour shift sa hospital, tapos palalakarin mo pa yung nurse o kahit security guard. Parang hindi makatarungan, diba?  on HumanMeter!

Source: KAMI.com.gh
A group working to legalize recreational marijuana use has sued the Montana Secretary of State for permission to collect signatures electronically as measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have stymied their ability to carry out the traditional gathering process.

New Approach Montana filed its request for an injunction on April 6 in Lewis and Clark County District Court to temporarily halt the enforcement of in-person signature gathering requirements so that the group can use a third party  DocuSign, a company specializing in electronic agreements and with whom New Approach has already arranged a contract  to facilitate the process.

New Approach, which has backing from national policy groups and Washington, D.C.-based funders, seeks to both legalize marijuana use by ballot initiative, I-190, and set the age of consumption at 21 by constitutional amendment, CI-118. New Approach needs to secure 25,468 signatures for the ballot initiative, and 50,936 for the constitutional amendment to appear before voters. The group is also asking a judge delay the deadline for reaching those goals to August 3 rather than June 19, merely two months away.

Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, who is listed as a defendant in the filing along with the State of Montana, has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

"I think what were asking for is prudent and reasonable, and if we didn't think that we wouldn't be asking for it," Pepper Petersen, political director of New Approach, said Wednesday. As government agencies at the local and state levels shift their own matters toward telephonic methods in response to the pandemic, Petersen believes New Approach should be afforded the same leeway. "I think it would be hypocritical for any agency in the state to say they don't like the idea."

If New Approach is successful in court, Petersen said the new signature roundup methods would not mean less manpower is needed to reach the required totals. New Approach may end up spending the same amount on the effort, or more, Petersen said, if the group has to pay up for TV ads to grab attention, rather than reaching people in person.

"There's still going to be an army of people working on this," Petersen said.

That's all "if" Missoula District Court Judge John Larson, who has accepted jurisdiction over the case, sees things New Approach's way. Petersen said Wednesday he's not sure what the final process would look like or how it would work, although he expects it would be tailored to whatever the state will allow. Among New Approach's court filings is a layout of DocuSign's process in verifying signatures. The process meets the requirements of the state's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, which states that if "a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law," the group argues.

And while the coronavirus pandemic may be straining New Approach's ability to reach voters, Petersen said the tax revenues from recreational cannabis  20% in New Approach's ballot measure  may become enticing to fiscally-minded voters as the pandemic craters the economy.

Stapleton's office has until April 21 to respond to the lawsuit. Judge Larson has scheduled a telephonic hearing on the matter for April 28.

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The online commerce giant said its French distribution centres would close until at least 20 April.

The company said it was "puzzled" by the court's decision on Tuesday. Image copyright Reuters

Amazon is going to temporarily close its six warehouses in France after a court ordered it to stop all but essential deliveries.

An internal document sent to unions on Wednesday said the closures would last from Thursday until at least 20 April.

It added that it will use a state partial-unemployment scheme to pay the 10,000 workers employed at the warehouses, Reuters reported.

The company had been taken to court by a group of French trade unions.

On Tuesday a court in Nanterre ordered Amazon to limit deliveries to allow a thorough inspection into whether it was taking adequate precautions to protect its staff.

The court said Amazon had failed to recognise its obligations regarding the security and health of its workers. The company could have been fined 1m ($1.1m; 0.87m) per day if it had failed to comply.

In a statement released after the ruling, Amazon said: "Were puzzled by the court ruling given the hard evidence brought forward regarding security measures put in place to protect our employees."

The company added that it would appeal against the decision.

In the internal document sent to unions on Wednesday, it added: "The company is forced to suspend all production activities in all of its distribution centres in order to assess the inherent risks in the Covid-19 epidemic and take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of its employees."

What were the allegations against Amazon?

Amazon has experienced a surge in online orders globally as a result of the coronavirus pandemic - leading to increased scrutiny of its treatment of workers.

In France, labour inspectors had previously ordered Amazon to improve working conditions at five of its sites.

A legal complaint was filed against the companys French subsidiary by a group of trade unions in the country, which claimed that more than 100 workers were being forced to work in close proximity to one another.

Some of them called for the complete closure of the companys business in France. Failing that, they had asked for stricter restrictions on what kind of deliveries it could carry out.

Last month, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Amazon was putting unacceptable pressure on its workers by refusing to pay them if they didnt go into work.

And earlier in March, several hundred Amazon workers in France held a walk-out in protest against the company.

Unions argued that Amazon delivers very few groceries, while many of its deliveries are non-essential.

Richard Vives, from the CAT union, told Reuters last month: We feel really unsafe and Ive got colleagues who are coming to work feeling fearful.

Amazon has repeatedly denied claims it is not taking sufficient measures to protect its staff.

It says it has brought in stricter cleaning protocols and has ensured that "employees can keep the necessary distance from one another".

It has also said it will introduce temperature checks and face masks for staff at all of its US and European warehouses. BBC
The Alabama League of Municipalities has decided not to seek a postponement of hundreds of municipal elections scheduled for August 25.

Greg Cochran, executive director of the league, said the leagues executive committee met today and decided against trying to delay the elections because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cochran said the committee could change course after reevaluating the status of the pandemic in June.

If the committee opted to seek a postponement, it would make a request to Gov. Kay Ivey for an emergency order. Under state law, the fourth Tuesday in August every four years is the regular date for municipal elections in most cities and towns.

Many of the states largest cities have exceptions and arent scheduled for elections this year. Among those are Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Dothan, and Gadsden.

Ivey postponed the runoff in the Republican and Democratic primaries from March 31 to July 14 because of the pandemic.

Cochran said the league began receiving calls and requests about moving this years municipal elections after Ivey postponed the runoff. Cochran said the executive committee decided this morning to direct the league to take no action toward a postponement at this time.

The league would also have the option of seeking a change in the legislation setting election dates. But the legislative session is on hold because of the pandemic. It is tentatively scheduled to resume April 28 but has to end by May 18.
THE man behind the blueprint to bring Marks and Spencer to Limerick says hes no reason to believe the retailer wont come to the city.

I've no reason to believe otherwise. Obviously, its a very challenging environment in retail now. No-one knows what things are going to be like when this Covid is over. But I would of course, absolutely. Weve had the terms agreed with them, and were still pushing ahead with our plans, Michael Tiernan, Tiernan Properties, said.

It comes in a week where the city centre has been rocked by the closure of one of its biggest retailers, with department store Debenhams announcing it is closing all of its stores in Ireland.

The devastating blow has seen more than 110 jobs lost, and immediately raised questions around whether the long-awaited first branch of Marks and Spencer would come to the city.

After years of speculation, plans were unveiled last year for a major 60m development at Arthurs Quay Shopping Centre, with Tiernan Properties set to begin the planning process for a transformational redevelopment of the site, with Marks and Spencer as the anchor.

Debenhams, which previously was Roches Stores operated from a landmark location at the junction of OConnell Street and Sarsfield Street.

While its British operation is facing administration, its Irish arm is closing completely, with Debenhams Ireland set to be liquidated.

Local Fine Gael TD Kieran ODonnell had led calls for the company to consider examinership as a way to continue trading.

Mr Tiernan said there is a need to rally the troops, and ensure Project Opera and the Limerick 2030 plan is delivered.

In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, which has seen Debenhams Ireland become its most high-profile victim, Limerick Council has launched a business support programme.

In partnership with the Limerick Local Enterprise Office and Limerick Chamber, the local authority is to offer a range of initiatives, including a Shop Limerick online listing of Limerick businesses open for trading and help for those that dont already have e-commerce retail capabilities.

Companies interested in taking up the offer are asked to register their interest online at www.Limerick.ie/business or telephone 061 556000.

Debenhams closed its stores a short time after Mothers Day on March 22 in the wake of the coronavirus restrictions.

One employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was never a consideration they wouldnt be returning.

Everyone was in good form, saying we'll see you in a few weeks. People were leaving stuff in their lockers. There was never for one second any thought we wouldn't be back, the worker said.

The awful news was fed to staff by email, and the worker, who has four years service, said it was tough for colleagues to not be able to meet because of the Covid-19 lockdown.

We cannot even meet up now. A text and a phone call is nothing compared to a hug with a colleague you've worked with for four years, and you've spent so much time with. I feel so sorry for my colleagues there for 20 and 30 years who have seen a massive part of their life thrown away, they added.

Businesswoman Helen ODonnell added: It's heartbreaking for people who've worked there many years. A lot of people there would have come into Roches, trained there, and now hold senior positions in Debenhams.

Marks and Spencer declined to comment. Along with Limerick, Debenhams also has branches at Dublin, Galway, Waterford and Cork.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India and Mauritius will always stand by each other, especially in challenging times like the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The prime minister also said New Delhi will provide all possible support to Seychelles for fighting COVID-19.

He was responding to tweets by Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and Seychelles President Danny Faure thanking New Delhi for sending medical consignments to their countries to contain the spread of the killer virus.

"Thank you, Prime Minister @PKJugnauth for your warm words. India and Mauritius are united by history, culture, language and the Indian Ocean. We will always stand by each other, especially in challenging times like this," Modi tweeted.

He was responding to a tweet by Prime Minister Jugnauth thanking New Delhi for the supplies.

"I am very thankful to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for the generous donation of medical supplies from the government of India which reached Mauritius yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, by a special flight of Air India," Jugnauth tweeted.

This high mark of goodwill underscores, once again, the close bonds between Mauritius and India, he said.

The office of President Faure had also tweeted thanking India for sending medical consignments.

"Grateful to President Danny Faure for his kind words. Seychelles is a valued member of our Indian Ocean family, and an important pillar in our vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region," Modi responded.

India will provide all possible support to Seychelles for fighting COVID-19, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Remember the grammar lessons in your middle- and high-school English classes? The diagramming of sentences that categorized words and phrases, then defined the relationship between its parts? Many of us remember little more about them than the frustration and possibly the consequent, painful grade.

In so forgetting, we are not just less educated; we are less free. One can see why in last weeks Supreme Court decision of Babb v. Wilkie. The case concerned interpretation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Noris Babb, who worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs, sued under this law, claiming that several actions taken or not taken by her superiors included discrimination against her based on her age (she was born in 1960).

The relevant text of the statute said that All personnel actions affecting employees or applicants for employment who are at least 40 years of age . . . shall be made free from any discrimination based on age.

Babb argued that the text protected against any action involving age discrimination. The federal government responded that the law only offered relief if Babb could show but-for causation, meaning she had to prove that age considerations determined the VAs decisions, not just played a part in them.

In an 8-1 vote, Justice Alitos majority opinion ruled in favor of Babb. His reasoning read like an English class, consisting almost entirely of parsing matters of syntax in the statute. What really matters for present purposes, he wrote, is the way these terms [in the statute] relate to each other.

The main issue concerned the relationship the phrase All personnel actions had to the rest of the quoted text. What did the law in general require of such actions? Alito argued that if the wording based on age modified this phrase, the government would win. The government would win because based on age meant age formed the determining, but-for cause for what it modified. However, Alito denied its relationship to all personnel actions. Instead, he categorized based on age as an adjectival phrase modifying discrimination. This relationship did create a kind of but-for cause in the statute, Alito admitted. However, here it only meant that age comprised the kind of discrimination banned.

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Alito then claimed the real phrase determining All personnel actions was free from any discrimination. He categorized this portion as an adverbial phrase that modified a verb: made. [F]ree from any discrimination acted in the sentence to describe[] how a personnel action must be made. Therefore, personnel decisions must be made, absent any distinction based on age. This parsing pointed in Babbs favor. Whether age discrimination determined the outcome did not matter for whether an employer violated the law. Any taint of differential treatment in any kind of personnel actions contradicted the statute.

Throughout Alitos parsing, you may experience flashbacks to the confusion and frustration of your English classes. But the capacity to follow along with the majoritys reasoning means much more than knowing good syntax and grammar.

We live in a country dedicated to the rule of law. Laws  written commands  help fight off the twin evils of anarchy and of tyranny. They fight off anarchy because we as citizens can know the rules and can call on the governments protection through them. Laws fight off tyranny by holding governmental action only to enforcing these written commands, not adding any pernicious whim of a policeman or president.

Yet the laws capacity to rule, and thus to protect us, requires we understand it. This necessity creates an obligation on the part of those composing a law. It must communicate clearly for us and for the government to obey it truly. At the same time, we citizens must possess the capacity to understand these written commands. Both the perspective of composition and comprehension demand knowing how words and phrases work. And we only do so if we acquire and apply rules of grammar to create and to discern statutory meaning.

In a government of the people, by the people, for the people, this need becomes all the more acute. For the written rules commanding our lives and governments reach stem from our exercise of self-government. To not know how to read them is not just a failure of language for Americans. It is a failure of our popular form of rule.

English grammar may be hard for many of us. But so is self-government through the rule of law. Dust off those grammar books and start diagramming sentences. Your liberty may depend on it.

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An art gallery in Hyderabad raised Rs 5 lakh for relief work related to the coronavirus epidemic that has already infected over 13,000 persons across the country. At 8am on Tuesday, a charity auction involving 35 original artworks of 27 Hyderabad-based artists went live on Kalakriti gallerys website.

Titled Art in Isolation, the auction is expected to close on April 17, following which the amount may undergo further revision. While online auctions and art sales, and even online viewing of art works is not a new phenomenon, this is the first time that the gallery has sold any work of art online, promoter Rekha Lahoti said.

All proceeds of the auction will go to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund.

As on Thursday evening, 20 works had been sold and at least 40 art lovers had bid on works made by a range of artists working across media, including Thota Vaikuntam, Fawad Tamkanat, Laxman Aelay and Nirmala Biluka, among others.

While Vaikuntam, a National Award winner, is known for his paintings that depict the Telangana rural idiom, Tamkanat, the son of famous Urdu poet Shaz Tamkanat, is also renowned as a printmaker. Aelay was already a well known book illustrator in the Telugu literary circles before he trained professionally as an artist, while Biluka is a professor of art as well as a curator.

In all, 35 paintings of different sizes with a base price range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 380,000, had been put up in the virtual gallery for the art enthusiasts to go through and participate in the auction, Lahoti said.

Shivarama Charys chrome plated fiberglass sculptures were also put up for auction.

After the online tour  designed as though the viewer were standing inside a white cube and seeing the works on a wall  the buyer could click on a work, enter personal information, and place a bid. The estimate included the base (or minimum) price as well as the market price of the work.

For instance, A Rajeshwara Raos Kohinoor Hai Kya, an 36x30 acrylic on canvas has a base price of Rs 120,000 and a market price of Rs 225,000. His work, a riff on courtly miniatures but in a larger format and with a more modern female subject, sold for Rs 125,000 in the auction.

All the sale proceedings of the e-auction will go to the Telangana chief ministers relief fund. The buyers can issue cheques directly to the fund. Neither the artist nor the gallery will charge anything, Aelay, one of the artists whose work is in the auction, said.

The gallery has also chosen to eschew the buyers premium, Lahoti said. The buyers premium is a percentage of the hammer (or final) price that a winning bidder additionally pays in an auction.

It is a good initiative by the Telangana artists to contribute their might for a noble cause by auctioning their paintings. They have shown that artists, too, have a responsibility towards society, Hanumantha Rao Devulapalli, another popular artist from Hyderabad, who conducted exhibitions in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.

The artworks will be sent to the eventual owners once the lockdown is lifted.

(With inputs from Dhamini Ratnam)

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Doctors and nurses across the country already have faced the problem too many times during this pandemic.

A patient struggling with COVID-19, the deadly illness caused by the novel coronavirus, has to be put on a ventilator. The hospital staff doesnt know the patients wishes or who to contact to find out what they are.

This situation has led a group of health-care providers and patients-rights advocates to create a public-awareness campaign, Prepare for Your Care, to encourage people to make health-decision plans and talk to family and friends about them before they are faced with an imminent threat to their health.

One of the first steps, they say, is choosing someone who will speak for you if you become incapacitated.

Make sure that person knows theyre your medical decision-maker and that youve talked to them about your wishes, says Erika Maria Moseson, a Portland pulmonologist and the president of the Oregon Thoracic Society.

Next up is a hospital go bag, which is for both you and the hospital staff.

Help us help you, Moseson adds in a YouTube video for the campaign. While were all trying to stay home and stay safe, its important to be prepared for our care.

Prepare for Your Care, which has a website to help people work through how to think about this issue, starts with some basic recommendations: Choose and codify a medical decision-maker, share your medical-care wishes with appropriate family and friends, and prepare a go bag.

The first item on this short list can take some time, because it might lead you to think about and then draft with a professional a will and possibly a power of attorney. The last one on the list -- a collection of the things you should take with you if have to head to the hospital on short notice -- you can start compiling right now.

The go bag, according to Prepare for Your Cares guidelines, should have the following:

-- A list of your current medications and their doses (or the bottles themselves)

-- A list of phone numbers for important contacts, especially your medical decision-maker.

-- A copy of your advance directive, if you have one. (Your medical decision-maker also should have a copy of this.)

-- Written directions for pets and bills. You should also write your cellphone password on this piece of paper.

-- Necessary personal items such as glasses, hearing aids, dentures, ear plugs, sleep mask, toothbrush, change of clothes and cellphone charger.

People are pitching in and giving back in so many ways right now, and it is inspiring, University of California, San Francisco professor Dr. Rebecca Sudore said in a Prepare for Your Care statement. Getting prepared for a possible hospital stay is another way to give back to our family, friends, communities and frontline medical providers. Everyone can do their part by choosing a medical decision maker, sharing their wishes and having a Hospital Go Bag ready.

-- Douglas Perry

@douglasmperry

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At midnight, Wednesday, two ambulances stopped at the police picket at Vatika Chowk in Gurugrams Sohna road.

There were five people in each; one of the five was on a stretcher, and an IV drip was attached to his hand; the other four said they were with the sick person; the same hospital had issued documents to both patients who, to close the loop, were suffering from the same aliment.

And thats how the Gurugram police unearthed a racket that has been ferrying migrant workers to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in ambulances in violation of the ongoing national lockdown. The operation was the brainchild of Suresh Kumar from Adampur in Hisar district, who also goes by the sobriquet Doctor, although, as can be expected, he isnt one.

The 10 people being ferried in the two ambulances were migrant workers; they had paid Rs 9000 each (half in advance) to go home to Khandsa in Champaran, Bihar, almost 1200 km from Gurugram.

The policemen manning the picket tried calling the numbers of the hospital as mentioned in the documents but found out that these werent in use.

We brought all of them to the police station and questioned them individually. They revealed that they contacted a doctor in a private hospital who demanded Rs 9,000 from each person to send them home in an ambulance, said Mukesh Kumar, station house officer, Badshahpur police station

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that the interrogation led the police to Suresh Kumar

It turns out that the 10 men worked in different export houses and were all tailors. The national lockdown, declared on March 25 to fight the spread of the coronavirus disease , and extended by 19 days to May 3 on Tuesday, had forced their units to close. Jobless, the men waited it out during the first phase of the lockdown and then decided to escape home.

Kumar was working in a hospital in Sector 10 A for the last three years -- as manager, not a doctor. He was arrested on Thursday. He confessed that he used a network of ambulances to send labourers home -- after figuring out that this was a good way to make money during the lockdown.

Suresh Kumar has already sent a few ambulances to Lucknow, Agra, Bhagalpur, Gopalganj and Champaran in the last 20 days. He and the ambulance owners used to split the money, said SHO Mukesh Kumar.

The police have recovered medical prescription pads, a rubber stamp of a hospital identified as Halson hospital, which closed a few months ago (it was on Basai Road in Old Gurugram) according to Kumar.

Sixteen suspects -- four ambulance drivers, 10 migrants and two contractors -- were produced before the duty magistrate and were sent to 14-day judicial custody. Suresh Kumar will be produced in court on Friday, the police said.

Sangwan said the police are questioning Kumar because they suspect his involvement in a drugs racket that stretched from Gurugram to Bihar.

Police commissioner Muhammad Akil said ambulances attached to the mortuary in Gurugram are under the scanner and all the ambulances crossing borders will be thoroughly checked and calls made to hospitals concerned. Anyone found involved in any illegal activity will be booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code, he said.

A case under sections 120 B(conspiracy), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 420 (cheating), 467 (Forgery of valuable security), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document) of Indian Penal Code was registered at Badshahpur police station on Thursday.

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It seemed like a godsend to an unemployed former Mississippi college student: a seemingly secure job with a big federal contractor at a time when the coronavirus crisis was crashing the economy in her state and around the country.

For Brianna Flores, 22, the added plus to working at a Maximus call center meant she could do some good by giving worried callers coronavirus guidance directly from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I was unemployed and this place was hiring in the middle of a pandemic, she said. I was excited to get this job.

Brianna Flores. (Courtesy Brianna Flores.)

But when she arrived for orientation March 23 at the call center in a mall in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, she said she could see right away that the company was not practicing the CDC social distancing rules she was hired to preach.

The first day was kind of crazy, said Flores, whose job is to answer calls for the CDC and provide basic coronavirus information. We were in this chaotic training class of 70 people. For starters, we had to stand in close quarters in a long line just to enter the call center.

At the end of it, she said, were two Maximus workers wearing protective gear while checking identification and handing out badges.

But there were no social distancing precautions taken, she said. We were all talking about it. We were all saying somebody was going to come down with it.

Once inside the space the company rented, Flores said the trainees were made to sit together for a presentation before they were crammed into a room full of cubicles in close quarters to begin training.

They barely had enough room to fit us all in, let alone observe a 6 foot distance between each person, Flores said. There were no assigned seats or assigned headsets, and we were given a single bottle of cleaner to share. We had to spray our stations ourselves.

Flores said she and several other trainees spoke up about the unsafe conditions to the Maximus worker who was training them via video link.

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We were packed like sardines in the space, Flores said. She said she had no idea.

Within days of the orientation, Flores said she was forced to go into quarantine for two weeks because a trainee in her group tested positive for the coronavirus.

The irony is not lost on Flores that the information she was hired to dispense could have prevented her co-worker from getting infected.

I do think that Maximus should stay open because it provides vital information, she said. But it gets paid with taxpayer dollars, it should be held to a higher standard. It should be doing more to protect the workers.

When the story broke in the local Hattiesburg American newspaper March 31 that a Maximus trainee tested positive, the company announced that a cleanup was underway at the mall where the call center is located.

Access to the site will be limited to allow sanitation to occur and in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines, Maximus said in a statement published in the newspaper. We will suspend on-site operations until cleaning is complete.

That same day, company CEO Bruce Caswell issued a statement saying that no Maximus workers will face the difficult decision of choosing between their health and coming to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many employees will be allowed to work from home and those who cant because they are in quarantine or are ill or face family obligations can apply for paid leave, Caswell said,

For roles where employees must work on site, we are taking every precaution to ensure a safe work environment, he said.

Caswell's statement was provided to NBC News by chief Maximus spokeswoman Lisa Miles who said, in an email, she wanted to "correct the inaccuracies you've highlighted."

Miles released an additional statement Thursday that reiterated much of what Caswell said.

"In Hattiesburg, we are requiring all employees to wear face coverings when not taking phone calls," she added. "Across all of our U.S. operations, we are asking employees working in the office to wear face coverings. To this end, the Company has been awaiting fulfillment of 725,000 face coverings and some of these will arrive at our offices this week but there continues to be supply chain challenges."

NBC News has also reached out to the CDC for comment.

The Communications Workers of America, which is currently working to unionize call center workers like those at the Hattiesburg location, said Maximus must make good on its promises to protect workers.

If our tax dollars are being sent to a for-profit private contractor to inform the public about how to protect themselves from COVID-19, that company absolutely must take care of its workers and their safety, union president Chris Shelton said.

CWA was horrified to hear from Brianna that Maximus repeatedly did not observe the proper 6 feet of social distance in her training class to become a Maximus call center agent for the CDC, union attorney Alex van Schaick added.

Maximus is the nations largest provider of call services to the federal government and agencies like the CDC, as well as the biggest provider of Medicaid administrative services to state governments. It runs 11 call centers around the country and employs some 10,000 workers, most of whom make little more than minimum wage.

The company has had to contend with some poor publicity in recent years. Maximus was called out in the Netflix documentary The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez about the failures of child services in Los Angeles to protect an 8-year-old boy from his abusive mother and her boyfriend. According to the documentary, a security guard at an office run by Maximus reported the abuse to his supervisors, who failed to send along the complaint.

And Maximus has also been accused of underpaying workers in Idaho and Kansas.

In 2018, Kansas took over the processing of Medicaid applications from Maximus after discovering a tremendous backlog due to understaffing. The company was also compelled to return $10 million to the state.

Flores said she was unaware of Maximus history and that she was excited to start her new job.

Its extremely important work at this frightening time, she said. Of course, I knew that starting any new job would be a challenge under these circumstances. But I didnt feel like I had a choice. I need to pay my bills.

There is no deferment on paying the rent, she said.

Flores said shes now working happily from home. But she worries for co-workers who arent as lucky.

Im trying to remain calm, but Im also very anxious about being exposed to coronavirus on the job, knowing how the virus can spread from person to person without people even displaying symptoms, she said.
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About 150 labourers and their family members stuck in Delhi Police's New Police Lines Complex after several renovation projects were curtailed due to lockdown are being provided meals and essentials to maintain personal hygiene, officials said on Thursday.

The labourers were engaged in projects like renovation of barracks and residential colonies carried out by the Public Work Department in New Police Lines Complex, Kingsway Camp, northwest Delhi.

They are also being informed about the precautionary measures to be taken to fight COVID-19, the police said.

"The renovation work on these projects had to be curtailed. Various projects of PWD had engaged about 150 labourers including their family members through various contractors," Special Commissioner of Police (Armed Police) Robin Hibu said.

Due to lack of mobility and curbs on general public movement, contractors could not approach these labourers for timely help, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended the three-week lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus till May 3. The country is under lockdown since March 25.

The 1st Battalion of Delhi Armed Police is providing food to all labourers who got stranded in New Police Lines Complex due to the lockdown, Hibu said.

They have been given face masks, sanitizers and soaps to maintain proper hygiene and their places of residence sprayed with disinfectants, he said.

PWD contractors are also sending monetary help of Rs 1,000 per labourer per week to meet their expenses other than meals, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tuesday morning at Williamson County Medical Center, Producer/Songwriter Stokes Nielson became the first COVID-19 cleared survivor in Middle Tennessee to donate plasma to critical care patients fighting the Coronavirus.

Mr. Nielson joined Tennessees Blood Assurance as part of the COVID-19 Plasma Convalescent Initiative, which is an investigational therapy used to treat COVID-19 patients by providing them with blood plasma transfusions of antibody-rich plasma from COVID-19 survivors.



It is crucial for COVID-19 survivors, once they are officially cleared and recovered, to donate their Plasma so that COVID-19 patients in critical care can successfully fight off the virus, Mr.





Nielson says. I urge any and all cleared COVID-19 survivors to join me in making a plasma donation. I made my donation in honor of Joe Diffie, who I was lucky enough to perform with, and who was a great mentor to so many country artists.Recovered COVID-19 individuals may donate plasma by completing the donor form found at www.bloodassurance.org/covidplasma . Blood Assurance is the leading Tennessee-headquartered donation and provider source of the COVID-19 Convalescent project.To watch NBC News coverage of Nielsons donation, click here
Travis Allen Brenner is in custody after leading police on a chase after almost running over a couple of officers.

Law enforcement responded to a weapon law violation on Wednesday at 7100 Bonny Oaks Dr. Police had located a vehicle that had been bolod on Tuesday in an incident involving an assault on two officers. This vehicle had evaded police while law enforcement were attempting to prevent looters and unwanted traffic in the tornado-ravaged area.

According to the police report, they were advised the occupants of the vehicle were seen stealing from damaged homes while posing as police, and were driving a silver Chrysler. When officers questioned the driver he sped away from the checkpoint and almost hit both officers.

Police tried to initiate a traffic stop at the intersection of Bonny Oaks and Jersey Pike. When the emergency lights were activated, the vehicle fled the scene. Police pursued the vehicle onto Highway 153, but the officer said his car would not be able to keep up with the Chrysler. Another officer took over the chase.

According to the police report, the vehicle took several turns while trying to get away, and then turned toward Brainerd Road. After it struck a curb, the drivers side tires were disabled. Police continued to follow the vehicle at what was called a safe distance, observing it make its way to Germantown Road.

As it made its turn, the driver lost control of the vehicle on Brainerd Road and struck a pole before stopping against a fence. According to the police report, four occupants jumped out of the vehicle and unsuccessfully attempted to flee.

After taking the four into custody, the quartet were identified. Travis Brenner, 27, was the driver. The others were Taylor Tatum, Lance Rogers and Demetrius Underwood. According to the police report, there was 10 grams of marijuana in Brenner's jacket pocket, and there were weapons and other drugs in the vehicle.

Brenner, 27, is charged with reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, stop sign violation, evading arrest, traffic control signals violation, left of center violation, and felony unlawful carrying or possession of drugs.

Brenner has also been charged in an incident on Jan. 9 when police said he ran from police starting on 10th Avenue. He ran multiple stop signs and passed another vehicle on the wrong side of the road at high speed, police said.

Brenner was in the news in October 2014 when he was charged with aggravated robbery after a woman was robbed at gun and knife point near a shopping center on Hixson Pike.

In October 2017, he led Catoosa County deputies on a chase, then fought with a Chattanooga Police officer near the Shallowford Road exit of I-75. Multiple vehicles were hit during the chase.
[April 16, 2020] Syniverse Partners with SAS to Enhance Mobile Engagement Offering for Multi-platform Marketing

Syniverse, the world's most connected company, today announced it has signed a new global collaboration agreement with SAS to offer SAS's global customer base Syniverse's (News - Alert) Mobile Engagement suite of services. The partnership adds mobile channels natively to the SAS (News - Alert) marketing platform and enhances companies' ability to plan, execute and analyze mobile channels and all other channels in the SAS omni-channel platform. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005081/en/ Bill Corbin, Senior Vice President of Indirect Markets and Strategic Partnerships, Syniverse (Photo: Business Wire) The combination of Syniverse's multi-channel mobile communications capabilities and SAS Customer Intelligence 360 will create a unique platform for brands to reach their customers through customizable and personalized campaigns using preferred communication channels globally. The agreement brings together Syniverse's global mobile engagement solutions for a range of communications channels with SAS Customer Intelligence 360, SAS' industry-leading analytically-driven marketing solution that delivers individually tailored, contextual customer engagement and customer experiences. The combined offering is ideally suited for the needs of organizations seeking to add mobile marketing in markets with high volumes of direct-to-customer communications, such as financial services, retail and many other dynamic industries. Syniverse and SAS solutions will work to support programs that utilize global mobile wallet, rich communication services (RCS) and other communications channels - including short message services (SMS), Facebook (News - Alert) Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat - and other next-generation technologies. The Syniverse and SAS solutions will help businesses achieve improved conversion rates through a more personalized, precise and relevant targeting approach. Mobile marketers can efficiently take advantage of response-oriented tools such as expiration alerts and geofenced notifications. The combined offering reduces campaign setup and deployment times, thanks to atively integrated communication channels that enable multi-platform programs.



CLICK TO TWEET: .@Syniverse, the world's #mostconnectedcompany, collaborates with @SASsoftware to sell #Syniverse #mobile engagement services to #businesses globally. #sas #partners #mobileengagement https://bit.ly/34CGwsc Supporting Quotes

Mike Blanchard, Head of Global Customer Intelligence Practice, SAS

"Our partnership with Syniverse will empower SAS' customers to interact more profitably, more quickly and in greater depth with a growing number of increasingly brand-loyal customers of their own across the complete array of managed channels of communication. We see a day when marketers will know a brand's customers intimately enough to predict their buying behavior and brand trust, as well as integrate deep-insight customer information across all channels and business lines into a single, unified customer view." Bill Corbin, Senior Vice President of Indirect Markets and Strategic Partnerships, Syniverse

"Marketers need to engage with their customers and prospects across a range of mobile communication channels and deliver relevant, personalized content, promotions and offers at the right time and place. As the world's most connected company, Syniverse has the expertise and technology to help SAS and its customers to reach their valued clients through an extended range of current and future communications channels." Digital Assets [Photo] Bill Corbin

Bill Corbin [Image] Syniverse logo Supporting Resources Read about SAS.

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Read and subscribe to the Syniverse Blog .

. Read and subscribe to Syniverse news releases.

For more information about Syniverse's news and activities, follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. About Syniverse Syniverse is the world's most connected company, revolutionizing how businesses connect, engage, and exchange with their customers. For decades, we've delivered the innovative software and services that transform mobile experiences and power the planet. Our secure global network reaches almost every person and device on Earth. Our communications platform is industry-recognized as the best of its kind. And each year, we process over $35 billion in transactions, revolutionizing how goods and services are exchanged. Which is why the most recognizable brands-nearly every mobile communications provider, the largest global banks, the world's biggest tech companies, and thousands more-rely on us to shape their future. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005081/en/

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Unidentified armed men have boarded a Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker off the coast of Iran near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a British monitoring organization and a private intelligence firm reported.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said the vessel was boarded on April 14 while anchored just off the Iranian coast in the Sea of Oman, but added that the ship was later released.

The organization urged vessels in the area to "stay vigilant."

Dryad Global, a private maritime intelligence firm, said it was unclear whether the vessel had been in distress or was being assisted by Iran.

The company identified the tanker as the Hong Kong-flagged SC Taipei on its way to Al-Jubail in Saudi Arabia. It said the 22 crew members aboard were all Chinese.

The U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain has not immediately commented on the reported incident, which comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran in the region.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has harassed or seized a number of vessels over the last year in a move viewed by analysts as a way to exert pressure on the United States and its allies over crushing U.S. economic sanctions.

Iran is also suspected of planting limpet mines on six ships in the Gulf of Oman in May and June of 2019.

Dryad Global said "it cannot nor should not be ruled out" that Iran attempted an operation on April 14 against the Hong Kong-flagged ship "in haste," and aborted the mission out of political concerns.

"While Beijing is not responsible for Hong Kong vessels, there is a realistic possibility that China would view the detention of a Hong Kong vessel as a proxy assault on its own sovereignty," the company said. "At a time when China still buys Iranian oil, and Iran has few international friends, such a move would be highly irregular, and would not further Irans interests."

By RFE/RL

Story continues

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Moving to the target of testing 1 lakh people per day by the end of April, the Boris Johnson government has outlined five points on which it needs to be satisfied before considering any relaxation in the lockdown that was extended on Thursday by at least three more weeks.

The extended lockdown to prevent a second peak could last until June, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said at the daily briefing in Downing Street, as the number of dead in hospitals from coronavirus rose to 13,729 and the number of positive cases to 103,093 (out of 327,608 tests carried out).

The official response to the pandemic is guided by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) comprising experts in various fields, including epidemiologists such as Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, whose modelling was influential in imposing the lockdown on March 23.

Raab said the government will need to be satisfied on five specific points before it considers reviewing the current restrictions.

First, we must protect the National Health Services ability to cope. We must be confident that we are able to provide sufficient critical care and specialist treatment right across the UK. Second, we need to see a sustained and consistent fall in the daily death rates from coronavirus so we are confident that we have moved beyond the peak.

Third, we need to have reliable data from SAGE showing that the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels across the board. Fourth, we need to be confident that the range of operational challenges, including testing capacity and PPE, are in hand, with supply able to meet future demand.

Fifth, and this is really crucial, we need to be confident that any adjustments to the current measures will not risk a second peak of infections that overwhelm the NHS. The worst thing we could do now is ease up too soon and allow a second peak of the virus to hit the NHS and hit the British people.

Labour leader Keir Starmer welcomed the lockdowns extension: The priority now must be to ensure we see a ramp-up in testing, that staff get the PPE they desperately need, and that more is done to protect our care homes from the virus. We also need clarity about what plans are being put in place to lift the lockdown when the time is right.

Johnson, who is recuperating in the prime ministers country residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, joined millions around the UK at 8 pm on Thursday to clap and appreciate the work of carers looking after the elderly in retirement villages, hospices and care homes.

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Salman Khan vented out at those violating the lockdown guidelines issued by the government as COVID-19 continued to spread at a brisk pace in the country. The actor termed them as jokers and said they were putting the entire country at a risk. He also stated that if people wouldve followed all the instructions, coronavirus and the lockdown would have been over by now.

READ: Salman Khan Shares Picture Of Two Men Offering Prayers Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

In a video posted on Instagram from his farmhouse in Panvel, near Mumbai, Salman Khan said, No, Bigg Boss is not starting, this is lifes Bigg Boss going on.

Took a chutti of two days, but it turned out to be our chutti. Thought it would get over, and it would be a flu, but when lockdown happened, it turned out to be serious, he added.

Salman shared that his family was with him, his mother, two sisters, and their kids, and also said those who came for work there has also become friends. The Maine Pyar Kiya star also made a rule that no one will go out, and no one from out will come in.

The 54-year-old also said that only one person from his staff goes out for ration and has a friend from who they get the vegetables nearby. Police are there all around and they are doing a good job, he shared.

He stated how his staff pulled his mask down while talking to the policeman and the police were not pleased.

It is tough for one to feel negative after testing positive for a disease, especially one that doesnt have a treatment, and such a person losing hope is not great. Not understanding their sadness is anti-human, and those were negative at the moment but not taking it seriously will soon turn positive as well, and spread the disease from the family, to the locality, to the city, to India, Salman expressed his unhappiness.

Watch the video

READ: Jacqueline Fernandez & Waluscha DeSousa At Salman Khan's Farmhouse Amid Lockdown?

The actor also said, The government has asked all to stay at home, not do social gatherings and spend time with family, not for themselves but you. Do your prayers at home, they say god is inside you. And support the police, doctors and those working in the bank.

If no one would have gone out, coronavirus and the lockdown would have got over by now, if you wouldn't gone out with friends, they wouldnt have hit you. They dont enjoy it, but no one has stopped you from going to buy essentials, but wear masks and gloves, the government has assured that this will be available.

Do you think doctors, nurses, are immune to coronavirus? They still are working 18 hours, they are doing it for you, not to stop you, but to stop coronavirus, because the disease does not see class, economic standing, age. Police is doing their duty, but you are not doing your duty to stay at home," the actor said.

Salman said, Knew of many who wouldn't come out of their homes earlier but have started doing so since theyve been asked to not go out. You are putting everyones lives at risk."

READ: Salman Khan To Launch His Own 'Being Salman Khan' YouTube Channel? Read Details Here

Reports of doctors and health workers around the country being attacked are doing the rounds. Salman said, You are throwing stones at doctors, who is saving your life, and those who are coronavirus positive are running away from the hospitals. Just imagine if they wouldnt have been there. Those who think it wont happen to them will take entire India to doom."

Salman Khan also praised the daily wage workers and migrant labouruers who are the most at a risk due to the lockdown, I salute those who do not have anything to eat and decide to sustain without food, rather than seeing their family not being to sustain at all. This shows India is united, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan star said.

It is becauses of jokers that the disease is spreading. It had started with China, and it has got over there, but because of these people, India will stay at home for a long time. Are you so brave to give shoulders to your family members mortal remains, he fumed.

Convey your gratitude to the police, doctors, nurses, bank workers, respect who have got diagnosed and take precautions so that it does spread further, and let it not be so bad that they'll need the military to make you understand, he concluded.

READ: 'Salman Khan Has Been A Guardian Angel To Me', Says Bigg Boss 13 Contestant Rashami Desai

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
Dans une lettre a Sebastien Lavoipieree et Mario Antonio, copie au Premier Ministre, Pravind Jugnauth et Maneesh Gobin, ministre de lAgro-Industrie, le sundicaliest demande a la direction dAlteo Milling Ltd de revoir sa decision de faire les travaiileurs de lusine reprendre le travail malgre le couvre-feu saniatire en remplissant un medical investigation form qui fait aussi polemique.

Attention

SEBASTIEN LAVOIPIERRE

Chief Operations Officer

&

Mario Antonio

Senior Human Resource Manager

Alteo Milling Ltd

This 16 April 2020

2.00 a.m

Re: Urgent Letter to Alteo Milling Ltd on request to resume duty under Sanitary Curfew.

Dear Sirs,

The Artisans & Allied Workers of the Cane Industry (UAAWCI) and the Artisans and General Workers Union (AGWU), the two duly recognised unions representing the Non-Agricultural Workers of Sugar Industry, at the Alteo Milling Ltd is writing to urgently convey to you, the followings:

1. We wish to draw your attention that you operate under as a miller under the license of Mauritius Cane Industry Authority, to mill sugar cane and produce sugar.

2. Some of our members has brought to our attention that you have informed them by phone, or special home letter delivery, that they have been requested to resume duty as from the 16th of April 2020 at Alteo Milling Ltd.

3. We have been informed that you have mentioned that your company have received a covid work access permit and following which you have requested some 84 employees of the bargaining represented by the two recognised unions, to resume duty as from the 16th of April 2020. We are in the presence of the relevant documents mentioned.

4. We understand that the said covid work access permit have been issued by the Commissioner of Police to enable Alteo Milling Ltd to perform Maintenance of mill for the supply of bagasse for the Power Plant

5. We are hereby informing you, after having studied the documents you sent to our members, that the above unions have been advised by our legal advisors, that the said covid work access permit is invalid, illegal and in violation of the THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT and Prevention and Mitigation of Infectious Disease (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020.

6. Furthermore, we draw your attention that there is no contractual or legal obligation for any of the employees of the bargaining unit represented by the unions, to attend duty in circumstances where the state has declared a mandatory sanitary curfew.

7. We also draw your attention that at present, in view of preventing the spread of coronavirus in Mauritius, the General Notice No. 561 of 2020, THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, Curfew Order made by the Minister under regulation 14(1) of the Prevention and Mitigation of Infectious Disease (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 is in force up to 4 May 2020, at at 8 p.m.

8. In view of the above, we are of view Alteo Milling Ltd, cannot operate its suagr factory operation, as a sugar cane miller, and cannot in any circumstances, encourage, intimate, coerce or compel any of the employees represented by our unions, to resume duty. Any such acts and doings will not only directly or indirectly violates the curfew, but will also put in serious risk the life of the workers and those of their families.

9. Furthermore, we are very concern, that you have also accompanied your request to attend duty, by a medical investigation form; where you have illegally sought to get private, personal, confidential information to which you are not entitled to, under any law.

10. We feel very shocked and outraged, by the unilateral approach your company has adopted in this critical times of sanitary emergency, to not communicate, in any many manner, to the duly legally recognised unions.

11. To conclude, we call on you to withhold your request to employees to resume duty on the 16h of April 2020, until a formal online/digital/ discussions and mutual agreement is reached on the legality of your decision, and the sanitary/health risks of the employees and their relatives. We will be awaiting you decision during the course of to date, that is the 16 April 2020, by 4.00 p.m.

12. Should you insist to encourage, intimate, coerce or compel to resume duty, and thus to directly or indirectly violates the curfew, or take any risk to the detriment of their lives and those of their families, we reserve our right to take any legal and appropriate actions we deems fit.

13. This communication is being sent under all legal reservations.

Yours sincerely

Ashok Subron & Dany Boussacc & Lall Dewnath

(UAAWCI & AGWU)

Copy to

(i) Hon. Manish Gobin, Minister of Agro-Industry,

(ii) Hon. Soodesh Callychurn, Minister of Labour.
God, Why Am I Still Here?: Does It Really Matter?: a perspicacious account that details the authors experiences of joy, sorrow, and learning his purpose in life in God. God, Why Am I Still Here?: Does It Really Matter? is the creation of published author Cletus Cottrell, a writer of songs and poems and a navy veteran.

Cottrell shares, As us four brothers were growing up, I felt there was something different about us that just wasnt in conformity to other youngsters in our area. This affected our lifestyle, our schooling process, and of course, our lonely secluded family life. We all want to grow up in a lovable happy home together, like other kids in our neighborhood. Just because we didnt have the nice clothes, a big beautiful fancy house, new car, I didnt feel equal or the same as others. We had to make the best of what we had on our rural farm, then get uprooted, and moved from one foster home to another that I began to feel abnormal or different. Why did I feel this way, why am I here, and what was I supposed to do with my life?

Its through the daily reading of Gods Word and prayer that keeps me from backsliding down the wrong path again.

Im also hoping that through this book, that if just one person who is suffering from the same problems gets just one helpful thing from it, then this book was intended to be written and worth it. Amen?

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Cletus Cottrells new book is a wonderful proclamation of a man blessed by God despite his doubt and depravity that stemmed from early moments of negligence and pain.

This book hopes to instill resounding wisdom to readers as they witness a testament of forgiveness and redemption that reinforces the benevolence of God for the broken and unrighteous.

View the synopsis of God, Why Am I Still Here?: Does It Really Matter? on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase God, Why Am I Still Here?: Does It Really Matter? at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about God, Why Am I Still Here?: Does It Really Matter? contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Sherri Denney was in the fourth day of quarantine in her home in Springboro, Ohio, when she thought about the toll the coronavirus was taking. She sat in her recliner chair and cried as the states governor checked off the number of dead and sickened, knowing there would be more the next day. Overwhelmed, Ms. Denney, 55, tried to put her feelings into words.

Wow, she began writing on an old sketch pad, quickly realizing the precise words would not come easy. Thats all I can say. My emotions are ranging from sadness to fear to anger.

The week before, a woman in Nevada turned to her own version of journaling. Mimi J. Premo recorded a video on her cellphone, giving voice to a kind of stunned weariness so many Americans are feeling. And in Indianapolis, in an interview recorded by two university research assistants, a man who is diabetic and H.I.V. positive talked about how the speed and unclear ways of transmission freaks me out.

The three accounts, snapshots of intimate moments during the pandemic, are a response to a call from historians and archivists across the country to document this extraordinary moment in history.
NATO will continue helping Ukraine to bolster its defenses amid the coronavirus pandemic, including by conducting joint naval drills in the Black Sea, the alliance's envoy to the country has said

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2020) NATO will continue helping Ukraine to bolster its defenses amid the coronavirus pandemic, including by conducting joint naval drills in the Black Sea, the alliance's envoy to the country has said.

"In the midst of an unprecedented challenge that is affecting all Allied and partner nations, NATO stands firm in its commitment to help Ukraine to strengthen its defence capabilities," Alexander Vinnikov wrote in a letter to Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrii Taran.

He said that the 30-nation alliance was ready to deepen its partnership with Ukraine by conducting exercises in the strategic Black Sea region, working together to counter hybrid warfare, and giving Ukraine greater access to NATO educational programs.

Ukraine has been trying to join NATO after canceling its non-aligned status in 2014. It changed the constitution last year to enshrine its NATO membership aspirations. This was met with criticism in Russia, which has long complained about the alliance's buildup on its western flank and in the Black Sea.
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. Foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on April 15 had a telephone conversation with Greek foreign minister Nikos Dendias, the Armenian MFA told Armenpress.

The two FMs discussed the actions of both sides on preventing the further spread of the novel coronavirus and overcoming its socio-economic consequences.

On behalf of the Armenian government minister Mnatsakanyan expressed his support to the brotherly Greek people in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlighting the role of international cooperation and mutual support in addressing the global challenges the Armenian and Greek FMs emphasized the importance of Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral platform.

The ministers also exchanged views on regional issues.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Officials in Wagga Wagga have been forced to reverse a proposal to dump its Chinese sister city because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Councillors in the regional New South Wales city controversially voted this week to cut ties with Kunming - a provincial hub of 6.3million in China's southern Yunnan province.

The motion to sever the 22-year relationship was put forward by councillor Paul Funnell, who said the city was part of a regime that 'lied to the world' and 'brought death and destruction across the world with COVID-19.'

But after heavy criticism of the ruling from the Chinese consul-general and deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, Wagga Wagga City Council has announced it is holding a meeting next week to reverse the decision.

Scroll down for video

Pictured: Wagga Wagga's Fusion Multicultural Street Festival held every October. Officials in the city have been forced into an embarrassing u-turn after they ruled to dump its Chinese sister city over the coronavirus outbreak

Pictured: Aerial view of Wagga Wagga - the largest inland city in New South Wales. On Tuesday, councillors controversially voted this week to cut ties with Kunming - a provincial city of 6.3million in the country's southern Yunnan province

The councillor who cast the deciding vote to end the sister-city agreement has taken to social media to apologise for his decision

The councillor who cast the deciding vote has also taken to social media to apologise for his decision - saying he knew deep down the wrong call had been made.

'I let the emotion of the current environment get in the way of my decision and didn't look at the larger picture,' Cr Tim Koschel wrote.

'For this I apologise to our sister city of Kunming in China, my fellow councillors, as well as my local community for my actions.'

Mr McCormack - who is the member for the Riverina electorate - said the sister city relationship should be restored.

'We need to remember China is our largest trading partner as a nation and the Riverina, and Wagga Wagga specifically, does well in our two-way relationship with China, particularly our farmers in the way of agricultural exports,' he said.

'The sister city relationship between Wagga Wagga and Kunming extends back more than three decades and it has been mutually beneficial.

Customs officers in protective equipment prepare to board a plane at Changshui International Airport in Kunming on March 27

'I appreciate councillors are passionate on both sides of this issue and I respect their views, but I think the sister city relationship should be allowed to continue.'

Wagga Wagga City Council mayor Greg Conkey, who was absent because of illness, has previously said he was 'appalled' by the decision.

The controversial council vote comes amid growing criticism across the globe over China's failure to properly disclose the severity of COVID-19 when it first emerged in Wuhan in December.

Pictured: Wagga Wagga's sister city Kunming in southern China

Since then, 1.9 million people worldwide have become infected with 129,000 deaths.

The vote to dump Kunming was tied with three councillors supporting the motion and three against, before a deciding vote was cast by Cr Koschel who led the meeting because Mayor Conkey was absent.

Cr Funnell said the vote was not about racism but an attempt to set an example that Wagga Wagga does not 'tolerate lies and subterfuge'.

'This action is in no way stopping international trade, communication or the opportunity to deal with China in a fair, transparent and beneficial manner,' he said.

The main street of Wagga Wagga (pictured) in the New South Wales Riverina region

'This is not about the people, obviously everyone's coming out calling it racist... You are not dealing with the people themselves. You're dealing with the ruling authority which is a communist regime.'

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

Some councillors argued the scheme was important to promote understanding between different cultures rather than political statements.

'I don't think this is the time to stir up a hornets nest when we should be focused on other things at hand rather than Wagga supposedly dabbling in international relations,' Cr Vanessa Keenan said.

NSW Nationals MLC Wes Fang said the last few months had been hard for Chinese-Australians who are proudly Australian but have been abused because of their name and appearance.

'We are better than this as a city, a state, and as Australians. No one is going to defend the Communist Chinese Government, but the people of Kunming have been a sister city with Wagga for more than three decades,' Mr Fang told the ABC.

'To throw that away because of a dog whistling act about who we're going to punish for COVID-19 is really dangerous,' he said.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has settled 3.31 lakh claims in last fifteen days under the EPF scheme, disbursing an amount of Rs 946.49 crore, according to a statement issued by labour ministry on Thursday.

Besides, Rs 284 crore has been distributed by the exempted PF Trusts under EPF scheme, the ministry said.

"EPFO is committed to serve its members during this crisis, and EPFO offices are functional to maintain the continuity of essential services even in difficult situations," the labour ministry said.

The availability of these facilities through online services has brought much relief to the needy subscribers during the lockdown period, coming to their rescue during these testing times, it added.

Also Read: 21-day lockdown: Labour Ministry allows EPF withdrawal

Last month, the labour ministry had announced that about 4.8 crore employees who are members of EPF can withdraw 75 per cent of the amount standing to their credit, not exceeding their three months' basic pay, to tide over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry had issued a notification in this regard on March 28, 2020 to amend the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme 1952, so that organised sector workers can withdraw the non-refundable advance.

In its communication, the EPFO had stated that officers and staff must process claims of EPF subscribers promptly.

Also Read: Coronavirus treatment: Govt allows partial withdrawal for NPS subscribers

Under this provision, the member can apply for lesser amount also. This being an advance, does not attract income tax deductions.

Last week, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA) also allowed subscribers of the National Pension System (NPS) for a partial withdrawal of funds for meeting expenses related to the treatment of coronavirus. Employees working in central, state government establishments, as well as corporates, who are members of the NPS, can avail this benefit. However, this benefit will not be available to the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) subscribers.

PFRDA runs both the flagship pension schemes -- APY and NPS. While the NPS is for the central, state governments, autonomous bodies and corporates, APY is mainly meant to cater to the pension needs of those employed in the unorganised sector.
A POST-NATIVE PERSPECTIVE

In one of my columns last December I revealed that I was looking for another teaching job outside of my current district. Well, at the end of  Read more
- Jackson Mandago lauded the chief and said he would fully support them in the fight against illicit brews

- The governor said chiefs should deal with the illicit brew sellers ruthlessly

- The county boss took issue with activists who he said were wrongly supporting the women

Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago has defended a chief who poured illicit brew on a woman found selling busaa.

The governor instead asked all chiefs in the region to be ruthless when dealing with the illicit brewers saying they were causing much harm than good to the society.

READ ALSO: Garissa: Ambulance ferrying bhang kills 3 in road crash

Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago said the woman's business was illegal. Photo: Governor Jackson Mandago

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Muuguzi mjamzito afariki dunia kutokana na virusi vya COVID-19

The no-nonsense governor pledged full support to the chiefs working hard to eradicate the illicit trade and accused human rights activists for wrongly targeting the administrators.

I recently saw people on social media saying chiefs are using excessive force in the fight against busaa and changaa. I am urging the administrators do their work without fearing few people who are biased in advocating for human rights, Mandago said.

The governor said pouring liquor on the brewers was far much better than letting those drinking it die and have broken families.

Which is better, pouring illicit brew on somebody or letting others drink this and dying because of alcohol which happens regularly? Some people are saying the women in question are poor yet the reality is that they are doing businesses and in fact illegal trade, the governor quipped.

Kipkabus chief Jeremiah Muge Chemwalo pouring illicit brew on woman. Photo: Abraham Mutai

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Ken Walibora's relatives struggling to come to terms with author's death

The governor said the busaa brewers were neither poor nor lacked resources to conduct legal businesses.

How can someone claim that the women are poor and desperate yet one of them has a five-acre-piece of land that is lying idle? The other one has well plaited hair. Can a truly poor woman afford to go to the salon when they cannot feed their children? Mandago posed.

He took issue with a section of human rights defenders for condoning illicit drinks brewing while threatening to take legal action against the chief who was fighting the illegal trade.

Why should someone behave as if some human rights are better than others? They need to be reminded that living is also a human right. Citizens deserve to live and as a county, we shall deal with the concerns of rights group later on. Kenya is not a Non-Governmental Organisation, said Mandago.

Disabled Lydiah Chepkoech Kigen(Kapkomen) was among the victims who was soaked in busaa. Photo: Samuel Lemiso Sato

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Siaya: Familia yaishtaki serikali kwa kuzika mpendwa wao kwa njia ya kinyama

The county chief stated the area Nyumba Kumi teams had been warning residents to stop production of the illicit alcohol for several weeks but the traders were adamant to stop.

He said the county would not hesitate to ensure such traders were arrested, prosecuted and disciplined.

Mandago was responding to an incident in which Kipkabus Chief, Jeremiah Muge Chemwalo, was captured on camera pouring illicit brew on Viola Maiyo from Chemngoror, Koiluget Village.

The incident ignited online uproar with citizens calling for stern action to be taken against the chief.

Well-wishers set up a pay bill number in support of the affected women.

Contributions had surpassed the KSh 75,000 mark as at Thursday, April 16, 2020.

Other netizens pledged to complete building a house belonging to one of the two women.

Story by Mercy Chebet, TUKO correspondent

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Groundworks Serve & Support This is about local businesses supporting local businesses when they need it most, stated Matt Malone, CEO of Groundworks Companies.

In response to the impact the global pandemic is having on local restaurants, Groundworks Companies is proud to partner with 22 restaurants across the United States to provide monthly meals for more than 1,200 frontline employees and their families. The Groundworks team has worked closely with these local restaurants to establish a program where employees will receive a meal for a family of four at no cost to the employee. During the month of April, Groundworks is investing over $50,000 in this initiative to thank employees for their service and to support these vital community partners during these uncertain times.

This is about local businesses supporting local businesses when they need it most, stated Matt Malone, CEO of Groundworks Companies. The men and women of Groundworks are essential employees that continue to dedicate their efforts to helping our customers protect one of their most important assets, their home. Providing a monthly meal is a small gift in the grand scheme of things, but we wanted to show our appreciation to our team, while also positively impacting our local restaurants that may be struggling during this pandemic.

This program, known as Groundworks Serve and Support, will launch on April 20, 2020 and continue through the conclusion of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This initiative will help financially support dozens of local restaurants and provide meals for thousands of Groundworks employees and their families over the next few months.

The partner restaurants are as follows:

Beer Barrel Pizza & Grille- Hilliard, OH

Rockafellers- Virginia Beach, VA

Neighborhood Cafe- Lee's Summit, MO

Whit's Inn- Whiteland, IN

Mama Mia Pizza- Manassas, VA

Lucky's 13- Fargo, ND

Vannelli's Landing- Grasston, MN

Brunson's Pub- St Paul, MN

Little Pigs BBQ- Columbia, SC

Lelo's BBQ- Orange City, FL

Mama J's Kitchen- Richmond, VA

Mavis Winkles- Twinsburg, OH

Flat Branch Pub & Brewing- Columbia, MO

The Pit Authentic BBQ- Raleigh, NC

Greek Guys- Winston Salem, NC

The Rockslide Brewery- Grand Junction, CO

Great Greek Mediterranean Grill- Aurora, CO

Railyard Restaurant- Appomattox, VA

Mamma Maria's- Salem, VA

Smokin Bob's BBQ- Springfield, MO

Firebirds Wood Fire Grill- St Charles, MO

Moe's Original BBQ-Greenville, SC

###

About Groundworks

Groundworks is the nations largest privately held foundation services company. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA, the company provides foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and encapsulation, and concrete lifting. Groundworks is comprised of Complete Basement Systems, Florida Foundation Authority, Foundation Recovery Systems, Foundation Repair of Western Colorado, Indiana Foundation Service, Innovative Basement Authority, JES Foundation Repair, Mount Valley Foundation Services, Ohio Basement Authority, Ohio Basement Systems, Tar Heel Basement Systems, A-1 Sewer & Drain, Independence Materials Group, and Bizwiz Software. Since 1986, the combined companies have helped over 250,000 homeowners protect and repair their most valuable asset, their home. Groundworks operates over twenty offices that serve Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minneapolis, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The company has been named numerous times to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies and Best Places to Work. For more information about Groundworks, please visit https://www.GroundworksCompanies.com.

Media Contact:

Occasio Gee

Public Relations Director

Phone: (800) 639-3307

Email: ogee@groundworks.co

Website: http://www.GroundworksCompanies.com/
France in the Middle Ages was divided into a number of small feudal regions. The counts and dukes controlled these little principalities and were virtually independent, but gave nominal allegiance to the French king.

France grows strong

By the end of the 15th century, the King of France had consolidated his power and extended authority over the whole of France. The monarchy gradually increased its sovereignty until it was the strongest in Europe and eager to challenge England, Spain and the Netherlands for leadership in the New World.

In the early 1600s, France was ready to undertake the serious business of establishing settlements in present-day Canada. Giovanni Verrazano (1524) and Jacques Cartier (1534-1542) had done the preliminary work of staking French claims in the New World. Two failed attempts at colonization in Florida (1562-67) and South Carolina had taught the French lessons that were to prove valuable in later colonizing attempts.

Champlain

With the coronation of Henry IV, a strong-willed king, France was eager to flex her muscles. The King found a super-agent in Samuel de Champlain who earned the title Father of New France.

In March 1603, Champlain set out, with royal approval, for the North American coast. Entering the St. Lawrence at the mouth of the river, where fur traders had been bartering since the days of Cartier, he made his first contact with the natives. For several years, he crisscrossed the Atlantic attempting to secure permanent settlers for colonization and finally established Port Royal at Acadia and Quebec.

In time, other settlements appeared at Three Rivers and Montreal. In 1615, Champlain made his farthest trip west and reached the lower end of Lake Huron. Appointed governor of New France, he cultivated the friendship of the Algonquin Indians who dominated the great fur-bearing region in America, resided in Quebec and died there in 1635.

Hard living

The location of New France was not a happy one. The colonists had a highly centralized government of state and church, controlled from home, with no popular representation and a land policy semi-feudalistic in nature. The soil was poor, and the climate was hard. The seacoast was far away, and for fully half a year, ice flowed in the St. Lawrence River blocking communications and trade with the mother country.

But the way to the west was temptingly easy. No such formidable barrier existed as the mountains that lay back of the English settlements, and the pathway of the Great Lakes and rivers invited exploration.

Missionaries

Meanwhile a new force entered the colonial life of New France. The 17th century in Europe witnessed a revival of the Roman Catholic Church and revival meant missionary spirit and activity.

The passionate order of Jesuits, untiring missionaries who were always looking for new worlds to conquer, took an interest in New France and its Indian allies. In 1613, two Jesuits, the forerunner of a devoted army of clergymen, sailed to the French outpost. They came in dribbles, then in a stream and finally in a flood.

Strange partnership

The Jesuit missionary and fur traders formed a strange partnership in Americas backcountry. The Jesuits were primarily interested in saving the souls of the natives and in lifting them to a higher standard of living. To accomplish this mission, the Jesuits underwent all sorts of hardships and suffering and asked for no material rewards in return.

The traders, on the other hand, were usually concerned only with the profits afforded by their business and their daily life. In pursuit of these aims, they would stoop to what unscrupulous methods were available at the time. This was usually selling the Indians brandy and setting an example of licentiousness that tended to debase the tribal morals.

The Jesuits protested strongly against these practices but feared the Indians would take the English rum if they complained too much and all would be lost.

The French proved to be better at exploration and fur trade with the Indians than at colonization. In contract with the English, they were slow in persuading their countrymen to settle the area in large numbers on the seacoast and along the St. Lawrence River. The economy was based on the fur trade and fisheries, not on mineral wealth as in Spanish America or on agricultural products as among the 13 colonies. Because they did not try to take away the Indians land and had smaller settlements, except for Quebec, the French had better relations with the native tribes than the Spanish and English.

Further exploration

With Catholic missionaries, fur traders and explorers, the French penetrated into the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi River valley. These bold leaders like Louis Joliet and Father Marquette appeared in the Wisconsin backcountry and explored the beginning of the Big Muddy in some swampy grasslands.

In 1673, they sailed their tiny craft through 450 miles of roaring water to present-day Arkansas. Much to their sorrow, they discovered that the great river did not enter the Pacific Ocean but the Spanish-controlled Gulf of Mexico.

La Salle

The greatest of all the French explorers in the West was Rene Robert Cavalier, better known as Sieur de La Salle, who after several attempts crossed the Great Lakes, found the Illinois River, and drifted down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. On April 9, 1682, he claimed this vast interior for King Louis XIV and named it Louisiana.

Despite the failure of La Salles early adventures, the French government was unwilling to forgo the advantages of colonies in the lower Mississippi and the backcountry of the English colonies and in the face of the Spanish. In 1699, they erected a fort at Biloxi, but later moved it to present-day Mobile.

New Orleans

In 1718, New Orleans became the capital of the province and the southern anchor for a continuous chain of forts that connected Frances settlement all along the Mississippi. The New Orleans colony prospered and had a population of some 7,000 by 1731. The French continued their active efforts to occupy the West right up to the French and Indian War (1756-1763).

French and Indian War

By the middle of the 18th century, their explorers and trappers had reached the Rocky Mountains, and a number of forts had been constructed in strategic places both east and west of the Mississippi. The overlapping of French and English claims in America was the occasion for the Seven Years War which embroiled Europe.

Called the French and Indian War in America and unlike earlier intercolonial wars, this war started in the New World. Years of exploring, of trading for furs, of fishing in Acadia, of draining the coffers of money, was all in vain. By the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France had lost all of her possessions on the continent of North America. England was suddenly the leading colonial and naval power in the world. Thats your history!
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a person of interest in the case of General Shaitanov, a former employee of the Special Operations Center A, who was in touch with Russias FSB Colonel Yegorov as the SBU reported.

At the place of residence of the detainee, the arms depot of firearms and ammunition were spotted.

Law enforcers confiscated disposable anti-tank rocket launcher RPG-26, rifle-attached grenade launcher and two grenades for it, STEYR 1914 pistol with a silencer, carbine gun, Mauser-Werks rifle, self-made gun with a silencer, three RGD-5 grenades and fuse assemblies, a material similar to the plastid, 12 detonating pistols and over 9,000 bullets of different caliber, the message said.

A detainee is suspected in the illicit handling of weapon, ammunition or explosives. The restrictive measure will be chosen for him.

As we reported, the counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained Major General of the service Valeriy Shaitanov who planned the murder of volunteer Adam Osmayev on the assignment of the Russian special services.

According to the materials of the case, Shaitanov, who is one of the former heads of the Special Operations Center A of the SBU, was in the secret service under cover name Bobyl with FSB Colonel Igor Yegorov.
Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, confirming the commitment of Armenia to join the appeal for a global ceasefire.

Highlighting the need for a joint fight against the pandemic, the Armenian FM noted in a letter that International support is equally important for people who have become vulnerable as a result of conflicts.

In this regard, the support and accessibility of UN professional structures, especially the World Health Organization, for people living in conflict-affected regions is especially important.

Armenia is ready to provide all the necessary conditions for the unhindered work of the relevant UN bodies, regardless of the status of the territory, he added.

According to the FM, this pandemic is a great challenge for humanity, while joint efforts to overcome it can give a new impetus to multilateral cooperation, joint efforts to create an inclusive world free of war and hostility.

The adoption of confidence-building measures aimed at preventing, mitigating and managing disasters in these difficult times should be seen as an opportunity for all peoples, including the parties to the conflict, Mnatsakanyan said.
Despite the unprecedented global oil production cut agreement from last week, the United States may still impose tariffs on oil imports, Bloomberg reports, citing a Washington official.

It continues to be something thats on the table, Francis Fannon, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, told Bloomberg. Its certainly something the president had weighed but he consistently said it was a lever he didnt think he would need to pull.

Earlier this month, President Trump threatened tariffs on imported oil to speed up an agreement on output cuts between Saudi Arabia and Russia, saying that the U.S. wont be joining deliberate cuts. Instead, the United States would see its production decline naturally because of low oil prices. Indeed, production is already in decline as companies idle wells.

The U.S. also took on itself the bigger portion of Mexicos cut quota, as it refused to cut more than 100,000 bpd as part of the OPEC+ agreement.

Even with this agreement and the cuts, the global oil supply overhang is still growing, and it will be a while before it disappears.

Theres going to be a latency in terms of the supply buildup and how that works its way out. What were talking about is huge stores of a physical commodity that have amassed over time, Fannon said.

The storage problem is shaping up as the next big challenge for global oil. The IEA became the latest in a string of sources warning that the storage tanks are filling up, and the cuts in production may be coming too late.

In response, the U.S. began talks with nine oil companies that could result in the leasing of storage capacity of some 23 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

One private company, Well Water Solutions and Rentals, is also offering to help with 5 million barrels of storage space, according to its president Sean Lovelace, but it is facing regulatory hurdles.

Story continues

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Read this article on OilPrice.com
A team of researchers from MIT has developed a novel method of tracking COVID-19 transmission among the population, using Bluetooth chirps that could automatically trace COVID-positive contacts and warn those who have potentially become infected, without violating their privacy.

The system is called PACT, or Private Automated Contact Tracing. It works by sending random strings of numbers via low-power Bluetooth from a users smartphone to other nearby devices using the system, creating a coded list of smartphones that a given user has been close to in the past 14 days.

If the user subsequently tests positive for COVID, he or she can upload that list of chirps to the database, so that other users can run a check to determine whether they might have exposed.

MIT said that the system uses advanced privacy protection methods to ensure the privacy of both COVID sufferers and those checking to see whether theyve been exposed. People would need to opt in, and researchers specifically highlighted that PACT does not use any GPS, wireless location or phone ID information.

For these broadcasts, were using cryptographic techniques to generate random, rotating numbers that are not just anonymous, but pseudonymous, constantly changing their ID, and that cant be traced back to an individual, said MIT institute professor Ron Rivest, who led the project. (Rivest knows a thing or two about cryptography: hes the R in RSA, the first publicly available public-key cryptosystem.)

The idea behind PACT is to make sure that the system isnt tracking any individuals specifically. Rather, its meant to be a yes/no resource for those wondering whether they may have been in proximity to someone with COVID. Its currently at the proof-of-concept stage  the team recently overcame the hurdle of getting Androids and iPhones to speak to each other  and overtures have been made to smartphone makers, Apple, Google and Microsoft to try and get the system into the publics hands as quickly as possible.

The aim of the prototype is to prove to these developers that this is feasible for them to implement, said Rivest.

The team hopes that if PACT comes into widespread use it would enable a much more selective approach to quarantine and give communities the ability to return to normalcy more quickly. Tracking the spread of a disease like COVID with more speed and precision could let public health authorities suggest testing to specific groups of people if they notice a pattern emerging.

MIT also said that the team has demonstrated PACT to various government agencies, and coordinating similar efforts elsewhere in the U.S., as well as in Europe.
Hyderabad, April 16 : Sending a strong message to those attacking doctors and other healthcare professionals combating coronavirus, the Telangana Police have decided to book them under stringent laws.

After the recent incidents at two government-run hospitals, here, Director General of Police (DGP) M. Mahender Reddy has told cops to show zero tolerance in such incidents. He asked the police officers to ensure that those involved in such attacks didn't go unpunished.

The police swung into action after the Telangana High Court on Wednesday rapped it for inaction in such cases. It announced arrest of three persons, including a Covid-19 patient, over the two incidents.

A 23-year-old Covid-19 patient was arrested for attacking a doctor at Gandhi Hospital on April 1 following his relative's death, who was under treatment in the same isolation ward.

The accused, later shifted to another hospital, was produced before a magistrate through video link. He was remanded to the judicial custody, but would remain under treatment at the same hospital.

In the second incident, the police arrested two men for attacking a junior doctor at Osmania General Hospital on Tuesday. They had assaulted the doctor for keeping their relative in a ward which was peopled by Covid-19 persons.

The duo was also produced before a magistrate through video link and was remanded to the judicial custody.

They have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), section 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), section 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), section 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule) and the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 section 3 (Disobeying any regulation or order made under this Act).

The Telangana Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act 2008 has also been invoked against them.

The Act prohibits violence against healthcare personnel and damage to property in medicare service institutions . A person found guilty under this Act may be punished with three-year imprisonment and fine, which may extend to Rs 50,000. It's a non-bailable and cognizable offence.

The Act was first implemented in the form of AP Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Act in 2008 in the united Andhra Pradesh after a series of attacks on medicos at government-run Nayapul and Niloufer maternity hospitals in Hyderabad.

After the formation of Telangana, the Act was renamed and was first invoked in 2018 against four persons involved in an attack on a private hospital in Hyderabad following the death of their relative.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said prompt action would be taken in case of assault on a doctor or any medical staff in any hospital. "At this challenging time doctors and the other healthcare personnel are the true leaders of the society. The contribution of the medical fraternity can't be described in words," he said.

The high court on Wednesday took serious note of attacks and rapped the police for not taking action against those involved.

Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan asked the government to give wide publicity to action against attackers to deter mischievous elements. He said such elements were seemingly under the impression that they could get away after attacking medical and health personnel.

The court said mere registration of FIRs would not help. Arrests should be made to send the message loud and clear, it added.
A service older than the nation itself is now just as important today as it was when it was first created. While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused most of the nation to shut down, the United States Postal Service is still delivering. And as millions of Americans self-quarantine, they are counting on post office workers to deliver their medications, voting ballots, e-commerce orders and the stimulus checks that will help keep their families afloat. Thats why it is more important than ever for citizens to fight to protect the public postal service.

While some of our neighbors may be out of work during this difficult time, as an essential service, the post office is up and running, keeping families fed and financed. The unfortunate reality though, is that, as a postal worker myself, I and many of my co-workers are terrified to go to work: With mail coming from all over the world, we have a heightened potential to be exposed to the virus.

For most of us, its not a question of if we will contract it, but when. And yet in some instances employees are sharing their experiences and reporting the post office is not providing the safety measures necessary to keep its employees, and therefore all members of the community, safe. As more and more postal workers fall ill and rightfully prioritize their safety, staffing could be impacted, which could lead to a disruption in service and slower deliveries of our essential goods (like medicines and checks). Its a snowball effect. And the only way to stop it is for everyone to put pressure on the post office and your legislators to ensure that postal workers safety, health and financial security are prioritized.

Imagine if the postal service was not around during these times, or it was turned over to the hands of greedy private owners. The mandate to continue to deliver and provide universal services would be out of the window as a private company would decide whether or not to serve communities it may consider unprofitable or too remote.

We provide a critical public service which relies on an infrastructure built over three centuries that visits over 100 million addresses, six days each week. While many forces have advocated to privatize the postal service, we now see just how important the nations most trusted public service has become to our everyday lives.

Even those who wish to see the postal service become a private company are depending on our services today. Those small companies and even those giant e-commerce corporations utilize the vast delivery infrastructure that has kept the USPS as one of the most trusted government agencies to the American public.

Although a few of our legislators have called for relief during these times, we need the public to stand up for the peoples postal service. Currently, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), is trying to gain the support of his colleagues for H.R. 6425, the Protect our Post Offices Act. This important piece of legislation would provide $25 billion in emergency appropriations to help the postal service survive through this pandemic that has crippled most of the nations businesses and industry.

Postal workers need the public  our customers  to reach out to their representatives asking for support of H.R. 6425 and the safety of all postal workers throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The postal service will be one of the few entities keeping the economy propped up during this pandemic, yet Congress and the executive branch to which the postal service belongs have yet to truly acknowledge the value of the service and its most valuable component  the postal worker.

The mission of the postal service is to provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service, and we will continue to do so. But Im worried when folks look to us in their times of need, the service they are accustomed to will not be like it is today. The fact is we dont know when this pandemic will be over, and that is even more reason to fight for a public postal service.

Courtney Jenkins (cjenkinsywac@gmail.com) is the director of organization and legislation of the American Postal Workers Union Local 181 in Baltimore.

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Nguyen Cong Trinh (L) and Kieu Van Thanh stand trial in Gia Nghia Town in Dak Nong Province, April 15, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Oanh.

Two men in Dak Nong Province in the Central Highlands were sentenced to prison for assaulting an official when questioned about their violation of social distancing norms.

Nguyen Cong Trinh, 37, got nine months and Kieu Van Thanh, 50, got a year at the Gia Nghia Town People's Court on Wednesday.

Trinh, the husband of a cafe owner in Gia Nghias Nghia Thanh Ward, and Thanh, the owner of the cafe premises, on April 9 confronted the ward's Covid-19 task force members who came around to file a report on the shop violating social distancing rules.

The task force saw around a dozen people together at the cafe and without masks.

When his wife was signing to acknowledge the complaint, Trinh snatched and tore it in a struggle with a task force member while Thanh punched that man.

The two later said they had been drunk at the time.

The previous day two men were also jailed in Thai Binh and Bac Ninh provinces for assaulting Covid-19 task force members who asked them to put on masks.

Vietnam has fined thousands of people for violating regulations as it combats the spread of the disease.

The country has had 268 Covid-19 cases so far, 97 of them currently active, and no deaths.

The global death toll has risen to over 134,600 and the disease has spread to 210 countries and territories.
Technavio has been monitoring the automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.66 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005635/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Automotive Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View (ORVM) Mirror Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Ficosa Internacional SA, Magna International Inc., Mitsuba Corp, Murakami Corporation, and Samvardhana Motherson Group are some of the major market participants. The technological advances in OVRMs will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Technological advances in OVRMs has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Automotive Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View (OVRM) Mirror Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market is segmented as below:

Application Passenger Vehicles Commercial Vehicles

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31104

Automotive Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View (OVRM) Mirror Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market report covers the following areas:

Automotive Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View (OVRM) Mirror Market Size

Automotive Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View (OVRM) Mirror Market Trends

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This study identifies increased offerings in side rear-view mirror for trucks as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market growth during the next few years.

Automotive Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View (OVRM) Mirror Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market, including some of the vendors such as Ficosa Internacional SA, Magna International Inc., Mitsuba Corp, Murakami Corporation, and Samvardhana Motherson Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Automotive Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View (OVRM) Mirror Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive electrically adjustable outside rear view (OVRM) mirror market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION

Market segmentation by application

Comparison by application

Passenger vehicles Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Commercial vehicles Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by application

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

Increased offerings in side rear-view mirror for trucks

Vehicle access systems comprising mirrors having biometric authentication

Increasing availability of electrically adjustable OVRMs in entry-segment

vehicles in APAC

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Ficosa Internacional SA

HondaLockMfg. Co. Ltd.

Magna International Inc.

Mitsuba Corp.

Murakami Corporation

Samvardhana Motherson Group

PART 14: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005635/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/
Defense Secretary Mark Esper indicated Thursday that it's possible that Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, who was relieved of his command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt after he raised concerns about a coronavirus outbreak, could be reinstated.

An investigation was completed last week, and the Navy is reviewing its findings, Esper said Thursday on the "TODAY" show.

"It will come to me at some point in time. As I'm in the chain of command, I can't comment on that further, but I've got to keep an open mind with regard to everything," Esper said.

"We've got to take this one step at a time, let the investigation within the Navy conclude itself ... and we'll make very reasoned opinions and judgments as this progresses," he said.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Crozier lost his command on April 2 after he sent a strongly worded letter to Navy leadership detailing his concerns about the spread of the virus on the aircraft carrier. The letter was leaked to the media, generating national headlines.

One sailor aboard the ship later died of coronavirus-related complications, and Esper said Thursday that 600 or so crew members have been found to be infected.

Crozier was relieved of his command by Thomas Modly, who resigned as acting Navy secretary in the aftermath of the incident.

Modly at first said Crozier was removed from his post  while remaining in the Navy and keeping his rank  because he sent his letter over "non-secure unclassified email" to a "broad array of people" rather than up the chain of command.

But later, speaking in Guam to the crew of the Roosevelt, Modly said Crozier was guilty of a "betrayal of trust."

"If he didn't think, in my opinion, that this information wasn't going to get out into the public, in this day and information age that we live in, then he was either A, too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this," Modly said. "The alternative is that he did this on purpose."

Story continues

Modly first stood by his remarks but later released a new statement apologizing for them.

Modly offered his resignation on April 6, and Esper accepted it, selecting Under Secretary of the Army James McPherson as acting Navy secretary, according to officials.

The Roosevelt has been docked in Guam, a small unincorporated island territory of the U.S. in the Pacific Ocean, since March 27.

The Navy last week said 92 percent of the ship's roughly 4,800 crew members have been tested for COVID-19, with more than 3,600 of them getting back negative results.

"The challenge is it's a crew of 5,000, so this is a small city  a small city where all the residents are cramped into tight quarters  and so you can see how quickly this virus, because of its high transmissibility rate, can move throughout a ship," Esper said. "We're very conscious about not just the TR but other ships on the seas."

Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

More than 350 of the crew members on the Roosevelt who tested positive were asymptomatic, "so it has revealed a new dynamic of this virus," Esper said. "So we're making sure that we communicate that to our broader force and we take every precaution we can to keep our force healthy and ready."

He said more than 90 other Navy ships at sea have had "no problems."

The outbreak on the Roosevelt "was a special case," Esper said. "We're going to get it behind us."
[April 16, 2020] Chongqing Liangjiang New Area: intelligent development accelerates production resumption

CHONGQING, China, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area ranked the first among all 14 regional new areas in the third-party evaluation on China Demonstration Base for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2019. At present, Liangjiang New Area is vigorously implementing strategic innovation-driven action plans led by big data and intelligence. Enterprises that carried out intelligent transformation have hedged against the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and some even have achieved bounce-back development. Located in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Lianchuang Electronics Co., Ltd., which mainly provides integrated touch display products for enterprises such as BOE, Tianma, and Vivo, has seen a surge of orders recently. What makes the electronics industry "go up against the trend"? One important factor is the high-end development in the industry. In recent years, the Liangjiang New Area has been focusing on the upgrading of the entire electronics industrial chain (Chips, LCD panels, intelligent terminals, core components and Internet of Things) towards the intellectual industry. Enterprises that focus on innovation and transformation achieves higher flexibility against market risks. As the first national development and opening-up new area in inland China, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area welcomes its tenth anniversary of establishment in 2020. Now it is embracing the opportunities merging from the initiative of the National Digital Economy Innovation Development Pilot Zone and the National New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Development Pilot Zone. By boosting the integration of high-end, high-quality and high-tech industries and "cloud computing" components, it has become a pillar in the development of the western region in the new era, a driver in the Belt and Road initiative as well as a model in advancing the sustainable development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.



The electronics industry is one of the pillar industries of the Liangjiang New Area, home to a large number of electronic terminal and supporting industrial chain enterprises. By planning and carrying out the epidemic prevention and control of COVID-19, as well as economic and social development, Liangjiang New Area takes the strategic opportunity through leading enterprises, resuming the entire industry chain production and the national and global supply systems integration, ensuring smooth operation of the supply chain. The enterprise above designated size in the electronics industry have resumed in full operation and seen an increase of orders. Thanks to a high degree of smart development, Chongqing Laibao Technology Co., Ltd has seen its production capacity recovered in a short time. As the world's leading manufacturer of medium-and-large-size capacitive touch screen shipments, its current output has exceeded 20% over the same period with only 70% employee returning to work. Thanks to its highly automated production line, it has maintained the normal operation with improved quality and efficiency.

Chongqing Liangjiang New Area provides enterprises with tax exemptions, talent training and other industrial preferential policies. To tackle the difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic, a series of policies have been implemented to help local enterprises, including labour transportation service, subsidies and "cloud promotion". The new area hopes to become a major investment destination with sound business environment and stable development of foreign trade. For more information, please visit the official website: http://www.liangjiang.gov.cn. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chongqing-liangjiang-new-area-intelligent-development-accelerates-production-resumption-301041844.html SOURCE Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee

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[April 16, 2020] Carlson Private Capital Partners Expands Portfolio with Investment in Street Smart

Carlson Private Capital Partners ("CPC (News - Alert)"), a middle-market investment firm formed by the Carlson family has made a significant investment in Street Smart based in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. The transaction closed on March 31, 2020. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Street Smart is a provider of safety equipment, service and technology across the United States and Canada. Established in 1999, and located in Lino Lakes, MN, Street Smart serves traffic control companies, governmental agencies, general contractors and safety-conscious professionals across various industries to foster more efficient and intelligent work zones. Andy Cantwell, CPC Managing Partner, stated, "Street Smart is a terrific business that provides real-time safety solutions to its base of loyal and long-standing customers. The Company has proven the ability to expand its business model, not only through geographic expansion but also through expansion of product, service and technology offerings as the traffic safety industry and DOTs broaden their implementation of Smart Work Zones. Street Smart is on the cutting edge of the Smart Work Zone movement and we believe the future for Mike, Jr. and the Company is very bright." Mike Granger Jr., President of Street Smart, stated, "Carlson Private Capital is the perfect partner for Street Smart. Like Carlson, we are a multi-generational family business and appreciate their time horizon and long term focus on the expansion, evolution and success of our company and our employees. Carlson Private Capital's investment will help us continue the execution of our successful playbook of geographic expasion into new regions and accelerate our technology and service offerings. As our family has been going through the transition of day-to-day leadership of the business from my dad to me, finding a well-aligned partner with shared values to continue our momentum and growth well into the future was a key milestone to set us up for the future."



Carlson Private Capital Partners was formed in 2018 by the Carlson family to provide a fundamentally different investment option to founder-owned businesses that desire a long-term capital partner focused on enhancing their legacies and the communities in which they operate. About Carlson Private Capital Partners

Carlson Private Capital Partners is a private investment firm that invests family capital in businesses best served by an investment partner focused on the long-term view and a tailored approach to a business ownership transition. Our investment platform leverages the Carlson family's rich history of entrepreneurship and operational excellence. Our firm is inherently different. Our patient and flexible capital offers significant advantages over traditional, institutional private equity firms without sacrificing any of the speed, expertise or access to resources. For more information, visit www.carlsonprivatecapital.com. About Street Smart Rental Street Smart, based in Lino Lakes, MN, rents and sells specialized traffic safety equipment and provides service and technology to foster intelligent work zones. Established in 1999, Street Smart Rental contracts with traffic control companies, governmental agencies, and general contractors in the United States and Canada. https://www.streetsmartrental.com/ About Carlson Now in its third generation of closely held family ownership, Carlson is an international travel management company and private investment firm, operating in nearly 145 countries and territories. The foundation of its portfolio of businesses is wholly-owned global travel industry leader, CWT, the B2B4E (business to business for employees) travel management platform. Carlson Private Capital Partners, a middle-market investment firm, was formed by the Carlson family and launched in 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005548/en/

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West Bengal Police recruitment board has declared the result of preliminary exam for recruitment to the post of excise constable (including lady excise constables) in the subordinate Excise service under Finance Department, Government of West Bengal 2019.

Candidates can check their results on the West Bengal Police website at www.wbpolice.gov.in and on the website of Directorate of Excise www.excise.wb.gov.in. Key in your application Sl. No., date of birth with selection district and submit on the login page to check result.

Shortlisted candidates are eligible to appear for the Physical Measurement Test (PMT) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET). The venue, date and time of PMT and PET will be intimated in due course.

Visit the websites of West Bengal Police and Directorate of Excise for latest news and updates about the examination.
Could Yusei Holdings Limited (HKG:96) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. Unfortunately, it's common for investors to be enticed in by the seemingly attractive yield, and lose money when the company has to cut its dividend payments.

With a 1.7% yield and a five-year payment history, investors probably think Yusei Holdings looks like a reliable dividend stock. A 1.7% yield is not inspiring, but the longer payment history has some appeal. Some simple analysis can reduce the risk of holding Yusei Holdings for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below.

Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Yusei Holdings!

SEHK:96 Historical Dividend Yield April 16th 2020

Payout ratios

Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. As a result, we should always investigate whether a company can afford its dividend, measured as a percentage of a company's net income after tax. In the last year, Yusei Holdings paid out 12% of its profit as dividends. With a low payout ratio, it looks like the dividend is comprehensively covered by earnings.

We update our data on Yusei Holdings every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here.

Dividend Volatility

Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. Looking at the data, we can see that Yusei Holdings has been paying a dividend for the past five years. During the past five-year period, the first annual payment was CN0.014 in 2015, compared to CN0.013 last year. Dividend payments have shrunk at a rate of less than 1% per annum over this time frame.

We struggle to make a case for buying Yusei Holdings for its dividend, given that payments have shrunk over the past five years.

Story continues

Dividend Growth Potential

While dividend payments have been relatively reliable, it would also be nice if earnings per share (EPS) were growing, as this is essential to maintaining the dividend's purchasing power over the long term. It's good to see Yusei Holdings has been growing its earnings per share at 58% a year over the past five years. Earnings per share have grown rapidly, and the company is retaining a majority of its earnings. We think this is ideal from an investment perspective, if the company is able to reinvest these earnings effectively.

We'd also point out that Yusei Holdings issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

Conclusion

To summarise, shareholders should always check that Yusei Holdings's dividends are affordable, that its dividend payments are relatively stable, and that it has decent prospects for growing its earnings and dividend. Firstly, we like that Yusei Holdings has a low and conservative payout ratio. Next, earnings growth has been good, but unfortunately the company has not been paying dividends as long as we'd like. Overall we think Yusei Holdings is an interesting dividend stock, although it could be better.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For instance, we've picked out 4 warning signs for Yusei Holdings that investors should take into consideration.

If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
"Our clinically-validated algorithms combined with knowing whether patients are in compliance with their prescriptions will also allow the effectiveness of different medications to be evaluated on a patient by patient basis," explained Michael J. Markus, PhD, the CEO of HGE Health

HGE Health has reached an agreement with Adherium to integrate Adheriums medication compliance sensor technology into HGE Healths digital patient management platform. The HGE Health platform currently takes into consideration a patients symptoms to determine whether that patients condition is worsening, or is expected for the current state of their COPD. Integration of Adheriums Hailie sensor will allow the contribution of each patients adherence, or lack thereof, to an inhaled prescription drug regimen to be considered in evaluating the patients condition for worsening trends.

HGE Healths digital platform and technology-enabled services, called HGE Care, allows pulmonary and primary care physicians to remotely care for patients from anywhere in the nation, and help patients better understand and manage changes in their COPD symptoms. Thanks to daily digital interaction with their healthcare team, patients are engaged in their own symptom management, and log their symptoms on the HGE Care platform over 80% - 90% of the time. In the background, Adheriums integrated medication compliance sensor detects the frequency and quantity of an inhaled drug taken by the patient to be included in the symptom logs.

The symptoms of patients enrolled on our digital platform may become more severe not because their current medical condition has worsened, but because they have failed to take their medications as prescribed, explained Michael J. Markus, PhD, the CEO of HGE Health. Our clinically-validated algorithms may recommend prescribing a higher dose of a recovery medication or other drug than was previously prescribed, but the higher dose may be unnecessary if the patient complies with the original prescription. Knowing whether patients are in compliance with their prescriptions will also allow the effectiveness of different medications to be evaluated on a patient by patient basis. This new ability to monitor and consider medication adherence is appealing to our existing customers and partners.

For example, Respircare in Tulsa, Oklahoma will be one of the first in the country to utilize the Hailie sensor with HGE technology. This new capability is already expanding Respircares relationships with local payors and native American tribes for COPD and asthma management in Oklahoma, explained Dr. Mark Boomer, MD, CEO of Respircare. Patients enjoy peace of mind that each day they experience a change from their typical COPD symptoms, their own physician/care team will provide same-day feedback, occasionally involving no more than an instruction to take a medication, as prescribed. As a result, patients breathe easier, avoid ER and hospital admissions, and enjoy an improved quality of life, all while reducing overall healthcare costs for patients and their health plans.

Adheriums Hailie sensor was initially developed to monitor when, and how often asthma patients used their rescue inhaler, explained Mike Motion , COO of Adherium. The sensor technology is very adaptable, and is compatible with the majority of inhalers used in asthma treatment today and is well suited to monitor medication compliance across a wide variety of chronic illnesses, including COPD, that are effectively treated with inhaled medications.

It is this adaptability to a variety of chronic illnesses that HGE Health plans to leverage for one of its many expansions outside of COPD planned for 2020. HGE Health, currently the market leader and only full-service remote patient management solution in the COPD space, will now expand its offerings to new and existing customers for remote asthma management as part of this alliance with Adherium. The Adherium collaboration with HGE Health provides an option available to HGE Healths substantial customer base of payers and healthcare providers.

Based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, HGE Health has built an international reputation in the field of COPD and pulmonary medicine, helping COPD, lung transplant and other respiratory patients and physicians control pulmonary issues. With over a decade of experience remotely monitoring COPD patients and facilitating early clinical interventions, HGE Health has observed patients experiencing fewer severe symptoms and a general improvement in the quality of life.

Adherium has become a global leader in medication compliance technology by developing multiple FDA approved medical devices. Adheriums technology has been used in clinical studies resulting in more than 80 peer-reviewed papers. The developments were motivated by the realization that more than 50% of patients suffering chronic illness do not take their medications as prescribed, leading to poor patient outcomes, disease progression, and an estimated burden of $100-300 billion annually in avoidable direct healthcare costs in the US alone, and a $564 billion burden globally. The resulting monitoring technology uses wireless communications technology to provide real-time data collection and reporting from Adheriums Hailie sensors.

About HGE Health

Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, HGE Health harnesses its deep experience in chronic disease management and digital health in pulmonary disease, telemedicine, and mobile health to develop a clinical services platform that delivers better care faster at a much lower cost for patients, physicians and payors. Built on clinical protocols developed and supported by 16 years of research, the companys technology has compiled the longest-running and worlds largest longitudinal data set of COPD symptoms, interventions, and clinical management to help physicians provide care for a geographically and socio-economically diverse COPD and pulmonary patient population.

About Adherium

Adherium is a global leader in digital health technologies which address sub-optimal medication use in chronic disease. Among those technologies is the Hailie sensor technology, which attaches to prescription inhalers to provide reminders and to monitor inhaler usage. Independent studies have shown that the Hailie sensors improve medication adherence and health outcomes for patients with chronic respiratory disease.

About RespirCare

Founded in Tulsa, OK, RespirCare is a novel clinic dedicated to treating acute and chronic respiratory conditions, from minor to the most severe. Remote symptom monitoring is offered to allow clinical interventions to be performed immediately, as symptoms begin to worsen. Treatment is available at RespirCare by appointment and as a walk-in clinic, which is open 7 days a week to ensure immediate care is available when patients need it most. A separate waiting room available for contagious patients, and oxygen outlets throughout establishes a patient-centric waiting environment with patient wellbeing and comfort in mind. RespirCare offers regular and after-hours care for no more than the cost of a visit to your regular pulmonary specialist, avoiding the costs of an emergency department visit.
[April 16, 2020] BIGO Ads partners with RMI to launch its advertising business in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile marketing platform BIGO Ads announces Rich Media Inc ("RMI") as the authorized reseller in Pakistan. BIGO Ads, from BIGO Technology, is an ads platform, providing mobile marketing solutions globally. Covering more than 150 countries, BIGO Ads integrates mobile marketing solutions into imo, the video and audio calling app with global monthly active users (MAU) of 210 million, and Likee, a short video creation platform with global MAU of 115 million. With its strong user base and high-quality content, BIGO Ads enriches the user portrait system and provides marketing solutions for advertisers and partners in different scenarios. BIGO Ads utilizes cutting-edge machine learning technology, powerful Artificial Intelligence algorithms, comprehensive big data anaysis, and processing capabilities to support branding and performance advertising solutions for advertisers. With various advertising formats, such as Banner, Native, Video and different cooperation models like Programmatic buying, Reserved branding Ads and Auction Bidding Ads, BIGO Ads provides a one-stop integrated marketing solutions for advertisers to reach the targeted audience, increase brand awareness and maximize return of investment (ROI).



RMI is an exclusive partner of Sizmek by Amazon, and Control Shift in Pakistan since 2008 and 2019 respectively. Recently RMI inked the agreement with BIGO to sell media properties of imo and Likee to local media agencies and advertisers to drive higher return on ad spend. RMI holds a major percent market share of digital ad serving business in Pakistan. RMI is playing a digital consultancy role in the market to facilitate the local agencies and advertisers about new innovative ad formats, ads execution strategies and ideas. RMI is known for strategic digital advertising solutions. BIGO Ads is glad to partner with RMI. With RMI's in-depth understanding of the market and excellent relationship in Pakistan, as well as the rich and efficient marketing solutions of BIGO Ads, we will provide advertisers with a better service and achieve marketing objectives.

Now BIGO Ads is ready in Pakistan, we are looking forward to new collaboration opportunities with local business. Go BIG with BIGO Ads! SOURCE BIGO Ads

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PASA-member Ape Action Africa, in Cameroon, takes precautions to protect apes and monkeys from COVID-19 PASA is increasing our transparency so that donors can be sure their funds are protecting African primates during the COVID-19 crisis.

To provide vital support to Africas primates during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA)  the largest alliance of wildlife centers in Africa  has increased transparency on its metrics, demonstrating the impact of its members in the face of tremendous challenge. As a result, PASA has achieved the 2020 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, a service of Candid. By sharing metrics that highlight the progress PASA is making toward its mission, the organization is ensuring that donors can give with confidence at this critical time.

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens the very existence of PASA wildlife centers, said Gregg Tully, PASA Executive Director. "This has made us even more committed to transparency about our work. So we are incredibly proud of the platinum designation from Guidestar.

The 23 PASA member wildlife centers, in 13 countries across Africa, face extraordinary threats due to the pandemic. Travel bans have left them without volunteers. Staff are sheltering-in-place at the centers rather than leave vulnerable monkeys and apes. Disrupted supply lines mean that getting food and veterinary supplies is precarious. On top of these issues, PASA members must also take biosecurity measures to protect the animals from possibly contracting the disease.

To earn the Platinum rating, PASA added data related to core areas of its mission, including these points:



3171 animals receiving long term care in member centers

456 animals rescued in the last year

293 animals reintroduced to the wild in the last year

These metrics come directly from our members  and we hope that our supporters will hold us accountable to them, continued Tully, noting that PASA spends over 83 cents of every dollar donated directly on programs that support wildlife centers  including emergency grants to help them navigate the COVID-19 outbreak.

Fast Facts:


Only hours after Western Bulldogs vice-captain Lachie Hunter returned a positive breath test after allegedly driving into four parked cars in inner Melbourne, Adelaide announced that forward Tyson Stengle had allegedly been caught drink-driving in an unregistered car.

Hunter, 25, faces the possibility of losing his licence, while he was also hit with a $1652 penalty notice for breaching stage-three restrictions, with the club set to punish the midfielder further.

Stengle, who was recruited from Richmond, recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.125 after being pulled over for allegedly driving an unregistered vehicle in Adelaide.

In Hunter's case, the time between the incident and when he was breath tested is still being investigated by the club and the AFL's integrity unit.
Nigerias tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 407 on Wednesday evening as 34 new cases were announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

The health agency in a tweet said the new cases were reported in five states: Lagos, Kano, Katsina, Delta and Niger.

The breakdown of the new cases showed that Lagos has 18 cases, followed closely by Kano with 12, Katsina 2, while Niger and Delta have one apiece.

Lagos remains the epicentre for the outbreak in Nigeria, while confirmed cases in Kano have been on the rise since the first confirmed case was announced on Sunday.

The figures released Wednesday evening is the highest daily figure reported by the health agency since the beginning of the outbreak in Nigeria in February.

The NCDC said as at 11:20 p.m. on Wednesday, there were 407 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. A total of 128 patients have recovered and have been discharged while 12 people have died.

Out of the total confirmed cases, 267 are still active, 128 have been discharged with 12 deaths reported, the agency said.

The new death was reported in Lagos, adding to the 11 deaths earlier reported.

As of the time of reporting, 19 states and the FCT have confirmed at least a case of the virus in Nigeria.

Lagos State has now reported 232 cases, followed by FCT  58, Osun  20, Kano  16, Edo  15, Oyo  11, Ogun  9, Katsina  7, Bauchi, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom  6, Kwara and Delta  4, while Ondo has 3 cases. Enugu, Niger, Ekiti, and Rivers have two cases each, while Benue, and Anambra have recorded one each.

More testing

Nigerians have been advised to expect more cases as contact tracing of people who might have been exposed to the virus has been intensified by the government.

NCDC boss, Chikwe Ihekweazu, at the Presidential Task Force briefing on Wednesday said Nigeria has also improved its testing capacity and now has the capacity of testing 3000 per day although that capacity is not being fully utilised.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, CEO, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

He said the NCDC is focused on Lagos and the FCT because of the high number of cases in both states

We have to respect the people that have the virus, it could be any of us, none of us are immune to it as it is a new disease because it could very easily be us.

By the end of today, we will be publishing a diagnostic strategy, so that everybody will be aware of where we are, where we are going, short term and long term, he said .

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, condemned stigmatisation of people.

File photo of the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, at a press briefing on the outbreak of Coronavirus in Nigeria

The population should not drive stigma by wanting to know where those people live so that you can avoid the area. You should take your own measures and not contribute to using that as an excuse to create stigma.

I want to speak against stigmatisation, we dont want people feeling that this is something so terrible that you should be ashamed of, he said.
President Donald Trump's approval rating has taken a dive in the month of April by six points, as more Americans express their disapproval over his coronavirus response in recent weeks.

A new Gallup survey released on Thursday reported the president's approval dropped from 49 per cent to 43 per cent. According to the survey, 54 per cent of Americans disapprove of Trump's performance.

The president's approval rating slipped those six points following a 24 March Gallup survey, which found 49 per cent of Americans approved of Mr Trump and tied his personal best.

"The six-point decline in the president's approval rating is the sharpest drop Gallup has recorded for the Trump presidency so far," the survey explained in its report. It added this was not Mr Trump's lowest approval rating, as his average with Gallup was 40 per cent approval.

A mid-March boost in the polls for the president came after the federal government started its coronavirus response, including enacting social distancing measures for the public.

Mr Trump's initial boost during the coronavirus outbreak has not lasted, though, as the president has continued to appear daily during White House press briefings to address measures made to curb the pandemic.

The current health and economic crisis has been one of the hardest situations Mr Trump has faced during his presidency, and it could impact his bid for re-election in November if the economy doesn't rebound.

The United States has the most confirmed cases globally with more than 653,000 infections and 30,998 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Gallup found Mr Trump's support among Democrats dropped six points, with just 7 per cent approving of his job. Among independents, approval dropped from 43 per cent to 39 per cent. His approval with Republicans was at 93 per cent, a number that has remained relatively stable throughout his presidency.

In comparison, Congress' approval rating rose during the same time period to 30 per cent. The last time Congress had an approval that high was in 2009.

State governors have also seen a boost in their approval among residents as they work on policies to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

FiveThirtyEight compiled a list of 15 state governors and how their approval ratings compared before and during the virus.

All of the state governors saw a double-digit increase in approval except for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican. He went from 58 per cent approval to 51 per cent.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine saw the largest increase in their approval since the start of the pandemic, with them boasting 81, 79, and 80 per cent approval respectively among their residents.

Gallup's recent survey of the president's approval was conducted from 1 April to 14 April, with 1,017 American adults providing answers. The poll has a 4 per cent margin of error.
Israel's president has given the parliament three weeks to pick the next prime minister or trigger the countrys fourth election in less than a year.

President Reuven Rivlin notified opposition leader Benny Gantz Thursday morning that he was transferring the mandate to form a new government to the Knesset. Gantz, who leads the Blue and White Party and is also speaker of the Knesset, has been in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a unity government but the two missed a Wednesday night deadline set by Rivlin.

Such a deal would have brought an end to a year of political stalemate, in which three consecutive national elections left neither politician with enough support to form a governing coalition.

Gantz, Netanyahu and their negotiating teams met Wednesday night at the prime ministers residence in Jerusalem to finalize an agreement. Despite assurances that the talks were on track, the breakdown reportedly stemmed from disagreements over the appointment of judges and legislation that would protect the prime minister from prosecution.

Netanyahu is currently awaiting trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

In a letter to Gantz on Thursday, Rivlin said he would now "entrust the formation of a government to the Knesset.

I hope that the Knesset members will be able to form a majority in such a way that a government can be formed as soon as possible, and to prevent a fourth round of elections, he wrote.

Under Israeli law, the Knesset will now have 21 days to propose a majority-supported lawmaker or the parliament will dissolve and Israel will face another round of voting in 90 days. Should a candidate secure 61 votes, he or she will have 14 days to form a government before yet another election is triggered.

A poll from Israel's Channel 12 news found if an election were held this week, Netanyahu's Likud would win 40 seats in the 120-member Knesset, up from the 36 it won in the last election on March 2. The prime ministers full right-wing bloc would secure 64 seats, enough to form a governing coalition.
By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - The office of U.S. congressman Adam Kinzinger reached out to the White House last month with an urgent request: a business in his district in Illinois had located 13 million highly sought-after N95 respirator masks in Germany and wanted to know if officials were interested.

The tip - confirmed by the Republican lawmaker's office, the company and a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official - came as the coronavirus spread across the United States and around the world, sparking a global race to find critical medical protective equipment.

The lead eventually proved to be one of thousands of dead ends that the Federal Emergency Management Agency - coordinating the U.S. government's response to the pandemic - has fielded in recent weeks as it scours the globe for additional supplies of medical protective equipment, according to a DHS official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

While Reuters and other news organizations have documented the intense competition for protective gear in the United States and around the world, FEMA's battle to vet a deluge of leads - many from reputable sources including U.S. lawmakers - has gotten less attention.

The global rush to find protective medical equipment has transformed the market into a Wild West, with countries bidding against countries, states bidding against states and brokers and middlemen chasing big payouts.

The tip passed on by Kinzinger's office attracted particular attention from federal officials because of the sheer number of protective masks being proffered. It did not stand up to closer scrutiny, however.

Kinzinger's staff initially told the White House that SupplyCore Inc, a supply-chain management and logistics company in Rockford, Illinois, hoped to broker a deal to sell the masks to FEMA, according to three people familiar with the matter.

SupplyCore CEO Peter Provenzano said the tip came from a supplier, but he could not disclose the company's name because of an ongoing business relationship and non-disclosure agreement. Provenzano estimated that the value of the deal could have amounted to $60 million if the masks had actually materialized.

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"I don't know if there was really a warehouse with 13 million (masks) or not," Provenzano said in an interview. "Everybody approached it with skepticism, but you can't ignore it."

When SupplyCore pressed for access to the warehouse and photos of the gear, the seller would not agree unless the company committed to buying the masks. That was a red flag, Provenzano said. FEMA declined to move forward and SupplyCore also walked away from the deal, Provenzano added.

"We were just trying to do our due diligence," Provenzano said. "If it proved to be true, you'd want to put it on hold and see what you can do to vet and verify it."

Kinzinger said in a telephone interview that he does not regret referring the lead to FEMA and that the vetting process worked.

"Frankly, it would be malpractice not to make an effort," Kinzinger said. "If it happened to be real and we didn't do anything, that would be the story."

'INSTANTLY SKEPTICAL'

The DHS official familiar with the matter said the deal stood out because the large quantity being offered did not make sense given the tight market.

"Anyone who tells me over a million now, I'm instantly skeptical," the official said.

FEMA spokeswoman Lea Crager said the agency received more than a thousand responses to a public request for companies to supply protective gear and that "contracting officers must go through and vet all those companies."

The DHS official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said suppliers must prove the existence of equipment and may be asked to provide serial numbers or allow access to warehouses or other facilities.

Even with attempts to be vigilant, FEMA has pursued tips that have not panned out. The agency recently sent a plane to Mexico to pick up medical supplies only to learn that they were not there, according to the DHS official.

Crager said she could not confirm whether the agency had sent the flight, but added that she was aware that a FEMA contractor had tried unsuccessfully to obtain protective equipment in Mexico and that the agency had a plane on standby as the contractor tried to reach an agreement with a supplier.

Timothy Manning, a former FEMA deputy administrator for protection and national preparedness, said bad leads - intentional or not - are common during a disaster response.

"It's not unusual for offers to be lost in translation or miscommunicated," Manning said. "With a disaster of this magnitude, that's bound to happen."

(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Additional reporting by Joseph Tanfani; Editing by Ross Colvin and Will Dunham)
President Donald Trump said he will announce Thursday the first plans for lifting coronavirus lockdowns across the United States after the country passed the pandemic's "peak," mirroring a gradual easing in Europe.

His comments came shortly before the number of US fatalities -- already the world's highest -- reached a new daily record and became the heaviest one-day death toll of any nation.

"It is clear that our aggressive strategy is working," he told a news conference late Wednesday in Washington. "The battle continues but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases."

Trump said he would be announcing guidelines for a reduction in the lockdown in some states, possibly taking effect before the end of this month.

Earlier, Germany also unveiled its plans for cautious reopening, becoming the first major European nation to take on the delicate task of restarting its economy without triggering a new wave of infections before a vaccine can be developed.

Facing a difficult reelection in November, Trump predicted that the US economy, the world's largest, would "come back quickly" from the paralysis induced by measures taken to slow the virus.

Around the world, the total number of COVID-19 cases soared past two million, according to an AFP tally, and the death toll topped 134,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The US saw 2,569 deaths over a 24-hour period, data from Johns Hopkins showed, with total US deaths above 28,300

In Riyadh, G20 nations of the world's major economies announced a one-year debt moratorium for the world's poorest nations, as the global economy enters the worst recession in a century.

Fallout, meanwhile, continued over Trump's attack on the World Health Organization and suspension of US funding to the UN agency.

Despite criticism, Trump repeated his accusations Wednesday, saying the WHO covered up the extent of the virus when it first appeared in China, and that as a result France, Italy and Spain were caught unawares.

World toll of coronavirus infections and deaths as of April 15 at 1900 GMT. By Jonathan WALTER (AFP)

"Tragically, other nations put their trust in the WHO," he said.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said this is "not the time" to cut WHO funding, while billionaire Bill Gates, a major WHO contributor, called the move "dangerous."

European allies were similarly disapproving and Washington's rivals also took aim -- Russia condemning the "selfish approach" of the US, and China and Iran blasting the decision.

Edging back toward normal

In Europe, Denmark began reopening schools for younger children after a month-long closure and Finland lifted a two-week rail and road blockade on the Helsinki region.

Lithuania said it would allow smaller shops to reopen from Thursday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced plans to lift some of the restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. By Bernd von Jutrczenka (POOL/AFP)

Other countries are tweaking confinement rules, with Iran set to let some small businesses reopen and India allowing millions of rural people to return to work.

In South Korea, people went to the polls on Wednesday and delivered a strong show of support for President Moon Jae-in, commending his handling of the epidemic.

Once home to the world's second-largest outbreak, South Korea has largely brought the virus under control through widespread testing, contact-tracing and social distancing.

A full-scale return to normality still appears a long way off in most other countries.

A man wearing a protective suit to identify a relative outside the morgue of the Hospital General Guasmo Sur in Guayaquil, Ecuador. By Jose SAnchez (AFP)

Harvard scientists have warned that repeated periods of social distancing could be needed as far ahead as 2022 to avoid overwhelming hospitals.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has allowed work to restart in some factories and building sites, warned that "nothing will be the same until a vaccine is found."

Belgium extended its stay-at-home order until at least May 3 and banned mass gatherings until the end of August.

'Extreme caution'

A full-scale return to normality still appears a long way off in countries including Italy. By Miguel MEDINA (AFP)

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced first steps in undoing coronavirus restrictions that have plunged the economy into a recession.

Most shops will be allowed to open once they have "plans to maintain hygiene" although schools must stay closed until May 4 and a ban on large public events will remain in place until August 31.

"We have to proceed with extreme caution," Merkel told reporters in Berlin.

Schools will gradually be reopened with priority given to pupils about to take leaving examinations.

The government urged people to wear face masks when out shopping or on public transport, but stopped short of making it a requirement like in neighboring Austria.

Trouble yet to come

On the horizon looms the worst economic downturn in a century, which the IMF has said could see $9 trillion wiped from the global economy.

Germany is already in recession and US manufacturing production plummeted 6.3 percent last month, its biggest fall in seven decades.

In France, more than a third of workers are on temporary unemployment, the government said.

A sanitation worker disinfects a camp for displaced Syrians in the northwestern city of Idlib. By OMAR HAJ KADOUR (AFP/File)

In poorer, more densely populated countries, governments are still struggling to enforce restrictions on movement that are piling misery on the needy.

Fears over hunger and possible social unrest are especially acute in parts of Africa and Latin America.

In Ecuador hunger trumps fear of the virus for residents in rundown areas of the badly affected city of Guayaquil.

"The police come with a whip to send people running, but how do you say to a poor person 'Stay home' if you don't have enough to eat?" said Carlos Valencia, a 35-year-old teacher.

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(Newser)  Hundreds of starving Rohingya refugees have been rescued after spending almost two months at sea. The coast guard in Bangladesh says more than 30 people died on the vessel, which may have been turned back from Malaysia due to the coronavirus pandemic, the BBC reports. Authorities say the refugees are originally from Myanmar, but it's not clear whether they set off from there or Bangladesh, where more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims ended up in refugee camps after a bloody crackdown in Myanmar in 2017. "We have rescued at least 382 Rohingya from a big overcrowded fishing trawler and brought them to a beach," coast guard spokesman Lt. Shah Zia Rahman tells AFP. "They were starving, Rahman says. "They were floating for 58 days." He says the coast guard spent three days searching for the boat after a tip. (Read more Rohingya stories.)
Dr. Pedro Lucero knew his hospital was doing everything it could for one of his sickest COVID-19 patients, but he worried it wasnt enough.

The patient, 47-year-old Jimmie Hayden, had been admitted to Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak in early April with respiratory distress. For days, he was hooked up to a mechanical ventilator to breathe and given a high level of supportive care, but his condition plateaued.

Lucero, a pulmonary specialist, began researching alternative treatments for the coronavirus. None were proven, but he knew that convalescent blood plasma had been transfused into some seriously ill coronavirus patients, in attempts to passively transfer antibodies from recovered people into the actively ill.

On ExpressNews.com: He was the first COVID-19 patient in San Antonio to receive plasma therapy. Less than a week later, he no longer needs a ventilator.

He began working with the Methodist system and the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center to source a unit of plasma, and he secured federal approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which has fast-tracked a national study of the experimental therapy and is allowing its use on critical patients. On April 9, his patient became the first in San Antonio to receive a plasma transfusion.

Over the next few days, Lucero watched as Hayden started to get better. By Wednesday, less than a week after his transfusion, Hayden was well enough to no longer need the ventilator.

More for you Family of S.A. COVID-19 patient hopeful after plasma transfusion

While the seemingly good outcome is heartening, Lucero said it is difficult to draw too many conclusions from the case without the support of more data and patients.

Thats the question: Was he going to get better anyway, or was it the result of the plasma? Lucero said. Thats where a big, large, randomized control study would help answer these questions.

As a result, Lucero and other doctors in San Antonio, along with the local blood center, are encouraging people who have recovered from the coronavirus to donate their plasma. With information from a bigger pool of donors and a larger sample of patients, doctors and researchers can better understand the specifics of plasmas impact on those suffering from the coronavirus.

On ExpressNews.com: Youre on pins and needles: For family of first San Antonio COVID-19 patient treated with donated plasma, there was fear, then hope

At the moment, clinicians know that plasma therapy has generally worked with other viruses, such as Ebola. And early studies found improvements for small groups of COVID-19 patients, too.

But Lucero said a host of questions remain: How many antibodies can be harvested from plasma, what kind are most effective against the virus, at what stage of illness the plasma is most effective, what types of patients will benefit most.

More Information Have you recovered from COVID-19? Here's how to donate your plasma The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center is collecting plasma from people who have tested positive for the coronavirus and recovered from it. Interested donors can be screened for eligibility by emailing COVID19@southtexasblood.org. See More Collapse

All these are unknowns, he said.

For potential donors, Lucero noted, there are essentially no downsides to donating their plasma. Blood banks have automated machines that can remove only the plasma component from donors blood, allowing them to give as frequently as every four days.

Other San Antonio hospitals are testing the use of convalescent plasma on critically ill COVID-19 patients. Earlier this week, University Hospital announced that it had also begun transfusing coronavirus patients with convalescent plasma. The research hospital is participating in the national clinical trial, which is being led by the Mayo Clinic. Lucero said Methodist is planning to join the study.

Federal regulators are allowing convalescent plasma treatment for the sickest COVID-19 patients, as part of studies or requests on behalf of those at risk of dying from the virus. Such patients may be suffering from respiratory or multi-organ failure or septic shock.

On ExpressNews.com: Its the best that weve got: San Antonio COVID-19 patients to receive plasma from donors who recovered from the virus

So far, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center has collected plasma from three donors and has delivered 20 units to hospitals in San Antonio and South Texas. Elizabeth Waltman, the organizations chief operating officer, said last week that the collective data from participating hospitals and blood banks will be crucial for measuring plasmas efficacy against novel viruses.

To be eligible to donate plasma to COVID-19 patients, a person must have a confirmed diagnosis from a laboratory test and meet requirements for recovery. Interested donors in the San Antonio area can be screened by emailing COVID19@southtexasblood.org.

Hopefully, this study will help us build that mountain of data so well have a better understanding of how convalescent plasma will help patients, Waltman said. By knowing that, should we have another bloom of COVID-19 or another type of virus, well have more information that we can use for the next time.

Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Lauren, become a subscriber. lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba
Telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Thursday said it has added network capacity to cater to the rising demand for data in Delhi-NCR, amid the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"Vodafone Idea has further enhanced network capacity in the circle by deploying the most efficient 900 MHz spectrum band on 2300 4G sites," the company said in a statement.

The sites upgraded will facilitate better indoor network experience and enhance network speed in Delhi-NCR.

"These recent network augmentation efforts are being undertaken to support the growing data demand during the national lockdown due to Covid pandemic," the company said.

With this, Vodafone Idea is geared to handle the increase in demand from customers who are confined within their homes, heavily dependent on network connectivity to work, study, access essential services online, stay informed and entertained, it added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday had announced that the current lockdown will be extended till May 3.

Fresh guidelines were issued by the government on Wednesday for enforcing the second phase of the lockdown, which is aimed to contain the spread of the pandemic that has so far killed over 414 people and infected over 12,380 in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Germany has seen its highest number of CCP virus deaths for the second day in a row with 315 fatalities, as the number of cases also continues to rise.

Germanys confirmed cases have risen by 2,866 to 130,450, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday, meaning the number of new infections rose for a second consecutive day.

The reported death toll has risen by 315 to 3,569, the tally showed.

The European country achieved a fragile intermediate success in its fight against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, and will take small steps out of lockdown with the partial reopening of shops next week and schools from May 4, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.

Social distancing rules would remain in place until May 3 under the measures that Merkel and the governors of Germanys 16 states agreed at Wednesdays meeting. They plan to meet again on April 30 to review how to proceed after May 3.

Under Wednesdays agreement, retailers whose shops are up to 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) will be allowed to open next week, along with car and bicycle dealers and bookstores, though they must practice strict social distancing and hygiene rules.

Schools would start opening from May 4, with priority given to final-year students. Hairdressers could also reopen then.

The federal and state governments strongly recommended Germans wear masks on public transport and when shopping.

Religious gatherings will remain banned and restaurants, bars, cafes, cinemas, and music venues shut, with big events banned until Aug. 31.

We are now moving forward in small steps, Merkel told a news conference. It is a fragile situation in which caution is required, not exuberance.

In a document outlining their agreement, the federal and state leaders said they would support voluntary use of a contact tracing app, when available, so people can quickly learn when they have been exposed to an infected person.

They backed a European initiative called Pan-European Privacy Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT).

Merkels Cabinet had already decided to extend border controls to Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, and Denmark by 20 days to early May, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Little Leeway

Merkel said the virus reproduction or transmission rate in Germany was around 1meaning one person with the virus infects one other on average.

With a transmission rate of 1.1, Germanys healthcare system would hit its limits in October, she said. With a rate of 1.2, it would hit the limit in July, and in June with a rate of 1.3.

So you see what little leeway we have, Merkel added.

Companies and politicians are worried about the economic impact of a long shutdown, although the government has tried to cushion the blow with a range of measures, including a 750 billion-euro ($819 billion) stimulus package.

We are in a new normal that will not be short but will be with us for some time, until we have managed to develop better medicines and vaccines to prevent the spread of the pandemic, said Finance Minister Olaf Scholz.

The Economy Ministry said Germany entered a recession in March and the slowdown is likely to continue until the middle of the year.

Collapsing global demand, interruption of supply chains, changes in consumer behavior and uncertainty among investors are having massive impact on Germany, it said.

It said even if social distancing measures were eased, economic activity would continue to be very subdued and would only pick up gradually.

Some 725,000 companies in Germany had applied for short-time work by April 13, the Labor Office said on Wednesday, a roughly 12 percent rise from the previous week.

Short-time work is a form of state aid that allows employers to switch employees to shorter working hours during an economic downturn to keep them on the payroll. It has been widely used by industry, including Germanys car sector.

By Andreas Rinke and Holger Hansen

NTD staff contributed to this report.
Paris: Nearly 700 sailors assigned to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle's naval group have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Armed Forces Ministry said.

The ministry said 1767 mariners, nearly all from the Charles de Gaulle itself, had been tested and results showed at least 668 to be infected with the new coronavirus. Results were still not in from a third of the tests.

"Thirty-one personnel are today in hospital," it said in a statement. "More tests are being carried out."

The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier off the coast of Toulon, southern France. Credit:AP

The carrier, which had most recently been taking part in exercises with northern European navies in the Baltic Sea, arrived home in Toulon, France, two weeks earlier than expected after about 40 crew members showed COVID-19 symptoms.
Andrea Bocelli 'Music for Hope' performance - which was streamed worldwide from the Duomo in Milan on YouTube on 12 April 2020 - has made YouTube history.

 Luca Rossetti, courtesy of Sugar SRL, Decca Records

An uplifting message of love, healing and hope

 Luca Rossetti, courtesy of Sugar SRL, Decca Records

This historic event reached over 2.8 millionpeak concurrent viewers, making it one of the biggest musical livestream performances of all time and the largest simultaneous audience for a classical live stream in YouTube history. The video received more than 28 million views from across the globe in its first 24 hours. Even prior to the stream beginning, more than one million viewers were present in the waiting room, in anticipation of the performance.Bocellis Music for Hope performance has since been covered in more than 100 countries worldwide, and continues to trend globally across YouTube and social media platforms. During the past 48 hours, it reached number one trending on YouTube across US, UK, Italy, Canada and throughout Latin America, including Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Brazil.These figures make this event thebiggest livestreamed classical music event of all time, as millions of all-ages and backgrounds, joined together remotely around the world for this special 30-minute Easter Sunday broadcast. The performance has now been viewed in excess of 35 million times since Sunday evening.The event was a moving delivery of an inspiring programme of sacred music, amid the stillness of a city under continued lockdown. But behind the scenes, it was a remarkable technical feat to film and record the concert within the restrictions, as well as the time pressure to make the audio and footage available for access immediately afterwards. The aim was to deliver an uplifting message of love, healing and hope to the public through music, at a time when it was most needed  and it did just that. The recording was released digitally on audio streaming services within hours.Bocelli explains: I am moved and delighted to have received such an overwhelming reaction that has gone beyond our highest expectations. For an artist, yesterdays event is the reason for the sacrifices of a lifetime; for a believer and a Catholic as I am, it was further confirmation of the benevolent smile with which the Heavenly Father looks to his children. It was an immeasurable honour and privilege to lend my voice to the prayers of millions of people, gathered in a single embrace  a small, great miracle of which the whole world was the protagonist and which confirms my optimism about the future of our planet. Thanks to everyone who worked in the shadows for weeks, from management to the record label, and especially to all of those who have shared this moment with us, to stay truly united.Accompanied only by the organist, Emanuele Vianelli, Bocelli sang a carefully chosen selection of pieces, specially arranged for solo voice and organ for the occasion. This included the beloved Bach/Gounod setting of Ave Maria and Francks Panis Angelicus. Bocelli brought the stirring recital to a close with Amazing Grace, for which he was shown making his way out of the cathedral, in silence, and onto the steps facing a totally deserted piazza  an unprecedented sight for the national and international landmark  to sing the first verse completely unaccompanied. This was a moment of unforgettable poignancy.Bocelli, with the foundation that carries his name, is currently involved in an emergency Covid-19 campaign. The Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) has started a fundraiser to help hospitals purchase all the instruments and equipment necessary to protect their medical staff. It is possible to donate through the GoFundMe campaign or by contacting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, by writing to gro.noitadnuofillecobaerdna@tnempoleved
South Korea's ruling party has won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, with President Moon Jae-In's Democratic Party securing a record absolute majority in the National Assembly. The vote, dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, was the largest victory since democracy was established in 1987.

Turnout, at 66.2 percent, was also the highest at parliamentary elections for 28 years.

The centre-left Democratic Party and its partner Together Citizens Party won 180 out of 300 seats while the main opposition United Future Party took 103 seats together with its ally Future Korea Party.

South Korea's parliament has 253 directly elected seats, with 47 selected through proportional representation. The Democrats won a staggering 52 seats more than during the 2016 elections while the main opposition alliance lost 9 seats.

Saved by the virus

This result would have looked impossible just a few months ago  Moons political future looked bleak, threatened by scandals over power abuse and disappointing economic growth.

He was also under fire for his new North Korea policy, which led to several high-level meetings with Pyongyang strongman Kim Jong-Un.

But the Covid-19 pandemic may well have saved him.

The government did not give in to calls to postpone the elections, which many came to see as a midterm referendum on the president.

Millions turned out wearing face masks and disposable rubber gloves to cast their ballots in one of the first major votes to be held anywhere in the world since the Covid-19 outbreak.

Effective policy

President Moon is now entering the final two years of his single five-year term, now undeniably scarred by the coronavirus crisis that risks unleashing massive economic shock.

The outbreak dominated election campaigns preceding the polls, and normally popular issues, such as North Korea, the slowing economy, election reforms and corruption were almost absent.

South Korea reacted swiftly when the virus hit the country, implementing an effective policy of tracking and tracing", physical and electronic surveillance of infected people and following up extensive testing, isolation and treatment.

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The number of infections peaked rapidly, and stabilised at around 10,000 cases and 229 dead.

After it brought Covid-19 under control, Seoul started exporting test kits to at least 20 countries.

North Korean defectors win seats

Two of the seats of South Koreas 300-member National Assembly will be filled by legislators originally from North Korea.

Thae Yong-Ho, running on a ticket of the conservative opposition United Future Party, became the first defector to be directly elected to South Koreas unicameral parliament.

Tae, 55, defected in 2016 when he was Pyongyangs deputy ambassador to London. He is one of the most senior North Korean diplomats to have defected.

Another defector, Ji Seong-Ho, who made a surprise appearance at President Donald Trumps 2018 State of the Union address, won a seat through the proportional representation system.

He ran as part of the Future Korea Party, a group affiliated with the main opposition. Since settling down here, Ji has campaigned for human rights in North Korea.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday (April 15) that a coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine may be the only thing that will allow return to "normalcy," expressing hope that the scientists would be able to develop the vaccine before the end of 2020.

A safe and effective vaccine may be the only tool that can return the world to a sense of 'normalcy,' saving millions of lives and countless trillions of dollars," said the UN chief.

The UN chief called for the accelerated development of COVID-19 vaccine adding it must have a "universal global benefit" and "allow us to control the pandemic." "We need an ambitious effort to ensure that international stakeholders operate through a harmonized, integrated and leveraged approach to maximize the speed and scale needed for the universal deployment of such a vaccine by the end of 2020," he insisted.

The UN chief made the statement at a time when the total number of coronavirus cases in the world has crossed the two million mark and the number of deaths due to the deadly viral disease has climbed above 1,30,000.

According to Johns Hopkins University as on Wednesday at 10:45 PM IST, the total number of coronavirus positive cases jumped to 20,16,020. The fatal virus has now taken over 1,30,528 lives since its outbreak in the world.

The US has been the worst-hit country as it has reported over 6,13,187 confirmed cases. Spain is at the second place with around 1,77,633 COVID-19 positive cases.

Italy on the third spot reported over 2,667 new confirmed cases in a day. The total confirmed cases in the country surged to 1,65,155. The number of positive cases was the lowest since March 13 but the daily count of deaths remained high.
School staff have demanded access to personal protective equipment against coronavirus before returning to work amid fears of being 'bounced back for the sake of industry'.

Speculation has been circulating that schools could be reopened shortly following suggestions made by Public Health England director Paul Cosford and, according to the National Education Union (NEU), 'unnamed Government ministers'.

The NEU has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for the Government to urgently share its modelling, evidence and plans for reopening schools.

School staff have demanded access to PPE against coronavirus before returning to work amid fears of being 'bounced back for the sake of industry' (stock image)

Maddie Ross, 24, a teacher at a primary school in Wolverhampton, said all teachers would be at risk if schools reopened too early because of the difficulty of imposing social isolation rules on small children.

Miss Ross, from West Yorkshire, said: 'It should be secondary school children that go back before primary, surely, because primary school children are going to be a lot more difficult to control, in terms of if we still need to keep two metres apart.

'There's no way you can get primary school children to do that, they'd be touching each other within the first few seconds of walking through the gate.'

Bryony Baynes, 58, head teacher at Kempsey Primary School in Worcester, agreed that social distancing is 'pretty much impossible' with young children.

Mrs Baynes, from Bredon in Worcestershire, said: 'At the moment, staff are very willing to come in and have been brilliant so far.

'But if the Government says that schools are to open while lockdown is still in place, that implies that the virus isn't under control and that means I'm asking my staff to put themselves at even greater risk.'

The National Education Union has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) asking for the Government to urgently share its modelling, evidence and plans for reopening schools

Mrs Baynes added her 'biggest frustration' in dealing with the coronavirus crisis at her school has been the lack of information, support and personal protective equipment from the Government.

She said: 'I feel really frustrated that the teachers seem to have been forgotten in all this.

'We haven't been offered tests. We haven't been offered a great deal of guidance or advice or support, and we're just expected to find our own way.

'As a head, that's giving me so much anxiety and stress, it's worse than having a visit from Ofsted.'

Jackie Schneider, a part-time music teacher at a primary school in the London borough of Merton, said an early return to schools 'could undo all the good work people have done by locking down'.

Ms Schneider, 56, who has taught at her school for 30 years, said: 'I would be happy to go back if that's what the science says, but I would not be happy to be bounced back for the needs of industry.

'When parents wave their kids goodbye every morning and send their kids to me, I want to be able to look the parent in the eye and say, I have done everything I can to keep your child safe.'

Ms Schneider, who stood as a Labour Party candidate for Wimbledon in the 2019 general election and represents the NEU at her school, also urged the Government to work with the education union.
Share price of Bajaj Auto fell in early trade today after the firm said it would cut 10% salary if production does not resume from April 21. Bajaj Auto share price fell up to 2.51% to Rs 2,274 compared to the previous close of Rs 2,333 on BSE.

The proposed salary cut for factory workers will be for little over half of April and until the lockdown is lifted on May 3, according to reports. If production resumes from April 21, there will be no cut in salary.

The large cap stock is trading higher than 5 day and 20 day moving averages but lower than 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages.

The stock has lost 27% since the beginning of this year and 24% during the last one year.

Share Market LIVE: Sensex rises 230 points, Nifty at 8,990; Vedanta, Shree Cement, Power Grid top performers

Considering the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, Modi government has extended the lockdown till May 3. Earlier, the 21-day lockdown was to end on April 14, 2020.

PM Modi on April 14 said India might have to pay a big economic price for the lockdown but there was no alternative to saving human lives.

The government has released a list of economic activity which will be allowed after April 20.

"The permitted activities from April 20, 2020 are aimed at ensuring that agricultural and related activities remain fully functional; the rural economy functions with maximum efficiency; employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of the labour force; select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with adequate safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols (SOPs); and the digital economy," a order from the home ministry said.

IndusInd Bank stock rises 4% after Goldman Sachs Singapore buys 4.1 million shares
Rome: Italy's mafia clans are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to buy favour with poor families facing financial ruin, prosecutors and officials say, and are offering loans and food in what is seen as an age-old recruitment tactic.

After decades of campaigning to curb the influence of the mafia in its traditional strongholds of southern Italy, officials and charitable groups say the pandemic has created new opportunities for organised crime to regain people's loyalties.

"We know that 'families of friends', all of them loan sharks, are making themselves available to give money to the people in difficulty," said Amedeo Scaramella, using a euphemism by which clans of the Camorra criminal syndicate are known.

Scaramella, a lawyer by training, heads the San Giuseppe Moscato Foundation, a Catholic group in Naples that fights loan sharking, in part by guaranteeing bank loans to people normally considered credit risks. He told Reuters the sharks start by offering loans at rates that compete with banks and later entrap borrowers by driving them up to 300%.

Federico Cafiero De Raho, Italy's national anti-mafia prosecutor, said his agents had noticed suspicious activity in Naples including Camorra clans distributing free food to families left short on cash by the national lockdown.

"We have evidence," De Raho told Reuters, declining to give details because investigations are ongoing. Past experience suggests the mob could seek repayment for such largesse in the future by asking recipients to take on activities such as transporting drugs, he said.

"The Camorra knows this is the right time to invest."

Naples charity worker Antonio Lucidi said his charity "L'Altra Napoli" (The Other Naples) has raised more than 150,000 euros ($163,065) to deliver food to needy families so they won't have to accept it from the mob during the lockdown.

"When hunger becomes a real issue, it's hard to resist temptation," he told Reuters. Italy's government has promised 400 million euros of welfare for the poor, including issuing food coupons for those who cannot afford to shop.

Officials believe the coronavirus has badly disrupted the mob economy, in part because the shutdown has made it hard for criminals to move around. "The collapse of drug dealing is causing serious damage," said Michele Emiliano, the governor of the southern Puglia region and a former magistrate.

Nicola Gratteri, one of Italy's best-known prosecutors who lives with a 24-hour police escort because of his investigations of the 'Ndrangheta clans in southern Calabria, said the mob was more than willing to help small businesses stay afloat now or start up again later.

"Mobsters can buy these properties (if loans are not repaid) and use them for money laundering," he told Reuters. "Mobsters want less guarantees on loans, because for them the main guarantee is the life of the victim."
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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:54 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd25bf2f 1 National UN-Human-Rights-Council,diplomacy,security,health,COVID-19-prison-inmates,Papua,separatism,overcrowded,prison Free

With their plight largely ignored by the public, 63 Indonesians detained on treason charges have turned to the United Nations for help, hoping they could be saved from the threat posed by the COVID-19 disease in the countrys overcrowded prisons.

The prisoners made joint appeals to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and three UN special rapporteurs on Wednesday, helped along by Australian and Indonesian lawyers Jennifer Robinson and Veronica Koman.

The human rights lawyers argued that the 56 indigenous Papuans, five indigenous Moluccans, one native Batak and one Polish national were arbitrarily and unlawfully detained in violation of the countrys international obligations.

These urgent appeals have been made given the imminent threat to the prisoners lives from being detained in overcrowded prisons amid the COVID-19 pandemic [...] Their detention is now not only unlawful, but life-threatening. All 63 prisoners should be immediately and unconditionally released, Robinson said in a statement on Thursday.

The appeal was made following the governments plan to grant early release or parole to 50,000 eligible prisoners and juvenile inmates as a means of preventing the spread of the infectious disease in correctional facilities.

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly previously said that those eligible for release include 15,442 drug convicts who have already served five to 10 years, 300 graft inmates aged 60 years and above, 1,457 special crimes convicts with chronic diseases and 53 foreign prisoners who have served at least two-thirds of their sentences.

It remains unclear whether the 63 prisoners in question are eligible for early release, but one ministry official said on Thursday that only those who fulfilled the requirements set out in Law and Human Rights Ministery Regulation No. 10/2020 would be considered.

The regulation stipulates that convicts are eligible for early release unless they have committed one of several types of crimes, including crimes against national security.

Most of the petitioning prisoners were arrested for their involvement in a series of protests against racial abuse last year, which stoked tensions between Papuan rebels and the government.

The countrys easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua have long been dealing with a disorganized separatist movement, which the Indonesian government routinely blames as being the actor behind various cases of violent unrest in the restive region.

Indonesias permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, Hasan Kleib, said he had not received any information about the appeals the lawyers claimed to have submitted.

We have not seen the copy of the letters. We are trying to find out and ask the relevant parties at the UN Human Rights Council directly, Hasan told The Jakarta Post in a short message on Thursday.

Indonesia was elected to the Human Rights Council in October last year. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is mandated by the council to investigate alleged cases of arbitrary detention, but only with the consent of the states concerned.

On April 1, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged countries to reduce the population of overcrowded prisons to avoid an explosive spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus  which causes COVID-19  in closed and choked settings.

Indonesia currently houses 268,919 inmates in 524 prisons, roughly double its maximum capacity, according to Law and Human Rights Ministry data from February.

Bachelet urged states to release all those detained without a lawful basis, including those held in violation of human rights obligations. Her spokesman, Rupert Colville, later stressed that nations should also release political prisoners and those detained for critical, dissenting views.

All 63 political prisoners in question have been charged with treason under Article 106 and/or Article 110 of Indonesias Criminal Code, which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years. Seven of them have been convicted while the others are still on trial.

The activities for which they have been detained range from simply carrying or displaying the West Papuan or Moluccan national [separatist] flags, to participation in peaceful protests and being members of political organizations that support self-determination: all internationally protected activities, said the human rights lawyers who organized the appeal.

According Article 6, Paragraph 4 of Government Regulation No. 77/2007, the design of a regional logo or banner must not have any resemblance to that of a banned organization or separatist movement.

Veronika was previously involved in an attempt to hand over letters to President Joko Jokowi Widodo during his visit to Australia in February. The letters reportedly included details of 57 Papuan political prisoners as well as 243 civilians who have died in Nduga, Papua, since December 2018.

The document was dismissed by Coordinating Legal, Political and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD.

So far, we have not received any response, except for the minister saying that the data was probably just trash. We urge the UN and the Indonesian government to take this matter very seriously now that lives are at stake, Veronica said.

The European Parliament has also called for the Polish mans transfer back to his home country.

Papua has restricted entry to the province by sea and air to stem the spread of COVID-19. As of Thursday, Papua has confirmed 80 cases and six fatalities, while West Papua has recorded five infections and one death.

The country's official tally is currently at 5,516 confirmed cases with 469 deaths.
Debenhams Ireland said it had no option but to shut permanently its 11 outlets in the Republic with the loss of at least 957 directly- employed jobs because it was loss-making for a number of years.

The British department store announced earlier this week it would not reopen when the Covid-19 retail lockdown ends and said it planned to liquidate the company.

Politicians and unions  which estimate that up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs through concessionaires and suppliers will be lost by the closure decision  were angered because its parent firm had chosen to wind up its business in the Republic, but gave its business in the North and in Britain some chance of survival by seeking to put the operations there into administration.

Separately, the owner of Oasis and Warehouse in the Republic also announced this week plans to liquidate its operations.

Debenhams Ireland said yesterday it had applied to the court for the appointment of joint provisional liquidators, Kieran Wallace and Andrew OLeary of KPMG.

It had no option but to close down after posting losses for a number of years. It had posted a loss of over 21.6m in its latest financial year  for the 12 months to the end of September 2018  and the Covid-19 lockdown had made matters worse, it said.

In common with the rest of the Debenhams Group in the UK, the groups Irish operations have experienced very difficult trading conditions in recent years, Debenhams Ireland said.

The business has been consistently loss-making and has relied on its parent company for ongoing financial support. Despite entering into an examinership process in Ireland in 2016, the business has continued to make losses, it said.

However, even assuming that very significant cost savings could be achieved  for example, through temporary state supports for employees and agreements with landlords to grant rent holidays  the company projects that it would continue to experience heavy cash outflows.
American energy independence was a hot topic towards the tail-end of 2019 before the global coronavirus pandemic, but the oil price war threw a monkey wrench in the works.

Depending on whom you ask, the United States is on the cusp of becoming--or has already become--a net oil exporter. It's an energy utopia that practically all modern presidencies, from Nixon during the oil crisis of the 1970s and Bush during his famous state of the union address in February 2006, to Obama and, more recently, Trump have frequently extolled.

Even for those of us who have little interest in the political demagoguery and ivory tower jousting that is rampant among political circles, there's a broad agreement that America should reduce its dependence on imported oil.

Of course, the country has been able to achieve its net exporter status, thanks to the second shale boom, which more than doubled U.S. crude output in less than a decade. But is America any closer to true energy independence than during Nixon's time, or is this just another populist charade masquerading as an energy strategy?

Net Oil Exporter

For many years, the United States has been the leader in the $6 trillion global energy market and is currently the world's largest oil producer accounting for about 18% of global oil supply. But it has also been a leading importer of energy with foreign markets supplying about 20% of its needs.

However, in 2019, the U.S. became a net petroleum exporting nation for the first time in 75 years with the latest data by U.S. Department of Energy (as of November 2019) showing that the country exported around 750,000 b/d more than it imported--the third consecutive month it did so.

Unfortunately, this net exporter tag comes with an asterisk: U.S. crude oil imports, specifically, averaged 5.8 million b/d in November vs. 3.0 million b/d for exports, with the U.S. Gulf Coast being the only region that exported more crude oil than it imported.

Indeed, U.S. crude imports have remained stubbornly high even during the shale boom thanks in part to healthy domestic demand. U.S. crude oil production has shot up 160% to over 13 million b/d since the advent of the shale era; meanwhile, domestic demand has remained flat, but very high at 19-21 million b/d.

In 2019, the country still imported 9.1 million b/d of petroleum and other liquids, with 6.8 million b/d of those being crude oil, due to constraints such as regional supply/demand imbalances, infrastructural challenges, and other factors. Further, many of the refineries in the United States are optimized to process the heavier crude grades from Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico instead of the lighter, sweeter oil crude from its own shale fields.

Source: EIA

The main consolation here is that a bigger proportion of its oil imports have been coming from its northern ally with crude imports from Canada clocking in at 134 million barrels in 2019 from 76 million in 2008. As Bush predicted, the United States is no longer as heavily reliant on OPEC for its oil, with the cartel supplying less than 30 percent of imports.

The Myth of Energy Independence

True energy independence, however, goes beyond the mere supply-demand equation.

True energy independence means that the United States should not only supply all of its oil needs but also that its oil markets should be immune to disruptions by events in foreign markets. In other words, the Department of Defense and the American consumer should no longer be beholden to OPEC+ and global energy price swings.

The reality here, however, is very different. The sad truth frequently hits home when major supply/demand shocks occur, such as the Saudi drone attacks as well as the epic oil price crash due to price wars and COVID-19.

Although one could certainly argue that the shale boom has watered down OPEC's influence, offering a level of insulation against price shocks when OPEC restricts output, the United States has hardly separated itself from the world's energy stage.

Oil prices spiked 20% in the aftermath of the attacks and remained 10% higher for weeks despite Saudi Arabia having enough reserves to last several weeks and quickly restoring production. As the Times noted, had this attack happened a decade ago, prior to the rise of U.S. shale, oil prices would have spiked way higher and rocked the global economy. Still, it was a stark reminder that energy sources like oil, coal, and natural gas cannot hide from global fluctuations.

The oil price war + COVID-19 has been much more destructive primarily because they are happening on a global scale and have severely crushed demand.

Part of the problem here is fungibility. Whereas there are no shortages of barriers to free trade across the globe ranging from tariffs and legal sanctions to the more practical problems of price and infrastructure, consumers of fossil fuels are generally able to access them from producers from all over the globe. The U.S. produces 18% of the world's oil, and as such, it has some clout to sway global markets, but it is only one in many of the other moving parts that affect the remaining 82% of the world's oil supply.

Then, of course, there's the question of why the United States still has to import so much oil.

You can pin much of the blame on an antiquated marine law, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, colloquially known as the Jones Act or simply J.A., which demands that vessels undertaking shipments between two U.S. ports be U.S.-built, U.S.- owned and U.S.-manned, as we explained here.

Meanwhile, refineries at the epicenter of the shale boom are located in the Midwest and the Gulf Coast, where many have upgraded to handle heavy oil from Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico. This leaves refineries on the U.S. east coast as the most obvious destination for light fracked oil.

Unfortunately, it costs ~3x to ship oil from Texas to refineries on the U.S. East Coast compared to shipping it further to refineries in Canada, thanks to the Jones Act. There are simply not enough JA-compliant ships to transport oil from Texas to the U.S. East Coast, meaning it must be shipped abroad. Similarly, it costs more than 3x for northeastern U.S. refineries to ship oil from Texas compared to shipping from West Africa or Saudi Arabia.

The Panacea: Going Green

Ultimately, true energy independence is an illusion in the era of globalization because the hyper-connectedness of the market makes it impossible.

The only way to be truly independent of these risks is not by pumping more oil but by not using these energy sources at all--by going green.

A good place to start would be to ramp up the electrification drive.

According to the EIA, petroleum is the largest primary source of energy consumed in the U.S., accounting for 36% of total energy consumption in 2018. More than two-thirds of finished petroleum products consumed in the U.S. are used in the transportation sector.

Source: EIA

But simply telling people to ditch their ICE vehicles and buy EVs won't do much to wean the nation off overreliance on fossil fuels because current EVs largely charge from the grid, meaning they more or less still rely on fossil fuels as their source of energy depending on a country's or region's energy mix. EV manufacturers will need a rapid ramp-up of solar-powered chargers such as Tesla's third-generation supercharger, unveiled in March 2019.

Making the switch to renewables is, of course, the ultimate goal.

Renewable energy sources such as solar have their limitations, too, since they require special elements and metals such as gallium, indium, tellurium, neodymium, europium, yttrium, terbium and dysprosium that frequently have to be imported or mined domestically at great environmental costs. But unlike fossil fuels, these elements are not the energy source itself but rather part of the tech that makes them possible and can therefore be substituted and replaced through innovation.

In the final analysis, all this talk of "energy independence" and "energy dominance" is about becoming the masters of our own fate. This is something that we clearly cannot achieve when still relying on fossil fuels for the bulk of our energy, and going entirely green is the closest we will ever get to true energy independence.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Just this week, the coronavirus pandemic passed 2 million confirmed infections and 130,000 deaths worldwide. With such a rapid rise in cases, hospitals are struggling with the shortage of ventilators, which are vital for helping patients who are too weak to breathe on their own. In the past few weeks, however, automakers like GM, Ford and Tesla have stepped up to transform their existing facilities into ventilator-producing factories. Whats more, companies like Maingear, which usually makes PC gaming cases, have also stepped forward to make ventilators of their own. But not all companies can flip the switch like this, and even those that can, face some significant challenges.

One of the reasons ventilators are in such high demand is that COVID19 can lead to severe respiratory issues. Ventilators, however, help force air into your lungs. A ventilator is a machine that can provide air flows with controlled volume and pressure, said Sung Hoon Kang, an assistant professor in John Hopkins Universitys Department of Mechanical Engineering. As each person has a different lung condition, it is important to customize the flow for each patient.

Ventilators, he said, require flow control and monitoring, which involves mechanical and electronic parts as well as programming. All or parts of these systems are already well understood by various industries, like automotive, tech or PC, said Nicholas Keim, an associate research engineer and deputy director of the Energetics Research Group at John Hopkins.

Glow Images via Getty Images

This is especially so with the automotive industry. Much like ventilators, cars also utilize valves, said Paul Woodring, the CEO and co-founder of Co-Vents, a non-profit dedicated to refurbishing retired ventilators. It has a fuel injection system, which is very much like what the valves in a ventilator does, except the ventilator is metering air and oxygen, he said. Automobiles also have electronics. There are software controls, pressure sensors, flow sensors [that are required in ventilators]. They have the manufacturing technology.

GM and Ford, for example, are currently using smaller scale facilities to produce the ventilators. According to the Guardian, GMs ventilator plant is where it used to produce small electrical components for cars, while Fords plant typically produces components such as transmission oil pumps, battery packs and air induction systems. The process for manufacturing ventilators is similar to putting these parts together. Imagine someone at a desk putting together a complex puzzle or model by hand -- lots of small-part assembly, Mark Schirmer, Cox Automotives public relations director, told the Guardian. Tesla is also working on making ventilators using existing Model 3 parts; oxygen would go into a mixing chamber and get pumped through a custom-designed manifold. The whole process would be powered by the vehicles computers and controlled via the infotainment system.

Similarly, PC makers like Maingear claim that theres a lot of crossover between making complex liquid-cooled PCs and ventilators. While the components are very different, the skills required to produce and assemble emergency ventilators, while aimed at a very different outcome, have a large crossover with custom liquid cooling PC assembly, a Maingear spokesperson told Engadget. Maingears LIV ventilator is based on a platform already in use in Italy and Switzerland, and comes complete with automatic operation, presets and a touchscreen interface.

Dyson is another company that has pivoted to making ventilators, thanks in part to their electronics knowhow. The Dyson Digital motor sits at the heart of the new device, said CEO James Dyson in an internal email procured by Fast Company. He claims the ventilator, called the CoVent, is particularly well-suited for industrial, high volume production and is designed to achieve a high quality air supply due in part to Dysons existing air purifier expertise.

That said, simply changing up manufacturing like this is not easy. No company can pivot manufacturing without a lot of assistance. Dyson worked with The Technology Partnership (TTP) to develop the CoVent with oversight from the UKs NHS plus the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Maingear confessed that it sought quite a bit of outside expertise in making the LIV ventilator as well. This isnt something that any manufacturer would be able to jump into and design without having a team with a wide range of expertise to help execute on the project, Maingears spokesperson added.

The same goes for the automakers. As the Guardian points out, getting an automaker to switch to ventilators is a logistical challenge. It involves retooling the plant, developing a supply chain and building a workforce. What they have to do is train new people that havent done this before, to manufacture the various components, said Woodring. They also have to validate those manufacturing processes to show that the entire assembled ventilator does what its intended to do. What that means is they have to show through a process that when they follow these instructions and go through that process, it will produce a valve or a set of electronics that can operate to certain specifications.

Dyson

Plus, all of these ventilators have to clear regulatory hurdles. Neither Dysons CoVet or Maingears LIV have passed MHRA or FDA audits yet. And though the FDA has made it easier for automakers to pass its guidelines (for example, they dont need approval to make slight changes), that process will likely take time as well. On the whole, Woodring says he wont be surprised if it takes months for any of these ventilators to actually ship, which could prove far too late for a lot of people.

We have a problem of supply chain and logistics, said Keim. First we authorized ventilators from overseas under FDA Emergency Use Authorization. Now we're asking major manufacturers to look in their parts bin to see what they can do to produce a viable alternative.

In the meantime, theres a need for stopgap measures. As mentioned above, Woodrings Co-Vent non-profit refurbishes retired ventilators so they can be used again. iFixit started a ventilator project a few weeks ago where it crowdsourced the public for repair documents so that existing ventilators can be repaired and reused. Healthcare workers are modifying sleep apnea breathing machines (BiPaps) into full-blown ventilators using accessories and 3D printed parts.

Kang and Keim from John Hopkins are working on their own projects as well, which include a 3D-printed splitter that will allow a single ventilator to treat multiple patients. Separately, Kang is also working on making sure that existing ventilators can last longer and treat more patients. Keims team is also working on a ventilator that can be made with off-the-shelf components.

The next wave of devices are going to be the ones developed by Universities and smaller businesses, said Keim. Not all of these devices will make it through the gauntlet and into healthcare centers during this crisis. That being said, we need lots of options, we need to look at the problem from different angles to ensure a diverse set of solutions. By opening up that aperture we can help ensure that options will be available when they are needed, not after.
ALBANY, N.Y.  The amount of positive COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Albany County. That increase in confirmed cases was announced by Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, during a Thursday morning press conference.

According to McCoy, as of Thursday morning, Albany County has 563 positive cases of people with COVID-19, 668 people under mandatory quarantine, 66 people under precautionary quarantine, 32 people hospitalized and eight adults in ICU.

As we started getting testing back at UAlbany, obviously we knew these numbers were going to go up. The tests are starting to come back, theyre starting to get into a flow, into a system up there. So were going to see more cases go up, McCoy noted regarding the bump up in cases.

Those numbers are expected to keep rising with the addition of four new test sites in the county, according to McCoy.

Also with the initiative we talked about [Wednesday] and that we launched with the sites that we have going, youre going to see that number change a little bit too and go up a little bit more, McCoy added.

Albany County Department of Health Commissioner, Dr. Elizabeth Whalen, spoke to the alarming trend nationally of those dying at home due to the virus.

We have heard a lot nationally about people that are staying home, not going to the hospital because theyre afraid of going to the hospital and that home deaths have been on the rise. Weve heard this more in the New York metropolitan area, Dr. Whalen remarked.

I have reached out to the coroners office here in Albany County and have heard we are not experiencing a similar trend, Dr. Whalen continued.

If you are ill, if you are feeling very ill at home, the hospital is still the best place for you to receive care. Utilize our wonderful hospital system if you need to use the system, Dr. Whalen added, noting county hospitals have yet to hit surge capacity.

Dr. Whalen also stressed that people experiencing other emergency health issues should continue to use the hospital system.

People are not going to the hospital in other areas of the country when they experience non-COVID related symptoms, symptoms like chest pain, symptoms like abdominal pain, other serious illnesses. These things continue to go on, even in the time of COVID, Dr. Whalen said.

So its important for people to know that they need to address emergent medical conditions the way that we have always done, utilizing your primary care provider and your hospital system, Dr. Whalen explained.

In addition, Dr. Whalen commented on Gov. Andrew Cuomos order for New Yorkers to wear masks or face coverings in public.

When you consider why you wear a mask, consider who you would like to protect, Dr. Whalen noted on the source control measure.

Consider how you can protect others, Dr. Whalen added.
FIFTEEN senators have filed a resolution calling for the resignation of Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for alleged failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight and inefficiency in the battle against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

The proposed resolution, filed on April 16, said Duques failure led to poor planning, delayed response, lack of transparency, and misguided and flip-flopping policies and measures to address the outbreak.

Such policies have endangered and continue to endanger the lives of healthcare professionals, other frontliners, and the Filipino people, the proposed resolution states.

It was introduced by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, and Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Emmanuel Manny Pacquiao, Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald Bato dela Rosa, Manuel Lito Lapid, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Panfilo Lacson.

LOOK: Senators called for Health Secretary Francisco Duque IIIs resignation for leadership failure, negligence, and inefficiency in the performance of his mandate." @sunstaronline pic.twitter.com/yfHdjrRXKK

 Jove Moya (@Jovemoya) April 16, 2020

The proposed resolution noted that despite the mounting death toll among health professionals resulting in depleted and exhausted workforce, Duque refused to immediately allow graduates of medical schools to render medical services under special authorization.

They also said that Duque failed to put necessary precautionary measures to lessen the impact of Covid-19.

Angara, who has recovered from Covid-19, said the existing system cannot continue if the country wants to get rid of the virus.

Whether he is removed or not, status quo cannot continue if we want to defeat the virus. Kailangan mas bibo ang liderato rito laban sa virus, he said.

We were late for testing. Contact tracing is almost non-existent. Hospitals are short of protective gear. We need to be better, he added.

Duque was issued an ad interim appointment as Health Secretary in October 2017. His appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on February 9, 2018. (SunStar Philippines)
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro made it clear on Friday that he wants his new health minister to help protect the countrys economy as the government seeks to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

Nelson Teich, an oncologist, was sworn in as health minister after his predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, was fired by Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the threat of the COVID-19 disease. Mandetta had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic, which included the promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors.

This fight to start reopening for business is a risk that I run, Bolsonaro said during a ceremony in the presidential palace in Brasilia. If the pandemic escalates, he said, it lands on my lap. But many people are aware that we need to open.

Bolsonaro said Teichs task is hard to accomplish.

Put my and Mandettas positions next to each another, then split the difference. Then you will reach what interests all of us, Bolsonaro said.

Mandettas recommendations had drawn the ire of Bolsonaro, who has said temporarily shutting down the economy would be devastating. He has also repeatedly described the virus as a little flu, and touted the yet-unproven efficacy of an anti-malarial drug.

Bolsonaro also said he will recommend reopening the countrys borders with Paraguay and Uruguay.

The new minister provided little evidence of how he will handle the pandemic. He did not mention the need for isolation during a five-minute speech.

The focus here is on people. No matter how much we talk about health care or the economy. At the end it is always people, bringing a better life to society, he said. I thank all that has been done in the previous management. We will seek to continue and add to what has already been done.

Teichs career has focused on the business side of medicine. He was founder of a group of oncology clinics and more recently has worked as senior health care consultant at a medical services company that bears his name, according to his LinkedIn page. He also has a masters degree in health economics, a masters in business administration and has done a management course for company owners Harvard Universitys business school.

In another sign that many Brazilian governors and mayors will not heed the presidents call, Sao Paulo Gov. Joao Doria extended the isolation recommendation in the countrys most populous and wealthiest state to May 10. Here we base our decisions on science. We need to avoid the collapse of our health care system, Doria said.

The impact of Brazils new health minister might be limited. Brazils Supreme Court has already ruled that governors and mayors are allowed to implement isolation policies, which Bolsonaro wanted to keep as an exclusive power of his office. Teichs predecessor had argued in favour of stay at home measures.

Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, agreed that Bolsonaro is running a risk by changing his health minister shortly before Brazils peak in the pandemic.

If we dont have too many deaths, Bolsonaro will say governors and mayors were alarmist and destroyed the economy, but many will still praise minister Mandetta for saving lives. If many people die, and that seems to be what is in store for Brazil, Bolsonaro will get a lot of the blame by appointing a minister who does not know the public service, who comes from business, Melo said.

Bolsonaro trusts Teich not to outshine him. But it will take time for him to adjust. He will start working with a team that doesnt trust him. Brazil will waste a lot of time that is pivotal to reduce damage, Melo said. Also, the president will have even more pressure from many of his core supporters, who are second-tier retail businessmen and depend heavily on business returning.

While rising quickly, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil remains relatively low in relation to the countrys massive population of 211 million. It has the most cases in Latin America  more than 33,000  and about 2,100 deaths. The outbreaks peak is expected in May.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Following the health ministers firing on Thursday, people in apartment buildings in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro could be heard yelling insults at Bolsonaro from their windows. Similar shows of discontent returned Friday as Teich was sworn in. Many Brazilians had approved of the health ministrys measures to curb the spread of the virus, and were critical of Bolsonaros approach.

In a text Teich wrote and shared on LinkedIn on March 24, he lamented the polarization surrounding the virus response, which he said forces leaders to guess what will transpire and adopt radical positions, thus hampering capacity to face up to the situation. Instead, success depends on collecting real-time data so as to adjust projections and review decisions, he wrote.

It is worth saying that radical models and predictions generate more problems than solutions, Teich wrote, adding that an approach should be evaluated that starts with the economy and that aims to avoid death and suffering. Creating polarization, imagining that on one side are the people and on the other is the money, could be a grave error in evaluating the problem.

In another text published on LinkedIn on April 2, Teich said he supported broad isolation measures, which Bolsonaro has lambasted.

__

Savarese reported from Sao Paulo.
Amid a sea of cancellations, postponements and speculation, it appears that Austria might be able to rescue F1 by hosting the first races of 2020.

While the first nine races have all fallen by the wayside, and the next round of postponements seems to loom for France, Britain and Belgium, the Austrian government says it will "at least not stand in the way" of its grand prix.

That race, at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, is promoted by Red Bull.

Zandvoort, which would have been the scene of the Dutch GP this year, has ruled out staging a race behind closed doors without spectators.

But Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko has said the Spielberg track could proceed without fans and even host multiple races.

And according to Austrian sport minister Werner Kogler, the government will "at least not stand in the way of a grand prix in Spielberg without spectators".

He said in Vienna that it will be up to the "responsible motorsport associations" to "see whether it works out or not".

Kogler admitted that it may be problematic for Red Bull and Formula 1, and not because of social distancing but because of the restrictions on travel.

"If there is a need for an exemption here or there, I don't want to prejudge it," he said, raising the prospect of quarantines or testing certificates for those who need to get into and out of Austria.

"But in principle, Formula 1 has signalled to me that it could work out from their point of view."

(GMM)
More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment aid since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency four weeks ago, a staggering loss of jobs that has wiped out a decade of employment gains and pushed families to line up at food banks as they await government help.

The United States has not seen this level of job loss since the Great Depression, and the government is struggling to respond fast enough to the deadly coronavirus health crisis and the widespread economic pain it has triggered.

Layoffs are mounting in nearly every sector as businesses have been forced to close due to the shutdowns to stem the spread of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Many companies that remain open reported a massive drop-off in sales. New data shows that manufacturing production cratered in March by the most since 1946, and new home construction saw the biggest decline in nearly 40 years.

"We are going to go through a couple of quarters, at least, where things will be bad," said Patrick Harker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. "I could see a [jobless] number hovering around or slightly below 20%, even."

Government aid has been slow to arrive for many Americans, exacerbating the downturn. The Small Business Administration stopped accepting loan applications on Thursday after it ran out of funds for a key program that's supposed to help businesses stay afloat and retain workers.

More for you New proposed $2K COVID payment would include more Americans

State unemployment offices are so overwhelmed that many people are still waiting for unemployment payments weeks later and few states have done anything yet for the self-employed and gig workers who are desperate for aid. Even the federal government's relief payments - referred to by many as "stimulus checks" - have been held up by various glitches. About half of the payments have gone out so far.

Stocks were little changed Thursday as Wall Street investors had already factored in massive job losses, but the stock market has rallied in April on hopes that parts of the global economy can reopen soon. Trump has pointed to the rally as evidence that he is doing a good job handling the crisis, though the Dow Jones industrial average remains in a bear market - down more than 20% from its February high.

"If we weren't doing well, the market wouldn't be at a level that it is today," Trump said Tuesday.

Last week, 5.2 million people filed unemployment insurance claims, the Labor Department reported Thursday, making it among the biggest spikes ever, though that is less than the 6.6 million people who applied the week before and the record 6.9 million people who applied the week that ended on March 28.

Thejob losses in the past month have erased virtually all of the 22.8 million jobs gained since 2010 as the nation rebounded from the Great Recession.

Two economists say the U.S. unemployment rate is already over 20%, according to Alexander Bick of Arizona State University and Adam Blandin of Virginia Commonwealth University, who are tracking the data in real time. It is expected remain close to 10% through the end of the year, meaning 1 in 10 people would still be out of work during the end-of-year holidays, the National Association for Business Economics says.

Every state has experienced job losses, with several key swing states in the upcoming presidential election among those hit hardest with layoffs ranging from manufacturing to hospitality. In Michigan, a million workers, or 21% of the workforce, applied for unemployment over the past month.

Pennsylvania has close to 20% of workers out of a job, and Ohio is near 15%. The state most affected is Hawaii, which has a nearly 22% unemployment rate because the tourism industry has been devastated.

These devastating jobless numbers have played a key role in Trump's intensifying push to reopen the economy. The White House on Thursday released new guidelines putting those decisions in the hands of states, but Trump reiterated his optimism that the lock downs will end soon.

"We must have a working economy, and we want to get it back very very quickly, and that's what's going to happen. I believe it will boom," Trump said in a news conference.

Even after parts of the economy reopen, people are going to remain fearful of venturing out again to restaurants or offices unless there is widespread testing or a vaccine, many experts say.

In addition to health concerns, Americans typically slash their spending when they see widespread job losses and pay cuts among their friends and family members, another issue likely to prevent a rapid recovery.

"Households are spooked by the idea that they might lose their jobs again or have their hours cut again. They see so many different ways their lives can get disrupted," said economist Ernie Tedeschi of Evercore ISI, a research firm. "They are not going to be confident that things are back to normal until well after the virus has passed."

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Tedeschi, a former Treasury Department official, said the psychological effects of so many job losses are likely to be long-lasting. He pointed to how millennials have been reluctant to buy homes, years after the Great Recession, because they are still spooked by seeing so many family members and friends experience foreclosure or personal bankruptcy.

The 22 million jobless figure is likely an understatement because most gig workers and temporary employees have not been able to apply for aid yet.

"Once one adds in those not captured by the data, we are almost certainly facing a 20% unemployment rate now," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at audit firm RSM. "At this point in the pandemic, roughly 1 in every 7 individuals in the workforce is unemployed."

Nineteen states are accepting applications from gig workers and others who normally don't qualify for traditional aid but are supposed to get the $600 a week pandemic unemployment that Congress approved in March, according to Employ America, which is tracking the state unemployment office problems closely. The remaining states won't accept applications until later this month or in May.

Amanda Fleming lives in Virginia, which is not accepting unemployment applications yet from self-employed workers.

Fleming and her husband run a tree-cutting business. They have not been able to apply for unemployment. Their Small Business Administration loan has not come through, and they were among millions of Americans who found out this week that their stimulus check is delayed.

"Just any help soon would be nice. My son's prescriptions are coming up soon for renewal," said Fleming, a Clintwood resident. "I know it's not anybody's fault, but it's just a mess."

The Fleming family told its landlord that it would pay the other half of the rent this week after a stimulus check came through, but now it does not know when the money will arrive. Fleming borrowed money from family members to buy groceries this week. She spoke to The Washington Post on her way home from the grocery store.

Their tree cutting business doesn't have employees, but several people in the area work with it as independent contractors. Some have called Fleming asking for money because they are also in need and have yet to receive the government's financial help.

"We don't know how long this is going to last," Fleming said. "Our contract workers are looking at us right now, too. What should we do? I've even had some of them ask for money because they are in the same situation."

- - -

The Washington Post's Andrew Van Dam contributed to this report.
The contemporary dancer Shady Emad takes advantage of Alexandria's empty cornish where he continues to practice social-distancing but in public spaces

Shady Emad, an Alexandrian contemporary dancer, has manouvred his way out of closed spaces. Taking advantage of an empty cornish in Alexandria, he began performing in public spaces and posting videos of him dancing on his Facebook page.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Emad used to jog and exercise in the morning on the cornish, a practice which now has been abandond by many like-minded young Alexandrians. At the same time, the shutting down of all cultural venues makes it more challenging for dancers -- and all artists alike -- to continue with their regular artistic activities.

"I asked myself why not dance here," he tells Ahram Online, referring to the Mediterranean city's cornish which in regular days is filled with crowds, yet now it remains deserted due to the quarantine which aims to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It is by choosing the large empty public spaces that he continues to practise social distancing, albeit outside the confinment of the four walls of his apartment.

"These days are hard and extremely boring, but I believe that the world before the [pandemic] was also boring and trapped in fixed patterns and constructed in a deadly way that needed an extreme situation like this to change," he writes in one of his most recent videos.



Before becoming a full-time contemporary dancer, Emad studied dentistry before switching to the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels at the Alexandria University.

He began dancing in 2014. I chose contemporary dance as a way to express myself and my opinions in a different way with different tools," he reveals to Ahram Online.

The dancer adds that he was inspired by Nassim El-Raqs: A Contemporary Dance Festival which was held between 2011 and 2017 on the streets of Alexandria.

Launched by Egypt-based French visual artist Emilie Petit, Nassim El-Raqs aimed to empower contemporary dancers in Alexandria and design dances with different themes responding to everyday life challenges, presenting the majority of their works in public spaces.

"The festival hosted contemporary dance in public spaces as an alternative to theatres, and as such it could reach more people," Emad adds.

Emad records his dances on the cornish and posts them on his Facebook page. One of the most recent videos (posted on 15 April) was shot on the cornish during the busy morning hours, while another (13 April) takes us to Gleem, one of the finest neighbourhood in Alexandria. Several other videos, which he began sharing since March, present Emad in a variety of public spaces.

By sharing the videos on social media Emad hopes to send a message to other artists: "Do not stop dancing regardless of the circumstances.

"The absence of traditional dance spaces shouldn't prevent us from continuing our practice," he adds.

The dancer adds Connected by Light hashtag to his videos, joining this way an initiative launched by Alexandria's Jesuit Cultural Centre that aims at bringing artists and audiences together during the quarantine.

Spearheaded by the centre's director Fadi George, the initiative showcases artists in discussion, performances and lectures on how to deal with quarantine realities and their impact on our psychology.



For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Unacademy | Headcount: 1,500 | Headquarters: Bengaluru | Year founded: 2015 | In 2020, Facebook-backed Unacademy became the second edutech startup to become a unicorn (startups valued at over $1 billion). (Representative Image: Pixabay)

Sourabh Panigrahi had been nurtured his 'American education' dream for the past five years. In 2020, he was hoping to join a technology institute in the US. But the COVID-19 outbreak has forced him to drop his plans.

"I will opt for an Indian engineering school because things are uncertain with studying abroad right. Even if classes begin online, what is the guarantee that things will resume soon? And the joy of studying abroad is to be at the campus and experience college life there," he said.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, studying in colleges abroad has almost come to a standstill for Indian students. Overseas education consultants said that uncertainty around resumption of physical classes and fears of re-infection are forcing students to re-think their decision.

Study abroad consultants told Moneycontrol that a revival of activities is possible only January 2021. However, by then, a portion of the academic calendar would be over and not all students are eager to pursue new programmes online.

On one hand, while regions like Australia, New Zealand and Japan could see higher interest from 2021 onwards, consultants said that US and UK could fall out of favour for the time-being.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

Currently, almost 1 million Indian students are estimated to be studying across universities in US, UK, Europe, Australia and parts of South-East Asia. This is across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

However, fears of COVID-19 infection is now halting new plans of pursuing education abroad. Foreign universities themselves are in a wait-and-watch mode.

Naveen Chopra, Chairman of overseas education consultant The Chopras said, "We are anticipating that July intake for Australia and New Zealand will not happen. When it comes to the September intake for institutions in US, UK, Canada and Europe as well, it is very unlikely to happen. Physical intake of campus will only be from January 2021. Because of this the global education business other than online courses will see an impact for another 7-8 months.

While consultants said that some applications are still being filed, it is because these candidates are not aware of the time-line right now. Considering faculty and student safety, it is likely that foreign universities will wait for a few months even after the risks of COVID-19 get reduced.

Also Read: Live updates from COVID-19 outbreak in India

A Mumbai-based education consultant said that countries like US, China and UK are expected to take the biggest hit as far as international student intake is concerned.

A stigma has been attached to visiting certain countries due to Coronavirus. Hence, both students and their parents/guardians are deferring study abroad decisions. Even a few individuals who are firm on going abroad may see a reduction in their chances because of delay in result declarations in India, he added.

How are global universities responding?

Large educational institutes in US, Europe and other parts of the world are taking a re-look at the admission deadlines. Some flexibility would be given for students from abroad who are applying for undergraduate courses in the form of provisional admissions without the need to submit the final marksheet.

Ravneet Pahwa, Deputy Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia) of Australias Deakin University told Moneycontrol that the university has allocated $25 million to support its international students. This, she said, will enable students to continue with their education.

For new students, we have started Deakin degrees online. While being in their home country itself, these students can start their education and enroll in a few subjects rather than wasting time. Their credits will be transferred to their on-campus education as soon as it opens up, she added.

Australia usually enrolls new students in July every year. But this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, no new physical enrollments are being done. About 100,000 Indians study in Australia.

Pahwa added that Deakin is doing provisional enrollment of students where they can provide the final college marksheets before a cut-off date in August. If a student does not wish to continue or has seen a delay in result declaration, there is also a provision for 100 percent refund of the fee paid for the subjects studied online.

Overall, COVID-19 has impacted the inflow of international students into Australia. Hopefully the situation will improve by the end of this year, she added.

A direct impact of Indian students choosing to stay back in the country for higher education will boost the Study in India initiative of the Indian government. This programme that aims to make India an attractive higher education destination for students in India and other countries.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
<! Doctor examines a COVID-19 patient >

A medical doctor who attempted to manage a Coronavirus patient at a private hospital has been struck dead by the virus.

The doctor, 51, was the first health worker in Nigeria who died of Coronavirus after he contacted the deadly disease while managing a patient.

He is the second medical doctor to have died of Coronavirus in Nigeria. A medical doctor was also killed by the disease in Katsina State recently.

He reported died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, on Wednesday after he was rushed to the hospital.

Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital, said the doctor was not a staff of the hospital but was rushed to the facility after he showed symptoms of the disease.

The doctor is not a LUTH staff; he was a private practitioner, though he trained in LUTH some 18, 20 years ago. I remember I met him, I know him, he left LUTH around 2002. One of his classmates called me that he has some issues in his private hospital, so I asked that he should be brought to LUTH.

He was COVID-19 positive, we started him on drugs but unfortunately, he died this morning (Wednesday), Adeyemo told The PUNCH.

He refused to disclose the name of the doctor in line with the ethics of medical profession.
Libya government forces score major gains against rebels

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 8:21 AM

Government forces in Libya have made major gains against armed rebels under the command of renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, capturing seven cities and towns.

Government forces seized control of the three strategic cities of Sabratha, Surman, and al-Ajaylat, as well as the towns of Regdalin, al-Jumayl, Zelten, and al-Essa, located northwest of the capital, Tripoli, and nearly halfway to the Tunisian border, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday.

A commander with the government forces had on Monday announced the capture of Sorman and Sabratha, which lie 60 and 70 kilometers west of Tripoli, respectively, dealing a major blow to Haftar's so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) rebels that are sponsored by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Jordan.

The report cited experts as saying that the latest gains by the government forces reflected a change of strategy from a "defensive to [an] offensive mode" as the Tripoli-based government continued to battle Haftar's forces.

It also cited sources as saying that latest clashes killed nine soldiers and more than 30 rebels, including a number of Sudanese and Chadian militants.

Turkey credited for supplying drones, air support

The report also said that Libyan government forces had received Turkish-supplied drones and air support.

Haftar's rebels have been waging an offensive to capture Tripoli since April 2019 but have been bogged down outside the capital.

Clashes around Tripoli escalated in the past week after the rebels breached a March 21 humanitarian truce aimed at facilitating efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the war-torn country.

According to the United Nations (UN), hundreds of people have been killed and more than 200,000 have been displaced since Haftar launched his campaign to capture Tripoli.

'Revenge attack'

Meanwhile, the rebels launched rockets against residential areas in Tripoli early on Tuesday after they were forced to pull back to an airbase.

Several homes were struck around Mitiga airbase, the only functioning, though intermittently used, airport in Tripoli's eastern suburbs, causing panic among the civilian population. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

"The criminal militia and mercenaries have taken out their anger on residential neighborhoods of Tripoli to avenge their defeat, firing dozens of rockets and missiles on the capital indiscriminately," government spokesman Mohamad Gnounou said.

The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Libya said on Saturday that water had been cut off to millions of residents of Tripoli and its suburbs in an "abhorrent" act of collective punishment.

The water supply was disrupted by members of an armed group in an area 350 kilometers southeast of Tripoli, which is under the control of rebels.

Libya plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster, and later killing, of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged. The UN-recognized government and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's rebel forces.

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Opinion Article

16 April 2020

London-based Music Concierge founder Rob Wood considers how the soundscape of a restaurant or bar can hold the key to commercial survival.

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A couple of years ago, I was in Manhattan meeting a client face to face for the first time. He'd brought in some great business to the company and I wanted to take him out somewhere special as a thank you. I'd heard about a new opening on the Lower East Side - a Turkish dining concept that was generating a bit of buzz - it seemed the ideal choice. We stepped inside and took it all in, mentally ticking off the boxes on the 'will we have a good evening here?' checklist. The interiors were well judged: Turkish decorative references with a sophisticated contemporary twist; the menu looked original and exciting; the maitre d' welcomed us with polished professional warmth. And then we heard the music ...

The restaurant's speakers were battering the diners with a tidal wave of tacky house music, the kind of thing you'd expect to hear blaring out of a 4x4 convertible driving through South Beach by some topless perma-tan. It had clearly been chosen in the hope of giving the place a touch of youthful kudos, something to get the cool kids in, but you only had to look around at the grimacing clientele to see that the cool kids weren't biting. No one, not even the edgiest, trendiest millennial, wants their supposedly upscale dining experience hijacked by incessant and over loud invitations to 'get their wiggle on'.

The music choice was inappropriate for the brand, incompatible with the needs of the customer and damaging to the atmosphere of the venue. The fact that every other aspect of the restaurant clicked together so well only made this oversight more obvious. Barely able to hear each other, we ate fast, got the hell out of there and made a beeline for the Dead Rabbit, the hotlist-topping Irish bar with a spot-on understanding of how music makes an atmosphere work.

When you're setting up a bar or restaurant, if you're to have any hope of success, music cannot be an afterthought. One question that people often ask me is:

Do restaurants really need music?

Their view is that music can get in the way of conversation, that all any restaurant really needs is the buzz of people chatting, the clink of glasses, the sound of laughter. That's true, of course, but you have to lead them to that moment somehow. At the beginning of service, when people are still trickling in and the ambience is muted, or at the end, when the laughter is subsiding and the tempo slows, how else can you keep the atmosphere alive beyond the fringes of those golden hours but through music?

In a bar or restaurant setting, music can play any combination of three roles. First, it sets the pace, its rhythms and energy affecting how diners behave. A soundtrack of easy-going relaxed music tells people to take their time, order another coffee in a cafe or enjoy another course when fine dining. This was the approach that legendary London restaurant The Ivy took when it decided to break the silence and introduce music for the first time. A no-reservations, queues-round-the-block, street-food joint, however, would more likely keep turnover steady with something more urgent and upbeat.

Second, music tells the story. It is the aural expression of the venue's brand identity, interwoven with the food, the theme, the decor and the style of service. It works with all of these elements to underline the venue's points of difference, helping it stand out from the competition. London's Indian restaurant, Dishoom, is a great example of how an expertly judged music selection can encapsulate the essence of the brand. Here, the restaurant's thematic union of 1930s Bombay cafe culture and contemporary quirk is underlined by its playfully retro cross-cultural soundtrack.

Another good example is Mr Fogg's, a 'secret' Mayfair cocktail bar underpinned by eccentric Victoriana. Here, the playlist takes inspiration from Phileas Fogg's fictional travels around the colonies, resulting in an offbeat signature sound that ties the atmosphere together and gives momentum to the taxidermy-filled room. Both these venues successfully use music to draw out elements of their brand story.

Music as a restaurant's storytelling component

In each, music isn't just a practical means of keeping the atmosphere buzzing, it plays a key role in giving the whole sensory experience a sense of theatre and story.

A venue's music makes a statement about the kind of place it is and the kind of customer it is intended for. If you run a hipster craft-beer bar in the city's creative quarter, a downtown rockabilly dive bar or any venue with a distinct target audience (which means, more or less, any venue), the music you play has to reach out to them, it has to come from a place of passion to underline your credentials and demonstrate your authenticity. Those places that get it right, such as upmarket but down-to-earth bar-restaurant Merchant's Tavern in London's Shoreditch, which won the affection of its creative East London neighbourhood thanks in no small part to its record collection, can quickly build up a loyal in-the-know clientele that buys into the brand because it believes its message. Those that don't, as with my NYC Turkish experience, rarely get return visits.

What are the pitfalls to avoid?

But even when an F&B outlet gets its playlists on point, there are pitfalls to avoid. Acoustics is an often neglected area. Any sound selection has to fit the acoustic profile of the space - something that should be considered as early as possible when embarking on new builds or refurbs - preferably through a professional acoustic assessment. One of the other mistakes we see frequently at Music Concierge is brands that devote time, effort and resources into developing a compelling and coherent music identity, and then sabotage the whole process by attempting to deliver it through sub-standard audio systems. You might have the most brilliant soundtrack ever crafted, but if you're pumping it through shoddy ceiling speakers, the on-going ambience of your restaurant or bar won't be as good as it could be. It might be tempting to economize on sound-system procurement, to dream big and then value-manage down to keep stakeholders happy, but the customer experience - and ultimately, the bottom line - will suffer for it.

It's worth noting that in London, and also in Tokyo and NYC, we are starting to detect an emerging micro-trend where music savvy F&B innovators such as Brilliant Corners, Merchants Tavern and Spiritland are investing in audiophile-level sound systems as a core element of their offering - Londoners are loving that as you might imagine! The quality of music curation today is also more critical than ever. The restaurant and bar market is more competitive than it ever has been before. Today's customers are looking for individuality, personality and authenticity, and across the world, more establishments are springing up that recognize that, and many of them are using music as their weapon of choice.

What about hotels?

Hotels around the world are also waking up to the shift. Increasingly, destination restaurants and signature bars are emerging from the shadow of the hotel that houses them and opening up to the wider locale, introducing separate entrances, independent websites and distinctive branding. More and more often, a hotel will parachute in a third party to occupy its restaurant to broaden its appeal beyond its own guests. What were once closed spaces with no real market impact are becoming the direct competitors of standalone bars and restaurants. It's getting tougher out there.

In this landscape, venues have to stand out to survive, and that means paying attention to every customer touch point down to the smallest detail. Design, lighting, temperature, service culture, and of course food and drink itself all contribute to shaping the atmosphere, but music - chosen with care and delivered with quality - is what ties them all together helping keep the customer in their chair. Choose music badly or deliver it poorly, and you'll send them out the door. Get it right, and the results will be music to your ears and your bottom line.

10 Steps to make your restaurant or hotel stand out with sound

Match the music to the brand:

Tailor your playlists to tell the story of the venue or concept. Match the music to the experience:

Develop a soundtrack that works with the style of dining/drinking on offer. Inspire the audience:

Select tracks that will delight and surprise your target clientele. Curate the music around the time of day:

Use tempo and rhythm to underpin the service patterns throughout the day. Use music creatively!

Music is a wonderful art form. Avoid the obvious, the generic, the cliched. Get an acoustics assessment:

Avoid dead patches, loud patches or sound bouncing off hard surfaces. Invest in a premium sound system:

Don't cut corners on delivery, bad tech and poorly thought through speaker coverage means bad audio. Don't let the interior designer dictate where speakers go:

Non experts risk messing up the resulting audio experience. Put a music-management process in place:

Don't leave it to chance, make sure your staff are monitoring and controlling the volume and playlist correctly. Refresh your playlists regularly:

Keep loyal customers engaged and staff motivated by ensuring playlists are updated and on-brief.

This article was first published on MusicConcierge.co.uk.
Martha Phillips knows exactly how it feels to suddenly find oneself up close to  and unprotected from  a deadly virus.

In 2014, Phillips, an emergency room nurse, was at the bedside of a suspected Ebola patient in Sierra Leone when the disposable plastic guard protecting her face came loose.

I turned my head quickly and my shield came off, she recounted. So I am in an Ebola treatment unit and my eyes are completely exposed. She stayed calm and quickly left the room.

Phillips, 35 at the time, had arrived in a rural corner of northwestern Sierra Leone just as Ebola cases were surging in West Africa.

One day, early on, more than 50 patients flooded into their hospital  a collection of abandoned classrooms that had been converted into treatment units. She and other nurses worked into the night, until they ran out of supplies.

We had no blankets, no pillows, no water, she said. We were just hauling them out of ambulances and putting them in beds, and then we had to get out.

Phillips had never worked in a war zone and said no training could have prepared her for this type of immediate triage.

There is nothing comparable to that kind of massive influx of terribly sick, terribly infectious, terribly distraught patients that I can even conceive of, she said. She paused, then added: Certainly nothing in standard American medicine  up until this point.

Phillips now works in the ER at a hospital in Bellingham, Washington, and is seeing the toll of another infectious disease  this time on her own community.

While COVID-19 isnt as deadly as Ebola, Phillips is drawing on her experiences in Africa to help other nurses cope with the unprecedented fear and uncertainty of a pandemic now killing doctors and nurses on the front lines.

From Ebola to COVID-19

Phillips said she wasnt surprised the novel coronavirus came to the United States, but the failure to protect health care workers has stunned her. Across the country, many have resorted to reusing masks and wrapping themselves in makeshift gowns, like garbage bags with holes cut in them.

I had better personal protective gear in West Africa by a long shot, she said.

Like many nurses, Phillips is having to make equipment like N95 masks last longer as her hospital tries to conserve supplies.

In mid-March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a set of strategies for health care workers confronted with a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a surge in patients. As a last resort, the CDC recommends a bandana or scarf in the place of a medical-grade face mask.

This was the moment, Phillips said, that she and many other nurses realized they were on their own.

Our government, they had nothing else to offer us, she said. That has affected morale in this country unimaginably.

Nurses now confide in Phillips. They send her messages or pull her aside to ask: Is it OK to be afraid? To consider not showing up for work? She doesnt hesitate to respond.

Its really important that we continue to tell them that they have nothing to be guilty about, that they are not lesser nurses because of it, she said. Were we adequately supplied and protected, the terror would be much less.

The making of an Ebola nurse

When the Ebola crisis emerged, Phillips was eager to sign up.

It wasnt even necessarily a conscious decision, she said. It was almost this frenetic drive of  I can do this work, send me, I can help.'

She had already worked as a nurse overseas. She did surgical trips to Guatemala and traveled to the Philippines after a typhoon to provide emergency medical aid.

In the summer of 2014, just after a new nephew she was excited to meet was born, she contacted every organization she could find that might send her to West Africa to treat Ebola patients.

When she arrived in West Africa, the humanitarian aid nonprofit International Medical Corps trained her to navigate the dangers of Ebola. She learned not to cross her arms or touch her face, and the precise way to take off the hooded suit and knee-high rubber boots.

We didnt do half-measures. You protected your staff at all costs, she said.

But she also learned sometimes you cant control whats about to happen, like when a woman, stricken with Ebola, collapsed in the nearby marketplace. Phillips was told the crowd would likely kill the patient if the hospital didnt get her immediately.

The fear was so incredible  so overwhelming in the community, she said.

Phillips had no ambulances. She found what appeared to be an old ice truck and headed to the market. They discovered the woman looking very sick.

She saw us and she tried to run, said Phillips. One of my national staff members literally reached out and grabbed her by the arm.

They were able to persuade her to come back to the hospital for treatment.

Other times, Phillips recalled, the patients ended up being the medical colleagues working at her side. She watched one nurse she knew get taken out of the ambulance after she had contracted Ebola.

That was one of my breaking moments, she said. I was just so tired of people who wanted so badly to help their own country and help their people being killed by this disease. It felt unfair and it feels unfair now, too.

Health care workers are at higher risk of infection from the coronavirus than the general population. Already in the U.S., dozens of them have died.

Phillips said people who treat COVID-19 patients carry a terrible foresight. They know exactly what could happen if they are the ones who end up in the ICU, on a ventilator.

It is a nightmare, she said. Should we become sick, we know what our death will look like.

Its a feeling that reminds Phillips of another chilling moment at the Ebola treatment unit. She remembers a patient sitting at the bedside and lifting up the edge of a beautifully patterned skirt.

She had clamshell bruises appearing across her legs, Phillips said, referring to a telltale sign of the hemorrhagic fever. They locked eyes. She knew thats how she was going to die. No one should have to experience that.

These moments are with Phillips again, in the ER.

That doesnt stop her from going to work and treating her patients. But she also tells any nurse or doctor who comes in search of advice that the reward for helping others should never be your own life.

The most important person is yourself, period, full stop, the end, she said. Because if you die, you will not be able to take care of anyone else.

Over the weekend, with cases slowing down in Washington, Phillips decided her help was needed elsewhere. She got on a plane and flew to New York to help out at a hospital there.

This story is part of a partnership that includes NPR and Kaiser Health News.
Health officials and researcher agree: the situation is slowly stabilising but a complete return no normal is not quite on the horizon yet.

According to Rudi Balling from Luxembourg's Centre for Systems Biomedicine, the positive trend of declining infection rates is due to the strict confinement measures. The LCSB director is joining efforts with other researchers to devise previsions based on infection trends.

As most of our readers will know, the Ministry of Health provides daily updates on the number of people that test positive for the novel virus in Luxembourg. But what exactly do these numbers tell us? Scientists of the Research Luxembourg group continuously analyse the new numbers in order to forecast future developments.

According to the group, Luxembourg's health care system has managed to cope with the influx of patients. A complete return to our normal daily lives, the group warned, is nevertheless not yet possible. The group added that Luxembourg's exit strategy should include extensive testing and contact tracing.

Many international public health experts agree that contact tracing represents one of the best tools to bring the situation under control.

The situation remains complex but Luxembourg needs to do everything in its power to keep new infections to an absolute minimum in order to prevent further waves of new infections.
Ashwini Rajan (name changed), had admitted her 64-year-old father to the emergency ward of a large private hospital in Mumbai after he suffered a heart attack. He was kept in a coronary care unit. Her father survived, and was discharged on fifth day. But Rajan's shock, she was asked pay an additional Rs 35,000. This wasn't covered as part of her insurance.

The hospital management told her that this additional cost was due to COVID-19 testing, personal protection equipment (PPE) and other related materials.

Analysts estimate that the COVID-19 related infection control measures such as testing in-patients and staff, PPE for health staff, social distancing protocols and human resources costs is resulting in bills getting inflated by 15-20 percent over and above the regular charges.

Hospitals say that the insurance companies are not covering the additional costs, forcing patients to pay out of pocket.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

"The cost of healthcare has moved-up. We are in talks with various insurance companies and third party administrators (TPAs) for review of rates," said Abhai Soi, Chairman of Max Healthcare.

Max Healthcare said it will be testing all its 24,000 employees and in-patients. It has also announced that all new patients would also be tested at the time of admission.

The decision to test all in-patients comes days after concerns were raised among the staff at Max Super Specialty Hospital in Saket, Delhi when two patients admitted to the hospital tested positive for COVID-19. At least 39 healthcare workers, including nurses and doctors, who came in contact with patients, had to be quarantined.

But the testing doesn't come cheap. It costs about Rs 4,500 per test in a private labs, though they are free at government labs. Max said it will use pool testing for its employees to reduce costs while individual PCR testing will be done for all the patients admitted in the hospital.

As of now, there is no consensus between hospitals and insurance companies about these charges. Insurance companies are not ready to offer beyond the fixed package rates.

In Charts | Economic impact of lockdown on Centre and states

S Prakash, Managing Director of Star Health Insurance, told Moneycontrol that a wider interaction between hospitals and medically qualified insurance professionals is required.

"Hospitals have lost their regular incomes due to lower occupancy, steep drop in outpatient department (OPD) footfalls and elective surgeries. The infection control measures have pushed their costs up. The government is not paying for the tests of the patients or their staff . If one staff member gets infected, you have to quarantine dozens of doctors and nurses. Sometimes even hospitals are forced to shutdown. It all comes with a cost," said Charu Sehgal, National Leader for the Life Sciences and Healthcare Vertical at Deloitte India.

According to a EY-FICCI study, private healthcare sector said it is witnessing about 80 percent fall in patient visits and test volumes and revenue drop of 50-70 percent in end March. Occupancy levels have fallen to a mere 30-40 percent by late-March from pre-COVID occupancy levels of 65-70 percent, which is expected to further exacerbate with the lockdown in April.

"While bed utilisation is low, private hospitals are expected to be pro-active and prepared to manage any eventuality emerging from this epidemic situation. Hence, opportunity to rationalize fixed costs is very limited unlike other industry sectors," the study said.
Australians have been accused of exploiting loopholes in coronavirus restrictions by needlessly flocking to supermarkets and parks just to get out of the house.

The data from YouGov showed one in ten residents in Sydney were visiting supermarkets on a daily basis despite government urges to shop as little as possible.

While most people were doing the right thing, 47 per cent were still shopping at least twice a week.

Research has found one in ten Sydney residents are visiting supermarkets on a daily basis and 47 per cent are shopping at least twice a week. Pictured is a line up outside of a Coles at Chapel Street in Sydney

Supermarkets were not the only excuse being used, with many people in NSW over-using exercise as a reason to get out of the house.

In places such as beaches, parks and other recreation areas activity has slightly dropped by 25 per cent since before the pandemic began.

Victoria showed a far more impressive drop of 75 per cent in activity.

While people are allowed to exercise, it is not an opportunity to socialise with others outside the home.

People in NSW have also been using exercise as an excuse to head to beaches and parks with only a 25 per cent drop in activity since before the pandemic began. Pictured is Manly beach filled with people on Easter Saturday

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

NSW has the highest numbers of listed cases from the coronavirus pandemic with 2,886 cases of infection and 26 deaths as of Thursday morning.

Victoria is the next hardest hit state with 1,299 cases of infection and 14 deaths.

It comes as the government continues to warn Australians to stay inside unless absolutely necessary and listed a very brief list of reasons for living the house including buying food, attending medical appointments or exercising.

In the past few weeks police have been cracking down on those flouting social distancing rules handing out $1,000 fines to some of the worst offenders.

Almost every weekend since the pandemic began surfers and joggers have flocked to beaches with many not obeying strict social distancing rules designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.
T he number of coronavirus patients being treated in London hospitals has fallen by a sixth in a week, it can be revealed today.

Admissions reduced from a peak of 4,813 on Wednesday last week to 4,031 on Tuesday  a drop of 782 patients, or 16 per cent  the latest Downing Street figures show.

Hospitals across the capital confirmed that patient numbers appeared to have reached a plateau  but one doctor warned it was far too early to lift the lockdown.

It came as the Office for National Statistics today revealed that coronavirus was the third biggest killer of people in England and Wales last month, behind dementia/Alzheimers disease and heart disease.

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Draft data from Kings College Hospital seen by the Evening Standard showed coronavirus admissions falling from 246 to 200 in the week to April 6.

A Kings source said that Armageddon didnt happen. The source added: Out of nowhere the numbers got smaller: new cases, admissions, deaths all lower than feared.

An intensive care doctor at nearby St Thomas Hospital said: There has been a lessening of the increase in admissions to ICU across the south London area.

London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Waterloo station looking empty PA Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn

The total number of declared London hospital deaths from coronavirus increased by 153 to 3,224 yesterday. Many more will have died at home or in care homes.

Two London NHS trusts  the Royal Free London, with 335 deaths, and London North West Healthcare, with 327 deaths  are together responsible for more than a fifth of all hospital deaths in the capital.

Barts Health, the capitals biggest trust, said provisional figures showed that as of yesterday morning it had 494 patients with confirmed Covid-19, down 21 from 515 on Monday.

It had 147 patients in intensive care yesterday, up 16 from two days earlier.

Professor Neil Ferguson on coronavirus: 'Social distancing necessary until vaccine is found'

A Barts doctor told the Standard: Theres certainly a slowdown [in admissions]. The challenge now will be to balance capacity for new cases while maintaining forward flow of patients already on ICU, as many patients [are] requiring two to three weeks on intensive care. Id say well still have a strenuous two to three weeks in London.

Imperial College Healthcare, Londons second biggest trust, said admissions and numbers in critical care seem to be levelling off rather than falling.

As of Tuesday it was treating 332 patients confirmed to have Covid-19 and a further 24 suspected to have the virus. Of these, 110 were on ventilators.

Homerton hospital, in Hackney, has turned its childrens inpatient ward into a Covid ward, though its childrens A&E remains open.

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It is also seeing a tailing off of admissions but said the pressure had been like dealing with a major incident each day. It has increased its critical care beds from 10 to about 30.

One London doctor warned that patients were having to be transferred to intensive care several days after being admitted as their condition deteriorated.

She said: We are intubating many people every day. We thankfully didnt see the exponential rise in cases which was described in Italy  the lockdown is making a huge difference. But I am very worried about people discussing lifting the lockdown already. I hope that doesnt happen.

Professor Andrew Shennan, an obstetrician at Guys and St Thomas, tweeted today: Its been hard and tragic but talking with all my frontline colleagues I do think we are within capacity and largely succeeded in avoiding preventable deaths.

The ONS found there were 3,912 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales last month. Of these, it was the underlying cause of death in 3,372 cases, 86 per cent of the total.

In addition, 91 per cent of patients who died with coronavirus had at least one other health condition.

Heart disease was the most common condition, found in one in seven patients.
realme Malaysia has recently unveiled the realme 6i starting from the price of RM699 for the 3GB + 64GB variant while the 4GB + 128GB variant is priced at RM899, and theyre both available in White Milk, and Green Tea colour schemes. In terms of the availability date, the aforementioned smartphone will be available starting from 23 April 2020 on Shopee and 25 April 2020 onwards at all authorised dealers in Malaysia.

But thats not all, on 23 April 2020 at 12AM onwards until 11.59PM, realme will be having a flash sale where you could get the realme 6i 3GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant at only RM599. In terms of the tech specs, the realme 6i comes equipped with the Mediatek G80 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, 6.5-inch FHD+ display, as well as a large 5000mAh internal battery.

Camera-wise, it has a 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP quad-rear camera as well as a 16MP front-facing selfie camera. Would you be interested in getting the realme 6i as soon as it is available for purchase? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.
Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate from Georgia who lost in a race mired in voter suppression controversies, has said she would make an "excellent running mate" for Joe Biden in a new interview.

The popular Georgia Democrat told Elle Magazine she would be honoured to serve as the former vice presidents running mate in the race for the White House against Donald Trump, while outlining her qualifications and enthusiasm for the role.

I would be an excellent running mate, Ms Abrams, who has previously pitched herself as a contender for the White House position, told the magazine in an interview published on Wednesday. I have the capacity to attract voters by motivating typically ignored communities. I have a strong history of executive and management experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Ive spent 25 years in independent study of foreign policy. I am ready to help advance an agenda of restoring Americas place in the world.

She added: If I am selected, I am prepared and excited to serve.

Ms Abrams refused to concede in the gubernatorial race to her Republican opponent, then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who maintained oversight of the states elections despite himself launching a campaign in 2018.

Reports indicated systemic issues with residents in Democratic-majority regions being purged from the voter rolls as polling sites in urban, largely-Democratic areas were shut down ahead of the vote  just as Ms Abrams was appearing to close in on Mr Kemps lead.

Mr Biden, who became the presumptive nominee this month after Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out of the Democratic primaries and later endorsed the former vice president, has vowed to pick a female vice president as his running mate and previously floated Ms Abrams as a contender, along with several other prominent women.

At an Iowa town hall in November, Mr Biden told an audience he was considering selecting the woman who should have been the governor of Georgia, hinting at Ms Abrams, as well as the two senators from the state of New Hampshire, referring to Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen.

Story continues

Ms Abrams has never been one to hide her political ambitions: earlier this year, she said she would be happy to serve as a vice president pick to the Democratic nominee during a speech at the University of Iowa.

When I got the question (from reporters) I was, myself, contemplating my next steps, she said about the possibility of essentially running for the vice president position as Democrats battled for the presidential nomination.

What I said was, you do not run in a primary for second place, so no, for whatever rumours are out there, she said. However, Im not in the primary, but you can run as second in the general election, and I am happy to do so with the nominee. That is my answer.

After her defeat in the Georgia race, Ms Abrams launched a nonprofit group dedicated to expanding voting access and ending voter suppression in America, called Fair Fight.

Ive learned that failure is not permanent, the Democrat told Elle. My responsibility is to not let failure dissuade me from my core obligations. Sometimes we pursue a challenge thinking it is about our victory, but we dont know the true purpose until later. Not becoming governor of one state gave me the opportunity to launch a national network in 20 states.

We are helping reform democracy in places where it was broken and battered. We are fixing access to a census that the president of the United States tried to destroy, she added. I may not have won the office, but what I was able to earn for the causes I serve has been extraordinary, and beyond anything I could have imagined. Apparently, Im a really good loser.

Read more

Why Biden would love to declare with Stacey Abrams as his running mate

Congress demands answers over Georgia voter suppression

What next for Stacey Abrams after delivering powerful Trump rebuttal?

Stacey Abrams to sue in Georgia governor election
As of April 15, Mexico, the worlds 10th-most populous country, had recorded 5847 cases and 449 deaths related to COVID-19, far behind the figures reported by its northern neighbor, the US, which is now the global epicenter of the virus.

The borders between the two countries remain open, albeit only to essential traffic. Mexican airspace is also open to both cargo and passenger flights, in contrast to some other countries in Latin America such as Peru and Colombia, which have closed their borders.

Although Mexico is not experiencing a total lockdown, some social distancing measures  as outlined by the various state governments  are in place. In his daily news conference on April 12, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, said that he hoped to see existing measures beginning to be lifted by May 10.

Landmark OPEC+ agreement

Since mid-March, the COVID-19 outbreak has caused a sharp drop in global demand for oil and, as a result, its price on global markets has fallen significantly. This was then exacerbated by a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, which brought the price down below $25 a barrel in early April.

However, as part of an effort to stem the fall in oil prices, on April 12 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), along with some other allied states, agreed to a landmark deal that would reduce total global output by 9.7m barrels per day (bpd), equivalent to around 10 percent of global production, from May onwards.

After days of negotiations, it was agreed on April 14 that Mexico would reduce output by 100,000 bpd, just one-quarter of its allocated share as proposed in the initial 23-nation OPEC+ agreement.

This is thanks to a deal that will see the US cut an additional 300,000 barrels on Mexicos behalf. While AMLO has claimed that Mexico will reimburse its northern neighbor at a later date for the cuts, no public statement has been made on how this will be achieved.

It went very well for us - really well, AMLO told reporters at his daily morning press conference on April 13. Mexico had special treatment. It was respected by the group of oil-producing nations.

The presidents strategy can in part be explained by his desire to boost domestic refinery capacity, which he hopes to increase by an extra 400,000 bpd as part of a wider bid for energy self-sufficiency. At present, imports from the US account for around 65 percent of all Mexican demand.

Mexicos decision to hedge its oil prices at $49 a barrel this year is also thought to have been another factor behind the governments attempt to scale-back production cuts.

Although there was no specific information on how many barrels were hedged, the deal usually covers between 200m-300m barrels.

The move creates uncertainty about how much longer Mexico will remain part of OPEC+. International media has reported that a decision will be made within the next few months about whether to remain part of the international cartel. Related: Trump Strikes Deal With Mexico To Help Cut Oil Production In OPEC+ Deal

While the move is undoubtedly a short-term win for AMLO and Mexico, it is unclear how the decision will play out with other oil producers in the coming months.

Strong headwinds for Pemex

The global drop in oil prices comes at a time when Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Mexicos national oil company, faces one of its greatest fiscal challenges to date. With over $100bn of debt, it is the worlds most indebted oil company, and its revitalization has been central to AMLOs nationalist economic rhetoric.

Pemexs oil production peaked at 3.4m bpd in 2004 but has fallen significantly over the past 15 years, averaging 1.7m bpd last year.

Following a challenging 2019 that resulted in international credit ratings agency Fitch downgrading Pemexs bonds to speculative-grade, or junk, Moodys Investor Service had said in late February that it expected Mexicos crude oil production to rise by 1 percent this year.

However, in the intervening months, as the full effects of the pandemic have been made clear, Pemexs financial position has become even less favorable.

Even with the strategically negotiated hedge, a sustained period of $30-a-barrel oil could lead to a negative cash flow of $20bn for the company, according to Bank of America analysts, which in turn could lead to a further downgrading of Pemexs bonds by the other main ratings agencies.

AMLO has since moved to reassure markets, stating on April 5 that he would reduce Pemexs tax burden by a further MXN65bn ($2.7bn).

By Oxford Business Group

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By PTI

KOTTAYAM/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 50-year-old woman travelled 2700 km in a car crisscrossing 6 states to meet her critically ill son, a BSF jawan in Jodhpur, despite strict lockdown restrictions due to Covid-19.

The woman was accompanied by her daughter-in-law and another relative during the journey, which they covered in 3 days time.

Speaking to PTI from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Sheelamma Vasan said the health condition of her son, Arun Kumar (29), who was suffering from myositis, (inflammation of muscles), was improving.

"Due to god's grace we have reached here without any problems anywhere", she said.

The family was informed by a Malayali doctor at AIIMS in Jodhpur about Arun Kumar's condition following which they decided to undertake the journey from Kerala through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat to reach Rajasthan.

Thanks to the intervention of Union Minister V Muraleedharan, office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader, Oommen Chandy, the family could get necessary passes for the travel across the states.

Volunteers of Hindu helpline, a VHP organisation, helped in arranging a cab and two taxi drivers free of cost to take them to Jodhpur.

After getting necessary passes arranged by Kottayam District Collector P K Sudheer Babu,Sheelaamma accompanied by her daughter-in-law Parvathyand another relative set off on the journey from Panackachira village in Koruthodu panchayat in Kottayam on April 11and reached Jodhpur on 14th, "Vishu" (Malaylam new year).

The jawan, who had come to his village in February end on leave and days after his return had fallen ill, had expressed desire to meet his mother and wife.

Arun kumar's one-year-old child is in Kerala.

This mother's journey comes close on the heels of another woman who rode 1400 km on her two wheeler from Telangana to bring back her son stuck in Andhra Pradesh.

The Burqa-clad mom, Razia Sultana, a school teacher from Bodhan town in Telangana undertook the journey on her scooter and brought her son, a student from Rehmatabadin Andhra Pradesh.
Cash-strapped Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) on Thursday said it has sold its 100 per cent stake in IL&FS Wind Power Services Ltd (IWPSL) to ORIX Corporation, Japan, for Rs 6.05 crore.

IWPSL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IL&FS Energy Development Company (IEDSL), is engaged in providing supervisory and management support services to seven operating wind power generating special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

In October 2019, the group had divested its 51 per cent equity stake held in seven wind power SPVs to ORIX.

The divestment of IWPSL has resulted in a consideration of Rs 6.05 crore to IL&FS Energy that will be kept in an escrow account for its lenders, the group said in a release.

The full amount of consideration has been duly received and the share transfer to the purchaser has been completed, it said.

IWPSL, classified as a 'green company', has no outstanding debt.

Post the bidding process launched last year, ORIX exercised its option to acquire IWPSL, as per previous pact, and agreed to acquire 100 per cent of the shareholding of IWPSL from IEDCL.

The sale was approved by Justice (Retd) D K Jain and subsequently by National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai, in February 2020, the release said.

IWPSL has over 40 employees and is the first company to go out of IL&FS Group with employees.

The seven SPVs are - Lalpur Wind Energy Private, Etesian Urja, Khandke Wind Energy, Ratedi Wind Power, Wind Urja India, Tadas Wind Energy and Kaze Energy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bachelor Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson became a father in June when he welcomed daughter Marlie-Mae with his fiancee Laura Byrne.

But it's clear the reality TV hunk is far from developing a 'dad bod'.

The 32-year-old took to Instagram on Thursday to perform an at-home isolation workout from the couple's Bondi pad.

Scroll down for video

No dad bod here! Bachelor Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson (pictured) flaunted his muscular frame and washboard abs while performing a home workout on Thursday in Bondi

He did a range of bodyweight exercises, including push-ups, side planks, jump lunges and side skaters.

Matty J also showed off his skipping skills by using a speed rope during the session.

Little Marlie-Mae also joined in at one point, and was seen atop her father's shoulders as he did weighted squats.

The sponsored post was to promote free workouts for Fitness First, where he trained regularly before gyms were closed due to COVID-19.

Keeping fit! Matty J showed off his skipping skills by using a speed rope during the session, and also did a range of body-weight exercises

Daddy-daughter session: Little Marlie-Mae also joined in at one point, and was seen atop her father's shoulders as he did weighted squats

In 2018, before becoming a father, Matty J revealed some of his workout secrets to NW magazine.

'I do weights three times a week then try to do cardio on day four,' Matty said.

He also said he eats four small meals a day, with a focus on low sugar and low GI foods.

'I do weights three times a week then try to do cardio on day four': In 2018, before becoming a father, Matty J revealed some of his workout secrets to NW magazine

Laura and Matty welcomed Marlie-Mae on June 19, 2019.

Announcing her birth on Instagram at the time, Laura wrote: 'Welcome to the world, you divine little slice of human pudding.'

The couple first met on season five of The Bachelor in 2017 and became engaged in April 2019 while on a 'babymoon' holiday in Fiji.
After relieving a virus-stricken ship's captain of command, then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told the crew their former skipper wasn't just out of line for emailing more than 20 people about the situation onboard -- he might have also broken military law.

A lot has happened since then. Modly resigned in the fallout from his address and is now in quarantine following his trip to the carrier. Capt. Brett Crozier, the former commanding officer of the carrier Theodore Roosevelt, has himself tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, along with more than 650 other members of the crew. Top Pentagon officials have allowed for the possibility that Crozier, in an extremely rare move, might be restored to command. But could Crozier still be charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice?

Law experts who spoke with Military.com said it's unlikely -- and would be troubling if it happened.

Modly's suggestion that Crozier broke military law came just after the former acting SecNav suggested the captain leaked to the media a detailed letter asking for resources to deal with the virus outbreak.

"If he didn't think, in my opinion, that this information wasn't going to get out into the public, in this day and information age that we live in, then we was either A, too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this," Modly said of a letter Crozier had emailed to people outside his chain of command. "The alternative is that he did this on purpose -- and that's a serious violation of the UCMJ, which you are all familiar with."

Related: 'Nothing Off the Table': Pentagon Won't Rule Out Reinstating Fired Navy Captain

But there likely aren't grounds for charges against the former CO, Corey Bean, who spent a decade in the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, said. If they were filed, he said, they would represent "serious overreach."

Modly in his speech said Crozier sent sensitive information about the material condition of a Navy warship to "a broad audience of people," putting the carrier and its crew at risk. The investigation, which has been completed and is awaiting review from the Navy's top officer, was still ongoing at the time.

Officials with Modly's office did not respond to a request for comment about the former secretary's statements. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said last week that he has instructed Navy leaders not to take any further action against Crozier until the investigation into his actions is complete.

"We'll see where that takes us," Esper said, adding that nothing is off the table, including reinstating Crozier as the carrier's commanding officer. Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday told reporters the same thing last week.

The Navy has not made public the results of its investigation into the captain.

Based on Modly's comments, though, Bean said no clear UCMJ violations come to mind. There could be an effort to characterize Crozier's actions as hazarding a vessel, dereliction of duty, or conduct unbecoming an officer, Bean said, but he likened all potential charges to "trying to cram a square peg into a round hole."

"Let's take something like hazarding a vessel, for instance, if they think that broadcasting this email that the ship may be compromised put the vessel at danger," Bean said. "Hazarding a vessel usually requires more of a concrete clear-and-present danger that the vessel would be in. Not some attenuated theoretical stack of inferences that could possibly result in a danger if all the conditions are realized."

Similarly, he added, dereliction of duty requires an "affirmative act or mission against a particular duty the captain had."

"Here, even if the Navy's opinion is that the commanding officer used questionable judgment, I don't see on these facts that his conduct was criminally willful or criminally negligent."

Gary Solis, a law professor who served as a Marine judge advocate, agreed that charges in this case seem unlikely. Like Bean, Solis said it's possible officials may consider conduct unbecoming an officer since that article is so vaguely written.

"But if I was a staff judge advocate, I would recommend against it," Solis said. "And if I was pressed, I would decline."

If Crozier used an unsecured government computer to transmit official-related business, he said it's possible the captain violated the UCMJ's Article 92: Failure to Obey an Order or Regulation.

What concerns Solis more though, he said, is the chilling effect Crozier's firing could have on commanding officers needing to report problems.

The day before Modly relieved Crozier of command, the former Navy secretary told reporters the captain was unlikely to face punishment unless it turned out he himself leaked his letter to the San Francisco Chronicle. Less than 24 hours later, Modly fired Crozier.

It remains unclear who had sent the letter to the paper.

Modly was within his authority to relieve Crozier of command, Solis said, but it still sends an unsettling message to officers leading troops.

"It's clearly, clearly intended to ensure that there be no further complaints from commanders in regard to the handling of COVID-19," Solis said.

Rachel VanLandingham, a law professor and former Air Force judge advocate, agrees, adding that it was inappropriate for Modly to tell Crozier's crew that he might have broken the law.

"He didn't explain it at all," she said. "What are the effects of that going forward?"

Like Bean and Solis, VanLandingham also said it's unlikely the Navy will bring any charges against Crozier.

"He was just trying to do his duty," she said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck contributed to this report.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Read More: Investigation into Navy Carrier CO's Firing Now Complete, Top Admiral Says
The decision might be approved in May

Open source

The European Parliament offers to create a single economic space with the Eastern Partnership states as Radio Liberty reported.

The creation of the single economic space is the part of the strategy on gradual integration to the European block of six countries of Eastern Partnership program: Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova.

According to the message, the EU will support the gradual integration of six countries in the EU Energy Union, Association for European Transport and digital single market.

Among other things, in the TV-communications area, the document offers to create no roaming regime between the EU countries and the Eastern Partnership and communication regime inside the Eastern Partnership soon. Other offers include the creation of the university of the Eastern Partnership in Kyiv.

As we reported, the European Union will provide the assistance package to Ukraine in the sum of 80 million to facilitate the influence of crisis with coronavirus on the healthcare system, lives of people and economy.
As Uganda and the rest of the world confront the public health, financial and economic implications of the #COVID-19 pandemic, Absa Bank Uganda is rolling out an extensive payment relief programme for eligible customers that have been directly or indirectly impacted.

Under the programme, customers in sectors that have been directly or indirectly affected by the disruption presented by #COVID-19 will be offered payment relief to ease their financial burden.

While we appreciate the measures put in place globally to curb the spread of this pandemic, we are also cognizant of the effects they have had on individuals and the business community. Currently, some of the sectors that have been adversely impacted include hotels and restaurants, tourism and hospitality, wholesale and retail trade, transport and logistics, among others. In light of this, we are therefore aware that some of our customers will experience difficulty meeting their financial obligations and we have introduced a comprehensive customer, business and corporate relief programme to help them navigate this difficult time, said Mumba Kalifungwa, Managing Director of Absa Bank Uganda.

Customers will be offered payment holidays of up to six months, with needs being determined on a case-by-case basis and solutions tailored on individual circumstances; through proactive engagement with our customers.

Support for corporate and business banking clients will entail solutions based on their unique requirements and operations. Businesses and corporates are encouraged to contact their relationship managers for further details, Mr Kalifungwa added.

In the case of salaried customers, the bank will proactively engage with the employers through the Relationship Managers or directly to determine the support to be offered.

These measures will be implemented with immediate effect. Additionally, eligible customers who are in need of relief can apply and qualify at no additional administration fees.

Mr Kalifungwa said The unprecedented nature of the pandemic means that we are all adapting to the situation as it changes. We reiterate our commitment to our customers and to Uganda to ensure that our livelihoods are secure with minimal disruption. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and adjust our relief programme where necessary.

To allow benefits to reach more customers, Absa Bank Uganda encouraged those who can fulfill their obligations to continue making payments.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 12:39:23|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China continued to see a generally stable housing market in March, with home prices in 70 major cities showing milder month-on-month increases, official data showed Thursday.

New home prices in four first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou -- went up 0.2 percent in March, which stayed unchanged month-on-month in February, according to the data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The country's second-tier cities saw a month-on-month increase of 0.3 percent in new home prices, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, while third-tier cities also witnessed a mild month-on-month rise of 0.2 percent in new home prices, compared with a 0.1-percent increase reported in February.

Last month, prices of resold housing in first-tier cities edged up 0.5 percent month-on-month, with the growth expanding by 0.3 percentage points from the previous month, while that in second- and third-tier cities rose 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent month-on-month, respectively.

As the domestic situation of combating the COVID-19 epidemic has been moving steadily in a positive direction and the resumption of production and living orders accelerated, the overstocked demands for home purchases due to the epidemic was gradually unleashed last month, said Kong Peng, a senior NBS statistician.

There was no transaction of both new and resold homes in Wuhan, the city once hardest hit by the disease, and their prices were deemed unchanged.

The gloomy property market since the coronavirus outbreak has led to a build-up in unsold inventory, but analysts predict the situation will gradually ease in major cities as transactions are likely to rebound.

Data from the property research institution CRIC showed housing inventory in 50 monitored cities stood at 304.32 million square meters by the end of March, up 11 percent from the volume seen in the same period last year.

Transactions in the property market witnessed recovering to some extent in most cities last month and momentum was sustained through the first half of April, according to Zhang Dawei, a chief analyst with the real estate agency Centaline Property.

Currently, market transactions have neared to around 70 percent of the volume in the same period last year, he said.

On Wednesday, the central bank further lowered the rate of 100 billion yuan (about 14.2 billion U.S. dollars) worth of one-year medium-term lending facility to financial institutions to 2.95 percent, compared with 3.15 percent on the previous operation.

The cut will help to stabilize market expectations of the real estate sector as the real costs of house buyers are expected to drop, he said.

CRIC predicted a retreat of inventory in first- and second-tier cities in the second quarter. But in less developed regions, housing inventory may continue to pile up, it added.

Shocks caused by COVID-19 have yet to fade away completely, Zhang said, noting that the number of cities logging new home price growth in March was smaller than in January and the last quarter of 2019.

The earlier NBS data also showed that China's investment in property development plunged 16.3 percent during the first two months from a year earlier, with investment in residential buildings dropping 16 percent.
An Indian Air Force helicopter on Thursday made a precautionary landing on the Outer Ring Road after developing a technical snag, the IAF said in a statement.

The Cheetah helicopter was on its way from Hindon to Chandigarh on a Covid-19 related task. Approximately 3 nautical miles out of Hindon, the aircraft developed technical snag The actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct. Recovery aircraft was launched immediately from Hindon. The aircraft was rectified and recovered back promptly and safely at Hindon, the statement added.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

The air force is playing a key role in the fight against the pandemic ferrying medical and essential supplies to different parts of the country. It also evacuated Indians from China and Iran after the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Cheetahs play a crucial role in supporting the soldiers on the Siachen glacier, one of the worlds highest battlefields, flying at more than 20,000 feet.

The Kamov-226T light utility choppers, to be built jointly with Russia, are to replace Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. However, the $1-billion programme is yet to kick off and the military may have to wait several years for the new machines.
The stranger's voice at the other end his tenuous link to the outside world and also his sanity, the Delhi-based executive locked down in his Bihar village dials in often to seek reassurance that all will be well and to share his many fears.

On Tuesday, when came in that the three-week lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus was extended till May 3, his spirits plummeted and he called the helpline again.

The 57-year-old spoke for hours, said Abdul Mabood, the founder of Snehi, which has been running a dedicated telephonic counselling service since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown on March 24.

The phone and data card is what is keeping the executive sane in these uncertain times and Mabood is worried about what will happen if this link snaps.

"He spoke for hours about his fears and anxieties, I could figure out that the uncertainty of the pandemic was weighing on him. He was reading stuff on the phone and was asking me about them. He didn't want to share his fears with his family and the only one he could speak with openly was me.

"He spoke of losing his job and fears of what would happen to his family if anything happened to him," Mabood told PTI.

Snehi is just among the several helplines holding out hope for those struggling with stress, fear and anxiety and the executive one of the thousands holding on to that slender lifeline.

According to Mabood, his team of 10 counsellors has been handling 60 to 70 calls a day. They have been forced to let many calls go unanswered because of the volumes that are coming in on their helpline.

With worries about the pandemic combining with questions on what the future holds in terms of jobs and careers as well as family well-being, more and more people are reaching out for help, say psychologists and metal health experts.

Helplines launched in several parts of the country have been buzzing with people's anxieties on the rise. From students panicky about exams to the elderly worried about their health and those in between stressed about careers and jobs, the calls are flooding in.

The toll-free number set up on April 3 by the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in collaboration with an NGO, for instance, received over 2,000 calls in less than a week.

The helpline at Bengaluru's National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), announced by the Union Health Ministry on March 29, received around 2,500 calls in less than a week.

Dr Harish Shetty, a Mumbai-based psychiatrist, said he gets five to six new cases a day. Among his patients is a man who admitted himself in hospital, convinced he had COVID-19 despite testing negative twice; a 15-year-old who was midway through his exams when the lockdown was imposed and hasn't slept in days; and a 35-year-old man who has been seeing WhatsApp messages and become psychotic, aggressive, insomniac and suspicious.

"He said that the virus would come flying towards him and infect him through his arm, said Shetty.

All three had no history of mental illness, no drug intake or alcoholism, he said, adding that a lot of new cases of phobia and fear are coming in.

A large number of people who are anxious can be handled with counselling and advice but a small number need medication. While in the first week we had no cases, in the last few days the numbers are swelling, he said.

"Due to the lockdown, people feel isolated and disconnected with the world People don't know what to do. It's very utopian to say talk to the family, it does not happen that way. Anger and irritability increases," said Shetty.

While new cases are cropping up, people with mental health issues and the elderly are the most vulnerable, the experts said.

In one case, a 50-year-old man in Andhra Pradesh, a father of three who'd watch coronavirus-related videos all day, convinced himself he had COVID-19 after he developed flu-like symptoms. He'd beg people not to come close and would pelt anyone who approached with stones.

According to Tisha Jhaveri from Wellness Volunteers United, a volunteer-based free helpline, most need someone to listen to them.

They need a connection with the world outside. We get calls ranging from people fearing for their lives, their jobs, even their relationships. Some who are stressed over finances and some burdened with responsibilities. In most cases, we speak to them and calm them down, but in some cases when they seem suicidal we turn them over to professionals," Jhaveri said.

The helpline receives around 60-100 calls a day, she said.

Sometimes, unresolved anxieties push people over the edge. Within a month of the outbreak in India, there were cases where the sheer fear of the pandemic pushed people over the edge, the experts said.

A 23-year-old, for instance, jumped to his death from the seventh floor of a hospital in Delhi soon after he was tested. Later, it was found he was negative for the disease.

Mental heath counsellors have tips for those feeling low. Shetty recommends yoga, enough sleep and acts of kindness such as calling up someone who is alone and chatting with them.

Mabood suggests thinking of the positives like the number of people who have recovered from the disease.

All strongly suggest keeping off social media and WhatsApp and say everyone should concentrate on their well being.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UPDATE: The number of recovered cases of COVID-19 continues to dominate the number of new cases.

There are now 15 new cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand today. This is made up of six comfirmed cases and nine probable cases.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says there are now 770 people who have recovered from the virus. This is an increase of 42 from yesterday.

There have been no additional deaths. The death toll remains at nine.

Twelve people are in hospital. Two people are in critical condition.

Three people are in ICU - one in Dunedin, one in Middlemore and one in North Shore hospitals.

EARLIER:

Director-General of Health Dr Ashely Bloomfield and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be providing an update from the All of Government COVID-19 National Response.

The pair will be speaking live from Wellington at 1pm today.

Watch the video above to hear the latest of what they have to say.

What we know so far

Yesterday, there was a total of 20 new cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand today. This is made of six confirmed cases and 14 probable.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashely Bloomfied says there were no additional deaths to report .

The current death toll for COVID-19 sits at nine.

The number of recovered cases is now at 728, 100 more than on Tuesday.

Ashley says there are now 16 significant clusters.

"One more than Tuesday. The new cluster is an aged care facility in Auckland."

Clusters are were there are more than 10 people with COVID-19 from one group.

Ashley says there are now 13 people in hospital.

"Three are in ICU. One is in Middlemore Hospital, one is in Dundedin Hospital and one is in North Shore Hospital."
The head of the World Health Organisation's European office is hailing a show of support, including some "commitments" from around the world, for the UN health agency after US President Donald Trump announced a halt to funding for it.

Amid an increasingly fraught financial situation for the WHO as it battles the coronavirus outbreak, Dr Hans Kluge said: "We have been overwhelmed by the support of European countries."

In an online briefing, the WHO's regional director for Europe credited the US for its historic support for the agency.

The US is WHO's top donor, contributing between USD 400 million to USD 500 million annually in recent years.

Trump on Tuesday ordered a temporary halt to US funding pending a review of its alleged missteps in managing and responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"We are looking at the finance situation. Some commitments have come in," Kluge said, without elaborating. "But for the time, we're in the midst of the crisis. So what we focus on is to save lives."

Kluge said some countries like France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland have shown "optimistic signs in terms of declining numbers" in recent weeks, but the "small positive signals in some countries are tempered by sustained or increased levels of incidents in other countries, including the UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian Federation".

"The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region," Kluge said, noting that case numbers are still rising - and have doubled to nearly 1 million over the last 10 days.

He said the WHO's European region is facing "about 50 per cent of the global burden of COVID-19".
A Chinese coast guard ship (back) sails next to a Vietnamese coast guard vessel (front) near China's oil drilling rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea on May 14, 2014. (Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP via Getty Images

Chinese Ship Seen Moving South Near Malaysia Amid Rising South China Sea Tensions

A Chinese survey ship locked in a standoff with Vietnamese vessels moved south near Malaysia, shipping data showed on April 16, amid accusations that China is using the pandemic to assert its presence in the South China Sea.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 was spotted off Vietnam this week, returning after being closely tracked last year in the resource-rich sea, which is a potential global flashpoint as the United States challenges Chinas sweeping maritime claims.

The ship appeared to have started a survey 218 miles off the coasts of Brunei and Malaysia on April 16, according to data from Marine Traffic, a website that tracks shipping.

That appeared to be just north of Malaysias exclusive economic zone (EEZ), near waters claimed by both Vietnam and Malaysia.

A Malaysian coast guard vessel, the KM Pekan, is shadowing the Chinese ship, according to a Malaysian maritime source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 had been flanked by as many as seven Chinese coast guard vessels that have since moved away, two sources familiar with the matter said. The Malaysian navy was monitoring the situation, one of the sources said.

The foreign ministries of Malaysia and Brunei didnt respond to requests for comment. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said on April 15 the ship was conducting normal activities.

The presence of the Haiyang Dizhi 8 in the South China Sea comes amid movement curbs imposed by Southeast Asian countries to slow the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The U.S. State Department had urged Beijing to focus on combating the pandemic and stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea.

Chinas U-shaped nine-dash line on its maps marks a vast expanse of the waters that it claims, including large expanses in the south that are also claimed by Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei.

Earlier this year, the Washington think tank Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said China has maintained a near-constant presence in Luconia Shoals, off the coast of Malaysias Sarawak state on Borneo.

Last year, at least one China coast guard vessel spent weeks in waters close to an oil rig in a Vietnamese oil block, operated by Russias Rosneft, while the Haiyang Dizhi 8 conducted suspected oil exploration surveys in Vietnams EEZ.

By Rozanna Latiff and James Pearson. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
Individual ashtrays, hourly disinfection: French carmakers eye production restart Logo of Renault carmaker is pictured at a dealership in Nantes

By Gilles Guillaume

PARIS (Reuters) - Peugeot-owner PSA and Renault are planning new safety measures in a push by France's major industrial groups for a breakthrough with workers to reopen some factories before the government lifts its lockdown from mid-May, unions said.

Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp. <7203.T> on Wednesday became the first auto company with a plant in France to agree with unions a gradual restart of production from April 21 at its factory in northern France, where it makes the Yaris model.

The ramp-up comes as auto rivals elsewhere look to resume manufacturing from next week, including in Germany where some restrictions to contain the new coronavirus outbreak will be eased shortly.

In France, negotiations with labour unions have been tough, however. PSA <PEUP.PA> and Renault <RENA.PA> told Reuters they were preparing for a restart of operations, but no date had officially been set yet.

At PSA's gearbox factory in Valenciennes, where a first plan to resume production on a voluntary basis was rejected by unions in March, management and workers' representatives are to hold fresh talks on Friday.

New safety protocols are being developed by the carmakers, union members said.

These could include wearing masks, giving out individual ashtrays so that smokers do not gather in one area, and keeping the doors open to avoid contact with the handles.

They would also entail disinfecting tools and work surfaces every 60 minutes and doubling the number of buses that pick up workers.

ENCOURAGEMENT

The French government has encouraged companies to resume production, mindful of a major hit to the economy, already expected to contract 8% this year.

"I believe that there is a way to do it: it is not about choosing either the resumption of activity, or the health of the employees, it is both at the same time, it is doable," French labour minister Muriel Penicaud told LCI radio on Thursday, citing Toyota as a potential model.

Story continues

Restrictions on movement in France will not be eased until at least May 11, starting with the reopening of some stores and schools.

French train maker Alstom <ALSO.PA> told Reuters on Thursday it had been progressively ramping up its activities since the beginning of April at its plants in France.

The hard-left CGT union, however, has said it still considers it premature for carmakers to resume production in late April or early May, arguing that masks are still reserved as a priority for the health workers and may not be available.

The country's metals lobby said on Sunday that French companies in the automotive, aerospace and steel sectors were ready to return to work and assure "impeccable, sanitary conditions".

Renault already restarted production in Portugal and Russia on Monday.

(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Additional reporting and writing by Maya Nikolaeva, Editing by Sarah White and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
August 10, 1940April 12, 2020

Kelly Hove, 79, passed away from COVID-19 on April 12, 2020 in Twin Falls, Idaho. Kelly has been happily married to Dr. Kent Hove since 2008 and sadly leaves behind her husband, family and friends on Easter Sunday. She was a life-long Idaho resident who lived in the Magic Valley virtually her entire life.

As a small child, Kelly lived for a while at the Redfish Lodge near Stanley while her father reconstructed the lodge and surrounding buildings and grounds. There blossomed her particular love for the splendor of wild salmon, beauty of Redfish Lake and majesty of the mountains. Kelly graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1958 and attended the University of Idaho studying music and philosophy. Kelly returned to Twin Falls and began teaching piano in 1962. Shortly thereafter, she gave birth to her son, Brook Bond. She subsequently studied graduate studies in music performance at the University of Southern California. Kelly continued teaching piano for many years and taught many hundreds of students in Twin Falls and the surrounding communities over her lifetime. Having lived in the same home since 1963, many former students may remember coming to her home for weekly piano lessons and regular recitals on Filer Avenue E. Kelly was also known as Kelly Frizzelle, Kelly Bond, Kelly Brailsford, and Kelly Yost.

Beginning in the 1980s, Kelly decided to record light classical piano music and sell it  first locally and ultimately nationally and internationally. Kelly took great joy in music and sharing it with others. Through her local company, Channel Productions, Kelly recorded four solo piano albums and sold well over 500 thousand copies throughout the world. Two albums were specially created and released in Japan where Kelly was well received. She and her music were featured in various books, music compilations, and films. One film was a Japanese documentary containing interviews of Kelly along with other relevant artists and others from around the world. Additionally, having been a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Idaho, she was honored with their national Alumnae Achievement Award in 1996. Kelly was always proud to be a Kappa, proud of the University of Idaho and proud of Idahos beauty.

Kelly had a great love of the mountains and nature and often sought to express the wonder of nature through her music. She once said, ultimately, my goal is to keep the music clean, clear and pure; just like the mountains, streams and vistas of my home state of Idaho. During her life, Kelly also loved summers in Hayden Lake, summers on Mt. Dessert Island in Maine, snow-skiing on Baldy, ice skating in Sun Valley, hiking in the Sawtooth Mountains, drives in the country, the Nutcracker ballet in Salt Lake City, concerts in Minnesota, fashion, physics, philosophy, shopping almost anywhere and chocolate anywhere at any time.

We miss Kellys creativity, smile, curiosity and love. Fortunately, many of us can continue to enjoy her music.

A memorial service or celebration of her life is not possible under the current COVID-19 circumstances. The family expects to hold such a memorial or celebration at a later time.
By Jennifer Hiller HOUSTON (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc agreed to take Occidental Petroleum Corp common shares in lieu of a first-quarter cash dividend, helping relieve the strain on the oil giant's balance sheet. Berkshire can immediately sell the shares, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday, but has not indicated its intent. A sale would bring in less than $230 million at Occidental's current price

By Jennifer Hiller

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc agreed to take Occidental Petroleum Corp common shares in lieu of a first-quarter cash dividend, helping relieve the strain on the oil giant's balance sheet.

Berkshire can immediately sell the shares, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday, but has not indicated its intent. A sale would bring in less than $230 million at Occidental's current price.

The conglomerate last year bought $10 billion worth of Occidental's preferred shares to help finance its $38 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum.

The deal was a bet on rising shale oil prices months ahead of the worst price crash in decades, and saddled Occidental with a huge debt load at a time when there are few buyers for assets to offset the acquisition cost.

Global fuel demand has fallen as much as 30 million barrels per day (bpd), or 30%, this year as efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic have grounded aircraft, reduced vehicle usage and pushed economies worldwide toward recession.

Representatives for Berkshire and Occidental declined to comment.

"They need to preserve cash in any and all ways possible. It's a dangerous time to be a levered E&P company," said Jennifer Rowland, an industry analyst with Edward Jones.

Last week, Occidental asked the U.S. government to consider providing liquidity to the oil industry.

Occidental shares were off 11% at $13.23 at midday and are down 68% from the start of the year. The company's market value is about $11.7 billion, a fraction of what it paid for Anadarko.

U.S. crude futures fell below $20 per barrel on Wednesday and the global benchmark tumbled nearly 6% to $27.89 per barrel.

The oil price drop and Anadarko acquisition left Occidental with about $40 billion in debt and dwindling means of covering its costs. Last month it slashed its 2020 budget and cut its annual dividend to 44 cents a share from $3.16.

Berkshire companies hold around 4.7% of Occidental common shares, according to a Wednesday filing.

Last month, Occidental agreed to take three directors nominated by activist investor Carl Icahn, who had opposed the deal and urged Occidental to sell itself rather than buy Anadarko.

(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston and Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta, Marguerita Choy and Richard Chang)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
David Duong presenting a donation of $100,000 to the Consul General of Vietnam in San Francisco

At the donation ceremony at the Consulate General of Vietnam to the United States in San Francisco, Vietnamese Consul General Nguyen Trac Toan showed his deep gratitude to donors, who themselves are affected by the pandemic but do not hesitate to aid their home country.

He stated that in the raging COVID-19, wherever the Vietnamese are living, the everlasting power of solidarity and unity among them have been proven to be stronger than ever. These fuel the strong belief that Vietnam will overcome the disaster. He added the Consul General will quickly transfer all donations to Vietnam to timely help the fight against the pandemic.

The donation ceremony at the Consulate General of Vietnamese to the US in San Francisco

On behalf of Vietnamese expats, David Duong underlined that no matter what they do and where they live, Vietnamese people abroad never forget their home country. Additionally, the community declared its firm belief in the Vietnamese government as well. They are more certain that the COVID-19 will soon be over due to the unity of Vietnamese people and proper control of the state.

While the COVID-19 is increasingly more complex, Consul General Nguyen Trac Toan has warned people to closely follow safety requirements in the country where they are living and to act in the spirit of solidarity. Collective action by each Vietnamese person will build up a peaceful, safe, and united Vietnam in the eyes of international friends.

On this occasion, the representative of the expat community also appreciated the consideration and kind help of the Consul General to Vietnamese people abroad.
As verse forms goes, the haiku is small but mighty. The traditional, unrhymed, three-line Japanese poem can capture the world -- even a world as crazy as this one -- in a single breath.

dismal season then

I am reminded seeds sprout

from cracks in concrete

Its compactness is really great.  It requires you to really melt everything down to its core, because youve only got 17 syllables, says Mark Nowak, who now leads virtual sessions of his New York City-based Worker Writers School from his home in Canaan, Columbia County.

Its simple. Its five, seven, five. Its simple, says one of his participants, Christine Lewis, author of the pandemic-penned haiku, above. Its not that simple, however.

Lewis is a Brooklyn caregiver to a 2-year-old, an organizer and cultural-outreach coordinator with Domestic Workers United, and a founding member of the Worker Writers School -- which aims to bolster laborers with the power of the word. And that power, say Lewis and Nowak, is especially critical now.

Ella Baker said, Literacy and liberation go hand in hand, she says, quoting the civil rights and labor activists. Yeah. So its important to give our community the tools to write their stories -- and this is where the Worker Writers School came in. Especially for an invisible workforce. Its a way to give them a voice? Yes, Lewis says. Yes.

The workshops, now in their 10th year at PEN America in New York City, also convene at other downstate worker centers in conjunction with unions. Once the COVID-19 crisis has passed, Nowak plans on expanding into the eastern Capital Region -- Albany-Troy to North Adams-Pittsfield -- as part of a mobile unit fellowship with Creative Capital. Back in 2018, working with RISSE in Albany, he taught poetry to refugees learning English.

The haiku effort began last fall, highlighting famous poets and translators alongside the work of others -- Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, for instance, and those who lived through the Attica prison rebellion. The workshops last in-person session was March 7. And that workshop was the first where instead of people handshaking and hugging when we first came in, we used elbow bumps, Nowak recalls.

They wrote haiku that day: How the coronavirus was affecting everyones lives as workers. . . . and we all said our goodbyes. And since March 7, this has escalated, you know, in ways we couldnt have imagined then. And so I wrote an email to everyone that said, Send me your coronavirus haiku, and keep writing them.

He sends out the results on the programs Twitter and Instagram feeds, many providing compact verbal snapshots of people working real-world, on-the-ground jobs: cab drivers, home caregivers, hospital workers.

Beds full, low on masks

8th floor, I gown up and watch

A boat drift from shore

-- Paul Hlava

The appeal of haiku is two-part, Nowak says. One, its a moment to escape a little bit -- you know, youre focusing on trying to get a five-seven-five-syllable, three-line poem together. Your focus is not on whats in the rest of the day, but on creating a poem. So I think thats part of it.

Another part is analysis, he adds. It allows us to look at a moment in our day and really think about whats going on, and what that means -- and I think, for us, its also been a way to build solidarity between workers.

Just as the pandemic hit, Nowak came out with his latest book: Social Poetics, published March 10 with Coffee House Press. It is, he says, a peoples history of the poetry workshop -- specifically, workshops held in a time of revolution or upheaval, whether a New York City teachers strike or transformative change in South Africa. Thats the first half of the book; the second focuses on the Worker Writers School itself.

On the one hand, the timing of the book is a bit off: Yeah. Social Poetics. In a time of social distancing, an argument for getting together. . . . It is -- I dont know what the word is -- oxymoronic?

On the other hand, its apt: You know, moments of rebellion, or uprising, or in a global pandemic like this. It really shows how foundational writing -- and reading, and getting together to talk about poetry in whatever way we can -- plays a major role in the world.

And haiku, the most economical of all poetic forms, is a snug fit anywhere. It makes huge points with the tiniest of elements.

Consider the inspiration for another one of Lewiss recent haiku:

rats human vie for

Space on urban sidewalk cracks

In tenement walls

It just came to me, walking on that side street, she says, and realizing the human, the urbanness, the areas that we live, what we have to navigate and then go to work for a minimum wage, all of us -- its all of the things that we have to navigate.

Essential workers are out there navigating, Lewis says -- they medicate, and they heal. And they deserve to be heard. Its important. Its important to tell these stories to all and sundry. Its important. . . When nobody becomes your friend, the pen becomes your friend.

How so? Im pigeonholed in my bedroom with the coronavirus. The pen becomes my friend. Im able to do a little more, to write my story, to write my truth. And its coming forth. Its like a volcano inside of me thats erupting, erupting, erupting. I have to write.

From his own home in Canaan, Nowak echoes the sentiment. People are fighting to make a $15 minimum wage are the most essential workers in our lives -- the grocery-store worker, the UPS driver who drops off packages on your door. . . the garbage collectors and the people who clean buildings, in the subways.

Or the health-care workers, he adds. Everyone on the front lines. These people who had been considered jobs anybody could do are now the most important people in our lives right now. Like, these are the essential workers. These are the heroes and heroines of our day. Theyre the people that are keeping us alive.

Somehow, the haiku is a perfect metaphor.

It is, in a way. As the haiku forces you to say whats essential about this moment, whats happening with the pandemic, Nowak says. Its like reframing which workers we think are essential in our lives.

Made 4 bucks an hour

Spent 60 on groceries

Will eat til Im sick

--Seth Goldman
Life is changing before our eyes. With COVID-19s rapid spread, weve witnessed institutions we took for granted being put to the test in ways we couldnt imagine months ago.

As a nurse with advanced training in public health as well as being an attorney, I know one of the important steps we need to take during this time is social distancing to allow health care workers to combat this virus. The more we do now, the sooner life can get back to normal. While key to slowing the spread, this practice has caused millions to lose their jobs  including approximately tens of thousands of Montanans filing for unemployment.

The federal government passed a relief package to provide some benefits to workers. However, it shouldnt take a crisis for us to realize were not doing enough to support Americas workers. Even in good economic times, nearly half the U.S. lives without a savings account and are one paycheck away from financial ruin.

We need a comprehensive improvement of our work environment to protect working Montanans. Average Montana salaries are thousands of dollars behind the average national salary. According to the Equal Pay Task Force, women in Montana are paid 73% of what men earn. Equal work but not equal pay. This hits families especially hard  hurting the ability to buy a home, pay for child care, and save for retirement. Inadequate child care is available for working families to care for their youngest while parents work. Too many Montanans live paycheck to paycheck, struggling to provide for their families. They have inadequate savings and little or no paid family medical leave.

Although we want to get back to normal, this is our time to decide what parts we want back and what changes we demand. As your attorney general, Ill support:

 Equal pay for equal work

 Paid family medical leave

 Adequate child care

 Affordable and comprehensive health care

 Living wages that allow people to save

 Fair taxation where everyone pays their fair share

 Strong worker protections to stop unsafe and unfair work conditions, harassment and discrimination

I grew up in a union household in Frenchtown. These are issues close to me and my family. I know how hard families work to just put food on the table. As the first working mom to give birth during the Montana legislative session, I was able to shed light on some of the difficulty families face trying to balance work and family life.

Working with Montana lawmakers from across the state, over the past eight years weve improved working Montanans lives, reforming the law to provide such things as access to health care, workers compensation for firefighters presumptive diseases, increased apprenticeships and worker training programs, and strengthened wage and unemployment laws.

But more needs to be done. Studies show the stronger our economic safety net is, the stronger our economy will be. The more financial security one has, the more they can participate in the economy, and the faster it grows. Not only is an anti-worker agenda heartless, it doesnt make sense  financial or otherwise.

The millions working paycheck to paycheck dont need a pandemic to be told our laws dont favor workers over big corporations. They feel it every day  and were seeing right now how not putting workers first has left hardworking families struggling.

Montana is best when we come together and put differences aside to focus on strengthening our communities. Moving forward, the changes to protect those most affected by this pandemic shouldnt be one-time fixes  they should be institutionalized reforms. As your attorney general, I will work every day to make that a reality.

Rep. Kimberly Dudik, D-Missoula, is running for Montana attorney general. She is a registered nurse, has a Master of Public Health degree, and is a former assistant attorney general and deputy county attorney.

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Weve cancelled this years premium increase, instead of deferred it as most other funds have done. Our intent is to appropriately use our strong balance sheet to support our members in these testing times.

According to Stock, HBF is well-positioned as a key part of the health ecosystem, enabling the organisation to support frontline health workers, such as nurses, doctors and hospitals.

As a key part of the health ecosystem, health insurers like HBF know that we must work with other major players to address both the health and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stock said.

More than ever, we see ourselves as a key partner and enabler for hospitals, doctors and nurses.

But the operational changes brought about by the pandemic havent come without their challenges. Stock says while the disruption has seen greater support for hospitals by private health insurers (PHIs), there has still been considerable compromises to be made for health businesses.

Of course, business as usual has been turned on its head with the cancellation of most elective surgery, the pausing of many general services like dentists, opticians and physios, he added.

Weve moved rapidly to change our fund rules to enable members to claim for various services that will now be delivered differently, for example, through the use of telehealth.

In addition to operational changes and surgery cancellations, other issues lie ahead for health services, including the financial compromise on premium revenue and the significant catch-up for surgeries.

We expect claims to drop because of the lockdown but know there will be a big catch-up for elective surgery and general services once the crisis eases. Premium revenue will also be impacted by the terrible toll COVID-19 has taken on the finances of many of our members.

Like other funds, we are putting in place premium relief packages to tide them over until they get back on their feet. We know this wont be cheap, but we pride ourselves on being there for members in the moments that matter, Stock continued

But perhaps the biggest challenge for insurers is the unknown, whereby business circumstances are changing at such a rapid pace that PHIs are vulnerable to external shocks. A surge in psychological claims resulting from the pandemic may also be on the horizon.

Health insurers arent used to seeing huge fluctuations in claims and premium income because we arent usually subject to the sort of external shocks that impact other insurers, Stock revealed.

Claims patterns will be wildly different from previous years and a lot is unknown. We may well see a surge in psychology claims as a result of the trauma of this pandemic, for example.

However, with the support from the federal and state governments, the public health sector, PHIs and APRA, Stock says the industry has been able to develop a resilience through collaborative problem-solving.

Theres a wonderful spirit of cooperation between Government, the public health sector and private providers and its resulted in a determination to problem-solve together for the health of all Australians, Stock said.

In particular, we are in regular dialogue with both the Department of Health and our principle regulator (APRA) who are closely monitoring the potential impacts of COVID-19 on our business both from a member and operational perspective.

APRAs suspension of public consultations, actions to finalise revisions to the prudential framework and, finally, the interaction from Stocks APRA supervision team who understands the challenges they face, has also helped HBF, alongside the rest of the industry, combat COVID-19 impacts.

Another measure introduced by the federal government, the $1,500 wage subsidy for employers, has also helped PHIs support their customers. However, Stock is adamant that HBF is not in need of this support.

The wage subsidy will be vital for the many members we know who would otherwise find themselves is a dire financial position. Our sound financial position and the need to step up our services to meet the urgent needs of our members means the jobs of our employees are secure today without the need to draw on the government financial relief packages, he said.

However, Stock says more can be done to help PHIs  he claims that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, health insurance affordability was a major concern. But now, during the health crisis brought on by the novel coronavirus, its an even more urgent issue to address.

Affordability for health insurance was a major concern before the COVID-19 crisis. Now its an even more urgent issue, Stock admits

Its never been more important to combat the increases in health expenditure which put pressure on health insurance premiums. Beyond the current crisis this will be an important area for the industry to continue to work through with government to ensure the sustainability of the health system for all participants.
Wawa Gives Thanks with Tribute Video, Food to Frontline Workers and an Additional $250,000 to Local Food Banks and Non-profits through The Wawa Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Food Distribution Fund

WAWA, Pa., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This April 16, Wawa will dedicate the day of its founding to essential workers and everyday heroes by giving recognition and resources to those courageously helping others impacted by COVID-19. April 16 is the date the first Wawa store opened in Delaware County, in 1964, and six years ago, the date marked the launch of The Wawa Foundation.

As an essential business, we remain open to help everyday heroes working hard to mitigate the impact COVID-19 has on our community, said Chris Gheysens, Wawa President and CEO. We are in awe of their strength and resiliency, and will fulfill our promise of standing by their side.

Wawa will demonstrate its commitment to these individuals with the following support:



THANKS to the Helpers video tribute

Whether its first responders, healthcare workers, teachers, parents, and even Wawas very own associates, this video is a public acknowledgment to thank all the helpers who have risen to the occasion to serve and support others in this time of need. Its a tribute to the communitys strength and an uplifting message for all: https://youtu.be/9a1gyP2IpWQ



Providing FOOD to frontline workers

With local stores providing ongoing food donations to area hospitals, police and fire departments, Wawa will continue its commitment to supporting everyday heroes with a record-breaking donation of 3,000 meals in one week to organizations in each of the service areas. This includes: Einstein Healthcare Network in Pennsylvania, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Jersey, Beebe Healthcare in Delaware, Johns Hopkins Healthcare in Maryland, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Virginia, Northshore Medical Center in Florida and Georgetown MedStar University Hospital in Washington, D.C.



MORE FUNDS Available from The Wawa Foundation

The Wawa Foundation is providing an additional $250,000 for eligible non-profits and local food banks who can apply for support of hunger relief efforts in the companys serving territory.

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Interested non-profit organizations can apply at www.thewawafoundation.org by clicking Apply for Support on the homepage. Then, click Begin the Submission Process and select Financial Support. Finally, non-profits should include in their program ask that it is to support COVID-19 Emergency Food Distribution Fund. The Wawa Foundation is currently accepting applications until funds are completely distributed.

The Wawa Foundation team will be reviewing requests quickly with approvals being communicated either through a call or via email. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

About The Wawa Foundation

The Wawa Foundation is an extension of Wawas commitment to making the world a better place by fulfilling customers lives every day. The Wawa Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded by Wawa, Inc. to support the companys charitable giving and philanthropic activities  and ultimately to help build happier, stronger communities. The Wawa Foundation focuses its support on organizations committed to health, hunger and everyday heroes through local, state and national grants and in-kind donations. Since April 16, 2014, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have donated more than $81 million to causes supporting health, hunger and the heroes who serve our communities every day.

About Wawa, Inc.

Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and certified process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, Georges grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products.

On April 16, 1964 Wawa entered the convenience retail business when Grahame Wood, opened the very first store in Folsom, Delaware County PA. At the time, it was a different type of business  where friends and neighbors served friends and neighbors in a convenient setting offering fast, friendly service, and fresh products. Today, our purpose has evolved into our commitment to go beyond filling customer orders, to fulfilling the lives of our customers and communities every day.

Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. A chain of more than 840 convenience retail stores (over 600 offering fuel), Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. In 2018, Wawa was recognized in Forbes as one of The Best Employers for New Grads and one of The Best Employers for Women, and as the Top-Rated Workplace for Veterans by Indeed. In 2019, Wawa was designated by Forbes as a Best Employer for Diversity.

CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com
For Algeria's Hirak Protest Movement, COVID-19 Could Prove an Opportunity

By Lisa Bryant April 15, 2020

A year ago, Algeria's stunning popular uprising forced out longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and rocked a power establishment in place since independence.

Today the coronavirus pandemic has emptied streets once packed with millions of anti-government protesters, while authorities continue a campaign of intimidation and arrests, critics say.

Some predict the pandemic, which now leaves Algeria with Africa's biggest reported death toll, may unravel the largely peaceful Hirak protest movement born early last year. Yet other analysts believe, paradoxically, that COVID-19 could see it emerge stronger than ever.

"The Hirak is taking charge of the health crisis," said Anissa Daboussi, Middle East and North African program officer for the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). "Once again, civil society is offering the answers, not the state."



With more than 300 coronavirus-related deaths as of Wednesday, Algeria has Africa's highest reported mortality figures, although its overall caseload lags South Africa and Egypt, according to the Johns Hopkins' Coronavirus Resource Center.

Algerian authorities say they have been proactive in responding to the pandemic, describing the excellence of their medical staff and claiming they announced some measures like school closings even before their European counterparts. Today, partial curfews and confinements are in place across most of the country, while neighboring Morocco and Tunisia are under full lockdown.

"Our country is totally ready to face the pandemic," Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune told national media recently, adding any supply bottlenecks would be dealt with through local production and imports.

Shortcomings

Experts are less confident, pointing to the country's weak health infrastructure and reported shortages of basic equipment like masks and disinfectant gel. Those shortcomings, along with a struggling economy and high joblessness, could make it hard for Algeria to weather and recover from the virus, they say.

Indeed, the North African country ranks among the least prepared to respond to a health crisis, placing 173 out of 195 nations in a 2019 Johns Hopkins Global Health Security Index.

The government's unpopularity and hard-line response to dissent could prove further handicaps, rights activists and analysts say.

Last month, for example, an appeals court sentenced leading opposition figure Karim Tabbou to another year in jail, just before he completed a six-month term for alleged charges related to inciting violence and harming national security. Authorities also arrested prominent journalist Khaled Drareni, a correspondent for press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, who extensively covered the Hirak uprising.

Meanwhile, not a single leading Hirak figure has been included among about 5,000 prisoners pardoned last month to prevent the virus from spreading in jails, activists say.

"Their priority is clearly not a health response, but to continue trying to muzzle dissident voices," said the FIDH's Daboussi of the government.

Algerian authorities did not respond to a request for comment. But North Africa security analyst Brahim Oumansour, of the Paris-based French Institute of International Relations, called such actions regrettable, even if they are nothing new.

"They come at a time when authorities need to win over public confidence to deal with this health crisis," he said. "But they're pursuing the same old strategy of repression."

The Hirak's moment?

For their part, Hirak protesters have found new outlets for expression, analysts say  and a new cause. While some initially spread fake news about the virus, others urged Algerians to respect confinement measures and to continue the protests online.

"The Hirak will come back even more beautiful, Incha'Allah," read one message posted on Twitter, with a clip of an earlier mass protest.

Associations that once joined the twice-weekly demonstrations are now organizing shipments of food and medical supplies to areas hard hit by the virus.

In the northern province of Tizi Ouzou, long a flashpoint of anti-government protests, youngsters have launched a crowdfunding appeal to supply masks and other protective equipment to a struggling local hospital, the country's independent El Watan newspaper reported. Feminist groups are watching out for domestic violence under the lockdown.

In some cases, civil society groups are reportedly joining forces with local authorities, even as others complain of having their efforts blocked.

"The Hirak has transformed into a kind of large charitable organization," one association leader in Oran, Algeria's second largest city, told France's Le Monde newspaper.

Other see bigger opportunities for the movement.

"The increasingly obvious cracks in Algeria's health systems, governance, and leadership will give the Hirak an opening to go beyond protest," wrote Algeria expert Vish Sakthivel in a recent Middle East Institute article. "To reframe grievances, articulate new demands, and forge a role in policy and service provision."

But analyst Oumansour warns of a potentially grimmer post-pandemic scenario.

"The Pouvoir can't hide the situation in the hospitals and what Algerians could face if they need health care," he said, using the popular term for Algeria's nebulous power establishment.

Adding in the economic fallout from the crisis and a potentially hardening government response to dissent, he added, "there is a risk in some cases the movement could tip into violence."

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[The latest: 29 Dead at One Nursing Home From the Virus. Or More. No One Will Say.]

The call for body bags came late Saturday.

By Monday, the police in a small New Jersey town had gotten an anonymous tip about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the states largest nursing homes.

When the police arrived, the corpse had been removed from the shed, but they discovered 17 bodies piled inside the nursing home in a small morgue intended to hold no more than four people.

They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring, said Eric C. Danielson, the police chief in Andover, a small township in Sussex County, the states northernmost county.
(Bloomberg) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans decision to start ruling by decree indefinitely triggered European Union criticism and a currency sell-off in response to what was seen as a thinly-veiled power grab during the pandemic.

But the prospect of Orban calling all the shots has done wonders for stocks owned by the premiers family and friends.

Shares of Opus Global Nyrt., a conglomerate controlled by Orbans boyhood friend and closest business ally Lorinc Meszaros, surged 57% since parliament approved Orbans power play on March 30, versus a 5.7% gain in the benchmark BUX index. Real-estate group Appeninn Nyrt., co-owned by Meszaros and Orbans son-in-law, was runner-up with a 25% gain, followed by 4iG Nyrt., a technology group in which Meszaros also has a stake. All three rely heavily on state contracts.

The day after assuming emergency powers, Orbans government filed a bill to classify for 10 years contracts relating to a $2 billion, Chinese-funded Budapest-Belgrade rail construction. An Opus unit based in Orbans home town has a 50% stake in the consortium running the project.

The rail link was green-lighted despite earlier criticism about the projects viability and its cost, especially during the coronavirus crisis. The government estimates a deep recession this year due to the pandemic. The rail projects cost is equivalent to half of the budget funds the cabinet earmarked for its economic stimulus plan.

While the details of the stimulus package are still hazy, Opus shares surged 20% on back-to-back trading days after Orban said hed channel government funds to the sectors worst-hit by the pandemic, including tourism and construction -- areas in which Opus is active.

The Meszaros Group is continuously monitoring government measures aimed at moderating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the national economy, according to an emailed statement. Management will decide after a comprehensive assessment what kind of assistance the group will accept.

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Hungarys opposition has long accused Meszaros -- who went from village gas-fitter to Hungarys richest person in the span of the past five years thanks largely to an avalanche of government contracts -- of being a front for Orbans personal business, an allegation the premier and Meszaros have rejected.

Ive never had a business relationship with the prime minister, Meszaros, 54, said in a written reply to questions last year, one of the rare instances when hes talked about his business. Our relationship is private in nature. Ive known Viktor Orban since my childhood.

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- Tightly packed dormitories housing thousands of foreign workers have emerged as one of Singapores biggest challenges in its fight to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The city state reported its highest daily increase of infections Thursday, and more than 200 of the 287 new cases were linked to foreign worker dormitories that house mainly low-wage workers in construction and other sectors. Those groups now account for about a quarter of the countrys 1,910 cases.

Authorities have moved swiftly to isolate the clusters. Two dormitories that together house almost 20,000 people were on Sunday designated by the Ministry of Manpower as isolation areas after new, linked virus cases emerged, while two more dormitories were gazetted this week. Residents were ordered to stay in their shared rooms for two weeks, but would still receive wages as well as deliveries of food and other essentials.

It is honestly a difficult situation, said Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases physician at Singapores Mount Elizabeth Hospital, who drew comparisons to cruise ships like the Diamond Princess, where about 700 of its roughly 3,700 passengers were infected with Covid-19. This is going to be a big mess.

For Singapore, a country that has been championed by health officials for its methodical virus response since the outbreak began, the move to quarantine potentially exposed workers living in close proximity has raised questions about whether the conditions will allow for social distancing -- one of the key strategies utilized around the world to contain the outbreaks spread.

To try and sort this out, they need to remain in the rooms for weeks with no interactions, Leong said, adding that Singapore would have to also navigate language barriers and cultural differences among the workers.

Adequate social distancing is already a challenge for those who dont live in worker dorms. The government gave out more than 7,000 warnings to people who didnt observe rules on the first day of a month-long so-called circuit breaker that has seen schools and most workplaces closed. The prime minister warned Thursday that people are still not doing enough to stay apart from one other.

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Key Workforce

Foreigners make up about 38% of Singapores overall workforce, including foreign domestic workers, according to government figures through the end of last year. They have an outsize share in the construction industry, where three of every four workers is foreign, while foreigners account for about half of Singapores manufacturing workforce and 30% in services.

A fixture in industries that depend on low-wage workers, there are more than 200,000 migrants from across Asia who live in 43 dormitories in Singapore, Minister of Manpower Josephine Teo wrote in a Facebook post on Monday, noting there was no question standards in dormitories should be raised. Singapore charities that support migrant workers say they have seen 10 or more people share a single room.

With the coronavirus ravaging much of the planet, crowded spaces like these pose transmission risks for everyone, the World Health Organization said.

When people are in quarantine, physical distancing becomes even more challenging, a WHO spokesman wrote by email. In such conditions, its especially important to follow guidance on regular hand washing, respiratory etiquette and other practices to keep people healthy and prevent disease spread.

Singapore is providing on-site support, including food and essential supplies while preventive measures are being put in place in the dormitories, the spokesman wrote.

The government has so far closed non-essential amenities such as gyms and libraries, prevented inter-mingling between blocks, staggered meal and recreation times. Its also established basic health care facilities at two of the dormitories, while the authorities are seeking to whittle down the number of residents in affected blocks. Some healthy foreign workers operating in essential services have been moved to vacant public housing apartments.

Meanwhile, Singapore has also deployed its army doctors, medical military experts and medics at the dormitories to take care of foreign workers who are unwell or infected, according to a Facebook post by Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen.

Singapore is not the only country with coronavirus clusters in foreign worker residences. In Malaysia, the government on Tuesday imposed an enhanced movement control order on two apartment facilities in Kuala Lumpur that house some 6,000 residents after 15 people tested positive for the virus, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Wednesday. 97% of the residents are from abroad, mostly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, he said.

Crowded Spaces

With 38 confirmed cases currently, the purpose-built workers accommodation Westlite Toh Guan was among the two facilities to be isolated in Singapore on Sunday. There, a total of 6,800 residents are spread across 687 apartment units with an average of eight to 10 occupants per room, according to emails with Centurion Corporation, which owns the buildings. The units include bathrooms, a kitchen, showers and dining space.

Like the other gazetted dormitories, residents there have received care packs consisting of masks, thermometers and hand sanitizer, and after some initial hitches meals are being delivered in a timely fashion, according to a government statement on Tuesday.

Ah Hlaing, a Burmese caregiver at a daycare center for the elderly who shares an apartment at the dormitory with about 10 people, said after initially being upset over the new rules, she acknowledges they are necessary.

She was upset because we cant go out and have to stay in the room, Ah said, adding she has had access to the essentials including food and sanitary products. We have to accept now that at this time, we cant do anything.

Some rights groups have expressed concern the government is not doing enough.

The key vulnerability, crowding, is not really being addressed with sufficient determination, said Alex Wu, vice president at Transient Workers Count Too, a registered charity that helps low-wage migrant workers. Infectious diseases thrive through human proximity. In fact, requiring workers to stay in their rooms except for occasional periods will intensify contact, not reduce it.

(Updates with new infection data in second paragraph)

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Kanye West speaks on stage at the "Kanye West and Steven Smith in Conversation with Mark Wilson" in New York City on Nov. 7, 2019. (Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company)

Kanye West Says Hell Vote in 2020 Election And We Know Who Im Voting On

Rapper and designer Kanye West said that he intends to vote in the 2020 presidential election and that he believes people know who he will vote for.

I will not be told who Im gonna vote on because of my color, West told magazine GQ in a recent interview for its May cover. Im definitely voting this time. And we know who Im voting on.

Both my parents were freedom fighters, and they used to drink from fountains they were told they couldnt drink from, and they used to sit in restaurants where they were told they couldnt eat from, he continued. They didnt fight for me to be told by white people which white person I can vote on.

Im not going to be told by the people around me and the people that have their agenda that my career is going to be over. Because guess what: Im still here! Jesus Is King was No. 1! he said.

While the 42-year-old did not disclose the name of who he would vote for, West has been an open supporter of Republican President Donald Trump.

In late 2016, West said onstage during a concert in San Jose, California, that if he had voted, he would have voted for Trump.

West made waves in October 2018 when he revealed that he was bullied backstage for wearing a Make America Great Again hat for an appearance on NBCs American comedy show Saturday Night Live.

The rapper, who has been vocal about his support for Trump on Twitter, has joked that liberals were probably stunned when he made his support public.

For the greatest artist in human existence to put a red hat on was like Gods practical joke on all liberals. Like, No! Not Kanye! West said in October 2019 while promoting his new album, Jesus is King. All 11 songs on the album claimed spots on Billboards Hot 100 in early November 2019.

West has had two highly publicized meetings with Trumpone at Trump Tower in Manhattan in December 2016 and another at the White House in October 2018.

President-elect Donald Trump and Kanye West pose for a picture in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

President Donald Trump greets rapper Kanye West during a meeting in the Oval office of the White House in Washington on Oct. 11, 2018. (Screenshot/AP)

Last month, West had told WSJ Magazine that he was not yet registered to vote and expressed at the interview that he did not like people making assumptions about him based on his race or social status while referencing his current fame and success, and support for the president.

Im a black guy with a red [MAGA] hat, can you imagine? It reminded me of how I felt as a black guy before I was famous, when I would walk in a restaurant and people would look at you like you were going to steal something. This is your place, Ye, dont talk about apparel. This is your place, Ye, youre black, so youre a Democrat, he told the publication.

Presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, is expected to face Trump in the November election after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) dropped out of the presidential race on April 8.

The self-described socialist said he is now endorsing Biden.
At least nine Tablighi Jamaat activists have been tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pakistans Punjab province, taking the total infections to 6,506 in the country, according to a media report on Thursday.

The new cases emerged on Tuesday in different districts of the Punjab province. Two weeks back, 198 Tablighi Jamaat workers were quarantined in Pakpattan and nine of them have tested positive, Dawn newspaper reported.

Their test reports were received and of them, one tested positive for the virus in Pakpattan. Similarly six other preachers tested positive for coronavirus in Sahiwal and two others tested positive in Bahawalpur, authorities were quoted as saying in the report.

According to the Johns Hopkins University data, over 2 million people are infected by the virus and more than 136,000 people have died of the disease globally.

Pakistan till now has reported a total of 6,506 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 123 deaths, the paper reported.

Quoting sources, the report said the district police has quarantined members of Tablighi Jamaat in a mosques in Dhoore Kote near Khairpur Daha.

One of them developed symptoms of coronavirus and later became the first positive case in the area, police said.

The other Tablighi Jamaat activist was also transported from a mosque to the hospital.

Earlier, the Tablighi Jamaat held a convention in Lahore in March, ignoring warnings by officials and later its members spread the disease across the country.
On April 13, the National Center for Crisis Management of Armenia received a report that a resident of a house in Hrazdan town of Kotayk Province was believed to have fallen into the swamp behind the house.

It turned out that Siranush H. (born in 1937), a resident of this house, had left home on April 11, but had not returned.

The rescuers, together with the police officers, started to carry out a search operation in the mentioned swamp, on the shores of the Marmarik river.

And at 8:50am on Thursday, Armenian police officers asked the rescue service for help in searching for the missing woman in the pond of a Hrazdan district.

The rescuers who arrived at the scene found her dead body in this pond and carried it to an ambulance.
Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC has just a handful of people on March 13, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Several airlines plan to increase the frequency of flights between Hanoi and HCMC from the current one per day to 2-5 from Thursday.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has said flights to HCMC would be instructed to land at least 90 minutes apart.

Vietnam Airlines will double its frequency to two flights a day but would continue to fly just once to Da Nang City.

Budget carrier Jetstar Pacific will be increasing its flight frequency between Hanoi and HCMC from four per week to one a day.

Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways have already increased the frequency on several other domestic routes, and have started selling tickets for more than two flights a day on the HCMC-Hanoi sector.

To ensure safety, the carriers have pledged to carefully disinfect and clean aircraft on landing. The crew on all flights and technicians will be wear protective equipment.

Passengers will be required to wear face masks for the entire duration of their flight. The airlines announced their plans after a review by the CAAV of the April 16-30 period.

They had only been permitted to operate a limited number of flights between the three major cities of Hanoi, Da Nang and HCMC between April 1 and 15 following the government's directive on the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

All Vietnamese carriers has suspended international routes since late March to contain Covid-19, with many active patients arriving from abroad.
April 16, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom, members of the International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752, today issued the following statement:

Today marks 100 days since the tragedy of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752: 176 people lost their lives unnecessarily when their plane was brought down by a surface-to-air missile in Tehran, Iran, on January 8. Our thoughts continue to be with their families.

The members of the coordination group would like to take this opportunity to reassure the families and loved ones of the victims that our group of ministers continue to work together to advocate for full accountability, transparency, justice, compensation, and a full, independent and transparent investigation, to help families seek closure as they continue to grieve.
A loader grades land near a section of privately-built border wall under construction near Mission, Texas, on Dec. 11, 2019. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Democrats Are Asking the Trump Administration to Stop Border Wall Construction

Nearly 100 Democrats in Congress are urging the Trump administration to halt construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ninety-one Democrats in the House and Senate signed onto a letter addressed to key members of the Trump administration, requesting that all border wall construction halt immediately. Not only has border construction continued amid the coronavirus outbreak, but the White House has moved to expedite its progressto the chagrin of its critics.

News of the letter was first reported by Axios.

Money should be invested in healthcare, small businesses, and fighting the spread of COVID-19, not used to build an ineffective and wasteful border wall that does not solve our immigration crisis or protect our homeland, the lawmakers wrote. We should be using all resources and funding to combat this virus and protect Americans.

Sixty-six Democrats in the House and 25 Democrats in the Senate are in support of the push including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Judiciary Chair Jerrod Nadler, and several members who represent border districts.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and President Donald Trump are wrangling over immigration. (Alex Wong/Getty Images and Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

The letter was addressed to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, and Attorney General William Barr.

The Trump administration, undeterred by the crisis, has continued with its most lauded campaign promise of 2016: the construction of a massive border wall between the United States and Mexico. The White House promised to construct around 400 miles of border wall before the end of 2020.

Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott announced April 6 that 151 miles of border wall had been completed since the dawn of the Trump administration. Scott revealed in an updated post Monday that the total amount of completed border wall has risen to 158 miles.

Despite claims made by Democrats, Wolf has pointed to numerous instances where illegal immigrant crossings have gone down after the erection of a wall system.

Notably, on the same day that the letter was dated and released, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an environmental waiver allowing for the expeditious construction of roughly 15 miles of border wall in the Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas.

Democratswho have long opposed the concept of a border wallare pointing to the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to pause construction.

At this juncture, the priority of the United States must be to stop the spread of COVID-19. The continuation of wall construction compromises those efforts, the Democrats said.

By Jason Hopkins

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From The Daily Caller News Foundation

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Families of coronavirus patients and doctors who treat those who have caught the disease are becoming victims of peoples fears and anxieties

Twenty-three people were arrested on Saturday after trying to prevent the burial of the body of a female doctor who died from the coronavirus. Sonia Aref, 64, who tested positive for the virus upon her return from Saudi Arabia, passed away last week in an isolation hospital in the canal city of Ismailia.

Upon their arrival to bury her body in her hometown cemetery in Daqahliya village, the family was met by hundreds of people protesting against the bodys burial, fearing infection. They threw rocks at the ambulance carrying the body and threatened to set fire to the cemetery if the body was buried there.

After four hours of negotiations and the mediation of health affairs officers who tried to allay the fears of the villagers and assure them that there was no possible way that the body could infect people, police still had to fire tear gas to break up the protest and allow the family to bury the body.

The video of the protests sparked a wave of anger among Egyptians who called the crowd inhumane.

Egypts Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli phoned Arefs husband to offer his condolences and deplore the disgraceful attempts by locals to prevent her burial.

I speak to you as an Egyptian citizen to express my condolences and apologise on behalf of the Egyptian people for the disgraceful behaviour of some of the Shobra Al-Bahw village residents, Madbouli told the husband, according to a cabinet statement.

However, Arefs case was not the first, and probably wont be the last.

Last week, a similar scene took place in Beheira governorate. Clashes between families and police erupted in Borollos village after families refused to let a doctor bury his father in the familys private cemetery in Kafr Al-Dawar. According to an eyewitness, the families threw stones at police officers, leaving one with a severe face injury.

The over 90-year-old man caught the virus from his son, a doctor at Al-Agami quarantine hospital in Alexandria. When the family arrived to bury the man a few hours before the 8pm night-time nationwide curfew, they came upon dozens of angry families living nearby the cemeteries, refusing to let the body be buried in the village, again fearing infection.

To deal with the problem, MP Thoraya Al-Sheikh said she, with the help of businessmen, would purchase two mega land plots to turn them into public cemeteries dedicated to Covid-19 bodies. However, a few days later, Al-Sheikh said the deal fell apart after the refusal of the land owners to sell the plot when they discovered what the plan entailed.

The burials of coronavirus victims are often being held in secret in Egypt under police supervision with the attendance of only close family members.

The coronavirus stigma is attached not only to those who die from the virus but doctors who treat the victims.

Dina Abdel-Salam, a doctor at one fever hospital in Ismailia, posted a video on her Facebook page last week stating that she was verbally assaulted by her neighbours who gathered under her balcony demanding that she leave the house because she was deemed a threat to their health.

You will infect us. Do you not care about our health or that of our children? they angrily screamed at her.

The young doctor called the police for fear of being assaulted.

Mohamed Ahmed is another doctor who was threatened by his neighbours with knives while demanding he leave the building where he lives with his elderly parents.

It started with yelling and angry calls for me to immediately leave the house. When I started answering back that this was nonsense, they gathered at the staircase holding sticks and knives and accused me of bringing death to them, Ahmed wrote on his Facebook page.

Despite writing that the situation was temporarily solved with the intervention of other neighbours, Ahmed wrote, I know it will happen again. And Im not willing to jeopardise my safety as well as my familys for the sake of such disrespectful people.

Fear is an element that controls peoples actions, driving them into inhumane, unacceptable actions, Ayman Ammar, a psychiatry consultant, told Al-Ahram. However, in such cases it is combined with an even more overwhelming factor: ignorance.

Fear is not the only element. We have it combined with ignorance, which brings out the worst in people, Ammar said.

Lamise Al-Dessouki, an assistant professor at the American University in Cairos (AUC) Department of Psychology, seconds Ammars opinion. Intense fear can put people into survival mode where they become focused on avoiding any potential threat, Al-Dessouki said. In some cases, this might result in making decisions that they would not normally make. For example, they might behave in illogical ways just to avoid the threat.

After Arefs burial incident, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, grand imam of Egypts Al-Azhar, the worlds most prestigious seat of Sunni Islamic learning, said it was forbidden in Islam to prevent the burial of any dead body.

Al-Tayeb said all acts of bullying and mockery of victims of the coronavirus are dangerous and totally unacceptable.

I was sorry to see some people refuse to receive the corpses of those who passed away from this virus or refuse to allow them to be buried in their own cemeteries, Al-Tayeb said in a televised speech on Sunday evening.

This is religiously forbidden and morally and humanly criminalised, he said, adding that Islamic Sharia law calls for honouring the dead by quickly burying them.

Ammar believes that having a religious, emotional approach to the topic might play an effective factor in changing peoples minds when it comes to the Covid-19 stigma.

All of these people who were against the burial of the body would have gone to the Friday prayer if it was still being held. So having a religious figure talking about the topic and criticising such actions is one of the most effective tools in dealing with this problem.

Mosques and churches have been shut down across Egypt because of the pandemic.

Al-Desouki believes that authorities should be playing a more effective role in dispelling peoples fears.

Failure to acknowledge the panic will only make it worse, particularly since Covid-19 is an ongoing situation, she said. Its not something that will end overnight and is affecting the entire world, so people need to face it.

She stressed the importance of raising peoples awareness regarding the virus itself, which will make them more aware of the ways of infection.

Psychology research shows that making people afraid is an effective way to change their behaviour, but only if they are also given useful information, Al-Dessouki said. In other words, just telling people that the virus will kill them is not enough to make them stay home. However, giving people detailed information about the virus, such as how it spreads, and what they can do to prevent its spread, could be effective. That way, people are afraid, but feel like they can still do something.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 16 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Virus phobia

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Trump's freezing of funding to WHO amid pandemic draws global censure

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 10:01 AM

US President Donald Trump's move to freeze America's funding to the World Health Organization (WHO)  the body leading the global fight against the new coronavirus pandemic  has drawn global censure.

China, where the virus first emerged, said on Wednesday that the US had to fulfill its obligations to the WHO at a time when some two million people were ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also said at a regular press briefing that the US's refusal to contribute funding came at a critical stage and would affect all countries in the world.

Trump, who is under immense pressure for his slow and inadequate response to the American outbreak, said on Tuesday that he had ordered a halt to the US's funding to the WHO because of what he alleged to be the body's mishandling of the global health crisis.

Over 607,000 have been affected and more than 28,000 have died in the US so far. Individual US states have taken over the management of the crisis, often breaking with the federal administration, which continues to act in an underwhelming fashion in responding to the outbreak.

Zhao, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, was asked whether China would step in to fill the shortfall in WHO funding caused by America's withdrawal of its aid.

"China will look into relevant issues according to the needs of the situation," he said diplomatically.

The US is the biggest overall donor to the Geneva-based WHO. In 2019, the US contributed more than 400 million dollars to the body, roughly 15 percent of its budget.

The WHO has been leading the global fight against the pandemic. Its experts have been working to develop vaccination for COVID-19, issuing guidelines on specific measures to contain the spread of the virus, and coordinating countries' individual efforts. The US's freezing of its funding now risks undercutting the body's measures as the outbreak grows in almost every country in the world.

Separately on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter that assigning "blame doesn't help. The virus knows no borders," in an apparent reference to Trump's assertions against the WHO.

"We have to work closely together against #COVID19. One of the best investments is to strengthen the @UN, especially the under-funded @WHO, for example for developing and distributing tests and vaccines," Maas wrote.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also defended the WHO.

"At a time like this when we need to be sharing information and we need to have advice we can rely on, the WHO has provided that. We will continue to support it and continue to make our contributions," Ardern said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he sympathized with Trump's criticism of the WHO but added that the WHO does a lot of important work as an organization.

"We are not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater here, but they are also not immune from criticism and immune from doing things better," he said.

Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was not the time to reduce resources for WHO operations.

"Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences," Guterres said.

Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said the Trump administration's move "sends the wrong message during the middle of a pandemic."

American Medical Association President Patrice Harris also called Trump's move "a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier" and urged Trump to reconsider.

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By Carolina Mandl and Marcela Ayres

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, April 15 (Reuters) - Brazil's economy ministry is talking with private banks about providing bailouts to airlines, automakers, power companies and large retailers to help them survive the coronavirus crisis, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

Economy Minister Paulo Guedes met with the chief executives of the largest privately-owned Brazilian lenders, Banco Bradesco SA, Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Banco Santander Brasil SA over the weekend and on Monday to discuss which debt instruments would be needed, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

The heads of the Brazilian central bank, state development bank BNDES and state-controlled Banco do Brasil SA's also attended the meetings, which are expected to continue in the coming days.

The participants discussed using either convertible debt or loans partially guaranteed by the Treasury, the sources said.

Divisions remain in the ongoing talks, with the banks expressing willingness to cooperate in some way but insisting the government take the lion's share of the risk, the sources said.

Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported earlier on BNDES coordinating help for some sectors with the country's biggest lenders.

BNDES and the economy ministry did not immediately comment on the matter.

Airlines including Gol Linhas Aereas Intelligentes , Azul SA and Latam Airlines Group SA have previously been reported to be in talks with BNDES about funding.

It was not immediately clear which other companies would be in line for potential bailouts. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl in Sao Paulo and Marcela Ayres in Brasilia Editing by Paul Simao)
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Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 13:26 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd23dfab 1 Business start-up,conflict-of-interest,Jokowi,pre-employment-card,ruangguru,amartha-mikro-fintek,Tokopedia,GoPay,Gojek,Grab,OVO,partnership Free

The governments relationship with the countrys start-ups during the pandemic have raised eyebrows as the latter have been invited to get involved in national-scale programs, including the multitrillion rupiah preemployment card program, with lack of transparency, experts have said.

Recently, an expert staff member to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Andi Taufan Garuda Putra, was criticized for sending out a letter bearing the Cabinets Secretariats letterhead asking district heads across Indonesia to support a COVID-19 relief program led by his fintech start-up, Amartha.

He issued the letter on April 11 without acknowledgement of the home minister, who supervises regional leaders, prompting the public to question the governments impartiality. Andi has since revoked the letter and issued an apology, saying that his intention was to do something good as quickly as possible.

Andi Taufan Garuda Putra (JP/Seto Wardhana)

There is clearly a conflict of interest that could lead to abuse of authority, said Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) secretary-general Misbah Hasan in a text message to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

CEOs should step down prior to working in the government to be neutral. But I think the government was wrong in the way it recruited these CEOs because these appointments could hinder their creativity in improving their start-ups, Misbah said.

Read also: Underprivileged millennials: Being young and poor in Jakarta

There have been other cases like that of Andis. Adamas Belva Devara, another presidential expert staff member who is also education start-up Ruangguru CEO, also got caught up in controversy as his company was appointed by the government as among several start-ups to provide training in the preemployment card program.

On Wednesday, he clarified the situation on his personal Twitter account following complaints from netizens, saying he had asked State Palace officials if there was a conflict of interest despite the fact that he was not involved in the programs partner selection process. He said he was ready to step down from the position but the decision should be discussed with the palace.

Adamas Belva Syah Devara (JP/Seto Wardhana)

The program, which aims to reskill and upskill laid-off workers amid the pandemic, has been allocated Rp 20 trillion (US$1.2 billion) from the state budget fund to cover around 5.6 million participants. Each participant will receive Rp 3.55 million, of which as much as Rp 1 million is for training costs, Rp 2.4 million for living cost incentives for four months and Rp 150,000 for job survey fees.

If the programs goods and services procurement was carried out through an appointment, the decision violated Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 16 /2018 on government procurement, which states that procurement valued at Rp 200 million and above should be done through a tender, Misbah said.

Even during the pandemic, the procurement and bidding must be transparent, accountable and open for all eligible providers through the Electronic Goods and Services Procurement [LPSE] system, he said.

He went on to say that since the program has been rolled out, the next thing to do would be for the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP), the Government Internal Supervisory Agency (APIP) and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to audit the procurement process, including the start-ups involved in the program.

Read also: COVID-19: Jokowi staffer criticized for requesting local leaders to support his company

Ruangguru CEO Iman Usman addressed the issue on his Twitter account @imanusman on Tuesday. He said procurement for the preemployment card was more like social aid programs, such as the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP), in which aid recipients could use the money they received to buy books, for instance, in partnering bookstores that have fulfilled certain requirements.

The preemployment card is similar, people can choose courses from the eight digital platforms that have qualified, he said in one of the tweets without specifying the qualifications.

Other than Ruanggurus Skill Academy, education start-ups MauBelajarApa, Pijar, Pintaria and e-commerce unicorn Tokopedia-backed Tokopedia Pintar, among other start-ups, are also engaged in the program. Meanwhile, e-wallet GoPay, OVO and state-owned companies-backed LinkAja will channel the funds to the participants digital wallet.

Corporate affairs chief Nila Marita of Gojek, which will be involved in the preemployment card program through its e-wallet GoPay, told the Post that the start-up had been officially appointed by the government to be a payment partner in the program.

Tokopedia, also stated in a press release on March 23 that it had been appointed as an official digital platform by the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister to launch the pre-employment card features.

Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) economist Bhima Yudhistira said the government could use free and existing facilities, such as university websites, to offer online lessons for the preemployment program, instead of spending money on start-up platforms.

Read also: Govt partners with food, ride-hailing companies to guarantee food supplies during outbreak

Some start-ups are cozying up to the government to keep getting projects and sustain their business, he told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Tuesday. Such practice, he added, would create a bad precedent for future start-ups as they might think that businesses needed the government as a patron to ensure sustainability, creating new generations of oligarchs.

Throughout March and April, other government bodies have partnered with start-ups in other sectors as well.

The Agriculture Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with ride-hailing apps Gojek and Grab to sell staple foods from the ministrys marketplace Toko Tani Indonesia Center as well as partnered with e-commerce platform Blibli.com to sell rice.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry signed an MOU last month with 11 telemedicine start-ups, including Halodoc and Good Doctor Technology Indonesia, which can be accessed through Gojek and Grab, respectively.
National Human Rights Commission says it received 105 complaints of rights violations by security forces in 24 states.

At least 18 people in Nigeria have been killed by security forces during the enforcement of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, a figure higher than the documented toll inflicted by the disease, the countrys human rights body said.

In a report released late on Wednesday, the National Human Rights Commission said it had received and documented 105 complaints of incidents of human rights violations perpetuated by security forces in 24 of Nigerias 36 states and Abuja, the capital.

Of these complaints, there were eight documented incidents of extrajudicial killings leading to 18 deaths, it said.

Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from Abuja, said eight of those killed were by correctional officers in the northwest Kaduna state. The police were accused of killing seven and the army were allegedly responsible for two deaths. A local committee enforcing the lockdown in the southeast was responsible for killing one individual.

The commission noted the tally of killings was higher than the recorded toll from COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus  according to official figures, the country has registered more than 400 confirmed cases, including 12 deaths.

Law enforcement agents extrajudicially executed 18 persons in the cause of the enforcement regulations, it said.

It accused the security agents of excessive or disproportionate use of force, abuse of power, corruption and non-adherence to national and international laws, best practices and rules of engagement.

Security forces in Nigeria have been accused severally by individuals of harassment during the lockdown in several states. Weve seen security officers mounting roadblocks, checking cars, identities and there reports from various parts of the country alleging that several abuses have been carried out by these security officers. Apart from the usual demand for bribes, people were harassed, Idris added.

Nigeria has imposed a total lockdown in Abuja, the commercial capital Lagos, and neighbouring Ogun state. It has also set restrictions in other regions in a bid to contain the virus.

A member of the Nigerian army performs a temperature check on a visitor at the entrance of the Nigerian Army Hospital in Lagos [George Osodi/Bloomberg

Security forces, including police and the army, have been deployed to enforce the restrictions, sparking deadly confrontations in some states.

Police spokesman Frank Mba told the AFP news agency that police authorities would not condone any abuses or infractions against its officers, adding that recently an officer who extorted money from a civilian was punished and made to refund it to the owner.

He said the police would continue to enforce the lockdown measures professionally and in line with international best practices.

Local and international rights bodies have long accused Nigerian security forces of abuses against civilians, but they have denied the charges.

There have been growing fears of a rise in crime and unrest due to the virus restrictions, especially in Lagos, as millions of people living in poverty have been cut off from vital income.
The Lower Youghiogheny River in southwestern Pennsylvania has been named one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the U.S. by American Rivers, a national organization that works to protect wild rivers, restore damaged rivers, and conserve clean water for people and nature.

American Rivers ranked the Pennsylvania river as the 10th most endangered river in the country.

The organization explained, Despite recent improvements to river health, the Lower Youghiogheny River faces a critical tipping point in 2020. Beloved for its fishing, paddling and swimming opportunities, and drinking water supply for almost 75 municipalities, the Lower Youghiogheny is being overrun by natural gas development, including fracking wells, tanks, pipelines, freshwater pump operations  and a new power plant may soon get the green light.

Unless Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania demands a thorough, landscape-scale assessment of potential impacts to this treasured river, the health and welfare of western Pennsylvanias residents and visitors could suffer serious harm.

In the Algonquin language, Youghiogheny means a stream flowing in a contrary direction, a reference to the rivers unique northerly course. This part of the river has its roots in coal mining, logging and the nearby steel industry, and many residents were raised here by families who settled along its banks.

Affectionately called the Yough, the river flows 134 miles north from West Virginia and Maryland to western Pennsylvania, where it empties into the Monongahela River in McKeesport. Along its course, the river flows through forest, farmland and residential areas.

The river is popular for whitewater kayaking and rafting, drawing paddlers from across the region to enjoy class II-III rapids.

Downstream of the whitewater stretch, the Yough flows quietly through the Appalachian ridges parallel to the Great Allegheny Passage trail, passing wooded riverbanks, small towns and riverside parks.

Many communities along the Yough and GAP trail that were previously reliant on coal and industry have seen an economic transformation. The positive economic impact from outdoor recreation has created opportunities for restaurants, breweries and bed and breakfasts.

American Rivers noted that thanks to the Clean Water Act and the work of local volunteers, the river has rebounded from decades of industrial pollution, and now touts fantastic freshwater fisheries, including bass and stocked and native trout.

The Lower Youghiogheny River is threatened by current and proposed natural gas infrastructure, operations and leasing that could devastate the rivers fish and wildlife populations and clean drinking water for generations.

A vast network of large-scale drilling pads, wells and storage tanks are being built along both sides of the rivers steep terrain. Fracking sites will extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale geological formation along the mountain slopes and tributaries. Historically prone to flash flooding and landslides, the land is now being further disrupted by fracking and earth work. Toxic waste from natural gas drilling is being discharged into nearby streams, yet operations continue despite dozens of unresolved violations flagged by Pennsylvanias Department of Environmental Protection.

Meanwhile, a complex infrastructure of natural gas, electrical and water pipelines link hillside drilling sites to the river. Pumps draw 4 million gallons of river water daily for fracking on land owned by the National Park Service. Meanwhile, the conversion of public land to private use has not yet been approved by the federal government. In addition, a segment of the statewide 300-plus mile Mariner II Pipeline is transporting 350,000 barrels a day of highly flammable natural gas fluids under the Yough.

The other most endangered rivers this year are the Upper Mississippi River in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, No. 1; Lower Missouri River in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, No. 2; Big Sunflower River in Mississippi, No. 3; Puyallup River in Washington, No. 4; South Fork Salmon River in Idaho, No. 5; Menominee River in Michigan, No. 6; Rapid Creek in South Dakota, No. 7; Okefenokee Swamp and St. Marys River in Florida and Georgia, No. 8; and Ocklawaha River in Florida, No. 9.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
Sudbury, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Further to, Rockcliff Metals Corporation (CSE: RCLF) (FSE: RO0) (WKN: A2H60G) ("Rockcliff" or the "Company") news release dated March 2, 2020, the Company is pleased to announce the filing of a National Instrument 43-101-Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") technical report titled "Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate of the Tower Copper (Zinc-Gold-Silver) Project, Manitoba, Canada (the "Technical Report") in respect of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. ("P&E") on the Tower Property. The Tower Property is part of the Company's Manitoba property portfolio and is located within the prolific Flin Flon-Snow Lake greenstone belt. A copy of the Technical Report is available on the Company's SEDAR issuer profile at www.SEDAR.com and the Company's website at http://rockcliffmetals.com.

Highlights of the Updated Tower Mineral Resource Estimate Compared to Previous Resource Estimate

Indicated copper grade increased by 26% (4.69% from 3.73%).

Indicated gold grade increased by 55% (0.85g/t from 0.55 g/t).

Indicated zinc grade increased by 26% (1.32% from 1.05%).

Indicated silver grade increased by 37% (23.7g/t from 17.3g/t).

Indicated contained copper metal content increased by 19% (106.1Mlbs from 89.2Mlbs).

Indicated tonnes decreased by 5% (1.03Mt from 1.08Mt).

Alistair Ross, President and CEO commented, "We continue to be pleasantly surprised by the Tower property drilling results. The significant increase in the copper grade to one of the highest grade deposits in the camp at 4.69% Cu bodes well for the PEA analysis. We look forward to receiving the additional drill assay results on holes completed this year since this study was completed."

The Technical Report prepared by P&E with an effective date of March 2, 2020 is summarized below.

Tower Property Updated Mineral Resource Estimate at 1.5% CuEq cut-off(1-10)

Classification Tonnes

(k) Cu

(%) Zn

(%) Au

(g/t) Ag

(g/t) CuEq

(%) Cu

(Mlbs) Zn

(Mlbs) Au

(koz) Ag

(koz) CuEq

(Mlbs) Indicated 1,026 4.69 1.32 0.85 23.7 5.74 106.0 29.8 28.1 783 129.8 Inferred 367 3.53 1.05 0.57 18.0 4.29 28.6 8.5 6.8 212 34.7

1) Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, marketing, or other relevant issues.

2) Mineral Resources were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council.

(3) The Inferred Mineral Resource in this estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be upgraded to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration.

(4) Approximate Jan 31/20 two year trailing average US$ metal prices used were $3/lb Cu, $1.10/lb Zn, $1,350/oz Au and $16.50/oz Ag. The US$: CDN$ exchange rate used was 0.77.

(5) Respective process recoveries for Cu, Zn, Au, Ag were 95%, 80%, 80%, 80%.

(6) Respective smelter payables for Cu, Zn, Au, Ag were 96.5%, 85%, 90%, 90%.

(7) Respective USD Cu and Zn smelter treatment charges used were $80 and $250/tonne with concentrate freight of CDN$65/tonne.

(8) CuEq% was calculated as follows: Cu% + (Zn % x 0.220) + (Au g/t x 0.673) + (Ag g/t x 0.008).

(9) The 1.5% CuEq cut-off is approximately equivalent to a C$100/tonne project operating cost.

(10) Contained metal totals may differ due to rounding.

Resource Estimate Methodology

The Mineral Resource Estimate reported herein, considered drilling information available up to December 21, 2019 and was evaluated using a geostatistical block modeling approach constrained by polymetallic mineralization wireframes utilizing Geovia GEMS modelling software. The evaluation of the Mineral Resource Estimate involved CuEq cut-off value determination, cross-sectional polyline interpretation constraining wireframe creation, compositing, grade capping, variography, grade interpolation and Mineral Resource Estimate quantification.

A total of 83 drill holes (totalling 34,665 metres) from the entire database were reviewed and 49 of those drill holes (totalling 18,489 metres) were utilized to create the constraining wireframes which have an overall strike length of 850 metres, down dip projection of 430 metres and average true width of 1.65 metres. There were 313 assays captured by the constraining wireframes that were combined into 147 density weighted composites with an average core length of 1.01 metres. A grade capping evaluation was performed on the composites and gold was capped at 5 g/t, while no capping was required for copper, zinc and silver. The capped composites were evaluated with variography to determine the grade interpolation search ellipsoid ranges for grade interpolation and classification. The Indicated Mineral Resource classification search ranges were 60 metres along strike, 60 metres down dip and 15 metres across dip. For a model block to be coded with an Indicated classification, its centroid must be able to see a minimum of 4 composites from at least 2 drill holes. Grade interpolation was undertaken with the ID2 method for Cu and Zn and ID3 for Au and Ag. The bulk density model was interpreted from 150 bulk density samples with the same method as Cu. The resulting block model utilized blocks that were 2.5 m in the X direction, 5 m in the Y direction and 5 m in the Z direction. The subsequent block model grades and tonnages were quantified for the Mineral Resource Estimate at a 1.5% CuEq cut-off value.

Neither Rockcliff's Qualified Person, Ken Lapierre, P.Geo., nor P&E's Qualified Person, Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., nor management of Rockcliff are aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issues that may materially affect the estimate of the Mineral Resource.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Samples of half core were packaged and shipped directly from Rockcliff's core facility in Snow Lake to TSL Laboratories (TSL) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. TSL is a Canadian assay laboratory and is accredited under ISO/IEC 17025. Each bagged core sample was dried, crushed to 70% passing 10 mesh and a 250g pulp was pulverized to 95% passing 150 mesh for assaying. A 0.5g cut is taken from each pulp for base metal analyses and leached in a multi-acid (total) digestion and then analyzed for copper, lead, zinc and silver by atomic absorption. Gold concentrations were determined by fire assay using a 30g charge followed by an atomic absorption finish. Samples greater than the upper detection limit (3,000 ppb) were reanalyzed using fire assay gravimetric using a 1 Assay Ton charge. Rockcliff inserted certified blanks and standards in the sample stream to ensure lab integrity. Rockcliff has no relationship with TSL other than TSL being a service provider to the Company.

The Mineral Resource for the Tower Property disclosed in this press release has been estimated by Mr. Yungang Wu, P.Geo. an associate geologist of P&E and Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., president of P&E, both independent of Rockcliff. By virtue of their education and relevant experience Messrs. Wu and Puritch are "Qualified Persons" for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Puritch has read and approved the technical contents of this press release as it pertains to the disclosed Mineral Resource Estimate.

Ken Lapierre P.Geo., VP Exploration of Rockcliff, a Qualified Person in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101, has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this press release.

Visit Rockcliff's YouTube channel with a message from the President and CEO, Alistair Ross. To access the video, please visit:





Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXRZZKuYcys

About Rockcliff Metals Corporation

Rockcliff is a well-funded Canadian resource development and exploration company, with a fully functional +1,000 tpd leased processing and tailings facility as well as several advance-staged, high-grade copper and zinc dominant VMS deposits in the Snow Lake area of central Manitoba. The Company is a major landholder in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake greenstone belt which is home to the largest Paleoproterozoic VMS district in the world, hosting mines and deposits containing copper, zinc, gold and silver. The Company's extensive portfolio of properties totals over 4,500 square kilometres and includes eight of the highest-grade, undeveloped VMS deposits in the belt.

The Company places the safety and well being of the Company's workforce as its highest priority. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, Rockcliff will continue to monitor the impact of the pandemic as well as Governmental directives and will communicate with all stakeholders accordingly.

For more information, please visit http://rockcliffmetals.com

Youtube: Rockcliff Metals Corporation

Twitter: @RockcliffMetals

Linkedin: Rockcliff Metals Corp

Instagram: Rockcliff_Metals

For further information, please contact:

Rockcliff Metals Corporation

Alistair Ross

President & CEO

Cell: (249) 805-9020

contact@rockcliffmetals.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although Rockcliff believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54517
Lake Bell revealed her five-year-old daughter Nova has been diagnosed with epilepsy with a heart-wrenching Instagram post Wednesday.

The Bless This Mess actress, 41, opened up about her daughters condition, admitting it's taken 'a few months to gather the courage' to talk about it.

But Bell was resilient, telling her followers she will 'fight for Nova.'

Opening up: Lake Bell revealed her five-year-old daughter Nova has been diagnosed with epilepsy with a heart-wrenching Instagram post Wednesday. The star is seen at February's Vanity Fair Oscar Party above

'Its taken me a few months to gather the courage to post about it because I do not want to endorse its existence,' Lake began.

She was also wary about sharing such a difficult, personal problem with strangers.

'I also didnt know why I should share it,' the actress/screenwriter wondered. 'Why tell a bunch of strangers?

'However, in a time where we are so isolated, I crave community. We all do. We want to be reminded we are not alone in any reality.'

Coming to terms: The Bless This Mess actress, 41, opened up about her daughters condition, admitting it's taken 'a few months to gather the courage' to talk about it

Thanking her lucky stars: Lake said she was 'grateful' to have husband Scott Campbell, who she said was 'giving these seizures a worthy adversary' with his 'research and smarts'

Lake said she was 'grateful' to have husband Scott Campbell, who she said was 'giving these seizures a worthy adversary' with his 'research and smarts.'

'Scott and I, along with the care of the incomparable @childrensla, will conquer them,' she went on.

'For Nova... so she doesnt have to cry in fear after she gets sucked into one,' Lake explained. 'They are like invaders, that come on without invitation nor warning.'

'We will fight for Nova. For her future. For tomorrow. For today. Its a beginning of a long journey and I want/need to remember that I am not alone. And if you are dealing with a loved one with epilepsy, I get it... You are not alone.'

Fighter: 'We will fight for Nova. For her future. For tomorrow. For today. Its a beginning of a long journey and I want/need to remember that I am not alone. And if you are dealing with a loved one with epilepsy, I get it... You are not alone,' Lake wrote

Lots of love: Famous friends like January Jones and Kate Beckinsale took to the comments to show their support

Famous friends took to the comments to show their support.

Kate Beckinsale, Busy Philipps and January Jones each shared heart emojis.

Grey's Anatomy actress Caterina Scorsone wrote: 'Wishing you guys so much love. You are not alone. Sending love across the quarantine.'

Scott and Lake welcomed Nova in 2014, a year after they were married. They also have an almost three-year-old son named Ozgood.

Family: Scott and Lake welcomed Nova in 2014, a year after they were married. They also have an almost three-year-old son named Ozgood
By Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eleven vessels from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came dangerously close to U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Gulf, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, calling the moves "dangerous and provocative."

While such interactions had occurred occasionally a few years ago, they had stopped, and this incident comes at a time of increased tensions between the two countries.

According to the statement, the Iranian vessels approached six U.S. military ships while they were conducting integration operations with Army helicopters in international waters.

At one point, the Iranian vessels came within 10 yards of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maui.

The U.S. ships issued several warnings through bridge-to-bridge radio, blasts from the ships' horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices.

The Iranian ships left after about an hour, the statement added.

Irans Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) issued a brief Farsi-language story on the U.S. military report, without any reaction from Iranian authorities.

"The IRGCN's dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision, (and) were not in accordance with the internationally recognized Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea," the U.S. military's statement said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, asked in a Fox News interview whether he had discussed the incident with the Pentagon, said: "We've talked as a team. ... We're evaluating how best to respond and how best to communicate our displeasure with what ... took place."

Close interactions with Iranian military vessels were not uncommon in 2016 and 2017. On several occasions, U.S. Navy ships fired warning shots at Iranian vessels when they got too close.

Tensions between Iran and the United States increased earlier this year after the United States killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Irans elite Quds Force, in a drone strike in Iraq.

Story continues

Iran retaliated on Jan. 8 with a rocket attack on Iraqs Ain al-Asad base where U.S. forces were stationed. No U.S. troops were killed or faced immediate bodily injury, but more than 100 were later diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.

Earlier this month President Donald Trump said that Iran or its proxies planned a sneak attack on U.S. targets in Iraq, and warned they would pay a "very heavy price."

Maritime security sources said on Wednesday that a Hong Kong-flagged tanker was briefly detained in Iran after armed Iranian guards in speedboats directed the vessel into its waters while it was sailing through the Gulf of Oman.

The sources said the SC Taipei chemical tanker had been sailing in international waters on Tuesday when it was stopped.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese and Sonya Hepinstall)
Qantas and Virgin will get federal government backing to operate key domestic routes between major cities and regional centres as coronavirus slams aviation.

The commonwealth will underwrite a range of flights, spending $165 million to help the ailing airlines to stay in the air.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the move was about ensuring essential workers including frontline medical and defence workers were able to travel.

Qantas and Virgin will get federal government backing to operate key domestic routes between major cities and regional centres as coronavirus slams aviation

It will also enable the movement of crucial freight like medicine and personal protective equipment.

'We know that a strong domestic aviation network is critical to Australia's success and today's announcement demonstrates our commitment, yet again, to maintaining connectivity during this pandemic,' Mr McCormack said on Thursday night.

'This investment will also help Australians returning from overseas, who find themselves in a different city after 14 days of mandatory quarantine, complete their journey home safely.'

It covers flights from all state and territory capitals, along with Albury, Alice Springs, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Kalgoorlie, Mildura, Port Lincoln, Rockhampton, Tamworth, Townsville and Wagga Wagga.

The new arrangements will last for eight weeks with the government set to undertake a review which will determine if more support is needed.

The announcement is well short of the $1.4 billion government bailout Virgin is hunting to stay alive.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is instead putting pressure on the company's shareholders.

'They've got deep pockets,' he told ABC radio on Thursday.

Mr Frydenberg said the government was continuing to talk to the company as well as Qantas, having already provided more than $1 billion in relief for the aviation industry.

'We want to see Virgin continue, we want to see two airlines in the domestic market, but we're not in the business of owning an airline,' he said.

'Where our focus has been is on providing industry-wide support.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any bailouts would be sector wide, dousing Virgin's chances of a massive cash injection.

'I'm aware that there are many market-based options that are currently being pursued, and I would wish those discussions every success,' he told reporters in Canberra.

Virgin on Thursday announced a further seven-day trading halt for its shares to continue talks on financial aid and restructuring alternatives to help it weather the crisis.

But the airline didn't identify who the talks are with.

Reuters reports Virgin is also in talks with creditors about debt restructuring options such as a debt-for-equity swap and has hired UBS, Morgan Stanley, Houlihan Lokey and Deloitte as advisers.

Virgin Australia will be able to reinstate some of its staff as it resumes limited domestic flights thanks to the funding.

'As a major Australian airline, we are proud to support the federal government in returning passengers home and enabling essential travellers to continue flying during this time,' Virgin said in a release on Thursday night.

The airline is already operating international repatriation flights to Los Angeles and Hong Kong at the government's request, as well as transporting transport cargo and providing charter services.
Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Raleigh. Raleigh Police Department declares protesting is a nonessential activity; woman arrested Read the full story on The Washington Times. 105-year-old Raleigh woman remembers her father being sick during 1918 flu amid current COVID-19 pandemic Read the full story on ABC11 WTVD. Peace Street blocked after tractor trailer gets stuck under Peace Street Bridge Read the full story on WNCN. Complete negligence  former Raleigh officer says of departments failure to disclose COVID-19 case Read the full story on WNCN. Raleigh sailor uses parachute maintenance skills to sew masks for others in the Navy Read the full story on WRAL TV. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

The Raleigh Police Department is defending a controversial tweet that declared "protesting is a nonessential activity" after a demonstrator was arrested during a "Reopen North Carolina" event amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Gerri Harris was 4 years old and living on her family's Pittsboro farm when her father became ill in the 1918 flu pandemic.

The top of a tractor trailer was ripped off when it attempted to drive under the Peace Street Bridge Wednesday morning.

As first responders, Raleigh police are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why they were wearing masks at a protest Tuesday in downtown Raleigh.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  A Muskegon business is under investigation by the Michigan Attorney General for allegedly ripping off dozens of customers who paid for but never received face masks.

EM General is under investigation for price-gouging, misleading customers, advertising goods without the intent to provide them and failing to provide consumers with refunds, according to a press release issued by the office of Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Furthermore, the attorney generals office claims that EM General was advertising N95 masks without proper approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and without any certification that the masks were up to regulations.

Given the swarm of predatory price gouging and other frauds scamming Michigan residents during the course of the COVID-19 Outbreak, it is extremely dangerous to allow the alleged business practices of EMG to continue unabated, a court brief from the attorney generals office states.

EM Generals website indicated it was selling the highly sought N95 masks for about $25 each, while a 10-pack box usually sells for about $15, according to the press release.

Further, it claimed that delays in getting the masks to customers was because of a nationwide lockdown that doesnt exist, the press release states.

An anti-viral N95 Masks link on EM Generals website went to a page not found on Thursday, April 16. A phone number for phone support went straight to voice mail.

The Better Business Bureau received 87 complaints from customers from across the nation, according to the attorney generals office.

One of the customers was a paramedic who bought three masks for $100 to protect himself while working, but never received them, according to the attorney generals petition for investigative subpoenas, which was granted by Muskegon County Circuit Judge William Marietti.

Other customers who purchased masks they never received were sent various emails from EM General explaining reasons for the delay of masks that had been ordered from Turkey, according to the petition. One email listed the CEO as Mike T while another said the CEO was Dennis Rivera, according to the petition.

At one point Google contacted the company regarding its website advertising, which later was changed, the petition states.

As part of its investigation, the attorney generals office is issuing subpoenas for EM Generals sales records; credit card processing, banking and other financial records; and customer correspondence among other records.

Consumers can file a complaint online or by calling the Consumer Protection tip line at 877-765-8388 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

MLive has complete coverage on coronavirus COVID-19, including maps of known cases, at mlive.com/coronavirus.

PREVENTION TIPS

Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:

What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:

 Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.

 Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same.

 Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

 Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

 Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

 Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available.

 Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (computers, keyboards, desks, etc.).

 Its not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.

For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

More on MLive:

Family hopes 8-year-olds birthday celebration brings some joy while mom battles coronavirus

More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan

Protesters urge Whitmer to release Michigan inmates facing risk of coronavirus in state prisons
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, aims to send human missions to Mars in the 2030s. But scientists are still trying to learn more about the potential cancer risks for astronauts due to radiation exposure. Cancer risk from galactic cosmic radiation exposure is considered a potential "showstopper" for a manned mission to Mars.

A team led by researchers at Colorado State University used a novel approach to test assumptions in a model used by NASA to predict these health risks. The NASA model predicts that astronauts will have more than a three percent risk of dying of cancer from the radiation exposures they will receive on a Mars mission. That level of risk exceeds what is considered acceptable.

The study, "Genomic mapping in outbred mice reveals overlap in genetic susceptibility for HZE ion- and gamma-ray-induced tumors," was published April 15 in Science Advances.

Radiation exposure in space is 'exotic'

When astronauts are sent into space, they are exposed to a type of radiation that is "pretty exotic, compared to radiation on earth," said Michael Weil, senior author of the study and a professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences at CSU. The radiation comes from two sources: the sun and from supernovas.

Scientists know very little about these types of radiation and their effects on humans, because exposure on earth is very limited, said Weil.

"The radiation type we're most concerned about are HZE ions or heavy ions," he added. "When you're in space, there is nothing to deflect this type of radiation. Some of these heavy ions will punch through a spacecraft hull, so when you send astronauts into space, you're exposing them to these types of radiation."

This radiation can damage molecules, cells and tissues, with the potential for cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders.

Previous studies of radiation risks have used health data from survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While those studies have provided some insight, Weil said the data poses a number of problems for real-world application, including comparing a wartime Japanese population to a peacetime U.S. population.

The type of radiation is also different, and has different effects. During the atomic bombings, people received radiation exposures instantaneously. But astronauts bound for Mars would be exposed to radiation continuously over three years.

Models mimicked genetically diverse humans

For the study, Weil and first author Dr. Elijah Edmondson, a veterinary pathologist and researcher based at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in Maryland, used a unique stock of genetically diverse mice, mimicking a human population.

Mice were divided into three groups with the first group receiving no radiation exposure and the other two receiving varying levels of exposure.

Edmondson, who conducted the research while completing a veterinary residency in pathology at CSU, said that for this type of research project, genetic variability is crucial.

"Humans are very genetically diverse," he explained. "You want to model that when it's appropriate and feasible to do so."

Weil said although the research team saw different tumor types, similar to humans, but the heavy ions did not cause any unique types of cancer. They also saw differences by sex.

In humans, women are more susceptible to radiation-induced cancers than men; one of the main reasons is that women live longer, allowing sufficient time for cancer to develop. In assessing the cancer risk between male and female mice in the study, scientists said the findings parallel human data.

Edmondson said the study validates the NASA model to measure cancer risks for humans from space radiation.

NASA continuously updates its risk assessment model, said Weil, and has done so based on work that was previously done at CSU.

Where will the research go next?

Weil said he is working on a project with CSU Associate Professor Adam Chicco in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and other universities to use technology that creates human organs, using tissue cultures, on a chip. The researchers would expose these chips to radiation to learn more about the potential risks for astronauts bound for Mars.

Additional co-authors on the study include Dan Gatti (The Jackson Laboratory) and Andrew Ray, Elvin L. Garcia and Christina Fallgren (Colorado State University).

###
The laconic joint statement issued in the pre-dawn hours of April 16 by aides to Blue and White party Chair Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no hint of the dramatic six-hour coalition negotiations between the two political rivals on the formation of an emergency power-sharing government. The teams will continue to talk tomorrow in order to arrive at an agreement on a national emergency government, according to the statement.

This was not the news Gantz had hoped to deliver at the end of the weeklong Passover holiday, but the deadline set by President Reuven Rivlin for him to form Israels next government expired at midnight on April 15. Rivlin, who appears thoroughly fed up with Netanyahus foot-dragging, wasted no time and immediately handed the mandate to the Knesset. Under Israeli law, unless one of the 120 members of the legislature can drum up a majority and form a new government within 21 days, Israelis will head to the polls this summer for the fourth time since April 2019.

So what has been going on in recent weeks in negotiations conducted behind closed doors at the Prime Ministers official residence on Jerusalems Balfour Street and on the two sides Zoom screens?

With every passing day, Gantz and his people have been growing increasingly certain that Netanyahu is simply unable to sign a coalition agreement that would remove him from power in 18 months and hand his chair to Gantz. Looking back, they realize that every time an agreement appeared on the verge of completion, Netanyahu came up with new conditions. That was the case when Gantz and Netanyahu agreed March 20 on a rotation mechanism triggering an automatic job switch between them within 18 months, and on a roadmap to impose Israeli sovereignty over West Bank lands in accordance with President Donald Trumps peace plan. Everything appeared ready, but Netanyahu pressed the pause button.

In the ensuing days, he kept upping the ante, demanding a mechanism to ensure he could serve as deputy prime minister to Gantz after the rotation even if the Supreme Court disqualifies him due to his criminal indictment on corruption charges. Netanyahus fear of such a scenario is not unfounded. The law currently allows an incumbent prime minister to remain in office even under indictment but does not make such concessions for any other member of the government.

Netanyahu would thus be taking a certain risk, but uncertainty is inherent in all political moves and not all outcomes can be foreseen. However, for someone like Netanyahu, given to apocalyptic imaginings and despising uncertainty, this is a fatal combination. Netanyahu is convinced that absent ironclad guarantees, the minute he signs off on the deal with Gantz, he could find himself facing ruin: The Supreme Court would disqualify him and he would spend the rest of his days as a former prime minister on trial for bribery.

Netanyahu appears crippled by his fears. He knows he lacks sufficient Knesset support to form a government without Gantzs Blue and White. He also realizes that his reelection will hardly be assured if a fourth election is held in August while many voters are still in the throes of coronavirus-induced economic woes. Nonetheless, Netanyahu is unable to overcome his personality flaws and make good on his commitment to the public and to Gantz to establish an emergency unity government.

In the latest twist, Netanyahu is now demanding an amendment to the quasi-constitutional Basic Law: The Government, stipulating that the Supreme Court would not have the power to order the resignation of an incumbent government minister unless authorized to do so by law. In other words, Netanyahu is demanding legislation that would tie the hands of the nations top court from ruling against him once he hands the reins to Gantz and is no longer the incumbent.

Gantz, who has repeatedly pledged to defend Israels judiciary and law enforcement authorities against persistent attempts by the political right to erode their power, will be hard-pressed to agree to such a law. Not only that, but his associates are also concerned that even if he gives in, Netanyahu will simply come up with another excuse.

A senior Blue and White source tells Al-Monitor that Gantz is adamant about the Supreme Court issue. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, quoted Gantz as saying, I sacrificed a great deal in order to establish an emergency government because that is what the state needs. I did not do so in order to pass laws against the Supreme Court or to bypass it.

Indeed, Gantz negotiated with Netanyahu in good faith. In order to join a unity government that he believed to be vital to address the coronavirus crisis, Gantz sacrificed his original Blue and White party, which fell apart once he decided to go with Netanyahu, leaving him with only half the Knesset seats he garnered in the March 2 elections. He now finds himself in injury time facing a devious, dishonest and paranoid adversary.

Nonetheless, Gantz has not closed the door yet. If he concludes that Netanyahu misled him, he would still have almost three weeks to join forces with his former Blue and White partners and pass legislation targeting Netanyahu that would ban an indicted politician from forming a government. If that move fails, new elections would be called.

Netanyahu faces a life-changing decision: whether to go for an assured 18-month term or risk it all and head for summer elections  the outcome of which is anybodys guess.

Recent polls are giving Netanyahu hope, but that could all change if hundreds of thousands of Israelis find themselves insolvent due to the COVID-19 fallout and take it out on him at the ballot box. He will also have to explain to voters why he dragged the country to wasteful and irresponsible elections at the height of a health and economic crisis of historic proportions  a near impossible feat even for a public diplomacy virtuoso such as himself.

Netanyahu was forced into negotiations with Gantz under threat. Despite his electoral achievement on March 2 giving his Likud party 36 Knesset seats compared with Blue and Whites 33, he did not have sufficient votes along with his allies to achieve a 61-seat majority and form a government. His rivals, meanwhile, threatened legislation that would ban him  an indicted politician  from serving as prime minister, and they appeared guaranteed of a Knesset majority.

The problem with Netanyahu is that he does not know how to stop, says a former close aide of Netanyahus, speaking on condition of anonymity. This will bring him down. Gantz dismantled Blue and White for the sake of unity and Netanyahu is treating him like a villain, something that even the right does not like, said the aide.

What happens now? Negotiations are expected to continue because neither Netanyahu nor Gantz has sufficient support for a government without the other. Netanyahu will try to tempt Knesset members from the rival camp to cross the lines in order to ensure the endorsement of 61 lawmakers for his next government, but his chances of success are slim. The question is whether Netanyahu can overcome his fears, paranoia and devious nature to join forces with Gantz and avoid a fourth round of elections, or whether he will opt for the unknown. Stay tuned for the answer.
COVID-19 is sweeping the region and filling hospitals with patients, many of whom need critical care. Images of packed intensive care units in Italy and New York City have led to open discussion of doomsday scenarios where hospitals run out of resources, and doctors are forced to make excruciating decisions about which patients get lifesaving treatments  and which do not. Fortunately, while the regions hospitals are being stretched, we are currently nowhere near approaching these doomsday scenarios. Hospital staffs are working under tremendous pressure, but there are still plenty of resources for all that need them.

However, in an abundance of caution, the Pennsylvania Department of Health recently released an emergency plan for just such a scenario and gives guidance to hospitals on how to make these unprecedented and agonizing decisions.

Last week, Disability Rights Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit claiming the plan discriminates against persons with intellectual or physical disabilities. They argue that the plan punishes people with disabilities and values their lives less. This contention is untrue. While the plan does take into account preexisting medical conditions, it does not discriminate against disabled people.

In a crisis situation, doctors would have to decide how to allocate resources when there are not enough for everyone. One approach is to borrow a strategy from the battlefield. Here the goal is to save the most lives possible, and not waste resources on those unlikely to survive. Allocation decisions only consider the severity of immediate injuries and how likely an individual is to survive in the short term. But in this pandemic, people needing critical care are not all previously healthy people wounded on the battlefield. Instead, many patients will have serious preexisting conditions with limited life expectancy well before they became sick with COVID-19.

The goal of the Pennsylvania crisis plan is to maximize not just the health of individuals, but the entire population. David Oxman

Imagine you ran a hospital with one ventilator left and there were two patients who needed it: one is a previously healthy woman with respiratory failure; the second is a slightly younger man who has the same short-term risk of death but also has untreatable cancer and a 12-month life expectancy. Shouldnt the hospital take the mans cancer into account when deciding who should receive the ventilator? Sadly, some disability rights advocates have conflated these considerations of preexisting medical conditions with discrimination.

To understand how misguided this argument is, consider another two people. One suffers from advanced heart failure, and one is physically healthy apart from a spinal cord injury. Both are unable to walk. But should their disabilities be thought of in the same way? The person with heart failure has a severely decreased life expectancy, but the person with the spinal cord injury does not. While both people may be considered disabled by their conditions, it is only the heart failure that would be considered in crisis triage decisions.

Disability advocates also argue the crisis plan discriminates against people with intellectual impairment. This is based on the inclusion of advanced dementia on a list of severe life-limiting co-morbidities to be considered in triage decisions. They suggest this signals that the plan values the lives of those with intellectual impairment less. But advanced dementia is considered in triage decisions because it is associated with medical complications that severely limit life expectancy. It is not a value judgment on the intrinsic worth of a person with dementia. Rather, it is a recognition of the biological reality that people with advanced dementia have a severely reduced life span.

 HELP US REPORT: Are you a health-care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker, or other expert? We want to hear from you.

The goal of the Pennsylvania crisis plan is to maximize not just the health of individuals, but the entire population  or to do the greatest good for the greatest number. It advises the allocation of resources in a way that doesnt just save the greatest number of lives, but saves the greatest number of life-years. To do this, hospitals must consider not only short-term life expectancy but long-term life expectancy as well.

Disability rights advocates are understandably suspicious of the medical establishment. There is, unfortunately, a history of discrimination in organized medicine against people living with disability. But considering preexisting medical conditions in a crisis allocation plan does not equal discrimination. As an intensive care physician in the region, I can attest to the extraordinary measures being taken to increase capacity and ensure these plans never see the light of day. But in the event that they have to, it is critical the public understand them for what they are, and not be misled about what they are not.

David Oxman is an intensive care physician and medical ethicist living and working in Philadelphia.
(Photo : REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration) A 3D printed Facebook logo is placed between small toy people figures in front of a keyboard in this illustration taken April 12, 2020.

Did you just like or comment on a Facebook post about the COVID-19 pandemic? Facebook will let you know "soon" if you've spread false coronavirus information.

The social media giant will be alerting its users who've liked, shared, or commented on malicious COVID-19 information on its platform the next few weeks, the company said.

The Facebook users who've interacted with the said post on its platform will receive messages that will direct them to COVID-19 myths debunked by the World Health Organization.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus isn't a Chinese bioweapon! Here Are The Most Popular Coronavirus Youtube Hoaxes, Rumors, and Lies You Should Ignore

Users to redirect users from official websites for fact-checking

Facebook and other platforms have already taken steps to shrink the wave of dangerous misinformation that has spread in conjunction with the coronavirus.

Facebook has banned bogus ads promising coronavirus treatments or cures. No such factor exists. There is not any vaccine, although there's an international race to develop one.

In a blog post, Facebook now wants to connect users who interacted with fake posts about the virus from authoritative sources in case they see or hear these claims again.

However, Facebook's vice president for integrity Guy Rosen said the social media giant will not tell users what pieces of posts they interacted with or what was incorrect with it.

Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the agency had eliminated hundreds of hundreds of pieces of content associated with the virus that fact-checkers had declared fake. These included myths and hoaxes that said consuming bleach should help save you COVID-19 or that social distancing become ineffective.

"If a piece of content contains harmful misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm, then we'll take it down," Zuckerberg wrote in a post.

Facebook, according to BBC, said it is continuing to expand its multilingual network of fact-checkers issuing grants and partnering with trusted organizations in more than 50 languages.

ALSO READ: COVID-19 vs. Technology: Here's How Silicon Valley Companies Find a Solution for Coronavirus Outbreak

Facebook launches new fact-checking feature

Facebook has also introduced a new feature that consists of fact-checked articles from the company's fact-checking partners that are currently to be had for humans in the United States.

Also, the social media platform launched a few new information about combating misinformation associated with the coronavirus in its blog post. The employer said it displayed warnings on forty million COVID-19-associated posts in March, primarily based on 4,000 articles by means of its fact-checking partners.

"When people saw those warning labels, 95% of the time, they did not go on to view the original content," Rosen wrote.

Social media organizations have struggled to fight incorrect information about the coronavirus ever because the outbreak began. Hoaxes and myths claiming to cure the coronavirus and blaming religious minorities for spreading the ailment have thrived on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for the last few months.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Fake Facts Are Flying Around; Experts Plan To Debunk Them

Earlier this month, WhatsApp, the famous instant messaging app owned via Facebook, announced that it enforced stricter limits on forwarded messages. Such a feature, according to BuzzFeed, is a popular way for coronavirus misinformation to spread among its 2 billion users.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By Lee Min-hyung





MOIN CEO Suh Il-seok
Rachel Sophia Stewart, 28, of South Philadelphia points to her arm with a needle mark after donating her bone marrow for a male cancer victim. Read more

Rachel Sophia Stewart was on vacation in Puerto Rico in early December when her phone began blowing up with a number she didnt recognize.

Why are they calling me so much? she asked her boyfriend, Gaurav Jadhav.

Then came a text that implored her to call back immediately. It was from Be The Match, the National Marrow Donor Program.

I had this feeling in my gut, said Stewart, 28, who lives in South Philadelphia.

Stewart, a documentary film editor who works for History Making Productions, was told she was a potential match as a bone-marrow donor for a 49-year-old man in need of a transplant. She was asked to contact Be The Match immediately upon her return home.

Eighteen months earlier, Stewarts older sister, Kate Stewart Cremer, a mother of three young boys, had signed up online to become a bone-marrow donor. That prompted Stewart to send away for the Be The Match donation kit.

Ive always donated blood," she said. Our high school had a program for it, and Im pretty committed to doing that because here is a huge need.

The kit arrived in the mail with a questionnaire and instructions on how to use the enclosed cotton swabs to collect DNA from inside her mouth. Stewart, who was sure she would never get called, completed the task in about 10 minutes, and used the kits prepaid envelope to mail off the swabs to Be The Match. And then she forgot about it.

Bone marrow transplants are used to help treat patients with cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, and other life-threatening diseases. About 70% of patients do not have a family member who matches.

The Be The Match registry has more than 20 million members and 295,000 umbilical cord blood units that can be used for donations. In 2018, the organization helped with nearly 6,200 blood stem-cell transplants, contributing to about 92,000 overall since 1987. The organization provides support and financial assistance to patients and is conducting more than 200 research studies to improve patient outcomes.

When she got the call to donate, said Stewart, right away it felt overwhelming and a little scary." But her boyfriend, Jadhav, an internal medicine physician, was able to answer her questions and ease her concerns about what the donation procedure would entail.

 READ MORE: Two Penn football players awarded tickets to Super Bowl after donating bone marrow to leukemia patients

Once Stewart was back home, Be The Match assigned her a concierge to help navigate the donation process, which included health screenings and al blood test to confirm that she was, indeed, a good match for her potential recipient. The concierge also had frank discussions with Stewart about how the donation was voluntary and that Stewart could back out at any time, for any reason.

While reviewing the consent form for the procedure, Stewart learned that if she backed out at the last minute, the recipient would likely die: Recipients undergo treatments that destroy cancer cells and unhealthy bone marrow and leaves them vulnerable to life-threatening infections.

Thats a powerful thing to read in a statement, she said.

At first, it didnt hit Stewart that her donation would help save someones life  the potential recipient, unknown to her, was too abstract. But then she thought of her father, a nurse in Reading, and how, years ago, when he was 48, she was just 8. She let herself feel what it would have been like to lose him back then.

I would want someone to do that"  donate marrow  "for my dad, she said.

It wasnt until Feb. 7 that Be The Match contacted Stewart with the results of all the screening tests.

You are weirdly a perfect candidate, she was told. The proof: When the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing is done to match patients with unrelated donors, an 8 out of 10 score is considered good. Stewart was a 10 out of 10 on the genetic match.

Everything for me and that guy lines up, she said. "I dont know who he is, but genetically we are well-attuned.

Their blood types were different, though, so when he received her marrow, his would change to her type: O positive, she learned.

To prepare for the donation, Stewart received five shots of filgrastim, a medication that increases the number of blood-forming cells, over as many days, according to Be The Match. She might experience side effects from the shots, such as some hair loss and bone pain.

There were also more health questions to answer, as well as urine testing and a three-hour physical to undergo.

The first injection occurred March 13 at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America on East Wyoming Street in the Crescentville section of Philadelphia. The last occurred on the actual donation day: March 17, St. Patricks Day.

I treated myself to a cinnamon muffin and then went into work, Stewart said about her first shot.

She soon began to feel the effects as her bones began to overproduce marrow.

By day three, it was really starting to wear me down, Stewart said. Her hips and ribs throbbed. She described it as feeling the way fictional character Harry Potter must have when he had to regrow all the bones in his arm after breaking them in a Quidditch match.

I had to keep telling myself its not worse than what my guy is going through, Stewart said.

Stewart arrived at the hospital for the donation at 7 a.m., accompanied by Jadhav.

Nurses inserted two intravenous lines, one in each arm, and added a blood-pressure cuff to one leg. She was essentially tethered to a bed for the duration of the process and was not able to bend her arms.

The staff made her feel like a star, she said. They checked into wish her well, hand-fed her snacks and apple juice, and even gave her a cake as a thank-you for her donation.

One visitor  a nurse who had received a bone-marrow donation to cure her leukemia  made a special impact.

Here was a real face, this person telling me she is alive because of this type of donation, Stewart said.

Stewarts recovery from the procedure has been uneventful. Since her resistance to infection would be low for a few days, she was told to stay inside after the donation (within days, of course, the whole city was being advised to stay inside, because of the coronavirus).

A year from now, Be The Match will allow Stewart and the recipient to make contact if each agrees to it. But Stewart said she is not expecting anything  not even a thank-you from the recipient. She said she doesnt need it.

I would do it again tomorrow for that guy," she said emphatically, and I dont even know his name.
The UK government on Thursday said that it will be launching a review into the disproportionately greater impact of COVID-19 among black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, including those of Indian origin.

Downing Street said that Public Health England and NHS England will be leading this probe into the factors behind the higher death rates among these communities as well as more severe symptoms of coronavirus.

This is a really important piece of work which I have commissioned. We have seen, both across the population as a whole but in those who work in the NHS, a much higher proportion who've died from minority backgrounds and that really worries me, said UK health secretary Matt Hancock.

"I pay tribute to the work they've done, including those who were born here, moved here, and given that service to the NHS. It's a really important thing that we must try to fully understand," he said.

The Opposition Labour Party, which had joined the medical community's calls for such a review, said it welcomed the initiative into the disturbing impact of COVID-19 on BAME communities but called for more details.

It is not yet clear whether it will be independent, when it will be concluded and who will be leading it, said Marsha de Cordova, Labour's Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary.

She stressed that the government must ensure the review is robust and looks into the underlying structural economic and social inequalities that have affected BAME communities in this crisis.

It must also urgently record data broken down by ethnicity on the number of people who have died as a result of COVID-19. The devastating effect of COVID-19 on BAME communities cannot be overstated. This review must be the first step in ensuring that all communities are equally protected from this virus, she said.

A report by the UK's Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) last week revealed the country's ethnic minority population is more likely to require intensive care admissions, nearly triple the 13 per cent proportion in the UK population as a whole.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the Indian-origin Council Chair of the British Medical Association (BMA), had also called for the authorities to urgently investigate the factors behind the "disproportionate" numbers of BAME doctors among the frontline fatalities from the deadly virus.

We have heard the virus does not discriminate between individuals but there's no doubt there appears to be a manifest disproportionate severity of infection in BAME people and doctors. This has to be addressed the government must act now, he said.

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) had taken steps to conduct its own research into the issue and reached out to the health authorities for more data because Indian-origin doctors, who make up a large chunk of the NHS workforce, are already among the victims of the deadly virus in the UK.

The reasons behind this trend will not be any one thing but a complex set of factors, be it Vitamin D deficiency, the lack of social distancing measures within a large Indian family household set up or a genetic predisposition. We will know only once we have the relevant data to analyse, said Dr Ramesh Mehta, President of BAPIO.

It is important to analyse the factors behind these differentiating factors so that communities can put additional preventive measures in place, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Paris, April 16th, 2020

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's leading high-quality products group, recorded revenue of 10.6 billion Euros for the first quarter of 2020, down 15% compared to the same period in 2019 and down 17% on an organic* basis. LVMH has proven its ability to be resilient in an economic environment disrupted by a serious health crisis that has led to the closure of stores and manufacturing sites in most countries in recent weeks, as well as the suspension of international travel. The Group's priority is to ensure the safety of its employees and customers. The LVMH teams have demonstrated their strong commitment and agility in facing this unprecedented situation, and efforts to adapt to the current environment are actively underway in order to control costs and ensure a more selective investment policy. LVMH has also organized the business to support the collective efforts being undertaken to combat Covid-19. Numerous solidarity initiatives have been rolled out by the Group's Maisons around the world to support health authorities and medical staff.

Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH, said: "In this unprecedented context, I would first like to thank our teams around the world, who have mobilized to help caregivers and participate in the collective effort by making hydroalcoholic gel for hand sanitizers, by facilitating the movement or by producing medical masks or even by sourcing critical equipment for hospitals. The health and safety of our employees and customers must remain our top priority. On a global scale, the Group works closely with the teams of each of our Maisons to provide them with all the resources they need.

Thanks to everyone's commitment and the strength of its brands, the LVMH group maintains good resilience in the face of this worldwide challenge.

For several weeks, our teams have once again demonstrated that excellence, creativity and responsiveness will allow us not only to overcome this crisis but, above all, to emerge even stronger when it fades."

Revenue by business group:

In million euros Q1 2020 Q1 2019



% Change

Q1 2020 /Q1 2019 Reported Organic* Wines & Spirits 1 175 1 349 - 13 % - 14 % Fashion & Leather Goods 4 643 5 111 - 9 % - 10 % Perfumes & Cosmetics 1 382 1 687 - 18 % - 19 % Watches & Jewelry 792 1 046 - 24 % - 26 % Selective Retailing 2 626 3 510 - 25 % - 26 % Other activities and eliminations (22) (165) - - Total LVMH 10 596 12 538 - 15 % - 17 %

*with comparable structure and exchange rates. The currency effect for the Group was +1 % and the structural impact was +1%.





In Wines & Spirits, the positive currency effect and the firm price increase policy partially offset the decline in volumes. Revenue was down 14% on an organic basis in the first quarter of 2020. The US market demonstrated its good resilience over the period, supported by advance orders from distributors. Hennessy cognac slowed down in China given lower demand linked to the epidemic and to the timing of 2020 Chinese New Year.

The Fashion & Leather Goods business group recorded a decline in organic revenue of 10% in the first quarter of 2020 in a market environment defined by store closures in several regions around the world. Online sales saw rapid growth. Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, in particular, continued to show creative momentum, as illustrated by the latest runway shows and continuous enhancements to their iconic products. The other brands continued the efforts to strengthen their resilience. Manufacturing sites of the Group's Maisons are preparing to reopen with maximum safety conditions for employees following the suspension of activity in mid-March.

In Perfumes & Cosmetics, organic revenue decreased 19% in the first quarter of 2020. The major brands demonstrated their resilience as retailers reduced their inventory levels given the current crisis. Online sales grew rapidly.

The Watches & Jewelry business group recorded a 26% drop in organic revenue in the first quarter of 2020. Bvlgari experienced a decline in its activity due to the closure of its stores, in Asia in particular. After a good start to the year, TAG Heuer and Hublot were affected by the reduction of orders by retailers. One of the major innovations of the quarter was the very successful launch of TAG Heuer's new smart watch.

In Selective Retailing, organic revenue was down 26% in the first quarter of 2020. While all the Sephora stores were closed in China for a major part of the quarter, those located in Europe and the United States have been closed since mid-March. Online revenue significantly increased over this period. Shopping in stores has gradually picked up in China since early April. DFS experienced a significant decline in activity in most destinations as a result of the suspension of international travel.

In a very turbulent context, the Group will maintain a strategy focused on preserving the value of its brands, based on the exceptional quality of its products and the responsiveness of its teams. In the current situation, the Group will further strengthen its policy of controlling costs and being selective in its investments. The closures of the Group's manufacturing sites and stores in most of the world's countries in the first half will have an impact on the annual revenue and results. This impact cannot be precisely evaluated at this stage without knowing the timetable for a return to normal business in the different areas where the Group operates. We can only hope that the recovery happens gradually from May or June after a second quarter which will still be very affected by the crisis, in particular in Europe and the US. LVMH relies on the talent and motivation of its teams, the diversification of its businesses and the geographical diversity of its revenue to reinforce, once again in 2020, its global leadership position in high-quality goods.

At a meeting on April 15th, 2020, the LVMH Board of Directors assessed the economic situation resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and, in light of current events and governmental recommendations, decided to propose a 30% reduction in the dividend announced on January 28th for Shareholders' approval at the AGM on June 30th, 2020. The dividend for 2019 will therefore be 4.80 per share and, given the interim dividend paid on December 10th, 2019, the balance of 2.60 per share will be paid on July 9th, 2020.

In addition, the Board was informed of the decision taken by Bernard Arnault, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and by each of the other Executive Board members to give up their remuneration for the months of April and May 2020 as well as all the variable remuneration relating to 2020.

Finally, the Board members of the Company took the decision to reduce their attendance fees by 30% for 2020.

Regulated information linked to this press release and presentation available on www.lvmh.com

LVMH

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton is represented in Wines and Spirits by a portfolio of brands that includes Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Krug, Ruinart, Mercier, Chateau d'Yquem, Domaine du Clos des Lambrays, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Colgin Cellars, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Belvedere, Woodinville, Volcan de Mi Tierra, Chandon, Cloudy Bay, Terrazas de los Andes, Cheval des Andes, Cape Mentelle, Newton, Bodega Numanthia and Ao Yun. Its Fashion and Leather Goods division includes Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior Couture, Celine, Loewe, Kenzo, Givenchy, Pink Shirtmaker, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, Marc Jacobs, Berluti, Nicholas Kirkwood, Loro Piana, RIMOWA, Patou and Fenty. LVMH is present in the Perfumes and Cosmetics sector with Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Parfums Givenchy, Kenzo Parfums, Perfumes Loewe, Benefit Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Acqua di Parma, Fresh, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and Maison Francis Kurkdjian. LVMH's Watches and Jewelry division comprises Bvlgari, TAG Heuer, Chaumet, Dior Watches, Zenith, Fred and Hublot. LVMH is also active in selective retailing as well as in other activities through DFS, Sephora, Le Bon Marche, La Samaritaine, Groupe Les Echos, Cova, Le Jardin d'Acclimatation, Royal Van Lent, Belmond and Cheval Blanc hotels.

"This document may contain certain forward looking statements which are based on estimations and forecasts. By their nature, these forward looking statements are subject to important risks and uncertainties and factors beyond our control or ability to predict, in particular those described in LVMH's Reference Document which is available on the website). These forward looking statements should not be considered as a guarantee of future performance, the actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by them. The forward looking statements only reflect LVMH's views as of the date of this document, and LVMH does not undertake to revise or update these forward looking statements. The forward looking statements should be used with caution and circumspection and in no event can LVMH and its Management be held responsible for any investment or other decision based upon such statements. The information in this document does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation to buy shares in LVMH or an invitation or inducement to engage in any other investment activities."

LVMH CONTACTS

Analysts and investors

Chris Hollis

LVMH

+ 33 1 44 13 21 22 Media

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LVMH

+ 33 1 44 13 26 20



MEDIA CONTACTS France

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+ 33 1 44 82 47 20 France

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+ 33 1 40 70 11 89 Italy

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+ 39 02 6249991 UK

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+ 44 7921 881 800 US

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Attachment
Public health experts have offered mixed reactions to the government's extension of coronavirus lockdown measures in the UK. (Getty Images)

A health expert has said the UK government's decision to extend coronavirus lockdown measures by at least three weeks is a "crushing disappointment" to many.

On Thursday, officials announced restrictions will be kept in place for at least another three weeks.

First secretary of state Dominic Raab said that social distancing restrictions would be extended as the infection rate had not been brought down as far as it needs to be.

Following a meeting with SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), he said any relaxing of social distancing measures would threaten to bring a second peak of the outbreak to the country.

The government said lifting restrictions early could lead to a second peak in coronavirus cases and deaths. (AP)

The announcement came after new coronavirus deaths rose by 861 in 24 hours on Thursday  bringing the death toll from 12,868 to 13,729, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

However, one public health expert said the affects of the lockdown would have wider negative effects on society beyond the threat of coronavirus infection.

Professor Linda Bauld, chair of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said: The extension of lockdown was expected but this news will come as a crushing disappointment to many.

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Everyone recognises that the absolute priority is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the NHS.

But Bauld said the wider consequences of lockdown are rapidly accumulating - with not all deaths COVID related

In the past week we have seen data from several parts of the UK that shows a rise in all-cause mortality and not all of these deaths are COVID-related, she continued.

There are more seriously ill people dying at home, more calls to 999, and accident and emergency hospital admissions have fallen. Recent surveys show worrying increases in anxiety and depression.

Story continues

Incidents of domestic violence - some of them fatal - have grown. Alcohol and drug services cannot support their clients in the usual way, and although we dont yet know if directly alcohol and drug attributable will rise, this is a real possibility.

A public health expert claims there has been a rise in cases of anxiety and depression, as well as cases of domestic violence relating to quarantine measures imposed by the UK government. (AP)

However, other scientific experts agreed with the governments decision to keep lockdown measures in place.

Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said: Taking the foot off the brake too early will only give the virus an opportunity to begin to spread again, at pace.

Decisions taken by other countries will help inform policy makers in deciding how to lift control measures, but we will also need to see testing conducted much more intensively than it is now, to gain a more accurate picture of how the virus is moving within the population."

Backing up Dr Clarkes comments, Professor Gary McLean from London Metropolitan University said the governments decision to extend measures made complete sense.

He said: They are quite rightly making sure that this outbreak does not expand further by releasing the control measures too soon, considering that the government were so slow in the initial phases of the pandemic to introduce lockdown this shows that they are listening and learning.

To relieve the lockdowns there must be overwhelming evidence of reduced virus transmission in the community. They claim the R value is likely to be below 1 in the community but I would like to see how they have calculated this.

Screen grab of Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty (left) and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by PA Video/PA Images via Getty Images)

The UK control measures should also reflect what has happened in other countries and learn from them. Wuhan, China had lockdown for 11 weeks and had far fewer cases than the UK at the time of lockdown. 

There is strong public support for a lockdown extension, according to a YouGov survey released today.

It shows 67% of people strongly backed extending it, with 24% somewhat supporting it. Just 5% opposed it while 4% said they didnt know.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 20:37:42|Editor: huaxia

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GUANGZHOU, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory specialist, said Thursday that more attention should be paid to asymptomatic coronavirus cases.

Zhong made the comments during a video conference in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou with clinicians from Europe, the United States and Africa.

He said China is currently facing the risk of imported cases from overseas and more attention is paid to asymptomatic cases. Incubation period of these cases are mostly three to seven days, while the longest incubation period might be 14 days.

During the incubation period, they may have no symptoms or have very mild symptoms, and the patients themselves do not know, according to Zhong.

Data show that about 50 percent of asymptomatic cases do not have symptoms of novel coronavirus pneumonia, he said.

Close contacts and individuals returning from communities where an outbreak occurred should be closely monitored to prevent further transmission, Zhong said.
South Carolina continued to clean up Tuesday from the states deadliest tornado outbreak in 36 years.

Nine people were killed as a series of twisters moved from one end of the state to the other Monday morning. Meteorologists have counted at least nine tornadoes and said more are likely to be added as they carefully trace damage paths that in some cases spread across several counties.

Monday was the deadliest day for tornadoes in South Carolina since a March 1984 outbreak brought 12 twisters to the northern part of the state, killing 15 people.

The nine deaths Monday happened from one corner of the state to another.

Security guard Jack Harvill, 77, died when the building he was in outside a plant in Seneca collapsed in the tornado. Only about five people were at the plant. Typically, 200 would be working the night shift, but the coronavirus shut the plant down, Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis said.

Jim Breland, 59, his wife Donna, 56, and their daughter Kayla Breland, 26, died when their house near Estill was destroyed. Alberto Hernandez, 41, and Rene Rodriguez, 25, lived nearby and were roommates and co-workers at a nearby turf company. They were killed when their home was demolished, the Hampton County Coroners Office said.

Ethel Griffin, 46, died when a tree fell on her in a bedroom in her Colleton County home, the coroners office said. Griffins 1-year-old grandchild was with her and it took 20 minutes for firefighters to untangle the child from the tree limbs and parts of the homes ceiling, authorities said.

Doris Chavis, 68, and her husband, Gerald, 63, died when their home in Neeses was lifted and tossed onto a nearby highway, Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall said.

Mondays three strongest tornadoes reported so far were rated at EF-3 on a scale of zero to five. Those storms have estimated winds from 140 mph to 165 mph (225 kph to 265 kph).

One went through Barnwell, Orangeburg and Calhoun counties for 32 miles (51 kilometers), killing the couple in Neeses. A second went 17 miles (27 kilometers) through Oconee and Pickens counties, killing the security guard in Seneca. The third is still being studied, but was in Barnwell and Aiken counties.

The National Weather Service in Charleston is analyzing the storm that killed six people in Hampton and Colleton counties and caused major damage over 80 miles (129 kilometers) from Estill to Moncks Coroner. They are trying to determine if it was one more more tornadoes and how strong the twisters were.

Also on Monday, three tornadoes were reported in Georgetown County. One was reported on Edisto Island. Two tornadoes were in Pickens County. They were all weaker storms.

The Appalachian Mountains on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other typically shield South Carolina from the strong tornadoes that can rake the Deep South.

Outbreaks like Monday with long-track, violent tornadoes typically happen less than once a decade, meteorologists said.

Tornado outbreaks from hurricanes are more typical and for many, thats where their minds went when they saw the destruction Monday.

Hampton County Sheriff T.C. Smalls said the trees and power lines down everywhere reminded him of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 for his county some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Hilton Head Island.

Further inland, Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell looked at the damage and thought about Hurricane Hugos march from Charleston through the heart of the state in 1989.

Gov. Henry McMaster toured the damaged areas from the air Monday. He has dealt with hurricanes brushing the state each year since taking office in 2017, but these tornadoes were much more violent.

Ive never seen this kind of devastation heavy from one spot, the governor said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Hurricane South Carolina
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 03:22:32|Editor: Wang Yamei

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Hu Xiaojun (R), general manager of Ningbo A Plus Import and Export Co., Ltd, instructs a worker to produce medical face masks in a factory in Cairo, Egypt, on April 14, 2020. Inside a vast factory in the free industrial zone of Cairo, Egyptian workers are working day and night to run five advanced machines brought from China to produce up to 750,000 medical face masks per day. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

CAIRO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Inside a vast factory in the free industrial zone of the Egyptian capital Cairo, Egyptian workers are working day and night to run five advanced machines brought from China to produce up to 750,000 medical face masks per day.

Inaugurated last week, the joint Egypt-China plant contributes greatly to Egypt's fight against the raging COVID-19 pandemic by easing the shortage of medical face masks.

The venture, formed by Egypt's Euromed for Medical Industries and China's Ningbo A Plus Import and Export Co., Ltd, targets a daily production capacity of 1.5 million high quality surgical face masks when another five machines are brought from China by next month.

"In this fruitful cooperation, we combine our convenient venue, licenses and capabilities with the Chinese technology and very advanced machines to produce a high quality product that would help the world amid the novel coronavirus crisis," Euromed Executive Manager Omar Abdou told Xinhua.

"Our production aims to meet the needs of the Egyptian and Chinese markets and to assist other countries with massive growth of COVID-19 infections," he added.

Euromed has been producing medical supplies including syringes, IV cannulas, burettes, catheters and other medical products since 2004. With the new production lines of face masks, Abdou hopes to compete in the international market even after the COVID-19 crisis is over.

The Egypt-China venture is expected to more than double Egypt's production capacity of disposable face masks.

It will provide the Egyptian government with face masks at a price much lower than those in the global market, so to support its efforts in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, Abdou said.

"Profit is not the main purpose of this joint project, but it seeks to assist Egypt, China and the whole world amid this global crisis," said the Euromed manager.

The five machines have been operating nonstop since the plant was inaugurated last week.

"We target to set up 10 production lines here. Five have already been installed, one is on the way and four others are still waiting for delivery," said Hu Xiaojun, general manager of Ningbo A Plus Import and Export Co., Ltd.

The Chinese company provides funding, production equipment and auxiliary materials such as nose wires and earloops, while the Egyptian side is responsible for providing the production site, purchasing some raw materials and recruiting workers, Hu explained.

The surgical face mask has three layers, including the anti-blood penetration nonwoven fabric, the composite meltblown fabric, and the nonwoven fabric, which can effectively prevent virus and safeguard the health of medical staff in treating coronavirus patients.

"Our masks are produced in accordance with the European Union's standards and have obtained the CE-mark from Germany's Medical Device Safety Service (MDSS) that certifies its compliance with all requirements of the EU market," Hu said, stressing that his company "values the high quality the most."

The Chinese manager expressed the hope that the joint venture would also contribute to COVID-19 prevention and control in Africa and the whole world.

He mentioned that Egypt's strategic location at the junction of Africa, Asia and Europe and its free trade agreements with the African Union and the EU would promote exports of the plant's products in the near future.

The plant adopts a 24/7 work policy, dividing the day into three shifts, with at least 40-50 workers for each in addition to an engineer and a technician.

Bassem Khalafallah, director of Euromed Engineering Department and manager of the face masks plant, said that it was a big challenge to train the engineers and workers to run the plant with the Chinese-made high-tech machines in a very short time.

"A Chinese team should be here to help us run the factory but they couldn't come due to Egypt's suspension of international flights. So, we installed the production lines ourselves, but the Chinese engineers helped us a lot during the process via video calls," Khalafallah told Xinhua.

Ahmed Gamal, a 26-year-old Egyptian worker, said that he has been working for Euromed's syringe factory for three years before he moved last week to the new plant.

"It is a new and exciting experience for me, and it is a plus for my career because the plant uses the latest technology in the medical face masks industry," Gamal told Xinhua.

"I also feel that I'm contributing to helping people fight COVID-19 disease, which is really a good feeling that pushes me to work harder," he said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has demanded that China 'come clean' following reports that coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory, not as a bioweapon, but as part of bungling experiments to prove that Chinese scientists were superior to Americans in identifying emerging virus threats.

It comes after President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab.

After word of the outbreak finally became public, Chinese leaders were quick to blame Wuhan's 'wet market' where wild animals -- though not bats -- are sold for consumption, leading one source to tell Fox News the debacle is the 'costliest government coverup of all time.'

'Patient zero' worked at the Wuhan lab, and spread the virus into the local population after leaving work, sources who had been briefed on intelligence told the outlet.

China has refuted claims that the virus may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.

'What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' Pompeo told Fox News on Wednesday evening. 'We know there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was. There is still lots to learn. The United States government is working diligently to figure it out.'

Asked about the new allegations at a White House press conference on Wednesday, Trump replied cryptically: 'More and more, we're hearing the story.'

Workers are seen next to a cage with mice (right) at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in a file photo. US officials reportedly believe coronavirus first crossed over to humans inside the lab

The Wuhan Institute of Virology is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility

'We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened,' Trump said.

Asked if he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said: 'I don't want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just don't want to discuss, it's inappropriate right now.'

Pompeo said in the interview that 'one of the best ways they [China] could find to cooperate would be to let the world in and to let the world's scientists know exactly how this came to be; exactly how this virus began to spread.'

'[There were] a lot of cases [and] a lot of movement; a lot of travel around the world before the Chinese Communist Party came clean about what really transpired there,' the secretary of state continued. 'These are the kinds of things that open governments [and] democracies don't do. It's why there's such risk associated with the absence of transparency. We need it still today.'

The Wuhan lab is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility, and has long been eyed with suspicion as scientists try to determine how the deadly virus crossed over into humans.

However, suspicion of the lab was quickly dismissed as a 'conspiracy theory' by some who insisted, like the Chinese leadership, that a wild animal market must have been the source.

Although the earliest confirmed case in Wuhan was a person who had no connection to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, Chinese officials quickly pinned the blame on the market, a talking point that was eagerly repeated by the World Health Organization.

'A large proportion of the initial cases in late December 2019 and early January 2020 had a direct link to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan City, where seafood, wild, and farmed animal species were sold,' the WHO website says about the possible origins of the pandemic, while acknowledging the exact source of the outbreak has not been determined.

'Many of the initial patients were either stall owners, market employees, or regular visitors to this market. Environmental samples taken from this market in December 2019 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, further suggesting that the market in Wuhan City was the source of this outbreak or played a role in the initial amplification of the outbreak,' the WHO says.

Though scientists say that genetic evidence indicates the virus was not artificially engineered, likely originated in bats, and probably crossed over to a human in a single event, there is nothing in the genetic data to indicate exactly where and how the virus first crossed to humans.

US diplomats warned of inadequate safety at the Wuhan lab (seen in a file photo), including risky experiments being done to identify coronaviruses in bats

A colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample

In early 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing sent two official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the Wuhan lab, including that it was conducting risky studies on pathogens in the coronavirus family in bats, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The cables warned about safety and management weaknesses at the lab and proposed more international assistance.

The Wuhan lab was originally set up with assistance from the French and American governments, but in recent years the Chinese have rebuffed international assistance there and tried to prove their ability to work independently.

After the coronavirus outbreak began, officials at the lab destroyed samples of the virus, erased early reports, and suppressed academic papers, sources told Fox News.

China is refuting allegations that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.

Officials at the Wuhan lab have previously dismissed any allegation that the virus emerged from the facility, calling them baseless conspiracy theories.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian cited the head of the World Health Organization and other unidentified medical experts as saying there was no evidence that transmission began from the lab and there was 'no scientific basis' for such claims.

'We always believe that this is a scientific issue and requires the professional assessment of scientists and medical experts,' Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday.

'Only with reasonable response can the international community win this fight,' Zhao said. 'China will continue to work together with other countries to help and support each other.'

China has also strongly denied claims it delayed reporting on the virus outbreak in Wuhan late last year and underreported case numbers, worsening the impact on the U.S. and other countries.

On Wednesday, it emerged that top Chinese officials waited six days to warn the public after becoming aware that a viral outbreak was causing a rash of deadly pneumonia cases in Wuhan.

In the meantime, residents in Wuhan hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people, and millions began traveling for Lunar New Year celebrations.

A worker is seen ninside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan. Chinese leaders waited six days after becoming aware of the outbreak in Wuhan to warn the public

Chinese President President Xi Jinping waited six days to warn the public after learning of the deadly outbreak in Wuhan that has gone on to kill 130,000 around the world

President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day after top Communist Party leaders learned of the outbreak, January 20.

In the meantime, the Chinese government arrested or silenced doctors and citizens in Wuhan who tried to speak out about the disturbing new outbreak.

Even the mayor of Wuhan suggested in an interview with Chinese state television that Communist Party leadership prohibited him from warning the public until January 20.

By the time Xi issued the public warning, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence, according to internal documents and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data.

The delay from January 14 to January 20 by the first country to face the new coronavirus came at a critical time - the beginning of the outbreak.

China's delay set the stage for a pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people and taken more than 133,000 lives worldwide.

'This is tremendous,' said Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient. We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhans medical system.'

Experts say that Chinas rigid controls on information, bureaucratic hurdles and a reluctance to send bad news up the chain of command muffled early warnings.

The punishment of eight doctors for 'rumor-mongering,' broadcast on national television on January 2, sent a chill through the citys hospitals.

'Doctors in Wuhan were afraid,' said Dali Yang, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Chicago. 'It was truly intimidation of an entire profession.'

Without these internal reports, it took the first case outside China, in Thailand on January 13, to galvanize leaders in Beijing into recognizing the possible pandemic before them.

It was only then that they launched a nationwide plan to find cases - distributing test kits, easing the criteria for confirming cases and ordering health officials to screen patients.

They also instructed officials in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, to begin temperature checks at transportation hubs and cut down on large public gatherings. And they did it all without telling the public.

The Chinese government has repeatedly denied suppressing information in the early days, saying it immediately reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization.

'Those accusing China of lacking transparency and openness are unfair,' foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday

US general admits 'we can't be certain' whether coronavirus originated at 'poorly run' lab in Wuhan

An Army general has said that the Wuhan lab cannot be ruled out as the source of the outbreak.

'There's a lot of rumor and speculation in a wide variety of media, the blog sites, etc,' Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said when asked if there was any evidence the coronavirus may have been developed in a Chinese laboratory.

'It should be no surprise to you that we've taken a keen interest in that and we've had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that,' he said.

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley addresses a news conference as Defense Secretary Mark Esper listens at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on Thursday

'And I would just say, at this point, it's inconclusive although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural. But we can't be certain.'

Other top experts have insisted that the truth needs to be pursued, wherever it leads.

'I don't think it's a conspiracy theory. I think it's a legitimate question that needs to be investigated and answered,' Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California at Berkeley told the Post.

'To understand exactly how this originated is critical knowledge for preventing this from happening in the future.'

China has not been forthcoming about many aspects of the early outbreak, and Trump recently said the country may not be revealing the whole truth about their rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths.

Trump and other officials have expressed deep skepticism of China's officially declared death toll from the virus of around 3,000 people, when the United States has a death toll of more than 20,000 and rising.

He returned to the subject on Wednesday, saying the United States has more cases 'because we do more reporting.'

'Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China, and that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of deaths; does anybody really believe that?' he said.
Jihadi terrorists killing Christians in Mozambique seek to establish government rule from 'Allah'

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Radical Islamic militants in the majority-Christian country of Mozambique have their eyes set on instituting Sharia law and have killed hundreds and displaced thousands in Southeast Africa.

Over the last two years, over 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes and farms in the northern province of Cabo Delgado due to increased massacres carried by terrorists.

According to the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, hundreds of villages have been burned or are now completely abandoned after jihadists carried out an indiscriminate campaign of terror.

Voice of America News reports that in recent weeks, jihadists seized government buildings, robbed banks, blocked roads and raised their black-and-white flags over towns and villages across the province.

The U.S. news outlet reports that the militants also released a propaganda video after a recent attack in which a jihadi is seen telling fearful residents we want everyone here to apply Islamic law.

In the recently released video, the jihadists dont cover their faces.

"We don't want a government from unbelievers, we want a government from Allah," a militant was quoted as saying in the video in the local Kimwani language.

The video gives the world a glimpse at the militants' identities that have largely remained secretive and hidden. They are believed to be members of a group called Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jammeh. The group is known locally by the name al-Shabaab but is not believed to have any affiliation with the extremist faction active in Somalia and Kenya that goes by the same name.

The hidden enemy has no face, no proposal, no interlocutor with whom one can talk, Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa of the Diocese of Pemba, told Vatican News.

The video appeared to have been filmed in the port town Mocimboa da Praia, where the militants launched an attack in late March. The town is also where the militants staged their first attack in 2017 on police and military bases. The area is rich with gas projects worth billions.

International Christian Concern, an advocacy group based in the U.S., warned that the militants appear to share the goal of full Sharia law to guide the government in the region.

According to the nonprofit, this is the first time the militants in Mozambique are claiming a political agenda.

This would be bad for Christians who would definitely be made lower class citizens and would likely be persecuted for their faith, ICC warned in an April 14 report.

It is not clear whether the militants are working with any other larger terrorist organizations.

However, ICC notes that the Islamic State has recently formed an Islamic State Central African Province that has claimed responsibility for several attacks.

If the Al-Shabaab group has support from a much larger terror network, ICC stresses it could be devastating for the local population.

Affiliated Islamic State groups have wreaked havoc in sub-Saharan Africa, the Sinai, Libya, as well as Iraq and Syria.

Bishop Lisboa said there are young disillusioned residents in the area impacted by poverty who are being led to join violent groups.

Lisboa said that some gangs that operate in the region also have links to Islamic extremist groups. He added that other gangs are said to have connections to mercenaries of the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo.

As a result of the attacks, residents have fled in various directions, including small islands with nowhere to stay and limited access to clean water, according to the ECHO.

The majority of the IDPs have taken refuge with family and friends.

According to Amnesty International, al-Shabaabs takeover of Mocimboa da Praia is the culmination of a tragic failure by the Mozambican government to protect the people in this volatile area.

For almost three years, armed groups have been attacking villagers around Cabo Delgado, causing untold human suffering without being held accountable, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda, said in a statement. These continued attacks are compounded by the fact that the Mozambican government is prohibiting journalists, researchers and foreign observers from accessing the area to assess the situation.
An Upstate New York woman has been arrested for throwing a large party, ignoring state rules against mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

WIVB reports police were called three times to the home of Melinda Dreaver, 29, in response to complaints about noise and multiple cars at her New Albion Road house in the Town of Cattaraugus on Monday, April 13. The Cattaraugus Sheriffs Office says sheriffs warned her about the health risk she was creating with the large gathering, and each time she refused to break it up.

According to the Buffalo News, she was arrested the next day, Tuesday, after a review of the incident by the Sheriffs Office and the Cattaraugus County District Attorneys Office. An investigation determined she violated New York Penal Law and the states Executive Order 202.10 banning mass gatherings.

Its unclear how many people were at the party, but the order says non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason (e.g. parties, celebrations or other social events) are canceled or postponed at this time.

Dreaver has been charged with second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, second-degree criminal nuisance and disorderly conduct. She was released and issued an appearance ticket for New Albion Town Court.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly emphasized social distancing in New York state, telling police to be more aggressive in stopping those who refuse to comply.

I want to be, frankly, more aggressive on the enforcement," he said last week. "The localities have the legal right and responsibility to enforce the law. Just do your job.

Cuomo increased the maximum fine for social distancing violations from $500 to $1,000. All schools and non-essential businesses are closed, and non-essential workers have been ordered to stay at home until at least April 29; exceptions are allowed for buying groceries and medicine, but people must stay at least six feet apart while going out and are advised to wear masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Its not really about the fine. Nobody wants the money, Cuomo said. We want the compliance. We are serious.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

Coronavirus: Drinking alcohol could increase risk of catching COVID-19, WHO says

Coronavirus: NY temporarily suspends use of all its boat launches for recreational use
A team of local lighting and production vendors is about to stage a project that showcases community strength  yet honors social distance rules  during the coronavirus darkness.

Steven Finkle of 402 Event Services and other partners call it the O.NE Unite movement. O.NE stands for Omaha and Nebraska.

The crux of the effort takes place Saturday and seeks participation from the public. It will culminate in a video to be disseminated through social media and other channels.

Heres how the project, modeled after a venture in a neighboring state, will work:

On Saturday, partners including FadeUp Design Group will set up an epic light show at Midtown Crossings Turner Park, Finkle said. That all-day affair, including the moment the park is illuminated, will be captured and released in social media snippets throughout the day.

Meanwhile, on that same day, the team is asking members of the public to record and share their own O.NE Unite message. Those could be, for example, writing the message on chalk in a driveway or on a poster or conveying it via some other creative way.
KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian emergency officials said Tuesday they have extinguished forest fires in the radiation-contaminated area near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but acknowledged that grass was still smoldering in some areas.

Hundreds of firefighters backed by aircraft have been battling several forest fires around Chernobyl for the past 10 days. They contained the initial blazes, but new fires raged closer to the decommissioned plant.

Emergencies Service chief Mykola Chechetkin reported to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that rains helped firefighters put out the flames, but acknowledged that it would take a few more days to extinguish smoldering grass.

Chechetkin said emergency workers have prevented the fire from engulfing radioactive waste depots and other facilities in Chernobyl.

The 2,600-square-kilometer (1,000-square-mile) Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was established after the 1986 disaster at the plant that sent a cloud of radioactive fallout over much of Europe. The zone is largely unpopulated, although about 200 people have remained despite orders to leave.

Ukraines emergencies service said radiation levels in the capital, Kyiv, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the plant, were within norms after the forest fires.

President Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians not to panic.

We all remember the lessons of April 26, 1986, he said in an online statement Tuesday. No one is hiding the truth from you. Right now the truth is that the situation there is under control.

On Monday, activists warned that the blazes were getting dangerously close to waste storage facilities.

Yaroslav Yemelyanenko, a member of the public council under the state agency in charge of the closed zone around the plant, said one fire was raging within 2 kilometers (about 1.2 miles) from one of the radioactive waste depots.

Last week, officials said they tracked down a person suspected of triggering the blaze by setting dry grass on fire in the area. The 27-year-old man said he burned grass for fun and then failed to extinguish the fire when the wind caused it to spread quickly.

On Monday, police said that another local resident burned waste and accidentally set dry grass ablaze, triggering another devastating forest fire. They said he failed to report the fire to the authorities.

Blazes in the area have been a regular occurrence. They often start when residents set dry grass on fire in the early spring  a widespread practice in Ukraine, Russia and some other ex-Soviet nations that often leads to devastating forest fires.

About the photo: A forest fire burning near the village of Volodymyrivka, in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine, Sunday April 5, 2020. Ukrainian firefighters are laboring to put out two forest blazes in the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power station that was evacuated because of radioactive contamination after the 1986 explosion at the plant. (AP Photo/Yaroslav Yemelianenko)
WILMINGTON, Ohio, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation workers express sincere gratitude to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the Department of the Treasury and to Congress for creating a stimulus package for the airline industry.

"We applaud all involved in reaching an agreement with the larger airlines," said Tim Jewell, president of the Airline Professionals Association, Teamsters Local 1224. "This was a great step forward in helping to protect the livelihoods of thousands of airline employees and the industry itself. There is, however, a significant element that needs to be completed. It is vitally important that an agreement is reached and that the stimulus funds be distributed immediately to the smaller regional and charter carriers. Many of these smaller carriers do not have the cash reserves to weather this storm much longer. They are in need of relief right now.

As the aviation industry begins its recovery, small regional and charter airlines will play an essential role. Smaller carriers are the lifeline to the outside world for scores of small to midsize cities around the country. They also perform a vital function for the major carriers by bringing passengers from these same cities to the hubs of the larger airlines.

We respectfully ask Secretary Mnuchin and all those involved with the implementation of the aviation stimulus package to expedite the distribution of stimulus funds to the smaller airlines, before it is too late. We now need to finish the job, thereby protecting this vital segment of the U.S. aviation industry that links much of our country to the aviation network.

The CARES Act provides the opportunity to stabilize airlines  both large and small  within the industry. It will not only provide much needed relief to the industry and individual employers, but also to the employees who rely on them."

The Airline Professionals Association, Teamsters Local 1224 is the certified bargaining unit that represents all flight crewmembers employed by the following airlines: ABX Air, Allegiant Air, Cape Air, Horizon Air Industries, Miami Air International, Omni Air International, Silver Airways and Southern Air.

Contact:

Amanda Bledsoe, (937) 382-0201 Ext. 8790

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamsters Local 1224
The president of the European Commission has offered Italy a heartfelt apology from the EU for not helping out at the start of the coronavirus crisis.

Ursula von der Leyen said it was important to face the truth about everything to beat a pandemic of this size.

She said Europe had to be honest about the numbers, the science, the outlook, but also about our own actions.

It is true that no one was really ready for this, she said in a speech to the European parliament. It is also true that too many were not there in time when Italy needed a helping hand at the very beginning.

And yes, for that, it is right that Europe as a whole offers a heartfelt apology.

Luigi di Maio, Italys foreign minister, said: The EUs apology to Italy is an important gesture of the truth.

Italy was the first EU country to go into lockdown on 10 March in a bid to tackle its escalating number of coronavirus cases.

More than 21,600 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Italy as of Thursday  the highest death toll for any European country to date.

Ms von der Leyen added: The truth is too, that it did not take long that everyone realised that we we must protect each other to protect ourselves.

She praised instances of solidarity, including medical supplies being sent across EU countries and patients being transferred across European borders.

Germany has taken in coronavirus patients from France and Italy for treatment during the pandemic to ease pressure on hospitals, while the EU has also launched a joint scheme to buy protective equipment.

Europe has now become the worlds beating heart of solidarity, Ms von der Leyen said.

Italy has been one of the worlds worst-hit countries by Covid-19 and has been in lockdown for over a month over the virus, with people only allowed outside if it is essential.

All non-essential businesses have been closed and public gatherings banned as authorities work to limit the spread of the disease.

The government has promised 400m (348m) in aid  including the handing out of food coupons  to help the poorest in the country deal with the financial blow of coronavirus and the nationwide quarantine.

More than 165,000 people have been infected in the country to date, while around 38,000 people have recovered from the virus, according to official figures.
PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-16 10:38:04



Hamilton, Bermuda, April 16, 2020



Dear Shareholders,





Nordic American Tankers Ltd finalized its recapitalization program over a year ago, by concluding a $306 million Senior Secured Credit Agreement on February 12, 2019 with Beal Bank of Dallas, Texas, the only mortgage lender to NAT.

The Marine Money Magazine is hosting the single most important annual ship financing event, Marine Money Week in New York. The Magazine has now awarded the NAT financing transaction the Editors Choice, Deal of The Year for 2019.

We at NAT do things differently and we are indeed encouraged by such an Award.





Best regards,

Herbjrn Hansson

Chairman & CEO

Nordic American Tankers Ltd. www.nat.bm





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Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, will, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPECs petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K.

Contacts:

Gary J. Wolfe

Seward & Kissel LLP

New York, USA

Tel: +1 212 574 1223

Bjrn Giver, CFO

Nordic American Tankers Limited

Tel: +1 888 755 8391 or +47 91 35 00 91

Herbjrn Hansson, Chairman & CEO

Nordic American Tankers Limited

Tel: +1 866 805 9504 or +47 90 14 62 91




Stewart Stevenson: We are almost certainly in the early days of a new democracy

A wee bit under six miles walking for yesterday's exercise. Had to fit it in between a couple on online conferences. As people are getting the hang of this, the diary is filling up with work for and with constituents.

But the highlight was the walk. Despite the phone ringing several times. Have I said I hate phones? A highlight because it was a warm wind and a "big sky" day.

We started with absolutely clear blue above us, and around us. As the day wore on, a beautiful set of alto-cirrus clouds painted beautiful patterns on the sky. It just somehow makes one want to swivel one's head around to take in the scale of the patchwork of textures above.

And at a pragmatic level, those high altitude clouds were a blanket to keep the day's heat from escaping. Creating the conditions for a warm start today.

My deadline for this diary this morning has to be 0900 not my usual 1000. That's because I shall be playing my part in a discussion led by some of my fellow Fellows of the RSA who are based in Australia. My 0900 will be their 1800.

The subject is very relevant to our present circumstances, "Fighting the social recession: inclusion and social distancing". All being well, my feedback to my antipodean colleagues, and by exchange, their description of the challenges and responses they are experiencing will help us both.

Like many of us, I have close family members who are significantly affected by this virus. Two have non-trivially impaired immune systems which mean they cannot leave home for 12 weeks. In both cases, good neighbours are already helping with important matters like shopping.

A younger family member returned from work a couple of weeks ago with symptoms uncomfortably like COVID-19. Because they work in a front-line public service, they were tested, fortunately showing that they were not infected. They are now back, fit and well, and bug-free, doing a job that no one would dispute is vital.

Despite my antipathy to the phone I made the call to my siblings and had feedback from Scotland, England, Denmark and Sweden, where their offspring and their families live. Each country has taken a different path through this worldwide infection.

It's quite clear that it will be years before scientists will have looked at all the experience gained from the different approaches taken in different places and drawn serious conclusions. Debate continues about the SARS epidemic which occurred over a decade ago.

Meantime our Parliament will have another leaders' questions today which will mirror most of our normal First Minister's Questions. And tomorrow at 1430 we shall have four Cabinet Secretaries answering questions from backbenchers - including me. That's subject to my passing the technology test that will verify that my home computer works appropriately for the system Holyrood's boffins will be operating to make it all happen.

It's been all very well having teleconferences in private spaces, and I have participated in quite a few now, and have three more later this week. But when it's going to be broadcast to a substantially wider audience, and perhaps be carried on TV news bulletins, it has to work perfectly. With the experience of one public sector online session I tried to join this week having to be abandoned due to problems with the organiser's technical setup, I can see the need for checking, checking again.

We are almost certainly in the early days of a new democracy. And technology will be an important part of it. For those of us with long journeys from home to Parliament, for me five or six hours on public transport, virtual meetings are potentially attractive.

For colleagues at Westminster, the challenge is very much greater. There we have an institution which cannot even provide a seat for every member in its debating chamber. Which takes twenty minutes for a member's vote, while we take as little as 30 seconds. From an O&M (operations and methods) standpoint, probably the least efficient Parliament in the world.

So, somewhat perversely, Westminster has the greatest opportunity for reform in the world. And there are encouraging signs that more and more of its members want it.

But the real challenge is that which faces business. How much of their new, hastily put together, business models will be fit for purpose in the post COVID-19 world?

I know from contacts that my staff and I are having with north-east businesses, that the temporary support being provided from government is very welcome. But, if I can, I may use my opportunity for a question tomorrow to ask about how we are helping business prepare for the "day after tomorrow".

In Denmark, my schoolmaster nephew is busy preparing for the return of pupils to the junior part of his large school. And thinking about teaching methods that are more resilient against future health shocks.

In engineering, it is said that every new solution brings new problems. For my part I am much fitter from the daily walk. And probably mentally fitter from having the time to think, which working physically close to colleagues can make difficult, the many "Have you got a moment?" interruptions - answer, "Yes", (Thinks; "No. You've got it now").

But the new work pattern also means longer periods sitting without interruptions. And I sense the return, just nibbling at the edges of perception, a twinge or two in my back.

Every new solution brings new problems.

Stewart Stevenson is SNP MSP for Banff and Buchan. He is writing a blog during lockdown
Pavlous activities helped him get elected to the universitys governing senate, giving him an official platform to increase his critiques of what he said were restrictions on free speech out of deference to the communist nation, which is the source of 11,624 students to the university over the past five years.
E scapism is something we are in dire need of right now which is why virtual travel is booming.

Now, virtual travel experts Virtually Visiting have created the worlds first four-day virtual holiday through Arctic Sweden.

Starting this Saturday, April 18, each day of the trip sees new experiences released which will take guests on a wintery tour of Swedish Lapland - and the holiday is free of charge.

Jonny Cooper, founder of Virtually Visiting, says: We wanted to put you right in the action, allowing you to experience tours as though you were there. This is about keeping the travel experience real; we meet some of the best local guides who walk us through local life to give guests the real-life experience  from their own homes.

The first day will see guests arrive 144km north of the Arctic Circle to the famous ICEHOTEL in Kiruna, and take a tour before it begins to melt away as spring sets in. Here, ICEHOTEL guide Matilda will give guests a personal tour around the hotel and into four of the intricately carved ice rooms.

On Sunday, April 19, guests will head south to Lassbyn to meet local guide and founder of the Aurora Safari Camp, Fredrik Broman who will take guests on a snowmobile adventure through the Swedish wilderness.

Monday, April 20, guests will meet the founder of the luxury Treehotel, Kent Lindvall who will take you on a tour of seven tree-top hotel rooms. And the final day, Tuesday April 21, guests will join Erik Hordijk from Yellow Snow Husky Tours in Kroktask to learn about huskies and set off on a dog sled adventure.
The new program offers the graduates of our M.A. program in Counseling Psychology the opportunity of a fast track to the doctoral degree by allowing the transfer of nearly a year of credits from their M.A. " - Joseph Cambray, Ph.D., President of Pacifica

Pacifica Graduate Institute is an accredited graduate school offering Masters and doctoral degree programs framed in the traditions of depth psychology. Founded in 1976, with a mission to tend the soul in and of the world, the Institute has over 4,000 graduates worldwide and offers eight distinct programs to serve the needs of our students, including Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Depth Psychology with Specializations in: Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies; Integrative Therapy and Healing Practices; Jungian and Archetypal Studies; and separate programs in Engaged Humanities, as well as Mythological Studies. Pacifica has established an educational environment that nourishes respect for cultural diversity and individual differences, and an academic community that fosters a spirit of free and open inquiry. Students have access to rare and significant collections in the fields of mythology, archetypal psychology, and world cultures, including the private collection of Joseph Campbell, at the OPUS Archives. Pacificas two campuses are located between the coastal foothills and the Pacific Ocean, a few miles south of Santa Barbara, California.

In an increasingly complex world, the scholarship and service of Pacificas faculty, staff, alumni, and students offer a soul-centered intelligence integral to what is being asked of us now. A natural progression of our mission is the introduction of a new degree program, to be offered starting Fall 2020: The Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology. The program offers a uniquely immersive, experiential, and relationally designed doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology that will prepare graduates for licensure as licensed psychologists. This exciting new program is deeply informed by principles of psychodynamic psychology, and it emphasizes a psychotherapy practice that appreciates the importance of the unconscious life in the individual and in communities. Following a practitioner-scholar model, the Psy.D. Program in Counseling Psychology represents Pacificas commitment to grounding the principles of depth psychology in clinical practice within community settings. Its graduates will be prepared to function as licensed psychologists in a variety of applied settings, including private practice, community mental health, substance abuse, and dual diagnosis settings, hospital and inpatient settings, the nonprofit and private sectors, and many other professional contexts.

Matthew Bennett, Psy.D., a longtime core faculty member of Pacifica Graduate Institute, and Chair of the M.A. Program in Counseling Psychology, will serve as the Chair of the new Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology Program. Bringing together the longstanding traditions and culture of Pacificas M.A. program in Counseling Psychology, the Psy.D. will join the M.A. to form a contiguous Department of Counseling Psychology. Matthew Bennett is a licensed clinical psychologist, lecturer, and administrator with experience in public sector mental health and substance abuse treatment. He was formerly founder and first Director of Training for the Ventura County Behavioral Health Pre-Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology and Chair-Elect of the Psychology Department at Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura, California. His research interests include personality disorders, comparative personality theory, and Internet applications for mental health. Dr. Bennett is also a returned Peace Corps volunteer (Poland III, 19911993).

It is Dr. Bennetts view that Its a rare opportunity to get doctoral-level training in applied professional psychology thats informed by psychodynamic depth-psychological principles. I would say that psychodynamic perspectives have become scarce in higher education, and this program uniquely combines an applied clinical focus to valuable perspectives that reflect the role of the unconscious and imaginal to our individual and collective psychological lives. The new Psy.D. reflects the momentum of a long-established and highly successful M.A. program that has a proven history of providing both sophisticated clinical training that allows graduates to hit the ground running in a variety of applied clinical settings, while also training our students to be able to tolerate strong emotional experiences and to develop and elaborate capacities for interpersonal attunement.

Joseph Cambray, Ph.D., President of Pacifica, adds, The new program offers the graduates of our M.A. program in Counseling Psychology the opportunity of a fast track to the doctoral degree by allowing the transfer of nearly a year of credits from their M.A. This would reduce their doctoral work by a year and correspondingly reduce their costs by the same amount. There are a significant number of alumni who can pursue this doctorate by applying their previous classwork to this end. This will in turn allow them to broaden the range of what they can do as clinical practitioners, i.e., the ability to function at a doctoral level as a psychologist. Weve also been privileged to offer Coverdell Fellowships for this program. These fellowships are for returning Peace Corps volunteers, who can apply to this program and if successful, receive three years of partial tuition waivers.

The Psy.D. is designed to be completed in four years total: three years of curriculum plus one year of pre-doctoral internship and dissertation completion. The Psy.D. will require students to complete 1,000 hours of practicum during Years Two and Three of the program, followed by 1,500 hours of internship in Year Four of the program. The Psy.D. program will hold classes on a quarter system, with three sessions per quarter comprising three-day sessions (Friday morning through Sunday afternoon) approximately once each month during Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters, with a seven-day Summer session, over a period of three years. The fourth year does not include attendance of classes on campus, although students typically continue to work on their dissertations during this time.

The new Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology Program is currently enrolling for Fall 2020.


Sydney Airport will temporarily shut its east-west runway and use it to store aircraft, as grounded jets bank up around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The airport closing the shortest of its three runways will make room for around 50 aircraft, doubling its currently fully utilised parking capacity.

Aircraft have been banking up at Sydney Airport. Credit:James Brickwood

The federal government had to approve the temporary closure of the runway, which is used for around 10 per cent of take-off and landings at the airport, primarily during bad weather and to spread aircraft noise around different parts of Sydney.

Federal transport minister and deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said all areas close to the airport and under flight paths were experiencing historically low levels of noise due to the significant reduction in aircraft movements.
April 22 will mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a time to appreciate the life that our planet provides us and to reflect on the way we treat our home. As we persevere through the current global health crisis, let us use this time to get back to basics. What do we really need to thrive on Earth? Food, shelter and water.

Pre-pandemic, April was to be a full month of waterway and partner events, opportunities to get together and improve our waterway environments in celebration of Earth Month. In-person events are no longer possible, but many of our partners are practicing social distancing and turning to virtual gatherings and events to reinforce the special connection between humans and the planet that sustains us. Water, particularly, underlies every single process on Earth. It is a crucial part of any sustainable future for ourselves and our precious home.

Water is Everything*

Everything from growing to processing and preparing food requires water. Day-to-day tasks like washing dishes and laundry, bathing and flushing our toilets requires water. We even use water to maintain our yards. Average daily indoor water use in the U.S. is around 60 gallons per person per day. Outdoor water use can be up to 60% of total household water usage as residents water lawns and wash cars. The water footprint of one hamburger is about 660 gallons and a cup of coffee 34 gallons. Energy production alone accounts for about 133 billion gallons of water per day.

During the past two months, we have been reminded about just how critical it is to have access to clean water. Not just for drinking (though water fulfills the ultimate human need for hydration and nourishment). But we have never been reminded more about just how key hand washing with water is to reducing risks of illness. We have all had a re-education of how to wash our hands and been told that while hand sanitizers offer some cleansing properties, it is that 20-second time period when we are actually washing with soap and water that we significantly reduce the spread of germs and viruses. Whether you sing Happy Birthday or Row, row, row your boat, handwashing has become the number one mantra of this virus and creates a renewed sense of why water is so important. It also shows that access to clean water is a basic need for our neighborhoods, with local charities and utility companies working to ensure no one goes without water during this challenging time.

Celebrating Earth Day this year gives us a particularly meaningful opportunity to acknowledge that life-giving, life-saving water, and the waterways from which it comes. Were reminded that the very water we drink that comes from our faucets is impacted by those things that we do in our homes, yards, work and congregations that can either help clean it up and conserve it or contribute to pollution and waste it. Our waterways and the care we give them are critical to the health and wellbeing of our friends, families and neighbors.

If you or your neighbors need assistance in securing basic needs during the time of shelter-in-place, like access to water, contact local organizations such as:

 Citizens Energy Group (CEG), our local water and sewer utility, is suspending disconnections due to non-payment, and reconnecting those who have been disconnected. Contact CEG at 317-924-3311 or online.

 United Way of Central Indiana, working with Lilly Endowment, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and others, has set up an emergency fund to help community members with basic needs of utilities, food, rent and more. Learn more about the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund at 211 or online.

Practicing Solidarity and Gratitude

As we stay home and practice social distancing to maintain healthy communities, Earth may be taking some respite from the disruptions our regular human activities cause. If your basic needs are met, this could be a time to spend connecting to nature, finding activities on your own or with family. Heres a few ideas:

 Discover the hidden worlds in your own backyard with the kids as part of their learning day and contribute to urban biodiversity data through iNaturalist.

 Seek out open, sparsely populated outdoor spaces near our waterways to explore like the bird sanctuary in Spades Park along Pogues Run.

 Pause to take a deep breath and appreciate a quiet spot along Pleasant Run at Barth Avenue or Spruce Bridge.

 Pick up a good book and sit along the Central Canal.

 Take your pup for a walk on the Urban Wilderness Trail along the White River.

 Grab a trash bag and plog (jog and pick up trash) along Fall Creek.

During these trying times, nature can help heal our bodies and our souls. Our waterways can be a source for making the days pass more easily, connecting to our natural world, as well as a means for getting out and staying active and healthy. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Reconnecting to Our Waterways encourages everyone to take this opportunity to lift up your spirits by recharging and enjoying the beauty and wonder of our natural waterway spaces.

Stay in the know with ROW by contacting info@ourwaterways.org or joining us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
A Richmond lab is making COVID-19 antibody tests available to anyone willing to pay $125 and travel to the East Bay city to see if they have been infected with the coronavirus.

The test by ARCpoint Labs offers the promise of putting peoples minds at ease, but the lab told NBC Bay Area that it is only 87% accurate. It also is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

In the test, a patients finger is pricked to provide a blood sample, which is then analyzed for the presence of antibodies. Results are available within 10 minutes.

ARCpoint Labs test measures two prominent antibodies, IgG and IgM, and is the same brand that was used in South Korea, according to the companys Scottsdale, Ariz., location.

The one we use has a pretty high sensitivity accuracy rate, so the IgM is over 97% and IgG is over 99%, Tim Terrill, manager at ARCpoint Labs of Scottsdale, told Fox News Phoenix.

Antibodies are proteins that the body produces at various stages of an infection. They can remain for months or even years.

But scientists do not know yet if you gain immunity from COVID-19 after contracting the virus and recovering from it. Its conceivable that one could gain temporary immunity during one outbreak but still be vulnerable during a re-emergence of the virus.

Another danger is the unlikely but possible chance of a false positive, showing someone had had the virus but recovered, which might induce that person to relax physical distancing.

Charles Veley, who posted on Facebook Wednesday that he took the test after feeling ill following trips to eastern China and Milan, said his results were negative (no antibodies). He had hoped to be found positive, with antibodies post-recovery, but he was grateful to be healthy and to understand clearly the need for further social distancing.

There are currently three coronavirus antibody tests that have FDA emergency-use authorizations. The tests by Chembio Diagnostic Systems and Ortho Clinical Diagnost were approved Wednesday, joining another test, authorized earlier this month from the company Cellex, CNN reported.

Companies like ARCpoint Labs can make their tests available as part of an FDA process permitting the production and marketing of tests without emergency-use authorization.

Health insurance typically does not pay for laboratory tests from private companies outside the insuree's medical plan.

SFGATE reached out to ARCpoint Labs in Richmond for comment, but received no immediate reply.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.



Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate
All officers and staff members of Staff Selection Commission (SSC), that conducts recruitment for a large number of Group B and C posts in central government departments, will contribute one day's salary to PM CARES fund, according to an official communique issued on Thursday.

The decision was taken during a special meeting of the SSC held to review the situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic, it said.

In view of the prevailing lockdown restrictions, including social distancing norms, it was decided that dates for all examinations, where candidates are required to travel from all parts of the country, will be reviewed from time to time, the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

A decision on fresh dates for the remaining days of combined higher secondary (10+2) level examination (tier-I) 2019, junior engineer (paper-I) examination, 2019, stenographer grade C' and D' examination, 2019 and skill test for combined higher secondary level examination, 2018 will be taken after May 3, 2020 following the completion of second phase of the lockdown, it said.

The rescheduled dates of these examinations will be notified on the websites of the commission and its regional/sub-regional offices, the statement said.

Annual calendar of examinations notified by the commission will also be reviewed in respect of the schedules of other examinations, it said.

"Further, it was decided that all officers and staff members of the SSC will contribute one day's salary to the PM's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation Fund (PM CARES Fund)," the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Tethys Petroleum Limited (TSXV: TPL.H) ("Tethys" or the "Company") today provides a corporate update.

Gas sales prepayment

Tethys is pleased to announce that its Kazakhstan subsidiary TethysAralGas LLP ("TAG") has received a prepayment of approximately US$7.6 million from its gas customer. TAG will continue to invoice its gas customer monthly in the normal way and the price of gas sold will be determined each month in accordance with the terms of the existing gas sales contract.

Repayment of Corporate Loan

On January 6, 2020 the Company announced that it had agreed with one of its lenders, Khan Energy (Cayman) SPV Limited, to restructure a loan (the "Khan Energy Loan") with outstanding balance at that date of approximately US$14.1 million. Tethys is pleased to announce that it has now fully repaid the restructured Khan Energy Loan by remitting approximately US$7.7 million.

Completion of Convertible Debenture

On February 8, 2020 the Company announced that it had reached a legally binding settlement agreement with Olisol Petroleum Limited and certain of its affiliated companies and their principals (together "Olisol") and DSFK Special Finance Company LLP ("DSFK") pursuant to which Tethys planned to issue a convertible debenture to Gemini IT Consultants DMCC ("Gemini"). Tethys is pleased to announce that it has completed the issuance of the convertible debenture in the amount of US$4.8 million and received the proceeds.

TSX Venture Exchange Application

Tethys previously announced that it had received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") to graduate from the NEX Board to the TSXV as a Tier 2 Oil & Gas Issuer. Graduation to the TSXV is conditional on completion of the convertible debenture with Gemini and the previously announced shares for debt transaction with Olisol. Now that the convertible debenture has been completed, the Company plans to complete in short order the settlement payment to DSFK and the shares for debt transaction with Olisol and will then request the TSXV to promote Tethys to the TSXV.

Once the shares for debt transaction with Olisol has been completed, Tethys will have reduced its outstanding borrowings from US$40.2 million at December 31, 2019 to US$9.0 million, significantly improving the financial condition of the Company.

Disclaimer

Some of the statements in this document are forward-looking, including statements relating to the graduation to the TSXV, completion of the transactions with Olisol and other conditions of the TSXV. Such statements are not promises or guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those suggested by any such statements, including the risk that the TSXV will not give final approval for Tethys graduation to the TSXV or that Tethys will not be able to complete the transactions with Olisol or meet the TSXV conditions. No part of this announcement constitutes, or shall be taken to constitute, an invitation or inducement to invest in the Company or any other entity and shareholders of the Company are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Save as required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake to update or change any forward-looking statements to reflect events occurring after the date of this announcement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact Information:

Tethys Petroleum

info@tethys-group.com

www.tethys-group.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54514
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The Volta Caucus in Parliament is to provide support to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the Region.



The support had become necessary as the Region recorded cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, April 12, 2020.



Some members of the Caucus led by Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho West Constituency met the Regional Public Health Emergency Committee in Ho, to be briefed on the situation and measures the Committee was taking to limit the spread of the virus.



Mr Rockson Nelson Etse Defeamekpor, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi who briefed the media on behalf of the Caucus after a meeting with the Committee said a collective effort was needed to fight the disease.



He said though they were providing necessary support to their various constituents to fight the pandemic, it was important to provide support to the VRCC in its drive to develop effective measures to contain the COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on the Region.



The MP said the country could contain the pandemic if all the citizenry adhered strictly to the World Health Organization's safety health protocols and observed the Presidents directives.



Mr Defeamekpor urged the citizenry to observe the health safety protocols of washing hands regularly under running water with soap, using sanitizers, cover their nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing, social distancing and avoid social gatherings.



Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister was grateful to the Caucus and said the Committee was putting necessary measures in place to limit the virus and mitigate its impact on the Region.



He said the Committee would be in touch with the leadership of the Caucus for members to know what we are doing, what we need and what support they can give us to limit the spread of the virus."



The Regional Minister said joint security taskforce was formed to ensure that drivers complied with the directive not to overload their cars to avoid the spread of the COVID-19.



He said there were also plans to decongest markets in the Region, and therefore the Committee was looking for places to relocate some traders.



Dr Letsa called for effective collaboration from all, saying the virus does not know political colours, therefore we must put our political affiliations aside and work together to contain the disease."



He said the Region had holding centres at all the health facilities, adding that plans were afoot for the Region to have its own testing centre at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Laboratory.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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House Democrats had one chief goal heading into the 2020 election  expose the starkest gap between their party and the GOP. Now thats been turned on its head.

The global coronavirus pandemic that has completely transformed American public life has also upended the Democrats carefully choreographed legislative agenda. Its forced the majority party to abandon the typical election-year playbook of messaging bills and long recesses that stretch in most of the fall as members hit the campaign trail.

And instead of focusing on whacking President Donald Trump at every turn, Democrats will be staring down a vastly different to-do list in the coming months  much of it requiring a lot less antagonizing of the White House.

Its just changed everything completely on how we approach everything, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said in an interview. The goals are the same but the strategy on how we get there has changed.

Democrats acknowledge the new reality of historic unemployment and fears of spreading the deadly virus makes it far harder to set the tone of a national electoral message from the halls of the Capitol  let alone run their campaigns  ahead of one of the most critical elections for their party in a decade.

There are unanswered questions in both parties about what is appropriate in terms of fundraising and campaigning during the national crisis as Americans are urged to stay home and the country faces an unprecedented economic downturn. In addition, Democrats must strike a delicate balance between drubbing the president and persuading voters to deny him another term and working with Trump to deliver trillions more dollars in desperately needed aid to their hard-hit states and districts.

During the initial days of the coronavirus crisis, Democratic leaders werent as publicly critical of Trump as they worked to push through multiple trillion-dollar rescue bills in March. But that tone has shifted in recent days, as negotiations on additional funding have stalled and Trump talks of reopening the country as soon as May 1 against the advice of health experts.

Story continues

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a scathing letter Tuesday criticizing Trump for his administrations early missteps that many experts say have exacerbated the impact of the pandemic in the U.S. And she issued another harsh statement Wednesday about Trumps catastrophic failure to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands after reports that stimulus checks to tens of millions of Americans were delayed in order to have his name printed on them.

Trump and Pelosi havent spoken in months, with Democrats mainly negotiating the emergency relief packages with the administration through Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. But the countrys two most powerful leaders must maintain some kind of working relationship in order to continue addressing the coronavirus crisis, even in the heated weeks leading up to the election.

Rank-and-file lawmakers say theyre trying to quickly hit the reset button on their strategy. Several Democrats say theyre looking at issues that were once at the heart of the caucus mission, like immigration, climate change and rooting out corruption, and tweaking them to reflect the current crisis  with an added focus on health care and the economy.

Cuellar, for example, whose district sits on the border with Mexico, introduced a bill that would halt border construction to help protect workers during the pandemic  which he said allowed him to highlight aspects of Trumps failed policy in a tone that fit the moment.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 5, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

We have those other issues that might have been No. 1 for some of us, but the health issue has been elevated to No. 1, Cuellar said. Weve still got to bring up those issues that are still important to the district.

Many Democrats say the pandemic will only boost support for priorities like universal health coverage after dramatizing some of the nations ugliest health and income disparities. And they say it could translate to other progressive issues, as well.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) added that the all-hands-on-deck national response to the pandemic amounted to a dress rehearsal for addressing the catastrophic impacts of climate change.

That's what this election is going to be about, can the government be an instrument in the common good? Raskin said in an interview.

Some issues Democrats have been talking about for years in their much-touted For the People agenda have resurfaced in a new and pressing way: infrastructure, election security and even broadband internet.

Yet Republicans also pushed back against Pelosi in March when she insisted on a broad set of goals in the most recent coronavirus relief package, including broadband and infrastructure.

Specific bills, when we are not in session, may be treated differently, House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said in an interview Wednesday, dismissing concerns that the pandemic might distract from other priorities they planned to address in 2020.

But all of those issues, immigration policy, climate change, are so interwoven into what were seeing and how were going to handle the public health crisis and how we handle the recovery, Clark said. All of these issues have had their urgency reconfirmed.

Top Democrats were just beginning to sketch out an agenda for the second year of their majority, after impeaching the president in December, when the outbreak struck. Clark and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), swiftly postponed their annual policy retreat, scheduled for early April.

Even before the virus fully took hold, Democratic leaders signaled a turn away from politics as usual  sensitive to the mounting uncertainty and rising caseloads in the U.S. In March, Democrats pulled a bill that would have repealed Trumps travel ban on Muslim-majority countries, which had long been a priority of progressives.

But its not just a shift in message. The pandemic has also radically altered Congresss calendar, scattering lawmakers across the country for half of March and all of April  and possibly beyond.

That abrupt schedule change will likely require House leaders to keep members in for longer periods later in the year, cutting into recess periods  which can be two full months or more in election years  and hindering campaigning.

Our return will be dictated by the facts on the ground, of course, and once were back the schedule will likely change to accommodate the work we have to get done, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Wednesday.

Congress has already passed its biggest economic rescue bills in history, doling out trillions of dollars to prop up an unsteady economy and shore up fragile health care systems.

But lawmakers say much more is needed and will add to the Houses already strained summer load of appropriations and defense policy bills.

Already, that work is likely to be delayed. Hoyer said he was still confident the House could complete its annual spending bills by June  but only if lawmakers deem its safe for them to return to the Capitol sometime next month, which still isnt clear.

The No. 2 Democrat said it should be relatively easy for the two parties to reach a deal on spending because they have already agreed on top-line numbers. But, Hoyer conceded, the dozen bills that cover federal spending would not pass the House via a simple voice vote if lawmakers are still homebound.

We wont pass appropriation bills by unanimous consent I'm sure, Hoyer said.

The mammoth Pentagon policy bill, typically completed over the summer, is also expected to slip past October. That could require lawmakers  including vulnerable freshmen  to be stuck in markups just weeks ahead of the campaign.

Theres other evidence of how Congress legislative work has been hindered as it confronts the pandemic. Key federal surveillance provisions, for example, lapsed with both parties deadlocked over how to reauthorize them.

Some oversight duties related to the Trump administration  like claims that his personal businesses have profited from foreign governments' spending  may also fall to the back burner, as Democrats take on a massive watchdog role in monitoring over $2 trillion in coronavirus funds.

But Clark stressed that Democrats would maintain their accountability work, though she wouldnt say exactly how much would focus on the president's actions before the coronavirus struck.

There is always a place for our constitutional responsibility for oversight, Clark said, noting the frightening and dangerous pattern of Trump removing his administration's own internal watchdogs. In this pandemic, our oversight role that is required of us by the Constitution is a critical piece.


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If this were a typical, pre-pandemic week, Jerry Saltz would be busy attending somewhere between 30 and 40 gallery and museum shows across New York City. As the art critic for New York magazine, his life from morning to night usually revolves around the consumption of extraordinary quantities of artwork. But like the rest of us, Saltzwhose new book, How to Be an Artist, hit the New York Times bestseller list at around the same time that COVID-19 hit New York Cityhas had to change his routine, confining himself to the country house he shares with wife Roberta Smith, the co-chief art critic for the New York Times, in a groomed poodle of a town in northwest Connecticut. Hes spending this time thinking about Bruegel paintings, gazing at cows out his bedroom window, enjoying videoconferences with his New York magazine colleagues, and contemplating the post-COVID-19 future of the art world. Art is helping everyone get through this, and through everything, he told Slate in a phone interview.

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Saltzs unpretentious and irreverent writing style has earned him a reputation as an everyman of art criticism, writing for the common reader, not an elite audience. He never went to college, refers to himself frequently in conversation as a failure, and resents opaque academic jargon. All of the bullshit gobbledygook that you read in fancy art magazines that have sentences like the late commodified object of post-marxist capitalist simulacra finds itself in a dialectic looking for a dichotomy to interrogate the other  is all designed to make normal people feel stupid and left out, to make it seem like art is this great, intimidating, impossible thing, he said.

His new book is just the opposite. The slim, brightly colored volume features dozens of rules for living a fulfilling creative life, ranging from have courage to start working first thing in the morning. Written in bite-size chapters, How to Be an Artist offers practical inspiration, motivational tips, prompts, exercises, and anecdotes designed to help demystify the art-making process and encourage people to overcome their fears. Its heartening, feel-good thesis is simple: Make art. Do it now. Are you intimidated? Do it anyway! While others have written about the fear of failure that lies at the heart of any creative pursuitElizabeth Gilbert and Ann Patchett come to mindfew have offered such concrete advice for overcoming it.

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The idea for How to Be an Artist grew out of a much-lauded essay Saltz wrote for New York magazine in 2017 titled My Life as a Failed Artist, which details the years Saltz spent in Chicago and New York in the 1970s trying to make it as a visual artist. He enjoyed some early success and even founded his own artist-run gallery, but after suffering a crisis of confidence and what he describes as a one-year walking nervous breakdown, Saltz left the city and became a long-distance truck driver. For years, consumed by resentment toward the art world he felt had rejected him, he crisscrossed the country at the helm of a 10-wheeler. (His CB radio handle was The Jewish Cowboy.) Saltz describes these years as some of the loneliest and most difficult of his life. The depression he felt, as well the mounting realization that the only thing worse than living in the art world was not living in the art world, inspired him, eventually, to get back in the saddle.

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After returning to New York, Saltz began writing criticism for the Village Voice, and in 2006, he was hired by Adam Moss as a senior art critic for New York magazine. Saltzs claims to failure have grown tenuous over the past decade as his influence and reputation have grown. In 2003, a collection of his Village Voice columns was published as a book titled Seeing Out Loud. In 2018, he won a Pulitzer for his work; the committee lauding his canny and often daring perspective on visual art in America, encompassing the personal, the political, the pure and the profane. Still, despite his successes, Saltz says the self-doubt always remains. It doesnt matter how successful you are. You never overcome it, he said. I have it today bad. Im on two cups of coffee and I still cant blast quite through.

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Saltz has a rare ability, useful for a critic, to speak declaratively without coming off as pushy or didactic. How to Be an Artist, which is organized as a numbered list of 63 rules, includes edicts like accept that youll likely be poor, be delusional, and once a year, go dancing. He says he wrote the book as a note to my younger self, and every other self that is out there, fighting the same demons I lost to. The overwhelming impression is one of urgent generosity, as though he were your own future self, returned via time machine to tell you that the only regret you will have is not having danced more. Lets be clear. This is not a book about how to be rich and famous and successful as an artist, Saltz says. If anyone writes that book, I would like to read it.

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What it does offer, as Saltz puts it, is a guide for those who wish to live a life in art. Like many of us, Saltz has been comforted in recent weeks by his online community, who do just that. Saltz maintains an engaged and exuberant digital persona, posting photos of gallery shows, political memes, and blurry selfies with Oprah to his more than 1 million followers across platformsthough not all of his missives have been well received. In 2015, he was temporarily suspended from Facebook after followers reported images of artwork containing nude figures, and a few other posts have been criticized as sexist, homophobic, or otherwise offensive, prompting Saltz to apologize but also to push back against the decency police.

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Saltz claims that he has since stopped going quite so rogue on social media, but few critics can be said to engage with the messy cultural compost of the internet as enthusiastically as he does. To give you a taste of his Twitter account, in the past two weeks alone hes posted images of penis-shaped water fountains, an antique photo of a Nazi soldier performing a rectal exam, and a snap of 18 to-go cups of gas station coffee, bought for quarantine, that perplexed many. I couldnt believe the reaction to that photo, Saltz said. I stocked up on coffee at a deli for the quarantine and the entire internet decided that I had to be destroyed. (The explanation turned out to be quite simple: Neither he nor his wife makes coffee at home.)

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Commencing Day 16 Of Sheltering-in-Place. Coffee-run to gas-station complete. Eighteen large to-go. Put in car, drive them home, deloused, decontaminated, showered, and placed in fridge for use.

Stay safe out there, outlaws and creative-gypsies. pic.twitter.com/7M6RSVe56L  Jerry Saltz (@jerrysaltz) April 3, 2020

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But for all his shenanigans, Saltz is not a troll. He isnt mocking or derisive (except, perhaps, in tweets about the president of the United States, whom he refers to exclusively as Lumpy). He spends the majority of his time online promoting artists whose work he admires. If you do one good thing, I will follow you for a long, long time, he said. Maybe 10 or 15 years. And If you make two good things, he added, blowing out a stream of air from between his lips, Boom! Ill chisel your name into the face of my temple. Theres a reason Saltz has built this community largely on social media. I find it astonishing how many people have great ideas, he said earnestly. Next time you go to a museum, turn to your left and ask the person standing there what they think of a particular painting. I promise, itll blow your mind. I get to have that feeling all day every day online.

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Despite our new means of connection, Saltz is aware of the existential threat the pandemic poses to the art world, though he takes a long-term view. Viruses come and viruses go, but art will survive, he says. Art has been with us since the caves. It is in every bone in our bodies. He has tried to remain optimistic that the art world could, and would, survive anything. But recently, that optimism has faltered somewhat. In a recent article in New York, Saltz predicted that this moment might spell the end for the modern art market as we know it. Specifically, it might kill festival culturethe global circuit of expensive annual art fairs, which has already proved financially unsustainable for many institutions. There will be galleries on the other side of this chasm, and museums, and artists making work, of course, but he worries that this moment may exacerbate the inequalities that already exist in the industry.

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There have been signs that even more stable institutions are facing existential threat. In March, the 150-year-old San Francisco Art Institute announced that thered be no incoming fall class. The mighty Metropolitan Museum of Art has estimated its losses will be somewhere around $100 million.* It is scary to imagine that a few months of lockdown would be enough to decimate a centurys worth of infrastructure, he said. When I responded that this all sounded quite Darwinian, Saltz agreed. Darwin spent most of his life trying to clear up one bad tweet, he said. When he said survival of the fittest he meant survival was for those who can adapt to change. And, as you know, change has been forced on us overnight. And this turns out to be the very conditions that art and creativity thrive under.

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Art-making will go on, though it may not look the way it did before. Right now we are in smaller rooms and much more intimate settings. It means youre making something next to kids who are wrecking the kitchen table and Nana is in the back cooking and somebody else is in another part of the house making noise on a Zoom meeting. But, as it turns out, these are the exact conditions in which our species has been making things for 50,000 years, he said. That idiot song lyric you wanted to write? That stupid poem? That funny dance? That drawing of Nana? Do it now. Dont do it in the perfect way Leonardo did it. Do it like the idiot you that we all are.
CHONGQING, China, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area ranked the first among all 14 regional new areas in the third-party evaluation on China Demonstration Base for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2019. At present, Liangjiang New Area is vigorously implementing strategic innovation-driven action plans led by big data and intelligence. Enterprises that carried out intelligent transformation have hedged against the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and some even have achieved bounce-back development.

Located in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Lianchuang Electronics Co., Ltd., which mainly provides integrated touch display products for enterprises such as BOE, Tianma, and Vivo, has seen a surge of orders recently. What makes the electronics industry "go up against the trend"? One important factor is the high-end development in the industry. In recent years, the Liangjiang New Area has been focusing on the upgrading of the entire electronics industrial chain (Chips, LCD panels, intelligent terminals, core components and Internet of Things) towards the intellectual industry. Enterprises that focus on innovation and transformation achieves higher flexibility against market risks.

As the first national development and opening-up new area in inland China, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area welcomes its tenth anniversary of establishment in 2020. Now it is embracing the opportunities emerging from the initiative of the National Digital Economy Innovation Development Pilot Zone and the National New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Development Pilot Zone. By boosting the integration of high-end, high-quality and high-tech industries and "cloud computing" components, it has become a pillar in the development of the western region in the new era, a driver in the Belt and Road initiative as well as a model in advancing the sustainable development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The electronics industry is one of the pillar industries of the Liangjiang New Area, home to a large number of electronic terminal and supporting industrial chain enterprises. By planning and carrying out the epidemic prevention and control of COVID-19, as well as economic and social development, Liangjiang New Area takes the strategic opportunity through leading enterprises, resuming the entire industry chain production and the national and global supply systems integration, ensuring smooth operation of the supply chain. The enterprise above designated size in the electronics industry have resumed in full operation and seen an increase of orders.

Thanks to a high degree of smart development, Chongqing Laibao Technology Co., Ltd has seen its production capacity recovered in a short time. As the world's leading manufacturer of medium-and-large-size capacitive touch screen shipments, its current output has exceeded 20% over the same period with only 70% employee returning to work. Thanks to its highly automated production line, it has maintained the normal operation with improved quality and efficiency.

Chongqing Liangjiang New Area provides enterprises with tax exemptions, talent training and other industrial preferential policies. To tackle the difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic, a series of policies have been implemented to help local enterprises, including labour transportation service, subsidies and "cloud promotion". The new area hopes to become a major investment destination with sound business environment and stable development of foreign trade.

For more information, please visit the official website: http://www.liangjiang.gov.cn.

SOURCE Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee

Related Links

http://www.liangjiang.gov.cn


Students at Chapin Hall in 1970 listen to a student speaker during protests of the Vietnam War that disrupted the end of the semester and commencement 50 years ago. Courtesy Williams College Archives and Special Collections. PreviousNext

Historical Echo, Irony in Williams College Cancellations

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  For the second time in school history, the classrooms at Williams College will be very quiet this spring.

In 1970, it was a two-week student strike to fight a war.

In 2020, it's a three-month closure ordered by the college to fight a global pandemic.

Paul Miller has ties to both stoppages and sees a parallel.

"It's always been kind of a source of pride in a weird way that our class was caring enough [to strike]," said Miller, a member of Williams' class of '70. "That's kind of how I see it. We weren't in the ivory tower being totally self-centered and only being worried about grades and grad school. The anti-war thing got tied up with the social injustice movement. It was all woven together. We were doing something for other Americans, doing something for the Vietnamese.

"I think we felt it was somewhat altruistic."

In Miller's mind, the same can be said for the March 11 decision to send Williams' students home and move to a remote learning model in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think that's totally where the college was in what they decided to do this year," he said. "[Williams President Maud Mandel] said in her letter, you may be young and healthy and able to stay on campus. Everything may be just fine for you, but we can't run the risk of what the contagion will do to others. It was totally altruistic.

"In that sense, it's a book end to the two shutdowns."

Another connection between the two. The 1970 strike disrupted the final semester for Miller and his classmates at the college. And in 2020, they were scheduled to hold their 50th class reunion in Williamstown the weekend of June 13.

As much as Miller was looking forward to celebrating the milestone, he was not surprised by Friday's announcement that neither the reunion weekend nor the college's commencement exercises will be held as planned.

"When I wrote the article [about the parallel between the closures] to go in the electronic version of our class book, I wrote it saying that our reunion would be postponed," he said in a telephone interview. "[The article] was precipitated by the school closing and the letter President Mandel sent out on the 11th.

"At that point, we were struck by the fact that the school was going to be shut down for, as far as we know, only the second time. And it would be almost exactly 50 years after we did it the first time. I said to some of my classmates there's a metaphysical irony in that."

Half a century earlier, most of those classmates were irate about the war in Vietnam, just like students on campuses nationwide.

At Williams, a couple of professors helped form the organization Pause for Peace, according to the college archives.

"The idea was to have a national one-hour work stoppage to protest the war," Miller said. "A bunch of us who maybe could do things by talking to our family who might be in a position to help create a work stoppage did so.

"My father was a director of the Scott Paper company at the time. I went to him and told him what we were doing and asked if he would consider asking the directors if they would be willing to support this effort. He said yes. He was a lifelong Republican, but he was totally against the war at that point."

Miller said the Scott Paper board ultimately decided that it could not justify the expense of the massive shutdown to its shareholders, but he gives them credit for having the conversation.

Meanwhile, back in Williamstown, the May 4 deaths of four Kent State students at the hands of National Guardsmen galvanized the undergrads 500 miles away. That night, the student body packed Chapin Hall and voted to walk out of their classes.

"It was packed to the rafters," Miller said. "I'm sure virtually everyone in the student body, which was then somewhat smaller, was in there along with most of the faculty. It was a capacity crowd and a long and interesting meeting."

The students had the backing of the administration, including President John E. Sawyer, and the faculty, which created "a resolution on class work for the remainder of the year and [read] it at another campus meeting," according to a timeline in the college archives.

By May 14, the strike protests died down and many of the students returned home, the college's official account reads. Commencement exercises were held as scheduled, but many of the participants wore shirts commemorating the strike, Miller said.

American troops were not withdrawn from Vietnam until March 1973, nearly three years after Kent State and the student strike movement.

"Bob Katt, a classmate of mine who was one of the leaders of the movement to strike said he felt the strike was a failure," Miller said. "From the standpoint of having a lasting effect on the anti-war movement, I think it was a failure.

"In terms of promoting a sense of community on campus, I think it was a success. There were many faculty members who were doing what they could, students doing what they could and the administration, to the extent they could, was supporting what was happening. So it wasn't a complete failure."

And it has been a point of pride and a rallying cry for members of the Class of 70 that they were the class that brought the college's operations to a halt -- if only for a couple of weeks.

They will not get to celebrate that accomplishment this June, but Miller is not complaining.

"I won't take credit for this thought, but another of my classmates, Chris Williamson, said the guys we should feel sorry for are the class of 2020 because they're losing the moment of coming together as a class," Miller said, referring to the commencement exercises and all the activities that precede them. "Who knows what impact that will have. Possibly, they'll discover some form of solidarity based on the idea that they're the guys who got cheated out of graduation.

"The thing stays with me from then and today is the sense of community at Williams College."
Three years after a retired FBI agent was found shot and beaten to death inside his Maryland home, his former supervisor at the agency and detectives who investigated the homicide are speaking out as the mystery of his grisly death lingers.

The unsolved March 2017 slaying of Scott Horn, 62, is the subject of the latest installment of NBC's Dateline, titled 'The House,' which is scheduled to air at 10pm ET/9pm CT on Friday.

Horn was found dead outside a shed in the yard of his home in the 200 block of Patuxent Road in Laurel, Maryland, suffering from major trauma to his face and upper body.

Retired FBI agent Scott Horn, 62 (left and right), was shot in the neck and beaten to death outside his Laurel, Maryland, home in March 2017

Horn's body was discovered outside a shed in the yard of his home on Patuxent Road in Laurel

Detective Kezzi Henderson (left), with the Laurel Police Department, said that Horn was shot in the back of the neck, but that wound was not fatal. Horn's former supervisor at the FBI, Monique Winkis (right), arrived at the crime scene and told police he was a fed

Detective Kezzi Henderson, with the Laurel Police Department, said that Horn was shot in the back of the neck, but that wound was not fatal.

'The neck wound would've disabled him,' he told Dateline presenter Josh Mankiewicz during a sit-down interview.

Monique Winkis, Horn's former supervisor at the FBI, recounted how she arrived on the scene of the crime to find her former colleague dead.

'I go right up to the officers and I identify who I am and I let them know that he's one of ours. They know he's a retired FBI agent,' she recalled.

Winkis explained that in that moment, she had to find a balance between being a federal investigator and the victim's friend.

'I'm there for the family. I'm there for him,' she said.

Horn's estranged nurse wife, Anne Allen, and her alleged lover, Jason Byrd, were arrested later that year and charged with his murder. Allen was acquitted at trial in 2018 and Byrd had all charges against him dropped before trial

Horn's estranged nurse wife, Anne Allen, and her alleged lover, Jason Byrd, were arrested later that year and charged in connection to the retired FBI agent's murder.

Prosecutors argued the 63-year-old woman fatally shot her husband for a potential life insurance payout and to profit off his rental properties.

They also alleged that Allen enlisted the help of Byrd as her 'muscleman.'

Allen's attorneys argued there was no physical evidence in the form of fingerprints, blood or DNA to show she fired the gun that killed Horn.

'There is no smoking gun, there's no confession, there's no text or email that is incriminating whatsoever,' defense attorney Andrew Jezic told WTOP at the time.

The defense team suggested that Horn, who was in the habit of carrying large sums of cash from collecting rent payments, could have been killed as part of a robbery, or ambushed by a recently evicted tenant.

Allen and Horn had a troubled marriage marred by allegations of domestic violence.

Horn is pictured above with his daughter, Kelly. He also left behind a son

Horn had filed for divorce from Allen in December 2016, but during her trial, her defense attorney argued that the couple were not estranged but actively working on their relationship at the time of Horn's killing.

In November 2018, following a three-week trial, jurors found Allen not guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and the use of a handgun in a crime of violence.

Charges against Byrd were dropped before trial.

Less than three month's after Allen's acquittal, she was charged with attempting to influence witnesses in the murder case.
A net loss of 600 billion tonnes from the Greenland ice sheet was enough to raise the global watermark 1.5 millimetres in 2019, about 40 percent of total sea level last year

The kilometres-thick icesheet that covers Greenland saw a near-record imbalance last year between new snowfall and the discharge of meltwater and ice into the ocean, scientists have reported.

A net loss of 600 billion tonnes was enough to raise the global watermark 1.5 millimetres, about 40 percent of total sea level rise in 2019.

The Greenland icesheetwhich, until the end of the 20th century accumulated as much mass as it shedholds enough frozen water to lift the world's oceans by seven metres.

Almost as alarming, however, as the icesheet's accelerating disintegration are the forces driving it, the authors reported this week in The Cryosphere, a peer-reviewed journal published by the European Geosciences Union.

More than half the dramatic loss in 2019 was due not to warmer-than-average air temperatures but rather unusual high-pressure weather systems linked to global warming.

These anticyclone conditions blocked the formation of clouds over southern Greenland, causing unfiltered sunlight to melt the icesheet surface. Fewer clouds also meant less snow100 billion tons below the 1980-1999 average.

In addition, the lack of snowfall left exposed darkened, soot-covered ice which absorbs heat rather than reflecting it, as pristine white snow does.

Conditions were different, but no better in the northern and western parts of Greenland, due to warm, moist air pulled up from lower latitudes, the study showed.

All of these factors led to accelerated melting and runoff, creating torrential rivers cutting through the ice toward the sea.

"These atmospheric conditions are becoming more and more frequent over the past few decades," said lead author Marco Tedesco, a scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

"This is very likely due to the 'waviness' in the jet stream," a powerful, high-altitude ribbon of wind moving from west to east over the polar region, he said.

Average temperatures in the Arctic region have risen two degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century, twice the global average

Twice the global average

The disruption of the jet stream's normal patterns have been linked to the disappearance of sea ice, the faster rate of atmospheric warming in the Arctic, and disappearing snow cover in Siberiaall consequences of global warming.

Average temperatures in the Arctic region have risen two degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century, twice the global average.

"Climate change, in other words, may make the destructive high-pressure atmospheric conditions more common over Greenland," Tedesco said.

Indeed, 2019 is not the first time that such anomalies have emerged, with more than half the years this century showing similar, if less pronounced, patterns.

The impact of these high-pressure systems are not factored into climate models used by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to project the impact of global warming on the Greenland icesheet, the study warns.

"It is likely that we are underestimating the future melting by a factor of two," co-author Xavier Fettweis, a research associate in the Climatology Laboratory at the University of Liege in Belgium, told AFP.

The new study attributes nearly 70 percent of the meltwater runoff and iceberg discharge last year to the high pressure systems, and the rest to direct warming of the atmosphere under climate change.

The discharge last year was comparable to the record year 2012, but air temperatures in 2019 were significantly lower.

Through the 1990s, the Greenland ice sheet was roughly in a state of balance, but annual mass loss has risen since then.

In all, Greenland has shed about four trillion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2018, causing the mean sea level to rise by 11 millimetres, according to a study in December 2019 study in Nature.

The IPCC has forecast that global sea level rise could top a metre by 2100, due mostly to discharge from the icesheets on Greenland and West Antarctica.

Explore further Unusually clear skies drove record loss of Greenland ice in 2019

More information: Marco Tedesco et al. Unprecedented atmospheric conditions (19482019) drive the 2019 exceptional melting season over the Greenland ice sheet, The Cryosphere (2020). Journal information: Nature Marco Tedesco et al. Unprecedented atmospheric conditions (19482019) drive the 2019 exceptional melting season over the Greenland ice sheet,(2020). DOI: 10.5194/tc-14-1209-2020

 2020 AFP
BlackRock co-founder and CEO Larry Fink said Thursday the U.S. needs to increase its testing capacity for the coronavirus before its economy can restart in earnest.

"We're going to still see elements of the disease increasing in other parts of the world and until we have adequate testing, rapid testing, it's very hard to see how we're going to reboot in the next 30 days," Fink said on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

Fink expressed confidence that the U.S. will make progress on Covid-19 treatments, minimizing the severity of the disease. "Through that process, I do believe we'll be able to reboot. I do believe we're going to have a better, more normalized environment," he said.

"But it may not be in June or July. It may be in August."

Fink, whose firm is the world's biggest asset manager, said businesses will be "very cautious" and "protective of their employees" as they consider when and how to relax work-from-home policies.

"They want to make sure their employees feel good about coming back to the office," he said. "Let's be clear: Anxiety is still very high."

Jeff Bezos, in Amazon's annual shareholder letter published Thursday, echoed Fink's position that widespread testing is needed to make companies feel comfortable getting back in their offices.

"Regular testing on a global scale, across all industries, would both help keep people safe and help get the economy back up and running," Bezos wrote. "For this to work, we as a society would need vastly more testing capacity than is currently available."

There are signs that daily increases in new Covid-19 cases in the U.S. may be slowing, causing the national debate to begin focusing on how the U.S. will reopen the economy.

President Donald Trump recently announced a new group  made up of business leaders from all manner of industries  aimed at focusing on how to reboot business. Trump, who has said he thinks some states may be able to relax restrictions by the end of April, had a call with many of those executives Wednesday.

Fink said he of course wants the U.S. to "have the ability to reboot," but he repeated his current concerns about testing. "I know many leaders told the president yesterday, we need to have adequate to make sure we have a secured environment."

CNBC requested comment from the White House on Fink's comments and was referred to an interview given Thursday morning by press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Fox News.

McEnany said it was "misreported" that business leaders "forcefully" told Trump that more testing is needed before the economy can be restarted. "In fact they said testing is important, something the president acknowledges and has done," McEnany told Fox News.

"We're in a strong place and I can assure you that the guidance being put out today is in line with what the experts are saying, it's in line with what the data is showing," she said. "It's a plan to put this economy back on track ... to the hottest in modern history, that President Trump created, and also protect American lives and we have the perfect president to do that."

In Thursday's interview, Fink also said the stock market's low last month may have been the bottom of the panic stemming from the coronavirus.

"If the disease curve in the developed world continues to decline [and] at the same time we see the curve from governmental support for monetary policy and fiscal policy worldwide increases, we could have seen the bottom," said the BlackRock chairman and CEO.
Alcohol companies using coronvirus-themed marketing have been slammed by an industry watchdog for encouraging Australians to drink excessively in isolation.

Figures commissioned by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) showed 70 per cent of Australians were drinking more since isolation began with one third now hitting the bottle every day.

CEO Caterina Giorgi told Daily Mail Australia online ads featuring the slogans such as 'a bottle a day keeps the iso boredem away' encourages people to drink excessively in isolation.

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education CEO Caterina Giorgi said some alcohol advertisements were predatory and encouraged people to drink excessively in isolation. Pictured is one of many alcohol advertisements seen on social media

'Our concern is if people see messages from alcohol companies that talk about drinking more to get through isolation then it is really exploiting this situation and we just think it shouldn't be allowed,' she said.

Ms Giorgi is calling for a blanket rule in regulations to stop alcohol companies exploiting people during the difficult coronavirus period.

Caterina Giorgi (pictured) said the advertising encouraged people to drink excessively in isolation

Ms Giorgi said their poll found a third of people purchasing more alcohol were doing so to control their anxiety and stress while in lock down.

The poll also revealed 32 per cent of respondents drinking more were concerned about the habits of themselves or those in their household.

'Increased drinking by people worried about COVID-19 might be good news for alcohol industry executives, but it's certainly worrying news for our community's health,' Ms Giorgi said.

The figures also showed 20 per cent of Australians were also purchasing more alcohol than before the crisis.

'We know that if we see increased rates of alcohol consumption we will see increased rates dependence, chronic disease and alcohol fuelled harms in the home,' she said.

Ms Giorgi said their poll found a third of people purchasing more alcohol were doing so to control their anxiety and stress while in lockdown

CEO of Alcohol Beverages Australia, Andrew Wilsmore, told Daily Mail Australia there had been several complaints filed against offending ads and they were being swiftly shut down by the regulatory body.

'There is a specific code that prohibits encouraging all forms of excessive consumption and that is very important particularly right now,' he said.

Mr Wilsmore said alcohol companies should be free to create advertising around coronavirus isolation as long as it is done in a 'responsible manner and adhering to the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code'.

But Ms Giorgi said only one ad had been removed with advertising focusing around drinking excessively still rampant online.

Mr Wilsmore also fired back at the idea that Australians were drinking more and said the study done by YouGov deliberately targeted a brief increase of sales during a period of panic buying.

'It's has occurred at the very time that there was a degree of fear in the community that bottle shops would be closed and panic buying was occurring,' he said.

He argued that alcohol consumption was down overall according to analysis done on Commonwealth Bank credit card records.

Mr Wilsmore also fired back at the idea that Australians were drinking more and said the study done by YouGov deliberately targeted a brief increase of sales during a period of panic buying

He said the closure of pubs, hotels and clubs had seen consumers buy more alcohol but not enough to make up the difference compared to the same time last year.

'When you look you look at the loss of sales from the closure of bars and pubs and clubs it has nowhere near made up for the small increase in additional retail sales,' he said.

While he said according to FARE's data 20 per cent of Australians may be buying more the remaining people could even be drinking less.

'We don't know if these people are going from drinking one day a week to two days a week, and they are making the assumption that everyone has gone to binge drinking levels,' he said.
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenbits, the nation's largest cannabis retail platform, announced today that it has raised $23 million in its Series B financing round. Coming at a time of economic uncertainty, the investment reinforces Greenbits's position as the leading technology company in the legal cannabis industry.

Tiger Global Management, a New York-based investment firm focused on growth-oriented internet, software, consumer and payments, co-led the round with Casa Verde, a Los Angeles-based cannabis investment fund. DNS Capital and several prominent industry executives with experience in software and payments also participated in the round.

Today, Greenbits serves more than 1,200 retail locations, including medical dispensaries and adult-use retailers, across 13 states. Greenbits will use the new capital to accelerate sales, marketing, and product development while expanding product and service offerings to new geographic markets. In February, Greenbits began operating in the state of Illinois, which opened its adult-use market in January and is expected to become the second-largest cannabis market in the United States.

"Over the last six months, we laid plans to position the company for a new phase of accelerated growth. We could not be more pleased that Tiger Global and Casa Verde share our vision and excitement in the future of the company and the sector at large," said Greenbits CEO Barry Saik, who joined the company in late 2019 after a long run at Intuit and then at GoDaddy.

"We are excited to partner with Greenbits again in its next phase of growth," said Karan Wadhera, Managing Partner of Casa Verde. "Greenbits has emerged as the leading player in the industry because of its sharp focus on retail, its ability to serve customers ranging from single store locations to the largest multi-state operators, and its development into a comprehensive retail platform that can rapidly scale."

Saik noted that, despite the macro volatility and the coronavirus pandemic, legal cannabis sales remain robust. According to Saik, same store sales year-to-date are up 25% over the same period last year and same store sales in March 2020 were up nearly 35% year-on-year.

A veteran of Silicon Valley start-ups and global tech companies, Saik comes to Greenbits with a wealth of experience in scaling software solutions that help businesses grow. Saik joined Greenbits after founding and running the SmartLine business at GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY), the global company that helps entrepreneurs and businesses to be successful online. Before GoDaddy, Saik spent 15 years working in a variety of senior roles at Intuit, and its marquis product, TurboTax, the leading software solution for business and personal tax filings. During his tenure, he led the founding team of TurboTax Online and the engineering team charged with coding federal and state tax codes into the software, a product centerpiece that has strong resonance with Greenbits's auto-compliance functions with state cannabis regulations.

In addition, Greenbits announced that Sarvesh Mathur has joined the company as its new Chief Technology Officer. Like Saik, Mathur brings substantial experience building and providing software solutions to help businesses succeed. Before Greenbits, Mathur served as CTO at Scout RFP (acquired by Workday), the procurement and sourcing software solution for businesses that has been praised for its simplicity, design, and impact on customers' bottom lines.

Greenbits also announced the launch of its renewed brand and corporate identity. The Greenbits brand update aligns with the company's core belief that regulated cannabis should be safer, smarter, and easier.

About Greenbits

Greenbits empowers more than 1,200 cannabis retail locations across 13 states with a safer, smarter, easier way to manage day-to-day operations and maximize store performance. The company's robust retail platform  with automated state-by-state compliance, point of sale, inventory control, and personalized insights  enables owners, managers, and budtenders to run, protect, and grow their businesses with ease. As the largest provider of retail technology, Greenbits processes $3.7 billion in regulated cannabis sales annually on its point-of-sale platform. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, and has an office in Portland, Oregon. Learn more at http://www.greenbits.com/.

About Casa Verde

Casa Verde (CV) is the leading venture capital firm focusing exclusively on the cannabis industry. As both the domestic and international markets continue to evolve and mature, CV maintains a view that cannabis will be among the most compelling investment themes of our generation. The fund invests in scalable, capital efficient businesses, led by world-class management teams, addressing long-term market needs. Learn more at http://www.casaverdecapital.com/.

About DNS Capital

DNS Capital is the private investment office for Gigi Pritzker Pucker, Michael Pucker and their immediate family. DNS Capital takes a long-term and flexible approach to investing, and focuses on people, relationships and culture. Learn more at http://www.dnscap.com/.

Media Contact:

Keegan Bales

[email protected]

202-738-3980

SOURCE Greenbits

Related Links

http://www.greenbits.com


Starting this week, Michigan Technological University will begin testing patient samples for COVID-19, working alongside regional health care providers.

With delays in testing across the nation, rural and remote regions like Michigans Upper Peninsula have been hard pressed to get enough tests for patients. But there is hope.

Michigan Tech has partnered with local hospitals to begin receiving and testing patient samples on campus to save doctors and health care providers at least 24 hours, and up to a week, of waiting for COVID-19 test results. The lab has the capacity to run 40 samples per hour on two machines, and the team has plans to expand with more equipment and staffing.

Leading the Lab Dr. Cary Gottlieb, pathologist from OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba, is the lab director. The technical leads are Caryn Heldt and David Dixon, and the team includes Steve Techtmann, Ebenezer Tumban, Kristin Brzeski and Carsten Kulheim, with support from Karyn Fay, Claire Danielson, Brigitte Morin, Sean Kirkpatrick, Guiliang Tang, Jennifer Sanders and Julie Seppala.

For more information, email covidtesting@mtu.edu

The safety of our community and our lab technicians is most important, said Dave Reed, vice president for research at Michigan Tech. We live in small, tight-knit communities in the UP and we want to take care of each other and Michigan Tech can help by ensuring people get timely and accurate COVID-19 test results.

Copper Country Strong

Rep. Greg Markkanen and Sen. Ed McBroom helped initiate the lab testing facility and advocated for test sites in the UP.

The people of the Copper Country and Western UP want to be able to take care of their own, said Markkanen, adding that Michigan Techs testing facility eases the strain on small communities health resources. The Herculean effort of the folks at Michigan Tech will meet our communities needs to get tests and results quicker, so that health care workers can do their jobs and help monitor this crisis.

Time is of the essence  and so is accuracy. The Michigan state labs have helped verify the accuracy and protocols in the Michigan Tech facility.

"Quick testing for an illness like the coronavirus is critical to helping treat patients who have caught the disease and to help stop the spread," said McBroom. "With results often taking more than a week as tests traveled downstate, it was apparent that this would be a problem for the Upper Peninsula. I'm proud of the professionals at Michigan Tech who recognized this issue, developed a plan for a lab on campus and turned it into a reality."

Michigan Tech is also working on vaccine technology and technology to clean personal protection equipment (PPE).

Coronavirus Testing

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also called the novel coronavirus. Related to SARS and MERS, as explained by one of our Michigan Tech virologists, the virus belongs to the coronavirus family, named for a spiky crown of proteins around the outside shell.

The test to confirm a COVID-19 case has two parts and relies on finding the genetic fingerprint of COVID-19 among the skin cells, mucus and microbes collected by a nasal swab test.

There are two parts in the COVID-19 test to isolate and identify the virus: RNA extraction and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Credit: Caryn Heldt

First, the genetic code needs to be pulled out of the samples; this is called RNA extraction. Then, using a thermocycler machine, the extracted sample is run through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR machine amplifies genetic code and makes it easier to find the coronavirus RNA fingerprint. Using specific chemicals, or reagents, the PCR machine produces a positive or negative result, depending on whether the viruss RNA is present and how much is present.

Tests for new diseases need both specificity (identifying the correct fingerprint) and sensitivity (finding the fingerprint in a messy crime scene). The challenge with COVID-19 tests  one the whole world is facing  deals with sensitivity: Low levels of coronavirus are harder to detect. This is more common with early infections. If someone has a full-blown infection, its easy to determine a positive test result within hours.

The validation tests run in the Michigan Tech lab last week are promising, and they meet state and federal guidelines to support an Emergency Use Authorization. The lab also ensures patient privacy and has strict protocols in place to keep the lab staff safe and produce accurate test results.

There is a lot that goes into setting up a lab with the biosafety and privacy requirements to run clinical tests like this one for COVID-19, said Claire Danielson, medical laboratory science clinical practicum coordinator at Michigan Tech and one of the researchers who set up the lab. We couldnt simply bring in any PCR machine and make it work. The whole team came together to determine what machines would work, how to deal with reagent and material shortages, and to work with the state to make sure the lab meets all health department and FDA requirements.

The other researchers running the lab include a medical doctor, a virologist and a chemical engineer specializing in vaccine development, as well as plant and wildlife geneticists, microbiologists and biomedical engineers who usually stick to the technology side of medicine.

In times like this, everyone learns how to retool their expertise and bring an important set of skills to the table, Reed said. Im proud of our Michigan Tech team. Weve got a lot of work ahead of us and a lot of motivation to keep our communities and health care workers informed and safe while we live through the COVID-19 outbreak.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's government on Thursday said its health experts have recommended the country extend its current anti-coronavirus measures until May 30.

But Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said restrictions could be eased in some parts of the country where there are no coronavirus cases or very few incidents of transmissions by May 17.

(Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Epidemic hinders US military presence near China

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/15 22:56:59

Despite four aircraft carriers being affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the US is still holding naval operations near China in an attempt to maintain its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, but a Chinese expert said on Wednesday that the moves cannot conceal the US Navy's weak position and may also lead to further infections.

The US Pacific Fleet said on its Twitter account on Wednesday that the Bunker Hill, a US guided missile cruiser, was operating in the South China Sea, and the America, a US amphibious assault ship, conducted a replenishment-at-sea operation while sailing in the East China Sea.

On Friday, the America also operated together with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Akebono in the East China Sea, and US guided missile destroyer Barry transited the Taiwan Strait, the US Pacific Fleet said.

These operations came at a time when four US aircraft carriers - the Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Carl Vinson and Nimitz - all reported positive COVID-19 cases which rendered them unsuitable for deployment, leaving the US with no carrier to use in the Asia-Pacific region, analysts noted.

Beijing-based military expert Wei Dongxu told the Global Times on Wednesday that the US aircraft carriers will not be able to conduct missions for some time, and said the US Navy was attempting to use other types of warships to replace them.

Even though the America amphibious assault ship repeatedly conducted takeoff and landing exercises with its F-35B fighter jets and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft during its voyage in an attempt to showcase the warship's capabilities both at sea and in the air, it still has very limited use in this aspect compared to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Wei said, noting that the US military operations were only the best ones among bad choices, and cannot conceal the US Navy's current weak condition.

With the recent US naval operations, the US Navy is trying to show it is still capable of mobilizing troops overseas, but the fact is that the US' capability to wage war has greatly declined, Wei said.

"In a bid to maintain the US' image of a maritime hegemony, the country's recent operations risked its sailors' health and safety as more of them could be infected by the coronavirus. This is irresponsible," he said.

Having done a good job in controlling the epidemic situation, China's Liaoning aircraft carrier task group on Friday crossed through the Miyako Strait, Bashi Channel and then entered the South China Sea for exercises, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy announced on Monday.



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South Africas ecommerce companies are an asset in the fight against coronavirus that government should consider using, Takealot CEO Kim Reid has told MyBroadband.

He said that online stores which are allowed to sell essential items  like Takealot  should also be able to sell non-essential items.

If we look at Wuhan, in the midst of the outbreak ecommerce companies were encouraged to continue operating, said Reid.

This included the delivery of non-essential and essential packages, as well as food and take-aways.

Reid stated that ecommerce allows people to buy goods in an almost completely contactless way.

Social distancing is built into ecommerce, Reid said, adding that with a few simple delivery protocols, ecommerce allows for a very hygienic way of shopping.

For food deliveries, for example, the driver will place the carrier bag on the ground, open it, and let the buyer take it out themselves.

Ecommerce removes the need to classify essential and non-essential items

Another benefit of ecommerce, Reid said, is that the need to make a distinction between essential goods and non-essential goods goes away.

Since there is no need to discourage people from lingering in physical stores for too long, online shops can and should be allowed to sell their whole inventory.

Reid pointed out that since the start of the lockdown in South Africa, people have been reporting the urgent need to buy certain items which have been deemed non-essential.

For a widow in a small apartment who uses her microwave to cook meals, it is a big problem if her microwave blows. To her, that microwave is essential.

Likewise for a student trying to study from home, who suddenly realises that they need an LTE modem or a laptop.

One of the top-searched items on our site that we cant provide right now is laptops, Reid said.

Ensuring the safety of staff and customers

Overseas ecommerce operators, especially Amazon, have come under fire for the unhygienic conditions under which staff are working to fulfil orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Amazon has fired several workers who criticised the working conditions at warehouses.

Amazon said that it respects the rights of employees to protest and criticise their employers working conditions.

But that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies. We terminated these employees for repeatedly violating internal policies, a spokesperson for Amazon said.

Questioned about this, Reid said that he could only speak about what Takealot has done to ensure the safety of its staff.

Takealot has had zero COVID-19 cases, stated Reid. We track all of our employees on an ongoing basis so that if we find someone who is ill we can react to that quickly.

Reid said that the company provides safe transport for employees to and from home, limiting the number of people per vehicle.

Employees are issued with cleaning kits and masks, and hand sanitiser and masks are freely available throughout Takealots warehouses.

In addition, Takealot has appointed nurses at both its warehouses to conduct regular screening of staff. If an employee shows a fever, they are sent home immediately.

Takealot has also provided free optional flu injections to all staff at both its Johannesburg and Cape Town facilities.

Our warehouses are also large, so employees can maintain physical distancing quite easily, Reid said.

He added that Takealot will not force anyone to work. If any staff member feels that they are unsafe, then that is their choice to make.

Is it fair for online shops to trade when physical shops must stay closed?

Questioned about the fairness of allowing online shops to trade, when physical stores are struggling to pay rent and salaries, Reid acknowledged that the situation was challenging.

However, ecommerce players are in a unique position to be able to sell items safely.

Why should the government let us operate when others cant? Because we can, Reid said.

He added that he is in favour of shops that are currently allowed to sell essential items to sell the non-essential goods they also stock.

Were hoping well see some relaxation with the new regulations for the lockdown extension, Reid said.

The Presidency has announced that the National Command Council will brief the media today on regulations pertaining to the lockdown extension. The briefing is currently scheduled to take place at 12:30.
[April 16, 2020] Analysis of COVID-19-Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023 | Differentiated In-car Experiences to Boost Growth | Technavio

Technavio has been monitoring the automotive audio speakers market, and it is poised to grow by USD 4.73 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005250/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Alpine Electronics, Inc., Bose Corporation, Harman International Industries, Inc., JVCKENWOOD Corporation, and Pioneer Corporation (News - Alert) are some of the major market participants. The differentiated in-car experiences will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Differentiated in-car experiences have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Automotive Audio Speakers Market is segmented as below: Application Passenger Cars Commercial Vehicles

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.comtalk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31024



Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive audio speakers market report covers the following areas:

Automotive Audio Speakers Market size

Automotive Audio Speakers Market trends

Automotive Audio Speakers Market industry analysis This study identifies the emergence of IoT-enabled smart speakers as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive audio speakers market growth during the next few years. Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the automotive audio speakers market, including some of the vendors such as Alpine Electronics, Inc., Bose Corporation (News - Alert), Harman International Industries, Inc., JVCKENWOOD Corporation, and Pioneer Corporation. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive audio speakers market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Automotive Audio Speakers Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive audio speakers market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the automotive audio speakers market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the automotive audio speakers market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive audio speakers market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application

Comparison by application

Passenger cars - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Commercial vehicles - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers

Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Emergence of IoT-enabled smart speakers

Development of speaker-less audio systems

Regulations pertaining to electric cars PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Alpine Electronics, Inc.

Bose Corporation

Harman International Industries, Inc.

JVCKENWOOD Corporation

Pioneer Corporation PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology

List of abbreviations PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005250/en/

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Jaleh Slominski of Slominski Law Apart from the fact that frontline workers are at high risk of exposure to the virus, there is also incredible pressure on them to double their efforts in the workplace despite health hazards

Jaleh Slominski, a workers compensation attorney at Slominski Law based in Lynchburg and Roanoke VA, forecasts, as frontline workers work grueling shifts serving COVID-19 related customers and patients, the added occupational weight may prompt an increase in workers compensation claims.

Apart from the fact that frontline workers are at high risk of exposure to the virus, there is also incredible pressure on them to double their efforts in the workplace despite health hazards, says Slominski. Already, some store workers and medical staff are wondering if their added physical exertions might give rise to a claim.

Ms. Slominski, who has been practicing for almost 30 years, anticipates increased injury claims from added workloads and longer hours during the pandemic.

She cites, for instance, that employees at medical facilities have started feeling fatigue and muscular strains from the long hours of standing, walking, and transporting patients and medical supplies. Workers at retail stores, stockrooms, and warehouses are also at increased risk of physical injuries as they move merchandise amid frenzied retail demand and adjusted retail hours.

Frontline workers are in industry sectors that already had high injury numbers even before the pandemic broke out, she says. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare is the number one sector in terms of number of occupational injuries and illnesses. Retail trade is third on that list.

Since these are already hazardous sectors, we can expect that the added physical strain on their workers could drive up injury incidences.

On top of injury claims, Ms. Slominski believes that workers comp claims citing COVID-19 may develop in the following weeks and months ahead. She does note, however, that there is still a question over whether such claims will be covered by the Virginia Workers Compensation Act.

Generally, compensable illnesses are those that arise out of and in the course of employment, she explains. Well have to establish that the COVID-19 contraction really was work-related and not just because its a public health hazard that everyone now faces.

At least two states, Washington State and Kentucky, have guaranteed coronavirus benefits for their first responders and health workers. There is a presumption that COVID-19 is an occupational hazard in their line of work. COVID-19 claims outside these sectors, however, will be decided on a case-to-case basis.

Virginia does not yet have a special workers comp consideration for the medical and healthcare sectors, says Ms. Slominski. At least for now, medical and health workers who are considering a COVID-19 claim in Virginia will still be subject to regular workers comp standards  they will still have to prove that their virus contraction is occupational.

The lawyer emphasizes that despite these anticipated increases in injuries and illnesses, the standards for workers comp claims in Virginia remain the same, at least for the time being.

This can mean an uphill climb for claimants, she explains. Say you developed chronic back pain because you were overworked. Or you contracted the virus because you work at a crowded hospital, or because your grocery store employer didnt provide protective gear. Under our current state rules, youd have to prove that you really got sick at work. But its challenging to prove this because your condition could also have developed outside the workplace.

What recourse is available for workers with coronavirus or pandemic-related injuries?

In these uncertain times, when even legal rules are still playing catch-up, consulting a lawyer is the best step, says Ms. Slominski. She stresses that workers should document any relevant detail about their illness or injury, including times of possible exposure and contact with possible carriers such as fellow employees or vendors. If you suddenly feel sick at work, report that to your supervisor. These details should be discussed with a workers compensation attorney.

COVID-19 is new and its not in the rulebook yet, but a good workers compensation attorney can ensure that your claim gets fair treatment under existing guidelines.

About Slominski Law

Slominski Law is a law firm with offices in Lynchburg and Ronoake VA. It offers experienced legal service in workers compensation claims, personal injury and wrongful death cases, and Lemon Law claims. Attorney Jaleh Slominski, Esquire, has been practicing law since 1991. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the Lynchburg Bar Association and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. For more information visit https://www.slominskilaw.com.

Slominski Law (Lynchburg)

101 Duncraig Drive #103

Lynchburg, VA 24502

(434) 384-9400

Slominski Law (Roanoke)

22 Luck Ave

Roanoke, VA 24011

(540) 554-3762
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:39 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd258f08 1 City volunteer,Jakarta-COVID-19,COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia Free

Dozens of Jakartans have volunteered to become social companions for COVID-19 patients and those suspected of having the disease in the capital city, joining an initiative to ensure that those confined to isolation receive the emotional support they need.

The initiative, launched by volunteer group Jakarta Maju Bersama (Jakarta Moving Forward Together), seeks to connect volunteers with patients -- both at hospitals and in self-isolation at their homes -- through a special app that will allow them to communicate via text messages and video calls.

The suspected patients include people under surveillance (ODP) as well as patients under treatment (PDP) -- the government's official classification used to differentiate people according to the symptoms they present and their travel history.

The initiative was expected to help relieve stress and frustration among those who need support to get by during their quarantine, said the volunteer group's head, Usamah Abdul Aziz.

Once the initiative starts, each volunteer will be assigned to one patient, whom they will talk to on a regular basis. Through the conversation, the volunteers also expect to check on the condition of the patients.

The gesture would prove vital to the patients mental well-being, as many had expressed frustration over the tremendous pressure that comes with their diagnosis, Usamah said.

[The patients] feel as though they are facing death. As a matter of fact, stress can significantly [weaken the immune system], he said.

"We need to give them our constant support and accurate information, and we need to cheer them up to strengthen their mental well-being, so as to make their condition improve."

The group will collaborate with a number of doctors who will be on standby to provide support and assistance for the volunteers.

Weve also teamed up with a psychology expert who has put together a module [for the initiative], Usamah said as quoted by news agency Antara.

The registration of volunteers as well as patients who want to join the initiative began on Tuesday and will end on Thursday.

"Around 150 volunteers have signed up so far, he said, adding that only a few patients had decided to join, but the group would keep looking for those in need.

Jakarta, the province hardest hit by coronavirus in the country, has recorded 2,474 positive cases with 242 deaths linked to COVID-19  accounting for nearly half of the country's tally of 5,136 confirmed cases and 469 fatalities as of Wednesday.

More than 3,000 people in the capital are people under surveillance (ODP) -- those generally described to have traveled to virus-hit regions or having been in contact with positive cases, but do not show any symptoms -- while some 2,465 people are patients under treatment (PDP) -- those who have symptoms typical of COVID-19 and are in medical care but still need their status confirmed through a test.

The ongoing public health emergency caused by the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has given birth to stigmatization of individuals considered to be carriers in their communities, resulting in prejudice and a state of paranoia.

The World Health Organization has issued a strong warning over such stigmatization.

"Stigma, to be honest, is more dangerous than the virus itself. Let's really underline that. Stigma is the most dangerous enemy," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing in Geneva in early March, Reuters reported. (rfa)
The number of foreign visitors to Japan in March fell 93.0% from a year earlier to 193,700, down for the sixth consecutive month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said on Wednesday.

The drop was the largest ever as the Japanese government tightened restrictions on the entry of people from countries around the world following the spread of the new coronavirus.
Worldwide PC shipments totalled 51.6 million units in the first quarter of 2020, a 12.3 per cent decline from the first quarter of 2019, according to preliminary results by Gartner.

After three consecutive quarters of growth, the worldwide PC market experienced its sharpest decline since 2013 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The single most significant influencing factor for PC shipment decline was the coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in disruptions to both the supply and demand of PCs, said Mikako Kitagawa, research director at Gartner. Following the first lockdown in China in late January, there was lower PC production volume in February that turned into logistics challenges.

Once coronavirus-related lockdowns expanded to other regions, there were new, sudden pockets of PC demand for remote workers and online classrooms that PC manufacturers could not keep up with.

This quarters vendor results underscore the growing economic uncertainties that are tightening PC spending, especially among small and midsize businesses. This uncertainty, coupled with the end of the Windows 10 upgrade peak, is causing enterprises to shift their IT budgets away from PCs and toward strategic business continuity planning. We will start seeing enterprises and consumers alike extending their PC life cycles on a more permanent basis as they focus on preserving cash, said Kitagawa.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, the top three vendors market share remained unchanged from the previous quarter. They accounted for 65.6 per cent of PC shipments in the first quarter of 2020, up from just over 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2019.

Although Lenovo maintained its No. 1 position in the worldwide PC market, its shipments declined 3.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 and 22.6 per cent year over year in Asia Pacific.

HP Inc. had a challenging first quarter, with a 12.1 per cent decline in PC shipments after three consecutive quarters of shipment growth. HP recorded double digit shipment declines in all key regions, taking the hardest hit in deskbased PCs in Asia Pacific and Japan.

Dell was the only top vendor that showed year over year shipment growth  rising 2.2 per cent  despite the impact from COVID-19. Dells shipments grew in all regions in the first quarter of 2020, except in Asia Pacific. Growth was particularly strong in the Americas where Dell experienced relatively stable business PC demand until March. The first quarter of 2020 was the companys ninth consecutive quarter of shipment growth.

PC shipments varied by region depending on the timing of the given governments response to the coronavirus outbreak. Because coronavirus impacts were most apparent in the US later on in the first quarter of 2020, the US PC market actually grew 0.8 per cent. However, PC shipments showed a steep sequential decline of 30.2 per cent compared to last quarter.

Dell and HP Inc. swapped spots in the US based on shipments, with Dell taking just over 31 per cent of the PC market share.

Asia Pacific showed the worst year over year decline of 27.1 per cent since Gartner started tracking the PC market. With COVID-19 originating in China, the country was the largest contributor to this decline as all business, government and consumer activities came to a halt in February. Overall PC shipments in China dropped by over 30 per cent compared to a year ago. Deskbased PCs, the primary commercial PC type for the government and education organisations, experienced the biggest drop of nearly 40 per cent. Mobile PCs declined less  20 per cent  as notebook demands were driven by remote employees and e-learning students.

PC shipments in EMEA declined 7 per cent year over year to 16.8 million units and will likely continue to decline through 2020. The end of the first quarter saw a dramatic drop in both business and consumer PC purchases due to intense COVID-19 related lockdown measures across various countries in the region. -- Tradearabia News Service
Actor and Los Angeles native Danny Trejo is doing his part to help feed hospital workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The 75-year-old Machete star shared on social media Wednesday that he spent the day donating food from his Trejo's Tacos restaurants to USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale.

He shared a photo of himself with stacks of food containers waiting to be handed out, along with a 10-minute video of the actor and his team distributing food.

Charitable Danny: Actor and Los Angeles native Danny Trejo is doing his part to help feed hospital workers during the COVID-19 outbreak

Trejo was seen wearing a black Trejo's Tacos t-shirt, a black Trejo's Tacos hat and blue jeans with a long silver chain and cross pendant dangling from his neck.

The actor was also wearing latex gloves and a white mask that covered his face and nose as he distributed the food.

The actor has three Trejo's Tacos restaurant locations throughout Los Angeles, which he's been using to give back to the community during this trying time.

Danny's look: Trejo was seen wearing a black Trejo's Tacos t-shirt, a black Trejo's Tacos hat and blue jeans with a long silver chain and cross pendant dangling from his neck

'Right now I'm at Verdugo Hills Hospital, sitting with the real angels of Los Angeles right now,' Trejo began in his video.

He added that he's just trying to 'do his part' by bringing some food, 'but these are the people saving lives.'

One of the hospital workers standing next to him added, 'Danny has always been there supporting the community and he's doing it again.'

Support: One of the hospital workers standing next to him added, 'Danny has always been there supporting the community and he's doing it again'

One of the Trejo's Tacos restaurants is located in the Colony Kitchen in Santa Monica, with Trejo adding that five different restaurants, 'in the Colony have donated 100 plates, so it's everybody helping everybody.'

Colony has also teamed up with Help Feed the Frontline Fighting COVID-19 LA during this crisis to feed healthcare workers.

Those who wish to donate themselves can visit OrderColony.com in an effort to help, 'keeping local Los Angeles restaurants open during this unprecedented crisis.'

Colony: One of the Trejo's Tacos restaurants is located in the Colony Kitchen in Santa Monica, with Trejo adding that five different restaurants, 'in the Colony have donated 100 plates, so it's everybody helping everybody'

Trejo has over 400 movie and TV acting credits to his name since he first started acting in the 1980s.

He starred in the hit Machete and its sequel Machete Kills, with a third film, Machete Kills in Space also in development.

The actor also has multiple films in development and post-production, including La Llorana, though it isn't known when that will be released yet.
A staff member sanitizes a student's hands at Hermann Gmeiner School of Yantai in Yantai City, east China's Shandong Province, April 15, 2020. East China's Shandong Province on Wednesday partially reopened schools, with third-graders at 804 senior high schools and secondary vocational schools resuming formal school classes as the COVID-19 epidemic waned. (Photo by Sun Wentan/Xinhua)

JINAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- East China's Shandong Province on Wednesday partially reopened schools, with third-graders at 804 senior high schools and secondary vocational schools resuming formal school classes as the COVID-19 epidemic waned.

The opening of the spring semester was delayed by more than 60 days due to the epidemic. Earlier online classes offered an alternative to offset the impact on the study of the students who will sit the college entrance examination this summer.

Students wearing masks had body temperatures taken and presented their health QR codes before entering the campus while keeping a distance from each other.

"After waiting for such a long time, we are finally back to school," said Li Qirui of the high school affiliated to Shandong Normal University.

Many schools began formulating school opening plans and storing up protective equipment starting from early March.

"We had more than 40,000 face masks in a stockpile, which can help ensure one mask per student per day," said Dong Ya, the principal of Jinan Middle School in the provincial capital of Jinan.

Xing Shunfeng, an official with the provincial education bureau, said the seniors will be in small classes of around 30 students each, and the schools will be mostly under closed-off management in a bid to reduce infection risks.

Shandong, one of the most populous provinces across China, has a total of 37,700 schools, with more than 19 million students and a teaching staff of 1.5 million.
President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the CCP virus, which causes COVID-19, in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 14, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump Establishes Opening Up America Again Panel, Invites Lawmakers

President Donald Trump has asked a bipartisan group of legislators to join a panel involved in reopening the U.S. economy amid the CCP virus pandemic.

The administration sent out invitations to both Republicans and Democrats in the House and in the Senate. The White House issued an announcement on Thursday, including 32 House members and 65 senators to the panel, naming it the Opening Up America Again Congressional Group.

They include Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and every Republican senator except for Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. Democrats include Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and more.

House Democrats invited to the panel are Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Ro Khanna of California, Jimmy Panetta of California, Tom Suozzi of New York, Ted Deutch of Florida, Derek Kilmer of Washington, John Larson of Connecticut, and Henry Cuellar of Texas. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was not named.

And House Republicans included Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California as well as Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Lee Zeldin of New York, Kay Granger of Texas, Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and more.

Visitors to the Department of Labor are turned away at the door by personnel due to closures over coronavirus concerns in New York on, March 18, 2020. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)

The dialogue between the president, senior administration officials, and the bipartisan group of members of Congress also included a range of topics, namely the need for additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, the international and domestic supply chains, ways to energize the economy, surprise medical billing, clarifying the difference between essential and non-essential workers, mental health, and relief for small businesses, according to a press release from the White House.

It came after Trump announced that he would speak to governors of states on Thursday to come up with new guidelines on reopening the country. Dozens of states have issued stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, a type of novel coronavirus that emerged in China that causes COVID-19.

Numerous businesses deemed nonessential have been shuttered across the country, leading to significant layoffs and furloughs. More than 22 million people have claimed unemployment insurance in the past month or so, according to the latest Department of Labor data that was released Thursday.

As a result, some governors on Thursday expressed a willingness to reduce the restrictions on businesses in the coming days. Among them was Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who said that the state is planning to start opening up the state on May 1.

Trump on Wednesday declared that the United States has passed the peak of the CCP virus pandemic.

While we must remain vigilant, it is clear that our aggressive strategy is working, Trump said at a White House briefing. The battle continues, but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases.
A pedestrian walks past closed-down shops on an empty Regent Street in London on April 2, 2020, as life in Britain continues during the nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Britain is extending its coronavirus lockdown measures by at least another three weeks, Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said Thursday.

The government's decision to prolong its shelter-in-place restrictions followed a meeting with scientists earlier in the day. Raab, who is deputizing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said the rate of Covid-19 infections has not slowed enough to justify lifting the shutdown.

"Any change to our social-distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus," Raab said at the government's daily press conference. "That would threaten a second peak of the virus and substantially increase the number of deaths."

Restrictions on public life have been in place in the U.K. since March 23. People have been told to stay at home, with the exception of limited shopping  for essential food and medical supplies  and exercise.

Raab outlined five things the government wanted to see before looking to adjust the lockdown measures currently in place. They are as follows:

That the U.K.'s National Health Service is protected so it's able to cope with the epidemic. Evidence of a sustained and consistent fall in daily deaths from the virus. Reliable data showing the rate of infection is decreasing to "manageable levels." Testing and personal protective equipment in hand. Confidence that any adjustments to current measures risk a second peak of infections.

"Now is not the moment to give the coronavirus a second chance," Raab said.
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The writer (right) and her partner (left) in Auckland, New Zealand.

Zoe Hannah for Insider

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand has been under level 4 lockdown since March 25.

I'm an American tourist in New Zealand, and I've moved from my camper van into an Airbnb home for the duration of the lockdown.

With its quick action and clear, abundant messages, New Zealand's government has effectively taken action to prioritize the safety of its residents and stranded visitors, like myself.

I'm nervous about the safety of my family, who are at home in the United States, but I'd rather be here in New Zealand.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Related Video: What Could Be the Fastest Way to End the Coronavirus Crisis?

Two months into traveling around New Zealand in our camper van, my partner and I found ourselves in one-hour free parking, scraping Wi-Fi from a Starbucks  an ordinary day for us.

But instead of watching YouTube videos or messaging friends, we were frantically scouring Airbnb for a place to stay locked down and isolated in for the next month during the global coronavirus pandemic.

By the end of March, New Zealand had entered a strict lockdown



A sign warning visitors to keep out of a public track area.

Trent Burns for Insider

In early March, New Zealand shut its borders to all travelers who were not citizens or residents, and my partner and I began to prepare for the worst since we are tourists from the United States.

We also knew that as COVID-19 swept across New Zealand, many of the services we heavily relied on  like the showers at beaches and public pools or the Wi-Fi and charging outlets in coffee shops  would be unsafe to use.

By mid-March, New Zealand began to face community transmission of the coronavirus.

On March 23, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the entire country would immediately go into level 3 lockdown, which consists of basic social distancing rules and the closure of large public venues. She said that, in 48 hours, New Zealand would move to a level 4 lockdown, with all nonessential businesses and travel to close for at least four weeks.

Story continues

In a press conference that night, Ardern's guidance was concise and incisive: "Act like you have COVID-19  Breaking the rules could kill someone close to you."

Based on the harrowing tales we'd heard from the US, we were braced for all-out panic.

Our friends at home had already recounted to us their woes of life in self-isolation: surprise lay-offs, barren grocery-store shelves, and a president whose only concern seems to be maintaining "[total] authority" over the situation.

And now, with little hope from our loved ones back home, my partner and I had 48 hours to figure out where we were going to live for the duration of the lockdown.

The next two days were frantic, but the government's clear guidelines were everywhere



The writer and the van she had been staying in during her New Zealand travels.

Zoe Hannah for Insider

Much to my surprise, my partner and I quickly felt safe, comfortable, and even hopeful during this global crisis  and much of it has to do with the New Zealand government's response.

While our friends at home in the United States were still figuring out if they were allowed to go outside, we were getting direct, clear answers from the New Zealand government and its branches.

We called the Ministry of Health hotline and officially confirmed that our camper van would not suffice for self-isolation and we would need accommodation for at least four weeks. The call also made it clear that we'd be able to go to the grocery store, and that the country's essential supply chains would remain intact.

That said, Kiwis were not immune to panic-buying, misinformation, and confusion about what was expected of them.

Fortunately, the government responded with much-needed urgency to give those in New Zealand clarity, peace of mind, and realistic expectations for what our lives would look like during the crisis.

We didn't even have to actively seek out the government's guidance and instructions  it was everywhere.

In just a few hours, the government had acquired valuable ad space on the websites of daily newspapers, like the New Zealand Herald, and on social media platforms. Its eye-grabbing, bright-yellow "Unite against COVID-19" marketing push told Kiwis at every turn that they are expected to stay home except to shop for essentials, like groceries.

Even now, the "Unite against COVID-19" program provides detailed updates to those in New Zealand on a regular basis and across multiple platforms.

Even one trip to the grocery store showed me how quickly the government had distributed crucial information to essential businesses



A sign outside of New World supermarket encouraging shoppers to continue shopping normally.

Zoe Hannah for Insider

New World, one of New Zealand's biggest supermarkets, had prominently displayed anti-panic shopping messaging, with "Keep Calm and #ShopNormal" on its welcome signs. Laminated information about how to shop safely was also hung on the grocery-store doors.

Inside the store, tape and paint told us where we can stand while checking out so shoppers remain far apart, per social distancing guidelines.

Grocery stores had been regulating the purchase of highly desired items, like toilet paper and rice, since mid-March in order to keep supply chains intact, and they were continuing to do so.

Meanwhile, the US is facing empty shelves in supermarkets around the country as supply chains continue to be overwhelmed. Many US cities are struggling to enforce social distancing guidelines in grocery stores since there is not direct, clear guidance from the federal government.

New Zealand's government has continuously provided clear guidelines and shown compassion, which I have not seen from many US leaders



The writer's partner outside of the pair's temporary home in New Zealand.

Trent Burns for Insider

Through all of this, my partner and I repeatedly read that we should not rely on the American government to help us. It was (and still is) unclear if and how the US government would be able to assist us since we are overseas.

Fortunately, I don't mind staying in this country for a little bit longer. As an American living in New Zealand, I am shocked and heartened by the competence of this country's leadership during the global pandemic, and many Kiwis seem to agree.

It's clear that New Zealand's government leapfrogged the US in its COVID-19 response, even though the country had a lower number of cases and little proof of community spread at the time.

New Zealand's response is not without flaws, but, at the time of writing, the country has just over 1,000 cases of the coronavirus with only nine reported deaths. New Zealand has a COVID-19 mortality rate of 0.3%, which is shocking, even for a country this small. The US's mortality rate is closer to 4%.

Since settling into our lockdown accommodation  a comfortable home in the New Zealand township of Marybank with impeccable gardens, unbeatable views, and four gracious Kiwi hosts  we're repeatedly reminded of how lucky we are.

Fortunately, we had been saving for our trip for years and were financially prepared for the worst, though we'd never anticipated a global pandemic. We found one of the last local Airbnb stays available before the level 4 lockdown. We have enough money for food and we are isolating with our hosts, who have become our impromptu family.

The government's ability to provide us with clear, compassionate communication while admitting its faults and unknowns as they arise has offered instances of hope and stability, two words I haven't heard uttered by an American in weeks.

Yes, things could still get worse for New Zealand. But we're happy to be in this beautiful country, where we feel like the government is keeping us safe  even as guests.

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A Chinese survey ship on Thursday commenced operations within Malaysia and Bruneis exclusive economic zone, according to a vessel tracking software, in the latest sign of Beijings expansive reach across the contested South China Sea.

The Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 left Chinas Hainan Island last week, and was spotted earlier this week moving through Vietnams waters toward Malaysia. On Thursday it was located at an area around 190 nautical miles (352 km) from the coast of Malaysias Sarawak state and Brunei.

The vessel moved back and forth, a tell-tale sign that it was exploring the area. China and Brunei have agreed in the past to a joint exploration over energy resources in Bruneis part of the South China Sea, but it was not immediately clear if the current activities could be part of that deal.

Technically, a research vessel would need to request permission before operating within another countrys exclusive economic zone, experts said. The Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 was accompanied by at least six escort vessels belonging to the China Coast Guard (CCG), according to vessel tracking data analyzed by Radio Free Asia (RFA), an online news service affiliated with BenarNews.

That was reminiscent of its excursion into Vietnams exclusive economic zone in July 2019, near the disputed area of Vanguard Bank. Those survey activities appeared aimed at pressuring a Russian oil exploration vessel out of the area and sparked a months-long standoff with Vietnamese coast guard vessels.

This time, the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 was operating just past a part of the South China Sea jointly delimited between Malaysia and Vietnam, which may serve to avoid another confrontation with Vietnam.

The survey activity was very close to where the West Capella, a Malaysian-contracted drillship, was working in October. The West Capella was eventually tracked by a combination of CCG, Chinese maritime militia, and Vietnamese maritime militia ships, according to the Washington-based think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

At least one CCG ship accompanying the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8, the Zhongguohaijing 1105, was spotted Thursday in the same area where the West Capella was last reported.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency ships could not be detected in the area of the Chinese survey ship on Thursday. A Malaysian offshore patrol vessel, KM Pekan, was last seen on Wednesday near a CCG ship patrolling the Luconia Shoals, which lies to the south.

Neither Malaysian nor Bruneian officials could immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

Beijing claims most of the mineral-rich South China Sea, including areas that reach the shores of its smaller neighbors. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the sea region.

Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines have directly disputed Chinas expansive claims in diplomatic notes in recent weeks. China has also been criticized by the United States, which says Beijing is exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea.

Reported by RFA, an online news service affiliated with BenarNews.
Sweden has seen a renewed spike in coronavirus cases today after another 613 people tested positive.

The 613 new cases mark the biggest jump for seven days and the third-largest since the crisis began, taking Sweden's total from 11,927 to 12,540.

Deaths were up by 130, the second-highest daily death toll after yesterday's 170, bringing the total from 1,203 to 1,333.

Sweden is continuing to hold out against a national lockdown despite growing criticism and calls for 'rapid and radical measures' to contain the outbreak.

This chart shows the daily number of cases recorded in Sweden. Today's figure of 613 was a sharp increase from yesterday's 482

This graph shows the daily number of deaths. Only a handful were recorded over the Easter weekend, prompting a spike when those days were properly accounted for

Yesterday's higher figures were partly attributable to an Easter weekend backlog, but today's numbers appear to represent a genuine jump in new infections.

The 613 new cases reported today are the highest 24-hour jump since 722 new infections were added to the tally a week ago.

The 5.1 per cent increase is also the highest since last week, at a time when many countries are seeing their infection rates slow down.

Sweden's public health agency says 565 cases were reported on the calendar day of Wednesday, up from 440 on Tuesday and 420 on Monday.

The agency says more than 5,000 of Sweden's 12,540 cases area in the Stockholm region, with 214 new cases confirmed there yesterday.

Bars and restaurants are still open in Sweden along with primary schools, and public gatherings of 50 people are still permissible.

Shops are also open, and the government has emphasised taking 'personal responsibility' for social distancing rather than enforcing it.

'People in Sweden have a high level of trust in government agencies. This means that a large proportion of people follow government agencies' advice,' officials say.

'In the current situation, people in Sweden are on the whole acting responsibly to reduce the spread of infection by, for example, restricting their social contacts.

'This crisis may continue for a long time, and in order for the measures to work over time, people need to understand and accept them.'

Young people sit around a table in central Stockholm over the Easter weekend. The number of reported deaths has risen sharply since very low figures were released at the weekend

People sit outdoors in Stockholm at the weekend, with Swedish authorities still holding out against imposing a lockdown

However, the government has faced growing criticism as its death rate leaps ahead of that in Finland, Denmark and Norway.

'The authorities and the government stupidly did not believe that the epidemic would reach Sweden at all,' claimed Bo Lundback, professor of epidemiology at the University of Gothenburg.

Lundback and 21 other researchers urged the government to reconsider and institute 'rapid and radical measures' in a joint newspaper article on Tuesday.

'Sweden was poorly or even not at all prepared,' Lundback said.

Last week, health officials announced 40 percent of deaths in the Stockholm region - the epicentre of the epidemic - could be traced to retirement and care homes.

Even with measures targeting these institutions, half of the retirement homes in the capital have had cases of the virus.

One-third of the country's municipalities had reported cases in retirement homes, public radio reported in early April.

The government has had trouble explaining the outbreaks.

'We still don't quite know the reason, but there aren't too many things to choose from,' Health Minister Lena Hallengren said earlier this month.

'Either the ban on visits hasn't been enforced or staff with symptoms, or that didn't think they had symptoms, have gone to work,' she wrote.

Sweden has also vowed to spend more than 100billion kronor (8billion) to address the economic impact of the pandemic.

Despite the lack of a lockdown, the Swedish economy is expected to shrink by around four per cent this year.
A group of around 10 healthcare workers and supporters stood six feet apart outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan as part of a national protest demanding PPE over profit for about an hour Wednesday night in Ann Arbor.

Additional supporters also drove by holding signs or having them taped to their vehicles as they waved and honked in encouragement.

Local organizer for the rally, Ann Jackson said, "There are people that are still getting sick, healthcare workers getting sick, Jackson said, "Our need for PPE is not going anywhere, and the most limited supply you have, you're lookin at it, it's the healthcare workers."

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Nicole Hester

University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

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Nicole Hester

People pass by a bus stop as University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

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Nicole Hester

Ann Jackson stands with other University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

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Nicole Hester

Supporters display signs from their cars and honk as they drive by University of Michigan healthcare worker activists while they participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

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Nicole Hester

University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

Protest signs are placed six feet apart while University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

Protest signs are placed six feet apart while University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

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Nicole Hester

University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

Supporters display signs from their cars and honk as they drive by University of Michigan healthcare worker activists while they participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

Supporters display signs from their cars and honk as they drive by University of Michigan healthcare worker activists while they participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

Supporters display signs from their cars and honk as they drive by University of Michigan healthcare worker activists while they participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Nicole Hester

Supporters display signs from their cars and honk as they drive by University of Michigan healthcare worker activists while they participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020.

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Bengaluru, April 16 : Thousands of devout Muslims across Karnataka would offer prayers at home during Ramadan from April 24/25 due to ban on congregations at mosques/shrines during the extended lockdown, an official said on Thursday.

"All Muslims are advised to offer congregational prayers (salat) and break their fast in the evening at home during Ramadan due to lockdown extension, a Wakf Board official said in a statement here.

The central government has extended the lockdown since April 15 up to May 3 to contain the coronavirus spread after its first phase for 21 days from March 25.

According to the state's Imarat-e-Sharia, fasting during Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam and considered as the most-blessed holy month by Muslims the world over.

"As mosques and darghas (shrines) will remain closed for public and religious congregations are prohibited due to Covid-19 outbreak, azan at low decibel and prayer (namaz), including Jumma (Friday) prayers will be held by the Pesh Imams, Muazzans and masjid staff only," said the official in the statement.

The Wakf Board chief executive has also directed the imams to announce in three languages (Urdu, Hindi and Kannada) four times a day through public address system that devotes should not visit mosques for Ramadan sahri, fasting iftar and taravee prayers till May 3.

"Arrangements should not be made for Dawat-e-Sahri or Iftar; no preparation of porridge in mosques for distribution in the nearby areas (mohallas) and no eatery shops should be allowed near mosques in the interest of public health," said the statement.

The board warned the trustees of mosques/shrines that action would be taken against them in the event of a violation.
Two women were killed and a man was injured in a house fire early Tuesday morning in Shelby County, authorities said Wednesday.

The Shelby County Sheriffs Office and members of the Shelby Volunteer and Kingdom Volunteer fire departments responded to the blaze around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Bethlehem Church Road in Shelby when they found a man outside the home suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. The male victim was flown to a local hospital for treatment.

Two women were found dead inside the home, the Shelby County Sheriffs Office said.

The state Fire Marshals office is investigating the blaze, although the preliminary investigation indicated that the fire was not related to a criminal act.

Our thoughts and prayers are with this family and their friends as we are saddened by their loss," said Sheriff John Samaniego. I want to thank the Shelby Volunteer Fire Department, the Kingdom Volunteer Fire Department, the Shelby County Coroners Office, Haynes Life Flight, and the Alabama Fire Marshals Office for all of the assistance received during this tragic incident.
Mindfulness fosters passion and inner peace, creativity and resilience. Just what marketers need to do their best, even in stressful times.

B2B marketing training leader MarketingProfs is offering two free webinars to help marketers manage stress and improve their marketing skills even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt marketers' personal and business lives.

The pandemic has brought about upheaval to the business world, not least in how companies worldwide are conducting business. Meanwhile, parents find themselves trying to balance working from home and using unfamiliar technologies with home-schooling, and millions are worried about the financial implications.

These webinars emerged out of MarketingProfs' desire to help marketers feel a measure of normalcy in trying times, as well as prepare themselves for the new normal after the pandemic, MarketingProfs CEO Joe Terry explained.

"With stay-at-home orders affecting entire cities, and even countries, and a record number filing for unemployment in the US, stress levels are at an all-time high," Terry said. "Many of us are trying to find and create meaning in our work amid reshuffled priorities."

To help assuage stress and provide a sense of solace during this difficult time, as well as help marketers with career-related training for what may come afterward, MarketingProfs has organized two webinars presented by leaders their fields.

On April 17, Allen Weiss, MarketingProfs founder and head of Mindful USC, in Los Angeles, will be hosting a live mindfulness webinar titled Relax, Release, Realign: The Art of Mindful Living. Designed specifically to help marketers focus on their mental stability, develop balance with their emotions, and achieve a sense of normalcy during these strange times, the webinar is free and open to all.

Mindfulness fosters passion and inner peace, creativity and resilience. Just what marketers need to do their best, even in stressful times, Weiss explained.

Following up, on April 24, MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Ann Handley will be hosting her first-ever Tiny House Talk, How to Write Your Face Off & Love Doing it: Writing for Non-Writers. In this free webinar, broadcast live from her tiny house office, Ann will be helping marketers embrace the power and opportunity that writing provides.

Writing is the foundation of so much great marketing, Handley said. My goal is to help Marketing level-up their writing and have fun doing it.

To learn more about these webinars, please visit http://www.marketingprofs.com/events.

About MarketingProfs

MarketingProfs is a training and education provider dedicated to helping B2B marketers drive tangible business results. MarketingProfs produces training programs, online events, conferences (including MarketingProfs B2B Forum), and supplementary free resources that are all based on MarketingProfs Campaign Framework, a proven methodology that give marketers a blueprint for successful campaign management. Companies like Infosys, Penn Mutual, Guidehouse (formerly Navigant), and Kaplan rely on MarketingProfs to provide learning programs for their in-house marketing teams and more than 550,000 marketers worldwide trust MarketingProfs as their top marketing resource.
Italy has recorded 3,786 new people infected by coronavirus - nearly 50 per cent higher than the previous day's increase and the largest rise for four days.

Deaths from the epidemic in Italy increased by 525 today, but this was down from 578 the day before.

But the number of cases accelerated sharply to 3,786, from the previous day total of 2,667 - a 1,119 increase. Italy now has a total of 168,941 confirmed infections.

The daily death toll was the lowest since Sunday, while the tally of new infections was the highest since Sunday.

The country that was once the epicentre of European infections and was seeing the rate of infections and deaths stabilise, sparking authorities to reopen parts of the economy.

The sharp increase in infections today will concern the government as they start to open up the Italian economy - despite strict restrictions put in place on March 9 still in force.

On Tuesday shoppers were back on the streets in Austria and Italy as Europe took its first cautious steps out of the coronavirus lockdown.

Italy is opening a handful of stores including bookshops and stationery shops in a trial to see how social distancing measures can work after the lockdown, which otherwise remains in force.

However, some regions have chosen not to take full advantage. Bookshops will not open for another week in Rome and will stay closed altogether in Lombardy.

In Venice, residents in mandatory face masks ventured out to see quiet streets and canals that once thronged with selfie-stick wielding tourists.

The Italian Red Cross ambulance during the transport of a Covid19 patient in Catania today

'I bought many books,' Venetian Catrina told a reporter after visiting one of the city's bookshops, which were allowed to reopen this week.

'I needed them. Like an addict -- for something of substance.'

Switzerland announced an easing of restrictions, with some shops and services -- including beauty salons and DIY stores -- allowed to resume business from April 27.

Germany also announced initial steps to reopen some shops and gradually restart schools, Denmark began reopening schools for younger children after a month-long closure and Finland lifted a blockade of Helsinki.

The total death toll in Italy since the outbreak came to light on February 21 rose to 22,170, the Civil Protection Agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.

The number of officially confirmed cases climbed to 168,941, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.

There were 2,936 people in intensive care on Thursday against 3,079 on Wednesday -- a 13th consecutive daily decline.

Of those originally infected, 40,164 were declared recovered against 38,092 a day earlier.
(Natural News) Researchers from Sehan University and Ewha Womans University in South Korea examined the effects of auricular acupressure on obesity in adolescents. Their findings were published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

Adolescent obesity is increasing globally, so finding a suitable intervention for it is necessary.

To test the potential of auricular acupressure, the researchers recruited 58 obese adolescents and divided them into two groups: the experimental (32 participants) group and the control (32 participants) group.

The former received auricular acupressure using vaccaria seeds while the latter received a placebo auricular acupressure for eight weeks.

Body weight, abdominal circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, body-mass index, body-fat mass, body-fat percentage, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum glucose and leptin were considered as outcome measures.

The researchers reported that at the end of the intervention, the experimental group showed significant improvements in total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels compared with the control group.

Based on their results, the researchers concluded that auricular acupressure using vaccaria seeds can decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in adolescents with obesity.

Journal Reference:

Cha HS, Park H. EFFECTS OF AURICULAR ACUPRESSURE ON OBESITY IN ADOLESCENTS. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. May 2019;35:316322. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.03.014
African Union body plans to distribute a million COVID-19 test kits from next week to help continent tackle shortfall.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) plans to distribute one million COVID-19 test kits from next week to help countries across the continent address a testing shortfall, according to the director of the African Union body.

There is a big gap on the continent on testing, John Nkengasong said at a weekly press conference on Thursday at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. Something has to be done.

Official figures show that Africa has so far been hit less hard than other continents by COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, with 911 known deaths and 3,546 registered recoveries among 17,247 confirmed cases.

But limited testing in many countries has deprived African officials of a full picture of the diseases spread.

Nkengasong noted that the problem was especially apparent in the continents two most populous countries.

Nigeria, with nearly 200 million people, has conducted about 6,000 tests, while Ethiopia, with more than 100 million people, has conducted about 5,000, he said.





Distributing a million new test kits is still far short of what is needed, Nkengasong said.

Over the next three months or six months, we probably need like 15 million tests, however, a journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first mile, he said.

PACT

The distribution of testing kits is part of a new programme called the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing, or PACT.

Another component of the programme involves working with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to get more African community health workers engaged in contact tracing, Nkengasong said.

Health officials in various parts of the continent are also trying to assess equipment needs.

While South Africa has about 1,500 ventilators  breathing machines that can be essential to saving patients in serious COVID-19 cases  there are 10 countries in Africa that have none at all, Nkengasong said.

The World Health Organization has said fewer than 5,000 intensive care unit beds are available across 43 of the continents 54 countries, noting This is about five beds per one million people in the reported countries compared to 4,000 beds per one million people in Europe.

Last week, African Union officials said countries on the continent are struggling to compete with wealthier states for testing kits and other equipment necessary to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The cornerstone to preventing any disease is to test. Only when were able to test will we be able to trace contracts and administer treatment if needed, Kwesi Quartey, deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission, said.

According to Africa CDC, the African countries with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are South Africa (2,506), Egypt (2,505), Algeria (2,160), Morocco (2,024) and Cameroon (855).
Chennai, April 16 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Thursday said the number of persons testing positive is coming down and just 25 tested positive in the last 24 hours.

He also said the number of persons who lost their lives due to Covid-19 in the state stands at 15 and the number of patients discharged is at 180.

Palaniswami said the number of persons who tested positive in the last 24 hours was 25 and the total number of persons infected with coronavirus was 1,267.

He said the number of persons testing positive for coronavirus infection in the state is coming down due to the actions taken by the state government.

According to him, only the wealthy people who returned to India from overseas have transmitted the coronavirus here.

Palaniswami said an official group has been formed to suggest the relaxations from the lockdown restrictions after April 20.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
No matter how important the extended lockdown to arrest the spread of coronavirus, people are finding it difficult to stay home for another three weeks. From virtual hangouts on apps like Zoom to finding discovering new hobbies, people are making the best of available resources to make the lockdown days fun.

Recently, two friends on Twitter were planning to meet by defying lockdown in Pune. But their conversations caught the attention of the Pune Police and they were quick to foil their then and there with a savage reply.

3rd May tak nahi hoega sorry (It will not be possible to meet till May 3, sorry), wrote one of the friends named Parth (@ParthEkal). To this, another friend named Indrajeet (@Jaggu_4) replied, Well meet uske pehele kabhi toh (We will meet before that).

3rd May tak nahi hoega sorry Parth (@ParthEkal) April 14, 2020

We'll meet uske pehele kabhi toh jaggu (@jaggu__4) April 14, 2020

Thereafter Parth said, Jaggu, we can meet right now. You stay 1 street across. Tu bol fkta kadhi (You just tell when).

Jaggu we can meet right now. You stay 1 street across. Tu bol fkta kadhi Parth (@ParthEkal) April 14, 2020

Soon, Pune police virtually raided the plan saying, Hey! Even wed like to join and give you company for longer! Tumhi saanga fakt kuthe ani kadhi? (You just tell us when and where).

Hey! Even we'd like to join and give you company for longer! Tumhi saanga fakt kuthe ani kadhi? https://t.co/TnJOROnmgy PUNE POLICE (@PuneCityPolice) April 14, 2020

The reply by the Pune Police left netizens in splits. See the funny reactions:

Ahahaha a good 1.30 am laugh this was  @PuneCityPolice Hahahaha Mumbai Ki Rani (@mymalishka) April 14, 2020

You don't even need to know the language to know that someone got his a** handed to him! VIN NAIR (@vinsinners) April 14, 2020

 Hamare dil me aap ke liye ijjat aur badh gai Ram Pawar (@RamPawa34478083) April 14, 2020

The Centre has extended the lockdown till May 3. In India, over 12,000 people have tested positive for the COVID-19, and the death toll has climbed to 400.
RESPONSE TO THE MINISTER FOR GENDER AND SOCIAL PROTECTION IN RESPECT OF HER STATEMENT REGARDING FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN KLOTTEY-KORLE AND BEYOND



My attention has been drawn to a statement by the Minister responsible for Gender and Social Protection, Mrs. Cynthia Mamle Morrison in which she makes strenuous but unconvincing efforts to address the disturbing occurrences regarding distribution of food in these difficult times.



For the record, I wish to reiterate that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a major humanitarian crisis which does not warrant partisanship in extending support to the vulnerable.



It is imperative to recall that long before those of us in Klottey-Korle came to terms with what appears to be unconscionable levels of partisan discrimination in the distribution of food in our constituency, several of such reports had been widely reported. Indeed, Ghanaweb put out a video report of a lady who had been denied food because she could not produce an NPP card as far back as 10th April, 2020. The NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Mr. John Dumelo had to locate the said lady and make donations to her following that report.



My colleague MP in the Ablekuma South Constituecy Dr. Oko Vanderpuije had to also go public about how food intended for the poor was being distributed in NPP vehicles under the direct supervision of the NPP candidate for that constituency. Dr. Oko Vanderpuije before speaking to the press about the unfortunate development had called Mrs. Cynthia Mamle Morrison on phone to bring the matter to her notice and to register his protest.



The media continues to report similar situations of seeming partisanship in food distribution across many lockdown constituencies. This is complimentary to reports from many Ghanaians who have shared their ordeal on social media.



This development is unGhanaian and inhumane and has led Civil Society Organisations such as the Center for Women in Politics (ACWP) to issue statements a few days ago condemning the practice.



Respectfully, I was expecting the Minister to have acted statesmanly by engaging me to assist her with evidence from the ground. At least she could have promised to launch an investigation into all these reports to determine the veracity or otherwise of the widespread claims. But rather unfortunately, she chose the path of name calling and engaging in old fashioned political shenanigans. A path I refuse to tread.



I call on the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to institute credible investigations into the seeming politicization of food distribution in this time of crisis. My constituents and I stand ready to cooperate and to present unimpeachable evidence before such an investigative panel.



May we learn to eschew needless partisanship in this defining period in the history of humankind and come together in true unity to win the war against COVID-19 and to protect the vulnerable adversely impacted in these apocalyptic times.



Signed,

Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings

[MP, Klottey-Korley Constituency]









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The United Kingdom has pledged 65 million ($81 million) aid package to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as part of efforts to help tackle the global COVID-19 pandemic.



The package is part of a broader 200 million package support to UK charities and international organisations to help eliminate mass infections in developing countries, which lacked the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus.



A News release issued by the UK Government and made available to the Ghana News Agency by the British High Commission in Accra, said the announcement broght the total amount of UK aid committed to the global fight against coronavirus to 744 million, making the UK one of the biggest donors to the international response.



Health experts have identified the weakness of developing countries healthcare systems as one of the biggest risks to the global spread of the virus.



They have also warned that if coronavirus is left to spread in developing countries, this could lead to the virus re-emerging in the UK later in the year and put further pressure on our NHS.



It said the new UK aid package included; 130 million for UN agencies in response to their urgent appeal for support; of this, 65 million would go to the WHO, which is coordinating international efforts to end the pandemic sooner.



It said the UK funding for the WHO would help provide more accurate assessments of how the pandemic was progressing around the world, allowing support to be targeted, where it would save the most lives and stop the outbreak sooner, and helping countries respond to the virus.



It noted that the pandemic was particularly dangerous for countries with weak health systems that were already struggling to fight preventable diseases.



It said the funding would also help developing countries to rapidly identify and care for patients with symptoms in order to limit human-to-human transmission.



Our investment will help install new hand-washing stations and isolation and treatment centres in refugee camps, and increase access to clean water for those living in areas of armed conflict.



Madam Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK International Development Secretary said: While our brilliant doctors and nurses fight coronavirus at home, were deploying British expertise and funding around the world to prevent a second deadly wave reaching the UK.



Coronavirus does not respect country borders so our ability to protect the British public will only be effective if we strengthen the healthcare systems of vulnerable developing countries too.



The release noted that a further 50 million of the 200 million package would support the Red Cross in difficult to reach areas such as those suffering from armed conflict.



It said a final 20 million would go to NGOs, including; UK charities which were using British expertise and experience to deal with coronavirus.



It said pioneering British scientists and researchers like those at Oxford University and at Mologic, based in Bedford, were already at the forefront of the global race to find a coronavirus vaccine and stop its spread, including; within the UK.



It said the UK had already committed 250 million of aid to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to rapidly develop a coronavirus vaccine, the biggest donation of any country; stating that Thanks to this investment, future vaccines will be made available at the lowest possible price to the NHS and other countries healthcare systems.



The release said the announcement of the aid package followed the Prime Ministers call to world leaders to work together to create a vaccine as quickly as possible and make it available to anyone who needed it.



Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization said: COVID-19 had demonstrated it had no regard for borders, ethnicities, ideologies or the size of a countrys economy.



The UKs generous contribution is a strong statement that this is a global threat that demands a global response.



He intimated that the WHO was deeply grateful to the Government and people of the UK for their generous contribution.



We are all in this together, which means protecting health around the world will help to protect the health of people in the UK, Dr Ghebreyesus stated.



The release said the UK aid support for the WHO would not only help developing countries, but would also benefit the UK through further research into the virus and improved international coordination.

Source: GNA









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The matter that has recently come up is astonishing. To avoid the outbreak of Corona virus, many countries have completely locked down and have implemented strict rules of social distancing.

Youth committed suicide due to increasing lockdown

According to the news, suspected patients of Corona admitted in the Quarantine Center have started making physical relations with each other. All the people living in government quarantine have started making physical relations with each other. This case is of Uganda. Where the Health Department Corona is stunned by this attitude of the suspects. According to the reports, Secretary of the Uganda Ministry of Health Dianna Atwine said that "We are worried that this will drain the efforts to stop the coronavirus epidemic. People are moving from one room to another to make connections with the people they met at the Quarantine Centers. This will spread the coronavirus infection further."

Crimes against women decreased in Delhi, reports revealed

"Ugandan citizens are not serious about the risk of coronavirus. Some people living in Quarantine are having an affair. They are going to the rooms of others. Apart from the affair with strangers, some people are roaming around in the hotel to meet their friends and cousins. This is very dangerous and it is really embarrassing."

Indias Youngest Influencer Soumyabrata Giris Mantra Towards Success Revealed!
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

The trade turnover between Turkey and Russia increased by $81.6 million in February 2020 compared to the same month of 2019, exceeding $1.9 billion, Trend reports citing the Turkish Trade Ministry.

In February 2020, Turkeys export to Russia amounted to $373 million, while import from Russia - $1.5 billion.

From January through February 2020, trade turnover between Turkey and Russia increased by $381.1 million compared to the same period of 2020, exceeding $4.2 billion.

During the reporting period, export from Turkey to Russia amounted to $705.5 million, while import from Russia - $3.5 billion.

Turkeys foreign trade turnover exceeded $32.2 billion in February 2020.

In February 2020, export from Turkey increased by 2.3 percent compared to February 2019, exceeding $14.6 billion.

Turkey's import increased by 9.8 percent in February 2020 compared to the same month of 2019 and exceeded $17.6 billion.

From January through February 2020, Turkey's trade turnover exceeded $66.1 billion. Meanwhile, Turkeys export increased by 4.1 percent compared to the same period of 2019, reaching $29.3 billion.

Over the reporting period, Turkeys import increased by 14.3 percent compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $36.8 billion.

The foreign trade turnover of Turkey exceeded $374.2 billion in 2019.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
GREECE, N.Y.  Families in Greece, New York, are receiving texts that their bread has arrived, their soap has been dropped off and their school supplies are on the front step. But the items aren't being delivered by an Instacart shopper.

They're toted by a selfless teacher.

While students can't see their instructors during the coronavirus shutdown, Brookside Elementary School first-grade teacher Deborah Cowley is giving new meaning to the concept of home-schooling.

Cowley is making surprise visits to her students' houses. She's driving by them for birthday parades. And she's mailing personalized cards to them.

"She sent us a text saying, 'Look outside.' My son was over-the-moon excited because his teacher was here," said Lorraine Kane, whose son Nick, 6, is in Cowley's class. "One day she dropped bread in our mailbox. She is so much more than a teacher. She's basically their mom away from home."

Talk to Cowley for a few minutes and you'll wish she was your mom away from home, too. She's a quirky, endearing chatterbox but prefers to operate as a helper without recognition. (In our conversation, she offered to knit my pregnant wife a baby blanket and told me she'd bring me diapers because she's a couponer.)

Brookside Elementary School first-grade teacher Deborah Cowley visited her students door to door to tell them she misses them.

During the school closures, Cowley sent all 20 of her students a letter and self-addressed stamped envelope so they could be pen pals, and she celebrated virtual spirit week by dressing in sock monkey pajamas.

One of her students doesn't have access to the internet or a computer, so Cowley drops off learning materials. She has only been leaving her house once a week to shop for her elderly mother but will make a pit stop from a safe distance on the way home.

"She showed up to our house holding a sign up to the window that said 'I miss you! I love you!' " said Charissa Cutaia, whose daughter Ava has Cowley. "The kids don't understand why they're not going back to school and it was a sense of normalcy to see her teacher.

Story continues

"It's huge. The kids absolutely love her."

Tragedy led to new outlook

Cowley has faced heartbreak in her career. More than a decade ago, she taught two students who  in separate incidents  were murdered by their fathers. Those tragedies molded her into part educator, part protector.

"I kind of view students a little bit differently, so I always let my students know how much they are cared for," Cowley said. "I have their back. I try to make sure they know they are safe and they are loved."

They love her back. When her students sit down with their parents to compile birthday party guest lists, they routinely insist on inviting Cowley. She always RSVPs yes.

Chuck E. Cheese, Adventure Landing, Laser Quest, bounce houses  Cowley says she has "probably been to every birthday party place around here."

Cowley, 50, was originally an accountant. But for an extrovert like her, working 9 to 5 in a cubicle was a social distancing nightmare. So she enrolled in Nazareth College for her master's degree in education and has been in the Greece school district for 23 years.

Cowley talks to her student Nick Kane every morning. When school was in session, he would phone Cowley for encouragement before the bus arrived. She's teaching him to overcome his fears, and he's teaching her how to use the talk-to-text feature on her phone.

"My appreciation for her is indescribable," Lorraine Kane said. "Well look back and say, 'Remember when we were self-quarantining and Mrs. Cowley would stop by?' It shows the kindness people have."

This is what China did to beat coronavirus: Experts say America couldn't handle it

Florida has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order amid coronavirus crisis:Some support Gov. Ron DeSantis' approach. Others don't.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Greece, New York teacher visits homes after coronavirus closes schools
Pastor Chuck Salvo delivers his sermon to the congregation during a drive-in service at On Fire Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., on April 5, 2020. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Mississippi Mayor Allows Drive-In Church Services Following Guidance From Governor

A local government mayor who has been sued over his ban of drive-in church services is now allowing congregants to attend such services as long as they comply with federal social distancing requirements.

On April 7, the City of Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons issued an executive order that barred churches from holding in-person or drive-in services until the governors shelter-in-place order is lifted. Instead, the order encouraged churches to hold services online, through social media, and other telephonic platforms.

Following the order, a number of churches sued the city and Simmons for allegedly violating the First Amendment of the Constitution and state laws protecting religious freedoms.

While many of the churches are holding services online, the churchesTemple Baptist Church and King James Bible Baptist Churchthat sued said that some of their congregants did not have social media or did not know how to connect online. Temple Baptist Church also did not have a website where it could live-stream its services, the church said.

Senior Pastor Troy Dobbs speaks to empty pews after Grace Church Eden Prairie decided to present worship music and the sermon to an estimated 3,500 online viewers in Eden Prairie, Minnesota on March 15, 2020. Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

Simmons said on Wednesday that the city arrived at the decision to allow drive-in church services after receiving guidance from Gov. Tate Reeves, who said drive-in church services where families stay in their cars with windows up were safe.

Today, given the definite guidance from the governor, in the City of Greenville, we will allow drive-in and parking lot services in the city so long as families stay in their cars with windows up and all state and federal social distancing guidelines and mandates and standards should be adhered to and complied with during this time, Simmons said at a press conference on Wednesday.

He added that next Tuesday the city will discuss what they would do with its April 7 executive order in light of the governors guidance.

Reeves had designated churches and other religious entities as an essential business or operation that can operate as long as they abide by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) guidelines while issuing a series of directives relating to the states shelter-in-place order.

Simmons said in a statement to The Epoch Times prior to the governors Wednesday guidance that the city had received many calls about violations of in-person church services and drive-in church services because congregants were getting out of their cars leading to its April 7 order. He also added that the city had been asking the governor to clarify its position on drive-in services following its order.

This comes after a second Greenville church, King James Bible Baptist Church, filed a lawsuit (pdf) against the city and Simmons earlier on Wednesday, challenging the April 7 order.

The church said police officers tried to break up one of its drive-in services on April 9 where congregants remained in their cars through the service. Although the police officers did not ticket the congregants, the church said they were intimidated by the police and fearful that they would eventually be ticketed.

Last week, another Greenville church, Temple Baptist Church, sued the city and mayor in an attempt to block the order. Like King James, Temple Baptist Church broadcasted its service over a low-power FM transmitter to congregants who sat in parked cars outside the church with their windows rolled up. As they listened to the sermon, police officers began issuing $500 tickets to congregants who refused to leave, even though nobody was outside his or her car, that church asserted. Simmons has since rescinded the tickets to the congregants.

A sign on the door to Grace Church Eden Prairie pointed churchgoers to online services after church leadership decided to present worship music and the sermon to an estimated 3,500 online viewers in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on March 15, 2020. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

The dispute between an individuals right to exercise religious freedom with local and state officials efforts to contain the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus has been a contentious issue in recent weeks as the pandemic continues to reshape American lives. The tension between localities and religious leaders has sparked multiple lawsuits across the country.

Temple Baptist Churchs case attracted the support of the Department of Justice (DOJ), who defended the church in a statement of interest filed on Tuesday.

The department argued that although its important for local and state officials to impose restrictions to enforce social distancing, they arent allowed to single out church and religious entities for distinctive treatment.

Any government restriction must be neutral, in that any restriction applied on religious activity must be applied the same as to a non-religious activity, Attorney General William Barr said in a statement.

For example, if a government allows movie theaters, restaurants, concert halls, and other comparable places of assembly to remain open and unrestricted, it may not order houses of worship to close, limit their congregation size, or otherwise impede religious gatherings, he said. Religious institutions must not be singled out for special burdens.

The DOJ argued in its filing that the facts support the allegations that the City of Greenville had singled out churches for distinctive treatment because churches are forbidden to hold drive-in services, even as citizens are permitted to sit in a car at a drive-in restaurant with their windows rolled down.

Even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers, Barr said.

The department also argued that individual rights under the constitution must be preserved during a public health crisis although the Constitution does not hobble government from taking necessary, temporary measures to meet a genuine emergency.

Pastor Jim Erickson delivers a sermon streamed to online viewers, standing in front of empty pews in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on March 15, 2020. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

Responding to a question about the two lawsuits, Simmons said he would not be able to speak on them too much as they were still in litigation.

The issue primarily in both lawsuits, in my reading of them, of course, this is in litigation so Im not going to speak too much about it, is the drive-through parking lot service, he said. Those attorneys are aware that there has not been clear guidance. So we have clear guidance, bold clear guidance from the governor. We are saying now that in Greenville that if people need to go to parking lot services, if they so choose, but have their windows up.

Jeremy Dys, special counsel for First Liberty Institute, who is representing King James in the suit, thanked the governor and mayor for allowing drive-in church services.

We thank Governor Reeves and Mayor Simmons for recognizing the importance of protecting religious liberty by clarifying that drive-in church services are allowed during this difficult time, Dys said. Pastor Hamilton looks forward to being able to continue to meet the spiritual needs of his congregation while also abiding by public health guidelines and the Governors policy.
Until she served a short stint at Miami's Federal Detention Center, former Mrs. Florida Karyn Turk thought she'd seen it all.

But not even binge-watching Orange Is The New Black on Netflix, she said, prepared her for 30 days in the slammer, the result of a guilty plea to stealing her dying mother's social security checks.

Every single day, she told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview days after she was released, brought its share of eyebrow-raising, eye-rolling, forehead-slapping moments.

Like when Turk, a frequent Mar-a-Lago visitor and conservative commentator on cable news, watched fellow inmates instantly create an elaborate communication network between cells throughout the building.

'It takes fat bodies, which are plentiful in prison, but it works,' the pageant-skinny Turk told DailyMail.com in her first post-prison interview.

Former Mrs. Florida Karyn Turk sat down for an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com after being released from prison after 30 days

Last October, Turk pleaded guilty to social security fraud for cashing $46,000 of her mother Ilse Schafer's (left and right) social security checks

Every single day, she told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview days after she was released, brought its share of eyebrow-raising, eye-rolling, forehead-slapping moments

Homemade sex toys were often confiscated during cell searches at Miami's Federal Detention Center (pictured). In one sweep for contraband, Turk reported, she watched guards seize several types of home-made dildos

'Women with particularly ample buttocks sit on the toilet until they create suction inside the porcelain bowl. They go up and down like a pump until the water at the bottom of the toilet is gone.

'Then, you form a tube by folding a long piece of cardboard that you stick into the hole and, suddenly, you can hear and talk to others throughout the prison.

Sex is plentiful and prevalent among the all-female inmates on her floor, the 5th floor.

While a few female guards work with the female inmates, most guards assigned to women's housing are men.

'There is sex between inmates and guards in the back of the kitchen area,' she said.

There is sex between inmates, sometimes four at a time or more in a cell that guards have to break up.

'There is sex between inmates, sometimes four at a time or more in a cell that guards have to break up.'

Homemade sex toys were often confiscated during cell searches. In one sweep for contraband, Turk reported, she watched guards seize several types of home-made dildos.

'One popular type is turkey sausage from the commissary wrapped in the fingers of cut-up plastic gloves,' Turk said. 'There's also the kind made from hardened and expanded tampons and stuffing from maxi pads packed into plastic gloves.'

Large sanitary napkins are used for just about everything in the slammer, the 2016 winner of Mrs. Florida said.

'You use maxi pads all the time,' Turk said, adding 12-packs are given free to female inmates.

'You can use them to wash dishes in your cell, make shower shoes, clean the floor, block air vents when it's too cold and make eye-masks at night. Everything.'

Turk (pictured with Trump) is frequent Mar-a-Lago visitor and conservative commentator on cable news,

Turk kept meticulous notes of her ordeal and agreed to share them with DailyMail.com so that, she said, the public can find out what really goes on behind the gates of federal prisons and how their tax dollars go to waste. The beauty queen's guilty plea meant she had to trade in her hair and nail extensions for the serial number 20447104. Pictured: Turk with Roger Stone (left) and Don Trump Jr (right)

She said she also watched guards smuggle items into the prison, mostly pillows, fruits, vegetables, particularly avocados, valued and rare because they are never served in meals, and candies.

At least, she said, that's the items she saw first-hand.

Drugs, including the synthetic marijuana K2, and cellphones obviously find their way into the allegedly secure facility.

And all the illegal activity, Turk said, occurs because a high number of surveillance cameras simply aren't working, or are not monitored.

'As inmates, we all know which camera does or doesn't work,' she said.

So, how did a beauty queen and society stalwart end up trading her hair and nail extensions for the serial number 20447104?

Last October, Turk pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of social security fraud for cashing $46,000 of her mother's social security checks.

Turk claimed she used the money to pay for her mother's personal care in a home for the elderly, the Finnish-American Village in Lake Worth, Fla.

The facility's brass, however, were not getting paid.

Turk said her troubles started when she filed a neglect lawsuit against Finnish-American after she found large bedsores on the back of her mother, 83-year-old Ilse Schafer. Schafer died at the facility in June 2019.

Despite the fact she had no criminal record, Turk ended up sentenced to 30 days in prison then five months under house arrest at her beachside condo in Boca Raton.

She appealed her sentencing, but the appeal couldn't be heard before March 2, the day she surrendered into the 1,200-inmate prison in downtown Miami.

Turk claimed she used her mother's social security checks to pay for her mother's personal care in a home for the elderly but the facility's brass were not getting paid. Pictured: Childhood photos of Turk and her mother

Turk said her troubles started when she filed a neglect lawsuit against Finnish-American after she found large bedsores on the back of her mother (pictured). Schafer died at the facility in June 2019

Turk kept meticulous notes of her ordeal and agreed to share them with DailyMail.com so that, she said, the public can find out what really goes on behind the gates of federal prisons and how their tax dollars go to waste.

Turk told fellow inmates she would share her notes with the media, and that untied many tongues in Unit A-West, a collection of maximum-security cells housing 70 or so women.

But unlike regular inmates who work at dozens of jobs throughout the prison, Turk said detention center officials refused to allow her to be occupied.

'It was told unequivocally that they didn't want me to see certain things,' Turk said.

DailyMail.com emailed requests for comment to the warden and the Bureau of Prisons headquarters in Washington, D.C., but no one responded.

It was told unequivocally that they didn't want me to see certain things.

Over the years, the prison hosted the likes of deposed Panama dictator Manuel Noriega, convicted of drug trafficking and yanked out of office by invading U.S. troops in late 1989, as well as rappers Kodak Black, who's incarcerated on weapons charges, and Fat Joe, who served four months for tax evasion.

Built within earshot of some of the city's most expensive residential towers, the 20-floor detention center has several levels of security depending on the floor where inmates are held.

The women are kept separate from the male inmates. Nearly all the women are in pre-trial detention and have not been convicted of a crime.

'When I first arrived,' Turk tells DailyMail.com, 'the cold is the first thing I noticed, like walking into a fridge. It felt like 50 degrees. They do not provide any long-sleeved shirts. You are given a tee-shirt and a jumper, and what looks like used underwear and socks.

'When I was finally taken upstairs, I was given a blanket, two bedding sheets and a small towel. I got toothbrush, toothpaste and a roll of toilet paper.

Turk told fellow inmates she would share her notes with the media, and that untied many tongues in Unit A-West, a collection of maximum-security cells housing 70 or so women. But unlike regular inmates who work at dozens of jobs throughout the prison, Turk said detention center officials refused to allow her to be occupied. 'It was told unequivocally that they didn't want me to see certain things,' Turk said. Pictured: Turk upon her release from prison on March 31

One thing surprised Turk, the mother of four children and the wife of a prominent West Palm Beach lawyer: there was much less animosity among inmates than she expected. Turk is now under five months of house arrest in Boca Raton

'Despite the cold, you are not allowed to use the blanket during the day. Your bed must be made at all times except at night.

'You can buy a sweatshirt at the commissary to put under your short sleeves. But you can only order stuff every other week. And many women just don't have any money at all.'

The cleanliness, Turk said, is left to be desired despite the fact the facility was built just 25 years ago.

'Where you eat, you've got to cover your plate because dust is falling from the ceiling,' she said. 'There's also black mold in the showers and almost everywhere else.'

I was one of the only white girls in there and one in eight held for white-collar crimes while everybody else was facing charges for murder and kidnapping and human trafficking. I was a serious minority. I felt like an alien.

One thing surprised Turk, the mother of four children and the wife of a prominent West Palm Beach lawyer: there was much less animosity among inmates than she expected.

'I was one of the only white girls in there and one in eight held for white-collar crimes while everybody else was facing charges for murder and kidnapping and human trafficking,' explains Turk, a public relations consultant who plans to return to her job after the coronavirus crisis. 'I was a serious minority. I felt like an alien.'

Turk figured out early not to mess with makeshift altars where food was left in offerings by the Cuban followers of the Santeria deity Chango.

'There were cliques,' Turk said. 'There were the Cuban women who practiced Santeria. They left oatmeal cookies and apples and small cups of coffee in some corners of my unit.

'Everybody knew not to touch that stuff, or they'd put a curse on you. Those Cubans didn't get along with the other Cubans who don't do Santeria and were placing curses on them.'

Many of her fellow inmates, she said, were addicted to drugs.

Turk said a peculiar smell assaulted her nostrils as soon as she entered her unit for the first time.

The smell penetrated even the fabric of her clothes.

Many of her fellow inmates, she said, were addicted to drugs. Turk said a peculiar smell assaulted her nostrils as soon as she entered her unit for the first time. The smell penetrated even the fabric of her clothes. 'I found out this was synthetic marijuana, something called K2. It was everywhere, and I was told that the guards are often the source'

'I found out this was synthetic marijuana, something called K2. It was everywhere, and I was told that the guards are often the source.'

In prison, inmates would often do anything for a fix.

'The druggies even drink cleaning products like Fabuloso,' Turk said. 'They snort prescription drugs and even overuse over-the-counter meds like the allergy pills you can buy on commissary. They can crush those and mix the powder with Kool-Aid.'

No lighter for those who like their smoke their drugs? No problem. All it takes is a battery to create a heat source, she said.

'Inmates told me about people in the outside attaching strips of suboxone (a strong narcotic pain reliever) to the sticky part of envelopes that they would mail in,' Turk said.

'Since the prison used letter openers to open every envelope, the seal would stay intact with the drugs attached.'

Turk said prison officials recently started scanning the mail and delivering electronic copies to inmates, unknowingly breaking the supply chain of suboxone.

One of the strange inmates she ran into, Turk said, was a woman arrested in late August for selling synthetic heroin to a federal informant. She was ordered held on no bond because four people were found dead from drug overdoses at her condo over the past three years.

Although she said she did not witness first-hand guards hooking up with inmates, Turk said 'it's obvious'

'She made herself look mentally challenged because she's going for an insanity plea,' Turk said. She's completely disheveled and dirty, she spills food and drools at chow time, she talks to herself and wanders around. Yet, if you make eye contact, she smiles and winks.'

On her first night, Turk said she tried to help her bunky as she went through withdrawal.

'My first cellmate was a heroin and cocaine addict who was detoxing,' Turk said. 'No one offered her any medical attention and I was afraid she might die in the cell.

'She was throwing up, falling, thrashing on the bed. It was horrific. She told me if I called for medical help we would both end up in the SHU (Security Housing Unit where inmates are place in isolation) and get in trouble, so I didn't.'

The woman Turk replaced in the cell, Turk said, had snorted her medication to commit suicide but failed.

Medical attention, Turk reports, is abysmal. Many injuries and illnesses, she said, simply go unreported.

'I watched a fellow inmate fall onto a concrete floor after she took blood-pressure medications administered by the medical staff.

'She hit her head on the concrete floor and begin to have seizures. The guard stood by and wouldn't touch her. Other inmates had to help her. When the medics finally showed up, she was taken to the infirmary and given a band-aid for a scrape on her knee.

'She had a seizure again on the next day.'

One of the hardest things, Turk said, was the quality of the food, including the fact some of items were expired for more than a year.

'Canned fruits were ages old and some cheeses expired last year,' she said. 'There was often mold visible on the breads and muffins. There's no fresh fruits or vegetables outside of apples and bananas, and the occasional lettuce.'

One kitchen worker told her she was forced to cook chicken marked 'not for human consumption.'

Turk said the rumors spread in the prison in March that male inmates had taken to defecating on their food trays to protest the expired food.

There was also the complete lack of privacy, Turk said, even in the six-by-ten cells.

Turk said the prison's response to the spread of coronavirus was inadequate and the prison was letting inmates in without making them quarantine

'The toilets in the cells are exposed, and we are prohibited from covering the windows,' Turk said. 'Male guard can peek in while you're peeing.

'The showers aren't much better. They're out in the open, and again male guards seemed to love to watch. Yet, when you go somewhere where there is a male inmate, you are required to turn your back and face the wall.'

Although she said she did not witness first-hand guards hooking up with inmates, Turk said 'it's obvious.'

'Female kitchen workers are supervised by a guard who was known to sneak into the garbage elevator for sex during work shifts,' Turk said.

'I was told this by several inmates. It was common knowledge and accepted. But what you could see is that some of the girls had special relationships with the guards. You can always tell. They are never searched. They're allowed to stay out during lockdowns. They're just treated differently.'

Now at home with an ankle bracelet monitoring her whereabouts, Turk can reflect on what she hopes was the only month of jail she'll ever endure

There are sexual contacts between male and female inmates, Turk said, but it's long distance via booklights sold at the commissary.

They call sexting, except that no one is using a cellphone.

'A lot of them use a booklight to write letters and read in the evening. But the younger girls also use them to light up their genitals into handheld mirrors so that the male inmates across the way can get a thrill.'

The culture nurtured by the guards, Turk said, made them often unnecessarily rough, almost always rude and verbally violent, and sometimes downright scary.

'We were regularly cursed at and verbally degraded for really no good reasons,' Turk said.

On March 30, Turk's notes read, a guard told an inmate working in the kitchen that if his wife wasn't good to him that night, he would return to work and break both the inmate's legs. She was visibly upset and asked Turk to tell the media.

On March 25, according to her notes, a male guard showed up in the unit at 10.45pm and shouted for the women to 'get your punk asses up.' When one woman complained from inside her cell, he punished everyone by keeping the entire unit's fluorescent lights on all night.

'After a while, florescent light in the cell makes it feel like you're on the surface of the sun,' Turk said.

Turk wasn't expecting was the number of cellphones circulating in the units.

Turk said: 'My thoughts are with people who are in there for a minor infraction for months or years. This opened my eyes to what's wrong with justice system. These women are desperate for human interaction. They are desperate to be treated with some level of humanity, and they're not'

'All I had to do was ask, but I stayed away from cellphones because they are banned,' Turk said.

Turk said she also witnessed the prison's response to the spread of coronavirus.

Calling it inadequate, she said, would be doing prison officials a favor.

'Until March 16, they were still letting inmates in without quarantine. One came in sick wearing a mask, which she took off after about an hour. But they stopped letting new inmates straight into general population on St. Patrick's Day.

'A week later, they started locking us in for up to 20 hours a day and letting half the inmates out together and the other half at another time.

'That lasted for a couple days, but it wasn't convenient for them. So, they let us all out at once again.

'The night before I left, all of the inmates ate dinner together again because the guard forgot to separate us. It was really disorganized.'

Now at home with an ankle bracelet monitoring her whereabouts, Turk can reflect on what she hopes was the only month of jail she'll ever endure.

'My thoughts are with people who are in there for a minor infraction for months or years.

'This opened my eyes to what's wrong with justice system. These women are desperate for human interaction. They are desperate to be treated with some level of humanity, and they're not.'
Food banks across the UK are struggling to meet the huge surge in demand for help, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to cause a decline in volunteers and a shortage of food donations from the public.

Sainsburys has donated 3m to the leading food aid charity FareShare and pledged to make its surplus produce available to the group for distribution, so struggling food banks can get more of the supplies they need.

The Independents Help The Hungry campaign has been supporting the work going on across Britain to ensure that everyone has enough to eat during the outbreak.

In London, FareShare has already teamed up with fellow food surplus charity The Felix Project to get food out to NHS staff, people self-isolating for health reasons and families feeling the economic impact of the crisis.

Lindsay Boswell, CEO at FareShare, said the new nationwide partnership with Sainsburys and the Trussell Trust  the UKs largest network of food banks  showed how big businesses and the voluntary sector could achieve incredible things by working together.

Recommended How to support our campaign

It will enable FareShare to dramatically scale up the amount of food we can distribute right across the UK, enabling us to get more food out to the thousands of charities and community groups, fellow food redistribution organisations, food banks and pantries, she said.

It is these groups who, under the most extraordinary circumstances, are doing everything they can to safely deliver food onto the doorsteps of those who are most at risk.

Sainsburys will identify stock available within its supply chain that food banks are most in need of, and a group of logistics companies  including Palletforce and XPO Logistics  will help FareShare move it from regional depots to smaller groups in need.

The partnership comes as the Trussell Trust warned that more people are likely to need a food banks help because of the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

This unique partnership beautifully articulates how society is pulling together in the fight against Covid-19, said Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust. All these organisations have innovatively adapted their services  and we are truly grateful that they are helping food banks to continue to provide their essential community service.

FareShare volunteer Jed organising food delivery in London (FareShare)

Judith Batchelar, director of the Sainsburys brand, added: Coronavirus has impacted everyone in the UK and its important that we support each other now, more than ever.

Responding to the enormous scale of the crisis, FareShare, The Felix Project and City Harvest have teamed up to create the London Food Alliance.

In a bid to make sure food gets out to those who need it as efficiently as possible, the London Food Alliance is now coordinating with all 32 London boroughs to make sure the new, council-run community hubs are also well stocked with supplies.

The Independent is asking food aid charities across the UK to contact us at helpthehungry@independent.co.uk to tell us about your project and what problems you are facing right now.

You can help us build a directory of ways that our readers can help the hungry in their area  through money, volunteering and food donations. Find out more about how you can support the Help the Hungry campaign here, or follow this link to donate to our campaign in London in collaboration with the Evening Standard.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2020 ) :The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday denied some media reports that it operated chartered flights to the United Kingdom to evacuate VIPs or relatives of government officials.

A PIA spokesman in a statement said said it was rendering national services without any discrimination.

"It is to be stated on record that the flights were operated at the behest of the British High Commission and in close coordination with the Government of Pakistan with the intent to evacuate British Nationals stranded in Pakistan consequent to the outbreak of COVID  19." "It is strongly clarified that at no point, were these flights operated for the benefit of VIPs or for the relatives of government officials" he added.

He said the spread of disinformation by certain quarters with vested interests was merely an attempt to discredit the initiative and service by PIA for the greater good of the community and the nation at large.

The spokesman said, passengers returning to Pakistan on these flights were predominantly Pakistani nationals stranded in the United Kingdom and the seats were available for purchase to everyone.

"PIA management knowing that the company is a proud National Flag carrier and true to its traditions and its distinguished past, rose to the occasion at a time of dire need, to rescue and repatriate Foreign and Pakistani nationals stuck up in both countries on humanitarian grounds and for the purpose of not only National but rather Global Service" he said.

He said that PIA taken its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seriously in each and every facet of its operations.

He said PIA was fully cognizant of its responsibilities as an impartial, neutral and responsible caregiver of the community especially expatriate Pakistanis.

He said CEO Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik personally supervises the operation of each flight and its economics. The management is under strict instructions to ensure transparency in all actions and same can be verified from any independent agency.

These efforts have been greatly lauded by passengers who actually traveled to their loved ones during these testing times and foreign governments, he added.

As a matter of policy, he said, PIA's management has stopped all protocol and privileged handling to all quarters of the society and was strictly adhering by that.
A study by Digital TV Research into the over-the-top (OTT) TV market in Eastern Europe has found that revenues from TV episodes and films in 22 countries in the region will reach $3.58 billion in 2025, nearly triple that collected in 2019.





The study predicted that Russia and Poland will account for two-thirds of the total by 2025, with Russia alone contributing 40% of the regions OTT revenues, with Poland generating a further 27%.When looking at the subscription video-on-demand arena, Poland will remain the SVOD revenue leader despite have a significantly lower population than Russia where operators charge less than their Polish equivalents. Indeed Russia has more SVOD subscriptions than Poland.For all that, Digital TV Researchs Eastern Europe OTT TV and Video Forecasts report predicts that SVOD revenues will reach $2.05 billion by 2025, 57% of total OTT revenues, and up from $766 million in 2019 (54%). Russias SVOD revenues are set to reach $610 million by 2025, 30% of the regional total. Poland will provide another $687 million (34%). Russia and Polands joint share will fall from 74% in 2019; revealing stronger growth in other countries.
In an uncomfortable dichotomy with some bearing on real-life perceptions of Muslims, Dara Shukoh is remembered as a translator of the Upanishads, and religiously syncretic to the core, whereas an archetypal Aurangzeb destroyed temples and imposed Jizya on non-Muslims even as he ruled by Sharia law.

The renewed contemporary interest in Dara Shukoh [also spelt Shikoh], the erstwhile mystic prince of the Mughal empire, has much to do with his freethinking legacy, all but extinguished in its prime, as it does with him being regarded as the absolute antithesis  and thus, ironically, almost always mentioned in the same breath  of brother Aurangzeb, eternally the Emperor of egregious excesses of whom perhaps no fond memory remains.

In February, the Ministry of Culture appointed a seven-member panel of the Archaeological Survey of India to locate the final resting place of Dara from among a cluster of unmarked graves at Humayuns Tomb, where his decapitated body is said to have been unceremoniously interred. Short of exhumation, the task is certainly onerous  there are about 150 graves in this Dormitory of the Mughals  and its targeted three-month deadline has now likely been pushed forward due to the coronavirus-related lockdown.

In 2017, Dalhousie Road in Central Delhi was designated as the Dara Shukoh Road, in the wake of an earlier proposal to rename Aurangzeb Road after the prince falling through. There was even a public call, never officially considered, to rechristen the city of Aurangabad  Aurangzebs Deccan capital  after Dara, as if to set right a historical wrong that, if nothing else, has contributed to endless speculation about the countrys probable course of history had the liberal Dara ruled instead of his intolerant brother.

As history remembers it, their touted rivalry was unexceptional in itself, since accession to the Mughal throne had rarely been bloodless  their father, Shah Jahan, was equally ruthless with kin  but because of their fundamentally opposite world-views, the blood-strewn saga of the brothers has been commandeered into a propaganda-laced narrative gaining currency in these polarised times. In an uncomfortable dichotomy with some bearing on real-life perceptions of Muslims, Dara is remembered as a translator of the Upanishads, and religiously syncretic to the core, whereas an archetypal Aurangzeb destroyed temples and imposed jizya on non-Muslims even as he ruled by Sharia law. In Karan Johars upcoming period drama Takht, matinee idols Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal have been cast as Dara and Aurangzeb respectively. It remains to be seen how these iconic figures, perennially cast in white and black, fare under the penmanship of mainstream writers Sumit Roy and Hussain Haidry  the Hindustani Mussalman frequently out of favour with right-wing trolls.

On Firstpost: A database of books, performances, tours and courses available online in these times of social distancing

One of the opportunities thrown up by this quarantine has been the opening up of digital archives of the performing arts. Of course, theatre is best served up live: intimate, immediate and real to the touch. But, professionally shot recordings from, say, Londons National Theatre, capture stage experiences in cinematically immersive ways while remaining committed to the idea of unexpurgated performance as it happened. This writer was able to recently catch the Nationals 2015 production of playwright Shahid Nadeems Dara, directed by Nadia Fall and adapted into English by Tanya Ronder from the Urdu original. Also available online is Nadeems own production with Pakistans Ajoka Theatre, which opened in Lahore in 2010. Dubbed a domestic drama of global consequence, Dara is one of many plays (including several from India) set against the backdrop of this 17th-century palace intrigue that still serves up a topical dialectic, albeit skewed towards Daras martyred beatification as it were.

It is tempting to set the two versions side by side. Compared to Nadeems old-style theatre of declamation, the tempered sensibility of the British version struggles to supplant hyperbole with realism. And where Nadeems signature musicality and stylistic pomp is essential to his staging, they survive only as unseemly exotic lashings in Falls otherwise tastefully mounted production. And by sidelining Sarmad Kashani, the naked heretic  Nadeems resolute figure of conscience  Ronder is able to better foreground Jahanara Begum, the sister of Aurangzeb and Dara (who favoured the latter), as the plays compassionate voice of reason, even if her protestations fell on deaf ears. The 1964 film, Jahan Ara, starring Mala Sinha as the Begum, focused more on Jahanaras great love thwarted on the altar of filial devotion  a gender-reversed Salim and Anarkali tale  than her political idealism. In Johars film, Kareena Kapoor Khan steps into these formidable trappings.

The heavy lifting in the British production is left to Zubin Varla as a tormented but unshaken Dara facing imminent execution and Sargon Yelda as the conflicted Aurangzeb who could perhaps still be impressed upon to see good sense. At the outset, they are never simply ciphers of good and evil. The lust for power is balanced, with Daras entitlement stemming from being his fathers openly acknowledged favourite son (his watermelon) coming off as poorly as Aurangzebs seething resentment at being made to settle for scraps from childhood. It is only in the second half, during his trial for apostasy in the court of the Qazis that Dara finally demonstrates what he has come to represent morally and politically, and the play comes into its stride  everything else seems like expository buildup for audiences unfamiliar with the history.

Somewhat predictably, the debate plays out in the mien of a TV courtroom drama with the odds stacked against Dara who nevertheless chooses to defend himself with self-possessed fervour. With liberal values at stake, Dara admirably doesnt tread a middle path, eschewing attempts to create false equivalences between dogma and reason. Yet, it proves difficult for the play to transcend the manner in which its protagonists have been set up, in history as in drama. Its almost impossible for the religion of Islam itself to not come out worse for wear after the proceedings  especially to those looking for contemporary metaphors in this text. When Dara cannot bring himself to attest to the tenets of orthodoxy without qualification, his fate is sealed. His severed head is sent to the deposed Shah Jahan as a wrapped gift, who says, I think its watermelon. This is one of many ironic allusions introduced by Ronder that allows us to feel deep empathy for the people behind the titles.

In Nadeems version, the other character ordered to be beheaded for apostasy by Aurangzeb was Sarmad, the mystic who had so deeply impressed Dara that he invited him to the Mughal court and sought his counsel on matters politic and spiritual. In Anamika Haksars film Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, yet to be seen in wide release, a public procession is taken out to mourn The Passion of Sarmad as it were, with pretend-corpses hauled on hand-carriages to where his tomb, painted in blood-red hues, stands near Delhis Jama Masjid. Sarmads fixation with a much younger Hindu man, Abhay Chand, as legend goes, so disconcerted Ronder according to an article in Caravan magazine, that her adaptation features a Sarmad stand-in as a peripheral character billed simply as Faqir (an effective Scott Karim) who is both soothsayer and someone who speaks truth to power, to his eventual detriment.

Although Sarmad was executed at age 70, both Nadeem and Fall depict him as a perpetually youthful figure with piercing eyes, and in a state of flagrant undress. This is how he is remembered to this day, as a man who forsook the trappings of social propriety to be united with his other, and then spent a lifetime taking radical but spiritually essential ideas to people across India. Nadeems Sarmad (a spirited Usman Zia) is a true Sufi, a dervish in the wind, and a poet of great erudition, and his spiritual embracing of Abhay is depicted in the Ajoka production via an elegiac musical interlude that doesnt invisibilise its underlying connotations of forbidden desire.

The power of these persisting histories speak of entire worlds lost to humanity that can never be brought back. It is certainly a bewitching notion that a secular ruler with liberal leanings could have been the last great Mughal. It might certainly have an effect on latter-day Islamophobia if we could let the wounds of the past rest or simply be erased. Yet, to see Daras leanings as the acceptable alternative to dyed-in-the-wool religiousity, is a double-edged sword that serves to feed prejudice against said religion, especially one that has been at the recieving end of attacks everywhere. In this, the incipient value of Daras own spiritual practices is conveniently obfuscated.

The renaming of boulevards and palaces is an attempt to whitewash those blemishes of the past that uncomfortably remind us of the manner in which history seems to be repeating itself, particularly in an India in the grips of growing extremism. Truth be told, the great hegemonies that once existed should no longer cast a blight on contemporary national spirit, because that spirit shouldnt be dependent on selectively drawing from history. We are nothing if not everything that happened before us. There is no one dominant strain of Indian consciousness, one would like to believe. Yet, in thinking so, the spirit of lost souls like Dara (or Sarmad for that matter) appears to live on in essence. Notwithstanding death and despair, their ideals linger on.
In his quest to reconcile these conflicts, Abe finds inspiration online in an unlikely source: a Brazilian-American pop-up run by a curmudgeonly chef, Chico (Seu George), whom Abe manages to annoy enough to be allowed into his kitchen as a trainee. This opens Abe into another cultural  and culinary  world. But its rendered in the same flat and uninspired ways as Abes home life. Chicos lessons are reduced to swift montages that are all tell and no show: Abe writes down words like synergy and textures and makes flavor maps in his notebook as the camera glides cursorily over spices and sauces and fruits, without any attempt to capture the sensations of taste and smell, the luscious pleasures of cooking and combining new foods.

Ultimately, its not even food that brings Abes family together, but fear and concern when he runs away after yet another showdown. One could interpret this as a metaphor for the naive futility of Abes plan to resolve political differences with a meal, but that would give the films thin, inconsistent script much more credit than it deserves.

Abe

Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes. Rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
Medmistechko hospital in Kyiv continues to treat earlier received patients, but doesn't accept new ones

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said that hospital No. 6 (Medmistechko) does not accept new patients, though earlier hospitalized patients continue treatment at this medical establishment.

"As for the information that appeared in the media yesterday about the alleged closure of the city hospital No. 6. The medical establishment continues to provide assistance to patients who were previously urgently admitted, but does not accept new patients today," Klitschko said during an online briefing on Thursday.

At the same time, the mayor said: "Yes, among the medics, who have become ill during this time, there are those from hospital No.6 in a number of 15 medical workers."

According to Klitschko, most of them are being treated at home in self-isolation.


MD Update - Quebec Prepares for Post-Pandemic Future

Brisbane, April 16, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium miner Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( FRA:DML ) ( OTCMKTS:DMNXF ) has welcomed Quebec's plans for a post-pandemic future and its support for the battery minerals sector as another vote of confidence in the Canadian province's lithium industry.Highlights- Quebec mines reopening from 15 April 2020, with strict measures in place to protect against COVID-19 pandemic- Quebec Premier Franeois Legault maps out plan for province's post-pandemic future to support rapid economic recovery, including support for battery minerals sector- Diversification of global supply chains provides Quebec's lithium industry with strategic advantage due to proximity to North American battery market.On 6 April 2020, Quebec Premier Franeois Legault announced plans for the province's rapid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, including a C$100 million (A$112 million) program for training workers. The Quebec Government is working on plans to increase the province's self-sufficiency in areas such as healthcare and food, while also boosting domestic industry including the battery minerals sector.The Quebec Government recently announced a C$90 million investment in the strategic minerals sector including lithium, as part of its budget for fiscal 2021 (refer ASX announcement 25 March 2020).The mining industry has also received a boost with the announcement that mines in Quebec can reopen from 15 April 2020, with strict measures in place to protect against contagion from COVID-19. These measures include reducing the number of people on flights into and out of mining areas, using more aircraft to ensure social distancing and ensuring workers have personal protective equipment.Sayona's Managing Director, Brett Lynch commented: "Ensuring the health and wellbeing of the community is the highest priority and we welcome the Quebec Government's protective measures. The resumption of mining operations is an important step and the Government's support for mining and the battery minerals sector is extremely important in enabling a speedy economic recovery."He added: "Significantly, analysts have pointed to the increased need for diversification of supply chains following the global pandemic. Quebec is extremely well positioned in this regard, due to its proximity to the North American battery market and its other competitive advantages, including access to world-class infrastructure, skilled labour and economical and sustainable hydroelectric power."Trends such as automakers localising lithium-ion battery manufacturing to their electric vehicle (EV) assembly plants are expected to accelerate, amid a logistical slowdown caused by the pandemic, according to analysts such as EY. As an example, U.S. automaker General Motors has announced its intention to source lithium and nickel from North America for its new range of EVs.Meanwhile, as part of its expansion plans in Quebec, Sayona has continued to advance its bid for North American Lithium (NAL) while progressing the approvals for its flagship Authier Lithium Project.Concerning NAL, Sayona has been asked by the court-appointed monitor (administrator) to allow the Company's bid to remain open for acceptance until 1 May 2020, "or such later date that may be mutually agreed upon in writing with the monitor." Sayona has confirmed its acceptance and looks forward to engaging further with the monitor and other key stakeholders concerning its bid.Together with a world-class support team, the Company considers it has a unique competitive advantage of being able to combine lithium produced from the nearby Authier project with the lithium produced at NAL, facilitating a significant improvement in plant performance and economics.Mr Lynch added: "Quebec has managed the COVID-19 pandemic extremely well and its plans for economic recovery should see the province quickly bounce back from the tragic effects of the coronavirus. Sayona looks forward to helping advance the recovery through our planned new investments, which will result in increased jobs and other economic benefits for the province while supporting its clean energy future."About Sayona Mining Ltd

Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia.

Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.au
Problem drinking is exacerbating tension caused by the lockdown for more than 3.5million British adults, research by an addiction charity has found.

A survey of 2,010 people by Alcohol Change UK found one in 14 people said their own or someone elses drinking had made stress levels in their household worse since the shutdown began on March 23.

The charity estimated 3.5million adults are now living in an environment where alcohol is leading to increased anxiety and conflict.

Alcohol Change UK estimates more than 3.5million are living in a household where alcohol is leading to anxiety and increasing tensions

Homes with children fared worst, with seven per cent of people with children under 18 reporting alcohol was adding to the tension while four per cent said alcohol was reducing stress.

Alcohol Change UK also found huge numbers of people taking steps to manage their drinking more carefully during the shutdown.

Of the 1,555 people who considered themselves regular drinkers before the lockdown, 35 per cent have reduced their intake or stopped drinking all together, compared to 21 per cent who said they were now drinking more often.

The figures suggest 8.6 million British adults are drinking more since lockdown, while 14 million are drinking less or have stopped entirely based on an estimated UK population of 52 million adults aged 18 and over.

Since the lockdown, some people have been watching how much they drink more, with around 14 per cent of those surveyed opting for alcohol-free days and nine per cent keeping an eye on how much alcohol they buy.

Others reported turning to mental health services for help, with four per cent seeking advice online to manage their drinking, three per cent attending remote support groups and a further three per cent receiving remote 1-1 counselling.

Surprisingly, it seems the most restrained Britons are cutting back more than those who drink more regularly.

Nearly half (47%) of people who said they drank once a week or less before the lockdown have now cut down or stopped drinking completely compared to 27 per cent of people who drank two to six times a week.

Only 17 per cent of day drinkers appear to be trying to cut back and 18 per cent of them said they have increased how much they consume.

Alcohol Change UK chief executive Dr Richard Piper said previous governments had failed to successfully address alcohol harm

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: 'Successive governments have had a blind spot on alcohol harm but the reality is that it's the cause of 1.3 million hospital admissions and 10,000 deaths each year.

'This harm is avoidable. Taking action on alcohol harm would reduce rates of domestic violence, child neglect, costs to the criminal justice system and - perhaps most significantly at the moment - would hugely benefit the NHS.'

The charity boss added it was encouraging to see so many people taking steps to manage their drinking.

He also urged those struggling to manage their intake to visit the Alcohol Change UK coronavirus information hub for advice and support.
Representative image

Most exporters will be able to gradually recommence operations from April 20 after the government eased some lockdown guidelines, The Hindu BusinessLine has reported.

The home ministry on April 15 released a set of guidelines, permitting manufacturing in special economic zones, export-oriented units and rural areas from April 20.

Follow LIVE updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here

"This will help in opening of about 80-85 percent of the manufacturing gradually and bring exports and manufacturing back on track," Sharad Kumar Saraf, President, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), told the newspaper.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story.

India has extended to May 3 the nationwide lockdown as coronavirus infections inch up.

Exporters will have to comply with the guidelines such as social distancing, use of masks, hygiene practices and staff limit.

Resuming some operations will give a "psychological boost" to migrant workers, according to FIEO.

Saraf added that resuming operations would ease the pressure on the industry, since they have to pay wages and other charges.

Apparel exporters have been requesting they be allowed to resume operations irrespective of location.

A Sakthivel from the Apparel Export Promotion Council said the organisation would ensure that all guidelines were strictly followed.

"All units, which export a minimum of 50 percent of their turnover, should be allowed to operate under the guidelines prescribed for SEZs and EoUs," Sakthivel said.

The government's decision to allow ports to begin cargo movement from April 20 will also provide a relief to exporters.

In March 2020, India's exports declined 34.6 percent year-on-year to $21.41 billion, according to commerce ministry data.

Follow our full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here
Britain cannot go back to business as usual with China after the end of the coronavirus crisis, foreign secretary Dominic Raab has warned.

Mr Raab said the UK will want an international deep dive investigation into the causes of the pandemic and the reason why it was not stopped earlier.

He was speaking amid growing calls from Conservatives for a reset of the UKs relationship with Beijing, with former Tory leader William Hague saying Britain needs to take a tougher line on issues like the involvement of Huawei in 5G telecoms networks in order to avoid becoming strategically dependent on the communist state.

Mr Raabs comments came after a telephone conference with G7 leaders including US president Donald Trump, who has directly accused China of lying about the death toll from coronavirus and even repeated an unconfirmed story suggesting the disease may have originated in a Chinese laboratory.

Asked whether relations with China could change as a result of the pandemic, Mr Raab told the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing: We ought to look at all sides of this and do it in a balanced way, but there is no doubt we cant have business as usual after this crisis.

We will have to ask the hard questions about how it come about and why it couldnt have been stopped earlier.

Beijing has faced international criticism over the slow response to the initial cases of coronavirus in the city of Wuhan at the end of last year, after police detained doctor Li Wenliang for spreading false rumours when he first tried to raise the alert. Critics have blamed wet markets where Chinese consumers buy live animals for enabling the crossover of the bacteria from wild populations.

And doubts have been raised over the transparency shown by Chinese authorities on death rates and the geographical spread of the disease.

Mr Raab, who is standing in for Boris Johnson while the prime minister recuperates from a bout of coronavirus, said the UK has had good cooperation with China in relation to the return of UK nationals from Wuhan and the procurement of equipment.

But he said: I think there absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after-the-event review of the lessons  including of the outbreak of the virus  and I dont think we can flinch from that at all, it needs to be driven by the science.

He declined to speculate on the outcome of any review, saying: We will look very carefully with all our the other international partners, and the World Health Organisation and other international organisations as to how this outbreak happened and what can be done to prevent it happening in the future.

Until we get those answers, we cant really track a way forward.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:05:48|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China firmly supports Poland's fight against COVID-19 and stands ready to share experience and facilitate Poland's purchase and transport of Chinese medical supplies through commercial channels, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in a phone conversation with his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, on Thursday night.

Noting that both China and Poland currently face the severe test of the COVID-19 pandemic, Li said the Polish government and people once extended assistance at the crucial time of the Chinese people's battle against the outbreak.

Li expressed belief that Poland will certainly stem the spread of COVID-19 at an early date.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the protection of the safety, health and legitimate interests of Chinese nationals overseas, and hopes that Poland will ensure the safety and living convenience of Chinese nationals in Poland, Li said.

For his part, Morawiecki appreciated China's support to Poland's anti-coronavirus efforts, saying that the quality of the medical supplies provided by China is very good.

Morawiecki expressed his hope that China will continue to offer conveniences to Poland in such fields as the purchase of medical supplies, customs clearance and transportation, and strengthen the sharing of anti-coronavirus experience with Poland.

Poland will take effective measures to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals in Poland, the Polish prime minister said.
The government is mulling an alternative investment fund to pay off discoms' dues towards power generation companies, a senior official said.

The payment of dues would help distribution companies (discoms) to increase their electricity load (supplies) and ensure 24X7 uninterrupted power supply.

According to government data, discoms owe Rs 92,602 crore to gencos as of February this year.

The creation of the fund assumes significance in view of lower power demand during the coronavirus lockdown. Electricity demand has reduced by a third during the lockdown.

"We are planning to create an alternative investment fund that will help to give load and financial support to discoms and clear the due to be paid to developers and generators. Our effort is to release maximum due payments from discoms to the power generators," Renewable Energy Secretary Anand Kumar said during a webinar.

The webinar was organised on Thursday by industry body PHDCCI on the renewable energy sector in the country.

Kumar said, "This crucial time has brought a lot of learning to the ministry as well as the countrymen. With the high usage of virtual platforms, we have increased our work efficiency to a great extent and now we can supply 160 gigawatts in the country. The 2022 goal of achieving 175 gigawatt will be achieved by us."



India has set an ambitious target of having 175GW of renewable energy by 2022.

"During COVID-19, we did not lessen our pace of working. We are working towards achieving our targets and achieving the goals set by the government.

"We want to make sure that our power supply and renewable power are protected and not compromised. We tried to clear all the financial dues of the generators and developers to enhance the capital available with them," Kumar added.

Meanwhile, PHDCCI President D K Aggarwal said 10 per cent of the sponsorship amount received for the webinar will be donated to the PM-CARES Fund.

Around 250 participants attended the webinar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

Trend:

Switzerland considers the so-called elections in Nagorno-Karabakh null and void, Trend reports citing the note sent by Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.

Switzerland reiterated its full support to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Reacting to the so-called elections in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in its Note Verbal stated that it considers these so-called elections null and void, reads the message from Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Kuwaiti officials have given the go-ahead for the construction of a new airport in the northern part of the country, said a media report. The establishment of the new airport comes in line with the proposals of the country's fourth structural plan.
Construction workers in the Birmingham area are being urged to spend part of Thursday on educating workers in coronavirus safety measures.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders are urging members and all residential construction companies to halt work for at least 10 minutes to educate workers on what they should do to keep themselves safe.

The NAHB has also developed a blueprint for builders to conduct these COVID-19 safety stand downs.

The Department of Homeland Security recently designated construction of single-family and multifamily housing as an Essential Infrastructure Business, allowing construction to continue in places under stay-at-home orders. Gov. Kay Ivey deemed construction work essential in her April 3 statewide stay at home order.

We are encouraging our members across the area to participate in the national safety stand down, Elliott Pike, Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders board president said. It is imperative that we keep our workers safe as they continue to build homes in our communities.

Among the coronavirus safety precautions being emphasized will be maintaining a distance of no less than six feet from others at all times, cleaning and sanitizing tools, equipment, and surfaces, and ensuring the proper sanitation of common surfaces and equipment.

NAHB and other construction industry partners have also developed a Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Plan for Construction that outlines the steps employers and employees should take to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

NAHB and industry partners have also created a quick-reference job site checklist for employers and employees and a job site safety posteravailable in English and Spanishthat can be distributed throughout the workplace.
We may be close to a surge in cases of COVID-19 and at least a month away from even considering a return to normalcy. But normalcy after COVID-19 is not going to be normal, not in the short term. Not in the long term. Possibly never again.

I hope for never again, because going back to what was normal would mean that we return to being wholly unprepared for a systems disruption - be it from a pandemic, a severe weather event, or a situation we cant imagine.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic weaknesses that we can try to ignore or we can learn from them and begin to make the necessary substantive changes. While most of our resources - both human and material - are completely engaged in the current crisis, some planning needs to be done now for the time when we can leave our homes and start rebuilding.

Heres what I believe we need to be doing right now at both the state and federal level so that when stay-at-home orders are finally lifted, peoples basic needs are stabilized, our important institutions are secured and our roadmap to recovery is already in play.

1. Completely redesign the social safety net

Our current social safety net neither helps people who are slipping from financial stability into poverty, nor is it designed to help people in poverty transition to financial stability. The way our current system works is people have to lose everything in order to qualify for help, and once on benefits, they are prohibited from saving enough money to get back on their feet, while simultaneously being disincentivized from taking a new job that pays enough to reduce their benefits but not enough to live on.

Here are some other uncomfortable facts: Studies from the government shutdown (a minor economic catastrophe as seen in the rearview mirror) brought to light that nearly 70 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 stashed away. In Connecticut, 40 percent of households struggle to meet their basic needs. Couple this with the uncomfortable fact that - thanks to a reduction in government personnel and programs - the system is at this moment too short staffed to handle the pre-COVID-19 demand.

I repeat this is the pre-COVID-19 reality. Now we have over 10 million people unemployed, a majority of whom have no savings, many with no experience navigating the labyrinthine social services relief system, an understaffed Department of Social Services, and a surge in need that will extend far beyond this shutdown.

We need to expand staffing in all state departments designated to handle the network of benefits, immediately begin crafting a system that eliminates asset caps and revises the requirements to receive aid, allows for ease of entry by creating a one-stop-shop to receiving all qualified benefits, is educating the public now as to what benefits are available, and is prepared to meet demand.

2. Broaden classification of essential workers and provide them with extra protections.

COVID-19 designated an entirely new group of workers as essential, including grocery store employees, drivers for people and goods, home health aides, retail employees and more. These workers need increased protection and benefits. As recommended by the Brookings Institute, these workers need a $50,000 benefit for the spouses and dependents in the event that a worker dies from COVID-19. Uninsured workers need to be enrolled in a special COVID-19 policy to cover all expenses related to the disease. Those with private insurance need to be reimbursed for any COVID-19-related out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, workers need funds for safe child care options for their children.

3. Enable SNAP recipients to purchase groceries online as soon as possible.

Several states enrolled in a special program through the USDAs Food and Nutrition Services department to allow SNAP recipients to order groceries online and pay using their EBT cards. Connecticut was granted the opportunity to join this initiative in light of COVID-19, but did not act upon it. State officials need to use all the tools in their arsenal to make this option possible so that individuals utilizing SNAP can quickly enroll, shop from home and aid in the efforts to flatten the curve.

4. Forgive all student and medical debt, suspend mortgage payments and freeze rent.

Were giving corporations a bailout. Heres an opportunity to bail out every American whose education benefits us all (no matter the major), help those unfortunate to rack up medical debt, and make sure that no one loses their home. We went into the COVID-19 crisis struggling with debt and savings; we have a social safety system unable to support those already in need of it; we already have a majority of our population without savings. Now we are adding skyrocketing unemployment numbers to the list of financial issues. Lets erase as much debt as we can in order to rebuild.

5. Fast track citizenship and visas for agricultural workers.

Local and American agriculture have never been more important, as highlighted by the disruption in the supply chain. Without workers in the fields, we wont have food. However, these workers are underpaid and often undocumented. With government subsidies and policy change, we need to create safe work environments, pay fair wages and fast track citizenship and visas for agricultural workers to ensure we, as a nation, can put food on the table.

6. Commit resources NOW to a COVID-19 recovery

We dont have time to waste. While we are in the midst of the crisis, we also must invest resources toward a post-COVID-19 recovery now, not after we can resume regular activities. We need to enlist our most talented experts and innovators to make informed recommendations and we need our elected officials to be prepared to act on those recommendations so that we enter into the recovery phase prepared to get to work.

Michelle McCabe, of Fairfield, is a candidate for State Senate in the 28th District of Connecticut, which includes Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, and portions of Weston and Westport.
Mumbai: Asia is expected to witness zero per cent growth in 2020 due COVID-19 pandemic, its worst growth performance in almost 60 years, but still the world's largest and most populous continent is likely to fare better than other regions in terms of activity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.

The IMF in a blog titled 'COVID-19 Pandemic and the Asia-Pacific Region: Lowest Growth Since the 1960s' further said the impact of the coronavirus on the region will be "severe and unprecedented".

"Growth in Asia is expected to stall at zero per cent in 2020. This is the worst growth performance in almost 60 years, including during the Global Financial Crisis (4.7 per cent) and the Asian Financial Crisis (1.3 per cent)," it said.

It further noted that "Asia still looks to fare better than other regions in terms of activity".

The global economy is expected to contract in 2020 by 3 per cent -- the worst recession since the Great Depression, the IMF said adding Asia's key trading partners are expected to contract sharply, including the United States by 6.0 per cent and Europe by 6.6 per cent.

It pointed out that COVID-19 crisis is expected to inflict 'steep decline' in output across Asia.

According to IMF, China's growth is projected to decline from 6.1 per cent in 2019 to 1.2 per cent 2020.

"This sharply contrasts with China's growth performance during the Global Financial Crisis, which was little changed at 9.4 per cent in 2009 thanks to the important fiscal stimulus of about 8 per cent of GDP.

"We cannot expect that magnitude of stimulus this time, and China won't help Asia's growth as it did in 2009," it said.

Downward revisions are substantial, ranging from 3.5 percentage points in the case of Korea -- which appears to have managed to slow the spread of the coronavirus while minimizing prolonged production shutdowns -- to over 9 percentage points in the case of Australia, Thailand and New Zealand -- all hit by the global tourism slowdown, and in the case of Australia by lower commodity prices, the IMF said.

Noting that this is a crisis like no other, the IMF said it requires a "comprehensive and coordinated" policy response.

"The first priority is to support and protect the health sector to contain the virus and introduce measures that slow the contagion. If there is not enough space within countries' budgets, they will need to re-prioritize other spending," it said.

Observing that the pandemic is also affecting financial markets and how they function, the IMF suggested, "Monetary policy should be used wisely to provide ample liquidity, ease financial stress of industries and small and medium-sized enterprises, and, if necessary, relax macro prudential regulations temporarily."

The IMF on Tuesday projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020. With this subdued forecast, India is likely to record its worst growth performance since the 1991 liberalisation.

However, the International Monetary Fund, in its latest edition of the World Economy report, has placed India as the fastest-growing emerging economies of the world.

India is among the only two major countries, which will register a positive growth rate in 2020. The other being China, for which the IMF has projected a growth rate of 1.2 per cent.
Online Learning

California CCs Adopt Labster for Virtual Lab Work

With nearly all campuses transitioning to online learning during the COVID-19 outbreak, California's community colleges will let students continue their science lab-based education by giving them access to virtual laboratories. The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office has signed a deal with Labster, to provide 2.1 million students in the state with access to 130 virtual lab simulations through the rest of the year.

Using the labs, students perform experiments, learn science concepts and practice skills in what the company calls a "risk-free learning environment."

Labster will provide a means to continue delivering "STEM course instruction to students," said Vice Chancellor of Communications Paul Feist, in a statement. "Our goal is to allow students to gain access to realistic labs that enable them to perform experiments and achieve desired learning outcomes."

The company said it was working with the community college instructors to help them integrate virtual labs into their courses. Already, people in 80 percent of the 115 colleges in the system have contacted Labster to begin setting up access for students, primarily for biology, chemistry and physics. They'll have access to course maps that guide them to the best simulations for given lessons and "various teacher training resources." The program integrates with the learning management system in use (Instructure Canvas).
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded a state of emergency to include the entire country on Thursday and said the government was considering cash payouts for all in an effort to stem the CCP virus outbreak and cushion the economic downturn.

With more than 9,000 infections of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, and nearly 200 deaths nationwide, the government has declared an emergency in Tokyo and six areas including western Osaka, but other regions have sought to be added amid worries about the spreading virus.

While short of a lockdown, the state of emergency imposed for a month from April 7 gave authorities more power to push people to stay home and businesses to close. It has covered about 44 percent of the population up until now.

Abe said the emergency would be in place until May 6 and was aimed at reducing traffic during the Golden Week holiday season around the start of May.

We absolutely need to avoid people moving across prefectures in order to prevent the spread of the virus going forward toward Golden Week, he said, in comments following a meeting with advisers.

Abe is under pressure to do more to control the virus amid perceptions his response has been too little, too late, denting his support among voters, and Japan Inc.

Japan faced a long battle and governors would need to tailor their response to local needs, Koji Wada, an expert advising policymakers, told Reuters.

We are still on the brink of the COVID-19 war, added Wada, a professor at the capitals International University of Health and Welfare. We are still just at the beginning.

Health minister Katsunobu Kato said officials were worried about the rapid spread of infections, which have increased 2.2 times between April 7 and Wednesday.

In particular, officials are worried that travellers during the holiday could carry the virus to places where infections have so far been low, Kato said.

Abe is due to hold a news conference at 6:00 p.m. JST on Friday.

Deep Economic Bite

Abe said the government was considering cash payouts of 100,000 yen ($930) for everyone, an attempt to cushion the blow to the worlds third-largest economy.

The governments supplementary budget plan has set aside funds for cash payouts of 300,000 yen to households whose incomes have been hit by the virus, but that will be changed to the individual payouts, a government official with direct knowledge of the matter earlier told Reuters.

The change follows growing calls from ruling and opposition lawmakers for bolder steps by Abe to help people ride out the pandemic.

The International Monetary Fund, which expects Japans economy to contract by 5.2 percent this year, has urged it to boost fiscal spending and focus on easing the hit to growth.

Sources have told Reuters the Bank of Japan is likely to project an economic contraction for this fiscal year and discuss further measures to ease corporate funding strains at its rate review on April 27-28.

Before it can take effect, parliament must approve the draft supplementary budget, compiled to fund a near $1 trillion stimulus package Abes administration unveiled last week.

It is rare for the government to make changes to a draft budget, which is carefully prepared by the finance ministry to account for the views of politicians.

Any change would underscore the challenge Abe faces in tackling the growing economic toll of the pandemic without putting too much strain on already tattered finances.

A Reuters poll showed most Japanese corporations were disappointed by the governments stimulus plan.

Surveys show Abe has lost support over what critics call a timid and sluggish pandemic response, and an appearance of being tone deaf to the severity of the crisis in his own social media posts.

Support for Abes cabinet fell four points to 39 percent in an NHK survey published on Monday, with 75 percent saying his emergency declaration came too late.

By Leika Kihara and Yoshifumi Takemoto

NTD staff contributed to this report.
Navy officials say they've been unable to make a definitive link between hundreds of coronavirus cases on an aircraft carrier and a controversial port call in Vietnam, leading them to consider the possibility that pilots delivering goods to the ship carried it aboard.

Carrier onboard deliveries, known as CODs, could be to blame for the ongoing health crisis onboard the carrier Theodore Roosevelt, a Navy official told Military.com. The flights in question could have originated in the Philippines or Japan as the carrier operated in the Asia-Pacific region, the official said.

When the first coronavirus cases among the crew were announced late last month, questions were raised about the decision to have the ship make a planned stop in Vietnam in early March. But the sailors got sick with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, 15 days after it left the country, the official said.

The incubation period for COVID-19 is believed to span between two and 14 days.

"It's not conclusive, and it's very hard to tell if we're going to be able to get to a conclusive, 'This is where it came from,'" the Navy official said. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the Navy was considering CODs as a possible explanation behind the outbreak.

Related: Could Fired Navy Captain Face Charges? Military Justice Experts Weigh In

CODs bring mail, replacement parts and other supplies out to carriers from ashore almost daily. The Navy uses C2A Greyhound twin-engine cargo planes and CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft for the mission.

The aircraft typically board the carriers at the start of a deployment, but leave once land is in range. There, they set up at the nearest large airport and commence shuttle runs, the Smithsonian's Air and Space magazine described in a feature on their missions.

The Navy has faced criticism over the decision to have the Roosevelt stop in Vietnam in early March as coronavirus cases spread throughout the region. President Donald Trump was one who questioned the decision, blaming the ship's former commanding officer, Capt. Brett Crozier.

"Perhaps you don't do that in the middle of a pandemic or something that looked like it was going to be," Trump said. "History says you don't necessarily stop and let your sailors get off."

But the call was made by two admirals in coordination with several other government agencies. Adm. John Aquilino, head of Pacific fleet, recommended the port visit occur as scheduled, and Adm. Phil Davidson, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, approved it, said Cmdr. J. Myers Vasquez, a Pacific Fleet spokesman.

"This decision was made after a thorough assessment in coordination with Department of State, Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense, U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, and associated health experts," he added.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday has called the decision "a risk-informed" one and said there were just 16 COVID-19 cases in Vietnam at the time, and they were isolated in Hanoi.

The guided-missile cruiser Bunker Hill, which stopped in Vietnam with the Roosevelt, hasn't reported any COVID-19 cases, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said this week.

Vasquez said the crews got a brief from medical personnel on coronavirus prevention. And when two British people tested positive for the illness at a hotel that dozens of sailors had visited, those personnel were tested for COVID-19 and placed into quarantine for 14 days, he said.

None of those personnel were among the first three Roosevelt crew members to test positive for COVID-19, Vasquez added.

Both ships left Vietnam on March 9. The first three Roosevelt sailors to have flu-like symptoms and test positive for COVID-19 did so on March 24 -- 15 days after they left, Vasquez said.

"Theodore Roosevelt medical representatives conducted a thorough contact tracing to determine who these individuals came in contact with in an attempt to identify the origin of the infection," he added. "Since 14 days had passed, ship's medical was unable to determine the specific source."

Other carriers have adjusted their flight operations to prevent pilots and crews from infecting any sailors onboard, Rear Adm. Andrew Loiselle, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8, told reporters this week.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group left the Middle East and was scheduled to head back to the East Coast. Now it'll continue operating at sea.

The crew is COVID-19-free, and the Navy needs to have a healthy strike group at the ready, as the Roosevelt has been sidelined in Guam for nearly a month now.

Deliveries bound for the strike group spend enough time aboard supply ships that any possible infected residue dies off before it's delivered, Loiselle said. And if helicopters or planes that take the supplies onto the Truman, those inside aren't allowed to step foot onto the ship.

"We gave them a box lunch and sent them on their way," Loiselle said.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Read More: Navy Cancels Carrier Homecoming Plans Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging stepped up efforts to prepare Africa for the expected spread of the coronavirus pandemic, warning that the continent could end up suffering the greatest impacts.

The U.N. chief told a video conference with African ambassadors to the United Nations in New York on Wednesday that COVID-19 is in no way of Africa's making. But like the climate crisis, he said, Africa could he hurt most.

Guterres said the United Nations and African countries are working together in the fight against the pandemic, and he commended early efforts by governments to suppress transmission, control the spread of COVID-19 and prepare their economy for the virus' impact.

As examples, the secretary-general cited Uganda's rescheduling social security contributions to support businesses, Namibia offering emergency income grants to workers who have lost jobs, and Egypt expanding it social safety net, reducing taxation for industries and postponing taxation on agricultural land.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren chastised the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department on Thursday over their rollout of massive stimulus programs designed to help businesses weather the global coronavirus pandemic, saying they were failing to protect workers.

Warren, a former Democratic presidential candidate, raised her criticism in a pair of letters sent to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

"The Federal Reserve is handing out billions of dollars with little oversight and failing to require basic protections that companies retain workers and maintain payroll, failing to include protections against outsourcing, and failing to retain basic protections for union workers," she wrote in one letter. "Absent these protections, it is not clear how these bailouts will help American families and workers."

Warren, who is expected to have a major voice in Washington, particularly if Democrats retake the White House, said the government should require any companies relying on those relief programs to take certain steps to protect workers and taxpayers, such as prohibiting layoffs and outsourcing, curbing executive pay, and prohibiting stock buybacks.

Earlier this month, the Fed announced a broad $2.3 trillion effort to bolster local governments and small and mid-size businesses, which built on previous Fed programs launched since the outbreak aimed at soothing financial markets and ensuring capital can continue to flow.

Before becoming a senator, Warren was a fierce watchdog on a government panel created to oversee the last significant bailout in response to the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

One of Warren's former top aides, Bharat Ramamurti, is now serving as the only named member of a new congressional oversight panel of pandemic relief programs. Earlier Thursday, he wrote in a essay published in the New York Times that the programs raised similar concerns of being too generous to executives without protecting rank-and-file employees.

A Fed spokesperson said the central bank has received the letter and will respond. A Treasury spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder Editing by Leslie Adler)
New car buyers say price stops them buying EVs  but sales figures show most could afford one
Protesters Chanting We Want to Work Descend on Kentucky Governors CCP Virus Briefing

Protesters calling for businesses to reopen in Kentucky interrupted Gov. Andy Beshears CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus briefing on April 15, chanting for the governor to open up Kentucky, the Courier Journal reported.

A video posted on Twitter by the publication showed protesters, some of whom appeared to be standing less than the recommended 6 feet apart from one another, and others wearing masks or face coverings, chanting we want to work and facts over fear, as they gathered on the lawn of the State Capitol.

Although initially just a handful of people gathered outside the press briefing, the crowd soon reached nearly 100 by the time Beshear gave his televised one-hour briefing, many of them yelling open up Kentucky! and open up the church! non-stop throughout the duration of his update while a horn was occasionally sounded.

A lawsuit was filed against Beshear earlier this week by three Kentuckians who defied a state order on mass gatherings and attended an Easter service at Maryville Baptist Church near Louisville, claiming that the states prohibition on in-person church services amid the current pandemic violates their Constitutional rights.

The three attendees, Theodore Roberts, Randall Daniel, and Sally OBoyle, claimed they left the service to find notices on their car, demanding that they self-quarantine for 14 days.

About halfway through his briefing on Wednesday, Beshear acknowledged the protesters, saying theres some noise in the background, but noted that he would not be adhering to their demands because it would ultimately lead to more fatalities.

We do have some folks up in here in Kentucky todayand everybody should be able to express their opinionthat believe we should reopen Kentucky immediately, right now. Folks, that would kill people. That would absolutely kill people, Beshear said, according to the Courier Journal. My job isnt to make the popular decision, but the right decision, he added, and the decision that saves peoples lives.

During the press conference, Beshear said 88 cases of the CCP virus have been confirmed and seven new deaths have been reported in Kentucky over the last 24 hours. As of April 16, the state has 2,291 confirmed cases of the virus while 122 deaths have been attributed to the disease, which originated in Wuhan, China, last year.

Beshear issued a statewide healthy-at-home order (pdf) March 25, mandating that only life-sustaining businesses may remain open while all others that arent must close to in-person traffic by end-of-business March 26 in order to mitigate the spread of the virus.

A number of protests have broken out in states across America as people call for restrictions to be lifted and non-essential businesses to be allowed to reopen. On Wednesday, protesters amassed around Michigans capitol building in Lansing to demonstrate against Gov. Gretchen Whitmers latest order that places restrictions on travel, the sale of nonessential items, and more.

Similar protests also broke out in Columbus, Ohio, and Raleigh, North Carolina, which saw one protester, Monica Faith Ussery, 51, arrested and charged with with violating Gov. Roy Coopers stay-at-home executive order.
Revealing new visual information based off Apple Maps data shows just how well cities around the world are adhering to social distancing measures amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The data isnt available for all Australian capital cities, but it does offer a good insight into four of the nations capital cities  Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane.

Through a specially designed Apple website, youre now able to input a city and see how the travel behaviour and movement of residents has changed during lockdown. The Apple data, linked to peoples iPhones and searches in Apple Maps, shows the change when it comes to driving, walking and general transit, from January 13, 2020.

Flinders Street train station in Melbourne, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, following the state governments ban on non-essential mass gatherings of more than 500 people. Source: AAP

All four Australian cities saw a drop in movements across the board since roughy mid-March, however there is one city which is staying home more than the other three.

According to the Apple Maps data, Melbourne is seemingly doing the best in terms of limiting movement during the worldwide pandemic. As of April 14, its rate of outdoor walking is down 60 per cent and transit is down 83 per cent.

The graph shows how movement in Melbourne has fallen amid the coronavirus crisis. Source: Apple

Comparatively, Sydneysiders are driving 38 per cent less, walking 56 per cent less and catching public transport 76 per cent less, compared to the baseline.

Public transport usage in Brisbane and Perth is down 77 per cent, and both capitals are on roughly on par with each other in terms of driving with Brisbane down 43 per cent and Perth down 40 per cent.

However, people in Perth are getting out and about a little more than the other capital cities, with walking movements being down 46 per cent.

Meanwhile Brisbanes walking movements remain on par with Sydney and Melbourne, with Apple data showing them down 57 per cent, just slightly ahead of Sydney, and narrowly behind Melbourne.

A study by tech market research company Telsyte in 2019 estimated that there were 9.1 million active iPhone users in Australia, making it a pretty reliable sample size for this kind of exercise.

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And Apple was quick to assure customers their privacy wasnt being violated, saying it appreciated privacy is a fundamental human right.

Maps doesnt associate your data with your Apple ID, and Apple doesnt keep a history of where youve been, it says below the interactive map.

This graph shows how movements in Sydney have dropped since the coronavirus restriction were implemented. Source: Apple

This data is generated by counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions in select countries/regions and cities.

Data that is sent from users devices to the Maps service is associated with random, rotating identifiers so Apple doesnt have a profile of your movements and searches.

Confirmed case numbers of COVID-19 diagnosed in Australia continue to dwindle, however on Thursday the Prime Minister said restrictions will remain in place for at least another four weeks and indicated Australia will need to achieve three things before restrictions are loosened.

The restricted movements across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane and declining coronavirus cases could indicate social distancing restrictions across Australia are working, especially compared to countries who have not implemented such restrictions.

Sweden has taken a far more relaxed approach compared to Australia and much of the world, allowing much of life to go on as usual and the government is merely suggesting the population adhere to physical distancing rather than strictly policing it with fines.

In the countrys capital Stockholm, driving is down just 16 per cent while outdoor walking searches in Apple Maps were down 39 per cent.

This graph shows the movements in Sweden's capital, Stockholm, where there are no restrictions implemented by the government. Source: Apple

While it appears Australia has avoided horrific scenes seen in countries like Italy and the US, social distancing has still come at a cost with the International Monetary Fund forecasting that Australia is headed for its biggest recession since the Great Depression.

When asked if the social distancing measures and subsequent health gains is worth the huge economic cost, Scott Morrison defended his governments actions.

They should google Italy, the United Kingdom, New York - any of these countries will do - Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and look at the horror show that's happening there and ask themselves the same question," Mr Morrison told Perth radio station 6PR on Wednesday.

Just yesterday, Swedens death toll ticked over passed 1000, while the country has reported more than 11,000 cases of COVID-19.

Members of the public are seen walking past a sign asking them to 'Be Responsible' at Scarborough Beach, Perth. Source: AAP

Earlier this week, 22 Swedish-based researchers criticised the Public Health Agency's approach, and urged politicians to intervene with "swift and radical measures".

Schools and restaurants should be shut and all health staff that work with the elderly should have proper protective equipment, and mass testing of health personnel for the virus should be introduced, they said in an op-ed piece in Stockholm daily Dagens Nyheter.

with AAP

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 01:52:05|Editor: zyl

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A woman wearing face mask walks through the empty Waterloo Station in London, Britain, on April 16, 2020. The British government announced on Thursday that the current restrictive measures that aim to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus will remain in place for "at least three weeks". As of Thursday morning, 103,093 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19, said the Department of Health and Social Care. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

LONDON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The British government announced on Thursday that the current restrictive measures that aim to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus will remain in place for "at least three weeks".

Asserting that relaxing lockdown measures would lead to a resurgence of the virus, Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary and first secretary of state, told reporters that the government has decided relaxing the measures would make the economic impact worse, not better.

"We must keep up this national effort for a while longer... now is not the moment to give coronavirus a second chance," he said.

Chairing Thursday's Downing Street press briefing, Raab said the government could subsequently decide to relax the measures in some respects, while strengthening them in others.

The lockdown measures, introduced on March 23 by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, were working, but evidence showed that the infection of the virus was still spreading in hospitals and care homes, said Raab.

He also laid five conditions needed before changing the lockdown restrictions. Firstly there must be enough space in hospitals; secondly, there is a sustained and consistent fall in daily death rate; thirdly, there is reliable data showing that rate of infection decreasing to manageable levels; fourthly Britain must have enough testing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in hand; and lastly, any adjustments won't overwhelm the National Health Service (NHS).

Meanwhile, Government Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance, who co-chaired the press conference with Raab, told reporters that the number of people in local hospitals is falling and new cases are at least flattening and maybe decreasing.

According to a YouGov poll, about 91 percent of British adults support extending the coronavirus lockdown. The poll was carried out on Thursday before the government announced the lockdown extension.

The death toll of those hospitalized in Britain who tested positive for the virus hit 13,729 as of Wednesday afternoon, a daily increase of 861, the Department of Health and Social Care said Thursday.

As of Thursday morning, 103,093 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19, said the department. Enditem
So it is with our captain, who claims absolute authority but takes no responsibility. He announces hes cutting off funding to the World Health Organization in the middle of the pandemic. He condemns the WHO for praising Chinas transparency, even though he said in January he greatly appreciates [Chinas] efforts and transparency. His conflicting messages about reopening the economy throw the country into confusion. He assembles so many coronavirus task forces that he will need another to keep track of them all. And after his long delayed and botched virus response, even now the number of tests in U.S. commercial labs is falling.
With millions of families around the world facing financial disaster, governments, aligned with international banks and giant companies of the education sector, are using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to implement distance education permanently.

In Brazil, the efforts to effect a major restructuring of public education took a critical step forward in 2017 with the sanctioning of the high school reform by then-President Michel Temer and the accompanying rollout of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC).

The reform was promoted by the government as progress toward a gradual implementation of full-time schools in a country where education is organized in three shifts and a large portion of adolescents attend night school due to the need to work during the day. However, it in fact spelled the expansion of technical education under control of corporations and private trusts, ignored social inequalities preventing students from attending schools during the day, and projected an effective decrease of hours for disciplines such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History and Geography, which would reduce or completely eliminate work for teachers in those disciplines.

Former PT Education Minister Fernando Haddad (seated, second from left) in a 2006 meeting of Todos pela Educacao.

School reform was already being gradually implemented before the federal project went into effect in 2017. In Rio de Janeiro, municipal schools have gradually adopted the single-shift system since 2011. Since last year in the state of Sao Paulo, the INOVA program offered courses for teachers who decided to become certified for corporate-directed new disciplines such as Life Project and Technology. A few full-time schools were already functioning as prototypes throughout the country.

Since the advent of reform, distance learning has already been allowed as a percentage of total classes in high school, up to 20 percent and 30 percent for night students. For Adult Education (EJA), 80 percent of classes can be done remotely. But now, during the pandemic, distance education is being aggressively promoted as the new normal for the entire school system, both during and after the pandemic.

Todos pela Educacao (All for Education), an NGO exclusively financed by private enterprise was created in 2006, with the blessing of the then Workers Party (PT) minister of education and later 2018 presidential candidate, Fernando Haddad. It kickstarted on Wednesday, April 9, what is meant to be the first in a series of online meetings to discuss education both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was attended by the heads of national education institutions, both public and private, and, most significantly, by representatives of the World Bank.

The wide interest in what will happen to students, educators and the school system was shown by the size of the audience, with more than 4,000 people watching, a number that took Todos pela Educacao panelists by surprise.

A large number came from the densely populated southeastern state of Sao Paulo, but also, significantly, hundreds attended from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where a mass teachers strike took place at the end of last year. Significant numbers responded from the other southern states of Parana and Santa Catarina, the center-west states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais, and from Rio de Janeiro, while there were attendees from every other state. The majority were from public schools, but there were a significant number from private schools.

The online meeting began with a welcoming speech to the private sector by the National Commission of Education (CNE) president, Luiz Roberto Liza Curi, who repeatedly touted the importance of working with all sectors of society. He continued: It is fundamental that the private sector is able to be used to amplify the diversity of the classroom model. What he meant was illustrated by the speeches and presentations of other panelists, which promoted the transition to an education system completely adapted to corporate needs.

Maria Helena Guimaraes de Castro, who is coordinating the school calendar changes due to the COVID-19 crisis as a member of the CNE, was one of the first speakers. She has occupied top positions in education over the years, as president of the National Institute of Education Studies and Research (INEP) during the right-wing PSDB administration of president Fernando Henrique Cardoso in the 1990s and as state secretary of education in the capital Brasilia and in Sao Paulo. She was also a key figure in the high school reform and the BNCC in 2017 as the Ministry of Educations executive-secretary. She spoke about the big challenge ahead which is the return to classrooms. It is discussing whether these activities [during the COVID-19 pandemic] will be validated or not after going back.

The alliance of corporations and governments in the effort to restructure the school system was highlighted by the fact that, just before the online meeting took place, another online encounter had finished earlier to discuss the Fundeb, a national education program that distributes federal funds to local and state governments. It was attended by dozens of education officials, including Guimaraes de Castro, the president of Undime (National Union of Local School Administrators), Luiz Miguel Martins Garcia, NGO representatives of the Lemann Foundation and Todos pela Educacao, and deputies from the Congressional Joint Task Force for Education.

During the Todos pela Educacao online meeting, Ildo Lautharte, World Bank economist, delivered a presentation that amounted to a list of directives for the transformation of Brazils education system along the lines of distance learning and homeschooling, declaring that the offer of distance learning should be kept up both pre- and post-pandemic.

Among the suggestions in the presentation was that during the pandemic teachers should be provided with a structure and should learn how to use distance education tools. Teaching should be done with the use of computers or by broadcasting of classes on TV or radio, depending on access to digital equipment. The presentation also advocated the implementation of homeschooling during the pandemic. He added that parents engaging their children should be given tips and receive regular messages of support from the school system. Supposedly, engaged parents are a critical factor for the success of education currently, directly implying that responsibility for the possible low school performance of children should be shifted to the backs of working-class parents.

The presentation followed the line of an article published on the United Nations website by Rafael Munoz titled The international experience with the impacts of COVID-19 on education. Munoz, the World Banks coordinator of the Economic Area for Brazil, collaborated on the article with Lautharte and Andre Loureiro, senior economist of the World Bank. He wrote, In educational terms, its crucial to evaluate which distance education practices could be maintained after the reopening of schools, benefiting from the structure put in place during the pandemic.

Pablo Acosta, the World Banks human development coordinator for Brazil, who spoke after the CNE president, signaled the Banks readiness to aid in the transformation of the education system. The federal, but also state and local governments, can expect not only financial, but also technical and strategic assistance, he said.

Another key speech during the online meeting was that of Garcia of the administrators union, who explicitly rejected any vacation time for teachers in the post-pandemic world. Ive been hearing trade union officials asking if it will be necessary to cancel vacation and recess to compensate for the classes. [They are] discussing if its fair to take the vacation from the teachers. We are living in a moment of exception, and it will be necessary to make a national pact, to have a very frank conversation with society as a whole.

Before opening up for questions, Todos pela Educacao co-founder Priscila Cruz showed the NGOs true colors, stating despicably that People say that distance education can generate inequality. It could produce some inequality, but we need to measure what the impacts are. Cruz is frequently interviewed by leading Brazilian newspapers and broadcasters as a spokeswoman for philanthropic education.

If those who took part in Wednesdays meeting have their way, in the post-COVID-19 world, educators will be even more exploited than before, with a fierce competition for jobs in the distance education sphere, intensified by the extreme unemployment levels. Teachers would be divided between those who are certified in distance learning and those who arent. Many would be compelled to work both in the classrooms and in the online sphere under a goals-based calendar to meet pre-established targets. Both the students and teachers would be evaluated through the application of expanded standardized testing, which will dictate whether a school or individual educator deserves funds or wage increases.

Significantly, many in the YouTube comment section of the online meeting stated their opposition to these plans to transform the school system, coordinated entirely with the corporations and banks and on the backs of rank-and-file teachers, students and parents. One comment read, They even call the banks, but dont call the students?, while another said, a big screwing of the bourgeoisie to use a world crisis to IMPOSE this change...proposing distance education.

Denouncing the conciliatory speech by the president of Undime, one commenter said, Since when does Todos pela Educacao represent civil society? A teacher commented, How do you work if not even adequate internet access is made available to the teachers. We have to prioritize the knowledge of the students. Pointing out the enormous social disparity in the access to digital learning, one commenter said, Giving online classes is easy, making digital platforms available is too. The hard part is for the student who was skipping classes two days of the week because he didnt have the [money for] a bus ticket having internet access to all of these classes.

The COVID-19 pandemic is seen by the ruling elites as an opportunity to accumulate ever-greater sums of money at the expense of the overwhelming majority, the working class and poor. The continuation and intensification of the assault on the education system and workers rights are being prepared by giant companies disguised as philanthropic NGOs, which are taking advantage of the current state of isolation and the threat of mass unemployment.

Educators and workers must reject this reactionary agenda based upon profit interests and form rank-and-file committees to organize against the offensive on their jobs and rights, to guarantee full wages and benefits for all teachers and school system workers both during the pandemic and after it is over, and to fight for the best methods for the education of their students.
Professional Educators of Tennessee officials said they whole-heartedly support the call of Governor Bill Lee to keep the public schools closed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. They said the organization shares his concern for at-risk and vulnerable student populations. However, the focus must remain on the safety of school employees and students.

Professional Educators of Tennessee officials said they also share the optimism of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn that our schools will be back for the 2020-2021 school year.

Nothing beats human ingenuity and sheer willpower in the face of uncertainty created by this pandemic, according to executive director JC Bowman.

Commissioner Schwinn will also convene a COVID-19 Child Wellbeing Task Force to engage communities and provide support for students.

Professional Educators of Tennessee also sent a letter to the Department of Education, with suggestions for how the state could use CARES Act funding to best advance schools and enable local school districts, after surveying membership. They provided the raw data along with comments to the Department. The full letter can be read here.

Some of the letters key points:



Receipt of CARES Act funds by school districts should not be conditioned on an LEA or school mandating, or in any other way requiring students to attend summer school, implement extended school days, or extend the 180-day school calendar.

Keeping our education workforce, help avoid employee layoffs in line with the CARES Act Section 18003 (d) (12).

Remain committed to success in literacy and prioritizing reading as a core value built around student success, educator quality, and parent support.

Keep children safe and improve our funding for counselors and mental health treatment providers, which the organization feels may be overlooked.

Re-evaluate and have a public discourse over the cost of assessment and exactly what role and purpose we seek from high stakes testing and the results we seek as a society.

Modernize our school funding formula to reflect changing 21st century needs, urging a commitment to technological upgrades moving forward be built into any state funding formula.

IDEA is the 4th most litigated federal civil statute in the United States. States and school districts cannot afford unnecessary legal action during a crisis. The state must give school districts clear guidance on this matter. Unnecessary legal action hurts all students and teachers.

The organization asked the state to use local and state vendors. They cautioned: we will see an influx of people, groups, and businesses who will be enticed by the allure of state and federal money. These entities may move into our state and may lack the prerequisite buy-in or commitment to our state.

Planning will be essential for the 2020-2021 school year.

Mr. Bowman ended the letter: We appreciate your consideration of our input and look forward to it being included into the final plan that the state submits. Our goal is to work with the state to successfully implement the plan you submit. Because of the courage, commitment, and resilience of our citizens, we know that Tennesseans can meet any challenge.
The ban on international passenger flights to contain the coronavirus has left 18,200 Moroccans stuck especially in Europe waiting to be repatriated by Moroccan authorities, a move which the minister in charge of expatriates said is not immediately insight.

Minister delegate to Moroccans living abroad Nezha El Ouafi said that the number does not include students with legal stay and accommodation abroad, noting that 40,000 Moroccan students are enrolled in French schools and universities alone.

There is a coordination between different ministerial departments before repatriation and hasty decisions should be avoided, she said reassuring that the return of Moroccans stuck abroad is a matter of time.

She said the consular services have provided accommodation to Moroccans and that the ministry of foreign affairs allocated 1 million dirhams to burials in Muslim cemeteries of Moroccans who lost their lives abroad.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, second from right, at high-school visit in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 20.

AP Photo/Vincent Thian

The Washington Post praised Jacinda Ardern for her response to the coronavirus pandemic, which included putting New Zealand on a month-long lockdown beginning March 25. New Zealand also closed its borders on March 20, denying entry into New Zealand to everyone who is not a citizen, resident, or close family member of a citizen or resident.

The number of confirmed cases decreased for consecutive days beginning April 4.

This isn't the first time Ardern, the leader of New Zealand's Labour Party, has been praised for her efforts  since taking office she has fought against sexism, led gun reform policies, and tried to normalize being a working mother in politics.

Here's everything you need to know about the prime minister:

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been praised for her response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looks on during a press conference at Parliament on April 07, 2020, in Wellington, New Zealand.

New Zealand went into a month-long lockdown on March 25 after closing its borders on March 20, and since then the nation's number of confirmed coronavirus cases has fallen.

Story continues

On April 3, there were 1,160 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Then for two days in a row, new case numbers fell despite more testing. On April 15, there were 1,078 cases in New Zealand, a nation of about 5 million people.

Ardern also said in a news conference on April 15 that she's taking a 20% pay cut for the next six months along with her cabinet because of the pandemic's effect on the economy.

"We acknowledge New Zealanders who are reliant on wage subsidies, taking pay cuts, and losing their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic," Ardern said. "Today, I can confirm that myself and government ministers and public service chief executives will take a 20% pay cut for the next six months."

Ardern was raised Mormon on New Zealand's North Island.

Ardern at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2019.

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

Ardern was raised by her mother and father, a police officer, in Murupara and Morrinsville on New Zealand's North Island, according to The New Zealand Herald.

She was raised Mormon and described herself as an "acceptable nerd" in high school.

"It was how my friends identified me. I was both Mormon and the sober driver  that was the benefit they saw from my [church] membership," she told Time in 2017.

In 2005, Arden left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over its stance on LGBTQ people and now identifies as agnostic, People reported.

Ardern joined New Zealand Parliament in 2008.

Jacinda Ardern speaks to MPs in Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, in October 2017.

Associated Press

At 28 years old, Ardern was elected into New Zealand's Parliament as part of the center-left Labour Party.

At the time, she was the parliament's youngest sitting member.

Nine years later, in July 2017, Ardern was serving as deputy to the Labour Party's leader, Andrew Little, when he stepped down and named her as his successor.

Suddenly the party's polling numbers started to climb in what the country called "Jacindamania," according to NPR.

Ardern took office as New Zealand's prime minister in October 2017.

Ardern after being sworn into office on October 26, 2017.

AP Photo/Nick Perry

When Ardern assumed office in October 2017, she became New Zealand's youngest leader in 150 years.

Her platform focused on education reform, poverty, and mental healthcare, and she campaigned with "relentless positivity," NPR reported at the time.

Ardern was a welcoming presence who occasionally spoke with reporters directly in the beginning stages of her leadership, instead of going through a spokesperson.

An Australian journalist from ABC Radio said he called Ardern's office shortly after she was named the country's next prime minister to determine how to pronounce her last name.

He said on Twitter  and Ardern later confirmed, according to The Associated Press  that it was Ardern who unexpectedly answered the phone.

"It was funny. I was in a meeting and my desk phone started to ring, and it doesn't ring much, so I went over and I saw it was an international number, and I just picked up," Ardern told The New Zealand Herald.

Ardern became a mother while in office.

Ardern with her partner, Clarke Gayford, and their daughter, Neve.

Office of the Prime Minister of New Zealand via AP

Ardern gave birth to her daughter, Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, in June 2018. It is her first child with her longtime partner, the TV host Clarke Gayford.

At the time, only one other world leader, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, had given birth while in office.

Ardern celebrated her daughter's birth on Instagram, thanking the "wonderful team at Auckland City Hospital" for its help.

After six weeks of maternity leave, Ardern returned to work, with Gayford staying home to care for their daughter.

Ardern has made headlines for speaking out against sexism and racism.

Ardern during a visit to Kilbirnie Mosque to lay flowers among tributes to Christchurch attack victims, in Wellington, New Zealand.

Associated Press

When her daughter was 3 months old, Ardern brought her to the United Nations General Assembly in hopes of creating "a path for other women."

"I want to normalize it," she told CNN's Christiane Amanpour of the event. "If we want to make workplaces more open, we need to acknowledge logistical challenges ... by being more open it might create a path for other women."

Since the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019, Ardern has called for a global campaign against racism.

The man who claimed responsibility for the shooting was an Australian national who had promoted white nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiments.

Ardern told BBC of the shooting: "What New Zealand experienced here was violence brought against us by someone who grew up and learned their ideology somewhere else. If we want to make sure globally that we are a safe and tolerant and inclusive world we cannot think about this in terms of boundaries."

In April 2019, New Zealand passed a gun reform law that banned most semi-automatic firearms, parts that convert firearms into semi-automatics, magazines over a certain capacity and some shotguns.

The government also gave gun owners until December 2019 to turn in banned guns or parts for compensation, which is 95% of the original cost of the product.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The project is planned to benefit 130,000 students and 3,000 educators and administrative employees by 2030

Egypt and Italy signed a EGP 40.8 million ($2.5 million) agreement to scale up a project for applied technology high schools aimed at upgrading technical education in the country, the cabinet said on Thursday.

The deal is part of a larger agreement worth $100 million under an Egyptian-Italian debt swap programme, which aims to direct Egypts debts to Italy towards development projects.

The project is designed to upgrade Egypts technical education by setting up a network of applied technology schools to provide highly trained technicians. It is planned to benefit 130,000 students and offer training to 3,000 educators and administrative workers by 2030.

Cooperation between Egypt and Italy under the Egyptian-Italian debt swap programme is valued at 350 million euros, according to the cabinet. The two countries had signed two deals under the programme worth $150 million and $100 million.

This week's agreement was signed by International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat, Education Minister Tarek Shawky and Italian Ambassador to Cairo Giampaolo Cantini.

Egypt has set up 11 such schools in the fields of industry, agriculture, trade and hospitality in different governorates since the education ministry launched the project in the 2018-2019 academic year.

Egypt aims to set up 100 applied technology schools by 2030, officials had said earlier.

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According to research by Chinese doctors, acute smokers are more at risk of dying from COVID-19 than elderly people.

Smokers are 14 times more likely to contract coronavirus compared with those who do not, the head of a Turkish anti-addiction group told Anadolu Agency.

Professor Mucahit Ozturk, president of anti-addiction group Turkish Green Crescent, on Thursday urged those who smoke to quit to protect themselves from the contagion.

Using tobacco and tobacco products increases the risk of catching the coronavirus, therefore, avoiding all addictive substances plays an important role in protecting ourselves against the virus, Ozturk said.

Ozturk underscored smoking weakens the immune system and has negative impacts on coronavirus treatment.

A weak immune system poses a threat to your health since it delays the treatment process and makes treatment difficult during the epidemic, even if you occasionally use addictive substances, he said.

Smoking can cause damage to the lungs and block the cough reflex so viruses and bacteria could stick to the airways and lungs, which could lead to serious infections.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also said smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to the virus as fingers are in contact with the lips, which increases the possibility of hand-to-mouth transmission.

According to research by Chinese doctors, cited by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, acute smokers were more at risk of dying than elderly people.

Smoking damages your lungs and other parts of your body, and it makes you more vulnerable to #COVID19 infection. It is the right time to  quit smoking for a safer and better health  https://t.co/bx8RdTRFz8#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/oYgvkyerOZ  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 26, 2020

The human body is programmed to recover from the moment you stop smoking, Ozturk said.

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After first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and territories.

More than two million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll at more than 137,000 and 517,000 recoveries, according to data compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.
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Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on April 14 that no evidence of discrimination was found after an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Nigerian people in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.







Onyeama said a group of Nigerian citizens were confirmed to have COVID-19 after arriving in Guangzhou from Nigeria in the early days of the epidemic. One of them is an owner of a restaurant that was popular with many Africans.





Therefore, local governments closed related venues and required the people involved to undergo a 14-day quarantine to prevent the virus from spreading.





To lower the risks brought by imported cases, Guangzhou has implemented strict quarantine measures. People under mandatory quarantine are not allowed to return to their homes or hotels.





"However, it was misinterpreted by some of the Nigerians and Africans," said Onyeama. "[They] could not understand why it seems to be selective and targeting only themselves," he added.





Also, Onyeama said some media incorrectly interpreted the issue based solely on videos on social media platforms and alleged that Nigerians, and African people in general, were being discriminated against in Guangzhou.





"I am happy to say that we have re-established and stabilized the situation together with the Chinese Government," said Onyeama.





Onyeama noted there is nothing wrong with Guangzhou applying strict anti-epidemic policies based on the experience of Wuhan, but he also suggested Guangzhou authorities improve their communication while implementing the policies.





Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Zhou Pingjian reiterated that China treats all foreigners equally and has zero tolerance of racism and any such wrong behavior will be corrected.





Zhou stressed that China-Nigeria relations were unbreakable, adding that the Guangzhou government is fighting against the epidemic, not Nigerians, Africans or any foreigners.





Onyeama made the comments at a joint press conference with the Chinese ambassador on April 14 in Abuja, capital of Nigeria.




On April 13th, multiple tornadoes swept through South Carolina killing more than nine people and left 74,000 without power in South Carolina alone. More than 60 tornadoes were reported as the storms that began on Easter Sunday progressed through the south part of the United States.

A Christian Woman named Allison Ritter was at the scene when tornadoes passed through her region. She said she was calling on Jesus, and she and her family were left unharmed from the tornadoes.

She said "Once I heard that wind blowing, I knew. My children and I were in the house when it happened. I never experienced anything like that before. My mom ended up calling me right before it happened and about five minutes later was when I ran and got my kids. I started hearing all the wind blowing, windows breaking, trees cracking, debris just hitting up against the house. It was a lot."

She took no time to take her family to the bathroom, and they huddled together while she called out for God's protection. "I just wanted to make sure we were safe," she said. "None of the kids knew what was going on. Between all the wind blowing and trees falling, I just kept calling on Jesus. That's all I know to do in a case like this. He just kept His hand over us."

"I am so thankful. I just thank God for shielding and protecting us through this storm because I hear many didn't make it," Ritter added.

Meteorologists say three tornadoes ripped through South Carolina on early Monday, killing a total of nine people throughout the state.

Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency in response to the devastation, which cited extensive property damage and localized flooding, as well as other dangerous conditions. McMaster tweeted, "We saw more tragedy in the midst of what is already one of the most trying times our state has endured. We lost at least nine precious lives across South Carolina last night to the tornadoes that swept through our state."

McMaster added, "SC is a big family, and we're going to take care of each other. The worst nature can throw at us will only bring out the best in us."
Students in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program who completed their coursework in December 2019 or finish it in May 2020 can apply to join the nursing profession before taking the Nation Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX).

In a process that is beginning to take shape, the graduates will be able to seek temporary permits since their ability to take the NCLEX in a timely fashion is limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic that also has increased the need for their services.

Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBN) made the move to help get more nurses onto the frontlines of patient care for the COVID-19 response. With the temporary permit, graduates will work as nurses until they have a chance to take the NCLEX.

"It's vital. You're talking about our institution alone being able to send 150 to 200 nurses into places where there are dire needs," said Dr. Carolynn DeSandre, interim dean of UNG's College of Health Sciences & Professions. "They have the skills we need for them to be on the frontlines and helping at this time. It's great to see the governor and Board of Nursing realizing this need."

Dr. Sharon Chalmers, head of UNG's Nursing Department, said the infusion of nurses across the state could be a game-changer.

"This can relieve some of the pressures on our nurses right now," Chalmers said. "Nurses are working extra hours. They're picking up extra shifts."

Sarah Vancea, who is scheduled to graduate with a BSN from UNG in May and has accepted an emergency room position with Grady Memorial Hospital, knows not everyone will feel the same about starting right away before the NCLEX. But the Dearborn Heights, Michigan, native is glad she won't have to take a break between finishing her degree and entering the nursing field.

"I want to be an emergency room nurse. Either way, I like jumping into things," Vancea said. "That fits my personality perfectly."

Both DeSandre and Chalmers noted that as recently as the 1980s graduates of nursing programs received such temporary permits because testing was available only twice a year. Once students took the test, they continued as nurses if they passed or pulled out of the field if they failed. Chalmers said GBN realized that since that process worked then, it could be replicated now to meet critical needs.

"I'm excited for the graduating students and our local health care environment," DeSandre said. "We were at a nursing shortage even before COVID-19. I'm glad they'll be able to get out there and help during this time of great need."

Chalmers said UNG remains in touch with its December graduates who have been unable to take the NCLEX. She said UNG's nursing faculty are encouraging them to keep studying so they retain what they learned and can be successful once they take the test.

UNG has also already started some of its summer nursing coursework so instruction can be stacked at the beginning to allow for more clinical time later. Currently, nursing students have been pulled out of their required clinical placements due to COVID-19.
Former Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu says the best way relief funds can be given to Nigerians is by crediting them via their account numbers with the use of the BVNs.

Tinubu, who is now the national leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) added that the use of the BVN would offer a more safe and convenient way of reaching out to Nigerians who are currently under lockdown.

The money-less family still needs food, water, shelter and, to a lesser degree, utilities. In a compassionate society, they should not be made to do without.

Most families need relief. If relief is not forthcoming, these families risk hunger and its attendant suffering and woes, Tinubu said.

Read Also: Coronavirus: My Position On Economy Misunderstood  Tinubu

First, we can designate a stipend for every household. The amount should be enough to pay for the monthly needs of an average household for food and other basics.

While this may somewhat penalise larger families, perfection cannot be had at this time.

Second, the stipends could be given as a form of emergency unemployment insurance to those who can prove they were relieved of employment due to the crisis.

This will be more targeted at the actual victims of the crisis but harder to administer. This stipend will also have to be extended to owners of small and medium-sized businesses.

Third, the government can render some form of payroll support to companies and businesses that seek to retain workers albeit they may not be fully employed.

The stipend can help companies stay in operation while maintaining workers on their payroll. By maintaining workers, the company can more swiftly return to full operation when normalcy returns.
Observations made with ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) have revealed for the first time that a star orbiting the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way moves just as predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity. Its orbit is shaped like a rosette and not like an ellipse as predicted by Newton's theory of gravity. This long-sought-after result was made possible by increasingly precise measurements over nearly 30 years, which have enabled scientists to unlock the mysteries of the behemoth lurking at the heart of our galaxy.

"Einstein's General Relativity predicts that bound orbits of one object around another are not closed, as in Newtonian Gravity, but precess forwards in the plane of motion. This famous effect -- first seen in the orbit of the planet Mercury around the Sun -- was the first evidence in favour of General Relativity. One hundred years later we have now detected the same effect in the motion of a star orbiting the compact radio source Sagittarius A* at the centre of the Milky Way. This observational breakthrough strengthens the evidence that Sagittarius A* must be a supermassive black hole of 4 million times the mass of the Sun," says Reinhard Genzel, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching, Germany and the architect of the 30-year-long programme that led to this result.

Located 26 000 light-years from the Sun, Sagittarius A* and the dense cluster of stars around it provide a unique laboratory for testing physics in an otherwise unexplored and extreme regime of gravity. One of these stars, S2, sweeps in towards the supermassive black hole to a closest distance less than 20 billion kilometres (one hundred and twenty times the distance between the Sun and Earth), making it one of the closest stars ever found in orbit around the massive giant. At its closest approach to the black hole, S2 is hurtling through space at almost three percent of the speed of light, completing an orbit once every 16 years. "After following the star in its orbit for over two and a half decades, our exquisite measurements robustly detect S2's Schwarzschild precession in its path around Sagittarius A*," says Stefan Gillessen of the MPE, who led the analysis of the measurements published today in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Most stars and planets have a non-circular orbit and therefore move closer to and further away from the object they are rotating around. S2's orbit precesses, meaning that the location of its closest point to the supermassive black hole changes with each turn, such that the next orbit is rotated with regard to the previous one, creating a rosette shape. General Relativity provides a precise prediction of how much its orbit changes and the latest measurements from this research exactly match the theory. This effect, known as Schwarzschild precession, had never before been measured for a star around a supermassive black hole.

The study with ESO's VLT also helps scientists learn more about the vicinity of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. "Because the S2 measurements follow General Relativity so well, we can set stringent limits on how much invisible material, such as distributed dark matter or possible smaller black holes, is present around Sagittarius A*. This is of great interest for understanding the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes," say Guy Perrin and Karine Perraut, the French lead scientists of the project.

This result is the culmination of 27 years of observations of the S2 star using, for the best part of this time, a fleet of instruments at ESO's VLT, located in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The number of data points marking the star's position and velocity attests to the thoroughness and accuracy of the new research: the team made over 330 measurements in total, using the GRAVITY, SINFONI and NACO instruments. Because S2 takes years to orbit the supermassive black hole, it was crucial to follow the star for close to three decades, to unravel the intricacies of its orbital movement.

The research was conducted by an international team led by Frank Eisenhauer of the MPE with collaborators from France, Portugal, Germany and ESO. The team make up the GRAVITY collaboration, named after the instrument they developed for the VLT Interferometer, which combines the light of all four 8-metre VLT telescopes into a super-telescope (with a resolution equivalent to that of a telescope 130 metres in diameter). The[ same team reported in 2018] - another effect predicted by General Relativity: they saw the light received from S2 being stretched to longer wavelengths as the star passed close to Sagittarius A*. "Our previous result has shown that the light emitted from the star experiences General Relativity. Now we have shown that the star itself senses the effects of General Relativity," says Paulo Garcia, a researcher at Portugal's Centre for Astrophysics and Gravitation and one of the lead scientists of the GRAVITY project.

With ESO's upcoming Extremely Large Telescope, the team believes that they would be able to see much fainter stars orbiting even closer to the supermassive black hole. "If we are lucky, we might capture stars close enough that they actually feel the rotation, the spin, of the black hole," says Andreas Eckart from Cologne University, another of the lead scientists of the project. This would mean astronomers would be able to measure the two quantities, spin and mass, that characterise Sagittarius A* and define space and time around it. "That would be again a completely different level of testing relativity," says Eckart.

###

More information

This research was presented in the paper "Detection of the Schwarzschild precession in the orbit of the star S2 near the Galactic centre massive black hole" to appear in Astronomy & Astrophysics (DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202037813).

The GRAVITY Collaboration team is composed of R. Abuter (European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany [ESO]), A. Amorim (Universidade de Lisboa - Faculdade de Ciencias, Portugal and Centro de Astrofisica e Gravitacao, IST, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal [CENTRA]), M. Baubock (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Germany [MPE]), J.P. Berger (Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble, France [IPAG] and ESO), H. Bonnet (ESO), W. Brandner (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany [MPIA]), V. Cardoso (CENTRA and CERN, Geneve, Switzerland), Y. Clenet (Observatoire de Paris, Universite PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Universite, Universite de Paris, Meudon, France [LESIA], P.T. de Zeeuw (Sterrewacht Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands and MPE), J. Dexter (Department of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences, JILA, Duane Physics Bldg.,University of Colorado, Boulder, USA and MPE), A. Eckart (1st Institute of Physics, University of Cologne, Germany [Cologne] and Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany), F. Eisenhauer (MPE), N.M. Forster Schreiber (MPE), P. Garcia (Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal and CENTRA), F. Gao (MPE), E. Gendron (LESIA), R. Genzel (MPE, Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Le Conte Hall, University of California, Berkeley, USA), S. Gillessen (MPE), M. Habibi (MPE), X. Haubois (European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile [ESO Chile]), T. Henning (MPIA), S. Hippler (MPIA), M. Horrobin (Cologne), A. Jimenez-Rosales (MPE), L. Jochum (ESO Chile), L. Jocou (IPAG), A. Kaufer (ESO Chile), P. Kervella (LESIA), S. Lacour (LESIA), V. Lapeyrere (LESIA), J.-B. Le Bouquin (IPAG), P. Lena (LESIA), M. Nowak (Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK and LESIA), T. Ott (MPE), T. Paumard (LESIA), K. Perraut (IPAG), G. Perrin (LESIA), O. Pfuhl (ESO, MPE), G. Rodriguez-Coira (LESIA), J. Shangguan (MPE), S. Scheithauer (MPIA), J. Stadler (MPE), O. Straub (MPE), C. Straubmeier (Cologne), E. Sturm (MPE), L.J. Tacconi (MPE), F. Vincent (LESIA), S. von Fellenberg (MPE), I. Waisberg (Department of Particle Physics & Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel and MPE), F. Widmann (MPE), E. Wieprecht (MPE), E. Wiezorrek (MPE), J. Woillez (ESO), and S. Yazici (MPE, Cologne).

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 16 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. Also at Paranal ESO will host and operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world's largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

* Research paper - https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso2006/eso2006a.pdf

* Photos of the VLT - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/paranal/

* MPE GRAVITY webpage - http://www.mpe.mpg.de/ir/gravity

* For scientists: got a story? Pitch your research paper - http://eso.org/sci/publications/announcements/sciann17277.html

Contacts

Reinhard Genzel

Director, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 30000 3280

Email: genzel@mpe.mpg.de

Stefan Gillessen

Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 30000 3839

Cell: +49 176 99 66 41 39

Email: ste@mpe.mpg.de

Frank Eisenhauer

Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 30000 3563

Cell: +49 162 3105080

Email: eisenhau@mpe.mpg.de

Paulo Garcia

Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto and Centro de Astrofisica e Gravitacao, IST, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Porto, Portugal

Cell: +351 963235785

Email: pgarcia@fe.up.pt

Karine Perraut

IPAG of Universite Grenoble Alpes/CNRS

Grenoble, France

Email: karine.perraut@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Guy Perrin

LESIA - Observatoire de Paris-Site de Meudon

Paris, France

Email: guy.perrin@obspm.fr

Andreas Eckart

1st Institute of Physics, University of Cologne

Cologne, Germany

Tel: +49 221 470 3546

Email: eckart@ph1.uni-koeln.de

Barbara Ferreira

ESO Public Information Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 3200 6670

Cell: +49 151 241 664 00

Email: pio@eso.org
A piece of mahogany has been unearthed just off the coast of Vancouver Island in Canada and is believed to be the oldest sample of the hardwood ever found.

The fossilised chunk of timber dates back to the end of the Cretaceous period roughly 80 million years ago.

Previously, it was through mahogany only existed as far back as 60 million years ago, after the demise of the dinosaurs.

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The specimen (pictured) has been named Manchestercarpa vancouverensis. Evidence of a fleshy layer of fruit and seeds can still be seen in the fossil. The fossil is closely related to the mahogany trees seen today

WHAT IS MAHOGANY? Mahogany is a type of timber made from tropical trees. It is a hard reddish-brown timber used for making furniture. It has been in existence for around 80million years and is used in the fossil record to reveal locations of past rainforests. Mahogany trees can reach 200 feet tall. They grow bright purple-yellow flowers and edible, woody fruit that locals eat. The United States is the world's top importer of the tropical timber from South America's producers. Unfortunately, mahogany is often harvested illegally. The trees are among those most threatened by deforestation in the Amazon. Brazil has banned mahogany logging, except for companies who guarantee to replant. It is their most expensive wood, and the smugglers' main markets include the United States, Britain and Japan. Advertisement

The specimen has been named Manchestercarpa vancouverensis.

The species name vancouverensis is a nod to its location while the genus name Manchestercarpa is to honour a prominent scientist, Steve Manchester at the University of Florida Museum of Natural History.

Evidence of a fleshy layer of fruit and seeds can still be seen in the fossil.

Dr Brian Atkinson, a paleobotanist from the University of Kansas, stumbled upon the fossil by chance and analysis revealed it to be between 72 and 79 million years old.

The rock containing the fossil was found by a local fossil hunter called Graham Beard, director of the Qualicum Beach Museum of Natural History.

Mr Beard's rock was being investigated by Dr Atkinson for another fossil trapped within.

But as analysis progressed, the stone revealed a treasure trove of prehistoric fossils, including the mahogany.

Dr Atkinson analysed the structure of the mahogany and traced its genetic history to figure out its relationship to other species in the family.

This showed the fossil, which he admits was found by accident, is closely related to the mahogany trees seen today.

Today, mahogany is a sought after material and highly valued for its appearance and properties and is used to make luxry furmiture (pictured). Dr Atkinson, who found the fossil, said: 'You might own something made from mahogany like furniture, panelling or a musical instrument'

Mahogany is a type of timber made from tropical trees. It is a hard reddish-brown timber used for making furniture. It has been in existence for around 80million years and is used in the fossil record to reveal locations of past rainforests (stock photo)

Mahogany plays a key role in the fossil record, as its existence and durability indicates the locations of now-extinct tropical rainforests.

Dr Atkinson explained: 'For understanding when many of the different branches of the tree of life evolved, we are primarily dependent on the fossil record.

'In this case, Meliaceae, the mahogany family, is an ecologically and economically important group of trees.

'A lot of researchers have used this group as a study system to better understand the evolution of tropical rainforests.'

Mahogany had only been found dating back to the Paleocene around 60 million years ago but a study published today in the journal the American Journal of Botany found it was already well-established.

This study puts the origin of mahogany around the time where ecosystems were modernising and diversification into modern plant groups.

Today, mahogany is a sought after material and highly valued for its appearance and properties.

Dr Atkinson said: 'You might own something made from mahogany like furniture, panelling or a musical instrument.'
A British traveller, who



was stuck in Tirupati due to the lockdown after offering worship at Lord Venkateswara temple near here, was sent back to Hyderabad by road to catch a flight to Ahmedabad and from there to London, a government official said here today.

The 56-year-old Culley Clive Bryant had arrived in the temple city and visited the Hill shrine at Tirumala on March 21 and was stranded here following the COVID-19 shutdown, the official told PTI.

He was shifted to a quarantine facility in Tiruchanur and was tested for the coronavirus. He tested negative, he said.

During his stay in the quarantine facility, Bryant contactedthe British embassy in the country and got all necessary documents, including departure tickets to London from Ahmedabad, through mail, the official said.

He had arrived in India on October 29 last year from Heathrow of London in the UK, he said.

After a thorough verification on the papers shown by the British national, the convinced officials in Tirupati arranged a hired vehicle in which he left for Hyderabad on Thursday evening to catch a flight on Friday to Ahmedabad to fly back to London, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rosenberg police are searching for a man they consider "extremely dangerous," who is accused of fatally attacking his estranged wife on Wednesday night.

Tomas Maldonado, 50, was seen fleeing their home in the 800 block of San Jacinto Street about 10 p.m., shortly before his wife was found with significant injuries, police said. Witnesses said Maldonado fled in a red 2016 Chevrolet 2500 truck with a paper license plate that read 66503A8.

Rosenberg Assistant Police Chief Jarret Nethery said the woman was transported to a local hospital, where she later died. Police would not release details on how she was attacked, citing an ongoing investigation.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your Inbox

Police said Maldonado allegedly made several threats to his estranged wife and other family members in days leading up to the attack.

Our community has suffered a tragic loss, the victim and family are in our thoughts and prayers," Rosenberg Police Chief Jonathan White said in a news release. "We are working diligently to make sure that Tomas Maldonado is found and is provided an opportunity to answer for what he has done.

Anyone with information on Maldonado's whereabouts is asked to contact Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip anonymously online. Information that leads to an arrest could result in a cash reward of up to $5,000.

Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com
Five new positive coronavirus cases were recorded Thursday in Midland County, bringing the total to 41 cases and one death, according to the afternoon state report. Gladwin County added two more cases, bringing its total to eight cases and no deaths.

Isabella County recorded another death and two more cases, bringing its total to 45 cases and five deaths. Bay County added three cases, bringing its total to 67 cases and two deaths. Saginaw County added 36 new cases and one death, bringing its total to 349 cases and 20 deaths.

The state added 1,204 new cases on Thursday and 172 deaths. Overall, Michigan is at 29,263 cases and 2,093 deaths.

The average death age is 73.5, according to the state website, mich.gov, with the deceased ranging in age from 20 to 107. The state lists 37% of the deceased as 80-plus and 28% age 70-79. State statistics show 57% of coronavirus deaths are male and 43% are female.

The state lists the total recovered at 433 cases, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to March 11, 2020, according to the state website, mich.gov.

During this response, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing vital records statistics to identify any laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases who are 30 days out from their onset of illness to represent recovery status, according to the state website. The numbers will be updated every Saturday.

The state lists the majority of races in positive cases as 33% Black/African American; 28% Caucasian and 29% unknown, and the top three races in deaths as 40% Black/African American; 40% Caucasian and 15% unknown.

The state positive cases are listed as 45% men, 54% women and 1% unknown.

Midland County Department of Public Health continues to encourage residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

 Continue to practice social distancing as recommended by federal, state and local officials.

 Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

 Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

 Disinfect commonly touched surfaces.

 Stay home when you are sick.

 Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

We cannot stress enough how important it is for our community to be diligent in their community mitigation efforts," said Fred Yanoski, Midland County Public Health director/health officer. "We know that COVID-19 is in our community, and our residents can make a huge impact on slowing the spread of disease by following the recommended precautions."

If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available, call MidMichigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or MidMichigan Medical Center's Emergency Department in Midland at 989-839-3100.

MidMichigan Health has a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has a hotline number for Michigan residents for questions about COVID-19. The number is 1-888-535-6136 and is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents also can e-mail COVID19@michigan.gov. E-mails will be answered seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan by calling 800-317-0708.




File photo

A Nigerian has begged for answers over a mysterious occurrence in his life that has left him baffled. According to him, he falls sick anytime he allows his hair grow to a certain level.

He wrote via Nairaland saying:

Hello guys,

Good day everyone!

I just have a little problem, though it is not a problem except that I like my hair grown haha!

Okay, whenever I let my hair grow to a particular stage, I fall sick. I mean, seriously sick that I cant stand up or walk.

I noticed it first in my 100L in school, since that was the first time I was opportune to let my hair grow so well. The sickness came midnight, and in the morning I rushed to get a cut and got fine without any medication.

The second time, I was in 200L. I got sick and called my mum to tell her I was going to return home for treatment, my hair was grown and I knew shed complain about it and visited the barber first.

When I reached home same day, no medications, no treatments at all, I became very fine.

In my third year again, I let my hair grow. It was giving me signs that Id soon get sick, and I ignored it. It came again midnight, and I couldnt sleep. Fever, headaches, stomach pains, legs were aching and I could barely see.

In the morning I rushed to the barbers shop, as early as 6 oclock. I didnt even let him carve my hair haha!

He just barbed me, I rushed home and fell on my bed. I didnt lock the doors, no bathing, nothing.

When I woke up, the sickness was mysteriously gone.

Now Im confused because this is so abnormal.

I have only heard of people who had dreadlocks, and would get sick whenever they barb them. Why is my own so different? Worst surprise, Im an identical twin but it doesnt happen to my brother.

Has anyone else had or heard of a similar case? What could be the solution? I have made tons of Google searches and yet no reasonable help at all.

I asked some people and they were telling me to ask my parents. my biological parents are no more around and I dont even know who else to askLol
New Delhi: Actress Ileana D'Cruz has set the internet ablaze after she posted a stunning picture of herself in a white bikini. The picture has been taken during one of her holidays in Fiji and Ileana looks just gorgeous in it. "Throwback to wearing flowers in my super short hair, having perennially bare feet, and no pants. #islandgirl #beachbum #nopantsarethebestpants", she captioned the post. The actress flaunts her washboard abs in the picture and poses sideways for the perfect frame.

Heres how Ileana is breaking the internet with her bikini pose:

Jaw-dropping, Ileana!

The picture has got crazy viral with over 8 lakh likes. Comments such as "gorgeous" and "so hot" have been posted. The netizens have also dropped fire and heart emoticons on Ileana's post.

On the work front, Ileana was last seen in the 2019's 'Pagalpanti', which also starred John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Urvashi Rautela, Arshad Warsi, Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda. 'Barfi!', 'Phata Poster Nikla Hero', 'Rustom', 'Happy Ending' and 'Raid' are some of the films on her resume. 'The Big Bull' with Abhishek Bachchan is Ileana's forthcoming film.
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that a lockdown is not the solution to fight coronavirus and the government should instead go for testing "aggressively and strategically".

Addressing the media through a video chat, the Gandhi scion said, "In no way does a lockdown defeat the virus. It helps only to stop the virus for a short while. The only way to do this is to increase testing and chasing the virus and going beyond and this is my advice to the government - use testing."

Instead of conducting tests on the basis of suspected cases, India must adopt a strategy and bring out an architecture under which testing should be expanded exponentially and find out where the country stands, the Congress leader said.

The Congress MP said that though he disagrees with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a lot of issues, it is time to stand united in the nations fight against COVID-19.

"I disagree with Narendra Modi with a lot of issues but now is not the time to fight. Unite and fight the virus, Rahul Gandhi said.

Gandhi insisted that there is a need for devolution of powers to states to help them effectively deal with the situation. He added that a "blunt instrument" should not be used and what is needed is a "nuanced" and strategic approach.

''Now we've reached a level, where we are in an emergency situation. India must unite and fight against it. My main suggestion is that blunt instruments must not be used. We must work strategically. Lockdown has not resolved the problem, it has only postponed the problem, Rahul added.

He further warned that ''when we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again.

The Congress leader suggested the government to push testing aggressively and use testing strategically, to assist the states in their fight, use it not to just track patients but to create a map of India to see where the virus is moving.

He also said there is a need to use the available resources carefully. Rahul also said that the government should prepare a minimum financial net. "You don't have to call it NYAY scheme," he remarked, suggesting pre-emptive action to provide food security. "Don't take it as criticism," he said.
A 'warm and caring' mother who worked for the NHS for 30 years has died after contracting coronavirus.

Julianne Cadby, 49, of Cardiff, worked in a string of roles at her health board for three decades and was a 'much loved' member of her team.

She started her career as a medical secretary before becoming a business manager at the specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

She is one of four more hero NHS workers who fought on the frontline to help battle the coronavirus crisis have died of the illness.

A retired theatre assistant, a healthcare worker and a long-serving porter are the latest tragic losses, with 50 NHS staff members having now lost their lives to the illness.

Dedicated Mrs Cadby was described by her colleagues as 'always ensuring we are delivering the best service we can for children and young people.'

She leaves behind her husband Chris, their son Evan and her brother Ian.

Julianne Cadby, 49, of Cardiff, worked in a string of roles at her health board for three decades and was a 'much loved' member of her team

Andy Treble (pictured, left, in PPE and, right, with his 17-year-old, Emily) has died after coming out of retirement to fight the virus

Healthcare assistant Lourdes Campbell (pictured above) died from the coronavirus

A spokesman for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: 'Julianne was a much loved member of our team, she was extremely warm and caring and would always make time to help and support hear colleagues.

'Her dedication shone through, playing a central role in all that we do in the service and her focus was always on ensuring we are delivering the best service we can for children and young people.

'Her loss will be felt by all the many colleagues she has worked with over the years.

'She is survived by her husband Chris, their son Evan and her brother Ian. We will miss her greatly.'

Long-serving porter Brian Darlington who worked for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has also died from the virus

It comes after council bosses urged the government to reveal how it is monitoring the rate of black, Asian and minority ethnic people (BAME) who are contracting the disease.

The Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre found last week that 34 per cent of critically ill patients from the virus were from BAME backgrounds.

Today it was revealed that 57-year-old Andy Treble who returned to the frontline during the crisis has now died of coronavirus after a battle in intensive care.

The death of 'diligent and compassionate' healthcare assistant Lourdes Campbell, who worked for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, was also announced, as well as that of long-serving porter Brian Darlington who worked for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Family and colleagues today paid tribute to Andy after his death yesterday. The Betsi Cadwaladr University Heath Board said: 'It is with profound sadness that we can confirm that Andy Treble, a theatre assistant at Wrexham Maelor Hospital,has passed away. Andy sadly died on the critical care unit on Wednesday.'

Mr Treble had worked at the hospital in north Wales for almost 40 years and was well-loved by his colleagues.

His sister, Maria Molloy, described her brother as a kind man who dedicated his life to his profession, and 'always had a smile on his face.'

She said: 'Andy absolutely loved working at the Maelor, his colleagues were his other family.

'He had a very kind nature and always put everyone else before himself. He was always laughing and smiling, he was such a good man.

'We are devastated by his loss but would like to thank the critical care team who did their very best for Andy and above all were there for him at the very end. We will be forever grateful to them.'

His 17-year-old daughter, Emily Treble, also expressed her sadness and said her father would be deeply missed.

Mr Treble (pictured) is the 44th NHS worker to have died in the battle against the coronavirus

She said: 'He was such a lovely man, I'm proud to call him my father. He's helped me through so much and he has always been there for me.

'He always cheered me up by watching Laurel and Hardy together. He was so kind, so loving and he will be missed forever.'

Mr Treble leaves behind three other sisters - Caroline, Pauline and Linda.

It comes as:

Professor Neil Ferguson insisted schools and more shops should not be open until everyone with symptoms, and everyone they have come into contact with, can been screened

Dominic Raab is set to confirm that lockdown will stay in place until at least mid-May after a Cobra emergency committee meeting this afternoon

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets

In a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Hancock insisted it was 'too early' for an exit strategy from the lockdown

Mr Hancock defended the government's handling of testing, despite it already having missed a target of carrying out 25,000 tests a day by mid-April

Health Secretary repeated his promise that the Government will be carrying out 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month

David Bevan, theatre manager at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, said: 'Andy was a well-loved colleague and friend to us all. His loss has left a hole in his theatre family and he will be sadly missed by everyone.

'Andy was a hardworking, caring and compassionate member of our team with a wonderful sense of humour that touched us all.'

Imran Devji, Wrexham Maelor Hospital's managing director, added: 'On behalf of the staff at the hospital, and across the wider Health Board, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Andy's family. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

'Andy was a valued member of the team and was very well-liked amongst his colleagues.

Graph shows the UK's average daily coronavirus deaths for the previous seven days, based on official figures. The dip at the end shows the numbers falling for two days - the first drop since the crisis began. Although it could be a sign of numbers plateauing, Chris Whitty yesterday said he expected a rise in deaths today as officials catch up with a lag in reporting over Easter

'We are deeply saddened at the passing of a much loved member of staff. He will be truly missed by us all.'

In a joint statement, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's chief executive Simon Dean and chairman Mark Polin, said : 'We offer our deepest condolences to Andy's family, friends and colleagues at this terribly sad time. Every death from COVID-19 is devastating for loved ones, but when it is a colleague, it is all the more poignant.

'Andy was proud to work for the health service and dedicated his career to caring for others.'

Tributes were also made to Lourdes who died on the critical care unit at Royal Bolton Hospital after contracting the virus.

In a statement published on Thursday, chief executive of the trust Fiona Noden said: 'It is with deep regret and huge sadness that I share with you the devastating news that we have lost a friend and colleague to the terrible Covid-19 virus.

'Lourdes Campbell, a healthcare assistant, died a short time ago on our critical care unit.

'Lourdes, known as Des to her colleagues, has worked with us for nearly 13 years.

'She was a well-liked and valued member of the team, known for working extremely hard.

'She was dedicated to patient care and her colleagues respected her quiet, diligent and compassionate approach.

'This is a terrible and poignant reminder of the situation we are facing every day to help others and I want to thank every member our staff for their continued care for our patients and community.

'Their continued courage and commitment to duty is inspirational and a comfort to us all in these difficult times.'

In Cheshire tributes were also paid to Brian, who died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Brian worked for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Leighton Hospital in Crewe, the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.

He had worked at the trust for more than 20 years and was married to wife Ava for 46 years.

The husband, father and grandfather passed away at Leighton Hospital and had tested positive for coronavirus.

Ava paid a heartfelt tribute to her late husband and issued thanks on behalf of the family for the kind messages which have been paid to Brian.

She said: 'We were married for 46 years and Brian was a great husband, as well as father and grandfather.

'He was dedicated to the Trust and as a family we are grateful for and appreciative of all of the kind words and messages we have seen and received.'

Brian is fondly remembered by his colleagues in Hotel Services for his sense of humour and positive outlook.

Facilities supervisor Richard Studinski said: 'Nothing was ever too much trouble for Brian; he worked hard and was happy to do whatever was needed of him.

'He always walked round the hospital with a smile on his face; passing out sweets to colleagues he'd meet on the corridor.'

The trust's thoughts are with Brian's family and friends at this time and sincere condolences have been offered.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive James Sumner said: 'Brian had dedicated over 20 years to the Trust during his NHS career and will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him.

'He was without doubt a treasured member of the team at Mid Cheshire.'

Heavily pregnant NHS nurse, 28, dies of coronavirus as friends and family mourn the deaths of three other brave health workers who have died on the frontline

By Raven Saunt, Tom Pyman and Amie Gorden for the MailOnline and Inderdeep Bains for the Daily Mail

Damning questions are being asked over why a nurse who died from coronavirus was still working well into the final three months of her pregnancy.

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong's condition deteriorated rapidly after contracting the virus last week, but desperate to save her baby daughter, she underwent an emergency caesarean.

Tragically, the 28-year-old died just days later on Easter Sunday.

The little girl is understood to be alive but it is not yet clear if she has tested positive for the disease.

Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: 'The death of Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong from Luton and Dunstable Hospital could have been prevented, a child will now grow up without her mother - this tragedy could have been prevented'

However, concerns are being raised after Luton and Dunstable Hospital, where she nursed for five years, confirmed she had been working on ward 12 - which has since become a Covid-19 ward - until March 12 at least and possibly later.

She was eight months pregnant when she died and stopped working at 28 weeks, as permitted in official guidance, which hospital bosses said they followed.

However, it has led to renewed calls for a rethink, with campaigners insisting: 'All pregnant women shouldn't be on the frontline.'

Pictured: Father-of-two Dr Peter Tun, who worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for more than 21 years, passed away on Monday

Cheryl Williams (left), who worked as a housekeeper on an elderly patient ward at North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton, north London, died on Easter Sunday

Father-of-two Dr Peter Tun, 62, died in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Reading on Monday.

Another victim, Ade Raymond, 48, had been working as a healthcare assistant for the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust before he died.

And Cheryl Williams, who worked as a housekeeper on an elderly patient ward at North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton, north London, died on Easter Sunday.

Another victim, Ade Raymond, 48, (pictured) had been working as a healthcare assistant for the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust before he died

Colleagues of Mr Raymond at the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust have also paid tribute following his tragic death

Tributes have since been paid to Dr Tun who had worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for more than 21 years.

In an emotional statement, his children said: 'Our family is immensely proud of our superhero dad.

'He used to say, 'Treat all your patients like they are your own family', and this speaks to the type of character that he had.

'To us, he was simply the best human we know and we will miss him every day.'

It comes as a dental nurse was also confirmed to have died after being treated for coronavirus for a month.

Mother-of-one Linnette Cruz, 51, (pictured) was also confirmed to have died after being treated for coronavirus for a month

Mother-of-one Linnette Cruz, 51, was a senior head nurse at a practice in Sketty, Swansea.

Mrs Cruz was admitted to hospital last month after suffering with Covid-19 symptoms but died on April 14.

Dental practice owner Nik Patel paid tribute to her by saying: 'She brought love, light and joy to everyone around her. She will be sadly missed by all.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 03:15:06|Editor: huaxia

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ANKARA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and Russian troops on Wednesday conducted their fourth joint patrol in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish Defense Ministry said in a written statement.

"The fourth joint Turkish-Russian land patrol was conducted today by air and ground vehicles on M4 motorway in Syria's Idlib province, as part of the earlier Turkey-Russia agreement," said the ministry.

Turkey and Russia sealed a deal on March 5 for a temporary cease-fire aiming to calm down escalated tensions between the Syrian government and Turkish troops there.

Russia and Turkey agreed to create a safety corridor 6 km to the north and the south from the strategic M4 highway, which connects Aleppo in northern Syria with Latakia in the northwest.

Moscow and Ankara also agreed on joint patrolling on the highway as part of the efforts to reduce tensions in Idlib.

The agreement came after direct confrontation between Turkey and Syrian forces took place several times in Idlib in early 2020.
FILE PHOTO: Employees work on an Airbus A220-300 at their facility in Mirabel

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Airbus SE <AIR.PA> is delaying its planned Canadian production ramp-up of its A220 jet by a year, a company spokeswoman said on Wednesday, as the coronavirus outbreak weighs on broader airline demand for aircraft.

Airbus plans to start picking up production of the narrowbody jet from the current four per month by mid-2021 at its Mirabel facility near Montreal, Airbus spokeswoman Marcella Cortellazzi said.

The company, which acquired the jet program from Canada's Bombardier Inc <BBDb.TO>, had planned to produce 10 of the jets per month in the country by the middle of the decade.

Airlines are preserving cash as air travel plummets, with coronavirus cases topping 615,000 in the United States and 2 million globally, according to a Reuters tally.

Airbus' planned ramp-up of the jet at a second site in Mobile, Alabama, to four a month remains unchanged.

Production at the company's Quebec plant has been paused from March 24 until at least May 4 after the provincial government ordered an end to all non-essential business operations.

Cortellazzi said the company planned to restart operations on May 5.

Airbus announced this month it would cut narrowbody production by a third to 40 a month. It also issued figures showing a roughly 40% cut in wide body production.

Airbus did not announce production cuts for the A220.

(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Richard Chang)
Tough coronavirus restrictions will remain in place for at least the next four weeks as the government works to improve testing, tracing and response times.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia had made real progress over the past month in getting the virus under control but these three measures had to be in place before "baseline" restrictions could be reviewed and potentially changed.

"A positive thing to say is we have often found ourselves, as we have now, in a better place ahead of

time, and if we are able to achieve that well and good but we want to be very clear with Australians, baseline restrictions we have in place at the moment  there are no plans to change those for the next four weeks," he said after a meeting of the national cabinet on Thursday.

"I think social distancing, the washing of the hands ... that is what we should do until we find a vaccine. Those sorts of things ... we will live with this for the foreseeable future, but when it comes to the specific economic restrictions that have been put in place, after the next month then there will be the opportunity to review that and potentially make some changes."
Coral polyps on Molasses Reef. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Brent Deuel/NOAA Photo Library

It's almost impossible to imagine biology without individualsindividual organisms, individual cells, and individual genes, for example. But what about a worker ant that never reproduces, and could never survive apart from the colony? Are the trillions of microorganisms in our microbiomes, which vastly outnumber our human cells, part of our individuality?

"Despite the near-universal assumption of individuality in biology, there is little agreement about what individuals are and few rigorous quantitative methods for their identification," write the authors of new work published in the journal Theory in Biosciences. The problem, they note in the paper, is analogous to identifying a figure from its background in a Gestalt psychology drawing. Like the famous image of two faces outlining a vase, an individual life form and its environment create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

One way to solve the puzzle comes from information theory. Instead of focusing on anatomical traits, like cell walls, SFI President David Krakauer, Nils Bertschinger of the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Eckehard Olbrich of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, SFI Professor Jessica Flack, and SFI Professor Nihat Ay (also of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences) look to structured information flows between a system and its environment. "Individuals," they argue, "are best thought of in terms of dynamical processes and not as stationary objects."

The individual as a verb: what processes produce distinct identity? Flack stresses that this lens allows for individuality to be "continuous rather than binary, nested, and possible at any level." An information theory of individuality (or ITI) describes emergent agency at different scales and with distributed communication networks (e.g., both ants and colonies at once).

The authors use a model that suggests three kinds of individual, each corresponding to a different blend of self-regulation and environmental influence. Decomposing information like this gives a gradient: it ranges from environmentally-scaffolded forms like whirlpools, to partially-scaffolded colonial forms like coral reefs and spider webs, to organismal individuals that are sculpted by their environment but strongly self-organizing.

Each is a strategy for propagating information forward through timemeaning, Flack adds, "individuality is about temporal uncertainty reduction." Replication here emerges as just one of many strategies for individuals to order information in their future. To Flack, this "leaves us free to ask what role replication plays in temporal uncertainty reduction through the creation of individuals," a question close to asking why we find life in the first place.

Perhaps the biggest implication of this work is in how it places the observer at the center of evolutionary theory. "Just as in quantum mechanics," Krakauer says, "where the state of a system depends on measurement, the measurements we call natural selection dictate the preferred form of the individual. Who does the measuring? What we find depends on what the observer is capable of seeing."

Explore further New paper answers causation conundrum

More information: David Krakauer et al. The information theory of individuality, Theory in Biosciences (2020). David Krakauer et al. The information theory of individuality,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/s12064-020-00313-7
The United States has passed the peak on new coronavirus cases, President Donald Trump said Wednesday, adding this has put the country in a very strong position to finalize new guidelines on social distancing.

Washington: The United States has passed the peak on new coronavirus cases, President Donald Trump said Wednesday, adding this has put the country in a very strong position to finalize new guidelines on social distancing.

More than 6.3 lakh Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 so far and total fatalities as on Wednesday were nearly 28,000, the highest for any country in the world.

"The battle continues, but the data suggest that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases. Hopefully, that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress," Trump told reporters at his daily White House news conference on coronavirus.

These encouraging developments, he said, has put the US in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country. The new social mitigation measures, he said, would be announced Thursday.

Dr Deborah Brix, a member of the White House Task Force on coronavirus, said that over the last five or six days there has been decline in new cases across the country. "This has been very reassuring for us. At the same time, we know that mortality and the fatalities that we are facing across the United States continue," she said.

Nine States have less than 1000 cases and less than 30 new cases per day. Some states like California and Washington State, Oregon never really had a peak because of so much work that their populations did to decrease and keep the new cases down, she said.

Two States, Rhode Island and Providence are in a unique situation, she said.

First, they had increasing cases from the New York City area and now they have new increasing cases from the Boston area. They are caught between two incredible hotspots in the country, she rued.

Reiterating that this is a highly contagious virus, Dr Brix said in social gatherings and coming together there is always a chance that asymptomatic person can spread the virus unknowingly.

"No one is intending to spread the virus. We know if you are sick you will stay home. But to all of you that are out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20 don't do it yet. Continue to follow the presidential guidelines. We really appreciate the work of the American people," Dr Brix said.

Noting that this has been a horrible time to see such death and destruction in the country, the President said the medical and healthcare advances the US has made are critical to the continued progress.

The United States has rapidly developed the most expansive and accurate testing system anywhere in the world and have completed more than 3.3 million tests.

"To date, we have authorized 48 separate coronavirus tests and the FDA is working with 300 companies and labs to widen our capacity still further," he said.

The Abbott Labs Wednesday announced that it is has developed an antibody test that will determine if someone has been previously infected with the coronavirus and potentially developed immunity. "It is a great test. The company says these tests could be available to screen up to 20 million people in a matter of weeks," he added.

The administration, he said, is also distributing vast amounts of medical supplies to states across the country. Through project air bridge, which has been an amazing success they have completed 44 flights, and an additional 56 like scheduled in the near future. he said.

In total, through all channels, the federal government has developed and delivered 39.4 million N95 masks, 431 million gloves, 57 million surgical masks and 10.2 million gowns. It ordered 500 million masks and they will be coming shortly and have distributed 100 million masks, he said.

Trump said his administration is using every available authority to accelerate the development, study and develop therapies and treatments. "Ultimately, what we want to come up with is a safe vaccine, but frankly, the therapies to me are the most important because it takes care of people right now," he said.

"The vaccines have to be tested because it takes a longer period of time, but we have some great potential therapies already, and we will see how they are working. We will be able to report on that over the next week or two," he said, adding that at least 35 clinical trials of promising therapies are now underway.
Alaska Air Group (ALK) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2020. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The earnings report might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus Estimate

This airline is expected to post quarterly loss of $1.17 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -788.2%.

Revenues are expected to be $1.76 billion, down 6.4% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions Trend

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 510.35% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings Whisper

Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Story continues

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Alaska Air?

For Alaska Air, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -23.26%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Alaska Air will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?

While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Alaska Air would post earnings of $1.41 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.46, delivering a surprise of +3.55%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.

Bottom Line

An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

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Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on April 15 reiterated Vietnams viewpoints on condemning all use of chemical weapons.

He made the remarks while speaking at the UN Security Councils online meeting on chemical weapons in Syria. The monthly meeting on the issue was convened on the basis of the councils Resolution 2118 adopted in 2013.

Quy also stressed the significance of the full implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and Vietnams support for activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in line with the convention.

UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu provided information about the regular report of the OPCW Director General, from February 24 to March 23, on activities and cooperation between the organisation and Syria.

According to the report, OPCW has suspended all of its on-site activities due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic./.VNA
A poster of President Xi Jinping in Shanghai, China.

REUTERS/Aly Song

China knew the novel coronavirus could spread among humans and become a pandemic but didn't tell the world for six days, The Associated Press found.

A damning memo of a January 14 call obtained by the AP warned top officials about human-to-human transmission and said to prepare for a pandemic.

But in the six intervening days, China publicly said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The World Health Organization relied on that to direct policy and advise other countries.

President Xi Jinping finally warned of the severity of the virus on January 20, the same day a top Chinese epidemiologist announced evidence of human-to-human transmission.

The report appears to substantiate President Donald Trump's accusations that WHO failed to vet China's data.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For six days in mid-January, China knew the novel coronavirus could become a deadly pandemic while it told the world there was nothing to fear, according to an Associated Press report published Wednesday.

A memo of a confidential phone call with Ma Xiaowei, the head of the National Health Commission, and provincial health officials on January 14, obtained by the AP, said that "human-to-human transmission is possible" and that "all localities must prepare for and respond to a pandemic."

The call was supposed to convey direct orders about the coronavirus from President Xi Jinping and other top Chinese government officials, according to the AP.

But in the six days that followed, Chinese health authorities publicly maintained that the virus posed a low risk to people.

Xi in Beijing on February 10.

Xinhua via REUTERS

The Wuhan Health Commission said on January 14, the same day as Ma's call, that it had "not found proof for human-to-human transmission."

The next day, Li Qun, the head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's emergency center, told state TV that "the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is low," the AP reported.

Story continues

At the time, the World Health Organization, which relies on countries to provide their own data, took China at its word and offered the same advice to other countries around the world.

"Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission," WHO tweeted on January 14.

World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 14, 2020

WHO did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

At the time, South Asian countries were looking for  and heeding  WHO's guidance on how to prepare for the coronavirus, which had already spread to Thailand.

Governments around the world were also considering which preventive measures to put in place and had their eyes glued to China's response. And for six days, the Chinese government suggested there was nothing to do, the AP found.

Passengers at the Hankou railway station in Wuhan, China, on April 8, after authorities lifted the city's 76-day lockdown.

Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

It was on January 20 that Xi finally told people to practice social distancing and avoid travel and that a Chinese epidemiologist, Zhong Nanshan, told state TV that the virus was, in fact, being transmitted among humans.

In the preceding six days, more than 3,000 people caught the coronavirus in China, the AP estimated. This period also marked the run-up to Lunar New Year, the biggest holiday in China, when millions of people around the country travel home to see their families.

If on January 14 Chinese authorities had told people to stay home, wear masks, and refrain from traveling, the number of cases might have been reduced by about 66%, a March 13 paper by scientists at the University of Southampton in the UK found. The paper has not been peer-reviewed.

"If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient," Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California at Los Angeles, told the AP. "We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhan's medical system."

Passengers waiting for a train to Wuhan at the Beijing West railway station on January 20, ahead of Lunar New Year.

Reuters

On January 20, China had reported 224 coronavirus cases, but experts have said the true number was likely substantially higher.

On January 17, Wuhan had officially reported about 50 cases, but there were likely 35 times as many, retrospective modeling from Imperial College London found.

The first coronavirus case reported outside China  in Thailand on January 13  was what prompted the Chinese government to take internal steps to stop the outbreak, the AP reported.

That case spooked Chinese officials, but it apparently was still not enough to alert WHO.

Xi waves to quarantined residents in Wuhan on March 10.

Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty

As early as December 6, doctors in Wuhan were raising concerns that people could catch the virus from other people.

Perhaps the most famous was Li Wenliang, who began sharing ominous data with fellow doctors but was silenced by the police in Wuhan and made to sign a confession saying he had lied. He later died of the coronavirus, prompting a flurry of online protests against state censorship.

As the authorities in Wuhan squashed Li's warnings, China's health authority was quietly mobilizing.

On January 15, on Ma's instructions, China's CDC initiated a "level one" internal response, the most extreme response level.

In the following week, CDC officials were dispatched across the country to train health workers, accrue funds, collect data on the virus, and supervise lab testing, according to the AP. Airports and bus and train stations in Hubei province, where Wuhan is, were told to check people's temperatures.

But outside this bubble, China's more than 1 billion residents and the rest of the world went about their lives as usual, unaware of a looming disaster.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on April 6.

AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused WHO of dropping the ball on the coronavirus crisis and insufficiently scrutinizing China's response.

Trump on Tuesday said he would pull the US's annual funding for WHO, saying it "willingly took China's assurances to face value" and "defended the actions of the Chinese government, even praising China for its so-called transparency."

WHO officials have consistently praised China's actions in tackling the crisis. On January 29, its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said China "actually helped prevent the spread of coronavirus to other countries."

That day, Michael Ryan, the executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said that China "is doing the right things" and that WHO had "seen no obvious lack of transparency."

Throughout the coronavirus crisis, authorities in China sought to censor information, silencing journalists, doctors, and content on the internet critical of the state.

WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11.

As of Wednesday, more than 127,000 people had died of the coronavirus and more than 2 million people had been infected.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As a national royal commission into the summer of bushfires begins, people who live in the fire zones say the fight against the coronavirus pandemic has shifted governments' attention away from relief efforts.

Some say that months after the fires swept through they have given up hope of receiving relief with payments delayed and dealing with government agencies "slow and confusing".

Lou Battel, owner of Mallacoota's main pub, said he was yet to receive government support. Credit:Rachel Mounsey

Former defence force chief Mark Binskin opened the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements in an online hearing in Canberra on Thursday.

The inquiry, launched by the federal government, will investigate the devastating blazes that killed 33 people and destroyed more than 3000 homes across Australia.
New Zealand is set to ease their month-long stage four lockdown from next week, allowing thousands of businesses to reopen.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said unless there was an unexpected surge in coronavirus cases over the next few days, 'the evidence looks compelling' to ease New Zealand's shutdown level from stage four to stage three, in line with Australia's lockdown level.

The change in lockdown level will allow restaurants and cafes to reopen to offer takeaway food.

The had been closed since Stage Four was introduced on March 26, leaving only supermarkets and chemists open.

On Wednesday April 22 the four-week period will come to an end.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters (above) feels it's time to get New Zealand's economy going after month-long COVID-19 shut down

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (above) ordered the nation-wide, stage four lockdown on March 26 to slow the spread of coronavirus

Mr Peters said cabinet will make the final decision on Monday whether to ease the restriction.

'It's wise to make a decision at the last possible moment,' he told Newstalk ZB radio on Thursday.

'It would not be wise to make up your mind before Monday next week without seeing what the results today, tomorrow and the next day are.

'But at the moment things are pointing to an easing up of the situation.'

New Zealand acted early in their fight to contain deadly coronavirus with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordering the lockdown of 4.8 million people when the country had just 283 COVID-19 cases and no recorded deaths.

At present New Zealand has a total of 1,386 confirmed cases including nine deaths.

While New Zealand's efforts have largely been hailed as a success, opposition leader Simon Bridges said the economic fallout has been severe.

He said Australia would emerge in a far better position economically than New Zealand because it had allowed 'more businesses and services - such as baristas - to stay open'.

'Health and the economy were interlocked, and if we did not move fast to get workers and businesses back, mental health issues would be as bad as COVID-19,' Mr Bridges said.

But with Monday's cabinet decision likely to be in favor of lifting the restrictions, thousands of operators could be back in businesses.

Mr Peters said the government is currently drawing up a set of guidelines to determine which companies and industries will be able to trade.

Cyclists (pictured) are the only users of Tennyson Street on April 11, 2020 in Napier, New Zealand, after the country went into stage four lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19. Under the restrictions New Zealanders are not allowed to leave their homes unless for exercise, essential supplies

Pictured is the empty streets of the Napier city centre on April 11, 2020 in New Zealand, after the country went into a four-month, nation-wide lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19

'We want clarity to enable as many businesses to get back into business as possible,' he said.

'The guidelines should be as expansive as possible because you have got to trust New Zealanders to follow the rules.

'They know their lives and the lives of their neighbours are at stake, but in the end we have to get this economy going  as fast as we possibly can without making a mistake on the way though.'

While it is expected gyms and large gatherings at restaurants will still be restricted, any other businesses which are able to enforce social distancing measures will be allowed to operate.

'What I can say now is that our emphasis at level three moves from 'essential' economic activity to 'safe' economic activity,' Finance Minister Grant Robertson said.

'The critical questions are: is it possible for your business to have social distancing?'

'Can you build in contact tracing tools or mechanisms to keep track of your supply chain and customers?'
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Just under 2,000 people were fed after vehicles lined a carriageway in Florida for two miles on Thursday to collect donations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Residents of Miramar were seen blocking one side of the road as they patiently waited their turn to enter an outdoor food bank that bridged the gap for those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

In Florida, there were more than 22,897 cases of coronavirus and 633 deaths on Thursday afternoon.

According to the latest Labor Department figures released on Thursday, there were 5.2 million new claims for unemployment benefits filed last week.

Scroll down for video

Vehicles are seen in a queue two miles long to receive free food offered by the City of Miramar and Feeding South Florida

The long lines stretched down the road as there was widespread growing unemployment in Miramar, Florida during the coronavirus pandemic

Volunteers wearing blue gloves were seen handing out boxes to those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak

An aerial image shows the cars stopping to collect food from the stand on Thursday in Miramar, Florida

At least 22 million Americans have been thrown out of work in four weeks - making it the worst stretch of US job losses on record

Those working with the Vice Mayor Maxwell B. Chambers are seen loading a box into a car at the food bank

According to the latest Labor Department figures released on Thursday, there were 5.2 million new claims for unemployment benefits filed last week

The staggering number of first-time claims was on top of the 16.8 million applications filed since the virus took hold in mid-March.

It means at least 22 million Americans have been thrown out of work in four weeks - making it the worst stretch of US job losses on record.

All businesses deemed nonessential have been closed in 48 states as the economy has essentially shut down. Some economists say the unemployment rate could reach as high as 20 percent in April, which would be the highest rate since the Great Depression.

On Thursday the City of Miramar and Feeding South Florida teamed up to put food in the mouths of families affected.

Even for those who have not lost their jobs, hourly wages have been scaled back, and many children have lost access to free school meals. In addition senior congregate meal sites have shut down.

As part of Feeding South Florida's COVID-19 Response Fund, companies such as Ultimate Software, Inc.have agreed to match donations dollar for dollar up to $250,000.

Workers from Feeding South Florida are seen handing out fruit and vegetables to the community on Thursday

The city held a food bank last Saturday but on Thursday it was the first major one to grace the area

A woman wears a t-shirt stating 'it's right here in Miramar' as she helps hand out food to people in need

People drove from all over the tri-county after hourly wages have been scaled back, and many children have lost access to free school meals amid the pandemic

At the first food bank the majority of people working were volunteers but this time around more staff from the city helped out

A General Association of Miramar worker carries a box of good to a woman's car as the food bank winds down

The helpers were kitted out in respiratory face masks as they helped loaded boxes into vehicles on Thursday

Volunteers and residents were seen wearing protective gloves as food was distributed among the needy.

'This is our first major food drive,' Assistant City Manager Kelvin L. Baker Sr. told DailyMail.com. 'Our second one was last Saturday and this is a little different. The majority of workers are city workers and one done last Saturday was primarily volunteers from the community.'

He said both food banks have provide food for slightly under 2,000 people during what he described as 'difficult and challenging times'.

Although the majority of the line went home with boxes during the bank, they unfortunately had to let some people go without.

'Hopefully next week when we come back, we'll be able to take care of even more,' Baker added.

Baker said their partner, Feeding America brought in 48 pallets of food, comprised of milk eggs, meat, juices and fruit.

They were providing meals for people in the tri-county area, Baker said.

'People come from as far south as Homestead and as far north as West Palm Beach,' he added about the locations each about an hour away by car.

'It's an indication of the lack of funds and resources and this is the result,' Baker said about the food bank. 'Our mayor in commission and city manager is really committed to doing everything we can to help address some of these deficiencies in our environment here.'

'When you seen the expression on media, the recipients face, it means all the world and our employees are really proud to be here to support this effort.'

People come from as far south as Homestead and as far north as West Palm Beach according to city workers

Team work: A Miramar policeman is seen applauding after the food bank ended on Thursday when they ran out of produce

It was a successful day but some people who came for food went without, according to the assistant city manager
By PTI

GORAKHPUR: On a road trip across countries, a French family has been forced to break their journey in Singhorwa village in Maharajganj district due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Pallarez Patrice along with his wife Virginie, daughters Ophelie and Lola and son Tom were about to enter Nepal when the lockdown was announced.

The family, which belongs to Toulouse in France, arrived here on March 21 and is now living in their big van near a village temple adjoining Laxmipur forest, SDM Nautanwa, Jasveer Singh The administration tried to shift them to a safer place in the city but the tourists said they were comfortable living near the forests, he said.

"The administration is providing them grocery and other essentials and they have been found healthy after a checkup," the SDM said.

District Magistrate of Maharajganj Dr Ujjwal Kumar said the French embassy in Delhi has been informed.

"We are taking care of them and all of them are found to be healthy," he said.
But he was also known for establishing constructive relationships with people with whom he clashed ideologically.

Mark Meadows has a live intellect and emotional life, said Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, who had a good relationship with Mr. Meadows when he served as a congressman. Again, I consider many of his ideological commitments just indigestible, but we try to find the humanity in our colleagues and he is someone with a mind and a heart, thats just undeniable.

But neither quality is necessarily an asset in the Trump White House, where the president likes to project strength at all moments.

A former businessman and real estate developer, Mr. Meadows bonded with Mr. Trump early in the administration and helped push his agenda increasingly to the right. When Mr. Meadows announced that he would step down from Congress, it immediately prompted speculation that he would join the White House.

He was brought in by Mr. Trump as part of a staff shake-up just as the administration was overwhelmed by the fast spread of the coronavirus in the United States and struggling with equipment and testing shortages.

In the middle of the crisis, Mr. Meadows is trying to reorganize the White House staff. People close to him insisted Mr. Meadowss nature was not to fire people willy-nilly, but they said that was what he was doing nevertheless.

He is also talking about other changes, two people familiar with the planning said, such as reorganizing the speech-writing team  currently a stand-alone office led by Stephen Miller  under the umbrella of the communications department. That discussion has met with some resistance, although one person with knowledge of the changes under consideration said the idea was to synthesize different departments that do not always work in tandem.
The controversial Louisiana pastor who has flouted social distancing by continuing to hold in-person services is now asking Americans to donate their coronavirus stimulus checks to his megachurch.

Pastor Tony Spell has come under fire for repeatedly holding services at his Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge despite Louisiana's stay-at-home order to stop the spread of coronavirus.

He has previously preached that people had 'nothing to fear' and that 'true Christians do not mind dying'.

The number of infections in Louisiana has increased to more than 21,000 and the death toll is now over 1,100.

Now, Spell is now asking his followers to donate the federal stimulus checks they started receiving this week to evangelists, missionaries or music ministers who haven't received any money from churchgoers in a month.

Pastor Tony Spell is asking his followers to donate the federal stimulus checks they started receiving this week to evangelists, missionaries or music ministers

In a video posted online late Wednesday, Spell - who is facing misdemeanor charges for holding services despite a ban on gatherings - said he was starting the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge.

He stipulated three rules for the challenge: It will start Sunday, people need to donate their stimulus money and they need to give it to the North American evangelists, missionaries and music ministers who 'haven't received an offering in a month'.

Spell said he, along with his wife and their son, would be donating their entire stimulus checks.

He said that if people don't have a church to donate to, they can donate through his website.

Government relief checks began arriving in the bank accounts of tens of millions Americans on Wednesday as the economic damage to the US from the coronavirus piled up.

Adults receive up to $1,200 each and $500 for each child to help people pay the rent or cover other bills.

It comes as one of his lawyers who is representing him following his misdemeanor charges was hospitalized on Tuesday with coronavirus.

Jeff Wittenbrink attended a news conference at the church on April 2 and a service on April 5, the Advocate reports.

Wittenbrink, who is in hospital on oxygen after experiencing worsening conditions, including a fever and cough, says he doesn't know how he got the virus.

'I went to Albertson's twice a day. I went to Sam's. I went to Walmart. I went to Lowe's. I used the gas pumps. I mean I just wasn't careful. God knows where I got it. The bad thing is I might have spread to somebody. I feel bad about that,' he said.

Spell has come under fire for repeatedly holding services at his Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge despite Louisiana's stay-at-home order to stop the spread of coronavirus. Churchgoers are pictured above after a sermon on March 29

Bus loads of congregants arrived at Spell's Life Tabernacle Church before an Easter church services on Sunday

It comes after Spell welcomed more than 1,300 congregants to his church on Sunday for an Easter service.

He said that people from every state attended.

Worshipers could be heard clapping, singing and responding 'Amen' during the service..

'My hope is not in a vaccine for a virus, but all my hope is in Jesus,' he told the congregation.

Spell sought to reassure his congregation, telling them: 'If you don't want to touch anyone, you don't have to touch anyone.

'I promise that before I lay hands on you or touch you that I will disinfect my hands so that you don't have to worry about me transmitting anything to you.'

In an interview earlier this month, Spell was unapologetic when asked if he thought he would have blood on his hands if one of his congregants became infected and died.

'Like any revolutionary, or like any zealot, or like any pure religious person, death looks to them like a welcome friend,' he said.

'True Christians do not mind dying. They fear living in fear.'

Police arrested Spell on March 31 and charged him with six misdemeanors for violating the governor's executive order that limits gatherings to less than 10 people.

At the time, Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran called Spell's decision to keep holding services 'reckless and irresponsible.'
Last weekend brought sobering headlines for inhabitants of West Coast cities, who have so far fared relatively well during the coronavirus epidemic, thanks to the prompt adoption of social-distancing measures. The San Francisco Chronicle reported an outbreak of coronavirus among homeless people in the citys largest homeless shelter, with 70 of them testing positive. It may herald an expansion of the outbreak into a part of the population almost uniquely vulnerable to the viruss effects.

Ever since the start of the outbreak in the United States, policymakers and advocates had been warning of the risk that coronavirus could spread rapidly among the countrys large homeless population, many of whom are concentrated in urban centers, especially in the West. Many factors place the homeless at far more risk than the rest of America. Living entirely or partly on the streets means that physiologically, homeless persons bodies age faster than others. Large segments of the homeless population regularly abuse drugs and alcohol, weakening their immune systems and increasing the prevalence of conditions that make the virus worse, such as lung disease. Homeless shelters that are spacious enough for effective social distancing are exceedingly rare, and on the West Coast, a high percentage of homeless people live on the street, often in crowded and dirty tent encampments. In these conditions, with this uniquely vulnerable population, the circulation of coronavirus could have dire consequences.

The danger certainly hasnt gone unnoticed by local and state officials. Stephen Eide, a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute, says that the general expectation has been that every place that has a lot of homeless people will be hit very hard. Governors and mayors have announced plans to thin out shelters, making them more amenable to the requirements of social distancing by moving many of their clientele into vacant buildings or hotel rooms. The construction of sanitation facilities, such as handwashing stations, in homeless encampments has been a stated priority. But moving people out of encampments is not a major focus right now, according to Eide, as governments are already overburdened with thinning out shelters.

Story continues

Of course, large and extremely unsanitary tent encampments are far from safe. Nan Roonan, the president and CEO of the Alliance to End Homelessness, a nonpartisan policy organization, stressed in an interview that the health risks were still very serious for those living on the street, and noted that while the CDC has not directed governments to clear encampments, they certainly havent indicated that people should stay on the street.

But sleeping bags and tents still dot the sidewalks, and there is even anecdotal reporting of encampments growing larger and more out-of-control than before, along with open-air drug dealing and the flouting of social-distancing rules. Many of the street population, affected by drug use and mental-health issues, live in their own world, Eide noted. Roonan advocated outreach and education to increase compliance with social distancing, but ongoing attempts have had mixed results at best, endangering not only those who refuse to comply, but those homeless who do follow the rules, and all governmental and nonprofit workers who come into contact with them.

However, there has not yet been the predicted catastrophe among shelters and encampments, aside from a few well-publicized cases. This could be the result of poor testing as much as anything else, especially among the street population, who certainly remain vulnerable while the virus continues to circulate.

But homelessness policymakers may soon be dealing with problems that go far beyond immediate health concerns. While Eide and Roonan both confirmed that there does not seem to be an immediate rise in homelessness, due mostly to governments banning rent evictions, they also both agreed that this pause is temporary. The recession caused by the outbreak threatens to be the worst since the Great Depression, and while homelessness has a myriad of causes, from crime to mental illness to drug addiction, missing rent checks or losing jobs due to recession will inevitably lead to the loss of housing for some.

Urban homelessness was a crisis for years before the pandemic, and the spread of coronavirus threatens to make it even more widespread and even less safe. There is still so much we dont know about what the coming years will bring for cities: How much will homeless populations grow? Will they be spread throughout the country or will they congregate, as they do now, in cities where services are clustered? What toll will the disease take from the homeless? How much will aid providers, already stretched by a lack of supplies and volunteers, be overwhelmed by demand and inevitable budget cuts? As Roonan put it, even if we safely house the entire existing homeless population, we risk replacing one [homeless] population with another.

But there is much we have known for years: that homelessness is a human disaster and a public-health crisis, that it is an intolerable way to allow people to live and a blight on urban life and public order. The inhabitants of these cities, faced with this self-acknowledged humanitarian crisis in the heart of some of the most purportedly progressive places in America, have for years tolerated and even enabled the conditions that allowed it to rise.

Labyrinthine regulations and staunch NIMBYism that has made housing prices prohibitive, opposition to enforcing quality-of-life laws that might preserve order on the streets, persistent activism against attempts to commit mentally ill people living on the street to institutions, and an attitude toward public services that amounts to throwing more money at the problem every election year and trying to ignore the people huddled in subway stations and in doorways: The status quo has been intolerable, but tolerated, for a long time. It remains to be seen whether the current pandemic will test that.

More from National Review
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed building an economy that is less dependent on one country, China, so that the nation can better avoid supply chain disruptions.

The call touched off a heated debate in the Chinese political world.

In Zhongnanhai, the area in central Beijing where leaders of the Chinese Communist Party and the state government have their offices, "there are now serious concerns over foreign companies withdrawing from China," a Chinese economic source said. "What has particularly been talked about is the clause in Japan's emergency economic package that encourages (and funds) the re-establishment of supply chains."

Had the pandemic not struck, Chinese President Xi Jinping's maiden state visit to Japan would have been wrapped up by now with Xi proudly declaring a "new era" of Sino-Japanese relations. He would have cheered on Abe as Japan prepared for the next big event, the 2020 Olympics.

Instead, both Xi's trip and the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed, and Sino-Japanese relations find themselves at a crossroads.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was clear about the direction he wants Japanese manufacturers to take -- away from an over-reliance on China. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was clear about the direction he wants Japanese manufacturers to take -- away from an over-reliance on China. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)

Signals of Abe's new policy were visible as early as March 5.

Japan had finally been able to put the Diamond Princess cruise ship disaster behind it but was still snowed under by the challenge of preventing the virus's further spread.

On that date, coincidentally the same day the postponement of Xi's Japan visit was announced, the Japanese government held a meeting of the Council on Investments for the Future. Abe, who chairs the council, said he wanted high value-added product manufacturing bases to come home to Japan.

At the table were influential business leaders such as Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, the country's biggest business lobby better known as Keidanren.

"Due to the coronavirus, fewer products are coming from China to Japan," Abe said. "People are worried about our supply chains."

Of the products that rely heavily on a single country for manufacturing, "we should try to relocate high added value items to Japan," the leader said. "And for everything else, we should diversify to countries like those in ASEAN."

Abe's remarks were clear. They came as disruptions hit the procurement of auto parts and other products for which Japan relies on China, seriously impacting corporate Japan's activities.

And they asked for something more than the traditional "China plus one" concept, in which companies add a non-China location to diversify production.

Abe was forming a "shift away from China" policy.

With the nation transfixed by coronavirus coverage, the proposal failed to generate big headlines in Japan.

But China was watching carefully, perhaps wondering whether it was about to undergo an industrial hollowing-out like Japan once experienced.

Such a trend would shake the foundation of China's long-standing growth model.

In its emergency economic package adopted on April 7, the Japanese government called for the re-establishment of supply chains that have been hit by the virus's proliferation. It earmarked more than 240 billion yen (about $2.2 billion) in its supplementary budget plan for fiscal 2020 to assist domestic companies to move production back home or to diversify their production bases into Southeast Asia. It is a tidy sum of money.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu and Li Keqiang attend a wreath laying ceremony in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 30, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu and Li Keqiang attend a wreath laying ceremony in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 30, 2019.

The next day, April 8, China's Politburo Standing Committee, the party's top decision-making body, held a meeting in Beijing.

Speaking at the meeting, President Xi said that "as the pandemic continues its global spread, the world economy faces a mounting downside risk." He added, "Unstable and uncertain factors are notably increasing."

Xi, who doubles as the party's general secretary, stressed the need to stick to "bottom-line thinking" -- which means assuming the worst -- and called for "preparedness in mind and work to cope with prolonged external environment changes."

The seven-member Politburo Standing Committee usually meets once a week, and it is rare for the holding and content of these meetings to be reported.

Xi sounded the call to prepare for "a protracted battle" while assuming the worst.

There are talks in the U.S. regarding China dependency.

Larry Kudlow, chairman of the White House's National Economic Council, has expressed his intention to consider shouldering the relocation costs of American companies returning home from China.

It fits with President Donald Trump's "America first" agenda.

If the U.S. and Japan, the world's biggest and third-biggest economies respectively, move away from China, it will have a huge impact on the world's second-biggest economy.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appear to be on the same page when it comes supply chains in China, much to Chinese President Xi Jinping's chagrin.  Kyodo U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appear to be on the same page when it comes supply chains in China, much to Chinese President Xi Jinping's chagrin.  Kyodo

One topic has now set tongues wagging in the world of Chinese intellectuals. According to the Chinese astrology chart, 2020 is the year of Geng-Zi, or the metal rat, which comes once every 60 years.

It is said that every time the year of the metal rat rolls around a big history-shaking incident takes place.

In 1840, during the Qing dynasty, the Opium War broke out, leading to China's stagnation for more than a century.

Sixty years later, in 1900, toward the end of the Qing dynasty, forces from an alliance of eight nations -- the U.K., U.S., Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Japan and Austria-Hungary -- moved from Tianjin to Beijing, an incident triggered by the Boxer Rebellion, which had started in 1899.

"55 Days at Peking" is an American film starring Charlton Heston and depicting the siege of the foreign legations' compounds in Peking, now known as Beijing, during the Boxer Rebellion.

The metal rat's next return, in 1960, coincided with a famine caused by the Great Leap Forward led by Mao Zedong, the founding father of "a new China," or the People's Republic of China.

Yang Jisheng, a former journalist for Xinhua News Agency who lost his foster father to the famine, later authored "Tombstone," a detailed reportage about the epic disaster.

Based on field work and interviews, Yang revealed that as many as 36 million people died of hunger during the Great Leap Forward, far more than China once announced.

Silkworm cocoon harvesting during the Great Leap Forward. The last time the year of the metal rat came around, the Great Leap Forward was pushing China into a devastating famine. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)  Getty Images Silkworm cocoon harvesting during the Great Leap Forward. The last time the year of the metal rat came around, the Great Leap Forward was pushing China into a devastating famine. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)  Getty Images

What will this year's metal rat jinx be like for China?

The peak of China's coronavirus outbreak has passed. But Zhang Wenhong, the head of a coronavirus clinical expert team whose profile has been on the rise, has said a second round of infections will hit in November or later.

During the 1918-1920 Spanish flu pandemic, the second wave of infections was more serious than the first. No pandemic has been more deadly since then. Estimates are that 500 million people, a third of the planet's population, were infected and that 50 million died.

Zhong Nanshan, an 83-year-old medical doctor, has shined since 2003, when he played a major role in the fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.

The new coronavirus has already mutated, and its death rate has reached levels up to 20 times higher than that for influenza, Zhong has warned.

The new virus emerged in China late last year and then spread globally. China's crackdown on information and social media posts regarding the outbreak through mid-January and its delayed initial response to the public health crisis ended up contributing to a catastrophe and sparking an international uproar.

Trump had been calling the coronavirus "the Chinese virus," although he has since stopped doing so.

Global public opinion will greatly affect the re-establishment of a post-virus world order. As things stand now, those moving to take the initiative are the U.S. and China.

In ancient China, bamboo strips were the main canvas for documents before the introduction of paper. They were called "green logs" because bamboo strips are green before they are cured and sewn into books.

Bamboo strips are official documents that are kept for posterity, and it was important for an emperor to inscribe his name on them.

If the scourge of the coronavirus were to drastically change the world order in the 21st century, will it be the U.S. or China that inscribes the bamboo strips? China cannot afford to lose.

Much will depend on how the U.S. and China rebuild their respective virus-hit economies. If major foreign companies withdraw from China, it will become a big drag on the Middle Kingdom's economic revival.



Nikkei
Nearly a dozen Iranian naval vessels made dangerous and harassing maneuvers near U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Navy said that 11 vessels from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came dangerously close to six U.S. vessels, repeatedly crossing their bows and sterns while they were conducting integration operations with U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters to support maritime security outside of Irans territorial waters.

Iranian naval vessels came as close as 10 yards of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maui, and within 50 yards of the USS Lewis B. Puller, a ship that serves as an afloat landing base, according to the statement. Other vessels among the U.S. ships included the USS Paul Hamilton, a Navy destroyer, and the USS Firebolt.

The U.S. ships attempted to issue multiple warnings, through bridge-to-bridge radio, long-range acoustic noise maker devices, and five blasts from the ships horns, but U.S. crews received no response from the IRGCN.

The IRGCN vessels responded after roughly one hour by radio and moved away from the U.S. ships.

Irans state media the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) issued a brief Farsi-language story on the U.S. Navys report. There was no official statement from Iranian authorities.

The U.S. Navy said the dangerous and provocative actions from the IRGCN increased the risk of miscalculation and collision and were not in accordance with the internationally recognized Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (pdf).

They were not in accordance with the obligation under international law to act with due regard for the safety of other vessels in the area, the statement said. While Iran is a signatory of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, it never ratified the treaty.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News he and the Pentagon had discussed the issue and they are now, as a team, evaluating how best to respond and how best to communicate our displeasure with what  took place.

Regional Tensions

The incident comes as tensions between the United States and Iran and their allies have risen this year, following the killing of the Iranian regimes top military official, Qassem Soleimani, which Attorney General William Barr described in January as a legitimate act of self-defense.

Soleimani was killed on Jan. 2 by a U.S. airstrike near Baghdads international airport, under orders from President Donald Trump following attacks on an Iraqi military base housing coalition counter-terrorism forces. The Pentagon said the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.

Trump earlier this month said that Iran or its proxies planned a sneak attack on U.S. targets in Iraq, and warned they would pay a very heavy price. A number of coalition forces have died from attacks by Iran-backed proxy groups.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Centre on Thursday ordered domestic and foreign airlines to refund passengers in full for bookings on flights that have been suspended during the extended coronavirus disease (Covid-19) lockdown until May 3 .

An advisory by the government sent to the airlines said the refunds were for meant for passengers who had booked flights until May 3 during the first phase of the lockdown, from March 25 until April 14.

Senior civil aviation ministry officials said the order does not apply to passengers who had booked flights prior to the lockdown.

There were several distress cases that we got {to know} of passengers who had booked flights from April 15 onward thinking the lockdown would be lifted and our priority was to address those cases. The second issue was of passengers who had booked in the first lockdown during the same period, a senior ministry official said requesting anonymity.

For example, there were several cases where airlines were still taking bookings despite Indias lockdown orders, . which we said will not be allowed and they will have to pay the passengers back in full, the official added.

The advisory issued by the ministry of civil aviation (MOCA) said airlines have to refund the full amount collected from passengers without levying any cancellation charge.

Substantial number of travelers eager to move from the places where they were have booked tickets for the travel after the end of the lockdown period ie from April 15 onward. Currently, the Government has further extended the lockdown period up to May 3, 2020, with the ban continuing on operation of all domestic and international flights, the advisory said.

MOCA acknowledges the unusual situation that has arisen due to the lockdown being imposed to contain the further spread of COVID-19 and its consequential effect on the air passengers and airlines., it added.

Aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was instructed to monitor the airlines compliance with the order. A circular has been issued by the ministry of civil aviation for guidance and strict compliance of domestic and foreign airline operators engaged in domestic and international air travel in India, DGCA said.

The advisory came after a meeting was chaired by the civil aviation minister with CEOs of private airlines Wednesday to discuss the issue of refunds for flights cancelled during the lockdown period. Airlines have reiterated that advance bookings for flights will not be stopped, another senior official said.

IndiGo, Indias largest airline by passengers carried, on April 14 announced it will resume flight operations from May 4 in a phased manner.

We will begin operations for domestic only and then gradually ramp it up further, to commence operations on some international routes as well. Our singular focus will be on ensuring the health of our customers and our employees, Ronojoy Dutta, chief executive officer of IndiGo, said.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways cancelled advance booking for all trains. The transporter said no advance reservation of train tickets, including e-tickets, will be allowed until further orders although the facility of online cancellations will remain functional.
Overwhelmed parents began calling Victorian school principals after only one day of home schooling to beg that their children be allowed to return to regular classes.

Their pleas came as Victorian Education Minister James Merlino on Thursday revealed public schools had recorded an on-campus attendance rate of 3 per cent, saying parents understood his governments directive that if you can learn at home, you must learn at home.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says his preference is for children to be in school, but it was up to the states. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Anne-Maree Kliman, president of the Victorian Primary Principals Association, said parents of students in early primary school in particular expressed concern to principals on Thursday that they would not be able to adequately support their childrens learning.

Principals have told me that while student numbers are still very low in schools, some parents are finding it difficult to follow the work set by teachers, she said.
EUGENE, Ore.-- The federal government is stepping in to help fund airports across the country with airfields in Oregon getting $140 million.

This chunk comes from a $10 billion pie that was funded through the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was passed by Congress last month. In Western Oregon, 15 airports will receive anywhere from $20,000 to nearly $23 million to help cover lost revenue.

Cathryn Stephens, the acting director of the Eugene Airport, said the $22.6 million boost from the federal government to fund her airport will help stimulate the local economy.

"Its not so much aid to airports," Stephens said. "Its an aid to our communities because without your airport as your key economic drivers in your communities, then you are really going to suffer. All the businesses will suffer, therefore the people who want to be employed will suffer."

According to the Oregon Department of Aviation, Eugene's airport creates over 1,600 jobs in the hospitality and service industry in the metro area from commercial air travelers. Their spending during their visits helps fund over $68 million in salaries. Stephens said the stimulus money helps safeguard a main pillar in the local economy.

"Airports are key economic drivers in every single community, especially commercial service airports. Putting that money here to really start that ball rolling will really go a long way toward helping our economy in the long run," Stephens said.

Other airports that will receive money in Western Oregon include those in Albany, Creswell, Cottage Grove, Roseburg, and Florence.
Prior to the leaguewide shutdown, the Indians faced questions about a number of key players, including Mike Clevinger (knee surgery), Carlos Carrasco (elbow inflammation), Emmanuel Clase (teres major strain), Oscar Mercado (wrist sprain) and Tyler Naquin (2018 ACL repair surgery). At this point, nearly all of them are up to speed, manager Terry Francona told reporters Thursday (link via Mandy Bell of MLB.com).

Clase, Francona explained, is a bit harder to track than the others because he lives in a fairly remote area of the Dominican Republic. The club is likely to send someone from its Dominican academy down to get a first-hand look in the near future. Clase has been throwing off flat ground  Indians Prospective tweeted some video footage  as he works back from an injury that was initially projected to sideline him for eight to 12 weeks. Its been exactly seven weeks since that diagnosis, so it seems theres a good chance that whenever play is able to resume, Clase will either be recovered or close to it.

Updates on the others were more generic but widely positive. Carrasco has been throwing regular bullpen sessions, recording them and sending video footage to Indians officials. Clevinger, Naquin and Mercado are all doing great or fine. Thats particularly encouraging with regard to Naquin, whose September surgery was projected to keep him out seven to nine months (into mid-April or mid-June). It seems that his recovery is on track for the shorter end of that timeline.

Carrasco, Clevinger and Mercado, in particular, will be vital pieces for Cleveland as they look to rise back to the top of the ranks in the AL Central. With Corey Kluber traded to Texas (in the deal that netted Clase), Carrasco and Clevinger will team with Shane Bieber atop a rotation that will otherwise rely on some intriguing but generally inexperienced young arms in the final two spots (e.g. Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Logan Allen, Scott Moss, Jefry Rodriguez).

Mercado, meanwhile, is perhaps the one constant in an Indians outfield mix that looks decidedly unsettled. He should play center on a regular basis, with some combination of Domingo Santana, Jordan Luplow, Franmil Reyes, Greg Allen, Delino DeShields Jr. (also acquired in the Kluber swap), Jake Bauers, Bradley Zimmer and Naquin filling in at the corners. Luplows dominance of left-handed pitchers should assure him at least the short side of a platoon, and Reyes might factor in more as a DH than a prominent piece of the outfield rotation. But its clear that opportunities for playing time in the corners will be relatively wide open.

Clase, presumably, is being treated as a potential high-end setup piece for Brad Hand. The right-hander made his MLB debut with Texas in 2019 and compiled a 2.31 ERA with a 21-to-6 K/BB ratio and a superlative 60.6 percent ground-ball rate in 23 1/3 innings while averaging 99.3 mph on his heater. Clase skipped Triple-A entirely, but the success he found in last years 21 MLB games provides little to no reason to send him back down.


South Korean health authorities on Thursday unveiled blood collection guidelines for plasma therapy of the novel coronavirus patients.



The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) advised doctors to collect blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors, 14 days after they were declared virus-free and released from quarantine.



The therapy involves infusions of antibody-rich plasma from those who have recovered from the novel coronavirus. Plasma, usually yellow, is the liquid portion of blood that remains after blood cells and platelets are removed.



Under the guidelines, plasma donors need to be retested for COVID-19 before donation to make sure they no longer carry the virus.



People aged between 17 and 69 are eligible for plasma donations, according to the KCDC, although those aged 65 or older need to have a blood donation record between the ages of 60 and 64.



The KCDC said doctors will determine whether donors' plasma is eligible for use after analyzing hemoglobin levels and their medical records of underlying diseases.



However, health authorities said they will not use the blood plasma of women with a record of pregnancy, saying it can cause side effects.



The KCDC said virus survivors can donate their blood plasma multiple times, although they need to undergo health checks after giving blood.



Blood collection should be done at a hospital where donors had been hospitalized for the virus treatment, the KCDC said. There will be no financial rewards for the donation of blood plasma, it added.



However, health authorities said they are still in discussion over who should receive plasma therapy and how it should be actually applied to virus patients.



The KCDC emphasized that releasing blood collecting guidelines does not mean that it officially approves of the effectiveness and safety of plasma therapy for all virus patients.



Since there is no vaccine yet for the novel coronavirus, some experts have here said convalescent plasma is worth a try. A Seoul hospital recently reported that two patients were declared cured upon receiving the therapy. (Yonhap)


BAGHDAD - Turkish airstrikes targeting members of an outlawed Kurdish rebel group struck a refugee camp in northern Iraq and killed two refugee women, Iraqi authorities said Thursday.

The strikes, which took place on Wednesday, were a violation of Iraqs sovereignty, Iraqs Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

The strikes on the Makhmour refugee camp were carried out by a Turkish military drone that was detected by Iraqs air defence, a statement from the ministry said. It expressed condemnation in the strongest possible terms over these Turkish attacks and said they also constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The Turkish government claims the refugee camp is a hotbed of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, an outlawed group in Turkey that is fighting an insurgency against Ankara.

We know that some in the leadership level of the PKK have a safe hideout in Makhmour and therefore we want this to be known by our Iraqi friends, and at the end this needs to be addressed, a Turkish official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the strikes.

Iraq summoned the Turkish ambassador to the country, Fatih Yildiz. During the meeting, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim stressed the need to stop such serious violations and respect the principles of good neighbourliness, according to a statement.

Turkey has repeatedly struck PKK positions in northern Iraq in efforts to cut the outlawed groups supply routes. In January, Turkish strikes in Sinjar, in the Kurdish semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, targeted PKK-linked Yazidi militia positions, killing at least four Yazidi fighters.

The Yazidi militia was formed in 2014, after the Islamic State group overran much of the countrys north, and was a critical U.S. and Kurdish ally in defeating IS militants. It maintains strong relations with Kurdish groups such as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, in Syria, and the PKK in Turkey.

Also, a Turkish airstrike in the Iraqi Kurdish region last year killed Zaki Shingali, a PKK commander.
There is absolutely no question that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on the nations mental health.

As the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic draws near and government officials begin to prepare for a return to normal business, new data from Mental Health America (MHA) show how deeply the pandemic is affecting the mental health of the nation  and how different any new normal might be.

These are the new toplines gleaned from the tens of thousands screening results MHA has collected through its free, anonymous online mental health screening program in recent weeks. This latest data builds on and updates data released in mid-March.



COVID-19 worry is leading to increases in mental health conditions, led by more than 4,895 additional moderate-to-severe anxiety screening results in February, March, and the first half of April. The number is accelerating rapidly in April; this curve is not yet bending.

The numbers of anxiety, youth, and depression screeners all increased by 18-22 percent in March 2020. The pace of anxiety screenings in April has increased even more.

Even when the number of screeners for a mental health condition did not increase, the severity of their March results often did  the percent with severe psychosis increased by 7 percent over the average of the previous 5 months.

These impacts on mental health are more pronounced in young people (under the age of 25), with roughly 9 in 10 screening with moderate-to-severe depression, and people with chronic conditions, with more than 85 percent screening with moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression.

Loneliness and isolation is cited by the greatest percentage of screeners (58 percent) as contributing to mental health problems right now, with COVID-19 close behind (48 percent).

There was a 33 percent increase in the percent share of depression screeners who reported having a chronic condition and a 36 percent increase in the percent share of anxiety screeners who reported having a chronic condition. The share of depression screeners with a chronic health condition increased from 12 percent to 16 percent of all depression screeners, and the share of anxiety screeners with a chronic health condition increased from 11 percent to 15 percent.

There is absolutely no question that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on the nations mental health, said Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO of Mental Health America.

Based on our numbers  which capture only a fraction of those affected  already more than 4,895 more people now have moderate-to-severe anxiety than would have been expected just two months ago  and many thousands more with depression. None of the more severe mental health conditions  including severe anxiety, depression, and psychosis  is going to go away on its own when the immediate threats to physical health dissipate over the coming months or years. They demand the attention of policymakers now  before they do great harm and take lives  not later.

We know that they are directly related to worries about COVID-19. Fifty-eight percent of screeners who responded to a survey earlier this week attributed their right now mental health condition to loneliness and isolation, 48 percent specifically to COVID-19, and 34 percent to current events. And more mental health concerns are coming. Already, 29 percent attribute their poor mental health to financial problems and 22 percent to grief - percentages that will undoubtedly grow in the coming weeks as fewer people are at work and more lose loved ones to the disease.

MHA has joined with other mental health advocates in asking Congress for $50 billion to address these immediate mental health needs.

We need more than this, of course, Gionfriddo concluded, but to date less than 1 percent of this has been appropriated in stimulus legislation.

To access MHAs online screening program, any help-seeking individual or caregiver can go to http://www.mhascreening.org. The screening tools offered are the most common ones used by mental health professionals. All MHA screeners get an immediate result after screening, and customized suggestions for what they can do next.

MHA documented an uptick in the number of anxiety screenings that corresponded to the increase in worry about the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in mid-February.

MHAs screening population is large, with 2,000 or more screenings being taken every day. Nearly 5 million screenings have been completed in the past six years, giving MHA useful baseline data from which to draw inferences from the most recent two months.

Because most screeners have never been diagnosed with a mental health condition previously, it is the only comprehensive, real-time data resource in the nation that can quantify the mental health impact of COVID-19 in the broad population.

Paul Gionfriddo will present additional mental health screening data related to COVID-19 at a presentation tomorrow, April 17, 2020 at an 11 a.m. webinar sponsored by the National Health Council. Registration for the webinar is open. Mr. Gionfriddo is available for interviews upon request, and his slide deck for the NHC presentation is also available from MHA, following the webinar.

Mental Health America (MHA) - founded in 1909 - is the nations leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. Our work is driven by our commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need it; with recovery as the goal. Learn more at http://www.mhanational.org
Josie Norris /Staff Photographer

There is still a way to experience San Antonio despite the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns.

VisitSanAntonio.com is hosting a way to discover the Alamo City digitally by curating online offerings of local arts and culture, attractions and restaurants. The collection also features DIY demonstrations and downloadables to bring the best of San Antonio inside your home.
No one should die alone during the Covid-19 crisis according to the Irish Hospice Foundation.

One family member should be allowed to be with a dying loved one in a hospital or care setting, it has urged.

Even if personal protective equipment is needed for a relative to be with a Covid-19 patient, the exception should be made.

The foundation issued the recommendation after seeking clarity and guidance from the HSE.

IHF chief executive, Sharon Foley, said it is responding to concerns from many people and health care staff about a person dying alone in hospitals and nursing homes.

There is only one chance to get end-of-life right and we know that dying alone is hugely problematic both for the dying person and their families - creating a lasting memory of distress for families and no doubt impacting on their bereavement," she said.

"We appreciate hospitals and other care settings will need to assign staff to train families in the donning and doffing of PPE and that this training and support requires time and resources," said Ms Foley.

No visiting guidance has been issued in many areas where the risk of Covid-19 is high, including intensive care units.

Ms Foley said they appreciate that the visiting restriction is to prevent the infection from spreading.

They also recognise the sacrifices families are making.

However, the foundation wants hospitals and care settings to give families clear guidance and explanations for their visiting policies.

There should be information on how limited visiting can be accommodated, where possible, and clear reasons given for any restricted visiting policies.

It suggests that the guidance should state how families can engage with the hospital and care setting, ideally through a named contact person such as a social worker.

If hospitals can provide as much clear detail as possible on where, how and when visiting can be allowed and facilitated, this can alleviate some distress for families, it stated.

Where there is an absolute no visiting policy at the end of life for infection control reasons then measures should be taken to ensure that dying patients are not left alone.

The foundation has suggested that staff use a variety of methods to bring comfort, compassion and company to the dying person, as well as communicating these measures and approaches to the family in a sensitive way.

The IHF issued the recommendations after seeking clarity and guidance from the HSE.

The recommendations have been forwarded to the health authoritys acute hospital, primary care and older people divisions and have also been issued to Nursing Homes Ireland.
A possible stabilisation of the pandemic in the US is pushing authorities to plan for a reopening of states.

The number of people hospitalised for the novel coronavirus and related deaths fell to their lowest levels in more than a week, evidence that the hardest-hit state was controlling its spread, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday.

Cuomo also told a daily briefing that he would extend an order closing businesses and schools by two weeks until at least May 15 in coordination with other states in the region.

The New York governor has been a constant fixture during the coronavirus crisis, featuring prominently on nightly news programmes.

While Cuomo is now widely viewed as a leader in the battle against the pandemic, some have criticised the early response of Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Cuomos public disagreements with President Donald Trump have helped his stock among the administrations critics.





Trump plans to reopen the US economy as cases stablise, though many state leaders have said it is too soon, which prompted Trump to falsely claim he has total authority as president.

Cuomo tapped high-powered consultants to develop a science-based plan for the safe economic reopening of the region that can thwart pressure from President Trump to move more rapidly, according to Reuters News Agency.

Governors from seven East Coast states formed a coalition on Monday, led by New York, to develop a joint reopening plan. Three governors from the West Coast formed a similar plan.

The 10 states, mostly led by Democrats, together make up 38 percent of the US economy.
A Russian Su-35.

Associated Press

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon, an anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft, flying over the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday was intercepted by a Russian Su-35 fighter jet, the Navy said.

"The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed, inverted maneuver, 25 ft. directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk," the Navy said.

The Navy said the crew of the P-8A Poseidon experienced "wake turbulence" during the 42-minute encounter.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The US Navy said on Wednesday that one of its aircraft was intercepted by a Russian jet while flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea.

The US Navy P-8A Poseidon, an anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft, was flying over the Mediterranean Sea when it was approached by a Russian Su-35 fighter jet, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa said.

"The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed, inverted maneuver, 25 ft. directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk," the Navy said in a statement.

The crew of the P-8A Poseidon experienced "wake turbulence" during the 42-minute encounter, the Navy said.

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon.

Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters

"While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible," the Navy added. "We expect them to behave within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents."

A Russian Su-35 jet performed a similar maneuver toward a P-8A Poseidon over the Mediterranean Sea in June. The jet buzzed the US aircraft three times in three hours and conducted a pass directly in front of it.

"This interaction was irresponsible," the Navy said in a statement at the time.

On both occasions, the Navy said its aircraft was flying in international airspace and was not provoking the Russian aircraft.

Story continues

Russia performed another provocative test by firing an anti-satellite missile on Wednesday, US Space Command said.

Russia's direct-ascent anti-satellite test "provides yet another example that the threats to US and allied space systems are real, serious and growing," Gen. John Raymond, the head of Space Command and chief of space operations for US Space Force, said in a statement.

"The United States is ready and committed to deterring aggression and defending the nation, our allies and US interests from hostile acts in space," Raymond added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Matthias Balk | picture alliance | Getty Images

Europe has long been an attractive place for Chinese firms looking to invest and acquire  and the recent bout of weakness in stocks, particularly in key tech firms, could further pique their interest. According to one analyst, some of Europe's key tech firms are "vulnerable" given the market slump, but a top politician in the European Union has urged countries to take a stake in those companies to stop the Chinese takeovers. The outbreak of the coronavirus in China, which has spread across the world, has led to a slump in share prices around the world. Some European tech firms that are part of industries seen as strategic, such as telecommunications or semiconductors, have taken a hit this year.

Europe is vulnerable because the continent is lagging behind both China and the U.S. in both economic growth and innovation. Neil Campling Mirabaud Securities

Finnish networking equipment-maker Nokia is down over 9.6% year-to-date. Its rival Ericsson has fallen 2%. Meanwhile, chip firms Infineon and STMicro have dropped 20% and 7.5% respectively. "I would say that Europe is vulnerable because the continent is lagging behind both China and the U.S. in both economic growth and innovation," Neil Campling, head of technology, media and telecoms research at Mirabaud Securities, told CNBC. "China has long used a policy of 'buy it is quicker than building it' to scale quickly and will certainly be thinking that recent disruptions and lower market values might present opportunities."

Chinese takeovers in Europe

Chinese companies have made notable acquisitions and investments in European technology firms. In 2016, Chinese tech giant Tencent bought a majority stake in Finnish mobile games maker Supercell and Midea, a Chinese electrical appliance manufacturer, bought German robotics firm Kuka. And last year, Ant Financial, the financial technology affiliate of Alibaba, bought U.K.-based currency exchange WorldFirst. But scrutiny of Chinese takeover attempts have increased recently, particularly in the U.S. through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. It has blocked Chinese companies that attempt to acquire American firms, especially those seen in key technology areas. One example was in 2018, when CFIUS blocked American semiconductor testing company Xcerra's takeover by China's Hubei Xinyan. And in January, CFIUS gained increased powers to scrutinize deals for national security threats.

That heightened worry about Chinese acquisitions is now playing out in Europe. Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's (EU) competition commissioner, suggested in an interview with the Financial Times that was published on Monday, that countries should consider taking stakes in companies to fend off the threat of a Chinese takeover. "We don't have any issues of states acting as market participants if need be  if they provide shares in a company, if they want to prevent a takeover of this kind," Vestager said. Against this backdrop is the U.S.-China trade war, which is also a battle over technological supremacy, that has been playing out. At the heart of it is who will dominate the next generation of technologies, such as 5G and artificial intelligence.

There is absolutely zero chance of large companies ... falling prey to Chinese interest as they all have significant U.S. business and customers and you'd expect U.S. to block any such deal. Neil Campling Mirabaud Securities
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Destiny Media Technologies Inc. (TSXV: DSY) (OTCQB: DSNY), the makers of Play MPE, a cloud-based music distribution, collaboration and content discovery platform, today announced the hiring of Glenn Mattern as Play MPE's new Director of Business Development. This is a newly created position to lead the business development group.

Mr. Mattern joins Play MPE after a successful 25-year business development career with a strong track record in national sales and strategic growth. He was a senior founding partner with one of Western Canada's most successful and highest volume printers, McCallum Printing Group, which was acquired by the Burke Group of Companies in 2017 where he remained as Vice President of Sales BC until joining Play MPE in March 2020.

"I've enjoyed a rewarding career in the printing industry, but I now feel I have my dream job. I couldn't be more excited to be working with the tireless and innovative team at Play MPE. As the Director of Business Development, I look forward to strategically developing new and existing business relationships and working towards establishing Play MPE as the go-to solution for supplying promotional content globally." said Glenn Mattern.

"We are very excited to add Glenn to the team," said Fred Vandenberg, Play MPE's President and CEO. "Glenn brings a wealth of experience of building customer relationships with a strong focus on customer service and a disciplined and rigorous approach to sales growth. Over the past 24 months, we have focused on product and product development improvements and we are now ready to aggressively expand our revenue growth efforts."

About Destiny Media Technologies Inc.

Destiny Media Technologies ("Destiny") provides software as a service (SaaS) solutions to businesses in the music industry solving critical problems in distribution and promotion. The core service, Play MPE (www.plaympe.com), provides music collaboration and performance tracking platform to efficiently and securely promote, distribute, receive and discover pre-released promotional music releases. The platform is used by the world's largest record labels and thousands of independent artists and record labels in six continents.

Contacts:

Fred Vandenberg, fredv@dsny.com CEO,

Destiny Media Technologies Inc., 604-609-7736 x236

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54512
Amazon's dominance has been solidified during the coronavirus pandemic, but the consequences of that are complicated, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday.

"Amazon is either the Grim Reaper for everyone or the greatest thing that's ever happened to the American consumer. Or maybe both," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street."

"Has Amazon not become a country during this period?" Cramer added, noting Amazon's dramatic hiring to keep pace with coronavirus-related demand increases while the rest of the U.S. economy has shed 22 million jobs in recent weeks.

Since March, the e-commerce giant has added more than 100,000 new employees, with plans to add another 75,000 to its ranks.

"They're a juggernaut that just wipes out everybody," said Cramer, pointing to Amazon's far-reaching operations into a myriad of sectors. "Look what they're doing to the drug stores."

In addition to increasing hiring in response to the pandemic, Amazon has increased pay for workers  and after warehouse workers urged them to do so, expanded its paid-time off policy.

But Amazon also has faced push back from some who argue the company isn't doing enough to create safe environments for employees who still have to work inside its warehouses. Some workers have staged protests, calling for more protection.

Cramer's comments Thursday came shortly after Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos released his annual letter to shareholders.

In the letter, Bezos noted some of Amazon's other efforts around the coronavirus such as giving face masks to employees and distributing temperature checks for warehouse workers, delivery drivers and Whole Foods employees.

"A next step in protecting our employees might be regular testing of all Amazonians, including those showing no symptoms," Bezos wrote in the letter.

Amazon first announced its efforts to develop a Covid-19 test for workers last week.

Shares of Amazon hit another all-time high on Thursday, rising more than 3% to $2,398 each. On Tuesday, the stock hit its first new high since February. Amazon's stock is up nearly 30% for the year.

Cramer has recently been talking about how Amazon is among the dominant U.S. companies weathering the pandemic in the "winner-take-all, loser-take-none" stock market.

The "Mad Money" host also talked about being concerned about how the coronavirus-driven halt in the economy could leave the U.S. with only three retailers after the crisis ends: Amazon, Walmart and Costco.

 Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Amazon and Costco. CNBC's Annie Palmer also contributed to this report.
Cooper outlines conditions needed for easing lockdown

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of Health and Human Services, speaks at a briefing.

RALEIGH  Gov. Roy Cooper wants people to think about reopening the economy as a light dimmer, not an on/off switch.

Easing restrictions wont happen at once, the governor said in a news conference Wednesday, April 15. North Carolinians can expect a staggered approach to reopening the economy and allowing life to return to some semblance of normality.



Because we acted early and because we acted together, we have averted the devastating scenarios we have seen playing out in other parts of our country and across the globe, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services secretary. We now need to look ahead at how we stay ahead of the curve.



North Carolina needs progress in three areas, the governor said. State officials will look at testing, tracing, and trends to determine when its safe to loosen restrictions.



More testing is needed to isolate and track new cases of COVID-19. Doing so will require boosted testing resources and increased lab capacity, Cooper said. The state is working with the private and public sectors to make testing more widely available.



More health care workers are needed to effectively trace the spread of COVID-19, Cooper said. When a new case of COVID-19 is identified, tracing helps find people who may have been in contact with the infected person. Universities and hospitals will be critical in helping trace the spread of the virus.



State officials are collecting and reviewing data on how the virus is affecting specific populations and regions of the state. Understanding the trends will influence decisions on easing restrictions and social distancing requirements.



North Carolinians cant stay home forever, Cooper said, but opening up the economy now could result in a spike of new COVID-19 cases.



Some North Carolinians have grown restless and are demanding the governor start lifting restrictions. Dozens of people protested in front of the Legislative Building on Tuesday, calling for the state to let people return to work. ReopenNC, a Facebook group with more than 36,000 members, organized the event.



The Raleigh Police Department ended the protest early, claiming the protesters were violating Coopers executive order banning mass gatherings of more than 10 people. One woman was arrested after refusing to leave.



Raleigh police received flak on Twitter after tweeting that protesting is a non-essential activity. Sens. Warren Daniel, R-Burke, and Danny Britt, R-Robeson, sent a letter to the governor asking him to clarify whether his executive order prohibits protesting.



At the news conference, Cooper said the order doesnt infringe on the First Amendment right to protest, but it does ban mass gatherings to protect public health. Cooper failed to directly address Raleigh polices tweet or the Republican senators letter.



The General Assembly returns to session April 28 after steps are taken to ensure public health and safety. Access to the Legislative Building and the Legislative Office Building will be limited to lawmakers, staff, and credentialed media from April 20 to May 8. Peoples temperatures will be taken as they enter either building.



How each of the chambers of the General Assembly will conduct its session and committee meetings will be determined.
A conversation with Professor Mary Grabar

What would you think if someone told you that the most popular textbook students in high schools and colleges in communist China rely upon for learning the history of their country was written by an ardent anti-communist who portrays Mao Zedong as a maniacal mass murderer and viciously demeans communism and its heroes while celebrating capitalism and the history and values of the United States?

No way would you believe such a thingits absurd.

What should be every bit as unbelievable, every bit as absurdbut unfortunately happens to be trueis that the most popular American history textbook in American schools portrays our country as an evil, racist nation bent on suppressing our own people and subjugating other lands to our domination.

More an indoctrination manual than a history textbook, A Peoples History of the United States, released in 1980, has sold more than 2.5 million copies. No other work matches its influence on how todays youth view America or on how our heroes, traditions, and values that were for so long cherished have in recent years become demonized.

Its a shoddy screed by a phony and a fraud, a radical Marxist anarchist icon of the Hate America Left named Howard Zinn.

Leftist so-called educators anxious to brainwash young Americans into accepting their extremist fringe views have for years aggressively promoted Zinn as a must-read definitive expert on American history who corrects what all the renowned historians got wrong.

Its shocking how astonishingly effective Zinn and the left have been in brainwashing our youth and so many of their teachers into believing that some of Americas greatest heroes are villains and that some of the worlds worst villains are heroes. Yet few among us have heard of Howard Zinn and how for the past four decades his propaganda masquerading as history has been poisoning the minds of Americas youth.

At last we have a wake-up call blasting through our far-too-long dozing in silent acquiescence. The alarm that anyone who cares greatly about America and its youth needs to heed is this stunning expose of a bookDebunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation against America by Professor Mary Grabar.

Mary Grabars book Debunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation against America. (Regnery)

This is a truly important book in which the lefts ploy to turn Americas history lesson classrooms into reeducation camps is brilliantly explained and documentedand devastatingly rebutted.

Grabar, a resident fellow at the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization in Clinton, New York, has a Doctorate in English from the University of Georgia. She has taught at several colleges and universities, most recently Emory University. She is a published poet and short story author; has written scholarly articles for prestigious academic journals; contributed to important book collections; and is a frequent contributor to leading conservative outlets. She founded and directs the nonprofit education reform initiative, Dissident Prof Education Project. She came to America as a child when her parents fled Slovenia, then part of communist Yugoslavia.

Heres a conversation I recently had with her.

Ambassador Eckert: The theme of your book is that in telling Americas history, Howard Zinn doesnt tell history, he tells lies. Can you cite any prominent historian who shares your very low opinion of Zinns intellectual honesty?

Mary Grabar: Peter Coclanis, distinguished professor of history and director of the Global Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, calls Zinns book an execrable work of pseudohistory, full of mistakes, lies, half-truths and smears. Harvey Klehr, professor emeritus of politics and history at Emory University, says Zinns textbook is characterized by lies, plagiarism, violation of academic standards and simple-minded platitudes. There are plenty more.

Amb. Eckert: Two such prominent historians labeling Zinn a liar makes your case. Professor Klehr refers to Zinn plagiarizing, one of the worst sins any writer can be found guilty of, and you say Zinn plagiarizes blatantly. Your evidence?

Ms. Grabar: Read the first five-and-a-half pages of Zinns book and compare his smears of Christopher Columbus with the only slightly altered passages from Columbus: His Enterprise published four years earlier by his America-hating friend and colleague Hans Koning. Interesting, isnt it, that Konings Columbus smear was near universally panned while Zinns plagiarizing of it is so oftenand so wronglyhailed as groundbreaking historical revelation?

Amb. Eckert: Youve accused Zinn of selective quotation of sources to make them say the exact opposite of what their authors intended. For example?

Ms. Grabar: In the very first paragraph of his book, Zinn quotes this about the Indians from Christopher Columbuss journal: They would make fine servants. . . . With fifty men we could subjugate them and make them do whatever we want. Zinn purposely upends the truth by omitting pages of Columbuss journal containing abundant evidence completely opposite the false impression Zinn calculatingly creates.



Amb. Eckert: And the truth is?

Ms. Grabar: Columbus had learned that scars visible on these Indians were caused by a hostile tribe, and he was speculating that that tribe viewed this gentler tribe as making fine servants, not suggesting, as Zinn implies, that this was how Columbus viewed them. Columbus was a very devout Catholic who hoped to convert them to Christianity more by love than by force and ordered his men to treat the Indians with kindness. The way Zinn deliberately smears Columbus is but one of many examples of lying to advance his anti-American agenda, same way he smears America with his claim that we were in Vietnam for imperialistic purposes is proven with quotations from official U.S. documents when the truth is that he cuts off quotations that show that the concern was about communist imperialism.

Amb. Eckert: Do you think labeling an American citizen anti-American is extreme?

Ms. Grabar: No, I think any American whos anti-American is an extremist.

Amb. Eckert: And an example of Howard Zinns anti-American view is?

Ms. Grabar: Consider how he frames our founding as a free and independent country: Around 1776, certain important people in the English colonies made a discovery that would prove enormously useful for the next two hundred years. They found that by creating a nation, a symbol, a legal unity called the United States, they could take over land, profits, and political power from the favorites of the British Empire. In the process, they could hold back a number of potential rebellions and create a consensus of popular support for the rule of a new, privileged leadership.

Amb. Eckert: So students who depend upon Zinns textbook are taught that the real story of why America became a country was so we could steal land, profits and political power from the British?

Ms. Grabar: Exactly. Far-left ideology trumps truth. Forget about any self-evident truths being foundational. Nor does the Zinn-indoctrinated student learn that what was truly revolutionary about the founding of the American Republic is its underpinning belief that not only are we endowed by God with certain inalienable rights, but our government is by the consent of the governed.

Amb. Eckert: Was Howard Zinn a communist?

Ms. Grabar: Historian Ronald Radosh investigated Zinns FBI file and concluded Zinn was a communist. Zinn is an apologist for such mass-murdering tyrants as Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong. He smears such truly greats as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. He blames America more than Japan for Pearl Harbor. He suggests racism motivated our going to war against Japan. He insinuates America was as bad as Nazi Germany. He suggests we were involved in World War II to make America richer. Itd take a book to cover all of Howard Zinns lies about America. So I wrote one.

Amb. Eckert: What can people do to help bring a halt to this Zinn-driven anti-American brainwashing of our youth?

Ms. Grabar: We should do what Dr. Albert E. Manley, the first black president of Atlantas Spelman College, did when he had enough of Zinns efforts to radicalize studentsfire him. We need to quit letting the lunatic left get away with poisoning young students minds with vicious anti-American propaganda and claiming its history. Parents should check to see if Zinns lies are being foisted upon their children and, if so, demand that his fake history be replaced by honest history. Exercise your right to see if your school board is wasting taxpayer money on indoctrinating young people into despising our great country.

Amb. Eckert: Whats next for you?

Ms. Grabar: Once we get past this horrific pandemic that the Chinese Communist Party has inflicted upon the world, aided and abetted by their kowtowing cheering squad at the U.N. World Health Organization, Ill get back to traveling around the country and speaking about the damage inflicted upon America, especially our youth, by Howard Zinn. And Ill be finishing a biography of the esteemed black conservative journalist and fiction writer George S. Schuyler.

Fred J. Eckert is a former member of Congress and twice served as a U.S. ambassador under President Ronald Reagan, who called him a good friend and valued adviser  one of a kind  a man of great experience and wisdom, and declared, He has a quality that is all too rare in the political world: He has political courage. I know, for I have been a personal witness to that courage.
(Bloomberg) --

Romanias government is under fire for agreeing with the Orthodox Church to allow a popular Easter ritual to go ahead under police supervision this weekend.

In his first public disagreement with his ally Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, President Klaus Iohannis urged the administration to reconsider the deal that would allow church volunteers and police to go building to building to give people communion and light candles from a sacred flame. Hours later, the cabinet excluded the police from the ritual, saying only clerics and church volunteers can participate.

The dispute comes as the Black Sea nation wrestles with the highest Covid-19 death toll in the European Unions eastern wing. Iohannis has expanded a state of emergency until at least mid-May and the government put three hospitals under military control because of outbreaks among staff. The number of fatalities soared Wednesday to 372, with 7,216 confirmed cases.

Im telling you to stay home, or after the holidays well have funerals! Iohannis said. There were probably good intentions behind this deal. But it was misunderstood, as many Romanians thought it meant an easing of restrictions. Its not.

While the country of 20 million was one of the EUs first to impose lockdown measures, its also struggling to prevent further contagion after hundreds of thousands of Romanians returned home from working abroad in virus epicenters including Italy and France.

Police Balk

A number of opposition party leaders have called on Iohannis and the cabinet to consider easing restrictions to restart the battered economy before local and general elections scheduled for later in the year.

While initially saying the deal with the church was struck to prevent people from defying restrictions and packing into churches for Orthodox Easter celebrations this Sunday, Interior Minister Marcel Vela said late Wednesday that the people wont be allowed to go to churches and priests and volunteers will deliver, on request, the light and the communion.

Story continues

(Updates with interior minister starting in second paragraph.)

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

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This saintly moment might be the most demanding iteration of motherhood since the Victorian era. Although previously taboo topics were open for discussion by this point, the aspirational-yet-down-to-earth mother played a role for her audience, of a nurturing port in stormy ideological seas. This mom welcomed all points of view, but deftly avoided courting conflict. She finessed her way around debates that had polarized the mamasphere over the last decade  the debates that, in some ways, shaped this world. (The list of potentially inflammatory topics is endless. It includes, in no particular order, what constitutes a natural birth, how much sacrifice should be made for the sake of breastfeeding, how much screen time is acceptable and how to feed a picky eater.)

Exemplars of this trend could be said to include Goddard, Davis and LaTonya Yvette. This era, which I position roughly between 2013 and 2018, drew to a close probably in no small part because of fatigue on the part of the women trying to pull it off. Maybe its the influence of the galvanizing political times we find ourselves in, but the saintly moms are beginning to take sides, even at the risk of turning off some of their readership.

This brings us to the present day, when moms are pushing the envelope in both perfect and imperfect directions. Todays most popular representations of motherhood arent necessarily occurring on websites anymore, but rather through multi-platform personal brands, exemplified in the Los Angeles haute-slacker cohort of Busy Philipps, Kelly Oxford and Liz Carey. As media producers, they work directly with brands in ways that most consumers wouldnt even understand, going beyond mere sponsored content. They write, they perform, they consult; theyre ambassadors. Theyre profane and genuinely self-deprecating, but glossier and more aspirational than mothers have ever been. They look, through the Instagram filters anyway, like beautiful, languid teenagers. Their representations of motherhood are unsettling, hilarious and subversive, in a way that is diametrically opposed to the kind of subversion that defined early mommy blogs.

Connors sees representations of motherhood as having come full circle from the breakout mommy blog years of the mid-aughts. Much of what is popular today is glossy or gossipy  just like before the blogs, when all we had were magazines, she said. Once again theres this sense that we need to find a way to tell stories in an honest way.

Perhaps our anxious times compel mothers to take solace in escapist fictions. Maybe our ultra-competitive job market has sapped mothers energy for norm-restructuring online debates about child care and sexuality. Certainly the economic model of social media platforms has rewarded glossy renderings of motherhood over the grittier stuff. Consequently, the most influential moms in pop culture today tend to reinforce old norms about what it means to be good and attractive.

However, mothers appetite for the messy version of motherhood hasnt abated; its moved back into more private spaces. Private Facebook groups, group chats and Instagram direct messages are where a lot of mothers support-seeking takes place in 2019. New subscription services like Chairman Mom invite mothers to interact in ad-free discussion groups that feel a lot like 2009.

The next wave of mom-influencers, meanwhile, will be known primarily for their professional profiles. Women like Audrey Gelman of the Wing and Leandra Medine of Man Repeller are interesting additions to the mamasphere because their identities are hyphenated  an experience that didnt get much convincing coverage until recently. They are entrepreneurs-artists-community leaders, and their social influence was established before they had children. Now that they do, motherhood adds another valuable dimension to their brands.
The suit alleges Trump incited the Capitol attack and that he conspired to prevent the certification of the election.
GENEVA/WASHINGTON -- The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday he regrets U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to pull funding for the agency, but that now is the time for the world to unite in its fight against the new coronavirus.

Trumps move prompted condemnation from world leaders as global coronavirus infections passed the 2 million mark.

The United States is the worlds worst-affected country and its coronavirus death toll topped 30,000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally.

The fatalities have doubled in just a week and set a record single-day increase for the second day in a row.

New U.S. cases have been rising by about 25,000 a day, down from a peak of 35,000, according to a Reuters tally.

Trump said the data suggests the nation has passed the peak of new coronavirus infections and that he will announce guidelines for reopening the economy on Thursday.

After gradually becoming more hostile toward the Geneva-based WHO, Trump accused it on Tuesday of promoting Chinese disinformation about the virus, saying this had probably worsened the outbreak.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference that the United States has been a long-standing and generous friend of the WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so.

WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of U.S. funding and we will work with partners to fill any gaps and ensure our work continues uninterrupted, Tedros added.

Global health campaigner and donor Bill Gates tweeted that Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds ... The world needs WHO now more than ever.

But Washington showed no sign of softening its stance, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Chinas top diplomat on the need for full transparency and information sharing to fight the pandemic.

Medical workers respond at Maimonides Medical Center during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., April 14, 2020. Photo: Reuters

There was a sign of global unity among the Group of 20 major economies, including the United States, which agreed to suspend debt service payments for the worlds poorest countries from May 1 until the end of the year.

Meeting host Saudi Arabia said this would free up more than $20 billion for them to spend on their health systems.

Money going elsewhere

The United States contributed more than $400 million to the WHO in 2019, roughly 15% of its budget.

A senior administration official said Washington would stop a $58 million assessed contribution that it was due to pay for 2020.

The United States also traditionally provides several hundred million dollars a year in voluntary funding tied to specific WHO programs.

That money will be spent with other partners, said a second senior Trump administration official.

The WHO has appealed for more than $1 billion specifically to fund operations against the pandemic, which reached 2 million confirmed cases on Wednesday, including more than 131,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.

A man is wheeled on a stretcher at Maimonides Medical Center during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., April 14, 2020. Photo: Reuters

New York City, center of the U.S. epidemic, revised its COVID-19 death toll sharply higher to nearly 11,000 - around a third of the overall U.S. total - to include victims presumed to have died of the disease but who were not tested.

But declines in hospitalizations and need for intensive care for coronavirus patients across New York state prompted Governor Andrew Cuomo to say on Wednesday that fears of its healthcare system becoming overwhelmed had not materialized.

Many of the hardest-hit countries have acknowledged that they are failing to register large numbers of coronavirus deaths among elderly people living in nursing homes, where testing is rare.

Data from Belgium indicated that almost half of its coronavirus-related deaths had occurred in nursing homes.

Easing the lockdown

Spain and Italy, which have almost 40,000 coronavirus deaths between them, have begun this week to allow some non-essential businesses to reopen in the hope of reawakening locked-down economies nosediving into recession.

The WHO said the world stood at a pivotal juncture and countries that eased restrictions should wait at least two weeks to evaluate the impact before easing further.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday some shops in Germany could reopen next week and that schools would be allowed to open gradually from May 4, but that social distancing rules would remain in place for now.

But Englands chief medical officer said that although Britain, with almost 13,000 deaths, was probably close to the peak of its epidemic, it was too soon to think about next steps.

A Russian army serviceman wearing protective gear sprays disinfectant while sanitizing a factory amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Saint Petersburg, Russia April 15, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Some 94 percent of Americans have been under government stay-at-home orders, but a top U.S. health official said governors of about 20 states spared the worst of the coronavirus outbreak may start reopening their economies by Trumps May 1 target date.

Trump is forming advisory groups on how to open up the country.

On Wednesday, Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg participated in White House conference calls, their firms said.

In a vivid reminder of the economic damage wrought by efforts to curb the health crisis, data showing the U.S. economy in a deep downturn and reports of persistent crude oil oversupply and collapsing demand sent global shares falling.

The MSCI gauge of stocks around the world fell 2.4% after the International Energy Agency forecast a 29 million barrel per day dive in April oil demand to levels not seen in 25 years, and U.S. retail sales plunged 8.7% in March.

On the bright side, 106-year-old Connie Titchen, thought to be the oldest patient in Britain to beat the coronavirus, was discharged from hospital.

I feel very lucky that Ive fought off this virus, she said.

I cant wait to see my family.
Its been said that hard times can bring out the very best in people.

And one need look no further than downtown Helena to see it in action amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the past few weeks, Cindy Loacker, owner of Beargrass Trading Company, has been organizing online silent auctions to raise money for Helena Food Share.

A group of artists who sell their works at Beargrass banded together to offer art items for the first two auctions, which raised $1,135 the first week and $1,004 the second week, for a total of $2,139.

All of the proceeds went to Helena Food Share.

This week, April 13-18, downtown business owners are enthusiastically joining in the I Love Downtown Helena silent auction that Beargrass has organized.

From a gorgeous leather handbag with matching accessories, to a hand-painted yellow silk scarf decorated with orange dandelions, to a bottle of fine Riesling with wine cups, there are many tantalizing and beautiful items to choose from.

There is also an array of dinner and microbrew gift certificates, paintings, photographs and a hummingbird feeder with bird cards.

Altogether, 25 businesses donated items.

To view and bid on them, visit www.facebook.com/beargrasstradingcompany.

The auction ends 8 p.m. Saturday, April 18.

Beargrass, at 417 N. Last Chance Gulch, temporarily closed its doors March 14, but Loacker, like many business owners, continues to offer curbside and online services.

She came up with the auction idea while brainstorming with some of the 50 partner artists that sell at her vintage home decor store.

They all wanted to do something for the community, she said, and one of the artists, Ashley Hannah, suggested a benefit auction.

Its been super rewarding, said Loacker.

The first auction, involving 33 of the stores partner artists, drew so many bids, Loacker jumped in on doing a second one.

It, likewise, got an enthusiastic response.

The community got on board and everyone started sharing it, she said.

Shes hoping for an equal or greater response for this weeks effort.

Im seeing that people are looking for a way to do something, and its hard to do something when youre confined to your home.

Ive been surprised and delighted by the response of everyone, she said. So many people are unemployed, so many businesses are closed, so many people are hurting, and yet the outpouring of generosity from the community blew me away.

Its wonderful to see the kindness in people in this very hard time were going through, and how people are looking for ways to help others.

Among them are the owners of Blackfoot River Brewing Company, who donated a $100 gift certificate for this weeks auction.

Managing partner Bethany Flint said the brewery continues to offer growler service curbside and also does home deliveries for a fee.

A gift certificate for  growlers seemed an appropriate thing to give that you can use and enjoy right now," she said.

The brewery has a lot of generous customers helping us, including four customers who donated to cover free growler delivery for a period of time.

So, this is a really easy thing for us to pay it forward and hopefully entice someone to bid on that auction item and raise money for Food Share.

Food Share has been a big partner for us over the years, she said.

We really think the work they do is super important and that theres a lot more need than people understand in the community.

Another longtime business, sole sisters, has stepped up with donated items valued at $120  a beautiful, soft golden-brown leather handbag with coordinated petrified wood earrings and bracelet.

Gerry Hanson, co-owner of sole sisters with her sister Kim Garrity, said the local womens clothing boutique is celebrating its 25th year in business this year.

During that time, its weathered a lot of economic storms, including the tragedy of 9/11 and the Great Recession, but nothing like the coronavirus pandemic.

Theres a real sense of community, she said of the downtown. We all know each other. We can all appreciate what each ones going through and it just feels like a family  a community family. What affects one has a bearing on what affects the next one.

Shes grateful that theyve earned a lot of loyal customers over the years.

Were doing online selling, posting sales on Facebook and Instagram, and we also do Facetime shopping for people.

Theyve been offering curbside delivery out the front door on Last Chance Gulch and free shipping and home delivery in Helena.

People still enjoy doing something fun during these times, she said.

As a small business owner, you have to learn ways to adapt.

Hanson said she and her sister were eager to be involved with the silent auction.

You want to feel like you can do something. Were pretty darn fortunate we have loyal customers.

Thats a little thing for us to do.

Chelsia Rice, co-owner of Montana Book Company with Charlie Crawford, said they too wanted to help and have donated a couple of books to the auction.

Weve always wanted to be a community source  a hub of community  and also a place of belonging and giving back to the community for what they give to us, and its really written in our mission statement.

We care so much about disenfranchised people that we want them to survive this and have access to comfort, food and essentials, Rice said.

Its just really at the core of who Charlie and I have always been.

The funds are welcome, said Helena Food Share Executive Director Bruce Day.

We are taking it a week at a time right now, said Day. Were continuing to provide emergency food assistance to anyone who needs it.

Rather than offering in-store shopping, Food Share has converted to offering grab & go boxes of emergency food at the front door, following a quick check-in.

People can access two food boxes per month, he said.

They are following all of the physical distancing requirements health officials recommend.

Demand has been quite heavy.

In the early weeks of the pandemic lockdown, Food Share saw a 30% jump in demand, he said.

Last week demand had slowed a bit, but Helena Food Share is continuing to see new people come in.

We are anticipating need will continue to be heavy.

The community is responding generously to make sure we have ... food to help people.

Beargrass Trading Companys online auction is just one example of how different individuals, groups and businesses have stepped up to donate.

We still have up to 100 household per day shopping at Helena Food Share.

Last year we served close to 8,400 individuals, he said, and they expect that number to jump this year.

Food Share is taking money donations, but not food donations from individuals at this time.

For more info on Helena Food Share, visit, https://helenafoodshare.org/ or call 443-3663.
While Public Joint Stock Company Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia (MCX:MRKS) shareholders are probably generally happy, the stock hasn't had particularly good run recently, with the share price falling 23% in the last quarter. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last three years have been very strong. In three years the stock price has launched 248% higher: a great result. To some, the recent share price pullback wouldn't be surprising after such a good run. The thing to consider is whether the underlying business is doing well enough to support the current price.

Check out our latest analysis for Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia became profitable within the last three years. That kind of transition can be an inflection point that justifies a strong share price gain, just as we have seen here.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

MISX:MRKS Past and Future Earnings April 16th 2020

This free interactive report on Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. Arguably the TSR is a more complete return calculation because it accounts for the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested), along with the hypothetical value of any discounted capital that have been offered to shareholders. Its history of dividend payouts mean that Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia's TSR of 266% over the last 3 years is better than the share price return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 3.8% over one year. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 24% a year, is even better. Potential buyers might understandably feel they've missed the opportunity, but it's always possible business is still firing on all cylinders. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) you should know about.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on RU exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
From the first moment I read the version of the Steele Dossier posted by BuzzFeed in January 2017, assuming the dossier is what it purports to be, I thought that it was the product of Russian disinformation. Youd have to be a fool not to see it. How could CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey and all the rest who worked with it somehow overlook that? Steeles Russian sources are dubious on the face of the dossier. Brennan and Comey had their own uses for Russian disinformation.

That is the question I raised when the Attorney General declassified and partially unredacted most of three Horowitz report footnotes on the Carter Page FISA warrant applications last week. I embedded a copy of the Attorney Generals letter and accompanying document in Steeles Russian disinformation.

Now John Solomon adds to the picture based on newly declassified notes (embedded below) in the Just the News report FBI repeatedly warned Steele dossier fed by Russian misinformation, Clinton supporter. Below is a hot take via Catherine Herridge and Undercover Huber.

The newly declassified footnotes have been released at the urging of Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson. They jointly issued a statement quoted by Solomon: As we can see from these now-declassified footnotes in the IGs report, Russian intelligence was aware of the dossier before the FBI even began its investigation and the FBI had reports in hand that their central piece of evidence was most likely tainted with Russian disinformation.

To put it slightly differently, James Comeys FBI appears to have colluded with Vladimir Putin and his stooges via the Clinton presidential campaign, Glenn Simpson/Fusion GPS, and Christopher Steele. Or did Comey et al. think Christopher Steele picked up the phone and had a heart-to-heart with the past and present Russian officials who supposedly gave him the good stuff?

Attorney General Barr put it this way last week: My own view is that the evidence shows that were not dealing with just mistakes or sloppiness. There is something far more troubling here, and were going to get to the bottom of it.I think what happened to him was one of the greatest travesties in American history. Without any basis they started this investigation of his campaign, and even more concerning, actually is what happened after the campaign, a whole pattern of events while he was president. So I  to sabotage the presidency, and I think that  or at least have the effect of sabotaging the presidency.

04-15-20 ODNI Declassified  by Scott Johnson on Scribd
Huge flocks of chickens in Delaware and Maryland are set to be slaughtered and not sent to market as a result of coronavirus staffing issues, according to reports.

A letter from Allen Harim Foods to growers that was originally obtained by radio host Dan Gaffney appeared to explain how the company will need to start depopulating flocks in the field.

This kind of depopulation is an industry term used to describe the slaughtering of the birds without them being sent to market.

The Delaware News Journal confirmed with Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc that one company has announced a need to depopulate due to staffing shortages amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

The 8 April letter outlined that the organisation is no longer able to harvest the amount of birds needed daily or weekly to maintain target weights and ages.

Michele V Minton, Allen Harims director of live operations, who appears to have signed off the document, promises farmers will be fairly compensated.

Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc told The Journal that this could mean about 2 million chickens owned by one of those companies may be killed.

Delaware Poultry Industry Executive Director Holly Porter told the newspaper: The impact of Covid-19 on the US chicken industry is becoming more apparent as the disease continues to spread throughout the United States.

Only one Delmarva poultry company has announced the need to turn to a last resort of depopulating flocks due to Covid-19, Ms Porter told the outlet.

The company would usually process chickens from these individual farms for distribution at market. In these circumstances, it did not specify in the letter how flocks would be slaughtered.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has urged Allen Harim to kill the flocks humanely.

In addition to legal and veterinary requirements, common decency demands that you give these chickens  who have suffered day and night in severely crowded, ammonia-ridden sheds and to whom you owe your livelihood  the quickest, most painless, and most humane death possible, Dan Paden, PETAs vice president of evidence analysis, said in a letter shared with the media Monday.

Allen Harim Foods did not immediately respond to The Independent's request for comment.
The country's biggest trade union has said the two St Luke's Hospital workers who have died from Covid-19 made the 'ultimate sacrifice' in the struggle to contain the virus and save lives.

It is understood that the two health service staff were in their 40s and 50s. It's reported that the woman died in the hospital on Wednesday and the man died at his home on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Ireland East Hospital Group confirmed the tragic news.

I can sadly confirm that two healthcare workers from St Luke's General Hospital Carlow Kilkenny have passed away, having tested positive for Covid-19," said the spokesperson.

"We wish to extend our sincere condolences to their family friends and colleagues," said the statement.

SIPTU Health Division has expressed its condolences to the families of two workers. It said the workers who were employed as support staff at the hospital were members of SIPTU and are deeply mourned by their colleagues and friends, SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell, said.

We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of our two deceased members. The colleagues of these two workers as well as the members and staff of the unions health division are deeply shocked by their deaths.

"These two workers have made the ultimate sacrifice while assisting in the fight against the Covid-19 virus, he said.
Vinbet666.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

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The total number of people who shared the vinbet666 homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the vinbet666 homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if vinbet666 has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the vinbet666 homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the vinbet666 homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the vinbet666 homepage on Twitter + the total number of vinbet666 followers (if vinbet666 has a Twitter account).

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PAGE TITLE     DESCRIPTION vinbet24,vinbet KEYWORDS , vinbet, ,  OTHER KEYWORDS



CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER nginx OPERATIVE SYSTEM

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Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for vinbet666.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

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Twitter account link

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If one day Hollywood picks up a movie to make about this years decline in the U.S. oil industry, it could call it The Big Shale Short, after the 2015 film The Big Short.

The blockbuster from 2015 tells the true story of a bunch of investors who bet against the U.S. housing market before the subprime mortgage crisis and the market collapse in 2008, making millions of US dollars from their shorts.

The Big Shale Short may have just found its lead characters. On Twitter.

A bunch of petroleum engineers and traders, banded under the Energy FinTwit (#EFT) hashtag, have expressed for years their bearish views about U.S. shale. They have been shorting U.S. energy stocks for months. And the oil price collapse made them millions.

Not that anyone could have predicted the coronavirus pandemic and the demand collapse that sent WTI Crude prices down to $20 a barrel. Thats why such events are called black swans.

Yet, the bearish outlier oil analysts who were shorting shale stocks--even when major investment banks were saying the worst in the oil market is over or the shale growth decline in 2020 is inevitable but is ultimately good for prices and stocks--were vindicated by the collapsing oil prices.

The Million-Dollar Payoffs

Some of those traders made millions off the price crash in early March.

BRV @WillRayValentin, for example, told Reuters he made US$4 million in the week March 9-16, when oil prices collapsed in the wake of the OPEC+ break-up and the start of Saudi Arabias price war for market share.

It was like picking money up off the street, BRV told Reuters on the phone.

Im probably short every stock I mention, BRVs Twitter profile reads.

The big shale short Energy Fintwit group has gained popularity in recent months, and its most prominent members have thousands of followers eachmore than the followers of some energy analysts at investment banks.

Premium: There Is Still Hope For Oil Prices



This goes to show that outlier analysts could be as right about the market as all the other investment banks combined.

Some of the clients of banks such as UBS and investment groups such as Pickering Energy Partners follow the #EFT group and want to know more about its members, so the mainstream analysts follow on Twitter the Energy FinTwit bunch and even take into consideration some #EFT posts in their analyses.

The Whiting is on the wall

The EFT group made one very prescient call about a U.S. shale company.

At the end of October, @WillRayValentin, @energycredit1, and @Oil_Gonif published their research on Whiting Petroleum Corporation, once one of the top producers in the Bakken.

Whiting Petroleums stock is worth $0 at current strip pricing excluding option value, they said, noting that the company had debt maturities in March 2020 and April 2021 and was likely overstating its reserves, based on the EFT peoples analysis of more than 2,000 individual wells.

The Whiting is on the wall, they said, adding that Oil is the only material driver of WLL stock price currently. This was on October 31, 2019.

Premium: Missiles Fired In Iraq As Proxy War Heats Up

On April 1, 2020, Whiting Petroleum Corporation said it had filed for bankruptcy protection, becoming the first major victim of the oil price war and the coronavirus pandemic that sent oil prices to $20.

Given the severe downturn in oil and gas prices driven by uncertainty around the duration of the Saudi / Russia oil price war and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Companys Board of Directors came to the conclusion that the principal terms of the financial restructuring negotiated with our creditors provides the best path forward for the Company, said Bradley J. Holly, the companys chairman, president and CEO.

At the time when the EFT group said Whiting Petroleum was worth nothing, Goldman Sachs was saying go long on fracking, with the assumption that the decline in U.S. shale growth is just a temporary blip, and it could take a year or two before the stalled growth brings the market back into balance for prices to rise.

The Black Swan

As it turned out, no one  Goldman Sachs or anyone  could have predicted the fact that not only will the U.S. shale growth flatten but that producers will be fighting for survival this year, rushing to idle rigs, cut capex, lay off staff, and find storage for their unwanted barrels while the U.S. benchmark oil trades at $20 and regional grades are in the teens and single-digits.

Five months ago, no one could have predicted the current 30 million bpd demand collapse in April as the COVID-19 pandemic wipes out a decade of oil demand growth.

The EFT group on Twitter couldnt have predicted these events, either. But they are having a field day these daysproving that in the oil market even the outlier projections could become mainstream.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Minister of Energy, Peter Amewu, has disclosed that the Government of Ghana will be expending over GHC 700 million to absorb electricity bills for Ghanaians for the months of April, May and June.



Addressing a section of the media in Accra on Thursday, April 16, 2020, the Energy Minister noted that the lifeline support for customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is targeted at about 1 million of electricity users in the country.



He explained that the 1 million lifeline ECG population means the number of electricity meters across the nation.



''The ECG lifeline customer poulation in Ghana currently is about 1 million Ghanaian. By the customer population, we are talking about the number of meters but not the population of people. So, we're talking about 1 million meters...The access rate today in Ghana is about 86/87 percent which means about 86 to 87 percent of the Ghanaian population have access to the national grid. So, this directive by His Excellency the President means that about 85 to 86 percent of Ghanaians would enjoy this access'', he expounded.



According to him, per estimation of a 50% cut on electricity bills, the government will spend about 9 million cedis per month and approximately GHC 732 million for the next three months.



''The customer population of 1 million of ECG is about 27.4% of the ECG total customer population. This means that at a current tariff level, government is absorbing almost an amount of 8.5 million Ghana cedis per month. For non-lifeline customers of which two thousand, seven hundred and eighty thousand, eight hundred and eighty-six are residential, and 1608 are special load tariff customers; a 50% discount on their electricity bill will translate into GHC 235.4 million per month. The total relief for ECG customers per month based on the estimated revenue is therefore GHC 244 million translating into GHC 732 million for the three months commencing from April, May and June'', he intimated.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
New York City will use 11,000 empty hotel rooms as coronavirus quarantines, officials announced Thursday in the latest effort to curb the pandemic.

On Thursday, officials announced the state will extend its lockdown orders through May 15 and introduced new measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Mayor Bill De Blasio said New York City will use hotel rooms as quarantine sites for people in vulnerable communities but priority will be given to healthcare workers at the city's 56 hospitals.

Sick elderly New Yorkers living in multi-generational homes in lower income neighborhoods in the city and people in homeless shelters will also be given priority to the hotel rooms.

The city and community health workers will identify potential participants and start moving people in on April 22.

New York City announced Thursday it will use 11,000 empty hotel rooms as coronavirus quarantines. Some patients are already holding coronavirus patients. EMS workers pictured at a Comfort Inn carrying a COVID-19 patient out of the hotel and into an ambulance Wednesday

Mayor Bill de Blasio pictured Tuesday speaking at a food shelf in Brooklyn. He announced the opening of 11,000 hotels rooms on Thursday saying, 'We're not out of the foods yet'

'If there is a threat that someone might get infected in the home and it might spread amongst the members of that family, we have to guard against that,' he announced in a Thursday press conference.

Initially the city lined up hotels to be used as temporary hospitals, but New York's hospitals have been able to keep up with the massive influx of COVID-19 patients.

Now the hotels will be used to ease isolation measures in infection-concentrated communities and cramped households.

He said initially 'our projections told us we might have to use a vast number of hotels, dozens and dozens, to be able to accommodate all the medical needs. So far, thank God, that has not been the case.'

'We are far from out of the woods,' De Blasio warned. 'Bluntly, I thought that by this point I had expected a number of these hotels to already have been converted to field hospitals.thank God that has not been the case.'

Prior to these new measures, only patients who tested positive for the virus and don't have a permanent address were allowed to stay in hotels in quarantine. Medical crews are seen wheeling the patient out of the Comfort lnn on Wednesday

A medical worker pictured at a Holiday Inn Express in New York on Wednesday tending to COVID-19 patients being held there

A corpse was taken out of the hotel and taken into an ambulance on Wednesday. Now more hotel rooms will be opened to aid in the coronavirus outbreak

It is unclear whether the deceased passed away from COVID-19 or an unrelated issue. Several empty hotels across the city have been housing coronavirus patients

The news comes just five days after the mayor announced his administration would move 6,000 New Yorkers facing homelessness to hotel rooms.

It also comes after relentless prodding from homeless advocacy groups like Vocal-NY, Picture the Homeless and Neighbors Together which demanded he place 30,000 homeless individuals in the citys over 100,000 vacant hotel rooms.

The hotel strategy is also a preventative measure to aid in minority communities that lack access to health care, after preliminary city data revealed black and Hispanic New Yorkers are dying at twice the rate of other races.

New York state, the epicenter of the global coronavirus outbreak, reported 222,284 cases and 12,192 deaths as of Thursday afternoon. In New York City there are 117,565 cases and 7,563 deaths.

In New York the number of new coronavirus cases and the rate of new hospitalizations has plateaued and slowed thanks to social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders.

Prior to these new measures, only patients who tested positive for the virus and don't have a permanent address were allowed to stay in hotels in quarantine.

On Wednesday members of the National Guard were seen removing a dead body from a Manhattan hotel housing coronavirus patients.

Heartbreaking photos show the corpse, concealed in black bag, being loaded into the back of a van after it was wheeled out of the Holiday Inn Express in the city's Midtown neighborhood.

Just blocks away, medics were also seen at a Comfort Inn escorting a coronavirus patient into an ambulance so he could be taken to hospital for treatment.

Some hotels have already opened their doors to host medics. At the Four Seasons Hotel in New York about 200 doctors, nurses and other hospital workers are staying in the thousand-dollar-a-night rooms.

Hotel staffers check the temperatures of each medic entering the hotel and guests are given boxed meals to their rooms, according to the Washington Post.

New York City, it was revealed Thursday, expects to spend $7.4billion over budget over the next 15 months to fight the virus.

The city has reportedly spent $700million so far.
New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has led her nation through the difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic in exemplary fashion.

However, a television presenters attempt to ace one of the most common lockdown activities, baking, went horribly wrong.

Laura Daniel said the common wisdom was dont bake your heroes but that did not deter her from attempting to render Ardern in cake form.

The cake, features a lurid shade of pink lipstick, wavy black liquorice hair and googly blue candy eyes, was based on a picture of the PM on the cover of a recent biography of Ardern, An Extraordinary Leader.

The final blow was a set of what appeared to be real teeth.

Im deeply sorry Jacinda Ardern, Daniel wrote on Instagram of her masterpiece. I truly tried my best with what I had available  its made from another NZ icon lolly cake.

The cake understandably went viral on social media soon enough with some mocking Daniels effort.

At least we now know what our PM would look like if she had a crack habit? said one.

New Zealand imposed one of the strictest lockdown restrictions around the world and Ardens leadership has been applauded by one and all. The death toll in New Zealand stands at nine with the numbers of infected cases reducing every day.

Along with the PM, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the director-general of health, has also drawn high praise for his calm and measured ways which includes fronting up to the media which has become a 1pm staple for many Kiwi households.
AAmen Ministries Pastor Says Hell be in Pulpit Despite Pandemic

No matter what calamity, the Rev. Walter Hudson III said he will be worshipping in his edifice even during the current coronavirus pandemic.

As pastor of AAmen Ministries Inc./Church of Christ Seventh Day, the spiritual leader believes that he can serve God best by keeping his church doors open for those who desire to worship in person.

Im not asking members to come or attend service, but I want them to see that Gods house is a place of refuge and a beacon of light in the community and no matter whats going on, people should be able to know that Gods house is still in operation, insisted Hudson.

ADVERTISEMENT

We respect the reports of the medical experts, of course, but our faith and trust are in the word of God, not the government or man. I consider the church to be an essential business. Serving God is always first, he said.

Because he has a small congregation, Hudson feels that it will be easy for his congregation to practice social distancing and other guidelines recommended by public officials to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. He also provides masks, gloves and hand sanitizers. And like other churches, AAmen Ministries offers worship services through other means such as Facebook Live and via a prayer line.

Still, Hudson is adamant that the sanctuary must be available for people to enter if they are so inclined, he said. I want them to always see the pastor serving in my position and that the church doors should not be shut, no matter what opposition that the church is facing.

In support of his decision, Hudson cited Matthew 18:19 (where two or three are gather together and Hebrews 10:25 (do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together) as two scriptural references.

Im not trying to make anybody put their life on the line, but I want them to know that Im going to stand in my space so people can see that the church of God is a place that instills hope, faith, and gives spiritual guidance to those who are seeking solace through worship and it shall never be closed!

We are a Black-owned independent church in the heart of the community and we invite the community to come worship with us here at AAmen Ministries, added Hudson.

ADVERTISEMENT

AAmen Ministries/Church of Christ Sabbath Day is located at 5400 11th Avenue in Los Angeles. The worship service is held on Saturdays at 10 a.m.
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Market Research Future Published a Half-Cooked Research Report on Global Aluminum Castings Market Research Report  Global Forecast to 2023

Market Insights:

Aluminum is among the most commonly used non-ferrous metals and has an immense range of applications in transportation, packaging, and a number of other consumer goods. The metal has low density, is easy to work with and is highly durable as well as corrosion resistant. Casting is used to form shapes and various other designs for the manufacturing of a number of items. The Global Aluminum Castings Market Share is poised to witness market appreciation at a CAGR of 7.56% during the review period ranging from 2017 to 2023. Market Research Futures latest report covers important ground in reference to the Global Aluminum Castings Market and has recorded a revenue of USD 59.6 Bn in 2016. At the above-mentioned growth rate, the market is on track to generate a revenue of USD 92.8 Bn by the end of 2023.

Aluminum has several key uses in automobile parts as well as in consumer appliances. Aluminum casting products are used most commonly in the production of pistons, engine parts and several other important parts in automobiles. The automotive sector is growing at a rapid pace due to urbanization and the increase in disposable income has gone a long way in supporting the astounding growth of the automotive industry. Several small consumer appliances also make intensive use of Aluminum Castings. Urbanization has been found to be responsible for the growing demand for consumer appliances, which is likely to impact the Aluminum Castings Market in a positive manner. Aluminum is also an important structural metal which has extensive uses in building & construction activities. Demand for Aluminum Castings in the construction sector is likely to grow due to similar reasons as increased demand for aluminum in automotive applications. Additionally, due to its low density, aluminum is a lightweight metal which is witnessing increased preference in the production of military-grade weapons systems. Increasing investments from the military toward the development of the same is expected to be a significant driver of the market.

Restraints of the market include the adoption of magnesium alloys to substitute aluminum alloys. Magnesium has been observed to have a lower density than aluminum and has displayed higher strength in various similar applications.

Get Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6719

Market Segmentation:

Division of the market into its various vital parts has been performed in the segmental analysis of the report on the basis of Process, End-Use Industry and Region. Processes used in Aluminum Casting has been segmented into die casting, sand casting, and permanent mold casting. Due to its durable and cost-effective nature, die casting is the most significant segment under process and possesses the largest market share. Additionally, die casting is ideal for a large volume of production.

End-use industries where Aluminum Casting is used include building & construction, transportation, industrial, and others. The transportation segment captured the largest share of the market, while the building & construction segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Key Players:

Endurance Technologies, Rio Tinto, Kaiser Aluminum, Aluminum Corporation of China Limited, Ryobi Limited, Alcast Technologies Ltd., Arconic Inc., Nemak S.A.B. de C.V., Rockman Industries Ltd., Gibbs Die Casting Corp, Dynacast Charlotte, Alcoa Corporation, and Martinrea Honsel are some market players of importance participating the competitive landscape of the Global Aluminum Casting Market.

Browse Key Industry Insights spread across 100 pages with 35 market data tables & figures & charts from the report, Aluminum Castings Market Information: By End-Use Industry (Building & construction, Industrial, Transportation, Others), Process (Die Casting, Sand Casting, Permanent Mold Casting) and Region  Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2023 in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/aluminum-castings-market-6719

Regional Analysis:

The North American Aluminum Castings Market has been observed to have captured the largest share of the market. North America is a largely well-developed region with several economically strong countries such as U.S and Canada where there are comparatively high disposable incomes. Moreover, most consumers prefer private vehicles over the use of public transport, and as such, there is a high demand for automobiles in the region. Moreover, the highly urban region also has a high demand and sales of consumer appliances making the region especially significant in the Global Aluminum Castings Market. However, the Asia Pacific is expected to cover significant ground in terms of capturing market share, as it is growing at the highest CAGR. The region has several important emerging economies that have successfully established themselves as a manufacturing hub for automotive and consumer appliances. Countries such as India, China, South Korea, and Japan are among the key country-level markets where increasing economic growth, combined with rapid urbanization, industrialization and a rise in disposable income is expected to boost demand for consumer electronics, automotive vehicles, and construction activities.

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MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

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Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom

16.04.2020 LISTEN

Lawyers for Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom have told an Accra High Court that the Ministry of Finance maliciously lied to the Bank of Ghana that the Government only owes Groupe Nduom only GH 30.33 million.

The evidence, as shown by the turn of events narrated in the previous sections of this address, suggests strongly that the patent misrepresentation by BoG (that the total value of the Interim Payment Certificates was a meagre GH 30.33 million only) was not innocent or, even, negligent, the lawyers argued.

A written address signed by counsel for the applicant, Justice Srem-Sai submitted that both the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the BoG, knew very well that the government owes Groupe Ndoum far in excess of GH 629,091,335.00.

According to counsel, a few days before the revocation of the applicants licence, the BoG wrote a letter in which they asked Groupe Nduom to assign up to GHC 170 million of the governments debt it. The letter was attached to the address as Exhibit PKN 9.

Written address

In a 39-paged written address in support of the originating motion on notice for various orders for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the applicants, counsel argued that all evidence pointed to the fact that GN Savings was, as at the time of BoGs decision, truly solvent; and BoG did not take into account all the relevant factors before concluding that GN Savings was insolvent.

In this regard, the applicants contend that not only did BoG fail to take into account all GN Savings assets before concluding on its solvency, but also that there was a malicious design by the respondents between and among themselves to supress the value of GN assets so as to enable them to come to the pre-determined conclusion that GN Savings was insolvent, counsel submitted.

What follows from here, therefore, is a summary of some of the key factors that BoG and the Minister of Finance should have taken (but have, either by neglect or refusal, failed to take) into account before coming to a decision on GN Savings solvency.

According to the applicants, independent assessment of their books showed they were solvent adding that all this notwithstanding, BoG, which has not conducted any known independent, fair or truthful assessment or evaluation of the GN Savings books  assets and liabilities  was able, quite bizarrely, to come to a conclusion that GN Savings was insolvent and, consequently, revoked GN Savings licence on August 16, 2019.

The Applicants argument, therefore, is that BoG has failed to conduct a true, fair and independent assessment of GN Savings books  matching the value of its total assets against the value of its total liabilities. And, indeed, if BoG had conducted a proper, true, fair and independent audit into the books of GN Savings, it would have known or come to the obvious conclusion that GN Savings was solvent and, therefore, capable of meeting its debt obligations as at the time that BoG revoked its operational licence, the address pointed out.

Counsel further submitted that by revoking the licence of GN Savings and going ahead to appoint a Receiver to liquidate or wind it up without complying with the tenets of administrative justice, and failing to take into account matters of fact which had been acknowledged by the BoG and the Minister of Finance themselves in correspondence captured on the record, the respondents have, are or are likely to deprive the applicants their right to the property in the GN Savings.

According to the applicants, the BoGs conclusion that GN Savings was insolvent has no basis at law or in fact. Rather, we have demonstrated that the decision was, at best, reckless, fraught with stark malice and in self-evident violation of basic public law rules. We have showed in the affidavit and the exhibits attached (refer to the schedule below) that GN Savings was not only solvent, but also that it has assets far more than its total liabilities, counsel added.

Citing authorities to buttress its argument, counsel is accordingly praying the court to grant its reliefs because the applicants had amply demonstrated the respondents, who were mandated by law to ensure businesses thrived; acted unfairly and capriciously leading to the loss of 2,840 jobs.

Background

It may be recalled that the BoG revoked the licence of GN Savings and Loans on August 16, 2019, with the reason that the savings and loans company was insolvent.

Following the revocation, Dr Nduom and his group of companies filed a case at the High Court to challenge the revocation.

The BoG and the Attorney-General are, however, yet to file a defence.

Rather, the applicants argue they have kept exploring one legal technicality after the other, thereby, causing the trial judge to finally order them to file their final address by April 13, 2020.

--Starrfm.com.gh
As coronavirus cases in India touched nearly 13,000, the Centre on Thursday defended its testing strategy in the wake of fresh criticism, saying the testing ratio is not low, adding there has been no COVID-19 infections in 325 of the 736 districts.

The assertion by the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) came in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism that India was not conducting enough coronavirus tests even as the Health Ministry said 28 districts which earlier reported COVID-19 cases had recorded no infections in the past 14 days.

With comprehensive testing holding key to controlling coronavirus, India also received the much-awaited five lakh rapid COVID-19 testing kits from China on Thursday, the government said.

The death toll due to coronavirus in the country rose to 420 and the number of cases climbed to 12,759, registering an increase of 28 deaths and 826 cases since Wednesday evening, according to Union Health Ministry data. Out of this, as many as 1,514 people have recovered. The number of cases had risen by over 1,000 in the last two days.

According to a PTI tally based on reports from the states, the total number of cases was 12,935 while 1,571 patients had recovered. The death toll stood at 436.

Coronavirus cases crossed 1,000 in Madhya Pradesh(1,090) and Rajasthan(1,104) taking to five the states which have surpassed this mark.

Maharashtra topped the tally at 3,081 with Mumbai (2,043) being the worst hit followed by Delhi(1,578) and Tamil Nadu(1,267). The cases in the country's commercial capital have doubled in six days.

"In countries like Japan, one out of 11.7 tests turns out to be positive, which is among the highest in the world. Italy tests 6.7 persons for one positive test while the USA tests 5.3 persons and the United Kingdom 3.4," said Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, Head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at the ICMR.

"Taking their population base into consideration, it is difficult to comment about our testing rate. In India, we are conducting 24 tests out of which one comes out to be positive. Also, we have huge population and not all people belong to vulnerable groups. Hence, can't say our testing ratio is low," he told the daily press briefing.

Endorsing the official's assessment, Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary in the health ministry, said data can be interpreted in many ways and the government's effort is aimed at ensuring not a single positive case is missed out.

Rahul Gandhi said the scale of testing in India has been low so far at 199 per 10 lakh people -- around 350 tests per district -- which he said is not enough to tell which way the virus is moving.

Gandhi told reporters via video-conferencing that aggressive testing is the main weapon to defeat the coronavirus and it should be used strategically.

Gangakhedkar said the testing kits from China will be used for surveillance and to monitor whether coronavirus hotspots in the country are increasing or decreasing.

Reacting to reports suggesting that the Chinese kits could be faulty, Gangakhedkar acknowledged that the sensitivity and specificity of such kits are less.

"Rapid antibody tests are for monitoring surveillance, not for early diagnosis. Hence there is no concern with respect to the testing kits being faulty, that concern was with respect to immune response alone," he explained.

The Centre has declared 170 hotspots--123 hotspot districts with large outbreaks and 47 hotspot districts with cluster-- in 25 states and Union territories.

Besides, it has identified 207 non-hotspot districts with clusters in 27 states which can be potential hot spots if there is no containment strategies.

At the briefing, Agarwal said that 325 districts in India have not reported any coronavirus case so far because of actions initiated at field level.

Also, the implementation of containment strategies in some districts which earlier had reported COVID-19 cases have yielded positive results, he said. One such place is Mahe, an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala, where no case has been reported in the last 28 days.

There are 27 other districts in the country also where no positive case has been reported in a fortnight, he added.

The Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) said the Centre has adopted a special strategy to fight coronavirus, with specific instructions for the district and state authorities.

The strategic approach for COVID-19 containment broadly involves defining the area of operation, applying perimeter control, delineating containment and buffer zones, a ministry statement said.

Besides, there is active search for cases, contact tracing, quarantine, clinical management and awareness generation among public.

In Delhi, authorities are considering clinical screening of all food delivery personnel in south Delhi with 89 people being quarantined after a pizza delivery agent in the area tested positive for coronavirus.

The 19-year-old tested positive for the virus on April 14. A total of 72 people whom he delivered pizza to have been put under home quarantine, said B M Mishra, district magistrate of South Delhi.

"In view of this incident, we are considering that all those involved in home delivery of food are put through clinical screening so that those showing symptoms are stopped from visiting homes," Mishra told PTI.

The 17 first line contact of the infected man, including his colleagues, have been quarantined at an institutional facility at Chhatarpur, Mishra said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on the Indian economy, and discussed a possible second stimulus with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to boost sectors hit hard by the pandemic.

Modi held discussions with the finance minister as the pandemic hit sectors from small industries to the aviation sector hard with millions of jobs at stake.

To ease the pain and misery, the finance minister last month announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore stimulus that included free foodgrains and cooking gas to poor for three months, and cash doles to women and poor senior citizens as it looked to ease the economic impact of the nationwide lockdown.

Official sources said that a total of 3,336 Indians in 53 countries were infected by the coronavirus while 25 lost their lives due to the disease.

They said Indians stranded abroad will have to show patience as the government is not evacuating them as part of a larger policy decision to check spread of the virus in the country.

The sources said India has decided to supply anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to 55 countries on commercial basis as well as grants.

On sourcing medical equipment from abroad, they said India is procuring coronavirus testing kits from South Korea and China.

India is looking at procuring medical equipment from Germany, the US, the UK, Malaysia, Japan and France to fight COVID-19, they said.

The Indian Army also directed all its military establishments, cantonments, formation headquarters and field units to totally restrict movement of forces till April 19 in view of the government's fresh lockdown related guidelines.

India went under a total shutdown of 21 days from March 25 to April 14 to fight the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extending the lockdown till May 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TORONTO, April 16, 2020('Matchbox'), the technology-driven global insight partner, have launched Pop-up Panel Communities, an agile branded community tool which can be deployed in just 14 days.



Ged Parton, CEO of Maru Group, states, "As business leaders look to navigate these unprecedented times, we know it's not business as usual. Our operational and technical teams at Maru have been working hard in the last few weeks to uncover innovations and key efficiencies that allow us to deploy a branded Maru/HUB Panel Community in just 14 days so that clients can connect with customers faster than ever before."

"This speed of set-up means that, as governments start to plan exit strategies to the current social restrictions in place, brands will have a ready-made community of customers to turn to as they start to plan their own strategies to re-opening and re-building their businesses."

The flexible pop-up community tool can be used over any defined period of time, from as little as just four weeks to six months and includes all standard panel community functionality - including quantitative surveys, agile polls, qualitative discussions and full access to Maru's integrated System 1 and System 2 toolkit.

Andrew Grenville, Chief Research Officer at Maru/Matchbox, explains, "Business leaders have never faced the challenges they do today. Effectively connecting with customers and understanding their changing behaviors and emotions is absolutely fundamental to navigating the upcoming weeks and months. Our own tracking shows that, as consumers, we want our voices heard more than ever and are ready and willing to help when it comes to shaping the future of brands. Our hope at Maru is that our agile, rapid-response panel community tool will make it easier for leaders to connect with their customers and ultimately protect and grow their business."

Pop-up Panel Communities are powered by Maru/HUB , Maru's global technology ecosystem. Boasting some of the industry's highest security standards, all feedback is stored alongside data from other Maru/Matchbox and Maru/Blue projects, as well as integrated data streams, to deliver reliable, commercial insights across all areas of business.

About Maru/Matchbox

Maru/Matchbox began disrupting the market research industry in 2000. We're a different breed of global insight partner, built on proprietary technology that enables our experts to connect with the people that matter most to our clients. Our people bring deep sector-focused knowledge to client projects, so they can build and maintain a competitive advantage. We have agile tech platforms to connect with customers, provide on-demand insight and combine quality research and analytics data sources.

About Maru/HUB

Maru/HUB is an instant access platform that gives you meaningful insights to fuel confident business decisions. Maru/HUB is a fully scalable technology platform. It can be used for projects of any size, from small, ad hoc projects to enterprise-wide programs. It is powered by AI with first-class ingestion capabilities.

Unlike other insights providers with bolt-on technologies, our team of experts has been building and developing our secure proprietary platform infrastructure for the last 15 years. The technology platform is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and adheres to the highest level of data security and compliance.
Millions of people are forced to flee their homes each year because of conflict or violence. While some cross borders to find safety, many seek refuge within their home countries, often in camps or informal settlements. They share many of the same challenges and vulnerabilities as refugees, including to the risks posed by COVID-19.

Sumbul Rizvi is UNHCRs Principal Advisor on Internal Displacement, a role she took up in May 2019. Previously, she coordinated the UNs Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh. Prior to joining the UN over two decades ago, she practiced law in New Delhi, India.

She spoke with Matthew Mpoke Bigg from UNHCRs global communications service about why the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement remain so important, as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic puts IDPs at greater risk.

What factors make some people flee within their own country while others cross borders as refugees?

When confronted with conflict and violence, the vast majority of people flee within their own country. Sometimes a different part of a country is perceived to be safer. Often people seek safety where they have family or community support. Some people lack the financial means, ID documents or a passport that would allow them to travel across an international border. Many consider it easier to earn a living in their own country, while some consider flight to be short term, thus staying in-country is viewed as making return home easier. Flight across international borders is more common when conflict takes place close to a frontier.

What particular challenges do people face when they are internally displaced?

Forced displacement provides a level of safety, away from the immediate conflict, but also brings enormous challenges. These include violence, exploitation or abuse from host communities or from governments, military or armed groups; absence of basic shelter; restrictions on freedom of movement; seizure of documents; limited access to public services and social protections; and loss of income. These risks can prompt resorting to harmful coping mechanisms including child labour, early or forced marriage. Poor nutrition, family separation or strains on family structures are also common. In addition, families from rural areas often struggle to adapt to life in cities where they lack social safety nets. They may be unable to return home because of continued violence or even because their homes have been destroyed.

UNHCR's Principal Advisor on Internal Displacement, Sumbul Rizvi, at a camp for internally displaced people in Salahedin, Iraq, in 2017.  UNHCR

Why do they often need protection and assistance?

Local authorities attempt to provide protection and assistance to people who have been forcibly displaced, but there are situations where governments may not be willing or able to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, legal assistance, education and livelihoods. IDPs may also fear being the target of violence, exploitation or discrimination because of their political affiliation, ethnicity or religion. Women and children can be especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse and may need additional protection and assistance, including sometimes from their own communities.

Globally, more than 41 million people are displaced inside their own countries. Where are they concentrated, and what sort of conditions do they live in?

People are internally displaced in more than 30 countries. UNHCR supports responses to this displacement in all regions of the world including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Myanmar, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and others.

IDPs live in both urban and rural areas. Sometimes theyre in camps set up by a government or by humanitarian organizations, but they also live in informal sites, which could be a slum or an abandoned or unfinished building. Some live in rented accommodation in cities. Living conditions are often overcrowded, with limited access to water, sanitation and other basic services. This can expose IDPs to a variety of risks such as exposure to infectious diseases, sexual violence and forced eviction.

What difficulties are internally displaced people, or IDPs, facing now because of the threat of coronavirus, and what can be done to help?

The vast majority of IDPs are in developing countries with extremely fragile health systems that could be rapidly overwhelmed if the virus gains a foothold. In addition, many IDPs live in camps or informal sites where overcrowding, poor nutrition, and inadequate provision of water, sanitation and hygiene present enormous challenges for prevention. In urban areas, many are becoming destitute as casual labour and other income opportunities vanish overnight. Interruptions or reductions in the provision of humanitarian or government assistance will make IDPs even more vulnerable both to the virus and other risks.

Its vital that international support to national governments is urgently stepped up to meet the massive needs. This must include funding for measures to prevent the spread of the virus and to promote the inclusion of IDPs in national preparedness and responses efforts. UNHCR is working with governments, sister UN agencies and NGOs to implement various actions, including communicating with IDPs in camps and informal sites about hygiene and physical distancing. Were also adapting our programmes so they can be delivered safely; providing emergency cash to the most vulnerable and supporting the upgrading of health facilities.

What are the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, and how were they established?

The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, adopted 22 years ago tomorrow (17 April), were the first international standards developed for internally displaced people. They set out their rights and governments obligations towards them and are widely recognized as the key international framework for responding to internal displacement. The Guiding Principles are a set of 30 standards  based on international human rights and humanitarian law  that outline the rights of IDPs, and how they should be protected and assisted during displacement up until a lasting solution can be found for them.

The need for such standards became evident in the 1990s when the number of people uprooted within their own countries by violence, armed conflict and human rights abuses increased dramatically. With no existing international legal framework for their protection, M. Francis Deng, who was the Representative of the UN Secretary General on IDPs, presented the Guiding Principles to the UN Commission on Human Rights to address the gap. Since their adoption in 1998, they have been widely used by countries, UN agencies and NGOs as the basis for IDP protection. The Guiding Principles remain extremely relevant today. As part of a global initiative called the GP20, UNHCR is supporting States to incorporate the Guiding Principles into their national legislations.

What role does UNHCR play in securing IDPs rights and protection and what are the challenges we face?

UNHCR supports authorities in assisting and protecting IDPs by providing technical expertise and undertaking practical interventions through shelter, camp management and protection activities. We also mobilize and coordinate the efforts of NGOs and other UN agencies to make sure gaps are addressed and that there is no duplication of support. Such assistance can be lifesaving and needs to be delivered quickly. Central to UNHCRs work is ensuring IDPs rights are protected and that the risks they face are minimized. The challenges we continue to face relate to uneven legal protections for IDPs and persistent insecurity that impedes humanitarian access, public services and basic livelihood opportunities.

UNHCR recently launched an IDP initiative. Can you tell us a bit more about this?

The IDP initiative steps up UNHCRs engagement in internal displacement situations through the course of this year and 2021. It focuses on nine countries: Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Colombia. The aims are to generate examples of good practices; to give greater visibility to the impact of internal displacement on those affected; to secure more resources for IDP responses and to strengthen our support to operations in these nine countries.
NAIROBI, Kenya - The coronavirus hasn't devastated Kenya yet. Its ripple effects, however, have proved deadlier here than the virus itself.

Police have killed at least 12 people while enforcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew that began more than two weeks ago, making Kenya's lockdown one of the deadliest in the world. But the true death toll is higher still: An untold number of others have died because of the curfew itself and the fear prompted by police batons and bullets.

That fear gripped Vidia Nduku Mati, 41, and her husband as the delivery date for their baby approached at the end of March. They prayed that she wouldn't go into labor in the overnight hours - but fate wouldn't cooperate. It was the deep of night, well into curfew, when the pain became unbearable.

First, the midwife refused to come, saying she feared the policemen in their rural community who a day earlier had beaten even the people who raced inside their homes, Vidia's husband recalled.

Their last resort to get to a hospital, a motorcycle taxi driver named Festus Nzuki, also declined, even though he was a close friend and could hear the pain in her voice over the phone. Police had beaten his mother-in-law simply for sitting outside her house - they were merciless to her in plain sight of her children, Nzuki said.

The couple resolved to wait until curfew lifted, but then Vidia's water broke, and blood gushed out instead.

"It was the longest wait of my life," said Mati Nyamai, Vidia's husband. "By the time Festus got us to the hospital in the morning, she was bleeding so much, she was drowning in blood."

While human rights groups and police oversight agencies collect and verify reports of those killed directly by police during curfew enforcement - a number that is already higher than the country's covid-19 death toll of 10 - more, like Vidia and her unborn child, are dying uncounted.

"At least one a night since curfew began," said Wilfred Olal, who coordinates a network of social justice centers in slums across Kenya that is trying to keep track of curfew-related deaths since the measure was put into place 19 days ago. "To be honest, we've lost count. It's dozens. There are many more."

The Kenyan government's Independent Policing Oversight Authority says it has recorded 35 "watertight" cases of police brutality related to curfew enforcement, 12 of which resulted in death.

"It is spreading all over this country," said Jonathan Lompodui, the body's vice chairman.

The police's national spokesman, Charles Owino, and the government's spokesman, Cyrus Oguna, did not respond to requests for comment on the circumstances that led to Vidia's death and on the documented police killings. Government officials have largely refrained from speaking publicly about the curfew crackdowns. President Uhuru Kenyatta briefly noted it in a news conference a day after the story of Yassin Moyo, a 13-year-old boy killed by police while on his own balcony, made headlines.

"I want to apologize to all Kenyans, maybe for some excesses that were conducted, or happened," he said before moving on.

Tallies from independent groups point to a spike in incidents of police brutality on the first night of curfew, March 27, and sustained cases in the nearly three weeks since.

Police brutality is common in Kenya's slums and small towns, where corrupt officers act with impunity. Moyo's father, Hussein Moyo Motte, said that despite the uproar over his son's killing, he still sees the officer who shot him patrolling the street outside his house. The police did not respond to requests for comment on the officer's status.

A national survey in 2018 found that most Kenyans believed the biggest risk to their lives was violence by police. Since the inception of Kenya's police oversight body in 2011, less than 1 percent of the cases it has pursued have resulted in convictions.

An Amnesty International report in 2017 said that of 177 reported cases of police killings in Africa, 122 of them were in Kenya. According to Amnesty, 624 Kenyans have been killed by police since 2007, including 49 already this year, with only 26 officers having been formally charged. Last year was the deadliest on record.

"The curfew is making the violence so much worse, because now they can be killing in the name of corona," Olal said. "They simply do not understand: You cannot fight corona with a baton and whip."

To some victims, the curfew is just a new pretext for the violence they are used to. Francis Otieno, 22, and his brother, Ibrahim Onyango, 18, used to scavenge scrap metal to get by, and Otieno said they would frequently get beaten by the police. On the first weekend of the curfew, Onyango was walking home after dark when policemen caught him and clubbed him repeatedly on the head with batons, his brother said. Onyango died in a hospital the next day.

"These are things that happen here in the ghetto," Otieno said. "There is nowhere to start for us to get justice, so it will be a waste of energy. All we want to do is to bury Ibra."

Almost all of the incidents have taken place in Kenya's most marginalized communities, where many aren't literate and don't have access to phones they could use to report the violence.

Cases like Onyango's are not part of the police oversight body's official tally. Poor people in slums and small towns have for years turned to networks of human rights activists like Olal to document the toll in their communities.

Lompodui acknowledged it was possible that many cases like Onyango's wouldn't come to the attention of his police oversight body without the help of activists. It doesn't help that many of the agency's employees are working from home and Kenya's courts remain closed because of the coronavirus.

Even in their attempts to help, police have triggered events that led to deaths and injuries. Last week, for instance, a food donation was organized at a police station in Kibera, a sprawling slum in the capital, Nairobi. But instead of creating an orderly distribution for the thousands who gathered there, the food was placed on the ground, and a stampede ensued, killing two and injuring many more.

"They made it so that getting the food depended on how strong you were," Roselyn Amboka, 52, said in an interview as she returned from a hospital, her legs swollen from being trampled on.

Near the border with Somalia, police intercepted a bus they deemed to be breaching travel and social distancing restrictions and put the 40-plus occupants, including 16 children, in quarantine in a government building.

The facility they used was so rudimentary that the passengers slept on the dirt outside and drank fetid, green water from a tank, said Adan, a traveler who spoke on the condition that he be identified only by his first name for fear of reprisal from the police. There were no toilets. They were given bread and tea for two days before at least a dozen of them escaped over a wall.

"Both us human beings and donkeys were made to drink from the same water point," Adan said. His account was confirmed by two other passengers who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

The rest were released three days into a 14-day quarantine. The incident raised similar concerns about the police's understanding of public health protocols as a police crackdown in the coastal city of Mombasa on the first night of curfew in which hundreds were detained in close quarters.

And on Tuesday, police inspector general Hilary Mutyambai announced that anyone moving about in public without a mask would be arrested, even though the Kenyan government has acknowledged it has nowhere near the 15 million masks it needs for its health-care workers alone.

The spiraling crisis means little to Vidia Nduku Mati's husband, who is not only grieving but now must raise his six children on his own. His fate already got tangled with the curfew, and it can't be reversed.

"If there was no curfew," Nyamai said between sobs, "my wife would be alive."
San Francisco, CA - Novela Neurotech, in collaboration with CenteR for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA), recently announced an online, sharable central depository for neural data collected from their wireless, open-source neuromodulation kit, the OpenKit.

The digital library consolidates neural data gathered with the OpenKit, a state-of-the-art wireless neural interface for the brain, in the Neurodata Without Borders 2.0 format. These neural recordings are labeled, organized and provided freely to the academic research community for further mining. The website, OpenBrain.ca, is due to officially launch to a public audience in October of 2020.

"We strongly believe that building a platform to pool data from numerous research groups will massively accelerate our understanding of the brain. The OpenBrain project, along with our open-source electrophysiology kit, OpenKit, offer a simple, user-friendly means for neuromodulation researchers to collect and share their data in a collaborative effort to develop novel treatments of neurological disorders," says Ray Iskander, CEO of Novela Neurotech.

Big data precedes big insights

Neuroscience is entering the big data era. With the launch of mega-collaborative projects including the U.S.'s BRAIN Initiative, the E.U.'s Human Brain Project, the primate brain imaging consortium PRIME-DE, and international initiatives such as the International Brain Initiative, scientists are increasingly realizing that collaboration is critical in deciphering human brain functions.

The idea is simple: rather than each laboratory working individually, consortiums that pool data together enable large-scale collaboration and data mining that is previously untenable for neuroscientific discovery.

A critical ingredient for globe-spanning collaborations is open data sharing. Neuroscientific data, such as electrical recordings of animal or human brain functions in health and disease, are difficult to obtain, standardize and label for consistency. Currently, many systems rely on legacy technologies that may not take important factors such as meta-data into account. Meta-data catalogues important information that allows one lab to understand the experimental conditions and results of another.

A central depository of standardized neural recording data, complete with experimental conditions, labels, and other meta-data, open to the public, would enable researchers to easily download to support their own projects working with electrical brain signals.

A notable previous example for such acceleration of neuroscience research is the Allen Institute for Brain Science's brain atlases, which has standardized positioning in the brain for neuroscience laboratories around the world, enabling simple data interpretation between laboratories.

The OpenBrain platform was conceptualized along similar lines. The platform congregates neural recordings from animal models of various disorders, such as epilepsy, depression and opioid addiction, while standardizing meta-data. These data, gathered using the OpenKit neural interface, will not only inform future iterations of the interface hardware development, but also contribute to an open science movement in the world.

According to Novela's collaborator Dr. Peter Carlen, an epilepsy expert at the Krembil Research Institute, the depository may further inform neurostimulation targets in the brain for various neurological disorders that are difficult to treat with medical drugs such as refractory epilepsy.

"Correcting faulty brain signals with electrical stimulation is very difficult and requires a library of clean data. The OpenKit system already permits acquisition of high quality signals at high frequencies for many days to weeks at a very reasonable cost. The Openbrain.ca depository will further simplify data sharing and access. We see our collaboration as an excellent opportunity to advance ongoing studies of the fundamental mechanisms of epilepsy," says Dr. Carlen.

All neural recordings from the OpenKit will be in the Neurodata Without Borders 2.0 (NWB2.0) format, which is championed by leading neuroscience institutions including the Allen Institute for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), the Kavli Foundation and INCF. On April 3rd, 2020, INCF formally endorsed NWB2.0 as an international standard for neurophysiological data. Novela has been a leading commercial company to support the movement, championing the NWB2.0 format in a collaboration with Loren Frank, PhD, at the UCSF Center for Integrative Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco and HHMI.

"The brain is an enormously complex organ. To truly understand the neurobiological workings that support cognition, emotion and creativity, as well as relieve the staggering global burden of disability from neurological and psychiatric disorders, we need to have a way to adequately share data to enable collaboration. We are very happy to work with Novela Neurotech and the Neurodata Without Borders alliance to reduce data silos in neuroscience, and in turn, promote better understanding of the brain and its massive computational and storage capacities," says Dr. Frank.

"Our end goal is to help patients with difficult neurological disorders who currently don't have sufficient relief. Thanks to the power of AI and human neuroscientific minds, we are at an inflection point for making this possible. The central enabler is data, and with OpenBrain.ca, we are hoping to provide the big data necessary to take this leap," says Iskander.

###

OpenBrain.ca is currently in development and set to officially launch in October of 2020. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Novela at shelly.fan@novelaneuro.com

About Novela Neurotech

Novela Neurotech, based in Alameda, CA, is on the forefront of accelerating brain stimulation research. Spun off from Waterloo University in Canada, Novela is developing a full brain signal data platform Neureka, which includes a smart hardware neural interface and a cloud-based software analysis suite, to aid researchers in developing new treatments. More at https://novelaneuro.com

About CRANIA

CRANIA is a world-class center for R&D, application and commercialization of neuromodulation innovations and interventions, championed by the University Health Network (UHN), Canada's largest research hospital, and the University of Toronto, a world-leading institution of higher learning and breakthrough research. More at: https://crania.ca

About Krembil Research Institute (KRI)

KRI is the research arm of Toronto Western hospital, focusing on three program areas including brain and spine disorders, bone and joint disorders and eye disorders. More at: https://www.uhn.ca/Research/Research_Institutes/Krembil

About HHMI

HHMI is a non-profit scientific research organization with the mission to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity. More at: https://hhmi.org
The Research/Elections and Communication Team of the Abirem Constituency of the ruling NPP has debunked a statement issued by a group calling itself Concerned Polling Station Executives of Abirem Constituency of NPP on April 15, 2020 with the caption Abirem NPP in turmoil for strange, undemocratic reasons, alleging that the constituency is not safe for victory in elections 2020.



According to the Research/Elections and Communication Team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Abirem Constituency, the said statement published by Adomonline.com and some other online portals is fabricated, misleading and factually inaccurate by such illegal group.



In a press statement copied to Peacefmonline.com, the Research/Elections and Communication Team of Abirem Constituency however called on the National, Regional and Constituency NPP to disregard and treat said publication with the contempt it deserves.



The team explained that inasmuch as it is orchestrated by some unscrupulous group members of the disqualified candidates to undermine the integrity of the National Vetting Committee and that of the Constituency Executive Committee, their behavior cannot affect the fortunes of Hon. John Osei Frimpong, the incumbent MP who has largely been endorsed by the Abirem Constituency to go for his second term due to his remarkable achievement in the Constituency.



Hon. John Osei Frimpongs achievements in the first (four year) term have been unprecedented in the political annals of the Abirem constituency. It is under his tenure that Abirem has witnessed unsurpassed peace and unity among the MP, the DCE and the party. This unfeigned unity has yielded unparallel and unprecedented development in the constituency, the statement read.



Below Is Full Statement of The Research/Elections and Communication Team Abirem Constituency NPP:







PRESS RELEASE



15TH APRIL, 2020



ABIREM CONSTITUENCY ENDORSES HON JOHN OSEI FRIMPONG AS MP FOR A SECOND TERM.



The attention of the Research / Elections and the Communications Team of the Abirem Constituency has been drawn to the recent publications by Adomonline.com and some other media portals by an illegal group calling itself as Concerned Polling Station Executives of Abirem Constituency of the New Patriotic Party on April 15, 2020 with the caption Abirem NPP in turmoil for strange, undemocratic reasons alleging that Abirem Constituency is not safe for victory in elections 2020.



The Abirem Constituency party wishes to state categorically and unequivocally that the assertion by the said group is fallacious, highly untrue, fabricated, misleading, and factually inaccurate, lacks credibility and infantile concocted story. We call on the National, Regional and the Constituency party to disregard and treat the said publication with the contempt it deserves.



The behaviour of this unscrupulous group which sort to undermine the integrity of the National Vetting Committee and that of the Constituency Executive Committee is unfortunate and has nothing good to offer to the fortunes of the party. As a matter of fact, these disgruntled political contractors whose main enterprise has unexpectedly been shot down have decided to throw tantrums against the party.



The suspended and subsequently disqualified aspirants namely Daniel Afrifa and Frank Mireku whose supporters are misbehaving, peddling falsehood and chastising the political hierarchy and leadership of the NPP have now seen reason in the decision of the constituency executive committee of their suspension and their subsequent disqualification by the national vetting committee chaired by Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen, the Deputy General Secretary of NPP have now gone back to the constituency executives to pick up their suspension letters which hitherto, was rejected by same.



The decision by the two disqualified aspirants to pick the suspension letters from the constituency executives committee follows the directive by the National Vetting Committee to go back to the constituency executive committee to render an unqualified apology and do the needful to enable them contest in any future elections in the constituency.



Hon. John Osei Frimpongs achievements in the first (four year) term have been unprecedented in the political annals of the Abirem constituency. It is under his tenure that Abirem has witnessed unsurpassed peace and unity among the MP, the DCE and the party. This unfeigned unity has yielded unparallel and unprecedented development in the constituency.



It is worthwhile to state without any shred of doubt that this illegal group fabricated, falsified and fraudulently procured signatures of unsuspecting polling station executives to file their petition against their disqualification. The polling station executives whose signatures were fraudulently acquired are considering taking legal action against the perpetrators of this unpardonable crime to serve as a deterrent to others.



The party is currently more formidable, resolute and poised for victory to enhance its fortunes which moved from a little over 2000 votes difference between the NPP and NDC in 2012 general elections to 7000 votes difference in 2016 general elections. It is therefore certain that as every community has benefited from the numerous projects and policies rolled out by H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the indefatigable Member of Parliament, Hon John Osei Frimpong, we are confident and optimistic to achieve our 70% target of total votes in election 2020.



In conclusion, this unguided cacophony presented with impunity by the said group must be disregarded and treated with the contempt it deserves.



Francis Offeh



Research and Elections Officer



Abirem Constituency



(0243886825)







Aeron AsieduAntwi



Communications Officer



Abirem Constituency



(0242916463)







Hon George Krobea Asante



Member, Research and Communications Team



(0245943650)

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- When the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis destroyed their plans for a picturesque wedding up north, Metro Health workers Bradley Wernette and Melanie Bork didnt hesitate long on an alternate venue.

To them, the choice almost seemed natural -- the hospital.

They tied the knot Monday, April 13 with just a handful of observers, with other family members watching on a live stream.

Bork is a nurse in the post-anesthesia recovery unit and Wernette is a physician assistant in neurology.

Bork, a Grand Rapids native, was working at the hospital in Petoskey when she met Wernette on a dating site. They went on a first date at Perrin Brewing.

Five hours later, we were still there talking. I guess the rest is history, she said of that first meeting.

Bork eventually took a job at Metro Health after the two had dated about a year.

They began planning their wedding about six months ago and set an April date in Petoskey, with plans for 110 family and friends attending.

Then the coronavirus crisis hit full pitch.

We had 98 percent of the whole wedding planned and ready to go. We had to take down 95 percent of the bricks in the plan, Wernette said.

After new gathering restrictions went into effect some two weeks ago, Bork was talking with a co-worker friend about the wedding dilemma.

She said something like, Well, what about Metro? Bork recalled.

The idea stuck. Bork began talking with Metro Health chaplain John DeVries and he soon gained permission to set the whole thing up.

They picked a time during the day when the hospital was less busy. The ceremony went off without a hitch.

Related: All but one county in Michigans Lower Peninsula have a reported coronavirus case; 153 more deaths

It went well. All told, it was fine, said Wernette, who saw his fiancees wedding dress for the first time that day.

They had pictures taken near a long staircase.

We were able to cut the cake and sign our marriage license with a person who was holding up a tablet with our parents and siblings on a (livestream), so they were able to see all that happen," he said.

The couple agreed that while the ceremony wasnt what they initially planned, their excited about the journey to come.

Were more focused on the marriage than we are on a party that lasts a day or a wedding. Were just more focused on a lifetime together. Were very excited about that, Bork said.

The couples plans for a honeymoon in Hawaii are on hold for now, but they hope to have a reception for friends and family later this year.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here

Wednesday, April 15: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

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Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan capitol

Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine

Michigans coronavirus survivors describe battles to stay alive
Foreign workers wearing protective masks queue for free meals distributed by Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach at Little India on April 15, 2020 in Singapore. (PHOTO: Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)

By Daniel Moss

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- For Asias most prosperous societies, Covid-19 has exposed a big vulnerability: People simply arent having enough babies to replenish their aging populations. It's foreign workers that make these countries function.



Thats why pulling up the drawbridge to halt further spread of the disease and protect domestic businesses would be perilous. Even Japan and South Korea, often seen as hostile to outsiders, have been coming to terms with their reliance on employees from abroad in recent years. In Singapore, long open to immigration, foreigners make up about a third of the workforce, be they be bankers, kitchen staff, bus drivers or mail handlers.

Not only is the regions economic health at stake, but also its legacy as a big winner of globalization over the past few decades. The International Monetary Fund forecasts global gross domestic product will shrink 3% this year, easily exceeding the decline of 2009. Trade, the lifeblood of many Asian economies, will fall 11%. Growth in this engine of world commerce would sputter without immigration.

Fertility statistics across the region are grim. In Singapore, the number of children per woman sank to a record low 1.14 in 2018. Korea's rate recently slipped below 1, the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Japan is at 1.4; Hong Kong at 1.3 and Taiwan at about 1. The rate at which a population can replace itself is 2.1.

Singapore has worked hard over the past two decades to encourage couples to have more children, introducing measures such as paid maternity leave, childcare subsidies, tax breaks and one-time cash gifts. The government also picks up most of the tab for in vitro fertilisation treatment. Live-in nannies, many of whom are Filipino and Indonesian, provide affordable and readily available help. Yet the fertility rate has remained stubbornly low, as Poh Lin Tan of the National University of Singapore wrote here.

Story continues

Now, this demographic hurdle is colliding with the coronavirus. While the country won early plaudits for efforts to contain the pandemic, infections have more than trebled since the start of April to 3,699 as of Wednesday. Many of the new cases are linked to dormitories housing foreign workers.



Until Covid-19 struck, more than 200,000 low-wage migrants  almost 4% of the population  lived in 43 dormitories, many of which were overcrowded. In one, workers said rooms were infested with cockroaches, rubbish was piling up and toilets were overflowing, the Straits Times reported.

These workers make Singapore tick, serving in key industries like construction, logistics and transportation. At least 15 of their housing units have been identified as virus clusters and eight have been declared isolation areas, the Straits Times reported. In an effort to contain the outbreak, the government has shifted some essential employees to offsite facilities, including repurposed hotels, convention centers and military barracks. Officials are increasing testing and warned that infections may rise further.



The government has stressed it will take care of foreign workers, improve hygiene where they live and appreciates their contribution to the local economy. Essentially, we are sparing no effort to contain the spread of the virus in the foreign worker dormitories, Lawrence Wong, minister for national development and co-chair of the virus task force, told reporters last week. We have a responsibility for these foreign workers who have come all the way here at considerable expense to make a living in Singapore.



Demographic challenges aren't unique to Asia. Fertility rates are dropping in Europe and North America, too  in some ways its a symptom of success. Plugging the gap between natural population growth and job vacancies with personnel from abroad is pretty easy in good times. The sheer need to fill positions tends to outweigh discomfort about newcomers. Even if some politicians eschew the word, immigration has to be part of the answer.

For Singapore, this issue is broached in existential terms. To secure our future, we must make our own babies, enough of them. Because if all of the next generation are not our own, then where do they come from and what is the point of this? Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in October at the Forbes CEO Global Conference. If we can push [up] the fertility rate, not to 2.1 which would be replacing ourselves, but maybe 1.3, 1.4, we produce two-thirds of what we need, then the balance one-third  well, I am prepared to top up from overseas, and the numbers are not too enormous and will not overwhelm us."

Hes right; it is about survival. Not just of nation states, but of an economic model thats delivered success to billions of people across the region. Rather than sealing borders, maintaining mobility of labor will be critical for surviving the economic hit from Covid-19.

 2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have been on everyones minds for months  especially regarding the details of Megxit. Although we have known for quite some time that the couple was planning to resign from their duties as senior working royals, it seems that there are so many minute details to work out, and just about everyone, from fans to the news media, wants to know exactly what is happening at all times.

At first, everyone thought that Meghan and Prince Harry would be splitting their time between the United Kingdom and Canada. However, they recently surprised everyone when they decided to go to Los Angeles instead.

Chances are, this will be a great experience for the Duke and Duchess since California is where Meghan was born and raised. She will be close to her mother, Doria Ragland, and Prince Harry can have a great time getting to know a brand new place.

While it might appear that everything is just perfect right now, it turns out that Prince Harry and Meghan will reportedly have a very tough time covering an essential expense after exiting the royal family.

Meghan and Prince Harry moved from the U.K. to L.A.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images

At the beginning of the year, Prince Harry and Meghan made the unexpected announcement that they were stepping down as senior royals and becoming independent. The massive attention that they had been receiving was overwhelming, and the couple just wanted a quieter, more private life.

Prince Harry has lived in England for his entire life, and we can only imagine that leaving the place that he knows and loves wasnt exactly easy for him. According to HuffPost, he and Meghan have made the official move to California, and are currently getting settled into their new home.

While they havent yet had the opportunity to venture out due to the Coronavirus pandemic that is going on, we cant wait to hear all about what they decide to do first. Meghan, having spent years living in Los Angeles, surely knows all of the best places to go, and chances are, she cant wait to show her husband around her hometown.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will still receive money from Prince Charles

One of the most talked-about aspects of Megxit is the fact that Meghan and Prince Harry are planning to become financially independent, and will no longer receive funds for royal duties like they have for the past several years. While we dont know all the details about how they will be earning their money, BBC News reports that Prince Harry and Meghan will still receive a portion of their income from Prince Charles in order to pay for some of their personal expenses.

At this point, it is anyones guess as to whether the funding will come from Prince Charless private accounts or the Duchy of Cornwall. However, now that Megxit is final, they will no longer receive any payments from the Sovereign Grant.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have a very tough time covering an essential expense

While many people may have previously thought that Meghan and Prince Harry would be using United States government funds to cover the essential cost of their security, it was recently found out that this is definitely not the case. According to Daily Mail, the couple will have to privately fund this expense, and it might not be that easy for them to do.

Why not? Well, due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, Meghan and Prince Harry might have a difficult time earning the significant income that will be needed to pay for the necessary security. The upcoming months could prove to be a struggle as they figure out how they are going to foot the very expensive security bill that they will be faced with.
South Africas school year must be scrapped and all learners should be progressed to the next grade. This is the view of education expert Professor Jonathan Jansen.

In an interview on SABC News, Jansen said we currently do not know when schools will reopen in South Africa.

What we do know is that when schools are eventually reopened, they will not be able to proceed as usual for two reasons, said Jansen.

Firstly, the CAPS curriculum for schools is already loaded without the lost time brought on by schools closing during the national lockdown.

He said it would be unfair to ask teachers to try and make up for this lost time.

Secondly, the COVID-19 pandemic is a new scenario faced by the education system  which means it completely unreasonable to expect teachers and learners to simply switch on again and continue with the school year.

He added that he is concerned about the Department of Basic Education cancelling time off during school holidays and weekends in a bid to cram in as much knowledge as possible before the end-of-year exams.

This is highly irresponsible, he said.

Poor children hit hardest

Jansen said one of the consequences of reopening schools this year will be that inequalities which already exist in the education system are exacerbated.

While 20% of schools continue to have online learning, 80% of the countrys learners do not have access to the required facilities.

To simply reopen as normal is to almost ensure that the rich get richer, if you know what I mean, and the poor get poorer. This is just wrong.

I do not think we should try to cram everything we have lost into the rest of the school year. It will make a bad situation worse.

He went on to state that you often see 90 to 100 learners in a classroom in local schools, and this will make essentially make it impossible to ensure social distancing takes place if schools reopen.

This is a dangerous plan, he said.

Scrapping the year

Jansen said the scrapping of the school year would work as follows:

When schools reopen, continue as normal in terms of teaching children the curriculum.

Do not put pressure on teachers.

Pass every learner in Grade 1 to Grade 11 at the end of the year.

Use 2021 to reorganise their curriculum.

For Grade 12 (matrics) wanting to go to university, the universities must accept them based on their preliminary acceptance results from Grade 11.

Universities and schools must sit together to plan a bridging curriculum for these progressed matrics.

Too early to call

In a column on TimesLive, spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education Elijah Mhlanga said it is too early to scrap the school year.

In fact, that thought had not even occurred to Minister Angie Motshekga. It is actually laughable that this kind of suggestion would come from an academic who occupies a position such as his, stated Mhlanga.

It is not the first time the basic education system has experienced such disruptions.

Professor Jonathan Jansen interview



Now read: New coronavirus stats in South Africa possible bad news for the lockdown
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pitched a slew of suggestions on how government should combat the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The Congress leader proposed scaling up of coronavirus testing and asked the centre to find out where the country stands in fighting the global outbreak. He said, "India's testing rate very low at 199 per million so far and the country needs to ramp up testing". Addressing the press via video press conference, the 49-year-old Congress leader said that the entire country has to fight the crisis "unitedly" and the states need to have adequate resources in order to deal with the crisis in a nuanced manner. He also suggested the implementation of the NYAY scheme-- a social welfare program introduced by the party during 2019 general elections.

Here are the top 10 highlights of Gandhi's press conference:

1. "The government should decentralise resources to fight COVID-19, hand them over to states," said Gandhi.

2. The Congress leader said that state CMs should be given more powers to handle COVID-19 and Centre should only control the main national system.

3. The Government of India needs to design an architecture to expand COVID-19 tests exponentially, he said.

4. Rahul Gandhi said, "The country should be divided into two zones-- Hotspot zone, non-hotspot zone, and patients should be tested aggressively".

5. "Instead of conducting tests on the basis of suspected cases, the government should test aggressively and find out where the country stands," stated the Congress leader.

6. COVID-19 will lead to a massive economic backlash for India, he said.

7. "The government should create a food net and implement NYAY scheme to provide financial help to the poor," said Gandhi.

8. "Protect big strategic companies and create a defensive package for MSMEs," he said.

9. Lockdown may stop the coronavirus spread for some time but cannot defeat the virus. It might start spreading again when the lockdown lifted, said the Congress leader.

10. Rahul Gandhi said, "Fight against COVID-19 has only started, declaring victory as of now will be wrong."

As of April 16, 8am India's tally of active coronavirus cases was 10,477, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In the last 24-hour, India reported 721 numbers of active cases and 37 deaths. India has registered around 414 deaths, so far. The tally of cured or discharged patients have surged to 1,488, the ministry added.

Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Zoom app not safe, warns government; issues advisory: COVID-19 tally at 12,380

Also read: HDFC Bank finalises three names for top post; could announce Aditya Puri's successor soon

Also read: Coronavirus: You may have to maintain some degree of social distancing till 2022
Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival Benny Gantz missed the midnight deadline to reach a power-sharing deal for a national emergency government. The inability of both leaders to seal a unity deal has further deepened the political crisis in Israel amid the COVID-19 pandemic which requires a concerted effort by the government.

Netanyahu and Gantz have publicly displayed the feeling of urgency to form a unity government highlighting its necessity amid pandemic but repeatedly failed to agree to a power-sharing deal. On April 14, both leaders tweeted on the importance of a national emergency government and avoiding another election but it did not turn into anything tangible.

Gantz contested the election on the promise of not forming an alliance with Netanyahu citing the corruption charges that the Israeli Prime Minister has denied. However, another inconclusive election results have forced Gatz to go back on his promise and look for a possible coalition government claiming that the pandemic has necessitated the formation of a national emergency government.

In a letter to President, published by Blue and White party, Gantz had said that the health and social crisis have brought him to the decision that he will do all he can to establish a government with Likud, even at a heavy political and personal price. Gantz received a mandate from President Rivlin to form a new government after the general election.

Read: Embassy Of India In Israel Salutes Indian Students For Helping Israel In COVID-19 Battle

PM Netanyahus right-wing Likud party won 36 Knesset seats compared to Blue and Whites 33 in the March 2 elections. However, Netanyahu's attempt to cobble up a right-wing bloc again failed. In the 120-seats strong Knesset, any party or coalition needs the support of at least 61 members to claim the government formation.

Read: Israeli PM And Rival Look To Finalize Emergency Unity Deal

Rising cases of coronavirus

Meanwhile, Israel has reported over 12,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 132 deaths due to the infection, necessitating a stable working government as major health crisis looms large. According to the latest report, over 2 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 134,600 deaths.

Read: Israel's Gantz Given 48 Hours To Form Emergency Unity Government With PM Netanyahu

Read: Israel Seals Off Jerusalem's Ultra-Orthodox Areas To Stem Coronavirus Spread
All the COVID-19 educational materials have been translated into eight local languages to enhance and deepen public understanding and cooperation.



The education materials, including; the Presidential broadcast, Minister's briefings and the explanations on the mode of infection of the respiratory disease have been translated into Twi, Ewe, Hausa, Nzema, Dagbani, Ga, Kusao and Dagari.



The Ministry of information engaged the services of the Bureau of Ghana Languages to do the translations following the outbreak of the disease in the country.



A Deputy Minister of Information Pius Enam Hadzide, announced this at a media briefing in Accra, to update the public on various measures being implemented by Government to curb the spread of the virus.



The public education materials and jingles on COVID-19 would also be played on all the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation 10 FM stations across the country and six of the GTV's channels.



In addition, the translated materials would be used by the Information Services Department (ISD) information vans for public education campaigns and work closely with other collaborating institutions like the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)and other assisting organistions and faith-based institutions to deepen understanding on the novel Coronavirus.



More so, the education materials on COVID-19 would be played on all 30 information centres in each district.



Mr Hadzide expressed gratitude to some public institutions that released their logistics and information vans to the ISD to support the education campaign drive.



He mentioned the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Revenue Authority supports, National Disaster Management Organization, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Revenue Authority for the kind gesture and asked other corporate entities to emulate the shining example.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Technology gave Plainview Rotarians an opportunity to enjoy a special meeting last week.

The club has been using Zoom to hold its weekly meetings since social distancing was initiated as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Given the global reach of that technology, Club President Dr. Jay Givens thought it would be fun to contact the individuals from past years who had journeyed to Plainview as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

After several weeks of hosting Zoom meetings with our membership due to Plainview's Stay-at-Home order, we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to expand the reach through Zoom to hear from some of our former Rotary Youth Exchange participants, Givens said.

Over the years, the Plainview Rotary Club has hosted Youth Exchange students from countries as diverse as France, Brazil and South Africa. The students came to Plainview and spent a year with host families. Each student stayed with three different families through the course of the year and attended either Plainview Christian Academy or Plainview High School.

This year, the club is hosting two students, Palak Wadhwa from India and Rosaya Afzal from Germany. Wadhwa is attending Plainview Christian Academy and Afzal is attending Plainview High School.

Seven former exchange students were able to join Tuesdays meeting, and each was given a few minutes to tell what they currently are doing and explain how their year in Plainview impacted their lives. Coralyn Dillard organizes and runs the Rotary Youth Exchange program for the local club and she helped Givens coordinate the presentations during the meeting.

The first was Gabrielle Chargy from France. She spent the 2013-14 year in Plainview and said she currently is studying engineering. She said that one of the biggest practical values of her time in Plainview was improving her English-speaking skills. She pointed out that many of the papers and articles she has to read for her field are written in English so that is a critical skill for her.

Next came Pierre-Louis Perrey from France, who spent 2014-15 in Plainview. Currently, he is studying building design. He said that the exchange program helped him overcome his shyness because he was pretty reserved when he first came to Plainview.

Maria Fernanda Dilli Nano from Brazil followed Pierre. She was in Plainview in 2016-17 and currently is studying chemistry at school. She said that while she has an ultimate goal of going into medicine (she initially was looking at biology as a field of study), chemistry is good for her to study now and she is happy with how things are going for her.

Maude Escande of France lived in Plainview from 2017-18. She said she is continuing her studies in fashion, although having to do online classes was creating some challenges.

Lisa Buch from Germany came next and she said that she was continuing her high school education as best as she could with her local COVID 19 quarantine situation. She came to Plainview from 2018-19, as did her fellow exchange student Clemence Lombard from France. Lombard said she is graduating this year although she isnt sure how that will go with the current lockdown situation she faces. Ultimately, she plans to study international law, she said.

To close the day, Rotarians were treated with a special guest, thanks to Regan Manning. In 1992, when she was a youth, her family hosted exchange student Bernadette Beckley from South Africa. The two have stayed in contact and Beckley was able to make time to share with the club. Beckley said that she freelances in the Human Resources field, but mainly is a stay-at-home mom and takes care of her two children.

As the now young adults spoke of their time in Plainview and how the Rotary Youth Exchange program had impacted their lives, a common theme emerged. The experience had changed them forever, in positive ways. It had made them more mature and self-confident. It had changed their whole personalities and made them more comfortable and capable of making friends and working with people. Mostly, it had led to lifetime friendships and relationships.

Beckler summed it up best.

It shows how Rotary and Rotary Exchange makes the world smaller, she said.
Gordon Brown has described Donald Trumps decision to withhold funding from the World Health Organisation (WHO) during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as an act of self harm as figures across the world fail to rally around the president's claim the body has been responsible for spreading Chinese disinformation.

The US president, who has laid increasing blame for the epidemic in his country at the foot of China and the WHO amid claims his response had been delayed and haphazard, announced his administration would be launching an investigation into the UN body on Tuesday.

Now Mr Brown has said that the ongoing global pandemic can only be solved by a global solution - with the former British PM noting the US president had agreed to strengthening the organisation just days before he launched his attack on the health body.

What some people will call the sabotage of the World Health Organisation is actually an act of self harm on the part of America he said in an interview with BBCs Hardtalk programme, because to deal with this locally, in any country, weve got to act globally."

He added: If the World Health Organisation did not exist it would have to be created. Its our duty to try to persuade the Americans that this type of solidarity is actually in their self interest.

Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart  DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe  Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

And I do believe that president Trump realised that when he signed up to the G20 declaration on 26 March, which actually said all these things - that he wanted to strengthen the WHO, that he wanted to give it more resources for preparedness and dealing with the problems of developing countries, the search for a vaccine and everything.

President Trump actually signed up to that on 26 March, and he should be held to that by his G20 colleagues."

Recommended WHO responds to Trump halting US funding

In the wake of Mr Trumps decision, Downing Street confirmed it had no plans to stop funding the organisation.

While not commenting on the US presidents decision, a spokesperson for Boris Johnson said the WHO had an important role in the global response to coronavirus and it was essential for countries to work together

It comes after the WHO said that while it regretted Mr Trumps decision, its focus would not be drawn by the presidents bluster.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference that the United States "has been a long-standing and generous friend of the WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so."

"WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of US funding and we will work with partners to fill any gaps and ensure our work continues uninterrupted," Mr Tedros added
The Narendra Modi governments lack of concern for millions of suffering migrant workers continues to be on display. On Tuesday, soon after the Prime Minister announced extension of the lockdown, thousands of migrant workers gathered outside Mumbais Bandra railway station to demand resumption of train services. It is distressing that the police responded to their frantic appeals by beating them with lathis. Similar incidents have been reported from other cities like Pune and Surat. More such protests can be expected in the coming weeks if the governments uncaring attitude towards migrants persists. Three weeks ago, when Modi announced the nation-wide lockdown with just four hours notice, millions of migrants working in our cities, rendered jobless and without food and shelter overnight, set out on foot and in overcrowded vehicles to return home to their villages. Then, as now, the police response was heavy-handed; migrants were thrashed at state borders. We are now watching a horrifying replay of those scenes of desperation. The Modi government had not thought through the impact of the lockdown on daily wage earners then, and it has not cared to do so three weeks down the line. Is beating up the poor and migrant workers the governments standard response to their anxieties?

The migrant workers in Mumbai expected to be able to go home after April 14. After all, the Indian Railways had been accepting bookings. Fuelling their hopes were reports by a television news channel that outstation train services were being resumed. When train services were not resumed, their hopes were dashed. Realising that they would continue to be stuck without jobs, food or an exit from their precarious situation, they violated social distancing rules to crowd at the station.

Surely this could have been avoided. Over the past fortnight, some state governments have taken steps to provide food for migrants. However, the demand has far outstripped supply of basic necessities. Understandably, those migrant workers prefer to go back to their villages where they would at least have a roof over their head. Many of them have walked back or have been provided bus transport by state governments to reach home. Those from distant villages do not have that option. It is they who are out on the streets now appealing for resumption of train services. This is not impossible to provide. After screening them for coronavirus infections, they should be allowed to travel back in well-sanitised trains or buses. Their orderly exit could have been implemented over the past fortnight. It was not, but it is still not too late. They must be enabled to go home.
" " Many grandparents in the survey didn't know that babies should be put to sleep on their back. Thanasis Zovoilis/Moment/Getty Images

Parents the world over have been appalled by the disregard grandparents have for child care rules and strictures time immemorial. Ice cream before noon? A new toy because it's Tuesday? Has Grammy no sense of decency, and does Papa have any idea what precedent he's set?

Alas, grandparents are designed to spoil, and not much can convince them to do otherwise. But new research points out that grandparents who act as caregivers or have custody of their grandchildren may follow antiquated and even harmful parenting practices, retained from their own days of early parenthood.

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The research, which was presented at the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in San Francisco, was based on a survey of more than 636 grandparents who identified as the primary caregiver of at least one grandchild. It revealed that many of them held unsafe parenting beliefs or followed practices that have been proven ineffective. For instance, nearly a quarter of the grandparents weren't aware that babies should be put on their back to sleep. Sixty-eight percent didn't know that wounds should be covered with a bandage, as opposed to just airing out. And almost half of the grandparents believed an ice bath is good for bringing down a high fever, though it actually poses a risk of hypothermia.

With child care costs rising and the shadow of the recession looming, more grandparents have taken on roles as primary or secondary caregivers to grandchildren. The researchers point out that pediatricians and primary care physicians might need to provide more support and education to grandparents who are responsible for their grandchildren. "It's important that pediatricians not make the mistake of taking for granted that because these grandparents have raised children already, they have the wisdom of the ages," Dr. Andrew Adesman, lead author of the study, said in a press release.

However, a previous study also by Adesman provides evidence that everyone could use a little education: A survey of 5,000 board-certified American pediatricians showed that 76 percent of them endorsed at least one parenting practice that was a known safety or health risk.

Now That's Interesting Before we go throwing all our stones at grandparents, a whopping 32.6 percent of pediatricians in the aforementioned survey recommended putting infants to sleep on their side, contrary to official advice.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The Unified Government Public Health Department said Wednesday that a total of 15 people have now died at the River Bend Post-Acute Rehabilitation Facility in Kansas City, Kansas, due to COVID-19. According to data from the health department, 92 residents at the facility have tested positive so far, with 24 staff members testing positive.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the daily briefing on the CCP virus in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on April 8, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Mike Pompeo Calls on China to Be Transparent About Virus Outbreak

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Chinas top diplomat for the second time in a month, this time pressing China to be fully transparent about the pandemic.

In an April 15 phone call with Chinas top diplomat Yang Jiechi, Pompeo stressed the need for full transparency and information sharing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent future outbreaks, according to a State Department statement.

Pompeo has on numerous occasions criticized Beijing for covering up the scale of the outbreak in China and not sharing accurate data.

Most recently, on April 13, Pompeo told German broadcaster Bild TV, that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) didnt provide that information in a timely fashion, according to the State Department transcript.

Thats most unfortunate because it created real risk around the world, he added.

Many U.S. lawmakers have shared Pompeos criticism, with some proposing new legislation to hold China accountable for the spread of the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

The phone call came on the same day that President Donald Trump declared that U.S. funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) would be halted for 60 to 90 days, pending a review to assess the World Health Organizations role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.

Pompeo also spoke with Yang about the aid the American people delivered to the people of China in Januaryand continue to offerand the high importance we attach to Chinas facilitation of medical supply exports to meet critical demand in the United States, according to the statement.

China manufactures much of the medical supplies now needed to help contain the virus or treat patients.

According to an April 6 report published by the Congressional Research Service, the United States imported about $20.7 billion of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and products, and related supplies from China in 2019, accounting for 9.2 percent of total U.S. imports.

But according to the report, Beijings policies in the wake of the CCP virus outbreak likely exacerbated global shortages.

For example, on Feb. 3, Chinas Ministry of Commerce directed local governments and industry to secure critical medical supplies and medical-related raw material inputs from the global market.

The ministry also called on regional offices in China and other countries to work with Chinese industry associations to secure supplies from global sources and have them sent back to China.

Meanwhile, Chinas economic planning ministry NDRC directed local medical-related factories, including production lines owned by U.S. companies, to make products for domestic use.

The report said such policies contributed to sharp decreases in Chinas exports of these critical medicals to the world.

For the first two months of this year, China exported to the United States fewer key supplies needed for fighting COVID-19, compared to the same period last year.

For example, China exported 8 percent less surgical and medical gloves; 12 percent less spectacles and goggles; 35 percent less ventilators and respiration apparatus; and 70 percent less medical sterilizers.

Meanwhile, China imported much more of those supplies from the United States: 93 percent, 164 percent, 209 percent, and 317 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

Chinas state-run media Xinhua and Peoples Daily did not mention Pompeos requests for transparency and supply exports in their media reports about the phone call. The two media stated that Yang expressed how China is willing to continue to share information and experience on epidemic control with the United States.

In their last phone call in March, Pompeo condemned China for spreading disinformation and rumors about the CCP virus. The phone call came after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian pushed on Twitter an unfounded allegation that the virus was brought into China by the U.S. army.
Rio Tinto Chief Executive J-S Jacques said "In these uncertain and unprecedented times we continue to deliver products to our customers with our first priority to protect the health and safety of all our employees and communities. We are focused on maintaining a business as usual approach and have taken extensive measures to ensure we can do so safely.

"All of our assets continue to operate and we achieved a very robust production performance in the first quarter. Our world-class portfolio and strong balance sheet serve us well in all market conditions and are particularly valuable in the current volatile environment. Our resilience and value over volume strategy mean we can continue to invest in our business, and support our communities and host governments."

Production* Q1 2020 vs Q1 2019 vs Q4 2019 Pilbara iron ore shipments (100% basis) Mt 72.9 +5% -16% Pilbara iron ore production (100% basis) Mt 77.8 +2% -7% Bauxite Mt 13.8 +8% -9% Aluminium kt 783 -2% 0% Mined copper kt 133.0 -8% -4% Titanium dioxide slag kt 293 -1% +3% IOC iron ore pellets and concentrate Mt 2.6 +3% 0% *Rio Tinto share unless otherwise stated

Q1 Operational update

We are protecting the health of our employees and communities through rapid implementation of health and hygiene controls in response to Covid-19. We have also strengthened our focus on safety programmes to ensure the safety of our employees during a period of significant change.

Pilbara iron ore shipments of 73 million tonnes (100% basis) were 5% higher than the first quarter of 2019, driven by a strong recovery across the network in March following tropical cyclone Damien in February 2020. The portside trading trial continues in China with the 1 millionth tonne of ore sold.

Bauxite production of 13.8 million tonnes was 8% higher than the first quarter of 2019, following the successful ramp-up of Amrun in 2019. Third party shipments of 9.5 million tonnes in the quarter were 7% higher than the same period of 2019.

Aluminium production of 0.8 million tonnes in the first quarter was 2% lower than the first quarter of 2019 with ISAL operating at 85% capacity in line with our value over volume strategy.

Mined copper production of 133 thousand tonnes was 8% lower than the same period in 2019, reflecting anticipated lower copper grades, partially offset by higher throughput.

At Kennecott in the US, we are working to resume normal operations following a 5.7 magnitude earthquake on 18 March. The mine, concentrator, tailings storage facility and refinery have all resumed safe and stable operations. There was some damage to the furnace, which impacts full year copper guidance (see below).

Titanium dioxide slag production of 293 thousand tonnes was 1% lower than the first quarter in 2019 partly due to Covid-19 restrictions in Quebec and South Africa.

Production of pellets and concentrate at the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) was 3% higher than the same period of 2019.

All major projects progressed well in the first quarter, but are now being affected by Covid-19 including government imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and people. Recovery rates may differ across regions we will update the market once the situation stabilises.

Capital expenditure is now expected to be $5 to 6 billion in 2020 (down from the previous guidance of $7 billion) partly due to Covid-19 constraints, and partly due to the favourable currency impact from the strong US dollar. Capital expenditure originally planned for 2020 may subsequently flow into 2021 and 2022, and we will provide a further update on capital re-phasing in due course.

We are continuing to work with our customers to fulfil orders and meet their requirements while complying with government directives. Our customer order books remain healthy, with our commercial teams focusing on business continuity and customer support.

Covid-19

Our markets

Demand in China continues to recover. In the rest of the world, the outlook is more uncertain. Commodity supply is being disrupted as Covid-19 restrictions impact supply chains and people movement globally.

Demand for the high-quality iron ores we produce remained strong in the first quarter of 2020, mainly driven by a combination of seaborne supply disruptions and solid demand from China's steel mills despite Covid-19 impacts.

The market for primary aluminium contracted further in the first quarter of 2020 primarily due to lower automotive production.

China's demand for imported bauxite continued to grow in the first quarter, as domestic reserves continue to decline in quality and quantity, and mine production was disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions.

Although copper demand remained reasonable in the quarter, the decline in the price reflects deteriorating industrial growth expectations globally.

To some extent, weaker commodity prices also reflect decreasing industry supply costs, which are falling due to a strong US dollar and tailwinds from lower energy and freight costs, partly offset by Covid-19 related expenditure.

Our assets

We have introduced measures to combat the spread and impacts of Covid-19, to ensure we keep our employees and communities safe, and our operations running. We are working closely with governments around the world to ensure our operations continue to contribute to society during this challenging time. Our assets are operating with some Covid-19 restrictions in place to comply with government directives. Full details of initiatives taken to date can be found on our website: www.riotinto.com/news/releases. Specifically, we have implemented the following actions:

Workforce

We have changed rosters at our Iron Ore operations, construction and exploration projects meaning fewer crew changeovers at our sites and in our operations centre to reduce the risk of transmission.

The majority of employees and critical contractors on national fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) arrangements have been relocated to Western Australia.

Operations

We have reduced mining operations at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in South Africa in compliance with a government directive to effect a lockdown on 26 March for 21 days. The rail and port remain open for product shipments.

We are working with the government of Quebec to comply with the directive to slow down non-critical projects and activities for our Quebec operations.

We have shut down the fourth pot-line at the Tiwai Point smelter in New Zealand (NZAS) with production continuing on the other three lines to comply with government lockdown requirements for containing the spread of Covid-19 and to support the health and safety of our people at the site.

Products

We have changed our product mix at IOC to focus on the production of concentrates in order to match market demand.

In aluminium, in response to market conditions we have reduced the proportion of primary metal being produced as value added products.

The full first quarter production results are available here

This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Rio Tinto's Group Company Secretary.

LEI: 213800YOEO5OQ72G2R82

Classification: 3.1 Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005998/en/

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Category: General
Unproductive game

Sen. John Cornyn said China unleashed a weapon on the world. That is blatant race-baiting and blame-gaming.

The majority of coronavirus cases in New York came from Europe, according to scientists in that state. Saying of China, They need to be held responsible for a global pandemic is highly irresponsible. Referring to it as a weapon made to infect the entire world is reprehensible.

Such comments have incited violence towards Asian Americans. The blame game is unproductive and helps no one.

Anne Alexander

Thanks, E-N carriers

I am so appreciative to see my paper every day  rain or shine  during this time of social distancing. Many thanks to my carrier and all the distribution staff at Express-News. As a subscriber, I can access the e-edition, but its so wonderful to have my real newspaper every day.

Kudos to everyone at the Express-News  from the editors to the writers and columnists, printers and all who are keeping us informed, up-to-date and connected with each other  especially our carriers!

Linda Richter

Give ratepayers break

Re: CPS Energy wont hand out bonuses, Business, Saturday:

I am outraged to learn that CPS Energy President and CEO Paula Gold-Williams was due for a bonus of $530,000 and $13 million in bonuses was to be given to 1,800 employees.

If there is that much money available for bonuses, why not give the ratepayer a break by lowering rates? That would benefit everyone.

Doris D. Kinsey

On ExpressNews.com: CPS Energy cancels $13 million in bonuses amid virus crisis
If they have only IgM antibodies, it likely means they have or very recently had COVID-19 and are probably still contagious, whereas if they have only IgG antibodies it likely means their body previously beat the novel coronavirus and has developed protection against future infection.
Guaranteed widespread coronavirus testing is the key to restarting the United States workforce, industry leaders told President Donald Trump on Wednesday as part of a new phone-call led business council, reports say.

Members on the call emphasised the importance of testing in the first meeting of Mr Trumps new business council according to one person briefed on the discussions, CNN reported.

The phone call was said to be the first task force teleconference aimed at planning a strategy for reopening the country.

The call reportedly lasted for about an hour and had lots of participants from different industries including banking, food, hospitality, and retail sectors

The telephone taskforce was set up after encouragement from Mr Trumps conservative allies that input from business leaders could counterbalance the advice of public health experts that may prioritise models and worst-case public health scenarios the report said.

An email obtained by CNN was reportedly sent to certain members of Congress by the White House on Wednesday notifying them they would be part of the new task force.

The purpose of the task force is to provide counsel to the President on the re-opening of America in the wake of Covid-19. The formal name of this task force has not yet been announced, the email reportedly said.

CNN noted that some of Trumps advisers also hoped having input from American industries on decisions might lend them credibility further down the line.
The British tourists had been stranded in Vietnam and Cambodia as a result of the pandemic, including a number of COVID-19 patients who have recovered after treatment in Vietnam.

The flight also transported facemasks as gifts from the Vietnamese Government and people to their British counterparts.

On the return flight, relevant Vietnamese agencies in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and Vietnam Airlines also brought a number of Vietnamese citizens back home.

The group, including students under 18 years old, the elderly and people in extremely difficult circumstances, landed at the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province on the morning of April 15.

Vietnamese diplomatic agencies abroad have been reviewing and building plans to bring home a number of overseas Vietnamese people, with priority given to children under 18, the elderly and sick people in line with the countrys concentrated quarantine capacity.

*Vietnam reported one more COVID-19 patient on the morning of April 15, raising the total number of infection cases in the country to 267.

The patient is a 46-year-old man ling in Ha Loi commune, Me Linh district, Hanoi. He is father of the 257th patient and husband of the 258th patient. He had close contact with the 243rd patient on March 20.
Jeff Wittenbrink, 59, who represents the Life Tabernacle Church, is now on oxygen at Baton Rogue General, struggling to breathe after coming down with coronavirus

The lawyer for a Louisiana megachurch that is defying state social distancing orders has been hospitalized with COVID-19.

Jeff Wittenbrink, 59, who represents the Life Tabernacle Church, is now on oxygen at Baton Rogue General, struggling to breathe after coming down with the virus.

Speaking from his hospital bed Thursday, Wittenbrink told The Advocate he was baffled as to how he contracted the disease.

'I went to Albertson's twice a day. I went to Sam's. I went to Walmart. I went to Lowe's. I used the gas pumps. I mean I just wasn't careful. God knows where I got it. The bad thing is I might have spread to somebody. I feel bad about that,' he stated.

Wittenbrink made no mention of the fact that he could possibly have picked up the virus - or passed it on to others - at Life Tabernacle, where he attended two services earlier this month.

The Advocate reports that he was at the megachurch on April 2, and again on Palm Sunday (April 5).

Wittenbrink is helping to represent Life Tabernacle's pastor Rev. Tony Spell, who is preparing to mount a legal challenge against Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards who has placed restrictions on religious gatherings.

Spell has been charged with six counts of violating Edwards' orders to close his church to the public amid the pandemic.

Life Tabernacle boasts thousands of members. Around 1,300 congregants showed up to Spell's Easter Sunday Service, despite the fact that Louisiana has become one of the country's coronavirus hot spots.

More than 21,000 people across the state have tested positive to the virus, and 1,100 have died.

In leaked video from the event, worshipers could be heard clapping and singing, before Spell told the crowd: 'My hope is not in a vaccine for a virus, but all my hope is in Jesus

Life Tabernacle (pictured) boasts thousands of members, around 1,300 of whom showed up to Spell's Easter Sunday Service, despite the fact that Louisiana has become one of the country's coronavirus hot spots

Rev. Tony Spell (pictured) is preparing to mount a legal challenge against Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards who has placed restrictions on religious gatherings

Earlier this month, Spell hit headlines after refusing to close his doors to his flock.

'We're defying the rules because the commandment of God is to spread the Gospel,' Louisiana pastor Tony Spell told Reuters.

'The church is the last force resisting the Antichrist, let us assemble regardless of what anyone says'.

Congregants leave Life Tabernacle Church after the Easter church service on Sunday

Meanwhile, Spell made news again on Wednesday after sharing a video to social media asking his followers to donate the federal stimulus checks they started receiving this week to evangelists, missionaries or music ministers who haven't received any money from churchgoers in a month.

Government relief checks began arriving in the bank accounts of tens of millions Americans on Wednesday as the economic damage to the US from the coronavirus piled up.

Adults receive up to $1,200 each and $500 for each child to help people pay the rent or cover other bills.
LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Spectrum Institute, a preeminent nonprofit organization focused in part on probate court reform (see https://spectruminstitute.org/capacity/) has filed an "amicus" letter to the California Supreme Court in support of the grandson of the late Walt Disney, Bradford D. Lund. Spectrum supported Lund's counsel's separate petition to the high court, asking for the "right to appeal" a probate court's ruling as a final order that allegedly violated his due process rights, including the right to be represented by his own counsel and to get a fair trial on his inheritance rights and related claims against his Trustees.

Spectrum's amicus and Lund's petition for review asked the high court to allow Lund to appeal an order made in 2019 by Los Angeles County probate court Judge David J. Cowan. That order resulted in the appointment of a limited "guardian ad litem," referred to as a "GAL" (which is a substitute decision-maker, in this case another lawyer, for purposes of the litigation).

Cowan's 2019 order appointing the GAL specifically instructed her to renegotiate a settlement agreement previously made and approved by Mr. Lund and his Trustees and all affected parties. Lund now opposes any settlement and, if the Supreme Court allows him to appeal Judge Cowan's order and he prevails on his right to due process, Lund is asking for a full trial on the issues affecting his inheritance.

"Replacing a litigant with a GAL infringes on the constitutional right of a litigant to manage his own litigation," Spectrum wrote in its amicus brief supporting Lund's petition for review by the California Supreme Court. "Due process considerations attend an incompetency finding and the subsequent appointment of a guardian ad litem."

Lanny J. Davis, a co-counsel in a federal court civil rights and anti-discrimination case filed against Judge Cowan and the LA Superior Court as a whole, welcomed the Spectrum Institute's "amicus" filing. He stated: "All Mr. Lund is asking for is a chance to have his day in court  denied so far by a judge we are asking provide the same due process constitutional protections for Mr. Lund as are available to all Americans. Mr. Lund's case is just the 'tip of the iceberg' of the abuses across America within the probate court system  where unaccountable power must be challenged, and transparency and the rule of law restored. We intend to keep public focus on this particular case  and, already we are hearing from people across the nation who have experienced similar abuses and who want to help Mr. Lund and reform the system."

For further information contact:

Alex Lange

[email protected]

202-480-4309

SOURCE Lanny Davis
BJP workers have been providing food to over five crore needy people daily, party president J P Nadda said on Thursday while reviewing the party's welfare work during the nationwide lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking to functionaries of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the party through a video conference, Nadda asked them to pay special attention to the needs of migrant labourers and ensure that they face no hardship, according to a BJP statement.

"Our goal should be that not a single person goes to sleep hungry. Serving humanity is our dharma," he said, exhorting party leaders to further speed up their welfare work.

As part of the Union government's welfare measures, Rs 31,072 crore has been transferred to over 33.25 crore people, he noted.

India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership is not only combating the coronavirus skilfully but is also helping the world, Nadda said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Why didn't the universe annihilate itself? Neutrinos may hold the answer

Alysia Marino and Eric Zimmerman, physicists at CU Boulder, have been on the hunt for neutrinos for the last two decades.

That's no easy feat: Neutrinos are among the most elusive subatomic particles known to science. They don't have a charge and are so lightweight--each one has a mass many times smaller than the electron--that they interact only on rare occasions with the world around them.

They may also hold the key to some of physics' deepest mysteries.

In a study published today in the journal Nature, Marino, Zimmerman and more than 400 other researchers on an experiment called T2K come closer to answering one of the big ones: Why didn't the universe annihilate itself in a humungous burst of energy not long after the Big Bang?

The new research suggests that the answer comes down to a subtle discrepancy in the way that neutrinos and their evil twins, the antineutrinos, behave--one of the first indications that phenomena called matter and antimatter may not be the exact mirror images many scientists believed.

The group's findings showcase what scientists can learn by studying these unassuming particles, said Zimmerman, a professor in the Department of Physics.

"Even 20 years ago, the field of neutrino physics was much smaller than it is today," he said.

Marino, an associate professor of physics, agreed. "There's still a lot we're trying to understand about how neutrinos interact," she said.

Big Bang

Neutrinos, which weren't directly detected until the 1950s, are often produced deep within stars and are among the most common particles in the universe. Ever second, trillions of them pass through your body, although few if any will react with a single one of your atoms.

To understand why this cosmic dandelion fluff is important, it helps to go back to the beginning--the very beginning.

Based on their calculations, physicists believe that the Big Bang must have created a huge amount of matter alongside an equal quantity of antimatter. These particles behave exactly like, but have opposite charges from, the protons, electrons and all the other matter that makes up everything you can see around you.

There's just one problem with that theory: Matter and antimatter obliterate each other on contact.

"Our universe today is dominated by matter and not antimatter," Marino said. "So there had to be some process in physics that distinguished matter from antimatter and could have given rise to a small excess of protons or electrons over their antiparticles."

Over time, that small excess became a big excess until there was virtually no antimatter left in the cosmos. According to one popular theory, neutrinos underly that discrepancy.

Zimmerman explained that these subatomic particles come in three different types, which scientists call "flavors," with unique interactions. They are the muon neutrino, electron neutrino and tau neutrino. You can think of them as the physicist's Neapolitan ice cream.

These flavors, however, don't stay put. They oscillate. If you give them enough time, for example, the odds that a muon neutrino will stay a muon neutrino can shift. Imagine opening your freezer and not knowing whether the vanilla ice cream you left behind will now be chocolate or strawberry, instead.

But is the same true for antineutrinos? Proponents of the theory of "leptogenesis" argue that if there were even a small difference in how these mirror images behave, it could go a long way toward explaining the imbalance in the universe.

"The next big step in neutrino physics is to understand whether neutrino oscillations happen at the same rate as antineutrino oscillations," Zimmerman said.

Traveling Japan

That, however, means observing neutrinos up close.

The T2K, or Tokai to Kamioka, Experiment goes to extreme lengths to do just that. In this effort, scientists use a particle accelerator to shoot beams made up of neutrinos from a research site in Tokai, Japan, to detectors in Kamioka--a distance of more than 180 miles or the entire width of Japan's largest island, Honshu.

Zimmerman and Marino have both participated in the collaboration since the 2000s. For the last nine years, the duo and their colleagues from around the world have traded off studying beams of muon neutrinos and muon antineutrinos.

In their most recent study, the researchers hit pay dirt: These bits of matter and antimatter seem to behave differently. Muon neutrinos, Zimmerman said, are more inclined to oscillate into electron neutrinos than their antineutrino counterparts.

The results come with major caveats. The team's findings are still quite a bit shy of the physics community's gold standard for a discovery, a measure of statistical significance called "five-sigma." The T2K collaboration is already upgrading the experiment so that it can collect more data and faster to reach that mark.

But, Marino said, the results provide one of the most tantalizing hints to date that some kinds of matter and antimatter may act differently--and not by a trivial amount.

"To explain the T2K results, the difference needs to be almost the largest amount that you could possibly get" based on theory, she said.

Marino sees the study as one window to the fascinating world of neutrinos. There are many more pressing questions around these particles, too: How much, for example, does each flavor of neutrino weigh? Are neutrinos, in a really weird twist, actually their own antiparticles? She and Zimmerman are taking part in a second collaboration, an upcoming effort called the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), that will aid the upgraded T2K in finding those answers.

"There are still things we're figuring out because neutrinos are so hard to produce in a lab and require such complicated detectors," Marino said. "There's still room for more surprises."

###

This story has been published on: 2020-04-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Alyssa MacKenzie, 32, rarely used her smartphone to make phone calls, apart from the occasional conversation for her work as a disability rights advocate.

But when the lockdown for the coronavirus set in, MacKenzie could no longer pop by her mothers house a few minutes away in New Canaan, Connecticut. So she has called her multiple times a day, including once recently to get a recipe for pasta e fagioli.

A couple of hours later, she said, they were still talking.

We started with the recipe, then talked about my younger brother, then my work, then her day, and next thing I knew, the soup was done, MacKenzie said. I needed to hear the familiarity of her voice.

Phone calls have made a comeback in the pandemic. While the nations biggest telecommunications providers prepared for a huge shift toward more internet use from home, what they didnt expect was an even greater surge in plain old voice calls, a medium that had been going out of fashion for years.

Verizon said it was handling an average of 800 million wireless calls a day during the week, more than double the number made on Mothers Day, historically one of the busiest calling days of the year. Verizon added that the length of voice calls was up 33% from an average day before the outbreak. AT&T said that the number of cellular calls had risen 35% and that Wi-Fi-based calls had nearly doubled from averages in normal times.

In contrast, internet traffic is up 20% to 25% from typical daily patterns, AT&T and Verizon said.

The rise is stunning given how voice calls have long been on the decline. Some 90 million wired phone lines in the United States have ceased using landline phones since 2000, according to USTelecom. Wireless calls have replaced much of that activity, but the volume of minutes spent on calls hasnt changed much over the past decade as people turned to texting and to apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp, according to wireless carriers and analysts.

New needs are emerging in the crisis. Weve become a nation that calls like never before, said Jessica Rosenworcel, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, the agency that oversees phone, television and internet providers. We are craving human voice.

Although phone calls are now made over airwaves that connect through cell towers, the appeal of talking hasnt changed much from the earliest telephone days of the late 1800s and early 1900s, when wooden poles stretched copper wire across the nation and into nearly every home in America.

In Albany, Louisiana, the priests and deacons of St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Catholic Church recently divided up a list of 900 parishioners to call to check in on them, something they never did because they saw their members in person. Some of the congregants in the rural community outside New Orleans were suspicious when they answered, accustomed to robocalls from unfamiliar numbers.

But Brad Doyle, the associate priest, said they eased up when he began to speak. They talked about their daily routines and said they missed Sunday service, especially ahead of Easter. One congregant went into great detail about the Netflix documentary Tiger King. Many wanted to just hear a prayer, he said.

Grace McClellan, 32, a high school teacher in Charleston, South Carolina, has also turned to phone calls as an antidote to the loneliness of living apart from family and friends. She has begun synchronizing a daily walk-and-talk with her best friend, who lives in Connecticut. With her friends voice piping through her earbuds, it feels as close as possible to a real walk together, McClellan said.

The return of the voice call is a throwback for telecom companies. For years, Verizon, CenturyLink and AT&T have retired copper wire phone lines that were introduced 150 years ago.

The companies have instead invested in broadband networks and expanding capacity for things like higher-resolution video and video gaming. They also beefed up their networks to handle next-generation wireless technology, called 5G, which will allow people to download a movie in seconds and may spur a wave of driverless car technology and robotics.

For years, weve seen a steady decline in the amount of time people spend talking to one another, especially on wireless devices, Kyle Malady, Verizons chief technology officer, said in a statement. The move to staying at home has reignited peoples hunger to stay connected, voice to voice.

The surge in voice calls is for both business and personal purposes, said Chris Sambar, AT&Ts executive vice president of technology and operations. Before the spread of the coronavirus led to stay-at-home orders, wireless calls typically peaked in the morning and evening rush hours. Once people got to their offices and schools, the call volumes fell.

Now, he said, voice calls are high throughout the day. While Zoom and Google Hangouts are a popular replacement for meetings with multiple colleagues, the phone is easier for one-on-one conversations and doesnt buffer and break down like video. On weekends, phone traffic is also much higher than normal.

Voice is the new killer app, Sambar said. Its been a real surprise.

He added that AT&T and other phone providers had experienced hiccups in their networks with increased voice call volumes but had made upgrades to calling connection points and were able to handle the demand.

Even young adults who grew up with texting and messaging apps as a primary form of communication are embracing voice calls.

Emily Lancia, 20, a college student, said she now called her parents daily instead of weekly from the campus of the State University of New York at Binghamton. Walking on the campus nature preserve one day this week, she was inspired to ring her best friend from childhood, whom she texts with almost daily but had never called.

It was nice to hear her voice, said Lancia, a junior.

Heading into spring break, Lancia said she was comforted by the voices of family and friends. That was especially true, she said, of her dads deep guttural laugh and what has become his quotidian phone greeting: Whats up, peanut? What have you done for the last 12 hours?

Cecilia Kang@c.2020 The New York Times Company
[April 16, 2020] Brand Trust Critical for Full-Service Investment Firms in Canada to Retain Investors, J.D. Power Finds

Satisfaction with full-service investment firms in Canada improves significantly from 2019, increasing to 790 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 778 year over year, according to the J.D. Power 2020 Canada Full-Service Investor Satisfaction Study,? released today. However, the recent havoc in capital markets and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic may cause some wealth management firms to struggle to retain disgruntled clients, while those firms with higher brand trust will weather the storm. The J.D. Power study finds that 70% of investors in Canada who highly trust their investment firm say they definitely will remain with their current provider, even when their portfolio performance does not meet expectations. By contrast, when brand trust is weak, only 16 percent of investors say they definitely will stay loyal to their current provider when investment performance lags expectations. "Brand trust is not something that is built overnight and wealth management firms with strong brand equity are better positioned to avert client attrition during periods of market volatility, economic uncertainty or when things go sour," says Mike Foy, senior director of wealth intelligence at J.D. Power. "It is never too late to start building and cultivating trust through frequent client communications, responsiveness, or owning and resolving issues, as well as providing useful guidance and assurance during especially challenging times like these." Following are some of the key findings of the 2020 study: Digital contact more important than ever: There is a direct correlation between advisor use of digital channels to communicate with clients and increased investment. In routine communications-and especially during the realities of self-isolation-advisors who enhance their client interactions using digital channels (video conferencing, text, email and online chats) are 35% more likely to realize increased investment from clients than when no digital contact is used. Also, increased investment is likely to occur when digital planning tools are being used.

There is a direct correlation between advisor use of digital channels to communicate with clients and increased investment. In routine communications-and especially during the realities of self-isolation-advisors who enhance their client interactions using digital channels (video conferencing, text, email and online chats) are 35% more likely to realize increased investment from clients than when no digital contact is used. Also, increased investment is likely to occur when digital planning tools are being used. Millennials more likely than Boomers to jump ship-but are better promoters: Millennial 1 investors are more than five times more inclined to switch their primary wealth management provider compared with Boomer investors (31% vs. 6%, respectively). Yet, Millennials are better brand ambassadors as they are much more receptive to being asked to provide referrals and will act on such requests. More than one-third (36%) of Millennials will make a referral if asked by their advisor, compared to only 17% of Boomers.

Millennial investors are more than five times more inclined to switch their primary wealth management provider compared with Boomer investors (31% vs. 6%, respectively). Yet, Millennials are better brand ambassadors as they are much more receptive to being asked to provide referrals and will act on such requests. More than one-third (36%) of Millennials will make a referral if asked by their advisor, compared to only 17% of Boomers. Wealth transfer a missed opportunity: More than two-thirds (68%) of Boomer investors have a designated next-generation beneficiary, yet only 31% were asked by their financial advisor about the beneficiary's investment needs. Furthermore, 49% of Boomer investors without a next-generation beneficiary say they are willing to talk about beneficiary investment needs. These findings should serve as a wakeup call to firms that are missing key chances to help current clients address a key financial need, as well as to grow and retain a pool of next-generation investors and assets over the long term. Study Rankings Edward Jones ranks highest in overall investor satisfaction for an eighth consecutive year with a score of 836. Assante (829) ranks second and Raymond James (813) ranks third. The Canada Full-Service Investor Satisfaction Study measures overall investor satisfaction with full-service investment firms in eight factors (in order of importance): financial advisor; account information; firm interaction; product offerings; information resources; investment performance; commission and fees; and problem resolution. The 2020 study is based on responses from 4,328 investors in Canada who make some or all of their investment decisions with a financial advisor regarding their primary investment account. It was fielded from November 2019 through January 2020. For more information about the 2020 Canada Full-Service Investor Satisfaction Study, visit https://canada.jdpower.com/resource/canadian-full-service-investor-satisfaction-study. See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2020040. J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, Asia Pacific and Europe. About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info NOTE: One ranking chart follows







Overall Canadian Full-Service Investor Satisfaction

(Based on a 1,000-point scale) Edward Jones 836 Assante 829 Raymond James 813 National Bank 809 BMO Nesbitt Burns 797 RBC Dominion Securities 793 iA Securities/HollisWealth 790 Investment Planning Counsel 790 Scotia McLeod 790 Industry Average 790 Sun Life Financial 786 Desjardins 785 TD PIA 785 CIBC Wood Gundy 783 Manulife 781 IG Wealth Management 768 ATB 764 Credential 737

Source (News - Alert): J.D. Power 2020 Canada Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study?

Charts and graphs extracted from this press release for use by the media must be accompanied by a statement identifying J.D. Power as the publisher and the study from which it originated as the source. Rankings are based on numerical scores, and not necessarily on statistical significance. No Advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release or J.D. Power survey results without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power. 1 J.D. Power defines generational groups as Pre-Boomers (born before 1946); Boomers (1946-1964); Gen X (1965-1976); Gen Y (1977-1994); and Gen Z (1995-2004). Millennials (1982-1994) are a subset of Gen Y. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005006/en/

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New Delhi, April 16 : During any kind of social disruption, art acts as an anchor for people, and is a creative outlet during dark times, said an online panel of art world speakers.

"In any disruption, art in many ways, for many people acts as an anchor. It's a journey you take to tackle the disturbance, all the things around you. It's a reflection of society, of what is going around you. Artiste reflect and put forward the feelings, the emotions and, as a community, represent what is happening around you. Going through disturbances without art will be very depressing," Dinesh Vazirani, Co-founder, Saffronart said during the Stimulus 2020 webinar series.

Bose Krishnamanchari, renowned artist and cofounder of the Kochi-Muziris Binennale, believes that art contributed to the economy not just globally, but locally, too.

"Art making has become a collective rather than just an individual practice. A lot of our artist friends were reached out to and they took the online space to show what they have done in this time and displayed alot of incredible stuff. Everyone has gotten some time to introspect within themselves. We know that after this lockdown, the economy will have a tough time to face, but art can bring that wealth and pleasure back," he said during the online webinar. Krishnamachari is spending the lockdown looking at his collection of travel and family photographs.

Adding to his thoughts, art patron Shalini Passi said that art is an experimental practice and is everywhere around us.

"When we talk about disruptions, crafts and techniques keep evolving over time. Craft has been able to adapt according to the changing demand. Earlier, we were very influenced by traditional patterns, went on to transitional and contemporary all telling the day to day life. Not so much of a disruption in crafts itself because we are able to adapt and move on," Angelique Dhama,Chief Marketing Officer of Obeetee said.
New Jersey schools will remain closed through May 15 because of the coronavirus. Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the change on Thursday. Read more

Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday ordered New Jersey schools closed until at least May 15 in an effort to halt the spread of coronavirus.

The decree covers all public and private schools, as well as colleges and universities. Murphy on March 15 ordered schools closed indefinitely.

Schools will still continue educating students through appropriate home instruction, per the governors March order.

Murphy had earlier canceled the administration of standardized tests for the year.

In a news conference, he said he was hopeful that schools may open eventually but question marks remain.

We cannot be guided by emotion, Murphy said. We need to be guided by where the facts on the ground, science and public health take us.

The governor said he has heard frequent pleas, particularly from parents of athletes and those about to graduate, to salvage part of the academic year, and that the May 15 date gives New Jersey at least one more shot to reassess the public health situation and possibly let students return to schools.

Nothing would give me more joy than being able to say were ready to go, but were not there yet, Murphy said.

 ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters.

All told, 3,518 New Jerseyans have died from the COVID-19 virus  more New Jerseyans than died in World War I  and 75,317 residents have tested positive for the virus. Between Tuesday at 10 p.m. and Wednesday, 362 residents of New Jersey died of the virus.

Murphy said New Jerseys efforts to flatten the curve are working and that continued social distancing remains the key to us flattening the curve and eventually coming down the other side of it to the point where we can responsibly begin the process of reopening our state.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf last week closed commonwealth schools through the end of the school year. Nationwide, 19 states have been ordered closed for the academic year; closing recommendations have been made in several other states.

Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, said the announcement that schools would remain closed was no surprise.

"What Im surprised at is that he hasnt closed schools for the remainder of the year, frankly," Bozza said in a phone interview. People are beginning to worry about even opening in September."

Uncertainty breeds anxiety, Bozza said.

People are looking for as much structure as they can, he said, noting questions about how end-of-year activities like proms and graduations would work.

Steve Baker, spokesperson for the New Jersey Education Association, said the union supported Murphys decision.

NJEA members look forward to being back with students as soon as it is safe . Until schools reopen, whenever that is, we remain committed to providing the best possible education and services under these current challenging circumstances, Baker said in an email.
WASHINGTONAn outbreak of coronavirus infections at an upscale Whole Foods in the heart of the countrys capital has focused attention on the plight of grocery store workers deemed essential to stay on the job during the pandemic but increasingly falling ill to its ravages.

The Whole Foods near Washingtons trendy Logan Circle told employees on Wednesday that a worker had contracted the virus, one of at least six, but that the store would not close, according to a report by WUSA, a local CBS-affiliated station. Instead, managers would order a deep cleaning with workers staying on the job, according to an email sent to employees that was obtained by the station.

Workers were free to take leave without penalty through the end of April, the email said, but it would be unpaid.

An employee at the store, who declined to be identified, passed a note to a New York Times photographer there on Tuesday stating that 16 employees at the location were confirmed to be infected, a significant outbreak in a city that has so far escaped the horrors of New York, Detroit and New Orleans.

In an email, a spokesman for Whole Foods confirmed that the store had multiple team members with diagnoses of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but that the site had undergone multiple deep cleanings and disinfections overnight in recent days that allowed it to remain open during regular business hours.

Another Whole Foods location in Washingtons Foggy Bottom neighbourhood was previously closed to the public for cleaning after a worker tested positive for the virus, but the companys spokesman said the closure was warranted only because overnight cleaning was not available.

Such problems are not isolated. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents over 900,000 grocery workers countrywide, estimated on Monday that 30 of its members had died from COVID-19 and another 3,000 had taken sick days after showing signs of illness or other possible coronavirus-related complications. The union also said that in a survey of 5,000 of its members, 85 per cent said customers in their stores were not practicing social distancing as recommended.

Though Washington has not had the dramas of other cities, it is considered an emerging hot spot, with nearly 2,200 infections and 72 deaths. Its rate of infection, measured against the districts small population, is above average compared with the states.

The city has required essential businesses to take a variety of steps to enforce social distancing, sending food retailers rushing to install trappings like hand sanitizer stations, Plexiglas barriers between workers and customers, and floor stickers marking the government-recommended two-metre separation distance.

However, the protocols largely leave it to stores themselves to enforce other guidelines such as the requirement that patrons wear masks while shopping. More serious measures like closures of essential stores have also been left to management.

At another Whole Foods location in the citys H Street corridor, foot traffic in and out of the store was funneled to a single entrance, where a guard was stationed to turn away shoppers without a mask.

Last week, officials at the daily White House task force briefing began listing Washington as one of the cities most likely to see a spike in coronavirus cases over the coming weeks, alongside Baltimore and Philadelphia.

As cases have increased, local officials have been forced to balance efforts to enforce public health initiatives with the need to ensure access to groceries.

On April 8, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser issued an order effectively shutting down farmers markets and seafood vendors in the city until they can submit individual social distancing plans and receive approval from the government. On Wednesday, Bowser issued another order requiring all workers and customers of food sellers to wear masks and extending the citys state of emergency through May 15.

Earlier this month, a Trader Joes store in Washington temporarily closed for cleaning after an employee tested positive. The retailer lists at least 18 future closings at other locations around the country on a running list on its website.

A spokeswoman for the Washingtons Health Department said essential businesses were not legally required to make a public disclosure about whether employees had tested positive for the virus. But according to protocols, retailers that do not comply with the mayors order could face civil penalties and licence revocations.

The danger associated with working in grocery stores that see hundreds of shoppers each day has led to protests from workers involved in getting groceries to consumers. Last month, employees of Whole Foods and workers who fulfil orders for the grocery delivery service Instacart organized strikes over what they described as hazardous working conditions and insufficient protections.

Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said many workers have been forced to make do with limited protective gear as masks and other personal protective equipment, or PPE, have been diverted to medical workers and others dealing directly with people who are already symptomatic or known to be exposed to the virus.

Masks and PPE ultimately went to first responders first, and then highest bidders, Perrone said. Some of our employers that we deal with lost shipments that were sent to other countries.

But Perrone stressed that grocery store workers still come into contact with scores of shoppers on a daily basis, many of whom may be asymptomatic carriers.

Whole Foods employees are not represented by the union, but a coalition of employees who staged a sickout to protest working conditions in March have planned another protest on May 1, according to The Guardian.

The dilemma facing grocery stores comes amid a larger debate between policy-makers and public health experts about how quickly to relax social distancing guidelines in the interest of spurring economic activity.

On Tuesday, Rep. Trey Hollingsworth joined other lawmakers calling for a return to more normalcy, telling an Indianapolis radio station that deciding between continuing the stay-at-home orders and getting people back to school and work would be up to Congress.

It is not zero evil, but it is the lesser of these evils and we intend to move forward in that direction, he said.

That is our responsibility, and to abdicate that is to insult the Americans that voted us into office.
United Protective Services LLC offers the full range of security services for business from throughout Colorado and beyond.

A March 18 article on MSN reports on a serious structure fire that occurred at a construction site in the Eastern Wharf area of Savannah, Georgia. Luckily, no one was injured, but damage to the property was extensive enough that a completion date will likely be pushed back significantly. As of the articles publication, a cause had not been determined for the fire. Denver based security firm United Protective Services LLC says that construction site fires are all too common, causing millions of dollars in damage every year. The firm says that something as simple as a 24/7 fire watch patrol can spot and put out a fire before the damage becomes significant.

United Protective Services notes that construction sites tend to be filled with hazardous chemicals, high-powered equipment, and combustible materials; all of which can obviously lead to big trouble if not properly watched over. This is especially true in the colder months when space heaters are often employed to keep workers warm, the firm adds. Of course, United Protective Services says that it only takes one simple oversightlike an operational space heater or power tool that has been forgotten for an extended timefor a malfunction to occur, spark a fire, and cause substantial property damage and worse, halting a construction project permanently and potentially leaving owners liable for damages. If any significant injuries result, the liability and morale costs rise exponentially.

United Protective Services says that construction site security with the added benefit of a fire watch patrol can easily monitor a site without getting in the way of workers duties. The firm says that, when workers leave for the day, experienced security teams remain on-site to deter miscreants, including would-be arsonists and keep an eye out for other potential threats. United Protective Services says that fire watch patrols are trained to be the first line of defense against a blaze and have the potential to save property owners untold amounts of money and heartache.

The firm also says that security services can also repel often relatively minor but potentially very expensive threats, such as vagrants, petty criminals, and escalating disputes between workers and/or visitors. United Protective Services adds that often the very presence of highly visible uniformed security personnel can ward off all types of unwanted guests and keep valuable equipment out of the hands of thieves, allowing construction professionals to focus solely on their jobs and let our specialists do what we do best  protecting the safety of lives and property.

Interested readers can find more information on United Protective Services LLC by visiting their website at https://www.unitedprotectiveservicesllc.com/ or by calling (303) 747-6434.


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The ministry of home affairs issued an advisory on Thursday stating that videoconferencing application, Zoom, is not a safe platform for users and issued a set of guidelines for private individuals if they wish to continue using the app.

The MHA advisory comes after the national cyber security agency, Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-in), cautioned that the app, which has become a popular medium of communication amid the ongoing lockdown, was vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The government has advised private individuals to prevent unauthorized entry in the conference room and guard against DoS (Denial-of-Service) attack by restricting user entry through passwords and access grant.

Most of the settings can be done by login into users zoom account at website, or installed application at PC/Laptop/Phone and also during conduct of conference. However certain settings are possible through certain mode/channel only. For example, lock meeting can be enabled by administrator only when the meeting has started, the advisory states.

In its earlier advisories on March 30 and April 6, CERT-in had stated that an unguarded usage of the application will make one vulnerable to information leak.

Insecure usage of the platform may allow cyber criminals to access sensitive information such as meeting details and conversation, it had said.
It wasnt long ago that Jimmie Haydens family feared he was at deaths door.

Hours after Hayden, 47, arrived at Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak on April 2, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and placed on a ventilator. As the machine manually pumped oxygen into his coronavirus-ravaged lungs, his condition stagnated.

But a week into his hospital stay, his doctors decided to try something different. They gave him blood plasma from a recovered donor, in the hopes that it would arm him with antibodies against the novel virus. He was the first COVID-19 patient in San Antonio to receive the experimental therapy, which is now being used in hospitals across the country to treat the sickest coronavirus patients.

On ExpressNews.com: Youre on pins and needles: For family of first San Antonio COVID-19 patient treated with donated plasma, there was fear, then hope

Hayden finally began to improve, and on Wednesday  less than a week after the transfusion  he reached an important milestone. He no longer needed the support of the ventilator.

Haydens wife, Ashley, wrote on Facebook that her husband was off the machine  or, more accurately, he had removed himself from it.

He had a coughing spell and coughed so hard that he coughed the tube out, she wrote, adding that his doctor said he looked fantastic.

Because hospitals have curtailed visitation to reduce spread of the virus, Ashley Hayden had been forced to follow her husbands illness from afar. Although she and three of her children were not tested for the virus, they had mild symptoms and suspected they had it, too, so they have been isolated in their Spring Branch-area home.

On ExpressNews.com: Its the best that weve got: San Antonio COVID-19 patients to receive plasma from donors who recovered from the virus

She became hopeful after her husband received the transfusion, and she has begun advocating for others who have recovered from the coronavirus to donate their plasma to other critical COVID-19 patients. In San Antonio, convalescent plasma is being collected from eligible donors by the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center.

Hayden still has a ways to go, his wife said, but were headed in the right direction.

They are letting him rest now, we probably wont be able to talk to him until tomorrow, she wrote. We can hardly wait for this to happen.

Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Lauren, become a subscriber. lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba
BAY CITY, MI  A Bay County man is heading to prison for setting fire to his dads house, truck, and camper, a case described by his sentencing judge as exceedingly sad.

Luke A. Weismiller on the morning of Wednesday, April 15, appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill from the county jail via Zoom. The sentencing, and other morning court matters, was live streamed from Gills courtroom onto YouTube and is viewable here.

Gill sentenced Weismiller, 21, to three concurrent prison terms of six to 20 years, five to 10 years, and 40 months to five years. The judge gave him credit for 236 days already served.

Gill also ordered Weismiller to pay $286,577.94 in restitution to Farm Bureau Insurance Company and $3,100 to his father.

Weismiller in March pleaded guilty to all three counts he faced  second-, third-, and fourth-degree arson. Prosecutors did not dismiss any charges but agreed to not file additional ones related to the same incident, court records show.

Defense attorney Bruce K. Mannikko said his client has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had been treated for it prior to his crimes, though he was not taking his prescribed medication when he committed them.

Bay County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey D. Stroud described Weismillers crimes as premeditated.

The defendant had to go acquire the gasoline in order to come back to the house and disperse it and set the house on fire, specifically by pouring it through the open front door, Stroud said.

It was noteworthy that Weismillers father was asleep in his house at the time, Stroud said.

He made no attempt whatsoever to alert his father that he was setting his fathers house on fire and it would burn to the ground, Stroud said. What saved his father was fire alarms and his ability to get out of his bedroom before the fire consumed that portion of the house. This is a very, very dangerous thing the defendant did.

The fire consumed the house, with a truck and camper also damaged by fire. Weismiller told responding troopers that he intended or wished to harm his dad, Stroud said.

This was a very deliberate act that the defendant did, Stroud said.

Gill asked Weismiller if he had anything to say.

Uh, no thanks, Weismiller said.

This is an exceedingly sad case, Gill said. Mr. Weismiller, there is no doubt in my mind, regardless of what you say, that you didnt expect and intend that your father be injured if not killed. You thought about this far in advance. You took a gas can down to a gas station, filled it up, came down and put the gas in the most likely spot that a person would try to escape from that burning home  the front door. And you did it in large quantities.

The judge said it was somewhat miraculous Weismillers father survived.

The is no question that you are a dangerous person, Gill said.

The judge went on to say Weismiller obviously has mental health problems and that those issues should be addressed.

There is something not right in your head, Gill said, and I wish our system was set up more to deal with that, but I dont have those tools available to me

Weismillers convictions stem from an incident that occurred in the early morning of Aug. 23. Michigan State Police troopers responded to a residential fire at 5033 Two Mile Road in Monitor Township. Firefighters were already on scene, battling blazes to the house, a garage, a camper, and a truck.

Troopers met with Weismiller and police allege he admitted to setting the fires at his dads residence.

The hearing was conducted remotely and streamed live in accordance with an April 7 administrative order from the Michigan Supreme Court authorizing courts to conduct remote hearings and setting the requirements for doing so, due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

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If the curve continues to flatten, the nation could open its borders to Australia

The nation only had 15 fresh new cases on Thursday, down from a peak of 89

New Zealand is considering opening its borders to Australian travellers as part of a 'trans-Tasman bubble' provided the rate of COVID-19 infections continues to trend downward in both countries.

The nation has been in Stage Four lockdown to curb the spread of the virus since March 26, leaving only supermarkets and chemists open, and all international travel was prevented except for returning citizens, residents and their families.

On Thursday officials announced only 15 fresh new cases, down from a peak of 89.

If the curve continues to flatten, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said there is a 'serious possibility' that New Zealand could open its borders to Australia sooner than the rest of the world.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters (pictured) said there is a 'serious possibility' that New Zealand could open borders to Australia sooner than the rest of the world

'Our figures with Australia, it's almost as if we've got a trans-Tasman bubble between our two countries, and if the figures keep on going that way, then that is a serious possibility,' he told Newstalk ZB on Thursday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was less forthcoming on the proposed trans-Tasman bubble, saying the priority of her country and Australia would be on reducing the spread of COVID-19 before any talks on reciprocal international travel.

'Both of us have the same goal in mind at the moment: get it under control in our own countries, and then we can talk about together, what we are able to achieve.'

Ms Ardern did say that discussions on border regimes with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was on her agenda.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined details of a potential move to alert stage three on April 16 as the rate of infections across the nations drops

Police stop vehicles to heading north on state highway one at Warkworth on April 9 amid strict stage four lockdowns

She has also been considering opening the borders to Singapore.

New Zealand was also considering easing its nationwide restrictions down to Stage Three next week, allowing restaurants and cafes to reopen to offer takeaway food and some other retail stores to also operate.

Ms Ardern referred to the Stage Three restrictions as 'the waiting room or something like a recovery room'.

'We have to wait and see if what we have done has worked,' she said.

'After a while, if we don't show further signs of illness, we can go back to a life that is a bit more normal which is what level two really starts to feel like.'

Benefiting from sea borders, a longer lead-in time to the arrival of cases and tough restrictions, the consensus view was that New Zealand had passed the worst of COVID-19 as a heath crisis.

Only supermarkets and chemists have remained open amid New Zealand's lockdown restrictions. Pictured: two people walking down an empty street in Wellington

A police officer checks the paperwork of an essential worker travelling south towards Christchurch at a checkpoint on April 10

Nine New Zealanders have died from complications from the virus.

Ms Ardern said the country's response 'has put us in the rare position where we can make choices about our next steps' and asked Kiwis to continue making sacrifices such as social distancing.

'Our best economic strategy is still to win the fight against the virus. Eliminate it,' she said.

'We have the opportunity to do something no other country has achieved - elimination of the virus - but it will continue to need a team of five million behind it.'

A decision on whether to ease the lockdown will come at next Monday's cabinet meeting.

New Zealand acted early in its fight to contain deadly coronavirus with Ms Ardern ordering the lockdown of 4.8 million people when the country had just 283 COVID-19 cases and no recorded deaths.

New Zealand had recorded 1,386 confirmed cases as of Thursday afternoon.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 15)  Those who would like to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacanang will have to take a rapid antibody test first as a safety precaution amid the COVID-19 pandemic, his spokesperson said Wednesday.

[Its] just at least ma-screen kahit papaano ang may audience sa President, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters.

[Translation: Its just to screen whoever seeks an audience with the President.]

However, Roque clarified that no one is allowed near Duterte, adding that a velvet cordon will separate him from his visitors.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin shared that he took a rapid test and got a negative result when he went to Malacanang. He mentioned that it only took ten minutes to get his result.

Roque also addressed the possible inaccuracy of the rapid tests.

Ang ayaw ng DOH diyan yung 90 percent accuracy on false negative but if its positive, so most likely its positive, he said.

[Translation: What the Department of Health does not want about it is the 90 percent accuracy on false negative but if it's positive, so most likely it's positive.]

The Health Department has repeatedly maintained that antibody tests can show false negative results, which is why it is not recommended for mass or self-testing.

The polymerase chain reaction tests remain the gold standard for detecting the deadly novel coronavirus. The rapid tests can only check the bodys antibodies that fight the infection.

The President on Monday said he will order the purchase of rapid test kits despite the product lacking approval from the country's Food and Drug Administration.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 06:32:18|Editor: Xiaoxia

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BRUSSELS, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) triggered on Wednesday a wave of criticism from European nations, as well as a joint call for solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump announced that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding to the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

However, the European Union (EU) and various European nations said "no" to blame and division. They have expressed support and commitment to the international organization responsible for global public health.

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, tweeted: "Deeply regret U.S. decision to suspend funding to @WHO. There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever to help contain & mitigate the #coronavirus pandemic. Only by joining forces we can overcome this crisis that knows no borders."

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on his Twitter account, "Blaming does not help. The virus knows no borders. We must cooperate closely against COVID-19."

"One of the best investments is that the United Nations, especially the underfunded WHO, to strengthen, for example in the development and distribution of tests and vaccines," Maas added.

Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) highlighted that the UN body is "key international organization in this pandemic."

"Multilateralism and international collaboration are central to successfully fighting COVID-19 together," the FOPH was cited by the Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS.

In Ireland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney became the first senior Irish official who has openly criticized the decision by Trump. He described the move as "indefensible" and "shocking."

"This is [an] indefensible decision, in [the]midst of global pandemic" when so many vulnerable people around the world rely on the WHO, Coveney tweeted.

"Deliberately undermining funding and trust now is shocking," he said, adding that "Now is a time for global leadership and unity to save lives, not division and blame!"

Also on Wednesday, Britain highlighted the important role of the WHO in spearheading the global health response.

"Our position is that the UK has no plans to stop funding the WHO, which has an important role to play in leading the global health response," a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a media briefing, adding that "Coronavirus is a global challenge and it's essential that countries work together to tackle this shared threat."

Across the English Channel, France regrets the U.S. decision on suspension of WHO funding.

France expects "a return to normal" so that the WHO could pursue its work, French government spokesperson Sibeth Ndiaye said at a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

In addition, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto termed the U.S. decision as "a major setback."

Talking to the Finnish news agency STT, Haavisto said that "the work of the WHO is needed especially these days for overcoming the coronavirus."

In stark contrast to the U.S. move, the Finnish government on Wednesday pledged to increase its funding for the WHO by restoring it to the 2015 level -- 5.5 million euros (6 million U.S. dollars).

The WHO is leading the global effort to prepare for and respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finland is one of the vice-chairs of the WHO Executive Board and supports a strong WHO, the government noted in the statement.

Moreover, some former WHO officials also rendered support for the organization.

Professor Anthony Costello, a British pediatrician and former director of the Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health at the WHO, said on Wednesday that it would "be extremely damaging to America's reputation worldwide" if the U.S. goes ahead with Trump's decision.

Speaking in a TV program of the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE, Costello said the WHO has given much support to the world's poorest countries in terms of testing, research and development in the fight against the pandemic.

In Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a virtual press conference the WHO regretted the U.S. decision to halt funding. The organization's performance in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic will be reviewed by WHO's member states "in due course," he added.

Tedros called on all the nations to be united in the common struggle against a common pandemic, because "when we are divided, the virus exploits the cracks between us."
Keeping Vulnerable Homeless Seniors Housed Post-Pandemic

Amid the pandemic, Los Angeles County is making an unprecedented effort to urgently bring 15,000 homeless people indoors to protect them from COVID-19 and slow the spread of infection. Acting on a motion by Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Janice Hahn, the Board of Supervisors approved developing a plan to keep particularly vulnerable homeless individuals housed even after the pandemic has subsided.

Currently, the LA County CEO Homeless Initiative is collaborating on Project Roomkey with the State of California, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and other public and private partners to secure 15,000 hotel and motel rooms to serve as temporary homes for people experiencing homelessness who are particularly vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus, especially seniors and those with underlying health conditions. As of April 13, more than 1,946 beds at 23 sites have been procured, of which 515 beds are already in use.

We cant just think short-term, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. We need to be thinking two steps ahead in order to mount a crisis response that is not only comprehensive but sustained.

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Now is the time to be having these conversations  not when the disaster funding runs out, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas added. We may need to strategically prioritize existing resources, including housing vouchers and supportive housing units that are coming online with Measure H and Proposition HHH funding, as well as Rapid Rehousing slots and resources for veterans.

Were using unprecedented resources to bring people off the streets and indoors during this pandemic, Supervisor Hahn said. This is the level of urgency that the homeless crisis has demanded for years and when the day comes that this pandemic is behind us, we need to ensure that we can take advantage of the progress we have made and make sure that the people we have found shelter do not end up back on the streets.

Bobby, a 65-year-old former software programmer lived in his car for 10 years until Project Roomkey helped him temporarily move into a hotel room. Its like I have to pinch myself all the time to believe this, he said. I would love it if they turn this into permanent housing because it would be kind of a bummer to have to go back to the car. To have permanent housing would be life changing  mentally, spiritually, every kind of way.

Arthur Ross, a 72-year old street outreach case manager for the homeless services provider HOPICS, also backed the effort to provide long-term housing, particularly for vulnerable homeless seniors. A societys greatness can be measured by how well it treats the young and the old, he said. With a sustainable plan, homeless seniors have an opportunity to rise like a phoenix out of the ashes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) also expressed strong support for the Supervisors motion, calling it a major step toward a long-term strategy to provide a roof over the head of every Angeleno. LABC President Mary Leslie said, With nearly 9 percent of the LA County homeless population aged 65+, and growing, we must take every action to protect these at-risk individuals and families.

Meanwhile, Willowbrook Senior Center Director and Empowerment Congress Senior Services Committee Director Sandi Hamilton said, Older adults have had to dip into their retirement savings to address high housing costs, home and car maintenance, family matters and medical needs. This public health crisis will further send many senior citizens into poverty and homelessness. Plans to address homelessness must continue as, indeed, housing is a human right for all individuals. This motion supports outside-the-box solutions to ensure that we have NO unsheltered people over 65.

This motion continued action that Supervisors Ridley-Thomas and Hahn initiated on January 21, 2020 when the Board directed County Departments to examine the Comprehensive Crisis Response Strategy issued by Governor Newsoms Council of Regional Homeless Advisors and develop the framework for establishing a legal obligation to provide housing.

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In a report back to the Board dated March 24, 2020, a workgroup of County Departments proposed implementing or scaling up 16 of the Comprehensive Crisis Response strategies. It also proposed a pilot program that would focus on ensuring housing for homeless people aged 65 years or older.

The County has been working aggressively to address the homelessness crisis. With assistance from the State, the County could do even more to help people move into housing, County CEO Sachi Hamai said in the report.

The newest motion called for the County to report back with an initial plan in 30 days and a longer-range implementation framework within 45 days to ensure options to all homeless older adults aged 65 and older who are willing to receive housing and services.
The Government of India is in the process of deliberating and readying the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill to place it on the parliamentary altar to try and change the destiny of our citizens.

The book The Tyranny of Distance published in 1966 talks about how Australia's geographic aloofness, especially from its colonial master Great Britain has been critical in its history and in shaping its identity. The book explains how this great geographical divide made Australians unsure of their future economic prosperity which pushed them towards self-reliance in order to tame the tyranny and to actually turn it into an advantage. Though the context is non-colonial, can the same be said for the northeastern states in India?

Until recently, anything which lay beyond the famed Chickens Neck (the corridor near Siliguri which joins the northeastern states with mainland India) was shunned out of our collective consciousness. The elusive newsworthiness begins to lose its breath by the time it reaches the outer limits of the National Capital Region, begins panting in Bihar and gets knocked out before it sets foot in Bengal.

The Seven Sisters barely stand a chance. This has made the information coming to us from the northeastern states anecdotal, steeped in prejudice and quite inadequate. The Government of India is in the process of deliberating and readying the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill to place it on the parliamentary altar to try and change the destiny of our citizens.

This time, it majorly concerns the tribal population and areas of four North East states  Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram  and is set to usher in integral changes to the politics and life of the region. In the spirit of taking active interest in the lives and in the geo-politics of the region so that we can, for once, awaken from our collective slumber with respect to the region, it is incumbent to analyse the major changes in the proposed amendment.

The Constitution provides for autonomous districts in the these states encompassing regions where indigenous tribes reside within such states. The governance and the administration of these autonomous districts are carried out by distinct entities created under the sixth Schedule of our Constitution, called District Councils or Regional Councils (in case one District Council area has more than one kind of tribe a Regional Council is created).

The District/Regional Councils are somewhat like states within a state with starkly independent governance. The autonomous District/Regional Councils comprise of elected and nominated members and these councils exercise legislative, executive as well as judicial powers. For example, the laws of inheritance, marriage, contracts are governed by separate laws which stem from local tribal customs and which are made by the District/Regional Councils and not by the state legislature. Even the Indian Penal Code, 1860, is not applicable to the tribes living in the District/Regional Councils and even the power to impose tax are devolved to such councils with minimal state interference.

These autonomous District/Regional Councils find their origin in the British Rajs policy of non-intervention in matters of faith and custom of conquered territories especially that of a hostile territory so that the cost of fending off threats does not outweigh the revenues from taxes collected. A policy which they probably borrowed from the mighty Romans who followed the same pattern in their gigantic kingdom.

The framers of our Constitution accepted the policy of non-interference and internal self-determination in the region in order to protect the distinctiveness of the tribes and to preserve their cultural rights. For most of part of 70 years since the inauguration of the Constitution, the tribes and the District/Regional Councils have remained largely independent, steeped in self-governance.

There are 10 (ten) autonomous District/Regional Councils in these states: North Cachar Hills District Council, the Karbi and Anglong District Council and the Bodoland territorial Area District Council in Assam, Khasi Hills District, Jaintia Hills District and Garo Hills District in Meghalaya, Tripura Tribal Areas District in Tripura and The Chakma District, The Mara District and The Lai District in Mizoram.

First major amendment proposed is to Article 280 of the Constitution which deals with the Finance Commission of India. By way of the proposed amendment the Finance Commission is enabled to make recommendations on measures to augment the consolidated fund of a state to provide resources to District Councils, Village Councils, and Municipal Councils (the village and municipal councils are also new bodies also brought in by the Proposed Amendment discussed later) in tribal areas in these states.

The objective of this particular amendment is to strengthen the District Councils and enhance its resources, including their better finances through the Finance Commission, so as to bring the District Councils at par with the Panchayati Raj Institutions which were created by way of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution which were not made applicable to the autonomous regions then. The proposed amendment also provides for the constitution of State Finance Commissions in these states.

While, this is a stride in a positive direction, a couple of questions lurk. Firstly, it was suggested by some of these states that tribes be provided representation in the Finance Commission so that the grassroot-level issues can be better appreciated while the Finance Commission is deliberating on their fate.

Secondly, some of these states also suggested direct funding of District Councils so that their autonomy remain intact and the funds would not have to be routed through the state governments. Both these suggestions have been shot down by the Ministry of Home Affairs as per the Standing Committee report on the proposed amendment headed by Anand Sharma.

The second noteworthy change in the structure of self-governance of the region is the constitution of village and municipal councils as sub-bodies under the District Councils to further the devolution of power. One eyesore is the exception afforded to Meghalaya from this provision for no particular rhyme or reason.

The Standing Committee has observed that this exception goes against the spirit of democracy and that the government should reconsider its decision. Similarly, under the proposed amendment, the state Election Commission is now empowered to conduct the polls in the region. However, again, with the unfortunate exclusion of Meghalaya. This may lead to disarray in terms of the rights and duties within the pool of the autonomous District Councils which is avoidable.

The third important amendment concerns the increase in number of seats in few of the District Councils in some of these states. The spike in strength of seats vary from 10 seats to 20 seats in of the District Councils. While increase in representation is definitely a step in the right direction, however, some of these states, including the BJP-ruled Assam, have argued that the increased number of seats be tied to the population (similar to the determination of seats in Lok Sabha/Assembly constituencies).

While the Ministry of Home Affairs argues that the raise in the seats based on the Memorandum of Settlement signed with various tribal constituents, even the Standing Committee report on the proposed amendment has expressed concerns regarding the same.

The fourth significant amendment is with respect to the reservation of women in the District Councils. The good news is that reservation has been provided for in the newly constituted village and municipal councils under the District Councils for women to the extent of one-third members, the bad news is that the reservation in the District Council is only limited to 2 members that too in the nominated members category who are nominated by the governor.

What has to be borne in mind is that many of these tribes are matrilineal societies and the political participation of women becomes all the more incumbent for that reason. The District Councils are the real power centres who will be supervising the village and municipal councils and the lack of reservations therein may defeat the purpose entirely.

Further, Meghalaya has been given an exception with respect to reservation of seats of women. This step, with no seemingly evident reason, has been commented upon strongly by the Standing Committee as well. It remains to be seen if the government will reconsider its decision.

Lastly, one of the meatiest portions of the proposed amendment concerns Assam. The amendment transfers an additional 30 subjects from state government to the autonomous District Councils inter alia important subjects such as land, public works, food and civil supplies and tourism, devolving legislative and executive powers for such subjects.

There are two issues with this: firstly it is a missed opportunity for the government to replicate similar devolution of powers with respect to other such states, especially in the light of multiple demands for the same by other states as noted by the Standing Committee. Secondly, there seems to be a disagreement with respect to the transfer land to the autonomous District Councils in Assam.

The government of Assam has requested an exception in the proposed amendment to clarify that the state government will have the power to take over land for government projects. The Standing Committee has recommended that the ministry build consensus on the provision with the state government, the District Councils, and other elected representatives. It further recommended that the government should consider devolution of powers to make laws on these subjects to the autonomous District Councils in Mizoram and Tripura as well.

Reverend JJM Nichols Ro, a member of the Constituent Assembly, while debating the provision during the drafting process made a significant point: I wish some of my friends who had spoken would place themselves in the place of these tribal people, place themselves in their conditions, study their views, realise what their ambitions and their aspirations are, and whether if they were in that place they would like those feelings and aspirations to be crushed to pieces and themselves just cowed down by the sword, or whether they would like to be won by love and by association and by the gradual understanding of one another.

The good old reverend's words are as relevant today as they were in August 1949.
Bank of America announced Thursday that it is donating $375,000 to non-profits across the Alamo City, including a $200,000 check to the San Antonio Food Bank.

Officials with the company said they wanted to help address food insecurity, which is an urgent need in San Antonio at this time. Last week, the food bank fed almost 10,000 households during a drive-thru food giveaway, and is in desperate need for funding during the high demand it is experiencing because of the pandemic.
In March, Apple launched new iPad Pro models for 2020 with an updated processor, LiDAR sensor, keyboard and mouse support in iOS 13.4 and more. To complement this mouse support, Apple also announced that they developed a new Magic Keyboard with a built-in trackpad and now it will be available for purchase soon in India.

With iOS 13.4, Apple added a fully featured mouse support that was designed specifically for iPadOS in mind. It wasnt just a simple mouse cursor, instead it was dynamic in its shape and function, adjusting according to the context.

While iPadOS will work with just about any mouse or trackpad, Apple claims to have designed the Magic Keyboard to work best with the iPad Pro. The keyboard makes it simpler to do productivity based tasks like writing and editing texts or spreadsheets and the trackpad supports multi-touch gestures for easy OS navigation.

The Magic Keyboard will be available soon in India and will have a price of Rs. 27900 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and Rs. 31900 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It will support layouts for nearly 30 languages that include simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs. 71900 for the Wi-Fi model and Rs. 85900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs. 89900 for the Wi-Fi model and Rs. 103900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The second-generation Apple Pencil for iPad Pro is available for Rs. 10900. The updated Smart Keyboard Folio will be priced at Rs. 7500 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and Rs. 9900 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Source
A study of Dutch blood donors has found that around three percent have developed antibodies against the new coronavirus, health authorities said on Thursday.

The statistic is an indication of what percentage of the Dutch population may have already had the disease - and thus could have some level of immunity to the virus.

Officials around the world are looking to antibody testing as a window to the future and harbinger of when governments can start to relax restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus to reopen their countries.

In the US, President Trump has proclaimed that he wants to reopen the government by May 1, and has added his voice to the urge to expand antibody testing to that end.

Antibody testing has just begun in the US - despite questions over the tests' reliability - and few countries have reported results of their own testing.

The revelation that three percent of the Dutch population has developed antibodies gives some small indication how what portion of people living in other countries with similar infection rates - including the US - might have developed some immunity.

Dutch officials revealed Thursday that early testing suggests 3% of the population has coronavirus antibodies. In the US, antibody testing has just begun and officials hope it will provide insights into when the country can reopen

In the Netherlands, 29,381 people have contracted coronavirus.

That accounts for 0.17 percent of the Scandinavian nation's population of 17.28 million.

Although the population of the US is more than 10 times that of the Netherlands, the infection rates of the two countries are somewhat closer together, differing by about 18 percent (0.20 percent of the US population has caught coronavirus, compared to 0.17 percent of the Dutch population).

Notably, the Netherlands is only testing the sickest people and those working on the front lines of the pandemic, and its first coronavirus case was reported about a month late than the US confirmed its first patient - factors that may partially account for the differences in infection rates.

The head of the Netherlands' National Institute for Health (RIVM), Jaap van Dissel, disclosed the results during a debate with parliament.

'This study shows that about three percent of Dutch people have developed antibodies against the coronavirus,' Van Dissel said.

'You can calculate from that, it's several hundred thousand people' in a country of 17 million.

There are 28,158 confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands, but only the very ill and healthcare workers are currently being tested.

The blood donation service Sanquin announced it would begin testing on 10,000 samples weekly on March 19, but later said it would only disclose results to the RIVM.

In the US, at least 95 antibody tests are now available, according to Buzzfeed, but only three have been authorized by the FDA, there's little consistency in how the tests were developed or even what antibodies they're screening for.

Some uncertainty surrounds antibody testing because only a few of the 95 on the market in the US are FDA-authorized and have been created using different methodology. Pictured: a Minimus lab tech reads the results of antibody tests in Brooklyn (file)

And, so far, there's no repository of data on how many people have been tested for coronavirus antibodies using these disparate tools, much less figures on how many of those tested were positive.

Last week, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the launch of its own antibody study.

The agency plans to recruit 10,000 American adults who have never tested positive for coronavirus.

'This study will give us a clearer picture of the true magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States by telling us how many people in different communities have been infected without knowing it, because they had a very mild, undocumented illness or did not access testing while they were sick,' Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

'These crucial data will help us measure the impact of our public health efforts now and guide our COVID-19 response moving forward.'

Officials hope that those who have developed antibodies for coronavirus will have some level of immunity to the virus, and will be safer to return to work to help restart the economy.

It's too soon to know if the US will population will have similar rates of immunity to that of the Dutch people.

But if that were the case, and three percent of the US population had already been infected with and developed some immunity to coronavirus, that would open up the possibility for some 47 million people (about three percent of the workforce) to return their jobs.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces said Wednesday that it will reopen churches and allow a small number of people to attend public celebrations of Mass in what could be the first move to alter a diocese-declared ban on public services in the U.S.

Priests were encouraged to hold public Mass at Las Cruces Diocese parishes while having parishioners abide by social distancing restrictions ordered by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, diocese spokesman Christopher Velasquez said.

That means churches can only hold Mass with five or fewer people in attendance and they must stay 6 feet apart, Velasquez said.

If you show up to your parish without calling first, you might be turned away, Velasquez said.

The diocese also said it will allow priests to hold outdoor services while people stay in their cars.

The Santa Fe Archdiocese and Gallup Diocese  New Mexicos other Catholic dioceses  are continuing a ban on gatherings and in-person Mass services.

Las Cruces Bishop Peter Baldacchino made the decision about the limited opening of churches after hearing news reports about the spread of COVID-19 in southern New Mexico, Velasquez said.

We are hearing reports about divorces, drug abuse and now people losing their jobs, Velasquez said. The church is here to offer hope.

The Catholic News Agency reports Baldacchino is the first in the nation to modify a declared diocesan ban on public Masses.

The bishop also made provisions for priests to resume weddings and funerals as long as state regulations on social distancing are followed.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops shared steps with members that could be taken in response to the outbreak. Since then, bishops across the U.S. moved to cancel in-person Mass services, close schools and halt Easter pilgrimages.

States also have imposed restrictions on social gatherings involving places of worship.
According to the latest Health Ministry announcement on Thursday, Iran's COVID-19 deaths are below 100 for a third day in a row. The number of new cases has not changed much as more testing is now being done. The situation in Tehran, however, is still escalating.

In his daily briefing on Thursday, the Spokesman of Iran's Health Ministry said the identification of 1,606 more COVID-19 patients has taken the total to 77,995 while the number of deaths at the national level is down to 92. Currently 3,594 patients are in intensive care due to coronavirus infection, he said and added that more than 310,000 coronavirus tests have been administered since the beginning of the epidemic in February.

On Wednesday Dr. Jahanpur had said that one-third of coronavirus deaths in recent days were being registered in Tehran. Iran's Health Ministry has never released the number of cases and deaths in Tehran and Qom, presumably due to concerns about national security.

According to Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi, detailed reports are not being released in order to stop people from traveling from more infected provinces to lesser infected areas and preventing the virus from spreading.

In recent days a Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raeesi and the Research arm of the Iranian Parliament have admitted that Iran's coronavirus cases and deaths are much higher than the numbers announced by the Health Ministry. The official figures are solely on positive RT-PCR tests. The results of the test are reliable only in 60 to 70 percent of the cases, the parliament's Research Center said in its report.

The report released by the parliamentary think tank on Tuesday estimated that the real number of coronavirus cases in the country may be up to 10 times higher than the cases identified by the Health Ministry while the real number of deaths may be nearly 8,700.
Health experts around the world have recommended social distancing as an effective way to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. In an effort to increase social distancing, state and local governments have closed schools for over 97 percent of the school-aged population in the United States. In Pennsylvania, confirmed cases of the virus are growing seemingly every day, and Gov. Tom Wolf announced a mandatory closure of all public schools on March 13.

Closing brick-and-mortar schools was a smart decision to flatten the curve in Pennsylvania. However, the state government has made decisions since then that will discourage continuity of education during the current crisis. Heres how:

Gov. Wolf ordered all public and private schools to close, including cyber charter schools serving more than 37,000 children in the state virtually. This kind of blanket order does nothing to encourage schools to provide educational services to students online during the emergency.

Although it is still technically possible for cyber charter schools to enroll new students and provide educational services virtually during the mandated closure, the legislature just passed a bill that would actually discourage these schools from helping kids in this time of need. This at a time when Pennsylvanias school districts were woefully unprepared to provide remote instruction for their students, unlike in many other states.

As a response to the unanticipated closures, the bill shortens the school year and ensures that school employees still get paid the same amount. Those things sound reasonable.

However, the bill forbids all public charter schools that are closed from counting new students on their official enrollment numbers starting on March 13, the day of the governors announcement to close all schools. Because all schools are officially closed on paper, this part of the legislation applies to all public charter schools whether they are providing educational services virtually or not.

In practice, this means that although families are technically allowed to enroll their children in cyber charter schools at this time, the charter schools will not be paid for their services. And because the cyber charter schools would have to take on additional costs associated with educating the new students, the legislation financially harms cyber charter schools for accepting these students and doing the right thing.

Thats the opposite of what the state should be doing if it wants to encourage schools to help its most vulnerable families and their children right now.

The legislation is also discriminatory because it only applies the March 13 enrollment rule to public charter schools, not district-run public schools. In other words, school districts will be compensated for serving new students during the crisis virtually, but public charter schools will not.

Put differently, if a family moves from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and enrolls their child in a district-run public school today, that school will rightly be compensated for serving that child. But the bill does not allow the state to pay for that same child to be educated in a cyber charter school.

Noticing the appeal of cyber charter schools at this time, the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators recently pushed to block families from switching to these virtual schools altogether. Just last week, this association lobbied the Pennsylvania Department of Education to ban all cyber charter school enrollments during the closure.

Imagine if dine-in-only restaurants lobbied to close down all restaurants offering carryout services. That would help protect dine-in-only restaurants from competition. But that move would be shamefully opportunistic and obviously wouldnt help families in need. Yet, that is essentially what the school administrators association wanted for the states education system.

The legislature rushed a bill that financially punishes charter schools for serving additional children virtually during the pandemic. The urgency is understandable, but Gov. Wolf could still fix this problem by allowing public charter schools that are providing educational services virtually to officially open. That would reward cyber charter schools for doing the right thing and serving the families who need them the most right now. Hopefully the governor does the right thing, too.

Corey DeAngelis is the director of school choice at Reason Foundation and an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute. He is also the executive director at Educational Freedom Institute.
Britain's foreign aid budget soared 623million to a record 15.2billion in 2019  up 4.3 per cent, it emerged yesterday.

The nation paid 1 out of every 8 in foreign aid given by 29 major countries, figures reveal.

None of the other most developed G7 nations of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US met the global target of 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid.

In fact, Britain gave more than twice the G7 average of 0.29 per cent. The US is the world's biggest aid donor in cash terms, but its 27.1billion contribution is just 0.16 per cent of its national income.

The international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development rules on what counts as official development assistance. But only five of its 30 development assistance committee (DAC) members  Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and the UK  met or exceeded 0.7 per cent last year.

A la cart: Shali in Egypt, where a mosque was rebuilt. Britain paid 1 out of every 8 in foreign aid given by 29 major countries, figures reveal

None of the other most developed G7 nations of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US met the global target of 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid

By comparison, Australia spends just 0.22 per cent of its national income on aid, with Canada on 0.27 per cent, Japan on 0.29 per cent and Spain on 0.21 per cent. Italy gives 0.24 per cent and France only 0.44 per cent.

Turkey, which is not a member of the DAC, gave 1.15 per cent.

... and where your cash went to in 2018 A mosque in Shali in Egypt has been rebuilt using British foreign aid, and more than 830,000 was spent in Turkey, a member of the G20 group of the world's richest nations. Projects funded there included 50,467 to document rock carvings.

Giant mice are being wiped out on an uninhabited volcanic island in the Atlantic using more than 1.5million in aid. Experts want to kill every mouse on Gough Island to protect one of the world's most important seabird nest sites. At least two million chicks are lost annually to the mice, which are 50 per cent bigger than house mice.

Britain has increased foreign aid spending in China and India, which can both afford to send rockets to the Moon. Projects included 1.1million to cut the amount of salt the Chinese eat, and on text alerts to tackle problem drinking in India. Advertisement

Although most of Britain's foreign aid is distributed by the Department for International Development, other ministries use it, too.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spent 951million last year  an increase of 101million on 2018.

The Home Office gave 452million, up 115million on the year before, thanks to a rise in spending to support asylum seekers.

Britain's aid budget has more than doubled from the 7.3billion spent in 2009 and has more than quadrupled from the 3.3billion handed out in 2002. The UK has met the 0.7 per cent target every year since 2013.

Foreign aid is calculated according to the UK's gross national income, which reached 2.2trillion last year.

The impact of coronavirus on the economy is likely to make aid spending fall this year for the first time since 2007.

The Commons international development committee began an inquiry last month into the effectiveness of the billions spent by the UK on foreign aid. The budget has faced criticism, with questions over the legitimacy of projects and whether they make a lasting difference.

The Department for International Development spent 11.1billion (73.2 per cent) of the foreign aid money last year.

The Mail revealed this year how the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport  which spent 13million last year, up from 9million in 2018  is using cash intended to help the world's poorest to protect heritage sites and traditions in the Middle East and Africa. Projects funded include restoring a rock-salt mosque in Shali, Egypt.

The DCMS also spends around 300,000 a year in aid on the upkeep of Marlborough House, the royal palace used as offices by Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Scotland.

A Government spokesman said: 'It is in Britain's national interest to make the world a healthier, safer and more prosperous place.

'Right now our aid budget is being used to tackle coronavirus by funding vaccine research and helping stop the spread of the virus in developing countries, so we can prevent a second wave reaching the UK.

'We're also developing our trading partners for the future and helping countries become self-sufficient, so they're no longer dependent on aid.

'We keep all our aid spending under constant review to ensure it is delivering results and value for money.'
Surge in the number of cancer patients and the subsequent demand for internal radiotherapy devices will continue to drive the demand for dosimetry products.

DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / The global dosimetry market will create incremental dollar opportunities to the tune of US$ 4 Bn from 2019 to 2029. Research and development in cancer treatment and medical devices used for chemotherapy will generate continued sales for dosimetry products. Increases in the geriatric population segment of developed countries such as the US coupled with declining health conditions create lucrative opportunities for the dosimetry market. Omnipresent government investments in developing nuclear energy capabilities will further the demand for dosimeters during the forecast period.

"Growing emphasis on monitoring and propagating the health of hospital staff treating cancer patients will generate additional revenues for market players. Further, the uptake in residential chemotherapy furthers the demand for remote monitoring of radiation levels using dosimetry products." finds a FMI analyst

For more insights into the Market, request a sample of this report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3482

Dosimetry market - Key Takeaways

Personal electronic dosimeters hold more than 60% share of the total market revenues.

Wearable dosimeter will account for an eminent revenue share among modality segments.

Passive dosimeters maintain their hegemony holding a majority market value share.

Industrial and medical end-uses will garner a lion's share of 40% of the total market value.

North America currently leads global sales.

South Asia & Oceania present the most remunerative growth opportunities through 2029.

Dosimetry market - Key Driving Factors

Emphasis on enhanced protection of medical professionals working in high radiation environments drives growth for dosimetry product manufacturers.

Increase in consumer spending on cancer detection tests and treatments continue to bolster revenues for market players.

Advancements in high-performance dosimetry coupled with reduction in product size propels the adoption of dosimetry in end-uses.

Growing demand for residential care for cancer patients on the back of high disposable income of consumers will continue to generate revenues.

Dosimetry Market - Key Constraint

Scrutiny of nuclear projects from non-profit organizations run by radiation affected patients poses mild constraint on the demand for dosimetry products for preventive healthcare checks.

Calculating the Negative Impact of COVID-19

The pandemic has shifted focus on essential medical supplies such as ventilators, face masks, and sterilization equipment. This has a negative impact on the growth of the dosimetry market. As transportation of all non-essential healthcare products is suspended to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Market players will witness an uptake in demand depending on how countries' healthcare response fairs against novel coronavirus.

However, manufacturers are urged to contribute in any capacity they can. This means demand from cancer patients undergoing treatment should be catered to amid the pandemic. Manufacturers must then devise strategies to manufacture and deliver dosimeters to crucial cancer patients and healthcare institutions.

Request the coronavirus impact analysis across industries and markets https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/covid19/rep-gb-3482

Competitive Landscape

Leveraging industry 4.0 technologies to enhance product performance, and production capacity are the most popular strategies among major players. Mergers and acquisitions are a commonplace occurrence in the dosimetry market. For instance, acquisition of Canberra Industries by Mirion Technologies was one of the biggest acquisitions in the history of the dosimetry market. Competition in dosimetry products is moving towards consolidation during the forecast period. Key players in the market are, but not limited to, Honeywell, Fisher Scientific Inc., Landauer, Inc. (Fortive), Mirion Technologies Inc., Fuji Electric Corporation of America, Polimaster Inc., JP Laboratories Inc., X-Z Lab Inc., Ludlum Measurements Inc., Laurus Systems Inc., Far West Technology Inc., and S.E. International Inc.

More About the Report

The FMI's market research report of 300 pages offers comprehensive insights on the synthetic quartz market. The market is analyzed on the basis of product (personal electronic, self-reading, and processed dosimeters), modality (wearable (collar, chest, waist, wrist, and finger), and non-wearable), energy (active and passive), end-user (industrial, medical, oil & gas, defense & homeland security, mining, environmental, and others), across seven key regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and MEA).

Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices Landscape

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(CNN) Maybe you're among the most fortunate in the coronavirus crisis -- your loved ones are healthy and you're sheltering at home.

Yet you still feel emotionally bulldozed by the pandemic. Those feelings of uncertainty, helplessness and exhaustion may be grief.

"A lot of people who I speak to, and I would include myself in this, we just feel flattened," said Phyllis Kosminsky, a clinical social worker in Westchester County, New York, specializing in grief, loss and trauma.

"We've lost that sense of certainty, that sense of safety, that sense of predictability and so it stands to reason that all of that leaves us feeling dislocated and unsure about what's going to happen next," said Kosminsky, who is president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

With more than 120,000 Covid-19 deaths recorded globally as of April 15, people all over the world are grieving the sudden loss of loved ones, and the intensity of those losses is clear.

But grief can come from the loss of anything we're attached to deeply: the loss of economic stability, the loss of our ability to move around freely, the ability to participate in life's milestones in person.

"The grief that people have difficulty naming is the sense of loss that we have for all that we thought we were secure in -- like the loss of the illusion that we're in control of our lives," said Sonya Lott, a Philadelphia-based psychologist with advanced training in treating complicated grief.

Your high school or college senior might not have a graduation ceremony or your daughter might not have the wedding she's dreamed of for years.

"We have to realize all those losses are grief, they are real grief," said David Kessler, author of "Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief," which he wrote after the death of his 21-year-old son.

Guilt doesn't help grief

While it's easy to look at your situation and compare it with others who may have experienced more profound losses, judging your feelings isn't helpful in honoring them and moving through them.

"As a bereaved parent, I want people to know that all tears count and all grief counts," said Kessler, who co-authored two books with psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, including an adaptation of her five stages of grief for bereavement.

"The woman whose wedding is canceled, yes, she's going to get to have another wedding in three months or four months or six months, but she gets to have grief and be disappointed now," he said.

People often feel guilty about being upset over the loss of their routine or their sense of control when they know others are suffering more.

"You know we compare, 'well my loss isn't as difficult as their loss.' We don't feel ... empowered to acknowledge our grief because we think grief is only real or valid if someone dies," Lott said.

But smaller losses are real and valid, too, and grieving them is part of taking care of ourselves.

"Because when we don't honor it, it shows up in other ways: in our bodies, in our well-being -- physically, emotionally, spiritually," Lott said.

You can acknowledge any privilege you may have in facing this crisis while still honoring your losses, she said.

Restoration and gratitude are part of grieving

Being present in our sadness is important while at the same time holding as much gratitude or joy as we can, Lott said.

"It's really important for us to be present to the loss as we're moving through it, but it's also important to stay present to the restoration, to the moving forward, to the finding the meaning in our living, to allowing moments of joy to come in to release some of the anguish," Lott said.

Crying and screaming are healthy expressions of grief, therapists say, and dancing and singing can also be restorative expressions of emotion.

Humor is an innate coping strategy, Lott noted, as we've seen in the memes and the hilarious and creative lockdown videos, interviews and messages circulating on the Internet.

And then there are the efforts we make to rest and center ourselves -- whether through sleep, exercise, meditation or a personal passion project.

Care for yourself

Self-care is part of the restoration process involved in grieving, but it doesn't need to look like a checklist of achievements.

"You know people have told me that they've bought weight sets and they're going to really get in shape while they're home and then ... they're not lifting the weights they bought because they don't realize that grief is exhausting," Kessler said.

"Figuring out how to survive is exhausting. Going 'oh my goodness, there's the mailman, let me stand back six feet. I don't want to make him sick, I don't want him to make me sick. That's exhausting," he said.

One important element of taking care of yourself is setting boundaries.

Being able to say, "today is not the day" when someone comes to you with something you can't presently deal with, Lott said, noting that women often struggle with feelings that taking care of yourself is somehow selfish.

It's not.

Connection is essential and sometimes draining

While we can still reach out to loved ones by phone or Zoom and WhatsApp, the comfort of hugs and physical touch is off limits in many of our closest relationships, depriving us of the feel-good hormone oxytocin that helps us feel calm and loved.

But virtual connection is far better than nothing.

"Connect, connect, connect, connect as much as you can," Lott said, but be aware of any tendency to be more present for other people than you are for yourself.

Kosminsky recognizes that reaching out to others can feel like a hurdle when we're feeling the flatness that she and others have experienced during this period.

She recommends making a short list of people you really care about and scheduling calls with them.

"Don't wait until you feel like calling your friend, or your mother, or your sister, because if you're one of those people who never seem to really feel up to it, that feeling is not going to dissipate," she said, noting that pacing ourselves is going to be key to coping with this crisis long-term.

Recognizing meaningful moments also helps balance feelings of loss

"I live on a street where I only knew a couple of neighbors' names. We're now all on a text chain. We ask, "Oh, does the elderly man at the end of the block need anything at the grocery?' That's meaningful," Kessler said.

Don't forget compassion

Being productive is hard when we're grieving, and the things that nourish us -- the self-care -- can feel daunting.

"If you think about someone who's in grief, do we ever say, 'wow, when she was in grief, she sure ate well, she sure got the right amount of sleep, boy, she was very productive.' That's not what grief looks like," Kessler said.

Put activities that bring you peace and moments of happiness at the center of caring for yourself.

"Whatever brings you joy. For me, I love jigsaw puzzles, and so I'm doing more of those," Lott said.

Have compassion for yourself. Acknowledge that we're living in abnormal times, and don't criticize yourself for feeling grief, whether the loss involves death or not.

"Self care is always our goal, but you know this is about progress, not perfection," Kessler said.

"And we're measuring ourselves by a goal in normal times. 'Oh, I bought the weights, why aren't I doing them? Oh, I don't have to get up in the morning, why aren't I sleeping enough?'"

That would be because you're in the middle of a pandemic, he said.

"Let those words in: You're in the middle of a pandemic."

It's stressful and uncharted. Be kind to yourself.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "That uncomfortable coronavirus feeling: It could be grief."
Marshall Mitzman hadnt planned to be at Gateway Care & Rehabilitation Center for long  he and his wife were still hoping to cruise around the Mediterranean to celebrate their 75th birthdays.

The 73-year-old Hayward community leader died at the nursing home after a short battle with COVID-19. The Alameda County district attorneys office is investigating the outbreak. Thirteen residents of the nursing home have died, and scores of patients and staff members have been infected.

Mitzman had been at Gateway since February, recovering from a brain tumor. The death was sudden, his wife, Felicidad Felie Ulep-Mitzman, said, with few of the usual symptoms. The last time she saw him was through the window, on Easter Sunday. It was the first time shed visited him that he hadnt waved  he just looked confused. On Tuesday, she got a call from the nurses saying that he had died after experiencing difficulty breathing.

She still doesnt know what happened, how it all changed so fast.

The worst thing is that youre not able to hug or see him, or at least say goodbye, Ulep-Mitzman said.You cannot even touch each other because of this virus. No words, no nothing.

Mitzman was born on May 23, 1946, in Michigan to Moe Mitzman, a chemical engineer, and Nellie Mitzman-Schartz. Mitzman and his sister and three brothers grew up in the small town of Angola, Ind.; the children helped their parents with the familys bleach manufacturing business, washing and soaking off labels from recycled bottles to label, refill and deliver them.

Everyone was poor and nobody knew it, his sister, Vivian Ehrlich, said, noting that even as a young boy, Marshall worked hard to save money for college. Any education he got, he earned on his own.

Education was of paramount importance for Mitzman, and in 1964, he moved to the Bay Area, where he attended community college at Foothill in Los Altos Hills and De Anza in Cupertino. He obtained a bachelors degree at San Jose State University.

He eventually earned his masters and doctoral degrees at Judge College and Cambridge University in England. Afterward, he returned to California where he stayed for the rest of his life, owning and operating a variety of businesses including his most recent company, Fingerprint Services of America.

When he met Felie in 1992, he ran a video store in Saratoga. They were married during a Lion King themed ceremony in 1994 in the library of a cruise ship headed for the Caribbean with 35 of their closest friends and family members in attendance. He loved to pamper her with her favorite flowers, orchids  for no other reason than just to express his love. He called her his queen, she said.

Many knew Mitzman for his deep love of Disney, especially of Mickey Mouse. Their wedding favors were Mickey Mouse themed, and their house, Ulep-Mitzman said, was like a curio shop of Mickey Mouse collectibles, with a Disney flag out front, a bush in their front yard landscaped in the shape of Mickeys head, and a red Mini Cooper that he called his Mickey Car. He had been one of the earliest to have stock in the Disney Co. and sported a collection of hundreds of Mickey Mouse ties.

But he was most known in the community for his service to students. Heidi Benson Stagg of Alameda, who met him in the early 2000s when she went to work for the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, said she cant remember a time when Mitzman, who was a chamber ambassador, missed a ribbon-cutting. He always showed up early, too, asking what he could help with, or carry, or relieve from other people.

Mitzman was the first board chairman of the Chabot College Foundation in 2003, and he helped make it into a real 501(c) organization, Benson Stagg said, saying Mitzman spearheaded every one of their fundraisers. In 2008, he was named Gladiator of the Year, an award that recognizes someone who goes above and beyond to support the students at Chabot College.

He was the epitome of someone who was a champion for students, Benson Stagg said. In his time, he touched so many people ... I think theres probably tens of thousands of people that Marshall had a positive impact on. I wish we could all say that.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

In 2008, Mitzman was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, where he served one term as board president and represented the community of Hayward.

I tell ... Latino and African American students, they are direct beneficiaries, both of his support and his philanthropy, Hayward Councilman Mark Salinas said. All those students that are now in flourishing professions  Marshall had a hand in that. Thats his legacy.

He was impressively social, said Kari McAllister of Hayward, who worked with him at Chabot College. She saw him almost everywhere she went, no matter how unlikely. In 2017, when she was running the sound system at a Relay for Life event, he showed up with a Salvation Army food truck to feed all the workers.

He deserves a big memorial, McAllister said. He gave and gave and gave and never stopped. ... It was never about him.

Memorial plans are still being considered, Ulep-Mitzman said, noting that she wants to wait until his community can gather again.

Mitzman is survived by his wife of 26 years, Felicidad Ulep-Mitzman; his stepchildren and step grandchildren; daughter and son-in-law Cari and James Dennis of Pasco, Wash.; daughter and son-in-law Virginia and John Nuckols of Frederick, Md.; grandchildren Norah, Max, Harrison and Olivia Nuckols; sister and brother-in-law Vivian and Irvin Ehrlich of Fitchburg, Wis.; brother Leonard Mitzman of Cincinnati; and eight nieces and nephews.

Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter @annievain
The illness caused by the novel coronavirus continues to infect crew members from a Navy aircraft carrier, but many of them showed no signs of having the disease, a fact that highlights the importance of widespread testing as military personnel likely spread the virus to their comrades without knowing it.

The number of sailors assigned to the carrier Theodore Roosevelt who have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, jumped to 655 on Thursday. Two days earlier, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters that only about 213 of the crew members showed any symptoms.

That means only about a third of the 585 crew members who'd tested positive at the time were symptomatic.

Related: Recruits Who Carried COVID-19 to Boot Camp Had Passed Temp Checks, Screenings

"Think about that. There are people who have tested positive -- over 300 -- who are just moving around," Esper said. "The same could apply for all of us."

Medical experts have warned that one of the dangers in the global pandemic is that COVID-19 can unwittingly be spread by "carriers," or people who are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.

The coronavirus has infected more than 2 million people globally and killed more than 26,000 Americans. That includes one sailor from the Roosevelt.

Esper said Pentagon officials are looking at ways to expand testing across the military, focusing on units that are deployed or are about to deploy.

"We've had a couple of meetings on that," he said. "Right now, the key is expanding the test kits, making sure that we ... have what we need to address people who are symptomatic first, but then again tiering our forces because we have to maintain that mission readiness."

The Defense Department can currently complete about 9,000 tests per day in its labs, Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley said. In the next 45 days, they want to rapidly increase that to 60,000 per day, he said.

"Our aspiration is to expand testing, especially for groups that are going to probably be in tighter quarters, such as sub crews, bomber crews, basic trainees, and things like that," Milley said.

The Roosevelt isn't the first place the military has seen asymptomatic people spreading COVID-19. A pair of Marine recruits in South Carolina got coronavirus screenings before boot camp and showed no symptoms for the illness before starting training only to later test positive.

Coronavirus cases there quickly began to spike, prompting the Marine Corps to order a temporary halt to incoming shipments of new recruits.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Read more: Swarm of Iranian Boats Harassed US Ships in Persian Gulf, Navy Says
Donald Trump is getting criticism, much of it richly deserved, for delaying America's response to the coronavirus. But even a better leader would have had to delay extreme measures until they became politically possible.

My own experience indicates how easy it is to underestimate a looming medical threat. In December 1968 Adrian College President John Harper Dawson called department heads to an urgent meeting during the national flu epidemic. The campus doctor had recommended closing down early, several days before the scheduled Christmas vacation.

Dawson asked for our perspectives. Some colleagues favored shutting down, and others opposed it. I objected that it would complicate student travel arrangements and mess up faculty class plans.

President Dawson decided to shut down. I went away grumbling. The next morning I awoke with a horrible case of the flu, soon passed along to my extremely pregnant wife and our cat!

John Harper Dawson had no problem getting compliance with his decision. We all recognized that he was the boss. But government leaders don't have the luxury of making decisions without considering whether people will comply. Leaders can't lead without followers.

Imagine how we would have reacted in early February if Donald Trump had closed all the schools, told people not to meet in groups of more than 10, shut down most incoming air travel, and proclaimed other measures shutting down church services and a significant percentage of the national economy.

It is hard to specify the date when the accelerating American deaths finally prepared the public to accept such extreme measures. But it obviously was after the date on which these measures would have held casualties down to the lowest possible number. And even after Mr. Trump belatedly proclaimed an emergency, too many didn't pay attention. College students packed the Florida beaches during spring vacation, and some churches still held services.

Since not all of the delay in declaring a national emergency could have been avoided, it is unfair to blame President Trump for all of the additional deaths resulting from his delay.

But Trump can hardly be deemed totally innocent. He shouldn't have made comments in January and February minimizing the danger. His credibility problems were only increased by his recent claims that he knew all along that the pandemic was going to be so bad. His attempts to hog the limelight in his daily "briefings" and to blame others for our problems  the Chinese, WHO, Democratic state governors  have been transparently political in the worst sense of the term.

Although he never claimed the pandemic itself was a hoax, it was particularly inappropriate when Trump complained that our media's early focus on it was a Democratic hoax. Our media may have actually been too slow to give the pandemic adequate coverage. For several weeks before our TV networks focused on it, the daily news from the BBC was about nothing else. I wrongly thought at the time that the BBC was unnecessarily alarmist.

But media people are only human, and like our political leaders and general population may not have understood how the number of afflicted can increase exponentially in an epidemic  how small numbers of cases which double every few days can become huge numbers very quickly. (Try this yourself: 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280. Eight more doublings and we get 327,680. Another eight doublings and we get nearly 84 million!)

Obviously, the extreme American measures were taken later than they needed to be. But we shouldn't spend much energy right now trying to allocate blame. We need to be discussing more important things, like what we can all do to help win the current war.

Paul F. deLespinasse of Corvallis is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Computer Science at Adrian College. His most recent book is "Beyond Capitalism: A Classless Society With (Mostly) Free Markets." His columns have appeared in newspapers in Michigan, Oregon, and a number of other states. This column originally appeared in NewsMax.
Home  Just In  Nepal Army searching for over 60,000 sim cards sold just before lockdown

Kathmandu, April 16

Army officials in the Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) have begun searching for 60,000 sim cards sold just before the lockdown imposed to control the coronavirus outbreak started in Nepal.

With this, the officials want to trace the people who have recently come to Nepal to check them for the coronavirus.

An official involved in the investigation says Nepal Telecom has submitted the centre a list of 20,000 new sim card numbers whereas Ncell submitted another list of 40,000. The sim cards were sold in one week immediately before the lockdown began.

As of Wednesday, the officials contacted 8,822 sim cardholders. Around 25 people have been involved in the process.

Though the details of those coming to Nepal on air can be collected from the airport, there is not any reliable source to give details of those coming via land. Hence, the sim card analysis has begun, according to the officials.

Meanwhile, the officials are clueless about what to do for those who do not receive the calls. The number of people not receiving the calls is also significant.

The officials are also tracing the people contacted by the coronavirus-infected persons. Meanwhile, Nepal Police and Ministry of Health are also tracing the contacts separately.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigans main campaign fund paid nearly $462,000 in legal fees in the first three months of 2020 to a law firm that employs former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, new campaign finance records show.

Federal investigators over the past year have raided the homes of two close Madigan associates, and the Chicago Tribune reported late last year that four people who have been interviewed as part of an ongoing corruption probe were asked questions about the speaker and his political operation.

Madigan has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Last fall, he told reporters at the state Capitol that he is not a target of anything.

The fees represent legal counsel engaged over the past year to monitor ongoing investigations, Madigan spokeswoman Eileen Boyce wrote in an email late Wednesday. The speakers status with respect to any probe remains unchanged, and he expects to continue to engage counsel to monitor the situation and provide counsel until investigations conclude.

Friends of Michael J. Madigan paid $461,967.80 in legal fees to law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman in the quarter that ended March 31, according to a quarterly campaign disclosure filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections on Wednesday just ahead of the midnight deadline.

Boyce declined to comment beyond the emailed statement and wouldnt say whether Daley, who joined the firm after leaving office in 2011, was involved in representing Madigan.

The firm has represented Chicago government over the years, doing bond work for the city and representing it in the controversial parking meter lease deal during Daleys tenure.

The Tribune previously reported that the FBI has recorded phone calls of Michael McClain, a former lawmaker, close confidant of Madigan and Commonwealth Edison lobbyist who retired in 2016. Federal authorities raided McClains Quincy home in May, sources have said.

Around the same time, agents raided the home of former Chicago Ald. Mike Zalewski and former Madigan political operative Kevin Quinn, the brother of 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn.

Authorities were seeking records related to efforts to get Zalewski lobbying work for ComEd after he retired last year, according to a law enforcement source.

Authorities also are looking into checks written to Kevin Quinn by current and former ComEd lobbyists after he resigned from Madigan's political organization in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

Federal agents also sought records related to ComEd and four unnamed Exelon officials -- among a host of other materials -- during a September raid on the Capitol office of state Sen. Martin Sandoval, according to a search warrant. The Chicago Democrat's daughter, Angie Sandoval, works for ComEd.

Sandoval pleaded guilty to bribery in January and has agreed to cooperate in a corruption probe that spans from Chicago City Hall to suburban village halls to the statehouse.

Sandovals campaign fund paid $75,000 in legal fees during the first quarter -- $50,000 to Chicago firm Freeborn & Peters and $25,000 to Springfield firm Cherry, Frazier & Sabin.

Sandovals campaign fund also took in a $60,000 contribution reimbursement from the Senate Democratic Victory Fund earlier this year, and closed out the quarter with $93,398 available in the account.

In the final quarter of 2019, Madigans campaign fund paid more than $445,000 for legal fees to different firms, which a Madigan spokeswoman at the time said was to cover the cost of a $275,000 settlement with a former campaign worker, as well as ongoing civil cases and routine staff training.

The $275,000 settlement was in a case brought by former campaign staffer Alaina Hampton, who had filed a federal case against the campaign committees Madigan controls over allegations of sexual harassment by Kevin Quinn.

Much of the rest of the legal fees Madigans campaign fund paid out in the final three months of 2019 were related to other civil cases, including one brought by Jason Gonzales, who challenged Madigans 2016 campaign tactics, and a pair of cases that came out of David Krupas 2019 challenge to Madigans chosen Ald. Marty Quinn.

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3 Top Oil Stocks to Buy Right Now

Due to several recent events, including a price war initiated by Russia, the price of oil has declined to record-low levels these past couple of weeks. Subsequently, the price decline resulted in a massive worldwide panic which pushed the price down even further.



While the panic might reasonable and based on a real fear of what the situation might lead to, there are still ways that investors can protect their funds. And for those willing to risk a little extra, some investments could even pay off in the short run, especially when investing in stable oil stocks.





Generally speaking, two main events have caused this unprecedented oil price decline. The first being a decision made by Russia and OPEC to start a price war with the United States. When the markets opened the day after that decision was made, the price dropped to record-low levels, eventually falling below $30.The second event is the spread of COVID-19 which has been devastating to most financial markets, including the commodity and stock markets.As mentioned, following these two events, panic started spreading among investors which initiated a large sell-off which made a bad situation even worse.Now, there hasnt been enough time since this happened for anyone to be sure of how bad it could get and how long a potential recession might last. However, as any experienced investor would tell you, plummeting prices and a recession is not all bad and there are always ways to benefit. Learn more about how to benefit from a recession at this top-shelf trading website:  https://bullmarketz.com/

Thats why weve analyzed the market in search of three oil stocks that will likely produce a decent return for their investors, even during a relatively short time span.



1. Chevron

Chevron is, by far, one of the strongest oil companies in the world. Even though the company stock is affected by everything that happens on the oil market, it will take a lot more for Chevron to crash.



With a history that spans more than 140 years and an unmatched influence on the global energy market, chances are high that Chevron will be one of the first companies to fully recover from the ongoing instability.





The energy giant is also well-known for their ability to make money on low oil prices, meaning theyre likely to continue their production and distribution even during a complete market melt-down.

Chevron is traded on the NYSE as CVX.



2. Exxon Mobil

Exxon is another massive American oil company that shares many similarities with Chevron. For example, Exxon is known to remain rather stable regardless of the global market conditions and the company is more than fit to survive and even thrive during a stubborn recession.



With that said, Exxon does not have the same influence on the market as Chevron and they are slightly smaller in terms of production and revenue. Therefore, Exxon is a slightly riskier investment while the potential pay-off is slightly higher.





Compared to many other companies in the industry, Exxon is so well-established that it could even experience growth during situations like this.



Exxon is traded on the NYSE as XOM.



3. Enterprise Products Partners

Enterprise Products Partners is another company that is showing little to no signs that they have been affected by the ongoing chaos on the oil market. In the past, Enterprise has been able to increasing its distribution when the price of oil has dropped below $30; a unique ability in the sector.





Because of that, we believe that Enterprise Products Partners is one of the best oil stock investments that one can make at the moment.



Another benefit to Enterprise is that a majority of its business is tied to contracts which are easily renegotiated, meaning they can continue its distribution even when drillers go bankrupt.



Enterprise Products Partners is traded on the NYSE as EPD.



Invest in Oil



As firm believers that the price of oil will always bounce back, we think this might be a good time to invest in oil as a commodity. According to most experts, oil will not be stuck under $30 for that much longer, creating a great opportunity to buy now and reap benefits in the short-term.



Note:  Keep in mind that the above-mentioned tips are not meant to be used as guarantees. Investments are always associated with risks and those risks are inflated during market instability.



By Sumeet Manhas

 2020 Copyright Sumeet Manhas - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Coronavirus: Latest update on Canadas special immigration measures A summary of major Canadian immigration developments over the past three weeks

Coronavirus: Latest update on Canadas special immigration measures A summary of major Canadian immigration developments over the past three weeks

Coronavirus: Latest update on Canadas special immigration measures A summary of major Canadian immigration developments over the past three weeks Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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The Canadian government has made sweeping changes affecting travel and immigration services during the coronavirus pandemic.

Canada has implemented travel restrictions and modified immigration policies to both help contain the spread of the coronavirus while at the same time serving the needs of immigrants, foreign workers, international students, and Canadian employers.

Here is an overview of major immigration-related developments since the federal government began rolling out changes in March 2020.

Find out how to stay in Canada

Who is exempt from Canadian travel restrictions?

The following are among the list of people allowed to enter Canada by land or air while the travel restrictions are in place until June 30, 2020:

Canadian citizens

Permanent residents

Immediate family of Canadian citizens and permanent residents

Permanent resident applicants who had been approved for permanent residence prior to March 18 and who had not yet travelled to Canada

Temporary foreign workers

International students who held a valid study permit or who had been approved for one before March 18

Transiting passengers

Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders who are unable to travel because of coronavirus-related disruptions can contact IRCC via its web form to explain their situation. They can expect IRCC to advise them about the next steps.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recommends checking their webpage for the most recent updates before travelling to Canada.

It is also mandatory for all travellers to self-isolate for 14 days after their arrival to Canada. As of today, April 15, all new arrivals to Canada must wear a mask or face covering before they can proceed to their final destination. They must also have a credible quarantine plan, or they will be forced to stay in a hotel.

What do Canadas special measures mean for immigrants?

Economic class: Express Entry and PNP draws continuing

Four Express Entry draws have happened since March 18. Two of them happened on the same day last week. In addition, Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have held Provincial Nominee Program draws.

Last week, B.C. also invited 18 entrepreneurs to take the next steps toward obtaining permanent residence.

IRCC has confirmed that Express Entry draws will continue, and they will also continue to process applications for permanent residence. However, IRCC has indicated there may be delays in processing for those who are approved for permanent residence after March 18. These applicants will likely not have their application processed within six months.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

Family class least impacted by special measures

Family class immigration has been the least affected by the travel restrictions. Immediate family members of citizens and permanent residents are still allowed to enter the country, spousal and common-law sponsorship applications are being processed as usual, with IRCC allowing some flexibility in submitting incomplete applications. However, Canada has postponed the opening of the 2020 parents and grandparents immigration program.

Canada considers the following to be immediate family members:

spouses and common-law partners

dependent children

dependent grandchildren

parents or step-parents

a parents or step-parents spouse or common-law partner

a guardian or tutor (same legal concept)

Travellers who fall into one of these categories must self-identify to airlines by presenting documented proof of their relationship to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Learn more about Canadian family sponsorship

Refugee class significantly affected during coronavirus response

Canada has temporarily paused its refugee resettlement programs.

In addition, Canada will no longer interview refugee claimants in person or process refugee protection claimant document renewals in person. IRCC will contact refugee claimants, who had scheduled interviews, to let them know when the new interview will be.

Refugee claimants who need to update their contact information can use the IRCC web form.

Immigration loan collections are also being suspended until September 2020. IRCC offers these loans to eligible immigrants, mainly refugees, providing them access to funding that would otherwise not be available to them. Questions pertaining to immigration loans can be forwarded to IRCC by calling 1-800-667-7301.

Temporary foreign workers exempt from travel restrictions

Foreign nationals are still allowed to travel to Canada for work, even with the travel restrictions in place.

The worker may not be required to obtain a work permit if they are:

Providers of emergency or medical services for the protection or preservation of life or property (such as firefighters);

Students in a health field, including as a medical elective or clinical clerk at a Canadian medical teaching institution, if they have written approval from the body that regulates that field;

Foreign nationals seeking to enter and remain in Canada solely to become a member of a transportation crew, including a vessel engaged in international transportation.

These foreign nationals can self-identify to airlines by presenting documents such as a letter of invitation from a relevant Canadian organization. This letter may come from a federal, provincial, or municipal government entity for emergency services providers, teaching institutions for medical students or shipping agents for people joining vessel crews.

Canada is also easing the process for employers to hire foreign workers in critical industries such as agriculture, food processing and trucking. Employers hiring for 10 occupations from these industries can skip past the advertising requirement for their Labour Market Impact Assessment.

International students

International students who were approved for a study permit on or before March 18 are exempt from travel restrictions.

If in-class courses were moved to an online-only format in response to the coronavirus outbreak, international students will still be eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program.

This includes students who have a study permit, or who were approved for a program that is starting in May or June, but who are unable to travel to Canada amid travel restrictions. International students in this situation can begin their classes while outside Canada and may complete up to half of their program while abroad if they cannot travel to Canada sooner.

Do you have more questions on coronavirus and Canada immigration?

Check out our FAQ page

 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved
For the 34th year, solution providers scored vendors in 23 product categories based on their performance in product innovation, support, partnership, and managed and cloud services.

Fortinet, HPE Aruba, Scale Computing and Sophos were among the companies taking top honors at XChange 2019 in the 34th consecutive Annual Report Card awards.

Report Cards

See all the report cards for any year 1996-2019: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 See all the report cards for any participating vendor: == 2019 Participants == APC by Schneider Electric Aruba, an HPE company Bitdefender Buffalo Americas Carbon Black Cisco Systems Comcast Datto Dell Technologies Eaton Extreme Networks Fortinet HP Inc. HPE Imperva Intel Lenovo McAfee Pure Storage RSA Ruckus Networks, an Arris company Scale Computing SonicWall Sophos StorageCraft Symantec Tripp Lite Veeam VMware Watchguard Xerox == All Participants == 3Com Acer Adtran Alcatel Allaire ALR AMD APC AOC APC by Schneider Electric APC Apple ARCserve Artisoft Aruba, an HPE company Aruba, an HPE company AST AT&T Avaya AVG AVG/Level Platforms Bay Networks BEA Best Power Bitdefender Boca Research Borland Broadvision Buffalo Americas Buffalo Technology Buffalo Technology Buffalo Business Objects CA Cable and Wireless Cabletron Caldera Carbon Black Carbonite Check Point Cisco Systems Cisco Citrix Comcast CommerceOne Compaq Connectwise Corel CTX International D-Link Systems D-Link Data General Datto Dell SonicWALL Dell Technologies Dell EMC Dell Dell/SonicWall Digital Dlink Eaton EMC Emerson Network Power Emerson Network Power Enterasys Extreme Networks FireEye Fortinet Fujitsu Gateway Hayes Hewlett-Packard Hitachi Data Systems Hitachi HP Inc. HP Inc HP HPE Hyperion IBM IBM/Tivoli IGEL Imperva Informix Inprise Intel Intergraph Intermedia iPlanet Juniper Networks Juniper Kaseya Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky KDS Konica Minolta Labtech Legato Lenovo Lexmark Liebert Linksys LinuxOne Lotus Macromedia MAG InnoVision Maxtor Mcafee Micropolis Microsoft Minolta Motorola N-able by Solarwinds N-Able Nec Display NEC NetApp Netgear Netscape Network Appliance Network Associates Nortel Novell NVIDIA Oki Data Oracle Panasonic Philips Polycom Princeton Progress Pure Storage Quantum Qwest Red Hat Ricoh RSA Ruckus Networks, an Arris company Ruckus Wireless Ruckus Wireless Ruckus Sage Samsung Scale Computing SCO Seagate Secure Computing SGI ShoreTel Silverstream SimpliVity SMC Solarwinds N-able Sonicwall Sony Sophos Sprint Storagecraft SugarCRM Sun Sunsoft Sybase Symantec Texas Instruments Tivoli Toshiba Trend Micro Tripp Lite Veeam Veracode Veritas Vertiv ViewSonic Vignette VMware Watchguard Websense Western Digital Worldcom Xerox Zenith Zscaler See the trends over time for our primary technology categories: == Choose a Technology == Collaboration Data Protection Enterprise Infrastructure LANs Management Network Connectivity Networking Notebooks Power Protection Printers Processors Security Servers SD-WAN SMB Storage Tablets Virtualization Wireless

Results will be shown here.

Past Annual Report Card Reports

2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007
YES

By Kate Spicer

Once we are on the other side of this pandemic, Dr Anthony Fauci, Donald Trumps virus expert, says we should carry on compulsively washing our hands and refusing handshakes.

What? No shaking hands ever again, you say? The mere prospect has me rubbing my over-washed, chapped paws together in glee. Finally, I can revert to my preference of not touching anyone at all.

This country got by on very little physical contact for generations, but now the Continental air-kissing and Americanised hugs have got out of control  out of hand, in fact.

Kate Spicer (pictured) says she has never felt the need to have close contact to the people she cares about and worries about the exchange of germs

This is the issue with handshakes: its not the bacterial exchange that bothers me, but the fact it is a gateway to unwelcome further contact. If there is one sunny upland created by Covid-19, it is the potential end of this touchy-feely tide.

Please dont get all psycho-therapeutic on me  Im 50, and nows not the time to ask me for a group hug. Even if youve been doused in bleach, Im still going to cross my arms and say, Hello, pleased to meet you, while backing away.

Dr Fauci said less hand-shaking post-pandemic will lead to fewer bouts of flu and colds.

But I dont cower from contact because Im scared of germs.

I grew up in a family that believed in the healing power of dirt. Cuddles, not so much. Like many British people, I didnt grow up smothered by physical affection.

Less hand-shaking post-pandemic will lead to fewer bouts of flu and colds

I knew my parents loved me, and my siblings knew I loved them without me pawing at them. We showed our affection by taking the mickey out of each other.

If we hug, theres a moment when one of us wonders when the other is going to break away. Its more fun to play all-pile-on  yes, even in middle age!

A hug, like all-pile-on, has its place, and its not among strangers or colleagues. Unless Ive had a surplus of wine, Id include my friends, too.

When I was a young journalist, I went on a course, and a bloke from Classic Car magazine asked: Should you kiss or shake hands when you go to interview someone? I gasped.

Thirty years later, I take it for granted that an embrace is coming, even with Hollywood stars (who probably bathe in sanitiser afterwards). I play along. Its awkward  even more so if I stick my hand out for a shake and accidentally punch them in the stomach.

Shaking hands is bearable so long as its swift and at arms length. Spare me the dealmakers favourite of grasping my hand with both of yours, like a company director handing over a charity cheque in front of the local press. Its all so performative.

Id rather dance a jig if Im pleased to see someone, or wave, or bow. My Indian friends touch their hearts and look you in the eye. Just keep your distance. Two metres is perfect.

NO

By Helena Frith Powell

Like many of the things we do without thinking, shaking hands dates back several millennia to when a weapon-free hand, held out in greeting, was a symbol of peace.

There is a theory that the up-and-down motion was meant to dislodge any hidden daggers or knives.

Today, thanks to Covid-19, the handshake has in itself become a lethal weapon. We wear gloves when, and if, we venture out, and we keep our distance as if our lives depend on it. Maybe they do.

And now American doctor Anthony Fauci has suggested we ditch shaking hands for good, even when this misery is over.

Helena Frith Powell argues against banning contact after the lockdown. She says being close to others makes people happier

To that I say, not a chance!

I live in France and have noticed the toll social detachment has taken after only a few weeks.

This country relishes the performance of greeting people. If you walk into a room, you must embrace them individually.

You kiss everyone hello, from your cleaning lady to your colleagues at work. Every time you see them. Down in the south, you give three kisses. This can take hours out of your day.

Human beings are sociable. We like to touch each other. We need contact

But far from being a nuisance, this constant physical contact is amazing. It feels extremely civilised, as well as welcoming.

You sense you are part of the community, even if youre not. It makes you feel accepted.

Now, of course, youre not allowed to touch anyone. The local baker has a plastic sheet hanging from the ceiling like a windscreen to protect her from clients.

This has a horribly alienating effect. The first time I saw it I felt as if I was somehow tainted.

As a result, I have seen people around me become progressively more stressed, unfriendly, insular and downright miserable.

Human beings are sociable. We like to touch each other. We need contact. A consoling hand on your shoulder can mean so much more than words.

Hugging someone not only shows affection, but also triggers the release of feel-good hormones in our body. If we stop touching each other, we lose a part of ourselves.

As such, Dr Faucis advice that we should never shake hands again is ridiculous. What does he suggest we do instead?

Maybe we should adopt the Middle Eastern approach of rejecting the handshake of someone you view as unclean.

This upset me when I lived there. Some Arabs feel its forbidden to touch a non-Muslim, so I would be left hanging when I held out my hand in greeting. It felt shaming.

And isnt that the message refusing to shake hands or even touch someone sends? That you dont trust the other person? That you reject them? Or, even worse, that you actively dislike them?

We cannot have that. For all our sakes, lets not lose touch.
April 16 : The day the Central government announced complete lockdown, due to coronavirus, people are in a complete house arrest. No outings, no meetings with friends, no see-saws with kids, no activities and due to this it has become quite a mind-numbing situation. In this case, the best way to boost up our mood is to watch the ZEE5 web series. The only OTT platform which gives a range of Original web-series across different genres, in different languages. There are plenty of short story videos to choose from.

Zee5's original web series have gained huge popularity among the Indian audiences and is loved for its relatable content. Right from comedy, historical, thriller, to biographies, Zee5 produces some of the finest content of the time due to which it has attracted maximum engagement.

Here is the list of few series which will make you go binge.

1) The Final Call

The Thriller Zee5 original web series is based on the book I will go with you by Priya Kumar. It is the story of a captain Sachdeva who is flying Skyline flight 502 from Sydney to Mumbai. The story revolves around that one particular flight where the captain carries poison to commit suicide. He puts the life of around 300 passengers in danger with this idea and thus it goes forward with a conversation of the pilot with the air traffic control officer. It is full of thrill and mystery that you must see to know.

2) Karenjit Kaur- The Untold Story of Sunny Leone

For the fans of Sunny Leone, who wants to get acquainted with her life - Sunny Leone who was actually known as Karenjit Kaur! This web series is based on the life story of the Bollywood sensation Sunny Leone who plays the character herself. Born to a Punjabi Sikh family in Canada, Sunny struggled her way to where she is today. Her story from being in the porn industry to her entry into the famous Bollywood cinema is worth a million praises and applauding. Here in the web series, you can see the complete journey behind the sparkling smile she got and the hardships she underwent to get the success that she deserved. If you watching biographies, then this is a must add to your watch list. The Series features Sunny Leone, Bijay Anand, Raj Arjun, Grusha Kapoor

3) Virgin Bhaskar

The sex-comedy Zee5 original web series is funny and entertaining. It revolves around the love life of Bhaskar who is a porn novelist but has remained a virgin. He is in love with Vidhi but is unable to take things ahead with her due to reason that is available only in the episodes. The screenplay, dialogues and acting together making it a masterpiece. If you like watching adult comedy and entertaining series than this is the one for you. It features Anant V Joshi, Rutpanna Aishwarya, Dherendra Tiwari.

4) Abhay

Bollywood actor Kunal Khemu has done an exceptional job in this series. The series is sure to catch your eyeballs.

This Zee5 original web series is based on true events that took place in north India in 2006 which also includes the infamous mass murder and cannibalism in Noida. The character Abhay is played by Kunal Khemu who tries to balance his personal life while solving the crimes. The crime thriller will surely leave you with more idea and information about the events.

To cease your boredom, download Zee5 and relish your lockdown period. The only OTT platform which will hold your back with its unlimited series.
As the first stimulus checks hit Americans bank accounts, San Antonio colleges and universities have been allocated emergency funding  more than $70 million in all  from the same federal law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

At least half the money must be passed on to students who need aid  including expenses for food, housing, class materials, technology, health care and child care  due to the coronavirus emergency. The U.S. Department of Education divided almost $12.6 billion to colleges and universities nationwide based on enrollment, giving extra weight to the number of students with low enough incomes to qualify for federal Pell grants.

Well take as much as we can get and give it out as quickly as we get it, said Lynn Barnes, senior vice provost for strategic enrollment at the University of Texas at San Antonio, which stands to receive more than $14.8 million for emergency student grants and a total of nearly $29.7 million..

Universities started signing agreements last week to draw their emergency assistance funds.

Each institution may develop its own system and process for determining how to allocate these funds, which may include distributing the funds to all students or only to students who demonstrate significant need, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said last week in a letter to college and university presidents, urging them to prioritize your students with the greatest need and distribute the money as widely as possible.

About 44 percent of the more than 30,000 students UTSA enrolled this spring receive Pell grants. Many have lost part-time jobs in the service industry or in offices that shut down, Dean of Students LT Robinson said.

The university already had an emergency fund, managed in part by the Roadrunner Student Alumni Association, for students facing financial difficulties due to unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters or medical bills. The university opened it to students who lost jobs due to the pandemic and more than 60 requested grants, Robinson said. Theyve described struggles paying bills, repairing cars and buying food. The current per-student maximum is $500.

UTSA will use another existing emergency aid application, through the One Stop enrollment office, to distribute the federal assistance money. The university has yet to determine the per-student maximum from the federal funds, Barnes said.

I think theres a greater need, he said. Its going to depend on how many students come forward ... That amount of money could go pretty quickly. We dont know yet what the magnitude of the requests will be.

More Information Emergency aid to higher ed UTSA: $29.6 million (Minimum for student grants: $14.8 million.) San Antonio College: $7.6 million (Student grants: $3.8 million.) Northwest Vista College: $6.9 million (Student grants: $3.4 million.) Texas A&M San Antonio: $5.6 million (Student grants: $2.8 million.) University of the Incarnate Word: $5.2 million (Student grants: $2.6 million.) Saint Philip's College: $3.4 million (Student grants: $1.7 million) Palo Alto College: $3.2 million (Student grants: $1.6 million.) St. Mary's University: $3.2 million (Student grants: $1.6 million.) Our Lady of the Lake University: $2 million (Student grants: $1 million.) Trinity University: $1.6 million (Student grants: $830,000.) Northeast Lakeview College: $1.3 million (Student grants: $670,000.) See More Collapse

Some students suddenly needed laptops or better internet connections when the university switched to online learning last month. To date, 158 laptops have been loaned to students who could come to campus, and the universitys Student Tech Fund opened applications this week for students who live farther away and need money to buy their own, Robinson said.

Demand for the Roadrunner Pantry, which provides food and personal care items, has skyrocketed since March 9, when students left for spring break and never physically came back. More than 460 students and 62 faculty and staff members have visited the pantry since then, a 65 percent increase compared to this time last year, Robinson said. The university is now limiting visits to once a week but giving seven days worth of food at a time.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio educators: our best efforts cant stop coronavirus closures from hurting students

UTSA has another fund for students who lack financial support systems because they grew up in foster care. In February, one student requested assistance from that fund  but in March, it was 10, Robinson said.

The emergency fund, tech fund, pantry and foster-care student fund are all still raising money online.

The Alamo Colleges District received about $22.6 million total for its five community colleges. San Antonio College, where 30 percent of students are Pell eligible, received the most, at $7.6 million. Pell eligibility ranges from 7 percent at Northeast Lakeview College to 32 percent at Palo Alto College on the South Side, according to 2018 figures from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

College leaders are still determining how the funds will be distributed under rules that are not concrete yet, district spokeswoman Kristi Wyatt said, adding, Weve been on daily calls with our partners in higher education and government relations to get a better understanding of that.

The colleges do have existing student advocacy centers that administer emergency grants to students, and the district already has established a COVID-19 Student Impact Fund, supported by the Alamo Colleges Foundation, to help students with groceries, bills, lost wages or other disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Colleges and universities can use the other half of their federal relief funding for institutional costs of the coronavirus crisis, such as distance learning technology or simply to make up for lost revenue.

UTSA hadnt yet decided how to spend that part. Barnes said he was hoping for more specific rules about it in the next few weeks from the federal and state governments and the UT System.

Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox

The university has refunded campus housing, meal plan and parking charges, prorated to March 16. Colleges and universities across the country have lost money to student refunds and cancelled events, including sports. And they dont know what the fall will bring. Many students could decide not to enroll if distance learning continues, or if theyre still facing financial pressures.

Were doing our level best to recruit as many students as possible to come here in the fall and boost our enrollment, Barnes said. All of us are waiting to see what actually happens, but were pretty hopeful that well have a good class this coming year and we hope to help them financially as much as possible.

The CARES Act also provided $1 billion for minority-serving institutions across the country, a designation that includes the Alamo Colleges and most San Antonio universities, owing to their high percentages of Hispanic student enrollment. Those allocations have not been announced.

Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. To read more from Alia, become a subscriber. amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN
By Akbar Mammadov

Twenty medical specialists, who received education abroad with government scholarship, especially in Turkey, have been airlifted to Azerbaijan in a special charter, Ramin Bayramli, chairman of the Medical Territorial Units Management Association (TABIB) said on April 15.

Addressing the conference held by the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers, Bayramli said that a special program has been developed for the activities of these doctors.

"They will be in the country for the next three months, will examine patients, participate in trainings and exchange views with our doctors."

It should be noted that 1,253 infected people have been detected in Azerbaijan so far; 404 of them recovered, 13 people died, and 836 people are being treated in special hospitals.

Some 75,397 tests have been conducted to detect new cases of infection.

Azerbaijan is building six modular hospitals to treat the COVID-19 patients and a new clinic to fight the disease was inaugurated recently.

Since March 24, a special quarantine regime has been operating in Azerbaijan. Under this regime, citizens over 65 are not allowed to leave their homes and apartments. In addition, the movement of residents was restricted as of April 5 until April 20.

On March 19, President Aliyev announced the creation of the Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus.

Initially, the government allocated $11.7 million to the fund and the president and the first lady donated their annual salaries to the fund. As of April 8, the fund had collected about $65.1 million. Donations have been made by 2,692 legal entities and 8,223 individuals.

Earlier, on March 3, President Ilham Aliyev announced the allocation of $5.8m for fight against the spread of coronavirus in the country.

--

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The UK Home Office has been urged to consider visa concessions for qualified overseas doctors, including many from India, to help them support the country's stretched National Health Service (NHS) in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

The British Medical Association (BMA), the key professional union for doctors in the UK, has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel to take urgent measures, including easier switch between different categories of visas and automatic indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or permanent residency for international medical professionals.

International doctors play a hugely important role in the delivery of our NHS. At this time of national crisis, I am writing to ask you to take urgent measures to support international medical professionals working in the NHS for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, BMA Chair of Council Chaand Nagpaul said in his letter to the senior Indian-origin Cabinet minister.

It is important that medical professionals who wish to assist in the current crisis are supported in doing so. We are calling on you to ensure the Home Office urgently updates its guidance to support international doctors, he said.

Besides ILR for the doctors themselves, the BMA has also flagged the need to confirm the residency status of the dependents of international doctors who die while working on the NHS COVID-19 front lines.

An online petition on the official UK Parliament's petitions website calling on the government to Give Non-British citizens who are NHS workers automatic citizenship attracted over 40,000 signatures within days, making it incumbent upon the Home Office to formally respond having crossed the required 10,000 mark.

This is a chance for the British Government and Public to show them how much we appreciate their invaluable contribution to our society, the petition notes.

The BMA has also called for special dispensation for all international medical students, and health care workers to switch sponsors automatically without having to apply for another visa and reiterated ongoing calls for an immigration health surcharge waiver for these professionals.

A group of Indian doctors in the UK on visit visas to appear for international qualification exams also appealed to the government to consider a dispensation so they could contribute during the crisis, while they remain stranded in Britain due to India's ongoing lockdown to fight the pandemic.

It is extremely disheartening to not be able to help people during such a crisis by doing what I have trained for, said a doctor from Delhi, who is trained in emergency care.

We came here with a purpose. It would mean a lot if we can be given a shot to help in a voluntary capacity remotely or over the phone without putting anyone at risk, he said.

The UK government had confirmed last month that foreign doctors, including from India, whose visas are set to expire before October this year will get an automatic free of charge extension for one year as the country battles the pandemic.

I don't want them distracted by the visa process. That is why I have automatically extended their visas free of charge for a further year, Patel had said at the time.

She is now being urged to go further and make full use of vital medical resources offered by doctors who have trained overseas.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 09:53:46|Editor: Liu

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SEOUL, April 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rose this week, hitting the highest in about one and a half years, a weekly poll showed Thursday.

According to the Realmeter survey, support for Moon gained 3.1 percentage points over the week to 55.7 percent this week. It was the highest since the fourth week of October 2018.

The negative assessment on Moon's conduct of state affairs declined 2.6 percentage points to 39.7 percent, falling below 40 percent in about 17 months since November 2018.

Moon's support score has risen recently amid the spread of positive public views over the government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the latest tally, the country reported 22 more confirmed cases of the COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, raising the total number to 10,613. The daily caseload stayed below 50 for the eighth consecutive day.

Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party gained 2.6 percentage points over the week to 45.2 percent this week, marking the highest in about one and a half years.

The main conservative United Future Party garnered 29.5 percent of support this week, down 0.7 percentage points from the previous week.

The minor progressive Justice Party won 5.2 percent of approval rating, followed by the centrist People's Party with 4.2 percent and the center-left Party for People's Livelihoods with 3.2 percent.

The results were based on a survey of 1,522 voters conducted from Monday to Tuesday. It had plus and minus 2.5 percentage points in margin of error with a 95-percent confidence level.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday held a video conference with leaders of the G-7 countries on the coronavirus pandemic during which they agreed to work together to prepare their economies to "re-open safely", the White House said.

"Going forward, G7 leaders tasked their ministers to work together to prepare all G7 economies to re-open safely and on a foundation that will allow the G7 nations to re-establish economic growth with more resilient health systems and trusted supply chains," the White House said in a readout of the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by President Trump. The G-7 countries - the US, Britain, France, Canada, Italy, Japan and Germany - represent 58 per cent of the global wealth and 46 per cent of the world's GDP. The European Union is an invitee to G-7.

During the meeting, the leaders reviewed the coordinated efforts to jointly combat the COVID-19 pandemic since their last meeting on March 16, 2020, and discussed next steps to restore health, safety, and prosperity, the White House said.

"G7 leaders agreed to remain committed to taking every necessary measure to ensure a strong and coordinated global response to this health crisis and the associated humanitarian and economic calamity and to launch a strong and sustainable recovery," it said.

"The leaders recognised that the G7 nations annually contribute more than a billion dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO), and much of the conversation centered on the lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement of the pandemic by the WHO, it said.

G-7 leaders called for a thorough review and reform process of the World Health Organisation.

The White House said G7 leaders also discussed efforts to pool their research and talent to combat COVID-19 by sharing all relevant epidemiologic data and emerging best practices, making research data and results publicly available, and providing access to the world's most powerful supercomputing resources.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre on Thursday extended the ceasefire agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-K (Khongo) for six months instead of a year, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to official statement issued here.

The ceasefire agreement was "extended with effect from April 16 to October 17, 2020, to bring about lasting peace in the state of Nagaland with the involvement of the Naga people", the statement issued by the Office of the Chairman of the Cease Fire Supervisory Board (CSFB), Ministry of Home Affairs, said.

A ceasefire agreement was signed between the Government of India and the NSCN-K (Khongo) on April 15 last year in New Delhi, but this time the decision to extend it has been taken in Kohima in view of the coronavirus pandemic, it said.

It, however, said the ceasefire will be subject to adherence to the ceasefire ground rules mutually agreed and signed by the two sides.

Giving effect to the extension of the ceasefire agreement, Ceasefire Monitoring Group chairman Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan appended the statement on behalf of the Centre while NSCN-K (Khongo) CFSB supervisor Shellen Konyak and secretary Kaino Chishi signed for the group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced a blueprint for states to begin easing their coronavirus restrictions, presenting a gradual three-step approach to restoring normal activity.

President Donald Trump listens during a briefing about the coronavirus in the White House. Credit:AP

The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping stricter measures in place in harder-hit locations like New York and New Jersey.

Abandoning his claim earlier this week that he had "total" authority over reopening the country, Trump said it would be up to each governor to decide when to begin returning to normal life in their state.

Vice-President Mike Pence said the reopening could also occur on a county-by-county basis.
Technavio has been monitoring the digital education publishing market, and it is poised to grow by USD 1.28 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005853/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Digital Education Publishing Market in the US 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Cengage Learning, Inc., Houghton mifflin harcourt, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH. are some of the major market participants. Innovative marketing strategies will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Innovative marketing strategies has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Digital Education Publishing Market is segmented as below:

End-user K-12 Higher Education Corporate/skill-based

Product Digital Textbooks Digital Assessment Books Others



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31118

Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our digital education publishing market report covers the following areas:

Digital Education Publishing Market size

Digital Education Publishing Market trends

Digital Education Publishing Market industry analysis

This study identifies an increasing shift toward content customization as one of the prime reasons driving the digital education publishing market growth during the next few years.

Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the digital education publishing market, including some of the vendors such as Cengage Learning, Inc., Houghton mifflin harcourt, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the digital education publishing market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

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Digital Education Publishing Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist digital education publishing market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the digital education publishing market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the digital education publishing market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of digital education publishing market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER

Market segmentation by end-user

Comparison by end-user

K-12 Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Higher education Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Corporate/skill-based Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by end-user

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT

Market segmentation by product

Comparison by product

Digital textbooks Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Digital assessment books Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Others Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by product

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

HTML5 emerging as main programming language for content publishing

Growing shift toward content customization

Growing popularity of virtual schools

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Cengage Learning, Inc.

Houghton mifflin harcourt

McGraw-Hill Education

Pearson

Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH

PART 14: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005853/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/
New guidelines for Int'l travellers: From South Africa to Mauritius, here is a list of at-risk countries

India gets 6,50,000 testing kits from China; looks for more supplies

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Apr 16: China on Thursday dispatched 6,50,000 coronavirus medical kits to India to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. India now looks to ramped up to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies from countries such as South Korea, France and Canada.

Over two million test kits being procured from China will be sent to India in the next 15 days, he told PTI here.

"#IndiaFightsCoronavirus A total of 6,50,000 kits, including Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits have been despatched early today from Guangzhou Airport to #India," Misri tweeted on Thursday.

As its factories resumed operations after over a two-month grim battle against the coronavirus, China is busy tapping into the vast business opportunities of export of key medical goods, especially ventilators and personal protection equipment (PPE), across the world, including India, where both private and government bodies are placing orders for the import of these products.

Two major consignments of medical kits were reported to have been sent to India from China earlier as part of efforts to step up testing especially in hotspots during the current lockdown in the country.

India has extended its ongoing lockdown to fight the coronavirus till May 3. It has reported 414 deaths due to the disease and 12,380 people have been infected by the disease in the country.

Considering the importance, Misri said the Indian Embassy is facilitating commercial procurements besides coordinating flight linkages for their timely arrival in India.

On Tuesday, Misri told media here that India has placed orders to procure 15 million personal protection gear from China for medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients besides three million testing kits.

The orders are being placed with bonafide firms with the help of the Chinese government.

"I think facilitation of our needs and our requirements in a timely manner, in a smooth manner, on a predictable timeline at prices that are stable and orderly, would be the best signal possible to send for the India-China relationship," Misri said.

As demand for Chinese medical supplies scaled up due to the spread of the virus in several parts of world, China on Wednesday asked all the countries to import these items through reputed Chinese firms cleared by the government and vowed to punish those involved in counterfeit behaviour.

Responding to questions about quality concerns raised by several countries related to medical equipment imports from China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Wednesday that the Chinese government is facilitating the orderly exports.

"We hope foreign buyers can choose products from companies that have been accredited by Chinese regulators with good production credentials," he said.
ST. HELENA, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vintner Tor Kenward, proprietor of TOR Wines Napa Valley , today announced the launch of Winemaker Diaries , a weekly series of stories and vignettes reflecting over four decades on the front lines of Napa Valley history. At heart, Tor is a master storyteller, and his diaries are chock full of anecdotes and winemaking (mis)adventures with his colleagues and friends, including Julia Child, Andre Tchelistcheff, Robert Mondavi, and Myron and Alice Nightingale.

Tor Kenward, TOR Napa Valley Wines; photo by Steven Freeman Tor Kenward at Beckstoffer To Kalon, America's First Growth Vineyards

"The wine business, when you get down to it, is about relationships and trust. At the highest levels, it is sharing information and each other's passion for fine wine," recalls Tor. "I was very fortunate to have access and friendships with many greats who shared an open-door policy. It was a special time in California wine history."

Winemaker Diaries are released every Tuesday, both on the TOR website and by email through the winery's mailing list .

"45 years ago, when I first arrived in the Napa Valley, it was a sleepy little place with less than 50 wineries and no destination hotels or restaurants," said Tor. " Now, it is one of the world's cultural centers with many great stories to tell on how the empire was built. Whenever I share these stories they resonated with our fans, who begged me to write them down. Sheltering in place, reflecting on the past, now is that time. The response is very heartwarming to an old winemaker."

ABOUT TOR NAPA VALLEY

TOR Wines produces award-winning, single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in the Napa Valley for more than 20 years. The wines are highly coveted and sold exclusively to collectors and some of the world's finest restaurants and specialty wine retailers. Tor Kenward established TOR Wines in 2001 after an illustrious 27-year career helping to build Beringer's Private Reserve programs. His mission is to produce wines from only the best blocks in great vineyard sites he knew and revered. Robert M. Parker Jr. said of TOR Wines "Tor Kenward is using his vast experience in the wine industry and impressive palate to find exceptional terroirs and produce fascinating wines that merit serious attention."

TOR Napa Valley

1540 Railroad Avenue

St. Helena, Calif.

707.963.3100

www.torwines.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

C. Milan Communications

Charlotte Milan

415.412.9303

[email protected]

SOURCE TOR Napa Valley
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Completion of the 150-km Tanakpur-Pithoragarh stretch of the chardham all-weather road project will be delayed by nearly six months due to the shortage of labourers amid the ongoing lockdown, an official said on Thursday.

"This particular stretch of the project was to be completed in June this year. However, it is not likely to be ready before November now as all migrant labourers working on the project have left since their exodus began with the announcement of the lockdown," NHAI Executive Engineer L D Mathelawho is in charge of the project said.

The shortage of labourers and technical staff has affected cutting, hot mixing, crushing and quarrying work of the project, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official said.

Even if work on the project resumes after May 3 it is bound to be affected by the onset of monsoon in June-July, he further said.

Frequent rain and landslides during monsoon often lead to suspension of work on the project slowing its progress, Mathela said.

The chardham all-weather road is a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who keeps monitoring its progress personally.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The coronavirus crisis will be just a temporary brake, information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, said, explaining that the government is trying to save lives even as it keeps an eye on the economy. From April 20, many sectors will open up, providing livelihoods to many, he added in an interview to Hindustan Times. Edited excerpts:

The world is in the grip of the coronavirus disease. Lives and livelihoods are at stake. How do you view the situation?

This is a global crisis of which no one had an inkling. So the world was caught unawares. Many countries fumbled on imposing a lockdown . Now, not just WHO [World Health Organization] but the entire world acknowledges that India imposed a strict lockdown and also effectively communicated -- what is social distancing, washing hands and wearing of masks.

We have also worked to ensure that livelihoods are not lost. From April 20, there will again be work opportunities.

Some people have carried out negative propaganda. Facts were twisted to create rumours -- that there was a hospital with separation of patients on religious basis or other such. We have worked to quash those rumours

You mentioned fake news. How do you view the problem of fake news, especially on platforms such as WhatsApp? A lot of misinformation is carried on these platforms.

We are a democratic country. These platforms, WhatsApp and others, work independently and are encrypted. We only have the Information Technology law of 2000 regarding these platforms. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad deals with this sector. In such cases, we have also referred instances to them for appropriate action. We will follow up and see what they do.

One of the problems which has flared up again (after the extension of the lockdown) is that of migrant workers. They came in search of livelihoods but are stuck in other states. Many of them want to return.

I actually dont want to comment on this, but people must understand the size of the problem.

If two to four crore people travel from one state to another that what would be the state of affairs? If there is even one infected person in a train or a bus, who will guarantee the safety of the others? Now, from April 20, work is also starting in many sectors. So, (it is) better to go back to work and earn. The district administrations are also helping them.

As the Prime Minister has said that we need Jaan [life]and Jahan [world]. We need life and also work. If we dont have life then what is work, and if there is no work then life will be difficult. Therefore, from April 20 you will see many major industries restartin rural areas; work related to highways, agriculture, food processing will begin. I have full faith that daily wagers who could not work for 20-21 days because of the lockdown will see a different situation.

In Mumbais Bandra, a crowd of migrants gathered especially at a time when the focus is on social distancing. The incident also saw an FIR against a journalist for a report that allegedly caused this. As I&B minister, how do you see this situation?

First of all what happened in Bandra, where so many people who were not even carrying bags, gathered. Was it because someone had promised food or someone had incited them? Nineteen (other) people have even been arrested. There will be investigation and the facts will be known.

The media, especially the print media, has been hit hard because of the lockdown -- in terms of both advertising revenue but also circulation. As I&B minister, what are your views on this?

I am also worried, I have submitted a note to my party about the situation. The issue is because of some superstitions, blind faith or some WhatsApp message, people have stopped buying newspapers. They think it will give them the virus and the distribution chain has got affected. I think that is the situation. All of us have to come together to dispel such doubts. There is a problem. The medias job is to create awareness on this. Government is also very proactive on this.

But any industry or business factors in profits and losses. I am sure there will not be any retrenchment, not only in media, but in any sector. Because people will be required when India rises again.

As the heavy industries minister, are you planning any steps that may boost the industry?

We have readied a mechanism to push e-vehicles, frame one and frame two. I reviewed it yesterday and planning something. The working of the auto sector is related to another ministries but we also work keeping it in mind. Overall, I believe this is a temporary brake. Things will improve. The country that manages to save its people will move ahead.

There are concerns that the fight against Covid-19 is getting polarized, especially over the Nizamuudin congregation incident.

I dont think that people are divided. People are united and I dont think they are viewing it from a religious prism. There was an incident of negligence and the country has seen the consequences. That is also a reality.
Published on:

16 April 2020



An illustration of people wearing face masks to avoid viral transmission An illustration of people wearing face masks to avoid viral transmission

Community outreach work and engagement have always been intrinsic to what we do at Queen Mary. Now, in the face of the pandemic crisis, our staff and students are finding ways to further support communities at the local and national levels, whether by joining the NHS frontline or volunteering to help vulnerable individuals.

Supporting the NHS

With the demands on our National Health Service greater than ever, Queen Mary has trained 18 final-year medical students to support the NHS in fighting the pandemic. The students joined the critical care team at The Royal London Hospital in March. All Queen Mary clinical staff have been seconded to assist the NHS and we have donated specialist equipment and dedicated parking spaces to NHS staff as part of our effort to ease the pressure on local NHS trusts.

Professor Charles Knight

Charles Knight, Professor of Cardiology at Queen Mary University of London and Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, has been appointed as the Chief Executive of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital London. Currently Chief Executive of St Bartholomews Hospital, Professor Knight has been temporarily released from his duties to lead the management team at the hospital, which is housed inside the ExCel Exhibition Centre.

Serving communities

Queen Mary staff and students have dedicated time and effort to supporting and protecting their communities as they weather the effects of the pandemic.

Joe Sampson, Student Recruitment and Widening Participation Manager, has been volunteering at his local council, helping to pack food parcels for the vulnerable in his community.

Fourth-year medical student Harriet Loudon has been working at her local hospital in Hampshire. As well as taking on extra shifts, Harriet has also been working at a local GP and doing food shops and getting prescriptions for members of her community.

Dr Talhah Atcha, Queen Mary Students' Union President, resigned from his post to work as a doctor for Barts Health NHS Trust during the coronavirus crisis. He wrote in his resignation letter: "Resigning was not an easy decision to make, but it was definitely the right one. I have skills in A&E, ITU and microbiology and I could not in good conscience not put these skills to good use when so many people are dying from such a horrible disease."

Protecting frontline staff

In response to the shortage of crucial personal protective equipment (PPE), researchers from across Queen Mary have stepped in, using 3D printing technology to create visors for the staff at The Royal London Hospital. As reported in the Evening Standard, the supplies come as part of a collaboration between the Blizard Institute, the School of Engineering and Materials Science, the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Sciences, the Institute of Dentistry and Barts Health NHS Trust.

With help from researchers, laboratory and support staff, Queen Mary have also sent PPE supplies to staff and colleagues working in the NHS, which will hopefully protect front line workers fighting COVID-19. The donations from Queen Mary included boxes of protective gloves from the Universitys Blizard Institute and protective gloves, eyewear, overshoes from the William Harvey Research Institute. On hearing the news of the lack of PPE equipment for NHS front line workers our global partner, Nanchang University, also gifted one thousand PPE masks to support the Universitys efforts.

Professor Steve Thornton as Vice Principal (Health) and Executive Dean of the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, said: This is a great example of how Queen Mary can mobilise our community, on both a local and global scale, to support our local community. Im extremely proud of the dedication shown by colleagues across the University, from clinicians and researchers to technical and estates staff, and grateful to our partner Nanchang University, for their efforts to support front line NHS workers.

Cementing our community work commitments

Queen Marys work as a civic university was recently reaffirmed through a founding partnership of a new national network. The network has been created to provide an opportunity for universities to share and develop best practice around civic activity and engagement, which Queen Mary has a long-held tradition of doing.

Providing medical support for our communities abroad

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela recently paid a visit to Queen Mary's medical school campus in Gozo, Malta and witnessed how it's being put to use in the fight against coronavirus. Following the temporary closure of all educational establishments, the campus now provides storage space for the administration of chemotherapy, beds for vulnerable patient care, space for staff and critical support functions, such as the storage of sensitive equipment.

Students and staff from the medical school who have remained on the island are also able to volunteer their assistance in combating the virus, easing the burden on local healthcare providers.

More information

For the latest Queen Mary news on coronavirus research and work, please read our dedicated webpage.

Further information on how our research has a positive impact on society can be found on our Research with impact page.
As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic advances so does the uncertainty and evolution of the pandemic as it relates to nursing homes and long-term care facilities (LTCF). Early reports suggest the case fatality rate for those over 80, which constitutes nearly half of LTCF residents, is more than 15 percent. In areas where there is a shortage of ICU beds and respirators, even the most carefully thought out ethical approaches to rationing these resources will place older patients at a lower priority. LTCFs must be prepared to manage patients who have had or have COVID-19 infection.

In an editorial published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Joseph G. Ouslander, M.D., an internationally renowned geriatrician, a professor of geriatric medicine, and a senior advisor to the dean at Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine, provides key updates and resources for front-line nursing home staff and clinicians.

"Until more rapid COVID testing is available to enable us to test all nursing home patients and staff, cases of COVID-19 infection are likely to continue to increase in the long-term care facility setting," said Ouslander. "To complicate matters, long-term care facilities will be asked to accept patients with possible or known COVID-19 from hospitals if the local or state government has not required the suspension of admissions during the presence of active COVID-19 cases."

Ouslander recommends developing an emergency plan that addresses patient/resident placement and staffing considerations before a cluster infection or outbreak occurs; employing intensive infection control practices; behaving as if all patients and staff are potentially infected with the virus; and continuing to carefully screen staff, recognizing that some may be asymptomatic carriers of the virus and pass the screening.

In addition to restricting visitors, communal dining and cancelling other group activities, Ouslander advises providing therapy in the patient/resident room when feasible; if not, then safe social distancing should be used in therapy areas. Staff should wear plain surgical masks at all times and use N95 masks if available when performing high-risk procedures such as respiratory treatments. Full personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used when appropriate and available based on patient/resident symptoms and signs.

Staff who are quarantined based on symptoms and want to return to work must be tested to confirm they are not shedding the virus; returning health care workforce should be a priority for rapid testing. In addition, clinicians should monitor vital signs at least daily and more frequently if indicated; and even subtle changes in a patient's condition should be taken seriously and further evaluated when clinically indicated.

Because LTCF patients/residents cannot have visitors or participate in group activities, their isolation may have adverse effects on their mental health. Morale of staff may also be affected. Experience in China suggests that half or more of health care workers treating patients with COVID-19 infection had symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia or distress. Ouslander suggests that LTCFs provide as much psychosocial care and support as feasible and use social media and video phone call options. Grief counseling for families and staff, as well as assistance with burial arrangements may be needed.

In the United States, of the approximately 1.2 million registered nurses employed outside of hospital settings, 24 percent are ages 55 to 64 years and 5 percent are age 65 years or older. Of the approximately 1.2 million physicians, an estimated 230,000 (20 percent) are ages 55 to 64 years and an estimated 106,000 (9 percent) are age 65 years or older. Many hospitals and health care systems are developing strategies to use these health professionals in productive ways that may not necessarily involve direct patient contact. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued many waivers that could help bolster the health care workforce and the capacity of the nation's health care system to care for older COVID-19 patients.

"During this challenging and unprecedented pandemic of our lifetimes, we should be thankful for all of the front-line nursing home staff and clinicians who are risking their health and that of their families to care for the most vulnerable among us," said Ouslander. "Shortages of these professionals are anticipated, and the aging of our health care workforce makes many of us even more susceptible to acquiring COVID-19 and its complications. We all have a role to play, and we should support our geriatric health care workforce, our patients, and their families in whatever ways we can contribute to meet this daunting challenge."

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About the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine:

FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is one of approximately 152 accredited medical schools in the U.S. The college was launched in 2010, when the Florida Board of Governors made a landmark decision authorizing FAU to award the M.D. degree. After receiving approval from the Florida legislature and the governor, it became the 134th allopathic medical school in North America. With more than 70 full and part-time faculty and more than 1,300 affiliate faculty, the college matriculates 64 medical students each year and has been nationally recognized for its innovative curriculum. To further FAU's commitment to increase much needed medical residency positions in Palm Beach County and to ensure that the region will continue to have an adequate and well-trained physician workforce, the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Consortium for Graduate Medical Education (GME) was formed in fall 2011 with five leading hospitals in Palm Beach County. The Consortium currently has five Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residencies including internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and neurology.

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of three signature themes - marine and coastal issues, biotechnology and contemporary societal challenges - which provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit http://www.fau.edu.
We didnt want to launch some television commercial or PSA telling people that we care, we wanted to help fight this thing out on the frontlines where we can make a difference. said Tom Sweet, SVP of Marketing at Nuvision Credit Union.

In the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, Nuvision Credit Union has never lost sight of their core mission or values. For over 85 years Nuvision has been serving hard-working people who are the backbone of our country; now, they are serving those who are serving us all during our time of need.

Nuvision Credit Union is launching its NuvisionCares initiative, a program that will provide meals from local restaurants to our heroes on the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle. The NuvisionCares initiative is designed to help provide a little bit of normalcy and peace of mind for our frontline medical heroes during one of the most challenging times they have ever faced.

These people are heroes, who even during normal times work incredibly long stressful hours in jobs where they are rarely recognized for their hard work, said Roger Ballard, CEO of Nuvision Credit Union. The NuvisionCares initiative gives our vital caregivers one less thing to think about when they come home to their families.

Starting April 13th, Nuvision will kick off the program at CHOC Childrens Hospital in Orange County. Doctors, nurses, and other frontline medical professionals from CHOC will be given free meals up to $25 that they can order at five participating restaurants near the hospital. On top of giving our frontline caregivers a little needed relief, the program will provide much-needed support and income to employees at these five local small businesses who will benefit as a result of the NuvisionCares initiative.

The five restaurants that will participate in the NuvisionCares program are Rib Trader, Tutto Fresco, Don Jefe Jalapenos, Cortina's Italian Eatery, and Amarith Cafe.

Nuvision Credit Union really helped us to be able to take care of our employees during their time of need. Because of the NuvisionCares program, we were able to bring our crew back in and give them the ability to earn some vital extra income, said Mehdi Karr owner of Rib Trader in Orange, California.

We didnt want to launch yet another television commercial or PSA telling people that we care, we wanted to take that money and go fight this thing out on the frontlines where it can really make a difference, said Tom Sweet, SVP of Marketing at Nuvision Credit Union. Our healthcare workers are making enormous sacrifices for us, if we can help make their day a little brighter then thats what we are going to do.

If you would like to know more about the NuvisonCares program you can visit the webpage at https://nuvisionfederal.com/blog/blog-post/memberresources/2020/04/13/nuvisioncares. If you would like to get involved or make a donation to help expand the program, Nuvision has a GoFundMe campaign where they will use 100% of the donations to help more healthcare heroes and local small restaurants. They are also asking people to help raise awareness by using the hashtag #NuvisionCares on social media.

Nuvision Credit Union will be bringing the NuvisionCares program to Cheyenne, Wyoming and Anchorage, Alaska where they will be buying meals for doctors, nurses and medical workers at Providence Hospital in Anchorage and Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. This is just one of several community initiatives that Nuvision Credit Union has launched to help the communities they serve through the COVID-19 Pandemic.

While some credit unions have struggled to launch the Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program, Nuvision was ready and up and running from day one and has already begun approving a significant number of SBA PPP loans. In addition to the hugely successful SBA program, they also launched a webinar series to help people adjust to the crisis by providing valuable economic experts to members with their financial security and help ensure future success.

ABOUT NUVISION CREDIT UNION: For 85 years, Nuvision has been helping its hard-working members build better lives. Nuvision Credit Union operates Branches throughout Southern California, Alaska, Arizona, Washington, and Wyoming. The Credit Union has more than 184,000 members and more than $2.3 billion in assets. For more information, visit https://nuvisionfederal.com/
Rohingya refugees react to being rescued in Teknaf, in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district, after spending nearly two months at sea, April 16, 2020.

Updated at 7:23 p.m. ET on 2020-04-16

Hundreds of starving Rohingya men, women and children were brought ashore in Bangladesh after a nearly two-month failed journey to Malaysia during which dozens died and were thrown overboard, officials and survivors said Thursday.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard said it had rescued 396 Rohingya refugees off a boat near Teknaf, a sub-district of southeastern Coxs Bazar, late Wednesday.

With the support of the Border Guard Bangladesh, we rescued the fishing trawler, which was carrying the Rohingya from the Baharchora Jahajpur area of Teknaf, at 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Lt. Cmdr. M. Sohel Rana, a coast guard official stationed in Teknaf.

They were starving. They were floating for 58 days and over the last seven days [the boat] was moving in our territorial waters, he told BenarNews.

Sixty-four children, 182 women and 150 men were rescued, he said.

A BenarNews reporter spoke to Rohingya survivors from the boat.

Somehow I survived without having adequate food in the last two months and landed in Bangladesh, one of the survivors, who identified himself only as Majed and as a refugee from a camp in Teknaf, told BenarNews.

Rokeya, a woman who was rescued with the other Rohingya, said the trawler reached Malaysia at the end of the first week but was not allowed to go ashore, adding that a second attempt failed as well. In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, Malaysia has closed its borders and ports and barred entry to foreigners.

The Rohingya were able to collect some food as their boat sailed near Thailand but that supply ran low as well, Rokeya said.

We were given food and water once in a day only. We had to suffer a lot and many died and got sick, she told BenarNews, adding that the Namaz-e-Janaza [Muslim funeral prayer] was said before bodies of the dead were thrown into the sea.

M. Sadeque, a refugee from the Balukhali Rohingya camp who also survived the sea journey, said that as many as 12 women and 25 men had died during the trip.

The Myanmar Navy detained the trawler on its return from Malaysia, but released it in exchange for money and the crew then fled on another trawler, he told BenarNews. Finally, our trawler anchored near Teknaf point.

The rescued Rohingya were taken to a transit point at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, where they were fed, said Sohel Rana of the Bangladesh Coast Guard said. Those who were sick received treatment before being turned over to UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, at noon on Thursday.

UNHCR spokeswoman Louise Donovan said her agency was working with the Bangladesh government to take care of the Rohingya.

We understand these men, women and children were at sea for nearly two months in harrowing conditions and that many of them are extremely malnourished and dehydrated. We dispatched staff to the site this morning and are seeking further information from local authorities, Donovan told BenarNews.

Our primary concern is for peoples immediate health and first aid needs, she said. Standardized procedures are in place to assist new arrivals, including full medical screening and a 14-day quarantine period at a designated quarantine center.

A Bangladesh Coast Guard member lines up rescued Rohingya outside the Bangladesh-Myanmar transit center at Teknaf, Coxs Bazar, April 16, 2020. [Abdur Rahman/BenarNews]

A Bangladesh Coast Guard member lines up rescued Rohingya outside the Bangladesh-Myanmar transit center at Teknaf, Coxs Bazar, April 16, 2020. [Abdur Rahman/BenarNews]

Malaysia stops another trawler

In Malaysia, an official with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the countrys coast guard, said authorities had not seen the boat in question.

However, the agency was enforcing orders not to allow the entry of any boats carrying foreign nationals, in order to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, Capt. Zulinda Ramly, an MMEA North Region commander, told BenarNews late Thursday.

Due to the Movement Control Orders of COVID-19 pandemic, MMEA is working together with the Royal Malaysian Navy and Royal Malaysian Air Force to strengthen Malaysias maritime borders to deny any illegal entries into Malaysian waters, she said via Facebook Messenger.

Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysian Air Force announced that it had stopped an attempt by another trawler carrying Rohingya to enter the country.

Due to their poor living conditions back home, the authorities feared that the refugees who try to enter Malaysia either by land or by sea will bring the new COVID-19 cluster into the country, the air force said in a Facebook post Thursday.

Air force spotters notified the navy, which deployed two ships to escort the trawler carrying about 200 men, women and children from Malaysian waters. One of the navy ships delivered food to the trawler on a humanitarian basis.

On March 31, the MMEA intercepted a boat carrying nearly five dozen Rohingya off the island of Langkawi, near the countrys northwestern coast.

Officials at that time said the Rohingya were to be handed over to the state immigration department because they were found within Malaysian waters and without valid documents. MMEA officials were trying to show leniency to the Rohingya on the principle of humanity, according to North Regional Director Adm. Rozali Mohammed Said.

Capt. Zulinda did not immediately respond to a question from BenarNews about why the people on the boat were allowed to land in the Langkawi area on March 31, if the MMEA was under orders related to COVID-19 to block the entry of boats transporting foreigners.

Rights groups speak out

Amnesty International and Save the Children issued statements expressing support for the rescued Rohingya and concern about their possible exposure to the coronavirus.

It is a relief to see that these nearly 400 Rohingya refugees have been welcomed by Bangladesh. Given the ordeal they have passed through, adrift on the sea for two months, they need to be provided with immediate medical attention and adequate food and shelter, said Biraj Patnaik, Amnestys South Asia director.

Having first fled crimes against humanity in Myanmar and then being turned away by Malaysia, they have nowhere left to go  a fact that is harrowingly demonstrated by the callous indifference of other governments that refuse to give them sanctuary and the reported deaths at sea of 32 of their fellow passengers.

News wire service Agence France-Presse reported that the death toll could be nearly twice AIs claim.

Rohingya refugees have suffered far too much already. The last thing they need is for the virus to sweep through the flimsy and tightly squeezed camps with inadequate health facilities to support them, Patnaik said.

Save the Children Rohingya offered similar concerns, specifically for the 64 children rescued from the trawler.

Rohingya children are some of the most marginalized on the planet, said, Athena Rayburn, advocacy manager for the childrens rights NGO.

While safe from the brutal violence that forced them to leave Myanmar, the camps in Bangladesh are no place for a child. Access to education and other essential services is limited, and children are at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse, she said, adding that the camps were now facing the prospect of a COVID-19 outbreak with potentially devastating consequences.

About 740,000 Rohingya fled to camps in and around Coxs Bazar from Myanmars Rakhine state beginning in August 2017, after its military launched a brutal offensive in response to deadly attacks by a rebel group on government security posts.

They joined thousands of other Rohingya who had previously fled Myanmar, bringing the number of refugees in the camps to more than 1 million.

Nani Yusof in Washington contributed to this report.
A barbershop in Alabama plans to reopen for business on Friday, despite the state's governor issuing a stay-at-home order through April 30 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Male Room, located in the city of Birmingham, announced the news in Facebook Tuesday, saying they faced financial ruin if they continued to keep their doors closed.

'Workers and businesses must have income to survive,' owner Scott Far wrote, stating that his shop has now been closed for more than a month.

'While we are extremely sensitive to the serious implications of the virus, we are none the less faced with an equally serious dilemma regarding the future viability of our business.'

'Granted, we are not designated, according to the state of Alabama as 'essential,' but the income in which we have been deprived through governmental mandate is essential to our staff and their families,' Farr explained.

The Male Room plans to reopen for business on Friday, despite the state's governor issuing a stay-at-home order until April 30 due to the coronavirus outbreak

The business stressed that none of their employees are being forced to come to work, and that there will be no consequences for barbers who choose to stay home.

The Male Room have also promised to implement a number of safety measures in order to protect staff and customers alike.

Barbers will be spaced out inside the shop and will wear protective face shields.

Customers will be required to wait in their cars until a text message is sent alerting them of an availability inside.

Additionally, all payments must be made with credit cards as cash will not be handled on the premises.

However, the announcement split social media users right down the middle.

Barbers will be spaced out inside the shop and will wear protective face shields while cutting customers' hair

One outraged Facebook follower wrote: 'Tell that to all the people who have lost their loved ones. 27,866 people in the US and over 600,000 world wide. That doesn't include the people that died that weren't tested. The US has more deaths than any other country.'

Another Alabama local blasted: 'So every hair stylist/ barber is out of work right now, But Only y'all are important and need to work ? Y'all are more important than the people dying right now?'

However, many applauded The Male Room for their decision to flout the social distancing orders.

'As a stylist I applaud you, and hope to see others places follow your lead. The virus will hurt (a very small percentage of us) for a few months but the economic effects will be felt for years by most all of us if we don't open our economy back up,' one wrote.

'This will be the first place I go for a haircut when the dust settles. I understand all the concerns shown here and the possible legal battle you'll face, but I applaud you for taking extreme measures to provide for your employees. This is our America!' another proclaimed.

Owner Scott Farr (pictured) wrote on Facebook: While we are extremely sensitive to the serious implications of the virus, we are none the less faced with an equally serious dilemma regarding the future viability of our business'.

Meanwhile, others wondered how the business would be able to brazenly open their doors without being fined.

Alabamans who willfully flout the statewide stay-at-home order face fines of up to $500 per violation.

The Male Room's announcement comes as Alabama Governor Kay Ivey urged residents to continue staying at home amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

'All indicators suggest that it [social distancing] is working, and I cannot overemphasize enough the importance of it  and in fact, it is imperative that we keep doing what we are doing,' she stated in a press conference Tuesday.

'Now is not the time to let our guard down and pretend that things are back to normal.'

As of Thursday afternoon, there are more than 4,300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama. 133 people have died from the contagious virus.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives his victory speech after winning the Ohio gubernatorial race at the Sheraton Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 6, 2018. (Justin Merriman/Getty Images)

Ohio Governor Says Businesses Can Start Reopening on May 1

Some businesses in Ohio that were shut down under Gov. Mike DeWines stay at home order will be able to reopen beginning on May 1, the Republican said on Thursday, even as he warned the workplace would be different than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ohio has seen the curve of hospitalizations, or the rise and peak, flatten in recent days, a trend thats continued for a week.

We must get people back to work, DeWine said at a press conference.

The states reopening plan involves having companies prove to government workers that they have adequate measures in place to combat the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year that causes the COVID-19 disease.

DeWine used the example of RPM, an Ohio-based company, which has implemented a number of measures in preparation for reopening some facilities.

The measures include regularly checking the stock of personal protective equipment, limiting visitors and screening visitors upon entry, not allowing sick employees at work, and requiring employees keep six feet away from others or, if theyre unable, mandating they wear masks.

Polling stations throughout the were shut down as Gov. Mike DeWine called for the states primaries to be pushed back to June in Columbus, Ohio on March 17, 2020. (Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)

Were looking to begin this process on May 1, DeWine said. We will start with companies that can demonstrate that they can do these things.  Well do this with companies where weve been able to put together the guidelines and companies that we think can start back down this road.

The governor declined to directly respond to a question about when schools will reopen and his stay at home order will be loosened or rescinded. He and six other governors announced earlier Thursday a compact to closely coordinate the reopening of their economies. The other states include Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois.

We are eager to work together to mitigate the economic crisis this virus has caused in our region. We recognize that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them, the governors said in a joint statement.

Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region. This doesnt mean our economy will reopen all at once, or that every state will take the same steps at the same time. But close coordination will ensure we get this right.

Zach Stamper holds the U.S. flag while his sister Juliette and parents Jennifer and Tim recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the driveway of their home in Kettering, Ohio, on April 7, 2020, as next door neighbor, Ann Painter, left, participates. The Pledge has become a morning ritual in their neighborhood since schools closed due to the COVID-19 threat. (Mitch Stacy/AP Photo)

Different World

DeWine warned Ohio residents that the world that were going to see is a different world and the world and the workplace is going to be different.

Many people will be wearing masks, both inside and outside of work, and workplaces will have lots of hand sanitizer, social distancing, and barriers.

This is going to last until were done with COVID, until we have a vaccine, he said.

A vaccine isnt expected to be available until sometime next year.

Existing and experimental drugs are being tested against COVID-19 and some are showing promise but none have yet been proven to work against the new illness.

Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Md. (NIAID)

The CCP virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs, it states on its website.

Health experts are recommending preventative measures including frequently washing hands, wearing a mask and gloves when leaving home, and avoiding crowds and people who are clearly sick.

Ohio relied on projections of up to 62,000 new cases per day if no social distancing measures were implemented. The initial projection for peak cases per day with measures in place was 9,800; that was revised downwards to 1,600. The state reported 448 new cases overnight, along with 101 new hospitalizations and 12 deaths.

Ohio now has 8,239 total confirmed cases, 2,328 total hospitalizations, and 373 deaths.
JOHANNESBURG - Benedict Somi Vilakazi had been surrounded by history.

His grandfather was South Africas first black lecturer at Witswatersrand University and produced an English/Zulu dictionary, enormous achievements in a country then divided sharply by race. The most famous street in Soweto shares his name, and two Nobel Peace Prize winners  Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu  lived along it.

Vilakazi was proud of that past and put a mural about his grandfather in his coffee shop that was popular with tourists and locals alike.

Some of them gathered, carefully, keeping a distance and many wearing facemasks, on Thursday to mourn the 57-year-old Vilakazi, who died of COVID-19. The pallbearers wore full protective suits.

Somi knew how to welcome people, serve them a nice coffee and make them laugh, said his cousin, Sipho Vilakazi, who has a gift shop next door. So many people will miss him. Our family, our neighbours and many others.

The coffee shop is located by the Hector Pieterson Memorial, a landmark of South Africas struggle against apartheid, the previous regime of racial oppression.

Somi took great pride in telling people about the history of the family and Soweto, his cousin said.

Vilakazi had taken the coronavirus threat seriously, observed precautions while serving customers and closed the shop well before South Africa went into lockdown on March 27, family members said.

He died on April 11, leaving a wife and two children.

South Africa has confirmed more than 2,500 cases of COVID-19, and more than 30 deaths. Its nationwide lockdown was imposed relatively early and is credited with helping to control the spread of the disease, bringing the daily average increase in cases down from 42% to 4%.

Health experts warn, however, that the disease is expected to continue to spread in the country of 57 million, especially in the crowded, often low-income townships surrounding Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.

Those townships include Soweto, the most famous of them all.

We pray that we will all stay safe and healthy, Vilakazis cousin said.
Representative image

The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic may derail the growth momentum of affordable housing in the short term, some real estate experts have warned. They feel realtors must focus on execution and completion of projects to tide over the issue of liquidity.

At a webinar on Housing for All Knowledge Series hosted by NAREDCO, some real estate developers were of the view that once the coronavirus crisis abates, affordable housing may not remain the blue-eyed boy of real estate.

Affordable housing sector may get impacted and revive only when the economy shows signs of improvement. The segment may not do well in the short term because blue-coloured workers may be worried about salaries. This is a reality we have to accept, said Khushru Jijina, Managing Director, Piramal Capital & Housing Finance.

However, Sanjay Dutt, MD and CEO, Tata Realty & Infrastructure, disagreed, saying there may be some blue coloured workers who will be impacted, but on a large scale affordable homes will continue to receive traction as these are homes for urban India also.

A lower demand could push up unsold affordable stock by at least 1-2 percent in 2020, ANAROCK said in a recent report. Around 6.1 lakh affordable units were under construction across top seven cities until the lockdown was announced, ANAROCK stated. This is over 39 percent of the total 15.62 lakh under-construction (UC) units in the top seven cities  the highest share of all budget categories.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

With regard to the liquidity challenges being faced by the sector, realtors said the sector has faced several challenges starting with demonetisation, IL&FS, the NBFC crisis and now COVID-19 has derailed funding.

Developers will need handholding and they will require money to complete the project. All stakeholders  the developer, the lender, the customer want to get their investments back and for that the project needs to be completed for everybody to get back their money, Dutt said at the webinar.

Experts said last mile funding is the need of the hour. We require more of this last mile funding. We ourselves have started this last mile funding, we require more providers to ensure that the projects are over, Jijina said.

As for the impact of COVID-19 on commercial real estate segment, some realtors felt that this segment may benefit in the long term from Western countries deciding to outsource jobs to India .

Real estate developers were of the view that COVID-19 would lead to new ways of conducting business with efficient use of technology. One positive from the entire situation would be that developers will become efficient by using technology. Some have already started selling on the digital platform. This will be used for construction too, Jijina added.
By Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) - Uber Eats said orders for grocery delivery on its platform jumped 59% across Europe in March compared with February as countries locked down to fight the coronavirus, helping offset some of the impact of shuttered restaurants on demand.

Uber Eats, which competes with the likes of Deliveroo, Takeway.com <TKWY.AS> and Just Eat in online meal delivery, already offered alcohol and selected products from convenience stores.

European general manager Stephane Ficaja said Uber Eats' store sign-up rate had doubled in March as convenience outlets looked for new channels to serve customers advised to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus.

"Everything that we are doing on grocery and convenience is driven by the fact that we are seeing strong consumer appetites from new consumption trends, people who are confined and cannot go out," he said in an interview.

The data underlines the scale of the industry push into the grocery market, where it sees a gap for must-have products delivered much quicker than online orders from major supermarkets and the likes of Ocado <OCDO.L>.

The decline in households ordering online meals for delivery across the sector in March has provided an additional impetus to seek new revenue streams.

It also shows how shops are finding news ways to serve customers as the lockdown across the region continues.

More than 1,000 grocery and convenience stores were on Uber Eats' app in Europe and more than 3,500 globally, he said, helping meet strong demand for essential foods and staples in Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Sweden.

Uber Eats, a unit of ride-hailing service Uber Technologies <UBER.N>, teamed up with French supermarket Carrefour <CARR.PA> this month to help Parisians obtain food, toiletries and cleaning products within 30 minutes on average, while in Spain it is working with service station operator Galp in 15 cities including Madrid, Valencia and Seville.

Story continues

Carrefour said the Uber Eats app was enabling it to deliver everyday products to communities safely and conveniently.

"As we face this crisis, we have a duty to come up with new solutions," said executive director of e-commerce, data and digital transformation Amelie Oudea-Castera.

In Britain, Uber Eats is working with nine of the largest convenience store networks, with more than 700 shops on the platform.

Ficaja said it was talking with other retailers, including large supermarket groups, which are struggling to meet soaring demand for online orders, about joining the platform.

"Classic online channels are mostly completely saturated," he said. "Our offer is a bit different, it's smaller basket, smaller ticket, faster delivery."

UK convenience store network Costcutter, which started working with Uber Eats in October, has seen a surge in orders on the platform, retail director Mike Hollis said.

"Our sales are up about 350% (compared with pre-coronavirus levels) on Uber Eats," he said. "When we started, stores were seeing 200 or 300 pounds a week in sales, we had a store last week that had took 4,500 pounds in Uber Eats sales."

He said fresh food and alcohol were popular on the app, with milk being the bestselling line. He said the number of stores on the app would exceed 100 in the next few weeks.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Josephine Mason)
Photo: Contributed The Dr. Henry from John Fluevog

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, has emerged in the COVID-19 crisis as a calm voice of reason  but also as the wearer of some pretty eye-catching shoes.

A fan of Vancouver-based acclaimed footwear designer John Fluevog, Dr. Henry's fans have taken notice of her stylish and eclectic footwear she has sported in each of her over 50 public briefings on the province's COVID-19 response.

Recently, a movement was afoot to get Fluevog to create a shoe named for Dr. Henry, and today the designer announced he's doing just that.

The Dr. Henry is a two-toned pink shoe with bold stitching accents and a strap, and features her well-known words stamped on it: "be kind, be calm, and be safe."

The shoe is also doubling as a fundraiser.

One hundred precent of pre-sales for the Dr. Henry will go to support Food Banks B.C.

The shoes were designed with Dr. Henry's blessing.

Fluevog counts himself among Dr. Henry's admirers.

"At times like these, we're so fortunate to have someone who is calm and comforting but direct, and positive but realistic, informing and educating us day to day," said Fluevog.

"We always like to find ways to help, and to highlight those who are doing good in our world."

And the kicker is that Dr. Henry is a true Fluevoger. "To hear about and see that our admiration for Dr. Henry was mutual was just a beautiful cherry on top of an already great sundae," added Fluevog.

The Dr. Henry will be available for pre-sale later this month.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday expanded a state of emergency due to the coronavirus to cover the whole country to stem the growing spread of the disease.

The declaration allows regional governors to urge people to stay indoors, but with no punitive measures or legal force, the measure is far weaker than strict lockdowns seen in other parts of the world.

Abe had already declared a month-long state of emergency in seven regions, including Tokyo, where a recent spike in cases has prompted warnings that emergency medical facilities could collapse.

Japanese soldiers work at a hotel that has been designated to accommodate people suffering from mild Covid-19 coronavirus symptoms in order to free up hospital beds

'Areas where a state of emergency should be carried out will be expanded from the seven prefectures to all prefectures,' Abe told a special meeting of medical experts called to discuss the disease.

Shinzo Abe attends a meeting of COVID-19 coronavirus task force in Tokyo today

He said the state of emergency would remain in force until May 6.

Since the initial emergency came into effect on April 8, several regional governors have called for the measures to be expanded to cover their areas - warning of a growing number of coronavirus infections and overwhelmed medical facilities.

Some have declared their own local emergencies, even though they carry no legal force.

Japan has so far seen a relatively small outbreak of the virus - despite recording its first case in mid-January - with around 8,500 infections and 136 deaths by Thursday.

But local medical associations and experts have sounded the alarm, and Abe has asked people in areas already under a state of emergency to reduce contact with others to avoid an explosive growth in infections.

In Tokyo, the governor has called on people to work from home, and significant drops have been seen in the number of people commuting each day on the city's notoriously crowded transport system.

Shinkansen high-speed trains are parked at a train yard in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon

The famous Shibuya scramble crossing a week after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in Tokyo

But while some central areas have been uncharacteristically deserted, local neighbourhoods have remained relatively bustling, raising concerns about whether the measures will be sufficient.

Japan's two emergency medical associations this week issued a joint statement warning they are 'already sensing the collapse of the emergency medical system', with hospitals unable to deal with patients suffering from non-coronavirus ailments.

And in Japan's third-biggest city Osaka, the mayor has appealed for donations of raincoats to serve as personal protection for health workers who he said were being forced to resort to garbage bags.
Christus Health System announced it has already started using new testing technology for COVID-19, including in Southeast Texas, but will be using it mostly for screening of existing patients and health care providers in its facilities.

Administration from the system said it has secured a supply of testing kits that can identify whether a patient currently has the novel coronavirus or had it in the past within at least 13 minutes by identifying antibodies in the blood.

Christus will use the tests in its facilities nationwide after trying out the new technology for several weeks.

Dr. Sam Bagchi, executive vice president and chief clinical officer for Christus, said the system wanted to validate the tests accuracy and create policies for its use before announcing it to the public.

We are ready to restore confidence to our caregivers and patients about safely providing non-COVID-related care in our facilities, Bagchi said. We think the antibody testing is an important component in our screening process that will complement the other policies we have in place.

Because of limitations on current supplies and the time frame of when antibodies are present during infections, Christus will start using its testing kits mostly on patients coming through its emergency departments, before a patient undergoes necessary surgery, and on physicians and staff.

Although the new testing technology outpaces the more commonly used PCR tests by at least 30 minutes and can be used outside a laboratory setting, Christus will use the antibody tests to supplement its current screening procedures.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has greenlit the use of the antibody tests in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, but Dave Benner, vice president of clinical ancillary services, said any positive results from the technology will have to be double checked with a PCR test before providers report a patient as a positive case to public health authorities.

But eventually, Benner said, Christus could possibly use the tests for larger scale screening with community partners.

We know that it affects our communities in different ways, and community problems need community solutions, Benner said. As we move into the months ahead, we look forward to partnering with schools, nursing homes and other vulnerable communities.

Despite members of the White Houses coronavirus task force lauding the advent of the new test kits, antibody testing does have some drawbacks, including recent controversies that have made some health care institutions wary of its use.

As hospitals and local governments scramble to provide more testing, the FDAs relaxation of certain regulations has meant the market has been flooded with tests that arent backed by accuracy data. That has led to some hospitals receiving tests, mostly from companies in China, that are unreliable.

Christus secured its testing kit supply through Smartox, a Houston-based distributor that will supply the system with kits made by Healgen Scientific.

Bagchi said Christus spent the last few weeks validating the tests against patient results already verified through other methods. In the systems trials, he said the antibody tests were accurate about 90% of the time in both negative and positive cases.

More companies are entering the race to perfect antibody tests, some even promising to soon determine how much of the antibody related to immunity is present in a patient, but some physicians say the nature of antibodies themselves makes it a fickle screening tool.

Dr. Stephen J. Spann, founding dean of the University of Houston College of Medicine, said the tests could show whether a person is infected, but only days after the virus has taken root. He said the science to determine whether a person is truly immune or not after recovering still isnt quite there.

When physicians test blood for antibodies, they are usually looking for two types: a component called IgM, which is usually found at the onset of an immune response, and IgG, which is found in larger quantities after the body has started to recover.

Spann said antibody tests could be helpful for finding people with a sufficient immunity to the disease and even quantifying what is often called herd immunity among the larger population, but the technology hasnt reached that point yet.

There is utility in being able to look at the immunity of a patient, he said. There is a need for a good immune test for those reasons. I just think the science has a ways to go.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jdickjournalism
Aya, 61, was alone in a hospital, less than 2 miles from her husband and 18-year-old daughter on Long Island, who could not visit her. She did not have the solace of familiar colleagues; she had been admitted to a different facility nearer her home. In a text with her family, she described horrible chest pain from trying to get out of bed.
Washington, April 16 : US President Donald Trump has said that America has "passed the peak" of new COVID-19 cases and predicted some states would reopen this month, even as the country currently accounted for the highest number of coronavirus deaths and infections in the world, it was reported on Thursday.

At a daily White House press briefing on Wednesday, Trump said: "While we must remain vigilant, it is clear that our aggressive strategy is working.

"The battle continues, but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases. Hopefully that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress." "We'll be the comeback kids, all of us," the BBC quoted the President as saying.

"We want to get our country back." The President's remarks come at the US has reported a total of 639,628 coronavirus cases, while the death toll stands at 30,925, according to the latest update by the Washington-based Johns Hopkins University.

In the briefing, Trump also said that he will discuss guidelines for reopening the country on Thursday, reports CNBC News.

The governors of seven states on the East Coast and three states on the West Coast have announced regional working groups to coordinate the reopening of the regions.

"My administration is using every available authority to accelerate the development, study and delivery of therapies," he said, adding that at least 35 clinical trials of treatments were underway.

The Trump administration had previously signalled in May 2 as a possible date to reopen the nation, but the President said some states may be able to return to normalcy earlier than that, the BBC reported.

When questioned about the dangers of reopening the nation too soon, Trump said: "There's also death involved in keeping it closed." He cited mental health issues, saying suicide hotlines were "exploding" as the economy freezes.

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs due to lockdown measures across the country, and unemployment numbers are at record levels.

Retail sales dropped by 8.7 per cent in March, the biggest decline since tracking began in 1992, according to government data released on Wednesday.

In Wednesday's briefing when asked why the US accounted for such a significant proportion of the global death toll of 137,078, Trump accused other countries of lying about their mortality rate, the BBC reported.

"Does anybody really believe the numbers of some of these countries?" he asked, naming China.

The President also said the US was looking into unverified reports that the coronavirus emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan rather than in a market.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that China must show "full transparency" on coronavirus, during a call with his Beijing counterpart, Yang Jiechi, the Department of State said on Wednesday.

Pompeo has repeatedly accused Beijing of covering up the scale of the outbreak in the early days, which China denies.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
An arrest citation has been issued for Quinyelda Luckett, of Louisville, for violating a health department order with respect to life threatening communicable diseases

A Mississippi woman has been issued a citation for being out in public after she tested positive for the coronavirus, breaking state code for violating orders from health departments.

The Ackerman Police Department said in a statement that they received a call on Wednesday to Hwy. 15 about a person who tested positive for the virus being out in public.

Witnesses say that the SuperValue in Ackerman had to be cleaned because she had been inside.

An arrest citation has been issued for Quinyelda Clifton Luckett, of Louisville, for violating a health department order with respect to life threatening communicable diseases.

The mother shared in a Facebook post on April 9 that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and asked for 'everyone please b safe.'

In a previous update, she shared that her husband had been taking care of her when she developed an intense fever.

Ackerman Police Department said that they received a call on Wednesday to Hwy. 15 about a person who tested positive for the virus being out in public. Witnesses say they saw the woman at the SuperValue in Ackerman

On her social media, the mother shared on April 9 that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and asked for 'everyone please b safe'

In a previous update, she shared that her husband had been taking care of her when she developed an intense fever

On the Ackerman Police page that posted her photo, Luckett boasted on Thursday that she had not been detained and that the photo that was used was actually her license photo.

'I'm not sick I feel just fine post my paper work up as well before y'all start posting stuff,' she claimed.

When folks began arguing with the mother, Luckett explained that she had talked to her doctors on Wednesday and on Thursday. She also asserted that she had got tested on April 3, with the results coming back on April 9.

Luckett would later claim that she also talked with human resources at the health department 'before all this mess'.

On the Ackerman Police page that listed her photo, Luckett boasted on Thursday that she had not been detained and that the photo that was used was actually her license photo

'I'm not sick I feel just fine post my paper work up as well before y'all start posting stuff,' she claimed

When folks began arguing with the mother, Luckett explained that she had talked to her doctors on Wednesday and on Thursday. She also asserted that she had got tested on April 3, with the results coming back on April 9

Luckett would later claim that she also talked with human resources at the health department 'before all this mess' and asserted that Friday was her 14th day

She declared that she didn't have the virus based on conversations she had with various staff.

Last week, the Ackerman police posted the Mississippi health code explaining that a person who was out in public and had tested positive for the virus, would be detained.

'Any person who shall knowingly and willfully violate the lawful order of the county, district or state health officer where that person is afflicted with a life-threatening communicable disease or the causative agent thereof shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or by imprisonment in the penitentiary for not more than five (5) years, or by both,' the annotated code read, according to the April 11 post from the police.

More than 3,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state. Some 122 people have died.
A survivor of the Rotherham child sex exploitation scandal has said she believes the British teenager convicted of falsely accusing 12 men of gang rape in Cyprus is telling the truth.

Following the ITV documentary, Believe Me: The Cyprus Rape Case, which aired on ITV on Tuesday, Ella Hill, who describes herself as a 'grooming-gang survivor and honour-based-violence survivor', tweeted the hashtags #believeme and #Ibelieveher in support of the British teenager.

Speaking out on Twitter, Hill, not her real name, wrote: 'Im a Rotherham Grooming Gang survivor. One of thousands of girls targeted for rape because Im white. Told by Twitter that "white people havent historically been oppressed." We have. Please listen...#BelieveMe #Ibelieveher.'

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A survivor of the Rotherham grooming gang scandal, Ella Hill, not her real name, took to Twitter following the airing of ITV's documentary Believe Me: The Cyprus Rape Case to say she believes the story of the British teenager who was convicted last year of falsely accusing 12 Israeli men of gang rape in the Cyprus resort of Ayia Napa

In a thread on social media, Hill said she had been targeted for rape 'because I'm white' and included the hashtags #ibelieveher and #believeme in reference to the ITV documentary

The Cyprus rape trial saw a Derbyshire woman, now 19, who cannot be named for legal reasons, tell a court on the island that she was raped after striking up a 'normal holiday romance' with a young Israeli - the teenager was convicted of lying

Speaking to Femail, Hill said she had followed the young woman's story 'closely' and believed she was innocent, saying: 'I've followed the story, but I didnt watch the whole documentary as its too traumatising for me. Ive lived through something very similar. Ive had the bruises and Ive got the scars to show for it.'

She added: 'I do think the Cyprus girl is telling the truth. Her story is familiar to all of us. Authorities are bullied by "Equality and Diversity Officers" into keeping quiet about racist attacks.'

ITV's 75-minute documentary on the Cyprus rape trial saw the woman, called Emily in the programme, discussing her conviction, and featured new testimonies about the alleged attack in Ayia Napa in July 2019, including compelling statements from the young woman's friends.

The teenager, from Derbyshire, was convicted of 'public mischief' in the trial after retracting her statement ten days after accusing 12 Israeli men of gang rape.

At the ensuing trial, the teen, now 19, told the court that Cypriot police had pressured her to change her story. The teen received a suspended four-month jail sentence for 'public mischief' while the group of Israeli suspects walked free.

Speaking to news presenter Julie Etchingham, Emily said of her decision to retract her original statement: 'There was no other way out of that police station other than sign that retraction statement.

'I thought as soon as I am outside that volatile environment I can sort this out. When you are in that situation, the only sensible thing to do is conform.'

Rotherham child grooming survivor Hill followed up her initial tweet referencing the programme by saying: 'As a teenager I was called a barrage of racist names as I was beaten and raped over 100 times.'

She added that she was frequently told by the police: '"Theres nothing we can do about it."'

Rotherham survivor Hill said she was now using her voice to lobby the Government

A further tweet added: 'Im on Twitter to call for Government to acknowledge the racist aspects of the abuse we have had to endure. We have been told too many times by Police and Councils that, "White people cant experience racism."'

Sexual exploitation of teenagers in the south Yorkshire town took place between 1997 and 2013 with the National Crime Agency believing there may have been as many as 1,510 victims.

Tuesday's ITV documentary on the Cyprus gang rape case saw friends of the British teenager who claimed she was gang raped by a group of Israeli teens have recalled how they found her 'crying hysterically surrounded by men', in the new documentary.

Friends of the British teenager, now 19, seen, who claimed she was gang raped by a group of Israeli teens have recalled how they found her 'crying hysterically surrounded by men', in new documentary 'Believe Me' which aired on ITV on Tuesday

One friend, Jacob, who had been on the trip with her at the time, recalled how he arrived at the apartment and found the teenager, now 19 - who has been given the name "Emily" in the documentary - surrounded by the teenagers.

He recalled the moment he found her, revealing: 'One of them had his arms over her shoulders as if to pull her close, and the two were almost standing either side of her so that she had nowhere to move. So I've said "what are you doing?" and they didn't reply and started walking away.

'She was crying and I was like "come on, come on, come with me and I'll take you downstairs to where we were living"'.

Speaking in the documentary, her friend Becca said: 'My friend runs at me, towards me. She was hysterical - I've never seen anyone in that kind of state in my life. It was scary. She just collapsed on my bed and was just curled up.'

Jacob, who had been on the trip with her at the time, recalled how he arrived at the apartment and found the anonymous teenager, now 19, who has been given the name "Emily" in the documentary, surrounded by the gang

Speaking in the documentary about the moment she returned to their apartment, her friend Becca said: 'My friend runs at me, towards me. She was hysterical - I've never seen anyone in that kind of state in my life. It was scary. She just collapsed on my bed and was just curled up.

What was the Rohterham child grooming scandal? Police and social workers in the South Yorkshire town were accused of being too concerned about being labelled racist to speak out about cases of mainly white girls  some as young as 10  being groomed, raped, forced into prostitution, beaten and even killed, by gangs of older Asian men. The NCA launched Operation Stovewood, at the invitation of South Yorkshire Police, after Professor Alexis Jay's 2014 report into the rape, grooming and trafficking of hundreds of children in Rotherham. The Jay Report described how more than 1,400 children had been affected - a figure which was later established to be an underestimate by Operation Stovewood, which has identified 1,523 victims. It is estimated the operation will cost more than 90million by 2024 - the date to which current planning extends. To date 20 people have been convicted of offences identified by Operation Stovewood. Advertisement

'I just grabbed her and was hugging her and was like "Just tell me what's wrong, what's happened, I can help you, just tell me what happened - did he hurt you?".'

'She was like "yeah and she said "yes but not just him", and that's when I put it together and was like "did they rape you", and she said "yes".'

ITV's Believe Me is the 19-year-old's first television interview since the ordeal.

She said that police had forced her to retract her statement, explaining: 'There was no other way out of that police station other than [to] sign that retraction statement.

'I thought, "As soon as I am outside this volatile environment I can sort this out."

'When you're in that situation, the only sensible thing to do is to conform.'

The documentary features her barrister, Lewis Powers, who slams police failings as a 'disgraceful miscarriage of justice'.

Her defence lawyer at trial, Nicoletta Charalambidou, also adds that the island has a culture of not believing women's claims of rape.

She says: 'I do not understand why it's easier to believe that a woman was not raped, rather than believing she was raped.

'Because if you wanted to believe her All the evidence was there to conclude that there was rape.'

Emily, who is now back in the UK and set to appeal against her conviction, vowed: 'I will achieve justice.'

The Cyprus police have said their investigation was handled with professionalism and they deny improper conduct.

The woman recently told the Sun how she went to Cyprus to work and holiday but ended up suffering an ordeal.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told how she was raped after striking up a 'normal holiday romance' with a young Israeli.

The bedroom where the teenager says she endured the gang rape ordeal in Ayia Napa, Cyprus

Shimon Yusufov, 19, has been named as the Israeli who met the British student, also 19, while on holiday in Cyprus last July

The Israeli youths are greeted with hugs after being released from police custody

She recalled how they went back to his hotel room in the early hours of the morning.

She said: 'I knew he was leaving the next day so we started kissing. About five minutes later, I heard the sound of the room door opening and turned around.

'He grabbed me and threw me on the bed. He pinned my shoulders down by kneeling on them  he was well-built, strong  I couldn't move. From under his knees, I turned and saw the light growing from the doorway.'

The 12 other attackers entered the room, she said: 'Some of them grabbed my ankles, some held down my knees and they ripped my bodysuit.

'I was trying to cross my legs all the time and every time I did, Sam would get angry. He grabbed one of my knees himself at one point. Then they took it in turns.'

She says she was forced to sign a confession saying she made up the attack that was dictated to her by a male police officer.

However, the teenager still had faith that a judge would recognise that the statement was written under extreme pressure.

Instead she was put through another six-month ordeal, first being put in prison where she lost two-and-a-half stone in weight, then being under house arrest.

After five weeks behind bars she was granted bail but her family had to raise 20,000 euros to secure her release.

The teenager has now filed an appeal to try and get her conviction overturned. Her dreams of becoming an anti-terror police officer, having got into university to study criminology, have been shattered by the post-traumatic stress disorder she suffers from.

Believe Me: The Cyprus Rape Case is available on the ITV Hub
(CNN) -- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now counting "probable" cases of coronavirus among its tabulations, according to the agency's website.

The inclusion of such cases will add thousands to the total number of patients and deaths by including people who didn't have a positive test but showed signs of having the virus.

It comes after the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists suggested the CDC and state health departments add probable cases.

Previously, the CDC was only counting cases that had been confirmed by them or cases where the agency had yet to confirm a test done by a local or private entity.

A probable case or death is defined as one that meets clinical criteria such as symptoms and evidence of the disease with no lab test confirming Covid-19. It can also be classified as a probable case if there are death or other vital records listing coronavirus as a cause. A third way to classify it is through presumptive laboratory evidence and either clinical criteria or evidence of the disease.

New York City's Health Department said Tuesday it is now reporting "probable" Covid-19 deaths of individuals who have not been tested for the coronavirus but are presumed to be positive. The 4,059 probable cases pushed the death toll in New York City to nearly 11,000 victims.

"The fact is, we have to be honest and always acknowledge the full impact," Mayor Bill de Blasio told CNN's "New Day."

"We think it is smart and really fair to those families and to everyone to say, look, a lot of these deaths ... the medical professionals ... they couldn't confirm it was Covid because there wasn't time do a test but they thought that's what it was."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the state will begin counting probable deaths, based on the CDC's guidance.

The CDC count is 605,390 cases of novel coronavirus in the United States and 24,582 people deaths.

According to Johns Hopkins University -- data used by CNN -- at least 614,482 people have contracted the novel coronavirus in the US, and 27,085 people have died.

The US recorded its highest number of coronavirus deaths in a day Tuesday after several days in which the death toll had fallen or was nearly flat.

The daily death toll was 2,405 on Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins tally.

Protesters don't want to stay at home

All but seven states are under stay-at-home orders from their governors. And medical experts have said the key to having fewer daily reports of coronavirus is for people to adhere to those edicts.

But in at least two states, groups of people have gone to the state capital to protest, saying their individual freedoms are being trampled on.

In Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday, several streets around the Capitol were jammed with vehicles in a protest organized by conservative groups against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat.

CNN affiliate WLNS reported that many protesters gathered on the Capitol property.

"It's time for our state to be opened up. We're tired of not being able to buy the things that we need," Brenda Essman of Kalamazoo told the station. "We need to open our businesses."

Another woman told WLNS that her husband was on unemployment for the first time ever.

"We want to go back to work. We have employees. We have bills to pay," Renee Aldrich said. "The only stores open are Walmart. That's ridiculous."

The governor said she understood people were frustrated and respected their opinions. She said she was disappointed in protesters who endangered people by congregating and not wearing masks.

She told reporters she was working on a data-driven approach to reopening.

"I want to be very clear that our decision to reengage sectors is going to be based on the best facts and the best science," she said.

She said if the state acts too early there will be a second wave of cases.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, dozens of demonstrators gathered Tuesday outside the state legislative building to protest the state's stay-at-home order, CNN affiliate WRAL reported.

After an hour, police officers asked the group to disperse, saying too many people were there, too close together. Most left; one person was taken away in handcuffs after refusing to leave, WRAL reported.

Are cases topping out?

Despite the grim numbers, health officials have said they believe US numbers are leveling,

"There's no doubt what we've seen over the last several days is a flattening out," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday on NBC's "Today."

Still, officials are warning that states shouldn't yet ease up on social distancing measures because a resurgence of the virus is highly likely once Americans begin getting out of the house again.

What will be key to preventing another deadly wave in the country are the tools to track and monitor new cases.

"You want your resources to be able to very efficiently in real-time identify, isolate, and contact trace," Fauci said.

In the meantime, finding the right time to reopen the country is still a work in progress.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to make sure testing, contact tracing and an expanded public health capacity is in place as the country begins talking about opening back up, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said.

"This is going to be fundamental to maintain and contain cases as they occur and then make sure we have the health capacity to deal with this, as we work to regain the confidence of the American public that it's safe to go back to work," Redfield said Wednesday on "CBS This Morning."

A team led by the CDC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has drafted a strategy to return the country to work that includes guidance for local and state governments on how to reopen safely and in phases, the Washington Post reported.

Meanwhile, governors have begun diving into discussions about the first steps toward reopening their economies, with many of the nation's stay-at-home orders, as well as the federal government's social distancing guidelines, set to expire at the end of the month.

But many state leaders who are still seeing their number of cases climb say it's too soon to begin thinking about lifting any measures.

How will states know when to reopen?

Nearly a dozen states have begun working together to determine what the first steps should be once stay-at-home orders are lifted. But with experts cautioning that each state should be treated as a separate situation and assessed individually, there are still few answers to the questions of when each part of the country will begin reopening and what that will look like.

All that some state leaders have offered so far are indicators of when their state may begin thinking about reopening.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said he'll be working with Washington and Oregon to determine a path forward, announced Tuesday a set of indicators that will help the state pin down the right time to begin lifting measures.

Those include the state's ability to track and monitor infected individuals through testing, contact tracing and isolating procedures, as well as its ability to prevent infection of at-risk groups.

"Science, not politics must be the guide. It cannot be ideological," he said. "We can't get ahead of ourselves. ... I don't want to make a political decision. That puts people's lives at risk."

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told residents of his state he was expecting "difficult days and weeks ahead." He said officials have begun conversations around reopening the state but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done before a plan is set into motion.

The state will need to have testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine procedures in place to reopen, the governor said.

Baker, who will work together with other governors of the Northeast in a plan toward reopening said that while his priority is doing "what's right for Massachusetts," it will also help staying in sync with other state leaders.

"I think it's going to be really important that we all pay attention to what the others are up to, and to make sure that nobody does anything that puts somebody in a really bad spot, because they just weren't thinking about what that impact was going to be on some other part of the Northeastern part of the US," he said.

In Ohio, Director of the Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton said that the state would first need to see a sustained decrease in the number of new cases -- so low that officials could trace each infected resident -- before considering reopening the state.

But even when that happens, until there's a vaccine, daily life won't look like it did before, the state's governor said, and institutions will need to take precautions to prevent further infections.

"Until there is a vaccine -- this monster is going to be working around us. When we start opening businesses and schools back up, it's going to be different," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.

We might not go back to normal for another 2 years

DeWine's assessment was underscored by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who published findings Tuesday that projected the US may have to endure social distancing measures -- such as stay-at-home orders and school closures -- until 2022, unless a vaccine becomes available.

"Intermittent distancing may be required into 2022 unless critical care capacity is increased substantially or a treatment or vaccine becomes available," they wrote in their report.

Those findings directly contradict research cited by the White House that suggests the pandemic could stop by this summer.

And much like experts have already warned, the Harvard team warned that another round of the virus is possible once social distancing measures are lifted.

"Even in the event of apparent elimination, SARS-CoV-2 surveillance should be maintained since a resurgence in contagion could be possible as late as 2024," they wrote.

The-CNN-Wire

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With no place else to go to, nearly 700 migrant workers and daily wager earners gathered on the Yamuna floodplains in search shelter on Wednesday afternoon. With the summer temperature slowly rising, migrants took refuge under a bridge on the banks of the river at Yamuna Pushta in Kashmere Gate.

The large gathering were a repeat of scenes witnessed in Bandra, Mumbai, on Tuesday and gave rise to fears of the Covid-19 virus spreading. The government and police sprung into action after images of the gathering made it to the social media, and mobilised buses to move them to temporary shelters set up in different schools.

According to officials of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the nodal agency for arranging shelter for the homeless in the city, many of them live near the floodplains while many others had arrived there after the central government on Tuesday extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3.

Around 650 to 700 people had taken shelter under the bridge. At least 250 of them are those who live near the floodplain itself. They go to government facilities for food and then return to the floodplains. The others had reached there after the lockdown was extended. They were looking for shelter as the days have become hotter, Bipin Rai, member, DUSIB, said.

He said all of them were taken to different shelters in Rohini, Savda Ghevra and Ghazipur, among others. The schools still have the capacity to house more people and there are arrangements there for food and medicines as well. On Tuesday, too, about 300 to 350 people had gathered on the Yamuna banks. We are working to shift these people to proper facilities so that they dont leave the city, Rai said.

The agencies swung into action after a media person posted a tweet of the workers gathered on the Yamuna floodplains.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted, Migrant workers have gathered at the Yamuna floodplains. We have made arrangements for their food and shelter. Also, instructions have been given to shift them immediately. There is no shortage of food or shelter. If anyone comes across people who are homeless or hungry, please do inform us.

Meanwhile, a senior police officer, not wishing to be named, said the homeless people from Kashmere Gate and Chandni Chowk area were being shifted to night shelters across the city on Wednesday evening. Police assisted the state administration in the process. There was no movement of any migrant labourers, the officer claimed.
India needs to spend wisely given the enormous likely demand for fiscal resources in the coming months, but skimping on helping the needy is the surest way to lose the plot", wrote economists Amartya Sen, Raguram Rajan and Abhijit Banerjee, for the Indian Express.

Indias biggest worry, after the extension of the Covid-19 lockdown is that a large number of people will be pushed into poverty, by the combination of the loss of livelihoods and interruptions in the standard delivery mechanisms. That is a tragedy in itself and, moreover, opens up the risk that we see large-scale defiance of lockdown orders  starving people, after all, have little to lose, the economists said.

The economists further opined that India should do what it takes to dispel peoples fears and ensure that their minimum well-being should be secure.

Outlining a series of measures that can alleviate the hardship of the poor, they pointed towards the availability of food stocks at the Food Corporation of India. ...The stocks of food at the Food Corporation of India stood at 77 million tons in March 2020  higher than ever at that time of the year, and more than three times the buffer stock norms.

They said that the government has already acknowledged the disruptions by the agricultural markets due to the lockdown and is purchasing stocks that farmers need to do away with.

Giving away some of the existing stock, at a time of national emergency, makes perfect sense; any sensible public accounting system should not portray it as inordinately costly, they said.

The economists also took note of the governments decision to offer a supplementary PDS provision of 5 kg/person/month for the coming three months, but warn that the three months might not be enough.

a substantial fraction of the poor are excluded from the PDS rolls, for one reason or another (such as identification barriers to get a ration card that turn out to be hard to overcome), and this supplementary provision only applies to those who are already on it.

Citing Jharkhands example, they said that there is evidence of lakhs of pending applications for ration cards in the state. The correct response is to issue temporary ration cards maybe for six months  with minimal checks, to everybody who requires one, they suggested.

Detailing other possible interventions besides expanding the scope of the PDS, they wrote, It also means setting up public canteens for migrants and others who are away from home, sending the equivalent of the school meal to the homes of the children who are now stuck at home, and making use of reputed local NGOs that often have a reach among the most marginalised that exceeds that of the government.

Highlighting other fallouts of the pandemic, they talked about the many consequences of the unexpected loss of income.

Farmers need money to buy seeds and fertilizer for the next planting season; shopkeepers need to decide how they will fill their shelves again; many others have to worry how they would repay the loan that is already due, they opined.

The economists also suggested that the government has to a certain degree, addressed this through the cash transfers. They, however, add that the amounts are small and narrowly targeted. Why only farmers and not landless labourers, especially since MGNREGA is hobbled by the lockdown, they asked.

Adding that the aid needs to be extended to the urban poor, they said that the priority must be to err on the side of being inclusive.

P Chidambarams (Congress leader and former union finance minister) idea of using the MGNREGA rolls from 2019, and those covered by Jan Arogya and Ujjwala to identify the poor households and to send them Rs 5,000 each to their Jan Dhan accounts, seems like a good first step, they added.

All three economists also emphasised on the need to ensure that funding is accessible to the state and local governments, which can find successful ways of reaching out to those facing deprivation. If there was ever a challenge that requires brave and imaginative action, this has to be it, they said.
By Express News Service

KOLLAM: A man was forced to carry his aged father, who was discharged from the hospital, on his shoulders for 100 metres after the police stopped his autorickshaw for not possessing the self-declaration form.

A video of autorickshaw driver Roy carrying his 89-year-old father on his shoulders went viral, with social media users criticising the police for the misuse of power.

The incident happened on Wednesday morning when Roy, a native of Kulathupuzha, was on his way to bring back his father George from the Punalur Taluk Hospital.

Some 500 metres away from the hospital, the policemen stopped Roy and asked for self-declaration form in view of the lockdown restrictions.

#WATCH Kerala: A person carried his 65-year-old ailing father in Punalur & walked close to one-kilometre after the autorickshaw he brought to take his father back from the hospital was allegedly stopped by Police, due to #CoronavirusLockdown guidelines. (15.4) pic.twitter.com/I03claE1XO  ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

Roy did not have it and the policemen refused to allow him further though he told them about his ailing father. The policemen didnt allow the autorickshaw to proceed because the driver didnt have relevant documents to travel during lockdown, said a senior officer.

Hosp authorities come up with clarification

Roy walked towards the hospital after parking his vehicle under a tree. At the same time, hospital authorities came up with a clarification. The hospital CCTV visuals showed the man and his parents boarding an autorickshaw in the hospital compound. We later contacted Roy and he too told us that they left the hospital in an autorickshaw.

But when its driver saw policemen on the road, he asked them to get down. Since his vehicle was lying some 100 metres away, he carried his father on his shoulders till his vehicle, said the hospital superintendent. George was admitted to the hospital on April 12 with urinary infection. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has asked the Kollam Rural SP to file a report on the incident within three weeks.
A day after the Delhi's AAP government shifted hundreds of migrant labourers from the Yamuna river bed near the Kashmere gate area, the BJP said that it had apprised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the issue on April 8 and also asked him to shift them to a safer place.

A day after the Delhi's AAP government shifted hundreds of migrant labourers from the Yamuna river bed near the Kashmere gate area, the BJP said that it had apprised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the issue on April 8 and also asked him to shift them to a safer place.

Neelkant Bakshi, Head, Media Relations of Delhi BJP, told IANS, "The issue of the migrant labourers was taken up by Manoj Tiwari on April 8 with the Chief Minister in a video call. Tiwari also raised concern about homeless people not getting proper and quality food."

Bakshi's remarks came a day after the Delhi government ordered to vacate the area, 10 days after IANS reported the plight of hundreds of migrant labourers living in the river bed.

Bakshi said that Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari was updated on the IANS report from the Yamuna river bed highlighting the plight of migrant labourers and thus he raised the issue with Chief Minister for intervention.

Bakshi further said that the Delhi BJP Chief also demanded to know about the kitchens set up by the Delhi government to prepare food for the stranded people, so that MPs can also go and inspect and help.

He further said that the Chief Minister deputed AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and asked him to share details of back end kitchen where the food was being prepared. "But to our surprise till date no list has been shared by the Aam Aadmi Party or the Delhi government," the BJP leader said.

The BJP leader also said that several Delhi Lok Sabha MPs have requested Kejriwal to share the details of the kitchens operated by the city government, but to date no list has been shared.

Bakshi further said that Tiwari, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from northeast Delhi, again posted a video appeal to Kejriwal on April 14 requesting him to share kitchen details so that he can put posters of these 500 kitchens, as he did on 20th day of the lockdown on 20 sanitisation machines, so that people know about the kitchens run by the AAP government.

"The AAP government claims to run 500 kitchens with the logic that each kitchen prepares food for at least 2000 people to a total of 10 lakh people. We just wanted the details of these kitchens, Bakshi added.

The issue of migrant labourers turned into a flashpoint between the ruling AAP and the BJP on Wednesday, as the latter slammed the city government for ignoring hundreds of migrants who were forced to take shelter under the bridge that connects east Delhi with north Delhi's Kashmere gate Interstate Bus Terminal (SBT).

The action to vacate the Yamuna river bed came exactly 10 days after IANS visited the spot in the night and highlighted the plight of the migrant labourers, who were stranded here with no money and food after the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24.

Over 2,000 migrant labourers were forced to stay on the river bed in pathetic situation with no facilities of drinking water and toilets. They got food during the day and night when it arrived at the nearby night shelters.

The Yamuna riverbed where these migrant labourers were staying for more than 23 days is just two kilometres away from the residence of Kejriwal and Lt Governor Anil Baijal.
Hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnams tourism sector is likely to be one of the first to recover strongly after the pandemic is brought under control, according to an expert from Savills Vietnam.

In Thua Thien-Hue (Photo: VNA)

In Thua Thien-Hue (Photo: VNA)



Hanoi (VNA) - Hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnams tourism sector is likely to be one of the first to recover strongly after the pandemic is brought under control, according to an expert from Savills Vietnam.

Mauro Gasparotti, Director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said local travelers, which accounted for 82.5 percent of all tourists last year, are expected to rise in number within a short period of time, while international visitors will return at a slower but steady rate, especially those from China and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

In terms of international arrivals, the category expected to return the quickest is business travelers, especially to gateway cities, followed by independent travelers and those arriving for meetings and conferences, and finally tourists traveling in groups.

The countrys tourism sector is expected to fully recover within some six months after an announcement is made that the pandemic has been contained, Gasparotti said.

This year is the first time international arrivals on the globe will fall after ten consecutive years of growth, he added.

The number of foreign arrivals to Vietnam fell 18 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, while the number of domestic travelers was down 6 percent.



The sectors revenue declined 11 percent compared to the same period of 2019. VNA

Pandemic likely to put tourism targets beyond reach The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a gloomy picture being painted of Vietnams tourism industry in the first quarter of the year, as it triggered an 18.1 percent decline in foreign arrivals.
The call for body bags came late Saturday.

By Monday, the police in a small New Jersey town had gotten an anonymous tip about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the states largest nursing homes.

When police arrived, the corpse had been removed from the shed, but they discovered 17 bodies piled inside the nursing home in a small morgue, intended to hold no more than four people.

They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring, said Eric C. Danielson, the police chief in Andover, a small township in Sussex County, the states northernmost county.

The 17 were among 68 recent deaths linked to the long-term care facility, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, including two nurses, officials said. Of those who died, 26 people had tested positive for the virus.

For the others, the cause of death is unknown.

Of the patients who remain at the homes, housed in two buildings, 76 have tested positive for the virus; 41 staff members, including an administrator, are sick with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to county health records shared Wednesday with a federal official.

Andover Subacute is not alone. Coronavirus has swept through the New York regions nursing homes with devastating and deadly speed, killing thousands of residents at facilities struggling with staff shortages, increasingly sick patients and a lack of personal protective gear.

But with beds for 700 patients, Andover Subacute is, records show, the states largest licensed facility  and the risk of continued spread is terrifying to family members who have turned to social media and their local congressman, desperate for answers and extra personnel.

The challenge were having with all of these nursing homes, is once it spreads, its like a wildfire, said Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat who got the call Saturday, asking for body bags. Its very hard to stop it.

One of the owners of the facility, Chaim Scheinbaum, did not return calls or emails. Staff members who answered phones at the facilities said they were not authorized to speak to the news media.

Even before the pandemic, the nursing home had struggled. Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation II recently got a one-star rating of much below average from Medicare for staffing levels, inspections and patient care.

I feel so helpless, one woman, who started a group for family members, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. I feel like everyone is going to get COVID. What do we do?

Staff members at the facility were asking the same thing.

To all the people calling into the governors office, the congressmans office to help us tell them WE NEED HELP, a representative of Andover Subacute & Rehab Center Two wrote at 7:18 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, in a Facebook post that was deleted Wednesday.

After news began to be shared Wednesday about the bodies found in the makeshift morgue, a discovery first reported by the New Jersey Herald, the fear intensified.

Gottheimer said his office had fielded calls from staff members and worried relatives pleading for help. He said he had spoken to a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency about the possibility of sending National Guard medics.

The state Department of Health sent two shipments containing 3,200 surgical masks, 1,400 N95 masks and 10,000 gloves to the nursing homes, said Donna Leusner, a spokeswoman. The first shipment went out about a week ago and the second should have been delivered Tuesday or Wednesday, she said.

Its scary for everybody  for the residents and for the staff, Gottheimer said. What is surprising to me is how many are dying in house, versus the hospital.

The nursing home has told local health officials that they are housing sick patients on separate wings or floors, Danielson said. And local residents have been gathering supplies to donate to the nursing home.

Several women created a Facebook page and a website, Sparta Helps Healthcare Heroes, to gather needed gowns, gloves and masks.

At first, it was kind of like, What can we do? said one of the organizers, LeeAnne Pitzer. Now we have an army of sewers who are making handmade masks that can be washed and reused.

One resident of Sparta, Cheryl Boggs, said she found three boxes of Tyvek suits and booties in a storage room at the company where she works, Petro-Mechanics. She dropped them off on Monday after seeing the pleas for help on Facebook.

We just wanted to help, she said.

Lily Repasch, 84, died three weeks ago at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I.

Her son and three daughters were regular visitors to the facility, even talking through a window in her final days after the state ordered all long-term care facilities to stop allowing visitors.

The women said the facility offered no way for them to communicate with their mother, who had dementia, and provided family members no information. Their mother was never tested for the coronavirus.

Her death was inevitable, said one daughter, Lee Repasch. But she was a vulnerable woman with dementia. It was inevitable, but it didnt need to be like this.

Most of the states nursing homes have reported at least one case of the coronavirus, which as of Wednesday had infected 6,815 patients of long-term care facilities in New Jersey. At least 45 of the 351 coronavirus-related deaths announced on Wednesday were residents of long-term care facilities.

Gov. Philip D. Murphy said that once the threat of the pandemic passes, New Jersey must take a hard look at what went wrong.

Its pretty clear that a big weakness in the system, and in reality, is long-term care facilities, he said.

Thirteen of the bodies discovered on Monday at the Andover facility were moved to a refrigerated truck outside a hospital in nearby Newton, Danielson said. A funeral home had made arrangements to pick up the other four.

He said he was not entirely surprised by the number of bodies discovered.

I dont know if Im shocked by any means, he said.
To the Editor:

The world, as we all know, is a very different place today than it was just a month ago when we saw our first confirmed COVID-19 patient at Danbury Hospital.

The news arriving by the hour, if not even more frequently, about the spread of COVID-19 in our nation, state, and communities has understandably resulted in a growing sense of fear and perhaps even helplessness for many about the situation.

But whats getting lost in the story are the positive developments that are being made as we all rise to this extraordinary challenge.

We have been hard at work at Danbury and New Milford hospitals, and across Nuvance Health, well before we even treated our first confirmed COVID-19 patient, as it became clear that it was only a matter of time before what was (and still is) happening in Asia and Europe would also arrive here.

Those preparedness activities and following the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for how to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and effectively care for COVID-19 patients, have helped us immeasurably in dealing with this pandemic.

We continue to prepare and execute emergency response activities.

For example, Nuvance Health launched Virtual Visits at our primary care practices so doctors can screen patients remotely for possible COVID-19 infections.

Virtual Visits are also for primary care patients who want to see their doctor about other health concerns such as colds, viruses, fevers, chronic conditions, new symptoms, and other common illnesses.

This effectively has kept more patients home to help reduce the possible community spread of COVID-19, without sacrificing the care our patients need and deserve, especially now.

Together with the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) and our incredible local and state government and public health leaders, emergency medical services, and first responders, we opened two drive-through collection sites at Danbury Hospital and Norwalk Hospital so people in our communities who meet criteria for COVID-19 testing have a safe and convenient place to go to give a specimen sample for a test; all without even leaving their vehicle.

To plan for possible surge scenarios, we prepared two field hospitals together with the City of Danbury, CT DPH, Connecticut Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and Connecticut National Guard: a 25-bed field hospital located outside Danbury Hospital, and 250-bed field hospital located at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury.

We also launched Nuvance Health Medical Professional Reserves to prepare for possible clinical staffing needs.

Were looking for volunteers 18 years of age and older with a clinical or healthcare background to assist us with the projected COVID-19 surge. For people who meet this criteria, please visit nuvancehealth.org/volunteer/now.

We are continuing to follow new policies we implemented early on in order to reduce the possible spread of COVID-19, including postponing nonessential procedures and surgeries, limiting visitors at our hospitals and facilities, and screening all employees and approved visitors for risk factors of COVID-19 before they enter our hospitals and facilities.

These planning and response efforts are important.

But its also imperative that everyone follow the guidelines established by the federal and state governments to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Governor Ned Lamont has signed several executive orders on a daily basis, indicative of how quickly the situation is changing.

These include limiting all social and recreational gatherings.

We understand these are difficult instructions to accept and follow; but this is a critical time in public health history and its crucial we all work together to ensure these temporary orders are followed.

We know this by now but its worth repeating the other important ways to protect yourself, your family, and your community and help reduce the spread of COVID-19

These include: avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; wash your hands frequently; cover your coughs and sneezes; and stay six feet away from others.

Please continue to postpone nonessential appointments, errands, and travel in order to stay home as much as possible.

The CDC is also now recommending we wear cloth face coverings in public settings, such as the grocery store, to slow the spread of COVID-19.

I want to assure you that, as of right now, Danbury and New Milford hospitals, and all seven of Nuvance Healths hospitals, still have adequate supplies.

We continuously and proactively plan for future need, and we welcome federal, state, county, local, and private support to help us maintain supplies during this pandemic.

The magnitude of generosity in our communities is quite amazing.

During this challenging time, many people have asked us, What can I do to help?

We cannot thank you enough.

If you are able to provide financial support or an in-kind donation, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), please consider making a difference at this critical time when the demands on our healthcare system are immediate and growing.

For more information, visit nuvancehealth.org/coronavirus/givenow

Together well get through this. Lets make that our promise to one another. #DanburyStrong #NewMilfordStrong

Sharon Adams

President
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16) - President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his plan of selling government properties as a last resort if funds to fight the COVID-19 crisis run out.

Yung savings iba yun, ayun din ang ginagamit ko rin (The savings is different, thats what I also use)," the President said in a televised address Thursday night. "Kapag maubos yan (If it runs out), then we start to borrow. Kapag naubos na yung pautang (If the loans run out), we sell the assets of the government. I hope the dilemma we are facing now will end soon."

Last week, Duterte said the land where the Cultural Center of the Philippines stands could be up for grabs to help the country in its fight to beat the deadly virus.

He also called on the country's wealthy individuals and families to directly donate money to hospitals instead of giving it to him.

Hindi kami humahawak ng pera," he said. "Maraming milyonaryo, nagpapadaan ng pera, sabi ko hindi ako tumatanggap ng pera,idiretso niyo sa hospital."

[Translation: We are not handling any money. There are lots of millionaires who are sending money, but I tell them that I dont receive money, give them directly to the hospitals.]

Despite the President's claims of insufficient COVID-19 funds, the Department of Finance recently said the government is planning to spend up to 600 billion for the pandemic response, with more than half of it to be funded by loans.

For his part, Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the government has bullets to keep the country in shape until the end of the global crisis.

I dont think this is the right time to sell assets, Diokno told CNN Philippines.

Diokno added that the government lent 300 billion to the Bureau of Treasury as part of a repurchase agreement.

We have entered into a 300 billion repurchase agreement with the national treasury...they can pay us in six months," he said. "Because as you know, as result of the pandemic, government taxes are threatened because collections are suspended. So we gave them a life line.
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COVID-19 and social distancing have completely changed the way restaurants and bars can do business. Because foodservice is considered an essential service, operators can choose to remain open if they limit their sales to takeout and delivery only. While this "new normal" will work for some operators, others will be forced to shut down. Neither choice is ideal in this new, ever-changing, and volatile business environment, and owners, operators, and their suppliers are being forced to make difficult decisions every day to protect their businesses, assets, employees, and guests.

This one-hour discussion will feature Mark Maynard '90 (CALS), Director of Operations for Union Square Hospitality Group, Alan Rosen '91, CEO of Junior's Restaurant and Bakery, and Chris Mellon, CEO of Maines Paper and Food Service, three prominent leaders in our industry representing well-established and iconic brands in New York City and beyond. Professor Alex Susskind, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Director of Cornell Institute for Food and Beverage Management at The School of Hotel Administration, will serve as the moderator for this session.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

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eCornell Webinar: What's Next for NYC Restaurants is organized by
Global efforts to join forces against the coronavirus faltered Wednesday after Donald Trump halted funding for the World Health Organization, igniting criticism from leaders who are urging solidarity in the face of a crippling economic crisis. The US president's shock move came as a patchwork of countries experiment with loosening lockdown measures, ushering the planet into a new and uncertain phase of a pandemic that has killed more than 125,000 people worldwide and infected at least two million. In Europe, Denmark became the first country on the badly-hit continent to start reopening schools, while Finland lifted a travel blockade on the Helsinki region. Italy and Spain have also allowed some businesses to restart after signs both are finally flattening the curve following weeks of punishing death tolls. But as leaders launch into delicate debates of how to jump-start economies without triggering new waves of infection, Trump rattled efforts at global solidarity by ramping up his blame-game with the WHO, the UN's health agency. The president ordered the US to freeze funding pending a review into the WHO's role in "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus". Trump charged that the outbreak could have been contained "with very little death" if the WHO had accurately assessed the situation in China, where the disease broke out late last year. Leaders around the globe fired back at the US president, who had initially downplayed the dangers of a virus that has now killed more people in the United Sates than any other country on the planet. Beijing warned that the move would "undermine the international cooperation" at a "critical moment" in the pandemic. Trump also earned a rebuke from UN chief Antonio Guterres as well as entrepreneur Bill Gates who tweeted that cutting funding was "as dangerous as it sounds". The European Union's foreign policy chief was similarly disapproving. "There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever to help contain and mitigate the coronavirus pandemic," Josep Borrell said in a tweet. And African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat condemned Trump's decision as "deeply regrettable". Trump's controversial attack came the world is facing down a looming economic catastrophe, which the International Monetary Fund has said could see $9 trillion wiped from the global economy in the worst downturn since the 1930s Great Depression. Underlining the point, Europe's powerhouse Germany has been in recession since March, the government said Wednesday. The virus-hit Chinese economy, second only to the US, probably contracted for the first time in around three decades in the first quarter, according to an AFP poll of economists. Meanwhile finance ministers from the G20 -- the world's richest countries -- held virtual talks Wednesday about a possible debt mororatorium for poor states struggling to weather the costs of the pandemic. - European lockdowns easing - With tentative hope the pandemic could be past its peak in some European hotspots, countries are gradually lifting restrictions -- to mixed reception. Children started returning to nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools in parts of Denmark, where other measures, such as the closing of borders, bars, restaurants remained in place. Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin also lifted a travel ban in the Helsinki region even as she urged residents to continue avoiding movement, saying "now is not the right time to go to the summer cottage". Italy, the first European country to enter a full lockdown, is allowing bookshops, launderettes, stationers and children's clothing retailers to reopen. And Spain, which saw another dip in its daily death toll, has permitted work to start some factories and construction sites, though most people remain under strict stay-at-home measures. Yet warnings abound that a real return to normal is still a long way off. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the confinement was working but that "nothing will be the same until a vaccine is found". Germany was also expected to extend its coronavirus restrictions to May 3, regional government sources said Wednesday. Harvard scientists, meanwhile, have warned it is unlikely that one-time lockdowns will do the job, predicting that repeated periods of social distancing could be needed into 2022 to avoid overwhelming hospitals. - 'Unenforceable and unsustainable' - Elsewhere, governments are struggling to enforce lockdowns in impoverished regions where shutdowns are spreading hunger among the poorest. As the virus appeared to be on the retreat in some parts of richer Europe, it is slowly taking hold in Africa, which has seen 15,000 cases and 800 deaths continent-wide -- with fears over growing hunger and possible social unrest. "You are condemning people to a choice between starving and getting sick," said Jakkie Cilliers at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS), wrning that lockdowns were unsustainable across much of Africa. "It's not possible for 10 people living in a tin shack... to not go outside for three weeks." A similar crisis is emerging in Ecuador, where hunger trumps fear of the virus for residents in rundown areas of the badly affected city of Guayaquil. "The police come with a whip to send people running, but how do you say to a poor person 'Stay home' if you don't have enough to eat?" said Carlos Valencia, a 35-year-old teacher. The city's mayor has warned that overstretched medical facilities mean many are dying without the chance to be tested -- a reality that could be be hiding the true extent of the carnage in many poorer places. People are continuing to "collapse in their houses, in the hospitals, all over the place," said mayor Cynthia Viteri. However, in parts of the world that saw early outbreaks, there were some hopefully examples of life going on as normal. Though they were required to wear face masks and gloves, South Koreans nevertheless headed to the polls Wednesday and delivered a strong show of support for President Moon Jae-in, commending his handling of the epidemic. burs-ssm/txw
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Eden Empire Inc. ("Eden") and Rosehearty Energy Inc. ("Rosehearty") are pleased to announce that they have entered into a business combination agreement (the "BCA") dated April 16, 2020 whereby Rosehearty will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Eden, in exchange for common shares of Rosehearty (the "Transaction"). As presently contemplated, it is expected that the Transaction will be completed by way of a "three-cornered amalgamation" between Eden and a wholly owned subsidiary of Rosehearty (the "Rosehearty Subsidiary") pursuant to the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "BCBCA").

Amalgamation Transaction

Eden, Rosehearty and the Rosehearty Subsidiary entered into the BCA pursuant to which Eden and the Rosehearty Subsidiary will amalgamate, and ultimately Rosehearty will continue as the resulting issuer and change its name to "Eden Empire Inc." (the "Resulting Issuer") or such other name as is acceptable to the Registrar of Companies under the BCBCA. Under the terms of the BCA:

 the outstanding common shares of Eden (the "Eden Shares") will be exchanged for common shares of the Resulting Issuer (the "Resulting Issuer Shares") on the basis of one Resulting Issuer Share for each Eden Share. It is anticipated that 65,222,500 Resulting Issuer Shares will be issued in exchange for the Eden Shares; and

 the outstanding common share purchase warrants of Eden (the "Eden Warrants") will ultimately be exchanged for common share purchase warrants of the Resulting Issuer (the "Resulting Issuer Warrants") on the basis of one Resulting Issuer Warrant for each Eden Warrant. It is anticipated that approximately 661,630 Resulting Issuer Warrants will be issued in exchange for the Eden Warrants.

Prior to the completion of the Transaction, Rosehearty has agreed to consolidate its common shares on a 6:1 basis, such that Rosehearty will have approximately 3,705,092 common shares issued and outstanding immediately prior to completing the Transaction. Completion of the Transaction will be subject to a number of closing conditions, including but not limited to, shareholder approval on the part of Eden.

Completion of the Transaction will result in a reverse takeover of Rosehearty. Rosehearty is currently a reporting issuer in good standing under Canadian securities legislation.

CSE Listing

Contemporaneous with the closing of the BCA, it is the intention to make application to the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") to list the common shares of the Resulting Issuer (the "Listing"), subject to the Resulting Issuer meeting listing requirements and obtaining approval of the CSE. It is expected that if, as and when approved, the Resulting Issuer's CSE Listing Statement will be publicly available on the CSE website and the Resulting Issuer's sedar profile on www.sedar.com in the form prescribed by the CSE.

Conversion of Eden Debentures

Upon completion of the Transaction and Eden obtaining conditional approval of the CSE for the Listing, the principal amount of the approximately $5.9 million outstanding convertible debentures of Eden (the "Eden Debentures") will be converted into Eden Shares at a conversion price of $0.30 per Eden Share and subsequently be exchanged for 19,679,985 Resulting Issuer Shares.

Pursuant to the terms of the Eden Debentures, Eden must become a reporting issuer and obtain approval for listing on a recognized stock exchange prior to November 17, 2020, failing which holders of the Eden Debentures will have the option to: (i) be repaid the principal aggregate amount of the Eden Debentures held plus interest at a rate of 10% per annum in cash; or (ii) convert the Eden Debentures (and the interest accrued thereon) into Eden Shares at a conversion price of $0.30 per Eden Share.

It is expected that following the closing of the Transaction and the conversion of the Eden Debentures, current holders of Eden securities (including the Eden Debentures and Eden Shares) will hold approximately 85,564,115 Resulting Issuer Shares (or 96% of the Resulting Issuer Shares on an undiluted basis).

New Directors and Officers

On the closing of the Transaction, Mr. Kolten Taekema will be appointed as the President of the Resulting Issuer and Mr. Gerry Trapasso will be the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Cale Moodie will be appointed as the Resulting Issuer's Chief Financial Officer. The Board of Directors of the Resulting Issuer will include Mr. Kolten Taekema, Mr. Gerry Trapasso, Mr. Cale Moodie and Mr. Dario Meli.

Kolten Taekema - Director and President

Mr. Taekema is currently the President and a Director of Eden and is expected to be the President and a Director of the Resulting Issuer following completion of the Transaction. Mr. Taekema was the founder and visionary of the Eden Medicinal Society brand from 2011 until 2017. His experience as an MMPR holder in conjunction with his marketing background compelled him to create the Eden brand, where he developed its intellectual property assets and successfully used them as tools in developing a national brand image. At its peak, his branding campaigns gained national recognition. His invaluable industry knowledge gained through more than a decade of branding a cannabis company from the ground up provides him with an understanding of the industry, aligning him to propel innovation. His successes have proven him a natural business leader with the ability to achieve Eden's current and future objectives.

Gerry Trapasso - Director and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Trapasso is currently the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Eden and is expected to be the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Resulting Issuer following completion of the Transaction. Mr. Trapasso is a lifelong entrepreneur, with a history of operation and ownership in customer service and retail businesses. He transitioned early on to become a pioneer in the cannabis space, consulting with industry representatives across the country. Gerry has experience consulting with other organizations to guide them in the development of a strong network, reaching out to care givers, social workers, physicians, and individuals.

Cale Moodie, BSF, CPA, CA - Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Moodie is currently the Chief Financial Officer and a Director of Eden and is expected to be the Chief Financial Officer and a Director of the Resulting Issuer following completion of the Transaction. Mr. Moodie is also the CFO for a number of smallcap public venture companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mr. Moodie's career in public market finance spans well over a decade in roles as founder, chief financial officer, director and audit committee chair for numerous publicly traded companies in Canada. Mr. Moodie is a member in good standing with the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants.

Dario Meli - Director

Mr. Meli is currently a Director of Eden and is expected to be a Director of the Resulting Issuer following completion of the Transaction. Mr. Meli is the founder and CEO of Quietly, a company that helps brands and publishers create great content. He is also a co-founder of HootSuite, a leading social media dashboard, Foodee, a food delivery service tailored for corporate culture, and Brightkit, a media marketing company. Mr. Meli is also on the board of Pacific Ballet British Columbia Society and Neptune Dash Technologies Corp., a blockchain technology company.

About Eden

Eden is currently a private company formed and existing in the province of British Columbia.

Eden is in the business of investments and operations in the cannabis sector and engaging in retail, cultivation, extraction and activities in respect of cannabis in Canada and the United States. It is the intention that Eden becomes a fully integrated cannabis product company in Canada and the United States. Eden holds a number of trademarks, some with common law rights and some registered trademarks, agreements for the acquisition of licence applicants in various U.S. States and Canadian Provinces, and has acquired interests in land where it anticipates operating. Eden has an award winning and established nationwide brand, including a substantial intellectual property portfolio, and a dedicated management team with over 20 years of combined cannabis industry experience.

Eden is expecting the approval of regulators in British Columbia, Ontario and Michigan for licenses to operate cannabis retail stores, and cultivation and processing facilities. It is expected that following the issuances of these licenses and the commencement of its operations, Eden will have a significant presence in the retail cannabis space in British Columbia, and its expected reporting issuer status and the Listing of the Resulting Issuer is expected to provide greater access to capital markets so as to be in a better position to obtain the financing required to undertake their business objectives and improve liquidity for the security holders of the Resulting Issuer.

Retail cannabis operations are an emerging sector with significant cash flow potential. Public information shows that cannabis retail currently has one of the highest grossing sales per square foot of all retail segments in North America.

For further information please contact:

Eden Empire Inc.:

Gerry Trapasso, CEO

Tel: 778-898-5045

email: gerry@myeden.ca

Rosehearty Energy Inc.:

Robin Dow, CEO

Tel: 604-355-9986

email: robin@dowgroup.ca

This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and the securities described in this press release may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Eden Empire Inc. shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. Investors are cautioned that there can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in press releases issued by Eden or press releases, material change reports or other similar securities law disclosure documents filed by Rosehearty, information with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the transactions contemplated under the Business Combination Agreement, the Transaction, the requisite regulatory and shareholder approvals in respect thereof, and proposed future transactions Resulting Issuer may undertake and their expected timing. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Eden and Rosehearty to control or predict, that may cause Eden and Rosehearty's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: the risk that the Listing will not be approved by the CSE; the Resulting Issuer or Eden may not obtain regulatory approval and may not begin operating cannabis retail or cultivation and processing operations, that the actual use of proceeds may differ from those currently stated; risks and uncertainties related to the Transaction not being completed in the event that the conditions precedent thereto are not satisfied; the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. Neither Rosehearty, Eden nor the Resulting Issuer undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54516
Guitar on his back, Michael McLain, 63, a former cab driver from Albany, N.Y., goes to catch a bus across from the New Sea Breeze Motel in West Atlantic City. He had been staying at the nearby Hi-Ho Motel but said the owner was charging too much. The West Atlantic City motels, part of Egg Harbor Township, are being eyed for housing COVID-19 positive homeless people from Atlantic City, according to Atlantic City officials. Read more

WEST ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.  The motels along this stretch of the Black Horse Pike have long been a place of almost-last resort for those winding up on the outskirts of Atlantic City.

On Wednesday, Michael McLain, 63, a guitar on his back and a colorful scarf for a mask, was checking out of the Hi Ho Motel, bound for ... he couldnt say.

The owner wanted $40 a night  too much, said McLain, a former cab driver from Albany, N.Y., who said hed been in the area for a few months. And so he waited for a bus to take him somewhere else.

Now, according to Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, some of these motels along a dingy strip of Egg Harbor Township will be part of a strategy, in conjunction with social service agencies, to take the homeless who may have tested positive for COVID-19 or be at risk off of Atlantic Citys streets, and out of the citys busy Rescue Mission, if needed.

The plan to place Atlantic Citys coronavirus-positive in these motels, including the Economy Inn and the New Sea Breeze, was first reported Tuesday by radio host Harry Hurley of WPG-FM. Hurley cited emails among Egg Harbor Township officials, citing discussions with Atlantic Citys fire chief and head of emergency management, Scott Evans.

This is an opportunity where we can get the homeless (a) shelter, (b) help, and (c) wraparound services, Small said Wednesday. He said it was part of an existing homeless services operation run in conjunction with Jewish Family Services and Volunteers of America, both of which have been working to help the citys homeless return to their hometowns.

It was unclear Wednesday whether any coronavirus-positive or at-risk homeless had begun to be located outside of Atlantic City under the care of these agencies as a result of these discussions.

In Philadelphia, officials have set up the Holiday Inn Express in Center City as a quarantine site for people who do not have other housing.

 HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to hear from you.

Small said he nixed an earlier proposal to take coronavirus-positive homeless people from the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and house them in a motel in Atlantic City on Pacific Avenue, near some of the casinos. All of the citys hotels and motels were ordered closed earlier this month. Casinos have been closed since March 16.

We didnt want them in Atlantic City, Small said. Thats not to be derogatory. Its more a big-picture plan. Some people are a paycheck or two from being in that situation. We get it. We definitely feel for people. But this virus has no boundaries. This is supposed to be a partnership. We thought it would be better to get them off shore.

Evans declined to talk about any specifics of where the citys homeless would be housed through this crisis, but stressed that Atlantic City cant do it alone. Atlantic City has long been a place where the homeless and addicted end up, often after receiving bus tickets in other jurisdictions.

Adding a health crisis to the existing crisis of the homeless presents serious challenges, he said. Atlantic City has 46 reported cases as of Wednesday, and three deaths. Egg Harbor Township has 65, with six deaths.

Lets just recognize this is an enormous crisis superimposed on an existing crisis, Evans said.

It is very challenging, when youre looking at the unhoused population, for quarantining and self-quarantining, he said.

Were all in this together. We need to look at the big picture. We need to get the unhoused off the streets and get them the services they need. . People from all over the county and state come here. Our goal is to get them the services they need and get them back to their home.

Bob Franklin, director of development at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, said the mission was near capacity at 300, and was also stepping up its food program for the non-homeless poor. Recent estimates of the homeless population in the county have exceeded 400.

Franklin said the mission is not accepting anyone with symptoms, and was taking steps to keep its residents safe, including spacing out at meals. Our plan is to keep everybody healthy, he said.

Egg Harbor Township recently received a $2.5 million grant to buy and demolish four of the motels along the Black Horse Pike (Route 40), including the Hi Ho Motel, which have been repeatedly flooded during high tides and storms. The township wants to make the area open space without future development.

In 2015, six motels were demolished in an effort to clean up the blight along one of the main routes into Atlantic City, including the notorious Golden Key Motel, where in 2006 the bodies of four women were found murdered and dumped in the marsh.

Officials from Egg Harbor Township did not return messages left for comment. A person answering the phone at the Sea Breeze hung up after a reporters inquiry. At the Economy Inn, the person in the office said, I dont know, and declined to speak further.

Beth Joseph, a spokesperson for Jewish Family Services, said in an email: JFS continues to serve vulnerable and at-risk populations throughout Atlantic and Cape May Counties."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Following reports of overcrowding on Staten Island express buses earlier this week, the MTA is in the ongoing process of implementing service adjustments to reduce the number of passengers on a given bus in an effort to promote social distancing.

Earlier this week, the MTA rolled out significant service changes for Staten Island bus riders, including suspending weekday peak period express bus service and replacing it with off-peak reduced express bus service for the foreseeable future.

The consolidation of all Staten Island express bus riders onto just four routes led to some instances of overcrowding, prompting Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) to pen a letter to MTA Chairman and CEO Pat Foye asking that the agency rethink the service changes on the boroughs express buses.

In response to the letter and the ridership data collected in recent days, the MTA has started to provide additional service for Staten Island express bus riders, with more than two dozen additional trips added since the start of the week.

We share your concerns about crowding and social distancing on buses and are doing everything possible to continue providing safe public transportation for first responders and essential workers, MTA New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg wrote to the officials.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

Currently, with stay-at-home orders in place for much of the workforce, there are approximately 2,000 daily Staten Island express bus riders, according to MTA data. On Monday, the agency ran 250 Staten Island express bus trips, providing over 12,000 seats, a rate of over six seats per customer.

The adjusted MTA Essential Service Plan for Staten Island that went into effect this week allows us to prioritize available resources along four SIM express bus routes (SIM1c, SIM3c, SIM4c and SIM33c). By prioritizing these routes, we can better maintain service, adjust frequencies and address gaps in service that may lead to overcrowding under social distancing protocols, Feinberg wrote.

However, while the MTAs data showed that there were more than enough seats for all riders, the agencys primary issue has been properly scheduling and allocating trips to match ridership trends.

Similar to when we implemented the Staten Island Express Bus Network Redesign, we are monitoring the new service constantly and quickly making adjustments to align capacity with demand during specific time periods, Feinberg said.

On Monday, of the 250 total Staten Island express bus trips, six exceeded the agencys social distancing threshold of 50% capacity, or 24 passengers per bus. The most densely packed of these six overcrowded trips featured 60 riders, with the other five instances averaging 31 riders per bus, according to the agency.

In response to Mondays overcrowding incidents, the MTA added 13 additional trips to Tuesdays express bus service, with an additional 16 trips set to be added on Thursday, April 16. These additions will bring the total number of daily trips up to 279, a 12% increase over the initially-scheduled 250 trips.

This will add 1,000 more seats to our overall seat capacity. We will continue to make adjustments to mitigate any remaining crowding issues on these express buses. Our top priority remains the safety of our customers, staying nimble, and matching trip volume with customer demand, Feinberg wrote.

While some incidents of overcrowding remain, the MTA said it has seen a marked improvement since implementing the first round of additional trips.

While we continued to see trips that exceeded our social distancing goal on both Tuesday and Wednesday morning, the degree to which we exceeded our goal of no more than 24 customers per bus was lower than on Monday, wrote Feinberg.

Some express bus riders said they are already feeling the difference in the changes, with Wednesday mornings commute featuring fewer packed buses than earlier in the week.

Im hearing this morning was a much better commute, said Filippa Grisafi, express bus rider and founder of a popular Staten Island express bus advocacy group on Facebook. They have worked very quickly to make the adjustments and we are all grateful.

While appreciating the efforts to increase service frequency and promote social distancing, Grisafi said theres still more the MTA can do for its Staten Island riders.

The MTA needs to get the schedules and updates posted ASAP... They also should put signs on the stops with eliminated routes, because people are still asking what routes are running, she said.

Personally, I also wish they would convert some of the SIM1c buses to SIM6, SIM10 and SIM11s. In no way am I asking for more buses, just redeploying them to help hospital workers," Grisafi added in reference to previously reported concerns that Manhattans East Side hospital workers have lost direct service to their job.
The call for body bags came late on Saturday. By Monday, the police in a small New Jersey town had gotten an anonymous tip about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the states largest nursing homes.

When police arrived, the corpse had been removed from the shed, but they discovered 17 bodies piled inside in a small morgue, intended to hold no more than four people.

They were just overwhelmed by the number of people who were expiring, said Eric C Danielson, the police chief in Andover, a small township in Sussex County, the states northernmost county.

The 17 were among 68 recent deaths linked to the long-term care facility, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Centre One and Two, including two nurses, officials said. Of those who died, 26 people had tested positive for the virus.

For the others, the cause of death is unknown.

Of the patients who remain at the homes, housed in two buildings, 76 have tested positive for the virus; 41 staff members, including an administrator, are sick with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to county health records shared Wednesday with a federal official.

Andover Subacute is not alone. Coronavirus has swept through the New York regions nursing homes with devastating and deadly speed, killing thousands of residents at facilities struggling with staff shortages, increasingly sick patients and a lack of personal protective gear.

But with beds for 700 patients, Andover Subacute is, records show, the states largest licensed facility  and the risk of continued spread is terrifying to family members who have turned to social media and their local congressman, desperate for answers and extra personnel.

Even before the pandemic, Andover Subacute recently got a one-star rating of much below average from Medicare for staffing levels, inspections and patient care (Getty)

The challenge were having with all of these nursing homes, is once it spreads, its like a wildfire, said Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat who got the call on Saturday, asking for body bags. Its very hard to stop it.

One of the owners of the facility, Chaim Scheinbaum, did not return calls or emails. Staff members who answered phones at the facilities said they were not authorised to speak to the news media.

Even before the pandemic, the nursing home had struggled. Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Two recently got a one-star rating of much below average from Medicare for staffing levels, inspections and patient care.

I feel so helpless, one woman, who started a group for family members, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. I feel like everyone is going to get Covid. What do we do?

Staff members at the facility were asking the same thing.

Nursing homes around the world have been at the centre of coronavirus chaos for weeks now (Reuters)

To all the people calling into the governors office, the congressmans office to help us tell them WE NEED HELP, a representative of Andover Subacute & Rehab Centre Two wrote at 7.18 pm Eastern time on Monday, in a Facebook post that was deleted Wednesday.

After news began to be shared Wednesday about the bodies found in the makeshift morgue, a discovery first reported by The New Jersey Herald, the fear intensified.

Gottheimer said his office had fielded calls from staff members and worried relatives pleading for help. He said he had spoken to a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency about the possibility of sending National Guard medics.

The state Department of Health sent two shipments containing 3,200 surgical masks, 1,400 N95 masks and 10,000 gloves to the nursing homes, said Donna Leusner, a spokeswoman. The first shipment went out about a week ago and the second should have been delivered Tuesday or Wednesday, she said.

Its scary for everybody  for the residents and for the staff, Gottheimer said. What is surprising to me is how many are dying in house, versus the hospital.

Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock

The nursing home has told local health officials that they are housing sick patients on separate wings or floors, Danielson said. And local residents have been gathering supplies to donate to the nursing home.

Several women created a Facebook page and a website, Sparta Helps Healthcare Heroes, to gather needed gowns, gloves and masks.

One resident of Sparta, Cheryl Boggs, said she found three boxes of Tyvek suits and bootees in a storage room at the company where she works, Petro-Mechanics. She dropped them off on Monday after seeing the pleas for help on Facebook.

We just wanted to help, she said.

Lily Repasch, 84, died three weeks ago at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Centre One.

Her three daughters were regular visitors to the facility, even talking through a window in her final days after the state ordered all long-term care facilities to stop allowing visitors.

The women said the facility offered no way for them to communicate with their mother, who had Alzheimers, and provided family members with no information. Their mother was never tested for the coronavirus.

Her death was inevitable, said one daughter, Lee Repasch. But she was a vulnerable woman with dementia. It was inevitable, but it didnt need to be like this.

Most of the states nursing homes have reported at least one case of the coronavirus, which as of Wednesday had infected 6,815 patients of long-term care facilities in New Jersey. At least 45 of the 351 coronavirus-related deaths announced on Wednesday were residents of long-term care facilities.

Gov. Philip D Murphy said that once the threat of the pandemic passes, New Jersey must take a hard look at what went wrong.

Its pretty clear that a big weakness in the system, and in reality, is long-term care facilities, he said.

Thirteen of the bodies discovered on Monday at the Andover facility were moved to a refrigerated truck outside a hospital in nearby Newton, Danielson said. A funeral home had made arrangements to pick up the other four.

He said he was not entirely surprised by the number of bodies discovered.

I dont know if Im shocked by any means, he said.

The New York Times
In Vientiane, Laos (Photo: Xinhua)

Laos has so far recorded 19 cases, with one patient having recovered.

On the same day, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand decided to further extend a ban on passenger flights to the country until April 30.

The order exempts State or military aircraft, emergency landings, technical landings without any passengers disembarking, humanitarian aid, medical and relief flights, repatriation flights, and cargo aircraft.

Passengers and staff on exempted flights will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.

Thailand also announced 30 new cases on April 15, bringing its total to 2,643, including 43 fatalities.

Meanwhile, the Phnom Penh Post quoted Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi as saying it will distribute COVID-19 quick testing kits to 42 countries, including Cambodia.

Cambodia has to date recorded 122 infections, including 96 patients who have recovered.

Malaysia recorded 85 infections April 15, the lowest on a day since the Government imposed measures to curb the COVID-19 spread on March 18, raising its total to 5,072, with 83 deaths.
Puducherry Welfare Minister M



Kandasamy on Thursday staged a sit in protest at Raj Nivas here, urging the Lt Governor to facilitate the implementation of free rice scheme for APL families also.

The Minister along with two Congress MLAs rushed to the LT Governor's office to stage the protest and appealed to the Centre to release immediately funds to Union Territory to tackle COVID-19.

They alleged that the free rice scheme now extended to the BPL families under a scheme of the Centre was not also fully implemented.

The state government sponsored scheme to distribute rice to the APL families was facing hiccups because of "negative stand of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi," the protesters alleged.

In a related development, three legislators belonging to the opposition AIADMK along with those from the AINRC and BJP staged a dharna on the precincts of the territorial assembly seeking undelayed implementation of the rice scheme to benefit the APL families.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy held discussions at the cabinet room with the agitating MLAs and promised that he would initiate immediate steps to ensure free rice for APL families also and following this assurance they gave up the protest.

Presently, the rice scheme is being implemented to benefit the BPL families holding red colour ration cards in keeping with the central government's decision to make the rice and dhal available in the context of the current lockdown necessitated by the COVID-19.

The political parties and MLAs urge the Lt Governor to ensure that the free rice scheme for the APL families was also implemented to relieve the card holders of the current hardships arising out of the lockdown.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had on Sunday said that he brought to the notice of the Prime Minister "unnecessary intervention" by Bedi in the implementation of his government's rice scheme for the APL families during the lockdown here.

Reacting to the allegations, Bedi termed as "lie and misrepresentation" Narayanasamy's briefing to Narendra Modi that she had been hindering the implementation of the scheme for APL (above poverty line) families in the Union territory.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You cant beat art documentaries for sheer relatability. Watch the artists work, watch them succeed or fail, and then listen to their friends sort through the details. The list that follows is hardly an exhaustive introduction to the genre, but its a good batch of films guaranteed to transport you out of your living room, whether its to the glamour of the Mediterranean coast, to the excitement of a contemporary art auction, to the otherworldly ecstasy of a Sun Ra concert, or even to the squalid claustrophobia of Edvard Munchs Norwegian adolescence.

Ways of Seeing (1972)

Weve been coming to terms with technologys effect on art for more than a century, and the issue seems particularly salient now that we are depending on the internet for all of our social and aesthetic needs. But theres still no better guide to the way modernity has upended our experience of the world than the critic, novelist and screenwriter John Berger in his groundbreaking 1972 BBC series.

Watch all four episodes on YouTube.
A Tamil family fighting to return to the Queensland town of Biloela are set to learn if they can go home.

Priya and Nades Murugappan and their Australian-born daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa, aged four and two, have been on Christmas Island since August 2019 after an order halted their deportation to Sri Lanka.

They have been waiting for Federal Court Justice Mark Moshinsky to hand down his decision since a two-day hearing in February.

Priya and Nades Murugappan and their Australian-born daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa, aged four and two, have spent more than a year on Christmas Island

Their lawyer Angel Aleksov argued Immigration Minister David Coleman and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton took procedural steps that required them to make a decision on granting a visa to the youngest member of the family, Tharunicaa.

But no decision had been made.

Maritime arrivals are barred from applying for visas while in Australia and, despite being born in Australia, the young girl was given the same status as her parents.

Mr Dutton lifted the bar for 7500 arrivals in July 2017, which Mr Aleksov said included Tharunicaa as an individual.

Government lawyers challenged that argument, saying Thaarunica, then just a month old, was considered as part of her mother's application.

Stephen Lloyd SC, representing the ministers, said if Mr Coleman had requested information on the family, he was saying "Tell me what I could do", rather than taking a formal procedural step.

The protection assessment was a step taken by the department and not Mr Dutton, he added.

Justice Moshinsky will hand down his decision by telephone on Friday.
New Delhi, April 16 : The Union Home Ministry is ascertaining cases of violence against healthcare workers engaged in surveillance and quarantine measures.

"The Ministry is monitoring on a daily basis incidents of violation of lockdown guidelines, including congregation of people and opening of shops and establishments," read a notice by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, here on Thursday.

The Centre also asked officials to ensure implementation of lockdown guidelines and warned of action if violations were found. "The MHA would take action under the Disaster Management Act against officers found responsible for such violations," it said.

The notice has come after 17 people, including seven women, were arrested for pelting stones on an ambulance carrying a team of medical personnel and the police in Moradabad, UP.

On Wednesday, a mob tried to prevent a medical team from taking a coronavirus patient into isolation. They hurled stones at an ambulance, leaving four injured, in the Nawabpura area of Moradabad.

The injured included one doctor and three paramedics. A police vehicle was also damaged.
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cataclysm and the actual test will be seeing how those players take to WoW Classic since when it turns out they actually enjoy that leadership then WoW Classic will undoubtedly be massive. I also don't think it's a drawback that a course be a class rather than a spec, as you said on screen the specs should've always stayed about being an enhancement to a class but you'd still remain that course, but they instead turned every spec into it's own course.

What I think is worth pointing out is that in vanilla it mattered which wow classic gold you took the competitive classes to raids because overall people sucked at WoW Classic compared to now, I believe you could almost definitely clear any of the raid content that has any courses in the raid as long as you dont have too many of the terrible courses in there. At the end of the afternoon there will always be individuals who will select the courses to out perform the remainder, but if I return to WoW Classic (Ex hardcore raider) I may play among the less competitive classes, and see how good I can get with this. And the idea that if you join a guild as any specific course and be genuinely made to play the spec that performs well is simply not accurate for 80 percent of the raiding guilds which will form.



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Ryanair has lost an appeal of its failed defamation action against three pilots over an email circulated to over 2,000 colleagues.

The Court of Appeal today found the airline had not established the high-profile 2017 trial was unfair.

The airline unsuccessfully sued three members of the Ryanair Pilot Group interim council in the High Court over the emailed entitled: "Pilot update: What the markets are saying about Ryanair".

The email was circulated to 2,289 Ryanair pilots in September 2013.

Ryanairs action against pilots Evert Van Zwol, John Goss and Ted Murphy lasted for seven weeks.

Although a jury found the words complained of were defamatory and meant the airline was guilty of market manipulation, in a majority verdict it also decided that it was published by the defendants without malice.

As the trial judge Mr Justice Bernard Barton had previously ruled the publication occurred on an occasion of qualified privilege, Ryanairs claim failed.

The case came against the backdrop of years of campaigning by pilots for union recognition and the airline found itself facing allegations the trial process was being used as an industrial relations tactic.

During the case, Paul O'Higgins SC, for the pilots, told the jury that the reason Ryanair took the case was to "shut the beaks of anyone who might open them". This was firmly denied by the airline, which said the case was only about the publication of the email.

In its appeal, Ryanair took issue with the refusal of Mr Justice Barton to accede to its request for the discharge the jury on the 20th day of the trial after an undiscovered document emerged during the evidence of a defence witness.

The airline also contended the ruling of the trial judge that the publication occurred on an occasion of qualified privilege was erroneous.

Qualified privilege is a protection which exists where a statement is published to someone with an interest in receiving such information, as long as it is not motivated by malice.

In a ruling on behalf of a three-judge Court of Appeal today, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan said the airline had failed to establish the trial was unfair.

He said he was satisfied the trial judge correctly exercised his discretion in refusing to discharge the jury and that Ryanair failed to establish a real risk of an unfair trial.

Mr Justice Noonan also said that any ostensible prejudice accruing to Ryanair by virtue of the late production of a document was "effectively eliminated" by the trial judge allowing further cross-examination of witnesses and giving appropriate directions to the jury.

Mr Justice Noonan also found the trial judges ruling on the issue of qualified privilege was "correct in law".

The three pilots sued by Ryanair denied defamation and denied the meaning attributed to the words by Ryanair. They also said the words had the benefit of qualified privilege.

But the airlines case was that by publishing that incorrect statement, the defendants were saying, by innuendo or insinuation, the airline misled investors, knowingly facilitated insider dealing by management, was guilty of market manipulation and conspired with management to abuse the markets.

The jury answered "yes" to the question of whether the update meant Ryanair was guilty of market manipulation.

But it answered "no" to questions that it meant the airline had misled investors, knowingly facilitated insider dealing by managers or that Ryanair conspired with managers to abuse the market for its shares.
A New York City police officer, who overcame 9/11 related cancer, has died after contracting Covid-19.

Detective Robert Cardona died from coronavirus related complications on Wednesday, according to NYPD chief of detectives, Rodney Harrison.

Mr Cardona worked for the NYPD for 19 years and leaves behind a young son.

Mr Harrison publicly announced Mr Cardonas death on his Twitter page, saying that today we lost another great detective to Covid-19 complications.

He added that detective Robert Cardona is a 19 year veteran and leaves behind an 8-year-old son. While assigned to the 13th Precinct Detective Squad, Robert was a 911 cancer survivor and dedicated DEA delegate.

As of Wednesday, there are 6,274 uniformed NYPD officers off work sick, which is 17.3% of the workforce.

Wednesday was the sixth day in a row that the number of officers on sick leave decreased for the NYPD, according to the Staten Island Advance.

The number is 98 less than Tuesday, when 6,372 uniformed officers called in sick.

New York State has been badly affected by the coronavirus outbreak and currently has the largest number of confirmed positive cases in the US.

Googles dedicated coronavirus page shows that New York State has upwards of 213,779 confirmed cases and at least 11,586 deaths.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, nationally there are upwards of 640,291 people who have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 31,195.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MIT Sloan School of Management today announced that the book, Celebrating Entrepreneurs: How MIT Nurtured Pioneering Entrepreneurs Who Built Great Companiesnow in its second editionis available for purchase on Amazon. The book, by Edward Roberts, the David Sarnoff Professor of Management of Technology and the Founder, Chair, and Faculty Director of Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, offers a firsthand account of the past, present, and future of entrepreneurship at the school.

The book is available for download on Kindle and other electronic platforms for $9.99; it is also available in paperback for $50. Roberts will donate all author's proceeds to support entrepreneurship programs at the school.

"For more than a half a century, MIT has been in the business of creating, educating, mentoring, stimulating, and launching innovation-based entrepreneurship," said Roberts. "My book commemorates the ways in which MIT has helped move cutting-edge science and technology into the marketplace, pays tribute to the courageous MIT alums who started companies that have become the building blocks of entire new industries, and salutes the next generation of innovators. I hope that donating my author proceeds will help to sustain and further develop MIT's ambitious efforts on behalf of future entrepreneurs."

In the first part of the book, Roberts provides context and detail around MIT's unique entrepreneurial ecosystem. He traces the history of how the school transformed entrepreneurship into a discipline worthy of rigorous academic study and describes the collaborative culture in which entrepreneurial activities have grown across MIT's five schools. Roberts also vividly illustrates the ways in which MIT has helped other universities, regions, and countries learn how to start and nurture new ventures.

In the book's second half, Roberts analyzes how MIT's most successful entrepreneurs have capitalized on the energy that courses through the school's classrooms, labs, and centers to build companies that have lasted for decades. In particular, he focuses on the seminal role that MIT faculty and alumni have played in pioneering four industries: life sciences and biotechnology, the Internet, CAD-CAM and then robotics, and modern finance.

The final chapter provides case studies of newer, more diverse enterprises with MIT roots , as well as companies based in the developing world. Roberts offers in-depth interviews with recent MIT Sloan alum who have founded highly successful and profitable firms, including HubSpot, the marketing company; Okta, the cloud software business; and PillPack, the online pharmacy and Amazon subsidiary. These founders tell of their motivations and challenges, and their stories, woven into the narrative, contain advice, insight, and inspiration for would-be entrepreneurs.

Many entrepreneurs have praised the book. Ray Stata '57, co-founder, former CEO, and Chairman of Analog Devices, said: "In Celebrating Entrepreneurs, Ed Roberts has assembled the lessons learned by many dozens of successful entrepreneurs to stimulate the thoughts and actions of those who aspire to greatness."



Institute Prof. Phillip Sharp, the co-founder of Biogen and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and a Nobel Laureate in Medicine in 1993, said, "For decades Ed Roberts has studied, taught, and promoted entrepreneurship at MIT and beyond. Here, in a wonderful new edition, he has accounted the enormous benefits to society that MIT entrepreneurs have created."

For more information, visit CelebratingEntrepreneurs.com.

About the MIT Sloan School of Management

The MIT Sloan School of Management is where smart, independent leaders come together to solve problems, create new organizations, and improve the world. Learn more at mitsloan.mit.edu.

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Description

GIS - 16 April, 2020: Mauritius marks its fourth consecutive day with no new Covid-19 infection. Consequently, Government is working on a new Bill which will provide for a legal framework to prepare for gradual post-confinement scenarios.

The Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin, who intervened during the press briefing of the National Communication Committee on the Covid-19, this evening, through videoconference from the Treasury Building in Port Louis, announced that the new Bill will encompass public health, law and order, employment laws, and finance, amongst others. Provisions will also be made on measures that need to be implemented in case a similar situation arises, he added.

Another issue addressed by the Minister pertain to the distribution of potatoes and onions by the Agricultural Marketing Board (AMB). He stated that 139 tons of potatoes and 46 tons of onions were delivered today to registered dealers while different supermarkets have taken delivery of those products directly from the AMB.

He appealed to the population to be disciplined so as to enable the country to come out of the crisis and progress economically.

Covid-19 situation report

The number of Covid-19 cases, today, stands at 324 with 231 active cases and so far, 81 patients have recovered. The figures were communicated, by the spokesperson of the National Communication Committee on the Covid-19, Dr Zouberr Joomaye.

Key highlights:

As at date, a total of 9 180 tests have been conducted, including 272 tests today

Nine deaths have been recorded as at now

259 patients including passengers and medical staff are in three quarantine centres

39 patients are at ENT Hospital, 23 patients are receiving treatment at Souillac Hospital, and the Recreational Centre of Pointe aux Piments has18 patients

Dr Joomaye recalled that similar to Mauritius, other Indian Ocean islands namely Seychelles, Reunion Island and Madagascar are also showing signs of decline in the number of Covid-19 cases since the last few days. However, he encouraged citizens to practice good hygiene and added that anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms and seeking treatment at the hospitals, is being tested for Covid-19. Around 100-125 patients are being tested daily, he indicated.

#ResOuLakaz #BeSafeMoris
Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro urged their fans and colleagues to donate to coronavirus relief funds.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro are offering a chance to fans for a walk-on role in their next cinematic outing, Martin Scorseses Killers of the Flower Moon.

The two Oscar-winning actors posted about the challenge on Instagram. The contest has been started to raise funds for coronavirus relief work.

(Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak)

DiCaprio posted the video on his Instagram along with a caption that revealed that the actors recently launched the #AmerciasFoodFund campaign to help make sure every family in need gets access to food at this critical time.

The caption further mentions, If youve ever wondered what its like to be able to work with the great @martinscorsese_, Robert De Niro and myself, this is your chance.

Here is the video

The Departed actor said it was an opportunity to spend the day on the set with the three of them and attend the premiere.

The actors urged fans to go to allinchallenge.com and donate whatever they can. In the clip, De Niro said that all donations will go to Meals on Wheels America, No Kid Hungry and Americas Food Fund.

At the end of the clip, DiCaprio requested his Wolf of Wall Street co-star Matthew McConaughey along with comedian-talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to go through with this task. De Niro asked Jamie Foxx to participate in the challenge.
Britain is not ready for the coronavirus lockdown to be lifted even if the government wanted to, a poll revealed today.

Research for MailOnline found 80 per cent would not feel safe going back to everyday life at the moment, with nearly 60 per cent saying they are not comfortable leaving the house.

Around half are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place into June - and 37 per cent say they will keep obeying the rules indefinitely if the government believes it is necessary.

The extraordinary findings in the polling by Redfield & Wilton come despite some 43 per cent reporting that the crisis is damaging their mental health.

The figures underline the challenge for ministers amid fears that the message that people must stay at home to save the NHS has been too successful.

Research for MailOnline by Redfield & Wilton found 80 per cent would not feel safe going back to everyday life at the moment

Around half the public are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place into June

Government advisers have admitted to being surprised by the extent to which Britons have been obeying the regime, with politicians increasingly alarmed at the huge consequences for the economy and Treasury finances.

The OBR watchdog warned this week that GDP is set to plunge by a third and two million jobs could be destroyed due to the lockdown measures.

Pressure is mounting for a 'exit strategy' - but the Cobra emergency committee will formally extend the curbs for another three weeks later.

The Redfield & Wilton research, conducted yesterday, will be reassuring for the government amid growing criticism of its slow initial response and progress on mass testing.

Nearly two third approve of Boris Johnson's performance as PM, with 25 per cent voicing strong approval,

Specifically on the coronavirus crisis, his approval is nearly as high at 59 per cent.

Nearly half said they now had a more positive view of Mr Johnson, who was rushed to hospital with the deadly disease himself last week.

Some 54 per cent said it would be sensible for the PM to take part in decisions on lockdown, even though he has only just been discharged from intensive care, with 31 per cent thinking he should stay clear.

Four-fifths would feel unsafe going to a bar or restaurant if lockdown lifted now, and 62 per cent would feel unsafe going back to work

The extraordinary findings in the polling by Redfield & Wilton come despite some 43 per cent reporting that the crisis is damaging their mental health

Specifically on the coronavirus crisis, Mr Johnson approval level is running at 59 per cent

In slightly worse news for Health Secretary Matt Hancock, two-fifths say he should resign if the government misses its target of conducting 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of this month. Another 28 per cent say he should cling on even if the goal is not achieved.

The expectations for the length of the lockdown have extended since a previous poll last month.

Just 5 per cent now think that social distancing will ease by the end of April. Some 14 per cent predicted a loosening by mid-May, and 27 per cent by the end of that month.

But 30 per cent suggested the lockdown will be in force in June - well beyond the three-week extension mooted so far - and another 17 per cent anticipate it running into July.

There is little sign of the public losing its resolve, one of the main concerns for ministers before the curbs came into place.

Some 37 per cent say they will keep obeying the rules indefinitely if the government believes it is necessary

Some 37 per cent say they would be willing to tolerate the current lockdown measures however much longer the Government deems necessary even if it is beyond the end of June.

Just 1 per cent say they are no longer willing to tolerate the shutdown.

Nearly half - 43 per cent - would not feel safe leaving the house if ministers lifted the lockdown immediately.

Four-fifths would feel unsafe going to a bar or restaurant, 80 per cent would be wary of public transport, and 62 per cent would feel unsafe going back to work.

Just 15 per cent would feel safe attending a sporting event, and 69 per cent would want to avoid going to hospital for a non-coronavirus issue.

Overall 80 per cent said they would not resume 'life as normal' if the lockdown was lifted imminently.

A quarter suggested the lockdown measures should not be eased until there have been 'several days' with zero new cases of the virus.

There is limited confidence in the government's plan to get out of the crisis, with 31 per cent saying they believe it has an exit strategy, compared to 44 per cent who think not.

Wearing masks has significant support, with 48 per cent saying everyone should be required to wear them in public if lockdown is loosened.
For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here.

Whatever duration of the COVID-19 pandemic you look at, from Washington to all ends of the globe, one forecast is unfailingly accurate: Do not expect a "return to normal."

The coronavirus has already revealed, as never before, shortcomings and inequities in America's health care system. Long lines at food banks drive home a lesson about our economy: Half of all Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Technology workers can set up at home, the financial industry can move billions. But America depends on underpaid workers who deliver food, treat the sick, and do the vital grunt work.

Seeds of upheaval? Probably not. But renewed focus on overdue reform, and scrutiny of those who block it.

A relatively modest reaction, given what pandemics have done. Consider impacts on history, the consequences of suffering:

-- The Spanish flu: The 1918 Spanish flu killed millions, with the largest death toll -- 17 to 19 million -- coming in India. Mahatma Gandhi survived, but the flu took his daughter-in-law and grandson. But the indifference of British rulers gave renewed life and expanded support for the movement led by Gandhi for India's independence. "Indian nationalists blamed the (British) Raj for the pandemic -- one nationalist newspaper ran the comment, 'The Raj are doing nothing tand we are dying like dogs," Catharine Arnold, author of "Pandemic 1918," recently told CBC News.

While the Ganges was swollen with dead bodies, colonial authorities remained in the hills and away from fetid cities. "(They) also paid the price for the long indifference to indigenous health, since they were absolutely unequipped to deal with the disaster," in the words of Laura Spinney, author of "Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World."

-- Smallpox in the Americas: The disease made its first appearance in the New World in 1518, less than a quarter century after Columbus sailed the ocean blue. It was a classic case of the "virgin soil epidemic" for which natives of North America had no defense mechanisms. It played a major role in Spanish conquests of the Aztec and Inca empires, and destruction of these advanced civilizations.

Smallpox would kill millions, from the Caribbean to what is now Alaska. "The discovery of America was followed by possibly the greatest demographic disaster in the history of the world," in the words of retired University of Virginia historian William Denevan.

Elizabeth Kolbert, writing in the New Yorker, noted the lasting influence of something 500 years ago: "This disaster changed the course of history, not just in Europe and the Americas, but also in Africa: Faced with a labor shortage, the Spanish increasingly turned to the slave trade."

-- AIDS in America: The AIDS epidemic reached to corners of America far beyond so called LGBTQ "enclaves" in San Francisco and greater New York. With the Reagan Administration as indifferent as the British Raj -- until the epidemic claimed actor Rock Hudson -- many of the closeted came out to campaign for their lives.

On an airport tarmac in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, campaigning for president in 1992, Bill Clinton encountered a bevy of ACT-UP demonstrators, a trio of them locally grown. He huddled with them, coming away deeply moved. A best selling book, "And the Band Played On," detailed indifference as a cause of catastrophe. Its author, Randy Shilts, would die of AIDS.

The campaign to force resources to find a cure found an unlikely champion -- actress Elizabeth Taylor. But a crowd of 300,000 people would march past the White House demanding recognition and response. It signaled the beginning of a long push to rid America of the social disease of homophobia.

-- The Potato Pandemic: Potatoes were the staple food for the people of Ireland, until 1845 when a fungus caused drops to become, in words of author Timothy Egan, "dark, moldy, stinky masses of inedible tubers." Thousands starved. The British continued to grow and harvest grain, doing little to relieve the misery.

The result was that 1.8 million people fled the Emerald Isle from 1845 to 1855; 1.5 million of them headed for America. The mass exodus from Ireland would change the country of destination, despite resistance from a movement in America, the Know Nothings. In Ireland, the seeds of an independence movement against the lofty Brit rulers that let it happen.

Who were they? Words of overseer Charles Trevelan live in Egan's book "The Immortal Irishman." "It forms no part of the functions of government to provide supplies of food," to which he added by way of instruction to subordinates: "Do not encourage the idea of prohibiting exports ... perfect free trade is the right course."

"Dependence on charity is not to be made an agreeable mode of life," added the nobleman, sounding like a 21st Century Fox News pundit.

-- The Plague (episode 1): Starting in northeast Egypt, the plague of the 6th Century AD spread east and eventually reached the capitol of the Eastern Roman Empire. Constantinople was under the enlightened rule of Emperor Justinian, whose greatest creation the Hagia Sophia draws thousands to Istanbul.

Justinian survived the plague, but it hit Constantinople three times more. A new religion, Islam, would sweep across and rule, to this day, much of Justinian's empire.

-- Black Death (14th Century): It killed perhaps a third of Europe's population, and would erupt again. As Kolbert reports, the last major outbreak in Europe occurred in 1720.

The plague led to rudimentary public health measures. But as Kolbert writes, in a distant mirror on today, "evasion, resistance and riot" greeted control efforts. "Public health measures ran up against religion and tradition, as of course they still do. The fear of being separated from loved ones prompted many families to conceal cases."

-- Cholera pandemics: The bacteria-driven disease spread from India north to Russia, west to Europe and eventually the United States in the 19th Century. Tsar Nicholas I instituted a quarantine. Cholera pandemics would hit St. Petersburg, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Dublin.

An 1891 outbreak, in the city of Donetsk, caused rioting and brutal repression of workers by Russian authorities. Once again, removed rulers and maladroit response would plant the seeds of revolution.

Haiti in 2010 soon after a devastating earthquake, experienced a 21st Century outbreak of cholera. It infected 809,000 people, and took 9,000 lives. Since then, a raging civil war in Yemen has caused another outbreak of the deadly disease. Cholera has since spread to Muslim refugee camps in Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Lessons from these pandemics: Diseases flare up again, unless checked by vaccine. Indifferent governments lose all credibility. Deep social ills are exposed. Anger is directed at the rich, whether British authorities sheltered from Spanish flu in the foothills of the Himalayas, or a conservative American administration loathe to do anything about AIDS.

In a world where travel can spread a virus quickly across oceans -- the COVID-19 pandemic apparently crossed the Pond from Europe -- preparedness is absolutely essential. Delay is deadly. A model for stopping a pandemic and keeping it from spreading, the Obama administration's response to the outbreak of Ebola in Africa ... while Donald Trump screamed on Twitter about alleged inadequacy of the response.

With angry populism on the rise in many countries, the control of disease rests with a premise that has caused riots in centuries past: Trust the doctors, trust the experts.

RELATED CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
A video of penguins wandering about the The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago during the shutdown went viral this week (no pun intended).

In Connecticut, our penguins are still in their designated area, but you can watch the ones at Mystic Aquarium thanks to a live stream. They also have cameras on their beluga whales. On Facebook, the aquarium staff is posting live videos regularly as well.

Over at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, all eyes are on their red pandas via a life feed (watch below). And on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m., the zoo is live on Facebook with videos of different animals. Note: The panda is shy so you may not see it on camera.

The zoo is also launching an academic program by producing video lesson plans "to help fill in for students whose schools have been closed due to the Coronavirus outbreak," according to a release.

The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk launched a similar Facebook program with live Q&As with staff as well as streaming IMAX movies. On March 17, The Maritime Aquarium began offering live Q&As with members of its Animal-Husbandry team at 3 p.m. each day on the Aquariums Facebook page.

"Each session will mainly focus on an animal or topic shown via recorded video, but questions can be about any related Aquarium subject," a release states. Questions can be submitted any time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. via the Aquariums social-media pages  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter  and then live on Facebook during the 3 p.m. Watch Party webcast.

We very strongly feel the need to make our resources available to our guests, members and schools, even though we are required to be apart, Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth said in a release. The Q&A sessions will assure viewers that our operations remain robust, while also re-establishing the close community we are so proud to be part of and to support.
Libya's GNA says no more talks with Haftar

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 5:55 PM

The Prime Minister of Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) says he would not negotiate with renegade General Khalifa Haftar over a political solution to the Libyan conflict due to the "crimes" he has committed.

"I will never sit down (at the negotiating table) with Haftar after the disasters and crimes he committed against all Libyans," Fayez al-Sarraj said in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Wednesday.

Since 2014, Libya has been divided between the Tripoli-based government and a camp in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's rebels.

Haftar has been receiving support from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and his forces have been fighting to capture Tripoli since April last year.

"We had agreed [to] the ceasefire and the humanitarian truce. We expected that Haftar would keep his word even for once due to the dangers of the coronavirus epidemic. But he saw the pandemic as an opportunity to attack us," the premier said.

He added that Haftar's forces have bombed Tripoli indiscriminately, targeting residential areas, civil institutions and even the general hospital in the city center.

The North African country plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster, and later killing, of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

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Data from the US Census Bureau show a 35.6 per cent surge in goods imports from Vietnam last year, compared with a 16.2 per cent contraction in goods imported from China.

"Data for this year will be distorted by the effects of the coronavirus on global supply chains, but the trend of manufacturing moving from China to Southeast Asia will continue," said Stuart Ross, head of industrial for Southeast Asia at JLL.

Vietnamese manufacturing companies will play a more important role in the global supply chain. Photo Le Toan

Meanwhile, Stephen Wyatt, country head of JLL Vietnam said that Vietnam remains a promising market with a growing trend of manufacturing companies looking to set up operations in the country, which has been happening for a number of years.

Industrial park developers remain confident that demand for industrial land will continue to grow and therefore land prices are expected to increase in line with the long-term potential of Vietnams industrial segment," explains Wyatt.

Vietnam has attracted the majority of those who wanted to diversify their manufacturing portfolio outside China, thanks to its relatively developed infrastructure and proximity to China.

The average land price in the northern areas reached $99 per square metre per lease term, up 6.5 per cent on-year in the first quarter of 2020, while the southern areas recorded $101 per sq.m per lease term, up 12.2 per cent on-year in the last quarter of 2019.

Ready-built factories recorded in the southern provinces have an average price of $3.5-5.0 per sq.m per month, a slight increase in Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, and Long An, and remain stable in the rest of the provinces.

In light of the current COVID-19 situation, the postponement of ongoing leasing negotiations and new requirements will become more apparent if the situation does not improve soon.

However, JLL believes that the market is likely to recover and grow rapidly after the epidemic is well under control.

The disruption in the global supply chain caused by the virus outbreak is urging businesses to diversify their manufacturing portfolios geographically, instead of being overly reliant on one market.

Meanwhile, China is committed to growing high-value industries. As a leading manufacturer of solar panels, 5G networks, AI, and batteries, these industries are generally more favoured by local authorities. Lower-value manufacturing chains are often seen as adding to environmental pollution. As China moves towards becoming more eco-friendly, a cleaner, less space-intensive manufacturing sector will also free up land for rezoning to convert to residential spaces.

"Not all manufacturing can be easily outsourced to Vietnam. Manufacturing wages in China are now more than three times those in Vietnam, but skilled labour in China is also higher. The sheer scale of China cannot be replicated: there are more migrant industrial workers in China than people in Vietnam. Furthermore, a large percentage of Chinas manufacturing is to serve the domestic market," Stephen added.

According to JLL, many businesses are likely to rethink their supply chains in the long term to ensure the continuity of their operations and mitigate risks of future shocks. Coupled with initiatives to improve the sustainability performance and limit the environmental impact of wider operations, retailers may opt to produce and house more stock locally.

With COVID-19 and trade tensions driving the shift of production lines from China to Southeast Asia, Vietnam, in particular, seems to have emerged as an attractive destination for investors and manufacturers alike.
One of Croatia's biggest private care homes on Thursday began evacuating its residents, after 19 tested positive for COVID-19.Four of the employees at the same facility in Zagreb also tested positive.

The infected residents have been sent to several hospitals in the city. This is the latest in a series of Croatian coronavirus clusters at care homes, despite the country's month-long lockdown of such premises.

Deaths in nursing homes due to COVID-19 have mainly been reported in Split, where the new virus has spread to over 60 elderly residents and several staff members.

As of Thursday, Croatia had reported 1,791 COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths.

The Balkan country implemented far-reaching lockdown restrictions in early March.

The government is now considering lifting of some of those restrictions, after last week reopening open-air food markets.

According to numbers published by the Johns Hopkins University, the global pandemic has sickened more than 2,090,000 people, killing more than 139,000 worldwide.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.

(Image Credit: AP)
Farmers did not bring their produce to the grain markets of three districts of the Majha region  Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot  on Thursday even as procurement started in Punjab a day before.

Even mandis in Amritsar, the fourth district of the region, barely managed to open the account with just 32 tonnes.

Amritsar district mandi officer Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal said the Gehri grain market received the 32 tonnes of wheat, while others grain markets in the district wore a deserted look. The arrival of produce will pick up after April 20 as the moisture in the grain delayed the harvesting, he added.

Negligible arrival in Doaba mandis

A negligible amount of wheat arrived in the grain markets of the Doaba region on the second consecutive day on Thursday with a majority of farmers yet to start harvesting due to high moisture content in their crop.

In Kapurthala district, of the 965 tonnes of produce that arrived at the mandis in the last two days, the government agencies lifted 725 tonnes.

In Jalandhar, few farmers arrived at the Phillaur and Mehatpur mandis and agencies purchased 475 tonnes.

Most farmers are likely to start harvesting from the next week.

Also, due to the ongoing curfew in Punjab, farmers are facing problems in arranging labour to carry their produce to the mandis.

In Hoshiarpur district, procurement will start on Saturday.
Four out of the seven Guineans who tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamale in the Northern region have tested negative after the first phase of their treatment.



The Northern Regional Health Director, Dr. John B. Eleeza, who confirmed the development to journalists, said the first sample of the patients were taken for testing and when the results came back three of them still tested positive whiles four tested negative.



We have given them the first phase of medication and they have completed it, we tested them and three came out positive whiles the remaining 4 tested negative, he said.



He disclosed that another sample will be taken and tested to be sure that they all recover and test negative to the virus.



Dr. Eleeza noted that should the second test come out negative , the patients will be handed over to the regional coordinating council for them to decided if they should be deported back to their country.



The health director was optimistic that the four who tested negative will not be infected again because the seven patients live in separate rooms and they have educated them to adhere to the social distancing rules.



Tamale, the northern regional capital, recorded 10 COVID-19 cases at the Tamale Teaching Hospital recently.



The patients who tested positive included eight Guineans and two persons from Burkina Faso.



The patients traveled from Burkina Faso and Togo respectively through unapproved routes to Ghana.



They then lodged at a hotel (name withheld ) in Tamale for a couple of days before two of them were picked following a tip-off by residents.



The Northern Regional Minister, had said the 10 foreigners were put under mandatory quarantine in Tamale under the direction of the Regional Security Committee for 14 days.



According to him, samples of the patients were sent to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and the results came back positive on the 11th day of their quarantine.

Source: Daily Guide









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LITCHFIELD  Like other municipal leaders across the state, First Selectman Denise Raap is doing her best to keep residents aware of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, Raap said Litchfield had 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

She broadcasts often on Facebook Live, catching people up with the latest developments of community outreach in town, how to get emergency alerts, and how to get help with grocery shopping or prescription pickups and other errands. She also uses her talk to encourage people.

Were now up to 41 CERT voluteers, and theyve been helping seniors who really shouldnt be going out shopping, she said. Theyve been helping with online prescriptions and grocery shopping, and making sure people with compromised health arent out shopping either.

Anyone who has a COVID-19 diagnosis can call the town at 860-567-7567 or 860-567 1333 for help. Make sure youre self-quarantining, Raap said. We will help you, and make sure youre staying safe at home.

Raap, a business owner, also will reach out to the business community with a Zoom meeting Friday at 4 p.m. Ive had a lot of calls from different members of our business community, and I ... want to have a conversation about what kinds of help (theyre) looking for, she said. Id just like to hear if a businesse has applied for federal or state support, or if theyre unaware of whats out there, I can share information about it.

To attend Fridays Zoom meeting, email 1stselectman@townoflitchfield.org and Raap will send an invitation.

The first selectwoman plans on resuming her Monday morning coffee chats at 9 a.m. on Zoom; email her for an invite, or call 860-567-7550.

I think our community has been doing a terrific job with social distancing, she said. We have all paid attention to how important it is.

Residents can find information on the CERT teams Neighbors Helping Neighbors program, tax payments and other services at townoflitchfield.org or Facebook.com/townoflitchfieldCT. Town Hall is closed to the public.

Barkhamsted warns residents

Wednesdays email blast from Barkhamsted First Selectman Don Stein started off on a serious note with a warning about car theft.

The Connecticut State Police and the Barkhamsted Resident State Trooper are aware of an increase in car thefts and items stolen from cars that are left outside and unlocked, Stein wrote. These incidents are due to increased traffic from juveniles from other municipalities within our state. The State Police are actively patrolling the towns in an effort to mitigate these incidents from occurring. They are also working very closely with law enforcement from the municipalities in which these juveniles reside.

Stein advised residents not to leave keys, key fobs, purses or any other valuables on the seats, and to lock their cars. Unfortunately, if there are valuables that can be seen, they will break the window of the car, so be sure everything of value is out of the car, he said. Just locking it is not enough if you have left items on the seat or center console.

He reported late Tuesday that Barkhamsted has seven confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The number has gone up by one a day for the last six days, he said. That makes it even more important that you and your family do everything you can to avoid exposure by social distancing, self-isolation, and wearing masks and gloves when you are going to the store or out in public. And make sure you know how to properly put the gloves and masks on, and how to take them off, and please, always dispose of them in the garbage, not by dropping them on the ground.

Following the example of other towns in Connecticut, the town hall is closed to the public, and residents can conduct regular business such as tax payments online at barkhamsted.us. All meetings are being held on Zoom, and login information is posted on the towns website.

Next week, the Economic Development Commission is scheduling a virtual meeting, in an effort to provide information from the state and federal government that is intended to help businesses and residents who are out of work. The date and time of the meeting is to be announced.

We hope to have representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the Workforce Investment Board, the Community College and the United Way, who will tell you about the programs that are available and how to apply for help, Stein said. It will also allow local business people to discuss their issues and to trade best practices with each other.

Residents who need help getting groceries, prescriptions or any other errands can call Barkhamsteds volunteer corps, a group of about 20 people. The towns Cookie Jar Fund is also available to people who are in severe financial need. Residents can call 860-379-1314 for more information, or call Stein at 860-379-8285.

Food pantries are open

In Torrington, Friendly Hands Food Bank is continuing with its added Saturday hours from 10 a.m. to noon, to provide more time for families to pick up food if its needed. The food bank is located at 50 King St.

FISHs food pantry is also providing groceries to needy families. Both of these organizations are always in need of donations of food and supplies from individuals and groups.

To reach Friendly Hands, call 860-482-3338; to reach FISH, call 860-482-7300.

The Salvation Armys Torrington and Winsted food pantries are also open and available to serve those in need.

The Torrington food pantry serves residents of Torrington and Goshen, and is open from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays. No appointment is required. For information, call 860-482-3569.

The Winsted food pantry serves residents of Winsted, Colebrook and Norfolk, and is open from 2-5 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m.-noon Fridays. No appointment is required. For information, call 860 379 8444.

Residents of these towns do not need to be previous recipients of the food pantry. The groceries are pre-bagged and provided to recipients outside to keep everyone safe.

The Salvation Army has also set up an Emotional & Spiritual Care Hotline for anyone that needs a listening ear. Call 844-458-HOPE (4673) from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Trained Salvation Army Officers and employees are available to talk, advise, and above all pray for individuals, families and situations.

For more information visit ctri.SalvationArmy.org.
Hrithik Roshan is doing his bit to help the daily wage workers who are among the worst-hit by the coronavirus crisis. The actor has now contributed Rs 25 lakh to the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) to help the 4,000 daily-wage artists who come under its purview.

A report in Mid-Day quoted Amit Behl, senior joint secretary and chairperson, outreach committee, CINTAA, as saying, A few days ago, KWAN, the talent management company that handles Hrithik, asked for our account details and promptly transferred Rs 25 lakh to our sister concern, Cine Artiste Welfare Trust [CAWT]. We will start distributing the money among the daily wagers, with those living hand-to-mouth being our top priority.

Also mentioning Vidya Balans contribution to the cause, Behl added, She has done her bit through the (Producers) Guild, and was happy to help us. She will also share a video (urging others) to help those in need.

Hrithik has also procured N95 and FFP3 masks for the BMC workers in Mumbai.

In times such as these, we must do whatever we can to ensure the safety of the most fundamental caretakers of our city and society. I have procured N95 and FFP3 masks for our BMC workers and other caretakers... 1/2  Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) March 26, 2020

The actor is also helping facilitate 1.2 lakh nutritious meals for those who have been severely impacted due to the government imposed lockdown amid Covid-19 outbreak in the country. The Super 30 actor has empowered the NGO Akshaya Patra which is working on the ground to ensure old age homes, daily wage labourers, and low-income groups across India get nutritious cooked meals in these tough times.

Akshaya Patra took to Twitter and shared tweets about receiving Hrithik Roshans immediate help and wrote, We are happy to share, our Foundation is now empowered by Superstar @iHrithik. Together, we will facilitate 1.2 lakh nutritious cooked meals to old age homes, daily wage labourers & low-income groups across India, until normalcy in work routine

Also read: Vicky Kaushal flaunts new haircut by brother Sunny, says he is in demand now. See pics

We salute the immediate help from Superstar Hrithik Roshan in providing relief and supporting the health & well-being of ALL INDIANS in need of care. We deeply thank you for your gesture. @iHrithik

In return, Hrithik took to his Twitter handle and replied: I wish you the power to ensure that NO ONE in our country sleeps hungry. You all are the real superheroes on the ground. #IndiaFightsCorona #COVIDRelief

The Jodhaa-Akbar star has been proactively looking for ways to help the people of the country in this battle against the coronavirus and has been educating his fans in various ways to ensure that correct messages are reaching more and more people.

(With ANI inputs)

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The mainstream media is finally being forced to report something Infowars has covered for over two months.

After non-stop attacks against media outlets or politicians suggesting COVID-19 came from a Chinese laboratory, MSM is now admitting it.

In fact, financial news site Zero Hedge was permanently suspended from Twitter after posting an article linking Wuhans Institute of Virology to the outbreak.

Ironically, Fox News Bret Baier and the Associated Press said multiple sources told them that there is increasing confidence that the COVID-19 outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory.

This may be the costliest government cover-up of all time, one of the sources said.

The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus  a naturally occurring strain that was being studied there  was bat-to-human and that patient zero worked at the laboratory, then went into the population in Wuhan.

The increasing confidence comes from classified and open-source documents and evidence, the sources said. Fox News has requested to see the evidence directly. Sources emphasized  as is often the case with intelligence  that its not definitive and should not be characterized as such. Some inside the administration and the intelligence and epidemiological communities are more skeptical, and the investigation is continuing.

While Fox stopped short of calling Covid-19 an intentional bioweapon, it was only a few months ago that the mainstream media in general was whitewashing the suggestion that the coronavirus came out of the Wuhans Institute of Virology, a top biohazard lab which was studying the worlds most dangerous pathogens.

On Feb. 1, Zero Hedge was suspended from Twitter after the outlet asked whether this lab was responsible for the Covid-19 outbreak that originated in Wuhan.

Zero Hedge linked to a Feb. 2017 profile on the lab by the Nature journal:

A laboratory in Wuhan is on the cusp of being cleared to work with the worlds most dangerous pathogens. The move is part of a plan to build between five and seven biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) labs across the Chinese mainland by 2025, and has generated much excitement, as well as some concerns.

Some scientists outside China worry about pathogens escaping, and the addition of a biological dimension to geopolitical tensions between China and other nations. But Chinese microbiologists are celebrating their entrance to the elite cadre empowered to wrestle with the worlds greatest biological threats.

It will offer more opportunities for Chinese researchers, and our contribution on the BSL4-level pathogens will benefit the world, says George Gao, director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology in Beijing. There are already two BSL-4 labs in Taiwan, but the National Bio-safety Laboratory, Wuhan, would be the first on the Chinese mainland.

Ironically, the Nature journal later published an editors note on top of the piece which stated:

Many stories have promoted an unverified theory that the Wuhan lab discussed in this article played a role in the coronavirus outbreak that began in December 2019. Nature knows of no evidence that this is true; scientists believe the most likely source of the coronavirus to be an animal market.

How times have changed; now multiple media outlets are pointing the finger at the Wuhan lab as the source of Covid-19.

Now that the mainstream media is confirming that COVID-19 came from a Wuhan bioweapons lab, its more important than ever to document that Infowars and Alex Jones were vilified by the corporate media for exposing the Chinese origins of the virus as far back as January.

Watch and share these bombshell interviews and reports from February that vindicate the Infowars team and our expert guests:
By Akbar Mammadov

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Azerbaijan have started the project REACT-C19 to fortifiy basic skills to fight COVID-19 in the country's regional hospitals, local media reported on April 16.

The project aims to reinforce the country's power in dealing with coronavirus and has been launched by the initiative of WHO with the support of Azerbaijan's Heydar Aliyev Foundation, State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance, Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB) and the Ministry of Health.

WHO Representative in Azerbaijan and Head of the Country Office Hande Harmanci noted that coronavirus will remain on agenda throughout the year, remarking at the presentation ceremony of REACT-C19 project in Baku.

Saying that the virus has spread in countries with both hot and So far, we cant provide any information on how long the coronavirus pandemic will last. It would be incorrect to state the exact dates; the reasons for the spread of the virus are still unknown, Harmanci said.

In the meantime, Chairman of TABIB Ramin Bayramli noted that 19 Azerbaijani doctors working in Turkey are participating in the initiative.

The project REACT-C19 includes the use of the triage system and establishment of resuscitation systems, as well as creating essential conditions and holding training for the medical staff in the regional hospitals. For this purpose, high-qualified teams of specialists and Azerbaijani doctors arriving from Turkey will be engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), control, triage and management of infection cases. Furthermore, these specialists have been well trained in the top Turkish universities, and have gained experience in the relevant fields.

The regional hospitals will also benefit from online, mobile and digital technologies in order to make the trained personnel's work easier and faster.

Trainings in each hospital will be held under the direction of directors and chief physicians for two weeks.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts endorsed Joe Biden on Wednesday, becoming the most high-profile progressive woman in the party to try to help the former vice-president expand his appeal among liberal voters

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts endorsed Joe Biden on Wednesday, becoming the most high-profile progressive woman in the party to try to help the former vice-president expand his appeal among liberal voters.

Her announcement follows Senator Bernie Sanders on Monday and former president Barack Obamas on Tuesday. Warrens support had been a foregone conclusion, but she left the timing of her announcement up to Bidens team, according to people familiar with the matter. There was no holdup or demand for concessions, these people said.

The process of securing prominent endorsements for Biden has been underway for some time, people close to the campaign said, but some Democrats said it was important to give Sanders space to endorse on his own terms, out of respect for his campaign and his supporters, whom Biden must now win over. Obamas endorsement made repeated overtures to Sanders and his backers.

The series of endorsements has been a carefully choreographed show of force, reminiscent of the one-two-three punch of support Biden received from Pete Buttigieg, Senator Amy Klobuchar and Beto ORourke before Super Tuesday. It is also a show of unity designed to quash any narrative of a fractured Democratic Party.

Democrats are indeed, for once, in array, which was far from an inevitable outcome after a primary in which the partys ideological fault lines were bitterly clear. The relatively swift arrival of two liberal challengers, Warren and Sanders, into the Biden camp is a striking reminder of the sense of urgency among Democrats to coalesce against President Donald Trump when the publics attention is so focused on the coronavirus.

During the primary campaign, Biden criticised Warren as having an elitist attitude and repeatedly jabbed at Sanders for not being a card-carrying Democrat. Warren and Sanders were also sharply critical and still differ with Biden on many issues  but their endorsement announcements this week were as positive and helpful as one could hope for from ideological opponents.

Two swing-state senators, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Gary Peters of Michigan, also formally backed Biden on Wednesday, as did Valerie Jarrett, a former senior advisor to Barack Obama.

In her endorsement video, Warren said, In this moment of crisis, its more important than ever that the next president restores Americans faith in good, effective government.

Joe Biden has spent nearly his entire life in public service. He knows that a government run with integrity, competence and heart will save lives and save livelihoods. And we cant afford to let Donald Trump continue to endanger the lives and livelihoods of every American.

Since Warren ended her own campaign, she and Biden have spoken multiple times about policy issues, including Bidens plan to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. At the staff level, Warrens chief campaign strategist, Joe Rospars, and Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to Biden, have been engaged in talks bridging the two camps.

In late March, Biden endorsed forgiving at least $10,000 in federal student loans and credited Warren for the proposal. Over the weekend, he said during his podcast that he supported immediately increasing Social Security payments by $200 a month, another proposal that Warren had championed.

One thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is that he will always tell you where he stands, Warren said in her endorsement video. When you disagree, hell listen  not just listen, but really hear you and treat you with respect, no matter where youre coming from. And he has shown throughout this campaign that when you come up with new facts or a good argument, hes not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded.

The Biden campaign has broadly signaled a willingness to hire staff from formal rivals as they gear up for the General Election match-up with Trump, and some outreach is already underway, but there have been no promises to hire a specific number of aides, a person familiar with the matter said.

While the daily stream of endorsements this week were unmistakably designed to signal party unity, Biden has also sometimes struggled to drive a consistent message of his own amid the coronavirus outbreak. He has often been overshadowed by Trump and the governors who are on the front lines of the fight. This week, he was back in the spotlight.

Its a difficult news environment, said Jennifer Palmieri, a former senior aide to Hillary Clinton and Obama. I think its smart to do a dramatic show of force and have everyone go in one week, because it just serves to raise the stakes for Democrats. It raises the stakes for November.

You sacrifice the longevity of the storyline, Palmieri added, but I think you want to have the drama of everyone going in one week rather than the drumbeat.

Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, said she was not worried about disunity. The primary just didnt have the vitriol of 2016, she said, and Democratic voters are overwhelmingly in favor of a singular goal.

They just really want Trump to be gone, Greenberg said.

But even with the party largely united, and the leaders of its progressive and more moderate factions publicly emphasizing unity, a small but vocal segment of Sanders supporters have dissented.

David Sirota, a former aide to Sanders who has said he plans to vote for Biden in the General Election, responded to Warrens endorsement by suggesting that Warren should have campaigned differently when she was in the race and that perhaps if she had, she would have done what Sanders himself did not: beat Biden.

We have to defeat Donald Trump, and these endorsements are all about that goal, so I dont begrudge it all, Sirota said. Ill never understand why Warren went silent and never amplified her long-standing criticism of Biden and his bankruptcy bill in the primary, when she was in a position to defeat the vice-president. She might be the nominee had she done that.

Bidens campaign is hoping to use this weeks endorsements as a means to pump up his fundraising, which people involved in the campaign have said has gotten tougher in the last month as the economy has cratered.

Notably, both Obama and Warren posted a link asking for donations to Biden, and Obama quickly signed an email to the Biden campaign list.

A weaker fundraiser than his top rivals in the primary, Biden now enters the general election at a distinct financial disadvantage. Trump and the Republican National Committee have been stockpiling cash for three years and announced Monday that they had entered April with $240 million cash on hand in the presidents reelection committee and other shared party accounts. Biden will disclose how much cash he entered April with on Monday.

Without traditional in-person events, Biden has had to shift to videoconference fundraisers with top donors, which some contributors have been slow to embrace. He has a virtual fundraiser scheduled for later Wednesday, hosted by Joe Kiani, chairman of Masimo, a medical device company.

Biden and his team have also turned their attention to the search for a running mate, pointing to mid-April as the time frame for assembling a search committee.

Theyll be announcing it soon, Im sure, Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, one of Bidens national campaign chairs, said in an interview this week. He said details on the committee could come as soon as early next week. The Biden campaign had no additional comment.

Richmond has said he expects to be involved in the search process in some capacity and has advocated for appointing a committee that reflects the diversity of the party.

Biden, who committed to choosing a woman to be his running mate, is expected to consider a number of his former presidential rivals. Warren, Klobuchar and Senator Kamala Harris are often mentioned, along with Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and other Democratic leaders.

When Warren was asked Wednesday night by MSNBC host Rachel Maddow if she would agree to be Bidens running mate if he approached her, the senator replied simply, Yes.

Maggie Astor and Katie Glueck c.2020 The New York Times Company
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said it is possible that the fired captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt currently stationed in Guam could be reinstated to his post.

Captain Brett Crozier was dismissed by acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly on April 2 in a scandal sparked by his letter pleading for help with a coronavirus outbreak on his ship.

He went outside of his normal chain of command to directly address Navy leaders about his concerns, pleading with officials to let the crew disembark and warning sailors would die if they were forced to remain on board.

His concerns rang true on Tuesday when a USS Theodore Roosevelt sailor died from coronavirus and the number of cases from the ship skyrocketed to 655.

Capt Crozier's dismissal was condemned by sailors on the ship who cheered and clapped as he left for the final time but he may yet be reinstated, according to Esper and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday, who would have the final say.

Scroll down for video

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (left) indicated Thursday that it's possible Navy Capt. Brett Crozier (right) would be reinstated following his controversial April 2 dismissal after he sent a letter to nNavy leaders pleading with them to disembark the USS Theodore Roosevelt

An investigation headed up by Esper was completed last week and is now making its way through the Navy's chain of command before a decision is made.

'It will come to me at some point in time. As I'm in the chain of command, I can't comment on that further, but I got to keep an open mind with regard to everything,' Esper told NBC News.

Esper was pushed on whether the decision to reinstate Capt. Crozier would mean that his firing was wrong in the first place but he refused to comment. The captain had been fired by Acting Navy Secretary Thomas B. Modly.

'We've got to take this one step at a time, let the investigation within the navy conclude itself ... and we'll make very reasoned opinions and judgement as this progresses,' he responded.

He added that the Navy was working to return all sailors to health and that the majority of them were asymptomatic.

'The important thing now is out sailors upon that ship and getting them back to sea and what we found, of the 600 or so infected, whats disconcerting is the majority of those, 350 plus are asymptomatic,' he said.

The ship was thrust into the international spotlight when its captain Brett Crozier (pictured) was relieved of his command by the Navy on April 2 after he sounded the alarm over the outbreak on board his ship. The navy may now reinstate him after an investigation

Crozier was controversially fired by acting Navy secretary Thomas B. Modly (pictured) after the email leaked. Modly, meanwhile, has resigned after receiving blowback about his actions

The USS Roosevelt is docked in Guam. 655 crew members have tested positive to COVID-19, four of whom are currently in hospital. On Monday, the Roosevelt suffered its first coronavirus fatality, when an unidentified sailor died from the virus and a second is in intensive care

'It has revealed a new dynamic of this virus that it can be carried by normal healthy people so weve learnt a lesson there, we communicate that to our broader force and we do everything we can to keep our force healthy and ready.'

His comments came after the New York Times reported that Adm. Michael M. Gilday, the chief of naval operations who would have the final say, has indicated that he may reinstate Captain Crozier.

'I am taking no options off the table as I review that investigation,' he told reporters.

'I think that is my responsibility.'

He had previously warned Acting Secretary Modly not to fire Crozier.

'No final decisions have been made,' Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the admiral, said.

Although the Navy's decision would lie with Adm. Gilday, a move to reinstate the captain could be upended by President Donald Trump, who has already expressed his disapproval at Crozier's actions.

The president has become involved in naval disputes before.

Five months ago, Trump fired Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer after he opposed the presidents intervention in support of a member of the Navy SEALs.

The Navy SEAL was accused of murdering a wounded captive with a hunting knife during a deployment to Iraq in 2017.

The Navy has insisted, however, that it will base its decision on the findings of Esper's investigation

Adm. Gilday will consult with the new acting Navy secretary, James E. McPherson, as well as with Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and General Milley.

They will look into the days leading up to Crozier's letter to determine whether there was a failure to respond to the crisis from the captain's direct superiors that prompted his actions.

According to the New York Times, the crew are hoping that Capt. Crozier will return.

On Tuesday, a second sailor from the USS Theodore Roosevelt was rushed to the intensive care unit suffering complications from COVID-19.

The Navy confirmed that the sailor - who has not been publicly named - was admitted to the ICU at Naval Hospital Guam due to a shortness of breath.

The announcement came just one day after another sailor, who was taken to the ICU over the weekend, died from the contagious virus.

A second sailor from the USS Theodore Roosevelt has been rushed to the intensive care unit at Naval Hospital Guam (pictured) suffering complications from COVID-19

Despite his dismissal, Capt. Crozier won the battle to have the crew tested

Three other USS Roosevelt crew members who are suffering from the coronavirus are also in hospital but remain on general wards.

Nearly 80 percent of the ship's crew of 4,000 have been evacuated from the ship.

There have been 655 positive cases on board the air carrier since initial cases were confirmed on March 24.

It's believed sailors originally picked up the virus during a port call in Da Nang, Vietnam on March 5.

The ship was thrust into the international spotlight when its captain, Brett Crozier, was relieved of his command by the Navy on April 2 after he sounded the alarm over the outbreak on board his ship.

After four consecutive days of rebuttals from his superiors, on March 30, Crozier took matters into his own hands and composed an unclassified email to 20 Navy personnel in the Pacific, disclosing the desperate situation on board and asking for their help.

Insisting in the message that 'Sailors don't need to die', friends of Crozier told the New York Times the 30-year veteran would have known sending the email would likely end his career, but he persevered regardless.

Crozier was controversially fired by acting Navy secretary Thomas B. Modly after the email leaked.

Modly flew to Guam to speak to the crew of the aircraft carrier following the firing of its commander, calling his actions a 'betrayal of trust'.

'If he didnt think, in my opinion, that this information wasnt going to get out into the public, in this day and information age that we live in, then he was either, A, too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this,' Modly continued.

'The alternative is that he did this on purpose.'

A Navy official revealed the steep cost of Modly's visit to the ship, which involved a 35-hour round trip flight aboard a Gulfstream 550 military jet, reportedly cost taxpayers more than $243,000.

Modly flew on a C-37B plane which costs $6,946.19 per hour to fly, according to a Navy official who spoke to USA Today on condition of anonymity.

The flights to and from Guam took about 35 hours total, racking up a bill of $243,166.

In total, Modly's trip cost nearly $250,000, according to California Rep Jackie Speier, chair of the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

Speier, a Democrat, slammed President Donald Trump and Pentagon leaders for allowing the trip in the first place.

The secretary stepped down hours after he returned to Washington, DC, amid outrage over his scathing speech to the sailors.

According to officials, he decided to oust the captain because he thought it was what President Trump would want.

Despite firing Crozier for breaking the chain of command, the Navy conceded to his demands for mass testing and a wide scale evacuation of the ship.

Meanwhile, more than 4,000 sailors from the vessel have been moved ashore and are quarantining at 10 different hotels on the island.

Some locals in Guam have become worried that their presence in the hotels could cause a massive outbreak in the area.

Not including the sailors, Guam has 133 confirmed coronavirus cases and five deaths as of Thursday.
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic.

Richard Passman, an aeronautical engineer whose wide-ranging career took him through the early stages of supersonic flight, spy satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles, died on April 1 in Silver Spring, Md. He was 94.

The cause was complications of the new coronavirus, his son William said.

Mr. Passman was involved in crucial space-age projects, many of them secret  unlike the work of the civilian space program, which made public figures of those who blasted into space and some of those whose work got them there, Dwayne A. Day, a space historian, said.

There was a classified space program and there were people equally smart, Mr. Day said, and yet we dont know their names.

Richard A. Passman was born on June 30, 1925, in Cedarhurst, N.Y., on Long Island, to Matthew and Ethel Passman. (The middle initial didnt stand for anything, his son William said.) His father co-owned an insurance company, and his mother was a homemaker.
Announcement by UK govt comes as some countries, including the US, start easing curbs despite warnings from the WHO.

The UK government has said a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus will remain in place for at least three more weeks.

The World Health Organizations (WHO) Europe regional director Hans Kluge has called for solidarity as some countries ease restrictions. Cases have doubled on the continent in the last 10 days, even as the rates of infections in the worst-hit countries have levelled off, leading Kluge to warn that Europe is in the eye of the storm.

US President Donald Trump announced guidelines on reopening the countys economy on Thursday. Germany and other European countries have laid out the first steps to ease their lockdowns.

Globally, the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 2,151,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 143,000 people have died, and some 540,000 have recovered.

Here are the latest updates:

Thursday, April 16

23:20 GMT  Trump gives governors a phased plan to reopen economy

President Donald Trump gave governors a road map Thursday for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out a phased and deliberate approach to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.

Were starting our life again, Trump said during his daily press briefing. Were starting rejuvenation of our economy again.

He added, This is a gradual process.

20:56 GMT  US coronavirus relief bill to add $1.8 trillion to deficit

The coronavirus response bill passed by the US Congress last month will increase the federal budget deficit by about $1.8 trillion over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated.

20:50 GMT  US Republicans call for WHO chief to resign

Republican US lawmakers called on US President Donald Trump to withhold payments to the WHO until its director general resigns, backing Trumps criticism of the UN agencys handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Seventeen of Trumps fellow Republicans on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee wrote a letter to Trump supporting his announcement this week that he was withholding funding for the WHO, and saying he should condition the resumption of contributions on the resignation of Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.





20:45 GMT  Brazils Bolsonaro appoints Nelson Teich as health minister

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that he had appointed oncologist Nelson Teich as the countrys new health minister, shortly after firing his predecessor over disagreements on measures to fight coronavirus.

Bolsonaro, who has criticised social distancing measures for hurting the countrys economy, said in a televised briefing that former minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta had never treated the question of employment as it should have been treated during the pandemic.

20:32 GMT  Trump unveils phased approach to reopening economy

New White House guidelines outline a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places with strong testing and seeing a decrease in coronavirus cases.

US President Donald Trump unveiled his administrations plans to ease social distancing requirements on a call with the nations governors.

The guidelines aim to ease restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit locations.

20:30 GMT  Georgia bans private traffic until April 21

Georgia banned movement of all private vehicles from Friday until April 21, tightening the state of emergency, the government said.

In case of violations of these restrictions, the government will be forced to declare strict quarantine, Irakli Chikovani, the government spokesman, told a briefing.

Georgia has in place a state of emergency until May 10 entailing a 9pm to 6am curfew; closures of restaurants, cafes, shops, pharmacies, petrol stations; a ban on public transport and on gatherings of more than three people.

Grocery stores remain open.

Georgia banned entry to and exit from Tbilisi and three more major cities for 10 days from evening of April 15 Vano Shlamov/AFP]

19:40 GMT  Saudi Arabia pledges $500m to combat pandemic

Saudi Arabia, the current G20 chair, said it has pledged $500m to support efforts to combat the pandemic and urged other countries and organisations to help bridge an $8bn financing gap.

Riyadh said it would allocate $150m to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation, $150m to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations, and $200m to other health organisations and programmes.

In a statement, it called on all countries, non-governmental organisations, philanthropies and the private sector to help close a financing gap estimated at over $8bn to combat the pandemic.

Saudi King Salman chairs a video call of world leaders from the Group of 20 and other international bodies and organisations, from his office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [Saudi Press Agency via AP]

19:30 GMT  Brazil President Bolsonaro fires Health Minister Mandetta

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, Mandetta said on Twitter, after the two had clashed for weeks about how to respond to the pandemic.

Oncologist Nelson Teich will be appointed to replace Mandetta, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro fired his health minister after disagreements on government efforts in containing the coronavirus [Andre Borges/AP]

19:07 GMT  Lebanon PM says 98 percent of depositors to be unaffected by economic rescue plan

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that 98 percent of the countrys depositors will not be affected by an economic rescue plan, the draft of which included a proposal to fund some losses with a contribution from deposits.

I can announce today that the percentage of those who will be unaffected will be not less than 98 percent of depositors, Diab said in a televised address.

19:00 GMT  Jordan PM says state finances under strain

Jordan Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz said spending priorities have changed with strained state finances hit by a sharp contraction in economic activity from a tight lockdown.

Razzaz said the governments focus was now on covering immediate current expenditure and expanding social spending to alleviate hardship by Jordanians hit by loss of income from business closures.

Officials say the crisis has derailed the countrys $14bn budget for this year which had an ambitious plan of capital spending to boost sluggish growth and spur investments.

18:55 GMT  Why this remote town in Lebanon has become a hot spot

Oover the past two weeks, almost 10 percent of Lebanons total coronavirus cases have been recorded in Bsharreh  some 60 out of 663.

Roughly 1 percent of the towns inhabitants have been infected. A two-week total lockdown came into effect on April 10 and soldiers now patrol the streets.

Read about it here.

Widespread testing in the town over the past two weeks has revealed numbers that are likely going unrecorded in other parts of the country [Nicolas Tawk/Al Jazeera]

18:40 GMT  Trump plans news conference on opening up America again

US President Donald Trump said he would hold a news conference at 22:00 GMT on Thursday to explain guidelines for opening up America again.

US President Donald Trump reacts to a question during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington [Joshua Roberts/Reuters]

18:30 GMT  Polands borders to be closed until at least May 3

Polands borders will remain closed until at least May 3, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

Morawiecki said Poland would start easing some coronavirus restrictions from April 20.

18:25 GMT  Death toll in France increases again amid positive signs

France recorded 753 more deaths, raising the total to 17,920, the fourth-highest tally in the world.

However, the number of patients in hospital has declined for a second day in the row.

Another positive sign that the lockdown implemented a month ago is working, Jerome Salomon, head of the public health authority, said the number of people in intensive care units decreased for the eighth day in a row, at 6,248, a low point since April 1.

Laboratory staff collect blood samples for serological tests on residents and employees of a retirement home in Kaysersberg, France [Christian Hartmann/Reuters]

17:14 GMT  Egypt to halt public transport on Monday

Egypt will suspend all public transportation and coach trips on Monday to limit crowds down during a major public holiday.

People in the country mark the start of spring with Sham el-Nessim celebrations on Monday, a day after Coptic Christians celebrate Easter.

Both Muslims and Christians traditionally go out in large numbers.

17:08 GMT  Turkey deaths, case rise

Turkeys Ministry of Health said the coronavirus death toll had risen by 125, bringing the countrys total to 1,643.

The total number of registered cases jumped to 74,193 as 4,801 more people tested positive for the virus.

A total of 7,089 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, the ministry said, adding that 1,854 patients were being treated in intensive care units.

Inside this intensive care unit in Turkey, medical staff work tirelessly to treat #coronavirus patients days after recovering from the disease themselves. pic.twitter.com/S5eCIjLguO  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 16, 2020

16:38 GMT  New York extends shutdown order

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the US states shutdown order Thursday until May 15, citing data showing conditions were improving but adding that we have to continue what we are doing.

I would like to see that infection rate get down even more, Cuomo said at his daily briefing, reporting that 606 more people had died in the countrys coronavirus epicentre, the lowest daily toll in 10 days.

16:24 GMT  UK extends lockdown by at least 3 weeks

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the government had decided to extend a near-lockdown by at least three weeks.

Relaxing the lockdown measures now would risk a second peak in the virus  [and] undo the progress weve made to date, inflicting further damage to the economy, Raab told reporters.

The worst thing we can do now is to ease up too soon  so the current restrictions will remain in place, he said.

Raab is deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is recovering after hospital treatment following his coronavirus infection.





16:19 GMT  Italy deaths rise by 525, new cases go up

The number of coronavirus deaths in Italy increased by 525, down from 578 on Wednesday, but the number of new cases accelerated sharply to 3,786 from a previous 2,667.

The total death toll in Europes hardest-hit country rose to 22,170, the Civil Protection Agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.

The number of officially confirmed cases climbed to 168,941, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.

There were 2,936 people in intensive care on Thursday against 3,079 on Wednesday. Of those originally infected, 40,164 were declared recovered against 38,092 a day earlier.

16:11 GMT  COVID-19 recession will hit women harder, experts warn

Women are a huge part of the workforce responding to the coronavirus pandemic, but on average, they are paid less than men and poised to lose more from the continuing economic fallout, according to an analysis by the World Economic Forum.

Part of it has to do with the jobs women fill, but the gender pay gap and the large burden of unpaid childcare and housework also play a role, said Caitlyn Collins, an assistant professor of sociology at Washington University in St Louis.

Womens disproportionate burden for caregiving hinders their ability to participate fully in the paid labour force. This is true in the best of times, and especially true, and dire, in times of economic crisis, Collins told Al Jazeera.

Read Kaelyn Fordes story here.

15:51 GMT  Eswatini records first coronavirus death

Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland, has registered its first death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi said the 59-year-old man patient was admitted to a treatment facility on 13 April. The patient was diagnosed on admission with pneumonia, with diabetes as an underlying condition. He died on Wednesday after his condition suddenly worsened.

Eswatini has so far logged 17 cases of infection.

15:32 GMT  Russia postpones WWII parade

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was postponing a massive World War II parade held annually on May 9 in the capital, Moscow.

The risks associated with the epidemic, whose peak has not passed yet, are extremely high, Putin said. This does not give me the right to begin preparations for the parade and other mass events now.

15:24 GMT  US coronavirus death toll tops 31,000

The confirmed coronavirus death toll in the US exceeded 31,000 on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Its tally said 31,002 people in the US have now died from COVID-19 since the start of the health crisis.

The country has the highest death toll in the world, followed by Italy with 21,645 dead although its population is just a fifth of that of the US.





14:48 GMT  EasyJet likely to vacate middle seats on resuming flights

British low-cost airline EasyJet said it will likely keep its middle seats empty once flights resume to maintain physical distancing.

I expect that to happen, Johan Lundgren, chief executive., told reporters when questioned about the current financial health of the company, which has grounded all commercial flights because of the coronavirus pandemic.

That is something that we will do because I think that is something that the customers would like to see, he added. Then we will work out with the authorities and listen to the customers views and points on what they believe is the right thing to do.

14:31 GMT  WHO chief lists 6 conditions for easing restrictions

Countries that want to lift coronavirus restrictions must meet a series of conditions to prevent another surge of infections, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his weekly address to Geneva-based diplomats.

First, that transmission is controlled; Second, that health system capacities are in place to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact; Third, that outbreak risks are minimised in special settings like health facilities and nursing homes, he said.

Fourth, that preventive measures are in place in workplaces, schools and other places where its essential for people to go; Fifth, that importation risks can be managed; And sixth, that communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the new norm.





14:07 GMT  UK death toll rises 861 to 13,729

The number of people in the United Kingdom who have died in hospital from COVID-19 has increased by 861 to 13,729, according to the health ministry.

Following several days of decreasing numbers, the figure represents a rise of 100 on the previous days rate of increase. The latest numbers also showed the number of people in Britain to have tested positive exceeded 100,000.

14:00 GMT  Liberia takes classes to the airwaves

In Liberia, the same students whose entry to secondary school was delayed by the 2014-16 West African Ebola epidemic now find their final year disrupted by the pandemic. But education officials in the country say they have learned from Ebola and are now able to deliver better content, faster.

Indeed, soon after schools across Liberia closed on March 16, when the countrys first coronavirus case was confirmed, authorities launched a radio schooling initiative to bridge an education gap.

Within two weeks, the first lessons were aired on radio stations nationwide. Today, some 32 stations now broadcast several prerecorded lessons a day, each lasting half an hour, catering to different educational levels.

Read Lucinda Rouses report here.

Lessons cover subjects from literature to maths and science to social studies, interspersed with health tips [Courtesy: Rising Academy Network]

13:52 GMT  Switzerland announces 3-stage easing of restrictions

The Swiss government has said it will gradually ease from April 27 the sweeping restrictions introduced last month.

Hospitals will be allowed to perform all procedures, even elective surgeries, while hair salons, massage parlours and cosmetic studies will be permitted to reopen.

This will be followed by compulsory schools, shops and markets from May 11. In a third stage, the government will reopen secondary schools, vocational schools and universities from June 8.

13:46 GMT  Iran confirms 92 new deaths

Iran has announced 92 new coronavirus deaths, bringing its official total to 4,869.

Health ministry spokesman Kinaoush said 1,606 new infections had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, taking the overall figure to 77,995 from 310,340 tests.

Of those confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus and admitted to hospital, 52,229 had been discharged after recovering, which he described as a rising trend. Another 3,594 patients are in critical condition.

13:29 GMT  Court rules Germans have right to protest amid pandemic

Germanys Constitutional Court has ruled that people in the country have the right to hold political protests if they adhere to physical distancing rules.

Activists who had petitioned the court after authorities in the western city of Giessen, Hesse, banned a protest planned for this week to denounce rules that bar public gatherings of more than two people.

They took their case to the Constitutional Court after two lower courts sided with the local authorities and maintained the ban on demonstrations even though organisers had pledged to respect distancing rules during the march.

The Constitutional Court said a general ban on demonstrations would be unconstitutional and ordered them to review their decision. It stopped short of allowing the demonstration to go ahead.





13:15 GMT  Africa CDC to distribute 1 million tests

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) will roll outa million COVID-19 test kits next week to help countries across the continent tackle a glaring shortfall in testing.

There is a big gap on the continent on testing, John Nkengasong, Africa CDC dirctor, said at a weekly press conference at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. Something has to be done.

Maybe 15 million tests will be required in Africa over the next three months, Nkengasong added.

Across the continent, 17,247 cases have been confirmed so far, including 911 deaths. More than 3,500 people have recovered.

Find out more here.





12:55 GMT  US purged another 5.2m jobs

Amid the worsening economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic, another 5.2 million US workers were jobless and seeking unemployment benefits last week, the government has said.

The data through April 11 indicate the worlds largest economy has purged 22 million jobs since mid-March as the measures to contain the virus has forced companies, shops and restaurants to close their doors.

Read more here.

12:45 GMT  US Pentagon chief criticises China as misleading, opaque

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper has said he believes Chinas leaders have been misleading and opaque about the coronavirus outbreak that originated in the country and does not trust that they are being truthful even now.

Continuing the Trump administrations criticism of Chinas handling of the virus outbreak, Esper told NBCs Today show he finds it difficult to believe information from the Chinese Communist Party.

Theyve been misleading us, theyve been opaque if you will from the early days of this virus. So I dont have much faith that theyre even being truthful with us now, he said.





12:35 GMT  India hospital segregates Muslim and Hindu virus patients

In what many are calling a case of apartheid during a global pandemic, a government-run hospital in Ahmedabad, the main city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, has segregated coronavirus patients based on their religion, claiming the order came from the government.

Generally, there are separate wards for male and female patients. But here, we have made separate wards for Hindu and Muslim patients. It is a decision of the government and you can ask them, Dr Gunvant H Rathod, the medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, told The Indian Express newspaper in its report on Wednesday.

Read more here.

A doctor wearing protective gear takes a swab from a woman to test for coronavirus at a residential area in Ahmedabad, India [Amit Dave/Reuters]

12:30 GMT  Dutch cases rise by 1,061 to 29,214

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 1,061 to 29,214, health authorities have said, with 181 new deaths.

The total death toll in the country is 3,315, the Netherlands Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.

12:20 GMT  UK must not move too soon on easing measures: PMs spokesman

Britain must not undo all the progress it has made in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak by easing social distancing measures too soon, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Asked when the government expected to ease restrictions, the spokesman told reporters: Well be guided by scientific and expert advice  We must not undo all of the progress which has been made so far by releasing the social distancing measures too soon.

He also repeated the governments pledge to reach 100,000 tests by the end of the month.

Testing is going to be hugely important in finding  the key to unlocking a way out of this pandemic and we need to keep working hard at it, he said.

12:15 GMT  Nairobi governor gives out cognac to kill virus

The flamboyant governor of Kenyas capital Nairobi has distributed bottles of cognac to the poor, saying it protects against the new coronavirus, though the drink maker and national government chided him for propagating a myth.

Mike Mbuvi Sonko, known for his chunky gold jewellery, impromptu raps and arrest last year, posted images of Hennessey bottles tucked inside food packages with flour and other staples on social media this week.

We are giving some small bottles of Hennessey in the food packs that we are giving to our people, Sonko said in a video, wearing a face mask and shield.

LVMH, the worlds biggest luxury goods group which makes Hennessey cognac, said Sonko was wrong and warned that our brand or any other alcoholic beverage does not protect against the virus.

Nairobis Governor Mike Sonko has been criticised for saying people should use cognac to kill the coronavirus [Thomas Mukoya/Reuters]

12:10 GMT  South Africa to allow mines to operate at 50 percent capacity

South Africa will allow mines to operate at a capacity of 50 percent during a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, speaking notes for a briefing by ministers on planned amendments to government regulations show.

Mines minister Gwede Mantashe said during the briefing that the government would allow the phased recall of workers to some mines and that there were risks if some deep-level mines were left alone for a long time.





12:00 GMT  Austria plans to test all retirement home residents

Austria, one of the more successful countries in Europe at flattening the curve of coronavirus infections, plans to test every retirement home resident as it expands efforts to measure the pandemics spread, its health minister has said.

The Alpine republic acted early in its outbreak to shut schools, bars, restaurants, non-essential shops and other gathering places roughly four weeks ago. It has told the public to stay at home and work from there if possible.

The very strong focus in the coming weeks will be the testing of all staff and all residents of retirement and care homes. We are talking, ladies and gentlemen, about 130,000 people, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said.

11:45 GMT  Japan PM Abe expands state of emergency nationwide

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has extended a state of emergency due to the coronavirus to cover the whole country to stem the spread of the disease.

Areas where a state of emergency should be carried out will be expanded from the seven prefectures to all prefectures, Abe told a special meeting of medical experts called to discuss the disease.

Abe had already declared a month-long state of emergency in seven regions, including Tokyo, where a recent spike in cases has prompted warnings that emergency medical facilities could collapse.





11:40 GMT  Gulf Arab states to create food supply safety network: Kuwait News Agency

The Gulf Cooperation Councils (GCC) six Arab monarchies have approved Kuwaits proposal for a common network for food supply safety, the state-run Kuwait News Agency has reported.

The decision was taken after a virtual meeting of GCC trade and industry ministers to discuss the COVID-19 outbreaks impact on food supply safety.

11:35 GMT  India says Zoom not a safe platform for video conferencing

India said has video conferencing software Zoom is not a safe platform, joining other countries that have expressed concern about the security of an application that has become hugely popular worldwide during the coronavirus lockdown.

US-based Zoom Video Communications Inc has apologised for security flaws and says it is working to fix them. Problems have included Zoombombing, when uninvited users gatecrash a video conference.

Taiwan and Germany have already curbed the use of Zoom, while Google banned the desktop version from corporate laptops this month.

A student takes online classes at home, with his companions, using the Zoom App during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in El Masnou, north of Barcelona, Spain [Albert Gea/Reuters]

11:20 GMT  18 killed by Nigeria security forces over lockdown: Rights body

Nigerian security agents have killed 18 people in their enforcement of measures to curb coronavirus, a toll higher than that inflicted by the disease itself, the countrys human rights body said.

The National Human Rights Commission said in a report late on Wednesday there were 8 documented incidents of extrajudicial killings leading to 18 deaths.

11:10 GMT  Russia to spell out stance on UN Security Council truce plea

Russia will spell out its stance on the UNs call for a global truce, so the world can focus on the coronavirus epidemic, in the coming days after consultations are completed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he has secured the agreement of three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, to back the call and hopes Russia, which is also a member, will support it.

Migrants wearing protective face masks walk in front of Russian flag graffiti in Moscow, Russia [Maxim Shipenkov/EPA]

11:00 GMT  EU says virus-tracking apps must not use personal location data

European Union (EU) countries using mobile apps to contain the spread of the coronavirus should ensure such apps comply with the blocs privacy rules and avoid using personalised location data, the blocs executive Commission has said.

The recommendations are part of a unified European approach on using technology to combat COVID-19 and come after several EU countries rolled out a variety of apps, triggering criticism from data privacy activists.

10:40 GMT  Wife of Japans Abe criticised for group shrine visit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes wife is facing criticism on social media over a report she visited a shrine last month with about 50 people, adding to public disapproval of how the premier has handled the coronavirus crisis.

The prime ministers support has been hurt by what critics say is a timid and sluggish response to the outbreak, and by widespread criticism that he has appeared tone deaf to the severity of the crisis in his own social media posts.

Abes wife, Akie, was trending topic on Japanese Twitter on Thursday, with her name gaining more than 17,000 retweets by mid-morning after a weekly magazine said she had visited a shrine in southwest Japan on March 15.

The Japanese PM announced the restriction will take effect on April 29 [File: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Reuters]

10:15 GMT  Spain sees 551 new deaths as toll passes 19,000

The total number of people who have died from the new coronavirus in Spain rose to 19,130, the Spanish health ministry has said.

Over the past 24 hours, 551 people died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, up from 523 the previous day, according to the ministry.

The overall number of cases of those infected in the country rose to 182,816, from 177,633 on Wednesday.

10:05 GMT  Pandemic could cause upheaval across Middle East: Red Cross

Coronavirus outbreaks across the Middle East threaten to shatter the lives of millions of already destitute people in conflict zones, and could fuel socio-economic upheaval, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.

Curfews and lockdowns imposed as public health measures to stem spread of the virus are already making it difficult or impossible for many to provide for their families, the organisation says.

The Middle East is today facing the twin threats of potential mass virus outbreaks in conflict zones and looming socio-economic upheaval. Both crises could have severe humanitarian consequences, Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East, said in statement naming in a statement naming Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan.

The ICRC statement did not refer to Iran, which has the regions biggest outbreak, but a spokeswoman said it was supporting the Iranian Red Crescent society.





09:45 GMT  Europe cases almost at 1 million, coming weeks critical

Europe is currently in eye of the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of cases nearing a million, the World Health Organizations (WHO) European regional director says.

Case numbers across the region continue to climb. In the past 10 days, the number of cases reported in Europe has nearly doubled to close to 1 million, the WHOs Hans Kluge told reporters in an online briefing.

This meant that about 50 percent of the global burden of COVID-19 was in Europe, Kluge said. More than 84,000 people in Europe had died in the epidemic, he said.

The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region, Kluge said. While some countries were entering a period where they may be able to ease restrictions gradually, there is no fast track back to normal.





09:30 GMT  Chilean author Luis Sepulveda dies in Spain

Best-selling Chilean writer Luis Sepulveda has died at a hospital in northern Spain some six weeks after testing positive for coronavirus, his publishing house says. He was 70.

The writer Luis Sepulveda has died in Oviedo, a statement by Barcelona-based Tusquets says, adding it deeply regretted his loss.

09:20 GMT  Hungary extends national lockdown to contain spread of coronavirus

Hungary is extending lockdown measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus by one week from Saturday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbans chief of staff said at a media conference.

The government would review the need to maintain the lockdown each Wednesday, Gergely Gulyas said.

Municipal governments would be allowed to impose special restrictions at the weekend again to ensure local communities are protected, he said.

09:05 GMT  Indonesia reports 380 new infections, 27 deaths

Indonesia has confirmed 380 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country to 5,516, according to a health ministry official Achmad Yurianto.

Yurianto reports 27 new deaths, taking the total to 496, while 548 have recovered. Almost 40,000 tests have been performed, while patients suspected of carrying the virus symptoms reached more than 11,800 people.

Indonesian prisoners approaching the end of their sentences are released to avoid the possibility of a surge in coronavirus infection in overcrowded prisons in Depok, near Jakarta, Indonesia [Reuters]

09:00 GMT  Dutch study suggests 3 percent of population may have antibodies

A study of Dutch blood donors has found that around 3 percent have developed antibodies against the new coronavirus, health authorities have said, an indication of what percentage of the Dutch population may have already had the disease.

The head of the National Institute for Health (RIVM), Jaap van Dissel, disclosed the results during a debate with parliament.

This study shows that about 3 percent of Dutch people have developed antibodies against the coronavirus, Van Dissel said. You can calculate from that, its several hundred thousand people in a country of 17 million.

There are 28,158 confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands, but only the very ill and healthcare workers are currently being tested.

08:40 GMT  UK street Artist Banksy posts lockdown art

The anonymous UK artist Banksy, known for politically charged imagery usually posted in public places, is displaying the art hes created while in lockdown.

My wife hates it when I work from home, he wrote in an Instagram post showing one new piece of art that depicts several mice causing havoc in a bathroom.

08:30 GMT  How an anti-malarial drug has become a tool of Indias diplomacy

Days after India banned the export of pharmaceuticals amid the coronavirus pandemic, it reversed its decision after US President Donald Trump last week demanded New Delhi ship anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to the United States.

Foreign policy experts in India expressed shock at Trumps threat of retaliation against India  a close trade and security ally of the US. But New Delhis decision to export HCQ seems to have changed the US presidents tune immediately.

Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight! tweeted Trump.

Read more about Indias anti-malarial drug diplomacy here.

A chemist displays hydroxychloroquine tablets in New Delhi, India [File: Manish Swarup/The Associated Press]

08:20 GMT  Philippines reports 13 new deaths, 207 more infections

The Philippine health ministry is reporting 13 new coronavirus deaths and 207 additional infections.

In a bulletin, the health ministry says total deaths have reached 362 while infections have increased to 5,660, with the Philippines recording the most cases in Southeast Asian nations. But 82 patients have recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 435, it added.

08:10 GMT  Japan to convene experts meeting about expanding emergency

The Japanese government will hold a meeting with a panel of experts to consult about whether to expand the countrys partial state of emergency, chief spokesman Yoshihide Suga says.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to expand the state of emergency that he has declared for seven of Japans 47 prefectures to the rest of the nation in a bid to contain the coronavirus, local media reported earlier on Thursday.

08:05 GMT  China says WHO has said no evidence virus was made in a lab

Chinas foreign ministry says the WHO has said there is no evidence that the coronavirus that has infected more than 2 million people globally was made in a lab.

Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remark in response to a question about accusations the coronavirus originated in a lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the epidemic first emerged in late 2019.





08:00 GMT  Russia reports nearly 28,000 total cases after new record daily rise

Russia is reporting 3,448 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, up from 3,388 the day earlier, the highest daily increase to date.

The overall number of cases in Russia has reached 27,938. Thirty-four people died in the last 24 hours, which took the national coronavirus death toll to 232, the Russian coronavirus crisis response centre said.

07:50 GMT  UK pregnant nurse dies after contracting virus, baby saved

A pregnant nurse has died after contracting the coronavirus but her baby, a girl, was delivered successfully and is doing well, according to the British hospital where she worked.

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, who had worked as a nurse on a general ward at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, to the north of London, died on Sunday. It was not clear if the baby had tested positive for the disease. The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says that Ms Agyapong tested positive on April 5 and was admitted to the hospital she worked at on April 7.

It is with great sadness that I can confirm the death of one of our nurses, Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, who passed away on Sunday, said David Carter, chief executive of the trust, in a statement.

Mary worked here for five years and was a highly valued and loved member of our team, a fantastic nurse and a great example of what we stand for in this trust, he said. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Marys family and friends at this sad time.





07:40 GMT  UK to keep some social distancing until vaccine available: Epidemiologist

The UK will probably have to maintain some level of social distancing until a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is available, says Neil Ferguson, a professor who has helped shape the governments response to the pandemic.

We will have to maintain some level of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available, Ferguson told BBC radio on Thursday.

07:25 GMT  Japan to expand state of emergency to rest of country: Report

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to expand the state of emergency that Japan has declared for seven of its 47 prefectures so far to the rest of the nation in a bid to contain the coronavirus, the Yomiuri newspaper is reporting.

Abe declared the state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures accounting for about 44 percent of Japans population on April 7, to last through May 6. The nationwide emergency would last for the same duration, the newspaper reports.<

07:15 GMT  East Timor says cases more than double to 18

East Timor has confirmed 10 more cases of coronavirus, taking its tally to 18, says Odete Maria Viegas, an official of the countrys crisis management centre.

The southeast Asian nation reported its first case on March 21 but has not recorded any deaths among its population of less than 1.3 million. One person has recovered.

A Timorese policeman wearing a face mask asks motorists to only be one person per bike to ensure social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak in Dili [Valentino Dariell de Sousa/AFP]

07:10 GMT  Too early to lift UK lockdown but outbreak peaking: Minister says

The United Kingdoms novel coronavirus outbreak is starting to peak but it is too early to lift the lockdown because the virus would run rampant if the government eased social distancing measures, Health Minister Matt Hancock says.

We think it is too early to make a change, Hancock said. While weve seen a flattening of the number of cases, and thankfully a flattening of the number of deaths, that hasnt started to come down yet.

The United Kingdoms hospital death toll from COVID-19 rose by 761 to 12,868 as of 1600 on April 14, the health ministry says, though broader statistics suggest the total toll is much larger.

If we just released all the measures now then this virus would run rampant once again and we cant let that happen, Hancock said.





07:00 GMT  Trump steps up pressure on China as US deaths mount

The US is stepping up its pressure on China over the coronavirus pandemic, with President Donald Trump saying that his administration was trying to determine where the deadly disease originated from, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on Beijing to come clean on what it knows.

At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Trump was asked about the reports of the virus escaping from a laboratory in Wuhan, where the coronavirus first appeared.

We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened, he said.

Read more here.

Critics say that US President Donald Trump is trying to shift the blame as the deaths linked to the coronavirus pandemic continue to rise in the United States [Leah Millis/Reuters]

06:45 GMT  Dutch new unemployment claims soar 42 percent

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits in the Netherlands soared 42 percent in March as many businesses were shut down in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

The Dutch federal employment agency on Thursday says it had paid benefits to 37,800 new unemployed in March, an increase of 11,200 from the month before. The strongest increases were among people who used to work in restaurants and bars and among people under 25 years of age, the agency said.

The Dutch government on March 15 ordered all restaurants, bars, museums, sport facilities and other public places in the Netherlands to shut down in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

06:30 GMT  Poland to reopen parks and forests on Monday as it starts easing curbs

Poland will reopen parks and forests on Monday and then revise the rules on the number of customers allowed in shops, as the country starts to loosen its coronavirus lockdown, State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin says.

Polands prime minister is expected to announce on Thursday details of the governments plan for easing restrictions on public life, which were launched to curb the spread of the virus.

Final decisions will be taken today. I think that first, starting from Monday we can expect opening of forests, green areas, Sasin told private radio RMF. He added that Poland will also revise the rules on the number of customers allowed in shops at a time, but did not say when they would come into effect.

Women applaud on their balconies as they join the action #BrawaDlaWas (#ApplaudingYou) to appreciate all healthcare professionals, during the outbreak of the coronavirus in Gdynia, Poland [Matej Leskovsek/Reuters]

06:15 GMT  Twenty sailors remain in hospital after French navy outbreak

Around 20 French sailors remain in hospital following a large outbreak of the coronavirus in the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulles naval group, a spokesman for the French navy says.

There are about 20 at the moment in hospital. Out of the 20, one is in the re-animation ward and in a stable case, spokesman Eric Lavault told RMC radio.

On Wednesday, the French armed forces ministry said 1,767 marines  nearly all from the Charles de Gaulle carrier itself  had been evaluated and at least 668 had tested positive for the virus.





06:00 GMT  World War II Captain Tom, 99, raises $15 million for UK health service

Tom Moore, a 99-year-old British war veteran walking his garden for the UK National Health Service, has raised more than $15 million.

The Retired army captain, who has has used a walker move around since breaking his hip, has set himself the target of walking the 25 metres around his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday later this month.

Moore is due to turn 100 on April 30.

Im Captain Tom Moore, war veteran, 99 years of age (soon to be 100) and Im walking for the NHS to raise money for our heroes.https://t.co/M1dkvoV3kE  Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) April 10, 2020

05:45 GMT  IMF boss says UK should seek longer Brexit transition

Britain should ask for an extension to its post-Brexit transition period to ease uncertainty at a time when the world economy is being hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, the head of the International Monetary Fund says.

It is tough as it is. Lets not make it any tougher, Kristalina Georgieva, the IMFs managing director, told BBC radio in comments broadcast on Thursday.

My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, of the UK, of the EU, the whole world.

05:30 GMT  Germany cases rise by 2,866, deaths by 315

Germanys confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 2,866 to 130,450, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases shows, meaning the number of new infections rose for a second consecutive day.

The reported death toll has risen by 315 to 3,569, the tally shows.





05:15 GMT  Australia says restrictions to continue for at least four more weeks

Australia will keep in place restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus for at least four more weeks, says Prime Minister Scott Morrison, despite signs that Canberra has been successful in slowing infection rates.

Morrison says Australia will over the next month expand testing, improve its capacity to trace contacts of known coronavirus cases, and plan a response to any further local outbreaks.

Morrison says these three steps will be finished within four weeks, and Australia will then review the restrictions that include curtailing the movements of residents, and the closures of schools, restaurants and pubs.

05:00 GMT  Thailand reports 29 new cases, 3 new deaths

Thailand is reporting 29 new coronavirus cases and 3 new deaths, bringing it to a total of 2,672 cases and 46 fatalities since the outbreak there escalated in January.

Of the new cases, 14 patients are linked to previous cases, five have no links to old cases, and 10 who tested positive are awaiting investigation into how they were infected, says Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the governments Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration.

_________________________________________________________________________

Hello, this is Joseph Stepansky in Doha taking over from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed .

_________________________________________________________________________

04:46 GMT  New Zealand outlines plan to ease coronavirus curbs

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealands prime minister, says most restrictions on movement and social contact will remain in place even if the country eases a strict nationwide lockdown.

Legislators in New Zealand will decide whether to ease the level four lockdown on Monday.

Under Arderns level three plan, some businesses can reopen if they comply with health and safety requirements and contactless engagement with customers. Restaurants and some shops can open, but only for online and phone purchases and contactless delivery.

Primary schools will reopen but attendance will be voluntary. Funerals and weddings can take place, but are limited to 10 people.

By design, Level 3 is a progression, not a rush to normality. It carries forward many of the restrictions in place at Level 4, including the requirement to mainly be at home in your bubble and to limit contact with others, she says.

04:20 GMT  South Korea goes back to school, but classrooms remain empty

Schools began to open in South Korea last week, with teachers at government schools conducting classes virtually for middle and high school students in their final year.

The remaining students at middle and high schools and some elementary school students will begin remote learning today.

The move to online classes is triggering mixed emotions, however, with many teachers lamenting lack of training in the use of digital tools.

Read more on this from Kelly Kasulis in Seoul.

Teacher Chung Ha-eun gives an online class amid the new coronavirus outbreak at Seoul girls high school in Seoul on April 9, 2020 [Ahn Young-joon/ AP]

03:43 GMT  Singapore quarantines ninth worker dormitory as cases hit daily high

Gan Kim Yong, Singapores health minister, is placing a ninth foreign-worker dormitory under lockdown following the detection of a new cluster at Mandai Lodge 1.

The move comes as Singapore reported a record 447 new cases on Wednesday, of which 404 involved migrant workers residing in dormitories.

The figure brings the city states total confirmed cases to 3,699. Ten people have died from the coronavirus in Singapore.





03:28 GMT  Breweries in Japan shift from sake to sanitiser

Sake breweries across Japan are producing high-alcohol content liquids for use in place of the alcohol-based sanitisers amid a shortage of disinfectants, Kyodo news agency reports.

Kazuki Haruta, president of Kikisui Sake Co in Kochi prefecture, tells Kyodo he received more than 10,000 orders and inquiries after producing a disinfecting spirit with 77 percent alcohol.

I was surprised by how many inquiries we received from hospitals and medical staff as well, he says.

Breweries in Ibaraki, Toyama and Okinawa prefectures have also released similar products, Kyodo reports.

On April 10, Japans health ministry approved the use of alcoholic drinks as hand sanitisers due to dire shortages of the product in Japan.





02:21 GMT  Residents of New York and Maryland told to wear face masks

The governors of the US states of New York and Maryland and Pennsylvania are ordering residents to wear face masks in public spaces.

I am issuing an Executive Order today that all people MUST wear a mask or face covering in public in situations where social distancing is not possible, says Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York. The order takes effect on Friday.

For example, if you are riding on public transit where it is impossible to maintain social distancing, or walking on a busy sidewalk, you must wear a face covering like a bandana or a mask.  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 15, 2020

Larry Hogan, the governor of Maryland, says masks and face coverings will be required when inside any retail establishments, including grocery stores and pharmacies, or when riding any form of public transportation in Maryland. The order is effective from Saturday onwards.

The governors of Connecticut and Pennsylvania are also recommending residents of their states wear masks in public.

01:38 GMT  South Koreas governing party set to win landslide victory

South Koreas ruling Democratic Party (DP) is set for a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results in a win local media say shows high support for President Moon Jae-ins efforts to fight the coronavirus.

The DP and its ally are likely to secure 180 seats in the 330-member assembly, the Yonhap news agency reports citing electoral authorities. The main opposition United Future Party is likely to win 103 seats, it adds.

The preliminary voter turnout stands at 66.2 percent, the highest in 28 years.

South Korea has recorded a total of 10,613 confirmed infections and 229 deaths from the coronavirus so far. In February, it had the largest outbreak outside of China, but brought the virus under control with a programme of mass testing and meticulous contact tracing.





01:26 GMT  China reports new cases of local transmission in Beijing

Health authorities in China are reporting 46 new cases of confirmed coronavirus infections, of which 34 are imported and 12 are domestic transmissions.

Of the 12 local cases, three are in Chinas capital, Beijing, five in Guangdong province and four in Heilongjiang province.

There are no new cases in Hubei, the province formerly at the epicentre of Chinas outbreak.

00:10 GMT  Asias economic growth to drop to zero for first time in 60 years

The IMF says the coronavirus pandemic is likely to bring Asias economic growth to a standstill for the first time in 60 years.

These are highly uncertain and challenging times for the global economy. The Asia-Pacific region is no exception. The impact of the coronavirus on the region will be severe, across the board, and unprecedented, says Changyong Rhee, director of the IMFs Asia and Pacific Department.

Governments must offer targeted support to hardest-hit households and firms, he says, adding that the crisis requires a comprehensive and coordinated policy response.

The zero growth projection for Asia is worse than the 4.7 percent average growth rates recorded in the region during the global financial crisis of 2008.

Hello, Im Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives, with Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. You can find all the updates from yesterday, April 15, here.
At a briefing in Washington, Trump said he was instructing his administration to halt funding for WHO pending a review of its role "in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus." The United States is WHO's largest single donor, contributing between US$400 million and US$500 million annually to the Geneva-based agency in recent years. Trump has repeatedly labelled COVID-19 the "Chinese virus" and criticized the U.N. health agency for being too lenient on China, where the novel virus first emerged late last year.

Nations around the world reacted with alarm Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced a halt to the sizable funding the United States sends to the World Health Organization. Health experts warned the move could jeopardize global efforts to stop the coronavirus pandemic.

Outside experts have questioned China's reported infections and deaths from the virus, calling them way too low and unreliable. And an investigation by The Associated Press has found that six days of delays between when Chinese officials knew about the virus and when they warned the public allowed the pandemic to bloom into an enormous public health disaster.

The European Union on Wednesday said Trump has "no reason" to freeze WHO funding at this critical stage and called for measures to promote unity instead of division. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the 27-nation bloc "deeply" regrets the suspension of funds and added that the U.N. health agency is now "needed more than ever" to combat the pandemic. Borrell said "only by joining forces can we overcome this crisis that knows no borders."

Even though they have been traditional allies for decades, the EU has increasingly been critical of the Trump administration over the past years.

Worldwide, the pandemic has infected nearly 2 million people and killed over 127,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The virus is spread by microscopic droplets expelled into the air or left on surfaces when people sneeze or cough.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he sympathized with some of Trump's criticisms of WHO and China but that Australia would continue to fund the UN health agency. "We work closely with them so that we're not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater here," Morrison told Perth Radio 6PR. "But they're also not immune from criticism."

Germany's foreign minister, Heiko Maas, pushed back at Trump's announcement. "Placing blame doesn't help," he wrote on Twitter. "The virus knows no borders. We must work closely against COVID-19. Strengthening the UN, in particular the underfunded WHO, is a better investment, for example, to develop and distribute tests and vaccines."

Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, called Trump's decision "extremely problematic," noting that the chronically-underfunded WHO is leading efforts to help developing countries fight the spread of COVID-19. "This is the agency that's looking out for other countries and leading efforts to stop the pandemic," Sridhar said. "This is exactly the time when they need more funding, not less." Sridhar said Trump's move was a short-sighted political decision that would likely have lasting consequences. "Trump is angry, but his anger is being directed in a way that is going to ultimately hurt U.S. interests," she said.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian says the country is "seriously concerned" about the U.S. government's decision to suspend funding. "As the most authoritative and professional international institution in the field of global public health security, the WHO plays an irreplaceable role in responding to the global public health crisis," he told reporters Wednesday.

The WHO did not respond to repeated requests from The Associated Press for comment, but its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other top WHO officials were expected to attend a news conference on the pandemic later Wednesday.

Many analysts have praised the initial response to the pandemic by WHO, which is being challenged as national interests collide with the international cooperation that UN agencies must rely on.

But recently, many governments have split with its advice on issues of public health policy, notably on travel restrictions and whether the public should wear masks.


Ted Cruz recently told Fox News that the mainstream media was trying to root for disaster. Both senators have just been named to a White House task force to open the economy, which makes me feel not one iota safer.

My particular favorite, though, is Ron Paul, the former congressman from Texas who published a very long column on March 16 on the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity website headlined The Coronavirus Hoax. There just werent enough people with the disease to warrant the incursion into our civil liberties, he warned. That was just about a week before his son, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, came down with the faux virus himself.

I will say in defense of my state that none of these people are stupid; they arent the stereotypical yahoos that so many non-Texans like to imagine live among us in droves. No. They represent the stubborn if expediently applied strain of anti-government independence that is inherent in the Texas character, which conveniently dovetails with being a Trump toady.

Mr. Abbotts fealty to the president, along with that of our senators, could mean that Texans could become the public health guinea pigs who will suffer mightily if the state opens too soon.

What all this behavior will mean in a state that is slowly turning purple is anyones guess. We are lucky that, thanks to local stay-in-place orders and a comparative lack of density in our cities, the number of Texas cases is only over 16,000, with deaths at over 390. But we are not at peak, experts tell us, and meanwhile over one million Texans have filed for unemployment. Thats a number that will cause a lot of restiveness here, and maybe some reflection on just how much actual leadership Republican leaders have displayed during this awful time.

Not that leadership hasnt been on display in other quarters. Some of the slack has been taken up by the private sector, with restaurant and small-business owners banding together to help their colleagues and trying their best to fill in for a government that is M.I.A.

The big businesses have gotten into the act, too, in particular HEB, a San Antonio-based grocery store chain that has become a lifesaver during the kinds of climate emergencies that have become the new normal here (see: Hurricane Harvey, 2017). As my colleagues Dan Solomon and Paula Forbes reported recently in Texas Monthly, HEB has had a pandemic and influenza plan since 2005, when it first took note of the H5N1 threat. The chain put that plan in effect in 2009 when the H1N1 swine flu hit.
The RSS-affiliated Seva Bharati will give a monetary compensation to the health workers, sanitation workers and journalists, who got infected with the coronavirus while performing their duties during the lockdown in national capital.

Sangh's Delhi unit prachar pramukh Reetesh Agarwal said the Seva Bharati will give a monetary compensation of Rs 25,000 to the health workers, sanitation workers and journalists, who got infected with the coronavirus while working during the ongoing nationwide lockdown.

Similarly, if anyone belonging to these professions died due to the deadly virus, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will give a Rs-one lakh compensation to his family, he added.

Till date, the Seva Bharati has provided ration kits to more than 1.22 lakh families and distributed over 28 lakh food packets.

Besides distributing food at 910 locations in Delhi, the Sangh and its affiliates are also providing face masks and other safety equipment to health workers.

To further expand the reach of its welfare work in Delhi, the Seva Bharati has launched the UTKARSH mobile app, Agarwal said.

Stranded students, labourers and others can seek help from the organisation through this app during the lockdown, he added.

A number of people are facing a food crunch due to the ongoing lockdown, Agarwal said.

"Therefore, the allied organisations of the RSS are empathetically working with full zeal and devotion, and reaching every nook and corner of the society to provide the necessary assistance to the needy people," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Calls for the 14 billion euro in disputed tax collected from Apple to be used to help people affected by Covid-19 are disingenuous, the Taoiseach has said.

Speaking in the Dail on Thursday, RISE TD Paul Murphy called for the money to go towards the nations response to the pandemic.

In 2016, it was ruled by the European Commission that the Irish state had given undue tax benefits worth 13 billion euro to Apple, which is illegal under EU state aid rules, and said it allowed Apple to pay substantially less tax than other businesses.

Ireland was ordered to recover the illegal aid, plus interest, however the state and Apple are currently appealing against the ruling.

Those who are claiming there is some mechanism by which we could access those billions is just being entirely disingenuous Leo Varadkar

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: Its a very disingenuous question and solution. The truth is whether the state withdraws its appeal or not is irrelevant. Apple is appealing this judgment as well. So this will continue to be a matter for courts no matter what the Government does.

Secondly, the money has been collected but it is in an escrow account and those accounts are controlled by the BNY Mellon. No government of any colour of any party, led by anyone can have access to that account so those who are claiming there is some mechanism by which we could access those billions is just being entirely disingenuous.

The public deserve better than fake solutions.

Irelands open economy is based on using low corporate taxation among other incentives to attract multinationals. In Apples case it was significantly below the standard 12.5% imposed on income.

The Irish Government opposes any effort to force it to change its taxation practices, which have seen the worlds top financial and technology firms set up base in Dublin.
The Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation and local general practices are strongly urging people to get in touch with their family doctor and health service providers with any health concerns as they usually would.

Since the lockdown there has been a decline in patients contacting their local practices, a trend that is concerning says General Manager of Practice Services at WBOPPHO Phil Back.

It is concerning because it likely means that people are holding back from making contact with their doctor about health matters, which could result in conditions worsening.

Practices are open, offering normal services and available to deal with all health issues. We need to be looking after ourselves through this lockdown and beyond, so putting off calling the doctor isnt the answer.

Some practices are now calling patients they know to have chronic health conditions to ensure they are doing okay.

Practices are operating based on advice and health guidelines designed to keep patients safe.

All are asking patients to get in touch by phone in the first instance so that that doctors can triage cases. Next steps are then advised.

General practices are there to attend to all health concerns and wellbeing issues - whether they be acute or exacerbated long-term conditions, says Phil.

We are also urging people to apply for a Community Services Card from Work and Income if their financial circumstances have changed, such as loss of income.

This card will ensure your healthcare is subsidised and therefore cheaper for you.

Click here to find out more about the Community Services Card:

https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/community-services-card.html
High-powered women everywhere are showing the world how they can be "Zoom ready" while remaining chic.

US Vogue editor Anna Wintour paired red sweatpants (after saying once she'd never wear them) with a $450 La Ligne knit to announce a virtual event via Instagram, while former foreign minister Julie Bishop switched up her activewear for an evening gown, albeit with trainers, for a video call.

Dr Carolyn Mair, behavioural psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion, says that clothing can demarcate between work and non-work time.

"Our clothes should be comfortable and, if we want to maintain some degree of normalcy, they should be the sort of clothes we wore to work when we worked face-to-face."
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Lockdown will be enforced strictly across the state for the next five days to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus and a decision on easing the restrictions in the districts that have not reported any positive cases will be taken after April 20.

Soon after the Union Home Ministry issued guidelines on enforcing the lockdown till May 3, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa held discussions with ministers and senior officers on the containment measures to be taken in the state. The Chief Minister directed the ministers and the officers to ensure that the lockdown is enforced strictly and stern action taken against those violating the guidelines.

On Wednesday, the state reported 19 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total to 279. Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said that apart from strictly enforcing the lockdown, the government will also take other containment measures, especially in the hotspots. Eight districts in the state -- Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru, Belagavi, Dakshina Kannada, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Bagalkot and Dharwad -- are among the 170 hotspots in the country.

The Chief Minister also directed the officials to provide food and other essential items to migrant labourers, who are facing difficulties due to the lockdown, facilitate adequate supplies across the state and ensure the continuation of farming activities without any hindrance. Farming activities and transportation of agriculture produce are exempted from the lockdown.

Netas salary cut comes into effect now

The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 has been gazetted. The gazette says due to COVID-19 pandemic, which has severe economic ramifications, it has become necessary to raise resources by reducing the salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Ministers, ministers of state, chairman, deputy chairman, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, government chief whip, opposition chief whip, MLAs and MLCs. It further stated that their salary shall be cut by 30% starting from April 1, 2020, for a period of a year to meet the exigencies arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A New Zealand comedian who set out to celebrate her "hero" prime minister in the form of a cake has sent her apologies to Jacinda Ardern after it went horribly wrong.

What was supposed to be a touching tribute from comedian Laura Daniel in a baking competition turned into a bizarre cake with black liquorice hair, googly blue eyes and an extremely lifelike set of teeth.

The cake, made during Hilary Barrys television show Seven Sharp, was based on a picture of the prime minister on the cover of a recent biography, An Extraordinary Leader.

The pair had been tasked with baking an "iconic Kiwi cake" in two hours minutes without using flour.

Sharing a photograph of her masterpiece on Instagram, Ms Daniel wrote: "They say don't bake your heroes. But I wanted to try anyway.

Im deeply sorry Jacinda Ardern. I truly tried my best with what I had availableits made from another NZ icon - lolly cake.

Ms Daniel told the Evening Standard: "I genuinely went into it thinking I was going to do a good job."

After seeing the final result, she said: "I was pretty disappointed it didn't match the vision I had in my head.

"And then I couldn't stop laughing."

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed she and ministers would be taking a 20 per cent pay cut for six months / Getty Images

Instagram users were quick to comment on the hilarious post, with one saying it was the "stuff of nightmares".

One commented: "Thank you for this, I didn't want to sleep tonight, so this will really help with that."

Another said: "Delicious and terrifying!"

Ms Ardern even replied with two wide-eyed embarrassed emojis.

In another post, Ms Daniel clarified that the set of teeth she used on the cake had come from her her time on television impersonating Ms Ardern.

"For anyone wondering about the teeth on the cake...I impersonated Jacinda for a whole year on television...of course I kept the teeth," she wrote.

The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA

New Zealand, a country of almost five million people, currently has 1,400 confirmed cases and nine deaths from the coronavirus outbreak.

On Thursday, Ms Ardern suggested she might be able to lift some lockdown restrictions.


Hamilton, Bermuda, April 16, 2020



Dear Shareholders,





Nordic American Tankers Ltd finalized its recapitalization program over a year ago, by concluding a $306 million Senior Secured Credit Agreement on February 12, 2019 with Beal Bank of Dallas, Texas, the only mortgage lender to NAT.

The Marine Money Magazine is hosting the single most important annual ship financing event, Marine Money Week in New York. The Magazine has now awarded the NAT financing transaction "the Editors Choice", Deal of The Year for 2019.

We at NAT do things differently and we are indeed encouraged by such an Award.





Best regards,

Herbjrn Hansson

Chairman & CEO

Nordic American Tankers Ltd. www.nat.bm





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The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "will," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPEC's petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K.

Contacts:

Gary J. Wolfe

Seward & Kissel LLP

New York, USA

Tel: +1 212 574 1223

Bjrn Giver, CFO

Nordic American Tankers Limited

Tel: +1 888 755 8391 or +47 91 35 00 91

Herbjrn Hansson, Chairman & CEO

Nordic American Tankers Limited

Tel: +1 866 805 9504 or +47 90 14 62 91




Jennifer Garner has been busy balancing her co-parenting responsibilities with ex Ben Affleck, as well as diligently quarantining amid COVID-19.

But the 47-year-old actress broke free from the confines of her Santa Monica home late Wednesday evening to embark on a therapeutic bike ride around her neighborhood.

Garner erred on the side of caution by donning a face mask as she zoomed effortlessly through the desolate streets.

Riding solo: Jennifer Garner broke free from the confines of her Santa Monica home late Wednesday evening to embark on a therapeutic bike ride around her neighborhood

The Alias star, with her brunette tresses pulled back in a ponytail, wore a light pink tee tucked into a pair of light wash denim jeans.

She rounded out her ensemble with a pair of white Adidas sneakers with orange and lilac detailing on the heels and soles.

Jennifer kept her hazel eyes concealed behind a pair of black RayBan sunglasses.

She rode atop a trendy white beach cruiser complete with tan toned wheels.

Safety first: Garner erred on the side of caution by donning a face mask as she zoomed effortlessly through the desolate streets

Casual: The Alias star, with her brunette tresses pulled back in a ponytail, wore a light pink tee tucked into a pair of light wash denim jeans

Party of two: Though Jennifer appeared to be enjoying her alone time, she was later joined by 8-year-old son Samuel, aged eight

The actress tested her physical limits as she weaved through obstacles and peddled herself up a plethora of hills.

Though Jennifer appeared to be enjoying her alone time, she was later joined by 8-year-old son Samuel.

The youngest child of Jen and Ben cruised next to his mother on a blue motorized blue bike with matching helmet.

The 13 Going On 30 actress made sure Samuel rocked a facial mask for his ride, as well.

Nice ride: Jennifer sat atop a white beach cruiser that featured tan toned wheels.

Push yourself: She tested her physical limits as she weaved through obstacles and peddled herself up a plethora of hills

Garner has spent the majority of her quarantine in the company of Samuel, 14-year-old Violet, and 11-year-old daughter Seraphina.

She shares all three children with Affleck, who she divorced in 2018 after nearly 13-years of marriage.

Aside from her children, Jennifer has been in quarantine with her longtime assistant Maureen Grosser.

Meanwhile, Affleck, 47, has been enjoying a loved up lockdown with his Deep Water co-star Ana de Armas, 31, at his Brentwood home.

A break: Jennifer appeared to enjoy her alone time having spent the majority of her quarantine in the company of 14-year-old Violet, 11-year-old Seraphina, and son Samuel, aged 8

Hollywood offspring: Jen shares all three children with Affleck, who she divorced in 2018 after nearly 13-years of marriage.; Jennifer pictured with Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel on April 1

Though Ana has been making trips back and forth from Ben's home to her own Los Angeles residence, the Cuban beauty has been spending the majority of her time in the company of her new beau.

Last week, Us Weekly reported that Jen and Ben have been discussing how best to introduce Ana to their children.

Jennifer is reportedly hesitant about introducing de Armas to the children too quickly, which Ben is 'understanding' of.

So far, he has agreed to 'work with Jennifer to prepare the kids' for meeting the Blade Runner 2049 star.
By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States opposes creation of liquidity through issuance of the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday.

In a statement to the IMF's steering committee, Mnuchin spelled out U.S. concerns that have put it at loggerheads with China and other big IMF member countries, arguing it would be better for advanced economies to contribute to other IMF facilities to help poorer countries.

He said 70% of the funds created through an SDR allocation, something akin to a central bank "printing" new money, would go to G20 countries, most of whom did not need it, while only 3% would go to low-income countries.

The 24-member International Monetary and Financial Committee met on Thursday to review the IMF's response to the pandemic and a possible SDR allocation that could provide hundreds of billions of dollars in urgently needed foreign exchange reserves for all of the IMF's 189 members.

One source familiar with the IMFC discussions said India was the only country besides the United States that had expressed reservations about an SDR allocation.

The move was first floated by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva last month and is supported by many finance ministers, prominent economists and non-profit groups. But Washington, the IMF's dominant shareholder, is blocking an allocation because it would give new avenues of funding for Iran and China, Reuters reported this week.

SDRs <USDXDR=R> based on dollars, euro, yen, sterling and yuan, are the IMF's official unit of exchange. Member countries hold them at the Fund in proportion to their shareholdings.

The IMF last approved a $250-billion new allocation of SDRs in 2009, boosting liquidity for cash-strapped countries during the last financial crisis.

"We recognize that a number of IMF members support a general Special Drawing Right (SDR) allocation to the membership," Mnuchin said in a text prepared for delivery to the committee. "In our view, an SDR allocation is not an effective tool to respond to urgent needs."

Story continues

China's foreign ministry issued a pointed statement on the issue overnight, telling Reuters: "International financial institutions are important platforms for international cooperation, not political tools for a minority of countries to manipulate."

Georgieva told reporters during a videoconference briefing after the IMFC meeting that there was no consensus on an SDR allocation, but IMFC members did support advanced economies donating their SDRs to help developing countries.

Mnuchin said advanced economies could contribute to two IMF facilities that provide funds to the poorest countries, and the U.S. government was exploring such a contribution itself. He gave no details on the scale or timing of such a contribution.

Funded by grants from members, the IMF's Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) has already provided grants to 29 countries to cover their debt service payments to the IMF for an initial six-month period, according to the IMF.

Members can also provide grants and loans to the IMF's Poverty Reduction Growth Trust, which supports low-income countries, Mnuchin said.

Georgieva said advanced economies were stepping up to help, thanking China, Japan, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands for their contributions to the CCRT, bringing its capacity to $600 million.

She said Britain, Japan, France, Australia and Canada had also made firm commitments to contribute $11.7 billion to boost IMF aid to poor countries.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci)
Vulnerability to the pandemic might be the last thing anybody in the United States needs right now. However, when there are systems, and buildings, in place that are initially meant to safeguard the public but now practically increase the likelihood of spreading infection, the state must intervene.

As other nations have already released petty criminals in an effort to contain the virus from spreading, the New Mexico Supreme Court is still in the process of determining the fate of its inmates.

Mass Gravesite

According to state health officials, New Mexico has reported over 1,400 positive cases with 36 deaths. One of the patients positive for the coronavirus initially tested negative, and she is an inmate at the Santa Fe County Detention Center.

Groups of legal experts and human rights advocates from the American Civil Liberties Union have come forward with a petition for the New Mexico Supreme Court to release low-risk prisoners during the pandemic.

The immediate release of the inmates is requested to keep the virus from spreading. Said inmates must have committed only mild offenses and must fit the standards of ethical conduct. ACLU staff attorney Lalita Moskowitz believes that the New Mexico Supreme court can afford to release prisoners in the state.

She adds that this power must be exercised soonest to protect the health of imprisoned people who can still be released and that this move can also save "medical staff, correctional officers, and communities at large."

The reason for such urgency is because of the alarming cases in other state prison facilities. Inmates in Alabama correctional centers are shown in a video by ABC News Network to lack access to proper handwashing and space for social distancing.

One of the inmates said, "It's fixin' to be a mass gravesite."

Inmates with major offenses such as convictions of violent and sexual crimes are not considered for release.

Check these out!

Releases from Other Prisons

In New York City prison, the majority of the people confirmed to have COVID-19 are the city corrections staff. From the data gathered by the New York City Department of Correction last Friday, there are over 270 workers positive for coronavirus and over 230 inmates.

Other countries' responses were immediate: Around 4,000 prisoners in the U.K. are to be temporarily released and made to stay at home. Meanwhile, reports from Turkey say that the parliament agrees to release inmates by the thousands. Turkey has a documented total of 61,000 cases and 1,300 deaths.

Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul claimed three inmates had died from COVID-19 in the prisons, while a total of 17 prisoners were positive for the virus, 13 of whom were brought to the hospital.

Keeping people in prison will only make the pandemic worse, epidemiologists say. Dr. Homer Venters especially said that without preventive measures that just when the country is trying to flatten the curve, "This is going to drive the entire epidemic curve for this nation up."
By Roslan Khasawneh and Jessica Jaganathan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore oil trader Hin Leong Trading (Pte) Ltd, which has begun talks with lenders to extend its credit facilities, owes $3.85 billion to 23 banks, two industry sources said on Thursday.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to an unprecedented slump in fuel demand and hammered oil prices, making it difficult for trading firms to make a profit. Hin Leong is one of the largest fuel traders in Asia and an operator of a major tanker fleet.

Some of the banks held a call with Hin Leong and its advisers on Tuesday to discuss ways to provide short-term trade finance after some banks failed to provide the firm with a letter of credit to buy oil products.

"Hin Leong has asked for an extension (to repay creditors)," one of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Hin Leong did not respond to Reuters' email and phone calls seeking comment.

The firm's biggest lenders include HSBC Holdings, DBS, Overseas-Chinese Banking Corp, Bank of China, Societe Generale and Standard Chartered, said the second source, who was briefed on the discussions.

Societe Generale on Tuesday lodged a "general charge of receivables and contract rights" on Hin Leong with Singapore's Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).

A charge is a form of security interest usually taken by a lender or creditor to secure repayment of a loan, according to ACRA's website.

A spokeswoman for Societe Generale confirmed that it was a lender to Hin Leong but declined to comment further.

Separately, Hin Leong owed Bank of China about $200 million, a third source with knowledge of the matter said.

All sources spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter.

HSBC, DBS, OCBC, Standard Chartered and ABN Amro declined to comment, while Bank of China did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

FUEL TRADING

Hin Leong's fuel trading has been affected by its financial issues, other industry sources said.

Story continues

The company cancelled some oil products contracts for April cargoes because it had been unable to get banks to issue letters of credit, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

At least two of the deals had been struck during the Market on Close (MoC) process by pricing agency S&P Global Platts, the sources said.

Hin Leong was an active participant during the MoC processes for oil products in Asia up until last week, trade data showed.

Under Platts' methodology, a stressed party may request to withdraw from a trade, but its counterparty is under no obligation to accept such a request, Platts said, adding that the agency expects to be informed should this occur.

Platts, which assesses daily oil prices based on the MoC deals, said all their price assessments are completed based on the information available at the time of assessment.

They typically do not correct assessments based on fresh information provided after the fact, the agency added.

Platts declined to comment on whether Hin Leong has been put on review, which excludes a company from trading during the MoC processes for reasons ranging from credit issues to trade disputes to shipment technicalities.

Hin Leong's bunker fuel subsidiary Ocean Bunkering Services Pte Ltd (OBS) has also informed some customers that it plans to suspend marine fuel deliveries from as soon as Friday, bunker traders said.

OBS was the third-largest bunker fuel supplier by volume in Singapore in 2019. The move comes as demand for marine fuel has slumped due to a slowdown in global shipping activity amid the coronavirus outbreak.

OBS owns a dedicated fleet of 14 Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore licensed bunker barges, according to the company's website. It supplied about 3 million to 4 million tonnes of bunkers in 2019, according to estimates by industry sources.

(Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh, Jessica Jaganathan, Chen Aizhu and Anshuman Daga; additional reporting by Koustav Samanta and Seng Li Peng; writing by Florence Tan; editing by Richard Pullin and Himani Sarkar)
The Ghana Armed Forces has begun the distribution of free potable water to some targeted communities in Greater Accra, as part of its efforts to combat Covid-19.



The free water supply started on Tuesday in two deprived communities of Mangdjaanor and Kaadjaanora all within the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.



About 14,000-litres of water was supplied to inhabitants of the two communities numbering about 7,000.



Brigadier-General Michael Amoah Ayisi, the Chief Staff Officer (CSO) of the Ghana Armed Forces said that the military would not only sustain the supply of water to these communities, but would also extend the service to other deprived communities, to help bring relief to the public during the lockdown period.



"As partners in the fight against Covid-19, we are not only looking at the security aspect and the enforcement aspect but, also as a corporate institution under the state, we would have to contribute our widows mite to soften the impact of this lockdown on the locals," he said.



Brig Gen Ayisi urged the populace to abide by the restriction orders, though inconvenient, because it was aimed at curbing the feared virus, failure of which the entire citizenry would be at risk.



Solomon Kotey Niikoi, the Municipal Chief Executive of the area said the municipality was grateful to the Army for their kind gesture.



He said water was an important aspect of human life and this would be very useful during the lockdown period.



He said it was the President's vision to ensuring that all Ghanaians had access to free water supply, being a tool crucial in fighting the global pandemic, Covid-19.



He advised the people to observe the social distancing protocol as well as the other directives professed by the government and health authorities.

Source: GNA









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Both Laredo College and TAMIU along with three other local education establishments will receive a total of over $19 million in federal grants as part of the CARES Act relief funding.

According to a statement Tuesday from the office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn, 50% of each grant must go towards providing students with emergency financial aid in order to cover COVID-19 campus closure expenses. The CARES Act will allow each institution to choose how it will award the assistance to its students.
VIDIZMO helps Zoom customers securely store, manage and distribute meeting recordings

VIDIZMO Offers Zoom Customers a Discount Amid the COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic

Tyson, Virginia( )

VIDIZMO, a Gartner-recognized enterprise video platform, today announced a new release of its integration with Zoom, a leader in modern enterprise video communications. Available on the Zoom App Marketplace, VIDIZMO is offering its video streaming and management solutions, namely EnterpriseTube and Virtual Academy, for free for the initial two (02) months through Azure Marketplace and AWS Marketplace. Furthermore, VIDIZMO is offering a 20% discount through VIDIZMO Cloud for all Zoom customers to help organizations bridge communication gaps and address business continuity challenges resulting from COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic. This integration brings together Zooms video communication platform and VIDIZMO's video content management platform, allowing Zoom customers to securely transform recorded meetings into manageable, searchable, and shareable on-demand videos.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, video conferencing is becoming crucial for communication and business continuity and as a result, organizations are increasingly starting to need a secure repository to automatically ingest, store, organize, edit, and share these recordings in a secure multilingual portal. To solve these challenges, VIDIZMO offers a secure and scalable YouTube-like video platform, creating an end-to-end video communication and management solution to store, manage, index, search, and share Zoom recordings.

The solution automatically uploads Zoom recordings to VIDIZMO's video platform. Once uploaded, the Zoom recordings are encoded for optimal playback on any browser or device and then indexed for Google-like platform and inside-video search, enabling viewers to search on any spoken word, faces, or shared text from within the meeting, such as presentations. Also, VIDIZMO's Artificial Intelligence (AI) features allow you to find and select specific parts in the video where a particular person spoke by clicking on the face (displayed at the side of the video) of the speaker they want to hear.

Aleks Swerdlow, Product Marketing Manager for the Zoom App Marketplace, said, Were always looking for ways to give our customers the ability to do more with Zoom. We are excited to have the VIDIZMO Video Content Management & Portal integration go live on our Zoom App Marketplace to help Zoom customers store, share, and search Zoom Meeting recordings securely.

"Online meetings are an incredibly efficient way to exchange ideas and expertise, especially during quarantines, lockdowns, and work-from-home policies that have greatly driven up the demand for video communication tools that allow people and organizations to try and maintain some semblance of business as usual, said Nadeem Khan, CEO of VIDIZMO. Yet the value of these meetings is ephemeral unless the meetings are recorded and stored in a searchable video platform. Through our integration with Zoom, we provide an automated workflow for publishing these recorded meetings, replaying them in full fidelity, and making any instance searchable that is discussed or shown in the meeting."

VIDIZMO understands the security and privacy concerns of customers around recorded meetings, such as saving to a storage space that isn't protected by a password or recorded videos being found by anyone searching online. Therefore, VIDIZMO adheres to the industry's highest standards for platform and content-level security to keep your recorded meetings and digital assets password protected. VIDIZMO delivers a highly collaborative video ecosystem while driving the best security practices to maintain organizational data integrity and confidentiality. Security features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), channel and user segregation, and password-protected videos are some of the security features that VIDIZMO offers to Zoom customers. These security features provide them with control and the confidence they need to securely upload Zoom recordings flexibly and firmly into the environment of their choice.

Zoom users can also securely embed videos and playlists into learning management systems (LMS), content management systems (CMS), customer relationship management systems (CRM), and other web portals.?They can?also?audit employee viewing activity through VIDIZMO audit logs and analytics to ensure compliance with internal policies and industry regulations.

Furthermore, VIDIZMO offers Zoom users several options for secure content storage, either on-premises, on any customer-owned or VIDIZMO hosted & managed cloud such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). These types of cloud providers help customers address security and compliance issues at every stage of their cloud journey; moreover, Zoom users can also implement a hybrid deployment to leverage the benefits of both the environments.

From GDPR to the recent Australian privacy laws, these regulatory responses are becoming prevalent, and to accommodate such privacy laws, VIDIZMO allows Zoom recordings to be stored behind a firewall and some in the cloud in another geographic location such as Germany, enabling a flexible storage solution. Businesses can store their recordings in any location in the cloud or on-premises, host some Zoom recording on any number of on-premises locations while others in the cloud, and intelligently branch users to the appropriate location.

Recorded meetings sometimes require minor editing before making them shareable as Video on Demand (VOD). VIDIZMO portal provides a basic edit to trim recorded meetings and allows sharing of the edited version easily with selected or anonymous viewers. Also, organizations can move all or some recordings off Zoom. VIDIZMO offers recording deletion from the Zoom cloud, enabling content security and improving resource usage.

The discounted solution between VIDIZMO and Zoom Video Communications can be found here or by following the link (https://www.vidizmo.com/covid-19-support/)

To know about VIDIZMO and Zoom's integration please see this video.

About VIDIZMO

VIDIZMO is a Gartner-recognized Enterprise Video Content Management System that empowers businesses with a comprehensive solution to deliver live and on-demand video streaming and digital asset management services in the cloud, on-premises or hybrid model. VIDIZMO offers a wide range of products, each one serving a diverse set of enterprise needs across all industry verticals such as the corporate sector, education, healthcare, law enforcement, media, and more.

With a consolidated video streaming and asset management portal, VIDIZMO fulfills enterprise needs for corporate communication, training, learning, law enforcement, digital media management, marketing, and sales, among others. Available in a flexible range of licensing models, VIDIZMO also leverages an organization's existing IT systems by offering seamless integration with enterprise applications and services. A Microsoft Gold, Application, and Co-Sell partner, VIDIZMO provides differentiated and enterprise-ready solutions built on Microsoft technology stack, along with enterprise-grade cloud security, compliance, and innovation.

About Zoom

Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) brings teams together to get more done in a frictionless video environment. Our easy, reliable, and innovative video-first unified communications platform provides video meetings, voice, webinars, and chat across desktops, phones, mobile devices, and conference room systems. Zoom helps enterprises create elevated experiences with leading business app integrations and developer tools to create customized workflows. Founded in 2011, Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, California, with offices around the world. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom_us.
Greece has begun relocating unaccompanied minors from overcrowded migrant camps to volunteer nations, international media reported. The European nation has been hosting over 5,000 unaccompanied children, majorly of Syrian and Afghan descent. Last week, Greece was asked by international organisations to release all children who were living in filthy refugee camps and flats.

Relocation

Greek officials plan to relocate nearly 1,600 children to other volunteer nations as coronavirus pandemic tightens its grip over Greece. According to reports, the first 12 children, aged between 11 to 15, were moved to Luxembourg from refugee camps on the islands of Lesbos, Samos, and Chios. International media reported that they had a sendoff at the Athens airport, where Greek ministers gave them Soveigneers before they were welcomed by Luxembourg foreign minister on the other end. These children were then sent directly to a 14-day quarantine facility from the airport.

Read: Greece Extends Virus Lockdown By Three Weeks To April 27

Read: Germany, Luxembourg To Take In Migrant Children From Greece

According to Greeces deputy migration minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos, another set of 50 vulnerable children would be sent to Germany and 20 would fly to Switzerland on April 19. This comes as Human Rights Watch had called on Greece to release all the asylum-seeking refugees in the country. Eva Cosse, the Greece researcher for the organisation said that keeping children locked up in filthy police cells was always wrong, but now it also exposes them to the risk of COVID-19 infection.

As of April 16, Greece has reported 2,192 out of which 102 have died and 269 have recovered. According to reports, there are about 100,000 asylum seekers in Greece, most of whom are in camps, hotel rooms and flats. Camps on the Aegean islands suffer the worst overcrowding, with fewer than 6,100 places for more than 36,000 people. The island nation reportedly announced a three-week extension to its coronavirus lockdown to April 27. "Difficult weeks lie ahead... If we relax our efforts, the virus will destroy us," Nikos Hardalias, deputy minister for civil protection, told a daily briefing.

Read: Amid Pandemic, Greece Issues Bond To Display 'confidence'

Read: Greece Airs Concern Over Asylum-seekers Seen On Turkey Coast

(Image Credits: AP)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:06:12|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, April 16 (Xinhua) -- An Australian company has put the call out for volunteers in the country's first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine, expected to take place in coming weeks.

Clinical research company Nucleus Network revealed on Wednesday it would test the effectiveness and safety of a Recombinant Spike Protein Nanoparticle vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, developed by U.S. based biotechnology company Novavax.

Dr. Paul Griffin, an infectious diseases physician and microbiologist from Nucleus Network told Channel Nine News on Thursday that the human trial procedures would involve four phases, following strict protocols to make sure it was safe and effective before being released to the public.

"We still have to progress through all the stages of clinical trials and we have to make sure it is safe and effective before we proceed," Griffin said.

According to the Nucleus Network, phase one of the trial was expected to begin in mid-May with preliminary results of effectiveness and safety available in July.

Griffin said it would take roughly 12 to 18 months from now before the vaccine could be released to the public.

A small group of healthy volunteers would be recruited for the trial to test the effectiveness of this vaccine and according to Griffin, there was absolutely no chance that they could be infected with the disease by taking part.

The World Health Organization estimated at least 20 other COVID-19 candidate vaccines are in development around the world. Enditem
Britains banks have enough funds to keep lending to the economy even under the deep recession scenario outlined by a government watchdog, Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods said on Wednesday.

The BoE has allowed banks to tap 23 billion pounds ($29 billion) of their capital buffers to support up to 190 billion pounds of lending, well above a net lending to companies of 16 billion pounds last year, Woods said.

We go into this with a well capitalized banking sector, Woods told a meeting of parliaments Treasury Select Committee.

It was not at all obvious that the scenario outlined by the Office for Budget Responsibility on Tuesday was worse overall for banks than last years BoE stress test for lenders, Woods said.

The OBR said Britains economy could shrink 35% during the three months to June due to coronavirus shutdowns, then bounce back sharply afterwards, giving an overall economic hit for the year of about 13%  still the largest in more than 300 years.

Banks have ample capacity from a capital point of view, Woods said.

A huge support package from the state also reduces the hit on the banking system, Woods said.

Sarah Breeden, executive director for bank supervision at the BoE, said Britains biggest companies have drawn tens of billions of pounds on credit lines from their banks, but they have yet to spend it.

In the near term, for largest companies that risk of default does not feel very immediate, Breeden said. The shock hasnt yet hit in scale, she said.

Britains banks are offering loans under a government-backed scheme to help businesses stay afloat during the national lockdown, but it is unclear if all of the companies will survive.

The capital treatment for these loans is strong enough to cover the losses that should arise in the normal way from making loans of this kind, Woods said.

Lawmakers also sought reassurances that banks were not profiting from the crisis.

I find it very hard to believe that the banks will profit from this crisis, I think its a question of how significant will the losses be, Stephen Jones, chief executive of UK Finance, a trade body for banks, told the lawmakers.

Insurance Hit

Britains insurers have taken a hit from large falls in financial markets which they have broadly weathered quite well.

The hit has left insurers with a coverage ratio, a measure of ability to service debt and obligations, of 130-160%, down by up to 20 percentage points, Woods said.

The BoE is now checking whether insurers have enough capital to cover policy claims for disrupted travel and interrupted business.

We think we have that covered in capital requirements and provisions, but you never know until a thing flows through completely, Woods said.

The BoE is also checking on the painful impact of downgrades to bonds held by insurers to make sure these are covered, Woods added.

($1 = 0.7981 pounds) (Reporting by Huw Jones and David Milliken; editing by David Evans)

Topics Carriers COVID-19 Uk
RICHFIELD SPRINGS, N.Y.  A man from Richfield Springs has been charged with rape following an incident that allegedly happened in early March.

Joseph A. OBrien, 33, is accused of forcibly raping a female acquaintance on March 2 in the town of Salisbury.

New York State Police arrested OBrien on April 15, and charged him with first-degree rape, a B felony.

He was arraigned through Skype and is remanded to the Herkimer County jail on $10,000 bail or bond.
Police raided two gambling dens, nabbed 19 people and recovered Rs 1.41 lakh from them in Ambala on Wednesday night.

In the first case, acting on a tip-off, police reached the area near Kali Mata temple in Naraingarh and they found people playing cards. A total of 18 people were held and Rs 1,39,500 was recovered, police said. An FIR was registered under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13 of the Public Gambling Act at the Naraingarh police station.

In another case, the CIA-2 staff of the police arrested accused Amit Kumar from Ambala Cantonments Topkhana with Rs 1,280. Police said the accused was inviting people to spend money in gambling. He was booked under Section 188 of the IPC and Section 13A of the Public Gambling Act at Ambala Cantonment police station.
The adjusted gross revenue (AGR) issue casts a significant degree of uncertainty on the telecom sector, and will have a long-term bearing on structure and recovery of the industry, according to rating agency Icra.

The agency said it does not expect any major impact of the ongoing nationwide lockdown on telecom services. This is because the pressure on revenues on account of limited customer addition, along with lack of physical recharges is moderated by the surge in mobile usage due to work from home regime and content viewing, supported by shift to digital recharges.

The telecom department's plea for elongation of the payment period to 20 years is still pending in the Supreme Court, and thus there is a considerable degree of uncertainty on the timelines and funding of payments, it added.

While greenshoots of recovery were visible for the industry in terms of steady average revenue per user (ARPU) increases and deleveraging measures undertaken, AGR issue may play spoil sport to an extent, the agency said.

AGR related concerns notwithstanding, the telecom industry, which witnessed severe headwinds in the past led by intense competition and pricing pressures amid high debt levels, had witnessed greenshoots of recovery in FY2020.

This is primarily due to steady ARPU improvements, deleveraging initiatives and moderation in capex intensity, it said.

"The tariff hikes announced in December 2019 is further expected to aid recovery and lead to an improvement in the operating metrics of the industry, resulting in a healthy revenue growth of 18 per cent in FY2021," Anupama Arora, Vice President and Sector Head, Corporate Ratings, Icra, said.

It observed that industry has been through a turbulent phase over the past few years with intense competition leading to pressures on revenues and profitability. But the last quarter of FY2020 brought some stabilisation of ARPU levels post the introduction of minimum recharge plans and upgradation of subscribers from 2G to 4G, resulting in improvement in industry AGR.

"Further, the telecom operators announced steep tariff hikes effective December 2019, first of its kind in a long time, which is expected to result in restoration in pricing power to the telcos and improvement in cash flow generation," Icra said in statement.

"The series of deleveraging initiatives are expected to result in reduction in debt to Rs 4.4 lakh crore as on March 31, 2020. However, debt is expected to increase to Rs 4.6 lakh crore as on March 31, 2021 despite the improvement in cash flow generation and moderation in capex intensity. This increase is primarily on account of the AGR related payables that the industry is required to pay," Arora said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Australians keen to head on holiday as soon as lockdown is lifted must act quick to book cheap flights before fares skyrocket, experts say.

With travel restrictions likely to last until early 2021, many families keen for a getaway when the coronavirus pandemic ends could find themselves forking out more than ever.

The key to a cheap holiday is getting flights booked early as soon as the government lifts the travel ban, which was announced by Scott Morrison on March 18.

The cost of flights will initially drop, with airlines struggling to stay afloat and in dire need of a cash injection, experts said, but will then soar.

Under strict laws designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, the federal government has banned Australians from flying abroad in all but essential circumstances.

Australians evacuated from South America during the COVID-19 pandemic are seen after landing at Brisbane airport on April 14 (pictured)

Airports across Australia, including Sydney (pictured on April 11) have been empty since the coronavirus outbreak - with a ban on foreign and most domestic travel

Anyone returning to the country has to enter a mandatory 14-day isolation in a hotel, supervised by the police and Australian Defence Force.

It has left airlines, both domestic and international, struggling to cope, with the likes of Virgin Australia reportedly considering going into voluntary administration.

Those airlines are likely to need to recoup costs when the lockdown is lifted, with social distancing on planes leading to a drop in the number of seats sold - meaning prices could double.

'Ultimately it will become more expensive,' UNSW professor James Doran, who specialises in banking and finance, told the Daily Telegraph.

'At the initial phase, it will not be because the demand to travel and because the amount of planes that we have and the need to actually keep those things up, up and running.'

Travellers are seen being given daily information packs inside a Sydney hotel where returning Australians are doing their 14 days in isolation (pictured)

Industry experts said airlines are preparing to be given social-distancing guidance, meaning they will sell less seats on every plane - eventually leading to soaring prices.

This could see the price of a single airfare skyrocket after a few weeks.

For example if an airline can only fill half its seats, it must charge double the usual price to maintain its profits.

There are currently many cheap airfares available, but booking them before the lockdown ends comes with the risk that you may be unable to fly.

If the flight is still running, but you are unable to travel due to government restrictions, you will not be eligible for a refund.

People are seen leaving Melbourne's Crown Promenade hotel on Sunday after two weeks in quarantine (pictured) having returned to Australia from overseas

AUSTRALIA'S BORDER RESTRICTIONS Prime Minister Scott Morrison brought in tough new border restrictions from 9pm on Friday March 20: 'Australia is closing its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents. 'The entry ban takes effect from 9pm Friday, 20 March 2020, with exemptions only for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family, including spouses, legal guardians and dependents. 'New Zealand citizens who live in Australia as Australian residents are also exempt, as are New Zealanders transiting to New Zealand. Exemptions for Pacific Islanders transiting to their home countries will continue to apply. 'Australian citizens and permanent residents and those exempt from our entry restrictions will continue to be subject to a strict 14 days self-isolation. 'Our number one priority is to slow the spread of coronavirus to save lives.' Advertisement

An industry source told Traveller: 'After lockdown there will be a mad rush and a price surge for airline fares.

'It would be no surprise to see social distancing on planes, and we will probably see some set guidance on how planes should do this.

'There are currently cheap fares available, but this pricing is based on a full plane. It is inevitable that ticket prices will have to go up to maintain this if only a proportion of seats are allowed to be sold.'

It comes after holidaymakers were warned to avoid booking any international travel during the coronavirus crisis.

'I wouldn't put any guarantees that you could undertake that overseas trip in December,' Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said on Tuesday.

'This is a time where, unfortunately, people can't undertake holidays and they won't be able to go overseas for quite some time to come.'

Even if these measures were relaxed, many popular foreign tourist destinations are not letting in foreigners.

In Australian holiday destinations such as Bali, all tourist visas have been cancelled.

Qantas has suspended all of its international flights during the coronavirus pandemic, and experts warn airfares could be on the rise when restrictions are lifted due to social distancing

Even those with residency are required to self-isolate for two weeks after arriving in Indonesia.

'Travel is still off the books for the foreseeable future,' he added.

'But there will come a time, and perhaps for those Australians who can, it's a good chance to do a little bit of dreaming.

'Look up your favourite Australian tourism destination, or the one you might love to visit in the future, and think about what you could do in the months and years ahead.'

Cancelled flights are seen on a departures board at Sydney airport on March 25 (pictured), as the COVID-19 outbreak halted travel

With travel restrictions between states likely to ease in the coming months, people are instead being asked to start 'dreaming' about their perfect Australian getaway.

'There may be a slightly earlier point in time where it becomes feasible to think about domestic travel again,' he explained.

'We're not there yet but certainly this time is a good time for a bit of dreaming, a bit of planning.

'Think about the Aussie break that you might take when we finally get to the other side of this.
The Belle II particle accelerator experiment is searching for the origins of the universe. (Photo: Felix Metzner, KIT)

At the Japanese High-energy Accelerator Research Organization, KEK, in Tsukuba, about 50 kilometers north of Tokyo, the Belle II experiment has been in operation for about one year now. An international team of researchers also from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is searching for exotic particles that are to enhance our understanding of dark matter in the universe. For one of these particles, the so-called Z boson, mass and coupling strengths have now been limited with previously unattainable accuracy. The results have just been published in the renowned Physical Review Letters.

The Belle II experiment has been collecting data from physical measurements for about one year now. After several years of upgrading work, both the SuperKEKB electron-positron accelerator and the Belle II detector have been improved compared to their predecessors in order to achieve a 40-fold higher data rate.

Scientists from twelve institutes in Germany are involved in constructing and operating the detector, developing evaluation algorithms, and analyzing the data. For Belle II, KIT has developed software for the reconstruction of particle tracks, designed and produced application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for data readout, constructed hardware with modern machine-learning algorithms to detect particle tracks, and performed calculations to link future Belle II data to fundamental theories of elementary particle physics. Work of KIT is characterized in particular by a close cooperation of physicists and electrical engineers, says Professor Ulrich Nierste of KITs Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics, whose working group carries out theoretical studies for the experiment.



With the help of Belle II, scientists are searching for traces of new physics that can be used to explain the unequal occurrence of matter and anti-matter or the mysterious dark matter. One of the so far undiscovered particles that the Belle II detector is looking for is the Z boson  a variant of the already detected Z boson that acts as an exchange particle for the weak interaction.



As far as we know, about 25% of the universe consists of dark matter, whereas visible matter accounts for just under 5% of the energy budget. Both forms of matter attract each other through gravity. Dark matter thus forms a kind of template for the distribution of visible matter. This can be seen, for example, in the arrangement of galaxies in the universe.



Link between Dark and Normal Matter

The Z boson might play an interesting role in the interaction between dark and visible matter. It could be a kind of mediator between the two forms of matter. The Z boson can  at least theoretically  result from the collision of electrons (matter) and positrons (anti-matter) in the SuperKEKB and then decay into invisible dark matter particles. The Z boson can thus help scientists understand the behavior of dark matter, and what is more, the discovery of the Z boson could also explain other observations that are not consistent with the standard model, the fundamental theory of particle physics, Ulrich Nierste explains.



Important Clue: Detection of Muon Pairs

But how can the Z boson be detected in the Belle II detector? Not directly, that much is sure. Theoretical models and simulations predict that the Z boson could reveal itself through interactions with muons, the heavier relatives of electrons. If scientists would discover an unusually high number of muon pairs of opposite charge after the electron-positron collisions as well as unexpected deviations in energy and momentum conservation, this would be an important indication of the Z boson.



However, the new Belle II data have not yet provided any indication of the Z boson. But with the new data, the scientists can limit the mass and coupling strengths of the Z boson with previously unattainable accuracy.



More Data, More Precise Analyses

These first results are obtained from the analysis of a small amount of data collected during the startup phase of SuperKEKB in 2018. Belle II went into full operation on March 25, 2019. Since then, the experiment has been collecting data while continuously improving the collision rate of electrons and positrons. When the experiment will be perfectly tuned, it will provide far more data than used in the recently published analyses. The physicists thus hope to gain new insights into the nature of dark matter and other unanswered questions. More data will open up new opportunities to study dark matter: Decays of heavy mesons may produce Z bosons or other dark exchange particles that leave the detector, but are still noticed as a deficit in the energy balance of decay, explains Dr. Goldenzweig, whose working group of KITs Institute of Experimental Particle Physics has specialized in such measurements.



The German working groups in the Belle II experiment are funded by the following institutions and programs:

 German Federal Ministry of Education and Research: Framework program Exploring the universe and matter (ErUM)

 German Research Foundation (DFG) within the framework of the Excellence Strategy launched by the federation and the federal states:

ORIGINS: EXC-2094  390783311

Quantum Universe: EXC-2121 390833306

 European Research Council

 European Unions Horizon 2020  grant agreement No 822070

 Helmholtz Association

 JENNIFER under the European Unions Horizon 2020 program

 Max Planck Society

Original publication:

Search for an invisibly decaying Z boson at Belle II in e+e  +  (e+   +) + missing energy final states, The Belle II Collaboration, Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.141801

Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,600 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 23,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
A ward-winning cocktail spots Artesian, Kwant and Mr Foggs are among the London bars teaming up with Bacardi to make their drinks available to order on Deliveroo.

A total of eight top bars have joined forces with the spirit brand in the capital, each contributing a drink recipes to its new Bacardi x Deliveroo Editions virtual bar. Fellow participants include Shoreditchs Callooh Callay, coffee cocktail expert Grind, whisky enthusiast Milroys of Soho, Bristols Filthy 13 (which has a London-based bartender on hand) and Kitchen Cocktails, London Cocktail Club's home-focused spin-off.

The service launches today at 5pm and will continue for the next two months, delivering from Deliveroos Editions sites in Whitechapel and Bermondsey to central and east London. The menu is set to change every two weeks, with a new set of bars contributing new recipes every fortnight.

The inaugural menu will include drinks such as the Cubano from Erik Loricz's Mayfair bar Kwant made with Bacardi Ocho, Rosy Life by Artesian at The Langham featuring Patron tequila, and Mr Foggs Mechanical Mixologist Negroni, which will be made with Martini vermouth and Bombay Sapphire gin.

On the road: Deliveroo's virtual bar will let you sample Artesian's award-winning cocktails

All cocktails available on the platform will be made using Bacardi-owned spirits, including Bombay Sapphire, Martini Fiero, Patron, Grey Goose vodka, St Germain liqueur and Bacardi rums.

Martini Fiero will also be celebrating the start of the weekend, offering a complimentary bottled martini and tonic for the first 50 orders placed every Friday evening.

The same scheme is also being launched in Manchester, where top bars on the roster will include Science and Industry, Cottonopolis and Cultureplex.
Jill Biden said Joe Biden would take on the role of 'healer in chief' to help the nation recover from the coronavirus crisis after she and her husband claimed Donald Trump mishandled the situation from the start.

The former second lady told MSNBC's Morning Joe round table Thursday morning that the U.S. is 'going to need so much healing to take place after this is over.'

'So Joe's not going to only be the commander in chief, he's going to be really the healer in chief,' she said seated beside her husband during a virtual interview.

'I hope I am that,' Biden said.

Jill, 68, made her assertion after her husband bashed Trump for refusing to take responsibility for any of the fallout, economic or health, from the coronavirus outbreak.

'He doesn't take responsibility and he says the most bizarre things,' the former vice president said.

Jill Biden told MSNBC's Morning Joe hosts Thursday morning that her husband will serve as 'healer in chief' if he's elected president as the nation recovers from the fallout from coronavirus

'I hope I am that,' Biden responded as he bashed Trump for his response to the coronavirus crisis, claiming his briefings are 'like something out of a really bad play,'

Donald Trump holds press briefings from the White House almost every day to share the work being done to mitigate the coronavirus outbreak and the affects it has had on the economy. The briefings sometimes run over two hours long

He added that 'trying to figure out this man is sort of above my pay grade' when MSNBC host Joe Scarborough asked Biden to analyze the nearly-daily press briefings Trump holds to update America on the White House coronavirus efforts.

The Bidens claim that Trump should have done more to begin mitigating the situation from coronavirus in the U.S. in January.

Several reports indicate the White House knew about the threat of the respiratory disease well before Trump let on.

The White House first issued social distancing guidelines in mid-March, as deaths and cases began to skyrocket in the U.S. after an outbreak in Washington state.

Biden, who became the Democratic nominee last week after Bernie Sanders dropped out, said the president is making the coronavirus crisis about him without taking any responsibility for the handling of mitigating the problems that came with the pandemic.

'Everything is about him. This is not about him. It is about us. It is about the American people. I really mean it,' Biden asserted.

Biden became the Democratic nominee for president last week after Bernie Sanders, his last remaining competitor, dropped out of the race

Unemployment levels reached an all-time-high as more than 20 million people filed for benefits in the last four weekly filing periods. The markets have also been extremely shaky since March.

As of Thursday morning there are more than 582,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University, which is more than any other nation has reported.

The death toll in America also surpassed 30,000.

The Democratic candidate also went into Trump's actions at the briefings, which he usually holds alongside the White House coronavirus task force.

'It is one of these things that I don't understand,' Biden said of the briefings. 'I mean the way that he goes in and attacks the press and the things he says, like he's going to adjourn the Congress, he has absolute authority.

'I mean it is like something out of a really bad play,' the former vice president said, spurring laughter from the other virtual hosts and panel members.
The European Union expressed serious concern Wednesday over escalating jihadist violence and a worsening humanitarian situation in northern Mozambique.

Militants have in recent weeks stepped up attacks as part of a campaign for an Islamist caliphate in the gas-rich region, seizing government buildings, blocking roads and briefly hoisting their black-and-white jihadist flag over towns and villages across Cabo Delgado province.

The EU "expresses its grave concern at the visible deterioration of the security situation in Cabo Delgado province in recent weeks, particularly the significant increase in attacks," the delegation said in a statement.

It also said it was worried over the worsening humanitarian situation, with a spike in the number of internally displaced people.

"The present situation requires effective action to protect citizens, to carry out investigations to bring those responsible to justice, and to identify the role played by violent extremist groups," it said.

The delegation also called on the authorities to "quickly and thoroughly" investigate the disappearance last week of a journalist working for a community radio in Palma.

Radio Comunitaria de Palma's Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco went missing on his way home from work on April 7.

He texted his co-worker to say that he had been surrounded by soldiers, and thereafter he did not answer his calls, according to the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA-Mozambique).

The EU said it stands ready to help Mozambique resolve the crisis.

Soldiers from the Mozambican army (pictured March 2018) patrol the streets after security in the area was increased, following a two-day attack from suspected islamists in Mocimboa da Praia. By ADRIEN BARBIER (AFP/File)

Despite President Filipe Nyusi's promises, neither the police nor the army, recently shored up by foreign private security companies, has succeeded in preventing attacks.

The conflict has already killed more than 700 people according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The bishop of the diocese of Pema, Dom Luiz Fernando Lisboa, has said more than 200,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.
A cacophony of car and truck horns, megaphones and occasional chanting swirled around the Michigan Capitol Wednesday as crowds gathered to protest an order that instructs Michigan residents to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Under the current stay-at-home order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in effect through April 30, gatherings of any size outside a household are prohibited, as are in-person business and activities deemed non-essential. People are urged to stay six feet apart to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 27,001 people in Michigan and killed 1,768 dead, 27,001 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan.

But people are still allowed to protest, and thousands took the opportunity to do so in Lansing Wednesday as part of an Operation Gridlock" protest. Organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and supported by the Michigan Freedom Fund and other conservative groups, the idea was to create a traffic jam in front of the Michigan Capitol to create gridlock.

This is a statement to show peoples frustration, said Meshawn Maddock, a member of the Michigan Conservative Coalition, ahead of the protest.

People were expected to drive into Lansing from all over the state, she said.

Cars and trucks lined the streets surrounding Michigans Capitol building, displaying flags and painted messages like Stop Oppressive Quarantining: Bring Back Common Sense and Freedom Isnt Negotiable. Some brought their motorboats, which the administration said are not allowed under the stay-at-home order. Others drove business vehicles.

Traffic is backed up well down Michigan Avenue. Lots of honking, some getting out of cars pic.twitter.com/amLMpuYONn  Lauren Gibbons (@LaurenMGibbons) April 15, 2020

Traffic was backed up well down Michigan Avenue and other streets within a few blocks of the Capitol building in downtown Lansing.

Organizers encouraged people to protest from their cars, but a crowd began gathering on the Capitol lawn by 10 a.m. Many were not wearing masks or following social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC.

Shelly Vanderwerff of Zeeland is currently laid off from her job at a local greenhouse. She is also trained as a pet groomer, and carried a sign on the Capitol lawn asking for the ability to do curbside pet grooming during the stay-at-home order.

She said she felt it was important to show up in person because the governor is taking away jobs, hobbies and other means of activity that could be done safely and help people who are struggling with their mental health.

It seems like shes not listening to petitions and calls and emails, shes not getting how many small businesses that this really is affecting and hurting, she said.

Vanderwerff said shes taking personal precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, but is concerned that Michigans stay-at-home measures are too extreme.

Police on scene were monitoring the crowd and traffic, but had not interfered with the protest as of 1 p.m. Police estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 people were in downtown Lansing Wednesday.

Asked about the protest during a Monday press conference, Whitmer said people are well within their rights to protest and asked those who plan to protest do so in a manner that keeps themselves and first responders safe.

Its OK to be frustrated, and its OK to be angry, Whitmer said Monday, adding: If it makes you feel better to direct it at me, thats OK, too. Ive got thick skin."

Whitmer also alleged the DeVos family had a hand in the protest, although event organizers and a family spokesperson said neither Betsy DeVos nor any member of the DeVos family had any involvement.

Maddock said any insinuation that the DeVos family was involved in organizing the protest is ridiculous." She hopes Whitmer is hearing the message that people are frustrated with the stay-at-home order loud and clear.

Bureaucrats will never cure a virus, she said.

Read more on MLive:

Wednesday, April 15: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Coronavirus deaths surge again during Michigans second-deadliest day

Whitmer links Betsy DeVos to upcoming coronavirus stay-at-home order protest; organizers say shes not involved

Gov. Whitmer extends executive orders on hospital capacity, virtual public meetings

Nearly a quarter of Michigan workers have filed for unemployment

Michigans coronavirus survivors describe battles to stay alive

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.
Gov. Roy Cooper at a COVID-19 briefing. | Photo: NC Department of Public Safety

North Carolina merchants will have even fewer shoppers next week, thanks to an executive order Gov. Roy Cooper announced at a Thursday, April 9 news conference.Beginning Monday at 5 p.m., stores still allowed to operate must limit the number of people indoors to no more than 20% of the stated fire capacity - or five people for every 1,000 square feet. They'll also have to mark spots six feet apart at places customers are likely to gather, like checkout lines. And staff will have to clean and sanitize areas frequently.The penalty for violating the order is a Class 2 misdemeanor, but Cooper said a lot of merchants already were following these guidelines. He expects the rest will do so, too.The new limits expand earlier statewide orders banning sit-down dining at restaurants and private clubs, closing businesses deemed "non-essential," outlawing gatherings of 10 people or more, and enforcing a stay-at-home order, with some exceptions, through April 29. Localities can impose even tighter limits. Many have.Cooper hasn't said if he'll extend the stay-at-home order.Thursday's executive order has two other provisions.The first bans dining and social activities in common areas at nursing homes. It requires nursing homes to screen employees and residents for COVID-19 symptoms. The Department of Health and Human Services earlier issued these as guidelines. But an outbreak at an Orange County nursing home resulting in two deaths and seven hospital admissions led the governor to make the suggestions mandatory.The final part of the executive order could speed unemployment benefits to workers by letting companies file claims in batches, otherwise known as "attached claims."The state Division of Employment Security has received nearly half a million claims for unemployment insurance since March 16. DES was ranked last in the nation by the federal government for paying benefits in a timely manner before the COVID-19 pandemic.Cooper said there were 3,651 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina and 65 deaths.




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LONDON  On the Thursday before Easter, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from the intensive care unit after three days there with Covid-19. Boris is out (now that really is a Good Friday) cheered The Sun newspaper the next morning. Other outlets lingered on his good spirits. The same day, Britains death toll from the coronavirus pandemic had soared to some 8,000, with nearly 900 fatalities in the previous 24 hours.

Throughout Easter weekend, gushy details of Mr. Johnsons get-well messages from his pregnant fiancee and the films he watched in the hospital jangled against the avalanche of misery and grief that rocked the country: lives lost, the trauma and exhaustion of treating the afflicted and the cruelty of people dying alone. Everyone  including his critics  was relieved that Mr. Johnson was out of the danger zone. But thousands were dying across the country, most likely as a consequence of mismanagement under his watch. The dissonance became too much for me.

Of course, many people were rightly concerned about Mr. Johnsons health: A national leader in critical condition is an unsettling jolt, especially in the midst of an anxiety-drenched pandemic. But in Britains news media, the prime ministers condition seemed to crowd out concern for others, and the exaltations of Mr. Johnson dampened scrutiny of his governments failures. High among these was the governments inability to source enough essential protective equipment for National Health Service staff, in part because it missed three opportunities to take part in a European Union bulk-buying scheme.
Union information & broadcasting (I&B) ministry secretary Ravi Mittal has written to his counterparts in other ministries and requested them to pay up the amount owed to media houses (for ads), citing the financial pressure they are in on account of the ongoing lockdown.

Various Union government ministries owe at least Rs 400 crore to media companies. Mittals intervention came on April 11, days before the 21-day lockdown imposed late last month was on Tuesday extended till May 3 to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Of the total amount, 12 ministries owe around Rs 224 crore.

According to information available with HT, the letters were sent to the ministries of telecommunications, sports, youth affairs, the departments of posts, electronics and IT, and the NITI Aayog, among others.

In his letters to the secretaries -- HT has seen some of the letters -- Mittal cited the medias role in supporting the governments efforts in dealing with the pandemic while highlighting that their financial health was turning from bad to worse. Newspapers have cut down their pages to unprecedented levels with many merging weekend supplements into the main edition[s]. Despite these measures, newspapers are losing money. Similarly, the FM Radio sector is also under stress due to low advertisement and stoppage of transport, Mittal said in his letters.

Mittal underlined that it is of vital importance that all payments due to the private media sector are made to enable them to pay their employees, keep their businesses afloat and prevent layoffs. As you would appreciate, these media houses are also supporting the governments efforts to communicate with its citizens during the current crisis arising due to COVID-19, he wrote.

Most ministries issue advertisements through the I&B ministrys Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) ,which was formerly known as the Department of Audio Visual Publicity. After the publication of advertisements, the BOC receives payments from the concerned ministries for disbursal.

The Union health and finance ministries have pending bills worth over Rs 81 crore. Other ministries that also owe substantial money to media houses include rural development, labour, human resource development, agriculture, tourism, and road transport and highways.

Mittal wrote his letter days after the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) communicated to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 24 that while newspapers were going beyond the call of duty to spread awareness in the face of the global pandemic, they were in grave danger of turning sick.

You can imagine the devastating impact of these closures on the hundreds of employees and their families as well on the larger ecosystem including suppliers, printing presses, distribution mechanisms including newspaper vendors and delivery boys, etc, lNS said in a letter, a copy of which HT has seen.

The letter cited the triple whammy of the coronavirus, collapsing advertising and the customs duty on newsprint and said this has led to a situation where the newspaper industry was on the brink of collapse.
Telecommunications providers like VNPT, Viettel and MobiFone will join in the payment market.

Viet Nam will soon pilot mobile money.  Photo kinhtemoitruong.vn

The State Bank of Viet Nam is completing a mobile money pilot project and will submit it to the Government for approval this month, Governor Le Minh Hung has said.

The pilot project will allow mobile subscribers to use their telecommunication accounts to pay for goods and services up to a limited value.

Telecommunications providers like VNPT, Viettel and MobiFone will join in the payment market.

Mobile money, which can easily reach people living in remote areas without banks as most people now own smartphones, is expected to help move Viet Nam from cash to cashless payments.

At the same time, banks will not have to spend money to expand their networks, according to the central bank.

To promote the development of mobile money, it was necessary to develop a good security mechanism, the central bank said. In addition, it also required co-operation from telecommunications providers and efforts to upgrade technology infrastructure.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved the use of mobile phone accounts to pay for goods and services in January 2019.

The Government has been pushing mobile money as a solution to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), a mobile money service includes transferring money and making and receiving payments using a mobile phone.

The GSMAs report released in March highlighted that mobile money accounts now exceed one billion worldwide. The industry processed US$2 billion in transactions per day in 2019.

The associations statistics also revealed that the reach of mobile money agents was now seven times that of ATMs and 20 times that of bank branches.

According to a report of the BIDV Training and Research Institute, mobile money has huge potential for development in Viet Nam.

The report pointed out that at the end of 2019, Viet Nam had 129.5 million mobile subscribers, of which nearly half were 3G and 4G. Viet Nam also had 43.7 million smartphone users, or 45 per cent of the countrys population in 2019, together with 68.5 million internet users.

In addition, the central banks statistics showed about 63 per cent of people from the age of 15 or higher were unbanked and could be target customers of mobile money.

The report also pointed out that Viet Nam needed to improve the legal framework for mobile money.  VNS

Vietnam soon implementing mobile money The State Bank of Vietnam is is urgently working with relevant ministries to finalise the pilot programme of utilising telephone subscription accounts to make small payments, or mobile money.

Mobile money to add up 0.5 ppts to Vietnam economic growth Over 50% of the Vietnamese population does not have a payment account at banks, therefore, mobile money would offer a non-cash payment method for a large base of customers.
This story was originally published on Nov. 6, 2019 in NYT Parenting.

When I was about 35 weeks pregnant, I propped my blue-and-white ironing board against the seat of my couch. Then  assisted by my spouse, several cushions and a video tutorial  I clambered onto my back on the board, feet on the couch, head toward the floor, hoping the uncomfortable angle would convince my unborn child to do a 180-degree turn inside my uterus so that her head was facing down.

The position was based on my chiropractors suggestion to turn breech babies  who are situated in the womb so that their feet, buttocks or limbs are facing the cervix instead of their head. While this position is not recommended by physicians, it isnt frowned-upon either. My doctor only suggested I use a sturdy board and avoid falls.

Most babies settle into a head-down position between 35 and 37 weeks of pregnancy, so that their head emerges first during a vaginal birth. But in approximately 4 percent of pregnancies, the baby remains in the breech position; and as they grow, flipping into a head-down position within the confines of the womb becomes tricky.

[Learn what to expect during the three stages of labor.]

In 2000, researchers compared the breech birth experiences of nearly 2,100 women across 26 countries, and found that  while delivering a breech baby vaginally wasnt dangerous for mothers  those babies had a significantly higher risk of dying or complications compared with those who were born via planned C-section. Unlike those born headfirst, a breech baby has higher odds of getting its head stuck in the birth canal during labor.
With additional reporting from Vivienne Clarke and Digital Desk

The devastating situation involving Covid-19 outbreaks in nursing homes has been described as a catastrophe in the making and a national emergency as the death toll in institutions continues to mount.

While evidence is beginning to coalesce that the infection has been slowed significantly by the lockdown measures in place across the country since March 27, the situation has continued to snowball in nursing homes and residential institutions, with fully 65% of the 444 deaths noted thus far having originated in those situations.

Eight residents alone, out of nine deaths, died from the virus at the Maryborough Centre for Psychiatry of Old Age in Portlaoise across the recent bank holiday weekend.

Jack Lambert, professor of infectious diseases at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, said nursing homes need to be a priority and added that any under-utilised healthcare workers around the country need to be sent to every single nursing home in Ireland.

Its a huge disaster thats led to over 200 clusters, so probably 50% of nursing homes have Covid in them - thats a national emergency in my opinion, he told RTEs Today with Sean ORourke.

Such changes need to be done yesterday and nursing homes need to be a priority, he said.

At present, an agreement is in place between the HSE and trade unions allowing for the voluntary redeployment of healthcare workers from their current station to nursing homes only.

Roughly a third of the countrys 440 nursing homes have been affected by the crisis.

Professor Lambert insisted that a lack of thought had been put in place by the HSE and Department of Health regarding how the situation might have evolved in nursing homes, the majority of which are private and have no direct administrative input from State authorities.

It was not a question of hindsight, he said - preparations should have been in place. Instead, nursing homes had been told they were responsible for making their own plans.

Such institutions are especially vulnerable to a viral outbreak given the frequency with which residents are subject to hospital stays and the use of agency or casual staff who may move between facilities.

The situation has been exacerbated by staff being forced to isolate once the virus reaches their workplace - which has led to a marked shortage of suitable staff as the crisis moves towards its peak.

On the same programme, the Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall said the issue was not helped by the fact that 80% of nursing homes in the country are private and not connected to the HSE.

HIQA had raised concerns about infection control in nursing homes in the past, she said.

The questions now were what protocols were in place, on what basis were decisions made and who makes those decisions.

The overriding issue is to get a swift test and tracing regime up and running, she said.

Nursing Homes Ireland had been one of the first agencies to move to a lockdown on visitors in early March, a move which was criticised at the time by chief medical officer Tony Holohan, who subsequently rowed back on that advice.

Meanwhile, the director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory Dr Cillian de Gascun, said that the crisis has highlighted issues that people were not aware of within the sector.

I think the scale of the infection numbers in the nursing home setting was probably not something that was envisaged very early on, he told Newstalks Pat Kenny show.

It was not something that we had seen from the early stages of the pandemic in other countries, but it is certainly a priority now for the department and for the HSE.

Meanwhile, responding to the growing crisis Pro Life Campaign spokesperson, Maeve OHanlon said, the fact that almost half of all deaths to date from Covid-19 in Ireland have occurred in nursing and residential homes "is a terrible indictment of our society".

It is a futile exercise to indulge in a blame game now, but it is not a pointless exercise to highlight the shortcomings in order to salvage what can be salvaged in the coming months to protect the most vulnerable.

The Government and National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) must be held more accountable for their actions. And that accountability needs to happen immediately. With each passing day more and more lives are being lost.

"No stone should be left unturned to assemble the expertise needed to protect the lives of our beautiful and beloved elder and dependent citizens, who deserve nothing but the very best care and protection from this State.
The Tomball Economic Development Corporation announced this week they acquired 6.2 acres of new land to be used for a new mixed-use development.

Included in the purchase are two industrial warehouses at 202 and 204 S. Live Oak St., a TEDC news release stated, totaling 41,076 square feet.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus pandemic affecting Tomball tourism

The vision for the investment is for a mixed-use development on the vacant property next to the warehouses, the release detailed.

We are excited to add this investment to our portfolio, Violette said. With its advantageous location just off Main Street, we will utilize this property in a way that will attract companies to Tomball.

One of the warehouses is currently leased, and TEDC Executive Director Kelly Violette said they would begin looking for a tenant for the vacant warehouse.

The warehouses also allow the TEDC to promote an expanded industrial inventory, which we find to be in high demand, Violette said.

Tomball Mayor and TEDC President Gretchen Fagan the biggest benefit of the property is its proximity to Main Street.

COVID-19 response in Tomball: City of Tomball working through coronavirus pandemic

Its just land thats been built we thought would be good to have so we could kind of control the destiny of whats going to happen to it, Fagan said.

The mixed use development could be used for both retail and industrial spaces, Fagan said, but theres no timeline on the project yet.

Fagan said she wasnt worried about finding someone to lease the vacant warehouse despite the pandemic.

Theres still businesses that need to continue and I dont know about people wanting to move right now but you still have leases running out and those kinds of things, Fagan said. Its not like the EDC bought the property in order to get rental income from it.

About 30 million square feet of industrial and flex space are inside the North Freeway/Tomball Parkway submarket, the release detailed, between Highway 249 and I-45 North. Its the second largest of four submarkets in Houstons north industrial corridor. Nearly 1 million square feet of construction is within the submarket.

paul.wedding@hcnonline.com
Chris Tarrant has escalated his feud with former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? contestant Charles Ingram, calling him a rotter, a cad and a bandit.

The former game show presenters comments come after Ingram said Tarrant suffers from delusions of grandeur.

Ingram and Tarrant have been slinging insults at each other in recent days, as interest in the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? cheating scandal resurfaced in the wake of ITVs new drama Quiz.

Quiz tells the story of how, in 2003, Ingram, his wife Diana and their alleged accomplice Tecwen Whittock were found guilty of conspiring to cheat on the show, after producers noticed suspicious coughs from Whittock when correct answers were read out.

In a new interview with The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X this morning, Tarrant said of the new series: It was actually very well done but it is a drama, its not factual. So most of those conversations were made up because thats what playwrights do. I mean, the bottom line is [Ingram] is a rotter and a cad and a bandit and he was guilty. No question in my mind at all that he was guilty.

Tarrant also revealed he has beef with the drama, criticising it for suggesting the Ingrams could be innocent.

Reflecting on the night Ingram appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Tarrant said: The studio that night was like a madhouse. People were screaming and gasping just because he was so, you know hes a serving British Army Major whos on, I dont know 30k a year, rented accommodation or whatever, and hes going, Oh yes 500,000, lets risk it, lets play, and all this and you think, Why would you do that?
Victoria may not have to go into stage four lockdown, and schools could reopen in weeks if case numbers continue to drop.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said on Thursday morning that stage four restrictions, which have been canvassed as an option by Premier Daniel Andrews, may not be necessary.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton at a previous press conference with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Credit: Simon Schluter

"I remain optimistic that we don't have to go there," he told radio station 3AW.

The latest coronavirus figures have not yet been released due to a system delay, he said, but will be released later on Thursday.
The City of Mobile began Thursday delivering thousands of coronavirus test kits to three local hospitals for use on doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Providence Hospital and Infirmary Health are set to receive 1,000 test kits each, while USA Health would receive 1,200. Springhill Medical Center said it has enough supplies currently.

We are delivering thousands of test kits to our local hospitals so that they may be used to test doctors, nurses and other health care professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle, said Mayor Sandy Stimpsons tweet.

We also delivered N95 protective masks and gloves for Franklin Primary Health Center, and will be donating test kits as well. pic.twitter.com/5Ud9oV7a9y  Mayor Sandy Stimpson (@MayorStimpson) April 16, 2020

The city obtained 6,000 test kits, while 1,000 N95 masks were donated to the city by the son of current Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.

Other test kits and N95 masks also went to Franklin Primary Health Center, according to the mayor.
A man accused of impeding the investigation into the killing of Drogheda youth Keane Mulready Woods was unfit to face court today because he was in covid-19 isolation.

The State was given notice, however, that Gerard McKenna, 50, wished to apply for bail at his next hearing.

Cloverhill District Court also heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was awaiting a forensic anthropologist's report in relation to bone fragments.

The accused, with an address in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, Co. Louth, was initially remanded in custody on February 28 after he was charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of a person allegedly involved in the killing of 17-year-old Keane Mulready Woods.

The offence is contrary to section 7 (2) and (4) of the Criminal Law Act.

His case was before Cloverhill District Court again today but the accused could not be moved there, or appear via video-link.

Judge Victor Blake was provided with a sick note from the Prison Service.

Defence counsel Sharon Rossiter said the accused was unfit to attend as he was in isolation due to covid-19.

The defence asked for the case to be put back for two weeks and added that it was understood Mr McKenna wished to make a bail application.

Directions from the DPP were not available yet, the judge was told.

The court sergeant told Judge Blake gardai needed to obtain a medical report, as the accused had to be brought to hospital after his arrest.

A forensic anthropologist report in relation to bone fragments had also been requested, the court was told.

Judge Blake further remanded him in custody in his absence to appear on April 30 next for mention for directions from the DPP, and a probable bail application. The State was now on notice, he said.

Keane Mulready Woods was last seen alive by his family on the evening of Sunday, January 12 last. He was killed and his body was later dismembered.

Remains found in Priorswood, Coolock in Dublin and in a burned out vehicle at Trinity Terrace, Dublin 3, were those of the missing boy.

At Mr McKennas first hearing, Detective Sergeant Peter Cooney said the accused mans reply after caution was: No thanks, no.
The focus of my columns this week, safety plays, would be lost on Joe Overberry. Joe believes it's nobler to go down trying for overtricks than to make what he bid. That costs him -- and his long-suffering partners -- thousands of points in my club's penny games.

Joe was today's South, and he and North did well to reach six spades. West led the jack of diamonds, and Joe took the A-K to pitch his heart loser. He next cashed the A-K of clubs and ruffed a club ... with dummy's four of trumps. East overruffed and returned a trump, and Joe's last club was a loser. Down one.

"Wonderful," North groaned. "The man tosses a cool 1,430 points out the window trying for a 30-point overtrick."

Third club

Even Joe should be willing to play safe for 12 tricks in this deal. He must ruff the third club with the king of trumps, return to his hand with the ace of hearts and ruff his last club with dummy's four.

East can overruff or discard, but he gets one trump trick and nothing else.

Daily question
Regarding the recent South Jersey Times letter, God sent us Trump for just this time, from Joe Hegarty:

How uninformed and misled it is to think that God sent someone like President Donald Trump for this crisis.

Trump praised Chinas president, Xi Jinping, for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak there when Xi was lying about the extent of the spread.

Trump also called criticism of his own virus response a Democratic hoax on Feb. 28, shortly before Americans began dying from the disease.. He owns the unnecessary deaths of Americans and needs to be investigated. Even the Russians cant bail him out this time.

And, Hegarty should get off the Fox fake News.

Kevin Dolan, Mays Landing

Impressed by Sweeneys pandemic response

The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that our economy is built upon the strength of workers, not CEOs and billionaires. The courage and sacrifice of the American work force is what has kept the nation from collapsing. I appreciate seeing elected officials who recognize that.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, in particular, has been showing strong support for workers since this pandemic has turned everyones lives upside down. He has been forceful in encouraging businesses to protect their employees during the quarantine so that people arent getting fired for circumstances beyond their control.

Sweeney led the passage of strong pro-worker legislation to cushion the economic blow so many people are experiencing. And throughout all the fear and anxiety, Sweeney continues to stay focused on getting us through this crisis as safely as possible.

He hasnt been in the spotlight as much as some others, but his efforts are making a huge and positive impact. He is doing the right things for our work force and all New Jersey residents.

Chuck Rose, Woodbury

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

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Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.
Attempts to use taxpayer money to fund a new wave of business challenger banks were dealt another blow a fortnight ago as Nationwide Building Society announced it was scrapping a move into SME lending.

Britain's largest mutual is the latest to hand back money it was given to expand its business proposition after Metro Bank was also forced to give back 50million in February.

It said its business plan was 'no longer viable' after coronavirus struck and the Bank of England's base rate was cut to 0.1 per cent, but chief executive Joe Garner said it was 'never planning to do significant lending' anyway and it was already making slower than expected progress on the launch.

Metro Bank and Nationwide Building Society have collectively handed back 100m in taxpayer cash after they were unable to meet targets they'd made when bidding for it

But it raises yet more questions over the 425million Royal Bank of Scotland fund, which has been accused of making opaque and controversial funding decisions and has now seen close to a quarter of its handouts handed back.

It is rolling up Metro Bank and Nationwide's refunds into another 100million pot which will be opened up to new applicants.

But although the Banking and Competition Remedies fund insisted it had 'foreseen' something like this happening and the news was 'positive', is there any reason why it won't repeat the same mistakes again?

What was the fund?

The BCR is overseen by former Barclays banker Lord Cromwell and consists of a 425million pot of RBS money, handed over as a condition of its bailout during the financial crisis.

It is designed to help challenger banks beef up their business banking offerings and break the stranglehold of the big four banks, which dominate SME lending.

A separate 350million package of grants is also designed to incentivise existing customers to switch away, with RBS paying some customers thousands of pounds to push them out the door.

The 425m pot for competitors to beef up their business banking offerings was a condition of Royal Bank of Scotland's bailout by the taxpayer during the 2008 financial crisis

The 425million was handed out in four pots, with the lion's share handed out in 'Pool A'.

Metro Bank received the biggest sum of 120million despite being in the middle of a crisis involving its loan book which subsequently wiped millions off its value and saw the departure of its chief executive and chairman.

Meanwhile digital challenger banks Starling and Tide together claimed 160million in a surprise coup which saw them beat out more established names like Clydesdale Bank, TSB and the Co-op Bank.

Nationwide took home the biggest prize of the second pot, claiming 50million.

It was intending to use the money to launch a business bank offering in partnership with Mastercard and ClearBank, which also partnered with Tide, which would supposedly include unsecured loans, credit cards and savings.

After a spell as a stock market darling, Metro Bank's share price has tanked over the last two years after the bank was found to have wrongly categorised some of its loans

What went wrong?

Criticisms have been levelled at the fund for a multitude of reasons. Most obviously, two of the banks it awarded funds to have since handed it back.

Metro Bank didn't return all 120million but gave back almost half after a 130.8million loss forced it to scale back branch opening plans from 71 to 24.

At the core of its business pitch was a pledge to open 30 new branches in the north of Britain, but this too has been slashed to 15.

Former Labour MP and Treasury Select Committee member John Mann described the original decision to award the money to Metro Bank as 'absolutely wrong'.

Metro Bank chairman Vernon Hill (pictured) and chief executive Craig Donaldson were forced to step down after the accountancy scandal which engulfed the bank at the start of 2019

John Cronin, an analyst at the stockbroker Goodbody, said: 'The BCR's credibility was called into question when it elected to award Metro Bank 120million shortly after it became apparent that the bank had misreported its risk-weighted assets, and therefore its capital ratios, over a multi-year period.

'Many questions had been asked, following that misreporting revelation, about the viability of the Metro Bank business model.

'For the BCR to then proceed to award it the largest tranche of available Pool A funding seemed to me to be a staggering decision at the time and other banks like Virgin Money were clearly far more credible alternatives.'

For the BCR to proceed to award Metro Bank the largest tranche of available funding seemed to me to be a staggering decision at the time John Cronin, analyst at Goodbody

He added: 'To be fair the Nationwide giveback just served as a reminder of the questionable decisions that were previously made.

'I wouldn't level criticism at the BCR in respect of its initial decision to award Nationwide funding but the optics of the building society's decision to now return the monies don't look great.'

Hand-in-hand with that has been the suggestions that winning banks overpromised what they could achieve, especially the new breed of smartphone challenger banks with no branch networks.

Starling, which now has 139,000 business accounts, received 100million last February thanks in part to a pledge to lend 913million by 2023.

While it has recently beefed up its loan offerings with unsecured loans of up to 250,000 and overdrafts of up to 150,000, figures published in December showed it had lent just 782,000 since winning the money  0.08 per cent of its pledge.

The bank previously said it was 'confident' it would hit its commitments.

Former Labour MP John Mann has criticised the way the RBS money has been handed out

Gabriele Sabato, the co-founder of SME credit rating fintech Wiserfunding, warned 'lenders may relax their lending criteria in order to meet the demands of the fund to demonstrate increased market share' and hand out more money to less creditworthy borrowers, 'which could lead to higher default rates and increased costs for smaller lenders.'

Starling is aiming for a 6.7 per cent share of the market by 2023 and fellow smartphone bank Tide 8 per cent.

As well as who the funds have been handed to, criticism has also stemmed from how the money has been handed out.

Bankers and politicians alike have criticised the process as lacking in transparency.

Mann told The Sunday Times: 'No one from the outside has a clue what's happening.

'It's not just opaque, we can't be certain the attempts at competition are in any way effectivethere's no public accountability of any kind.'

And one senior banker bluntly told the Financial Times: 'The National Audit Office should have a look.

'It has been ill-judged, non-transparent, and a pretty good example of how not to do it.'

What happens next?

The BCR has bundled up the 100million handed back by Metro Bank and Nationwide and will set out the application process from the end of April.

It's a chance for spurned banks like TSB and Virgin Money to make a fresh bid for a pot of money which would be the second-biggest handed out so far.

But Sabato warned: 'The last thing I would would be to put out two grants of 50million or one of 100million.

'The best thing to do would be to break that money down into very small grants. Even 2-3million would be a lot of money for a small fintech.

'This money could be used so wisely, my concern is whether the BCR have the capability to keep up if they awarded it like that.'

Perhaps more importantly then, it's a fresh chance for the under-fire fund to potentially silence some of its critics.

But the answer to that, just like who is going to be awarded this new chunk of change, and why, at the moment still remains a mystery.
DCB Bank has witnessed a significant jump in its foreign remittance services on the coronavirus outbreak, specially for education purposes, as parents want to ensure their children abroad have sufficient money to sustain themselves in the situation of a lockdown

New Delhi: DCB Bank has witnessed a significant jump in its foreign remittance services on the coronavirus outbreak, specially for education purposes, as parents want to ensure their children abroad have sufficient money to sustain themselves in the situation of a lockdown.

"Since March 15, our volumes on outward remittance services have increased many fold. There is a significant difference in before-and-after demand since mid of March," said Praveen Kutty, Head of Retail and SME Banking, DCB Bank without quantifying the increase in demand.

Kutty said the bank has been getting a large number of calls from resident Indians as to how they can send money to their children studying abroad, for immigrant Indians and for medical emergencies, among others.

"There are people whose children are stuck in various places and flying back is not an option. Parents are really worried and want to ensure that at least economically they have means to keep going...That is where DCB Remit comes in," he said in an interaction.

Kutty said one need not to be a DCB customer to send money abroad, the person can avail the remittance service by logging into www.dcbremit.com.

One can use the DCB Remit platform by transferring funds from a savings bank account in another bank anywhere in India to a specified DCB Bank account. However, one needs to activate the fund transfer by using the net banking facility from the existing account.

"Once the indicative exchange rate is put forth, the customer can transfer the funds from any account to DCB Bank's account. The funds will then be transferred to the beneficiary account abroad latest by the next business day," the official added.

DCB Bank offers this service for as many as 22 countries including the US, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, the UAE and the Eurozone.

This facility can be availed of in seven currencies  the US, Australian, Canadian and Singapore Dollar, British Pound, Euro and UAE Dirham.

Money can also be transferred abroad for health purposes and payment of hostel fees by Indian students abroad, family maintenance, business travel, gifting, visa fees and private visits, Kutty added.

The limit for overseas fund transfer via DCB Remit is $25,000 and/or equivalent in other permitted currencies per financial year, subject to the purpose available on DCB Remit platform.

The bank said it has been offering the services, which was launched nearly one and a half years back, with a zero cost for a limited-time promotion.
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to help funders identify specialists to peer-review proposals for emergency COVID-19 research has been developed. It aims to help fast-track the allocation of funding, and in turn, accelerate the scientific response to the virus.

The open-access publisher Frontiers has specifically developed the recommendation tool to aid funders during the crisis by helping them identify new reviewers. Under normal circumstances, the review process for research funding typically takes place by committee and can take a matter of months. However, since the COVID-19 outbreak, experts have become less available, and the urgency of this situation commands a tighter timeframe.

Simona Grasso, adviser in health research and health innovation at the Research Council of Norway, said: "The reviewer recommender tool made available from Frontiers media, has been helpful and crucial in recruiting experts for our COVID-19 Emergency Call. Due to the short time to assess the proposals, the broad thematic areas of the call and the amount of received application, has been a challenge recruiting many experts with a profile that fully fits the applications. The AI-based recommender tool is straightforward, user-friendly and allowed us to speed-up the recruiting process. In three clicks we managed to get a full 'application-customized' list over potential reviewers and their relative contact information. This tool is highly recommended. "

Fred Fenter, executive editor at Frontiers, said: "It is fantastic to see the research community rallying to solve this crisis and, in particular, the response by funders to issue rapid response calls for research projects into the virus. This, however, will put a lot of stress on their review processes. This is where we can contribute by making available our technology and network of experts to help alleviate the huge reviewer demand in a narrow field of expertise. Using our AI platform, funders can circumvent some of the disruption being created by COVID-19. They can identify a broader pool of specialists and expedite the review process."

The publisher's in-house technology team has exploited the AI technology they use to review research articles when they are submitted to any one of its 79 scientific journals. The Coronavirus Reviewer Recommender suggests experts based on keywords or thorough semantic analysis of text.

Fred Fenter added: "Experts in fields related to Coronavirus are going above and beyond the call of duty to save lives as clinicians and to conduct vital research. We ask any funder who has announced emergency funding for Coronavirus and COVID-19 research to make use of the technology, and to exert sensibility and common sense when contacting experts."

The Coronavirus Reviewer Recommender is the latest tool made available on Frontiers' Coronavirus Knowledge Hub. This includes the Coronavirus Funding Monitor, a centralized portal of current funding opportunities for the research community offering a curated list of open funding calls and other support for researchers, non-profit organizations and commercial organizations. Both tools have been developed by Frontiers to help increase the impact of and coordinate information about unprecedented amounts of emergency research funding being mobilized across the globe to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

###

Access instructions: Funders who wish to use the Coronavirus Reviewer Recommender should contact Stephan Kuster at stephan.kuster@frontiersin.org. Funders will receive instructions on how to access the Reviewer Recommender as well as a short training webcast on how to use it.

For media inquiries, please contact: jamie.barclay@frontiersin.org

GDPR information: By granting access to its reviewer recommender tool, Frontiers shares personal data solely for the purpose of speeding up the research dedicated to fighting off the new COVID-19 Pandemic, which Frontiers considers necessary for reasons of substantial public interest in the area of public health. Access to personal data in the database is based on authentication only, with limited permissions. Frontiers does not collect or disclose any sensitive or unnecessary personal data. For more information about data protection at Frontiers please read our Privacy Policy.

ABOUT FRONTIERS

Founded in 2007, Frontiers is an award-winning open science publishing platform. The organization is one of the most highly cited of the twenty largest academic publishers globally. Frontiers is proud to publish high-quality, peer-reviewed scientific research across more than 650 academic disciples. Using the latest technology, platforms, and services, Frontiers' team of more than 650 employees aims to unlock science through open-access. Our mission is to make scientific research universally and freely accessible through open access and to accelerate scientific and technological innovation, societal progress and economic growth.
As employers phased out traditional pensions, 401(k) plans were introduced to fill the gaps. Named for the subsection of Internal Revenue Service code that allows for them, these accounts have become the primary retirement savings vehicle for many people.

"They are definitely one of the most coveted benefits when people are taking a job," says Katie Taylor, vice president of thought leadership for Fidelity Investments.

One reason they are so valuable is that employers often will match a percentage of an employee's contributions, providing an immediate boost to retirement savings. However, the following lesser known perks of 401(k) plans also make these accounts an appealing place to save for retirement:

-- Multiple options for tax benefits.

-- After-tax contributions.

-- Financial safeguards.

-- Automatic enrollment.

-- Loans and early withdrawals.

[Read: New Retirement Account Rules in Response to Coronavirus.]

Multiple Options for Tax Benefits

Depending on the plans offered by their employer, workers may be able to choose whether to pay taxes on their retirement funds now or later.

Contributions of up to $19,500 to traditional 401(k) accounts are tax deductible in 2020. Workers age 50 and older can benefit from catch-up contributions for a total of $26,000 in tax-deductible contributions this year. Money grows tax-deferred and then is subject to regular income tax when withdrawn in retirement. At age 72, retirees must begin taking required minimum distributions, also known as RMDs, regardless of whether they need the money.

"The way I look at the tax deduction is as an IRS match," says Dan Hill, president and CEO of Hill Wealth Strategies in Richmond, Virginia. For someone in the 22% tax bracket, for instance, every dollar contributed to a traditional 401(k) could result in 22 cents of tax savings.

Many employers also offer a Roth 401(k) option. This newer version of the 401(k) plan doesn't offer deductions for contributions. After-tax money is deposited into the account, and withdrawals in retirement are then tax-free. There are no RMDs with a Roth 401(k).

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Both accounts provide valuable tax savings, and which you choose will depend on your personal circumstances. "You just need to figure out when it makes sense to pay the taxes," says Kristian Finfrock, a financial advisor and founder of Retirement Income Strategies in Madison, Wisconsin.

For younger workers who have mortgage and child deductions now and may have significant gains in their investments over the years to come, a Roth 401(k) can mean substantial tax savings.

After-Tax Contributions

In addition to making deductible and Roth contributions to a 401(k), workers have the option of making what are known as after-tax contributions. This ability opens up some other savings possibilities.

The first is a strategy known as a "mega backdoor" Roth. In 2020, the government allows up to $57,000 in combined employee and employer contributions to a 401(k) each year for younger workers and $63,500 for those age 50 and older.

Assuming someone has maxed out their tax-advantaged contributions, they could make up to $37,500 in after-tax contributions to a 401(k) depending on if and how much their employer matches. Assuming it is allowed by the employer, this after-tax money can then be transferred to a Roth IRA so that future gains can be withdrawn tax-free.

There's only a small percentage of workers who have the financial means to make contributions of that size. That means the mega backdoor Roth strategy isn't going to benefit most workers, but it's a valuable tool for those who are able to use it.

However, after-tax contributions also show promise as a means for workers to conveniently build up nonretirement savings. Some plans allow workers to make automatic after-tax contributions to their 401(k) account that can be used to build an emergency fund. This money can be accessed whenever needed, and any withdrawals of the principal amount can be made without having to pay taxes or penalties.

[Read: What the Coronavirus Means for Your Retirement Finances.]

Financial Safeguards

All 401(k) plans must comply with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, commonly called ERISA. As a result, employers have a fiduciary responsibility to create a plan based on their employees' best interests.

Plan administrators can't push investments that maximize profits. Instead they need to ensure workers have access to stable funds with reasonable fees. They also must disclose information such as administrative expenses and historical fund performance to help employees make informed investment decisions.

"There are typically very (few) fees associated with a 401(k)," Taylor says. What's more, employers will often pick up a substantial portion of the cost to administer the retirement plan.

Another benefit of ERISA is that it protects assets from creditors. In the event a judgment is entered against a worker, assets held in qualified funds such as 401(k) accounts cannot be garnished. However, this protection does not extend to certain government garnishments such as those for federal income taxes or criminal fines.

Automatic Enrollment

The convenience of 401(k) plans is an often overlooked benefit. Not only do payroll deductions make it simple to fund retirement savings, but many companies have also set up automatic contributions for new hires.

When investing for retirement, starting early can be important to maximizing gains. However, signing up for a 401(k) plan isn't always at the forefront of a worker's mind when starting a new job.

To keep workers from procrastinating, many companies now auto-enroll their workers in a 401(k) plan. As a result, 93% of new hires at those businesses are saving for retirement, compared to 47% at companies that don't auto-enroll, according to a 2018 study by investment firm Vanguard. Some will also automatically increase the amount of a worker's contribution every year.

Since these contributions are made via payroll deductions, it is a relatively painless way to start saving for retirement. "You probably aren't going to notice a difference," Taylor says.

Loans and Early Withdrawals

Normally, withdrawing money from a 401(k) account prior to age 59  results in a 10% tax penalty. However, these plans have provisions that can turn them into a safety net during difficult financial times.

One option is to take a loan from a plan. Typically, loans are capped at 50% of the balance, up to $50,000 total. The recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act bumps the available loan amount up to 100% of a plan's balance, for a maximum of $100,000, through Dec. 31, 2020. Loans taken from a 401(k) account must be paid back by the next tax filing deadline after you leave your job, or they may become taxable and subject to the 10% penalty.

Taking a loan from a 401(k) account can have a negative impact on your long-term savings, so be smart about using this financial tool. "I know people who have taken loans for Harley Davidsons and pools," Hill says. Those sorts of discretionary purchases are not a good use of retirement funds.

Money from a 401(k) may also be accessed through hardship withdrawals for reasons such as medical care, college tuition and funeral expenses. Early retirees are allowed to pull money from their account before age 59  as well. "If you leave your employer (at or after age 55) for whatever reason, you can take money for any reason without penalty," Finfrock says.

[Read: How to Protect Your 401(k) From the Coronavirus.]

A 401(k) plan comes with valuable tax benefits, but that isn't the only reason to love these accounts. They can also give you the tools to make smart investment decisions, build emergency savings and more.





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Leading economists are making the case for sensible use of public spending to deal with poverty in the aftermath of the crisis due to job losses and interruptions in the standard delivery mechanisms amid coronavirus outbreak. Economists Amartya Sen, Raghuram Rajan and Abhijit Banerjee have suggested measures to deal with the coronavirus crisis that has pushed thousands of people into dire poverty.

"As it becomes clear that the lockdown will go on for quite a while, in a total or a more localised version, the biggest worry right now, by far, is that a huge number of people will be pushed into dire poverty or even starvation by the combination of the loss of their livelihoods and interruptions in the standard delivery mechanisms," the economists wrote in The Indian Express today.

Given that lives and livelihoods of India's poor are at stake, it has become even more important to help them to avoid large scale defiance of lockdown orders, as starving people have little to lose. "We need to do what it takes to reassure people that society does care and that their minimum well-being should be secure," Amartya Sen and Abijit Banerjee, both Nobel laureates in Economics, and Raghuram Rajan, ex-RBI governor wrote.

Economists opined that the government must consider giving away some of the existing stock of food at the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which stood at 77 million tonnes in March 2020. According to them, the stock is higher than ever, and more than three times the "buffer stock norms". "This is likely to grow over the next weeks as the Rabi crop comes in."

Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Zoom app not safe, warns government; issues advisory: COVID-19 tally at 12,380

At a time of national emergency, it makes perfect sense to dispose of some of the existing stock, they said, adding that "any sensible public accounting system should not portray it as inordinately costly".

On government's food distribution scheme, economists said that though the Centre has shown a willingness to use the stocks, but it is quite likely that it would not be enough for survival as the process of reopening the economy post lockdown will take time.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi says divide country into zones, adopt NYAY scheme to fight coronavirus

Last month, the government had announced supplementary PDS (public distribution provision) of 5 kg per person per month for the next three months.

The economists suggested that the government should "issue temporary ration cards - perhaps for six months - with minimal checks to everyone who wants one and is willing to stand in line to collect their card and their monthly allocations". "The cost of missing many of those who are in dire need vastly exceeds the social cost of letting in some who could perhaps do without it," they said.

While starvation is just one of the concerns, the unexpected loss of income and savings can have serious consequences, even if the meals are secured for now," the economists said, adding that farmers need funds to purchase seeds and fertiliser for the next planting season.

Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown 2.0: Does your district fall in 'red zone'? Check out full list here

On the government's scheme to provide cash transfers to farmers, the economists said that the amounts are both small and narrowly targeted. Raising question over the exclusion of landless labourers and urban poor under the scheme, they said that "the priority should be to err on the side of being inclusive".

Endorsing former Finance Minister and senior Congress lender P Chidambaram's idea of providing Rs 5,000 each to poor households, they said that it seems like a good first step. Chidambaram had suggested idea of using the MGNREGA rolls from 2019, plus those covered by Jan Arogya and Ujjwala, to identify the poor households and to send them Rs 5,000 each to their Jan Dhan accounts.

As part of the commitment to not miss the needy, there has to be funding available that state and local governments may use to find effective ways to reach those who suffer from extreme deprivation, they said.
Harrisburg International Airport was setting travel records at the start of 2020. Now its cutting costs wherever possible until the airline industry figures out its immediate future.

"Last year was the busiest year that we had, January and February we were off to a great start, so financially we were in the strongest financial position we had been in years, HIA spokesman Scott Miller said Wednesday.

The number of daily flights departing and arriving at HIA since the World Health Organization declared a global coronavirus pandemic in March have dropped from hundreds to nearly single digits. There were 11 departures listed on the board Wednesday.

Revenue at HIA is down 95 percent. Most of it is coming from cargo flight landing fees.

"Cargo flights used to be mostly business to business freight, he said. Now, its business to consumer. Everyone is ordering online, people want a quick delivery of things, like medical supplies. So far, the cargo flights have not been impacted as much. Cargo is mostly operating on its normal flight schedule. Freight is not as high as it used to be but its still pretty stable. Generally, cargo flights were 30 percent of our revenue coming in. Its going to be about 50 to 60 percent this month.

Airports are considered essential, meaning they can remain open during the pandemic. In addition to cargo flights, HIA is seeing military flights, police flights and charter flights that are moving people and supplies in and out of the region, Miller said.

"All four of our airports are open: Harrisburg, Capital City in New Cumberland, and our two smaller facilities in Gettysburg and Chambersburg, Miller said.

The four airports are among the 63 in Pennsylvania awarded federal financial aid on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration awarded $239.2 million statewide. Harrisburgs slice is $9.8 million.

"We got what we thought we were going to get, Miller said. "Were grateful for the $9.8 million. It will help us to keep the facility open, keep employees working longer, help us to pay our debt service, and hopefully bridge the gap for the next few months when there is no revenue.

Flights were down 50 percent in March, Miller said. Walking through the airport on Wednesday, six customers wearing masks approached the TSA gates with luggage in tow.

"Thats probably the most people you are going to see here today, he said. They might be military recruits.

And, that ripple effect is being felt by everyone who works at the airport.

"There are 1,700 or so people who work at the airport, Miller said. There are 65 businesses here at HIA, which include TSA, the airlines, cleaning contractors, rental car companies. So, getting federal funding is something in which we can use to maintain the facility  to keep it open.

For perspective, he said on a Wednesday in April the airport would normally see 35 to 36 departures and the number of people entering and exiting the airport would range from 4,000 to 4,500 people.

"Today, we might have 200 passengers, he said. 100 would be a good day.

The airport and its vendors are following the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines. As a way to save costs and also mitigate the possible spread of the coronavirus, some restrooms have been closed, escalators turned off and the frequent flyers club is closed.

Long-term parking is closed because there is no need to operate a shuttle. The second and third floors of the parking garage on Wednesday had less than 20 cars on each floor.

"Obviously, everything has changed, he said. Our vendors are struggling. The airlines are struggling. No ones traveling right now. April will be the slowest month weve ever had. I started working here on Sept. 10, 2001. This is the slowest month Ive seen since 9/11.

"This is so much different than 9/11. We knew what happened. It was a terrorist attack. We knew all of the changes to security were for a reason. It took a while to get confidence back, to feel that it was safe to fly.

And, then there was the economic downturn in the mid-2000s, which also impacted consumers ability to travel.

"We had the economic crunch, which was also different, in that you could sense people just couldnt afford to fly, Miller said. "Then we had the SARs issue, Ebola scare, and there have been several other illnesses like this before, but they didnt shut us down. However, they curtailed travel. Coronavirus is just everywhere.

Flights out of central Pennsylvanias airport land in Asia, as well as in neighboring countries Canada and Mexico. International flights now pose a new list of questions going forward, Miller said, adding, its too soon to speculate what airline travel is going to look like in the coming months.

"The key to this whole thing is: When do people feel comfortable to start traveling again? he said. And, thats what nobody knows.

Currently, he said, airlines are trying to consolidate bookings, only offering one or two flights. People who are traveling are not being sat in the middle seats.

"The optimists are saying, lets get the country going again, lets go, he said. Then you hear from the medical community who says not so fast. And, were in that place in the middle. What new restrictions come upon travel could have a big impact down the road. Some people are suggesting the idea of having health screenings when you enter airports; some welcome it as a valid requirement to take temperatures as you walk into the building. I dont know?

Miller said hes hopeful that airline travel will be 70 percent normal by October. But, he said that he believes airlines are going to slowly bring capacity back.

"We will adapt, he said. "People will travel again. There is a huge pent-up demand for it. We are too social of a country to not travel. We like people. We like to go to places. But, hows that going to change? When is that going to change? Its when people are comfortable again.

Feds award $239 million to 63 Pa. airports to help in financial recovery from coronavirus pandemic

Dont want to wear a mask? Some grocery stores say customers will be asked to leave

Pa. Senate sends bill that would reopen businesses to Gov. Wolf
Sanders Drops 2020 Bid, Leaving Biden as Likely Nominee

WASHINGTON (AP)  Sen. Bernie Sanders, who saw his once strong lead in the Democratic primary evaporate as the partys establishment lined swiftly up behind rival Joe Biden, ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, an acknowledgment that the former vice president is too far ahead for him to have any reasonable hope of catching up.

The Vermont senators announcement makes Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in November.

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Sanders plans to talk to his supporters later Wednesday.

Sanders initially exceeded sky-high expectations about his ability to recreate the magic of his 2016 presidential bid, and even overcame a heart attack last October on the campaign trail. But he found himself unable to convert unwavering support from progressives into a viable path to the nomination amid electability fears fueled by questions about whether his democratic socialist ideology would be palatable to general election voters.

The 78-year-old senator began his latest White House bid facing questions about whether he could win back the supporters who chose him four years ago as an insurgent alternative to the party establishments choice, Hillary Clinton. Despite winning 22 states in 2016, there were no guarantees hed be a major presidential contender this cycle, especially as the races oldest candidate.

Sanders, though, used strong polling and solid fundraising  collected almost entirely from small donations made online  to more than quiet early doubters. Like the first time, he attracted widespread support from young voters and was able to make new inroads within the Hispanic community, even as his appeal with African Americans remained small.

Sanders amassed the most votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, which opened primary voting, and cruised to an easy victory in Nevada  seemingly leaving him well positioned to sprint to the Democratic nomination while a deeply crowded and divided field of alternatives sunk around him.

But a crucial endorsement of Biden by influential South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, and a subsequent, larger-than-expected victory in South Carolina, propelled the former vice president into Super Tuesday, when he won 10 of 14 states.

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In a matter of days, his top former Democratic rivals lined up and announced their endorsement of Biden. The former vice presidents campaign had appeared on the brink of collapse after New Hampshire but found new life as the rest of the partys more moderate establishment coalesced around him as an alternative to Sanders.

Things only got worse the following week when Sanders lost Michigan, where he had campaigned hard and upset Clinton in 2016. He was also beaten in Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho the same night and the results were so decisive that Sanders headed to Vermont without speaking to the media.

Sanders had scheduled a rally in Ohio but canceled it amid fears about the spread of coronavirus  and the outbreak kept him home as his campaign appeared unsure of its next move. The senator addressed reporters the following day, but also sounded like a candidate who already knew hed been beaten.

While our campaign has won the ideological debate, we are losing the debate over electability, Sanders said then.
Over 50,700 samples have been tested for coronavirus in Ghana, the Minister of Information,Kojo Oppong Nkruma, has disclosed.

He said the move to increase testing forms part of governments enhanced measures aimed at fighting the novel COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

He gave the update at a media briefing in Accra on April 16.

He added that government has adopted three types of testing mechanism, namely routine surveillance testing, mandatory quarantine testing and enhanced testing.

He said at the Accra Airport, 2,011 tests were run out of which 105 tested positive.

For Tamele Airport, 11 people were tested with 10 showing positive.

He explained that with the routin surveillance testing, 13,838 people were tested with 268 testing positive.

He further noted that 34,859 people were tested through the enhanced contact tracing out of which 258 tested positive.

Ghana has recorded 641 confirmed cases of coronavirus ad at April, 14.

---Daily Guide
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Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 20:09 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd261194 1 Business COVID-19,coronavirus,medicine,Bio-Farma,Indofarma,ventilator,chloroquine,oseltamivir,tamiflu,India Free

State-owned firms have received COVID-19 medicine and raw materials from India to help treat infected patients in the country.

Arya Sinulingga, an aide to State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, said on Wednesday that state-owned pharmaceutical firm PT Bio Farma had received its orders for oseltamivir on Tuesday afternoon from Hyderabad, India.

The oseltamivir is enough to make 500,000 tablets of medicine that will be used to treat COVID-19 patients, he told the press during a virtual press briefing. Oseltamivir is the raw material for Tamiflu, which is often used to treat COVID-19 patients.

Arya added that Bio Farma had also ordered 1 ton of chloroquine that will also be used to help treat patients infected with the pneumonia-like illness.

Other than procuring the necessary medicine to treat the illness, he also said that several SOEs would soon produce 200 ventilators that would be used for patients in mild and critical conditions.

The ventilator prototypes from several universities and companies are still being tested by the Health Ministry. Once the test is finished, SOEs will be ready to produce them, he said.

Read also: Indonesia waives import levies for COVID-19 antivirus development, allocates Rp 1t for medical needs

Several state-owned firms like weapons producer PT Pindad, electronics producer PT LEN and aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia have announced plans to convert some of their production lines to produce ventilators.

Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro also said on a separate occasion that Indonesia could have its first locally made ventilators by April 25.

PT Indofarma has agreed to take the ventilators and become the offtaker for them, said Arya, referring to Bio Farmas subsidiary.

The government is easing trade requirements for businesses importing medical equipment and medicine needed to handle the pandemic.

"We have also eliminated the import duty for medicines paid by the government," Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on March 16.

The same will be done for medical aid and COVID-19 testing devices sent by other countries, she added.
The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak among staff members as deaths in the Thomas Jefferson Health District have grown to seven, according to new data.

Data released this week by the Virginia Department of Health shows two outbreaks in health district, which includes Charlottesville and Albemarle, Greene, Nelson, Fluvanna and Louisa counties. One is at the Envoy at the Village long-term care facility in Fluvanna County; the other, labeled at a correctional facility, is at ACRJ.

According to Martin Kumer, superintendent of ACRJ, four staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Because more than three individuals who either live or work together tested positive, ACRJ is considered to have an outbreak by the VDH, Kumer said.

They were on work-from-home status when they tested positive, he said. Two other staff members who had worked closely with them prior to their work-from-home status tested negative.

All four people are support staff members from the same department who do not have contact with inmates as part of their duties, Kumer said.

The staff members are recovering and will return to work as soon as they are cleared by the physician, according to Kumer.

No other employees or inmates have tested positive.

On March 11, the Charlottesville City Council was notified about two inmates who had been quarantined after coming into contact with someone who may have had coronavirus while on work release. That person eventually tested negative, Kumer said, and the inmates were promptly removed from quarantine.

Per VDH data Wednesday, there are 87 COVID-19 cases in correctional facilities throughout the state and zero deaths. Those numbers do not include the death of a woman at Goochland Correctional Center, which was reported Tuesday.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, TJHD now has seven confirmed fatalities from COVID-19 and 199 lab-confirmed and clinically diagnosed cases.

The figure is up from the four deaths reported last week; the health district did not say where the fatalities occurred.

Clinical diagnosis is a term used for individuals who have not been tested but, because they are very close contact to someone who is lab-confirmed COVID-19 positive and are experiencing symptoms, they are considered to be positive without a lab test.

Cases per locality are as follows:

Albemarle: 57

Charlottesville: 36

Greene: 4

Fluvanna: 67

Louisa: 29

Nelson: 5

Another update from TJHD is expected Friday.

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Royal Mail employees have courageously kept letter and parcel services operating in the midst of a crisis. Bank statements, magazines and greetings cards arrive in a timely manner.

In some sorting offices, social distancing has proved tricky and posties carefully have to navigate their way through a thicket of self-isolation when making deliveries.

During this period a letter or small parcel on a birthday, anniversary or bereavement is particularly poignant. So it is surprising chief executive Rico Back has chosen, since the shutdown began on March 23, to hunker down with his family in his main residence in Switzerland.

Under scrutiny: Royal Mail boss Rico Back has chosen to hunker down with his family in his main residence in Switzerland

Many of us have learned over the last several weeks how to work from home using apps such as Zoom and Whatsapp. Those running vital services in these trying times do not have the same luxury.

As the head of the Royal Mail one might have expected Back to visit staff in their workplaces (with the right protective gear) to show solidarity.

The boss also should be at hand in case a crisis such as disputes over conditions in sorting offices or a breakdown of services arises. There might be more sympathy for Back were he making personal sacrifices.

Royal Mail investors (who include most employees) have suffered a dividend cut. But Back, who earns an estimated 2.3m a year, has so far failed to volunteer a pay cut or bonus deferral, leaving decisions to the pay committee.

He is displaying a sad derogation of leadership.

Sky scrap

British airlines could not be blamed for being envious of the unconditional rescue for US carriers. Indeed, BA and Virgin Atlantic might well complain that when the worst of the pandemic has passed, they will be facing unfair competition on profitable transAtlantic routes.

Under the rescue, the six largest US carriers including American, United and Delta (minority owners of Virgin Atlantic) will be provided with cash grants covering 70 percent of payroll costs.

The sums advanced are based on salary and benefits bills in the second and third quarters of 2019. These are two of the busiest travel periods and the cash due to American Airlines turns out to be higher than its market valuation.

The formidable founder and largest shareholder Stelios Haji-Ioannou is expected to continue his campaign to persuade the carrier to cancel an Airbus order.

He has complained to the Financial Conduct Authority about alleged breaches by Easyjet of disclosure rules as to its plans, and is seeking the removal, one by one, of non-executives.

There is something distasteful about his hostile approach during a crisis when the focus should be on the well-being of staff and underlying balance sheet.

Easyjet boss Johan Lundgren will announce today that the carrier has deferred the purchase of 24 of the 103 aircraft on order and pledged not to add any planes to its fleet in 2021.

By taking on a loan of 600m, via the Bank of England's coronavirus facility, the airline has strengthened its resources and has a war chest of 2.3 billion to see it through the pandemic.

It would have had even more resources had investors, including Stelios, bought into a deferral of dividend payout in February as Covid was starting to wreak havoc across the Continent. Survival and recovery are priorities in current conditions.

The last thing needed is an outbreak of hostilities against a board trying its best.

Staying home

Plumbing distributor Ferguson has joined Unilever and Smith & Nephew in abandoning plans to shift a primary stock market listing from London because of resistance from long UK investors.

Chairman Geoff Drabble has not given up telling investors 'ultimately a US primary listing is the right outcome.'

Ferguson may want to leave but that didn't stop it from accessing the taxpayer-funded loan scheme to keep afloat.

It needs to recognise its real friends are in the City, as they were when it refinanced after the banking crisis.
The University of North Carolina Press and Duke University Press have announced a formal cooperation agreement in support of the Internet Archive's National Emergency Library initiative.

We agree that in this extraordinary moment, an unprecedented level of cooperation is required to address this crisis in order to meet the dire needs of readersespecially students and other readers who are at risk for losing access to their traditional sources of books, reads the text of a cooperation statement released this week.

Specifically, the agreement revolves around a few key points: First, the presses are now providing permission for their titles to be includedalthough individual authors can still opt out via an email, with the Internet Archive reiterating its commitment to promptly take down titles upon individual author requests." Authors who do not want to have their books included in the National Emergency Library can write directly to the Internet Archive (at info@archive.org with the subject line National Emergency Library Removal Request). Or they can reach out to their publisher and the press staff will handle their request with the Internet Archive.

The agreement also gives the presses the ability to set a firm end date for their works in the emergency measure: currently June 30, although the parties agreed to consider an extension within two weeks prior to that end date. In a previous communication, Internet Archive officials said the program would run until June 30 or until the crisis is over, "whichever is later."

And, finally, the Internet Archive has agreed to share usage data with the presses, anonymized to protect the privacy of patrons.

In a blog post, UNC Press director John Sherer explained how the agreement came about, noting that both presses had already decided to open up their digital offerings through their existing platformsarrangements, Sherer points outthat had been made through dialog and discussion" with the presses' existing vendors, who had sought "our perspective and permission," as opposed to what Sherer called the "blurred legal arguments" and "extra-legal (read: emergency)" justifications offered by the Internet Archive.

 There couldnt be a worse time to be arguing about something like this... 

After the Internet Archive acted unilaterally in creating the National Emergency Library, we criticized the effort and presses began the process of withdrawing titles, Sherer explains, adding that the Internet Archive ignored the agency that authors and publishers legally and conventionally exercise. However, after discussions with Internet Archive leaders and other press directors, Sherer writes, "we realized our two presses shared many of the same goals of the National Emergency Library," even if they "disagreed with the process by which the main goal was being achieved."

The Internet Archive announced the National Emergency Library project on March 24, in response to the widespread closures of libraries and schools during the Covid-19 crisis, making its 1.4 million scans of mostly 20th century print books available for unlimited borrowing until June 30, or until the crisis is over.

After some positive initial headlines, the move drew rebukes from some authors and trade associations, inlcuding the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild, which accused the Internet Archive of "acting as a piracy site. It has also drawn the attention of North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who expressed concern that the initiative might be operating outside the law.

In his post, Sherer acknowledged that a sense of mistrust of the Internet Archive continues among many publishers and authors, which predates the National Emergency Library. But getting through the crisis at hand, and perhaps creating an agreeable framework for the future, he suggested, is paramount.

There couldnt be a worse time to be arguing about something like this, Sherer writes in his blog post, closing by pointing to what he says is possibly the most important part of the joint cooperation statement: The Parties commit to a sustained, good-faith dialog about a long-term model for including the Presss titles in the Internet Archive.
FedEx is one of several air cargo companies being paid by the federal government to ship medical supplies on behalf of major medical distributors. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

A secretive Trump administration project that enlists private companies to bring masks and other medical equipment to the U.S. to fight the coronavirus outbreak has provided tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to the nations largest medical-supply companies with little public accounting.

Over the last three weeks, taxpayers have paid to fly the companies supplies to the U.S. from Asia on government-chartered cargo flights, while the firms have been free to sell the material to hospitals, clinics and others at prices they choose.

That has saved the companies more than $25 million in shipping costs, savings they are not required to pass on to the medical systems, state governments and others who buy their products. The supply companies' profits topped $2 billion last year, financial statements show.

The administration has refused to disclose crucial details of the operation, known as Project Air Bridge, including its financial arrangements with the companies involved. These include multibillion-dollar firms such as McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., FedEx and UPS.

Five of the six medical distributors involved in Project Air Bridge  including the biggest companies  also wouldn't answer questions about their participation.

Only Medline Industries Inc., a private company based outside Chicago, agreed to discuss Air Bridge. A spokesman said the company's agreement with the government includes a stipulation that it charge reasonable prices, but the spokesman would not detail what that meant or how it would be enforced.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is running Air Bridge, required The Times to file a Freedom of Information Act request to get copies of any contracts or other financial agreements with the participating companies, a process that can take weeks or months.

Smaller competitors say the administration has effectively excluded them from the government-subsidized program.

It seems like you have to be one of the big boys running things to get a ride on the bus, said an executive at a company that was not invited to participate in Project Air Bridge.

Story continues

That seems pretty unfair, the executive said, noting that the cost of air freight can add 10% or more to the price of medical supplies for firms that have to pay to ship from Asia themselves.

The executive, who noted that even in a national emergency the government should ensure taxpayers are not being fleeced, asked not to be identified out of fear of antagonizing the White House at a time when many are seeking to do business with the federal government.

The lack of transparency and accusations of preferential treatment for industry leaders has prompted questions from Congress and others, as well.

Without more transparency on Project Air Bridge, it appears as if the administration is more concerned with helping a handful of companies turn a profit than being up front with the American people, said Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano), who with 56 House colleagues sent a letter last week to FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor.

In addition to missing out on subsidies, suppliers not selected for Air Bridge also risk having supplies they import seized at ports of entry by the federal government without explanation. Medical systems across the country have reported shipments being expropriated in recent weeks, as previously reported by The Times.

FEMAs opaque process is one of several issues frustrating members of Congress, who have sent numerous letters to the agency in recent weeks seeking details about the program and the administration's broader strategy for distributing medical supplies.

The White House has cast Project Air Bridge, which President Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner helped set up, as a bold public-private partnership in a time of crisis. The administration touts the initiative to rebut charges that it has been unprepared to deal with shortages of critical supplies.

Were working across government and private sectors to get our heroic doctors, nurses, healthcare workers  medical supplies they need. Were getting them tremendous amounts of supplies, the president said at a recent briefing after meeting with company executives.

Were glad to be joined by leaders of Americas medical supply and shipping companies. Theyre big people. I know their names very well, from watching business and studying business all my life.

According to FEMA, Project Air Bridge was set up in late March to speed transportation of medical supplies from manufacturers in China and elsewhere to communities in the U.S. facing the biggest coronavirus outbreaks.

FEMA pays air freight companies, including FedEx, UPS and Radiant Logistics Inc., for the trans-Pacific flights, which come into Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other distribution hubs.

The participating medical-supply distribution companies send half of the shipments to customers in coronavirus hot spots and can send the remaining half to their existing customers elsewhere in the country, according to FEMA and Medline.

This allows critical supplies to be sent to communities with the greatest needs, a FEMA spokeswoman said, noting the agency deliberately chose to work with the biggest suppliers at the direction of the White House.

The hot spots include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans and many other hot spot sub-markets, according to the agency. FEMA has not detailed which supplies it is directing where, despite requests from the news media and members of Congress.

As of Monday, Air Bridge had brought in 400,000 N-95 masks, 25.7 million surgical masks and 24,000 face shields, the administration says. The program has included more than 35 flights, which have cost about $750,000 per flight, according to FEMA. Vice President Mike Pence gave a slightly different count on Wednesday, saying that 44 flights had taken place and roughly 50 more were scheduled.

Medline spokesman Jesse Greenberg defended the companys participation in the government-funded shipping operation and disputed the suggestion that Medline is getting preferential treatment.

The fact is that we are getting additional products in an expedited fashion at a time when they are needed most, he said.

Greenberg added that Medline has been losing money during the pandemic because its contracts with medical systems require the company to provide masks and other medical supplies at pre-pandemic prices. Those prices are lower than what it currently costs the company to get products from manufacturers, Greenberg said.

As a private company, Medline doesnt have to disclose its financial data, though it reported $11.7 billion in revenue last year.

Medical distributors and medical systems that buy their products dont typically disclose the prices they negotiate, making it difficult to assess what the Air Bridge participants are charging for supplies.

In California, Amanda Chawla, who oversees the supply chain for Stanford Health Care, said the medical system has been able to avoid paying hugely inflated prices for masks and other protective gear because of contracts with large distributors that predated the coronavirus pandemic.

But Chawla noted that several companies participating in Air Bridge have tried to renegotiate contracts to get higher prices, citing the crisis and global medical supply shortages.

If somebody comes back and says, Look, my cost for raw material X has gone up; let me show you how much its gone up, we have that conversation, and we look at the contract, Chawla said. She did not identify the companies.

Altogether, the six firms participating in Air Bridge have contracts with thousands of hospitals, medical systems and other healthcare providers across the country. Distributing medical supplies has been a lucrative business for several of the companies.

McKesson, the nations largest medical distributor, reported $214 billion in revenue in 2019 and $255 million in profit.

Cardinal Health, another Air Bridge participant, had $145 billion in revenue last year and more than $1.3 billion in profit, according to company financial statements.

Henry Schein Inc., another of the six Air Bridge companies, reported almost $10 billion in revenue and $719 million in profit in 2019.

Of the remaining two firms involved in the project, Owens & Minor Inc. reported losing money last year. And Concordance Healthcare Solutions LLC. is not publicly traded, and therefore doesnt have to report its revenues and profits.

Times staff writers Chris Megerian, Jennifer Haberkorn and Del Quentin Wilber contributed to this report.




STEPANAKERT, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The foreign ministry of the Republic of Artsakh issued a statement touching upon the recent call of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world.

Armenpress presents the Artsakh MFAs full statement:

"United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeal for an immediate global cease-fire in all corners of the world to allow humanity to unite against a common enemy, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has been an important, necessary and timely initiative. The faithful implementation of this call will be a significant contribution to the collective efforts of the international community to effectively counter this new threat to the whole humankind.

We believe that during this critical period, any attempts to take advantage of the situation caused by the pandemic to achieve narrow political goals, pose a threat to the entire international community and deserve the strongest condemnation. And, on the contrary, unity and solidarity of all mankind in the face of a common and merciless enemy will allow to not only win this battle, but also strengthen the spirit of co-operation, that can make this world safer and more prosperous.

The Republic of Artsakh immediately responded to the initiative of the Secretary-General and on 24 March confirmed its commitment to strictly observe the ceasefire in the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict zone.

We share the view of the UN Secretary-General that the life of every person should be at the center of the collective efforts of the international community in combatting the novel Coronavirus pandemic. Only guided by the principle of no one is left behind the humanity will be able to withstand this test with dignity. For the Republic of Artsakh, which has been in conflict with Azerbaijan for three decades, the fight against the novel Coronavirus pandemic is becoming particularly acute given the fact that, due to the conflict, the people of Artsakh are deprived of international assistance.

In this regard, we hope that specialized international organizations, in particular the World Health Organization, will provide assistance to Artsakh in the fight against coronavirus, which will contribute to the overall efforts to overcome this global challenge".
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 19:39 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd25f64d 4 National dengue-fever,outbreak,Plague,Central-Java,Cilacap,Semarang,fatalities,mosquito,Aedes-aegypti Free

Forty people across Central Java have died from dengue fever in the last three months, the Central Java Health Agency reported, making the mosquito-borne disease deadlier than COVID-19, which has claimed 27 lives in the province as of Thursday.

Central Java has recorded 2,155 cases of dengue fever to date in 35 regencies and cities, said agency head Yulianto Prabowo.

"The highest case is recorded in Cilacap regency with 216 infections and three deaths, followed by Semarang municipality with 154 cases and two deaths, as well as Jepara with 136 cases and one death," Yulianto said on Thursday as quoted as kompas.com.

He added that other regions had also reported a high number of cases, such as Banjarnegara regency with 62 cases and three fatalities, Banyumas regency (132 cases and three deaths) and Klaten (131 cases and three deaths).

Read also: Frequently asked questions about dengue fever

"The dengue fever outbreak is a recurring problem in all parts of Central Java because the disease is endemic in this tropical country," Yulianto said.

He urged residents to remain alert and eradicate mosquitos in their environment, especially the Aedes aegypti, which is the main carrier of the disease.

Assign a jumantik [mosquito larvae controller] in every residential area, office and school. Make sure no mosquito larvae are found in the area, as the environment plays a huge role in the growth of the mosquito population.

The country has been battling with a dengue fever outbreak since early this year, while it is also struggling to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. According to data from the Health Ministry, more than 41,000 people have been infected by dengue fever across the archipelago as of Tuesday, with more than 260 dead.

East Nusa Tenggara and North Maluku are among the hardest-hit regions by the disease. (nal)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 02:29:33|Editor: huaxia

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An ambulance is reflected in a rear-view of a vehicle on an empty street in Amman, Jordan, on April 15, 2020. Jordan said Wednesday it will start reducing curfew restrictions in some areas where no cases of the COVID-19 have been reported. Jordan's Health Minister Saad Jaber said four cases of the COVID-19 were reported on Wednesday, increasing the overall number of cases to 401. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

AMMAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Jordan said Wednesday it will start reducing curfew restrictions in some areas where no cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported.

Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said there will be fewer restrictions in certain governorates, according to a statement.

He added that there will be measures to ensure the safety of citizens and if these are not respected, the curfew will resume.

The easing of restrictions will start as of next week in coastal city Aqaba in the south and will extend to other governorates.

Jordan's Health Minister Saad Jaber said four cases of the coronavirus were reported on Wednesday, increasing the overall number of cases to 401.

A total of 15 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday.
No casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops over the past day.

Russia's hybrid military forces on April 15 mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

"Armed formations of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire three times on April 15," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 16, 2020.

The enemy opened fire, employing grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and rifles.

Read alsoMinister for occupied territories: "Dozens" of Ukrainians should return home amid prisoner swap

Under attack came Ukrainian positions near the town of Popasna, and the villages of Krymske and Vodiane.

Joint Forces returned fire to each enemy shelling. According to intelligence data, two members of Russia-led forces were wounded on April 15.

The enemy did not attack Ukrainian positions from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on April 16.

No casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops over the past day.
Ranchi, April 16 : The Jharkhand government seems to be facing a tough challenge in fighting the coronavirus pandemic particularly in Hindpiri locality of the state capital Ranchi.

Hindpiri has turned out to be a hub of coronavirus cases in the state.

Till now 14 of the 28 cases in the state have been reported from Hindpiri. Police officials and Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) staff have been finding it tough to deal with the people living in this locality.

The RMC staff involved in sanitisation work last week had decided not to go inside Hindpiri locality as some people were reportedly spitting on them. When RMC staffers complained about it, the state police, instead of lodging a complaint and providing security, sought specific instances of spitting, affecting the morale of the workers.

When cornavirus cases were first reported in Hindpiri, the nurses and medical staff were not only prevented by the people from entering the area but were misbehaved with. The state government instead of acting tough negotiated with the residents who at their will allowed police personnel and medical staff in their locality.

The residents of Hindpiri put banners in their area, which read "Media barred to enter into locality. Modi media barred to enter into the area".

The residents here had lodged a complaint against the police in charge prompting the state government to suspend the police official. The new police official who was posted here was as per the choice by the local community. However, after criticism, the Hindpiri police officer in charge was shifted on Thursday.

The police officials say that two companies of forces have been deployed to strictly enforce the lockdown in Hindpiri. The area has been sealed completely.

In March end, 25 people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi were taken out from a mosque situated in Hindpiri. Nineteen of them were foreigners. The first corona positive case was a Malaysian woman who was part of the 19 foreigners team.

Leaders of the Jharkhand BJP have written to Governor Draupadi Murmu in which she has been requested to direct the government to ensure that the lockdown is properly implemented in the state.

The letter had been jointly written by State BJP president Deepak Prakash and Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Babulal Marandi.

In the letter, the BJP leaders said that in Jharkhand the impact of coronavirus is visible in limited areas as its victims have been found in 3-4 districts.

"Hindpiri in Ranchi has emerged as a hotspot from where 13 people have tested positive for coronavirus and a person has also died. However it was unfortunate to note that all the frontline soldiers battling coronavirus are being subjected to mistreatment and insult by the people of the area despite the fact that officials responsible to ensure lockdown are also from a particular community," said the letter.

It said, "Discrimination is being made by the administration in registration of FIR," and alleged that despite the guidelines for performing the last rites of coronavirus patients the administration was bowing under pressure.

The ruling Congress has refuted the charges.

"BJP believes in polarisation politics. BJP's two MPs violated the lockdown and reached Ranchi and Dhanbad from Delhi. The state govt is effectively dealing with the lockdown." Congress spokesperson Alok Dubey told IANS.

The JMM leaders say that more than 4000 kitchens are being operated in the state where people are given food free of cost. Helpline numbers have been issued to help the migrant labourers.

Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston
Officials delay check on worryingly thin tiger as Phuket Zoo files to officially close

PHUKET: Phuket wildlife officials will not check on a worryingly thin tiger being held at Phuket Zoo until tomorrow (Apr 17), despite police at the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division in Bangkok reporting complaints about the condition of the tiger to local wildlife officials yesterday.

animalsCOVID-19Coronavirushealthwildlife

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Thursday 16 April 2020, 04:19PM

Wildlife officials say they are concerned about the condition of the worryingly thin tiger, but will not inspect Phuket Zoo until tomorrow (Apr 17). Photo: Supplied via DNP

The news comes as local wildlife officials also confirm that Phuket Zoo will file a formal request to close the tourist attraction, possibly only temporarily, blaming the economic situation caused by the COVID-19 fallout for the zoos inability to keep operating.

Piyawat Sukon, Chief of the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Conservation Centre in Thalang, confirmed to The Phuket News yesterday (Apr 15) that he already knew about the tiger from posts on social media.

The issue of the tigers condition was also raised at a meeting of the 5th Area Office of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) yesterday morning, Mr Piyawat said.

In the photo [posted online], the tiger looks thin, but we need to check why it looks thin, Mr Piyawat said.

I know from experts that they [tigers] must not be too fat, but this tiger looks so thin. I am worried about the tiger and other animals while the zoo is closing, he added.

Asked why his team were not able to check on the tiger earlier, Mr Pyawat said, Going to check on the wild animals at Phuket Zoo is my job in normal circumstances, but I cant go today [yesterday, Apr 15] because it is closed under the order issued by Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana on Mar 28 to close all zoos and other places where all kinds of animal shows are shown on the island.

Plus the Phuket Zoo owner is not around to open it [the zoo], and the relevant officials also are not [available]. So we will go to Phuket Zoo this Friday (Apr 17) with relevant officials. It is better, he added.

Mr Piyawat did not explain what he meant by relevant officials, as he is the leading official responsible for the welfare of all wildlife animals on the island.

Asked who is caring for the animals while the zoo is closed, Mr Piyawat said, The workers are feeding them.

However, Mr Piyawat did not explain how he knew this or why his officials were unable to gain access to inspect the animals at the zoo if staff were still at the zoo feeding the animals.

Songchai Tongboonyang of the DNPs 5th Area Office confirmed to The Phuket News that police at the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division in Bangkok had passed on complaints they had received about the tigers condition to his office yesterday.

The complaints claim that this tiger has been abandoned. If true, then that is animal cruelty, Mr Songchai said.

Next, we will go to Phuket Zoo to investigate this complaint. We will arrive at Phuket Zoo this Friday (Apr 17) with relevant officials.

We cant go today [yesterday, Apr 15] because the relevant officials are not ready, and Phuket Zoo has been ordered closed by an order issued by the Phuket Governor. Phuket Zoo is locked so that we must wait for the zoo owner to open it, Mr Songchai said, repeating nearly word for word Mr Piyawats explanation.

Officers will check on the welfare of other animals at the zoo during the inspection tomorrow, he added.

Mr Songchai also confirmed that his office had been informed of Phuket Zoos intention to file for closure, citing the economic fallout from the COVID-19 situation as its reason for closing.

I just know that the Phuket Zoo owner will not continue to run Phuket Zoo and that the owner will ask to have the permit to operate a zoo cancelled because Phuket Zoo has been affected by [the] COVID-19 [situation].

But we have yet to receive the formal request. We are waiting to receive it, he added.

Mr Piyawat also confirmed that he had also been told of the zoos intention to shut down.

However, he explained that unless the zoo was ordered closed by wildlife officials and its permit revoked by force, the owner of Phuket Zoo is legally able to reopen another zoo at a later date.

He also explained that in legal terms even if the current owner was refused a new permit at a later date, the owner may be involved in a zoo granted permission to open to another person.
Now that the number of new cases of coronavirus has declined over two consecutive days, the U.S. administration sees a window of opportunity to argue for the reopening of the country, despite the opposition of governors, economists and health experts, some of who foresee another 18 months of lockdown. Unemployment has skyrocketed in the U.S. over the last few weeks as state and local governments have ordered businesses to close their doors in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. Almost 17 million people have filed for U.S. unemployment benefits in the last three weeks, which suggests a rate of joblessness that hovers around 13% or 14%.

The new model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, cited by the White House, says that there will be no resurgence of the virus in the summer months.

Dr. Christopher Murray, the creator of the model, says this proves that social distancing measures are working.

"It leads to a situation where every case is infecting less than one other case, and that means if you keep the course, you'll get transmission essentially down to zero," Murray said.

More than 23,600 people have died from Covid-19 in the US, but the daily tally of deaths and new cases dropped over the weekend.

The University of Washington model release coincides with the White House's desire to "reopen" the country soon.

Last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the administration was eyeing May 1st as a target date for restarting the U.S. economy, for whatever that means, exactly.

However, experts warn that different states will see different peaks. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says that the economy has to reopen correctly, community-by-community, county-by-county.

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose comments have now rendered him a target by Trump, says that a partial reopening of the economy could possibly begin in May, but cautioned that the outbreak could flare up again in the fall.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said that without an effective therapy or a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the U.S. economy could face 18 months of rolling shutdowns as the outbreak recedes and flares up again in waves.

We could have these waves of flareups, controls, flareups and controls until we actually get therapy or a vaccine. I think we should all be focusing on an 18-month strategy for our healthcare system and our economy, Kashkari said on CBSs Face the Nation.

Yet, Trump insisted earlier this week that he alone could declare the United States reopen for business, despite the fact that state governors, including the Republicans, claim that it is their prerogative to maintain or end shutdown measures.

Its the neverending battle now between state and federal control.

Related: Oil Stumbles On IMF's Gloomy Economic Forecast

For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect, Trump tweeted on Monday.

Later that day at a press conference, Trump told reporters that when somebodys president of the United States, the authority is total And thats the way its got to be. It's total. Its total. And the governors know that.

And that may be true, if youre Kim Jong-Il.



In the United States of America, however, there is a Constitution, which governors are now keen to highlight.

Governors in multiple U.S. regions announced their intention to take the lead when it comes to reopening their states. Stressing that the U.S. has a Constitution and not a king, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo rolled out a plan for a regional working group on how to safely reopen and ease stay-at-home orders.

Democratic governors in the Northeast  as well as Republican Massachusetts and along the West Coast on Monday announced separate state compacts to review potential steps toward restoring business. In separate announcements, the governors said they had agreed to let science, not politics, determine when to lift social and business restrictions.

In the meantime, the harrowing notion of another 18 months of shutdowns forebodes an economic disaster on top of a major health crisis. The only real question is whether another 18 months of shut down would take less of an economic toll than reopening the economy too soon and allowing COVID-19 to relaunch with renewed fury.

By Josh Owens for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com:
As the world struggles to contain the coronavirus outbreak without triggering a new Great Depression, China is withholding vital information that would save lives and significantly alleviate the economic catastrophe that now threatens to immiserate hundreds of millions of people around the world.

This isn't the old coverup, when Communist Party bumbling and deceit allowed a local outbreak to turn into the worst global disaster in decades. The new coverup is even more brazen. China continues to falsify vital information about the epidemic on a massive scale.

The evidence comes from many sources. In a classified report to the White House, the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that China underreports both deaths and the total number of cases. The Economist magazine compared China's reported statistics with those from other countries and found that numbers changed dramatically in response to political events, such as the firing and replacement of local officials.

Leaked documents reveal that Chinese Communist President Xi Jinping knew that the coronavirus outbreak in China was a highly contagious "epidemic" at the same time that China told the World Health Organization (WHO) that there was noThe Associated Press reported late on Tuesday night that leaked internal documents from China show that Xi knew that the situation was dire and that the "risk of transmission and spread" was "high" by January 14 at the latest, the same day that the WHO downplayed the outbreak.That same day, the WHO tweeted:It has already been reported that Xi had taken control of China's coronavirus response on January 7, but the AP's report sheds light on when he knew that the outbreak was highly contagious. China did not tell the world that the coronavirus could be spread from human-to-human until January 20.the AP reported.Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the AP that the revelation is "tremendous."Zhang said.the AP continued.The leaked documents obtained by the APA memo showed that the teleconference was held to give instructions from Xi and other top Chinese communist officials.the memo cites Ma as saying.A section of the memo titledstated thatthe memo said.The next day the Chinese CDC activated its highest-level response to the epidemic, but only internally, as the Chinese communists continued to downplay the risk and clearly stated in the memo that the information was "not to be publicly disclosed."China not only lied about and tried to cover-up the initial outbreak, they are also accused of trying to lie about and cover-up what appears to be a new wave of outbreaks in China. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday:The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) reported last week that a "conservative estimation" found that China's initial outbreak produced 2.9 million coronavirus cases in China and up to 136,000 deaths - a far cry from the roughly 83,000 cases and 3,300 deaths that China has reported
The United States has passed the peak on new coronavirus cases, President Donald Trump said Wednesday, adding this has put the country in a very strong position to finalize new guidelines on social distancing.

More than 6.3 lakh Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 so far and total fatalities as on Wednesday were nearly 28,000, the highest for any country in the world.

"The battle continues, but the data suggest that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases. Hopefully, that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress," Trump told reporters at his daily White House conference on coronavirus.

These encouraging developments, he said, has put the US in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country. The new social mitigation measures, he said, would be announced Thursday.

Dr Deborah Brix, a member of the White House Task Force on coronavirus, said that over the last five or six days there has been decline in new cases across the country. "This has been very reassuring for us. At the same time, we know that mortality and the fatalities that we are facing across the United States continue," she said.

Nine States have less than 1000 cases and less than 30 new cases per day. Some states like California and Washington State, Oregon never really had a peak because of so much work that their populations did to decrease and keep the new cases down, she said.

Two States, Rhode Island and Providence are in a unique situation, she said.

First, they had increasing cases from the New York City area and now they have new increasing cases from the Boston area. They are caught between two incredible hotspots in the country, she rued.

Reiterating that this is a highly contagious virus, Dr Brix said in social gatherings and coming together there is always a chance that asymptomatic person can spread the virus unknowingly.

No one is intending to spread the virus. We know if you are sick you will stay home. But to all of you that are out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20 don't do it yet. Continue to follow the presidential guidelines. We really appreciate the work of the American people," Dr Brix said.

Noting that this has been a horrible time to see such death and destruction in the country, the President said the medical and healthcare advances the US has made are critical to the continued progress.

The United States has rapidly developed the most expansive and accurate testing system anywhere in the world and have completed more than 3.3 million tests.

"To date, we have authorized 48 separate coronavirus tests and the FDA is working with 300 companies and labs to widen our capacity still further," he said.

The Abbott Labs Wednesday announced that it is has developed an antibody test that will determine if someone has been previously infected with the coronavirus and potentially developed immunity. "It is a great test. The company says these tests could be available to screen up to 20 million people in a matter of weeks," he added.

The administration, he said, is also distributing vast amounts of medical supplies to states across the country. Through project air bridge, which has been an amazing success they have completed 44 flights, and an additional 56 like scheduled in the near future. he said.

In total, through all channels, the federal government has developed and delivered 39.4 million N95 masks, 431 million gloves, 57 million surgical masks and 10.2 million gowns. It ordered 500 million masks and they will be coming shortly and have distributed 100 million masks, he said.

Trump said his administration is using every available authority to accelerate the development, study and develop therapies and treatments. "Ultimately, what we want to come up with is a safe vaccine, but frankly, the therapies to me are the most important because it takes care of people right now," he said.

"The vaccines have to be tested because it takes a longer period of time, but we have some great potential therapies already, and we will see how they are working. We will be able to report on that over the next week or two," he said, adding that at least 35 clinical trials of promising therapies are now underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The two sides, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former army chief Benny Gantz, were still talking when midnight came and went, marking the end of Gantzs official window to assemble a ruling coalition. The rivals, spurred by the coronavirus crisis, have been struggling for weeks to agree on a power-sharing arrangement in which they would take turns in the prime ministers office.
Antony Fernando By

Express News Service

NAGAPATTINAM: Twenty-five fishers landed in Nagapattinam after spending nearly a month at sea during the ongoing lockdown. They were stuck in the sea as they were unable to cross the Palk Strait due to closure of the Pamban bascule bridge.

The fishers hail from Nagapattinam and Ramanathapuram districts. They are deep-sea fishers who spend 10 to 15 days in the sea seeking out tuna in gillnetter-longliner boats. They were stuck after they missed the opening of the Pamban bascule bridge near Ramanathapuram on April 3."We were waiting next to the bridge and hoping it would be opened for us. We did not have enough fuel to circle around Sri Lanka and reach Nagapattinam. We waited it out in the cold waters for 11 days until it opened on Tuesday. We then rushed home," said S Veeraiyan (26), from Thittacheri.

The bascule bridge is a part of Pamban bridge. The bascule bridge opens once a month. It is the only route for vessels travelling to South India and passing through the Palk Strait. If the vessels miss the opening, they have to turn back and circle thousands of nautical miles around Sri Lanka. According to sources, the bascule bridge was scheduled to open around April 5, but opened a couple of days earlier.

Of the 25 fishers, 18 are from Akkaraipettai, Keechankuppam, Nagore and Thittacherry villages while seven are from Ramanathapuram district. They were fishing in two vessels - Kesavan and Yazhini - in the Arabian Sea when the lockdown was announced. They departed from Kochi in Kerala on the third week of March and least expected a lockdown. "We realised that going back to Kochi and then travelling back to Tamil Nadu by road would not be possible during the lockdown.

There were no buses from Kerala to Tamil Nadu, so we rushed to Pamban to catch the opening of the bridge. We missed the opening by a couple of days and were left stranded mid-sea next to Pamban," said R Kumaran (43), from Nagore.

Their families pleaded with the Nagapattinam district administration to open the bridge to let the fishers through. As per the request of the Nagapattinam district administration, the Ramanathapuram district administration arranged for the opening of Pamban bascule bridge on Tuesday. "We were running out of rations and barely survived on the supplies we had on the boats. We are happy to be back home," said K Sivakumar (42), from Nagapattinam.

The fishers have been sent to home quarantine. "All fishers are well and asymptomatic for coronavirus. We are quarantining them to ensure they remain the same," said a senior Fisheries department official.
Technavio has been monitoring the natural gas storage market and it is poised to grow by 64.36 million toe during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 3% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005575/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Natural Gas Storage Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Costain Group PLC, ENBRIDGE INC., ENGIE, Royal Vopak, and Uniper SE are some of the major market participants. The need for natural gas will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Need for natural gas has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Natural Gas Storage Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Natural gas storage market is segmented as below:

Type Underground Storage Above-ground Storage

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31147

Natural Gas Storage Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our natural gas storage market report covers the following areas:

Natural Gas Storage Market Size

Natural Gas Storage Market Trends

Natural Gas Storage Market Industry Analysis

This study identifies advances in natural gas storage as one of the prime reasons driving the natural gas storage market growth during the next few years.

Natural Gas Storage Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the natural gas storage market, including some of the vendors such as Costain Group PLC, ENBRIDGE INC., ENGIE, Royal Vopak, and Uniper SE. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the natural gas storage market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Natural Gas Storage Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist natural gas storage market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the natural gas storage market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the natural gas storage market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of natural gas storage market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TYPE

Market segmentation by type

Comparison by type

Underground storage Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Above-ground storage Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by type

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

EMEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Americas Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

Advances in natural gas storage

Emerging regulations to ensure safety of natural gas storage facilities

Rising demand for natural gas in transportation sector

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Costain Group PLC

ENBRIDGE INC.

ENGIE

Royal Vopak

Uniper SE

PART 14: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has chided his advisor on health for his "irresponsible attitude" and failing to brief the Supreme Court on the efforts of his government to contain the disease, as the number of coronavirus cases in the country crossed 6,400 on Thursday.

The apex court on Tuesday expressed displeasure on the handling of pandemic by the government and directed the removal of Dr Zafar Mirza as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health for failing to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

Prime Minister Khan in the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday reprimanded Mirza for his "irresponsible attitude" during his recent appearance before the court.

Sources privy to the Cabinet proceeding said that Khan said that his advisor "failed to brief the top court about so many efforts going on in the country to defeat the disease".

Mirza enjoys the status of a state minister. He was appointed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health last year after the then Health Minister Amir Kayani was removed from his post for failing to check spiralling drug prices.

Mirza's removal would be a major setback to the Imran Khan government as he is one who is leading the campaign against COVID-19 in Pakistan and addressing media daily about the steps being taken to control its outbreak.

Pakistan has recorded 6,424 coronavirus cases, according to various officials and media reports.

So far Punjab has registered 3,143, Sindh 1,668, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 912, Balochistan 281, Gilgit-Baltistan 234, Islamabad 140 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 46 patients. So far 1,446 people had recovered but 111 died.

The apex court at point also criticised the entire Cabinet for the failure to address the problems by the country, resulting in debate on social media, with some users lashing at the court.

Prime Minister Khan ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe against the people responsible for running a social media campaign against the country's top judge and other members of the superior judiciary.

According to a notification by Khan's Office, the prime minister has taken a very serious view of the recent campaign on social media in which uncalled, immoderate and intemperate language was used against the superior judiciary of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan railways ministry has finalised a strategy for partially resuming train operations across all four provinces upon the end of a lockdown or any relaxation, the Express Tribune reported.

The services were suspended last month as part of the lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Train operations will partially resume in all four provinces and 24 trains will start functioning for up and down operations after approval from the prime minister," the report quoted sources as saying.

The train staff and passengers must adhere to safety guidelines during the special train operation while strict action would be taken as per railway rules in case of any violations.

The booking for a train would only be done online and it would be stopped after the reservation of 60 per cent of seats as part of policy to maintain social distancing.

No irrelevant person will be allowed to enter the railway station and those coming to see off must remain at least 200 metres away from the station, the report said The passengers are advised to carry their own masks, sanitisers and soaps.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi: Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over his statement that lockdown is not a solution to containing coronavirus, the BJP on Thursday asked the Congress as to why states where his party is in power extended it before the central government did so.

"Lockdown is not the solution acc to @RahulGandhi ... Then why did the CMs of @INCIndia Cong partnered govts extend the lock down first ...? (sic)," BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh tweeted.

Maharashtra, where the Congress is part of government, has backed lockdown, with the state dispensation extending it to April 30 before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on April 14 to stretch it nation-wide till May 3.

Punjab, where the Congress is in power, had also extended the lockdown before Modi's announcement.

Modi had said that most chief ministers favoured lockdown to combat the pandemic.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi earlier strongly pitched for aggressively expanding coronavirus testing across the country and adopting it as a "strategic" instrument to "defeat" the pandemic.

He said the lockdown is not a solution to the pandemic, and the time must be utilised to significantly bolster the existing medical infrastructure as well as take steps to deal with the worrying economic fall out.

From its Twitter handle, the BJP also put out data to assert that India has managed to "significantly contain" COVID-19 as compared to other severely hit countries, at just nine cases per one million of population and 0.3 deaths per one million population.

At the benchmark of 12,000 positive corona cases the pace of spread in India has been consistently much slower than other countries which have been severely hit, it added.
Reuters

Apple Inc on Wednesday released a smaller iPhone priced at $399, cutting the starting price for the company's smartphone line in a move to broaden its appeal to budget-conscious customers as the coronavirus hobbles the global economy.

The lower-cost model could also attract more consumers to Apple services, a growing driver of revenue. Shares of Apple fell 1.1 percent, less than the 2.4 percent decline of the S&P 500 index.

Apple will start taking orders for the phone on its website on Friday, with the delivery of devices expected to start 24 April.

The iPhone SE will start at $50 less than what was previously the cheapest iPhone available, the iPhone 8, which will be retired. The SE comes with a 4.7-inch display and the same processor chip as Apple's most advanced phone, the 11 Pro. The SE lacks Apple's facial recognition system to unlock the device, instead of relying on a fingerprint sensor similar to older models. While the new iPhone adds features such as wireless charging and a high-end camera, it lacks connectivity for 5G, the next generation of mobile data networks.

The announcement comes as the United States and much of the world is reeling from the novel coronavirus, although U.S. political leaders have begun to talk about ending stay-at-home orders and restarting the economy, hoping record deaths and falling hospitalizations represent a peak.

(Also read: New Apple iPhone SE finally unveiled: iPhone 11 internals in an iPhone 8 body, just what the doctor ordered)

Previous iPhones have been unveiled in a polished presentation in front of fans, but large events remain banned in Apple's home base of Santa Clara County, California, where public officials ordered the first lockdowns in the United States to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Apple's cheaper phone reflects the coronavirus-driven economic downturn and job loss.

Ben Bajarin, principal analyst for consumer market intelligence at Creative Strategies, said that Apple likely realized many customers were buying older models such as the iPhone 8 rather than the newer iPhone 11 Pro at $999, "and a big part of that is probably price." Those budget-minded iPhone buyers may have been turned off by the iPhone 8's aging chips and camera.

Apple is "addressing that head-on with a device and price that can still get people on the latest technology," he said. "Having a device you're sure is going to last a long time is exactly what (consumers) want."

The new aluminum-and-glass SE - which comes in black, white and red, looks much like an iPhone 8.

The cheaper phone enters a cut-throat market for value phones, especially in China, where Apple derives about 17% of sales. In China, rivals such as Xiaomi Corp last month announced models with 5G features starting at about $425.

But Bajarin said buyers interested in 5G may gravitate toward flagship phones, while budget buyers are not people that would give a hoot about 5G.

With wavering hardware sales, Apple has been investing in subscription services such as its Apple TV+ streaming television service, Apple Music and iCloud. The new SE will come bundled with a one free year of the streaming television service, similar to Apple's flagship devices released last fall.

"Given its price tag, (the iPhone SE) is unlikely to be that impactful for Apples financials, but could help widen the installed base, which will be helpful long term for Apples services revenue," said James Cordwell, an analyst with Atlantic Equities.

Horace Dediu, an analyst with Asymco, said that budget-minded phone buyers may not pay attention to whether a device has Apple's latest chips, but third-party app developers do consider how many iPhones are running the latest chips and operating systems when deciding what apps to build. If more iPhone users have powerful hardware, he said, it could encourage those developers to make apps for iPhones that take advantage of technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence that could help the devices stand out against competitors.

The coronavirus has created a volatile start to the year. Sales in China, the first nation hit by the virus, plunged, then rebounded as the country began to reopen. Sales of 500,000 phones in February rose to 2.5 million phones in March, according to government sales data there.

Apple will begin selling the new model online while its stores around the world are closed, except those within its greater China sales region.

Apple gets about 31 percent of its sales from its elegant stores and website, with 69 percent coming from partners such as mobile carriers and other retailers. Apple said partners would decide whether to sell the phones in their physical stores. Many of Apple's resellers are trying to guide customers toward online sales. Major partners such as Best Buy Inc have reduced their hours, and AT&T Inc has closed about 40 percent of its US retail stores.
In Thua Thien-Hue (Photo: VNA)

Mauro Gasparotti, Director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said local travelers, which accounted for 82.5 percent of all tourists last year, are expected to rise in number within a short period of time, while international visitors will return at a slower but steady rate, especially those from China and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

In terms of international arrivals, the category expected to return the quickest is business travelers, especially to gateway cities, followed by independent travelers and those arriving for meetings and conferences, and finally tourists traveling in groups.

The countrys tourism sector is expected to fully recover within some six months after an announcement is made that the pandemic has been contained, Gasparotti said.

This year is the first time international arrivals on the globe will fall after ten consecutive years of growth, he added.

The number of foreign arrivals to Vietnam fell 18 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, while the number of domestic travelers was down 6 percent.

The sectors revenue declined 11 percent compared to the same period of 2019.
People all over the United States are under stay home orders during the coronavirus pandemic  making pants unnecessary, for the most part.

However, according to one Maryland police department, some are neglecting to don pants even for their daily trip to the mailbox. Taneytown Police Department posted a playful final warning on its Facebook page.

Please remember to put pants on before leaving the house to check your mailbox, the post says. You know who you are. This is your final warning.

Please remember to put pants on before leaving the house to check your mailbox. You know who you are. This is your final warning. Posted by Taneytown Police Department on Tuesday, April 14, 2020

The post has garnered more than 1,000 reactions, over 430 comments and more than 2,500 shares.

Some commenters are defiantly vowing not to wear pants during the trek down the driveway. Others are asking for pictures to prove its happening. Many questions revolve around whether underwear alone is OK, and if not, what about a Speedo?

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LAREDO, Tex. - Leaders in this border city have implemented some of the strictest coronavirus control measures of any in America - with curfews, anti-gathering orders and a requirement to wear masks - seeing themselves as the first line of defense in protecting the nation's most important commercial corridor.

With four bridges and a rail line bringing goods into the country from Mexico, Laredo is the fulcrum of a delicate supply chain that generates billions of dollars in trade and brings crucial supplies, including produce and medical and electrical equipment, into the country.

From here, via Interstate 35, most everything that crosses the border goes north to San Antonio, and then to points across the country, stocking shelves from California to New York and everywhere in between. City officials worry that viral spread in Laredo could mean a threat to the entire nation, as products, trucks and their drivers disperse along the highways.

Eleven virus-related deaths here in the past 19 days - including a one-week span with six deaths - have pushed Laredo and its surrounding county to the highest death toll of any Texas border community. It has the city of approximately 260,000 worried that the disease could consume limited resources and perhaps lead to a devastating shutdown of operations. The lack of testing - less than 1 percent of residents have been tested thus far - and fears of a slow response to the virus in densely populated Mexico create additional concerns.

Most of the more than 200 positive cases in Laredo were transmitted locally, said Hector Gonzalez, the director of the city's health department. He said it is critical for Laredo to get its outbreak under control because of the outsize effect spread here could have on the country.

"We were proactive in doing things that were not being done yet in most of the country because we are trying to prevent this thing from out of control and taking more lives," said Victor Trevino, the Laredo Health Department's health authority. "We have very few weapons and are making do with what we have to protect our city and the country's No. 1 land port. We are balancing our health with the business of the country."

While some parts of rural middle America have not yet instituted stay-at-home orders or social distancing, Laredo's City Council acted as it saw its first cases in late March, implementing curfews and threatening residents with fines of up to $1,000 if they didn't cover their faces with masks when out in public. Police have been breaking up backyard parties and monitoring homes where too many cars are parked.

Truck drivers are no longer permitted to get out of their cabs at U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoints, and they drop their cargo in Laredo warehouses without touching the merchandise. Warehouse workers are wearing protective equipment and companies are staggering shifts to keep a small number of people working at any time.

Mayor Pete Saenz Jr. (D) said he sees it all as preventive management.

"No one knows where this thing is going to take us," Saenz said. "The only tool we have is isolation. Once it surpasses us, we've lost the battle."

To follow the local mask ordinance, Laredo residents can use any cloth covering, including bandannas or scarves, to cover their nose and mouth if they are going to a grocery store or getting outdoor exercise. Community groups are working to sew homemade masks by the hundreds.

Police have issued nearly two dozen citations for those not wearing masks, and they have received numerous complaints that have resulted in warnings, said Laredo Police Chief Claudio Trevino. Off-duty officers have embedded inside businesses to help spot violators, with 70 working as a special team patrolling the streets.

"Now it feels weird to see someone who isn't wearing a mask," said Lucy DeLeon, co-pastor of New Vision Community Church. "People are really afraid and doing their part."

Roberto "Bobby" Quintana's aunt and mother died within a day of each other - on March 21 and 22 - the first two deaths recorded in Webb County. His father and brother are on ventilators. His sister tested positive but is at home; his cousin recovered after hospitalization.

Quintana, a Webb County justice of the peace, said he has no idea how the virus reached his family, but many relatives work in law enforcement and at the county jail and could have carried it to frequent weekend gatherings. The last time he saw his mother was at her house the Saturday before she was intubated at the hospital. Quintana has not yet been able to bury her, and he hasn't been able to tell his father that she is dead.

"I think about it but I don't want to blame anyone. It really doesn't matter where it came from, the thing is, they got infected," he said. "Every single day my phone rings and I'm afraid to pick it up because I don't want to get that call again."

The ruthless efficiency of the virus makes Quintana's border town uniquely susceptible, he said. The local economy depends on the uninterrupted movement of hundreds of thousands of people and massive amounts of goods that can become carriers of the contagion. The U.S.-Mexico border is the busiest in the world, and trade in Laredo comprises half of all commerce along Texas's 11 land ports.

Doctors at Laredo's two main hospitals said nearly 60 health care workers have fallen ill, with numerous doctors and nurses, including the city's critical care pulmonologist having come in contact with asymptomatic patients who had been exposed to the virus.

Physicians said dozens of patients a day enter the city's emergency rooms after having been sent home by their family doctors complaining of losing their sense of taste and other mild symptoms associated with the coronavirus.

"I am convinced that we have well over 2,000 positives in Laredo," said Ricardo Cigarroa, a doctor who makes 40 to 50 house calls a day for patients he believes have the virus but do not appear in official counts because they have not been tested. "It's impossible to predict, but from a front-line physician's perspective, I have great fear."

That kind of anxiety fueled early rumors of a potential border shutdown, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have worked to keep the crossing open to avoid crushing the economies of Laredo and its sister city in Mexico, Nuevo Laredo. Federal authorities instead have restricted border crossings to essential travelers, which includes U.S. citizens and anyone going to school, for medical treatment, or to work in Texas.

CBP officials said agents are following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and have been providing employees with gloves and masks; seven CBP Laredo agents and officers have tested positive.

Anyone who appears sick at the ports is turned back to Mexico, said Rick Pauza, a spokesman for CBP in Laredo. He did not say how many people, cars or trucks the agency has turned back since the restrictions went into effect March 20.

U.S. authorities have been aggressively turning away migrants at the border during the pandemic, using emergency health orders to effectively shut down the asylum system and immediately eject undocumented people from the country, on average in just more than 90 minutes.

So far, truck traffic from Mexico has declined by about 7 percent. But pedestrian traffic has plummeted approximately 50 percent, and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.), who represents the district that includes his hometown of Laredo, said he wonders if there isn't more that can be done to screen travelers. The drop in travelers is reassuring for Laredo's health but it also means significant revenue loss from the bridge fees the city collects.

"The numbers have dropped considerably, but people are still coming," Cuellar said. "If something goes wrong, that affects everything else."

Across the border in Nuevo Laredo, customs officers are taking more aggressive steps to slow down foot traffic into Mexico. They are asking travelers from the United States to justify their trips in detail and are using forehead thermometers to screen for coronavirus symptoms.

"If you don't have a reason to cross, you don't cross," Nuevo Laredo customs officer Elia Guevara said.

The health crisis has shut down U.S. auto manufacturing plants in Mexico, shifting demand toward medical supplies and food. Everything from toilet paper to brand-name household disinfectants like Clorox are being loaded onto about 14,000 trucks a day crossing Laredo's ports of entry, customs broker Arturo Dominguez said.

"If we were to collapse, shipments would be delayed tremendously, and whatever the country needs, won't arrive," Dominguez said. "The rest of the country depends on the health of our port."

Ernesto Gaytan Jr., president of the Laredo Motor Carriers Association, said none of his truckers have fallen ill, but he is bracing for the worst-case scenario. One of his drivers was worried this week because he was transporting a load of transformers to a hospital in New York, where the worst outbreak in the country is ongoing. Gaytan had to reassure him.

"This is potentially lifesaving work we are doing here," Gaytan said. "Giving energy to a hospital that needs the equipment."

City leaders worry that without more help from the state and federal governments, it could miss an opportunity to arrest the spread of the virus because of its lack of testing capabilities. Texas broadly lags behind the rest of the nation in testing. The city has been able to test less than 1 percent of its residents and had to scrap a supply of rapid-test kits it obtained from a Chinese manufacturer because they did not work.

Gonzalez, the city health director, said he hopes the state's supply of coronavirus test kits from Abbott Laboratories will help Laredo ramp up testing, but it will take time. Some civic and business leaders say they worry that the city has not received much attention during the crisis, and that could lead to people underestimating what an outbreak here could mean for the rest of the country.

"Being on the frontera means we are far away from Washington and Austin," Laredo City Councilman George Altgelt said. "We realize that this a self-rescue mission and that the federal government is not coming to save us. Trade is our lifeblood and the nation's, and we are willing to do our part. But will they do theirs?"
by Adam Koffler | Cardinals Correspondent | Wed, Apr 15th 9:06pm EDT

According to GM Steve Keim, Arizona is committed to signing DeAndre Hopkins to a long-term deal, however nothing is currently imminent. (ProFootballTalk on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

Keim went on to state that, Both those guys (Hopkins and RB Kenyan Drake) are guys wed like to have long-term. Ive had communication with both their agents. Well continue to pound away. Hopkins currently has three years remaining on his deal, and it seems as if the Cardinals would like to lock him up as soon as possible for as long as possible. Its not often you can trade for a consistent top-5 WR talent in the NFL, so Arizona will do what they need to do to keep him in town.
Igor was an incredible leader and a brilliant man with great insights and unmatched experience and a wonderful supporter of the management team.

The Second Cup Coffee Company Inc. is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Igor Lojevsky, Chairman of the Board of The Second Cup Coffee Company Inc. Dr. Lojevsky, 63, passed away on April 12, 2020 in London, UK after battling the Covid-19 virus for over 17 days.

The Board and the entire Second Cup family extend its deepest condolences to Dr. Lojevsky s family. Igor was our colleague and more importantly our friend, a generous and gracious man and a loving Father and Husband.

Dr. Lojevsky has been the Chairman of the Board since September 2015 and instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of Second Cup over the past years with his vast experience and knowledge.

Well known and highly respected in the world of investment banking, Dr. Lojevsky received a PhD in Finance from EDHEC Business School, co-authored Top Management: Theory and Practice, was a Research Associate and a member of the International Advisory board of EDHEC Risk Institute and an Adjunct Professor of Higher School of Economics.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Lojevsky occupied many esteemed positions including adviser to the president on financial matters at YUKOS, adviser in the Department of Europe and Central Asia of World Bank, co-head of the investment banking department of Vneshtorgbank (now VTB), chairman of global banking and capital markets in Russia and CIS at Dresdner Kleinwort Bank, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank in Russia and deputy chairman of the global Deutsche Bank for Eastern Europe. He previously served on the boards of directors of Aeroflot, Russian Railways, Alrosa and was an Independent Director on the Board of the En+ Group.

We were all without words by this tragic news. It was a great privilege to know him personally. Igor was an incredible leader and a brilliant man with great insights and unmatched experience and a wonderful supporter of the management team. We are truly grateful to him for everything he has done for our company in the 5 short years that he was with us. We are deeply saddened by this tremendous loss to the Second Cup family and wish his family strength and peace as they cope with this tragedy, said Mr. Jim Ragas, CEO of The Second Cup Coffee Company Inc.

For more information, please contact Vera Pekker, Director of Public Relations and Digital Media, The Second Cup Coffee Company Inc. by phone: +1.905.234.0316 or e-mail: vpekker@mysecondcup.com.

Website: http://www.mysecondcup.com
This much is known: Just before 7 p.m. on Sunday, 7-year-old Tazmir Ransom was rushed to a Philadelphia area hospital for difficulty breathing.

As CBSPhilly.com reports, Tazmir was found to be suffering from numerous severe injuries  and now the boys mother is facing attempted homicide charges in her sons death.

Philadelphia police announced the arrest of 26-year-old Natasha Franks, of the 2000 block of Clarence Street in Kensington, Pa., on Wednesday -- the same day her son passed away at the hospital.

MORE PA NEWS: Pa. man accused of brutally beating girlfriends 2-year-old son, whos now on life support: cops

CBSPhilly reports Franks is facing attempted murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare, unsworn falsifying, among related charges.

But there arent a lot of details of what Franks is accused of doing to cause her sons fatal injuries.

However, 6ABC in Philly posted an interview with the boys aunt, Tanjala Pinckney, who says there were signs of physical abuse that she and other family members had tried to stop:

It looked like he was being abused over the last couple months. My brother kept trying to go down and get custody back and trying to do what he needed to do to get him, Pinckney told 6ABC. Its just heartbreaking. He just turned seven. There was no reason for her to take his life she wasnt supposed to have him. She could have just gave him back to us."

The police investigation of the case is continuing.

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Scottish farmers have pleaded with the public to follow posters on how to access and enjoy the countryside with 'care and respect' during the Covid-19 crisis.

NFU Scotland has received almost a hundred calls from farmers over access to land during the virus outbreak.

One concerned farmer, Dave Shepherd, challenged a cyclist who opened his farm gates without gloves near Dunkeld, Perthshire.

He told the BBC that farms are a 'place of work' and for people to have access to a farmer's workplace during the coronavirus pandemic is 'ridiculous.'

"I was making sure he was going to sanitise gates and things like that as he went through. He just ignored me," he told the broadcaster.

"We have a job to do in farming; there are no staff sat on the sidelines waiting to come in if we become infected."

NFU Scotland has produced a poster for farmers and crofters, which urges care to be taken by those accessing the countryside during this exceptional period.

The Scottish countryside remains open for people to access and enjoy but 'care and respect' for those living and working in rural areas is requested.

Calls have been taken by the union from a substantial number of farmers reporting problems with public access.

These include people ignoring government recommendations and travelling considerable distances to take access, and people walking through fields of cows with calves; ewes with lambs and pregnant animals with dogs off the lead.

NFU Scotlands Head of Policy Team, Gemma Cooper said farmers are respectfully asking that members of the public follow the guidelines in the poster.

For many, accessing the countryside is a new experience and we want to help guide them on how to do that responsibly and safely, recognising the legitimate concerns of those who are farming," she said.

To fulfil our pledge to keep Scotlands plates and glasses full throughout this crisis, we need farmers to stay safe, healthy and able to get on with the job of producing food and drink.

We respectfully ask that people please follow these simple guidelines in the poster. It will assist the many people taking access in the countryside and receive the thanks of all living and working in the countryside at this challenging time.
The Indian government has so far approved the supply of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, either as commercial sales or as grants, to 55 countries as part of the efforts to fight the global Covid-19 pandemic, people familiar with developments said on Thursday.

India, the largest producer of hydroxychloroquine, initially banned exports of the drug on March 25 and further tightened rules on April 4 to bar exports from special economic zones (SEZs), where such bans dont apply. The rules were partially eased to allow the export of hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol after meeting all domestic requirements.

Supplies to 55 countries have been approved so far, including commercial sales to 21 countries, while the rest will get small quantities as grants, one of the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

India has come to be recognised as a reliable global supplier of medicines during this humanitarian crisis, and we have reached out to many countries, the person said.

Several countries in Indias immediate and extended neighbourhood, such as the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles, have been provided the drug as part of grants. Several of these countries are dependent on Indias pharmaceutical industry to meet their needs.

The exports were allowed only after a stock-taking by an empowered committee comprising representatives of the department of pharmaceuticals, the health and external affairs ministries, Indian Council of Medical Research, and the drug controller.

We have to meet domestic requirements, create a buffer over and above that and the surplus can be exported, a second person said.

There were 13 countries, including the US, Brazil and Israel, in the first list of nations for which exports were approved and most of the supplies had been despatched. Supplies are currently being sent to countries that were on a second list, the people said.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was on a third list of countries that was approved on Wednesday and the West Asian state is currently completing the paperwork for the exports, the people added.

More requests for hydroxychloroquine are expected and will be put up to the empowered committee. It is now more or less a well-oiled system that is able to take decisions fairly quickly after assessing domestic requirements, the second person said.

Among the 55 countries for which exports have been approved are neighbouring states such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, African countries such as Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, Niger, Mali, and Republic of Congo, and European nations such as France, the Netherlands and the UK.

Other countries for which exports have been cleared are Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ecuador, Jamaica, Syria, Ukraine, Oman, Colombia and the Bahamas.

Meanwhile, India supplied half million hydroxychloroquine tablets and 12 tonnes of life-saving medicines to Mauritius late on Wednesday.

This was the first consignment of Covid-19-related medical supplies provided to Mauritius, whose vice prime minister, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, received the consignment ferried by a special Air India cargo flight.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rezaul H Laskar Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail
A leading research and public policy think tank is calling on the African Union to defer, the July 1st date for the commencement of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In the light of the global pandemic and what is happening across the world and the continent, it is no longer feasible for the trading to commence under the agreement on July 1st this year, as initially planned. With the closure of most land and sea borders, as well as airports, it would be difficult for people and goods to move freely within the context of the agreement, said Mr. Appiah Kusi Adomako, the West Africa Regional Director of CUTS International.

Speaking in Accra, Mr. Adomako stated that it is undeniable that the virus has already taken a significant toll on lives and the economies across the continent. Projected revenue for African government has been hard hit and majority of businesses are not in a good shape to take advantage of the agreement.

Mr. Adomako added that postponing the planned date for at least six months would allow countries and businesses to recover from the covid-19 pandemic. The proposed postponement is premised on the hope that the infection curve would be flattened by the third quarter of this year and the possibility of the availability of a vaccine for Covid-19 early next year. If we decide to stick to the July 1st date, some countries could use the virus outbreak as a pretext to close their national borders to goods and services, since goods and services cannot move without people.

Mr. Appiah Adomako who is also Ghanas Representative at the 3rd Permanent General Assembly of the African Union Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) was hopeful that the postponement of the date would allow for the unfinished agenda on the protocols on goods to be completed. This would also permit the Secretariat, which is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, to be fully set up in terms of personnel and staff.

CUTS International is an independent non-profit economic policy research, advocacy and capacity building think tank with regional centers in Accra, Lusaka, and Nairobi, Geneva, Delhi, Jaipur and Washington, DC. CUTS functional areas are in trade and development, regional integration, competition policy, economic and investment regulation as well as consumer education.
Alagu Subramaniam, MD, West India shares his views on the ongoing COVID-19 situation

"These are challenging times not only for India and our citizens but globally as well. By practicing social distancing and self isolation as warranted, we will help reduce the stress on the healthcare system.

These are uncertain, difficult and unprecedented times worldwide. The initiatives of the Central and State Governments across India have to be lauded, however, for the country to defeat this pandemic every citizen has to play an important part in being responsible.

Restrict movement of people (other than emergency and critical services)

Encourage social distancing to slow spread

Empower companies to implement work from home protocols to limit exposure of workforce

Increase testing and isolation of impacted persons

Encourage transparent knowledge sharing and collaboration globally."

-Alagu Subramaniam, MD, West India
Three of the UK's busy restaurant chains have begun limited reopening of some of their outlets for deliveries with staff wearing masks and gloves and stringent cleaning and social distancing measures in place amid the ongoing lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Burger King and KFC have opened a number of their outlets to deliver orders and French takeaway Pret a Manger is operating on a limited delivery and takeaway basis this week.

Under the UK government guidelines, all restaurants and pubs are expected to remain close but are allowed to prepare food for collection or delivery.

Most restaurant chains had decided to close down when the lockdown initially came in force on March 23 but have now started planning some openings, with stringent cleaning and social distancing measures in place.

"We hope that reopening these restaurants for delivery services goes some way to lifting our customers' spirits in these difficult times," said Katie Evans of Burger King UK, which will be offering a limited menu from four of its restaurants two in Bristol, one in Coventry and one in Swindon.

It said it would also be giving away 1,000 meals a week to the National Health Service (NHS) staff on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fightback.

KFC said it has reopened 11 restaurants -- in Aldershot, Birmingham, Glasgow, Ipswich, London, Manchester, Portsmouth, Stockport and Tamworth -- for delivery only, with a limited menu.

The fast food chain said it has donated thousands of meals from all its open restaurants to those on the frontline, including the NHS and key workers, in partnership with the start-up, Deliveroo, and will continue that trend.

"We have spent the time since closure developing new processes to ensure we can reopen carefully and responsibly, which we've now started to do. We also saw the impact the situation is having on those who may not be able to easily get to the supermarkets, like key workers. There's a need for affordable, accessible food and we wanted to do our part," a KFC spokesperson said.

Pret a Manger will put in place a policy of half-price meals for NHS workers as it reopens 10 shop kitchens near London hospitals from Thursday.

"This allows us to also get our supply chain up and running to donate food to homeless charities, so we will be donating 7,000 additional meals per week to our homeless charity partners," the chain said in a statement.

Pret CEO Pano Christou wrote in a blog post that NHS workers and hospitals want to be able to get "freshly made food nearby".

"We are incredibly grateful that 160 team members have volunteered to help reopen 10 shops in London, located close to hospitals," he said.

Overall, takeaways in the UK have registered a hike in demand as food delivery firms such as Deliveroo and Just East reveal being particularly busy during the lockdown, with customers ordering in to comply with the stay-at-home measures.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Akbar Mammadov

The Foreign Ministry of Switzerland has said that the country considers the so-called "elections" null and void, which were held in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region on April 14, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's Spokeswoman Leyla Abdullayeva said on her Twitter page on April 15.

"Switzerland reiterated its full support to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Reacting to the illegal elections in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Swiss MFA in its Note Verbal stated that it considers these elections null and void," Abdullayeva said.

A number of other countries, including France, Germany, Turkey, UK, Canada, Australia, Norway, Pakistan, Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia, as well as major international organizations such as the EU, NATO, OSCE, OIC, GUAM, Visegrad Group, TURKPA have recently reiterated their support for Azerbaijans territorial integrity and condemned the illegal elections held in in Karabakh on March 31.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- It's an historic year for Argentine winemakers and Malbec lovers around the world as they prepare for the 10th year of Malbec World Day on April 17, 2020. Now more than ever, Argentina hopes to extend its warmth, love, and strength to the worldand there's no better way to do that than through the beloved #MalbecArgentino.

Wines of Argentina, Malbec World Day Wines of Argentina, Malbec World Day

Held annually to celebrate Argentina's flagship grape variety, Malbec Argentino, this year's Malbec World Day will honor the connection between Malbec and the country, culture, and people of Argentina. Through the theme "Argentine Malbec, Me Gusta!", MWD will pay tribute to the emblematic strain; an expression that best describes the experience of consumers who have the possibility to taste and discover in #MalbecArgentino much more than just a wine.

Since Wines of Argentina founded Malbec World Day on April 17, 2011, wine lovers around the world have come to eagerly anticipate the annual celebration. While more than 100 events took place in 86 cities across 50 countries last year, MWD 10th year will look a little different in a time of physical distancing. However, Malbec World Day is the perfect way to connect and enjoy a glass while remaining socially responsible amidst the coronavirus pandemic; Malbec lovers around the world are invited to raise a glass virtually, using the hashtag #MalbecArgentino.

The worldwide reach of World Malbec Day is a testament to both the strength of the worldwide initiative and the importance of Malbec Argentino in today's wine landscape. Though Malbec first originated in southwest France around the days of the Roman Empire, it is Argentina that has adopted the grape as its own. The country is currently the world's largest producer of Malbec, having made the variety a household name, and Malbec is the country's flagship grape.

Malbec has flourished since arriving in Argentina in 1853, propelled by a project to bolster and transform Argentina's vineyards proposed on April 17 of that yearthe starting point for the Malbec Argentino, which is commemorated each year by Malbec World Day. In fact, recent research suggests that the strains of Malbec found in Argentina's vineyards are unlike ones found anywhere else in the worldmaking Malbec Argentino a truly unique gem.

However, Malbec is more than a star grape variety for Argentina. Over the years, it has become intrinsic to the identity of Argentina itself, as essential as tango or asado. There is a reason why wine lovers from around the world are drawn to Malbec Argentino: it speaks to the warm and welcoming nature of the Argentine people.

Through Malbec, Argentines can also share a bit of their breathtaking country with the world. The variety expresses Argentina's richness and diversity of land as winemakers continue to explore and push new boundaries. From the limits of altitude to the furthest reaches of latitude, Argentine winemakers are discovering new expressions within the spectrum of Malbec, furthering the complexity and versatility of the beloved Malbec Argentino.

When raising a glass on April 17, don't just toast to the flavor, elegance and quality of Malbec Argentino. Toast to the culture, heritage, and natural wonders of Argentina itself. Toast to the Argentine people who bring the country and its Malbec to life. Now most of all, toast to all of the other people of the world who are raising a glass of Malbec. Though we may be apart physically, through our Malbec Argentino, we are together in spirit.

We invite you to be part of #MalbecWordDay without leaving your home this April 17, join us on our IG and share those moments you like the most and remind you why you keep on choosing #MalbecArgentino.

For more information about Malbec Argentino or Malbec World Day, please visit www.malbecworldday.com/2020

WINES OF ARGENTINA

Wines of Argentina is the entity responsible for the VINOARGENTINO brand in the world. Since 1993, the organization has been promoting the image of regional wines abroad, in addition to helping guide the export strategy of Argentina, studying and analyzing the changes that occur in consumer markets. Its objective is to collaborate in the consolidation of Argentina among the main wine exporting countries of the world and contribute to the global success of the wine industry, by raising the positive perception in the trade of opinion leaders and consumers. Currently, it has more than 260k followers on Facebook.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER , FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM

More information about Wines of Argentina at www.winesofargentina.org

And Malbec World Day: www.malbecworldday.com/2020

For media queries  please contact:

Wines of Argentina c/o Sopexa

[email protected]

1.212.477.9800

SOURCE Wines of Argentina

Related Links

https://www.winesofargentina.org


Fran Monks's Skype portraits capture isolated people at home. (Photo: Courtesy of Fran Monks)

Quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic has sent countless folks flocking to social media and telecommunications tools to help them stay connected, virtually, at least, to loved ones. Its also inspired one U.K. photographer to capture those living in isolation  through the medium of Skype.

Fran Monks, a photographer based in Oxford, England, is known for her fine art portraits, but the U.K.s police-enforced lockdown policies have resulted in work drying up. But while Monks, who is herself quarantining at home with her husband and three children, can no longer get out to meet with her subjects, the unique lockdown situation has presented an opportunity to still document the lives of others, albeit via a computer or smartphone.

From about two weeks before lockdown started, all my commissioned portraits started being postponed, Monks tells Yahoo Life. I realized something extraordinary was happening and people were already self-isolating at home and social distancing generally, and so I thought I should use my skills as a portrait photographer to try and document what was happening.

Though Monks has long been toying with the idea of taking portraits via Skype, the telecommunication app which acts as a phone and video call service, the constraints of lockdown prompted her to take action on the project. Now, rather than meeting clients in person, shes connecting with them on Skype, then shooting their portraits with her Leica Q camera  her own image staring back at her in the top right corner of the screen.

The owner of a restaurant closed during lockdown posed for Monks over Skype. (Photo: Fran Monks)

Recognizing the demand for video chats via Skype, FaceTime and Zoom while people were physically separated from their friends and family, Monks started by photographing those in her social circle who were quick to self-isolate: an immunocompromised friend, another friends daughter quarantining after visiting a virus hot spot. She then found volunteers  some acquaintances, some total strangers  on social media, and the rest is history.

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While Monks says she normally prefers to be much more in control in terms of staging her portraits, the Skype series are less hands-on in more than one.

Monks's own image appears in the top right corner of the shot. (Photo: Fran Monks)

It's quite refreshing to just accept the accidents, says Monks, who asks her subjects to give her a mini virtual tour of their space before settling on a position based on the light or the objects in view. Pixelation can occur because of bandwidth issues, and web cams can make it tricky to find a good angle, but Monks ultimately uses her Leica to photograph her screen once the shot is set up. And she doesnt try to disguise the fact that Skype was involved.

I decided to keep the black border around the screen because it looks a little like the border on a dark room print from a negative, she explains. That's funny because these images have so many digital layers to them, that they are quite the opposite of analog prints. I really like the way artifacts appear on the screen when I shoot the image. Also the buttons from the video call are sometimes visible, and my image is up in the top right corner. All these just give the viewer clues about how these are not typical photographs.

A woman living in Spain is among those taking part in the Skype series. (Photo: Fran Monks)

Despite the technological challenges, connecting with others  some of whom had never used Skype before the project  and sharing their stories has given Monks new appreciation for her work.

I think the most moving story so far was Ricky in Australia, who had been house-bound for 20 years and bed-bound for much of that, she says. She was saying how wonderful it was that so much was now happening online and she was already dreading people going back out into the world again, and that not happening so much.

She adds that she cannot wait to get back out to meet people in the real world and make images that way, as well as make a living. But while the lockdown  which on Thursday was extended by the British government to at least three more weeks  continues, Monks is relishing her Skype portraits.

Although we are rightly celebrating the contribution of all the key workers during the virus, all the people at home are making their own sacrifices and I wanted to recognize that, she tells Yahoo Life. People are quite happy to give their time, and make a connection. It's quite a fun thing to do.

In the U.S., meanwhile, some families are taking part in porch portraits, in which they are photographed from a safe distance while self-isolating at home.

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHOs resource guides.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle

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The F.B.I. was aware of the potential for disinformation in the Steele election reporting and, in part to address that issue, made some effort to assess that possibility, the report said. However, in view of information we found in F.B.I. files we reviewed, and that was available to the Crossfire Hurricane team during the relevant time period, we believe that more should have been done to examine whether that had happened, Mr. Horowitzs team added.

The reports newly disclosed footnotes add context to what prompted some of the worries and rounds of internal discussion among law enforcement officials.

In June 2017, for example  the month of the final wiretap renewal  an American intelligence agency received a report that indicated that two people affiliated with a Russian intelligence service were aware of Steeles election investigation in early July 2016.

The footnotes also said an F.B.I. analyst told the inspector general he was aware of those reports but had no information as of June 2017 that Steeles election reporting source network had been penetrated or compromised.

In addition, the newly revealed footnotes show that the F.B.I. team received three reports in 2017 raising the possibility that one of the sources for the Steele dossier was potentially influenced by a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate U.S. foreign relations.

One source, whose identity remained redacted, offered two of those warnings, including casting doubt on material in the Steele dossier about Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trumps former lawyer. The report did not say what was wrong, but the dossier claimed that Mr. Cohen had met with Russian intelligence officials in Prague, which appears to be false.

The F.B.I. was warned a third time in 2017, apparently by a different source, who said that someone with ties to both Mr. Trump and Russia had claimed that reporting in the dossier about Mr. Trumps activities in Moscow during a 2013 trip was false and the product of Russian intelligence services infiltrating Mr. Steeles source network. (The dossier contained lurid allegations about Mr. Trump and prostitutes during that trip.)
In his article, French expert Jean-Raphael Chaponniere said Vietnam has been successful with its low-cost strategy.

Its small number of cases and zero fatalities have surprised many, especially as it has invested little in its healthcare sector, he wrote. HCM City, for example, has only 900 intensive care beds, or one per 9,000 inhabitants.

He also highlighted the quick response by the Vietnamese Government when the first cases were reported in Wuhan in December and when the first case in Vietnam was reported on January 23.

Vietnam decided to suspend all flights between Vietnam and China on February 1, closed land borders with its northern neighbour, and shuttered schools after the lunar new year holiday (Tet) in late January.

According to Chaponniere, Vietnam has given priority to a low-cost strategy in the COVID-19 fight by systematically tracing those with possible contact with infected patients (known as F1, F2, F3, and F4), and quarantined all to control the risk of further infection.

He emphasised that the rate of infection in Vietnam is substantially lower than elsewhere around the world, despite it sharing a border of more than 1,000km with China.

This is a major success, he said, as Vietnams financial capacity is limited compared to developed countries.

Australian professor impressed by Vietnams fight against COVID-19

Professor Carl Thayer from Australias University of New South Wales Canberra has spoken highly of Vietnamese peoples support for measures taken by the Government to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In an interview with the Lao dong (Labour) newspaper, Professor Thayer said most Vietnamese people have expressed their support for the Governments dramatic measures to curb the spread of the disease, including quarantining at hot spots and imposing travel restrictions. People have also largely complied with recommendations to keep two metres apart and wear face masks in public.

The Governments quarantine and contact tracing policies have proven effective, he added.

As Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam has also called for regional meetings to deliver a collective response to COVID-19.

In addition, the World Health Organisation (WHO)s Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park, foreign doctors working in the country, and visitors have lavished praise on the Vietnamese Governments decisive actions, which have kept the number of infections to less than 300, with no fatalities.

Peoples confidence in the Governments response to COVID-19 remains high, Professor Thayer said, strengthened by efficient and transparent communications, which are vital to curbing the spread of the virus.

Cambodian expert commends Vietnams efforts in fighting COVID-19

A board member of the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) has lauded Vietnams cooperation with the World Trade Organisation (WHO) in the fight against COVID-19 and its support for Cambodia and Laos in this regard.

As ASEAN Chair 2020, Vietnam has actively cooperated with other ASEAN member countries and the international community, especially the WHO, in COVID-19 prevention and control, said Khieu Kola, who is also an international commentator on the Cambodian news channels CNC and CTN.

The Vietnamese Government, headed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, has taken many measures to protect peoples health, contributing to ASEANs efforts in the battle.

Vietnams endeavours were reflected in PM Phucs speeches at the online Special ASEAN and ASEAN+3 Summits on COVID-19 on April 14, he stressed.

Khieu Kola also highlighted Vietnams diverse experience in battling the epidemic, particularly the slogan people join hands in fighting the COVID-19 enemy that was launched in a timely manner.

Competent Vietnamese agencies have remained vigilant in the work, with the highest priority given to protecting the publics health, he said, commending Vietnams preparations of resources and medical materials for the fight.
A photographer has taken the perfect shot of an elusive snow leopard blended in the mountains of Himalayas and staring at the camera - but you might not be able to spot him.

Saurabh Desai, 38, from Gujarat in western India took the amazing pictures of the biggest wild cat near the world's highest village Kibbar in Himachal Pradesh in northern India.

Saurabh waited for three years to spot the elusive animal also known as 'Grey Ghost' in Himalayan villages.

ANSWERS BELOW

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A photographer has taken the perfect shot of an elusive snow leopard blended in the mountains of Himalayas

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Saurabh waited for three years to spot the elusive animal-the biggest cat also known as 'Grey Ghost' in Himalayan villages

Reminiscing the old adage, Saurabh said, 'I wanted to capture the animal the way local people have described it...they say that often they don't see the 'Shan' (local language for snow leopard) but 'Shan' always sees them.

'I was very keen to portray this animal in its own environment perfectly camouflaged which is an important skill that helps it in hunting.'

The intrepid photographer even risked his life as he stood on the edge of a cliff when he spotted the leopard's piercing gaze as its body perfectly camouflaged in the snowy and rocky background.

A mechanical engineer turned full-time photographer, Saurabh is concerned about the impact of climate change on snow leopards, the total population of which is estimated at less than 2,500 adults worldwide.

They typically live at elevations of around 3,000- 5,000 meters in arid and semi-arid shrubland and grassland across Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Russia and Tajikistan.

'We need to save this animal and many other like this species.

'Changing climate, increasing population of stray dogs, uneducated and increased tourism in such regions should be controlled.

'Local authorities are well aware of these things and are gradually taking necessary steps for certain issues but we being in different parts of country can at least spread awareness about such critical issues of wildlife,' he said.

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People who live in nursing homes long termusually older adults, many of whom have significant underlying conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, and diabetesare particularly vulnerable to experiencing serious complications from COVID-19. And since the beginning of this epidemic in the U.S., some of the most severe clusters of the disease have been in long-term-care centers.

Coronavirus in a nursing home can be like fire through dry grass, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a press briefing.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) since mid-March has instructed nursing homes to stop admitting most visitors and non-essential personnel, in an effort to prevent the introduction of COVID-19.

But the potential for the infection to quickly wreak havoc once it takes hold in this setting, plus the inability of families to visit their relatives and check on them in person, has many wondering whether they should bring a parent or loved one back home to wait out the storm.

It's difficult for families to know how to react to the ongoing news of outbreaks in nursing homes across the country. By mid-April, for example, about a quarter of reported COVID-19 fatalities in New York State were in long-term-care facilities. Just a month after two cases of the coronavirus first appeared in a nursing home in Virginia, 45 of the 160 residents had died, according to The New York Times.

The decision can be fraught with complications. Is being on lockdown in a nursing home safer than being in an imperfectly quarantined home? Can family and friends provide everything that's needed? And what are the financial implications of bringing someone home from a nursing home?

Of course, theres no one correct answer to these questions. People need to respect the wisdom and wishes of their parents, and trust their gut instincts on what is the right decision based on the best current news and evidence, says Olga Jarrin Montaner, Ph.D., R.N., an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Nursing.

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We consulted a number of experts to find out what families should take into consideration before pulling a loved one from long-term careplus what you can do to help take care of relatives from afar.

Weighing the Risks and Benefits

If youre thinking about bringing a loved one home, here are several questions to consider first.

Can you ensure a safe level of social distancing?

Given the frightening outbreaks that have occurred in nursing homes, it might seem like someone would have a lower chance of catching COVID-19 in a private residence.

But that might not necessarily be the case, says Ashley Z. Ritter, Ph.D., a nurse practitioner and a postdoctoral fellow in the National Clinician Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania. People may be coming and going in your home, including, for instance, young children who might not be as practiced or reliable at covering sneezes and coughs or regularly washing their hands. Your family might not be able to avoid trips out to the grocery store. Or someone in your household might be an essential worker going out every day. Any of those factors can add to the risk of an infection unwittingly brought home.

Nursing homes are being directed not to allow visitors; to regularly screen all staff, visitors, and residents for signs of disease; and to require all staff interacting with residents to wear facemasks and other protective equipment, among many other directives. In our homes, its likely that we dont practice infection control as rigorously as is done in many nursing homes, says Sheryl Zimmerman, Ph.D., professor and co-director of the Program on Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Is the nursing home enforcing effective infection control?

Nursing homes should have protocols in place for controlling infection outbreaks, Ritter says. And although this pandemic is much more severe than seasonal flu, nursing home staff should be trained in preventing the spread of disease.

Still, its important to keep in mind that some nursing homes violate these protocols every year, and infection control violations are common. You can use Medicares Nursing Home Compare tool to look up nursing homes and find recent inspection reports. Look for violations on the requirement to provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

With COVID-19 spreading, nursing homes may also be short-staffed and struggling to find appropriate protective equipment (such as masks) for residents and employees.

Ask your contact at the nursing home whether the facility is abiding by the infection control guidelines from CMS, such as designating separate staff teams to care for residents with COVID-19 and those without.

Once a facility has a confirmed case of COVID-19, though, says Joseph Ouslander, M.D., a professor of geriatric medicine at Florida Atlantic University, it may be unwise to bring a resident home. That person could already be unknowingly infected and may put other loved ones and caregivers at risk.



Can you provide the level of care your loved one needs?

The California-based nonprofit Institute on Aging recommends considering a few key factors when deciding whether to bring a relative home from a nursing homeapplicable at any time, not only during a pandemic. These include whether you can manage your relatives medications, whether youll be able to get them to all their necessary regular medical appointments, and whether you can provide them all the help and services theyll need.

Though both low- and higher-tech solutions are available for medication management, the problem of getting relatives to their regular medical appointments might be trickier than usual now, Jarrin says. Thats because healthcare providers may in some places be restricting who can come into hospitals and medical centers, in order to limit the potential for any infection spread. That might mean a spouse or caregiver would be unable to sit in on someones appointment and take notes, ask questions, and receive directions for care. Investigating the use of telehealth for part of your loved ones care can be useful, Jarrin says. Telehealth may also be necessary if your loved one is in a nursing home far away from where youd be bringing them home to, so you may want to make sure ahead of time that their doctor can see them virtually.

At home, its important to be realistic about whether you can match the level of care your relative needs and is receiving in their nursing home, says Liz Barlowe, an aging life care manager and board president of the Aging Life Care Association. Particularly for people coming from a skilled nursing facilitythey're in there because they needed a nurse, she says.

And hiring help presents its own challengessome agencies may have a harder time than usual finding enough providers, for one thing, in part because home-care workers may, like everyone else right now, want to avoid too much contact with a lot of different people. And having people come in and out of the house to provide care could raise the risk of infection being transmitted, just as visitors to a nursing home do.

For this reason, if you do decide to try and find home health care, Barlowe advises checking with agencies about their infection control policies upfront. Caregivers should be checking their temperature and evaluating themselves for any potential COVID-19 symptoms before coming inside your home, changing into clean scrubs once they arrive, and wearing gloves and a mask throughout their shift, Barlowe says. And ask agencies how many clients your potential caregiver has right now. We know the less contact with people, the better, Barlowe says. I would not accept a caregiver visiting multiple clients.

What costs are involved?

Theres a lot of variation in what Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance might cover when it comes to home health services. Tools such as the U.S. Administration on Agings Eldercare locator, Medicares search tool for home health agencies, and the National Association for Home Care can help you locate resources. Barlowe also recommends enlisting the help of an aging life care professional, who can help you navigate the resources available to you locally and put together a care plan for your relative.

And be sure to check on what might happen to your ability to resume your relatives care in a nursing home once this crisis is over. Once you take them out, it might be difficult to get them back in, or to resume coverage for the costs of care.

Whats your backup plan?

Keep in mind, Ritter advises, that whatever plans you make, you should expect that you may need to keep them in place for months, because the pandemic isnt going away anytime soon.

And you should have a backup plan in place for what happens if your loved ones primary caregiverswhether thats you, other family members, or health workers you hireget sick and become unable to care for them. Do you have a second and third line of planning to take care of that individual in the home? Ritter says.

Special Considerations for Assisted Living

If you have a loved one in assisted living, rather than a nursing home, the risk vs. benefit balance might be somewhat different. For one thing, Zimmerman says, assisted living facilities are subject to less regulation around infection control procedures than nursing homes are, so its important to find out what safeguards your loved ones facility has in place.

And in general, assisted living facilities vary more widely than nursing homes in terms of the level of medical services they provide and the amount of medical staff they employ. As more and more people start getting sick with COVID-19, that could deplete assisted living staff even more.

Zimmerman recommends checking in with the management of your relatives assisted living facility about their infection control practices and staffing levels. If the facility isnt making changes that would ensure social distancing among residentssuch as discontinuing with group mealsthat should be cause for concern, she says.

Additionally, Zimmerman says, If there was some serious concern that, given insufficient staffing, the basic needs of my family member could not be met, because there were not sufficient staff there, then I would certainly start to think about what would be the best way to take care of my family members welfare.

Care for Loved Ones From Afar

If you decide you dont have the resources to bring your relative home and keep them safe, theres still plenty you can do to take care of him or her from afar. Regular phone calls or video chats are critical for virtually checking in on your loved one.

Zimmerman recommends making these check-ins do double duty, and keeping an eye out for any signs of illness that overtaxed staff may not yet have noticed. Stay in contact with your relatives doctor so that you can alert him or her in case you notice anything worrying.

Last, if you havent clarified your loved ones end-of-life wishes, have that conversation. Its more important now than ever to review and revise advance directives and physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) forms that clarify wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment options including hospitalization and ventilator, Jarrin says.





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Fianna Fail and Fine Gael face a long road to forming a coalition after their much-anticipated policy framework document received a cold response from other political parties.

Labour Party leader Alan Kelly said the agreement between the two parties was "purely aspirational" and criticised the lack of costings in the document.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said his party felt the deal was "very underwhelming" and "far from radical".

The Green Party said it would meet to discuss the proposal today.

Last night, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael's parliamentary parties signed off on the document, which paves the way for a historic coalition government.

At the Fine Gael meeting, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it would be June before a government was formed.

Mr Varadkar got pushback from some Fine Gael members, including ministers Michael Ring and John Paul Phelan, who said it was not in the best interests of the party.

Fine Gael senators Michael D'Arcy and Jerry Buttimer also opposed the agreement. But after more than three hours of debate, the party signed off on the landmark deal.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin received little resistance to the deal from his party members when they discussed the document during a teleconference call.

Even TDs who previously criticised plans to enter government with Fine Gael did not object to the framework document.

"Sure how can you criticise it when it's like winning the lotto it has so much spending in it," a Fianna Fail source said.

The policy platform will be officially sent to smaller political parties today, and further negotiations are expected to begin next week.

The framework agreed by the old political enemies insisted there was "no going back to the old way of doing things" and committed to taking radical actions in government in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

It said the next government was facing the "crisis of a lifetime" and "we must all play our part".

"We need a government with a clear majority that is strong enough to develop and deliver a programme of national recovery across its lifetime - one that can channel its collective talents for the greater good," it added.

The parties set out "10 missions" in the document that "all centre on the wellbeing of Ireland's citizens".

"The ideas behind this document seek to build on ideas from all parties and none," it added.

Among the key promises was a commitment to fast-track the introduction of a universal healthcare system and remove private consultant practices from public hospitals.

It also pledged to begin a massive house building programme that would focus on social and affordable housing.

The Land Development Agency will be given increased powers to build homes on both private and public land.

A referendum on property rights will also be held so land prices can be reduced.

There is a commitment not to increase taxes or reduce welfare payments during the lifetime of the next government.

They will also work towards introducing a living wage of 12.30 per hour.

There are commitments to increase carbon taxes to 80 per tonne by 2030 and plant 440 million trees by 2040.

They said they would draft a National Recovery Plan to repair the economy and create jobs after the Covid-19 crisis.

Separately, a new office in the Department of Taoiseach would work on finding a consensus on a "united island".

They also pledged to give opposition TDs a greater role in drafting legislation when a new government is formed.

Sinn Fein deputy leader Pearse Doherty said the deal was a "wish list of vague promises", most of which "will never see the light of day".
Teams of Chinese doctors have set off to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso to support efforts to fight coronavirus pandemic, state-owned China Global Television Network reports.



Their exact number unspecified, but they are drawn from Sichuan Province and Tianjin Municipality.



They left for Africa on Thursday according to China's foreign ministry.



They will share experience, provide guidance and technical advice on epidemic prevention in the two countries, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian is quoted as saying.



Nigeria also plans to bring 18 Chinese doctors into the country to help fight the coronavirus, but local doctors have voiced their displeasure.



The Nigerian Medical Association said it would be better to make use of the many unemployed or under-employed medical personnel already in the country. It also said the Chinese doctors would not be familiar with the culture or challenges of working in Nigeria.



Reports have emerged of hundreds of Africans evicted from their homes and hotels in the Chinese city of Guangzhou over fears the coronavirus was spreading in African communities.



Nigeria, through its embassy in Beijing, had said it is prepared to evacuate its citizens from China.

Source: BBC









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[April 16, 2020] Franklin Resources, Inc. to Announce Second Quarter Results on April 30, 2020

On Thursday, April 30, 2020 at approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Franklin Resources, Inc. (the "Company") [NYSE:BEN] will release its second quarter 2020 operating results. A written commentary on the results will also be available via investors.franklinresources.com at approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. In addition, President and CEO Jenny Johnson, Executive Chairman Greg Johnson, and Executive Vice President and CFO Matthew Nicholls will lead a live teleconference at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to answer questions of a material nature. Access to the teleconference will be available via investors.franklinresources.com or by dialing (877) 407-8293 in the U.S. and Canada or (201) 689-8349 internationally. A replay of the teleconference can als be accessed by calling (877) 660-6853 in the U.S. and Canada or (201) 612-7415 internationally using access code 13701317, after 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 30, 2020 through May 30, 2020. Analysts and investors are encouraged to review the Company's recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and to contact Investor Relations at (650) 312-4091 before the live teleconference for any clarifications or questions related to the earnings release or written commentary.



Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization operating, together with its subsidiaries, as Franklin Templeton. Franklin Templeton's goal is to deliver better outcomes by providing global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the Company has expertise across all asset classes, including equity, fixed income, alternatives and custom multi-asset solutions. The Company's more than 600 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With employees in over 30 countries, the California-based company has more than 70 years of investment experience and over $580 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2020. For more information, please visit investors.franklinresources.com.

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T he Mayor of Barcelona has posted an emotional plea to release Spains children, including her own, from the nations lockdown.

Ada Colau Ballano said the current rules, under which youngsters are banned from leaving their homes, were unsustainable and that it was necessary to speak loudly and clearly to bring their confinement to an end.

Wait no more: Free our children! she declared.

I write as mayor and mother of two children, ages 9 and 3, who havent been out for a month. We have been with two small children at home for more than a month without going out for a single day, which they dont understand: Mum, if I dont have the virus I cant do any harm, why  why cant I go out? Im not to blame!

Week after week, they fight each other more each day, they have fits of sadness, anger it is almost impossible to keep a schedule, or an order, or do homework, or anything at all. These children need to get out.

Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown 1 /25 Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown People queue at a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased lockdown restrictions Reuters A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket in Itay Reuters Customers hold flowers in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective face masks and gloves walk in the streets as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy, Reuters People queue to enter a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen following lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP A man wearing a face mask shops in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters "Respect the 2 meters distance" banner is seen at a fish stand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Venice, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Turin, Italy Reuters Customers line up in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria APA/AFP via Getty Images Gianfranco Mandas wears a face mask as he sorts out clothing in his children's clothes shop after it was allowed to opens following restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A man wears a protective face mask and gloves at the newsstand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy Reuters People wearing face masks work in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy Reuters A general view of the parking area of a hardware store during the partial reopening of shops after the Austrian government loosens its lockdown restrictions during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna Reuters

Ms Ballano said that adults were allowed to go for a walk with a dog and that other non-essential economic activities were being permitted under a limited relaxation of Spains lockdown implemented earlier this week.

She added: Why do our children have to keep waiting? We are not idiots.

We are tired of being told that we are soldiers and this is a war, instead of talking about how to take care of life and take care of each other. Wait no more: Free our children.

Ms Ballanos outburst came as at least 11,600 people in Spain were today reported to have died in elderly homes and other social service residences due to coronavirus or with Covid-19-like symptoms.

Meanwhile, in France, around 20 sailors were still in hospital today after being evacuated there following a large outbreak on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group. It had been deployed in the Atlantic as part of a Nato exercise.

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Meanwhile, Poland today became the latest country to announce plans to relax its lockdown. Its state assets minister Jacek Sasin told a radio station that the first step was likely to see the reopening of forests and parks next week. He said the rules on how many people could enter shops would also be revised.

In Russia, the Kremlin was reported to have postponed the countrys annual Second World War Victory Day parade. The event was due to take place on May 9 on Red Square, Moscow.
Photo: (Photo : Photo from Mette Frederiksen Facebook account)

While most countries are still imposing strict quarantine measures, Denmark is way ahead by opening schools again. Nurseries, kindergartens, and primary schools were reopening according to reports.

When the coronavirus shook the world, countries imposed quarantine so that schools, malls, restaurants, and churches were temporarily closed. Denmark is among the many countries that practiced the quarantine. Its government, last March 12, decided to close down schools as part of its move to curb the coronavirus.

However, now, a month after nearly half the total schools in Denmark's municipalities and thirty-five percent in its capital have closed, reopening of said schools are announced. This decision is after the center-left Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, eased measures on schools.

These measures have been announced in early April by the government. However, the condition was that everyone would keep their distance and wash their hands regularly.

Parents react

Frederiksen, in a press conference, said that this move by the government only shows responsibility from their side and that they did this because the number of sick people is already stable.

Despite this explanation about the resumption of classes, some parents aired their opposition. Parent groups have signed a petition. It has already garnered 18,000 signatures.

The petition was called, "My child is not a guinea pig." According to organizers, the issue about the resuming of classes roots in the fact that children are prone to carrying diseases without getting sick.

Notwithstanding the petition, other parents trust the government's judgment. One mother in an interview by AFP even said that she thinks that children are to be less sick and affected by the virus.

At the hands of teachers

The schools are proactively becoming cautious during the reopening. For schools to ensure that students will keep the required distance, desks are placed six feet apart from each other, and breaks are organized in small groups.

Teaching is socially distanced. To be able to do this kind of education, some schools have divided the classes into two or even three groups.

As precautionary measures, hand sanitizers are placed near the students so that they may clean their hands regularly.

Although the students have returned to class, school administrators also expect that some parents are still going to be hesitant in sending their kids to school.

Middle and high school students will stay at home.

Even though nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools were reopening, middle and high school students will continue with online or remote classes. Schools for them are going to open on May 10, and that is the only time they will return to classrooms.

Status of the Coronavirus in Denmark

As of April 14, there are 6,691 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the death toll is at 299.

Among European countries, Demark is the very first to reopen its schools. Although it is Austria that first announced its plan to return to a "new normal." But this plan does not include opening schools until at least the middle of May.
KALAMAZOO, MI  Twenty or more families have moved into a Kalamazoo hotel amid the coronavirus pandemic, as part of a program to help them find a safe place to stay and to reduce the number of people gathered at the citys homeless shelter.

Housing Resources Inc. (HRI) of Kalamazoo was organizing the effort Thursday, April 16, to help all the families residing at Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries, a homeless shelter, move to the hotel temporarily, HRI Director Michelle Davis said.

The United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Regions Disaster Relief Fund is providing $50,000 for the emergency relief shelter initiative, which will allow all the families to stay in hotel rooms through April 30 or later, Davis said. Other partner entities on the project include the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, Ministry with Community, the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department, and the city of Kalamazoo.

Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries Executive director Pastor Michael Brown led a prayer on the sidewalk in downtown Kalamazoo before groups departed for the hotel.

Father God we just thank and praise you, for the community coming together, God, to care for our people, Brown said.

Metro Transit buses and other vans transported families to the hotel, allowing for space inside for social distancing. The hotel is providing a reduced rate, Davis said.

The parking lot was filled with activity, as children and families arrived at their new home for the next two weeks. Workers helped families secure their belongings and passed out food to the groups before helping them to their rooms. About 75 people moved in Thursday, Davis said.

The families staying there are non-symptomatic and not sick, Davis said. They have been screened daily and will continue to be screened at the hotel, and anyone who begins to show symptoms will be removed from the site and follow the countys protocols for screening, quarantine and isolation, if needed, she said.

Related: Battle Creek hotel used as quarantine space for homeless population exposed to coronavirus

Davis declined to give details about which Kalamazoo hotel the families are moving to, citing privacy concerns. It is not an open referral system, she said, and all the families were identified at Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries, and are moving to the hotel Thursday, she said. The program could be extended depending on different government orders and advisories in effect on April 30, she said.

The move is meant to reduce numbers at the homeless shelter, and Davis said HRI staff will work with the people living at the hotel, in hopes of finding them housing for after they leave. The mission of HRI is the assurance of housing for socially or economically vulnerable persons, according to HRI.

Experiencing homelessness is already traumatic and stressful, she said, and the move may be stressful initially for some of the families are accustomed to living at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, Davis said.

I also think it may de-stress them having their own space and being with their own family, she said. Larger families will be placed into two rooms, she said.

Some of the people living at the hotel are essential workers in industries including healthcare, hospitality and others, she said. They will be provided rides to work, Davis said.

The Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department is helping by providing donated masks for people to wear, she said. Security guards will be on site at all times to help with security and to encourage people to practice social distancing, she said.

Organizers hope they can help people there find housing after their stay at the hotel.

The city of Kalamazoo donated $250,000 to the United Way of the Battle Creek & Kalamazoo Regions Disaster Fund in March.

Read more:

New day shelter set up in Kalamazoo for people with nowhere else to go

Man, 49, dies of coronavirus while wife fighting for her life across the hall

Up to 4 inches snow in a strip across Michigan, Ohio; Timing says car pile-up possible on interstates
That -- that can't be real, can it? A futile, but hopeful question. The bag was apparently designed by Arnold Putra, a designer and "Rich Kid of Instagram" out of Indonesia. The Instagram post claims it's a child's spine who had osteoporosis (How kind of him to specify.). You might also note that the post was made in September of 2016, so it's not exactly super fresh, but it's resurfaced recently on Twitter and has gotten people ready to make up for lost beingabsolutelyhorrified-time.

So to verify it, Insider actually contacted Putra to find out what was up. Putra revealed that the spine bag was on an account run by someone else, but that he'd contributed to the page. And yes, the spine was real. The detail they couldn't get out of Putra -- nor any of the doctors they apparently contacted for confirmation -- was whether it belonged to a child or not. Those doctors were pretty certain it was a real spine, they just couldn't determine an age. All Putra would reveal was that, contrary to previous news reports, he didn't go trade with some tribal group somewhere for it. Rather, it was, quote, "medically sourced from Canada with papers." He wouldn't, however, show those papers, because they were subject to a non-disclosure agreement. If you're signing NDA's to get human spines, it might be time to reevaluate your life choices.
Amazon has decided to close its six fulfillment centers in France until Monday, according to an internal document seen by Capital and Reuters. The company also said publicly that itll probably appeal yesterdays court decision that restrict orders to essential goods.

Yesterday, a French court ruled that Amazon hasnt been doing enough to protect warehouse workers from the coronavirus. The company had already been prioritizing essential items over non-essential ones. But union representatives and labor inspection complained that it has been hard to respect social distancing, for instance.

While a union (Sud Solidaires) referred to a court to shut down warehouses altogether, the court has ruled that Amazon can still process orders of groceries, hygiene and health-related products. Of course, Amazon can go back to operating as usual if it can prove that it has overhauled its operations to protect its employees against COVID-19-related risks.

But it seems like restricting orders to essential items doesnt make sense for Amazons bottom line as it is shutting down its warehouses for five days. The company will evaluate risks and make some changes to ensure the safety of its employees.

Amazons public statement is quite different. We are puzzled by yesterdays court ruling in Nanterre as we have given hard evidence on security measures that weve taken to protect our employees, the company wrote on Twitter. It doesn't really make sense to say that if Amazon is shutting down warehouses at the same time.

The company also writes that it thinks itll appeal the ruling. At least one Amazon employee has been diagnosed with coronavirus in France.
Vietnam has asked Russia to assist the countrys Vietnamese community in screening for and treating the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The appeal was made as 80 Vietnamese citizens living in Moscow have so far been diagnosed with the disease and officials from the Southeast Asian country fear more diagnoses are to follow.

The Embassy of Vietnam stated the request in a diplomatic note sent to Russian authorities on Tuesday, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Statistics of the Vietnamese embassy showed that the first Vietnamese in Russia sickened by COVID-19 were diagnosed in Moscow in late March.

The virus has since spread rapidly within the Vietnamese community in the Russian capital.

As of Wednesday, about 80 Vietnamese citizens in Moscow had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Doctors have advised patients with stable health conditions to care for themselves at home as local hospitals struggle with overcrowding.

The Embassy of Vietnam thus asked Russian authorities to continue providing necessary medical assistance to the Vietnamese community and carrying out COVID-19 testing and treatment.

The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, had infected over two million people and killed more than 134,600 globally as of Thursday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

By Wednesday, Russia had recorded 24,490 COVID-19 cases and 198 deaths, with 1,986 patients having recovered.

As overcrowding continues to be an issue in hospitals and medical centers in Moscow, the Russian government has opened several additional medical facilities to assist in treading COVID-19 patients.

More than 1.5 million people across Russia have been screened for COVID-19.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!


Update: Following the publication of this article, Smithfield denied that its processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was visited by representatives from its parent company.

Smithfield has requested that Epoch Times publish the following statement:

Your recent story, titled Pork Plant at Center of South Dakotas Virus Outbreak Had Visit From CCP-Tied Owners, asserts that employees working in Smithfields Sioux Falls pork processing plant reported to Epoch Times that our facility was visited by Chinese representatives from WH Group one month before the first COVID-19 case was confirmed at our facility. Smithfield has confirmed that we have had absolutely no Chinese visitors, including representatives from WH Group, to any of our farms or fresh pork plants, including Sioux Falls, in the past two years. In 2018, due to African Swine Fever (ASF), Smithfield instituted a strict biosecurity policy that has prohibited all international visitors from ASF positive countries from visiting our farms and fresh pork plants in the United States, which includes China. In addition, following guidelines issued by the Hong Kong government, no one from WH Group (which is headquartered in Hong Kong), has entered the U.S. at all in 2020.



A Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was visited by representatives from its Chinese Communist Party-tied parent company one month before the first COVID-19 case was confirmed at the facility, according to three employees.

After the first illness was confirmed at the plant on March 26, the facility quickly became the epicenter of the states outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem wrote in an April 11 letter that 238 plant employees had contracted the virus, accounting for 38 percent of the states confirmed cases at the time.

The outbreak has intensified since. More than 518 employees have tested positive for the virus as of April 15, in addition to 126 non-employees who have become infected after coming into contact with a Smithfield employee, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.

Executives from WH Group, Smithfields parent company in China, regularly visit the plant, according to two employees. The visit preceding the first confirmed case didnt include a plant tour and was limited to meetings in a separate building, another employee said. The visit took place roughly a month after President Donald Trump had banned travel from China, where the pandemic originated. All of the employees spoke on condition of anonymity.

Three employees told The Epoch Times that the company offered workers a $500 bonus to keep working after the plant had its first confirmed case. One employee said he or she had informed management multiple times about feeling ill, but was told to keep working. The worker eventually tested positive for COVID-19.

Whenever anyone felt sick or didnt feel the best after we started becoming short-staffed, they would try [to] keep [you] there no matter what, the employee said.

When asked about management ignoring reports of sickness, another worker said the allegation is completely false.

All employees who felt a minimal symptom were sent home with a medical recommendation, the worker said, adding that the plant had sanitary and social distancing measures in place.

Smithfield Foods declined to comment to The Epoch Times; WH Group didnt respond to a request for comment.

The Sioux Falls plant already was under a three-day shutdown related to the outbreak when Gov. Noem asked Smithfield to close the plantwhich processes 4 to 5 percent of all pork in the United Statesfor at least two weeks. Smithfield responded by shuttering the plant indefinitely.

Smithfield said it would pay its 3,700 employees for two weeks after the shutdown. Kenneth Sullivan, Smithfields CEO, described the closure of the plant in dire terms. The company didnt say whether its Chinese parent company played a role in drafting the press release.

The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply, Sullivan said. It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running.

The 2013 purchase of Smithfield Foods by WH Group was at the time the largest acquisition of a U.S. company by a Chinese firm. The purchase made WH Groupknown as Shuanghui International at the timethe worlds largest pork producer. The takeover was approved by the Obama administration.

The owner of WH Group, Wan Long, holds a seat on the National Peoples Congress, the legislature of the CCP. Wans path to dominance in Chinas pork market was cleared by Li Keqiang, according to an account by the state-run news agency Xinhua, cited by The Wall Street Journal. Li is now the second-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CCP.

The connection between the CCP and the Smithfield plant fits a pattern of locales and entities with strong ties to the communist regime being hardest-hit by the pandemic. Lured by trade benefits or caving to Beijings pressure, governments and officials in many regions have taken accommodating stances toward the Chinese regime.

Last year, amid a hog fever outbreak in China, Smithfield shifted production in at least one U.S. plant to accommodate the Chinese market. The company did so with the knowledge that the move could create a shortage in the United States in 2020. Smithfields director of raw materials procurement, Arnold Silver, told an industry conference in late 2019 that sales to China could eventually create bacon and ham shortages for U.S. consumers.

Down the road, if this continues and we ship a lot of product to China, certainly I think we could see shortages, particularly on hams and bellies, Silver said.

Wan, also the CEO of WH Group, began his career at a state-run meat processing plant in Luohe, China. After climbing up the ranks and leading an expansion, he bought the firm from the government in 2006 for $326 million. A firm co-founded by Winston Wen, the son of former CCP head Wen Jiabao, invested in the company after the buyout and, at one time, held a 4 percent stake, according to WSJ.

While Smithfields Sioux Falls plant isnt the only U.S. meat-processing facility with confirmed COVID-19 cases among employees, the scale of its outbreak is by far the worst.

Sanderson Farms, the third-largest poultry producer in the U.S., reported in early April that 15 of its employees tested positive for the CCP virus. Tyson Foods, the worlds second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, on April 14 reported 30 confirmed cases at one of its Washington plants.

Maple Leaf Foods, Cargill, West Liberty Foods, and JBS have also closed some plants after employees or local residents were confirmed to have COVID-19.

Meat producers and processors have temporarily shuttered plants and reduced production as they carried out measures to prevent outbreaks. The industry is also rapidly adjusting to a massive shift in demand toward supermarkets and away from restaurants, schools, and other commercial clients that have been shut down amid the pandemic.

Meat department retail sales were 41 percent higher at the beginning of April compared to the same time last year, according to 210 Analytics.

Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.

From The Epoch Times
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker said projections show the state could face a $7.4 budget shortfall in the next fiscal year if voters dont pass his progressive income tax amendment in November as state revenue plummets because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor said Wednesday that his office projects state revenue to decline $2.7 billion in the current fiscal year. State revenue could be down by $7.4 billion for the following fiscal year if voters dont approve a progressive income tax amendment.

Pritzker offered different projections based on short-term borrowing, leveraging $700 million from other state funds to cover government costs, and whether voters approve changing Illinois flat income tax to one with higher rates on higher earners.

Updated projections from the governors office for the coming fiscal year show declines in sales, individual and corporate income taxes.

We will need to make extraordinarily difficult decisions on top of the difficult decisions that weve already made, but together with the state legislature, we will make them, Pritzker said.

Pritzker also urged the federal government to pass another COVID-19 relief package to cover lost revenue for states.

Ted Dabrowski, president of public finance watchdog Wirepoints, said the federal government is not responsible for fixing problems in Illinois that existed long before the pandemic. He said changes were needed to reduce the states pension costs along with measures to attract businesses  and jobs  to the state.

And that starts, of course, with pension reform, Dabrowski said. It starts with labor reform, the collective bargaining reforms, and youve got to start cutting back on the spending. We just grow too fast on spending and we dont allow our taxpayers to keep enough of their money to want to stay here.

Dabrowski has called for an amendment to the state constitution to allow for cuts to pension benefits for public employees. Critics of that move have said it wouldnt save a dollar in debt. Dabrowski said reforming pensions will save hundreds of millions of dollars in future costs per year.

He also said labor and collective bargaining changes were needed so the state and local governments can control costs and bring things in line with the private sector.

Lawmakers havent been in session for more than a month. State Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, said working groups have been discussing what next steps to take for when they can return to Springfield.

For the coming budget, he said what might be considered discretionary to one person could be considered essential to someone else.

So we dont have a lot of wiggle room and thats going to be the real challenge here, Martwick said. We were already in a tough place with our budget before this pandemic hit and now were going to have to deal with a loss of revenue coupled with unexpected expenses.

Martwick said those involved in state revenue policy have been thinking creatively.

Dabrowski said the state cant tax itself out of the COVID-recession.

Were going to have to look at reducing salaries, were going to have to look at layoffs in the government sector, Dabrowski said. If not, its going to all be on the backs of the residents, the taxpayers who are without jobs and without a future right now. It has to be balanced, it has to be shared sacrifice, but the governors going to have to cut back billions in the budgets in order to make this thing work.

Pritzkers office said state agencies have been directed to hold off on all non-essential expenses, freeze travel and limit non-essential hiring.

The next fiscal year begins July 1.
Major 4G updates are underway in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan via the countries respective state-owned operators.

Afghan Telecoms mobile brand Salaam is now delivering 4G to 15 sites in Kabul, and reportedly plans to invest an additional US$20 million into developing and pushing new internet services.

The operators deputy chief Sharif Sharifi acknowledged that the deployment was currently limited to a few locations in the capital but confirmed this would change over time, stating: We need some time to develop our system and to improve our services.

Sharifi noted that the operator planned to deliver 4G coverage to all of Afghanistans provinces but declined to provide a timeline, merely saying that this expansion would come slowly.

Of Afghanistans five operators, Salaam is the third to launch commercial 4G. AWCC (Afghan Wireless Communications Company) pioneered the technology in the market in May 2017, with Etisalat following it in February 2019. MTN Afghanistan and Roshan have only confirmed that they will launch 4G without indicating when this might be.

Uzbekistans capital of Tashkent is also receiving expanded LTE coverage courtesy of state-owned Uzbektelecoms mobile arm, Uzmobile. The operator also noted that data speeds would improve considerably as it was boosting the bandwidth of the LTE frequency through which it delivers coverage in the city.

All 2G and 3G base stations in Tashkent were included in the upgrade, which will also see the operator expand the technology into other regions of the country. Uzmobile confirmed that the countrys current Covid-19 quarantine was not impacting the scheduled expansion and modernisation of its network.

Uzmobile first launched LTE services in 2016, and now has the countrys largest LTE network, according to Telegeography. It is Uzbekistans third biggest operator based on subscriber numbers.
Many universities in HCM City plan to provide scholarships to students whose families livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or who live in the Mekong Delta and are affected by drought and saltwater intrusion.

Hong Bang International University will reduce second semester fees by 20 per cent for all students, while many others will reduce fees for or offer scholarships to disadvantaged students. VNS Photo Gia Loc

The Open University has announced that it will give scholarships of VND2 million (US$85) to students if one of their parents lost a job or their family faces difficulties in selling agricultural produce.

There are 3,000 scholarships on offer, and priority will be given to the worst affected by drought and saltwater in the delta.

Students can find and submit application forms online at http://ou.edu.vn/hocbong until May 5. The scholarships will cover the second semester.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh, head of the students affairs division at the university, said: We are all facing severe a crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The university wants to share the difficulties faced by disadvantaged students.

The HCM City University of Law will dip into its fund for supporting students to award scholarships to disadvantaged students.

FPT University has drawn more than VND80 billion ($3.4 million) from its development and investment fund to offer a 20 per cent reduction in tuition fees to all students from May to August.

Students of its joint training programmes will get a 10 per cent reduction in fees.

In case a students family turns down the offer, the money will be donated to the National Fund for Prevention and Control of COVID-19.

The Vietnam National University-HCM City (VNUHCM)s University of Information Technology has created a scholarship fund for students whose families have been affected by the pandemic. Students requiring assistance can fill an application at https://forms.gle/1AkS2vssNATzmafZ6.

The university will reduce second semester fees by 7 per cent for all regular students and also defer the deadline for payment for those facing financial difficulties.

VNUHCMs other member universities will reduce their fees by 10 per cent.

Hong Bang International University will reduce second semester fees by 20 per cent for all students.

Van Lang University will reduce second semester fees by 20 per cent for online lessons and 10 per cent for students attending classes.

For the moment all universities remain closed and lecturers are providing compulsory online lessons.

Many such as the Industrial University of HCM City, University of Economics and Finance and Banking University are closed until the end of this month. VNS

Higher education tuition concerns poor students The PM has allowed 23 state-owned universities to apply the autonomy mechanism, which means that the schools have the right to set tuition themselves.
The Tribune editorial board has confidence in Gov. Doug Burgum and state officials when making decisions about North Dakota during the pandemic. The Tribune believes the governor is in the best position to do whats best for the state.

So far, North Dakota has been fortunate to not have had a large number of COVID-19 cases. Nine deaths are too many, but the state has avoided the crisis situations other states and cities have confronted.

State officials have approached the coronavirus in a logical manner, closing schools and businesses that draw a large number of people. It has done testing in a variety of places in an effort to track the coronavirus.

Some have criticized North Dakota for not issuing a mandatory stay-at-home order. However, that doesnt appear necessary at the moment. The state has combated the coronavirus in a sensible manner putting the safety of residents first.

We dont agree with President Donald Trumps claim that he has absolute authority over the states during the pandemic. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, attorneys and legal scholars disagree with the presidents statement. We are glad the president has backtracked on the comment and now says he will consult with all governors and let them decide. The Tribune wishes he would further clarify his statement by saying he doesnt believe he has absolute power.

States rely on the federal government for a lot of resources and expert advice. Consultation and advice should be welcomed, but federal mandates arent always constitutional.

The president wants to begin restarting the economy, but admits it will be a difficult decision. Individual states need to decide when its safe to reopen schools, theaters, restaurants, salons and other public places. Seven northeastern states are beginning to coordinate how to lift restrictions. California, Oregon and Washington state also are working together to develop a plan.

It doesnt mean those states will do the same thing at the same time. While they are in the same region, the states may have different issues to handle. The coronavirus may pose a bigger threat in some parts of a state than others. So some counties might keep restrictions longer than others.

Burgum is apparently allowing counties to decide whether to keep polls open for the June primary or go to just mail-in ballots. It appears most, if not all, counties will go to just mail-in ballots. That seems a wise decision to the Tribune. Theres so much unknown about the coronavirus, including how long the pandemic will last and whether it will return. Much depends on when a vaccine is developed.

Our founding fathers created a form of government that has survived a lot of challenges over the years. The bottom line: it works. One reason its successful is it doesnt rely on one person to bear the responsibility for all decisions. This system will continue to be successful during the pandemic.

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The Northern California victims of catastrophic wildfires caused by Pacific Gas & Electrics decaying electrical grid will have at least $19 million siphoned way from a $13.5 billion fund for their losses to cover administrative costs.

A bankruptcy judge said he would approve drawing from the victims fund as part of a plan reviewed Tuesday during a court hearing. The decision came after PG&E and a committee representing the victims struck an accord on a $21.8 million budget for administering the $13.5 billion fund for the thousands of people who lost loved ones, homes and businesses during a series of deadly wildfires in 2017 and 2018.

PG&E will pay an additional $2.5 million to cover the funds administrative fees, but the rest of the money will come from the fund earmarked for the fire victims under the plan that won U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montalis blessing.

Even more money could be diverted from the fire victims fund to cover its administrative costs if PG&Es plan for getting out of bankruptcy gains court approval by June 30, but misses its Aug. 29 target date for becoming effective.

The economic upheaval triggered by the coronavirus pandemic has increased the chances that it may take longer for PG&E to raise the tens of billions of dollars that will be needed to finance its proposed bankruptcy plan than the company envisioned earlier this year.

The uncertainty prompted the company to draw up a contingency plan that calls for the plan becoming effective Dec. 30, which would result in the fire victims having to wait until next year before the $13.5 billion fund starts to pay their claims.

If the plan isnt effective until Dec. 30, another $21.2 million could be drained from the fire victims pool of money.

Taking any money away from the fire victims fund as been a hot-button issue since PG&E agreed to the settlement in December. At one point, two government disaster-relief agencies had been seeking to take a $4 billion claim on the victims fund, but finally backed off.

Last month, PG&E agreed to a $4 million fine as part of a plea agreement to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in a deadly wildfire in 2018 and initially said its bankruptcy financing plan required it to pay for its crimes from the victims fund. Stung by an indignant backlash, PG&E negotiated for a group of insurers to pay the fine from their gains earned from a $11 billion settlement that the utility is paying them as part of the bankruptcy plan.

Even if the $13.5 billion remained totally intact, many fire victims are worried there still wont be enough to fully compensate the more than 82,000 people filing claims for their property losses and emotional trauma. Those concerns have been elevated by the $6.75 billion in stock that will represent half of the fund. Like the rest of the stock market, PG&E stock has sunk during the past two months, prompting one financial expert to estimate the stock earmarked for the victims fund may now only be worth $4.85 billion.

Montali expressed reservations during Tuesdays court hearing about allowing such a large amount of the victims money being paid for the funds oversight and administration. But he set them aside after assured by lawyers that the people overseeing the work will only be paid for as long as they are needed.

More than half of the initial $21.8 million administrative budget will go to BrownGreer, a firm that has been hired to handle the claims. It will receive roughly $12.6 million.

BrownGreers work will be overseen by the funds trustee, John Trotter, and the funds claims administrator, Cathy Yanni. Trotter, a retired California state judge, is in line to receive about $1 million for his work through August at a billing rate of $1,500 per hour while Yanni, a mediator in San Francisco, is in line to be paid $1.54 million for her work through August at a billing rate of $1,250 per hour.

The remaining money is going to pay lawyers and other staff needed to sort through claims that will be seeking reimbursement and damages in 25 different categories, according to court documents.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Oklahoma
A new movie about Al Capone, a.k.a "America's most notorious gangster" is set to release, starring Tom Hardy.

The film has been in the works for a couple years now. The official synopsis was released in 2018: "Once a ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago with an iron fist, Al Capone was the most infamous and feared gangster of American lore...

...At the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, dementia rots Al's mind and his past becomes present as harrowing memories of his violent and brutal origins melt into his waking life."

Director Josh Trank dropped the trailer to twitter without any warning just a few hours ago, watch it above. The trailer reveals the film will be about the "untold story of his final chapters".

Originally the film was going to be called 'Fonzo', but Trank has now changed it to 'Capone'.

The film is set to release digitally on May 12.
Convicted Australian drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury has reportedly been released from prison in Colombia after three years behind bars.

Nine News reports Cocaine Cassie, as she was nicknamed, was released overnight and is now on parole. As part of her parole conditions she cannot leave Colombia for 27 months.

Live blog: Coronavirus news and updates

In an interview with Nines 60 Minutes Sainsbury says she has grown up a lot since she was jailed.

Cassandra Sainsbury is escorted to a court hearing in Bogota, Colombia by a police officer in 2017. Source: AAP

I learned a lot about myself, I learned a lot about people, I've learned how to analyse people better and - and I've learned not to trust people so much, she told the program.

It's been definitely a massive learning curve but, at the same time, everything that I've been through in prison, everything that I learnt I wouldn't change it because it's made me a stronger person it's made me who I am today.

The South Australian resident was serving a six-year term for smuggling almost six kilos of cocaine out of Colombia in April 2017.

The rest of her interview will be aired on Sunday night.

Sainsbury, in an interview with 60 Minutes, says she's learnt a lot about herself. Source: 60 Minutes/ Nine Network

Colombia on Wednesday ordered the temporary release of 4000 prisoners in an effort to reduce overcrowding and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Sainsburys former lawyer Stephen Kenny believes this is why she was released.

"Being in prison anywhere in the world at the moment would be very difficult particularly with the virus and the fact that prisons are very much like a cruise ship in the sense that everyone is locked on them," Mr Kenny told the ABC.

"If a virus got in there it could be quite deadly."

After six months, the prisoners will have to return to prison to serve out their sentences. Breaking the terms of their house arrest would lead to them being re-imprisoned.

Two prisoners have already died from COVID-19 in the South American country.

The "humanitarian" releases are aimed at ensuring "that the people most vulnerable to the virus can get out of prison confinement and go to house arrest and improve their health protection," President Ivan Duque said on Colombian radio.

Story continues

The government decree does not apply to prisoners belonging to armed groups, or those convicted of drug trafficking, sexual crimes or crimes against humanity.

The move comes three weeks after rioting at a prison in Bogota left 23 dead and 91 wounded.

Colombia has recorded more than 3,000 coronavirus infections, including 127 deaths.

Inmates extend their hands at the Modelo prison in Bogota after a riot on March 22 left 23 prisoners dead and 90 wounded

with AFP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
Hrithik Roshan is a hero in real life as well! Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the superstar has been doing his bit to aid those who have been worst-hit by this crisis. As per the latest reports, the War actor has donated Rs 25 lakh to the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) to help the 4,000 daily wage artists.

Amit Behl, senior joint secretary and chairperson, outreach committee, CINTAA, confirmed this news to Mid-day and was quoted as saying, "A few days ago, KWAN, the talent management company that handles Hrithik, asked for our account details and promptly transferred Rs 25 lakh to our sister concern, Cine Artiste Welfare Trust [CAWT]. We will start distributing the money among the daily wagers, with those living hand-to-mouth being our top priority."

Actor Sushant Singh, CINTAA head and general secretary and Hrithik's co-star from Lakshya, took to his Twitter page to thank the actor for his generosity.

He tweeted, "Kandhon se milte hain kandhe, kadmon se kadam milte hain. A big shoutout to my friend @iHrithik for his generous contribution to help our fraternity @CintaaOfficial."

Check out his tweet here.

    ,

     !!



A big shoutout to my friend @iHrithik for his generous contribution to help our fraternity @CintaaOfficial

 pic.twitter.com/ahkB6JqKmk    sushant singh   (@sushant_says) April 15, 2020

Prior to this, the superstar donated Rs 20 lakh to procure preventive masks for BMC workers and other caretakers of the society. He facilitated over 1.2 lakh nutritious cooked meals for the needy.

Hrithik has also been posting a lot of COVID-19 awareness videos on his social media page, urging fans to stay indoors and follow the lockdown guidelines.

Hrithik Roshan To His Young Fans: 'Make Adults Understand There Is No Bravery In Stepping Out'

Hrithik Roshan Shares Important Advice To Prevent Spread Of Coronavirus
To make up the shortfall, academic research laboratories have sought to convert themselves into small-scale clinical testing facilities, typically focusing on the needs of local hospitals.

If it comes around from the government, all well and good, said Ravindra Gupta, professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge Universitys Department of Medicine, but we have to prepare for nothing to come. It would be crazy to wait.

Cancer Research UK, a nonprofit organization, is converting its research laboratories to conduct as many as 2,000 tests a day. But its capacity has been limited to a few hundred because of difficulty and delays in obtaining scarce materials, said Prof. Charles Swanton, its chief clinical officer.

Even the swabs used to obtain samples had turned out to be scarce, he said, and his laboratory ultimately agreed to pay a Chinese supplier as much as $6 a swab  about 100 times the typical cost. It took about 10 days to get them, Professor Swanton added.

The British division of the drug giant AstraZeneca began setting up a testing facility last month for its own essential workers, said Mene Pangalos, the executive overseeing the effort. But at the request of the British government, AstraZeneca and its rival drug company GlaxoSmithKline have teamed up to repurpose a laboratory at Cambridge University to carry out as many as 30,000 diagnostic tests a day by the beginning of May.

AstraZeneca hopes to develop a laboratory test for antibodies, too, Mr. Pangalos said. But that will take until at least the middle of next month, and a home-based test, such as the British government tried to order, would take much longer, he added.

Everyone is overpromising at the moment, he said. I dont want to overpromise.
Working class immigrants, already amongst the most vulnerable sections of the US population, have been hard hit by the spread of the coronavirus. Doctors, immigration lawyers and community organizations report that a significant number of immigrants, despite showing symptoms associated with COVID-19, have avoided getting tested. The most common reason cited is the fear of putting themselves and their family members in the cross-hairs of the Trump administrations thugs at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and running afoul of the recently introduced public charge rule.

In late January 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the Trump administrations implementation of a rule which allows the US government to deny permanent residency to any applicant, even those not categorized as undocumented, if they were considered to be a public chargei.e., someone who relies on government assistance.

The new rule, which had first been floated last August, has caused immense confusion and anxiety amongst immigrant communities. As numerous studies have reported, even before it took effect, the rule led large numbers of immigrant families to stay away from non-cash benefit programs for fear of deportation or putting future green card status at risk. These programs include Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program, which provide much needed medical aid to poor and young children.

As the scope of pandemic was becoming apparent last month, public health experts and immigrant rights groups warned about the additional dangers faced by immigrants because of the Trump administrations inhumane policies. Ally Bolour, a Los Angeles-based immigration attorney who is on the American Immigration Lawyers Associations board of governors, told the Guardian in early-March: This is a national health emergency crisis. The government needs to come out, and just be out, and say, Were not going to deport you, Bolour said. If youre sick, come on in. Well take care of you. I mean, nobodys saying any of that.

Soon after Trump declared a national emergency in mid-March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) put out a statement on its website meant to imply that it was relaxing its application of the public charge rule: If the alien is prevented from working or attending school, and must rely on public benefits for the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak and recovery phase, the alien can provide an explanation and relevant supporting documentation. The language could hardly have been more hostile, particularly when directed towards a community that has been the target of more and more punitive and outright inhumane policies.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University and adviser to the World Health Organization, told the New York Times The first rule of public health is to gain peoples trust to come forward: People who dont seek care cannot be tested or treated, and their contacts wont be traced. The lack of testing puts at serious risk the lives of those who might be infected, while underscoring the very real danger of an uncontrolled and as yet undetermined spread of the coronavirus in working class communities across the country.

As numerous reports over the past month have noted, working class immigrants are amongst the most vulnerable to the spread of coronavirus, given the fact that most cannot self-isolate, live in cramped quarters, work without any employer-paid health benefits, and are not in a position to take days off. A significant portion do not have any health coverage, with a Kaiser Family Foundation report from March finding that among immigrants, 23 percent of those who are in the US with legal documents and 45 percent of those who are undocumented lack health insurance.

There are, in most states, community clinics that serve people who require medical care, regardless of their legal status or ability to pay. Some states, like New York and California, also cover costs of medical treatment for undocumented children. But the fear and confusion generated by the public charge rule has meant that working class immigrants have tended to shy away from using any of these facilities even prior to the coronavirus outbreak. Added to it is the very real danger that using such facilities might bring undocumented immigrants to the attention of ICE agents possibly staked outside.

ICE designates medical facilities as sensitive locations where enforcement is generally avoided. However, that is cold comfort to immigrants who have witnessed ICE question and arrest people in and around hospitals. In February 2020, ICE arrested a man in a Brooklyn hospital and brought him out in handcuffs after agents tasered and shot another person who tried to intervene in his arrest. In March, even as the pandemic took root, ICE launched an operation involving increased surveillance and raids in sanctuary cities. The goal of the operation, as the New York Times reported, was to arrest as many undocumented immigrants as possible.

Early this week, the New York state attorney generals office filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court asking for a stay on the application of the public charge policy during the pandemic. As noted by Buzzfeed, the lawsuit cites declarations from numerous physicians, lawyers and community advocates, all of whom make the simple point that the public charge rule has had a disastrous effect on COVID-19 prevention efforts.

Pedro Moreno, a doctor serving patients in parts of Monterey County, California, a region thats home to farmworkers who have been unable to take time off work, wrote in a declaration attached to the filing: I believe some of my farmworker patients have already been infected with COVID-19 by other farmworkers in the fields. Unfortunately, many of them are afraid to seek medical care due to the public charge rule, and are already spreading the infection in our community.

His concerns were reiterated by Eden Almasude, a resident physician in Connecticut: As part of my work, I have received reports of multiple patients who had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 but were afraid to go to the hospital or even obtain COVID-19 testing because they were concerned about the public charge consequences of testing and treatment and feared that a huge hospital bill would leave their families destitute. Immigrants concerns and fears are ongoing during this crisis.

The attack on immigrants has always been part of a broader attack on the working class waged by the American ruling class. The coronavirus pandemic has only served to further expose the true nature of these attacks and the fundamental class divisions that structure capitalist society.
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Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano and Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 09:31 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd22d61a 1 National COVID-19-in-Indonesia,ventilator,COVID-19-test,test-kits,production,manufacturer,virus-korona-indonesia Free

Indonesia is ready to mass-produce urgently needed medical equipment, including ventilators and COVID-19 test kits, to meet skyrocketing demand, several ministers have confirmed.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the ventilators would soon be developed by state-owned electronics manufacturer PT LEN Industri and hospital equipment maker PT Poly Jaya Medikal, each of which had a production capacity of 100 units per week.

A prototype of the ventilator is now being tested by the Health Ministry. Hopefully we can start the production next week, so we can have our first 200 locally made ventilators by April 25, Bambang said, adding that the ventilator had been designed by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).

Aside from that, a number of universities and research institutions are reportedly developing their own ventilator prototypes to be tested at the Health Ministry.

Read also: Indonesia asks Tesla's Elon Musk for ventilators

Bambang further said that the BPPT had also prepared for the manufacture of two kinds of test kits, namely the rapid one, with the help of the Gadjah Mada University (UGM), and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic kit, with assistance of vaccine manufacturer PT Biofarma.

Around 100,000 rapid test kits will be produced in the next one and a half months. We plan to produce more for the COVID-19 response, Bambang added.

Separately, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the ministry had coordinated with at least four universities, namely the University of Indonesia, UGM, the Bandung Institute of Technology and the November 10 Institute of Technology, to develop ventilators.

He added that the country would produce 16,000 [pieces of] personal protective equipment [meeting WHO standards] per day in the near future.
Gov. Gavin Newsom updates the state's response to the CCP virus at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on March 23, 2020. (Rich Pedroncelli/Pool/AP Photo)

California Governor: Schools May Look Very Different When They Reopen

Although California has yet to present a timetable for reopening its more than 900 school districts, Gov. Gavin Newsom said students and teachers should expect things to look very different when they eventually return to their schools.

More than 6.1 million students are enrolled in Californias public school system. Newsom announced at the beginning of April that all schools in California will remain closed for the remainder of the school year, posing a hardship for families who depend on school for child care and nutrition.

Newsom reassured Californians Tuesday during a press conference that stay-at-home and social distancing orders will not be a permanent state. But he also noted that daily activities, including going to school, might not be able to fully return to pre-outbreak normalcy until health officials deem it safe.

This school year, for all intents and purposes, is over, said Newsom, adding that he has talked to school district leaders regarding a host of restrictive measures to be put in place for reopened schools, tentatively in the summer or in the fall.

State and school district officials will have to stay very vigilant to make sure that kids arent going to school, getting infected, and then infecting grandma and grandpa, Newsom said. In fact, one of the six criteria to determine when its safe to start loosening Californias stay-at-home order is the ability for schools and child care facilities to support physical distancing.

Can you stagger the times that our students come in so you can appropriate yourself differently within the existing physical environmentby reducing physical contact if possible, reducing the congregate meal, dressing issues related to PE and recess? Newsom said. Those are the kinds of thingsthose are the kind of conversations were all going to be having over the course of the next number of weeks and the next number of months.

That could mean schools need to not only change the layout of cafeterias, libraries, gyms, and other facilities, but also redesign the format of classes, breaks, assemblies, and all other group activities in order to meet physical distancing requirements.

Schools buildings, playgrounds and buses will also need massive deep cleaning when they reopen, Newsom added.

Newsom said he is not going to loosen the statewide stay-at-home order until hospitalizations, especially those in intensive care units, flatten and start to decline and health care infrastructure has strengthened. He said he would revisit the question of easing restrictions in two weeks.
The coronavirus pandemic is prompting some real estate agents to sell their properties virtually as home sales begin to plummet across the Lehigh Valley, the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors group says.

The group is reporting closed sales down by 9% in March to 554 properties compared to 609 properties last year at this time. New listings also decreased by about 25% to 722 units and pending sales were down in March by about 20% to 623 units.

Inventory levels also continue to be an issue, shrinking about 40% to 1,004 units from 1,659 the year prior, leading to a Months Supply of Inventory down about 42%. In real estate, months of supply is a measurement of how many months it would take to sell the current inventory of homes  in a market balanced between buyers and sellers, it would be about six or seven months.

The drops come as real estate agents and brokers have been deemed non-essential by the state.

This means conventional open houses -- gathering potential buyers for multiple hours on a weekend at a property -- no longer meet state-mandated guidelines. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close their doors on March 19. Essential businesses still operating include anything from supermarkets to medical and healthcare facilities to restaurants for carryout and delivery. Also open are home improvement retailers, banks, pet stores, warehouses and hotels.

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors has since instructed all agents to cease in-person real estate services and only offer services that can be performed remotely without in-person, physical interaction.

Creighton Faust, a real estate broker with RE/MAX Central, said while challenging, remote sales can be done.

Faust said agents need to be thinking outside the box to iron out contracts during this unprecedented time. Creative adaptations have ranged from interactive listings to virtual reality home tours to 3D home staging and livestream virtual open houses. Others are tapping into social media to market homes. The methods put potential homebuyers in a home without anyone having to physically enter a home thats for sale.

Faust listed an Upper Saucon Township property on March 27. Four days later, he had it sold with the buyer never stepping foot inside the home.

The homeowners at 4063 Yorktown Road currently live in California with a rental tenant giving notice she needed to vacate by May 31. The homeowner contacted Faust to sell the property instead of renting it out again. They also wanted it to sell real fast -- by June -- to minimize double mortgage payments and other expenses, Faust said.

When I got the call from the client, I actually was very optimistic we could pull this off due to the low inventory and the desirability of the development, he said. But when it actually happened, I was so thrilled for our client that we made it work and helped them reach their goals because we are definitely on uncharted territory."

Faust said other agents might have given the sellers guidance to sit tight and not list the home during the pandemic.

" Im glad they listened to me," he said.

Faust found success showing the home through a virtual slideshow, which included still photos from 2016 of the exterior and interior of the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home. Vintage photos had to be used because the home now sits vacant and "staging also has been deemed non-essential during the pandemic, he said.

Faust followed the photo gallery up with a virtual video walk-through with the tenant. He had the female tenant walk in from the front door and continue room-by-room, opening closets, the garage, and pointing out such features as hardwood flooring, lighting, formica countertops and stainless steel appliances.

The result was three requests from potential buyers for more information. By March 31, there was a bid without the future buyer never physically seeing the property. They plan to close on or before June 30 -- thats when the homebuyer could potentially see the home for the first time, Faust said.

Faust said he might be soon at it again with several clients ready to list but currently sitting tight. If restrictions arent lifted in the near future, hell have to get creative again to sell those properties, he said.

Jack Gross, president of the Lehigh Valley Realtors Group, told lehighvalleylive.com Wednesday his group is seeing similar virtual showings being tried as they await a post-pandemic market rebound. Sellers wanting to list their homes now might be looking to relocate, downsize or need more space with growing families. Such properties under agreement following the shutdown are being called sight unseen -- an addendum to sale agreements, he said.

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors meanwhile has been lobbying Wolfs office to get the real estate industry reclassified as essential with protocols for COVID-19. To date, Gross said there has been little to no communication from Wolfs office to the industry.

Many efforts are being made across the board by our state (Pennsylvania Association of Realtors) and local association (Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors) to keep our membership up to date as things change by the day -- and sometimes by the hour, he said.

Despite the pandemic, the median sales price locally increased in March by about 11% to $210,000. Sellers also were encouraged with the percentage of list price received increasing 1.2% to about 99%. Days on the market remained fast at 43 days.

Mortgage rates also continue to remain low. The 30-year fixed average was at 3.33% and a 15-year fixed average was at 2.77%, as of April 9, according to Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The global value chains developed all over the world, which allowed multiple nations to produce components and collaborate on assembly of products, have ceased to function because of political uncertainty and closed borders. Even after things have settled down, the global economy will have to start over and re-invest in rebuilding GVCs.

The development of GVCs in the Asia-Pacific region over the last three decades has brought a new international division of labor between developed and developing countries, as well as between democratic and authoritarian countries.

The nations have a strong incentive to establish internationally adopted rules by concluding free trade agreements (FTAs) to manage GVCs based trade. As more international economic interactions have become GVCs based trade, the focus on trade negotiations has shifted from national border measures into domestic regulations. Countries need to agree on the international rules stipulating domestic regulations.

If a country is involved in the global economy and benefits from GVCs based trade, as many of the Asia-Pacific countries do, then its government would have a strong incentive to use the FTAs as a gaiatsu (literally meaning foreign pressure) to advance domestic economic reforms. In the meantime, domestic reforms undermine the collusive and corrupt rent-seeking scheme  such as the vested interests based on the state-owned enterprise system in China. Therefore, the reformists face backlash from those who benefit from the rent-seeking scheme. GVCs based trade empowers the reformists in the balance of power of each states domestic politics.

This argument has particularly important implications for policy debates over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)  which was originally a U.S.-backed trade agreement but is now led by Japan, Canada, Australia and Mexico. When the international negotiation of the TPP was concluded in October 2015, then-President Barack Obama said that we cant let countries like China write the rules of the global economy.

Obama showed concern that if the TPP failed to take effect the United States would miss the opportunity to form the basis of the international economic order. And now that the Donald Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the TPP, the United States has indeed missed the opportunity to lead the rule-making of international trade. However, although the U.S. withdrawal prevented the TPP from taking effect immediately, its agreed rules have become an important model for any incoming free trade agreements.

That is why Japan took the initiative to conclude a new agreement with the other 10 states now named the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement of Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP): that is, almost the same set of rules agreed upon by the original 12 signatories but not requiring the U.S. participation.

Moreover, the NAFTA renegotiation among the United States, Canada and Mexico used the TPPs agreed rules as a benchmark. As a result, most of the agreed rules for the new NAFTA, called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, are similar to the TPPs agreed rules, despite Trumps vehement opposition to the TPP.

The CPTPP should be open for Chinas participation in the future. The Chinese economy had already slowed down before the COVID-19 outbreak, as the state-owned enterprise reform has stalled under the Xi Jinping administration. Overall, the productivity of state-owned enterprise systems is lower than that of private firms, but Xi seems to give a priority to political control over economic efficiency.

The state-owned enterprise reform would undermine the vested interests such as the revolving door built between the Chinese Communist Party and SOEs. The option to opt into the CPTPP would give the reformists sway over the anti-reformists, pushing the Chinese government to commit to the state-owned enterprise reform.

And perhaps most important to note is that this effect would occur even if China is not an immediate signatory of the CPTPP. If China implements the state-owned enterprise reform, the CPTPP including China would further deepen regional economic interdependence. If China does not implement the SOE reform, the CPTPP would give its signatories an advantage to benefit from GVCs based international trade and help them confront Chinas challenge to the current rule-based liberal international order. While the CPTPP would serve for this purpose, the Chinese-led trade agreement Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership would not.

For China to lead the global economy, it is inevitable to be committed to the state-owned enterprise reform and Xi must face the backlash from anti-reformist nationalists. Now that the United States and China are turning toward nationalism, Japan and Germany  the third- and fourth-largest economies following the United States and China  must take the leading role to maintain the liberal international order.

Hiroki Takeuchi is associate professor of political science and director of the Sun & Star Program on Japan and East Asia in the Tower Center at Southern Methodist University. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
Desperate family members are scrambling to gain access to convalescent plasma therapy for their loved ones who are battling COVID-19. (Photo : Pixabay)

Desperate family members are scrambling to gain access to convalescent plasma therapy for their loved ones who are battling COVID-19. A family in Los Angeles has been pleading the doctors at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center to try convalescent plasma treatment to Stephen Garcia, who has been seriously ill with COVID-19.

Convalescent plasma therapy has been gaining popularity lately. In a recent study, 10 severely ill patients from China received plasma treatment, and their COVID-19 symptoms have rapidly improved within the first three days after just a single dose of convalescent plasma. Lesions in their lungs have also improved within seven days, and the virus disappeared in their blood after seven days.

To donate plasma, a potential donor must have had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis as certified by a lab test, and have fully recovered, with no symptoms for 14 days, and a second negative test result. A donor must also meet existing donor eligibility requirements, such as blood type compatibility, health requirements, etc.

Blood centers and hospitals across the United States and the world have been fast-tracking their efforts to collect convalescent plasma from COVID-19 survivors on the theory that it contains antibodies that can improve the condition of patients.

An anesthesiologist from Colorado, Dr. Michael Leonard, has been one of the first COVID-19 patients in the state to receive convalescent plasma. It was from a donor who had previously recovered from the disease. The donor has donated the plasma to the blood center at Children's Hospital Colorado. The doctor's chances of recovering look promising as his body appear to be rebounding.

Michael Kevin Rathal, a 52-year old from Orlando, Florida, is battling COVID-19. He has been previously administered with different antibiotics and hydroxychloroquine. Unfortunately, nothing worked, that's why his wife begged the doctors to try convalescent plasma treatment. Rathal has been put on a ventilator and has been placed in a medically induced coma on April 4.

His donor, James Crocker, has recently recovered from COVID-19. He gave his plasma on April 8, Wednesday morning, and Rathal received it that night. On April 12, Easter morning, doctors have shown his family signs of improvement. One of his doctors facilitated a video call with his family to show them that he was waking up from his week-long coma.

Stephen Garcia's family is desperate to have him undergo the experimental treatment. Garcia has been on a ventilator for two weeks and has been unresponsive. However, hospital officials have refused to enroll Garcia in any clinical trial or to seek individual emergency use of convalescent plasma or any expanded access program despite FDA's authorization for these pathways, particularly for gravely-ill patients.

Dr. Michael Joyner, the principal investigator of the Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access Program, said that the number of eligible plasma donors limits plasma treatment. The biggest issue, according to him, is building up the supplies. Medical professionals also agree that antibody-rich plasma may be promising, but does not guarantee recovery.

Families have not been deterred despite the limitations, and several of them have been seeking out their sources. Many families have taken into Facebook and Twitter to put out the word of their need for plasma donors.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has criticised Donald Trump after the US president said he is freezing payments to the World Health Organisation pending a review of its warnings about coronavirus and China.

The US president said the Covid-19 outbreak could have been contained at its source with lives spared had the UN health agency done a better job investigating reports coming out of China.

The United States contributed nearly $900m (823m) to the WHO's budget for 2018-19, according to information on the agency's website.

Mr Coveney tweeted that Mr Trump withholding funding was an "indefensible decision" in the midst of a pandemic.

"So many vulnerable populations rely on WHO - deliberately undermining funding and trust now is shocking," he wrote.

"Now is a time for global leadership and unity to save lives, not division and blame."

The United States is the biggest overall donor to the WHO, contributing more than $400m in 2019, roughly 15pc of its budget.

Some 1.99 million people globally have been infected and nearly 128,000 have died since the disease emerged in China late last year, according to a Reuters tally.

Shattering

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was not the time to reduce resources for the WHO.

"Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences," he said in a statement.

China, which has won WHO praise for its actions to curb the virus's spread, yesterday urged the United States to fulfil its obligations to the WHO.

"This decision weakens the WHO's cap ability and harms international co-operation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter: "Deeply regret US decision to suspend funding to WHO.

"There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever."

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said apportioning blame did not help.

"The virus knows no borders," he said in a tweet.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the WHO was essential to tackling the pandemic.

"At a time like this when we need to be sharing information and we need to have advice we can rely on, the WHO has provided that," she said. "We will continue to support it."
Congressman Tom McClintock View Photo

Sonora, CA  Mother Lode Congressman Tom McClintock has authored a new myMotherLode.com blog in which he argues for additional considerations of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He writes, Theres another death toll few seem to care much about: the number of poverty-related deaths being set in motion by deliberately plunging millions of Americans into poverty and despair.

He states that 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment and a quarter of workers have lost their jobs or seen their paychecks cut.

He further adds, The medical experts who are advising us are doing their jobs  to warn us of possible dangers and what actions we can take to mitigate and manage them. The job of policymakers is to weigh those recommendations against the costs and benefits they impose.

You can find the blog, which he entitles, The Unseen Death Toll of COVID-19 Measures, by clicking here.
 New York, the most lethal hot spot in the U.S., reported more encouraging signs, with a drop in the daily number of deaths statewide and the overall count of people in the hospital. Weve controlled the beast, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Still, Cuomo extended the state's lockdown through at least May 15, and New York City is lining up 11,000 empty hotel rooms to quarantine people living in crowded apartment buildings.
Washington (AFP) - The wealthy Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called Wednesday for global cooperation to ready COVID-19 vaccines for seven billion people, while offering $150 million toward developing therapeutics and treatments for the virus.

While it is likely to take as many as 18 months to develop and fully test a safe coronavirus vaccine, global authorities and businesses need to start now on plans to manufacture it, said foundation chief executive Mark Suzman.

"It's normal to have, at maximum, hundreds of millions of doses manufactured," he said.

"When you are dealing with a novel pathogen like COVID-19, as and when we get to identifying a successful vaccine, we are going to need billions of doses."

"There are seven billion people on the planet," he said. "We are going to need to vaccinate nearly every one. There is no manufacturing capacity to do that."

Suzman announced the foundation, started and controlled by mega-billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates, is adding $150 million to the $100 million it announced in February to help in international efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Much of the money is to support the development of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, therapeutic treatments and vaccines, and to make them globally available, he said.

Some is also for helping the poorest countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, which lack supplies, equipment and infrastructure to counter the new epidemic.

But the foundation has its focus on preparing for the creation of a vaccine that could effectively halt the spread of coronavirus.

Some 100 potential vaccines are being developed and tested by scientists around the world, Suzman said.

Many might appear hopeful in initial, small tests, he said, but most will fail in larger trials.

"A successful vaccine has to be available for seven billion people. You need to test if there are unexpected side effects, or side effects within cohorts or groups, whether it's pregnant women or the elderly or the very young," said Suzman.

Story continues

"The vast majority of vaccine candidates fail in those larger trials, the so-called phase-three trials."

- 'Fastest vaccine ever' -

But even as those trials take place, he said, there needs to be an international group of experts, countries and companies honing in on those with the most promise and preparing ahead of time to manufacture them.

He said both China and the United States have to be part of the joint effort, as well as the World Health Organization. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he was cutting off US funds for the WHO.

"Clearly for us, the World Health Organization is a very strong, reliable partner," Suzman said, noting the Gates Foundation is WHO's second-largest source of funding after the US.

Earlier Wednesday, European Commissioner chief Ursula von der Leyen called a donors conference for May 4 to fund the creation and global deployment of a vaccine, calling it "our collective best shot at beating the virus."

Suzman said the Gates Foundation is "reasonably optimistic" that one or more successful vaccines can be proven within 12 to 18 months.

"This will be the fastest vaccine ever developed in human history," he said.

Yet getting the production going, he estimated, will cost several billion dollars.

Each vaccine finally approved will require its own manufacturing process, and if people don't begin to prepare within months, a lot of time will be lost, he warned.

"There will be no return to 'normal' until there is a vaccine," Suzman said. "But there are no dramatic ways to short-cut it."
Microsoft has been adding new Indian languages to Translator, now it has added five Indian languages: Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayalam and Kannada. This takes the total number of Indian languages supported to 10, including Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Microsoft said that the Translator team have continuously been improving translation quality based on technology advancements and usage signals.

Regarding this Microsoft said:

Neural machine translation technology has recently achieved impressive quality gains, characterized by highly fluent and accurate output. Using multilingual neural machine learning, the Translator team has leveraged data from languages belonging to the same family to build and refine these models and greatly enhance their quality. With this release, Microsoft Translator now translates ten languages of the Indian subcontinent covering 90% of commonly used languages in India.

Microsoft Translator supports more than 70 languages for text translation through the Microsoft Translator API. These languages are available now on all Microsoft Translator apps, add-ins, Bing Translator, Microsoft Office and through the Azure Cognitive Services Translator API for businesses and developers, and will also be rolled out to the new Microsoft Edge browser and other Microsoft products in the coming days.

Commenting on the same, Sundar Srinivasan, General Manager, Microsoft India (R&D) Pvt. Ltd., said:

Were committed to empower every Indian and every business in India by bringing the power of AI into their daily life. Microsoft celebrates the diversity of languages in India and wants to make the vast internet even more accessible. We have supported Indian languages in computing for over two decades, and more recently have made significant strides on machine translation across languages. With this release, we are bringing in cutting edge machine learning tech to democratize access to information for everyone in India.

Source
SANAA, July 7, 2019 (Xinhua) -- A girl looks at a historic building destroyed in an airstrike in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen, on July 7, 2019. Many historic buildings in the Old City of Sanaa have been destroyed in a civil war between pro-government Image Source: PK

Sanaa, April 16 : The Saudi-led coalition on Thursday launched six airstrikes on two suburbs of the Houthi-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa, according to residents.

The strikes hit military sites in the suburb of Wadi Dhahrin the northwest of Sanaa, and the suburb of Khawlan al-Tiyal in the southeast of the capital city, the residents told Xinhua news agency.

Sound of warplanes and explosions were heard in downtown Sanaa.

On April 9, the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting the Yemeni Houthi group declared a unilateral two-week ceasefire in Yemen in support of the UN peace efforts to end the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in early 2015 to support Hadi's government.


A well-known environmental activist was shot dead earlier this month in Mexico. His death marks the third activist killed in the country this year.

According to the UN office of the high commissioner for human rights, the activist, Adan Vez Lira, was riding his motorcycle in Actopan, Veracruz, when he was attacked.

Vez Lira was an avid supporter at the La Mancha Ecological Reserve. He also played a significant role in many environmental defense causes in the town.

Many remembered the activist as someone who was against mining. He strived to protect and preserve wetlands---including the reserve's tropical forest and coastal lagoons.

Vez Lira is the third known environmentalist killed in the country. Local officials reported three other activists that were murdered in early 2020.





Other Victims

In late March, unidentified shooters killed Isaac Medardo Herrera Aviles at his home. Authorities said the killers knocked on the door of his house, shot him, and ran away.

Aviles was a lawyer and an activist who was against the development of a rural tract near Cuernavaca. He led the four-year fight in a bid to stop companies from building a housing development in the local area.

Homero Gomez Gonzales--an environmentalist and defender of the Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve---was the first such death this year.

Authorities found his body two weeks after his family reported him missing. Investigators found his body at the bottom of a holding pond. An autopsy revealed he died from "mechanical asphyxiation by drowning of a person with head trauma."

Prosecutor found a second victim in the same week. Raul Hernandez Romero was reported missing a few days before authorities found his corpse. He was reportedly battered and bruised. His head also showed signs of trauma from a sharp object.





Criminal Activity

Mexico has become an increasingly dangerous place for environmental activists in the past few years.

The country holds many UNESCO World Heritage sites. The El Rosario sanctuary is home to a vast population of monarch butterflies. The same forests, however, have attracted illegal loggers and avocado farmers over the years, threatening the butterflies' habitat.

The National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, released a warning in 2019 where they said the deforestation in the reserve puts the migration of the butterflies in danger.

A UNAM researcher said illegal activities such as logging and planting of wheat and other crops in the sanctuary destroys the natural vee=getation in the area. This includes the plants that the insects eat to live.

Each year, over 90 million Monarch butterflies journey from Southeastern Canada to central Mexico during the winter season. Their migration plays a crucial role in pollinating an assortment of plants over the 5,000 km route.

Drug cartels play a significant role in the death of environmentalists. Activists set up programs such as reforestation and patrol teams, hindering the cartels' activities.

Impunity in Mexico is widespread. In the state of Michoacan, where the reserve is located, only 3 percent of murder cases were solved.





Want to read more news from Mexico? Check these out:
SEOUL, South Korea -- The first U.S. service member to test positive for coronavirus has recovered and been released after 49 days in isolation in South Korea, the military said Thursday.

The announcement came as the pace of infections has slowed across South Korea since an outbreak began in the southeastern city of Daegu in late February.

Only 22 new cases were recorded Wednesday, the lowest daily number in more than two months, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Related: Marines Sprint Down NYC Pier to Deliver Oxygen Tanks to Dying Coronavirus Patients

Only four of those were in Daegu, which is home to a U.S. Army garrison that has been at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in South Korea.

Noting the progress, U.S. Forces Korea removed Daegu from its list of hot spots deemed off-limits to nonessential personnel.

It was a largely symbolic move since travel and access restrictions remain in place for bases across the divided peninsula, with service members banned from most off-base activities.

"The only change to [health protection] measures for USAG Daegu is general officer approval to travel to and from Daegu is no longer required," the garrison said.

The soldier, who was stationed at Camp Carroll, and his wife, who also had been infected and was cleared, have returned to their off-base home while he awaits a decision on when he will return to duty, U.S. Forces Korea said.

The couple has a child, but USFK has not commented on the child's condition.

The soldier, who was 23 when he tested positive Feb. 26, was the second person affiliated with USFK to be infected after an outbreak began in the southeastern city of Daegu, which is home to the U.S. Army garrison that includes Camp Carroll.

He was one of two soldiers infected in South Korea, although USFK has reported 22 other cases among military dependents, contractors and other U.S. and South Korean civilian employees.

The Pentagon says 2,486 U.S. service members have been confirmed to have coronavirus, with two deaths and 446 recovered as of Wednesday.

The soldier was cleared "after having been asymptomatic for more than seven days, being fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medications, successfully passing two consecutive COVID-19 tests with negative results at least 24 hours apart, and being cleared by USFK medical providers," the command said in a news release.

USFK said 10 other American and South Korean dependents and civilians have been declared free of the virus since March 15.

More than 28,500 U.S. service members are stationed in South Korea, which remains technically at war with the North after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice instead of a peace treaty.

The military has imposed a partial lockdown of Camp Humphreys and Osan Air Base after recent cases were reported on those installations. USFK also has restricted access to bases across the divided peninsula.

USFK said it "remains at a high level of readiness" and "continues to maintain a robust combined defense posture" to protect South Korea while "maintaining prudent preventive measures to protect the force."

The 22 new cases raised South Korea's total to 10,613, with 229 deaths and 7,757 patients discharged after recovery.

South Korean health authorities said the threat from cluster infections remains high and urged people to continue measures to prevent the spread of the virus including social distancing and thorough hand-washing.

Read more: The Latest on the Military's COVID-19 Response
Pro-life members of Congress are urging the Trump administration to keep measures in place intended to protect unborn life and the dignity of fetal remains as abortion advocates push for them to be loosened during the coronavirus health crisis.

Representative Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Republican, and Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, led two letters from members to President Trump urging him not to acquiesce to criticism of his ban on taxpayer funding of aborted fetal tissue research. Critics of the administrations decision have argued that such research could assist in finding a cure for the coronavirus, which continues to spread rapidly across the country.

These critical litanies, however, repeat false claims and narratives which for many years have touted the utility of aborted fetal tissues in research, including the claim that aborted fetal tissue has been used to create many vaccines, the letter from House members said.

A similar letter from senators accused advocates of fetal tissue research of attempting to exploit the coronavirus crisis, adding such unethical practices are unnecessary.

A scientist at the governments National Institutes of Health, Kim Hasenkrug, was prevented by Department of Health and Human Services officials last month from conducting coronavirus research involving fetal tissue donated by women who had abortions. HHS detailed its funding restrictions on fetal tissue research last year, stating at the time that, promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trumps administration.

In a separate joint letter to the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi and Representative Bob Latta of Ohio led a group of lawmakers in asking the FDA chief not to temporarily relax restrictions surrounding medication abortion drugs, as some abortion advocates have recommended.

Story continues

These demands are both reckless and dangerous, the members wrote to FDA head Stephen Hahn.

Meanwhile, a group of more than 50 pro-life leaders across the country wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar asking him to be vigilant about preventing a pro-abortion agenda from coloring the national response to the coronavirus pandemic.

At a time when hospitals are overloaded, the abortion industry is putting women at risk of incomplete abortion, hemorrhage, and infection, the groups wrote about the proposal to relax restrictions on medication abortion, which is used in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony list, praised the efforts by members of Congress and accused the abortion industry of exploiting fears surrounding the pandemic to promote an extreme abortion agenda.

Their calls for the rollback of protective FDA regulations on dangerous chemical abortion drugs, which carry serious risks for women, potentially requiring hospitalization, prove they are willing to endanger not only the health and safety of vulnerable women but that of front-line medical personnel and all of society, Dannenfelser said. Additionally, they insist that unethical experiments involving aborted baby body parts are necessary to find a cure for the coronavirus, ignoring the wide variety of ethical options already available and under development.

More from National Review
Press Release

?Regulated information*



Brussels, 16 April 2020, 12.30 CEST

KBC provides more details on the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 7 May 2020

In light of worldwide travel restrictions and the social distancing recommendations made by health authorities, the KBC Group Board of Directors decided on 30 March 2020 to organise this year's Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shareholders as a virtual meeting. KBC Group NV had also included a specific clause on this matter in the notice convening the AGM published on 3 April 2020.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Depending on the measures taken by the authorities in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, KBC Group NV may decide to adjust the terms of participation for the Annual General Meeting or, if necessary, to postpone this Annual General Meeting. Such revised terms of participation and/or postponement will be announced in a timely manner on KBC's website (www.kbc.com) and, as the case may be, by other means to ensure that all shareholders are duly and timely informed. In the meantime and for reasons of public safety/health, all shareholders are strongly encouraged to make maximum use of the right to vote by proxy as described below and the right to ask written questions.

Today, KBC Group NV has published more details on its website governance/General Meetings) about the additional and amended information to shareholders regarding the AGM. This information relates to:

shareholders and their proxies being prohibited from physically participating in the AGM

shareholders exercising their rights to grant a proxy to vote at the AGM or to use a voting form themselves

questions asked in writing

the ability to follow the AGM by means of a live webcast.

For more information, please contact:

Viviane Huybrecht, General Manager, Corporate Communication/Spokesperson, KBC Group

Tel +32 2 429 85 45 - E-mail: viviane.huybrecht@kbc.be

Kurt De Baenst, General Manager, Investor Relations

Tel +32 2 429 35 73 - E-mail: kurt.debaenst@kbc.be

* This news item contains information that is subject to the transparency regulations for listed companies.





KBC Group NV



Havenlaan 2 - 1080 Brussels







Viviane Huybrecht



General Manager



CorporateCommunication /Spokesperson



Tel. +32 2 429 85 45



Press Office



Tel. +32 2 429 65 01 Stef Leunens



Tel. +32 2 429 29 15 Ilse De Muyer



Tel. +32 2 429 32 88 Pieter Kusse







E-mail:pressofficekbc@kbc.be (mailto:pressofficekbc@kbc.be)



KBC press releases are available at www.kbc.com (http://www.kbc.com/) or can be obtained by sending an e-mail to pressofficekbc@kbc.be (mailto:pressofficekbc@kbc.be)



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Attachment
G raphic artist Anthony Burrill has an illustrious track record creating signs for the times that stay with us, but his latest one has added meaning.

Last month, Burrills WE ARE ONE artwork featured as the cover of ES Magazine, on the last issue to be handed out on the Underground before London went into lockdown.

Bright and bold when many of us were feeling neither, Burrills words were a message of hope in green, orange, red and blue letters  block capitals for the capital. This week British accessories giant Kurt Geiger and ES Magazine are launching a campaign to use Burrills work to raise 1 million for the NHS, through sales of a canvas tote bag with his words printed on the side. All profits from the 20 bag will go directly to NHS Charities Together, a not-for-profit conglomeration of 250 good causes attempting to raise 1 million every day for hospitals.

It felt like it captured an idea, uniting everybody, Burrill tells me down the phone from his family home and studio in Kent.

Known for his persuasive, upbeat style, the 52-year-olds work is iconic  youll recall, perhaps, Work Hard and Be Nice to People (a phrase hed overheard in a supermarket, as an old lady passed on her secret to a happy life to a checkout girl); Extinction Rebellions This is Change; or his thought-provoking Tube safety posters that ran in TfL stations during the Noughties.

Dame Joan Collins with her 'We Are One' tote bag

His work, usually text-based or typographic, is held by the V&A and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, and has been shown by the Barbican.

Hes a master of message. Short words, short meaning, and large colourful typography, its always a powerful combination, he says. At this time the messages we see largely dampen spirits and urge caution, as the BT Tower, for instance, bears the encircling words Stay Safe Home Stay At Home, an iconic landmark draped in a warning, a scene straight from a disaster film. Burrills work, by contrast, is a bright spot, a vestigial reminder of a London that was, and will be again, alongside Sir Peter Blakes rainbow. Theyre symbols of hope for the capital, Burrill says. Having physical contact with people is impossible at the moment, so actually sharing things is vital.

His work, he says, has always been about boiling things down to their essence, getting rid of all the unnecessary visual information and concentrating on what needs to be said.

The KG x ES 'We Are One' tote bag

In times of confusion, that cuts through.

Hes already sold out of a limited run of original prints bearing the words, with profits going to The Felix Project, a charity helping to feed communities by rescuing surplus food and the Standards partner in our Food For London Now campaign.

Judging by the amount of conversation its started, and the comments Ive received on Instagram, it just seems to have connected, with people around the world as well, Burrill says.

Life, he says, has felt like groundhog day, but over a really long extended weekend. He, his wife Emma and his two grown-up children have holed up at their home in Kent, a converted granary.

Burrill misses the freneticism and creativity of London (he used to live in Brixton) but has kept busy, delivering food and prescriptions to local families. He and daughter Rose, 22, have been hosting virtual tours of his studio via Instagram, which have helped him feel connected. A general sense of gratitude to the NHS has made him happy, too.

I think its incredible that everyone seems to understand how important it is, he says. Were all experiencing the same thing at the same time, and I think its going to have a unifying effect, definitely. Its a sentiment echoed by Neil Clifford, Kurt Geigers CEO. I am immensely proud and grateful to live in a country with such wonderful healthcare for us all, he says. The NHS workers have been working flat out since the outbreak of this awful virus, putting their lives at risk for the benefit of us all. Buy a bag, spread the word, and help shoulder the load.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast:






By Hwang Jin-tae




(Bloomberg) --

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook led a companywide virtual meeting on Thursday to address concerns about the impact of Covid-19 and discuss the iPhone makers plan to return to work.

During the meeting, Cook called the pandemic an uncertain and stressful moment, but expressed confidence that the company will emerge strongly from the crisis, as it did after the 2008 recession and following a near-bankruptcy in the late 1990s.

He said that Apple isnt immune to worldwide economic trends, but that it entered the coronavirus pandemic with a robust balance sheet and stressed that the company will keep investing in a really significant way in research and development and future products, according to Apple employees who attended the meeting. A company spokesman declined to comment.

If we stay focused on doing what we do best, if we keep investing, if we manage the business wisely and make decisions collaboratively, if we take care of our teams, if our teams take care of their work, I dont see any reason to be anything but optimistic, Cook, who has been Apples top executive for nearly a decade, told staff.

When asked about potential job cuts, the CEO reiterated Apples strong financial position and pointed out that it has been paying retail employees while stores are closed. I wont tell you Apple wont be impacted, Cook said, while stressing that his focus is on running the company for the long-term rather than making short-term adjustments.

Read about Googles plan to slow hiring for the rest of 2020

Apple doesnt yet know when employees will be able to return to offices, but Cook said that when workers do go back, temperature checks and social distancing will likely be implemented. He said coronavirus testing is a possibility, but that there arent plans in place at the moment.

Apples head of human resources and retail, Deirdre OBrien, said the company is tweaking its vacation policy through the rest of the year to reimburse employees for unused days. She also said there would be flexibility for returning to work for employees in unique situations.

Story continues

Apple retail employees are starting online training and ramping up virtual meetings in anticipation of store re-openings, according to people familiar with the matter. That will require employees to clock in and out online. Apple anticipates beginning to re-open its U.S. stores in early May.

Read more: Apple to Begin Reopening Stores, Starting With South Korea

Cook said Apple has donated more 30 million masks and has shipped 2 million of its new face shields, while contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to battling Covid-19. He also said the companys Covid-19 screening app has been used millions of times.

Cook said that the introduction of the new MacBook Air, iPad Pro and iPhone SE in recent weeks shows that the company isnt letting the pandemic disrupt its product launches.

Read more: Apple Unveils Cheap IPhone to Boost Sales Ahead of 5G Models

He said when he first joined Apple in 1998, the company responded to financial challenges with the release of the original iMac. He noted that Apple rolled out the first iPad in 2010, right after the Great Recession, and said that Apples plan is to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic in a similar fashion.

The company plans to release up to four redesigned iPhones later this year with 5G networking and is preparing to introduce a virtual-reality headset in 2021 or 2022, Bloomberg News has reported. Its also working on its own main processors for Mac computers, light-weight augmented-reality glasses and self-driving car technology.

During the meeting, Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams said that the crisis has elevated the importance of Apples work on health products, including the Apple Watch, and said the companys development work in the space isnt limited to the wrist. He also said the pandemic is pushing countries to more quickly help Apple rollout the Apple Watchs electrocardiogram feature.

Other Apple executives also participated, including services head Eddy Cue and software chief Craig Federighi. Cue discussed the decision to defer March and April payments on the Apple Card, and Federighi outlined the privacy of the companys partnership with Google for contact tracing.

(Updates with more details from the meeting in fifth paragraph.)

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:18:23|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli parliament was tasked on Thursday with choosing a new prime minister after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Benny Gantz, missed a deadline for a unity government deal.

The announcement came in a statement issued on the behalf of President Reuven Rivlin, in which Rivlin gave the 120-seat parliament 21 days for the task.

"We are in a third consecutive election campaign this year, without any elected official able to form a government that would have the confidence of the parliament," Rivlin wrote in a letter to Gantz, according to the statement.

Both Gantz's centrist party of Blue and White and Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party said negotiations between the two parties would continue throughout Thursday with the aim of forming an emergency government that will deal with the COVID-19 crisis and the nation's year-long political deadlock.

Should the parliament fail to choose a designated prime minister supported by at least 61 lawmakers, Israel will go for the unprecedented fourth election in about a year. Enditem
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- East West Costa Rica, a company in the advanced manufacturing sector that is dedicated to global manufacturing of components, sub-components, and finished products for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and distributors, announces an investment of more than US $2 million for its operations in Costa Rica.

The company, which is located in the BES free trade zone in Alajuela, will be investing in new machinery to automate production lines and to introduce new productive processes in Costa Rica. Currently, the company has more than 180 employees and expects to hire more than 50 more people for diverse areas and company levels during the year 2020.

The operation in Costa Rican expects growth of 25% in sales due to the transfer of projects from the United States to Costa Rica. This measure is being taken at the headquarters given the excellent results obtained in the country with emphasis being placed on the quality of the staff and the end product leaving its plant.

The company's strategy will be to use economies of scale and to send higher volume projects to Costa Rica to provide a production alternative that is optimized for its customers.

Information provided by CINDE shows that, as of the 2019 close, the advanced manufacturing sector employed more than 9,630 people and recorded 44 companies in this strategic sector.

The minister of foreign trade, Dyala Jimenez, commented: "The announcement made by the East West company fills us with pride and continues to motivate us to work to position ourselves in greater competitive conditions. Today more than ever this is great news because it translates into employment opportunities. We are deeply grateful to East West for its trust in our country and its long-term wager."

Marco Fernandez, the East West general manager, commented: "The strategic acquisition of General Microcircuits that took place at the beginning of 2019 by East West Manufacturing involved taking advantage of the human resources, quality, talent, and production capacity as its main strategy. It was meant to transfer high-volume projects to our operations in Costa Rica from the different East West branches. This involves investing in plant capacity, automation and staff to underwrite the long-term commitment to the work and investment made in the country up to this point."

Jorge Sequeira Picado, the CINDE managing director, commented that: "The advanced manufacturing companies have made it possible for the number of jobs created by the sector since 2000 to double, reaching more than 9,600 job positions in 2019. Likewise, the number of active companies in the country has grown 1.5 times over that same period of time. With this new investment, East West Costa Rica was able to increase its manufacturing volume and generate greater value added for its processes by taking advantage of the economies of scale to the benefit of its customers and, in turn, have a positive impact on the development of this human talent."

The company will seek to recruit staff for areas such as: accounting, purchasing, electromechanical techniques, industrial engineers, logistics, production operators, and supervising, etc.

About East West

East West is more then a global manufacturing company. The company is capable of assisting with projects that are already underway where there is a need for a new vendor or to scale up production. The company manages projects from design up to product delivery. The company is able to take a concept, turn it into a design, manufacture it with the highest world-class standards, and manage the whole logistics chain until the product is delivered to your door.

SOURCE Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency

Related Links

http://www.cinde.org


Two McCullough Junior High School students found out they had been named regional winners of the annual ExploraVision competition while they were on Spring Break and will have to wait to celebrate the accomplishment with their school.

Owen Plourde, a seventh-grader, and Raphaela De Marchi Padovani, an eighth-grader, started working on their project last August. The competition, held in the United States and Canada, challenges students to find solutions to problems that have a global impact.

Project focus

The McCullough duo chose to focus on plastic pollution in the ocean, and their research lead them to a bacterium that biodegrades plastic. The solution they came up with was to genetically modify a well-known alga (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) with the bacterium to create a composting system that keeps plastic out of landfills and the ocean.

We decided to choose plastic pollution because its something that we look around the world and we can see how its affecting everybody, and how its affecting the marine ecosystems, De Marchi Padovani said. Me and Owen, we both really love animals.

The whole urgency of the idea, and how necessary it is to come up with a solution as fast as possible, Plourde added.

Regional winners were announced on March 10, and the national winners will be announced later this month.

Plourde and De Marchi Padovani are one of 24 teams to make it to regional winners. Because of COVID-19 closing schools and restricting gatherings, McCullough couldnt hold a press conference or school celebration after the announcement in March, but there are plans to hold something when it is safe to do so.

Its a break from all this commotion, Plourde said of learning he was a regional winner right as COVID-19 shut everything down. We have all this negative news coming in about COVID-19 and stuff happening around the country and world affecting it and this is just a pause and a break in the tension.

Solving problems

For De Marchi Padovani, its an opportunity to find something positive in a stressful time.

You can see all the negative going on, and then were like Yeah we actually have a shot at solving something in the future, she said.

The project was finished and sent to ExploraVision in February and consisted of an 18-page paper and a five-slide presentation. Currently, the pair are working on creating a website to go with the project that gives even more explanation.

The paper includes an abstract, present technology, a history of the technologies they plan to use (in this case genetic engineering), future technology outlining their idea, a breakthrough section detailing what advances would have to be made, and positive and negative consequences.

National judging

As they are judged for nationals, typically they would have to create more elements for the application including a video. Because of social isolation, they cant do that, so their project will be judged on the original application materials.

The prize for regional winners is a Toshiba laptop for their school and Echo dots for the team members. If they win nationals they will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. and a $10,000 U.S. Savings bond each.

For Plourde, competing in ExploraVision was a no-brainer.

The idea that at a young age, that anyone can do something to solve these issues that were hearing about, he said. And the fact that this competition is free to enter and participate in, why should I not do this? You can make a difference in these issues that youre hearing about.

The motivation is similar for De Marchi Padovani. She loves being able to dive into an issue and make a difference, working alongside her friend.

Normally, we dont have our voices heard, she said. But actually being able to do something that would get this, and show how much recognition this issue should have, and what we can do to stop it, is a really big deal.

jamie.swinnerton@chron.com
(CNN)  For nearly a month, Italy held the awful distinction of having the most coronavirus deaths of any country in the world  topping China, the original epicenter, in mid-March, and being overtaken by the United States three and a half weeks later.

But now doctors are hoping to turn Italy's terrible suffering to its advantage.

The country is pinning its hopes on using the blood plasma of Covid-19 survivors to help those who are suffering most from it in hospitals now.

"Good can come out of this," said Dr. Fausto Baldanti. "We had such a huge outbreak, [that] now we have many potential donors."

People who recover from an infection, or who tested positive but never experienced symptoms, develop antibodies in their blood plasma. Those antibodies can be transfused into another victim, where they might help to neutralize the virus in the recipient's body.

For decades, doctors have used plasma or even whole blood from recovered patients to treat the newly infected.

Baldanti is a virologist at the University of Pavia San Matteo Hospital in Italy's northern Lombardy region, which has seen the most cases and deaths in the country. He hopes "this plasma treatment can be crucial for controlling the infection in patients admitted to intensive care units."

That's the theory, anyway -- but the treatment is still in the experimental phase in Italy.

It depends on the development of a proven test for coronavirus antibodies -- which is not yet available. (In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration just tightened restrictions on antibody tests after an earlier relaxing of the rules led to a flood of low-quality tests.)

Antibody tests, also known as serology tests, don't diagnose active infection with the coronavirus. Rather, they check for proteins in the immune system -- antibodies -- through a blood sample.

The presence of antibodies may mean a person has at least some immunity -- although experts are not sure how strong the immunity may be or how long it will last.

The director general of the Italian National Blood Center hopes to have a test ready within weeks.

"We should have a serological exam (blood test) that is approved to test if someone has antibodies by the end of April. We will start selecting the first donors by the end of the month," Giancarlo Maria Liumbruno told CNN.

"This new initiative would allow us to go through our 1,700,000 blood donors in Italy, to see who has been infected or is asymptomatic and has developed antibodies," he said.

Once an antibody test is approved, Italy plans to open its blood banks to donations from people with coronavirus antibodies, Liumbruno said.

The test would allow scientists to select the most effective blood donors, San Matteo hospital virologist Baldanti explained: "So, who has the highest activity of the virus? You use that plasma to infuse into the sick patients."

The project aims to recruit repeat voluntary plasma donors with antibodies, Liumbruno said.

In northern Italy, trials have already begun at some hospitals of treating patients with plasma from an individual who has recovered from the virus and has tested negative for it for at least 14 days.

The plasma is separated from blood cells in a process called plasmapheresis and intravenously given to a Covid-19 patient.

Plasma could also be the key to creating an effective drug therapy, according to Liumbruno.

Hospitals from the hard-hit northern region are working with Kedrion Biopharma, a global biotech company with production facilities in Italy and the United States.

It is one of four companies authorized by Italy's National Health Service to fractionate plasma from blood banks.

It is working on a plasma-derived treatment for Covid-19 and expects it to be ready in three to six months, according to its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alessandro Gringeri.

"Initially we will use plasma from about 100 patients who have recovered from Covid-19 in order to develop a dosage that can be injected through either intravenous or intramuscular means," Gringeri said. "We will generate a plasma-derived immunoglobulin therapy that can be administered to either patients who are suffering from Covid-19 or health care workers to provide temporary passive immunization."

Gringeri says the company plans to start collecting plasma from convalescent patients by the end of May, with a hope of having a prototype of the treatment by the end of September.

If the theory proves successful in practice, Italy's tragedy may at least turn out to contain the seeds of a solution.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Italy aims to turn suffering to advantage with experimental Covid-19 treatment"
It may be small but Pinor village in a remote corner of northwestern Spain has the peculiar distinction of being known for coffins, with coronavirus death doubling demand at its nine workshops. Spain is suffering one of the world's most deadly outbreaks that has killed more than 18,500 people in just two months. For mayor Jose Luis Gonzalez, the pandemic has sent the amount of work soaring for those in the coffin-making business in this village of just over 1,000 people. "Since (the crisis) began, we've seen demand double from normal levels," he told AFP. At his own business, which he inherited from his father, that has meant workers constructing "around 400" coffins a month, when they would normally be producing half that number. With deaths mounting daily, the funeral industry has also come under pressure because the usual imports of caskets from China "are no longer arriving". These days, the coffin-makers of Pinor are taking orders from across Spain despite initial supply chain concerns when the lockdown began on March 14, which triggered "panic that we might run out of caskets". In order to meet demand, the village's craftsmen have had to speed up and simplify their way of working. "We work many more hours and the coffins are more basic in terms of quality," he said, explaining that they were plain varnished wooden caskets without any of the usual marble or glass adornments. - Plenty of pine - As to why such a small village would have so many businesses working in such a specialised trade, Gonzalez pointed to the abundance of pine trees in this area of Galicia. "It's a good place for casket-making because you have all your primary material in the area," he said. Over the years, tastes and trends have changed the look of traditional coffins. Until about 25 years ago, all caskets were "rectangular and made of pine", he said. But since then, there has been a demand for softer lines "and pine doesn't lend itself well to curves," he said. So instead of pine they have started using formach, a new material made of paper fibres which when dry, looks like stone. Imported from Ivory Coast, it is then moulded in Valencia. Until now, the village itself has not seen a single case of coronavirus, but the mayor and his team are keeping a close eye on residents. "I call my neighbours and the elderly almost every day. Everyone has my mobile number," says Gonzalez whose staff have been helping out by bringing food and medicines to the most vulnerable. Demand has doubled for burial caskets from the remote village of Pinor in northwest Spain With Spain suffering one of the most deadly outbreaks of novel coronavirus, the coffin-makers of the little village of Pinero are taking orders across from across the country The coffins being churned out to meet COVID-19 demand are plain and simple without the usual marble and glass adornments As well as pine, the coffin-makers are using formach, a new modelable material made of paper fibres which when dry, looks like stone AFP presents a photo essay of 14 pictures by Miguel Riopa of the Yago Gonzalez coffin-making factory in Pinor, northwestern Spain
In total, 19 Ukrainians, who had been illegally held by Russian-controlled forces in the self-proclaimed "DPR"/"LPR" will be returning today.

The Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmila Denisova has said Ukraine as part of today's prisoner swap will take back from the unrecognized "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") nine Ukrainian citizens, including military serviceman Viktor Shaidov, who was captured by Donbas militants in 2019.

"Nine Ukrainian citizens will be returned from the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region. In particular, among them is Viktor Shaidov. He is a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Shaidov was captured and had been illegally held in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region since 2019," she wrote on Facebook on April 16.

In total, 19 Ukrainians, who were illegally detained by Russian-controlled forces in the self-proclaimed "Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics" ("DPR"/"LPR") in Donbas, will be released and handed over to the Ukrainian government today, April 16.

"Of course, [coronavirus] quarantine restrictions have significantly affected the negotiations, which were difficult. But, as we see, joint efforts of everyone involved in this important work have yielded results," she added.

Read alsoDonbas prisoner swap kicks off, 19 Ukrainians set to return home

According to Denisova, those released will undergo mandatory observation in a designated facility. They will be provided with all essentials, medical supervision, and communication channels.

The official emphasized that the release of all Ukrainian nationals, who are still being illegally held in captivity in Russia, temporarily occupied territories of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk regions, remains priority.

"We are doing our best, and we are applying all tools available to have every Ukrainian [held in captivity] released," Denisova stressed.

As UNIAN reported earlier, another stage of the prisoner swap has kicked off in Donbas today, April 16, to bringing home 19 of Ukrainian citizens who have been held in captivity in the temporarily occupied territories.
PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-16 07:33:01

The manager-legal person of the Company (the Manager) informs the shareholders that the annual general meeting of Leasinvest Real Estate SCA (the Company) shall be held on Monday 18 May 2020 at 16h00 (4.00 PM), at the registered office of the Manager at 2000 Antwerp, Schermersstraat 42.

Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic and of the actual government measures in order to combat and to restrict the pandemic, has been decided to keep the annual meeting of 18 May 2020 behind closed doors. This way the Manager aims to protect as much as possible the health of its shareholders, its directors, its auditor and its staff.

Before the meeting takes places, all shareholders shall be given the possibility to ask questions by written and to vote at distance or by proxy with voting instructions to the secretary of the meeting, according to the rules set out in the notice.

As usual, the Company shall make available on its website the minutes of the annual meeting at the end of the meeting. The written answers to the written questions received by the Company shall be added as attachment to the minutes and shall be published previously to the meeting on the website www.leasinvest.be under the item Investor relations  General meeting.

The Company monitors closely the events and the government measures, that include also those related to the organisation of general meetings, and shall inform the shareholders by means of a press release and on its website about possible additional measures or guidelines regarding the date, the location, the participation and the organisation of the annual meeting.

The documents related to the general meeting are as of today available on the website www.leasinvest.be under the item Investor relations  General Assembly.

For more information, contact



Leasinvest Real Estate



MICHEL VAN GEYTE

Chief Executive Officer

T: +32 3 238 98 77

E: michel.van.geyte@leasinvest.be On LEASINVEST REAL ESTATE SCA



Leasinvest Real Estate SCA is a Public BE-REIT (SIRP/OGVV) that invests in high quality and well-located retail buildings and offices in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Belgium and Austria.



The real estate portfolio of Leasinvest is spread across the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (53%), Belgium (31%) and Austria (16%).



The public BE-REIT is listed on Euronext Brussels.

Attachment
Ministers have ordered 15,000 ventilators to treat patients critically ill with coronavirus after the first newly adapted device was approved by the regulator.

New ventilators built by Penlon, an Oxfordshire-based firm, have been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, with hundreds of units due to be built over the next week.

The device is the first to be given the go-ahead since Boris Johnson called on British manufacturers to turn their focus to making life-saving ventilators, which help coronavirus patients to breathe.

It comes amid mounting concern over whether the government can meet its goal of 18,000 ventilators quickly enough  and whether new devices will be cleared for use.

Downing Street said there was a significant amount of spare capacity in the NHS due to the public obeying lockdown measures and allowing the health service to bolster its resources.

The prime ministers spokesperson said there were 10,000 ventilators in the NHS, with 2,000 mechanical devices on order that will arrive shortly, as well as the new Penlon devices, of which 40 have already been sent to military distributors to deliver to the NHS.

The spokesperson said: What you can see is that we are moving towards a position where we will have significantly in excess of 20,000 ventilators.

The move comes after concern over the whether new devices will be cleared for use, after ministers cancelled an order for thousands of ventilators developed by a group including two F1 teams as they were deemed unsuitable for treating Covid-19 patients.

Clinicians decided the BlueSky device was unsuitable as medics were forced to change the settings frequently to remove fluid from patients lungs.

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, said the approval of the new devices highlighted significant progress being made in the governments ventilator challenge.

I pay tribute to the incredible ingenuity and commitment of our manufacturing industry, coming together as part of the national effort to protect the NHS and save lives, he said.

High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Show all 18 1 /18 High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Najaf, Iraq A man holds a pocket watch at noon, at an almost empty market near the Imam Ali shrine Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Bangkok, Thailand Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of The Grand Palace) Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Prague, Czech Republic An empty street leading to the historic Old Town Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Washington DC, US Lawn stretching towards the Capitol, home of Congress Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Jerusalem's Old City A watch showing the time in front of Damascus Gate Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world London, UK The Houses of Parliament seen from Westminster Bridge Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Wuhan, China Empty lanes in the city that saw the first outbreak of disease Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Havana, Cuba The Malecon road and esplanade winds along the city's seafront Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Cairo, Egypt A little busier than elsewhere: midday traffic in Tahrir Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Berlin, Germany The Brandenburg Gate, the only surviving city gate in the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Caracas, Venezuela Bolivar Avenue, opened in 1949 and the site of many demonstrations and rallies Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Moscow, Russia Spasskaya Tower (left) on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, and St Basil's Cathedral Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Istanbul,Turkey The harbourside Eminonu district is usually buzzing with activity Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New Delhi, India Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard that runs through the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Amman, Jordan The Roman amphitheatre that dates back to the 2nd century AD Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New York City, US The main concourse of Grand Central station in Manhattan Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Kiev, Ukraine Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the site of many political protests since the end of the Soviet era Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Accra, Ghana The odd walker out in the midday sun on Ring Road Central Reuters

An existing design  paraPAC devices, made by Smiths Medical  has had its production boosted by the Ventilator Challenge consortium and is already in use in NHS hospitals.

Dick Elsy, chair of the consortium, said the Penlon Prima ES02 device has been undergoing stringent testing and clinical trials for the last two weeks.

Ventilators of this type are complex and critical pieces of medical equipment so ensuring the absolute adherence to regulatory standards and meeting clinical needs were always our priorities, he said.

He said production would now be ramped up at production lines across the country in an attempt to meet their target of 1,500 units a week of both Penlon and Smiths models.

It comes after Matt Hancock clashed with Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan over reports that the governments request for ventilators which would stabilise patients for a few hours had been condemned as no use whatsoever by experts.

If we had been told that that was the case, that the ventilators were only to treat a patient for a few hours, wed have said: Dont bother, youre wasting your time. Thats of no use whatsoever, Dr Alison Pittard, dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, told the Financial Times.

Mr Morgan accused the health secretary of playing games during the exchange, which descended into a heated row between the pair.
Otosirieze Obi-Young, now a former Deputy Editor of Brittle Paper, a literary magazine, was fired on Wednesday following disagreements with the papers publisher after he wrote a scathing piece on the first lady of Kaduna, Hadiza El-Rufai, over a controversial tweet she issued a few days ago.



He made this known in a lengthy statement, having worked with the company for about four years. This was also confirmed by the papers Publisher, Ainehi Edoro.

The misunderstanding leading to his dismissal was sequel to an article he wrote about Mrs El-Rufai, defending a pro-rape tweet by her son, Bello El-Rufai.

In the article, which has since been removed by the publisher, Mr Obi-Young called out the Kaduna State First Lady for describing as fair, her sons threat to organise the gang rape of the mother of a twitter follower, who differed with him.

Background

PREMIUM TIMES reported the outrage that followed after the young El-Rufai issued the threat in a private message to a Twitter user following arguments about politics.

Tell your mother Im passing her to my friends tonight, Mr El-Rufai said to his detractor, before adding an ethnic diatribe: No Igbo sounds please!

Calls from many concerned Nigerians, including former presidential candidate, Oby Ezekwesili, asking the young El-Rufai to apologise were unsuccessful. This is even as anti-rape activists demanded a thorough investigation for probable violation of the Cybercrime Act.

When tagged to the tweet, Mrs El-Rufai failed to denounce her sons vulgar statements.

In a series of tweets, she deemed all the vile statements credited to her son as fair when directed towards those who had insulted him while she warned twitter users against tagging her.

Hadiza El-Rufai

Although, Mrs El-Rufai later bowed to to public pressure and apologised for her failure to immediately denounce her sons threats, Mr El-Rufai showed no remorse and even threatened to sue PREMIUM TIMES journalist for the report.

How Otosirieze was sacked

Announcing his exit from Brittle Papers, he explained that it started when he published a report on Ms El-Rufais supportive comments on a gang-rape threat issued by her son, coated in ethnic diatribe.

Although the report (titled: Novelist, Feminist & Kaduna First Lady, Hadiza El-Rufai, says all is fair in love and war after sons gang-rape threat draws backlash) has been retracted, the link can still be found online.

Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and his son, Bello El-Rufai. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official Twitter handle of Bello El-Rufai]

That she is a novelist, places it in the area of Brittle Papers focus, he noted.

The Founder called me and expressed concerns about my criticism of a Nigerian newspaper in it and the informal and strongly worded tone addressing said novelist. I edited the post, removing the relevant sections.

The Founder called back a few minutes later and said she wanted to take down the report. That was unacceptable to me. I saw no reason why my post-publication edits, which removed my opinion and restricted it to reportage, were not enough.

I saw no reason why her concern about my lack of objectivity was not something that could be fixed by her own edits or rewriting. So I cut short the conversation: I said I no longer wished to discuss this report, that she should take it down if she wanted, he said.

While the report was retracted, Mr Obi-Young said he woke up Wednesday to discover that he had been logged out of Brittle Paper, its social media accounts, and its WhatsApp group  the primary work communication space. He was not informed why the actions were taken.

Editorial guidelines defied

When contacted, Ms Edoro told PREMIUM TIMES that the ex-official flouted editorial guidelines of the company and was unwilling to make changes in the report.

She said the report seemed fine until she got to the last paragraph which did not only sound strong but also criticised other Nigerian papers.

Interestingly, four hours after backlash began to her response, an article appeared on ThisDay titled Endearing Qualities of Kaduna First Lady, Hadiza El Rufai. It is exactly as shabbily-written as you would expect of a hastily assembled, face-washing gimmick. But it is not as unintelligent as the one on OperaNews.

There must be a name for this feminism whose reply to Tell your mother Im passing her to my friends tonight is I didnt see any threats of rape. A feminism that agrees to raise men to be better but says All is fair in love and war when their ethnic-bigoted men-children threaten violence on womens bodies.

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Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Do better, the portion of the report read.

She also faulted the use of gang rape in the title where she said, something like lewd comments would have sufficed.

Although Mr Obi-Young agreed to delete the last paragraph, he refused to change the headline  which led to the misunderstanding, she explained.

Unfortunately, this all occurred at a time I had to prepare time sensitive lectures for my students, and without sufficient time to edit the post. The time difference between Nigeria and the U.S. also left me with little time to act quickly, so I pulled the post down as the exigent thing to do.

She added that the ex-Deputy Editor hung up the phone when she attempted to have a conversation.

When asked if the editor had a pattern of flouting editorial rules, she answered in the negative but explained that Mr Obi-Young is one who puts in so much emotions to work.

In a statement later released by her, she said the company has never been funded by the Kaduna State Government.

Ripples

Amidst the controversies generated, many Nigerians have launched verbal attacks and counter-attacks on both parties.

While some have called out Mr Obi-Young for putting out a statement to ridicule the company, others have blamed the publisher for pulling down the report.

A few have also questioned why the report was not re-edited to suit the house style of the company

Already, some writers who have scheduled programmes with the paper, have backed out.

A 2017 awardee of the company, Chibuihe Obi Achimba, took to his Facebook page to rescind the award and cash prize given to him. He also asked that all his works be pulled down from the website.

Below are reactions from twitter:

After reading the statements of Brittle Paper's @Otosirieze

and @ainehiedoro, plus all the arguments about censorship versus editorial policy/ethics, I have just one question to ask: Why was the story never restored? Not 24 hours later, not 72 hours later? Why? Why? Why???  'Fisayo Soyombo (@fisayosoyombo) April 16, 2020

With recent developments, one can only conclude that publications like @brittlepaper is complicit in the silencing and censoring of writers in Nigeria. Is Brittle paper against the freedom of expression as provided for in S 39 of the constitution?  Omolara (@thelaraoriye) April 15, 2020

@brittlepaper has made the statement we asked for. The insults on Ainehi were/is unnecessary, enough to make anyone give up their efforts. How quick many were to forget the track record? Who gains by this? In house editorial disagreements should not have led to these. https://t.co/MuFibCmEKL  Kenechi Uzor (@kenechiuzor) April 16, 2020

@brittlepaper A very brilliant response to a rather malicious & deliberately-damaging statement made by the former assistant editor @Otosirieze.

You can be assured to have won me (and definitely millions of others) over for standing for a balanced & unbiased reporting.  Akanji Oko Ayinke (@SlimBaba13) April 16, 2020

https://twitter.com/KateCHampton/status/1250610136692842496?s=19

https://twitter.com/KateCHampton/status/1250610133282852864?s=19

Editors Note: Tweets by Nigerians that mention individuals or organisations outside of the scope of this report have been removed from the reactions.
TDT | Manama

Bahrains newly inaugurated, state-of-the-art field Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Bahrain Defence Force (BFC) Hospital in Riffa has gained international media exposure. Top international news agencies reported yesterday on the completion of the facility, which was put together in a record time of seven days.

The ICU features 130 beds and is outfitted with the best equipment for the treatment of patients suffering from the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. It is a part of the ongoing preparations of the National Taskforce for Combatting COVID-19 to provide the needed facilities and procedures to deal with infected cases.

The new ICU is a precautionary step in case there are any developments, Royal Medical Services Commander Major General Prof. Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa was quoted as saying. We are able in record time, in seven days, to establish this unit with 130 beds...working day and night. This is the first time that such an equipped (temporary) unit has been established in the Gulf.
Google Maps

The City of Midland Health Department is currently conducting their investigation on one new confirmed case of COVID-19 in Midland County, bringing the overall case count to thirty-seven.

The thirty-seventh confirmed case is a female in her 90s who was tested by Midland Health. The female is an inpatient at Midland Health. The source of exposure is contact to known case. This female is a resident at Midland Medical Lodge and was transported to Midland Health, today, April 15, 2020.
Hackers are again attacking Portuguese banking organizations via Android Trojan-Banker.

The threat is not new, hackers are again attacking clients of Portuguese banking organizations via a specially crafted Android Trojan-Banker from phishing campaigns launched from Brazil.

The last occurrence this line was recorded on March 13rd, 2020, where a similar Trojan-Banker was disseminated targeting other clients of different banking organizations.

List of some baking campaigns this Brazilian threat group has performed in Portugal:

13/03  Novo Banco Trojan-Banker

12/03  Caixa Geral Depositos

13/02  Millennium BCP e Montepio

20/01  Montepio e Millennium BCP

14/01  Santander e Novo Banco

12-2019/01-2020: Lampion Trojan

()

The campaign starts with newly domain names that mimic the target organization. The domains are usually registered on the day before (or on the same day) on which the threat occurs.

All the noticed campaigns have been registered on 0xSI_f33d, an open-sharing feed focused on malicious campaigns only targeting Portuguese citizens.

Figure 1: 0xSI_f33d  feed that compiles phishing and malware campaigns targeting only Portuguese citizens.

These campaigns have been noticed from the beginning of 2020, where phishing and smishing campaigns are launched to target users probably obtained via other malicious waves.

Figure 3: Templates used in the malicious campaigns in Portugal.

What is the main advantage of a malicious Android application instead of a simple phishing page asking for credentials?

The answer is not immediate, but due to the various layers of protection during the authentication process that a system imposes on us today, there is a need to validate authenticity and legitimacy during this action. To do this, a second authentication factor is generally used  which corresponds to an SMS received on the users mobile phone  which immediately validates the potential trusted authentication in the system.

As an example, a simple phishing landing page, requesting access credentials, requires a semi-automated or fully manual process to collect the next authentication factor  the SMS sent to the victims mobile phone.

Figure 4: Semi-automated / manual process of a typical phishing campaign via landing page.

The diagram in Figure 4, the process is time-consuming, and often complicated to manage by criminals. In a simplified way, 10 steps are necessary for a successful authentication in the target homebanking portal.

The victim accesses the phishing email or SMS. Victim credentials are introduced in the landing-page. Credentials are sent to a backoffice managed by the attackers. Attackers (in operator mode) are warned that a new customer is online  this represents a new infection. The attackers grab the actual process with the victims credentials, thus carrying out the first authentication step on the banks portal. The banks legitimate service knows the victims phone number and sends the token (PIN) for the second authentication factor. The victim submits the token on the phishing page (landing page requesting the token). The token is sent to the backoffice. The operator again receives a notification that the authentication process is finished. The attacker completes the second authentication factor on the banks portal and performs legitimate operations.

In contrast, the same process performed through an Android application ends up solving the problem of the second authentication factor from the attackers point of view, since the malicious android application, by itself, can manage the SMS of the victims devices.

Figure 5: Infection process during a phishing campaign via malicious APK.

As observed, through these types of scenarios it only takes 6 steps to get valid authentication on the banks portal.

Trojan Banker  Modus Operandi

In this section, some IOCs are shared regarding the last Android Banking-Trojan sample affecting a banking organization in Portugal (April 15th 2020).

Figure 6: Targeting landing-page to download the malicious Trojan Banker (April 15th, 2020).

The Android application runs on any type of device as long as the target SDK is higher than version 5. This detail guarantees an increase in the scope of infection from the malicious point of view.

Figure 7: File and App information BPI sample (April 15th 2020).

The application requests too many privileges and is inappropriate for what it proposes to do. These type of details can be seen in the applications manifest file.

Figure 8: Trojan Banker manifest permissions.

<supports-screens android:anyDensity=true android:smallScreens=true android:normalScreens=true android:largeScreens=true /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.VIBRATE /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.WAKE_LOCK /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.READ_SMS /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.INTERNET /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED /> <uses-permission android:name=android.permission.WRITE_SYNC_SETTINGS /> <application android:label=BPIinstall android:icon=@drawable/icon> <activity android:label=BPIinstall android:name=.main android:launchMode=singleTop android:screenOrientation=unspecified android:windowSoftInputMode=stateHidden> <intent-filter> <action android:name=android.intent.action.MAIN /> <category android:name=android.intent.category.LAUNCHER /> </intent-filter> </activity> <service android:name=.starter /> <receiver android:name=.starter$starter_BR /> <service android:name=.bulacha /> <receiver android:name=.bulacha$bulacha_BR> <intent-filter> <action android:name=android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED /> </intent-filter> </receiver>

In detail, the victim when installing the application on his smartphone gives the application:

Reading SMS (used to obtain the token / PIN for the second authentication factor)

Internet access for communication with C2 and landing page;

Creation of background services on the smartphone; and

and Vibration and sleep control to prevent the smartphone from vibrating when receiving the SMS with the token and / or staying asleep, thus preventing the malicious app from accessing the SMS manager and sending the token to C2.

In detail, there is a set of JAVA classes that contain the core of the malicious application, namely:

pt/bn20/ptz/starter.java

pt/bn20/ptz/main.java

pt/bn20/ptz/b4xbitset.java

pt/bn20/ptz/b4xorderedmap.java

pt/bn20/ptz/webview.java

pt/bn20/ptz/msgboxtemplate.java

pt/bn20/ptz/b4xset.java

pt/bn20/ptz/httpjob.java

pt/bn20/ptz/httputils2service.java

pt/bn20/ptz/bulacha.java

pt/bn20/ptz/b4xbytesbuilder.java

These IOCs are the same used in other campaigns this line in Portugal. See all the information here (in Portuguese language).

The malicious application has 2 activities, 3 services and 3 receivers. The most important details identified here are listed below.

Activities

.main: Activity launched in the foreground;

.webview: Activity used to launch the banks phishing landing page.

Figure 9: Snipet of webViewWrapper. Here the landing-page is launched and presented.

Services

.starter: Service that obtains the landing-page link from C2 (can be dynamic) and then be rendered in the

.webview activity. This service also defines the data structure used and which stores information about the victim later sent to C2, as well as additional validations on the mobile device.

Figure 10: Piece of code from the .starter service.

In detail, the _service_create () routine validates whether the target version of the victims Android is included in the hardcoded list, and then downloads the C2 landing-page URL.

public static String _service_create() throws Exception { Common.LogImpl(3393219, inicia tudo, 0); _nomemaquina = _xgerarstringsaleatorias(14); _versaoandroid = _getandroidversion(); _url2 = http://186.235.91.100/extras/bpi_link.txt; if (_xhttputilsconnect4.IsInitialized()) { return ; }

The URL for C2s phishing page is as follows. Note that it can be changed dynamically in order to avoid blacklists.

Figure 11: Landing-page URL provided by the C2 server.

The C2 server is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, thus confirming the origin of the threat.

Figure 12: C2 geolocation  Brazil.

.bulacha: Class that implements the methods used for information exfiltration, SMS management, etc.

When the service is created, the C2 is notified that the device is active, and the volume of the infected device is changed so that the victim is unaware of any potentially suspicious activity.

Figure 13: The volume of the infected device is changed.

When the SMS is received after the victim enters the credentials on the banks landing page, the banks system sends the token / PIN to the users mobile device now infected.

Figure 14: Trojan-Banker reading the Token SMS sent from banking system with the token.

The data is exfiltered and sent to C2 via an HTTP  POST request.

Figure 15: Victims details sent to the C2 server geolocated in Brazil, Sao Paulo.

The malicious application sends the details to C2 via an HTTP-POST request.

Figure 16: HTTP request sent to the C2 server.

Finally, the victims credentials and tokens are managed on the C2 server available online on: hxxp://186.235.91[.]100, the same IP address used on the last campaigns this line in Portugal.

Figure 17: C2 portal.

Mitre Att&ck Matrix and Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) are reported in the original analysis published by Pedro Tavares on his blog:

About the author Pedro Tavares:

Pedro Tavares is a professional in the field of information security working as an Ethical Hacker, Malware Analyst and also a Security Evangelist. He is also a founding member and Pentester at CSIRT.UBI and founder of the security computer blog segurancainformatica.pt.

Pierluigi Paganini

( SecurityAffairs  Android Trojan, malware)

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GSIL independently developed a smart safety management system for the prevention of safety accidents and the elimination of safety "gray areas" at construction sites. The system features a function that can ascertain a worker's current location as well as an SOS-enabled emergency rescue system.

The system that GSIL will be providing not only tracks worker locations but also uses a large-screen tablet PC, installed at the water tank at each work site, to allow workers to exchange information about their work environment and receive alarms in the event of an accident or other problem. The system collects data and transmits real-time updates on the work environment, providing information on oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, combustible gas, and hydrogen sulfide levels in the water tank. This quick information system makes it possible to prevent injury and fatal accidents related to low oxygen levels or the influx of harmful gases into an airtight setting.

GSIL's system also provides a timeline of workers entering and exiting the water tank that can be viewed anytime and maintains records on individual workers, indicating whether each worker has completed safety training and has received his/her annual health check-up. The system also features a well-organized rescue system for emergency situations that only requires the worker to press the SOS button on his/her sensor, which then immediately sounds an SOS alarm on all connected mobile and web devices, ensuring that everyone can quickly be made aware of the situation.

On March 20, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) promulgated a revised version of the Enforcement Rule of the Construction Technology Promotion Act that expanded the list of safety management fees that are required for the introduction of smart safety equipment. The revised rule's addition of establishment/operation fees for safety management systems that utilize wireless communications/equipment to the list of official safety management expenses creates the necessary foundations for the use of cutting-edge technology at construction sites, namely through the application of smart safety equipment (based on IoT, big data, etc.). When passing the revised legislation, the MOLIT stressed its commitment to prioritizing the safety of on-site personnel by establishing a "quick response" basis for the early detection and removal of construction site dangers. The revised enforcement rule is expected to diversify the environments that can be equipped with GSIL's smart safety management system.

Lee Jung-woo, CEO of GSIL, said, "The Pyeongtaek-Godeok construction site is a very important location in terms of Samsung Electronics' enlargement of its new semiconductor facilities, which are expected to increase in number over the next ten years. GSIL is anticipating that the construction site will expand through Green building 1 and 2, which are the targets of this most recent contract." GSIL is preparing the safety management system which can be applied to the confined area, such as the Samsung Engineering Tangjeong site and Samsung Electronics' wastewater treatment facility.

Founded in 2016, GSIL has established and is operating smart construction management systems for work sites affiliated with the Korea Rail Network Authority (Gangwon branch), Korea Midland Power, and Samsung Engineering. It is also preparing to enter the Middle Eastern market and has already signed an agent contract with a subsidiary of the Bayan National Construction Contracting Company, a general construction company that is based in Kuwait. GSIL is also currently involved in negotiations for the application of its safety system and/or collaborative endeavors related to the F1 circuit (Kuwait Motor Town) and a smart city in Kuwait, PEPCO in the USA, Long Son Petrochemical in Vietnam, and a power plant in Indonesia.

For more detailed information on GSIL, visit http://www.gsil.net/.

Media contact

Jane Shin

Manager, GSIL

[email protected]

Jina Lee

PR Manager, Born2Global Centre

[email protected]

SOURCE Born2Global Centre
Ontario has hit two milestones in the COVID-19 outbreak that began in January, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases and 500 fatalities.

I grieve with you, a sombre Premier Doug Ford told the families of the dead, many of whom were vulnerable targets in nursing homes, during his daily news conference Thursday.

He called the new coronavirus a ruthless killer but also noted that Ontarios hospital capacity is in not bad shape as the illnesss spread has slowed to one-third the rate it was at earlier this month.

Still, another 533 Ontarians tested positive for COVID-19 as of 5 p.m. Thursday, an increase of 5.6 per cent in 24 hours, for a total of 10,124 to date. The death toll grew by 55 to an even 500, according to a Star compilation of data from Ontarios regional health units.

Across Canada, there were 29,826 cases with 1,048 deaths, said federal public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam, who said physical distancing and other measures are slowing the spread of the virus in the community.

Assuming our staycation for the nation over the long weekend has helped to maintain this trend, we now need to double down to stamp out outbreaks in high-risk settings, Tam told a news conference in Ottawa, referring to nursing homes, jails, shelters and other situations where people live in close quarters.

But while an expected surge of seriously ill patients has not slammed hospitals as it has in New York City and Detroit, Ontario officials remain on edge.

Were just in a holding pattern now, waiting to see which way this will go, said Health Minister Christine Elliott.

The province now has 3,504 critical care beds, including 2,811 equipped with ventilators to help patients with severely impaired lung function breathe, up from 1,319 with ventilators when the outbreak began.

Ministry of Health statistics indicate there were 807 Ontarians in hospital with COVID-19, including 248 in intensive care with 200 of them on ventilators. Those numbers have been fairly stable in recent days.

We are still building our (hospital) capacity because we dont know, we havent hit the peak yet, Elliott added, noting hospitals stand ready to rent unused hotel rooms or set up tents to act as field hospitals if necessary.

Chief medical officer Dr. David Williams, who said several days ago that Ontario could hit its peak this week, indicated hes waiting for more insight from updated computer modelling by epidemiologists.

At least 4,194 Ontarians who contracted COVID-19 have recovered, more than 40 per cent of the total cases.

The province completed 9,001 lab tests for COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours, in line with Fords goal of doing at least 8,000 to get a better picture of how the virus is spreading.

With files from Tonda MacCharles

Read more about:
Paddy Power is shouldering millions of pounds of staffing costs after opting not to use the Government's furlough scheme despite sending shop workers home.

But Peter Jackson, boss of the bookie's parent Flutter, has refused to take a cut to his 737,000 salary despite receiving 400,000 in taxpayer-funded business rates relief each month.

Closed for the duration: Most of Paddy Power's 2,300 UK staff, working in more than 350 stores, have been sent home on full pay

With bonuses the chief executive received 2.1m in the year to April 2019. Flutter is also paying out a 104m dividend, scheduled for May 22, in shares, although it has suspended the 2020 dividend, worth 200m.

Most of its 2,300 UK staff, working in more than 350 closed stores, have been sent home on full pay.

But although the firm is eligible for the wage subsidy scheme, it has not put in a claim. Chancellor Rishi Sunak's package allows companies to claim 80 per cent of staff's wages up to 2,500 per month each for three months.

'Bosses think it's right not to claim if they don't need to,' an insider said. Flutter is in the process of completing a 10 billion mega-merger with the Canadian owners of Sky Bet, The Stars Group.
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Two Auburn University researchers were part of a team that studied Hawaiis invasive species and uncovered significant findings that reach far beyond the island state.

The paper, Hawaii as a Microcosm: Advancing the Science and Practice of Managing Introduced and Invasive Species, was recently published in the journal, BioScience.

Wildlife Biology and Conservation Professor Christopher Lepczyk and Assistant Research Professor Jean Fantle-Lepczyk, both from Auburns School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, examined the non-native species of Hawaii, which has the nations highest number of invasives, a dubious distinction that has earned the state a nickname: the invasive species capital of the world.

Lepczyk said the examination of invasive species is especially noteworthy as they are considered a leading driver of global change. Though the researchers focused their study on Hawaii, the information they gathered will have far-reaching consequences.

One of the main benefits of this paper is to show that managing invasive species is not a hopeless task, Lepczyk said. We used Hawaii as a model system to show that there are a variety of approaches that we have currently, or are in the pipeline, that can be employed to successfully slow down, or sometimes stop, invasive species.

Another scientist on the team, Aaron Shiels, a research biologist for the National Wildlife Research Centers Rodent Project, reiterated Hawaiis status as a hotspot for invasive species research and methods development.

Invasive species, by definition, are non-native species that spread rapidly and cause ecological and economic harm, Shiels said, citing Hawaiis enormous annual economic losses, agricultural damage and threats to the survival of native and endangered speciessome of which are the last to exist on the planet.

He added that these invaders can spread disease to people; some can even endanger the safety of air travelers by causing airplane collisions.

Our paper highlights some of the major research and management successes, as well as many of the failures, Shiels said. Numerous tools, techniques, devices and methods have been tested in Hawaii, and many others are currently being tested or will be soon.

Some of these include ungulate- and predator-proof fencing, self-resetting traps, chemical pesticides applied by hand or from helicopter, biocontrol and hunting programs.

Jean Fantle-Lepczyk said the study aimed to highlight the measures that have proved effective in Hawaii, as well as those that have not, to provide insight to invasive species management in other areas.

Since island ecosystems are often more severely impacted by invasives than other areas, it was our hope that what's been done in Hawaii can serve as a guide to others trying to manage invasive species both on islands and continents, she said.

School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Dean Janaki Alavalapati said this research is likely to have a significant widespread impact.

The progress that Dr. Lepczyk, Dr. Fantle-Lepczyk and their team have made in Hawaii, with its vast number of invasive species, could provide far-reaching solutions to a growing challenge that is found worldwide, Alavalapati said.

In addition to Lepczyk, Fantle-Lepczyk and Shiels, the team included scientists Liba Pejcharthe lead researcherSteven C. Hess, M. Tracy Johnson, Christina R. Leopold, Michael Marchetti and Katherine M. McClure.

All agreed that there is no single tool that will fix the regions problem with invasive speciesand in turn, other regions facing this challengeand that finding solutions will be an ongoing, trial-and-error process. But not a futile one.

The management and policy approaches being used in Hawaii are at the leading edge of conservation in the U.S., Lepczyk said. Hence, our goal and hope is that the work can demonstrate how to manage invasive species throughout the rest of the nation, and world, before ecosystems are as degraded as they are in Hawaii.

(Written by Teri Greene)
The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 138,000 with over 2 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.

Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.

Iran

The Research Center of Iran's parliament says the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the country is likely to be double the official numbers.

According to figures released by the Health Ministry on April 16, the death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 4,869, while the number of infections stands at 77,995, making Iran home to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East.

The research arm of the Majlis, Iran's parliament, said in a footnote in a report issued this week and posted on its website that the actual number of deaths could be 0.8 times higher than the official tally and that the number of infections could be eight to 10 times higher than figures released by the Health Ministry.

"In order to have more compatibility between protocol and estimated statistics, it is necessary to increase laboratory and testing capabilities in the country," the report said.

"Needless to say that through increasing the capacities, diagnosis of disease will be more possible and spread of the disease will be more limited," it added.

A number of local officials as well as experts inside and outside the country in recent weeks have questioned COVID-19 figures released by Irans authorities, who keep a tight lid on the media, while suggesting that the real numbers are likely to be significantly higher.

Officials have claimed transparency while suggesting that the official tally is based on confirmed cases.

According to the Health Ministry, over 310,000 coronavirus tests have been conducted so far in Iran.

Deputy Health Minister Ali Reza Raisi on April 15 acknowledged that the "limits of testing" faced by his country meant it doesn't have accurate figures of all those infected.

Health officials have not commented on the new estimates.

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on April 15 condemned the continued persecution of Iranian journalists and citizen-journalists who publish information about the coronavirus outbreak without official approval.

The Paris-based media-freedom watchdog said the latest victim of the crackdown was Mahmud Shariri, a former national radio and TV presenter who is now active on social media.

Shariri was arrested by Intelligence Ministry officials in Tehran on April 14 for "publishing false information about the coronavirus" after he posted a video seen by hundreds of thousands of people that referred to a coverup of information about the spread of the virus in early March.

"His criticism of the handling of the health crisis and the lockdown has clearly annoyed the authorities, who have not said where he is being held," RSF said.

The group said Hadi Maharani and Saide Ahmadi, two activists who run news channels in Tehran and the western Kurdistan Province, were arrested earlier in April for posting information about the epidemic.

Two other journalists from Golestan and Kermanshah provinces, Elaheh Ramezanpour and Sharam Safari, are being prosecuted for publishing allegedly false information about the epidemic but have not been detained, according to RSF.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is set to resume soccer matches with spectators this weekend, despite the novel coronavirus forcing lockdowns across the world.

The Turkmenistan Football Federation (FFT), which suspended its eight-team domestic league last month without providing a reason, said that one match will be played on April 19 between Ashgabat-based Altyn Asyr and its rival, Kopetdag.

Three more matches are planned the following day.

The FTT also said the country's youth league would reopen on April 20.

The authoritarian Central Asia state has not reported any official coronavirus infections as the authorities largely keep quiet about the risk to public health.

However, it has closed its borders and RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reported that checkpoints have been established in the country, limiting movement and testing people's temperature.

Police have also harassed those wearing face masks or talking about the pandemic, while using restrictions to force people to pay bribes.

In an article posted on its website, the Sports Ministry said the decision to open the domestic league "pleased the army of fans" and was welcomed by players.

"The continuation of the national football championships fully proves that Turkmenistan is a country of inspiration and health," it quoted national team player Didar Durdyev as saying.

Earlier this month, Turkmenistan held a series of public sporting events to mark World Health Day.

On April 15, state media reported that events surrounding Turkmen Horse Day on April 25 would continue as planned.

Georgia

The Georgian Orthodox Church and the government have reached an agreement that will allow parishioners to attend dusk-to-dawn Easter vigil services on the coming holiday weekend.



The agreement, announced on April 15, provides worshipers a way around a curfew and other restrictive measures that have been put into effect to control the spread of the coronavirus.



Under the agreement worshipers will be allowed to attend services in large cathedrals provided they maintain a distance of 2 meters. Those who attend small churches are to remain outside their church building.



The agreement also says parishioners should arrive for the services before 9 p.m. local time on April 18 and leave after 6 a.m. the following day.



We made a joint decision with the church so that the law will not be violated and churches will not be shut down [during Easter service], government spokesman Irakli Chikovani said at a press briefing.



The agreement was reached after two days of consultations between government officials, the prime minister, and the office of the patriarch.



Police officers will patrol church surroundings to enforce strict observance of all public health regulations, including physical distancing, on Easter Eve, Chikovani said.



Andria Jagmaidze, a spokesperson of the Georgian Orthodox Church, said that the church was taking precautionary measures to ensure that traditional Easter services are not suspended, while complying with all public health recommendations. He said nothing about the communal spoon used to distribute sacramental bread and wine to churchgoers.



A Georgian national health official warned after the announcement that Georgias coronavirus outbreak would become like Italys if parishioners attend the Easter service.

Italy has been badly hit by the coronavirus, suffering more than 21,000 deaths in the pandemic, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University.

Easter celebrations on April 13 at the Vatican and at other Roman Catholic and Christian churches worldwide were stripped down and closed to the public in the face of the pandemic, which has infected more than 2 million people around the world and killed at least 134,000.



Emergency measures implemented in Georgia because of the health crisis include a ban on gatherings of more than three people in public, the curfew and a stay-at-home order for all citizens without special permit.



The country in the South Caucaus has reported 306 cases of infection by the virus and three deaths from COVID-19, the disease it causes, according to Johns Hopkins University database.

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

DUSHANBE  Tajik authorities in Dushanbe have cancelled public celebrations to mark a national holiday over the coronavirus pandemic, even though the government has not officially registered any coronavirus cases.

RFE/RL's Coronavirus Coverage Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.

Dushanbes city hall said on April 16 that all public events organized to mark the country's "Day of the Capital" were canceled "to prevent the coronavirus COVID-19 spread and protect the health" of residents.

Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are two Central Asian nations that have not officially registered any coronavirus cases. But experts are skeptical of the claims given the lack of transparency within their governments and a lack of independent media.



In neighboring Uzbekistan, the number of coronavirus cases reached 1,349, including four deaths, health authorities said on April 16.



In Kazakhstan, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 1,341, with 16 deaths.



In Kyrgyzstan, 466 cases have been officially recorded, including five deaths.

Belarus

Belarus has delayed the start of its womens soccer league due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus, although the mens season has continued.



The womens league was due to start on April 16, but the Belarus Football Federation said a day earlier that it was now "suspended until further notice."



The federation said "several female players had contact with "possible carriers" of the coronavirus.



Belarus is the only country in Europe still playing professional mens soccer games with fans in the stands.



President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said that there is no need for strict measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the country, despite the growing number of confirmed cases and deaths.



Health officials in Belarus said they had recorded 4,204 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus as of April 16, with 40 deaths.

With reporting by Natela Zambakhidze and RFE/RLs Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek services, and AP
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held phone talks with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on April 16 to look into bilateral and regional cooperation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemics complex developments.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (Photo: VNA)

Deputy PM Minh highlighted Vietnam and ASEANs efforts in response to the outbreak, emphasising the importance of regional and international cooperation in this regard, including collaboration between ASEAN and Australia.

Applauding the two countries frequent and effective contact at all levels amid the pandemic, he asked both sides to continue with efforts to promote cooperation in all spheres via existing mechanisms so as to sustain the development of the strategic partnership.

For her part, Minister Payne spoke highly of Vietnams initiatives and leadership as ASEAN Chair in 2020.

She affirmed that Australia wishes to work more closely with Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19 within both bilateral and ASEAN-Australia partnership frameworks.

The minister also appreciated the Vietnamese Governments effective medical and consular support for Australian citizens affected by the pandemic, and said her countrys Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will coordinate with the Department of Education and other relevant agencies to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese students in Australia.

The two officials agreed to increase the sharing of information on and experience in COVID-19 prevention and control, including the possibility of cooperating to develop vaccines or produce and trade medical supplies.

They also agreed to organise an annual meeting between the two foreign ministers, slated for the third quarter of 2020, in Australia or online to discuss measures to enhance the strategic partnership.

The meeting would focus on bilateral ties in health care, food security, mitigating the outbreaks socioeconomic impact, and the recovery of trade and tourism and other aspects once the pandemic is over.

Vietnam and Australia will bolster coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly UN and ASEAN-led mechanisms, in terms of regional and international issues of common concern, including the maintenance of peace, stability and security in the East Sea on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, according to the two officials. VNA
Karen Alexanders April 13 letter to the editor regarding the harmful effects of limiting prescriptions from three months to one month is right on. I add my voice to her concern.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Karen Alexanders April 13 letter to the editor regarding the harmful effects of limiting prescriptions from three months to one month is right on. I add my voice to her concern.

This recommendation was proposed by the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and the government consented, resulting in a de facto policy. There is a link on the CPhA website to a one-minute PowerPoint presentation intended to support the associations position for this recommendation. It is self-emulating and disingenuous.

The chief justification for the position is that COVID-19 results in "increased demands for medication." This is probably so for select over-the-counter drugs such as fever reducers; indeed, these are the only drugs recommended in a CPhA patient handout. However, the claim of increased demand is not applicable to drugs prescribed for the treatment of chronic conditions such as asthma, epilepsy and hypertension, to list but a few.

The pharmacists cite altruistic motivation  to prevent hoarding and drug shortages. Hoarding is the accumulation of a commodity beyond ones needs (think toilet paper). This cannot occur for prescription drugs, because the amounts are capped by the licensed prescriber. This prevents an individual from accumulating an amount of a prescribed drug greater than his or her needs.

Furthermore, the amount dispensed is monitored by Manitobas DPIN (Drug Program Information Network), an electronic online point-of-sale program that requires entry of each dispensed prescription by the pharmacist. It immediately identifies "hoarders," thus enabling front-line pharmacists to employ preventive strategies.

Our pharmacare program uses this this tool to deny coverage for early requests of refills, proof that the system works.

There are no pandemic-induced drug shortages (other than that due to the hydroxychloroquine hysteria). Rationing all medications to prevent shortages of specific drugs is akin to using a sledgehammer to deal with a mosquito. There are systems that identify evolving shortages for particular medications; hospitals utilize these routinely to initiate mitigation strategies on a drug by drug basis, so if a particular asthma, epilepsy or hypertension medication is in short supply, focused interventions are initiated.

The downsides of this policy are obvious: increased cost to consumers (a 300 per cent increase in dispensing fees) and an increased requirement for social interaction.

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Dispensing fees in Manitoba are capped at $30 (the highest in Canada) but competitive pressure results in the range of $11-13 charged by most members of the pharmacy chains. It is not uncommon for a senior to depend upon 10 or more prescriptions; at $12 each, this amounts to an increase in excess of $1,080 per year, and a minimum of a 300 per cent increase of social interactions (assuming the unlikely situation of refilling all prescriptions on the same day).

Whether or not it was the intention, this change has the effect of price gouging. It is cartel-like behaviour. In principle it is no different than well-documented incidents of industry collusion on the price of bread or the price of gasoline. What makes this more odious is that it is foisted upon us under the mirage of altruism  prevention of hoarding and shortages.

If pharmacists truly wish to be altruistic, they should forgo their 300 per cent increase by charging one dispensing fee rather than three. Moreover, a professional association has recommended a change in policy, citing ostensible benefit to society; however, it results in financial benefit for its members, thus placing the CPhA in a conflict of interest.

This illusion of altruism made it an easy sell to government. Likely, the toilet paper hysteria contributed to a climate of acceptance. Sadly, the downside has a greater impact upon a vulnerable segment of the population  our seniors. Many routinely face economic challenges, and all are continuously advised to practise social isolation.

My title for this op-ed is intentionally provocative, an obvious attention-grabber. Now is the time for my apology to our policy-makers: in this time of crises with so many more pressing issues, I cannot find fault with the powers that be for not drilling down on this recommendation. Hopefully, with more light shed on this issue, our government will correct this harmful injustice.

Milton Tenenbein is a professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba. The opinions expressed are the authors own and do not reflect the view of the University of Manitoba.
Outside Trinidad, Calif., in an area known as Strawberry Rock, Walter, a 22-year-old UCLA student, is taking part in a tree sit-in to prevent a logging company from cutting redwoods and other trees. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

The coronavirus has shut down most of Humboldt County, as it has the rest of the state, but some traditions of northwest California endure: Loggers keep felling redwoods, and eco-activists keep putting their bodies on the limbs to stop them.

Thirty miles north of Eureka, in a coastal forest just east of Highway 101, a generation-old battle between tree sitters and loggers enters a new chapter, even after local sawmills have closed.

Just off the highway in the town of Trinidad sits an old logging trail on property now owned by the Green Diamond Resource Co., a forest products firm.

From the trailhead, after a 20-minute hike through the dark, lush forest, one encounters a 13.5-acre clearing where hundreds of felled redwoods, firs and pine trees litter the ground. Tree stumps, broken branches, and a few sun-blotched, withered ferns poke through the debris.

Its here, at the eastern edge of the clearing, that a group of young, masked activists are engaged in a different form of social distancing. They are taking turns sleeping in the upper reaches of a giant redwood tree. They are environmental activists working with an organization known as the Redwood Forest Defenders. And they are trying to stop Green Diamond from felling any more trees on this roughly 18-acre tract.

On Wednesday morning, one of the young activists, Walter  who is gender nonbinary and would only provide a Times reporting team with a pseudonym  sat 70 feet above the forest floor on a small, roughly twin-bed-size wooden platform. Its where they eat, sleep, read and occasionally relieve themselves when they are on sit-in duty.

Walter, a 22-year-old UCLA student, is taking turns with other activists sitting in a redwood tree to prevent logging in an area of Humboldt County. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Walter is a 22-year-old UCLA student who was sent to shelter at home in Los Feliz during the pandemic.

"That was the trigger," said Walter. "I was feeling a lot of guilt about my carbon footprint, and I felt I needed to do something radical. I just couldn't go along with life as it was."

Walter is now part of a small rotation of Redwood Defender activists who sleep in the tree. They take turns, spelling one another every couple of days.

Story continues

They say they are not worried about falling out, even when they get buzzed by the occasional nocturnal flying squirrel, or startled by mice searching for food.

I'm strapped in, just like a climber, Walter yelled down to a visitor, pointing at the ropes and harness clipped and anchored to the tree trunk.

Walter and fellow activists began this particular tree-sit roughly two weeks ago, soon after the logging companys contractor, Lord of Light, began clearing the tract.

Its in an area the organization successfully defended before, between 2012 and 2017. But, in February, the company was given the green light to start again.

Three weeks ago, according to Walter and two other activists who identified themselves as Lupine and Birdhouse, the Lords of Light, a Green Diamond contractor, went in and started cutting.

Wearing a mask for both the coronavirus and to protect her identity, Lupine, 24, is taking part in a tree sit-in in Humboldt County to prevent further cutting of redwoods and other trees. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

That's when the defenders went in, and Green Diamond stopped.

"We immediately ceased operations for safety purposes." said Gary Rynearson, Green Diamond spokesman. He said by the time the activists appeared, 75% of the trees on the tract had already been felled.

"I don't know why they'd come in during this period, when everybody else is shut down and people are struggling to make a living," he said, noting his frustration at having to put the contractors out of work.

He said Green Diamond works hard to cut timber sustainably, and supports state and federal protections for vulnerable species in the area, such as spotted owls, a variety of salamanders and frogs and the Humboldt marten, a cat-sized carnivore.

California has declared the timber industry, like farming and municipal waterworks, an essential business during the COVID-19 outbreak. Although construction is down and several sawmills are shuttered, loggers continue felling trees.

The Humbolt Redwood Co. sawmill in Scotia, Calif., is not operating due to coronavirus restrictions, but logging is still happening and trees are piling up. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

In Scotia, 50 miles south on Highway 101, tens of thousands of tree trunks are neatly stacked in empty lots near Humboldt Redwood Co,s sawmill.

According to Steve Isherwood, a board feeder at the mill, the wood keeps piling up even though the mills been closed for almost three weeks.

It just didnt make sense to keep the place running if there was no place to send the lumber, he said, standing on his lawn, which is located across the street from the vacant mill.

While the Humbolt Redwood Co. sawmill in Scotia, Calif., is shut down, Steve Isherwood, a board feeder at the mill, is out of work and waiting for an unemployment check. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

John Andersen, director of forest policy for Humboldt Redwood, said the mill has stopped buying new logs, although it continues to store trees from the company's own lands.

Isherwood is furloughed indefinitely, he said, and has applied for unemployment  he's one of 2.7 million Californians who have done so in the last month. And while he's concerned about the economic outlook, he said there are some upsides to the mill being closed: For the first time since he moved into his house seven years ago, he can hear the sounds of frogs that live along the nearby Eel River, and the air is clear of smoke and ash.

Its pretty nice, he said of the quiet, comparing it to the deafening ruckus of the nearby power plant, the clanging of loading trucks, and the grinding of the saws that run nearly 24 hours a day during normal mill operations.

Rich Gordon, president and chairman of the California Forestry Assn., the states timber industry trade group, said many sawmills across the state have shut down, or have severely curtailed production.

Some of them are getting to the point where they have too much lumber, with construction being stopped in several counties, he said, noting the halt in construction is not statewide.

A clearing where trees have been felled in an area known as Strawberry Rock near Trinidad, Calif. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Green Diamond's Rynearson said that, while all three of the state's redwood mills have shut down, Douglas fir mills are still operating. That wood is generally sent out on ships from Eureka's harbor, up the coast to Washington and British Columbia, where it's turned into products such as toilet paper.

As for the tree sitters, Rynearson said there's not much to do. The company will retrieve the logs it has felled in the area, but they aren't going to do anything to escalate the the conflict.

Gordon agreed that was the right call.

Historically, there have been efforts to have the sheriff go in and arrest protesters like these, he said. But, given the coronavirus pandemic, and what everyone else is dealing with these days, going in to arrest someone for trespassing is probably not a high priority.

Los Angeles Times reporter Susanne Rust and photographer Carolyn Cole are embarking on a road journey throughout California. They aim to give voice to those in remote parts of California as they grapple with the worst health and economic calamity of our lifetimes.
FILE PHOTO: The logo and trading information for Lazard Ltd appear on a screen on the floor at theNYSE in New York

By Pamela Barbaglia

LONDON (Reuters) - Lazard Ltd has bolstered its senior restructuring team as it seeks to win business from companies struggling to stay afloat in the midst of the economic turbulence caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. investment bank has created a new London-based role for former Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom partner, Chris Mallon, to join as a senior adviser to its global restructuring practice.

"Chris will be involved on complex restructuring situations as a key part of our global team," Lazard's co-head of restructuring for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) David Burlison told Reuters.

The International Monetary Fund has predicted the global economy will contract by 3% during 2020, a stunning collapse of activity that has forced companies into negotiations with lenders and governments to seek emergency aid.

Independent advisory firms with restructuring capability such as Lazard and Rothschild are in high demand as boardrooms scramble to mitigate the damage of a downturn that has been compared to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Mallon has handled corporate restructurings for more than three decades, holding a senior role at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as well as Skadden.

He worked on the demise of American energy company Enron and also advised the likes of Eurotunnel, operator of the tunnel linking Britain and France, Italian dairy group Parmalat and Danish shipping firm Torm A/S in their debt restructuring efforts.

The 63-year-old Briton serves as non-executive director of London-based IT network firm Global Cloud Xchange (GCX) which completed a Chapter 11 financial restructuring in December under Lazard's advice.

In his new post he will support Lazard UK boss Cyrus Kapadia as well as Lazard's most senior dealmakers around the world.

RESTRUCTURING 'BOON'

The surge in demand for restructuring work has proven a boon for advisory firms that need to offset lost opportunities from a sharp slowdown in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), which dropped 28% in the first quarter of the year and remains in freefall.

Story continues

Lazard, which also advises governments in restructuring their sovereign debt, has seen its corporate pipeline grow significantly since lockdowns were enforced in Europe and the United States, winning mandates for Boeing Co <BA.N> and Macy's Inc <M.N>, among others.

"We're working with a range of companies to help them assess the impact of coronavirus and to think through their business plans and liquidity positions," Burlison said.

Global debt restructuring deals have totalled $26.4 billion since the start of the year, according to Refinitiv data, down 70% from the same period last year.

But more business is in the pipeline as most companies are expected to ask their lenders to relax covenants, prompting a new wave of mandates on behalf of creditors in the coming months.

The 172-year-old bank has engaged various teams across its global network to woo cash-strapped clients with a range of options, including tapping equity capital markets and enhancing debt-raising capabilities.

"It's not just about restructuring," Burlison said. "Ultimately companies across sectors want to ensure that they're doing everything they can to protect their businesses."

(Reporting by Pamela Barbaglia; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
What seems to become the cheapest commodity in the world right now is the African version of politics, where gullible masses who out of passionate greed, sheer ignorance or naivity throw away their God-given liberties and rights to " left thinking fortunate few" who often play politicians.

In my usual daily scanning on social media, I came across a picture of a branded bread designed with the effigy of a sitting member of parliament and I was shocked to the hilt and l asked how can we continue to subject our political system to such consistent embarrassment and ridicule? I'm reliably informed that the person whose picture appeared on that "designer bread" is a sitting member of Ghana's parliament.

Sometimes I try hard not blame givers who deliberately donate items to the poor in a despicable fashion meant to embarrass them but rather blame those at the receiving end who refuse to notice this unkempt embarrassment that's becoming a common phenomenon in our politics! One may argue, Ivan, sometimes they don't have a choice !hey buddy! we always do have a choice!

I believe situations like this should grant us the opportunity to interrogate some of the fundamental flaws in our political system: unbridled party allegiance and loyalties outweighing national interest. In our part of the world, you often hear people shouting with flaming passion " I was born into NDC / NPP, I'm a proud member, " and I ask: seriously?

My friend you ain't born into no party and you are no proud member of no party (America ), you are weak and pathetic incapable of making sound decisions, humans beings are not born into political parties just like that, political parties are not cults neither is it a Catholic church, a clan or a family where people are born into and become automatic members: when it comes to partyism, you need a justifiable reason, it could be ideological persuasions/inclinations, policies or programs, priorities, economic policies and sometimes even personalities.

I understand family may influence our political persuasions to a certain extent and it's common globally but always and always you need genuine reasons for supporting a party and if you don't have any ... I'm sorry!

Consistently politics in our part of the world keeps sinking, look at our Parliament, a house that is supposed to be the August House with persons driven my uttermost of convictions, discipline and discretion! For sometime now Ghana's Parliament is turning into a sanctuary for thieves with loads of allegations of corruption hanging, some play foul just to quell their individual insatiable greedy orgies without considering same paupers who voted and made them .

Our democracy has turned into majoritarian democracy where the party with majority representation gets away with laws, approvals and decisions meant to yield political capital and as greedy as we are every party plays this card whenever Power casts its shadows on them.

Look at Ghana's Parliament in recent times amid of this COVID19 outbreak, the various bills the house is hurriedly considering under the guise of convid19 ! The majority seems to be enjoying with all the sick bills slipping through ranging from the E.I 63 to E.I 65, the sad aspect is that they don't even care about the damning repercussions in the future !

For once, let's consider voting for men with intellectual wits, with fortitude to represent us in the "supposed august house" prople who have what it takes to reason for themselves without any excessive partisan considerations and allegiances by focusing on the basic needs of the their peole ? l know we have a good number of people in there who wish to bring their convictions to bare, what they don't have is the courage to face it as they often feel threatened by the next elections!

In America, yes Democrats and Republicans stuffs get ugly sometimes because politics and interests are inseparable but let me tell you something, after the WWII when America realised that Soviet Union and its Communist allies had what it takes to hurt the world in the future: that became the turning point in American politics ; both Democrats and Republicans agreed to collaborate on various Foreign Policy Directives in order to contain the spread of the then Soviet contagion and have since remained collaborative on Foreign Policy Initiatives until recently when George Bush and his British counterpart Tony Blair decided to attack Iraq and Afghanistan for no apparent reason. This is what thinking political parties do : where national interests lie, we don't play partisan politics.

This will bring me back to the widespread partisan politics encircling the convid19 pandemic , government seems to be enjoying this outbreak, what is obvious is the utter failure and lack of sincere commitment to drive this COVID-Sacre out ! We are organising virtual concept to unveil an app that's not even accessible at a huge undisclosed cost,.streaming such useless activity live putting unnecessary pressure on internet that has become so demanding amidst of this pandemic to the extent Neflix has been cautioned to stream in lower graphics to save the internet.

Hospitals cannot access common PPE'S which are basic in the fight despite setting up funds with donations flowing in like waterfall yet nothing concrete seems to be going on aside the numerous press briefings. Our president is talking plenty while the numbers keep going up....and another interesting question is who owns this COVID19 endowment fund setup recently ? I'm told the object is to raise funds to finance the fight against COVID19 but it doesn't seem like that ! Hospital are crying fir basic items when we have huge cash sting in a fund ...so is it a way govt is trying to save money to campaign because elections are coming up and could this be the reason the President tasked same family cashguards to take custody of the funds ? and how transparent can this be considering what we know these individuals for ? Maybe someone can help clear my doubts with a good explanation !

Go to Bono East Region, the largest health facility designated as a treatment centre for COVID19 cases, the facility has so far received just 15 PPE'S . Unfortunately they had 4 suspected cases and in each of the cases two peole were supposed to don the material so as I write, with no case confirmed yet, 8 out of the 15 PPE'S is gone, placing the entire facility under the mercy of God instead of the govt ! So if you are asking me about government's commitment , that is it and I'm very sure the situation is even worse at other places and they can't talk about it , many have been cowed into submission with threats of loosing their jobs if they make fi.

Maybe, just maybe, Jesus must come now and end this movie! It's getting boring and frustrating for those of us watching from a far distance!

If we don't change and begin to do politics with dispassionate convictions, sooner or later, telling someone that you want to be a politician in African will be equal to telling them want to be a thieve and confident trickster or a stylish comedian!

I'm Ivan Kyei Innocent and I'm no cynic / [email protected]
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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 17 2020

With their plight largely ignored by the public, 63 Indonesians detained on treason charges have turned to the United Nations for help, hoping they could be saved from the threat posed by the COVID-19 disease in the countrys overcrowded prisons.

The prisoners made joint appeals to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and three UN special rapporteurs on Wednesday, helped along by Australian and Indonesian lawyers Jennifer Robinson and Veronica Koman.

The human rights lawyers argued that the 56 indigenous Papuans, five indigenous Moluccans, one native Batak and one Polish national were arbitrarily and unlawfully detained in violation of the countrys international obligations.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Illinois banks have been working tirelessly to provide loans through the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and according to a report from the SBA, 44,453 applications totaling $12,503,648,850 had been approved in Illinois as of April 13. The Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) indicated that ranks Illinois among the states with the highest number of loans approved.

"This is certainly an unprecedented time for bankers and borrowers alike," said Linda Koch, IBA president and CEO. "Illinois bankers are working as quickly as they can to help small businesses in their local communities through these challenging times. In many cases, they have worked well into the night and through the weekends, doing whatever is needed to process and disburse PPP funds and help struggling small businesses stay afloat and continue to pay their employees. The process hasn't been without its challenges, though. The financial industry continues to seek clarification and guidance from Treasury and the SBA on issues that have arisen as banks work with businesses to execute the program."

The PPP, which is part of the $2 trillion federal economic stimulus package signed into law last month, allocated up to $350 billion in forgivable loans to help small businesses maintain payrolls during the coronavirus pandemic, but high demand for the loans has exhausted the funding. The IBA, together with bankers associations across the country, sent a letter to congressional leadership on April 15 asking for Congress to quickly increase funding for the PPP.

"We are hopeful that Congress will approve more PPP funding; however, there are other available options," said Koch. "Working with small businesses and helping their local communities is what banks do. We encourage business customers to reach out to their bank to find a solution that meets their needs. There may also be other state or federal programs that could help assist small businesses."

The Illinois Bankers Association is a full-service trade association dedicated to advancing a positive business climate for the entire banking industry and the communities we serve. Founded in 1891, the IBA brings together state and national banks and savings banks of all sizes in Illinois. Collectively, the IBA represents nearly 90% of the assets of the Illinois banking industry, which employs more than 105,000 men and women in over 5,000 offices across the state.

SOURCE Illinois Bankers Association
New Delhi, April 16 : The Centre has formed guidelines on refund of air tickets which were booked during the first and the extended lockdown periods.

In an office memorandum, the Ministry of Civil Aviation acknowledged the unusual situation that has arisen due to the lockdown and its consequential effect on the air passengers and airlines. At present, domestic and international commercial flights are banned since March 25, 2020, barring cargo operations.

To deal with massive cancellations, domestic airlines started to offer credit to the passengers in lieu of their booking amounts. These credits can be used to book tickets at a later stage, when the situation normalises.

However, discrepancies have occurred on the refund mechanism. The first phase of lockdown was supposed to have ended on April 14, but it has been extended till May 3. "If a passenger has booked a ticket during the first lockdown period... for travel during the same period for both domestic and international air travel and refund is sought by the passenger against that booking being cancelled, the airline shall refund the full amount collected without the levy of cancellation charge," the ministry said.

The guideline mandates airlines to make the refund within three weeks from the date of request for cancellation.

"If a passenger has booked a ticket during the first lockdown period... for travel during the second lockdown period for both domestic and international air travel and the passenger seeks refund on cancellation of the ticket, the airline shall refund the full amount collected without levy of cancellation charge." Similarly in this case, the airlines have been mandated to make refunds within a period of three weeks from the date of request for cancellation.

On Wednesday, senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation via a virtual platform met airline CEOs on the issue. In hindsight, private airlines were accepting ticket bookings for travel post April 14, however, the earlier lockdown deadline got extended till May 3. Consequently, airlines adopted their previous strategy of providing a "travel credits" to passengers of the now cancelled flights to make another booking as and when the sector re-opens.

This system is complicated as ticketing agents and various payment channels are also involved.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
More than 200 black shanked douc langurs (pygathrix nigripes) have been spotted in a coastal forest in Thuan Nam district, the central province of Ninh Thuan, local authorities said on April 16.

The langurs frequently appear at over 20 sites and divide themselves into small troupes, each with five-seven individuals, including pregnant mothers and baby langurs.

The langurs frequently appear at over 20 sites and divide themselves into small troupes, each with five-seven individuals, including pregnant mothers and baby langurs.

According to Tran Ngoc Hieu, head of the management board of coastal protection forests in Thuan Nam, the lack of water and food in the mountains during the dry season has forced the animals to move to the area near coastal route DT 701 and local fields for water, leaves and fruit.

The board has coordinated with relevant sides to study the black shanked douc langurs in order to put forward a preservation plan.

Black-shanked douc langurs are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). They are indigenous to north eastern Cambodia and southern Vietnam.

The Prime Minister previously issued Decision 628 requesting localities and sectors to urgently deploy plans to preserve primate species in the country./.VNA

Rangers drive monkeys back into forest on COVID-19 alert Forest rangers have been attempting to drive troupes of monkeys (stump-tailed macaques) back to Son Tra Nature Reserve in the central city of Da Nang.
Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Atlanta.

Police seek suspect in BeltLine dog attack

Police have released surveillance video of a woman whose dog jumped on and bit a woman on the Atlanta BeltLine in Buckhead around 5 p.m. on April 2.

Read the full story on Atlanta INtown.

Ballot drop-off boxes get green light for state's June 9 primary

County election officials in Georgia will have the option of installing drop-off boxes for absentee ballots in the June 9 primary election under emergency rules the State Election Board has adopted.

Read the full story on www.tribuneledgernews.com.

Police search for woman who filmed herself coughing on family in possible 'social media challenge'

The suspect walked toward the family, including four children and coughed on them while laughing and saying "corona." Police believe her behavior was part of a "social media challenge."

Read the full story on New York Daily News.

Study begins on Chastain Road corridor

Planned improvements for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists along the Chastain Road corridor in Kennesaw would make it the first "smart corridor" in Cobb County.

Read the full story on www.mdjonline.com.

This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Schoolchildren below 11 are returning to classrooms across Denmark, where teachers enforce social distancing.

Denmark is allowing primary schools and nurseries to reopen, making it the first European country to lift restrictions against the coronavirus on education.

It was also one of the first in Europe to impose a lockdown.

But not all parents agree with the governments move.

Al Jazeeras Simi Jan reports from Copenhagen.
The privileged sections have shaped a limiting image of Ambedkar

Almost every political party swears by Dr Ambedkar even though the position of Dalits, minorities and other marginalized sections has barely improved since his death. (DC Photo: P Narasimha Murthy)

"If I find the Constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it."

-- Dr B R Ambedkar

We are at a juncture when Indian democracy is facing new challenges and threats. These include extreme economic inequality, agrarian distress, violence against marginal groups and religious minorities, particularly Dalits, Muslims and similar others, gender inequality, growing militarism, rampant corruption, expansion of corporate power, resurgence of Hindu majoritarianism, attacks on rationality and scientific spirit, and destruction of the institutions of governance, including the judiciary and Parliament. In this context, it is important to revisit Dr B R Ambedkars visionary political and socioeconomic philosophy to understand how the republic is likely to respond to such challenges.

Post-Independence India witnessed some of the biggest communal conflagrations at the national level, the repercussions of which are still being felt and whose perpetrators are still roaming free. We should not forget that they were in fact attacks on the principles of secularism and democracy which form the core values of the Constitution drafted under Dr. Ambedkar's stewardship.

Baba Saheb Ambedkar in Pakistan, or, Partition of India (p.358) warned us that, If Hindu Raj does become a fact, it will no doubt, be the greatest calamity for this country. Hindu Raj must be prevented at any cost. He also said, Indians today are governed by two ideologies. Their political ideal set in the preamble of the Constitution affirms a life of liberty, justice, equality and fraternity whereas their social ideal embedded in their religion denies it to them.

This prophecy is more evident than ever. The relationship between Ambedkar's philosophy and Hindutva politics has come into sharp focus since 2014. Almost every political party swears by him, even though the position of Dalits, minorities and other marginalized sections has barely improved since his death.

Today, we do need to understand Ambedkars role as chairman of the drafting committee of independent Indias Constitution and the skillful manner in which he piloted the draft in the Constituent Assembly. But that is not enough. We know very well how during his long political career he provided us a variety of political and social ideas that fertilised Indian thinking which greatly contributed to Indias decision to adopt the parliamentary form of democracy. Perhaps more important for the ensuing discussion would be what he meant by and differentiation between what he called political democracy  which he defined as one man one vote  and social democracy  which according to him was one man with one value  and his caution that political democracy built on the divisions, asymmetries, inequalities and exclusions of traditional Indian society would be akin to a palace built on cow dung.

We also need to take a look at the unfolding scenario in the country today and see whether there is growing dissonance or resonance between how Dr Ambedkar envisaged democracy and the actual situation on the ground. Through this prism we should assess our role in confronting the challenges that lie before us.

While we remember and take stock of the great colossus that Ambedkar was, not for a moment can we forget the mammoth task undertaken by other founding fathers  who included the stalwarts of the Independence movement  of the republic. It was this collective that together gave the right to vote to every adult citizen in a country with abject poverty and mass illiteracy. This right to vote had come to many countries of the West after decades of struggle. But the Indian Constitution and fundamental rights were born overshadowed by the bloody Partition riots.

Ambedkar's image

Do the image and memory of Ambedkar, brought to us through textbooks and popularised by the ever-expanding powerful media houses match his actual contributions as a leader, scholar and renaissance thinker?

Just try to imagine out for a moment what sort of image comes to mind when somebody mentions Ambedkar's name: leader of the Dalits, chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitution, man who fought for the rights of the Scheduled Castes, a man who embraced Buddhism with lakhs of followers. With some exceptions, the image of Ambedkar in the public mind does not transcend this range.

The imagery excludes, somehow, the historic Mahad Satyagraha which was organised under his leadership way back in 1927. In Marathi this revolutionary moment has been captured euphemistically thus, when water caught fire, when it took place at the Chawdar Talab (lake). Nor does this public imagery stretch to include the burning of the Manu Smriti, an act which was compared to the French revolution by Ambedkar. The imagery cleverly excludes any details of the first political party formed under his leadership called the Independent Labour Party, the role of many non-Dalits or even upper castes in the movement led by him or the historic march to the Bombay assembly against the Khotparatha where communists participated in equal strength. His historic speech to railway workers in Manmad when Ambedkar asked them to fight the twin enemies of Brahmanism and capitalism (late 1930s) or his struggle to ensure enactment of the Hindu Code Bill, which ultimately became the reason for his resignation from the Nehru cabinet. All these vivid and critical parts of his stormy life and varied contributions escape popular imagery. There are many others that do not fit in with the overpowering image of a Dalit messiah.

Selective amnesia

So, is it really surprising that most Indians know so little of Ambedkar, which is not the case with other great leaders who emerged during the anti-colonial movement?

This selective amnesia about Ambedkar is in large measure due to the way in which the privileged sections, dominated by the upper caste elite, shaped a limiting image of him, albeit in a very surreptitious manner. Others involved in the work of a broader social transformation, which included organisations claiming to be his legatees, also cannot escape blame for the critical silences around his image. These organisations and movements either remained oblivious to the designs of the varna (caste) elite or were not conscious/careful enough to comprehend their game plan.

Any student of politics of the oppressed would know and vouch for the fact that this is the fate of most leaders of the exploited and oppressed, the world over. When they cannot any more be ignored completely, the image that is shaped needs careful scrutiny.

A similar process took place in the United States where a very sanitised image of Martin Luther King, has been popularised. Instead of the MLK who opposed the Vietnam war, looked at capitalism as the source of all evil, who equally struggled for workers rights as black rights, we have before us an image of a uni-dimensional King.

As we discuss Ambedkars ideas on democracy and their relevance today, this historic task beckons us: we need to fight with all our strength against the reduction of his image and what a scholar describes as a deliberate process of mythologizing the man and marginalising his meaning.

The future of Indian democracy depends to a great deal upon revival of Ambedkars visionary conception of democracy with modern modifications.

To Ambedkar, a democracy is more than a form of government. It is primarily a mode of associated living. The roots of democracy are to be searched in the social relationship, in the terms of associated life between the people who form a society. And, for him a society is conceived as one by its very nature and [T]he qualities which accompany this unity are praiseworthy community of purpose and desire for welfare, loyalty to public ends and mutuality of sympathy and co-operation.

Interrogating Indian society further, he questions whether these ideals are found in Indian society? And elaborating on the Indian society which is nothing but an innumerable collection of castes which are exclusive in their life and have no common experience to share and have no bond of sympathy, he concludes that, "The existence of caste system is a standing denial of the existence of those ideals of society and therefore of democracy ."

Then he further discusses how Indian Society is so embedded in the caste system that everything is organized on the basis of caste, and shares examples from the daily life of individuals revolving around the twin concepts of purity and pollution and moves to the sociopolitical arena and wryly concludes that [t]here is no room for the downtrodden and the outcastes in politics, in industry, in commerce, and in education.

Graded inequality

Ambedkar discusses how other special features of the caste system which [h]ave their evil effects and which militate against democracy and he focuses on what is called graded inequality where castes are not equal in their status but rather [a]re standing one above another and form an ascending scale of hatred and descending scale of contempt which has the most pernicious consequences as [i]t destroys willing and helpful co-operation.

Then discussing the difference between caste and class, he takes up the second evil effect in the caste system accompanied by inequality which is complete isolation which manifests itself in the difference between stimulus and response between two castes which is only one-sided and which educates some into masters, educate others into slaves and this separation thus prevents social endosmosis.

And points out the system of graded inequality which is the soul of the caste system and also how Indian society is disabled by unity in action by not being able to know what is its common good where the mind of the Indians is distracted and misled by false valuations and false perspectives and ends his speech by emphasising that mere education cannot destroy caste system rather education to those [w]ho want to keep up the caste system is not to improve the prospect of democracy in India but to put our democracy in India in greater jeopardy.

Ambedkars conception is geared to social transformation and human progress and he defines it as a form and a method of government whereby revolutionary changes in the economic and social life of the people are brought about without bloodshed.

We salute the contribution of this great visionary leader of the downtrodden who not only fought for political revolution but equally for a social revolution in modern India. While looking at the social health of India, one only wonders if it is willing to share some space with fellows who it will considers as others, yes, wretched others.
FP Trending

Epic Games has announced that it will be extending the Chapter 2- Season 2 of Fortnite by a month.

Season 3 of the popular game was slated to be released on 1 May. However, the release date has been pushed back to 4 June.

Were extending Chapter 2 - Season 2 of Fortnite beyond the original 30 April date. Our plan is to launch Chapter 2 - Season 3 on 4 June, Epic Games wrote on their website to inform gamers about the development.

(Also read: Crysis 4 in the works? The game's official Twitter account goes active after four years)

Chapter 2 - Season 2 has been extended. Plenty more coming this season: fresh gameplay, new Challenges, bonus XP & more! Additional info here: https://t.co/H5Obesm3qf  Fortnite (@FortniteGame) April 14, 2020



Epic Games revealed that in the meantime they have multiple game updates that will deliver fresh gameplay, new Challenges, bonus XP, and a couple more surprises for gamers.

This is not the first time that Fortnite has extended a Chapter. The first season of the popular game too lasted for months longer than it was originally intended for.

Fortnite Chapter 2- Season 1, which had started in October 2019, was extended till February 2020. At that time Epic Games had issued a statement saying that they have a lot more content for players to unwrap, including free rewards and live experiences.

According to Epic Games, they were extending Chapter 2s first season into early February to allow them time to prepare for all the new holiday-themed updates.

(Also read: PUBG Mobile to introduce a new mode called 'Cold Front Survival' on 16 April)
Colors TV has pulled the reruns of Bigg Boss season 13 off air as it failed to garner audience. The latest season was among the shows most watched last year with more fights, love stories and controversies than ever before.

The reruns began from March 23 at 10 pm and were discontinued from April 13. The show was replaced by Dance Deewane Season 1. A source told The Times of India, Bigg Boss 13 had enjoyed massive viewership a few months ago and hence was brought back, but things havent been the same this time around. Viewers preferences keep changing and given the current situation, the channel would like to understand want to audiences want to really watch. They aired Bigg Boss as an experiment and the coming weeks will see many old shows returning including Balika Vadhu, which went on air on April 13.

The report also quoted a few viewers who said they do not wish to watch the show amid the coronavirus lockdown as its too eerily similar to their own situation. In Bigg Boss, around a dozen participants are locked up inside a house where they cook, wash, do all household chores, entertain themselves--often with screaming matches and romances.

Various channels are following the Doordarshan model which brought back old 80s and 90s show such as Ramayan and Mahabharata to cash in on nostalgia amid the lockdown. The reruns made DD the most-watched channel and set the TRPs soaring. Zee has brought back reruns of Hum Paanch and even Colors brought back their first big hit, Balika Vadhu.

Also read: Actor Vijay worried for stranded son in Canada amid lockdown: Report

Taking to Instagram Story, Balika Vadhu actor Avika Gor posted a video that shows her singing the shows title track, Choti Si Umar Mein, a Rajasthani folk.Balika Vadhu re-telecast.... I am so overwhelmed, she captioned the video, thanking her other former co-stars.

Balika Vadhu was aired from 2008 to 2016. The show deals with the issue of child marriage. The cast included Surekha Sikri, Vikrant Massey and Sidharth Shukla.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Taiwan preparing for M1A2T tanks with help from U.S.: army

ROC Central News Agency

04/15/2020 12:10 PM

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) Taiwan has begun to prepare to train personnel and set up training facilities for the 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks the United States is to deliver to Taiwan from 2023 to 2026, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.

According to an Army report presented during a legislative session Wednesday, it began preparing early this year for the eventual arrival of the tanks, including training seed instructors, setting up training grounds and bunkers, and purchasing simulators.

The preparations are being made with the help of the United States.

Experts from the U.S. visited Taiwan from Feb. 18 to 25 and surveyed several sites, and the planning for their actual development is in progress, while discussions for building additional bunkers in different camps are also ongoing, the report said.

Another 168 army officers with foreign language skills and 72 young officers who had been studying in U.S. military schools have also been placed on a reserve list for training in the U.S., the report said.

Taiwan purchased the 108 M1A2T tanks to modernize its current fleet of 1,000 battle tanks, mostly M60A3 and CM-11 models, that have been in service for more than two decades.

The U.S. approved selling the sale in July 2019 and a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) was signed by the two countries four months later.

A budget of NT$40.52 billion (US$1.34 billion) has been allotted for the purchase of these advanced tanks and deliveries are expected in four batches from 2023 to 2026, the report said.

Among other preparations being made, Taiwan's Army is planning to send 84 Army personnel to the U.S. to train for six to nine months as seed instructors in 2023, according to the report.

In addition, Taiwan's Army will purchase shooting and driving simulators from the U.S., to be delivered together with the arrival of the first M1A2T tanks, the report said.

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan's state-owned institution in charge of developing indigenous weapon systems, will also develop Taiwan's own simulators and install other training facilities at military camps where the tanks will be deployed, according to the report.

The M1A2, among the most capable battle tanks in the world because of its fire control system, will be assigned to the Sixth Army Corps, which is responsible for the security of northern Taiwan, where most central government agencies are located, the MND said.

(By Matt Yu and Emerson Lim)

Enditem/ls

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Dave has a heart for reaching the lost, growing people as followers of Jesus, and extending compassion to those in need, the churchs elder board said in a series of statements about the new hire on the churchs website. Each of those values is central to us as a church, and Dave will continue to help Willow pursue those values.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 16, 2020 | 02:51 PM | BENTON, KY





On Thursday morning, some media outlets reported that the Confederate flag, located at the old courthouse in Marshall County, was going to be removed after a change of heart from County Commissioner Justin Lamb and the Sons of Confederate Veterans.







West Kentucky Star spoke with Lamb, who said the claim is "inaccurate," and "just a rumor."





Lamb says that from the end of the Civil War until the beginning of World War II, a Civil War cannon sat on the court square. Once the United States entered World War II, the government decided to donate the cannon as scrap for the war effort.





According to Lamb, in the 1950s and '60s people wanted a replica cannon to place back on the court square, and that finally came to pass in 2007.







Once the replica cannon was placed on the property, Lamb says the goal had always been to display a Confederate flag as well. He said officials are currently in the works of acquiring a civil war period Union flag which will fly right above the Confederate flag.







When addressing criticism over the flag, Lamb said critics need to get their facts straight.





"Don't misrepresent history just to fulfill a political agenda, because it does nobody any service," he said. "I love history, I love western Kentucky, I love Marshall County, and you know, I just want both sides of history to be told. That was our only goal with erecting the cannon and putting the flag pole up."





Lamb feels that there has been a movement across the country of people attempting to erase history.







"Anything in our nation's history that is divisive, or that folks don't like to talk about, they want to erase it and they want to hide it and act like it didn't happen." Lamb continued, "That just does our younger generation a big disservice, because we need to learn from history. We have a rich history and we need to learn from it."





You can see our previous story on the Marshall County Confederate flag at the link below.

There are currently no plans to remove the Confederate flag in Marshall County.

On the Net:
Divorce lawyers are being inundated with calls from fed-up spouses wanting to split from their partners after weeks cooped up by coronavirus lockdowns.

Many couples are at breaking point after losing their jobs with thousands of businesses forced to close or lose their income almost overnight.

A record number of divorce inquiries also involve domestic violence, which lawyers attribute to partners being stuck together at home.

But the worst could be yet to come when children start going back to school in many states next month, and again when the economy finally improves.

Divorce lawyers are being inundated with calls from fed-up spouses wanting to split from their partners after weeks cooped up by coronavirus lockdowns. A couple if pictured taking a walk on Mordiallloc pier at sunrise in Melbourne after the city was locked down

Fiona Reid said divorce inquiries to her Sydney firm Reid Family Lawyers had doubled since the coronavirus crisis began.

'The key things that will contribute to relationship breakdowns will be the panic, financial pressure, job loss, mental health issues, and the life changes and adjustments,' she said.

'History shows that a financial crisis is always followed by a spike in divorce rates, we now have the added pressure of isolation.

'Couples are being forced into situations where they have to be with each other for long periods and without the outlet of sport, friends, and camaraderie in the office.

'For people whose relationship is already shaky, this can cause an escalation in conflict.'

Many couples are at breaking point after losing their jobs with thousands of businesses forced to close or lose their income almost overnight - creating huge Centrelink lines like this one

Ms Reid said even normally stable couples could be pushed to the edge by having to juggle home schooling kids and working in the same house.

'They may find isolating together is difficult, confronting and that their relationship requires re-assessment. When people are stressed, it is harder for them to compromise,' she said.

The most worrying trend was a massive increase in domestic violence as stress boiled over and partners could no longer escape the abuse.

Australian Family Lawyers head of legal Courtney Mullen said 46 per cent of new cases in March involved domestic violence, up from the usual 20-30 per cent.

'This can be attributed to more people spending time at home and the huge financial pressures behind the economic shutdown over coronavirus,' she said.

Ms Mullen said the firm had 50 per cent more inquiries this year than the same period last year and they were 'only just seeing the start of it'.

'We're completely flat out, I've never seen anything like this,' she said.

'Most of the calls I'm taking are families in crisis because of isolation it's just tragic.'

AFL is receiving so many inquiries from Australians needing advice but struggling after losing their jobs that it has cut rates for initial consultations.

A couple get out of the house to Maroubra Beach in Sydney over the weekend amid stage three lockdowns that are exacerbating relationship problems

Australian Family Lawyers is receiving so many inquiries from Australians needing advice but struggling after losing their jobs (a Centrelink line in Bondi Junction is pictured) that it has cut rates for initial consultations

However, this could be just the tip of the iceberg with cases expected to peak when lockdowns eased in the next few months.

'With people being stuck at home so much they don't have the privacy to be able to speak with a lawyer without being under the watchful eye of their partner,' Rose Family Lawyers said.

'They don't like speaking about it in front of the children either and it's hard to escape under the current circumstances.'

Principal lawyer Phillip Gallo said the firm was preparing for an 'unprecedented' influx when school resumed and social isolation was relaxed.

'This is much like the annual post-Christmas spike, where we observe an increase in divorce-related enquires when children return to school,' he said.

'Our clients generally want to confidentially discuss their situation when they are away from the family environment and out of earshot of their children and partner.

'Unfortunately for many, the strict isolation protocols are contributing to the alarming increase in domestic violence within homes across Australia.

'With this in mind, divorce-related enquiries will likely surge once victims feel safe enough to take action.'

Lawyers said many of the people forced into Centrelink lines will hold off on separating until the economy improves, meaning the worst could be yet to come

Mr Gallo believed this time would show the true impact of coronavirus on family breakdown.

Melbourne Family Layers barrister Alison Loach said she expected even more calls when Australia's economy finally improved enough for partners to leave.

'A lot of people don't separate until after the crisis is over. They think they won't be able to sell the house, they've got no job or money to start again,' she said.

'As soon as things start to get a little better, then they go.'

Ms Reid said the government needed to step in and provide subsidies for couples counselling as part of its rescue package.

'At the very least it may help some couples to move toward separation in a more cordial fashion. At best, it might help save some relationships,' she said.

Divorce rates spiked by 4.7 per cent in 2009 and more in 2010 in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Couples must be separated for at least a year before they can apply for divorce, so the affects of coronavirus will be seen in 2021 and 2022 figures.

However, the true breakdown will be higher as breakups of de-facto couples are not measured by official records.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out a blueprint Wednesday for how New York will begin to reopen as it continues to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

For people to return to work, the state will need to consider how essential businesses are, and what risk they present to spread the virus, Cuomo said. He added that key to understanding those factors will be expanded testing.

Behaviors mitigating the spread of the virus will most likely need to be in place for another 12 to 18 months before a virus or effective treatment is developed to deal with symptoms caused by the virus, Cuomo said.

We have to build a bridge from where we are to the reopening of the economy, the governor said at his Wednesday press briefing.

More than 10,000 people in New York state are confirmed to have died as a result of the virus, and Cuomo said another 752 had died Tuesday.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

Other indicators, like the number of hospitalizations and intubations, continue to be down, which Cuomo pointed to as a sign that the states mitigation efforts are working.

When you relax that social distancing, you could very well see an increase in that infection rate, the governor said.

To further those efforts, Cuomo ordered New Yorkers to wear face coverings when going to public places where social distancing is not possible.

Cuomo said for the state to reopen safely there will need to be expanded testing with aid from the federal government, and more rigorous tracing of who infected people came into contact with.

New York has tested 500,000 people since the outbreak started -- the most of any state -- but there needs to be increased capacity, Cuomo said. The state is asking for help from the federal government, including a request for the Food and Drug Administration to approve a finger-prick test.

Weve been very aggressive here, but in all this time weve only done 500,000 tests, Cuomo said. Youre talking about a state with over 19 million people.

He said he hopes for the daily capacity to get as high as 500,000 with federal assistance, adding that testing priority will be given to first responders, and healthcare employees.

Police Benevolent Association Pat Lynch applauded the governors decision to prioritize those workers on the front line. He referred to officers as a bellwether, who are are prevalent in all parts of society making them more susceptible to the virus.

This is a smart move by Governor Cuomo that will ultimately help get our city and state back up and running, Lynch said. Priority testing for police officers will provide important intelligence about how this virus has spread and who is still at risk. It will also ensure that we are not silently spreading the disease to our colleagues or the communities we serve.
China's Ministry of State Security has revealed details of a failed subversion plot against the Communist Party as a warning to the citizens about national security.

A former party official was convicted of plotting to subvert state power with 'foreign enemy forces, according to Chinese media.

Anti-foreign sentiment has been exacerbating in China amid the coronavirus crisis as the country sees political tensions rising with the US and several African countries over the pandemic.

It also comes as Beijing's top official in Hong Kong has also urged the government to pass its national security laws in a bid to combat the local pro-democracy movement.

China's Ministry of State Security has revealed details of a failed subversion plot against the Communist Party as a warning to the citizens about national security. Police wearing face masks stand guard at the Tianhe Airport in Wuhan on April 8

Officials also unveiled a series of espionage cases yesterday in the light of the country's fifth National Security Education Day, according to state media.

Cities across China launched campaigns and activities on Wednesday to raise awareness on national security and counter-espionage.

State broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday that the country's spy agency released details on a series of major cases threatening national security.

One subversion case involved a retired Communist party member, known by his surname Su (pictured), who 'reached out to foreign enemy forces and plotted to stage terrorist activities and subvert state power', according to the press.

One subversion case involved a retired Communist party member who 'reached out to foreign enemy forces and plotted to stage terrorist activities and subvert state power', according to the press.

The former official, known by his surname Su, worked at a school in Yunnan Province of southwestern China for several years.

He reportedly posted several anti-government articles online and got in contact with 'some key members of an overseas enemy force' in 2016, according to CCTV.

Mr Su plotted to overthrow the Communist Party with one of the members from the unidentified organisation.

The pair initially planned to purchase weapons from overseas and hire mercenaries to attack the city's public security bureau and take over a local military ammunition base.

Mr Su's plot was foiled during the planning stage after the secret police tracked him down through chatting groups on the Chinese messenger app WeChat. He was caught discussing details of the weapons and funding with other plot members.

The former party member was charged with subverting state power in April last year.

Zhang Jiange (right), a Chinese military engineering expert, was accused of selling information to a foreign agent, known by his alias Jack (left)

The Ministry of State Security also highlighted three espionage cases in which researchers and engineers gained access to sensitive information about the country's top military projects.

Zhang Jiange, a Chinese military engineering expert, was accused of selling information to a foreign agent, known by his alias Jack.

Mr Zhang first met Jack during an academic trip in 2011 when the two became close friends, according to the press.

The Ministry said Mr Zhang agreed to provide intelligence to a disclosed Western spy agency after Jack offered him cash and promises of a good education for his child.

Mr Zhang was arrested by ministry officers at an airport in Zhengzhou of central China. He was reportedly on his way to leave the country, with a suitcase filled with 'confidential research materials'.

The military engineer was later convicted of espionage and sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Mr Zhang was arrested by ministry officers at an airport in Zhengzhou of central China. He was reportedly on his way to leave the country, with a suitcase filled with 'confidential research materials'. The picture shows the documents found in Mr Zhang's suitcase

The military engineer, Zhang Jiange (pictured), was later convicted of espionage and sentenced to 15 years in jail

'The shocking cases remind us that we must place great importance on maintaining political and military security,' the state media concluded.

'Be vigilant! These cases that endanger national security may happen right by your side.'

The revelation comes as China launched nationwide campaigns on its fifth National Security Education Day.

The national day was established five years ago after Chinese President Xi Jinping underlined the importance of national security in the first meeting held by the National Security Commission.

Cities across China hosted activities yesterday to raise awareness on national security, counter-espionage, anti-terrorism, cybersecurity and nuclear safety.

The national day was established five years ago after Chinese President Xi Jinping underlined the importance of national security in the first meeting held by the National Security Commission. He is pictured during the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum

Luo Huining, the head of China's liaison office in Hong Kong, urged the region to pass its national security laws which were shelved in 2003 following mass protests.

The controversial Article 23 legislation says it 'shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secrets', and prohibit various forms of foreign political interference.

Mr Luo also said the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong is a threat to the 'one country, two systems' principle proposed by mainland China.

Mr Luo said the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong is a threat to the 'one country, two systems' principle proposed by mainland China. FILE: A banner is seen as anti-government demonstrators march in protest against the invocation of the emergency laws in Hong Kong
An American man is facing deportation after he falsely claimed to have contracted COVID-19, the Police Department of northern Hai Phong City has announced.

Au Joseph Elhayboubi, a US national, falsely claimed to havecontractedCOVID-19 in an attempt to getaccommodation and food.  Photo courtesy of Hai Phong Police

Au Joseph Elhayboubi, 32, has been handed over to the Ministry of Public Security to wait for international routes to be reopened for deportation.

Elhayboubi entered Viet Nam last October with the visa valid for three months from October 25 to January 25.

Previously, since May 2018, he had entered the country with a tourist visa in an attempt to find work in foreign language centres in many cities and provinces, such as Ha Noi, HCM City and Hai Phong, but failed.

In his latest entry to the country in October 26, he travelled to Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc and Ha Noi to seek work but was not accepted.

On March 22, Elhayboubi returned to Hai Phong City and took temporary accommodation on Lach Tray Street.

He asked to borrow money from an English language centre director for personal expenses but was rebuffed.

Elhayboubi later claimed to have contracted COVID-19 to the local police station.

He was taken to the Viet Tiep Hospital No 2 for monitoring, where he was quarantined and underwent a medical examination.

The man showed psychological problems and caused disorder in the quarantine area, so the authorities had to isolate him in a separate room.

He tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 and completed the quarantine period on April 3.

According to the authorities, the man was likely to have falsely reported himself as infected with COVID-19 in an attempt to receive accommodation and food.

He was unable to return to the United States because many international flights had stopped operating.

He was found to have overstayed his visa. The US Embassy has refused to provide a guarantee and support for this case.

The Hai Phong City Police Department suggested he is fined and deported back to the US.

He has been taken to the Ministry of Public Securitys No 1 accommodation area in northern Vinh Phuc Provinces Ho Son Commune to wait for deportation as stipulated.  VNS

Colombian man caught after fleeing quarantine facility in Hoi An A Colombian man who fled from a COVID-19 quarantine facility in Hoi An city, central Quang Nam province, on April 11, was found and returned to the facility on April 13.




The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Wednesday denied reports that one of the Chinese doctors that recently arrived in Nigeria has tested positive for the COVID-19.

The Minister said the reports about the doctor testing positive was nothing but fake news.

Mohammed, who is also a member of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), made the clarification during the daily media briefing.

This morning, there was a message that went viral, to the effect that one of the Chinese doctors tested positive and that news was supposed to have emanated from the Twitter handle of the federal government.

I want to say, to the best of our knowledge here, theres no such thing.

Ive also just received two hate dramas and other fake news while I was sitting here, which Ive been unable to open. But we will continue to debunk fake news and well try our best to timely give you information about the COVID-19, either through our daily press briefings or through the website of the NCDC and the task force, the Minister said.

Naija News recalls the Chinese doctors arrived in the country last Wednesday to help with the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19).

However, the Federal Government later disclosed that it didnt invite the Chinese doctors who arrived in the country last Wednesday to help with the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, stated this when he appeared on Channels TVs News at 10 on Saturday.

In his clarification, the Minister disclosed that the doctors were invited by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to help with the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19).

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Footage giving a first look at Aidan Turner playing Leonardo da Vinci has been released to mark the Italian painter's birthday.

Poldark star Turner plays the artist in the television series Leonardo, which will begin next year.

The clip, which contains footage from the drama, shows Dubliner Turner as the painter learning his craft as a young apprentice and also working on his commission to paint The Last Supper.

Da Vinci was born in April, 1452.

Muse

The series was created by Frank Spotnitz, who was also the writer and executive producer for Amazon Prime series The Man In The High Castle.

It also features Family Novel star Giancarlo Giannini, who plays da Vinci's master Andrea Del Verrocchio, and The Undoing's Matilda De Angelis as Caterina Da Cremona, da Vinci's muse.

Eleonaro Andreatta, head of drama at Rai, which produced the programme, said: "Leonardo remains an inspirational figure around the world.

"His ability to put together a prodigious synthesis of science and poetry, technology and art, is a reminder for us to trust in humanity's capacity to cope with the adversity it faces.

"We are excited to give to the public an insight into the captivating life he lived and how his incredible vision has helped us to look to the future ever since the Renaissance."
While visiting a Walmart recently, Converse Mayor Al Suarez noticed a lot of folks wearing masks, but many others who werent.

I stopped and asked some of them and they said, Well, theres nowhere to get them, nobody has them, Suarez recalled.

Seeing a need, Suarez decided he had to help his towns residents.

On Wednesday, Converse residents turned out en masse to collect free face masks from the city.

More than 300 autos crept along a single-file line that snaked through back streets and behind the former city hall building on South Seguin Street.

Suarez and Planning and Zoning Commission member Jeff Beehler stood in the buildings parking lot, wearing their own masks and ready to hand out up to 2,000 of the light-blue surgical-type masks.

With estimates that the peak of the coronavirus epidemic may stretch through the end of April and possibly into early May, Suarez said the citys emergency management team decided to get proactive and hand out its supply of masks, one per adult.

Suarez drew on one of his connections: Marion Thomas with Blessed Angels Community Center, which runs a non-profit food bank distribution.

I noticed that Blessed Angels was giving out face masks with their food distributions. I asked Marion, Do you have any? I need some for Converse, he said.

She texted me on Friday, I have 1,000 masks for you. Ten minutes later, it was, I have 1,500 masks. Wait, I have 2,000 masks. When can you come get them? he stated.

They city held a very impromptu mask giveaway on Monday that resulted in about 200 masks handed out. But Wednesdays effort more than tripled that output, as 650 more masks were distributed.

With a social media blitz on Facebook, the citys website, Instagram and other outlets, residents turned out in force Wednesday. Shortly after the two-hour giveaway started at 3 p.m., a line of 85 cars stretched for five city blocks.

City Manager Le Ann Piatt, city secretary Holly Nagy and city grants administrator Stella Calvillo manned the line, checking motorists for Converse residency.

Near the front of the line were Lisa Lopez and Margaret Trost. While both are currently working from home, they said having the masks is a necessity in their lines of work. Lopez works for Child Protective Services and Trost works at Judson High School in Converse.

We saw it (Tuesday) on Facebook and we thought that was pretty cool, Lopez said. We were just talking right now about how awesome it is that the city of Converse is doing this for its residents.

Trost said her mask will come in handy in the coming weeks.

Im an art teacher at Judson High School. Were going to distribute art packets to all the kids, and so this mask will help me be protected, Trost added.

Ignacio and Gabriela Lozano arrived early enough to be one of the first five vehicles in line.

We dont want to take any chances, any risks. With all the things happening right now, wed better be safe, Ignacio Lozano said about waiting for the masks. Im outside all the time working, and I need some protection.

His wife picked up a mask that rested on the console between them.

This is the one he uses for work, but its the only one he has, and it wont last forever, Gabriela added.

Retirees Sherman and Vera Brown drove off wearing their homemade masks on their faces and their two bagged masks on Veras lap.

We really appreciate the time and effort they spent because we need this. Its all part of the program, and were blessed to have this, Sherman Brown said. We each have a mask that we have been wearing. Were just trying to stay safe just like everyone else.

Suarez said the city will continue handing out masks as quickly as it can acquire them.

We need to do what we do locally. Wed rather have our citizens wearing something, than nothing, the mayor said.

Whatever type of masks we can get, whether they are the surgical, or homemade cloth ones, were going to try to acquire them and keep having these until theres nobody in line, he said, adding, Well be out here every week to give them away, for as long at this goes on, and for as long as our residents need them.

Another drive is planned for Friday at a time to be determined.

jflinn@express-news.net
Brian Dennehy does not mince words. He peppers his speech with salty idioms, granted, but his disposition toward the subject at hand  playing Hamm in Samuel Becketts Endgame at Long Wharf Theatre  is unequivocally transparent.

This is one of the greatest plays ever written, said Dennehy before rehearsal a few days before Christmas. Whether or not we get any extra-base hits out of it remains to be seen.

We have one of the greatest pieces of raw material ever to work with, thats ever been written, said Dennehy, referring to his castmates Reg E. Cathey (Clov), Joe Grifasi (Nagg) and Lynn Cohen (Nell) as well as director Gordon Edelstein, set designer Eugene Lee, costume designer Kaye Voyce and lighting designer Jennifer Tipton.

Its a powerful, hugely important play, he said. I mean, Ive done a lot of great plays, and this is by far the deepest, most philosophical and intellectual, I guess, to use a word thats dangerous in the sense that an audience flees from intellectual content.

Endgame, running at Long Wharfs Stage II through Feb. 5, is Dennehys second Beckett at Long Wharf, having starred in Krapps Last Tape just over five years ago. If anyone left during the performance, theatergoers were too focused on the Connecticut-based actor to notice.

The last thing I want to do is talk people out of coming to the play, he said. This is theater at its best and most serious because of the writing.

Beautiful writing, he added. Irish writing; Protestant Irish writing.

This last is a strong kindred link with Dennehy, the grandson of Irish immigrants who settled in Bridgeport.

My father was a newspaperman, said Dennehy. He worked for The Associated Press for years. I know that one of his earlier jobs was at the Bridgeport paper. He also worked at the Danbury paper.

He was the single child of a real Irish Catholic family, he said. My grandfather shoveled coal for 50 years for Jenkins Valve in Bridgeport. He lived up near Beardsley Park. He kept chickens and goats and was a general pain in the ass to his neighbors. But he didnt give a damn. It was the first piece of property he ever owned  big, tough guy. I mean, he shoveled coal for 50 years and smoked Lucky Strikes, which killed him shortly after he retired.

But my father was raised in that anti-intellectual environment, Dennehy said. He studied for the priesthood because thats how he could get his education without disturbing his very religious parents. He was so smart that they sent him to the University of Butane in Belgium, where he studied for three or four years. Then, at the ultimate moment when he was supposed to take his vows, he said, You know, I dont think I really have a vocation here. What he got was a great classical education.

He was a bit of a hustler, my old man, Dennehy said. Anyway, he came back and worked for newspapers for all of his life. And I dont have to tell you what they pay  what they paid in those days was worse. But he did what he wanted to do and I have tremendous admiration for him.

My old man was quite an extraordinary guy, said Dennehy, who added that his father discovered heralded journalist Peter Arnett during the Vietnam War. In any business that, as you well know, does not appreciate or compensate people like him, it needed people like him.

Well, I have done the same thing in this business thats notoriously rough on people, he said. But Ive had a lot of luck, and success, I guess.

Not one to bask in his own success, Dennehy instantly refocused on his professional insecurity.

The huge problem of the play is to get it right, he said of Endgame, which premiered in Europe in 1957 and in America the following year, but not so right that the audience flees from the theater. This is Becketts last great effort and he wanted to put everything he had into it. This is the one he wrote to help the audience understand what this strange journey is all about  No. 1. And No. 2 to care about it, and No. 3 to be entertained. It aint for everybody.

There is humor in it, Beckettian humor, Dennehy said. Some of its slapstick. Grandma (Nell) and Grandpa (Nagg) are in crates, or boxes, or garbage cans. Theyve been put away, hopefully, to die as soon as possible  certainly a dark but very valid joke about the way we treat old people. And there are other jokes as well that are more accessible.

I think its a very funny play, he said. However, you have to understand, youre talking to an actor. I have been acting for 50 years, so I am, by nature, and by training, expecting the worst. And rarely disappointed.

But having said that, we have a good cast, we have a great, great play, and I have a great, great part that I have been working my ass off on, he said. It is one of the great plays of the 20th century. It easily qualifies as one of the great plays, most accessible plays, which means that it is not easily accessible because its not  its not meant to be. If its done right, youll come out with a better understanding of the darkness and humor and life. The meaninglessness and meanness of life.

In Edelstein, Dennehy has found an equally kindred spirit, dramaturgically speaking.

This is something that we worked out together, Gordon and me, Dennehy said. Gordon wanted to do this. This play is, how do I put this? I mean, Im 78, Ive done a lot of great plays, but this play is like carrying a little pick ax and one strand of rope around your neck and staring up at the Matterhorn, saying theres only one way to this  lets start.

The thing about Gordon is that hes  whats the word? Hes a guide, Dennehy said. He casts, in my case  I cant speak for other actors  people he knows who are going to be serious and adventurous and daring and funny at the same time.

Ive been in this business for 50 years, and this is the hardest thing Ive ever done, he said. The most demanding and, hopefully, the most fulfilling.

Whether or not we achieve it remains to be seen, Dennehy said. I think we have a shot at it. Thats the best you can hope for. And thats the challenge.
Dylan Thomas, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns are just some of the great writers to have hailed from Wales and Scotland.

But according to VisitBritain they do not count as British literary all-stars, as the tourism authority's map of the UK's best writers only showcased England.

The tourism authority was forced to apologise after its map caused outrage among celebrities and writers across the British Isles.

VisitBritain face a public backlash from writers and celebrities across the British Isles when they released a map of 'Britain's' best playwrights, authors and poets showcasing only England

People in Scotland were angered the map missed Scottish writers including Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns

VisitBritain's map showed classic British book titles and authors dotted exclusively around England cities and shires.

To add insult to injury, it moved Cardiff-born children's favourite Roald Dahl to the Home Counties.

Harry Potter was also moved to the Northeast of England despite Gloucestershire-born JK Rowling writing all the books in Edinburgh.

The map put Sherlock Holmes in England even though his statue was erected in Edinburgh, where creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born.

Dracula also fell victim to the blunder, as author Bram Stoker of the classic horror tale actually hails from Ireland.

Children's favourite Roald Dahl was placed in Oxfordshire on the map despite being born in Cardiff

More bizarrely, Gloucestershire-born JK Rowling's Harry Potter series were placed in the northeast of England, despite being written in Edinburgh and set in Scotland in large parts

Musician and radio host Cerys Matthews tweeted: 'You confuse Britain with England.'

BBC newsreader Huw Edwards wrote: 'Erm some rather important things missing from this "British' list".'

The map decorates Wales with trees, bushes and a squirrels, while Scotland is cut off entirely below Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Scottish playwright Kieran Hurley wrote on Twitter: 'It's absolutely fine to do things that are about England rather than about the UK or about Britain - just call it that.'

BBC newsreader Huw Edwards wrote: 'Erm some rather important things missing from this "British' list".'

Writer Alexander McCall Smith said: 'It demonstrates a certain anglocentrism and, I'm sorry to say, sheer ignorance.

'Have they never heard of Burns or Scott? Literary maps should perhaps be compiled by proper literary cartographers, rather than left to the office junior.'

Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly Member Delyth Jewell said: 'You appear to have confused Britain and England and have ignored Welsh literature entirely, even though Wales is on that map.

'I rather think the land of the Mabinogion and RS Thomas deserves more than bushes and trees. Don't you?'

VisitBritain was forced to apologise after Tweeting the map which it says was originally intended for its @VisitEngland account

VisitBritain apologised for Tweeting the picture initially intended for its VisitEngland page on their main Twitter account.

The tourism authority said: 'The VisitEngland literary heroes map was tweeted from VisitBritain's consumer channel in error and the tweet has since been removed.

'VisitBritain sincerely apologises for this mistake.

'VisitEngland's literary heroes map of English literary locations was created to inspire domestic visitors to explore the destinations and literary attractions across the country brought to life through books.'
Grizzly Research published a scathing report about Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR) last week, asking if the cannabis-focused real estate investment trust is "the WeWork of Cannabis." The short-seller answered its own question, stating, "We think it's even worse!"

Usually, when a short-seller launches a public attack on a company, the company's shares fall. But IIP's share price actually increased after Grizzly Research released its report. IIP quickly responded to the Grizzly Research report, stating that it "contains numerous false and misleading statements about IIP and its Executive Chairman, Alan Gold," adding that the "report is flawed and demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of IIP's business model."

Is IIP a marijuana stock you wouldn't want to touch with a 10-foot pole? Or could IIP be a stock you should buy right now?

The core issue

Grizzly Research wrote a 36-page report that can pretty much be summed up in one question: Is a significant amount of IIP's rental income in jeopardy? The short-seller thinks that the answer to this question is "yes."

IIP itself acknowledged in its annual regulatory filing to the SEC that it does face a key risk on this front. It stated that "the inability of any single tenant to make its lease payments could adversely affect our business and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders." The company also said, "Many of our existing tenants are, and we expect that many of our future tenants will be, start-up businesses and may be unable to pay rent with funds from operations or at all."

There's at least a grain of truth in Grizzly's allegation. IIP recently stated that one tenant in Los Angeles didn't pay its rent in the first two months of 2020. But is this a spark that's about to turn into a wildfire for IIP? Probably not.

IIP's biggest customer in terms of revenue is PharmaCann, a medical cannabis operator that generated 26% of the company's total rental revenue last year. PharmaCann leases five properties from IIP in Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In recent weeks, the company has posted new job positions in at least three of these states, even with the negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. That's not a sign of impending doom.

Ascend Wellness generated nearly 12% of IIP's revenue last year with two properties leased in Illinois and Michigan. Both states have designated medical cannabis as an essential business. Although Ascend has had to adapt to the new realities of the coronavirus pandemic by shifting to online pre-ordering, the company already had around 70% of its business in Illinois stemming from online pre-orders.

In addition, IIP has signed more long-term leases in the first few months of 2020 that further diversify its business. These include deals with public companies that have relatively solid financial positions -- Cresco Labs and Green Thumb Industries.

IIP's track record

IIP is led by Executive Chairman Alan Gold and CEO Paul Smithers. Gold co-founded two publicly traded real estate companies -- BioMed Realty, which was acquired in 2016 by Blackstone Real Estate Partners, and Alexandria Real Estate. Smithers has more than 35 years of legal and regulatory experience.

Grizzly Research's report stated that IIP's actions "hint strongly at a Ponzi-like scheme." If that's the case, Alan Gold should go down as the dumbest Ponzi scheme operator in history. He owns around $28.5 million of IIP stock and has never sold a share since the company's IPO.

But Gold isn't dumb. His initial stake in IIP was worth only $4 million. It's soared more than sevenfold. IIP's revenue has skyrocketed more than 900% in less than three years. The company's dividend has grown by nearly 567% during the same period.

IIP is also highly profitable, delivering earnings of over $22 million last year on revenue of $44.7 million. The company has a manageable debt load of around $135 million and a nice cash stockpile totaling over $82 million at the end of 2019.

To buy or not to buy

Innovative Industrial Properties could be too risky for some investors. But assessing the company's risk based on a short-seller seeking to profit from the stock's decline isn't the best move. If IIP's rent revenue is really in jeopardy, it will start to show on the company's quarterly reports. For now, there's no reason to think the company has a problem.

I think that IIP should be able to keep growing through its "rinse-and-repeat" strategy of investing in new medical cannabis properties. Its dividend yield of 5.3% is very attractive. My view is that IIP remains one of the top picks for investors looking for both growth and income.
Washington States Stay-at-Home Order Could Extend Beyond May 4

Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee said that it is unknowable whether the state can open up for business on May 4 as it begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inslee said on Wednesday that opening up the state will have to be a gradual approach rather than a light switch on and off.

It will be a dial, the governor said of the transition away from the statewide mandated social distancing measures announced in March. We will dial it up and down as the data suggests. It will be a phased approach.

The phasing will probably be the reverse of what it was going into the effort, he added. We started by prohibiting large gatherings, we then closed on-site education in our schools, we then had a stay home order in our individual lives, we then closed nonessential businesses. As we come out of this, we presume that that will be in inverse order as we open up some of our economy and personal lives.

Inslees order in late March requires about 7 million state residents to stay home unless they need to perform essential activities. It also bans all social, spiritual, and recreational gatherings, which includes weddings and funerals. The order was intended to be effective until at least April 6, but the date was later extended to May 4.

State residents overall adherence to the stay-at-home order has been successful in bending the curve of the outbreak, Inslee noted. He added that if this continues, broad restrictions can be lifted and efforts can be directed toward more vulnerable populations instead.

Referring to a model from the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Inslee said that social distancing measures must stay for now to prevent the prospect of a rebound in new infections and deaths due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus.

The rate is not going down at the moment. Its plateaued. Its level. Thats not as good as we need. Because it means well continue to experience the number of fatalities we are having today, he said, later adding that what authorities want is for the number of fatalities to start decreasing.

Inslee said that workers in industries such as construction may be allowed back sooner if the curve continues to decrease dramatically.

Earlier this week, several construction groups sent Inslee a letter asking for permission to resume projects that had begun prior to the March 23 stay-at-home order. Inslee said the state was working with the construction industry to plan how to get back to full construction, but that no specific time frame has been carved out for the process.

The state may start lifting its restrictions after data indicates the spread of COVID-19 has been successfully contained, and also when authorities have protocols in place to quickly respond to and treat new cases of the virus, Inslee added. Such protocols include the ability of the state to carry out testing and contract tracing in a timely manner.

The most difficult thing we face is the testing kit supplies for the testing, and this is a huge frustration for all of us, Inslee said. Because we have ramped up the ability to do analysesthe ability of the laboratories to analyze the sample. It may be in the range of 13,000 tests a day, but were only doing about 4,500 tests  thats not as much as we would like as we go through the transition.

The reason is we simply have not had enough tests kitsswabs, viral transport medium, the vials, Inslee explained. This sounds kind of ridiculous and it is, but they simply do not exist anywhere in the United States right now. We have been on a huge buying spree searching the globe for this material, weve had some good breakthroughs in the last 48 hours, we have a million test swabs coming into the state right now  and vial and test medium.

Inslee said that more testing will be needed after the transition back to work begins as people coming back to work will want to be tested and potentially isolated.

The governor also said he hopes new FDA guidelines will allow a less invasive swab test, which he described as a different type of swab that can be used, almost like a Q-tip.

Inslee earlier this week announced that he will work with governors Gavin Newsom of California and Kate Brown of Oregon on how to reopen their states.

As of Wednesday, the model predicts there will be 855 deaths in the state attributable to the CCP virus by the start of August. Washington has reported 567 COVID-19 deaths and 10,783 confirmed cases.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The White House scrambled to provide masks for senior staff, two weeks before health officials advised the public wear them when out to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported.

In Mid-March, the National Security Council (NSC) at the White House made an appeal for masks from the Taiwanese government after they were unable to obtain the face covering through other measures.

This same time period saw White House officials and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention telling residents that masks were not needed to prevent the spread of the novel virus.

Hospitals were also reporting massive shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for their staff members.

An appeal to Taiwan was made by the NSC because the country reported a low number of coronavirus cases compared to other parts of the world.

"While the administration had detailed pandemic response plans, somehow those did not include maintaining a supply of masks for White House personnel," an administration official told the newspaper anonymously. "That was a lesson learned. We did look at buying some, but couldn't find available supply."

Taiwan sent 500,000 masks to the US at a time when the country had banned commercial exports of the face shield so it could be used by its own residents.

A majority of the masks sent by the government were placed in the Strategic National Stockpile to then get distributed among states in need. But 3,600 of those masks went to the White House - half for the NSC staff and the other half for the White House medical. The Taiwanese government did not reveal some of the masks sent would be kept by the White House, according to The Washington Post.

It was then recommended two weeks later by the CDC for all Americans to wear a mask or some kind of cloth covering when out in the public to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

"While we would never discuss the specifics about safety and security measures at the White House, the Medical Unit and Military Office have the needed supplies to execute on long-standing continuity of government plans that essential personnel are protected by and briefed on as soon as they arrive," White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley told the newspaper, "and quite frankly, it's ignorant, naive or intentionally dishonest for anyone to suggest otherwise."

Even though there are sufficient masks for President Donald Trump to use, according to the White House, the president said at the time of the CDC recommendation he would not be wearing any type of face covering.

"You can do it. You don't have to do it. I'm choosing not to do it, but some people may want to do it, and that's OK," Mr Trump said.
We might be stuck at home, but that isnt stopping companies from springing fresh devices upon us. Apple just dropped a new iPhone SE, LG and Motorola are both prepping flagship launches, while a slew of midrange phones have been unveiled in the past two weeks. OnePlus also showed off the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro this week. MWC may have gotten canceled in February, but it seems mobile device makers are pushing forward with their products, in the middle of this pandemic.

While theyre hardly ever at Mobile World Congress, Apple still contributed to this months remote phone launch season by revealing the new iPhone SE. Not only is this a long-awaited update to the companys compact, budget-friendly line, but its also noteworthy for its premium processor. With the new iPhone SE, youll be getting the same A13 Bionic processor that powers the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, but for just $399. Of course, you wont find the same multi-camera setup. The 4.7-inch handset only houses a single 12-megapixel sensor. Still, though, youre getting plenty for less than $400. And such a small phone with modern specs is pretty hard to find these days.

One of the biggest names we were expecting at MWC was LG, typically showing up in Barcelona with its latest flagships with horribly clunky names. Case in point: The LG V60 ThinQ 5G or the G8X ThinQ Dual Screen. Those really arent the sexiest names for flagship phones. LG Velvet, on the other hand, immediately conjures up mental images of soft, luxurious fabric. Well, thats what LG is hoping, anyway. The company has been struggling to remain relevant for years and this week it announced its upcoming flagship will be named Velvet. In a press release, LG said the word is meant to evoke images of lustrous smoothness and premium softness.

LG V60 ThinQ 5G

The new branding is a move away from alphanumeric naming standards, which, good riddance. As a reviewer, I loathed having to write LG V60 ThinQ 5G over and over. The Velvet will feature a unique Raindrop camera and symmetrical, flowing form factor that is both pleasing to the eye and pleasing to touch. If I had to attempt to translate that to normal human speak, Id say that probably means this handset will be curvier and perhaps less boring than the existing V-series.

Story continues

Speaking of curvy phones, Motorola also announced itll be hosting a virtual launch event on April 22nd for the rumored Edge+. Based on the leaks weve seen, this might be the companys first high-end phone in years, following a slew of midrange and budget-friendly handsets like the G and E series. The Edge+ is said to have a 6.7-inch display that curves away from the front on both edges and feature a 108-megapixel camera with wide-angle and telephoto options as well. It reportedly packs a premium Snapdragon 865 processor with a sweet 5,000mAh battery, too. A less exciting version called the Edge will reportedly be available too, just with a Snapdragon 765 processor instead.

These two companies have been lagging the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google for a while, and its nice to see them try harder to challenge the industry leaders. The smartphone industry could use some variety. Though, Im not entirely convinced that the Velvet nor the Edge+ can give the Galaxies, iPhones and Pixels any serious competition.

OnePlus 8 Pro

This week, we also saw OnePlus launch its latest phones. Though the company started out with a mission to make flagship killers that offer high-end specs for much cheaper than the competition, its new devices indicate an evolution in strategy. The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro can no longer be considered affordable alternatives to premium flagships because theyre, well, not that much cheaper anymore. But theyre straight up great devices. These are beautiful handsets with super smooth screens, speedy performance and capable cameras. And while the OnePlus 8s $699 starting price is too high to be considered affordable, it at least costs hundreds less than the likes of a Galaxy S20 or an iPhone 11.

Theres also been a slew of midrange phones launching. TCL unveiled the 10 series recently, while Samsung unleashed about half a dozen A-series phones last week. We also saw Chinese phone maker Oppo unveil the Reno Ace 2, which features the worlds fastest wireless charging -- so far, anyway. It supports 40W charging, which will get the phones 4,000mAh battery fully juiced in 56 minutes. Anyone whos ever tried wirelessly charging their phone will know -- thats practically light speed. Like most Oppo phones, though, the Reno Ace 2 is unlikely to find its way stateside.

Thats a ton of phones to hear about in a matter of weeks, which just goes to show that, even a global pandemic and the cancellation of MWC cant keep phone makers down. But whats nice to note is the prices here. Instead of the $1,000 flagships weve seen from Samsung and Apple, some of these guys cost about $700 or less, depending on the configuration. Considering were gearing up for a global recession, maybe luxury smartphones arent the wisest purchase for awhile.
The House advanced a compromise bill Wednesday afternoon to temporarily ban almost all eviction and foreclosure proceedings statewide shortly after Democratic negotiators made a breakthrough, but appeared unable to win over their Republican counterparts.

Six days after the branches established a conference committee because they could not reach agreement informally on the time-sensitive topic, the panel's Democratic leaders announced a deal on legislation that would impose a moratorium on most housing removals. Within an hour, the House adopted the committee's report.

Depending on the proposal's fate in the Senate, the legislation could reach Gov. Charlie Baker as soon as Thursday. Baker said on Saturday that he hopes to receive a version he can agree with and sign it quickly.

"This legislation will offer much needed relief to thousands of renters, homeowners, and small businesses across the Commonwealth," Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Brendan Crighton, who led the private negotiations, said in a joint statement. "It is our hope that the Legislature will approve this bill and send it to the Governor as quickly as possible."

The bill (H 4647) aims to prevent residents from losing housing during the coronavirus pandemic by mandating a pause on all non-emergency evictions and foreclosures on occupied properties.

Under the compromise, landlords cannot terminate tenancy or send notices to quit in cases deemed "non-essential." Courts a which already are not scheduling new hearings to comply with a Trial Court standing order a are banned from accepting new complaints, entering judgments or default judgments, issuing executions or holding trials for non-emergency eviction processes.

"It's going to be a big difference for those folks who fear they can be put out of their homes during this crisis," Crighton told the News Service. "Obviously we applaud the Trial Court for taking the action they did, but the people I talk to every day want a sense of certainty, and I believe this legislation will give them that."

Both residents and small business owners who rent property cannot be charged late fees for not paying rent as long as they submit notice and documentation within 30 days that the missed rent "was due to a financial impact from COVID-19." Landlords are also barred from notifying consumer reporting agencies about failure to pay.

The bill explicitly notes, however, that it does not relieve tenants from their rent obligations or prevent landlords from recovering rent.

Property owners can dip into the final month's rent paid ahead of time when possible, but they can only use that money on expenses such as mortgage and repairs and cannot use it to cover a month of unpaid rent. They must notify tenants in writing of any decision to do so, and they will still face obligations to consider the final month covered.

Mortgage holders can seek forbearance from monthly payments for up to 180 days under the bill in another form of attempted financial relief.

The bill's moratorium and loosened restrictions would expire 120 days after it is enacted or 45 days after Baker rescinds his emergency declaration, whichever comes sooner, though it allows the governor to extend the timeline if the crisis continues.

Advocates have been pushing for a codified statewide moratorium for weeks, arguing that low-income and minority tenants in particular could be vulnerable if courts unfreeze their pause on hearings or if middle steps in the removal process, such as notices to quit, were allowed to continue and tenants felt pressured to move during the pandemic.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka announced support on March 22 for a moratorium, but in the ensuing weeks, the branches could not find consensus on language. Versions passed by the House (H 4615) and Senate (S 2361) differed in whether non-default judgments were covered and on how long the temporary ban would last.

The four Democrats on the conference committee a Michlewitz, Crighton, Rep. Kevin Honan and Sen. Michael Rodrigues a all signed the bill jacket to indicate their support on the resolution, but the two Republicans, Rep. Peter Durant and Sen. Bruce Tarr, did not.

Durant told the News Service that he is "not comfortable with the end result" of the negotiations, describing the lack of late fees or consumer reporting as changes that could carry unintended consequences.

"What we're doing is trying to use a sledgehammer to solve a problem that could be solved with a screwdriver," Durant said. "We're allowing people to stop paying their rents with no mechanism to get that money back, and I'm afraid we're putting the public, we're putting renters, in a position where they have the potential, some renters, to dig themselves a deeper hole."

Two Republicans, Rep. David Vieira of Falmouth and Rep. Donald Wong of Saugus, were in the House when the chamber accepted the conference committee report and did not object.

Durant said he may consider standalone legislation seeking changes that would allow landlords to use the pre-paid last month of rent to cover non-payments during the emergency, but he did not say whether he supported Republicans digging in their heels to stall the compromise.

"I'm going to let that one sit right now," he said. "We're weighing our options."

During informal sessions, any single member can halt a bill by doubting the presence of a quorum.

Rep. Mike Connolly, who co-filed the original House bill, in a tweet called the conference committee's version "a strong Eviction and Foreclosure Moratorium that will ensure housing stability in this time of #COVID19 emergency."

A leader with the coalition of community, housing, faith and union groups that worked on the legislation also called it a very good bill.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Three hundred eighty-nine people have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to the Ohio Department of Health on Thursday, including 16 probable deaths.

The number of Ohio infections is 8,414, including 175 probable cases.

The numbers continue to climb. By Wednesday afternoon in Ohio, there were 361 coronavirus deaths and 7,791 infections.

Gov. Mike DeWine said during his Thursday briefing that Ohio is entering a new phase in the pandemic -- after theres evidence that Ohioans have flattened the curve. He announced that beginning May 1, when a process of reopening businesses can begin.

Reopen in phases

The state will reopen in phases. Only companies that can put together guidelines to reopen -- such as plans for masks, temperature taking, surface cleaning, physical distancing -- will be authorized.

We must get this right because the stakes are very high, he said. If we dont do it right, the consequences are horrendous. What we do not want to do is to start back, start getting back, small businesses up, and then have a disaster, a huge spike in the number of people who test positive and who are in the hospital. That would be disastrous.

DeWine said that Ohioans must prepare to live in a world with COVID-19 amongst us, until there is a vaccine. That could be a year or longer, he said.

That means people will have to wear masks and take other precautions -- especially people who are more vulnerable, such as older Ohioans, and people with heart or respiratory conditions.

This new world will last for a year or so, DeWine said. It wont last forever.

He said hes receiving calls and texts from people who are chomping at the bit, ready to go.

We know when the economy goes down, and we have this significant drop, we know there are bad consequences, people lose their job," DeWine said. "We know there are medical consequences as well.

Those health consequences include to substance abuse and relapses and overdoses.

In recent days, thanks to social distancing, Ohio has been able to flatten the curve.

We hope it doesnt stay flat too long, we hope it starts edging down, DeWine said.

The briefing was expected to be shorter than usual because DeWine had to get on a call with other state governors and President Donald Trump.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, usually a presence at the press conference, was not at the briefing. DeWine said he was meeting with business executives and small business owners, working on the economic plan for after the worst of the virus is over.

Back to the basics

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton said people need to remember that returning to daily life will increase the spread of infection since there isnt a vaccine yet.

Continue to thoroughly wash hands. Continue to wear masks, she said.

This is a big part of our future, she said. You know were not going back to life as it was before. But we are moving forward in amazing ways.

Coronavirus is slower to incubate than other viruses, about 14 days, Acton said.

Other coronavirus coverage:

Gov. Mike DeWine gives Thursdays coronavirus update: Watch live

Kentucky, Indiana governors want coordination with Ohio for post-coronavirus restart. Gov. Mike DeWine is not yet formally committing.

Ohio coronavirus deaths up to 361, with 7,791 infections: Gov. Mike DeWines Wednesday, April 15 briefing

Gov. Mike DeWine facing increasing pressure from state lawmakers to roll back coronavirus closures

State senator writes Gov. Mike DeWine, asking to reopen businesses in rural Ohio
UW College of Business Plans Virtual Small Business COVID Assistance Session Friday

The University of Wyoming College of Business will host an online small business assistance session via Zoom Friday, April 17, from 2-3 p.m.

The event is free and will be accessible for registered participants. Registration is available at www.uwyo.edu/business/covid-19/.

Several Wyoming business leaders will join UW College of Business Dean Dave Sprott and Steve Farkas, assistant dean, to discuss the process of the economic disaster loans, the new Paycheck Protection Program, and other issues small businesses and nonprofits are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many Wyoming small businesses and nonprofits are facing a loss of income and a lack of savings because of the economic impact of COVID-19, Sprott says. With the U.S. government stepping in with much-needed relief, our goal is to assist small businesses in understanding how those stimulus programs can help them manage their cash flows during this time of uncertainty.

Signed into law March 6, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, enabling the U.S. Small Business Administration to offer $7 billion in disaster assistance loans to small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

We are eager to do our part in helping small businesses and nonprofits survive this challenging period, Farkas says. Service to our communities and supporting Wyomings economic development are a key pillar within the college.

Invited business leaders include:

-- Tom Bass, president of Wyoming Bank and Trust.

-- Dave Krause, CEO and president of UniWyo Federal Credit Union.

-- Jaime Liberty, CPA and senior manager at McGee, Hearne and Paiz.

About the UW College of Business

The UW College of Business aims to be the business college of choice for people who value enriching experiences and the integrity of a handshake. The colleges mission is a commitment to the success of its students, the impact of the facultys scholarship, and the economic vitality of Wyoming and beyond. The college offers bachelors degrees in a variety of areas of study, as well as select masters and doctoral degrees. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/business.
China Xinhua Education Group Limited (HKG:2779), which is in the consumer services business, and is based in China, received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the SEHK over the last few months, increasing to HK$2.59 at one point, and dropping to the lows of HK$2.00. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether China Xinhua Education Group's current trading price of HK$2.15 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at China Xinhua Education Groups outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

See our latest analysis for China Xinhua Education Group

What is China Xinhua Education Group worth?

Good news, investors! China Xinhua Education Group is still a bargain right now. According to my valuation, the intrinsic value for the stock is HK$2.85, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. However, given that China Xinhua Education Groups share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What does the future of China Xinhua Education Group look like?

SEHK:2779 Past and Future Earnings April 15th 2020

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. China Xinhua Education Groups earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 46%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

Story continues

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Since 2779 is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation.

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 2779 for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its prosperous future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy 2779. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed investment decision.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters  the fundamentals  before you make a decision on China Xinhua Education Group. You can find everything you need to know about China Xinhua Education Group in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in China Xinhua Education Group, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Nevada Guard commits record 800 members to COVID-19 fight

By 2nd Lt. Emerson Marcus | 152 Airlift Wing April 15, 2020

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- About 700 more Nevada National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will enter the fight against COVID-19 this week, bringing the total number to about 800  the largest state activation in Nevada National Guard history.

Gov. Steve Sisolak called 106 Soldiers and Airmen on state military orders April 6, two days after President Trump approved the state's major disaster declaration and additional federal funding. Those Guard members are managing donation and supply distribution operations.

The 700 additional Nevada Guard members will provide medical support, set up alternate care facilities, help at food banks and transport supplies. The majority will work in Las Vegas, where most of the Silver State's confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths have occurred.

Guard medical professionals already working COVID-19 response in their civilian professions will not be asked to report and will remain working their critically important full-time jobs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will approve all mission requests of the Nevada Guard for federally funded requests about the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The state of Nevada has requested large numbers of the Nevada National Guard force in the past for state activation, including about 400 Guard members during the post-Rodney King verdict riots in Las Vegas in 1992; at least 200 during the northern Nevada floods of 1997; and 140 in response to flooding in Lemmon Valley in 2017.

Across the nation, the National Guard provides a force of 450,000 Soldiers and Airmen throughout the 50 states, three territories and District of Columbia capable of contributing to the response effort. More than 31,600 Guard members are activated nationwide to help with the coronavirus response.

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EastEnders star Gillian Taylforth's ex-fiancee has been arrested after police raided a suspected 850,000 cannabis factory at his farm.

Dave Fairbairn, 64, was detained alongside two other men on Tuesday at a rural property in Arrington, Cambridgeshire.

Police raided the outbuildings at the farm following a tip-off from the public and found 1,000 illegal plants worth nearly a million pounds.

The raid on the farm, which has Fairbairn's name on the Land Registry records, also saw three suspected stolen vehicles impounded.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: 'We have uncovered a cannabis factory in Arrington worth more than an estimated 850,000.

Dave Fairbairn, 64, (pictured alongside ex-fiancee EastEnders' Gillian Taylforth) was detained alongside two other men on Tuesday at a rural property in Arrington, Cambridgeshire

Police raided the outbuildings at the farm following a tip-off from the public and found 1,000 illegal plants (pictured) worth nearly a million pounds

The raid on the farm, which has Fairbairn's name on the Land Registry records, also saw three suspected stolen vehicles impounded. Pictured: Outbuildings at the farm

'Two men aged 32 and 37 attempted to run off when police arrived but were detained and arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis and immigration offences.

'A third man, aged 64, was arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis and handling stolen goods. They all remain in custody.'

Sergeant Rob Taylor said: 'This find has stopped a substantial amount of illegal drugs finding their way to the streets.

'It's vital we get information such as this from the public so we can tackle the production and supply of drugs in the county.'

Gillian Taylforth, who is best known for playing Kathy Beale in Eastenders, first started dating David Fairbairn in 2013.

But the pair called off their engagement in December after sources said that a 'string of disagreements' had put their relationship under strain.

Before that, Taylforth was in a relationship with Geoff Knights for 23 years. They lived in Hertfordshire and later in Cambridgeshire together.

Knights and Taylforth had two children together. He was banned from getting in touch with the actress except through a lawyer after their split in 2009.

He died in 2013 three months after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

In 2006, Taylforth needed three stitches in her scalp after Knights beat her up in front of their son while celebrating their 20th anniversary.

Taylforth was with businessman Geoff Knights (pictured together at London's High Court) for 23 years before the couple, who have two children, ended their stormy relationship in 2009

Knights was cautioned after Taylforth refused to press charges.

In January 1994, Taylforth was involved in a high-profile court case when she sued The Sun for libel after they ran a story claiming she and Knights had performed sexual acts on a slip road on the A1 in their Range Rover.

Taylforth claimed that Knights had suffered an acute attack of pancreatitis and she was massaging his stomach to soothe his abdominal pain.

A police officer, however, claimed that she was performing a sexual act instead.

During the court case, defence counsel George Carman presented a 35-minute home video of Taylforth 'suggestively posing with a large sausage [...] graphically simulating masturbation with a wine bottle' and boasting 'I give very good head'.

The jury returned a 10-2 majority verdict in favour of The Sun, after which Taylforth collapsed and was taken away by an ambulance.

Taylforth with her sons Connor (left) and Harrison (right) and Knights in London, March 2008

Gillian Taylforth, who is best known for playing Kathy Beale in Eastenders, first started dating David Fairbairn in 2013

Taylforth left EastEnders in 1988 and was cast as Jackie Pascoe-Webb in ITV's popular televised drama Footballers' Wives.

She played the role for all five series, which made her the only cast member to appear in every series without taking a break.

In 2006, she played the role of Mandy Searle in Jane Hall and she also has appeared as a recurring panellist on ITV's Loose Women.

She won a regular part in police drama The Bill playing playing Sergeant Nikki Wright in 2006 before leaving two years later.

In January 2013, Taylforth became a housemate on the eleventh series of Celebrity Big Brother. She was the fourth person to be evicted after 15 days.
Keysight has complemented its leadership in RF tests and digital test equipment production by acquiring network testing capabilities

SANTA CLARA, California, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the global communications testing market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes California-based Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS) with the 2019 Global Growth, Innovation & Leadership Frost Radar Award. The company has been recognized for its end-to-end testing solutions, particularly for 5G, to a range of vendors that manufacture 5G compliant chipsets and devices, and network operators.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1155773/Keysight_Award.jpg

"Keysight Technologies has made substantial investments in R&D, especially in 5G test and measurement equipment that can validate evolving standards and faster data rates," said Rohan Joy Thomas, Industry Analyst. "It leverages its expertise in aerospace and defense to offer stakeholders in the 5G ecosystem highly cost-effective test solutions."

A leader in the test and measurement space, Keysight Technologies caters to approximately 32,000 customers worldwide, with no single customer representing more than 10.0% of any reporting unit's net revenue. Already a leading provider of radio frequency (RF) and digital testing solutions, its acquisitions of Anite, Ixia, and Prisma have significantly enhanced its communication testing capabilities for chipsets, devices, and network infrastructure.

Software is being increasingly integrated into Keysight's testing portfolio, as it offers a framework for advanced analytics and enhanced test scalability. Keysight's current and future market position will depend heavily on the success of its PathWave platform.

"Keysight is also making rapid strides in the automotive industry, having set up innovation hubs in Novi, Michigan (US), Boeblingen (Germany), Nagoya (Japan), and Shanghai (China)," noted Rohan Joy Thomas Industry Analyst. "Similarly, its acquisitions of Signadyne and Labber Quantum have given it a firm foothold in the rapidly evolving technology field of quantum computing, while the evolution of data centers will further accelerate its growth, positioning Keysight for long-term success."

The Growth Innovation Leadership (GIL) best practice is bestowed upon companies that are market leaders that are at the forefront of innovation. These companies consolidate or grow their leadership position by continuously innovating and creating new products and solutions that serve the evolving needs of the customer base. These companies are also best positioned to expand the market by strategically broadening their product portfolio.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Kristen Moore

P: 210.247.3823

E: kristen.moore@frost.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 15:56:15|Editor: huaxia

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SANAA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A mother and her four children died when floodwaters caused by heavy rain swept them away in an internally displaced camp in Yemen's northeastern province of Marib, local health authorities said Thursday.

"The tent of the family in al-Swayda displaced camp in Marib city was dragged away by the flash floods on Wednesday evening," a health official in Marib's al-Jumohury hospital told Xinhua by phone.

Torrential rains and flash floods have affected many tents in the internally displaced camp, he said on condition of anonymity.

The local authorities have warned of further extreme weather in much of the country's northern provinces.

On Tuesday, two people died in the flash floods in the capital Sanaa.

Residents are in fear of the spread of epidemics in the rainy season as the ongoing civil war has damaged more than half of Yemen's health facilities and paralyzed much of the infrastructure for clean water and sanitation.

Cholera in Yemen has set the world's highest record with the infection of 1 million and more than 2,000 have been confirmed dead since 2017, according to the World Health Organization. Enditem
A 29-day-old infant is believed to have become the world's youngest known victim of coronavirus after he contracted pneumonia in the Philippines.

Health minister Maria Rosario Vergeire confirmed on Tuesday that the boy had difficulty breathing and was rushed to hospital where he tested positive for COVID-19.

The child from Batangas died of late-onset sepsis - a blood infection occurring in infants younger than 90 days old - due to the respiratory infection.

The newborn is believed to be the youngest victim ever after a six-week-old baby died on March 26 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.

A health worker moves an oxygen tank at the Santa Ana Hospital in Manila, Philippines on Wednesday. The Philippines has 5,453 cases, the highest in Southeast Asia, and 349 deaths

On April 6, a one-day-old newborn died in Louisiana after her mother contracted COVID-19 and went into premature labour. However, the deceased baby did not test positive for the disease.

The Philippines has 5,453 cases, the highest in Southeast Asia, and 349 deaths.

It was among the first countries in the region to impose drastic lockdown measures at an early stage, ordering half the population (90 million) into quarantine just five days after the first domestic transmission of the virus was detected on March 7.

Philippine Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said this week the decisive action is thought to have prevented between 1.9 and 8.3 million coronavirus infections.

Police officers wearing protective suits fetch a resident suspected of having COVID-19 from his home in a Manila slum on Wednesday

The government has been criticised for being too slow with testing but has quickly gained ground since the start of April due to increases in test kits and laboratory capacity.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday approved the procurement of an additional 900,000 kits, on top of 100,000 now in use.

The number of people tested stood at 33,814 as of April 12, a tenfold increase from March 29, although still far short of the 110,000 in Vietnam, which has 265 coronavirus cases and no reported deaths.

Coronavirus warning for mothers-to-be as Chinese scientists warn babies may be at risk of catching the deadly virus during pregnancy

By Vanessa Chalmers

Babies may be at risk of catching the coronavirus from their mother during pregnancy, scientists have warned.

Chinese doctors studied four newborns who tested positive for the infection within a few days of a Caesarean delivery, after experiencing mild tell-tale symptoms.

Three had been isolated as soon as they were born because their mothers had been diagnosed before birth. The fourth mother and baby tested positive a fortnight later.

The researchers said they 'couldn't rule out' that the babies had picked up the virus while still in the womb via the placenta - however, there was no direct evidence of this.

Babies may be at risk of catching the coronavirus from their mother during pregnancy, scientists in China have warned. Pictured, a Thai nurse caring for a newborn wearing a protective face shield to prevent the spread of the coronavirus

It's possible the babies contracted the killer virus from the hospital, but the odds were 'low' due to special infection control measures in place at the time, the scientists said.

Mothers-to-be are included in the UK Government's list of vulnerable people who must be protected from the virus.

It's a precautionary measure because scientists still don't know if their babies are at risk of infection.

In the latest study, Dr Zhi-Jiang Zhang and colleagues at Wuhan University studied four babies born via C-section between December 2019 and March 2020.

Three of the mothers were known to have the virus before birth and their babies were separated immediately. Their children presented symptoms while in isolation.

While they can't be certain, the scientists believe these three babies picked up the virus from their mother.

But the researchers are not so sure when it came to the fourth child because the boy and his mother were not diagnosed until 17 days weeks after his birth.

During that time he was breastfed and came into contact with an infected relative - two scenarios where he could've contracted the bug.

The researchers said they 'couldn't rule out' that the babies had picked up the virus while still in the womb via the placenta. The possibility of catching the virus while in hospital was 'low' because the babies had been isolated very quickly. Pictured, newborns in Thailand

The researchers emphasised they didn't find 'direct evidence' of vertical transmission - there were no traces of the virus being found in amniotic fluid or the umbilical cord blood. But they also didn't find evidence to dispute it.

Chickenpox, rubella and the herpes simplex virus are examples of infections that can carry over to the foetus and possibly cause harm.

Other than one boy, the babies were not breastfed. Therefore, it's not possible for them to have caught the virus while drinking their mother's milk.

The babies may have caught the infection while in hospital shortly after birth, which is known to happen in adult patients.

HOW DID THE BABIES COMPARE?

Baby one Baby two Baby three Baby four Gender Male Male Male Female Age at diagnosis 30 hours 17 days 5 days 5 days Symptoms Shortness of breath Fever, cough, vomiting Fever No symptoms Setting of disease onset Hospital Home Home Hospital Isolation at birth In hospital No No In hospital Hospital treatment Yes Yes Yes Yes ICU No No No No Hospital stay duration Not yet discharged 23 30 16









Mother Symptoms Fever Cough Fever, cough, loss of appetite Fever Diagnosis Before delivery After delivery Before delivery Before delivery

However, strict infection and prevention controls implemented during delivery make chances of hospital infection low.

The team in Wuhan ruled that babies are significantly more at risk of infection than infants - and this may be due to intrauterine transmission.

Ultimately, 'intrauterine vertical transmission is possible but direct evidence is still lacking', the team said.

Lead author Dr Zhi-Jiang Zhang, of Wuhan University, added: 'COVID-19 is highly contagious and our study suggests that intrauterine transmission [when infection passes across the placenta in the womb] cannot be ruled out, but that the prognosis is good for both pregnant women and newborn babies.'

There are several papers looking into COVID-19 in babies, but more research is needed to to distinguish the risks.

The virus has infected humans for a short time, since December 2019, and so there are many questions over how it could affect a mother during a nine month pregnancy.

The only new mothers who have had the virus during pregnancy were in their third trimester.

ARE PREGNANT WOMEN MORE VULNERABLE TO COVID-19 AND WHAT IS THE RISK TO BABIES? There is no evidence that pregnant women become more severely unwell if they develop coronavirus than the general population. It is expected the large majority of pregnant women will experience only mild or moderate symptoms because more severe symptoms such as pneumonia appear to be more common in older people, those with weakened immune systems or long-term conditions. There are no reported deaths of pregnant women from coronavirus at the moment. If you are pregnant you are more vulnerable to getting infections than a woman who is not pregnant, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. If you have an underlying condition, such as asthma or diabetes, you may be more unwell if you have coronavirus because is poses a higher risk to those with underlying health conditions. In terms of risk to the baby, the RCOG says: 'Emerging evidence suggests that transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy or birth (vertical transmission) is probable.' But the college emphasised that in all reported cases of newborn babies developing coronavirus very soon after birth, the baby was fine. There is no evidence right now to suggest an increased risk of miscarriage. RCOG says: 'Given current evidence, it is considered unlikely that if you have the virus it would cause problems with the babys development, and none have been observed currently.' Some babies born to women with symptoms of coronavirus in China have been born prematurely. It is unclear whether coronavirus caused this or the doctors made the decision for the baby to be born early because the woman was unwell. Advertisement

The latest study findings are 'particularly interesting', according to Dr Shamez Ladhani, paediatric infectious diseases specialist at St Georges, University of London. The hospital is currently recruiting pregnant women with diagnosed COVID-19 for research in the UK.

Dr Ladhani said: 'Although this study doesnt provide direct evidence of vertical transmission of coronavirus from mother to baby, its difficult to explain how the babies develop the disease so soon after birth.

'In this case, its particularly interesting, as the infants were born by caesarean section and separated from their mother at birth.

'The good news is that young babies appear to develop mild disease and recover quickly from the infection. However, expectant mothers should continue be mindful of the current measures to prevent spread of the disease to protect both themselves, their babies and those around them.'

Professor Tobias Welte, an infections expert from the European Respiratory Society who was not involved in the study, said: 'It's important to protect pregnant women and newborn babies against infection.

'It's also important that any cases of Covid-19 in newborns are picked up, monitored and treated quickly and carefully.

'At this stage we still do not know whether there are any longer-term consequences of infection.'

The findings, published in the European Respiratory Journal, do support the claims of scientists at Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

They also warned intrauterine transmission was possible in a paper published in Jama Paediatrics.

After studying three babies with coronavirus born at Wuhan Children's Hospital, who each recovered well, they said 'it is likely' the virus came from the mother, and not the hospital.

Dr Zeng Lingkong and colleagues said it is 'crucial' for mothers to be screened to spot COVID-19 infection.

On the other hand, Dr Chen Huijun and colleagues argued there was 'currently no evidence for intrauterine infection' in their paper published in The Lancet.

The team at Wuhan University studied nine pregnant women with COVID-19. Swabs from six of the babies tested negative for the virus, along with amniotic fluid, cord blood, and breastmilk samples.
People take part in a protest for "Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine" at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan on April 15, 2020. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

4 Sheriffs Wont Strictly Enforce Michigan Governors Executive Orders

Four sheriffs in Michigan said that Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order and other mandates include vague rules that are confusing residents.

While we understand her desire to protect the public, we question some restrictions she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority, the sheriffs from northern Michigan wrote in a joint statement. She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens.

As a result, we will not have strict enforcement of these orders, the sheriffs said. Situations will be dealt with on a case-to-case basis.

The sheriffs are: Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel, Manistee Sheriff Ken Falk, and Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.

Each of us took an oath to uphold and defend the Michigan Constitution, as well as the US Constitution, and to ensure that your God given rights are not violated. We believe we are the last line of defense in protecting your civil liberties, they added.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing on April 13, 2020. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, Pool)

State Rep. Jack OMalley, a Republican who represents the district the sheriffs are in, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Gov. Whitmers office.

Thousands of people protested against Whitmers orders at the state capitol building in Lansing on Wednesday. Whitmer said at a press conference inside the building that she spoke to healthcare professionals about the protests and asked them what message they wanted her to convey to the protesters.

Make sure they understand how serious this is, was one message. Tell them that they can get COVID-19 and have it for days before it even shows up in a symptom. That they might survive but someone else in their house might die from it. And tell them that the people that do lose their battle with COVID-19 die alone, was another.

Whitmer said she understands people being frustrated and that she is frustrated as well but urged people to follow her orders. She claimed someone was handing out candy to children barehanded and said we know that this rally endangered people and could prolong the amount of time we have to be in this posture.

Protesters attend a rally outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan on April 15, 2020. (Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

Justin Heyboer of Alto, who owns a company that grows produce, hosts weddings, does landscaping, and has a liquor license, told the Detroit Free Press that Whitmers mandates are crippling the business.

Two realtors from Jackson added that they believe they should be able to show houses if they follow social distancing guidelines.

Im just ready to go back to work, said one, DeAnn Gumbert.

Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun told reporters that loosening the harsh restrictions too quickly or without widespread testing and other infrastructure in place would lead to problems.

Easing them up too abruptly or without the right infrastructure in place would no doubt cause a second spike in cases and deaths, she said.

Michigan had 28,059 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 15, along with 1,921 attributed to the disease, which is caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. The state didnt have information on the number of current or total patients in hospitals because of COVID-19.
Apple has joined Google in releasing a COVID-19 mobility data trends tool. The goal is to provide governments and health authorities with accurate reports which show the locations of Apple Maps users in 63 countries and regions. This data is then used to determine the change in the number of people walking, driving and using public transport in these locations.

Apple notes that no data is associated with users Apple IDs and all sets are continuously randomized to assure strict privacy. Reports can be searched by city, region or country and will be updated with new data on a daily basis. There is also an option to download the complete data set in CSV format which includes daily changes in requests for directions from Apple Maps users.

Heres a link to the Apple Mobility Trends Reports homepage.

Source
Italian Prime Minster Giuseppe Conte said Wednesday he had still not decided whether to tap an EU economic rescue package designed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. EU member states ended weeks of wrangling and agreed the 500-billion-euro ($545-billion) emergency plan last Thursday. It includes use of a 420-billion-euro European Stability Mechanism (ESM) bailout fund created during the eurozone debt crisis in 2012. But the ESM is politically toxic in Italy because its use is usually accompanied by strict financial oversight from Brussels. Conte has come under attack from political rivals in Rome for agreeing to the plan. His government has countered that it only signed up after winning the crucial concession of getting the usual conditions on the ESM's use dropped. Conte wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday that he will wait and see whether any new conditions besides using the money to deal with economic damage wrought by the pandemic emerge. "We will need to wait before assessing whether this new credit line will be linked to different mechanisms and procedures from those originally agreed," Conte wrote. The money "does not have, in principle, humiliating conditions of any kind," said Conte. But he added the he wanted "to read and study it carefully" before agreeing to the rescue's terms. Italy shut down most businesses on March 12 to curb the spread of a disease that has now officially claimed 21,645 lives in the Mediterranean country. The International Monetary Fund's latest forecast shows Italy's economy -- the eurozone's third-largest last year -- shrinking by 9.1 percent this year.
The Centre for Socio-Economic Studies (CSS) notes with grave concern recent developments regarding proposed changes to aspects of Ghanas pre-tertiary education policy.

Quality public education is the pivot of the progress of all modern societies. A governments ability to innovate context-specific measures for the management of public education at the pre-tertiary level is fundamental to that countrys socio-economic advancement. It is in this respect that CSS has keenly followed recent events concerning the introduction of the Pre-tertiary Education Bill in Parliament and the ensuing debate relating to this issue.

In particular, CSS has taken note of the concerns and disapproval of key stakeholders in the education sector including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-Gh) in drawing attention to significant drawbacks of this proposed bill.

CSS is by this statement amplifying some of the teething issues contained in the proposed bill. Particularly, CSS wishes to bring to the attention of the public, and all stakeholders in the education sector its informed opinion about the content of the bill and what it portends about the future of education in Ghana.

As part of the governments commitment to improving learning outcomes in education institutions, the bill seeks among others to place the management of pre-tertiary education in Ghana under the following bodies:

 Senior High Schools: Would be managed/run by the Regional Education Directorates (Regional Coordinating Councils).

 Basic Schools: Would be managed/run by the Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies.

 The Technical/Vocational Schools: Would be managed/run by their own Director-General (independent of the Ghana Education Service).

The import of this proposed bill is at variance with Article 25 (1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which in general terms prohibits the discriminatory provision of basic education to the disadvantage of every Ghanaian child in a manner that prevents them from achieving the full realization of their right to education.

Unfortunately, the bill in its current state purports to do the exact opposite. For instance, under the current arrangement for managing pre-tertiary educational institutions, the Ghana Education Service and its allied institutions have evolved measures, with corresponding efforts to ensure a minimum level of resource distribution and quality assurance for the provision of educational resources and achieving productive learning outcomes in accordance with the relevant provisions of the constitution.

Consequently, there is a fair chance, for example, of a child schooling in Adomi in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region being equal in comparison with her counterpart in Kukuom in the Asunafo North District of the Brong Ahafo Region despite the resource mobilisation strengths of the respective districts as the central government acting through the GES is required to ensure equitable distribution of teaching and learning resources.

However, under the proposed changes, the ability of each district to mobilise and commit significant allocations to education will define the quality of education each child receives in Ghana and how that child can attain self-actualisation and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of Ghana.

This move by the government, if successful, would place pre-tertiary education in a state of chaos, defeating the intended purpose of Article 25(1) of the Constitution to ensure the right to equal educational opportunities.

The CSS is, therefore, entreating Parliament and its relevant sub-committees, the Ministry of Education and all stakeholders including GNAT and NAGRAT to work together within the requirements of the Constitution to ensure these proposed changes do not violate Article 25(1) and other equally important constitutional provisions.
Harry and Meghan are reportedly volunteering with Project Angel Food. (Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly volunteered to deliver meals to people with critical illness as they settle into life in Los Angeles.

According to ET Online, the couple has volunteered to help Project Angel Food which helps those who are most at risk if they caught coronavirus.

It comes as WellChild revealed Harry spent time over the Easter weekend video calling families with sick children, as patron of the charity.

Richard Ayoub, Project Angel Food's executive director told ET: They told us they heard our drivers were overloaded and wanted to volunteer to lighten the drivers' workload.

I am blown away that they chose us. They care about our vulnerable population.

Our clients are most at risk to contract the coronavirus, having compromised immune systems including heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and most are over the age of 60.

Read more: Princess Anne cautions younger royals against 'new ways'  as Harry and Meghan begin new life

Richard Ayoub and Lisa Vanderpump celebrate Project Angel Food's 12 millionth meal last year. (Getty Images)

Harry and Meghan are the latest in a string of celebrities to offer their help to the charity, which helps feed more than 1,600 people across Los Angeles.

Actors including Jamie Lee Curtis and Jane Lynch have also offered support to Project Angel Food.

The charity prepares and delivers healthy meals for people with serious illness.

Read more: Prince Harry will stop hunting because Meghan doesn't like it, says wildlife expert

Harry and Meghan have held back on the launch of their non-profit organisation, but confirmed it would be called Archewell.

They said in a statement as they formally stepped back from their senior royal roles that they would be looking for ways they can play their part in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic response.

The duke spent time over the Easter weekend video calling families of sick children who are supported by WellChild, a charity he has been a patron of for 10 years.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

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The duke called families of sick children who are supported by WellChild. (WellChild)

Since the decision to step back, he is now a private patron, and no longer represents the Queen in his work.

Meghans love for cooking and food is well known in her previous work. Before she became a duchess, she had a lifestyle blog called The Tig on which she shared recipes, and one of her earliest pieces of work as a royal was a cookbook launched with the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister Wednesday inspected a 40 bed COVID19 Treatment Centre in Ho.



The facility is an extension of the Ho Teaching Hospital and has nurses station from where patients will be monitored on screens.



Other treatment centres in the Region are located at Bator in the North Tongu District, Aflao- in Ketu South Municipality and the Hohoe Municipality.



Dr Emmanuel Kasu, Head of Public Health, Ho Teaching Hospital who conducted the Regional Minister round the facility said apart from an in-house pharmacy, the Centre had restrooms for doctors and nurses.



He said the facility would focus on innovations and research to provide quality health care services to the citizens.

Dr Letsa said, " we are set and ready for COVID19 with these isolation and treatment centres."



He expressed the hope that the Region would soon be ahead of the virus given the "aggressive enhanced" contact tracing ongoing.



The Volta Region on Sunday, April 12, 2020, recorded nine cases of COVID19.



The cases were recorded in Ketu South, Ho and the Hohoe Municipalities.



Authorities and stakeholders have since heightened public education and enforcement of preventive measures with enhanced surveillance at unapproved borders.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
GREENSBORO, N.C., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT) announced today that its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 will be released on Monday, May 11, 2020 after market close. The Company will host its conference call for analysts, investors and other interested parties on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

To access the conference call, listeners should dial 1-888-317-6016 and request to join the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. SKT Call.

A live audio webcast of this call will be available to the public on Tanger's Investor Relations website investors.tangeroutlets.com, hosted by S&P Global Market Intelligence. S&P Global Market Intelligence subscribers may also access the webcast via the database at https://marketintelligence.spglobal.com.

A telephone replay of the call will be available from May 12, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time through 11:59 p.m. on May 26, 2020 by dialing 1-877-344-7529, replay access code # 10142484. An online archive of the webcast will also be available through May 26, 2020.

About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), is a publicly-traded REIT headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina that presently operates and owns, or has an ownership interest in, a portfolio of 39 upscale outlet shopping centers. Tanger's operating properties are located in 20 states and in Canada, totaling approximately 14.3 million square feet, leased to over 2,800 stores which are operated by more than 510 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 39 years of experience in the outlet industry. Tanger Outlet Centers continue to attract more than 181 million visitors annually. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com.

Investor Contact Information

Cyndi Holt Jim Williams VP, Investor Relations EVP & CFO 336-834-6892 336-834-6800 [email protected] [email protected]



Media Contact Information





Quentin Pell

VP, Corporate Communications and Enterprise Risk Management 336-834-6827

[email protected]



SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

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Its 8:30 p.m. and Sherry Bensimon, a funeral director at Riverside Memorial Chapels of New Jersey, in Hackensack, is still at work. A colleague who just returned from Hackensack University Medical Center tells her that the hospitals refrigerated trailers, one of which arrived that day, were already at capacity. Each holds about 50 bodies  and thats in addition to the hospitals two morgues. Theyre full already? Ms. Bensimons voice cracks. Oh God.

We talk a lot about the emergency medical workers and doctors and nurses whom we clap for every evening. But funeral directors are the last responders on the front lines  the people who come after someone has died. While they help families say their final goodbyes, funeral directors and their teams operate largely in the background. Were not a profession where we feel you need to recognize some of us, said Vanessa Granby, 29, a director at Granbys Funeral Service in the Bronx.

Theyre vital to public health, but theyre also at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus. This week, BuzzFeed News reported that scientists in Thailand documented what they believe is the first instance of the viruss transmission from the dead to the living, amplifying the conversation about the need to support those in the death care sector. Along with health care workers, theyre running short on personal protective equipment.
Speaking with a good friend recently, I realised just how dark things have become since COVID-19 integrated itself into every thought, dream and sigh.

I told my husband that if the pandemic gets any worse, Im going to give our family an early Christmas and then run away, she told me over a wine-soaked FaceTime session. Do you know what his response was? He produced a bag of new toys hed purchased from an adult website and said there was a silver lining to every one of lifes toughest moments, and that maybe this was just natures way of telling us to have more sex.

Maybe this is a time to ponder what needs to change when we come out the other side. Credit:Stocksy

Obviously my friends situation is an extreme case, and perhaps her husbands unbridled optimism

is gravely misplaced (he didnt get lucky that night  or any night since, Im told) but theres something to be said about opting to focus on the positive sides of trying times.

Decades of scientific research shows that optimism is a potent health tonic, with various studies linking those who have a glass-half-full mentality with improved physical and mental health and a heightened likelihood of recovery after a period of prolonged stress or a traumatic event.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Apex body for promotion of special economic zones EPCES has sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an incentive package for the sector, which is facing challenges due to the lockdown on account of Covid-19 outbreak.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Export Promotion Council for SEZs and EOUs Vice Chairman Bhuvnesh Seth said the pandemic has severely impacted the sector with more than 50 per cent loss of export orders. He said that liquidity too is badly hit on account of recovery of receivables pertaining to the lockdown in exporting countries as those companies there have said they will delay the payments.

"Sir, on behalf of EOUs (export oriented units) and SEZs (special economci zones), my humble submission for an immediate roll out of an economic relief package," Seth said in his letter. He said that EPCES sector is providing direct employment to more than 25 lakh persons with investment of more than Rs 5.50 lakh crore and contributing Rs 7.87 lakh crore to India's export basket.

ALSO READ| Income tax refunds worth Rs 4,250 crore issued in a week: CBDT

Seth also said that at present India being a most preferred country, the government should consider a special package to Japanese companies to invest in here.

"Presently, we have only one Act and policy for exports that is SEZ Act. But, under this act any new company operating after 30th June will be deprived of income tax benefits whereas other countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore , Malaysia and Sri Lanka are offering customised packages to investors.

Unless Government of India consider a special policy or extend the SEZ Act, attracting investments will be a challenge. "Kindly consider a special package to infrastructure developers. Either by extending the sunset clause of SEZ or by announcing some financial package so that new investments come forward in this sector," Seth said.
Bible Study Media Gives Away Hope, New Life in a Time of Need

 Christian publisher offers contents of newly launched book via online community platform



 New online community offers free content by other authors







NEWS PROVIDED BY

Bible Study Media

April 16, 2020



HOUSTON, April 16, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- Bible Study Media (BSM), a Christian curriculum publishing ministry and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, announced today it will offer content from one of their recently launched books to the public at no cost through their new online community platform.



"We are living in unique and unprecedented times. However, the reason for what we do hasn't changed," said BSM President, The Rev. Charlie Holt. "It is our desire that hearts would be ignited and minds would be engaged in the Scriptures, both in the context of one's own community of faith and with the global Church at large during this time. In response to the hardships brought on by this global pandemic, we want to offer our content for free."



Beginning, Sunday, April 19, the newly launched book, A Living Hope: A Study of 1 Peter, will be available on BSM's new online community free of charge. The Easter Bible study, authored by emerging Christian speaker and author Sarah Viggiano Wright, currently ranks number one on Amazon's list of Anglican Christian new releases.



While you can still purchase the entire A Living Hope series, the author said that offering the Bible course for free through an online community platform is her way of serving during a time when so many are searching for hope, meaning, and connection.



"I think a lot of us are asking ourselves, How can I find hope today? Where can I go to soften the blows of the hardships from today? Or how can I simply get through the day?" said Wright. "My prayer is that through this study of 1 Peter, believers will become utterly convinced that Jesus is the only sure, true, incorruptible, and permanent hope. His is the only promise you can cling to that guarantees a brighter future will come."



By visiting https://members.biblestudymedia.com/, users will be asked to provide sign-up details to become a member. Once members enter the community landing page they will have immediate access to the six-week Bible course which includes: daily devotionals, teaching videos, questions for online group discussions, memory verses, and opportunities to participate in video conferencing events with the author. Members have the option to take the Bible study as a self-study, with a small group, or with their church.



In addition to A Living Hope: A Study of 1 Peter, BSM is offering at no cost within the same community network another Easter-season Bible study called The Resurrected Life: Making All Things New, written by BSM president The Rev. Charlie Holt. In the coming weeks, BSM will offer the two other studies in their signature Christian Life Trilogy Bible study curriculum at no charge, which include The Crucified Life and The Spirit-filled Life, also authored by Holt.



About Bible Study Media

Bible Study Media, a registered 501(c)(3), believes in building up the Church through a fresh discovery of God's Word and Spirit. We produce resources to shape hearts and minds around the patterns of Christ while strengthening Christian community. Our Biblical Literacy Project seeks to introduce adults, youth, and children to the transforming power of God's Word through curriculum built around the three-year Revised Common Lectionary and the Christian Church year. Our small groups studies invite participants to journey together through the Scriptures in the rhythms of the Church year. We invite you to explore Bible Study MediaIgniting Hearts and Engaging Minds. To learn more please visit: www.biblestudymedia.com.



About the Author

Sarah Viggiano Wright is teacher, speaker, and writer who loves sharing God's Word. She helps equip churches in their educational ministries. She contributed to Co-Laborers, Co-Heirs: A Family Conversation and Beneath the Cross of Jesus: Lenten Reflections, and served as an instructor for the Teaching Women to Teach the Bible initiative through Reformed Theological Seminary. Sarah holds an M.Div and a MAC from Covenant Theological Seminary and serves Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) alongside her husband, Lee. The couple loves good food, traveling, and being with loved ones, especially their three children.



SOURCE Bible Study Media



CONTACT: Marisol Espinosa, 281-658-2614, marisol@biblestudymedia.com



Related Links



https://biblestudymedia.com/



https://members.biblestudymedia.com/


Oxford University scientists are to begin human trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine next week.

Researchers said the jab could be ready to be rolled out for emergency use by the autumn following significant progress in the early stages of development.

The Oxford team has tested the vaccine successfully on several animal species.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that more than 70 vaccines are being developed globally for Covid-19, which has infected more than two million people and killed 128,886 across the world.

However, experts have cautioned it could take at least 18 months to fully develop a jab that can be made available to millions people.

The Oxford team join three other groups of researchers  two in the United States and one in China  in beginning trials on humans.

Their project has recruited 510 people, ranging from 18 to 55 years old, to take part in the trials, said lead researcher Professor Adrian Hill.

We are going into human trials next week. We have tested the vaccine in several different animal species, he added.

We have taken a fairly cautious approach, but a rapid one to assess the vaccine that we are developing.

Professor Sarah Gilbert, a vaccinologist at Oxford, has said she is 80 per cent confident it will be a success.

There is now hope that the jab, developed by the clinical teams at the Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, could be ready from as early as September.

The Covid-19 vaccine is now set to be tested on humans (EPA)

However, Professor Hill said the team must continue to increase fundraising in order to accelerate development.

Were a university, we have a very small in house manufacturing facility that can do dozens of doses. Thats not good enough to supply the world, obviously, he told the BBC World Service.

We are working with manufacturing organisations and paying them to start the process now.

Recommended Tom Hanks donates blood for coronavirus vaccine development

So by the time July, August, September comes  whenever this is looking good  we should have the vaccine to start deploying under emergency use recommendations.

Thats a different approval process to commercial supply, which often takes many more years.

There is no point in making a vaccine that you cant scale up and may only get 100,000 doses for after a huge amount of investment.

You need a technology that allows you to make not millions but ideally billions of doses over a year.

The UKs chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has said it would be very lucky if a coronavirus vaccine was widely available within a year.

Sir Patrick told ITV: A vaccine that can be used generally  wed be very lucky to get one within a year.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 16, 2020 - 23:17 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded on Thursday the state of emergency beyond Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures to the entire nation in an attempt to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading further and straining the health care system.

With the declaration now covering all 47 prefectures in the country of around 126 million people, Abe said the government will provide cash handouts of 100,000 yen ($930) to all citizens. He also approved a rare reworking of a state budget days before its planned submission to parliament.

(Shinzo Abe)

The nationwide state of emergency will not lead to hard lockdowns but is certain to deal a debilitating blow to Japan's economy, already on the brink of recession following a consumption tax hike last year. Some governors had asked the central government to include their prefectures amid fears of growing infections.

"I decided to put all prefectures under the state of emergency to curb infections in respective areas and especially to keep the movement of people to a minimum heading into the Golden Week holidays," Abe told a meeting of a government task force on the coronavirus response.

"To end the emergency situation by May 6, it's imperative for people to reduce contact with others by at least 70 percent and up to 80 percent," he said.

Many Japanese go to their hometowns and take trips during the Golden Week holidays that typically run from late April to early May. This year's holiday period will end on May 6.

Abe expressed concern that people moving freely across prefectures would spread coronavirus infections, with over 10,000 cases reported in Japan including about 700 from the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined in February near Tokyo.

"I will ask the ruling parties to consider giving 100,000 yen each to all people affected by the emergency declaration as they will be asked to refrain from outings and other activities will be restricted," the prime minister said.

(Toshihiro Nikai, center, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Fumio Kishida, left, the party's policy chief, speak to reporters in Tokyo on April 16, 2020.)

The announcement came a week after Abe, who had faced criticism for doing too little too late, declared a monthlong state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures, affecting roughly 45 percent of the country's population.

Japan's economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told an advisory panel that gave the go-ahead for the addition of the 40 remaining prefectures that it was an "urgent" issue.

"The cumulative number of cases has topped 100 in Hokkaido, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Gifu, Aichi and Kyoto (prefectures)," Nishimura said.

Despite Abe's calls for curbing person-to-person interactions and more teleworking to reduce commuters, recent data show crowds have decreased but meeting the targets set by the government may be difficult.

The emergency declaration, based on a revised law enacted last month, gives prefectural governors the power to take bolder preventive steps and allows them to call for school and business closures. There are no legal penalties for noncompliance.

Once the prime minister makes a declaration based on the advisory panel's assessment, each prefectural governor gains the authority to expropriate private land and buildings to provide medical care.

They can also requisition medical supplies and food from companies that refuse to sell them and punish those that hoard or do not comply.

The governors of Kyoto and Aichi had asked the government to declare a state of emergency for their prefectures.

Aichi is among seven prefectures that have already declared their own emergencies to underscore their heightened sense of crisis. Hokkaido, which became the first prefecture to declare its own state of emergency in February, is struggling to curb infections even now.

Stay-at-home requests by local authorities and business suspensions are dealing an additional blow to the world's third-largest economy, sparking calls for state compensation for lost revenue.

The government has put together a record 108 trillion yen economic package that included a scheme to give 300,000 yen to households whose income is deemed to have fallen sharply due to the virus outbreak.

In acquiescing to coalition partner Komeito over the cash handout to all citizens, Abe has instructed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to consider reworking the extra budget for fiscal 2020, with an eye to dropping the more limited plan.

The global coronavirus crisis has raised calls for economic stimulus, but Japan is cautious about taking on new debt to finance bold spending measures as the country's fiscal health is the worst among developed nations with its debt twice the size of its economy.

In the lead-up up to Thursday's sudden shift in policy, critics questioned whether the government's plan to deliver two cloth masks to all households by mail, costing about 46.6 billion yen, would be effective in containing the spread of the virus.

The program is now widely known as "Abenomask," a play on words first went around social media as his economic policy mix has been dubbed "Abenomics."

A video clip showing a relaxed Abe on a sofa with his dog also hit the wrong note despite its intended goal to stress the importance of staying home to reduce transmission risks.

Since the virus spread from China, the government has been placing priority on tracking and tackling clusters, or groups of infections.

But a growing number of cases with unknown transmission routes have raised the alarm among government officials and infectious disease experts wary of an explosive surge that would overwhelm hospitals.

A health ministry team tasked with tracking such clusters has estimated that around 850,000 fall seriously sick with COVID-19 and about 420,000 people could die in Japan if steps are not taken by the time the outbreak ends.

Meanwhile, the transport ministry said Thursday that all passengers departing on domestic flights from Tokyo's Haneda airport will be required to have their temperatures checked before boarding as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus.

The measures will apply to all flight routes starting from Friday through May 6, the last day of Japan's state of emergency.

Thermal imaging cameras will be installed before the security gates in both of the airport's domestic terminals, with airline staff conducting the tests.

The move is an effort to address concerns that passengers traveling from Tokyo, which currently has the nation's highest number of coronavirus cases, may spread the virus to the regions.
Bengaluru, April 3 (IANS) Karnataka government has launched 'Jagruti Karnataka', a Youtube channel to train grassroots level health workers in Covid-19 treatment, a top official said on Friday. Image Source: PK

New Delhi, April 16 : Google India on Tuesday launched 'YouTube Learning Destination' to help student, teachers and parents find useful and high-quality learning content created by education-focused creators on YouTube.

It features content in English and Hindi, with Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi and other Indian languages are coming soon, the company said in a blog post.

"To help ease the transition to remote learning during this situation, we have also rolled out free access to the premium features of Google Meet, to extend enterprise-grade video-conferencing capabilities to all G Suite and G Suite for education customers, globally, until September, which enables up to 250 participants in a single video conference," said Bani Dhawan Head of Education, India and South Asia, Google.

In India, Google has collaborated with FICCI Arise and have so far trained over 250 schools across 23 states in the use of these tools.

Google India has also provided training and tips through the 'Teach from Home' hub, which is also available in Hindi.

"We've built this resource with UNESCO as a central resource for teachers. We have also launched a global educational hub comprising a collection of resources that help get started with remote teaching, to help educators ramp up quickly, while home isolation and social distancing norms are imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19," the company said.

Google India has released children's books from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Chota Bheem on their reading app Bolo to help kids understand the safety measures to be taken during this COVID-19 outbreak.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren says shed accept if Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, offered her the chance to be his running mate.

Warren, the progressive Massachusetts senator who endorsed Biden on Wednesday, answered, Yes, when asked by MSNBCs Rachel Maddow if shed agree to be on the ticket with the former vice president against President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Madddow: If [Joe Biden] asked you to be his running mate, would you say yes?

Warren: Yes. pic.twitter.com/5EIofG2TNt  Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) April 16, 2020

A smiling Maddow responded, Im so happy you just gave me a concise answer to that.

On March 15, about a week after Warren dropped out of the primary after failing to secure victories in multiple states against Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Biden pledged on Twitter: My running mate will be a woman.

My running mate will be a woman. #DemDebate  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 16, 2020

In this moment of crisis, its more important than ever that the next president restores Americans faith in good, effective government  and Ive seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild," Warren said in a video announcing her endorsement Wednesday morning.

Warren had declined to endorse either Biden or Sanders immediately after she exited the race.

Her support for the more moderate Biden comes a day after former President Barack Obama formally backed the longtime Delaware senator and his White House partner from 2009 to 2017.

Im so proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States, Obama said in a video released Tuesday. Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made. I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now.

And Obamas announcement came a day after Sanders, the progressive who waited much longer to endorse Hillary Clinton when it became clear she would be the 2016 Democratic nominee instead of him, endorsed Biden and encouraged his supporters to join the fight to help Biden oust Trump.

I am asking all Americans, Im asking every Democrat, Im asking every independent, Im asking a lot of Republicans to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy, which I endorse, Sanders said.
In these times of coronavirus, Moroccan searchers, scientists and engineers have joined efforts to help their country mitigate the impact of the pandemic and since the outbreak of the pandemic, several scientists and operators in the Moroccan industrial fabric have swiftly adapted to create and manufacture anti-coronavirus equipment and protective gear.

On Wednesday, MAP reported that a team of Moroccan engineers and doctors has invented an intelligent mask that allows users to detect COVID-19 cases.

The team recently launched an initial version of the intelligent mask for automatic remote detection of the virus (MIDAD), which also serves as protective gear.

The team also invented a tracking application called Trackorona that will accompany the mask. The app offers a method for predicting and diagnosing the virus.

The engineers and doctors used several methods to create the intelligent mask, including 3D printing.

MIDAD also has a map and sensors to take temperature and humidity to measure the pressure of the respiratory cycle and measures the amount of oxygen in the blood.

The intelligent mask is connected via Bluetooth to the Trackorona app, which tracks users movements to determine their compliance with containment and social distancing.

The mask is not required to use Trackorona. The mobile app will soon be available for smartphone owners to download for free.

Trackorona offers a medically validated self-diagnosis form and innovative technology for detecting the symptoms of the disease by voice, Mouhsine Lakhdissi, one of the MIDAD inventors, told the media.

The idea is the result of a collective reflection within the framework of citizen mobilization in connection with the global pandemic, Lakhdissi explained. This innovative mask can be used to fight the coronavirus, but also in remote medicalization in other cases.

MIDAD is one of the six projects selected in an international competition called HakingCovid19 organized by HEC Paris and other partners. Over 100 projects participated in the competition.

Also on Wednesday, M24TV reported that a Moroccan startup, STM Loop, and researchers from the Tangier School of Science and Technology (FST Tangier) have invented a new automatic ventilator model to help doctors treat COVID-19 patients.

The automatic ventilator includes an intelligent program that determines the optimal level of air pressure and volume. The respiratory system includes an alert system for critical situations, as well as an electronic card that allows for remote control, meaning the doctor can adjust the pressure and the flow of respiration.

Another Moroccan company, OK Design, is cooperating with STM Loop and FST Tangier to manufacture the device on a large scale.

One of the founders of STM Loop, Alaa El Moudni, a Moroccan student engineer and researcher at the Institute of Technology in Illinois in the US told Morocco World News website that the cost of the ventilator will not exceed $200.

The availability of all the ventilators components in Morocco will allow for the production of 20 to 50 units per day.

Besides, since the invention is based on an already certified medical instrument tested by doctors and medical experts, OK Design can start producing the invention very soon, without waiting for further certification.

Earlier this month, a group of students from the Moroccan School of Engineering Sciences developed several medical inventions to help fight the spread of COVID-19, including a cylindrical-shaped portal that sprays disinfecting products on people who go through it.

According to the Automatic disinfecting portal inventor, Abdallah Ayache, the machine does not only serve during the COVID-19 crisis, in airports, supermarkets, hospitals, public administrations, and workplaces but could be used permanently in airports and hospitals.

This is a gift from me to my country, and I am ready to provide Moroccan officials with all the technical details of its functioning, Ayache said.

Last month, a group of aeronautics enterprises as well as researchers, doctors and electronic engineers cooperated to produce a first prototype of a Moroccan-made ventilator that will serve as a basis to improve a more sophisticated version, designed to save lives by pumping oxygenated air to the lungs of coronavirus patients.

According to press reports, a first batch of 500 ventilators has already been manufactured and the team is already working on a second version which allows, in addition to providing ventilation, to have sensors and to send oxygen in a more technical way.

Meanwhile, other Moroccan companies are producing sanitizers, gloves, facemasks and other protective gear to help Morocco secure self-sufficiency in such highly demanded equipment worldwide.
BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has decided to send teams of medical experts to Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Saudi Arabia to help the countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Wednesday.

China and African countries are longtime brothers who share weal and woe. African countries had supported China during China's most difficult times fighting the pandemic, which China will never forget, Zhao said at a news briefing, adding that China is paying close attention to the situation of the pandemic in Africa, and has overcome its own difficulties and provided anti-epidemic materials and aid to the African Union and all African countries with diplomatic relations with China.

"These steps are all a reflection of building an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future," said the spokesperson.

He said after the outbreak in China, the Saudi leaders immediately expressed their condolences and support. The Saudi government and public have provided China with many batches of aid materials.

Saudi Arabia is also facing severe challenges amid the pandemic. China also firmly supports Saudi Arabia's anti-epidemic efforts and is willing to provide assistance within its capability, he said.

He said as comprehensive strategic cooperation partners, China will maintain close cooperation with Saudi Arabia to safeguard the safety and health of peoples of the two countries.

The team of Chinese medical experts to Saudi Arabia left for the country Wednesday morning.
BOISE  The group whose lawsuit successfully forced the state of Idaho to allow transgender people to change the genders on their birth certificates has returned to court on Thursday, asking a judge to affirm that her 2018 ruling that the state could not ban the changes still stands.

The move came nearly two weeks after Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill that passed despite warnings it was almost sure to generate a legal challenge because of the previous ruling.

The request for affirmation of the ruling on behalf of two transgender women was filed by Boise attorney Monica Cockerille, who is working on the case with the Lambda Legal group, which defends the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people.

The ruling at issue came from U.S. District Judge Candy Dale, who said that Idahos previous ban on birth certificate changes violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. At the time, she also warned the state against making new rules with the same impact.

But state lawmakers disregarded warnings from the Idaho attorney general that the new law would also be overturned, potentially costing taxpayers $1 million in legal bills to defend it. Backers of the legislation said the federal court was wrong and that the law was needed to ensure accuracy of the states birth records.

The new law prohibiting transgender people from changing the gender listed on their birth certificates takes effect July 1.

There was no immediate response to emails seeking comment sent to Littles office. Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden declined to comment.

Cockerille said in legal documents that the federal judge made it clear in 2018 that Idaho state officials could not categorically ban transgender people from correcting their birth certificates for the purpose of matching their gender identity.

The new law is in defiance of that constitutional ruling, which was backed by the force of a permanent injunction of this Court, Cockerille wrote.

Lambda Legal attorney, Peter Renn, called the new ban a naked flouting of the rule of law.

He added: It is shocking that state lawmakers would be so brazenly lawless as to defy a federal court ruling. The rule of law collapses if we refuse to abide by the outcome of who wins and loses in our system of justice.

Idahos state lawmakers have a history of passing laws on abortion and other issues that they know they will have to defend  and probably lose  in court.

On Wednesday two other civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against the state over another new law banning transgender women from competing in womens sports.

Five former Idaho attorneys general had warned lawmakers and the governor that the transgender athlete ban would likely be found unconstitutional if a legal case challenging it is brought before a judge.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Including his two other political funds, the 13th Ward Democratic Organization and Democratic Majority, Madigan raised nearly $3.2 million in the first quarter and ended the period with nearly $19.9 million in cash available. That gives House Democrats a sizable advantage heading into the fall election, where they will seek to defend or strengthen their 74-44 supermajority over Republicans.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 15, 2020) - TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FSE: TH8) ("TransCanna" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Bob Blink as the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President effective today. Mr. Blink is the founder and President of Lyfted Farms, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary. He joined the Company's board in March 2020 and has been instrumental in driving the growth and strategic direction of the Company.

Mr. Blink is an industry pioneer and was an early advocate of Prop 215, legalizing medicinal cannabis in California in 1996. He is also a veteran of the California Cannabis industry and has been operating as a cultivator and distributor since 1997. In 2016, he converted a medicinal cannabis non-profit operation into a recreational cannabis business by forming Lyfted Farms, Inc., which was acquired by TransCanna in November 2019. Mr. Blink is also a leader in genetic development, trends and municipal and state government policy with deep rooted industry relationships spanning the supply chain from seed to sale. Mr. Blink is replacing Steve Giblin who will remain as a director.

"Everyone's world has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic broke and as a Company we are sensitive to that. In California cannabis has been deemed an essential service and our entire team has been dedicated to meeting that challenge. Bob's leadership has guided us through some very unique challenges but has also presented us with tremendous opportunities for growth. I am proud to say we are moving in the right direction and are very optimistic about our future", stated Arnie Johansson, Chairman of TransCanna.

"As our Company grows and looks to the future, our focus is steadfast on the California marketplace. Being two-thirds of the way through the process of getting our Daly Street building licensed now, our focus and desire is to build out the management team here in Modesto. I could not be more thrilled and proud to lead the TransCanna team", commented Bob Blink.

About TransCanna Holdings Inc.TransCanna is a California-based, Canadian-listed company building cannabis focused brands for the California lifestyle, through its wholly owned California subsidiaries.

For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com or email the Company at info@transcanna.com.

Investor Relations:

Glenn Little ( Glenn.L@TransCanna.com )

604-349-3011

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54501
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia did not take any actions violating its obligations on banning nuclear tests.



"As for the reproaches coming from Washington for more than half a year now that we allegedly do not fully comply with our moratorium on nuclear tests, we say once again that we did not take any steps that would include elements of deviation from our obligations stemming from our unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing and from our ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)," he said commenting on a report by the U.S. Department of State on countries compliance with the agreements in the field of arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament.



In addition, Ryabkov urges the U.S. to abandon the increasing practice of providing the international community with disinformation about the current developments, TASS reported.
When a desperate man stranded away from home owing to COVID-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu tweeted an SoS seeking to be with his nine months pregnant wife, he might not have anticipated quick help to come from Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

Faiz Arshi was overwhelmed when officials swung into action and issued him a travel pass to reach his home. Also, a medical team visited his wife and comforted her.

He is not alone.

Numerous messages on social media seeking help and information on subjects varying from doubts related to farming and relief have been receiving prompt response from Palaniswami on his official Twitter handle "@CMOTamilNadu since the lockdown last month.

Harnessing the power of social media, Palaniswami seems to have struck a personal chord with citizens-cum-netizens, not only interacting with them but ensuring redressal of their grievances.

Palaniswami, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Health Secretary Beela Rajesh, both medical doctors, and another cabinet member SP Velumani are active on the social media, responding promptly to queries posed by the affected people as well as taking up concerns of those stranded in other states.

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's official Twitter handle issues regular updates, even as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M K Stalin and the state Bharatiya Janata Party are also active on the microblogging site.



However, Palaniswami seems to have made good use of the opportunity to directly interact with citizens, who are confined indoors due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Whether responding to a couple in distress or advising a 'thambi' (younger brother) on coconut farming, the AIADMK veteran seems to be in a comfort zone.

Interestingly, his mentor and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa did not have a presence in social media.

Faiz tagged Palaniswami and put out a message last week that there was nobody to attend to his pregnant wife as he was stranded in a neighbouring district due to the lockdown and there was no response to his attempts to get travel pass.

"My 9-month pregnant wife and I are expecting our first child. There is no one to help her," he tweeted.

Palaniswami replied and sought his contact number and soon the government machinery was rolling and he was issued a pass to join his wife. The chief minister's humane touch also came to fore when he comforted a man mourning his mother's demise.

The man could not reach Tirunelveli in the state as he was stranded in a foreign country due to the lockdown.

However, when the person expressed grief on Twitter that he could not even see his mother's face for the last time before she was cremated, Palaniswami conveyed his heartfelt condolences and counselled him and his family to bear the loss.

The chief minister, who often calls himself a farmer, also had some words of wisdom for a fellow ryot.

When a person on the social networking site sought to know from the chief minister if he could harvest coconuts from his farm and transport it, Palaniswami replied "most certainly, thambi (younger brother)."

Its not the common man alone he is taking note of and Palaniswami has been pro-active in responding to requests for help from his counterparts in other states and political leaders to people from their states stranded in Tamil Nadu and vice-versa.

Similarly, he is also taking up the cause of Tamilians stranded in other parts including in Maharashtra, sending tweets to the official handles of his counterparts.

Sample this: "Dear @BjpBiplabji, We will definitely take care of them. I have informed my team to provide the necessary resources. Together let's fight #COVID19. Thank you!"

This was Palaniswami's response to Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb when he tweeted seeking help to provide food, accommodation, security and healthcare to the people of his state stranded in Tamil Nadu.

Vijayabaskar and Beela Rajesh also constantly update their social media pages on the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Local Administration Minister Velumani and the Greater Chennai Corporation also keep the citizens informed with various updates on their respective pages.
She was the only 'bride' to find love on this year's Married At First Sight.

And on Thursday, Elizabeth Sobinoff shared the secret behind her glowing skin... and it's not just finding happiness with her TV husband Seb Guilhaus.

The 29-year-old credited her flawless complexion to an everyday item you can easily pick up at the supermarket- green tea.

So that's her secret! Married At First Sight star Elizabeth Sobinoff has revealed the secret product behind her glowing skin... and you can pick it up at the supermarket

'People DM'ed me last night asking about my skin routine... Guys go have a google of green tea,' she said in a video posted to her Insta Stories.

'It is so rich in antioxidants and one of the healthiest drinks you can have. I love it and it does help with skin.'

'I'm addicted. I constantly have green tea, basically, if you see me, I always have a mug,' she added, before taking a sip from a pink floral teacup.

'It is so rich in antioxidants and one of the healthiest drinks you can have': Elizabeth told her fans to drink green tea

In the short video, Elizabeth flaunts her flawless complexion by going makeup free.

The reality star, who is self-isolating at her home in Sydney, dressed casually in a purple and white striped, spaghetti strap singlet.

Last week, Lizzie revealed she had been forced to self-isolate away from her 'husband' Seb.

'It is so rich in antioxidants and one of the healthiest drinks you can have. I love it and it does help with skin,' she said

The TV personality said she was missing her 30-year-old partner, with the coronavirus pandemic sending the nation into lockdown.

'Okay, ISO is making me insane and I miss you soooooo much @seb.guilhaus xx,' she captioned a photo of the two of them together.

She added: 'Life can be so crazy and it really makes you appreciate everything and everyone'.

'Sooo sweet... I hope I can see you soon :( ...' Seb commented on her post.
Two healthcare workers at a hospital in Kilkenny have died after contracting coronavirus.

The staff members worked at St Lukes General Hospital in Kilkenny city.

(PA Graphics)

There have been 12,547 confirmed case of the virus in the country since the outbreak began.

Of those who have tested positive, around one in four is a healthcare worker.

A spokeswoman for Ireland East Hospital Group expressed sympathies for the two staff members.

I can sadly confirm that two healthcare workers from St Lukes General hospital Carlow/Kilkenny have passed away having tested positive for Covid 19, she said.

We would like to give our sincere condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.
Actor John Krasinski, known for his roles in The Office and A Quiet Place, is now taking on the role of prom DJ.

The Massachusetts native has been hosting a YouTube series called Some Good News. The show highlight good news during the coronavirus pandemic, including hosting David Ortiz and surprising Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center employees with free Red Sox tickets for life.

He tweeted that one of his favorite segments on the snow is, Whatd I miss? He pointed out that many across the country are missing prom this year due to the pandemic.

Ok ok... so one of our favorite segments on @somegoodnews is Whatd I miss? And I just cant take it anymore how much all you guys are missing prom. So lets do something about it! Lets have an #SGNprom !! Yup, Ill DJ with some friends live on YouTube. Friday 8EST/5PST!  John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski) April 15, 2020

So lets do something about it, he tweeted. Yup, Ill DJ with some friends live on YouTube.

The virtual prom is being held on Friday, April 17, at 8 p.m. ET.

If you attend, send us your photos. Were also looking for prom photos from past years or a new prom-inspired look youre hoping to show off.

Send the photos to us on Facebook, Instagram or email reporter Heather Adams at hadams@masslive.com.

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HURON COUNTY  Like so many others, educators were caught off guard by the coronavirus pandemic and what a statewide defense against its spread would look like, but now Huron County educators have collaborated to form alternative education plans.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order suspending face-to-face learning in schools left teachers racing to find alternative means to providing instruction.

Due to this unforeseen interference in the 2019-2020 academic year, Executive Order (EO 2020-35) mandated all Michigan schools to submit a Continuity of Learning and COVID-19 Response Plan to their intermediate school districts no later than April 28, 2020.

Huron ISD Superintendent Joe Murphy explained that April 8, 2020 was the earliest date districts could submit their distance learning plans. Huron ISD is required to review, approve and submit those plans to the Michigan Department of Education. Murphy confirmed that many school officials have already begun posting their approved response plans online.

"We have received plans (and approved) from most districts," Murphy said. "They are posted on the local school websites or will be soon under transparency reporting."

Distance education will continue until the end of the school year by means of printed materials, phone contact, the use of email, and virtual learning capabilities.

The plan application questions and responses include alternative modes of instruction, methods geared toward maintaining student engagement, content delivery, an estimated budget, means of informing caregivers about the plan, educators responsible in planning, the date the plan will go into effect, how assistance will be offered to post-secondary dual enrollment students, means of continued food distribution to pupils, on-going teacher salaries, student participation evaluations, meeting student mental health needs, on-going disaster relief child care center services, as well as scheduled information pertaining to the 2020-2021 calendar year.

According to Murphy, the plans vary from school to school, with many using a hybrid instruction models. This means employing and combining physical instruction packets, online learning platforms and various other related resources. As such, most schools have made devices available to students for checkout. Pupils lacking internet access will be provided with instructional packets, available either by mail or pick up.

Murphy assured that in order to keep students connected and monitor participation, teachers will maintain contact through video conferences and phone calls. This means engaging in regular communication with students and keeping up on assignment deadlines, in which feedback will be provided.

At Bad Axe Public Schools and others in the area, district administrators, board members, teachers, and teacher representatives collaborated with the superintendent to develop a schools plan. This wide range of educators ensured plans were structured to meet the needs of students varying in age and learning requirements.

Estimated budget expenditures have increased in certain districts, due to the required resources that make distant learning a reality. As found in response plans, budgets differ among schools countywide.

Murphy confirmed that the communication between area schools and caregivers has been ongoing since the closure of schools. Means of relaying information have involved Skyward, messaging applications, district websites, social media and email. A district's plan and other valuable information can be accessed on its website. The plans date of implementation will differ, based on school district.

The superintendent assured that continued support will be offered to post-secondary dual enrollment students. Districts will provide the resources necessary for students to complete all assignments.

As far as food is concerned, Murphy said eligible students will continue to receive the option of drive-thru pickup at their school's designated location site. Some schools will continue using Thumb Area Transit to deliver food to students at specified locations. Breakfast and lunch times vary by school. He added that the state has developed a new program to bring food to families affected by COVID-19 school closings.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website explains that families with children who received free or reduced school lunches qualify for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program. The program provides emergency food assistance relief to families impacted by the pandemic

Murphy said all local districts will continue to pay teacher salaries and employees. Employees with duties unneeded during this time have likely been reassigned other responsibilities, like meal distribution.

Allowing for open communication between teachers, students and families opens a pathway to addressing mental health needs. Murphy said that if needs are observed or conveyed, the counselor, principal, and/or social workers will reach out. The family will then be connected to the appropriate agency.

Murphy noted that all local districts will continue supporting the disaster relief childcare center services offered through Huron ISD. On March 18, the governor signed Executive Order 2020-16, increasing the amount of childcare services for essential workers. It allows school facilities to be used as disaster relief childcare centers, if needed. The superintendent explained that Huron ISD is the hub.

Balanced calendars for the 2020-2021 academic year were difficult to develop at the present time and will vary from school to school. For many, an early start to the school year has been put on the table.

Murphy would like to remind parents and seniors, all students who were on track to graduate when school closed on March 13, 2020 will still graduate. The others will be given the opportunity to complete the assignment needed to meet eligibility.

"As far as graduation ceremonies, that is up to each local district and dependent on the governors stay-at-home orders and orders for size of gatherings and how soon they are lifted," Murphy said.

When speaking on the Continuity of Learning and COVID-19 Response Plans, Murphy emphasized that the main concern is on the safety and well-being of all students.

"Local school districts will be glad to provide updates on student progress moving forward," Murphy said. "I know all educators in Huron County will continue to give their best effort to educate all students in this difficult time."

To learn about a school district's specific response plan, simply visit its website and click on transparency reporting. Plans will differ and others may not be posted yet.
Medical providers and private labs that are conducting coronavirus tests in Houston need to report positive cases to the city at a faster pace to ensure accurate data about the virus spread, the citys top doctor said this week.

We continue to have this inconsistency in the number of cases that are being reported to us, Dr. David Persse, the citys local health authority, said at a news conference Tuesday. We understand that its going to be a day before we get it, and we have to process it. But, nevertheless, it is important that we get that information promptly.

The city has reported massive amounts of new coronavirus cases in recent days, driven by a backlog in positive cases dating back weeks. A federal contract dictates that specimens collected from drive-thru testing in Harris County and Houston are sent to LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics, national clinical laboratories that had reported a backlog in processing tests in recent weeks.

Last Thursday, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced 615 new cases of the coronavirus, half of which came from March. He also reported 402 new cases Monday, spread across weeks.

A list of general instructions from the Texas Department of State and Health Services stipulates: Cases or suspected cases of illness considered to be public health emergencies, outbreaks, exotic diseases, and unusual group expressions of disease must be reported to the local health department or DSHS immediately.

The agency defines the new coronavirus as a condition that requires health care providers, hospitals and others to call immediately in reporting a positive case.

That is the term that is used, immediately, Persse said. And so, when we get these peaks and valleys, we get these peaks and we get as many as over 600 reports in a day, going back six weeks. That is not helpful.

The city as of Wednesday had recorded 2,331 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, out of 4,097 in Harris County.

There have been 26 deaths stemming from COVID-19 in Houston and 58 in all of Harris County. Even some local deaths have taken a week to report: On April 3, for instance, the city reported a death that occurred March 27.

If coronavirus cases become backlogged and are not quickly shared with local governments, officials are left with an incomplete picture of how prevalent community spread is in the area, said Dr. Gulshan Sharma, chief medical officer of the University of Texas Medical Branch. The best way to analyze the data is by the date the test was conducted, he said.

Timely access to that data is so critical to making these decisions, to understand what is the prevalence of the disease in your community, Sharma said. When you are mixing data from three weeks old to four weeks old, you will not know whether the trend is up or down.

The federal government at first supplied enough swabs for each drive-thru testing site to handle up to 250 tests a day to avoid inundating Quest and LabCorp, both of whom analyze results from at least 40 cities nationwide, Persse has said.

The labs ultimately were inundated, with some Houston-area patients reporting nearly two-week delays for negative results.

Quest officials in late March said the company had a backlog of 160,000 tests, though by Monday it had eliminated its backlog and raised its testing capacity to over 45,000 samples a day with new equipment in two COVID-19 labs.

The other contractor, LabCorp, acknowledged that some results took longer than anticipated in the early days. Last week, the turnaround was two to four days.

The federal contract since has been altered to double the amount of testing allowed.

Samples from the countys Legacy Stadium testing site in Katy and the citys Delmar Stadium go to LabCorp, according to local health officials. Samples from the countys Stallworth Stadium and the citys Butler Stadium are sent to Quest.

Quest spokeswoman Kimberly Gorode said that Texas tests are sent to labs in Dallas or Lewisville.

Once testing is finished, the results become a data point that is reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services, which bounces it back to the local health jurisdiction, where the patient lives.

Private labs, such as Houstons Altru Diagnostics, which has analyzed more than 20,000 samples in search of COVID-19, report their results to both the local health departments and the state. The owner of the lab, Dr. Jesse Howard, reported issues in sending results in the past but since has fixed them.

Howard, whose facility examines tests from four United Memorial Medical Center drive-thru testing sites, said his lab now faxes a copy of positive results, which includes patient information, to local health jurisdictions and the state at the end of every night.

Sometimes the fax machine just does not work, he said.

The only good thing about fax is that theyre secure, Howard said. But its old school. You may go to fax, but that fax machine may be doing something else. It may be busy.

The turnaround for reporting test results can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, he said.

jasper.scherer@chron.com

nicole.hensley@chron.com
On Easter Sunday (April 12), in a moment that made the world stand still, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli broke multiple records with an emotionally-charged solo performance, streamed exclusively live via YouTube from the Duomo in Milan.



This historic event reached over 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers, making it one of the biggest musical live stream performances of all time and the largest simultaneous audience for a classical live stream in YouTube history. The video received more than 28 million views from across the globe in its first 24 hours. Even prior to the stream beginning, more than 1 million viewers were present in the waiting room, in anticipation of the performance.

Bocelli's extraordinary 'Music For Hope' performance has since been covered in more than 100 countries worldwide, and continues to trend globally across YouTube and social media platforms. During the past 48 hours, it reached #1 Trending on YouTube across U.S., U.K., Italy, Canada and throughout Latin America, including Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Brazil.

These staggering figures make this event the biggest live-streamed classical music event of all time, as millions of all-ages and backgrounds, joined together remotely around the world for this special 30-minute Easter Sunday broadcast. The performance has now been viewed in excess of 35 million times since Sunday evening.



The event was a moving delivery of an inspiring programme of sacred music, amid the stillness of a city under continued lockdown. But behind the scenes it was a remarkable technical feat to film and record the concert within the restrictions, as well as the time pressure to make the audio and footage available for access immediately afterwards. The aim was to deliver an uplifting message of love, healing and hope to the public through music, at a time when it was most needed - and it did just that. The recording was released digitally on audio streaming services within hours.



Andrea Bocelli explains: "I am moved and delighted to have received such an overwhelming reaction, that has gone beyond our highest expectations. For an artist, yesterday's event is the reason for the sacrifices of a lifetime; for a believer and a Catholic as I am, it was further confirmation of the benevolent smile with which the Heavenly Father looks to his children. It was an immeasurable honour and privilege to lend my voice to the prayers of millions of people, gathered in a single embrace - a small, great miracle of which the whole world was the protagonist and which confirms my optimism about the future of our planet. Thanks to everyone who worked in the shadows for weeks, from management to the record label, and especially to all of those who have shared this moment with us, to stay truly united."



Accompanied only by the organist, Emanuele Vianelli, Bocelli sang a carefully chosen selection of pieces, specially arranged for solo voice and organ for the occasion. This included the beloved Bach/Gounod setting of Ave Maria and Franck's Panis Angelicus. Bocelli brought the stirring recital to a close with Amazing Grace, for which he was shown making his way out of the cathedral, in silence, and onto the steps facing a totally deserted piazza - an unprecedented sight for the national and international landmark - to sing the first verse completely unaccompanied. This was a moment of unforgettable poignancy.



"Music has the power to unite communities from around the world in the most unique and momentous ways. In such an unprecedented time, it's critical we rally together and continue connecting through music. YouTube is honored to have played a role in making sure the world could to come together, as one music family, to see, hear and listen to Andrea Bocelli's performance on such a historic day in time," said Lyor Cohen, YouTube's Global Head of Music.



Dickon Stainer, President and CEO of Global Classics & Jazz, Universal Music Group, commented: "On Sunday, the music of Andrea Bocelli provided a balm to the soul of the world. The event was a demonstration of remarkable teamwork. Universal Music and Decca Records are honoured to have played our part."



"The success of 'Music for Hope' demonstrates the desire that everybody in the world has today to share a moment of prayer and hope. Andrea's voice has become an opportunity for all of the world to embrace in this difficult time. No barriers, but bridges of human love and solidarity. This is the essence of Sunday's event," said Filippo Sugar, President of Sugar Music.



Maverick Management's Francesco Pasquero and Scott Rodger added: "Andrea Bocelli has shown that during this global crisis the power of his voice has the ability to unite people, regardless of faith or background, in solidarity with his message of hope. This project has been an extraordinary coming together of the key collaborators in Andrea's world across his wife Veronica and his family, management, labels, and YouTube, showing that by acting as one the music community will get though these challenging times."



The event, which was by invitation of the City and of the cathedral, was promoted by the City of Milan and the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, produced by Sugar Music, Universal Music Group & Decca Records, thanks to the generous contribution of YouTube. Andrea Bocelli's participation was entirely pro-bono (in collaboration with Almud and Maverick Management).



Bocelli, with the Foundation that carries his name, is currently involved in an emergency COVID-19 campaign. The Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) has started a fundraiser to help hospitals purchase all the instruments and equipment necessary to protect their medical staff. It is possible to donate through the GoFundMe campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/wk67wc-abfxcamerino or by contacting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, by writing to [email protected].

Tags : Andrea Bocelli's "Music for Hope" Andrea Bocelli Easter online concert Andrea Bocelli's "Music for Hope" is the Biggest Lived-Steamed Classical Music Event of all Time andrea bocelli
The Covid-19 lockdown has dealt a major blow to drug smuggling in Punjab and more than 26,000 people have registered at de-addiction centres since curfew was imposed in the state to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, officials have said.

Additional director general of police Harpreet Singh Sidhu, who heads the anti-narcotics Special Task Force (STF), told Hindustan Times the surge in registrations at out-patient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres across Punjab was because the supply chain of drug trafficking rings has been disrupted by the strict lockdown.

The supply chain crunch has already been there and that is why we had over four lakh registrations at OOAT centres across Punjab since 2017. Lockdown has helped us further tighten the grip, he added.

A total of 309 cases were registered by Punjab Police under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and a large quantity of drugs have been seized, including 22 kg of heroin and more than 527 kg of poppy husk, since March 23, when the curfew was imposed.

A total of 498 people have also been arrested in connection with drug smuggling during the lockdown.

The anti-narcotics task force was set up after the Congress government, headed by Captain Amarinder Singh, came to power in April 2017. It was one of the key elements of the partys manifesto.

Drug abuse, coupled with corruption, had dominated the 2017 assembly elections in the state, with the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) making it their main campaign plank against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

The 26,000 fresh registrations at de-addiction centres include 2,375 in Ludhiana, 1,966 in Moga, 1,604 in Bathinda, 1,542 in SAS Nagar and 1,518 in Tarn Taran.

Sidhu said the total number of patients registered at OOAT centres in Punjab since 2017 stands at 440,165.

According to the report Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India, released in February 2019 by the Union social justice and empowerment ministry in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), there are 720,000 drug users in Punjab.

Sidhu described the increase in people registering at de-addiction centres as a huge success in the war against drugs in the border state.

Punjab shares a 553-km border with Pakistan and successive state governments have often talked about the neighbouring countrys involvement in narco-terrorism through several Indian states.

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has been demanding a national drug policy to enable states to follow a similar approach and strategy to tackle this menace.

Interacting with the national media last week through video conference, Singh said Covid-19 has broken the supply chain of drug smuggling rings in his state.

The only good thing that has come out of Covid-19 is that the supply of heroin and other drugs has been broken. We are happy. We already have a 1,000-personnel task force that has been continuously working on this front, he said.

Sidhu agreed: We had already managed to effectively block the supply chain and reduce the demand by the comprehensive action against drug abuse (CADA) strategy being implemented in Punjab through a three-pronged approach based on a balanced emphasis on enforcement, de-addiction and prevention (EDP). It is a reasonably good model.

He added, Covid-19 has done us an extra help in further tightening the supply line and prompted more people to approach drug de-addiction centres.

He said this will have a positive follow-up effect, given that those whose supply chain has not been affected by the lockdown will be encouraged by hundreds of people thronging the de-addiction centres.

They will see the benefits of the people who have gone into the treatment and also get influenced because we have seen that 85% of addiction happens through peer pressure, Sidhu said.

The state government has also launched mobile OOAT vans to provide treatment and consultation to addicts at their doorsteps to ensure strict social distancing norms.

Asked about the challenges faced by the STF in ensuring the supply chain remains disrupted even after the lockdown, Sidhu said: It is possible some supply will come once the lockdown is lifted. But with so many people registering with de-addiction centres, they have come onto our radar and if they drop out of the programme we will be able to trace them and persuade them to come back.

He added that police have also made inroads in areas where supply could not be contained earlier.

Sidhu described the de-addiction centres as major life savers. Imagine if such centres wouldnt have been there during this lockdown period, lack of supply and withdrawal could have had disastrous consequences and possibly a rise in suicide bids, he said.

I always say we had nothing when we started in 2017, then we had some strategy in 2018, and in 2020, we are constantly adapting to the situation. All our models are flexible and we are making them better as we go on. If we further increase our momentum, we should be out of this menace by next year and hopefully have good results, Sidhu remarked.

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The NASA-USGS satellite Landsat 8 captured this photo of Anak Krakatau erupting on April 13, 2020. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey)

The recent rumblings of a famously active Indonesian volcano are visible from space.

The Landsat 8 satellite , a joint effort of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, captured a striking photo on Monday (April 13) of Anak Krakatau's latest eruption, which has sent plumes of ash and water vapor billowing into the tropical skies and lava flows coursing into the surrounding turquoise waters.

The natural-color image is overlaid by infrared data gathered by one of Landsat 8's instruments. The infrared measurements highlight a hot spot that may be molten rock, NASA Earth Observatory's Kathryn Hansen wrote in a description of the photo .

Related: Amazing images of volcanoes from space

A wide view of the eruption of the volcano Anak Krakatua on Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra as seen on April 13, 2020 by the Landsat 8 satellite. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin, with Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.)

Anak Krakatau sits in the Sunda Strait between the big Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. The volcano's name translates as "child of Krakatau," and for good reason. In 1927, the island rose from the caldera created by the devastating 1883 eruption of Krakatau (also known as Krakatoa), which killed 36,000 people and darkened skies around the world for several years.

Anak Krakatau hasn't unleashed anything on that scale, thankfully. But the volcano has been quite active recently.

The volcano "has displayed these small eruptive bursts periodically through the last few years," Verity Flower, a volcanologist based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, told Hansen. "However, it can also display more destructive activity such as tsunami-triggering eruptions."

One such eruption occurred on Dec. 22, 2018; the resulting tsunami killed hundreds of people.

Mike Wall is the author of " Out There " (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate ), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook .
The US has "passed the peak" on new coronavirus cases, President Donald Trump has said and predicted that some states would reopen this month.

The US has over 637,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and over 30,826 deaths, the highest for any country in the world.

At the daily White House coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, Trump said new guidelines to reopen the country would be announced on Thursday after he speaks to governors.

"We'll be the comeback kids, all of us," he said. "We want to get our country back."



The Trump administration has previously fixed May 1 as a possible date to reopen the world's largest economy, but the president said some states may be able to return to normalcy earlier than that.

"The battle continues, but the data suggest that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases. Hopefully, that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress," Trump said.

These encouraging developments, he said, has put the US in a very strong position to finalise the guidelines for states on reopening the country.

"Hopefully that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress," Trump said.

Dr Deborah Brix, a member of the White House Task Force on Coronavirus, said that over the last five or six days there has been decline in new cases across the country.

"This has been very reassuring for us. At the same time, we know that mortality and the fatalities that we are facing across the United States continue," she said.

Nine states have less than 1000 cases and less than 30 new cases per day. Some states like California and Washington State, Oregon never really had a peak because of so much work that their populations did to decrease and keep the new cases down, she said.

Two states, Rhode Island and Providence are in a unique situation, she said. First, they had increasing cases from the New York City area and now they have new increasing cases from the Boston area. They are caught between two incredible hotspots in the country, she said.

Reiterating that this is a highly contagious virus, Brix said in social gatherings and coming together there is always a chance that asymptomatic person can spread the virus unknowingly.

No one is intending to spread the virus. We know if you are sick you will stay home. But to all of you that are out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20 don't do it yet. Continue to follow the presidential guidelines. We really appreciate the work of the American people," Brix said.

Asked why the US accounted for such a significant proportion of the global death toll of 136,908, Trump accused other countries of lying about their mortality rate.

"Does anybody really believe the numbers of some of these countries?" he said, in an apparent reference to China where the pandemic originated and spread across the world.

Noting that this has been a horrible time to see such death and destruction in the country, the President said the medical and healthcare advances the US has made are critical to the continued progress.

The US has rapidly developed the most expansive and accurate testing system anywhere in the world and have completed more than 3.3 million tests.

"To date, we have authorised 48 separate coronavirus tests and the FDA is working with 300 companies and labs to widen our capacity still further," Trump said.

The Abbott Labs on Wednesday announced that it is has developed an antibody test that will determine if someone has been previously infected with the coronavirus and potentially developed immunity.

"It is a great test. The company says these tests could be available to screen up to 20 million people in a matter of weeks," he added.

The administration, he said, is also distributing vast amounts of medical supplies to states across the country. Through project air bridge, which has been an amazing success they have completed 44 flights, and an additional 56 like scheduled in the near future. he said.

In total, through all channels, the federal government has developed and delivered 39.4 million N95 masks, 431 million gloves, 57 million surgical masks and 10.2 million gowns. It ordered 500 million masks and they will be coming shortly and have distributed 100 million masks, he said.

Trump said his administration is using every available authority to accelerate the development, study and develop therapies and treatments.

"Ultimately, what we want to come up with is a safe vaccine, but frankly, the therapies to me are the most important because it takes care of people right now," he said.

"The vaccines have to be tested because it takes a longer period of time, but we have some great potential therapies already, and we will see how they are working. We will be able to report on that over the next week or two," he said, adding that at least 35 clinical trials of promising therapies are now underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Germany Arrests Four Tajik Nationals Suspected Of Plotting Terrorist Attack

By RFE/RL April 15, 2020

Germany has detained five suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group alleged to be planning an attack on U.S. military facilities and an unidentified individual.

Prosecutors said four of the suspects -- all from Tajikistan -- were arrested early on April 15 in the city of Siegen and in the towns of Heinsberg and Werdohl in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The fifth suspect, also a Tajik national believed to be the leader of the terror cell, was already in custody after being detained in March 2019. The men are all aged between 24 and 32, and came to Germany as refugees.

Federal prosecutors identified the men as Azizjon B., Muhammadali G., Farhodshoh K., Sunatullokh K., and Ravshan B. The suspects' surnames weren't released for privacy reasons.

The men joined IS in January 2019 and were instructed by the terrorist group to form a cell in Germany, prosecutors said.

The suspects reportedly first planned to carry out an attack in their native Tajikistan, but later shifted their target to Germany, including U.S. Air Force bases in the country and a person they deemed critical of Islam.

"Targets for the attacks were supposed to be institutions of U.S. forces in Germany or even individual people," prosecutors said in a statement.

While the attacks were not planned for the immediate future, the group had already acquired firearms and ammunition, as well as secured directions and precursors for making a bomb from the Internet, the statement said.

To help finance the terror plans, prosecutors said the ringleader, Ravshan B., and another suspect traveled to Albania to carry out a $40,000 contract killing, but the operation fell apart and they returned to Germany, the statement added.

The men are alleged to have been in contact with two high-ranking IS figures in Syria and Afghanistan.

Germany's security services estimate there are around 11,000 Islamic radicals in the country, some 680 of whom are deemed particularly dangerous and capable of using violence.

In recent years, Germany has seen several terrorist attacks claimed by IS, including a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/germany-arrests- four-tajik-nationals-suspected-of-plotting- terrorist-attack/30555712.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:07:30|Editor: Liu

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A staff member conducts sample testing for COVID-19 at a laboratory in Moscow, Russia, on April 16, 2020. The number of COVID-19 cases in Russia rose to 27,938, hitting 84 out of its 85 regions after a new daily record of 3,448 was registered on Thursday, official data showed. (Sputnik via Xinhua)

MOSCOW, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of COVID-19 cases in Russia rose to 27,938, hitting 84 out of its 85 regions after a new daily record of 3,448 was registered on Thursday, official data showed.

The death toll climbed to 232 from 198 the previous day, while 2,304 people have recovered, including 318 in the last 24 hours, Russia's coronavirus response center said in a statement.

Moscow, the worst-hit city across the country, confirmed 1,370 new cases in the last 24 hours, totaling 16,146.

Russia announced its first two COVID-19 cases on Jan. 31, with cases increasing significantly since the end of March. The total number topped 10,000 on April 9, 15,000 on April 12 and 20,000 on Tuesday.

A Chinese medical team has been working in Russia since April 11 to assist in the fight against COVID-19.

All Russians, except those working for essential institutions and establishments, are on paid leave from March 30 till April 30 as part of the country's efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Enditem
A contact tracing app developed in Singapore could hold the key to Australia's escape from the unprecedented COVID-19 lockdown.

Australia is aiming to use similar technology to allow health officials to check if people have been in contact with known coronavirus cases.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government's own app was being developed with 'robust' privacy settings during an address on Thursday.

But there are concerns that the gathering of such comprehensive data could breach citizens' civil liberties - and others have called it 'worthless' as it's not mandatory.

The TraceTogether app uses Bluetooth on mobile phones to link up with other phones nearby.

Singapore is using the TraceTogether app (pictured) to help track the spread of the disease. Australia has been given the code to develop the surveillance software

It is then able to track when two people are in close proximity with one another, providing times, dates and locations.

If officials then need to call upon this data, they can determine who a person's close contacts are based on the proximity to another person and the length of time spent with them.

One of the main issues in containing the virus has been the long and labour-intensive process of tracing contacts of people diagnosed with COVID-19.

This system could alleviate hours of work from already over-stretched health officials, making it much easier to find people who may be at risk - and stop them spreading the virus any further.

Users of the TraceTogether app (pictured), which is now being developed in Australia, uses Bluetooth technology to track people

Australians could soon have their mobile phones tracked to see if they have come into contact with coronavirus (pictured, a woman wears a face mask at Bondi Beach on April 3)

HOW WILL THE APP WORK? Australia is aiming to use an app similar to one being developed in Singapore to help bring the country out of its coronavirus lockdown. The TraceTogether app uses Bluetooth on mobile phones to link up with other phones nearby. It is then able to track when two people are in close proximity with one another, providing times, dates and locations. If officials then need to call upon this data, they can determine who a person's close contacts are based on the proximity to another person and the length of time spent with them. Advertisement

Supporting the use of such an app, as opposed to those developed by Apple and Google, Mr Morrison said this option was less invasive as it was 'consent-based'.

'Google and Apple proposal does exactly the same thing, it is just that it is not a consent based model,' he told reporters on Thursday.

'The trace app which has been put in place in Singapore is a consent-based model.

'And the reason we are not quite ready yet is we are still working through ensuring that it meets the privacy protections, which are robust and up to a standard that we believe is necessary for the Australian context.

'And that is what the Attorney General is working on right now.

'It is a complex area, but it is a tool that Australia will need to pursue the road out of this that we would like to pursue.'

But some cyber security experts are skeptical, saying any 'opt-in' app is 'worthless to society'.

'The public have always been nervous around a Government or a big corporate knowing their "real-time" whereabouts or "real-time" daily travel activity,' Louis-James Davis, CEO of cyberfirm VSTE told Daily Mail Australia.

'The proposition of having a health app that is "opt-in" and filled with self-diagnosed triage information is mostly worthless to society.

'More anxiety and discrimination will come from wondering who is being honest and who even has the app on their phones.'

A mobile phone app may soon allow health officials to trace who a person has come into contact with (pictured, phone users in Sydney on March 17)

WHAT ABOUT PRIVACY? There are some concerns about what kind of data the app would hold. Other people are concerned about any type of monitoring of free movement. The Singaporean app makes say: - The app does not track your location or contacts - Data is stored in your phone for only 21 days and will not be accessed unless you are identified as a close contact - Measures are in place to protect your mobile number. Your number is paired with a a random ID, and it is this ID that is exchanged between phones, not your actual number Advertisement

Mr Morrison previously met with Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong via video on March 23 to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak.

'We're very keen to use it and use it perhaps even more extensively than Singapore,' Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy told a New Zealand parliamentary hearing.

Professor Murphy acknowledged there were privacy concerns.

'Obviously there's a conversation to have with the community about the acceptability of it but we think that idea, the TraceTogether app, is a really excellent one,' he said.

'We're actively looking at that as part of a measure that might be used to perhaps consider some relaxation of measures.'

Professor Murphy was briefing New Zealand's Epidemic Response Committee via video link on Tuesday.

People wearing face masks scan a QR code to submit their personal information while security volunteers check their temperatures at a market in Kunming, China on February 24

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

Speaking at the same coronavirus briefing on Thursday, following a meeting of the national cabinet, Mr Morrison said restrictions would be in place for at least the next four weeks.

Wider testing and plans for local lockdowns to combat outbreaks need to be in place before so-called 'baseline restrictions' can be removed across the nation, he said.

But Australia's biggest states will be able to relax some of their harsher restrictions before four weeks if they chose to do so, Mr Morrison said.

'States and territories that went further than those baselines... will be reviewing those in the meantime,' he explained.

It means that pubs, restaurants and gyms will be kept shut, large gatherings will remain banned and working from home will be encouraged where possible.

Australia has made significant progress in the fight against coronavirus, with a clear flattening of the curve on the graph that measures the daily infection rate

Weddings are still limited to five people and funerals to ten people.

However, elective surgery could be resumed on Tuesday when the National Cabinet meets again.

There were only 19 new cases of coronavirus in Australia on Wednesday, taking the national total to 6,468. The crisis peaked at 460 daily cases on 28 March.

Mr Morrison warned that lifting restrictions too fast could be catastrophic.

'If you ease off too quickly too early, then you end up making the situation even worse and I don't just mean in the health terms,' he said.

'If you move too early and the health response gets out of control then the economic consequences will be even worse. We need to keep it finely balanced.'
The American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary has launched the series of webinars, AmCham Live. Each week the chamber says it will organize discussions about the challenges caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, possible solutions and initiatives.

According to AmCham, experts from a variety of fields will take part in the new webinars.



The first two events, Everyone Needs a Plan B (April 15) and Skills to Survive COVID-19 (April 23) are already opened for registration on chamber website: amcham.com.



The participation is free of charge for AmCham members.
LONGMEADOW  State Sen. Eric Lesser said Thursday that the allegations of an attempted arson at Ruths House, a Jewish-affiliated assisted living facility, has left him both sad and angry at what he called a horrific act of anti-Semitism.

Lesser, a Longmeadow Democrat, said the alleged attack is symptomatic of an increase in anti-Semitism and hate crimes throughout the country and in Massachusetts.

Several community institutions have now faced threats, and our local organizations require significantly more security support from both the Federal and State government, he said. This is an urgent matter which threatens bedrock American values of religious liberty and pluralism. I hope all people of conscience will join me in condemning this horrendous crime, which strikes at the very heart of our Nations founding edicts.

Lesser was responding to the arrest Wednesday of John M. Rathbun, 36, of East Longmeadow, who is charged with two counts of attempted arson in U.S. District Court. He is accused of placing a gasoline-filled tank at the entrance to Ruths House on Converse Street in Longmeadow and attempting to ignite it.

FBI agents raided Rathbuns home on Wednesday to execute a search warrant. He was taken into custody shortly afterward.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Ruths House was targeted because it was seen as a Jewish nursing home. Ruths House is operated by JGS Lifecare Inc. and is guided by Jewish value, but serves all faiths, according to its website.

Lesser, who is Jewish, said the arrest came during the Jewish holiday of Passover, which celebrates the story of Exodus and Jews persevering through hardship to win freedom from persecution. Today, we must call upon that same spirit of redemption to confront evil in our midst and resolve that we, too, will stand for justice, he said.

He thanked the FBI and the Longmeadow and East Longmeadow police for their work in identifying a suspect and making an arrest.

He said the incident is disturbing on its own, but is even more troubling considering JGS Lifecare is in the middle of a great tragedy that has seen at least 21 residents die from COVID-19.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Commonwealths own Hate Crimes Task Force has documented an increase in anti-Semitism and hate crimes against many groups here in Massachusetts, and our local community of Western Mass is not immune, he said.
Having worries about money, especially during the COVID-19 crisis which has disrupted businesses across the sectors, is quite natural. But not talking about it may do more harm than you could probably think of, suggests a new report.

Those with worries about money are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Moreover, these worries may also lead to reduced productivity, said the guide from Britain-based Salary Finance Ltd. which offers technology platforms to help people become financially healthier and happier.

On an average, about 2.7 hours are lost on worries about money and those with financial stress are more likely to be looking for a new job, it added.

Worries about money affect both the employer and the employees.

"Therefore, nurturing a culture that encourages employees to talk more openly about their worries about money can help employers find the right solutions," said Salary Finance which partners with employers to help their people take control of their money.

Founded in 2015 by the former Head of Google UK & Ireland, a former banking consultant and a social impact entrepreneur, the company has grown from three founders to a team of nearly 200, operating in the UK, the US and India.

"Your culture is the beating heart of everything you do as an organisation and should be central to your programme. Stamping out the stigma, and encouraging people to talk and share their stories will help people feel they are not alone," Salary Finance said in a blog on Tuesday that detailed how to go about creating a financial wellbeing programme.
D ominic Raab has said it cannot be "business as usual" with China after the coronavirus pandemic, as he called for a "deep dive" review into how the virus was able to spread.

The Foreign Secretary, who is deputising for Boris Johnson, said there needs to be a thorough review of the worldwide spread and added: "I don't think we can flinch from that at all."

Speaking at the daily Covid-19 briefing in Downing Street, Mr Raab said "hard questions" needed to be asked about how the virus came about and how its spread was not stopped sooner.

He said: I think there absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after the event review of the lessons  including of the outbreak of the virus.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab speaks at the daily press briefing / via REUTERS

"I dont think we can flinch from that at all, it needs to be driven by the science.

He said the UK had good co-operation with China in relation to the return of UK nationals and in procurement of equipment, and that the review would need to be done in a balanced way.

But there is no doubt we cant have business as usual after this crisis," he added.

"We will have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldnt have been stopped earlier.

The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA

The Covid-19 outbreak began in Wuhan at the beginning of the year, but quickly spread globally.

More than 100,000 people have since died with the disease worldwide.

Mr Raab's comments came as the number of confirmed coronavirus case in the UK reached 100,000.
Frustrations with Gov. Gretchen Whitmers COVID-19 stay-at-home order reached a fever pitch Wednesday as thousands flocked to Michigans capital city for a daylong rally that stretched from local roads to the Capitol steps.

The current stay-at-home order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is in effect through April 30 and bans gatherings of any size outside a household, as well as in-person business and activities deemed non-essential. The measures are intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 28,059 people in Michigan and resulted in 1,921 deaths.

Whitmer and Chief Medical Executive Joneigh Khaldun have said the ongoing stay-at-home order is essential to prevent more deaths in Michigan.

Initially, the stay-at-home order didnt get much pushback. But an extension of the order that included additional restrictions on business and individual activity was widely panned by Republican lawmakers and conservatives, who felt the order went too far and didnt take into account businesses that could operate safely.

Protesters began circling the Capitol Wednesday morning, and the action didnt cease until nearly 6 p.m. Traffic was backed up for miles. Participants were encouraged to stay in their cars, but a crowd began gathering on the Capitol lawn by 10 a.m., and many were not wearing masks or following social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC.

The protest had a political edge - many who participated held signs and waved flags in support of President Donald Trump. One sign asked Trump to lock up the Nazi woman in Michigan, and at one point, a Lock Her Up chant started from the Capitol steps.

Some participants also displayed Confederate flags, which were widely criticized on social media.

Related: Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan Capitol

The concept was initially proposed by Birmingham resident Anthony DiMaggio, who said he had no idea it would get so big.

The manufacturing jeweler and jewelry designer said hes never been involved in planning a political protest before. But his business has been suffering under the order, and after he contacted state Rep. Matt Maddock about the idea, he was connected to the Michigan Conservative Coalition. The Operation Gridlock Facebook event they created snowballed from there.

DiMaggio said he thought a few hundred people might show up to drive around the Capitol building. In the end, police estimated somewhere between 3-4,000 people were in downtown Lansing at the protests peak, either in their cars or on the ground.

It wasnt me that did it, it was just the consciousness of Michigan people, he said. They desperately want to work, they want to control their own destiny, and this place just exploded with thousands and thousands more people than I ever thought.

Critics said the event endangered lives and shouldnt be construed as the opinion of all Michigan residents.

Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, said the protest showed selfishness, a lack of empathy and disregard for human life.

Beyond the right to protest, which we all agree is important, we know many Michiganders were disappointed by the actions of a vocal few," he said. We know that Michigan is better than the lack of compassion we saw in Lansing today and in the coming days we will work with our partners on an effort to mobilize Michiganians to support our frontline workers.

Whitmer said in a press briefing Wednesday she understood why people were protesting. But she expressed concern about the people who ignored social distancing guidelines while doing so.

I was really disappointed to see people congregating and not wearing masks," Whitmer said during a press conference Wednesday. We know that this rally endangered people. This kind of activity will put more people at risk and sadly, it could prolong the amount of time that we have to be in this posture.

Shelly Vanderwerff of Zeeland, one of the participants in the protest, is currently laid off from her job at a local greenhouse. She is also trained as a pet groomer, and carried a sign on the Capitol lawn asking for the ability to do curbside pet grooming during the stay-at-home order.

She said she felt it was important to show up in person because the governor is taking away jobs, hobbies and other means of activity that could be done safely and help people who are struggling with their mental health.

It seems like shes not listening to petitions and calls and emails, shes not getting how many small businesses that this really is affecting and hurting, she said.

Vanderwerff said shes taking personal precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, but is concerned that Michigans stay-at-home measures are too extreme.

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, was at the Capitol Wednesday and witnessed the proceedings, and later posted a video of himself waving a flag in support on Twitter. Hes been a vocal critic of Whitmers latest order, and said the protest was a simple exercise of Constitutional rights- although he encouraged people to do so while properly socially distancing.

There is nothing more American than people coming together and petitioning their government and ensuring their voices are heard, and thats what were seeing here today," he said.

Throughout the day, downtown Lansing was a cacophony of car and truck horns, megaphones and occasional chanting.

Cars and trucks lined the streets surrounding Michigans Capitol building, displaying flags and painted messages like Stop Oppressive Quarantining: Bring Back Common Sense and Freedom Isnt Negotiable. Some brought their motorboats, which the administration said are not allowed under the stay-at-home order. Others drove business vehicles.

State Rep. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, said in a statement she understood people were angry and scared, but said it was extremely irresponsible to orchestrate a traffic jam in the capital city.

Maybe these protesters havent lost someone to COVID-19. Maybe they havent had to figure out how to bury a loved one while selecting only 10 family members to attend the memorial service," she said. Maybe they dont know a doctor, nurse, corrections officer, long-term care worker or first responder putting their lives at risk every day during this global pandemic.

This decision put lives in jeopardy by blocking emergency vehicles, impedes the ability of essential state workers to perform critical responsibilities and risks further transmission of COVID-19 throughout our state," she continued.

Live: Stay-at-Home Protest at Michigan Capitol Protestors at Michigan Capitol against Gov. Whitmer's stay-at-home order Posted by MLive.com on Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Michigan State Police estimated somewhere between 3,000-4,000 people involved in the protest with traffic backed up for miles in all directions leading away from the Capitol.

If their goal was to create gridlock, they succeeded in that, said Michigan State Police First Lt. Darren Green.

Public safety officials and local hospitals said there were some anecdotes of slow traffic delaying ambulances, but said for the most part, operations proceeded as usual.

John Foren, a spokesperson for Sparrow Hospital, said the entrances and exits to the facilitys downtown location were not blocked and said security was on the premises for the duration of the protest.

Lansing Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations Michael Tobin said the biggest impact on their department was the temporary relocation of vehicles out of downtown headquarters to other parts of the city.

The Capital Area Transportation Authority, which provides public transit to the Lansing area, temporarily stopped its services in the downtown region in light of the protest. On its website, CATA stated its vehicles were unable to accommodate life-sustaining and medically necessary trips to or from these areas.

Read more on MLive:

Wednesday, April 15: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Coronavirus deaths surge again during Michigans second-deadliest day

Whitmer links Betsy DeVos to upcoming coronavirus stay-at-home order protest; organizers say shes not involved

Gov. Whitmer extends executive orders on hospital capacity, virtual public meetings

Nearly a quarter of Michigan workers have filed for unemployment

Michigans coronavirus survivors describe battles to stay alive

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:25:42|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's health ministry said on Thursday that 1,606 tested positive for COVID-19 in the past day, bringing the total number to 77,995, official IRNA news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the death toll has hit 4,869, with a daily increase of 92, while 52,229 have so far recovered and left hospitals in a continued surge in recoveries, said Kianush Jahanpur, head of Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

In addition, 3,594 are still in critical condition and under treatment, he added.

So far, 310,340 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Iran, the spokesman noted.

Iran is the worst-hit country in the Middle East in terms of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. Enditem
Across Southern Illinois, organizations that feed the hungry are seeing an increase in requests for help.

Herrin House of Hope, a ministry of the Herrin Ministerial Alliance, is serving meals to those in need at a rate of 400% of their normal levels, according to a news release. The Herrin House of Hope, as of April 13, had surpassed 10,000 meals in its COVID-19 relief efforts. This is a 400% increase over their normal weekly meal rate for three straight weeks. Last week they served a record 2,818 meals.

They are now providing up to two meals per day per household member. Meals are available Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. House of Hope plans to continue this service as long as funding and volunteers can sustain it.

J.R. Russell, executive director of Marion Ministerial Alliance, said their soup kitchen has tripled in attendance for their noon meal. The group is giving out meals to-go to comply with the Illinois governors stay-at-home order. Even the packaging puts greater strain on the soup kitchens resources. It is more expensive to serve meals to-go than to eat on site.

The food pantry numbers have not increased dramatically, but we are seeing a different clientele, Russell said. The people we are seeing are not the ones we usually see.

Doug Cherry, senior pastor of Victory Dream Center, said requests for the churchs food pantry have been both up and down.

Our team on Sunday packed boxes for 150 families and ended up giving out a little less than 100 boxes, Cherry said.

Requests for food were up initially. He thinks the extra money added to LINK cards may have made a difference on Sunday.

Cherry is concerned that some people who need help dont know where to turn for necessities like food.

One of he challenges of this population group is they are not used to being in need and not sure where to go to get help, Cherry said.

Victory Dream Center just received a delivery of food, enough to last two weeks. They also receive food from nine stores in Carbondale and Marion.

We have a really nice flow of produce, too, Cherry said.

The church has a system to get food to people without being in direct contact. Clients line up along the breezeway on the east side of the church. The sidewalk is marked in 6-foot increments to help people stay safe. Food is then passed out the door.

One thing we want to do is to reach out to the folks who arent used to coming to a food pantry, Cherry said.

Megan Austin, director of Murphysboro Food Pantry, said the pantry has seen an increase.

We saw an increase in March compared to last year of 14%. We were up 6% compared to last month, Austin said.

She expects to see greater need in April, May and June, given the situation with the economy. She has thought about what will happen in coming months, but says she just has no idea.

Murphysboro has a lot of boutiques. You just hope small business owners get some relief. You hope its enough. You hope they reopen and bring staff back, Austin said.

She has seen some good in this situation, especially with people picking up food for friends and neighbors who cannot get out because of the risk of catching COVID-19.

All the groups are accepting donations to help the increased need, as are other pantries across the region. They will accept food, but say monetary donations are better because they can order food at a reduced rate from their suppliers.

For more information or to make a donation, contact the one of the organizations below:

Marion Ministerial Alliance: 103 E Calvert St., Marion, 618-993-8419 or visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/MarionMinisterialAlliance.

Victory Dream Center: 607 E. College St., Carbondale, 618-351-8018; victorydreamcenter.org.

Murphysboro Food Pantry: 906 N. 14th St., Murphysboro, 618-684-8258 or visit them on Facebook by searching Murphysboro Food Pantry on facebook.com.

Herrin House of Hope: 112 N.14th St., Herrin; www.herrinhouseofhope.org.

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The jail has always (had) such a transitory population, she said. Its not a place where people get to know each other, trust one another, and know that people have their back. The fact that this is happening so quickly, you can imagine how desperate conditions must be.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duke Energy Foundation has announced a $150,000 donation to support low-income customers in North Carolina who are struggling to pay their utility bills during the COVID-19 crisis.

The funds will be provided to approximately 600 households through the company's Energy Neighbor Fund and Share the Warmth programs. Funds can assist with heating or cooling costs.

"We recognize the financial toll this crisis is having on customers and we're finding ways to provide support," said Stephen De May, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "We'll continue to support our communities as the crisis unfolds, and we want our customers to know we're here to help."

Greensboro Urban Ministry is an agency partner for the company's Share the Warmth program. "For the families who come to the Greensboro Urban Ministry for help, the COVID-19 crisis is also a financial crisis," said Tyra Clymer, Emergency Assistance Director. "Share the Warmth funds help our most vulnerable neighbors during these difficult times."

The Energy Neighbor Fund (Duke Energy Progress) and Share the Warmth (Duke Energy Carolinas) programs are long-standing initiatives of the company and provide heating and cooling bill assistance to customers during the year through various social service agencies and nonprofit organizations. The $150,000 donation will be evenly split between the two programs.

"These are challenging times, and contributions such as these are crucial to helping alleviate the difficulties many are facing," said Tara Myers, North Carolina's deputy secretary for human services. "We appreciate our partners across the state coming together at this time to lessen the financial impact many are facing due to COVID-19."

The Duke Energy Foundation previously announced $1.3 million in support of COVID-19 relief across the company's jurisdictions, including $900,000 to support hunger relief and help local health and human services nonprofits in North Carolina. With this additional investment in bill assistance, the Duke Energy Foundation has invested more than $1 million in direct COVID-19 relief in North Carolina. The Foundation has also provided flexibility for grantees to apply program-specific grants to their emerging COVID-19 needs.

In addition to support from the Duke Energy Foundation, the company has already announced a number of steps it's taking to relieve the financial burden of COVID-19 on all customers, including suspending disconnections due to nonpayment, waiving late-payment charges and waiving returned payment/check fees, among others.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the Foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states  North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states  North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2020 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy

Related Links

https://www.duke-energy.com


A Virgin Australia flight has touched down in Sydney with no passengers but 700,000 bottles of hand sanitiser during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Boeing 777-300ER from Hong Kong landed at Sydney Airport at 8.10pm on Wednesday with 44 tonnes of cargo.

The flight was organised by AFER Logistics and the hand sanitiser will be distributed to frontline.

VA Captain Phil Bunder said he was proud to fly the critical goods to Australia during the global health crisis.

Pictured: The 700,000 bottles of hand sanitister flown into Sydney by Virgin Australia

The Boeing 777-300ER (pictured in Hong Kong) landed at Sydney Airport at 8.10pm

The flight had no passengers (pictured) but transported 700,000 bottles of hand sanitiser to Australia

'You can't help but have a sense of pride to be a part of Virgin's team and operating these repatriation flights, both for passengers and in today's case for very important freight back into Australia for our frontline workers,' he said.

Pictures from the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport show boxes of hand sanitiser waiting to be put into the hold for the nine-hour journey.

The aircraft, which usually carries more than 300 passengers, was empty with rows of seats left bare.

The airline is working with the Federal Government to bring Australians home through a number of scheduled repatriation flights from Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

VA Cargo General Manager Glen Maloney said: 'This flight is one of the many repatriation flights that we're operating to bring our people and important products back to Australia.'

Mr Maloney said VA is exporting Australian produce like seafood to Los Angeles and Hong Kong to keep the economy moving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

'In times like these, Virgin Australia has the greatest opportunity to be a force for good in our community and we're proud to help Australians and our economy by flying critical cargo,' he said.

VA Captain Phil Bunder (pictured) said he was proud to fly the critical goods to Australia during the global health crisis

The flight from Hong Kong to Sydney carried 44 tonnes of precious cargo

'At Virgin Australia we take great pride in knowing that these flights are making a real difference to Australian exporters and frontline health workers.'

The Australian Government has banned all overseas travel due to control the COVID-19 outbreak, with a few exceptions.

Due to the restrictions, VA is operating one return flight per week between Los Angeles and Brisbane, and two return flights per week between Hong Kong and Brisbane for a 'limited period'.

The airline has also suspended all but one domestic route due to the pandemic.

Hand sanitiser has been in high demand due to the contagious nature of coronavirus and has led to hefty price tags for the good.

At a convenience store in Coogee, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, a 450ml bottle was selling for $50.

'We told him off this morning, couldn't believe the price... we thought he'd made a mistake,' one person said after a photo of the item was shared to Facebook.

VA Cargo General Manager Glen Maloney (pictured) said: 'This flight is one of the many repatriation flights that we're operating to bring our people and important products back to Australia'
China has been in the news for allegedly giving various countries faulty and substandard test kits. Going by recent reports, India may have joined that list.

According to Economic Times, of the 170,000 personal protection equipment (PPE) kits China donated to India--that arrived on April 5--about 50,000 failed quality tests and were found to be unusable.

AFP





Two other small consignments too failed tests.

The kits were tested at the Defence Research & Development Organisation laboratory in Gwalior, the report goes on to say. These consignments received as donation that failed the quality tests cannot be used. Kits that are not FDA/CE-approved have to pass quality tests in India, ET quoted a source as saying.

Without identifying the donors the source went on to say that some consignments received as donations from big private companies in India have failed quality tests.

TOI

Even though India is ramping up efforts to produce PPE kits domestically, an order for an additional 1 million PPE suits has been placed through traders. But all these suits will be sourced from China only.

This is not the first such incident to come from China. Last month Spain returned a batch of COVID-19 testing kits to China after it was found that their detection rate was just 30 per cent.

Reports of faulty test kits also came from Czech Republic. Local Czech site Expats.cz reported that up to 80 per cent of the 150,000 portable, quick coronavirus testing kits China delivered to the Czech Republic earlier this month were faulty.'

Shutterstock

Meanwhile, China has dispatched 650,000 more coronavirus medical kits to India, Indian Ambassador to Beijing Vikram Misri confirmed.

According to PTI, over two million COVID-19 testing kits shall be coming in the next 15 days. But given how this exercise has turned out, strict safety checks should stay in place.
TC Energy Corp.s Keystone XL oilsands pipeline was a dealt a setback with a judges ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers improperly approved a streamlined permit process without fully evaluating the impact on endangered species.

In a legal challenge brought by environmental groups, a federal judge in Montana on Wednesday ordered the agency to conduct further review and barred it from authorizing dredging in waterways covered by the permit.

We have received the judges ruling and continue to review it, Calgary-based TC Energy said in a statement. We remain committed to building this important energy infrastructure project.

The stakes in the legal challenges to Keystone XL rose higher than ever last month, when Canadas oil-rich province of Alberta announced $5.3 billion (U.S.) in aid to help finance the conduits construction and TC Energy formally committed to building the line. Already, the project was seen as a key lifeline for Albertas oilsands producers, which have suffered from a lack of pipeline capacity that has weighed on local crude prices and restrained their ability to boost output.

Even short delays to Keystone XLs construction could set the project back by a full year because pipeline work is highly seasonal, requiring unfrozen ground and other conditions. Legal delays last year caused TC Energy to miss the 2019 construction window, pushing the already-delayed project back even further. TC Energy chief executive officer Russ Girling said during a presentation last week that construction may progress more slowly because physical distancing measures in response to the coronavirus.

The Sierra Club and other groups that sued the U.S. Army Corps in July said in a statement that the ruling invalidates a nationwide permit used to fast-track Keystone XL as well as other pipeline and utility projects. They said it could block Keystones construction through hundreds of water crossings along its route.

Sonya Savage, Albertas energy minister, said the ruling was narrow and only directs the Army Corps to conduct additional review on two river crossings.

Keystone XL is critical for the future of Alberta, Canada and the U.S., Savage said in a tweet. We remain committed to this extremely important project.

The Army Corps didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

TC Energy shares were down about 1.8 per cent at 2:10 p.m. in Toronto trading on Thursday.

The order by U.S. District Judge Brian Morris came a day before the judge is scheduled to hold a hearing on challenges to U.S. President Donald Trumps issuance last year of a permit allowing the pipeline to cross the U.S.-Canada border. That permit was intended to replace one that Morris had blocked in 2018, saying the U.S. State Department needed to do further environmental reviews.

Environmental and Indigenous groups contend Trump exceeded his authority. They claim the pipeline would disturb water supplies and tribal cultural sites.
Centre mandates Air Suvidha portal for ease of travel: All you need to know

Civil Aviation ministry holds meeting with airlines: Refund for cancelled flights discussed

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The Civil Aviation Ministry held a virtual meeting with the CEOs of private airlines and discussed the issue of refund to passengers whose flights have been cancelled after extension of the COVID-19 lockdown till May 3.

All commercial air passenger services have been suspended during the lockdown. However all of them except the national carrier Air India have been booking tickets.

Domestic, international flights suspended till May 3

A Vistara spokesperson said that following the orders of the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued to all airlines, we have extended the suspension of our operations until May 3 2020. We are in the process of cancelling the affected bookings and we will offer customers free of charge rescheduling to another date until December 31 2020. Fare difference, if any will be applicable.

Some airlines have announced that they would resume operations in a limited manner from May 4, without waiting for any directives from the government. Several passengers have been complaining on the social media that the domestic airlines have decided not give refunds in cash for flights cancelled due to the lockdown and instead issue credit for future travel.

"We are cancelling the reservations of those who booked themselves for travel till May 3, 2020. Upon cancellation entire amount will be maintained in a credit shell and the same may be used to make fresh booking and travel till 28 February, 2021 for the same passenger," a statement from SpiceJet read.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, April 16, 2020, 16:59 [IST]
San Antonio school districts are partnering with city agencies to provide mobile Wi-Fi service to students.

Vans equipped with high-speed networks will be dispatched to locations across the city, officials said Wednesday. The mobile hotspots have a range of 100 to 200 feet and will allow students to access the signal from a nearby parked car.

READ MORE: The latest news and features about coronavirus in San Antonio

At a time when distance learning is so critical, the lack of a home connection to the internet is a huge obstacle to a students progress toward academic achievement, said San Antonio ISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez. Collaborations like these between San Antonios organizations and school districts ensure the education of every child continues."

Local school districts began distributing Chromebooks and iPads to students earlier this month when forced to move lessons online. However, nearly 25 percent of Bexar County households do not have a computer at home and about 21 percent lack broadband Internet access, according to 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The mobile hotspots  VIAtrans vans  will allow students to access digital classrooms. Those accessing the network must observe social distancing guidelines and cannot board the van, officials said.

The hotspot locations were identified using factors including student population in the area, other available resources, and feasible vehicle access. A map of the locations is available here.

The collaboration is "taking aim at the digital divide that makes distance learning difficult or impossible for many San Antonio students without reliable internet access while the city observes the 'Stay Home, Work Safe' order," according to a statement.

The partnership brought together VIA Metropolitan Transit, the city of San Antonio, San Antonio Housing Authority, San Antonio ISD and Northside ISD.

Harlandale ISD also recently installed Wi-Fi hotspots to ensure students have access to the Internet.

Students can access signals from more than 50 school buses parked strategically across the district, as well as 100 antennae on district buildings.

The buses' signal radiates in an area up to 600 feet in diameter, while the buildings' signal ranges up to 300 feet. Families can park near one of the signals and download assignments using a student's login from their vehicles.

A map of the South Side district's hotspots is available here.

Mark Dunphy is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | mark.dunphy@express-news.net | @m_b_dunphy

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:22:52|Editor: huaxia

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RIGA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Latvian lawmakers on Thursday voted in a fast-track procedure to move a snap municipal election in the capital city Riga from early June to late August amid an ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the middle of March, shortly after a national emergency was declared over the COVID-19 crisis, the government approved a proposal to move the elections in the capital city from April 25 to June 6. Later however, it became clear that holding the polls in June will not be possible.

The parliament decided on Thursday that the election date had to be rescheduled urgently and passed the necessary legislation in a fast-track procedure in two readings instead of three.

The snap election in Riga was called after the long-time coalition of the left-wing Harmony party and Honor to Serve Riga (GKR), which had been ruling in the Latvian capital city for about a decade, disintegrated last summer, leaving the local authority seriously incapacitated.

The Latvian parliament dissolved the city council in February, paving the way for an extraordinary election. Enditem
Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Farmers Insurance has named Krista Conte head of exclusive agent distribution.

Conte joins Farmers after more than 15 years at Allstate, where she was most recently field vice president in the California region.

Farmers Insurance Group is an insurer of automobiles, homes and small businesses and also provides other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance has more than 48,000 exclusive and independent agents.

Topics California Agencies Agribusiness
New Delhi, April 16 : Mircosoft India on Thursday announced that its 'Microsoft Translator' will now offer real-time translation in five additional languages -- Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam and Punjabi.

This takes the total number of Indian languages supported to 10, including Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

With this, the service will now allow over 90 per cent of Indians to access information and work in their native/preferred languages, making computing language-agnostic and more inclusive in the country.

"We have supported Indian languages in computing for over two decades, and more recently have made significant strides on machine translation across languages," Sundar Srinivasan, General Manager, Microsoft India (R&D) Pvt. Ltd., said in a statement.

"With this release, we are bringing in cutting edge machine learning tech to democratize access to information for everyone in India," Srinivasan added.

According to the company, users can avail the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) and Deep Neural Networks-enhanced, real-time translation in all these languages while using Bing and the Microsoft Translator website, as well as the Microsoft Translator App for Android, IOS and Windows.

The app can recognise and translate languages from text, speech and even photos. Microsoft is also rolling out support for these languages in the Microsoft Office 365 and the Swiftkey keyboard.

For organisations of all sizes, Microsoft provides an application programming interface (APIs) on Azure that they can use in their products to conduct their business across the country and globally in different languages.

Businesses can easily integrate the Microsoft Translator text translation API into their applications websites, tools, or any solution requiring multi-language support, including e-content translation, e-commerce product catalogues, product documentation and internal communication among others, the company said.
16.04.2020 LISTEN

In separate early April discussions with South African and Ethiopian leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledges Russias support in collaborating with Africa fight coronavirus that is currently spreading among the population across the continent.

With the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Kremlin press reported that "while discussing the situation caused by the spread of the coronavirus, both parties stressed the importance of invigorating efforts of the entire international community, including the IMF and the World Bank, to combat the infection. They have also considered some topical aspects of developing bilateral relations."

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken over from President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as the Chair of the African Union. South Africa is a member of BRICS. Russia presides over BRICS in 2020.

"Opportunities for cooperation to counter the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences were discussed, particularly considering the results of the recent G20 digital summit," the Kremlins official statement says. "Cyril Ramaphosa as the head of the country chairing the African Union informed Putin about the steps planned to be taken by this regional organization."

The G20 virtual summit held late March, Putin proposed the establishment of a special fund to help Africa and further stressed the necessity to continue the regular exchange of credible information about the global pandemic and about the actions taken by various regions and individual countries.

He emphasized the provision of all forms of aid to affected African countries amid the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the global economy.

As a top-priority task in healthcare, Putin called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to channel its efforts to detecting hidden coronavirus epidemics in the countries that are not able to organize testing, also about joint research by countries that could significantly expedite the development of vaccines and medications. Russia expressed its support for the proposals for a comprehensive approach to mobilizing international support for Africa.

According to an executive decree, Russia will contribute $1 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to fight the coronavirus. "Allocate budget funding of $1 million from the federal budget for a one-time voluntary contribution to the World Health Organization for coronavirus infection fight measures implementation," the document reads.

The same decree earmarks about $804,795 to fund expenses of the Vector Institute and the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, "connected to production and shipment of tools for laboratory diagnosis of the novel coronavirus infection, and material and technical support to countries of Eastern Europe, Trans-Caucasus, Central and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America."

This year, South Africa is chairing the African Union. As Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Cyril Ramaphosa discussed the African response to the Covid-19 pandemic across the continent, and that included efforts to sustain the hard-won developmental and economic gains.

He gave an urgent need for medical supplies and equipment and further called for international cooperation and support while upscaling local production on the continent.

The African Union Covid-19 Response Fund established on March 26, to which members pledged the sum of $12.5 million and an additional $4.5 million to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Estimates from health organizations said there were more than 10,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the continent. According to the latest data by the John Hopkins University and Africa Center for Disease Control on COVID-19 in Africa, it offers a breakdown whole of Africa.

Foreign countries are contributors to the functioning of the World Health Organization. For example, the U.S. is the single largest funder of the organization, providing more than $400 million each year - about 15% of its total budget. WHO has come under criticism.

Many countries especially the U.S. and Britain, believe that WHO's reluctance to confront China over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak is the reason it has now become a pandemic, with most Western countries being forced to introduce lockdown measures in a belated attempt to limit the spread of the virus.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization about the outbreak of the disease in the city of Wuhan in China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have spread around the world.
Lithium batteries hold a lot of promise for the future of many applications, including electric vehicles, but tend to be prohibitively expensive, according to a team of researchers based in Japan. That team, led by Naoaki Yabuuchi, professor at Yokohama National University, has developed a new electrode material to make lithium batteries not only cheaper, but longer lasting with higher energy density.

The results were made available online, ahead of print publication, on March 25 in Materials Today.

According to Yabuuchi, many researchers have successfully improved the ability of the battery to hold a charge, but have not yet improved the amount of charge the battery can disperse in a useful way -- such as powering an electrical vehicle for a longer cruising time.

"Electrode materials with higher energy density are needed to advance lithium ion batteries and to further develop electric vehicles," Yabuuchi said. "Our paper demonstrates a new electrode material for this purpose."

Electrode materials in batteries help take the input of stored energy and discharge it to power whatever the battery is in. The material comprising the electrode relies on the exchange of electrons and lithium ions and significantly changes the effectiveness with which the battery operates. In previous studies, researchers found that lithium ions mixed with manganese, titanium and oxygen ions provided an excellent input-output for electrons and lithium ions, but the exchange speed is too slow to use in practical battery applications.

Yabuuchi and his team looked at the chemical combination and decided to pair it with a similar mixture of lithium, oxygen, manganese and titanium ions, but it can also be milled to a desired particle size. Smaller, nano-sized particles can travel quicker and more easily across the electrode, even at room temperature.

The nano-sized electrode comprising manganese and titanium ions results in a more robust exchange of electrons and lithium ions, with the battery capable of holding and dispersing more charge than before while still maintaining a longer use life.

"Both titanium and manganese are abundant elements, meaning we can make cost-effective, without nickel and cobalt ions used for current electric vehicles, and high-performance electrode materials with them," Yabuuchi said. "This finding contributes to the reduction of battery cost and an increase in the practical reality of such applications as electric vehicles and more."

The team continues to study how to further improve the electrode reversibility through chemical compositions and particle size optimization.

"Now, we are collaborating with industry partners to utilize our electrode materials for practical applications," Yabuuchi said. "Our study potentially leads to less dependence on fossil fuels and the development of a new energy society on the basis of renewable energy in the future, on the basis of ever-lasting, high-energy batteries."

###

This work was supported in part by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

Yabuuchi is also affiliated with the Elements Strategy Initiative for Catalysts & Batteries at Kyoto University. Other contributors include Yuki Kobayashi, Miho Sawamura, Sho Kobayakawa and Wenwen Zhao, all with the Department of Applied Chemistry at Tokyo Denki University; Sayaka Kondo and Maho Harada, both with the Department of Advanced Ceramics at the Nagoya Institute of Technology; Yusuke Noda with the National Institute of Materials Science; Aiko Nakao of Bio-engineering Lab; Akira Yasui of Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute; Hongahally Basappa Rajendra of the Department of Chemistry and Life Science at Yokohama National University; Keisuke Yamanaka and Toshiaki Ohta, both of the SR Center at Ritsumeikan University; and Masanobu Nakayama of the Department of Advanced Ceramics at the Nagoya Institute of Technology, the National Institute of Materials Science, the Frontier Research Institute for Materials Science at the Nagoya Institute of Technology and the Elements Strategy Initiative for Catalysts & Batteries at Kyoto University.

Yokohama National University (YNU or Yokokoku) is a Japanese national university founded in 1949. YNU provides students with a practical education utilizing the wide expertise of its faculty and facilitates engagement with the global community. YNU's strength in the academic research of practical application sciences leads to high-impact publications and contributes to international scientific research and the global society. For more information, please see: https://www.ynu.ac.jp/english/
Jayanta Roy Chowdhury By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Government is putting together a package of incentives to attract factories which are making their way out of China in the post-Coronavirus world.

We have been brainstorming on this for quite some time and now there is a sense of urgency on the issue as we understand a large number of companies will be relocating out of China to reduce their country risk in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. We want to attract them, especially Japanese firms as there is a stated incentive plan by the Japanese Government to help their companies move out, said top industry ministry officials.

The Industry ministry has been in talks with finance and commerce ministries to try and develop a package to woo firms planning to exit China. The suggestions for the package include tax and duty incentives, fast track clearances both at central and state levels with single window clearances where possible, easier availability of land. Other proposals include relaxations from a plethora of regulations, especially if the planned factory is in a SEZ.

Japan has promised an assistance package of $ 2.2 billion to Japanese firms which move out of China. However, most if it is for moving back to Japan, with a smaller portion ear-marked as help to move to other nations. US, European, Korean and other MNC companies are also believed to be interested in shifting some of their manufacturing out of China given their experience of their supply chain breaking during the pandemic. Experts say these firms wish to spread their risks by not putting all their eggs in China.

Chinas frequent changes in rules, targeting of multinationals, persistent tensions with rivals like Japan and Korea besides a surge in labour wages saw some MNCs slowly moving out of the Asian power about 5 years ago. This move gained a new momentum after US President Donald Trump targeted China with higher tariffs. The latest trigger has been the Coronavirus pandemic which saw many firms and nations deciding to spread risks by broad-basing their supply sources.

We will of course be in competition with rivals like Vietnam, so what we offer to attract business will count in the final decision making, said Prof Biswajit Dhar of JNU and former Head, Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

A plan to encourage domestic manufacturing has been in the offing for quite some time, and successive budgets have done some amount of duty re-jig to make it attractive for part of global manufacturing, especially of electronics and mobiles, to shift to India.

Officials said mobile handsets bought by government departments and defence forces will compulsorily require indigenous manufacturing in the future as part of `buy Indian rules being brought in.

Officials said they believed several telecom and mobile manufacturers including Wistron Corp, one of Apples largest manufacturing partners have decided to shift significant capacity out of China. Many of these firms have bases in India, so it would be easier for us to help them relocate here, they said.

However, the move will not mean everything these firms make or require will be made in India. What these firms are looking at is decreasing their country risk, so they will still work on a global scale and have factories all over the world including in India, explained Dhar.
Imagine a pristine T&T where there are no more homeless people or animals. One where hunger has been eliminated as the relic of a bygone era.

A world where pipe-borne water is delivered to every home every day, not wasted in an archaic system where significant leaks are either ignored or washed out to sea.
Beijing has accused Washington of 'confounding black and white' and 'attacking the innocent' after the U.S. State Department warned that China might be conducting small nuclear bomb tests.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs today blasted the United States for 'fabricating the so-called arm-control report every year' to meddle in other countries' military affairs.

Zhao Lijian, the Ministry's spokesperson, urged Washington to mind its own business and stop pointing fingers at other nations, reported China's state media.

Zhao Lijian (pictured on April 8), a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lashed out at Washington today, accusing it of making 'groundless' and 'irresponsible' claims

China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, the State Department said

The U.S. State Department said in a report on Wednesday that China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts.

The finding may worsen ties already strained after President Donald Trump said the U.S. is investigating the possibility that coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab and was covered up by Beijing.

The United States was making false accusations, which 'are not worth refuting', Zhao was quoted saying at a daily briefing by Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times.

Zhao stressed that China was committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests and criticized Washington for making 'groundless' and 'irresponsible' accusations out of 'ulterior motives'.

He warned the world to beware of America's stance on the nuclear test ban.

He said that America 'claimed it would resume underground nuclear tests if necessary and the international community should be on high alert for such a dangerous trend'.

China, estimated to have about 300 nuclear weapons, argues its nuclear force is defensive and poses no threat. The above file photo taken during a military parade in 2015 shows China's Dongfeng 21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, capable of traveling more than 1,500 kilometers

The US State Department says there is disturbing evidence of secret activity at the remote Lop Nur test site in the western province of Xinjiang. The file photo shows a desert plain of Lop Nur

Lop Nur was China's sole nuclear testing site until 1996 when both China and the U.S. signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

The State Department report does not prove that China violated nuclear test ban treaties, but says there is disturbing evidence of secret activity at the remote Lop Nur test site in the western province of Xinjiang.

Lop Nur was China's sole nuclear testing site until 1996 when both China and the U.S. signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and vowed to adhere to its terms.

Now, the U.S. State Department says that suspicious activity at the site throughout 2019 raises concerns that Beijing is breaching the treaty's 'zero yield' standard for test blasts.

Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead.

Donald Trump (pictured on Wednesday) said the U.S. is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats in Wuhan

'China's possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities ... raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard,' the report said, without providing evidence of a low-yield test.

Beijing's lack of transparency included blocking data transmissions from sensors linked to a monitoring center operated by the international agency that verifies compliance with a treaty banning nuclear test explosions.

The 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) allows activities designed to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons.

A spokeswoman for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, which verifies compliance with the pact, told the Wall Street Journal there had been no interruptions in data transmissions from China's five sensor stations since the end of August 2019 following an interruption that began in 2018.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday called his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to seek Chinas support for a global initiative to give debt relief to developing countries that are fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Foreign Office in a statement said that Qureshi underlined that the COVID-19 had a devastating impact on global economy and its aftermath was far more severe than the great depression.

The impact on the developing countries would be most severe, he said, adding that keeping these factors in view, Prime Minister Imran Khan had appealed to the world community to work for providing debt relief to the developing countries.

The foreign minster sought Chinas support for the initiative, including at the G-20 platform. The Group of 20 nations announced support Wednesday for a temporary halt to debt payments by the world's poorest nations as they struggle to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Finance ministers of the G-20 group of major economies, which includes the US, China, India and others, said they will immediately put on hold poor countries' obligations to service debt they owe.

Qureshi during his call to Wang underscored that Pakistan and China are All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners and have preserved the fine tradition of solidarity, mutual assistance and mutual support and thanked China for extending solidarity and moral and material support to Pakistan in the wake of outbreak of COVID-19.

Qureshi said that generous donations and assistance sent by China for Pakistan to contain coronavirus were greatly appreciated by Pakistan and its people. Wang thanked him for reaching out to China and assured that China will support the initiative at the G-20 as well as other relevant fora.

He said that COVID-19 had posed great danger to global economic and stability and coordinated and equitable efforts were needed to deal with its aftermath.

He also maintained that during President Arif Alvis recent visit to China, Pakistani and Chinese leaders had reached a consensus to jointly fight COVID-19. The novel coronavirus, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province late last year, has so far killed over 1,20,000 people globally.
TEL AVIV - Israeli president Reuven Rivlin on Thursday morning gave the parliament the task of finding an MP with a majority of 61 seats supporting them out of 120 to form a new government.

The maximum time limit for Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to form a government expired on Wednesday night after continuing talks with Benjamin Netanyahu for an emergency government failed to produce a result. The parliament now has 21 days to find a solution or elections will be held for the fourth times.
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April 16, 2020

President Donald Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

via email

Dear President Trump,

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit, non-governmental organization, is writing to express our concerns regarding a pattern of actions by you and your administration that threatens news media and impedes the free flow of information on issues of great public interest. We cite specifically regular statements that delegitimize the role of the press; retaliation against journalists for critical coverage; prosecutions that equate leaking classified documents to the press with espionage; the harassment of journalists at U.S. borders; and limitations on access to information.

Because of those concerns, we commissioned another comprehensive report on U.S. press freedoms. Our first report, The Obama Administration and the Press, was published in 2013 and authored by Leonard Downie Jr., a professor of journalism at Arizona State University and former executive editor of The Washington Post, where he supervised the coverage of five administrations. Our new report, The Trump Administration and the Media, is also authored by Downie, who carefully details the practices and policies that we find so troubling.

Based on the report, the Committee to Protect Journalists makes the following recommendations to your administration:

Publicly recognize and affirm the role of a free press in a democracy and refrain from delegitimizing or discrediting the media or journalists performing their vital function  not least during a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Refrain from vilifying individual journalists and media outlets, including on Twitter.

Resume daily press briefings and ensure that reporters independently credentialed by the White House Correspondents Association are granted access. Ensure journalists and their associations have equal and fair access to the White House and State Department and are not punished for unfavorable coverage.

Speak to reporters on the record and avoid over-reliance on confidential briefings. Avoid the perception of political favoritism by granting presidential interviews to a range of news outlets, not just those that produce favorable coverage.

Do not retaliate against media outlets by interfering or threatening to interfere in the financial independence of their owners. Refrain from threats to rescind the broadcasting licenses of television and radio stations regarded as critical of the administration or its supporters.

Instruct all government departments to ensure timely compliance with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests without regard to the media organizations or reporters filing those requests.

Implement, at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the recommendations laid out in CPJs 2018 report Nothing to Declare, including requiring a warrant for device searches and releasing transparency reports about such searches.

Prohibit DHS and CBP agents from asking journalists about their beats, opinions, contacts, or coverage. Provide the information related to CBP as requested in the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by CPJ and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) without further delay.

End the practice of bringing espionage charges against news sources who leak classified information to journalists, as it creates a chilling effect and restricts the free flow of information on matters of public interest. Drop the espionage charges against Julian Assange and cease efforts to extradite him to the U.S.

Order the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the requirement, under the National Defense Authorization Act, to provide an unclassified report to Congress listing individuals determined to be involved in any way in the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Impose sanctions on those deemed to be responsible, including Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

We recognize that you have made yourself personally accessible to the media in a way no president has before. However, many of the actions taken by you and your administration have deepened distrust of the media, chilled national security reporting, and made it more difficult for the general public to access timely and accurate information from their government.

We respectfully request a meeting with you or someone you designate to discuss our concerns and our recommendations for improving the press freedom environment in the United States. We are happy to conduct this meeting virtually, or when current social distancing guidelines are relaxed. Thank you for your attention and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Carroll

Chair

Joel Simon

Executive Director

CC:

Kayleigh McEnany, White House Press Secretary

William Barr, Attorney General of the United States

Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

Richard Grenell, Acting Director of National Intelligence

Kerri Kupec, Director of the Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice
As Canadian health officials struggle to contain the rampant COVID-19 outbreaks at nursing homes, an outbreak at an aged home in Australia this week was called a system failure.

While even one coronavirus infection is too many, the characterization of the outbreak at the Anglicares Newmarch House in western Sydney on Tuesday that infected nine residents and six staff is very telling of the scale of the pandemics ravages on the two countries long-term care systems.

Although Australia, with a population of 25.4 million, is only two-thirds the size of Canada, which is home to 37.6 million people, seniors over the age of 65 account for just under 17 per cent of the total population in both countries, where seven per cent of the demographic group live in nursing homes.

However, so far, the impacts of the pandemic on this vulnerable population could not be further apart between Australia and Canada  and other countries in Europe and the United States.

In Canada, 462,353 people have been tested for the virus, with 27,557 confirmed cases and 954 deaths, about half of those who died were believed to have been linked to long-term-care homes. Ontario alone has had 114 outbreaks in facilities, with 145 deaths.

Just the Ontario nursing home death toll is twice the total fatalities of 63 deaths across Australia, which has tested 371,000 people and confirmed 6,447 positive cases as of Wednesday. In a recent report in April, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said coronavirus cases were confirmed in at least 17 nursing homes.

Much of the difference can be explained by Australias national long-term-care system, which allows one standard at all public and private facilities under the watch of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, says Jane Barratt, Secretary General of the International Federation on Ageing, a Toronto-based advocacy group for older people around the globe.

Australia has a national system and its able to deal with the pandemic at the federal level. Each facility has a comprehensive pandemic plan thats above and beyond the government guidelines, said Barratt, a transplant from Australia.

Thats not the case in Canada, where you have facilities run by the city, public and private sectors, with different standards from Ontario to P.E.I. and British Columbia.

The well-being of the residents in care was on the mind of the Australian health authorities from the get-go, she said.

As early as mid-February, when the authorities published an emergency response plan for COVID-19 to the countrys health sector, part of the strategy was to put in place protocols and procedures to promote safety and security of the most vulnerable population in residential care.

Infection control guidelines, health-care safety and quality standards were established and implemented for those who worked and lived in these facilities.

Aged care homes often have frequent visitors and carers coming and going, and close physical contact between staff, residents and their families, Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warned service providers in a letter in February.

Elderly residents are more at risks of infections generally, and are particularly vulnerable to serious illness if they do become infected.

Australias aged care homes were urged to assess the risk of, and take steps to prevent, detect and control the spread of infections, including isolating infectious individuals and applying standard precautions to prevent transmission and minimize the risk of infection spreading.

They were also required to establish protocols to manage health emergencies including service-wide infection outbreaks or broader community epidemics. Their individual emergency plans must include steps to take if infection is suspected or identified, as well as arrangements of staffing, isolation and quarantine within the facility, protection measures for other residents, visitors and workers.

On March 6, a national coronavirus health information line was established to answer questions and three days later, quality assessors were dispatched to ensure compliance.

From preparing for exposure to visitors, sanitization, PPE (personal protection equipment) and emergencies, these plans are very detailed, within the framework by the government, said Barratt of the International Federation on Ageing.

There is the lockdown, inspection standards, staff-resident ratio and whether people have the PPE to do the job.

Barratt said there are many long term care facilities across Canada that do not have a COVID-19 outbreak plan and it speaks to the importance of a national pandemic plan that applies across the board.

In Australia its a well-oiled, co-ordinated machine, she said. Thats one of the key lessons for Canada. Communication, education, co-ordination and accountability.

The first COVID-19 case in Australia was confirmed on January 25, two days before Canada reported that a man who travelled to China had tested positive.

But unlike Canada, Australia began the precautionary approach to quarantine people who returned from Hubei in January and extended the measure on February 1 to include everyone who came back from China.

Exactly two weeks before the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, Australia had already made its own declaration.

We have made the call for Australia and will leave the WHO to outline its own standards, Australias Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters at a news conference in Melbourne in late February. We are treating this as the Prime Minister (Scott Morrison) said two days ago, as the high likelihood of a pandemic. And as if we are in such a situation.

That same day, Australia reported 16 COVID-19 cases, with 15 of the people infected having come back from Hubei province in January.

Australia is not immune to COVID-19, but there is no country in the world better prepared for a health challenge like this, Murphy, the countrys Chief Medical Officer, told reporters during a news briefing.
Facing flak on social media for entering Himachal Pradesh amid the corona-triggered, nationwide lockdown, Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma on Thursday said he came to the state with a valid pass and did not breach any shutdown provisions.

Sharma told mediapersons that he had entered HP on a valid pass on April 10 and he along with his staff members have stayed self-quarantined at his office in Mandi's Joginder Nagar since then.

In a letter written to Joginder Nagar SDM Amit Mehra on April 11, Sharma informed him that he along with three members of his staff came to Jogindernagar from Delhi on April 10 to serve the residents of his constituency in a better way in the hour crisis.

He remained in his Delhi residence till April 10 since March 22 after sine die adjournment of the parliament session, he added.

I along with my three staff members have quarantined at my office in Joginder Nagar for 14 days, he added.

The state Director General of Police Sita Ram Mardi said, As per information, the Mandi MP is on home quarantine and has come from Delhi on valid pass.

Mandi Superintendent of Police Gurdev Sharma said, Ever since he came, he has voluntarily home-quarantined himself along with the staff. He has not violated any law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[April 16, 2020] Ultrafast Industrial-Grade Stereolithography 3D Printer Grows Its U.S. Reseller Network

Nexa3D, the maker of ultrafast stereolithography production 3D printers, expanded its US distribution into Michigan, announcing a partnership with DELRAY Systems, a leading value-added additive manufacturing solutions provider. The new agreement is the third reseller signing in the U.S., and the latest in a long line of signings by Nexa3D in Europe, Asia, and North America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005349/en/ The rapid network expansion is part of the company's ambitious plan to address fundamental supply chain shortcomings complicated by COVID-19, the resultant design agility and the requirement to deliver a significant upgrade for the tens of thousands of older legacy stereolithography printer users by democratizing access to its ultrafast industrial printers with best-in breed performance materials at attractive cost of ownership. Comparatively speaking, the company's flagship printer, the NXE400, takes current 3D printing speeds from dialup internet to broadband, printing up to 19 liters of part volume at high speeds using production grade materials. To learn more about the NXE400, see the media kit and to see it in action producing face shields, watch this video.



With over 30 years' experience in customer service, design engineering and manufacturing, DELRAY Systems helps companies implement new technology and training for advanced manufacturing. Recently opening a training and technology center at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, DELRAY researches and carefully selects partners with the same high standards of quality commitment for serving customers. "Nexa3D printers provide our customers speed, precision and automation to offer a clear advantage over the competition," said Joe Rocca, founder and CEO, DELRAY Systems. "Nexa3D printers offer the highest-quality, ultra-fast speed for our customers' additive manufacturing and 3D printing requirements, and we welcome them as an important part of our impressive line of leading brands."

"Michigan is in the heart of the American manufacturing industry," said Avi Reichental, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO, Nexa3D. "There has never been a better time for companies struggling with their broken supply chains to consider additive manufacturing as one of their primary COVID-19 remediation tools. Combining DELRAY's outstanding reputation and commitment to service with Nexa3D's capacity to convert current 3D printing speeds from dialup internet to broadband-like productivity delivers new level of design agility supply chain simplification and flexible production alternative when it is most needed." About Nexa3D Nexa3D makes ultrafast industrial grade stereolithography 3D printers affordable for professionals and businesses of all sizes. The company's printers are powered by proprietary Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) technology and patented structured light matrix capable of reaching top speeds of 1Z centimeter per minute, drastically reducing 3D printing cycles of precision functional parts from hours to minutes. To learn more, visit www.nexa3d.com. About DELRAY Systems DELRAY Systems provides process improvement solutions for automating manufacturing, reverse engineering and product development processes, including 3D printing or additive manufacturing, 3D scanning, and 3D modeling solutions. DELRAY Systems recently opened a training and technology center at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. To learn more please visit www.3d-printer.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005349/en/

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Portia de Rossi was seen with her mask pulled down as she chatted on her cell phone while walking on a beach on Thursday.

Then the 47-year-old wife of Ellen DeGeneres was seen with her black mask on as she walked on of her dogs on the street.

The actress and her talk show host spouse have been self-isolating together at their hilltop mansion in Montecito, California during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sea air: Portia de Rossi was seen with her mask pulled down as she chatted on her cell phone while walking on a beach on Thursday

Sweeping her blonde hair back behind her head, she stuck to a California casual look including a flowing blouse and a pair of jeans.

Although Los Angeles County has closed all its public beaches, Santa Barbara County where Montecito is located has not done so.

That day she also enjoyed a walk with her poodle Mrs. Wallis Browning, one of multiple pooches she shares with Ellen.

This week Ellen announced she was donating $1 million to coronavirus relief efforts as part of Leonardo DiCaprio's All In Challenge.

Keeping in touch: While enjoying her walk by the sea this week, Portia, let her face mask dangle around her neck as she apparently chatted on the phone

Canine company: Then the 47-year-old wife of Ellen DeGeneres was seen with her black mask on as she walked on of her dogs on the street

She declared, 'Portia and I are personally donating $1 million to Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry and Americas Food Fund.'

Ellen also revealed that fans who donated $25 or more would be entered into a competition to guest co-host her talk show.

Portia recently appeared on the at-home edition of Ellen's show and revealed how she is doing her part to get personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical staff.

Her company General Public, which uses 3D printing to reproduce artworks, will now work with the digital cutter MultiCam to make face shields.

Lap of luxury: She and her wife Ellen DeGeneres have been self-isolating together at their hilltop mansion in Montecito during the coronavirus pandemic

Giving back: This week Ellen announced she was donating $1 million to coronavirus relief efforts as part of Leonardo DiCaprio's All In Challenge

The talk-show icon forked over $27 million for her Balinese-inspired five-bedroom 10-bathroom home in Montecito, according to Architectural Digest.

Over the years she and Portia flipped a slew of homes, including a beach house they bought from Brad Pitt for $12 million in 2011 and offloaded in 2012 for $13 million.

Ellen recently got in a bit of hot water online when she quipped on her show that being in lockdown 'is like being in jail, is what it is. Its mostly because Ive been wearing the same clothes for ten days and everyone in here is gay.'

Some social media users began lambasting her for jokingly comparing life in her multi-million-dollar to the experience of being in prison.

Doing her bit: Portia recently appeared on the at-home edition of Ellen's show and revealed how she is doing her part to get personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical staff
The former acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly may have exaggerated his reason for firing USS Theodore Roosevelt captain Brian Crozier after coronavirus spread through his ship, emails show.

Emails obtained by the Washington Post show Crozier contacted three admirals and seven captains to say he had not done enough to protect his crew from infection when they docked in Guam.

The four-page memo pleading with Navy leaders to allow the 4,800-person crew to leave the ship after sailors tested positive for the virus was then leaked and shared with the press.

Modly fired Crozier for 'sharing the memo with 30 people' deemed to be outside his normal chain of command.

But the new emails show Modly only contacted ten people in total.

In an email that accompanied his controversial memo that led to his dismissal, Navy Captain Brett Crozier said he believed he had not done enough once the ship reached Guam

This email from Captain Crozier accompanied the memo and was previously unseen. Crozier sent it to three admirals and copied in seven captains. Modly said he had sent the document to 30 people

The email note that accompanied the leaked memo was previously unseen until published by the Washington Post Thursday.

It reveals more about the reasoning behind Crozier's actions and the Navy officials included in the communication.

They were released as the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday continued his investigation into Crozier's firing and said it may result in his reinstatement.

Modly initially stated that Crozier's message on March 30 was sent to as many as 30 Navy officials but it was in fact only addressed to three admirals and copied to seven other Navy captains.

Crozier started by telling the admirals that he would 'gladly' follow them 'into battle whenever needed' but he had determined that he needed to ask for help, admitting that he had been a part of the slow response to the outbreak on board.

Crew from the ship are still being tested. There were 655 confirmed cases as of Thursday

U.S. Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt depart the ship to move to off-ship berthing on April 10. The ship is the center of a Navy controversy after its captain sent a note to Navy leaders asking for the crew to be allowed disembark and was fired

By the time he had sent the email, Crozier and the USS Theodore Roosevelt were docked in Guam after two dozen sailors tested positive for coronavirus.

There are now 655 confirmed coronavirus cases among the ship's crew and one sailor died Tuesday.

Crozier claimed that he should have done more when the ship reached Guam to ensure that the sailors were able to leave the ship at a faster rate.

The disembarkation had been slow and the vast majority of the crew remained on board despite the increasing number of cases as officials searched for hotel space where the sailors could quarantine.

'I fully realize that I bear responsibility for not demanding more decisive action the moment we pulled in, but at this point my only priority is the continued well-being of the crew and embarked staff,' Crozier wrote in previously unreported comments

'I believe if there is ever a time to ask for help it is now regardless of the impact on my career,' he added after outlining the mass potential exposure on board and detailing the large number of sailors who may have coronavirus.

The email was addressed to Rear Adm. Stuart Baker, his immediate commanding officer; Adm. John Aquilino, the top commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller, the officer overseeing all naval forces in the Pacific.

The seven people it was copied to were all Navy captains.

Thousands of sailors from the ship are now quarantined in hotels in Guam.

As of Thursday, testing of the crew was still ongoing but 655 sailors had tested positive among 4,574 examined -more than 14 percent.

Six more sailors are hospitalized, including one in intensive care, and on Tuesday a sailor died from the virus, the first fatality in the active-duty military during the pandemic.

It's believed sailors originally picked up the virus during a port call in Da Nang, Vietnam on March 5.

The ship docked for five days there as part of a long-planned event to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the country and the United States.

The USS Roosevelt is docked in Guam. 655 crew members have tested positive to COVID-19, four of whom are currently in hospital. On Monday, the Roosevelt suffered its first coronavirus fatality, when an unidentified sailor died from the virus and a second is in intensive care

Military officials at the time did not know the extent to which coronavirus would spread around the world and when the ship docked, there were fewer than two dozen cases confirmed in Vietnam, all on the opposite side of the country.

Once the ship went back to sea, fear of exposure on board was known as early as March 14 when two British tour its who had stayed in the same hotel as a group of the crew members tested positive.

A team from the Biological Defense Research Directorate at Fort Detrick was brought in as concerns grew and cleaning procedures increased. Those feared to have been exposed where isolated.

By March 24, a letter was sent to family members of sailors to inform them of the potential exposure but warned that information could not be shared publicly as it could place the ship at risk.

'Yesterday evening, a few sailors did the right and brave thing, reporting to medical they were experiencing flu-like symptoms,' Crozier wrote to families.

'These sailors were tested . . . and this morning the results of the tests indicated positive results for coronavirus.

'Operational security regarding both ship movements and our medical readiness is sensitive information and should not be made public,' he added.

The same day, Modly announced that three sailors tested positive and were to be airlifted from the ship but that the rest of crew were to stay at sea.

'This is an example of our ability to keep our ships deployed at sea, underway even with active COVID-19 cases,' Modly said.

The virus quickly spread in the close quarters of the ship, however, and by March 26 officials made the decision to dock in Guam where soldiers slowly came to shore.

The Navy was then faced with a challenge in finding hotel space for the crew as hotel employees had been laid off due to the pandemic.

'The problem was there was no place to put them at that time,' the senior defense official said.

'The governor of Guam had started working with the hotel industry to get the hotels reopened. But that doesn't happen overnight.'

Over the next few days, Crozier spoke with at least one one senior Navy admiral in Washington on March 28, and with Robert Love, Modly's chief of staff, on March 29, before he sent the controversial memo on March 30.

Crozier was controversially fired by acting Navy secretary Thomas B. Modly (pictured) after the email leaked. Modly, meanwhile, has resigned after receiving blowback about his actions

Sailors assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron Fifteen escort a Sailor assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt who has tested negative for COVID-19 to a hotel room in Guam. Thousands of sailors from the ship are in quarantine in Guam

In the accompanying email, the captain said that he understood military officials at Naval Base Guam were 'doing the best they can' but insisted that the crew could not remain on the ship much longer.

'While I understand that there are political concerns with requesting the use of hotels on Guam to truly isolate the remaining 4,500 Sailors 14+ days, the hotels are empty, and I believe it is the only way to quickly combat the problem,' Crozier wrote.

The memo that accompanied the note led to Crozier's dismissal by April 2 as Acting Navy Secretary Modly branded it 'naive and 'stupid' in a speech to the ship's crew.

Modly flew to Guam to speak to the crew of the aircraft carrier following the firing of its commander, calling his actions a 'betrayal of trust'.

'If he didn't think, in my opinion, that this information wasn't going to get out into the public, in this day and information age that we live in, then he was either, A, too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this,' Modly continued.

'The alternative is that he did this on purpose.'

Capt Crozier's dismissal was condemned by sailors on the ship who cheered and clapped as he left for the final time but he may yet be reinstated, according to Esper and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday, who would have the final say.

An investigation into the dismissal was completed last week and a report is now making its way through the Navy's chain of command before a decision is made.

'It will come to me at some point in time. As I'm in the chain of command, I can't comment on that further, but I got to keep an open mind with regard to everything,' Esper told NBC News Thursday.

Esper was pushed on whether the decision to reinstate Capt. Crozier would mean that his firing was wrong in the first place but he refused to comment.

'We've got to take this one step at a time, let the investigation within the navy conclude itself ... and we'll make very reasoned opinions and judgement as this progresses,' he responded.

His comments came after the New York Times reported that Adm. Michael M. Gilday, the chief of naval operations who would have the final say, has indicated that he may reinstate Captain Crozier.

'I am taking no options off the table as I review that investigation,' he told reporters.

'I think that is my responsibility.'

He had previously warned Acting Secretary Modly not to fire Crozier.

'No final decisions have been made,' Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the admiral, said.

A decision on Crozier's potential reinstatement is expected this week.
Sara Ai Khan, like everyone in Bollywood, is in self isolation. However, that hasnt stopped her from posting fun pictures and videos. On Wednesday, she posted a collage of her present self with one from her childhood, showing she was always a star-actor in the making.

Sharing it, she wrote: Ji haan, hum bachpan se hi aise hai...(Yes, I have always been this way). In the picture, Sara, as a little girl, is seen laughing while not looking at the camera. In another picture, Sara, in her present self, is seen in a similar pose.

Few days back, Sara had shared a similar collage, this time from her teenage years and written: Somethings never change... literally! Throwback to smaller Sara- same pose, same expression, same sajna-dhajna, same conviction p.s I know I look like a creepy kid that could justify fright but kindly ignore the devilish expression and look beyond at my consistent continuity #flashbackfriday #freakyfriday. This was, of course, when Sara was a plump kid.

Also read: Actor Vijay worried for stranded son in Canada amid lockdown: report

Sara has often spoken about her weight gain issue and how she struggled with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in her teenage years. In an interview to The BBC in 2019, she had said, I went to Columbia for four years and at the end of the second year, I decided that I really want to act, like I said I have always known, but that realisation coincided with the weigh scale saying that Im 96 kilos. So, it was a bit difficult. Then it was the senior year of college in America itself that I lost the weight.

I was a regular kid. It made it very hard for me to a. lose weight and b. the hormone level was very high. So, as you can see, there is a level of delusion that was in me...I was confident, I was delusional, she added. She had also revealed how her fitness regimen includes Kathak, yoga, Pilates and intense workouts to stay in shape.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The International Monetary Fund Wednesday said that it supports India's proactive decision of a imposing a nationwide lockdown in its fight against coronavirus.

A day earlier, the IMF in its World Economic Outlook had forecast India's growth rate to be 1.9 per cent in 2020.

"India entered the pandemic turmoil in the midst of a credit crunch-induced slowdown and its recovery prospect becomes more uncertain," Chang Yong Rhee, the Director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, told reporters during a conference here.

"Despite the economic slowdown, the government implemented a nationwide lockdown and we support India's proactive decision," Rhee said.

On March 25, India entered a three-week lockdown, which was slated to end on April 14. The lockdown was extended till May 3.

The impact of the coronavirus on the Asia-Pacific region will be severe, across the board, and unprecedented, he said, adding that Asia's growth in 2020 will come to a standstill.

This is worse than the annual average growth rates throughout the Global Financial Crisis (4.7 percent) or the Asian Financial Crisis (1.3 percent). Actually, Asia has not experienced zero growth in the last 60 years, he said. "That said, Asia's growth still fares better than other regions."



For 2021, he said, there is hope. If containment policies succeed there could be a rebound in growth, he said.

However, it is highly uncertain how this year will progress, he added.

Noting that this is not a time for business as usual, Rhee said that Asian countries need to use all policy instruments in their toolkits. In doing so, policy tradeoffs will be inevitable and will depend on policy space, he added.

China is expected to grow by 1.2 percent in 2020. The revisions to growth reflect both losses of domestic activity due to the social distancing measures, as well as loss of external demand.

"We expect a rebound in economic activity later this year. This is because China is emerging from the outbreak first. Nonetheless, there are clear risks: the virus could come back and normalization could take longer," Rhee said.

Japan's economic outlook for 2020 has deteriorated significantly, he said.

Real GDP in Japan is expected to decline by 5.2 percent, caused by the coronavirus impact, and a sharp deterioration of external demand, he said, adding South Korea's growth in 2020 is anticipate to be at -1.2 percent, he said.

Spelling out a set of recommendations for the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Rhee said the first priority is to support and protect the health sector to contain the virus and introduce measures that slow contagion.

"If there is not enough fiscal space, countries will need to re-prioritize from other expenditures," he said.

Noting that containment measures are severely affecting economies, he said targeted support to hardest-hit households and firms is needed.

This is a real economic shock unlike the Global Financial Crisis. Protect people, jobs and industries directly, not just through financial institutions, he said.

Observing that the pandemic is also affecting the financial market functioning, he urged countries to use monetary and macroprudential regulations flexibly to provide ample liquidity, ease financial stress of industries and SMEs.

"For emerging markets with limited fiscal space, they might need to consider how to use central bank balance sheets flexibly to help SMEs through risk sharing with the government, he said.

Asserting that external pressures need to be contained, he said that countries should seek and utilize bilateral and multilateral swap lines and financial support from the multilateral institutions.

There can be a role for capital flow measures to secure external sector stability as a prerequisite to use more aggressive domestic policies to prevent lasting social and economic distress, he said. "Targeted support combined with domestic demand stimulus in a recovery will help to reduce scarring, but it needs to reach people and smaller firms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Members of the National Guard were seen removing a dead body from a Manhattan hotel housing coronavirus patients on Wednesday.

Heartbreaking photos show the corpse, concealed in black bag, being loaded into the back of a van after it was wheeled out of the Holday Inn Express in the city's Midtown neighborhood.

Just blocks away, medics were also seen at a Comfort Inn escorting a coronavirus patient into an ambulance so he could be taken to hospital for treatment.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Saturday that five hotels across the city have been set up to house at least 6,000 homeless people in an effort to stop spread of the virus

Patients who have tested positive to the virus and are without a permanent address are able to stay in of the hotels to quarantine.

Scroll down for video

Members of the National Guard were seen removing a dead body from a Holiday Inn in Manhattan Wednesday. Heartbreaking photos show the corpse, concealed in black bag, being loaded into the back of a van

The corpse was brought out of the hotel, which is housing coronavirus patients, on a stretcher before placed into the van

It is unclear whether the deceased passed away from COVID-19 or an unrelated issue. Several empty hotels across the city have been housing coronavirus patients

The deceased was staying at one of the hotel's set up for New York City's homeless population

Medical professionals also responded to a separate hotel housing individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus. A patient was transported from the hotel to a local hospital

Medical crews are seen wheeling the patient out of the Comfort lnn on Wednesday

The man is seen being placed into the back of a waiting ambulance on Wednesday

Health+Hospital spokesman Christopher Miller told the New York Post on Monday: 'We have discharged patients who are unable to go home to hotels. This allows them to quarantine without potentially infecting other family members.'

Mayor Bill de Blasio also announced on Saturday that hotels in the Big Apple will be housing at least 6,000 homeless people in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

'By Monday, April 20, we will have 6,000 homeless people in our shelter system who were in other settings, will now be in hotel settings.

'So, 6,000 single New Yorkers, meaning single adults, will be in hotels, not traditional homeless shelters. That's about one-third of the single clients of our overall shelter system moved into hotel settings,' de Blasio said.

'We are doing that because we think that is the right balance to strike as we ensure that people get what they need to be safe.'

Medics were spotted outside the Comfort Inn preparing to pick up the coronavirus patient and take him to hospital for treatment

A first responder is seen wearing personal protective equipment from his head to his feet while responding to the scene

An ambulance driver outside the Comfort Inn was pictured getting ready to transport the patient to hospital

Meanwhile, at another hotel, a member of the emergency services was spotted looking frantic after being called to reports of a dead body being found inside the premises

The corpse was pictured being wheeled out of the hotel on a gurney on Wednesday afternoon

Members of the National Guard spoke with police officers at the scene. A full investigation is now set to get underway

The dead body is pictured being loaded into the back of a city van to be taken away for an autopsy

Hundreds of homeless people in New York City have contracted COVID-19, and there have been multiple fatalities

If the person's body is unclaimed, they may be buried on Hart Island where mass graves have been established to cope with the influx of death

A National Guard member clad in camouflage is pictured leaving the scene

De Blasio said that in order to maintain social distancing individuals at homeless shelters have been moved to hotels across the city.

'Where it's clear to our Department of Social Services and our Department of Homeless Services that social distancing cannot be achieved properly, a number of those clients will be moved to hotels to achieve the balance, to make sure there is the proper social distancing.

'So, we will use those hotels aggressively as a tool to support homeless individuals, to strike the right balance in our shelters to make sure people who need to be isolated are isolated,' the mayor said.

The city is spending about $200 per night to rent hotel rooms for homeless people with COVID-19 symptoms can be isolated.

Police, fire (pictured) and ambulances were called to the scene on Wednesday after reports of a dead body found inside one of the hotels housing New York City's homeless

An investigator, clad in a protective suit, was seen entering the premises after the corpse had been taken away

In New York City alone, there are more than 111,000 coronavirus cases with more than 6,800 deaths

There are more than 645,000 confirmed cases in the US with more than 28,000 deaths

Authorities said on Wednesday that at least 27 homeless people among the 460 confirmed to have COVID-19 have died.

In New York City alone, there are more than 111,000 coronavirus cases with more than 6,800 deaths.

New York Gov Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday that hospitalizations from the outbreak are leveling off.

New York recorded 752 deaths Tuesday, for a total of more than 11,000 in just over a month.

Those figures don't include roughly 4,000 other deaths in New York City during the outbreak that city officials say were probably caused by the virus, but haven't been confirmed by a lab test.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. and LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Swift Tactical Systems, a subsidiary of Swift Engineering, and Silvus Technologies have entered into a strategic alliance. This collaboration combines Swift's world-class unmanned aircraft systems with Silvus' advanced MIMO communication systems for tactical applications.

Swift Tactical Systems launches one of its unmanned systems for a sensitive mission. The commercial agreement between the US manufacturers will enable Swift to integrate the Silvus radios into its suite of American made UAVs.

The commercial agreement will enable Swift to integrate the locally manufactured radios into its family of American made UAVs, allowing Swift to accelerate its product roadmap and the delivery of its government contracts. The combined systems will bolster both commercial and advanced military missions, as well as research and development for future applications.

"Swift Tactical Systems is utilizing Silvus radios to support complex missions and RF requirements, enabling our suite of unmanned systems to pull C2, telemetry, and all of our sensor data for reliable, unparalleled datalink capabilities. The flexibility and adaptability of Silvus Technologies will enable us to accelerate the delivery of our UAVs for highly sensitive missions," says Alex Echeverria, Vice President of Swift Tactical Systems.

Swift recently won a multi-agency unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) contract with the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to support Bahamas Ministry of National Security, Law Enforcement, Immigration, and Customs Agencies. The program will utilize 55 short and medium-range drones to accelerate The Bahamas' mandate to fight crime, curb drug and gun trafficking, illegal immigration, human trafficking, and poaching.

"Swift is a strong, strategic partner of Silvus who's systems not only support warfighter activities, but infrastructure and surveillance support for the Bahamas. A Swift unmanned system integrated with Silvus Streamcaster will increase the situational awareness of Bahamian agencies, and the beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) structures and installations that need surveillance. We are proud to contribute to this incredibly talented Swift team," says Kasey Cooper, Director of Unmanned Systems for Silvus Technologies.

Swift plans to use the radios on other projects, including its High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft, which is currently under development in a project with NASA.

About Swift Tactical Systems

Swift Tactical Systems provides unmatched capabilities utilizing disruptive unmanned systems technologies and operational expertise for military and government applications. Headquartered in San Clemente, California, the company delivers fully integrated unmanned systems solutions for collecting, processing, and providing real-time intelligence and data, enabling governments and organizations to make informed decisions. Swift Tactical Systems is a subsidiary of Swift Engineering, Inc. Also headquartered in San Clemente, Swift Engineering is an innovation company with a 35-year history of design, engineering and build heritage in intelligent systems and advanced vehicles, including autonomous systems, helicopters, submarines, spacecraft, ground vehicles, robotics, and advanced composites.

About Silvus Technologies

Privately held and headquartered in Los Angeles, Silvus Technologies develops advanced MIMO technologies that are reshaping broadband wireless connectivity for mission-critical applications. Backed by an unmatched team of Ph.D. scientists and design engineers, its technologies provide enhanced wireless data throughput, interference mitigation, improved range, mobility, and robustness to address the growing needs of its government and commercial customers.

Media Inquiries:

Samantha McDermott

Swift Engineering

[email protected]

Phone: 760.671.0071

Media Inquiries :

Jimi Henderson

Silvus Technologies

[email protected]

Phone: 310.479.3333

SOURCE Swift Tactical Systems
India on Thursday received 6,50,000 coronavirus testing kits from China even as it continued its global hunt to buy medical equipment from a number of countries including the US, the UK, South Korea, France and Germany, official sources said.

They said a large consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits is expected to arrive in India shortly as the Ministry of External Affairs has ramped up efforts to procure vital medical supplies from other countries.

The testing kits from China came from three suppliers.

The sources said 300,000 rapid antibody testing kits came from Guangzhou Wondfo, 250,000 kits were procured from Zhuhai Livzon, and 100,000 RNA extraction kits came from MGI Shenzhen.

Asked about the quality of the equipment procured from China, the sources said adequate care has been taken to source the equipment from companies which that fulfil international standards for exports.

In the wake of adverse reports about quality of Chinese medical equipment, Spokesperson in the Chinese embassy Ji Rong said China attaches great importance to the export of medical products and that steps have taken to ensure their quality.

"Some countries including India raised their purchasing demands through diplomatic channels, and we recommend qualified companies. We hope that foreign buyers can choose products certified by Chinese regulatory authorities and with production qualifications when importing relevant products," Ji said.

She said the Chinese authorities introduced stricter regulatory measures, requiring exporters to declare that their supplies have obtained the registration certificate for medical device from the State Food and Drug Administration and meet the quality standards of the importing country.

India has been reeling under severe shortage of PPEs and testing kits in view of rising cases of the coronavirus. According to Health Ministry data, 12,380 people were infected by the virus and 414 lost their lives.

On Tuesday, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri told reporters in Beijing that India has placed orders to procure 15 million personal protection gear from China for medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients.

As demand for Chinese medical supplies scaled up due to the spread of the virus in several parts of world, China on Wednesday asked all the countries to import these items through reputed Chinese firms cleared by the government and vowed to punish those involved in counterfeit behaviour.

The Ministry of External Affairs has been at the forefront of the government's efforts to procure vital medical supplies from other countries.

Sources said India is also also looking at procuring medical equipment including testing kits from South Korea, the UK, the US, France, Japan, Malaysia and Germany.

Indian missions in these countries have been tasked with immediately identifying possible areas of cooperation and engage with relevant authorities for procurement of medical equipment and technology.

The need for looking at best practices, innovations, scientific breakthroughs and medical equipment to fight the pandemic was highlighted extensively by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video conference he held with heads of 130 Indian missions few weeks ago.

India is specifically looking at South Korea's approach of widespread testing and significant use of digital tracking of suspected cases to contain the pandemic.

The South Korean model of 'trace, test and treat strategy' has received global recognition. Unlike majority of the countries dealing with the pandemic, South Korea has not resorted to any lockdown and allowed business and economic activities to go on as usual.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In 2008 Yu Wang was appointed CEO of Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. (HKG:1666). This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO.

Check out our latest analysis for Tong Ren Tang Technologies

How Does Yu Wang's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

Our data indicates that Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. is worth HK$7.8b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as CN2.2m for the year to December 2018. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at CN1.3m. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations from CN2.8b to CN11b, and the median CEO total compensation was CN3.5m.

Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of Tong Ren Tang Technologies. On an industry level, roughly 65% of total compensation represents salary and 35% is other remuneration. Our data reveals that Tong Ren Tang Technologies allocates salary in line with the wider market.

At first glance this seems like a real positive for shareholders, since Yu Wang is paid less than the average total compensation paid by similar sized companies. However, before we heap on the praise, we should delve deeper to understand business performance. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Tong Ren Tang Technologies has changed from year to year.

SEHK:1666 CEO Compensation April 15th 2020

Is Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. Growing?

Over the last three years Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. has shrunk its earnings per share by an average of 3.9% per year (measured with a line of best fit). Its revenue is down 12% over last year.

Story continues

Sadly for shareholders, earnings per share are actually down, over three years. And the impression is worse when you consider revenue is down year-on-year. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. It could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future.

Has Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. Been A Good Investment?

With a three year total loss of 51%, Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation.

In Summary...

It looks like Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. pays its CEO less than similar sized companies.

Yu Wang is paid less than CEOs of similar size companies, but the company isn't growing and total shareholder returns have been disappointing. While one could argue it is appropriate for the CEO to be paid less than other CEOs of similar sized companies, given company performance, we would not call the pay overly generous. On another note, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Tong Ren Tang Technologies that investors should look into moving forward.

Important note: Tong Ren Tang Technologies may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Woman wearing a face mask is seen as she holds a laptop at a shopping area in Beijing, following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country

BEIJING (Reuters) - China reported a decline in new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the mainland on Wednesday, but there was an increasing number of local transmissions in its far northeast bordering Russia.

China had 46 new confirmed cases on Tuesday compared with 89 a day earlier, according to the National Health Commission. Of the new cases, 36 involved travellers arriving from overseas, compared with 86 a day earlier.

The 10 remaining cases were new locally transmitted infections, with the northeastern Heilongjiang province accounting for eight and the southern Guangdong province two.

Having largely succeeded in stamping out local transmission of the virus, Chinese authorities on guard against a second wave of contagion fear imported cases now pose the greatest danger.

In Beijing, where prevention measures remain stringent, an imported case from the United States was also reported on Tuesday, state television said. The patient started to show symptoms two days after arrival, despite testing negative initially.

Heilongjiang has become a front line in China's fight to keep out imported cases as infected Chinese nationals return overland from Russia. China has closed the border with Russia at the Heilongjiang city of Suifenhe.

New infections involving travellers arriving from Russia have also hit other parts of China such as Inner Mongolia and the financial hub of Shanghai.

As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China had reached 82,295.

Authorities said 3,342 people have died from the virus in China.

While China appears to have flattened the trend line for new infections, U.S. President Donald Trump has accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of promoting "disinformation" fed by Beijing when the outbreak first occurred, which probably resulted in the contagion spreading more widely.

Trump halted funding to the WHO on Tuesday, prompting China to urge the United States to fulfil its obligations to the WHO.

Story continues

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday the pandemic, which has infected nearly 2 million people globally, was at a critical stage and that Washington's decision would affect all countries.

HUBEI RECOVERS

The vice mayor of Wuhan, the capital of the central province of Hubei and the origin of the coronavirus outbreak in China, said on Wednesday the city aimed to fully resume rail, flight and freight operations by the end of this month after a more than two-month lockdown was lifted on April 8.

Liu Ziqing also told a press conference that taxi services would restart in an orderly manner, work on major transport projects would be accelerated and that operations at ports in the city, which lies at the confluence of the Han and Yangtze rivers, would be restored by the end of this month.

Reflecting the shift in priorities to the northeast, three planes loaded with medical equipment and protective gear donated by Hubei province flew from Wuhan to Heilongjiang on Wednesday, and another flight was planned for Thursday, the National Development and Reform Commission said.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo, Se Young Lee, Sophie Yu, Min Zhang, Liangping Gao and Tom Daly in Beijing; David Stanway in Shanghai; Additional Reporting by Yawen Chen; Editing by Sam Holmes and Simon Cameron-Moore)
Netherlands-based Spierings Mobile Cranes has appointed Kanoo Cranes, a division of The Kanoo Group, as the exclusive dealer for its mobile tower cranes, in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain.

As per the deal, all sales activities for new models and aftermarket service will now be managed by Kanoo Cranes in these markets.

Based in the Dutch city of Oss, Spierings Mobile Crane has been manufacturing mobile tower cranes for more than 30 years.

The concept of the mobile tower crane, invented in the 1980s by Leo Spierings, is considered as the most efficient mobile crane solution in the construction and industrial environments.

On the new Kanoo partnership, CEO Koos Spierings said: "Kanoo Cranes is also a family company with the same core values as Spierings. Their market knowledge, skilled employees and logistic network will be essential to serve the customers on the highest level."

Under the agreement, Kanoo Cranes will handle a dened Spierings territory for sales, parts and services to increase the penetration of Spierings Mobile Cranes products and to support its market growth in the region.

The company will offer engineered solutions for all lifting requirements. With their existing focus on premium brands and products specically designed for the rental industry, Kanoo sees great potential to expand with the Spierings Mobile cranes range.

"In close corporation between our service department and Kanoo Cranes, were able to maximize the customer satisfaction," he stated.

Group Chairman Mishal Kanoo said this was another exciting partnership which would be added to the portfolio of high quality distribution handled by Kanoo Cranes.

"Our strategy is to keep introducing new innovative equipment to the market. At Kanoo, we are constantly exploring opportunities, improving and we will never standstill," stated the top official.

On the tie-up, Group CEO Fahad Kanoo said: "Kanoo is proud to become the exclusive dealer for Spierings Mobile cranes product, another market leading product. We take pride in our capability to work closely with principals to ensure that reliable cost effective long term solutions are provided to our customers and partners."

"Kanoo works only with the very best and has a long history of forming close successful partnerships over many decades and we look forward to another successful relationship and bringing this quality equipment to the market," he added.

As per the pact, Spierings will provide Kanoo with the first SK1265-AT6 - the biggest mobile tower crane on the market - for Dubai.
According to police sources, the nine persons were present in the crowd during the gathering near Bandra's Jama Masjid on Tuesday, violating the lockdown.

Mumbai: A local court on Thursday sent nine people to police custody till 19 April, in connection with the gathering in Bandra in Mumbai.

According to police sources, they were present in the crowd during the gathering near the Bandra railway station on Tuesday, violating the lockdown.

Follow LIVE updates on the coronavirus outbreak here

More than 1,000 migrant workers had gathered outside the station in Bandra, demanding transport facility to go back to their hometowns, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till 3 May.
With nine members of a family from Panchkula testing positive for coronavirus, the total number of cases in Haryana rose to 213 on Thursday, officials said.

A 44-year-old woman, her husband and seven other members of their family, who reside in two houses in Panchkula's Sector 15, have tested positive, officials said.

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja told reporters that some of the family members had visited Pathankot on March 18.

The woman developed some symptoms on April 6, he said, adding later she went to a private hospital in Panchkula where he doctor took an X-ray and found a spot on her lung and administered some antibiotics.

However, the woman reported to Panchkula civil hospital on April 12 after which her samples were collected which came positive.

Subsequently, the samples of other members of her family were also taken and eight more were found positive, he said.

Samples of some more people with whom the family is believed to have come into contact have been taken, he said.

The containment of the residential area where the family resides in two houses has been done. Health department teams have screened the area, regular sanitization was being done there while entry or exit of people in the area has been stopped.

Authorities were supplying essentials to the people in the residential locality



Ahuja appealed to all the people who know they might have come into contact with this family to report to health authorities and get themselves checked.

Those who cannot visit the civil hospital at Panchkula can request for a visit by a mobile medical team, which will reach their house, he said.

With these nine cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in Panchkula has reached 14.

Out of total positive cases, the total number of active cases in the state is 149, the state health department's daily bulletin said, adding 61 patients have been discharged. The state has recorded two COVID-19 related deaths.

As many as 7,547 samples have been tested so far, out of which 5,940 have tested negative. However, report of 1,408 samples is awaited.

The total cumulative cases are 213 which include 24 foreign nationals. Among the foreign nationals, 14 were Italian tourists who had tested positive and later 13 of them were discharged while one elderly woman in the group had passed away a few days ago even though she had recovered from Covid infection.

The other ten foreign nationals found positive are from countries including Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia while 64 are from other states, as per the bulletin.

The worst affected districts of the state are Nuh (48), Gurugram (32), Faridabad (33) and Palwal (30).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three potential COVID-19 vaccines are making fast progress in early-stage testing in volunteers in China and the U.S., but it's still a long road to prove if they'll really work. China's CanSino Biologics has begun the second phase of testing its vaccine candidate, China's Ministry of Science and Technology said Tuesday.

In the U.S., a shot made by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. isn't far behind. The first person to receive that experimental vaccine last month returned to a Seattle clinic Tuesday for a second dose.

NIH infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci told The Associated Press there are "no red flags" so far and he hoped the next, larger phase of testing could begin around June.

A third candidate, from Inovio Pharmaceuticals, began giving experimental shots for first-step safety testing last week in the U.S. and hopes to expand its studies to China.

Initial tests focus on safety, and researchers in both countries are trying out different doses of different types of shots. But moving into the second phase is a critical step that allows vaccines to be tested in many more people to look for signs that they protect against infection.

Last week, CanSino filed a report showing it aimed to enroll 500 people in this next study, comparing two doses of the vaccine to dummy shots. As of Monday, 273 of the volunteers had been injected, state media said.

Looking ahead, Fauci said if the new coronavirus continues to circulate widely enough over the summer and fall, it might be possible to finish larger studies slightly sooner than the 12 to 18 months he'd originally predicted - maybe toward "mid to late winter of next season."

"Please let me say this caveat: That is assuming that it's effective. See, that's the big 'if,'" Fauci stressed. "It's got to be effective and it's got to be safe." During a news conference in China, authorities also cautioned that the studies must be done properly.

"Although we are in an emergency, we cannot lower the standards of safety and effectiveness in the reviews of vaccines," said Wang Junzhi, a Chinese biopharmaceutical expert. "The public is paying huge attention."

The World Health Organization this week counted more than five dozen other vaccine candidates in earlier stages of development being pursued around the world. Many research groups are teaming up to speed the work; in an announcement Tuesday, vaccine giants Sanofi and GSK became the latest to partner on a candidate.

On the WHO's list are a wide variety of ways to make vaccines -- so if one approach doesn't pan out, hopefully another one will. CanSino's vaccine is based on a genetically engineered shot it created to guard against Ebola. The leading U.S. candidates use a different approach, made from copies of a piece of the coronavirus' genetic code.

INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic

Also read: Coronavirus: WHO thanks India for support, borrows polio-fighting strategy for COVID-19

Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown India Live Updates: China dispatches 6.5 lakh testing kits to India; tally at 12,380
Healthcare workers issues are topical now. doctors now. Even in Ukraine, where doctors are usually criticized, now they have a more reverent attitude towards society. Doctors at the forefront of the war with coronavirus. They literally risk their lives - about 500 became ill (90 in the last 24 hours), 7 died. At the same time, healthcare workers in Ukraine receive perhaps the smallest salaries. In February, doctors on average received $ 275, that is, 1,5 times less than the average salary in the country. Moreover, medical workers themselves complain that their real salary is even lower. For only $ 273 a month, they must work hard in terms of the harsh epidemic, at the risk of being infected due to the lack of protective equipment.

In late March, the Cabinet decided to add motivation to doctors who work with coronavirus patients. The Cabinet of Ministers approved an hourly wage for them, and parliament passed Law No. 3275 on salary increases of 300%. But in parallel with the increase in salaries, layoffs are also taking place.

Do doctors have the incentive to continue the work and are there enough specialists for medical facilities in an epidemic?

Salaries of Ukrainian doctors are among the lowest in the world. For comparison: according to Glassdoor, a resource for job search, in the US, doctors receive more than $ 16,700 per month.

Despite such a record salary, they plan to introduce coronavirus co-payments in the United States. They have already been agreed also in Uzbekistan. Doctors receive about 6% of their monthly salary per day, that is, an additional $ 510 with an average salary of $ 283.

Ukrainian doctors say that they have not yet received additional payments: there were no orders from the heads of most institutions. Although the Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov assures that the money was already allocated to the regions, and the government would soon resolve the issue.

But there is no evidence that the doctors could really count on those triple payments. Basically, their salaries are formed by various allowances, for example, for seniority and intensity of work.

The average salary of the infectionists we interviewed is about $ 140 per month. The final salary is about $ 625. Including allowances for the treatment of coronavirus, doctors can count on amounts of up to 1,000 USD. But when calculating the profits for this category of doctors, we should take into account the fact that infectious disease specialists were forced to agree to lower salaries, so they massively fired.

For a doctor with an average salary, the payout will be a little more than $ 800 per month. A nurse who works with coronavirus patients will receive a little less than $ 550.

In 2003, Ukraine has issued an order on the terms of remuneration for medical and other workers for the period of work to eliminate epidemics, which already provides for a triple salary in situations similar to the current one. In addition, for some time an option was considered to make bets not triple, but double. So the surcharge could be only about $ 260. But the authorities nevertheless changed their minds about correcting the mistake.

Ambulance workers were excluded from the lists of those who can count on an increase. Doctors from Zaporizhia city even recorded a video message to the president. As a result, Minister Stepanov had to make excuses. But it is still unknown whether X-ray laboratory assistants who are also in contact with the virus and are in a high-risk zone would get the additional payments. Other doctors, who will fight other diseases during the epidemic will not receive payments.

A separate question is where to get money for allowances, given that in quarantine conditions there is not enough resources even for unemployment benefits. It was planned that the funds would be taken from the Stabilization Fund in the amount of 3,8 billion USD. But payments, most likely, will be transferred to the local budgets. Strana.ua has published a letter from the Ministry of Health, allegedly addressed to the heads of regional and Kyiv city state administrations.

So far, it seems that the situation is really being steered by the local authorities. In Lviv, doctors were promised that their salary would be increased by $ 370, in Kyiv (minus the existing increase) - from $36 to $330, for which $ 33 million have already been officially allocated. The head of Mariupol also reported that local doctors received a salary supplement of $ 370 on average.

But is there enough money for the regions? Back in December, doctors were not systematically paid extra. The Cabinet of Ministers then decided to send $ 1,7 million in the region, allegedly due to the "inefficient allocation of local budgets."

In April, Ukrainian reform of "secondary medicine" began, that is, it was related to the hospitals. Doctors expected that they would get higher salaries, but everything turned out differently. They were supposed to spend 5% of GDP on healthcare, but in the end, it turned out that 2.8% were included into the budget. Doctors say that such funding will not even cover the cost of treatment for Ukrainians, especially during an epidemic.

The Ministry of Health forbade hospitals to provide some services during quarantine, which negatively impacts the budgets of the hospitals. And given that 85% of the funding goes to salaries, doctors might simply not have enough money. Many of them already feel financial hunger, especially those who do not work with coronavirus patients. Some hospitals warn "about changing wage conditions." The doctor will not receive less than the minimum wage, but bonuses may be canceled.

In Sumy, 47 workers of the maternity hospital of the Blessed Virgin Mary were fired. Most of them belonged to the privileged categories: single mothers or those who have 1-2 years left before retirement. According to the doctors, they had a choice: moving to a lower position or dismissal.

The chairman of the free medical trade union assures that health department demands setting how many people were fired this month and what job would they apply for in the coming months. The National Health Service says that institutions would get money in advance, but this does not help.

Dismissal of medical staff occurs in conditions of total understaffing. Before quarantine, the Ministry of Health reported that there were only about 70% of the required number of doctors in Ukraine. Italy, Spain, Germany have the highest rates among the European countries in terms of medical stuff  41-42 doctors for 10,000 people. Ukraine has 16 - 20 doctors per 10,000 people.

Ukraine does not suffer from the shortage of doctors though. As of April 7, in the US, the number of cases of coronavirus reaches 400,000, while in Ukraine there are less than 1,500.

The world shortage of personnel is compensated by attracting medical students or retired doctors to work. In the UK, about 20,000 former employees were called to work for an additional payment. In Ukraine, such a reserve is not that large, as doctors continue to work even after retirement.

Some countries are attracting doctors from abroad. Ukrainians are in high demand in the United States, although previously they have been often denied in obtaining work visas. Doctors from the former Soviet Union massively move to Europe: about 20,000 doctors from the countries of the former USSR work there. 1,137 foreigners work in Polish state-owned clinics, and every third is Ukrainian.

Italy directly requested the help of doctors from around the world. Since there is no critical shortage of doctors in the country, Zelensky sent 20 of our doctors abroad. Although many were outraged by this since this decision looked like a beautiful diplomatic gesture. Even China, whose situation is not much better now, has sent its medical workers to help Italians.

After Ukrainian doctors arrive from Italy, they would be placed for a two-week observation. At the same time, they would have to continue heir work, help patients, share the experience with their colleagues. Recent studies show that coronavirus could build up in the body, so doctors could infect patients in the hospital, as well as their colleagues.

Given the current situation in the Ukrainian healthcare system and the high demand abroad, after the end of the epidemic, doctors might begin to emigrate more actively. At the same time, Zelensky states that quarantine is a good opportunity to force Ukrainians migrating abroad to stay in the country.

"People who see no prospects, especially in terms of quarantine, are firing. But for the most part, doctors sincerely want to help Ukrainians and do not want to quit. If they had decent wages, they would be happy with everything and would not want to go abroad," pediatrician Leonid Dubey tells.

Would Ukraine have enough doctors to treat coronavirus disease? It depends not only on their dedication and patriotism but also directly on the ability of the authorities to provide physicians with remedies and a decent salary.
Two weeks ago I was handed a letter, along with other residents in my care home in Wiltshire, and asked to sign it. It stated that if I fell ill, I agreed that I did not want to be taken to hospital.

No-one put me under pressure to sign it, but I did.

Why? Because, aged 97, I feel that, with our hospitals so terribly overstretched by the coronavirus epidemic, somebody younger than me should have the benefit of a hospital bed or, if I needed it, a ventilator.

I would hate to think that I was taking away resources from someone, who because of their age and general good health, would have a better chance of survival.

Bletchley Park veteran Elizabeth Diacon is pictured left with Bletchley veteran Georgina Rose, and the Duchess of Cambridge on a visit to the historic site in Buckinghamshire

I spoke to my family before I signed and they supported my decision. And that was that.

At my age I know what I want: I may be frail in body but my mind is strong.

In the war, I was in the WAAF  Womens Auxiliary Air Force - and I worked at Bletchley Park - where the Enigma codeCJK was cracked - as a signals intelligence officer.

Of course, signing the letter was merely an expression of my own decision - and I certainly dont believe other people should be forced to do the same.

Im also fully aware that the care in my local hospital - which Ive visited just twice in the past three and a half years - is very good.

But in the past weeks, many of the wards have been hit by coronavirus and staff are understandably rushed off their feet.

Hospitals are difficult places to be in at the best of times, especially if you are blind, as I am. The staff are brilliant but they dont know you, and its stressful and noisy. I dread to imagine how chaotic it is now.

At my age I know what I want: I may be frail in body but my mind is strong. In the war, I was in the WAAF  Womens Auxiliary Air Force  and I worked at Bletchley Park, where the Enigma code was cracked, as a signals intelligence officer. Workers are pictured above in Hut 3

Whereas here, in the care home, I know my way around, I know the staff and they know me. I am very lucky: I have my own private room, talking books from the Royal National Institute of the Blind. And, of course, the carers - despite being underpaid - are wonderfully patient and charming.

All of which means Id much rather stay here than be sent to hospital.

That said, if I did need to go to hospital for a heart or a hip operation then I definitely would.

But if it was because I was infected with coronavirus, then I would rather remain where I am. I signed a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) form years ago, so this is not all that different.

Its simply the truth that I am not afraid of dying - though I am slightly afraid of how I might die. Quite naturally, Id rather it were quiet and peaceful, with palliative care if I need it. That is far more likely to happen here than in a busy hospital.

Though I do worry that this places a huge responsibility on the carers here, many of whom are very young.

Yet all staff in the care home are trained in end of life care and there is always someone available for me to call upon. And if necessary the nurses could always call in the paramedics and review my situation.

I know that not everyone feels this way but signing that letter offers a degree of comfort.

For as long as I have the choice, I would much rather die in my own bed.

I would hate to think that I was taking away resources from someone, who, because of their age and general good health, would have a better chance of survival. I spoke to my family before I signed and they supported my decision. A stock image is used above [File photo]

This brutal ageism would have appalled my grandfather: Wiston Churchill's granddaughter EMMA SOAMES says it is wrong to prioritise young people over the elderly in coronavirus crisis

One can only imagine what my grandfather Sir Winston Churchill would have thought of the decisions being made about the treatment of the elderly during this coronavirus pandemic.

My abiding memory of him is as a man who was always working, right up until his death at the age of 90, and indeed it is salutary to think just how much he achieved in later life.

When he first became prime minister in 1940, he was 64, an age when most of us are happily looking forward to retirement. By the time he was re-elected in 1951, he was 77.

Nobody would have dreamed of writing him off and yet in our supposedly more enlightened times we are in danger of condemning many thousands of people to death, simply because they are elderly.

When he first became prime minister in 1940, he was 64, an age when most of us are happily looking forward to retirement. By the time he was re-elected in 1951, he was 77

I am 70 and yesterday came a double blow for those who, like me, like to imagine that their lives are important and that their wishes matter.

First, as the Mail reported, we learned that care home residents with coronavirus are being kept away from hospital.

Guidelines published by the Department of Health, Public Health England and the NHS, instruct care managers to assess the appropriateness of hospitalisation if residents become seriously ill with the virus.

One GP from the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group reportedly went so far as to tell a care home manager that none of your residents over 75 will be admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile older people across the country are being pressured to sign Do Not Attempt CPR forms. CPR refers to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and once a patient has signed such a document they become subject to a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order signed by a doctor that means no attempt will be made to revive them should their heart stop beating.

In my view, the guidelines issued to the hospitals amount to euthanasia by the back door, especially at a time when our hospitals still have some spare capacity. As for the pressure to sign Do Not Attempt CPR forms, it is simply outrageous.

Of course Im not suggesting that hospital is always the best option. I recently lost a friend in her eighties who was in no state to make decisions about her care but was allowed to die peacefully at home when she finally reached the end of her race.

In my view, the guidelines issued to the hospitals amount to euthanasia by the back door, especially at a time when our hospitals still have some spare capacity. As for the pressure to sign Do Not Attempt CPR forms, it is simply outrageous

Undoubtedly the right choice for her, it was made by a triumvirate of her family, her carers and the local GP. That is exactly how such decisions should be made and I share the Alzheimers Societys concern that stretched and exhausted health and care workers will misinterpret such guidelines and inadvertently prevent access to critical care to people who need it.

When it comes to Do Not Attempt CPR forms, I have no problem with any individual choosing to sign such a form. Indeed, I have signed one myself. It was one of the first things I did after following government advice and putting myself into self-isolation, both because of my age and because I suffer from a condition which puts me in the vulnerable category.

When I depart this world, I would like to have my family around me and, if I fall ill for any reason, the thought of being rushed to hospital and then dying on ones own behind a plastic curtain in an intensive care unit is not very appealing.

I am also reluctant to put the NHS to the bother of spending a lot of time, trouble and expense on me. I would rather they spent it on somebody younger. But that is a decision for me to make and its shocking to think that these forms are being sent to groups of elderly and vulnerable people across the UK.

In one example quoted by Age UK, an 85-year-old woman who has several long-term health problems but still enjoys life was called by her GP, who asked if she would sign a Do Not Attempt CPR form. She felt mortified and was extremely upset when she received a letter with a form in a few days later, reports the charity.

Elsewhere, a GP surgery in Wales asked patients with significant life-limiting illnesses to sign a Do Not Attempt CPR form in case they contracted coronavirus. Meanwhile, care home staff are being given responsibilities way beyond their pay grade. Often underpaid and overworked, they have quite enough to cope with as it is, working as they do in a social care system which remains unfit for purpose, despite enquiries commissioned by government after government.

Its partly because care homes are underfunded and overcrowded that coronavirus has been able to rip through them in the first place.

Lets not compound those failings with policies which lump the elderly together. Just as there was only one Winston Churchill, so we are all individuals with medical needs every bit as varied as the personalities, talents and experience which mean we are still invaluable members of society and make a nonsense of such brutal ageism.

Emma Soames is a former Editor of Saga Magazine
Uzbekistan has called on a global human rights coalition, the Cotton Campaign, to lift an international boycott of Uzbek cotton and textiles, citing progress in eliminating forced labor and the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.



In an open letter to the Cotton Campaign on April 15, Uzbek Labor Minister Nozim Khusanov said the Central Asian country was facing an "unprecedented dual threat to the economy and public health due to the spread of the coronavirus and lockdown measures.



The government estimates that the end of the boycott, which more than 260 apparel manufacturers and retailers currently follow, could double textile exports to Western markets and create much-needed jobs. The optimistic assessment comes as global demand for apparel has crashed amid the pandemic and brands have been canceling orders all over the world, raising questions of whether lifting the boycott would have an impact.



The Tashkent government says that nearly 7,000 companies in cotton-related industries employ more than 200,000 workers, whose incomes support 1 million people in the country. An estimated 150,000 people in the country have already lost their jobs and more than 140,000 migrant workers have returned home without an income source, it says.



"Your decision to end the cotton boycott would be pivotal. Uzbekistans textile sector is one of the countrys leading sources of employment," the letter states.



Rights groups launched the boycott campaign in 2006 to force Uzbekistan to eradicate a long-running state-controlled system forcing millions of citizens to pick cotton and meet harvest quotas.

Since coming to power in 2016, President Shavkat Mirziyoev has gradually introduced laws to eliminated forced labor and child labor, and banned provincial authorities from forcing students and public workers to pick cotton. Last month, he signed a decree abolishing the state quota system for cotton production.



However, civil society groups including the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights say that, while Mirziyoev has taken positive steps, forced labor in the cotton sector remains widespread and some agricultural reforms closely mimic the old system.

The Cotton Campaign, which has been working with the Uzbek government to improve the sector, told RFE/RL that Tashkent has taken "significant steps" to end forced labor and implement structural reforms.



"But progress has lagged on...empowering civil society, including registering independent nongovernmental organizations and creating space for workers to organize independently," Cotton Campaign coordinator Allison Gill said.



"We urge the government to allow a free and vibrant civil society to develop, which will help promote transparency and accountability and create a climate for responsible investment," she added.
A conservationist has claimed that gorillas could catch coronavirus from humans and has called for ape tourism to be suspended.

Conservationist Ian Redmond says all great apes - including gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans - could be at risk from the new coronavirus because they share between 97% and 99% of their DNA with humans.

For this reason he has called for great ape tourism to be suspended and field research to be reduced.

However, so far there have not been any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in apes.

Conservationist Ian Redmond says all great apes could be at risk from the new coronavirus because they share between 97% and 99% of their DNA with humans. Pictured: a mountain gorilla in Rwanda

It comes after a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City tested positive for COVID-19 after apparent exposure to an infected worker.

Conservationist Redmond told Sky News: 'There is abundant scientific evidence that great apes are susceptible to infection with human respiratory pathogens.

'Therefore the great apes are highly likely to be susceptible to the COVID-19 infection, and possibly with a higher mortality rate than among humans.'

He added that introducing new human diseases to great apes has the potential to be 'catastrophic'.

Many ape tourism and research sites have already taken steps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and visitors at centres in Indonesia and Uganda have been banned.

Gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been 'put on lockdown' amid fears that they may be able to catch the disease.

One conservationist has warned that introducing new human diseases to great apes has the potential to be 'catastrophic'. Pictured: an orangutan in Borneo

Those working with apes are also adhering to an increase in the minimum distance they need to keep.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has called for people to stay at least 33 feet (10 metres) away from gorillas at all times  an increase on the usual recommended safety distance of 23 feet (7 metres).

Infectious diseases like Ebola and HIV are known to have been transmitted from animals to humans and extensive research has looked into how illnesses might be transferred the other way.

In 2012, a study found that 58% of chimpanzees at sanctuaries in Uganda and Zambia were carrying drug-resistant strains of staph, which can cause painful blisters on human skin.

Researchers said the infections may have been come from vets who worked with the chimpanzees.

In the final report, one ecologist concluded that novel pathogens from humans were 'one of the biggest threats' great apes faced.

A recent study demonstrated that cats and ferrets can be infected with coronavirus and spread it to other animals, but it is hard for dogs to catch the disease.

The findings came after four isolated cases of pets being infected with the novel coronavirus, including two dogs in Hong Kong and a cat in Belgium.

The second cat tested positive for the virus after its owner fell ill  unlike the Belgian cat, however, it is not exhibiting symptoms.

In all four cases, the pets are believed to have caught the virus from their humans.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that there is no evidence to suggest that household pets are capable of spreading the disease.
A raft of weak economic data around the world rammed home the risks to corporate earnings from coronavirus disruptions, contributing to another fall for local equities on Thursday.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 50.4 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5416.3, hit by big decline in banks, miners, retailers and REITS.

The slide followed a raft of ugly economic data from the United States, including record monthly declines for retail sales and industrial production during March.

Equities have moved higher as markets price the peaking of viral spread in Europe and the US, while life in China starts to resume, said Kerry Craig, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management. However, earnings expectations havent kept up with the fast-paced changes to the economic outlook and further downgrades to earnings may create another leg down in the equity market.

Mr Craig cautioned that while markets are forward looking and will likely lead the economic recovery, history suggests the economy can recover faster from a recession than equity market back to previous highs.

While valuations have made the long-run outlook for equities better, we remain cautious until the earnings picture becomes clearer, he said. Investors should remain vigilant to what the market is pricing and realise that market rallies in a longer bear market are not unusual.

All the big four banks fell during the session, led by Westpac which slid 2.3 per cent to $15.92. Bendigo Bank and Bank of Queensland were hit even harder, falling 4.7 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively to $5.90 and $4.91.

The big miners were also pressured with BHP sliding 2 per cent to $30.79 while Rio Tinto shed 1.4 per cent to $88.55.

Lynas Corporation made those declines look small, tumbling 8.6 per cent to $1.48 on uncertainty over its Malaysian operations.

Other notable falls included James Hardie which slumped 6.9 per cent to $18.54 following a huge drop in US homebuilder confidence in April. Aristocrat Leisure also eased 6.2 per cent to $22.50 following trading updates from Australias casino operators.

Helping to partially offset those falls, Aurizon added 3.9 per cent to $4.58 following its quarterly update while IAG added 3.3 per cent to $6.27. Woolworths also rose 2.8 per cent to $37.24.
Seoul: South Korean President Moon Jae-in's ruling party won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections, results on Thursday showed, a landslide victory propelled by successes in the country's efforts to contain the coronavirus.

The election was watched around the world as one of the first nationwide votes since the pandemic began.

Officials in Seoul count votes cast in Parliamentary election amid the coronavirus outbreak. Credit:Getty Images

Authorities took stringent safety measures, disinfecting all 14,000 polling stations and requiring voters to wear masks, have their temperatures checked, use hand sanitiser and plastic gloves and maintain a safe distance from others.

Driven by record high participation in early voting over the weekend, turnout was 66.2 per cent, higher than any parliamentary elections held since 1992, according to the National Election Commission.
The Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) required all local drug manufacturing, exporting and importing firms to suspend the export of drugs used in...

Adrenalin 1mg/ml is among 37 types of medicines in the list of drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19. Viet Nam suspended the export of drugs on the list since April 16 to serve the country first.  Screenshot from https://healthvietnam.vn

The Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) requires all local drug manufacturing, exporting and importing firms to suspend the export of drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 from April 16.

On the morning of April 16, DAV sent a letter to all firms that produce, import and export drugs about temporarily stopping the export of COVID-19 medicines.

DAV said the move was to implement the Prime Minister's instruction in Directive No. 15 / CT-TTg dated March 27, 2020 that mobilises all stakeholders in Viet Nam to join the fight against the pandemic.

On April 10, the Government Office also announced PM Nguyen Xuan Phucs instruction that assigned the Ministry of Health to suspend the export of drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 to ensure the supply and reserves of preventive and curative medicines for the country.

The administration also clarified 37 types of medicines in the list of drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19. The drugs are used to under the MoHs Decision No. 941 / QD-BYT and Decision No. 1344 / QQD-BYT in March.

DAV said on its website it would announce when the firms can resume exports later.

Since early February, of the total 268 people who have contracted coronavirus, 171 of those have made a full recovery.  VNS
Ford Motor (NYSE:F) announced a series of executive shuffles on Thursday, as newly minted chief operating officer Jim Farley moved to realign his senior team.

Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford's North America unit, will take on an expanded role overseeing South America and the company's International Markets Group. Galhotra will have profit-and-loss responsibility over most of Ford's global regions outside of China, including a newly created commercial-vehicle unit in the U.S. and Canada.

Galhotra, who previously led an overhaul of Ford's Lincoln luxury brand, will continue to report to Farley.

Lisa Drake, currently vice president of global purchasing, will retain that role and add a new one as chief operating officer of Ford North America, reporting to Galhotra. Her task will be to bring "enhanced focus to product launches, warranty cost reduction and material cost improvements," the company said in a statement.

Ford's 2019 results were hurt by high recall (or "warranty") costs and a problem-plagued launch of the all-new Explorer SUV.

Ted Cannis, who led the Detroit-based "skunk works" that produced the battery-electric Mustang Mach-E, will lead the new commercial-vehicle business in the U.S. and Canada, reporting to Galhotra. Commercial vehicles, long a strength for the company, have become a priority under CEO Jim Hackett's global restructuring plan.

Ford also announced the hiring of Gil Gur Arie, who recently retired from Israel's Military Intelligence Corps with the rank of colonel. He will serve as chief of global data insight and analytics, reporting to Farley. Gur Arie will be charged with leading Ford's big-data and artificial-intelligence efforts, the company said.

All of the changes will be effective as of May 1.
FMCG major Britannia Industries on Thursday said it is now utilising 65 per cent of its installed capacity and is "better poised" to tackle challenges in the extended lockdown period.

In a bid to scale up production quickly, the leading food company said it is focussing on stock availability rather than consumer demand with staple stock keeping units (SKUs) being preferred rather than those SKUs which demand labour intensity in order to optimise limited available manpower.

"While the business dynamics has changed in the last few weeks, we are now better poised to tackle the situation. With close to 65 per cent manufacturing capacity utilisation till now, we have stepped up efforts to address the challenge of inadequate labour in our factories," Britannia Industries Managing Director Varun Berry told PTI.

He was responding to a query on the company's preparedness for the extended lockdown.

Elaborating on the company's strategy, he said, "to optimise on the limited labour permissions obtained, we are focusing on staple SKUs rather than SKUs which demand labour intensity.

Stating that the challenge is to quickly scale up production, Berry said, "the current model is largely based on stock availability rather than on consumer demand."



He said Britannia is also working closely with several state governments such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal "to smoothen our operations there".

While carrying out the operations, Berry asserted that the company is ensuring that its employees are fully protected and are following all safety protocols, including social distancing.

"The wellbeing of our employees is at the centre of all our actions, and every step is being taken to ensure 100 per cent compliance to safety, hygiene and social distancing protocols, he said.

Britannia, which had a revenue of Rs 10,482.45 crore in FY 2018-19, operates 15 manufacturing units in India, which are widely spread in states including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttranchal, Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra.

The government on Wednesday issued new guidelines for the second phase of lockdown and allowed functioning of industrial units located in rural areas from April 20, although all kinds of public transport continue to be suspended and opening of public places are prohibited till May 3.

India is presently going through an unprecedented complete lockdown from March 25, to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
S Senthil Kumar By

Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Though the strain of coronavirus found in bats is completely different from the one found in humans, the recent discovery has triggered panic in many interior areas in the State. Scientists recently found the presence of a coronavirus strain in two Indian bat species commonly found in the Western Ghats.

However, the strain of the virus has nothing to do with COVID-19. The strain causing COVID-19 has not been found in any bat species, the National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed on Wednesday. The findings have brought little comfort to residents of Kittampalayam Pancahayt near Sulur in Coimbatore.

There are a large number of bats living in our village since the past two decades. Now, after the study findings people in our village are worried about transmission of the disease from bats to humans, said the village president VMC Chandrasekar in a letter to the municipal administration and rural development minister SP Velumani.

ALSO READ | Covid spread: Study on bats a wake-up call

We request the district administration to take proper steps to allay fear, he said in the letter also marked to the district collector and local MLA. Wildlife conservation organisation Arulagam, in an extreme step, has blamed the research and its authors for diminishing the importance of personal hygiene by putting the blame on bats. We request such organisations not to publish these studies now, and trigger panic. People may ignore personal hygiene and instead go around killing bats, says S Bharathidasan secretary of Arulagam. Biologist at the Zoological Society of London, Andrew Cunningham, says bats are actually the solution and not the problem.

When bats are stressed out  when they are being hunted or their habitats are damaged  its immune system get challenged. It finds it harder to cope with pathogens that it otherwise may have taken in the stride, says Cunningham. Understanding how bats cope with these pathogens can help us learn how to deal with them if and when it spills over to humans. There are several strains and types of the coronavirus. The common cold, experts say, is also caused by one such virus.
Hundreds of stolen pets have been rescued from an underground abattoir in central China as animal lovers urge the country to ban citizens from eating dogs.

Pictures provided to MailOnline show frightened, wounded and helpless dogs being driven away from the illegal slaughterhouse in the province of Henan this month.

The news comes as more than 137,000 people around the world have lost their lives to the coronavirus, which has been linked to the eating of exotic meat in China.

This picture provided by Humane Society International shows dogs being transported by a lorry on April 3 after being rescued from an underground abattoir in central China this month

A rescuer is pictured petting one of the dogs after they were confiscated by local authorities

Animal activists and volunteers are pictured helping dogs getting off a lorry after freeing them from an illegal slaughterhouse in Henan. A total of 423 dogs, including stolen pets, were saved

Activists have called on Beijing to bar wild animals, as well as dog and cat meat, from the dinner plate after the global outbreak emerged in Wuhan city in December.

A total of 423 dogs, most believed to be stolen pets, were saved in the operation on April 3, according to animal charity organisation Humane Society International (HSI).

Rescuers then transported 25 of the sickest dogs to Beijing to be looked after by an animal shelter jointly operated by HSI and its Chinese partner, Vshine.

The rescue effort took place after police received a tip-off from animal rights activists and pet owners who had lost their dogs and were looking for them.

'This is such a typical story in China, bereft pet parents searching for their lost dogs, animal activist and netizens mobilising to help, and a nightmarish dog slaughterhouse being uncovered in the process,' a spokesperson from HSI told MailOnline.

'It's too early to say if any of the rescued dogs will turn out to be the missing pets being searched for, but the majority of the dogs saved will have once been someone's companion,' she added.

Activists have called on Beijing to bar wild animals, as well as dog and cat meat, from the dinner plate after the coronavirus outbreak emerged in the city of Wuhan in December

Activists and legal experts have in the past proposed animal protection law to ban the eating of dogs and cats completely. But so far, no national legislation has been released to ban pet meat

In February, China banned all trade and consumption of wild animals in response to the coronavirus. Shenzhen and Zhuhai have also banned their residents from eating dogs and cats

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have listed dogs as 'companion animals'

Several groups took part in the operation, including Vshine's partner groups in Henan and Zhengzhou Animal Protection Association.

Assisted by volunteers, the charities worked together to apply pressure on local authorities, urging them to confiscate the dogs.

Staff from Vshine led the negotiations with law enforcement officers and participated in the confiscation.

Animal charity workers are seen carrying some of the rescued dogs off a lorry on April 15

Volunteers give water to some of the rescued dogs, which have been put into separate cages

Those dogs were saved from a slaughterhouse in Henan, central China, this month after police received a tip-off from animal rights activists and pet owners who had lost their dogs

In February, China banned all trade and consumption of wild animals in response to the coronavirus.

Two cities, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, have taken further steps and banned their residents from eating dogs and cats.

Last week, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs excluded dogs from farm animals in a proposal, which could see canine meat being barred from the dinner plate across the country.

The authority said it recognises dogs as 'companion animals' and 'not suitable' to be treated as livestock.

Experts have called the Ministry's proposal 'a significant step in the right direction'.

Volunteers are pictured taking the dog to an animal shelter. Activists have demanded China prohibit the eating of dogs for years, but no law has been passed so far on a national level

One volunteer is pictured providing dogs with water in an animal shelter after the rescue

While no evidence suggests that dogs can spread coronavirus, the global crisis has prompted the international community to press on their demands for China to halt its dog meat trade

Some of the dogs are pictured at an animal shelter after being saved from the dinner plate

Animal rights advocators have demanded the Chinese government prohibit the eating of dogs for years, but no law has been passed so far on a national level.

The annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival is one of the most controversial food festivals in China.

It sees thousands of dogs cruelly killed, skinned and cooked with blow-torches before being eaten by locals on the summer solstice every year.

While no evidence suggests that dogs can spread coronavirus, the escalating global emergency has prompted the international community to press on their demands for China to halt its dog meat trade.

The exact source of the coronavirus remains unclear.

But an investigation carried out by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January showed that the virus was passed onto humans by wild animals sold as food at the market, state media Xinhua reported.

The market traded various live animals, including foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, koalas and game meats, according to the South China Morning Post.

Wuhan officials ordered the market to shut on January 1 in the wake of the outbreak.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:52 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd25aaf1 4 City COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia,virus-corona,PSBB,Greater-Jakarta,satellite-city,commuter-trains,transportation-ministry Free

Regional leaders of Jakartas satellite cities have requested that commuter trains serving Greater Jakarta suspend operations during large-scale social restriction (PSBB), as many residents are still crowding train stations to travel to the capital for work.

Leaders of Bogor regency and city, Depok, as well as Bekasi regency and city, asked commuter line operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) to temporarily stop its services during a meeting on Monday.

They also wrote a letter to state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), the Transportation Ministry and governors of Jakarta and West Java regarding the request.

Such a request was made to make sure that the PSBB policy was effective in curbing COVID-19s transmission, Bogor Deputy Mayor Dedie A. Rachim said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

The Transportation Ministry, however, had yet to decide on the Greater Jakarta commuter train suspension, although the region had been declared a COVID-19 red zone. Spokesperson Adita Irawati said the government was still looking for a solution for workers who were still using the train to go to their workplace in Jakarta.

Read also: Greater Jakarta bans ojek from transporting passengers: Agency

The people need the trains to commute. The central government and local administration must ensure the implementation of work-from-home measures by companies, Adita said on Thursday as quoted by tempo.co.

She added that a Health Ministry regulation on PSBB allowed public transportation services to operate on limited schedules. In addition, the KCI has also reduced the number of trains as well as limited passengers in each car, Adita went on to say.

An epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Pandu Riono, said commuter train services should continue as a suspension could disrupt the operation of vital sectors, including health care and logistics.

Public transport should operate to transport medical workers, military and police personnel as well as other informal and essential workers, he said on Thursday as quoted by Antara.

He added that precautions should be enacted in public transportation, such as a requirement to wear facemasks and physical distancing measures in stations and train cars.

Jakarta imposed PSBB measures starting on Friday, while its satellite cities in West Java began imposing the police on Wednesday.

Tangerang regency and municipality, as well as South Tangerang in Banten are set to enact the restrictions on Saturday.
A Wisconsin mother-of-three is facing charges after an autopsy confirmed that the body of a child found last month in her car is her five-year-old son, who had been missing since last November.

Sagal Hussein, 26, has not been formally charged in her son's death, but is being held on a $500,000 bond on five possible child neglect charges.

Hussein appeared Wednesday in Brown County Circuit Court, where a judge gave the state two weeks to file a criminal complaint, WLUK-TV reported.

Sagal Hussein, 26, is pictured in her March mugshot after her arrest on child neglect charges. An autopsy of a body found last month in Hussein's car has confirmed it is her 5-year-old son, Josias Marquez, missing since late last year

The investigation into five-year-old Josias Marquez's whereabouts began January 26, when a neighbor in Howard reported seeing Hussein's other two young children outside without supervision.

Hussein had said her third child, Josias, who had special needs, was with his father out of state, but officers were unable to confirm that. The boy had not been seen by anyone but Hussein since November 25, officials said.

Due to the inaccuracies in her account and her lack of cooperation, Hussein was arrested on March 30.

A search warrant was issued for her residence in Green Bay and her vehicle, and her son's lifeless body was recovered the next day.

The local district attorney's office said they are waiting for a ruling from the medical examiner on Josias' cause and manner of death to determine whether his mother should face additional charges.

Hussein's mother, Amal Ismal, said she was shocked. Ismal said Josias was born with medical conditions, and was blind and suffered severe seizures.

'What I know is my daughter, Sagal, is that she was a loving mother and she didn't kill her own son and what I believe is it was not her intention to hurt or kill her own child,' Ismal said.

Hussein's other two children are in foster care, and their biological father is trying to have them released to him in California, Ismal said.

Hussein remained in the Brown County jail on Thursday. She is due back in court on April 29.
Australia will not follow the United States lead and pull funding from the World Health Organisation despite widespread criticism of its handling of the pandemic, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has confirmed.

Mr Dutton said it is unlikely Australia will withdraw its $63million annual contribution to the United Nations' agency during a radio interview with 2GB on Thursday.

President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw $513million from WHO following its announcement on Tuesday that wet markets in China would be reopened despite being the suspected source of the COVID-19 outbreak.

But Mr Dutton said while he understands President Trump's decision, a similar move would be disadvantageous for Australia.

'We rely on organisations like the WHO to deliver medical services and support to those on the ground [in developing nations]. Ours is a different perspective,' Mr Dutton said.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) said Australia will not pull its $63 million annual funding to WHO as the nation is reliant on its services

Mr Dutton added that he is 'incredulous' that the WHO would make that recommendation and said Australia should 'call out' such poor advice.

'It's a huge mistake, and they need to reassess what their advice is,' he said.

'If there is some silver lining to a horrible situation it is that there's going to be a reassessment of some of these actions, and I think the public would demand nothing less.'

Mr Dutton's sentiments mirror statements made by Mr Morrison's on Wednesday, who said he sympathised with Trump's scathing criticisms, having aired a few grievances of his own, but would not be following suit.

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands in Beijing on Jan. 28, 2020, ahead of their meeting to discuss how to curb the spread of a new pneumonia-causing coronavirus

'The WHO as an organisation does a lot of important work, including here in our own region in the Pacific, and we work closely with them,' Mr Morrison told Perth's 6PR radio.

'We're not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater here, but they're also not immune from criticism and immune from doing things better.'

The WHO has been spearheading global efforts to fight the virus, but has come under attack for playing along with China as the country sought to minimise its initial outbreak and the threat the disease posed.



Critics point to its uncritical parroting of Chinese government data, early claims that the disease was not spreading person-to-person, and praise for the country's leaders as evidence that it was not fulfilling its role.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been accused of being soft on China, leading to suspicions WHO is in the Communist nation's pocket.

President Trump blasted the international public health advisory for advising against travel bans, which he claims 'accelerated the pandemic all around the world'.

Since the US's decision, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has come under pressure by his own MPs to slash funding to the UN agency, after it was revealed Australia was the eighth biggest voluntary contributor of 71 member countries.

And despite questionable advice from WHO, Australia has managed to gain control of the outbreak from its early stages.

Mr Morrison acknowledged Australia had declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic several weeks before the WHO.

The declaration triggered a range of boosted biosecurity and border security measures to stem the spread of COVID-19.

But even before the crisis had reached pandemic levels, Australia had taken precautions by preventing Chinese visitors and students from entering the country in early February.

Those measures were met with criticism by the Chinese embassy in Canberra which even urged the government to lift the travel restrictions, citing the WHO's recommendations.

The organisation, whose Western Pacific office is based in Manila, works with health authorities in 37 countries across the region, including Australia.

Scott Morrison pointed out Australia had declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic weeks before the WHO. Australia's infection rate has since slowed down

According to its website, the WHO's latest work with the Australian Department of Health is a 'Cooperation Strategy' aimed at improving health in the Western Pacific Region over the next five years.

'This collaboration is underpinned by three key foundations of cooperation: first, WHO contributes to the health of all Australians; second, Australia, facilitated by WHO, contributes to addressing health priorities in the Region and globally, and; third, Australia and WHO work in partnership to promote better health,' the website states.

The size of Australia's voluntary donations to the UN agency, compared with the rest of the world's, are laid bare in WHO financial documents.

The paperwork outlines how each country makes voluntary contributions to the health agency, on top of compulsory fees.

Other rich countries such as France, population 66 million, coughed up $14million in donations and Canada, home to 37.5 million people, paid $41.8million, the documents show.

The United States and the United Kingdom chipped in the biggest voluntary donations with the US paying $AUD436.8million and the UK $318.7million.
Mark Ruffalo has revealed that he lost the leading role in the 2010 hit movie Blue Valentine to Ryan Gosling.

The 52-year-old actor told Variety about missing out on the role of Dean Pereira that Gosling, 39, portrayed opposite leading lady Michelle Williams, 39, as Cindy Heller.

Ruffalo said that Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance, 46, 'tried and failed' to cast him in the role that earned Gosling a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama.

Lost role: Mark Ruffalo, shown in February in Hollywood, has revealed that he lost the leading role in the 2010 hit movie Blue Valentine to Ryan Gosling

Three-time Oscar nominee Ruffalo mentioned the lost casting opportunity while promoting his new HBO mini-series I Know This Much Is True directed by Cianfrance.

He recruited Cianfrance to write and direct all six episodes saying that his 'rough and holy' style would be perfect for the blue-collar story based on the novel of the same name by Wally Lamb, 69.

The Avengers star will portray twins in the upcoming mini-series set to premiere May 10 on HBO and also is an executive producer along with Cianfrance and Lamb.

Ruffalo told Variety that he was working in London in 2015 on Now You See Me 2 when he learned that screen rights to Lamb's novel were again up for option.

Romantic drama: Michelle Williams and Gosling are shown in a 2010 still from Blue Valentine

Leading role: Gosling, shown in October 2018 in Washington, DC, earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Blue Valentine

I Know This Much Is True was published in 1998 and was featured in Oprah Winfrey's Book Club for June 1998.

Ruffalo said he read the novel again in a weekend and then secured a meeting with Lamb.

He pitched it as a limited series and Lamb agreed to give him an option on the rights for three months for little money.

Coming soon: Ruffalo will portray twins in the upcoming HBO mini-series I Know This Much Is True

Ruffalo then successfully brought Cianfrance onto the project.

I Know This Much Is True also will feature Melissa Leo, Rosie O'Donnell, Archie Panjabi, Imogen Poots, Juliette Lewis, Kathryn Hahn and Aisling Franciosi.

Blue Valentine received widespread critical acclaim and Williams was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.
SEVEN HILLS, Ohio -- This morning, I awoke in my comfortable bed, used my remote control to turn on the TV, walked a few feet to my bathroom, got dressed, walked a few feet to my kitchen, turned a knob and got instant flame. I walked over to my sink, where water ran into my cup for my tea. I put a load of laundry in the washing machine with soap out of a bottle. The phone is ringing; a nice visit with my daughter. Later on, I will be taking my car for a drive and when I return, I will walk outside for a while. My groceries will arrive later in the day from the supermarket. I read the morning Plain Dealer on my computer. This is April 7, 2020, in Cleveland, Ohio  a day that I will be self-isolating for a different age in my time.

This morning, my 9-year-old self awoke to the sound of the Nazi soldiers walking up and down the dirt road in my small village in the city of Chania on the island of Crete, Greece. Neither I, nor my parents and brothers, got much sleep last night, as most nights. Around midnight, we are awakened by the drone sound, first slight, then louder and louder, as the Allied planes approach. We all get out of our beds, which are situated at the four corners of the one large, dirt-floor room. Every door in the village opens as all inhabitants are running to the caves, hoping to arrive before the bombs begin their whistling descent. We wait for the sound of the explosion; it comes, the noise of the planes subsides. We do our cross and thank God. This night, the moon is bright as it guides us back to our homes to live another day.

Breakfast will be spare. Dandelion juice from last nights supper; perhaps an egg that was boiled the previous evening. Today, my brothers and I proceed to another village to go to school. School is hardly ever at the same place too long. The Nazis attempt to keep the villagers unsettled so as to not cause any uprisings, or, in many cases, to take over small schoolhouses, has led to the use of very unorthodox places, churches, barns and even grassy knolls, to receive an education. I clutch my piece of slate and a chalk, or, if not chalk, then a soft pebble to use in the classroom. There are no school supplies and certainly no books. Only the teacher has a book that she passes around to us to read.

My mother will be going to the fields to do menial work in the hope that a farmer will be giving her vegetables or even a potato for our supper. She will be picking dandelions, or artichokes to bring home, but first stopping to go to the well to bring water home. My father will be bringing firewood home to light in our little hearth to make supper. From the flame, a small oil lamp will be lit for our evening light and the coals from the fire will keep us warm until bedtime. Mom will take our clothes down to the creek to wash them with a bar of home-made soap that a neighbor has given her. She will drape them over bushes to dry. Many days, when the Nazis are menacing us in the villages, we have to self-isolate so as to not be seen as a menace, to not to let them see that we are Americans (unable to return to the United States, once the war broke out). We have no communication with the outside world. Today is June 12, 1942.

Tess Lekas was born in Cleveland but moved with her family to Greece, where they endured wartime conditions for four years, not just months, which I hope and pray the coronavirus will be. She had to work to overcome the language barrier when they returned to Cleveland, but, once conquered, The Plain Dealer became and still is my daily reading. These days, in noncoronavirus times, Lekas enjoys time with her large family and volunteering at her church.

This essay is part of Coronavirus: My Story: We also want to hear from you. Share your fears, your tips, your insights - or just how its making you feel right now. Did your family experience the 1918 flu pandemic? If so, how is this different? As state begins to look at relaxing some of the COVID-19 restrictions, what are your concerns? We are community. Together, we can get through this. Please keep your essays, poems, graphic art, photographs or other submissions to 650 words or fewer, email to forum@cleveland.com, and include CORONAVIRUS MY STORY in the subject line. Questions? Send an email to Elizabeth Sullivan at esullivan@cleveland.com.

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At least three workers at shuttered meat plants have died of coronavirus as others in the industry warn of perilous working conditions amid the pandemic.

Tyson Foods was forced to suspend operations at a pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa last week, after dozens of employees tested positive for coronavirus.

The company said Wednesday it was 'deeply saddened by the loss of two team members'.

The latest shutdowns show the domino effect that can occur when the closure of a major slaughterhouse removes raw materials that are turned into food for consumers.

As many as half a dozen plants have shut because of outbreaks. Because the workers who slaughter and pack the nation's meat are vulnerable, so, too, is the supply of that meat.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said they are working to reopen the plant by next week after a beef plant in Tama also stopped operations.

The Republican said: 'We're doing all of the above to make sure that we can continue to protect all of our employees but also make sure that we can protect this critical essential infrastructure as well.'

Employees and family members protest outside a Smithfield Foods processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., Thursday, April 9, 2020. To comply with social distancing, they protested from their cars, circling the road outside the factory and honking their horns

Tyson Foods was forced to suspend operations at this pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa this week, after more than 24 employees there tested positive for coronavirus

Chinese-owned meat packing giant Smithfield Foods said Wednesday it had closed two additional plants in the U.S. after coronavirus outbreaks, raising concerns about the American food supply chain.

Smithfield announced the closures of packing plants in Cudahy, Wisconsin and Martin City, Missouri on Wednesday, days after its Sioux Falls, South Dakota plant was indefinitely shuttered.

Smithfield said in a statement that a 'small number of employees' at both the Cudahy and the Martin City plants had tested positive for the virus, without offering further details.

The plant in Sioux Falls reported 518 infections in employees and another 126 in people connected to them as of Wednesday, making it among the largest known clusters in the United States.

A 64-year-old employee who contracted COVID-19 died Tuesday, according to his pastor.

Smithfield's Sioux Falls plant, where 518 employees and 120 of their family members have tested positive for coronavirus, is now closed indefinitely

Kulule Amosa's husband earns $17.70 an hour at Smithfield Foods pork plant doing a job so physically demanding it can only be performed in 30-minute increments. After each shift last week, he left exhausted as usual  but told The Associated Press did not want to go home.

He was scared he would infect his pregnant wife with the coronavirus  so much so that when he pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building, he would call Amosa to tell her he wasn't coming inside.

When he eventually did, he would sleep separately from her in their two-bedroom apartment. 'I'm really, really scared and worried,' Amosa said Monday.

Smithfield CEO Kenneth Sullivan said the closure of the plant, which produces roughly 5% of the U.S. pork supply each day, was 'pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply.'

The outbreak at the plant has also presented a significant test to a governor who has resisted issuing sweeping stay-at-home orders.

As Republican Gov. Kristi Noem was pressed again this week to impose tighter restrictions on Sioux Falls, her response instead was to announce that the state would give wide access to an anti-malarial drug championed by President Donald Trump as a promising treatment for COVID-19, but that has yet to be proven effective.

Noem has fired back, arguing that plant workers were deemed essential and would have been reporting for duty regardless.

Smithfield spokeswoman Keira Lombardo said difficulty in getting masks and thermal scanners led to delays in implementing some safety measures when the plant was open.

But she said last week the plant was adding extra hand-sanitizing stations, scanning employees' temperatures before they entered and installing Plexiglas barriers in some areas.

Six current employees interviewed by the AP who, like Amosa's husband, insisted on anonymity because they feared they would be fired described far more haphazard measures.

They said they were given flimsy masks made of hairnet-like material, hand-washing stations were in disrepair, and there was pressure to keep working even if they felt sick.

One employee told his supervisor on March 30 that he had a fever the previous day, but he was told to report to work and not to tell anyone about the fever. He worked that day, missed the next two and returned when the fever broke, he said.

'No one asked if I went to the doctor, if I was tested,' the employee said.

Lombardo said Smithfield 'fully rejects any claims that employees were pressured to report to work,' calling it 'completely counterproductive' to do so.

Smithfield has said it plans to clean the plant and implement more protections in the hopes of reopening. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control sent a team to the plant this week to examine how it can be safely restarted.

But that may be difficult. Workers say they cannot fathom how butchering lines could be reconfigured to accommodate social distancing.

Meanwhile, Amosa and her husband are both home now  nervously awaiting their first child. But they also have a new worry: His coronavirus test came back positive Tuesday.

Agriculture Secretary says US 'has plenty of food' as the Trump administration aims to buy milk and meat to help farmers Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told a White House briefing Wednesday that America 'has plenty of food'. He added: 'The bare store shelves that you may see in some cities in the country are a demand issue and not a supply issue. 'In the United States, we have plenty of food for all of our citizens.' The Trump administration plans to buy milk and meat from U.S. farmers as part of an initial $15.5 billion effort to help them weather the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, Perdue said on Wednesday. President Donald Trump listens as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue speaks about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House, Wednesday, April 15 The decision comes amid rising pressure from the U.S. farm lobby for government purchases as growers and ranchers struggle to get their goods to market because of disruptions caused by the pandemic, forcing some of them to throw out their supplies. 'We want to purchase as much of this milk, or other protein products, hams and pork products, and move them into where they can be utilized in our food banks, or possibly even into international humanitarian aid,' Perdue said in an interview on Fox Business Network. Pig farmer Mike Ver Steeg from Inwood, Iowa told The Argus Leader the closure of Smithfield Food in Iowa He said: 'Hopefully they can get a few loads here and there to some of their other plants is what I was told. But that's not a guaranteed thing.' Glenn Muller, executive director of South Dakota Pork Producers, added: 'We've totally disrupted our food chain.' Reuters reported on Monday that Department of Agriculture will spend up to $15.5 billion in the initial phase of its plan to bolster the nation's food supply chain against the impacts of the outbreak, the first big push to ensure the pandemic doesn't trigger consumer food shortages. Some dairy farmers have been dumping milk because of a loss of their regular buyers, and laborers and truckers are in short supply to work farms and deliver produce, according to Reuters reporting. On Tuesday, the National Pork Producers Council, which represents U.S. hog farmers, called on the administration to help by purchasing more than $1 billion in pork, and using it to supplement food bank programs facing increased demand due to rising unemployment. Lawmakers and other industry groups have also supported the idea of government purchases of farm goods. Separately on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced an easing of H-2A visa restrictions that it said would make it easier for U.S. agricultural businesses to hire immigrant workers who are already legally in the country. Advertisement

Food industry experts raise distribution fears as workers get sick

Industry experts have said the distribution of food could become a significant issue as workers fall ill with COVID-19.

Kaitlin Wowak told CBS: 'We're seeing so many disruptions across a number of different product categories, particularly meat and dairy products throughout the supply chain.'

Dozens of grocery workers have died as a result of the virus and a now those working in plants and factories are also succumbing.

Julieanne Potts of the North American Meat Institute said: 'We've got to figure out a way to keep operating both for consumers and for producers.'

The meat supply chain is especially vulnerable since processing is increasingly done at massive plants that butcher tens of thousands of animals daily, so the closure of even a few big ones can quickly be felt by customers.

A shopper picks over the few items remaining in the meat section, as people stock up on supplies amid coronavirus fears, at an Austin, Texas, grocery store on March 13

Fast food chains offer free food Taco Bell: Gave away at least a million Doritos Locos Tacos Burger King: Free Whoppers to those answering questions correctly on their social media channels Domino's: Giving away 10 million slices of pizza to essential workers and their families Steak 'n Shake: Free fries to essential workers Advertisement

In addition, conditions at plants can be ripe for exploitation by the virus: Workers stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the line and crowd into locker rooms to change their clothes before and after shifts.

While company owners promise to deep clean their plants and resume operations as quickly as possible, it's difficult to keep workers healthy given how closely they work together.

'There is no social distance that is possible when you are either working on the slaughter line or in a processing assignment,' said Paula Schelling, acting chairwoman for the food inspectors union in the American Federation of Government Employees.

'You could shut multiple plants down for a day or two, and we've got wiggle room to handle that,' said Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University.

'But if you took four or five of those big plants ... and they had to be down for two weeks, then you've got a game changer.'

'It's like people on an escalator. Stopping the pork chain at the top of an escalator is just going to cause all sorts of tragedy and disaster all the way back up the system,' said Dermot Hayes, professor of economics and finance at Iowa State University.
NJ Advance Media, the states largest news organization, said Wednesday it will furlough staff, temporarily reduce most employee salaries and suspend 401(k) contributions, all in response to the mounting economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.

The company, which provides content for NJ.com, LehighValleyLive.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated newspapers, said it will cut employee pay by between 2% to 20% from May through December. The pay cuts will be calculated by a sliding scale, so those earning more will face larger cuts.

In addition, newsroom and production employees also will be required to take one week of unpaid leave before the end of July. Those in other departments will need to take two weeks off without pay. No wage reductions will be made to employees making $35,000 or under.

Steve Alessi, President of NJ Advance Media, said the changes being announced were difficult, but necessary.

Since the crisis began, weve created great journalism that has doubled our audience, Alessi told staff members in an afternoon conference call.

The company did not rush into these decisions, like so many others have. Ultimately, there is no ideal solution for situations like this, he added.

He said there would be no layoffs for the staff of 294 in sales, content and marketing.

The announcement was first made by Caroline Harrison, the CEO of Advance Local, the privately held parent company of NJ Advance Media.

The moves come as countless industries across the country have struggled with the harsh fallout of the pandemic. This impact has been especially great for media companies, which have faced a series of economic challenges since the mid-2000s. Today, publishers are seeing advertising and other revenues vanish  even as more and more of their readers are increasingly depending on them.

Kevin Whitmer, the lead editor for NJ Advance Medias content team, stressed the newsroom, sales and marketing staffs would continue to serve customers and readers.

We understand people need credible and timely news more than ever. We also understand we can be the difference for businesses that need to connect with customers. People depend on us in times of crisis and thats why weve seen our digital audiences double in the past month, said Whitmer, Senior VP for Content, Expansion and Development.

Nationwide, The New York Times has reported roughly 28,000 workers at news companies in the U.S. have been laid off, furloughed or had their pay reduced. Some publications that rely on ads already have shut down.

Earlier this week, The Los Angeles Times said it would furlough some of its employees, and hit some of its editorial employees and managers with pay cuts. BuzzFeed cut salaries in April and May for all U.S. employees making more than $40,000. And McClatchy, whose newspapers include the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, announced it will furlough 4.4% of its employees, lay off four executives and reduce some executive compensation in response to the financial pressures from coronavirus.

Gannett, which owns USA Today and a number of newspapers in New Jersey, cut staff in newsrooms even before the coronavirus surfaced, and has since announced furloughs as well over the next three months to cut expenses during the economic slowdown.

Advance publishes newspapers and operates digital media websites in cities across the country, from Oregon to New Jersey. The companys last big cost-cutting measures hit nearly six years ago, when it imposed significant layoffs nationwide to save on costs. At the time, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated newspapers cut the jobs of 167 staffers  one third of the newspapers non-unionized employees.

Until the pandemic hit, company officials had been upbeat about the future. Harrison had told employees Advance Local was coming off its best year in 2019.

Like every other local news and information company in the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant decline in our revenue," Harrison wrote to staffers on Wednesday. And, just like the vast majority of these companies, it is necessary for us to take some immediate steps to mitigate our losses and protect our long-term viability.

She told employees the company worked to create a fair plan that still provided them with health benefits and income, by avoiding layoffs.

We hope these cost-savings initiatives will be temporary and that, together, we can regain our excellent operational and revenue performance as quickly as possible, she said.

The company will continually monitor its operations and revenue, added Harrison, and will assess in September whether the temporary reductions need to continue throughout the rest of the year.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The global economy is expected to shrink sharply by three percent in 2020 because of the Coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Economic Outlook for April.



In its release copied to the Ghana News Agency, it said this contraction would be much worse than during the 2008-09 financial downturn.



In a baseline scenario that assumes that the pandemic fades in the second quarter of the year and containment efforts can be gradually unwound, the global economy is projected to grow by 5.8 percent in 2021, as economic activity normalises, helped by policy support.



The statement said effective policies are essential to forestall the possibility of worse outcomes and the necessary measures to reduce contagion and protect lives are important investments in long-term human and economic health.



It said since the economic fallout would be acute in specific sectors, policymakers would need to implement substantial targeted fiscal, monetary and financial market measures to support affected households and businesses domestically.



It added that strong multilateral cooperation was essential to overcome the effects of the pandemic internationally including helping financially constrained countries facing twin health and funding shocks and for channeling aid to countries with weak health care systems.



Meanwhile, the IMF has described the global decline as the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s.



It said the pandemic had plunged the world into a "crisis like no other".



The Fund added that a prolonged outbreak would test the ability of governments and central banks to control the crisis.



Gita Gopinath, the IMF's Chief Economist, said the crisis could knock $9 trillion off global GDP over the next two years.



While the Fund's latest World Economic Outlook praised the "swift and sizeable" response in countries like the UK, Germany, Japan and the US, it said no country would escape the downturn.



It expects global growth to rebound to 5.8% next year if the pandemic fades in the second half of 2020.

Source: GNA









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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the media on Thursday (April 16), pledging to eliminate the virus from the country.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER, JACINDA ARDERN, SAYING:

"We have the opportunity to do something no other country has achieved, elimination of the virus. But it will continue to need a team of five million behind it. Under lockdown we've shown our ability to put in place a virtual wall that is breaking the chain of transmission."

New Zealand introduced its highest level 4 lockdown measures last month.

It meant the closure of offices, schools and all non-essential services like bars, restaurants, cafes and playgrounds.

A decision on whether to lift the lockdown is due to be made on April 20.

But Ardern warned many restrictions would remain in place even if the lockdown is lifted.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER, JACINDA ARDERN, SAYING:

"Ultimately, level three is a progression, it's not a rush to normality. Many things will feel the same as they do now. It is not until level two that there is significantly lower risk to public health and where there can be a significant loosening of controls on people's movement, and your ability to socialise with one another."

Under level 3, some people will be allowed to return to work and businesses reopen, if they're able to provide contactless engagement with customers.

New Zealand reported 15 new cases of the disease on Thursday (April 16), taking the total to 1,401.

The nation of about 5 million people has had only nine deaths.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from a young man who killed four people and injured seven others in a mass shooting in northern Saskatchewan.

The shooter, now 22, was two weeks shy of turning 18 when he first killed two brothers at a home in the remote Dene community of La Loche in 2016.

Moments later he opened fire at his school, killing a teacher and a teacher's aide and wounding other staff and students.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree murder and attempted murder and was sentenced as an adult with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal rejected his bid last year to be sentenced as a youth, prompting him to ask the Supreme Court to revisit the ruling.

His lawyer has argued the sentencing judge did not fully consider his low IQ and that he suffers from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, while the Crown has said the shooting displayed sophisticated planning.
Sonora, CA  A woman who allegedly tried to use a forged check at a Sonora business was busted, and sheriffs deputies believe she was also involved in some recent commercial burglaries.

The sheriffs office received a call that a woman tried to use the fraudulent check at Price Co. Foods in East Sonora Wednesday morning. When officials arrived, the suspect, later identified as 43-year-old Stacey Ellak of Jamestown, was spotted exiting the nearby CVS Pharmacy. The Sheriffs Office reports that she saw the deputy and then took off running. She was detained a short distance away.

Deputies later received the stolen check Ellak was attempting to pass. They also searched her purse and car.

The Sheriffs Office reports, The search turned up stolen checks, debit cards, personal identifying information for several victims, burglary tools and suspected methamphetamine. It was also determined some of the stolen property located in Ellaks possession had been stolen during recent commercial burglaries.

Deputies are in the process of returning the property to victims. The investigation is ongoing.
The police have arrested a total of 11 persons including a journalist in connection with the crowd of migrant labourers which gathered in suburban Bandra on Tuesday, officials said.

Mumbai: The police have arrested a total of 11 persons including a journalist in connection with the crowd of migrant labourers which gathered in suburban Bandra on Tuesday, officials said.

The police have registered three cases in connection with the incident so far.

In the first case, registered against the mob of around 800 to 1,000 persons for unlawful assembly, rioting, violation of prohibitory orders during the lockdown, nine persons were arrested on Wednesday.

They were allegedly part of the mob.

In a second offence, police arrested Vinay Dubey, a resident of Airoli in neighbouring Navi Mumbai for `promoting disharmony, enmity or feelings of hatred between different groups'.

Dubey had allegedly posted a video on Facebook and comments on other social media sites, seeking train services for taking stranded laboures to their home states.

In a third case, newschannel journalist Rahul Kulkarni was arrested for `spreading misinformation' over his report that the government was thinking to start Jan Sadharan train services for migrants, which allegedly led to the crowd gathering in Bandra.

Kulkarni and nine others will be produced before a court on Thursday. Dubey has already been remanded in police custody till Tuesday.
Chris Tarrant has said Charles Ingram was 'a rotter, a cad and a bandit', adding he has 'beef' with TV drama Quiz for casting doubt over his conviction.

The former army major and his wife Diana were found guilty of cheating their way to the top prize on ITV game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

A lawyer for the couple said they are planning to appeal against their conviction.

The drama about the scandal starring Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford as the couple, Michael Jibson as co-conspirator Tecwen Whittock, and Michael Sheen as Tarrant, concluded on ITV on Wednesday night.

Asked what he thought of the show, which was written by James Graham, Tarrant told Chris Moyles on Radio X: 'It was very well made wasn't it?

Chris Tarrant (pictured in Birmingham, March 2019) said Charles Ingram was 'a rotter, a cad and a bandit', adding he has 'beef' with TV drama Quiz for casting doubt over his conviction

Charles Ingram (left) with Tarrant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001

'It was actually very well done but it is a drama, it's not factual. So most of those conversations were made up because that's what playwrights do.

'I mean the bottom line is he's a rotter and a cad and a bandit and he was guilty. No question in my mind at all that he was guilty.'

He said his 'beef' was that 'they did a very strange but very convincing defence QC' Helen McCrory, and the 'many things... that they didn't include'.

'Now, in any court of law the prosecution does the last bit and when the major and his wife and Tecwen were on the actual court case, the prosecution guy did the most brilliant sum-up, bringing all the strands in - the coughing and the bleepers and all the stuff - and went to the jury and they went "guilty, guilty, guilty",' he said.

Ingram, his wife Diana (right), and lecturer Tecwen Whittock were found guilty at Southwark Crown Court in 2003 of cheating their way to the top prize (pictured, 2003)

Ingram (pictured) and his wife are planning to appeal against their conviction

'They didn't do that last night at all, they just stopped on her, and you're going 'oh yeah, I think he might be... oh poor bloke, poor little man'.

Tarrant said: 'I think it was - that bit was a bit of production company skulduggery basically. I mean, they wanted you to think "blimey I don't think he was guilty".'

Remembering the night Ingram won in 2001, Tarrant said: 'I've always said, I saw nothing. But the studio that night was like a madhouse.

'People were screaming and gasping just because he was so, you know... he's a serving British Army Major who's on, I don't know, 30k a year, rented accommodation or whatever, and he's going "oh yes 500,000, let's risk it, let's play" and all this and you think: "Why would you do that?"

'The studio was like a madhouse.

'People were screaming, people were coughing everywhere because people always cough in studios so I didn't hear Tecwen. Afterwards I had to sit through the floor squad the next day and go through the tapes and it's like "oh my god, what is going on".'

He added: 'Of course we thought he was guilty, no question. And nothing has changed my mind, to be honest. It (Quiz) was very well done, though.'
Tripoli (AFP) - The forces of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar rained rockets on Tripoli on Tuesday after being ousted by unity government loyalists from a string of strategic towns west of the capital.

The capture Monday of the coastal towns of Sorman and Sabratha and smaller settlements further south was seen as a major blow to Haftar, who in April last year launched an offensive to seize Tripoli.

Sorman and Sabratha lie respectively 60 and 70 kilometres (40 and 45 miles) west of the Libyan capital, about half-way to the Tunisian border.

The oil-rich but poverty-stricken North African country has suffered almost a decade of conflict since longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 uprising backed by several Western powers.

The UN says hundreds have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced in the year since Haftar launched his battle for Tripoli, which quickly ground to a bloody stalemate.

Late Monday, salvo after salvo of rockets began raining down on Tripoli, where the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) is based, and loud explosions could still be heard Tuesday morning and again in the afternoon, AFP correspondents said.

Several homes were hit around Mitiga airbase in the eastern suburbs, the capital's sole and only intermittently functioning airport.

One person was wounded, rescuers said late Monday. No casualty updates have been issued since.

The latest escalation comes as concern runs high over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Libya, where 25 cases and one death have been officially confirmed.

The UN has warned that health services in the country are already fragile and that many hospitals near fighting zones south of Tripoli have been damaged or closed.

Adding to the misery, more than two million residents of areas in and around Tripoli have for the past week been hit by water and power cuts, with the UN accusing "armed groups" of cutting off supplies.

Story continues

- 'Taking out anger' -

Fighting also raged Tuesday south of the capital, a GNA military source said.

The GNA accused pro-Haftar forces of pounding Tripoli in revenge against the civilian population following Monday's losses.

"The criminal militia and mercenaries have taken out their anger on residential neighbourhoods of Tripoli to avenge their defeat, firing dozens of rockets and missiles on the capital indiscriminately," spokesman Mohamad Gnunu said.

The commander of pro-GNA forces, Oussama al-Jwili, late Monday said the operation to capture Sabratha and Sorman was launched after he received information that Haftar fighters were moving west.

The strongman's forces were planning to advance on the city of Zouara near the Tunisian frontier in an attempt to seize it and then advance on the Ras Jedir border post.

GNA forces on Tuesday carried out air strikes on Al-Watiya airbase southwest of Tripoli, a rear base for Haftar forces to which they had retreated following Monday's losses.

Fighting was also raging east of Tripoli, between the cities of Misrata and Kadhafi's hometown of Sirte, a strategic coastal location captured in early January by Haftar forces.

Misrata meanwhile is the hometown of many GNA loyalists.

Days of fighting also continued in the region of Abu Grein, southeast of Tripoli and half-way between Misrata and Sirte.

- Significant victory -

The seizure of Sorman and Sabratha was the GNA's most significant victory since June last year, when its forces retook the town of Gharyan, the main supply base for Haftar's forces southwest of the capital.

Jalal Harchaoui, a Libya analyst at The Hague-based Clingendael Institute, said Monday's setback meant Haftar had lost the entire coast west of Tripoli.

According to Harchaoui, the Turkish-backed GNA forces have in recent week been more "aggressive... on multiple fronts, often successfully".

"High-precision artillery on the ground, Turkish drones and better coordination" were proving a "formidable" combination against Haftar's forces, he said.

Advanced drones supplied by the United Arab Emirates have given Haftar, who also relies on backing from Russia, an advantage in the skies.

Several UN-backed attempts to reach a ceasefire between Libya's two rival forces have failed, and the world body has slammed repeated violations of a 2011 weapons embargo.
The Madras High Court on Thursday



directed the DMK to distribute COVID-19 relief materials to the poor, during the ongoing lockdown, after getting permission two days in advance from authorities concerned.

The special division bench comprising Justices R Subbiah and R Pongiappan directed the party to obtain permission from the Food Safety Officer concerned, 48 hours prior to distribution of essentials to the needy.

It then disposed of the PIL by R S Bharathi, DMK organizing secretary, challenging a communique of the government, restraining political parties, charitable organisations and NGOs from distributing essential items like groceries and vegetables during the lockdown directly without the involvement of state machinery.

The petitioner sought a direction to forbear authorities from in any way interfering with the public welfare measures including distribution of cooked food, groceries, medical kits and so on to the needy in the state during the lockdown.

After hearing the arguments of counsels of the petitioner and the state government, it said, "we are of the view that in the course of distribution of food or other items, the state is wholly justified in imposing certain conditions.

We also do not see any irrationality or arbitrariness in requiring the individual or group of individuals from seeking prior permission from the authorities concerned."



However, the bench refused to accept the condition of the government that the food items should be handed over to the authorities concerned.

The bench also made it clear that given the magnitude of the situation, which the state was presently combating, the organisers or the beneficiaries must strictly adhere to norms with a view to regulating the distribution of food and other items.

As far as distribution of food was concerned, the court said on receipt of such intimation, the food safety officer concerned shall inspect the place where it is likely to be distributed and examine the health condition of the persons engaged in preparation of food as well as its quality before it is served.

"After the officer is satisfied with the norms, the petitioner party can proceed with the distribution of food," it said.

Clarifying that the preparation and distribution of food has to be effected within the zone, in respect of Corporation limits in the city and police station limits in rural areas, the bench said it shall not take place within the areas earmarked as 'hot spots' by the government.

The bench further said that more than three people should not be allowed to travel in a vehicle transporting the food items to the place of distribution and they shall strictly adhere to the preventive measures announced by the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 22:48:48|Editor: huaxia

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ANKARA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey started to release thousands of prisoners starting from Wednesday in a bid to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 among the overcrowded population in the prisons.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supported the bill that paved the way for the release of the 90,000 inmates, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.

Justice Minister Albdulhamit Gul revealed there had been the first outbreak among the prisoners, with a total of 17 confirmed cases including three deaths.

In televised remarks, the minister said all cases were reported at open prisons, where there are usually minimum level of restrictions on the inmate movement. Inmates in these facilities usually serve for light offenses.

"We don't have any cases in other (regular or high-security) prisons," Gul said.

There are about 300,000 jailed in Turkey and the decision aims to reduce the prisoned population by nearly a third.

The government was already working since last year on a prison reform to ease the pressure on the penal system. There are also around 150,000 staff in the prisons at risk of being infected.

Several types of prisoners, including pregnant women, women with young children, the elderly with medical conditions, and those with limited sentences left to serve, will see early release on parole and house arrest.

But those with charges of terrorism, sex offenses or drug-related crimes are excluded.

According to the bill, criminals with less than 10-year jail term will be sent to open prisons for a limited period of time.

Cahit Ozkan, deputy chair of the AKP parliament group, told reporters that the bill oversees regulations in several laws.

"Enforcement is a difficult area to regulate. In this sense, offenses that hurt the public's conscience, such as sexual assault offenses, narcotic crimes, murder in the first degree, violence against women and terrorism offenses have been left out of the scope," he said.

Turkey has imposed a month ago strict measures to curb the spread of the virus, such as closing schools and shops, banning all public gatherings, shutting inter-city and air travels and imposing a mandatory confinement on citizens under 20 and over 65.

According to latest official figures, there were a total of 69,392 cases of COVID-19 and 1,518 deaths due to the virus.

Earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced to extend the full lockdown in big cities located mostly in western regions of Turkey for the upcoming weekend, where most of the people are obliged to stay at home.

The decision is made as the forecasted sunny weather will see large crowds outdoors. Enditem
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed many uncertainties in a variety of industries around the world, including the wine community. The creation, sourcing, and distribution processes that go behind every bottle of wine are now compromised due to delays and limitations in the best interest of global safety.

WTSO, a leading online wine shop, has remained open during this time not only to sustain and uphold the business, but to give customers access to wine that it may not be safe for them to get otherwise. In the interest of transparency, WTSO and COO Justin Kite want to communicate with customers about how they are handling the issue and how the Coronavirus is affecting the world of wine.

When asked how the wine industry is changing amid the virus, Kite noted, Wineries that rely on direct sales through their tasting room or restaurant sales as a major source of revenue have been severely negatively impacted. I'm sure they are now trying to increase their revenue channels of direct-to-consumer shipping and distribution to retailers if possible.

Ultimately, the United States is in somewhat of a waiting game when it comes to wine. The industry heavily relies on events; and with wineries closing and events being cancelled, it is more difficult to uphold the community. However, wine sales themselves will most likely not be struggling -- many retailers are switching to online platforms and delivery, making it easier for enthusiasts to still enjoy different wines from home.

As an exclusively-online wine store, WTSO has been shipping wine to customers for almost 14 years. During this uncertain time, they are taking precautions to ensure cleanliness and health. We developed and launched our current plan of action on March 15. All office employees were sent home to work remotely. Strict guidelines were put in place for all logistics and fulfillment employees that were still reporting for work, Kite said, when asked about how WTSO is handling the situation. We utilized a secondary facility normally used for storage to run parallel with our main facility. This allowed us to split the work staff in half in each location to allow for better distancing. All employees are given protective masks and gloves and everyone in each facility is required to wear them at all times. All work areas and machinery are disinfected multiple times throughout the day, and a cleaning crew is brought in each night for a thorough cleaning.

Due to the high volume of online orders, shipping may be delayed during this time. However, WTSO is still prioritizing quick delivery and free shipping options to support customers and friends who are looking to buy wine online.

Ultimately, Kite adds, The health and safety of our employees is our greatest concern...Thus far we have been extremely fortunate that no one has been ill in either location. If that was to happen, the entire facility would be shut down and any worker there would be subject to quarantine for the requisite amount of time.

While the future of the industry is not clear, WTSO is making the efforts to keep momentum going this trying time and provide online customers with the affordable bottles theyre looking for.

For more information about WTSO and their offerings, please visit wtso.com or call the Customer Service team at 866-957-2795.
Carrie Mathisons very first words on Homeland are: I dont care where he is. Find him. Its urgent.

They are shouted in a tone of unvarnished scorn at her colleagues slowness, lack of insight and imagination. Carrie Mathison, a C.I.A. agent played by Claire Danes, does not mince words. She does not avoid conflict or difficult feelings. In fact, she has bipolar disorder (sometimes untreated, according to story-line needs), so difficult feelings are actually her thing.

Many (dudes, mostly) are put off by her dogged, sawing pursuit of truth, and distrust the instincts born behind her beautiful spinning eyes. They are always institutionalizing her, always wrong, and she is always getting out of the institution to prove it. She is also a single mother.

Bottom line: Carrie Mathison has her hands full, and never goes anywhere without her cross-body bag.
MILFORD  The city will allow a 90-day, interest-free deferment of taxes for individuals and businesses that have been financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Mayor Ben Blake.

We chose to implement the tax deferment program because it provides the most economic relief to our residents, Blake said. By deferring taxes due for upwards to 90 days, we are allowing residents a greater opportunity to help financially recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Ned Lamonts Executive Order 7S on April 1 allows municipalities to establish one of two tax deferment programs before April 25.

The Board of Aldermen held a special session April 6.

Thirteen of the 14 board members were remotely connected and unanimously determined, after recommendations from Blake, acting Tax Collector Cory Gumbrewicz and City Attorney Jon Berchem, that tax deferment was the best option.

The other plan was a low-interest program on taxes that were delinquent.

The tax deferral program will apply to real estate, motor vehicle and sewer charges or assessments that otherwise would be due March 10 to July 1 and allows for a 90-day deferral without interest or penalty.

The entire audio portion of the meeting can be found on the Milford web site. It was a special meeting so there was no public comment.

Most of the meeting was spent on the COVID-19 situation, and the city response to it, with both Blake and Dr. Deepa Joseph, director of the Health Department, speaking. All board members had an opportunity to question Blake and Joseph.

The other item on the agenda was approving an agreement with the University of New Haven for Milfords first responders to self-quarantine on the UNH campus in West Haven if they have been exposed to, but had not tested positive for, COVID-19.

Residents who wish to apply for the tax deferment program can visit the Milford Tax Collectors website  https://www.ci.milford.ct.us/tax-collector  or call 203-783-3217 for an application.

Questions regarding when interest begins to accrue or whether it is retroactive to the original due date are on the application. Residents are encouraged to speak with the Tax Assessors Office with individual concerns. The program only applies to those who dont pay taxes through an escrow account.

william.bloxsom@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @blox354
PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Luxury products maker LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMHF.PK, LVMUY.PK) Thursday reported first-quarter revenues of 10.6 billion euros, down 15% compared to the same period last year. On an organic basis, revenues were down 17%. The company said that it has 'proven its ability to be resilient in an economic environment disrupted by a serious health crisis that has led to the closure of stores and manufacturing sites in most countries in recent weeks, as well as the suspension of international travel' All business groups reported revenue decline, with Wines & Spirits down 13%, Fashion & Leather Goods down 9%, Perfumes & Cosmetics down 18%, Watches & Jewelry slipped 24% and Selective Retailing plunged 25%. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Without the ambulances and the on-call medical assistance, most of the systems have lost their revenue. So that these hospitals remain fully functional during the pandemic, they have furloughed staff to cut costs.

Meanwhile, in southern New Mexico, hospitals have done the same in an effort to sustain most expenses with the fallout. Two patients at Artesia General Hospital died mid-March, both of whom were positive for COVID-19.

Furloughed Staff in New Mexico

Particularly, Mountain View Regional Medical Center and Group said in a statement that they furloughed over 1,500 health workers, 67 from the hospital, and 1,500 from the group. This was done where the health services were cut to compromise for available resources.

The remaining staff, the likes of the officers in the hospital, are to accept salary reduction by 10 percent. Furloughed staff began their leave on April 8, while some on April 10.

The hospital is said to be somewhat in an experimental stage in its operations, where schedules are changed continuously, and staff is reassigned to other departments.

On the other hand, the Memorial Medical Center has announced laying off 125 of its medical staff, where most of the layoffs are of employees from nearly all departments. The Las Cruces Sun-News adds in the report that this temporary leave is set to last for 60 days.

A member of the medical team in the MMC explained that while the hospital is open for some forms of emergencies and procedures, it has seen the reduction of staff. During the pandemic, the volume of patients has decreased, which deducts inconveniences for their part. The representative adds that "when there are fewer patients, less staff are needed."

Last March 27, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham banned specific regular medical procedures from saving PPEs. According to MMC, they anticipated the need for the preservation of medical gear. They so started postponing and rescheduling appointments that involved the procedures as early as almost two weeks before.

Check these out!

Healthcare Loses 43,000 Jobs in the U.S.

Based on the report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare declined by 43,000, with job losses in offices of dentists, physicians, and other health care practitioners.

This is a stark contrast when compared with the data from one year prior, where it has grown by 374,000. The job report shows how the pandemic has created a crisis on the economic downturn.

Due to the costs of COVID-19 care, hospital finances are at an all-time high. Much like any other businesses that provide services, healthcare workers are also profoundly affected by the pandemic financially at a tremendous scale that has not been observed since the 1990s.

However, once the crisis has resolved, which will likely require a few more months, there is a very high likelihood of a surge in the demand for healthcare workers.
A gang has been caught on camera using a digger to rip a cash machine containing nearly 80,000 from a village shop.

The digger, which was stolen from a nearby farm, was used to smash down the wall of the Co-op store in Debenham, Suffolk, causing 30,000 of damage.

Three members of the gang leapt through the hole and put straps around the cash machine so that the digger could yank it outside over the rubble.

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The digger, which was stolen from a nearby farm, was used to smash down the wall of the Co-op store in Debenham, Suffolk. One of the thieves is pictured above

It was hoisted into the back of a Ford Transit before the gang fled with it just after 3.30am on November 12 last year.

But a tracking device revealed to police that the machine containing 78,420 had been taken 13 miles to a disused barn at Syleham near Eye, Suffolk.

Officers were driving down a country lane on their way to the barn at 4.05am when a stolen red Audi S4 estate was driven driven towards them by members of the gang.

The driver tried to do a U turn in the narrow road but ended up crashing into a hedge as police rammed into the car and hemmed it in.

The stolen digger is pictured being used to knock the wall down. It was hoisted into the back of a Ford Transit before the gang fled with it just after 3.30am on November 12 last year

The two men in the front jumped out and ran across a field into the darkness, leaving accomplice Jesse Gatehouse, 30, trapped in the back seat.

Gatehouse of Colchester, Essex, was arrested as officers, assisted by a dog unit, searched in vain for his accomplices.

The white Transit van was found nearby around ten minutes later, with the cash machine and its contents still inside.

Gatehouse was charged with the burglary of the store and remanded in custody in prison.

The two men in the front jumped out and ran across a field into the darkness, leaving accomplice Jesse Gatehouse, 30, pictured above, who was trapped in the back seat

He was visited in jail by Suffolk Police's Operation Converter unit, which allows defendants to admit otherwise unsolved crimes to be taken into consideration when sentenced.

Gatehouse admitted he had a role in stealing the Audi two week earlier from a house in Danbury, Essex, and stealing the Ford Transit and teleloader digger in the hours before the ram raid.

The Ford transit van was stolen from outside the village hall in Bures St Mary, Suffolk, and had its roof ripped off to accommodate the cash machine while the teleloader was taken from a farm near Debenham.

He also admitted talking part in a raid when a stolen Land Rover Defender was reversed into the front of a SPAR shop in Glemsford, near Sudbury, Suffolk, just before 2.45am on November 4, although nothing was stolen.

Gatehouse was jailed for 52 months at Ipswich Crown Court after he admitted charges of burglary, attempted burglary, vehicle theft and criminal damage.

Judge David Goodin told him: 'As commercial burglaries go, they don't come much more serious.'

Russell Butcher, prosecuting, said the offences took significant planning and were aggravated by their impact on the community.

Kelly Fernandez-Lee, defending, said Gatehouse had been very co-operative with detectives, despite his reluctance to name his accomplices.

She said the father-of-three played a subordinate role in the raids and was genuinely remorseful.

Detective Inspector Matt Adams of Suffolk Police said after the hearing: 'It will come of great reassurance to local businesses to see Jesse Gatehouse locked up for the foreseeable future and it is only because of his early guilty plea and engagement with the Op Converter team, that he avoided a sentence of more than seven years in prison.

'The prompt arrest and conviction of Gatehouse was made possible by the fantastic police response on the night of the ram raid in Debenham.

The ram raiders were caught on camera using a digger to rip a cash machine containing nearly 80,000 from a village shop

'Not only were local officers involved with the search for the offenders, but they were assisted by colleagues from the Roads and Armed Policing Team - who brought the Audi to a stop - and also the Police Dog Unit.

'Although the other two offenders evaded capture that night and remain at large, our efforts to identify and locate them continue. However, the positive outcome of that night was that at least one of the offenders was caught and the cash machine was located with the money still inside.

'Crimes like this leave a trail of destruction and numerous victims in their wake; from the people who have their vehicles stolen and often written-off through misuse; to the tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage caused to the buildings.

'This usually results in the shops having to close for a period of time, losing the business further income and denying many residents the use of a vital local amenity.

'The great work of the Op Converter team means that Gatehouse has now admitted his involvement in seven offences in total, rather than just the one he had been charged with, and so I hope this provides the other affected parties some degree of satisfaction.

'We still have other criminals to bring to justice in connection with these offences and so I would urge anyone who knows anything that could assist our enquiries to come forward.'

Anyone with any information is asked to contact East CID at Lowestoft Police Station, quoting reference number 68441/19.
T he number of confirmed coronavirus case in the UK today reached 100,000 as the death toll among Covid-19 hospital patients rose to 13,729.

The Department of Health said that 327,608 people have been tested for the virus, of which 103,093 had tested positive, as of 9am on Thursday.

That reflects the number of cases confirmed since the outbreak began. The majority will have recovered since testing positive.

The death toll, up by 861 from the day before , relates to fatalities recorded across hospitals in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as of 5pm on Wednesday.

The figure will differ from the total number of deaths recorded by the four individual NHS bodies.

Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images

Earlier today, NHS England said a total of 12,396 Covid-19 related deaths had now been recorded in hospitals in England, an increase of 740.

In Scotland, 779 people were said to have died after contracting the virus, after 80 new deaths were recorded.

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In Wales, the total rose by 32 to 495, while there were 18 newly-recorded deaths in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 158.

Of the 740 new deaths announced by NHS England today, 151 occurred on April 15, 314 occurred on April 14 and 122 occurred on April 13.

The figures also show 143 of the deaths took place between April 1 and April 12, and the remaining 10 deaths occurred in March, with the earliest new death taking place on March 9.

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The NHS release updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals, often including previously uncounted deaths that took place several days or even weeks ago.

This is because of the time it takes for deaths to be confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19, for post-mortem examinations to be processed, and for data from the tests to be validated.

The figures published today by NHS England also show that April 8 currently has the highest total for the most hospital deaths occurring on a single day  782  although this could change in future updates.

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Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus-related deaths announced at a single NHS trust so far has passed 500.

As of 5pm on April 15, the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust had announced 505 deaths, according to figures from NHS England.

This is the highest number for any trust in England.

Two other trusts have announced between 300 and 400 deaths.

They are London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (350) and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (348).

A further six trusts have announced between 200 and 300 deaths.

It comes as Downing Street confirmed that a review will take place into why people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds appear to be disproportionately affected by coronavirus.

NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures 1 /33 NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital via Reuters Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Medical equipment is labelled and prepared for use by NHS staff at the ExCel centre PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Medical equipment is labelled and prepared for use by NHS staff at the ExCel centre in London PA Natalie Forrest, Chief Operating Officer of the Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel centre PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA AP The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Work being carried out at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Work being carried out at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Worker at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA

The PMs spokesman said the NHS and Public Health England would take the lead in reviewing the evidence.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast:
Switzerland is one of the main foreign investors of Ukraine, having invested more than USD 1.7 billion in the countrys economy, Ukrainian Ambassador to Switzerland Artem Rybchenko has said.

As of January 1, 2020, the Swiss Confederation was one of the five leading investing countries in the Ukrainian economy. Swiss investments amounted to USD 1.715 billion, which was 4.8% of the total amount of invested foreign capital, Rybchenko said in an interview with Ukrinform.

In particular, in 2019, Swiss investments grew by USD 163 million, or 10.5%.

The largest volume of Swiss investment went into industry (60%). Several world-famous Swiss enterprises operate in Ukraine, including Nestle SA, Sandoz AG, Philip Morris International, F. Hoffman la Roche, Geberit International AG, Sika AG, Novartis Pharma AG, Syngenta AG, Hilti (Schweiz) AG, Ferrexpo AG, Glas Trosch AG, Acino AG, Calyx Capital Advisers.

Among the success stories, the ambassador named the investment of the Swiss company Geberit International AG in its own production in Ukraine in the amount of USD 50 million.

In general, after the crisis of 2014-2015, there has been an improvement in the business and investment climate in Ukrainian-Swiss relations, the diplomat said.

In 2019, the total volume of bilateral trade reached a record level of USD 3 billion. Exports from Ukraine for the first time exceeded USD 1 billion, while imports amounted to USD 1.8 billion.

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Woolworths has lifted buying restrictions on in-demand products as coronavirus panic-buying finally begins to slow down.

Customers will no longer be restricted to only buying two serves of certain pasta, long life milk, canned vegetables and legumes.

'With shopping habits beginning to return to more regular levels and product availability getting better and better every day, limits were lifted on the products yesterday,' a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.

CEO Brad Banducci was forced to introduce buying limits on basically every in-store item on March 18 as hysteria surrounding COVID-19 encouraged people to buy up certain products in bulk.

Shelves were stripped bare across the nation as people stocked up in fear of a coronavirus lockdown

Stores were forced to introduce customer limits and buying limits to keep shelves stocked

But he said last week spending habits finally appeared to be stabilising.

'Demand for toilet paper finally appears to be tapering, with this week's sales expected to be around 15-16 million rolls,' Mr Banducci said.

'That's still 45 per cent up on last year, but with supply up 70 per cent on last year, there is increasingly more on-shelf.'

Supermarkets throughout the nation have been scrambling to increase supply from manufacturers to keep up with the demand.

And while Woolworths is starting to get on top of the frenzy, Mr Banducci discouraged people from using it as an opportunity to begin stockpiling again.

Pictured: One man took extra precautions before shopping in Woolworths amid the coronavirus pandemic by wearing full protective gear

People are seen queued up outside a Woolworths in Melbourne before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

'Like every week so far, I'd still ask you to only buy what you need,' he said.

Baby care items, excluding wet wipes, are also no longer restricted.

Buying limits remain in place for flour, dried pasta, rice, pasta sauce and toilet paper for the foreseeable future.

On April 3, Coles lifted restrictions on all meat products and fresh milk.

Coles Meat General Manager Charlotte Gilbert said the supermarket had worked with farmers to double meat supplies in the two weeks prior to lifting restrictions as Australians continue to stock up at unprecedented rates.

A man wears a face mask at a checkout in a Woolworths supermarket in Coburg, Melbourne to slow the spread of COVID-19

People are seen queued up outside an Aldi store before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

'We have seen demand for meat increase astronomically as customers need to cook at home more often, with over 5 million packs sold over the past four weeks,' Ms Gilbert said.

The Australian government has indicated it will look at slowly loosening restrictive social distancing measures in some parts of the nation if the curve continues to flatten.

But the government wants a sustained period of low transmission and has made clear the hard border closures will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

There are current 6,449 known cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 63 deaths.
Carolyn Sandler wouldnt classify herself as a small business owner. Her Parkdale tattoo parlour, Makara Tattoo Shop, is smaller than that.

Sandler classifies the shop as more of a micro-business. Alongside 11 other women-led micro-businesses in Parkdale, Sandler is calling for a commercial rent freeze that could free up resources and help them survive the closures forced by COVID-19.

Watching Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing a bailout package aimed at helping small businesses endure the current economic freeze, Sandler realized she didnt see herself represented in the plan.

I didnt feel like I was seen as  a microbusiness business owner. I cant even say small business because were just so tiny, she told the Star Thursday. While Trudeau announced an expanded small-business loan package Thursday morning that would offer relief for businesses with a payroll between $20,000 and $1.5 million, that still doesnt stretch far enough to offer Sandler and others like her relief.

Trudeau also says a program is coming to help businesses cover rents for at least three months, but the details will need to be worked out with the provinces and territories.

I felt like what (Trudeau) was talking about in terms of health and relief for the small businesses didnt include what I was doing with my life in terms of my business, she said, speculating that without support she would be able to hang on for only a month or two more.

Knowing there were other female-identifying store owners in her neighbourhood that were in the same boat, Sandler got to work organizing. I knew in Parkdale, there is a very, very strong community of female-identifying business owners, she said. Its like everybody that I know that owns a small shop is female-identifying.

Taking a strength in numbers approach, the collective has teamed up to advocate for rent relief for smaller microbusinesses. They will be submitting an open letter to get the message out that there are many businesses left behind by federal plans.

Bhutila Karpoche, MPP ParkdaleHigh Park, explained that the provincial NDP has put out a plan called Save Mainstreet in hopes of preserving small businesses at risk of closing. The plan calls for a 75 per cent commercial rent subsidy, up to $10,000 per month for the next three months, as well as a freeze in utility payments, a grace period for auto insurance, and a designated emergency fund for small businesses and entrepreneurs who have traditionally faced historic barriers in accessing capital, Karpoche said.

Karpoche said it was really awful to hear that Sandler and businesses like hers didnt qualify for the support they needed. The option for them was to basically shut down or go into deeper debt by taking loans, which they were not in a position to do, she said. There are so many businesses that are so worried about how are they going to survive, because theyre not able to make rent. And so I think its very important that we provide supports now.

For Sandler, the small businesses that line the west-end neighbourhood are what make Parkdale fantastic. Preserving shops like hers would help to keep the neighbourhood unique. Were not riddled with H&M and Starbucks and big box stores. Were these really tiny mom-and-pop shops that everybody knows everybody.  Its very community driven.

Read more about:
WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

India to use SAARC COVID-19 emergency fund to send anti-malarial drug to Afghanistan

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The hydroxychlorquine tablets for Afghanistan will be sent from the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund which was set up following the suggestion made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.

India will be sending 5 lakh tablets to Afghanistan. The fund it may be recalled was created with an initial corpus of USD 10 million from India. Other SAARC members have also contributed towards the fund.

Pakistan pledges USD 3 million to SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund

Officials tell OneIndia that the tablets would reach soon and the option of using third party planes are being explored. India has already made deliveries to Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. On why the drug will not be sent to Pakistan, the official said that the country has claimed that it has enough supply of medicines.

The anti-malarial drug has shown positive results in some coronavirus cases. This has boosted the world wide demand for the drug. India has allowed the pharma companies to export the drug to friendly nations as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

During the virtual SAARC conference held last month, PM Modi had said that the fund would be financed by voluntary contributions from all members. Pakistan which contributed USD 3 million was the last SAARC nation to make the pledge.

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Story first published: Thursday, April 16, 2020, 11:39 [IST]
Press Release

16 April 2020

HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee - Showing further COVID-19 impact, the Canadian hotel industry recorded steep year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 5-11 April 2020, according to data from STR.

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In comparison with the week of 7-13 April 2019, the industry reported the following:

Occupancy: -81.2% to 12.0%

Average daily rate (ADR): -33.8% to CAD101.34

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -87.6% to CAD12.17

Among the provinces and territories, Quebec experienced the largest drop in occupancy (-90.5% to 6.2%), which resulted in the steepest decrease in RevPAR (-93.8% to CAD6.38).

Ontario reported the steepest decline in ADR (-38.6% to CAD101.13).

Among the major markets, Montreal recorded the largest decrease in RevPAR (-94.6% to CAD6.63), due to the largest decline in occupancy (-91.1% to 6.4%).

Toronto registered the steepest drop in ADR (-41.1% to CAD118.96).
There are many people who are attached to their vehicles but taking the car along to the grave might seem a bit too much. South African politician and businessman Tshekedi Pitso was buried inside his favourite car, a Mercedes Benz. Pitso was dressed in a white suit with his hands on the steering wheel of the Benz and seatbelt buckled when he was lowered into his grave.

Images of people tucking him inside the car and then covering it with a satin white cover and bouquet have been going viral since the day of the funeral.

The unusual coffin saw several people gathered at the burial site despite the lockdown in place due to the coronavirus outbreak.

According to OccupyGh.com, Pitso bought the car, a 1980s E500 Mercedes Benz, two years ago, adding it to his fleet of Mercedes vehicles.

Pitso belonged to the United Democratic Movement (UDM). Fellow UDM leader and South African Member of Parliament Bantu Holomisa tweeted that he was unable to attend Pitsos funeral because of safety restrictions.

Another politician Mfundo Nqata Bongela wrote a long tribute to Pitso, who, according to him, was a flamboyant character until death.

Farewell Mr Tshekede Buffon Pitso.. Jozana A/A in Sterkspruit will never be the same again. A flamboyant character until... Posted by Mfundo Nqata Bongela on Saturday, March 28, 2020

Im [not] surprised that u asked to be taken to your final resting place in your favourite Mercedes Benz, he added.

Pitsos niece Sefora (Pitso), 49, told the news portal that while the family was shocked at his unusual demand, they fulfilled his last wish. My uncle made it clear that he wanted to be buried inside his car. He was a lover of Mercedes Benz and as a family, we had to grant him his wish, she said.

Also Watch:
Soar with the peregrine, be gripped with passion for the Cairngorms and marvel at how trees secretly communicate with each other  all from the comfort of your armchair with the very best in nature writing.

Perfectly still water at sunset at Loch Morlich, Glenmore Forest, Cairngorms National Park

The Peregrine

by J.A. Baker

Wherever he goes, this winter, I will follow him. I will share the fear, and the exaltation, and the boredom, of the hunting life . . . My pagan head shall sink into the winter land, and there be purified.

The extraordinary and mysterious J.A. Baker lived in a council flat in Essex, was hardly known outside a small circle of friends, and died back in 1987  yet his cult book about the peregrine is one of the greatest nature books of the 20th century.

Watching it soar and swoop, Baker feels beached and dry and clothed and inglorious in comparison. Like the hawk, I heard and hated the sound of man, that faceless horror of stony places . . . I felt the same strange yearning to be gone.

When you learn that the author was desperately short-sighted and crippled with arthritis, his yearning to be a bird becomes ever more moving. Utterly unique.

A peregrine falcon, also known as the peregrine and the duck hawk, pictured flying in the air

Wilding

by Isabella Tree

Isabella Trees huge bestseller is subtitled The Return Of Nature To A British Farm, and its a magical account. She and her husband Charlie own a 3,000-acre estate called Knepp in Sussex.

Which all sounds very agreeable  except that however they tried to farm it, struggling against that heavy Wealden clay, they couldnt turn a profit.

So they simply let it go and allowed nature to take charge. Result: a staggering explosion in wildlife that amazed even the experts. For instance, without their even specifically trying, Knepp soon became the largest breeding colony in the UK for our most magnificent butterfly, the Purple Emperor. A marvellous and uplifting story of natures recovery.

Crow Country

by Mark Cocker

One of our finest naturalists and writers, Mark Cocker sets out to learn more about our most commonplace and often unloved of birds: rooks, crows and jackdaws.

What he discovers offers a magical insight into the lives of these highly intelligent birds with their complex societies. At one rookery, hundreds gather every night at exactly 26 minutes past sunset, to engage in a ritual fly-past and mass cawing that goes back deep into the past.

Can we ever understand it? Read the book and find out.

The Natural History Of Selborne

by Gilbert White

Thanks to the delightful curate of Selborne, the Rev Gilbert White (1720-1793), its fair to say that this little corner of Hampshire possesses an historical record of nature and wildlife like nowhere else on earth.

One of our great parson-naturalists  a distinctively British species  White was incorrigibly curious (though he wished he was better informed with regard to ichthyology) and a brilliant observer. He noted the first appearance of swallows on March 9 one mild year, was the first to accurately describe the tiny harvest mouse (which weighs the same as a 20p piece), and distinguish the chiffchaff bird from the willow warbler. An inexhaustible delight to this day.

Nature Cure

by Richard Mabey

A personal favourite of mine is the great Richard Mabeys Food For Free, a wild food-foragers bible.

Nature Cure is very different, a compelling account of his struggle with depression  a state of melancholy and senselessness that were incomprehensible to me  and how his love for the countryside saved him.

It is also a book of profound importance. He suggests that modern humanity, divorced from natures rhythms and consolations, suffers from a permanent disconnect and depression, as he did when he lay in bed unable to move, adrift in some insubstantial medium, out of kilter with the rest of creation.

It didnt occur to me at the time, but maybe that is the way our whole species is moving.

A record of personal triumph, and powerful warning.

A red squirrel pictured eating a nut in a forest in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland

The Hidden Life Of Trees

by Peter Wohlleben

The author is a forester working in the Eifel Mountains on the German-Belgian border  and he adores trees. The more he learned about their lives, the less he wanted to cut and bully and spray them, the more he just wanted to tend them.

And here he shares his astonishing knowledge of how natures giants feel, smell and communicate. A forest of trees is connec-ted through a wood-wide web of roots and fungal filaments. They exchange information, send out warning signals about predatory insects, nurture sickly trees among them. Mother beech trees feed their own children  literally  while making sure that they dont grow up too fast. One of those books that completely changes the way you see the world.

Next time you step into a wood, and sense the trees are somehow aware of your presence . . . they are.

H Is For Hawk

by Helen Macdonald

A memoir of one woman and her bird of prey, a mighty goshawk  but so much more. Helen Macdonald was eaten up with grief and anger when her father died suddenly in a London street, and turned to training goshawks, to solitude and wild places, for escape and healing.

She wanted to be like the bird itself, solitary, self-possessed, free from grief. But becoming as wild and free as a hawk comes at a human price.

A strange, obsessive, highly literary and utterly original work.

Meadowland

by John Lewis-Stempel

The English meadow is one of the most amazing, precious, buzzing and brimmingly alive of landscapes  and now, tragically, one of the rarest.

Lewis-Stempel is a fine military historian and working farmer in Herefordshire, as well as a devoted naturalist. And his portrait of an English meadow is sublime.

He has said that Cabinet meetings ought to be held in an English meadow in May  then our leaders might actually learn about what really matters. There is no wealth but life.

Hes a marvellous writer, and funny, too: he points out that yellow meadow ants arent really yellow  they are the ginger colour of tea made by grandmas.

The Old Ways

by Robert Macfarlane

Robert is one of the finest of the new crop of younger nature writers, and The Old Ways is a brilliant exploration on foot of the wildness and mystery right under our feet. For what he calls The Old Ways are the sunken lanes and sea paths, the drove roads and hollow ways of Britain, along with a few ventures abroad.

Chapters titled Snow, Gneiss or Limestone, suggest his intense sensitivity to landscape and the natural surroundings as he makes his way through the world, and he writes beautifully, too.

The Living Mountain

by Nan Shepherd

The Cairngorms once stood as high as todays Alps, born of fire, carved by ice, and remain Britains wildest of wild places, a sub-arctic plateau where winter winds can blow at 170mph.

The remarkable Nan Shepherd (1893-1981) walked them and loved them with a fierce passion and this is her testament  a nature book so original and gripping that it has inspired other nature writers ever since.

She loves the Cairngorms as a place of stars and mountains and light . . . that does nothing, absolutely nothing, but be itself. However often I walk on them, these hills hold astonishment for me. There is no getting accustomed to them. A timeless classic.

The Shepherds Life

by James Rebanks

The hard-scrabble daily lives of British farmers are nowadays very distant from most of us who buy and eat their produce via the supermarket.

So Cumbrian shepherd James Rebanks hit publishing gold with his beautifully written account of what life is actually like, looking after his Herdwick sheep on the Lakeland fells of his native Matterdale. And its frequently a very tough life indeed: he endures the foot-and-mouth slaughter for one thing, not to mention the relentlessly challenging weather.

An eye-opening and unforgettable portrait of an ancient way of life. You can follow him on Twitter too, at herdyshepherd1, currently full of photos of new-born lambs.

Tarka The Otter

by Henry Williamson

This is one of those classic childrens books thats also much, much more. Like its close cousins Watership Down and the Duncton Wood series by William Horwood, its also a precise and scintillating portrait of British nature and wildlife.

By some miracle, it conveys to the reader what it might actually feel like to be a young otter roving the Two Rivers of the Taw and the Torridge in Devon.

Henry Williamson went through the hell of the trenches in World War I, and emerged mentally scarred for life. Like many such survivors, he turned to the peace of his native countryside for psychological healing  and created an all-time classic.

Political biographies

by Tony Rennell

Follow our leaders: Former British Prime Minister and Tory leader Margaret Thatcher

Winston Churchill giving the 'V for Victory' salute. Pictured on 10 November 1942

The Benn Diaries

by Tony Benn

Dyed-in-the-wool socialist Tony Benn reneged on his aristocratic background to become the Lefties Lefty  committed, uncompromising, disruptive and a constant pain in the backside for moderate Labour leaders like Wilson and Callaghan. Jeremy Corbyn was a devoted disciple who was inspired by him.

Benn was in the vanguard of the often vicious struggle in the Labour Party between its Right-wing and Left-wing factions but always remained the perfect gentleman  robust in his argument but never rude. Drinking gallons of tea and puffing on his pipe, he wrote up his diary every night.

It runs to thousands of pages but is unfailingly fascinating as an insight into modern British politics.

Margaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography

by Charles Moore

A masterpiece of political biography, Moores three volumes capture the mind and intricate personality of she who, love her or loathe her, steered a sinking Britain in a new direction. Her decade of achievements in No 10 are still the yardstick by which her successors are judged.

Sixteen years in the making and prodigiously researched  through unrivalled access to her papers as well as interviews with 600 people  this authorised biography is a triumph of fair-minded reporting.

The authors Tory beliefs do not cloud his take on her as he plots her extraordinary rise from the bright young thing in Grantham, Lincolnshire, to the highest office in the land  and then the sadness of her descent into redundancy, betrayed by the lesser mortals in her Cabinet. Hugely readable.

Harold Macmillan

by Alistair Horne

Politics can be a lonely business, and there is no better illustration of this than Harold Macmillan, the Youve never had it so good Prime Minister who presided over Britains economic recovery in the late Fifties and early Sixties.

Hailed as Supermac, on the surface he personified strength of purpose. But what drove him  as Alistair Hornes biography revealed shortly after his death  was his unhappy private life. His wife Dorothys infidelities, notably with the louche, bisexual Lord Boothby, were the grit in the oyster that propelled Macmillan  a man happiest on the grouse moor or settled in an armchair with a Trollope novel  to pursue his political career with ruthless determination.

Perceptive and poignant.

Churchill

by Roy Jenkins

There are shelf on shelf of books about every aspect of Winston Churchills life, but for a one-volume summation (and even thats close to a thousand pages) Roy Jenkins biography takes some beating.

The urbane Jenkins, a former Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer, writes with the smoothness and depth of one his favourite clarets as he explores the idiosyncrasies, the indulgences and the occasional childishness of Churchill while concluding that his genius and tenacity made him the greatest human being every to occupy 10 Downing Street.

Citizen Clem

by John Bew

Clement Attlee, post-war prime minister and architect of the NHS and the welfare state, was an unlikely hero, a quiet, unobtrusive man whom Churchill dismissed unfairly as modest, with plenty to be modest about.

His strength was getting things done. He did so in World War II as Churchills deputy in the cross-party government, running the home front.

And when Labour won the 1945 election, he left the tub-thumping socialists to their firebrand rhetoric while he got on with the task of trying to reconstruct a bankrupt, burnt-out nation.

Bews highly-acclaimed biography provides food for thought for whoever becomes the next Labour leader.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Author

From Esquire

Restaurants are closing, or else resorting to skeleton staffs to handle what takeout orders they can, as COVID-19 keeps many of us in our homes. Before all this, restaurateur Kevin Boehm had a hand in opening 30 establishments and founding the Boka Restaurant Group, which counts 20 some restaurants in its family. Or rather, counted. What the future holds for the hospitality industry is unsure at best. People are losing jobs. And after a battle with pancreatic cancer, Boehm lost his mother. Here, he writes about getting through his crisis in a crisis.

"The angels are coming for me, you will never make it in time. I want you to know that I love you."

My mom had been told some 16 months before she called me that she had three to six months to live. Whoever came up with that number had done very little research on the strength of Dee Boehm. If you wanted a jar opened in my house as a kid, you didnt go to Dad, you went to Mom. She had beautiful hands, but not in a delicate way. They were hands that told a story, one that began on a farm in Roscommon, Michigan. One of 14 kids, she would get up to milk the cows at 4:30 in the morning, starting at age six, and that helped build a woman who was always tougher than five miles in brand new boots.

"You will never make it in time." On March 6, I drove 110 miles an hour, through tears, in complete silence. I got to Springfield from Chicago in record time, and by Gods grace she was still alive, and with her pastor, my sister, and my father by her side, she thanked me for always having her back, handed me a letter, kissed me, and said goodbye.

She was ready to go, but the strength of her body was not ready to relent. It was not until eight days later that she gave her final farewell. There are smells and sounds from that time that will be forever burned on my brain: The Hallmark Channel in the background, Penatonixs "Hallelujah" on repeat, and Swansons chicken broth, the only thing she could consume, warmed in the microwave.

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Photo credit: Courtesy of Author

The rest of the world was still going on, and my business partner Rob Katz had done his best to keep me isolated from the havoc COVID-19 was starting to have on our business. However, by Saturday, March 14, there were serious decisions that had to be made, and around noon that day I found myself on the phone having discussions about closing the entire company. At 3:57 p.m., my mom took her final breath.

There is no playbook for handling death, and as I soon learned, no playbook for running a company during a global pandemic. The closing of 20 restaurants and furloughing of 1,800 employees felt strangely like death, and I tried to set my grief on the back burner as we worked triage to keep our company solvent during the worst of circumstances.

During a crisis, you often find that character is not defined, it's revealed, and so many Chicagoans showed their character almost instantly. A number of the citys chefs, including Jason Hammel and Jason Vincent, mobilized almost 70 people together to create a unified voice for Chicagos restaurants. Patrons bought gift certificates and wrote kind emails, funds were started, and ideas were shared. A few days later, Rob and I were asked to join the newly formed Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), a group of industry people whose mission is to affect change in legislation, and it gave me an opportunity to at least temporarily distract myself with purpose.

It only takes a few conversations with politicians to understand that they have very little color and context for our industry, and I've had to give many elevator pitches on restaurant finances and culture these past three weeks. What Ive learned in these conversations is that in order for non-restaurant people to understand why we would enter a business so fraught with peril, they also have to understand our love of it.

The restaurant business is not a hardware store. Our daily burn rate is high and our margins are low. Once you turn off the spigot of cash flow, I dont care if you are a six-table restaurant in Ames, Iowa or Danny Meyer, you will find yourself bankrupt very quickly unless serious decisions are made. For Rob and I, that meant looking at our cash situationcalculated payroll, accounts payable, rent, paid time off accruedand extending health coverage for our team. We created a hole three million dollars deep.

People kept asking me how I was doing. Instead of answering politely that I was OK, my stock answer was, "I dont know the answer to that question." I only knew that I was hanging on by a thread, and it didnt help that I'd lost a part of my support group. Ironically, my mom had almost never asked me how I was doing. That was not her way. Not because she didnt care, I think she always just instinctively knew by the sound of my voice.



Dee Boehm and I were very different. She was quiet, shy, and careful with her words. I looked to her when I needed a calm, stabilizing voice, and the best I could do at this point was guess what her reaction would be to the current situation. She would probably tell me to be empathetic, even of the people I disagreed with. She would implore me to use my voice, and use it loudly, and she would use one of her most common pieces of wisdom: "Every problem has a solution, find the solution."

Photo credit: Courtesy of Author

Washington, D.C. was trying to write that solution, and with very little representation for independent restaurants in Congress, the fear that a forthcoming bill wouldnt adequately save our industry was entirely justified. The IRC had been organized to help shape it, but the bill was already mostly written by the time the coalition was mobilized, and the current boat constructed by politicians still has several holes in it. The IRC's fight to plug those holes continues so this whole industry doesnt drown in its own debt.

I have had a number of conversations with people in the industry these past few weeks, and I hear a lot of fear in peoples voices. There is a chef-owner who has been having trouble getting their banker to prioritize them. There is a young operator who saved, scraped, and borrowed money from family, and whose anxiety is getting the best of him. There is a third-generation restaurateur who is using every ounce of innovation to make sure it reaches a fourth.

My parents were not in the business. My mom had worked in retail most of her life, and the only restaurant job she ever had was working at a diner in the late '60s. Despite that, I asked her to be my partner when I opened my third restaurant in Springfield in 1998. Mom was tailor made for restaurant work: She had an unbelievable eye for detail, she accepted nothing less than perfection, and she could remain calm in any situation. She was literally built for times like this.

My partner Rob recently described the current pandemic as "an asteroid that hit the earth." When something this catastrophic happens, the world always shifts afterwards. The 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic brought forth the roaring Twenties, the Vietnam War gave birth to a new form of social activism, and after 9/11, Americans united to sing "God Bless America" at the top of their lungs. I am hoping for a bounce of humanity after all of this, and a richer appreciation for human connection. The nucleus of that human connection has always been restaurants. The optimist in me hopes for a quick recovery for the restaurant community that is 16.1 million strong in the United States. The realist in me thinks there will be many great places that wont make it to the other side of this.

The amazing chef Amanda Cohen was quoted the other day as saying, "If a kitchen is the heart of the home, then restaurants are the hearts of a city." The first time I heard this, it sort of emotionally stopped me in my tracks. I thought about being in the kitchen with my mom as a little guy, the chaotic energy around my home kitchen with my wife and kids, and how much of my life has been shaped by watching people commune in my restaurants. Its an important part of who we are as people, as a country, and I hope at some point I can look up and tell my mom that I was at least a small part of the solution to help save it.

Part of the collateral damage of COVID-19 is that we couldn't have a funeral to celebrate my moms life. Fortunately, the night after her passing was also the last night restaurants were allowed to be open in Illinois, and our family gathered at our former Springfield restaurant, Indigo. The walls are still filled with her paintings, and it gave us the feeling of having Mom in the room with us. At the end of the meal, the current owner Mike Novel approached our table and asked me which of the paintings was my favorite. It was a tough call, but I went with the Blue Dog in the field of poppies. His response was everything you need to know about the generosity of our industry. "Well, its going home with you tonight, with your family, where it belongs."

It was the moment in my life that I needed hospitality more than any other. Hospitality that I will be compelled to pay forward when given the chance, to the multitude of people who need it right now.

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More than half of the prisons in England and Wales have an inmate who has tested positive for coronavirus, new figures have revealed.

Data from the Ministry of Justice shows there are 232 prisoners who have tested positive for the deadly virus across 60 of the 117 prisons in England and Wales, as of 5pm on Wednesday.

Yesterday, MailOnline reported that 218 prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus across 57 prisons - meaning an increase of 14 inmates and three prisons.

Figures show 12 inmates are known to have died after contracting Covid-19, though it is believed that a thirteenth prisoner may have died, according to data discussed at the most recent Justice Select Committee.

Some 96 prison staff have tested positive across 38 prisons, as well as seven prisoner escort and custody services staff.

As previously reported, two staff members at Pentonville Prison in north London died after showing symptoms of coronavirus.

More than half of all prisons in England and Wales have an inmate who has tested positive for coronavirus. Twelve prisoners have died, while two staff members at HMP Pentonville in north London (pictured) also died after showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Bovil Peter and Patrick Beckford died after suffering coronavirus symptoms, the Prison Officers' Association said earlier this month.

It is not known if either man had previous health issues.

Three of the deaths among inmates were at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire, with others being held at Birmingham, Manchester, Altcourse in Merseyside, Belmarsh in South East London, Whatton in Nottinghamshire and a female prisoner at Low Newton, County Durham.

The latest figures come after the government announced earlier this month that 4,000 low-risk prisoners who have less than two months left of their sentence will be eligible for early release, to try to control the spread of coronavirus.

So far there have been more than 100,000 confirmed cases across the UK, and 13,729 deaths.

The Probation Service later announced that all those freed early, on temporary licence, will be electronically monitored before they leave prison.

Meanwhile, medical experts are said to be asking the Government to release 15,000 inmates across England and Wales to protect other prisoners and staff.

The recommendations were set out by Public Health England and the Prison Service after a submission by the Prison Governors' Association, reported the Daily Star.

The PGA wrote: 'Our members have reported to the PGA National Executive Committee that Public Health England and HMPPS require a reduction of 15,000 prisoners in order to truly safeguard prisoners and staff.'

Twelve prisoners have died after testing positive for coronavirus, including three in HMP Littlehey (pictured), Cambridgeshire, where an 84-year-old man has become the first British prisoner to die after contracting coronavirus

Earlier this month, around 3,500 prison staff - representing about a tenth of the workforce - were said to be in self-isolation due to suspected Covid-19.

Concerns about staffing levels growing dangerously low have led to Prison Officers' Union chief Dave Cook for the military to be drafted in as back up.

Edwin Hillier, 84, was jailed for sex attacks on young girls in the 1970s

The first inmate to die after contracting coronavirus was Edwin Hillier, 84, who was jailed for sex attacks on young girls in the 1970s.

He was rushed to hospital with suspected sepsis on March 20 but post-mortem results showed he had also contracted coronavirus.

A female child abuser became the first woman to die from coronavirus in prison on April 4.

The woman, 46, was serving a nine-year jail term for child sex offences.

Visits to all jails have now been banned by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).

A spokesperson for the MOJ said: 'We have robust and flexible plans in place to protect the lives of our staff, prisoners and visitors, based on the latest advice from Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care.'




(Newser)  President Trump targeted China once again in his coronavirus briefing Wednesday, casting doubt on the country's official death toll and addressing reports the virus may have escaped from a lab in Wuhan. "Do you think you're getting honest numbers from some of these countries?" he said when asked about the high death toll in the US. "Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China, and that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of that?" China has reported 3,346 COVID-19 deaths, almost all of them in Wuhan and the surrounding province. Trump also spoke to a Fox journalist about the network's report, based on "multiple sources," that a worker at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was "patient zero" who accidentally contracted it from a bat and then spread the virus in the community. Trump's reaction, and more:

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"When you say 'multiple sources,' now theres a case where you can use the word 'sources,'" Trump said, per the Guardian. "But we are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened." Trump said it would be "inappropriate" to disclose whether he had discussed the lab theory with Xi Jinping.

Fox News reports the theory is that the virus was not being worked on in the lab "as a bioweapon but as part of China's attempt to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged China to "come clean" about the origins of the outbreak, Wednesday night, Al Jazeera reports. "What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China," he said. "We know there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was. There is still lots to learn."

The Wuhan Institute has repeatedly denied that the virus was created at or escaped from the facility.

(Here's a different theory on the origins of the coronavirus .)
Ousmane Dione Country director for Vietnam World Bank

Vietnam took decisive actions and is one of the few countries that has coped with the situation relatively well, with no COVID-19 related deaths as yet despite Vietnams role as a regional trade powerhouse and a tourism hotspot.

Many of Vietnams swift and effective public health responses have been enabled by IT. The country has put its high penetration of mobile phones (150 per cent) and the internet (70 per cent) to great use. Alert notifications and reminders from health authorities to take precautionary measures are regularly circulated via text messages, websites, and social media. There are mobile applications for universal medical declaration and to keep tabs on the pandemics developments.

Seamless and timely citizen outreach and engagement is just one of many benefits digital technology offers in the face of pandemic. In the time of a contagious disease, social distancing  which involves a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people to slow and hopefully halt the spread of infections  is arguably the best way to stop the virus.

That is why countries around the world are closing borders, cancelling large-scale gatherings, shutting down schools, and asking people to stay home. These measures are disrupting everyones daily lives, but digital technologies offer a way to adapt to this new normal.

Digital technologies are a key enabler to facilitate home-based work, remote learning, and home supply delivery, which have become essential in this time of pandemic. Vietnamese have been able to conduct certain businesses online and put this option to greater use since the outbreak hit in late January.

The National Public Services Portal, which provides basic public services to citizens, has registered a significant surge in traffic. Visits to the portal jumped from 11 million in late January to over 28 million at the end of March, according to government data. During March, the number of online service transactions conducted via the portal doubled to more than 23,000.

Popular e-commerce sites report similar trends, as reported by local media. Since the first case was reported in Vietnam, leading e-commerce site Tiki has seen an explosion in the number of purchase orders, and big retailers have seen a dramatic increase in online sales. Saigon Co.op, for example, registered a five-fold increase in online sales in the following week after the first case was detected on January 23.

Yet in times of crisis, Vietnam could minimise disruption even further if it had a full-scale digital infrastructure. In a more digitalised Vietnam:

- A majority of public services, not just a few, could be provided virtually;

- A credible digital ID system could enable full accessibility to digital financial services and other private sector platforms;

- Virtual learning platforms for students at all levels, even at public schools with limited resources, would enable students to learn despite prolonged periods of school closure;

- Big data diagnostic capabilities could aid health surveillance and forecasting;

- Streamlined and efficient administrative procedures could expedite disbursement of public and official development assistance investments  critical resources to stem an economic fallout in a time of great uncertainty;

- An IT-enabled social assistance programme could reach vulnerable groups and businesses regardless of their remoteness through digital transfers  one pilot project, financed by the World Bank, demonstrates the feasibility of this approach. More than 2,600 people of ethnic minorities in the northern province of Cao Bang have received their monthly social allowance via mobile money.

The list goes on. But the benefits of a digital Vietnam will not materialise overnight and there are of course associated risks, most notably data privacy, that must be addressed. What is needed are consistent and targeted investments and an accompanying legal and regulatory framework to set the rules on how to operate and manage data in the digital space.

The Vietnamese government is already committed to the digital transformation agenda. Its efforts to build various e-government systems such as the National Public Services Portal and the eDocument Exchange Platform, as well as ongoing initiatives to ramp up systems during the pandemic, are laudable. And the country is also looking to harness the potential of digital payments technology as part of the new national financial inclusion strategy approved in January.

This pandemic has been a test for every system, from the country to individual level. It is a reminder that Vietnam could benefit a great deal from digitalised services and should push the digital agenda even harder and faster.

Digital technologies not only help promote inclusive growth, they can also make us more resilient in times of crisis  enabling us to manage the impact of social disruption while remaining virtually connected, productive, and more importantly fed.
For weeks, members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors haggled with Mayor London Breeds office over how many hotel rooms the city should lease for the homeless during the coronavirus outbreak  and who should be allowed to occupy them.

Recognizing the importance of keeping an appearance of City Hall unity before a jittery public, the supervisors involved said they were careful early in the crisis not to criticize the mayors plans. Instead, they negotiated privately, trying to persuade the mayor to lease hundreds more hotel rooms than her departments planned to and loosen the requirements for which homeless people could move into them.

But the mayors strategy for moving the homeless indoors kept changing, and the supervisors werent getting what they wanted.

Criticism from the board intensified as more than 100 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the citys largest homeless shelter  a number that threatens to unravel the progress San Francisco has made in flattening the curve. Breed said she has been working as fast as possible to move people indoors, but enraged supervisors and homeless advocates said the citys executive branch could have taken more immediate measures to avoid such a cluster of infection.

From the get-go, I have not agreed with the mayors office of their handling of the homeless crisis within the larger COVID-19 crisis, Supervisor Hillary Ronen said Tuesday before the Board of Supervisors passed an emergency ordinance forcing the city to procure those additional hotel rooms. If I dont go public with my disagreement with the mayors office, then I am not doing my job as a supervisor.

As the coronavirus throws more challenges at San Francisco nearly every day, City Halls normally unwieldy and complex decision-making process has been largely centralized into two people: the mayor and county Health Officer Tomas Aragon. Armed with the power of an emergency order, they have been able to enact previously unthinkable policies  like ordering the entire city to shelter in place  on their own.

As mayor, Breed has been the face of the citys response, while Aragon has largely stayed out of the public eye. The pandemic has suddenly given the mayor broad powers to steer San Francisco in a manner and direction that she sees fit  amounting to perhaps the biggest test Breed will face in leading the city, where a public health crisis, a housing crisis and a homelessness crisis have all collided into one.

In an interview Wednesday with The Chronicle, Breed hit back against any criticism she has received over her response to the outbreaks impact on the citys homeless population.

If you want to be mayor you cant be concerned about criticism, she said. Especially when you are working hard every single day to do a good job for the people.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

Under the emergency declaration, the Board of Supervisors can accept or reject the mayors orders, either in part or in their entirety, but cannot propose any orders of their own. So far the board has not rejected any of the mayors 10 orders.

While the board has mostly stepped aside, that has begun to shift as the crisis deepens and supervisors assert their independence.

This is why we have separation of powers, Ronen added Tuesday.

Breed declared the emergency in February. The order gives her the power to redirect the personnel and money of any department and do whatever else the mayor may deem necessary to meet the emergency, according to the City Charter. Her orders include slashing the amount of time it takes to hire a nurse and a moratorium on small business evictions.

Meanwhile, the Board of Supervisors retains its regular powers to enact legislation. But, amid a rapidly changing pandemic, theres a major flaw in those powers: Even an expedited emergency ordinance takes more than a week to enact.

To make themselves heard, the board had initially turned to resolutions to urge the mayor and her departments to take actions  from increasing benefits for grocery workers to opening more public bathrooms. But resolutions have no legislative teeth.

It was a notable shift in the power dynamics of City Hall, where the board has enjoyed a progressive majority over the moderate mayor for the past year. If they didnt agree with her on an issue, the supervisors could often conjure enough votes to get their way.

In an emergency, unity is important not only for public perception but also for doing the things that need to be done in the most efficient way, Supervisor Aaron Peskin said. There is no time for bickering. And I think everyone gets that.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle 2020

Over the past month, the mayor and her departments have worked with the board on many of their requests  like releasing more data about the local spread of the virus to the public, placing a cap on how much third-party delivery companies can charge restaurants, allowing cannabis businesses to stay open and placing a moratorium on small business evictions.

Its helpful to push. I call every day, said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. The mayor has been very willing to compromise and find funding for peoples priorities, listen and be responsive.

Breed has been applauded nationally for the citys swift and aggressive response to the pandemic. But locally, she has also received intense criticism over the inconsistent response to the vulnerability of the homeless population  and the supervisors decided that urging her on the homelessness issue was simply not enough.

At issue is how many hotel rooms the city should lease to house the citys 8,000-plus homeless population, and frontline workers who need a place to quarantine. The Human Services Agency is currently working on leasing 7,000 hotel rooms for homeless people who have tested positive, were directly exposed to the virus or are at risk because they are older than 60 or have health conditions. Frontline workers and those who live in dense apartments where they cant properly distance from others also would qualify for a room. So far the city has secured about 2,000 rooms, and nearly 800 homeless people have been moved into them.

Breed has maintained that it simply isnt that easy to move more people into the rooms faster, as the city also needs to provide the people inside the hotels with food, security, cleaning services and case management for those struggling with mental illness and addiction.

But the board stood firm, saying there need to be far more hotel rooms for the homeless and that those who can care for themselves should be allowed into the rooms  not just those who meet the conditions set out by the mayor and public health and homelessness officials.

Weve been doing everything we can to partner, to urge, to pass resolutions to demand, and, frankly, it has not happened quick enough, District Six Supervisor Matt Haney said.

The board unanimously passed an ordinance that will force the city to lease more than 8,250 hotel rooms for homeless people and health care workers by April 26. The city is still working out the details on how to implement the new plan.

The mayor can choose to veto the legislation. But with a two-thirds vote  which likely will be easy to gather  the board can override her veto.

When asked Wednesday if the supervisors plan was realistic, Breed swiftly answered: No.

We all want the same things, she said. But there is the desire and then there is the reality.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
Sea-level rise will radically redefine the coastline of the 21st century.

Thats from a new study that shows rising sea levels could lead to extreme flooding events in some U.S. coastal areas doubling every five years.

The study published on Thursday in Scientific Reports suggests that extreme water levels that are now reached once every 50 years may be exceeded daily along U.S. coastlines before the end of the 21st century.

We find that the odds of exceeding critical water-level thresholds increases exponentially with sea-level rise, meaning that fixed amounts of sea-level rise of only 110 cm in areas with a narrow range of present-day extreme water levels can double the odds of flooding, the report states. Combining these growth rates with established sea-level rise projections, we find that the odds of extreme flooding double approximately every five years into the future.

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Hawaii and the University of Illinois looked at the continuous shift in coastal flooding scenarios using tide gauges combined with data from sea-level rise scenarios to model the rate at which flooding events may increase in the future.

The report also shows that the present-day 50-year extreme water level will be exceeded annually before 2050 for 70% of the nations coastal regions, and the present-day 50-year extreme water level will be exceeded almost every day during peak tide before the end of the 21st century for 90% of the U.S. coast.

The report states that long-term trend in mean sea level has profound consequences on the nature of extreme events, and that sea-level rise will likely increase the odds of flooding by a thousand-fold in a half-century.

With increased flood frequency, we expect a corresponding acceleration of a number of related coastal hazards, such as beach and cliff erosion, the paper states. Our society has yet to fully comprehend the imminence of the projected regime shifts in coastal hazards and the consequences thereof.

Virginia

Virginias goal of being carbon free in the next 25 years gives it a singular distinction among Southern states.

Gov. Ralph Northam last week authorized the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which mandates that the states biggest utility, Dominion Energy, switch to renewable energy by 2045, while Appalachian Power, serving southwest Virginia, must go carbon-free by 2050 under the act. Nearly all the states coal plants must shut down by the end of 2024 under the new law.

Virginia is the first state in the old Confederacy to embrace such clean-energy targets, an article this week in the Washington Post states.

State Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond, a sponsor of the bill, told the newspaper it will create thousands of clean energy jobs, make major progress on fighting climate change, and break Virginias reliance on fossil fuels.

The Virginia Clean Economy Act was passed as House Bill 1526 and Senate Bill 851 and incorporates clean energy directions in an executive order from the governor in September 2019.

Its the result of extensive stakeholder input, while it incorporates environmental justice concepts related to the Green New Deal, according to Northams office.

The law requires new measures to promote energy efficiency, while setting a schedule for closing old fossil fuel power plants, and requiring electricity to come from 100% renewable sources such as solar or wind.

Energy companies will be required to pay penalties for not meeting their targets.

The Act accomplishes the following broad goals:

Establishes renewable portfolio standards.

Establishes energy efficiency standards, and sets an energy efficiency resource standard, requiring third-party review of whether energy companies meet savings goals.

Advances offshore wind. The act provides that 5,200 megawatts of offshore wind generation is in the public interest.

Advances solar and distributed generation. The act establishes that 16,100 megawatts of solar and onshore wind is in the public interest, and requires Virginias largest energy companies to construct or acquire more than 3,100 megawatts of energy storage capacity.

Swiss Re

A new report from Swiss Re Global shows warming will lead to growing intensity and frequency of severe weather events, rising losses, and greater uncertainty in the assessment of these events by the insurance industry.

And all off that could make some weather risks uninsurable.

Failure to take immediate, tangible action to confront warming temperatures could lead to climate systems reaching irreversible tipping points, stated the sigma report titled Natural catastrophes in times of economic accumulation and climate change.

The report, detailed in a recent article by Insurance Journals Lisa Howard, forecasts that economic and insured losses resulting from such events will rise in the coming decades.

The report emphasized the insurability of weather risks could be jeopardized, particularly in high-exposure accumulation areas.

We believe weather-related risks remain insurable. However, to improve risk assessment and ensure insurability in the face of many uncertainties, insurers need to continually adapt their models to changing parameters, said Swiss Re in the report.

The Swiss Re report further suggested that the modeling and underwriting communities must develop better methods and the industry needs to be able to better understand how factors such as GDP growth and urbanization, which are not fully captured in risk models, can affect rising risks and losses.

More sophisticated modeling approaches are also needed to account for the growing loss impacts of secondary perils, which have been inadequately modeled in the past. Secondary perils are the smaller to mid-sized events, or secondary effects, that follow a primary peril, such as a storm surge or flooding after a hurricane.

COVID-19 and Climate Change

The ongoing worldwide pandemic may be laying the groundwork for a unified battle against climate change, the World Economic Forum says.

In a blog How COVID-19 might help us win the fight against climate change, the group acknowledges the human costs of the pandemic are horrifying, but finds hope in the response, which it notes has been characterized by care, compassion and connection  and an unheard-of pace of change.

It postulates the world could seize this moment as a of opportunity to rebuild society and the economy in a better way.

With scientists warning we have 10 years left to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, this could offer an opportunity to fix the climate crisis before its too late, the blog states.

It lists five actions to lay this groundwork:

Re-think risk: If the pandemic teaches us to acknowledge our vulnerability to high-impact shocks such as pandemics and climate-related disasters, we will be infinitely better placed to prepare for them.

Listen to global perspectives: The jury is out on whether COVID-19 will prompt the world to choose the route of national isolation or global solidarity, but a growing understanding that we are inherently connected can help build momentum for strong climate action.

Make people the top priority: Many individuals are re-arranging their lives to practice social distancing, offering elderly neighbors help with their chores and volunteering in health facilities and food banks, showing the power that can be unleashed when we are united behind a common cause.

Trust experts: The advice of epidemiologists has gone viral (weve all seen the flatten the curve meme). This might represent a turning point in a trend towards the demise of experts. We need to listen to climate scientists and policy advisors to win the climate change fight too.

Make a cultural shift: Much remains uncertain about what the world will look like when we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the fundamental societal changes we are witnessing may well offer us a final chance to avoid a climate catastrophe.

Past columns:

Topics USA Flood Climate Change Energy Oil Gas Virginia Swiss Re
The coronavirus pandemic and its resulting quarantine counter-measures have people around the world shuttered in their homes with little to do but fret. So its not surprising that a March survey from the American Psychiatric Association found that the disease has many people on edge. Out of 1,000 people surveyed, nearly half of respondents were anxious about contracting and dying from the virus, while 62 percent were worried about friends and family doing the same with more than 1 in 3 admitting that the pandemic was seriously impacting their mental health.

What [people] are describing is a feeling of overwhelmed-ness, Montgomery County Crisis Center manager Dorne Hill told the Washington Post recently.

Nor should it come as any surprise that people, in these times of unprecedented worry, have turned to alcohol to help manage their stress. Vodka sales in Russia jumped 65 percent during the last week of March, after Vladimir Putin instituted a partial nationwide quarantine while BACTrack reports that weekday drinking throughout the San Francisco Bay Area spiked 45 percent during the first week of the California quarantine which began March 17th.

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But for a lot of people, especially the estimated 14.4 million American adults who already struggle with Alcohol Use Disorder, the prospect of being cooped up inside with time to kill is no reason to celebrate. Compounding the problem is our need to physically distance from one another, which has all but eliminated in-person therapy, recovery and support groups. So how do you get and/or stay sober if you cant leave your house? Thankfully a number of online resources have emerged in response to the crisis.

Remote therapy isnt actually all that new. Its one of a number of applications that make up the larger field of telehealth services. As the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) defines it, telehealth is the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration. Its effectively the same service, both in terms of quantity and quality, thats available to patients in-person, just provided remotely.

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The first proposed application came back in 1879 when the Lancet suggested leveraging new-fangled telephones to reduce the number of necessary doctors office visits. Today, telehealth is used in everything from radiology, dermatology, and dentistry to ophthalmology, optometry, and psychology. Its been a boon to rural communities and other underserved populations, enabling them access to medical care without the need to drive for hours -- assuming they have access to a connected device. And in the age of COVID-19, telehealth is once again proving its worth.

In recent years, telehealth services have seen a spike in new interest from both policy makers and the public in general. Mei Kwong, executive director of the Center for Connected Health Policy in California, notes that around 2016, Part of that reason was the technology itself was developing, much more rapidly. Technology itself was also becoming more integrated into our lives so I think people were starting to get that familiarity of, Oh, we can use [connected devices] for so many different things -- like health care.

The CCHP has also seen a significant increase of inquiries about telehealth services over the last year. Kwong points out that in 2019, the CCHP received roughly 30 inquiries. In 2020, that number had ballooned to more than 300. With that growing interest has come a rapid expansion of available online support services such as doxy.me, TalkSpace, TheraNest, and BetterHelp, all of which offer video-based behavioral therapy as well as Woebot and Wyse, which offer text-based help. And with the White Houses recent decision to relax HIPAA requirements and allow people on Medicare to access telehealth programs, the number and scope of these services are certain to grow even further.

We are doing a dramatic expansion of whats known as telehealth for our 62 million Medicare beneficiaries, who are amongst the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said during a White House press conference in March. Medicare beneficiaries across the nationno matter where they livewill now be able to receive a wide-range of services via telehealth without ever having to leave home. These services can also be provided in a variety of settings, including nursing homes, hospital outpatient departments, and more.

However, these mental health services, like virtually every other internet platform, are to a degree at risk of misuse and data breaches. Zoom-bombing has quickly spread from online classrooms to online therapists offices. Whats more, as John Torous, the director of the digital psychiatry division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told Slate, Hackers go for valuable data. Health data is very valuable, and insecure health systems are always primary targets for hackers. This is why HIPAA requires online platforms not only be secure (at least more secure than what youd typically find in Google Meet or FaceTime) but also employ business associate agreements certifying the emplacement of administrative safeguards against potential data leaks.

Many video platforms today do already offer end-to-end encryption, so finding a secure platform is still good clinical practice, Torous continued, adding that You can have the best castle, the biggest moat, and biggest door, but if you leave the door open, it doesnt matter.

And its not just traditional medical experts that are utilizing teletherapy sessions during the quarantine, a number of informal support groups have sprung up in response as well. Laura McKowen, author of We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life, has started a free, Zoom-based sobriety support group which runs six days a week and reaches roughly 300 people per session.

There are all these people that now can't go to make it to real life support, they can't go to meetings or other programs they might be part of, and how impossible that would have been for me in my early sobriety. McKowen told Engadget. So I figured I had the platform to do it, I can do it so easily so why not?

While not officially associated with Alcoholics Anonymous, these meetings are structured similarly. They begin with a brief meditation followed by a reading, some kind of poem or book or passage that I love, McKowen explained. Then I have a speaker who speaks for 25 or so minutes, and then I open it up for people to share, before closing with a second round of meditation.

And although these online sessions dont offer the same physical connection as in-person meetings would -- those who share cant hear the groups applause once they finish, dont enjoy the physical closeness and recognition from other attendees -- the added anonymity of being online has shown to have benefits as well. If you were sitting in a room of 300 people, itd feel wild, McKowen said. But because everyone's at home, it doesn't feel overwhelming.

A lot of people have identified themselves as someone who's never spoken in the meeting or never said anything to a group of people about their sobriety, she continued. So, that is really encouraging to me.

To ensure that these meetings are safe spaces for those attending, McKowen maintains a tight rein on the operations. I haven't experienced any zoom-bombing that's been happening because I haven't posted the meeting information on social media anywhere.  Beyond that, all attendees are muted by default and can only be unmuted by McKowen while theyre sharing so nobody has to listen to the sound of 300 other people fidgeting while they share.

One participant in these meetings is Ginny Hogan, author of Toxic Femininity in the Workplace. Hogan, who has been sober for 13 months, has been isolating in Los Angeles since March. The good is that I don't go to social events, which were a trigger for me, she told Engadget. I'm a stand up comedian and I used to be in bars a lot and that was always hard.

On the other hand, Hogan notes that with the quarantine in place it's a lot more isolating. I think like human connection is so important in overcoming addiction I can't imagine doing this if I were earlier in my sobriety.

Her own experiences with online sobriety support groups to date have been less than stellar. I went to AA a few times, but it wasnt really for me, and a virtual AA meeting just because I was having trouble and it's just challenging, Hogan explained. I mean, it is already challenging to connect with everyone there because it's such a wide variety of people and then online with the extra distance of the Zoom call, it felt very difficult to form any sort of connection.

Like any recovery program, online support groups are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Kwong advocates for those sorts of decisions to be made by medical professionals in conjunction with their patients. You should just make it freely available to the healthcare provider to you when they think it is appropriate, she said. Leave it to their judgement.

That is what they have been trained for -- and another thing they're actually the one who's there in that situation with that patient -- because even if telehealth could be used medically to provide a service, you still want to take into account that it is appropriate for that person, Kwong continued.

But even if the idea of online support groups makes your skin crawl, there are still plenty of resources at your disposal during this quarantine. One of the simplest means of cutting back your intake is to simply not keep alcohol in your home, McKowen notes. She also recommends that people connect with some kind of community. There are so many Facebook groups, there are so many amazing people on Instagram... find a community of people that you can connect with and just dig in that way. Don't just white knuckle it and not drink.

McKowen also suggests recurating your social media feeds to reduce the amount of alcohol related content that flows through your timeline. A lot more people are talking about drinking right now, she said. If I was trying to get sober right now, I would really pay attention to what I was taking in as far as messaging from other people.
The decks have been cleared for the trial of plasma enrichment technique to start in next three to four days to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said Thursday.

We had asked for permission for testing plasma technology (for #COVID19) from the Central government, now we have got the permission, Arvind Kejriwal in a video address.

If successful, we can save the lives of serious Covid-19 patients, he said.

Follow coronavirus latest updates here.

There is currently no cure for Covid-19 and convalescent plasma is an experimental procedure for patients. Plasma enrichment technique entails taking blood plasma from a person who has recovered from Covid-19 as it contains antibodies which, when transfused to a sick patient, can boost immunity and help in recovery.

More than 1,500 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Delhi so far and 33 have died.

The condition of several Covid-19 patients is improving and in the next 3-4 days, many of them will be discharged from hospitals.  With collective efforts, we all will be able to contain coronavirus in Delhi, the chief minister said.

He also claimed that 15 lakh people have applied for ration cards after the government announced online applications.

We have made special arrangements. Yesterday also we served lunch and dinner to nine lakh people. We can also make arrangements to feed 15 to 20 lakh people. We have also given ration cards. I request the media and common people to inform the poor who are not aware of the governments arrangements who are still unaware. We will act the same way we did to provide food and shelter after the public informed us about the Yamuna river incident (in which two shelters for the homeless were burnt down), Kejriwal said.
To reach out to migrant workers and others in need, during the ongoing lockdown that has been extended till May 3; the postal department will step up its services in reaching out with food and essentials said people aware of the developments.

Union minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad has instructed chief post master generals and chief general managers of all states to keep their postal network geared and active to help those in need.

The ministrys action comes in the wake of a raft of complaints from migrant workers across states about the unavailability of food and essentials.

The minister said special focus should on providing food to those in need. In last 14 days, around 1 lakh food and dry ration packets have been distributed. In Uttar Pradesh alone, more than 50,000 food and dry ration packets have been distributed amongst migrant labourers, construction workers; while in Bihar, around 16,000 food packets and 11500 packets of soaps, masks, sanitizers and gloves have been distributed, said a functionary aware of the details.

From trekking to Gauchar in a remote part of Uttarakhand to deliver lifesaving drugs to transporting ventilators from Puducherry in the South to Gujarat in the East, the postal department has emerged as a frontline delivery agent at a time when the Corona pandemic is raging globally.

In the absence of mass transport systems, during the nationwide lockdown that will end on May 3,the postal department has had to not just transport tones of medicines and equipment, but has also had to step in to ensure government benefits are reaching the beneficiaries.

Given the postal departments experience at running primary savings services, the department was given the task of opening new accounts so that direct benefits could be transferred to those in need. It has also been tasked with the responsibility of doorstep delivery of pension in remote parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Leh, Gujarat, Telengana, Karnataka, tribal areas of Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

According to the functionary quoted above when the lockdown was first announced on March 24, a group of migrant workers in Meghalaya, found themselves stranded with little money and food. Shifted to various relief camps in Shillong, these workers had no bank accounts, which made it difficult for the government to each out with aid.

In order to provide timely relief, the department of posts in coordination with India Post Payments Bank organised an account opening camp in the relief camp at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, said the functionary quoted above,

After the lockdown began on March 25, all businesses and production came to a grinding halt, except essential services.
People from around the world are expressing their support for healthcare professionals, who are at the forefront of the COVID-19 fight. Here are some of the images which display gratitude towards them. (Image: Reuters)

A sign that reads "THANK YOU HEALTHCARE HEROES" is displayed at Maimonides Medical Center during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Image: Reuters)

A banner thanking frontline health workers hangs on a high-rise building construction site in St Julian's, Malta. (Image: Reuters)

Local Falkirk Company Tapestry AV in collaboration with Scottish Canals project an NHS thank you message onto the Falkirk Wheel in Falkirk, Scotland. (Image: AP)

A message of thanks to healthcare workers and others is seen displayed on screens beneath the New Year's Eve Ball atop the One Times Square building in Manhattan during the outbreak of the COVID-19 in New York. (Image: Reuters)

A board with a poster reading "Thank you to our everyday heroes" to support caregivers and workers is seen in a street in Villeneuve-Loubet as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in France. (Image: Reuters)

A banner thanking the NHS over the Royal Liverpool University Hospital was seen carried by a plane, as the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak continues, in Liverpool, Britain. (Image: Reuters)

Full of colorful thank you notes are seen at the entrance of the Maggiore Hospital in Parma, northern Italy, to boost morale of the medical staff fighting to combat coronavirus pandemi. (Image: AP)

A banner that reads "Thanks to priests, drivers, doctors, shopkeepers, medical staff, researchers, garbage collectors, postmen" is seen on a balcony to support caregivers and workers during the World Health Day, as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues, in Paris. (Image: Reuters)

"Thank You FDNY" sign attached to a barricade outside Elmhurst Hospital Center's emergency room entrance in the Queens borough of New York. (Image: AP)

An exterior view of The 101 Hotel shows rooms illuminated to form a heart as a thank you and to show support to people, especially the country's medical workers tackling COVID-19 amid its spread in Bogor, Indonesia. (Image: Reuters)
A star orbiting the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy does so in a way that proves physicist Albert Einstein right - again.

The star, called S2, orbits Sagittarius A* in a rosette shape, blipping out from the elliptical orbit at random points - an idea predicted by Einstein over 100 years ago.

Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute, Germany, observed the varying orbit of the distant star for 27 years using a range of telescopes and other instruments.

Its motion around the black hole adds to the evidence that the general theory of relativity is correct - the first proof came from the orbit of Mercury around the Sun.

Mercury has a rosette-shaped orbit as it makes its way around the Sun due to effect of the stars gravity - but it is much more obvious in the case of S2 as Sagittarius A* is 4.3 million times the mass of the Sun.

The star, called S2, orbits Sagittarius A* in a rosette shape rather than an ellipse or circle - an idea predicted by Einstein in his century old general theory of relativity

Artist's impression of the orbits of stars very close to the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. A star orbiting a supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way moves in a way that was predicted by physicist Albert Einstein more than a century go

S2 is about 14 times the mass of the Sun but is 12 billion miles away from the black hole - about 120 times further than the Earth is from the Sun.

Reinhard Genzel, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Germany and the architect of the programme, said the first evidence of general relativity was seen in the orbit of Mercury around the Sun.

'One hundred years later we have now detected the same effect in the motion of a star orbiting the compact radio source Sagittarius A* at the centre of the Milky Way.

'This observational breakthrough strengthens the evidence that Sagittarius A* must be a supermassive black hole of four million times the mass of the Sun.'

As it orbits Sagittarius A*, the star follows an ellipse but the point of closest approach to the black hole does not always occur at the same place.

Instead, it slowly moves around the supermassive object, creating a rosette shape from each blip when it interacts with the black hole - a process called a precession.

General relativity provides a precise prediction of how much this orbit changes and, according to the scientists, the measurements from their current research exactly match the theory published by Einstein in 1915.

This phenomenon, known as Schwarzschild precession, had never before been measured for a star orbiting a supermassive black hole.

The researchers believe their findings could help unlock the mysteries of supermassive black holes - which are thought to be at the heart of every galaxy.

Guy Perrin and Karine Perraut, the French lead scientists on the project, said they can use these measurements and relativity to predict dark matter.

'Because the S2 measurements follow general relativity so well, we can set stringent limits on how much invisible material, such as distributed dark matter or possible smaller black holes, is present around Sagittarius A*,' the authors said.

'This is of great interest for understanding the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes.'

This visible light wide-field view shows the rich star clouds in the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer) in the direction of the centre of our Milky Way galaxy

With ESO's upcoming Extremely Large Telescope, the team believes that they would be able to see much fainter stars orbiting even closer to the black hole.

'If we are lucky, we might capture stars close enough that they actually feel the rotation, the spin, of the black hole,' says Andreas Eckart from Cologne University.

This would mean astronomers would be able to measure the two quantities, spin and mass, that characterise Sagittarius A* and define space and time around it.

'That would be again a completely different level of testing relativity,' says Eckart.

The findings, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, came from observations of the star using a range of astronomical instruments.

These included the European Space Observatory's Very Large Telescope, located in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
CLEVELAND, OH / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Mace Security International Inc. (OTCQX:MACE) President and CEO Gary Medved will be presenting at the Planet Microcap Virtual Investment Conference on Wednesday April 22, 2020 at 12:20 pm EST. Mr. Medved will be available for 1 on 1 interviews with interested investors the following day, April 23, 2020.

Advanced registration for the conference and the 1 on 1 interviews is now open at: www.PlanetMicroCapShowcase.com. Registrants can thereafter access Mace's presentation on April 22nd at 12:20PM EST/9:20AM PST at:

https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/ListenPage?companyId=2059&webcastId=34152

For more Information on this or any of the following Mace IR events, please contact Mace Investor Relations at IR@mace.com.

Conference/ Event Date Planet MicroCap - Las Vegas April 22-23,2020 Mace Q1 2020 Earnings Call May 2020 Mace Annual Shareholders Meeting and Investor Day TBD Mace Q2 2020 Earnings Call August 2020 Investor Summit MicroCap conference, NYC September 29-30, 2020 OTC virtual investor conference October 8, 2020 Mace Q3 2020 Earnings Call November 2020 LD Micro Main Event December 8-10, 2020 Mace Q4 2020 Earnings Call February 2021

About Mace Security International, Inc.

Mace Security International Inc. is a globally recognized leader in personal safety and security products. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the Company has spent more than 30 years designing and manufacturing consumer and tactical products for personal defense and security under its world-renowned Mace Brand - the original trusted brand of pepper spray products. The Companies other leading brands include Tornado Brand stun guns and pepper spray, and Vigilant Brand alarms. The Company also offers aerosol defense sprays for law enforcement and security professionals worldwide through its Take Down Brand.

Mace Security International distributes and supports its products and services through mass-market retailers, wholesale distributors, independent dealers, e-commerce channels and through its website, www.mace.com. For more information, please visit www.mace.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information included in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words or phrases "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "projected," "intend to" or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks, known and unknown, and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic conditions, dependence on management, our ability to compete with competitors, dilution to shareholders, and limited capital resources.

Gary Medved, President and CEO

440-424-5322

gmedved@mace.com

SOURCE: MACE SECURITY INTERNATIONAL INC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585286/Mace-Announces-Participation-at-the-Upcoming-Planet-Microcap-Virtual-Investment-Conference-on-April-22-and-23-2020
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  President Rodrigo Duterte asked crematorium owners not to increase their fees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ito namang may ari ng crematorium, may I ask you to maintain yong presyo ng cremation before quarantine, he said in a television address Thursday night.

[Translation: To all the owners of crematoriums, may I ask you to maintain the price of cremation before quarantine.]

Duterte urged the business owners to maintain their regular fees they had before the pandemic struck the country.

Nakikiusap ako tutal negosyo yan eh," he said. "Kumikita kayo ng pera na sinusunog yong katawan. Ngayon kung taasan ninyo ang presyo, iiwan ko yang patay diyan sa inyo."

[Translation: I am asking you since its a business. You earn every time a body is cremated. If you increase the price, I will leave the remains to you.]

On Tuesday, the Department of Interior and Local Government ordered local government units to have designated crematoriumsdesignated crematoriums to accommodate COVID-19 related deaths.

The Quezon City Council also passed an ordinance on Monday imposing penalties on funeral parlors and crematoriums who refuse to accept the remains who those who have died of the viral disease.

As of Thursday, the country has 5,660 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 435 recoveries, and 362 deaths, according to the Health department.
The Health Minister is calling on European leaders to fully support the World Health Organisation in its row with Donald Trump.

It is after the

Read More:

The move was discussed during a conference call involving European health ministers yesterday.

And Simon Harris says he is fully behind the WHO.

He said that while on the call, he called on Europe to absolutely stand full square behind the World Health Organisation.

Now is not a time for countries to be taking pot-shots at an organisation that is working on a global level to save lives.

And particularly working to help poorer countries, and they need our support.

Me Harris said the WHO absolutely had Irelands support.

Mr Trump says the outbreak could have been contained at its source and spared lives had the UN health agency done a better job investigating reports coming out of China.

The president says the world depends on the World Health Organisation to work with countries to make sure accurate information about health threats are shared in a timely manner.

Mr Trump claims the organisation failed to carry out its basic duty and must be held accountable.

Yesterday, the Tanaiste criticised Mr Trump after he said he is freezing US payments to the World Health Organisation pending a review of its warnings about coronavirus and China.

Simon Coveney tweeted that Mr Trump withholding funding was

Read More:
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Development, Zainab Ahmed, has explained why the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not consider Nigeria for debt relief.

Early this week, the IMF announced the decision of its Executive Board to grant debt relief to 25 countries. Nigeria is not among the beneficiaries.

In his reaction, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, said Nigeria deserved to be granted debt pardon from IMF/World Bank.

The minister, in a series of tweets through her official Twitter handle, @ZShamsuna, on Thursday, said the relief was meant for the poorest and most vulnerable members (of the group) to cover part of their IMF debt obligations.

Mrs Ahmed used the tweets to confirm that Nigeria does not owe the IMF, although the country has so far contributed $3.4 billion to the Fund.

It is true Nigeria is not a beneficiary of the recent IMF debt relief for 25 countries, the minister said in her initial tweet.

As indicated in IMF Executive Board statement, the relief provides grants to our poorest & most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months.

Since Nigeria is not indebted to the IMF, there is no outstanding debt obligation to be forgiven, she clarified.

Rather, she reiterated her recent statement on Nigerias application for new IMF financing that is currently under consideration.

The new application, she said, was for financing under the Rapid Financing Initiative (RFI), under which Nigeria, like other members, was entitled to access up to 100 per cent of its contribution quota.

Announcing the debt relief last week, the Managing Director of the Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said it was part of the groups response to help address the impact of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic on poor and vulnerable economies.

She listed the benefiting countries as Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, D.R., The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali and Mozambique.

Others are Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo, and Yemen.

The relief, Ms Georgieva explained, would help the benefiting countries channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts.

NLC President, Mr Wabba, said the demand for Nigerias inclusion among the list of beneficiaries for the COVID-19 related debt relief and debt moratorium was because of the devastating impact of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

As the most populous country in Africa and a major regional transportation hub, with very active citizens, the labour leader said Nigeria could be a major epicentre for future global waves of COVID-19 if adequate support was not extended to the country to fight and contain the coronavirus pandemic.

With a burgeoning constituency of the poor, including the working-class poor, the danger staring Nigeria hard in the face is huge.

Nigeria needs all the support it can get, including debt relief, moratorium, and pardon in order to enable the country tide over the waves of COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Again, with the dire economic crisis the country was facing from the recent plunge in the price of crude oil at the international market, he said Nigeria deserved financial relief to help meet her fiscal and budgetary challenges.
The Navy has identified the crew member of a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier who died in the intensive care unit this week as Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr.

Thacker, 41, from Fort Smith, Arkansas, was assigned to the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. He died on Monday of COVID-19, the dangerous illness brought on by the coronavirus.

He is survived by his spouse, a San Diego-based active-duty service member, who was by Thacker's side at the time of his death, according to a Navy news release. His spouse was flown to Guam through the Navy Air Logistics Office, arriving in Guam on April 11.

Thacker died two days later.

His family did not issue a statement, preferring to mourn their loss privately, Lt. Brittany Stephens, a Navy spokeswoman said. Capt. Carlos Sardiello, the Roosevelt's commanding officer, said the crew's thoughts and prayers are with Thacker's family.

"Our number one priority continues to be the health and well-being of all members of the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group and we remain steadfast in our resolve against the spread of this virus," Sardiello said in a statement.

Related: Navy Believes Delivery Flights, Not Vietnam Port Stop, Brought Virus to Carrier

Thacker had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 30. He was moved off the Roosevelt and placed into isolation with four other crew members who were also infected with the virus.

He was found unresponsive on April 9 during one of the medical checks isolated crew members receive daily. He was transferred to Naval Base Guam by ambulance where he was admitted to the intensive care unit, according to the Navy statement.

There are now 655 COVID-19 cases among the Roosevelt's crew. The health crisis ultimately led to the relief of the ship's commanding officer followed by the resignation of the former acting Navy secretary.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said Thacker's death was a "great loss for the ship and for our Navy." He pledged the ship has the Navy's full support as the crew continues its fight against the coronavirus.

Thacker was the second U.S. service member to die as a result of the coronavirus crisis, which has caused a global pandemic. New Jersey Army National Guard Capt. Douglas Linn Hickok, a physician assistant who served in the U.S. Army Medical Command, died of the illness on March 28.

More than 2,800 U.S. troops have contracted the virus.

The Roosevelt has been in Guam since late March. More than 4,000 members of its crew have been moved off the ship as the carrier is cleaned to help stop the spread of the virus.

Those who've tested positive for COVID-19 remain in isolation, according to Navy officials, and are receiving care from medical personnel assigned to the carrier, Naval Hospital Guam, and members of the 3rd Medical Battalion.

Crew members also have access to a resiliency counselor, a chaplain team and medical psychologists.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Read More: Guardsman Who Died of COVID-19 Remembered as 1st Responder with Passion to Serve
President Donald Trump announced that the United States would immediately halt funding to the World Health Organization following reports that the organization is keeping the blame of COVID-19 away from the Chinese government, according to a recently published article.

PETITION CALLING FOR THE RESIGNATION OF WHO's DIRECTOR-GENERAL

Latin Post recently reported that an online petition is calling for the immediate resignation of Tedros, the Director-General of the World Health Organization. At present, the petition has reached nearly one million.

Tedros is being accused of covering up the origin of the deadly virus. He was also questioned on how he handled the pandemic. Change.org, who spearheaded the petition, firmly believes that Tedros is not fit to head the organization.

Following this, White House Economic Adviser Peter Navarro described Ghebreyesus as "one of the Chinese government's proxies." He also added that Trump is seriously planning to cut the country's funding for the WHO.

Meanwhile, a group of Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to Tedros questioning the nature of his relationship with the Chinese government. In their letter, it was also referenced that the WHO posted on their Twitter account in January that the Chinese government had not found evidence of human to human transmission of the virus, and this added to the speculation that Tedros might be protecting China.

HOW MUCH IS THE FUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

The United States is the largest single donor of the World Health Organization, according to a recently published article. President Donald Trump said that the country contributed $400 to $500 million every year, while China offers only $40 million to WHO.

The State Department planned to provide the organization with an amount of $893 million in the current two-year period. Moreover, the United States is far ahead to other countries when it comes to contributing to the WHO.

Even though the Democrats suggested that cutting off funds for WHO is illegal but the fiscal year 2020 budget passed by Congress mandates the President to provide only necessary expenses, it was not also indicated as to how much is the country's funding for the WHO.

TRUMP HALTS FUNDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

During the White House COVID-19 press briefing, President Trump announced that he ordered to halt the funding to the World Health Organization. Trump said that he is concerned if whether the fund given by the United States has been put the best use possible.

WHO somehow failed to keep the international community adequately is aware of the threats brought by COVID-19. It was found out that the WHO already received credible information about the danger of the new coronavirus and its human-to-human transmission.

Despite the credible information the organization received, they instead posted on their Twitter account that the Chinese government has found no evidence of human-to-human transmission. For Trump, he said: "The WHO failed in this duty, and must be held accountable."

It was also found that the head of the University of Hong Kong's Centre for Infection warned that "the city should implement the strictest possible monitoring system for a mystery new viral pneumonia that has infected dozens of people on the mainland, as it is highly possible that the illness is spreading from human to human." The University is referring to Wuhan, China, where the virus is thought to have originated.

Read a related article: Online Petition Calling for WHO Director-General's Resignation Nears 1 Million Signatures
Soon after the attacks on the World Trade Center and other locations on the morning of September 11th, President Bush declared that the atrocities were an act of war. That statement prompted a call to me from a friend and influential member of Congress from Buffalo, John LaFalce, during which we both concluded that the attacks, those horrific, did not constitute an act of war. At least not in the insurance sense.

Of course, Bush was not speaking in terms ofor even thinkingthe war exclusion contained in most property/casualty coverages. That language largely excludes coverage for acts of war by a sovereign. If he had meant it so, that could have meant that the insurance industry would not be on the hook for any of the losses arising from the attack. He surely meant it more figuratively, more to drive a point home and provide a sense of what we were up against. He did not mean that the industry would not have to go on to pay the $30-40 billion or more that they did shell out for everything from the business interruption claims to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center complex.

Over the weekend, our nations current chief executive, President Donald Trump, waded more deliberately into yet another discussion concerning business interruption coverage in times of crisis. As reported in Claims Journal and elsewhere, the President said that, of course, business interruption claims should be paid for COVID-19 losses. After all, businesses have paid lots of money into business interruption policies over the years, so why shouldnt they cover the losses that have arisen in recent weeks. Only if a policy excluded pandemic would they be beyond reach, he opined, even acknowledging the presence of exclusions in typical insurance policies.

As the person who had to tell then-New York governor George E. Pataki that the WTC disaster was one event, not two, I consider myself somewhat practiced in the high art if not science of interpreting insurance contract language notwithstanding the populist pull of giving the people what they want regardless of what the contract might say.

Just like President Bush, perhaps you would expect nothing less from a President who is a former businessman who has an uncanny ability, critics aside, to actually understand much of what is actually happening on Main Street and to tap into the sentiment surrounding that reality.

One Event, Not Two

As a business owner I would want to agree wholeheartedly. My partners and I pay property/casualty insurance premiums, and its always nice to get a return somewhere along the way for all that investment. But as an insurance lawyer, former insurance regulator, and defender of the rule of law and the import of adhering to contracts that are drafted and signed by two parties committing to certain obligations, I am far less agreeable to the Presidents position. As the person who had to tell then-New York governor George E. Pataki that the WTC disaster was one event, not two, I consider myself somewhat practiced in the high art if not science of interpreting insurance contract language notwithstanding the populist pull of giving the people what they want regardless of what the contract might say. The Governor, for his part, sought the right answer to the question and not the expedient one, even if it meant that $ 3.5 billion in insurance funds would not be forthcoming to the State.

The President, just like President Bush and so many other leaders, is paid to lead the country in times of crisis and they both have done well in that respect. But he is not an insurance contract expert, has not had experience from the other side of the claims table and was not thinking to himself when he said those words that he was providing a dispositive legal opinion on whether longstanding insurance policy language was sufficient to support a claim for business interruption benefits. He was giving a classically-Trumpian opinion as a long-time businessman and champion of Main Street as to what he thinks should be done with these policies. Of course, you would also not want him to opine or articulate that he thought that business interruption coverage does not apply. That opinion would suffer from the same shortcomingsfrom an insurance perspectiveas well as be seriously politically tone-deaf.

His voice is certainly the loudest, but by no means is it the only one in the business interruption coverage debate. Many states have seen the introduction of legislation to virtually re-write business property coverages regardless of years of jurisprudence, regulatory oversight and industry practice. Some have even tried to annex the workers compensation system by presuming exposure to COVID-19 to be an industrial hazard. Lawsuits are already hitting the closed doors of courts around the country like newspapers thrown on ones front stoop. The froth is palpable and the parties highly motivated to continue the drumbeat of a message that insurance is an untapped resource. Of course, if we had adopted this same philosophy to compel insurers to pay for the flood damage of any one of a number of recent storms that is clearly not in the typical property/casualty policy, or asked them to underwrite any war fitting into the exclusion definition within such contracts, this current discussion would be merely academic for there would be no property/casualty industry to target.

Federal Response

Ironically, the early recognition of the limitations in business interruption coverage in this crisis is likely to have served as a catalyst for the swift federal response to the burgeoning crisis in the form of the three pieces of relief legislation, including that to deliver relief checks to much of the population, and that to provide payroll protection and a long-term line of credit to businesses.

As in other instances, this crisis is likely to lead to changes in the way we cover pandemics. Some of that change may be reflected in new insurance contract language, a federal program like the terrorism or flood insurance programs, or some other special purpose entity. But that is for after the crisis, and not during it. Let the President continue to champion the needs of the public during this time in his speeches and tweets, but lets not go crazy thinking that he is lending anything more to the claims process than President Bush did when he correctly said we were at war. These contracts will continue to be interpreted as they should be, will be upheld by a judiciary largely of Mr. Trumps remaking, and a great many will be seen as not providing the kind of coverage the President might like to think they do.

Topics Legislation Property Property Casualty Leadership
Planned Parenthood was paid nearly $25,000 for aborted baby body parts, unsealed documents show

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Newly unsealed documents show that over the course of three months in 2012, Planned Parenthood was paid thousands of dollars for the body parts of aborted babies, directly related to their "usability."

While the abortion giant has long denied the accusation that they profited from this exchange  insisting they were only reimbursed for relevant costs  the previously unsealed invoices, which had been redacted, show Planned Parenthood Mar Monte in California billing biotech outfit StemExpress nearly $25,000 over July, August and September in 2012 for samples of fetal organs harvested from abortions and maternal blood, multiple reports say.

Other documents show a renewable contract agreement between the same Planned Parenthood location and StemExpress starting in April of 2010 stipulating that the biotech company would pay $55 for each specimen "determined in the clinic to be usable" and $10 for every blood sample. The contract designates the payments as reimbursements for "reasonable costs."

The contract also defines POC, or a product of conception, as any fetal organ or other fetal or placental material taken from a human uterus during an abortion. A fetal organ is defined as the human kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, bone marrow, cornea, eye, bone, and skin, or any subpart thereof and any other human organ or any subpart thereof as from a fetus.

The emergence of the documents come as a result of lengthy investigations into Planned Parenthood in light of the undercover investigation from David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress. In the summer of 2015, the group began posting video footage they had obtained while undercover, interviewing top Planned Parenthood executives and doctors speaking cavalierly about the abortion procedures they perform in order to obtain intact fetal organs and tissues.

Since then, Planned Parenthood has filed lawsuits against Daleiden in Texas and California, while continuing to assert that his videos were deceptively edited. The charges against him in Texas were thrown out but in California, the abortion giant was awarded over $2 million in damages in November. Daleiden's attorneys have said they will appeal the lawsuit.

The abortion giant said after the publication of the vides that they would cease supplying such tissue and would no longer accept payment.

Although the document had been under seal, they had been previously referenced and published in a Congressional investigation in 2016. The 2012 invoice showing the approximately $25,000 Planned Parenthood was paid had also been published but with the parties involved, invoice number, and terms of repayment all redacted.
NORTHFIELD, Ill., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stepan Company (NYSE: SCL), a major manufacturer of specialty chemicals, has recently made donations of hand sanitizer and spray disinfectants to Chicagoland first responders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis.

Stepan's plant near Joliet, IL has donated 800 gallons of hand sanitizer and several hundred gallons of disinfecting spray solution to the Chicago Police and Fire departments as well as numerous departments in the Chicago suburbs. As a specialty chemical maker, Stepan was able to produce and access necessary raw materials and used its R&D and Pilot Plant capabilities to formulate and produce the sanitizing and disinfectant products. While Stepan continues to manufacture cleaning and disinfecting products, including nonionic surfactants and biocides, for customers that are essential in the fight against COVID19, it recognized the urgent need of Chicagoland first responders for sanitation supplies as they continue to serve and protect our local communities.

F. Quinn Stepan, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Stepan, said, "As a Chicagoland company, Stepan Company and its employees are proud to assist our first responders and donate products that help ensure they have the hand sanitizer and spray disinfectant needed to protect themselves from COVID-19 and to keep our communities safe. The health and safety of our community members and employees is  and always has been  our top priority."

Other Stepan facilities across the globe have also donated to their local communities to support those most in need during this crisis. Stepan's facility in Brzeg Dolny, Poland donated monies to a local hospital, designated for buying cleaning products, disinfectants, masks and gloves to help medical personnel protect themselves from the virus. Stepan's team in Voreppe, France donated its stock of 200 face masks to hospitals in nearby Grenoble, to help health care workers maintain their safety in the fight against COVID-19. Stepan Brazil donated disinfectant to the Government of Sao Paulo to aid the fight against the virus. Other Stepan facilities across the globe continue seeking new ways to support their local communities as well.

"We are all in this fight together and we continue to encourage our teams across the globe to take creative and meaningful steps to support their communities. This is just a small way that we can say 'thank you' for the work they're doing to keep all of us safe during this difficult time," said F. Quinn Stepan, Jr.

Corporate Profile

Stepan Company is a major manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries. Stepan is a leading merchant producer of surfactants, which are the key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning compounds and in agricultural and oilfield solutions. The Company is also a leading supplier of polyurethane polyols used in the expanding thermal insulation market, and CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, and Elastomers) industries.

Headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, Stepan utilizes a network of modern production facilities located in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

The Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol SCL. For more information about Stepan Company please visit the Company online at www.stepan.com

More information about Stepan's sustainability program can be found on the Why Stepan/Sustainability page at www.stepan.com

Contact: Luis Rojo 847-446-7500

Certain information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include statements about Stepan Company's plans, objectives, strategies, financial performance and outlook, trends, the amount and timing of future cash distributions, prospects or future events and involve known and unknown risks that are difficult to predict. As a result, Stepan Company's actual financial results, performance, achievements or prospects may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "guidance," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would," "should," "illustrative" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Stepan Company and its management based on their knowledge and understanding of the business and industry, are inherently uncertain. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and stockholders should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

There are a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors, many of which are beyond Stepan Company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Such risks, uncertainties and other important factors include, among other factors, the risks, uncertainties and factors described in Stepan Company's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports and exhibits to those reports, and include (but are not limited to) risks and uncertainties related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; disruptions in production or accidents at manufacturing facilities; reduced demand due to customer product reformulations or new technologies; our inability to successfully develop or introduce new products; compliance with laws; our ability to make acquisitions of suitable candidates and successfully integrate acquisitions; global competition; volatility of raw material and energy costs and supply; disruptions in transportation or significant changes in transportation costs; downturns in certain industries and general economic downturns; international business risks, including currency exchange rate fluctuations, legal restrictions and taxes; unfavorable resolution of litigation against us; maintaining and protecting intellectual property rights; our ability to access capital markets; global political, military, security or other instability; costs related to expansion or other capital projects; interruption or breaches of information technology systems; our ability to retain its executive management and key personnel; and our debt covenants.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and Stepan Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Stepan Company

Related Links

http://www.stepan.com


These are extraordinary times and we all are in uncharted territory. There is a lot of fear and negativity in all spheres due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. While the Corona Warriors are doing a tremendous job fighting from the frontlines, we at Adgully are embarking on an endeavour to highlight the positive developments during these challenging times.

Adgully is featuring a series of brief interactions with industry leaders in India and find out how they are keeping their spirits up as well as keeping their employees motivated, also how they are joining in the fight against the adverse impact of the global pandemic.

Laqshya Media Group Group CEO Atul Shrivastavas actions to help employees navigate through the COVID-19 crisis are going a long way in reinforcing their trust in the organisation.

What steps are you and your organisation taking to help out the society at large or those engaged in the war against Covid-19?

In our view, employment is going to be the biggest challenge in the society. We are focussing mainly on cost reduction and mobilising our resources to be able to retain the employees at large. It is a most unfortunate situation to keep the ball rolling, when the revenue is nil for almost a month.

For the Corona Warriors, we are planning to install Fumigation Tunnels at a few key locations. We are in touch with government authorities to get their permission and guidance to do the same in the cities marked as hotspots.

How are you keeping your employees motivated and are encouraging them to give their best, even as they are working from home?

Everything in the workplace has changed, but what keeps employees motivated and what employers and leaders can do remains the same. We are trying to keep office culture intact, spirits high, ease mental and financial strain and have a little fun during a time of unprecedented stress for our employees.

Firstly, we are creating a sense of belonging by communicating regularly and confirming their value to the organisation. Checking on their suggestions & views on any topic of discussion as we might likely to get brilliant ideas, also providing guidance to explore online sessions, tutorials & webinars to upgrade their skills while juggling responsibilities at home & coping with isolation.

Secondly, we are connecting with our employees through collaboration and feedbacks. Also, we are taking their feedbacks on business so that they feel heard and let them know how we acted on their suggestions.

Last but not the least, we believe in offering flexibility & focusing on results, so we are giving our employees the freedom and authority to make decisions. Collectively, these actions can go a long way to reinforce our employees trust in the organisation.

What is most needed in challenging times such as these:

(a) From the general public: Patience and sensitivity towards the Guidelines, howsoever difficult these may be to follow. But the only way to defeat this kind of virus is to maintain social distancing, follow the precautions on hygiene front and disclose details which may put you or others at risk.

(b) From the authorities: Support the cause of employment by offering help to MSMEs, retail sector, hospitality industry, etc., so that they are able to survive this crisis. In a country with 40+ crore daily wage earners, it is very important to support the middle class people/ industries, which are the direct source of income for the majority of these daily wage earners.

(c) From business leaders: Stand by their team and employees and, in turn, stand by the nations economy. Every business leader must realise that their net worth or personal wealth is earned from this country and through its people. These will become insignificant if the economy loses its strength. They must do an honest evaluation and effort to support the people attached to their business  whether a supplier, vendor or even the employees.
Lyft today announced the launch of Essential Deliveries, a program aimed at servicing the needs of health care and government organizations and non-profits during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Launching today, the service will use drivers to deliver a variety of essential products, from groceries and meals to cleaning and medical supplies. The ride-hailing service notes the program will be opt-in and derivers will be informed about the nature of the deliveries, which are entirely contact-free.

Lyft previously announced a program to provide funds to drivers who were diagnosed with the virus or otherwise put under quarantine.

The program will be available in a wide range of different markets, including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Diego, San Antonio and Seattle. New York City, the region with the largest number of coronavirus cases and deaths is not on the initial list. Further markets include North Carolina and Atlanta.

The company is teaming up with local organizations, along with some bigger corporate names like Dole, which is will provide prepackaged foods. The program follows the launch of the LyftUp Driver Community Task Force, an opt-in service asking drivers how they want to pitch in during the crisis. Some 120,000 have signed up.
Gerson Monje holds up his cellphone to proudly show off his online sex shop. A red banner reading sold out! is plastered across half of the products.

While most Colombian businesses suffer during a five-week lockdown meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus, one online industry has seen an explosion in sales in the usually conservative country: sex toys are flying off virtual shelves.

Sales started going up on day four of the quarantine, said Monje, who is still able to have products delivered to customers amid the national lockdown. Weve seen a rise of 50%.

People are at home and have more time on their hands. Theyre with their partners or alone and need fun in their daily activities when it comes to being intimate, Monje said.

Reuters spoke to six online sex shops in Colombia and all said they have seen a swell in sales since the quarantine began. Colombians are meant to remain at home until Apr. 27, except for outings to buy food and medicine and visits to banks, among other exceptions.

Sex toys could help people keep their spirits up during long isolation, psychologist Dr. Carolina Guzman said, and might lead to an easing of sexual mores.

Colombia has a very conservative idea around sexuality and communication surrounding it, she said. Its a good time for people to allow themselves to work on their curiosity and to understand that buying and using these products is a great thing.

Other countries have seen a similar phenomenon. Sales of sex toys in Denmark have more than doubled, while British lingerie chain Ann Summers said sex toy sales were up 27% in the last week of March.

Inside the Sex Sense sex shop in Bogota, manager Adriana Marin watched Pope Francis give a Good Friday Mass on her computer as she sprayed boxes of products with disinfectant.

Her online shop sales have taken off even though her storefront is closed and there is stiff competition. There are about 30 other sex shops in her neighborhood alone.

At the Bali Sex Store in Medellin, sales are up 140%.

Products with mobile phone applications that allow separated partners to control toys for one another are particularly popular, said Katty Gonzalez, the stores marketing director.

Before people didnt have time because of so many things going on in their daily lives and I think that because of whats happening at the moment, its giving them the opportunity to explore different things, she said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency without modifications to the text)

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Both Dr. Chambers and Dr. Spong said that its neither difficult nor expensive to study women who are already taking medication, but that kind of research simply hasnt been a priority. The real travesty is that its a completely answerable question, said Dr. Chambers.

In April 2019, Dr. Spong and a colleague published an editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine which pointed out that the problem, at least partially, stems from a lack of research funding. In 2017, for instance, the National Institutes of Health allocated $92 million  0.3 percent of its budget  to research on breastfeeding. For comparison, the agency spent almost $6 billion on cancer research and $1.1 billion on diabetes research that same year.

While theres no doubt that research on cancer and diabetes is important (they are the second and seventh leading causes of death and disability in the United States, respectively)  the more than 3 million American women who breastfeed every year need some research prioritization too, said Dr. Spong. Pregnancy and lactation are setting up mothers and babies for a long life of health, she said. Thats our future.

Whats safe?

When studying drugs, researchers think of the human body as having different compartments: a brain compartment, a liver compartment and so on, according to Dr. Thomas Hale, Ph.D., a professor of pediatrics at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and co-director of the InfantRisk Center, a leading research facility for medication safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Nature really figured out how to make the breast milk compartment safe  isolated somewhat from the rest of the body  with the primary intent of safeguarding the baby, said Dr. Hale.

While experts have evaluated fewer than 400 of the thousands of medications available on the market for safety for use during breastfeeding, experts know enough about how the human body processes them to postulate how much may get into breast milk and potentially affect the baby. For most medications, according to available research, less than 3 percent of a mothers dose of a drug can make it into her breast milk. Its likely that the vast majority of drugs are perfectly fine to use in breastfeeding if the dose is moderate, said Dr. Hale.

But some drugs require more caution than others.

In most cases, medications that are already proven safe for babies  such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil) or certain antibiotics like amoxicillin  are safe to take while nursing. Same goes for topical medications, said Dr. Hale, such as benzoyl peroxide to treat acne or a steroid cream to quell a rash. Little or none of those drugs absorb into the bloodstream and therefore cant transfer into breast milk.

There are fewer drugs in the unsafe category. Some of the most concerning ones, according to Dr. Hale, are those that might cause serious side effects at their recommended dosages such as chemotherapy or certain radioactive drugs.
Ritwika Mitra By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The crisis of hunger among migrant workers is only likely to grow steeper with 50 per cent of workers interviewed having rations left for less than a day, according to a study. The 21 Days and Counting: COVID-19 Lockdown, Migrant Workers, and the Inadequacy of Welfare Measures in India report pointed out 72 per cent of the workers said that their ration would finish in two days.In Maharashtra, 71 per cent told the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) that they had rations only for a day while 89 per cent had stocks for two days.

On Tuesday, hundreds of migrant workers protested in Mumbai demanding that authorities make arrangements for them to return to their hometowns.During the survey of 11,159 workers, the SWAN found 96 per cent of the surveyed workers had not received ration from the government and 70 per cent had not got any cooked food.

In Uttar Pradesh, of over 1,600 workers the network spoke to, nobody had received government rations. Eighty per cent of people did not get cooked food in Karnataka, the study said. Many workers said they were eating frugally, often one meal a day, to save their stock of food grains.

ALSO READ: 'Allow us to go home': Here's why these migrant workers are desperate to return home

The percentage of people having rations for less than a day jumped up from 36 per cent at the end of the second week of the lockdown to about 50 per cent in one week, according to the study. Similarly, the percentage of people saying they had no rations or cash went up from 36 per cent to 44 per cent in the same period.

Despite the Centre urging employers to pay workers full wages, 89 per cent of the surveyed were not paid by their employers during the lockdown, and 9 per cent were partially paid.

The lockdown has exposed the lack of accountability of employers and the governments when it comes to the rights of migrant workers, the study said, adding that the only link between the majority of stranded workers and their employers was the contractors who had switched off their phones leaving the workers to fend for themselves in these hard times.
Students gather outside the entrance to a high school in the XUAR's Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture, where banners in Mandarin Chinese read 'System Self-Confidence, Cultural Self-Confidence,' Aug. 31, 2018.

Teachers from Chinas interior are being encouraged to move to and settle in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) to provide aid for residents, according to sources, but members of the Uyghur exile community say the program is another measure aimed at colonizing their homeland.

The Plan to Aid Tibet and Xinjiang with 10,000 Teachers was envisioned by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Central Party Committee as a long-term solution for the stability of the two regions, according to the official China Education Net, and has been promotedalong with other policies in the regionas a form of poverty alleviation to improve the lives of the local population.

At its launch in 2018, 4,000 teachers were sent to the XUAR from Chinas interior, while in 2019, another 3,180 were shipped to the western region.

While contract periods initially lasted between 18 months and two years, authorities have recently begun offering a plethora of subsidies to entice teachers to remain in the XUAR beyond the terms of their agreements, sources have told RFAs Uyghur Service.

Beijing shuttered schools across China in February to control the spread of the coronavirus, but as measures to combat the outbreak appear to have yielded results, authorities reopened them in the XUAR on March 23.

Around the reopening, state media published several reports of teachers being sent to the XUAR as part of the Plan, including an article published on the Dahe website on April 3, which said 249 teachers from Henan province were assigned to elementary and middle schools at the 13th Division of the quasi-military Xinjiang Production and Construction Corp (XPCC) in Kumul (in Chinese, Hami) prefecture.

All of the teachers had applied for the Xinjiang Aid program that is part of a cooperative agreement between authorities in Henan and the XUAR, the article said.

The official Tianshan.net website recently published an article stating that 170 teachers from Shanghai had been assigned to 15 elementary and middle schools in four counties of Kashgar (Kashi) prefectureYarkand (Shache), Poskam (Zepu), Kargilik (Yecheng), and Maralbeshi (Bachu)while only 15 teachers in the same program were sent to Tibet.

And on March 16, the Xinjiang Peoples Radio Station broadcast a report that 80 Han teachers from Guizhou province had returned to Xinjiang for work at schools in Hotan (Hetian) prefecture two days earlier.

Teachers were required to return to the XUAR prior to March 15, the report said, and authorities arranged special transport for them on airplanes and buses so that theyalong with other educators from outside of the regioncould return to work on time, ahead of the reopening of schools a week later.

According to the broadcast, Wang Jiwen, vice secretary of the Hotan Prefectural Party Education Committee guaranteed that he would oversee the return of 18,800 teachers from outside of the XUAR.

Enticing teachers to stay

RFAs Uyghur Service recently spoke with a Han Chinese employee of the Work Office for Teachers in the Xinjiang Aid Program, under the Ministry of Education in Atush (Atushi) city, in the XUARs Kizilsu Kirghiz (Kezileisu Keerkezi) Autonomous Prefecture, who said that Hebei is the partner province providing teaching aid to her region.

Thats been in place here for one year, since 2019, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The employee said that last year, eight teachers were sent from Hebei to Atush to teach at two middle schools and several elementary schools in the city, and that all had expressed a desire to stay there after then end of their contracts, which she called a sign of the programs success.

RFA also spoke with a cadre from the 13th Division of the XPCC, or bingtuan, in Kumul, who confirmed that the program is for people from [Chinas] interior.

While he said that the program does not have any restrictions on ethnicity, the vast majority of people from non-autonomous regions in other parts of China are Han Chinese.

The cadre also declined to be named but claimed to be in charge of placing teachers from Henan and Hebei as part of the Xinjiang Aid program.

Contracts for teachers are usually between 18 months and two years, he said, but there is a plan to entice teachers to permanently stay in the region after the contracts end.

Applications for the program are still open, he said, adding that his group make[s] determinations based on the different places that need people.

If teachers whove come here after earning college degrees want to stay on after their contracts have ended, well help them do the paperwork to update their status and move their household registration here. Whether to stay or leave is entirely up to the applicants themselves.

Colonization of the region

Uyghurs in exile say that undermining traditional Uyghur education is a key part of Beijings policy of cultural assimilation in the XUAR, which officials believe will make members of the ethnic group more loyal to the ruling Communist Party and solidify the central governments control of the region.

The Xinjiang Aid program has been put into place as the XPCC has overseen the extending of various subsidies to Han Chinese residents of other parts of China to relocate in droves to the XUAR, including offering them homes and plots of land with generous tax abatements.

Meanwhile, authorities in the XUAR are believed to have detained up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities accused of accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas in a vast network of internment camps since April 2017.

Memet Tohti, a Canadian representative of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC), told RFA that authorities in the XUAR are seeking to make our people Han by means of assimilation.

The colonization that is currently occurring on our home soilthe government is achieving it by putting its own people onto our land, he said.

This is the final step for them to make this land their own  Its an issue of eliminating an entire ethnic group.

Reported by Gulchehre Hoja for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Elise Anderson. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Uzbekistan asked global retailers and apparel brands to lift a long-lasting boycott on its key cotton crop Thursday, citing its overhaul of forced labour practices and the virus pandemic's economic shocks.

In a letter addressed to the Cotton Campaign, an advocacy campaign whose pledge to exclude Uzbek cotton is supported by more than 300 apparel brands and retailers, Uzbekistan's labour minister Nozim Khusanov called for an end to a "global boycott on Uzbek cotton".

The Cotton Campaign's 2011 vow to eliminate Uzbek cotton from international supply chains is rooted in concerns over widespread forced and child labour that has existed in the harvest since Soviet times.

Responding to the government, the campaign made it clear that the boycott was still in force and the government should show more progress.

Khusanov's letter cited the International Organisation findings from last year's harvest that determined forced labour was no longer "systematic" in the harvest, following a 40-percent fall in cases from 2018.

Child labour, a grim calling card of the reign of Uzbekistan's late leader Islam Karimov, was "no longer a concern," the organisation said.

Uzbekistan has pursued major economic reforms under Karimov's successor Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who shocked observers by opening up the tightly-controlled country to tourism and liberalising the economy.

But 1.5 million Uzbeks are currently unemployed as a result of lockdown measures and other factors related to the global coronavirus pandemic, the labour ministry said.

"Moreover, 200,000 individuals are expected to fall below the poverty line as the country undergoes its lockdown," the letter said. In a response to the letter, the Cotton Campaign said it "welcomes the challenge... to end the Uzbek Cotton Pledge" which the campaign said it is reviewing.

But while the campaign credited "significant steps towards ending systemic forced and enacting structural reforms", it said Uzbekistan had not made enough progress in creating space for civil society and independent labour unions.

Cotton Campaign coordinator Allison Gill told AFP that ending the boycott "depends on ending forced labor, which is up to the government, not us." "Brands weren't exactly rushing to re-enter Uzbekistan and really can't given ongoing forced labor, which even the government acknowledges occurred in 2019," Gill said in emailed remarks.

"That is why we are developing a framework to encourage responsible sourcing that would provide brands assurances.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kim Brent / The Enterprise

With so much of the coronavirus bringing us into uncharted territory, its not surprising that Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick and county commissioners disagreed about which members of law enforcement should receive premium pay for their work during this crisis. Their best option is clearly to be as fair as possible with this process  and remember that reimbursement from the federal government is not assured, even if it may be likely.

Branick initially decided to extend the temporary 50% pay increase to the offices of constables Jevonne Pollard, Bryan Werner and Robert Adams because they took a National Incident Management System certification class. Their offices also offered to help with emergency operations during this disaster.
What happens the moment you die? Popular theologians weigh in

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Pastors H.B. Charles Jr. and Ligon Duncan discussed what the Bible teaches about the moment believers die and identified some common pitfalls Christians fall into when thinking about death.

In a recent episode of the Gospel Coalition podcast, Duncan, chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary, said the Apostle Paul says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2nd Corinthians 5).

Thus, one of the things Bible-believing Christians can know about the intermediate state  our position between the time we die and the time Christ consummates His Kingdom  is that we go immediately to the presence of Christ, he said.

That's important for assurance of salvation. Its important for comfort in the wake of the death of a loved one, Duncan said.

Yet, in efforts to be corrective, evangelical writing over the last two decades has downplayed the hope that believers have in the intermediate state, and has up-played the final resurrection and the new Heavens and the new Earth, he contended.

Obviously, those things are huge for believers, the pastor said. We really care about the coming of Christ, the final resurrection, the future glory, the new Heavens and the new Earth. Those are huge truths that do need to be emphasized in the Christian life. But if the greatest thing in all of life here or hereafter is the experience of the presence of God, to know that the moment that you die, immediately you were in the presence of Christ, there's no greater comfort than that.

The idea of immediately entering into the presence of Christ caused the Apostle Paul to vacillate between a desire to serve Christ in the world and leave by death to experience the presence of Christ.

All believers ought to want that more than anything else, to be in the presence of Christ, Duncan stressed.

Charles, the pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, suggested that other times, Christians can fall into being too preoccupied with the here and now, and forgetting that our hope is in a reality that transcends the present state of things.

If our hope in Christ is just in this life, we're the most pitiful people in the world, he said. We've missed the party. But the hope of the believer is that we will be with the Lord. And that our hope transcends the grave, and the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the hope for the future resurrection of the believer.

The hope for the future resurrection is a pledge of what's coming after us as we trust in Him, Duncan added. We love and serve a resurrected Lord, and the principle that Jesus constantly teaches His disciples in the Gospels is what happens to the master happens to the disciples.

If He is raised, so shall we, he concluded. That reality changes everything.

Roughly seven-in-10 (72%) Americans say they believe in Heaven  defined as a place where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded, according to the Pew Research Centers 2014 Religious Landscape Study.

But at the same time, 58% of U.S. adults also believe in Hell  a place where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.

In an earlier Q&A, prominent pastor John Piper said Scripture is clear that after death there is not oblivion or sleep, unconsciousness. There is life in torment or in bliss.

Knowing that death ushers us directly into either Heaven or Hell, he said, should give Christians great comfort.

Christians have a double encouragement for those who are dying or have died. For the believer who trusts in Jesus Christ, Christs blood and righteousness have removed the condemnation for every believer and secured for us both final resurrection of the body in a new Heaven and a new Earth, and now, after death, an intimate, sweet experience of being in Christs presence between death and resurrection, Piper said.

It is a blessed hope in both ways, he added. We are safe. We are safe in Him now, we will be safe in His presence at the moment of death, and we will be supremely happy in a new and healthy body forever and ever in the new heavens and the new Earth.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the central government prepares an economic stimulus package that businesses have been pitching for to stay afloat.

Officials privy to the details said the government hopes to unveil some economic relief measures soon, but revealed there would be no big bang policy announcement, and relief would instead be in tranches.

Covid bonds, relaxed fiscal limits, monetising of deficit are some options in front of the government, but no final decision has been made yet, they said.

The upcoming stimulus will likely focus on the concerns of micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) segments, as well as provide relief to the travel and aviation sectors that have borne the maximum brunt due to the economic shock caused by coronavirus.

While the demand has been to unveil a package of Rs 9-10 lakh crore, the government may announce interim measures first for the sectors hit hard by the outbreak and the subsequent lockdown.

Officials had earlier said the next economic package would be bigger than the Rs 1,70,000 crore worth of schemes announced by Sitharaman last month focusing on providing food security to the poor and providing money in their hands to fight the Covid-19 impact.

The catastrophic effect of the lockdown on the overall economy and livelihoods of lakhs of workers has triggered severe concerns, following which a number of state chief ministers in their video conference with Modi on Saturday had also sought some sort of relaxation for a number of sectors.

While the government on Wednesday said that it will open certain sectors from Monday to ease the hardships of daily wagers and farmers, India Inc has also been demanding relief for it to survive what forecasts have said will be the worst slowdown in the Indian economy.

It is important for the government to announce an economic relief package immediately to ensure that companies dont get into a mentality of scarcity and start laying off employees, Sangita Reddy, joint managing director, Apollo Hospitals Group and president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) told CNBC-TV18.

Estimates show that India may be losing close to Rs 40,000 crore daily due to the national lockdown with an estimated loss amounting to Rs 7-8 lakh crore during the past 21 days, said Reddy.

Businesses want greater bank credit to provide wages which could be interest and collateral free in the case of small firms, a six-month deferral of tax dues without penalty, suspension of the bankruptcy code for six months and liberal handouts to needy households to support demand.

The demand side measures could include tax breaks for taxpayers and relief from duty on major items of consumption. Also, measures to provide more strength to the capital market may also be considered.

A senior official from the finance ministry said that regularly interactions have been held with various economic ministries and they are getting inputs from them over measures required to give stimulus to the economy in this difficult period.
There is concern that extending the deadline for the latest tranche of TAMS payments will actually curtail crucial investment on Irish farms.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed announced earlier this month that the closing date for Tranche 17 had been moved from April 24 to June 5, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

This was among a number of flexibilities introduced for Department of Agriculture schemes, and other flexibilites on TAMS included a three-month extension on TAMS completion deadlines, amongst other measures.

The Irish Farmers' Association, however, has expressed concern and feels it would have been more beneficial to open Tranche 18 instead.

"It would be more beneficial if the Minister closed Tranche 17 as normal and opened Tranche 18 as planned," said National Rural Development Chairman Michael Biggins.

"Farmers see no value in extending the date as it will lead to a serious backlog of work later in the year when the focus should be on getting the rural economy moving as soon as restrictions are lifted.

"By extending the closing date many of these farmers are concerned that they will not get the go ahead until the autumn, which will leave very little time to complete work before the onset of winter or the start of milking next spring.

"The 20-per-cent carryover of applications from one tranche to another must also be sorted, but the Minister's move is actually only adding to this problem."

Mr Biggins has called on Minister Creed to reconsider his decision once ongoing COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
SILVER SPRING, Md., April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic:

The FDA issued two new emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for serology tests to detect for the presence of coronavirus antibodies. The EUAs were issued to Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. for its VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Reagent Pack and Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc. for its DPP COVID-19 IgM/IgG System.

The FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the emergency use of Stryker Instrument's Sterizone VP4 Sterilizer1 N95 Respirator Decontamination Cycle for use in decontaminating compatible N95 and N95-equivalent respirators for single-user reuse by healthcare personnel.

The FDA has posted a new "At-a-Glance Summary" that captures the agency's major activities in the fight against COVID-19. The agency intends to regularly update this resource on efforts related to medical products and equipment, vaccines and therapeutics, food supply and more.

Yesterday, the FDA issued guidance on digital health devices for treating psychiatric disorders to help expand the availability of these devices while reducing user and health care provider contact and potential exposure to COVID-19 during this pandemic. The enforcement policy described in the guidance applies to computerized behavioral therapy devices and other digital health therapeutic devices for psychiatric disorders as well as low-risk general wellness and digital health products for mental health or psychiatric conditions.

The FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning letter to one company for selling fraudulent COVID-19 products, as part of the agency's effort to protect consumers. The seller warned, Earth Angel Oils, offers essential oil products that are unapproved and misbranded drugs for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. There are currently no FDA-approved products to prevent or treat COVID-19. Consumers concerned about COVID-19 should consult with their health care provider.

Diagnostics update to date:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked with more than 315 test developers who have said they will be submitting emergency use authorization (EUA) requests to FDA for COVID-19 tests.



To date, 36 emergency use authorizations have been issued for COVID-19 tests.



The FDA has been notified that more than 190 laboratories have begun testing under the policies set forth in our COVID-19 Policy for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease-2019 during the Public Health Emergency Guidance.



The FDA also continues to keep its COVID-19 Diagnostics FAQ up to date.

Additional Resources:

Media Contact: [email protected], 240-701-7422

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Related Links

http://www.fda.gov


What began as a simple quest by one Toronto doctor to get a protective mask for her patient has now turned into a far bigger project to supply personal protective equipment and accommodation for health-care providers, and to fund research for COVID-19.

Last month, Dr. Elaine Chin was getting worried about a particular patient of hers, a 31-year-old woman about to start chemo sessions for cancer. Having immunocompromised health in the middle of a global pandemic meant it was imperative for the woman to wear a mask during hospital visits.

But masks were nowhere to be found. Just like hand sanitizer and some other health supplies, facial protection had run off the stores shelves quickly when stay-home policies started to come into effect. Chin, with the help of her usual medical supplier Xthetica, managed to place an order for some N95 masks directly from a manufacturer in China, only to be outbid at the last minute.

It was heartbreaking, said Chin, noting thats when she realized the issue was far bigger than trying to just get one box of masks.

Now in partnership with the University of Torontos faculty of medicine, Chin has launched the Masking Together Challenge, with the hope of creating an impact that goes beyond just getting protective masks to health-care providers. The campaign also aims to fund short-term accommodations for medical trainees who may need to isolate from family or roommates. Part of the raised funds will also go to support further urgent research into the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19.

Contributions from Chins donors through her own practice, Executive Health Centre, have already totalled over $100,000, she said.

Chins patient in question, Marilyne Nouhra, who works in the construction industry, did later get some much-needed masks and has started chemo and radiation at Sunnybrook. But being in such a vulnerable situation has made this a doubly anxious time for her.

Im already battling death with this cancer and I have to be extra careful with my life, then this pandemic comes around, said Nouhra, who was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer earlier this year. Im battling two problems. It couldnt happen at a worse time for me.

She said the doctors told her the tumor is too large to be operated on right now, and shell undergo aggressive treatment for six weeks before they make an evaluation.

Going to the hospital is another experience that scares her. She said some people are protected with masks but others are not, which increases her fears. Thats why she fully supports Chins campaign to get enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical workers, as well as anyone else who is vulnerable.

The medical staff absolutely deserves to be protected so they can protect us, she said.

For Chin, the desire to include accommodation for those toiling on the front lines comes from personal experiences some 17 years ago, when she was among the medical personnel battling the spread of SARS in Toronto. Her husband was also a physician at St. Michaels Hospital, and it was scary for them to go home to their four-year-old child after work, she said.

We literally had to rewrite our will, she said, noting the two of them ended up finding a different place to stay, as Toronto had become the epicentre of the pandemic.

Some of these medical residents and fellows are still living with their parents or roommates. Where are they going to go if they get infected? said Chin, as she explained the importance of working with local hotels to provide short-term rentals.

In the longer term, Chin hopes the contributions from the Masking Together Challenge can go toward U of Ts research into understanding the virus and limiting its impact.

U of Ts medical community has already created a Toronto COVID-19 Action Fund of $6 million and is seeking contributions to get to $10 million.

Our ultimate goal is to discover a vaccine for COVID-19, said Chin, expressing optimism.

I believe in the scientists of this world. We know this little bugger and its just a matter of figuring out how to block it.

Correction - April 17, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that said Marilyne Nouhra was diagnosed with cervical cancer a year ago. In fact, she was diagnosed earlier this year.
Cancel the SAT? Not so fast. The College Board says if schools don't reopen this fall, it'll organize a digital at-home version of the test.

Here's what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

(You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Coronavirus

French President Emmanuel Macron is leading the charge for a worldwide truce so countries can fully focus on stamping out Covid-19. He says he has backing from several world leaders, including in the US, the UK, China and possibly Russia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres first mentioned a global ceasefire, saying the only fight that matters now is the shared battle against the pandemic. Around the world, the virus is still raging: Japan, India and Singapore have all seen a significant jump in cases. Germany's death toll has spiked, and there is particular concern for the welfare of health workers. The UK reports 27 National Health Service workers have died of the virus. In the US, the CDC estimates more than 9,200 health care workers have been infected. Follow updates here.

2. Protests

Some in the US are chafing under several weeks of strict stay-at-home orders. Members of conservative groups in Michigan jammed the streets of the state's capital in protest after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who has sparred with President Trump over the outbreak response, extended state orders to the end of the month and added more restrictions. Some protesters were in cars, but people also crowded the Capitol grounds, clearly flouting social distancing recommendations. Some right-wing media personalities are egging on such unrest, arguing that such restrictions suffocate Americans' personal rights. Either way, Americans will probably have to endure their cabin fever for a while longer. State health experts say there's no immediate relief in sight for lockdown measures, which stem the deadly virus' spread.

3. Testing

The FDA has approved two more of those coronavirus antibody tests that could be the key to effectively reopening US society. This brings the total number of FDA-approved tests to three. During a call with President Trump's new business council, experts told the President that there would need to be guarantees of ramped-up testing before people go back to work. Meanwhile, the US government is reportedly looking into the possibility that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory rather than a market, like most global epidemiologists have concluded. The theory is one of several being pursued by investigators trying to determine the virus' origin. However, it is also a pet theory of Trump supporters because it would deflect criticism of his handling of the pandemic.

4. White House

President Trump is threatening to invoke never-used constitutional authority to adjourn Congress and possibly push through dozens of his nominations for federal positions. The Senate has left Washington until at least May 4, and the President claimed that, without the body in session, key vacancies would go unfilled, keeping the government from being able to fully respond to the coronavirus crisis. The Constitution allows a president to fill temporary appointments during a recess without congressional approval -- but only if the Senate is technically shut down. Trump said there are 129 nominees now "stuck in the Senate because of partisan obstruction."

5. Economy

Some people are finding it hard to access all those stimulus checks and small business loans intended to bolster a coronavirus-ravaged economy. A federal judge has allowed Bank of America to continue doling out coronavirus relief loans to its existing customers before other applicants, which means businesses that haven't borrowed from the bank must wait even longer. The judge also put the onus back on Congress to fix preference and accessibility problems raised by the case. Meantime, millions of Americans most in need of coronavirus stimulus checks may find themselves giving up the money if they have unpaid bills. The relief plan funding the checks did not shield the stimulus payments from certain private debt collectors.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

A groundhog gnawing on pizza in Philadelphia is a new folk hero

This little guy is really capturing the zeitgeist.

'Too Hot to Handle,' a new Netflix dating show, strips contestants of their senses

Because you must SUFFER for love.

Apple unveils new budget iPhone

So it will hurt just a tiny bit less the next time you drop it facedown.

With no tourists around, animals in Yosemite are 'having a party'

Good, they deserve it.

Your cat's bad behavior could be a sign they miss you

How can they miss us if we never leave anymore?!

TODAY'S NUMBERS

8.7%

That's how much US retail sales plunged in March. It's the steepest monthly drop on record, according to Census Bureau data, which dates back to 1992.

$15.6 million

That's how much the billionaire Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, (who's also Prince George's godfather) has given to UK coronavirus charities.

TODAY'S QUOTE

"My God, I don't know how many articles (there) were about, 'We need anybody but Bernie' and, you know, they ended up succeeding. And that's that."

Bernie Sanders, who said during a CNN interview that he thinks the news media had a hand in him losing the Democratic presidential nomination.

TODAY'S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

How a family of bell makers stays in tune

A lot goes into making a bell, and like all fascinating things, it starts with fire. (Click here to view.)
Dhaka, April 16 : Authorities in Bangladesh said on Thursday they have detained 382 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority trying to enter the country in a boat from the southern coast, after two months adrift at sea.

Most of these Rohingya had left the refugee camps in Bangladesh to try and reach Malaysia but were unable enter the country or any other place, and decided to return, according to the coastguard spokesperson Lieutenant commander Hamidul Islam.

"Last night we detained them when they were trying to enter to Bangladesh. They were 382 people on the boat," Islam told Efe news.

"They told us that they left Bangladesh about two months ago for Malaysia and were joined by some other Rohingya from Myanmar's Arakan on their way," he added.

Islam said the coastguard officials learned that at least 28 people died from lack of food and water while at sea, and the bodies had been dumped into the water.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees thanked the local officials for providing support to the Rohingya aboard the vessel.

"These men, women and children were at sea for nearly two months in harrowing conditions and that many of them are extremely malnourished and dehydrated," UNHCR spokesperson Louise Donovan told Efe news.

Donovan refuted local media reports that these Rohingya were infected with the novel coronavirus, describing the claims as "unsubstantiated".

"We have offered the government to assist and move these people to quarantine facilities, whether they can receive medical attention and also they can have a medical screening," she said.

Bangladesh sealed its border with Myanmar in March and put Rohingya refugee camps in country's southern Cox's Bazar district under complete lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections.

However, no cases have been reported yet from the Rohingya camps. The only positive case until now from the Cox's Bazar region - that of a 65-year old woman - has been cured, according to heath officials.

Nearly 738,000 Rohingya refugees are living in camps in Bangladesh since August 25, 2017, following a wave of persecution and violence in Myanmar that the UN has described as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing and possible genocide.

Undocumented Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants have been using the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea in order to reach other countries in a quest for a better life.

At least 15 Rohingya were killed in February, when a boat carrying them sank off the coast of Bangladesh while on its way to Malaysia.
Canopy Growth Corp. is making significant cuts just a month after the cannabis company slashed its workforce and took multi-million-dollar writedowns.

Smiths Falls, Ont.-based Canopy said Thursday that it will lay off another 85 full-time workers, close a handful of facilities and cease operations in several countries as it tries to optimize its production and better balance supply and demand.

When I arrived at Canopy Growth in January, I committed to conducting a strategic review in order to lower our cost structure and reduce our cash burn, said David Klein, Canopys chief executive, in a press release.

I believe the changes outlined today are an important step in our continuing efforts to focus the Companys priorities, and will result in a healthier, stronger organization that will continue to be an innovator and leader in this industry.

Kleins moves include shutting down Canopys indoor facility in Yorkton, Sask., that he said will help the company to align its production in Canada with market conditions.

Canopy will also stop farming operations in Springfield, N.Y., because of an abundance of hemp produced in the 2019 growing season, but the company will continue using that supply to create hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products for the U.S. market.

Outside North America, Canopy will end work at its cultivation facility in Colombia and has entered into an agreement to cease operations in South Africa and Lesotho.

Canopy will transfer ownership of its African operations to a local business it did not name and expects to close the transaction in the coming weeks.

Canopy is no stranger to having to make large reductions, especially in 2020.

The brand behind Tweed, Tokyo Smoke, Maitri and Doja orchestrated a massive overhaul at the start of March.

It involved the layoff of 500 workers, a writedown between $700 million and $800 million, the closure of two greenhouses in Aldergrove and Delta, B.C. and the cancellation of plans to operate a third in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

Canopy also temporarily laid off 200 of its retail workers earlier in April as it moved to click-and-collect models at some stores.

Klein attributed those cuts to the Canadian recreational pot market developing slower than anticipated and profitability challenges across the industry.

Cannabis companies are expected to be in the fight of their life as COVID-19 sweeps Canada, challenging pot brands that were already struggling to maintain cash flow and keep up with the evolution of an entirely new industry.

Canopy did not directly attribute Thursdays announcement to COVID-19, but experts are anticipating a massive disruption of the industry as several major cannabis retailers have closed their stores to stop the spread of the virus and others have reduced their headcounts.

On Apr. 7, Moncton-based Organigram Holdings Inc. announced the temporary layoff of 400 workers, while Calgary-headquartered Sundial Growers said last week it would temporarily cut 65 per cent of its staff.
(Newser)  A gruesome discovery was made Monday at one of New Jersey's largest licensed nursing homes, after a tip came in to police that a body was being stored in a shed. When Andover cops showed up at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, there was no body in the shed, but there were 17 piled up inside the facility's four-person morgue. "They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring," says Police Chief Eric Danielson, who tells CNN the facility was likely "short-staffed." A funeral home will be picking up four of the bodies; the other 13 have been sent to a refrigerated truck at a local hospital. These deaths are just part of the 68 recently logged at the nursing home, 26 of which were from COVID-19; the other causes of death aren't clear. Meanwhile, 76 patients there have the virus, as well as 41 workers.

story continues below

Conditions at the facilitywhich had poor ratings and multiple violations even before the pandemic, per Newsweekas well as a lack of protective personal equipment and communications from higher-ups, spurred complaints as well; police also visited the facility on Sunday, the New Jersey Herald reports. And it's not just this nursing home that's been hit by the virus: Per stats shared Monday by NJ Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, about 10% of the state's 60,000 residents in long-term care facilities have COVID-19. "It's pretty clear that a big weakness in the system ... is long-term care facilities," Gov. Phil Murphy tells the Times, adding that once the dust settles on the pandemic, his state must more closely examine what happened in these facilities. (Horrific stories have emerged from a Virginia nursing home.)
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 16, 2020 | CALLOWAY COUNTY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 16, 2020 | 05:36 PM | CALLOWAY COUNTY

Murray-Calloway County Hospital has announced plans to temporarily furlough workers due to the effects of coronavirus.



In a press release on Thursday, the hospital said this action follows the suspension of some services and rescheduling of elective surgeries and procedures, which make up the bulk of revenues needed to support operating costs at the hospital.



All management positions will take a minimum 20 percent reduction. Some staff furloughs will involve reduced work schedules, while other staff will be relieved of all job duties. Furloughed employees are eligible for unemployment compensation and will remain eligible for their medical benefits.



According to the release, many departments have already made cuts, and several employees are on unemployment. However, this has not been enough to counteract the anticipated $5.3 million reduction in revenue during the month of April. Stimulus funding received through the CARES act will offset $2.3 million of the shortfall.



We do not know when we will come out of this shutdown but our intent is to return to normal operations as soon as possible. This is just a temporary measure, said Murray-Calloway County Hospital CEO, Jerry Penner. We have delayed this action as long possible because we value our employees and need to ensure we will be here when our communities need us most.



The hospital will continue to provide urgent and emergency healthcare through the hospital and physician clinics.
Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse.

So, the natural question for Prime Intelligence Solutions Group (HKG:8379) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

View our latest analysis for Prime Intelligence Solutions Group

Does Prime Intelligence Solutions Group Have A Long Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Prime Intelligence Solutions Group last reported its balance sheet in September 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth HK$68m. Importantly, its cash burn was HK$9.2m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 7.4 years as of September 2019. While this is only one measure of its cash burn situation, it certainly gives us the impression that holders have nothing to worry about. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

SEHK:8379 Historical Debt April 16th 2020

How Well Is Prime Intelligence Solutions Group Growing?

Notably, Prime Intelligence Solutions Group actually ramped up its cash burn very hard and fast in the last year, by 190%, signifying heavy investment in the business. As if that's not bad enough, the operating revenue also dropped by 3.8%, making us very wary indeed. In light of the above-mentioned, we're pretty wary of the trajectory the company seems to be on. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. You can take a look at how Prime Intelligence Solutions Group has developed its business over time by checking this visualization of its revenue and earnings history.

Story continues

How Easily Can Prime Intelligence Solutions Group Raise Cash?

While Prime Intelligence Solutions Group seems to be in a fairly good position, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of HK$35m, Prime Intelligence Solutions Group's HK$9.2m in cash burn equates to about 26% of its market value. That's not insignificant, and if the company had to sell enough shares to fund another year's growth at the current share price, you'd likely witness fairly costly dilution.

Is Prime Intelligence Solutions Group's Cash Burn A Worry?

On this analysis of Prime Intelligence Solutions Group's cash burn, we think its cash runway was reassuring, while its increasing cash burn has us a bit worried. Even though we don't think it has a problem with its cash burn, the analysis we've done in this article does suggest that shareholders should give some careful thought to the potential cost of raising more money in the future. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Prime Intelligence Solutions Group (2 are potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
A truck driver from Dallas County was killed Wednesday morning in a wreck in Bibb County, authorities said.

Lance Eugene Jones, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on Alabama 5 near the 94-mile marker, Alabama State Senior Trooper Reginal King said.

Jones was driving a 2016 Mack 600 truck that struck a 2019 Toyota Highlander driven by 62-year-old West Blocton resident Patricia Ann Brown around 7:35 a.m. Wednesday, according to King.

Brown was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.

No further information was available as troopers continued to investigate the wreck.
New research paints a devastating picture of the potential effects the novel coronavirus could have on reproductive health around the world, describing a chain reaction of unmet needs, unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and tens of thousands of maternal and newborn deaths.

As countries scramble to contain the viral outbreak, the Guttmacher Institute, a US-based reproductive rights research organisation, studied what could happen if access to sexual and reproductive care drops by 10 percent over the course of a year. An additional 49 million women in 132 middle- and low-income countries would not access the contraceptives that they require, the report, published on Thursday found. It also estimated an additional 15 million unintended pregnancies would take place.

Childbirth could also become more dangerous  1.7 million women and 2.6 million newborns would suffer major complications, the researchers warned, leading to 28,000 more maternal deaths and 168,000 newborn deaths.

It also estimated an increase of three million unsafe abortions, and 1,000 maternal deaths from botched procedures.

These numbers are devastating and reflect the potential suffering of millions of people around the world, Zara Ahmed, the Guttmacher Institutes associate director for federal issues, said in a statement. Researchers describe the 10 percent figure as a conservative estimate meaning that the impact could be far greater.

Regardless of the magnitude, vulnerable groups will bear the brunt. Those groups include, adolescents, people who identify as LGBT, refugees, imprisoned people, those in violent relationships, with disabilities or living in poverty.

There is already evidence of how the pandemic is affecting reproductive health. Contraceptive supply chains have been disrupted as manufacturers focus on COVID-19, leading to shortages of condoms. Abortion clinics have been forced to close because governments have not deemed them essential services during lockdowns. As countries throw everything they can at the pandemic, worries grow that it could come at the expense of other healthcare.

Abortion rights activists holding a banner that reads No more death for clandestine abortion during a demonstration as part of national strike after International Womens Day on March 9, 2020, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. [Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images]

While health providers in India have convinced the government to relax some restrictions during a mandatory quarantine, and feminist groups in Argentina and Colombia have redoubled their outreach regarding access to legal abortion services, limits on movement are impeding the ability of many to get to facilities that do remain open. And fear over contracting the virus itself could be keeping women from seeking the care they need.

Previous public health emergencies have shown that the impact of an epidemic on sexual and reproductive health often goes unrecognised, because the effects are often not the direct result of the infection, but instead the indirect consequences of strained healthcare systems, disruptions in care and redirected resources, the authors of the Guttmacher report wrote.

Now more than ever, it is critical that governments safeguard essential sexual and reproductive health services, Guttmacher Institute senior research scientist Elizabeth Sully said in a statement.

The report uses evidence from the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa from 2013 to 2016 to illustrate what can happen to reproductive health during crises. Fear of seeking treatment during the epidemic and disrupted services contributed to 3,600 maternal and neonatal deaths, and stillbirths in Sierra Leone, the report stated, which is close to the number of deaths caused directly by the viral outbreak in the country. Studies found that Ebola outbreaks caused a decline in the use of contraception, and family planning visits in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

An essential service

The Guttmacher Institute called on governments to define sexual and reproductive healthcare as essential, to strengthen supply chains, ensure contraception is available without a prescription, adopt remote models of care, such as telehealth, and ensure resources are not diverted. The needs of the vulnerable must be addressed, it added. It also called on the US government to step up its funding of global programmes.

By learning from prior epidemics, putting in place critical resources and systems, and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights, we can prevent health system disruptions that have disastrous, lasting impacts on individuals, families and the global community, said Ahmed.

Dr Alok Banerjee, technical adviser for Parivar Seva Sanstha, a reproductive health organisation in India, has already seen the effects of COVID-19 on access. The organisation had to close its 31 clinics that provide family planning and abortion services under the government imposed lockdown.

A demonstrator holds a sign outside the US Supreme Court as the court is set to rule on a legal challenge by abortion providers to a Texas law requiring doctors performing the procedure to have admitting privileges at local hospitals and clinics to meet hospital-grade standards [File: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters]

Public facilities have remained open, but with transit at a standstill, its virtually impossible for many women to get to the care that they need, Dr Banerjee told Al Jazeera. He said the government has decided to relax some restrictions, which means that 10 Parivar Seva Sanstha clinics are expected to open next week in areas that are not considered COVID-19 hot zones. The government has also enabled a better flow of contraceptives, he said, which are running low because imported raw materials werent being allowed in and manufacturers had shifted efforts to the pandemic.

Definitely, there is a crisis in reproductive health, particularly those who are seeking abortion and those who are willing to continue the contraception, a replenishment is necessary, that is a concern to all of us, he said in a telephone interview. Across the world, this is a crisis period, he said, one that he hoped would end soon.
Coronavirus testing will be available in commercial parking lots and can be found through a few clicks on a website. Millions of masks and more ventilators than we need will be delivered imminently. Monitoring capabilities for the next phase of the pandemic are on the way.

President Trump has made many promises about responding to the coronavirus crisis. But in the month since he declared a national emergency and as he encourages steps toward reopening the economy, many of them remain unfulfilled or works in progress. The number of testing sites operated by big retail chains is still minimal. It is likely to be months before millions of masks reach hospitals. And his own public health officials warn that a comprehensive surveillance system is not yet ready.

Heres an assessment of how Mr. Trumps promises stack up to reality.

Testing capabilities

For weeks, the Trump administration has pledged to ramp up testing. Progress has been made, but continues to fall short of specific targets outlined by the president.

what was said

March 13: Weve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals. The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car.
Economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic spread even more widely Thursday, weighing heavily on nations, businesses and ordinary people as countries struggled to restore confidence that stores, factories, airplanes and schools could reopen safely.

In France, Amazon suspended operations altogether after a court ruled it wasn't doing enough to protect its workers in the country. The online retailer, which has six warehouses in France, said it would evaluate the court decision.

Cargo traffic at Europe's massive port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands sank by 9.3% in the first quarter to 112.4 million metric tons from the same period a year ago.

We are facing unprecedented disruptions," said Allard Castelein, the port CEO, adding that he expects the situation to get worse.

The International Monetary Fund says fallout from what it calls the Great Lockdown will be the most devastating since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Still, leaders are anxious to send people back to work and school and to rebuild economies devastated by the pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people and claimed more than 137,000 lives, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Yet in China and the handful of countries in Europe that have partially reopened their economies, even people who still have jobs are wary of spending much or going out. In nearly empty stores and streets, people eye each other from a distance, their faces covered by masks.

Some Chinese cities tried reassuring consumers by showing officials eating in restaurants. In Zhengzhou, Zhang Hu in is back at work but his income plummeted because few are buying the 20-ton trucks he sells.

I have no idea when the situation will turn better, he said.

The U.S. began issuing one-time payments this week to tens of millions of people as part of its $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package. But another part of the relief package, a $350 billion paycheck protection program aimed at small businesses, is running dry after being open for only a matter of days.

Negotiations were accelerating in Washington over a $250 billion emergency request to help.

Even with limited testing, the U.S. has seen nearly 640,000 infections more than the next four countries put together and leads the world with nearly 31,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the true toll of the pandemic is much higher due to limited testing, uneven counting of deaths and some governments' attempts to downplay their outbreaks.

Despite the relief checks, Americans have begun to protest the virus restrictions that have put at least 17 million out of work, closed factories and brought many small businesses to their knees.

In Michigan, thousands came to protest the lockdown they say has destroyed livelihoods. Some were masked and armed with rifles, but many unmasked people defied stay-at-home orders and jammed nearly shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the Capitol building. The protest was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition.

"This arbitrary blanket spread of shutting down businesses, about putting all of these workers out of business, is just a disaster. It's an economic disaster for Michigan, said group member Meshawn Maddock. People are sick and tired of it. In Michigan's northern Leelanau County, Sheriff Mike



Borkovich said enforcing the coronavirus restrictions is taking a toll. People are frantic to get back to work. They have been very edgy, Borkovich told The Associated Press.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said having so many people close together without masks would only increase infections and prolong the lockdown.

With many factories shut down, American industrial output shriveled in March, registering its biggest decline since the nation demobilized in 1946 at the end of World War II. Retail sales fell by an unprecedented 8.7%, with April expected to be far worse.

President Donald Trump said he's prepared new guidelines for easing social distancing, even as business leaders told him more testing and personal protective equipment were essential first.

In Brussels, the pandemic was making the European Union redraw all of its budget plans to focus on tackling the coronavirus pandemic. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the 27-nation bloc's next trillion-euro budget will have to be re-imagined as the mother-ship of our recovery.

Troubling data indicate the worst may still be to come in many parts of the world.

The British government was set Thursday to extend a nationwide lockdown for several more weeks, as health officials say the coronavirus outbreak in the country is peaking.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it is too early to make a change to the lockdown introduced on March 23. Britain has recorded 12,868 deaths of COVID-19 patients. But those only count hospital deaths and British has seen limited testing. Experts say including virus deaths at homes or nursing homes could make the toll 15% higher.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging stepped-up efforts to prepare Africa, warning that the continent could end up suffering the greatest impacts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, April 16 : Commitment to work at the time of adversity brought out the best in this IAS officer serving as Collector of Valsad in Gujarat. Even as coronavirus spread in no time in various districts of the state, the officer received the tragic news of the death of his mother in a village of Banaskantha, about 500 km from Valsad. The officer left for her last rites and returned the same day. "I had to save my district, I had to return immediately...notwithstanding my personal tragedy," said C.R. Kharsan.

The 2006 batch IAS officer told IANS on phone that even a day's laxity in the ongoing efforts to contain the pandemic would have led to even more tragic consequences.

His mother had left for her Raia village in Banaskantha before the nationwide lockdown was declared. The IAS officer received the information about his mother's death around 3 am on April 15. "I left almost immediately for the village," Kharsan said.

After an eight-hour road journey, the Collector reached the village and soon after attending the last rites of his mother, he started back for Valsad, the same day on April 15.

The next day he had to lead Valsad's grim battle against coronavirus.

His commitment to work surprised his colleagues, boosting their morale. State Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar later tweeted that he was proud of the officer.

"I had decided that I would come back immediately after attending the last rites. I had messaged all my relatives that since lockdown was in force, they should avoid visiting the village, and if they do come, they should return immediately," Kharsan told IANS.

"Since Valsad is hardly 170 km from Mumbai which has recorded many corona patients, we have to be extra careful. I thought if there was any laxity even for a day in terms of restricting the movement of people, all our measures such as sealing the border would come to naught. So, we need strong monitoring," Kharsan said.

"I feel a sense of satisfaction that my district has so far been able to stay largely safe. I don't want to see even a single corona positive case in Valsad," he said.
With over 84 percent of the red (containment) zones in Jammu and Kashmir falling in the Valley, the possibility of spread of the novel coronavirus is higher in the Kashmir than the Jammu region, data shows

With a vast majority (over 84 percent) of the containment zones in Jammu and Kashmir falling in the Valley, the possibility of spread of the novel coronavirus is higher in the Kashmir region than Jammu region, data shows.

Of the 90 red zones, identified by the J&K Government Administration on Wednesday, 14 are in the Jammu region whereas the remaining 76 are in Kashmir.

A comparison with the number of containment zones as reported on 4 April, shows that while the Kashmir region has seen more than three times jump in the total number of red zones in just 12 days, whereas the number of containment zones in the Jammu region has grown by just 40 percent.

According to Hindustan Times, on 4 April, while the number of containment (red) zones in the Kashmir region was 24, the Jammu region had just 10 containment ones.

This surge in containment zones in the Valley shows that the possibility of spread of the virus is higher in Kashmir than in Jammu.

On Thursday, the UT with its population of 1.25 crore registered 14 more cases taking its tally to 314. Though these figures haven't been updated into the data maintained by the Union Health Ministry, even according to the central government, the UT has registered four deaths.

These 90 red zones are going to be placed under 100 percent lockdown with only one exit/entry point, the administration had said on Wednesday.

According to PTI, officials said the Centre has directed the Union Territory administration to continue implementing lockdown restrictions strictly for the extended period till 3 May as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

They said the restrictions would be implemented strictly and stringent action would be taken against the violators.

Markets across the Valley were shut and public transport was off the roads with only pharmacies and groceries allowed to open, the officials said.

They said the essential services including healthcare personnel have been exempted from the restrictions.

More than 56,000 people have been kept under surveillance including those who are either in government established quarantine facilities or in home isolation across the Union Territory.

"Till date 56,595 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which include 7,784 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 270 in hospital quarantine, 260 in hospital isolation and 30,228 under home surveillance. Besides, 18,049 persons have completed their surveillance period of 28 days," the officials said.

With inputs from PTI
By Robin Emmott and Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union should use its long-term budget to drive economic recovery from the coronavirus outbreak, two top officials with the bloc said on Wednesday, likely triggering more internal battles over who pays for it.

Already facing a funding gap left by Britain's exit from the European Union, richer states such as Germany resisted increased spending even before the coronavirus crisis, more recently delaying decisions for a temporary economic recovery fund.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, said that a larger seven-year budget should be Europe's response a pandemic that will sharply shrink economic output this year in EU countries.

"The next European budget has to be the European answer to the corona crisis," von der Leyen told a news conference with EU Council President Charles Michel, who will chair a videoconference summit of the bloc's leaders' on April 23.

"To be able to do that, it has to be different, completely different from normal European budgets," she added.

The exact detail, however, is missing for now.

The Commission is currently discussing how big the next budget will be, how to spend it and to what extent it could be used as a financial vehicle to raise more money for recovery. Any proposal needs the approval of all 27 EU member states.

Michel also called for a "Marshall Plan", alluding to Europe's reconstruction after World War Two, and said EU leaders must consider reworking plans for the 2021-27 EU budget during their video conference.

"We're not talking about a billion (euros), we're talking about a trillion, looking at the investment initiative that has to be done," von der Leyen said, without giving more detail.

Negotiations on the EU's next long-term common budget, which is worth about 150 billion euros a year, were launched two years ago along familiar battle lines: France seeking to protect farm subsidies and the Netherlands wanting a smaller budget than when Britain was a member.

Story continues

But the coronavirus' destructive impact has shifted the debate away from whether the EU should spend more on common defence and technology to helping euro zone governments such as Spain and Italy facing the economic shock of long lockdowns.

RECOVERY FUND

Von der Leyen also appeared to suggest a bigger EU budget would remove the need for jointly-issued debt by euro zone governments, which the Netherlands and Germany oppose.

The budget has proven to be the "best instrument for cohesion and convergence", von der Leyen said, using EU jargon for levelling up differences between richer and poorer states.

Euro zone finance ministers agreed a 500 billion euro plan to support coronavirus-hit economies last week. However, to the disappointment of several states led by Italy, the deal did not include using joint debt to finance the economic recovery.

EU leaders are expected to discuss next week whether to develop a financial vehicle to borrow funds on capital markets and then use them to attract private money for investment.

Von der Leyen said that the EU executive should run any such recovery fund, a contentious idea given that it would contain EU states' money.

Von der Leyen said one way to handle the common budget differently would be to make much of the money available quickly, injecting as much funding as possible in the first part of the seven-year scheme.

Separately, the EU will organise an online donor conference on May 4 to raise funds for the search for a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The Commission said it did not have a target amount but that 8 billion euros was needed.

The Brussels-based EU executive also called on member states to coordinate their gradual easing of lockdowns to prevent any new spikes of the coronavirus epidemic.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Robin Emmott, Kate Abnett; Editing by Catherine Evans and Jon Boyle)
Employees manufacture masks at a factory in the southern province of Long An. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Local producers can benefit from rising demand for medical masks abroad amid the Covid-19 pandemic as long as domestic demand is met.

For this to happen, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has allowed the lifting of a cap on medical mask exports, protective garments and medical equipment.

He has emphasized that such items can only be shipped to countries severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A previous government resolution had imposed an export cap of 25 percent of a companys production.

Phuc urged the Health Ministry to quickly complete procedures for the government to make adjustments to this resolution.

There is a high demand for masks and medical equipment in many countries, and Vietnam should not miss this opportunity, he said.

The Health Ministry says there are 68 medical equipment exporters in Vietnam and the Ministry of Industry and Trade estimates that 50 of these could together produce 200 million masks a month.

Many garment companies have received orders for hundreds of millions of face masks from buyers in the U.S. and E.U.

Industry insiders said shifting from garments to masks would allow companies to keep production going and pay employees, mitigating losses caused by canceled orders, which are estimated at over $470 million.

There are around 6,800 textile businesses in Vietnam. Last year they exported goods worth $32.8 billion, up 7.8 percent year-on-year, with the U.S., the E.U. and Japan being the largest buyers.
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It was hard for Wandjell Reneice Browning to stay in touch with her cousin long before the coronavirus crisis. Hes been incarcerated in the Lawrence Correctional Center in Illinois for four years, and the cost of phone calls was so high that there were times when they couldnt afford to talk. Usually they check in about three times a week; now its more like once a week.

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Those phone calls were already a lifeline, but its even more urgent now. Its the only way she can stay up to date on whats happening to him as prisons have locked down and banned visitors. My cousin is super high risk, she said. He has sickle cell anemia that has left him with a disabled leg and gives him constant migraines, according to Browning. Sometimes when he calls, his breathing is so bad I cant even recognize who he is, she said. Im very scared hes going to [get] the virus because his immune system is very weak.

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When Im not talking to him for long periods of time, I just assume hes dead, honestly, she said.

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Browning is not the only one hanging on every call from prison. Calls have become even more critical now that visitation has been suspended and prisons have seen COVID-19 spread like wildfire. Generally, the only way people know anything about their families is through phone calls, noted Bianca Tylek, executive director of prison reform nonprofit Worth Rises. Theyre not going to get up-to-the-minute information about their incarcerated loved ones health from the facilities themselves. Even emails are often delayed thanks to screening processes.

Staying updated is even more critical now. One of the largest concentrations of coronavirus cases in the country is inside Illinois Cook County Jail. Other prisons and jails have also seen huge outbreaks. As of April 8, according to data collected by the New York Times, there were 1,324 cases, including 32 deaths, inside the countrys prisons and jails. Incarcerated people say theyre not being given the proper gear to keep themselves safe. Those in Florida are being asked to manufacture masks that will be distributed to corrections officers and probation officers before they can wear them themselves. Phone calls are the only way for some people in prison to communicate whats happening inside.

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But these calls to family and friends are extremely expensive, costing as much as $1 a minute. And now thanks to social distancing measures implemented to stem the spread of COVID-19, more than 22 million people have lost their jobs and about 40 percent of Americans with savings have already dipped into those funds, so they have even fewer resources to cover the cost. Even before the crisis, a third of families went into debt to stay in touch with incarcerated loved ones. Either more people are going to go into debt or way more people arent going to be in touch, Tylek said.

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Those fees make a tidy profit for private companies, though. The estimated $1.2 billion industry is dominated by just two companies: Securus and GTL. Some state and county prison systems also take a cut of the profits.

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The latest coronavirus response package in Congress includes a provision that would make phone calls free for those in federal prisons. That would still leave the 1.3 million people in state prison and 631,000 people in local jails paying exorbitant fees.

Advocates are putting pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to request that prison phone companies make calls free at all facilities for at least the next 60 days as families weather the pandemic. That would ensure everyone has the right to stay connected, said Steven Renderos, executive director of advocacy group MediaJustice.

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If the FCC doesnt act, state and local governments could take action on their own. New York City made calls to and from jails free in 2018, and San Francisco did the same the year after. Theres similar legislation pending in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Other cities and states could do the same thing immediately.

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Rep. Bobby Rush also introduced legislation at the end of March that would empower the FCC to directly regulate the prison telecom industry and to cap the cost of calls at no more than .05 cents per minute.

The reality is that theres a lot of different actors here that can all do something, Tylek said. They can all make phone calls free if they wanted to.

Browning and her cousin are very close. If we werent cousins, we could be brother and sister, she said. Theyre two months apart in age and went to school together through high school. We got in fights together, we went out of town to family events together, we snuck around and played with animals, she said.

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The cost of calls with Brownings cousin doesnt actually fall on Browning herself. Her cousin puts money on his account so that loved ones dont have to pay for the calls. But thats money that he would otherwise use at the commissary to buy marked-up products like ramen noodles, socks, or soap. When you have to choose between this or that, connecting with your family trumps having decent clothes and better food, she said.

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Even before her cousin was locked up, Browning knew very well what its like to have to miss a call from an incarcerated loved one. Both of her parents were incarcerated when she was young, she said, and there were times when they would call and she couldnt pick up because her grandmother didnt have the money to pay for it.

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After the FCC capped the cost of prison and jail phone calls in 2015, Illinois lowered prison phone rates to 7 cents a minute in 2016, making it easier for Browning to talk to her cousin. But the prison also reduced the amount of time she can spend on the phone with him from 30 minutes to 20. Its a significant loss. We get to the, Hey, how are you part, maybe well laugh about a few things, and before you know it a woman comes on [saying], You have one minute left,  she said.

The FCCs cap, meanwhile, was eventually struck down by a federal court, which has placed the issue in the hands of state and local governments. In the current crisis, advocates worry that the response has been left up to the individual companies to decide whether to lower rates.

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Before the pandemic, it was already hard to talk to your loved ones, Browning noted. But with the pandemic and zero access to visitation, it just makes it scarier and even harder.

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Renderos has a cousin incarcerated in California who has to rely on his family to cover the cost of phone calls. His aunt often cant pick up when his cousin calls because she cant afford it. In that situation, You feel isolated, you feel left behind, he said.

Prison phone calls arent just vital during a pandemic. Keeping up family ties makes it less likely someone will commit another crime when theyre released. When people cant talk to their families for years on out, theyre strangers when they come home, Browning said. Everything is completely different. The world is back to the future.

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So while advocates want to see emergency action now, they also hope it will crack open the door to longer lasting change. Its an unprecedented moment in history, and it requires an unprecedented solution, Renderos said. Making calls free now could make something possible that seems impossible and  push for that new reality beyond the pandemic.

In the meantime, Browning is focused on talking to her cousin as frequently as she can. Her cousin wasnt sentenced to life in prison, she pointed out. But given that prisons are literally incubators for this virus, she worries thats exactly what he faces.
A Trinity School of Midland 2004 graduate and part-time Midlander has participated in a coronavirus antibody research in Telluride, Colorado. Cameron Salehi Kelly was finishing working during the ski season in Telluride, where she owns a small venue, when the governor of Colorado announced a statewide stay-at-home order on March 26. She has been staying in Telluride with her family since the order went into effect.

As far as the antibody test, Im happy to participate in it because I think it just gets us that much closer to being able to get back to a new normal, she said. I think the sooner we are able to test everybody and put in place guidelines then things can get back to normal.

United Biomedical Group c19 (UBI) partnered with San Miguel County to test an entire countys population with a new antibody diagnostic test with the goal of detecting and containing community spread. The partnership also hopes to provide a more accurate assessment of disease prevalence, according to a press release from UBI. A similar study was conducted in Vo, Italy, and the rate of infection was lowered by 90 percent.

The owners of UBI, Mei Mei Hu and Lou Reese, are part-time residents of Telluride, Kelly said.

They have labs around the world and had developed an antibody test that had been successful in different places overseas but they had never gotten to do an entire community, she said. Where Telluride is situated and because of the geographic location, its pretty easy to do that for our county. Were not near any big towns and traffic is limited, especially now that everything has been shelter-in-place for a while. It was pretty easy to control a study.

San Miguel County has a population of 8,000 people. Kelly said about 6,000 people have committed to participating in the study.

I feel very lucky and very blessed that we were able to be a part of something, she said. It kind of makes you focus on that as opposed to everything else going on. It makes you feel like youre doing something hopeful.

UBI has developed an antibody blood screening test for coronavirus, as well as progressing a vaccine, which is currently in animal testing. The San Miguel County Public Health Department started testing the county in late March. The testing is free, voluntary and is done twice about 14 days apart.

In Telluride, they set up a high school for testing and I just went there and got my blood drawn then went on my way, she said. It was very easy and well-structured.

She said she knows people will go ski in Italy then come back and ski in Aspen, Vail or Telluride. She said nobody expected Gov. Jared Polis to close the ski resorts during spring break. Kelly said that the pandemic has impacted her event space and florist business, which she hasnt been able to get flowers because of world restrictions.

Its definitely impacting our business, and our event space isnt that big, but its effectively shut down and any non-essential business has been shut down for quite some time, making things difficult, she said.

Kelly said her family usually comes back to Midland during April or May but the pandemic has delayed its return. She said she hopes to get back to Midland in time for her son, Cyrus, to start K2 at Trinity in the fall. She said Trinity has continued to be a great community her family is involved with.

We are a small school so we do have that community, but its usually with the people in the grades you matriculate with, she said. I think its amazing that they are spotlighting people around the country who are on the front lines.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Wednesday expressed deep concern over the recent killings of the inhabitants of cities on the seaboard in western Libya recaptured recently by the army loyal to the Government of National Accord
[April 16, 2020] Analysis of COVID-19-Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023 | Growing Internet Penetration to Boost Growth | Technavio

Technavio has been monitoring the wearable electronics market, and it is poised to grow by USD 35.67 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 15% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005377/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Apple (News - Alert) Inc., Fitbit, Inc., Garmin Ltd., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., and Xiaomi are some of the major market participants. The growing Internet penetration will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing internet penetration has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Wearable Electronics Market is segmented as below: Product Smartwatches HMDs Smart Bands Smart Clothing Smart Glasses Smart Rings

End-user Enterprise Consumers

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?repot=IRTNTR31204



Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our wearable electronics market report covers the following areas:

Wearable Electronics Market size

Wearable Electronics Market trends

Wearable Electronics Market industry analysis This study identifies a growing focus on the development of low-powered electronics as one of the prime reasons driving the wearable electronics market growth during the next few years. Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the wearable electronics market, including some of the vendors such as Apple Inc., Fitbit, Inc., Garmin (News - Alert) Ltd., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., and Xiaomi. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the wearable electronics market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist wearable electronics market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the wearable electronics market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the wearable electronics market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of wearable electronics market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT Market segmentation by product

Comparison by product

Smartwatches - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Wireless headphones - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

HMDs - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart bands - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart clothing - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart glasses - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart rings - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by product PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Market segmentation by end-user PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers

Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Focus on the development of low-power electronics

Growing number of partnerships and M&A activities

Emergence of hybrid smartwatch market PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview

Landscape disruption PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Apple Inc.

Fitbit, Inc.

Garmin Ltd.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Xiaomi PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology

List of abbreviations PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005377/en/

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leon-nanodrugs GmbH, a Munich, Germany-based enabler of nano technology for the pharmaceutical industry, completed a Series B funding round of undisclosed amount.

Backers included TVM Life Science Innovation I.L.P., CD-Venture GmbH, Albany Private Equity Holdings Pty Ltd, Eckenstein-Geigy-Stiftung, LOF Leon Partnership, L.P., Evotec SE and BayBG.

The company intends to use the funds to further strengthen its leadership position in the provision of nano solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Led by Andrea Cusack, CEO, leon delivers novel, validated and optimized solutions for enhanced bioavailability, increased solubility and improved stability, revitalizing forgotten formulations, and breathing new life into generics. Its proprietary * MicroJet Reactor (MJR) technology platforms offer access to SMART nanoparticles and nano-formulated drugs, which add value at every stage of the chain from partners and payers to caregivers and patients. Under a separate partnership deal, Evotec and leon will leverage their combined expertise in nano-medicine development services, providing clients with opportunities within the CDMO sector. Together, the partnership will maximize the effectiveness of clinical and commercial nano-medicine development and co-operate on carefully selected development programs. Enno Spillner, CFO of Evotec and Dr. Peter Graf, Investment Manager of BayBG will join a peer recognized supervisory board which includes Dr. Hubert Birner (Managing Partner of TVM Life Science Venture Capital), Dr Gerhard Ries (LifeCare Partners), James C. Gale (Signet Healthcare Partners) and Dr. Frank Mathias (Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH).

FinSMEs

16/04/2020
Turkish-backed Takfiri militants torch homes in northeastern Syria: SANA

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 2:15 PM

Turkish-backed Takfiri militants have reportedly burned a number of residential buildings in the countryside of Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah.

The acts of arson took place in the town of Tel Arqam, which lies 10 kilometers west of the city of Ra's al-Ayn and near Syria's border with Turkey, on Wednesday when militants from the so-called Badr Martyrs' Battalion attacked the area, Syria's official news agency SANA reported, citing local sources.

The sources then pointed to a surge in abductions the areas, where Turkish-backed Takfiri militants are present, particularly in Ra's al-Ayn.

They added that a group of the Takfiris lately kidnapped a doctor from his home in the northern suburbs of the city.

Ankara-backed militants were deployed to northeastern Syria last October after Turkish military forces launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion in a declared attempt to push militants of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) away from border areas.

Ankara views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984.

On October 22 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a memorandum of understanding that asserted YPG militants had to withdraw from the Turkish-controlled "safe zone" in northeastern Syria within 150 hours, after which Ankara and Moscow would run joint patrols around the area.

Turkish army sends new military convoy to Idlib for joint patrols with Russia: SOHR

Also on Wednesday, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Turkey had sent a new military convoy to Syria's embattled northwestern province of Idlib, apparently for joint patrols by Turkish and Russian troops on the strategic M4 highway.

The convoy reportedly consisted of a large number of military vehicles and soldiers in addition to surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles.

The development took place only a day after the Britain-based war monitor, citing activists requesting anonymity, said a Turkish convoy of some 35 military vehicles had entered Syrian territory through the Kafr Lusin border crossing and headed toward Turkish positions.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced on March 13 that the Russian and Turkish militaries had agreed on the details of a new ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation zone following four days of talks in Ankara.

Within the framework of the agreement, Akar said, the first joint patrol by Turkey and Russia on the strategic M4 highway in Idlib would take place on March 15, and that Turkey and Russia will set up joint coordination centers in the area.

The announcement followed a telephone call between Putin and Erdogan the previous day to discuss the implementation of the agreements the two leaders had reached in Moscow a week earlier.

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(Newser)  Michael Che made sure everyone knew he was "Martha's grandbaby" during a weekend appearance on Saturday Night Live, in which he spoke about the grandmother who'd died of complications from COVID-19. Now he's honoring her in a big way. The SNL co-head writer took to Instagram Wednesday to announce he was paying a month's rent for 160 residents of his grandmother's public housing complex in New York City. "It's crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many New Yorkers can't even work," he wrote. The average monthly rent was $522 as of 2018, per Deadline.

story continues below

Che said the gift "in the spirit and memory of my late grandmother" was "just a drop in the bucket." "I really hope the city has a better plan for debt forgiveness for all the people in public housing, at the very least," he wrote, calling on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, and rapper Diddy to help "fix this." He'd announced the death of his grandmother in an April 6 Instagram post, since deleted. "I'm obviously very hurt and angry that she had to go through all that pain alone. But I'm also happy that she's not in pain anymore," and "I'm doing OK, considering," he wrote, per the Hollywood Reporter. (Read more Michael Che stories.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 10:56:08|Editor: Xiaoxia

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CANBERRA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus crisis has driven the biggest population decline in Australia's history with fewer tempopary migrants.

Alan Tudge, the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure and Acting Minister for Immigration, on Wednesday evening revealed that more than 300,000 temporary visa holders - including tourists, temporary workers and students - have left Australia to return home in 2020.

"We will almost certainly have fewer temporary migrants by year end as few are coming in while many are returning home as their visas expire or their work dries up," he said.

Analysis by former senior Immigration Department official Abul Rizvi, which was published by News Corp Australia, estimated that a further 300,000 foreign nationals could leave Australia by the end of 2020.

According to Rizvi's projections, 20 percent of international students and 25 percent of temporary foreign workers will leave Australia by the end of 2020.

As a result the number of temporary visa holders in the country would fall from 2.4 million to 1.8 million, ending two decades of high temporary immigration to Australia.

"We could be on the verge of the biggest percentage and absolute decline in our population since 1788, more than during the Great Depression or when we sent troops to the Somme," Rizvi said.

More than 270,000 temporary migrants were expected to arrive in Australia in 2020 according to projections included in the budget for financial year 2019/20. More than 800,000 were expected to arrive over the next three years.

Rizvi warned that the downturn will exacerbate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The last time we grew out of a big debt, after the war, we had a baby boom and post-war migration surge; neither are likely this time," he said.
Unaccompanied children refugees from the overcrowded migrant camps on the north Aegean Sea islands, Greece, walk towards the gates of the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens to travel to Luxembourg. Photo: Orestis Panagiotou/Pool via AP

Greece transferred a dozen unaccompanied children from overcrowded migrant camps to Luxembourg yesterday, the first of more than 1,000 relocations being rushed through amid concerns over the impact of the coronavirus on vulnerable groups.

Another group of 50 children is expected to fly from Athens to Germany on Saturday, and 20 more will head to Switzerland later. Greece hopes to relocate some 1,600 unaccompanied minors in all.

The children relocated yesterday were aged between 11 and 15. Ten were from Afghanistan and two from Syria.

At least 5,200 migrant children from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and African countries currently live in Greece, many in harsh conditions in camps on islands in the Aegean.

Deputy migration minister, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, said that although the number of children was small, it sent a message for others to follow Luxembourg's example.

Recession

"Greece faces a crisis within a crisis - migration and the pandemic together," he said. "The combination makes an already difficult situation even more so, and more complex."

Having imposed a lockdown early on, Greece has weathered the coronavirus pandemic relatively well compared to many other European countries, with 2,170 confirmed cases and 101 deaths.

But its economy, emerging from a decade-long recession following a debt crisis, is expected to suffer badly from a collapse in tourism bookings.

Human Rights Watch this week called on Greece to release all unaccompanied minors, saying their detention in overcrowded camps or police cells heightened the risk of contracting Covid-19.

"The importance of this crucial initiative is amplified due to the challenges we all face from Covid-19," said Ola Henrikson of the International Organisation of Migration.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees fleeing conflicts and poverty used Greece as a springboard to other European countries in 2015 and 2016, when an EU-brokered accord with Turkey halted the flow.

Turkey now hosts about 3.4million refugees and migrants, while Greece has about 120,000 waiting for asylum applications to be processed.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 16, 2020 | 12:29 PM | PADUCAH

The U.S. Small Business Administration says it has run out of money for its Paycheck Protection Program.The program is part of the recent economic stimulus bill passed by congress in response to the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and is designed to put eight weeks of operating cash into the hands of struggling small business owners so they can continue to pay their employees.On Thursday morning SBA officials released a statement saying no more applications would be processed because all of the allocated $349 billion set aside for the program had been exhausted.Paducah Certified Public Accountant Dean Owen told the Greg Dunker Show Thursday morning he thinks it will be some time before Congress approves another round of funding for the program, which is bad news for many struggling local businesses."Both sides are gonna play politics. Everybody is gonna fight, and fight, and fight," Owen said. "And then they're gonna drag out between this package and the next one. There is gonna be a gap, and in that period of time there's gonna be businesses fail that will not reopen."Owen said while unskilled positions are relatively easy to replace once the economy begins to rebound, most small businesses rely on skilled labor, and it's those workers that will be especially hard to replace in the long run."You take a heating and air company, a plumber, an electrician, those are all skilled employees," Owen said. "You lose them all, how do you get them back? You can't. Most small businesses are skilled labor. How do you put the team back together after you've lost them?"Visit the SBA coronavirus resource website at the link below for more information about the Paycheck Protection Program.

On the Net:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 04:43:36|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Chinese experts with full equipment arrive at the No. 9 polyclinics of Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, April 14, 2020. The 10-member Chinese medical team has continued their visit in Kazakhstan, giving suggestions to their Kazakh colleagues on how to lower infections among health workers and treat patients. (Business Kazakhstan Newspaper/Handout via Xinhua)

NUR-SULTAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The 10-member Chinese medical team has continued their visit in Kazakhstan, giving suggestions to their Kazakh colleagues on how to lower infections among health workers and treat patients.

The raging virus has infected 370 health workers in Kazakhstan as of Wednesday, or nearly 30 percent of the 1,295 COVID-19 cases in the country.

With protection suits, gloves, shoe covers, respiratory masks and special face shields, Chinese experts wearing head-to-toe equipment visited the No.9 polyclinics of Nur-Sultan on Tuesday, and recommended their Kazakh colleagues to adopt the same level of protection.

The Chinese experts showed interest in every detailed measure taken by the hospital, including how patients are admitted and how each department works.

"At the moment, we need to pay great attention to the protection of health workers," said Dr. Lu Chen, vice president of the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and deputy head of the Chinese medical team in Kazakhstan.

Lu suggested that a two-corridor system for doctors and patients be introduced. All patients and their relatives must wear face masks, and hospitals must be in complete disinfection, he said.

Saule Smagulova, director of the hospital, said the experience from their Chinese colleagues is invaluable, adding that all safety measures must be followed.

Also on Tuesday, the Chinese medical team held online training for more than 800 doctors and nurses on protecting themselves from infection while treating their patients.

"When the epidemic broke out, Chinese health workers underwent mass infections due to a lack of information and a shortage of preventive measures and protective supplies. As all these problems were solved, the infection rate began to drop sharply," said Dr. Lu Xiaobo, a leading infectious diseases specialist with the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Intensive care department staff in Chinese hospitals now work for a maximum of 4 hours, while testing staff and laboratory assistants work for 6 hours to minimize infection, Lu Xiaobo added.

Yu Yanxia, head nurse of the People's Hospital of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang, recommended that the hospitals treating COVID-19 patients should be divided into three zones -- pollution, semi-contaminated, and clean. Doctors should wear masks and glasses with a mandatory leak-proof test, use double layers in clothing and follow a strict procedure for removing and putting on suits, Yu said.

The Chinese experts have been working from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. over the past six days. They have conducted training and communicated with Kazakh experts, health workers and health authorities on diagnosis, treatment, testing and quarantine regime of COVID-19.

The Chinese medical team arrived in Nur-Sultan on April 9 and plans to also visit Karaganda and Almaty.
At his usual White House briefing Tuesday in Washington, Trump said he was instructing his administration to withhold funding for the WHO pending a review of its role in what he described as "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

The secretary-general of the World Health Organization has expressed regret over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withhold funding from the organization.

At a briefing Wednesday in Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.S. has been a long-standing and generous donor to the organization and hopes it will continue to be in the future. He said the WHO is still assessing the impact of Trump's decision and will try to fill in the gaps with the help of other partners.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the UN health agency for being too lenient on China, where the novel virus first emerged late last year.

The United States is WHO's largest single donor, contributing between $400 million and $500 million annually to the Geneva-based agency in recent years.
FILE PHOTO: A logo is pictured outside a building of the WHO in Geneva

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is in the spotlight as it champions the global fight against the new coronavirus but faces a funding freeze from U.S. President Donald Trump's government.

Here are main features of the WHO and its work:

* What is it?

The WHO is an agency of the United Nations set up in 1948 to improve health globally. It has more than 7,000 people working in 150 country offices, six regional offices and its Geneva headquarters.

Its director general - currently the Ethiopian Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus - is elected for a five-year term. Tedros' five-year term began on July 1, 2017.

* What does it do?

The WHO's stated aim is "to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable".

It has no power to impose health policies on national governments, but acts as an adviser and offers guidance on best practice in disease prevention and health improvement.

It has three main strands of work:

- aiming for universal health coverage in every country

- preventing and responding to acute emergencies

- promoting health and wellbeing for all

* What doesn't it do?

Like a lot of international institutions, the WHO suffers from false perceptions about its scope and resources.

The WHO is not "the world's doctor": it does not provide treatment or conduct disease surveillance - although it does advise national and international authorities on those matters.

It has no powers of sanction, and the information it collates and publishes is only as good as the data and expertise it gets from member states and its technical specialists.

* Is every country part of it?

The WHO has 194 member states: every country except Liechtenstein which is a member of the United Nations but not of its global health agency. They appoint representatives to The World Health Assembly, which convenes annually and sets WHO policies. These policies are implemented by the WHO's Executive Board, composed of members technically qualified in health.

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* Who pays for it?

The WHO's member states provide funding via two routes: assessed contributions and voluntary contributions. The WHO's budgets are biennial, spanning two years. Its 2020-2021 budget is almost $4.85 billion, up 9% from the previous two-year period.

Assessed contributions are calculated on the basis of a country's wealth and population, while voluntary contributions are often targeted by the donor at specific regions or diseases - such as polio, malaria, or infant mortality in poor areas.

Philanthropic foundations and multinational groups such as the European Commission are also major donors to the WHO.

The United States is the biggest overall donor and had contributed more than $800 million by the end of 2019 for the 2018-2019 biennial funding period. The Gates Foundation is the second largest donor, followed by Britain.

* What are seen as its major successes and failures?

The WHO is widely credited with leading a 10-year campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s and has also led global efforts to end polio, a battle that is in its final stages.

In the past few years, the WHO has also coordinated battles against viral epidemics of Ebola in Congo and Zika in Brazil.

In the current COVID-19 disease outbreak, while many have praised the WHO's leadership, Trump has accused it of being China-centric and giving bad advice about the emerging pandemic.

This week, Trump said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty" and announced a temporary halt to U.S. funding - a move that prompted condemnation from many world leaders.

In the past, the WHO was accused of overreacting to the 2009-10 H1N1 flu pandemic and also faced widespread criticism for not reacting quickly enough to the vast Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 that killed more than 11,000 people.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraines two rival Orthodox churches clashed Thursday over public health guidelines for forthcoming Easter celebrations, after the one said believers could gather outside places of worship despite a government ban on public gatherings due to the pandemic.

The head of the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church in Ukraine did urge believers to stay home and watch televised Easter services. But Metropolitan Onufriy added that those who wanted could come and pray outside churches while maintaining social distancing.

Orthodox Easter is celebrated this week, culminating in Easter Sunday on April 19.

The rival independent Orthodox Church criticized Onufriys statement Thursday, with its leader, Archbishop Yevstratiy, saying that its a Christian duty to take care of others and stay home amid the pandemic.

To emphasize the need for self-isolation, Yevstratiy pointed to an outbreak of 90 coronavirus cases at the historic Pechersk Monastery in Kyiv. The monastery, famous for its extensive system of caves and tunnels containing centuries-old cells for monks and burial places, was quarantined Monday.

Ukraine has registered 4,161 coronavirus cases, including 116 deaths.

Tensions between the two rival churches have heightened after Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is considered first among equal Orthodox leaders, granted independence to the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2019.

Many Ukrainians had resented the status of the Moscow-affiliated church, and the push for a full-fledged Ukrainian church intensified amid a tug-of-war between the two ex-Soviet neighbours that followed Moscows 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea and its support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

The move by Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the worlds 300 million Orthodox Christians, angered the Russian Orthodox Church which cut ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The issue has split the Orthodox world, with some churches supporting it and others criticizing the move.
If youre still not sure how the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 has already changed your credit unions retirement plans, youre forgiven. The law passed rather unexpectedly late in 2019 and parts of it went into effect almost immediately. But theres still time to catch up and make sure your plan participants understand some new options the act gives them.

The SECURE Act affects defined contribution and defined benefit plans, individual retirement accounts, and 529 savings plans. Here are brief summaries of four key changes that 401(k) sponsors should know about.

1. Eligibility for long-term, part-time employees

Effective date: plan years beginning after Dec. 31, 2020 (but its a bit complicated)

Previously, plan sponsors could require at least 1,000 hours of work during a plan year for employees to be eligible to contribute to a 401(k) plan. The SECURE Act now requires that employees who have worked 500 hours in each of three consecutive plan years be eligible.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Ghana currently is at 641 with eighty-three (83) full recovery cases recorded.



Ghana has so far tested 50,719 samples for coronavirus (COVID-19).



This figure might sound alarming and for this reason, the Minister of Information has provided a breakdown of the figures for further clarification.



According to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, ''there is the normal surveillance test which is what ordinarily we would have found if we were still using the old method. Under the normal surveillance test, 13,838 people have been tested; under the normal surveillance test. People suspected they had symptoms etc and got in touch with 112 and the phone platforms or went to their clinicians to be tested. 268 of them tested positive. That is a rate of 1,9%. So, 1.9% of the people who suspect they are having symptoms tested positive. Then there is the mandatory quarantine where the State decided that we will mandatorily quarantine people and test them once they were entering the jurisdiction at a time that our borders were being closed. It was in two parts, Airport and Tamale; so the Accra airport and Tamale."



"At the Accra airport, we ended up running a total of 2011 tests. 105 of them tested positive. In the end, that's a rate of 5.28% tested positive. In Tamale, we run 11 tests. 10 were positive; that was 91% of that. Then we had the third level of the enhanced contact tracing and testing. That is where now the public health nurses, immigration, epidemiologists are going out to the communities or the hotspots and are chasing, literally chasing or going or seeking to go ahead of the virus to find it and not wait for it to manifest. We have done a total of 34,859 in that enhanced contact tracing and testing category. 258 of them were positive; that is 0.7%".



He noted that the outcome of the tests will inform President Nana Akufo-Addo's next move for the country.



"As at last night, we had 50,719 tests and 1.3% of the people we have tested are positive. So, it begins to give you a sense that of this entire what you call lockdown that has been done for the major objective of literally trying to get ahead and find out how much of the virus we have in the system and deal with it, we are finding out as at the data from last night that just about 1.3% of the 'At risk' populations that we have tested are the ones that has tested positive. It begins to give you an idea of the level of challenge we have in the system . . . it is elements like this that will inform the President's decision of what should happen next," he said.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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ISTANBUL  A growing number of politicians and scientists are calling on the Turkish government to impose a full lockdown on urban areas to stem the spread of COVID-19 as the nation recorded 74,193 confirmed cases with 1,643 virus-linked deaths Thursday.

Eleven mayors with the opposition Republican Peoples Party issued a joint statement today requesting a long-term curfew or full isolation be imposed on urban residents to avoid the exponential growth of new infections.

We again draw attention to the need for this application before losing more time, stated the co-signers, among whom were Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas.

To date, Turkish officials have issued a pair of consecutive 48-hour weekend curfews on urban areas, while imposing full curfews for all senior citizens and most people under 20 years of age. Shops, cafes and restaurants have also been closed for weeks as international and domestic travel remains highly restricted, but some experts say the interventions dont go far enough.

Dr. Ozlem Azap, an infectious disease researcher at Baskent University in Ankara, said the fact many workers continue traveling to job sites on weekdays poses a hazard to the wider population, as they can transmit the disease both on the job and at home.

For economic reasons, the government is not willing to shut factories and manufacturing centers, but this causes a big problem, Azap told Al-Monitor. Two-day curfews are not enough to stop the spread.

Azap also said that panic-buying on Friday, April 10, after the first weekend curfew was announced hours before implementation, would likely amplify cases of the novel coronavirus in the coming days.

Generally, more than 80% of people show symptoms in the first week after contact, so we will see the results of Fridays incident soon, Azap told Al-Monitor, adding that epidemiological models placed Turkey among 26 nations that would experience a high number of COVID-19 cases globally, but this was last week, before the events of Friday, she noted.

According to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, about 60% of Turkeys confirmed cases are located in Istanbul, a city of 16 million people. In a televised interview this February, Koca praised strict lockdown measures applied in Italy and China to contain the virus, but he has yet to take similar interventions in Turkey, a delay that has been repeatedly criticized by people following the pandemic closely, such as Dr. Emrah Altindis, an assistant professor of biology at Boston College.

As long as there is human interaction, as long as theres no social distancing between workers, this virus will continue to spread, Altindis told Al-Monitor.

He added, If we dont lock down Istanbul right now, the case numbers might increase exponentially in the next four weeks. We will not be able to control the pandemic and we will reach the limits of the health systems capacity in Istanbul, specifically."

Five Turkish economists published a paper this week indicating Turkey faces a 17% economic contraction if state officials do not pursue stricter lockdown measures. The researchers predicted a full lockdown could contain the pandemic in 38 days and limit GDP declines by 7.8% if a full China-style lockdown is imposed. State officials have so far resisted calls for such measures.

The Turkish health minister has stated a method known as filiation has so far helped stem coronavirus cases by tracking the chain of contacts linking people diagnosed with the disease. Though Koca said Wednesday the rate of increase for new cases is on a stable trajectory and that health officials are managing the pandemic effectively, Altindis said he was concerned by current trends in Turkey.

If you look at Italy or Spain, you will realize the people they lost under 60 years of age [ranges] between two to five, Altindis told Al-Monitor. In Turkey, this age group amounts to 20% of total deaths.

He continued, In addition, one in 10 people we lose are people under 60 without chronic diseases. If these data are real, this is extremely alarming.

In related measures, the Turkish Parliament passed a law Tuesday that will release up to 90,000 inmates to reduce the spread of virus in state prisons. Over the last 24 hours, select inmates began leaving state penitentiaries. Among the released was high-profile mafia boss Alaattin Cakici, who has ties with nationalist political leaders in the country.

The prison release bill had been condemned by human rights advocates for previously excluding political prisoners such as politicians, journalists and civil society members. Responding to the laws passage, European Parliamentary rapporteur on Turkey Nacho Sanchez Amor and chair of the delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee Sergey Lagodinsk, issued a statement calling the refusal to release political prisoners amid the pandemic a great disappointment.

We had hoped that the Turkish Parliament would adopt a fair, responsible and non-discriminatory law that would save lives from being lost in overcrowded Turkish prisons, the pair wrote in the statement.
Luke McGregor is joining The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, which returns to screens in two weeks time.

McGregor, who joins host Charlie Pickering, Judith Lucy, Tom Gleeson & Adam Briggs, has finally found a use for his Economics degree. With the economy falling apart, a press release notes, no one is better placed to guide us through these anxious times than a deeply anxious comedian with an enduring passion for graphs. Prepare to watch an adult man apologise to a virus while willing a curve to flatten.

Im really excited to join The Weekly team. One, because Im a fan of the show; and two, because Im at home self-isolating with nothing to do and this gives me a reason to shower, McGregor said.

Charlie Pickering added, After being bullied for five years by a Logie-winning red-headed comedian with an out of control ego, Im very happy to be joined by a Logie-winning red-headed comedian with no ego at all. Im even happier that hes one of my favourite comedians in the country.

The show will still film at ABCs Melbourne studio, sans audience.

Production Credit: A Thinkative Television production in association with ABC TV. Executive Producers: Kevin Whyte, Charlie Pickering and Chris Walker. Co-Executive Producer: Jo Long. ABC Executive Producer: Tarni James.

Wednesday 29 April at 8:30pm on ABC.
The Head, Digital Ad Sales and Monetization, at Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) Rajiv Singh has moved on from the network. Singh was associated with SPNIs video streaming platform SonyLIV.

His next destination will be PCCW Media, a multi-million-dollar conglomerate owned by the Hong Kong based telecommunications, media, and IT solutions company PCCW Limited. Mr. Singh will be designated as VP Sales and will be stationed at Indonesia.

Singh joined SPNI in September 2018 and was looking after its OTT business. He was the Business Head at News18.com prior to this for two years.

In his earlier role Singh was in charge of digital ad sales at Flipkart for more than a year. With over two decades of rich experience in different media organisations, Mr. Singh, also served as the Vice-President of sales at Star India.

He was instrumental in setting up Amagi Media and prior to that Mr. Sigh was part of Radio Mirchi ,holding various positions across India. He is a management graduate from IIM Kozhikode.
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Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:43 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2599d4 1 National President-Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,expert-staff,millennials,criticism,staf-khusus-presiden Free

Several members of President Joko Jokowi Widodos expert staff have received public criticism over conflicts of interest regarding double roles in public service and private interests, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Adamas Belva Devara, co-founder of education technology startup Ruangguru, is the latest staffer to experience backlash following the naming of his company as one of the governments eight partners in the pre-employment card program.

The program, which was launched on Saturday, offers social aid similar to unemployment benefits with a total worth of Rp 20 trillion (US$1.27 billion).

The eight partnered startups are Skill Academy by Ruangguru, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, MauBelajarApa, HarukaEdu, PijarMahir, Sekolah.mu and Sisnaker.

Responding to the criticism, Belva tweeted on Wednesday that he played no part in any decision-making in the appointment of Skill Academy by Ruangguru as a government partner.

All decisions were made independently by the Coordinating Economic Ministry and Operational Management, said Belva on his Twitter account, @AdamasBelva, on Wednesday.

2/ Pertama, saya TIDAK IKUT dalam pengambilan keputusan apapun di program prakerja termasuk besaran anggarannya maupun mekanisme teknisnya. Semua dilakukan independen oleh Kemenko Perekonomian dan Manajemen Pelaksana (PMO).  Belva Devara (@AdamasBelva), April 15.

He also denied accusations of a conflict of interest over the appointment of his company, adding that all partners went through a public selection process and that the participants are the ones who decide which partner they want to get the benefit from.

Belva said Skill Academy by Ruangguru had gained popularity, with approximately 1 million users, so he thought it would be reasonable for the government to name it as a partner.

Even though there is no violation against the law in this matter, I am ready to step down [as the presidents special staffer] to avoid assumptions in the future, he concluded.

Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) activist Egi Primayogha said no public servant should take a role that has the potential to create conflicts of interest.

So, whatever the reasoning, Belva is still in trouble, he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, adding that the fact that Belva was still made a staffer regardless of his position in Ruangguru showed that Jokowi permitted possible conflicts of interest in his administration.

Read also: COVID-19: Jokowi staffer criticized for requesting local leaders to support his company

Separately, Rachland Nashidik, a politician from the Democratic Party, condemned the lack of bidding in any partnership between the start-ups and the government over the program. He said that each partner company in the pre-employment card program would receive Rp 700 billion, as reported by tempo.co.

Prior to Belva, presidential staffer Andi Taufan Garuda Putra, owner of PT Amartha Mikro Fintek, had also drawn public criticism over a letter asking for local leaders support of a COVID-19 relief program led by his company.

Advocates M. Sholeh and Tomi Singgih were reportedly planning to report the case to the National Police Crimes Unit for power abuse.

"He doesn't not have any capacity to send letters to the district heads. A Presidential staff members duty is only to give advice to the President," M. Sholeh said as quoted by tempo.co. "Even if there is no harm to the country, corruption proceedings could take place.

Previously, staffer Angkie Yudistia also received criticism about hoaxes she posted on her Instagram account on Mar. 15. The post, which has since been deleted, spread false information about the detection of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, staffer Billy Mambrasar received public condemnation after posting a tweet that demeaned the governments opposition in November.

Despite widespread popular disapproval of Presidential expert staff, President Jokowi issued Presidential Regulation No. 56/2020 on Apr. 6, which allowed the Vice President to have a maximum of ten expert staff members from the initial eight.
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Thursday, April 16, and San Franciscos school district has a unique proposal for handling students spring grades. Heres what you need to know to start your day.

California was already worried about how 2020 census undercount in the state could affect everything from federal funding to the potential loss of a seat in Congress. But then the coronavirus pandemic and the states stay-at-home order hit during one of the census most important periods.

This week, the Trump administration conceded that Americas crucial once-in-a-decade population count has been thrown for a loop by the coronavirus, and asked Congress for a 120-day extension to complete the tally.

In the Bay Area, population groups that dont have deep local roots have become especially tough to track. Joe Garofoli reports that Oakland community organizers are finding success reaching out to some of the hardest Bay Area residents to count.

More: Gov. Newsom, nonprofits pledge $125 million for undocumented immigrants whove lost jobs but arent eligible for federal stimulus relief.

Where are we on the curve?

Todd Trumbull

Compared to coronavirus hot spots across the country, the Bay Area seems to have made progress on flattening the curve after having taken early social distancing steps. But what do the data show now? And what differences are we seeing between counties? Kellie Hwang and Mike Massa take a deeper look at confirmed cases.

S.F. spike: San Francisco must procure more than 8,000 hotel rooms for the citys homeless and frontline workers under an emergency ordinance passed by the Board of Supervisors after 102 residents and staff of the citys largest shelter tested positive for COVID-19.

Test and trace beginning: San Francisco also announced on Wednesday they would open a drive-through coronavirus testing site that will offer free testing to residents experiencing symptoms and the city had launched a contact tracing program with UCSF to help alert residents exposed to the coronavirus.

You get an A, and you get an A, and you get ...

Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle

San Francisco school officials, grappling with how to grade students during the coronavirus closures, have landed on a solution: Just give everyone an A.

The proposal stands out as the most extreme among districts across the state, with many, including Oakland and West Contra Costa, switching to a pass/fail system sanctioned by Californias public university systems.

Read more from reporter Jill Tucker.

Following the path of the virus

A woman with COVID-19 at a Solano County hospital  the nations first case from an unknown source  exposed 121 health workers to the coronavirus, yet only three got the disease, a new study of the February case reveals.

All three had been in close contact for about two hours with the patient, and two had no protective gear, according to the report published Tuesday by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Those workers also examined the patient and performed treatments that involved close contact, such as placing her on a breathing machine.

While the study tested only health workers who showed symptoms, it helps improve the picture of how the virus spreads from person to person. Read more from reporter Mallory Moench.

Full coronavirus coverage

Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle

Retail slammed: In the worst monthly decline on record, U.S. retail sales fell 8.7% in March,- only the beginning of an expected drop-off. Heres how Bay Area retailers are affected. More: Despite being labeled essential, auto repair industry staggers amid plummeting traffic.

Easing off? Top health officials in Bay Area are working on plans to relax shelter-in-place orders next month for 7 million people in an area stretching from Napa to Monterey, but the new order would probably apply only to outdoor activities, officials said Wednesday.

Im glad theyre doing it: The Alameda County district attorney's office is investigating a Hayward skilled nursing facility where 13 residents have died after contracting the coronavirus and 54 others have been infected.

Sharp rise: As some California counties close gun shops  even amid a reported surge in gun sales nationwide  one state lawmaker wants to completely halt sales of firearms and ammunition throughout the state, except to law enforcement officers.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Saving face: Los Angeles, Riverside and Sonoma counties have all issued ordinances, punishable by fine or even imprisonment, to mandate the wearing of face masks in public  but San Francisco and California as a whole are not taking that step yet. FAQ: Should I wear a mask?

Grand Princess death: A Texas woman is suing Princess Cruise Lines for knowingly exposing her and her husband to the coronavirus, saying he was kept on the ship at the Oakland harbor without care for days while his health deteriorated.

Some leeway: The California Department of Motor Vehicles is extending all drivers licenses expiring from March through May amid the coronavirus pandemic. Your questions: How do I renew my drivers license and vehicle registration  and other DMV questions.

Avoiding paper check wait: How to get stimulus money faster if IRS doesnt have your direct deposit information.

Keeping Fido and Spot safe: Can my pet get coronavirus?

Around the Bay

Chris Pietsch / Associated Press

 The surreal life of Sabrina Ionescu: In the Bay Area, the expected No. 1 pick awaits the WNBAs virtual draft.

 On airport detail: S.F. police officer arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, sexual assault.

 Heart damage on days of heavy smoke: Smoke from recent California wildfires increased risk of cardiac arrest 70%, study shows.

 Quickly put out: Three late-night fires in just 10 minutes across San Francisco leave 3 people badly burned.

 Charged with several crimes: Paradise vice mayor accused of sexting deputy posing as underage girl.

Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com.
The Trump administrations guidelines for reopening the U.S. economy will give recommendations to state governments on when to relax business closures, effectively recognizing that the final decision rests with individual governors.

The buck stops with the governors, a senior administration official involved in development of the guidelines told the Wall Street Journal. During a conference call with several state governors on Thursday, Trump also emphasized that governors will have the authority to reopen local businesses when they see fit.

Youre going to call your own shots, Trump said, according to a person briefed on the call. Well be standing right alongside of you and were going to get our country open.

The guidelines for reopening the country detail steps that states should take to open businesses and schools depending on the severity of coronavirus outbreaks in different areas. The guidelines have the backing of senior health officials including Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Over the past week Trump has asserted that he has the ultimate authority to reopen state economies, even though all business and school closures were enacted by state governments.

For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Governmentthis is incorrect, Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday. It is the decision of the President.

The comments received bipartisan pushback, including from Florida senator Marco Rubio.

The Constitution and common sense dictates these decisions be made at the state level, Rubio wrote on Twitter.

More from National Review
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the arts industry, causing movies and TV to halt production and live performances to be cancelled.

But on Thursday, actress Rachel Griffiths said the global health crisis could actually be good for the arts industry in the long run.

Speaking to TV Tonight, the 51-year-old actress said 'profound' movies, music, books and plays will be inspired by the coronavirus.

'Monumental works will be born': Rachel Griffiths, 51, (pictured) told TV Tonight on Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic will result in 'profound' art

'While we are escaping with Tiger King now, I have no doubt that profound and monumental works will be born of this moment acknowledging our collective vulnerability and need for meaning,' she told the publication.

'I think the work that follows plagues makes sense of our trauma and shines a light on our hope.'

Rachel said that Shakespeare wrote King Lear during the second plague of London, although this is not known for a fact.

Arts advocate: On Saturday, Rachel posted a photo with Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left), begging him to make the JobKeeper allowance available to freelance workers in the arts industry

She also said historic artists Anthony van Dyck, Titian and Hans Holbein the Younger 'made amazing works while Europe was ravaged'.

On Saturday, Rachel posted a photo with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, begging him to make the JobKeeper allowance available to freelance workers in the arts industry.

'Hey Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg, I just wanted to say you are doing a world class job and I appreciate the speed that you are reaching the needs of desperate Australians,' she captioned the post.

'But I am BEGGING you to broaden the safety net to causal/freelance workers who have contributed hugely to the Australian economy and to our cultural life.

Standing up for her workers: Last week, Rachel posted a picture from the set of Ride Like A Girl, pleading to the Australian Government to assist the freelancers who worked on the film. Rachel is pictured with actress Michelle Payne at the film's premiere

'Our arts workers and industry professionals have mortgages and families too. Our contribution to the economy is worth billions. They have real jobs just not a single how employer.

'I am praying for you to find compassion on this issue as I am waiting for the Lord's resurrection tomorrow with faith that you will see the fairness of making JobKeeper available to those whos productions were shut down and to allow job seeker even if The professionals partner still has employment. God bless you.'

Rachel directed biopic Ride Like A Girl, which was released late last year.

Last week, she posted a picture from the set of the movie, again pleading to the Australian Government to assist the freelancers who worked on the film.

'Our entire industry is currently shut down. They are not eligible for small business bailouts. They are not eligible for JOB KEEPER even if they were currently under a contract. Not eligible for JOB SEEKER if their partner is still working,' she wrote.

'Please Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg, dont leave our artists and industry professionals out in the cold. The arts contribute more to the domestic economy than many industries receiving bailouts.'

As of Thursday, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 6,449 confirmed cases in Australia, which has caused 63 deaths.
During this period of shuttered schools and businesses, people working from home and social distancing, a local woman has decided to give back.

Kelsey Lockhart, of Longmeadow, 27, is a second grade teacher at Mary M. Lynch Elementary School in Springfield, and a freelance photographer. She is now teaching remotely from her home and while working from home, has joined a nationwide project that started with the outbreak of this crisis. Through it, she is raising money for the Longmeadow Food Pantry.

Called the Front Porch Project, it is a loose association of photographers who are taking family portraits while adhering to social distancing guidelines. According to @FrontPorchProject, this effort came about because, Its a moment in time we should document, and it was out of this need that the Front Porch Project was born.

As Lockhart describes it, Some photographers are doing free portraits, and some are donating the money to charities. I heard that the Longmeadow Food Pantry was in need of donations, and I thought I could give back to my community, while staying creative for myself. She asks each family to donate at least $10 to the food pantry.

She schedules family portraits at their houses, outside on their front porch or front stoop, and she makes sure she stays very far away from the house and families. She explained, I ask them to donate money through Venmo [a mobile payment service owned by PayPal], so I dont have to interact with them closely. She will provide each family with two edited photos.

So far, she has already exceeded her expectations. I will be donating around $1,500, she said.

I have met so many amazing families, she said. It feels really nice to get out of my house and be social, with distance of course. Some families have posed in their sweatpants and pjs, while others have dressed as their best selves. Some have even brought fun props to make their portraits more interesting.

Lockhart grew up in Longmeadow and attended Emmanuel College in Boston, where she studied both photography and education. Besides her teaching career, she also works as a photographer doing senior portraits, events, concerts and, of course, family portraits.

She will be taking photos through about the middle of April. She has already photographed about 100 families and has time to schedule more since she doesnt go back to school until at least the middle of May.

To get in touch with her, visit her Facebook page titled Front Porch Project in Longmeadow, and message her there by hitting message on her profile.
Apple users wondering if theyve caught COVID-19 now can ask digital assistant Siri for advice.

The company on Saturday rolled out a self-screening feature that allows users to ask, Hey Siri, do I have the coronavirus? Siri then takes them through a questionnaire prepared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Public Health Service to determine if theyre exhibiting symptoms of the disease, such as fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath  or if theyve had contact with someone with the virus.

If users indicate their symptoms arent extremely life-threatening, Siri instructs them to stay at home and avoid contact with other people, wash their hands frequently and thoroughly, and maintain social distancing  that is, a separation of six feet between people. If the symptoms persist, theyre advised to contact a physician.

For extreme and life-threatening cases, Siri recommends a call to 911.

The app doesnt delve into the realm of diagnoses.

There are a number of symptoms that could be COVID-19 or something else, explained Seth Martin, MD, MHS, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

The only way to make a real diagnosis is to have testing performed to determine if those symptoms are actually due to COVID-19, he told TechNewsWorld. An app cant do that.

In addition to the questionnaire and advice, Siri provides App Store links to telehealth applications that could include virtual consultations with medical professionals.

Team CDC and Microsoft

Also on Saturday, the CDC announced its Coronavirus Self-Checker, which is powered by Microsofts Healthcare Bot service.

The chatbot is designed to screen Americans unsure about seeking medical care for COVID-19. In addition to asking questions based on CDC guidelines, the bot provides links to information and local health department contacts. However, it does not have information about coronavirus testing sites or treatment recommendations, other than to stay at home and take care of yourself  and in severe cases, dial 911.

This is most useful for the worried well,' said Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Those are people who are not sick but concerned that they may be, she told TechNewsWorld. It lets them  if theyre not running a fever, dont have a dry cough, no shortness of breath  release some of their anxiety.

The Healthcare Bot service is designed to address some of the critical needs of frontline responders to the COVID-19 pandemic, noted Hadas Bitran, group manager at Microsoft Healthcare Israel, and Jean Gabarra, general manager at Microsofts Health AI, in an online post.

In particular, the need to screen patients with any number of cold or flu-like symptoms  to determine who has high enough risk factors to need access to limited medical resources and which people may more safely care for themselves at home  is a bottleneck that threatens to overwhelm health systems coping with the crisis, they wrote.

Microsofts Healthcare Bot service uses artificial intelligence to screen patients and free up medical personnel to provide critical care to those who need it, Bitran and Gabarra explained.

The bot, which runs in Microsofts Azure public cloud, can be customized for the needs of individual organizations. In addition to the CDC, healthcare providers using the service include Providence, which serves seven Western states; Novant Health, serving four states in the Southeast; and Virginia Mason Health System, which serves the pacific Northwest.

Watch Your Privacy

Symptom checkers can benefit both the medical system and consumers, noted Michael Arrigo, a HIPAA expert witness with No World Borders.

The tools can gather valuable epidemiology data about an epidemic. However, data collected by a checker needs to be stripped of identifying information so it cant be traced back to individual patients, he cautioned.

For consumers, the checkers can be a convenient way to obtain data for their personal symptom logs, as well as a useful diagnostic for a layperson with limited medical knowledge.

Convenience and education are great benefits of these checkers, Arrigo said.

While potentially beneficial, Arrigo recommended that both Apple and the CDC give consumers more information about the apps before they start using them.

The apps are well-intentioned, but they could have the unintentional consequence of disintermediating the patient from their physician, who is the best source for information, he said.

Because the prevailing opinions are that symptoms can take several days to appear in an infected person, these apps are not too useful at identifying some infected contagious people and could lead to a false sense of security, Arrigo added.

If the intent is to relieve a potentially overwhelmed primary care front line of defense, a big disclosure needs to go up front, stating that a consumer should check their symptoms multiple times because symptoms can take several days to appear, he said. In the interim, you could be unwittingly be exposing others during that incubation period.

Data gathered by the symptom checkers represents personal health records under federal law, which are subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, noted Arrigo.

The CDC does not share any of the personal information submitted to the Coronavirus Self Checker with Microsoft, reported Nextgov, a publication that covers government and technology. Microsoft provides the bot, but the CDC owns and maintains the checking tool.

Use Common Sense

Some consumers are creating their own symptom checkers based on information theyre gathering online, noted Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C.

Symptom trackers from authoritative sources give consumers a better alternative to the do-it-yourself approach.

Done properly, they can lessen peoples fears, suggest constructive actions people can take, perform at-home triage, and relieve the strain on the health sector, Cannon told TechNewsWorld.

As always, people should only take health advice from sources who know their stuff, like the infectious disease experts at major health systems or government public health agencies, he cautioned.

Like Dr. Seuss said, Do a lot of spitting out the hot air, and be careful what you swallow,' Cannon added.

People should also use common sense, said UTHealths Troisi. If someone in your house has been diagnosed with coronavirus and you start having symptoms, and the symptom checker says you dont need to be tested, it might be a good idea to ignore that advice.
The container train in transit travels for the first time via Xi'an (China) - Izmit (Turkey) route through Kazakhstan on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), local media reported, citing Kazakhstans KTZ Express National Company.

The train arrived in Kazakhstan through the border station Altynkol (Kazakh-Chinese border). Then, along the TITR route, the train will proceed to the port of Aktau and will be delivered to the port of Baku by a feeder vessel. After that, the cargo will be delivered to Turkey through the territories of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

A container train consisting of 41 forty-foot containers with various consumer goods will travel the distance from the departure point to the destination in 16 days.

1,100 TEU have already been transported in transit via the Trans-Caspian Route during 1Q2020, says Dmitry Abdullaev, Head of KTZ Express JSC.

He said the route also provides Kazakhstan exporters with the opportunity to deliver their products to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, as well as to the ports of the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

The company is continuously working to create favorable tariff conditions and attract volumes to the promising trans-Kazakhstan route, he added.

A number of international transport routes go through the territory of Kazakhstan. Since the beginning of novel coronavirus outbreak, Kazakhstan has suspended passenger traffic with a number of countries, including China. However, this measure did not affect cargo and transit transportation, which is still underway as usual.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:33:25|Editor: mingmei

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A worker works at a workshop of Anshan Hengye Special Vehicle Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Anshan, northeast China's Liaoning Province, April 14, 2020. With strict measures in epidemic control, the company is making full efforts to meet the orders from many places of the country. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)
A Florida attorney is planning to sue Hillsborough County over a nighttime coronavirus curfew that he says is "unenforceable."

"It's not like the virus is Count Dracula or something," he said.

Attorney Patrick Leduc told WFTS News that the curfew  which lasts from 9pm to 5am  was poor judgement and unconstitutional.

"People should not just sit idly by and say, 'Oh, this is OK.' It's not OK," he said. "Our elected officials are not showing good judgement. This ordinance does not pass constitutional muster, and it must die the death it deserves."

The attorney's argument is that the additional curfew is redundant because Florida Governor Scott DeSantis' safer-at-home order has already outlawed violating the social distancing protocols enacted by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security.

"You've already got a safer-at-home order that does all that, and now you pass a curfew that basically says do the safer-at-home order, so there's an absurdity," he said. "The virus isn't just going to come out at night; the virus is 24/7."

The curfew order was put in place in March. According to ABC Action News, the county sheriff has received 350 complaints about people gathering in large crowds, including 14 on Easter. According to the sheriff, most of the events took place in the evening.

"The only way we're going to stop this right now is to have the curfew, and the curfew has to go in place. We tried the safer-at-home, and, in many instances, it's not working. Yes, there are those abiding by what the safer-at-home says," Hillsborough County chairman Les Miller said, "But there are a lot of people out there that are not. And those ones that are not could put those that are in jeopardy."

Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa  the Hillsborough County seat  said people don't have to "get excited about the curfew" but stressed that "we all have to do our part."

"All we are saying is if you can stay at home, stay at home. That's it. Officers aren't going to be out stopping individuals unless you are gathering in large groups, and they are going to break those up. That's it. Officers aren't going to stop you; you are not going to have any kind of paperwork," she said.

Mr Leduc doesn't accept either of those explanations, instead arguing that the curfew only adds fear onto an already weary populace.

"It's a hot mess. We are crushing everybody. The people who are most hurt like this are living paycheck to paycheck. And we just did more to crush people yesterday with this curfew, and they need to knock it off," he said.
The Bank of Canada says a prolonged recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic could result in permanent and widespread business closures, especially in the absence of decisive and timely policy actions.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/4/2020 (636 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Bank of Canada says a prolonged recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic could result in permanent and widespread business closures, especially in the absence of "decisive and timely policy actions."

All levels of government should pay close attention: the decisions they make today (or fail to make) on fiscal stimulus programs could have long-term implications.

The central bank, in its April report released Wednesday, laid out two economic scenarios for Canada in the coming months.

One is a steep, but abbreviated economic decline, with physical-distancing measures lifted sooner rather than later, allowing economic growth to return to more normal levels later this year. Under the scenario, many companies would survive the pandemic and still have the cash flow to reopen their doors.

The alternative outlook is far gloomier.

If governments are unable to relax physical-distancing measures in the short term (due to a continued rise in infections) and the pandemic lasts longer than many expect, the economic damage could be catastrophic. Businesses unable to hang on long enough to weather the storm would shutter permanently.

"Together, these effects could cause structural damage to the economy that might not be undone for several years, if ever," the report says. "In the current environment, decisive and timely policy actions, as well as clear communications, are critical."

We havent had a timely response from the Manitoba government when it comes to support for small- and medium-sized businesses. Many dont qualify for federal support that has been announced; up to half may be falling through the cracks.

A number of provinces have already stepped in with direct financial aid to help small businesses survive the pandemic. The more companies they can help remain solvent, the quicker the economy can rebound when the pandemic subsides (something closer to the Bank of Canadas first scenario).

One is a steep, but abbreviated economic decline, with physicaldistancing measures lifted sooner rather than later, allowing economic growth to return to more normal levels later this year. Under the scenario, many companies would survive the pandemic and still have the cash flow to reopen their doors.

However, the Pallister government still hasnt acted.

Premier Brian Pallister said Wednesday there hasnt been "clarity" on the federal governments small-business aid package. Manitoba doesnt want to risk duplicating what Ottawa is already doing, he said.

"In making sure that we have a program that helps people who are potentially falling through the cracks, we have to understand where those cracks are first," said Pallister. "Weve been endeavouring to work in partnership with the federal government, not compete with them.

"This isnt about who gets credit, its about who we can help most effectively."

Thats a cop out.

The federal programs in question may have evolved over the past week or two, but their central features  one being a wage subsidy, the other a loan program  are well-understood.

Business groups have been clear small businesses require help with fixed costs, such as rent; without it, many will go bankrupt. Other provinces, who didnt have to wait for greater "clarity" from Ottawa, have already acted.

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We havent had a timely response from the Manitoba government when it comes to support for small and mediumsized businesses. Many dont qualify for federal support that has been announced; up to half may be falling through the cracks.

Meanwhile, the Manitoba premier did hint relief may be coming "early next week." The province has authorized an additional $1 billion in spending: half of which is for health care, $400 million is for COVID-19 related relief, and $100 million is budgeted for additional emergency measures.

Some of those funds may be used for new "small-business protections," said Pallister, although he refused to say what that may look like. So small-business owners have to wait further.

There are many factors that will determine whether this is a short, severe economic downturn or a more prolonged one. Many of those factors are not government hands, including the extent of the pandemic, but there are actions leaders can take now to assist in a quicker recovery when it ends.

Lets hope the Pallister government finally sees the light.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Equal Justice Works, the nation's largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, today announced that it will honor Laura Stein, executive vice president and general counselCorporate Affairs of The Clorox Company (Clorox), with its Scales of Justice Award.

"The Scales of Justice Award is designed to recognize those from across the legal profession who are steadfast in their commitment to increasing equal access to justice, both on an individual level and as leaders in their field," said David Stern, executive director at Equal Justice Works. "Laura Stein is a pro bono champion and a dedicated advocate for underserved communities. We are proud to present her with this award."

Each year, Equal Justice Works presents the Scales of Justice Award to a leader in the legal community who exemplifies a high-level of commitment to public service and a passion for equal justice; has advanced the organization's mission and vision throughout their career; and has set a strong example for what lawyers and legal professionals can and should do to contribute to efforts in the public interest and toward greater access to justice for all.

Laura will receive the Scales of Justice Award at the 2020 Equal Justice Works Annual Dinner in Washington, D.C., on October 13, 2020.

Throughout her esteemed career, Laura has been a committed leader of pro bono work, serving as a source of inspiration to other legal professionals. At Clorox, Laura has played an instrumental role in shaping the company's corporate social responsibility ethos. In 2005, she helped to establish Clorox's pro bono program through which legal professionals at the company can spearhead a pro bono project to address an issue affecting the local community. The award-winning program has supported a number of initiatives, including assisting victims of domestic violence in family court, representing tenants in housing disputes, and providing reentry support to formerly incarcerated people.

"Throughout my career, I've always been passionate about access to justice," said Laura Stein, executive vice president and general counselCorporate Affairs of The Clorox Company. "Receiving an award like this from Equal Justice Works is especially meaningful because of the important work they do connecting lawyers with people who need legal services and our shared commitment to giving a voice to all and promoting lasting change in underserved communities."

As a leader at Clorox, Laura co-chairs Clorox's corporate responsibility program, working to ensure that the company addresses environmental sustainability in its operations and products, diversity and inclusion in its workplace, and responsible sourcing and philanthropy, among other business areas. Under her leadership, Clorox has been recognized for a number of corporate responsibility achievements, including being named one of Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies. Laura has also supported Clorox's public health response to natural disasters and disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, Ebola in West Africa, the chikungunya, dengue, and Zika outbreaks in the Americas. She previously served as chair of Support, Heart and Opportunity for Women (SHOW), a Clorox employee resource group focused on supporting and advancing women in the workplace and in their lives outside the workplace.

As a leader in the legal profession, Laura is co-chair of Pro Bono Institute's Corporate Pro Bono Advisory Board and has served as chair of Equal Justice Works, the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and the American Bar Association's (ABA) Commission on Domestic Violence and as vice-chair of the East Bay Community Law Center. She has been a member of several advisory boards including the ABA Center for Human Rights, the ABA Presidential Task Force on the Preservation of Justice and the Legal Services Corporation Leaders Council. Since 2011, Laura has served as a member of the Equal Justice Works Annual Dinner Steering Committee.

Laura has earned numerous accolades for her exemplary leadership and pro bono work, including the American Bar Association's Margaret Brent Award, Legal Momentum's Women of Achievement Award, DirectWomen's Sandra Day O'Connor Board Excellence Award, Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh's Ted Craig Humanitarian Award, and the Corporate Board Member America's Top General Counsel Recognition Award. The National Law Journal has also named her as one of the 20 most influential general counsel in America.

Click here for more information about Scales of Justice honoree Laura Stein and the 2020 Equal Justice Works Annual Dinner.

About Equal Justice Works

Equal Justice Works is the nation's largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law. We bring together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, legal services organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. Following their Fellowships, more than 85% of our Fellows remain in public service positions, continuing to pursue equal justice for underserved communities across the country. Visit www.equaljusticeworks.org for more information.

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The Salvation Army has been actively serving in the Tennessee Valley since tornadoes ripped through Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee on Sunday.

Senator Marsha Blackburn, Representative Chuck Fleischmann and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger stopped to say thank you to The Salvation Army for serving and providing hope to those affected by the devasting tornadoes.



To date, The Salvation Army has actively served over 2,700 individuals in both Hamilton and Bradley Counties. Demands are increasing as neighborhoods become more accessible. The Salvation Army anticipates serving over 2,500 neighbors Wednesday in both counties, providing hot meals, beverages, snacks and spiritual and emotional care.



We first and foremost, ask the community to pray for those affected by the April 13 tornadoes, states Major Stephen Story, Salvation Army incident commander. Secondly, we ask for you to support relief efforts by visiting this link to donate.

For the latest updates on our disaster relief efforts, visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.
COVID-19: turns Pre-existing Issues into Devastating Tragedies; How the Digital Divide No Longer Can Remain on The Outskirts of Government Policy

Coronavirus exposed resources that are assisting with pre-existing issues: homelessness, unemployment, and health conditions by demographic. All the noted adversities evolved into tragedy and devastation, as coronavirus continues to attack more than the human body. The unsheltered have always been exposed to elements; that could possibly have ended their life. Those who lost their job or lived paycheck to paycheck, always were on the cliff with their feet dangling in front of an abyss of unmanageable financial responsibility. There has been a call to close the digital divide for 25 years now.

On a global scale, the social and economic system is fragile. An adversary unseen to the human eye, infiltrated the mind, body, and livelihood of every human being on the face of this planet. I spoke to pioneers that foreseen the impact of having a digital divide, way before millions of children were not able to attend school remotely, because they do not have the technological resources. I conversed with activists, that had a vision of a better world, due to a wider net of broadband access. Larry Irving, Internet Hall of Fame Honoree, the man who coined the term Digital Divide, saw the great possibilities in humans if we are all connected by the internet and have equal access to technology.

The Digital Divide is the term to describe The gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the internet, and those who do not. However, the significance of that division is living and breathing. People are living without access to the source of human advancement. The exposed truth during this pandemic is individuals are being left behind. Sharing thoughts with Larry Irving, I wanted to know in this current space, what is his take of the widening gap in lack in digital resources that is peaking in the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Irving stated, and I am paraphrasing the exact quote, in a household where money no longer flows due to a parent or provider losing their job, it will come down to paying their car note or keeping the internet connected, Broadband is going to go first. Narrowing the line to who is on the wrong side of the digital divide, it is affecting people of color and those that live in rural and urban communities. Therefore, the call for policy behind broadening the connection cannot fall on deaf ears. No one should have to sit at McDonalds for hours,just to have access for their child to do their homework. Our future scholars deserve better than writing their entire term paper on their smart phone, because they do not have access to their computers. This is the reality we live in; millions of Americans are having to think outside the box, just to remain inside civilization.

Statistically within our nation, 60 percent of Detroit have homes without proper broadband connection, 40% of Houston face the same problem. The numbers fluctuate throughout the states, but the common denominator is the need for a national policy, digitally supporting the people across America. It is within our right to receive a higher education; it is within our culture for freedom and liberation. Deities such as the Homework Gap and the Digital Divide has been a weight on collective advancement, before the era where an entire computer could fit in the palm of your hand.

Irving expressed the need for broadband equality to be included in future stimulus packages. He brought up a potent factor, Capitol Hill is dispersing trillions of dollars, creating grace-period plans for residential and commercial property fees, and setting aside resources for the first response occupations. But where is the trillion-dollar subsidy to respond to thousands of children with no computer at home. Where is the multimillion-dollar agreement to accommodate digital resources for senior citizens, as they practice social distancing because they are most susceptible to Coronavirus. what is an elder to do if they unable to receive their food supply due to not having access to the food delivery apps.

The most at risk, are people of color. We are showing a higher rate among COVID-19 related deaths. Preliminary race and ethnicity research were identified at the L.A. County Press Conference on April 7. Confirming within 93 fatal cases, 19% were Asian, 17% were African American, 28% were Latino, 27% were white and 9% were identified as being another race. Looking at these numbers by the total population of each group, Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health disclosed as of April 7. Black people have a slightly higher rate in coronavirus deaths, than any other ethnicity. Considering the demographics of the digital divide, there is a lot of Black and Brown people that are on the wrong side of the division in resources to technology, amid a direct attack on our lives.

Coronavirus interrupted our way of living, but it also silenced unnecessary chatter for the real quality conversation of closing the connection gap; the issues the digital divide became stronger and more prominent. As I stated before, the information that is affecting the African American community directly, showcases the necessary need to create a stronger bond in communication and assistance within the collective. This evidence calls for resources that are far beyond whats available to the general public.
JOS, Nigeria, April 16, 2020 (Morning Star News)  Six children and a pregnant woman were among nine people that Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed in north-central Nigeria Tuesday night (April 14), sources said.

About a dozen herdsmen armed with rifles and machetes raided Hura-Maiyanga village, in the Miango area of Kwall District in Plateau states Bassa County, shouting the jihadist slogan Allahu Akbar [God is greater], sources said.

They were armed with machetes and AK-47 rifles as they attacked us, Hanatu John, a woman who survived the attack, told Morning Star News. They attacked our village at about 8 p.m., and they were shouting, Allahu Akbar! as they shot into our houses.

The assailants were speaking Fulfulde, the Fulani language, as they shot into homes, she said.

Most families had already retired into houses to sleep when these Fulani gunmen came into the village and were shooting into houses, John told Morning Star News in Miango town, where she took refuge. As the herdsmen shot at us, we all ran out from our houses into the surrounding bushes. Some of the herdsmen chased after us and shot at us, while others were burning down our houses.

Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, director of the Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN), confirmed the attack.

Hura hamlet of Maiyanga village in Kwall District, Miango Chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau state was invaded last night on April 14th by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen, who surrounded the entire area and unleashed mayhem on the unsuspecting natives, Mwantiri told Morning Star News by text message. As a result, nine persons were gruesomely killed and two injured while 33 houses were completely torched by fire. Most of the persons killed were children.

He identified those killed as Angela Daniel, 3; David Yakubu, 15; Luka Magwa, 5; Ishaya Yakubu, 7; Aba Ibrahim, 6; Stephen Ngwe, 7; the pregnant Talatu Daniel, 32, and her unborn child; Sunday Biri, 45; and Izhe Nkama, 43.

Those killed were buried in two separate mass graves, he said. Mwantiri identified the two people wounded as Esther James, 55, and 51-year-old Lami Ibrahim.

Additionally, over 250 persons, mostly women and children, have been displaced with no means of livelihood, Mwantiri said.

Miango resident Grace Gye sent a message to the Plateau state government on Wednesday (April 15) decrying the Fulani terrorist onslaught on area Christians and calling on state and federal governments to protect the people and their property. She questioned why Fulani herdsmen were moving about freely in spite of a lockdown in the face of the novel coronavirus.

The Rev. Ronku Aka, a former Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) pastor and now community leader of the Irigwe ethnic group, lamented incessant attacks on predominantly Christian communities.

So many of my people have been killed over the years, including the attack of last night, he told Morning Star News on Wednesday (April 15). In spite of promises from the government to my people, the herdsmen have continuously been attacking our communities.

The attack on Maiyanga comes on the heels of attacks by herdsmen in the area last month. On March 31, Christians were killed at Ancha village; the next day three more Christians were slain in the predominantly Christian community of Nkiedow-hro village, and seven others were killed in Hukke village.

On Jan. 14, 2018, armed herdsmen killed one Christian and wounded two others in an attack on Maiyanga village.

Killing, Kidnapping in Niger State

In northwestern Nigeria, Muslim Fulani herdsmen in Niger state on March 24 killed at least 20 people in two predominantly Christian villages and on March 2 kidnapped eight Christians in raids on a mission station, sources said.

The attacks on the villages of Galkogo and Zumba, killing more than 20 people, displaced 3,000 people, area residents told Morning Star News.

In Niger states Shiroro County, Fulani herdsmen raided a school in Maruba run by Calvary Ministries (CAPRO), kidnapping four missionaries, two volunteer staff members, another staff member and one student, according to Niyi Gbade, the ministrys national director.

Ask God to release them unharmed now, Gbade told Morning Star News in a text message.

The schools head teacher was shot and received hospital treatment, he said.

Pray for the remaining missionaries on the base, that they will not be kidnapped, and that those being held should be released from any form of captivity, Gbade said.

Herdsmen also raided Global Glorious Mission in Gofa, Shiroro County, on March 22, forcing missionaries and students to flee into bushes, according to a mission press statement last month.

The Fulani herdsmen entered, ransacked and looted our Gofa field of Shiroro LGA, Niger and environs, the statement read. Some of the brethren have gone back in the night, and some returning this morning. Please stand with us in prayer for Gods intervention over this menace.

In the past year, armed Fulani herdsmen have carried out a series of raids on Christian communities in the northwest, sending people fleeing to camps for the displaced.

On Jan. 30, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) issued a genocide warning for Nigeria, calling on the Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council to take action. CSI issued the call in response to a rising tide of violence directed against Nigerian Christians and others classified as infidels by Islamist militants in the countrys north and middle belt regions.

Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution but second in the number of Christians killed for their faith, behind Pakistan.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.

If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/?

Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission.

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Naruedom
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and their colleagues used a new geochemical tool to shed light on the origin of nitrogen and other volatile elements on Earth, which may also prove useful as a way to monitor the activity of volcanoes. Their findings were published April 16, 2020, in the journal Nature.

Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere, and is the primary component of the air we breathe. Nitrogen is also found in rocks, including those tucked deep within the planet's interior. Until now, it was difficult to distinguish between nitrogen sources coming from air and those coming from inside the Earth's mantle when measuring gases from volcanoes.

"We found that air contamination was masking the pristine 'source signature' of many volcanic gas samples," says WHOI geochemist Peter Barry, a coauthor of the study.

Without that distinction, scientists weren't able to answer basic questions like: Is nitrogen left over from Earth's formation or was it delivered to the planet later on? How is nitrogen from the atmosphere related to nitrogen coming out of volcanoes?

Barry and lead author Jabrane Labidi of UCLA, now a researcher at Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, worked in partnership with international geochemists to analyze volcanic gas samples from around the globe--including gases from Iceland and Yellowstone National Park--using a new method of analyzing "clumped" nitrogen isotopes. This method provided a unique way to identify molecules of nitrogen that come from air, which allowed the researchers to see the true gas compositions deep within Earth's mantle. This ultimately revealed evidence that nitrogen in the mantle has most likely been there since our planet initially formed.

"Once air contamination is accounted for, we gained new and valuable insights into the origin of nitrogen and the evolution of our planet," Barry says.

While this new method helps scientists understand the origins of volatile elements on Earth, it may also prove useful as a way of monitoring the activity of volcanoes. This is because the composition of gases bellowing from volcanic centers change prior to eruptions. It could be that the mix of mantle and air nitrogen could one day be used as a signal of eruptions.

###

This study was supported by the Deep Carbon Observatory and the Sloan Foundation.

The research team also included colleagues David Bekaert and Mark Kurz from WHOI, scientists from several other U.S.-based universities, and from France, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and Iceland.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. For more information, please visit http://www.whoi.edu.

Key Takeaways:

Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, but nitrogen's origin and how much is in Earth's interior was previously unknown.

A new method of nitrogen analysis of volcanic gases from around the world revealed more accurate measurements of volatile elements in Earth's interior.

This new method could be useful in monitoring the activity of volcanoes.

Nitrogen in Earth's mantle has most likely been there from the beginning of our planet.
SAO PAULO - After a heated confrontation with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last month over his lackadaisical approach to the coronavirus, governors in the South American country have since pulled back, wary of losing vital federal aid in the efforts to control COVID-19.

That strategy is no longer working for the leader of Sao Paulo, Brazils most populous state, the countrys economic engine and the epicenter of the nations virus outbreak. Gov. Joao Doria has made it clear hes done biting his tongue.

Were fighting against the coronavirus and against the Bolsonaro-virus, Doria said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, adding that he believes the president has adopted incorrect, irresponsible positions.

Sao Paulo has reported 11,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and almost 800 deaths, the highest in the country. As governor, Doria has become one of the nations foremost advocates of strong restrictions on daily life to contain the virus.

That has put him squarely in Bolsonaros line of fire. The president has argued that broad shutdown measures would wreck the economy. He is one of very few heads of state still scoffing at the virus, which he has repeatedly called a little flu, and he touts the yet-unproven benefits of an anti-malarial drug for treatment  echoes of his ally U.S. President Donald Trump.

While Trumps skepticism has softened in recent weeks, even as he continues to clash with U.S. governors, Bolsonaro has doubled down.

The president has suggested a minimalist strategy of asking only those individuals who are most at risk for contracting the virus to be quarantined, not easily done in a country of extended families.

Nearly all of Brazils 27 governors have urged the public to self-quarantine while shutting down schools and businesses and suspending all but the most essential activities  more drastic measures in line with those taken by governments around the globe.

Despite the negative instructions that people receive from the president, half the population (of Sao Paulo) has respected quarantine, Doria said in a video call. The populations response has been good. It could have been better if we didnt have to use science and medicine almost every day to confront guesswork.

A survey by pollster Datafolha earlier this month showed three-quarters of Brazilians supported governors quarantine measures, regardless of the economic cost. Only one-third supported Bolsonaros handling of the crisis.

Doria is one of the strongest opponents to Bolsonaros handling of the virus, along with Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta. But Mandettas job appears to be hanging by a thread.

We have to confront the president and protect the population, said the governor, who looked visibly fraught, despite his crisp suit and tie.

Doria was once an ally of the president. A businessman who entered politics in 2016 and secured a shocking victory in Sao Paulos mayoral race, he campaigned for Bolsonaro in the second round of the 2018 presidential election. In the same general election, Doria earned Bolsonaros endorsement, and it helped him narrowly win the governorship.

Bolsonaro, a former Army captain, was a fringe lawmaker during his seven congressional terms, but popular support coalesced around his call for aggressive policing to combat high crime rates, his plans to impose conservative cultural values, and his promises to rejuvenate the economy.

The relationship between the two men soured, even before the pandemic, and Bolsonaros unscientific approach to the outbreak has deepened the rift even further. Doria is widely considered a potential challenger to Bolsonaro in the 2022 election.

In a March 25 conference call between the president and four governors, Doria told Bolsonaro that he had to set the example and lead the country rather than divide it, according to video leaked to the news media.

If you dont get in the way, Brazil will take off and emerge from the crisis, Bolsonaro retorted. Stop campaigning.

Since that showdown, Doria had stayed tight-lipped about Bolsonaro, refraining from mentioning him directly. Bolsonaro, for his part, has said he disagrees with certain governors who he claims are using COVID-19 as an electoral launchpad.

Some of the presidents supporters are exercising less restraint. Doria said he is receiving daily threats and has had to increase security for his wife and send his children to live elsewhere.

Last weekend at a protest in downtown Sao Paulo, a Bolsonaro backer yelled over loudspeakers that he and others would go into Dorias home, break everything, and that Doria himself was going to die.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaros recent calls for Brazilians to resume their normal lives have coincided with a dip in voluntary compliance with self-quarantine measures in Sao Paulo, according to cellphone data phone carriers have provided to the state.

Almost none of Sao Paulos cities have reached 70% isolation, which officials consider ideal to avoid a surge of cases that could overwhelm the health care system. The average rate of isolation for 104 municipalities was 52% on Tuesday.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness that requires hospitalization, sometimes for more than a week, and lead to death.

While pledging to speak out for the right course of action, Doria said he was dismayed that support for Bolsonaros approach extends beyond a radical base.

Hearing and seeing people who are educated, who studied outside Brazil, defending whats wrong and whats extreme, that saddens me, Doria said. The confrontation isnt with me. ... Its a confrontation with science and medicine of the entire world.

__

Biller reported from Rio de Janeiro.
Several employees at Safeways distribution center in Tracy have tested positive for the coronavirus, The Chronicle has learned. One worker died this week.

Pedro Zuniga, a longtime employee who worked at the distribution center, died this week of COVID-19, marking the second death of a grocery store worker in Northern California during the pandemic. The deaths highlight the growing plight of food workers, who are seeking additional protections.

We were saddened to learn that an associate at our Tracy Distribution Center has passed away due to complications related to COVID-19, Safeway said. Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts are with that associates family. This is difficult for the entire Safeway team.

Several other employees have tested positive at the center, according to Local 439, a chapter of the Teamsters that represents truckers and warehouse workers there. It is unclear how many workers are affected.

The distribution center is the largest of its kind in the region, a cavernous supply hub that employs up to 2,000 workers, according to the city of Tracy. The center serves Safeway stores from Bakersfield all the way up to the Oregon border, and parts of Nevada.

Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

Deemed essential services, most grocers have kept stores and warehouses open, with workers risking exposure to the coronavirus as they make sure shelves are stocked. Across the country, at least 30 grocery workers have died, according to the United Food and Commerical Workers, which represents 1.3 million grocery store workers. Industry-wide numbers could be higher.

Though distribution center workers dont interact with customers like store workers do, an outbreak at a key facility could severely affect Safeways operations. Some customers on social media have complained about empty shelves and scarce produce.

Wendy Gutshall, a spokeswoman for Safeway, said in an email that the produce warehouse at the distribution center was running short on staff for a variety of reasons and required streamlining of its operations. She did not answer additional questions about the outbreak or the state of Safeway store supplies.

Zunigas family started a GoFundMe campaign Wednesday to help with funeral expenses and had raised more than $23,000 by noon Thursday. Safeway said it is trying to help the family.

Safeway said it is expanding safety precautions at the distribution center, including thermal temperature readings before workers enter the facility. Theyre also asking workers to stay home if they have symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory disease the coronavirus causes, or have family members with symptoms.

Jim Gensheimer / Special to The Chronicle

A San Jose FoodMaxx was shut down for cleaning last month after an employee died from COVID-19. UFCW President Marc Perrone said this week that the union knows of at least 3,000 workers nationwide who are home sick after being exposed to the coronavirus.

Five thousand workers recently responded to a UFCW survey, with 96% of the members saying they were concerned about being exposed to the virus at work. Some stores lack personal protective equipment, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still hasnt mandated that food workers wear masks. The union also has reached out to the CDC and sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, who is overseeing some aspects of the White House pandemic response, urging the administration to supply protective equipment to grocery workers.

This is about life or death, Perrone said. Workers are being exposed, and they are dying.

On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that Californias food workers would get an additional two weeks of paid leave benefiting workers who had contracted or were exposed to the virus, or have been ordered to isolate or quarantine themselves at home.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

I think about the people that grow our food, pick our food, pack our food, deliver our food, cook, serve and sell our food. Thats the food chain in the state of California. That sector by definition is essential, Newsom said in his address.

Now Playing: We spoke with workers from San Franciscos Mission District who continue to work  and potentially risk their health  amid the coronavirus shelter in place orders. These are their stories. Video: Erika Betty Carlos

Safeway has posted signs at store entrances and in back rooms that ask everyone to screen themselves for symptoms prior to shopping or clocking in. It has increased cleaning and disinfecting efforts. Masks are now being provided for all workers, adding to measures already in place, like Plexiglas sneeze guards at check stands and cart wipes and hand sanitizer.

Correction An earlier version of this story misstated the parent union of Local 439. It is a chapter of the Teamsters. See More Collapse

In its stores, Safeway has marked 6-foot intervals for checkout lines and instituted special hours for seniors and other vulnerable individuals to shop.

Safeway set out last month to hire 2,000 workers among its 165 Bay Area locations. Andrew Whelan, a spokesman for Albertsons, Safeways parent company, said the company had hired more than 5,000 new workers in the past several weeks in Northern California.

UFCW Local 5 president John Nunes, whose chapter represents grocery workers in the Bay Area and surrounding regions, said many store workers interact with 200 to 400 customers a day.

Its similar to Russian roulette, he said. Any customer that you service could be the one with a bullet in the chamber.

Shwanika Narayan and Rusty Simmons are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com, rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika, @Rusty_SFChron
(CNN)  Elon Musk said last month he had obtained more than 1,000 ventilators to help California hospitals treating patients infected with the coronavirus, an effort California Gov. Gavin Newsom hailed as "heroic."

Now, more than three weeks later, the governor's office says none of the promised ventilators have been received by hospitals.

At a March 23 news conference, Newsom said the devices, which can provide life-saving support to patients infected with the virus, had already arrived in Los Angeles and were on their way to hospitals in need.

"I told you a few days ago that he was likely to have 1,000 ventilators this week," Newsom said. "They've arrived in Los Angeles, and Elon Musk is already working with hospital association and others to get those ventilators out. It's a heroic effort."

Shortly after the dramatic announcement, Musk said in a tweet: "China had an oversupply, so we bought 1255 FDA-approved ResMed, Philips & Medtronic ventilators on Friday night & airshipped them to LA. If you want a free ventilator installed, please let us know!"

But despite the claims, none of the ventilators promised by the Tesla CEO have been delivered to hospitals, according to the governor's office.

"Elon Musk and his team told the state that he had procured ventilators and wanted to distribute them directly to hospitals with shortages," a spokesperson for the California governor's Office of Emergency Services told CNN Wednesday.

"The Administration is communicating every day with hospitals across the state about their ventilator supply and to date we have not heard of any hospital system that has received a ventilator directly from Tesla or Musk."

Spokespersons for Tesla did not return CNN requests for comment. The news was first reported by the Sacramento Bee.

Musk tweeted at Newsom overnight asking him to "fix this misunderstanding." He also posted email screen shots between him and a Los Angeles County health department official allegedly showing they had tested Tesla's ventilators.

Major US companies like Ford and Apple have also announced plans to produce ventilators and donate face masks for health care workers treating patients infected with the virus.

Last week, Newsom reassured residents that California now has enough ventilators to meet its projected needs, after some questioned his decision to lend 500 machines to other states in crisis.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Elon Musk's promised ventilators never delivered to California hospitals, governor's office says"
A team of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 28 undocumented immigrants inside a tractor trailer Monday in Texas.

CBP said in a statement that the incident took place while North Laredo Border Patrol agents stopped a truck hauling a white trailer on Interstate 35.

The federal immigration law enforcement agency said a sniffer dog was used to conduct a search of the truck, detecting the presence of the migrants, who had unlawfully entered the United States from Mexico.

A photo distributed by CBP showed a majority of the migrants wearing face masks.

CBP discovered 28 undocumented migrants from Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico on Monday in Laredo, Texas, after they crossed the Mexico-United States border while hiding in a trailer hauled by a truck

The individuals were identified as citizens of Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico and were taken into custody and processed, per federal guidelines.

CBP also detained the driver of the truck, a United States national.

The agency said that human traffickers are disregarding the safety of the individuals they are smuggling across the Mexico-United States border by stuffing them into trucks.

'[The smugglers] put at risk the health and safety of our Nation,' CBP said. 'U.S. Border Patrol agents strive to prevent the flow of illegal immigration and slow the spread of COVID-19.'

On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE) announced it would release 693 migrants who are at most risk of a coronavirus outbreak at their detention centers including immigrants who are elderly, pregnant, or have underlying conditions.

The decision comes on the heel of mounting pressure from Democrats and pro-immigrant groups who have demanded the mass liberation of more than 34,000 who are incarcerated and remain at risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus.

In a measure to tighten and enforce the unlawful entry of migrants, President Donald Trump's administration has relied on a seldom-used public health law to set aside decades-old national and international immigration laws.

Those seeking refuge in the U.S. are whisked to the nearest border crossing and returned to Mexico without a chance to apply for asylum. It may be the most aggressive clampdown on immigration by a president who's made reducing asylum claims a top priority.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said last Thursday that nearly 10,000 Mexicans and Central Americans have been 'expelled' to Mexico since the rules took effect March 21.

Mark Morgan, the agency's acting commissioner, said the changes were 'not about immigration.'

The administration tapped a law allowing the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ban foreigners if their entry would create "a serious danger" to the spread of communicable disease. The U.S. has the most confirmed cases in the world by far.
Some stores in Beverly Hills and Pasadena have boarded up the front to prevent vandalism. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County could see a $1-billion decline in sales tax revenue this fiscal year, which ends June 30, because of the massive economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

The decline is expected to surpass $2 billion between now and the end of fiscal 2021, according to county estimates released Wednesday.

The county is spending millions responding to the COVID-19 crisis, and officials anticipate working with state and federal leaders in the months ahead in hopes of seeing reimbursement.

The budget outlook is critically important for Los Angeles County to allocate resources effectively and to plan for the essential programs and services residents rely on in all of our communities, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, chair of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, said in a news release. As we continue to collaboratively address the COVID-19 public health crisis, we remain committed to meeting the needs of residents across L.A. County.

Chief Executive Officer Sachi A. Hamai has imposed hard freezes on hiring and purchasing, and has directed county department heads to prepare for "a range of potential program reductions in the coming fiscal year."

"These are significant losses which unfortunately will have a major effect on programs that the county administers on behalf of our 10 million residents, Hamai said. Our aim is to work with our departments and the Board of Supervisors to prioritize needs and ensure that Los Angeles County continues its vital role as the safety net for our most vulnerable residents.

County leaders will likely have to make extensive adjustments in future budget phases to address revenue shortfalls and rising expenditures because of the crisis.

The recommended budget for fiscal 2020-21  the majority of which was prepared before the pandemic  will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on April 28.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 17:54:11|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China will provide more funds to support the coastal ecological protection and restoration.

Local departments in charge of natural resources in coastal areas can apply for the funding, which will give priority to projects with investment no less than 200 million yuan (about 28.29 million U.S. dollars), said a circular issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

This year, the funds will focus on the protection and restoration of mangrove forests, the stability of the mangrove ecosystem and the protection of islands and surrounding waters, the circular said.

All localities should establish and improve a long-term mechanism for marine ecological protection and restoration, combining reclamation control, marine ecological restoration, marine disaster prevention and mitigation, and land ecological restoration, the circular said. Enditem
[April 16, 2020] Westlake Contributes $1 Million to Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund

Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE: WLK) today announced that the company and the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation have contributed a combined $1 million to the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund was established by the United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Community Foundation to provide emergency assistance, like access to food, shelter and health care, for individuals adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. "As part of the Houston community, which has been Westlake's home and given us so much, we feel it is a privilege to help in a time or need," said Westlake President and CEO Albert Chao, who is also president of the charitable foundation estblished in 1999 by the Chao family.



In addition to this financial contribution, Westlake sites around the globe and the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation have both donated personal protective equipment to hospitals and provided financial assistance to charitable organizations in many of the locations where Westlake operates. About Westlake

Westlake is a global manufacturer and supplier of materials and innovative products that enhance life every day. Headquartered in Houston, we provide the building blocks for vital solutions - from packaging and healthcare products to automotive and consumer goods, to building and construction products. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.westlake.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005207/en/

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LANSING, MI  The Michigan Republican Party was again denied in an attempt to overturn the result of a November 2018 ballot proposal that changed how the states political districts are drawn.

A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati today unanimously upheld a lower court decision deeming the new law constitutional.

Proposal 2, passed in 2018 with 61% of voters in favor and 39% against, shifted the responsibility of drawing Michigans state and federal political districts every 10 years to a new commission.

The new 13-member redistricting commission will consist of five independent members, four self-declared Democrats and four self-declared Republicans. Beginning with the 2022 election, the commission will decide how the state House, state Senate and congressional districts will be drawn.

Redistricting was previously handled by the Michigan legislature and approved by the governor  something Proposal 2 supporters equated to politicians picking their own district lines.

As a result of the proposal passing, elected officials, candidates, lobbyists and political consultants or staffers  as well as family members of politicians or other insiders  are also barred from participating within six years of their politically-affiliated position.

The initial lawsuit filed by the Michigan Republican Party against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, claimed the restrictions on who can serve on the commission were unconstitutional.

The lawsuit, which was combined with another filed by Michigan Freedom Fund Executive Director Tony Daunt, was backed by the special interest group National Republican Redistricting Trust, led by former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

In it, Daunt and the state GOP argued that rights to freedom of association were violated because, under the adopted proposal, political parties are blocked from choosing representatives to serve on the commission.

While applicants must self-identify their party affiliation and testify under oath they meet the qualification standards, because Michigan does not require residents to register with a political party, attorneys representing the state GOP argued there is no way to verify an applicants testimony or that they align with the stated partys platform.

Despite losing the appeal, Daunt told MLive Wednesday he believes he and the state GOP still have a strong case and, along with their attorneys, they will be making a decision on how to move forward relatively soon.

I think we still have a strong case related to the first and fourteenth amendment protections that are violated by the way this is set up, and the people who are prohibited from even applying based on what they do, or more egregiously, who they are related to, Daunt said. What it all boils down to is previous civic engagement. That applies to all the members and that to me is the most troublesome part of this.

"By conservative estimates you are looking at at least a half million people who are automatically disqualified from even applying for this (commission).

Paul Smith, vice president of Campaign Legal Center  which represented Voters Not Politicians, the group behind Proposal 2 and an intervening party in the case  said the federal appellate courts April 15 decision placed the interests of Michigan voters first.

Taking partisanship out of drawing electoral maps is critical to advancing the principle of accountability in government. Michigan voters want fair maps," Smith said in a statement.

"They will not be silenced by special interests, who continue to try and exert their will over the redistricting process. Now Michiganders can continue applying to serve on the commission with the confidence that two courts and four judges have given it the green light.

A total of 4,332 applications to serve on Michigans first Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission have been processed by the Secretary of State to date, according to the Campaign Legal Center. The deadline to apply to be on the commission is June 1.

The decision today affirms the fact that, as U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts said (in a separate challenge by the state GOP), voters have the power to decide for themselves how they want their government to be structured, Nancy Wang, executive director of Voter Not Politicians, said in a statement.

We will continue to do all that we can to get as many people involved in our fair, impartial, and transparent redistricting process as possible, Wang said.

Also on MLive:

Voters Not Politicians intervenes in Michigan GOP challenge to redistricting commission

Michigan Republican Party files new federal lawsuit to stop redistricting commission

Voters Not Politicians declares victory for Proposal 2

Independent redistricting proposal to appear on November 2018 ballot
The Times Union has lifted the paywall on this developing coverage to provide critical information to our community. To support our journalists work, consider a digital subscription.

Total COVID-19 cases:

 223,231 in New York state, including 14,776 deaths. 526,012 total tested.

 654,301 in the U.S., including 31,628 deaths. 53,697 recovered. 3,262,921 total tested.

 2,134,465 worldwide, including 142,148 deaths. 540,656 recovered.

Note: The number of positive confirmed cases is cumulative and includes people who have recovered as well as those who died.

Additional resources:

 Here are the latest cancellations and postponements.

 For a detailed map, check out the Times Unions New York Coronavirus Tracker

 To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter.

 Share stories about people helping others in our Facebook Group.

Thursday's coronavirus updates:

3:59 p.m. Another person has died of coronavirus in Schenectady County

County officials said the victim was a man over 60. He is the 13th person to die of the virus.

The county says 279 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the county and 27 are currently hospitalized.

There are 612 people in quarantine and 160 in isolation. The county says 83 people have recovered.

___

3 p.m. Nine residents at Albany County's nursing home test positive.

The county said three members of the staff at the Colonie facility known as Shaker Place were diagnosed with the virus and one has returned to work.

The county released the numbers Thursday afternoon, revealing that resident at three other nursing homes in the county where patients tested positive.

The county says nine patients and nine staff members tested positive at Our Lady of Mercy in Guilderland. Two residents at The Grand nursing home in Guilderland tested positive and one residents and one member of the staff tested positive at the Hudson Park Nursing Home in Albany.

The county did not say if any of the residents or staff died.

___

12:16 p.m.: Cuomo says New York stay-at-home will be extended to May 15

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday said that New York's stay-at-home measures, including closing businesses and schools, will remain in place through at least May 15. The continued shutdown will be done in coordination with other northeast states.

The rate of hospitalizations from COVID-19, including those on ventilators and in intensive care units, is continuing to decline in New York, Cuomo said.

The data cited by the governor at his daily briefing indicates New York may have crossed the apex of the pandemic several days ago, although deaths remain high, with the state reporting 606 fatalities on Wednesday associated with the infectious disease. Read more

___

11:15 a.m.: Coronavirus cases rise to 563 in Albany County

County Executive Dan McCoy tells reporters there are currently 668 people in mandatory quarantine and 66 precautionary quarantine. 32 people hospitalized.

The county's death toll remained at 20.

___

11:10 a.m.: Mohawk Hudson Humane Society receives 35,000 pounds of pet food

GreaterGood.org with other companies donated the pet food to deal with coronavirus impacts on feeding pets. Mohawk Hudson is working with the Albany County Sheriff's Office to distribute the pet food through local food pantries and other organizations. Golub Corp. provided a trailer for temporary storage for the supplies.

___

7:20 a.m.: Siena basketball's Matt Gras dies of complications from COVID-19

Geoff Walker remembers the way it was in the locker room of the Siena College basketball team.

It was 1994 and Walker was a talkative freshman. One of his teammates, 6-foot-10 junior center Matt Gras, was having none of that.

"His locker was across from me and he said to me, 'Hey, freshman: Shut up!" Walker said. "That was Matt's way of welcoming me."

Walker laughed at the memory as he talked by phone Wednesday afternoon from Los Angeles where he is the co-founder of the Collective Sports & Entertainment Management Group. There was humor as he thought about Gras, but also sadness.

Gras died early Wednesday morning in Connecticut from complications from COVID-19. Gras, who had a long battle with cerebellar ataxia (inability to coordinate balance, gait, extremity and eye movements), was 46.

"Matt looked out for me like a big brother," Walker said. "He was just a big teddy bear."

Read more

___

6:33 a.m.: Churchill: Why do we believe conspiracy theories?

Times Union columnist Chris Churchill says conspiracy theories about the coronavirus are flourishing and the consequences are real.

"Take a spin around the Internet and you might 'learn' that the coronavirus is a plot hatched by Bill Gates to benefit pharmaceutical companies.

"Or you might be told that the pandemic is part of a deep state effort to undermine President Trump. Or that the sickness is spread by 5G wireless technology.

"Its all ridiculous, really." Read more

___

6:31 a.m.: Rensselaer and Albany counties sort out COVID-19 issues

Rensselaer County officials were angered when they found out Tuesday night that they werent immediately told that five people who work in the county  including at least two at a coronavirus hotspot and another who works at one of the countys busiest stores  but live in Albany County where they tested positive for COVID-19 until long after the results came back.

Two of the five people work at Diamond Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation in Schaghticoke, where three residents have died from COVID-19, county sources said. The third person is an assistant manager at the busy Walmart on Route 4, where a cashier who lives in Rensselaer County also tested positive. It was not immediately known where the other two individuals work. Read more

___

6:25 a.m. Food supply chain struggles with COVID-19's impact

Grocers are facing challenges to their supply lines and changes in shoppers' tastes as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

When Smithfield Foods closed its massive South Dakota pork processing plant on Sunday following an outbreak of COVID-19 illness, the company's CEO warned of the impact this and other recent plant closings might have on the nation's food supply chain.

At least 10 meat processing plants, including three over the border in Canada, have closed because of the virus, according to Reuters.

'The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply," said Kenneth M. Sullivan, Smithfield's president and CEO. "It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running." Read more

___

Wednesday: Albany police officer tests positive

The Albany Police Department received information that an officer tested positive for COVID-19. Due to his assignment, the officer has had limited to no contact with other personnel at the department and no contact with any members of the public.The officer is not experiencing any symptoms and is currently quarantined at home, according to the city. The officer is also being monitored by the Department of Health.

___

Wednesday: New cases at Schaghticoke nursing home

Rensselaer County officials reported Wednesday that two more residents of the Diamond Hill nursing home in Schaghticoke have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the home's known infections among residents and staff to nine. Three residents from the home have died as a result of the illness.

Countywide, there have been 146 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date, up from 140 reported Tuesday. Fifty-eight residents have recovered from the illness. Six, including the Diamond Hill residents, have died. As of Wednesday, nine residents were hospitalized, with four in intensive care.

___

Wednesday: Warren County announces 3rd death

The individual was a resident of the southern part of the county, and had been hospitalized for an extended period of time. The county said it would not be releasing further information about the death. Confirmed cases of the virus in the county rose to 73 on Wednesday, up from 62 reported a day earlier. Two residents are currently hospitalized with the virus. Fifty-two have recovered.

___

Wednesday: 7th death at Columbia County nursing home

It's the 10th known death from the virus in the county to date. County Public Health Director Jack Mabb said 26 residents of the home have now tested positive for the virus.

The county provided no other details about the death. It said Wednesday that 100 residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far, up from 97 reported Tuesday. An additional six residents are suspected to have it. Ten are hospitalized, with three in intensive care. Forty-two residents have recovered.

___

Wednesday: Schenectady County: 249 cases to date

That figure is unchanged from Tuesday, as is the county's known death toll, which stands at 12. Thirty people are currently hospitalized in the county with COVID-19, though that count includes people from outside the county. Eighty-two residents have recovered.

___

Read more from Wednesday
When our flight to Europe was canceled because of COVID-19, Delta Airlines offered to waive its customary change fee, but policy required us to rebook our flight within one year of the ticket purchase date.

In our case, we were expected to fly to Europe by Aug. 1, 2020. With uncertainly regarding the timeline of the pandemic, this was an unreasonable and unworkable resolution, prompting me to contact our congressional representative, Peter DeFazio, via his website.

Within two days I was contacted by his field representative, Chris Conroy, assuring me that the congressman was advancing my issue with Delta Airlines President Ed Bastian.

Thereafter, much to my relief, I received a call from Deltas customer service department, informing me that a full refund would be granted for our canceled flight.

As chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Peter DeFazio is an exceptionally strong advocate for the people. It is clear to me that his influence and advocacy has been instrumental in the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation to require airlines to provide not just vouchers, but refunds to all canceled-flight ticketholders.

So, this is a shout-out to Chris Conroy for her assistance, but especially to Peter DeFazio for his leadership and dependability.

Its uplifting to know that while we are sequestered in our houses, Congressman DeFazio continues to work on our behalf in peoples House in Washington, D.C.

Gerry Kosanovic

Corvallis

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WESTPORT  With no requests for restorations, the Board of Finance unanimously approved next years general fund of $212,772,828.

The board previously cut 1 percent from both the town and schools budget. But BOF member Sheri Gordon highlighted that cuts were made before the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic was being felt.

I have to wonder whether 1 percent goes far enough in light of everything we now know, Gordon said.

The towns portion of the budget is about $75 million; the schools will get about $122 million.

BOF Chair Brian Stern said the board would revisit the financial picture when discussing the tax rate and reserve rate later in the year.

My guess is that our reserves will be very strong at the end of this year, Stern said.

Work done by Finance Director Gary Conrad to restructure the towns health care and pension plans has helped the reserves, he said.

First Selectman Jim Marpe said it would be difficult to rethink everything with the information the town currently has.

We still have to continue to provide services to the community regardless, he said.

BOF member Jim Foster echoed Marpes sentiments and said its hard to assess the financial impacts currently.

One of the things we could do proactively is look at the ways we go about managing finances as a board going forward, he said. I just think its a good time to look at how we manage moving forward.

One of the areas hit in cuts was the Westport Transit District, which for the second year faced a reduction. The finance board voted 4-3 to cut the transit districts $359,000 budget by $39,000.

But Dick Lowenstein, a Representative Town Meeting member, asked the BOF to reduce the cut.

I would also ask the board to send a message to the town that transportation is a major factor in Westports future economic health, Lowenstein said, adding the transit district was the starting point for a comprehensive transportation operation in town.

Stern said the reasoning behind the cut was that a new strategy was needed for transportation. The board elected to keep the full cut in place since a formal request for restoration was not made.

We thought this amount of money would be fine and give the transit district time to put in place a new strategy without committing us to the same process and expenditures that we have in the current year, Stern said. I think that still applies.

The BOF also unanimously approved $5,179,221 for the sewer fund, $1,946,441 for railroad parking and $352,023 for Wakeman Town Farm.

The Representative Town Meeting will discuss the budget in May.

dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com
As part of its coronavirus relief package, Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a $349 billion fund to help businesses with fewer than 500 employees. Although any money business receives is denominated a loan, if the business can prove that it used the money to stay afloat and, especially, pay employees, the business can request that the loan be forgiven.

The PPP has been so popular that banks have reported to the Treasury Department that they are running out of those guaranteed funds. Its questionable whether the fund will outlast the week.

To keep funds available, Mitch McConnell wanted to pass a single-issue bill, one that would do nothing more than infuse another $250 billion into the PPP. Democrats, however, are repeating the same behavior in which they engaged the last time Congress tried to allocate emergency funds for people hurt by the economic shutdown.

As you may recall, at the end of March, when Congress was working on its first stimulus bill, the Senate had reached a bipartisan agreement. Nancy Pelosi, however, flew into town, announced that the agreement was off, and the Democrat Senators meekly walked away. Then, in place of the negotiated agreement, Pelosi introduced a 1,200 page bill that was more focused on advancing a Democrat wish list (social justice issues, climate change, union support, etc.), than in helping Americans blindsided by an economic shutdown.

Eventually, Congress did pass a bill, but only after caving to some of the Democrats demands. The most notorious was the insistence that the Kennedy Center get $25 million. Democrats justified this demand by saying that the Kenedy Center employed lots of people. That narrative went out the window when, the day after Trump signed the bill, the Kennedy Center fired all its musicians.

Pelosi seems determined once again to put her agenda ahead of the little peoples needs. This time, shes refusing to let the Democrats agree to Mitch McConnells clean bill:

Instead, Democrats want McConnell to acquiesce to jumps in funding for several entities that received billions under the CARES act, including health care systems, and to demands to reconfigure the PPP system so that minority and female entrepreneurs are given priority in lending.

Thats bad. Whats worse is that, as small business owners are forced to fire their employees and shut down their lifes work, Pelosi is boasting about blocking the PPP infusion:

Nancy Pelosi: I congratulate the Senate Democrats for objecting to $250 billion in small business reliefhttps://t.co/IdRmdfgYwx pic.twitter.com/KDT9tZZ8b3  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 15, 2020

That same tone-deafness showed itself on Monday, just a day before Pelosi boasted about abandoning Americas small businesses. In an appearance on James Cordens show, Pelosi talked about her passion for ice cream and chocolate. Standing in front of her $10,000 paired refrigerator and freezer, Nancy Pelosi admitted that shes a chocolate fanatic who adores chocolate ice cream. It pains me to admit that, at least as to that food preference, she and I have something in common.

Twitter video screen grab

Unlike Pelosi, though, I do not have a $10,000 refrigerator/freezer. Moreover, if I were planning to leave small businesses without funds during an economic crisis, I would not proudly open a drawer in my massive freezer to reveal that its completely packed with ice cream that retails for $12 per pint. Watching the video, it seems that, at a quick count, Pelosi has at least $130 worth of ice cream in her freezer. As a fellow chocolate lover, I suspect that she has more layers of ice cream hiding beneath the visible ones:

With this video, Nancy Pelosi went Marie Antoinette one better. Marie Antoinette, after hearing about peasants starving for want of bread, never said Let them eat cake. She was just alleged to have done so to harm her reputation. Here, though, we have irrefutable evidence that Nancy Pelosi, while refusing to give Americas small businesses a financial lifeline, has effectively said, I can still eat gourmet, $12 pint ice cream from my $10,000 freezer.

Its not a good look. Thankfully, this is not France in 1792, so Pelosi need not worry about keeping her head. (Although, interestingly, her own daughter said of her, Shell cut your head off and you wont even know youre bleeding.) Still, it would be nice if San Franciscans would end their love affair with her and finally send this power-mad, multi-millionaire, limousine leftist packing.

Corrections: Changed Lincoln Center to Kennedy Center
The founder of the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, on Tuesday requested an early release from prison, citing health concerns that put him at particular risk during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a filing obtained by TheWrap, his lawyers made the request to New York Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald and said that McFarland suffers from pre-existing medical conditions. They said he is not a threat to public safety, is at a higher risk of catching the virus and should be released to home confinement.

McFarland is serving a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud in 2018. Hes currently imprisoned in the low-security facility E3lkton Correctional Institute, and his lawyers claim in the filing that at least 24 inmates and 14 staff members have already contracted COVID-19, with the prisons warden and assistant warden both in the hospital.

Also Read: Netflix Reaches Settlement on Fyre Fest Documentary Lawsuit

McFarland said through his lawyers that he is confined to a large room with 140 inmates and that 30 of them have gotten sick and been removed from the unit. Several other non-violent prisoners across the country have been granted early or temporary release because of the virus, and McFarlands lawyers argue that his pre-existing medical conditions make him an especially high risk.

Mr. McFarland has informed us that he has pre-existing conditions that make contracting Covid-19 easier, and which increase his potential to suffer severe health issues and death if he does so, including being diagnosed with asthma as a teenager, his lawyers said. Further, he has informed us that he was diagnosed on the extreme scale of the allergy spectrum, for issues related to breathing and his cardiovascular system, and that he has experienced heart issues since his early 20s.

His lawyers added that he is a non-violent offender and was considered a candidate for home confinement beginning in 2021.

Also Read: Michael Avenatti Temporarily Released From Prison Over Coronavirus Concerns

Story continues

Mr. McFarland is not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety, the letter reads. The crime to which he pled guilty for was the non-violent financial crime of wire fraud. However, he is a low risk of recidivism for such financial crimes as he has explained that he has a supportive family that has attested to providing for his basic needs.

McFarland was initially charged in July 2017. According to the U.S. Attorneys office, McFarland engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in the company Fyre Media LLC, as well as a related entity responsible for organizing the festival, which took place in the Bahamas.

The Fyre Festival famously imploded in April 2017, after patrons spent tens of thousands of dollars for the event, expecting a luxury getaway on a private island in the Bahamas, only for their private jets to touch down in what many described as a disaster area. Instead of plush cabanas, they were set up in disaster relief tents, and their gourmet food took the form of cheese sandwiches and wilting lettuce. The failed event caused a PR meltdown, several lawsuits and an FBI investigation.

McFarland then became the subject of two separate documentaries about the failed festival, including Fyre and Fyre Fraud, that examined the ins and outs of the scandal.

Read original story Fyre Festivals Billy McFarland Asks for Early Prison Release Due to Coronavirus Risk At TheWrap
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and Facebook are looking to create a multipurpose app, similar to WeChat. Through the app, the companies are mulling creating a one-stop platform combining social media, digital payments, gaming as well as hotel bookings. RIL is looking to leverage WhatsApp's user base for the app. Users would also be able to purchase groceries through Reliance Retail, use JioMoney and shop at Ajio.

The companies would bring in the technical expertise, funding as well as domain know-how for the app, as mentioned in a report in The Economic Times. Such an app would provide B2C engagement for RIL's consumer business as well as allow in-depth understanding of users' spending habits.

Also read: Mukesh Ambani loses $5.6 billion in a day

According to the daily, commercial due diligence for the app is underway. Morgan Stanley has also been roped in as the investment banker.

However, it is still unclear how the final structure of the partnership would be like. Either a new company would be created with investments from both Facebook and RIL or the social media giant might invest in Reliance Jio or Reliance Retail.

Also read: RIL share price rises 4% intra day on plan to raise Rs 10,000 cr via bonds

The companies have hired top consultants and lawyers from the US to explore all the aspects, the daily reported. The challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic might slow down or delay the project for now.

Separately, Facebook is reportedly eyeing a multi-billion dollar stake in Reliance Jio. Facebook was close to signing a preliminary deal to buy 10 per cent stake in Jio but the talks have been halted due to the travel ban imposed across the world. Through the deal, Facebook would be able to expand its digital reach in India.

Also read: Mukesh Ambani and family trade within to even out stakes; RIL stock up 4%
THREE RIVERS, MI -- There have been many tough phone calls for the Shingledecker family in the past two weeks.

The FaceTime call where Michelle Ash asked her father David Shingledecker, 49, to take deep breaths and explain his symptoms after not hearing from him for a few days.

The phone call received from David as he sat in the Three Rivers Health hospitals parking lot waiting to get tested for COVID-19.

The phone call from the family, pleading for an ambulance to bring Juanita Shingledecker, Davids wife, to the same hospital he drove himself to a week earlier.

But the toughest phone call was the one they received at 7:10 p.m. on Easter Sunday telling them David had died.

He is one of the more than 1,921 Michiganders who have thus far died as a result of COVID-19.

Though the Shingledecker family members only live miles apart, the pandemic has kept the close-knit family at a distance from one another as first its patriarch and then the matriarch became ill from the virus.

David was a machine operator at the International Paper mill in Three Rivers for more than 20 years, his family said.

He was a fisherman, a hunter and a family man.

He was grandfather to 15, and a father of five.

On Sunday, April 12, he was the first coronavirus patient from St. Joseph County to die from the illness.

Deemed an essential worker, David continued going into work at the paper mill but he was getting nervous given his underlying health conditions, Ash said.

His diabetes, high blood pressure and the stent in his heart from an earlier heart attack compromised his immune system and put him on high alert, his daughter said.

His wife, Juanita, had taken two weeks off from her job at Walmart as a precaution. David took vacation time to overlap with hers so they could quarantine together.

They were missing their daily phone calls with their daughter and feeling under the weather, Ash said. David said he had a pain in his head that felt like a knife stabbing him, his daughter recalls.

He called his doctors office and was told he most likely had the virus and to stay home. The next day his symptoms worsened, but again doctors told him to stay home.

On Friday, April 3, he drove himself to Three Rivers Health.

He was admitted after testing positive for the virus while sitting in the parking lot. The next day, before being put on a ventilator, he texted Ash, I love you. Im scared.

Shortly after, he was transported to Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo.

For a week, nurses had conference calls with Ash and her mother as David remained in an isolated COVID-19 unit, unable to have visitors. A week later, his wife would join him at the hospital.

Juanita did not have respiratory symptoms, but the virus made her weak, fatigued and dehydrated, niece Diana Bukoski said.

At 60, Juanita had high blood pressure, Bukoski said, but no other underlying health conditions.

Armed with cleaning wipes, gloves and an N-95 mask from a prior kitchen renovation project, Bukoski took care of her aunt while she was alone in the house.

If I wouldnt have, I mean, she probably would have laid on her couch and passed, Bukoski said.

She tried to keep her aunts fluids up with Gatorade and Pedialyte. But Juanitas high fever made her weak, Bukoski said.

Despite living with someone who tested positive, doctors insisted on keeping Juanita at home unless she developed the same respiratory symptoms. Bukoski desperately wanted to get her aunt to a hospital, she said.

I should have made the call sooner than what I did, Bukoski said. I feel guilty.

The familys frustration with limited testing and hospital space reached a boiling point when they finally called for an ambulance and paramedics asked Bukoski to take Juanita in her own truck.

Ash spoke with paramedics on speaker phone and demanded her mother be taken to the hospital.

She took every precaution she could, her and my dad both, not to get this, Ash said. So when she said I need to go. I knew right then and there that she couldnt handle it no more. Her body couldnt take it.

Juanita only spent one day at the hospital in Three Rivers before being airlifted to Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo. She was placed across the hall from her husband and could see him if she was sitting up, Ash said.

Her fever reached 107 degrees and her body fought against the ventilator, Ash said. On top of the COVID-19 diagnosis, Juanita was diagnosed with pneumonia of both lungs.

On April 11, doctors put Juanita in a medically induced coma so that her body could rely on the ventilator.

Still in that coma days later, she does not know her husband of almost 23 years died on Easter Sunday.

When she went into the hospital she knew that he was still alive and he was still fighting for his life, Ash said. She doesnt know anything that happened and I know if she knew what happened, it would kill her. She wouldnt be able to fight.

Ash prays her mother will come home so that they can celebrate her fathers life and grieve his death together. At the same time, she knows that it will be a long road of recovery for Juanita if she fights off the virus.

I really want to thank Borgess nurses and the doctors for doing everything they possibly can to take care of my mom and for trying their hardest to save my dad, Ash said.

As her mother has her ups and downs in the isolated unit, Ash has been busy FaceTiming funeral homes, calling the hospital every two hours, thanking coworkers from International Paper for delivering food and updating family members on her mothers condition.

Ash normally talks to her parents daily, but has not seen either for nearly a month. She said she feels it in her heart that earlier intervention would have changed the outcome for her father and my mom wouldnt be fighting for her life right now.

Its hard and I try to keep myself together every day for my children, but I know when the time comes, and I can have time to breathe, its gonna hit me, Ash said.

More coronavirus coverage on MLive:

Online survey to track COVID-19 hotspots in Michigan

6 reasons Michigan has four times more coronavirus cases than Ohio

UAW confirms death of Cal Rapson, guardian angel of Flint autoworkers

Michigan toddler spiked 107-degree fever with coronavirus, battle lasting forever'

MSP exercising extreme discretion for social distancing enforcement during stay-at-home protest

Below is a county-by-county map of Michigan tracking confirmed COVID-19 cases. The map will be updated as more reports are released.

If you are reading this story on mobile and cant see the map, click here to view it on the web.

Reported coronavirus cases in Michigan:
On a road trip across countries, a French family has been forced to break their journey in Singhorwa village in Maharajganj district due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Pallarez Patrice along with his wife Virginie, daughters Ophelie and Lola and son Tom were about to enter Nepal when the lockdown was announced.

The family, which belongs to Toulouse in France, arrived here on March 21 and is now living in their big van near a village temple adjoining Laxmipur forest, SDM Nautanwa, Jasveer Singh



The administration tried to shift them to a safer place in the city but the tourists said they were comfortable living near the forests, he said.

"The administration is providing them grocery and other essentials and they have been found healthy after a checkup, the SDM said.

District Magistrate of Maharajganj Dr Ujjwal Kumar said the French embassy in Delhi has been informed.

"We are taking care of them and all of them are found to be healthy, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 02:29:05|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Newly released data showed that 5.2 million Americans filed initial jobless claims last week, bringing the four-week total to a staggering 22 million, as the COVID-19 fallout continues to ripple through the U.S. workforce.

In the week ending April 11, the number of people filing for U.S. unemployment benefits decreased by 1.37 million to 5.25 million, following figures of over 6 million in the previous two weeks, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said on Twitter that the four-week sum is nearly 10 times of previous four-week high.

The four-week total erased job gains during the decade-long expansion that began in mid-2009, Bloomberg reported, while noting that the latest figures suggest a current unemployment rate of around at least 17 percent.

Michael Hicks, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University in Indiana, however, told Xinhua that "today's initial jobless claims provided the first glimmer of hopeful economic news in weeks."

"Though the initial claims were very high, at 5.2 million, this is a deceleration from last weeks 6.6 million," Hicks said via email. "The encouraging part is that slowing job losses are a sign that earlier reports were not terribly understated because of a backlog in unemployment insurance claims."

Bernstein, meanwhile, noted that getting unemployment insurance compensation to laid-off workers is still clogged, urging the federal government to provide more help to states.

Hicks, who had estimated about 28 million U.S. workers were at risk of losing jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the slower growth in initial jobless claims "also suggests that estimates of 'at risk' jobs made last month are likely correct and we are not experiencing accelerating job losses as consumer spending and business investment drop."

As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the country, most states and local officials have closed non-essential businesses and ordered residents to stay home in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, effectively shutting down a significant part of the economy.

According to the Federal Reserve's latest survey on economic conditions, known as the Beige Book, released Wednesday, employment declined in all districts as the COVID-19 pandemic affected firms in many sectors.

"Employment cuts were most severe in the retail and leisure and hospitality sectors, where most districts reported widespread mandatory closures and steep falloffs in demand," the survey said, adding that severe job cuts were also widespread in the manufacturing and energy sectors.

Noting that Wednesday's retail data, despite overall decline, points to large increase in grocery store and online purchases, Hicks said many workers might be transitioning from restaurants and retail to grocery and online sales positions.

"Contacts in several districts noted they were cutting employment via temporary layoffs and furloughs that they hoped to reverse once business activity resumes," the Fed survey said, noting that the near-term outlook was for more job cuts in coming months.

According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)'s semiannual Global Economics Prospects outlook released last week, the U.S. output is expected to shrink by 8.0 percent in 2020, and the unemployment rate will probably peak around 20 percent in the early summer.

Karen Dynan, a nonresident senior fellow at PIIE and economics professor at Harvard University, predicted a roughly 6 percent unemployment rate by the end of next year, compared with 3.5 percent prior to the COVID-19 crisis.

To cushion the economic impact of the epidemic, the U.S. Congress last month approved a 2.2-trillion-dollar relief package, which includes measures to stabilize the labor market, such as emergency loans for small businesses, business tax breaks, unemployment benefits expansion, and 1,000-dollar-plus direct payments for working Americans.

Earlier this week, major U.S. airlines and the Treasury Department reached a tentative agreement over financial assistance for the industry heavily hit by the pandemic through a payroll support program, as part of the relief package.

"Everything I'm seeing suggests the economy will go from red to green through yellow," Bernstein said. "And we'll likely be hanging out at 'yellow' for at least a year as we create a heretofore unseen rolling average of commerce and distancing/testing/tracing/re-quarantining."

Dynan said the most likely scenario would be a check-mark shaped cycle, which means a sharp downturn followed by a relatively slow recovery. Enditem
Barbara O'Connell has made an appeal to you, our readers, in the following letter to the editor.

The coronavirus pandemic has come out of nowhere and left us feeling isolated. For many of us, these feelings of isolation while challenging, are temporary. Yet isolation is very much an everyday reality for people after they acquire a brain injury. There are 19,000 brain injuries acquired in Ireland every year from causes like stroke, car accidents and falls. Theres no rhyme or reason to it.

Like the coronavirus, brain injuries happen suddenly, they shatter lives and leave people isolated and filled with uncertainty. Right now, all 16 of our residential rehabilitation services around Ireland are cocooning to stop the spread. This means no visitors in and no visits out. Vital daily routines are broken.

This period of isolation is crushing and a major set-back for many of our brain injury survivors. Our frontline rehabilitation teams are working around the clock to keep our clients safe and to deliver essential psychological and neuro-rehabilitative support during this crisis. But its extremely challenging. Fundraising is vital for essential services and we have seen many fundraising events cancelled already. Our organisations financial future is being tested.

Iam calling on your readers to shine a light on brain injury and support those most vulnerable to isolation. Give today at www.abiireland.ie/aprilappeal



Yours sincerely,

Barbara OConnell

Co-founder and CEO

Acquired Brain Injury Ireland
Tamara Wrigley was never the scholastic achiever  nor did she want to be. But she didnt quite know what she wanted, either.

I made it to grade 10 before opting out. My passion wasnt to be the dux of the school and get straight As  I was there for the social aspect, she admits.

I did leave, however, without having a clue on what I wanted to do with my life, no idea on what career I wanted and no aspirations to go to university to study a degree.

Fortunately, fate led her to property when she secured her first real job as a receptionist in a Brisbane real estate agency, which gave her a shot to be educated in the industry. There, she found her passion.

I was only with them a short time before they asked if I wanted to complete a traineeship in real estate  specifically, property management. As a result of that traineeship, I fell in love with the prospect of buying property.

AT A GLANCE

Years investing: 20

Current number of properties: 6

Current portfolio value: $3,415,000

At 21, Tamara bought her first property in Roma: a traditional Queenslander on a large plot of land, for $104,000. This property served as her own home until she decided to move back to Brisbane about a year later. She was able to sell the property for over $100,000 more than its purchase price  a substantial profit, given the short period Tamara held the property.

However, it certainly didnt mean she could splurge when she returned to Brisbane.

When I moved back to Brisbane, I could only afford a property in a cheaper part of town and ended up buying a house at Zillmere for $160,000, she shares.

It turns out, Tamara had chosen her location wisely, and after two years, she was able to invest in several more properties that would give her finances a massive boost.

I purchased the home beside me for $165,000, and the two behind for $160,000 each. Why? It was all about the zoning. These four blocks of land were zoned high density, meaning that you could build townhouses on the site. I subsequently sold the four homes to a developer and that is where I made my serious profit.

Branching out

Tamara followed up her big win in Zillmere with another great investment in Indooroopilly in 2004.

I purchased a house with a rundown old Queenslander on two lots for $270,000. Two years later, I divided the two blocks and added two homes to them. I sold one of the homes for $760,000 and lived in the second home for two years. When I purchased my real estate office on the Sunshine Coast, I sold that home for $960,000, she shares.

Tamaras main goal with property has always been to create wealth to support her and her children. Thus, she set out to build a portfolio that would thrive both in the short and long run.

Im all about growing my portfolio. Im always keen on buying more properties as long as they are going to give me a passive income, so they have to show a positive return up and the overheads or outgoings are low, she explains.

Even though she focuses on Queensland as her home base, her properties are diverse  ranging from houses to commercial property. In 2015, she became an NRAS participant with the purchase of a townhouse in Nambour.

Tamara also likes to add value through renovation, but she treads carefully and evaluates the propertys potential first.

I wouldnt buy an investment and then spend $100,000 on renovating it unless I know Im going to make my money back, and then some, she says.

I tend not to buy properties that need too much work  a new lick of paint and carpet is sometimes all a property needs.

In 2018, she bought another property in Nambour that she was able to subdivide to great success.

It was a lowset besser brick house with three bedrooms, one bathroom and one car lock up garage with a pool. There was a pre-existing concrete slab off to the side of the home, which I believe at some point may have been a garage. On the slab of concrete, I got council approval to put a one-bedroom fully equipped granny flat.

Tamara went on to maximise the value of the existing house as well through renovation.

I converted the existing lock up garage which formed part of the existing house into a fourth bedroom and added a double carport out the front. I put new carpet, repainted, and relined the pool, she explains.

The total cost to purchase the house and build the granny flat and extras was $420,000  the property has now been valued at $580,000 and I currently get $700 per week in rental income!

In 2017, Tamara also bought her first commercial property  a decision she wishes she had made earlier as the outgoing on commercial properties is normally paid for by the tenants.

Doing it for the family

In the two decades since Tamara began her investment journey, she has successfully cultivated her portfolio into one that is currently worth over $3m. Moving into semi-retirement, she hopes to pass on a portfolio that can generate $150,000-$200,000 in annual passive income to the next generation.

I want to create my wealth through property and leave a property empire for my children and their grandchildren. At the end of the day, I dont want to struggle to live and I dont want my children to go without, she says.

Im not going to rely on my super fund to support me until Im pushing up daisies. We are living longer these days  my grandparents have just entered their 90s, so chances are Ill be here for a while!

Tamaras daughter has already discovered a love of renovation and is ready to carry the torch.

She loves these tiny home projects that are all the rage at the moment or decking out a van to live in. You never know, we might find ourselves doing these little projects together!

Tamaras top buying tips
A Warren County police officer was justified in the non-fatal shooting of an assault suspect last July 25, county Prosecutor James Pfeiffer said Wednesday.

Tyler Lusardi-Paz, 28, was shot at his Washburn Avenue home in Washington Township by a member of the township police department.

Lusardi-Paz remained in the Warren County Jail as of Wednesday, awaiting trial on charges in the incident that led to the gunfire, public records show.

Pfeiffer announced Wednesday his office has completed its investigation into the officer's use of force, concluding it was legally justified.

The investigation did not go before a grand jury "because there were no material facts in dispute regarding the lawfulness of the use of force," the Warren County Prosecutor's Office (WCPO) said in a news release.

The release gives the following account of the disturbance at Lusardi-Paz's house:

"On that date, officers responded to the above residence in response to a 911 call of a man physically assaulting a female. When the officers arrived, they observed a female fitting the description of the woman being assaulted fleeing the scene in a vehicle. While officers attempted to follow the fleeing vehicle, one officer remained at the scene in an attempt to locate the male suspect. The officer encountered the male suspect inside the residence, attempted to place the subject under arrest, and in that attempt the male subject assaulted the officer. While assaulting the officer, the subject disarmed the officer. The officer was able later to gain control of their weapon and fired one shot at the suspect, striking him in the abdomen. The subject was taken to a nearby hospital with non-fatal injuries.

"Personnel from the WCPOs Major Crime Unit responded and investigated. They were assisted by the New Jersey State Police Crime Scene North Unit. Additionally, statements were taken from the officer involved as well as a civilian witness. The statements were consistent with each other and with the physical evidence recovered at the scene."

Under the applicable New Jersey Attorney Generals Independent Prosecutor Directives, Pfeiffer said he ruled the use of force justified as self-protection.

"The Officer was in fear for their life when the subject was able to disarm the Officer of their weapon," Pfeiffer says in the release. "Once the Officer regained control of their weapon, the Officer reasonably believed under the circumstances that discharging their weapon was necessary for the protection of their life. An independent analysis of the undisputed material facts led to the determination that the Officers beliefs were in fact reasonable, and the use of force in this matter was justified pursuant to all applicable laws and the Attorney General Guidelines."

The officer, who has not been publicly identified, was briefly treated for injuries and released.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
1. More than 5.2 million workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the four-week total to a staggering 22 million  a toll not seen since the Great Depression.

Thats about the number of jobs created since the last recession, though it remains unclear whether the losses might be temporary. The downdraft has spread to every corner of our financial system, our economics reporter writes. Above, a locked unemployment office in New Hampshire.

And Congress has yet to reach a deal to allocate more money to the small business emergency loan program, which ran out of funds today.
Coronavirus India Lockdown Live News updates: Data from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed that by 5PM on April 16 there were a total of 12,759 COVID-19 cases with death toll at 420. Meanwhile, 1,514 people have recovered so far. In its daily briefing on Thursday, the ministry said that India recorded 941 new coronavirus cases and 37 deaths reported in 24 hours. It also said that there no coronavirus cases in 325 districts in India. The ministry further said that temperature screening and sanitiser use should be made obligatory to follow at workplaces.

The total number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 12,000 mark on Thursday as the country formally entered the second leg of nationwide a day before on April 15. India's tally has climbed to 12,380 comprising 10,477 active cases and 414 deaths, according to Health Ministry. 1,488 people have been cured and discharged, and 1 has migrated, the ministry data showed. The Centre issued a set of new guidelines for lockdown 2.0, listing several relaxations that will come into effect post-April 20. The Home Ministry which issued the rules, said that the government will permit agriculture, constructions, Information Technology, industrial units in the special economic zones (SEZ) and rural areas to operate if they strictly follow the lockdown norms.

Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: Complete list of 170 hotspot districts in India

Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown 2.0 guidelines issued: Check full list of relaxations, restrictions by MHA

Also Read: Coronavirus in India: State-wise COVID-19 cases, deaths, list of testing facilities

Follow BusinessToday.in for live updates on coronavirus in India and world:

11.05 pm: Coronavirus updates: Maharashtra forms task force to guide doctors

Maharashtra government has formed a special task force of doctors, both from private and government hospitals, that will guide doctors who are treating COVID-19 patients and help them handle the issue better. A hotline will be opened for doctors treating COVID-19 patients in the state.

10.01 pm: Coronavirus lockdown in the United Kingdom extended for at least three weeks, reports AFP.

9.36 pm: Corona India updates: 23 rapid test kits appoved by ICMR, 9 to be made in India

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune have validated and found satisfactory 23 antibody-based rapid tests. Of these, 9 rapid test kits are to be manufactured in India, ICMR said.

Till now, 23 antibody-based rapid tests have been validated at ICMR-NIV Pune, and the following (in pic) were found to be satisfactory. 9 of these kits are manufactured in India: Indian Council of Medical Research pic.twitter.com/m9R0NEOSSW ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020 9.35 pm: Corona in Maharashtra: 286 new COVID-19 cases; 7 more deaths Maharashtra reported 286 new COVID-19 cases and 7 new deaths today, taking the total number of cases in the state to 3,202 an death toll to 194. Of the new cases, 4 were reported in Pune and 3 in Mumbai. Out of the 7 deaths reported today, 5 were men and 2 were women. State health department said that 300 patients have been discharged from hospitals in the state, including 5 today. 9.31 pm: Union Group of Minister on COVID-19 to meet at Nirman Bhawan, Delhi tomorrow at 11 pm. 9.26 pm: WATCH: Badruddin Ajmal, Chief of the All India United Democratic Front, appealed people to offer prayers during Ramzam at home and follow lockdown rules #WATCH I appeal to my Muslim brothers and sisters to offer prayers at their homes during the month of Ramzan and follow lockdown rules of the government of India," says, Badruddin Ajmal, Chief of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) pic.twitter.com/LwR3Mif5PU ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020 9.25 pm: PM revies economic impact of coronavirus Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the the impact of coronavvirus pandemic on the Indian economy. A second stimulus to help affected sectors was also considered, reported news agency PTI. 9.01 pm: Coronavirus: Number of containment zones in Delhi increased to 60 Delhi government has identified areas of street number 6, A Block, Abu Fazal Enclave, Shaheen Bagh and street numbers 3-5, East Ram Nagar, Shahdara as containment zones. This takes the total number of containment zones in the national capital to 60. List of 'containment zones' in Delhi raised to 60; areas of Street no. 6, A block, Abu Fazal enclave, Shaheen Bagh and Street no.s 3-5, East Ram Nagar, Shahdara included in the list pic.twitter.com/K91C46ekhi ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020 8.39 pm: Corona in Delhi: Plasma trials to treat COVID-19 begin Delhi has received permission from Centre to begin clinical trials of plasma therapy for critically ill coronavirus patients, informed CM Arvind Kejriwal. The plasma treatment uses blood plasma of the patients who have completely recovered from the virus. 8.07 pm: Over 90 Health Dept staff, 20 cops test positive for COVID-19 in Bhopal More than 90 officials from the Health Department and 20 from Police Department have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bhopal so far, Bhopal Collector Tarun Pithode told news agency ANI. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given orders to investigate how so many health officials contracted COVID-19. 8.01 pm: Corona updates Jharkhand: One more patient One more person from Dhanbad in Jharkhand, with travel history to West Bengal, has tested positive for COVID-19, informed State Health Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni. This takes the total number positive cases in Jharkhand to 29. 7.51 pm: Corona in Bengal: Total number of cases at 144; 10 dead As of today, there are 144 active #COVID19 cases (an increase of 12 from yesterday) and 10 deaths due to the coronavirus in West Bengal: State Health & Family Welfare Department pic.twitter.com/pMBy6DKQp7 ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020 7.45 pm: First coronavirus cases in Arunachal Pradesh tests negative The first coronavirus case in Arunachal Pradesh has tested negative twice in the third and fourth tests consecutively, CM Pema Khandu said in a tweet. The number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state is zero, he further added. 7.22 pm: Corona in MP: 1,200 tests happening daily in state, says CM Chouhan No testing was done in the Madhya Pradesh till March 23 as there was no lab here, stated CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Today, 1,200 tests are conducted in the state every dayand samples are being sen to labs in Delhi and Noida for testing, he added. 7.13 pm: Odisha State Commission for Women floats WhatsApp helpline number 8763543013 to address cases of violence against women during COVID-19 lockdown period, ANI reported. 6.58 pm: Corona in Delhi: 68 nurses, doctors asked to home-quarantine 68 personnel, including doctors, nurses and staff, from Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital in North Delhi have been asked to remain under home quarantine after a suspected coronavirus patient died there. 6.50 pm: Corona updates: India will not take PPEs from China India has decided to stop receiving personal protective equipments (PPEs) from China. Orders have been placed with 39 manufacturers in India and sufficient number of PPEs will be produced in the next two weeks, sources said. 6.30 pm: Corona cases in India: 823 new COVID-19 cases, 28 deaths in last 24 hours Number of coronavirus cases increased by 823 within the past 24 hours, whereas the country reported 28 deaths within this time period. The total number of coronavirus positive cases in India has reached 12,759 so far, including 10,824 active cases, 420 deaths, 1,514 cured or discharged patients and 1 migrated patient, stated Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 6.17 pm: Corona in Mumbai: COVID-19 cases rise to 1,936; 113 dead According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Mumbai has increased to 1,936, whereas death toll in the city has reached 113. 5.53 pm: Coronavirus updates India: Total cases reach 12,759; 420 dead According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in India has reached 12,759. This includes 10,824 active cases, 420 deaths, 1,514 cured or discharged patients and 1 migrated patient. 5.45 pm: DRDO shifts PPE testing facility to Delhi Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has shifted testing facility for of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and masks from Defence Research Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior to Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi to ensure swift delivery. 5.36 pm: Coronavirus update: IPL 2020 suspended till further notice IPL Governing Council of the BCCI has decided to suspend IPL 2020 till further notice amid the coronavirus scare. BCCI will continue to monitor and review the situation regarding a potential start date in close partnership with all of its stakeholders and will continue to take guidance from the Government of India, State Governments and other State Regulatory bodies, said BCCI Honorary Secretary Jay Shah. 5.15 pm: Corona cases live updates: 12 COVID-19 tests conducted in India to find 1 positive case, says ICMR Dr. Raman R Gangakhedkar, head of epidemiology at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Thursday that "In Japan, to find one positive case, 11.7 persons are tested. In Italy that number is 6.7, in US it's 5.3, in UK it's 3.4. Here in India, we do 24 tests for one positive case." #WATCH In Japan, to find one positive case, 11.7 persons are tested. In Italy that number is 6.7, in US it's 5.3, in UK it's 3.4. Here in India, we do 24 tests for one positive case: Dr. Raman R Gangakhedkar, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). pic.twitter.com/bLHDYOIr7r - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020 5.07 pm: Corona live updates India IPL 2020 season stands suspended till further notice, due to COVD-19 pandemic, announced Jay Shah, Secretary, BCCI. 4.57 pm: Corona cases live updates: Airlines will have to refund if tickets booked in 1st phase of lockdown, says Aviation Ministry The Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Thursday that the airlines will have to refund the full amount if passengers booked tickets during the first phase of lockdown duration, which was from March 25-April14. The ministry added that the refund has to be made within a period of 3 weeks from the date of request of cancellation. 4.53 pm: Coronavirus live updates Temperature screening and sanitiser use should be made obligatory to follow at workplaces, says Health Ministry. 4.48 pm: COVID-19 India Live updates Rapid coronavirus test kits procured from China are only for epidemiology purpose, not for early diagnosis, says ICMR. 4.46 pm: COVID-10 updates India Dr. Raman R Gangakhedkar, ICMR said on Thursday that the rapid anti-body test is conducted for surveillance purpose, not for early diagnosis. 4.44 pm: Coronavirus in India live updates 5 lakh testing kits, comprising rapid antibody kits have been received from two Chinese firms, says Health Ministry. 4.39 pm: Live updates of coronavirus: Around 2.9 lakh COVID-19 tests carried out so far, ICMR The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Thursday that 2,90,401 people have been tested across country so far. Out of these 30,043 were tested on Wednesday. Also, out of these tests, 36,331 tests have been done at ICMR's 176 labs and 3,712 test were conducted at 78 private labs, said Dr. Raman R Gangakhedkar, ICMR. 4.34 pm: Coronavirus live updates No COVID-19 cases in 325 districts in India: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 325 districts in India have no cases of COVID19: Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health pic.twitter.com/IJCT3cES5o - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020 4.32 pm: COVID-19 live updates in India Total 12,380 novel coronavirus cases in India, death toll stands at 414, 489 people recovered, says Health Ministry. 4.29 pm: Corona live updates India: 941 new coronavirus cases, 37 deaths reported in 24 hours, says Health Ministry. 4.23 pm: Corona live updates Delhi 62 patients who recovered from novel coronavirus infection were discharged from Lok Nayak Hospital on Thursday, said DR. JC Passey, Director of the hospital adding that the 62 patients are being sent to a quarantine centre in Dwarka's sector-8. 4.16 pm: Corona live updates Karnataka List of 32 coronavirus hotspots in Bengaluru 4.06 pm: Coronavirus in India live updates All 11 COVID-19 patients in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have recovered, says Chief Secretary Chetan Sanghi. 3.58 pm: Coronavirus live updates: Zoom app not safe, warns government Video meet app Zoom is not safe to use, CERT-India said on Thursday in its advisory. The app has been in the middle of controversy over its security issues. India's nodal cyber security agency had earlier cautioned users of the video-conferencing app that it was susceptible to breaches. The advisory is issued amid instances of leaked passwords and hackers hijacking video calls through conferences. According to CERT-India, people who wish to follow the Zoom app need to follow its guidelines which are aimed at preventing unauthorised entry during the video-conferences. 3.48 pm: COVID-19 updates India: Flight with UK nationals, Indians depart from Amritsar A flight carrying 241 UK nationals and 28 Indians departed from Amritsar International Airport on Thursday for Heathrow Airport in London. A flight carrying 241 UK nationals and 28 Indians has departed today from Amritsar International Airport for Heathrow Airport in London. #CoronavirusLockdown pic.twitter.com/uyVJiHEv6D - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020 3.44 pm: Coronavirus in India live updates: Curfew 5 areas of Surat from Thursday night The Gujarat government has taken the decision to impose curfew in 5 areas of Surat from Thursday midnight to stem the further spread of COVID-19, an official in the Chief Minister's Office said. The areas fall under the jurisdiction of Salabatpura, Mahidharpura, Lalgate, Athwalines and Limbayat police stations, according to CMO secretary Ashwani Kumar. The curfew will be in effect till April 22, meanwhile, a 3-hour relaxation will given from 1 pm to 4 pm on these days, Kumar added. 3.30 pm: Corona live updates Ludhiana No home delivery of food in Ludhiana, said the city District Magistrate adding that the administration has taken the decision to stop all operations of food preparation establishments, comprising home deliveries, in the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic and risk of food contamination. 3.15 pm: Arunachal Pradesh releases Rs 1,000 each to farmers In addition to the monetary relief being provided by centre to the farmers affected due to lockdown, Govt of Arunachal has also released Rs 1000 for each farmer who are registered under PM-KISAN scheme, says Arunachal Pradesh CM 3.05 PM: TN CM Relief Fund receives Rs 134.64 crore Edappadi K Palanisamy, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, says the CM Relief Fund has received Rs 134.64 crore to undertake various measures in the fight against COVID-19. "I thank all the people who have generously contributed to the fund," the CM added. 2.57 PM: Coronavirus cases in Bihar Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary (Health), Bihar, says two more COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in the state today, taking the total tally of positive cases to 74 now. 2.50 PM: Mauritius thanks India for medical supplies "I am very thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the generous donation of medical supplies from the Government of India which reached Mauritius yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, by a special flight of Air India," says Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth. 2.45 PM: No Iftar during Ramzam No arrangements of Dawat-e-Sahri or Iftar will be organised during Ramzan in wake of COVID-19 pandemic, says Karnataka Minority Welfare, Waqf and Hajj Department. No public shall be allowed to perform five-time congregational prayers in mosques, across Karnataka, during #Ramzan, in view of #COVID19 pandemic. No public address system to be used by the staff of mosques for offering namaz: State Minority Welfare, Waqf & Hajj Department pic.twitter.com/QTEhZ44jYZ ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

2.40 PM: "We will ask the concerned authority to film the entire event and document it. If any violation of the COVID-19 guidelines takes place will take action without any second thought," says Karnataka Deputy CM CN Ashwath Naraya on Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy's son's marriage. - ANI

2.25 PM: Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu

A total of 25 new COVID-19 cases reported in the state today, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,267, says Edappadi K Palanisamy, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

2.18 PM: Two family members of an officer posted at Byculla Fire Station tested positive for COVID-19 two days back. They were immediately admitted to hospital. Swab test of close contacts of the family & fire official have tested negative, says Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai Fire Services.

2.12 pm: Corona live updates Karnataka: No arrangements of Dawa-e-Sahri of Iftar: Karnataka Minority Welfare, Waqf & Hajj Department

No public shall be allowed to perform five-time congregational prayers in mosques, across Karnataka, during #Ramzan, in view of #COVID19 pandemic. No public address system to be used by the staff of mosques for offering namaz: State Minority Welfare, Waqf & Hajj Department.

No arrangements of Dawat-e-Sahri or Iftar shall be organized during #Ramzan, in view of #COVID19 pandemic: Karnataka Minority Welfare, Waqf & Hajj Department https://t.co/PIXS7y9yOP - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

2.05 pm: Corona live updates Punjab: State food minister visits Khanna Mandi in Ludhiana

Punjab Food and Civil Supply Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu visited Khanna Mandi in Ludhiana on Thursday to see the crop procurement procedure by the government from farmers.

Punjab: State Food and Civil Supply Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu visited Khanna Mandi in Ludhiana today where crop procurement procedure by the government, from farmers has begun. He says, "Procurement process began from yesterday. Our target is to procure 135 lakh metric ton". pic.twitter.com/5ibaIM56yv - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

1.57 pm: Corona live updates in Haryana: 9 more cases reported

Haryana recorded 9 more COVID-19 cases on Thursday which include 8 from Panchkula and 1 from Palwal. The total number of novel coronavirus in the state stand at 213, comprising 14 Italian nationals, Haryana Health Department said.

9 more #COVID19 cases reported in Haryana today (8 in Panchkula & 1 in Palwal). Total number of coronavirus positive cases in the state at 213, including 14 Italian nationals: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/sleFYhd80k - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

1.47 pm: Corona live updates India: COVID-19 fight should be taken to district, state level: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi suggested that the to fight novel coronavirus pandemic, our main force should be at state and district level. He added that Kerala is an example of this and the fight should be bottom up and not top down. PM Modi's role should be to empower the states.

1.38 pm: COVID-19 live updates tracker: Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi to create a map to track coronavirus

Requesting PM Modi to create a map of India to track coronavirus, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, that lockdown is not a solution, not a treatment, and the government must find a strategy to come out from that lockdown phase. PM Modi's role should be to empower the states, he added.

1.25 pm: Live updates of coronavirus: Lucknow's Sadar Bazar most sensitive zone, says Joint CP

Lucknow Joint Commissioner Naveen Arora visited the city's Sadar Bazar area on Thursday, which has been marked as a COVID-19 hotspot. He said that the area has become the most sensitive zone of Lucknow with 60 positive cases. The area started with 12 people, who were Jamaatis. He added that people did not practice social distancing there and flouted the lockdown rules.

1.20 pm: Corona cases live updates: Push testing aggressively: Rahul Gandhi

Addressing his first virtual press briefing in the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak in India Congress MP Rahul Gandhi suggested that the government should push testing aggressively, maximise it, and use it strategically. "Use it not simply to track patients, but map the virus movement across India. Scale the testing, and use it test it strategically," he added.

1.15 pm: Coronavirus live updates: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's address first press briefing via video conference

All political parties have worked together to fight COVID-19 outbreak. Lockdown is not a solution to pause the novel coronavirus pandemic. India needs a strategy once we come out of lockdown, says Rahul Gandhi.

1.10 pm: COVID-19 India live updates: 165 more cases reported in Maharashtra

Maharashtra recorded 165 more novel coronavirus cases on Thursday, including 107 from Mumbai, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases in the state to 3,081, Maharashtra Health Department said.

165 more #COVID19 cases (including 107 in Mumbai) reported in Maharashtra today, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 3081: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/a1xpyzfyrX - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

1.03 pm: COVID-19 updates India: Govt summons private airline CEOs

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has summoned all private airlines' CEOs to discuss advance ticket bookings during the lockdown duration and the refund policy. All CEOs attended the meeting with the ministry's senior officials via videoconferencing. Govt is in the process of making guidelines to facilitate air travellers with their booking problems and refund discrepancies they are facing and will announce the guidelines soon.

12.56 pm: Coronavirus in India live updates: Karnataka reports highest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases

The Karnataka government said on Thursday that 34 more people have been tested positive for novel coronavirus till noon, which is the biggest single-day hike in the state. The state health department said in its morning bulletin that till date 313 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed, comprising 13 deaths and 82 discharges.

12.46 pm: Coronavirus cases live updates

South Korea reports 22 more COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the country's total tally to 10,613 with death toll at 229.

12.36 pm: India lockdown news: Agra records 19 fresh COVID-19 cases

Agra on Thursday reported 19 fresh novel coronavirus cases, taking the total tally in the district to 167, said Agra District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh.

12.26 pm: Lockdown in Maharashtra: COVID-19 cases past 3,000-mark

Maharashtra recorded 165 fresh novel coronavirus cases, taking its total tally to 3,081. Out of these cases, Mumbai's tally is at 107.

12.19 pm: Lockdown live updates

9 Tablighi Jamaat members have been tested positive for COVID-19 infection in Pakistan's Punjab province. This has taken the total number of novel coronavirus cases to 6,506 in the country, according to a media report on Thursday.

12.13 pm: new guidelines for lockdown: What's open, what's closed; check here:-

What's open during lockdown 2.0

All kinds of essential services have been exempted from restrictions. These services include all health workers -- doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and sanitation workers.

Media persons belonging to print and electronic media have also been exempted from lockdown, though they too can't enter the containment zones, also known as hotspots.

Homes of children, disabled, mentally challenged or senior citizens, women, among others will also remain open.

Movement, loading or unloading of goods cargo -- both inter or intrastate -- will be allowed.

MNREGA works are allowed with strict implementation of social distancing and use of face mask.

Hotels, homestays, lodges and motels will remain operational.

Services provided by self-employed people, including electrician, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters will also remain operational.

Industries in rural areas, SEZs, and EOU zones, units making essential goods, food processing units, IT hardware companies, coal production will be allowed to function.

Construction of roads, irrigation projections, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects, including MSMEs, in rural areas and construction of renewable energy projects will be allowed.

The government will also ease restrictions for farmworkers since the rabi crop harvest season has started in states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

All security personnel, including police and security forces, are also exempted from the lockdown.

All kinds of essential service agencies, including cook gas agencies, fuel pumps, ration shops, wholesale and retail shops and vegetable mandis, will remain open.

Pathology labs will also be allowed to operate amid the lockdown. Notably, the government has also roped in various private labs to conduct COVID-19 tests.

Goods trucks carrying goods -- weather or not essential goods -- within states and outside states will be allowed to operate during the extended lockdown period.

People in areas not identified as containment zones are allowed to go out to buy essential items like ration, vegetables, milk, etc.

IT services for essential services, internet and telecommunication services will also remain open.

What's closed

All domestic and international air travel for the general public; all passenger trains; bus transport; and metro rail services will remain closed.

Taxis, including auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws, and services of cab aggregators will not operate during the extended lockdown.

All social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural and religious activities also stand suspended.

All religious places of worship will be closed for public during the lockdown. In the case of funerals, the congregation of more than 20 persons will not be permitted.

To mitigate hardship, select additional activities have been allowed from April 20. However, states or UTs will separately take the final call on the relaxation of curbs. PM Modi o

Tuesday had also said that areas with no coronavirus cases could be exempted some restrictions from April 20.

All education institutes will remain shut.

All social, political, sports, cultural, academic, entertainment and religious gatherings are prohibited.

12.05 pm: Nationwide lockdown: Domino's Pizza clarifies the COVID-19 positive delivery executive not its employee

Domino's Pizza India took to Twitter on Thursday to dispel rumours that a delivery boy who has been tested positive for novel coronavirus infection is not its employee.

We are doing everything necessary and possible so that your favourite Domino's Pizza is always delivered safely to you. pic.twitter.com/Fu8UMtA9TW - dominos_india (@dominos_india) April 16, 2020

11.56 am: New guidelines for lockdown: Here is the complete list of 170 hotspots in India

Andhra Pradesh: Kurnool, Guntur, Spsr Nellore, Prakasam, Krishna, Y.S.R., West Godavari, Chittoor, Vishakhapatnam, East Godavari, Anantapur

Bihar: Siwan

Chandigarh: Chandigarh

Chhattisgarh: Korba

Delhi: South, South East, Shahdara, West, North, Central, New Delhi, East, South West

Gujarat: Ahmadabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Rajkot

Haryana: Nuh, Gurugram, Palwal, Faridabad

Jammu & Kashmir: Srinagar, Bandlpora, Baramulla, Jammu, udhampur,Kupwara

Karnataka: Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru, Belagavi

Kerala: Kasaragod,Kannur, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Thiruvananthpuram, Pathanamthitta

Madhya Pradesh: Indore, Bhopal, Khargone, Ujjain, Hoshangabad

Maharashtra: Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Yavatmal, Aurangabad, Buldhana, Mumbai Suburban, Nashik

Odisha: Khordha

Punjab: S.A.S Nagar, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, Jalandhar, Pathankot,Jaipur, Tonk, Jodhour, Banswara, Kota, Jhunjhunu, Jaisalmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Jhalawar, Bharatpur

Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Tiruchirappali, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Erode, Vellore, Dindigul, Villupuram, Tirupur, Theni, Namakkal, Chengalpattu, Madurai, Tuticorin, Karur, viruhnagar, Kanniyakumari, Cuddalore, Thiruvarur, Salem, Nagapattinam

Telangana: Hyderabad, Nizamabad, Warangal Urban, Ranga Redddy, JogulambaGadwal, MedchalMalkagiri, Karimnagar, Nirmal

Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Gautam Budhha Nagar, Meerut, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, Shamli, Firozabad, Moradabad

Uttrakhand: Dehradun

West Bengal: Kolkata, Howrah, Medinipur East, 24 Paraganas North

11.47 am: India lockdown news: FM Nirmala Sitharaman briefs PM Modi on current economic situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday to discuss the present economic situation in India. FM Sitharaman is also expected to discuss the fiscal relief package for the economy with PM Modi.

11.39 am: Coronavirus lockdown updates: Delhi pips Tamil Nadu to become second worst-affected state after Maharashtra

Delhi has pipped Tamil Nadu to become second worst-affected state after Maharashtra with total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases at 1,578 and 28 deaths. Tamil Nadu was trailing Maharashtra till some days ago being the second-worst affected state in India. The state is third on the list with 1,242 confirmed novel coronavirus cases and death toll at 14. Maharashtra the first on the list has 2,916 cases with death toll at 187.

11.26 am: India lockdown news: No mandatory deduction for contribution to PM-CARES: AIIMS to doctors

The AIIMS administration has accepted the suggestion by its Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) to make contribution to the PM-CARES fund voluntary. The administration added that there will no obligatory salary deduction for the donation and those interested an "Opt-In".

11.19 am: Lockdown live updates: Govt asks insurers to allow policy renewal payments till May 15

The government has asked the insurance companies to permit policyholders to make payments towards the renewal of their policies till May 15. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that to mitigate hardships of policyholders whose health and motor (3rd party) insurance policies are due for renewal during lockdown. "The government has issued a notification allowing policyholders to make payments on or before May 15 towards renewal of their policies," she said.

This is for policies that are due between 25th March and 3rd May, in order to ensure their continuity and hassle-free claims payment during the above grace period: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman https://t.co/IwtwMw7iTX - ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

11.13 am: Lockdown in Delhi

Delhi High Court said on Thursday that the government in the national capital must direct all schools to waive fees till schools reopen after lockdown. The instruction came after a plea by Advocate and activist Amit Sahni was filed in the court arguing that the Haryana government issued a similar circular.

11.09 am: Lockdown in Maharashtra: 5 horses dead

The lockdown in Maharashtra has led to the death of 5 horses in Palghar district of Maharashtra. As per the sources, the horses used for pulling carts couldn't get horse feed which comes from Gujarat and other parts of Maharashtra, leading to the deaths of horses' in the district.

11.04 am: Kashmir coronavirus news

40 cops quarantined in Kashmir's Kupwara after a sub-inspector's son tested positive for novel coronavirus.

10.59 am: Lockdown news: Pizza delivery boy tests positive in Delhi, 72 people quarantined

72 people in Delhi's South Delhi, including Hauz Khas and Malviya Nagar have been put under quarantine days after a pizza delivery executive tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, none of these 72 people have been tested as of now but they will be tested, according to District Magistrate of South Delhi BM Mishra.

Read more here: Coronavirus: 72 quarantined after pizza delivery person tests positive in Delhi

10.55 am: Lockdown in Lucknow: 21 COVID-19 cases reported

King George's Medial University, Lucknow said on Thursday that out of the 929 samples tested on Wednesday, 21 have been tested positive for novel coronavirus.

10.50 am: Lockdown in Maharashtra

2 trainee doctors among 10 fresh novel coronavirus cases in Palghar district of Maharashtra.

10.44 am: New guidelines for lockdown: Karnataka reports 13th COVID-19 death

Karnataka health department said on Thursday that a 66-year-old man from Bengaluru, who had tested positive for novel coronavirus infection, passed away on Thursday. He was referred from a private hospital to the hospital he was presently admitted to. The man was on ventilator support since April 10. This is the 13th coronavirus-related death in the state, the department added.

10.30 pm: Lockdown live updates: Global toll crosses 1,36,000 mark

The global death toll due to novel coronavirus has crossed the 1,36,000-mark with over 20 lakh infected worldwide, reported the Johns Hopkins University tally. United States has reported over 28,000 deaths followed by Italy's toll at around 21,000.

10.22 am: Coronavirus latest updates: 6.8 lakh testing kits to reach from China to India on Thursday

The Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that 6.9 lakh testing kits have been custom cleared by China last night and are headed to India. The testing kits will reach India on Thursday.

10.15 am: Coronavirus cases live updates: US records over 2,600 deaths in 24 hours

The United States has recorded over 2,600 deaths due to COVID-19 outbreak in the past 24 hours, setting a new record, as per the Johns Hopkins University tally. With this, the total number of novel coronavirus deaths have reached around 28,000.

10.08 am: Lockdown 2.0 guidelines: Maharashtra worst-affected state with death toll at 187

The country's death toll climbed to 414 on Thursday with Maharashtra being the worst-affected state with the total number of COVID-19 deaths at 187, according to Health Ministry's latest data. Maharashtra topped the list with the highest number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases at 2,916 followed by Delhi at 1,578 and Tamil Nadu at 1,242.

9.58 am: Government guidelines for lockdown: Check BusinessToday.In's India coronavirus tracker

INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic

9.54 am: Coronavirus cases live: Pakistan COVID-19 cases reach 6,383; death toll at 111

The novel coronavirus cases in Pakistan surged over 6,300 on Wednesday. A top minister said that the government is fighting a "difficult situation" battling the COVID-19 war at different fronts including the virus, poverty, hunger and a weak economy.

Read more here: Coronavirus cases in Pakistan reach 6,383; 111 people dead

9.47 am: Lockdown guidelines India: Rajasthan reports 25 fresh novel coronavirus cases

Rajasthan on Thursday recorded 25 new COVID-19 cases which comprise 11 from Tonk, 10 from Jodhpur, 1 from Bikaner, 2 from Jhunjhunu and 1 from Ajmer. This takes Thursday's positive cases tally till 9 am to 25, while cumulative positive tally is at 11,01.

9.42 am: New guidelines: Chandigarh, Mohali classified as "Large Break Hotspot"

Chandigarh and Mohali have been identified as "Large Break Hotspot" as both the regions have reported over 14 novel coronavirus cases. This containment operation is deemed to be spread over 28 days from the date the last case in the district tests negative.

9.39 am: Chhattisgarh coronavirus news

After an entire family tested COVID-19 positive Chhattisgarh's Katghora town, the nurses at AIIMS, Raipur, have taken responsibility of their 3-month old baby, the only member in the family to be tested negative for the virus.

9.34 am: Coronavirus latest news: China secretly conducting nuclear tests?

According to a news report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing a to be released report by the US State department, China may be secretly carrying out nuclear tests with low explosive power.

9.29 am: New lockdown guidelines: Gujarat's state laboratory reports coronavirus genome sequence that can track the virus origin

Gujarat's Chief Ministers' Office (CMO) said on Wednesday night that the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) is the only state government laboratory in India that has reported COVID-19 whole genome sequence which will be helpful in tracking origin, drug targets, vaccine and association with virulence.

Gujarat is proud of scientists at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), the only State Govt laboratory in India that has reported COVID19 whole genome sequence which will be helpful in tracking origin, drug targets, vaccine & association with virulence.#IndiaFightsCorona - CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) April 15, 2020

9.23 am: New guidelines for lockdown: Salman releases video, asks people to resect the lockdown rules

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has put a video on his Instagram handle requesting people to respect the lockdown rules and salute the policemen, doctors and healthcare workers who are risking their lives to save people from the novel coronavirus outbreak.

9.15 am: Bandra migrant crisis: Police probe reveals workers were from same locality

The police investigation, CCTV footage analyses and drone cameras have pointed out that most of the persons or labourers who had assembled at Bandra were the residents of the same locality. The came out and assembled outside the lanes and when the police tried to disperse them, they went back into their shanties. The primary reason other than train services for migrant workers promoted on social media, the workers were upset with the meals being provided to them. They were getting meals in packets like pulao, khichdi but they wanted to have meals consisting of chapaatis instead of cooked rice. The workers have also been demanding raw ration but they did not get the same despite repeated requests. This led to further anger and restlessness among the migrant workers who came out protesting thinking that this could build pressure on the government and some train services will be started for them so that they could reach their respective native places.

9.06 am: Lockdown news: Chandigarh administration takes strict steps to fight COVID-19

Punjab governor and UT administrator VP?Singh Badnore said on Wednesday that the Chandigarh administration is taking stringent steps to combat novel coronavirus pandemic. The authority has put a total ban on public spitting, made mandatory a strict compliance of curfew restrictions, provide adequate fodder in Gaushalas, and ensure food and care to street dogs.

9.00 am: Lockdown live updates: IMF proposes to use full $1 trillion lending capacity to support nations fighting COVID-19

International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday said that the international body is suggesting to deploy all its $1 trillion lending capacity to support countries fighting the novel coronavirus outbreak. "It is a crisis like no other. In scope, we are now in the worst recession since the Great Depression. We are experiencing a 3 percent contraction of global GDP, and 170 countries are going to see income per capita falling versus what we expected three months ago for 160-for them to go up," Georgieva told reporters at the beginning of the annual spring meeting of IMF and the World Bank in Washington, United States.

8.45 am: India lockdown news: Confirmed COVID-19 cases cross 12,000-mark, death toll at 414

The total number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 12,000 mark on Thursday as the country formally entered the second leg of nationwide a day before on April 15. India's tally has climbed to 12,380 comprising 10,477 active cases and 414 deaths, according to Health Ministry. 1,488 people have been cured and discharged, and 1 has migrated, the ministry data showed.

8.30 am: Coronavirus news live update: US records around 2,600 deaths in 24 hours

The United States on Wednesday recorded around 2,600 additional deaths due to COVID-19 in 24 hours. This is a new record and the heaviest daily toll of any nation, Johns Hopkins University said.

8.15 am: India lockdown news updates: Country's tally nears 12,000-mark, death toll at 392

The country formally entered the second leg of nationwide lockdown on Wednesday as the total number of COVID-19 cases jumped by around 1,100. India's tally has climbed to 11,933 including 10,197 active cases and 392 deaths, according to Health Ministry. 1,343 people have been cured and discharged, and 1 has migrated, the ministry data showed. Maharashtra topped the list with the highest number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases at 2,687 followed by Delhi at 1,561 and Tamil Nadu at 1,204

8.00 am: India lockdown news: Check the BusinessToday.In 'India Coronavirus tracker' for state-wise coronavirus cases

INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (centre) chairs the meeting on April 15 (Photo: VNA)

He made the remark at a meeting on April 15 among the Governments permanent members, the national steering committee on COVID-19 prevention and control, ministries, sectors and localities. This event reviewed the implementation of the PMs Directive 16 on urgent measures against the disease and discussed the next steps.

Addressing the session, PM Phuc thanked the whole people for supporting the Party and States policies on the COVID-19 combat, saying that generally, the entire society has complied with Directive 16 well with good outcomes obtained.

He called on people to continue supporting the Government and adhering to disease prevention and control measures.

Although Vietnam has secured certain achievements in the work, there remain latent risks of community transmission which could turn small hotspots into large outbreaks, he noted, requesting all to stay vigilant, keep in mind that fighting the pandemic is like fighting an enemy, and continue social distancing to protect peoples health and lives.

The Government leader pointed out the necessity to have cautious and appropriate measures to gradually bring back the normal life when the pandemic is pushed back.

He also stressed that an effective fight against COVID-19 must be based on the maintenance of economic activities at certain levels.

At the meeting, PM Phuc agreed with the national steering committee about the classification of localities into three groups  those with high risks, risks and low risks of COVID-19 transmission. The list of localities in three groups can be changed depending on their situations.

Accordingly, the high-risk group gathers 12 localities, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Tay Ninh and Ha Tinh. They will continue implementing Directive 16, which includes social distancing among measures, until April 22 or April 30, depending on their situation, or even longer if new infections are found.

The group with risks comprises 15 localities: Binh Duong, Thai Nguyen, Can Tho, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Nghe An, Hai Phong, Kien Giang, Thai Nguyen, Thua Thien-Hue, Lang Son, An Giang, Binh Phuoc, Dong Thap and Soc Trang. They have to carry out Directives 15 and 16 until April 22. The next steps for them will be decided on April 22 basing on the reality.

Meanwhile, though the 36 remainders have low risks, the possibility of COVID-19 transmission is still very high, so they have to continue complying with Directive 15, according to the PM.

He ordered the chairpersons of provincial-level Peoples Committee to decide social distancing measures to be applied in their localities, asking for those violating regulations on disease prevention and control to be strictly handled.

Besides, the existing policy on exit-entry control needs to be continued until April 30, PM Phuc added.
I wish Id been taught entrepreneurship when I was young for lots of reasons.

As a farm boy in Idaho, all I knew about my potential career was that I didnt want to be poor when I grew up. My grandpa, who was a successful doctor, suggested I become an anesthesiologist, and I latched onto his advice as if it were gospel.

But if I had found out I was wired to be an entrepreneur early on, I would have entered my college years with a stronger sense of who I was, and had a more deliberate plan.

What we stand to lose by not teaching kids business

I believe there are innumerable people wired to be entrepreneurs who, for lack of opportunity, get stuck on a track that keeps them from capitalizing on their gifts. This is our loss as much as theirs  imagine if Elon Musk had been firmly pointed in a non-entrepreneurial direction as a child and had ended up as the CFO of a drug company rather than a revolutionizer of the auto industry, space travel, and payment systems.

There are Elon Musks out there who wont make their mark because the entrepreneurial seed wasnt planted when it stood the greatest chance of taking root and blossoming. There are tons of kids like me who will never tap into their talents because they were told they had no potential or because they had a difficult time following the rules.

But entrepreneurial types are notoriously deficient when it comes to orthodox behavior. They have an innate ability to think outside the box, which can render rigidly traditional approaches intensely boring. When kids are bored, they tend to act out. They dont pay attention and their grades suffer.

But even kids without tons of business ability would benefit from a business education. Most small businesses fail because people find out they dont have business ability the hard way. They attempt to start their own companies and when that doesnt work out, it becomes a major financial (and emotional) setback.

Related: 4 Entrepreneurial Skills We Should Be Teaching in Schools

Why everyone would benefit from learning business skills

I owned a commercial sign company in my 20s, and I remember one client in particular. When I first talked with him on the phone about what kind of sign he wanted, he was brimming with enthusiasm. He was bright and articulate, and seemed like a success story in the making.

Then I walked into his store. We shook hands, and as I glanced to my right I saw a giant display of cell phones. As I glanced to my left I saw a giant display of specialty soaps.

My client excitedly explained that hed cashed out his 401(k) to bankroll his new business. He was animated as he described how his wife loved specialty soaps, while he got a kick out of cell phones.

He asked me to imagine it: You wander into a store looking for specialty soaps, and decide that you may as well kill two birds with one stone and buy a cell phone too. Or maybe youre in the mood for a new cell phone  why not pick up a bar or two of fragrant specialty soap while youre at it?

I was a business noob myself back then, but even so, his plan sounded a little weird to me. The guy was twice my age; I assumed his advanced years gave him some special insights.

Six months later, he called me again. With noticeably diminished enthusiasm, he asked me to come back and take down the sign Id built. I asked him what happened. He said it was the darndest thing, but it turned out that cell phones and specialty soaps werent the new chocolate and peanut butter. He was returning to his previous employer significantly poorer than when he left.

The poor guy had naively thrown away his entire savings. An early business education may not have saved him, but more familiarity with the subject would undoubtedly have helped him make better decisions. He might have realized that business wasnt his thing to begin with, or he might have come up with an idea less obviously doomed to fail.

Related: How Teaching Helps You Become a Better Entrepreneur

Sooner is better than later for an entrepreneurial education

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

There are over 30 million small businesses in the U.S., employing some 58 million people. Its crazy that a subject so vital to our economy isnt introduced to our citizens in their formative years, when their minds are open to anything and they absorb information with a speed and permanence theyll never enjoy again.

30 million is a huge number. Even if your kids ultimately decide that they dont want to open a business, theres a very good chance theyll end up working for one.

Too many young people view business as a dull and intimidating mix of suits and ties and spreadsheets. They dont see it for what it essentially is  a creative endeavor that can be as thrilling and rewarding as art forms like film and literature.

After two weeks in college, I made an appointment with a counselor. I was a pre-med student, yet I hated biology and was already overwhelmed by the workload. When the counselor asked why I wanted to be an anesthesiologist, I said it was because I didnt want to be poor.

She gently explained that there were lots of ways not to be poor. I wish someone had told me in kindergarten that entrepreneurship was one of them.

Related: Why Schools Should Teach Entrepreneurship

Related:

Why Entrepreneurship Should Be Taught Before College

Five Reasons Why You Should Consider Fresh Graduates When Hiring For Your Organization

Ashish Chanchlani: The Making of India's YouTube Sensation



Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
But in many ways, it was always true. We will all die someday. Whether sooner, or later. And it pays to make the best plans while you still can. So now is an excellent time to assess your own situation and choose the best approach should the worst happen. Complete an advance directive. Make sure there is a plan for who would care for your children and your pets if you were rushed to the hospital. Make sure your spouse knows the passwords for your bank accounts.

If you are feeling sick, consider having an emergency bag ready with a list of essentials to add at the last minute  such as glasses, dentures, phone and charger  since it is unlikely that anyone will be able to bring them to you if you end up in the hospital. Download the Covid-specific tip sheet at Prepare for Your Care for strategies for planning.

And for those of you with advanced age or serious underlying illness, you might actually consider whether you would prefer to go to the hospital if you become seriously ill with coronavirus, or stay at home with the support of hospice or palliative care services. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has published a new tool to help with that decision in the era of Covid-19. It factors in age, comorbidities and current symptoms, and helps determine your likelihood of survival should you contract the virus. It may also get you thinking about your preferences even if you arent infected with the coronavirus.

Having a plan in place, one that doesnt sugarcoat reality, is the best preparation for ensuring that you are treated as you would wish. It also provides needed clarity to your loved ones, as we all navigate this pandemic together.

Covid-19 is a dreadful scourge on humanity. But as my cousin realized, planning ahead for the worst-case scenarios will provide a somber yet comforting peace of mind in these uncertain times. Just because something was previously unimaginable doesnt mean it wont happen. If we have the time to take on projects like cleaning out our kitchen pantries and doing 1,000-piece puzzles, then we can surely take on one of the most important to-dos on our list  preparing for the end of life.

Jessica Nutik Zitter (@JessicaZitter), a palliative medicine and critical care doctor in Northern California, is the author of Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life.
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Linkedin Galih Gumelar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 20:39 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd261688 1 National correctional-facility,#napi,napi,lapas,#correctional-facility,penitentiary,#penitentiary,reoffending,#reoffending,recidivism,#recidivism,#lapas,COVID-19,#COVID19,coronavirus,#coronavirus Free

After being released to help prevent COVID-19 transmission in the countrys overcrowded prisons, a dozen inmates have found themselves incarcerated again for reoffending, in a blow to the government's controversial early release policy.

By Wednesday, authorities had sent at least 12 of the 37,000 inmates granted early release or put on parole nationwide back to prison for various crimes, including drug dealing and theft, according to the Law and Human Rights Ministry's Corrections Directorate General.

"These 12 inmates could give a bad name to the others granted early release. However, we will carry on with the policy [of granting early release]," the Corrections Directorate General's spokesperson, Rika Aprianti, said.

The government plans to release 50,000 prisoners and juvenile inmates eligible for early release and parole to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in crowded correctional facilities under a policy announced by Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly on March 30. The former inmates will be under the continued supervision of the Correctional Board (Bapas).

Read also: Overcrowded regional prisons release inmates early to limit contagion

Regarding the 12 recidivists, Rika said the reduction to their sentences would be revoked and that they had been returned to their respective cells to serve their remaining prison time. If found guilty of new crimes, their sentences will be extended.

Rika was quick to deny that a lack of supervision had led to recidivism.

We [through local Bapas] regularly monitor them via virtual meetings and video calls, she said. And if they are caught reoffending, we will take stern action against them.

The corrections authorities, she said, had exercised prudence in deciding which inmates were eligible for early release or parole.

However, analysts have warned the government not to make hasty decisions in this time of crisis, arguing that reducing chronic prison overcrowding was not as simple as granting early releases or parole. A rigorous overhaul of Indonesias correctional system and codifications in the Criminal Code, the Criminal Law Procedures Code and other related laws like the 2009 Narcotics Law was pivotal to developing long-term solutions, experts have argued, demanding policymakers consider alternatives to imprisonment, like probation or rehabilitation.

The arrests have fueled anger toward the early release policy among some segments of the public. On Twitter, netizens highlighted the case of two inmates who were arrested by the police after mugging a woman in Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday. Both criminals were released from Lamongan prison in East Java roughly a week prior.

Read also: One inmate killed, 20 alleged provocateurs arrested in North Sulawesi prison riot

Iqrak Sulhin, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia, said that the early release order had created an additional cause for concern for an already anxious public facing a rising number of COVID-19 infections.

Many people have expressed concern that the simultaneous release of inmates across Indonesia could lead to an increase in crime or increase the spread of SARS-CoV-2, despite the fact no inmates have tested positive thus far.

Yet, Iqrak cautioned the public not to overreact to news of the reoffenders, saying it was a common problem and that the recidivism rates in Indonesia were arguably quite low. He cited data from the law ministry that showed that the country's recidivism rates for people convicted of property crimes was 21 percent, 13 percent for drug offenders and 4 percent for people convicted of petty crimes.

Looking at the data, its too early to say that the policy has been a failure, Iqrak said. People were worried about the policy because they are in panic mode over the pandemic, so they tend to overreact over everything.

Read also: Activists, experts caution against slapdash reform to tackle prison overcrowding

However, he warned that financial pressures caused by the pandemic, coupled with the lack of Bapas officers, could lead to some released inmates reoffending.

The Corrections Directorate General employs 613 parole officers in 75 Bapas offices across the country, which Iqrak deemed insufficient to monitor the 37,000 released inmates.

Gatot Goei from the Center for Detention Studies (CDS) called for stricter monitoring involving house visits not just video calls.

In normal circumstances, those granted parole are obliged to report to the Bapas office once every two weeks. But during the ongoing pandemic, Bapas officers need to be more active by checking in at their homes at random times, he said.
Home Secretary Priti Patel is facing calls to extend the June 2021 deadline for EU nationals to apply for settled status to remain in the UK after Brexit, after new figures showed a collapse in applications since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

Statistics published by the Home Office showed that just 125,000 people applied to the scheme in March, in a 47 per cent drop from numbers in February. Grants of settled status were also down 47 per cent to 77,800, while numbers given pre-settled status fell 45 per cent over the month to 62,600.

The governments settlement resolution centre has been closed during the lockdown, with staff working online from home but not taking phone calls. The Home Office was forced to take action to rectify delays to processing caused by the coronavirus disruption.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine said the slowdown made it virtually impossible for the authorities to process the estimated 3.6 million EU citizens living in the UK by the deadline, with a backlog of more than 320,000 applications still to be dealt with.

According to the latest figures, some 3,468,700 applications have now been received and 3,147,100 concluded.

Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to 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And Oxford University researchers have warned that some European residents are falling through the cracks of the Home Office scheme.

In a report, the universitys Migration Observatory warned that authorities may be underestimating the number of EU nationals in the country, arguing that official estimates exclude or undercount several groups of people, including those in dormitories, care homes or caravan parks

Director Madeleine Sumption said: For a host of reasons, its possible that the number of EU citizens granted status through the scheme could greatly exceed the current official estimate of 3.4 million but that wouldnt necessarily mean the task is finished.

Figures released on Thursday showed that Polish citizens were the largest group applying for settled status, with 665,000, followed by Romanians at 564,300, Italians at 351,600 and Portuguese at 273,000.

Of the 3.1m concluded cases, 58% were granted permanent residency with settled status and 41% pre-settled status, which requires them to reapply within five years or lose their right to stay in the UK. Of the remaining applications, 23,900 were withdrawn or voided, 10,000 deemed invalid and 600 refused.

Guidance is due to be published to spell out how late applicants can demonstrate "reasonable grounds" for having their case considered after the dedaline passes.

Christine Jardine (PA)

Ms Jardine said that applications fell sharply in March as the whole country went into lockdown conditions limiting individuals movements outside the home.

Now that this coronavirus crisis has shone a spotlight on the enormous contributions EU citizens make to our public services, our economy and our society, they must have the right to stay, she said.

The prime minister rightly thanked a Portuguese nurse who looked after him in intensive care last week, but this Government is still refusing to honour its promise to grant all EU citizens like him the automatic right to stay.

No-one ever seriously believed that the Home Office would successfully grant all 3.6 million EU citizens settled status by the June 2021 deadline, but the coronavirus pandemic now makes that virtually impossible. Thousands of people will be left effectively undocumented and at risk of eviction, detention and even deportation.

Liberal Democrats are fighting for the rights of EU citizens. The government must drop its arbitrary deadline and give them the automatic right to stay in the UK.

Maike Bohn, co-founder of campaign group the3million, said: The UK does not know how many people must apply, how many people have applied, and they also dont know whether the people who have applied successfully have been granted the right status.

"We fear that by the application deadline next year neither the Home Office nor organisations like the3million will know how many EU citizens will not have secured their rightful status."

Immigration minister Kevin Foster insisted that support was continuing to be offered during the coronavirus pandemic.

EU citizens have made an enormous contribution to the UK and we want them to stay, he said

The EU settlement scheme is the biggest scheme of its kind in British history and Im pleased there have already been more than 3 million grants of status with more than a year left to go until the deadline for applications.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, applicants have still had access to a range of support either online, by email, or telephone. The Settlement Resolution Centre is continuing to provide support online and by email, and additional support is available through Assisted Digital, which can offer assistance over the phone.

Ms Jardine has tabled a European Citizens Rights Bill to guarantee the immigration status of EU and EEA nationals after Brexit, which had its First Reading in the House of Commons on 26 February.
Chevron CVX has suspended all construction work related to basic production and will instead only conduct critical work on its $45-billion Tengiz field expansion project in Kazakhstan due to the coronavirus pandemic. The critical work includes building of pipelines in Kazakhstan or construction of equipment in South Korea which will be used in the project.

The venture is run by Kazakhstans biggest oil producer Tengizchevroil (TCO)  which is 50% owned by Chevron, while 25%, 20% and 5% is held by Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM, Kazakhstan's state energy firm KazMunayGas and Russia's Lukoil, respectively.

Kazakhstan has confirmed more than 1000 coronavirus cases, including a small outbreak at a workers' camp close to the Tengiz field.

With an aim to ensure safety and curtail the impact of COVID-19 on its operations and construction activities, TCO will reduce activities and personnel, and continue only essential activities critical to the project. However, the duration of the work stoppage or its impact on the projects production is unknown.

In the meantime, Chevron has reiterated its commitment to the projects expansion.

In 1993, Chevron was awarded the rights to develop Tengiz. According to the company, the Tengiz oil field's reservoir is located 12,000 feet below ground level, which makes it the world's deepest operating super-giant oil field.

About the Company

San Ramon, CA-based Chevron is one of the largest publicly-traded oil and gas companies in the world in terms of proved reserves. It is engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, refining and marketing of petroleum products, manufacturing of chemicals, and other energy-related businesses. The company currently carries Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

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Would you like to be part of multidisciplinary, international and dynamic Team? Do you have a strong scientific background? Are you fluent in English, Spanish and Italian? Dont miss this opportunity to join the Technical Service Team of a leader in the Life Science business. As a specialist in Life Science within our multidisciplinary Team, you will an...
Willow Creek selects megachurch pastor Dave Dummitt as new senior leader

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Two years after the tumultuous resignation of their longtime pastor and founder Bill Hybels under a cloud of sexual misconduct allegations, Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago announced Wednesday that they have selected Michigan megachurch pastor David Dummitt to replace him at the helm.

Were thrilled to share that our Elder Board has selected Dave Dummitt as our new Senior Pastor! We can't wait to welcome him into the Willow family, the church announced on their website.

Dummitt, who has four children with his wife, Rachel, is the founding and lead pastor of the 10,000-member 2|42 Community Church in Southeast Michigan which he has been operating for more than 15 years.

David Dummitt is an innovative, entrepreneurial pastor and leader with a strong passion to help people take first and next steps with God. He is known for his collaborative leadership style and ability to develop strong teams, Willow Creeks Elder Board said.

The 2|42 Community Church, which was launched with just 35 people in Dummitts living room, now has seven different campuses that meet each weekend. Willow Creek meets in eight locations.

He is passionate about the kingdom of God advancing through church planting. Dave previously held the role of North American director of NewThing, a global church-planting organization. He also sat on the board of the Solomon Foundation, the fastest-growing church extension fund, for four years. Additionally, Dave partnered with two gifted technology developers to create Gyve, an innovative technology platform for churches and nonprofits, Willow Creek noted.

William Vanderbloemen of Vanderbloemen Search Group, which was retained by Willow Creek to assist in finding a successor to Hybels, said Dummitt is the right person to lead Willow in this moment.

Ive known Dave for many years. His humble spirit, and his focus on the local church  rather than a national platform  is one of many reasons we believe he is precisely the right person to lead Willow in this moment, Vanderbloemen said in a release.

Pastor Steve Carter of The Home Team podcast also praised Dummitt in a statement on Facebook.

Sarah and I want to extend our sincere congratulations to Dave and Rachel Dummitt and the entire Willow community in welcoming their new senior pastor. The people of Willow are some of the best on the planet. We have always wanted Willow to thrive and we believe God is actively empowering that reality. We believe Pastor Dummitt can help Willow rebuild and recast a new and vibrant future. And we continue to pray for the health, peace, and strength for the entire global Church as our world faces these unprecedented times. Now, more than ever, is a time for unity, grace, and the hope found only in Jesus. Cheering you all on, Carter wrote.

Dummitt, who attended Wheaton College and Asbury Theological Seminary, said he has admired the church, which he will begin leading in June, for a long time.

As a freshman at Wheaton College, Id heard about this church that was doing creative things to reach lost people. We attended, and I can almost point to the seats we sat in that day. The service opened with a Beatles song. I was a church kid who played in the handbell choir at my church. That service opened my eyes to new ways of doing church. I dont know of a pastor or leader in America that has not in some way been shaped by the ministry of Willow Creek, Dummitt said.

Hybels was forced to resign as lead pastor at Willow Creek Community Church after an extensive investigation published by the Chicago Tribune in March 2018 detailed a pattern of sexual misconduct allegations. He denied a number of the allegations, including a consensual affair with a married woman who retracted her claims. The Tribune report also alleged a pattern of behavior against Hybels that included suggestive comments, extended hugs, an unwanted kiss, and invitations to some female staffers to hotel rooms.

In July 2019, Willow Creek publicly closed the chapter on their flawed former leader while urging him to repent as needed.

God has blessed Willow Creek Community Church to have a profound impact for His kingdom. Bill Hybels served and contributed to Willow for more than 40 years. Simultaneously, unchecked sin and intimidating behavior resulted in harm that is still felt in this present day. Christ died to free us from the power of sin. It is in that spirit that we appeal to Bill to reflect on his years in ministry, repent where necessary, and seek to live out the ministry of reconciliation, the churchs new elder board led by Jeff Mason said in a statement.

That same year, an Independent Advisory Group that investigated the sexual misconduct allegations against Hybels called them credible and recommended counseling for him as well as a raft of changes to improve the organizational culture at the church and Willow Creek Association, rebranded as the Global Leadership Network.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey's export of cement to Uzbekistan dropped by 54.63 percent and amounted to $1.7 million from January through March 2020, Turkeys Trade Ministry told Trend.

In March 2020, export of cement from Turkey to Uzbekistan dropped by 45.74 percent compared to March 2019, amounting to $649,740.

In 1Q2020, export of cement from Turkey to world markets increased by 9.6 percent compared to the same period of 2019, exceeding $915 million.

Over the reporting period, Turkeys cement export amounted to 2.1 percent of country's total export.

In March 2020, Turkey exported cement to world markets worth $317.5 million, which is 0.3 percent more compared to the same month of 2019.

Meanwhile, export of cement from Turkey amounted to 2.4 percent of country's total export.

From March 2019 through March 2020, Turkey exported cement worth $3.5 billion.

Turkeys foreign trade turnover in February 2020 exceeded $32.2 billion. Export from Turkey increased by 2.3 percent compared to February 2019, exceeding $14.6 billion. Turkey's import increased by 9.8 percent in February 2020 compared to the same month of 2019 and exceeded $17.6 billion.
In an interview with tert.am, ex-police chief, Colonel General of Police Vladimir Gasparyan touched upon the recent statements addressed to Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

There have been many times when I have wanted to touch upon the encroachments against the Armenian Church, but I have always thought it is a revolutionary wave and will pass, but when I saw that it is repeating, I saw that it is a technique. The Catholicos did what a pontiff has to do. He has mediated for many people, but people dont know about this. Such reactions to his call show that the actions against the Catholicos are not only organized, but are also sponsored. The external enemy is not dangerous for Armenia. What is dangerous is the war within the country and the division of people into old and new, the ex-police chief said, adding that he has never been old.

I have never been given an unlawful order. I havent heard about an atmosphere of hatred and dont want to hear about it, he said, adding that the atmosphere of hatred has an impact on all sectors.
Singapore's contact tracing app, TraceTogether, which is being used as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus in the city-state. Catherine Lai | AFP via Getty Images

Governments around the world are developing mobile apps to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus using a method known as "contact tracing." Contact tracing is the process of asking infected patients who they've recently come into contact with. The logic being that, by doing so, health authorities are able to better identify the people at risk of infection and have them quarantined or monitored. Experts say that logging that data through a smartphone would be a much more effective strategy, but there are concerns over what that means for users' privacy. Some of the initiatives use Bluetooth to notify people when they've been near someone infected with coronavirus, while others use GPS location data, which is harder to anonymize. CNBC runs through all the major global initiatives on contact tracing technology  and how the companies and governments behind them are thinking about privacy.

US

The U.S. is yet to endorse any form of contact tracing technology, but there are a number of initiatives across different states looking to develop such systems. One, from a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uses anonymized GPS data and Bluetooth to log interactions and alert people if they've come into contact with someone who has Covid-19. Called Safe Paths, those behind the initiative call it a "privacy-first" solution, as it would let users match a personal log of location data on their phone with an anonymized location history of infected patients.

There are also two other apps, Stanford University-backed Covid Watch and Seattle-based CoEpi, which are working with MIT's Safe Paths to achieve a technical standard that works across different platforms and regions. Meanwhile, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Redfield, has said that the U.S. should introduce "very aggressive" contact tracing in combination with testing to tackle the pandemic. He didn't promote the use of smartphone data to achieve such contact tracing, but said such ideas were under "aggressive evaluation."

Europe

There are several projects in Europe working to develop contact tracing platforms to curb the spread of Covid-19. Such technology could also be vital to help life return to normal as some countries in the continent search for an exit strategy. The U.K.'s National Health Service is creating a contact tracing app that would use Bluetooth to gather anonymous proximity information to alert someone if they've been near an infected individual and need to self-isolate. Addressing privacy concerns, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said any data gathered through the NHS app will be handled ethically and securely and no longer than is necessary. It comes after Oxford University researchers recommended the use of such an app to slow the rate of transmission. Academics at the university recommend that any contact-tracing app should however be complimentary to other measures like social distancing and testing.

In Europe, there is a regulatory incentive for contact tracing initiatives to get privacy right. That's because the General Data Protection Regulation, a sweeping privacy law introduced in 2018, has given consumers more rights over their data and how it's used by organizations. That's been top of mind in Germany, where the government is working on an app that tracks possible chains of Covid-19 contagion with Bluetooth. Chris Boos, one of the developers behind the app, has explicitly said he doesn't want to "recreate the situation in some Asian countries where people are completely exposed." Boos is also part of a broader effort called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing, or PEPP-PT, which would use low-energy Bluetooth to log proximity data locally on a user's smartphone instead of a central server.

Asia

Asia is where the coronavirus outbreak originated, so it's no surprise that the continent has also been home to the most active digital contact tracing schemes. Singapore rolled out an app last month that exchanges short-distance Bluetooth signals between handsets when users are near one another. Not long after launch, the city-state said it would make the source code of that software freely available to developers worldwide. South Korea has used cell phone location data for contact tracing, while China's government has deployed tracking apps with QR codes in order to control people's movements and contain the virus.

The latter has triggered fears over the potential for abuse of technology by some governments for surveillance. In Singapore's case, the health ministry has tried to allay such concerns, claiming it doesn't collect personal data or location information. India meanwhile also has an app that uses Bluetooth and location data to alert users if they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. But some have criticized the initiative for being too vague and open to privacy abuses.

Google and Apple

Last week, Google and Apple announced that they've been working together on software that traces the contacts of "affected individuals" by using Bluetooth technology. The two tech giants' mobile operating systems, Android and iOS, collectively power more than 99% of the world's smartphones. That makes their involvement much more significant for the tracking of the coronavirus than individual government efforts. Google and Apple are however working with public health officials to develop the technology.
Education Minister Peter Weir announced the new system for awarding GCSE, AS and A-level grades

Teachers in Northern Ireland have been left "anxious" that new exam arrangements during the Covid-19 pandemic will see multiple pupils challenge their decisions, a union official has said.

Justin McCamphill from the NASUWT made the comments as Education Minister Peter Weir announced the new system for awarding GCSE, AS and A-level grades on Thursday.

This will involve teachers using their "professional judgment" to predict the grades pupils would have achieved.

Mr Weir added that an appeals mechanism was currently being considered.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr McCamphill said he welcomed that a decision had been made, but said more assurances were needed.

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"The minister did consult with unions and we do appreciate that.

"However, we do have questions around the appeal process and what it's going to consist of," he said.

"Teachers are going to be anxious that pupils will potentially be challenging their professional decisions. So, they want to know how that's going to be managed.

"We want assurances around appeal mechanisms. We also want the department and CCEA to look at the actual specifications and to review if as much content needs to be taught next year, given the loss of teaching time this year."

Read More

By contrast, the Ulster Teachers' Union (UTU) said the decision was a "vindication" for its members.

Incoming president Stephen McCord, head of science at Larne High School, said: "The fact that our members' expertise will play a pivotal role in how students transition from GCSE to AS and A-level is vindication of what we have long maintained," he said.

"For too long education has been blighted by endless, overly bureaucratic assessment and box-ticking, leaving teachers' professionalism increasingly undermined.

"For years now we have pleaded for a return to a system where our expertise and professionalism is recognised when it comes to pupil assessment."

Mr McCord said it was "ironic" that it had taken a crisis to show that teachers were more than up to the task without "overblown bureaucracy and the endless testing which in fact robs young people of other invaluable educational activities and for many sucks the joy from the classroom".

He said he was sure any appeals process would be "robust", noting that requests to re-mark exams have already been increasing in recent years.

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The predicted A-level results will still be issued as normal this summer on August 13 with GCSE results released on August 20.

Another major change is that AS-level results will no longer count towards final A-level results.

This usually accounts for around 40% of the overall mark, and will instead be awarded as a separate qualification this summer.

Speaking to the Stormont Assembly on Thursday, Mr Weir said it was not a perfect solution to the dilemma, but it was the best available in "unprecedented circumstances".

"My priority is to ensure that pupils receive fair results that reflect their hard work and enable judgments to be made about their future progression to study or employment or other avenues."

He acknowledged more work was needed, but that it was vital that pupils and their families were given clarity.

Mr Weir said that his officials were also working with the Department for the Economy on arrangements for vocational qualifications.

Further information for GCSE, AS and A-level grades awarded in summer 2020 can be found on the CCEA website at ccea.org.uk/summerawarding
The new, trailblazing party governing the French-Canadian province of Quebec deserves more attention than theyve received this side of the border.

Although being a quite young party as well as an openly nationalist one (a deep oddity for globalist Canada), the Coalition for Quebecs Future -- or CAQ as its known by its French acronym -- trounced the Justin Trudeau-affiliated Quebec Liberal Party in elections in late 2018 and currently commands a huge majority in that provinces parliament. Roughly one year on, the partys showing conservative nationalists everywhere that if it can do it, you can to.

CAQ, which similar to Trump blends socially conservative policies with economically protectionist ones, has taken advantage of Quebecs unique jurisdictional position in Canada like few parties before it -- among other things, Quebecs allowed to a large extent to shape its own immigration and multicultural policies.

In its first year as the provinces governing party, its unrepentantly asserted French-Canadian cultural hegemony in Quebec and has barreled over critics in the broader Anglo-Canadian media. This has made them wildly popular in la belle province and should make them a big source of inspiration for President Trump and his supporters this election year.

Millionaire entrepreneur and current Quebec premier Francois Legault created the CAQ party in 2011. Formally a cabinet minister with the pro-independence Parti Quebecois (PQ) party, Legault managed to peel away a wing of the party that wished to forgo outright separatism (which has been on the wane in Quebec since its heyday in the 1990s) and seek instead greater autonomy within Canadas existing federalist structure.

With Quebec being allowed to largely set what and how many foreigners can permanently settle in the province (refugee admissions, for instance, is still within Ottawas purview), Legaults CAQ recently cut the provinces immigration levels by 20 percent, controversially cancelling thousands of immigration applications in the process. In announcing the move, Legault was unapologetically assimilationist, telling the media that not only were there too many [incoming migrants] who are not qualified but that he wanted more French-speakers and more French people -- something which riled Canadas globalist media class.

Compared to the rest of Canada, Quebec has a disproportionate amount of so-called Old Stock Canadians. This is due to the 400-year-old region having populated itself largely through its high Catholic birthrate rather than through immigration. Such deep roots among Old Stock Quebeckers might be making them more alert to the vast, unsettling changes their society's undergone over the last few decades. This has been seen most vividly perhaps with CAQs notorious Bill 21, or the anti-Hijab law, as its derisively known by mainstream pundits.

The law, implemented in the new year, prohibits the wearing of religious symbols, like jewelry and headwear, for newly-hired government workers dealing with the public. Its ambit, says Legault, is to better ensure that Quebec government officials, including police, prosecutors, and teachers, show no religious preference in relation to citizens. Although it applies across all religions and originated with one of the worlds pre-eminent philosophers of multiculturalism, Canadian professor Charles Taylor, critics say that because just over half of Muslim women in Canada wear some form of headwear, the law is both sexist and Islamophobic.

Still, due to its huge support among Quebeckers, even staunchly multiculturalist Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose government has even decried criticism of illegal immigration as divisive, fearmongering and un-Canadian, has stepped away from mounting a court challenge against it.

Also drawing the medias ire is CAQs just-implemented Quebec values test for new immigrants. The multiple-choice test, which really just seems to examine ones liberal bona fides rather than their knowledge of Quebec culture or history, asks potential migrants about topics like gender equality and individual rights. Critics complain the test is unnecessary, even though top immigration-source countries for Canada, such as Pakistan and India, consistently rate towards the bottom on global indexes for things like female independence and racial tolerance -- Canada generally tops these lists.

Other CAQ initiatives include the dramatic cutting of foreign student university placements (representing a big hit to the provinces subsidized schools) and the halting of immigrants receiving government services in English, including utility bills, DMV service, and even schooling -- only Canadas historical anglophones will continue receiving English-based services in the province. As one law professor described it, CAQs motivation was not spite, but demographics, and if nothing changed, an English-speaking majority would eventually emerge in the province.

Quebec nationalists are keenly aware that politics often means demographics. When the province narrowly lost a separatism referendum in the mid-1990s, Quebecs then-premier famously attributed the result to money and the ethnic vote; the latter a reference to immigrant voters whom the provinces more nationalist elements view as largely failing to appreciate Quebecois identity and historic character.

Having expanded nationalist policies in French Canada -- despite loud and routine attacks from the countrys media establishment -- CAQ obviously has much to share with the Trump administration. Like CAQs Legault, President Trump has pushed, like no other national leader in the recent past, for reduced immigration, assimilationist ideals, and respect for traditional American values, like the rule of law. Given the left's almost total institutional monopoly, it's been a hard slog this first term. But whats transpiring in otherwise hyperprogressive Canada should provide Team Trump with a much-needed confidence-boost as they prepare the left's PR-offensive this campaign season.

Bradford H. B. previously worked in politics and is currently a small-business owner in the mid-Atlantic region.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 03:21:31|Editor: huaxia

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MOSCOW, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed Thursday over phone with his German counterpart Heiko Maas issues related to COVID-19 pandemic and a settlement in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The ministers were unanimous on the need to unite the efforts of the international community to combat the epidemic and its spread, as well as the unacceptability of politicizing the theme of coronavirus infection," it said in a statement.

The parties exchanged views on the state of affairs in resolving the conflict in Ukraine, the statement said.

An emphasis was made on the importance of encouraging the full implementation of the agreements reached between leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, known as the Normandy Four, through mechanisms of the contact group, it said.

Lavrov drew attention to "specific examples of unconstructive actions by the Kiev authorities" that impede the full implementation of these agreements.

The ministers agreed to prepare a videoconference of the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, the date of which will be additionally agreed, depending on the situation, the Russian ministry said.

The parties also touched upon a number of practical issues of bilateral Russian-German cooperation, it said. Enditem
STATEN ISLAND N.Y. -- Providing you with the latest headlines to start out your day.

Today Multimedia journalist, Alex Salmieri talks about plans to reopen New York, a fatal shooting in Clifton and a possible cure for COVID-19.

Watch A.M. with Alex to find out more about todays top headlines.

Are you on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak? If so we are looking to hear from you. Email asalmieri@siadvance.com
Al-Ahram Weekly reports on the development of possible drugs to treat the coronavirus in Egypt

Four months into the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists and small and large drug makers worldwide are scrambling to come up with drugs that could prove effective against the virus. However, it is still unclear which drugs could combat the viral disease and which will not.

One of the most talked-about possible drugs to treat the coronavirus is a readily available anti-parasitic drug called Ivermectin. According to a study posted on 3 April in the US journal Antiviral Research entitled The FDA-approved drug Ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, this anti-parasitic drug that is already available around the world was found to kills the virus within 48 hours, referring to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The study, a collaboration led by Monash Universitys Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) in Melbourne, Australia, with the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, said that a single dose of Ivermectin could stop the growth of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, another name for the Covid-19 virus, in cell culture and effectively eradicate the genetic material of the virus within 48 hours.

We found that even a single dose could essentially remove all viral RNA by 48 hours and that even at 24 hours there was a really significant reduction in it, Monash BDIs Kylie Wagstaff, who led the study, said in a statement.

Ivermectin, first developed in 1975 and coming into medical use in 1981, is an FDA-approved anti-parasitic drug. It is used as an anthelmintic in veterinary medicine and as a treatment for river blindness. It is widely available due to its inclusion on the World Health Organisations (WHO) list of essential medicines and therefore has a potential for repurposing.

Ivermectin is very widely used and is seen as a safe drug, Wagstaff said, adding that there was now a need to figure out the dosage to be used on humans.

Meanwhile, chair of the Health and Pharmaceutical Industries Committee of the Egyptian Investors Union Mohie Hafez, who has been researching Ivermectin locally for more than 20 years, told Al-Ahram Weekly that if they lack the drug experience on human beings, we have tried it, and if they lack the assurance of its being safe, we have checked it and proved its safety portfolio. With regard to raw material, this is also available... We have two factories in Egypt that have been producing the drug locally since 2001.

It would take only 48 hours to produce the needed quantities for treating nationwide coronavirus patients, Hafez said.

In 1982, one year after it came into medical use, Ivermectin proved its tremendous ability to kill parasites in animals. Ten years later in 1992, it successfully achieved the same purpose in humans. It has been broadly used on the African continent, where more than two million people have been treated for river blindness and elephantiasis, he added.

In 1998, Hafez, together with his colleague Abdel-Aziz Al-Taweel, a professor of dermatology, read research saying that some cases treated with the drug were cured of some skin diseases as well. It was then that we began our research, he said.

We got the raw material and asked a drug maker to modify it and then tablets were produced at certain concentrations. A different dosage than what previously was used was reached, and it showed impressive results against certain skin diseases in humans, Hafez said.

In 1999, Hafez locally registered a patent for the new use of Ivermectin against scabies. Thousands of patients have since been treated with the drug, he noted.

After the announcement by Monash University that a single treatment of Ivermectin is able to effect a 5,000-fold reduction in the virus at 48 hours in cell culture, I called upon all the state bodies concerned in Egypt to get ready to use it to treat the coronavirus, Hafez said.

At the same time, hundreds of other clinical trials are underway worldwide to test medications that the WHO has selected and researchers are zeroing in on.

We commend the researchers around the world who have come together to systemically evaluate experimental therapeutics, said Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the WHO, in a press briefing in March.

In an attempt to reach clear, strong evidence of effective drugs able to treat the new coronavirus, the WHO has launched multi-country clinical trials to test four drug regimens as Covid-19 therapies. Among them are an experimental antiviral drug called remdesivir and the antimalarial drug chloroquine (or the related hydroxychloroquine).

Locally, the Egyptian health authorities are working on research using two drugs, one of the WHOs recommendations and another Japanese medicine, to monitor their effects on the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.

A week ago, Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Egypts higher education and scientific research minister, said on television that Egypt had received samples of the Japanese anti-viral flu drug Avigan, approved for manufacture and sale in Japan in 2014.

A month ago, the Egyptian authorities obtained samples of the drug from the Japanese manufacturer Fujifilm, Abdel-Ghaffar said, adding that in the coming weeks Egypt would receive another larger batch of Avigan samples, in order to conduct clinical and research trials via the Egyptian National Research Centre (NRC).

Earlier this week, the drugs manufacturer, the Fujifilm Corporation, announced that Avigan would also begin its first US clinical trials in Massachusetts. According to local news, the Japanese government also plans to triple its stockpile of Avigan, of which there is currently enough to treat around 700,000 people, for use in treating two million Covid-19 patients.

Japan plans to offer the drug for free to at least 20 countries hoping to use it to treat coronavirus patients.

Avigan works against the virus and affects the process of virus division... as opposed to hydroxychloroquine, which is used against malaria, said Abdel-Ghaffar, adding that we are working on research using both drugs to monitor their effects.

However, there have been fears of side effects with some of the drugs. The New York Times said on 12 April that a small study of chloroquine in Brazil was halted early for safety reasons after coronavirus patients taking a higher dose of chloroquine developed irregular heart rates that increased their risk of a potentially fatal heart arrhythmia.

In France, the University Hospital Centre of Nice, one of many hospitals trialing hydroxychloroquine in Covid-19 patients, said in a statement that they had highlighted a major risk of a very serious incident in a patient, and the treatment was immediately stopped.

Elsewhere in the US, the Mayo Clinic posted an article on its Website late in March saying that the hydroxychloroquine drug has the potential to lead to sudden cardiac death in some patients.

According to the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun, Avigan cannot be prescribed to pregnant women and those who plan to become pregnant because tests on animals have showed it can result in defective babies. The same caution was echoed by the UK Independent newspaper, as it said on 4 April that the drug could have negative side effects such as birth defects in unborn children.

Elsewhere, the US Politico website said that US health officials have repeatedly rejected Avigan in the United States, despite years of advocacy from Japan and Fujifilm. It quoted a Trump administration official on 31 March who said there are a lot of concerns about its [Avigans] side effects.

In South Korea, officials in March declined to use Avigan in the nations coronavirus response, warning of insufficient evidence and the risk of serious side effects.

Hafez said that Avigan and hydroxychloroquine both showed promising results in treating coronavirus, but that they had side effects. They both can be considered successful drugs in the treatment of coronavirus, but why should we [in Egypt] not have three drugs instead of two, especially because Ivermectin is safer as it has minor side effects and is cheaper, he asked.

Ivermectins side effects range from headaches and tiredness to muscle pain and nausea, according to the US WebMD and HealthLine medical websites.

One kg of Ivermectin raw material costs $700, and it alone can treat the total number of coronavirus cases nationwide. Taking into account the fact that it has been produced in Egypt for almost 20 years, the total amount needed for treating all the patients nationwide could be ready in 48 hours, Hafez concluded.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 16 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Hopes for a cure

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A trickle of blind sales of homes are continuing to keep the London property market alive despite the ban on viewings and moves during the coronavirus epidemic.

While new-build apartments are regularly snapped up by wealthy foreign investors without a physical visit, London agents say they are now seeing sales agreed in the second hand market on the same basis for the first time.

New virtual viewing technology that makes it far easier for purchasers to get a clear idea of the property has persuaded some buyers that they do not need to kick the tyres before making an offer.

Giles Milner, of agents Chestertons, said that since the lockdown the firm had agreed six blind sales on homes they were marketing, far more than they expected.

There have also been around 250 new sales offers.

He said: We had a guy living in Chiswick who saw a property in Brentford. He knew the area and made an offer. He will probably get to the point of exchange then press on to completion quickly when the lockdown is over.

People are taking the view that if they like the location and they know what the square footage is and how close to schools it is you can take care of the property itself later when you move in.

Housebuilder Galliard said it has kept up a steady flow of around 20 blind sales a week across its London developments, double the level of the worst weeks of the Brexit crisis.

David Galman, sales director, said: Many of our clients are either self-isolating or working from home and have more time to look for property. As a result we have had a 40 per cent spike in website hits and sales enquiries.

"Weve now had four deals as a result of the virtual tours and over time the viewings and deals will strengthen as there remains significant interest in London real estate from both domestic and overseas buyers."

"As China is slowly coming out of lockdown we have seen a noticeable upturn this week in interest from China and Hong Kong.

It was a similar story at the top end of the market.

In the most spectacular example, a Hong Kong buyer put in a bid for a 20 million townhouse in central London after a virtual tour of the property.

Jeremy Gee, managing director of central London agents Beauchamp Estates said: Two weeks ago we switched our portfolio of ultra-prime London properties to be available for virtual tours."

"The properties are some of the most expensive and exclusive mansions, townhouses and penthouses in London priced up to 65 million or more. It's unprecedented for them to be available on virtual tours."

Weve now been involved in the last couple of weeks with three offers for deals over 10 million where the applicants, from the Middle East and Hong Kong, have made offers on super-prime London property which they have reviewed remotely from thousands of miles away."
Hyderabad, April 16 : Telangana Health Minister E. Rajender on Thursday said that 640 of 700 so far tested positive for Covid-19 in the state are attendees of Tablighi Jamaat conclave in Delhi and their contacts.

He told reporters that barring 50-60, all others found infected were returnees from Markaz (Tablighi Jamaat headquarters), their family members and contacts.

As many as 20 members of a family of Markaz returnee in the old city of Hyderabad were found positive. "Six persons spread virus to 81 members of their families and other contacts," he said.

In another case 11 members of a family were found positive in Suryapet on Thursday.

The Health Minister said the main reason for Greater Hyderabad accounting for the majority of the cases was the presence of a large number of Markaz returnees here. "More persons were affected because they have joint families and live in small houses," he said.

Some of those who came in contact with Markaz returnees or their primary contacts were yet to come forward to undergo test for coronavirus, he said. "They should honestly come forward on their own before police and Health Department trace them. This is necessary to put an early end to this problem," he said.

Rajender said such individuals should know that many people who tested positive, got treated and discharged from hospitals.

He said there were sporadic other cases like family members of two persons who had returned from Gujarat tested positive. When a reporter asked if those tested positive also include returnees from a Deoband meet, the minister said officials were gathering all the details.

He said the containment zones relating to foreign returnees would be removed but zones relating to Markaz returnees will continue till April 21 and those under quarantine would complete their period on April 28.

Stating that so far 10,000 tests were conducted in the state, he said seven labs currently conducting the tests would soon double their capacity. In addition to this, two more labs in Hyderabad were permitted to conduct the tests.

An automatic machine lab will become operational in three weeks and this would help in conducting 5000 tests every day.

He said separate wards for women and children were opened in Gandhi Hospital, where all Covid-19 positive patients are being treated.

A new hospital for Covid patients built at Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad with a capacity of 1,700 beds would become operational from April 20.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Seventeen foreign tourists have been charged for allegedly bathing in the sea off the famous Kovalam Beach in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram in violation of lockdown regulations.

The police said cases have also been registered against the owners and managers of five hotels where the tourists are staying since March 22 due to the lockdown.

The tourists who hailed from various countries, including UK, Canada and France, had taken a bath in the sea on Tuesday despite orders banning such activities, reported news agency PTI.

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Cases have been registered against them under the Kerala Epidemic Act and Indian Penal Code IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease).

This comes just a few days after a group of foreigners was made to write "sorry" for flouting lockdown in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

Representational Image

Police officials in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh made ten foreign nationals write 'I didn't follow lockdown rules. I am sorry' 500 times as a punishment for violating the lockdown guidelines amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Kerala: 17 foreign tourists booked for allegedly bathing in sea off the famous Kovalam Beach in violation of #COVID_19 lockdown regulations  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 15, 2020

These foreign nationals were caught strolling along the banks of the river Ganga in the city.

"When I caught them strolling, they said they are not violating guidelines as they are out during the relaxation period. So, I told them that the relaxation period is only to buy essentials and not to roam around," police official Vinod Kumar told news agency ANI.

Later, the foreign nationals were asked to leave and stay at home.
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Linkedin Audy Meutia Ariana (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya  Thu, April 16, 2020 12:04 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd237ff0 3 Opinion #COVID19,#coronavirus,COVID-19,coronavirus,medical-workers,healthcare-workers,doctors Free

Similar to soldiers facing confinement or dishonorable discharge upon deserting, physicians are bound by the Hippocratic Oath as nurses are by the Nightingale Pledge not to leave the front line of the COVID-19 response.

The pandemic indeed is a war where health workers are the main soldiers. Physicians and nurses face serious risk of contagion and death, and the failure of hospitals and governments to provide adequate personal protective equipment has made the battle insufferable. In times like this, it is questionable whether desiring proper compensation in return is ethical, especially for resident doctors.

A residency program is a higher education degree for physicians to pursue and receive training in their selected field, whether internal medicine, pediatrics, anesthetics, pulmonology, surgery and many others. When they finish their study, they become medical specialists practicing in that specific expertise. During training, residents must complete academic requirements, namely writing case reports, conducting research, attending lectures and sitting regular exams. They are also mandated to provide clinical service to patients in designated teaching hospitals to earn their clinical competencies in wards, polyclinics, emergency rooms and operating theaters.

In short, residents are actual students who must pay tuition fees. However, under the banner of educational, academic hospitals may legally employ residents without salaries.

During the pandemic, resident physicians have become a vital force, since most teaching hospitals are the main COVID-19 referral hospitals in their respective regions. This eventually affects the fate of those residents. Many hospitals have attempted to adapt policies in response to the pandemic. Services to detect and treat this deadly infectious disease are prioritized. Residents role, whether their field of study is related to COVID-19 -- pulmonology, internal medicine, ear, nose and throat, pediatrics or anesthetics -- or not, are shifted to support the COVID-19 crisis center and wards. Many nonurgent treatments or elective surgeries have been postponed. Regular meetings and reports have been called off or moved online when possible, including lectures and paper presentations for residents.

The profound changes of routines and priorities have made teaching and learning activities less effective. All of these indirectly have put the residents studies on hold. This uncertainty of the pandemic threatens residents financial security, as they have zero income. Exhausting shifts and a moral obligation to distance themselves from their families and loved ones may also affect their mental wellbeing. With minimum thorough protection from the university and teaching hospitals, residents are still students with no capability to choose or refuse to participate in this mandatory volunteering in the pandemic. Questioning their right to safety and security has somehow been portrayed as unethical and a violation to their oath to make patients their first consideration.

University and teaching hospitals need to realize the vital contribution residents provide as they are the backbone of services despite the risks they face. Despite the long debate on whether they should get paid or not, Indonesian residents are generally resigned to their fate and understand the nature of Indonesia as a developing country that cannot afford to do the same as the United States or Australian government in funding salaries for residency education. However, at a time of crisis like this, additional earnings or hazard pay may be valuable for them simply to just get by.

As President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced that financial incentives are ready for frontline healthcare workers, does that apply to residents too? Beyond money, compensation could be in the form of relieving residents study burden by, for instance, a deduction of study period or an annulment of certain assignments. And if their education status is put on hold, that must be followed by a cancellation of tuition fees during the given period.

Medical residents are pawns in hospital care. Ensuring their security and providing support to help them endure are ways to help them function in this perpetual battle. Let us not delay the encouragement we can give to all healthcare workers who are risking their lives to achieve triumph in the fight against COVID-19.

***

Physician with Master of International Public Health degree from the University of Sydney, currently an internal medicine resident in Surabaya.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Retirement fund body EPFO settled 3.31 lakh PF withdrawal claims worth around Rs 950 crore in the last 15 days to give relief to the members during the lockdown

New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO settled 3.31 lakh PF withdrawal claims worth around Rs 950 crore in the last 15 days to give relief to the members during the lockdown.

The provision was notied on 28 March, 2020, for special withdrawal from the EPF Scheme to tide over the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) package, has provided timely relief to the working class of the nation, a labour ministry statement said.

Labour Ministry says in just 15 days, EPFO processed 3.31 lakh claims disbursing Rs 946.49 cr. Funds disbursed part of special withdrawal window under EPF Scheme to tide over the COVID-19 pandemic Alert: Govt had announced special window as part of PM Garib Kalyan Yojana package pic.twitter.com/sPDXBxadCB  CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) April 16, 2020

Since the introduction of this program, in just 15 days, Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has processed 3.31 lakh claims disbursing an amount of Rs 946.49 crores, the ministry said.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

In addition, Rs 284 crore have been distributed by the exempted PF Trusts under this scheme, notable among them being TCS, it added.

Under this provision, non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of the basic wages and dearness allowances for three months or up to 75 percent of the amount standing to member's credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, is admissible.

The member can apply for a lesser amount also. This being an advance, does not attract income tax deductions, it stated.

EPFO is committed to serve its members during this crisis, and its offices are functional to maintain the continuity of essential services even in difficult situations.

The availability of these facilities through online services has brought much relief to the needy subscribers during the lockdown period, coming to their rescue during these testing times, it added.
Then there is the space needed inside of buildings and people's heads. In an instant, soaring atrium lobbies and cafeterias became hospital wards; rarely used telemedicine technology has suddenly taken off, and doctors are holding virtual bedside conferences with scattered family members; physicians force themselves to peel away psychically and emotionally from fields of battle where the opponent never observes the cease-fire that the rest of society has entered. More than 12,000 people have died with coronavirus in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, where there are more than 260,000 confirmed cases. Officials acknowledge that those numbers almost certainly understate the casualties as testing of both the living and the dead remains spotty. The New York-area doctors have not uncovered any sure-fire way to fight COVID-19  the disease caused by the virus  and not enough time has passed to say if their improvisations will hold up, said Dr Anand Swaminathan, an assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine at St Joseph's University Medical Centre in Paterson, New Jersey. No one knows if any of the spaghetti will stick to the wall. "I'm confident that we will have a lot of answers in months," said Dr Reuben Strayer, an emergency medicine physician at Maimonides Medical Centre in Brooklyn. "Unfortunately, that doesn't help us right now. You have to start somewhere."

Medical staff move a body behind a fence at The Brooklyn Hospital Centre last week. Credit:AP Breathing room "Never in my life have I had to ask a patient to get off the telephone because it was time to put in a breathing tube," said Dr Richard Levitan, who recently spent 10 days at Bellevue Hospital Centre in Manhattan. Why is this so odd? People who need breathing tubes, which connect to mechanical ventilators that assist or take over respiration, are rarely in any shape to be on the phone because the level of oxygen in their blood has declined precipitously. If conscious, they are often incoherent and are about to be sedated so they do not gag on the tubes. It is a drastic step.

Yet many COVID-19 patients remain alert, even when their oxygen has sharply fallen, for reasons health care workers can only guess. (Another important signal about how sick the patients are from COVID-19  the presence of inflammatory markers in the blood  is not available to physicians until laboratory work is done.) Some patients, by taking oxygen and rolling onto their sides or on their bellies, have quickly returned to normal levels. The tactic is called proning. Doctors at Montefiore Medical Centre in the Bronx and Mount Sinai Medical Centre in Manhattan have described it on Twitter; a flyer is posted next to beds at Elmhurst Hospital Centre in Queens as a guide for patients on how often to turn themselves. At Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, Dr Nicholas Caputo followed 50 patients who arrived with low oxygen levels between 69 and 85 per cent (95 is normal). After five minutes of proning, they had improved to a mean of 94 per cent. Over the next 24 hours, nearly three-quarters were able to avoid intubation; 13 needed ventilators. Proning does not seem to work as well in older patients, a number of doctors said.

No one knows yet if this will be a lasting remedy, Caputo said, but if he could go back to early March, he would advise himself and others: "Don't jump to intubation." Loading The total number of people who are intubated is now increasing by 21 per day, down from about 300 at the end of March. The need for mechanical ventilators, while still urgent, has been less than the medical community anticipated a month ago. One reason is that contrary to expectations, a number of doctors at New York hospitals believe intubation is helping fewer people with COVID-19 than other respiratory illnesses and that longer stays on the mechanical ventilators lead to other serious complications. The matter is far from settled. "Intubated patients with COVID lung disease are doing very poorly, and while this may be the disease and not the mechanical ventilation, most of us believe that intubation is to be avoided until unequivocally required," Strayer said.

This shift has lightened the load on nursing staffs and the rest of the hospital. "You put a tube into somebody," Levitan said, "and the amount of work required not to kill that person goes up by a factor of 100," creating a cascade that slows down laboratory results, X-rays and other care. Dr Josh Farkas, who specialises in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Vermont, said the risks of proning were low. "This is a simple technique which is safe and fairly easy to do," Farkas said. "I started doing this some years ago in occasional patients, but never imagined that it would become this widespread and useful." This was rebuilding the engine on a car going 100 miles per hour. "I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple of weeks someone around the country comes up with better way to do this," Swaminathan said.

Surviving The medical community is in desperate need of research but there is no time to wait. "Everyone's got an observation," Strayer said. "Everyone's got an opinion. It's not very useful. What matters is science and we don't have any yet." After shifts filled entirely with the stress of uncertainty, doctors use their own maps to hunt down peace at day's end. "I live alone," said Strayer. "That turns out to be a huge advantage for me and my own well-being." Swaminathan said he goes through a decontamination ritual before driving home to his wife and children. "We decided moving out was not an option," he said. They keep him sane. He has Zoom sessions with friends who work outside of medicine. And there were surprises.
The Grand Island Catholic Diocese will livestream two events Sunday in honor of Divine Mercy Sunday.

The Rev. Joseph Hanefeldt, bishop of the diocese, will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. from St. Marys Cathedral.

At 3 p.m., Hanefeldt will lead the faithful in praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as we beseech the Lord for his mercy for our sins and the sins of the whole world, and for his merciful protection from the COVID-19 virus, the diocese says.

Both events will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Grand Island Facebook page.

The Rev. Don Buhrman, pastor of St. Leos Parish, points out that Grand Island is a hot spot for the coronavirus. So everybody feels pretty helpless. And one thing that we all can do is pray for Gods mercy, he said.

Its appropriate on Divine Mercy Sunday to encourage people to pray, whether they join the bishop or as part of their own parish, Buhrman said.

In his own parish, Buhrman hopes people will take advantage of the current situation by praying together as a family on Wednesday evenings.
Iran on Thursday announced 92 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the third straight day that official fatalities remained in double digits in the Middle East's worst-hit country.

Health ministry spokesman Kinaoush Jahanpour told a news conference the latest deaths brought the official total to 4,869.

He added that 1,606 new infections had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 77,995 from 310,340 tests. Of those confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus and admitted to hospital, 52,229 had been discharged after recovering, which he described as a "rising trend". Another 3,594 patients are in critical condition.

There has been speculation abroad that the number of deaths and infections is higher than officially announced.

A report published Tuesday by parliament said the real death toll from Iran's outbreak was estimated to be as much as 80 percent more than that announced by the government.

The number of COVID-19 infections were estimated to be "eight to 10 times" higher. It said the officially announced figures were based only on "patients that are hospitalised with severe symptoms".

It also criticised the government for being slow to act against the outbreak and said a "second wave" of the virus may come next winter -- possibly without a break due to containment measures taking too long.

In a statement on Thursday, the office that carried out the report denied it contradicted official figures and accused "foreign media" of lying and distorting its contents to "undermine official statistics".

A deputy health minister confirmed the numbers may be higher due to limited testing but rejected estimates based on "incorrect modelling", without directly addressing the report.

"The cases we have confirmed are certainly not the real figures. But there are no exact assessments in the world, save for South Korea which has had many tests done," Alireza Raisi was quoted as saying on Wednesday by state news agency IRNA.

Story continues

The ministry had also stopped provincial medical universities from reporting figures on their own, IRNA reported.

It argued such announcements have at times prompted Iranians to travel from worse-hit provinces to less-infected ones and further spread the virus.

The government of President Hassan Rouhani has struggled to contain the outbreak that emerged two months ago.

It shut schools and universities, postponed major events and imposed a range of other restrictions, but it has stopped short of ordering lockdowns.

Iran allowed small businesses outside Tehran to reopen on Saturday and is set to extend the measure to the capital next week.

The move has faced criticism from health experts and even some authorities, while top officials argue that sanctions-hit Iran cannot afford to shut down the economy.

State television showed busy banks, government offices and taxi queues in various provinces on Thursday.

It said that "smart social distancing", a set of measures announced by Iran to keep both the economy running and prevent infections, "may still be applicable only on paper.
INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Announces Investigation of iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. (ITHUF) on Behalf of Investors

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces an investigation on behalf of iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. ("iAnthus" or the "Company") (OTC: ITHUF) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws.

On April 6, 2020, iAnthus disclosed that it had failed to make certain interest payments, citing the "decline in the overall public equity cannabis markets, coupled with the extraordinary market conditions that began in Q1 2020 due to the novel coronavirus." iAnthus also revealed an internal nvestigation regarding related party transactions involving the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Hadley Ford (News - Alert).







On this news, the Company's share price fell $0.29, or over 62%, to close at $0.179 per share on April 6, 2020, on unusually heavy trading volume.

If you purchased iAnthus securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005941/en/
The Alabama woman who claims she acted in self-defense when she fatally shot her alleged rapist has lost her appeal based on the state's Stand Your Ground law in her murder case.

Brittany Smith, 32, was denied her appeal seeking immunity from prosecution and the dismissal of her case in an unanimous decision by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Thursday, according to AL.com.

Smith claims she was brutally raped and beaten by Todd Smith (no relation) at her home in Stevenson, Alabama, in January 2018.

She says she shot Todd dead as he choked her brother, Chris McCallie - but her claim of self defense was denied in court.

Now her case is likely headed to trial where she faces a life in prison sentence.

Alabama woman Brittany Smith's, 32, appeal to have her murder case dismissed was denied this week by the state Court of Criminal Appeals. She is charged with murder for shooting dead Todd Smith (no relation) who she claims brutally beat and raped her in January 2018

Smith had filed to drop the charges under Alabamas Stand Your Ground Law which states that one may use physical force against another in the name of defense and to defend a third person from unlawful force.

In February this year Jackson County Judge Jenifer Holt declined to dismiss Brittany's murder charges and said Brittany failed to show how she could be granted immunity for killing Smith.

'Upon consideration of all the evidence, the court finds that the defendant has given inconsistent accounts of the events surrounding Todd's death, beginning with the 911 call  and has attempted to alter or destroy evidence,' the judge wrote at the time, according to AL.com.

'The court further finds that the defendant's testimony about material facts was significantly at odds with the physical evidence, exhibits and other witness testimony.'

Smith then appealed the case, a tedious process in Alabama court which requires defendants to file a petition called a writ of mandamus.

In the writ of mandamus, the Court of Appeals has to determine whether the trial court judge abused the petitioner's discretion, which some judges now say is an unfair way to appeal a case.

In the grisly case Brittany claims Todd Smith, 38, (above) choked to the point of unconsciousness and raped her in her home in Stevenson Alabama on January 15, 2018 and threatened to kill her if she told anybody.

Appeals Court Judge Elizabeth Kellum says the petition places 'particularly heavy burden' on the person filing.

In Brittany's appeal her defense lawyer Ron Smith asked the court to determine whether Judge Holt abused her discretion, urging judges to change her ruling.

The judges found no grounds of abuse and denied the appeal and request to dismiss the case, but Judge Kellum is now raising issue with Alabama courts to try and change the fine print in filing appeals.

'I question whether a petitioner would ever be successful in challenging a circuit courts pretrial immunity ruling by mandamus,' Kellum wrote in the appeal denial opinion.

Brittany can now ask the Alabama Supreme Court to consider the appeal, but her attorney has not said word on whether they will do that yet.

If the case does go to trial, Brittany can argue that she acted in defense of herself and her brother.

Brittany Smith claims she acted in self defense of herself and her brother Chris McCallie (together above)

Chris McCallie pictured in his mugshot above. Prosecutors say he initiated the violent interaction with Todd Smith

In the murder case, prosecutors argued in court that Brittany's brother McCallie was the one who initiated the confrontation with Todd Smith during the January 2018 killing.

They said that because he brought the gun to the scene, Brittany was not entitled to Stand Your Ground.

In the grisly case Brittany claims Todd Smith, 38, choked to the point of unconsciousness and raped her in her home in Stevenson Alabama on January 15, 2018 and threatened to kill her if she told anybody.

The next day on January 16 Brittanys brother Chris McCallie went to her house to confront Todd after she told him what happened.

Brittany fired her brother's gun three times at Todd while he was holding her brother in a headlock and he was turning blue

After the incident a sexual assault nurse documented more than 30 injuries on Brittany including bruises, bite marks and signs of strangulation. But the nurse couldnt determine with certainty if Brittany had been raped, but noted that most sexual assault cases lack physical proof.

The judge ruled that the evidence was consistent with physical assault, but inconsistent with sexual assault.
Los Angeles, CA, United States, 04/13/2020 / Story.KISSPR.com /

Los Angeles, CA, April 13, 2020  Gina Zapanta and Mike Alder host a weekly virtual dance fundraiser on Facebook and Instagram, to help small businesses and healthcare professionals. They pledge $1 per viewer, up to $25,000 each week and buy meals for healthcare professionals working in emergency rooms.

Gina Zapanta and Mike Alder are lawyers and entrepreneurs, but first, they are community advocates. Like many businesses, they were in the midst of an expansion with the launch of their new workers compensation firm, ZapantaAlder Law. From one day to the next, it was no longer business as usual. COVID-19 hit Los Angeles and all was shut down.

Gina Zapanta is a pillar in the community and her family has been advocates in the healthcare community for two generations. Her father, the late Dr. Richard Zapanta, was a well-known orthopedic surgeon and a fierce advocate for building community and equitable access to healthcare and education. Closer than ever to the frontline during this pandemic, her brother Richard Zapanta is an ER registered nurse at LA County Hospital.

Mike Alder, a Louisiana native, is a successful Los Angeles trial lawyer and founder of Alder Law specializing in personal injury and employment law. He has been involved in many philanthropic efforts including as a founding member of The LA Trial Lawyers Charities and as a board member of the LA Inner City Law Center which advocates on behalf of the homeless.

Gina and Mike decided to take action to help small restaurants and healthcare professionals at the same time. They buy meals from local restaurants and serve 50-100 stressed-out healthcare workers  who often eat from vending machines or skip meals  per hospital across Los Angeles.

As they talked about the ways they can help, Gina and Mike knew that people also need a little joy and fun. So, they created a fun way to give back. Gina and Mike partnered with Loriann Serna of Wife of the Party, a well-known event producer in Los Angeles, to host a live Instagram and Facebook party with DJ Herick. The first week, Gina and Mike committed to donating $1 for every viewer, up to $25,000. Thats right, no donation needed. They just wanted to spread some joy and fun during these hard times and in return, they would make a donation to restaurants. In the first week, over 10,000 people viewed the party and that delivered over 1,000 meals. Week two was just as successful, delivering another 1,000 meals. In all, 18 hospitals and 22 restaurants have been helped.

As they gear up to do this week to week, they want to continue to spread joy and fun through dancing at home from your living room. Join Gina Zapanta, Mike Alder, and Wife of the Party each Saturday Night at 7pm PST to keep this going. This fun FUNraiser is now growing a movement that inspired others to do the same. Check out @ZapantaAlder and #ZAGives on Instagram and Facebook.

To book an interview with Gina Zapanta and Mike Alder or to join them on a delivery, please contact: [email protected]

______________________________

Zapanta Alder Law firm founders, Gina Zapanta and Mike Alder, launch a weekly virtual dance FUNraiser to personally help small businesses by buying meals to donate to healthcare professionals working on the frontlines. You dance, we donate $1 for every viewer up to $50,000.

Gina Zapanta and Mike Alder have donated over 2,000 meals to 18 hospitals in the Los Angeles area and plan to deliver an additional 1,000 meals this week.

source: http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/04/14/2015305/0/en/LA-Couple-pledges-over-50k-to-Small-Business-Restaurants-to-Feed-Health-Heroes-In-Weekly-FUNraiser.html

Social Media Tags:small business, restaurants, law, legal

Source: Story.KISSPR.com

Release ID: 13114







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The majority of tech-savvy South Africans wake up between 06:00 and 08:00 to work from home.

This is according to the results of MyBroadbands Working from Home 2020 Survey, which was conducted in April 2020.

2,348 MyBroadband readers took part in the survey, providing excellent insight into the tech-savvy segment of the market.

34% of respondents who are working from home said they wake up between 06:00 and 07:00 to start their work day. 31% of respondents working from home said they wake up between 07:00 and 08:00.

South Africas national lockdown will run until the end of April, which means many South Africans will be required to work from home until restrictions are lifted.

For businesses which cannot operate from home, such as restaurants, staff have been sent home  often without pay.

Economists have estimated that the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown will see South Africa lose 1 million jobs in 2020  with thousands of businesses set to close permanently.

Working from home

Of the people who took part in the survey, 87% said they are working from home during the national lockdown.

Of those who are not working from home, many said they were essential services workers.

Waking up

The large majority of respondents said they wake up between either 06:00 and 07:00 or 07:00 and 08:00 to start their work from home day.

15% said they wake up between 05:00 and 06:00, while 13% said they wake up between 08:00 and 09:00.

Hours per day

Respondents working from home were also asked how many hours they work per day.

The majority  26%  said they worked between 8-9 hours each day.

21% said they worked between 7-8 hours each day, while 16% said they worked over 9 hours each day.

A small percentage  3%  said they only worked for 1-2 hours per day at home.

Now read: Vodacom CEO donates a third of his salary to fight coronavirus
An unrestrained 4-year-old was thrown from a car whose driver ran a red light and collided with an 18-wheeler Thursday morning in east Harris County.

The child was pronounced dead on scene, while the toddler's mother and sister who were also in the car were hospitalized. The mother was eastbound on the Crosby Freeway feeder road when witnesses spotted her run the red light at intersection with Beltway 8, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
To stop all potential lines of transmission of COVID-19 between nursing homes, the Ontario governments emergency order restricting the movement of workers to one facility should be enacted immediately, say infectious disease experts.

Premier Doug Ford announced a new measure Wednesday that prevents people who care for seniors, such as personal support workers, nurses and cleaners, from working in more than one setting, including long-term care homes and retirement homes. But the prohibition wont come into effect until April 22, meaning there remain plenty of opportunities for COVID-19 to continue to spread between facilities until then.

Any transmission chain that you keep going, including personal support workers going from one area that could potentially be high prevalence  a high proportion of residents or other workers infected  to another one means that youre facilitating transmission between the two locations, said Todd Coleman, epidemiologist and professor in health sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University. In terms of an emergency order, it really should be enacted immediately, not a week from now.

The emergency order was announced as part of the unveiling of the provincial governments COVID-19 action plan for long-term-care homes, which includes ramping up testing for symptomatic residents and staff, as well as those who have come into contact with confirmed cases of the virus. The government says it will provide more training for staff working in outbreak conditions and re-deploy staff from hospitals and home and community care to long-term care homes.

The government says it will also protect the jobs of long-term-care workers who have to give up employment at one care setting in order to work in just one location.

At Queens Park Thursday, where opposition parties again warned the delay could cost the lives of vulnerable seniors, Long-Term-Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton defended waiting until next week to implement the emergency order.

Moving faster could create staff shortages in the face of increasingly deadly outbreaks and rising numbers of infections in nursing homes struggling to keep up with patient care, said Fullerton, a former family doctor.

Some employees will have to choose  and they need time to give their employers their decision, she told reporters.

Fullerton added the government exempted nurses, personal support workers, kitchen staff, cleaners and others who could be supplied by temp agencies because nursing homes need flexibility.

She said there will be stringent screening of such workers and that some nursing homes were already restricting staff from working at other long-term-care facilities.

Ontarios Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams, warned Thursday that rushing to stop the movement of workers between facilities could be detrimental.

Because if you flip it quickly, you may end up losing a half or a third of the staff in an institution and then you end up with residents not get any care, he said.

Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network, said he assumed when the government brought in the emergency order that it would be effective immediately.

Every day is crucial. Were losing lives every single day, he said, noting that British Columbia, which saw the first case of community transmission in Canada in early March, restricted long-term-care workers to one facility two weeks ago.

That province has since made personal support workers provincial employees, thereby allowing them to collect full-time wages while working at one long-term-care home.

Such a move has provided stability in a profession characterized by low pay and a lack of benefits, necessitating many personal support workers to work at multiple facilities to make ends meet, Sinha said.

These are things that we have well established in hospitals. So a typical nurse at Mt. Sinai hospital isnt working extra shifts at other places. Why? Because they already have a full-time job with paid sick leave and benefits that actually pays a reasonable salary, he said.

As for the impact workers unknowingly infected with COVID-19 could have on a seniors home, Sinha pointed to a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looking at a COVID-19 outbreak in February at a long-term care facility in Washington state. The report found that staff members working in multiple facilities, as well as inadequate infection control, helped spread the virus through the home. More than 120 residents, staff and visitors to the home were infected with COVID-19. Thirty-seven people died.

The head of the organization that represents Ontarios 41,000 personal support workers says the government could stop the movement of her members between homes by immediately creating full-time positions and providing wage increases, much like what occurred in B.C.

If you want to keep them where they are, they need full-time positions and benefits and they need to be self-regulated. They need to have that badge of pride and they need to be recognized for the job they do, said Miranda Ferrier, president of the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association.

Ferrier said by allowing personal support workers to self-regulate, the profession would attain a similar standing to that of nurses or doctors, which also self-regulate.

While she agrees with epidemiologists who say that movement between facilities should stop immediately, she says there has to be full-time hours available so that personal support workers can make a living.

There has to be some monetary aspect for the personal support worker so they dont lose half of their income, she said.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease expert based out of Toronto General Hospital, said restricting long-term care workers to one facility sooner rather than later is desirable but noted that theres a lot of preparation that needs to go into this.

We appreciate lives are at stake, he said. But I can guarantee its a lot harder than flicking a light switch and making this happen.

With files from Rob Ferguson

Read more about:
[April 15, 2020] The Second-generation Midea Low-carb Rice Cooker - Midea Makes IoT Technology Applied to Thousands of Families

FOSHAN, China, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 15, Midea officially released their new product - the second-generation Midea low-carb rice cooker. This is the combination of Jimei's low-carb technology and IoT technology. It is the only "low-carb rice cooker" authorized by the CHEARI (Beijing) Certification & Testing Co., Ltd. Apart from 54 leading international patented technologies, this product also has the unique rice holder technology. Through low-carb processes, such as scouring and boiling the rice as the tide, and scouring the sugar of rice within water using unique rice holder with hundreds of holes, it can reduce the reducing sugar of rice by up to 50% and increase resistant starch by about 23%, which always meets the high-end needs of users for health and wellness. IoT is deeply integrated into people's various life scenarios at an unstoppable pace, becoming the focus of world attention. Midea International Group is taking IoT + OTA upgrade technology as the core, accelerates product innovation, turns IoT from vision to reality, and lets the world enjoy the smart home era. At present, Midea, owning Midea low-carb rice cooker, Xiaomei smart seaker and other smart home appliances, based on IoT, big data, AI and other technologies, will continue to provide users with four smart scenario services of safety, health, convenience, and pleasure.



In fact, as early as 2014, Midea established the Smart Home Research Institute to fully implement the strategy of "dual intelligence", build an open, secure, and interconnected AIoT ecosystem by cooperating with upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain based on IoT, create the largest AIoT open platform in the smart homes, achieve cross-brand and cross-category terminal interconnection. In this way, more intelligent hardware and application services can be seamlessly connected, thereby building a more complete and open IoT ecosystem. Thanks to IoT technology, Midea's high-end product line COLMO series rice cookers have achieved smart identification of common rice varieties on the market, adjusting different heating curves to the rice types and completing rice recognition, measuring, washing, soaking, water adding and cooking and other operations with one click. At the same time, the smart rice cookers manufactured by Midea currently can support online "software cloud upgrades", enabling ordinary smart rice cookers already purchased to be upgraded to low-carb rice cookers. Resources can be shared through the interconnection of Midea's IoT big data platform and other smart devices. Take blood glucose monitoring as an example. Midea teamed up with D-nurse, the professional blood glucose meter company, to monitor blood glucose data in real time and intelligently recommend healthy recipes according to the changes in the user's blood sugar. Besides, in order to improve the taste of rice, the company also increased the rice cooking curve from more than 10,000 to more than 20,000, achieving breakthrough experience of hardware + software + contents.

To further enrich the IoT ecosystem and satisfy people's imagination of smart life, Midea's IoT platform has gathered more than 100 heavyweight partner companies, with its ecosystem covering many fields such as AI technology, IoT security, smart hardware, content resources, and Internet services. The company will provide users with improved product experience, build rich family life scenarios, provide malleable services, and work together to promote the evolution of the AIoT ecosystem by complementing with its partners and implementing the connection of the full value chain. SOURCE Midea

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At 10:46am on Thursday, the National Center for Crisis Management of Armenia received a report that a projectile had been found in a plot of land in Artamet village of Armavir Province.

It turned out that it was an armored fragmentary projectile which the sappers of the Ministry of Defense had defused by detonating it on the spot, but then information was received that another projectile had been found in the stream nearby this plot of land.

It turned out that the second projectile was a grenade, and the sappers defused it by detonating it on the spot.
THE Cebu City Government has recorded an additional 24 coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-positive patients on Thursday, April 16, 2020, bringing the total number of Covid cases in the city to 77.

Of the 77 cases, 53 are from Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz; while of the 53, 51 are asymptomatic.

The first case of Covid in the area is a 68-year-old patient currently admitted at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for fever.

Cebu City Health Officer Daisy Villa said the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas has advised the CHD to stop swab testing in Sitio Zapatera as the whole area is now considered to be infected.

Villa said the CHD took 200 swab samples from Sitio Zapatera residents on April 15  the last batch of samples to be tested from the sitio.

She said doctors of the health office will now focus on other barangays where there are recorded Covid patients although the whole Sitio Zapatera will still be continuously monitored.

The others barangays with Covid-positive cases are: Barangay Guadalupe (six cases with five already laboratory-negative), Talamban (two mortalities and one lab-negative), Sambag 2 (two lab-negative), Kinasang-an (two lab-negative), and Banilad (one mortality and one lab-negative).

Nine other barangays in the city have one Covid-positive patient each: Babag (now lab-negative), Calamba (now lab-negative), Camputhaw (one death), Capitol (now lab-negative), Cogon Ramos (now lab-negative), Labangon, Mambaling, Opra and Sta. Cruz (one death).

A total of 15 laboratory-negative and five mortalities were recorded by the Cebu City Health Department (CHD).

Barangay Luz

Meanwhile, Mayor Edgardo Labella said authorities are now preparing the Barrio Luz National High School to hold asymptomatic patients in the barangay. Those who are symptomatic will be brought to the quarantine facility in the old Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu campus on Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City.

The said isolation facility is expected to begin operations on Saturday, April 18.

Story continues

Cebu Citys youngest Covid-positive cases, two nine-month old babies who are twins, will be brought to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) isolation room, said Labella.

Labella urged residents, not just in Sitio Zapatera, to stay at home as he expected the number of Covid patients in the city to continue to rise with results of swab tests conducted in Sitio Zapatera and other barangays still to be released.

Labella also ordered the police and military officers deployed in Barangay Luz to be stricter in the implementation of the lockdown.

Sitio Zapatera has been on lockdown since April 7 when its first Covid patient was reported.

DOH-7 Regional Director Jaime Bernadas, meanwhile, concludes that Sitio Zapatera now has what is called as community transmission with 59 of the 77 cases in Cebu City coming from the sitio.

Bernadas urged officials to isolate the positive cases from the area.

"Most are asymptomatic, usa ra ang needed ug hospital. There as some with mild symptoms which is among gi prioritize nga kuhaon didto. Tanan importante nato makuha ug ibalhin sa facility, Bernadas said.

PUMs

As of April 16, the CHD also recorded 39 persons with influenza-like illness (ILI).

A total of 827 persons under monitoring (PUMs) in Cebu City were cleared after completing their home quarantine; while 102 PUMs remain under observation.

Barangay Luz has the most number of PUMs recorded (71), followed by Barangay Talamban (22).

Other barangays with PUMs are Barangays Sambag 2 (1), Santa Cruz (1), Banilad (3), Basak San Nicolas (1); and Quiot (2).

Mandaue

In Mandaue City, a man was tagged as a patient under investigation (PUI) after his live-in partner from Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz, was among those who tested positive for Covid-19 in Cebu City.

Umapad Barangay Captain Nelson Rubio Sr. said he immediately ordered a lockdown in Sitio Coconut with its entry points guarded by barangay personnel and local police following reports that the woman always visited Umapad prior to the results of her Covid test.

For his part, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes ordered the family of the citys third Covid-19 case not to leave their house in Sitio Mangga, Barangay Casuntingan.

The Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERTs) will take care of their needs, Cortes said.

The 73-year old male, now admitted to a private hospital in Cebu City, was believed to have been infected by his wife who was tagged as a PUM for having a travel history.

After the husband tested positive for Covid-19, his wife and other members of his family were also tested.

Cortes said swab test results had yet to be released.

Next week, a quarantine facility built at the Mandaue City Central School gym will begin to accomodate Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate conditions.

Cortes said the facility will have 28 cubicles.

DOH tally

In Central Visayas, a total of 95 cases were recorded by DOH as of April 16.

Of the 27 new Covid cases, 24 are from Cebu City specifically Sitio Zapatera; while three are from Lapu-Lapu City.

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Sub-National Laboratory (VSMMC SNL) has conducted a total of 211 Covid tests  184 tested negative.

Mass testing will be conducted in barangays with reported Covid positive cases, Bernadas said.

Nationwide, the DOH reported that as more individuals were found positive for the Covid-19, many patients have also recovered.

As of 4 p.m. April 16, 2020, the DOH recorded 207 newly-confirmed cases of infection, bringing the total to 5,660.

Eighty-two additional patients have recovered, raising the total to 435 while the death toll increased to 362.

Thirteen mortalities were reported in the last 24 hours.

Globally, the World Health Organization said more than 1.9 million people have been infected as of April 15. Of the total, 123,010 had died. (JJL, KFD, JCT, SunStar Philippines)
Linda Lavin Eskin was a manager with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Eskin, 83, of Camp Hill, died April 3 at Harrisburg Hospital after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

She was a graduate of Olney High School in Philadelphia. She and her husband moved to Camp Hill in 1973.

She briefly worked as a proofreader at Batch Co. then worked for the state Department of Revenue before moving to PennDOT where she was a manager of driver and information office.

Her family said, Happiest when she had a house full of people and pets, Linda's home was a safe landing place for all strays, human and animal. Known for her chicken salad, kugel and Shepherd's pie, her kitchen was the hub and there was always food in the fridge and an extra place setting at the table. Linda's open-door hospitality was matched by her signature wit and talent for sizing up a situation, usually in just a few words.

Eskin enjoyed family vacations to Long Beach Island, reading and playing bridge.

Surviving are her husband, Joe; her children and their spouses, Dan (Susan), David (Elaine), and Rose (Dave); four grandchildren, Zachary and Aaron Eskin and Julia and Jack Thompson, and great-grandson, Connor Adams.

From her guest book:

Linda was a wonderful, kind, funny woman and a great neighbor. She will be missed.

-- Gretchen and Ken

I worked with Linda at PennDOT. She was a rare one. Bright, funny, irrepressible and fearless. She was a pleasure to be around.

-- Brad Mallory, Camp Hill

I worked with Linda at PennDOT and I enjoyed our interesting conversations. She was a sweet lady and always upbeat.

-- Kathy Jorich, Long Neck, Del.

Linda was a warm, wonderful and deeply loyal friend. We shared a common bond. Our daughters, best friends, Rose and Kym, were born on the same date in cities far apart. When they discovered each other in Sporting Hills second grade, Linda and I became friends as well. We talked and visited often, double dated with our husbands, and never missed a phone call on our daughters shared birthday. We shared good reads, good movies and good gossip! Linda used her wit and dry humor to bring perspective to almost every subject or issue we discussed. She was smart, informed, honest and direct. She was respected, appreciated and loved. She will be missed beyond words, always remembered. And especially by me, on that March birthdate we both cherished and celebrated.

-- Kathy Liebler

Remember Linda and her sparkling eyes. Conversations with her were always Interesting and informative. She will be missed.

-- Dona Beshore, Harrisburg

To read more obituaries, click here.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for enhanced cooperation and exchanges in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, reiterating China's commitment to assisting others within its capacity.

Wang made three phone calls with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard separately on Thursday.

In the phone calls, Wang extended sympathy and support to the suffering of the three peoples. He reiterated the virus is the common enemy of human beings, calling for international cooperation in order to combat the virus with joint efforts.

After highlighting the bilateral ties with each country, Wang also assured his counterparts of China's commitment to assisting their countries by offering medical supplies to the best of its ability.

China has sent several batches of medical supplies together with medical teams to Pakistan and Iran to help the two countries in their treatment and prevention work. The assistance, according to Wang, will continue.

In Thursday's phone call, the Chinese foreign minister also promised that China would provide convenience for Mexico to purchase and ship urgently needed supplies.

Noting that the outbreak in Iran had slowed, Wang said it indicated the effectiveness of Iran's prevention work. He believed that with the bilateral cooperation on the COVID-19 pandemic, the bilateral ties will be further enhanced.
PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-16 15:56:03

Orange Belgium invites investors and analysts to participate to its Q1 results conference call on April 23, 2020

Orange Belgium will publish its results for the first quarter of 2020 on Thursday, April 23 at 07:00 CET.

Orange Belgium Investor Relations is pleased to invite investors and analysts to participate in a conference call hosted by:

Michael Trabbia, CEO

Arnaud Castille, CFO

Koen Van Mol, Investor Relations

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The recorded session will be available after the conference call and can be downloaded from our website. You will find the link to access the recorded session on the website below.

The press release for the first quarter of 2020, the roadshow presentation and the results toolkit will be available on Thursday, April 23 on the financial section of the corporate website at Financial results

About Orange Belgium

Orange Belgium is a leading telecommunications operator on the Belgian market with over 3 million customers; Orange is also active in Luxembourg through its subsidiary Orange Communications Luxembourg.

As a convergent actor, we provide mobile telecommunications services, internet and TV to private clients as well as innovative mobile and fixed-line services to businesses. Our high-performance mobile network supports 2G, 3G, 4G and 4G+ technology and is the subject of ongoing investment.

Orange Belgium is a subsidiary of the Orange Group, one of the leading European and African operators for mobile telephony and internet access, as well as one of the world leaders in telecommunications services for enterprises.

Orange Belgium is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange (OBEL).

For more information: corporate.orange.be , www.orange.be or follow us on Twitter: @pressOrangeBe.

Investors contact

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ir@orange.be

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press@orange.be

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A huge majority of people want elk to roam free at Point Reyes National Seashore without butting heads with ranchers or being shot by hired guns, according to a report released to The Chronicle on Wednesday.

The analysis by the environmental group Resource Renewal Institute found that 91.4% of those who submitted comments favored elk over cows and other livestock when it came to a National Park Service plan to expand ranching and farming and manage wild elk herds.

Many people assume that ranching is supported in the park, and a lot of politicians and other people will say that there is strong support for ranching, said Deborah Moskowitz, president of the institute, which was started by Huey Johnson, one of the founders of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. These numbers clearly refute those claims.

In August, the National Park Service submitted for public review a draft environmental impact statement along with a proposal to extend grazing leases and manage 10,000 acres of land in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and 18,000 acres on the Point Reyes seashore that are used for agriculture. The agricultural land that is under lease covers a little less than a quarter of the roughly 116,000 acres the two parks control in Marin County.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

The document, which is part of a General Management Plan, has been the subject of bitter fighting among environmentalists, agricultural officials and the park service over what should be done with the tule elk that charm tourists but gobble up grazing grass intended for cattle.

A lack of support for agriculture could influence what is done on the 71,028-acre seashore, but the Resource Renewal Institute is far from impartial. It has fought for free-roaming elk and even sued the park service, claiming cattle were damaging the environment.

Seashore Outreach Coordinator Melanie Gunn said the park will address substantive comments in its final environmental impact statement, which the park expects to release this spring. She said the comments will be evaluated for relevance in establishing park policy but are not equivalent to voting.

The number of comments received on an alternative is not a determination of its merit for consideration, Gunn said.

The preferred alternative selected by the park service would allow ranchers to grow crops, put up tourists in their barns and dramatically diversify their livestock operations after signing 20-year leases. The park service would, in turn, cap the number of elk at 120 in the Drakes Beach area, where most of the ranches are.

There have been more than 124 elk since 2018, so park officials expect they would have to kill 10 to 15 every year to allow ranchers to produce cheese, plant crops and raise sheep, pigs, goats and chickens without having to scare off the muscular competitors.

Of the 7,627 comments submitted last year, 6,969 were against ranching in one way or another, according to the institute, which settled a 2015 lawsuit against the park service on the condition that seashore officials conduct an environmental review of ranching.

Of those, 27.5% expressed opposition to ranching and commerce on the seashore, 20.5% opposed killing elk, 20.4% were against the preferred alternative and 23% supported an alternative that would phase out all ranching and farming in the area.

Only 179 commenters, 2.3%, expressed support for ranching and farming. Another 6.3% expressed unrelated concerns, according to the report.

There is a lot of concern about ranching at the seashore and, when asked, people for a variety of reasons oppose its continuation, said Susan Ives, co-founder of Restore Point Reyes Seashore, a project managed by the institute. There is a lot of concern that this is just going to be a big giveaway to the ranchers. ... They are concerned about the monetization and commercialization of a park that belongs to all of us.

It is a wrenching dilemma for the park service because tule elk, which sport massive candelabra-like antlers and can weigh up to 800 pounds, are a symbol of conservation success at the seashore. Before the coronavirus outbreak, many of the 3 million annual visitors to the park come specifically to see the magnificent creatures.

Californias once massive herds were hunted relentlessly after the Gold Rush, and their habitat was converted to crops and cattle grazing land. They were thought to be extinct in 1874, when wealthy landowner Henry Miller discovered a dozen or so in Kern County.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

In 1978, 10 tule elk were moved to the 2,600-acre Tomales Point Elk Reserve at Pierce Point, near the northern tip of Point Reyes. They did so well that the National Park Service moved 28 animals to the Limantour Beach area in 1999. Within two years, the free-ranging herd had split in two, with some apparently swimming across Drakes Estero, where they began grazing among the cows near the historic ranches.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle 2020

The park service plan would break the seashore into different zones  range, pasture, ranch core and resource protection. The ranch core zones, defined as areas up to 2.5 acres around ranch buildings, would allow pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, horses, non-irrigated row crops like rye grass or oats, cheese making, ranch tours and overnight farm stays.

Park officials say the controversial plan is an attempt to honor a commitment to agriculture made after the owners of the historic Point Reyes ranches agreed to sell their property in exchange or favorable leasing arrangements after the park was created in 1962.

In 2012, then-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reiterated that pledge, proposing the extension of the current five- and 10-year leases to 20 years for beef and dairy ranches.

Parks and cattle dont mix, said institute founder Huey Johnson. The land was bought and generously paid for by the American people. The public has spoken, its time for the park to truly be a park.

Once the final environmental impact statement is released this spring there will be at least a 30-day waiting period before a record of decision is signed.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
By Trend





The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) delivered 131,320 kilograms of food aid worth almost $400,000 to Uzbekistan, Trend reports citing the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

This food aid will reach more than 35,000 Uzbekistan's most vulnerable citizens and will be distributed to 144 health and social protection institutions. The list includes institutions providing quarantine services related to COVID-19, long-term care for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, orphanages and psychiatric institutions, the report said.

The delivery contains a mixture of dried vegetables and legumes enriched with vitamins and minerals to be used in health and social care facilities, as well as in households.

Since 2009, almost 1,163 tons of food worth over $3.2 million have been delivered to Uzbekistan within the USAID's international food aid program. This humanitarian aid shipment is based on a long-term U.S. investment of more than $122 million in health care and more than a billion dollars in total aid over the past 20 years.

This food aid will be distributed in cooperation with the Soglom Avlod Uchun charity foundation and Resource and Policy Exchange, Inc. of US. (RPX).

The Soglom Avlod Uchun Foundation works to improve the health of women and children, as well as to help vulnerable segments of the population in Uzbekistan.

The main goal of RPX is to improve health standards and access to information through the provision of technical assistance, such as food and pharmaceuticals.
Stacey Hampton is a name most Australians won't be forgetting any time soon.

Following her recent rise to fame on Married At First Sight, the 26-year-old has now signed with a major modelling and social media influencer talent agency.

She will be represented by Neon Model Management, who look after stars from international shows such as Love Island and Vanderpump Rules.

Is Stacey the next Kim Kardashian? Married At First Sight star, 26, Stacey Hampton (pictured) has signed with Neon Model Management, who could take her celebrity career to the top

Neon Model Management announced Stacey as their latest signing on Thursday.

Stacey re-shared the news to her 193,000 Instagram followers, clearly excited about having professional help turning her 15 minutes of fame into a lasting career.

With the guidance of Neon, the mother-of-two could expand her following way outside of Australia, and become a leading influencer all around the world.

Law graduate Stacey could even become Australia's answer to Kim Kardashian, both balancing their legal careers and aspirations with a life in the spotlight.

Congrats! Neon Model Management announced Stacey as their latest signing on Thursday, with the blonde re-sharing the news to her 193,000 Instagram followers

High hopes! With the guidance of Neon, Stacey could expand her following way outside of Australia, and become a leading influencer all around the world. Pictured filming in November

Stacey isn't the only MAFS star from this year to sign with management.

Tash Herz, Hayley Vernon, Chris Nicholls, Steve Burley, Aleks Markovic, Natasha Spencer and Amanda Micallef are all signed to agent Max Markson.

Last week, Mishel Karen signed with PR and marketing agency Modern Currency.

On Tuesday, Stacey revealed she hopes to use her platform for some good too.

'I don't want to just sell teeth whitening stuff': On Tuesday, Stacey revealed she hopes to use her platform for good too and is starting her own not-for-profit charity

The law graduate is putting her dream of becoming a lawyer on hold indefinitely to start her own not-for-profit charity, as well as any work she gets via Neon.

She is planning to launch the charity - which is believed to be focused around mental health - on July 1st and is currently setting the organisation up in Melbourne.

Stacey said: 'I want to do something with my platform, I don't want to just sell teeth whitening stuff. Melbourne is where I'm setting up my not-for-profit, that's why I'm regularly there. I think Melbourne has a lot more to offer [than Adelaide].'

The blonde plans to pursue a career in law once her children are much older, and doesn't believe her reality show status will hinder job offers.
Dealing with a health crisis of such magnitude in India has been further complicated because it robs a vast majority of its population of basic livelihood.

In March, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers fled India's cities and crowded state borders to head home after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a three-week lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. They were left with no means to earn a living and provide for themselves or their families.

On April 14, when the initial 21-day lockdown was supposed to have ended, the prime minister announced an extension of the countrywide lockdown in India by another 19 days till May 3. Following the announcement, hundreds of migrant labourers gathered at Mumbai's Bandra station on April 14.

Defying the lockdown, these migrant workers gathered in large numbers to demand permission to go back to their native places.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

In Charts | Economic impact of lockdown on Centre and states

Both the Indian government and the World Health Organization have officially maintained that India has still not entered community transmission phase, even as the total count of Coronavirus positive cases reached 12,380 and the death toll stands at 414.

However, the lockdown is a way to prevent the eventuality of community transmission. Community transmission in a country as populous, with a huge majority of its population being poor, would be catastrophic.

Track this blog for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak

To prevent an explosion of transmission, the Singapore government pays $100 per day (about Rs. 5,300) as quarantine order allowance. Something similar has also been done by Odisha government by incentivising self-declaration, by those who came back from foreign tour after March 4, with Rs 15,000.

"Unless the government issues a notification, it (quarantine allowance) will be the discretion of employers to pay or not to pay," said KR Shyam Sundar, professor at Xavier School of Management in Jamshedpur.

Intensive testing regime will require cooperation from the people. If testing positive means being quarantined away from home and family, and losing livelihood for weeks, there is strong reason for the poor to evade quarantine and even testing in the first place, because of the sheer necessity of making a living.

On April 16, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced financial assistance of Rs 2,000 each to the poor who complete quarantine for buying nutritious food. He made it clear that social distancing should be implemented strictly and special focus should be laid on Covid-19 prevalent areas.

"So there is certainly a case for giving quarantine allowance... there is enough legal basis in terms of Ministry of Home Affairs circular and ministry of Health and Family Welfare circulars. In fact they should be paid their normal pay and also quarantine allowance could be given to them in order to take care of expenses," Sundar said.

The International Labour Organization supports the fact that quarantine allowance is a form of social security, mainly because this is a contagious disease and hence can also come under ensuring occupational safety and health of fellow workers.

"So there are multiple legal and medical reasons under which the employees who are medically declared to be suspect or confirmed to be the infected people, the employer concerned must be asked to pay wages, either under the ESI (Employees' State Insurance) if the worker is covered under the ESI Act," Sundar said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16

Trend:

There is no scarcity of doctors in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB) Ramin Bayramli said, Trend reports.

The number of patients recovering from coronavirus in Azerbaijan may increase in the coming days. There is no lack of doctors in the country. Presently, 30-40 percent of the fund for beds is used. I hope we will get out of this situation with minimal lasses, he said.

Coordinator of the REACT-C19 project Hamza Zeytunoghlu noted that support for the fight against coronavirus will be carried out as part of this project in 16 hospitals.

Zeytunoglu added that firstly, they will support Azerbaijan in combating the coronavirus pandemic in four hospitals in Baku city, and then in the regions.

Head of WHO Country Office in Azerbaijan Hande Harmanci added that despite the large number of applications for participation in the project, 19 doctors meeting certain criteria were selected.

They came back to Azerbaijan by a private plane after a week of training in Izmir province, Turkey, Bayramli said.
Photo: The Canadian Press

President Donald Trump is suggesting that travel restrictions along the Canada-U.S. border could be relaxed sooner rather than later.

Trump says Canada is doing well in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and says the border shared by the two countries could be among the first to be "released."

He made the comments today during a news conference at the White House.

The two countries imposed a ban on non-essential travel in both directions in mid-March, an agreement that's currently set to expire April 21.

It may not be entirely up to the U.S., however, which is currently dealing with the heaviest active caseload of anywhere in the world, particularly in the border state of New York.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says efforts to control the spread of the virus in Canada are likely to remain in place for several more weeks.
OTTAWA - The first payments from a $73-billion federal wage subsidy program will flow by the end of the first week of May, acting as a buttress against the economic shock from COVID-19.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A lone person walks past closed businesses in Kensington Market in Toronto on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is expanding a loan program for small businesses suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and is working on a new support for companies having trouble paying rent.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

OTTAWA - The first payments from a $73-billion federal wage subsidy program will flow by the end of the first week of May, acting as a buttress against the economic shock from COVID-19.

The Liberals are hoping the 75-per-cent wage subsidy will prompt companies to rehire vast swaths of the six million Canadian workers who have asked for emergency federal aid since the pandemic brought the global economy to a virtual standstill.

Online applications will open April 27 and officials expect to have processed 90 per cent of claims by May 4 with payments landing later that week, MPs on the House of Commons finance committee were told Thursday.

Canada's top central banker told the committee the federal fiscal measure would help maintain employer-employee ties to aid in a recovery.

With expectations the freeze on the economy will be lifted before summer, Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz warned it might still be some time before the economy is back to its pre-crisis level.

"We're going to get a V-shaped trajectory, so down very sharply, then of course back up, but not all the way," Poloz said.

"That's when it takes another, maybe a year for the economy to get back to the same path that it was on before all this started."

The longer it takes for economic activity to resume, though, the more likely that businesses will close for good and the longer workers will face unemployment as they look for new jobs.

On Thursday morning, the government announced an expansion to a loan program for small and medium-sized businesses, and promised a new support for companies having trouble paying rent.

The Canadian Emergency Business Account will now provide up to $40,000 in government-guaranteed loans to businesses that had payrolls last year between $20,000 and $1.5 million. It previously offered loans to business with a narrower range of payrolls, between $50,000 and $1 million.

"Our government is here to help you through these challenging times. So when we hear the program is not reaching as many people as it should, we make changes," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, acknowledging the criticism the government faced from companies who had felt left out.

Since the loan program was launched last month, businesses have taken out 220,000 loans worth $8.8 billion, Finance Minister Bill Morneau told the finance committee.

The loans are interest-free until Dec. 31, 2022 and if they're paid off by then, up to 25 per cent will be forgiven.

Pushed about some small businesses that may still not qualify for the help because they pay in dividends or employ contractors, Morneau suggested those workers would qualify for the $2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

The federal government is also working on a program to help businesses and commercial landlords cover their rents for at least three months, though the details still need to be worked out with the provinces and territories, Morneau said.

The federal government has upped its spending by over $105 billion to cover fiscal help, with monetary policy playing a supporting role as the economy went into a tailspin from COVID-19.

Adding to the shock has been plummeting oil prices  Alberta's benchmark price is down 90 per cent from the start of the year due to declining demand and a glut of international supply.

Poloz said the central bank would likely have slashed its key interest rate in response to the oil price drop alone.

The Bank of Canada made three rate cuts  two unscheduled announcements  in March to reduce its target overnight rate from 1.75 per cent to 0.25 per cent, which Poloz said is effectively as low as it can go.

"Just on the basis of the drop in commodity prices alone, I would say we would have cut interest rates by at least 100 basis points, such as what we did in 2015," he said during his final scheduled appearance before the committee before he leaves his post in June.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"Possibly we would have ended up doing all 150 basis points if that were the only shock we were facing."

The economic shock from COVID-19 is unlike anything the country has ever seen, Poloz said.

A preliminary estimate by Statistics Canada suggested the economy contracted by nine per cent last month, which would be the worst one-month drop on record.

The central bank on Wednesday announced plans to start buying provincial and corporate bonds on the secondary market to reduce the risk those markets will lock up. Those measures are to inject up to $60 billion into the economy and will last, tentatively, for a year.

The bank is also increasing the quantity of federal treasury bills it's willing to buy, beyond a $5-billion-a-week purchase, effectively making more low-interest loans to the government.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.
London: Banning pet cats from roaming outdoors, making shoppers pick up products with tongs and insisting people walk clockwise around parks, are among 275 suggestions made by Cambridge University to reduce the spread of coronavirus after lockdown.

A team of biosecurity and conservation experts has trawled through measures adopted by other countries, as well as coming up with new ideas, to help people avoid contamination.

Residents of Prague watch entertainers during the lockdown. Credit:Getty

They suggest that cafe owners could open outdoor areas only at first, and that pedestrians should be urged to walk on the right side of the pavement and only be allowed to enter parks at specific times of day, depending on their age.

Patients with doctors' appointments could be asked to wait in their car outside the surgery until called in, while music could be turned off in shops so people do not need to move closer to each other to be heard.
Update: Vhi, Laya healthcare and Irish Life Health have today announced plans to reduce premium costs for customers during the Covid-19 crisis.

Vhi, Irelands largest health insurer, has announced it will waive an average of 50% of customers premiums over the next three months.

Outlining a detailed response to the range of issues and challenges facing customers as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 public health crisis the insurer also revealed it will be waiving 30% of the premium for customers with Vhi Dental Insurance for the same period.

Announcing its plans this afternoon Laya healthcare said they plan plan to redirect claim cost savings in the form of a benefit to the amount of 195 for every adult member and 60 for every child member.

They suggested that for a family of two adults and two children that would amount to a total of 510.

They said the total will be split into three equal instalments and paid over three months - April to June 2020 which is the estimated period of time that hospitals will be re-organised in response to Covid-19.

The company said they will pay the first instalment by April30 and said that members with a current active policy will qualify for the monthly instalment.

Irish Life Health also announced it is to give a rebate of between 36 and 60 per cent for those on advanced plans.

Announcing details of their plan Vhi said the purpose of their response was to reassure customers that Vhi will stand by their customers as Covid-19 continues to impact the country.

Declan Moran, Acting Chief Executive said Vhi has an important role to play in these uncertain times.

"Our promise to our customers is that we will be there for them during these difficult days. We are fully supportive of the governments efforts to have a single united response to fight this crisis and Vhi is committed to playing its part.

He continued We have put in place a mechanism that addresses the changed manner in which some services can be delivered. We are doing this in as transparent and fair a manner as possible across our different customer groups.

"As a direct response to the partnership agreement outlined by Government between the PHA and the HSE, Vhi is waiving a percentage of premiums for the duration of the agreement and making a further promise that there will be additional return of value to customers this year if claims levels are lower than our current projections.

Declan Moran, Acting Chief Executive, Vhi concluded by saying customers, like everyone in the country, are under stress and duress at this time, concerned about family and loved ones.

"Where concerns are compounded by financial worries we are seeking to put measures in place to help alleviate those concerns during these particularly tough days. We have established a specialist team of advisers to handle these cases.

In a message to cutsomers Donal Clancy, Managing Director of laya healthcare said the entire Laya healthcare team "would continue to step up and play our part in the weeks and months ahead to join the collective national effort of supporting our community.

He went on: "We will be in touch directly with members to confirm details on the redirected claim cost savings paid as a benefit. This will be returned in the same way wed pay an everyday medical claim with the first instalment paid by the 30th April 2020."

Reacting to the moves this afternoon the Minister for Health Simon Harris TD welcomed confirmation by health insurance companies to offer customers a rebate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I welcome the measures announced by each of the insurers today, which are focused towards assisting health insurance customers impacted by the Covid-19 national response.
A 60-year-old coronavirus patient from Gurdaspur died on Thursday while 11 more people contracted the infection taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in Punjab to 197, an official said.

A resident of Bhaini Paswal in Kahnuwan, the man had tested positive for coronavirus two days ago and was being treated at a government hospital in Amritsar. He also had hypertension and diabetes, a medical bulletin said.

Among the fresh cases, six were reported from Jalandhar, three from Patiala and two from Pathankot, the bulletin said, adding that the virus has so far claimed the lives of 14 people in the state.

Mohali district continued to top the COVID 19-tally in Punjab with a total 56 coronavirus cases, followed by Jalandhar (31), Pathankot (24), Nawanshahr (19) Ludhiana, Mansa and Amritsar (11 each), Hoshiarpur (7), Patiala (6), Moga (4), Rupnagar, Sangrur and Faridkot (3 each), Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala and Barnala (2 each), Muktsar and Gurdaspur (1 each), according to the bulletin.

Two patients are critical and on ventilator support while 29 have recovered and discharged from hospital, it said further.

A total of 5,524 samples have been taken so far in the state of which 4,727 samples have tested negative and reports of 600 are awaited. Meanwhile, the health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the state government is fully prepared to combat the COVID-19 crisis.

Sidhu in an official release here said four districts Mohali, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar and Pathankot -- have been declared as hotspots by the central government as they have reported more than 15 cases of coronavirus.

He further said the health department officials were constantly working to trace all the contacts of affected patients to prevent spread of this infection.

He claimed that SBS Nagar, which had reported 19 coronavirus cases, had not seen any fresh case since March 26.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Negotiations on the release of Ukrainians held in Russia-occupied Crimea and in Russia are ongoing, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak has reported on Facebook, commenting on the progress of today's mutual release of detainees.

"I would like to emphasize that the mutual release of detained persons takes place as part of the 'all-for-all' format. We take away all citizens of Ukraine without exception. This is how strong countries that value their citizens do. Negotiations are ongoing on the release of Ukrainians held in the occupied Crimea and Russia," Yermak wrote.

He noted that a mutual release is always a very painstaking job. There are many controversial issues that need careful consideration, he added.

Yermak recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had repeatedly emphasized that the authorities will fight for the life of every citizen of Ukraine.

"The 'al-for-all' exchange program works effectively and around the clock. The coordination commissions are working permanently, and all statements of relatives are checked. Any adjustments are made immediately. All this is for the sake of the Ukrainians whom we should bring out of captivity," Yermak said.

He recalled that 19 Ukrainian citizens who were in captivity in the temporarily occupied territories will return home on Thursday.

Another phase of the mutual release of detainees took place early on Thursday, April 16. Nineteen Ukrainian citizens, illegally held in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, will be returned to government-controlled areas.

Ukrainian Ombudsman Liudmyla Denisova has already posted on a social networking site a photo with the first nine Ukrainians released from captivity.

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SHANGHAI, CHINA, Apr 16, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - On April 15, 2020, MicroPort Scientific Corporation (Stock code: 00853) ("MicroPort"), announced that MicroPort CardioFlow Medtech Corporation ("MicroPort CardioFlow"), which is a subsidiary of MicroPort, had completed raising a new round of funds on the basis of a pre-money valuation of US$1.1 billion. The introduction of seven prominent strategic investors, who are CPE, Hillhouse Capital Management, Ltd., Lake Bleu Capital, Gamnat, China Reform Conson Soochow Overseas Fund I L.P., Gortune Artemis Limited, and 3H Health Investment Fund I, L.P., raised approximately US$130 million. After this round of fundraising, the investors will have an aggregate shareholding of 10.83% in MicroPort CardioFlow. J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited and Citigroup Global Markets Asia Limited acted as co-placement agents in the transaction.



MicroPort CardioFlow focuses on the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of comprehensive medical device solutions to the treatment of valvular heart diseases. Its independently developed VitaFlow Transcatheter Aortic Valve and Delivery System ("VitaFlow Valve System") received the registration certificate from National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA) in July 2019. VitaFlow Valve System is the first approved Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) product using bovine pericardium as valve tissue in China, as well as the first TAVI product that features a double-layer PET skirt and a motorized delivery system in China. Accompanied by Alwide Balloon Dilation Catheter and Alpass Catheter Sheath Set, which were independently developed by MicroPort CardioFlow and approved by NMPA, VitaFlow Valve System provides a comprehensive full-set therapeutic solution for clinicians. The clinical data of VitaFlow Valve System have proved that the product can effectively improve the safety and efficacy of the TAVI procedure, which has been widely endorsed by industry experts and clinicians in practice. VitaFlow Valve System launched its official commercialization in August 2019. As of April 16, 2020, the products have entered a total of 51 hospitals with TAVI capacity, including Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Fuwai Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, and Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital.



Dr. Qiyi Luo, Chief Technology Officer of MicroPort and Chairman of MicroPort CardioFlow, said, "With about 10 years of committed development of its aortic valve business, MicroPort CardioFlow has become an influential player in the field of heart valve in China and been favored by the capital market. This round of fundraising will bring in more resources for the development of the company in research and development, manufacturing, market expansion, and the enhancement of its market competitiveness. We have every confidence that we will maintain rapid development in the niche market of medical devices for valvular heart diseases, so as to provide more patients with high-quality and accessible integrated therapeutic solutions to valvular diseases."











Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.





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Rotunda Rumblings

The system in place: Lt. Gov. Jon Husted promised fixes to the states overwhelmed unemployment system, which hasnt been able to keep up with skyrocketing claims, cleveland.coms Seth Richardson reports. Claimants have faced long wait times and delayed payments, with the state dealing with two years worth of claims in one month.

On the table: Gov. Mike DeWine has asked Ohio hospitals to develop a plan to resume elective surgeries and other procedures delayed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, cleveland.coms Evan MacDonald reports. The governor said that social-distancing measures have improved the states outlook and kept hospitals from being overwhelmed. But theres still a concern about preserving protective equipment for health care workers on the front lines of the crisis.

Prime numbers: On Thursday, the state reported 7,791 coronavirus cases and 361 deaths, cleveland.coms Laura Hancock reports. And data expert Rich Exner has the map and graphics showing the trends. Only one county, Vinton, has no reported cases.

Bed check: Exner got new data from the Ohio Hospital Association showing that just over 1,000 people are currently hospitalized across Ohio with coronavirus, up 14% in the last week.

Taking them to the cleaners: Battelle has agreed to sanitize protective masks for Ohios first responders, using the technology the Columbus research firm recently developed, DeWine announced Wednesday. Starting Friday, police and EMS workers will be able to drop off their dirty masks at state highway patrol posts around the state. The masks then will be transported to Columbus for cleaning before being returned for pickup. Battelle is doing the work for free, reports cleveland.coms Andrew J. Tobias.

Deaths behind bars: Two more inmates at the Pickaway Correctional Institution, south of Columbus, have died, likely from coronavirus, cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer reports. And Eric Heisig reports that the number of state prisoners who have tested positive for the virus has jumped to 272. After announcing the deaths Wednesday, DeWine also said that he has approved the early release of 105 non-violent inmates from across Ohios prison system.

Another federal prison fatality: David Ehle, a 71-year-old convicted child pornographer, is the fifth inmate to die of coronavirus at Federal Correctional Institution Elkton, Ohios only federal prison. Heisig has details.

Vexed in the Valley: Cleveland.coms Robin Goist explores the possible reasons for the puzzling situation in Mahoning County, which has nearly 500 confirmed coronavirus cases, and more than three times the statewide per capita average. One theory focuses on the regions aging population.

Check it out: Have you received your federal stimulus check yet? Cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton shows you how to track your payment.

The old college try: Policy Matters Ohio and other groups have asked Attorney General Dave Yost to halt collection of all student-loan debt from public colleges and universities in Ohio. As Pelzer reports, a Yost spokesman didnt directly answer when asked what the AG thinks of the idea.

Consumer report: Richard Cordray, the former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief and the 2018 Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, isnt optimistic that consumer spending can propel the U.S. economy back to normal when the coronavirus crisis ebbs. Cordray offers three reasons in a Washington Post op-ed: 1) the rapidly deteriorating job market will hurt consumers badly, 2) who go back to work quickly are still likely to emerge ...with less ability to resume spending at the same levels, and 3) this crisis has reminded people of the fragility of their financial situations, making them more cautious about borrowing and spending.

Moving ahead: A multi-million-dollar project to test self-driving cars in rural Ohio is still on track to begin testing next year, reports Tyler Buchanan of the Ohio Capital Journal. The project is led by DriveOhio, a public-private collaboration created by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Coming to a stop: A set of bills aimed at promoting electric vehicles in Ohio are on hold as lawmakers grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, writes Kathiann Kowalski of the Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from the Feb. 12 financial disclosure statement of state Rep. Scott Oelslager, a North Canton Republican:

1. His only major source of reported income for 2019 was his pay as a state senator. He also received less than $999 each from two investment accounts.

2. At some point last year, Oelslager received at least $100 worth of food and/or beverages from Johnny Sirpilla, president of Camping World Accessory Stores, a 140-store chain serving the RV industry.

3. He reported accepting gifts worth at least $75 -- or at least $25 if given by a lobbyist -- from the Canton Rotary Club, the Cleveland Orchestra,David Ewing, and Keith Gartner and his wife.

4. At some point during 2018, he owed at least $1,000 to Key Bank, Northwestern Life Insurance, Mercedes Benz Financial Services, Fifth Third Bank, Brooks Brothers and GM Financial.

5. His travel reimbursements in 2019 included $4,359.68 in mileage from the Ohio House, $1,362.40 from the Ohio Senate, $266.80 from the Ohio House GOPs campaign arm, and $32.89 from the Sisters of Charity Health System.

Birthdays

State Rep. Brett Hillyer

Straight from the Source

"Bowling ball art. Wife not see yet. I think art.

- Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, showing off his newfound outdoor globe crafting skills in a tweet.

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.
In an open letter released to the industry on Thursday, April 16, Hanover Shoe Farms Executive Vice President Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky has announced that Hanover has established a $250,000 matching fund grant to support the work of restoring full integrity to the harness racing industry.

I have discussed this with Russell (Williams), and Hanover Shoe Farms pledges $250,000 as a matching grant to support the work of restoring full integrity to our sport, Dr. Jablonsky stated in the release. The term of this pledge is 12 months, beginning on the day Standardbred racing resumes in 2020.

The contents of the open letter appear below.

To All Industry Participants:

I hope this letter finds you well and withstanding the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. I know that you all join me in eagerly waiting for racing to resume and life to return to some semblance of normal. I have used some of the time normally spent watching races and following entries and results to reflect on the criminal proceedings revealed to us on March 9, 2020. My initial reaction was, What a terrible day for this business. Upon further reflection, however, I find that my initial reaction was completely off base. This was a good day for our business. We will not survive unless the cheaters and wrongdoers are identified and exiled.

I will footnote this by saying that the defendants in these proceedings are presumed innocent until they either admit their guilt or are found guilty in a court of law. If any are innocent, I hope their names are cleared with no lasting ill effects, but all of those who are found guilty of the heinous acts depicted in the indictments should be punished and never allowed to touch a horse again. This brings me to the point of this letter, which is meant to be a hopeful and positive one in these times of darkness.

One useful thing we have learned from the criminal indictments is that high-powered investigative services appear to be necessary to aid the racing commissions in investigating wrongdoing by (1) gathering evidence in a timely and efficient manner, and (2) presenting that evidence in a form that will fully support the authorities that have the power to exile the cheaters. Other new approaches may be needed to make our industry more responsive to and supportive of the racing commissions. I have discussed this with Russell (Williams), and Hanover Shoe Farms pledges $250,000 as a matching grant to support the work of restoring full integrity to our sport. The term of this pledge is 12 months, beginning on the day Standardbred racing resumes in 2020.

Hanover Shoe Farms is a nursery. We raise our babies with love and dedication to their well-being. When we sell them, its as if we are sending them off to college, releasing them out into the world to hopefully make us and their new owners proud. Above all, however, I hope that they enjoy doing what they were born to do and are being treated well. Reading the indictments grieved me deeply, because it was so plainly obvious that some horses are not treated well, nor even humanely. We hope that major financial support will stimulate better practices within the industry and go a long way toward procuring a brighter and safer future for our horses.

Our approach will only work if it earns broad industry participation, and if we come up with effective new approaches to ensuring integrity. Please join us in this fight against cheating and abuse. It will save our industry, it will save lives and eliminate suffering, and it will stop the ill-gotten gains of a select few who think the rules dont apply to them.

For further information, contact Russell Williams at [email protected].

I hope everybody stays safe and healthy, and I cant wait to see you at the tracks and the sales this fall.

Best regards,

Dr. J
Pretoria (South Africa), April 15, 2020 (SPS) - The South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Kingdom of Morocco is a country that occupies parts of Western Sahara, reiterating its principled position in support of the United Nations efforts to resolve the conflict on the basis of international legitimacy and decisions of the African Union.

South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in response to an article published by the Moroccan media, on the recent debate between South Africa and the United Nations Security Council on the occupied territory of Western Sahara "has ratified its support to the exercise of the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, stressing that its foreign policy "is always based on principles and not on convenience."

"South Africa's approach to Western Sahara is guided by the position of the African Union, which has always supported the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, in accordance with AU decisions and UN Security Council relevant resolutions "the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation underlines in a statement published this Monday.

"This statement serves to correct the attempt to caricature South Africa's principled position on issues of anti-occupation and decolonization and aims to correct the attempt to present South Africa's principled positions on these issues as" out of date with most nations of the world " , added the South African ministry.

South Africa "especially regrets that the Security Council was unable to move the peace process forward." This is regrettable, as the people of Western Sahara continue to suffer from the occupation and their fight for their right to self-determination continues. "

As an elected member of the United Nations Security Council, the Ministry stressed that South Africa takes the opportunity to reiterate once again its firm commitment to efforts to achieve a peaceful solution that guarantees the principle of self-determination of the people of the Western Sahara in line with the approach of the United Nations and the African Union.

South Africa "unequivocally and firmly supports the work and mandate of MINURSO and urges the United Nations Security Council to assume its responsibilities and ensure that, through a neutral and balanced approach, it helps the parties to move towards a negotiated mutually and acceptable solution. " SPS

125/090/TRA
BOCA RATON, Fla., April 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Medical, a privately-held medical device company engaged in the development, manufacture and pre-commercialization of innovative wireless, injectable electroceutical device solutions for urological conditions, today announced that it will host a webinar entitled The Protect PNS for OAB: A Wireless Uro-Stimulation Injectable Technology, on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 5pm Eastern Time.



Stephen Deitsch, CEO of Micron Medical, will join Larry Sirls, MD, and Ken Peters, MD, both from Beaumont Health, to discuss Micron Medical's wireless uro-stimulation injectable technology and the current treatment landscape and unmet medical need to treat patients with over-active bladder syndrome (OAB).

The Protect PNS for OAB is an investigational device based on wireless neuromodulation technology and is implanted using a minimally invasive procedure percutaneously through a needle. This technology includes a small injectable device, called a stimulator, and an external transmitter for power that is a fabric antenna placed in clothing. The Protect PNS provides therapy for the relief of OAB symptoms by delivering small controlled electrical pulses to the tibial nerve that travel to the sacral nerve plexus, the group of nerves near the pelvis that control bladder function.

Webinar Registration: Date: Wednesday, April 29th Time: 5pm Eastern Time Webinar: https://lifescipartners.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_09ayxjrASEWtN3NjZ4Bk-g

Larry Sirls, MD graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed urology residency training at Henry Ford Hospital. He completed specialty fellowship training in Male and Female Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Urodynamics, Female Urology, and Neurourology at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles. He returned to Detroit in 1993 and has practiced exclusively at Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak since 1996. Dr. Sirls is the Director of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, is a Professor at the Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School and is the Primary Investigator for the Beaumont Site of the National Institutes of Health Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network, one of only 9 centers in the country selected to perform research on treatment options for urinary incontinence. His areas of interest include reconstructive urology, male and female incontinence and voiding difficulty. He is widely published and is a national thought leader in the evaluation and treatment of male and female pelvic floor disorders. He travels to Sub-Saharan Africa yearly to perform complicated fistula and other reconstructive procedures.

Kenneth Peters, MD, is Chair of Urology at Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, Michigan, and Medical Director of the Beaumont Womens Urology Center in Royal Oak, a unique multidisciplinary center dedicated to women with chronic pelvic pain and voiding dysfunction. Dr. Peters is also Professor and Chair of Urology at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, Michigan. He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Peters subsequently completed his training in surgery and urology at William Beaumont Hospital, where he also completed a fellowship in female urology and urodynamics. A specialist in the treatment of voiding dysfunction and female urology, Dr. Peters is a well-respected clinician, educator, and researcher. He is internationally known for his work on interstitial cystitis, neuromodulation for voiding dysfunction, nerve rerouting surgery to restore voiding in patients with spina bifida, and adult human stem cell injection for stress urinary incontinence. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He has twice won the Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology (SUFU) clinical research award. An active member of many professional organizations, Dr. Peters has served on the Research Council of the American Urological Association. At the 2012 annual meeting of the International Pelvic Pain Society, he was a keynote speaker on the management of chronic pelvic pain. He maintains a private practice in Royal Oak.

About Micron Medical

Micron Medical is a privately held medical device company engaged in the development, manufacture, and pre-commercialization of wirelessly powered, microtechnology neurostimulators, providing patients with convenient, safe, minimally invasive, and highly cost-effective urological solutions that are easily incorporated into their daily lives. Microns goal is to evolve its patented, cutting-edge platform for neuromodulation to standard of care, increasing the accessibility for patients worldwide while lowering the economic impact of urology care management. www.micronmed.com

Contacts

Gil Bao

Micron Medical Corporation

info@micronmed.com

888.691.0585
I have to do something joyous to take my mind off of the existential dread of the coronavirus, author Dhonielle Clayton said in a phone interview from her New York City apartment, explaining the motivation behind launching a book club during a pandemic that has shut down the country. Not only will the group, Black Girls with Magic & Books, explore a common read selected monthly by Clayton with a group of her author friends, but it will also encourage writers to discuss craft.

I wanted to launch a book club that creates more readers but also creates more writers, she said. A special safe place to be a geek, where I can just talk about vampires with other readers and writers. Its nice to not be serious, and talk about unicorns and unicorn poop, especially when reality is tough. I need a little hope and a little community right now.

Originally conceived as a club that would host in-person meet-ups and writing retreats as well as social media interactions, Black Girls With Magic & Books exists for the time being on Instagram and Twitter. Its focus is on speculative fiction and science fiction/fantasy by black female and non-binary authors., although anyone can join. And with book selections ranging from middle grade novels to YA reads to a sprinkling of adult novels, the book club is certain to evolve as a multigenerational group.

As of Thursday morning, @BlackGirlsWithMagicBooks has close to 700 Instagram followers, and @GirlWMagicBooks has just over 400 Twitter followers.

Im a YA author. Im a childrens librarian, said Clayton, who once served as a librarian at a charter school in East Harlem. The world could benefit from reading YA and childrens books. [Childrens literature] reminds me that I dont know everything and to take joy in simple pleasures. And the quality is so high.

The clubs debut selection is A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope, edited by Patrice Caldwell (Viking, Mar.); Clayton is one of the contributors. Clayton promises a variety of discussions and interactive videos, including author interviews and Q&As. There are also plans for giveaways: books, swag, and cool prizes at the end of the month for those who actively participate. Next months selection is A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney (Imprint, 2018).

Clayton is focusing on speculative fiction and SFF by female and non-binary black writers because, she explained, These are the books that most often get lost in the shuffle when we talk about speculative fiction and [SFF]: I want to shine a light on this particular genre and focus on those who need our help.

According to Caldwell, who brainstormed for months with Clayton on the book clubs mission and format and intends to actively participate in it, Black Girls With Magic & Books fills a niche, especially since there has been an increase in the past couple of years in the number of SFF books being written by black writers. Not only that, Caldwellwho is a literary agent as well as an editorpointed out that a number of those books, especially in the YA category, have gone to auction.

Its important, groundbreaking work, Caldwell said, noting that there are already several popular book clubs formed by black women that emphasize books by multicultural authorssuch as Oprah's Book Club, Well-Read Black Girl (which focuses on books by black women), and most recently Nonames Book Club (which focuses on amplifying POC voices).

Caldwell said, While these book clubs dont exclusively focus on literary fiction, upmarket womens fiction, and nonfiction, their picks are rarely genre fiction; theyre rarely secondary-world science fiction and fantasy titles. This isnt just the case for these book clubs: it's an issue across the board. Theres a clear gap and thats where Black Girls with Magic & Books steps in.

There's such a need for it, Caldwell added. There are a lot of up-and-coming black women and gender-non-conforming authors. Some of them feel isolated. How do you create community, how do you pass down [knowledge, information] to the next generation? This is a book club, but its also a network creating a sister-siblinghood in a white industry. Theres so much potential.

Representation is important, insisted Clayton, who is also COO of the nonprofit organization We Need Diverse Books. Explaining that she has always been a voracious reader of SFF novels, Clayton said that in her youth, she never got to see myself in the science fiction and fantasy novels I read. And I know [it] affected my imagination.

Aside from Virginia Hamilton and Octavia Butler, there were very few women of color writing SFF novels that gained any traction during Claytons adolescence. In contrast, she said, I could name so many white male SFF writersI read all of their work.

Part of her motivation in forming a book club that also discusses the craft of writing, Clayton added, is to encourage more writers to enter into that genre. I want to help the next generation of magical storytellers. she said.
COCA-COLA EUROPEAN PARTNERS PLC 2020 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

LONDON, 16 April 2020 - Coca-Cola European Partners plc ("CCEP") announces that the Notice of Meeting for its 2020 Annual General Meeting ("Notice of AGM") is available to view at: https://www.cocacolaep.com/about-us/governance/shareholder-meetings/. The 2019 Integrated Report and Form 20-F ("2019 Integrated Report") was published on 16 March 2020 and can be found at https://ir.cocacolaep.com/financial-reports-and-results/integrated-reports/.

In accordance with the UK Government guidance prohibiting public gatherings, the AGM will be run as a closed meeting and shareholders will not be able to attend and vote in person.

Shareholders are, therefore, strongly encouraged to submit a proxy vote in advance of the AGM by internet, by phone or by post as set out in the Notice of AGM and Form of Proxy. Given the current restrictions on attendance, Shareholders are encouraged to appoint the chairman of the meeting as their proxy rather than a named person who will not be permitted to attend the AGM.

CCEP is closely monitoring developments relating to the current outbreak of COVID-19. The situation is constantly evolving and the UK Government may change current restrictions or implement further measures relating to the holding of general meetings during the affected period. Shareholders are advised to check the CCEP website for updates and details of how to submit questions at: www.cocacolaep.com/about-us/governance/shareholder-meetings/.

The 2019 Integrated Report, Notice of AGM and 2020 Annual General Meeting Form of Proxy ("Form of Proxy") are also being sent to those shareholders who have requested to receive hard copies today.

In compliance with Listing Rule 14.3.6R, the Notice of AGM and Form of Proxy will shortly be available for inspection on the National Storage Mechanism at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

CONTACTS

Company Secretariat

Clare Wardle

T +44 20 7355 8406 Investor Relations

Sarah Willett

+44 7970 145 218 Media Relations

Shanna Wendt

T +44 7976 595 168

ABOUT CCEP

Coca-Cola European Partners plc is a leading consumer goods company in Western Europe, making, selling & distributing an extensive range of non-alcoholic ready to drink beverages & is the world's largest Coca-Cola bottler based on revenue. Coca-Cola European Partners serves a consumer population of over 300 million across Western Europe, including Andorra, Belgium, continental France, Germany, Great Britain, Iceland, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain & Sweden. The Company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam, the New York Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange & on the Spanish Stock Exchanges, trading under the symbol CCEP.

For more information about CCEP, please visit www.cocacolaep.com & follow CCEP on Twitter at @CocaColaEP



This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

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Agriculture out in the cold for credit

Huy Long An Company, a local fruit grower, processor, and exporter, was excited to learn about the credit support programme because it has massive orders and the requisite materials and needs only capital for processing. Vo Quan Huy, director of Huy Long An Company, contacted a bank to learn about the procedures for taking up a loan. However, he was warned that it is difficult for businesses, especially agricultural firms, to access this VND250 trillion package for multiple reasons.

Although the central bank has directed 10 banks to work out the credit support programme, they will take a lot of time to appraise their support packages. Meanwhile, the branches of these banks do not dare to issue preferential packages due to the lack of guidance on disbursement. For now, the support is inaccessible for our businesses, Huy said.

At the same time, agricultural companies proposal to extend debt payments to June have also run aground. The banks advised me to reconsider my application because rescheduling loans would make the existing loans bad debt. In addition, this move will be a stain on the firms credit history, Huy said.

Agricultural businesses are hard-pressed to maintain operations because in the past three months, about 48,200 tonnes of agricultural goods, worth VND410 billion ($17.83 million), were left unsold, according to statistics from the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA).

According to the survey, 80 per cent of businesses reported suffering damage from COVID-19. In general, in the first quarter of this year, surveyed enterprises reported an average decrease of 30-50 per cent in revenue on-year, with some putting the plunge at around 70 per cent compared to the time before the pandemic.

Furthermore, these businesses face financial pressure and find it more difficult to pay loan interests as they have to maintain production with reduced revenue. In addition, the large volume of unsold goods inflates expenses on warehousing and conservation.

With these mounting difficulties, many agricultural firms saw this package as a lifeline that would help them through the pandemic. However, most enterprises were rebutted citing a lack of guidance or authorisation by official authorities or the banks boards of directors. In addition, several businesses reported gentle warning by banks that if they persist with their applications for support due to the impacts of the epidemic, they will be added to the list of unsafe firms and will find it much harder to take up subsequent loans.

Huy from Huy Long An Company, feels that the VND250 trillion package was not aimed for agricultural businesses due to the compulsory requirement of collateral, which is considered an abject weakness of the businesses in this sector. Those find it more difficult to prove the value of their assets than other enterprises because the brunt of their assets are farms with fruits and processing facilities. Besides, agricultural land receives lower valuation during the mortgage process than land used to develop real estate projects.

The collateral condition will likely exclude many (if not the large majority of) agricultural businesses. In addition, these firms have been tasked with ensuring the nations food security, making their operations essential in the fight against the pandemic and the everyday functioning of the nation. Thus, a special mechanism would be ideal motivation for agricultural enterprises to maintain steady operations and meet the demand.

Nguyen Hoang Anh, permanent vice chairman of the VIDA said at the associations recent online meeting with approximately 100 enterprises in attendance that the government should issue a credit package particularly for the agricultural sector with procedures and criteria tailored for their needs. This particular support programme should combine capital assistance with insurance and tax incentives to ensure plentiful production by both farmers and firms. Once their operation and processing activities are on track, firms will be to pay their debts, tax, and even contribute to society once the pandemic is under control, Hoang Anh said.

Another factor speaking for the proposal is the promotion of agricultural goods export. As numerous sectors in quick succession reported plunging export turnovers in the past three months due to COVID-19, agricultural goods are looking at bright prospects thanks to positive export performance.

Notably, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in the first three months of this year, this sector achieved a trade surplus of $2.9 billion, up 48.9 per cent on-year. The total export-import turnover of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products was $15.2 billion. The figure for March alone was $3.5 billion, $1.6 billion of which came from agricultural products.

Khuat Viet Hung, director of Hoi Vu Co., Ltd.  the largest gherkins and canned food producer in Vietnam  said that the pandemic contributed to boosting its exports to Russia. Particularly, after Russia closed border gates and suspended raw agricultural product imports from China, the demand for canned food began soared.

Meanwhile, according to Huy, the demand for food which strengthens the immune system such as bananas has hiked. The export opportunities are reinforced as numerous countries have suspended imports from China. Thus, the company is waiting for the support package to implement its expansion plan to meet this demand, otherwise it would have to use its equity capital.

Agricultural businesses are in urgent need of support, thus the specifics of any upcoming credit package should be hammered out soon, determining which enterprises can enjoy the support without cumbersome inspections, Huy said.

Nguyen Quoc Toan, director of the MARDs Agro Processing and Market Department forecasted that even more opportunities for agricultural exports are opening up as the Chinese market is forecasted to recover in May. In addition, the United States and European markets may recover in the third quarter of this year. This necessitates agricultural companies to prepare now, not only by planting and sowing in time but by acquiring e-commerce capabilities if they wish to seize the opportunities.

Toan added that it is an ideal time to digitise the agricultural sector. Enterprises need to co-operate with state management agencies to control the production process as well as the traceability of goods in order to meet the market demand, Toan said. A support package for the sector in this country would contribute to realising these plans.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus have reduced the demand for fuel and slashed oil prices. Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), the chief long-term cause of climate warming, have slid perhaps by one-fifth and pollution is down, but can we expect COVID-19 to create lasting change in reversing global warming?

"I doubt it," said David Victor, professor of international relations at the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. "While the pandemic might alter societies permanently, the same market forces that drive our dependence on fossil fuels are still in play and may even be reinforced with the economic fallout of COVID-19."

Victor is a Co-director of the UC San Diego Deep Decarbonization Initiative, which is led through a collaboration between the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

Hard economic times may not bode well for societies to get serious about climate change

While energy markets try to stabilize during the economic free-fall COVID-19 has caused, the atmosphere is catching its breath. The results are visible, as evidenced by images that went viral last week of Delhi, India that showed before and after shots of city streets with improved air quality.

However, the greenery has come at a huge, unacceptable cost, Victor noted. And though shock of the novel coronavirus may be expected to catalyze serious solutions to other shared global problems, such as of climate change, prospects appear bleak.

"Just by looking around todaywith everyone stuck at home for the moment and holding meetings on Zoomit is easy to envision a future with a lot less travel," Victor said. "But history suggests that when incomes start growing again and the constraint of locality is lifted then people will spend, again, on mobility. The higher the incomes, the more the money and the more the emissions, at least historically."

Furthermore, Victor points out that hard economic times are usually bad times to mobilize support for aspirational missions such as mitigating climate change which still has abstract benefits to many members of the public.

"The best polling data show that the public wants clean energy, to be sure, but they also want cheap energy," Victor notes. "When pocketbooks are empty, every extra costs looks expensive."

The oil industry is hurting, but likely to make a comeback

The sharp declines in the demand for oil recently spurred OPEC and allies led by Russia to approve the biggest-ever cut to the world's oil supply to arrest the price decline.

With the economic shake up, what changes can we expect from the industry? According to Victor, it will rebound; however, it will likely look a lot different.

"Pecking orders will change a lot," Victor noted in a recent piece for the Brookings Institution on forecasting the future of energy. "In oil, American shale suppliers will be hammered while the core of OPECSaudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, plus perhaps Russiawill have more control. In electricity, reliable firms will remain on top. Consolidation of weak into stronger, bigger firms is likely across the industry. We could even see some large, financially sound state-connected firms take over parts of the industryfor example, Chinese state-owned enterprises that could buy distressed assets on the cheap."

Victor worries, in particular, that all the economic distress caused by the global pandemic will hit small firms and entrepreneurs really hard. "Much of what could really transform the global energy system has been coming from smaller firms that have the flexibility to back radically new ideas, which is much of what we need in effort to reduce emissions."

Political obstacles notwithstanding, deep decarbonization is within reach

Today, energy sources that do not emit are more expensive; however, in the decades to come, innovation could make severe cuts in emissions, also known as "deep decarbonization," achievable at reasonable costs. Victor and collaborators including Michael Davidson, an assistant professor of energy systems who holds a joint appointment with the School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Jacobs School of Engineering, lay out what decarbonization can look like in a new Foreign Affairs article authored by the researchers. At the Jacobs School of Engineering, Davidson is part of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

"Deep Decarbonization translates into reshaping about 10 sectors in the global economyincluding electric power, transportation and parts of agricultureby reinforcing positive change where it is already happening and investing heavily wherever it isn't," they write.

This work is a major driver for Victor and Davidson who both are involved with UC San Diego's Deep Decarbonization Initiative. Victor co-leads the interdisciplinary effort focused on helping the world cut emissions of warming gases given the very real technology, economic and political constraints that exist. Davidson is a key researcher involved in the program.

They note that the power sector offers the most promising avenue for weaning off greenhouse gas emitting energy sources for various reasons.

The impact of electricity use on emissions depends on how clean the energy was that was used to generate it; however, "electrifying" the economy by designing more processes to run on electricity rather than the direct combustion of fuelsis essential.

"This is because, compared with trying to reduce emissions in millions of places where they might occur, it is far easier and more efficient to reduce emissions at a modest number of power plants before distributing the clean electricity by wire," the authors write.

Investments in tech and state support are key ingredients to a greener future

In sectors such as transportation, steel, cement and plastics, companies can be expected to continue to resist profound change unless they are convinced that decarbonization represents an opportunity to increase value and revenue.

Key in these efforts is governments and businesses coming together now to change that. "Not simply with bold-sounding international agreements and marginal tweaks such as mild carbon taxes, but also with a comprehensive industrial policythere will be little hope of reaching net-zero emissions before it's too late," Victor and Davidson noted.

They added, the world needs new technology, and that means more much R&D and a lot of practical experience in testing and deploying new technologies and business strategies at scale.

"Setting bold goals can help," they write. "But new technological facts on the groundsped along by active industrial policy and international cooperationare what will transform the politics and make deep decarbonization a reality."

Explore further Major new study charts course to net zero industrial emissions
The coronavirus crisis will cause Finland's economy to shrink by 5.5 percent this year and its government deficit to increase tenfold, the country's finance ministry forecast on Thursday.

Every month of the current lockdown measures, which have so far seen 100,000 workers temporarily laid off, is negatively impacting Finland's gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 2.0 percent, the ministry said, warning of a contraction of up to 12 percent if the restrictions end up lasting six months.

The impossibility of predicting the spread of the virus makes the current economic outlook "extremely uncertain", the ministry said.

"The danger is that the longer the economy suffers, the greater the difficulty in reviving it," Mikko Spolander of Finland's finance ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said it expects unemployment to rise to 8 percent from its current 6.9 percent this year, after employment ministry figures suggested almost 400,000 jobs are in danger of being laid off in the country of 5.5 million people.

Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni has said the government expects to release a total rescue package of 15 billion euros ($16.3 billion) during 2020.

The ministry forecast a return to 1.3 percent growth in each of the following two years as two key drivers of Finland's economy, the forestry and construction sectors, start to recover.

But it predicted that any recovery would be slow to fix the hole in government finances, with the budget deficit rising almost tenfold to 16.6 billion euros this year, or 7.2 percent of GDP.

Government finances "will remain substantially in deficit in the coming years," the ministry said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A landlord whose tenants received misleading eviction warnings as Louisianas coronavirus crisis began is now threatening legal action against renters in Algiers who havent paid up.

Orleans Parish judges have halted evictions until at least May 4, but the new notices from landlord Joshua Brunos company tell tenants to pay or vacate and promise appropriate legal action if they do not.

The notices drew exasperated responses from tenants, City Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer and legal advocates who say they run afoul of the new federal stimulus act. But Bruno argued the new law didnt apply to him  and sought to put the blame on tenants.

+3 Eviction warning amid coronavirus crisis draws outrage in New Orleans: 'People need help, not harm' The notice with the apartment company's name was taped to the front door of a shotgun double in Treme on Wednesday morning.

The situation at the Cypress Park apartment complex highlights the conflicts that may be brewing in many places: Renters whove lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis are failing to make rent payments to landlords, who are barred for now from evicting them.

Despite the eviction moratorium, several tenants of Brunos MetroWide Apartments company received notices last month warning that evictions will continue. Bruno disavowed those notices and blamed them on an errant groundskeeper.

But this week notices to vacate began arriving at the Algiers complex, and Bruno didn't disclaim those. Instead, he said that while he acknowledges he cant kick any tenants out now, he intends to do so once the courts reopen.

A large number have been carrying balances PRIOR to corona, and have failed on on promises to pay BEFORE corona and after  and have ignored all calls and texts in attempt to work out agreement and or provide us with any information other than telling off my office team, Bruno said in an email.

But even if tenants have a history of nonpayment, Bruno is barred by law from sending them notices to vacate, according to Hannah Adams, an attorney at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services who represents low-income tenants.

Adams, whos sparred with Bruno in court before, said the federal CARES Act signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27 prohibits landlords who receive money through programs like Section 8 from issuing notices to vacate.

Bruno cannot file for an eviction, charge fees for late rent or issue vacate notices until July 25 at properties receiving most federal subsidies, including federally backed mortgages, Adams said.

Bruno has a different interpretation.

We of course follow all laws both state and federal but disagree completely with the slanderous and libel(ous) statements made by Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, he said in an email.

More tenants could be in a similar situation whenever the eviction moratorium ends, Adams said. She worries that renters throughout the city could face eviction threats or notices to vacate from landlords who are covered by the CARES Act, without knowing that they should be protected.

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Judges will need to require that landlords provide proof that their property is NOT covered by the CARES Act as part of their burden, or risk mass eviction of protected tenants in violation of federal law, she said.

One of Brunos tenants at the Algiers apartment complex said the notice to vacate added to her anxiety during an already uncertain time.

Johnquil Kelley said she didnt make rent on April 1 because she lost her job at a French Quarter restaurant when the pandemic prompted a near-total shutdown of the hospitality industry.

Meanwhile, someone recently stole the air conditioning unit that sat outside her apartment, she said, and shes been trying for weeks to get MetroWide to give her a replacement. Then came the vacate notice printed on red paper, she said.

At first Im like, this is illegal. But now Im kind of worried, because I dont really know what extremes hell go to at this point. Im not sure what hell do, she said.

Long-term tenants tossed from New Orleans motels despite order halting evictions during pandemic Jaronda Hinton has heard over and over that she cant be evicted. Her friends, neighbors and the lawyers trying to keep her housed say she can

The situation has drawn the attention of Palmer, whose office has attempted to intervene on Kelleys behalf. The councilwoman said she has previously butted heads with Bruno over the condition of another apartment complex in Algiers.

This is pretty typical, Palmer said of the notice Kelley received. She voiced concern that Kelley might have received the notice as payback for complaining about the AC unit.

We do not need him in Algiers. He owns slum property and he does not clean it up, Palmer said.

+7 Hotel hosting New Orleans homeless a 'time bomb for coronavirus,' medical staff say A downtown New Orleans hotel where nearly 200 homeless people have been housed during the coronavirus pandemic is failing to follow basic heal

Bruno said Kelley was a problem tenant. He accused her of threatening his employees and implied that she might have had something to do with the missing air conditioner.

Out of ALL OUR apartments this ONE tenant seems to be having items stolen ONLY from her unit as fast as we can replace them, he said.

Kelley denied threatening MetroWide employees or stealing her own AC unit. "Thats crazy, she said.

On some of the hot days since she lost her unit, shes been forced to rent a hotel room to house her 4-year-old son, she said. Other times, shes resorted to ice cream to keep him cool.

You feel like youre so bad as a parent, she said. This is making me feel guilty, and I shouldnt have to feel guilty.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An Alaska native corporation that is one of the primary landowning groups along a proposed road to mining prospects in Alaskas interior says it wants an agreement with the states development bank concerning access to its property.

The native corporation, Doyon Ltd., said it has not been adequately consulted and needs more information before approving the Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Project, The Alaska Journal of Commerce reported Wednesday.

Doyon Ltd. CEO Aaron Schutt expressed the Alaska Native regional corporations concerns in an open letter to Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority Executive Director Tom Boutin April 7.

Schutt emphasized the authority does not have an access agreement with Doyon either for a road right-of-way or additional field work on its land.

AIDEA and its contractors do not have permission to enter or cross Doyon lands to conduct any field work in the summer of 2020, or at any time, Schutt wrote, noting the authority does not have eminent domain authority granted to some state agencies.

While the authority has been involved with the Bureau of Land Management on environmental review, AIDEA has for years failed to engage with Doyon in any meaningful communication regarding the project, Schutt wrote.

The development and export authority approved funding for the project commonly known as the Ambler road.

The industrial road of nearly 200 miles (320 kilometres) would stretch from Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining District northeast of Kotzebue and cross Gates of the Arctic National Park to access an undeveloped copper-zinc mineral belt.

Doyon is the largest private landowner in the state with title to nearly 18,000 square miles (46,620 square kilometres), including land the road would cross.

Doyon is open to discussing the project and requests that authority officials provide Doyon with technical information for the road portion that would cross its land, Schutt said.

Under the authoritys plan, the agency would own the road and recoup development costs through tolls paid by mining companies.

Many area residents have expressed concerns about the road, fearing a new route into the remote area could bring more hunters.

The authority is committed to working with all stakeholders to move this project forward in a responsible manner to provide economic growth and job opportunities, spokesman Karsten Rodvik said in an email.
Program features Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, International Rescue Committee President and CEO David Miliband and

Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc. (OTCPINK:LFAP), ("LGBTQ Loyalty" or "the Company"), a financial methodology and media company that quantifies corporate equality alignment with the LGBTQ community, is sponsoring a Bloomberg Equality Virtual Briefing today entitled, "Who Gets Care in a Crisis?"

This Bloomberg Live event will feature conversations on the challenges of equitable care in the U.S. healthcare system and in some of the world's poorest countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hour-long event kicks off at 12 PM ET.



Register here to view the event. It will also be streamed on Bloomberg.com, the Bloomberg Terminal and on social media channels.

"We are thrilled to partner with Bloomberg Live on an event that closely aligns with our mission of advancing equality," said Bobby Blair, CEO of LGBTQ Loyalty. "It takes on special importance in light of the unique challenges facing our country and the world today. By shining a spotlight on the need for equal access to vital resources such as healthcare, we hope to put diversity and inclusion back at the forefront of the national conversation - something we are uniquely positioned to do given our role within the LGBTQ community."



Throughout the briefing, leaders on the frontlines of health care, government and policy will discuss what can be done to protect and serve some of the most vulnerable in the population. A panel featuring Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, whose cities are on the pandemic frontlines, will kick off the event. International Rescue Committee President and CEO David Miliband and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius will participate in one-one-one interviews.

Jason Kelly and Carol Massar, co-hosts of Bloomberg Television and Radio's Bloomberg Businessweek program, will moderate the briefing. Kelly is also Bloomberg's New York Bureau chief.

The Equality Virtual Briefing is a part of Bloomberg's flagship Equality franchise, now in its third year. Visit bloomberglive.com to learn more.

For more information about LGBTQ Loyalty, please visit https://lgbtqloyalty.com.

About LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc.

LGBTQ Loyalty is a financial methodology and media company that quantifies corporate equality alignment with the LGBTQ community and its supporters. The Company has benchmarked the first-ever U.S. Loyalty Preference Index, which the Company believes will empower the LGBTQ community to express their preferences for the nation's high-performing corporations most dedicated to advancing equality. Branded as LGBTQ100 ESG Index, it is an environmental, social and governance ("ESG") Index that offers an added perspective for those seeking to align with equality-driven, ESG-responsible corporations. LGBTQ Loyalty's leadership includes seasoned authorities in the financial industry and LGBTQ community.

Contact:

LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc.

750 N. San Vicente Boulevard

Suite 800 West

West Hollywood, CA 90069

press@lgbtqloyalty.com

LGBTQloyalty.com

1-310-870-9661

SOURCE: LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585328/LGBTQ-Loyalty-to-Sponsor-Bloomberg-Equality-Virtual-Briefing-Today-Who-Gets-Care-in-a-Crisis
State Forest Rangers responded recently to wilderness rescues involving lost hikers.

The following incidents took place between April 4 and 11. All specifics below were supplied by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Town of Dresden, Washington County

Wilderness Rescue: On April 11 at 7:35 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker reporting his brother was overdue returning from Black Mountain. The caller stated that they last saw the 15-year-old male from Hudson Falls on the summit of Black Mountain at 5:30 p.m., when he proceeded down the trail alone. The teen was reported as having only his cell phone and the clothes he was wearing. Forest Rangers Evan Donegan and Mark St. Claire responded to the location, and at 8:15 p.m., Dispatch established text contact with the hiker and advised him to call 911. Washington County 911 got coordinates from his call, which placed him by a stream off the trail but near a road. Ranger St. Claire proceeded down the road from the trailhead where he was able to see the hikers cell phone light. Ranger St. Claire located the hiker, escorted him out of the woods, and gave him a ride back to the trailhead where he was met by his family. All Rangers were cleared from the scene at 9:26 p.m.

Village of Warsaw,Wyoming County

Wilderness Rescue: On April 8 at 11:23 p.m., NYSP in Batavia contacted DECs Central Dispatch requesting assistance in locating a missing 13-year-old boy in the village of Warsaw. The boy was playing with friends near his home when he went missing. Forest Ranger Lt. Tim Flanigan responded to the scene to conduct interviews and assist with the search. Forest Ranger John Kennedy also responded and conducted drone flights while the Warsaw Police Department, Wyoming County Sheriffs Office, friends, family, and volunteers searched the area. On April 9 at 5:45 a.m., Warsaw Police Officer Nick Wright located the boy and transported him back home where he was evaluated by Warsaw Ambulance and turned over to his parents. Ranger Kennedy interviewed the boy and discovered that at approximately 7 p.m., he was playing tag with his two brothers and a friend in a wooded area near his residence when the group ran ahead without him. He could not catch up with the others and became disoriented. After walking for some time, he saw lights and started heading in that direction. He came out of the woods at a nearby hardware center and sat on a bench. Officer Wright spotted the boy there and helped him to return home. Rangers were cleared of the scene at 8 a.m.

Town of Shandaken, Ulster County

Wilderness Rescue: On April 7 at 12:52 a.m., the Ulster County Sheriffs Office contacted DECs Central Dispatch requesting assistance with a search for a 26-year-old missing woman from the town of Shandaken. The womans mother contacted the Shandaken Police Department at 10 p.m., and police responded along with a New York State Police (NYSP) canine unit. Forest Ranger Kevin Slade arrived at the womans residence and interviewed her mother. Rangers Slade and Anastasia Allwine then hiked behind the residence to conduct a search in the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area. Forest Rangers Philip Parlier, Cameron Sweeney, Griggsby Cowart, Jeffrey Breigle, Stephen Ellis, and Katherine Fox also responded and began searching neighborhood homes, outbuildings, and public and private lands. At 9:50 a.m., Ranger Ellis located the missing woman approximately two miles from her home on state land. Ranger Ellis drove her back to her residence where she was evaluated by Shandaken Rescue. All Rangers were cleared of the scene at 10:45 a.m.

Town of Warrensburg, Warren County

Wilderness Rescue: On April 5 at 3:50 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DECs Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a group of three girls lost on Hackensack Mountain. A 17-year-old, 10-year-old, and four-year-old from Warrensburg took a walk and lost the trail. Coordinates provided by 911 placed the group in the woods near a private road. Forest Ranger Art Perryman responded to their location and brought the girls out to Pennock Drive where they were met by parents.

Town of Indian Lake, Hamilton County

Wilderness Rescue: On April 4 at 6:20 p.m., Hamilton County 911 transferred a call to DECs Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a family of hikers from Johnstown took the wrong trail while visiting Rock Lake in the Blue Mountain Wild Forest area. Dispatch called the family, and with coordinates obtained through 911, placed them near the end of the Rock River Trail about three miles from the trailhead. Forest Ranger Lt. Brian Dubay directed the hikers to head south on the trail and pass straight through the four-way intersection to reach their vehicle. Forest Ranger Gary Miller was notified, responded to the trailhead, and started walking in to meet with the family. At 8:27 p.m., Dispatch contacted the hikers again and requested new coordinates that showed they had taken a left at the intersection and were heading down a snowmobile trail that eventually parallels Route 28. With this information, Ranger Miller returned to his vehicle and drove down Route 28 to the groups last known location and was able to make voice contact with the family. The Ranger then entered the woods, found the family, and at 9:15 p.m. everyone was out and heading back home.

DEC Headquarters

Forest Ranger Promoted: Congratulations to Forest Ranger Jaime Laczko on receiving his Captain bars from DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. Laczko was promoted from Lieutenant on April 2, 2020. Captain Laczko will be responsible for emergency management and response for the Division of Forest Protections Albany headquarters. He will work closely with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Northeast Fire Protection Commission, and will serve as agency contact to DECs federal agency wildfire partners.

Statewide

New York State Covid-19 Response: DEC personnel from across agency divisions and regions statewide are supporting the States response to COVID-19. Personnel from more than 20 New York State agencies are working on response efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. DEC Forest Rangers expertise in the Incident Command System (ICS) and experience in applying ICS to wide area searches and large wildland fire have made them a key part of this statewide effort.

Several DEC Forest Rangers are part of the New York State Incident Management Team, or IMT, an interagency team comprised of personnel from various state, county, and local agencies who represent a variety of disciplines. The IMT assists Incident Command personnel and emergency managers in ensuring a prompt, efficient, and organized response to complex incidents.

READ MORE

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What you need to know about the DECs new, totally online hunter safety course

NY deer hunting: More bucks killed this fall, but overall total down compared to 2018

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During a virtual Petersburg School Board meeting on Tuesday, Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter recommended that the board postpone talks on the Alaska Reads Act, which is a senate bill being put forth by Alaska legislators to address early childhood education.

If passed, Senate Bill 6 would mandate school districts offer a preschool program and ensure students are reading proficiently by third grade. Kludt-Painter recommended further discussions on the topic be postponed because of local and statewide unknowns about how the senate bill will look if it's passed.

Board President Sarah Holmg...
Former Nagorno-Karabakh PM Wins Election

By RFE/RL April 15, 2020

The former prime minister of the unrecognized region of Nagorno-Karabakh has won a runoff presidential election in the disputed region, an expected result after his rival asked his supporters not to vote in the second round.

De facto election officials in the breakaway Azerbaijani region said on April 15 that Arayik (Ara) Harutyunian, a wealthy businessman, received 88 percent of the vote, compared with 12 percent for Masis Mayilian.

The runoff was held on April 14 amid international criticism and safety concerns due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Mayilyan had called on voters to stay away from the second round to minimize the spread of the virus, though some opposition figures have questioned the legitimacy of the first-round results, claiming violations.

In the initial vote on March 31, Harutyunian won around 49 percent, just short of the majority needed for an outright victory. Mayilian finished second with 26.4 percent.

Voters appeared to heed Mayilian's call, with turnout falling to just under 45 percent in the second round, compared with more than 72 percent in the first round.

Nagorno-Karabakh was seized by Armenian-backed separatists who declared independence amid a 1988-1994 conflict that killed at least 30,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Since a fragile, Russian-brokered truce in 1994, the region has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces that Azerbaijan says include troops supplied by Armenia. The region's claim to independence has not been recognized by any country.

Since then, periodic skirmishes have taken place in the region.

Russia, the United States, and France are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which acts as a mediator in resolving the crisis. The group has been struggling for years to mediate a solution.

After the first round of what it called "the so-called 'presidential and parliamentary elections' in Nagorno-Karabakh," the European Union reminded the region's leaders that it does not recognize their entity.

The OSCE Minsk group also issued a statement on March 31 saying it does "recognize the role of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh in deciding its future," but reminded the de facto leaders of the breakaway region that "Nagorno-Karabakh is not recognized as an independent and sovereign state" by any country.

"Accordingly, the co-chairs do not accept the results of these 'elections' as affecting the legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh and stress that the results in no way prejudge the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh or the outcome of the ongoing negotiations to bring a lasting and peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the statement said.

With reporting by Armenpress, RIA Novosti, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/former-nagorno-karabakh -pm-wins-election/30556026.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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By PTI

PESHAWAR: Police in Pakistan on Thursday gunned down two terrorists during an encounter in the country's restive northwest.

The Counter-Terrorism Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police conducted a security operation in the Swat district after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in the area.

Two terrorists were gunned down in the encounter.

The police also seized huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession.

In a separate incident, two Afghan nationals were killed and three injured in hand grenade attack in tribal district South Waziristan.
WHO at Forefront of Coronavirus Fight But Not Without Controversy

By Ken Bredemeier April 15, 2020

President Donald Trump's announced intention to halt U.S. funding to the World Health Organization is shining a new spotlight on the U.N. agency's role in combating the coronavirus pandemic and whether it has been too deferential to China, where the virus first erupted.

WHO was one of numerous international organizations created as part of the U.N. in the years after World War II and for seven decades has played a key role in shaping the response to global health crises. Over the years, WHO has helped eradicate smallpox, reduced polio cases by 99% and been on the front lines of the battle against such outbreaks as Ebola.

But the controversy over Trump's bid to halt the estimated $445 million the U.S. contributes annually to WHO's $4.8 billion budget  the most of any country  comes at a crucial time. There is no cure or vaccine  and may not be for months or a year  for the disease that as of Wednesday afternoon EDT had killed more than 133,000 people around the globe.

Trump, who has blamed U.S. state governors for not stockpiling medical equipment needed to treat coronavirus patients, himself downplayed the threat the coronavirus posed to the United States for weeks earlier this year before declaring a national emergency in mid-March.

In halting U.S. support for WHO, Trump blamed its deference to China, one of the agency's key funding countries, for keeping the world from reacting faster to the pandemic.

First report

After China first reported a mysterious but small number of pneumonia cases December 31, WHO said in early January that it had asked for more information from Beijing but advised "against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the current information available on this event."

In late January, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sat alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing's Great Hall of the People and praised China's response to the coronavirus crisis.

"We appreciate the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have demonstrated," Tedros said. Chinese state media quoted the comments for weeks.

Trump, at Tuesday night's coronavirus briefing, said, "With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America's generosity [to WHO] has been put to the best use possible."

Here is a primer on WHO:

The agency was founded in 1948 and now is run by 194 member states. It was created to coordinate international health policy for the United Nations, particularly on infectious diseases.

Each country sends health experts to represent it in the World Health Assembly, WHO's decision- and policymaking body. The assembly meets annually in Geneva.

WHO has regional headquarters in Africa, North and South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific. It has 7,000 employees spread across 150 field offices throughout the world.

Structure, funding criticized

Despite WHO's success in helping eradicate smallpox and all but eliminating polio, the agency has drawn criticism over the years as too bureaucratic, badly structured and too dependent on major donors.

WHO acknowledged its poor response to the 2013-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The agency took five months to declare a public health emergency of international concern over Ebola. One academic assessment said the delay "undoubtedly contributed to the unprecedented scale of the outbreak."

In 2014, former WHO consultant Charles Clift wrote that the agency "is too politicized, too bureaucratic, too dominated by medical staff seeking medical solutions to what are often social and economic problems, too timid in approaching controversial issues, too overstretched and too slow to adapt to change."

WHO gets its funding from throughout the world, but only partly from individual countries. International organizations, private donors and its parent organization, the U.N., also fund WHO.

Each member state in WHO pays dues based on the country's wealth and population. But these dues constitute only about a quarter of WHO's funding. The remainder comes from voluntary contributions, effectively donations from countries around the world or individual donors.

US tops donor list

The U.S. is the biggest donor, giving $893 million in the two-year, 2018-19 funding cycle. Of that figure, $237 million came from required membership dues and $656 million from donations.

The second-biggest national donor, the United Kingdom, paid $434.8 million in dues and donations during that same time span. China contributed nearly $86 million.

The U.S. voluntary donations amounted to nearly 15% of the world total. The second-biggest donor was the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, buttressed by Bill Gates' wealth as co-founder of Microsoft Corp.

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Forbes 30 under 30 female entrepreneur Samanah Duran, aims to support female NHS frontline workers battling coronavirus with the launch a sponsored giveaway through BEYOUROWN alongside women owned businesses part of the female entrepreneurs Membership Club.

LONDON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BEYOUROWN are helping their community of female NHS frontline workers fighting through the COVID-19 pandemic by teaming up with celebrity loved brands including Lucy Choi London, MOXI Loves launched by BBC The Apprentices's Pamela Laird, LFW's blogger brand favourite Amschela, and Richard Branson backed award-winning drinks brand Double Dutch to donate selected winners a pamper package.

"BEYOUROWN really encourages women across the globe to become powerful successful female entrepreneurs, but there is a huge responsibly that comes with being both powerful and successful and that includes supporting our communities as much as possible. We simply cannot thank the NHS frontline workers for what they have done, they need to be celebrated and applauded more" said Samanah Duran.

Notes To Editor:

Forbes 30 under 30 honouree Samanah Duran is a British entrepreneur and media personality with a fierce emphasis on inspiring each individual to embrace their identity and to take pride in their individuality. First known for the crafting of private equity backed indulgent streetwear brand Critics Clothing established back in 2012, Samanah is best known for her work within female entrepreneurship and digital media, having built on that concept as an extension of Critics Clothing, by launching digital media and news company BEYOUROWN.

Since its launch in 2016, BEYOUROWN has been on a mission to lead women with a vision. Led by founder, CEO & contributing editor, Samanah Duran, BEYOUROWN's rapid growth & evolution is down to continuously delivering a fresh perspective from a wide community of the most affluential, influential and entrepreneurial game-changing women of today. By successfully striking up collaborations, media partnerships and sponsorships deals with a mixture of the UK's promising SME's to global organisations, Samanah has leveraged this to bring BEYOUROWN's brand value to an estimated 1 million.

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What lies beyond the pandemic? MassForward is MassLives series examining the journey of Massachusetts small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.

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In early March, weeks prior to Gov. Charlie Bakers emergency order prohibiting restaurants from serving patrons in dining areas, business began to slow at The Hangover Pub in Worcester. While the coronavirus pandemic was still more than a month away from its anticipated surge in the city, residents were already avoiding crowded areas.

Even when we were open, that first week it really started to hit the U.S., sales went down immediately, owner Michael Arrastia said.

A little more than a month later, his restaurant is empty. Last Saturday, a pair of cars sat outside the building in the Canal District, normally the site of a thriving weekend nightlife. This night, the cars were alone, their lights on, motors running. Two people waited inside for orders - one a customer, the other a delivery service.

Sales since Bakers order have plummeted by about 80%.

It would be really sad for me and my family to let go of the countless, the thousands of hours I put into this, thats where the heartbreak is, Arrastia said. Its not even about money. Its about the future.

The passion invested in the location is exactly how Arrastia plans to navigate both the Hangover Pub and Broth despite the drop in business. The stay-at-home order has forced businesses in Worcester to alter their strategies in order to generate revenue and survive into the future.

The Hangover Pub now highlights family-style meals and pizza. Arrastia also hopes to take advantage of the states order that allows restaurants to sell alcohol to go.

I do think it will be a small bump in income, Arrastia said. I do appreciate the forward-thinking of the governor.

Like many restaurant owners across the state, Arrastia spent thousands on alcohol to stock up for St. Patricks Day. The governors order closed on-site consumption the day before.

In Worcester, you have to have green beer or Guinness, Arrastia said. I had to buy some particular stuff that I dont normally have in my inventory.

Now pouring draft growlers!!!! 64oz. The current line up is ... 20$ Grimm- classic rewind west coast IPA , 20$ Bells-... Posted by The Hangover Pub on Friday, April 10, 2020

Crust Bakeshop, as its name implies, normally offers baked goods such as bread to go with coffee. During the pandemic it is actually trying to take advantage of new items. While the shop had a strong takeout base, to begin with, co-owner Alexis Kelleher expanded its selection with more grocery store-like items.

Shes also started implementing an online ordering system - something that usually takes months to install - will now be finished in weeks.

Everything I have is tied up in that business, Kelleher said. At the end of this, there will be a whole other level of devastation to not have that piece of myself. The pressure, its fight or flight. You fight for your business.

While Crust and The Hangover Pub each had a following when the pandemic reached the United States, Nuestra and Creative Cakes were just beginning.

Nuestra opened in January while Creative Cakes opened in the Worcester Public Market in early March.

Each vendor normally offers prepared food - a model hundreds of years old. During the pandemic, theyve added do-it-yourself options.

Nuestra introduced create-your-own empanadas this week. Heading into the Easter holiday, Creative Cakes offered design-at-home cupcakes kits.

People were looking for things to do with their children, said Colleen Nadeau, of Creative Cakes. So we marketed that on social media. That was a big hit.

Were so happy to have helped these cuties have a sweet day today with our Decorate Your Own Cupcake Kit. Thank you to their great mom for sharing some pics of their cupcake adventure!   Posted by Creative Cakes by Colleen on Friday, March 27, 2020

Social media allows each to market their evolutions for free.

New payment collection devices like Venmo and Square card readers make digital payments possible. During the pandemic, restaurants have had to add marketing and research and development to their operation. Much of it falls on the owner.

Were fighting. Were going to survive regardless. Theres no way I put that much blood, sweat and so many tears into this place to fail, Natalie Rodriguez of Nuestra said. Failing is not an option whatsoever.

Originally, the pandemic forced Rodriguez to cut the hours of her staff. Through offering daily specials of Puerto Rican cuisine that no other restaurant has, shes been able to actually add to hours back recently.

Favorites have been specialties her children suggest and the Jibarito Burger.

Running out of ideas and things to do with little ones at home? Make empandillas! Empanadas, pastelillitos, turnovers,... Posted by Nuestra on Monday, April 13, 2020

But the days, you cant tell whats going to happen, Rodriguez said. Theyre all over the place.

Its a problem other businesses share. One day business may be slow, the following day, through online ordering, a dozen orders may flow in at the same time.

Even Nuestras success is relative. While Rodriguez has been able to increase the hours of some staff, it still falls short of January or February.

As nimble as businesses can be, they were opened to serve people at their establishments. Its something they are eager to return to.

Its just a whole other system, Arrastia said. We werent built to put out hundreds of meals in to-go containers and all at the same time.

MassForward is MassLive's series examining the journey of Massachusetts' small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.

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A 24-year-old tiler, Abdualai Karim, aka JJ, who was facing multiple charges of rape, robbery and stealing at Sunyani Circuit court but escaped from police cells has been slapped with six years imprisonment in hard labour.

 He was convicted on his plea.

He offered explanation for his action but was not taken and consequently convicted on two counts of assault on public officer and escaping from lawful custody.

His plea for mitigation was refused by the court presided over by Sylvester Nii Okai Ablor.

His plea was not taken because according to the judge it was not the first time the convict had escaped from lawful custody on 30, March, 2020.

Prosecuting, Superintendent Joseph Apallo, said the convict was facing charges of rape, robbery and stealing at a Sunyani circuit court and was remanded at Sunyani Municipal Police cells to re-appear on 31, March 2020 but escaped through the help of his cell mates.

General Sergeant Ocloo George Padmore, the police officer on duty before Karim escaped was subsequently given 10 days to produce the suspect or face service enquiry.

The Bono Regional Police command consequently placed GHC5,000 prize on his head for anybody who would volunteer information leading to his arrest.

He said acting upon intelligence, the police proceeded to Yeliwongo in the Upper East Region, a town between the border with Burkina Faso where the suspect had sought refuge and about 11 pm on April 13 ,2020, he was arrested and brought to Sunyani.

The prosecutor told the court the action of the accused has caused a lot to the police administration with some officers on interdiction and changes made to police hierarchy at the Sunyani Municipal Police station.

The accused admitted the offence but explained that he was aided by Francis Nsor and Yussif Abubakar to escape because the investigator in his case had advised his counsel to stop defending him at court.

After listening to his plea and the prosecution, the judge slapped him with six year jail term.

'I take into consideration his conduct and the fact that it was not the first act of this kind. His conduct was to evade the justice process and avoid any trial pending against him. If not that the boarder was closed, he would have escaped.

He therefore sentenced him into 3 years imprisonment on each count to run consecutively in hard labour.

Abdul Karim will come back to court again on 21, April, 2020 to face his substantive charges of rape, robbery and stealing.

---Daily Guide
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 20:04:15|Editor: huaxia

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Military medics salute to the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 15, 2020. With the approval of Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, military medics who were dispatched to Hubei Province to assist with the treatment of COVID-19 patients have left the provincial capital city of Wuhan after completing their mission. The medics were transported by chartered flights and trains. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

WUHAN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- With the approval of Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, military medics who were dispatched to Hubei Province to assist with the treatment of COVID-19 patients have left the provincial capital city of Wuhan after completing their mission.

The medics were transported by chartered flights and trains.

Following the instructions of Xi, the Chinese military has sent more than 4,000 medical personnel to help fight COVID-19 in the hardest-hit city of Wuhan since Jan. 24.

During their mission, three hospitals supported by the military medics provided 2,856 beds and admitted 7,198 COVID-19 patients.

While successfully completing their treatment mission, none of the medics were infected by the disease.

Medical experts from the military have helped improve the patient admission and survival rates and reduce the mortality rate.

Scientific researchers at the front line have developed a vaccine that was approved to enter clinical trials, making important contributions to winning the fight against COVID-19.

In the meantime, the anti-virus transport support team of military forces stationed in Hubei have completed their mission of ensuring the logistics of daily supplies in Wuhan and left the city.
Another lethal case was recorded in Kyiv.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has said the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city rose by 32 in the past day, bringing a total to 644.

In the past day, another lethal case was recorded [in Kyiv]. Thus, there are already 12 COVID-19 deaths in the capital. Eleven women aged 29 to 80 and a two-year-old girl, as well as 20 men aged 19 to 60 are among those infected, including one healthcare worker," he told an online briefing, as reported by an UNIAN correspondent on April 16.

Read alsoTemperature screening introduced on roads leading to Kyiv

Klitschko said three new patients had been hospitalized, while the rest remained in self-isolation, undergoing treatment at home under medical supervision.

In particular, 184 cases were recorded in the city's Pechersky district, 67 in Shevchenkivsky and Solomyansky districts each, 46 in Dniprovsky district, 27 in Sviatoshynsky district, 40 in Desniansky district, 28 in Podilsky districts, 47 in Holosiyivsky district, 33 in Obolonsky district, and 105 in Darnytsky district.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Ukraine stood at 4,161 as of Thursday morning, April 16. A total of 116 COVID-19 deaths and 186 recoveries have been recorded in the country.
WOOD RIVER  Three new coronavirus-related deaths were announced Thursday afternoon by the Madison County Health Department, bringing the county total to five since April 7.

Madison County Health Department Director Toni Corona said the deceased included a woman in her 60s, a woman in her 70s and man in his 60s. The department does not release identifications of victims.

It is with a sad heart that we make this announcement today, Chairman Kurt Prenzler said in a prepared statement. We will pray for their families as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.

The announcement came the same day the Illinois Department of Public Health announced 125 more deaths statewide, the largest single-day increase since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Clair and Monroe counties on Thurday also reported additional deaths.

Statewide, the total number of deaths on Thursday was 1,072. IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike also announced 1,140 new cases, for a total of 25,733 statewide.

While these numbers are disheartening, I dont want people to despair, Ezike said. She added people need resolve to get through this.

Corona said its vital for county residents to continue to adhere to the stay-at-home order. She emphasized the importance of only going out for out essential services and only when absolutely necessary. When people go out, she said, they need to practice healthy hygiene  washing hands, following social distancing, and wearing a mask.

More Information Area COVID-19 cases by county St. Clair - 239 (14 deaths) Madison - 149 (5 deaths) Monroe - 50 (5 deaths) Montgomery - 9 (1 death) Bond - 4 (1 death) Macoupin - 18 Jersey - 8 Washington - 4 Greene - 1 Calhoun - 1 Sources: Illinois Department of Public Health and Madison County Health Department See More Collapse

Her department on Thursday reported a total of 149 confirmed cases, up 12 from Wednesdays count. That includes 33 people hospitalized, and 56 recovered, meaning they have completed isolation.

IDPH information by ZIP code showed additional cases in the Alton, Godfrey, Jerseyville, Wood River, Edwardsville, Troy, Granite City/Pontoon Beach and Collinsville areas. The number listed for Madison dropped from seven to six. Health officials said figures can change because of coding errors or determination that a patient actuall lived in another area.

Case counts by ZIP code include:

 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach)  28

 62002 (Alton)  25

 62025 (Edwardsville)  22

 62234 (Collinsville)  15

 62294 (Troy)  10

 62035 (Godfrey)  8

 62034 (Glen Carbon)  8

 62052 (Jerseyville)  7

 62095 (Wood River)  7

 62060 (Madison)  6

The IDPH lists case numbers by ZIP code for areas with more than five cases. Numbers are not released for ZIP codes with fewer cases to protect the privacy of patients.

The information is available on the IDPH website www.dph.illinois.gov. Select the coronavirus banner, then COVID-19 statistics in the drop-down menu on the left side.

Locally, the IDPH on Thursday also said additional cases have also been reported in Macoupin, St. Clair, Monroe and Washington counties.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said the state has relaxed the rules on who can be tested for COVID-19. The new criteria will include all those who are experiencing COVID-like symptoms. While that will expand the testing criteria, Pritzker advised people with mild symptoms to call ahead before going to a testing site.

Both Pritzker and Ezike have emphasized increased testing is vital to dealing with the virus and relaxing rules on stay-at-home and social distancing. Ezike said research suggests people with the virus are most contagious when they become symptomatic, or a day or two before. She also said it appears many secondary cases become infected during the pre-symptomatic phase.

Thats why wide-spread testing is so important, she said. She discussed the different kinds of tests, ranging from tests for the actual virus to those for immunity.

We are working hard to evaluate the test for immunity as they come online, so that the very best of these tests will be offered in this state, she said. We need to know who has virus now, or who had the virus in the past. Until we have a vaccine, testing is the way to gather best information.

Pritzker also announced he and the governors of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Kentucky will work in close coordination to reopen the economy in the Midwest region. Missouri and Iowa governors were not included in that list.

In a joint news release, the seven governers said when it comes time to reopen state economies they will closely examine factors such as sustained control of the rate of new infections and hospitalizations; enhanced ability to test and trace; sufficient health care capacity to handle resurgence; and best practices for social distancing in the workplace.

Phasing in sectors of the economy would be most effective if the states work together as a region, they said. Not all of the economy will reopen at once the same time, they said, and not every state will take the same steps at the same time.

For the latest information on COVID-19 or coronavirus resources, visit the Madison County Health Department online at www.madisonchd.org or on Facebook @MadisonCHD. Also visit www.co.madison.il.us for more news and a daily update or on Facebook @MadisonCountyIL.
India on Thursday received 650,000 testing kits from China even as efforts were ramped up to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies from countries such as South Korea, France and Canada, people familiar with developments said.

The supplies from China were despatched on two cargo flights against the backdrop of concerns about some earlier consignments from Chinese firms failing to clear quality tests in India. The people cited above, speaking on condition of anonymity, said steps are being taken to source goods only from companies that fulfil the requirements for exports from China.

Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage

The Indian embassy in Beijing tweeted that it is important to ensure product quality as well as reasonable and stable prices. It called on Chinas National Medical Products Administration to expedite registration of Chinese firms, especially those with export orders and already licenced by Indian regulatory bodies.

Thursdays consignment was part of 1.5 million testing kits to be procured from Chinese firms over the next two weeks.

The external affairs ministry has been coordinating the governments efforts to acquire vital supplies from other countries, including identifying suppliers, obtaining quotations, and coordinating with clearing agents, airlines and local authorities to ensure timely deliveries, the people said.

Also read | Covid-19: No immediate plans to evacuate stranded Indians abroad

As part of these efforts, the first lot of 300,000 rapid antibody testing kits from Guangzhou Wondfo and another 250,000 from Zhuhai Livzon, and 100,000 RNA extraction kits from MGI Shenzhen were cleared by customs late on Wednesday night, said one of the people cited above.

Our missions are closely coordinating with concerned agencies for the supply of PPE kits. A large consignment is expected shortly, a second person said.

The external affairs ministry is also working to obtain testing kits from South Korea. Firm quotations have been obtained from companies in Canada, France, Malaysia, the UK and the US. We have also obtained leads from companies in Germany and Japan, the second person added.

The people said the Indian missions are facing several challenges in acquiring medical supplies, including a general shortage in other countries and local regulations. For instance, they said, the embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Guongzhou had to make special efforts with Chinese authorities for customs clearance and clearances for non-scheduled flights that transported the 650,000 testing kits.

Also read: India ramps up PPE production, but quality remains a challenge

But now supplies of vital items required for our Covid-19 response are well underway, the second person said.

On Tuesday, Indias ambassador to China, Vikram Misri, told reporters that facilitating Indias imports of Covid-19-related critical medical equipment and keeping the drug production supply chain open would be the best signal from China for bilateral ties.

Chinese companies have been contracted for nearly 15 million PPE kits and 1.5 million rapid testing kits by the Indian government and private firms.

However, several countries have criticised the quality of critical equipment made in China in recent weeks. In late March, the Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic and Turkey reported medical supplies from China had failed quality tests.

China then hurriedly moved to ensure the quality of medical exports. Chinas commerce ministry, the customs authority, and the National Medical Products Administration issued new regulations on March 31, directing manufacturers to provide a declaration that their goods meet the quality-control standards of export destinations.

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Note: This article was updated with the correct hotline number.

People with disabilities and their advocates on Thursday said their objections spurred improvement in Pennsylvanias newly-finalized guidelines for deciding who gets medical resources such as ventilators and intensive care beds if COVID-19 leads to rationing.

But they said parts of the guidelines still fall short, and they have established a hotline for people with disabilities or their families to use if they encounter discrimination during medical care rationing.

While not perfect, these changes to Pennsylvanias guidelines are a big step in the right direction in that they now make clear that opinions about a persons quality of life have no role in deciding who will get life-saving medical care, said Kelly Darr, the legal director for Disability Rights Pennsylvania. We invite the [state health department] to continue to work with us to ensure that its Guidelines do not have the effect of discriminating against people with disabilities.

Darrs organization had filed a federal complaint over the proposed guidelines.

The guidelines use a points-based system for deciding which patients have highest priority in the event of rationing. The process would apply to all patients brought to the hospital during the health emergency, not just those sick with COVID-19.

In general, it states a goal of benefitting the greatest number of patients. It also seeks to maximize life years, which favors patients at earlier life stages.

In the event of ties, the system favors people directly involved in addressing the crisis and preserving social order. In addition to doctors and nurses, that includes anyone in the chain of the response, such as first-responders and people who disinfect hospital rooms.

Throughout the process, Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine had vowed no one would be deemed less of a priority because of factors such as disability, race, sexual orientation or financial status.

Still, people with disabilities and their advocates continued to voice concerns, saying their life experiences are filled with evidence of deep-rooted biases toward them.

Darr said remaining concerns include the fact that, when making rationing decisions, health care providers can still factor in the impact of a disability on someones survival prospects for up to five years. People with disabilities believe the only consideration should involve whether the patient is likely to survive COVID-19 if given full treatment.

People with disabilities or their families who feel they are facing discrimination can call the new Health Care Rationing Hotline at 1-800-692-7443, extension 402.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
New Delhi: An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter made an emergency landing in the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday morning while it was on its way to supply COVID 19 test samples from Leh.

The IAF said in a statement that its Cheetah helicopter made an emergency landing on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Baghpat district on Thursday morning.

The chopper later returned to the Hindon airbase from where it had taken off, the IAF said. Several IAF aircraft have been pressed into services in the fight against Coronavirus in India.

In a statement, the IAF said that the Cheetah helicopter was proceeding from Hindon to Chandigarh on a COVID-19 task of carrying test samples from Leh.

"Approximately 3 NM out of Hindon, aircraft developed technical snag and carried out safe precautionary landing on the highway," it added.

The IAF clarified that the actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct. "No damage to any property has been reported," IAF stated.

Once it made an emergency landing, the Hindon Base of IAF was informed and also the local administration. Immediately thereafter, a recovery aircraft was launched from Hindon. It also landed at the expressway.

"The aircraft was rectified and recovered back promptly and safely at Hindon," it stated.
HOUSTON, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- News Release  TC PipeLines, LP (TCP) (the Partnership) will release its first quarter 2020 financial results on Wednesday, May 6 pre-market. Nathan Brown, President of the General Partner, along with other members of management, will discuss the Partnerships financial results and latest developments in a teleconference and webcast on Wednesday, May 6 at 10 a.m. (CDT) / 11 a.m. (EDT).



Members of the investment community and other interested parties are invited to participate by calling 1-800-806-5484 and enter pass code 3139820#. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live webcast will also be available through the Partnerships website at TCPipeLinesLP.com/events or via the following URL: http://www.gowebcasting.com/10573 . Slides for the conference call will be posted on the Partnerships website under Events and Presentations prior to the webcast.

A replay of the teleconference will also be available two hours after the conclusion of the call and until 11 p.m. (CDT) and midnight (EDT) on May 13, 2020, by calling 1-800-408-3053, then entering pass code 6063505#.

About TC PipeLines, LP

TC PipeLines, LP is a Delaware master limited partnership with interests in eight federally regulated U.S. interstate natural gas pipelines which serve markets in the Western, Midwestern and Northeastern United States. The Partnership is managed by its general partner, TC PipeLines GP, Inc., a subsidiary of TC Energy Corporation (TRP). For more information about TC PipeLines, LP, visit the Partnerships website at www.tcpipelineslp.com .

Media Inquiries:

Jaimie Harding / Hejdi Carlsen

403-920-7859 or 800-608-7859

Unitholder and Analyst Inquiries:

Rhonda Amundson

877-290-2772

investor_relations@tcpipelineslp.com

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/535ce212-c752-44e6-9264-11fefd1826cd
YAKIMA, Wash.  Prosecutors this week charged a 33-year-old Wapato man with aggravated first-degree murder in the deaths of his mother and sister-in-law.

Edward C. Robinson is accused of killing Maria Martinez, 50, and Shante Barney, 23, on April 9 in the home the women shared, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported. Both were stabbed to death, according to Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice. Martinez was Robinsons mother, and Barney was his sister-in-law, court documents said.

Sheriff's deputies and tribal police called to the home outside Wapato found Martinez by the back door and Barney on the couch, with Robinson sitting next to her, a probable cause affidavit said. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene, according to court documents.

Another family member said he saw Martinez bring Robinson to the house around 4 p.m., and then heard her screaming five minutes later, documents said. The family member found Robinson standing over Martinez with a folding knife.

The family member said he pulled Barney's young child out of a window and called for help, the affidavit said.

Robinson is being held in the Yakima County jail in lieu of $1 million bail. It wasnt immediately known if Robinson has a lawyer to comment on his behalf.

 The Associated Press
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Rio de Janeiro, April 15, 2020  Brazilian authorities must swiftly and thoroughly investigate a shooting attack on radio journalist Vamberto Teixeiras house and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On the night of April 9, shortly after 9 p.m., an unidentified attacker fired at Teixeiras home in the city of Sete Lagoas in Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil, according to Teixeira and a police incident report that CPJ reviewed. Teixeira told CPJ via phone that, after the shooting, he went outside to see what had happened and found five bullet holes in the gate.

I was at home with my wife, my four-year-old son, and my mother. It was really scary. And we were lucky to be in the kitchen when it happened. We heard the shots. There were five shots and the bullets passed through the front gate and reached the internal garage yard, he told CPJ.

Bullets fired at the home of Brazilian radio journalist Vamberto Teixeira on April 9, 2020. (Vamberto Teixeira)

Teixeira told CPJ he immediately called the polices public emergency number and a military police unit came to his home later that night, registered the incident, and took the bullet cartridges. Teixeira also said neighbors who witnessed the event told him it was a drive-by shooting. The witnesses told him that the driver slowed down in front of Teixeiras house while a person in the passenger seat shot several times, Teixeira said.

According to Teixeira, only a military police unit, which does not have investigative powers and only consists of a patrol unit and first responder, came to his house the night of the attack. He told CPJ that the civil policethe branch responsible for criminal investigations in Brazildid not go to the scene and have not reached out to him, or anyone from his family, since then. He told CPJ he is not sure if they are investigating the case.

Civil police in Minas Gerais should thoroughly investigate the alarming shooting attack at radio journalist Vamberto Teixeiras house, bring those responsible to justice, and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of journalists, said CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick in New York. Harassment and intimidation of journalists only makes it harder for Brazilians to access information about issues of public interest.

Teixeira hosts a daily news program on Radio Musirama, a commercial radio station that reaches 150 cities, where he has worked since 1995. He also owns the news website Folha de Sete Lagoas, which he founded in 2018 and which publishes a monthly print edition. Teixeira told CPJ that for both outlets he reports on general news, ranging from local politics to sports.

I have spent 25 years working as a journalist. This is the first time this happens to me and, as far as I know, the first time in Sete Lagoas, which is a very quiet city. I have never suffered an attack and I have not been threatened before, he told CPJ.

CPJ phoned two civil police units that respond to incidents in Sete Lagoas and emailed and phoned the police headquarters in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state, but did not receive any responses.

The military police incident report, which CPJ reviewed, confirms the date and time of the events, and states that the cartridges that were seized at the scene were delivered to the local civil police unit.

In response to CPJs request, the press office of the Sete Lagoas city government said in an email that the municipal government condemns any attempt at intimidation through violence and that officials await the investigation hoping it is concluded as soon as possible and that those responsible are identified and punished.
Massachusettss neighbor to the west will continue COVID-19 social distancing precautions for at least another month, with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday extending stay-at-home orders through May 15.

Cuomo, whose state has seen more than 11,000 coronavirus deaths, said business closures and tight social distancing policies implemented last month have helped knock down the rate of infections. But he said New Yorkers must "continue doing what were doing.

The New York pause has worked, but we are not there yet, Cuomo told reporters in a news briefing in Albany.

Cuomo declined to project the next steps after the May 15 target date, noting he needed a coordinated action plan with the other states.

What happens after then? I dont know, he said. Well see depending on what the data shows.

As to when the crisis is finally over, the governor said its over when you have a vaccine.

Reigniting the economy in the state and city hardest hit by the virus will require a phased return to normal, including analysis of what businesses can reopen and which pose greater risks, Cuomo said.

How do you now restart that machine in a coordinated way that doesnt drive up the infection rate? he said. Thats the balance that were trying to strike. Theres no light switch.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Bakers office is also talking with other northeastern states to work on a regional plan. Governors in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Delaware have agreed to work together to coordinate a reopening of the regions economies, schools, agencies and other entities that shuttered in the wake of the pandemic.

President Donald Trump on Thursday plans to release guidance plans for states after talking with several governors and economic advisers this week. Trump has said the nation is past the peak of the virus but said some states wont be able to return to business as usual as quickly as others.

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There is a fair amount of Spitfire-related news coming from Australia in recent weeks, and we thought our readers would be interested to hear from our good friend John Parker at Warbirds Online who reports on recent progress at Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) in Scone, New South Wales, Australia. There is also a roundup of other related news from Scone as well! We will let John continue the story here

Work still goes on in the warbird world, even in these uncertain times of the global pandemic. Its good to have a diversion, so here is an update featuring recent restoration work underway at Vintage Fighter Restorations.

The big news is that VFR have completed the restoration of Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX MH415! The fighter has undergone successful engine runs and taxi trials. Indeed, we were there on the day and the Spitfire looked magnificent in the sun while its engine roared to life. This is the culmination of a long and fulfilling restoration of this famous Spitfire (the aircrafts history was detailed in our previous news article in 2015, Spitfire MH415 to Australia). Ross Pay and the team at Scone are to be congratulated on their fantastic achievement in returning this aircraft to airworthy condition. The standard of restoration is second to none. Unfortunately though, the aircraft has yet to take to the skies as the owners decided to send the aircraft to the UK for its first flight, and to participate in various events during the summer season there. But, of course, shortly after VFR packed and freighted MH415 to Britain, the coronavirus arrived in force, which either cancelled, or rendered in doubt, the Spitfires scheduled performance at UK air shows.

MH603, the other Spitfire Mk.IX under restoration at VFR, is now the center of attention in the workshop, with its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine due in from the USA shortly following a lengthy rebuild to as-new condition. In the meantime, the restoration team is hard at work on the final fit-out of the electrical, hydraulic and fuel systems, as well as the cockpit interior and instrumentation. Furthermore, most of the cowlings and fairings are also now completed, so the aircraft is expected to undergo its ground trials and first flight within a couple of months. MH603 will likely remain in Scone with VFR for the foreseeable future, and participate in various air shows across Australia once they resume after the pandemic.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc (Trop) BS164/A58-63 is also making steady progress in the fuselage jig at VFR. As previously detailed in our news article in 2019, Squadron Leader E. M. Gibbs, Commanding Officer of No.54 Squadron RAF, shot down five and a half Japanese aircraft in this fighter. The Spitfire wore the fuselage identity letter K, and later DL-K. She gained 54 Squadrons unique Nip Glass decal, instead of the more typical Japanese rising sun emblem, to mark each victory over an enemy aircraft, something unique to Australia. This restoration will not occur at a rapid pace, and will take several years to complete, however Australian enthusiasts will be happy to learn that the owners plan to keep this historic, Australian Campaign aircraft at Scone with Ross Pays collection once she is flying again. To be sure, it is likely the most significant Australia-based Spitfire to undergo restoration and will make a great addition to the nations vintage military aircraft movement.

One recent departure from Scone included the former Iraqi Air Force Hawker Fury FB.11 VH-SHF (c/n 37723). Readers will recall that her present Australian owner acquired this aircraft at auction a couple of years ago in non-airworthy condition. The owner has decided to send the Fury to the UK for its return to flight.

Work currently proceeds on Ross Pays Australian-built CA-18 Mustang Mk.21 A68-107 (VH-AUB). The Mustang is undergoing some airframe work and routine engine maintenance.

On our most recent visit to Scone, a favorite, former resident warbird dropped in for a visit too. North American P-51D Mustang 45-11526, (VH-FST) arrived from Archerfield on its way down south much to the enjoyment of the VFR team. Fighter Pilot of Archerfield currently operate the aircraft; she looks magnificent, and is a credit to her owners. Interestingly, this Mustang was once part of Ross Pays stable, and his team performed extensive refurbishment work prior to her sale up north.

Hawker Hurricane Mk.XII RCAF 5481 was also out and about on the day of our visit. The beautiful fighter was on her way south for a final air show, before the onset of COVID-19, in the experienced hands of Paul Bennet.

The resident North American T-6G took off for a training sortie around the airfield in the hands of Alex Pay. It was a sight to see in its radiant polished aluminum scheme!

In the VFR hangar, restoration work was also underway on Cessna O-1 Bird Dog 51-12245 following some damage it sustained a few years ago. The wings are currently the focus of extensive repairs.

CAC CA-18 Mustang PR.22 A68-199 has now completed its maintenance and repaint schedule in Scone, and has temporarily moved to Albion Park with the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) collection where it will fly at various events. The paint scheme is a real credit to Ross Pay and the team at VFR, as it looks truly magnificent!

On another note, it is easy to forget that Pays main day job is actually aerial fire fighting. With the conclusion of what turned into a tragic 2019/2020 fire season, the huge task of maintenance on the resident air attack fleet is underway. Air Tractor Fire Boss 219 was undergoing treatment while we were there. The maintenance crew had removed its Wipline 10000 amphibious floats and replaced them with conventional, wheeled gear. They were preparing the aircraft for painting over its previous owners yellow and black scheme with Ross Pays fleet colors. These are surprisingly large and complex aircraft, and it was interesting to see the machine with all the access panels removed, revealing the myriad internal systems.

All work is being undertaken safely at VFR, despite the difficulties thrown up by the COVID-19 virus, and it is a credit to Ross Pay and his team for adapting their work practices to meet the current health and safety requirements.

Many thanks indeed to John Parker for this fascinating update. We wish our fellow Australians good luck in coping with the current health crisis. Be safe, and be well everyone!
As Quiz drew to a close on Wednesday night (15 April), viewers took to Twitter to heap praise on the hit ITV drama.

Quiz, which has aired for the last three nights, starred Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford as Charles and Diana Ingram, the couple accused of cheating on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001.

Along with their alleged accomplice Tecwen Whittock, the couple were found guilty of conspiring to cheat on the show, after producers noticed suspicious coughs from Whittock when correct answers were read out.

ITVs adaptation of the scandal has earned rave reviews, with The Independents critic Sean O'Grady awarding the finale four stars.

He wrote: "Even though we all know how it ends, it is a treat to watch, and makes house arrest that little bit easier to bear."

Fans shared their praise for the series on Twitter, saying it was "even more BRILLIANT" than the stage show on which it was based.

"What I love about the finale is that your still scratching your head about if they are guilty or not!" wrote one Twitter user. "The performances have been fantastic in this drama , I found my self so engrossed in the ingrams life. Excellent drama 10/10."

Many found themselves questioning the guilty verdict, with some crediting Helen McRorys bad-ass performance as the Ingrams lawyer with changing their minds about the case.

"Bloody hell," wrote one viewer. "Can we all take a moment to appreciate what a fantastic actress Helen McCrory is."

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Others praised the bizarre musical sequence in the finale, hailing it as "absolutely incredible".

"That random musical number was hilarious!" tweeted one fan.

Ingram himself is a fan of the show, having called it "excruciatingly enjoyable".

He also recently made headlines for his extraordinary rant about the original host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Chris Tarrant.
Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, expressed hope for continued US financial support for WHO.

He made the corresponding statement on Thursday at a briefing in Copenhagen, which was broadcast on Facebook, TASS reported.

According to him, the US has supported the WHO for a very long time, and he hopes that this will continue in the future.

He said that certain promises had already been received regarding WHO support. According to him, not only European countries but also states in other regions, as well as residents of these countries expressed support for WHO. Kluge noted it is not a good time to cease financing.

The US share is about 15% of the WHO budget, this is a contribution of about $ 400 million. Currently, experts are studying the financial situation, he said.

Trump said his administration is suspending funding for the WHO as it investigates how the agency reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak. According to him, the international health agency made mistakes that caused so much death, as the virus is spreading.
As a member of this task force, I will do everything in my power to remind Donald Trump of his responsibility to protect public health, she said. He needs to stop blaming others for his administrations failures, ensure universal access to testing and vastly expand contact tracing efforts. He should more fully use the Defense Production Act as well as other authorities to bring the supply chain in line, ramp up (personal protective equipment) production and ensure that state and local governments have the supplies and resources they need to protect our communities.
P&O Ferries has accused port authorities in Liverpool of unfairly stopping supplies reaching Dublin after a row over payment (Steve Parsons/PA)

P&O Ferries has accused port authorities in Liverpool of unfairly stopping supplies reaching Dublin after a row over payment.

The firm said the departure of the Norbay - carrying food and medicine for retailers, including some in Northern Ireland - was prevented after The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company demanded payment of 600,000.

While P&O said there was a payment due, it was less than 0.6m and that it had been in talks with someone at the port who turned out to be furloughed.

A spokesman for P&O said: "We had asked for flexibility in the time required to pay but the Liverpool port refused to respond, even though we were committing to full payment. Then we learned that our point of contact had been furloughed and they didn't tell us.

"The irresponsible and unnecessary actions of The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company at a time of national crisis have closed an essential Liverpool-Dublin supply route, which means vital goods will not be able to flow between the UK, Ireland and Europe."

But a spokeswoman for Peel Ports, which owns the docks at Liverpool, said: "Any decision to detain a vessel is always taken as a last resort and only when there is a significant debt to repay.

"While we understand that we are in unprecedented times, the government has announced multiple financial interventions to support companies with short-term funding issues as a result of Covid-19. These should be used as opposed to passing the cash-flow risk along the supply chain.

"Other ferry services from Liverpool to both Dublin and Belfast continue to operate, with multiple departures per day and spare capacity."

Aodhan Connolly, director of the NI Retail Consortium, said: "Getting goods from Great Britain to the island of Ireland is integral to the food supply chain and for food processing.

"Anything that disrupts this cannot be welcomed at the best of times but now, at a time when we need to keep all supply chains running smoothly, it is particularly unwelcome.

"It is critical this is resolved quickly and is a one-off occurrence."
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering expanding the declaration of a state of emergency to all 47 prefectures in Japan, up from the current seven including Tokyo.

The state of emergency would be in effect through May 6, the same period as for the prefectures currently affected. The government deemed it was necessary to curb the spread of the disease across the country.

Prior to issuing the nationwide declaration, Abe will consult with an advisory committee of experts on whether it is appropriate to deem that all Japan's prefectures are in a state of emergency.

The declaration is based on the revised law on special measures to deal with new strains of influenza, and was issued to the initial seven prefectures on April 7.

Concessions to Komeito

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party made concessions to ruling coalition partner Komeito over providing 100,000 per person as an emergency economic measure to combat the new coronavirus, it was learned Thursday.

The government is considering revising the fiscal 2020 supplementary budget bill, in an extremely unusual move to revise the budget after it has been approved by the Cabinet.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held telephone talks with Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi on Thursday morning. In response to Yamaguchi's strong demand that the distribution of 300,000 in cash for households whose income has decreased be withdrawn from the supplementary budget to realize the 100,000 in benefits, Abe said he will "take it under consideration."

Yamaguchi revealed the details of the talks during a Komeito meeting.

On Wednesday, Abe, who also leads the LDP, held talks with Yamaguchi at the Prime Minister's Office. Yamaguchi requested a plan to offer 100,000 per person without setting income limits. Abe responded positively, saying, "We would like to thoroughly consider going in that direction."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:40:09|Editor: huaxia

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- Zhang Jixian, a Wuhan respiratory doctor, is hailed as the first doctor to alert the medical system of the novel coronavirus.



- She recalls how the novel coronavirus, an alien pathogen facing mankind, emerged from a seemingly ordinary case of an elderly couple in late December.

by Xinhua writers Yao Yuan, Ma Yujie, Zhou Jialu and Hou Wenkun

WUHAN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The devil is in the details. In the case of Zhang Jixian, hailed as the first doctor to alert the medical system of the novel coronavirus, the devil that later snowballed into a raging epidemic was found in a CT scan.

Zhang Jixian, director of the respiratory and critical care medicine department of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, receives an interview at the hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

Zhang, a veteran respiratory doctor in a Wuhan hospital, recalled how the novel coronavirus, an alien pathogen facing mankind, emerged from a seemingly ordinary case of an elderly couple in late December.

On Dec. 26, an elderly couple from a nearby community visited the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. Their symptoms included fever, coughing and tiredness, which "looked like flu or common pneumonia," recalled Zhang, director of the hospital's respiratory and critical care medicine department.

But when their CT scan images reached Zhang the next day, the 54-year-old doctor noticed features that are different from flu or common pneumonia.

SPECIAL PATIENTS

Zhang's experience during the 2003 SARS outbreak, when she worked as a medical expert investigating suspected patients in Wuhan, made her sensitive to signs of an epidemic. After reading the CT images of the elderly couple, she summoned their son, demanding a CT scan of him too.

"At first their son refused to be examined. He showed no symptoms or discomfort, and believed we were trying to cheat money out of him," said Zhang.

Zhang Jixian, director of the respiratory and critical care medicine department of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, puts on the protective suit before entering the ward at the hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 11, 2020. (Photo by Ke Hao/Xinhua)

It was Zhang's insistence that brought her the second piece of evidence: the son's lungs showed the same abnormities as those of his parents.

"It is unlikely that all three members of a family caught the same disease at the same time unless it is an infectious disease," Zhang told Xinhua.

Also on Dec. 27, the hospital received another patient who also developed symptoms of coughing and fever and showed the same lung images in the CT scan.

The blood tests of the four indicated viral infections. Zhang also prescribed them a series of influenza-related tests. All turned out negative.

That day, she filed a report to the hospital, which soon submitted it to the district-level center for disease control and prevention. "The report is about we discovered a viral disease, probably infectious," she said.

Back then, Zhang could not know it was among the first medical reports of an epidemic that has "spread the fastest, caused the most extensive infections and been the hardest to contain since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949."

Data from the World Health Organization show more than 123,000 people had died of COVID-19 globally as of April 15, more than 130 times the death toll of the SARS virus that belongs to the same coronavirus family.

RAISING ALARMS

Back then, knowledge of the virus was scarce. After filing the report, Zhang cordoned off an area in the department's ward to hospitalize the four patients. She then demanded medics in the ward to beef up self-protection.

The arrivals of another three patients with similar lung images in the next two days further alarmed the hospital, which on Dec. 29 convened a panel of 10 experts to discuss the seven cases. Their conclusion that the situation was extraordinary, plus information of two similar cases in other hospitals, prompted the hospital to report directly to the municipal and provincial health authorities.

Zhang Jixian (R), director of the respiratory and critical care medicine department of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, talks about transferring patients with her colleague at the hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 11, 2020. (Photo by Ke Hao/Xinhua)

Upon receiving the report, the authorities on the same day ordered an epidemiological investigation. That evening, experts from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, a hospital designated to treat contagious diseases, visited Zhang's hospital and fetched six of the seven patients.

That day, Zhang ordered all respiratory doctors and nurses to wear masks, a precaution believed to help achieve zero infection of the medics in the department between late December and Jan. 30.

According to an official timeline released on April 6 on China's response to COVID-19, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on Dec. 30 sent out an urgent notification to medical institutions under its jurisdiction about an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in the city.

The National Health Commission (NHC) dispatched a working group and an expert team in the wee hours of Dec. 31 to Wuhan to guide epidemic response and conduct on-site investigations.

Also on the same day, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission released its first briefing about the outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause on its website, in which it confirmed 27 cases and told the public not to go to enclosed public places or gather. The public was also advised to wear face masks when going out.

Zhang Jixian (2nd R), director of the respiratory and critical care medicine department of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, communicates with her colleagues at the hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 11, 2020. (Photo by Ke Hao/Xinhua)

In February, the Hubei provincial human resources and social security department and the provincial health commission awarded Zhang for her exemplary service, hailing her as "the first to report the epidemic in the province" and recognizing her leadership and arduous work in the hospital's fight against COVID-19.

The doctor, however, tried to play down the honor.

"I was just doing what a doctor was supposed to do, driven by professionalism," she said.

(Yu Pei, Yue Wenwan, Wang Zuokui and Li Jinfeng contributed to the story; Video reporters: Yu Guoqing, Hou Wenkun, Yang Zhigang; video editor: Yang Zhixiang)
Xcel Energy announced in a news release on Tuesday that the company is donating $1.5 million to COVID-19 relief in the eight states that it provides services.

The money will come from the sale of the Mankato Energy Center that is expected to net Xcel more than $20 million. The first $1.5 million will go to relief efforts for the virus. The rest will go to short- and long-term corporate, according to the release.
William Hague today backed calls for an international investigation into the cause and spread of the coronavirus outbreak as he warned the government it must get 'tougher' in its dealings with China.

The former foreign secretary said the UK must not become 'strategically dependent' on Beijing as he urged Western nations to all adopt the same approach to the communist state.

Lord Hague said China could not be isolated because without the country's cooperation 'we can't solve any of the world's problems' as he blasted US President Donald Trump's decision to 'denounce China in a nationalistic sense'.

But he suggested on key issues the UK and other nations need to do a better job of standing up to China as he urged ministers to reconsider and 'tighten' a decision to allow Huawei a role in building Britain's 5G network.

Some Tory MPs are demanding a reset in relations with Beijing following the current outbreak after persistent questions about the accuracy of China's death toll figures.

Downing Street sources have previously suggested Beijing will face a 'reckoning' over its handling of the outbreak.

Lord Hague today warned the UK must not become 'strategically dependent' on China but also insisted the West needs to find a way to cooperate with Beijing

Lord Hague was critical of Donald Trump's approach to relations with China as he said 'denouncing China in a nationalistic sense or withdrawing from the World Health Organisation is absolutely not the way to go about this'

But Lord Hague suggested a more nuanced approach is needed to ensure the world is well-placed to respond to future global crises.

He said: 'I think there are really two pillars that are required of Western foreign policy towards China.

'One of course is to recognise that we can't solve any of the world's problems without China. The health problems we have now are a good example but of course the existential problems of climate change are in time an even bigger example.

'But on the other hand we can't allow ourselves to be strategically dependent on China. It has different concepts of personal freedom, of privacy, of views on political democracy, of business competition.

'What we have at the moment is the United States is pursuing a policy of make sure we are not strategically dependent but failing to pursue a policy of working globally with China on those pressing global issues.

'Mainly European countries are trying to do the global cooperation on China but are allowing themselves to become strategically dependent on China.

'The result is that in the two necessary halves of Western foreign policy, different parts of the West are pursuing a different halve.'

Mr Trump has previously referred to coronavirus as the 'Chinese virus' and yesterday it was announced the US is stopping its funding for the World Health Organisation.

Lord Hague said such moves are 'absolutely not the way to go about this' in comments likely to spark anger in the White House.

He said an international probe into the coronavirus outbreak in China is needed as he also called for the enforced closure of wildlife markets which have been identified by many as the likely source of the disease.

The Tory peer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It would be very good to have an international investigation and above all of course we need international agreement for the rigorous enforcement of the closure of live wildlife markets.

'That is generally thought to have been the origin of this disease. That needs to happen in China and indeed many other countries in the world, in west Africa and across south east Asia - another illustration of how we need to work with China.

'But denouncing China in a nationalistic sense or withdrawing from the World Health Organisation is absolutely not the way to go about this.

'We are going to need structures, frameworks and international cooperation in order to solve problems like this from now on.'

Many of Lord Hague's Conservative Party colleagues have demanded the government take a stronger stance in its dealings with China.

Ministers remain under pressure to reverse a decision to allow the Chinese tech giant Huawei to help build the UK's 5G network.

The US has told its allies not to use Huawei in critical infrastructure because of security concerns - concerns vehemently rejected by the firm.

Lord Hague was asked if hardline Tories were right to conclude that he is on their side in wanting a tougher approach to Beijing.

He said: 'Yes, with the very important proviso that that goes with the global cooperation at the same time.

'But yes, they are right to see that. I think on Huawei... the government has been caught in a difficult situation because of course Huawei products have already been incorporated by some of the other companies into the 5G network and they have taken a policy of limiting the percentage share of Huawei products.

'I think they will need to tighten that up over time and be aligned over time with our allies, the United States, Australia and others, in taking a tougher approach.'

Lord Hague said there was 'not a great hope' at the moment of improved cooperation between China and the West 'but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be working on that'.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Affinity Metals Corp. (TSXV: AFF) ("Affinity") ("the Corporation") is pleased to release assay results from the late fall drill program conducted on the Regal property encompassing 8,800 hectares of the northern end of the prolific Kootenay Arc approximately 25 km northeast of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada.

Along with numerous high grade intercepts in multiple holes, a significant new silver discovery was made in the ALLCO area with drill hole #10 intersecting 11.10 meters of 143.29 g/t silver including 0.55 meters of 2612.0 g/t silver. This intersection also carried high grade zinc and lead with some copper.

A total of 1,846.35 meters of diamond drilling was completed with 21 holes being drilled.

The drilling was divided over two separate target areas with 10 holes from two separate drill pads allocated to testing two areas within a graphitic argillite/limestone contact in the ALLCO area. Mineralized intersections encountered within the ALLCO area drill core consisted mostly of argentiferous galena, sphalerite and tetrahedrite hosted within quartz veins and breccias along a northwest-southeast fault that separates the limestones from the argillites.

A further 11 preliminary confirmation holes were drilled from a single drill pad designed to begin testing the underground structure associated with the historic 1971 resource (pre NI43-101 and therefore not compliant) reported for the past producing Regal/Snowflake mines. The Regal mine is located within moderately to gently, westerly dipping, graphitic phyllites/argillites of the lower Index Formation. Mineralization, hosted in quartz veins concordant with host rocks, consists of pyrite, galena, sphalerite, and locally with scheelite (lower levels), stannite (upper levels), and trace chalcopyrite/tetrahedrite throughout. Sulphides occur either as disseminations in the quartz, or as massive pods or bands parallel with slatey partings.

Robert Edwards, CEO of Affinity stated: "We are extremely encouraged to see such positive assay results from the 2019 drilling, our first drill program on the property. Our expectations were that the assays would show strong mineralization given what we have seen from our prior surface sampling program and the historical production grades, but to find this new 11 meter silver zone is truly exciting! These results set the backdrop for our 2020 exploration program which will target not only this new silver discovery but even more importantly, the two very large anomalies identified by the geophysics that may be the core deposits associated with all this surrounding mineralization. 2020 should be a very exciting year for Affinity."

Significant intervals from the drill program are presented below:

ALLCO Hole

No. From

(m) To

(m) Interval

(m) Ag

g/t Cu

% Pb

% Zn

% RP-19-01 28.67 29.09 0.42 106.00 0.06 0.33 0.01 RP-19-01 105.00 106.00 1.00 28.72 0.10 0.05 0.09 RP-19-03 48.70 48.77 0.07 171.00 0.05 1.24 0.46 RP-19-04 38.64 41.00 2.36 214.13 0.14 2.60 2.67 including 38.64 40.32 1.68 62.55 0.08 0.25 0.16 and 40.32 41.00 0.68 588.63 0.30 8.41 8.87 RP-19-05 40.25 43.00 2.75 29.74 0.02 0.02 0.01 RP-19-05 44.75 45.51 0.76 50.80 0.02 0.25 1.64 RP-19-05 56.33 56.78 0.45 26.16 0.00 0.89 0.91 RP-19-06 39.26 43.29 4.03 29.53 0.08 0.13 7.38 including 42.00 42.62 0.62 17.90 0.04 0.02 4.12 and 42.62 43.29 0.67 130.00 0.40 0.41 40.14 RP-19-06 49.72 50.57 0.85 129.02 0.03 0.04 0.32 RP-19-07 38.37 39.27 0.90 182.00 0.13 0.30 0.32 RP-19-07 43.70 46.51 2.81 49.21 0.02 0.34 0.78 including 45.10 46.25 1.15 91.92 0.02 0.71 1.68 RP-19-07 56.61 57.42 0.81 98.60 0.01 2.42 2.45 RP-19-08 45.44 45.94 0.50 20.64 0.00 0.46 0.01 RP-19-08 47.84 52.27 4.43 111.96 0.09 0.23 0.29 including 49.24 51.12 1.88 238.20 0.19 0.51 0.50 RP-19-08 57.51 58.52 1.01 45.70 0.00 0.05 0.03 RP-19-08 67.86 68.05 0.19 85.24 0.02 1.21 0.11 RP-19-08 82.46 82.66 0.20 11.39 0.00 0.32 0.01 RP-19-08 84.82 85.02 0.20 568.00 0.55 0.08 0.18 RP-19-09 44.41 46.62 2.21 28.70 0.02 0.15 0.13 RP-19-09 46.62 48.70 2.08 31.70 0.02 0.47 1.12 RP-19-09 48.70 49.76 1.06 6.88 0.00 0.14 0.32 RP-19-10 61.00 72.10 11.10 143.29 0.04 0.62 0.50 including 61.00 67.81 6.81 230.84 0.07 0.94 0.66 including 61.00 61.31 0.31 122.00 0.03 4.18 5.04 and 62.72 63.27 0.55 2612.00 0.66 6.00 2.89 REGAL Hole

No. From

(m) To

(m) Interval

(m) Ag

g/t Cu

% Pb

% Zn

% RP-19-11 9.14 9.38 0.24 13.24 0.00 0.73 0.03 RP-19-11 11.14 15.79 4.65 12.23 0.00 0.32 0.36 including 15.35 15.79 0.44 52.47 0.00 1.20 2.89 RP-19-11 58.44 59.85 1.41 24.85 0.01 0.77 0.25 RP-19-12 7.32 7.62 0.30 40.02 0.00 0.69 0.02 RP-19-12 11.20 11.80 0.60 39.64 0.00 0.95 0.25 RP-19-12 11.93 13.02 1.09 35.90 0.01 0.89 0.79 RP-19-12 13.80 17.77 3.97 26.00 0.00 0.59 0.25 including 13.8 16.17 2.37 39.78 0.00 0.90 0.30 RP-19-12 60.18 60.70 0.52 12.28 0.00 0.07 0.96 RP-19-13 13.76 17.41 3.65 25.38 0.00 0.58 0.48 including 16.91 17.41 0.50 102.21 0.00 1.87 0.28 RP-19-13 18.57 19.05 0.48 15.44 0.01 0.71 0.22 RP-19-14 10.89 11.18 0.29 60.81 0.02 1.24 1.64 RP-19-14 12.28 12.84 0.56 19.83 0.00 0.25 0.21 RP-19-14 12.99 13.34 0.35 13.28 0.03 0.54 0.47 RP-19-14 13.49 13.82 0.33 20.02 0.00 0.35 0.96 RP-19-14 13.93 14.22 0.29 33.00 0.00 1.32 0.53 RP-19-14 16.04 16.31 0.27 43.86 0.00 1.65 1.01 RP-19-15 14.88 15.38 0.50 12.37 0.00 0.38 0.68 RP-19-16 11.30 11.88 0.58 31.23 0.01 0.91 0.55 RP-19-16 13.07 13.80 0.73 41.88 0.00 0.92 0.46 RP-19-16 14.48 15.32 0.84 23.84 0.00 0.62 0.44 RP-19-16 16.88 17.80 0.92 32.15 0.00 1.40 0.56 RP-19-16 28.13 28.29 0.16 4.99 0.02 0.02 2.21 RP-19-17 7.01 7.16 0.15 1360.00 0.01 19.67 0.21 RP-19-17 10.94 11.69 0.75 62.32 0.00 2.78 0.19 RP-19-17 14.64 15.47 0.83 19.82 0.00 0.52 0.36 RP-19-18 12.12 13.41 1.29 48.31 0.00 2.66 0.53 including 12.12 12.94 0.82 70.50 0.00 4.02 0.53 RP-19-18 15.97 18.53 2.56 13.02 0.00 0.33 1.43 including 15.97 17.41 1.44 12.81 0.01 0.37 2.52 RP-19-18 19.92 20.52 0.60 27.27 0.04 1.15 0.76 RP-19-19 6.00 7.00 1.00 68.42 0.00 2.38 0.22 including 6.00 6.30 0.30 134.00 0.01 7.13 0.13 RP-19-19 12.13 17.68 5.55 13.35 0.00 0.46 0.39 including 15.82 17.68 1.86 30.83 0.00 1.17 0.78 RP-19-19 29.91 30.42 0.51 22.88 0.02 1.22 0.89 RP-19-20 6.15 6.65 0.50 46.47 0.01 1.75 0.13 RP-19-20 7.60 8.32 0.72 33.37 0.00 0.50 0.19 RP-19-20 12.01 12.68 0.67 21.51 0.01 0.67 0.49 RP-19-20 15.27 16.36 1.09 18.63 0.00 0.48 0.43 RP-19-20 17.29 18.68 1.39 10.52 0.00 0.34 0.62 RP-19-20 28.08 31.17 3.09 58.78 0.00 0.35 0.33 including 29.52 30.22 0.70 214.00 0.00 0.34 0.19 RP-19-21 9.05 9.56 0.51 37.45 0.00 0.58 0.02 RP-19-21 12.98 13.82 0.84 17.29 0.01 0.47 0.79 RP-19-21 15.89 17.27 1.38 39.77 0.00 1.55 0.70 including 15.89 16.57 0.68 76.50 0.00 3.07 0.31 and 17.00 17.27 0.27 1.84 0.00 0.06 2.27 RP-19-21 30.40 30.54 0.14 46.83 0.00 0.31 0.16 RP-19-21 31.82 32.82 1.00 61.10 0.01 3.39 1.49 RP-19-21 72.01 72.26 0.25 77.11 0.00 0.62 0.02

Note: True widths are presently unknown.

Additional assay work is presently being conducted regarding Tin results in the drill core. Those results will be released once received and interpreted.





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Photo description: Photos of 11.10 meter silver discovery intersection in Hole #10. Host rock is a limestone dissolution breccia/dolomitization breccia with weak to moderate silicification overprinting. Flooding this is milky quartz which hosts wispy veinlets of galena and blebby sphalerite at intersections of these or other veinlets.

As previously reported, the Corporation received assay results for 22 rock samples collected from surface outcrops in September 2019 from the Black Jacket and ALLCO areas of the property. Of the 22 grab samples collected, the majority contained bonanza grade silver, zinc, and lead with many samples reaching assay over-limits. The over-limit results for zinc and lead are reported in the table below (italicized) beside the original assay values. Assay values for tin, including high grade samples 11, 14 and 20 which were over-limit in the original assay report, are also presented in the last column of the table.

Sample Number Sample Type Silver

g/t Copper

% Zinc

% Lead

% Gold

g/t Tin

ppm ALC19CR01 grab 0 .035 0 0 0 0.4 ALC19CR02 grab 1300 .415 18.20 >20.0 (35.69) 0.70 46.1 ALC19CR03 grab 120 .232 .034 .984 0.02 2.4 ALC19CR04 grab 131 .089 .026 .102 2.66 1.1 ALC10CR05 grab 16.7 .295 .060 .013 0.09 0.4 ALC19CR06 grab 74.9 .144 >30.00 (34.97) .059 0.28 2.6 ALC19CR07 grab 10.05 .310 .086 .029 0.04 0.5 ALC19CR08 grab 1870 .495 24.5 >20.0 (31.90) 1.85 189.5 ALC19CR09 grab 88.1 .077 >30.00 (39.98) 1.88 0.08 32 ALC19CR10 grab 1545 .178 26.7 >20.0 (28.67) 0.68 373 ALC19CR11 grab 2360 .366 16.80 >20.0 (43.67) 0.11 900 ALC19CR12 grab 3700 .624 1.645 >20.0 (71.14) 3.14 273 ALC19CR13 grab 964 .716 17.30 17.5 0.11 386 ALC19CR14 grab 3530 .350 1.945 >20.0 (59.54) 1.57 1600 ALC19CR15 grab 3670 .026 1.895 >20.0 (77.01) 0.33 205 ALC19CR16 grab 1790 .107 5.28 >20.0 (52.77) 0.37 146.5 ALC19CR17 grab 751 .069 6.45 18.05 0.45 107 ALC19CR18 grab 1065 .718 .178 .514 0.10 7.6 ALC19CR19 grab 2510 .299 5.58 >20.0 (70.63) 0.06 167 ALC19CR20 grab 4410 2.27 26.40 >20.0 (21.56) 5.68 4500 ALC19CR21 grab 47.5 .177 .048 .092 1.78 8.8 ALC19CR22 grab 87.7 .095 .011 .047 4.79 2.9

Property History & Background

The Regal Project hosts several past producing small-scale historic mines including the Regal Silver.

The property also hosts numerous promising mineral occurrences. From the historic records it appears that most, and perhaps all, of the known mineralized showings/zones have not been previously drilled using modern diamond drilling methods.

The geology of the Regal property generally consists of the Badshot and Lade Peak limestones, and argillites and phyllites of the Index Formation.

Snowflake and Regal Silver (Stannex/Woolsey) Mines

The Snowflake and Regal Silver mines were two former producing mines that operated intermittently during the period 1936-1953. The last significant work on the property took place from 1967-1970, when Stannex Minerals completed 2,450 meters of underground development work and a feasibility study, but did not restart mining operations. In 1982, reported reserves were 590,703 tonnes grading 71.6 grams per tonne silver, 2.66 per cent lead, 1.26 per cent zinc, 1.1 per cent copper, 0.13 per cent tin and 0.015 per cent tungsten (Minfile No. 082N 004 - Prospectus, Gunsteel Resources Inc., April 29, 1986). It should be noted that the above resource and grades, although believed to be reliable, were prepared prior to the adoption of NI43-101 and are not compliant with current standards set out therein for calculating mineral resources or reserves.

ALLCO Silver Mine

The ALLCO Silver Mine is situated 6.35 Kilometers northwest of the above described Snowflake/Regal Mine(s). The ALLCO Silver Mine operated from 1936-1937 and produced 213 tonnes of concentrates containing 11 troy ounces of gold (1.55 g/t), 11,211 troy ounces of silver (1,637 g/t) and 173,159 lbs of lead (36.9%).

Airborne Geophysics to Guide Future Exploration

An extensive airborne geophysics survey conducted by Geotech Ltd of Aurora, Ontario, for Northaven Resources Corp. in 2011, on the Regal Project identified four well defined high potential linear targets correlating with the same structural orientation as the Allco, Snowflake and Regal Silver mines. Northaven also reported that the mineralogy and structural orientation of the Allco, Snowflake and Regal Silver appeared to be similar to that of Huakan's J&L gold project located to the north, and on a similar geophysical trend line. The J&L is reportedly now one of western Canada's largest undeveloped gold deposits. Rokmaster Resources Corp. recently optioned the J&L property in a $44.2M deal and has renamed it the Revel Ridge Project. Rokmaster is presently working on expanding the current resource.

After completing the airborne survey, Northaven failed in financing their company and conducting further follow up exploration on the property and subsequently forfeited the claims without any of the follow up work ever being completed. Affinity Metals is in the fortunate position of benefitting from this significant and promising geophysics data and the associated targets.

The aforementioned Northaven airborne geophysical survey conducted at a cost of $319,458.95 in August of 2011 is described in The BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Assessment Report #33054. The results of the survey are competently explained and illustrated by professionals on You Tube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX431eBY_t0

Condor Consulting, Inc. who compiled the survey data and produced the original geophysics report was recently retained by Affinity in order to provide more detailed interpretations and potential drill target locations with the aim of testing two of the four main target areas in the future.

Earth Sciences Services Corp. (ESSCO) has also recently provided acoustical geophysics data for portions of the Regal property. This data is also being interpreted and analyzed with respect to future drill targets.

The Corporation is presently in the process of correlating and interpreting all of the historic and new geophysical and geochemical data as well as the 2019 drill results with the objective of further defining 2020 drill targets.

Affinity Metals has been granted a 5 Year Multi-Year-Area-Based (MYAB) exploration permit which includes approval for 51 drill sites.

Assay Procedure, Quality Assurance and Quality Control Procedures

All drill core samples were sent to MSA Laboratories in Langley, British Columbia for assay. Samples were analyzed by the following methods, as appropriate, to determine grades: ICP-130 35 element two acid digestion with ICP-AES finish, IMS-130 51 element two acid digestion with ICP-AES/MS finish, FAS-418 Ag 30g fire assay with gravimetric finish, determination of Ag, Cd, Pb, W, and Zn with four acid digestion and ICP-AES finish, determination of Pb and Zn by titration, and determination of Sn by Sodium Peroxide fusion with ICP-OES finish.

The Company employed a QA/QC program that was managed by a Qualified Person during the entire drill program. Blanks, duplicates (both pulp splits and 1/4 core), and two certified standard reference materials were used. These QA/QC samples were inserted at a rate of 1 every 10 to 15 samples.

Qualified Person

The Qualified Person for the Regal Project for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is Frank O'Grady, P.Eng. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release.

About Affinity Metals

Affinity Metals is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of strategic metal deposits within North America.

The Corporation's flagship project and present focus is the Regal.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Robert Edwards, CEO and Director of Affinity Metals Corp.

The Corporation can be contacted at: info@affinity-metals.com

Information relating to the Corporation is available at: www.affinity-metals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the Corporation's management discussion and analysis filed with applicable Canadian securities regulators, which can be found under the Corporation's profile on www.sedar.com. The Corporation does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54511
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Linkedin Carl Philpott (The Jakarta Post) -  Thu, April 16, 2020 14:39 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd247561 3 Health COVID-19,pandemic,symptoms,gejala-coronavirus,infectious-diseases,The-Conversation Free

Symptoms of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) typically include a dry cough, fever and shortness of breath. But evidence is beginning to emerge from other countries and now from the UK that sudden loss of smell  and in some cases, taste  is an early indication of the novel coronavirus infection.

So far, there is currently no hard evidence on this, although many have taken to social media to report smell loss alongside other COVID-19 symptoms. As yet, it has not been listed by Public Health England or on the NHS website as an official symptom to look out for. But in this rapidly evolving situation, this may change.

So why is it that people are reporting a loss of smell and taste from this virus? First, its worth clarifying that when we eat, we smell and taste together. Try pinching your nose when you eat and see what your food tastes like. Youll find that the only things you will detect is if the food is salty, sweet, sour, bitter or savory. This is because these elements of flavor come from the taste buds on the tongue. Losing the smell of food leads many people to think their taste has gone when in the vast majority of cases it will be intact.

Smell loss (also known as anosmia or hyposmia) can be caused by many things, including swelling in the nose and sinuses (such as chronic sinusitis), head injury, and nerve disorders (such as Parkinsons disease). In some cases, no cause is found.

Loss of smell because of a viral infection, such as the common cold, is the second most common cause of smell loss and accounts for about 12 percent of all cases of anosmia. These episodes typically happen when the virus infects the nose, giving rise to the usual cold symptoms, including a blocked or runny nose. Your sense of smell usually comes back once symptoms subside.

But sometimes even when other symptoms disappear, your sense of smell doesnt return  or in some cases its reduced (hyposmia), or is distorted (parosmia). In these cases, the virus has damaged the smell receptors causing them to lose the fine, hair-like endings that allow them to pick up smell molecules from the nasal mucus. Previous studies have looked at which viruses cause this condition  and many have been implicated, including the coronavirus family of which COVID-19 is a member.

Permanent loss?

With COVID-19, however, there is a somewhat different infection pattern to other viral upper respiratory infections. First, smell loss may be the only symptom, and indicates someone who seems otherwise well  or has only very mild symptoms  could be a carrier of the disease.

Some people with this symptom appear to be younger  under 40 years of age. The fact that it has been reported in health care workers, too, suggests that COVID-19s ease of transmission from the nose is because the viral shedding (when the virus reproduces) is highest there  and even more so in severe cases. Those who have been affected also report that sensory loss comes back within seven to 14 days.

A virus usually enters the body by implanting itself and infecting host cells throughout the body, such as in the airways or the gut, then reproducing. The COVID-19 virus is believed to enter the nasal tissues through the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor  though further research is needed to confirm whether this is the case. This protein is abundant in the nose, although the function of it is not clear. By entering the nose through this protein, it may cause temporary damage to the smell nerves. However, this damage appears to get better within one to two weeks after the onset of the disease.

Though most people who have reported this symptom get their sense of smell back, its still too early to tell how many people may be left with more permanent smell loss after the virus has passed.

An international group of sense experts has been established to try and collect worldwide data on this issue, and determine the extent to which COVID-19 causes smell loss. If current trends continue as the weeks roll by and the pandemic peaks around the globe, we expect that people reporting smell loss will only increase in number. Smell loss as a first warning sign could be important in further preventing the spread.

***

Carl Philpott is a Professor of Rhinology and Olfactology, University of East Anglia.

This article was first published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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The first trailer for the dystopian series Brave New World has been released, and it features Demi Moore taking on a brand new look.

In the first glimpse at the show, the actress transforms into a gorgeous blonde bombshell to play a woman living in the midst of a sex-crazed future made up of genetically modified and brainwashed citizens.

Alongside Demi the preview for the Peacock series - based on the 1932 book of the same name by Aldous Huxley - also features Star Wars' Alden Ehrenreich and Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay.

Big changes: Demi Moore has been transformed into a blonde bombshell (pictured right with her signature raven tresses) in the first trailer for the Peacock series Brave New World

In the trailer, fans get their first glimpse of the futuristic world known as New London, where everyone is part of a perfect society, but there are no limits when it comes to sexual relations.

Along with hinting that drugs may play a key part in the day-to-day livings, it also teases some of the raunchy parties residents have, with one quickly turning into a giant sex-fest.

Demi plays mother Linda, who was rescued from the New World decades ago, and she candidly tells her son wants him to feel emotions such as pain and felt, which are not felt by the robotic citizens living in New London.

Paradise? In the trailer, fans get their first glimpse of the futuristic world known as New London, where everyone is part of a perfect society, but there are no limits when it comes to sexual relations

Picturesque: The trailer shows a glimpse of the so-called 'perfect social body' where its people are free to have sexual relations with whoever they please

Questions: Game Of Thrones star Harry Lloyd is glimpsed in the trailer as Bernard Marx, the titular character who is exiled from the New World

Rules: However the so-called 'perfect' society bans the idea of monogamy, along with privacy, money, family, and even the concept of history itself

Racy: In the trailer much of New London's citizens appear to engage in drug-fulled parties where open sex is welcomed, as they all flock to one such night

Getting high? Along with freedom to carry out all manner of sexual exploits its people are fulled by drug-taking, having been brainwashed from a young age to value and accept their specific position in society

What is Brave New World? Brave New World was a novel published in 1932, written by British author Aldous Huxley. It depicts a utopian world governed by a singular political authority, that manipulates children from birth on how to behave through brainwashing. The world is fulled by open sex and drugs, with concepts such as monogamy, money, family and private prohibited. The novel revolves around Bernard Marx, who is exiled from the New World and encounters the Savage Reservation, where he meets Linda and her son John. The title of the novel stems from a quote in the William Shakespeare play The Tempest. Advertisement

Alden plays the one of series' protagonists John The Save, who is dissatisfied with the life in the so-called Savage Reservation, and strives to enter the New World.

There he meets factory worker Lenina Brown (played by Jessica) and romance blossoms between them in a world where monogamy and singular love are strictly prohibited.

Game Of Thrones star Harry Lloyd is glimpsed in the trailer as Bernard Marx, the titular character who is exiled from the New World.

As with any dystopian series, it seems that all is not as it seems, with the trailer also hinting at some form of mind control through attached contact lenses.

While people are free to love whoever they please, the society strictly forbids monogamy, privacy, money, family, and even the concept of history itself.'

The trailer ends on a haunting note, as a narration by John asks: 'If this world is so perfect why is it upside-down?' before another voice warns: 'You are the beginning of something, something necessary.'

Naughty: The preview features plenty of the series' raunchier moments, including a party dissolving into a sex fest

Star-studded: Leading the cast is John The Savage, played by Star Wars' Alden Ehrenreich who strives to enter the futuristic society after growing dissatisfied with his own life, and Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay

Cute: It seems that romance blossoms between the pair despite monogamy being banned, and Lenina's relationship with Bernard Marx

Naughty: As with any dystopian series, it seems that all is not as it seems, with the trailer also hinting at some form of mind manipulation

Brave New World is based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Aldous Huxley, and depicts a utopian world governed by a singular political authority, that manipulates children from birth on how to behave through brainwashing - revolving around the motto of 'everyone belongs to everyone else.'

Everyone is given a specific position in the society according to their rank, with the Alpha and Beta ranks being the highest, and Gamma, Delta and Epsilons being the lowest.

It also presents the idea of manufactured reproduction, as people are born in artificial wombs, and are taught to forego the idea of emotions through psychological manipulation and the use of the drug Soma.

The novel's titular character is Bernard Marx, who grows equally unhappy with the dystopian future, and is exiled from New London and encounters Linda and her son John in the so-called Savage Reservation.

All-ruling: Brave New World is based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Aldous Huxley, and depicts a utopian world of the future governed by a singular political authority

Controversial: The novel has been adapted for screen multiple times, including two television films in 1980 and 1988, and the novel has been banned in numerous countries due to its views on family and religion

Big Brother is watching you! It has also been compared with George Orwell's own dystopian epic Nineteen Eighty-Four, which depicts a similar future where people are continuously manipulated and controlled

Questions: The novel is also thought to be an interpretation of communism, which was rife following the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922

While it seems such an escape may be the cure to his upset, it instead sets the stage for his disastrous attempt at redeeming his ruined reputation.

Brave New World has been adapted for screen multiple times, including two television films in 1980 and 1988, and the novel has been banned in numerous countries due to its interpretation of family and religion.

It has also been compared with George Orwell's own dystopian epic Nineteen Eighty-Four, which depicts a similar future where people are continuously manipulated and controlled.

The novel is also thought to be an interpretation of communism, which was rife following the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922.

Brave New World is set to air on the Peacock streaming service, which will be launched on July 15, 2020.
Bringing meals to hospitals in a safe and organized fashion can be extremely difficult, said Nate Mook, the chief executive of World Central Kitchen. But World Central Kitchen has the expertise to help. Having served communities ravaged by disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, it has stepped in to coordinate these separate fund-raising initiatives and offer logistical support amid the pandemic.

To help organizations like World Central Kitchen as they assist some of those most impacted by the coronavirus, The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund has started a Covid-19 Relief Campaign. This monthlong campaign will benefit World Central Kitchen and three other agencies offering support to those affected by the outbreak.

Over the past month, World Central Kitchen has served more than one million meals, to essential workers and the hungry, in at least 95 cities across the country. It has also been working in seven cities in Spain, which has one of the worlds highest coronavirus mortality rates.

Many of those on the receiving end are front-line workers. In one week, the Chicago-based chapter of Frontline Foods has teamed up with 10 restaurants and delivered more than 1,000 meals to six hospitals.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Main Street America Group, through its affiliated writing companies, will return nearly $27 million in premium relief to its commercial lines and private passenger auto insureds. The relief efforts will help ease negative financial impacts to policyholders as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects a notable decrease in driving  and accidents  by personal auto customers.

Main Street America commercial insureds with a business owners policy and/or a contractors policy will receive a two-month premium credit equal to 20 percent of policy premiums due in April and May 2020. While other insurance companies have recently announced premium relief for personal auto customers, supporting commercial customers in this way is not common.

"We know businesses are taking a hit right now. We wanted to support our commercial customers, too, during this challenging time," said Chris Listau, Main Street America's president and CEO.

The commercial premium credit applies to policies in force as of March 31, 2020. The company estimates it will credit approximately $10.4 million in premium to customers with these policies. Commercial Auto, Workers' Compensation, Umbrella and other commercial policies are excluded.

Main Street America personal auto policyholders will also benefit. Insureds with personal auto policies in force as of March 31, 2020 will receive a one-time relief payment of $50 per eligible vehicle via check, which they can spend as they choose. Main Street America estimates it will provide premium relief of approximately $16.5 million to personal auto customers.

"As a mutual holding company, we value our policyholders and recognize their important role as stakeholders in our company," said Listau. "Safer-at-home orders and other measures have resulted in a notable decrease in average miles driven per day as well as a subsequent decline in personal auto claims, and we expect these trends to continue in the near term.

"While the impact on commercial lines is different, many small business owners have also had unprecedented impacts. Most restaurants have been restricted to drive-through or take-out operations only. Most non-essential retail businesses have been closed. And many contractors and service businesses have been affected," added Listau. "Main Street America is committed and prepared to serve our policyholders, independent agents, employees and communities during this trying time. As conditions change, we will continue to make decisions in real-time to make sure those counting on us have the support and protection they need."

In addition to premium relief efforts, Main Street America is supporting policyholders in other ways, including: accepting premium payment extension requests without penalties or fees up to 60 days; offering restaurant insureds hired and non-owned auto coverage for food delivery; and postponing physical premium audits and inspections for commercial insureds. The company is also providing temporary coverage for individuals using personal vehicles to deliver food from local restaurants, extending rental car return days if vehicles cannot be repaired or returned due to business closures, and waiving inside inspections of homes.

Main Street America's relief efforts also extend to individuals, families and businesses in communities where we operate. Through our NGM Charitable Foundation and employee matching gift program, we are providing funds to support relief efforts to those facing financial uncertainty and other needs. Our efforts support those of the American Family Insurance group of companies, who are committed to assisting customers who are experiencing financial hardship from the pandemic. Collectively, the enterprise has pledged $4 million in support of pandemic relief and other nonprofit efforts.

About The Main Street America Group

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Main Street America offers a wide range of commercial and personal insurance, as well as fidelity and surety bond products, to individuals, families and businesses throughout the United States. The company writes more than $1.1 billion in annual premium exclusively through independent insurance agents. Main Street America carries an "A" (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating, with a Stable Outlook, and "a+" Issuer Credit Rating from A.M. Best. In 2018, Main Street America merged with American Family Insurance, the nation's 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group, becoming the enterprise's channel to distribute products through independent agents. Visit us at www.msagroup.com and on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Main Street America Group
Doordarshan and All India Radio are broadcasting virtual classes and other educational content through their regional channels across the country on TV, radio and YouTube to help students learn during lockdown, the government said on Thursday.

As all schools across the country are closed, these virtual classes are helping lakhs of students, especially those in Class 10 and 12, in preparation for their board and competitive examinations, according to an official statement.

The virtual learning through DD and AIR include curriculum-based classes for primary, middle and high-school level students.

Secondary School Leaving Certificate subjects and model question papers for Class 10 students are also being made available in some states, it said.

Many of these classes help students prepare for their engineering and medical entrance examinations.

To keep the learning interesting, apart from course books, virtual classes in few states include quiz shows and story telling by eminent personalities, it said, adding that most of these classes start early morning and few are repeated in the afternoon.

Doordarshan Kendras that are already broadcasting virtual classes are Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, and Jammu and Kashmir.

All India Radio stations broadcasting virtual classes are Vijaywada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore, Puducherry, Madurai, Trivendrum, Tirunelveli, Panaji, Jalgaon, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Parbhani, Aurangabad, Pune, Nagpur, Mumbai, Gangtok, Guwahati, Bikaner, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur.

The stations broadcasting educational content are Bhopal, Chennai, Kozhikode and Thrissur.

On an average, a DD channel is airing two-and-a-half hours of educational content daily and an All India Radio channel 30 minutes.

Also, the total number of hours of daily content across DD network is 17 hours and 11 hours across All India Radio network, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Akbar Mammadov

Statements of Nagorno-Karabakhs Azerbaijani Community on recent cease-fire violations by Armenia and illegal elections staged in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan have been circulated as UN General Assembly and Security Council documents, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said on April 15.

The letter dated April 13 written by Yashar Aliyev, the Permament Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations (UN), has been addressed to Secretary-General.

It should be noted that the letter has been circulated as UN General Assembly and Security Council documents under agenda items 32 and 37 under titles Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development and The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

In addition, the statement by the Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on the so-called elections held in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan has also been annexed to the letter.

It should be noted that the illegal elections held in occupied Nagorno-Krarabakh in two rounds  on March 31 and April 14  have drawn international condemnation.

A number of other countries, including France, Germany, Turkey, UK, Canada, Australia, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia, as well as major international organizations such as the EU, NATO, OSCE, OIC, GUAM, Visegrad Group, TURKPA have recently reiterated their support for Azerbaijans territorial integrity and condemned the illegal elections held in in Karabakh on March 31.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Thais are flocking to Bangkok's Chinatown to sell their gold jewellery as the price of the precious metal spikes and the economy tanks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gold surged to a seven-year high on Tuesday to $1,731.25 an ounce, following global moves led by the US to reinflate economies with trillions of dollars of stimulus measures. That has boosted the price of gold across the world, tempting many to sell their stocks of the precious metal at a time of economic hardship without recent precedent. Many Thais buy gold jewellery as an investment in times of plenty, to be sold when prices rise or belts tighten. In Bangkok, where a virtual lockdown has taken root for a fortnight, hundreds flocked to Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, to trade bracelets, necklaces and rings for cash as local gold prices jumped more than 20 percent. "I don't have any savings so I decided to sell the gold I have for cash to keep me afloat during this time," Thanakorn Promyuyen, a 39-year-old street vendor told AFP. Traders have bought tens of millions of dollars worth of gold since Tuesday, according to Jitti Tangsitpakdi, a chairman of a trade association. "One shop bought 200 million baht ($6.1 million) of ornaments and bars," he said, explaining businesses whose revenue has been strangled by the lockdown are being forced to sell their gold savings. "Their businesses are in bad shape; better to sell gold and keep cash," he added. "In over 60 years and I never seen people queue like this to sell their gold." Thailand's economy is forecast to contract by more than five percent this year after the virus shuttered borders -- killing the cash cow tourist industry -- leaving millions unemployed. "I don't have any income, only expenses," said 43-year-old Aumporn Pansa as he sold his jewellery. "I have kids to take care of as well as monthly bills, so I had to come here and sell.? burs-apj/fox/to Customers in facemasks selling gold at a shop in Bangkok's Chinatown An gold shop employee checks a necklace offered for sale at a shop in Bangkok's Chinatown Customers line up outside a gold shop in Bangkok, ready to sell their jewellery as the price of the precious metal soars An employee paints the latest price of gold on a shop window in the Thai capital
by Melani Manel Perera

The person and work of Mgr Nicholas Marcus Fernando, 7th archbishop of Colombo, were remembered during his funeral on Monday. He was blessed with many qualities and we know he used them all for the glory of God. For this reason, we wish Archbishop Marcus eternal rest and the love and care of the Lord Jesus.

Colombo (Asia News)  The person and work of Mgr Nicholas Marcus Fernando, 7th archbishop of Colombo, were remembered during his funeral on Monday. The service was celebrated in private in St Marys Church, Negombo, because of the current pandemic but was broadcast live by state television.

Card Malcolm Ranjit, the current archbishop of Colombo, and the other bishops of Sri Lanka as well as numerous priests and nuns together with members of Archbishop Fernandos family were present. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was also in attendance, made a short speech.

The late archbishop was 87. Born on 6 December 1932 in Negombo, he was ordained priest on 20 December 1959. He served as archbishop of Colombo from 1977 to 6 July 2002.

Bishop Oswald Gomis, a close friend, gave the eulogy, reminiscing about their first meeting, 70 years ago, on 16 January 1950.

"I remember this date well, he said, because on that day only I entered the minor seminary in Colombo. From that day onwards we became good friends, until his death. He was a very kind and unassuming priest.

"In 1968 I was elected auxiliary bishop of Colombo and had to move to the Bishop's house. But our friendship remained as it was.

When, in 1977 he became archbishop of Colombo, I asked him to choose any other young priest to work with him, because we were of the same age, with a difference of only six days: he was born on 6 December and I on 12. He rejected my request. After that we worked together for 19 years.

When he turned 70, the archbishop retired and I became archbishop of Colombo. But our friendship remained as it was, we never quarrelled.

He worked with fatherly love. He was very kind and understanding, and therefore the priests loved him very much. He had good qualities to deal with everyone and solve any problem.

He always supported the idea that innocent people should not be punished, harassed or troubled and that their lives should be protected. He spoke out against injustice against the poor caused by bad leaders and the powerful during the presidency of J.R. Jayawardana.

He knew the Tamils and boldly said that there should be equal rights for all citizens and no privileges for any group.

Especially when talking about the civil war, he insisted that we should solve our own problems by ourselves with our own plans, not according to others' plans. Sometimes people turned against him for such statements, but he was never discouraged and strongly defended his opinions.

He was blessed with many qualities and we know he used them all for the glory of God. For this reason, we wish Archbishop Marcus eternal rest and the love and care of the Lord Jesus.
A new study led by Professor Larry Kramer from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston suggests that the impact of microgravity is far-reaching, potentially causing brain volume changes and pituitary gland deformation.

On Earth, the gravitational field creates a hydrostatic gradient, a pressure of fluid that progressively increases from your head down to your feet while standing or sitting. This pressure gradient is not present in space.

When youre in microgravity, fluid such as your venous blood no longer pools toward your lower extremities but redistributes headward, Professor Kramer said.

That movement of fluid toward your head may be one of the mechanisms causing changes we are observing in the eye and intracranial compartment.

To find out more, Professor Kramer and his colleagues performed brain MRI on 11 astronauts, including 10 men and one woman, before they traveled to the International Space Station (ISS).

The researchers followed up with MRI studies a day after the astronauts returned, and then at several intervals throughout the ensuing year.

MRI results showed that the long-duration microgravity exposure caused expansions in the astronauts combined brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes. CSF is the fluid that flows in and around the hollow spaces of the brain and spinal cord.

The combined volumes remained elevated at one-year postflight, suggesting permanent alteration.

What we identified that no one has really identified before is that there is a significant increase of volume in the brains white matter from preflight to postflight, Professor Kramer said.

White matter expansion in fact is responsible for the largest increase in combined brain and cerebrospinal fluid volumes postflight.

MRI also showed alterations to the pituitary gland, a pea-sized structure at the base of the skull often referred to as the master gland because it governs the function of many other glands in the body.

Most of the astronauts had MRI evidence of pituitary gland deformation suggesting elevated intracranial pressure during spaceflight.

We found that the pituitary gland loses height and is smaller postflight than it was preflight, Professor Kramer said.

In addition, the dome of the pituitary gland is predominantly convex in astronauts without prior exposure to microgravity but showed evidence of flattening or concavity postflight. This type of deformation is consistent with exposure to elevated intracranial pressures.

The team also observed a postflight increase in volume, on average, in the astronauts lateral ventricles, spaces in the brain that contain CSF. However, the overall resulting volume would not be considered outside the range of healthy adults.

The changes were similar to those that occur in people who have spent long periods of bed rest with their heads tilted slightly downward in research studies simulating headward fluid shift in microgravity.

Additionally, there was increased velocity of CSF flow through the cerebral aqueduct, a narrow channel that connects the ventricles in the brain.

A similar phenomenon has been seen in normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition in which the ventricles in the brain are abnormally enlarged. Symptoms of this condition include difficulty walking, bladder control problems and dementia. To date, these symptoms have not been reported in astronauts after space travel.

The findings were published in the journal Radiology.

_____

Larry A. Kramer et al. Intracranial Effects of Microgravity: A Prospective Longitudinal MRI Study. Radiology, published online April 14, 2020; doi: 10.1148/radiol.2020191413
Bus with the Ukrainian prisoners has arrived at the checkpoint

Bus with the Ukrainian prisoners has arrived at Horlivka checkpoint where the exchange between the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) and the Ukrainian side is expected to take place. It was reported by a separatist news outlet.

The bus is escorted by DNR's police units.

According to a source, the exchange process will begin at 8:00 am.

UPDATE:

The exchange is over. Donbas militants have handed over nine Ukrainian prisoners. The Ukrainian side has released 10 detainees in return.

The next exchange will take place later today.
One of Australia's biggest travel companies changed its refund policy to deny cash refunds to people who cancelled their trips due to COVID-19.

Youth tour company Topdeck was forced to cancel all upcoming trips until mid-2020 after travel was banned indefinitely by the federal government in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

The operator initially promised refunds to customers who had trips planned before June 30 this year.

But last week it updated its policy retrospectively and told customers they would only be getting refunds in the form of credit, plus an extra $100, that expires on December 31, 2021.

Youth tour company Topdeck initially promised refunds to customers who had trips planned before June 30 this year

Topdeck offer tours all over the world to people aged between 18 and 39. Last week it updated its policy retrospectively and told customers they would only be getting refunds in the form credit, plus an extra $100

The policy change means that people who were previously promised a cash refund would now only get a voucher.

Topdeck said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia that vouchers are 'generally the most popular option for customers, most of whom are looking forward to travelling with us once the restrictions are lifted.'

It also said the company would be flexible if a customer is unable to use the voucher by the expiry date.

But young travellers are angry after being told the company are 'not able to process cash refunds, even if we had previously agreed to this'.

Claudia Jones, who cancelled her trip in early March, was initially told in writing that her $4,000 tour would be refunded in cash.

The New Zealander was shocked when she got the email last week explaining she would only receive a voucher.

'I don't get how this is legal given I signed up and cancelled under their old cancellation policy,' she told according to The Guardian.

Ms Jones lodged a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and commented on the Topdeck Facebook page.

All international travel has been banned by the federal government in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Pictured: Passengers from Cambodia pictured boarding buses to take them to isolation

According to the ACCC, offering a refund in the form of a voucher is in line with their guidelines.

But the watchdog told the publication companies can't apply new policies retrospectively.

It comes after the Council of Australian Tour Operators (Cato) - the travel sector's peak body - issued advice on their website urging tour operators not to provide cash refunds.

'Cato believes that it is in the best interest of consumers that future travel credits are issued instead of cash refunds,' it said.

'This will ensure maximum returns for each client, and help to preserve cash flows through each part of the travel supply chain.'

It has asked the ACCC to assist with policy development backing the decision.

Topdeck's major competitor Contiki also said it would give refunds in the form of vouchers, but did not change its policies retrospectively.

Consumer group Choice said people with complaints should their seek advice from their state or territory authorities.

TOPDECK'S REFUND POLICIES, BEFORE AND AFTER Topdeck's original refund policy, published on January 16, 2020: 'In the event of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances we may be required to cancel or modify your trip. 'If this happens, we will off you a refund of all money paid.' Topdeck's revised refund policy, published on April 8, 2020: 'If you have a trip booked with us before 30 June, youll get the full amount paid, provided in the form of a travel credit voucher, plus an additional $100(AUD), in travel credit. 'You can re-book a Topdeck tour thats on sale now or hold onto it and wait until youre ready to decide  its valid for travel up to 31 December 2021.' Trips booked for after July 1 this year are still set to go ahead, but customers who choose to cancel will also be given a voucher. Advertisement




Dominican Republic active on VHF for World Amateur Radio Day On April 18 the Dominican Radio Club will be celebrating the World Amateur Radio Day (WARD). The RCD callsign will be activated in different areas of the Dominican Republic



The activity is intended for local radio amateurs to know that IARU celebrates this day as 'World Radio Amateur Day'.



This activity will be done in the 2-meter band and a certificate will be awarded by the contact which will be sent electronically (Email).



Activity time: from 00: 00z until 23: 59z on April 18, 2020



Active Zones HI3RCD, HI4RCD, HI5RCD, HI6RCD, HI7RCD, HI8RCD, HI9RCD and HI0RCD



73s

Rafael Martinez Hi8KW

RCD IARU Liaison



World Amateur Radio Day

https://www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-day/
Electro-soul artist Rayannah is the first musician taking part in Manitoba Music's MB Live Sessions, which kick off tonight.
As the US government prepares to send out relief money to Americans as part of its coronavirus stimulus package, Donald Trump is excited to see the millions of cheques going out to citizens with his name emblazoned upon them.

But asked at his daily coronavirus press briefing why he had his name added, he dismissed the idea that he had anything to do with it.

Well I dont know too much about it, but I understand my name is there. I dont know where theyre going, how theyre going, I do understand its not delaying anything, and Im satisfied with that. I dont imagine its a big deal, Im sure people will be very happy to get a big fat beautiful check and my name is on it, he said.

While the US Treasury has said the cheques will be going out on time this week, a Democratic congressman tweeted that the matter of the presidents signature has already raised the ire of people in his district.

Am already hearing from constituents who are just furious that he delayed their checks for this, wrote Virginias Don Beyer. Im pretty sure they are not the only ones.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, told CNN she viewed the inclusion of the presidents name as shameful. In a statement, she said that Delaying direct payments to vulnerable families just to print his name on the cheque is another shameful example of President Trumps catastrophic failure to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands.

Mr Trumps desire to put his name on the cheques was first reported in late March, immediately after Congress passed the $2.2 trillion economic rescue package that provided for payments of $1,200 to most Americans.

According to a report from The Washington Post, even though Mr Trump publicly denied wanting his signature featured at the start of April, he nonetheless discussed the possibility with treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and settled for having his name featured in the cheques memo line. The decision to include it was reportedly only finalised early this week.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 17, 2020 - 04:15 | All, World, Coronavirus, Japan

(Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at a video conference of Group of Seven leaders on April 16, 2020.)

[Courtesy of Japan's Cabinet Secretariat]

WASHINGTON - Leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Thursday called for a "thorough" review and reform of the World Health Organization, the White House said, as the United States steps up criticism that the U.N. body has mishandled the coronavirus outbreak.

While the group affirmed cooperation in responding to the global health crisis and committed to working toward a strong economic recovery, "much of the conversation centered on the lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement of the pandemic by the WHO," the White House said.

(WHO headquarters in Geneva)

"The leaders called for a thorough review and reform process," it said in a statement issued after the leaders' second video teleconference in a month, noting that the G-7 countries annually contribute more than a billion dollars to the WHO.

U.S. President Donald Trump has recently been turning up the heat on the WHO, saying that its "China-centric" approach has led to faulty recommendations and responses to the spread of the novel coronavirus.

On Tuesday, Trump directed his administration to halt U.S. funding of the WHO and said that a review will be conducted to assess the U.N. agency's role, a move that has stirred controversy within and beyond the country as the worldwide fight against the pandemic continues.

In the previous summit in March, the global mandate of the WHO was "fully" supported by the G-7.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, meanwhile, stressed the need to help vulnerable countries such as those in Africa secure health care services and to speed up the development of pharmaceutical treatments for COVID-19, a government official said in Tokyo.

The Japanese government sees Avigan, an anti-influenza drug made by a Japanese firm, as having the potential to treat COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, and plans to provide it for free to at least 20 nations.

Abe also explained to other G-7 leaders his declaration earlier in the day of a state of emergency for all of Japan.

The official declined to provide details to reporters on what Abe said about WHO reform, calling the leader's remarks on the issue a part of "diplomatic exchanges."

(Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe)

Since the virus was first detected in China late last year, global infections have topped 2 million with over 140,000 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

The pandemic has triggered lockdowns in hard-hit countries and travel restrictions, resulting in a significant drop in economic activity.

The G-7 has pledged to "do whatever it takes, using all policy tools" to protect the economy from downside risks but the challenges are manifold with the International Monetary Fund projecting the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Italy, a G-7 member with one of the worst outbreaks in the group, is expected to suffer the sharpest drop of 9.1 percent in real gross domestic product in 2020, compared with a 3.0 percent contraction for the world economy overall, according to the IMF's World Economic Outlook report.

The other G-7 members are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States.

The United States, which holds the group's presidency this year, has become the country with the world's highest number of confirmed coronavirus infections. But Trump said Wednesday that the country's peak in new infections had already passed and showed eagerness to reopen the world's largest economy, apparently to seek a quick recovery ahead of the November presidential election.

(U.S. President Donald Trump)

"Going forward, G-7 leaders tasked their ministers to work together to prepare all G-7 economies to re-open safely and on a foundation that will allow the G-7 nations to reestablish economic growth with more resilient health systems and trusted supply chains," the White House said in the statement.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment for his infection with the coronavirus, was absent from Thursday's conference.
Anne Graham Lotz: Coronavirus time 'to turn away from sin, self-centeredness and secularism'

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Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz recently explained how painful situations in her life allowed her to encounter God in a fresh way and said God might also be using the COVID-19 pandemic to get our attention so that we will listen to His message.

In a blog post last month, the founder of AnGel Ministries and daughter of the late Billy Graham said the threatening black cloud of the coronavirus has enveloped our nation, reminding her of Exodus 19:9, where God said to Moses, I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.

In the past four years, I, too, have entered into a black, terrifying cloud, she admitted. My husbands sudden, unexpected death; my fathers death three years later; my diagnosis of cancer and the subsequent surgery and follow-up treatments have been personal storms as fiercely threatening as the storm that has now broken upon all of us.

But there was a silver lining to the black cloud in my life because it was in the cloud where I encountered God in a fresh way, the Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion author continued. I have seen His glory, His character in the dark cloud. I have experienced Gods faithfulness to meet my needs, His grace to pour out His blessings through family and friends, His strength to enable me to endure triumphantly, and His goodness to bring me through one day at a time.

Throughout the four stormy years, I never once lost my joy, or my inner peace, or the steadfast hope that God was in control and would work out all things for my good.

The 71-year-old Bible teacher asked, Could it be that God is using the coronavirus to get our attention so that we will listen to His message?

Its time to pray! Its time to turn away from our sin, self-centeredness and secularism, and turn to God in faith and trust, she stressed. Now. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity

If we heed Gods message, He can calm the storm and bring us through to a time of spiritual revival and national renewal, she concluded.

Previously, Lotz suggested the new coronavirus  which has affected over 609,600 people in the United States as of Wednesday  might be a sign of the coming end times and stressed the importance of making sure we are right with God so that we are ready to meet Him whenever the time comes.

"This is a time to pray for ourselves, our families, our nation, and all those worldwide whose lives are being devastated by the death and disruption this disease is causing, she said. You and I need to make sure we are right with God so that we are ready to meet Him whenever the time comes. And then join me in helping someone else get right with God.

Lets pull out all the stops as we tell others that its possible to have peace in the midst of the storm and confident hope for tomorrow, claiming Jesus promise, Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age, she concluded.

Last month, pastor David Jeremiah cautioned against speculating the coronavirus is a sign of the Second Coming of Christ, encouraging Christians to instead view it as a sign for today. A reminder of things we too easily forget.

The coronavirus teaches us the vulnerability of everyone; the credibility of the Bible; the uncertainty of life; the scarcity of hope; and finally, the sufficiency of Jesus, the bestselling author said.

Jesus doesn't just overcome the event. He overcomes the environment where the event happens, he explained. In these challenging days, we cannot forget what Jesus told us in 2nd Corinthians 12:9, that His grace is sufficient for us. You will find that out during these days, if you haven't found it out already. The sufficiency of Jesus Christ for those who have put their trust in Him will be on display everywhere.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra  Thu, April 16 2020

North Sumatra health authorities have placed dozens of passengers and crew members of the KM Kelud ship in quarantine after three crewmen tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving at Belawan Port in Medan on Monday evening.

North Sumatra COVID-19 task force spokesperson Aris Yudhariansyah said the three crewmen were taken to an isolation ward at Martha Friska Hospital in Medan. Thirty-six passengers of the ship and 14 crew members were put in quarantine in two separate places.

All passengers are being quarantined at a site of plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara [PTPN] III in Sungai Karang subdistrict, while the crewmen are being quarantined on board the ship, Aris said on Tuesday.

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Theres a Persian restaurant Ive been going to since I was a kid called Hatam Restaurant in Anaheim. Its been around for over 30 years, and like many great restaurants in Southern California, its located in a strip mall next to a gas station at an intersection. My parents like to go there partially because they serve halal food; I like to go primarily because its delicious.

The thing to get at Hatam are the kebabs. I like the joojeh soltani, which comes with one long skewer of koobideh (juicy beef kebab) and another of joojeh (saffron-imbued charred chicken) served over fluffy rice with a single blackened tomato. As soon as the plate drops, I generously dust the scene with dried ground sumac, a sour, slightly saline-tasting spice that comes from a maroon-colored berry that grows wild in Iran and the Middle East.

The mere thought makes my mouth water  I crave these flavors for their nostalgic comfort factor. You know what else comforts? Shatteringly crispy, juicy fried chicken. And these days, lord knows, I need comfort. It was with this sentiment that I combined the two and made a Persian version of fried chicken with a saffron-infused buttermilk bath and a sumac-seasoned crunchy coating.

Ive fried my fair share of birds at home over the years with varying degrees of success. What Ive learned after countless trials is that the key is temperature control  the oil cant be too hot. And in order to control temperature, one needs to have the right tools.

Short of purchasing a counter-hogging deep-fryer, Ive found that a Thermapen  a professional-style digital meat thermometer  combined with an induction burner does just the trick. The former gives an instant, accurate reading of temps, and the latter allows for better, more responsive control and maintenance of consistent heat (as opposed to adjusting a finnicky knob on the stove). You also get the added benefit of having an extra burner that boils water twice as fast as a gas range.

Of course, a $99 thermometer isnt necessary  there are many other items higher on the priority list for people, especially in these times. Any good ole candy or probe thermometer will do. The important thing is that youre constantly monitoring the temperature and adjusting heat levels in response so that the oil doesnt get too hot. But if youre able, the Thermapen is a worthwhile investment.

In addition to the right tools, youll also need the right technique. I asked Christian Ciscle, the man who runs SF Chickenbox in SoMa and makes one of my favorite versions of fried chicken in San Francisco, for tips.

You should be vigilant and pay attention to giving the pieces enough room to fry evenly. Move them around every couple (of) minutes, Ciscle advises. 165 degrees internal is done, but I like to pull it a tiny bit before and let it rest on a cookie rack. Ciscle also wisely adds that it comes down to patience and practice and getting to be comfortable with your equipment and technique.

One technique where Ciscle and I differ is that I like to let my chicken rest for 30 minutes after dredging and before plunging into hot oil, while Ciscle fries immediately. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, food writer and chef-owner of Wursthall in San Mateo, sides with Ciscle, maintaining that my method hydrates the flour and strengthens gluten (theres a whole page on it in his book The Food Lab, W.W. Norton & Co., 2015), creating a crust that is tough; however, Id describe the texture as shatteringly crispy and I love it.

Whereas my recipe calls for buttermilk, some recipes call for a saltwater brine. In both cases, the acid coagulates proteins, helping to create a tender, juicy end product, according to Lopez-Alt. Buttermilk brings flavor and viscosity for better dredge adhesion, he adds.

I also like to cut my flour dredge with a bit of cornstarch, which provides starch without protein and creates an extremely crisp coating, according to Lopez-Alt in The Food Lab. The added texture is similar to the crisp of a Korean fried chicken, which is often 100% cornstarch-based.

There are, of course, a million ways to fry a bird, and a million more recipes and ingredient combinations  but this is mine. If you dont feel like going Persian, you can omit the saffron and sumac and use something else you already have in your spice cabinet. If youre craving Indan flavors, add some Madras curry to the dry dredge like Foreign Cinema does. Or if youre in the mood for Moroccan, make your own dry harissa mix like Mourad Lahlou is doing these days at Aziza for takeout. Lopez-Alt goes Korean with his spice blend at Wursthall, and Fernay McPherson adds fresh-chopped rosemary to hers over at Minnie Bells in Emeryville. Its wonderful.

When you fry your own chicken at home, the choice is yours  and you cant go wrong.

Omar Mamoon is a San Francisco writer and cookie guy. Find him at @ommmar Email: food@sfchronicle.com

Recipe: Persian-inspired Fried Chicken

Serves 3-4

You can use whichever parts of the chicken you like best or can get your hands on. I prefer to buy a small whole chicken and break it down into eight pieces; you get variety, its more economical and you can save the carcass for stock. The amount of buttermilk needed for brining and oil for frying depends on the size of the vessels. For the brine, you need enough liquid to submerge the chicken, and for the oil, you want to fill the pan by 2 inches.

A nice three-finger pinch of saffron threads (about .5 gram or 1 teaspoon)

3 tablespoons warm water

2 cups buttermilk

8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

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1 tablespoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 tablespoons sumac, plus more to finish

4-6 cups neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed

Maldon salt to finish

Lemon or lime (optional)

Instructions: Place the saffron in a small glass and top with the warm water. Mix and let stand for at least 5 minutes to bloom.

Add the buttermilk to a medium-size bowl, then mix in the saffron mixture. Add the chicken pieces, stir to coat and cover. Let marinate overnight or at least 8 hours; you need some time to let the saffron perfume through the chicken.

In a large bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, salt and sumac. Whisk together until combined.

With one hand, remove a piece of chicken from the marinade, letting most of the liquid drip back into the bowl. Place the chicken in the flour mixture. With the other hand, scoop some of the dredge on top of the chicken to cover, until all sides are evenly coated. Still using just your dry hand, press the flour into chicken firmly, then shake off excess dredge and place on a wire tray set over a baking sheet. Repeat process with the rest of the chicken (remembering to use your dry hand for the dredge and keeping your wet hand away from the flour bowl as much as possible). Let the pieces sit for 30 minutes.

Add oil to a small pot (a Dutch oven works great) to fill by 2 inches, and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees. (If you have an induction burner and a Thermapen, your life will be infinitely easier.)

Carefully place 2 pieces of chicken (try to use the same type for even cooking) in the pot and fry until they are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (it will continue to cook to 165 after you pull it). Turn the pieces every minute or two to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking, 7-12 minutes total. Exact cooking time will vary depending on various factors, but youll want to constantly adjust the heat to make sure the chicken is frying at a temperature between 325-350 degrees (again, this is where the Thermapen and induction burner really help).
Khyati Dharamsi

Banks, like many other sectors, have been compelled to work with minimal staff. And in the midst of a lockdown that has got more severe in these past few days, its tough to visit the bank as you did before the Coronavirus pandemic. But emergencies may push you to do so. Mumbai-based Raunak Gajjar, 32, lost Rs 19,000 last week when making a grocery purchase that turned out to be a fraudulent transaction. But because he had shared his One-Time Password (OTP) with the fraudster, he wasnt allowed to block his card through tele-banking. He was told to submit a form at the nearest bank branch. The bank branch finally blocked my card and I could get back 50 percent of my money, says Raunak.

The flip side was that he was left without a debit card during the lockdown phase as card issuances have stopped during the shutdown and so have delivery services. For cash withdrawals without his debit card, Raunak now has to rely on contact-less transactions. All he needs to do is to make a cash withdrawal request through internet banking. A unique password is generated, which is valid for only two hours. He has to rush to his nearest ATM within the time limit, enter the code at the ATM and get his money.

As most branches function only between 10 am and 2 pm, its difficult to carry on your normal banking work in this lockdown. But there are alternatives.

ATMs are not just for cash withdrawal

As long as your bank account has your basic details such as mobile number and email address, you would be able to carry out most of you transactions from home. The usual channels  ATMs, phone or internet banking, mobile applications, WhatsApp banking or even with the assistance of chatbots through the banks official website  are available as usual.

At the moment, much of the bank staff has limited its activities to cheque clearances, remittances and government transactions.

Make the best use of your ATMs. After cash  which is adequately being stocked  statement generation is the next most popular activity at bank ATMs. But ATMs arent just currency storing machines anymore. There are 32 other transactions one can perform, including account to account transfers, says Thyagarajan Seshadri, President-Banking Relations at Electronic Payment and Services.

For change or registration of mobile number and email address, the customer has to personally visit the branch, fill the prescribed application form and submit the same with his/her KYC documents, K R Kanojia, General Manager-Operations and Services at Bank of Baroda.

Doorstep banking

In an effort, to ease the worries of senior citizens and the differently abled, the RBI has sought strict compliance from banks within a month of its doorstep-banking circular issued on March 31, 2020.

Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI have started with pension and other cash deliveries at the doorstep and cheque pick up from the homes of senior citizens. India Post too offered senior citizens the option of cash withdrawals from postal savings accounts at their doorsteps.

Some banks even deployed mobile ATM vans in large cities such as Mumbai, Noida, Chennai, Coimbatore and Allahabad.

Fixed deposits in lockdown mode

Fixed deposit redemptions will take time in this lockdown. Most FDs would be renewed for a similar duration, unless a redemption request has been raised.

Kanojia of Bank of Baroda says, If anyone wants the payment of the deposit before maturity then it can be considered on a case-to-case basis. The person has to submit a duly discharged fixed deposit receipt with pre-payment request to the branch.

Check if your bank accepts scanned copies of your FD in case you opt to get your money back. Your banks app may also be good enough to initiate a redemption.

EMI Moratorium

Many firms these days are quick to respond on social media, especially on twitter. Pune-based auto-industry personnel Sameer Tuhane, 36, wanted to opt for the loan moratorium, but discovered that his March equated monthly instalment (EMI) was already debited. A refund was due to him since he wanted to opt for the moratorium. He got in touch with his bank on twitter. Within 24 hours, he received a response and his EMI was refunded. This has been a common complaint against banks in social media.

The RBIs guidelines came in on March 27, and since most EMI deductions are slated for the first of every month, banks had limited time to alter the system and avoid the EMI deduction. By default, we altered the date for all EMI deduction to April 4, 2020. Refund requests were placed for those, who opted for the EMI Moratorium through the appropriate procedure, said a branch manager.

Be careful what you say when you interact with your bank on twitter. Do not give out sensitive or personal details like loan-account number, your full name, bank account number and so on. If you wish to attach a screenshot of an error message mask your account details and full name. Fraudsters are always on the prowl looking for unsuspecting victims.

Says Sameer Ratolikar, Chief Information Security Officer, HDFC Bank, In these trying times, it is important for one and all to be informed about the evolving bank frauds. An alert and well-informed customer is less likely to inadvertently disclose personal banking details.

Moneycontrols Take

Technology has made it easier to not just carry out banking transactions, but also to reach out to your bank. Try to use internet banking and phone banking as much as you can. If that doesnt help, try sending an email. Get in touch with your bank on social media, if all else fails. Use the WhatsApp services of your bank for knowing your account balance, inquiries on your credit card, payment alerts, details of your fixed deposits and so on. But remember to delete your messages once your queries are answered.

If you are a senior citizen, you can even authorise a younger and trusted relative to go to the bank branch on your behalf. An authorisation letter is required.
Our vulnerability as a country in an uncertain world has been laid bare for all to see. Covid-19 has shown how quickly life as we know it can be changed utterly. The tragic legacy of Covid-19, the harsh reality of Brexit, as well as the international tussle between Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States over energy, each represent a challenge to our ability to recover.

It is time to reflect and where necessary amend our medium and long-term strategies, back-up plans and contingencies. As the Russian-Saudi relationship swung radically from co-operation to competition, it is worth remembering that global political power plays are no longer far-off war games; they will eventually land on individual doorsteps.

Imagine how different the landscape would be if the next crisis were deepened by power cuts, blackouts and brown-outs. Homes, businesses and in a health crisis even our hospitals struggling to have the power to carry out daily routines.

Yet the security of Ireland's own energy supply has been notable only for its absence in terms of Brexit preparations, our response to fresh international power plays and in so far as we can ascertain, even in the inter-party talks on the formation of a new Government.

The harsh reality is that Ireland is uniquely vulnerable in Europe and the prospect of the lights going out during future international uncertainty is very real.

Since the 1970s, our offshore natural gas fields, first at Kinsale Head and later at Corrib, have buffered us from the energy impact of wars, global stand-offs and shortages. It is also worth noting that the current emergency has coincided with a period of high atmospheric pressure over Ireland.

As the winds dropped, natural gas from the Cork and Mayo coasts stepped up, providing up to 75pc of electricity generation.

However, the wind-down of those existing fields is now becoming real. This means that in the not-too-distant future, all the gas, along with all the oil, we need to supplement our renewable power will have to be imported.

With the ability to only store eight days' national supply itself, do we honestly believe that post-Brexit Britain would in the event of a shortage give priority to powering Ireland?

Such an energy shortage is not unthinkable. It was just three months ago that fresh tension between the US and Iran sparked fears of such a shortage. Or closer to home, what if UK energy workers were ordered to stay home because of a virus or strike?

The only way we can keep our own independent energy security and end our reliance on Britain is to repeat the success of Kinsale and Corrib. Science tells us the prospects are good. Such a find will also give us the space needed to develop other untapped Irish energy sources, such as the wind and waves off our Atlantic coast.

Our new Government, whatever its formation, must at the very least look to address a serious weak point in our national security.

Once they have taken that step, with the right vision they could also see the potential off our coast and promote and support a sector which not only powers our economy but delivers jobs where they are needed most, in rural and coastal communities.

Ensuring we have secure, always-on energy to keep our lights on would be a good place to start.

Mandy Johnston is CEO of the Irish Offshore Operators' Association
A small number of protesters have gathered in Albany to demand communist Gov. Andrew Cuomo reopen New York state.

Cuomo announced Thursday morning that a statewide stay-at-home order would be extended until May 15, keeping schools and non-essential businesses closed to slow the spread of coronavirus. New York state has confirmed more than 222,000 cases of COVID-19 and over 12,000 deaths, Cuomo said during a press briefing Thursday.

That is still continuing at a really tragic, tragic rate, Cuomo said of the death toll.

Photos and video show a protest began Thursday afternoon outside the New York State Capitol Building to oppose Cuomo extending New York PAUSE. About 30 people gathered to defy social distancing rules, waving flags and signs that say Dont Tread on Me," Trump 2020 and Communist Cuomo Has to Go.

About 30 people, most of whom say they will ignore @NYGovCuomos new executive order to wear facemasks in public, have gathered in front of the State Capitol for a rally to reopen New York State and spur the economy. pic.twitter.com/7u1GpIolWg  Matt Hunter (@MattHunterTV) April 16, 2020

Vice reports a Facebook livestream from the events organizer, Mike Gee, showed one man calling the New York governor a communist dictator because pharmacies are unable to offer hydroxychloroquine for treating coronavirus. President Donald Trump has promoted the anti-malaria drug for treating COVID-19, despite no conclusive evidence supporting it.

We dont want handouts, we want to go back to work, one protester told Gee. We can do it in a smart way. Everyone else in that building is waiting for someone else to say jump because nobody wants to be responsible if something goes sideways. Theyre still getting their pay, theyre still working on your dime.

Protest outside the New York State Capitol Building in Albany.



These NYers are saying want to get back to work/eager for NY Pause to end.



Some have traveled from NYC and Syracuse, per Post photographer Hans Pennink. pic.twitter.com/ZRjsOYj6fv  Bernadette Hogan (@bern_hogan) April 16, 2020

Similar rallies with varying crowd sizes, often featuring Republican supporters wearing MAGA hats, have been reported in other states, including North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, Wyoming and Virginia. Thousands created a gridlock in Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday to demand Gov. Gretchen Whitmer end a statewide ban on gatherings and non-essential businesses.

Quarantine is when you restrict movement of sick people. Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people, Meshawn Maddock, an organizer of Operation Gridlock with the Michigan Conservative Coalition, told Fox News. Every person has learned a harsh lesson about social distancing. We dont need a nanny state to tell people how to be careful.

Its time for our state to be opened up. Im tired of not being able to buy the things we need, go to the hair dressers, get our hair done, one Michigan protester, Brenda Esman, told Fox News.

This photo, from an Ohio protest demanding opening the economy, is everything (taken by Joshua A. Bickel for The Columbus Dispatch) pic.twitter.com/WlSHauMvjM  Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp) April 15, 2020

Thousands of people from all over Michigan are converging on our state Capitol today to protest the governors restrictive Stay Home order and get their voices, and car horns, heard. #OperationGridlock pic.twitter.com/bgjH4wKCUQ  MI House Republicans (@MI_Republicans) April 15, 2020

Cuomo extends closure of schools, nonessential businesses into May

Cuomo to New York businesses on reopening: Reimagine your workplace

NYs all-the-time mask law is the most restrictive in the nation; other states are catching up

Coronavirus toll on Upstate NY companies: 40 percent lay off workers
Support network is for 'scared, anxious, frustrated and sometimes angry mums'

Heather Wild and Ellis

WHEN Heather Wild gave birth to her son Ellis on February 14 this year it was the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

She was looking forward to sharing her experience as a new mum with other mothers from the area. She said: "I'd built up a nice little network of four other mums and we all looked forward to all the post natal classes run by the Family Hub team."

Unfortunately, just over a month later the country went into lockdown and she was cut off from her new friends and support network.

Ms Wild said: "All of the services that I knew were there to help me have now either been removed or replaced with a telephone service instead."

So she decided to do something about it.

"I therefore wanted to create a Facebook group to bring all of us scared, anxious, frustrated and sometimes angry mums together so that we could share advice and support.

"I invited six of my friends and warned them that nothing may come of it."

The group - West Berkshire - 2020 Babies - Friendly Mums Support Group - went up on Tuesday this week, April 14, and already has nearly 100 members.

"We had 80 members within 24 hours and I've added two moderators to support me.

"I've also had support from the Family Hub team, so they are aware that I'm promoting their professional support too as I'm not an expert in anything!"

The group is open to any new mothers in the area who are looking for support and has already shared discussions on topics such as whether mums are breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Ms Wild said there had also been a thread around their experiences with local surgeries "as a lot of us are coming up to our 8-week immunisations, which is normally a worrying time anyway, but is heightened now".

Ms Wild, who is 32 and lives in Thatcham, said: "There are ladies from all over, we ask where people are from before accepting them in to the group and we do have a couple from the Hampshire border too.

"I've seen Thatcham, Newbury, Basingstoke, Lambourn, Beedon, Chieveley, Kingsclere and many of the other villages in this area."

One new member Lucie Gemzova posted: "I'm so happy this page exists, it's a lifesaver."

Ms Wild added: "I have set this page up completely independently, but the Family Hub have kindly shared it on their page and have given me permission to share their content in the group."

Family Hubs are council-run groups providing services for children and families in West Berkshire.



If you are a new mother and would like to join the group, visit Facebook and search West Berkshire - 2020 Babies - Friendly Mums Support Group




Mexican journalist Perla Lara sits at her work area outside her apartment, trying to get the next issue of Impacto out to press. Read more

Perla Lara started as a broadcast journalist in Mexico in 1992. She built a career with Televisa, one of the countrys largest media groups, as a news anchor for both radio and television. During the 9/11 attacks, she was sent as a correspondent to New York to cover the aftermath. In 2007 she became Televisas news director.

Her news coverage emphasized Mexicos government corruption, and her work in the country ended when she refused extortion attempts by local authorities and members of organized crime who tried to influence the stations newscasts. She said she received death threats and was asked to leave Mexico by a high-ranking government official. Lara, who received an undergraduate degree in psychology and later earned a masters in intercultural dialogue from the Universita di Pavia in Italy, left Mexico with her three children in 2011.

She and her family moved to her sisters home in Montgomery County. Lara said the censorship and threats followed her to Philadelphia while she worked as a reporter for a local community newspaper.

She later worked as a freelancer for WHYY and produced her own show with Radio Latina in Allentown.

Lara is the new editor-in-chief for Impacto, a 17-year-old Spanish-language publication that was purchased last year by the nonprofit organization Nueva Esperanza.

Since January, Lara, 47, has worked to improve the newspaper, which publishes every Thursday. She manages staff in Venezuela, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. She has hired more writers locally and added new coverage topics. This month, she launched home delivery of 13,000 copies of Impacto to readers in Philadelphia and Camden.

In a recent interview, Lara shared her thoughts about the revamped Impacto and her staffs work in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

What is it like to put out the new Impacto?

The truth is that its been a titanic task. Having to work with our designer, who was quarantined in Dominican Republic and mourning her brother-in-law, who died of this coronavirus, was so difficult to navigate, especially because we were in the middle of the rebranding. I became sick with high fever and sore throat, needing to get myself tested for COVID-19, while virtually searching for writers and collaborators for the papers new sections. Its been lots of hours dedicated to editing the stories that citizen journalists and community leaders have produced for the first issue (April 2) and so on. For most, its the first time they have written for a paper. Weve had moments of anguish and no sleep. Weve cried many times.

What is new and what hasnt changed with Impactos rebranding?

Impacto is one of the few Spanish-language community newspapers in our area, the only one that offers the weather forecast, a prayer, and a quote for the week. We wanted to keep that. We also wanted to keep our staffers working the papers layout and website management from the Caribbean and Latin America. But now, we have a local team of 15 Latinos (originally) from Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and the U.S.-Mexico border. They are reporting from places like Reading, Norristown, all around Philly, North Delaware, and South Jersey on health, education, alternative medicine and the environment, human rights, business and international news. We also have a new logo, new website address, and new owner.

Youre working with staff in the Caribbean, Latin America, in Philly, and around the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys. What are the challenges and the opportunities?

This is a social experiment that we are putting together from our gut. We are reintroducing ourselves to the people in the middle of a pandemic, at a moment when the journalism industry is undergoing a transformation. As an editor, there is the challenge to respect the ideals and views of a diverse pool of people, to bring them  and me  up to speed with the U.S. industrys professional standards while keeping our originality, versatility, and commitment to the communities.

Because we are from the local communities (not only the neighborhoods but the home countries), we believe we can change the narrative about Latinos in the Philly area, by sharing our stories from our perspectives. We want to ask the questions, hold our local Latino and non-Latino representatives accountable, and do the journalism we really need.

Whats Nueva Esperanzas relationship with Impacto and your role?

Nueva Esperanza is the parent that owns Impacto as of 2019. The organization has been providing the financial support needed to run the newspaper, which now has only two ads. From the conversations Ive had with the Rev. Luis Cortes (president and CEO) and Jodi Reyhout (v.p. of strategic initiatives), Ive learned that the organization looks forward to embrace and empower Latinos in our area. To take down the walls that keep North Philly from communicating with South Philly and vice-versa. So, the newspaper is the bridge and they see me as a liaison.

After years of punishment and persecution for the work you do, what keeps you motivated?

Nowadays, there is nothing that motivates me more than Donald Trumps narrative about Latinos. Because he doesnt see our differences in culture, history, and language (across Latin American countries), Im not Mexican here. Im a Latina. So, Im using that perception to bolster our identities in the United States, especially the youth that is being targeted and bullied so often, and to collaborate with Spanish-speakers who want to give a stronger voice about the struggles and the needs our communities have. Latinos have a place in this country and it isnt small; its called the future.

What do you look forward to with Impacto?

You know, our voices dont need a visa. They dont have borders. We look forward to building a solid and robust army of community journalists, to accomplish by the end of year our goal of delivering 50,000 copies of the paper, to remove the papers costs from Nueva Esperanzas budget. In the future, I do see a media consortium that is organic, intergenerational, intercultural, and very, very inclusive.
Tropicana Atlantic City has laid off 2,704 employees as the state-mandated closures of New Jersey casinos stretch into their second month, according to a WARN notice filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Gov. Phil Murphy ordered New Jerseys nine casinos to close March 16 as part of an order that also shuttered movie theaters, concert venues and gyms across the state to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Much of the industrys workforce have been put out of work, and the American Gambling Association projected the state will lose $1.1 billion in economic activity if the casino closures last two months.

A spokesman for Eldorado Resorts, which owns Tropicana, declined to comment on the furloughs but directed NJ Advance Media to the companys April 8 report to shareholders, which says that as of Saturday the company moved to the minimum workforce needed to maintain basic operations and furloughed other nonessential employees. The effective date on the notice to the state was April 11.

Just 1-in-10 of the companys employees will be retained, as it expected to furlough 90 percent of workers at each of its properties nationwide and corporate staff.

In addition to the 2,704 furloughed employees in Atlantic City, another 529 workers in Indiana, 430 in Ohio and 1,205 in Missouri have been laid off, according to casino.org. The website reported that 451 Las Vegas employees were furloughed in March.

Furloughed workers will continue to receive health benefits, according to the filing. The company will pay the employer- and employee- medical, dental and vision premiums until June 30.

Eldorado executives also have agreed to pay cuts affecting their base salaries only. This temporary reduction in base salary becomes effective April 11, 2020, and will not impact any other aspect of the executive officers compensation," according the the Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Union officials have said that the Tropicana parent company provided employees with four weeks of severance pay following the March 16 orders. Most others provided two weeks of severance.

Casinos are eligible to seek some of the $425 billion in corporate loans available as part of the federal stimulus and may qualify for employee retention tax credits to keep their workers on their payrolls.

Casino union leaders have blasted the industry for shedding employees despite the available aid.

The thing thats frustrating is they have the ability to get loans from the government right now that would allow them to retain their workers, D. Taylor, president of Unite Here, said previously. Unite Here represents

Its pretty clear to me they dont want to retain workers, they just want to take the money and give it to the banks and the lenders.

Tropicana Atlantic City has said that in addition to the casino, all its associated restaurants are closed. Carmines Atlantic City, located within Tropicana, has let go of 181 employees, according to its own WARN layoff notice.

Gov. Phil Murphy ordered Atlantic Citys nine casinos to close one month ago, along with racetracks, gyms, fitness centers, theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues and nightclubs.

Expansive as casino floors are, many individuals come into contact with common surfaces, he said in his executive order.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus.

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NJ Advance Media reporter Jonathan D. Salant contributed to this report.
Health Minister Robin Swann has indicated the death toll from coronavirus in Northern Ireland may be less severe than initially feared - but warned our battle with the virus will continue for the "long haul".

Mr Swann said new analysis suggested we may escape the very worst of the peak.

But he cautioned against complacency, adding that "difficult times lie ahead".

A further six hospital deaths were announced here yesterday, bringing the total so far to 140.

However, the full tally will be higher as it does not include deaths outside hospitals and those with suspected Covid-19 who did not undergo a test.

Yesterday it was announced the lockdown would continue for three more weeks, with movement restrictions extended until at least May.

Mr Swann warned the decision on when to ease them will be difficult as the local economy suffers its worst damage ever.

Mr Swann said: "The prospect of a second surge later this year must weigh heavily on all our minds.

"This is no time for final verdicts to be delivered, favourable or critical.

"We are in this for the long haul.

"We will also have to face up to difficult conversations down the line about when or if to ease any social distancing restrictions.

"That time is not now. At this moment in time, we have to stick firmly with the measures we have."

Only essential travel is permitted and people are urged to remain at home to limit infection spread.

Last month Mr Swann warned of a "worst case nightmare scenario" of 15,000 deaths here if no precautions were taken.

Earlier this month this was revised to a worst-case prediction of 3,000 deaths in the first wave of the pandemic.

Yesterday Mr Swann suggested the peak, expected to run from April 6 to 20, could be less severe.

"Modelling colleagues have indicated that the peak here may now - potentially - be less severe than we had feared, in this first wave at least," he added.

"I'm sure you will all agree with me when I say that it was reassuring, but not surprising, to see the positive and responsible approach adopted by the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland, who adhered to social distancing over the Easter holidays."

However, he cautioned that no one can be certain how the first wave will play out.

He added: "No modelling can predict the future, but we can acknowledge that the unprecedented social distancing restrictions on all our lives are starting to make an impact.

"But there can be no grounds whatsoever for complacency.

"The focus now as much as ever has to be on staying at home, saving lives and protecting our health service.

"Difficult times lie ahead, I have no doubt.

"But I am confident that we are ready to face them together."

Mr Swann also addressed the issue of personal protective equipment, saying ministers are attempting to replenish supplies for health workers.

A quarter of a million gowns have been sent to England and Mr Swann defended temporary sharing of materials throughout the UK.

He held discussions with fellow ministers yesterday about maintaining social distancing restrictions.

He said: "On the back of that review, the Executive today has agreed that the restrictions and requirements set out in the regulations continue to be necessary if we are to continue to flatten the epidemic curve, manage the capacity of the health service and keep Covid-19 deaths to a minimum.

"There will be a further review, which will inform how we progress and the position will be closely monitored.

"However, now as before, the message remains the same: please keep safe, stay home, and protect our NHS, as they are working to protect us."

He said the gowns had been sent to England over the last fortnight to help ease pressure on protective supplies there.

He said Northern Ireland has significantly increased its supplies from local sources.

Mr Swann added: "Local industry is to be commended as it continues to show itself to be adaptable, innovative and responsive to changing operating environments."

China is the most significant source of worldwide supplies.

Mr Swann said the work led by the Department of Finance and Health Department to secure equipment was now at a critical stage.

"We continue to work to ensure all possible steps are taken to open up a supply chain which meets our needs and supports our four nations approach."

He said they were working to make sure health care workers who needed them were tested.

Mr Swann also expressed concern that not enough people were coming forward for unrelated medical care.

He added: "People are still having strokes, and people are still having heart attacks. That is why I would urge anyone who suspects they need to talk to a doctor or present to a hospital, to do so.

"Whilst having empty beds is positive, equally I don't want to see people who need to be in hospital not coming forward."
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, AIMS is a leading national provider of infrastructure inspection, maintenance, and support services to the municipal, utility, industrial, and energy end-markets. The company's complementary services, including (i) pipe inspection & cleaning, (ii) hydroexcavation, and (iii) vacuum and hydroblast cleaning, are critical to its customers' ability to maintain operational workflow and regulatory compliance. AIMS operates 15 branches across the U.S. which are strategically positioned in regions of high demand in the West, Southwest, and Southeast. The company's cross-trained workforce, expansive fleet of over 400 units, and company-wide culture of safety and performance have enabled AIMS to become a trusted partner to its premier customer base.

Chris Mihaletos, founder and CEO of AIMS, said, "The BGL team clearly understands our industry and our company's unique position in the market. Their client commitment and industry expertise were critical to us achieving our transaction goals. The partnership BGL helped us establish with Sterling Investment Partners will allow us to expedite the achievement our growth plan."

"The AIMS team has built an exceptional platform for infrastructure maintenance and inspection services," noted BGL Director & Principal Michael Vinciguerra. "With the backing of Sterling, we expect the company's leadership position and growth trajectory will only be enhanced."

About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, capital markets, financial restructurings, valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and Philadelphia, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, San Antonio, and San Diego. The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 30 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, Inc., an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com.

About Sterling Investment Partners

Sterling Investment Partners is a private equity firm that has been investing in and building middle-market companies for over 29 years with a highly-experienced, cohesive team of senior investment professionals. Sterling acquires businesses that the firm believes have strong, sustainable competitive advantages and significant opportunities for value creation. Over its history, Sterling has completed over 170 transactions, representing $17.5 billion in transaction value. Key industries Sterling focuses on include value-added distribution and business services. www.sterlinglp.com.

SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

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Actor Ranjit Chowdhry, best known for his roles in Khatta Meetha, Baton Baton Mein and Bollywood/Hollywood", has died at the age of 65.

Son of renowned theatre actor Pearl Padamsee and step son of ad man Alyque Padamsee, Chowdhry died here on Wednesday.

The actor, who was in India for dental treatment, had to stay back due to the lockdown, said theatre personality Dolly Thakore.

"He was so well loved and an adorable guy. I reached out to the family. He has a wife and 16-year-old son in New York. He had come to India for a dental treatment. He has been here since December-January. He was booked to go back on April 8 and the lockdown came," Thakore told PTI.

"He got a ruptured ulcer in the intestine which happened on April 14. A physician was called who said he needs to go to the hospital and he was taken to Breach Candy hospital. They operated on him but he died at the hospital yesterday at 4 in the morning," she added.

Chowdhry's half-sister Raell Padamsee first confirmed the about his passing away on Instagram on Wednesday.

"For all those who knew Ranjit, the funeral will be held tomorrow and a gathering to celebrate his life n share his stories on May 5th. With love, Raell, she posted on Instagram.

Thakore, the former partner of Alyque Padamsee, said the funeral was held at 9.30 on Thursday with close family members in attendance.

"I met me at Tata theater and at Royal Opera House in February. He had promised to have lunch with me but that lunch never happened because of the lockdown," she said.

Chowdhry made his debut with Khatta Meetha in 1978.

He appeared in Hindi films like Khubsoorat, Bandit Queen, Kaante Mira Nair's Mississippi Masala and Deepa Mehta's Fire and Bollywood/Hollywood among others.

His last reported film role is Breakaway in 2011, an Akshay Kumar production, which was dubbed in Hindi as Speedy Singh.

His Bollywood/Hollywood director Mehta said Chowdhry's death was a real loss while Rahul Khanna fondly remembered his co-star as a quirky and witty person.

Gutted to learn of #RanjitChowdhry's passing. Despite his diminutive frame, he was a towering icon of Indian diaspora cinema and a master of his craft. By far, one of the most endearingly quirky and acerbically witty people I've had the pleasure of knowing. A true original! Khanna wrote on Twitter.

Khanna said he has fun memories of working with him on "Bollywood/Hollywood, besides their casual meetings.

I have such fun memories of working with him on Bollywood/ Hollywood', then, on an off-Broadway musical (that we both eventually ended up not doing) and, of course, the dinners at his apartment in New York.

Giving you a standing ovation & raising a toast to you, my friend! My heartfelt condolences to his family & especially his son.

Actor Poorna Jagannathan said, This guy made magic out of nothing, filling paper thin roles with so much depth. I always saw my father when I was with him- the same humor, stubbornness and brilliance. Heartbroken, dear friend. RIP #RanjitChowdhry.

Director Rahul Dholakia said he was a huge fan of Chowdhry's body of work. Very sad to hear about #RanjitChowdhry was a big fan of his films, great comic timing and good actor. Khatta Meetha', Khubsoorat', Lonely in America', Sam and Me'. He was also the first ever judge in our show Naya Andaz in New Jersey in 1993. #RIP, Dholakia tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iceland has been slammed for telling NHS workers they must buy products if they touch them while browsing inside its supermarkets.

The frozen food chain posted a message on its website that said 'if NHS workers touch products they have to buy them, they can't put them back'.

It claimed this was to 'reduce the risk of contamination' and help protect staff working inside Iceland supermarkets.

But angry customers shared the message on social media prompting a fierce backlash among NHS staff who said the policy was a 'disgrace'.

Although the message has since been deleted after it was posted 'in error', many are still angry about it appearing on the Iceland website at all.

The frozen food chain posted a message on its website that said 'if NHS workers touch products they have to buy them, they can't put them back'

The supermarket sparked outrage by saying once workers had touched items 'they can't put them back' to reduce the risk of contamination during the coranavirus outbreak

One NHS employee said: 'Iceland Foods you are an absolute disgrace. Why have you singled out NHS staff, treating us like we are carrying the plague?

'Have you brought any guidelines in for ensuring people wearing gloves also need to buy what they touch?!'

While another said: 'Hi Iceland. Just a quick question. Are we NHS staff dirty? Or do you think staff won't wash their hands post-shift seeing as not hand washing is the only way to pick a virus up from surfaces anyway?

'Regardless, NHS staff was their hands'.

In a Facebook page for NHS staff, some called the policy 'disgusting', 'disgraceful' and an 'insult', with many pointing out that they - more than anyone - would be aware of infection control and the risks of spreading the virus.

Chrissy Pritchard said: 'Ignorant fools!! The CEO of Iceland should issue a grovelling apology. Insulting us NHS staff should have dire consequences, their revenue for a start.'

Alison Ballantyne said: 'Let's hope none of them need hospital treatment anytime soon considering we are all dirty germ spreading people who obviously have not idea of correct hand washing procedure, use PPE and follow correct infection control procedures.'

Angry customers shared the message on social media prompting a fierce backlash among NHS staff who said the policy was a 'disgrace' (above and below)

Other NHS workers claimed they'd been in stores and seen customers handling lots of items and returning them to the shelves and questioned why the policy didn't apply to them.

Sharon Whitworth wrote: 'I think they should have generalised it to all public not just specific to nhs staff.

'They are thinking they are dong us a favour by introducing times we can shop their but then making insults. One thing for sure if they will lose a lot of customers who work for the nhs now so lessons learnt Iceland.'

Currently Iceland allows NHS staff and key workers to shop for the final hour of trade by showing their ID.

It then cleans the stores afterwards to help keep staff safe from the virus.

The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK has now reached 98,476 and the number who have died is at 12,868.

News of the Iceland post has ciruclated rapidly on social media. UK Paramedic Humour posted a picture of the Iceland statement which has now been shared more than 2,500 times.

The page wrote: 'Thanks for implying healthcare professionals are dirty, unclean people.

'Thanks for making us out to be lepers.

'If anything, Iceland - healthcare professionals are MORE likely to adhere to IPC guidelines by rigorous hand washing (for proof, just feel how rough our hands are).'

The post added: 'At this horrid time, don't make us feel bad.

'Not when we have colleagues losing their homes because their bigoted landlords don't want a dirty paramedic living in their homes!

'Your 'policy'' is damaging to the morale of these heroes!'

News of the Iceland post has ciruclated rapidly on social media (above and below)

Others have also spoken of the issue on Twitter. One said: 'If NHS workers touch products in Iceland they have to buy them.

'Who in their right mind introduced this policy? The concerns should be with certain members of the public who don't thoroughly wash their hands at the best of times.'

While another said: 'Can you tell me how this is supporting the NHS? Making us out to be dirty lepers? Iceland you should be ashamed. Disgruntled shopper and front-line nurse.'

After news of the policy spread, the statement has since been deleted.

A spokesman for Iceland said: 'This was an error and should not have been posted on our website. We sincerely apologise for the offence this has clearly caused, and have immediately withdrawn this guidance.

'We are deeply grateful to the NHS and all key workers for everything they are doing to keep the country running.'
Bizarre holes, some strewn with cut flowers and vegetation, have been dug in Corks city centre.

Cork City Council alerted Gardai to the damage and an investigation by the council is under way.

Street sweepers discoveredThe holes were discovered by street sweepers early on Sunday morning while out sweeping the streets.

Two holes were found dug into the footpath pavement opposite Waterstones book shop on Paul St.

The removed bricks were piled up neatly next to the holes, with a yellow flower placed in the middle.

Flowers, which look like yellow primroses and pale purple pansies, had been placed inside the holes.

Another hole was found off a side street leading off Paul St towards Lavitts Quay.

The removed bricks were again piled neatly next to the damage.

A fourth hole was found outside Vibes and Scribes, another book and crafts shop, on Lavitts Quay. This hole was filled with branches and vegetation. The removed bricks were again piled neatly next to the hole.

Some of the damage caused in Cork city over the weekend. Pic: Cork City Council.

Cork City Council described the holes as bizarre and is currently checking for CCTV in the area.

A spokesperson for the council said that the first brick would be difficult to remove, but it would be relatively easy to remove the subsequent bricks after that.

Each individual brick would have to be levered out of place individually, but with the right tools, this would not be difficult, they said.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extends the lockdown on businesses and travel until 3 May. More than 120 million day labourers have become destitute all at once. I thought I could help my family by coming to Mumbai to work. But now I have nothing, said one labourer. The Pahunch charity has provided food parcels to 800 tribal migrants.

Vasai (AsiaNews)  Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to lock down the whole country, closing businesses and banning travel, has created an army of poor people, forcing more than 120 million day labourers into destitution all at once.

Kuldeep Kerketta, 22, is one of them. Originally from Odisha, the tribal man arrived in Mumbai last January, seeking work to support his mother, sisters and brother.

"When the lockdown was announced, the factory shut down and I didnt get paid. No salary, he said. Now he is homeless, jobless and hungry.

The lockdown came into effect on 25 March until 20 April, but Prime Minister Modi yesterday extended it until 3 May

So far, India seems to have contained the pandemic. In total, the authorities have reported 9,756 COVID-19 cases with 377 deaths. However, many fear that the virus might reach the slums and the countryside. Once that happens, up to 300 million people might be infected.

Faced with 120 million people without a steady income, the government has set up a food distribution system for the homeless, but this is not reaching everyone.

AsiaNews met two young tribal migrants, Kuldeep and Anup Kerketta, who live with others in a single room in a slum in Vasai (Maharashtra). The interview was made possible by Goretti Xalxo, coordinator of Pahunch, a charity that hands out food rations to members of tribal communities in Chotanagpur, Virar district.

I came to Mumbai to work in a small rubber factory, to support my family, said Kuldeep. I arrived only three months ago in January this year.

I couldn't get any job; I was jobless for three months. I got a job in the rubber factory and was paid 400 rupees per day. I worked for 16 days only; then the lockdown was announced. Despite working he was not paid.

I live in group room in a slum with two other Odisha boys. Each one pays a rent of 450 rupees per month. Fortunately, Ms. Goretti gave us a 10 kgs ration, but that too is finished. Now I want to go home, where at least I will not starve.

In Mumbai, I am homeless, jobless and hungry, he lamented. What a miserable life to live on charity. [. . .] In my village there is no source of income and livelihood. I thought I could help my family by coming to Mumbai to work. But now I have nothing.

Anup Kerketta, 20, also hails from Odisha. He to shares the one room with Kuldeep in the slum. He is orphan. After his fathers death, his relatives took his home and he has been without a home ever since.

I was homeless in my village (Birmitrapur) in Odisha, and now here too, he explained. I came in January, worked for 16 days; then the lockdown came. Our factory was locked down, but so was my life.

I want to go back [to Odisha]. At least there, I'm not treated like an outsider. I would be with my own tribal people and will not starve.

Here people like Ms. Goretti give us rations and donations. I am young, and I can work very hard. I can do honest work, and I can learn to do any job; just give me a job.

Since the lockdown began, Pahunch has distributed parcels that contain rice, lentils, cooking oil and sugar to some 800 tribal migrants.
Amid reports of laid-off workers unable to access their states legacy unemployment insurance computer systems, were revisiting this GCN feature from August 2015. It shows that when it comes to legacy systems, while many of the same intractable issues persist, much of the same good advice also holds true.

Revelations of massive security breaches at the Office of Personnel Management in 2015 not only set millions of feds on edge. The breaches also highlighted, yet again, agencies reliance on legacy IT systems, some of which are decades old.

The solution in most cases is to replace or at least upgrade them -- but thats much easier said than done.

OPM Director Katherine Archuleta, who has since resigned, told congressional oversight panels in June of that year that a large share of the blame for the breaches belonged with the legacy systems on which her agency depends, and they are proving tough to modernize. OPM CIO Donna Seymour told the same lawmakers that it was impossible to encrypt data in some of those systems.

Some of the systems in question are more than 20 years old and written in Cobol, Seymour said. Getting them to the point at which they could be fully encrypted and accept other security measures, such as two-factor authentication, would require a full and very expensive rewrite of the software.

Beyond such improvements, simply maintaining existing IT systems is an expensive proposition for government agencies. A Professional Services Councils survey of federal CIOs and chief information security officers found that, on average, 75 percent of IT budgets go to operations and maintenance (O&M) of existing infrastructure. That number will go down over time, but the CIOs and CISOs said that three years from now they expect to put just over a third of their budgets into development, modernization and enhancement.

Some sectors are even worse off. For example, the Defense Department currently spends 80 percent of its IT budget on existing systems. And the Navy recently awarded a $9.1 million contract to Microsoft to support legacy Windows programs such as XP. The deal could run through 2017 and eventually cost more than $30 million.

David Wennergren, a former DOD technology executive and now senior vice president of technology at the Professional Services Council, said upgrading legacy systems is a complex process for most agencies.

Youve got to have a strategic decision that its time to migrate off System A, and then [ask] whats that migration plan going to look like and does everyone agree on that direction, he said. If you decide you want to build a new system that also requires a different appropriation [from] the one that provides operations and maintenance dollars, so youve then got to go to Congress and convince them of the need.

Alternatively, Wennergren said, organizations could take advantage of consumption-based models that allow them to use O&M funds, such as the cloud. Rather than build a wholly new system, agencies could hire a provider to deliver the service and pay them by the drink, he said. That way the onus is on the provider to determine whether a new system is needed to support the outsourcing contract -- and if so, the provider pays for it.

Its a question of priorities, he added. A new Web-based front end might be enough to provide users with an efficient and modern experience, even though theres a legacy system chugging away in the background. And out of 100 legacy systems at a given agency, half might be fine just the way they are while the other 50 are woefully out of date, leaving the agency with operating systems that are no longer supported and core functions that are held together with duct tape, he said.

So you have systems where you either have a compelling opportunity or a compelling need that you have to deal with first, Wennergren said. If you can first understand what you have, then you can put together migration plans about how and why to move systems this year.

The importance of an application audit

NASA has been one of the strongest proponents of the cloud for those purposes and of hybrid solutions in particular.

Certain physical systems, such as supercomputers, must stay within NASAs infrastructure, said Roopangi Kadakia, the agencys Web services executive, at a recent cloud security conference hosted by GCN sister publication FCW. But by using the hybrid cloud, she added, I can actually start building applications. I can take advantage of that data [produced by legacy systems] in different ways, in more innovative ways that wouldnt be possible if we had to keep it all within our environment.

Kadakia has also talked about how NASAs flagship portal, NASA.gov -- with its 150 applications and some 200,000 pages of content -- took just 13 weeks to move. And that included upgrading from the old technology where the site was previously hosted.

To move NASAs more than 64,000 applications to the cloud requires assessing the security risks, she said. The least risky approach is a staggered migration that involves moving some 10 percent of NASAs publicly accessible websites to the cloud each year.

However, Ed Airey, product marketing director at Micro Focus, said migrating systems and applications is not the only way to improve them, and in some cases, it might not be necessary or even possible to do that, particularly when the platforms or the applications running on them are strategic to the organization.

Platforms in many ways can be considered separate from the applications, he said. The applications themselves can retain the business rules and logic and the data itself, while being reconfigured to operate and interact with modern technologies such as Java and Microsofts .NET.

The problem with trying to upgrade cornerstone, decades-old Cobol systems is that an agency has invested years of development effort in the applications based on them, and much of the business and mission success of the organization depends on that. So the first thing an agency must do is get a full appreciation and understanding of how those applications work, Airey said. And thats not always easy.

In some cases, applications are very well documented, and [agencies] have the staff and resources in place to not only support the application but also to understand how the different business components fit together, he said. But as people retire or move on, and in some cases as the technology itself changes, that landscape becomes more complex.

Kadakia said conducting an application audit to identify and mitigate critical vulnerabilities, some of which the applications users were not aware of, was responsible for much of the cost of NASAs migration.

When agencies lack documentation or insight, change becomes risky because administrators dont fully understand the implications of what they are about to do, Airey said. Because of that fear, they sometimes defer the changes and end up with a much bigger problem further down the road.

Other migration routes

A problem with many legacy applications is that they were written in a monolithic or vertical way, said Jason Andersen, vice president of business line management at Stratus Technologies. That approach makes it difficult to migrate the applications because they are not compatible with the current service-oriented IT architectures, in which applications tend to be spread across various tiers and services. Therefore, legacy applications -- particularly mission-critical ones -- often require a wholesale rewrite in order to migrate them.

One solution would be to also rework some of the infrastructure on which those applications depend. Instead of putting most of the reliability and security into the applications themselves, which was the old way of doing things, agencies could put that functionality into the infrastructure. It would cost a bit more, but agencies would save on the iterative testing and requalification that the rewritten and often significantly larger applications would require, Andersen said.

Another approach is to move the application to a more amenable infrastructure, but there are some potential pitfalls, he added. The application might have been written for an operating system thats no longer supported or it might include functionality with special hooks or application programming interfaces that must be accommodated.

An evolving approach to upgrading or migrating applications is to only move certain parts of them, Andersen said. Essentially, the application gets tweaked by putting the right API set in front of it, then you can move it piece by piece, he added. So you might move the user interface first, or the transaction or message queue, then save the hardest part for last, the one that could really bite you.

That hardest part will happen only when an agency understands how everything works together and has a stable infrastructure in place. Andersen said thats one of the reasons why there are still so many mainframes in government: Agencies elected to move the parts they could and left behind the pieces they didnt want to mess with, so they kind of did a hybrid migration, if you will.

A preference for starting fresh

Stan Tyliszczak, staff vice president for technology integration and chief engineer at General Dynamics IT, said it would be less risky to migrate a legacy application as a whole because the various pieces of the application are working together as an ecosystem. Database applications, for example, rely on fairly high-speed connectivity between front and back ends, and if an agency were to separate those pieces -- perhaps by putting a wide-area network between them, with the kind of latencies that produces -- the application might wind up not working at all.

Even so, he admitted to a growing interest in what he called split solutions -- such things as an analytical cloud that gives access to analysis tools that are tied into a data lake that has disparate sources around the world, not just your own, and you can choose the most appropriate tools for the job [and] can create very robust solutions. If you can have that kind of environment, its a different story, but we are only at the very front edges of deploying that kind of technology today.

Given their druthers -- and budgets -- most agencies would probably prefer to develop applications from scratch in the cloud rather than migrate legacy applications. Thats what DOD IT professionals would do, according to a recent MeriTalk survey. More than half of the respondents said building new is the smarter way to go, versus just 18 percent who chose migration. Some 28 percent anticipated using a mix of both strategies.

Security concerns, the need to maintain data structure and the fact that the legacy applications were custom-built to DOD requirements were the chief reasons respondents gave for choosing migration over building new applications. However, the cost of migrating was a major concern.

Tyliszczak said the study shows that, given the choice, agencies would prefer to build something new so they would not have to deal with all the thorny issues that bubble beneath the surface with a legacy application. Migration is only advantageous when an application was developed recently and when migrating it is fairly easy and does not pose a big risk, he said.

In the end, agencies must make their own decisions about whether and how to migrate applications based on the best way to use scarce resources and constrained budgets. For that reason alone, some legacy applications might remain in dedicated, on-premise hardware or, at best, in virtualized environments with spruced-up, Web-capable front ends.

Wennergren said several things could happen given the tough financial environment that agencies operate in today. Budget pressures could prompt people to lead the charge toward change. But instead people often hunker down and protect what they have because its easier to defend the programs of record, and thats often why we tend to hold onto legacy stuff for too long, he added.

Thats also a reason why government still spends so much on maintaining legacy systems. Perhaps the OPM breaches will be the final straw that pushes legacy issues ahead of other priorities. Its clear weve fallen behind on IT modernization, Wennergren said, and its clear that it has to be addressed.
What would you say if I told you that you could put $1000 in savings and it would magically turn into as much as $4000? Youd be incredulous, of course. That is, unless you are familiar with the Individual Development Account (IDA). This savings account option provides matching funds to low-income people who are saving their money for very specific goals. Lets explore exactly what an IDA is and how to qualify for one.

What Is An Individual Development Account?

At the most basic level, an individual development account is a savings account for low-income individual. However, it is truly so much more than that. Its a program that assists people with limited income in getting ahead financially. With an IDA, you will learn financial skills, set a savings goal, receive funds to assist you in meeting that goal, and then have the opportunity to utilize those funds to achieve your goal.

Important Things To Know About IDAs

Here are some of the most important things to know if you are interested in these accounts:

There are many different IDA accounts available, each with their own rules. Therefore, you need to look specifically for those that you qualify for, which is based on a combination of your location and your income.

IDAs are for people with low-income. The specific amount varies, and sometimes it is based on median income, but typically this is a savings account for people who earn less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

You have to complete financial literacy training when you get an IDA, which means that you will have the opportunity to learn a lot about money. Some people see this as an annoying hoop to jump through. However, it is actually a terrific chance to learn more about your finances so that you can make your money work for you.

You will set a savings goal, which is usually capped. For example, your IDA might cap out at $5000 and your savings goal could be to reach that $5000.

You will put money into this Individual Development Account. Depending on your IDA program, that amount will be matched or exceeded by government funds. For example, if you sign up for an IDA program with 1:1 matching and you put $2500 in then youll also receive $2500 in government funding to reach that $5000 goal.

You can generally use this money for one of three goals: to buy a first home, to obtain college education, or to start a small business. Most IDAs are federally funded. However, there are other programs including privately-funded IDAs. Some of those allow you to save for different goals, such as to purchase a personal computer. Review your options carefully based not only on the criteria about you but also about what you need to get out of the program.

How to Qualify for an Individual Development Account

As aforementioned, the main criteria to qualify for one of these accounts is that you are a low-income individual or couple. Typically, you have to make 200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level amount. Currently, this means that you are likely to qualify if you earn $25,520 or less as a single individual. If youre part of a couple and together you earn $34,480 or less, then you also qualify.

Do note, however, that each program is different. There are more than 200 different IDAs out there. Some of them are based on median income rather than Federal Poverty Level. Therefore, even if you earn more than the above amount, you might qualify for an individual development account based on median income in your area. Explore the options specific to where you live and work.

Speaking of working, you do have to earn income in order to qualify for most IDA programs. Here are some of the other things that they will look at to determine whether or not you qualify:

The amount of assets that you have; some programs will not accept you for an IDA if you have assets exceeding a certain amount

Completion of literacy training, which includes covering topics such as debt management and how to invest your money

Citizenship status and current location of residence

Your credit history may be a factor

Make sure that you review all of the criteria before applying to a program. For example, if you have Medi-Cal or SSI benefits, it is important that you only apply for federally-funded IDA program. If you qualify for a privately-funded one, you could lose those critical benefits. Its always important to read that fine print with an eye towards how your own unique situation comes into play.

Finding an IDA Program

If you believe, based on this criteria, that you might qualify for an Individual Development Account, then the next step would be to find the right program. There are several databases that you can explore to find programs that might be right for you. For example, you can use the Prosperity Now website to search for IDA programs specific to your local area. From there, you can drill down through the requirements to find the program that is right for you.

For example, lets say that the following criteria apply to you:

You are a US Citizen and live in California.

Together, you and your spouse earn more than $34,480 per year but less than 75% of your local median income.

You are interested in saving to buy a first home.

Therefore, you would need to look for programs specific to your part of California that use a median income calculation for the Independent Development Program. You want to make sure that youre allowed to use those funds for buying a home.

Moreover, you should explore as many programs as possible to make sure that you get the best match you can. Obviously, if you have the option to receive 3:1 matching instead of 1:1 matching then you should apply for that better program. After all, who wouldnt want to receive $3000 in matched funds instead of $1000 for every $1000 that you put in? If you are able to qualify for higher matching in your area, based on your income and the other criteria, then its just a matter of filing the application, going through the financial literacy training, and beginning to put money into your new savings account.
A comedian has apologised to New Zealands prime minister Jacinda Ardern after baking a cake in her image.

Designed to be a tribute to the Kiwi leader, who has earned praise for her strong response to the coronavirus pandemic, the cake was described by online commenters as nightmare-inducing and cursed.

The culprit behind the bake, Laura Daniel, posted a picture of it on social media with the caption: They say dont bake your heroes. But I wanted to try anyway.

Im deeply sorry @jacindaardern I truly tried my best with what I had available.

She baked it during an episode of the TV programme Seven Sharp, aired earlier this week, as part of a bake-off competition against the shows host, Hilary Barry.

The challenge was to bake an iconic Kiwi cake without using flour in two hours.

Barry made a pavlova in the shape of Mount Cook, New Zealands highest mountain, while Daniel attempted an ambitious Ardern tribute made from lolly cake.

With black liquorice hair, bright pink iced lips and a coral icing top, the cake was inspired by Arderns portrait on the cover of her biography, The Story Behind an Extraordinary Leader.

Viewers were most alarmed by the fact the cake appeared to be sporting real teeth.

The teeth, those are dentures, right? This is amazing, wrote one commenter. Another responded: Theres tonights nightmare.

I will have to sleep with lights on now, said one critic.

Daniel explained that the teeth were left over from a stint of impersonating Ardern.

I impersonated Jacinda for a whole year on television of course I kept the teeth, she wrote on Instagram.

Lolly cake is a New Zealand speciality where the key ingredient is Eskimo Lollies, a marshmallow-like confectionary.

Ardern has yet to comment on the dubious tribute.
Six years ago, the Journal published a story with the headline N.M.s rural hospitals running on life support. A front-page story on The Sunday Journal had an almost identical headline. The point is not that our headline writers lack creativity  its the states rural hospitals have been struggling financially for years, long before the coronavirus pandemic. And now, unable to perform elective surgeries, routine tests and outpatient procedures, they are hemorrhaging money.

And while its politically popular for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to criticize hospitals for cuts they have announced in recent days, its a lot harder to keep all your staff at the ready and balance your budget when little to no money has been coming in for three weeks and theres no relief in sight.

Outpatient procedures and elective surgeries are the bread and butter of rural hospitals, says Tanya Carroccio, chief quality officer at Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City. But a March 25 public health order intended to ensure adequate hospital beds, supplies and equipment to treat COVID-19 patients banned such nonessential procedures. Richard Stokes, interim CEO and CFO at Gila Regional, says his hospital has seen a 65% drop in diagnostic services such as endoscopies and colonoscopies. David Ward, CEO of Nor-Lea hospital in Lovington, told Journal investigative reporter Colleen Heild for Sundays story that Nor-Lea has seen a 57% drop in patient volume after suspending its orthopedics, nephrology and urology specialty outpatient clinics.

Even the states larger hospitals have hit the breaking point. Lovelace Health System said Tuesday about 630 employees will see their hours or pay cut or be furloughed. Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe is placing 300 employees  about 14% of its associates  on temporary leave. Both Memorial Medical Center and Mountain View Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces are cutting back on staff.

House Republican leader Jim Townsend told the Journal recently Artesia General Hospital, where the states first COVID-19 fatality occurred, is losing around $150,000 a day. The parent company for Mimbres Memorial Hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring last week but pledged to keep the 25-bed Deming hospital open for business. Jeff Dye, president of the New Mexico Hospital Association, says complying with the public health order is absolutely the right thing to do, but its devastating hospitals. The association estimates the loss to hospitals statewide could hit $200 million a month unless emergency funds can be tapped.

Rural hospitals are essential in New Mexico, geographically the fifth largest state in the nation. Many cities only have one. We cant afford to lose any of them. Closing the only hospital in town would be akin to closing the only fire station. And publicly scolding them for not simply powering through financial catastrophe is unfair.

Several House Republicans sent a letter to Lujan Grisham this week asking for an adjustment in the emergency order to allow rural hospitals to resume dialysis visits, cancer treatment, physical therapy and other delayed care. Townsend said the blanket order banning nonessential medical services doesnt work for all communities. It also doesnt work for patients who want a serious, even life-threatening, condition diagnosed safely and sooner rather than later.

A working plan between hospitals and the Department of Health is desperately needed  during the pandemic and beyond. Too many have been on life support too long, struggling to provide essential health care services. Operating one crisis away from insolvency isnt healthy for anyone.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
New York doesnt lack for representation in Washington, D.C., although sometimes it may feel that way to New Yorkers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has complained about how the federal government shortchanged New York in the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that passed Congress late last month. While the bulk of the law is devoted to offering loans and subsidies to businesses, and aid to individuals through stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits, the state got shafted in two crucial realms: direct aid to states and to hospitals.

The result, thus far, is continued spread of the new coronavirus and hundreds of deaths per day. And it remains an open question whether, or how much, New Yorks representatives in Congress will be able to secure necessary funding going forward.

But an examination of the details of how the bill was written, how it has been implemented and how the next round of COVID-19 relief is being negotiated makes one thing clear: The politician from New York who deserves the lions share of the blame isnt any member of the states congressional delegation, its President Donald Trump.

To be sure, Congress came up short for New York too. At the time the recent bill passed, the Empire Center's Bill Hammond wrote, Although New York is taking the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic  with 43 percent of the nations known cases and 40 percent of the deaths  the state is due to receive only 5 percent of a $150 billion relief fund established in Washington. Thats because the funds were allocated by assigning a certain minimum amount to each state and then the rest based on population. A states COVID-19 caseload wasnt considered at all.

The aid to states was meant to help shore up state budgets that have been impacted in two ways by COVID-19: direct state spending on combatting the pandemic, which Cuomo has said will cost New York several billion dollars, and declining tax revenues because of the recession that the virus and its attendant business shutdowns have triggered. State Budget Director Robert Mujica estimates New Yorks revenue shortfall will be between $10 billion and $15 billion. Since the economic downturn is nationwide, it makes sense that funds to ameliorate state budget deficits would be apportioned by population, but the funds for pandemic response logically would have been based on caseload.

Last Friday brought more bad news for New York: Kaiser Health News reported that $30 billion for direct grants to hospitals in the new law would be distributed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services according to their historical share of revenue from the Medicare program for seniors  not according to their coronavirus burden. States with few COVID-19 cases per capita, including Minnesota, Nebraska and Montana, get more than $300,000 per reported case, while New York would receive only $12,000 per case.

This comes at a time when New York City-area hospitals and other health care facilities are overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases and remain under-resourced. On Tuesday, Politico reported that hospitals across New York City are still scrambling for life-saving equipment and protective gear, while nurses continue to bemoan a shortage of protective gear like gowns, masks and other face shields. On Saturday, The New York Times reported, In New York, nursing home administrators  were unable, they said, to have residents tested to isolate the virus or to get protective equipment to keep workers from getting sick or transmitting the virus to residents. New York City has even started to round up ponchos as a substitute for hospital gowns.

New York continues to lack the capacity to test everyone with possible COVID-19 symptoms. Late last week, New York City announced it faced a shortage of nasal swabs needed for testing so severe that it could run out within days. On Monday, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the federal failure to provide testing resources had forced the city to start producing its own tests.

Why, months into this crisis, dont nurses have enough protective equipment? How is it possible that the federal government has devoted an unprecedented $2 trillion to addressing the new coronavirus, and yet these conditions persist?

Despite the malapportionment of the U.S. Senate, New York  the United States fourth-most populous state  has significant power in Congress. New Yorks senior senator is Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. There are 27 members of the House of Representatives from New York, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the fifth-ranking member of the lower chambers Democratic majority, and Rep. Nita Lowey, chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Other prominent New York representatives include the well-known and outspoken Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the committee chairs Reps. Eliot Engel, Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, and left-wing millennial icon Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

So, have all of these representatives failed their state?

Arguably, especially on the state aid funding formula, they have failed to adequately protect their constituents interests. Both Congress and the White House also clearly suffer from distorted priorities, chiefly a commitment to putting the economic recovery before defeating the disease that has caused the downturn. As Politicos Michael Grunwald has noted, former Obama White House economic advisor Austan Goolsbee likens this approach to keeping warm by burning money instead of fixing the furnace.

But the larger answer to why New York has been left to suffer is that the Trump administration deliberately allows it to, even in defiance of the law the president recently signed.

The distribution of personal protective equipment is not being centrally controlled by the federal government, as it normally is in a disaster. Instead, the Trump administration has decided to leave the process up to private medical supply distribution companies that often are price-gouging as states compete for scarce resources. Even supplies that are procured by the federal government are turned over to distribution companies. Those companies then mark them up to take a profit and sell the gloves, masks and so on through their normal distribution channels. The result? A hospital in a region with hardly any cases gets a steady supply, while there is nowhere near enough of a surge in areas such as New York City and its suburbs, where severe outbreaks of COVID-19 mean hospitals and nursing homes are going through them at a much faster rate.

Supply chain experts say Trump should have used the Defense Production Act to ensure sufficient production and rational distribution of protective gear, ventilators and tests. But this is an executive branch power, which Congress can do little to control. Schumer sent Trump a letter on April 2 calling on the president to take control of the supply chain and direct resources where they are most needed, but Trump remains recalcitrant.

One senior Democratic congressional staffer from New York, who asked for anonymity to speak frankly, notes that any effort to force Trump to use the DPA would raise constitutional questions about the separation of powers. You'd get bogged down in a debate over whether Congress even has the legal authority to force the president to issue a specific order under the DPA, the staffer said.

Its a similar story with HHS distributing hospital aid without regard to where the COVID-19 cases actually are. Thats an administrative decision, which U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez and Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey complained failed to consider congressional intent.

But what is the recourse? A lawsuit, which would take months to resolve? Congressional hearings, which the Trump administration will stonewall?

One power Democrats in Congress do have is appropriations, and one point of leverage that they have over Trump is the ability to reject further aid to business to bolster the economy. Privately, congressional Democrats say they intend to get New York its fair share of money in subsequent COVID-19 spending bills. Theres no bookend on this yet, said one source close to Senate negotiations, who requested anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations.

The $150 billion in aid to states wasnt included in the original Senate Republican coronavirus bill. Schumer and his House colleagues got that added, including almost $4 billion for the struggling Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Last week, Senate Democrats proposed an additional COVID-19 bill that would have provided more aid to hospitals and states, including $16 billion for New York state. Republicans, who want instead to only fund $250 billion in additional loans to small businesses, shot it down.

Some commentators argued for Congress to include requirements that Trump distribute medical aid where its needed in the last coronavirus bill, or in the next one. But congressional insiders scoff at the notion that Trumps subservient Senate Republican majority would pass a bill forcing him to do anything he opposes.

Besides that, theres the question of whether writing a bill micromanaging the White House response and seeing it implemented would happen fast enough, when just getting Trump to take action would be faster. While Schumers entreaties to Trump have been largely unheeded, the administration has sporadically come through for New York. For instance, it responded to an emergency request for hand sanitizer and face masks for the NYPD within a day. The administrative push works much faster than legislative efforts, said the source close to the Senate negotiations. You cant just think with a legislators mind, you have to use a big toolkit.

On Wednesday, Schumer and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington introduced a $30 billion proposal to produce and distribute more tests for COVID-19. One might wonder why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has gladly spent roughly 40 times as much on aid to businesses in the last bill, wouldnt eagerly embrace the idea. But McConnell has resisted such rational measures before, and it is he, besides Trump, who must sign on for it to pass. Chuck Schumer is not Mitch McConnell, said the source, ruefully. Maybe someday.
That poor, poor girl. I hope he died in pain.

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With stomach cancer thats practically a guarantee

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oof scared to watch this one it looks sad :(





also fuck Vince McMahon the more I find out about that fucker the angrier I get.

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Vince McMahon is a very evil man.

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Vince is evil as fuck.



I hadn't known about this until a few years before he was brought to trial. Nancy's family deserves so much more and Nancy certainly did.

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she deserves justice :( just horrible

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With this episode and the Benoit one, it shows Vince as a calculating asshole. But then again he released people during the pandemic.

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oh man, I was waiting for them to do a video on Snuka. The series in general is amazing.

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It's such a good series. The season finale for this season will be about Owen Hart :(

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I'm only on episode 2 and I'm fucking hooked. So well done.

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can't wait to see the victim blaming from old fat farts who still watch wwe



whenever someone tells me they watch wwe I judge tf out of them

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Poor Nancy. :( Vince is a piece of shit and corrupt as fuck.

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Women named Nancy should stay far away from the WWE. :(



This series has just reminded me why I stopped watching over a decade ago.

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Same here, love it in the 90's when. I watched some of Wrestlemania last week and I only knew The Undertaker. Very different to what it used to be.

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oof i remember reading about this back when i watched the wwe regularly and being so fucking upset about the whole thing - the stuff thats gone down in this business, the stuff that vince has covered up, it's disgusting

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Resources to fight COVID-19 range from providing free digital education platform, donating face masks, boosting up ventilator production to converting shipping containers into ICU.

Washington: A large number of American companies like Google, Uber and IBM are offering their resources to help India successfully fight the battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Resources range from providing free digital education platform, donating face masks, boosting up ventilator production to converting shipping containers into ICU.

The death toll due to coronavirus in India rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 in the country on Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

"So many businesses Indian and US are turning their tools towards specific needs that society has in beating back the pandemic. They are helping to bring all of their resources towards this battle, Nisha Desai Biswal president of US India Business Council told PTI in an interview.

"So that when you have a surge in critical cases, and a shortage of ICUs house those that you can use other assets to try to do that," she said.

"(Indian) companies like Dynamitic, Mahindra, Tata are re-engineering their production capacity to make what is necessary. Companies like Abbott is fielding rapid coronavirus testing or Becton Dickenson, Medtronic, which are really boosting up ventilator production," Biswal said.

Google is partnering to do more online education for students in partnership with Pratham.

"Everyone is going into this with an attitude of what is the need of the hour and what can we do to help provide that until that critical need, Biswal said.

Google has partnered with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to facilitate contributions to the PM CARES fund through Google Pay.

It is working closely with various ministries to help users to find useful information across its products and platforms and have rolled out an India-specific website on COVID-19 to share comprehensive information such as key helpline numbers, educational content, and a running snapshot of global and Indian statistics.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

Working closely with MyGov, Google is surfacing locations of food shelters & night shelters on Google Maps, Search and Google Assistant, to help migrant workers & affected people across cities.

Infrastructure company Jacobs is part of an international alliance that is seeking to convert shipping containers into plug-in pods to expand intensive-care units (ICUs) during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jacobs is working in partnership with the World Economic Forum and individuals from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

SAP has set up an India Solidarity Fund for migrant labour, vulnerable population, infected patients and senior citizens.

Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets

It has also partnered with United Nations Development Plan (UNDP) India and HelpAge India to strengthen the public health requirements such as ventilators in hospitals, N-95 masks, sanitisers, monthly dry ration and food packets.

With NITI Aayog's Coalition for Rapid Anti-Covid Response (CRACR), SAP is proposing to build predictive models to showcase various possible pandemic scenarios taking into account multiple variables.

General Motors has offered manufacturing blueprints for face masks to 600 auto parts suppliers amid virus pandemic.

3M has increased the production of respirators, surgical masks and hand sanitisers in the range of 35 percent to 40 per cent and almost exclusively directing supplies to a large number of government and private healthcare providers, front-line healthcare workers and nodal agencies in India.

Uber has partnered with Flipkart and BigBasket to deliver essential items. Pfizer in India donated 40,000 N95 masks to healthcare workers, ventilators to hospitals and food packets through NGOs. It is also conducting anti-viral compound screening.

GSK Pharma has announced to provide 40,000 augementin duo, 3K Augmentin IV 300 mg, 3500 PPE kits with N95 mask, 2 proton plus critical care ventilator.

Gilead Sciences has announced that it will donate 1.5 million individual doses of its COVID investigational drug, Remdesiir.

Cepheid, which has developed an automated molecular test for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has already introduced it in India.

The test can provide rapid detection of the current pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in approximately 45 minutes with less than a minute of hands on time to prepare the sample.

ZoHo is providing free software (11 pieces of software) for all companies going remote to encourage remote work to avoid the spread of the virus.

BP is mobilising Rs 11 crore to help fight the outbreak. It is providing select government hospitals with personal protective equipment.

IBM is offering the agritech start-ups a 30-day free trial of its Operations Dashboard from The Weather Company (TWC) to help these firms with supply chain operations.

Farmers in India are getting ready to harvest rabi crops like wheat, barley, mustard, sesame and peas, but many agritech companies who manage supply chains are facing complex challenges due to the lockdown.

"The Dashboard can help supply chain managers make faster, more-informed decisions by combining our accurate weather forecasts with their unique business insights, the company said.

JP Morgan Bank has extended benefits to customers who have been hurt by the ongoing coronavirus crisis by introducing measures such as waivers for late fees and a 90-day grace period for mortgage and auto loan payments.

MSD in India (subsidiary of Merck & Co. Inc. USA) has contributed Rs 3.5 Crore to PM Cares Fund towards fighting COVID19 in India.
Ho Anh Son, deputy director of the Institute of Biomedicine and Pharmacy

Why did your team decide to embark on this research, and what did it entail?

The COVID-19 disease appeared as a completely new type and so countries have barely had any experience in dealing with it. Scientific information about the novel coronavirus was also extremely poor at the time it broke out. This sparked a new research challenge for us  paying all attention towards studying the emerging disease.

As soon as information about the strange pneumonia in Wuhan was published in prestigious scientific journals, scientists here at the Vietnam Military Medical University immediately initiated a research project.

We contacted partners at the Charite Hospital in Berlin for genetic information and identification processing of the novel coronavirus. At the same time, we tried to buy supplies from abroad, and asked for support with the necessary biological products to be sent to Vietnam. The first positive case in Vietnam was diagnosed just before the Lunar New Year holiday, pushing us into a very urgent situation.

Vietnam, at that time, had very few testing kits and was completely dependent on those of other countries. That was the motivation for our team to study and invent the SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic kit, which is an important step to help Vietnam take the initiative in testing the disease, controlling the source of testing kits and, in addition, allow the nation to have the capacity to support other countries.

To successfully come up with this quick test kit, what were the difficulties your team encountered?

Right before the holiday, the Vietnam Military Medical University had established a number of professional groups to combat epidemics, including research teams with experts from various fields.

We, the research team at the medical university, were tasked with focusing on the novel coronavirus diagnostic kit. The group consists of 10 key members, including experts on viruses and molecular biology, and students of all levels who are in their 20s.

One of the biggest challenges for us was the time pressure. One month is too short compared to the normal 18-24 months for implementing a test kit manufacturing research project. To achieve this, we all had been working with our greatest efforts regardless of time passing. The only thing we were paying attention to during that period was the research result. With so many experiments to be done, there was always a lack of time.

In addition to this, we also faced difficulties in getting disease samples, because COVID-19 pathogens are extremely dangerous and cannot be handed over if they are not eligible for research safety.

However, we clearly recognised the support and fierce participation of not only Vietnams political system and expertise, but also domestic and foreign experts.

We have witnessed huge devotion from our partners in Germany and France, our colleagues, and related agencies, such as the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Department of Science and Technology for Economic Technical Branches, the Office of National Programmes on Science and Technology, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Institute of Genome Research, the Ministry of National Defence, and many more institutions.

Besides that, Viet A Tech JSC as our partner also played a key role in the research with us to exchange ideas, discuss, and immediately began producing the test kits, making it in time for the due date.

What satisfies your team most about the outcome, and do you intend to continue researching for more optimal results?

The one-step real-time kit diagnosing the SARS-CoV-2 virus has every needed function integrated into one reaction, which means it is very convenient to carry out the test, bringing out accurate results. In particular, the kit performs stably on different real-time systems, and can be applied to any system of machines with different types.

Continuing to develop another optimised test kit, or even a completely new but better product, has always been a big question not only for us at the Vietnam Military Medical University, but also to scientists in Vietnam and other countries.

As a researcher in the field of healthcare, what do you draw from your work and life during the COVID-19 pandemic?

We have to be ready to adapt to changes in our time, especially in regards to epidemics. We, and most people, find that health preparedness is absolutely essential.

On the other hand, scientists who want to respond well to research challenges also need to regularly update their knowledge and sharpen their skills. In addition, there will be many more things we can learn even after the pandemic is controlled.
PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-16 16:02:03

Saducas Joins Cloud Management Providers Executive Team as Global VP of MSP Sales

SEATTLE, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SkyKick (www.skykick.com), a global provider of cloud management software for information technology solution partners (ITSPs), recently announced the promotion of European General Manager Kathryn Saducas to Global Vice President, MSP Sales. In this role, she will lead sales and account management teams focused on SkyKicks Managed Services Provider (MSP) segment, driving the companys reach and engagement with SkyKicks 25,000 MSPs and the broader MSP market. Saducas becomes SkyKicks first leader promoted to the SkyKick Executive Team from within the company, a nod to her extremely strong track record of results in the European market, and to the importance the global market plays for the Seattle-Based company.



SkyKicks rapid expansion and growth for our partners in Europe is due in no small part to Kathryn and her demonstrated ability to build the SkyKick team and brand into a substantial force in the region, said co-CEO, Todd Schwartz. Her appointment allows us to further develop our global sales teams capabilities to better help serve our partners cloud business.

Since joining SkyKick in April 2016 as General Manager of Europe, Saducas has been instrumental in driving awareness and adoption of SkyKicks suite of products  which make it easy and efficient for ITSPs to migrate, backup, and manage customers in the cloud  driving exponential revenue growth in the EMEA region. Additionally, Saducas helped position the company as a leader in GDPR compliance and advocate for European data protection and the rights of SkyKick Partners. The Amsterdam-based office she helped establish now has 50+ team members from 14 different countries delivering sales, support, engineering, marketing, and HR across 15 different languages to 10,000+ partners in over 50 countries.

SkyKicks growth and expansion globally in the past five years have been phenomenal, and sustaining that growth requires truly integrated, best-in-class sales, marketing, operations and support systems, said co-CEO, Evan Richman. In order to continue to serve our expanding global partner base, its essential to have the right leaders in place. We look forward to Kathryns continued leadership in delivering on SkyKicks mission to help partners successfully move, protect, and manage their customers in the cloud.

The executive appointment is the latest in a series of high points for the Seattle headquartered cloud management company. SkyKick was recently ranked in an article in Forbes as the #1 Cloud Computing Company to work for in Seattle and 11th in the country. Earlier this year, CRN named SkyKick as one of the 20 Coolest Cloud Management and Migration Companies of 2020 , and SkyKicks VP of Global Business Development, Pete Labes, was named a CRN 2020 Channel Chief . Additionally, the company was recognized in the 2020 CRN Partner Program Guide , an annual guide that identifies successful partner programs available in the IT channel. CRN evaluated hundreds of application submissions to compile the annual list, scoring applicants on their program offerings, partner profitability, available partner training, education, and support; marketing programs, sales support, and more. The recognition highlights the companys commitment to providing value and profitability for its over 25,000+ partners around the globe.

About SkyKick

SkyKick is a global provider of cloud automation and management software for IT solution partners. Its products help build successful cloud businesses by making it easy and efficient for IT providers to migrate, backup, and manage their customers in the cloud. Over 25,000 partners in more than 125 countries use SkyKick's products to accelerate their cloud business. The company has won numerous awards, including being named a Microsoft Partner of the Year, Forbes #1 Cloud Company in Seattle to Work for, and one of North Americas fastest-growing technology companies, according to Deloittes Technology Fast 500. SkyKicks global headquarters is in Seattle, European headquarters is in Amsterdam, and it has offices in Sydney and Tokyo. For more information, visit skykick.com.
The head of Milan's economically vital Lombardy region began waging a lonely campaign Thursday to get Italy to end its virus lockdown and reopen for business.

"Many other European countries are already beginning to reopen. We need to immediately start thinking about our future." Attilo Fontana said on Facebook.

His online messages created a political firestorm in a country still coming to terms with a virus that has killed 22,170 and brought the economy to its knees.

Italy's official toll -- believed to be substantially underreported -- was the world's highest until the United States overtook it last weekend.

The economic toll is growing fast as well.

The International Monetary Fund expects Italy's total output to shrink by 9.1 percent this year -- the worst peacetime decline in nearly a century.

Millions of Italians are either furloughed or suddenly unemployed.

Lombardy boss Fontana sounded like he had had enough when he posted a message outlining his 10-million-strong region's "road to freedom".

He said businesses should follow basic social distancing rules and reopen when the current nationwide lockdown expires on May 4. "We are not courting controversy," Fontana insisted, in response to a chorus of political criticism.

Most European governments are approaching their lockdown exits with extreme caution.

Denmark has started reopening schools for younger children and Switzerland unveiled a plan Thursday to allow some shops and services to resume business on April 27. But bigger European nations are extending the closures for at least a few more weeks.

The vibrant Lombardy region had been punching above its weight until the pandemic hit. It makes up over a fifth of the Mediterranean country's economy and is home to the Italian headquarters of numerous global firms. But it also recorded more than half of Italy's confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

Italian officials still largely follow the advice of doctors who think it is best to keep the nation locked until new infections sharply drop off.

Deputy Industry Minister Stefano Buffagni called Fontana's message "an error" and Milan mayor Beppe Sala called for "a little more restraint". But Fontana found support late Thursday from the head of Venice's Veneto region to Lombardy's east.

"Fontana's assessment is legitimate," Luca Zaia said.

"We either close everything and die wait for the virus to go away, or we reopen and live together." Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has been widely applauded for his handling of what is widely viewed as Italy's worst crisis since World War II.

But Conte has acknowledged that his decision last Friday to extend Italy's month-long shutdown for another three weeks was not popular.

Conte is still being backed by a team of leading doctors who will play a big role in deciding how and when Italy resumes something resembling normal life.

The deputy head of the government's public health council called Fontana's push premature. "To me, it seems highly unlikely that Lombardy can reopen," Paolo Vineis told La Stampa newspaper.

"Not unless we succeed in implementing a Marshall Plan for public health and exponentially increase testing." Fontana admitted that was not yet possible.

But he added that he and Italy's Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia had agreed to discuss Lombardy's push to reopen at a special meeting over the weekend. "I will have to listen to what the government is doing," he told Italy's Sky TG24.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 06:03:27|Editor: huaxia

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DUBLIN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Ireland exported a total of 905 million euros (about 987 million U.S. dollars) worth of goods to China in February, up by 51.3 percent compared with the same month last year, showed the figures released by the country's Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Wednesday.

In the month, the country's total goods imports from China were valued at 349 million euros, down 13.8 percent over a year ago.

The trade surplus that Ireland enjoyed over China in February stood at 556 million euros, up 363 million euros year-on-year.

During the January-February period of this year, Ireland's total goods exports to China were valued at 1.703 billion euros, up nearly 48 percent compared with the corresponding period of last year, while its total imported goods from China were valued at 829 million euros, down about 5.4 percent over a year ago.

Ireland's goods trade surplus over China in the first two months of this year stood at 874 million euros, up 597 million euros compared with the same period last year.

The CSO figures showed that China was the fifth largest export market and sixth largest import source for Ireland in the first two months of this year. (1 euro = 1.091 U.S. dollars)
Care home bosses have accused the Government of a 'shambolic' response to the sector's coronavirus crisis in a leaked letter to the Department of Health.

Insiders said they were receiving only 'paltry' and 'haphazard' deliveries of essential items such as masks, gloves and aprons - mandatory for all healthcare workers.

The letter, leaked to the BBC, warned staff were left confused and having to do extra work because of mixed messaging put out by government officials.

Health chiefs today faced more scathing criticism over their lacklustre handling of the exploding COVID-19 crisis hitting care homes.

It comes after it emerged today that the NHS rowed back on 'prejudiced' guidance to avoid taking elderly residents to A&E if it could be helped.

Despite the U-turn, one 97-year-old Briton who worked in Bletchley Park during World War 2 today revealed she and other care home residents had been asked to sign letters to agree that they would not be taken to hospital if they fall ill.

In other developments to the unfolding crisis in social care today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock insisted only 15 per cent of care homes have recorded cases.

But his claim is in stark contrast with statistics from Scotland showing 40 per cent of homes are battling COVID-19 outbreaks. Industry bosses warned of an even bleaker picture, estimating around two-thirds of all nursing homes are currently affected.

Pictured: Health Secretary Matt Hancock with the 'badge of honour' for care workers he unveiled yesterday as he faces criticism for the Government's handling of the crisis

CARE BOSSES HIT OUT AT 'SHAMBOLIC' PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES IN LEAKED LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH A letter sent from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) to the Department of Health at the weekend has shown the care chiefs accuse a senior figure at the Department of overseeing a 'shambolic response'. It raised concerns about testing in care homes, funding for the sector, and inadequate amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, the BBC reported. Adass said it was facing 'confusion' and additional work as a result of mixed messaging put out by the Government. It said the situation around PPE, which is now mandatory for all healthcare workers, was 'shambolic' and that deliveries had been 'paltry' or 'haphazard'. The care sector, which looks after around 400,000 of Britain's most vulnerable people, was being overlooked while officials focused on the NHS, Adass said as they raised fears of a 'significant imbalance'. The bosses added that they welcomed coronavirus swab testing for people working in social care but said it looked as it if it would be 'rolled out without being given thought to who is going to be tested and what we are going to do with the result,' according to the BBC. Advertisement

In another scandalous turn in the handling of the care home crisis, a letter leaked from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) has raised concerns about testing, personal protective equipment (PPE) and funding for care workers.

The letter was written on Saturday and leaked to the BBC and says early deliveries of PPE have been 'paltry' with more recent drops 'haphazard'.

As care workers have repeatedly raised concerns that they are being forgotten about during the crisis, the letter has revealed that some PPE meant for care workers is being confiscated by border control then sent to the NHS.

It argues that statements from the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health on the shielding scheme for people particularly at risk from the illness have been contradictory.

Though it welcomes the rolling out of testing for care workers, it says that it is being done without thought as to what the sector will do with the results.

Adass criticised the government for recruiting volunteers, saying it 'diverted 750,000 volunteers away from supporting local communities and left them with nothing to do for the first three weeks'.

The group calls it 'shameful that this was not done in collaboration with local government'. It accuses Whitehall of not giving the care sector the same consideration as the NHS.

A spokesperson for Adass said: 'We know everybody is working tirelessly to try to make this as effective as they can be in the face of something that we have never faced before. It's really important that the dynamics between local and national government are right.'

A Department of Health spokesperson said the government's 'comprehensive action plan to support the adult social care sector' in England included 'ramping up testing, overhauling the way PPE is being delivered to care homes and helping to minimise the spread of the virus to keep people safe'.

MATT HANCOCK CLAIMS 15% OF CARE HOMES HAVE CORONAVIRUS - BUT OPERATOR SAYS IT'S MORE LIKE 66% Health Secretary Matt Hancock today put forward a view of the care home situation that was in stark contrast to what insiders have said. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Mr Hancock said there had been outbreaks of COVID-19 in 15 per cent of care homes - one in seven. 'That is a robust figure that we have high confidence in,' the Health Secretary said. But his claim is in stark contrast to statistics from Scotland, which show that 40 per cent of all the country's care homes have reported cases of the virus. And Sir David Behan, non-executive chairman of one of Britain's biggest care home operators, HC-One, said he thinks two out of every three homes have outbreaks. Last week he told BBC Radio 4 that HC-One had recorded more than 2,400 cases across 232 of its 330 homes around the UK - showing infections have appeared in 70 per cent of the company's locations. He agreed that an estimate of two-thirds of all homes in the UK having coronavirus cases was a 'realistic picture'. Advertisement

'We will continue to work closely with the social care sector to ensure they have everything they need to respond to this outbreak and receive the recognition they deserve,' they added.

Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow social care minister, said the concerns raised in the letter were 'extremely worrying'.

The letter revelation comes as it has emerged that the NHS in England rowed back on 'prejudiced' guidance to avoid taking elderly residents to A&E if it could be helped.

The A&E guidance had been published over the Easter weekend but has since been withdrawn, the HSJ reported.

Homes had been advised to try not to take residents to A&E if they had problems that could be dealt with elsewhere, dementia patients with minor head injuries or anyone with a do-not-resuscitate order, the Health Service Journal reported.

A boss inside the NHS, speaking anonymously, told the specialist news site the guidance had been 'prejudiced against older people, those with dementia and those in care homes.'

They added that it would have placed 'obstacles' between vulnerable elderly people and emergency departments.

And the notes advising homes not to take to hospital dementia patients who had hit their heads but were 'functionally unchanged' was at odds with policy set out by the NHS regulator, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

NHS England said it regularly updates guidance and this time had changed it within four days.

A spokesperson said: 'Decisions about when a patient would benefit from hospitalisation are judgements for clinicians to take in consultation with patients and their families in the usual way.'

Older people are known to be the most at risk of dying if they catch coronavirus - in England 52 per cent of all victims so far have been over 80 and a further 40 per cent were between 60 and 79.

In Scotland, a quarter of all people who have died of COVID-19 have died in care homes, according to a report by the National Records of Scotland.

The report showed 962 people diagnosed with, or suspected of having, COVID-19 had died and of those, 237 (24.6 per cent) were in care homes, 586 in hospitals, 128 in homes and one in an undisclosed location.

QUARTER OF ALL CORONAVIRUS DEATHS IN SCOTLAND OCCUR IN A CARE HOME Official figures revealed yesterday a quarter of all coronavirus deaths in Scotland have been in care homes. Data from the National Records of Scotland showed 962 people diagnosed with, or suspected of having, COVID-19 had died. Of those, 237 (24.6 per cent) were in care homes, 586 in hospitals, 128 in homes and one in an undisclosed location. The figure was five times higher than the 5 per cent number given by the Office for National Statistics, which collates data in England and Wales. Government experts found 217 of 3,700 deaths had been recorded in care homes across the two nations registered up until April 3. The ONS statistics also showed that another 5 per cent of deaths had been recorded outside of hospitals, such as in hospices. Separate figures showed the true number of deaths was 52 per cent higher than the count given by the Department of Health every day. The ONS counted 5,979 deaths in England by April 3, compared to the 3,939 figure given by health chiefs on the same day - a difference of around 2,000. The Department of Health figures are affected by a backlog in hospital recordings, meaning that hundreds of deaths are not registered to be counted. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also said yesterday that 433 care homes  about 40 per cent of all those in Scotland  have now reported cases of the virus. Care home bosses have raised similar concerns about the true size of the crisis in Britain's care sector, with some claiming two thirds of homes have outbreaks. Advertisement

The care home figure was five times higher than the five per cent officially recorded in England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS has published data only including 217 care home deaths up to April 3, out of a total 3,700 recorded by that time.

The Government has this week faced intense scrutiny over care homes' involvement in the crisis, with workers saying they feel 'forgotten' amid a focus on the NHS.

Authorities are accused of not appreciating the true scale of outbreaks in residential and nursing homes, which are packed with old and sickly people.

Matt Hancock was this morning asked about the validity of claims that as many as two thirds of all homes have outbreaks of COVID-19.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain he appeared to deny the claims made by care home bosses and said: 'It is 15 per cent have two or more cases.

'What I do know is that is a robust figure that we have high confidence in.'

His claim is in stark contrast to statistics from Scotland, which show that 40 per cent of all the country's care homes have reported cases of the virus.

And Sir David Behan, non-executive chairman of one of Britain's biggest care home operators, HC-One, said he thinks two out of every three homes have outbreaks.

Last week he told BBC Radio 4 that HC-One had recorded more than 2,400 cases across 232 of its 330 homes around the UK - showing infections have appeared in 70 per cent of the company's locations.

Separate have figures shown the true number of deaths is 52 per cent higher than the count given by the Department of Health every day.

The ONS counted 5,979 deaths in England by April 3, compared to the 3,939 figure given by health chiefs on the same day - a difference of around 2,000.

The Department of Health figures are affected by a backlog in hospital recordings, meaning that hundreds of deaths are not registered to be counted.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also said yesterday that 433 care homes  about 40 per cent of all those in Scotland  have now reported cases of the virus.

Care home bosses have raised similar concerns about the true size of the crisis in Britain's care sector, with some claiming two thirds of homes have outbreaks.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday announced a U-turn and said families with loved ones dying in care homes will be allowed to visit.

He also vowed to outlaw the blanket use of 'do not resuscitate' (DNR) plans, which staff claim they've been asked to routinely sign during the crisis.

It comes after shocking reports of elderly victims dying alone in care homes, with families complaining of having to say their last goodbyes over Skype.

Mr Hancock's intervention came amid fears the death toll in care homes in England and Wales is far higher than the official count of 217.

HIDDEN EPIDEMIC OF CORONAVIRUS IN CARE HOMES MAY HAVE COST 4,000 LIVES, EXPERTS WARN A 'hidden epidemic' of coronavirus in care homes may have cost 4,000 lives, experts warned last night. They believe deaths are being hugely under-reported because of a lack of testing. GPs are also sometimes reluctant to write COVID-19 on death certificates and figures from care homes are not included in the official daily toll. The latest report from the Office for National Statistics says the virus killed 217 care home residents in England and Wales up to April 3. But industry figures say the true count is much higher  potentially 4,000 since the outbreak started. Campaigners and MPs warned yesterday of an 'unfolding horror' that could end up with tens of thousands of forgotten victims. Ministers face urgent calls to get a grip and get virus tests for all staff and residents with symptoms, more protection gear and a Cabinet minister to deal with the crisis. Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night pledged action on testing and is also expected to outline a plan to address the crisis in a social care strategy. Care home operators complain they are being overlooked, with desperate short - ages of testing and staff safety equipment making it extremely hard to stop the disease ravaging their sites. Advertisement

Industry figures say the true count is much closer 4,000 and that the toll is being hugely under-reported because of a lack of testing.

Mr Hancock faced ridicule last night as he unveiled a new badge for under-pressure care workers amid fury over the rising death toll of vulnerable patients in homes.

The Health Secretary used the daily press coronavirus press conference to reveal a 'single brand' for care workers to allow them to access the same perks as NHS staff.

He said he hoped it would be seen as a 'badge of honour', but his comments were criticised amid rising anger over a lack of PPE for staff.

Critics pointed out that the badge had been launched last summer as 'a unifying symbol of pride and quality in care', and so was not even new.

After the announcement today, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth tweeted: 'A badge? Really a badge??'

It comes after the family of a care home resident in Nottingham were forced to wave goodbye from the car park as undertakers removed the body on Easter Monday.

'Broken' staff at Wren Hall nursing home had reportedly been too busy treating dying coronavirus patients to schedule a 'last goodbye' Skype call.

Wren Hall has suffered 10 deaths in the space of weeks.

The home's manager, Anita Astle, told The Guardian: 'The first resident started with symptoms on 24 March.

'Since then we have had 19 people in isolation and four have come out of isolation. We are just having deaths all the time.'

Ms Astle said there was a pattern at Wren Hall where residents would rapidly deteriorate after appearing to stabilise. She said it was 'soul destroying' to watch.

The rapid deterioration means it has been hard to get family to the home to say goodbye in time.

'People pick up at day five or six and seem to be stabilising and then at day eight, nine, 10 they plummet,' she said.

'It's getting harder and harder every day. We lose somebody and it gets worse. They are trying to keep up their spirits, but it's not happening  We're fighting a losing battle.

'The families are scared. There are families calling wanting to speak to their loved ones and wanting to Skype them, but we are also looking after people who are really ill. Sometimes you feel bad you can't give them the time they want.'

Its criminal: Families disgust after 24 residents die of coronavirus in ONE care home and six die and eight are infected out of just 24 in another

A third of the residents at a virus-hit care home have died in just ten days.

In a stark example of the crisis in the sector, six passed away as staff struggled to contain an outbreak.

Last night the daughter of one of the dead said the state care homes had been left in was 'wicked'.

Rhona White, 64  whose mother Peggy Grainger, 86, had a moving final letter from her family read to her because they were unable to visit  said: 'The whole situation is just criminal. People are being allowed to die in these homes and nobody seems to really care about it.'

Ian Charles Leverington (left), 70, a retired engineer, was the first resident to die on April 3 while Gillian Howard (right), 77, who was described by the care home as 'an extravagant person' who 'enjoyed telling stories of her past and her connections with the Royal Family, died on April 8

Some 85 per cent of carers at Philia Care Home in Peterborough have either fallen sick or had to self-isolate after coming into contact with carriers.

The home had 18 residents at the start of the month. Six died in a ten-day period from April 3.

Eight of the remaining 12 are believed to have been infected, although three of these have recovered. Staff try to stay healthy, but many struggle to get hold of personal protective equipment (PPE).

At one point, they even resorted to making home-made visors from plastic file wallets held over their faces with Alice bands.

Bosses yesterday warned inadequate financial support and the dramatic loss of residents was creating a funding crisis that could result in closure  and would be repeated in homes up and down the UK.

Managing director Carol Smit said: 'We will not be able to sustain this indefinitely.'

Manager Heidi Seldon, who has moved into the home and sleeps in her office, said: 'What I wasn't prepared for was how hard it was going to be, emotionally, watching so many of my residents suffering from coronavirus.

'We're just trying to hold ourselves together and hope that there will be some light at the end of the tunnel.'

George Smith (left), 88, who was described as 'a caring man who has spent his whole life caring for his own loved ones' died last Friday while Peggy Grainger (right), who was described as a 'gentle, loving person who always put her family first' died on Monday

Deputy manager Zdenka Dunczikiva has returned to work after falling ill. The 29-year-old, who is staying at the home round-the-clock and has left her five-year-old son with her parents, said: 'Sadly six people have passed away and it looks like more will go. The next few days are going to be really, really hard.'

The first resident to die, on April 3, was retired engineer Ian Leverington, 70. His only child, Haley Leverington, 38, said: 'My dad would still be alive today if it wasn't for the virus.

'It's a hidden scandal because the death toll could be twice as bad if they took notice of the care homes.

'But they're only looking at NHS hospitals and the general public. Just because they're elderly doesn't mean they don't have a right to be recognised.'

Other victims included Gillian Howard, 77, who died on April 8 and was described by the care home as 'an extravagant person' who 'enjoyed telling stories of her past and her connections with the Royal Family'.

George Smith, who died last Friday aged 88, was 'a caring man who has spent his whole life caring for his own loved ones' while Mrs Grainger, who died on Monday, was described as a gentle, loving person who always put her family first'.

The home, which was rated good by the Care Quality Commission last year, is one of six operated by Trust Care Management Group. None of the others has so far been hit by Covid-19.

Some 85 per cent of the carers at the virus-hit care home in Peterborough (pictured) have either fallen sick or are having to self-isolate after coming into contact with carriers

The local care commissioning group (CCG) recently increased its budget by just 4 per cent  less than the shortfall caused by rises in the national living wage, inflation and soaring PPE costs.

A quarter of its annual PPE budget has been spent in just three weeks on goggles, gowns, visors and gloves. Senior staff also claimed the CCG made a verbal agreement to block purchase all the beds for six months but withdrew it because of the virus outbreak.

Mrs Smit last night called on the Government to end the two-tier system under which the NHS pays no VAT on PPE but care homes pay full price. She said an 'emergency measure' to remove VAT during the crisis should be introduced, adding: 'At least that would give us some kind of funding relief.'

There are also concerns about who will administer end-of-life medication including pain relief.

GPs stopped visiting the home at the start of the pandemic and community nurses have warned that they may not be able to attend in future due to staffing problems.

Chris Graham, the group's national operations manager, said: 'They [staff] have been offered training by Zoom or Skype.

But the home will need to be insured and indemnified. There has to be training and competency.'

Trust Care Management Group is owned by Mrs Smit and her business partner, and run by two families.

It started with two care homes in 2010. Philia Lodge was the fourth. The home normally has a budget of 46 a week for PPE. In the last three weeks it has spent 1,236.

Public Health England delivered 300 face masks to every care facility at the beginning of the crisis, but 'with no guidance'.

Mr Graham said: 'We didn't use it at the time because we didn't have a positive case. But people [at other homes] were using them because they thought they had been delivered to use [as a preventive measure].'

Peterborough City Council also provided four days' worth of gloves and aprons after it set up a Covid-19 response team. But there were no goggles or face masks as they were no longer in stock  they had already been sent to NHS hospitals.

Mrs Smit said: 'The Government should have had a contingency plan.' No sick residents were turned away from hospital  but the home was usually told to keep them in their care. Those who were ill were assessed by a GP [remotely], or by paramedics or call handlers on the 111 service.

Mr Graham said: 'We were told they had to stay at the home because they were reaching the end of their life.'

 Latest coronavirus video news, views and expert advice at mailplus.co.uk/ coronavirus
After a constable from Juhu



police tested positive for coronavirus, a policeman attached to Khar police station in the western suburbs has contracted the infection, police said on Thursday.

The 28-year-old constable from Khar police station had experienced symptoms of COVID-19 and sought medical help, following which he tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, an official said.

The constable was recuperating at a hospital in Khar, while 12 to 15 personnel who had come in contact with him were directed to get tested, the official said.

"The constable lives at Mahim Police Colony and we have asked other officials to get tested as well," senior inspector Gajanan Kabdule of Khar police station said.

Meanwhile, the constable attached to the Juhu police, who had tested positive on Wednesday, is currently undergoing treatment at a civic-run hospital.

Similarly, a sub-inspector of Kurar police station had tested positive for the infection 10 days ago and other officials who had come in contact with him were sent for testing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
P op artist Sir Peter Blake has produced a series of signed limited edition prints of the iconic rainbow poster he created for the Evening Standard to help our Food For London Now appeal.

Sir Peter, 87, known as the Godfather of British pop art and the man behind some of the most widely recognised album covers of all time including the latest Who album and The Beatles Sgt Pepper, will produce 100 prints of his iconic rainbow motif, London Stands Together.

Thousands of our readers put the poster in their windows to symbolise unity and hope at the start of the lockdown.

The prints will be sold for 1,000 each (exclusive of VAT) on a first-come-first-served basis. All profits will go to The Felix Project, our campaign partner supplying vulnerable Londoners with fresh food and the biggest supplier of surplus food in the capital. It is expected to raise nearly 100,000 for our appeal.

Sir Peter, a renowned painter who has also designed sleeves for Oasis, Eric Clapton, Band Aids Do They Know Its Christmas and Ian Dury, said the prints would be handmade on Somerset cotton rag traditional printmaking paper and that he was thrilled to back our appeal.

His support comes amid warnings from government forecasters that unemployment could soar by more than two million this spring due to the coronavirus crisis and a YouGov poll showing hunger beginning to bite, with millions more people in Britain experiencing food poverty.

Iconic: Sir Peter Blake created the artwork for the Standard / Dave Benett

The Felix Project has responded by tripling its food supply, ramping up from 10 tonnes to almost 30 tonnes a day, as distress across the capital deepens.

Mark Curtin, CEO of The Felix Project, spoke on behalf of the London Food Alliance, which was formed with fellow redistributors FareShare and City Harvest to supply surplus food to community hubs set up in response to the coronavirus.

So far 15 of the 33 local authorities have established hubs to receive and distribute food and are taking deliveries with more due to open their doors later this week.

Mr Curtin said: The London Food Alliance partners are working with all the local authorities and I am pleased to report a great deal of progress in the past week, resulting in many more hubs up and running, which means we are redistributing hundreds of tonnes of nutritious surplus food to them each week.

We will continue to work closely with hub operators as well as hundreds of other charities, community organisations and schools to ensure that the needs of Londons most vulnerable people are met throughout this health crisis and beyond.

Our appeal, in association with The Independent, has raised 1.65 million so far thanks to the generosity of charitable foundations, corporates, philanthropists and more than 1,000 members of the public
Government's mobile app Aarogya Setu, developed for tracking coronavirus patients, has become the world's fastest app to reach 5 crore downloads in just 13 days, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on April 14 appealed to people to download the app.

"Telephone took 75 years to reach 50 million users, radio 38 yrs, television 13 yrs, Internet 4 yrs, Facebook 19 months, Pokemon Go 19 days. Aarogya Setu, India's app to fight COVID-19 has reached 50 million users in just 13 days-fastest ever globally for an App," Kant said in his tweet. The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 377 while the number of cases in the country climbed to 11,439.

Aarogya Setu app alerts people if any known or person in their vicinity has tested positive. District administration has been asking all educational institutions, departments etc to push downloading of the app. The app was developed under a committee set up by the Prime Minister's Office with active involvement of Niti Aayog and Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY).

According to sources, Tata Consultancy Services is working on testing and some of the other aspects while Tech Mahindra and the Mahindra group is working with the committee on the next version of this application and leveraging next generation technologies like AI, machine learning, data science. Tech Mahindra is also working on expanding the reach of Aarogya Setu on all types of phones. The current version of Aarogya Setu app is fit for use on smartphones only.
A recent explosion happened near a paper mill and rocked the small Maine town on Wednesday. Those who were passing by were able to capture the terrifying images of the blast.

The Androscoggin Mill located in Jay, about 30 miles northwest of Augusta, was actually first reported to Franklin County Sheriff's deputies at exactly 12:04pm according to officials.

The employees affected

Almost all of the employees were then treated for different respiratory irritations. The employees were thoroughly examined to make sure that everything was able to function smoothly.

According to Roxie Lassetter who is the human resource manager for the mill's owner, they were all "very grateful, very thankful there are no injuries," continuing with an assurance to everyone around that "everyone at the mill site's accounted for."

Apparently, the blast happened inside the facility's own "digester" where the wood chips, water, and even chemicals that are called "pumping liquor" are mixed, making the very pulp that is needed to eventually become paper.

The Governor of Maine namely Janet Mills has recently said in a statement that she is trying to closely monitor all the existing information concerning the recent explosion at the Androscoggin Mill located in Jay.

LANGUAGE WARNING: Video of the Jay Mill explosion about half an hour ago. pic.twitter.com/euQHKzIHuq April 15, 2020

How the citizens of Maine should respond

The Gov. continued her speech by saying that she urges the people of Maine to stay as far away from the scene as possible and to stay safe and allow the first responders to work as quickly as they possibly can. She also continued to say that she is asking the people of Maine to come join her in prayer for the safety as well as the wellbeing of everyone in and also around the historic mill.

According to Lassetter, the mill currently has 500 workers in its employment and it was estimated that there were probably about 165 to 175 of them that were located on the premises when the blast did happen though none of them were immediately near the very explosion site itself.

Lessetter then later on said that the damage that was felt was actually quite significant and the answers to the questions being asked may have to wait until morning. The questions that Lessetter frequently received were how the explosion was ignited as to which she responded with, "We don't have any idea what caused the failure."

Gov. Mills has said that the blast actually comes as a particularly challenging moment for all of Maine's residents, who like all other Americans, have been slowed down by the whole coronavirus pandemic happening.

The governor then admitted that it is already a difficult time for the citizens of Maine, calling them to summon both the strength and resilience which has first defined them as the people of main throughout their history. According to Mills, the same resilience and strength "has sustained us and carried us through our most challenging times."
Gomo has launched a highly practical, how-to webinar series on eLearning for a home-based workforce In these unprecedented times, were excited to present this practical webinar series, covering the end-to-end needs of training in our current working-from-home realities.

Gomo, the cloud-based eLearning authoring, delivery and analytics platform, is presenting a four-part series of webinars specially tailored to companies and employees who now find themselves working from home due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The highly practical series, eLearning for a Home-Based Workforce, runs from Thursday 16 April until Tuesday 5 May and all recordings will be made available to watch on-demand for interested parties who cannot attend.

The how-to webinar series is presented by Gomos Huw Edwards, who has over seven years of experience supporting organizations with their authoring tool needs. Huw is joined by expert guests from sister companies within Learning Technologies Group, LEO Learning (learning content, strategy and technology specialists) and Watershed (learning analytics experts).

In these unprecedented times, were excited to present this practical webinar series, covering the end-to-end needs of training in our current working-from-home realities, said Gomos Huw Edwards. Topics include how to quickly and easily take training from a face-to-face environment to a digital one, the challenges of training a workforce that works from home, creating engaging eLearning content, and ways to analyze the effectiveness of eLearning.

Details of the sessions and sign-up options are below:

1. How to Move Training Online Quickly

Presenters: Huw Edwards, Gomo and Nic Price, Lead Learning Designer, LEO Learning

Date: Thursday 16 April 2020

Session objectives:



Practical tips on gathering course information quickly and effectively

How to translate this to eLearningwhat works, what doesnt

Easy ways to create a simple eLearning course, including course examples

2. How to Address Home-Working Training Challenges

Presenters: Huw Edwards, Gomo and Nic Price, Lead Learning Designer, LEO Learning

Date: Tuesday 21 April 2020

Session objectives:



Issues that may arise with home workers and training (i.e. learner engagement and motivation)

How to address these issues with your strategy

How to address these issues with your eLearning

3. How to Create Great eLearning Content

Presenters: Huw Edwards, Gomo and Nic Price, Lead Learning Designer, LEO Learning

Date: Tuesday 28 April 2020

Session objectives:



Top tips for eLearning content creation

Other learning element tips if considering a blended learning solution

Examples of great content in action

4. How to Analyze and Improve Your eLearning

Presenters: Huw Edwards, Gomo, Nic Price, Lead Learning Designer, LEO Learning, and Ali Zaheer, Learning Analytics Strategy Consultant, Watershed

Date: Tuesday 5 May 2020

Session objectives:



Why learning measurement is important

How to gather data easily

What lessons can be learned from that data

How to apply lessons simply and what to prioritize

Many people in L&D find themselves in a position where learning they had planned as face-to-face must now be completed remotely, said co-presenter and Lead Learning Designer, Nic Price. We're going to explore how to respond quickly and effectively to put in place alternatives, considering the different options and how they may be used to best effect. We'll touch on various methods but particularly on the use of eLearning.

For more information and to register for the free webinar series, click here.

About Gomo

The Gomo learning suite provides multi-award-winning products that allow you to create, deliver, update, and track beautiful multi-device eLearning. With Gomo Authoring, you can create truly responsive and adaptive HTML5 content that looks perfect on all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. With Gomo Delivery and Analytics, you can get content into the hands of learners instantly via websites, direct link, the Gomo LMS wrapper, social media, and moreall with full xAPI analytics.

With an ever-growing client base including the BBC, British Airways, BT, Centrica, General Electric, HSBC, LOreal, Royal Mail Group, Shell, Sony, Squarespace, TDK, Vodafone, Weetabix, Whatsapp, the World Health Organization and many more, Gomo is quickly becoming the established choice for global organizations seeking collaborative, future-proof and responsive HTML5 multi-device eLearning.

Gomo is part of Learning Technologies Group plcs award-winning group of specialist learning technology businesses.

For more, visit gomolearning.com.

About LEO Learning

LEO Learning believes that technology-enabled learning innovation has the power to deliver transformational results. Our purpose is to help clients deploy learning technology to deliver outcomes precisely aligned to their business goals. Backed by more than 30 years of experience, we design engaging learning architectures that fit seamlessly into businesses and improve performance throughout the entire organization.

LEO Learning has the deep understanding of learning design, technology, and pioneering creative approach necessary to drive learning transformation.

LEO Learnings expanding global customer base includes organizations such as the NHS, Civil Service Learning, Jaguar Land Rover, Visa, Volvo, Suncorp, Fidelity, Virgin Atlantic, Novartis, Godiva, Volkswagen, Dunhill, KPMG, Roche, and Mars.

LEO Learning is part of Learning Technologies Group plcs award-winning group of specialist learning technology businesses.

For more, visit leolearning.com.

About Watershed

Founded in Nashville, Tenn., in 2016, Watershed is dedicated to changing the world of learning by helping corporate L&D departments get more from their initiatives. This includes a customizable SaaS-based learning analytics platform that assesses the impact and effectiveness of corporate learning programs and helps maximize investments in learning.

Made possible by xAPI, Watershed enables users to explore their learning data in one place and measure how L&D programs impact their organizations. Since its founding, this young, high-growth organization has developed a portfolio of Fortune 500 global clientssuch as Visa, Verizon, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Caterpillar, and more.

Watershed is part of Learning Technologies Group plcs award-winning group of specialist learning technology businesses.

To learn more, visit watershedLRS.com.
As from April 17, Federal Capital Territory residents who engage in early morning fitness exercises, especially jogging around town would be arrested and prosecuted, Ikharo Attah, Chairman, FCT Movement Restrictions Enforcement Team, has said.

Mr Attah, while giving an update on the level of compliance with the regulations put in place to control the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, also said that a fake police officer was arrested in the Mpape area of the territory, adding that more mobile courts would be established soon.

We have at least five Mobile Courts and we are hoping to open more with the assistance of the Legal Unit of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, he said.

As at 1 p.m., we already secured 20 convictions, while two pleaded not guilty.

We also arrested a man who is not a policeman but was wearing a police cap. He is currently being detained at the Police Station in Mpape.

We were at the Kubwa-Mpape road as early as 4 a.m.; we are going to tighten our grip on these areas because when we locked down Mpape to traffic, we discovered that residents were sneaking out massively on foot to access Maitama.

While we are continuing with our general enforcement, we are going to start arresting people found jogging, as from Friday.

We now have thousands of people coming out in some areas to jog, very early in the morning. We are going to arrest them, he stated.

Mr Attah said the convicts were fined between N1,000 and N5,000, adding that those with vehicles would only get them back after the lockdown had been lifted, with the likelihood of paying for demurrage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the FCT administration recently reactivated mobile courts to prosecute violators of the Presidential directive on the cessation of movement across the territory.

The FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, has explained that the measure was part of the resolution reached at the end of FCT COVID-19 Security Committee meeting.

Mr Bello said that residents were using the excuse of going to the markets to flout the lockdown directives, while traders selling non-essential food commodities were using the window period to open their shops in clear violation of the lockdown directive.

(NAN)
Getting to know you: Tommy Sheppard

The SNP MP for Edinburgh East talks to Holyrood about his school days and his box set obsession

Whats your earliest memory?

I cant really remember much before about three. I remember being three and getting a little tricycle and I remember losing control going down a hill and crashing into a wall at the bottom and my parents being mortified that Id nearly killed myself at the age of three.

What were you like at school?

I remember my first day at primary school. My mum had made me a piece to take with me and for some reason, I dont know why, shed made me cheese and pineapple and I had foolishly left my lunchbox on a radiator, so when I came to eat them at lunchtime, they were absolutely horrible, congealed, warm, pineapple mush. That put me off pineapple for many years! At the age of six, we left Coleraine [in Northern Ireland] and moved to a little seaside town called Portstewart and I went to Portstewart Primary and that was a very happy time. I remember that time fondly. One of my greatest influences of my entire life was the primary school headmaster. He was a real liberal firebrand and he used to come in and tell you, never stop asking questions.

Quite unusual for that period of time.

Yeah. He never had school uniforms, he really railed against convention. I wasnt aware of it then but looking back, he must have been quite a cheerleader for radical teaching methods. He inspired me always to question authority.

Who would be your dream dinner date?

Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham. He was the president of both the independent Labour Party and the first president of the SNP.

Youd have plenty to talk about then

Well, yes, indeed! It would be interesting to have a discussion with him about how things turned out.

Whats your greatest fear?

My greatest personal fear is health, I think, becoming really sick and either dying or being incapacitated. My greatest fear for society at the moment is the growth of intolerance and of people losing their human essence and losing their sense of human solidarity. I still think we are in the middle of a process with how we communicate as human beings in the digital age. It could be liberating, or it could be the means of our future repression, depending on how it turns out. My greatest call to arms is the need for vigilance about intolerance.

The situation we are living in at the moment is a real test of that, isnt it?

A crisis always brings out the best and the worst in people. Theres been some wonderful examples of people trying to help their fellow human beings, and theres been good examples of that in the commercial sector as well. Then theres been these people charging 400 for a private test that theyre buying for a tenner. The rampant profiteering. If the government is going to take emergency powers, it needs to act against people profiting from the misery and anxiety of others and send out a really strong message. But the majority response has been really good.

Whats the worst thing that anyones ever said to you?

Im pretty thick skinned to be honest. People say things that could hurt you all the time if you let them. I try not to let it, and I move on. But if its not just about being abused, then the thing that really floored me was when I got the call from my sister-in-law to tell me my father had died. I just remember literally going weak at the knees.

Whats your most treasured possession?

Im not that materialistic. Ive still got the Aran cardigan my mother knitted for me when I was 14, but if I lost it in a house fire, I wouldnt cry about it.

Whats made you keep it all those years?

Sentiment, I guess. I dont wear it! A few years ago, I might have said my DVD collection. I had a massive collection of box sets, thats my guilty pleasure. And a year ago, I gave them all to a charity shop because I got a new laptop and it didnt have a DVD drive and I realised I had nothing to play them on anymore! So, I embraced the digital age.

Whats your favourite box set, then?

Crime dramas, thrillers serial dramas. The thing Ive probably watched end-to-end more than anything else would be The Sopranos. Ive probably watched every episode of that about four times.

How about films?

I like films, I try and go to the cinema about once a month. Im a greeter, by the end of the film Im usually crying. The one I cried most at over the last few years is Pride.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

It would have been quite incredible to be politically active at the end of the 18th century. There was Thomas Muir, who was the Scottish leader of the Friends of the People organisation, which was agitating for universal suffrage, and there was also Thomas Paine in England and [Theobald] Wolfe Tone in Ireland, and there were stories of them meeting in about 1793/94 in post-revolutionary France coming up with a plan for three independent republics in the British Isles - Scotland, England and Ireland. Im afraid there was no-one there from Wales! I would have loved to have been involved.

Whats the best piece of advice youre ever been given?

Always question. The advice from my primary headmaster.

Whats the last book you read?

I just read a couple last week  crime fiction is pretty much all I read. Mark Billinghams latest. I cant remember the name! Deadly Lies or something? I never look at the title! Im very much into my Tartan Noir, everything that Val and Rankin have ever written.

Whats the best holiday youve ever had?

No one single one stands out  I could give you a top ten  but one of the places Ive been to repeatedly, which is probably a good sign, is Soller in Mallorca. Its on the least developed bit of the island. Its lovely because its a nice scale, quite a small town, great bars and restaurants and the nearby walks are just fantastic. The combination of good food and drink, climate and the ability to have long walks in beautiful scenery is pretty hard to beat.

Binary Politics

Salt and vinegar or salt and sauce?

Salt and vinegar

Cats or dogs?

Dogs

Pub or wine bar?

Pub

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl

Continental or full Scottish?

Mostly continental

Tea or coffee?

Coffee

Fame or fortune

Fame

Book or film?

Book

Night in or night out?

Night out

Couch or gym?

Both
By Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan waded into the hotly contested politics of the Pacific on Wednesday, donating face masks and thermal cameras to its four diplomatic allies there to combat the coronavirus in a region where China is challenging traditional power the United States.

The small developing nations lie in the highly strategic waters of the Pacific, dominated since World War Two by the United States and its friends, who have been concerned over China's moves to expand its footprint there.

Democratic Taiwan has faced intense pressure from China, which claims the island as its territory with no right to state-to-state ties, and is bent on wooing away its few allies.

Taiwan has only 15 formal allies left worldwide after losing two Pacific nations, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, to China in September.

Beijing has ramped up its diplomatic push into the Pacific, pledging virus aid and medical advice.

In its own aid programme, Taiwan has donated 16 million masks to countries around the world.

"We are a very small country, so it's easier for us to work with Taiwan than mainland China," Neijon Edwards, the Marshall Islands ambassador to Taiwan, told Reuters at the donation ceremony in Taipei.

China has been too overbearing, she added.

"It's pressing too much, and it's been trying to come to the Marshall Islands, several times, but up to this time we haven't even opened the door yet."

While the masks presented at the ceremony are going to Taiwan's Pacific allies, all its 15 global allies are sharing the thermal cameras.

"Today's ceremony once again shows that Taiwan is taking concrete actions not only to safeguard the health of Taiwanese people but also to contribute to global efforts to contain COVID-19," said Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

Though Pacific Island states offer little economically to either China and Taiwan, their support is valued in global forums such as the United Nations and as China seeks to isolate Taiwan.

Story continues

China has offered to help developing countries including those of the Pacific, and many see Chinese lending as the best bet to develop their economies.

But critics say Chinese loans can lead countries into a "debt trap", charges China has angrily rejected.

The debt issue was a serious problem and would only lead to the spread of Chinese influence regionwide, said Jarden Kephas, the ambassador of Nauru.

"They will end up dominating or having a lot of say in those countries because of the amount of debt," he told Reuters, wondering how the money could ever be repaid. "We are not rich countries."

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Any decision to reinstate Crozier would come with its own problems. Navy officials remain unhappy that the captain sent an unclassified letter seeking help to so many people, instead of relying on his chain of command. For the Navy to reinstate him, Gilday would have to determine that Croziers superiors were not being adequately responsive to requests for help before the letter had been sent, Navy officials said.
CHICAGO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to COVID-19, Somrus  a line of India-inspired cream liqueurs, including Chai and Mango  launched "Small Brand. Big Heart." with an initial donation, aiming to raise $125,000+ for Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE), a nonprofit that assists the families of service industry members navigating life-altering circumstances. In its first five days, the campaign raised $5,300. All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE). Somrus' 10% matching program will kick in once the fund reaches $25,000 and remain in force until it reaches $125,000.

In response to COVID-19, Somrus - a line of India-inspired cream liqueurs, including Chai and Mango - launched 'Small Brand. Big Heart.(TM)' with an initial donation, aiming to raise $125,000+ for Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE), a nonprofit that assists the families of service industry members navigating life-altering circumstances. All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to CORE.

Pankaj K. ("PK") Garg, CEO and founder of Somrus, says, "As a young company, we are truly grateful to the bar and restaurant industry professionals who have supported and guided us on our journey and we are determined to help this hard-working and special community get through this difficult time. We invite other small businesses with big hearts to join us in this effort to help the restaurant community."

Executive Director of CORE Sheila G. Bennett adds, "We at CORE continue to stand by the food & beverage service employee with children every day when they face a health crisis or natural disaster. Additionally, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CORE is working to ensure that food & beverage service employees who have children are supported if they or a member of their family are diagnosed with COVID-19. We are grateful for our partners, like Somrus Liqueurs, who provide financial support. Please join us in letting the food and beverage service industry know how much we appreciate all they have given to us by supporting them."

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/small-brand-with-a-big-heart.

Please email [email protected] for more information.

About CORE: CHILDREN OF RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES

CORE is a 501c3 charitable organization founded in 2004 that supports restaurant employees with children who need help navigating life-altering circumstances. This includes medical conditions, injury or accident, death of an immediate family member or the loss of home or business due to natural disaster. Through the support of the CORE Board, leadership team, and ambassadors nationwide, CORE has assisted more than 650 families across 43 states and has raised upwards of $6 million to date. To connect with CORE and stay up to date on happenings, follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Visit www.coregives.org for more information on CORE.

About The House of Somrus

The House of Somrus (d/b/a SomPriya Fine Spirits, LLC) is an American-owned company based in Burr Ridge, Illinois. Established in 2014, the company created the world's first line of India-inspired liqueurs called Somrus, which means "Nectar of the Gods" in Sanskrit. The owners, being of Indian heritage, have a strong desire to share the best tastes, flavors, and aromas of the Indian subcontinent with consumers around the globe. This has so far resulted in Somrus Chai and Somrus Mango, the fastest-growing India-inspired line of liqueurs in the world as well as the world's most awarded cream liqueurs. Somrus is produced with all-natural flavors, contains no preservatives, and is gluten-free. For more information, visit somrus.com, @enjoysomrus on Twitter and Instagram, EnjoySomrus on Facebook, or on our YouTube channel.

Taste More Out of LifeTM Responsibly

Produced in the USA by SomPriya Fine Spirits, LLC, Pewaukee, Wisconsin

Media samples, hi-res images, and interviews available upon request.

Sales Contacts:

U.S.: Dave Lang, VP of U.S. Sales, [email protected], Tel. 630-667-7585

Global: Guy May, Director, Global Business, [email protected], Tel. 312-953-6872

Media Contact:

Christine Deussen

Deussen Global Communications, Inc.

[email protected]

m. 917-545 -1459

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House of Somrus Launches 'Small Brand. Big Heart.' Campaign to Benefit CORE

In response to COVID-19, Somrus - a line of India-inspired cream liqueurs, including Chai and Mango - launched 'Small Brand. Big Heart.' with an initial donation, aiming to raise $125,000+ for Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE), a nonprofit that assists the families of service industry members navigating life-altering circumstances. All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to CORE.

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Briarpatch star Rosario Dawson revealed Wednesday that she's not spending the COVID-19 quarantine with her 'love' New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, but rather taking care of her high-risk parents back in Los Angeles.

The 40-year-old Sundance Jury Prize winner and the 50-year-old politician celebrated their first anniversary of dating on October 13 after meeting at a fundraiser for former NAACP president Ben Jealous.

Even though Rosario and Cory share a lot in common, they endorsed different presidential candidates on March 9 - she picked Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (who dropped out a month later) and he picked former Vice President Joe Biden.

Priorities: Briarpatch star Rosario Dawson revealed Wednesday that she's not spending the COVID-19 quarantine with her 'love' New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, but rather taking care of her high-risk parents back in Los Angeles (pictured October 10)

Dawson previously romanced comedian Eric Andre, director Danny Boyle, rapper Jay Z, actor Joshua Jackson, DJ Mathieu Schreyer, and Sex and the City alum Jason Lewis.

The Manhattan-born Latina's stepfather Greg has been recovering from pancreatic cancer for the last four months, and she's been making sure he gets 'six meals a day.'

'My dad is 6ft1in and still in the 120lbs weight-wise,' Rosario told ET on Wednesday.

'Luckily, it's just about being here and trying to get him to gain some weight...You know, if we were in that moment where he was going back and forth to his chemo in the middle of this quarantine; that would be really scary.'

'Happy anniversary my love!' The 40-year-old Sundance Jury Prize winner and the 50-year-old politician celebrated their first anniversary of dating on October 13

Valentines: Even though Rosario and Cory share a lot in common, they endorsed different presidential candidates on March 9 - she picked Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and he picked former Vice President Joe Biden

Dawson continued: 'I'm sitting here grateful that I can take care of my parents, and that I can protect them.'

And while the Zombieland: Double Tap action star didn't mention her 17-year-old daughter Lola, whom she adopted in 2014, she's likely in quarantine with the rest of her family.

Rosario is rumored to be guest-starring as Ahsoka Tano in the first episode of the highly-anticipated second season of The Mandalorian, which starts streaming in October on Disney+.

'My dad is 6ft1in and still in the 120lbs': Dawson's stepfather Greg (L) has been recovering from pancreatic cancer for the last four months, and she's been making sure he gets 'six meals a day' (pictured in 2018)

The Manhattan-born Latina told ET: 'I'm sitting here grateful that I can take care of my parents, and that I can protect them' (pictured with her mother Isabel Celeste in 2018)

Schools are closed: And while Rosario didn't mention her 17-year-old daughter Lola (L), whom she adopted in 2014, she's likely in quarantine with the rest of her family (pictured August 16)

'That's not confirmed yet but when that happens, I will be very happy,' Dawson told Variety on Tuesday.

'I'm very excited for that to be confirmed at some point. It would be a million and one percent because of the fans.'

Cory will next appear at a 'virtual happy hour' with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand this Friday at 5pm EST benefiting 'first responders, front line workers, and vulnerable populations in NY and NJ.'

'That's not confirmed yet but when that happens, I will be very happy!' Dawson is rumored to be guest-starring as Ahsoka Tano in the first episode of the highly-anticipated second season of The Mandalorian, which starts streaming in October on Disney+
Several Christians killed, 2 beheaded as Fulani terror attacks rage on in Nigeria

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Several Christians have been killed this month by armed Fulani radicals who carried out attacks in the Plateau and Benue states of Nigeria as thousands have died in the escalating violence in the West African countrys Middle Belt in recent years.

Morning Star News reports that three people were murdered in attacks carried out by separate groups of nomadic herding radicals on predominantly Christian farming communities in the last week.

The first attack occurred in the Daffo district of Plateau state last Saturday and another occurred in the Ologba village of the Agatu local government area of Benue state on Monday morning.

In Benue, residents said that two members of a Catholic church were killed in the Agatu community, a majority-Christian farming area where hundreds have been killed and thousands have been displaced by Fulani massacres in recent years.

My nephew, Oche Alaade, and his friend had come to the village for a visit and were returning to Obagaji town today in the morning where they reside, when they were ambushed by armed Fulani herdsmen, who killed them by cutting off their heads, Oyaje Sule, the uncle of one of the victims, told the persecution watchdog outlet.

And because of the nature of their death, the two of them have been buried without their heads.

A local pastor from Agatu confirmed the murders in WhatsApp messages to The Christian Post this week. He shared a gruesome photograph of one of the victim's whose head was nearly decapitated.

In Plateau, a 30-year-old farmer named Mabur Mallo Gwang from the Maiduna village of Plateaus Daffo district in the Bokkos local government area was killed on Saturday when four herdsmen attacked him at his home.

The herdsmen were armed with guns and machetes, village resident John Machief told Morning Star News. They forced their way into the victims house by shooting and breaking doors into his house.

The persecution watchdog outlet reports that as many as 40 Christians in the Daffo area have been killed while 11 communities in the region have been destroyed in the past two years.

Another attack in Plateau occurred in the early hours of April 2 when suspected Fulani raided Hukke village and set fire to as many as 30 homes. According to the Christian humanitarian charity Barnabus Aid, seven elderly Christians were murdered in the overnight attack.

"While the attack lasted, for over two hours, a security force came comprising of some policemen, a Hukke pastor was quoted as telling Barnabas Aid. They simply stopped at a distance and kept firing in the air and eventually left.

The attack in Hukke was also confirmed by International Christian Concern, a United States-based persecution watchdog.

ICC reports that on March 31, two villages in the Miango District of Plateau state were attacked by suspected Fulani.

Three more people were reportedly killed in Ancha village, including a pregnant member of the villages Baptist church and another member of the church. A member of a Methodist church was identified as the third person killed, according to ICC.

Yakubu Kpasa, a local pastor of an evangelical church, told ICC that the attackers also destroyed their church building. He said the entire Ancha village has been vacated.

The village has been attacked multiple times, including a 2017 attack that killed 20 people.

To see attacks continuing almost three years later in the same village is infuriating, ICC Regional Manager Nathan Johnson said in a statement. The governments complete incompetency is causing many Christians to lose their lives needlessly.

As previously reported, another Fulani attack in Miango district took place on April 7. Morning Star News reports that a pastor and three churchgoers were killed  including a 10-year-old child.

The Nigerian-based nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) issued a statement last week indicating that at least 50 Nigerian Christians were killed in March with another 10 being killed in the first two days of April by radical Fulani herdsmen.

In all, not less than 410 Christian lives have been lost in Nigeria to Jihadist Fulani terrorists in the past 93 days of 2020, Intersociety stressed in its statement.

In a special report issued earlier this year, the group estimated that about 11,500 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2015 by Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram and highway bandits.

As displaced communities have complained of little help and support from the Nigerian government, Nigeria was placed on the U.S. State Departments special watch list of countries that are engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom in December.

Additionally, Nigeria is ranked as the 12th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List.
TDT | Manama

An important initiative to help foster the development of Bahrains diplomatic work has been achieved with the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Council. This is according to Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, who chaired the Councils first meeting yesterday. It was held virtually, with the participation of the Councils members.

The Minister expressed delight at the issuance of the edict to establish the new Council, which he said represents one of the important initiatives in the process of developing and enhancing diplomatic work through the tasks, duties and responsibilities it is assigned. These include approving policies and executive plans, supervising the progress of work and performance in the Ministrys general court and the diplomatic missions abroad, and examining the developments of the political and security issues at the regional and international levels. It also tackles the reports of diplomatic missions and the permanent committees while taking appropriate decisions on them.

Dr. Al Zayani affirmed that the ultimate goal of forming the Council is to engage everyone in the decision-making process and exchange views and ideas, as well as study and discuss development initiatives, plans and projects collectively. These enhance the chances of success and of attaining outstanding results. He expressed his appreciation of and pride in the tangible efforts made by the Foreign Affairs Ministrys senior officials  most notably the undersecretaries, assistant undersecretaries, directors, employees, ambassadors and diplomats  in enhancing the Ministrys role in the pioneering development process and the civilisational renaissance witnessed by the Kingdom during this prosperous era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Dr. Al Zayani also praised the dedicated efforts of the Foreign Affairs Ministrys directorates, as well as their efficiency and competence during these exceptional conditions imposed by the outbreak of the coronavirus in the world. He hailed the on-going coordination and cooperation among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Taskforce for Combatting Coronavirus and Bahrains embassies and consulates abroad in arranging the return of Bahraini citizens from overseas. Also during their meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Council discussed a number of other topics and issues on its agenda and took appropriate decisions regarding them.
The US has "passed the peak" on new coronavirus cases, President Donald Trump said and predicted that some states would reopen this month.

The US has over 637,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and over 30,826 deaths, the highest for any country in the world. At the daily White House coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, Trump said new guidelines to reopen the country would be announced on Thursday after he speaks to governors. "We'll be the comeback kids, all of us," he said. "We want to get our country back." The Trump administration has ...
New Delhi, April 16 : A doctor from North Delhi Municipal Corporation's (North DMC) Hindu Rao Hospital was terminated by the hospital authorities allegedly after he posted a video on his social media page complaining about the mismanagement in the hospital. "The Doctor in the Orthopedics department is terminated from his services with immediate effect for bringing disrepute to the institution," a letter from the hospital said.

The doctor, however, has refuted the allegations made by the hospital administration and claimed that the termination came after he distributed face shields procured through an NGO, among the residents doctors.

"I had distributed face shields among the doctors which I got from an NGO, but the Medical Superintendent of the hospital told me to return them. I even tried getting them back but the other doctors denied returning them, and now this has caused me the job," doctor Piyush Singh, DNB (Ortho) told IANS.

However, senior authorities in the hospital claimed that the termination came for a video that Singh posted about a month ago, where he was seen showing leaking water from hospital ceiling and other mismanagement. Singh was also given a show cause notice for the same by the hospital authorities.

"You have bypassed the available channels to you for addressing your grievance and directly recorded it to social media, which is an objection," the letter issued on March 16 read.

Singh was then given 24 hours to explain himself, however the termination after a month has left Singh questioning.

"I had then written various apology letters and also explained myself before each authorities that I did not post the video, but had just shared someone else's post on my timeline. I was told that the matter and over and I continued to go to the office," Singh claimed.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to challenge President Donald Trump's decision to suspend funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO), a move widely criticised as dangerous and harmful during a global pandemic.

"The president's halting of funding to the WHO as it leads the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic is senseless," Pelosi said in a statement. "This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged."

Trump announced his intention to suspend US support for the WHO on Tuesday, accusing the United Nations' public health agency of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus".

Payments would be held for up to 90 days, during which time the administration will investigate the agency's response, and a resumption in payments would be contingent on the outcome of the inquiry, Trump said.

With its payments accounting for around 15 per cent of the organisation's US$6.2 billion budget over the last two years, the US is the WHO's biggest contributor. Washington's outlays of foreign aid, including to the WHO, must be approved by Congress as part of the annual federal budget.

The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 stipulates that a president can withhold such funding for up to 45 days, only after "a special message to Congress identifying the amount of the proposed rescission; the reasons for it; and the budgetary, economic and programmatic effects of the rescission." Withholding beyond that time frame would require an act of Congress.

The American Medical Association (AMA) also called Trump's decision "dangerous".

Trump may have a legal basis for cutting at least some of the funding.

"There are doubtlessly reasonable grounds for criticism of the WHO, although the administration's focus on it is intended to distract from its own handling of the crisis, to continue advancing efforts begun in 2017 to reduce American funding for international health efforts, as well as to further its particularly xenophobic and jingoistic framing of the crisis," said David Alexander Bateman, an assistant professor at Cornell University's department of government.

Story continues

"The administration, however, might be on sound legal footing for cutting off some sources of WHO funding, although much will hinge on the specific language of the relevant authorisations and appropriations that have passed Congress."

" Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 15, 2020

US funding for the WHO is divided into assessed dues, which are currently set at 22 per cent of all member states' dues, and voluntary contributions, which vary year to year, Bateman said.

While the voluntary contributions cannot be withheld, the Trump administration aims to divert the non-disbursed portion of the assessed dues to other foreign aid agencies, and argues that the structure of the appropriations bill passed by Congress allows it do so.

Other prominent voices have also joined the call for Trump to back away from his punitive measures against the WHO.

"Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said on Wednesday in a Twitter post. "Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them."

Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.

" Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 15, 2020

After the US, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the second largest donor to the WHO, accounting for almost 10 per cent of its funding with a US$531 million contribution. The foundation has also pledged US$100 million to help contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The US Chamber of Commerce, which includes among its 3 million members multinational manufacturing giants such as Ford and IBM, called the WHO "critical".

"The Chamber supports a reformed but functional World Health Organization, and US leadership and involvement are essential to ensuring its transparency and accountability going forward," the industry association said in a statement.

"However, cutting the WHO's funding during the COVID-19 pandemic is not in US interests given the organization's critical role assisting other countries " particularly in the developing world " in their response."

Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Flash

A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Wednesday to assist the kingdom in combating COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus.

The team comprises eight medical experts who specialize in various areas including virus testing, infectious disease, respiratory disease, intensive care, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Based on a work plan agreed by the two sides, the Chinese experts will share their experience with and offer trainings for Saudi medical staff on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

They will also provide necessary medical supplies, TCM consultation and epidemic prevention trainings for the Chinese expats in the kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Chinese medical team brought the medical supplies donated by China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, including masks, protective suits, nucleic acid testing kits and infrared thermometers.

Speaking upon the experts' arrival in Riyadh, Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chen Weiqing noted that, since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Saudi Arabia have become a model of state-to-state relations and international cooperation in fighting the disease.

China thanks Saudi Arabia for providing its help and support after the outbreak of the coronavirus in China early this year, and pays close attention to the raging pandemic in the kingdom, the Chinese envoy said.

He added that China speaks highly of the effective measures taken by the Saudi government to curb the virus' spread and safeguard public health.

"We believe that with the joint efforts of China and Saudi Arabia and the international community, we will surely overcome the crisis," Chen said.
Travel and travel planning are being disrupted by the worldwide spread of the coronavirus. For the latest updates, read The New York Timess Covid-19 coverage here.

On March 12, the day after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, Sery Kim, a lawyer in Coppell, Texas, noticed that the number of American Airlines AAdvantage miles needed to book a May flight to Barbados she had been eyeing dropped from 130,000 to 30,000  a decrease of nearly 77 percent.

Thus set off a four-day hunt for future trips. In addition to Barbados, Ms. Kim purchased six round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets, starting later in March, to Washington, D.C., where she keeps an apartment for work. She paid $99 apiece for flights that normally cost upward of $183, with dates extending into September. She spent $93 on a late-April flight to Miami that usually costs around $330. Then she booked a safari vacation in July for about $900 round trip to Cape Town  about half what she paid for a South Africa flight in 2016.

Ms. Kim, 41, was indulging in what might be called flight arbitrage. Inexpensive airfare deals abound currently; couple those with newly relaxed airline change and cancellation policies and some travelers are seeing little-to-no risk in pointing, clicking and purchasing. They are betting that things will have improved enough to travel, and if they havent, they can roll their money forward into an even later trip.
VANCOUVERHelen, the lone dolphin left at the Vancouver Aquarium, might be heading to Texas.

A spokesperson from SeaWorld confirmed Thursday the company has applied to federal authorities in the United States to acquire Helen for its facility in San Antonio.

In its application, SeaWorld states it plans to keep the Pacific white-sided dolphin for the purpose of public display.

This dolphin would join a pod of five other Pacific white-side dolphins, providing her with social opportunities that she does not currently have, a SeaWorld spokesperson told the Star. SeaWorld owns and operates 12 theme parks across the U.S.

The news comes less than a year after the federal government banned keeping whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity. The so-called Free Willy bill, however, allowed aquariums to keep the cetaceans they already own.

In an August 2019 letter to NOAA, Lasse Gustavsson, the CEO of the Vancouver Aquarium, confirmed his support for Helens transfer.

The letter refers to the import of one Pacific-white-sided dolphin ... for the purposes of public display.

Pacific white-sided dolphins at SeaWorld in Texas participate in educational presentations that include demonstrations of trained husbandry, and enrichment behaviors as well as demonstrating natural behaviors, the companys application to NOAA reads.

The Vancouver Aquarium has not responded to the Stars request for comment.

Animal welfare advocates are concerned about what the move could mean for Helen.

The dolphin is 30 years old, making her a senior among her kind. The average lifespan of a Pacific white-sided dolphin is anywhere from 36 to 40 years, according to NOAA.

In the latter years of her life, doesnt she deserve to have a happy retirement, at least? Victoria Shroff said.

Shroff is a Vancouver lawyer who specializes in animal welfare. She said she had hoped Helen would be able to live out her days in a whale sanctuary, such as the one being set up off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Instead, she is going somewhere now to start over as an entertainer. I think that sounds really hard, she said.

NOAA confirmed Thursday it has not yet decided whether it will issue a permit for Helens transfer.

Helen is the only cetacean left at the Vancouver aquarium after the non-profits five other cetaceans died unexpectedly in 2016 and 2017.

The dramatic dieoff, including two belugas within days of each other, added fuel to the ongoing debate about whether keeping cetaceans  whales, dolphins and porpoises  in captivity was ethical. Helens most recent tankmate, a false killer whale named Chester, died in November 2017.

Helen has lived at the aquarium in Vancouvers Stanley Park since 2005. Helen was rescued after becoming caught in a fishing net off the coast of Japan. Her injuries forced vets to partially amputate her pectoral flippers, according to the Vancouver Aquariums website, and she was deemed non-releasable into the wild.

Joseph Gaydos, a veterinarian with the SeaDoc Society in Seattle, met her in 2014 when the Vancouver Park Board hired him to review the Vancouver Aquariums handling of its animals. (The resulting report found the facility followed industry standards for animal care.)

Shes a beautiful animal, Gaydos said of Helen. To see an animal like that, that has been traumatically injured in the wild, youre just rooting for her to have the best life that she can have.

And dolphins need social interaction. Wild Pacific white-sided dolphins are particularly gregarious, he said, sometimes travelling in huge groups of more than 100.

Their preference is to be around others, said Gaydos, who wrote about the ethics of treating animals in captivity and in the wild in the CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine.

He said Helen will likely live a better life in SeaWorld.

Some people will say she is still in captivity, but the reality is she doesnt have an alternative, he said, referring to her non-releasable status. Its better for her to be with other dolphins of the same type.

In February 2019, the aquariums incoming CEO, Gustavsson, told the Star one of his first decisions was to transfer Helen to a new facility.

When I came here, I made that the top priority, to find a new home for her. This is not the best place for her to be. She should be with other animals, he said at the time.

More than one year later, Helen remains at the aquarium.

The facility, meanwhile, is losing money  fast.

The aquarium said Thursday in a statement that it could be forced to file for bankruptcy by early summer if it does not receive significant funding. The aquarium relies largely on revenue from visitor entry fees to doll out the $1 million it costs every month to take care of 70,000 animals, including large marine mammals such as sea otters, walruses and Helen.

The aquarium, like many attractions in B.C., closed its doors to visitors amid coronavirus concerns in mid March. But the non-profit was already struggling with a decrease in visitors.

In 2017, ahead of the federal legislation, the Vancouver Park Board banned cetacean captivity, prompting a lawsuit last year from the aquarium, in which it cited lost revenue  $4 million in 2017 and 2018  as a result of the decision.

The park boards ban on cetaceans in captivity, like the federal ban, allows the aquarium to keep cetaceans it already owns, but prevented it from acquiring new ones.

The federal bill also bans the import or export of cetaceans, but it allows for exceptions if the sale is done for the purposes of conducting scientific research or if it is in the best interests of the cetaceans welfare.

In a statement released on its website, the animal welfare advocacy group Animal Justice said it is likely in Helens best interest to be transferred to SeaWorld, calling the move the least worst option for the dolphin. But the group argued that any Canadian permit allowing Helens transfer should include conditions that she is not bred or used for performances.

According to SeaWorlds application to NOAA, Canada has already granted the Vancouver Aquarium a permit to transfer Helen to Texas.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada declined to comment on the permit, citing privacy protection obligations.

Correction - April 19, 2020: A previous version of this story stated that in addition to applying to NOAA for a permit to import Helen, SeaWorld was also applying for a permit to put her on display for three years. In fact, no permit from NOAA is required to put cetaceans on public display.

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The collapse of Jet Airways was a reflection of the challenging environment in the country, including high operating costs and a regulatory regime that restricts the ability of airlines to operate as normal commercial businesses, according to the IATA

New Delhi: The collapse of Jet Airways was a reflection of the challenging environment in the country, including high operating costs and a regulatory regime that restricts the ability of airlines to operate as normal commercial businesses, according to the IATA.

The full-service carrier, which flew for nearly 26 years, suspended flights on 17 April last year after running out of cash for its daily operations.

Apart from creating a significant capacity shortage in the country's aviation sector, the grounding of the airline impacted thousands of jobs.

"The collapse of Jet Airways was a reflection of the challenging environment in India  high operating costs, including infrastructure and fuel, a highly competitive domestic airline market, and a regulatory regime that restricts the ability of airlines to operate as normal commercial businesses," Albert Tjoeng, Assistant Director for Corporate Communications (Asia Pacific) at IATA, said.

His comments came in response to queries from PTI related to Jet Airways completing one year of closure.

Jet Airways was a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Currently, it has around 290 airlines as members.

Undergoing the insolvency resolution process at present, a concrete bid is yet to be submitted for Jet Airways even though some entities had expressed interest in the airline.

Shares of Jet Airways have plunged 88 percent since suspending operations in April last year.

According to Albert Tjoeng, a lot has happened in the last one year.

"Airlines globally are now facing an existential crisis as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. We are now expecting a revenue loss of $314 billion and passenger demand to fall by 48 percent compared to 2019. Airlines are facing a liquidity crisis, burning $61 billion of their cash reserves in Q2 2020," he said.
TWO businessmen, Nkinda Shekalaghe and Masse Uledi, appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrates Court in Dar es Salaam on Thursday facing three counts related to fraudulently using the name of the First Lady, Ms Janeth Magufuli.

The charges include publication of false information, obtaining money by false pretences and money laundering.

Before Senior Resident Magistrate Augustina Mbando, the accused persons were not allowed to enter plea to charges because they fall under the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act.

The case was adjourned to April 30, 2020 for mention. Investigations into the matter, according to the prosecution, led by Senior State Attorneys Mkunde Mshanga and Wankyo Simon, are incomplete.

They told the court that on diverse dates between January and March 31, 2020 in Dar es Salaam and other places within the United Republic of Tanzania, through a facebook wall, the accused persons published a message involving the name of the First Lady, while knowing it was false.

It was alleged that within the same period of time and places, by false pretences and with intent to defraud, the accused persons obtained through a mobile phone number registered in the name of Adam Mahamudu Mamba, a total sum of 15,068,650/- from different people.

The accused persons were also charged with money laundering, in that between January and March 31, 2020 within and outside the United Republic of Tanzania, acquired the amount while knowing or ought to know the sum was proceeds of a predicate offence of obtaining money by false pretences.
Bismah Malik By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: The Covid-19 pandemic is expected to impact businesses of Indias largest IT service

provider, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), in the same proportion as that of the global financial crisis of 2008, said the companys chief executive officer and managing director Rajesh Gopinathan on Thursday.

The current countrywide lockdown will impact TCS businesses across all verticals in the first two quarters of FY21, and the revenues are likely to bounce back to normal in Q3FY21, he said.

We expect to be in the same position. However, TCS will bring onboard, 40,000 trainees from across various academic institutions of the country from June onwards, even though the company has decided against providing any salary increments to nearly 4 lakh employees this year, Gopinathan said.

There will be no retrenchments as there is no shortage on the demand side, and the promotions will be performance-based, the IT major clarified. Nearly 90 per cent of TCS employees have adopted the work from home model during the ongoing lockdown, and going forward, only 25 per cent of employees will work from office premises, it said.

The Mumbai-based IT behemoth on Thursday reported a marginal decline in profit by 0.85 per cent at Rs 8,049 crore on a quarter-on-quarter basis. The total contract value for Q4FY20 stood at $8.9 billion. The company board also recommended a dividend of Rs 6. The consolidated revenue grew by 5 per cent at Rs 39,946 crore year-on-year in Q4. TCS said that its life sciences and communications verticals grew strongly at 16.2 per cent and 9.3 per cent, whereas the BFSI vertical was hit due to the extreme volatility in US markets.

The pandemic completely reversed the positive momentum that we had started seeing in some of our biggest verticals in the first half of the quarter. On the positive side, we had very strong deal closures during the quarter. In fact, our order book this quarter is the largest ever, from the time we started

reporting the metric. Organisations across the world are realising the need for operational and systems resilience, Gopinathan said.
Coronavirus test lab to open in North Wales by end of month, says NHS Wales chief

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Apr 16th, 2020

A coronavirus test lab is set to opened in North Wales by the end of the month according to the head of NHS Wales.

Wrexham.com understands that around 500 health workers in the region have been tested for COVID-19.

However there are concerns that tests are currently being processed by laboratories in Cardiff, which involves samples being courier delivered between the two areas.

We have been told that only around half of tests are being turned around in a day and 95% in two days.

Plans to create a North Wales lab have been hatched as a result.

The arrangement has been confirmed today by NHS Wales chief executive Andrew Goodall following one of our regular questions we submit to the now daily Welsh Government press conference, North Wales tests are currently sent to labs in South Wales, with around 50% one day turnaround. We are told a new testing lab facility in North Wales is to open, what is the specific target opening date, and where will it be located?

He answered:Weve committed to having the budgetary arrangements in place in North Wales.

Youll appreciate that this is an area where very specialist equipment is required, but I understand subject to specialist equipment that is on order and expected during April, that we are expecting there to be a north Wales laboratory in place by the end of April, and we would expect the location to be in Rhyl.

Mr Goodall started the conference by paying tributes to NHS workers who have sadly died from the coronavirus in the last week.

They include Andy Treble, a theatre assistant at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, who passed away yesterday.

He said: I want to start today by acknowledging those members of the NHS family in Wales, who have sadly passed away from COVID-19 over this last week, and to pass on my thoughts and condolences to their families and friends.

They have rightly received warm and personal tributes from their organisations, and our hearts go out to those that they leave behind.

Im grateful to all of our NHS staff for their service in these exceptional times and for putting patients first.

For this reason, the protection and well being of our staff remains a key priority for us alongside the protection of our population.

He also took the opportunity to encourage people who need urgent care for non-coronavirus related reasons to seek assistance.

It follows a significant drop in patients across Wales since the outbreak began.

He said: Im concerned that people may not be seeking medical help for illnesses and symptoms not related to COVID-19.

While many services have been disrupted, we want to reinforce the message that urgent and emergency care services for physical and mental health are still open and accessible.

For parents, if your child is unwell and you are concerned, you should seek help. If you have urgent dental pain, you should still call your dentist.

If you have a health complaint that is worrying you and wont go away, you should call your GP practice.

And if you or a family member are seriously ill or injured, you should dial 999 or attend your nearest emergency department.

Whilst many day to day activities are not taking place we recognise that some medical and care matters cannot wait.
Washington: China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, the US State Department said in a report on Wednesday that could fuel US-Chinese tensions.

The finding, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, may worsen ties already strained by US charges that the global COVID-19 pandemic resulted from Beijing's mishandling of an outbreak of the coronavirus in the city of Wuhan.

Military vehicles roll down as members of a Chinese military honour guard march during the 2019 parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing. Credit:AP

US concerns about Beijing's possible breaches of a "zero yield" standard for test blasts have been prompted by activities at China's Lop Nur nuclear test site throughout 2019, the State Department report said.

Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

To find ways to treat COVID-19, scientists have to better understand the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, the infection that causes the disease. Computer modelling can give a window into how the virus works in the body and help identify drugs to target it, and today researchers in the U.S. and Canada are busy developing open-source simulation models to learn more. Helping lead the interdisciplinary team (with postdoctoral fellow Adrianne Jenner) is Morgan Craig, an assistant professor in UdeM's Department of Mathematics and Statistics and researcher at the CHU Sainte Justine children's hospital research centre.

Mathematics to fight disease? How does that work?

Mathematical modelling has long been used to understand disease. In the present situation, epidemiologists are using models to learn how the virus will spread in the population and to determine effective ways to combat the pandemic. Similarly, my lab uses modelling to understand how disease develops within the body, particularly in the blood and immune systems. We can then model drug treatments and predict ideal ways to deliver drugs to people to fight given diseases. Our work is largely focused on treating cancer using immunotherapies and understanding certain rare blood disorders. We've also worked on models of new ways to deliver anti-HIV drugs. In terms of the current pandemic, our work is to translate the fundamental mechanisms involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection into a mathematical description to be able to predict the interactions between the virus, lung tissue, and the immune system using computational simulations. This will give us a better insight into infection dynamics and tells us what components are regulating the dynamics we see, what the succession of events is, and how individual characteristics impact on patient outcomes. It will also help us identify mechanisms that may be ideal drug targets, and better understand currently proposed treatment strategies.

What other institutions are involved and how do they contribute?

The SARS-CoV-2 Tissue Simulation Coalition is led by Paul Macklin at Indiana University, and includes researchers from Pepperdine University, Oklahoma State University, Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago, the University of Vermont Medical Centre, the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Disease at George Mason University, and University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The complete tissue model is constructed by assembling a variety of sub-models for distinct aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as receptor dynamics and immune response. Each sub-model is led by a team of chief scientists, who contribute their unique expertise. We collaborate as a large team to define new targets for each iteration, and in smaller groups to lead the development of our respective areas.

How important is it that the models you come up with are open-source?

Generally, and particularly for the current crisis, it is essential that research is shared quickly, efficiently and accurately. As modellers, we know it is critical that our models are calibrated and validated to experimental results to ensure their predictions are accurate. In my opinion, having this work be open-source is particularly important in two primary ways: first, the larger research community can assess our predictions in real-time, helping to rapidly refine our model; and second, it helps to avoid multiple groups working towards the same model independently, meaning we aren't doubling our efforts.

Will you be able to come up with something soon that clinicians can actually use?

We hope so! Using a rapid prototyping approach really speeds up the model building and validation stages. Since we are a multidisciplinary team working on open-source tools, we are able to quickly incorporate our collaborators' and contributors' suggestions for model improvements. In parallel to the tissue simulator project, my group is also working to understand the dynamics of systemic immune response based on our previous modelling work, together with clinical collaborators. Coming at this problem from two levels (local and systemic) will help to provide clinicians with predictions that are easily translated into their practice and/or into experimental work.

Will the models you develop be of use in future health crises?

Again, we hope so! One of the greatest strengths of the kind of mathematical modelling that we do is to provide a flexible approach to the research question we are hoping to answer. For example, the tissue simulator project is based off of Paul Macklin's work developing PhysiCell, an open-source computational platform used in cancer. Adrianne and I use PhysiCell to understand how certain immunotherapies can be used to treat different tumour types. What we learn from our SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 models will help to determine future avenues of experimental research and improve our understanding of the body's response to infection. By integrating a different infection, treatment or cell population, we can re-use what we are building today in response to new viruses and apply them to diseases like cancer or immune disorders that are either acute or chronic.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
By Kwak Yeon-soo





Actors Lee Min-ho, left, and Kim Go-eun pose for a photo during a press conference for the new drama series "The King: Eternal Monarch" held in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of SBS
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has described the Coronavirus pandemic as the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War.



The world is gradually coming to a halt with economies grinding and countries desperately searching and researching to find a permanent cure for a pandemic which root cause is still not clearly verified.



Thousands have died and millions of others have been infected by the pandemic.



In a recorded message about the issue, Mr. Guterres, while calling for unity on the world front, stressed on the danger of misinformation and falsehood in these times.



Describing the situation where ridiculous and misconstrued information is circulating on many fronts as harmful, he said,



This is a time for science and solidarity. Yet the global misinfo-demic is spreading. Harmful health advice and snake-oil solutions are proliferating. Falsehoods are filling the airwaves. Wild conspiracy theories are infecting the Internet. Hatred is going viral, stigmatizing and vilifying people and groups. The world must unite against this disease, too. The vaccine is trust.



He urged all to be circumspect about data they absorb and spread, to avoid further damage than what the world is currently facing.



"Social media companies must do more to root out hate and harmful assertions about COVID-19.



Second, trust in institutions  grounded in responsive, responsible, evidence-based governance and leadership.



And trust in each other. Mutual respect and upholding human rights must be our compass in navigating this crisis. Together, lets reject the lies and nonsense out there. He added.







Source: ghanaweb









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Billionaire Tom Steyer on Thursday decided to shut down his Need to Impeach political action committee, months after the Democrat-led impeachment proceedings against President Trump failed to achieve his removal.

Steyer founded Need to Impeach in 2017, but has not contributed funds to the PAC since the end of February, when he discontinued his own candidacy for president.

Tom started Need to Impeach two and half years ago and committed over $75 million of his own money to help shine a light on this lawless president, Need to Impeach spokesman Benjamin Gerdes told CNBC. Over eight million Americans joined that effort and their voices were heard loud and clear when the House of Representatives voted to impeach Donald Trump. Need to Impeach will encourage subscribers to its mailing list to vote in November.

Gerdes added, With the work complete, Need to Impeach is wrapping up, but Tomas commitment to taking on Donald Trump continues. The articles of impeachment against President Trump were voted down in the Senate almost entirely along party lines, with only Senator Mitt Romney (R., Utah) breaking ranks to vote for impeachment on one article.

Steyer in 2019 entered the Democratic presidential primary, funding his campaign largely with his own fortune. The billionaire dropped out after a poor showing in the February 29 South Carolina primary.

Steyer has since endorsed presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The former candidate told Politico that Biden is going to have to show, in terms of policy, that Joe Biden is more progressive than people understand him to be.

More from National Review
One of the unsettling things about the current pandemic is seeing all the restaurants suffer. Many establishments may not even make it through the crisis.

Though its easy to feel helpless, we can each support our favourite spotsand those places weve been meaning to tryby ordering takeout. Then, getting it delivered or picking it up.

This helps restaurants, and those who rely on them, make it through these challenging times. And we get a delicious meal and a night off cooking.

We can even buy a bottle of wine from them if they offer it. Or pour something weve got on hand. Which brings up the question of wine and food pairing.

Today Im recommending five delicious bottles under $16 paired with tasty takeout beyond the usual pizza. Think barbecue, perogies, dim sum, tacos and more.

All of the wines Im recommending this week are available now at the LCBO, which by the way now offers same-day pick up at some locations. So you can place orders online at lcbo.com and visit one of the designated stores for pick up within hours of ordering. This link lets you check if your local offers this same-day pick up: https://www.lcbo.com/content/lcbo/en/sdp-home.html

Back to the pairings.

Bold Red Blend and BBQ

Tender as can be and full of flavour, meat smoked low and slow for hours is a carnivores dream. In truth, Toronto makes some pretty spectacular barbecuebe it brisket, ribs or pulled pork sauced with something salty-sweet. And the ideal red to pour with barbecue is always smooth, ripe and full of fruit with a bit of residual sugar. One best buy that fits the bill is the 2019 Concha y Toro Frontera After Midnight Dark Red Blend from Chiles Central Valley (LCBO 553917 $8.95).

This silky red blend of 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 per cent Syrah and 5 per cent Merlot offers immediate pleasure with its sweet-centred, jammy flavours that give way to suggestions of chocolate-covered cherries and toasty-creamy millefeuille. Its an easy-drinking style that overdelivers for the money, offers a bold hit of flavour, and begs for brisket. Score: 94

Classic barbecue restaurants now offering takeout include Adamson Barbecue, 176 Wicksteed Ave., East York and Hogtown Smoke at 1959 Queen St. E. and 55 Colborne St. in Toronto.

Pinot Gris or Pinot Noir and Eastern European

Fans of perogiesand who isnt, reallyshould keep a bottle or two of the 2018 Famille Cattin Pinot Gris from Alsace, France (LCBO 481424 $15.30) on hand. Full of spiced peach character with a whisper of nutmeg, allspice and white pepper, this wine is perfect paired with perogieswhether stuffed with bacon and cheddar or potato and cheese, topped with dollops of sour cream and fried onions. It just works.

The lively acidity balances each rich bite. The off-dry, generously-fruited centre provides the mouthfeel and depth needed to stand up to the dish. And the wine works wonderfully well with wiener schnitzel and sausage too, which might round out an Eastern European feast. This Pinot Gris offers terrific value for money. Score: 92

Also delicious with perogies, schnitzel and sausage is the 2017 Pelee Island Pinot Noir, VQA Ontario (LCBO 135939 $14.95). This elegant, refreshing red swirls with enticing aromas and flavours of ripe raspberry, dried cranberry, salt and white pepper. Definitely drinks like a wine worth more than the price would suggest. Score: 94

Budapest Hungarian Restaurant at 1959 Gerrard St. E. and Amber European Restaurant at 2372 Bloor St. W. in Toronto are two options that offer these dishes for takeout.

Dry Rose and Dim Sum

Many dim sum restaurants in Toronto are still open for takeout. And the newly released 2019 Stemmari Rose from Sicily, Italy (Vintages 14708 $13.95) is a brilliant pairing for this sort of spread. Dry and sheer-tasting, this light-bodied rose whispers with allusions of wild strawberry and tastes glossy and vibrant. Works well with steamed soup dumplings, vegetable spring rolls, pork belly bao, shrimp and chicken shao mai and more. Score: 93

Le Chen Bistros three locations214 King St. W. and 813 Yonge St. in Toronto, as well as 84 First Commerce Dr., Unit 5, in Auroraare all open for takeout. So is Mothers Dumplings at 412 Spadina Ave. in Toronto.

Vinho Verde and Mexican

For a Mexican feast of guacamole and nachos, street corn, and tacos of any kind, grab a bottle of Vinho Verde. This supremely quaffable wine from Portugal with its lime-scented character, low alcohol, and crisp-dry charm works wonders with this cuisine.

The 2019 Curvos Loureiro Vinho Verde (Vintages 471284 $12.95) now on shelves is a superb example. Scents of lime, kiwi and bay leaf lead to a bright beam of citrussy flavour that is immediately quenching. The lime-squirt acidity tastes racy and cool, offsetting any spiciness in the meal. And each sip leaves the palate perfectly primed for the next bite. Score: 91

Places offering Mexican takeout include Playa Cabana at 111 Dupont St. and Mad Mexicans Taco House at 405 Jane St. in Toronto.

Grillo and Greek or Middle Eastern

The 2018 Stemmari Grillo from Sicily, Italy (Vintages 13377 $14.95), which hits shelves April 18, is just the bottle to pair with a meal of Greek or Middle Eastern fare. Clean and steely, this wines sunny vinosity illuminates the palate with suggestions of understated tropical fruit laced with brine, steel and wet stones. The wine is well-balanced with pristine purity of fruit. Score: 91

Pour this wine with all the classics on a Greek menu. Everything works from chargrilled chicken souvlaki and seafood, to classic lemon-and-garlic infused dips such as taramosalata and hummus, right through to herb-dotted rice pilaf and feta-rich village salads. This Grillo is also a winner with such Middle Eastern mainstays as falafel, hummus, baba ganouj, tabbouleh, and flash fried cauliflower with tahini.

Two suggestions for takeout are Just Greek at 3004 Bloor St. W. and Tabule at 2009 Yonge St., 810 Queen St. E., 494 Front St. E. #9, and 2901 Bayview Ave. in Toronto.
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Linkedin Oscar Lopez (Thomson Reuters Foundation) Mexico City, Mexico  Thu, April 16, 2020 11:05 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd234b32 2 World LGBTQ,LGBT-rights,US,American,religion Free

Most Americans now believe LGBT+ people should be protected against discrimination, a major survey has found, but one in three thinks businesses should be allowed to refuse to serve gay customers on religious grounds.

Nearly three-quarters of the 40,000 Americans surveyed said they favored laws that would protect LGBT+ people from discrimination in work and housing, while only about one in five opposed such protections.

"Support for LGBT rights continues to be strong and expansive in all 50 states," said Robert P. Jones, chief executive and founder of the non-partisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), which conducted the survey.

"Issues that in the recent past demarcated major political and religious fault lines now find broad agreement."

But the survey results also reflect a growing debate in the United States between civil rights advocates opposing discrimination of LGBT+ people and religious groups seeking the right to operate according to their spiritual beliefs.

"Americans support the freedom of creative professionals to create art consistent with their convictions," said Jeremy Tedesco, an attorney at the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian group, in an emailed statement.

"This principle protects the lesbian graphic designer or the atheist painter as much as it protects the Christian filmmaker."

Just over half of those questioned said they would oppose allowing a small business owner in their state to refuse to serve gay people if it would violate their religious beliefs, down from 61% in 2016.

In 2018, US Supreme Court sided with a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, saying it would violate his Christian beliefs.

Opposition to religious discrimination was sharply divided along party lines, with seven in 10 Democrats surveyed opposed to small business owners refusing service to lesbians and gays based on religious beliefs, compared with 39% of Republicans.

LGBT+ rights groups welcomed the study results as a sign of progress on acceptance nationwide, with more than six in 10 Americans (62%) also supporting same-sex marriage, compared to just over a third in 2007.

"Americans - across race, party and almost every demographic - continue to expand their support for equality," Lucas Acosta, national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a US advocacy group, said in emailed comments.

"No longer is support for LGBTQ equality a wedge issue, but rather a unifying message supported overwhelmingly by Americans."
Congressional Republicans on Thursday urged President Donald Trump to condition US funding for the World Health Organization on the resignation of its chief over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Seventeen Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said they had "lost faith" in Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's WHO leadership, even as they stressed the organization is vital to tackling the world's health problems.

"Director-General Tedros has failed in his mandate to objectively respond to the largest global health crisis since the HIV/AIDS pandemic," the lawmakers, led by Republican Michael McCaul, wrote Trump in a letter.

Trump announced Tuesday that Washington would halt payments to the UN body that amounted to $400 million last year.

He accused it of "mismanaging" the crisis and covering up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in China before it spread.

More than 141,000 people worldwide have died, and the global economy has nosedived.

The Republicans accused Tedros of being too willing to believe Beijing and of brushing off a Taiwanese warning on the ease of viral transmission.

Tedros, they said, delayed emergency declarations "despite clear evidence of the rapid spread and human-to-human transmission of COVID-19."



WHO declared a pandemic on March 11, after 114 countries had reported cases and 4,500 people had died, and after weeks of Tedros advising against travel bans.

"We have lost faith in Director-General Tedros' ability to lead the World Health Organization," the lawmakers said.

But they added that they "understand, and value, the vital role that the WHO plays around the world, especially in acute humanitarian settings."



They also noted that the WHO is often "the only organization working on the ground in the worst places in the world, and the US should continue to support this important work."But they urged swift action to ensure the "impartiality, transparency, and legitimacy" of the WHO.

"We recommend that you condition any future Fiscal Year 2020 voluntary contributions to the WHO on the resignation of Director-General Tedros."



The 55-year-old malaria specialist is Ethiopia's former minister of health and foreign affairs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After weeks of lockdown privation, the more iron-stomached among China's diners craved a proper Sichuan-style hot pot, with fiery chili peppers and mouth-numbing prickly ash pods bobbing across a cauldron of red broth.

What they couldn't stomach, though, were the post-pandemic prices.

After public fury over its price increases - about 6 percent over the pre-lockdown menu - popular Chinese hot pot chain Haidilao had to reverse course and apologize to customers last week for the "mistaken strategy," which it said was meant to offset higher costs as it reopened for business. Analysts say Haidilao could suffer hundreds of millions of dollars in losses this year.

China may be known as the world's factory floor, but its main economic driver is now domestic consumption. That means the ability of retailers like Haidilao to woo back wary consumers will be pivotal to a rebound following a dismal first quarter.

China is set to post on Friday its first quarterly economic contraction since it began releasing this data in 1992.

The figures will offer a glimpse into wider challenges. Massive stimulus from China helped stave off a deeper global downturn in 2008, but this time a return to business requires more than cash. The adversary is a microscopic one that thrives on many of the most cherished forms of economic consumption: movie theaters, live concerts and, yes, even tongue-obliteratingly hot hot pots.

"This is a long-term change," said Chiara Capitanio, a Beijing-based advertising executive. "Brands will need to rethink their business models."

A Chinese hot pot consists of a simmering pot of broth on the table, in which diners dip raw slices of meat and vegetables, "rinsing" them until they are just cooked. It's been a popular food for centuries, with the powerful Qianlong emperor in the 18th century eating more than 200 hot pots in one year, at least according to folklore. (It's not known whether Qianlong had to wear a mask and disposable gloves when approaching the sauce bar, as modern-day Haidilao diners are now told to do.)

With the coronavirus outbreak, hot pot took on a new meaning as a vector of infection. Diners sit in a circle for hours dipping into the same pot - often coughing and sneezing from the peppery fumes. When 11 members of one Hong Kong family contracted the coronavirus after sharing a hot pot meal in February, hot pot restaurants across the region went dark.

- - -

Popular demand for hot pot has remained strong in China, despite Western visitors often expressing disbelief at a dish that you must cook yourself for hours in the restaurant. Prominent Hong Kong food critic Chua Lam was met with public wrath last year when he declared that hot pot was not delicious.

In modern China, the slow pace of a hot pot meal makes it a favored choice for gatherings of family and friends, allowing time for stories and confessions to unfold across the steaming cauldron. It's also popular with carb-conscious young people, even if the health benefits of the fresh vegetables are neutralized by the soup base, which in the classic Sichuan iteration consists largely of molten beef fat.

Founded in 1994, Haidilao built its reputation on detail-oriented customer service, with waiters providing complimentary plastic sleeves to protect diners' smartphones from splashes of broth, and even hair ties for women to keep their tresses out of their soup. The company - which declined to comment for this article - went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018, and has expanded to Singapore, Seoul and Los Angeles.

Haidilao - whose name means "scooped out of the sea" - was on track for another year of growth before the virus hit. Diners used to wait in dense lines for hours for a table, with Haidilao offering free manicures and shoe shines to help pass the time. Now Haidilao says that at some shops, a robot can scoot to the entrance with take-home orders packed by an employee in a hazmat suit so people can avoid interacting with any other human. As customers wait for the robot, they can read the daily temperature readings of employees on the "Health Wall."

During the weeks of lockdown across China, Haidilao promoted delivery hot pots, a logistical fright for all sides that required shuttling over a portable butane countertop range and pot that must be returned after use. Hot pot smells, however, could linger for days.

China's government is expected to step in to support its economy in coming months, though what exactly this will look like is still coming into focus. What's clear is the country's current leader Xi Jinping is less interested than his predecessors in economic growth for its own sake, but harbors deep ambitions for a Chinese geopolitical rise.

Beijing will likely consider its diplomatic interests as it shapes its stimulus plan, while keeping a close eye on simmering domestic dissatisfaction.

Michael Spencer, Deutsche Bank's chief economist for the Asia Pacific, said in the longer-term, he expects the pandemic to speed the decoupling of global supply chains between the United States and China. But that could take decades, he said, with a critical mass of companies in a sector all deciding to move to the same place before the math makes sense.

In the nearer term, what happens with retailers in China - and around the world - will be key. Capitanio, the ad executive, says brands will need to develop new ways to provide customers with experiences and service, and to effectively communicate to customers the reality of higher costs of virus-prevention measures.

- - -

The Washington Post's Liu Yang in Beijing contributed to this report.
Thermal imaging wearables used in China to detect COVID-19 symptoms could soon be deployed in the U.S.

Hangzhou based AI startup Rokid is in talks with several companies to sell its T1 glasses in America, according to Rokid's U.S. Director Liang Guan.

Rokid is among a wave of Chinese companies creating technology to address the coronavirus pandemic, which has dealt a blow to the countrys economy.

Per info Guan provided, Rokid's T1 thermal glasses use an infrared sensor to detect the temperatures of up to 200 people within two minutes from as far as three meters. The devices carry a Qualcomm CPU, 12 megapixel camera and offer augmented reality features  for hands free voice controls  to record live photos and videos.

The Chinese startup (with a San Francisco office) plans B2B sales of its wearable devices in the U.S. to assist businesses, hospitals and law enforcement with COVID-19 detection, according to Guan.

Rokid is also offering IoT and software solutions for facial recognition and data management, as part of its T1 packages.

Image Credits: Rokid

The company is working on deals with U.S. hospitals and local municipalities to deliver shipments of the smart glasses, but could not disclose names due to confidentiality agreements.

One commercial venture that could use the thermal imaging wearables is California based e-commerce company Weee!.

The online grocer is evaluating Rokid's T1 glasses to monitor temperatures of its warehouse employees throughout the day, Weee! founder Larry Liu confirmed to TechCrunch via email.

On procedures, to manage those who exhibit COVID-19 related symptoms  such as referring them for testing  that's something for end-users to determine, according to Rokid. "The clients can do the follow-up action, such as giving them a mask or asking to work from home," Guan said.

The T1 glasses connect via USB and can be set up for IoT capabilities for commercial clients to sync to their own platforms. The product could capture the attention of U.S. regulators, who have become increasingly wary of Chinese tech firms' handling of American citizen data. Rokid says it doesn't collect info from the T1 glasses directly.

Story continues

"Regarding this module...we do not take any data to the cloud. For customers, privacy is very important to them. The data measurement is stored locally," according to Guan.

Image Credits: Rokid

Founded in 2014 by Eric Wong and Mingming Zhu, Rokid raised $100 million at the Series B level in 2018. The business focuses primarily on developing AI and AR tech for applications from manufacturing to gaming, but developed the T1 glasses in response to China's COVID-19 outbreak.

The goal was to provide businesses and authorities a thermal imaging detection tool that is wearable, compact, mobile and more effective than the common options.

Large scanning stations, such as those used in airports, have drawbacks in not being easily portable and handheld devices  with infrared thermometers  pose risks.

"You have to point them to people's foreheads...you need to be really close, it's not wearable and you're not practicing social distancing to use those," Guang said.

Rokid pivoted to create the T1 glasses shortly after COVID-19 broke out in China in late 2019. Other Chinese tech startups that have joined the virus-fighting mission include face recognition giant SenseTime  which has installed thermal imaging systems at railway stations across China  and its close rival Megvii, which has set up similar thermal solutions in supermarkets.

On Rokid's motivations, "At the time we thought something like this can really help the frontline people still working," Guang said.

The startup's engineering team developed the T1 product in just under two months. In China, Rokid's smart glasses have been used by national parks staff, in schools and by national authorities to screen for COVID-19 symptoms.

Temperature detectors have their limitation, however, as research has shown that more than half of China's COVID-19 patients did not have a fever when admitted to hospital.

Source: Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Research Center

The growth rate of China's coronavirus cases  which peaked to 83,306 and led to 3,345 deaths  has declined and parts of the country have begun to reopen from lockdown. There is still debate, however, about the veracity of data coming out of China on COVID-19. That led to a row between the White House and World Health Organization, which ultimately saw President Trump halt U.S. contributions to the global body this week.

As COVID-19 cases and related deaths continue to rise in the U.S., technological innovation will become central to the health response and finding some new normal for personal mobility and economic activity. That will certainly bring fresh facets to the common tech conundrums  namely measuring efficacy and balancing benefits with personal privacy.

For its part, Rokid already has new features for its T1 thermal smart glasses in the works. The Chinese startup plans to upgrade the device to take multiple temperature readings simultaneously for up to four people at a time.

"That's not on the market yet, but we will release this very soon as an update," said Rokid's U.S. Director Liang Guan .
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed that students will begin to return to classrooms in the third week of term two.

Ms Berejiklian said the first two weeks of the new term would be "the same as the end of term one", but after that point she would like to see "more face-to-face teaching for students".

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed a date for students to return to school. Credit:AAP

"We are currently going through the process of speaking to stakeholders, speaking to principals and teachers, to look at the various options and what will work for NSW," Ms Berejiklian said.

The return to classroom teaching will be accompanied by new social distancing measures to protect teachers and students.
Avenida Iztacalco 9 in Mexico City was one of the most searched addresses on Google Maps this week, after photos of a creepy, doll-covered house located there went viral on social media.

It all started with a short TikTok video shared by user Fernando Mata, who runs a segment called Weird Things on Google Maps, where he gradually zooms in on strange things found on the popular platform. In episode three of his series, he featured Avenida Iztacalco 9, an address in Mexico City where a creepy-looking building is supposedly located. With dozens of old and dismembered dolls hanging on its facade and on the fence around the building, its not hard to understand why warnings like Do not search for Avenida Iztacalco 9 on Google Maps before going to bed! went viral on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo: Google Maps

Similar to Mexicos famous Island of Dolls in Xochimilco, the building at Avenida Iztacalco 9 has creepy dolls and doll part hanging on its facade, as well as on top of the fence and gate surrounding it. Its definitely not the kind of place you would like to pass by alone, at night, and people were quick to wonder who in their right mind would decorate their house like that.

Photo: Google Maps

Well, it turns out the answer to the burning question makes a lot of sense. Avenida Iztacalco 9 is the address of a small esoterics shop, and the creepy dolls are nothing but an ingenious advertisement to attract those dealing in the occult.

According to Mexican media, Avenida Iztacalco 9 and its unusual decorations have gone viral on social media in the past, but with people stuck in their homes and looking for ways to pass the time, the Google Maps link was once again massively shared, leading to a resurgence in online popularity.
His contribution to the world of geology and geostatistics was recognised by numerous bodies. He was awarded the SMEs presidents citation in 2017, the SMEs award for competence and ethics in 2012 and the Southwest Mining Foundations American Mining hall of fame medal of merit in 2007. He was made an honorary life member of the Geostatistical Association of Australia, an honorary fellow of the Professional Society of the Independent Subsoil Experts of Kazakhstan, and an honorary representative of the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO).

He also was conferred the Mongolian best geologist award in 2014 and given APCOM recognition awards in 2015 and 2017. He was posthumously recognised by the SME in 2020, with the development of the Harry M Parker award, which will be awarded annually to the individual who most exemplified the effort and insight he brought to improving the mining industry. Harry was also posthumously awarded the William Lawrence Saunders gold medal, which recognises distinguished achievement in mining other than coal.

Harry served with distinction on the CRIRSCO committee from 2007 to 2018, including as deputy chairman from 2013, chairman from 2015 to 2016, and past chairman from 2016 to 2017. He played a pivotal role in assisting potential member countries to meet the criteria for membership of CRIRSCO, such as Mongolia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, India, and Turkey, and continued to assist China with its progress towards membership.

An integral part of the SME, Harry served as chairman of the registered members committee from 2007 to 2012; co-chairman of the resources and reserves committee from 2007 to 2018; member of the SME valuation committee from 2012 to 2019; and on the SME ethics committee from 2013 to 2019, including as chairman from 2015 to 2019.

A growing interest in mineral resource and mineral reserve best practices, regulatory reporting and standardisation of international codes fascinated and energised Harry. He used his knowledge of the Australian-based resources and reserves-reporting code, the JORC code, and his Australian experiences in the 1990s in particular, to push for standardisation of international reporting codes, and for instigation of such a code in the US.
Four months after the outbreak of COVID-19 across the world, 15 countries are yet to report any case of the virus.

All countries in North America, South America, and Europe have confirmed cases of the virus, leaving Africa, Asia, And Australia with countries which are yet to have confirmed cases.

There are currently a total of 2,013,581 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 127,587 deaths, and 491,599 recoveries according to Worldometer.

Countries with zero cases include Comoros, Lesotho, North Korea, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, and Nauru.

Africa

Only two countries have not confirmed cases in Africa: Comoros and Lesotho.

Comoros, in East Africa, is home to over 865,000 people. The U.S. embassy in Comoros has revealed that there is no testing in the country and scientists have speculated that it has no cases because of the lack of testing.

Lesotho is landlocked within South Africa (which has the highest number of cases in the continent at 2506). Although they have no confirmed cases, they are still undergoing a 21-day lockdown which was initiated on March 3.

Asia

In Asia, three countries have not confirmed a single case of coronavirus. They are North Korea, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

North Korea was the first country to implement border closure.

Sharing a border with China (where the outbreak began in December), North Korea closed its borders since January 21 and it remains closed till date.

North Korea, known for its tough governance, has not been open about the impact of the virus.

Tajikistan is bordered by countries who have recorded at least a case. They are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Afghanistan.

READ ALSO:

It was reported to be one of the slowest countries to implement preventive measures.

In March, nationals from 35 countries including United Kingdom, United States of America, and Canada were blocked from entering the Asian country.

In Turkmenistan, land borders have been closed for over a month and earlier in February, many flights including all flights to China were canceled.

Australia/Oceania

Many Pacific Island countries have implemented a medical certificate requirement to allow entry. Also, travelers entering the country from an infected country are required to observe a 14-day quarantine.

Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, and Nauru have not reported a single case of the virus.

There are lockdowns in Samoa and Tonga, Samoa and Kiribati have declared a state of emergency. Travel bans have been placed in the Federated States of Micronesia and Marshal Islands.

Tuvalu and Nauru, recorded to be the least visited countries in the world, also have no cases.
CAMEROUN :: Against Covid-19 : Four wildlife traffickers arrested in Kye-ossi :: CAMEROON

Four people have been arrested with a leopard skin in Kye-ossi during a crackdown operation led by the Ntem Valley Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife in collaboration with Ambam law enforcement officials. The operation was carried out with the technical assistance of LAGA, a Non-Governmental Organization.

The four alleged wildlife traffickers belong to a network that operates between Cameroon and Gabon. Three of the alleged traffickers were arrested with the leopard skin rapped in a bag on April 3, 2020 at the border town of Kye-ossi. They were intercepted by the joint team of wildlife and law enforcement officials. Sources close to the investigations that spoke on condition of anonymity say the traffickers arrived separately at their place of transaction indicating the cautiousness and attentiveness they implored in carrying out the illegal transaction. The first two arrived on a bike and the third who had the leopard skins hidden inside a bag would arrive a couple of minutes later. Further investigation into the network, led the law enforcement officials to arrest a fourth person the following day.. He is suspected of being the main man behind the trafficking.

The leopard, also known by its scientific name as Panthera pardus, is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera, a member of the Felidae. Leopard is found in wide range in sub-Sahara Africa and in small parts of Asia. Its listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because its population is threatened with extinction.

Leopards are totally protected species according to the 1994 wildlife that prohibits poaching and trafficking of the animal. Anyone found in possession of parts of a protected wildlife species is considered to have killed the animal and is liable to a prison term of up to 3 years and or a fine of up to 10 million CFA francs.
SUTHERLIN, Ore.  Police are searching for a man who led them on a police chase in the Sutherlin area on Wednesday.

The man is believed to be Dillan Prudhomme, 31. Police said he is a transient from the area with an extensive history of motor vehicle crimes. He also has a suspended drivers license, they said.

Officers responded to a reckless driving complaint at about 7:45 a.m. Reports indicated that Prudhomme was driving a 2006 dark silver BMW and was passing vehicles and driving at a high speed on Nonpareil Road heading west into Sutherlin.

Police said they attempted to use spike strips to stop the chase, but the man turned and started heading east on Nonpareil Road.

Officers visually identified Prudhomme as the driver, police said.

Due to knowing his identity coupled with his poor driving skills and disregard for the safety of the public the pursuit was terminated, police said in a statement.

He was last seen driving at a high speed in the 4000 block of Nonpareil Road.

The vehicle has California license plate 7AMP981. It is missing the drivers side front fender and right rear brake light.

Prudhomme is wanted for felony elude, reckless driving and reckless endangering. If you have any information, contact police at 541-459-2211 or Douglas County Dispatch at 541-440-4471.
File photo

There was drama on Tuesday inside an Osun State Magistrates Court sitting in Osogbo, when an accused arraigned for assault, suddenly coughed while his charge was being read, Punch Metro reports.

The development led to a little disruption of the proceedings, as three lawyers that sat in front of the accused hurriedly moved away their chairs.

Despite the drama, Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara told the accused that his cough would not stop the session.

Ige was arraigned alongside Rasaq Sunday, Wasiu Adeyanju and Samson Ogunleye.

They were said to have on April 6, 2020 on Olugun Street, Osogbo, conspired to commit assault occasioning harm  an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of criminal code cap 34 Vol. Il, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.

The accused were said to have used broken bottles, scissors, and cutlass to inflict injury on the left hand of one Lateef Kareem.

Rasaq Olayiwola announced appearance for the prosecution.

The accused, who had no legal representation, pleaded not guilty to the two counts of assault pressed against them.

The magistrate, Ayilara, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200, 000 with one surety each.

He then adjourned the matter till May 13 for mention.
In the fight against COVID-19, Kerala has been leading the way in India by coming up with stringent methods to flatten the curve and the state has successfully managed to do so. As per the latest data, Kerala now has more recoveries than active cases!

As of April 15, total number of cases in Kerala are 387 of which 167 are active and 218 have recovered from coronavirus! On Wednesday, only one new case was reported. This is the fourth consecutive day that the state has reported more recoveries than positive cases!

#COVID19 Update | April 15, 2020



7 more have recovered.



Only 1 new case today. pic.twitter.com/3P6qEO0cwL  CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) April 15, 2020

On April 13 the number of active cases there dropped to 178 while the total number of recoveries were 198.



Kerala was the first state in India to report confirmed COVID-19 cases. There have been three deaths in the state because of coronavirus so far. Kerala's Finance Minister Thomas Isaac in a tweet pointed at Keralas success at flattening the curve.

COVID-19 curve of Kerala has started to flatten. The active cases for the last one week has declined. The recovered cases (green curve) will cross the yellow curve soon.#COVID2019 #COVID pic.twitter.com/G9nja0UYCU  Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) April 12, 2020





On April 14, the state reported eight new cases: four from Kannur, three from Kozhikode and one from Kasaragod. Meanwhile, 13 people recovered and were released from the hospital.

173 people are under treatment and a total of 211 recovered. On the same day 81 people were admitted to hospitals with different symptoms. 16,235 samples were sent for testing, of which 15,488 turned negative. Currently 1,07,075 people are undergoing observation across the state.

Keralas success might also have to do with the fact that the state is adopting models and taking inspiration from countries who have successfully managed to contain COVID-19 situation. South Korea has been hailed world wide for the way it has been tackling coronavirus.

I&PRD ERNAKULAM

One of the measures the country took was to put up a walk-in COVID-19 testing booth where anyone can just walk in and in less than 10 minutes they can get tested, and leave the site.

Kerala's Ernakulam district administration launched Indias first walk-in COVID-19 testing facility; contact-free Walk-in Sample Kiosk (WISK) to keep health workers safe while taking samples to test for COVID-19.

AFP

Apart from this a four-drug mix for COVID-19 patients, who are at the initial stage of developing pneumonia, is proving to be effective in saving lives in one Kerala hospital and the success stories are earning global recognition according to doctors at Government Medical College (GMC), Ernakulam.

Kerala has the highest recovery rate of any state in the country and cooperation of people has a large role to play in it too. The state is leading the country by example and more states should adopt the Kerala model for a better success rate.
John Krasinski has reportedly caught the attention of Marvel Studios, with a new report claiming the actor/writer/director has met with the studio.

There is no indication as to what project the 40-year-old Krasinski met for, though Geeks Worldwide claims Marvel has been holding 'virtual meetings' with actors, directors and writers lately, and Krasinski was one of them.

The report also states that they are not sure if Marvel was interested in Krasinski as an actor, writer, director, or all three.

Meeting: John Krasinski has reportedly caught the attention of Marvel Studios, with a new report claiming the actor/writer/director has met with the studio

Report: The report also states that they are not sure if Marvel was interested in Krasinski as an actor, writer, director, or all three

There is also an indication that one of the projects Krasinski may be eyeing is Young Avengers, since the site previously reported Marvel was taking meetings with writers a few weeks ago.

Another possibility the site mentioned is another Fantastic Four reboot, now that Disney controls that franchise's rights due to the Fox merger.

Still, Marvel has not confirmed any developments with Krasinski, and the actor/filmmaker hasn't responded to the report either.

Not confirmed: Still, Marvel has not confirmed any developments with Krasinski, and the actor/filmmaker hasn't responded to the report either

While the authenticity of the report has yet to be confirmed, it's not surprising that Marvel would go after someone as multi-faceted as Krasinski.

The funnyman first came into prominence with his role as Jim Halpert on NBC's The Office, which ran for nine seasons between 2005 and 2013.

He has also directed five films, including his 2018 breakthrough hit A Quiet Place, which he starred in alongside his wife Emily Blunt.

Director: He has also directed five films, including his 2018 breakthrough hit A Quiet Place, which he starred in alongside his wife Emily Blunt

The sequel to A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place II, was slated to hit theaters in March, before theaters across the country shut down due to the spread of COVID-19.

Paramount Pictures has pushed the movie to September 4, though there is no indication theaters will be open then either.

He also plays the title character in the Amazon Studios series Jack Ryan, which has been renewed for a third season.

Sequel: The sequel to A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place II, was slated to hit theaters in March, before theaters across the country shut down due to the spread of COVID-19

Since the COVID-19 outbreak has essentially shut down film and TV production, Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt have been trying to focus on the positive, launching a web series dubbed Some Good News.

The first episode debuted at the end of March, with Krasinski devoting his show to sharing good news in such a trying time, with the first episode featuring a special appearance by his friend and The Office co-star Steve Carell.

The show also made headlines for a surprise performance from the original cast of Hamilton, and free Boston Red Sox tickets for life for Boston healthcare workers.
Dozens of people lined up Wednesday at the state inspection center on Kilmer Road in Edison to take a saliva test for COVID-19 in what could turn out to be a game changer in the fight against coronavirus.

It was the first time in the state samples were collected from 184 people using saliva rather than nose swabs from those symptomatic with coronavirus.

The new test, developed by a Rutgers University lab with several corporate partners, has been called a potential game changer by state officials in the testing for a virus that has killed more than 3,100 in New Jersey alone.

Early Wednesday, dozens of residents who made appointments for the tests began lining up in their cars at the inspection station, divided alphabetically by county health officials into two lanes. Other health workers wearing gloves, masks and gowns distributed collection kits and gave instructions to those waiting in their vehicles.

We believe our state-of-the-art drive-thru model can set a benchmark for testing that can benefit the state and other counties, said Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios.

County health workers organized those arriving to be tested into two lines, as others distributed test kits.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

Using a simple spit collection tube and an automated laboratory system also developed at Rutgers, many more people can be tested at one time than through the conventional nasal and throat swab tests now deployed across the state. The swab tests are uncomfortable and often painful, and the need for trained medical personnel to conduct the tests has greatly limited the screening for coronavirus across the country.

The saliva tests are basically self-administered. One simply spits into a tube with a funnel attached, and hands it over for processing. Officials said not only will they be able to do far more collections in an hour, but will also be able to analyze 10,000 samples a day with the opportunity to quickly ramp that up substantially, providing results in 24 to 48 hours.

Gov. Phil Murphy hailed the new technology.

We have been in regular and deep contact for some time with the team at Rutgers," he said, noting the potential for the system to be put into widespread use. We will closely monitor how everything goes.

He said every state in the nation seeking to conduct more testing.

Andrew Brooks, chief operating officer and director of technology development at Rutgers RUCDR Infinite Biologics, which developed the collection method in partnership with Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs  along with a new lab system to increase the number of tests that can be done said the new testing system will significantly expand the ability to collect and analyze more samples, not just for New Jersey, but for everyone.

The saliva tests are being made available initially to the RWJBarnabas Health network, which has partnered with Rutgers University and includes Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and University Hospital in Newark. The testing in Middlesex on Wednesday was limited to county residents and first responders.

Cars line up at the inspection station for the coronavirus tests.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to RUCDR and its partners for the saliva collection approach only on Friday. Officials said was the first such approval granted by the federal agency.

The science behind the detection of COVID-19 is the same as the swab tests, using molecular analysis in a process known as polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, which amplifies tiny bits of genetic material to pick up the virus.

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103.4 million (up 13.7%)

Regulatory News:

Vetoquinol Group (Paris:VETO):

Q1 2020 KEY FIGURES Total Group sales 103.4 million up 13.4% at constant exchange rates Essentials sales 53.4 million up 17.9% at constant exchange rates Net cash > 100 million* * excluding IFRS 16

Vetoquinol Group sales for Q1 2020 amounted to 103.4 million, up 13.7% as reported and up 13.4% at constant exchange rates. This strong growth was driven by a brisk start to the period and a surge in business towards the end of the quarter due to distributor stockbuilding in some countries to forestall potential stock-outs affecting veterinary clinics or manufacturers during lockdown.

Q1 sales of Essentials products, the driving force behind Vetoquinol's strategy, totaled 53.4 million, up 17.9% at constant exchange rates. Essentials products accounted for 51.6% of Group sales in Q1 2020.

Sales of companion animal products came to 60.1 million and accounted for 58.1% of total Vetoquinol sales, up 15.1% at constant exchange rates. Sales of livestock products came to 43.3 million, up 10.9% at constant exchange rates.

All Vetoquinol Group strategic territories posted growth in Q1 2020, with the Americas up 23.4%, Europe up 11.0% and Asia Pacific up 3.2% at constant exchange rates.

Americas sales were partly driven by external growth in Brazil following the Clarion acquisition closed in April 2019.

As of March 31, 2020, total net cash amounted to over 100 million (excluding the impact of IFRS 16), supplemented by an unused overdraft facility of over 15 million. The Group's financial structure remains strong and enables it to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 health crisis and finalize the acquisition of the Drontal and Profender product ranges from Elanco.

Covid-19 pandemic, April 15, 2020 update

Vetoquinol has set up a crisis management system in order to implement the required emergency measures via a three-stage process.

1- Protection of Vetoquinol employees via communication and reminders of preventive reflexes, adapted work organization including global introduction of work-at-home arrangements for all eligible posts, and two-week quarantine for employees who may have been in contact with confirmed cases of contamination. These measures have enabled Vetoquinol to preserve the health of its employees and keep all laboratory operations running at a high level of production thanks to the commitment shown by the entire workforce.

2- Measures to protect laboratory operations and jobs in the event of a significant decline in business. This means temporarily adapting laboratory operation via targeted priority choices and measures and operating cost reductions during the crisis. For this purpose, Vetoquinol has applied for the business financial assistance provided by some governments.

3- Preparation for the end of the health crisis to ensure swift resumption of laboratory operations in order to meet market requirements once normal demand for veterinary drugs is restored.

Vetoquinol CEO Matthieu Frechin said: "The current worldwide health crisis is an exceptional and unprecedented situation from all points of view. After a strong first quarter driven by the measures we adopted to ensure continued supply of our drugs to the market, we expect sales to fall in the second quarter, especially in the companion animal segment. Meanwhile, our teams will continue to prepare to integrate the Drontal and Profender product ranges in the second half of 2020. Throughout this crisis, our laboratory has remained operational so that we can continue to fulfill our public health duty by providing care for livestock and pets. As far as resources permit, we have managed to provide masks, overalls and hydroalcoholic gel to medical establishments located near our production facilities. This continuity of care embodies the contribution made by our Company to face the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic."

m 2020 2019 Change (reported data) Change (constant exchange rates) Change (LFL) Q1 sales total 103.4 90.9 +13.7% +13.4% +10.5% Q1 sales Essentials 53.4 45.1 +18.2% +17.9% +17.9%

* Subject to approval by the competent authorities and release of the usual pre-conditional clauses.

Next update: Shareholders meeting, May 26, 2020 after market close

About Vetoquinol

Vetoquinol is a leading global animal health company that supplies drugs and non-medicinal products for the livestock (cattle and pigs) and pet (dogs and cats) markets.

As an independent pure player, Vetoquinol designs, develops and sells veterinary drugs and non-medicinal products in Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific region.

Since its foundation in 1933, Vetoquinol has pursued a strategy combining innovation with geographical diversification. The Group's hybrid growth is driven by the reinforcement of its product portfolio coupled with acquisitions in high potential growth markets. At December 31 2019 Vetoquinol employs 2,372 people.

Vetoquinol has been listed on Euronext Paris since 2006 (symbol: VETO).

For further information, go to: www.vetoquinol.com

ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Vetoquinol Group management considers that these indicators, which are not defined by IFRS, provide additional information that is relevant for shareholders seeking to analyze underlying trends and Group performance and financial position. They are used by management for performance analysis.

Essentials products: The products referred to as "Essentials" comprise veterinary drugs and non-medical products sold by the Vetoquinol Group. They are existing or potential market-leading products designed to meet the daily requirements of vets in the companion animal or livestock sector. They are intended for sale worldwide and their scale effect improves their economic performance.

Constant exchange rates: Application of the previous period's exchange rates to the current financial year, all other things remaining equal.

Like-for-like growth: Year-on-year sales growth in terms of volume and/or price at constant exchange rates.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005681/en/

Contacts:

For more information, contact:

VETOQUINOL

Investor Relations

Fanny Toillon

Tel.: +33 (0)3 84 62 59 88

relations.investisseurs@vetoquinol.com

KEIMA Communication

Investor and Media Relations

Emmanuel Dovergne

Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 43 44 63

emmanuel.dovergne@keima.fr
Oil traded near $20 a barrel as projections that demand will fall to a 30-year low outweighed an agreement by the world's biggest producers to curb supply.

OPEC on Thursday said it expects demand for its crude to fall to the lowest in three decades as the coronavirus outbreak freezes the global economy, underscoring the urgency of the group's promised production cuts. OPEC and its allies have agreed to trim global supplies by 10%, beginning next month. But even with full compliance, the group would still be producing more than the market requires in the second quarter.

"This OPEC deal is great and good but it doesn't help us over the next thirty days," Rebecca Babin, senior equity trader at CIBC Private Wealth Management, said by phone. "Even with the OPEC agreement, the size and timing of it is not enough to alleviate potential storage issues in the near term."

Inventories from America to Europe and Singapore have all ballooned this week, sending some localized crude prices below $10 a barrel. The glut is looking so severe that the Trump administration is considering paying American companies to leave crude in the ground.

The stockbuilds come as the International Energy Agency said 2020 may be the worst year in the history of the oil market as lockdowns globally lead to the biggest hit to demand ever.

All the while physical oil prices, particularly in Europe, are trading far below those of futures. Key North Sea crude swaps are trading at the biggest discount to the headline Brent futures price in almost a decade. The critically important Dated Brent benchmark, which shapes the price of millions of barrels, was assessed by S&P Global Platts at $18.08 on Wednesday, with cargoes across Europe trading at a discount to that value.

As real crude prices and futures markets dislocate, some investors are eyeing a bottom in WTI, with almost $700 million flowing into a key ETF so far this week.

In response to the market downturn, U.S producer ConocoPhillips said it will cut output by 225,000 barrels a day.

"What will be the most important determinant for oil markets in the short term is how quickly governments relax social distancing measures," boosting consumption, said Rystad Energy AS's head of analysis Bjornar Tonhaugen.

Indian refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp. is seeking to cut its crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia by half in May as the world's biggest lockdown hurts demand for fuel in the country. It follows a plunge in consumption in the U.S. last week that saw gasoline demand at barely 5 million barrels a day.

"Our tanks are almost full, and we also have some cargo already in transit," Ramamoorthy Ramachandran, director of refineries at BPCL said.
Online grocery delivery company Instacart is launching a prescription delivery service through a partnership with Costco as demand for online delivery continues to rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said Thursday the delivery service is now available from nearly 200 Costco locations in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, New York, Washington and Washington, D.C. The service, which was initially piloted at several locations in Southern California and Washington, will expand nationally in the coming months, the company said.

Customers who use the online prescription service will receive a text message from their Costco pharmacy when their prescription is ready. The text will include a link with the option to schedule their prescription for delivery. Once the customer clicks the link, they will be redirected to Costco's site. From there, customers can confirm their prescription and continue to add groceries and household goods to their Instacart Costco delivery order. The orders are delivered to customers in a sealed, tamper-proof bag to ensure customer safety and privacy.

Instacart is also offering contactless delivery for most medications. Instacart shoppers are able to scan a customer's ID for verification without a signature on qualifying prescription orders. Customers are also able to schedule delivery up to one week in advance under the new service.

The new service was driven by demand in the wake of COVID-19, said Instacart president Nilam Ganenthiran.

"For many people, we know that part of their grocery shopping experience goes beyond fresh produce, meat, seafood and pantry staples, and also includes getting much-needed medications," said Ganenthiran.

Instacart has seen demand for its grocery service skyrocket as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. The company's total order volume last week was 400% higher than the same week last year. Customers are spending more, as well. The average customer basket size  meaning the total amount a customer spends on their order on Instacart  is more than 25% month-over-month, according to the company.

The increase in demand has prompted Instacart to expand its reach by adding nearly 150 new stores to its marketplace since March 1. It's also adding workers to keep up with the increase in customers.

Story continues

Instacart announced April 10 that it doubled its "Care" team, from 1,200 agents to 3,000 agents. These employees answer questions about how Instacart works as well as respond to delivery issues and other mishaps with orders.

The hiring news followed a strike in March organized by Instacart shoppers who demanded personal protective equipment, hazard pay, default tips and extended sick pay.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 22:38:08|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Thursday urged efforts to improve coronavirus infection testing capability so that those in key regions that need to be covered are covered.

Regular epidemic prevention and control measures in all areas should be conducted effectively to advance full resumption of order of production and life.

The instructions were made at a meeting of the leading group of China's COVID-19 epidemic response, which was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The meeting called for strengthening epidemic containment measures in border regions and port cities, and efforts to identify and eliminate potential risks of outbreak clusters.

Noting that the epidemic control tasks still remain arduous in the country due to imported coronavirus cases and sporadic domestic cases, the meeting stressed attaching great importance to the situation and improving nucleic acid testing and antibody testing.

The meeting demanded strengthened regular and targeted epidemic control based on science at public places and communities, noting that the processes of screening, diagnosing, reporting and quarantining should work seamlessly through closed-loop management.

Governments of border provinces were asked to refine measures in preventing the cross-border importation of cases in light of the evolving situation, as well as shoring up weak links in the epidemic response, according to the meeting.

Experts and medics will also be speedily sent to border regions and port cities from across the country, the meeting said.

The meeting also called for coordinating epidemic control and economic and social progress, creating a sound environment for economic and social development.

Hearing reports on epidemic control and the reopening of businesses in Wuhan after the city lifted its 76-day lockdown, which was imposed to contain the outbreak, the meeting asked for efforts to resume regular medical services and economic and social order in Wuhan alongside proper containment measures.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the leading group, attended the meeting. Enditem
Authorities have home-quarantined residents in 72 houses in south Delhi after a man who delivered them pizza was tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), officials said on Thursday.

Additionally, 17 people who worked with the delivery person have been sent to the Delhi governments quarantine facility in Chattarpur, according to South Delhi district magistrate BM Mishra.

Follow latest updates on coronavirus here

Mishra said the delivery person had a cough, which was suspected to be caused by a common flu. As he did not show any signs of recovery, he was sent to the RML Hospital in central Delhi, which is one of the two nodal centres designated to quarantine and treat persons suspected to have Covid-19.

ALSO WATCH | Medical staff allege assault by patient at Delhi hospital, case registered

...he tested positive for Covid-19. In the last 15 days, he delivered pizza at 72 locations. We have placed all the people in home quarantine. There are 17 people who used to work with him and they all have been taken to the institutional quarantine facility at Chattarpur, Mishra said.

The delivery person associated with a popular pizza restaurant is now undergoing treatment at a hospital, while others who came in his contact are being monitored on a daily basis.

Mishra said he has instructed all delivery boys to use masks and follow the safety measures while executing a delivery. Though dine-in at restaurants is prohibited in view of the ongoing lockdown, delivery services are allowed.

As of Thursday morning, Delhi has recorded 1,578 coronavirus infections and 32 deaths, according to the Union health ministry website.

Click here for complete coronavirus coverage
Lives vs. livelihoods: Thats the tricky balance that all the world is trying to strike right now, in the age of coronavirus. And nowhere in Houston is that balance more hotly contested than at Park Square, a condo highrise near the Galleria.

Most residents here are 65-plus, Bill Turney said, from his 17th-floor unit. Heavy on the plus.

Turney, 74, and his 73-year-old wife, think of themselves as the young people of the places 200 or so residents. The old people, he said, are in their 90s.

The building is what social scientists call a naturally occurring retirement community  not officially planned for or marketed to older people, but with a heavy concentration of them. As Turney puts it, Most young people arent interested in buying condos in a building with old people.

In the age of COVID-19, such places are also naturally occurring epidemiological nightmares. Were a vulnerable community, said Barbara Hinton, 70. Can you imagine it spreading here in a high-rise? With all of us using the elevators?

After Harris County issued a stay-home order, the Park Square condo board made tough new temporary rules, similar to the Center for Disease Control and Preventions recommendation for nursing homes. As of April 1, the management banned guests, housekeepers, construction workers and delivery people from the buildings residential floors. Essentially, those residential floors would be open only to residents, condo staff, health care workers, emergency responders and professional caregivers.

No visitors  including non-resident children and grandkids. No friends. No housekeepers. No deliveries.

And no construction workers. For Fratelli Designs, thats the problem.

Fratelli, a real-estate investment group, owns condos 205 and 1703, and is in the midst of giving them sleek European-style makeovers  Calacatta quartz countertops, wine chillers, Bosch appliances  to prepare them for sale.

The condo managers news came as a shock.

We tried to talk with them, says Jeffrey Fawaz, one of Fratellis two managing partners, both in their 20s. We told them, We can take precautions. Their workers could wear masks. Theyd use only the freight elevator.

Fawaz pointed out that the Harris County stay-home order specifically exempts construction as an essential business. He pointed out that, as the owner of those two condos, the company had rights, too.

The condo manager didnt budge.

So Fratelli filed a lawsuit, requesting that the court let the workers back in the building.

Plaintiff will suffer imminent, irreparable harm in the form of substantial economic loss and delay if the Court does not issue injunctive relief, the filing said.

Judge Darryl Moore ruled in Fratellis favor, granting a temporary restraining order. On Monday Fratellis construction workers returned to the building.

But Tuesday, an appeals court overruled the first judge. And once again, Fratellis workers had to leave.

Fawaz is frustrated. Health is important, he said. But justice is important too. You cant just take rights away.

Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle

Everyone will return to court Monday. Dr. Mel Anhalt, a resident, will testify on behalf of the condo board.

Construction could be OK if it were external, outside the building, he said. But this construction is internal. The workers have to be inside the high-rise, in the halls and elevator.

Unlike most nursing homes under coronavirus restrictions, Park Squares 200 or so residents remain free to come and go, with or without masks. For safetys sake, though, some residents have holed up in their apartments. Hintons doctor advised her not even to carry her trash down the hall to the trash chute.

Anhalt, 81, a urologist, still goes into work at Memorial Hermann-Memorial City hospital. He doesnt think construction workers can be expected to be as careful with protective measures as his hospital co-workers are.

That frightens him: If two or three people develop the virus in this building, it would spread rapidly. I dont know how many of us would survive.

Mainly, hes worried about his wife, Millie, 78, who lost a lung to cancer.

If Millie got the virus, he said quietly, I dont think shed make it.

lisa.gray@chron.com

twitter.com/LisaGray_HouTX
Last week, Berkeley pedestrians may have noticed a new presence on the streets: a sign telling them to not push a button. These signs were not a reference to Berkeley's famous nuclear-free zone; rather, they informed pedestrians to just go ahead and cross the street.

"Don't spread Covid-19!," the signs read. "Don't push the button! Walk sign is now automated."

The push buttons, often derisively labeled as "beg buttons" by pedestrian activists, could potentially serve as vectors for the spread of the novel coronavirus. Cognizant of this fact, Charles Siegel, a member of the advocacy group Walk Bike Berkeley, emailed Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin and City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley imploring the city to deactivate the push buttons in early April.

Evidently, logistical concerns prevented members of the staff from turning off every pedestrian push button in the city.

BEG BUTTONS: Emeryville announces plan to eliminate 'beg buttons' at crosswalks in response to COVID-19

"Berkeley does not have the ability to remotely reprogram traffic signals as some cities do," city spokesperson Matthai Chakko told SFGATE. "We had to reprogram these signals manually one at a time at each intersection so that the push buttons send a continuous request for walk signals to the signal controller so that pedestrians do not have to push the button."

Ultimately, staff picked 47 of the "corridors with typically high volumes of pedestrians and traffic," according to Chakko. The majority of these corridors are on Shattuck Avenue, Telegraph Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, and University Avenue.

With this change, Berkeley joins its neighbor Emeryville, which authorized staff to deactivate all city-controlled pedestrian push buttons last Friday. In an interview with SFGATE last week, Emeryville councilmember John Bauters argued the change should be maintained beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

"When you think about it at a high level, why should somebody have to push a button to get a walk signal when the light turns green?," Bauters said. "It doesn't really make a lot of sense. There should be prioritization for pedestrians."

Berkeley councilmember Rigel Robinson echoes Bauters' logic. Robinson, who represents a large portion of south Berkeley, told SFGATE the automation of the push buttons fits into a larger ethos of "people-first" streets.

"By reprogramming crosswalk lights to automatically signal for pedestrians rather than requiring the push of a button, we level the playing field between pedestrians and cars, "Robinson wrote in an email to SFGATE. "Instead of having to 'beg' for a turn to go, everyone is on the same cycle. Its transformative to the pedestrian experience. This is a big step in the right direction that I hope will be maintained beyond the pandemic."

Michael Rosen is an SFGATE digital editor. Email: michael.rosen@sfgate.com.
President Donald Trump gave governors a road map Thursday for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out a phased approach to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.

You're going to call your own shots, Trump told the governors, according to an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press. We're going to be standing alongside of you.

The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations. They make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak.

Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phased gradual reopening of businesses and schools - each phase lasting at least 14 days - to ensure that infections don't accelerate again.

In phase one, for instance, the plan recommends strict social distancing for all people in public. Gatherings larger than 10 people are to be avoided and nonessential travel is discouraged.

In phase two, people are encouraged to maximize social distancing where possible and limit gatherings to no more than 50 people unless precautionary measures are taken. Travel could resume.

Phase three envisions a return to normalcy for most Americans, with a focus on identification and isolation of any new infections.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the guidelines before their public release.

Governors of both parties made clear they will move at their own pace.

Delaware Gov. John Carney, a Democrat, said the guidelines seem to make sense. We're days, maybe weeks away from the starting line and then you have to have 14 days of declining cases, of declining symptoms and hospital capacity that exists in case you have a rebound, he said.

Trump ally West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice cautiously floated the idea of reopening parts of the state, but said testing capacity and contact tracing would need to be considerably ramped up before restrictions could be safely lifted.

All would be forgotten very quickly if we moved into a stage quicker than we should, and then we got into a situation where we had people dying like flies, Justice told reporters.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said at a conference before the call with the White House that both robust health care infrastructure and mass testing with quick turnaround times were needed before reopening the economy.

At earliest, the guidelines suggest, some parts of the country could see a resumption in normal commerce and social gatherings after a month of evaluating whether easing up on restrictions has led to a resurgence in virus cases. In other parts of the country, or if virus cases pick up, it could be substantially longer.

Trump briefed the nation's governors on the plan Thursday afternoon, saying they were going to be responsible for deciding when it is safe to lift restrictions in their states.

We have a very large number of states that want to get going and they're in very good shape, he said. That's good with us, frankly." The guidelines also include general recommendations to businesses as they plan for potential reopenings, suggesting temperature-taking, rapid COVID-19 testing and widespread increased disinfection efforts in workplaces.

Those most susceptible to the respiratory disease are advised to remain sheltered in place until their area enters the final phase - and even then are encouraged to take precautions to avoid close contact with other people.

Governors, for their part, have been moving ahead with their own plans for how to safely revive normal activity. Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday they will coordinate on reopening their economies. Similar pacts were announced earlier in the week in the West and Northeast.

Trump held conference calls earlier Thursday with lawmakers he named to a new congressional advisory task force on reviving the economy. The economic costs were clear in new federal data showing that at least 22 million Americans have been thrown out of work in the last month. But the legislators repeatedly urged the president not to sacrifice public health by moving too quickly.

My highest priority on this task force will be to ensure the federal government's efforts to reopen our economy are bipartisan, data-driven, and based on the expertise of public health professionals," said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia.

The federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available - a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year.

It's not going to immediately be a situation where we have stadiums full of people," said Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Thursday. We're Americans. We will adapt, he added.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump, said the lack of widespread testing was an impediment to lifting the social distancing guidelines. We are struggling with testing at a large scale.," he told ABC's The View.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Airport staff load donated medical supplies onto a plane at the Yinchuan Hedong International Airport in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 15, 2020. A team of medical experts with medical supplies left for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning to assist its ongoing efforts in the fight against COVID-19. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

YINCHUAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- China has sent a team of medical experts to Saudi Arabia to assist the country's fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The team, consisting of eight medical experts, left Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on Wednesday morning for Saudi Arabia.

The experts specialized in various areas including virus testing, infectious disease, respiratory disease, intensive care, and traditional Chinese medicine from several hospitals in Ningxia and centers for disease prevention and control at both the national and regional level.

The experts also took with them medical supplies donated by the regional government, including surgical masks, N95 masks, protective clothing, nucleic acid testing kits and infrared thermometers.

Upon arrival, the Chinese experts will share their experiences with and offer training for Saudi medical staff on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

They will also provide necessary medical supplies, TCM consultation and epidemic prevention trainings for overseas Chinese there.
Hyderabad, April 16 : Leading digital workflow company ServiceNow on Thursday announced to protect the jobs of its 11,000-plus global workforce through 2020 despite the economic uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said it expects to keep hiring for new jobs worldwide this year and aims continue to protect the jobs and salaries of its staffs and contractors who are not working while the offices remain closed.

"We want our employees focused on supporting our customers, not worried about their own jobs. We are committed to no layoffs for 2020. We are continuing to hire worldwide," Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow, said in a statement.

The company expects to create and fill more than 1,000 new jobs in the U.S., and more worldwide, by the end of 2020.

Additionally, this summer the company will welcome approximately 360 college interns from around the world to work across its business.

ServiceNow's employees worldwide have been working from home since mid-March and expect to continue to do so until June 1.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State on Wednesday given an update of his COVID-19 status.

The governor who made the disclosure during a cabinet meeting which he held through teleconferencing at his isolation center ask all well-meaning Nigerians to pray for him , saying he is still battling with the deadly diseases.

He told them that he had not yet been cleared as he is still positive of the coronavirus.

Thus he told them to dispel the rumor trending on the social media that he has been given a clean bill, insisting that when the time comes, he will make his position known.

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Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has called on the people of Ghana to cooperate with government to use community facilities as isolation centers for COVID-19 patients.



Following the protocols to stop the transmission of the virus, infected individuals have had to be isolated from families and friends into treatment centers where health personnel accord them all medical attention till full recovery.



However, the government's decision to turn some facilities into isolation centers has been met with agitations from residents in the communities where these centers are to be established.



Amidst fears of contracting the virus, the residents have sought to prevent the government from bringing the infected persons into their communities.



Addressing the issue at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, April 16, 2020, Hon. Oppong Nkrumah urged the general public to note that the isolation centers are for their own good and appealed to them to assist in the fight against COVID-19.



He dismissed the notion that the isolation center would further transmit the virus, stating emphatically that the centers are rather designated to treat the patients as well as prevent physical contacts in the various communities.



He implored local communities and other entities to accept offers to use their facilities as isolation centers.



"It is important for local communities to understand and accept such offers because it does a number of things. It protects even the local communities because if somebody is positive, that person can be isolated from the community to prevent potential communal spread and can be assisted with supportive treatment in that facility," he stressed.



Kojo Oppong Nkrumah also thanked the Ghana Football Association for handing over their Prampram facility to be used as isolation center for the COVID-19 patients.



''It is my understanding that State security apparatus and other Ministries working with the Ghana Football Association are now taking custody of this facility so that in the shortest possible time, it can be added to the list of facilities that are being used," he said.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The number of Covid-19 cases in Mumbai nudged 2,000 on Wednesday with the citys civic body saying the growing numbers are a result of extensive testing even as the risk of infection in the crowded slum of Dharavi worried authorities.

Mumbais total case and death toll stood at 1,896 and 114. Five of those cases and one death were recorded from Dharavi, home to roughly 800,000 people. The man who died was 55 years old and had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi last month, said officials. The event has emerged as the biggest hot spot of the disease in India.

Maharashtra, the worst hit by the outbreak in India, recorded 232 new cases to reach a total of 2916. One hundred and eighty seven people have died in the state.

An analysis by Hindustan Times showed that the number of cases in the city jumped up by 750 (from 1,146 cases on April 11 to 1,896 on April 15), within five days, according to state health department data. In the same period, the death toll also rose from 76 to 114.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed the rise was the result of more testing. According to the BMCs data, between April 1 and April 12, the civic body tested 1,000-1,500 samples daily. The numbers of samples tested was 7,712 on April 1, which went up to 24,279 tests by April 12. Across the state, the number of tests rose to 46,588 on April 14 from 6,331 on April 1.

Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, secretary, Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department, said, Maharashtra now has 17 government and 15 private labs, making our testing capacity the highest in the country.

A Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) employee was declared dead late Tuesday night. He had tested positive on April 1, and had no international travel history. Five close contacts of the employee were tested and found negative.

Ten more medical staff of Bhatia Hospital tested positive on Wednesday, taking the count to 35, a spokesperson for the hospital confirmed.

All staff members are being treated at Bhatia Hospital and they are doing well, the spokesperson said.

After four doctors from Bombay Hospital tested positive, Bombay Hospital conducted tests on 120 staff members. Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician, Bombay Hospital, said, We had tested around 36 doctors on Tuesday, after one tested positive on Monday. Three have tested positive. We have tested 120 more staff members.

Municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi on Wednesday issued an advisory for protection of senior citizens. The advisory asked medical officers to visit the homes of senior citizens and advise them to avoid going out even to buy essentials and rely on their neighbours, if they stay alone.

Meanwhile, a 29-year-old woman from Worli, who had tested positive, killed herself in the hospital. The G/South Ward, which includes Worli and Prabhadevi, also has the highest number of positive cases in the city, 360.
Some 22 persons have been arrested for attempting to cross over to Togo through unapproved routes at Akatsi North in the Volta region.

The suspects were arrested at Ave Hevi, a border community in the Akatsi North district on Tuesday night at about 11pm.

They are 17 males and five females.

The Akatsi North District Chief (DCE), Dr. Prince Sedoke Amuzu who confirmed the incident said all 22 were riding on five unregistered motorbikes when they were intercepted.

Preliminary intetogation revealed that the suspects were travelling from Akatsi South District.

The DCE said they were intercepted by the District Security taskforce enforcing the governments COVID-19 restrictions, which included manning of the eastern bounders between Ghana and neighbouring Togo.

A check on the suspects revealed that some of them were in possession of Togolese National ID cards.

Dr. Amuzu said the motorbikes have been confiscated and the suspects escorted back to Akatsi South by the Police on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

The Police and DCE of Akatsi South, Leo Nelson Adzodogah were duly notified for necessary action.

Ghana has closed its borders as part of measures to curb the spread of novel coronavirus. Nonetheless, the porous nature of its borders is making enforcement of the border closure a daunting task.

Six out of the first nine COVID-19 cases recorded in the Volta region on Sunday April 12, 2020 are foreigners who entered the region through illegal routes.

The Regional Minister, Archibald Letsa has overly cautioned residents along the border to stop facilitating the illegal movement of people, but instead notify the authorities promptly to stay away from COVID-19.

He said a collaboration between Immigration officers, border communities and others volunteers has helped to curd illegal movements across the borders.

---Daily Guide
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SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / ReelTime Medias support of Baristas Munchie Magic Virtual Restaurant delivering Ben & Jerry's ice cream and other snacks has fueled its expansion efforts. Munchie Magic is opening another one of its Munchie Magic virtual restaurants that deliver through its third-party delivery partners. The new location is in Kirkland, WA and serves the Eastside of Seattle and surrounding communities.This marks the fifth new location opened in the past 22 days. The new Kirkland location is adjacent to Interstate 405 allowing easy access for delivery drivers serving the Kirkland Juanita, Woodinville, Bellevue, and other nearby areas. Soon people throughout the region will be able to get their Munchies delivered by Uber Eats but by DoorDash and GrubHub as they can at the other Munchie Magic locations. Munchie Magic has seen a surge in business since the Governors Stay Home - Stay Healthy proclamation not only in the number of orders but in its ability to open new locations.Barry Henthorn CEO stated: "Munchie Magic is growing very quickly as consumers indulge in the high-quality products and its partners are seeing a strong shift in increasing revenues. ReelTime is involved in all aspects of the marketing and support infrastructure and is well-positioned to capitalize on Munchie Magics' growth by continuing to expand its scope of support." The media buys and other cutting edge marketing for the Munchie Magic virtual restaurant designed to deliver Ben and Jerry's ice cream, Baristas Coffee products, and other munchies to homes and businesses throughout America are made possible and are being created via digital media frontrunner ReelTime Media (OTCPK:RLTR) www.reeltime.com whose capabilities are redefining how companies are evaluating and purchasing their TV, radio, print, and other new digital media.About Ben & Jerry's: Ben & Jerry's is an American company that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. It was founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, and sold in 2000 to British-Dutch conglomerate Unilever. Today it operates globally as a fully owned subsidiary of Unilever. Its present-day headquarters is in South Burlington, Vermont, with its main factory in Waterbury, Vermont.About Baristas Coffee Company/ Munchie Magic: Baristas is a publicly-traded national Coffee Company that is recognized throughout the US. It is the majority shareholder of Munchie Magic, Inc. which manages the virtual restaurant which delivers Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Baristas Coffee, and other snack foods via third party delivery partners.About ReelTime Rentals, Inc. d/b/a ReelTime Media: www.reeltime.com , is a publicly-traded company based in Seattle, WA (OTCPK:RLTR). ReelTime Media provides end to end production capabilities and discount media purchasing that is redefining how companies are evaluating and purchasing their TV, radio, print, and other new media. ReelTime is also is in the business of developing, producing and distributing Virtual Reality Content and technologies. We have an end to end production, editing, and distribution capabilities for internal and external projects. ReelTime Currently produces three ongoing series for the Samsung Gear VR platform and distributes them over numerous VR delivery portals including Gear VR, Oculus, Veer VR, HTC Vive, YouTube 360, Facebook, and others. ReelTime Media also publishes the book "It Was Always Me Edward Edwards the most Prolific Serial Killer of all time" which has been the subject of a cover story on People Magazine, Rolling Stone, In Touch, and a six-part series on Paramount network, www.itwasalwaysme.com CONTACT:Barry Henthornceo@ reeltime.com SOURCE: ReelTime Rentals Inc
Today we'll look at EVRAZ plc (LON:EVR) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.

First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Generally speaking a higher ROCE is better. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for EVRAZ:

0.25 = US$1.9b  (US$9.8b - US$2.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019.)

Therefore, EVRAZ has an ROCE of 25%.

Check out our latest analysis for EVRAZ

Is EVRAZ's ROCE Good?

One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. In our analysis, EVRAZ's ROCE is meaningfully higher than the 13% average in the Metals and Mining industry. We would consider this a positive, as it suggests it is using capital more effectively than other similar companies. Putting aside its position relative to its industry for now, in absolute terms, EVRAZ's ROCE is currently very good.

In our analysis, EVRAZ's ROCE appears to be 25%, compared to 3 years ago, when its ROCE was 13%. This makes us wonder if the company is improving. The image below shows how EVRAZ's ROCE compares to its industry, and you can click it to see more detail on its past growth.

LSE:EVR Past Revenue and Net Income April 16th 2020

When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. We note EVRAZ could be considered a cyclical business. What happens in the future is pretty important for investors, so we have prepared a free report on analyst forecasts for EVRAZ.

Story continues

What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect EVRAZ's ROCE?

Current liabilities include invoices, such as supplier payments, short-term debt, or a tax bill, that need to be paid within 12 months. The ROCE equation subtracts current liabilities from capital employed, so a company with a lot of current liabilities appears to have less capital employed, and a higher ROCE than otherwise. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

EVRAZ has current liabilities of US$2.3b and total assets of US$9.8b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 23% of its total assets. A minimal amount of current liabilities limits the impact on ROCE.

The Bottom Line On EVRAZ's ROCE

Low current liabilities and high ROCE is a good combination, making EVRAZ look quite interesting. There might be better investments than EVRAZ out there, but you will have to work hard to find them . These promising businesses with rapidly growing earnings might be right up your alley.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
PUNE, India, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On-demand services are on the rise all around the globe. With the proliferation of internet and smart devices, numerous users are venturing into the digital sphere and industries are quickly catching up with this trend. The hotel and restaurant industry is in its world of transformation. In crowded business hubs such as New York and London, owning a piece of land for business purposes would mean shelling out a fortune. In Manhattan, for example, the rental rates for commercial spaces vary from US$ 75 to US$ 2,000 per square foot. If an individual plans to open a restaurant, additional costs such as waiter wages and furniture setup will burden him further. This is where the concept of cloud kitchen comes in. Almost all industries are trying out "cloud" based solutions to bring down the capital and operational costs. Cloud kitchens cater to the needs of those individuals who prefer the online food delivery mechanism. With the rising popularity of online food delivery businesses such as Uber Eats, DoorDash and GrubHub, the global cloud kitchen market is expected to show considerable growth in the coming years, especially in the APAC region.

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Kitchen spaces can be used by a single brand or be shared between several brands. This allows the stakeholders to decrease their capital and operational costs, thereby increasing the profit margin. Some cloud kitchens also provide door-to-door delivery themselves, apart from the collaboration with other online food delivery companies. Once an order is placed through its website or an online food delivery platform, food is prepared and dispatched. The companies needn't focus on front house activities, which allow them to fully focus on the food preparation process. They can also expand to other cities with ease due to the absence of heavy investments. Furthermore, with the outbreak of the COVID-19, the cloud kitchen market will be a lucrative investment in the coming years. As social distancing has become a necessity, people are relying more on virtual kitchens for a variance in cuisine, thus increasingly contributing in the growth of the cloud kitchens, which is likely the the future of the restaurant industry.

Enquiry Before Buying @ https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=537

The detailed research study provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of cloud kitchen market. The market has been analyzed from demand as well as supply side. The demand side analysis covers market revenue across regions and further across all the major countries. The supply side analysis covers the major market players and their regional and global presence and strategies. The geographical analysis done emphasizes on each of the major countries across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America.

Key Findings of the Report:

In terms of revenue, the corporate segment accounted for the highest share in 2018. The availability of capital and the ability to use their brand popularity which gains user trust is helping in their growth.

On the basis of offering, the solutions segment is expected to show the maximum growth, due to the increasing requirement for kitchen spaces and kitchen setup solutions.

As far as geography is concerned, North America accounted for the maximum share in the global cloud kitchen market in 2018. This can be attributed to the advanced research and development technologies that are present in the region.

accounted for the maximum share in the global cloud kitchen market in 2018. This can be attributed to the advanced research and development technologies that are present in the region. Some of the players operating in the cloud kitchen market PAR Technology Corp, KitchenPodular, Kitchen United, Cloud Kitchen, Deliverect, DoorDash, REEF Technology, Keatz, Taster, Zomato Media Pvt Ltd, REBEL FOODS, Deliveroo, The Food Corridor, PAR Technology Corp, KitchenPodular and Kitchen United, amongst others.

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Cloud Kitchen Market:

By End-User

Individuals



Corporates

By Offering

Solutions



Services

By Type

Independent Cloud Kitchen



Shared Cloud Kitchen



Others

By Geography

North America



U.S





Canada





Mexico





Rest of North America



Europe



France





The UK





Spain





Germany





Italy





Nordic Countries





Denmark







Finland







Iceland







Sweden







Norway





Benelux Union





Belgium







The Netherlands







Luxembourg





Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



China





Japan





India





New Zealand





Australia





South Korea





Southeast Asia





Indonesia







Thailand







Malaysia







Singapore







Rest of Southeast Asia





Rest of Asia Pacific



Middle East and Africa

and

Saudi Arabia





UAE





Egypt





Kuwait





South Africa





Rest of Middle East & Africa

&

Latin America



Brazil





Argentina





Rest of Latin America

Get Full Information of this premium [email protected] https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/reports/Cloud-Kitchen-Market-2019-2027-537

About Us:

Absolute Markets Insights assists in providing accurate and latest trends related to consumer demand, consumer behavior, sales, and growth opportunities, for the better understanding of the market, thus helping in product designing, featuring, and demanding forecasts. Our experts provide you the end-products that can provide transparency, actionable data, cross-channel deployment program, performance, accurate testing capabilities and the ability to promote ongoing optimization.

From the in-depth analysis and segregation, we serve our clients to fulfill their immediate as well as ongoing research requirements. Minute analysis impact large decisions and thereby the source of Business Intelligence (BI) plays an important role, which keeps us upgraded with current and upcoming market scenarios.

Contact Us:

Company: Absolute Markets Insights

Email id: [email protected]

Phone: +91-740-024-2424

Contact Name: Shreyas Tanna

The Work Lab,

Model Colony, Shivajinagar, Pune, MH, 411016

Website: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/

SOURCE Absolute Markets Insights
(by Rosanna Codino

VENICE - As part of the Italian culture ministry's #museichiusumuseiaperti initiative, it will be possible to visit Venice's Lazzaretto Vecchio through an online tour. The lepers' island and hospital was the first ever in history and was set up by the Doge's Republic in 1423. It now serves as a historic symbol of the human struggle against the plague.

The island, Santa Maria di Nazaret, is at the center of the Venice lagoon opposite St Mark's basin, where in 1249 a church and hospital were run by Augustinian monks. In 1423, for the first time and on the orders of Doge Francesco Foscari, who had lost four of his eleven children to the plague, it became a place for the isolation of the sick and those suspected of being infected. This was the first move by a non-religious head of state to protect their citizens' health, whereas prior to this it had been the task of the Church through religious orders.

The measures brought in were very similar to the ones seen today, such as isolation, since there was no effective treatment for the plague. The island was organised on very strict rules on the basis of protocol for the lodging and assistance to the ill, food supplies, clothing and the belongings of those buried on the island. This was entrusted to the prior and prioress, who were given four-year terms and could not leave the island unless they were summoned by the health magistrate and had a white star sewn onto their clothing.

They were assisted in their management of the ill by a doctor, cleaning staff, a cook, a chaplain, undertakers, and porters: an entire community dedicated to the public health emergency. The Lazzaretto Vecchio island has for years allowed limited access to the public on guided tours and special openings.



Between 2014 and 2019, some 17,000 people visited it with the help of volunteers.
Representative Image

The total number of positive cases in India rose to 12,759, including 10,824 active cases, 1514 cured/discharged/migrated and 420 deaths.

The Health Ministry also said that India received over 5 lakh testing kits from China on April 16.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that a total of 2,90,401 samples have been tested so far, of which 30,043 were tested on April 15.

Follow our LIVE coverage here.

Here are all the latest updates:

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

>> Mumbai recorded a drop in the number of positive cases being reported during the course of the day. The financial capital of India reported 107 new cases and three deaths; on April 15, the city's civic body had said that Mumbai had reported 183 new cases and two deathsa drop from 204 cases and 11 deaths recorded on April 14.

>> A pizza delivery boy tested positive for coronavirus in the national capital, leading to over 72 families in South Delhi and 17 other workers being quarantined.

>> 26 new cases were reported from Mumbai's Dharavi area today. The total number of cases in the region rose to 86, including nine deaths.

Also Read: Health workers in Himachal Pradesh survey 95% of state's population in less than 2 weeks

>> In a relief to some fliers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation asked airlines to refund tickets that were booked between March 25 and April 14, for travel during the lockdown.

>> "Zoom is not a safe platform", said the Ministry of Home Affairs as it issued an advisory for those who want to use it. Zoom is an online video-conferencing application/software.

>> According to news agency Associated Press, 5.2 million more seek jobless aid as number of laid-off people since virus struck keeps mounting in the US. Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month  easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record.

Also Read: Wall Street rises on hopes of lockdown easing, jobless claims

>> The Indian Army said that it will strictly observe 'no movement' of forces till April 19.

>> Officials said that mobiles, TVs and refrigerators will be available on e-commerce platforms from April 20.

>> The International Monetary Fund said that Asia will see zero percent growth in 2020.
Lockdown 2.0 is in effect and that means people will have to wait just a little longer to meet their friends and other acquaintances. While many are abiding by the protocol for their own safety, some not so much. Just like these friends who were making a plan on Twitter to meet each other. After all, as one of them wrote in their tweets, they live across the road from each other. Turns out, their plan may take a while to materialize given how Pune Police interrupted it. Their reply to these friends is making people chuckle and has gone viral.

It all started when Twitter users Parth and Jaggu discussed how they could meet before May 3 (when the lockdown ends) in various tweets.

We'll meet uske pehele kabhi toh  jaggu (@jaggu__4) April 14, 2020

Jaggu we can meet right now. You stay 1 street across. Tu bol fkta kadhi  Parth (@ParthEkal) April 14, 2020

Enter Pune Police. Hey! Even wed like to join and give you company for longer! Tumhi saanga fakt kuthe ani kadhi? (Just tell us where and when), they tweeted.

Hey! Even we'd like to join and give you company for longer! Tumhi saanga fakt kuthe ani kadhi? https://t.co/TnJOROnmgy  PUNE POLICE (@PuneCityPolice) April 14, 2020

The tweet made many laugh out loud. Since being posted on April 14, the tweet has collected over 14,500 likes and more than 3,200 likes - and still counting. Many posted comments praising Pune Police.

The person who is handling this account salute to you, boss, wrote a Twitter user. Damn! Please do a live telecast of this meetup, joked another. Good to see Pune Police still retaining the humor though being under tremendous pressure... Salute, posted a third.

Heres how a few others reacted:

Pune police meets Jagu after this tweet  pic.twitter.com/Mpr5Soyb6A  Nilesh Patil (@Nilesh78245137) April 14, 2020

What do you think of Pune Polices response?
Photo taken on March 16, 2020 shows the White House Visitor Center in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Trump's decision to suspend funding to the WHO triggered widespread backlash and criticism across the world.

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The international community has regretted U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), voicing support for and highlighting the organization's crucial role in guiding global efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump announced Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

This triggered widespread backlash and criticism across the world on Wednesday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO regretted the U.S. decision.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that the COVID-19 outbreak can be characterized as a "pandemic" as the virus spreads increasingly worldwide, at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

"The U.S. has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so," he told a virtual press conference from Geneva.

Tedros called on all the nations to be united in the common struggle against the common pandemic, because "when we are divided, the virus exploits the cracks between us."

Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney described the U.S. decision as "indefensible" and "shocking."

"This is indefensible decision in midst of global pandemic. So many vulnerable populations rely on WHO -- deliberately undermining funding &trust now is shocking. Now is a time for global leadership &unity to save lives, not division and blame!" he tweeted.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned the Trump administration's decision, saying "the U.S. act to punish the only coordinator of world health affairs amid the fight against a global disaster is the utmost irresponsibility and crime against humanity."

"Main aim of Trump's decision to defund WHO is blaming others and covering up the U.S. government's inefficiency in dealing with the novel coronavirus," said Mousavi.

U.S. President Donald Trump (Front) addresses a news conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The African Union (AU) said the U.S. decision is "deeply regrettable."

"Today more than ever the world depends on WHO's leadership to steer the global COVID-19 pandemic response," tweeted AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.

"Our collective responsibility to ensure WHO can fully carry out its mandate has never been more urgent," he added.

Noting the U.S. funding suspension is "a major setback," Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told Finnish news agency STT that "the work of the WHO is needed especially these days for overcoming the coronavirus."

The Finnish government pledged to increase its funding for the WHO by restoring it to the 2015 level -- 5.5 million euros (6 million U.S. dollars).

"It is a decision that we regret," French government spokesperson Sibeth Ndiaye told a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

France expects "a return to normal" so that the WHO could pursue its work, she added.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also slammed the U.S. decision.

"Blaming does not help. The virus knows no borders. We must cooperate closely against COVID-19," said Maas on Twitter. "One of the best investments is that the United Nations, especially the underfunded WHO, to strengthen, for example in the development and distribution of tests and vaccines."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter the U.S. decision is "attack vs intl community."

"It's criminal to do so amidst the pandemic. It's a selfish action intended to distract attention from inefficient response &neglect of its people. Cuba will keep working with WHO in defense of solidarity &cooperation," he tweeted.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tweeted that halting funding for the WHO during a world health crisis is "as dangerous as it sounds."

"Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever," the philanthropist stressed.

People practice social distancing as they wait outside a supermarket in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, April 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The United States is the country worst hit by COVID-19, registering more than 637,000 confirmed cases and over 30,000 deaths by Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University tally. More than 2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases with over 136,000 deaths have been reported globally.
The number of people recovering from COVID-19 has almost begun to outstrip the number of people getting the disease, but health authorities warn that the number of cases will likely spike again soon.

Queensland surpassed 1000 cases overall on Thursday, with five new cases and some false positives leaving 1001 cases on the books.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says the number of new COVID-19 cases might spike again due to hundreds of new arrivals from overseas. Credit:AAP

Of those, 554 are still considered active, while 442 people have recovered  70 more than last Thursday, when there were 372 cases of recovery.

During the same period, 72 new cases of the virus were recorded, just edging out the number of people who recovered from the disease.
Guterres said the UN and African countries are working together in fight against the pandemic.

United Nations: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging stepped up efforts to prepare Africa for the expected spread of the coronavirus pandemic, warning that the continent could end up suffering the greatest impacts.

The U.N. chief told a video conference with African ambassadors to the United Nations in New York on Wednesday that COVID-19 is in no way of Africa's making. But like the climate crisis, he said, Africa could he hurt most.

Guterres said the United Nations and African countries are working together in the fight against the pandemic, and he commended early efforts by governments to suppress transmission, control the spread of COVID-19 and prepare their economy for the virus' impact.

As examples, the secretary-general cited Uganda's rescheduling social security contributions to support businesses, Namibia offering emergency income grants to workers who have lost jobs, and Egypt expanding it social safety net, reducing taxation for industries and postponing taxation on agricultural land.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16

Trend:

The cotton-growing regions of Azerbaijan have started sowing of cotton, Ministry of Agriculture told Trend.

According to information, Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov personally observed the sowing of cotton seeds on the field of farmer Nuraddin Mirzoyev in Agalikend village, Bilasuvar District. The minister was informed that all work on preparing for sowing cotton on the farm was completed in time.

The cotton producers were fully provided with the necessary equipment, seeds, fertilizers and chemicals, the equipment was alerted to start sowing seeds.

The minister said that cotton is expected to be sowed on about 100,000 hectares in the countrys 21 districts.

Sowing has already begun in the fields. In connection with the sowing of cotton, contracts with more than 19,000 cotton producers were signed, as well as measures to provide farmers with seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides were taken. In Bilasuvar district, cotton sowing on 10,603 hectares is forecasted. In 2019, the farmers of the Bilasuvar District delivered about 30,000 tons of cotton to collection points, said Karimov.

The minister also informed the farmers about state support for cotton production, new subsidy rules that have been applying since 2020.

He emphasized that, in order to minimize the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on agriculture, appropriate measures are being taken on behalf of the head of state.

At this stage, the forced isolation and quarantine measures adopted in the country have not significantly affected the agricultural activities of farmers. This activity in the agricultural sector is being carried out in accordance with the requirements of the special quarantine regime. According to the relevant resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, transportation of agricultural and food products by medium and large trucks from regions to the capital, as well as to other large cities and regions of the country, is allowed. On the basis of certificates received by farmers from local executive power bodies, the farmers are free to bring and sell their products in the capital, large cities and districts. At the same time, products are exported to foreign countries without any problems, said the minister.

President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on April 14 on allocation of funds for the improvement of microlending for agricultural production during the coronavirus outbreak and afterwards. According to the document, funds in the amount of 30 million manat [$17.6 million] were allocated from the Reserve Fund of the president of Azerbaijan to the Agrarian Credit and Development Agency, Karimov noted.

The head of state always pays special attention to the agricultural sector. The order of the president dated April 14 is an additional support for Azerbaijani farmers. As it is known, farmers need microloans, in particular, during the sowing period. In most cases, when farmers turn to banks for a loan, they require an apartment in Baku city as collateral. The order of the head of state will make loans for farmers more affordable. That is, the document provides for the issuance of loans without collateral, said Karimov.
Before the DMV closed all 170 of its field offices in response to COVID-19, an employee talks to customers March 24 outside the Glendale field office. Some workers are concerned the state was slow to protect them from the virus, which has infected at least 157 of their colleagues. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Two weeks after the California Department of Motor Vehicles closed its field offices to the public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency's director sent a memo to employees that confirmed what many of them had suspected.

There have been DMV team member cases of COVID-19 in multiple offices in the state, including the Sacramento Headquarters building, DMV Director Steve Gordon wrote in a message to employees April 9, adding that offices were being cleaned and proper authorities notified as we maximize telework to the extent possible.

The response to Gordon's message was "panic," said one DMV worker, who asked not to be identified because of a lack of approval to speak publicly. Because the DMV has not said where all infected employees were assigned, employees throughout the agency are concerned about which offices may have been exposed, the worker said.

"Everybody just became afraid and wanted to go home and not come back to the building," the employee said.

Dozens of employees at state agencies, including the DMV, have been infected by COVID-19 in California, raising fear and uncertainty in the workforce as some civil servants say the state has been slow to protect them and has deemed too many services essential, requiring people to stay on the job.

At least 157 state workers, including 11 employees of the California Highway Patrol, have reported they have the virus, according to state officials. But union leaders say the real numbers of infections are higher because the state is tracking only those cases self-reported by employees and says it does not have complete information on how many workers have tested positive.

The confirmed spread of the virus to more than 26,000 Californians has caused many state agencies, including the DMV, to close offices to the public and allow some employees to work from home, yet there are widespread complaints that state government was too slow in moving people to telework.

Story continues

In cases in which employees are still expected to report to the office, many workers are calling in sick or deciding to use family leave hours so they can stay home to take care of children who are out of school, according to union shop stewards interviewed in multiple state agencies.

For those still at work, there are persistent complaints that workers in contact with the public and in crowded offices have not been given enough personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves, according to representatives of Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which represents 96,000 state workers.

We appreciate that California state and local officials are working hard to help our citizens stay healthy and stay fed, said SEIU spokesman Brian Nash, who called the state's response to employee concerns "inconsistent."

Andrew LaMar, spokesman for the California Department of Human Resources, said thousands of state employees are working from home, but he did not respond to questions about the availability of masks and other protective gear.

"For jobs that cannot be done via telework, employees have been instructed to abide by social distancing and hygiene guidelines to protect themselves and prevent the spread of coronavirus," LaMar said.

The consternation over worker safety has been particularly high at the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which Gov. Gavin Newsom once described as the retail face of government.

On March 27, the DMV took the dramatic step of closing all 170 of its field offices to the public after some employees tested positive for COVID-19.

The closures happened after the DMV started requiring appointments to visit DMV offices, a change that failed to calm the nerves of employees, including several who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity. One San Joaquin Valley employee said there was too much close contact with customers, and a San Jose manager had stopped going to work because of health and safety concerns.

The DMV has since shifted to a virtual office system in which many transactions can be conducted online with remote assistance available from employees working in the field offices.

DMV is making every effort to continue to keep DMV facilities safe from contamination and/or spread of COVID-19 and we need everyones support, Gordon wrote in the email obtained by The Times. DMV continues to be an essential public service and I appreciate your support and understanding as we continue these efforts.

Still, numerous headquarters employees were absent from the office a day after Gordon's memo notifying them of new COVID-19 cases, a worker said.

At the California Department of Social Services branch office in Covina, employee David Jimenez said the agency has been slow to shift people to working from home and provide clear information on options for taking time off.

In my department, people feel that the state dragged its feet quite a bit, said Jimenez, an SEIU shop steward who processes disability benefit applications but has recently had to take time off to care for his 20-month-old daughter after her day care closed.

He said the response was slow to employee complaints about a lack of hand sanitizer and insufficient office cleaning.

In an email to employees Monday, one DSS manager said the earliest delivery date for hand sanitizer remained April 15, while for wipes, tissues and gloves, it remained April 30. There is still no guarantee on anything right now per the vendors, the memo said.

At other agencies, employees are challenging the determination that their work is essential, requiring them to work away from home. That dispute boiled over at the California Lottery, where workers claim the agency took too long to protect workers, including a sales representative who was hospitalized in serious condition because of COVID-19.

We have lost confidence in lottery leadership to guide the lottery during this global crisis, to protect the workers, to protect the retailers and to protect the public, said Paulina Vasquez, a sales representative and union shop steward, during the last Lottery Commission telemeeting March 30. We were left on the front lines too long.

Vasquez, who said she suffered through COVID-19 symptoms but like many others wasnt tested, said sales workers who visit retailers were kept on the job too long. They were told they could work from home when Newsom issued his March 19 order for Californians to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.

Lottery warehouse workers are supposed to remain on the job, she said, even though many blocks of lottery tickets are being returned unsold. On one day last week, only 13 of 21 people assigned to one warehouse were at work, with others taking sick days or other time off, a union official said.

Vasquez questioned the decision of state officials to keep lottery operations going as an officially designated essential service. Lottery Director Alva Johnson responded during the meeting that his agency has worked to improve the safety of employees and accommodated those who needed time off.

We have been adapting to this crisis and working 24/7 to address the needs of our team members and our communities, Johnson told the commission. We have implemented a number of changes, sometimes being amongst the first state agencies to respond.

He defended the decision to continue lottery operations during the pandemic given that voters required that a large portion of revenue go to education.

It is [an] essential function to provide funding to California schools, he said.

Meanwhile, the California Highway Patrol has seen four uniformed officers and seven civilian workers test positive for COVID-19, according to spokeswoman Fran Clader.

Officers have taken steps to protect themselves from exposure, including using masks while on duty and practicing social distancing "as much as possible," said Carrie Lane, executive director of the California Assn. of Highway Patrolmen, which represents officers.

"The CHP has more than 150 offices from the border of Mexico to the border of Oregon," Lane said. "As such, it can be challenging to implement sweeping organizational changes quickly and efficiently."

CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley also closed the CHP Academy last month, sending 177 cadets home.

I cannot accept the risk that any one of the cadets or staff becomes ill and then be faced with having to quarantine the entire campus," Stanley said.

The pandemic has also had an effect on the California Legislature, which has reported that one staff member in a district office tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Lawmakers recessed early in response to the virus and had hoped to resume regular work schedules Monday, but they recently canceled most hearings and meetings until May 4 to extend efforts to keep infections down.

Despite the fear of the virus, state workers are making sure important public services continue.

The state Employment Development Department has been flooded with more than 2.7 million new applications for unemployment benefits from people left jobless by the pandemic.

Newsom said Wednesday during his daily public briefing that EDD employees working long hours were given an option to rest Easter Sunday rather than continue to process unemployment claims that day.

"Five hundred of those state employees refused that time off because they care more about you than they did themselves," Newsom said. "So while many of us may have spent time with our family, they did not.
Restrictions aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus could be eased next month as Prime Minister Scott Morrison prepares to ditch election promises and develop new policies to "super-charge" the Australian economy to drive down unemployment and fix the federal budget.

The national cabinet will use the next four weeks to ensure the nation's health authorities are well placed to respond to a potential second wave of the virus before relaxing some of the protective measures that have closed down much of the economy.

The three conditions to begin rolling back measures include increased testing, the elevation of tracing of cases to an "industrial" level and having strong local response capabilities that would enable any hotspots to be locked down.

Social distancing requirements will remain in place for the forseeable future but high value and low risk sectors affected by recent lockdown requirements are likely to see the first easing of restrictions.
A worker drags ice blocks on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin, China, on Dec. 11, 2019. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

2nd Wave of Virus Outbreak Erupts in Northern Chinese City of Harbin

Harbin city in northern China is facing a second wave of the CCP virus outbreak.

Locals have reported long queues in front of hospitals, while traffic police have blocked vehicles from entering local highways, and hospitals announced new rules to prevent the CCP virus from spreading.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, first broke out in Wuhan, the capital of central Chinas Hubei province, in December 2019. From January, the virus quickly spread to other Chinese cities.

Harbin is the capital of northeastern Chinas Heilongjiang province. The city enacted partial lockdown measures last week.

And on April 15, the city government abruptly announced that it would replace the director of its local health commission, without providing a reason.

Heilongjiang and Harbin publicly reported its first-ever infection cases on Jan. 21 and 23 respectively.

Then, beginning on Feb. 23, the province did not report any new domestic infectionsuntil April 9, when Harbin reported one new infection and three asymptomatic carriers.

The Epoch Times previous reporting has documented how regional authorities in China routinely underreport their virus data. However, the new surge in officially reported cases, coupled with information on the ground, indicate that the outbreak has gotten severe in Harbin.

Tourists walk past ice sculptures during the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, in Chinas northeast Heilongjiang province on Jan. 5, 2020. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Residents

On April 13, a local resident shot a video of what he said was roughly 5,000 to 6,000 people lined up in front of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University (HMU).

In the video, people could be seen wearing masks and standing close to each other. Some carried CT scan results in their hands.

On April 14, a car driver tried to enter Harbin via the highway, but was stopped by police. He shot a video of the police officer telling him: Harbin is under quarantine now. All cars should go back to the place where you came from. No car is allowed to enter Harbin.

A netizen in Harbin also shared a video on April 15 showing workers building a temporary wall to isolate a residential compound.

A mother wears a mask as she rides a bike with her daughter in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on April 11, 2020. (Getty Images)

Hospitals

That day, HMU First Hospital also confirmed in an announcement on its official WeChat account that the hospital has diagnosed cases of the CCP virus.

The inpatient wards of the hospital have begun quarantine management, and the outpatient area is being managed under semi-lockdown, the hospital stated.

In the evening, the central-government-operated newspaper Health Times reported that the hospital also launched new rules to prevent the virus from spreading.

All doctors must do five things before receiving a patient: screen body temperature; record the patients epidemiology history; perform CT scan of the patients lungs; perform antibodies test with the patients blood; and perform the nucleic acid test [for diagnosing the virus], the report said.

After a patient is received, the hospital also established that each room can only have one doctor and one patient. In addition, patients under 60-year-old and who can take care of themselves may not be accompanied by any family members and patients in critical condition must be treated in the emergency department.

Patients are also not allowed to visit each other while being treated at the hospital.

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University launched similar rules that day, according to the report. But the hospital did not confirm or deny whether they had CCP virus cases.

Since the outbreak first began, Heilongjiang designated 130 hospitals to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. 24 of them are located in Harbin.

A police officer wearing a face mask stands guard at the Tianhe Airport after it was reopened today, in Wuhan in Chinas central Hubei province on April 8, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Official Cases

The first patient Heilongjiang reported in the second wave outbreak is Mr. Guo, diagnosed on April 9. He did not visit Wuhan or other cities recently, but developed a fever in late March. It became more severe on April 7. He was then sent to a hospital in Harbin.

In the following days, Guos girlfriend, the girlfriends daughter, and the daughters boyfriend all tested positive for the virus.

Later, 87 year-old Mr. Chen, who had dinner with Guo in late March, also tested positive. Chens two sons and daughter were then diagnosed as well.

The local health commission reported on April 12 that Chen transmitted the virus to at least nine people, including people at the hospitals where he was treated.

The commission did not explain whether Guo transmitted the virus to Chen, or vice versa.

A policeman gestures as he works on a street in heavy smog in Harbin, northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province, on Oct. 21, 2013. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Postponed Plans

State-run China National Radio reported on April 11 that the Harbin city government decided to postpone the reopening date for middle schools. Schools had been closed nationwide since the Lunar New Year in order to prevent the virus from spreading.

The city initially planned for seniors in middle school to return to class on April 17.

Seniors in high school already returned to school on April 7. The city said they can continue to stay in school, but that each school must adopt measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

Students in other grades will stay at home and study online until further notice.

On April 15, state-run newspaper Hongxing News contacted the Harbin mayor hotline. A staff member denied that the outbreak was a second wave.
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WHO counters Taiwan ad saying it is isolated from world health body

ROC Central News Agency

04/15/2020 01:46 PM

Brussels, April 14 (CNA) Responding to an ad arguing that Taiwan has been isolated from the World Health Organization (WHO), the world health body said Tuesday it has maintained regular technical exchanges with Taiwanese health authorities over several decades.

Asked by CNA to comment on the ad, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic issued a 13-point statement, giving examples of regular interactions that "have taken place over many years and across many different global health concerns."

They include Taiwan's access to information through its International Health Regulations (IHR) point of contact and Taiwanese health experts' participation in two of the key WHO networks set up in January 2020 on the COVID-19 response.

The statement also noted that Taiwanese experts were invited to attend nine WHO technical meetings in 2019, and said the WHO, "through its technical lead, has directly briefed Taiwanese health authorities and has repeated that offer."

The statement was issued after the New York Times published a crowdfunded advertisement aimed at telling the world that Taiwan can help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ad also highlighted the fact that Taiwan has been isolated from the WHO and said no one can isolate Taiwan because "we are here to help." It also took a jab at the world health body by headlining it "WHO can help?"

Taiwan did attend as an observer the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO, from 2009 to 2016 but it has been blocked from attending since then due to pressure from China.

Taiwan's representative office in Geneva on Tuesday described the WHO statement as misleading the world to believe that WHO has maintained full exchanges with Taiwan, though it did not specifically dispute any of the 13 points presented.

The office said the WHO Secretariat has been prodded by Taiwan's diplomatic allies and like-minded countries to realize the necessity of interactions with Taiwan, making it possible for Taiwan's limited participation in several WHO technical meetings or activities.

It also said it will continue to communicate with the WHO Secretariat to seek observer status in this year's WHA and full participation in all WHO meetings, mechanism and activities.

In the WHO's statement, it said many of the points were examples of how Taiwanese health experts and authorities have interacted with the WHO in the COVID-19 response while others were examples of regular interactions.

It said, for example, that the IHR point of contact receives IHR communications, provides IHR information updates directly to WHO Headquarters, and has access to the IHR Event Information Site (EIS) system.

At the same time, beyond Taiwanese health experts participating in two key WHO COVID-19 networks, two Taiwanese experts participated in the Global Research and Innovation Forum organized by the WHO in mid-February.

Taiwan's Field Epidemiology Training Program is a member of the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network, with which the WHO shares Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network alerts and requests for assistance.

Other areas of current interaction on the COVID-19 response include the WHO's contact point with Taiwan's office in Geneva, used to handle general questions, and interaction with Taiwanese health authorities through the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

In more general areas of interaction, the statement said, a Taiwanese vaccine manufacturer, Adimmune, contributes to the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, and in the fight against cancer, Taiwanese experts have contributed to key publications issued by the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer.

In support of the IHR, a Taiwanese expert has been appointed to the IHR Expert Roster; and Taiwan and WHO have exchanges on a variety of practical and technical issues, according to the statement.

(By Tang Pei-chun and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/ls

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Home appliances and consumer electronics manufacturers on Thursday said they are gearing up to resume production and are in talks with local authorities for permission to operate factories which are located within or near city municipal limits.

While welcoming the government's guidelines for the extended lockdown giving nod to resume production from April 20, industry body Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) said there are still ambiguities which need to be cleared.

Individually, each brand is seeking more clarity and approval on the guidelines The guidelines say that we would have to open in a phased manner. All brands are gearing up to open up, wherever, it will be permitted," CEAMA President Kamal Nandi said.

He, however, added, "Many places (factories) are falling under red zone and several places under municipal limits, wherever, we have clarity and approvals, we would open up."



Besides, the manufacturers will also have to face the issue of shortage of manpower and social distancing norms at their production facility.

According to Nandi, it would take at least a week for the companies to restart production which has been on a standstill since the lockdown began on March 25.

Ramp up would not happen on day one. It would take some time. There is also no need to get into mass scale production as there is enough stock with the trade partners and with the e-comm companies, he added.

Panasonic, which has manufacturing unit at Jhajjar is hoping that it would get permission from the local authorities to operate and start manufacturing activities.

As our factory in Jhajjar, Haryana is in the green zone, we are hoping to get the permission to start manufacturing soon, said Panasonic India and South Asia President and CEO Manish Sharma.

He further said, "We are prepared for staggered operations with workers coming in batches ensuring social distancing, frequent sanitizing, usage of masks among other initiatives to protect our workforce.

While Samsung is in discussion with the local authorities over the new fresh guidelines, which allows manufacturing after April 20.

Samsung is in talks with the local authorities in relation to the standard operating procedure to open the plants and evaluating the options, said industry sources close to Samsung.

Daikin India MD & CEO Kanwaljeet Jawa said that the relaxation for manufacturing would bring normalcy in the industry.

The manufacturing and entailing relaxation is a welcome step towards gradually introducing normalancy and supporting the essential needs of the society at large. But we still must adhere to the protocols as advised by the state and central government''s to fight this pandemic, said Jawa.

However, Haier said allowing only manufacturing would not help much as there would be no retail activity on the ground.

This opening does not help us much. Until the retail market is open, it would not make much difference to us. To whom, we would sell our products, said Haier Appliances India President Eric Braganza.

He also highlighted the availability of the workforce to operate the manufacturing units and said: "even if we open at this stage, we would have to use only around 20 to 25 per cent of the manufacturing capacity.'



Braganza also highlighted that due to extension of the lockdown, the manufacturers are going to miss the half season of the sales of cooling products as Airconditioner and refrigerators, which starts from early March and picks up, when mercury rises.

LG Electronic India, which has two manufacturing units at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Pune, has welcomed the move and said permission of sale through e-commerce channels would help the customers to buy cooling products.

We welcome this move; due to the increase in temperatures consumers are looking to buy compressor products; this will certainly enable some of them to buy consumer durables, said a LG Spokesperson.

Kitchen appliances maker Wonderchef said the retails sales of the sector, which had witnessed a decline due to the lockdown, will find some ground to recover after permission of online sales.

As the government eases out the restrictions, we are expecting that the loss which the retail industry has witnessed due to the lockdown will find some ground to recover. There was a need for consumer durables and other non-essential items to be allowed for e-commerce sales along with essential products, said Wonderchef MD, Ravi Saxena.

Shinco India said it is also going to start sales of its TVs.

We will be resuming our sales for brand Shinco on Amazon post 20th April 2020, All our call centres have been operational throughout the lockdown and will be operational going forward to assist the customers, said Shinco India founder Arjun Bajaj.

In fresh guidelines on Wednesday for enforcing the second phase of the coronavirus lockdown, the government barred all kinds of public transport and prohibited opening of public places till May 3.

However, it allowed functioning of industrial units located in rural areas from April 20 while observing strict social distancing norms.

The Prime Minister on Tuesday announced the extension of lockdown till May 3. India is presently going through an unprecedented complete lockdown from March 25, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
16.04.2020 LISTEN

The Coalition of University students welcomes with joy and great relief, the call on government by H.E John Dramani Mahama, former President of the republic, to negotiate with the Telcos to reduce the cost of airtime and internet data for students and the larger Ghanaian population.

Indeed, the call could not have come at any better time. The coronavirus disease has compelled students to undertake lectures online while at home.

This has greatly increased the hours we spend on the internet and its accompanying high cost. We, however, commend the government and the African Business Center for Development Education, ABCDE, for introducing the eCampus platform to engage Senior High School students following the closure of schools, and wish to add that this can only be sustained if students are provided with free internet data.

E-learning platforms such as zoom, Google Classroom, etc is very much data consuming, and we as a result- being dependants, put an extra financial burden on our parents and guardians.

We are all for continuity of academic activities in these covid-19 times; E-learning has come in handy. As suggested by former President Mahama, we encourage the government to take immediate steps and arrange with the Telcos for a reduction in their tariffs. This will allow students continuous access to online learning without difficulty.

It is our unshaken hope that the government will heed H.E John Dramani Mahama's advocacy for suppression in call rates and data charges as part of its covid-19 freebies.

Signed

Ebenezer Assan

Convenor

Cape Coast Technical University
SCA to Increase Price for Its NBSK Pulp by $40/tonne on May 1

April 16, 2020 - SCA said that it will increase the price on bleached softwood kraft pulp by $40 per tonne, setting the new price at $880/tonne, effective from May 1, 2020.

"We see a strong pulp market with a growing demand from primarily tissue customers," said Henning Ellstrom VP sales and marketing pulp. "Producer inventories are balanced and production curtailments have been announced by other suppliers. The pulp market is global and we have already seen price increases on other continents."

About SCA

With headquarters in Sundsvall, Sweden, SCA offers paper for packaging and print, pulp, wood products, renewable energy, services for forest owners and efficient transport solutions. In 2019 SCA had approximately 4,000 employees and sales amounted to approximately SEK 19.6 bn (EUR 1.9 bn. For further information, visit: www.sca.com .

SOURCE: SCA
[April 16, 2020] LAIX Inc. Filed 2019 Annual Report on Form 20-F LAIX Inc. ("LAIX" or the "Company") (NYSE: LAIX), an artificial intelligence (AI) company in China that creates and delivers products and services to popularize English learning, today announced that the Company has filed its annual report on Form 20-F that includes its audited financial statements for three years ended December 31, 2019 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2020. The annual report is available on the Company's website at ir (News - Alert).laix.com. The Company will provide a hard copy of the annual report, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon written request. Requests should be directed to Investor Relations, LAIX Inc., Floor 3, Building B, Changyang Chuanggu, 1687 Changyang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200082, People's Republic of China. About LAIX Inc. LAIX Inc. ("LAIX" or the "Company") is a artificial intelligence (AI) company in China that creates and delivers products and services to popularize English learning. Its proprietary AI teacher utilizes cutting-edge deep learning and adaptive learning technologies, big data, well-established education pedagogies and the mobile internet. LAIX believes its innovative approach fundamentally transforms learning. LAIX provides its products and services on demand via its mobile apps, primarily its flagship "English Liulishuo" mobile app launched in 2013. On the Company's platform, AI technologies are seamlessly integrated with diverse learning content incorporating well-established language learning pedagogies, gamified features and strong social elements to deliver an engaging, adaptive learning experience. LAIX provides a variety of courses inspired by a broad range of topics and culture themes to make English learning more interesting and is committed to offering a fun, interactive learning environment to motivate and engage its users. For more information, please visit: http://ir.laix.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005933/en/

[ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ]
Einstein's theory of general relativity just passed a dramatic black-hole test with flying colors.

The motion of a star orbiting Sagittarius A* , the supermassive black hole at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy, precisely matches that predicted by general relativity, a new study reports.

"Einstein's general relativity predicts that bound orbits of one object around another are not closed, as in Newtonian gravity, but precess forward in the plane of motion. This famous effect  first seen in the orbit of the planet Mercury around the sun  was the first evidence in favor of general relativity," study co-author Reinhard Genzel, director of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, said in a statement.

"One hundred years later, we have now detected the same effect in the motion of a star orbiting the compact radio source Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way ," Genzel added. "This observational breakthrough strengthens the evidence that Sagittarius A* must be a supermassive black hole of 4 million times the mass of the sun."

Related: Images: black holes of the universe

Observations made with the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope in Chile have revealed for the first time that a star orbiting the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way moves just as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. Its orbit is shaped like a rosette and not like an ellipse as predicted by Newton's theory of gravity. This effect, known as Schwarzschild precession, had never before been measured for a star around a supermassive black hole. This artist's impression illustrates the precession of the star's orbit, with the effect exaggerated for easier visualization. (Image credit: ESO/L. Calcada)

The motion Genzel mentioned, called Schwarzschild precession, describes a sort of rotation in an object's elliptical orbit. The location of the object's closest-approach point changes with each lap, so the overall orbit is shaped like a rosette rather than a simple, static ellipse.

Astronomers had never measured Schwarzschild precession in a star zooming around a supermassive black hole  until now.

The research team used the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile to track a star called S2 as it looped around Sagittarius A*, which lies about 26,000 light-years from Earth. Over the course of 27 years, the astronomers made more than 330 measurements of S2's position and velocity using multiple VLT instruments. (One of those instruments is called GRAVITY, which gives the research team its name: the GRAVITY collaboration.)

Such a long observational window was necessary to pick up S2's precession, for the star takes 16 Earth years to complete one orbit around Sagittarius A*.

The observed precession matched the predictions of general relativity exactly, which could lead to further discoveries down the road, the researchers said.

Because the S2 measurements follow general relativity so well, we can set stringent limits on how much invisible material, such as distributed dark matter or possible smaller black holes, is present around Sagittarius A*," team members Guy Perrin and Karine Perraut  of the Paris Observatory-PSL and the Grenoble Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics in France, respectively  said in the same statement.

"This is of great interest for understanding the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes," they added.

This simulation shows the orbits of stars very close to the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. One of these stars, named S2, orbits every 16 years and is passing very close to the black hole in May 2018. (Image credit: ESO/L. Calcada/spaceengine.org)

The new study, which was published online today (April 16) in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics , may presage even more exciting black-hole insights to come. For example, coming megascopes such as ESO's Extremely Large Telescope could allow astronomers to track stars that get even closer to Sagittarius A* than S2 does, the researchers said.

If we are lucky, we might capture stars close enough that they actually feel the rotation, the spin, of the black hole," said study team member Andreas Eckart of Cologne University in Germany. "That would be again a completely different level of testing relativity."

Mike Wall is the author of " Out There " (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate ), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook .
I t seems an age since the man I passed in an Auckland park grimly shared the news that a woman in the South Island town of Greymouth had become the first in New Zealand to die from coronavirus. It was actually only two and a half weeks ago - at the time that one fatality was a huge psychological moment, with the expectation being that there would quickly be more to come.

With milestone after milestone in terms of deaths and cases reached around the world, New Zealand remains largely in control. The death toll is now just 9, and the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 has increased to 1401, but crucially the daily case numbers are decreasing. The Level 4 lockdown imposed early by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - New Zealand was the first country to impose hardline measures at such an early stage in the virus cycle - is clearly working, and with each daily press conference she holds to keep the country up to speed with events, the higher Ms Arderns stock is rising.

By and large the orders to stay at home are being heeded. Even the normally gridlocked Auckland harbour bridge is deserted during rush hour - you half expect a tumbleweed to come rolling down. It's a world away from the anxiety gripping Europe and the US.

I'd been in the aforementioned park taking the daily exercise I was allowed as part of my own lockdown - like many others, I'd been caught out by New Zealand ordering anyone coming into the country to self-isolate for 14 days. I was in the UK on a brief return visit to see family when I got the hook from Jacinda - cue a scramble for overpriced flights back to Auckland before the borders shut. Im lucky that I have dual UK-NZ nationality, otherwise I wouldn't have been allowed back in at all.

With my two-week solitude in an apartment near Auckland airport over, Im now back to the new normal of family life in the eastern suburbs: virtual school for my sons on the kitchen table, and the only escapes from the house being supermarket runs and walks up nearby Mount Wellington.

Slogans have dominated the media since this crisis began. Stay at home, save lives. Stay in your bubble (your family unit). Where you stay now is where you must remain (no bunking off to the bach during lockdown). Kiwi celebs from Olympian Dame Valerie Adams to All Black TJ Perenara pop up on our TV screens with messages of support. Though I've yet to identify the character whose sole contribution was Covid - you're a dick.

Now all eyes are now on next Monday, April 20, when Cabinet makes a decision on possibly lifting the lockdown. For all the plaudits coming her way for her handling of the crisis so far, the Prime Minister knows they will count for little if she gets the next move wrong. Talk is now mainly about the economy - New Zealand is heavily reliant on overseas links that one wonders how long the borders can stay closed.

Ms Ardern and other MPs have taken 20 per cent pay cuts, there have already been significant job losses in the media - most notably at Bauer and NZME - while the tourism industry, for so long the powerhouse of the economy, faces a grim future. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has suggested the unemployment percentage could be double digits, exceeding the 6.7 per cent after the 2008 financial crisis. Over to you, Jacinda.
GREENWICH  The number of coronavirus cases continues to shoot up in Greenwich as the results of previously performed tests start to come back.

But the surge of reported cases in town started to flatten Thursday, with 539 confirmed cases among Greenwich residents, according to the towns Health Department. Thats up 40 cases since Wednesday, but a downturn from what was seen earlier this week, when there were 324 cases on Monday, 394 on Tuesday and 499 on Wednesday.

The big increase is due to a lag in tabulating test results at the state Department of Public Healths website. Town Director of Health Caroline Baisley said that many of the newly reported cases are from patients who were tested two to three weeks ago.

This is kind of unprecedented so you almost have to anticipate theres going to be some glitches, First Selectman Fred Camillo said Thursday during a conference call with the media. As time goes on, those tend to work themselves out. There was probably more and more people, as the tests became available, getting tested. We knew there was going to be a surge around this time so now its not totally unexpected. Hopefully, it will correct itself as time goes on.

At Greenwich Hospital, 115 patients with the coronavirus were being treated on Thursday. That is down two patients from Wednesday. The number of patients discharged totaled 232, which is an increase of nine patients sent home since Wednesday.

In the meantime, Camillo continues to urge residents to practice social distancing and wear masks and gloves when outside. Gov. Ned Lamont has partnered with the governors of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island to work together on virus mitigation efforts and to look ahead on how best to get businesses back open.

Camillo called this multi-state effort a good thing and said he has been working closely with the mayors and first selectmen of neighboring towns.

This has to be a team effort, he said. No one can do this alone. When we put a policy in place, we put a lot of thought into it. We have lots of people weighing in on it. We use the best medical advice that we have from the professionals and we also pay attention to trends. We dont ignore them. We know what happens when you ignore the trends or put policies in place but then relax the restrictions too early. You pay a price for it, and were not going to do that here.

But at the same, there has been increased pressure on President Donald Trump to open up parts of the country where the outbreak is less severe.

Camillo said many are concerned about opening up too soon, especially in the tri-state area, which has been a hot spot in the nation during the pandemic.

Hes got a tough job, Camillo said of Trump. Hes got to give people hope  and there should be hope because we are going to get beyond this. And you just cant live in the day. You also have to prepare for the future. I think thats a good thing.

But the first selectman said it was too soon to set dates for opening up the economy.

Throwing dates around is probably not advisable, particularly if you have to backtrack from it, so I try to stay away from that, Camillo said. You have to be honest with the people but also offer them hope. Were going to get through it. We know that. Its just when and how quickly. By following the guideline and protocols, we will get there.

Under Lamonts guidelines, business and school closures are set to continue in Connecticut until at least May 20.

Camillo also noted recent efforts throughout town to salute first responders and Greenwich Hospital employees. He said that appreciation should be extended to those who are cleaning hospitals, town buildings and businesses every night to keep residents safe from the virus.

Talk about essential, Camillo said. Its as essential as it gets.  Its never ever talked about. I dont want to miss an opportunity, both now and in the future, to continuously thank them and to get other people to focus more on that, too. It means a lot.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
PORTLAND, Ore., April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to questions flooding in from small business owners, experts at The Caputo Group are extending their client advice to the community with weekly webinars and Q & A sessions. The webinars take place every Thursday at noon, covering the latest information from official sources that directly impact the health and security of small businesses.

The developments in the legislation are so rapid, "the ink isn't dry on one bill before the next bill passes," said Sophia Blanton, Sr Coordinator for The Caputo Group. With such dizzying changes, The Caputo Group is analyzing and distilling the updates and implications to help guide and inform small business owners.

This week's webinar will cover:

The further rollout of the CARES Act's two main financial assistance programs  the PPPL (Paycheck Protection Program Loans) and the EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loans)

Updates to government programs and changes in regulations

Latest guidance from SBA, Dept. of Treasury, IRS

Frequently Asked Questions

To register for the 60 minute webinar, please visit: http://www.caputo-group.com/covid-19-sb-webinar/

The Caputo Group offers additional resources on their website to help small to midsize businesses navigate COVID-19. Through the website, business owners can sign up for a free personalized consultation from experts in restaurants, cannabis, brewing, construction and more.

"With so many businesses struggling we've created this webinar to assist small businesses in the NW and beyond," said Hunter Caputo, CEO of The Caputo Group.

Visit The Caputo Group at http://www.caputo-group.com/ for regular updates so you can stay informed of your rights and responsibilities as an employer as well as economic relief legislation.

About The Caputo Group:

Caputo Group, a local, family-owned Professional Employer Organization (PEO), offers complete support services for small to midsize businesses so they can focus on their craft.

For over 25 years, The Caputo Group has saved NW business owners hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential compliance issues and lawsuits. Because they remove so many business tasks, the majority of their clients have seen their businesses grow by an average of 15%.

CONTACT:

Katherine Tice

(503) 944-9782

[email protected]

SOURCE The Caputo Group

Related Links

http://www.caputo-group.com


BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

Trend:

Foreign ministries of Turkmenistan and Ukraine have discussed political relations between the two countries, Trend reports with reference to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The discussion was held in a video conference format on April 15, 2020. Deputy Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan and Ukraine attended the video conference.

The sides also discussed important aspects of bilateral cooperation in trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres and reviewed previously signed agreements.

The parties noted the friendly nature of the relations between Turkmenistan and Ukraine. The participants of the video conference paid special attention to the high level of bilateral cooperation and highlighted the importance to further strengthen the relations.

The protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Ukraine was signed on October 10, 1992, in Ashgabat.
Press Conference, 1pm EST, April 16, 2020, register here .

TORONTO, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a rare and historic moment, essential undocumented and migrant workers from across Canada and Mexico spoke out today calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to fill the gaps that exclude them from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). Migrant Rights Network - Canadas only migrant led national body - released a letter outlining solutions to ensure income for 1.8 million migrants in the country .

Laura Lopez, a mother of two from Vancouver and a member of Sanctuary Health, is one of over half a million people in Canada who are undocumented. Shes calling for CERB to be accessible to people without Social Insurance Numbers.

My biggest fear is that we are going to end up on the street, us and our two kids, she said. People like us, working in construction or cleaning, we are essential workers. Help in this crisis must be universal.

Lauras story is echoed across the country. Lisa Cheun, a member of Butterfly, is a refugee claimant without a work permit in Toronto who worked at a massage parlour until businesses were shut down this month.

I paid more than $4000 in income taxes just in March. But I cannot get the government funding support because I have not obtained my work permit this year. But I have lost my job and have no income. What can I do now?

The Social Insurance Numbers of temporary residents expire alongside their work and study permits. A valid SIN is necessary to access the CERB program.

Alina Przybyl is a Polish student at Torontos George Brown College in the Assaulted Women and Childrens Counselling program and a member of Migrant Students United. She applied for a renewal of her study permit three months ago, and is still waiting for it. SIN renewal will take another three months.

In a time of a global crisis, when we keep hearing that 'we are in this together', but many of us are still facing barriers. We are all affected and we should all be supported, regardless of our immigration status, added the former restaurant worker, who recently lost her jobs both on and off campus because of COVID-19.

Story continues

In order to flatten the curve, everyone needs to follow public health directives. But without income, undocumented and migrant workers are some of the most at risk for losing housing, access to food and healthcare.

The problem extends beyond Canadas borders. Tens of thousands of essential migrant agricultural workers are unable or afraid to travel. Lost incomes are throwing families into crisis the world over.

I have been coming to Canada to work for 17 years. But, because of COVID19, I have not been able to travel to Canada to work. I think it is only fair and that I have a right to receive government support because, like any Canadian worker, I have a Social Insurance Number, says Gustavo Antonio, a migrant farm worker member of RAMA who works in the Okanagan Valley and is still waiting to travel.

In a public health emergency, we cannot protect anyone if we do not protect everyone. Over half a million workers are in a state of abject despair. Immediate comprehensive government action is necessary, added Syed Hussan, Executive Director, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. Most migrant and undocumented people are essential workers that are caring for all of us, and keeping the economy moving right now. They cannot be allowed to go hungry and die because they dont have an active Social Insurance Number. We have a solution and are calling on the government to meet with us to ensure migrants get the support they need and status now.

Nearly 5,000 people and many national organizations have signed on to Migrant Rights Networks calls: www.MigrantRights.ca/COVID19 .

Contact: Syed Hussan, 416 453 3632, hussan@migrantworkersalliance.org

Video of todays press conference available.

BACKGROUND

Migrant Rights Network is calling on the Federal Government to meet with migrant-led organizations to create mechanisms to:

Ensure residents without Social Insurance Numbers have access to Canada Emergency Response Benefit through the provision of accessible Individual Tax Numbers where information is not shared with immigration authorities. Extend access to CERB for those whose SIN has expired. Ensure that Seasonal TFWP and SAWP workers have access to income supports for delays in contracts, both inside and outside the country. Ensure that migrant workers who are forced to leave jobs or those that arent starting contracts right now are not deemed to have quit voluntarily and receive income supports. Extend income supports to migrant and undocumented residents who did not earn at least $5,000 in the previous 12 months.

Migrant Rights Network is Canadas Migrant Coalition, and includes Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network), Caregivers Action Centre, Centre des travailleuses et travailleurs immigrants, Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto, Collaborative Network to End Exploitation, Cooper Institute and the Prince Edward Island Action Team for Migrant Workers Rights, Durham Region Migrant Solidarity Network, FCJ Refugee House, Fuerza Migrante Vancouver, GABRIELA Ontario, IAVGO Community Legal Clinic, Income Security Advocacy Centre, Migrant Students United, Migrant Worker Solidarity Network - Manitoba, Migrant Workers Alliance - Niagara, Ontario, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, Migrante (Alberta, BC, Canada, Manitoba, Ontario), No One Is Illegal (Toronto, Halifax, London, Vancouver), Migrant Resource Centre Canada, OCASI  Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, OHIP For All, PCLS Community Legal Clinic, Radical Action with Migrants in Agriculture (RAMA), Okanagan region, BC, Sanctuary Health, Solidarity Across Borders, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, UFCW Canada, UNIFOR, Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights, Workers Action Centre and Workers United
MONTERREY, Mexico, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ALFAA) (ALFA), a leading holding company that manages a diversified portfolio of subsidiaries with global operations announced today its unaudited results for the first quarter of 2020 ("1Q20"). All figures have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").

1Q20 Highlights

ALFA Focus on Safety and Business Continuity amid COVID-19; Cash US $2.3 billion

2020 Guidance withdrawn; results trending ahead of expectations before COVID-19 Alpek Providing essential materials for beverage/food packaging and medical supplies

Rising Asian reference polyester margins partially offset drop in oil/feedstock prices Sigma Higher sales volume in all regions

Lower raw material prices q-o-q partially offset impact from MXN depreciation Nemak Temporarily ceased operations at certain plants; successfully restarted production in China

Solid financial position; Cash US $785 million and Net Debt/EBITDA of 2.1 times Axtel Providing essential connectivity, cybersecurity and cloud services, among others

Received US $175 million payment for the previously announced sale of three Data Centers

Message from ALFA's President

"We are living through an unprecedented event that has impacted the global community and changed many aspects of our daily lives. Governments, companies and individuals worldwide are fighting against COVID-19 amid a growing number of cases. In addition to its effect on health, the virus is significantly affecting economic activities around the world.

ALFA is adapting to rapidly changing industry conditions; providing essential goods and services in these trying times, supported by talented and dedicated teams at all levels and by a solid financial position.

We are focusing our efforts on Safety and Business Continuity. Safety is our top priority as we reinforce health and safety standards in all our operations to protect the well-being of our employees, customers, suppliers and communities.

Actions undertaken to ensure this include: increased hygiene and sanitization protocols, reduction of on-site personnel via virtual collaboration, physical distancing and travel restrictions. ALFA also seeks to maintain close contact with stakeholders in all regions, including health and government agencies, to identify and implement additional actions in support of worldwide efforts to minimize the transmission of the virus.

It is also crucial that we preserve the continuity and long-term sustainability of our operations; protecting our employee's jobs, serving our customers responsibly and looking for ways to contribute to our communities in the fight against COVID-19.

Business continuity task forces are in place at the Local, Subsidiary and Corporate levels; closely monitoring this situation and coordinating our response to the immediate challenges posed by rapidly changing conditions. We are working with stakeholders in all our value chains to adapt our operations accordingly. Alpek, Sigma and Axtel are focused on operating to the full extent of their capacities amid increased demand for food, packaging materials, medical supplies and telecommunication services.

In contrast, the auto industry is being impacted by light-vehicle production cuts and temporary shutdowns amid emergency declarations issued in Mexico and other countries. As a result, Nemak has also temporarily ceased operations at certain plants and production lines.

ALFA and all its Subsidiaries are implementing cost reduction initiatives and capturing other cash flow benefits such as deferral of capital expenditures and working capital optimization. ALFA's Chairman of the Board and I have decided to voluntarily reduce our salaries by 30% during 2Q20 to complement other cost saving initiatives. We will also formalize a voluntary salary reduction program by which ALFA's Corporate employees will have full discretion to contribute a portion of their compensation to: i) fund special programs in support of our communities and/or, ii) enhance cost savings under this new operating environment.

Each of our subsidiaries is working on company-specific initiatives and programs. In particular, Nemak has taken several additional steps to reduce costs and expenses, including broader salary reductions for Executives and reduced working hours for salaried employees, among others.

In addition, the previously approved dividends at Nemak and Alpek will be subject to a thorough review by their Boards to provide Shareholders an updated recommendation considering the current market conditions. The implementation of updated recommendations would be subject to Shareholder approval.

We are facing an uncertain global macro environment, characterized so far by a significant drop in commodity prices, FX volatility, rising unemployment and demand distortions. It is important to note that the impact to our results from some of these variables is partially offset by the positive effect from others. However, it is difficult to forecast the future repercussions of COVID-19 based on information available currently. Therefore, we are withdrawing our 2020 guidance and expect to revisit this as soon as a reliable estimate can be determined.

ALFA and all its Subsidiaries reported a solid financial position at the end of 1Q20. The Company's consolidated Cash balance of US $2.3 billion is comparable to the EBITDA generated in 2019, and is larger than the aggregate amount of consolidated Debt maturities over the next three years. Furthermore, Net Debt to EBITDA was 2.7 times, flat versus 4Q19.

Our total cash position increased US $923 million when compared to 4Q19 as we strengthened liquidity by drawing down a portion of available credit facilities to enhance our financial flexibility. Also, Axtel received the proceeds from the sale of its Data Centers during the first quarter.

Furthermore, 1Q20 results were generally trending ahead of expectations before the impact from COVID-19. Consolidated EBITDA was US $563 million, including a US $107 million one-time gain from the sale of Axtel's Data Centers.

Looking ahead, ALFA and its Subsidiaries will continue to ensure the highest safety standards and focus on business continuity. I am confident that we are taking the right actions to protect the well-being of our employees, to serve our customers responsibly and to contribute in the global fight against COVID-19. Our long-term growth plans and strategic initiatives remain unchanged, but the immediate focus of the entire organization is on managing through and overcoming these challenging times.

I thank every member of our teams for their hard work and dedication in order to maintain essential food supply at Sigma; essential materials for food & beverage packaging and medical supplies at Alpek; essential connectivity for virtual collaboration at Axtel; and to rapidly adjust operations at Nemak. I also extend my appreciation to our customers, suppliers and partners who have all come together to address this situation.

Let me end by expressing my best wishes to you and to your families to stay safe and healthy."

Alvaro Fernandez

SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (US $ Millions)



1Q20 4Q19 1Q19 Ch. % vs.

4Q19 Ch. % vs.

1Q19 ALFA Revenues 4,167 4,267 4,479 (2) (7) Alpek 1,433 1,407 1,642 2 (13) Sigma 1,637 1,706 1,516 (4) 8 Nemak 907 941 1,102 (4) (18) Axtel 157 176 173 (11) (9) Newpek 16 18 23 (10) (29) ALFA EBITDA1 563 636 519 (11) 9 Alpek 111 356 140 (69) (21) Sigma 169 176 166 (4) 1 Nemak 142 133 175 7 (19) Axtel 156 53 58 192 169 Newpek (6) (65) (8) 92 33 Majority Net Income 170 80 66 112 159 CAPEX & Acquisitions2 180 325 212 (45) (15) Net Debt 6,323 6,276 7,194 1 (12) Net Debt/LTM EBITDA* 2.7 2.7 2.6



LTM Interest Coverage*3 5.3 5.2 5.7



* Times. LTM = Last 12 months; 1 EBITDA = Operating Income + depreciation and amortization + impairment of assets. 2 Gross amount; does not include divestments. 3 Interest Coverage = EBITDA/Net Financial Expenses

1Q20 EARNINGS CALL INFORMATION



Date: Friday, April 17, 2020



Time: 1:00 p.m. EST (NY) / 12:00 p.m. CST (CDMX)



By Phone: United States: +1-877-451-6152

International: +1-201-389-0879

Mexico: 800-522-0034





Conference ID: 13701368



Webcast: http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=138909



Replay: https://www.alfa.com.mx/RI/conference.htm

About ALFA

ALFA is a holding company that manages a diversified portfolio of subsidiaries with global operations: Alpek, one of the world's largest producers of polyester (PTA, PET and fibers), and the leader in the Mexican market for polypropylene, expandable polystyrene (EPS) and caprolactam. Sigma, a leading multinational food company, focused on the production, marketing and distribution of quality foods through recognized brands in Mexico, Europe, United States and Latin America. Nemak, a leading provider of innovative lightweighting solutions for the global automotive industry, specializing in the development and manufacturing of aluminum components for powertrain, structural components and for electric vehicles. Axtel, a provider of Information Technology and Communication services for the enterprise and government segments in Mexico. Newpek, an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in Mexico and the United States. In 2019, ALFA reported revenues of Ps. 337,750 million (US $17.5 billion), and EBITDA of Ps. 44,280 million (US $2.3 billion). ALFA's shares are quoted on the Mexican Stock Exchange and on Latibex, the market for Latin American shares of the Madrid Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.alfa.com.mx

Disclaimer

This release may contain forward-looking information based on numerous variables and assumptions that are inherently uncertain. They involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and financial market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately. These uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, such as the scope and duration of the outbreak, government actions and restrictive measures implemented in response, availability of workers and contractors due to illness and stay at home orders, supply chain disruptions and other impacts to the business, or on the Company's ability to execute business continuity plans, as a result thereof. Accordingly, results could vary from those set forth in this release. The report presents unaudited financial information. Figures are presented in Mexican Pesos or US Dollars, as indicated. Where applicable, Peso amounts were translated into US Dollars using the average exchange rate of the months during which the operations were recorded. Financial ratios are calculated in US Dollars. Due to the rounding up of figures, small differences may occur when calculating percent changes from one period to the other.

SOURCE ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V.
Dogs Trust, Ireland's largest dog welfare charity, understands that frontline workers may be concerned about their own capacity to look after their dogs as their workloads increase due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

To help alleviate any worry they may have that their dog might not be receiving their usual levels of exercise and human interaction, the charity is offering essential workers a free "Dogs Trust Frontline Foster Care" card which will allow them to sign up to a special temporary fostering programme that they can avail of at any time during this unprecedented pandemic.

Nurse Annie Mathews said: "This is a fantastic initiative for frontline workers like me, its a relief to know this service is available and that my dog would be well looked after for a few weeks if I need it."

The charity has adapted their current Canine Care Card to be able to help people on the frontline, especially those who are worried about looking after their dogs while they carry out their essential and in some cases life-saving roles.

Becky Bristow, Executive Director, Dogs Trust Ireland said: "Its so important at a time like this, that we all pull together. Many people are at home right now and want to be able to support frontline workers in some way.

"The amount of offers we have received to foster dogs has been truly uplifting for us in these worrying times and we are delighted to now expand our teams services to assist essential workers.

"We want to help lighten the load of Irelands frontline workers who are facing one of the biggest challenges of our lifetime.

"They are doing everything they can to keep us safe, healthy and food and supplies on shelves so its the least we can do to take some pressure off them by offering to care for their dogs."

If you are an essential worker and need your dog fostered for a period of two weeks or more, please sign up to receive a Dogs Trust Frontline Foster Care card at www.DogsTrust.ie/Frontline.
India received the much-awaited five lakh rapid COVID-19 testing kits from China on Thursday, the government said.

The Head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at ICMR, Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, however, said these testing kits will be used for surveillance and to monitor whether coronavirus hotspots in the country are increasing or decreasing.

Regarding concern over the efficacy of the rapid antibody testing kits, he said if an antibody test of a person turns out to be positive, one cannot necessarily be sure the person would not get infected ever again. "This means, even if antibody is present, that doesn't mean it will necessarily be effectively able to fight the virus."



"Rapid antibody tests are for monitoring surveillance, not for diagnosis. Hence there is no concern with respect to the testing kits being faulty, that concern was with respect to immune response alone," Dr Gangakhedkare explained.

Addressing a daily briefing to give updates on COVID-19 situation in the country, he said a total of 2,90,401 samples have been tested so far, of which 30,043 were tested on Wednesday itself.

Out of the tests carried out on Wednesday, 26,331 were done in laboratories under Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network and 3,712 in private labs, he added.

Commenting on the testing capacity of ICMR network, the official said "Working in one shift, more than 42,400 samples can be tested each day. If we work in two shifts, we will be able to test more than 78,200 samples daily."



The total number of COVID-19 cases in India stand at 12,380 and the death toll at 414. As many as 941 fresh cases and 37 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said, adding 183 people have recovered and discharged during the same time period.

"If our case fatality rate is 3.3 per cent then the percentage of people who have recovered so far is around 12.02 per cent," he said.

Agarwal also said that 325 districts in India have not reported any coronavirus case so far because of actions initiated at field level.

Also, the implementation of containment strategies in some districts which earlier had reported COVID-19 cases, have yielded positive results. One of such place is Puducherry's Mahe district where no case of the infection has been reported in the last 28 days. There are 27 other districts also where no positive case has been reported in a fortnight, he said.

About Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegation that India was not conducting enough coronavirus tests, the ICMR said, "India tests 24 people for one positive case, while Japan tests 11.7, Italy 6.7 and US tests 5.3. So, one cannot say that India is testing less.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands of struggling families will benefit from the Good Grub initiative (Andy Buchanan/PA)

A new initiative is aiming to deliver free food packs to thousands of disadvantaged families across Dublin in order to lessen the financial burden for parents during the lockdown.

Thousands of struggling families will benefit from the Good Grub initiative, which was set up two weeks ago in collaboration with Ballymun childrens charity The Aisling Project.

The initiative was founded by Denis OReilly, who runs a corporate social responsibility event business.

In a trial run conducted two weeks ago, one thousand packs were delivered to families of kids in 10 DEIS schools in northside Dublin.

We had an unbelievable response and the reaction was massive, he told Independent.ie.

Families are in need of fresh produce with parents losing jobs and every bit of help was appreciated.

We delivered vegetable packs to schools, which had carrots, onions, cabbage and parsnips, and then teachers distributed it to homes.

John Clinton, acting principal in the Virgin Mary Boys National School in Ballymun, was one of those teachers.

Myself and a helper from the Aisling Project took about 100 packets and we distributed 60 ourselves to homes of kids, dropping it at the door, ringing the bell, going back in the car and then waving through the window, he explained.

We then knew people who would have access to other disadvantaged families in the area and they got the rest of the vegetable packs.

He said that delivering food packs to homes not only helped struggling families, but helped the teachers stay in touch with households and pupils.

It keeps us in touch with parents as well, if someones there or if the kid sees a teacher outside of the window, it gives us a chance to see how things are in the house, said John.

The initiative is currently aiming to raise 100,000 through its GoFundMe page in a bid to provide more food packs to families all over Dublin.

With over 40,000 raised, the organisers are working with Glanmore Foods to make food packets, filled with fresh and non-perishable ingredients, a regular delivery to families every week.

The acting principal said that there is a demand for food packets across the county.

It lifts the burden and its that little bit extra, added John.

There is a demand for it, especially in Dublin 11. A lot of pupils would have gotten their breakfasts, lunches and a hot meal through schools but now that we have the lockdown, its an extra expense for parents.

The response has been very positive and its been great to help our parents in any way possible.
Chandigarh, April 16 : Punjab has succeeded in breaking the chain of coronavirus in one of the worst hit districts where the number of patients has been frozen at 19 since March 26, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said on Thursday.

No new positive case has been reported from SBS Nagar, formerly known as Nawanshahr, from where the state's first casualty was reported. The deceased was blamed for spreading the virus in the district.

The minister said that four districts have been declared as hotspots by the Government of India based on the number of cases. These are Mohali, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar and Pathankot. These are districts where more than 15 cases of Covid-19 have been reported so far.

He said now Punjab is in the second stage and to deal with the crisis, frontline teams of the Health Department are constantly working on a war footing to trace all the contacts of the affected patients, which is the only way to curb the spread of this highly contagious disease.

"As of today, we have one of the foremost example of SBS Nagar where the state government has successfully broken the chain of coronavirus and the number of patients have frozen to 19 since March 26," the minister said in a statement.

Of the 19 cases, 17 have been cured, while one patient -- Baldev Singh - has died. The lone patient would also recover soon.

About the containment plan, Sidhu said wherever there are maximum cases, the whole area within a radius of 3 km around the positive patients is sealed and no entry or exit of people is being allowed. Also, surveillance is done for searching symptomatic persons.

If anyone is found positive for Covid-19, he/she is immediately rushed to the isolation centre. All the goods needed by the locals are provided at their doorsteps.

Sidhu said a similar strategy has been adopted in 24 hotspots of nine districts identified by the state, while special attention is being given to Mohali and Jalandhar, where till date higher number of cases has been found.

He said the state has 186 cases, while 5,193 people have been tested out of which 4,404 reports returned negative. Twenty-nine people have been cured. Most of the cases are related to foreign travel returnees or their contacts.

Fourteen people have succumbed to the dreaded virus so far.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
One can only imagine what my grandfather Sir Winston Churchill would have thought of the decisions being made about the treatment of the elderly during this coronavirus pandemic.

My abiding memory of him is as a man who was always working, right up until his death at the age of 90, and indeed it is salutary to think just how much he achieved in later life.

When he first became prime minister in 1940, he was 64, an age when most of us are happily looking forward to retirement. By the time he was re-elected in 1951, he was 77.

Nobody would have dreamed of writing him off and yet in our supposedly more enlightened times we are in danger of condemning many thousands of people to death, simply because they are elderly.

When he first became prime minister in 1940, he was 64, an age when most of us are happily looking forward to retirement. By the time he was re-elected in 1951, he was 77

I am 70 and yesterday came a double blow for those who, like me, like to imagine that their lives are important and that their wishes matter.

First, as the Mail reported, we learned that care home residents with coronavirus are being kept away from hospital.

Guidelines published by the Department of Health, Public Health England and the NHS, instruct care managers to assess the appropriateness of hospitalisation if residents become seriously ill with the virus.

One GP from the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group reportedly went so far as to tell a care home manager that none of your residents over 75 will be admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile older people across the country are being pressured to sign Do Not Attempt CPR forms. CPR refers to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and once a patient has signed such a document they become subject to a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order signed by a doctor that means no attempt will be made to revive them should their heart stop beating.

In my view, the guidelines issued to the hospitals amount to euthanasia by the back door, especially at a time when our hospitals still have some spare capacity. As for the pressure to sign Do Not Attempt CPR forms, it is simply outrageous.

Of course Im not suggesting that hospital is always the best option. I recently lost a friend in her eighties who was in no state to make decisions about her care but was allowed to die peacefully at home when she finally reached the end of her race.

In my view, the guidelines issued to the hospitals amount to euthanasia by the back door, especially at a time when our hospitals still have some spare capacity. As for the pressure to sign Do Not Attempt CPR forms, it is simply outrageous

Undoubtedly the right choice for her, it was made by a triumvirate of her family, her carers and the local GP. That is exactly how such decisions should be made and I share the Alzheimers Societys concern that stretched and exhausted health and care workers will misinterpret such guidelines and inadvertently prevent access to critical care to people who need it.

When it comes to Do Not Attempt CPR forms, I have no problem with any individual choosing to sign such a form. Indeed, I have signed one myself. It was one of the first things I did after following government advice and putting myself into self-isolation, both because of my age and because I suffer from a condition which puts me in the vulnerable category.

When I depart this world, I would like to have my family around me and, if I fall ill for any reason, the thought of being rushed to hospital and then dying on ones own behind a plastic curtain in an intensive care unit is not very appealing.

I am also reluctant to put the NHS to the bother of spending a lot of time, trouble and expense on me. I would rather they spent it on somebody younger. But that is a decision for me to make and its shocking to think that these forms are being sent to groups of elderly and vulnerable people across the UK.

In one example quoted by Age UK, an 85-year-old woman who has several long-term health problems but still enjoys life was called by her GP, who asked if she would sign a Do Not Attempt CPR form. She felt mortified and was extremely upset when she received a letter with a form in a few days later, reports the charity.

Elsewhere, a GP surgery in Wales asked patients with significant life-limiting illnesses to sign a Do Not Attempt CPR form in case they contracted coronavirus. Meanwhile, care home staff are being given responsibilities way beyond their pay grade. Often underpaid and overworked, they have quite enough to cope with as it is, working as they do in a social care system which remains unfit for purpose, despite enquiries commissioned by government after government.

Its partly because care homes are underfunded and overcrowded that coronavirus has been able to rip through them in the first place.

Lets not compound those failings with policies which lump the elderly together. Just as there was only one Winston Churchill, so we are all individuals with medical needs every bit as varied as the personalities, talents and experience which mean we are still invaluable members of society and make a nonsense of such brutal ageism.

Emma Soames is a former Editor of Saga Magazine
The doctor heard the call for help all the way from North Carolina.

Dr. Rick Scott was home in Wilmington last week, watching New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy brief the state on yet another days grim toll from the coronavirus.

New Jersey-born and bred, Scott turned to his wife and said: I feel like theres more that we can do.

As Scott spoke those words, Murphy repeated a plea hes made day after day as the number of deaths from COVID-19 continue their devastating climb. The state has a critical need for volunteers with direct medical experience, Murphy said, particularly administrators to run the hastily erected field hospitals that are beginning to dot the state.

The governor might as well have been talking directly to Scott.

A former hospital executive most recently in Chicago, Scott knew what he had to do. He got on the phone and offered his services to the state he says hell always call home. On Friday, the Department of Health called.

Forty-eight hours later, I was back in New Jersey, Scott said. I packed my masks in the car, and here I am.

Here is the 250-bed pop-up hospital that was built inside the Atlantic City Convention Center, where Scott is now serving as chief medical officer. Scheduled to begin taking patients Tuesday, the center is expected to serve as an overflow facility as coronavirus surges in South Jersey. It will allow hospitals in the region to transfer patients who are beginning to recover, freeing up space for those in more pressing danger.

At the center of the effort are Scott and scores of other doctors, nurses and specialists who have stepped forward in a time of crisis. The field hospitals chief operating officer, Susan Croushore, is a retired hospital CEO in Pennsylvania. Its chief nurse, Kevin Emmons, is a professor at Rutgers School of Nursing in Camden.

Across the state, professionals just like them are enlisting to keep the stretched medical system from breaking, even at risk to their own health. Meanwhile, hospitals are offering large bonuses to lure some health care workers as the demand continues to escalate.

In my mind, this is what I signed up for. I think thats what all physicians and nurses would say, said Scott, 63, who left his family and drove nine hours to New Jersey. Hes now working 14-hour days and sleeping at a friends empty condo in North Wildwood.

Its gratifying to be able to help, to be able to put whatever fount of knowledge I have to use, said Scott, a former president of the New Jersey Medical Society.

An orthopedic surgeon by training, Scott has a deep personal and professional background in the state, where he rose to become chief medical officer for the former Meridian Health system, before jumping in 2014 to a Chicago hospital chain.

The Atlantic City conversion has been a massive state and federal collaboration, pulling in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the state Health Department, state police and the New Jersey National Guard.

At a sprawling center that Scott knew for its auto shows, all parts of a medical facility had be added or rejiggered: from beds, to enough toilets and plumbing, to a supply chain of medicines and protective equipment. Even the menu served by the centers cooking staff was reworked.

Its inspiring, Scott said.

The center was one of four locations designated in March to become field hospitals, with the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus and the New Jersey Convention Center and Exposition Center in Edison already accepting patients. The fourth location has not been named.

The Atlantic City facility took about a week to build after lengthy planning, said Jeff Brown, an assistant commissioner at the Department of Health. It is expected to carry 90 to 100 medical staff as it begins scaling up, and that number could grow, he said.

The efforts come as the state now predicts coronavirus cases will continue to increase through April 25, when New Jersey expects to be treating 16,000 patients, including more than 3,800 in intensive care. The states hospitals have been scrambling to boost capacity in recent weeks, adding 60% more beds and doubling the number of critical care beds, to 4,000.

With that new capacity comes new demands for staff. New Jersey has rushed to fill that gap, pleading for volunteers and relaxing licensing rules to allow retired and out-of-state medical professionals to join the ranks.

I dont need to say this, but it should be repeated: This is an all-hands-on-deck moment, Murphy said Tuesday at a news briefing. And we thank everyone who is stepping forward."

Some New Jersey hospitals are offering signing bonuses of as much as $5,000 to $6,000 for registered nurses with ICU experience, said Kerry McKean Kelly, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Hospital Association. They are also turning to temp agencies and per-diem workers, whose rates have increased steeply as competition with New York and Philadelphia becomes fierce.

One of the main hiring challenges facing New Jerseys healthcare facilities is our location right between two major metropolitan areas vying for the same workforce, Kelly said in a statement.

According to state regulators, more than 10,600 out-of-state health care workers have received temporary licenses in New Jersey  including 3,350 doctors or physicians assistants and nearly 3,000 nurses. In addition, 270 retired nurses and more than 130 retired doctors or physicians assistants have reactivated their licenses this month.

Hospitals are also repurposing doctors and nurses who are already in their health systems, asking them to move to the front lines from other specialties.

Among them is Dr. Philip Angello who usually works as a family physician at an office in Colts Neck that is part of the CentraState Medical System. As people have become reluctant to visit a doctors office, that practice has shifted to seeing patients remotely through telemedicine. Angello has begun also working at CentraStates hospital in Freehold, treating coronavirus patients.

He is unmarried and has no children, and his parents are already deceased. That takes away some of the stress that colleagues with families face, said Angello, 50.

Angello is no stranger to the hospital floor, having worked more than a decade in hospitals before he went into family practice. Still, he said, treating coronavirus is different and scary in a lot of ways."

While older people are at the greatest risk for complications, there are plenty of 30-year-olds who are on ventilators and fighting for their lives, he said. You just cant be sure.

This is a strange disease. You dont know who it is going to hit and how, Angello said.

Angello is part of a team that works once every three weeks, putting in shifts of 12 hours or more for seven straight days. His last stint ended Sunday.

Like Scott, the hospital executive, Angello said he cant imagine ignoring the call.

My background and my training is that youre a doctor first, Angello said. If youre needed, you go where youre needed.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Vietnams wood export sector could be brought to a standstill as a staggering 80 percent of outbound orders have been delayed due to fallout from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a government official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Citing findings from a survey of 130 Vietnamese wood-processing firms, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan said that industry companies suffered average losses of around VND25 billion (US$1.06 million) during the first quarter of this year.

As such, total losses in the sector have amounted to VND3-5 trillion ($128-213 million).

Tuan also noted that local wood processors have seen approximately 80 percent of their planned exports postponed until further notice as American and European Union partners, 51 percent and 39 percent of their export market, respectively, remain in lockdown.

Local firms have since set their sights on the Japanese and South Korean markets to keep their heads above water.

Meanwhile, Chinese traders who import some eight percent of Vietnams wood products mainly purchase wood chips, according to the official.

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese market is only starting to recover and it will take some more time before things return to normal, he said.

In the domestic market, around 70-80 percent of the wood products made in traditional craft villages are without buyers, thus forcing a suspension of production.

High-end products meant for hotels and offices have seen a 90 percent decline in revenue year-on-year.

The deputy minister said the production and consumption of wood products have been sluggish.

Consequently, suppliers of raw and auxiliary materials are bearing the brunt of the economic hardship brought on by the virus.

At least 90 percent of wood processors have either suspended their operations or rotated their workers, putting the supply chain at serious risk of disruption should things begin to return to normal, he continued.

Vietnams Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan speaks at an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in April 2020. Photo: V. Giang / Tuoi Tre

Tuan said the ministry has already put forward two solutions to the government to support virus-stricken firms, including those in the wood sector.

As a result, the government has allowed affected firms to defer their tax payments for five months.

The State Bank of Vietnam has also offered those affected a preferential loan package worth around VND285 trillion ($12.1 billion).

Recently, the government earmarked VND62 trillion ($2.6 billion) for an aid package aimed at helping local workers cope with the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the official, the ministry has urged wood processors and their associations to seek new export markets and pay more attention to the local market in a bid to maintain their operations.

He revealed that the Vietnam Administration of Forestry will work with wood associations and craft villages once social distancing measures are lifted to help them resume their operations.

Experts were quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying that the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, or EVFTA, will open wider doors for Vietnams wood products to penetrate the market of 27 member states, with tariffs set at six percent or less.

However, they also noted that any breakthroughs in exports in this market would not be seen until next year.

Vietnamese lawmakers are expected to adopt the trade pact at a National Assembly sitting next month.

Vietnam earned $10.5 billion from its export of wood and wood-based products in 2019, up 18 percent against the previous year, according to the Vietnam Administration of Forestry.

The government has set a target of $20 billion in annual wood exports by 2025, which may now be regarded as a tough task.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Covanta Holding Corporation CVA has decided to lower annual dividend rate and withdraw its 2020 guidance to preserve liquidity amid the unprecedented economic distress resulting from the outbreak of novel coronavirus.



Three of Covantas Waste to Energy facilities are currently permitted to accept regulated medical waste and the company has also started receiving COVID-19-infected material. Covanta facilities have specialized equipment to handle these materials, and incremental protocols and procedures to minimize contact. In addition, all the facilities of Covanta are currently operating with minimal disruption and providing essential services to clients.



Measures Taken by Covanta



The company has pro-actively decided to lower 2020 costs in the range of $15-$30 million by freezing discretionary spending, cutting down salary of top executives and directors at least for the next 12 weeks, as well as eliminating non-essential travel.



Covantas board of directors decided to lower annualized dividend payout to 32 cents per share, indicating approximately two-thirds reduction from the previous annual dividend payout of $1, thereby increasing cash retention for other uses by $90 million on an annual basis.



The company also decided to withdraw its 2020 guidance due to macroeconomic uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the fourth-quarter 2019 earnings release, the company provided its 2020 adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow guidance in the range of $415-$455 million and $100-$140 million, respectively.



It had $425 million in the revolving credit facility as of Mar 31, which will provide the company with ample liquidity for any potential stress during the COVID-19 pandemic period.



Fight Against COVID-19



The outbreak of novel coronavirus has impacted the health and financial well being of thousands of Americans. Per John Hopkins University, 601,472 people in the United States are currently infected, out of which 24,429 have lost their lives. Millions of Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. The U.S. Government has announced $2-trillion economic stimulus packages to counter the shock in the U.S. economy that resulted from the outbreak of this virus. The financial incentives will provide some relief to millions of Americans who have experienced job loss due to COVID-19.



One of the best possible ways to fight COVID-19 is social distancing and staying at homes. Governments across the globe have announced various degrees of lockdown to ensure social distancing. As the vast majority of the worlds population is staying at homes, it has helped to flatten the exponential curve of the pandemic. Maintaining personal hygiene and washing hands with soap at regular intervals will assist people to keep the virus at bay. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends Americans to continue using and drinking tap water as it is not contaminated with COVID-19 virus. Water utilities like American Water Works AWK and California Water Service Group CWT have announced 24x7 supply of water to customers even in the event of non-payment of dues.



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Story continues

Murphy USA delivered average positive earnings surprise of 30.5% in the last four quarters and the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 has moved up nearly 4% in the past 60 days to $6 per share.



Price Performance



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Irish telecoms firms say they will give customers slack on bills and data limits during the lockdown.

The four big providers - Eir, Vodafone, Three and Virgin -say they will ease restrictions on 'fair use' limits applied to broadband and mobile data packages. Customers facing difficulties paying bills will also be given additional leeway, the operators say.

Other players, such as Sky, Tesco Mobile and Pure Telecom, have also signed up to the overarching commitment, which was proposed by Communications Minister Richard Bruton. The operators also say they will discount access to healthcare and educational websites from being counted for data limits.

And customers who do not have fixed broadband will "have the opportunity" to get "unlimited mobile data access from their service provider".

The measures are to be observed by telecoms firms until June 30, according to a joint statement from the companies and the Government.

However, the firms will also be allowed to put in "appropriate" traffic management "to avoid network congestion", meaning data speeds may slow down for a variety of users.

ComReg recently announced additional spectrum capacity for mobile operators would be provided at a nominal cost, to help networks deal with a surge in demand for communications services.

Operators say call and data volumes have risen by as much as 50pc in the last three weeks as the country tries to do business remotely.

"These commitments will make sure that all major providers are responding to this increased reliance, providing extra capacity where needed and ensuring people have the services they need to stay connected," said Mr Bruton. "These are common commitments."
Untwisting chains of atoms within a plastic polymer improves its ability to conduct electricity, according to a report by researchers, led by Nagoya University applied physicist Hisaaki Tanaka, in the journal Science Advances. The insight could help accelerate the development of wearable power sources for a vast number of Internet-of-things devices.

The 'smart' societies of the future are expected to contain a large number of electronic devices that are interconnected through the Internet: the so-called Internet-of-things. Scientists have been looking for ways to use body heat to charge some types of micro-devices and sensors. But this requires lightweight, non-toxic, wearable, and flexible thermoelectric generators.

Plastics that can conduct electricity, called conducting polymers, could fill this bill, but their thermoelectric performance needs to be improved. Their thin films have highly disordered structures, formed of crystalline and non-crystalline parts, making it notoriously difficult to understand their properties and thus find ways to optimize their performance.

Tanaka worked with colleagues in Japan to understand the thermoelectric properties of a highly conductive thiophene-based polymer, called PBTTT. They added or 'doped' the polymer with a thin ion electrolyte gel, which is known to improve conductivity. The gel only infiltrates the polymer successfully when a specific electric voltage is applied.

They used a variety of measurement techniques to understand the polymer's electronic and structural changes when doped. They found that, without the electrolyte gel, the PBTTT chain is highly twisted. Doping it with a critical amount of electrolyte untwists the chain and creates links between its crystalline parts, improving electron conductivity.

The scientists report that the formation of this interconnected conductive network is what determines the polymer's maximum thermoelectric performance, which they were able to uniquely observe in this study.

They are now looking into ways to optimize the thermoelectric performance of thin film conducting polymers through material design and changing the fabrication conditions.

###

The article, "Thermoelectric properties of a semicrystalline polymer doped beyond the insulator-to-metal transition by electrolyte gating," was published in the journal Science Advances on February 14, 2020 at DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay8065.

This work was financially supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (JP17H01069 and 19K22127) and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (JP26102012) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and by JST CREST (JPMJCR17I5).

For more information, contact:

Prof. Taishi Takenobu

Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University

Email: takenobu@nagoya-u.jp

About Nagoya University, Japan

Nagoya University has a history of about 150 years, with its roots in a temporary medical school and hospital established in 1871, and was formally instituted as the last Imperial University of Japan in 1939. Although modest in size compared to the largest universities in Japan, Nagoya University has been pursuing excellence since its founding. Six of the 18 Japanese Nobel Prize-winners since 2000 did all or part of their Nobel Prize-winning work at Nagoya University: four in Physics - Toshihide Maskawa and Makoto Kobayashi in 2008, and Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano in 2014; and two in Chemistry - Ryoji Noyori in 2001 and Osamu Shimomura in 2008. In mathematics, Shigefumi Mori did his Fields Medal-winning work at the University. A number of other important discoveries have also been made at the University, including the Okazaki DNA Fragments by Reiji and Tsuneko Okazaki in the 1960s; and depletion forces by Sho Asakura and Fumio Oosawa in 1954.
In South Dakota, the virus struck hundreds of workers at a single pork processing plant. In Illinois and Michigan, a half dozen grocery workers died and others fell ill. In New York, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of dozens of transit employees. Among health care workers, at least 27 have died and 9,200 have contracted the virus.

As the country contemplates returning more employees to work and reopening the economy, the key federal agency tasked with ensuring workplace safety is drawing withering criticism from advocates who say the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is falling down on the job.

OSHA has been totally absent from the response, said David Michaels, an epidemiologist and public health professor at The George Washington University who oversaw the agency during the Obama administration from 2009 to 2017. It is shocking and disheartening because OSHA should be out front leading the federal efforts to protect workers.

Under federal law, the agency has jurisdiction over most workplaces in the country and can issue regulations and enforce them with inspections, citations and legal action. In recent weeks, OSHA has issued guidance on how to keep workers safe, such encouraging employees who are sick to stay home and providing hand-washing stations. But the guidance is advisory in nature and creates no new legal obligations.

A class war? A global power shift? How experts see the future after coronavirus

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The agency says it has a number of existing enforcement tools it is using to help address worker protections against COVID-19. They include an overarching authority to make sure companies provide workplaces free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.

OSHA can and will use enforcement, as necessary, to ensure the protection of workers exposed to COVID-19, OSHA said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.

Story continues

The agency declined to say how many complaints related to the coronavirus outbreak it has received or what enforcement actions it has taken.

Workers are separated by sheeting at a Tyson Foods plant in Camilla, Georgia.

According to a Bloomberg Law report, since March 1, OSHA fielded 1,819 virus-related complaints and 52 employer-reported cases. The Washington Post reported Thursday the agency has received 3,000 such complaints since January.

At least one of those came after a big-box store employee in Illinois died March 25. A lawyer for his estate asked OSHA to open an investigation into his death, but the agency said it couldnt, according to a voicemail message from an agency official.

OSHA does not have any jurisdiction on enforcing anything related to COVID-19 at this time, the official said in an April 6 message provided by the lawyer to USA TODAY. The official said the most OSHA could do was notify the employer. OSHA did not immediately respond Thursday to questions about the voicemail.

Workers 'lost faith in organizations'

Willie Martin says his mom, Annie Grant, was a tiny woman with a huge personality who gave him hugs as needed and loved to chat with the grandkids on FaceTime.

Until three weeks ago, when the 55-year-old became sick in Camilla, Georgia, where she'd worked at the local Tyson Foods chicken processing center for more than a decade.

Grant died April 9, one of at least three employees in the giant poultry plant to die from COVID-19 within a week.

"It's something that's hard to get over for me and my siblings," Martin said. "I feel like this is a dream and I'm going to wake up and my mom's going to call me."

Edgar Fields, regional director for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said employees and representatives had complained for weeks to Tyson about "elbow-to-elbow" working conditions and a lack of protective gear, to no avail.

A car passes in front of a Tyson Foods Inc., sign at Tyson headquarters in Springdale, Ark.

Hector Gonzalez, a senior vice president at Tyson Foods, said in a statement the company is heartbroken over the loss of team members from our family at Camilla, Georgia."

"The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated communities in southern Georgia and throughout the world," he said, adding the company has implemented measures to protect employees, including by installing workstation dividers and providing more break room space.

Fields said employees often feel seeking government help is a waste of time.

A lot of these workers have lost faith in organizations that are supposed to protect you, Fields added. "I don't see anything that OSHA's doing to make a difference for workers' safety ... Workers are secondary to whatever they're doing  or whatever they're not doing."

A push for emergency standards

Deborah Berkowitz, a former OSHA senior policy adviser now with the National Employment Law Project, said the agency exists because some companies cant be trusted to do the right thing on their own.

She singled out meat and poultry plants, which she said had high injury and illness rates before the pandemic.

Why would you think they would voluntarily take the right steps for COVID-19 when they dont really take the right steps for other traditional health and safety hazards? Berkowitz said.

She and other advocates, including unions, want OSHA to issue emergency temporary standards for the coronavirus pandemic. The AFL-CIO joined with a number of other large unions last month to petition the agency to issue such standards covering an array of concerns, including protective gear, medical screening and training.

OSHA has the obligation to ensure the health and safety of all working people, particularly from an infectious disease such as this coronavirus, the labor groups wrote in a petition to Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia.

OSHA declined to say whether it plans to issue an emergency standard and pointed instead to a list of guidance the agency already issued and authorities it already has.

The agency created a regulation for blood-borne diseases in the early 1990's in response to HIV/AIDs. It imposes requirements for industries where workers may be exposed to blood products or bodily fluids, including protective measures and training.

After H1N1 flu hit in 2009, OSHA started to draft a standard to prevent the spread of airborne diseases like coronavirus in healthcare workplaces, but the effort was shelved when Trump took office, a move Michaels and other former Obama administration officials decried.

This administration is opposed to regulation, Michaels said. "They have to be dragged kicking and screaming into any requirements on corporations.

The general duty standard, which the agency says it is relying upon to force companies to provide worker protections for coronavirus, can be difficult to interpret and enforce.

Still, Michael LeRoy, an employment law professor with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said it can be applied, though OSHA should clarify exactly what is required.

"I don't think it's fair to knock them at this point," LeRoy added. "(But) now is the time to speak up ... we now have enough information to say, 'If we have a grocery store worker who is not behind a plexiglass screen,' and you can fill in the rest."

Lawyer: weak enforcement 'ridiculous'

Walmart employee Wando Evans was 51 years old and had been an overnight stock and maintenance worker for more than 15 years at the retailers store in Evergreen, Illinois, before he died March 25.

The lawyer for his estate, Tony Kalogerakos, filed what may be the first wrongful death lawsuit related to coronavirus, alleging Evans contracted the disease at work.

The lawsuit claims Walmart supervisors failed to follow cleaning, social distancing and other safety guidelines; didnt tell Evans and others that coworkers had COVID-19 symptoms; and didnt provide workers with protective gear. One of Evans coworkers died from the virus a few days after he did, according to the complaint.

The OSHA official said in the voicemail declining to investigate the death that the only thing she could do was tell Walmart she had received a complaint and send the retailer information about Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety guidelines.

Its ridiculous," Kalogerakos said. Why even make the recommendations in the first place?

Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said cleaning and sanitizing measures were reinforced, and the store passed a health department inspection. The company, he said, has taken steps across the country to protect workers and customers.

On Monday, OSHA issued enforcement guidance saying complaints affecting workers with a high risk of exposure to coronavirus patients in certain health care jobs may result in on-site inspections.

But that likely doesn't apply to Walmart, Tyson Foods or thousands of non-medical businesses; OSHA said complaints from essential workers in other sectors will typically trigger only a letter asking the employer to investigate and respond with a description of any corrective action taken. If an adequate response is not received, OSHA may conduct an inspection.

Those workplaces are  let's put it this way  are highly unlikely to get inspected, which is how I read the protocol to be, said Michael Felsen, former regional counsel for the U.S. Department of Labor who is now a fellow at Justice at Work, an advocacy organization in Boston.

When will life return to normal? Expert says US testing is too far behind to know

Where are you required to wear a face mask? States and cities make it a rule

Matt Deffebach, an attorney who specializes in OSHA cases, said employers rely on experts, especially the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, to identify known hazards and proper protective measures.

COVID-19 is clearly hazardous, he added, but there is uncertainty about abatement methods, in part because safety precautions vary for each job and industry.

Standards also are evolving with time. Deffebagh noted in early March he attended a Bar conference on occupational safety and health with more than 100 lawyers, including some who work for OSHA. During the California gathering, handshakes were common and there was no social distancing.

"We were all sitting around conference tables," Deffebach said. "It wasn't that long ago, but it seems like a year ago."

A patchwork of worker protection

Some state and local authorities issued their own mandates for workplaces operating as the virus continues its deadly spread.

In Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont directed state agencies to issue legally binding statewide rules that include, among other requirements, masks, plexiglass shields at checkout stands and six-foot markers for customers waiting in line at retail establishments. Washington state has issued similar rules requiring social distancing, hand-washing and hazard training.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont delivers the State of the State during opening session at the State Capitol, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Hartford, Conn.

In San Diego, the county public health officer issued restrictions including requirements that employees in childcare, food services, transportation, banks and other essential businesses wear cloth face coverings during times of public contact. Social distancing is mandatory, and emergency regulations warn "any business failing to successfully implement social distancing and sanitation shall be closed."

I think youre going to start to see slowly more and more states and more and more counties moving in that direction, said Tressi Cordaro, a partner in the Virginia office of law firm Jackson Lewis and chair of the firms Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group.

In the meantime, employee safeguards are a patchwork.

In San Francisco, bus driver Roger Marenco said he grew more and more fearful as coronavirus spread through the city, especially among people who are homeless.

Drivers were not given masks, said Marenco, president of Transport Workers Union Local 250A, or gloves or hand sanitizer. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said it began providing gloves and sanitizer in early March and masks on April 3, after local health officials recommended them.

Marenco said drivers still feel endangered. He said it seemed pointless to complain to OSHA  a slow, bureaucratic tangle up against a fast-moving pandemic  so he and some colleagues went rogue, covering up cash boxes and putting markers on bus floors for social distancing.

When administrators questioned his authority to take such actions, Marenco said he told them: "I have the authority to protect the health and safety of our members. And their lives are in jeopardy right now.

Maria Perez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a member of the USA TODAY Network, contributing.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus, OSHA guidance: Workplace safety agency criticized
Congress will have to put more money into the Paycheck Protection Program, which already has committed $349 billion to help small businesses keep their employees on the payroll, Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst said Thursday.

The Small Business Administration says that it has approved more than 1.6 million loans worth more than $339 billion. The program will likely run out of money Thursday, making it the first of those included in the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to run out of money.

I think everybody was surprised at how quickly the money was distributed, Grassley said. Im sure that everybody thought, $350 billion, heck, thats a lot of money.' So we were surprised. The first week, we knew it wasnt going to be enough.

The U.S. senators from Iowa support adding another $250 billion to the program that offers forgivable loans to businesses that keep their employees on the payroll. That took on added importance with the announcement that another 5.2 million people filed for unemployment benefits over the past week, Grassley said.

So were going to need more money, Grassley said during his weekly conference call with reporters.
By Trend





Azerbaijani citizens who are abroad will be able to return to the country from April 20, Ibrahim Mammadov, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, said.

Mammadov made the remark in Baku at the press-conference on April 15, Trend reports.

The Operational Headquarters is considering the issue of opening the borders, the spokesman said.

As the quarantine zones were full, the borders were closed, Mammadov said. After April 20, conditions will be created for receiving 300-400 people from abroad weekly. A big number of people are expected to arrive from Russia.

For this purpose, the website 'Eve gedirem' (Im going home) will start to operate on April 17, Mammadov added. The people wishing to come to Azerbaijan from Russia will have to register via the website. The process will start on April 20. Then citizens from Turkey and other countries may gradually arrive. All these people will be on quarantine for a period of 14-21 days.
One of the six active COVID-19



patients in Puducherry was discharged from a hospital here on Thursday following his recovery while no fresh cases were reported in the union territory, a Health department official said.

The man from neighbouring Ariyankuppam is the second patient to recover from coronavirus in the union territory after a 68-year old woman was cured in Mahe, an enclave in Kerala.

He was among the five people who had tested positive after returning from Delhi (Tablighi jamaat event) last month, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar told PTI.

The official said no fresh COVID19 case was reported in the union territory on Thursday.

The man from Aryiankuppam was admitted to the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital here, the designated COVID-19 facility, on March 31 while others were on diffrent dates in the space of a few days.

The sixth patient, a woman, was a contact of one of the five Delhi returnees.

Mohan Kumar said the Health department extended felicitations to the patient who had recovered from the infection on his discharge.

The union territory has reported its first coronavirus death of a man from Mahe at a hospital in neighbouring Kannur on April 11.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Australian student is facing expulsion by the University of Queensland after he publicly questioned the school's close relationship with China and was termed an "anti-China separatist" by a Chinese diplomat with close ties to the school.



The university is taking disciplinary action against conservative student activist Drew Pavlou, who has repeatedly criticized the university's close ties with the Chinese Communist Party.



The university has accused Pavlou, 20, of harming its reputation, engaging in intimidating and disrespectful conduct and disrupting the running of the university, among other charges.



Pavlou -- who has said he suffers from depression -- faces 11 allegations of misconduct, including activities that the authorities say breached its integrity and harassment policies and the student charter, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.



The authorities have presented as "evidence" of his alleged misconduct social media comments he made regarding the pro democracy movement in Hong Kong, in which he claimed to be speaking "on behalf of the university" following his election as student representative to the university senate.



On the petition website Change.org, more than 11,000 people had signed a petition calling for the disciplinary procedure against Pavlou to be dropped by 17.45 GMT on .



Pavlou has also reported being physically attacked by Chinese Communist Party supporters during a campus brawl at UQ sparked by Chinese students' opposition to a Hong Kong protest-related activity.



According to UQ, Pavlou also allegedly placed a sign on the UQ Confucius Institute -- a cultural organization embedded in campuses around the world and directly staffed and controlled by the Chinese government -- in March, declaring it was a "biohazard" amid the coronavirus epidemic, according to a post he made on Facebook.



Critic of UQ's China ties

Pavlou has said he is being singled out because of his specific criticisms of UQ's relationship with China.



A UQ spokeswoman denied this on . "The university rejects Mr Pavlous statement that the universitys process is an attempt to penalize him for airing his political beliefs," she told RFA.



Xu Jie, the Chinese Consul General in Brisbane, has previously accused Pavlou of engaging in "anti-China separatist activities." China's Global Times tabloid newspaper, published by Communist Party paper the People's Daily, has made similar claims.



Xu was awarded the post of visiting professor by UQ vice president Peter Hoj on , 2019, a move which also drew criticism from Pavlou at the time.



Feng Chongyi, a political researcher at the University of Technology in Sydney, said UQ is very likely retaliating against Pavlou's criticisms of China.



"It is totally unacceptable for somebody to be [disciplined] over their [political] speech in Australia," Feng said. "It is unacceptable that UQ has no hesitation in breaching someone's human rights because of the benefits of their China deals."



"The university is exactly like the Chinese Communist Party ... targeting him for his speech and then saying it's for other reasons."



Feng said China has supporters and agents throughout public life in Australia, including politics, business and higher education.



Wu Lebao, an international student at the Australian National University, said UQ could easily go along with claims by Little Pink Chinese nationalists that criticism of China is racist in making charges against Pavlou.



Solidarity with Hong Kong, Tibet and the Uyghurs

He said the Little Pinks carry out monitoring operations to keep track of anyone taking part in events showing solidarity with Hong Kong, Tibet or the Uyghurs, and taking Beijing's propaganda war to streets and campuses around the world.



Wu cited the intimidation and disruption of Hong Kong students and their supporters on UQ campus last July.



"Instead of punishing them, they are going along with the Chinese Communist Party's wishes, which are to punish opponents of Beijing," he said. "This incompatible with freedom of speech here in Australia."



"Western governments and universities are reluctant to risk the accusation that they are persecuting so-called minority groups," Wu said. "But these Little Pink students have direct connections to the Chinese embassy and act as thugs for a totalitarian regime. They don't represent an ethnic minority."



U.S.-based legal scholar Teng Biao agreed.



"[This is] about revenge against Pavlou for his long-term human rights activism," Teng said. "It is also the latest example of the overseas influence of the Chinese Communist Party and of self-censorship by Western universities to pander to Beijing."



"If this attempt succeeds, it will be a serious infringement of Australian citizens' freedom of speech, and will have a chilling effect, meaning that fewer people will dare to criticize the Chinese Communist Party," he said.



Sulaiman Gu, a research student at the University of Georgia said he has long been concerned about Pavlou, who he said had received death threats last year.



"The school is trying to expel the victim, and there is a political motive behind it," Gu said. "If an Australian citizen can be expelled from universities in their own country for criticizing China ... this will turn those universities into Beijing's party schools, just without the party committee."

Australia feels the heat from Beijing

Pavlou, who also criticized China's system of internment camps that hold as many as 1.8 million Uyghurs and force them to undergo political indoctrination, received sympathy from exile Uyghur intellectuals and groups, many of whom face harassment from Chinese agents in foreign countries.

"It's disturbing that a student activist is on the verge of being expelled from an university in a democratic country for exercising his free speech. It's another example of CCP's nefarious influence that threatens fundamental freedoms of people in a democracy," U.S.-based Uyghur attorney and activist Nury Turkel told RFAs Uyghur Service.



"The University of Queensland should not cave into foreign influence to silence an Australian student who is exercising his freedom and constitutional rights to raise awareness on the human rights abuses, especially the arbitrary detention of millions of Uyghurs in Chinas concentration camps," he added.



Australian author and professor of public ethics Clive Hamiltons book, Silent Invasion: Chinas Influence in Australia, was initially turned down by three publishers citing fears of reprisals from Beijing.



Finally published in , Silent Invasion argues that Australias elites, and parts of the countrys large Chinese-Australian diaspora, have been mobilized by Beijing to gain access to politicians, limit academic freedom, intimidate critics, gather information for Chinese intelligence agencies, and organize protests against Australian government policy.



According to Reuters, the Chinese Communist Party was behind a massive cyber attack on the Australian national parliament ahead of May's general election.



The agency cited the country's cyber intelligence agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), as saying that Beijing was responsible for the attack on the parliament and the three largest political parties, and that originated with the Ministry of State Security in Beijing. The findings were initially kept secret to avoid damaging trade ties.



Canberra last year said it would crack down on suspected Chinese Communist Party influencers in the country following the introduction of new laws targeting activities by lobbyists and agents of foreign governments in , and later denied a passport to a top Chinese businessman.



In , the authorities rejected the citizenship application of a prominent Chinese billionaire and revoked his permanent residency there over concerns about his ties to Beijing.



Huang Xiangmo had made donations of nearly U.S. $1.9 million to political parties in Australia over the five years prior to lodging his application.



Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Alim Seytoff for the Uyghur Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Understanding Your Financial Options During the Coronavirus

The coronavirus has created a lot of uncertainty for many businesses and households.

Whilst there are millions currently on furlough, unemployed and business owners biting their nails over the next few months, there are a number of financial options available from your bank and providers that can help manage your cash flow more effectively.

Whether you have an immediate loss of income, extra costs or have gone out of business, there are financial options available through a number of government initiatives and financial options below.

Households

One of the biggest areas to save for households is on mortgage payments, where the UK government and banks have agreed to offer payment holidays of up to 3 months.

You will need to demonstrate a loss of income and difficulty in repaying your mortgage as a result of the coronavirus; and that you are not applying as part of a long-term financial issue.

With the average UK household spending 671 on their mortgage each month, this could provide a saving of around 2,100 to the average family.

Tax

The UK has offered VAT and self-assessment tax delays for individuals and businesses who are looking to maintain their cash flow.

This comes after the US agreed to over 90 days of tax-free living and a 1,000stipend to each US citizen.

For many self-employed and small businesses, the ability to defer tax payments will offer a healthy balance short-term.

However, people that claim this should ensure that they have sufficient funds available when their full tax balance could be due and significantly higher, this time next year.

Business Bank Accounts

For those using business bank accounts, customers can use their overdraft during COVID-19 without incurring any fees.

Currently, this is limited to just 500, however, different terms may apply depending on the bank, your previous payment history, and company turnover.

If you do not have an overdraft, you may request one from your bank and this may be subject to affordability.

If you are looking for the best business bank accounts and looking to save money during the pandemic, look at which companies do not offer any upfront or monthly fees and come with an overdraft facility.

Credit Card Debts

The FCA announced last week that all banks and credit card providers can offer customers the chance to freeze credit card payments for up to 3 months.

This will not impact the individuals credit score or incur any extra fees, but for many will provide a lot of important breathing space.

The measures include any credit cards and store cards and banks have been told that they cannot suspend cards during this period either.

Whilst the eligibility criteria is not fully certain and will be treated on a case-by-case basis by each bank or provider, this should not be seen as a long term solution and there may not be leniency on people on regularly default on credit card payments.

Outstanding Loans

Part of the FCA announcement confirmed that anyone with outstanding loans may also be eligible for a three-month interest repayment, including personal, guarantor, logbook and business loans.

Customers will equally not have any impact on their credit score or be charged anything extra, but they will still be liable for full repayments and to see through the terms of their loans.

Currently, individuals cannot take payment holidays for peer to peer loans, car finance or payday loans.

Mortgages

With mortgage payments deferred for up to 3 months in the UK, those looking to save on their mortgage can find other options, including remortgaging at a lower rate or getting an interest-only mortgage to save money in the short-term.

There are a number of people worldwide who are desperate to complete on properties, whether they have had their mortgage offer expire or have legal obligations to complete.

During this distressed time, they can look at forms of specialist finance, including bridging loans, which involve borrowing from a non-bank and avoiding the lengthy process that may have been restricted during COVID-19.
Lalitha Ranjani By

Express News Service

MADURAI: Were sanitary workers at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) who shifted patients out of the old Coronavirus isolation ward and later cleaned the ward not given adequate safety gear? That is what a 35-year-old sanitary worker at the hospital, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, told Express on Wednesday. This suggests negligence that endangers the lives of the workers on the part of hospital authorities.



When questioned about the workers account, the hospital dean Dr J Sangumani said that the patient is a worker employed by a private company on contract-basis and that everyone posted on duty at the COVID-19 ward is being given PPE (personal protective equipment) kits as the hospital has adequate supply.



The sanitary worker, a resident of Mathichiyam and father of a three-month-old infant, has been working at GRH for the past six years. As a contract employee, he earns Rs 8,000 a month  he received a raise nearly two years ago  and is not entitled to any benefits including paid leave or insurance. Fellow workers describe him as "hard-working and committed". He is the first hospital sanitary worker in Madurai district to have contracted the Coronavirus infection. He is now being treated at the exclusive COVID-19 Superspeciality hospital (Superspeciality Block of GRH).



"A couple of weeks ago, the extended Coronavirus isolation ward, that was temporarily set up in the first floor old Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) block of GRH, was being shifted to the hospital's Superspeciality Block. I was not on regular duty at the ward but was called only for cleaning work for two days, the worker told Express.



According to the worker, as part of the shifting process five sanitary workers were told to help shift the patients and clean the ward afterwards.



On the first day, I moved all the four patients from the isolation ward to male medical ward (ward number 113) at the administrative block of the hospital. While three of them walked, I shifted the fourth patient in a wheelchair as he was unable to walk at the time, the worker recalled.



Sources at the hospital said that as renovation works at the Intensive Medical Care Unit (IMCU) were underway, a portion of the male medical ward was temporarily converted into IMCU around that time.



"Since the workers who work at the isolation ward are usually told to take a day off the following day, I returned to work at the isolation ward on the third day. The ward was empty by then. That day, a few other workers and I cleaned the ward by mopping the floor, dusting the fans and lights. I also collected the used PPE kits that were discarded by the staff nurses and doctors, who were posted on duty at the ward, for biomedical waste disposal," the worker said.



Asked what safety gear was provided to the sanitary workers at the ward, he said, "While the staff nurses and the doctors were dressed in blue suits (PPE kits), with gloves and triple-layer masks or N95 masks, the other workers and I were only given gloves and cloth masks (stitched at the hospital) on the days of my duty at the ward.



Neither did they give us PPE kits and nor did we demand any, thinking that our work at the ward was only for a short duration compared to that of the duty doctors and nurses, he said.



While the WHO guidelines on transport of patients and handling of healthcare waste recommends workers wear full PPE, Union Health Ministry guidelines on rational use of PPE place sanitation workers at moderate risk and recommend use of gloves and N95 masks.



After a day's leave, the worker was posted on duty at the triage ward (ward number 5A) where he continued to work for about a week until April 10, he said. The worker said that after reporting to work on Friday afternoon, he approached the Casualty (ward number 5) seeking medicine, as he had a mild fever.



He was subjected to tests and admitted to the COVID-19 Superspeciality hospital the same night. "Two days later, on the morning of April 12, a duty doctor informed me that I had tested positive for COVID-19 and I was shifted to the third floor from the second floor," he said, adding that the fever had subsided and he had no other symptom.



Meanwhile, the 35-year-old wife of the worker said, "Since his admission to the hospital, my daughter and I have been asked not to visit him and were told to be in home quarantine. In the meantime, we were also tested on the afternoon of April 12 and I was told that we both were free from the infection the same evening. But, it was only on April 14, at around 10 pm, that health officials came to our house and told us that my husband had tested positive for COVID-19. My husband told me he had tested positive on Sunday but I did not believe him at the time, she said.



Elaborating on her husband's condition, she said, "Isolated and alone, he feels very anxious to return home to our daughter and keeps asking about being discharged whenever we speak over the phone (our only mode of communication). Since we do not own smartphones, he manages with the photograph of our daughter that he has on his phone. He'd tell everyone that our daughter, who was born after a three-year wait, was a true blessing and would take better care of her than I would. Now, he misses her deeply, longing to see her at least from a distance and that makes me break down, she said.



He is stressed that he has nothing to do throughout the day to keep him engaged, with no company to speak to at the hospital, completely cut off from the outside world, said his wife. She added, "I offered to send newspapers and books to my husband, who has studied till class X, but he refused saying the hospital staff might not allow it."



The workers account of how his days at the isolation ward are spent suggests that GRH is not providing any counselling to COVID-19 patients who feel distressed. "I wake up at around 7am and I am given beverages and good food at timely intervals. Two others stay in the room with me but are at a good distance. I talk to my wife and I use the phone of a patient's attendant to watch movies. Otherwise, I am left with nothing to do but sit idle, he said.



Speaking about patient care, he said that the duty doctors "ask" about his health condition and symptoms and prescribe medicines that are given by the nurses folded in a piece of paper.
Pelosi Warns Trump of Swift Challenge to 'Senseless' US Order to Stop Funding WHO

Sputnik News

16:27 GMT 15.04.2020(updated 16:45 GMT 15.04.2020)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of illegally cutting off funding to the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) and warned the president to expect a quick challenge to his action.

"The President's halting of funding to the WHO as it leads the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic is senseless", Pelosi said in a statement. "This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged."

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had instructed his administration to stop US funding for WHO, which he accused of grossly mismanaging and covering-up the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Trump decried the agency for accepting China's claims in January that the virus was not contagious and delaying the declaration of an emergency until the end of the month.

Many states have slammed Trump's decision in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK said that London will not follow Washington's lead on withholding WHO contributions, but refused to condemn the US move.

The US Chamber of Commerce earlier in the day said that the president compromised US interests by ending Washington's funding to the agency.

At the same time, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it expects to continue cooperating with the WHO to mitigate the novel coronavirus pandemic.

 Sputnik

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Re: Hard no to needles in prison

I would be happy to explain the rationale for clean needles in prison to Mr. Bishop.

Population Health Officers are tasked to stop viruses at their source, and stop contagion. They work with urgency regardless of who the human host is, their tax bracket, or if that person is a criminal.

If someone contracts COVID-19 we offer them hand sanitizer, masks, and safe medical care to prevent the virus from spreading. Those supplies reduce harm from spreading to others. Viruses do not discriminate based on class or criminal records.They dont limit going viral to people who didnt wash their hands or failed to use clean needles or condoms.

Clean needles are not provided to enable someones drug use while exploiting tax payers. Clean needles are provided to stop the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Supplying clean needles does not mean were also providing free, illicit drugs. In some cases, legal pharmaceutical substitutes like suboxone or methadone are prescribed by physicians to facilitate a graduated tapering off from street drug dependence.

Ideally no one would inject illicit drugs, have unsafe sex, or forget to wash their hands during a pandemic. Realistically, its as impossible to prevent drugs from getting behind bars, as it is to ensure everyone adheres to safe sexual practices after coming home from the bar. Every prison in North America, including maximum security prisons, is a wet facility because no matter what we try, we cant keep drugs out. It is a better trap, better mouse problem - and expensive to continually stay ahead of.

So, condoms are available in bathroom stalls of clubs and high schools. And sterile needles are available in places with rates of drug use, such as prisons. This makes some taxpayers frown, but more importantly, it helps blood borne diseases die of exposure before they can spread.

If someone contracts HIV, this increases the risk of them contracting and spreading the virus to others (family members, sexual partners, children - present & future, employees of the prison, etc.) A group that faces a high risk of contracting HIV from strangers are emergency and health care providers who are exposed to blood borne illnesses at work, including Paramedics, nurses, physicians, support workers, care aids, RCMP.

Advocates for those workers were some of the first voices to champion harm reduction & sterile needle exchange policies, in part because they have a right to work in a safe environment. Cancelling such policies puts those valued workers, and the broader public at unnecessary risk. When HIV rates go up, so do public health care costs.

Thankfully, harm reduction policies to contain HIV and COVID-19 are determined by qualified physicians like Dr. Bonnie Henry, rather than Castanet readers.

Amanda Poon
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 22:30:38|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has arrested six people including the brother of a former minister, in relation to an ongoing investigation into last year's Easter Sunday terror bombings which killed over 250 people, local media reported Thursday.

Police Spokesman SP Jaliya Senarathna was quoted by local media reports as saying that the investigations into the bombings were now being conducted by a team of specialists and among the latest arrests by the CID was also a lawyer and a customs officer.

"The suspects are detained under a 90-day detention order and are held under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)," SP Jaliya told the local Daily FT.

He added that the police will produce the suspects before a magistrate as soon as possible but did not specify a date citing the complexity of the investigation.

The CID is looking into all persons who were in direct contact with the suicide bombers, he said.

A local radical group the National Thawheed Jammath has been blamed for the attack planning. Enditem
ISTANBUL - An organized crime boss serving a prison sentence in Turkey was set free Thursday as Turkish authorities continued releasing thousands of inmates to ease overcrowding during the coronavirus pandemic while moving to keep government critics behind bars.

Far-right mob boss Alaattin Cakici was released from an Ankara prison and planned to sequester at a friends hotel in western Turkey, defence lawyer Zeynep Ciftci tweeted. The private DHA and IHA news agencies filmed Cakicis convoy leaving the prison.

The 67-year-old was imprisoned for convictions on charges that included instigating murder, armed attack, money laundering, leading an illegal organization and insulting the president. Cakici had served 16 years of his decades-long sentences before his release.

At the same time, scores of journalists, activists, and politicians and members from opposition parties are ineligible for early release under penal legislation that took effect this week. The updated law changes the conditions for prisoners to be released on probation and reduces the minimum time that must be served for some convictions.

The law, which was fast-tracked as Turkey responds to the pandemic, does not apply to people charged with or convicted of sex and drug crimes, murder in the first degree, or violating Turkeys intelligence law. It also excludes inmates held on terror charges, a crime of which numerous government critics stand accused.

Following a coup attempt in 2016, tens of thousands of people were arrested for alleged terror links to the network of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and the outlawed Kurdish insurgency.

Opposition parties and rights groups have slammed the legislation, charging Turkeys broad terror laws are used to crack down on freedom of expression.

At least 85 journalists are behind bars, according to the Journalists Union of Turkey. The pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party says more than 3,500 party members, including former party leaders and lawmakers, are imprisoned.

The main secular opposition Republican Peoples Party said it would apply to the constitutional Court to get the law repealed. The partys deputy chairman, Engin Ozkoc, said the law unjustly frees prisoners who hurt the public conscience while keeping the ones holding pens behind bars.

Before signing the measure into law, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the legal changes were designed for the need to update the criminal justice system and also addressed the threat posed by the coronavirus.

Every precaution, from hygiene to quarantines, are being taken to prevent these people from catching this pandemic, he added.

Turkey has reported 69,392 virus cases and 1,518 deaths, according to the latest Health Ministry figures. The justice minister said earlier this week that 17 inmates in minimum-security prisons had tested positive for the new coronavirus and three had died.

Turkeys official Anadolu news agency said 15,000 inmates held in maximum and medium-security prisons and 30,000 inmates in minimum-security prisons are eligible for release under the new rules. Another 45,000 are to be allowed early supervised release under house arrest to address prison overcrowding. The legislation also releases to house arrest women with young children, the sick and some prisoners above age 65.

Two European Union lawmakers called the law a great disappointment.

Turkish ruling parties have decided to deliberately expose the lives of journalists, human rights defenders and those whom they deem to be political opponents to the risk of the deadly disease COVID-19, the European Parliaments standing rapporteur on Turkey, Nacho Sanchez Amor, and the chair of a parliamentary delegation to an EU-Turkey joint committee, Sergey Lagodinsky, said.

Cakici is close to a nationalist politician who is allied with the Turkish government. The politician, Devlet Bahceli, had demanded amnesty for him.

Cakicis involvement in organized crime and the far-right in Turkey are well-documented. He was active in violence against leftist groups before a military coup in 1980, and continues to have devoted followers.
SBK Law Group Sullivan, a seasoned attorney in his 10th year of practice, commented: "Reese, Michelle, and I all have strong ties to Downers Grove and Naperville. We are proud to establish our law firm here and to support the legal needs of the citizens in these great communities.

Attorney Sean P. Sullivan provides exceptional legal counsel in the practice areas of Family Law and Business Law. Sean began his law career by working as a law clerk at a Chicago personal injury law firm, gaining invaluable experience in litigation for large civil cases and class action lawsuits. After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa, Sean received his Juris Doctorate degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

While attending law school, Sean completed an internship with the Cook County Public Defenders Office, where he worked on the well-renowned Homicide Task Force. He also worked in the General Counsels Office for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in addition to a general practice firm in DuPage County before joining SBK Law Group. Sean is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, in addition to the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois: US District Court Bar Associations.

Attorney Reese Krajniak began her career as a solo practitioner by opening her own firm in 2010 in Chicago. In 2016, she started Krajniak Law Group, and in 2020, she joined Michelle and Sean to form SBK Law Group. She focuses her practice on Estate Planning, Family Law, Immigration, and Tax Preparation. Reese earned her undergraduate degree from Marquette University and her Juris Doctorate degree from Florida Coastal School of Law (FCSL), graduating early in just over two years.

Active in the local community, Reese serves on the Board of Directors for Chamber630 for DuPage County, where she was recognized as the Young Professional of the Year in 2018. Reese is a member of the Florida and the Illinois State Bar Associations, plus the Northern District of Illinois, US District Court Bar Association. She is also the Practice Manager for The Krajniak Group, her husbands financial planning business.

Attorney Michelle Bugajsky concentrates her practice on Probate, Estate Planning, and Family Law. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, double majoring in Political Science and Criminal Justice. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent School of Law.

During law school, Michelle completed a judicial externship in the domestic relations division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Prior to being a founding member of SBK Law Group, Michelle gained extensive experience through her work as Senior Associate and part of the management team at a DuPage County general practice firm. She is a member of the DuPage County Bar Associations and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Sullivan, a seasoned attorney in his 10th year of practice, commented: On behalf of SBK Law Group, I am thrilled and honored to provide high-quality legal services to the residents of DuPage County. We are committed to representing our clients with compassion and integrity during what are often the most difficult periods in their lives. Our accomplished team will dedicate our vast knowledge, experience, and resources to securing the best possible outcomes in a variety of cases. Reese, Michelle, and I all have strong ties to Downers Grove and Naperville. We are proud to establish our law firm here and to support the legal needs of the citizens in these great communities.

About SBK Law Group

The skilled attorneys of SBK Law Group have more than 25 years of combined legal experience. They are committed to representing clients in an array of legal matters. Their distinguished team is prepared to resolve family law, guardianships, probate and trust, business law, estate planning, or immigration issues while protecting their clients best interests. Michelle, Sean, and Reese serve DuPage County, Will County, Kane County, Cook County, and Kendall County.

To learn more about SBK Law Group, visit https://www.sbklawgroup.com/ or call 630-427-4407 for a free consultation.


Ministers are today facing calls to start reopening schools, cafes and non-essential shops within weeks to avert an economic apocalypse - despite government experts warning that without mass testing it risks creating a second peak in the coronavirus outbreak.

MPs and industry chiefs are heaping on pressure for an 'exit strategy' from the draconian curbs threatening to slash a third from GDP and destroy millions of jobs.

There are rumours that reopening primary schools will be an early move in the process, with the focus shifting to making sure pensioners and the vulnerable stay at home - although any steps are likely to depend on the scale of infections in each part of the country.

One report today suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen, as they are the businesses that would boost the economy most and pose a relatively low risk of spread.

However, Professor Neil Ferguson has warned there is little 'leeway' for easing restrictions until everyone with symptoms, and everyone they have come into contact with, can been screened.

Even then, he warned there is no possibility of the country returning to 'normal' until a vaccine is produced.

The epidemiologist - who has been modelling the outbreak for the government - also delivered a withering verdict on the performance of ministers, urging them to 'accelerate action'.

He suggested the organisation in Whitehall was not on the same scale as the effort on Brexit, despite the crisis being much bigger.

Dominic Raab is set to confirm that the draconian will stay in place until at least mid-May after a Cobra emergency committee meeting this afternoon, despite mounting fears about the economic havoc being caused.

Professor Neil Ferguson (pictured) has warned there is little 'leeway' for easing restrictions until everyone with symptoms, and everyone they have come into contact with, can been screened

Matt Hancock today batted away calls to spell out an exit plan from lockdown, insisting the public cannot be trusted with the information yet as they might stop obeying social distancing rules.

In a bad-tempered interview as the government prepares to extend draconian curbs for another three weeks, the Health Secretary said he recognised that 'everybody wants to know what the future looks like'.

But he flatly dismissed calls for the government to flesh out how the restrictions will finally be eased, despite mounting fears that they are wreaking havoc on the economy.

Mr Hancock said the 'clarity of messaging' had a 'direct impact on how many people obey' social distancing rules.

In bruising clashes with Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4''s Today programme, Mr Hancock angrily told the interviewer to stop interrupting.

'The communications are part of the policy. That is why we will not be distracted in to confusing that messaging. The scientists can say what they like, the commentators can say what they like,' he swiped.

Discussing whether lockdown measures could be eased after another three weeks, Professor Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it depended on 'getting on top of things like transmission rates in hospitals and care homes'.

'I think the other thing I would say is that it really requires a single-minded emphasis in Government and the health system on scaling up testing and putting in place the ability to track down cases in the community and contact-trace.

'Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway; if we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission.

'What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner.

'And I should say, it's not going to be going back to normal. We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available.'

Asked whether the Government is moving towards having an exit strategy in place, Prof Ferguson said: 'I'm not completely sure. I think there's a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated.

'We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation for this.

'I'm reminded by the fact we had a department for Brexit for Government - that was a major national emergency, as it were - and we're faced with something which is, at the moment, even larger than Brexit and yet I don't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation.'

Prof Ferguson added: 'There needs to be more co-ordination I think, yes. That may be going on, I don't have unique insight, but I think it could be enhanced.'

'Segment' the population to let young people go back to work...

Advisers to the UK Government are considering splitting the population into groups based on who is most vulnerable to the coronavirus, and releasing them from lockdown accordingly.

Currently, everyone has been ordered to stay at home unless they absolutely have to continue working somewhere else. People are allowed outside only for limited reasons such as exercise, food shopping and medical purposes.

But young people, who are less at risk of dying if they catch COVID-19, could be among the first to have the restrictions loosened.

This would probably not work with people who live with their older relatives. University of Warwick experts suggested this approach in a scientific paper last week and said healthy people in their 20s and 30s who live alone or with others of a similar age could be allowed back to normality first.

As well as helping to get the economy back on its feet, this method could potentially allow the virus to continue circulating at low levels in a relatively-unaffected population, moving the country towards herd immunity.

Warwick behavioural economist, Professor Nick Powdthavee said: 'There are no risk-free or painless ways forward. If this policy were enacted, there would still be tragic cases and some pressure on the NHS, but the effects would be far smaller than if the wider population were released.

'It could allow our society and economy to move forward in the footsteps of the young, while allowing older workers to share the economic rewards by providing supervision, mentoring, and managerial assistance electronically.'

...but continue 'shielding' older people and those with serious illnesses

The second facet of the plan to allow young people to return to work would involve making sure older people and those with high-risk illnesses stay at home and remain 'shielded' if they are considered particularly vulnerable.

Under these circumstances some 1.5million people could be told to keep self-isolating at home, The Times reported, as part of the Government's 'shielding' plan.

These people would be those who received letters from the NHS warning them that they should try to cut off all social contact or interactions in shops, for example. They include over-70s, pregnant women and people with health problems that reduce their immune system, such as certain cancers or having had an organ transplant.

People who are less vulnerable but still not included in the young and back-to-work group - potentially those in middle age or with conditions such as high blood pressure, who have a heightened risk of dying if they catch COVID-19 - may be instructed to remain in lockdown as they are at the moment.

Open a 'limited number' of high street stores and coffee shops

Recently, Burger King, KFC and Pret A Manger (pictured) have announced plans to partially reopen - as pressure grows for an exit plan from the lockdown ravaging the economy

A report drawn up by Conservative peer Lord Gadhia and GlaxoSmithKline chairman Sir Jonathan Symonds has suggested a way out of the lockdown.

It called for a small number of high street stores to open as Britain 'must learn to live with Covid' until a vaccine is mass produced in 12 to 18 months.

All of these shops will have to practise social distancing with gaps between tables to ensure they are safe.

Lord Gadhia's report suggested that shops such as coffee shops and food takeaways, estate agents and restaurants may present a low risk of the coronavirus being transmitted as long as they were adjusted to keep people apart.

For this reason, they could be among the first to reopen to the public.

The report, seen by The Sun, says: 'The initial focus for reopening the economy should be on sectors that have the greatest multiplier effects with minimum risks  such as coffee shops and restaurants which support agriculture.

'The property market is another that has wide multiplier effects. We need to avoid a stop-start economy which would sap public morale and damage business confidence yet further.'

The fast food giant is serving meals at 11 branches across the country but with a limited menu and no eating in (file photo)

Which KFC branches have reopened? Manchester (Deansgate)

Manchester (Hulme)

Stockport (Heaton Chapel)

Birmingham (New Oscott)

Tamworth

Portsmouth

Aldershot, Hampshire

Ipswich (Cardinal Park)

Glasgow (Pollokshaws Road)

Glasgow (Great Western Retail Park)

Enfield (Coliseum Retail Park) Advertisement

Several high street chains like McDonald's, Primark and Topshop have totally closed their doors due the coronavirus outbreak.

Recently, Burger King, KFC and Pret A Manger have all announced plans to partially reopen.

Their shops will open near hospitals and GP surgeries for delivery and takeaway services only.

Ministers could be given the green light to start planning an exit from the lockdown within ten days, the Chief Medical Officer suggested last night.

Chris Whitty said Government experts hoped to have enough evidence about the transmission of the coronavirus by that point to 'judge how we can go into the next phase'.

The lockdown is set to be extended today for at least three weeks, despite fresh warnings about the long-term impact on the economy.

The Cabinet is expected to rubber-stamp the extension in a conference call this morning ahead of a formal decision this afternoon by the Government's emergency committee Cobra, which will be attended by Nicola Sturgeon and political leaders in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Multiple Government sources said there would be 'no surprises', with restrictions rolled over for another three weeks and the next review unlikely before May 7.

But at the daily Downing Street press conference, Professor Whitty said the epidemic was 'probably reaching the peak overall' and 'we do all think this has flattened out.'

He added: 'The more understanding we have of where that is, which will happen over the next ten days, the more easy it is to judge how we can go into the next phase in a way that is properly evidence-based.'

And Matt Hancock gave a further hint that lockdown measures would be extended tomorrow, saying: 'We cannot let go of the hard work that's been done so far... we will not lift these measures until it is safe to do so.'

Reopen primary schools to all pupils - but accept 'social distancing will be impossible'

Katharine Birbalsingh, a headteacher in London, said social distancing will be 'impossible' in schools if they reopen

Primary schools outside coronavirus hotspots including London and Birmingham could reopen as soon as next month under plans being considered by ministers, according to The Times.

Tomorrow will mark a month since all schools in the UK were closed except to the children of NHS staff and other key workers.

Children have been learning at home and teachers and parents are without clues about when the schools will be up and running again.

Denmark has this week reopened primary schools to pupils in early moves to get the country out of lockdown, and France is expected to follow suit next month.

But one headteacher, Katharine Birbalsingh, at the Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, said it was a 'lie' that safe distancing within educational settings was possible.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'The fact is, social distancing in schools is simply impossible.

'We're considered be the strictest school in Britain and even we would find it impossible  we've got corridors that are just over one metre in width, so the children when passing one another obviously touch each other, when they're in the classrooms coming in and out.

'First of all classrooms are small in all schools so the children are all sat right next to each other  they have to hand out books and pens and paper.

'When they get up off their desk to walk out the classroom they touch each other - they are also children we need to remember. Reception children are all going to be together; the younger they are the more difficult it is.'

Construction work to return to normal

Despite the coronavirus pandemic the Government has given the go-ahead for HS2 to start

While construction work is still allowed within strict guidelines, many projects have been put on hold because workers cannot safely maintain social distancing on sites.

The Government has given the go-ahead for building work to start on the HS2 railway project, indicating that it is keen to get builders back to work.

Government minister for the project, Andrew Stephenson, said: 'While the Government's top priority is rightly to combat the spread of coronavirus, protect the NHS and save lives, we cannot delay work on our long-term plan to level up the country.'

But Public Health England and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) say staff must only be working if they can stay apart while still working safely.

A report from the CLC said: 'The health and safety requirements of any construction activity must not be compromised at this time. If an activity cannot be undertaken safely, it should not take place.

'Emergency services are also under great pressure and may not be able to respond as quickly as usual. This should be taken into consideration in the planning of work activities, first aid, fire and emergency responses.'

Graph shows the UK's average daily coronavirus deaths for the previous seven days, based on official figures. The dip at the end shows the numbers falling for two days - the first drop since the crisis began. Although it could be a sign of numbers plateauing, Chris Whitty yesterday said he expected a rise in deaths today as officials catch up with a lag in reporting over Easter

Discussing the coronavirus crisis in Downing Street last night, Professor Whitty said: 'On the issue of the peak, our view is that it is probably reaching the peak overall and that is what the flattening shows.

'I think it is important, and I am saying this because new data will come out presumably tomorrow, my expectation would be that the number of deaths may well go up because there has been after every weekend we see a dip over the weekend and for the two days afterwards and then an increase as we catch up with the numbers.

'After a long four day weekend there may well be a bounce up tomorrow. I think it is very important we don't get to the point where we say, look at the numbers of deaths that means we have passed the peak.

'But we do all think that this has flattened out. Sadly we do think that high numbers of deaths will continue, certainly for a short while on from where we are at the moment.

'So I think at the moment we are not yet at the point where we can say confidently and safely this is now past the peak and we can start thinking very much about the next phases.'
President Donald Trump unveiled broad new federal guidelines Thursday that lay out conditions for parts of the U.S. to start relaxing some of the strict social distancing measures imposed to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The 18-page plan for "Opening Up America Again" identifies the circumstances necessary for areas of the country to allow employees to start returning to work  but the decision to lift restrictions will ultimately be made by state governors. Click here to read the new federal guidelines. "We must have a working economy. And we want to get it back. Very, very quickly. And that's what's going to happen," Trump said at a White House press briefing after announcing the new guidance. As many as 29 states "will be able to open relatively soon," Trump said later in the briefing. "We have a lot of states that, through location, through luck and also through a lot of talent ... are in a very good position." But "it could be that sometime in the fall there could be some flare-ups" of the virus, the president added. States, which have imposed their own containment measures to try to slow the spread of the disease, are not legally required to follow the White House's instructions. But the new guidance nevertheless ramps up pressure on governors to loosen their restrictions, even as health experts and business leaders alike warn that widespread testing systems are needed before Americans can safely start returning to their normal lives. "America wants to be open and Americans want to be open," Trump said. "We took the greatest economy in the history of the world, and we closed it in order to win this war. And we're in the process of winning now." Despite the president saying earlier this week that he believed some states may be able to "reopen" their economies before May, the White House guidelines do not offer any specific dates. Rather, the plan lays out three "phases" aimed at guiding parts of the country to move incrementally toward loosening restrictions on businesses and individuals.

Before entering the first phase, the guidelines say that the number of cases, positive tests and reports of flu- or Covid 19-like symptoms in a state or region should be trending downward. There should also be a "robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing," according to the guidelines. Phase One of the plan says that "all vulnerable individuals" should continue to shelter in place, and it encourages everyone to maintain various social distancing practices when in public. But it also advises employers to "return to work in phases" if possible, while taking precautions such as closing common areas and minimizing nonessential travel. Phase Two, which begins in areas with "no evidence of a rebound" in cases, further loosens the restrictions. Even by the final phase, however, the guidelines still suggest that low-risk individuals "consider minimizing time spent in crowded environments"  an indication that a return to daily life untainted by the coronavirus may not be coming for a long time, if at all. The guidelines also list "Core State Preparedness Responsibilities" that include a section on so-called contact tracing, the process of pinpointing the interactions an infected person has had in order to trace the path of the disease. The plan is a "natural evolution from what we have said before," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top health expert on the White House coronavirus task force and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "By the time we get into the fall, I think we're going to be in pretty good shape," Fauci said.

The Trump administration declined to declare a nationwide lockdown order, opting instead to issue nonbinding social distancing guidelines that were originally set to expire at the end of March. The president even said last month that he hoped to see "packed churches" on Easter Sunday  a comment quickly condemned by health experts. The White House later revised its timeline, extending the guidance through the end of April. But at a coronavirus press briefing Tuesday, Trump said he expects that some of the less-affected states will be able to lift their restrictions before May 1. The availability of coronavirus tests remains a key issue, however. While roughly 120,000 to 140,000 Covid-19 tests are reportedly taken each day in the U.S.  about 3.5 million tests in total so far, Trump said  that rate lags behind other countries on a per-capita basis. Without being able to screen employees and customers for the virus, Americans won't be "confident enough to return to work, eat at restaurants or shop in retail establishments," business executives told the president Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal. In phone conferences earlier Thursday, Democratic House and Senate members urged Trump to wait for Covid-19 testing to become more widely available before giving advice on reopening the economy, NBC reported. But Trump pushed back, insisting that the economy must be reopened first, according to NBC. The Infectious Diseases Society of America, meanwhile, recommended Thursday that government leaders should only start changing their social distancing policies "when widespread testing allows accurate surveillance of the coronavirus spread." A "significant expansion" of tests and other medical supplies is still needed before the country can safely be reopened, the organization said.
Vietnam is donating 250,000 domestically made medical masks to the U.S., which has seen deaths from the novel coronavirus top 30,000.

The masks, including 50,000 given to the White House, are worth at least $100,000, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam also gave Japan masks and locally made medical equipment worth $100,000, the ministry said in an e-mailed statement.

The gifts to the U.S., Vietnams largest single export market, and Japan follow similar mask donations to Cambodia, Laos and European countries including Russia, France, and Italy. Vietnam delivered 450,000 medical protective suits made by DuPont Inc.s Haiphong facility to Dallas, Texas earlier this month.

The mask giveaways come as Vietnams garment industry shifts from making shirts and skirts to medical protective gear as the spread of the virus has slowed orders from the U.S. and Europe.
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) speaks to the press during a recess in the impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 24, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

US Senator Calls for Stripping Sovereign Immunity for Chinese Regime

Would allow for lawsuits against the CCP's 'reckless actions' in COVID-19 crisis

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is continuing his efforts on Capitol Hill to hold Chinas ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for its actions on the world stage, including its censorship of its own citizens that has contributed to the global pandemic of the CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

The senator announced a bill for a Justice for Victims of COVID-19 Act on Monday, calling for an investigation into the CCPs handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan.

The legislation would create a Justice for Victims of COVID-19 Task Force at the State Department, with the goal of securing restitution from the Chinese government.

It would allow lawsuits against the CCP by stripping the totalitarian regimes claim to sovereign immunity. Lawsuits could then be filed against the CCP for reckless actions, such as withholding crucial information and silencing whistleblowers.

Several lawsuits have already been launched in U.S. courts suing the Chinese regime for its role in causing the pandemic. Florida-based law firm Berman Law Group has filed two class actions against the regime. The first lawsuit filed in March was on behalf of pandemic victims, and another was filed in April on behalf of health care workers suing the CCP for hoarding personal protective equipment.

Those lawsuits claim that they are not barred by sovereign immunity, but Jeremy Alters, chief firm strategist and non-attorney spokesman for Berman Law Group, said in a statement that Hawleys legislation, if passed, would help in removing hurdles to taking legal action against the CCP.

I think its fantastic. This proposed legislation by Senator Hawley shows that he is looking forward to a remedy for this terrible situation that has happened. It will make the hurdles that we have in our lawsuit much easier to clear. And it will allow the people of the United States to recover at least some compensation for what the CCP has done, he said.

Theres no doubt CCP and government of China should have to pay. After all, theyre a world superpower. Every day that goes by more and more reports validate our two class action lawsuits as they provide clear evidence that the Communist Government of China has the ability to stop and contain this, in large part, of not altogether  and inform the world well before it became a pandemic. They failed to do it and failed to tell us about it and now we are suffering the consequences, Alters continued.

Related Coverage CCP Virus: Just Reparations

There is overwhelming evidence that the Chinese Communist Partys lies, deceit, and incompetence caused COVID-19 to transform from a local disease outbreak into a global pandemic, Hawley said in a statement.

We need an international investigation to learn the full extent of the damage the CCP has inflicted on the world and then we need to empower Americans and other victims around the world to recover damages.

The CCP unleashed this pandemic. They must be held accountable to their victims.

If the bill becomes law, it will also allow U.S. courts to freeze the CCPs assets in the United States on behalf of the plaintiffs.

Vinh Vuong, partner at Washington-based PR firm Lucas Compton that has partnered with Berman Law Group for the class actions, indicated that the law firm has received inquiries from potential plaintiffs in over 35 countries including Russia and China.

We also hope this becomes a global coalition of all nations affected to unite vs the Communist Chinese Party for their continued unethical behaviors and actions, Vuong said in a statement.

Senator Hawley currently serves on the Senate Committees on the Judiciary; Armed Services; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and the Special Committee on Aging.
MATTOON  The Lowell School building, the oldest in Mattoon, passed out of existence as a center of learning this afternoon when Mrs. Olive Brime, for 20 years principal of the school, formally "dismissed school," sending the children out for the last time. Mrs. Brim has been ill for several months and is not yet sufficiently recovered to resume her school work, but she was "on the job" today to assist in the passing of the building in which she has served so long and well. Shortly, the Lowell building will be razed and construction on a new school will begin. For the remainder of this school year, part of the Lowell pupils will be transferred to the Harris building at the corner of 10th Street and Charleston Avenue, and the remainder going to the Longfellow School... CHARLESTON  Louis D. Coffman, for five years connected with the Eastern Illinois State Normal School in Charleston, has been named president of the University of Minnesota at a salary of $12,000 a year. Mr. Coffman has been connected with the University of Minnesota for some time, being head of the department of education there. So well did he manage the affairs of the department that the trustees of the university decided to make him head of the institution.
The British High Commission in Nigeria has booked for charter flights to convey British citizens stranded in the country back home.

The high commission had stated that efforts are ongoing to ensure that the Britons residing in Nigeria who had earlier shown interest in being evacuated to their country are successfully evacuated.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, disclosed the evacuation plans in a statement sent by the British High Commission in Nigeria.

Im really pleased to tell you that we have now made arrangements with British Airways to run charter flights for us from Nigeria.

The first flights will depart this Saturday the 18th of April, and the flight departure times are 15:10 from Lagos and 15:35 from Abuja. Of course the exact times could be subject to change.

Ms Laing said the arrangement was made with a company called Central Travel Management who have set up a dedicated webpage for Nigeria and a 24/7 hotline to reserve and pay for tickets.

According to Ms Laing, the price for these flights will be just under 500.

To be eligible for these flights you need to be a British citizen normally resident in the UK and we will be prioritising vulnerable people.

When you book, you will be asked for your passport details and a UK address and we will be doing eligibility checks.

I should also say that making a booking does not automatically guarantee you a seat on the first flight, but if you are eligible you will be transferred to a subsequent flight.

With regards to the questions on getting to the airport, it is very important that you print and take your ticket with you, and if you are stopped at checkpoints, show that to security personnel and make it clear that you are going to the airport to take a repatriation flight to the UK.

Those of you who are successful in making bookings, we will email you with all the details you will need including the time you will need to be at the airport.

British travellers should visit Return to the UK page on the FCOs Travel Advice for Nigeria pages for further information, the official said.
EAST LANSING, MI  Michigan State University President Samuel Stanley Jr. announced Thursday a series of budget reductions in response to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

In an email to staff, Stanley Jr. asked the university community to continue to rally together as we face this challenge.

All MSU executives will be taking a 2% to 7% temporary pay cut based on salary levels, Stanley Jr. said in the email. The cuts are anticipated to remain in effect through May or June, but could last possibly a full year, he said in the email. Stanley Jr. said he will personally take a 10% pay cut, effective immediately.

MSU will also be reducing travel expenditures and other discretionary expenses, including outside services, consulting, conferences and purchases, Stanley Jr. said in the email.

While this is not a university-wide ban, I am counting on units to achieve meaningful savings from these reductions, Stanley Jr. wrote in the email.

The university is also considering delaying or modifying several construction and remodeling projects and major equipment expenditures, the university told employees. A list of those projects will be shared following the completion of the universitys assessment and approval by the trustees, if needed, the university said.

The reductions will help address the impact the university has felt in fiscal year 2020 and help MSU prepare for the future, the email said. Revenue reductions and real costs are already in the $50 million to $60 million range for FY2020, the email said.

MSU has seen promising news in applications and deposits for the class of 2024, the email said, but international student enrollment is anticipated to be impacted due to travel restrictions and visa issues.

While Stanley Jr. said hes optimistic the majority of changes will be temporary, he said the effects will be larger and last longer if the university delays taking action.

I intend, with your support, to ensure that MSU remains a place where students are excited to enroll, where faculty and staff find fulfilling work and where our community outreach makes a difference every day in Michigan and around the globe, Stanley Jr. wrote in the email.

MSU moved spring semester classes online March 11 and postponed commencement. It moved summer classes online as well.

A spokesperson for the university had no further comment beyond what was announced in the letter.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

READ MORE:

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus

Thursday, April 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Michigan State University moving summer courses online, suspending some summer programs

University of Michigan, Michigan State University leading efforts to decontaminate N95 masks for reuse

Michigan State University offering Adulting 101 seminars for high school juniors, seniors

Michigan State University offers drive-thru coronavirus testing
(RNS)  Willow Creek Community Church announced this evening that David Dummitt, a megachurch pastor from Michigan, will be the churchs new senior pastor.

The announcement comes just over two years after founding pastor Bill Hybels resigned after being accused of abusing power and sexual misconduct.

Dummitt, 46, is the founding pastor of 2|42 Community Church, a Michigan megachurch with seven campuses. According to a statement from the Vanderbloemen Search Group, which assisted with the search, the 2|42 Community Church was founded 15 years ago by Dummitt and some friends and now draws more than 10,000 people a week to services.

Willow Creek has eight campuses in and around Chicago and in the past has reported more than 25,000 attenders. Before in-person service stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic, the church averaged 18,000 in attendance. The church now draws about 18,000 livestream views each weekend along with an additional 15,000 on-demand views, said a Willow spokesperson.

It has long been one of the most influential Protestant churches in America.

A graduate of Wheaton College who attended Asbury Seminary, Dummitt said in a statement he has long admired the work of Willow Creek. He called himself a church kid who played in the handbell choir while growing up and that Willow Creek taught him church could be different.

As a freshman at Wheaton College, Id heard about this church that was doing creative things to reach lost people, he said in a statement. We attended, and I can almost point to the seats we sat in that day. The service opened with a Beatles song.  I dont know of a pastor or leader in America that has not in some way been shaped by the ministry of Willow Creek.

Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, said Dummitt is the right person to lead Willow.

David is a great choice for Willow: a Wheaton grad who has led a growing church that seeks to be on mission for its community, he said.

Willow Creeks founding pastor, Hybels, was known for his high-intensity personality and his admiration for corporate culture and business practices.

Stetzer said Dummitt is known as a networker with a kingdom mentality. He loves people and loves connecting people for missional purposes.

Dave has a reputation for being a fun guy, Stetzer said. He takes the mission seriously but does not take himself too seriously.

The search firm statement announcing Dummitts hire acknowledged that recent years have been difficult for Willow Creek.

Hybels, the churchs entire elder board, and pastors Steve Carter and Heather Larson, both of whom had been named to succeed Hybels, all resigned in the fallout from the mishandling of allegations against him.

Willow Creek was founded by Bill Hybels in 1975. He led the church for 43 years until retiring early amid multiple allegations of misconduct. The controversy left the church with lower attendance, giving, and multiple staff and elder resignations, the statement read.

Hybels has consistently denied all allegations of misconduct. A 2019 report from an outside panel concluded that allegations of sexually inappropriate words and actions by Hybels were credible.

In a statement, the churchs elders thanked the congregation for their prayers during the search and asked for the church to pray for Dummitt and his family.

We have spent many hours with Dave and his wife, Rachel, and we are grateful that God has called their family to serve at Willow, the elders said. Throughout the evaluation process, we continued to see Daves ability to lead with humility and strength, as well as his passion to equip and empower strong teams. His vision for the health and growth of Willow Creek and the kingdom at large, his high-caliber teaching ability, his humble and down-to-earth personality, and his willingness to engage in restorative work made it clear that he would be a strong fit for this position.

Dummitt begins work in early June. More information about the church can be found at next.willowcreek.org.
The Newark Department of Public Safety sent a strong, and grim, message to residents to stay home during the coronavirus outbreak with a photo of body bags posted to its Facebook page.

The flyer reads COVID-19 Kills. Dont let this be You with a photo of what appears to be a truck filled with body bags beneath the caption.

Catherine Adams, a spokeswoman for the department, said the photo was retrieved from a website and not taken in Newark.

This flyer was provided for informational purposes only. (The) photo was retrieved from a website and is not reflective of Newark, Adams said in an emailed statement.

The image is a Reuters photo taken outside of Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn where a refrigerator truck was used as a makeshift morgue.

Newark Director of Public Safety Anthony Ambrose said the image was used in the same way anti-drunk driving campaigns show photos of dead bodies and autopsies.

He said the city noticed younger people between 18 and 30 years old are still not social distancing, and wanted to send a strong message.

Were passionate to save our residents lives from this deadly virus. We want to save lives. We think it cant happen to us or our loved ones, Ambrose said in an email.

There are at least 8,579 positive coronavirus cases in Essex County and 590 deaths as of Thursday. Newark and three of its neighboring municipalities were placed under a virtual lockdown to try to contain the spread of the virus.

While Gov. Murphy on Monday said the number of COVID-19 cases in New Jersey is flattening, he cautioned the house is still on fire and urged people to continue to adhere to lockdown orders.

Police have strictly enforced the states social distancing rules. Last Monday, Anthony Ambrose said the city had closed 44 non-essential businesses that continued to operate and issued summonses to 842 people who violated the governors executive order.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Leader of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) Faiez Serraj Wednesday ruled out possibilities to sit down again at a negotiation table with his rival Khalifar Haftar that he accused of committing crimes against all Libyans.

In an interview with Italys La Repubblica, Serraj charged the east-based retired military General with bombing indiscriminately Tripoli, residential zones, civil institutions and even the public hospital of Al Khadra, in the center of the capital.

I will never sit down with Haftar, after the disasters and the crimes he committed against all Libyans, Sarraj told La Repubblica.

We have always tried to solve our disputes through a political process, but any agreement was rejected by Haftar, he added.

Both sides have been vying over the control of the oil-rich country territory following the demise of former leader Muammar Gaddafi killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

The GNA has been defending capital Tripoli for over one year, after Haftar launched a surprise military campaign to unseat the UN-backed government in April last year.

The GNA this week managed to recover several cities, which fell under Haftars control amid the ongoing battles around Tripoli.

Serraj also laid into Haftar for taking the advantage of novel coronavirus spread to attack his troops.

We had agreed to observe the ceasefire and the humanitarian truce, but without letting our guard down, Sarraj told La Repubblica. We expected that the dangers of the epidemic would have turned Haftar into a man of his word, for once. But he saw in the pandemic an opportunity to attack us.

The two sides have received backing from several countries. Turkey and Qatar have thrown their supports behind the GNA while Haftar is endorsed by UAE, Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and France.

GNA and Ankara signed, late in November 2019, a maritime and security deal, which allows Turkey to intervene militarily in the crisis-devastated North African country.

However, Serraj has refused to admit the crucial help from Turkey, which has sent military experts, equipment and mercenaries to Tripoli to prop GNA forces.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Hoda Kotb treated herself to fried chicken and all the fixings after taping NBC News' special coronavirus report on Tuesday evening, and the indulgent meal was so good that she was still talking about it the next day.

The 55-year-old journalist was back in the Today show studio bright and early on Wednesday morning, and while chatting with her co-host Jenna Bush Hager, she gushed about her post-work dinner.

'One of the things that makes me feel cozy and comforted is fried chicken,' she explained. 'Before I came here for the special, I ordered fried chicken with dunking sauce and fries and onion rings and I left them at the apartment.'

Scroll down for video

Yum: Hoda Kotb gushed about the fried chicken, fries, and onion rings she chowed down the night before on Wednesday's episode of the Today show

Digging in: The co-anchor said that when she returned home on Tuesday evening, she sat on her kitchen floor, turned on Friends, and ate favorite comfort foods

Hoda said she and her co-anchor Savannah Guthrie were done with the live show by 11 p.m., and she was back in her home just 15 minutes later. With her daughters Haley Joy, three, and Hope Catherine, one, tucked into bed, she had some time to unwind.

'I walked in. I took a paper plate. I put chicken, fries, onion rings in the microwave,' she recalled. 'Sat on the floor, turned on Friends, dunked that chicken  it was almost like KFC  into the sauce. I'd never been happier.'

Hoda said sitting on the floor and eating such a savory meal reminded her of getting a treat as a kid.

'Every now and then we were allowed to have that kind of stuff,' she explained. 'It just made me feel good.'

Savoring the moment: Hoda recalled dunking the chicken in the sauce, saying: I'd never been happier'

Memories: Jenna Bush Hager, 38, told Hoda that her eating on the floor reminded her of being in college

Jenna, 38, said she loved the image of Hoda sitting on the ground, noting that it reminded her of college.

Later on, the co-hosts opened up about having to pare down their beauty routines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Both Hoda and Jenna have to mic themselves, pick out their clothes, and do their own hair and makeup before going live.

They both admitted to only washing their hair twice a week, with Hoda noting she has gone even longer than that without cleaning her locks.

Socially distanced: Hoda co-hosted NBC News' special coronavirus report with Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday evening

Always a fan: 'One of the things that makes me feel cozy and comforted is fried chicken,' Hoda said. She and Andy Cohen enjoyed some KFC on the show back in September

'I'm going to confess something that I feel really bad about. One week, I did it just once,' she said. 'And the reason is because I don't know how to do my hair, so the less time I have to start from scratch the better.'

The two have been shooting their fourth-hour segment from their cellphones, with Jenna at her home on Long Island, New York, and Hoda in the Today show studio at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Hoda told People she has been getting up at 3 a.m. instead of her usual 4:15 a.m. to commute to work from her weekend home.

'Its very strange. Ive never seen 30 Rock quiet,' she said.

New normal: Hoda has been getting up at 3 a.m. instead of her usual 4:15 a.m. to commute from her weekend home to the Today show studio at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City

Precautions: The journalist throws her clothes in the wash as soon as she gets home to keep her fiance Joel Schiffman and their two young daughters Haley Joy, three, and Hope, one, safe

While New York has become the epicenter of the pandemic, she said she isn't worried about her safety when she comes into the city for work.

'I literally get in the car and come in here to an empty building and then get back in the car and go back to my house,' she said. 'I feel like the buildings not sick and its empty. So I dont really feel a risk.'

She does, however, take extra precautions when she returns home to her fiance Joel Schiffman and their two young daughters.

'When I get home, I strip, I shower, throw my stuff right in the wash,' she explained. 'Because youre in the city and sometimes you have to go to a grocery store to pick up something, it seems like the safest idea.'
Shillong, April 16 : After more than 30 hours of ordeal, the body of a veteran doctor, who died of coronavirus early Wednesday, was finally buried at Riatsamthiah Presbyterian Church cemetery at Lawmali in East Khasi Hills on Thursday afternoon, officials said.

"The mortal remains of the senior doctor were buried at Riatsamthiah Presbyterian Church cemetery at Lawmali on Thursday afternoon," East Khasi Hills District Deputy Commissioner Matsiewdor War Nongbri told IANS over phone from Shillong.

She said officials belonging to various government departments maintained all the norms and protocol before the doctor's body was buried.

A senior police officer said after the doctor died of coronavirus at 2.45 a.m. on Wednesday, the residents of Jhalupara, Mawbah and Shillong cantonment area and elsewhere had refused to dispose of the body.

"The original plan was to cremate the body at an electric crematorium at Jhalupara, but it was shelved as the locals objected, fearing it could pose health hazard in the overcrowded localities," said a police officer.

"The unprecedented situation was resolved late on Wednesday night with the intervention of various authorities, government and elderly people," the police officer said.

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma earlier said that the first COVID-19 positive patient in Meghalaya passed away early morning on Wednesday. The 69-years-old doctor, who was the founder of the private Bethany Hospital, had tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday evening.

The deceased doctor had no travel history except that his son-in-law, who is an Air India pilot, had been to COVID-19 infected countries, and had returned home on March 22.

According to health officials in Shillong, the pilot, however, did not show any symptoms of coronavirus and was an asymptomatic case.
Campaigns across the country, from the presidential race on down, are using the coronavirus to batter their opponents for what they have or havent done to fight the pandemic.

With most Americans virtually confined to their homes and the virus death toll rising daily, politicians are betting that worried voters will reward those who are taking their concerns seriously and, equally important, punish those who they dont believe are doing enough.

Its a narrow line to walk, said Darry Sragow, a former Democratic campaign strategist who now publishes the nonpartisan California Target Book, which analyzes state political contests.

Voters are scared out of their minds and are looking for solutions, he said. I dont think they have a lot of tolerance for assigning blame and pointing fingers.

A lot depends, though, on what each campaign is looking to accomplish, Sragow added.

If youre a Democrat and looking to maximize Democratic turnout, attacks on the president and Republicans make sense, he said.

In the presidential race, for example, former Vice President Joe Biden wants to draw a contrast between the way President Trump is dealing with the crisis and how a Biden administration would act.

Scott Olson/TNS

It was no accident that when Barack Obama endorsed Biden this week, the former president talked about how Joe helped me manage (the 2009 flu pandemic) H1N1, and prevent the Ebola epidemic from becoming the type of pandemic were seeing now.

Trump, though, has angrily argued that his response to the virus has been perfect and that critics like New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo should keep politics out of responses to the coronavirus.

With the pandemic and its effect on both the economy and peoples daily lives the nations top concern, voters dont want to talk about potholes, said Garry South, a longtime Democratic consultant.

Were in uncharted territory, he said. Theres no playbook on how either side of the aisle plays this.

In California congressional races, Republicans and Democrats alike are playing the virus card. In one series of emails, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee charged that GOP candidates were backing Trumps efforts to block uninsured coronavirus patients from signing up for health insurance.

The National Republican Congressional Committee put out its own series of attacks, saying Democratic candidates supporting House Speaker Nancy Pelosis efforts to make additions to a GOP coronavirus relief bill were putting politics ahead of Californians lives.

In the May 12 special election in a Southern California congressional district, GOP businessman Mike Garcia put up a TV spot charging that his Democratic opponent, Assemblywoman Christy Smith of Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), did nothing to respond to the coronavirus threat. Democrats responded with their own ad saying Garcia wants to cut access to health care, a strong charge at a time when health is peoples top concern.

In the Central Valley, Democrat Phil Arballo is banking on coronavirus concerns to take down Rep. Devin Nunes, one of Trumps most visible supporters.

Arballos digital video released Monday shows Nunes, R-Tulare, commenting on the coronavirus, including his suggestion in March that people go out to a local restaurant ... you can get in easily and that the media and the left are putting the country in a panic for no reason.

It ends with a statement: Devin Nunes is unfit to serve in Congress.

The ad is tough stuff, but Arballo may have to play rough if he wants to win a district where Republicans hold a 40% to 33% registration edge.

There was no question about running the ad, said Taylor Bollhagen, Arballos campaign manager, especially since Arballo and his family all suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems that make them vulnerable to the virus.

We took this seriously from the beginning, he said. But Devin was out there telling people in the district and the country to go out to restaurants. Thats irresponsible, and we thought people should know this.

The Nunes campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Bollhagen is convinced that the coronavirus concerns make a perfect segue into the issues Arballo and Democrats across the nation want to highlight.

Health care, unemployment, minimum wage workers, immigrants and the economy are all important issues, he said.

With the coronavirus focusing everyones attention, he said, this is the best time to talk about them.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
NEW HAVEN  Gateway Community College has provided beds and other equipment for an auxiliary field hospital at Bridgeport Hospital, according to officials.

John Cappiello, media relations coordinator with Bridgeport Hospital, said the field hospital will only be used if and when a surge of Covid-19 patients exceeds the capacity of the main hospital.

On Tuesday, there were 191 COVID-positive patients at Bridgeport, 57 of them in intensive care and 41 on ventilators, according to hospital President Anne Diamond.

Since March 19, when Bridgeport admitted its first COVID-19 patient, 432 inpatients have tested positive and 270 have been discharged, Diamond said. The last few days, were seeing admissions of 21 per day, she said Tuesday. We do believe we are easing into our peak and probably within the next week or so we will be there.

The auxiliary space, set up in a parking lot on Bridgeport Hospitals campus, contains 32 isolated bedrooms or bays, ventilators and all the equipment and capabilities associated with rooms in the main hospital, Cappiello said in a release.

Gateway contributed contributed 19 hospital beds and mattresses with attached IV poles, a stretcher with an IV pole, 19 three-drawer side table on wheels, 19 over-bed tables on wheels, a wheelchair, a linen cart and other equipment to the field hospital, according to the release.

We are most grateful for Gateways help and support during this very difficult time, Cappiello said.

The equipment, drawn from the schools allied health and nursing program, is loaned to the hospital through July 31, although the agreement can be amended, said Sheila B. Solernou, the health and nursing programs division director in the release.

Thomas Coley, acting president of GCC, said the institution is responding to this crisis in every way we possibly can.

After donating our safety supplies, we found that there was even more we could do to support the medical community, said Coley in the release. We were happy to assist with the field hospital and we are now hosting Yale New Haven Hospital staff on the GCC campus to on-board and train new nurses and staff to meet the ever-increasing need for more medical support. We are all in this together.

Sacred Heart University and the University of Bridgeport also donated equipment to be used in the field hospital, according to the release.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Anna Jones, a 25-year-old in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was trying to be as safe as possible during the COVID-19 outbreak. She was staying at home, taking her nursing classes online, and she even quit her job to avoid spreading the virus to her family. Then, on April 12, the tornado came. The EF-3 twister ripped Jones house from its foundation, destroying the upstairs in the process. Jones and her father emerged unharmed, but in the aftermath, both put caution aside. Jones father teamed up with neighbors to help rescue people trapped in another damaged house, and then went door-to-door to check on others. All the while, Jones couldnt help herself from hugging people, especially a neighbor who gave her water and fresh clothes, and two teens who found her missing dog, Chloe.

We walked outside, and even in the midst of everything, we took a moment to say, so much for social distancing, give me a hug,' says Jones. I know that its bad, and I know that we need to be doing it. It was just in that moment, I thought we were going to die, and my neighbors thought they were going to die.

Anna Jones' house in Chattanooga, Tennessee | Anna Jones

The tornado that nearly killed Jones was part of an unusually violent tornado outbreak that ravaged communities across the American South this week, killing dozens, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes, and sending families scrambling to find shelter. In the aftermath, officials from Texas to South Carolina were left to grapple with an urgent question: How do we respond to natural disasters during a pandemic without exposing even more people to a deadly virus? The fact that the coronavirus exists is complicating the recovery from the tornado, while the tornadoes are complicating our efforts to make sure that we do everything in our power to stop the spread of the virus, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said after the storms.

Indeed, emergency management agencies across the country, many of which were strapped for resources even before the outbreak, are already working in overdrive to deal with COVID-19, says Samantha Montano, an assistant professor of emergency management and disaster science at University of Nebraska, Omaha. Natural disasters will just make their jobs that much harder, she says. When you pair [the coronavirus] with another disaster on top of it, it really just threatens to completely overwhelm that formal emergency management system that we have in the U.S. says Montano. That disaster response efforts often require people to get close to one another further complicates matters  moments of heroism like Jones fathers efforts to help her neighbors can put people at particularly high risk of contracting COVID-19, Montano adds.

Story continues

Officials in many of the states hit by this weeks tornadoes are finding ways to help those in need while trying to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. In Tennessee, where the storms killed at least 24 people and where nearly 6,000 people have contracted the disease, the states emergency management agency gave personal protective equipment to first responders and search and rescue workers. Officials in Mississippi, where 12 people were killed in the tornado outbreak, urged people in shelters to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. Arkansas greatly reduced shelter capacity to enable better social distancing, and the state is working with the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary of the Air Force, to do damage assessments with minimal human contact.

Some disaster response groups are also rethinking how they shelter families whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the storms. Instead of tightly-packed shelters, the American Red Cross has placed more than 550 people affected by the tornadoes in hotels and dorms, where social distancing is at least a little easier. While the ARC is using shelters as well, it has implemented several new safety precautions, including health screenings, mask handouts, adding space between cots, and more frequent cleanings. Its also providing some services virtually, like mental health and financial assistance.

People who need to stay at a disaster shelter should follow health experts guidance as much as possible to avoid contracting or spreading COVID-19, says Gary Cecchine, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Wear your mask, wash your hands a lot, wear gloves if you have them, and stay away from people, he says. And hopefully youre not in a shelter for a long time. He also recommends that, when possible, disaster victims should stay with friends or family rather than shelters to limit community spread.

Despite officials best efforts, experts say it will be hard to contain a virus as contagious as COVID-19 in the wake of natural disasters. One big problem, says James Hodge, the Director of the Center for Public Health Law and Policy at Arizona State University, is that disaster survivors can inadvertently spread the disease if they travel to stay in another community. Ideally, Hodge says, disaster-stricken regions would conduct mass testing for the virus, but testing shortages and backlogs will make that difficult, at least for now. Ryan Malosh, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, adds that people whose homes have been destroyed and lives upended are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Where people arent able to get care as quickly as they might need, theyre not getting good sleep, theyre not getting good nutrition, and so theyre more susceptible to severe outcomes, he says.

The added wrinkle of a global pandemic on the top of this weeks tornado outbreak offers just a preview of whats to come for dealing with other natural disasters in the coming months. This years hurricane season, for instance, is forecast to be above normal. A Hurricane Katrina- or Sandy-level storm, experts say, could result in significantly more viral spread than a handful of tornadoes, however violent they may be. It would be, from a COVID perspective, quite disastrous, says Hodge. It would be an unmitigated, untracked spread. Malosh says that, in order to get ahead of the problem, officials should clearly communicate what residents need to know before a disaster strikes. The public will need to know both where to go to be safe from the natural disaster and how to protect themselves, and others, from the virus once they get there, he says.

As for Jones, shes just grateful that she and her father are now safe with her brother and his wife. They plan to move into a condo soon, but the virus will make it that much harder for them to rebuild their lives. They lost almost everything in the storm, and Jones is worried the virus will make it harder to buy necessities like mattresses. She was taken aback when she went to a store to get supplies and was told to wait on line outside  the tornado had pushed the virus entirely out of her mind. We lost everything, so the immediate thing was, O.K., we need to go to Walmart and just get toothbrushes,' she says.
The massive online distribution platform, Amazon, has temporarily closed its doors to France as a court deemed the global company's protocols against the coronavirus were lackluster. Amazon put a halt to their distribution of all products except for food, medical supplies, and hygiene equipment as the European country's decision was ruled.

New York Times reported the news on Wednesday, as French labor officials, earlier this month, observed concerns with the online company's lack of hand sanitizer and face masks. They were also convinced that Amazon was lacking in taking proper guidelines to regulate social distancing.

The court's rule

The decision to ban the continued operations was put in place after several unions took legal measures against Amazon, which was allegedly placing workers' lives at risk.

The court required the immediate suspension of the firm's shipments of products with a few exemptions, by Wednesday or they stand to face a $1.1 million fine for every day they continue to neglect the ruling.

Amazon stated that it took considerable measures to ensure that their workers and customers are given the best possible health precautions amid the pandemic. The company also expressed its confusion regarding the official ruling, choosing to entirely shut down operations rather than face the risk of paying the fines.

The complaining unions believe that the firm was irresponsible for choosing to continue its operations as usual even during the global outbreak.

Read Also: South Korea: A Look Into How To Hold Political Voting Amid Coronavirus Threat

What will happen to Amazon?

The ruling is to have a five-day suspension, during which the laid-off Amazon employees will still be paid their usual compensations. According to CNN, the online firm is set to reassess its procedures and conduct a review of "occupational risks inherent in the COVID-19 epidemic" within its processes.

French government spokesperson, Sibeth Ndiaye, told Bloomberg their main concern right now is taking precautions with their citizens working in the medical field as they are more closely exposed to the virus. They also pay close attention to employers and whether or not each of them is placing sufficient effort in protecting their employees by giving adequate sanitary working conditions.

In early March, Amazon was pushed by lawmakers to incorporate temperature checks and usage of surgical masks at all of its warehouses located in the US and Europe. And as of Tuesday, employees from more than 70 US sites have been confirmed to have contracted the virus.

Several Amazon employees went on strike in the US while leaking paperwork that allegedly shows a plan concocted by the company to initiate a smear campaign discrediting Chris Smalls, an organizer, who the company fired for supposedly violating social distancing guidelines.

The company also laid-off Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa the week before after they expressed their dissatisfaction with the employer's policies regarding climate and labor. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, another worker was fired, Basir Mohamed, stated he believes it's payback for attempting to organize.

A representative for French labor union CFDT, Julien Vincent, added in a statement to Bloomberg that the firm finds the decision as a positive note as it will give them ample time to discuss further and increase their safety protocols.

Read Also: Contract Tracing Apps Could Be A Way to Reopen Society, But There's a Downside
Hyundai Motor India on Thursday said it has handed over COVID-19 advanced diagnostic testing kits to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The globally proven diagnostic kits worth Rs 4 crore have been imported from South Korea and offer high levels of accuracy, catering to the testing requirements of over 25, 000 individuals, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said in a statement.

"These highly accurate diagnostic kits can help the government scale up testing efforts in affected regions and arrest the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in India," HMIL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer SS Kim said.

The South Korean automaker has already donated Rs 5 crore to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Relief Fund.

It has also augmented the supply of ventilators and other respiratory aids such as the in-house developed Ambu Bag Actuator.

Besides, the company said it is distributing masks and other safety kits to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

HMIL has also announced various initiatives for customers including extension of warranty, service timelines.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
When asked about protesters showing up at Wednesdays committee meeting, Preckwinkle responded, I dont know anything about this person, and so I cant really comment either on him or his suitability for the job  or people who were protesting his potential appointment.
China and other countries could be hit by a second wave of coronavirus in November, one of China's top medical experts has warned as the world's second largest economy limped back to normalcy after a three-month-long grim battle against the pandemic.

Zhang Wenhong, who heads the Covid-19 clinical expert team in Shanghai and leads the infectious disease department at one of the eastern metropolitan city's top hospitals, expects that in the long term, countries will have to take a flexible approach to recurring outbreaks.

While countries around the world may be able to bring the deadly pandemic under adequate control by autumn, the coming winter may bring a second wave of infections in China and elsewhere, he said.

Speaking during an online livestream broadcast by popular short-video platform Kuaishou, Zhang said China's experience with disease control means any resurgence in infections later this year will be manageable, and not require a repeat of the dramatic measures taken to curb the virus's initial spread.

Zhang's comments come as Chinese officials gradually eased quarantine restrictions as part of efforts to revive the country's economy.

As of Wednesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in China reached 82,341. Altogether 3,342 people have died of the disease, according to the National Health Commission of China. Though the coronavirus cases abated at epicentre Wuhan, China continued to report new cases mostly from Chinese nationals returning from abroad.

China won't implement any shutdowns, and imported cases will certainly still make up the bulk of the outbreak, China's Caixin magazine quoted Zhang as saying.

For a long time, epidemic prevention and control will go through periods of relaxation and tightening. It will be possible to live and work normally, but it probably won't be possible to completely eradicate the outbreaks, he said.

That means countries must continue to fight the pandemic together even after their initial domestic outbreaks have peaked, Zhang said, adding: Only when all nations have properly controlled the disease will we all be able to live well again.

Aggressive testing and contact tracing, combined with immediate hospitalisation of confirmed cases, is the secret to effective epidemic control, Zhang said.

Predicting that the US will bring its outbreak under control by May, he also called for the two countries to cooperate more closely on the pandemic.

Communication between us at the medical level has never stopped, he said.

When it comes to medicine, people's health, and epidemic control, we can't decouple from each other, he said, amidst the Trump administration's criticism of China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday spoke to a senior Chinese diplomat to underscore the Trump administration's demand for full transparency and information sharing from China about the origins and spread of the new coronavirus.

Pompeo's phone call to Yang Jiechi, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, came a day after US President Donald Trump announced to halt the funding to World Health Organization alleging that it sided with China on coronavirus issue and mislead the world.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

The CEO of an Albuquerque gun store and shooting range that has reopened amid a statewide order closing nonessential businesses is defending the legality of the move, putting the shop at apparent odds with law enforcement and the Governors Office.

Calibers, which operates three Albuquerque locations, including a gun safe store, reopened using a curbside model this week as of Wednesday. CEO Ryan Burt said the stores operations are legal because it is following Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams mandate regarding social distancing and limiting gatherings to five or fewer people.

Were actually abiding by the governor and what she says, he said.

State Police and the Governors Office both say gun store operations remain illegal under the public health order.

Gun stores are considered as a nonessential business, per the public health order, and they are not allowed to conduct business curbside, New Mexico State Police spokesman Dusty Francisco said.

Francisco said State Police are educating businesses that are violating the order. State police say they have not visited Calibers since noncompliance enforcement began April 6. It was not immediately clear whether other law enforcement agencies had visited Calibers for noncompliance issues.Noncompliant businesses face receiving a written warning and cease-and-desist letter. A second violation results in a citation. Businesses in continued violation can face a $5,000 penalty.

The Governors Office didnt respond to a Journal query Wednesday afternoon on the issue, but last week said firearm stores are not deemed essential businesses.

Burt argues Calibers is an essential business because its shooting range remains open for law enforcement and military personel only. The governors order includes all facilities routinely used by law enforcement personnel as essential. Burt said that means the mandate that nonessential businesses reduce their workforce by 100% doesnt apply.

The other piece of this is because the president deemed that we are an essential business and the Department of Homeland Security has deemed us as an essential business, that is why we are still operating ; in this method, he said.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, released a memo March 28 advising that workers involved in firearm retail, distribution and shooting ranges be deemed essential amid the pandemic. The memo was classified as advisory.

Calibers isnt the only local gun retailer remaining partly open. Los Ranchos Gun Shops website says it is open through a similar curbside model. Some stores, though, have closed completely.

Last week, several pro-gun organizations filed a lawsuit against the governor over the closure of gun stores and shooting ranges.
Lawmakers have overwhelmingly rejected Bill 335-35, legislation that would have granted the governor authority to implement a curfew and shelter-in-place directive through executive orders in response to COVID-19.

The final vote was 12-3 against the proposal to expand Guam's curfew to everyone rather than just minors.

How senators voted:

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 William Castro - No

 Regine Biscoe Lee - No

 Kelly Marsh - No

 James Moylan - No

 Louise Muna - No

 Sabina Perez - No

 Clynton Ridgell - No

 Joe San Agustin - No

 Telo Taitague - No

 Jose "Pedo" Terlaje - No

 Therese Terlaje - No

 Mary Torres - No

 Tina Muna Barnes - Yes

 Telena Nelson - Yes

 Amanda Shelton - Yes

Bill 334-35, the companion legislation to the curfew measure, was sent back to committee and taken off the session agenda through an earlier vote. The bill would have created tiered penalties for anyone found violating the governor's executive orders during the public health emergency, unless the unlawful conduct was already addressed in other sections of law.

Otherwise, there was no enforcement mechanism for the additional orders available in Bill 335. Both measures have been controversial.

Similar to Bill 334, support for Bill 335 waned as senators debated in session. Two sponsors of Bill 335, Sens. Jose Terlaje and Joe San Agustin, dropped their support over concerns with its provisions.

"As a combat veteran who's fought for liberty both here and abroad, I voted against any chance of infringing on an individual's civil liberties. ... My vote was not cast against the governor. It was cast because I trust that you, the community, will follow the guidelines set up by our magahaga until we're all in the clear," Terlaje stated in a release.

Sen. Amanda Shelton, the main author of Bill 335, expressed disappointment in the measure's outcome but pledged to continue working to protect against COVID-19 and shifted her focus to promoting other intervention methods.

"Even if implementing a curfew  like they have in New Jersey, New Mexico, Hawaii and other jurisdiction  or mandating a shelter-in-place order helped to save one life, I know that it would have been worth it," Shelton said in part. "And yes, I am disappointed but not defeated, and I can leave this hall today knowing that I did everything within my power to further protect our people from this disease."

With Bill 335's demise also comes the defeat of provisions that would have required the governor to report certain information before implementing a curfew or shelter-in-place directive.

These included:

 any and all plans for obtaining and distributing test kits for COVID-19 on Guam, and future plans for conducting tests on Guam;

 any and all information regarding the number of personal protective equipment available to GovGuam and plans to obtain and distribute PPE in response to COVID-19;

 to the extent practicable, information regarding known public places at which any confirmed positive COVID-19 individual has frequented seven days prior to testing positive; and

 to the extent practicable, access to COVID-19 testing for individuals who have come into close contact with a confirmed positive COVID-19 individual.

Vice Speaker Telena Nelson, a sponsor to Bill 335, proffered the amendment for these provisions. She thanked her colleagues, front-line workers "and all of those that are putting forth the effort to fighting off this virus."

Some Republican lawmakers touted their opposition to both Bill 334 and 335.

"Both bills are dangerous to Guam families and to democracy. Our people know it, U.S. courts affirmed it and the Guam Republican Caucus rejects it," said a joint statement from Minority Leader Sen. Telo Taitague, Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Louise Borja Muna, Minority Whip Sen. James Moylan and Sen. William Castro.
Donating to Feeding America with our Ashley HomeStore partners is one way we can continue to make a difference today and help those most at risk by the on-going pandemic. Chris Caprio, CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ashley HomeStore of Jacksonville Teams Up to Fight Hunger with Feeding America Providing Over 4.4 Million Meals Nationwide

Home Furnishings retailer Ashley HomeStore (Ashley) of Jacksonville, FL and Brunswick, GA has teamed up with Feeding America to ensure that neighbors in need have required food and resources. As COVID-19 continues to impact the many communities we call home, there is a growing need for the services Feeding America provides. In total, Ashley HomeStores around the country have come together to donate over $448,000, providing more than 4.4 Million meals nationwide. In addition, there was a match provided for Ashley HomeStores contribution through the Tony Robbins challenge, bringing the total amount to more than 8 Million meals donated throughout the nation.

We believe that COVID-19 will forever change the way we communicate, conduct business, and engage with our community, said Chris Caprio, President of Ashley HomeStore, Jacksonville/Brunswick. Unfortunately, while precautions are underway and new practices are developed, the people most in need are the ones who suffer the most. Our local community has always been able to count on us for help. Donating to Feeding America with our Ashley HomeStore partners is one way we can continue to make a difference today and help those most at risk by the on-going pandemic.

Starting in 1979, Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, serving more than 40 million people each year. As the second largest non-profit in the United States, Feeding America is a highly-rated, efficient organization that puts 99 percent of all donations directly back into programs and services.

Due to the increasing effects of COVID-19, 98% of Feeding America food banks are experiencing an increase in demand, with an average increase of 63%. School closures, job disruptions, lack of paid sick leave and the coronavirus' disproportionate impact on adults age 60 and older and low-income families are all contributing to the unprecedented demands placed on food banks across the country. Ashleys contribution will help feed these individuals in need during this trying time.

Ashley HomeStore is proud to be able to come together, across our band of retail stores throughout the U.S., to help others in a time of great need, stated Todd Wanek, President and CEO, Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. COVID-19 is having a major impact around the world, and it truly hits home when you see the impact firsthand in our own communities. During these unprecedented times, we are proud as an organization to partner with Feeding America, joining in their fight to combat hunger and aid our communities across this nation.

Since the pandemic of COVID-19, Ashley has implemented the below efforts to aid our communities throughout the country. These efforts include, but are not limited to:



Donation of over 4.4 Million meals through Feeding America.

Donation of thousands of Ashley manufactured medical gowns for hospitals.

Ashley has transported essential goods, comprised of medical supplies, masks, grocery items, water, agricultural supplies and more on their transportation fleet.

Donation of over 1,200 mattresses and hundreds of bed frames to various childrens organizations, churches, medical shelters and non-profit organizations throughout the nation.

Ashley HomeStore is the largest retail furniture store brand in North America and one of the worlds best-selling furniture store brands with more than 1,025 locations in 60 countries. The Jacksonville, FL and Brunswick, GA Ashley HomeStores are locally-owned and employee-owned and operated. Giving back to the communities in which they serve is at the center of the companys purpose statement, To inspire the love of home and enrich the lives of those around us.

To join our mission in feeding America, please visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/ashleyhomestore.

Ashley HomeStore is committed to being your trusted partner and style leader for the home. This commitment has made Ashley HomeStore the largest retail furniture store brand in North America and one of the worlds best-selling furniture store brands with more than 1,025 locations in 60 countries.

Ashley HomeStore, Jacksonville/Brunswick has five locations in the Jacksonville, Florida area (St. Johns Town Center, River City Marketplace, Orange Park @ I-295, Atlantic/Southside Blvds. (Outlet) and at Glynn Isles Market (Brunswick GA)). Currently all local Ashley locations are open with reduced hours, practicing social distancing and following CDC guidelines for sanitation. Start designing your dream home today. Visit Ashley HomeStore online at http://www.ashleyhomestore.com. Like Ashley HomeStore on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram , or see our design-focused boards on Pinterest.

Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. (Ashley) feels that every person deserves more value for their money. Established in 1945, Ashley is the largest manufacturer of home furnishings in the world and was named one of Americas Best Employers by Forbes in 2017. From design through fulfillment, Ashley is committed to delivering the worlds best home furnishing values, selection and service, and earning the loyalty and trust of its customers every day. Visit Ashley online at http://www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesinc.com and like Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. on Facebook.

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

###

If you would like further information, photography/video, or to set up on or off-camera interviews please contact Tori Fusinaz at tfusinaz@ashleyjax.com

Contact:

Tori Fusinaz

tfusinaz@ashleyjax.com
Todd McFarlane talks about his first Spawn team book and the culmination of the 'Year of Spawn'

The comic book icon looks back at the 'Year of Spawn' and forward to his first-ever team book The Scorched
UPPSALA, Sweden, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Election of the board of directors and auditor

The annual general meeting in Orexo AB (publ) on 16 April 2020 resolved, in accordance with the nomination committee's proposal, that the number of board members shall be eight with no deputy board members. Staffan Lindstrand, David Colpman, Kirsten Detrick, Henrik Kjr Hansen, Fred Wilkinson and Mary Pat Christie were re-elected as ordinary board members. James Noble and Charlotte Hansson were elected as new members of the board. James Noble was elected as chairman of the board. Ernst & Young Aktiebolag was re-elected as auditor.

Fees to the board of directors and the auditor

The annual general meeting also resolved on fees to the board of directors in accordance with the nomination committee's proposal. The fees to the board of directors shall amount to SEK 3,550,000 to be allocated as follows: SEK 900,000 to the chairman and SEK 300,000 to each of the other board members, and in total SEK 400,000 to be allocated to the members of the audit committee so that the chairman of the committee receives SEK 200,000 and SEK 200,000 are allocated in equal parts between the other members of the committee, and in total 150,000 to be allocated to the members of the remuneration committee in equal parts between the members of the committee, and that fees to the auditor shall be paid against approved accounts.

Remuneration guidelines for the management

The annual general meeting approved the board of directors' proposal regarding new guidelines for remuneration to the management.

Nomination committee

The annual general meeting resolved to adopt procedures for the appointment of the nomination committee for the annual general meeting 2021 substantially in accordance with the same procedure as the preceding year.

Approval of income statement and balance sheets, appropriation of the company's profit or loss and discharge from liability

The annual general meeting approved the income statement and the balance sheet for the parent company, as well as the consolidated income statement and the consolidated balance sheet for the financial year 2019. It was resolved, in accordance with the board of directors' proposal, that there shall be no dividend for 2019 and that the results of the company shall be carried forward. The meeting also discharged the members of the board and the managing director from liability for the financial year 2019.

Authorization to issue new shares

The annual general meeting resolved to authorize the board of directors to resolve to issue new shares on one or several occasions until the next annual general meeting, with or without preferential rights for the shareholders, against cash payment or against payment through set-off or in kind, or otherwise on special conditions. However, such issue of shares must never result in the company's issued share capital or the number of shares in the company at any time, being increased by more than a total of 10 per cent. The purpose of the authorization is to enable the board to make corporate acquisitions, product acquisitions or to enter into collaboration agreements, or to raise working capital or broaden the shareholder base.

Authorization to repurchase and transfer shares

The annual general meeting resolved to authorize the board of directors to resolve to repurchase, on one or several occasions until the next annual general meeting, as many own shares as may be purchased without the company's holding at any time exceeding 10 per cent of the total number of shares in the company. Further, it was resolved to authorize the board of directors to resolve, on one or several occasions until the next annual general meeting, to transfer (sell) own shares.

The purpose of the authorization to repurchase own shares is to promote efficient capital usage in the company, to provide flexibility as regards the company's possibilities to distribute capital to its shareholders and for use in the context of the company's incentive plans. The purpose of the authorization to transfer own shares is to enable the board to make corporate acquisitions, product acquisitions or enter into collaboration agreements, or to raise working capital or broaden the shareholder base or for use in the context of the company's incentive plans.

Amendment to LTIP 2011/2021

The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the board's proposal, to amend the performance-based long-term incentive program with stock options for the chief executive officer, senior management and key employees within the Orexo group, LTIP 2011/2021, to include a cash alternative, entailing that a stock option may, subject to the approval of the board of directors, be satisfied through payment of a cash amount that is equal to the value of the Orexo share on the date of the request for exercise, less the applicable strike price for the acquisition of shares.

Reduction of the share capital with cancellation of class C shares and bonus issue

The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the board's proposal, to reduce the company's share capital with a maximum of SEK 337,188.40 for allocation to unrestricted equity by cancellation of the 842,971 acquired own class C shares that were held by the company on the day of the notice to the annual general meeting, as well as to increase the company's share capital through a bonus issue with a maximum of SEK 337,188.40 with the amount being transferred from unrestricted equity. The bonus issue shall be carried out without the issuance of new shares.

Complete proposals regarding the resolutions by the annual general meeting in accordance with the above together with the presentation from the managing director's speech are available at Orexo's website, www.orexo.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/orexo/r/report-from-orexo-s-annual-general-meeting--16-april-2020,c3090248

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Americas top infectious diseases expert has said that people in the country can invite Tinder dates over to their homes, but at their own risk. Dr Anthony Fauci was speaking to Vanity Fair magazine on the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Fauci said that he knows people are in home quarantine, and might swipe on a dating app like Tinder, but they have to decide if they want to take that risk. Its upto that person, said Dr Fauci, to decide whether he/she wants to sit in a roon and have a chat or wants to go a little bit intimate.

He warned of tremendous risk in terms of going for that sort of thing, because the Covid-19 infection has been spreading through asymptomatic people too.

Dr Fauci has been under fire from President Donald Trump for saying in a TV interview that lives could have been saved had the country started mitigation earlier.

Trump responded by reposting a tweet that included the line, Time to #FireFauci, raising alarms that Trump might consider trying to oust the 79-year-old doctor. But at Mondays briefing, Trump insisted Faucis job was safe after Fauci took the podium to try to explain his comments.

Trump has complained to aides and confidants about Faucis positive media attention and his willingness to contradict the president in interviews and from the briefing room stage, according to two Republicans close to the White House. They spoke to news agency Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss internal conversations.

But Trump has told aides that he knows blowback to removing Fauci would be fierce and that - at least for now - he is stuck with the doctor. On more than one occasion, however, he has urged that Fauci be left out of task force briefings or have his speaking role curtailed, according to the Republicans.
Crime has fallen by more than a quarter in the first four weeks of the UK's nationwide coronavirus lockdown, new data has revealed.

Police forces across England and Wales have reported a 28 per cent drop in crime since the drastic measures were announced last month, with the majority of Britons following advice to stay at home.

But the National Police Chiefs' Council said criminals are now posing as key workers and targeting supermarket queues in order to sell drugs, with supplies of illegal substances believed to be falling amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Police also said mistakes had been made in enforcing new powers introduced in March, with 39 children wrongly fined for flouting lockdown measures, the Guardian reported.

A Metropolitan Police officer approaches a sunbather outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help slow the spread of the coronavirus

Emergency laws do not allow police to fine those under the age of 18.

The fall in crime, reported in the four weeks to April 12, includes a 37 per cent drop in burglaries, a 27 per cent fall in serious assaults and personal robberies, a 37 per cent drop in rape cases and a 34 per cent fall in vehicle crime.

There has also been a 54 per cent drop in shoplifting compared to figures collected by the NPCC for the same period last year.

The Council went on to reveal calls to 999 are down by 14 per cent, with a 13 per cent drop in calls to 101 as those across England and Wales move to report crime online.

Forces have, however, seen a three per cent increase in the number of reported domestic violence cases as people are asked to stay at home.

Pictured: Shoppers queue to enter a Sainsbury's supermarket in west London on March 20

Police officers on horses speak to people walking on Primrose Hill, London on Tuesday

There has also been a 59 per cent rise in antisocial behaviour reports.

Some 3,203 fines were issued in England between March 27 and April 13 for breaches of these government public health regulations, which equates to less than 0.01 per cent of the eligible population.

A third of these fines were given to those aged 18 to 24, with a further third going to people between the ages of 25 and 34. Around 82 per cent of fines were given to men.

Deputy chief constable Sara Glen, from the NPCC, said it was clear younger people were struggling the most with the nationwide lockdown, which has been in place since March 23.

'If we have good weather people naturally want to be outside,' she said.

'So, this is something which is a real challenge to us with our demographics in counties where they've got a younger population who want to party, who want to have barbecues, who want to be outside, when it's good weather.'

This was apparent over the Easter weekend, when sunbathers were pictured lounging in London's Victoria Park, Battersea Park and Beachy Head in East Sussex.

Police forces across England and Wales have reported a 28 per cent drop in crime since the government lockdown was enforced last month

National Police Chiefs' Council said criminals are posing as key workers and targeting supermarket queues in order to sell drugs

In Torquay, a family was caught by Devon and Cornwall Police and fined for driving nearly 200 miles to go fishing, despite travel restrictions in place due to coronavirus.

A total of 424 fines were issued last Saturday, with police forces in tourist destinations handing them out more frequently than others.

Lynne Owns, the director general of the National Crime Agency, added that drug dealers were posing as key workers and targeting supermarket car parks in order to push illegal substances.

'They are having to find new ways of working and new networks,' she said. 'Drug dealers moving illicit drugs are concerned about greater scrutiny as they recognise that with fewer people on the streets, they are more visible.

'Of course, they will be looking at different opportunities, wearing hi-vis clothing so they start to look like key workers, deploying or dealing from supermarket car parks where there may be more people around.'

NPCC chairman Martin Hewitt added: 'The service across the UK currently has an overall absence rate of ten per cent, covering both officers and staff, and not simply relating to Covid-19.

'With reductions in crime, policing is in a strong, resilient position due to the brilliant commitment of officers and staff and the extra hours of our police volunteers.

'Our message to the public is keep reporting crime to us  we are still here for you and our teams are working round clock to keep you safe.

'To those in danger or at risk, my message is we will come when you call for help.'

On the enforcement on new public health regulations, he added: 'The vast majority of people are staying at home in order to protect the NHS and help save lives.

'However, we have seen a small minority of people who, despite our best efforts, have refused to follow the instructions and officers have needed to use their enforcement powers.

'I want to thank everyone who is being responsible and following the regulations.

'Provisional data on the number of fines issued by police forces shows proportionate policing of these new regulations. Police have interacted with the public in their tens of thousands, with most engagements ending positively and with no need for a fine.

'Our approach our approach of - engage, explain and encourage, and only as a last resort, enforce - is working and will continue.'
Indian rice traders are signing new export contracts again after a gap of nearly three weeks, four industry officials told Reuters on Thursday.

The resumption of shipments from the worlds biggest exporter could cap global prices which surged after India suspended exports amid a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, allowing rival countries such as Thailand to rise prices and shipments.

B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association (REA) said export operations had also resumed, despite India extending the lockdown on its 1.3 billion people until at least May 3 as the number of coronavirus cases exceeded 12,000.

The demand for Indian rice is huge as it has been offered at steep discount to rice from other countries, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm, but others said it would take time for exports to return to normal levels.

New contracts are getting signed but at a very low pace due to bottlenecks in the supply chain, Nitin Gupta, vice president of trader Olam Indias rice business, told Reuters.

India was offering the 5% broken parboiled variety at around $375-$380 per tonne on a free-on-board basis. Thailand was offering the same grade at around $535 per tonne.

Thai prices are likely to come down once Indian port operations become normal, the Mumbai-based dealer said. Labour shortages and logistics disruptions as a result of the lockdown have hampered deliveries.

Traders are mainly signing contracts for May and June shipments, expecting New Delhi to ease restrictions after May 3, said an exporter based at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.

Some exporters are still not signing new contracts. They first want to execute stuck shipments, the exporter said.

About 400,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice and 100,000 tonnes of basmati rice, meant for March-April delivery, are either stuck at ports or in the pipeline due to the lockdown, exporters said.

New Delhi mainly exports non-basmati rice to Bangladesh, Nepal, Benin and Senegal, and premium basmati rice to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Indias rice exports in 2019 fell 18.1% from a year earlier to 9.87 million tonnes, the lowest in eight years, as demand moderated from key Asian and African buyers.

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The Association for Transparent and Accountable Governance (ATAG) has called on President Akufo-Addo to, as a matter of urgency, speed up interventions to address the cases of Cerebral Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in the Upper East Region to prevent more deaths.



According to the group, the failure of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to speak on the issues during the nations address on April 9, 2020 came as a shock as the epidemic is taking more lives in the region than novel Coronavirus.



They are, therefore, calling on Akufo-Addo to respond timeously to the plague to avoid more deaths.



A number of 37 people have been reported dead after suffering meningitis related symptoms in Ghanas Upper West Region.



The Nadowli District recorded 74 cases with 12 deaths while the Nandom Municipality also has 76 cases with 10 fatalities.



The Jirapa Municipality follows with 42 cases, out of which nine people died.



In the last two weeks, the total number of persons infected with Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the Upper West Region has increased from 214 to 247.



Reacting to this development in a press statement copied to GhanaWeb, the group said Unfortunately, it is like learning has not taken place from the recent experiences we have had as a nation from the COVID-19 outbreaks in the country which we still struggling to control. So, ATAG does not wish Mr. President you may want to repeat the same mistakes; where the meningitis outbreaks in the Upper West Region will escalate before you come in with another belated coordinated response as happened in the COVID-19 outbreaks? Mr. President, is the over 37 deaths caused by meningitis, not enough for you to address the nation if for nothing at all but to reassure the populace of the region that you indeed care for them?



The statement further read, Mr. President, most Ghanaians were shocked to the marrow, especially the sons and daughters of the region when you addressed the nation on Thursday, April 9, 2020, to announce further COVID-19 mitigation packages for health workers in particular and Ghanaians as a whole, without a word on the devastating effects of the Meningitis outbreaks in the Upper West Region.

Source: ghanaweb









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Why a youth art competition?

An image is worth a thousand words. This art contest is your chance to use your creativity for a good cause. Worldwide, more than 80 million people have fled their homes to escape conflict and persecution. You can use your talents to help UNHCR share a message of solidarity with people forced to flee.

What about the next edition?

The next global edition will be launched during the first quarter of 2022.

Are you part of the Instant Network Schools?

Vodafone Foundation and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, are running a contest through which refugee students affiliated with the Instant Network Schools (INS) can create designs inspired by the theme Connecting for Good. The winning design will be turned into real footballs by Alive and Kicking, an ethical manufacturer, and distributed to INS affiliated schools and sport programmes. They will also be put on sale at the Foundations store to help create more schools for displaced communities.

1. You can draw by hand or on a computer or tablet

2. Download the ball design template!

3. Draw within the two frames

4. Try to use a maximum of 3 colors + white

5. Submit your design through this link by 17 December

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].



Who won the 2021 edition?

The theme of the 2021 art contest was Together through sport. It shed light on the power of sport to bring people together and create a sense of hope.



Who won the 2020 edition?

The theme of the 2020 edition was everyone counts in the fight against COVID-19, including refugees. We received 2,000 drawings from 100 countries. We awarded seven global winners (whose drawings were animated by the Japanese Studio Speed Inc), five regional winners, five prizes for cartoons and 20 special mentions. All winners received boxes of pencils from Caran dAche, our partner, for the art contest.
WUHAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A plane carrying medical supplies left Wuhan, the city once hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, on Wednesday for northeast China's Heilongjiang to aid the border province in the fight against COVID-19.

The supplies, which is worth around 30 million yuan (about 4.25 million U.S. dollars), include 50,000 medical protective suits, dozens of ventilators, 100,000 N95 respirators, and millions of other types of masks, according to Guo Tao, deputy head of the Department of Economy and Information Technology of Hubei Province, where Wuhan is the capital.

It was the first batch of medical supplies sent to Heilongjiang by the Hubei provincial government.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, various provincial-level regions across China have dispatched medical staff and aid goods to Hubei, the former center of the epidemic. Heilongjiang has sent more than 1,500 medical workers and around 3,000 tonnes of rice to the province since Jan. 27.

Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia, reported 22 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the local health authority said Wednesday.
The "Impact of COVID-19 on Italy Economy" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Italy is among the most affected countries with coronavirus outbreak across the globe, as the incidences rising at a significant pace than any other country. In Italy, the death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 5,000, witnessing a sharp increase from the last few days.

COVID-19 pandemic has a devastating impact on the Italian economy, as industrial output fell significantly. Italy had a considerable position in the value of industrial production in the EU member states. For instance, as per the Eurostat, more than 75% of the value of sold industrial production in EU 28 was generated by six member states, including Germany, Italy, France, UK, Spain, and Poland with 28%, 16%, 12%, 9%, 8%, and 5%, of total EU respectively (Eurostat). The country accounted for nearly 2.4% ($2.1 trillion) of the world's GDP in 2018.

As per the International Trade Administration (ITA), Italy's third-largest destinations for exports is the US, which totaled $50.1 billion value of the country's exports to the US in 2018. Italy's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector has a considerable proportion of firms that contribute approximately one-third of value to the economy and half of total employment in the country. As Italy's economic structure is heavily dependent on SMEs, the spread of coronavirus is significantly affecting the economy of Italy. SMEs relies on loans and finances to meet their business requirements. Due to the vulnerabilities facing by the Italian financial sector amid COVID-19, SMEs operations are negatively affected, which in turn, is leading to a significant decline of the Italian economy.

Based on industry classification, the Italy economy is segmented into automobile, food beverage, aviation, BFSI, retail, travel and tourism, healthcare, personal protective equipment, and others. Due to the epidemics of COVID-19, the Italy government has put lockdown strategy to limit the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, major automobile companies have temporarily shut down their factories to minimize the spread of coronavirus. For instance, in Italy, Ferrari S.p.A. has suspended production for two weeks coupled with Italian government orders for nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

In the healthcare sector, there is a surge in the demand for hospital supplies and equipment amid COVID-19 effect in the country. The Italian government has asked Siare Engineering International Group s.r.l., to augment its production of ventilators from 160 to 500 per month, as death toll surpassed 5,000. Further, General Electric Co., Honeywell, and 3M increased their efforts for the production of hospital equipment to fight against coronavirus.

General Motors and Ford Motors have all declared the possibility of utilizing their facilities for the production of ventilators. In addition, automakers are shifting their focus towards manufacturing of personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. For instance, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) declared that it would start production of face masks in the coming weeks. It will donate the critical medical equipment to healthcare workers and first responders. The company plans to produce 1 million face masks a month, which will be donated to emergency medical technicians (EMTs), police, firefighters and workers in healthcare clinics and hospitals.

Some major companies affected by COVID- 19 outbreak include Ferrari S.p.A., Fiat Automobile S.p.A., Alitalia Societ Aerea Italiana S.p.A., Siare Engineering International Group s.r.l., and Banca Sella S.p.A. Due to the COVID-19 epidemics, Italian banks have been focusing on Bitcoin trading platforms to buy and sell Bitcoin.

For instance, Banca Sella S.p.A., Italian bank declared to introduce Bitcoin trading services for its existing mobile banking customers. Nearly 1.2 million customers will be provided Bitcoin trading service through the bank's HYPE mobile banking platform. This will allow its customers to get complete control over their funds without any stock exchange interference and pay for products and services with the use of crypto. Due to lockdown in Italy, Banca Sella S.p.A. bank has been taking interest in Bitcoin as a safe way to transfer money globally.

The Report Covers:

A comprehensive research methodology of the pre and post-COVID-19 impact on Italy economy.

A detailed and extensive market overview with key analyst insights.

An exhaustive analysis of macro and micro factors influencing the market guided by key recommendations.

Analysis of regional regulations and other government policies impacting the Italy economy.

Insights about market determinants which are stimulating Italy economy.

Detailed and extensive market segments with regional distribution of forecasted revenues.

Extensive profiles and recent developments of market players.

Key Topics Covered

1. Report Summary

1.1. Research Methods and Tools

2. Market Overview and Insights

2.1. Scope of the Report

2.2. Analyst Insight Current Market Trends

2.2.1. Key Findings

2.2.2. Recommendations

2.2.3. Conclusion

2.3. Government support/bailout packages

2.4. Banking Initiatives

2.5. Supply Chain Analysis

3. Industry Overview

3.1. Historical market growth estimation of the Italy economy excluding COVID-19 pandemic effect

3.2. Deviations in the Italy economy growth rate due to COVID-19 pandemic

4. Verticals Affected Most

4.1. Automobile

4.2. Food Beverage

4.3. Aviation

4.4. BFSI

4.5. Retail

4.6. Travel Tourism

4.7. Healthcare

4.8. Personal Protective Equipment

4.9. Others

5. Company Profiles

Alitalia Societ Aerea Italiana S.p.A.

Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.

Banca Sella S.p.A.

Esselunga S.p.A.

F. Divella S.p.A.

Ferrari S.p.A.

Fiat Automobile S.p.A.

General Electric Co.

Nexi S.p.A.

Siare Engineering International Group s.r.l.

UBI Banca S.p.A.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kep0li

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005466/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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A surge in coronavirus disease cases is coming to Charleston in the next few weeks, but the Medical University of South Carolina does not expect its hospital in Charleston to be overwhelmed.

Thanks in part to the fact that people have been following orders to socially distance, the spring wave of the pandemic should not exceed MUSC's capacity.

"While the number of COVID-19 infections continues to grow, it is now doing so more slowly," according to new research from the state-supported hospital. "This is an important development, as an explosion of new cases, coupled with the current load of existing coronavirus patients, could ultimately have overwhelmed the health system."

MUSC shared the projections, which it is calling its "Epidemiology Intelligence Project," with the public online Wednesday at web.musc.edu/coronavirus-updates/epidemiology-project. MUSC estimates 3,500 cases are in the Charleston area; only 360 were confirmed in Charleston County by Thursday morning, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

As these patients' cases progress, many will show up in the hospital. A surge will likely happen at the end of April or beginning of May.

MUSC's projections indicate that Medical University Hospital could admit nearly 45 patients a week for COVID-19 infections at the outbreak's peak. They're expected to require a dozen ICU beds, according to the projections. MUSC had 114 ICU beds in Charleston in 2017, according to its annual report to Medicare.

Social distancing measures like state and local stay-at-home orders appear to have "substantially" slowed the virus's spread locally, said Michael Sweat, an MUSC professor leading the team that produced the models. And Charleston has managed to avoid so-called "super spreading" events that have fueled the nation's worst outbreaks.

Charleston has also avoided becoming a hotspot, such as the one in Camden in South Carolina's Midlands.

"We don't expect this surge to exceed the capacity of our ability to provide care," Sweat said. "Vigilance is really needed to ensure that transmission remains controlled."

Thad Moore contributed to this report.
LMTOnline.com is compiling the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Laredo area.

Two more have died of coronavirus-related complications in Laredo, bringing the city's total number of deaths to 10.

Laredo Fire and EMS responded to a call regarding one of the patients, a woman in her 60s. She died en route to Doctor's Hospital, according Laredo Fire Chief Steve Landin.

The fire department also confirmed two cases of coronavirus in their ranks, in an administrative chief who works at the fire station on Del Mar, and a captain who works on the front lines. As a result, the entire department will undergo coronavirus testing.

As of noon Wednesday, 1,369 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Laredo. 239 have been confirmed positive, with 678 tests returning negative. 452 people are still pending results of thier tests.

A drive-thru coronavirus testing clinic is now open in Laredo from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at El Metro Park and Ride.

Patients must have a prescription from their physician to be tested. Those without a physician that suspect they may have coronavirus symptoms can call a city hotline to be screened over the phone. Both those with prescriptions and without a doctor are asked to call the city's hotline at 956-795-4932 to set up an appointment.

The City of Laredo also announced a second clinic to be open on Monday at the City of Laredo Health Department.

Property values will be frozen throughout Webb County this year in order to provide some tax relief to local residents during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Laredo ER doctor, who worked at both Laredo Medical Center and Clear Choice ER, has spoken out after being confirmed positive for the disease almost two weeks ago.

The Numbers:

As of Thursday morning, there were 629,264 confirmed cases in the U.S, according to Johns Hopkins University. Of those, 26,708 have died and 47,763 have recovered. Texas has 15,907 confirmed cases, per the Johns Hopkins dataset.

To support vital coverage of this and other topics, consider a subscription to the Laredo Morning Times.

Here is the key information Laredo residents need to know.

What is the status of Laredo amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

The City of Laredo has adopted a mandatory stay-at-home order, which bars any gatherings of people outside of family units,

The order, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on March 28 through April 30  unless otherwise extended  mandates all people in Laredo and the surrounding cities stay at home unless absolutely essential.

The measures also require Laredo citizens to cover their nose & mouth whenever they leave the house, including while engaging in physical activity. They also forbid children inside grocery stores, convenience stores and big box stores, excluding parents without access to childcare.

People are excepted from wearing a mask, bandana, scarf or some kind of covering only when they are in their home or backyard, in the car alone, in their office alone, eating or while experiencing an emergency.

Webb County will not be adopting the stricter face covering measures adopted by the City of Laredo.

The order also forces non-essential businesses, such as tattoo shops, hair salons, and maquinita parlors, to close. Read this article see which "essential" businesses are allowed to remain open amid the coronavirus pandemic.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Fever, cough and shortness of breath. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, sore throat or diarrhea.

I think I may have COVID-19. What should I do?

Todd Trumbull

If your condition is not urgent, contact your doctor or an urgent care clinic. Call ahead in case they need to redirect you to another medical center or emergency room. If your health care provider uses telemedicine, such as video chatting, you may want to consider that to avoid potentially exposing others. Also, many counties have set up special phone lines for coronavirus inquiries from the public; your county public health department should have this information online.

If you believe your symptoms are urgent and you need to go to the ER, try to call ahead so that health care providers are prepared to isolate you and take other precautions to protect you and other patients when you arrive.

Individuals can request a test for coronavirus, but doctors and public health authorities will decide whether thats appropriate.

Lets step back. What is the coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses. Two other kinds of coronaviruses are known to cause SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome). Coronaviruses also can cause very mild illness, and are thought to be responsible for 10% to 30% of all common colds.

The new virus is already more widespread than either SARS or MERS. So far it appears to cause less severe illness than those viruses.

How is COVID-19 different from the flu?

COVID-19 and the flu are both infectious respiratory illnesses, but theyre caused by different viruses. They have similar symptoms and are spread by droplets that are expelled with sneezes and coughs. The flu can be prevented with a vaccine and treated with antiviral drugs, but there are not yet similar tools to fight COVID-19.

Tens of thousands of people have died from the flu this season, far eclipsing deaths from COVID-19. But millions of people get the flu every year, and the influenza death rate  about 0.1%  is likely lower than that of COVID-19. Experts still dont know just how deadly COVID-19 is, but early studies suggest the death rate is about 2%.

How serious is the COVID-19 virus? Who is most at risk?

About 80% of people who have contracted the virus have had mild symptoms and do not need to be hospitalized, according to large studies of cases in China. About 14% become severely ill and 5% critically ill. Those most at risk of becoming seriously ill are over age 50 or have underlying health problems, such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, or have weakened immune systems.

A Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention study found that most people infected were over the age of 30 and had mild symptoms. The death rate was highest  close to 15%  in those over the age of 80. The first U.S. deaths were all among residents of a long-term care facility in Washington state.

The virus appears to be less deadly than SARS or MERS. SARS had a fatality rate of about 10% before it disappeared in 2004. MERS is fatal nearly a third of the time, but is far less transmissible than SARS or COVID-19. Still, the reported cases and deaths are constantly shifting and its too soon to know exactly the seriousness of the illness.

How can I best protect myself?

People who are not sick should wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching their face with unwashed hands. They should avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing, sneezing or otherwise obviously ill.

People who are sick should cough or sneeze into their arm or a tissue, not into their hands. Ideally they should stay home and avoid being around other people. In some cases, doctors may advise people who are sick to wear a simple surgical mask in public to avoid infecting others.

Healthy people do not need to wear a mask. Studies have found they are not very effective at preventing illness. Most people become infected by touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands because thats the easiest way for viruses to enter the body.

Should I avoid school, work or places where large groups gather?

Public health experts have said that if you have recently returned from a country with a high number of cases, or if youve had contact with someone who has COVID-19, youre generally encouraged to stay at home and not go to work or school for 14 days.

If you are sick and have not traveled recently and have not been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should stay home until your symptoms have passed.

In some communities public health experts are advising that people at high risk of serious illness  people over age 50 and those with pre-existing health problems  avoid places where large crowds gather in close contact.

Otherwise, healthy people do not need to take any special precautions.

Should I cancel domestic or international travel plans?

Keep track of advisories from the U.S. State Department and the CDC that discourage travel to certain countries. If you do travel to those areas, pay attention to what you will need to do upon return.

Any U.S. citizen returning from Hubei province in China is subject to mandatory quarantine for 14 days. Anyone coming back from other parts of China or from countries with high numbers of infections will be asked to quarantine at home for 14 days. Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or a close family member of one wont be allowed to enter the U.S. for 14 days after you visit China or Iran.

Most airlines have canceled flights to China and are reducing routes to other countries. United has announced some domestic travel reductions, and other carriers may follow suit. Check The Houston Chronicle's live coverage and individual airline websites for the latest information.

Be aware that if you choose to travel, the situation is changing rapidly: Flights could be canceled or rules put in place at any time. Before booking, canceling or taking a flight, it helps to know what your rights and options are. Weve compiled tips for traveling during the coronavirus outbreak here.

How did the coronavirus get started?

Chinese health officials alerted the World Health Organization about a growing number of cases of pneumonia caused by an unidentified virus in the city of Wuhan in late December. The new coronavirus was identified about two weeks after that.

Coronaviruses can cross over from animals to humans. The virus that causes SARS is believed to have passed from bats to civets and then to humans, and the MERS virus was linked to camels. But scientists have not yet determined the source of the new coronavirus.

How long is the COVID-19 outbreak expected to last?

Thats not clear. Other coronaviruses, such as those that cause the common cold, tend to be seasonal. But the coronavirus that causes SARS appears to have disappeared about a year after it was identified in 2004. Its too soon to say what will happen with the new coronavirus.

Houston Chronicle producers Jordan Ray and Dana Burke and San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Alejandro Serrano, Mallory Moench, Erin Allday and Catherine Ho and Laredo Morning Times producer Louis San Miguel contributed to this report.
SHANGHAI, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai reported six imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Wednesday, the municipal health commission said Thursday.

All of them were Chinese citizens returning Shanghai from countries including Britain, Italy and Russia. They have been sent to designated medical institutions for treatment.

A total of 114 people in close contact with the confirmed patients on the flights have been put under quarantine.

The municipal health commission said a total of 289 imported cases had been reported in Shanghai by Wednesday.

On Wednesday, no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported and two patients were discharged from hospitals in Shanghai after recovery.

By Wednesday, the municipality has reported 339 locally transmitted confirmed cases, including seven deaths.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government has decided to impose curfew in five densely populated areas of Surat from Thursday midnight to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

These areas fall under the jurisdiction of Salabatpura, Mahidharpura, Lalgate, Athwalines and Limbayat police stations, an order released from the Gujarat Chief Ministers Office signed by Secretary Ashwani Kumar said.

The curfew will remain in force till April 22, and a three-hour relaxation will be given from 1 PM to 4 pm on these days, the order said. It may be noted that the number of COVID-19 patients in Gujarat went up to 871 on Thursday after 105 new cases were reported since Wednesday night.

As three more coronavirus positive persons died during this period, the death toll in the state has reached 36, Principal Secretary (Health), Jayanti Ravi, said.

She added that 64 patients have recovered from the infection and discharged in the state so far. Of the 105 new cases reported during the last 12 hours, 42 were from Ahmedabad and 35 from Surat, she said.

Other districts where fresh cases were reported are - Anand (8), Vadodara (6), Banaskantha (4), Narmada (4), Rajkot (3) and one each in Gandhinagar, Kheda and Panchmahal.

Ravi said that more cases are emerging because of intensive surveillance and testing in the hotspots, including the areas, which are placed under curfew till April 21 in the walled city of Ahmedabad.

Those who died in the last 12 hours included a 62- year-old man from Kutch, an 80-year-old man from Botad and a 60-year-old woman from Ahmedabad, Ravi said.

In Ahmedabad, most of the cases during the last 12 hours have emerged from designated COVID-19 hotspots like Juhapura, Jamalpur, Behrampura, Danilimda, Bodakdev, Gomtipur and Meghaninagar. Notably, out of the 33 districts in Gujarat, no case has been reported in 10 districts so far.

Of the 871 cases in the state so far, the majority of them were reported in five districts - Ahmedabad (492), Vadodara (127), Surat (86), Rajkot (27) and Bhavnagar (26).

Giving details about the efforts being taken by the government, Ravi said the authorities have conducted as many as 20,204 tests to identify the coronavirus infected persons.

"For every million, we have conducted 267 tests, much higher than the national average of 177 tests per million," she said.

(With PTI inputs)
373 pp; Nan A Talese/Doubleday

At 84, Deirdre Bair has authored six biographies but the subjects who continued to arouse the most interest were the two she first wrote about: Samuel Beckett and Simone de Beauvoir. Beckett and Beauvoir were also the biographical subjects she grew most attached to, and her recently published memoir Parisian Lives; Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir and Me: A Memoir tells us why this was so. Though she had long toyed with the idea of writing a book about how these biographies evolved, publishers were only interested in what Beckett and Beauvoir were really like. And so Parisian Lives became a hybrid of memoir and biography, and Bair an artist under oath: there could be no hiding, and sometimes it was painful.

Bair had been a journalist and written a dissertation on Beckett when she wrote seeking his consent. She first met him in Paris in November 1971, and began the Beauvoir biography a decade later. If Becketts concurrence was quick (I will neither help nor hinder you), so was the flood of disparaging responses from people who claimed to be close to him, and even from established academics and scholars. Lewd rumours about what she must have done to get him to open up proliferated both during the writing process and for years post publication, along with repeated insinuations that she was one of those American Womens Libbers in a free marriage. People she interacted with claimed they hadnt talked to her, while others who were obstructive claimed she could never have written the book without their help. The biography itself generated professional envy, resentment, and hostility, with the Becketteers (uniformly male) banded together in a symposium to rescue Beckett from Bair. Even her daughter was not spared, her headmaster waving Richard Ellmans review at her and saying Oh boy, but your mother has really done it this time! The hard work and research that went into her writing notwithstanding, colleagues at Penn University rubbished her achievement  Shes not a scholar; shes only a biographer  to stop her getting tenure. The stress of coping with career and domesticity resulted in a minor breakdown and by the time the book was out (1978) she was determined never to write another biography.

Playwright and writer Samuel Beckett (1906 - 1989). (Reg Lancaster/Getty Images)

It took Dick McDonough, an editor at Little, Brown and Company, to persuade Bair that Simone de Beauvoir could be the woman she had said was an impossibility: someone who had made a success of every aspect of her life, personal and professional. The Second Sex had been an important coming of age book for Bair and Beauvoirs relationship with Sartre had not yet come under the scanner. To Bair she was paragon and icon but, revealingly, her agent and Mary Kling (her Paris representative) both saw Beauvoir as passe, Kling even claiming that without Sartre she was nothing. Despite this Bair wrote to Beauvoir and received her consent. From the very first she felt a personal closeness to Beauvoir that she never shared with Beckett though she had to navigate carefully to ensure that lumpy, grumpy, frumpy, and dumpy Beauvoir (as she was to exasperatedly refer to her once in her diaries) did not direct what she wrote. Since Beauvoir and Beckett cordially detested each other, Bair secured her autonomy by telling Beauvoir that he had never interfered with her writing. Perceptive, frequently ironic, she describes Becketts circle as more eclectic and Beauvoirs, surprisingly, despite her travels and writings on other cultures, as curiously restrictive and much less diverse. Yet, paradoxically, Becketts world was backbiting, sycophantic, while people who admired, respected and loved Beauvoir were not afraid to stand up to their monstre sacre.

Bairs memoir, based to a considerable extent on her Daily Diaries, combines humour, irony, frustration, exasperation, exultation and disappointment, triumph and defeat. She writes movingly of the time Beckett (who could be fractious and evasive) listened to her emotional outburst, only to say You must never explain. You must never complain. Of his insistence that only the writing matters, and that he could not have gone through the awful wretched mess of life without having left a stain upon the silence. Of how he faithfully initialed every quotation to ratify it as her publishers demanded: His word was indeed his bond. Of how, despite Beauvoirs outspokenness about many things including her lovers, certain topics were decidedly taboo: what she and Sartre did during the Nazi occupation of France, her dissertation on Leibniz and, surprisingly, even her sexuality. With Sartre gone Beauvoir seemed liberated, eager to have her whole story told. She had been slotted into the niche of feminist icon and was afraid of staying there in perpetuity, her fiction, politics, philosophy and autobiography forgotten. Unlike Becketts death (1989) which triggered no emotional reaction, Beauvoirs death in 1986 while the biography was still in progress devastated Bair and she joined the procession of mourners to the Montparnasse cemetery where Beauvoir was buried beside her lifetime partner Jean-Paul Sartre.

Author Deirdre Bair in a picture taken on January 1, 2006. (Getty Images)

Denied promotion despite her successes, Bair resigned from Penn University and has never regretted abandoning the world of petty academia for what she loved: her writing. Bairs memoir draws one in because Beckett and Beauvoir were icons even in ones faraway context but largely because, despite some repetition and tediousness, it is a compelling story of an early feminists struggle to be a spouse, a mother, a young academic in a hostile environment, and above all a scholar who would be taken seriously despite her youth and gender, not just by her subjects but by the worlds to which they belonged. It is a no-holds-barred story, which should resonate with women young and old.

Vrinda Nabar is the author of Caste as Woman and Family Fables & Hidden Heresies: A Memoir of Mothers and More, and a former Chair of English, Mumbai University.
(Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is in the earliest stages of choosing a running mate who can help him defeat President Donald Trump in November, a decision complicated by the effects of the coronavirus crisis on the country and the campaign.

Biden, who is far behind Trump in fund-raising and hamstrung by social distancing rules, is preparing to begin his vetting process in the coming days, according to a person familiar with the plans. Yet alongside the usual political considerations, he will have to add a new criteria for the candidates: Who can best address the challenges of the coronavirus era.

High profile senators -- and former presidential candidates -- Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren are all sure to get consideration. Yet the crisis has also raised the profile of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who Biden has said he was watching closely even before the pandemic struck.

Some outsiders have speculated about Biden picking New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has been widely praised for his stewardship during the crisis, but the former vice president is unlikely to stray from his commitment to pick a woman as his running mate.

Bidens pledge to choose a woman eased the Democrats hand-wringing that came when, despite a large and diverse candidate field, they eventually chose a 77-year-old white man and Washington insider as their nominee. All the other usual factors will be considered, too -- who can help him win a region or a demographic, who doesnt have a scandal lurking in her past, and who is, in his words, simpatico with him and his style of governing.

Biden faces this choice in a vastly different political landscape than when he entered the race, or even since his decisive win in South Carolina catapulted him to front-runner status. The markets have taken a beating, tens of millions of people are out of work and voters fear another wave of the virus in the fall, before election day.

Story continues

He knows exactly what it will feel like to have a partner, not just a running mate, not someone who is politically convenient or would make for a good profile but someone who he can trust, said Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, Bidens home state, and a close ally.

Hes looking for someone who is soulful, whip-smart, capable, compatible and who will really be able to step in and play that right-hand partner role from day one.

The vetting process has traditionally begun with lawyers combing through publicly available information about a large group of candidates. A smaller group are then asked to provide private records and most move on to interview with the candidate.

In 2016, about 20 people began the process in April, 10 made it to the next round in June, and nominee Hillary Clinton interviewed several finalists before selecting Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her running-mate. Washington lawyer James Hamilton has led the process for every Democratic nominee since Al Gore in 2000.

He should consider who helps make the best team that sends the message to the American people that this is the team that can get us back on track, this is the team thats going to give us competence versus the incompetence of Trump and Pence, said Democratic strategist Karen Finney, who was Kaines communications director in 2016.

The new calculations have put a lot of attention on Whitmer, 48, who has been one of the most visible governors during the crisis. Michigan is a crucial swing state that Trump won by 0.23% in 2016, and when she fought for more federal assistance last month, she was dismissed by the president as that woman from Michigan. That rallied Biden and other national Democrats to her defense.

A test of her rapport with Biden came in a 20-minute podcast conversation between the two earlier this week. In it, Biden described her as one of the most talented people in the country in my view and asked her about things they have in common, including a willingness to work with Republicans. Without in-person events for the foreseeable future, virtual interactions such as the podcast are the Biden campaigns best shot at testing his chemistry with potential running mates.

Worse Than 1933?

A Michigan Democrat who is close to Whitmer and requested anonymity to speak candidly about the process said Whitmer would be a strong running mate but questions whether she would be selected if the pandemic is still wreaking havoc on her state and demanding her attention.

Even before the crisis, Biden made clear he would pick a running mate who could immediately step into the presidency should his good health suddenly turn or, as hes suggested, if he gets struck by lightning. The threat of an infectious disease around the world only amplifies the importance of his choice.

Everybody will mouth that you have to be able to step into the job and I think Biden will take that particularly seriously because of his age, said John Podesta, who, as Clintons 2016 campaign chairman, helped her pick Kaine.

Biden has suggested that the problems he would inherit in January 2021 could be worse than those Franklin D. Roosevelt faced in 1933. Therefore, his vice president is likely to be given a large workload that will require significant trust and independence from the president, just as Biden got from President Barack Obama in 2009 to oversee the automobile industry bailout and the distribution of stimulus money after the 2008 financial crisis.

His experience in 2009 will be really fresh in his mind as he thinks about finding a partner who could take on that kind of work, said Liz Allen, a former White House communications aide who traveled with Biden to construction sites and firehouses across the country as the recovery act was implemented. Although he and Obama didnt know each other particularly well at the start of the administration, trust and transparency were already there between them, she said.

In this moment, executive experience and particularly crisis experience is probably something that the public would gravitate to, Podesta said, which is likely to help the prospects of any governors or other executives he considers. Despite his desire to find a running mate with whom hed have the same close personal and professional relationship he had with Obama over eight years, electoral considerations will still be at play, Podesta added.

He will have a unique perspective having been vice president and will be thinking about working in the White House with this person but that does not mean that the number one criteria wont be who would help me get elected and who will hurt me in my quest to get elected, Podesta said.

What About Harris?

Biden also faces significant pressure to choose a woman of color from prominent supporters and activists, like Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, whose endorsement just before his states primary breathed new life into the campaign, and civil rights icon and Georgia Representative John Lewis.

Harris, 55 and just the second black female U.S. senator, is seen as a top contender. When she joined Biden at a video fundraiser on Wednesday, he alluded to bringing her into his administration. Im so lucky to have you as part of this partnership going forward because I think working together we can make a great deal of difference and the biggest thing we can do is making Donald Trump a one term president, he said.

But some in Bidens orbit, including his wife, Jill, are wary of Harris after her debate-stage attack last summer on Bidens record on school busing and because Harriss team was aggressive in trying to place negative stories about him in the press. Biden has said hes moved on, but Jill Biden was still talking about it in public as recently as March, when she described Harris words as a punch to the gut, in part because Harris was close with Bidens late son Beau.

If Biden doesnt choose a woman of color, he must remind voters of his commitment to diversity other ways, Finney said. Hell need to stress that regardless of who he picks, he will have an administration that reflects the broad diversity of our country, including his pledge to appoint the first black woman to the Supreme Court.

A number of women remain in the mix for the number two spot. Klobuchar, 59, has made no secret of her interest in the job. Her chances could be helped by a bit of misfortune -- her husband was hospitalized in March with the coronavirus but has since recovered  that could help her connect with other affected families.

Other senators likely to get a close look include Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, and Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen both of New Hampshire. Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia House of Representatives minority leader will also be on his list. And Biden has said that he would consider Sally Yates, the former deputy attorney general fired by Trump.

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Could Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings Limited (HKG:1939) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. If you are hoping to live on your dividends, it's important to be more stringent with your investments than the average punter. Regular readers know we like to apply the same approach to each dividend stock, and we hope you'll find our analysis useful.

Some readers mightn't know much about Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings's 3.0% dividend, as it has only been paying distributions for a year or so. Before you buy any stock for its dividend however, you should always remember Warren Buffett's two rules: 1) Don't lose money, and 2) Remember rule #1. We'll run through some checks below to help with this.

Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings!

SEHK:1939 Historical Dividend Yield April 15th 2020

Payout ratios

Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. Looking at the data, we can see that 35% of Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. This is a medium payout level that leaves enough capital in the business to fund opportunities that might arise, while also rewarding shareholders. Plus, there is room to increase the payout ratio over time.

In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. Unfortunately, while Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings pays a dividend, it also reported negative free cash flow last year. While there may be a good reason for this, it's not ideal from a dividend perspective.

While the above analysis focuses on dividends relative to a company's earnings, we do note Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings's strong net cash position, which will let it pay larger dividends for a time, should it choose.

Story continues

Consider getting our latest analysis on Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings's financial position here.

Dividend Volatility

Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. This company has been paying a dividend for less than 2 years, which we think is too soon to consider it a reliable dividend stock. Its most recent annual dividend was HK$0.02 per share.

We like that the dividend hasn't been shrinking. However we're conscious that the company hasn't got an overly long track record of dividend payments yet, which makes us wary of relying on its dividend income.

Dividend Growth Potential

The other half of the dividend investing equation is evaluating whether earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Growing EPS can help maintain or increase the purchasing power of the dividend over the long run. Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings's earnings per share are down -13% over the past year. While this is not ideal, one year is a short time in business, and we wouldn't want to get too hung up on this. We do note though, one year is too short a time to be drawing strong conclusions about a company's future prospects.

We'd also point out that Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

Conclusion

When we look at a dividend stock, we need to form a judgement on whether the dividend will grow, if the company is able to maintain it in a wide range of economic circumstances, and if the dividend payout is sustainable. Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings has a low payout ratio, which we like, although it paid out virtually all of its generated cash. Earnings per share are down, and to our mind Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings has not been paying a dividend long enough to demonstrate its resilience across economic cycles. With this information in mind, we think Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings may not be an ideal dividend stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. To that end, Tokyo Chuo Auction Holdings has 6 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about.

We have also put together a list of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Benton County reported on Wednesday morning its fourth death from COVID-19, that of a female in her 70s who had been hospitalized.
The City of Cleveland held a special called city council meeting Tuesday morning to adopt a COVID-19 emergency administrative leave policy for municipal employees.

City employees will be working split shifts to limit the spread of the coronavirus according to Cleveland City Manager Kelly McDonald during the Zoom meeting.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Houston virus cases near the 2,500 mark with 125 new ones

Employees may not work their usual number of hours with the split shifts, but can still be paid for the number of hours they are normally scheduled to work. The resolution allows paid administrative leave to make up for the difference in hours worked under the rotating schedule. This applies to full-time and part-time city employees.

Exempt employees will receive full pay if they work from the office or from home.

THE NEW NORMAL: Cleveland ISD students, parents begin to adapt to distance learning

Employees must meet standards working at home, finish an adequate amount of work each day and inform their supervisor.

The police department and the fire department will not be included in the proclamation. Those two units have already started working separate shifts to help limit the spread of coronavirus.

During the meeting, council discussed the limited number of masks available for city employees to wear at work, saying that some have been reusing masks. Cleveland Fire Chief Sean Anderson said the city is working with officials to get more masks to protect the employees.

KNOW THE FACTS: Greater Cleveland Chamber keeps community informed through COVID-19 resource webpage

City officials also said there will most likely not be any testing sites in Liberty County.

Some medical facilites have testing kits, but they are limited. The hospitals have a total of 16 beds for COVID-19 patients and the city continues to push for more beds in the future.

City council members encouraged the community to continue following guidelines in practicing social distancing, washing hands and only going out when necessary.

marcus.gutierrez@chron.com
French President Emmanuel Macron says he hopes that in the coming days the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council can discuss and endorse U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres call for a cease-fire to all conflicts in the world in order to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Macron, who has been pushing for more international cooperation in fighting the virus, said in an interview with French radio RFI broadcast on Wednesday that he is only waiting for agreement from Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold the 5-country video conference.

Chinas President Xi Jinping confirmed to me he agrees. (U.S.) President (Donald) Trump confirmed to me he agrees. (British) Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed to me he agrees, Macron said. I think President Putin will agree too.

When he does, we can have this video conference and therefore endorse it (Guterres call) with great solemnity, strength, and even more efficiency, the French president said.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday, when asked about a videoconference of the so-called P-5 leaders, we do not rule it out." He stressed that a video conference cannot substitute for an in-person summit of the five leaders, whose countries have veto-power in the 15-member Security Council.

There is an agreement of principle for this event (an in-person summit) to focus on a large-scale, major analysis of global developments in all areas that one way or another bear on peoples safety and strategic stability, Lavrov told reporters during a conference call.

Guterres said on April 3 that warring parties in 11 countries had responded positively to his March 23 appeal  Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Libya, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen have also expressed their acceptance. But he warned that turning words into peace will be enormously difficult.

The U.N. Security Council has been stymied on adopting a resolution on the COVID-19 pandemic and the secretary-generals call for a cease-fire to all conflicts because of differences among the five permanent members  the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

Diplomats said the Security Council was initially blocked from issuing a statement or adopting a resolution by U.S. insistence that the origin of the virus in China or Wuhan be included, which China objected to, but the Trump administration relented on that and is now insisting on a reference to transparency. According to diplomats, another holdup was Macrons desire to hold a P-5 summit meeting before a full Security Council meeting was held or a resolution adopted.

But the 10 elected Security Council members had been pressing for a council meeting and briefing from Guterres  and they had the nine votes needed for it to finally happen last Thursday. They have also drafted a resolution, as has France, but diplomats said talks have not yet started on trying to unite the rival drafts.

At Thursdays closed council meeting, secretary-general Guterres warned that the coronavirus pandemic is threatening international peace and security and said this can potentially lead to an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease.

He urged the Security Council, whose mandate is to preserve international peace and security, to unite on tackling the virus.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday that the U.N. is very pleased with the impact and resonance Guterres call has had and a united and strong message from the Security Council would go a long way in pushing that call further and making it a reality.
NORTH READING, Massachusetts, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink Inc., the leading digital platform company for the life sciences industry, today announced the commitment of a $1 million donation to COVID-19 charitable relief efforts, seeking grant proposals from eligible organizations around the world, effective immediately.

Eligible organizations include those directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with a critical need for funding and support including, but not limited to healthcare disaster and equipment relief, research and development related to a treatment, mental health, education and technology, and small businesses. The deadline for grant applications is May 15th at 11:59 p.m. ET and will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis by a TraceLink committee.

"Together, the world is facing unprecedented challenges caused by COVID-19 and the pandemic has and will continue to have a significant impact on everyone in one form or another," said Shabbir Dahod, president and CEO, TraceLink. "TraceLink is committed to helping support the health and wellbeing of our communities, locally and across the world, as well as our customers and employees and our hope is that by issuing a call for proposals, our charitable donations will be comprehensive, ensuring all of those in need have the opportunity for some relief during this crisis."

"Earlier this year, TraceLink delivered individual gift boxes to over 450 pediatric patients at Boston Medical Center and other Boston hospitals, a charitable effort that meant everything to these children and lifted their spirits while they were hospitalized," said Rob Schultz, Business Development Officer, Boston Medical Center. "COVID-19 has affected nearly every hospital around the world and we expect to be fighting this uphill battle for quite some time. We are very appreciative of TraceLink's ongoing charitable efforts, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when any contribution makes a difference to patients across the world."

To apply, applicants can fill out this grant form and submit it to domore@tracelink.com by the deadline. For more information on TraceLink's COVID-19 efforts, visit https://www.tracelink.com/covid-19-response and find our latest news here.

About TraceLink

TraceLink is the leading digital platform company for the life science supply chain, bringing hundreds of thousands of pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations together for the greater good of the patient. TraceLink's digital solutions bring the precision, agility and visibility necessary for all members of the pharmaceutical ecosystem to thrive in a world where unplanned events and business disruptions are the "next normal." With headquarters in Massachusetts, TraceLink has six global offices through North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. For more information on TraceLink, visit www.tracelink.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156029/TraceLink_Inc_Covid19_Relief_Fund.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1004729/TraceLink_Logo.jpg
Logistics groups roll out schemes to avert doldrums, illustration photo

Bee Logistics, one of Vietnams leading international service providers in the field, has seen a 10 per cent fall in the number of services providing for customers in the first quarter. In the second quarter the dip may reach 50 per cent or even more.

With representative offices in eight countries, including Vietnams major trading markets of China and South Korea, the pandemic has significantly delayed Bees plan to expand networks, and harmed the business results of its representative offices abroad.

According to the latest survey by the Vietnam Logistics Association (VLA), around 15 per cent of logistics firms have experienced a 50 per cent decline in revenue against 2019. Also, half of them reported a 10-30 per cent decline in logistics services in local and foreign markets so far compared to last year.

Chun How Loh, general director of APL Logistics Vietnam Co., Ltd., said that all sectors of the economy are being impacted including retail and consumer goods, which are some of the key exports of Vietnam. As necessary measures are taken to combat the virus we expect to see a major downturn, and are preparing to weather the impacts of such downturn for the foreseeable future, Loh said.

The supply chain impact is uneven across the various industry segments. To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, logistics firms have led several initiatives to overcome the tough times. APL Logistics is actively rolling out and accelerating process digitisation to support work from home for all functions except those critical for maintaining operations at its facilities.

APL Logistics was an early adopter of e-invoicing when Vietnam was pushing for it. Currently the company is accelerating other digital solutions, including a remodelling of its operating systems to support these unprecedented times.

For its clients, APL Logistics is also rolling out flow management programmes to help them slow down or speed up their supply chains as needed.

Dinh Huu Thanh, CEO of Bee Logistics, told VIR that to mitigate possible losses from COVID-19, the company has focused on diversifying services and increase its professionalism since the beginning of this year, while strengthening customer networks and improving quality of staff, services, and IT applications to increase labour productivity.

According to Thanh, Bee Logistics has made efforts to improve connectivity among kinds of logistics services, for instance, co-ordination among railway, sea freight, and road logistics services. The company not only offers solutions at cross-border gates to ease risks for customers from changes in the policies, but also solutions for air freight service amid cut of flights, Thanh said.

Meanwhile, the company keeps updating information and giving consultancy for customers about the markets and import-export procedures. It is also developing bulk cargo services, gauge cargo transportation, and other domestic services.

Bee Logistics expects the government to use financial tools to support businesses such as relaxing times for tax and social insurance payments, reducing cost of bank loans, and creating a healthy business environment in general.

Other measures may include formulating supporting policies for private companies to develop services abroad; developing and performing policies more efficiently; facilitating trade procedures; and studying the advantages of geographical location to develop Vietnam into one of leading logistics transshipment hubs in the region.

Last week, the Ministry of Transport asked the government to assign the Ministry of Finance to consider reducing several taxes for transport businesses. For the civil aviation industry, the ministry has asked the government to exempt import and environmental protection taxes on flight fuel from January 23 to December 31.

In case of difficulties balancing the budget, the ministry expects the government to cut half of these taxes and allow businesses to delay tax payments and budget contributions.

Furthermore, the ministry also asked for reduced or suspended payments for corporate income, personal income and foreign contractor taxes over the same time frame. Businesses are expected to enjoy cuts to VAT on domestic transport over three years.
Tammam Aloudat is no stranger to outbreaks. As a physician for Doctors Without Borders Access Campaign, he works to make medicine and vaccines accessible for regions of the world afflicted with diseases largely forgotten in rich countries: tuberculosis, hepatitis C, kala azar, and sleeping sickness, among others. Last month Aloudat was reading the latest news on the novel coronavirus from his office in Geneva, Switzerland, when he came across a tweet by a historian suggesting that people start keeping records of their lives.

The thought nestled into his dreams. The next morning, March 14, he woke up and created a Facebook group: Peoples History of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Aloudat invited a few global health colleagues, thinking that they might be interested in recording their personal experiences in different countries. Twenty-four hours later, the group had 1,000 members; as of today, it has more than 5,500, spread across ages, geographies, and occupations. Ive read every public health history you can imagine as a hobby, Aloudat said over Skype from his apartment in Geneva, where he now works from home alongside his wife and twin toddlers. Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States was visible on a bookshelf behind him. But most of them end up being skewed by government records. I was interested in seeing, what would it mean to create a collective record? It gives a view that is going to be different from the official view.

covid-19 is the first global pandemic being extensively documented on social media, producing a wealth of information (and misinformation). According to social media researcher Raymond Serrato, Facebook has at least 208 public groups on covid-19, with a combined following of 6.5 million. (The actual number is likely higher; Serrato searched for public groups that included coronavirus, pandemic, or covid in their title and only counted those with more than 1,000 members.) So far, Peoples History of the Coronavirus Pandemic, a private group, is the only one asking people to record their lives with the purpose of starting an ongoing historical archive.

The groups posts range from the politicala recent query from Washington, DC, reads, ideas on how to mobilize an effective protest while on lockdown?to the deeply personal: there are artworks, songs, and cartoons, as well as offers for online chats to stave off the loneliness that comes with isolation. People have shared their fears, anxieties, sorrows, and moments of joy. Wrote Kelly Grote, a fifty-three-year-old writer in Massachusetts, on the morning of March 31:

Waking up in the days of corona: the father-in-law of a college classmate has just died of corona in the Midwest; a friend in NYC mentions that theres a refrigerator truck down the street from him since there are too many bodies; another friend there lost three people he knew to the disease last week; I fill out a form to donate gloves to a local hospital that is running out of supplies and is struggling with the ever-rising number of cases. The sun is shining, after two days of rain, the golden finches in the yard are getting back their summer plumage, and I struggle for balance.

Other members post reports from countries outside Europe and the US that are likely to be hit next but have received scant attention from international media, as border closures, citywide curfews, and mandatory quarantines halt the movement of journalists between and within countries.

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ICYMI: Daniel Pearls murderers cant be allowed to escape justice

Scoviah, a thirty-three-year-old midwife in Kampala, Uganda (she asked that her full name be withheld), wrote on April 2: First [they] banned all public means of transport and we were not so worried because the few who could drive gave lifts to others with their personal cars. People started walking over 10kms to arrive to their work places.I need to point out that my people here literally live from hand to mouth daily.[A] few days later, private cars were banned, not even to take any sick person to hospital neither for us medical personnel to go to work at the hospital. Poor mothers will die at home with complicated labor.

As the virus spreads, there may soon be places in the world that we stop hearing from. Some governments want to retain control of the official narrative; already it is hard to get information about the viruss impact in Russia and Iran (voices from these countries are also noticeably missing from the Peoples History). Two Chinese citizen-journalists who reported from WuhanFang Bin, a former businessman, and Chen Qiushi, a videographer and former lawyerhave disappeared, while journalists elsewhere have been detained for their coverage, such as Yayesew Shimelis in Ethiopia. On April 3, Aloudat posted a message asking members of the group to invite people who might be somewhat or entirely different from you.

Aloudat is particularly interested in how a collective record can counter the gaps in representation and biases entrenched in mainstream media that accompanied coverage of previous epidemics, such as Ebola. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, a Congolese doctor, responded to the first Ebola outbreak in 1976, taking a sample of a patients blood in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire) and sending it to Belgium for analysis. Yet until recently, Belgian scientists were credited with discovering Ebola in the Western media.

Wael, a forty-four-year-old man in Erbil, Iraq, posted on March 22, Hello all, feedback from my experience here inthe capital of Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRG)the region is under a full curfew since the 14th of March, with the same exceptions as almost everywhere. The authorities are even delivering food and essential supplies to families in needthis March, the Kurdish population had to skip the Neyrooz festivities, celebrated every year in spring. Yesterday, despite the confinement and the pouring rain, residents of my neighborhood played the Kurdish anthem and songs, and the expatriate population light[ed] candles in a display of solidarity and gratitude.

As the pandemic spreads around the world, social media continues to serve as a conduit for citizen-led documentation, similar to how its been used to share news from places most journalists cant enter or crises the media has simply stopped covering. But while the platforms facilitate the mass collection of stories, they are not designed as a historical record. Here, the work of human rights groups like the Syrian Archive can be instructive in how to develop catalogues to sort content and advocate for social media platforms to alter policies that may inadvertently delete information.

READ: In a pandemic, what is essential journalism?

It will be critical for present and future generations to understand the ways covid-19 affected our lives: those we lost to the disease, those who lost their livelihoods and ways of life, those who were separated from their loved ones. Only through recording and remembering this period accurately are we likely to take appropriate measures to prevent new pandemics through strengthening global health institutions and improving the capacity of national health systems. We will want to remember everything.

Aloudat has not seen his father in ten years, since the Syrian war made it impossible for him to return home to Damascus. For him, the coronavirus is not a great leveler, as some have referred to it in the press. When it spreads in weak health systems, it is going to affect people disproportionately, and even when it spreads in [countries with] strong health systems, people who have the means to be treated or isolated properly have a much higher chance of surviving, he says. But it is a disease that puts everybody at risk, so no one is unafraid. Peoples History has also seen members sharing free advice and social support to strangers, some of whom reported they had no one else to turn to.

But how can I tell their story/ if I was not there, inquires the Chilean-Argentinian writer Ariel Dorfman in his poem Vocabulary. As is the case whenever there is some form of social or political collapse, it is communitiesnot the official mediawho will primarily document and bear witness.

Read more stories from CJRs Covering the Pandemic series

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Caitlin L. Chandler is a long-form journalist and writer. Her work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, The Guardian, and Guernica. She is a recipient of the International Womens Media Foundation 2020 Fund for Women Journalists.
Fourteen people, including nine medical students, who were quarantined in Punjab's Amritsar for nearly a month after arrival from Pakistan, were sent back to their homes in Kashmir valley, officials said on Thursday.

"We thank the governments of Punjab and J&K for best possible arrangements and accommodations in Amritsar. We are happy that we are going back to our homes," Mustaq Ahmed of Srinagar, who had arrived in Amritsar from Lahore in Pakistan last month, said.

As many as 14 Kashmiris including nine medical students arrived in Amritsar via Wagah border from Pakistan on March 19 and sent to quarantineby the state authorities to contain the spread of COVID-19.

This group was sent in a vehicle from Amritsar by the Punjab government and were recieved by the Jammu and Kashmir officials at Lakhanpur inter-state plaza in Kathua district and were subjected medical checkup, they said.

They were sent to Kashmir valley in a bus escorted by a security vehicle, they said.

The travellers expressed happiness upon arriving in Jammu and Kashmir and began their journey back to their homes in Kashmir after undergoing the nearly month-long quarantine period.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Federal health officials warned leaders on the White Houses coronavirus task force this week that reopening the nation will require a massive capacity to test, track and treat people for the ongoing threat of the new coronavirus.

Their guidance contradicts President Donald Trumps stance that the country could widely return to normal in a matter of weeks, at least in some states.

It's going to be very, very soon, President Trump said at a press conference Tuesday, sooner than the end of the month.

Recommendations under development by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, copies of which were obtained by USA TODAY along with other internal documents, largely follow a playbook that public health experts have been advocating for weeks.

The recommendations, which are separate from draft guidelines reported by The Washington Post Tuesday, were presented in a slideshow to task force leaders on Monday. The slides highlight specific benchmarks local communities need to meet before lifting their restrictions.

The message delivered behind closed doors deepens the wedge between the administrations public comments about a May reopening and the reality understood by scientists and public health officials, including those within the CDC. The experts fear a chaotic next chapter, in which still-inadequate testing levels could contribute to waves of disease crashing over America.

In conversations with a dozen scientists, USA TODAY found that states are falling short of the measures laid out by the CDC.

We cant move into the next phase of response before we are able to understand where this virus is, who has it and to make sure to isolate cases, said Crystal Watson, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Without that, we wont be able to sufficiently control the virus.

In a statement to USA TODAY, White House spokesman Judd Deere did not address the CDC recommendations or how the administration responded to them. He said President Trump wants the country to reopen as soon as possible. "But he has been clear that scientific data will drive the timeline on those decisions," Deere said.

Story continues

Social distancing through the end of April was supposed to protect the health care system from getting overwhelmed and buy time to prepare for living with a virus for which a vaccine may not be available for a year or longer. All but seven states have issued stay-at-home orders.

Experts say three steps will be critical to successfully reversing those orders: Widespread testing for both the disease and its antibodies, tracking and isolating new coronavirus cases, and, in time, treatment advances to make future COVID-19 infections less dangerous.

The CDC told the task force leaders Monday that communities that want to reopen must be able to test 100 percent of symptomatic patients who have been exposed and rapidly investigate new cases. Hospitals need healthy staff and infection rates need to show consistent and significant declines for 28 days from the peak.

In addition, hospitals should have adequate hospital staffing, ventilator supplies, and protective equipment, according to thresholds recommended in the CDC's slide presentation Monday.

A separate series of CDC documents obtained by USA TODAY offer more detail about the governments ambitions to help some of the states that appear to be the least affected as part of a pilot program. On Wednesday, senior officials at the agency presented a narrower plan to deploy federal healthcare workers to about nine states.

Teams of federal health officials will travel to places like Kentucky and West Virginia to figure out if they have truly low infection rates or just poor access to testing and help make sure they dont become hotspots, according to the documents. A large portion of the plan focuses on boosting local technical capabilities to help health officials identify and trace infections.

The CDCs approach lays out a federal framework for the states, contrasting sharply with Trumps erratic statements this week as he sparred with state governors over who would make the call to reopen America.

But in a country where state boundaries are blurred by commuter rails and cheap plane flights, experts cautioned that inconsistencies in regional judgment calls and the corresponding resources could undermine the nations effectiveness at containing the disease. If one state or county reopens at a different pace than a neighbor, the disease could surge.

It will literally cost lives, said Jeremy Konyndyk, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development who led the Obama administrations response to the Ebola outbreak.

Doctors test hospital staff with flu-like symptoms for coronavirus in set-up tents to triage possible COVID-19 patients outside before they enter the main Emergency department area at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx on March 24, 2020 in New York City.

Testing

Better testing in February might have precluded the mass shutdowns by the coronavirus epidemic before it spiraled out of control. Reopening America puts testing front and center again, as the nations best defense against repeat waves of coronavirus outbreaks.

The CDCs plan recognizes the need to test everyone with symptoms who has been exposed to the virus, so they can self-isolate. It also anticipates routine testing for health care workers and in facilities like nursing homes, whose residents are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks. Surveillance data is required to ensure communities spot emerging outbreaks and rapidly respond with more limited social distancing closures.

The mitigation guidance does not address testing for antibodies to the virus, known as serology testing, which can reveal who already has recovered from infections. Guidance on those tests, which may be used as markers of immunity, was given in a previous meeting.

Serology tests are not yet widely in use. No one knows how reliable the information gained from them will be, and ethical questions surrounds their use  including whether antibody markers should determine who returns to work.

The CDC plan expects a level of testing that is not yet a reality for many communities. The White House has not addressed problems still hobbling the robust testing system envisioned.

In many places, tests to confirm a coronavirus infection have been prioritized for health care workers and the severely ill.

I dont see a path to reopening unless the testing issue is fixed, Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. We have been complaining about testing for at least a month and nothing happened.

Most of the nations coronavirus tests are now being processed through commercial laboratories, which have rapidly scaled up their capacity after regulatory delays in the epidemics early stages in the U.S.

Yet federal authorities have yet to address ongoing shortages of supplies such as nasal swabs and the reagents used to process the tests. Labs are scaling up even as questions remain about how they will be reimbursed, with some private and government programs not fully covering the costs, said Julie Khani, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association.

We have this disconnect, said Khani, whose organization represents commercial titans such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp. While everyone agrees that more testing is needed, there has not been the necessary focus and a provision of dedicated funding.

The CDC did not specify exactly how many tests American needs to safely move past social distancing. A ballpark figure of 750,000 tests per week was proposed in a report co-authored by former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb last month for the American Enterprise Institute.

Capacity appears to be approaching that level, with the clinical laboratory associations members running 75,000 to 100,0000 tests daily for much of the month. But recently, they have been left with unused capacity. On Monday, these labs reported processing nearly half as many tests as they had one week earlier. Khani said labs are now trying to get the word out to doctors that they can handle more.

Disparities in access to testing and how widely it is being offered has left public health and medical professions without a clear view of the viruses spread.

A rapid test rolling out across the country can confirm COVID-19 infections in as little as five minutes and has been highly touted by the administration, including an unveiling on the White House lawn. The toaster-size technology looks to play a role in the CDCs plan for use in health care settings with severely ill patients.

More: Coronavirus testing giant performs high-wire act of promises vs. reality

John Wiesman, secretary of the Washington State Department of Health, told reporters Wednesday that he is looking to the federal government to help get more tests online and then provide money and personnel to investigate as more cases are confirmed, which could come in waves.

What we know now is just a fraction of whats out there, he said. The public health system has to scale up and scale up quickly, thus the call for federal resources.

Tracking

An army of public health workers will be needed to keep tabs on anyone newly infected with COVID-19  along with every relative, friend and neighbor they may have been in contact with.

The work of contact tracing is considered more art than science, and there are no shortcuts. Scientists think one infected person can spread the virus to two to three others. A single case could turn into 59,000 infections over 10 rounds of ongoing spread.

The CDC acknowledges the need with plans to create a COVID-19 Corps staffed by a mix of federal workers at the CDC and training programs for an unspecified number of new hires at the state and local level, as reported by the Washington Post. The plan offered no specific numbers or financial support.

Experts, however, say staffing up requires a massive investment and is unlikely to be ready to roll out widely across the nation for at least five or six weeks  well beyond the May 1 or May 15 dates mentioned in the draft plan reported by The Post.

The nation needs a new workforce of 100,000 contact tracers, according to a report released last week by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. At that scale, the effort would require $3.6 billion, researchers projected. They called for an infusion of emergency funding from Congress.

Their estimates are not just theoretical; theyre based on what has worked in other countries. In the Wuhan, China region where the outbreak started, 9,000 contact tracers were rapidly deployed to curb the spread in a city of 11 million.

The Chinese teams meticulously tracked down those exposed to others with confirmed cases, scrutinizing tens of thousands of contacts each day. They followed up with tests and medical observation, and quarantining people infected who displayed no symptoms. China also relied on big technology and artificial intelligence.

The chronically underfunded U.S. public health infrastructure is combatting the new coronavirus outbreak after shedding 50,000 workers since the 2008 recession, according to a survey of state and local health departments cited by the American Public Health Association in an article for StatNews.

Massachusetts is among the few states well into plans to hire up. Many more will be able to do so within the coming weeks assuming they receive federal funding and guidance, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, which represents the nations public health agencies.

Its doable by June if everybody really gets focused on it, he said. The states dont have the money to do this right now.

Treating

From a shortage of intensive care beds to depleted supplies of surgical masks and gowns, the nations health care system has struggled since the start of the epidemic to respond to the surge of COVID-19 patients.

The CDC expects communities to have adequate health care capacity in place to reopen but is vague on how to fix a broken supply chain. That could further exacerbate the fighting among states and with the federal government over limited supplies.

That should have never happened; it all should have been federalized in a fair distribution, said U.S. Representative Donna Shalala, a Miami Democrat who ran the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under former president Bill Clinton.

Shalala has been working with Congressional Democrats on legislation presenting an alternative plan to reopen the country.

She envisions a well-coordinated system in which the federal government provides scientific guidance and money to help cash-strapped states reopen their economies. States would submit detailed plans for review and approval by the federal health department and be reimbursed for costs such as the additional testing, staffing and protective equipment for health care workers.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a former deputy commissioner at FDA and now vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at Johns Hopkins University, said the legislation could compel states to submit plans to the CDC to approve and then fund them, which would create standards.

"It would definitely help bring up the floor," he said.

Internal CDC documents show the agency is working on a dashboard approach with green and red displays to help states assess the indicators crucial to leaving lockdown mode  and when problems may be rising again. The information would be visible to nearby jurisdictions, too.

Within a month or two, Shalala also thinks medical treatment may be available to blunt the disease. Scientists are exploring the use of anti-viral drugs to target the virus, as well as therapies to address how immune systems respond to infection.

Trump has repeatedly championed the drug hydroxychloroquine as a breakthrough without medical proof. One of the first rigorous studies of a related drug, chloroquine, found it so dangerous to patients hearts at high doses that the trial was quickly shut down.

Doctors are using some drugs on an experimental basis, and more than 100 clinical trials are underway. But currently they lack evidence to recommend any particular medication to treat COVID-19, according to new guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Reopening the country too quickly could simply replay the federal governments errors in responding to the threat too slowly as the new coronavirus spread early this year.

People have died, Shalala said. It has to be a national approach working with the states.

Democratic Donna Shalala celebrates her victory during an election night watch party, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Coral Gables, Fla.

Letitia Stein and Brett Murphy are reporters on the USA TODAY investigations desk. Contact Letitia at lstein@usatoday.com, @LetitiaStein, by phone or Signal at 813-524-0673 and Brett at brett.murphy@usatoday.com or @brettMmurphy.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ending coronavirus shut down not fast or easy, CDC says.
Every day we talk to our partners in the health care community, in the scientific community, to try to determine what or how we ought to make sure that were keeping people safe in the month of May, because were talking about the end of the order on April 30, so were continuing to do that, and well be making announcements about our decisions over the next several days, Im sure, or over the next week, Pritzker said.
For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed was asked about large-scale annual events in San Francisco this summer and whether theyll need to be canceled due to the coronavirus crisis, during at an ABC7 town hall Thursday. The Pride Parade, the Outside Lands music festival and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass are events that draw crowds in the hundreds of thousands and pack people together.

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Breed said the Pride Parade scheduled for June 2728 has officially been canceled, and she cant provide details on Outside Lands (Aug. 79), Hardly Strictly (Oct. 24) and other events at this time.

We know there are a lot of events and activities planned, but this is a fluid situation, Breed said. We dont know what the future holds. I think there are a lot of large-scale events that will potentially eventually get canceled because of the situation again. Im not a doctor ... but I know enough to listen to the professionals. We rely on public health officials to make these decisions.

Breed pointed out that before the stay-at-home order was issued on March 16 and banned all gatherings in mid-March , the city had restrictions on the size of gatherings, initially prohibiting events of 1,000 or more people and then 500. The current stay-at-home order expires in May 3, and depending on the severity of disease spread in the city, it could be extended or modified with new restrictions. Breed implied that new restrictions on event size could be a part of a modified order, but didn't provide details.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested earlier this week the likelihood of a large-scale event taking place in the state this summer is negligible at best as researchers seek a vaccine for the coronavirus.

"Large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers all together across every conceivable difference, health and otherwise, is not in the cards based on our expectations," Newsom said.

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Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.
A pipeline to the Port of Churchill would revitalize the long-neglected economies of northern Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

A pipeline to the Port of Churchill would revitalize the long-neglected economies of northern Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan.

But the ultimate success of this proposed project to Churchill, Man., will depend on the involvement and support of Indigenous communities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

This alternate route to get oil to ocean tankers was proposed when concerns were raised about the success of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

Northern communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have long said theyve been neglected by governments, with lack of public infrastructure a common complaint.

So it was a very good sign when Grand Chief Arlen Dumas of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) urged the two provinces to engage with northern Indigenous communities early on in discussions about a pipeline.

"The AMC calls on Saskatchewan Premier Scott and Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister to ensure that First Nations in Manitoba are involved in the discussions for the development of an oil pipeline to Churchill," he said. "First Nations in Manitoba must be involved, consulted and engaged in the process in a manner that respects their rights and interests. This includes considerations of First Nations interests in other infrastructure, including the railway, and, if developed, their involvement that leads to positive economic benefits and prosperity."

The willingness to engage on this issue on behalf of Manitobas main Indigenous organizations stands in stark contrast with the approach of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC). The B.C. organization has rejected almost all natural resource projects planned in that province, from Trans Mountain to the Site C hydroelectric dam.

There doesnt seem to be a project that UBCIC supports, creating conflict with B.C. Indigenous communities that want development and economic opportunity.

In particular, tensions are high in remote northern B.C. communities where development opportunities are hard to come by. For instance, when some northern B.C. communities opposed the federal governments oil tanker ban and sought exemptions from it, they faced opposition from UBCIC and other B.C. coastal First Nations.

Indigenous communities in northern Manitoba need to come together now to discuss their strategies and support for a pipeline development, to avoid the kinds of problems that have plagued B.C. First Nations. Northern Manitoba First Nations should also ensure they bring all the affected communities onside and that they receive full assent from within their communities based on their own governance system.

The lesson from the Wetsuweten First Nation protests is that Indigenous communities must decide about decision-making processes internally before engaging with resource proponents. Companies involved in such projects should be willing to give these communities wide latitude to do internal governance work prior to signing any agreements.

And these northern communities cant wait for government to come up with a plan. First Nation leaders should be approaching public and private lenders about buying a stake in any pipeline so these communities can enjoy the benefits over the longer term.

Its not a foregone conclusion that the province will expend the necessary amount of political capital to see this proposal to completion. The reality is that the government tends to focus disproportionately on the needs of the southern half of the province.

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Getting communities  Indigenous or otherwise  engaged in a potential Churchill pipeline project would allow the northern region to take control of its economic destiny. And allow the people of the region to stop being dependent on an often-negligent provincial government.

To that end, First Nations in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan should look to partnership models like the one signed between the Quebec government and the northern Crees. The parties recently signed a $4.7-billion agreement to extend rail infrastructure and mining development into northern Quebec.

The Quebec partnership includes effective habitat and ecosystem protections. Northern Prairie First Nations should push for a similar kind of agreement, which would be a game changer for the region. In a climate of Western Canada alienation, northern Manitoba Indigenous communities could also initiate discussions about redrawing their borders to accommodate coastal access for the northern reaches, if the provincial government fails to come on board.

Now is the time for northern Indigenous communities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to push for engagement on the Churchill project, before the opportunity disappears.

Joseph Quesnel is a research associate with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

 Troy Media
MADISON, Wis., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Shree Kalluri, Zerology's Founder & CEO, announced on Thursday that he is personally donating 16,000 KN95 masks that will go to law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin. Zerology, which owns and operates Green Cab Madison, is also supplying Green Cab drivers with masks.

"I saw a need and wanted to help," says Kalluri. "In a time like this, we need our law enforcement to be safe and able to respond to calls. With the CDC saying law enforcement should wear protective masks, and the chance that some communities could have problems making that happen, I got to work on a solution."

The masks will be distributed to all Wisconsin municipal, county, and state law enforcement. "I wanted Wisconsin's law enforcement to know how much we appreciate their dedication and commitment to keeping our communities safe. That is why I donated enough for every law enforcement person to have a mask," said Kalluri. He added, "In this crisis, it's important that we all try to help the people who protect us in any way we can, and this is my way. Hopefully, it sparks others in a position to lend a hand to do the same."

The masks are being distributed in cooperation with the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association and the Wisconsin Police Leadership Foundation.

"Wisconsin's law enforcement needs this equipment right now," said Ken Pileggi, President of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association (WCPA), "On behalf of WCPA and the law enforcement throughout the state of Wisconsin  we'd like to thank Mr. Kalluri for this amazing gift. These masks will truly help keep our families and us safe."

About Zerology

Zerology is a Madison-based technology startup whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of eco-friendly transportation one community at a time, starting in Madison. Zerology uses electric vehicles along with a technology platform to enhance ridesharing, car-sharing, and vanpooling for individuals and businesses. Zerology owns and operates Green Cab Madison and recently acquired Badger Cab, now operating a fleet of 56 zero-emission vehicles.

For more information, please contact:

Whitney Doering

Marketing Manager, Zerology

[email protected]

608-729-5653

SOURCE Zerology
Parents who cannot visit premature babies during Covid-19 are experiencing separation anxiety and Portlaoise hospital staff need the public's help to help them communicate remotely.

The neo-natal baby unit in Portlaoise hospital is asking the public for an iPad to help parents separated from their babies during Covid-19.

Staff in the special care unit for sick or premature babies have put out the request on Twitter.

The hospital staff are trying to install Secure Video Messaging technology, which is designed to help minimise separation anxiety in parents of children in Neonatal Units, Paediatric Units and Childrens Hospices.

Midwife Claire O'Loughlin tweeted the request on Wednesday night April 15.

"We are hoping to implement @vCreateNeonatal

visiting in our Baby Unit in MRH Portlaoise but we need 1 ipad. Can anyone help us? Never before have we had such restrictions on visiting especially for dads, in order to protect their sick or premature babies," she writes.
Attorneys for Secretary of State William Galvin and three candidates seeking relief from signature-gathering requirements to qualify for the 2020 ballot agreed Thursday that the current public health crisis has put an unconstitutional burden on public office seekers.

But the two sides remain at odds over how to remedy the issue.The states highest court heard arguments Thursday afternoon in a lawsuit in which two candidates for federal office and one for state representative are asking justices to either scrap the signature requirements altogether, or allow for more time to collect one-third of the normal amount.

The plaintiffs argued that social distancing measures imposed to combat the spread of COVID-19 have made the face-to-face interactions necessary to gather signatures largely impossible.

Their request for relief, however, differs significantly from legislation that passed the Senate on Thursday, adding another wrinkle to the case as justices struggled with the question of how quickly to intervene if the Legislature might still act.

Time is running short and were prepared to act promptly, but wed be quite happy if the Legislature were to take this away from us, Chief Justice Ralph Gants said.

Several justices, including Gants, repeatedly asked lawyers to handicap the odds that the House might pass a bill and when. Whats going on in the Legislature? Justice David Lowy asked Galvins attorney.

Some senior House members and officials have suggested in recent days that the Senate bill lacks sufficient support to pass the House.

Justice Scott Kafker also expressed reservations about the court setting new requirements. Kafker asked the lawyers if they were aware of any precedent where the courts remedy had been so precise, while Justice Barbara Lenk wondered whether scrapping the requirement altogether would invite free-for-all of candidates seeking office.

Assistant Attorney General Anne Sterman, representing Galvin in the case, recommended reducing the number of signatures by 50 percent for all candidate required to collect 1,000 signatures or more. Such a step would be consistent with the bill passed by the Senate on Thursday, said Sterman, but she also admitted to the court she had no idea if the bill would pass the House.

Sterman defended the idea of excluding from the relief candidates for the House and Senate at the state level, suggesting that at 150 and 300 signatures, respectively, the requirements were not overly burdensome and consistent with the laws aim of forcing candidates to demonstrate community support.

Frankly, the character and nature of an effort to gather 150 signatures likely looks a lot different than the effort required to gather something on the order of 10,000 signatures, she said.

Robert Jones, the private attorney with Ropes & Gray representing the plaintiffs, countered Galvins proposal by asking the court to cut by two-thirds the signature requirements for all candidates, including state representative and senate, and to extend the deadline and allow for the limited use electronic signatures.

The concern we have to start is that a reduction in the number of signatures in the amount described in the secretarys papers have no rational or coherent justification, as we can see, and may prove to be illusory, Jones told the justices.

Jones said the plaintiffs based their request for a two-thirds reduction on the fact that Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency on March 10, giving campaigns roughly four weeks, instead of the normal 11 or 12 weeks, to collect signatures before social distancing guidelines were put in place.

The lawsuit was brought by U.S. Senate candidate Kevin OConnor, a Republican and two Democrats -- Robbie Goldstein, who is running for Congresss in the Eighth District, and Melissa Bower Smith, who is running for state representative on the South Shore.

Jones also asked the court to push until May 5 the deadline for state candidates to collect their required signatures, aligning the deadline currently set for April 28 with that for candidates seeking federal office. Galvin has indicated he would support the extension.

Justice Lowy expressed concern that the court would act while the Legislature was still considering legislation, but also said he realized every minute counts. It was also noted during the proceedings that one of the plaintiffs in the case - Bower Smith - would not be granted relief under the bill that passed the Senate.Galvin has asked, through his attorneys, that if the court does allow for electronic signatures, that it do so in a limited manner. The secretary said he is concerned about cybersecurity, as well as preserving the ability for signatures to be challenged before the state Ballot Law Commission.

The secretarys proposal would allow candidates to scan and post their nomination papers online for voters to print or download the image and either apply an electronic signature with a computer mouse or stylus, or sign the printed version, and return the form electronically or by mail.

Kafker wondered aloud whether the court should just keep the signature requirements in tact and allow for a broader electronic signature program."It hard for me not to imagine in the Twitter and Facebook world that we live candidates cant get that percentage of their voters in his or her district to sign," Kafker said.

Jones, however, said the efficiency of an electronic signature program is unknown, and had the Legislature considered the issue of e-signatures it might have set the thresholds at different levels.

Sterman also objected to this idea because she said there was not enough time to vet a system like DocuSign to ensure it wouldnt lead to more litigation.

Kafker said he was concerned that if the court didnt broadly sanction the use of electronic signatures it might soon have another lawsuit before it brought by ballot campaigns.While not a plaintiff in the case, the Ranked Choice Voting 2020 Committee filed an amicus brief in which it said it anticipates having trouble collecting the signatures due this summer to qualify for the ballot, and asked that the court approve the use of electronic signatures.

Sterman told the court that if the Legislature doesnt act on the various pending ballot petitions by May 6, then the ballot campaigns will have about six weeks to collect an additional 13,374 signatures.

That seems like we have another crisis coming down the road then, is that right? Unless we free the electronic signature process, Kafker said.

After about an hour of oral arguments and questions, the court took a break before Gants said the justice would reconvene Thursday afternoon to discuss the case.

According to Galvins office, as of April 14 a total of 83 candidates for county, state and federal office have already qualified for the ballot, including four candidates for Governors Council, four county commission candidates, one county treasurer candidates, three candidates for register of probate, one candidates for the U.S. House, 59 candidates for the state House and 11 state Senate candidates.

U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III announced Wednesday night that he had gathered the 10,000 signatures he needs to be on the ballot for U.S. Senate in September, and Galvin said his office believes 104 additional candidates appear to have obtained sufficient certified signatures to appear on the ballot, but have not yet filed their papers with his office.

Related Content:
None of the 93 homeless people who tested positive for the coronavirus in San Franciscos largest shelter showed serious symptoms of the disease, lending urgency to the need for widespread public testing and emphasizing the importance of contact investigations the city is now ramping up.

The COVID-19 cluster revealed Friday at the Multi-Service Center South shelter by public health officials is the biggest in the United States involving homeless people aside from a shelter in Boston, where about 200 people tested positive earlier this month. All of them were also asymptomatic, officials there reported.

Public health officials said they wish they could test everyone, and not just people in shelters, but there arent enough tests and equipment to do that. So they are doing what every other county in the Bay Area is generally doing  testing those who show symptoms or are particularly vulnerable because of exposure to the disease.

On Wednesday, the city announced a process to help health workers quickly test and identify people newly infected with the coronavirus and then track down anyone with whom they may have had contact. Its that method, called contact investigation or contact tracing, that led to the discovery of the cluster at the 340-bed MSC South, where the population had been reduced to around 150 people to create physical distancing.

Rachael Kagan, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said after two people tested positive at MSC South around April 5, health teams launched an investigation and began testing. As the numbers of people who had contact with the two positive cases grew, and then known contacts with those people grew, the decision was made to test everyone at the shelter.

No one was seriously ill at the time they were tested, Kagan said.

Ten staff members also tested positive. As of Thursday, three of the total from the shelter had developed symptoms serious enough to be hospitalized, but none was in intensive care, city officials said.

Its pretty straightforward, Kagan said of the tracing and testing at MSC South and other shelters  including the Division Circle Navigation Center, which on April 2 reported the first positive COVID-19 case in the citys homeless population.

Its not to say we wouldnt test a whole shelter if its warranted, she added. But at this point with the supplies and capabilities we have, we are prioritizing vulnerable groups, prioritizing outbreaks and following the evidence from contact investigations to guide our decisions.

She said the Division Circle testing had revealed no other cases in that shelter.

We are continuing to expand testing throughout the city, Kagan said, and as we get more equipment, we look forward to expanding even more.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The inability to test everyone in shelters has frustrated homeless people and their advocates for weeks.

The best thing would be if we could test everyone, said Jennifer Friedenbach, head of the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness. We dont know if what is happening at MSC is at other shelters too, and we wont know until we test. And if were not going to test, then really whats available to us is moving people into hotel rooms as a preventative measure.

The city intends to lease as many as 8,250 hotel rooms, and most of those are for people experiencing homelessness, with the rest going to frontline crisis workers and people living in crowded settings like SRO hotels.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer John King contributed to this report.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron
MOSCOW  Russian independent newspaper Novaya gazeta says it has taken down an article about measures introduced to tackle the coronavirus in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya following a request by the countrys media regulator, Roskomnadzor.

The Kremlin-backed leader of the region, Ramzan Kadyrov, had slammed the article as "absurd" and threatened to harm the author, Yelena Milashina.



Novaya gazeta's editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, said Roskomnadzor demanded the removal of the article on April 15, claiming it contained "false" information about the spread of the coronavirus in Chechnya.

Muratov said the newspaper might appeal the decision, which comes as international media watchdogs accuse the Russian government of stepping up its control of news reporting in connection with the coronavirus pandemic on the pretext of combating disinformation.

The representative on media freedom for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Harlem Desir, expressed concern about Roskomnadzor's move, saying that "media must be able to report on the pandemic, and citizens must have access to information."

He also strongly condemned "death threats" against Milashina, a recipient of the 2013 International Woman of Courage Award, saying: "This is worrying and should stop immediately. Journalists must have the right to report on COVID19 without intimidation.

Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said journalists "are already facing immense danger in covering the COVID-19 pandemic, and should not also have to endure threats against their lives by political leaders.

Milashina's April 12 article focused on the lack of protective gear for medical personnel in Chechnya and local authorities' mass detention of residents who allegedly violated strict quarantine measures.

The next day, Kadyrov accused Novaya gazeta journalists of being "traitors who receive prizes abroad" and blamed the Federal Security Service (FSB) for not silencing Milashina, according to a transcript of his remarks published by the newspaper.

"If you [the security services] want us to commit a crime and become criminals, then say so. Someone will take the burden of responsibility and will be punished under the law," the Chechen leader said.

Milashina said she had appealed to Russias Investigative Committee and to the Prosecutor-Generals Office, but got no answer, according to the CPJ statement.

The group quoted the journalist as saying that she was "really afraid, as Kadyrov's threats are really serious and he is a dangerous man. I know that if he really decides to kill me, he will do it."

A total of 38 journalists have been killed in Russia in retaliation for their reporting since 1992, according to CPJ. At least six had covered Chechnya.

Rights groups say Kadyrov, who has ruled the volatile region since 2007, uses repressive measures and has created a climate of impunity for security forces in the region. They allege Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for the violence and intimidation of political opponents by Chechen authorities, including kidnappings, forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.

Last month, CPJ urged Russian authorities "to stop censoring news outlets" that report on the coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media watchdog, accused Roskomnadzor of targeting Russian journalists covering the coronavirus crisis.
Just 12% of firms in Northern Ireland remain physically open while 80% of businesses are planning to use the Government's job retention scheme to furlough staff, a new survey has shown.

According to a fresh survey of companies, charities and social enterprises across four chambers of commerce, around a third of firms say their staff are now working at home.

Meanwhile, less than half of firms say they are eligible for the Executive's grant schemes.

And fewer than one in five companies says they have applied for the Government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan.

And of those 80% of companies using the job retention scheme, businesses say they are putting 58% of workers on furlough.

That means they are not able to work, but the Government will cover 80% of salaries up to 2,500 a month for at least a three-month period.

The retail sector has seen the largest proportion of staff put on the scheme, with around 93% of workers, among those surveyed by the chambers.

The survey of around 250 organisations was carried out by Belfast Chamber, Causeway Chamber, Londonderry Chamber of Commerce and Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade between April 8 and 11.

Read More

"We are all well aware that Covid-19 is having a profound effect on our health service, but it is also abundantly clear from this survey that the pandemic is also doing huge damage to the health of our economy," Belfast Chamber chief executive Simon Hamilton said.

"Almost half of the businesses are closed and are no longer trading.

"That is hundreds of businesses employing thousands of people with no income, rising debts and overheads and growing concerns about the future.

"It is little wonder that 80% of businesses have said that they are likely to use the Government's job retention scheme.

"What is startling is the sheer volume of employees that they intend to furlough. Among those firms intending to use the scheme, some 58% of their employees will be placed in furlough.

"That equates to over 5,000 employees across the businesses responding to the four chambers' survey.

"We know that it isn't business as usual during this emergency, but what we are seeing is a virtual economic shutdown which can only create real worries about how our economy recovers."

Companies showed mixed reaction to the Government's loan scheme.

While one firm surveyed said it was a "very positive experience, application was straightforward, and the grant processed exceptionally quickly", many were critical of the process, with some saying it is "slow and difficult", while others say they are still waiting to hear if they have been successful.

Some of the main concerns for firms are around cash flow issues, and worries surrounding the build-up of VAT and overheads.

Several respondents to the survey also want the Government to begin to set out a "clear strategy to lift the lockdown and restart the economy".

"One of the earliest announcements by the Chancellor of support for business to deal with the effect Covid-19 was having on the economy was the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme," Karen Yates, chief executive of Causeway Chamber, said.

"However, uptake among the businesses we surveyed is low, with fewer than one in five businesses applying for a Government-backed loan."

And Derry Chamber chief executive Paul Clancy said that while members are "very grateful for the support from Government and the Executive that they have received so far, many of the respondents to our survey have expressed frustration at the gaps in some of those support schemes and the slowness many are experiencing in getting the help they are entitled to".
Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner speak up amid lockdown

Senior figures in Thames Valley Police have spoken about the local law and order situation, as forces across the country work to keep Britain in lockdown.

In a statement posted yesterday (Wednesday), Thames Valley Police Chief Constable John Campbell sought to provide clarity on the fines and arrests regime.

He stressed that his colleagues always emphasise engagement and will only take more stringent action in the face of noncompliance.

Ch Con Campbell said: "This is an unprecedented public health emergency and an extraordinary national effort is needed to fight this virus.

"Since the new measures were introduced we have had thousands of positive interactions with the public and the overwhelming majority of people have had either a legitimate purpose for being out, or have listened to the advice given by our officers.

"However, on some occasions we have had to enforce the legislation.

"In the last three weeks we have fined a total of 219 people of the 2.3 million population in the Thames Valley.

"Most of the fines we have issued have been to groups, inappropriately gathering together in public places, or driving together in a car, for example ten fines were given to one group alone.

"We have also made a number of arrests which have led to people being jailed for breaching coronavirus restrictions or coughing at officers or members of the public.

"Some of these breaches have been identified by patrol officers but a significant number have been reported by the public.

"In particular, this Easter weekend, as with many forces, we had a significant increase in these types of calls.

"We will continue to engage with the public, explain the restrictions and encourage people to stay indoors.

"However, when necessary, we will take enforcement action if people are not listening to the advice and are putting others at risk.

"The restrictions are in place to protect the public and protect the NHS.

"The great majority of the public have been staying in and stopping the spread of the pandemic and I want to thank them for their ongoing cooperation and support.

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld echoed the chief constables statement, thanking the public for their compliance with the lockdown restrictions.

He said: "We entirely support the approach of Thames Valley Police in engaging with the public, explaining why the new rules are so important, encouraging people to follow the rules and, as a last resort, enforcing.

"Some of those issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were also charged with other serious offences not related to coronavirus.

"As one of the largest forces in the country covering one of the largest populations, and also the force with the largest roads network, I would expect Thames Valley Police to issue more FPNs than most other forces.

"We have found that compliance within the Thames Valley is extremely good and Id like to personally thank members of the public who are doing their bit and staying home.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely as the pandemic progresses and have every confidence in Chief Constable John Campbell and his team."
The number of incidents of 'single separation' in the childrens detention centre reduced by 44% last year.

A former prison governor says it means the environment in Oberstown has improved significantly.

Single separation involves a child being moved away from their peers on campus due to their behaviour, which may pose a risk to the safety of others or themselves.

Sometimes, it is because they are violent or aggressive or have drugs in their possession.

There were 1,326 incidents of single separation in Oberstown Childrens Detention Campus in 2018  but only 749 last year.

John Lonergan, a former governor of Mountjoy Prison, says it's very welcome news.

It indicates a vast improvement in overall atmosphere and environment and relationships in the centre, he said.

What it means is that there are fewer incidents, fewer misbehaviours of a serious nature, theres less conflict and as a result of that there is less tension.

So it indicates an improvement in relationships.

That has many, many positive spin-offs.

Oberstown says there has been a big reduction in the use of separation in the campus in the past number of years.

It says there has been a big focus on monitoring the use of single separation to ensure it's used sparingly.

This article was updated at 11.30am.
At least 10 residents of a Londonderry care home have died in just 18 days as coronavirus spreads throughout the facility, it can be revealed.

It is understood the deaths of the residents of Owen Mor Care Centre are linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving families and staff devastated and revealing just how dangerous the virus is to people living in care homes.

A brother and sister, who died just two days apart, are among those who have lost their lives at the home, which is registered to provide care to 81 people, while a number of other residents are being treated in hospital after they were diagnosed with the deadly bug.

It comes after the number of hospital deaths in the UK on Wednesday rose by 761 to 12,868, with six of those deaths registered in Northern Ireland - bringing to 140 the number of hospital deaths here since the beginning of the pandemic.

The deaths at Owen Mor have highlighted once again the likelihood that Northern Ireland's death toll is much higher than official figures suggest, as the statistics released to date do not include those that happen in community settings such as care homes.

Eight of the Owen Mor residents who passed away between March 28 and April 14 died at Owen Mor, meaning it is unlikely that their deaths have been included in official statistics.

Health Minister Robin Swann gave a commitment earlier this week that, from Friday, figures relating to cases of Covid-19 in care homes and subsequent deaths will be collected and released to the public.

Read More

The deaths at Owen Mor have come to light as it emerged that staff from the care home have been appealing on social media for donations of personal protective equipment (PPE), while the Western Trust refused to say whether it has suspended admissions to the facility.

Staff at the home have been traumatised by the mounting death toll and earlier this week they released balloons as a way to pay their respects to the people they had cared for in their final days.

A spokeswoman from the home said: "The sense of loss, due to recent deaths, within our home is unmeasurable.

"We cannot begin to understand how families are feeling right now. Staff are devastated at the loss of our much-loved residents and we offer our deepest sympathies to their families.

"If a resident tests positive this is immediately communicated to their next of kin and to other next of kin of residents in the home, and if their loved one is in the same unit we will inform them of this.

"The relevant government departments will be aware of all residents who are tested for Covid-19 and as always are informed of any deaths that occur in the home. Throughout, staff have been committed and relentless in their determination to provide the best care possible to everyone living in Owen Mor Care Centre.

"These are the most challenging of times and we continue to provide quality care in a calm, friendly and homely environment. As always we communicate with each resident's next of kin, keeping them up to date with the situation within the home.

"Even at this difficult time families have been extremely supportive to staff and they express their gratitude in the most generous of ways, including providing food and snacks for staff and sending many kind messages of thanks and encouragement.

"Staff follow guidance from the Public Health Agency and they have adequate supplies of PPE, these are replenished from home stock and from stock supplied by the Western Trust. PPE has also been donated from the community, including hand gel, gloves and eye protection, and we are very grateful for these.

"We continue to protect residents by nursing in isolation, checking temperatures, promoting handwashing, and trying to do everything possible to minimise human-to-human transmission."

The son of one of the residents currently receiving hospital treatment said: "Mum is stable at the moment, although she is still on oxygen support and was critical a number of times last week.

"I was discussing mum's care with a nurse and she mentioned they had been treating a lot of patients from the home. The first I knew anyone had coronavirus in the home was when someone contacted me to say they'd heard it was in the home.

"I spent all day ringing but when I couldn't get through to anyone I went down to the home and a member of staff came out and confirmed there were six cases. She said my mum was okay and the six people with the virus are in a different unit."

However, his mum, who has dementia, subsequently fell ill and was admitted to hospital.

"I was never informed of residents with symptoms or testing positive in my mum's unit," added the worried relative.

A spokeswoman from the Western Trust did not say whether admissions to the home have halted or how many people have been admitted to the home since March 28.

But she explained that officials have been providing support to Owen Mor for several weeks, including the provision of a significant uplift in PPE, providing managerial and clinical support, and priority access to Covid-19 testing for Owen Mor staff.
Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)

In a document sent to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the MARD requested it provide updates on such exports and market demand as a foundation for any adjustments to sticky rice cultivation areas and output in upcoming crops.

Sticky rice is not listed within the national food reserves under Decree No. 94/2013-ND-CP.

It is primarily cultivated in the Mekong Delta, Vietnams rice bowl.

In the 2019-2020 winter-spring crop, the rice variety was grown on about 65,000ha and 44,000ha in the Deltas Long An and An Giang provinces, yielding approximately 258,000 tonnes and 195 tonnes, respectively.
The walk-in veteran was a Brooklynite on a break from driving a Transit Authority bus through deserted streets haunted by the constant wail of ambulance sirens carrying away the latest victims of a killer virus.

He just had to unload to someone about how social distancing and other restrictions to keep people apart -- all unnatural acts for an in-your-face city -- were getting to him.

"At one point, he got emotional," Gabe Botero, an Iraq veteran and licensed clinical social worker at the Brooklyn Vet Center, said of the bus driver. "This is a tough time for everyone."

Related: Military Doctors Relieve Worn-Out Staff in NYC Hospitals

Botero let him vent and gave assurances that he was not alone, that the Vet Center was there for him with mental health counsellors available in person, through teleconferencing or just a phone call.

The driver went back to his route, but returned later with coffee for everyone in the Mobile Vet Center. It was just one memorable encounter of many for Botero and three other Department of Veterans Affairs workers during a five-day, 200-mile outreach mission last month to all five boroughs of the city.

The van itself is an outreach tool.

"People walk by and say -- 'Hey, what's this?' It gets them in the door," Botero said in an interview Monday. Inside the vehicle, he said, partitions can be moved around for individual counseling.

Some who came in were cops and firefighters, many of them veterans, in need of counseling on how to deal with the stress of carrying out their duties in a stressed-out city. Others were veterans who had just lost a loved one to coronavirus, Botero said.

The message his team had to offer is simple.

"We know you guys are dealing with stress and anxiety, we know that these are difficult times, and so we really just want to try to help you reduce that stress, reduce that anxiety, and offer practical solutions that can help," he said.

The stress and anxiety are simply the reality of being in the city hit hardest by the novel coronavirus. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that another 752 victims of COVID-19 in the city had died in the last 24 hours.

In addition, the city's Health Department reported that about 3,700 deaths whose causes had been unattributed were likely the result of coronavirus. If those deaths were added to the official count, then more than 10,000 city residents have died of COVID-19 since the outbreak began.

The solutions to getting through the age of coronavirus may seem trite, but they can work, Botero said.

"The biggest thing we're dealing with -- people are quarantining, social distancing. We really want to work with them on creating a new normal. People have difficulty with the unknown and, now more than ever, all of this is unknown," he said.

He advises vets to "create a routine, encourage some healthy habits, maybe go for a walk, meditation, exercise -- anything that helps flatten that curve and find a new normal. That's what we're doing."

They are particularly concerned for veterans who are already coping with post-traumatic stress, or PTSD. The message for them is that many of the counselors at the six Vet Centers in the city are combat veterans themselves.

"We're New Yorkers; we live in the city. We're dealing with this ourselves," Botero said.

The van Botero took around the city in mid-March was the first Mobile Vet Center deployed by the VA during the crisis.

The mobile centers "help VA reach those who may not otherwise seek VA services for counseling and mental health support," officials said.

"Vet Center staff can assist those who may be facing extreme isolation during this period of 'social distancing' -- a practice that is needed to reduce the COVID-19 infection rate -- but one that may likewise increase the vulnerability of some veterans," the VA added.

Mobile Vet Centers have also been sent into San Francisco; New Orleans; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and Pasadena, California.

The VA also plans to send them into Seattle, Chicago, Miami and Phoenix, said Mike Fisher, chief officer of the VA's Readjustment Counselling Service.

Fisher has charge of 83 Mobile Vet Centers, all 300 Vet Centers nationwide and the Vet Center Call Center.

During the pandemic, "We have seen a shift to more virtual services," he said.

In March, the Vet Centers conducted more than 47,000 virtual appointments, a 200% increase over February, Fisher added. But he stressed that the brick-and-mortar Vet Centers are still open to those who can get there.

"We are seeing that increase" in virtual services, but "even with that increase, we're still providing that face-to-face connection" at the Vet Centers in an environment that's safe for the veteran and the counsellor, he said.

"We're in the business of building community," Fisher said. "The response to this virus highlights that that's going to be our challenge."

The American Legion is also responding to the challenge of connecting with veterans in isolation by reminding members of their "Buddy Check" system.

"If ever a veterans-service program was built for pandemic relief, it's the Buddy Check," Legion National Commander James W. "Bill" Oxford said in a statement Monday.

"Legionnaires are using the phone, email and social media to safely find out how these veterans are doing and what we can do to help them. They might need something from the store or pharmacy," he said. "Sometimes, for a veteran who is alone and on orders to stay home, the most important thing is a phone call."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Read More: Air Force Tests Ability to Mass-Evacuate COVID Patients
The First Lady of the United States has been in touch with Carrie Symonds to share well wishes for her and fiance Boris Johnson amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Melania Trump called the Prime Ministers fiancee on Thursday and said that the United States was praying for their speedy and full recoveries following Mr Johnsons admittance to intensive care with Covid-19.

According to the White House, Mrs Trump reaffirmed that the United States stands together with the United Kingdom in the fight to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.

She also expressed optimism that the United States and the United Kingdom would get through this difficult period and emerge stronger than before.

Talked today w/ @carriesymonds. Our prayers are w/ her & UK PM @BorisJohnson for a speedy & full recovery. The United States & the United Kingdom will get through this difficult period & emerge stronger than before. We stand w/ the UK in the fight against #COVID19.  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 16, 2020

Donald Trump had offered to help the Prime Minister when he was first transferred to hospital.

He told a White House press conference: Well see if we can be of help.

Weve contacted all of Boris doctors, and well see what is going to take place, but they are ready to go.

Ms Symonds, who is expecting the couples first child in the summer, said she spent a week in bed after experiencing coronavirus symptoms, but was not tested for the illness.

I cannot thank our magnificent NHS enough. The staff at St Thomas Hospital have been incredible. I will never, ever be able to repay you and I will never stop thanking you.   Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds) April 12, 2020

The 32-year-old praised staff at St Thomas Hospital following Mr Johnsons release earlier this week.

She tweeted that there had been some very dark times during his illness and added: I will never, ever be able to repay you and I will never stop thanking you.
A Montana judge canceled a vital permit for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline with the argument that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to consider the effects of the pipeline on one fish species present in rivers that the route of the Keystone XL would cross.

The cancellation comes just days after work on the construction of the pipeline began after two years of setbacks. Bloomberg reported last week that construction works had started on the Canadian part of the pipeline amid calls from opponents to delay the start because of the coronavirus outbreak.

These construction works will not stop due to Judge Brian Morriss ruling, the AP notes in a report on the news. However, it will delay work on the U.S. side of the border, perhaps indefinitely.

It creates another significant hurdle for the project, said a representative of one of the organizations opposing the Keystone XL. Regardless of whether they have the cross border segment ... Keystone XL has basically lost all of its Clean Water Act permits for water crossings.

The Canadian National Energy Board approved the start of preliminary work on the Keystone XL pipeline in January last year, but U.S. opposition has been strong and relentless.

The pipeline, vetoed by President Obama and then given the green light by President Trump, was planned to carry heavy oil from Alberta to U.S. refineries. The 830,000 bpd pipeline will run from the Albertan oil sands through Montana and South Dakota, ending in Nebraska, where it will connect to the existing pipeline network that goes on to the Gulf Coast.

A lot of the opposition to the projectand the reason President Obama vetoed itwas that it was believed to be unnecessary for the U.S. energy sector. It was, however, vital for the Canadian energy sector, which has been struggling with a pipeline shortage for several years now.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By Heru Asprihanto and Willy Kurniawan

JAKARTA (Reuters) - As debate rages about the true death toll caused by the coronavirus outbreak in Indonesia, Jakarta coffin maker Sahroni has been too busy to pay the issue much attention.

From his workshop in the Pondok Kelapa cemetery in the east of the capital, he has been putting in 16-hour days.

"Usually we sell between five to seven coffins a day, but now it is up to 20 to 30 coffins a day," said Sahroni, 38, as he applied base coat onto a wooden coffin.

The shelves of his workshop were stacked with freshly painted coffins, while out front a row of white crosses dried under the tropical sun.

"Our working hours are now from morning to midnight," said Sahroni, who uses one name.

The warehouse where Sahroni works normally specialises in coffins for Indonesia's Christian minority, but now they are providing coffins for all denominations, including Muslims who would usually be buried in a shroud. New protocols for victims or suspected victims of COVID-19 call for the use of coffins.

As of Wednesday, Indonesia had identified nearly 3,000 cases and recorded 240 deaths. But public health experts and epidemiologists point to the relatively low frequency of testing and high death rate as indications the true infection rate is likely substantially higher.

Exclusive data obtained by Reuters revealed there were nearly 4,400 burials in Jakarta this March, a 40% jump from any month in the past two years, and a sign deaths from the virus could be higher than officially reported.

Data from the Jakarta governor's office further showed more than 438 people had been buried according to COVID-19 protocols between March 2 and April 6, despite the national death toll standing at just under half that figure.

In some cases, victims suspected of contracting the disease have died before test results were available, seeing them buried according to COVID-19 protocols as a precaution.

Story continues

Whatever the true figures are, those working in the funeral industry in Jakarta, home to more than 10 million people and the epicentre of the outbreak in the world's fourth most populous nation, are preparing for a mounting toll.

Sahroni's company has reopened an old coffin-making warehouse in West Java, Indonesia's most populous province, started a new line of cheaper coffins and donated 1,000 coffins to hospitals.

Those responsible for transporting coronavirus victims to their burial grounds are also grappling with the devastating fallout of the pandemic.

"We have been burying dead bodies non-stop until 10 pm and we continue with the same thing in the morning," said Sumiyati, a 48-year-old ambulance driver for the city's department of parks and cemeteries who also uses one name.

She added that burials had jumped from 30 to 40 a day in the past week and that a new burial ground had been opened this month.

Sumiyati now carries out her job in protective gear  a plastic raincoat, gloves, masks and boots  and her family has also implemented new protocols.

"At home, my children have prepared disinfectant spray, which they spray on me. If not, they wont let me in," she said. "That is the consequences of this job. We must accept the risk."

(Additional reporting by Cinthya Wahyuwidi; Writing by Kate Lamb; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 14:37 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd24611b 1 Business Indonesia,Bulog,Berdikari,chicken,procurements,India,bufallo-import Free

The government is mulling over a plan for state-owned livestock company PT Berdikari to procure chicken meat from local farmers to cope with a meat supply shortage during Ramadan and Idul Fitri due to a delay in imports of buffalo meat from India.

State Logistics Agency (Bulog) operations director Tri Wahyudi Saleh said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister and the House of Representatives Commission IV proposed replacing buffalo meat with chicken meat.

The government is expected to allocate Rp 452 billion (US$28.8 million) for Berdikari to procure chickens from local farmers, according to Tri. This is to compensate for the delayed import of buffalo meat with another protein, chicken meat, said Tri.

Bulog, a governmental body tasked with securing national food stocks, had secured a permit from the Trade Ministry to import the buffalo meat from India, a top exporter of the meat. But Bulog was not able to secure the procurement in time since India extended its lockdown until May 3 to slow the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown has disrupted deliveries of goods to and from the country.

The demand for staple foods including meat usually rises significantly during Ramadan, which is set to begin on April 24, and during Idul Fitri at the end of the fasting month.

Between March and May, the consumption of buffalo meat and beef is estimated to reach 201,730 tons, according to data from the Agriculture Ministry. Without supplies from overseas, the stock is estimated to be lower than the demand by 46,403 tons.

The government had yet to issue any formal orders for Berdikari to procure the meat, said the companys corporate secretary, Dheni Karmavina.

Berdikari has yet to receive any letter of assignment to procure chickens, Dheni told The Jakarta Post in a text message interview on Wednesday. The coordination has taken place, but it is still under discussion.
European Parliament Pushes For Eastern Partners' Greater Integration, Slams Russia

By Rikard Jozwiak April 15, 2020

BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament will call for the creation of a "common economic space" between the EU and the six former Soviet republics of its Eastern Partnership program as part of a process of "gradual integration" into the bloc, according to a draft report seen by RFE/RL on April 15.

The parliamentary draft report also denounces Russia's "illegal" actions in Eastern Partnership countries -- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine -- including what it calls destabilization, invasion, and annexation.

The document is to be debated by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in the coming weeks and could potentially be endorsed by the full chamber in May.

A Brussels summit bringing together the leaders of the 27 EU member states with those of the six Eastern Partnership members is scheduled for June 18. But several EU diplomats told RFE/RL the gathering might be postponed to the second half of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a veiled reference to Russia, which has vehemently opposed efforts by countries of the ex-Soviet bloc to get closer to the EU and NATO, the European Parliament will "confirm the sovereign right of the Eastern partner countries to freely choose their individual level of cooperation or integration with the EU," according to the draft report.

The document also "strongly condemns the continued violations of fundamental principles and norms of international law in the Eastern Partnership region," citing "illegal use of force, invasion, destabilization, annexation, borderization, and occupation of territories of several Eastern Partnership countries by the Russian Federation."

In Georgia, Moscow has stationed troops in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia since it recognized their independence following the five-day Russian-Georgian war in 2008. The majority of the world's countries consider Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be Georgian territory.

Meanwhile, Russia seized Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum deemed illegitimate by at least 100 countries. Moscow is also supporting armed separatists in the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The Eastern Partnership program was launched in 2009 and is meant to bring the six former Soviet republics closer to the EU without clearly offering future membership.

Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine have since inked association agreements with the EU, including free-trade deals, but several member states have been reluctant to discuss the issue of these countries' eventual membership.

The European Parliament, which has in the past called for further enlargement to the east, states in the draft report that "while accession is not foreseen under the framework of the Eastern Partnership, the Eastern Partnership policy can facilitate a process of gradual integration to the EU."

The document adds that the European lawmakers want to "embark on a process to create a common economic space, including services, that facilitates deeper economic integration and convergence with the EU policies and deeper economic cooperation among the Eastern Partnership countries themselves."

The lawmakers will express support for a gradual integration of the six countries into the EU's energy union, transport community, and digital single market, according to the draft report.

Among other things, in the telecommunications field the document suggests creating "a roaming-free regime between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries and an intra-Eastern Partnership one as soon as possible." Other suggestions include the establishment of an Eastern Partnership University in Kyiv.

The draft document also proposes setting up "an extended international peacekeeping force along the Ukraine-Russia border," in which an EU-led mission "should be offered for deployment to the parties in the conflict, to assist in tasks such as de-mining, assisting with preparations for local elections and securing free access for humanitarian aid organizations."

A group of international observers is currently tracking the fighting in eastern Ukraine as part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Special Monitoring Mission.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/european-parliament- pushes-for-eastern-partners-greater-integration- slams-russia/30557682.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Ramu R By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Janakeeya hotel, a joint initiative by the city corporation and Kudumbashree Mission that kick-started recently has become an instant hit among the public, especially the working population. The initiative aims to reduce the burden on community kitchens. Minimal pricing and home delivery service have contributed to its popularity, especially during lunch hours. Despite selling around 1,500 to 2,000 meals daily, we are still struggling to meet the overwhelming demand, said Rajesh Kumar, a Kudumbashree employee at the Janakeeya hotel near SMV Higher Secondary School.

Although the outlet receives more orders over phone applications, a large section of people, including government employees and police officials, come directly to buy meal parcels. According to the executives, a group of volunteers and hotel staff have been instructed to ensure that buyers are maintaining safe social distancing while at the hotels.Following the success of the meals parcels, the Kudumbashree Mission is planning to introduce breakfast and dinner parcels soon.

Police and health officials, auto drivers, hostel students and people residing in lodges would benefit from such a service. Further, the mission plans to open more outlets. Currently, 26 Janakeeya hotels are functioning in the rural and urban areas of Thiruvananthapuram district. We plan to increase the number to a minimum of 80 before September.

Every panchayat within the district will be getting at least one hotel each as per the plan, said a Kudumbashree executive. We will be launching sales outlets if we are unable to set up hotel facilities in a particular area. The parcels will be transported from a centralised kitchen, added the official.

According to K R Shaiju, district mission coordinator of Kudumbashree, two Janakeeya hotels will be launched in the city next week. The works will commence as soon as the corporation allocates us space. Seven more hotels will open shortly, he said. He said that delays in delivering the food and buyers rejecting parcels are some of the hurdles the initiative is facing.

Hotel locations in the city

Opposite SMV Higher Secondary School, Overbridge

EK Nayanar Charitable Trust,

Medical College compound, Ulloor

Canteen inside Planetarium, Post-Master General junction (PMG) Other locations: Vallakadavu, Nedumangad, Attingal, Neyyattinkara, Panavoor, Karavaram

Janakeeya hotels in each district

Kasaragod 8

Kannur 6

Kozhikode 13

Malappuram 30

Palakkad 20

Ernakulam 47

Alappuzha 17

Kottayam 24

Idukki 7

Pathanamthitta 32

Kollam 32

Thiruvananthapuram 22
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba will soon suspend operations at all its offices and factories in the country, in principle, to prevent coronavirus infections.

The company plans to implement the measure from April 20 to May 6. All of the about 76,000 employees in the Toshiba group will be affected.

The period includes several national holidays. The company will move days off planned for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to enable the long business closure. The Tokyo Games have been postponed for about a year due to the pandemic.

But officials say the group will carry out maintenance work on infrastructure, such as power supply, railways and elevators, if necessary.

Toshiba has had employees work from home, except for factory workers. But it believes further efforts are necessary to help contain the virus.
Myanmar police block an access road to a beach to prevent residents from gathering there to celebrate the Buddhist New Year in Sittwe, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, April 15, 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic has dried up New Year celebrations in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, a Southeast Asian tradition where people celebrate by dousing each other with water during the hottest time of the year, metaphorically washing away the sins of the past 12 months, with small numbers openly defying lockdown orders.

Government-mandated lockdowns to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, or COVID-19, in all three predominantly Buddhist countries mean revelers must stay inside and forego visits to temples and street festivals during the beloved public holiday.

Myanmars Buddhist New Year festival, Thingyan, which officially runs April 13-16 this year, is distinguished by water-throwing during the roughly weeklong public holiday. People in major cities, such as the commercial hub Yangon, use hoses and large syringes made of bamboo and plastic to drench their fellow citizens and visitors.

But the Myanmar government put an early end to that on March 13 when it announced a ban on public gatherings, including during Thingyan, until April 30, saying that the suspension period would be extended as needed.

As of Wednesday, the country registered 74 confirmed coronavirus cases and four fatalities.

Thousands of residents of Sittwe, capital of western Myanmars Rakhine state, gathered on a local beach to celebrate the holiday, though authorities announced Tuesday that the area would be closed, community leaders and a local administrator said.

We announced the closure of the beach, but there are some who failed to follow the order, so we had to physically close it down, said Ko Ko Lay, secretary of the Sittwe Elders Association.

His association colleague, Than Shwe, added, We must be able to get through this pandemic successfully, so we have to follow the rules, and everyones participation is very important.

Sittwe district administrator Aung Nyint Oo said officials will take legal action against those who violate restrictions as a last resort.

At present, we are trying to get people to understand [why this is necessary], he said.

Security guards have been placed on the beach to enforce the order and to prevent gatherings.

Restaurants in Sittwe have been closed since April 10, forcing residents to celebrate at home.

Cambodian women wearing face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus pour water over a Buddha statue during the Khmer New Year at a pagoda in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, April 15, 2020. Credit: AFP All quiet in Cambodia

The New Year was quiet in Cambodia, whose official holiday falls on April 14-16 this year, with villagers foregoing traditional visits to Buddhist pagodas, according to people in the capital Phnom Penh and in the provinces.

Most Cambodian are heeding an order issued by Prime Minister Hun Sen to stay at home during the three-day public holiday, which the government has postponed, though several hundred have breached travel restrictions imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Phnom Penh resident Dara Vichhay said the city was quiet, though some people quietly gathered in coffee shops, while a few others were out shopping or trickled into pagodas.

I did not see many people gathering and drinking too much, but, obviously, some of them still did not listen to the Ministry of Healths instructions, he said. [But] this morning when I went to a pagoda, it was quiet.

Many workers meanwhile gathered outside their factories and bought food from nearby vendors, Dara Vichhay added.

Besides cancelling this years holiday, the government required factory employees to work as usual, with Hun Sen warning of tough measures for those who refused to comply with the order.

So far, Cambodia has reported 122 confirmed coronavirus cases, but no fatalities.

Four days before the New Year, the countrys National Assembly passed a law authorizing a state of emergency to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The laws provisions include punishment of up to a decade in jail for anyone found guilty of obstructing authorities or failing to respect government measures in such a way that causes social unrest or threatens national security.

Phauk Siphin, another resident of the capital, also reported few people in the streets, and said by the third day of the holiday no one was visiting pagodas or bringing food for monks, as is customary.

Cambodian women wearing face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus walk through a gate equipped with disinfectant spray at a pagoda during the Khmer New Year in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, April 14, 2020. Credit:AFP No Cambodians on beach

People in Cambodias provinces were also subdued Wednesday, with police blocking roads to prevent any travel, while some beach resorts in Preah Sihanouk province on the Gulf of Thailand were devoid of visitors unlike during previous New Year holidays.

Kim Sok, owner of a food stall on the provinces OChheuteal Beach, said he had not seen many tourists in the area during the past two days and that many other stalls had closed.

We didnt see any Cambodian people coming to play on the beach during the Khmer New Year, but some Chinese nationals have come to eat food here, he said. Most of them are staying in Sihanoukville, so maybe some of the casinos are closed.

Kim Sok said he has kept his food stall open because he does not have any other place to go.

Visitors also are staying away from two other places popular with visitors  southwest Cambodias Kampot province, whose capital known for its French colonial architecture, and Kep province in the countrys south, known for its seafood and tropical islands.

Kampot resident Heng Soeun said streets in the capital are empty and not many people are buying food in a market that is open. A shop next to Kompong Bay Lake in the provincial town is closed, however.

Some tourists on Wednesday took advantage of the absence of crowds to visit the Angkor complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Siem Reap province, whose Angkor Wat temple is Cambodias top tourist attraction.

Siem Reap resident Haing Ron said the visitors are Cambodians from neighboring provinces who are wearing face masks as they walk around the huge complex, and that taxi and mototaxi services have been suspended during the holiday period.

There are not so many [visitors], just a few more than on ordinary days, he said. During the New Year, there have been slightly more than on regular days because they are traveling as families.

[But] most shops and restaurants in Siem Reap are closed, and hotels have suspended their operations, he added.

People gather to pick up packages of donated food during the Lao New Year in Dondeng village, Chanthabouly district, in the capital Vientiane, April 14, 2020. Credit: Photo courtesy of a citizen journalist Food handouts in Vientiane

People stayed at home in neighboring landlocked Laos, whose New Year holiday is observed on April 13-16, in keeping with an existing government-ordered lockdown in effect from April 1-19.

On the final day of the official public holiday period, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith extended the lockdown by 14 days until May 3 and advised people to adhere to the recommendations of a national COVID-19 prevention task force.

As of Wednesday, Laos recorded 19 confirmed COVID-19 cases, but no deaths.

Despite the announcement, more than 1,000 residents of Done Deng village in the Chanthabouly district of the capital Vientiane gathered in a public space on Tuesday to pick up free food donations, including rice, dry noodles, water, and eggs.

I didnt go, but I knew that they were distributing the handouts, said one villager who declined to be named. Many people commented that only those who had nothing to eat went to the place. It was too crowded and dangerous.

Another villager expressed concern over people in the crowd not practicing social distancing

It would have been less risky if the authorities had helped to organize the distribution, he said, Distributing donations is good, but the company didnt think about the gathering. Im afraid, it was too risky.

An employee from Sisombath Company, which donated the food and handed it out in 1,400 packages, said he and others distributed the food very quickly in 20 minutes and then asked the people to disperse.

We were practicing strict measures and receiving help from the authorities, he said. Everything was OK.

The worker, who declined to give his name, said that his company did not have enough supplies for everyone who showed up.

A district police officer said that the company should have given the donations to village authorities to deliver to residents.

Though the company did not receive any violations, its manager, Saleumphon Sounvongsa, apologized to the government for the misstep.

Women quietly honor Buddha during the Lao New Year outside a closed temple in Baan village, Songkhone District. in southern Laos' Savannakhet province, April 2020. Credit: Photo courtesy of a citizen journalist Few Buddhist worshipers

Religious leaders reported seeing few visitors at public temples in Laos during the holiday period.

Lao New Year activities are all canceled in compliance with an order from the Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization of the Lao PDR [Peoples Democratic Republic], an abbot at a temple in Songkhone district of Savannakhet province said Tuesday.

The Buddha statues are briefly on display and watered only by a few worshipers according to tradition, but celebrations are not allowed, he added.

During the Lao New Year, people use water to wash Buddha images, homes, and monks, and to soak their friends and passersby.

This year is not like previous years, said a Buddhist follower in Vientiane. There are no celebrations and no big ceremonies. The monks dont want to have contact with the public because of the coronavirus scare.

A few people in the ancient capital of Luang Prabang in northern Laos celebrated quietly by watering Buddha statues at various temples.

Watering Buddhas is allowed, but gatherings are not, a monk in the city said Wednesday .

A Luang Prabang-based official from the Lao Front for National Construction, which oversees sociopolitical organizations, said, This year weve had no processions, no Prabang [big Buddha statue] waterings, and no alms collections.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service, RFAs Khmer Service, and RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Maung Maung Ny, Aun Pheap, and Max Avary. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Penguins are seen in ice-covered Antarctica from the Russian scientific research vessel Akademik Fedorov (not seen in this photo) in this January 2008 file photo. Before South Korea has its own icebreaker, scientists of the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) relied on foreign ships to do their research. / Courtesy of KOPRI



Polar biologist speaks on voyage to Antarctica on ice-capable vessel, global warming



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Biologist Kim Ji-hee's annual research trip to Antarctica is always an exhilarating rollercoaster ride.



Kim, a principal scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute in Songdo International Business District created along the waterfront region of Incheon Metropolitan City, first went to King George Island in 2002 to research biodiversity and plants on the ice-covered region. Since then, she embarks on a field trip to Antarctica every year during its summertime from November to March.



Her field research with a team of five or six other scientists began with excitement about their mission.



But she became nervous once the airplane arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a 15-hour flight from Incheon International Airport. From its port town of Lyhelton, South Korea's homegrown icebreaker Araon kicks off an eight-day sea voyage and cruises into island-less waters to reach Earth's southernmost continent. The port in Christchurch is one of the two locations from which the icebreaker begins its journey to Antarctica. The other is in Hobart, Australia.



The eight-day sea travel is full of nervous excitement mainly because of the tumultuous sea, so even an experienced scientist like Kim is drained physically as well as mentally once the sea voyage is over and the sacred land of penguins is in sight.



Kim knows her seasickness would continue for five days until the ship reaches serene ice-filled waters. The first five days are literally agonizing.



Due to its function-oriented structural characteristics, the icebreaker is vulnerable to outside shocks. Once the erratic movement of the ship begins, she tries hard to hang on by gripping her bed tightly so as not to roll off onto the floor.



Vomiting, nausea and yawning during the days of sea travel are part of the price polar scientists pay in order to perform scientific research on Antarctica.



For scientists, however, the desolate continent is the land of opportunity as there are lots of things that remain unknown and await discovery.



Kim takes motion sickness pills twice a day for the first five days after the icebreaker cruises into the open seas. "Fortunately, the medication works well for me," Kim said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. "I am fine during the sea travel as long as I take the seasickness pills."



During the eight days of ocean travel, the biologist said she works on reports or takes care of other chores.



Seasickness disappears on the sixth day when the icebreaker ship Araon eventually enters ice-filled waters and the turbulence eventually subsides.





Kim Ji-hee, a biologist and principal scientist at KOPRI, goes to Antarctica every year to conduct a survey of the plants and ecosystem of the polar region. / Courtesy of KOPRI



Every year, Kim spends two to three months from January on mainland Antarctica to conduct a survey of the plants and ecosystem of the polar region.



Last year, however, was an exception. She went there in November and stayed only three weeks because of her tight schedule.



"Antarctica has been changing constantly," she said. "The vast majority of the territory was covered with ice sheets, so it's hard to predict what's beneath. Some parts that were previously covered with thick glaciers turned out to be ocean as the ice is melting. With global warming, coastlines of the continent have been revealed gradually. Ponds are spotted here and there."

Over the past nearly two decades of scientific research in Antarctica, she found that global warming is real and its pace is much faster than expected.



Climate change has led to a change in vegetation in the polar region. The presence of flowering plants near the King Sejong Research Station on King George Island is one of the striking differences that marks Antarctica before and after global warming.



In 2002, scientists identified clusters of two indigenous species known by their scientific names of Deschampsia Antarctica and Colobanthus quietensis near the research station. The habitats for the two species have since continued to expand in the area, a piece of evidence showing temperatures in Antarctica continue to rise.



"The presence of the two flowering plants is a canary in a coalmine," Kim said. "In the past, the area of King Sejong Research Station had only lichen and there were no flowering plants. As the temperature has risen, it now rains in Antarctica during summertime. Soil moisture provides a favorable environment for flowering plants to grow. Their habitats continue to expand. Climate change in Antarctic has affected biodiversity and the spread of the indigenous plants."



Kim recently released a book, "The Story of Antarctic Plants" published by GEOBOOK, based on her 18 years of research of plants and biodiversity of the Earth's southernmost region.

With photos and graphics, the book gives a peek into Kim's nearly two decades of experiences as a biologist of the polar region and her findings with detailed explanations of lichens and flowering plants along with a brief history of Antarctica. The region's dramatic transformation from the land of tropical temperatures to the ice-covered continent is also explained.



A South Korean expedition team first stepped onto the continent in 1985, when ex-lawmaker Yoon Seok-soon led a team of 17 people consisting of scientists and climbers who arrived on Chile's research station on King George Island of Antarctica via an aircraft. They stayed on the icy land inhabited by penguins and seals for 24 days, climbing the region and meeting scientists from China, Chile and Russia, the countries that already had research stations there.



The 17 pioneers' historic visit paved the way for South Korea's joining of the Antarctic Treaty the next year in 1986, becoming its 33rd signatory.



South Korea's membership has paved the way for the establishment of its first King Sejong Research Station on Barton Peninsula, King George Island, in 1988. It was the beginning of Korea's scientific research in the southern polar region.



It took another 26 years for South Korea to establish a second base  the Jang Bogo Research Station, this time on the Antarctic mainland.



Kim said South Korea's development of the icebreaker Araon is a watershed event in Korea's polar research. "Before we had the icebreaking vessel, it was unthinkable for South Korea to establish a research station on the Antarctic mainland," she said.



Many scientists echoed that Araon is a game changer in South Korea's polar research. Some even say that South Korea's scientific research in Antarctica and the Arctic can be divided into two stages  before and after Araon.



Kim agreed, noting that the description is no exaggeration. "In the early stages of our search for the ideal location for our second base on the mainland, we were faced with plenty of challenges and all those challenges came from the fact that we didn't have an icebreaking vessel," she said. "We went to Antarctica on an icebreaker owned by a foreign government. We had to modify our research plans a lot depending on the schedule of the scientists from the country that owned the vessel. Our independent research hinged on their schedules. So, it was difficult to meet the research timeline we set."





South Korea's icebreaker ship Araon embarks on its maiden voyage to Antarctica in December 2009. / Korea Times file
The City of Little Falls, Main Street First, and Think Local have come up with a program to recognize people considered essential workers. The goal was to raise $3000 and use the money to purchase gift cards from local businesses. Then randomly pick 1 essential person in the community each day for 30 days, and reward them with $100 in gift cards. The response was so overwhelming, they raised over $11,000 in 3 days, so they tripled the amount of recipients receiving gift cards. Little Falls Mayor Mark Blask says the program not only makes people feel good, but also supports the local economy.

"We are obviously concerned about getting back on our feet once this crisis ends, so we want to do everything we can to make sure that that happens."

Since they raised more money than expected, they added a twist by including an additional $25 gift card to pass along to someone who could use a pick-me-up.

"It feels good to get a gift card, but it feels great to give something forward, so were just trying to expand the program in as many ways as possible."

Kinney Drug Store employee Renee Coonradt was chosen by a co-worker to receive that extra gift card.

"I never expected it. Its great that people appreciate what were doing because were going home after working all day to our families, so its heartwarming when they appreciate it."

Canal Side Inn & The Stone Mill Business Owner Daivd Casullo believes the value of the gift cards will affect business beyond face value once things get back to normal.

"When crisis strikes, character is revealed, and I think the character of our community has been really obvious during this crisis."

Even though responses are still coming in, Mayor Blask will not be accepting any donations after the close of business on Friday April 17th. He says the goal has not only been achieved, but exceeded, and doesnt want to put any additional financial stress on an already stressed economy.
HARRISBURG  Nearly five weeks ago, the governor of Pennsylvania began enacting executive orders to mitigate COVID-19 exposure within the commonwealth.

On Wednesday, Republican leaders in the Pennsylvania Senate took united action to wrangle power back with an oversight measure that would pave a way for businesses to reopen intrastate commerce.

The Republican majority voted unanimously in favor of Senate Bill 613 which calls on Gov. Tom Wolf to create a mitigation plan to help businesses reopen in accordance with federal regulations. The final vote tally was 29-21 with all Democrats voting no and one Independent lawmaker, Sen. John Yudichak, I-14, of Plymouth, voting yes.

Todays Senate session was like a choreographed dance. Before it began, everyone knew how it would turn out, said Andy Dinniman, D-19 of West Whiteland. He addressed his colleagues directly prior to the sessions adjournment. The bill passed along party lines. The governor will likely veto it and the majority lacks the votes to override the veto.

The legislation, if signed into law by Wolf, would require his administration to create a business plan within seven days aligned with federal mitigation efforts to reduce COVID-19 exposure under Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) and Homelands Cybersecurity And Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines including an ongoing social distance mandate.

Dinniman told his Pennsylvania Senate peers that they were collectively at a crucial moment. Lets reflect on our response to September 11, 2001  nearly 20 years ago when we came together and united as a people in the wake of an unprecedented terrorist attack. The current COVID-19 public health crisis is just as, if not more, impactful than the 9/11 attacks. And it calls on us to come together and unite just as, if not more, strongly than we did then.

On March 13, Wolf closed all schools in Pennsylvania. On March 19 he ordered all businesses deemed non-essential to suspend operations. On April 1, he ordered a statewide stay-at-home order.

And while poor communities are suffering higher death rates, representing systematic longstanding health care inequities, many counties are seeing the rate of increased novel coronavirus cases in the state flatten: less cases; less deaths.

Still the crisis remains, and Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday argued to their colleagues across the aisle that more needs to happen to counter the risk of future COVID-19 exposure before non-essential businesses repoen for commerce.

On the flipside, Republicans argued that Pennsylvanians are suffering tremendously without the ability to provide life-sustaining incomes for their families given more than 1.3 million people are out-of-work following Wolfs executive order to close all non-essential businesses statewide.

State Sen. Katie Muth, D-44th, of Royersford, said, Without mass testing and adequate supplies, we cannot protect workers and people from this life-threatening virus with no cure, and therefore I cant support SB 613.

She added, I want desperately to have things back to normal and have things reopen, but we cant do that until we are able to truly assess the risk; and we cant do that until we mass test and get more PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to protect workers and members of our community.

State Sen. Tim Kearney, D-26th, of Swarthmore, said, As a small business owner myself, I know how difficult these times are for small businesses. I am working to provide small businesses with the financial assistance they need to stay afloat and reopen as soon as it is safe. We have been connecting businesses with state and federal loans, and Senate Democrats are working on drafting a stimulus package that includes small business loans.

Like all Pennsylvania Senate Democrats, Kearney voted against Senate Bill 613.

We all want to return to our normal lives, but were not there yet, Kearney said. Republican legislators have rushed to reopen non-essential businesses against the advice of medical experts. This is a dangerous action that would put everyones lives at risk. Reopening businesses now will flood our hospitals with new patients and put our healthcare workers at greater risk at a time when they still do not have safe levels of protective gear. I am not willing to needlessly and recklessly risk the lives of my fellow Pennsylvanians.

As for what has most inspired Kearney during this unprecedented crisis, he addressed the character of Pennsylvanian citizens with praise and admiration.

In times of crisis, we rediscover the creativity and resilience that make us who we are. I am inspired by the example of Pennsylvanias distilleries, which are using their facilities to produce hand sanitizer, Kearney said.

Kearney added, I recently helped break down the regulatory barriers for these distilleries that prevented them from producing these supplies. Now more than ever, we must come together to turn our challenges into opportunities.

On Easter, Wolfs administration had denied 18,662 waiver requests from Pennsylvania businesses hoping to remain open, according to Casey Smith, communications director of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. In contrast, Wolfs administration approved 7,648 waivers. Pennsylvania is home to approximately one million businesses.

The administration saying trust us or because we said is no longer acceptable in the fifth week of the shutdown that has put more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians on the unemployment line, said state Sen. Thomas Killion, R-9th, of Middletown.

Wolf formed a partnership most recently with a group of all Democratic governors in other states, including New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island to come up with a plan to reopen businesses. Republican Pennsylvania senators questioned why the governors of Ohio and West Virginia, along Pennsylvanias western and southwestern borders, were omitted from the working group.

Even in an emergency, as legislators we have an obligation to our constituents to exercise oversight. We are doing so by passing SB 613, which I support, Killion said.

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House voted 107-95, along party lines, in favor of the measure, sending it across the Capitol to the Senate Chamber for concurrence. All Democrats in the state House voted no and two Republicans voted no.

As for solutions, Killion said he has sponsored legislation suspending commercial foreclosures and evictions during this crisis.

That will make it easier for small business owners and the hardworking Pennsylvanians they employ to get back on their feet as we restart our economy, he said. Also, the various programs, both federal and state, such as the Paycheck Protection Plan are important.

Also this week, business owners began receiving approval notices for emergency funds via the Paycheck Protection Plan and Small Business Administration via the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, recently signed into law by President Donald Trump, which provides $349 billion to cover operational expenses from payroll to rent and utility costs.

Some Americans have received federal stimulus checks this week, too. A family of four, for instance, is qualified to receive up to $3,400 courtesy of the bipartisan CARES Act.

Yet, while the CARES Act protected management costs of the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., it did nothing to protect the U.S. Postal Service from potential imminent bankruptcy. Since the coronavirus crisis began, many locations have already closed and a postman in Exton recently died after suffering from exposure from the novel coronavirus. The postmans name had not yet been released, as of press time.

Republican state senators on Wednesday said the waiver process in Pennsylvania has been unfair, arguing that some businesses in the same sectors received permission to remain open under the governors order, while many more did not.

There is no end date, Killion said, per when all businesses can legally reopen for free trade and intrastate commerce in the commonwealth. Pennsylvanians deserve to know the metrics by which it will be determined when and how to reopen the state.

Still, there is hope.

The resolve demonstrated and sacrifices made by Pennsylvanians is inspiring, Killion said. We are a resilient state, and I have every confidence the best days of our communities and commonwealth lay ahead of us.

Muth told the Daily Local News that inequity is also an important factor playing a role in the mitigation and recovery process within the commonwealth. Senate Democrats introduced an amendment, which Republicans rejected, that would have granted life-sustaining employees who become exposed to COVID-19 to automatically receive workers compensation.

Inequity in Pennsylvania means no paid leave, lack of affordable health care, and small business insurance not covering damages from pandemics, Muth said. If all of those safety nets were in place, we wouldnt be so panicked economically.

Although Republicans believe Wolf will most likely veto Senate Bill 613, many lawmakers during the Pennsylvania Senate session on Wednesday decried the assertion from Democrats that the measure was reckless and irresponsible.

We can protect public health and plan to restart our economy, Killion said.

In terms of health and the economy, Killion said these priorities are not mutually exclusive.

Businesses open during the shutdown have demonstrated the ability to operate safely, Killion said. The Walmarts and big box stores have effectively protected the health and welfare of their employees and customers. Its time to plan to let other Pennsylvania businesses do the same using the scientifically-based guidelines from the CDC and CISA as more than 40 other states are doing.
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Biocon share price rallied 4.7 percent intraday on April 16 after its biological unit had received Establishment Inspection Report from the US health regulator for two manufacturing facilities.

The stock has been in an uptrend since the start of April, rising more than 30 percent along with other pharma stocks amid positive sentiment especially after the government allowed exports of anti-malarial drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

It was trading at Rs 350.75, up Rs 13.85 or 4.11 percent on the BSE, at 1210 hours IST.

The company informed exchanges that its subsidiary Biocon Biologics India has received the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the US Food and Drug Administration for the Pre-Approval Inspection (PAI) at two of its biologics manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru.

The inspection was conducted between September 10 and September 19, 2019. Biocon Biologics has responded to the regulator on the 8 observations from this inspection in October 2019.

Subsequent to the above inspection, Biocon Biologics has received approvals for the two products Trastuzumab (drug product) and Pegfilgrastim (drug substance) from the USFDA in 2019, said Biocon.

The receipt of the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) indicated a successful closure of the inspection, it added.

"The formal closure of the US FDA inspection is expected to enable filing of marketing authorization applications for our biosimilar products in several global markets," a company spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, as per the March quarter shareholding pattern, mutual funds increased their stake in the company to 5.13 percent, from 3.76 percent in December quarter.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Tax Relief 96 acquired 1.10 percent stake and Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund 1.02 percent in Biocon during the quarter, while ICICI Prudential through its fund increased shareholding in the company to 1.43 percent from 1.06 percent QoQ.

LIC also raised its stake to 1.55 percent at the end of March quarter, from 1.16 percent in previous quarter. However FPIs cut their stake in the company to 14.98 percent during the quarter, from 16.09 percent QoQ.
MADISON  Wisconsin health care workers on the front lines of treating patients with the coronavirus called on state lawmakers Wednesday to get them more protective equipment, expand health care coverage and provide fully-paid sick leave and hazard pay.

Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday signed a COVID-19 response bill passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature that does not include any of those provisions. Evers and other Democrats have also called on the Legislature to do more to help those struggling during the pandemic.

A letter signed by 37 Democratic members of the Legislature that was sent to Republican leaders on Monday called for the increased protections for nurses, paramedics, housekeeping staff, cafeteria workers and others who are in close contact with coronavirus patients.

Kathy Hintz, a housekeeper at a hospital in Appleton for the past 10 years, broke down in tears when describing having to clean the room after a person had died of COVID-19. She and others spoke on a conference call Wednesday organized by SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin.

When I went to the room, I didnt have the protection I needed, Hintz said. So I was wearing two hairnets, two surgical masks, three pairs of gloves and some booties on my feet and scrubs. This is not adequate.

Hintz said she worried about disposing of everything that may have been infected with the virus and whether she had been exposed.

It was overwhelming. I broke out in hives because I was so stressed out, she said.

When I accepted this job as a housekeeper, I didnt ever think I might be signing my death certificate. No one should have to feel like that going into work.

She and others said they were struggling to meet the demands of the job while also worrying about their personal safety.

Were on the front lines of this pandemic and we need more than a thank you, said Demetricia Shipp, a nurses assistant in Milwaukee with 35 years of experience working in health care.

Randi Payne, a nurses assistant at a nursing home in Sheboygan, said she doesnt have face shields or goggles when working with elderly patients, many of whom have preexisting conditions.

I dont want to spread this to our patients or bring it home to my 12-year-old son or husband, she said.

Lisa Gordon, a nurses assistant at a nursing home in Monroe, said she resorts to wearing the same mask seven days in a row because there arent enough to go around.

Things need to change, she said.

State and local health care leaders have been working to procure more personal protective equipment like masks, gloves and face shields in the midst of a national shortage. The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported that as of Wednesday, a third or more of hospitals had less than a weeks supply of face shields, goggles, N95 masks, gowns and paper masks.

As of Wednesday, 182 people had died from COVID-19 in Wisconsin and there were more than 3,700 confirmed cases, according to the state Department of Health Services.

Republican legislative leaders did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the demands of the health care workers.
THE Tanzania Investment Centre Executive Director, Godfrey Mwambe has ordered people who have invaded the centres land in Uvinza District, Kigoma Region to vacate immediately so that the areas could be used for investment activities as planned

Mr Mwambe said the centre owns 13.5 hectares of land in the district and that they are allocated for palm farming.

He was speaking during his official tour in the district.

He said the land was allocated by the government purposely to boost palm trees farming in the region and that it is high time all invaders vacate to give chance for investment activities to take place.

These two farms, one with 3,249.76 hectares and another with 10,529.86 hectares were allocated by the government for palm trees farming. Our aim is to get enough raw materials for producing palm oil for both local use and export, he said.

According to Mr Mwambe, the statistics from the Ministry for Agriculture show that Tanzania import 400,000 tons of palm oil and it spends up to 600bn/-in purchasing cooking oil from abroad.

He said investing in palm farming in Kigoma Region will boost the production and help the nation from importing cooking oil.

The government is aware of the challenge in the production of palm oil, therefore the crop has been added in the list of seven strategic crops. Others are cashew nuts, cotton, tea, coffee, sisal and tobacco, he said.

On his side, Kigoma Regional Commissioner, Brigadier General (rtd), Emmanuel Maganga said his office will strengthen security to all areas that are allocated for various investment activities.

He ordered all invaders to vacate the identified areas or risk to lose their properties.

Uvinza District Commissioner, Ms Mwanamvua Mrindoko said her office will provide education to all wananchi in the area so that there could be no more invasion of allocated land.
Theyre the questions on everybodys mind about Michigans coronavirus crisis.

When will it end?

How will it end?

When will things get back to normal?

Having a complete lockdown of the economy is not sustainable over the long term, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said.

Its a widely held sentiment.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey is among those criticizing Gov. Gretchen Whitmers extension of the stay-at-home order as destroying our health by ruining our livelihoods.

But that concern runs up against a grim reality: Reopening the economy too quickly could easily backfire if coronavirus surges as a result, experts say.

Weve got to make sure that we avoid a cycle wave at all costs, Whitmer said during a press briefing Monday. That would be devastating for our economy.

The problem, of course, is that this is an unprecedented situation, one with few road maps for politicians as well as public-health experts and economists.

Its hard to overstate the uncertainty.

For the medical clinicians and scientists, there is still much they dont know COVID-19, a completely new disease. There are still questions about how its transmitted, how long victims are contagious, how long infected people will maintain immunity. Doctors are just beginning to develop protocols for treatment, amid questions about the effectiveness of various drugs. A vaccine still seems more than a year off.

Its been a huge learning curve for her and fellow doctors, said Dr. Anne Messman, an emergency room physician for Detroit Medical Center. Never before "has there been a treatment process where we have to change our practices on an almost daily basis.

The crisis also is new ground for economists and business leaders. The economic implosion caused by the pandemic was stunning in its suddenness and terrifying in its extent. In Michigan, more than a million people are out of work, a quarter of the workforce, and businesses large and small are struggling for survival. The usual tools employed by economists to fix the economy arent applicable in a pandemic, where public health requires an almost total freeze of commerce.

We know much more about fighting a financial crisis or an economic crisis and we typically have our quiver of arrows for those scenarios, said Lisa Cook, a Michigan State University economist. We have the formula pretty much down on what to do."

But the economic fallout from a pandemic "is a shock to most of us, if not nearly all of us, Cook said about economists. This is not something were used to addressing.

Yes, Michigan is in a recession and quick recovery is unlikely

And for politicians, it seems an impossible dilemma: Should the priority be public health? Or rebooting the economy?

The best-case scenario: Coronavirus cases plummet over the next few weeks, thanks to social distancing. Stay-at-home restrictions are eased in May, although some social-distancing guidelines remain. The economy gradually gets back on track. Public-health officials and the medical community quickly identify new cases of coronavirus as they arise, isolate the patients and others who might have been exposed, and contain local outbreaks. Treatments improve and a vaccine becomes available sooner rather than later.

There are, unfortunately, multiple worst-case scenarios. The number of cases could plateau indefinitely at a high level, complicating plans to re-open the economy. Or the state could lift or loosen the stay-at-home order, only to experience a second huge wave of infections. Or the virus could mutate into an even more virulent strain, which is what happened in the 1918 flu pandemic. Or the development of a vaccine could take longer than expected.

There is general agreement the first step forward is getting the spread of disease under control. In that regard, Michigan doctors and other health experts say theyre beginning to see glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel.

The average number of new cases is going down. Hospitals are becoming a little less overwhelmed. Two weeks ago, epidemiologists and doctors at University of Michigan were predicting that caseload would peak in early May. Now, theyre saying it may already have happened.

For lots of people -- Whitmer, the U-M experts, hospital officials and doctors in the field -- the operative phrase right now is cautious optimism.

But they also say lifting Michigans stay-at-home order at this point would be foolhardy decision.

Extreme social distancing is the only way to bring coronavirus numbers down to the point where the economy can re-open; its the only tool available, absent a vaccine, said Dr. Paul Kilgore, Wayne State University physician and epidemiologist.

I look at sheltering in place almost as a vaccine, he said. Its our vaccine intervention for now.

The more we do, it the more it will continue to be effective,he said. We really need to get to that flattening curve ASAP. Its absolutely the No. 1 priority.

Saving lives vs. saving economy?

Cautious optimism isnt good enough for many Michigan residents tired of having their lives on hold.

Last week after Whitmer extended the stay-at-home order through April 30 and made it even more restrictive, a considerable backlash developed.

In many Michigan communities, the economic fallout of the stay-at-home order is painfully obvious. The public-health issues are less so, especially in areas of the state with only a few cases.

Cook, the MSU economist, describes the economic meltdown as a hair-on-fire situation. But the real problem is not the stay-at-home order, say she and others: Its a virus that is highly contagious, highly virulent and lacks a vaccine and effective treatment.

Even with the extreme measures taken to prevent its spread, COVID-19 already has resulted in 1,921 Michigan deaths in one month. By comparison, 1,871 in Michigan died from influenza or pneumonia for all of 2018, the most recent year available.

While closing down businesses is painful, people getting sick and dying is economically damaging, too," said Dr. Vikas Parekh, who heads a Michigan Medicine team modeling coronvirus forecasts.

I havent heard any credible economist say the choice is between protecting lives vs. saving the economy, said Cook, the MSU economist. The two goals are in sync, she said, since a premature end to stay-at-home orders could result in continuing the economic disruption.

If the social-distancing restrictions are lifted before the coronavirus outbreak is under control, numerous experts say the risks are considerable that increased social interactions would allow the number of COVID-19 to resurge. That could further cripple the states health-care system. Workplaces could re-open only to find their operations disrupted by people out sick and those fearful of returning to work. Workplaces and public spaces could face liability issues if they become a hotbed of infectious disease. Restaurants or stores could see their business crash if an outbreak is traced to their establishment.

If the disease is still rampant and increasing around the country, people are not going to want to be out, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said. People will make that decision for themselves.

This is a public-health crisis, first and foremost, he said. "Its also an economic crisis. But its difficult to solve the economic crisis if you have not first solved the public-health crisis.

In the 1918 flu pandemic, most communities were shut down eight to 12 weeks. On the whole, those who maintained strict quarantine for longer periods saw a faster economic rebound, studies have found.

So the question now, Parekh said, is determining how soon Michigan can loosen the social-distancing restrictions while keeping coronavirus under control.

There are a lot bright minds thinking about that, he said. But I dont think there is a simple equation.

So when will it end?

Like the rest of the world, Michigan is facing a short-term crisis related to the current lockdown of the economy and a longer-term problem in that coronavirus likely will impact everyday life until a vaccine is available.

Most residents are focused now on the stay-at-home order, which has shut down schools, businesses and workplaces across the state.

Currently, that order is in place through April 30. Whether it will be lifted in May depends on four factors, Whitmer has said:

Sustained reduction in coronavirus cases;

Increased ability to test for coronavirus and trace those potentially exposed;

Getting the health-care system back to more normal operations;

The development of workplace best practices to prevent spread of the disease.

The overall driving factor is the reduction of coronavirus cases, and specifically a reduction in the number of new cases reported each day.

We want cases to be low enough so that we can test and trace people, and achieve local containment any time it comes back -- sort of hot-spot control," said Emily Martin, an University of Michigan epidemiologist who is working on coronavirus forecast models. Thats what we want to get to. Thats our end game.

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The good news: Michigan already may have reached its peak in the number of cases, especially in southeast Michigan, Parekh said. It looks were hitting a plateau or a slow decline."

However, Parekh said, some areas of the state that are just now seeing a surge in cases, particularly the Flint-Saginaw region.

And even if Michigan has peaked, we dont know what the second half of the curve is going to look like, Martin said. We dont know if its a sharp peak. It took us a long time to get up to the top of the hill, and may take this same amount of time to get back down.

On Wednesday, April 15, the state reported 1,058 new cases. Parekh and Martin say is the numbers needs to be much much lower before Whitmer can safely lift the stay-at-home order.

We need a sustained period -- two weeks, perhaps - of very low or, ideally zero new cases, although you may not get to zero, Parekh said.

Its possible the state could take a more regional approach, he said. I think theres some strength in talking about a regional strategy because the patterns may be different in different regions.

The big downside is that people moving between different regions can easily spark an outbreak, Parekh said. Because of the world we live in, its really hard to understand how you could do a regional strategy without the risk of spread from one community to another."

But, he added, That would be a concern regardless, because whatever we do in Michigan, if other states have different policies and protocols and travel increases, we still risk reintroduction from other areas.

How will it end?

Getting back to normal will be a slow process, experts say.

Its likely restrictions will loosen in May or June, but they likely will loosen gradually.

We dont want to go from the spigot totally off to totally on," Martin said.

What people can expect is some sort of staged recovery effort, she said. What weve seen in other countries is that everybody cant go back to normal at the same time."

That may mean when people go to work, theyll have to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. Restaurants and bars may be allowed to resume dine-in service, but with new restrictions on capacity. Stores may require masks for customers. There likely will be new rules for public spaces.

I dont know what summer is going look like yet, Martin said. But its not going to look like a normal summer.

And that could continue into the fall, she added.

Im having trouble getting a bead on when well be able to be with 100,000 of our closest friends at University of Michigans Big House, Martin said, adding, and I say that as someone who had just renewed her season tickets.

Because coronavirus is so contagious and can result in critical illness or even death in some people, a crucial part of reopening the economy will be widespread testing to identify those who have the disease as well others the patient may have infected.

An ongoing problem for the United States has been lack of coronavirus tests and testing supplies. The disease has spread so fast in the U.S. that manufacturers cant keep up with the demand for coronavirus test kits. Test supplies such as throat swabs also have been in short supply because of high demand and the fact that many of those supplies are made overseas -- and the pandemic has disrupted supply chains.

Whitmer says that reopening the economy is contingent on having a robust testing program.

Ideally, that would include testing all individuals with symptoms as well as asymptomatic individuals with potential exposure to the virus, such as contact with a coronavirus patient or travel to a country with many cases, said Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Testing should also include a sampling of asymptomatic individuals with no known exposure, to monitor for potential spread of the disease in the community, Sutfin said.

Michiganders are likely to be living with some sort of social-distancing rules and rigorous monitoring of coronavirus for at least a year or two, until a vaccine is developed, many experts predict.

The extreme social-distancing rules in place are designed to slow down spread of the disease, Pakekh said. But its not making the virus go away.

So once the economy reopens, it becomes a very challenging scenario, Parekh said. If you loosen (the restrictions) and see a spike in cases, what do you do? Do you tighten again? How long can you do that?"

Many of us hope that were buying enough time and reducing enough of these infections to get us to a rapid vaccine, he said.

Dr. Teena Chopra, an infectious disease specialist for Detroit Medical Center, predicts that life wont return to normal for a long time.

Its not just about this summer, she said. I think the world is going to be rebooted and everything is going to be different.

She is specifically concerned about waves of coronavirus outbreaks until a vaccine is available.

My concern is that when the numbers go down, people are going to start mingling and coronavirus will resurge, she said. And outbreaks will happen again and again as people will take their guard off.

Whitmer said that she wants to make sure that doesnt happen.

We cant afford a second wave" of infections, Whitmer said Monday. Its going to be incredibly important that we do this right.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

READ MORE

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus

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Asymptomatic cases account for 66.6 percent of coronavirus infections in Hanoi, the municipal Department of Healths director Nguyen Khac Hien reported at a meeting of the citys steering committee for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) prevention and control.

About 66.6 percent of the [confirmed] cases did not develop clinical symptoms and were only detected through testing, Hien told the meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

Therefore, there are still potential risks of new cases or complicated outbreaks in the city, he added.

Hanoi has recored 124 COVID-19 cases, of whom 75 have recovered as of Thursday.

Seventy-four of the confirmed cases in the capital city were detected in the community, with 13 of them related to an outbreak in Ha Loi Village, located in Me Linh District, Hien said.

At Wednesday's meeting, the Hanoi health departments director also reported on two new cases, including a 36-year-old woman from Thuong Tin District, who had stayed at Bach Mai Hospital between March 8 and 10 to take care of her mother, an inpatient there.

The other case is a 46-year-old man from Ha Loi Village who is linked to patients No. 243, 257, and 258.

Vietnams COVID-19 patient No. 52 (left) receives a hopital discharge certificate in Ha Nam Province in this supplied photo taken on April 16, 2020.

In a detailed report of the outbreak in Ha Loi Village, Hien said that the situation remains complicated there with some of the 13 patients having had close contact with medical staff.

Currently, 11,847 people in Ha Loi and neighboring Lieu Tri Village have been sampled for COVID-19 testing, with five cases having tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, 783 other people who have been to the Me Linh flower market, where patient No. 243 had frequented before he was diagnosed with the disease on April 6, have been monitored and placed under quarantine.

Speaking at Wednesdays meeting, Nguyen Nhat Cam, director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of Hanoi, requested that all people who have symptoms such as coughing, a fever, shortness of breath, a sore throat and pneumonia in Me Linh District be treated as suspected cases.

It is necessary to isolate and sample [these suspected cases] for early detection and control, Cam said, adding that the district needs to assess the risk from other sources of infection outside Ha Loi Village.

Vietnams COVID-19 patient No. 149 (left) receives a hopital discharge certificate in Ha Nam Province in this supplied photo taken on April 16, 2020.

In relation to the 36-year-old woman from Thuong Tin District  the 266th patient of Vietnam  Cam said that the Hanoi CDC has sampled 40 cases linked to her.

Cam warned that there are still cases having yet to be tested, urging districts in the city to quickly review suspected cases in the community for early testing.

Vietnam has so far confirmed 268 coronavirus infections, with 176 of the patients having recovered.

Three patients in the northern province of Ha Nam exited the hospital on Thursday morning and two other cases were discharged in the northern province of Quang Ninh on the afternoon of the same day after making a full recovery.

No death related to the disease has been reported in the country.

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Britain's 'strictest headteacher' has today issued a stark warning that social distancing is 'simply impossible' in schools.

Katharine Birbalsingh, the formidable head of the Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, said it was a 'lie' that safe distancing within educational settings was possible.

Ms Birbalsingh's riposte came in response to the suggestion that children could soon return to lessons, in the wake of Denmark becoming the first country in Europe to reopen schools.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'We're considered to be the strictest school in Britain and even we would find it impossible.'

The headteacher also warned 'chaos would ensue' if supply teachers were brought in to replace full-time staff members who were still self-isolating.

Katharine Birbalsingh, the head of the Michaela Community School in Brent, north London. She is pictured here on Good Morning Britain last February

Teachers demand access to PPE before returning to work amid fears of being 'bounced back for the sake of industry' School staff have demanded access to personal protective equipment against coronavirus before returning to work amid fears of being 'bounced back for the sake of industry'. The NEU has now written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for the Government to urgently share its modelling, evidence and plans for reopening schools. Maddie Ross, 24, a teacher at a primary school in Wolverhampton, said all teachers would be at risk if schools reopened too early because of the difficulty of imposing social isolation rules on small children. Miss Ross, from West Yorkshire, said: 'It should be secondary school children that go back before primary, surely, because primary school children are going to be a lot more difficult to control, in terms of if we still need to keep two metres apart. 'There's no way you can get primary school children to do that, they'd be touching each other within the first few seconds of walking through the gate.' Bryony Baynes, 58, head teacher at Kempsey Primary School in Worcester, agreed that social distancing is 'pretty much impossible' with young children. Mrs Baynes added her 'biggest frustration' in dealing with the coronavirus crisis at her school has been the lack of information, support and personal protective equipment from the Government. She said: 'I feel really frustrated that the teachers seem to have been forgotten in all this. 'We haven't been offered tests. We haven't been offered a great deal of guidance or advice or support, and we're just expected to find our own way. 'As a head, that's giving me so much anxiety and stress, it's worse than having a visit from Ofsted.' Jackie Schneider, a part-time music teacher at a primary school in the London borough of Merton, said an early return to schools 'could undo all the good work people have done by locking down'. Ms Schneider, 56, who has taught at her school for 30 years, said: 'I would be happy to go back if that's what the science says, but I would not be happy to be bounced back for the needs of industry. 'When parents wave their kids goodbye every morning and send their kids to me, I want to be able to look the parent in the eye and say, I have done everything I can to keep your child safe.' Advertisement

Ms Birbalsingh's school hit the headlines in recent years for giving pupils detention for slouching in their chairs, using a mobile phone or wearing make-up or jewellery.

She spoke today after nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools welcomed returning students in Denmark yesterday - with France set to follow suit next month.

This comes as ministers meet this morning to agree to prolong the social distancing controls announced on March 23, amid signs the epidemic in the UK is beginning to peak.

Schools in England closed more than three weeks ago to the majority of pupils, apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Schools outside coronavirus epicentres including London and Birmingham could reopen next month under plans being considered by ministers, according to The Times.

But Ms Birbalsingh warned: 'The fact is, social distancing in schools is simply impossible.

'We're considered be the strictest school in Britain and even we would find it impossible  we've got corridors that are just over one metre in width, so the children when passing one another obviously touch each other, when they're in the classrooms coming in and out.

'First of all classrooms are small in all schools so the children are all sat right next to each other  they have to hand out books and pens and paper when they get up off their desk to walk out the classroom they touch each other they are also children we need to remember  reception children are all going to be together the younger they are the more difficult it is.

'Let alone the physical implications around all this in terms of making that work.

'For me if government want schools to reopen whenever they do and I understand that schools cannot stay closed for ten monthsand they will open at some point.'

She added it was a 'lie' that safe distancing would be possible.

'But what I don't want is for people to perpetuate the lie  and it is a lie  that social distancing is possible.

'It just isn't and that's fine if they say look we understand that there's a risk and we know what we're asking you teachers and this is what we need you to do  we need you to do your duty and go out and do this for the country, it's in order to jump start the economy and people need to go out and get their children into schools.

'That's what needs to be said.

'What shouldn't be said is what's told that's is absolutely fine we can do social distancing in schools, and we pretend. It's the pretense that I can't bear  that social distancing is possible.'

The National Education Union (NEU) has written to ministers asking to see the government's evidence on the impact of allowing pupils back.

It warned acting too early in the coronavirus crisis will result in an 'increased risk' to staff and children, and could 'undermine people's resolve to stick to social isolation'.

The alarm comes after headteachers suggested that schools should reopen for a period before the summer holidays - rather than in September - if scientific evidence says it is safe to do so

Ms Birbalsingh also said students would be likely to misbehave if supply teachers were brought in.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured outside Downing Street yesterday), has expressed concerns about the effect of school shutdowns on pupils' progress as Cabinet tensions grow over the length of the lockdown.

Schools across Europe set out blueprints for reopening as lockdown measures ease DENMARK: Denmark became the first in Europe to reopen schools. Nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools welcomed students yesterday who were pictured lining up outside, six feet apart, to maintain social distance rules. Around half of Denmark's municipalities and 35 percent of Copenhagen's schools are now reopening. Many schools are opting to teach outdoor classes in order to maintain the guidelines, which could pose a challenge for those in urban areas. Denmark's middle and high school-age students will continue to learn remotely. They are only expected to return to classrooms on May 10. GERMANY: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is said to be considering easing restrictions on shops and schools - despite a record spike in coronavirus deaths in Germany. A panel of academics advised Merkel to re-open primary schools 'as soon as possible' as the number of infections loses pace. It could see Germany begin to emerge from its lockdown as soon as April 20. SWEDEN: Sweden is the only country which still has pubs and restaurants open, allows public gatherings of any size and keeps primary schools open as usual. SPAIN: Schools remain completely closed in Spain. FRANCE: French President Emmanuel Macron this week said from May 11 he will gradually reopen creches, schools, colleges and high schools. Classes will not resume physically until the summer. The French government said it 'will set up special rules to organise time differently, to protect teachers and children.' ICELAND: Iceland said on Tuesday that it would begin loosening restrictions next month, with high schools, universities, hair salons and museums set to re-open on May 4. ITALY: Schools in the country remain closed. But Matteo Renzi, leader of the Italia Viva party who led the country from 2014 to 2016, said Italy must reopen its schools at the start of May or risk causing mass protests and riots. NETHERLANDS: Schools, nurseries and universities are closed until at least 28 April. AUSTRIA: Austria plans to keep schools, cafes and restaurants closed until at least mid-May. BELGIUM: Flemish Education Minister Ben Weyts has said he wants to be able to announce a date for the reopening of schools as early as next week. This follows comments by Minister-President of Wallonia, Elio Di Rupo who said that while 'something will happen with the schools in May.' SWITZERLAND: Switzerland's government is due to unveil a three-stage plan today, outlining a gradual opening of businesses and schools. Under the plan, schools could reopen on May 11. NORWAY: Children will go back to kindergartens in Norway on April 20, and then junior schools a week later. IRELAND: The government is considering letting some school children return to classrooms when the lockdown restrictions are eased on May 5, according to The Times. Advertisement

She added: 'The other thing to remember is from the point of view of a headteacher, if you are sending home all your staff who have underlying issues. if you have to send home staff who have a cough; you are probably going to have fewer than half your staff in your school.

'So if you have half your staff in then how are you filling your classrooms with teachers  you can't.

'So you have got to think about the kind of chaos that ensues in schools when the children don't have their own teacher you have cover teachers well we all know what you used to do when you had a supply teacher at school  remember?'

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the teachers union NASUWT, told the programme that any decisions in relation to fully or partially reopening schools, 'must be guided by the overriding public health concerns.'

He added it was important to ensure teachers, support staff, but also children and young people and their families are protected from the spread of the virus.

He said: 'Government has tended to dismiss the relevance of PPE in educational settings. Access to gloves, aprons, face masks is absolutely essential.

'Social distancing is a major challenge in most educational settings. What constitutes safe social distancing and how that's practiced, the government has not been particularly clear about that.'

He also suggested schools 'may need to be remodelled' with fewer children on site at any one time.

Meanwhile, Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London, who is advising ministers, said 'significant' social distancing will most likely be needed until there is a vaccine.

He told the Today programme that as restrictions are eased, more testing will be needed to isolate individual cases and trace their contacts to keep future outbreaks under control.

'Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway,' he said.

'If we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission.

'What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner.

'And I should say, it's not going to be going back to normal. We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available.'

Professor Russell Viner, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said he believed school reopening could take place early in any exit strategy.

The Cabinet is said to be split between 'hawks' who want the lockdown to be lifted in weeks and 'doves' who believe it should last until Whitsun at the end of May.

A Government source said there was no 'table-thumping' going on, but added of Mr Williamson: 'He's Education Secretary  he'd, of course, prefer schools to be open. But it's not his choice.

'He is worried about all children and how they are going to do. There is no replacement for children going along to classes under the supervision of teachers who know them.

'However, schools will only be opened when it is safe to do so.'

In other UK coronavirus news:

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets, as they are the businesses most likely to boost the economy and pose the smallest risk of spreading the virus;

There are claims the population could be 'segmented' to ease restrictions with young people allowed back to work and primary schools opened, while pensioners and the vulnerable are ordered to stay in isolation;

One of the Government's own key experts, Professor Neil Ferguson, has warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place and criticised the government's slow action;

The first newly-adapted ventilator design has been approved by regulators, with the government ordering 15,000 of the Penlon's Prima ES202 model;

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has rejected calls for ministers to take a pay cut in solidarity with hard-hit workers, after counterparts in New Zealand announced they would;

Mr Hancock insisted the government could hit its 100,000 a day testing target by the end of the month, despite questions over why it is still not using the current capacity of 25,000.

GCSE and A-Level results WILL be released on the expected days in August

Students will receive their GCSE and A-level grades on the pre-planned results days in August after exams were cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has confirmed.

A-level pupils will get their results on August 13 and GCSE students will be given their grades on August 20, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

It comes after exams regulator Ofqual said the results would be released no later than originally planned and suggested they could be made available sooner.

Students will receive their GCSE and A-level grades on the pre-planned results days in August after exams were cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has confirmed (file photo)

No appeals over exam grades this year, pupils are warned Pupils who should have been sitting GCSEs and A-levels this summer will not be able to challenge the grades their teachers give them, proposals released last night reveal. They will have no way of appealing the 'professional judgment' of their teachers as it would be 'inappropriate, ineffective and unfair', Ofqual said in a consultation document. Their only option if they feel they were unfairly graded will be to sit a fresh exam in the autumn. Appeals will only be allowed to be made by schools on technical grounds, the exams regulator said. The news is likely to exacerbate concerns about the accuracy of teacher assessment and whether pupils such as those with behavioural problems could be unfairly treated. An analysis of nearly 20,000 predicted grades across 22 subjects last year found that only 40 per cent of teachers' estimates turned out to be accurate. Of the 60 per cent that were wrong, 31 per cent were too generous and 29 per cent too negative. The document acknowledged the system could be open to abuse. Earlier this month, Ofqual said teachers will need to decide what grades the 1.3million pupils whose GCSE and A-level exams have been cancelled due to coronavirus 'were most likely to get if teaching, learning and exams had happened as planned'. But they will not have to submit any evidence to show how they reached their decisions. Before the grades are confirmed, exam boards will run a 'standardisation' process to root out teachers trying to 'game' the system by inflating results, or those that are overly harsh. When allotting grades, teachers will be expected to form a 'holistic' view, even taking into account complex factors like pupils who may be 'crammers' and excel at the last minute. The consultation is open until Wednesday April 29. Advertisement

Earlier this month, the watchdog instructed teachers to provide grades for students which reflect the results they would have been most likely to achieve if the exams had gone ahead.

Schools and colleges have been told to rank pupils within each grade for each subject but not to share these with families until final results are issued.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: 'I am pleased to confirm that GCSE and A-level students will still receive their exam results as planned this summer, on Thursday August 20 and Thursday August 13 respectively.

'I want to thank all those who are helping to make this happen despite the challenges we are facing.

'We know that this is an important milestone for students, parents and teachers and so I hope this news will provide them with some reassurance and clarity.'

Schools in England closed more than three weeks ago to the majority of pupils, apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

On Wednesday, Ofqual launched a two-week consultation on its plans for awarding grades to GCSE and A-level students amid the pandemic.

The regulator had previously said only Year 11 pupils would be awarded GCSE grades, but now it is considering issuing grades to those in Year 10 and below after concerns were raised by parents.

Ofqual is also proposing that appeals should only be allowed if a school or college made a data error when submitting information to the exam board, or if the exam board made a mistake when calculating, assigning or communicating a grade.

The watchdog said: 'We do not believe it would be meaningful or appropriate for students to appeal on the basis of their centre's judgment of their likely performance in the exams, had they gone ahead, or on their position in the centre's rank order.'

Students will also have the opportunity to sit exams at the earliest opportunity in the new academic year, as well as in summer 2021. If they choose to do this, both grades will stand.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering and discussed the situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.

His Majesty The King (Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck) and Lyonchhen (the prime minister) are leading Bhutans efforts admirably, Modi tweeted.

He said India will stand by its close friend and neighbour in fighting the effects of the pandemic.

Modi and Prime Minister Tshering discussed the regional situation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and updated each other about the steps being taken by their governments to control its effects, an official statement later said. Tshering thanked Modi for taking the lead to promote anti-COVID coordination at the regional level, even while fighting the pandemic within a large and complex country like India.

They expressed happiness at the progress made in implementing the special arrangements agreed on 15 March between the leaders of the SAARC countries.

Referring to the timeless and special nature of India-Bhutan ties, Prime Minister Modi assured the Bhutanese leader that India would ensure all possible support to Thimpu for minimising the health and economic impact of the pandemic.
A legal challenge to the 50m state funding package to help build the Cork event centre has been withdrawn.

The decision should remove the final hurdle which was facing the long-stalled project and pave the way for final contracts to be signed.

Its hoped that construction on the proposed 6,000-capacity venue on the former Beamish and Crawford site on South Main St could begin soon after the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

The proposed venue's sod was turned just weeks before the 2016 general election but following a litany of funding, design and planning delays, a brick has yet to be laid.

A new funding deal emerged in January but a legal challenge was mounted in February by the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry, the operators of the INEC.

The withdrawal of its legal challenge comes just days after the Gleneagle was refused an adjournment until June of the hearing which was listed to be heard in the Commercial Court on May 7 and 8.

City council chief executive Ann Doherty is briefing city councillors on the development this morning.

Now that this challenge has been withdrawn, the project can move forward, she said.

Given that An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the development in March, Cork City Council is now in a position to re-engage with BAM / Live Nation to progress with finalising the necessary contracts.

This is great news for Cork City - especially at such a challenging time.
They share one of Hollywood's most enduring friendships, after meeting at the same high school in Sydney.

And on Wednesday, Nicole Kidman, 52, shared a rare flashback photo of herself posing with her best friend of more than 30 years, Naomi Watts.

The photo, uploaded to The Big Little Lies star's Instagram page, showed Nicole and Naomi, 51, dancing during a girls night out with pal Rebecca Rigg, 52.

They haven't aged a day! Nicole Kidman, 52, (centre) shared a rare flashback photo of herself dancing with best friend Naomi Watts, 51, (right) and Simon Baker's wife Rebecca Rigg (left) on Wednesday

'My earliest #WCW (Women Crush Wednesday's),' Nicole captioned the adorable image.

In the photo, Nicole is sporting her signature tight red curls, which were her trademark in the earlier days of her career.

The Moulin Rouge star showed off her slender physique in a figure-hugging pink dress while cosying up to her pals.

'My earliest #WCW (Women Crush Wednesday's)': Nicole said about Naomi and Rebecca in the picture, which showed the trio enjoying a girls night out dancing

Naomi looked effortlessly chic in a pink shirt with a white cardigan, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Rebecca, who is the wife of Mentalist star Simon Baker, wore a grey ribbed cardigan as she joined her famous friends in pointing to the camera.

The trio, appear to be in their late teens to early twenties in the image, but barely seemed to have aged a day.

Enduring! Nicole (right) and Naomi (left) share one of Hollywood's longest friendships, after meeting at the same high school in Sydney more then 30 years ago

Naomi and Nicole are two of Australia's biggest Hollywood exports.

The pair first met at high school while attending North Sydney Girls' High School.

However, Naomi admitted that it wasn't until when she nabbed a role in the film Flirting back in 1991 that their friendship really took off.

'We already knew each other but that's when our friendship forged': Naomi told PEOPLE that while she and Nicole went to high school together, they really became close while filming Flirting

'We already knew each other but that's when our friendship forged,' Naomi told PEOPLE in June 2017.

Meanwhile, Rebecca and Simon have been happily married for over 20 years.

The couple shares two sons Claude, 21, and Harry, 19; with Naomi being godmother to Claude, while Nicole is Harry's godmother.
While U.S. Sen. Cory Booker is up for re-election this year, an online fundraiser he is holding this Friday has nothing to do with his campaign.

Instead, Booker, D-N.J., is joining a one-time rival for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to raise money for hospital workers, first responders and others on the front lines of the response to the coronavirus.

Some things are bigger than politics, and this pandemic is one of them, Booker said. Supporting organizations that are helping frontline workers, first responders, and the most vulnerable among us is the least we can do.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

The two senators developed a friendship and have worked together in the past. In 2015, for example, they teamed up on legislation to protect doctors in states where medical marijuana is legal from being prosecuted for breaking federal law. Earlier this year, Gillibrand contributed $5,000 from her leadership political action committee to Bookers re-election campaign.

This time, Gillibrand suggested to Booker that they do something to help those fighting the pandemic and the happy hour was launched.

The video happy hour is soliciting donations for eight organizations, including two New Jersey firefighters group; MD1, a Fairfield-based program that dispatches physicians to the sites of emergencies; and a Women for Progress effort to raise money for restaurants in Bergen and Essex counties to feed first responders, hospital staff and other frontline workers.

Also on the list are New York-based groups to help battered women, feed the hungry and provide housing.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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New measures to reduce odours coming from a large industrial plant in east Cork are expected to begin next week, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The environmental watchdog said Merck Millipore had plans to install a carbon filter unit at its facility in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork which was designed to address the issue of emissions generated during the manufacturing process.

Initial civil and design works for the installation of the filter were completed over the weekend to ensure the carbon unit is installed as quickly as possible after the unit is delivered, the EPA said.

The new equipment is due to be installed at the plant next week.

The factory has been under investigation by the EPA over a series of complaints of odours at the site which were first reported before Christmas.

The EPA is examining whether Merck Millipore has complied with the term of its operating licence after inspectors recorded damp mould odours during a visit of the facility earlier this month.

It acknowledged that the company had carried out further measures over the Easter bank holiday weekend to reduce the potential for further odour emissions.

The EPA said new covers had been installed at various outlets, aeration tanks and hatches, while improved seals had also been fitted to equipment.

Merck Millipore manufactures filtration devices and diagnostic membranes for analytical laboratories, biopharmaceutical and microelectronic industries at the Carrigtwohill plant which first opened in 1988 Its products are used in such items as pregnancy, urine and blood sampling kits.

The company said it had issued a statement about the odour and its mitigation plans to the chairperson of the Carrigtwohill Community Council and was also contacting local TD, councillors and local authorities to share details of its proposed actions.

In a statement, the company said: We would like to reassure the public and our local neighbours that the odour is of an organic nature and does not pose a health risk.

Merck Millipore said the problem had been linked to the odour abatement unit in its wastewater treatment plant and it was working hard to rectify the situation as quickly as possible.

It added: The work that Merck does in Ireland and across the globe is considered essential in the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic.

"Lateral flow membrane manufactured at the Carrigtwohill facility is a key component in Covid-19 rapid Point of Care testing kits.

The EPA said it would continue to closely monitor the operation of the facility to ensure it operated in full compliance with its licence within the shortest timeframe possible.
By Andreas Rinke and Holger Hansen

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has achieved a "fragile intermediate success" in its the fight against the coronavirus and will take small steps out of lockdown with the partial reopening of shops next week and schools from May 4, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

Social distancing rules would remain in place until May 3 under the measures that Merkel and the governors of Germany's 16 states agreed at Wednesday's meeting. They plan to meet again on April 30 to review how to proceed after May 3.

Under Wednesday's agreement, retailers whose shops are up to 800 square metres will be allowed to open next week, along with car and bicycle dealers, and bookstores, though they must practise strict social distancing and hygiene rules.

Schools would start opening from May 4, with priority given to final-year students. Hairdressers could also reopen then.

The federal and state governments "strongly recommended" Germans wear face masks on public transport and when shopping.

Religious gatherings will remain banned and restaurants, bars, cafes, cinemas and music venues shut, with big events banned until Aug. 31.

"We are now moving forward in small steps," Merkel told a news conference. "It is a fragile situation in which caution is required, not exuberance."

In a document outlining their agreement, the federal and state leaders said they would support voluntary use of a contact tracing App, when available, so people can quickly learn when they have had been exposed to an infected person.

They backed a European initiative called Pan-European Privacy Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT).

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 2,486 to 127,584, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said, with a reported death toll of 3,254 people.

Merkel's Cabinet had already decided to extend border controls to Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark by 20 days to early May, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

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'LITTLE LEEWAY'

Merkel said the virus reproduction or transmission rate in Germany was around 1 - meaning one person with the virus infects one other on average.

With a transmission rate of 1.1, Germany's healthcare system would hit its limits in October, she said. With a rate of 1.2, it would hit the limit in July, and in June with a rate of 1.3.

"So you see what little leeway we have," Merkel added.

Companies and politicians are worried about the economic impact of a long shutdown, although the government has tried to cushion the blow with a range of measures, including a 750 billion-euro ($818.78 billion) stimulus package.

"We are in a new normal that will not be short but will be with us for some time, until we have managed to develop better medicines and vaccines to prevent the spread of the pandemic," said Finance Minister Olaf Scholz.

The Economy Ministry said Germany entered a recession in March and the slowdown is likely to continue until the middle of the year.

"Collapsing global demand, interruption of supply chains, changes in consumer behaviour and uncertainty among investors are having massive impact on Germany," it said.

It said even if social distancing measures were eased, economic activity would continue to be very subdued and would only pick up gradually.

Some 725,000 companies in Germany had applied for short-time work by April 13, the Labour Office said on Wednesday, a roughly 12% rise from the previous week.

Short-time work is a form of state aid that allows employers to switch employees to shorter working hours during an economic downturn to keep them on the payroll. It has been widely used by industry, including Germany's car sector.

($1 = 0.9160 euros)

(Writing by Paul Carrel, Madeline Chambers and Joseph Nasr; Additional reporting by Riham Alkoussa and Michael Nienaber; Editing by Alison Williams, Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  A former Social Welfare secretary and some lawmakers have criticized the department's circulating advisory requiring permits and processing fees for COVID-19 fund drives.

In a statement, former Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said the department's order on the regulation of solicitation of donations is "not in consonance with the huge humanitarian demands" of the current health crisis.

"It is legal, yes. But is it in consonance with the huge humanitarians demands to address the COVID-19 pandemic? Definitely not," she said in her Facebook post on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the DSWD in a now-taken-down advisory reminded the public to secure a permit from the department first before conducting any solicitation for charitable or public welfare purposes.

Citing Presidential Decree 1564 or the Solicitation Permit Law, the DSWD Standards Bureau reasoned that "no person or organization shall conduct any form of solicitation in the country without first securing a permit" from the agency.

"The DSWD reiterates that all entities must apply for a solicitation permit with the nearest DSWD office, which has jurisdiction over the area where one wishes to conduct the solicitation activity," the advisory read.

While it was not stated in the advisory, the DSWD Administrative Order 14 states that an applicant for a local fund drive shall be charged with a processing fee of 500 while national fund drives shall be charged a processing fee of 1,000. Violators may be fined 1,000 or face a one-year jail time.

But for Taguiwalo, the DSWD, which is already facing a "gigantic challenge" in implementing the social amelioration program to 18 million low-income households, should allow the private sector to help with ease during an emergency situation.

"The DSWD is already faced with the gigantic challenge of implementing the social amelioration program which includes distributing social amelioration cards, collecting and vetting them and actually distributing the financial assistance, should not place obstacles to those helping provide relief," she said.

"I recognize na kailangang siguraduhin na walang namamantala sa panahon ng krisis. Pero sana gawin ng DSWD mas simple ang requirements at walang bayad," said Senator Risa Hontiveros.

[Translation: I recognize that there must be safeguards against abuses during this crisis. But I hope the DSWD should simplify its requirements and remove its processing fees.]

For Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, the agency should even be thankful for such initiatives, citing that 13 million families have not yet received the cash aid promised by the government.

"Hanggang ngayon, 13 milyong pamilya ang hindi pa nabibigyan ng ayudang 5,000 to 8,000. Dapat ay pasalamatan at sinusuportahan ang mga pagsisikap na ito, hindi nililimitahan at pinagbabayad pa ng fee," Cullamat said.

[Translation: Until now, 13 million families have not yet received the subsidy worth 5,000 to 8,000. The DSWD should even thank and support these efforts, instead of limiting and imposing such fees.]

In a briefing in the afternoon, DSWD Undersecretary Carlo Gudmalin reiterated that the department is mandated to regulate the conduct of solicitations.

"To ensure that solicitations are properly done and will go to the intended beneficiaries, we need to know where are the areas that they need to serve," he said. "[This is] so we'll be able to monitor if in fact the solicitations were used for its intended purpose."

DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista bared that only 68 billion of the 200 billion subsidy under the social amelioration program had so far been released.

Those who wish to secure a permit with the DSWD can apply at sb@dswd.gov.ph. Online payments can be settled through any Land Bank branch office in Metro Manila (Account name: Bureau of Treasury, account number: 3402-2516-96).
The exalted star at the center of the Happy Science universe is a former Wall Street trader named Ryuho Okawa, whose followers, incredibly, regard him as the incarnation of a supreme being from Venus. Whats more, he also claims to channel the spirits of hundreds of characters, dead and alive, like Freddie Mercury, Barack Obama and Steve Jobs. Mr. Okawa almost never appears before the media and, via aides, declined requests to speak.

Before his extravagant reinvention, Mr. Okawa was born Takashi Nakagawa in 1956, on the southern island of Shikoku in Japan. The postwar decades in Japan had seen a surge in new and novel forms of religion that blended imported New Age texts with longstanding Japanese traditions. It was in this soul-searching melange that Mr. Okawa came of age.

He attended Tokyo University and seemed poised to become a businessman. In the early 1980s, he joined one of the countrys largest trading firms and said he spent a year working at its Manhattan office.

But Mr. Okawa would pursue another career.

Around this time, he came to believe he was in contact with wise men from the past, like Buddha and Jesus. They told him he was chosen to spiritually redeem a world gone to rack and ruin. Who was he to say no?

It was up to me, he later wrote, to gather all the peoples of the world into this new faith.

Mr. Okawa returned to Tokyo, where he tapped into the citys burgeoning metaphysical scene and attracted a following. Playing on the economic anxiety of the early 1990s, he self-published several tracts with titles like The Terrifying Revelations of Nostradamus and The Great Warnings of Allah.

The books were hits. And as more flooded out, the tales became more and more dazzling. At first Mr. Okawa was just a channel for far-flung spirits. Then he was a reincarnated Buddha. Eventually he proclaimed himself the supreme deity of this world. And remarkably, his followers agreed.

Life on earth, Mr. Okawa came to teach, was engineered millions of years ago by a creator god from Venus named El Cantare who had been reincarnated over the years as deities and enlightened masters, like Hermes, Thoth from Atlantis, Odin, Buddha and an Incan king named Rient Arl Croud. The latest incarnation of El Cantare, of course, was Mr. Okawa himself.
The number of deaths per day in the U.S. attributed to the Wuhan coronavirus has spiked again. After falling from 1,900-2,000 per day to 1,500-1,600 early this week, the number rocketed to 2,407 on Tuesday and 2,735 yesterday (April 15).

This reversal is due in considerable, if not entire, part to a change in New York City in how certain deaths are classified. Some deaths that have been treated as due to other causes are now being attributed to the Wuhan coronavirus.

As I have noted from time to time, there is no agreed upon way to decide whether certain deaths are due to the virus. Indeed, we may not fully understand all of the ways in which this virus can cause death. For example, there is talk that the virus may cause strokes by blocking blood vessels leading to the brain.

With the change in how deaths are attributed, the total number of reported deaths from the virus now exceeds 33,000. Without the change, the number might be 1,000-2,000 less.

The IHME model has come in for justified criticism for being far too pessimistic about hospitalizations due to the virus. However, Ive thought for some time that its estimate of total U.S. deaths from the virus  a little over 60,000  is too optimistic. I continue to think so. We might hit that number by the end of the month.

What about reported new cases per day in the U.S.? That number is holding steady this week at between 27,000-31,000 per day, an improvement from a week ago (31,000-34,000 per day). Yesterday was at the high end of this weeks range.

I suppose this is what must pass for progress in the one-sided battle against the Wuhan coronavirus in the U.S.
2020 first quarter revenue rose by +14.3% at comparable exchange rates, significantly impacted by anticipatory buying

Key figures Revenue

1st quarter 2020







247.7 M Total

growth







+13.9% Growth at

constant exchange rates







+14.3% Growth at constant exchange rates

and scope 1







+14.3% including



companion animals +18.4%

food producing animals +9.8%



1 Growth at constant exchange rates and scope is the organic growth of sales, excluding the impact of exchange rate changes, by calculating the indicator for the financial year in question and that for the previous financial year on the basis of identical exchange rates (the exchange rate used is that in effect for the previous financial year), and excluding the impact of changes in scope, by calculating the indicator for the financial year in question on the basis of the scope of consolidation for the previous financial year.





Quarterly consolidated revenue

Virbac revenue in the first quarter was 247.7 million, with a sharp increase of +13.9% compared to the same period in 2019. At constant exchange rates, growth was at +14.3%, buoyed by Europe and the United States, with however a very positive effect related, on the one hand to anticipatory buying linked to Covid-19, and on the other hand to price increases in the United States. As described in the second part of the press release, we anticipate a slowdown in activity in the coming months.



All areas show growth compared to the same period last year. In the United States, first quarter activity showed a marked increase of +47.4% (+42.5% at constant exchange rates). It benefited from very large purchases by distributors of the Sentinel and Iverhart ranges, in anticipation of price increases applied in the first quarter of 2020. Ex-Virbac sales in the parasiticide and dermatology ranges are growing, driven by the launch of Easotic, whereas the other ranges were down compared to the same period in 2019, which had seen strong growth.

Outside the United States, the Group grew +9.1% at real rates, or +10.3% at constant rates favorably impacted by Covid-19, which generated advance purchases. In Europe, revenue grew +13.6% at real rates (+13.2% at constant rates). The major contributors to this performance were France, Germany, Belgium and Poland, boosted by a high level of activity in the companion animal ranges (including petfood related to advance purchases in anticipation of lockdown, and parasiticides), as well as ruminant products, which offset the decline in sales in Italy (impacted by Covid-19). In Latin America, excluding Chile, the Group had a good start to the year. Activity grew by +10.9% at real rates (+15.5% at constant exchange rates), due in particular to contributions by Brazil and Mexico. In Asia Pacific, growth at real rates was +3.4% (+4.8% at constant exchange rates), New Zealand drove the areas growth with substantial purchases of intramammary products in anticipation of Covid-19, thereby mitigating the more moderate growth in Asia, impacted by the drop in Vietnam, Taiwan and India. Lastly, in Chile, first quarter activity grew +3.4% at real rates (+5.2% at constant rates), driven by sales of antibiotics and parasiticides for aquaculture.

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In terms of species, the companion animal activity grew globally by +19.2% at real rates (+18.4% at constant rates), primarily buoyed by growth in internal and external parasiticide ranges (significant anticipatory buying related to price increases), the petfood range (pre-lockdown purchasing prior to Covid-19), dermatology and specialties, which offset the decline in the dental, antibiotic and vaccine ranges. The food producing animal segment showed strong growth of +7.8% (+9.8% at constant rates), also with advance purchases related to Covid-19. It was driven by sales in the ruminant sector (+13.9% at constant rates) and aquaculture (+5.1% at constant rates), which offset the slight decline in the industrial farming sector (swine and poultry) of -1.3% at constant rates compared to the same period in 2019.



Covid-19 - Virbac status report

Our thoughts go out to people around the world who are directly or indirectly affected by this coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).

Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and we are following the evolution of this pandemic very closely. All of our efforts are focused on finding the best ways to protect our teams and taking every action possible to help slow the spread of the virus and avoid overwhelming healthcare systems. Because animal health is at the heart of public health, we are also striving to ensure continuity as much as is possible with regard to our commitments to veterinarians, farmers and animal owners. We warmly thank them all, especially veterinarians and farmers, who are on the front lines every day, continuing their essential work to feed the planet and protect animals.

To address this situation, we quickly assembled a dedicated committee that coordinates all positions and maintains contact with all subsidiaries to monitor the situation as it evolves, and to quickly and effectively make the best decisions. Measures have been introduced at various Group sites: communications on how the virus is spread and the barrier gestures to be followed, monitoring of evocative symptoms, social distancing and contact prohibition, flow control, moving work stations to different locations (production, R&D, administrative), guided management of outside providers, personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves for those in the most exposed positions, etc. These measures were designed based on recommendations by the World Health Organization and country-specific health authorities.

Our business continuity plans have been triggered. Projects have been prioritized and a new work organization has been established by dividing the teams and spreading the time slots to avoid any overlap, as well as imposing teleworking for all eligible positions. Our remote communication channels have also been strengthened to better communicate with veterinarians and farmers as well as with employees, all to ensure continuity in our activity and our commitments to our customers in the animal care and feeding chain.

To date we count 30 cases of Covid-19 in our global workforce including 28 cases in France. We are continuously monitoring their health progress and that of their relatives. The majority of these cases are in our industrial teams at our major production sites in France (50% of our global productions) and in the U.S. After a temporary shutdown of our Carros site during the last week of March, we partially re-started production (current activity rate ~50%), with additional constraints, reduced staff and slower work rates. Our St. Louis site (current activity rate ~70%), as well as several of our other industrial sites are working at a slower rate, and we are unable at this point to determine when we can resume normal operations.

In terms of supply, we were able to mitigate impacts in the first quarter. However, we anticipate possible worldwide strain on the delivery of certain components or even certain products in the second quarter. For our Chinese suppliers, we are seeing a very gradual return of our supplies after a period of sharp slowdown. Our Indian subsidiary (the Groups number 3 subsidiary), which sources locally, will very likely be affected by the countrys complex situation in terms of health and economics and recently mandated containment measures. With respect to our inventory, except for the companion animal vaccines for which we have temporarily stopped production, we have safety stocks on our main products that should cover us until the end of June 2020.

Meanwhile, we expect our business to slow during containment periods, even if disparities may exist between segments. In many countries, our sales representatives are confined to their homes, with less frequent contact with veterinary clinics for companion animals. Those clinics have reduced activity or may even only be seeing patients by appointment and for essential and urgent interventions. Overall, the food producing animal segment could be less impacted.

Suspension of the 2020 outlook



Given these elements, at this point, we anticipate a decline in our activity and profitability in the second quarter of 2020, and most likely throughout all of 2020. As a result, due to uncertainties related to the number of countries affected by containment measures, the magnitude of the impact of these measures on our activity, the length of time that the outbreak continues to grow, and thus the duration of containment periods, we are not able to accurately assess the extent of the decline in our activity over the entire year. Consequently, it is also difficult to confirm at this stage the objective of an EBITA2 ratio around 15% around 2022 at constant rates and scope.

In addition to the measures we initiated to freeze spending and investment, government support measures for businesses, and the non-payment of dividends in 2020, we have the assets to deal with this crisis, including a solid financial structure, no significant repayment of debt in 2020, a drawing capability on our lines of credit that remains significant (~250 million) and a positive cash position at the end March of ~50 million. Lastly, thanks to our very diverse activity, our worldwide footprint (33 subsidiaries and a presence in over 100 countries via distributors), our highly engaged and supportive teams, and the stability of our shareholding, we remain very confident in the future.





2 Ebita: Current operating profit before depreciations of assets arising from acquisitions







Virbac: NYSE Euronext - Compartment A - ISIN code: FR0000031577/SYMBOL: VIRP

Financial Affairs Department: tel. 04 92 08 71 32 - email: finances@virbac.com - Website: corporate.virbac.com

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Linkedin Alice Ritchie (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom  Thu, April 16, 2020 08:20 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd225b03 2 World UK,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-death-toll,pandemic,Britain Free

England's chief medical officer said on Wednesday he believed the UK coronavirus death toll, which now stands at almost 13,000, was approaching its peak but warned of grim figures to follow in the next 24 hours.

"On the issue of the peak, our view is that it is probably reaching the peak overall and that is what the flattening shows," Professor Chris Whitty said at a daily government crisis news briefing when asked about the number of people losing their life.

But any optimism was tinged with the prospect that high fatality numbers "will continue", Whitty said, confirming Britain as one of the worst affected countries by the global pandemic.

"I think it's important, and I am saying this because new data will come out presumably tomorrow. My expectation would be that the number of deaths may well go up."

Figures announced by the health ministry earlier Wednesday showed that 12,868 people in hospital have died from the coronavirus, a rise of 761 on the previous day.

That was slightly down from the 778 fatalities recorded on Tuesday but noticeably lower than a high of 980 deaths declared last Friday.

The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK has now reached 98,476.

Whitty's comments came ahead of a government decision, expected on Thursday, to extend the lockdown and renew a stay-at-home order imposed three weeks ago to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The government has come under increasing pressure in recent days over the death toll as charities and others said it did not reveal the true scale of the number of fatalities in British care homes.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced on Wednesday, at the same briefing, that people with relatives in care homes would be given the "right to say goodbye" if they were gravely ill with the virus.

'People need hope'

Earlier in the day, Keir Starmer, the new leader of the opposition Labor Party, said it would support any government decision to extend the social distancing orders.

However, Starmer, who was elected Labor leader earlier this month, called on ministers to explain within a week their plan for easing restrictions, both to reassure the public and to give lawmakers time scrutinize it properly.

"People need hope, they need to know there's light at the end of the tunnel," Starmer told BBC radio.

In a letter to the government, he also warned: "We cannot repeat mistakes that have already been made on testing and access to protective equipment."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government has been criticized for not introducing the lockdown earlier, and for failing to properly prepare for the outbreak.

Medical staff and care homes still complain of a lack of protective equipment, while testing for coronavirus remains limited.

The government has promised 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month, but Starmer noted it was only at about 15,000 a day now.

"If [mass] testing is part of the answer, then we now know that plans need to be in place to ramp up testing," he said.

Starmer formally set out his request in a letter to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputizing for Johnson while the prime minister recovers from his own bout of coronavirus.

"This lockdown is not affecting people equally. In fact, it has exacerbated existing inequalities in our country," Starmer wrote.

"A family living in an overcrowded flat will have particular challenges. And it is hard to imagine the daily horror of someone trapped in a home with his or her abuser."

He asked Raab to set out clearly what criteria the government will use to inform the decision on how to ease the lockdown, and which economic sectors might be first to benefit.

However, a government source said it was too soon, saying: "Talk of an exit strategy before we have reached the peak risks confusing the critical message that people need to stay at home."
Mascot Towers owners will be asked to consider selling the complex which has been cracked since June last year following an escalation in costs to repair the building that could now total $53.5 million.

Remediation works were initially forecast to be between $12 million and $20 million, but costs have increased by an additional $10 million.

Mascot Tower owners will consider selling the building at an EGM. Credit:Steven Siewert

In August last year, remediation works were estimated to cost about $7 million, but the bill has increased dramatically over the last few months, with residents this week given an estimate of $32 million.

An additional $21.5 million would be required to pay back a 15-year strata loan, pushing the total cost for residents to $53.5 million - about $10 million more than was last estimated.
Washington

The Navy is looking into whether it can reinstate Capt. Brett E. Crozier, who was removed from command of the carrier Theodore Roosevelt after he pleaded for more help fighting a novel coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.

Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, has indicated that he may reinstate Crozier, who is viewed as a hero by his crew for putting their lives above his career, officials said.

"No final decisions have been made," Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the admiral, said in a statement to The New York Times on Wednesday. Christensen added that Gilday was reviewing the findings of a preliminary probe into the events surrounding Crozier's removal.

But Gilday's decision could be upended by President Donald Trump, who has not been shy about intervening in military personnel cases. Just five months ago, Trump fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer for opposing the president's intervention in support of a Navy SEAL accused of murdering a wounded captive with a hunting knife during a deployment to Iraq in 2017.

No one in the Navy wants a repeat of those events, which came complete with Trump on Twitter admonishing the Navy leadership's handling of the SEAL case. But Navy officials insist that Gilday will make a decision based on the findings of the investigation into the Roosevelt crisis, and not on what he thinks the president wants him to do.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Trump himself has indicated he may be open to reassessing the events around the firing. He said recently that Crozier "made a mistake," but he also noted that the captain "had a bad day." It remained unclear how the president would view a move to reinstate Crozier, or when action would be taken.

Crozier, who is in isolation on Guam with COVID-19, was removed from command on April 2 by Thomas Modly, then acting Navy secretary, a move that drew outrage among the carrier's crew and across the country and eventually led to Modly's resignation.

As of Wednesday, 615 Roosevelt crew members have tested positive for coronavirus; five are in the hospital with one in intensive care, and one has died. The death of the sailor on Monday was a poignant punctuation to Crozier's March 30 plea for help, after four days of being rebuffed by his superiors in his request to evacuate the ship.
President Trump has said he will cut off U.S. funding of the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus crisis. (Associated Press)

President Trump is not wrong to question the World Health Organizations early response to the emerging coronavirus outbreak and its apparent deference to what we now know were false assurances by Chinese officials about the seriousness of the outbreak.

But Trump is wrong to use these otherwise legitimate concerns as an excuse to cut off U.S. contributions to the international health agency until it can satisfy his demand for answers and undertake fundamental structural reforms. As Trump may have noticed, the WHO is pretty busy at the moment fighting a still-raging pandemic. It's irresponsible and counterproductive to interrupt critical efforts by the agency to support the development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, coordinate international shipments of protective gear, train healthcare workers and help developing nations slow the spread of infections, which surpassed 2 million worldwide on Wednesday.

As always, we can't help but be suspicious about the timing of Trump's attack on the WHO. Why now? So often the president's pronouncements seem motivated by his ego and need for validation. In this case, Trump appears so desperate to deflect criticism about his slow and initially dismissive response, which left the U.S. dangerously unprepared for the pandemics inevitable spread, that he's actively trying to rewrite recent (and well-documented) history.

Yes, WHO officials were probably too credulous of assurances by Chinese officials that they had the outbreak under control, and they were too timid to call for travel restrictions in January that might have helped contain the disease, although infections had already spread far from China by then. But Trump was just as taken in, praising Chinese President Xi Jinping several times for his transparency and "smart" response to the outbreak.

Now that it turns out we were all duped, Trump is looking for a scapegoat. And he has found one in the oft-criticized WHO, an arm of the United Nations created in 1945 with a goal of promoting global health. The organization was roundly thrashed for its mishandling of the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and for taking too long to sound the alarm about the outbreak to the rest of the world. (Ironically, just a few years earlier the organization was criticized for being too alarmist about the swine flu pandemic.) Both internal and external assessments of the WHO's Ebola response cited structural deficiencies, such as lack of funding and clear mandates, as at least part of the problem, and those deficiencies still seem to be a factor.

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But there's also a misconception about what the global health organization is empowered and expected to do. The WHO is not solely, or even mostly, focused on providing an early warning of emerging infectious diseases. With a $6-billion budget (smaller than the annual operating budget of the city of Los Angeles) it runs a multitude of programs to promote public health, such as assisting in the creation of vaccines, supporting public education efforts around measles and other communicable diseases, and building strong healthcare networks in poorer countries. It does this all while trying, and sometimes failing, to balance the competing interests and demands of its member nations.

There also seems to be some confusion about how the WHO is funded, which is through a combination of voluntary payments and annual assessments that are calculated based on a country's wealth and population. The U.S. has been especially generous with voluntary payments, and typically allocates a total of $400 million to $500 million a year, including assessments, because of the general understanding that it is in our best interests to fight communicable diseases where and when they crop up and before they can spread to our shores.

Trump may not actually have the power to freeze funding for the roughly $116 million in annual dues that are paid at the beginning of the year; Congress wrote that obligation into the annual spending bill for fiscal 2020. And although Congress gave the president some flexibility over the voluntary contributions, there's not another payment due for 60 days. So his threat to the agency could very well be empty. If the president wants to revisit the level of voluntary payments, or attach strings to the United States' future participation as a WHO member, the time to talk about that will be after the pandemic has ended.

The World Health Organization may be a structurally flawed and overly political institution that doesn't serve the public health needs of the 21st century well. But that's a discussion for a calmer time after this is crisis is over. For now, it would be folly to kneecap a critical pandemic-fighting agency just to have someone to blame for mistakes Trump already made.




A senior Bihar government official on Thursday described the recovery rate of Covid-19 patients in the state as quite good and pointed out that a majority of them did not need emergency medical support.

Out of the 80 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Bihar, only one has died at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Patna. The man who hailed from Munger had returned from Dubai and had kidney ailment. His sample had tested positive after his death.

None of the other cases developed serious complications and 37 of them recovered without requiring any emergency support like oxygen or ventilator.

Follow coronavirus latest updates here.

The recovery rate in Bihar is quite good, which is an encouraging sign. We hope the morbidity remains low and there is no need for critical care. We keep the asymptomatic patients in the facilities developed in districts only and send symptomatic patients to dedicated hospitals, said principal secretary, department of health, Sanjay Kumar.

Though the number of Covid-19 cases has increased gradually, the smooth recovery is a comforting sign for the authorities, who say in most cases, the government had to reach out to the suspects because very few had reported voluntarily.

So far, 24 Covid-19 patients have been admitted at the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NNMCH), first dedicated facility for the disease in Bihar, and over 90% of them (22) have recovered and put under home quarantine after testing negative twice.

None of them required any oxygen or ventilator support at any stage. All the patients responded well to treatment. They did not have serious complications, while some of them did not even have apparent symptoms. There was no need for any additional support to any of them, said Superintendent, NMCH, Dr Nirmal Kumar Sinha.

At Gayas Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital (Gaya), where five Covid-19 cases have so far been reported, three have recovered, but none of the patients required any ventilator or oxygen support.

We also have some suspected cases under observation, but none has developed any serious complications. All the positive cases have responded well to treatment, said Gaya civil surgeon Brajesh Kumr ISngh.

Many others who tested positive for Covid-19 and were admitted for treatment to various hospitals, remained asymptomatic and recovered.

There were no serious complications and no requirement of any outside support to any of the seven patients admitted here. Six of them have been discharged after testing negative twice, said Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (Bhagalpur) superintendent RC Mandal.

At Siwan also, where one person who returned from Oman and infected 22 others of his family, the district magistrate Amit Kumar Pandey said there has been no serious complication with any of the patients.

There has been no requirement of any additional life-saving support. Half of the patients from Siwan were sent to NMCH), while rest asymptomatic ones have been kept here at our facility, he added.

The only death of a Covid-19 patient so far was reported at AIIMS, Patna. He died of renal failure as he developed serious complications soon after admission. He had kidney problem. The second case was discharged without requirement of any outside support, as the patient responded well, said AIIMS director PK Singh.

Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital superintendent Raj Ranjan Prasad said there is no Covid-19 patient in the facility. There is one person kept under quarantine on suspicion, and his test report is awaited, but he is asymptomatic, he added.

At Sri Krishna Memorial College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, the superintendent SK Shahi said that there was neither any positive case nor any suspected case admitted there.

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The Edinburgh runner who has raised almost 3 million for the NHS with her 5 for 5k challenge has revealed how she came up with the idea while jogging around Arthur's Seat.

Olivia Strong, 27, from Edinburgh, was disappointed when her full-time producer job was dropped to two days a week amid the coronavirus crisis, and came up with the fundraising idea while running around the iconic landmark.

She rushed home to launch the Run For Heroes social media campaign, which encourages people to use their daily outdoor exercise allowance to run, walk or cycle 5km whilst maintaining a safe distance from others.

She reached her initial target of 5,000 in just four days, and told BBC Scotland she cried when the total reached 1 million.

She has now revealed how the next aim is to reach 5 million, saying: 'It would be the dream to get to 5m. 5k to 5m would be the biggest success ever.'

Olivia Strong, 27, from Edinburgh, told BBC Scotland that she was inspired while jogging around Arthur's Seat to create the 5 for 5k challenge

Olivia thought of the simple idea after her own full-time work as a producer was cut-back amid the coronavirus pandemic.

She said she was keen to use her new time as productively as possible, and that she wanted to raise money for those people who need it the most.

Olivia revealed that she has friends who are junior doctors who are 'working around the clock at the moment' and wanted to put her creative skills to good use.

She was jogging around Arthur's Seat in the city when she was inspired by other people out and about enjoying their daily exercise.

The 27-year-old said she was determined to help junior doctor friends who are currently 'working around the clock' to battle coronavirus

The 27-year-old saw many others out in the streets using their daily form of exercise to run, walk or cycle and it inspired her to harness that activity for good.

Olivia came up with the simple plan to encourage people to to run, walk or cycle 5km (3.1 miles), donate 5 to the NHS then nominate five others on social media to do the same.

All proceeds would be donated to NHS Charities Together  a national appeal which aims to protect the welfare of NHS staff and equip them to fight the virus.

She rushed home and quickly set up an Instagram account for the page that afternoon, naming the campaign Run For Heroes.

Her campaign has caught the attention of a whole host of celebrities including Ellie Goulding, who complete her 5k challenge for the cause

Initially Olivia shared the campaign with her loved ones in the UK and abroad, but it quickly grew as it was passed on through friendship groups and extended families around the world.

Within four days, the campaign raised her initial target 5,000, attracting a mass of celebrity fans including Ellie Goulding, Lynsey Sharp and John Terry.

The campaign is also being developed to showcase at-home workout options for those preferring to exercise indoors.

NHS workers expressed their thanks for the donations in a heart-warming video that was shared on the Run For Heroes Instagram.

Other celebrities who have taken part in the challenge including Made in Chelsea star Ollie Proudlock

All participants are asked to donate 5 via the Run For Heroes giving page and then spread the message even further by sharing a picture of themselves exercising on Instagram, tagging @Run.For.Heroes. Pictured: Douglas Booth was another celebrity who took part in the challenge

Olivia said: 'I am so grateful to everyone who has supported the cause so far and I hope that the thousands of generous donations will help to make our NHS workers' lives a little easier.'

She said she remains in disbelief about the success of the fundraising challenge, saying: 'Reaching 1m was a good moment, I really didn't think that would happen. I had a little cry.'

Meanwhile yesterday the campaign reached the 2 million milestone, with a further 700,000 raised in just 24 hours.

Her next goal is to reach her 'dream milestone' of 5 million , adding that everyone involved in the campaign is 'really happy to see where it has gotten so far'.
An international research team, led by scientists from Mater Research - The University of Queensland, have discovered they can overcome chemotherapy resistance in an ovarian cancer subtype by using low doses of a drug which slows cell growth.

Principal Investigator, Professor John Hooper and his team based at the Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Brisbane, Australia, collaborated with researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Mayo Clinic in the United States of America.

In a pre-clinical study, they found that 2-deoxy-D-glucose, could be used at very low levels to significantly improve the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drug, carboplatin, in treating laboratory models of clear cell ovarian cancer.

Their work, which was published in the scientific journal, Cancers, provides the rationale for a clinical trial to evaluate the use of low-dose 2-deoxy-D-glucose in treating patients with this type of cancer, according to Professor Hooper.

"Ovarian clear cell carcinoma is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy," he said.

"The key finding from our study is that low levels of 2-deoxy-D-glucose markedly improved the efficacy of carboplatin against preclinical models of this ovarian cancer.

"Our pre-clinical work used cells taken from patient tumours, so we were very encouraged that we could use such a low dose of 2-deoxy-D-glucose to overcome resistance to chemotherapy in this cancer and stop tumour growth.

"This drug has been trialled previously in other cancers, but we were able to use a 10-fold lower dose than previously reported so that it's safer for patients and is less likely to cause side-effects."

The team is hoping to begin trialling the treatment combination in patients within the next 12 months, following the announcement they had received an award to progress the ovarian cancer research.

The peak, national gynaecological cancer clinical trials organisation for Australia and New Zealand, ANZGOG, awarded the team its Fund for New Research 2019 - Judith Meschke Memorial Grant to study whether "modulation of metabolism can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for clear cell ovarian cancer".

Professor Hooper gratefully acknowledged the generosity of the ANZGOG funding from a bequest of Judith Meschke.

"The involvement in the project of so many talented people, scientists and clinicians, is in the spirit of the creative process fostered by the diverse and talented Australian arts community exemplified by the achievements of Ms Meschke," he said.

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Myanmar: Navy fires warning shots at trespassing Bangladeshi fishing boats

April 16,2020 | Source: BNI Online

The Office of the Commander-in-Chief stated on April 11 that Tatmadaw Navy vessels fired warning shots at six Bangladeshi fishing boats that entered Myanmars territorial waters illegally last week. The statement said the six boats encroached northwest of Sittwe, the Arakan State capital, at around 10:30 pm on April 7. Tatmadaw naval personnel attempted to stop them to conduct checks on the vessels first by show of flashlight and through radio and loudspeaker communications. The Tatmadaw said its soldiers eventually fired warning shots because the boats did not stop and instead motored back toward Bangladeshs territorial waters.



The statement also said the Tatmadaw contacted Colonel Lsar of the Bangladeshi naval vessel BNS-Somudra Avijan (F-29) regarding the boats, and the Bangladesh navy responded that they would contact the fishing boats and question them about the incident. Bangladeshi media reported on April 8 and 9 that a boat called FB Sania was slightly damaged and six fishermen were injured after being fired upon by the Myanmar Navy. The reports said the injured were brought to Chattogram by Border Guard Bangladesh vessels.
Charles Johnson was only supposed to be stuck home for about a week. His manufacturing plant, which makes aluminum parts for Ford pickup trucks, shut its doors in March, like many others in Michigan, to arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A week lapsed into a month, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, closed most businesses statewide. Out of a job for the foreseeable future, and running out of cash, the 46-year-old Johnson joined the ranks of more than 1 million Michigan workers seeking help in a state that's faced immense economic hardship amid a deadly pandemic.

"Almost everybody I know is out of work, or working only a couple of hours a week," Johnson said. He described his own bank account as "pretty low," although he's managing to scrape by.

Roughly a quarter of Michigan's eligible workforce is now trying to obtain unemployment aid, according to local officials, a staggering example of the economic carnage wrought by the coronavirus in a state that's no stranger to financial struggle.

More than a decade ago, the Great Recession ravaged manufacturing and imperiled cities from Saginaw to Detroit, leaving people homeless, jobless, hungry, and in some cases, struggling to get aid. Recovery came slowly, and unequally, as many state programs were slashed and some factory jobs never returned at all.

Now, state and local leaders find themselves grappling with a more dire threat: a global health emergency that has sickened 28,000 and killed 2,000 people as of Thursday. In response, government officials are bracing for yet another economic crisis, this time perhaps on the magnitude of the Great Depression.

"Even before the covid-19 crisis, we already had too many families in Michigan that were struggling every day," said Gilda Jacobs, the executive director of the Michigan League for Public Policy. "Now we're finding it's even worse."

The economic costs to Michigan workers are likely to be great, as are the political stakes entering the 2020 election. Those tensions surfaced Wednesday, when protesters wearing "Make America Great Again" hats stormed the capitol in Lansing, chanting "Lock her up!" and demanding Whitmer lift the stay-at-home order.

The demonstrations followed President Donald Trump's attack on Whitmer, who recently has emerged as a potential vice-presidential pick for the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, Joe Biden. Similar protests also have taken place in Ohio and North Carolina, but the Michigan offered the largest showing to date of conservative pushback against social distancing restrictions - and perhaps a preview of what's to come.

Whitmer has said the gatherings - and an abrupt reopening amid a pandemic - would "endanger people's lives." The governor did not respond to a request for comment. Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Trump's campaign, said the president "is leading the nation in this war against the coronavirus, and people in every state can see that."

Four years ago, Trump narrowly won Michigan - flipping a dozen counties from blue to red - by wooing local voters who felt they were struggling financially. Since then, though, companies including General Motors and U.S. Steel have proceeded with plans to close local plants. Trump's trade policies, and the tariffs he's imposed, have further compounded workers' woes, experts say.

The layoffs in Michigan and other swing states threaten to drive voters - facing the prospect of being out of a job indefinitely - to use the ballot box to exact revenge on those they see as responsible for their financial misfortune.

"The president has a big problem," said Dennis Darnoi, a Republican strategist and founder of Densar Consulting in Michigan. "The more it can be laid at his feet, that we knew it was coming, that he dawdled - he's going to lose votes in this state, and he doesn't numerically have the freedom to do that."

Nationwide, the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is coming into sharp, painful focus, nearly three months after U.S. health authorities reported the first known infection. More than 22 million Americans are out of a job and seeking unemployment benefits, according to federal data released Thursday, a spike that threatens to become magnitudes greater than even the last economic recession.

Michigan saw one of the largest increases in initial claims for unemployment aid, with more than 219,000 seeking benefits for the first time during the week ending April 11, the new data show. But experts said the state's turmoil is likely to worsen before it improves, given the nature of an economy inexorably tied to an auto industry that's been depleted as consumers drive and purchase cars less often.

The peak unemployment rate during the coronavirus crisis is likely to be double what it was at the height of the 2007-2009 downturn, according to economists at the University of Michigan. They predicted job losses will continue in May before perhaps tapering off in June, provided the state is ready to reopen.

"Overall, we thought the economy was in pretty good shape," said Gabriel Ehrlich, a top economic forecaster at the university. He pointed to improvements in local industry and fixes to the state's finances that even left it with a healthy cash reserve, meaning Michigan was "doing respectively well compared to other states."

"But nobody could have anticipated the scale of the downturn we're seeing now," he added.

In St. Clair Shores, about a half-hour from Midtown Detroit, Renee Ansell and her family were grappling with the abrupt changes firsthand. Her husband, a local chef, hasn't been able to work because no one's dining out while covid-19 ravages Detroit, one of the worst hit in the country. Ansell said she filed for unemployment on her partner's behalf in late March, only to be stymied by technical glitches and delays that have prevented them from receiving their first check.

Absent that aid, Ansell said she was worried about caring for her husband and three kids and paying the family's bills and buying groceries. "People are going to be broke," she said. "Blue-collar people around here don't have a huge savings account."

The high degree of joblessness has had a cascading effect. With businesses shuttered, and people out of a paycheck, shopping has slowed dramatically. That has heavily depressed income and sales taxes, local leaders say, threatening budgets. And far fewer tourists are traveling to Michigan, staying in hotels and visiting Grand Rapids on the west side of the state, where, typically, the local breweries are hot spots that generate economic activity for the region, said Mark Washington, the city's manager.

"That has basically brought the local economy to a halt," he said this month.

In Lansing, the state's capital, the steep declines in revenue left state budget officials bracing for the worst: a revenue shortfall as high as $7 billion over the next 18 months.

"We have never seen a public health crisis of this magnitude, or an economic crisis of this magnitude, in such a short period of time," said Chris Kolb, the state's budget director.

State leaders may have no choice but to slash programs, many of which were already funded at reduced levels from the last economic downturn. Michigan also may have to cut back on the revenue it shares with cities such as Detroit and Flint, even as those cash-strapped local governments similarly struggle with the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus.

Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history not even 10 years ago. Now, the city is at risk of falling $348 million short by the end of the next fiscal year, according to Mayor Mike Duggan, who announced an austerity plan at a somber news conference on Tuesday.

The blueprint would slash some city workers' hours and tap funds meant to clean up dilapidated, abandoned houses and urban blight to stave off a budget catastrophe. Anything short of a balanced budget would see the state reassume control of Detroit's finances, a loss of autonomy Duggan pledged to avoid.

"We were doing extremely well," Duggan said, later adding: "We probably got hit harder than any city in the country." A spokesman declined further comment for the story.

How significantly these cuts affect the state - and government services, from education to public health - may depend on whether federal lawmakers in Washington augment existing aid to help local leaders close their major budget gaps.

Last month, Congress approved $150 billion in coronavirus-related aid to hard-hit cities and states as part of a $2 trillion aid package. But the Treasury Department has said the money cannot go toward helping local leaders avoid painful cuts and layoffs, sparking concerns among governors and city leaders nationwide. Some states said they'd need at least $500 billion to weather the coming budget storm.

"We need to put more money for state and local governments," said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. She said she's also urging lawmakers to consider additional elements in their next coronavirus aid package that might help Michigan, including aid to the auto industry, given the sharp downturn in sales.

In the meantime, Michigan residents say they're scrambling.

Abby Finn, nutrition programs manager at Senior Services of Southwest Michigan, said she has witnessed the economic downturn firsthand. The number of housebound senior citizens requesting meal delivery from Meals on Wheels in her city, Kalamazoo, has jumped to about 170 in the past month, more than triple what it used to be.

What struck her, however, is the volunteer base in recent weeks, which now includes a lot of teachers, professors, students and others who aren't working or have had their full-time jobs scaled back - a sign, she said, of the economic havoc across the state.

"A lot of people are not working right now," she said. "They are under the understanding it is temporary, but they don't know."

- - -

The Washington Post's Eva Dou in Detroit contributed to this report.
Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Information Minister, has condemned the stigmatization of persons infected by Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.



According to the Minister, the character of some Ghanaians who have begun to point fingers at families and people with COVID-19 or who have been quarantined as a result of having contact with the infected persons shouldn't be encouraged.



He stressed that the Coronavirus is not a ''death sentence'' though Ghana has recorded eight (8) death cases associated with the disease.



''Unfortunately, we have had eight (8) persons who had underlying conditions who have passed on but it's not a death sentence. People can be assisted with treatment and can recover'', he stated.



The Information Minister feared that if the stigma continues, it may deter people from testing for the virus and as a result encourage more infections in the country.



Delivering an update on COVID-19 at a press briefing in Accra which included the Ministry of Energy, Hon. Oppong Nkrumah advised Ghanainas to desist from stigmatizing or humiliating any person who gets infected by the virus.



''If the levels of stigma associated with COVID-19 continue, we fear that people may go underground. People who have conditions who need to step forward so that we can diagnose them and treat them, they may go underground. People may not disclose their conditions as they ought to. Communities will continue rejecting offers by well-intended people to make available Isolation or potential treatment centers'', he said.



Ghana has so far recorded 641 cases of the novel Coronavirus. This figure is out of 50,719 samples tested for the virus as part of government's enhanced measures aimed at fighting the pandemic in the country.



Eighty-three (83) people have fully recovered from the novel COVID-19 with seventeen (17) more who have tested negative to undergo their second test in order to be officially join the recovery cases.









Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Nearly 50,000 cruise ship workers are still stuck at sea amid the coronavirus pandemic and may not be able to leave their vessels for another month.

While much attention has been paid to the plight of passengers trapped on various liners during the global health crisis, crew members say they have been overlooked.

Close to 100 cruise ships still have crew on board, according to a bombshell report in The Washington Post Wednesday.

24 of those boats have confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 among crew members.

'As an American citizen I should have the freedom to go home,' Matt Gordon, a cruise ship performer stuck on board Holland America's Volendam, told Good Morning America Thursday.

Nearly 50,000 cruise ship workers are still stuck at sea amid the coronavirus pandemic and may not be able to leave their vessels for another month. Holland America's Volendam (pictured) is one of the nearly 100 ships with crew remaining on board

While much of the media has focused on the plight of passengers on board cruise ships, crew say they have been overlooked. Crew are seen looking out the window of Holland America's Rotterdam on April 2 as they remained on board following the evacuation of passengers

.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Nearly 50,000 cruise ship members are still stuck onboard. A cruise ship worker speaks to @GioBenitez about life in limbo. https://t.co/Z6WhFwgo4p pic.twitter.com/wd1MRtwEXC  Good Morning America (@GMA) April 16, 2020

Gordon is one of 592 crew members who remains on the vessel, stranded outside The Bahamas with no place to port. Passengers were able to disembark the ship on March 20.

Gordon told the program that he has not been on dry land since January, and it may be four more weeks before they are finally given clearance to dock.

While the Volendam has no reported cases of COVID-19, crew members are taking no precautions. They sit six feet apart for meals and are often confined to their small cabins, many of which are without windows.

'This is not a fun frivolous thing,' Gordon stated.

However, some crew members are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Matt Gordon, a cruise ship performer, is one of 592 crew members stuck on board Holland America's Volendam

'Keep Smiling! Thankful for the sun and a positive outlook. Perfect words from our Captain every morning,' one Volendam crew member wrote beneath a photo that showed her soaking up the sun as she remains trapped at sea

Snaps taken on board the Volendam show crew members soaking up the Bahamas sunshine in their bikinis from the ship's deck.

'Keep Smiling!' Thankful for the sun and a positive outlook. Perfect words from our Captain every morning,' one wrote beneath a photo that showed her reclining on the vessel.

In a statement, Holland America told GMA that they are working around the clock to repatriate as many crew members as possible.

Meanwhile, other cruise ship workers have now reached dry land, but still remain furious about the ordeals they have had to go through.

Volendam crew members are trying to make the best of a bad situation. One is seen stretching out and admiring the sunset from the vessel's deck

Crew from Celebrity Cruises have now filed a lawsuit on behalf of 1000 employees, alleging 'careless and continuous failure to protect its workers'.

One crew member from the coronavirus-stricken Celebrity Infinity cruise spoke to GMA from her home in Georgia where she is now in quarantine after disembarking the vessel.

'It felt like being in a prison,' she stated, adding that there was limited ability to communicate with bosses or with colleagues as crew were confined to their cabins.

One crew member from the Infinity died earlier this month, and two more were airlifted to hospital.

Celebrity Cruises told GMA that they do not comment on 'pending litigation'.
FAIRBURY, Illinois  Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Kilgus Farmstead in Central Illinois produced 6,500 gallons of milk a week. The family-run farm in Livingston County relied on orders from Chicago-area restaurants, coffeehouses near the University of Illinois campus in Champaign, retail stores in the Interstate 74 corridor and walk-in customers at its farm store.

Demand for Kilgus milk  whole, reduced-fat and skim, heavy cream and half-and-half  has dwindled in recent weeks. The farm, which processes milk from a herd of Jersey cows on-site, has been producing less than half its usual amount, down to about 3,000 gallons.

Youve just whacked about half of the dairy market, that is just gone, said Matt Kilgus, who operates the farm with his family. "Youve got this dairy product and nowhere for it to go.

The coronavirus pandemic is touching all aspects of the American economy, including farmers like Kilgus throughout Illinois and the Midwest who are the lifeblood of rural communities and essential to the nations supply chain. Commodity prices have fallen, demand has dropped, processing systems have been under pressure and the transportation network is under strain.

With restaurants, coffee shops, offices and schools across Illinois closed or filling only a fraction of their usual orders because of the virus, demand for milk has plummeted. The Kilgus farm depended on Chicago and coffeehouses in the city's suburbs that order their specialty milk for lattes or mochas for a large part of their business. The farm usually sends 16 pallets of milk products to Chicagoland outlets each week. Now, that number has been reduced to four.

The dairy sector is only one part of the agricultural economy affected by coronavirus. With fewer people driving to work or school, gasoline sales are down significantly, putting pressure on the ethanol market and the corn farmers who supply it. And with many Americans eating more meals at home during shelter-in-place orders, the beef industry is adjusting to a new, if temporary, reality.

This is not something that weve experienced, really, in anybodys lifetime, said Jonathan Coppess, director of the Gardner Agriculture Policy Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The coronavirus, and the related shutdowns, is having ripple effects throughout the economy, providing a whole set of uncertainties and challenges, Coppess said, to an agricultural sector that has been under pressure since the Great Recession, then battered by weather woes during the past year.

The prices of nearly all Illinois farm commodities have been declining since mid-January, according to the Illinois Farm Bureau, and COVID-19 has led most commodity prices to tumble further. The dairy and ethanol sectors have been hit particularly hard.

Ethanol plants account for about one-third of the demand for Illinois corn, according to the farm bureau, and with production down, that has lowered bids for corn. Corn prices have dropped about 10% since mid-February.

The price of gasoline, which is blended with ethanol, is down 30% since February, according to the farm bureau. Illinois is the third-largest producer of ethanol in the United States and is home to 14 ethanol plants. One of those plants, One Earth Energy in central Illinois, recently went idle. Ethanol production has dropped to its lowest level in six years.

Milk prices, meanwhile, have decreased by more than 25%, the farm bureau reports, mainly because schools, the main purchaser of milk and milk products, have closed their doors during the pandemic. Border closures have also had an effect because nearly a quarter of U.S. milk is exported. This upending of the supply chain has led to backlogs.

For Kilgus, that has meant scrambling to find new purchasers, throwing out excess milk when demand first plummeted and cutting prices to move more product

If you have no home for it, or no place for it, you have no choice but to dump it, Kilgus said.

He also reduced his herd from 150 to 115 cows. Some cows were shipped off to market, while others were allowed to rest up without producing milk earlier than normal, Kilgus said.

In the weeks after stay-at-home orders, he sold milk to grocery stores and markets in central Illinois whose shelves had been emptied by consumers. With that initial run now over, he has had to recalibrate his operations and keep his fingers crossed that demand will eventually rebound once restaurants and stores can reopen. Kilgus also sold heavy cream to a local place that makes butter. In five days, though, the price for cream dropped 25%, he said.

Its been such an emotional roller coaster, said Kilgus, 38. "There is no normal. Weve worked 10 times as hard to sell half of the product.

Pumping the brakes

For corn and soybean farmers in Illinois and Iowa, the coronavirus has put new pressures on an agricultural community that has already been fighting an uphill battle for years. Weather conditions and international trade issues, in particular, have pulled on the farming economy even as the rest of the country recovered from the 2008 Great Recession. So while farming has not been as hard hit by coronavirus as other parts of the economy, it has had less room to fall, economists said.

The agricultural economy is faring better than other sectors, but thats also because the agricultural economy was under pressures before COVID-19, said Chad Hart, associate professor of economics and a crop markets specialist at Iowa State University.

The coronavirus shutdowns began to roll out just as farmers began their preparations for spring planting with expectations that this year would be an improvement compared with 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Much of the Midwest was pummeled last year by persistent rains, which hampered planting, delayed harvests and reduced production. Now the future is full of uncertainty.

Its just been like, how much worse can this get now? said Chris Hausman, a corn and soybean farmer in Champaign County. The stress level is going to be extremely high for a lot of people.

Hausman was preparing to buy a newer tractor with more horsepower and a couple of fancier features this spring. The coronavirus crisis ended those plans.

Concerned about the financial implications of the pandemic, Hausman said it was too big of a risk to make such a big purchase. The 3-year-old tractor he had his eye on at the local dealer costs several hundred thousand dollars.

Im just putting the brakes on this, the fourth-generation farmer said.

As he prepares to plant the first of his soybeans in the coming days, Hausman said he will make do with his 2009 tractor.

The old tractor is doing just fine," Hausman said.

Thinking positive, then a curve ball

With more favorable weather conditions predicted, U.S. farmers were anticipating greater yields this year. The USDA spring forecast planting report indicates farmers throughout the U.S. plan to plant more corn than a year ago. But the USDA survey was taken right before most coronavirus shutdowns started.

Many farmers have already purchased their fertilizer and seed for the upcoming planting season, Hart said, but the coronavirus crisis likely will change the calculus on how much and which crops they plant as they look at the markets and consider the ramifications of shutdowns. Most fields will be seeded by the beginning of May.

Farmers have their fingers crossed the rain will hold off, unlike a year ago, when many had to delay their plantings until early June and others did not get seeds in the ground at all because of the weather and saturated soil conditions.

The USDAs March 31 report reflected that optimism, with the amount of corn to be planted this year expected to be up 8% from a year ago, and soybean planting expected to be up 10%. Illinois ranks No. 1 nationally for soybean production and No. 2 for corn (behind Iowa).

But with coronavirus shutdowns rolling out across the nation, the May futures price for corn has fallen 15%, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. The decline is mainly tied to the drop in ethanol futures, which have plummeted 38%.

The ethanol market may be a harbinger of what is to come in other sectors, Coppess said.

The ethanol plants are taking a pretty significant hit, he said.

Also at play are the export markets. With China and countries across the globe struggling with the coronavirus, demand for commodities, especially soybeans is soft. The May futures price for soybeans has fallen by 10%.

But the paradox of farming in recent years has been that while farmers have produced exceptional yields, there has been more supply than demand, which has forced prices down, Coppess said. The trade problems with China, a top destination for U.S. soybeans, have not helped matters.

What may help the agricultural economy is that as more people are forced to stay home for weeks, more people are cooking at home, buying more food than usual. Still, with restaurants shuttered or only filling carryout orders, the end result is likely to be a wash for the agricultural community.

I dont expect to see a tremendous shift either way due to restaurant consumption versus home cooking, Hart said. There will be different concentrations within that mix."

With beef, for instance, consumers tend to eat either high-end (steaks) or low-end (hamburgers) when eating out, Hart said. Now, with more people cooking at home, he said there may be a boost for roasts or meats people can grill from home. Fast-food restaurants that remain open may keep demand for lower-end beef going, but a drop in visits to steakhouses or restaurants that serve fancier meals may hurt demand for high-end cuts of beef.

Demand for pork and beef from corporate and school cafeterias and restaurants has plummeted during the pandemic, according to the farm bureau, leaving grocery stores with a much larger share of meat purchases. ; and processing plants, as well as the transportation network, have had to adjust to the changes, creating backlogs at slaughter-packing facilities, some of which have recently suspended operations because of the coronavirus.

Hart said that while consumers may be noticing that beef prices at the supermarkets are running 10% higher, that does not necessarily translate into increased profits for livestock farmers. The price for livestock has fallen about 20%, Hart said, which means that much of the cost that is being passed along to the shoppers appears to come from increased processing and transportation costs during coronavirus clampdowns.

Changing by the hour

With the tentacles of the crisis touching all aspects of American life, Congress included help for the farming sector in the coronavirus aid bill in an effort to blunt the damage.

The coronavirus aid bill provides $9.5 billion in support for farmers hardest hit by the pandemic, which includes producers of specialty crops, producers that supply local food systems, including farmers markets, restaurants, and schools, and livestock producers, including dairy producers.

The aid bill also includes $14 billion for the government-owned Commodity Credit Corp., which makes payments to farmers and provides price support to help stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices. But how those funds will be used is still being hammered out. The bill also provides money for loans for rural businesses and money for food aid programs for poor families.

The coronavirus crisis has thrown a curveball into operations statewide, said DeAnne Bloomberg, director of issue management for the Illinois Farm Bureau.

In general, Id say we are optimistic that things are going to get better, and these funds are just one piece of the pie, she said. We know it will help us in the short term. In the long term, it will take a lot of factors to get us where we need to be.

Kilgus, the dairy farmer who also grows corn, soybeans and wheat on 2,500 acres near the town of Fairbury, has applied for small-business loans and hopes the federal aid bill may provide some relief. And he said he hopes commodity prices dont fall too far.

I try not to throw a pity party for myself, Kilgus said, because there are people in much worse situations than we are.
Seoul, April 16 : A high-profile North Korean defector won a constituency seat in the South Korean general elections, becoming the first person hailing from Pyongyang to be chosen directly by South Korean voters as their representative.

Thae Yong-ho, a former No. 2 diplomat at North Korea's Embassy in London, was elected to the National Assembly as the main conservative opposition United Future Party's candidate in Seoul's southern affluent district of Gangnam, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday.

Thae received 58.4 per cent of the votes cast on Wednesday in the Gangnam constituency, one of the conservative party's main strongholds, far ahead of his opponent Kim Sung-gon, a four-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party who earned 39.6 per cent.

"I plan to devote the best of my ability so that our parliament and government can face the reality, and implement sustainable and feasible policies on North Korea," Yonhap News Agency quoted Thae as saying on Thursday.

Thae, who defected to the South in 2016, had campaigned under a different name, Tae Ku-min.

Thae said he deliberately registered the false name and a false date of birth with the government after defection so as to make it harder for the North to track him down.

This marks the first time a North Korean defector has won a constituency seat in the South's parliament, though a defector and former professor at Kim Il-sung University previously made his way into Parliament as a proportional representative between 2012 and 2016.

North Korean defectors have begun expanding their scope of participation in South Korean politics, launching the countries' first-ever political party of defectors last month.

More than 33,000 North Korean defectors live in South Korea.
It started with a sore throat.

For a day or two. Then it turned into a cough that quickly got so dry it became both fuel and fire. It was the kind of cough that makes you cough because youre coughing and you cant stop. And the more you cough, the more you cough. Coughs that feel like they start in your toes.

Something else was off. I was out of breath at weird times. Im in pretty good shape, or I was anyway, before being confined to the house for a month. But Id lay down to read to my 3-year-old son and suddenly gasp for air. My energy would crash unexpectedly.

And the thing was, my wife had her own strange symptoms a few weeks before. She had a whacking headache, one unlike any shed gotten before. She had a low fever for a few days. Her own sore throat. Digestive symptoms that were weird for her.

It was all very odd.

The cough just wouldnt go away. After two weeks, a Teladoc didnt think it was COVID-19 and diagnosed a bacterial lung infection instead. He prescribed antibiotics and a cough suppressant. Neither helped  at all. Another week or so later, a nurse-practitioner told me, to my surprise, that I had enough symptoms to get tested for the coronavirus. A drive-through testing site had just opened up a few minutes from our house. They could see me in an hour.

Waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test is an ordeal. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The testing place was in the parking lot of a minor league ballpark wed been to a handful of times, which was its own kind of eerie. Eerier still were the big long rows of cones, the state troopers without any protective equipment and the white party tents with the signs urging the testees, as it were, not to open their windows, lest the testers be exposed.

In the first tent, I showed my drivers license, my script and my insurance card to the first person in a white lab coat through the car window. Once registered, I was waved through to the second tent, where I lowered my window for a second lab coat to prod both of my nasal cavities with what looked like the worlds longest Q-tip. This was then jabbed into what must surely have been the very back of my brain. The thing they dont tell you is how far it goes down. I had no idea those tunnels opening up to my face burrowed down that deep.

Story continues

The whole thing took no more than 15 minutes. The actual test itself was the matter of a few uncomfortable seconds.

And then, we waited.

The paperwork they gave me urged us to self-isolate completely. At that point, wed had no contact with anyone outside of the three of us for 17 days anyway. For a while, wed still gone on hikes, but wed already given those up by then. Too many people on the trails, seemingly oblivious to social distancing and bemused that anyone else should bother.

The paper also said wed hear back within seven days.

The sixth day came and went. As did the seventh. The eighth. The ninth. The 10th. Our NP called every morning and was told it would likely be the next day.

My cousin is a doctor-in-training in Belgium, assisting on the frontlines of the battle with the coronavirus at a hospital in Antwerp. He was baffled our testing system was so delayed. Theirs took six hours, at the most. I dont really understand what the point is of testing if you have to wait 6-9 days, he messaged me. I had no good answer.

Drive-through coronavirus testing sites have sprung up in the United States. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The wait was anxious. We kept coming up with projects to fill the time, to occupy our minds. We ordered a new sandbox, and then a complicated swing set. We did more yardwork in a week than in the past year. Both of us worked from home, cleaned the house and ran after our toddler, who has just given up his afternoon nap, all day long.

The interminable wait for the result was a kind of Schrodingers cat in its box  until the box is opened, you dont know if its dead or alive. Except in this case, in which the cat represents the threat of the disease, you wind up rooting for its quick death. Because by that point, my symptoms were gone. And if Id had it, I was over it. My wife would almost certainly have had it too. And our son would have been exposed and fought it off. You wind up rooting for the virus, because if you know that if you had it, youve already conquered it.

If that was the case, we could return to something that looks a little more like normalcy. Do groceries through something other than a computer screen. Get takeout. See the in-laws were close to. Go on walks again. Hike. Frolic in fields of heather as butterflies land on our noses and rainbows arc right over us in the otherwise clear-blue sky.

But if it was negative, wed be back to being at risk and careful as ever.

Die, Kitty, die.

On the 11th day came the result: negative. Schrodingers cat was alive. It could be worse: The brother of a student of mine waited 13 days, only to be told that the vial had been spilled and the test never actually completed.

Still, we were back to wearing gloves and masks whenever we ventured out to grab a grocery delivery or took out the trash. To wiping down everything that showed up on our doorstep  bless those delivery men and women for all eternity. To washing produce. To worrying. To feeling our foreheads every few hours. To questioning every throat tickle or cough or ache.

Then again, some researchers peg the tests sensitivity as low as 70 percent, suggesting theres a chance of almost one-in-three that I had it anyway. That all of us did.

Maybe the cat is dead after all.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a Yahoo Sports soccer columnist and a sports communication lecturer at Marist College. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.

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Behavox, an end-to-end Data Operating Platform that enables organizations to aggregate, analyze and act on their internal data, today announced its inaugural board of directors.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005456/en/

Behavox Names Prominent Industry Leaders to Board of Directors (Graphic: Business Wire)

The board, which is comprised of distinguished leaders from the finance sector, technology industry, and regulatory policy, is chaired by Behavox's Founder and CEO Erkin Adylov. Other members are:

Jeff Diana, former Chief People Officer at Atlassian and SuccessFactors and advisor to multiple high-growth pre-IPO companies

Lucio Di Ciaccio, an investment professional at SoftBank Investment Advisers

Avi Golan, an operating partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers

Michael Piwowar, executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Financial Markets and former commissioner and acting chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

The new board's formation is the latest corporate development for the fast-growing AI company. In February, Behavox announced a $100 million investment from the SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Diana and Piwowar previously served as advisors to Behavox since January 2019.

"The collective experience of our board members -- from regulatory compliance and financial management to fostering employee productivity and corporate cultures -- provides us with well-rounded support as we serve more customers in financial and enterprise markets," Adylov said. "Their counsel and governance will be extremely valuable as Behavox grows at scale."

In addition to serving as an investor, SoftBank Investment Advisers is among Behavox's growing customer base, which includes banks like Jefferies, hedge funds like Balyasny Asset Management, mining companies like Anglo American, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, and other enterprises.

Adylov said Behavox's commitment to help businesses manage risk and regulatory compliance aligns with SoftBank Investment Advisers' emphasis on strong governance as a key metric.

"Corporate governance is part of Behavox's cultural fabric -- from ensuring its own operational integrity to helping customers with theirs," he said. "Our entire board of directors is committed to a corporate governance model that our people, customers, and investors can be proud of."

Golan joined SoftBank Investment Advisers as an operating partner supporting its tech and sciences portfolios. He also helps deal teams evaluate potential investments. He brings a breadth of experience in management, establishing corporate vision, and growing companies at scale. Prior to joining SoftBank Investment Advisers, Golan held leadership roles at Google and Intuit before joining Air New Zealand as Chief Digital Officer, where he led the adoption of innovative technologies like Internet of Things, robotic process automation, 3D printing, and AI. He was named 2018 Innovator of the Year by CIO100.

"Behavox is an exciting global enterprise that is developing every day," Golan said. "It is driving new market standards in realizing its mission to organize all known corporate communications data. Making this data actionable to protect and promote business growth provides tremendous value to Behavox's customers."

Di Ciaccio, who has a passion for working with high-growth technology companies, joined SoftBank Investment Advisers in 2017. He is also a Board Member at Gympass and worked on Vision Fund 1's investment in Automation Anywhere. He was previously an investment professional at The Carlyle Group and before that a PhD student in Aeronautics Astronautics at MIT.

"Behavox's application of AI across enterprise communications is cutting-edge," Di Ciaccio said. "We are confident that our partnership will help fuel the company's growth, enhance their offering, and expand their value to a wider set of customers in a variety of industries."

In addition to Softbank Investment Advisers, Behavox is adding significant regulatory expertise to the board. Throughout Piwowar's distinguished career, he has been at the forefront of policy making and regulatory oversight for protecting investors, safeguarding financial markets, and promoting economic growth and opportunity. Piwowar served as SEC commissioner from 2013 to 2018. He was acting SEC chair in 2017, where he played a major role voting on nearly 5,000 rule-making and enforcement actions.

Diana is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of experience in the Human Resources space. He specializes in high-growth initiatives at technology and engineering companies. He has a track record of building and scaling high-growth pre-IPO companies globally, creating corporate cultures that thrive and provide true competitive advantage. Diana was Chief People Officer at Atlassian from 2012-2016, where he grew the company from more than 300 to nearly 2,000 employees and drove innovative, market-leading people initiatives that supported growth en route to an IPO in 2015.

About Behavox Ltd.

Behavox is the leading, end-to-end Data Operating Platform that enables organizations to aggregate, analyze and act on their internal data. As a high-growth technology company, our mission is to organize and make useful all communications data on Earth. Through advanced analytics and machine learning, Behavox is your organization's single entry point for internal data.

Behavox, founded in 2014, is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London, Singapore and Montreal. For more information visit here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005456/en/

Contacts:

Media

Profile for Behavox

Charlotte Kiaie

ckiaie@profileadvisors.com

347-774-4468
On the heels of Gov. Ned Lamonts announcement that he will require grocery store employees and other retail business workers to wear face masks, representatives for the workers say their service should be recognized in a way that makes it easier  or possible  for them to get the facial protection.

Many retail employees already wear masks, but Lamont confirmed Wednesday he will make it a mandate during his daily update on the coronavirus pandemic in Connecticut.

Wearing a black face mask around his neck, Lamont said hed likely issue an executive order in the next two days requiring workers in groceries and other stores to wear face coverings.

As he did so, representatives called on Lamont to designate supermarket workers as Tier 1 First Responders. The designation would make it easier for them to get access to face masks and other protections, said Wayne Pesce, executive director of the Connecticut Food Association, a Hartford-based trade group representing supermarkets in the state.

Our associates dont currently have it at either the state or federal level, Pesce said.

Pesce is not the only representative seeking better protections for food workers. Local 371 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, based in Westport, also is seeking an executive order from the governor classifying supermarket employees as first responders. The union local has thousands of members who work at supermarkets in New Haven and Fairfield counties.

I hesitate to use the term first responder. Its a technical term, said Keri Hoehne, executive assistant to Tom Wilkinson, president of the union. Its really being a front line worker.

The designation would extend to stores and their employees benefits including access to basic paper masks through the states supply chain and free rapid COVID testing.

Were not trying to say our members should get in front of an ambulance driver or hospital worker that needs a mask by any means, Hoehne said. But giving them the technical term of emergency first responder, they get access.

Pesce praised Lamonts efforts to work with states supermarket industry as those in his member grocery chains are reacting quickly to the changing requirements.

The governor and his staff have done a good job communicating with us whats going to be coming at us before he makes it public, so that our members arent caught by surprise, Pesce said. With the exception of Washington State and California, our members are a step and half ahead of the rest of the country in terms of the necessary transitions to continue protecting their associates and customers.

Shortly before Lamont made his announcement, Stop & Shop, one of the largest supermarket chains in the state, said it is mandating that its employees wear face masks.

Stop & Shop has distributed masks to all store associates, which they are encouraged to wear, company officials said in a statement.  If associates wish to wear their own mask or personal covering, it must be clean and cover their nose and mouth. These alternatives might include a scarf, bandanna or a gaiter.

The Massachusetts-based grocery chain is also strongly encouraging its customers to follow (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines and do their part in making their stores safer by wearing masks and practice social distancing through new signage ... and other communication channels.

LaBonnes Markets, a small, family-owned supermarket chain with stores in western Connecticut, is requiring customers to wear protective face masks to enter their stores. The move adds to safety precautions previously adopted by the chain, which requires customers to submit to a temeperature check before entering any LaBonnes Markets location. Anyone running a fever is not allowed to enter.

A piece of it (the first responder designation) is getting access to masks, Hoehne said. With our employers, its not a will issue, its an access issue. They want to protect their staff and state government does have a procurement department. We want them (supermarkets) to get in line  so we get the status after hospital workers.

She said the union has been working with Lamonts office and showing him possible language modeled after other states.

Nobody said to us no, Hoehne said. It seems theres a willingness to do it. Theyre trying to figure out how.

Hoehne believes a general mask shortage is a factor and state officials are trying to figure out what it would mean if supermarket staff are required by executive order to wear them.

Part of it is they (the state) dont want to commit to anything they cant deliver, Hoehne said.

Staff Writer Brian Lockhart and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
A team of robot-designing girls in Afghanistan is trying to build a low-cost medical ventilator from car parts, as health authorities look to boost critical-care capabilities for coronavirus patients in the impoverished country.

If the teenagers succeed and can get government approval for their prototype, they say it could be replicated for as little as $300, where normally ventilators sell for around $30,000.

"The team is working with local health specialists, as well as experts from Harvard University, to produce the prototype based on a design by Massachusetts Institute of Technology," said Roya Mahboob, who runs an Afghan tech company and sponsors the team of five girls, aged 14-17.

They are part of a bigger group of high-achieving high school girls known as the "Afghan Dreamers," from the western city of Herat, where the coronavirus is on the rise after thousands of people returned from neighboring Iran as it experienced a spike in cases.

The girls made headlines in 2017 after being denied visas to take part in a robotics competition in Washington -- before President Donald Trump intervened and they were allowed to travel.

They are taking engine and battery parts from a Toyota Corolla -- ubiquitious on the streets of Afghanistan -- to produce a prototype they started designing after the Herat governor called for more ventilators as coronavirus cases rose.

Central to the ventilator is a self-inflating plastic sac known as an Ambu bag that medical staff use to help patients breathe. The girls' prototype uses a mechanical system to operate the bag automatically and accurately.

"The complicated part is how to adjust the timing and pressure of pumping, as different patients require different volume and pressure of air based on their age and the severity of their condition," Somaya Farooqi, the team's 17-year-old captain, told AFP.

With a population of 35 million, Afghanistan only has about 300 ventilators.

Wahidullah Mayar, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Health Ministry, said officials have asked specialists and engineers to help the team.

"We appreciate and encourage these hardworking girls, our sisters, for their efforts to produce ventilators," Mayar said.

Any ventilator prototype would have to be approved by the World Health Organization and the Afghan Health Ministry before the team could start producing more devices, Mayar said.

As of April 15, Afghan officials had reported at least 784 coronavirus cases and 24 deaths across the country. The true number of cases is feared to be much higher, as only limited testing kits are available.
China has not released any information as to whether Tibet region, now unethically occupied by China, has been affected by COVID 19. It is said that cold regions are more receptive to the virus compared to the tropical regions and Tibet .being a cold region , could have faced the virus attack.





by N.S.Venkataraman





It is now well realized by most section of the world community that Wuhan region in China is the originator of COVID 19. Several sections of media and many people around the world term COVID 19 as China virus or Wuhan virus.









China claims that COVID 19 did not originate from Wuhan but from Italy or USA or elsewhere. However, nobody is buying this propaganda campaign of China.





While there are 11 million people living in Wuhan and the virus spread from Wuhan to other parts of China also, China claims that only less than 4000 people died due to virus infection in China . People outside China do not believe this China story and think that many more people must have died in China. Chinese people living in China really do not know what is happening, since media is heavily suppressed in China and individual liberty and freedom of speech is severely curtailed.





China has not released any information as to whether Tibet region, now unethically occupied by China, has been affected by COVID 19. It is said that cold regions are more receptive to the virus compared to the tropical regions and Tibet .being a cold region , could have faced the virus attack.





Since Tibet is under the iron curtain imposed by the Chinese government over the last several decades and no outsider can enter Tibet or leave Tibet without permission from Chinese government, no one really knows what is happening there and how many people in Tibet might have been infected by the virus.





Tibetan government in exile now functioning with headquarters in India and several offices abroad, particularly in USA. has the responsibility to monitor the happenings in Tibet to the extent possible, inspite of Chinas vice like grip over Tibet.





It is necessary that the Tibetan government in exile should demand information from Chinese government about the extent of virus attack in Tibet and how was this handled by Chinese government and whether there have been any death in Tibet.





However, one can be certain that Chinese government would not reply and ignore this communication from Tibetan government in exile. Nevertheless, a communication demanding details should be sent by Tibetan government in exile to Chinese government.





Further, the Tibetan government in exile should ask for details from the World Health Organisation (W H O ) and W H O is morally duty bound to send its reply with details.. The ground reality is that the representatives of W H O have not been allowed to enter Wuhan or any place in China to check and monitor the virus conditions. If W H O has no information about the virus attack in Tibet , let it say so.





Tibetan government in exile should also ask the United Nations Secretary General to ascertain the conditions in Tibet and obtain information from Chinese government and inform the Tibetan community now living all over the world.





It is high time that the Tibetan government in exile should make its presence felt all over the world by expressing its concern about the conditions in Tibet due to COVID 19 and let the world know about its concern. It should appeal to the world community to apply pressure on Chinese government to reveal the conditions faced by Tibetans now living in China occupied Tibet.





While Tibetans now live in many countries either as refugees or citizens, they have a duty to the motherland Tibet and obviously they are concerned about the conditions of the Tibetans after the COVID 19 crisis. They must raise their voice in different forums and apply moral pressure on Chinese government and the world conscience to support the cause of Tibetans living in Chinese occupied Tibet.
A petition filed in the Supreme Court by a US-based doctor of Indian origin has raised concerns about the possible side effects of using the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine in treating people infected by the coronavirus.

Hydroxychloroquine has been in focus in the fight against Covid-19 since US President Donald Trump described it as a game changer, and India, the largest manufacturer of the drug, has approved its use in some cases. India is also in the process of supplying the drug to countries around the world, including the US.

The petition was filed by Kunal Saha in the Supreme Court in the name of his Kolkata-based NGO People for Better Treatment, and he is expected to argue the matter in person. It could not immediately be ascertained if the petition has been admitted by the apex court or will be taken up for hearing.

Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage

Indian authorities have so far clear the use of hydroxychloroquine in the case of asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in caring for suspected or confirmed Covid-19 case and asymptomatic household contacts of confirmed cases.

The petition argues that the use of hydroxychloroquine along with the broad spectrum antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) for Covid-19 patients is potentially known for life-threatening effects on the cardiovascular system.

The petition also refers to a health bulletin issued by the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and US-based Heart Rhythm Society on April 8 that warned doctors about this drug combination having the potential to trigger arrhythmia or abnormal heartbea), heart failure and death.

Saha also wrote to Indias health ministry on April 8, sharing this information. He said the ministry ought to have specified precautionary measures to be adopted by doctors in line with those prescribed by the American organisations.

The petition also cites the extreme precautions in administering this drug suggested by the Canadian Medical Association and by an international study group of doctors based on the analysis of data from more than 300,000 patients. The finding showed no risk in short-term use of hydroxychloroquine but increased risks of 30-day cardiovascular mortality, chest pain or angina and heart failure were observed in the use of hydroxychloroquine and AZM.

Hydroxychloroquines global demand is on the rise and India is exporting the drug to the US, the UK, Brazil, Israel and South Asian neighbours.
Those most concerned about climate change in the United States tend to skew younger and female. Researchers from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that women are more likely than men to believe that global warming will harm future generations and will harm them personally.

A 2018 Gallup analysis revealed a global warming age gap in beliefs about climate change: 70 percent of adults aged 18 to 34 said they worried about global warming, compared to 56 percent of adults aged 55 or older. An online survey published by Business Insider last March found that 38 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds believe a couple should consider climate change when deciding whether to have children. In 2018, in a survey of conducted by Morning Consult for The New York Times, 33 percent of the respondents  a nationally representative sample of 20- to 45-year-old men and women  cited climate change as a reason they had or expected to have fewer children than they considered ideal. Some research suggests that having fewer children may be one of the most effective ways for an individual to alleviate climate change: In 2017, a study published in Environmental Research Letters found that, in developed countries, having one fewer child would result in an average of 58.6 tons of CO2 equivalent emission reductions per year.

Overall, American womens fertility intentions, as demographers describe hopes or desires regarding family size, have decreased, said Alison Gemmill, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Women want fewer children now than they did a decade ago, and, in fact, they are having fewer children; the fertility rate in the United States reached a historic low in 2018, falling to 1.73 average births per woman from a 1957 peak of 3.77 births per woman. Though Gemmill has not formally studied the effect of climate fears on fertility, anecdotally she hears it mentioned as a factor in reproductive decision-making.

In recent months, forums have cropped up online for those who have made the decision not to have children to share their feelings. In September a student at McGill University in Canada launched a campaign called #No Future, No Children, pledging to not have kids until the Canadian government takes more significant action to combat climate change. Over 5000 people have pledged support; the groups page offers a space to share stories about the emotional toll of the decision.

Conceivable Future, a network led by women and based in the United States, gathers testimonies on how the climate crisis affects decisions around childbearing and parenting. On the popular parenting community blog BabyCenter, posts about the impact of climate change on parenting have proliferated in recent years. The environment (and the fact that our human race is destroying it) is the main reason we are OAD [One And Done], wrote a poster in 2016. A Reddit thread from early 2019, asking if it was immoral to have children when climate change catastrophe is inevitable garnered 175 comments. Posts on these forums tend to follow a similar pattern, describing a yearning to have children, followed by expressions of guilt.
Hope Village spokesman Phinis Jones said he was unsure where Hope Village residents would go after April 30. The facility also has no plans to seek renewal of a D.C. contract that ends May 30, which has housed about 20 of the 200 remaining inmates at the facility.
Spain saw another increase in its daily number of coronavirus cases today after another 5,183 people tested positive for the disease.

The 5,183 new cases, up from yesterday's 5,092 and the highest figure for a week, bring the total from 177,633 to 182,816.

There were 551 new deaths, slightly more than yesterday's 523, taking the overall death toll from 18,579 to 19,130.

Catalonia has separately revealed thousands more deaths after taking a tally from funeral homes, but those have not been included in the nationwide figures.

Spain has been under lockdown since March 14, but wants to expand its testing capacity to more than 20,000 a day with a view to lifting it in certain areas.

This graph shows the daily number of coronavirus cases recorded in Spain. Today's figure of 5,183 was higher than yesterday's 5,092 and the highest in a week

This chart shows the daily death toll, which has hovered in the 500s for the last four days, rising slightly to 551 today

Of the 5,183 new cases, the Madrid region accounted for 1,168 while Catalonia had another 849, according to the Spanish health ministry.

Those two regions also accounted for 252 of the 551 new deaths between them, with 153 new fatalities in Madrid and 99 in Catalonia.

The Spanish government's death toll for Catalonia is 3,855, but Catalan health authorities say 7,097 virus deaths have been reported by funeral homes.

According to the Catalan health ministry, that includes 456 people who died of coronavirus at home.

Around 60 per cent of deceased patients in Spain have been aged eighty or over, with nearly 87 per cent aged at least seventy.

Nearly 75,000 people have now recovered from the disease in Spain, including another 3,947 who were added to the tally today.

The vast majority of cases have been confirmed by standard PCR tests, although some infections are listed under the heading of 'rapid tests'.

Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has promised to expand testing to allow for the lockdown to be eased in certain areas.

'Spain is already one of the countries making the most daily tests. More than 20,000, and we are increasing the number,' Sanchez told a near-empty parliament yesterday.

Healthcare workers in protective gear treat a patient in the intensive care unit of the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona yesterday. Most of the hospital's capacity is devoted to virus patients

Officials say testing for the virus has to be expanded to include people who have mild or no symptoms, to track the spread in more detail.

The government also said last week it would carry out mass antibody tests on the blood of 60,000 randomly chosen people over three weeks, to begin identifying those who might in theory now be immune after exposure to the virus.

However, health and virology experts are not yet certain about the quality of such tests, or how much immunity such antibodies might provide.

Britain and Germany are among many countries who are keen on antibody tests but have not yet identified a reliable one.

The 5,183 cases today mark a second straight day of increase after 5,092 yesterday and 3,045 on Thursday, which was the lowest figure since March 20.

Some inflation could be ascribed to a backlog from the long Easter weekend, which has also surfaced in other countries' figures.

The Spanish government is keen to restart whatever businesses it can as soon as possible, especially ahead of what would usually be the tourist season.

The International Monetary Fund has said Spain's economy is likely to suffer an eight per cent slump this year, partly because of the collapse in tourism.

A patient is moved from an ambulance to an intensive care unit at Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid yesterday

Spain's debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to hit 113 per cent, its highest level in over a century, with a budget deficit of 9.5 per cent which would be the largest in the eurozone.

The IMF said unemployment, already the highest in the European Union, would jump to nearly 21 per cent from 14 per cent last year.

'Those levels of unemployment are not sustainable,' European Central Bank Vice-President Luis de Guindos told Onda Cero radio.

Some workers have resumed their jobs in sectors including construction and manufacturing after a two-week 'hibernation' expired this week.

But with most people still confined to their homes, other businesses such as shops, bars and restaurants will stay closed until at least April 26.

The government said on Wednesday it would begin to hold meetings with opposition leaders on a 'pact for the social and economic reconstruction of Spain'.

The proposal is inspired by the 1977 'Pacts of Moncloa' which aimed to transform the state-run economy after the end of the Franco dictatorship.
The unveiling of a device that purportedly uses magnetic waves to detect coronavirus infections up to 100 meters away was staged as a moment of triumph for Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The IRGC, a powerful combination of military, intelligence, political, and economic forces, has come under intense criticism in recent months for its seemingly accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet after takeoff from Tehran airport in January with air-defense forces on high alert.

This is an amazing scientific technique that has been tested across various hospitals, IRGC commander Major General Hosseini Salami, who was wearing a mask, said at the televised inauguration on April 15.

But many have mocked the equipment as a "novel and singular scientific advancement."

Critics on social media quickly pointed to its resemblance to a bogus bomb detector once sold by British fraudsters who were convicted and jailed for their scam nearly a decade ago. Their fake device was bought and used in Iraq and other countries, the BBC reported.

The Iranian Health Ministry's quick response to the televised plug -- stressing that the device had not been licensed by regulators -- also appeared to highlight discord among senior officials as they battle to confront widespread infections amid the global pandemic.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the deadly COVID-19 illness has officially infected nearly 78,000 Iranians and killed nearly 4,900, although those numbers are thought by many to be vast underestimates.

Salami said the new, antenna-fitted device generates a magnetic field that screens a 100-meter radius for infections and points in the direction of identified targets.

He said it was developed by scientists serving the IRGCs Basij paramilitary force and is a suitable choice for mass screening without the need for blood samples.

Most of the coronavirus testing around the world so far is so-called genomic testing that is conducted by taking a swab of the nose or throat that is then sent to labs looking for the presence of the virus. A second form of test, known as serological or antibody testing, uses a blood sample to determine a past infection.

Irans Health Ministry says it has so far conducted over 310, 000 coronavirus tests.

Public Anger

The new tool appears to be part of the IRGCs efforts to improve its tarnished image after its air-defense troops shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, killing all 176 abroad, around the time of exchanges of air fire by Iranian and U.S. forces.

Hours before the January 8 downing of the plane, the IRGC conducted a missile attack on bases in Iraq that house U.S. troops over the assassination in a U.S. drone attack days earlier of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. IRGC leaders who took responsibility for the downing of the plane three days after it happened said that the human error behind it was unintentional and that an operator had fired two missiles at the plane after mistaking it for a cruise missile.

There is also lingering Iranian public anger over a deadly November 2019 crackdown on antiestablishment protests that left at least 300 dead, according to Amnesty International.

The IRGC could not distinguish a passenger plane from a missile, how can we believe that it can detect a virus in nanometer dimensions in less than five seconds, a user said on social media.

The unveiling of the IRGC device also highlighted tensions between Iranian hard-liners and pragmatists as a bitter rivalry continues despite the deadly coronavirus outbreak in the country, the worst in the Middle East.

Asked about the purported detector, Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said it had not been licensed by the countrys Food and Drug Organization.

If this device had been approved by the Health Ministry, it would definitely have been announced at its unveiling, Jahanpur said, adding that his ministry is in charge of licensing such equipment.

Hesamedin Ashena, an adviser to President Hassan Rohani, urged the state broadcaster, which is controlled by hard-liners, to avoid airing advertisements for unapproved tools or medications.

In a situation where society is confronted with strange news every day, refrain from broadcasting advertisements in the news sections and dont promote vaccines, medications, diagnostic kits, or innovative and unique virus detectors..., Ashena tweeted, avoiding mention of the powerful IRGC, whose head is directly appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on political and religious affairs in Iran.

WATCH: Stuck At Home Because Of Coronavirus, Iranians Band Together In Song

Last month, a youth group thought to be affiliated with the IRGC said it was ready to send humanitarian aid to the people of the United States to fight the coronavirus.

The government quickly dismissed the stunt as a rumor, with Jahanpur saying his country is in no position to send medical equipment and supplies to any other country.

Also in March, Jahanpur criticized a large funeral procession held for a former IRGC commander that was held near the Iranian capital in apparent disregard of government calls for social distancing to tame the deadly pandemic.
CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICOHealth and business leaders in the Mexican industrial city of Ciudad Juarez expressed concern Wednesday about the rising number of coronavirus victims at U.S.-owned assembly plants, which may indicate that the deadly outbreak has been spreading undetected for weeks.

On Wednesday, Juarez health officials confirmed 63 COVID-19 cases; 16 resulting in deaths. Eleven fatalities were employees at maquiladoras, the border factories whose industry is crucial to the citys economy and is a key component of U.S.-Mexico trade.

Across the border in El Paso, Texas, nearly 400 cases have been reported with six deaths.

Dr. Arturo Valenzuela, the state of Chihuahuas top health authority, expressed concern about the growing number of infections in Juarez, saying during a daily news conference, there are opportunities for a rapid transmission and explosive outbreaks of COVID-19.

Normally the more than 300 maquiladoras, many of them owned by U.S.-based firms, employ more than 250,000 in the Juarez area. As many as half have since been furloughed.

One of the hardest-hit companies is Michigan-based Lear Corp.

Lear Corp. spokesperson Brian Corbett confirmed in a statement that several of those who died were employees at one of its plants, which specializes in making car parts. The spokesperson said Lear was told by Juarez health authorities that the workers died of a respiratory illness presumed to be COVID-19.

The company declined to give exact numbers, out of respect to family members, and declined to share details on when they fell ill and whether families and friends of the employees were also infected.

Corbett said Lear shut down several weeks ago to comply with Mexican government orders issued March 23.

We are saddened that several employees at our Juarez City operations, who were receiving medical treatment for presumed cases of COVID-19, have passed away, officially due to complications of respiratory illness,  the statement said. Lear Mexico is working closely with Social Security Mexican Institute to provide the necessary support, including grief counselling and medical care.

The Mexican Institute of Social Security oversees Mexicos public hospital system.

Gilberto Cueva, 60, is the Juarez president of a private foundation of 39,000 business leaders known as FECHAC, which is raising funds to support health facilities in the community.

Cueva said he worries that many maquiladoras might not be able to survive the downturn brought by the virus, blaming what he called the lack of aid from the federal government. He said small and medium businesses need more concrete support, while bigger ones will probably endure.

Whenever there is an economic recession or a pandemic, one of the first places that is affected is the Juarez-El Paso border, added Fernando Avila, 52, director of FECHACs Juarez council. Nearly 100 plants have had to shut down operations, others are cutting positions ... and that causes double the damage to Juarez and El Pasos communities.

Tania Reyes is director of Colectiva Arte y Equidad, a non-profit organization helping assembly plant workers affected by the crisis.

This is not a black-or-white matter for maquiladora workers in Juarez, she said. For people who live day-to-day, barely scraping together enough to put food on the table  for them, what? Theyre not getting any cheques from the government. At most, many of them are on furlough with a maximum pay of two weeks, reduced at 50 per cent of their salaries. Its not easy.

Reyes also said the maquiladoras are not providing enough personal protection equipment or properly schooling workers on health guidelines, like making sure workers are distancing themselves properly or that they have enough sanitizer and gloves.

Some worried employees, she said, have led work stoppages.

Its infuriating, frustrating, she said, adding that her own father and brothers work in the factories. The maquilas are moving too slow.

Its unclear how many people have been tested for coronavirus in Juarez. Most people testing positive are hospitalized at the Mexican Institute of Social Securitys public hospital No. 66. Some nurses held a small protest Wednesday, demanding more protection.

Near the hospital entrance, Jesus Hernandez, 17, a former Lear employee who used to sew seats, sat behind a makeshift table, hoping to make a living by selling face masks and latex gloves. Some he made himself. He operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., he said.

Ive been here for two weeks already, said Hernandez, who was laid off about a month ago. We were left without a job at the maquila, then we saw that many people and pharmacies didnt have face masks, and we got the idea of selling them.

Some of his products sell for less than 50 cents.

Along the streets, other people worked at their usual corners but were now waving protective items for motorists on busy streets like the Paseo de la Victoria Avenue.

Some plants operating in northern Mexico are considered essential, producing medical devices to be distributed in the U.S., Mexico and beyond. Others have shifted production to meet growing demands.

Cecilia Levine, director of MFI International, said the firm was not only making face masks.

Unfortunately, were also making body bags.

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Rangoli Chandel and controversy fit together like a hand in a glove. Be it quarreling with journalists over her sister and actress Kangana Ranaut, crass language or, recently, the demand to dismiss 2024 Assembly Elections to "help" India fight coronavirus, Chandel has over the past few years ensured grabbing headlines. But it seems Chandel, who is also Ranaut's manager, has finally crossed a line. At least according to Twitter.

In the wake of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi being tagged a "hotspot" for the spread of the virus, Chandel recently took to Twitter and posted a tweet so bigoted and full of hate speech against Muslims that it shocked the nation. On Wednesday, Chandel posted a tweet saying, "A Jamaati dies of corona...when police went to check their families they were attacked and killed, secular media," she wrote. Chandel further added, "...make these mullas + secular media stand in a line and shoot them dead... f***k history, they may call us Nazis (but) who cares. Life is more important than fake image".

The communally charged and deeply Islamophobic tweet instantly went viral and was mass reported for abuse by hundreds of Twitter users. Many pointed out that the tweet was not just an example of hate speech but also perpetuated fake news.

Jewelry F designer and former sister-in-law of Hrithik Roshan, Farah Khan Ali tweeted seeking Chandel's instant arrest "Arrest this woman immediately for spreading vicious hatred and for calling of killings of a community @MumbaiPolice Do also block this account@Twitter @TwitterIndia @jack for spreading religious hatred and fascism."

Not one to back down, Chandel viciously attacked each of her detractors including Farah whom she attacked at a personal level. The vitriol was such that even Twitter, which is known to be lax with action against problematic discourse, had to take cognizance and suspend Chandel's account.

Many wondered why, despite mass reports and such obvious violations of Twitter's policies against speech, the platform failed to take down the tweet on time. It was only on Thursday when outrage against the tweet grew to a crescendo that Twitter finally took note. By the time it was removed, the tweet had already garnered thousands of views, likes and shares.

Twitter's policies clearly lay down rules regarding hate speech and incitement of violence. In fact, on March 5, Twitter even updated its policies to include "dehumanising" tweets as part of hate speech.

"We create our rules to keep people safe on Twitter, and they continuously evolve to reflect the realities of the world we operate within. Our primary focus is on addressing the risks of offline harm, and research* shows that dehumanizing language increases that risk".

Despite such "rules", Twitter has often been criticised for failing to take action against hate speech, especially when a defaulter is a well known person. In 2019, Twitter had claimed that it will take action against all account holders who post tweets that incite violence, make threats of violence against a person or community. Depending on the context, even accounts of world leaders would not be spared. It also came up with an update that would ensure that tweets that violated Twitter's policies but were in "public interest" would not be removed but would appear with a warning label.

The rules have not yet been visibly implemented. The San Francisco based company has, however, on several accounts been accused of misusing its right to ban users and suspend accounts. In 2017, Twitter faced flak for suspending the account of popular LGBTQIA rights activist and writer Anthony Oliveira's Twitter account. In India as well, Twitter faced flak and was accused of casteism after it suspended the accounts of a number of Dalit activists and refused to give blue "verified" ticks to handles of anti-caste and Bahujan scholars.

Even with the suspension of Chandel, many on Twitter have now started outraging against the move. A Twitter user alleged that Twitter only took don Chandel's post because Farah Khan tweeted against it but that Khan herself was guilty of tweets that may incite violence against a community.

Not a fan of Rangoli Chandel but it seems, she has been suspended at the behest of one Farah Khan Ali who herself is a hate-monger and has been inciting violence against the members of the RSS by comparing Sangh to ISIS.I wonder, why hasnt the RSS filed an FIR against her yet? pic.twitter.com/wGcGMrDvDm Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) April 16, 2020

Another user alleged that Twitter was discriminating against Chandel, who is an acid attack survivor, on the behest of a powerful "blue-ticked" account. Khan also defended against the accusations in a tweet.

Its a shame that an acid attack victim has such venom in her. Its bn years since that happened &Rangoli Chandel has recovered physically but shocked with the hatred she spews day in & out stating to kill ppl from a certain community &compares herself 2 Nazis brazenly. @Twitter https://t.co/tmwJLxRKz8 Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) April 16, 2020

Yet another user wondered if the real reason Chandel was suspended was her tweet demanding the cancellation of 2024 election in favour of keeping Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for one more term.

Days ago #Rangoli Didi had suggested that 2024 elections be called off (to save money for #coronawar) & Modi Ji should continue as PMThe price she paid for this brilliant idea was thisJust wait #Twitter - #Kangana didi will make a Hrithik out of you#BhaktBanerjee https://t.co/swInadvYcp Akash Banerjee (@TheDeshBhakt) April 16, 2020

Nevertheless, with the coronavirus pandemic deepening in India and increasingly taking on a communal colour, the need of the hour is to sift through fake and accurate news and keep Islamophobia and incitement of communal violence in check. Over the past month, several attacks on medical health professionals have been reported. Since the Tablighi Jamaat incident, many Muslims in India have faced discrimination and bigotry, much of which played out on social media under viral hashtags like #coronajihad and #NixamuddinIdiots. In the wake of such toxic hate, one is forced to wonder if Twitter is really doing its part in implementing its hate speech policies.

But for today, let's all take solace over small victories and hope the platform buckles down on offenders such as Chandel who don't think twice before the hateful targeting of a community, even at a time of global crisis and tragedy.
- Adwoa Amoako Adjei, a young female Ghanaian lawyer has reportedly been called to The Gambia and Ghana bars

- The 26-year-old lawyer is reportedly one of the youngest female lawyers to attain this feat

- Adwoa Amoako Adjei's accomplished has attracted some pleasant accolades

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After years of hard work, young Ghanaian female lawyer, Adwoa Amoako Adjei, has been called to The Gambia and Ghana bars.

Recently, Adwoa Amoako Adjei, who is also an entrepreneur, is attracting attention on social media after her admirable feat became public.

Base Africa TV reports that she is one of the youngest female lawyers to be called to The Gambia and Ghana bars.

Born on April 11, 1994, the 26-year-old reportedly distinguished herself in her legal courses and successfully made it to the bar.

READ ALSO: From JHS dropout, table-top phone dealer to CEO: Andrew Keche's wife shares her powerful story (video)

The young entrepreneur is currently helping those who have been let down by the law school and needs motivation.

Base Africa TV amplified the remarkable accomplishment of the young female Ghanaian lawyer.

Adwoa Amoako Adjeis impressive feat has generated some reactions from friends and loved ones.

''Koforidua flowers mu panyin Smiling face with heart-shaped eyesSmiling face with heart-shaped eyes,'' @daavi_trichia said in response.

@mrpatriq quizzed: ''ah, Gambia too?.''

In December 2019, YEN.com.ghreported that three Ghanaian law students have distinguished themselves after they topped in different legal courses at the Gambia School of Law.

According to the Ghana National Association of Law Students, Albert Agyepong, Naa Koshie Mills and Chelsea Oforiwaa Ofoe emerged top of their classes in different legal courses at the West African law school.

The Association of Law Students took to Facebook to congratulate the three Ghanaian students who were recently honoured by The Gambia School of Law.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Ghanaian robotics company invents electronic sanitisers (photos)

Low-cost ventilators produced in Ghana by Prof. Fred McBagonluri | #Yencomgh

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Ms. Pelosis spokesman said she backed Mr. McGoverns plan, which if approved by the House would pave the way for the first time in the history of Congress for members to cast votes other than in person. It would allow lawmakers who could not travel to Washington because of the pandemic to give specific instructions on each vote to a colleague authorized to vote on their behalf.

With Congress sidelined by the pandemic and unable to return to Washington until May at the earliest, Ms. Pelosi and Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, have been under mounting pressure to come up with alternative ways of conducting business. Their current means of operating  trying to push through legislation on a consensus basis and hoping that nobody will object  is increasingly untenable, with partisan divisions mounting over what to include in the next round of coronavirus relief.

Other senior Democrats, including Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader, have embraced the concept of remote voting in one form or another in recent days.

In an interview, Mr. McGovern described proxy voting as a low tech solution that struck a middle ground, enabling lawmakers to vote in person or not, depending on their preference and ability to return to Washington. Unlike electronic voting, he said, proxy voting could be instituted immediately without having to test new technology or worry about security breaches or interference by foreign actors.

This is what were comfortable with doing now that I think poses the least amount of risk, he said. For those who feel they want to be here and engage in debate, they can come back, but for those members who are in states where they are instructed not to leave their homes or not to travel, they can still participate.
(Photo : REUTERS/Edgar Su) Contact tracing app TraceTogether, released by the Singapore government to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is seen on a mobile phone, in Singapore March 25, 2020.

Australia considers using a contact tracing app in hopes of flattening the COVID-19 curve and lift the lockdown soon. The app is called TraceTogether, which has also been used by Singapore to allow health officials to track people who may have been in contact with coronavirus patients.

TraceTogether links up mobile phones with other nearby phones using Bluetooth. This enables tracking two people who are nearby, providing times, dates, and locations. Records of encounters are stored in their phone for 21 days.

The app can ease the contact tracing process. In Singapore, a person who is COVID-19 positive would allow the health ministry to access the mobile app. The authorities can then determine those who had close contact with the patient based on the proximity and the length of time they spent together.

READ ALSO: Studies Say that Anti-Malaria Drug 'Hydroxychloroquine' Shows No Improvements in Recovery Against COVID-19

On privacy and efficiency

Questions arise as the data gathering may breach the citizens' rights. On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morison addressed the concerns pointing out that the app's intense privacy settings ensure civil liberty is guaranteed.

Unlike those developed by Apple and Google, Morrison said TraceTogether is less invasive because it is 'consent-based'. Addressing the same concern, Singapore's health ministry said in March that the app does not collect personal data such as a user's name and location or access the phone's contact list.

'It is a complex area, but it is a tool that Australia will need to pursue the road out of this that we would like to pursue,' says Morison. However, Morison explains the government is still working on ensuring the app meets the robust privacy protections and standard that is crucial for the Australian context.

In an interview with Daily Mail, Louis-James Davis, CEO of Internet firm VSTE, mentions that the measure seems worthless since it is not mandatory.

'Having a health app that is "opt-in" and filled with self-diagnosed triage information is mostly worthless to society," says Davis. He adds that this will spark more anxiety and discrimination as people wonder who is being honest and has the app on their phones.

Speaking before the New Zealand parliamentary hearing, Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said they are keen on using the app "even more extensively than Singapore." 'We're actively looking at that as part of a measure that might be used,' says Murphy.

Meanwhile, Mr. Morrison told the same forum that restrictions would continue in the next four weeks. He said the government will apply wider testing and local lockdowns to halt outbreaks before removing the nationwide 'baseline restrictions'.

Australia currently has a total of 6,468 coronavirus cases, but nearly 58% or 3,747 have already recovered. Meanwhile, the country also recorded 63 deaths related to coronavirus.

New Zealand opens borders for Aussies

Meanwhile, New Zealand is now considering opening its borders to Australians if the rates of COVID-19 infections in both countries continue to decline.

For nearly a month, the nation has been under Stage Four lockdown aiming to curb the spread of the virus. Since Mar. 26, only supermarkets and chemists are open while all international travels were ceased, except for returning citizens and residents.

New Zealand has recorded 1,401 confirmed cases, 770 recoveries, and nine deaths as of Thursday afternoon.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand could open its borders to Australia sooner if the curve continues to flatten. 'If the figures keep on going that way, then that is a serious possibility,' Peters said in an interview with Newstalk ZB.

New Zealand also considers easing its nationwide restrictions to Stage Three next week. This means restaurants and cafes may offer takeaway orders while other retail stores could also reopen.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Doctors Discover Another Potential COVID-19 Cure That Treats Cytokine Storms

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ELMONT, N.Y.  The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that the opening of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet will be delayed due to the continuing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Highlighted by the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes on June 6, the 51-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet was originally scheduled to begin on April 24 and conclude on July 12.

We are working closely with the New York State Gaming Commission and public health officials to determine a timeline for the resumption of live racing at Belmont Park, said NYRA CEO and President Dave ORourke.

The health and safety of our racing community is paramount, and any decisions or necessary adjustments to the racing schedule and operations must reflect that priority. Id like to thank New Yorks horsemen and the backstretch community for their dedication and patience as we navigate these uncertain times together.

With regard to the 2020 Belmont Stakes, NYRA is continuing to assess various options in consultation with all appropriate parties. Currently scheduled for June 6, these options include shifting the race to a later date.

The Belmont Stakes is a New York institution and American tradition, said ORourke. We are committed to running the race in 2020 and aim to deliver an announcement in the very near future.

Beginning on April 17, and with specific approval required by NYRA, trainers previously stabled at Belmont will be allowed to ship in horses who have been relocated during the COVID-19 crisis. To align with health department guidance and reduce the spread of the coronavirus, NYRA will not allow these outsider shippers to be accompanied by staff not previously working at Belmont.

The Belmont backstretch, which is home to 585 workers who tend to the essential daily care of the more than 1,300 thoroughbreds currently stabled on the property, has remained open to horsemen and operational for training. Owners are not permitted access to the backstretch until further notice.

Live racing on the NYRA circuit was last conducted on Sunday, March 15 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Big A winter meet was scheduled to run through Sunday, March 29 until NYRA suspended racing on March 19 due to changing circumstances in the racing community relative to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

On April 1, NYRA announced the cancellation of the remainder of the Aqueduct winter meet as well as the Big A spring meet, which had been scheduled for April 2 through April 19.

For the safety of the Belmont backstretch community, a number of safeguards recommended by the Preparedness and Response Plan Committee have been in place since early March:

NYRA is following best practices established by the New York State Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control with regard to cleaning high touch areas and facilities

Posting of coronavirus related signage in English and Spanish across the backstretch noting key information regarding social distancing, handwashing techniques, and a hotline to call for workers feeling the onset of symptoms

Access to enter Belmont Park was restricted to Gate 6 and all workers, including licensed horsemen, that do not live on the backstretch are subject to a standard health assessment including temperature check

The Belmont Park grounds are closed to ship-in horses with the exception of horses in extenuating circumstances subject to NYRA.

To eliminate congestion and encourage social distancing, a number of common areas have been closed or had their service modified including the recreation center, Morning Line cafe, track kitchen and clockers stand. The Morning Line cafe and track kitchen are providing grab-and-go food options to align with guidance from the New York State Department of Health. The clockers stand has been closed to all but essential safety personnel.

For more information, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/.
We saw more people in the community thanking essential workers: Signs on Sugnet show appreciation for hospital employees.

In Lansing, hundreds of flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmers orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the coronavirus outbreak: Protesters at Capitol over stay-home order.
The coronavirus global pandemic has forced employees across the globe to work remotely as private corporations and government institutions adhere to social distancing measures.

Count one public official among those who are just fine with working from the comfort of their home.

Judge Carmo Antonio de Souza, a magistrate in the Brazilian state of Amapa, appeared shirtless before the start of an Amapa State Court of Justice video conference streamed on Zoom on April 7.

Brazilian judge Carmo Antonio de Souza appeared shirtless during a Zoom video call with other judges from the Amapa State Court of Justice before the official start of the meeting on April 7

The Amapa State Court of Justice said on Wednesday that judge Carmo Antonio de Souza did not break any rules by appearing bare-chested in front of other judges that participated in an April 7 video conference

The 52-year-old judge was seen on video taking a gulp from his glass while staring at the computer screen and the other six court officials dressed in business attire.

He then returned to the meeting wearing a buttoned dress shirt before the 1186th Ordinary Session of the Single Chamber was held.

The court looked into the incident on Tuesday and cleared de Souza of any wrongdoing was for his video appearance while all of the judges were awaiting to get going with the session.

'The occurrence of incidents such as what happened is perfectly understandable,' the Amapa State Court of Justice said in a statement.

Amapa State Court of Justice's judge Carmo Antonio de Souza has been working from home after the Brazilian government imposed a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ravaging coronavirus has killed 1,764 people and sickened 29,165 as of Thursday in Brazil

'The moment experienced by the world requires dedication from everyone to solutions for maintaining essential services, such as the measures adopted by the Brazilian Justice, respect for the guidelines of health authorities and, above all, indulgence, compassion and commitment to the common good, thus avoiding the proliferation of fake news and distorted information, which in no way contribute to facing and overcoming the pandemic.'

Brazil's health ministry reported that the ravaging coronavirus has killed 1,764 people and sickened 29,165 as of Thursday.
The Soviet Union, a socialist dictatorship, famously locked up dissidents in psychiatric institutions. Once there, they were subject to cruel tortures in the name of restoring their mental health. Word is now leaking out that the Germany government imprisoned a German lawyer in a mental institution for opposing Germanys oppressive reaction to the Wuhan virus.

Germany has imposed extremely stringent shutdown measures in response to the Wuhan virus (although it is not enforcing them against Muslims). The country has had a national curfew in place since March 22. Under the curfew, people may not travel in groups of more than two people, unless they share a household, and they may leave home only for certain limited activities (e.g., work, sports, or buying groceries).

On April 3, Beate Bahner, a lawyer in Baden-Wurttemberg, German, issued a press release challenging Germanys shutdown. In it, according to a translation at the UK Column, Bahner contended that the governments mandates were flagrantly unconstitutional, infringing to an unprecedented extent many of the fundamental rights of German citizens. She argued, instead, that the policy should isolate those vulnerable to the Wuhan virus, rather than quarantining the entire population.

In addition, Bahner published a 19-page legal analysis entitled Why the shutdown is unconstitutional and the greatest legal scandal in the post-1940s history of Germany. In the conclusion to that analysis, Bahner made the following statement (again, the translation is from the UK Column):

Fellow citizens, I hereby invite all 83 million of you across the nation to gather and demonstrate peacefully at 3 pm on Easter Saturday: Coronoia 2020  [Tyranny] never again. We rise up today! In accordance with 14.1 of the Assembly Act, please give the competent authority prior notification of your intent to demonstrate.

Because Bahner rhetorically asked 83 million people to assemble on Easter Sunday, Heidelbergs police announced that they would prosecute her for inciting people to violate a law (that is, the new law against public assembly). The police further informed Bahner that she was required to appear at the police station on the Wednesday following Easter for an interview.

On the Monday after Easter, though, Bahners sister got a long voicemail message from Bahner describing how the police, when she'd called them for help, instead handcuffed her and took her to a psychiatric institution. Once there, they subjected her to the same treatment that a terrorist would receive. Someone uploaded the message onto the internet:

Again, I am indebted to the UK Column for the translation of Bahner's recording. Bahner describes how, when a car was following her, she called the police for help. The police arrived but, instead of helping her, they handcuffed her and delivered her to a psychiatric clinic. Once at the clinic, she was thrown to the floor, banging her head. Bahner ended up spending the night on the floor in a locked room. There was no toilet, no sink, though they did allow me water, and there was a bell I could ring, though they ignored it after the third time I pressed it.

Bahner did eventually get upgraded to a room with a bed and access to a telephone, which was how she was able to leave the message describing what had happened to her. Once her message was uploaded to the internet, a local journalist confirmed that she was indeed being held in a psychiatric institution. When questioned, the police justified her treatment on the ground that Bahner seemed confused.

Its entirely possible that Bahner is a confused woman who was a genuine risk to herself and needed psychiatric help. But of course, its just as possible in todays environment that Bahner is a victim of a government reveling in the power its achieved thanks to the Wuhan virus.

In towns and states all over America, weve seen governments -- especially (although not always) those in Democrat hands -- throwing the Bill of Rights out the window. They justify what they're doing by saying that theyre protecting people from the virus. Lord Acton, of course, was correct when he famously said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The problem is that people who are fearful will too easily hand over power to someone who claims he can protect them. Interestingly, Democrats seem more afraid of the virus than conservatives. They are more amenable to lockdown orders and they are more certain that anybody violating, or even talking about violating, the orders will instantly be stricken with the virus or will infect someone else. They're also certain that the hydroxychloroquine treatment will be unavailing. With that level of fear, it's small wonder that they cling to government as their rock and salvation from a fearsome invisible enemy.

*****

This photograph seems apropos. Taken in Amsterdam, in 1975, it shows protestors agitating for the release of Vladimir Bukovsky, a Soviet dissident who spent twelve years in psychiatric prisons/hospitals, labor camps, and actual prisons. One of his primary targets was the way in which the Soviet government abused psychiatry to control political dissent:
Coronavirus Chronicles 017  International School of Luxembourg

I am talking with schools to see how theyre responding in the wake of this global pandemic. I invite you to join me for the Coronavirus Chronicles, a series of 10-minute check-ins with educators all over.

Episode 017 is below. Thank you, John Mikton, for sharing how the International School of Luxembourg has been adapting to our new challenges and opportunities. I greatly appreciated your focus on structures, teamwork, and recalibration.

See the complete list of episodes, which also are available as a podcast channel on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you and your school(s) would like to be featured in the Coronavirus Chronicles series, please get in touch.

Also, my co-author, Dean Shareski, has started a similar podcast, Whats Happening?, which is focused a little more on instructional issues than leadership. Check it out!
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed explained why the Federal government cannot share to Nigerians the funds donated by private Nigerians and organizations for the fight against coronavirus.

So far, over N15 billion has been donated by private Nigerians and organizations under the auspice COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Nigerians have called on the government to share the N15 billion donated as palliatives during the lockdown over the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Minister who was featured on a Radio Nigeria programme yesterday April 14, said the Federal government does not have the power to distribute such funds. He explained that the private individuals and organizations came together to donate the funds and asked the Federal government how they can help to effectively fight the pandemic.

Lai Mohammed said the Federal government has advised the private individuals to use their donations to help develop the healthcare infrastructure in the country.
If we all have to wear a mask outside, hows that going to work?

New York will require all people across New York to wear masks in public when they cant stay at least 6 feet away from others to fight coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today.

We have to continue to stop the spread, Cuomo said. All people in public must have a mask, a mouth and nose covering. And they must wear it in a situation where you cannot or are not maintaining social distancing.

The masks are less about protecting the wearer and more about keeping others around you safe. The idea, according to the CDC, is to keep people who may have the virus, but dont know it, from spreading it to others.

The order goes into effect Friday. Yet as of late this afternoon, state health officials didnt have the order itself or detailed extra guidance. That information is coming, Cuomos office said.

Cuomo said he announced it today to give people time to prepare.

In the meantime, does this mean wearing masks inside grocery stores? At parks? On the bus? If I dont have a mask, will a bandana do?

Heres what we know so far:

Does it apply to people using public transit, buses and subways?

Yes. Cuomo specifically mentioned these situations today.

What about when I go for a walk?

Thats a little less clear. On a crowded city sidewalk, yes, Cuomo said. On a sidewalk or pathway thats too narrow to allow for a 6-foot buffer, yes. But around your neighborhood?

The guideline, Cuomo said, is to wear a mask or face covering when youre in proximity to others. Its any situation in public where you cannot maintain social distancing, he said, adding that means keeping 6 feet apart.

What about when I go for a run?

Cuomo advised joggers to wear a mask but keep it below your chin. If you approach someone, either go around them by at least 6 feet or put the mask on as you pass. I hope New Yorkers will do it because it makes sense, he said.

What if I dont have a mask?

Thats OK. You can use a cloth, a homemade mask  as long as it covers your mouth and nose, Cuomo said.

It doesnt have to be a surgical mask, he said. It could be a cloth mask.

While we dont yet have the guidelines for this mask rule, we do have them for a mask order Cuomo issued last week about mask requirements for essential workers. In that order, the state said all the following would comply:

 Homemade masks

 Bandanas or other cloth

 A surgical mask

 N-95 respirators

 Face shields

The state also suggests people consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on face coverings.

Wear the mask. Whats the big deal? he asked, invoking the lethality of the virus and the dedication of health care workers and others who are working hard to care for people. You can make it colorful. You can have a design. It can be advertising.

What about kids? Infants?

Cuomo today said all people. He didnt specify any age groups that would be left out. Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has asked for clarification. The CDC, which is recommending all people across the nation wear masks in public, advises for children under 2 not to wear masks.

So I should wear a mask to run errands? To go to the store?

Again, thats a little less clear. Weve asked for clarification and expect more from Cuomos office before Friday. But the basic guideline remains: If you think youre going to be in a space where people are closer than 6 feet to you, wear a mask. Stores have implemented those 6-foot markers in check-out lines. But you could get closer than that to someone in the produce section.

Will I get arrested if I dont wear one?

No, Cuomo says.

Will I get fined if I dont wear one?

No, Cuomo says. For now. But civil fines could be a possibility if people dont comply.

Who enforces this rule?

Cuomo said its up to local governments to enforce the rule. He said he expects local officials to remind people they should be wearing masks. He also said he expects people to speak up to each other when they see a bare face in a crowded situation. Cuomo said New Yorkers should ask: Wheres your mask, Buddy?

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

A Syracuse bicycle shop was threatened as 'non-essential; heres how it found a way to stay open

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
Nicola Sturgeon revealed the plan for a lockdown exit strategy during a virtual first minister's questions on Zoom. (Scottish Government TV)

An exit plan to end the coronavirus lockdown will be developed in the next week and made public, Nicola Sturgeon has revealed.

The Scottish first minister said it is currently too early to think about easing restrictions, but added that a plan would be formulated in the next seven days.

Speaking at a virtual first ministers questions, Sturgeon said: Over the next week or so we will look to develop [a] plan and to share the approach with the public.

But for now my message continues to be to stay at home except for the essential permitted purposes and to follow all of the public health rules.

She stressed it is still too early for the lockdown to be lifted, despite slowing increases in cases and patient deaths.

Sturgeon said: Im as keen as anyone to lift these restrictions, but I will not begin to do so until I am convinced that we have done as much as is necessary to suppress the virus and we have a clear plan in place to continue to contain it once these measures do start to be lifted.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world

Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area

6 charts and maps that explain how coronavirus is spreading

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon held a meeting of Scottish party leaders over Zoom and streamed the meeting on Facebook (Scottish Government TV)

The Scottish FM will attend a Cobra meeting on Thursday afternoon at which officials from the UK Government and the devolved administrations will make a decision on extending the UKs lockdown.

The government is expected to extend the measures for a further three weeks, amid signs the epidemic in the UK is beginning to peak.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputising as prime minister while Boris Johnson continues to recover from coronavirus, will reveal the plans for lockdown in a Downing Street press conference at 5pm.

Health secretary Matt Hancock warned on Thursday it would take time for life to return to normal.

He stressed the number of deaths is still far too high for any exit strategy to be set out.

Story continues

Ministers have resisted sharing any plans for lifting lockdown measures, insisting that the message continues to be that the public need to stay at home.

Earlier on Thursday, one of the scientists advising them questioned whether the government had done enough work on an exit strategy.

Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, said: I think theres a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated.

We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation for this.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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Australia's coronavirus infection rate has continued to plummet following a series of strict measures to combat the deadly outbreak.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the National Cabinet decided the COVID-19 restrictions set by the Federal Government would not change for four weeks.

'We want to be very clear with Australians, baseline restrictions we have in place at the moment there are no plans to change those for the next four weeks,' he said.

This means pubs, restaurants and gyms will be kept shut, large gatherings will remain banned and working from home will be encouraged where possible.

Weddings are still limited to five people and funerals to ten people.

But states and territories, which have imposed their own additional measures and police enforcement, may choose to loosen restrictions over the coming weeks.

'They will make their own decisions whether they want to change any of those arrangement on their own circumstances,' Mr Morrison said.

'I would refer you to individual states and territories where they may choose to do that over the next three weeks.'

Here Daily Mail Australia looks at what life could be like after the lockdown measures are relaxed for the first time in one month's time.

Schools are likely to remain open and restaurants may be permitted to provide table service with customer limits, but overseas travel will still be prohibited.

Social distancing is likely to remain a way of life for months, while leaders have promised to look at ways to allow people to stay connected totheir families and friends.

Two women practice yoga in Bondi on Monday while adhering to social distancing rules

Australia has made significant progress in the fight against coronavirus, with a clear flattening of the curve on the graph that measures the daily infection rate

Speaking after the National Cabinet meeting, Mr Morrison acknowledged Australians still had a 'difficult road ahead' to overcome to coronavirus outbreak.

'We have stayed ahead of it, we've got to keep ahead of it,' he said.

'I know it's a very anxious thing for Australians. When they see the really good result they go, can't we all just go back to how it was?

'But let's look to the experience of what happened overseas. If you ease off too quickly too early, then you end up making the situation even worse and I don't just mean in the health terms.

'If you move too early and the health response gets out of control, then the economic consequences will be even worse.'

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said Australia must hold the course while the health system was readied for the worst of the disease.

'Our numbers are looking very encouraging at the moment,' he said.

There have been 63 coronavirus deaths in Australia, which has recorded 6468 cases of the disease.

While more than half of people have recovered, there are 42 on ventilators across the country.

National Cabinet will meet again Tuesday to discuss easing restrictions on elective surgeries.

Professor Murphy confirmed IVF was among the procedures under consideration but warned against a wide-ranging restart.

'It would be gentle and it would have to ensure we have enough protective equipment,' he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the National Cabinet decided coronavirus restrictions set by the Federal Government would not change for four weeks

Australia is staying on course to suppress the virus rather than eradicate it totally, unlike New Zealand which is pursuing the latter approach through a more extreme economic shutdown.

But health authorities say a potential by-product of the Australian approach is wiping coronavirus out in some areas.

'It's quite possible we could eradicate the virus in parts of the country,' Professor Murphy said.

'Some states have had no cases for some days and small numbers of cases, all imported.'

Australians evacuated from South America due to the coronavirus are seen after landing at Brisbane International Airport on Tuesday

WHEN WILL SCHOOLS RETURN TO NORMAL?

Mr Morrison said parents should look to the advice from their premier in deciding whether their child should return to the classroom.

'This is a state and territory issue, I want to make that clear, Commonwealth does not run State Government,' he said.

'The health advice has been consistent that for children schools are a safe space for children.'

Mr Morrison has pushed for school attendances to increase, despite some states advising parents to keep children at home.

Senior cabinet minister Peter Dutton said children should return to classrooms provided there was no risk of second or third wave of infections.

But Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton is adamant schools should undertake remote learning for Term 2, which has just started in the state.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino praised his state for its three per cent attendance rate on Wednesday when public schools reopened.

'The Victorian advice based on health experts is that if you can learn from home you must learn from home,' he told reporters in Melbourne.

A sign with tips to fight the coronavirus at a school at Observatory Hill in Sydney on Monday

'Term 2 needs to be flexible and remote learning with the vast majority of students at home.'

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday confirmed the first two weeks of Term 2 in NSW would operate the same as the end of Term 1, but from week three 'there'll be more face-to-face contact for students'.

The first day of Term 2 in NSW is April 27, with week three beginning on May 11.

'We're currently going through the process of speaking to stakeholders, speaking to principals and teachers, to look at the various options and what will work for NSW,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

'I completely support the notion that we should have more kids back at school but in a reasonable way, in an appropriate way, which means that there is adequate social distancing for the adults in particular.'

In Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said each school was best placed to assess a student's needs, especially if parents are worried about balancing a child's home-schooling while they are also working from home.

'They should talk to their principal about whether or not they can continue to supervise from home,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

'If you look at what the prime minister said, schools are open.'

'Teachers will be at the schools in Queensland and they are open for students of essential workers and they're also open to vulnerable students.'

Essential workers are deemed as any parent or carer who needs to attend a place of work and is unable to provide supervision for their child at home.

On Wednesday, Mr Morrison pleaded with the nation's teachers to keep classrooms open.

The prime minister likened the country's educators to 'great heroes', including nurses, doctors and paramedics, who are fighting to keep Australia safe throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

'At this time, as our nation fights this coronavirus, your role has become even more important. Your students and their families are relying on you more than ever,' he told teachers in a video.

WHEN CAN I EAT AT A RESTAURANT OR VISIT A PUB AGAIN?

Mr Morrison's announcement that restrictions will remain for four weeks means that pubs and restaurants will be kept shut

Reopening restaurants and enabling small community events could be among the first steps back to normality - once the four weeks are up.

Premier Mark McGowan said Western Australia could begin to ease some controls as early as May 1 with the daily growth of new coronavirus cases in single digits.

Curtin University epidemiologist and pro-vice chancellor of health sciences Archie Clements believes WA is well-placed to begin loosening restrictions.

'That will be things like rather than having businesses closed, they might reopen things like restaurants but with a lower density of patrons,' he said.

'They might allow small community events to take place. And then I think it will be allowing things like schools to go back, and I'm hoping that will be sooner rather than later.

Non-essentials businesses like pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas and dine-in restaurants were forced to close on March 23. Takeaway food and drink is still available

'After that will be larger community events and sporting events, and then probably after that will be allowing visits to institutions like nursing homes and prisons.'

Non-essentials businesses like pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas and dine-in restaurants were forced to close on March 23. Takeaway food and drink is still available.

Three days later, nail salons and massage parlours were also banned in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Morrison on Thursday said they would not seek to change baseline restrictions for four weeks.

WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO TRAVEL OVERSEAS AGAIN?

Australians could be blocked from going abroad until at least January, with the ban on international travel likely to stay until next year.

Holidaymakers should avoid booking any international travel during the coronavirus crisis, warned Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham.

'I wouldn't put any guarantees that you could undertake that overseas trip in December,' he told ABC's News Breakfast on Tuesday.

'This is a time where, unfortunately, people can't undertake holidays and they won't be able to go overseas for quite some time to come.'

Australians could be blocked from going abroad until at least January, with the ban on international travel likely to stay until next yea

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

With travel restrictions between states likely to ease in the coming months, people are instead being asked to start 'dreaming' about their perfect Australian getaway.

'There may be a slightly earlier point in time where it becomes feasible to think about domestic travel again,' he explained.

'We're not there yet but certainly this time is a good time for a bit of dreaming, a bit of planning.

'Think about the Aussie break that you might take when we finally get to the other side of this.

Under strict laws designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Federal Government has banned Australians from flying abroad in all but essential circumstances.

Anyone returning to the country has to enter a mandatory 14-day isolation in a hotel, supervised by the police and Australian Defence Force.

WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS OR VISIT EXTENDED FAMILY?

Walkers exercise past a closed section of Surfers Paradise Beach on the Gold Coast on Thursday

All Australians are still advised to continue practising social distancing and stay at home unless going out for essentials or exercise.

States and territories have enforced their own penalties for residents who flout the restrictions.

Ms Berejiklian reiterated authorities were looking at shutdown measures across NSW closely but social distancing would remain for the foreseeable future.

'Until we find a cure, there's a safe way of treating people who have the virus or until there's a vaccine, we have to live with this,' she said.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Thursday said there was no immediate plan to loosen the state's restrictions but hinted what it could look like.

'If we do look to an easing of restrictions over time  in terms of what those initial steps might look like, it's likely to relate to the social distancing measures,' she said.

'We understand the importance of people remaining connected to their loved ones. We will be guided by the advice around risks.

'We would be looking to provide that additional capacity for people to remain connected to their friends, to their family, to their loved ones.'

Scott Morrison explains why Australia ISNT trying to completely eradicate coronavirus - and the first lockdown restrictions the PM plans to end

Trying to completely eradicate the coronavirus in Australia is not worth the economic cost and would be extremely difficult to achieve, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned.

The Australian leader said on Thursday night there was 'no clear additional benefit' to tightening social distancing rules to an extent the economy was left in complete ruin.

The phrase 'suppression phase' is instead being used by the government to describe the fight against COVID-19 as the national growth rate in cases continues to slow.

Mr Morrison also provided a road map for Australia's exit route out of its coronavirus restrictions - with the easing of restrictions on the construction, manufacturing and retail industries a high priority.

Pedestrians walk past a closed Bondi Beach last week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stayed firm with the government's 'suppression phase', saying idea of completely eradicating the coronavirus is 'very elusive'

'I can assure you no-one wants these restrictions in any longer than they have to be in,' Mr Morrison told ABC's 7.30.

'It's one of the reasons we don't go for that complete eradication strategy - it's very elusive.

'And the costs to those livelihoods are very significant, with no real clear additional benefit, at least from the evidence we're getting at the moment.

'You can win the health war and lose the economic war - youve got to deal with both of them at the same time.'

Mr Morrison said in an earlier press conference restrictions would only be eased after clear signs that testing, tracing and local efforts to stop outbreaks of the virus were working.

Mr Morrison said the easing of restrictions on the construction, manufacturing and retail industries was a high priority

He warned Australians could not afford to be complacent about the dramatic decrease in the spread of COVID-19 in recent weeks.

'Look at New York, London, Spain, all of those places  that could be Australia,' he said. 'We should not kid ourselves.'

'If you dont keep it under control, it will get away from you quickly and then youll have to lock down even harder and the economic costs will be even worse.'

Mr Morrison also reported back from the National Cabinet meeting on Thursday morning, where the resumption of certain industries was discussed.

A temperature checking and hand sanitiser station is seen at the entrance to the Sydney Fish on Friday

'Already were going to want to move on things like construction and manufacturing,' he said.

'Once you go to the next phase, in retail there will be opportunities there. Youll see more people being able to work at work, perhaps on a roster-type basis. Some of that is happening already.'

Earlier on Thursday, the prime minister said Australia's biggest states will be able to relax some of their harsher restrictions sooner than the four-week mark if they chose to do so.

Mr Morrison (pictured during Thursday's press conference) said Australia could not be complacent about easing coronavirus restrictions if the country did not want to be in the same situation as New York or London
He said the government's priority should be to protect the people from the virus, provide them a food safety net, distribute foodgrains from Indias overflowing stocks, and also put in place strategic plans to ensure the lockdown and slowdown do not damage the countrys economy grievously. Keep in mind to not use all your ammunition right now, if you use it ...

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The COVID-19 pandemic has sent millions of workers and their families, already scraping to survive, into a financial tailspin from which many will never recover. However, for the worlds richest man, Jeff Bezos, the pandemic has been a financial bonanza, sending Amazon shares, and Bezos personal net worth, soaring.

At the close of the trading day on the stock market Wednesday, shares of the online retail giant were trading at $2,307, up from a year-to-date low of $1,676 on March 12, just over a month ago.

While Amazon workers are risking their lives in contaminated factories and protesting against the lack of basic safety equipment (at least 74 Amazon facilities have reported workers infected with the virus), and workers are being fired for speaking out, the market value of Amazon has climbed above $1.1 trillion, slightly below the $1.22 trillion 2019 gross domestic product of Mexico.

Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

For Bezos, this translates into a year-to-date jump of $23.6 billion in his personal net wealth, bringing his fortune to more than $138.5 billion. His ex-wife MacKenzie, with her 4 percent stake in the company, has seen her net worth more than quintuple, from $8.2 billion to $45.3 billion according to Bloomberg.

Bezos is not an aberration. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has added over $10 billion to his personal fortune in the first four months of the year, while Alice, Jim and Rob Walton, owners of mega-retailer Walmart, have profited fabulously from the pandemic, increasing their personal wealth by $2.9 billion, $2.36 billion and $2.42 billion respectively, without stocking a single shelf or retrieving a cart.

The American financial aristocracy is gorging itself in the midst of scenes of mile-long food lines and mass graves. With the passage of Trumps multi-trillion-dollar corporate bailout last month, which had the virtually unanimous support of Democratic lawmakers, airline industry executives and private equity, hedge fund and real estate investors (such as Donald Trump) are receiving billions of dollars worth of tax breaks, grants and low-interest loans, at taxpayer expense.

The Joint Committee on Taxation (JTC) of the US Congress issued a report this week revealing that tax provisions were included in the corporate bailout legislation (the CARES Act) allowing millionaires and billionaires who own so-called pass-through companies, including hedge funds and real estate investment firms, to offset losses not just from 2020, but from 2019 and 2018 as well. The owners of pass through companies pay income taxes at the individual rather than the corporate tax rate.

The JTC estimated that the total cost in public funds for this boondoggle for the very wealthy will be $170 billion this year. It said that 82 percent of the tax benefit will go to roughly 43,000 taxpayers who make more than $1 million a year. Only three percent will go to taxpayers who earn less than $100,000.

The $170 billion price tag for this handout to the super-rich compares to a measly $100 billion allocated in the legislation for hospitals and $150 billion for state and local governments. Many hospitals are being financially devastated by the impact of the pandemic and an estimated 2,100 cities across the country are facing huge budget deficits due to lost revenues. The result will be a new wave of hospital closures, layoffs and wage cuts, along with brutal cuts in social services and public employee jobs by state and local governments.

The JTC concluded that the average millionaire filer will receive $1.6 million in tax relief this year alone. The Trump Organization includes hundreds of pass-through entities, as do the businesses controlled by Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, allowing the president and his brood to take in millions of dollars by writing off risky investments from up to two years ago.

What these gifts to the oligarchy have to do with the coronavirus pandemic is a mystery no politician or media pundit has sought to explain.

On Tuesday, the government announced it had reached an agreement with the major airlines under which they will receive $25 billion in grants, again at taxpayer expense. The companies will have to pay back only 30 percent of the money. An additional $25 billion in low-cost loans will be provided to the airlines under a separate program. This looting of the US Treasury for the benefit of airline executives and major investors is being cynically presented as a defense of airline employees.

Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, hailed the bailout. He said, Even though the process was neither easy nor perfect, it is critically important that in the end there are agreements in place that put workers and families first by keeping hundreds of thousands of airline employees  on the payroll during this extremely tumultuous period for the US economy.

This is a lie. None of the money in the $50 billion bailout of the airlines will go to the workers. It will be used by the airlines to buy time while they prepare a brutal restructuring of their operations to slash jobs, wages and pensions. Already tens of thousands of airline workers have been furloughed, and the bailout deal allows the airlines to consolidate routes.

The only restrictions on the companies that receive the handoutsat this point a total of 10, including the four giants, American, Delta, United and Southwestis that they put off layoffs until the end of September and refrain from paying out dividends or buying back their own stock until the end of 2021. But even these minor restraints can be waived by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a multi-millionaire former investment banker.

DeFazio went on to say, I strongly believe what Congress laid out in this provision of the CARES Actto put workers firstshould be the model for any industry-specific relief going forward. This is nothing less than a call for the bailout of more industries.

The airline bailout was strongly promoted by the airline unions, working in lockstep with the companies. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, attacked the agreement between the Trump administration and the airlines from the right, denouncing the requirement that the companies pay back 30 percent of the handouts.

Between 2014 and 2019, the four largest US airlinesUnited, American, Southwest and Deltaspent a combined $45 billion buying back their own stock in order to drive up the share price and enrich the top executives and major investors.
The View From Home As coronavirus continues to spread, Vulture is speaking to filmmakers across the globe about how they are coping in a socially distanced world. Tigers Are Not Afraid director Issa Lopez lived through swine-flu isolation in Mexico City. A decade later, shes spending her quarantine wisely. Photo: Alex Neiman

I moved to L.A. for the first time in 2009 and spent some years here, then went back to Mexico. For half of 2017 and 2018, I was traveling around the world for Tigers Are Not Afraid, then I spent six months in London to shoot a TV series. Then it was back to L.A. At this point, for me, home is wherever I set the computer and start writing, or where I direct something. That doesnt mean that Im not worried about my sister and my friends from my life in Mexico, but the truth of the matter is, even if I was there, theres not much you can do. It would be a very similar situation, just in an apartment in Mexico versus an apartment in Los Angeles. I would be calling them and messaging them just as Im doing right now.

Unlike most Americans, Ive had this experience before, because I was in Mexico City during the swine flu. Its very weird, because now me and all my Mexican friends  Mexicans call Mexico City dwellers chilangos  so all the chilangos, we call each other and we go, Hey, do you remember 2009? Yeah, I do. It was very strict. Coming from the experience, I was talking to my friends in L.A. and saying, Well, when they lock us down  just because I know its happening  and everybody was saying, No, thats not going to happen. It took a while for the U.S. to respond, and, I have to say, Im both Mexican and American and Im very proud of how the state of California has been responding.

Im one of the few fortunate ones. In spirit, this is tremendously affecting, but in my day-to-day life, I was not seeing a lot of people because I was being very disciplined about writing. All of my friends were complaining, but I really wanted to get some scripts out of the way. Now I really can. I have a little bungalow in Venice, and it has a very funky backyard, which makes all the difference in the world  that you can simply grab the computer and go in the sun. My outing of the day would be to the gym, which is the one thing that I dont have anymore. So, Im one of the masses in L.A. that is now jumping in front of her TV.

I have been thinking of the abysmal inequality that the pandemic has illuminated. Isolation implies a place of our own, a roof. Washing hands means access to water. Access to food implies theres means to acquire it. Workers in Mexico, India, Iran, London, and in L.A. brave the contagion to subsist. Access to tests and medical attention  these are all privileges that will deepen the divide among us or illuminate us on ways to close it. There have to be ways to avoid contagion that doesnt kill us. Maybe we will learn from this, and will develop strategies to defend ourselves from the rabid capitalism consuming our souls and our world.

Unlike most Americans, Ive had this experience before, because I was in Mexico City during the swine flu.

You know, what Im finding is I wake up and I immediately get this little wave of despair, because the most childish part of my brain hopes that it just magically went away. And it didnt. The other thing is I decided to stop with social media maybe a month before this madness, for completely unrelated reasons. I read like five different papers: the New York Times, the L.A. Times, La Jornada in Mexico, The Guardian, and BBC News. I give it a quick look, and I limit it to once a day, and what I do is I read it early. I panic. I exercise to let out the panic, and in between breakfast and panic is where I talk to the friends in Mexico, my sister in Mexico  all of that. Then, after exhausting myself, I sit down to write for the rest of the day, and in the evenings is when I watch stuff and read stuff.

I delivered last week the second draft for a Guillermo del Toroproduced movie, which is a Western. Now Im doing the second draft of the script that Im writing for Noah Hawley as a producer. Its about the end of the world, so its not exactly what you need in your mind some of the evenings, but on the other hand, I believe this script is going to feel so real. For that Im watching Rosemarys Baby, stuff like that. Im about to turn that in, and Im going to a new project that I just closed for. It hasnt been announced, but its going to be so exciting, and its about real stories. So Im gearing up for that, and Im watching movies like Mother Joan of the Angels and The Devils, by Ken Russell. My home movie experience is going from High Noon to Rosemarys Baby to The Craft, so its a little bit of everything.

Issa Lopezs current office. Photo: Issa Lopez

Im watching the series Devs, and its so stylish and philosophical and existential in that Alex Garland kind of way. I am getting ready to watch Kingdom, the second season. Ive been resisting it because its kind of a pandemic, but Im sure its going to leave some hope for the good guys. Back in 2009, in Mexico City, what on Gods earth did we do for two weeks? I honestly cant believe we survived it without streaming.

Because I stay away from social media, what also is happening is Im reading again. One of my favorite books when I was growing up was La Peste, by Camus. I loved it way more than The Stranger and had a crush on Dr. Rieux. Ive decided to reread it. In the end, its an essay on what we learn about ourselves when the time for our fellow humans comes knocking, and what divides a good man or woman from someone of no consequence. Im now obsessed with this Argentine writer Mariana Enriquez. I started with an incredible volume of short stories called Things We Lost in the Fire, and Im reading now her new novel that is still not out in English, but its in the process of being translated. Its called Our Share of Night, and its downright amazing. Its a phenomenon in the Spanish-speaking world. I finished reading Growing Things, by Paul Tremblay. Hes really good and scary. I caught up with comic books, too, which I havent been doing in a while. I just buy what I know is cool, and I put them somewhere, and I dont read them. So I finally went back and read some of them, and My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris, is incredible.

This is not the end of the world. Its just scary, because its not impossible that it will hit close to us or directly on us. Its hard because its affecting our economies, our future, our plans, all of that, but I believe that this is a chance to reset a bunch of the stuff weve been doing wrong, to understand how global we are, how what happens anywhere in the world affects us all, that borders are imaginary, that we have to listen to experts and scientists and not to politicians, that science matters. I think that is a very powerful takeaway from all this.
Daily wagers are running out of resources, including ration and cash, and the state governments might not be able to sustain their needs for a longer period of time, given the lockdown has already been extended until May 3.

Somesh Jha reports

IMAGE: A migrant worker and his family walk along a road as they return to their village, during the lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus infection in New Delhi. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

Even as the government has sought to revive economic activity in a phased manner, stranded migrant workers are sceptical about staying on. With uncertainty looming large over the trajectory of the deadly coronavirus in the coming days, they are eager to return home.

I want to see my wife and kids. I want to return home. Work can wait, says 45-year-old construction worker Parshuram Thakur, who works in Bengaluru. Thakur, whose native place is in Bihar, has a wife, two daughters, and a son -- all dependents.

After staying in Bihar for two months with his family, Thakur had returned to city life for work in January where he earns Rs 9,600 a month.

Thakur says though he received his share of daily wages for the pre-lockdown work and is getting food, his family is on top of his mind.

In Bihar, the coronavirus disease cases are fewer. Its spreading quickly in cities. I will return later. Right now, I want to be with my family, he said. Anyhow, Thakur will have to wait longer to resume his job as most construction cites where he was employed were within city limits, which will remain out of bounds for work.

Over the past few days, the restlessness of migrant workers spilled on to the streets in major cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, and Surat.

While in Mumbai, thousands of workers reached the Bandra railway station after becoming a victim of misinformation that train services had resumed on Tuesday, in Surat and Delhi, there were visuals of social unrest due to complaints of lack of basic facilities, like food and proper space, to the migrants in the past few days.

Hundreds of migrants were living on the banks of the Yamuna in the national capital after two shelter camps were set ablaze allegedly by inmates due to food shortage.

Julfikar Molla, who migrated from West Bengal to work in Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, an export hub of garments, has been left high and dry due to the governments mixed signals related to the lockdown measures.

On March 21, when his employer informed him that he should immediately think of returning home, Molla booked a train ticket for March 24. But on March 22, the Indian Railways announced cancelling all train bookings, for the period between March 23 and March 31.

He then booked a ticket for April 7, but on March 25, the Railways extended the cancellation of all trains till April 14.

Molla booked another ticket, this time for April 17, but he received a text message on Tuesday that the train would no longer depart as the lockdown has been extended.

IMAGE: Migrant workers make tea under a bridge on the banks of the Yamuna during the lockdown, which has been extended to May 3. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Molla lives in a locality near Tiruppur with 300 other migrant workers -- most of them either from West Bengal or Bihar. Dil me ghabrahat ho rahi hai, parivar waale ro rahein hain (my heart is pounding out of anxiety. My family is crying out of worry), said Molla.

Though he received his past salary dues (Rs 300 per day), the garment factory where he works hasnt paid the salary for the duration of the lockdown, despite the Centres orders (dated March 29) to not deduct wages during this period.

Molla, who lives with four other workers in a single room, says he has so far received ration only twice: The first one came four-five days after the nationwide lockdown and the second one, a few days ago.

Each worker got 2 kilos of rice, 100 grams of oil, and 100 grams of pulses. He said the employer checked on him only once since the lockdown.

I had dialled up the West Bengal government helpline narrating our state of affairs after the lockdown. I received a call from them a couple of days back enquiring after my native place and taking down other details, saying they are trying to make logistical arrangements for migrants, he added. This has confused Molla further.

He said even if the garment factory resumes operations, he would want to go back to his hometown and make a living there. Its hard to live in such uncertain times, says Molla.

Research on stranded migrant workers shows they are running out of resources, including ration and cash, and the state governments might not be able to sustain their needs for a longer period of time, given the lockdown has already been extended until May 3.

Most migrant workers say their ration will last less than a day; a whopping 70 per cent didnt receive cooked food from the state governments, 80 per cent of workers had exhausted all but Rs 300 cash, and close to 90 per cent of the workers didnt get paid by their employers during the lockdown.

This study was conducted by a group of researchers who call themselves Stranded Workers Action Network surveying 11,159 workers since March 27.

Most of the migrants (79 per cent) were either daily wage or construction workers.

What the lockdown has revealed is the absence of administrative oversight on the contract labour and lack of accountability of both the employers and governments, said the research by SWAN, titled 21 Days and Counting.

IMAGE: Migrant workers rest on a railway track in Mumbai. Photograph: Prashant Waydande/Reuters

Sujata Mody, secretary at New Trade Union Initiative, said there was complete lack of empathy from employers and many of the workers were not fully aware of the governments initiatives in their states, which has left the workers disgruntled.

The contractors have fled, leaving the hapless workers behind. Some of the employers even told workers the money would be deducted for the ration supplied to them when they return to work. There is total lack of awareness, as there is no channel of proper communication within the relief camps. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, language is a barrier for Hindi-speaking workers, so the government of their native states should ideally be communicating with them, says Mody.

Days after the lockdown when hundreds of thousands of migrants began their journey from cities to their villages on foot, state governments and non-governmental organisations set up shelter homes to accommodate them to ensure they do not leave. There are around 1.04 million workers residing in 26,476 relief camps (40 people housed in a single camp on average).

As the government has said that some economic activities would resume from April 20, especially in special economic zones and villages, in a safe manner, bringing back workers who have already left the cities could prove to be a Sisyphean task.

For instance, 1.2 million workers were in quarantine centres in Uttar Pradesh after they returned from other places immediately after the lockdown was announced. After 14 days, they will finally be returning

home.

Even the homeless workers, who have been living in shelter homes for many years, are fast running out of patience.

I have been getting rice for three meals. I do not feel like eating any more. I want to return to Bihar to be with my family. At least, I will be able to do some farm-related work, eat, and live peacefully, 45-year-old Kishan Dev Mukhiya, who lives in a shelter home in Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi, said, tears rolling down his face.
Coronavirus: fishermen in Cyprus welcome government aid

by Annette Chrysostomou

April 16,2020 | Source: Cyprus Mail

Professional fishermen in Cyprus on Thursday joined the long list of workers whose livelihood is threatened by the coronavirus.



Due to the virus, hotels and restaurants, which buy most of the fresh fish, are closed, head of the Paphos fishermen association Leonidas Leonidou said. This means that two good fishing months of March and April were lost, which has had a massive impact on the fishing industry.



Leonidou welcomed the initiative of Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis and the director of the fishery department Marina Argyrou to pay each professional fisherman 1,000, at least for April.



The amount will be paid to those who have not been working at all.



In the Paphos district, around 110 professional fishermen are active, 65 in Paphos and 45 in Polis Chrysochous.

 2019 - Cyprus-mail.com

Theme(s): Others.
A university in Rome is conducting a pilot run for a patented artificial-intelligence based tool developed by three biotechnology students and a professor from Mumbai, which they claim can test COVID-19 through voice-based diagnosis using a smartphone.

The tool is being tested by University of Tor Vergata in Rome and has already been tested on 300 individuals, and has yielded 98 per cent accurate results.

According to the team from DY Patil Institute of Bio Technology and Bio Informatics, Mumbai, the tool is based on a voice-based diagnosis through an app.

The team includes bioinformatics students--Rashmi Chakraborty, Priyanka Chauhan and Priya Garg.

"While several foreign universities are trying to launch a Voice-Based AI tool for COVID-19 detection, this Indian tool is fully functional and currently in use in Italy to successfully identify COVID-19 patients. The students have a full-fledged working software with a rich database of patients and healthy samples. This tool is being currently used by the University of Rome to detect COVID patients with 98 per cent accuracy," professor Santosh Bothe, who supervised the project, told PTI.

"As someone speaks to the microphone on the app, the tool breaks down the voice in multiple parameters such as frequency and noise distortion. These values are then compared to a normal person's values and the patented technique then determines if the patient is positive or not," he added.

A team at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, is also working on a diagnostic tool based on analysis of cough and respiratory sounds.

According to Giovanni Saggio, Professor at the Rome university's Engineering department, the audio-based disease diagnosis tool can find coronavirus from timbre of the voice.

"Each human voice has 6300 parameters, and only a few units, less than a dozen, specifically characterize individuals. The human ear, apart from colds, is not able to distinguish them, but artificial intelligence does. Each one of our internal organs is sort of a resonator, so if we have a problem with our lungs or our heart, this is reflected in our voice," Saggio told PTI.

"The same person has one voice when they are healthy, and another if they have a pathology. Since the coronavirus compromises lungs and airwaves, the voice is definitely affected. The current novel coronavirus cases could be picked this way," he added.

Student researcher, Priya Garg believes this tool can be of great impact in doing the first level of screening to identify positives and only those who tested positive can go for the lab tests.

"This can reduce the current bottleneck on the medical infrastructure, help the government to identify hot spot regions in advance through location tracking integration and is possibly the best way to reach out to the remotest part of India by testing through a smartphone.

"When the country's medical infrastructure and the whole medical community is under immense pressure, this might be a great solution to reach patients remotely, without the risk of exposure, both to the patient and the lab personnel. While we don't propose the tool to replace current testing methods, the simplicity of this test can be used to screen and identify the COVID-19 positive cases at a very early stage of inception and hence contain the spread further," she added.

COVID-19 has killed at least 1,31,319 people around the world, with Europe accounting for more than two-thirds of the deaths. Europe has reported 88,716 deaths, while the United States has the single highest toll at 26,950. The US is followed by Italy with 21,645 deaths, Spain with 18,579 and France with 17,167.

In India, the death toll due to coronavirus rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 on Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(All dollar amounts are United States dollars unless otherwise stated)

VANCOUVER, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Asanko Gold Inc. ("Asanko" or the "Company") (TSX, NYSE American: AKG) is pleased to announce results for the first quarter ("Q1") from the Asanko Gold Mine ("AGM"), located in Ghana, West Africa. The AGM is a 50:50 joint venture ("JV") with Gold Fields Ltd (JSE,NYSE: GFI) which is managed and operated by Asanko. The Company expects to release its full financial and operational results before the market opens on May 7, 2020.

AGM Q1 Highlights (100% basis):

Record proceeds of $104.6 million generated from gold sales of 67,820 ounces at an average realized price of $1,542 per ounce





generated from gold sales of 67,820 ounces at an average realized price of per ounce Record gold production of 66,333 ounces





Mined 1.91 million tonnes ("Mt") of ore, including 0.59Mt of ore from Esaase





Processed 1.40Mt of ore with an average gold grade of 1.6 grams per tonne ("g/t")





Preliminary all-in sustaining costs1 ("AISC") of $805 /oz

"The Asanko Gold Mine had its best quarter since commercial production began four years ago," said Greg McCunn, Chief Executive Officer. "The mine continued its strong operational performance with record quarterly gold production and gold sales proceeds. In addition, the continued focus on capital spending discipline also resulted in the AGM posting its lowest quarterly AISC performance. The operational team has done a fantastic job in implementing strict health and safety protocols and supply chain management processes required for COVID-19, while still delivering an outstanding quarter. The strong performance of the operations enabled the joint venture to distribute $45m to the joint venture partners during Q1.

"As a result of receiving $22.5m in distributions from the AGM, the Company's financial position continued to strengthen with our corporate cash and receivables balance increasing to approximately $54 million at quarter-end with no debt. During the quarter, the Company used $2 million to repurchase shares under its Normal Course Issuer Bid, and we are currently continuing with this program."

COVID-19 Update

Further to the Company's update on COVID-19 on March 31, 2020, there continue to be no known or presumptive cases of COVID-19 with employees of Asanko or at the AGM. The Company's offices in Vancouver, Johannesburg and Accra all remain closed with employees working from home and observing local regulations. The AGM has been operating with strict hygiene, monitoring and social distancing protocols in place in accordance with the Ghanaian Ministry of Health guidelines. The AGM has continued to build its supply chain and now holds 8-9 months of key reagents, consumables and critical spares and three months of diesel supply. Dore produced from the AGM has continued to be refined with the AGM's primary precious metal refiner in South Africa.

Health and Safety

During the quarter, the Company aligned its health and safety reporting standards with those of the International Council on Mining & Metals ("ICMM"). During the quarter, there was one lost time injury ("LTI") and four total recordable injuries ("TRI") reported resulting in a LTI frequency rate ("LTIFR") of 0.51 per million employee hours worked and a TRI frequency rate ("TRIFR") of 2.02 per million employee hours worked.

Production

In Q1, the AGM sourced ore from the Nkran, Akwasiso and Esaase pits as well as run of mine stockpiles. During the quarter, 1.73Mt of waste and 1.29Mt of ore at an average gold grade of 1.65 g/t were mined from the Nkran pit. The Esaase pits collectively delivered 0.59Mt of ore at an average gold grade of 1.35 g/t with 3.69Mt of waste mined.

The AGM also re-commenced mining of the Akwasiso pit with 1.62Mt of waste mined and 0.04Mt of ore mined with an averge grade of 1.29 g/t. The AGM is expected to ramp-up ore mining from Akwasiso in Q2.

The processing plant milled 1.40Mt at a gold grade of 1.6 g/t during the quarter with metallurgical recovery averaging 94%. With gold production of 66,333 ounces in Q1, the AGM is on track to deliver its annual guidance of 225,000 to 245,000 ounces for 2020.

Preliminary Costs

Preliminary operating cost estimates for the AGM during the quarter are provided below, with final operating costs to be released in conjunction with the Q1 2020 Interim Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis on May 7, 2020. Preliminary operating cash costs per ounce1 for Q1 were $599, preliminary total cash costs per ounce1 were $676, and preliminary AISC per ounce were $805. The strong AISC performance reflected positive sales volume variance as well as planned lower sustaining capital expenditures. During Q2 and Q3, construction of the next lift on the Tailings Storage Facility is expected to be completed, which is expected to increase AISC in-line with the AGM's annual guidance of $1,000 to $1,100/oz for 2020.

AGM Key Production Statistics

(100% basis) Units Q1 2020 Q4 2019 Q3 2019 Q2 2019 Q1 2019 Total Tonnes Mined 000 t 8,962 6,361 7,477 8,864 8,089 Waste Tonnes Mined 000 t 7,051 4,956 6,372 7,808 6,584 Ore Tonnes Mined 000 t 1,911 1,405 1,105 1,056 1,505 Strip Ratio W:O 3.7:1 3.5:1 5.8:1 7.4:1 4.4:1 Average Gold Grade Mined g/t 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4 Ore Treated 000 t 1,400 1,460 1,439 1,375 1,224 Gold Feed Grade g/t 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6 Gold Recovery % 94 94 94 93 93 Gold Produced oz 66,333 66,112 62,440 62,067 60,425

Sales and Liquidity

Gold production for the quarter totalled 66,333 ounces with gold sales of 67,820 ounces at an average realized price of US$1,542 per ounce, generating record gold sales proceeds of $104.6 million for the JV. During the quarter, the joint venture undertook the proactive step to drawdown its $30 million revolving credit facility in light of the current economic uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. While the JV's healthy liquidity position did not necessitate the utilization of the credit facility, the Company determined that this was a prudent step to take to further strengthen the robust financial position during these uncertain times. As a result, at the end of the quarter, the JV held approximately $55.6 million in unaudited cash including the fully drawn revolving line of credit, $9.6 million in gold receivables and $0.5 million in dore. Distributions from the joint venture to the joint venture partners during the quarter totalled $45 million.

The Company held approximately $54 million in unaudited cash and receivables at the quarter-end following receipt of the $22.5 million in distributions from the JV and the use of $2 million in buying back shares under its Normal Course Issuer Bid. The Company has no debt.

Notes:

1 Non-GAAP Performance Measures

The Company has included certain non-GAAP performance measures in this press release. These non-GAAP performance measures do not have any standardized meaning. Accordingly, these performance measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. For a description of the methodology used to calculate these non-GAAP performance measures, see the Non-GAAP Measures section of Asanko's previously filed FY2019 Management Discussion and Analysis; reconciliations of these measures to the Company's financial results will be reported in accordance with IFRS in the Q1 2020 MD&A to be filed in the coming weeks.

Operating Cash Costs per ounce and Total Cash Costs per ounce

Operating cash costs are reflective of the cost of production, adjusted for share-based payments and by-product revenue per ounce of gold sold. Total cash costs include production royalties of 5%.





Operating cash costs are reflective of the cost of production, adjusted for share-based payments and by-product revenue per ounce of gold sold. Total cash costs include production royalties of 5%. All-in Sustaining Costs Per Gold Ounce

The Company has adopted the reporting of AISC as per the World Gold Council's guidance. AISC include total cash costs, corporate overhead expenses, sustaining capital expenditure, capitalized stripping costs and reclamation cost accretion per ounce of gold sold.

About Asanko Gold Inc.

Asanko is focused on building a sustainable business capable of long-term value creation for its stakeholders through organic production growth, exploration and disciplined deployment of its financial resources. The company currently operates and manages the Asanko Gold Mine, located in Ghana, West Africa which is jointly owned with Gold Fields Ltd. The Company is strongly committed to the highest standards for environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighbouring communities. For more information, please visit www.asanko.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which we refer to collectively as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "seek", "expect", "anticipate", "budget", "plan", "estimate", "continue", "forecast", "intend", "believe", "predict", "potential", "target", "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: estimates regarding the AGM's consumption of key reagents, consumables, critical spares and diesel fuel; the ability of the AGM to maintain current inventory levels; expected gold production; cost estimates; and statements with respect to the Company's share buy-back program. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited to: the ability of the AGM to continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic; that gold production and other activities will not be curtailed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; that the AGM will be able to continue to ship dore from the AGM site to be refined; that the dore produced by the AGM will continue to be able to be refined at similar rates and costs to the AGM, or at all; that the other current or potential future effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business, operations and financial position, including restrictions on the movement of persons (and in particular, the AGM's workforce), restrictions on business activities, including access to the AGM, restrictions on the transport of goods, trade restrictions, increases in the cost of necessary inputs, reductions in the availability of necessary inputs and productivity and operational constraints, will not impact its 2020 production and cost guidance; that the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic will be effective in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; the accuracy of the estimates and assumptions underlying the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates, including future gold prices, cut-off grades and production and processing estimates; the successful completion of development and exploration projects, planned expansions or other projects within the timelines anticipated and at anticipated production levels; that mineral resources can be developed as planned; that the Company's relationship with joint venture partners will continue to be positive and beneficial to the Company; interest and exchange rates; that required financing and permits will be obtained; general economic conditions; that labour disputes or disruptions, flooding, ground instability, geotechnical failure, fire, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate are as anticipated and other risks of the mining industry will not be encountered; that contracted parties provide goods or services in a timely manner; that there is no material adverse change in the price of gold or other metals; competitive conditions in the mining industry; title to mineral properties; costs; taxes; the retention of the Company's key personnel; and changes in laws, rules and regulations applicable to Asanko.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained herein. Some of the risks and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, include, but are not limited to: the Company's and/or the AGM's operations may be curtailed or halted entirely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether as a result of governmental or regulatory law or pronouncement, or otherwise; that the dore produced at the AGM may not be able to be refined at expected levels, on expected terms or at all; that the Company and/or the AGM will experience increased operating costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; that the AGM may not be able to source necessary inputs on commercially reasonable terms, or at all; the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic may not be successful in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; mineral reserve and resource estimates may change and may prove to be inaccurate; life of mine estimates are based on a number of factors and assumptions and may prove to be incorrect; AGM has a limited operating history and is subject to risks associated with establishing new mining operations; sustained increases in costs, or decreases in the availability, of commodities consumed or otherwise used by the Company may adversely affect the Company; actual production, costs, returns and other economic and financial performance may vary from the Company's estimates in response to a variety of factors, many of which are not within the Company's control; adverse geotechnical and geological conditions (including geotechnical failures) may result in operating delays and lower throughput or recovery, closures or damage to mine infrastructure; the ability of the Company to treat the number of tonnes planned, recover valuable materials, remove deleterious materials and process ore, concentrate and tailings as planned is dependent on a number of factors and assumptions which may not be present or occur as expected; the Company's operations may encounter delays in or losses of production due to equipment delays or the availability of equipment; the Company's operations are subject to continuously evolving legislation, compliance with which may be difficult, uneconomic or require significant expenditures; the Company may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining key personnel; labour disruptions could adversely affect the Company's operations; the Company's business is subject to risks associated with operating in a foreign country; risks related to the Company's use of contractors; the hazards and risks normally encountered in the exploration, development and production of gold; the Company's operations are subject to environmental hazards and compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations; the Company's operations and workforce are exposed to health and safety risks; unexpected costs and delays related to, or the failure of the Company to obtain, necessary permits could impede the Company's operations; the Company's title to exploration, development and mining interests can be uncertain and may be contested; the Company's properties may be subject to claims by various community stakeholders; risks related to limited access to infrastructure and water; the Company's exploration programs may not successfully expand its current mineral reserves or replace them with new reserves; the Company's common shares may experience price and trading volume volatility; the Company's revenues are dependent on the market prices for gold, which have experienced significant recent fluctuations; the Company may not be able to secure additional financing when needed or on acceptable terms; Company shareholders may be subject to future dilution; risks related to changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates; changes to taxation laws applicable to the Company may affect the Company's profitability and ability to repatriate funds; the Company's primary asset is held through a joint venture, which exposes the Company to risks inherent to joint ventures, including disagreements with joint venture partners and similar risks; risks related to the Company's internal controls over financial reporting and compliance with applicable accounting regulations and securities laws; the carrying value of the Company's assets may change and these assets may be subject to impairment charges; the Company may be liable for uninsured or partially insured losses; the Company may be subject to litigation; the Company may be unsuccessful in identifying targets for acquisition or completing suitable corporate transactions, and any such transactions may not be beneficial to the Company or its shareholders; the Company must compete with other mining companies and individuals for mining interests; and risks related to information systems security threats.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, you are cautioned that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other factors that the Company has not identified. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in, this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Asanko Gold Inc.

Related Links

https://www.asanko.com/


Two French soldiers died and five others were seriously injured when a Cougar military helicopter crashed in the Pyrenees on Wednesday.

The horrific accident saw the transport aircraft come down in a field close to the town of Lameac, near Tarbes, on Wednesday afternoon.

'The helicopter was performing an exercise when the accident happened,' said French Army spokesman Benoit Brulon, who said the victims were aged between 25 and 38.

'There were a total of seven people on board,' he said, without identifying any of them.

Two French soldiers died and five others were seriously injured when a Cougar military helicopter crashed in the Pyrenees in a field close to the town of Lameac

Emergency and military services rushed to the scene but two of the men could not be saved

The French Defense Ministry confirmed Adjudent-Chef Olivier Michel (L) and Brigadier Vincent Monguillon (R) lost their lives in the tragedy

The seven on board were traveling in a military helicopter similar to the model pictured

They were all members of the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment (RHC), who are based at Pau, close to France's border with Spain.

The Eurocopter AS532 Cougar, which is designed to carry both troops and equipment, crashed in 'fair weather' according to witnesses.

'We heard a noise and then saw thick smoke rising in the sky,' said one, speaking to local media.

He added: 'At first we thought it was a farmer who started the fire.. Then we saw all the emergency vehicles.'

Two of the injured were evacuated by helicopter, and three by road, to hospitals in Tarbes and Toulouse.

The Pyrenees mountain range is a popular military training area for the French armed forces

Tarbes prosecutor Pierre Aurignac confirmed that an investigation had been launched, and that he was on his way to the scene.

Florence Parly, France's defence minister, was also due to make a statement.

Last November, seven members of the RHC based in Pau died when a Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter collided with a Eurocopter AS532 Cougar military transport helicopter at low-altitude at night while on a sortie near the town of Menaka in Northern Mali.

The helicopters were pursuing enemy fighters in vehicles and motor-bikes, after ground forces had called in air support.

The helicopters collided and crashed, with all on board dying. An investigation into the disaster is ongoing.
Bin night in Enfield took a musical turn as neighbours took the rubbish out dressed as the Village People and performed YMCA to cheer up their street during coronavirus lockdown.

A group of jokers came out of their houses in North London dressed as the band and nailed the famous Seventies dance routine.

Paul Renny posted a video of the moment on Facebook, with his younger brother starring as the motorcycle police officer.

A group of jokers in Enfield, North London, dressed up as the Village People and danced along to YMCA to cheer up their street on bin night this week

They dressed as the famous cowboy, Native American chief, motorcycle cop, 'Leatherman', sailor/military man and construction worker.

The group danced standing in a circle, keeping their distance amid coronavirus social distancing rules.

Children and families were laughing and clapping as the newly-formed 'band' cheered up their entire street.

People were quick to praise the group of jokers on Facebook, with the video receiving more than 40,000 likes.

Paul Renny shared the video on Facebook where it received worldwide praise and got more than 40,000 likes. Mr Renny's younger brother starred as the traffic police officer

One viewer commented: 'Wish our street would do something like this. See you at 8?'

Their dancing has travelled worldwide, as one New York user said: 'I think thats great community spirit, love it have fun, stay safe and healthy.'

Their bin night YMCA performance no doubt brought smiles to their neighbours' faces - and everyone who saw the video on Facebook.

This is not the first time families have taken to their drives to dance since lockdown began on March 23 as neighbours in Frodsham, Cheshire, run daily dances.

Elsa Williams, 23, recorded the street dancing to Tom Jones's It's Not Unusual led by fitness instructor Janet Woodcock.

Ms Williams said: 'It was only meant to be a one time thing but it lifted people round here up a bit and they wanted more.

'It's also worth noting that our road hardly spoke to each other before all this!

'Most people are dancing in their drives. Anybody who looks a bit too close together live at the same residence.

'People's health is paramount, so of course 2m+ distancing is maintained at all times.

'Nobody is dancing in time. We know we're not very good.'

The 10 minute daily dance parties lift spirits while strict social distancing rules remain in place across the UK.
More than a third of the inmates at Neuse Correctional Institution have now been diagnosed with COVID-19.

As of Friday afternoon, 259 inmates at the eastern North Carolina prison had tested positive, state prisons commissioner Todd Ishee said.

Thats up from just 19 reported on Tuesday. The surge in new cases follows the prison systems decision on Thursday to conduct COVID-19 tests on every inmate at Neuse. More test results are pending.

The inmates whove tested positive at Neuse make up the overwhelming majority of the 281 cases reported in the states prisons overall. Statewide, 30 prison employees have also reported testing positive, Ishee said.

The state Department of Public Safety said Thursday that they would also offer testing to all 250 of the staff members at Neuse. Eight employees there have reported that theyve tested positive so far, Ishee said.

Located in Goldsboro, Neuse houses about 770 minimum and medium custody inmates.

Scott Davenport

Destiny Akers said her father, an inmate at Neuse, is likely among those whove been infected.

Her father, 56-year-old Scott Davenport, cut short his phone call with Akers on Tuesday afternoon, saying he felt, sick, tired and short of breath. Later that day, prison medical staff found that Davenport had a temperature of 102.3 degrees, Akers told The Charlotte Observer.

A prison nurse said Davenport would be tested for COVID-19, but family members have not yet received test results, Akers said.

Akers said she is particularly concerned because her father suffers from a lung disease, high blood pressure and other ailments. He has been put in a segregated housing unit, under quarantine. But family members have asked prison officials to send Davenport to a hospital to prevent him from contracting pneumonia, Akers said.

Testing all inmates at the prison is essential, she said, because I definitely think this is a public health crisis. But she worries that the prisons medical staff will soon be overwhelmed.

Story continues

What are they going to do when they have an extremely high number of cases? she asked.

Cause for concern but not for panic

COVID-19 test swabs were taken Wednesday from about 300 inmates in five dorms, DPS said. All of the inmates tested were placed in dorms that are now under quarantine. Additional test results are pending.

Among the inmates whove tested positive, 98 percent have no symptoms so far, according to Ishee, the state prisons commissioner.

Inmates who test positive are being separated from those who test negative, Ishee said. And all of the prisons staff members and inmates have been issued masks, he said.

This is a very challenging situation for our staff, Ishee said. ...Theyre really unsung heros.

Secretary of the NC Department of Public Safety Erik Hooks looks over his remarks before speaking during a briefing on North Carolinas coronavirus pandemic response a severe weather impacts on the state Friday April 17, 2020 at the NC Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh.

State prison officials say they are doing the testing at Neuse in partnership with the state public health laboratory, the Department of Health and Human Services and Labcorp.

The outbreak at Neuse CI is no doubt a cause for concern but not for panic, Ishee said. We have medical protocols in place to handle this and frankly it is better to know up front what we are facing so we can do what is necessary to stop the spread.

Prisons and jails are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases, experts say, because inmates live so closely together.

North Carolinas 53 prisons house about 35,000 inmates and employ about 16,000 staff members.

State prison officials announced Monday that they have begun releasing some inmates early to reduce the prison population and curb the spread of COVID-19.

State officials say they have also taken many other preventive steps.

Among other things, they have banned all visits to the prisons, suspended the work release program and begun taking the temperature of every employee who enters a prison each day.

State prison officials have also been scrambling to secure supplies that slow the spread of the virus, the Observer reported.

Inside state prison manufacturing plants, inmates are now making face masks, gowns, disinfectant and hand sanitizer. Prison officials say every inmate and staff member will receive a face mask once enough are manufactured.

Dear readers: The Observer needs your help
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 04:01:23|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writer Tan Jingjing

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The United States continues to see a startling number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, as over 613,000 cases and 26,000 deaths have been reported nationwide by Wednesday noon, according to Johns Hopkins University tally.

The United States topped the world in its confirmed cases and deaths, with 435,000 more cases than Spain, which has the second largest number of confirmed cases around the world.

New York City, one of the hot spots in the country, saw nearly 8,000 deaths in total.

The reasons why the United States has such high COVID-19 infection number have drawn great attention and concern from the public. One of the major reasons is the great amount of testing nationwide, experts noted.

More than 3 million tests have been completed in three weeks in the United States, Dr. Deborah Birx, White House COVID-19 task force director, told a daily press briefing earlier this week.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to date, 34 emergency use authorizations have been issued for diagnostic tests. More than 180 laboratories throughout the country have carried out testing.

Robert Schooley, a professor of medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, told Xinhua the number of cases reported are heavily influenced by how much testing is done in a given location.

"I find following hospitalization rates, ICU rates and death dates to be the most reliable indicators of the course of the epidemic in a given location," he said.

"These lag behind the number of new infections by a week or two, but they are much less sensitive to how much testing has been done. These numbers seem to be peaking in places like New York and we hope they now start dropping rapidly," Schooley said.

Besides wide testing, the startling infection number in the United States is also related to the sensitivity of its advanced testing methods, and the diagnostic criteria for COVID-19 patients, said Zhang Zuofeng, a professor of epidemiology and associate dean for research with the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Once an individual has tested positive for COVID-19, he or she will be counted into confirmed cases, different from some other countries which also take into consideration results of CT scans, blood tests or other clinical features, Zhang added.

Insufficient sheltering in place and starting it too late also contributed to the high infection and death number in the country, Stanley Perlman, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa, told Xinhua.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced late March that the national social distancing guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 will be extended to April 30. He had originally planned to reopen the country for business by Easter which fell on April 12.

Experts warned lifting containment measures, such as ordering residents to stay home and closing schools and nonessential businesses, may lead to a resurgence of the epidemic this summer.
GUATEMALA CITY - Guatemala has started testing all deportees arriving on flights from the United States for COVID-19 if anyone on their flight tests positive for the disease, a government spokesperson said Wednesday, a day after the health minister said deportees were driving up the countrys caseload.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Ana Lucia Gudiel said that when Guatemala resumed receiving deportation flights on Monday after a one week pause, the government began sending any deportees who showed symptoms for immediate testing while the rest were isolated at a shelter at the airport.

If any of those tests comes back positive, all deportees aboard that flight are tested, she said. If they are negative, all the deportees are sent home within a couple days and told to self-quarantine inside their homes. Previously, only those who displayed symptoms upon arrival were tested while the rest were sent home with instructions to quarantine themselves.

The new shelter is located at Guatemala Citys international airport where the flights arrived. Circulated photographs of the area show thin foam pads laid out on the floor inside an area of the terminal.

Health Minister Hugo Monroy did not answer requests for comment Wednesday. On Tuesday, he brought the countrys reporting of infected deportees into question by mentioning a flight where 50% to 75% of the passengers were later found to be infected.

Presidential spokesman Carlos Sandoval later said Monroy was referring to a March 26 flight from Mesa, Arizona. The government said that plane carried 41 passengers. That would mean that 20 to 30 deportees were infected, whereas prior to Monroys comments the government had reported only three infected deportees. It raised that number to four later Tuesday.

Asked about Monroys comments, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which arranges the flights said in a written response: The health and safety of migrants in our care and custody is one of our highest priorities. Every ICE detainee must pass a health screening by a flight medical provider or they will be denied boarding and referred to an ICE approved facility for additional screening. DHS and ICE will continue to work with the Government of Guatemala to ensure their citizens return safely to their home country, and together protect the health and security of our nations.

Guatemala again began receiving deportation flights from the United States after a one-week pause prompted by three deportees testing positive for COVID-19.

The Guatemalan government had asked the United States to not send more than 25 deportees per flight, to give them health exams before departure and to certify that they were not infected. But on Monday the U.S. sent nearly 200 deportees aboard two planes.

ICE does not typically disclose details about how and when it removes people but says there was an April 14 flight to Guatemala that left from San Antonio with 112 people on board. All were medically cleared before takeoff. The agency says any detainee with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher is not allowed to board a flight and is sent for further evaluation and observation.

U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement said Wednesday the total number of detainees who have tested positive rose to 89, with 15 at the privately run Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. The United States holds about 34,000 people in immigration detention, down from about 37,000 last month.

Since March 13, when Guatemala declared a health emergency, the Guatemalan Immigration Institute says that more than 1,600 deportees have arrived from the U.S. including 245 minors.

U.S. Rep. Norma Torres, who was born in Guatemala, said Wednesday in a statement that the Trump administration was not using common sense in continuing deportations to less-developed countries during a pandemic.

If the Trump Administration continues its callous deportation policies through the midst of this pandemic, the results will be predictable and tragic, she said. From the beginning of this Administration, deportations have been a way to outsource our challenges to other nations. Coronavirus changes that  these deportations are exporting death.

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei said Tuesday there were a total of 175 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in Guatemala and five who had died.

__

Fox reported from Washington.
Did you ever read THE RED DEATH by Edgar Allan Poe? Diane Downs asked. Required reading in high school. Once the plague is in the house, theres no avoiding it.

Downs, who was convicted 35 years ago of shooting her three children in one of the most notorious murder cases in Oregon history, believes the novel coronavirus has already rolled through the Central California Womens Facility where shes incarcerated -- and that she survived it thanks to luck and a conscientious prison employee.

The Chowchilla, Calif., prison, which houses about 3,000 inmates and is now locked down to protect against the coronavirus spread, has only tested two prisoners for COVID-19, the deadly illness caused by the virus. Neither test came back with a positive result, according to the California Department of Corrections COVID-19 tracker. The online tool lists one prison employee at CCWF as having tested positive.

Downs, now 64, has been incarcerated in California for most of the past 25 years, following stints in Oregon and New Jersey prisons.

On a May night in 1983, the young, divorced letter carrier drove up to the emergency room of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital. Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3-year-old Danny -- were in the car with her, each shot at close range. Cheryl was dead, Christie and Danny grievously wounded. Downs herself had been shot in the arm.

Diane Downs is shown here in 1983, her arm in a cast from the gunshot wound she suffered. (The Oregonian)

Downs has always maintained that she didnt shoot her children. She says she now follows news about the coronavirus pandemic as closely as she can from prison and is concerned about her surviving offspring contracting COVID-19.

Every time the World News shows the big red circles on the national map, I look at Oregon because thats where Christie and Daniel are, she told The Oregonian/OregonLive via email sent through her brother, James Frederickson. Compared to other States, it appears Oregons red circle is smaller than most places. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? I still worry about them and love them, though theyll never know it.

At the time of the shootings, Downs told police a bushy-haired stranger standing on the side of an empty country road had waved down her car -- then leaned in and fired a gun at the children.

Detectives thought Downs demeanor during interviews was odd and that her story seemed far-fetched. They soon discovered a possible motive for her: Her diary suggested she was obsessed with a man who didnt want children.

In the 1984 trial, 9-year-old Christie took the stand and said her mother had shot her.

After Downs was convicted (she was sentenced to life plus 55 years), the cases lead prosecutor adopted Christie and Danny. Downs gave birth to another child shortly after the trial; that girl, Becky, was adopted by a Bend couple.

Diane Downs' trial was national news in 1984.

The late true-crime writer Ann Rule published a best-selling book about the case in 1987, the same year Downs escaped from Salems Oregon Womens Correctional Institution. (Downs was captured 10 days later.) The book, Small Sacrifices, was made into a 1989 TV movie starring Farrah Fawcett.

Frederickson, who contacted The Oregonian/OregonLive this week because hes concerned about the coronavirus in the Chowchilla prison, says he believes his sisters story about a bushy-haired stranger. He points out that a man named Clayton Nysten provided a sworn affidavit in the 1990s in which he stated that a former friend of his, Jim Haynes, admitted shooting the children because Downs had found out about an illegal drug operation. Haynes allegedly said he shot the children to teach [Downs] a lesson, and make her suffer for the rest of her life. Nysten and Haynes are now both deceased.

At her 2008 parole hearing, Downs blamed the shootings on Haynes and suggested he had been hired by Pat Horton, who was the Lane County district attorney when the shootings occurred.

Frederickson says his sister often has been a target in prison because of her notoriety. New inmates who know of her come in and think its necessary for them to make a name for themselves, so it is not uncommon for her to be attacked, he says.

But now Downs is worried about COVID-19, not inmates trying to earn a rep.

She likened the illness to Poes 1842 short story The Masque of the Red Death. The red death had long devastated the country, the story begins. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal -- the madness and the horror of blood.

Downs said prisoners at Central California Womens Facility began suffering COVID-19 symptoms -- headaches, extreme fatigue, coughing and tightness in the chest -- in February. Few of them had heard about the coronavirus at that time. She said the prison doctors diagnosed the sick inmates with a rhinovirus -- the common cold.

Whatever the illness was, it hit her cellblock hard in early March, she wrote.

On March 11, Downs told her brother that a roommate in her large, barracks-like cell had been sick for three weeks, and that the other five prisoners in the cell, herself included, were now feeling ill.

She continued to report for work every day at the prison. She said she refurbishes bicycles for underprivileged children.

I dragged myself to work the 11th and 12th of March, exhausted and fuzzy in the brain, Downs wrote this week. Dry cough. Headache. Sinuses clogged with very thick mucus.

Her supervisor saw she was struggling and told her to go back to bed.

I showered, slept for 4 hours, woke up and drank water, then went back to sleep for 16 more hours, she wrote. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my life.

She added that the prison has just received a shipment of precut swatches and shes started sewing face masks for the kiddos at the Childrens Hospital.

-- Douglas Perry

@douglasmperry

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Huawei, under a US Ban, is utilizing all its Chinese resources, turning to Chinese chipmaker SMIC over TSMC for its Kirin processor production, a new report states.

Huawei turns to SMIC over TSMC for Kirin processor production

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Company (SMIC) is Chinas leading processor chipmaker. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the worlds leading chipmaker. A new report states that Huawei has made the switch to SMIC. The reason pertains to the re-production of its Kirin 710 SoC. Huaweis Kirin 710 uses TSMCs 12nm FinFet process. Version 2 of the 710 SoC will utilize SMICs 14nm FinFet process. The new processor version will have the 710A branding instead of the 710 branding.

Could Huawei leave TSMC?

The DigiTimes report says Huawei is already working with SMIC. The question then becomes, is it possible? In theory, it is. After all, TSMCs chip production is in the middle of the US-China war.

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The US is trying to reduce Huaweis influence globally, even in the 5G race. Huawei could turn to a Chinese chipmaker to have more independence over its phone production. Additionally, working with a Chinese chipmaker could be perceived as an investment in its home country. China, like the US, is heavily nationalistic.

The US could require TSMC to have a license to sell chips to Huawei. TSMCs chip production involves the use of American chipmaking equipment. The US is considering revising its Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) to require TSMC to secure a license before selling SoC chips to Huawei. This would block global chip sales to Huawei and essentially push them back to their home country to find fab production.

The US is currently pressuring TSMC to move its chip production stateside. Conversely, Huawei is also pressuring TSMC to move its production to Huaweis own $3 billion Nanjing plant.

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With the US being the largest investor in TSMC chips (a 60% investor, to be exact), TSMC is likely feeling the pressure of complying with the US request.

Even if TSMC doesnt comply with the US request, Huawei is feeling the weight of its current Ban in the States  so much so that it doesnt want to take a chance with TSMC and end up in the cold. Which is why the company just may be on to something to move its chip production to SMIC for the long-term.

Huaweis quest for independence

Huaweis move to Chinese chipmaker SMIC is part of the companys quest for independence. The new US Ban for Huawei, started back in mid-May 2019, has forced the company to move in a self-sufficient direction. The company relied on Googles Android software for its mobile devices; at the institution of the Ban, Google revoked Huaweis Android license.

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The company has since started its own open-source HarmonyOS (Chinese HongMeng). Huawei is currently building its own AppGallery app store. The company is investing in app development to win developers for the platform.

Shenzhens star OEM is also bringing an AppSearch search engine to its app store to help users find third-party apps the company cant provide.

Huawei may not like being forced out of Android, but the company is likely learning a thing or two about reliance on the US and companies that lie heavily under US influence.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned that Congress may not pass another round of funding for a key small business payroll relief programme for another week or two, even though the programme is set to run out of money on Thursday.

Ms Pelosi told reporters on Thursday that she hopes an interim relief bill that would include money for the Treasury Departments paycheck protection programme (PPP) could pass Congress "by the end of the month."

While Republicans are clamouring for Democrats to join them in passing an additional $251bn for the paycheck programme on top of the $350bn Treasury has already doled out to small businesses through banks, Democrats have raised concerns that that money has not been distributed equitably to minority-, women-, tribal-, and veteran-owned businesses that dont have relationships with large banks.

Ms Pelosi is negotiating for $60bn of the $251bn in the interim relief bill to be earmarked for "community development financial institutions" that provide capital to small businesses in poor and otherwise underserved communities.

Democrats say they will hold fast to their request for $150bn in additional funding for states and local governments, $100bn more for hospitals, and a 15 per cent increase in the maximum benefits for food stamp beneficiaries.

All of that  except the food stamps expansion  would supplement similar measures included in the so-called CARES Act, the federal governments $2.2trn economic stimulus package from March that was the most expensive bill in US history.

Democratic negotiators have been meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his advisers throughout the week to reach a deal on the interim bill before moving onto discussions for a more expansive follow-up CARES 2 package.

"Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. That's what we do," Ms Pelosi said on Thursday, continuing her recent penchant over the last few weeks for repeating words in a series of three.

The speaker said Democratic negotiators will meet with Mr Mnuchin again on Thursday afternoon.

We're hopeful they will come back with something that strikes a balance with what we know we need to do," she said.

Meanwhile, Republicans are framing the prolonged negotiations over more funding for the small business relief programme as Democrats letting an essential government service run dry as social distancing guidelines to fight coronavirus are putting millions of Americans out of work.

"All it simply takes is the Democrats to say yes. I dont know what more it takes. There are 5 million reasons today. 22 million this month, said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, alluding to new unemployment claims from the past week and the month of April overall.

This is not a time to play politics, Mr McCarthy said as White House officials on Thursday began calling on Democrats to return to Washington to address the paycheck programme and other virus-related matters.

Donald Trump and other White House officials have broadly targeted 1 May to begin re-opening some parts of the economy, but they contend restrictions should be loosened on a state-by-state basis, depending on how affected by the pandemic certain regions are.

We think that some of the governors will be in really good shape to open up even sooner than the 1 May target date, Mr Trump said at his daily press briefing on Wednesday.

Others are going to have to take a longer period of time, Mr Trump said.

But Democrats and health experts have warned that the US does not have the testing capacity to ensure Americans can go back to working in person safely.

Reopening the economy without proper testing or contact tracing  the ability to track and quarantine people who have come into contact with others who have tested positive for Covid-19  could lead to a resurgence of the coronavirus infection rate, they warn.

Health experts have said the US needs to be testing 500,000 people per day at a minimum.

Thats far more than the roughly 140,000 Americans who were being tested per day earlier this week.
Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh has described a rise in domestic violence in Europe as heartbreaking.

It is reported that cases increased by a third in some countries after the lockdown was put in place.

Ms Walsh has urged the EU and member states to offer more support to victims.

She outlined what should be done: "As parliamentarians our job is to push and keep asking the commissioning council to put better measures in place.

"Every European country needs to provide fast and safe accommodation so that if we do have victims of abuse they are able to get to safety as quickly as possible.

"Put in support structures for long after Covid-19 because it doesn't just stop after the restrictions lift."

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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (April 14) halted his country's funding for World Health Organisation (WHO), saying Washington will put the funding on hold till a review is being conducted in the WHO's "role in severely mismanaging and covering up" the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 after it emerged in Chinese city of Wuhan.

"Today I'm instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization. We will redirect global health and directly work with others. All of the aid that we send will be discussed at very, very powerful letters," Trump said during a press conference.

Notably, the US is the biggest single funder of WHO, providing USD 400 million in 2019 - around 15% of the total budget of the global health body.

President Trump has been openly critical of the WHO, accusing the world health body of not showing urgency to take actions despite being aware of the dangers of the coronavirus. "The WHO failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable," added Trump.

According to President Trump, the mismanagement by WHO led to a 20% increase in coronavirus cases across the world.

In an indirect attack on China, Trump also said that everyone knows what is happening there?

It would not be wrong to say that WHO is largely dependent on the funding it receives from the US for its operations. After the US, China is the second biggest funder of the global body and in 2019 it had provided Rs 650 crore to the WHO.

Though the US administration is also to be blamed for the spread of coronavirus in the country but it would be wrong to not ask tough questions from the WHO and hold it accountable for its 'failures' in curbing the spread of coronavirus.

It may be recalled that on January 14, 2020, the WHO had claimed that coronavirus is not transmitting due to contact between humans. The WHO had made the claim despite the admission by Wuhan Health Commision that it would be wrong to say that coronavirus is not spreading from one human to another.

WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is facing severe criticism in the US and other countries due to his failure to take proper measures at the right time and for supporting China.

It may be recalled that Dr Tedros travelled to China in January to meet President Xi Jingping and praised China for taking measures to check the spread of coronavirus. But 45 days after Dr Tedros' praise for China, the world has lost over one lakh lives due to COVID-19.

Dr Tedros is a resident of Ethiopia and he was appointed WHO chief in July 2017. Notably, China had supported Dr Tedros' campaign to become the WHO chief and had voted in his favour. China had also helped Dr Tedros in getting the votes of some other nations. Critics are claiming that Dr Tedros is now paying back to China by praising Beijing for its efforts against coronavirus.

Despite facing flak from global community for its mishandling of coronavirus crisis, the WHO is seeeking Rs 7,500 crore as additional aid from international community.

Several US senators have also come out in open slamming the WHO for siding with China and exposing the world to the risk of coronavirus infection. Some American senators have written a letter to WHO chief Dr Tedros and have sought answers of some questions from him.

Experts said that the letter written by senators could become the basis for a probe against WHO. The senators have mentioned in the letter the US Congress could hold a hearing in connection with this matter because the funds which the US gives to WHO is the money of ordinary Americans.

The US senators have also sent a copy of the letter to the UN chief. The senators have asked six questions from the WHO. Here are the six questions:

1. What has the WHO done to contain the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic?

2. What are the standards set up by WHO to deal with coronavirus crisis?

3. When was WHO informed about coronavirus infection in China for the first time?

4. When did the WHO team visit China to probe this matter?

5. Who was monitoring the emerging situation due to coronavirus at WHO and who was talking with Chinese government over this matter?

6. Were the WHO staff paid money by some external sources except their salary?

WHO has its offices in 147 countries across the world and the WHO was formed around seven decades ago to protect the world from epidemic and pandemic. Though the WHO has succeeded in controlling several epidemics in the past, its failure on controlling coronavirus has put the global health body in a tough spot.
Obesity may be one of the most important predictors of severe coronavirus illness, new studies say. Its an alarming finding for the United States, which has one of the highest obesity rates in the world.

Though people with obesity frequently have other medical problems, the new studies point to the condition in and of itself as the most significant risk factor, after only older age, for being hospitalized with Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Young adults with obesity appear to be at particular risk, studies show.

The research is preliminary, and not peer reviewed, but it buttresses anecdotal reports from doctors who say they have been struck by how many seriously ill younger patients of theirs with obesity are otherwise healthy.

No one knows why obesity makes Covid-19 worse, but hypotheses abound.

Some coronavirus patients with obesity may already have compromised respiratory function that preceded the infection. Abdominal obesity, more prominent in men, can cause compression of the diaphragm, lungs and chest capacity. Obesity is known to cause chronic, low-grade inflammation and an increase in circulating, pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may play a role in the worst Covid-19 outcomes.
A law requiring less than 120 days' stay in India to claim Non-Resident Indian (NRI) status needs to be changed, an association representing NRIs has demanded, citing economic disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The US-based Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to change the provision, implemented through the Finance Act, 2020, saying it is a "hard blow" to many NRIs.

"According to Income Tax laws, a person can qualify as an NRI if he stays in India for less than 120 days. Then his global income is exempted from tax in India as an NRI. However, his income in India would still be taxed," chartered accountant Sunil Rawla said.

In a letter to Sitharaman, GOPIO president Sunny Kulathakal has said NRIs and the People of Indian Origin (PIO) have been substantially contributing to the Indian economy.

According to a World Bank report, India is the top recipient of remittances in the world. In 2018, the Indian diaspora sent a whopping USD 79 billion back home, a rise of 14 per cent from the previous year, Kulathakal said.

"In view of the world-wide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented disruption of economic activities, GOPIO appeals to the government of India for immediate repeal of the revised NRI status duration rule of 120 days and make it 182 days, which has existed for long," he said.

The new rule is akin to penalising all NRIs, Kulathakal said.

"Entire nation is suffering due to the closure of borders, shutdown of airlines and other means of transportation. Many NRIs are forced to stay longer in India due to quarantine and travel restrictions imposed on them to combat the pandemic, resulting in losing their NRI status," he said.

"In view of these disruptive developments that are beyond our control, we plead before you to revoke the provision on NRI status introduced through the Union Budget 2020," Kulathakal said.

The GOPIO is the largest network of the Indian diaspora, which was founded in 1989 in New York, the letter said.

Though the initial focus of the organisation was on human rights violations against the people of Indian origin, over the past three decades, it has been actively involved in the social, economic, cultural and educational issues of the PIO community and NRIs around the globe.

The GOPIO has been striving to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives such as Make in India, Skill India and Digital India among the NRI-PIO community, the letter said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Neighbors have begun policing and shaming each other online for defying social distancing orders as an increasing number of states extend their coronavirus shutdowns.

Some complain about joggers panting on passers-by. Others wonder what to do when they overhear drunken partygoers rejecting quarantine measures. Still more question whether people they see in the street are really on 'essential' business.

And as users test the line between civic duty and intrusive surveillance - often trying to shame their peers into obeying social distancing rules - experts worry that a practice once frowned upon is becoming normalized.

Disgruntled residents have begun shaming their neighbors and people in their area over social distancing guidelines on social media networks

Dr Emily Laidlaw, an associate professor at the University of Calgary who studies privacy law and online shaming, said some people have turned to shaming others as a last resort.

'There is a sense that if you do it you can save lives... With COVID-19, we're scared and there is an urgency to enforce the social distancing rules. Shaming is really one of the only tools we have,' she said.

Listservs across the United States  which has recorded 645,064 cases and 28,585 deaths  have lit up with complaints in recent weeks.

Pictured: A member of the National Guard directs motorists to a coronavirus drive up testing site at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York, on Wednesday

'It distresses me greatly to see a few uncaring louts who scoff at the safety rules that are meant for all of us to get through this awful situation,' said one user on a listserv for a wealthy suburb of the capital Washington, which has seen a slew of complaints about people ignoring distancing guidelines.

'I have a suggestion - if you see such behaviors as mentioned above - why not take photos/videos of the offenders? This could discourage their dangerous behaviors,' said another.

Other examples are rife on platforms such as Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social media network which demands users post under their real names and verify their locations.

Users on the social media app Nextdoor (pictured) have begun sharing complaints and shaming people in their area during the COVID-19 pandemic

'My neighbors are all drunk and having a party next door. One of them went on a loud tirade near my door that another month of quarantine is stupid and that he wasn't going to do it,' posted one frustrated resident of a middle class west Los Angeles neighborhood recently.

'You need to report them when it's happening because that just means another month for us to be indoors,' another user replied.

Public shaming is against community guidelines and comments deemed as falling into the category will be removed, according to the app.

It also touts the Kindness Reminder, a feature announced last year to keep conversations respectful, and which has been modified in recent weeks with language specific to COVID-19.

Wicca Davidson, who runs a listserv for a municipality in Maryland, says that since the pandemic began she has seen an uptick in complaints about behavior.

While some said social shaming helped keep people indoors, others feared for 'casualties who are taken down by this unfairly, and the normalization of neighborhood surveillance'

One user responded to shaming others with photos by cautioning that becoming a 'police-state type of community isn't healthy'

'We don't want to give a few people the ability to derail the use of the listserv,' she said.

But the social shaming and pressure, according to 31-year-old Divya Sonti, has helped people stay inside during coronavirus lockdowns.

'There's definitely social shaming. That's part of what's working to stay home,' said Sonti, an employee of IQ Solutions, which specializes in public health communications and health information technology.

Laidlaw agreed and said such policing can be effective, but 'there is a cost that should be acknowledged - casualties who are taken down by this unfairly, and the normalization of neighborhood surveillance.'

One member of the Washington suburb listserv echoed her fears.

'I sympathize with the concern but becoming a police-state type of community isn't healthy,' the user wrote.

'This is not ok to take picture of people and post them,' another person wrote on a Nextdoor group in Los Angeles, after a user posted photographs of people they felt were walking too closely together.

Laidlaw said policing and shaming were already on their way to being normalized online before the pandemic, noting that 'shaming sites are not new, nor are neighborhood watch/surveillance sites'.

But until now, she says, there was also strong condemnation of public shaming.

'I worry when the dust has settled, what was once contentious will be the new normal.'

That is problematic because of the lack of context online, and the speed at which such condemnation can spread.

For example, in Brooklyn, one neighbor complained on Nextdoor about seeing a group of people in the street - a group which another user said was likely from a local substance abuse meeting.

The sentiment is also echoed in one of the many viral Facebook posts calling for compassion at a time when so many are already struggling to cope.

'Do you ever think maybe that guy buying a gallon of paint knows he must keep busy because idle hands in the past has caused him to relapse and pick up that case of beer?' it reads.

'I know we are all on edge but please stop being so judgmental of others.'

Pictured: A man on a stretcher is moved from a Brooklyn apartment building to an ambulance by New York firefighters and EMT's during the coronavirus pandemic

As the continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, an official date to reopen the economy has not been chosen.

President Trump will unveil his plan to reopen the country in a phone call with governors Thursday afternoon.

Despite warnings from CEOs and health care professionals alike, President Trump has shown his impatience with the shut down and has become focused on a May day reopening.

'We want to get our country open again,' Trump said Wednesday.

In recent days, places like Michigan and Los Angeles county have extended their lockdown guidelines.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York extended the state's lockdown until May 15.

'The close down has worked. However, we're not there yet,' Cuomo said. 'We have to continue. I'd like to see that infection rate get down even more.

'I don't want to project beyond that period - that's one month. What happens after then, I don't know. We will see depending on what the data shows.'
An anonymous person called the police department in Andover, New Jersey, on Monday to report that a corpse was being stored in a shed outside the largest licensed nursing home in the state. When officers arrived, they discovered the body was gone, but found 17 others inside the facility's tiny morgue.

The Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II has 700 beds in two buildings, The New York Times reports. There have been 68 recent deaths of residents and nurses, with at least 26 testing positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. As of Wednesday, 76 patients and 41 staffers have also tested positive for the virus. Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson told the Times the facility was "just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring." He added, "I don't know if I'm shocked by any means."

Most long-term care facilities in New Jersey have reported at least one case of the coronavirus to state authorities. As of Wednesday, 6,815 patients in New Jersey have been infected by the virus, and at least 45 of the day's 351 deaths related to COVID-19 took place at a nursing home.

"The challenge we're having with all of these nursing homes is once it spreads, it's like a wildfire," Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) told the Times. "It's very hard to stop it." His office has been receiving calls from worried nurses and family members of residents, and "it's scary for everybody," Gottheimer said. "What is surprising to me is how many are dying in house, versus the hospital."

Local health officials were told by Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation I and II staffers that sick patients were separated from other residents, and placed on the same floors or wings. Prior to the pandemic, Medicare gave the facility a one-star rating, or "much below average," based on staffing levels, patient care, and inspections. Read more at The New York Times.

More stories from theweek.com

Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic?

4,600 U.S. coronavirus deaths were recorded Thursday, nearly double Wednesday's record high

Lindsey Graham keeps breaking fundraising records. His Democratic challenger still outraised him.


Anyone with information on Larry Riegel or other missing person cases is asked to call Yakima police at 509-575-6200 or Yakima County Crime Stoppers at 800-248-9980. Tips can also be submitted online at www.crimestoppersyakco.org .

 Susan Libby Marable , 34, has been missing since April 23, 1991; she disappeared just weeks after her convicted rapist threatened her and her family in open court.

Several men and women have gone missing from the city of Yakima. While this list is not complete, here are a few of the more recent cases:

Men missing from Yakima County

Several men are missing from Yakima County. This list is not complete, but here are some cases from the past few decades:

 Bernard Schieber, 86, of Yakima has not been seen since Aug. 8, when he left his home in the 2500 block of South 84th Avenue in Yakima. His black, full-size Chevrolet pickup was found a few weeks later in a closed portion of the Yakama Nation reservation. Anyone with any information about Schieber is asked to call the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at 509-574-2500.

 Josiah Jo Hilderbrand, 25, of Piercy, Calif., and Jon Cleary, 48, of Huntington Beach, Calif., disappeared en route to a Dead & Company show that opened June 7 at the Gorge Amphitheatre. They were last seen June 7. The car they were traveling in  a light blue 2004 Honda Civic hybrid with California plates  was found abandoned June 8 in an orchard at 8100 Lateral B Road in Toppenish. Relatives are offering a $25,000 reward for any information concerning the men's whereabouts and what happened to them, and the FBI is investigating. The FBI Yakima office number is 509-453-4859.

 Jose Francisco Canales, 43, of Harrah was last heard from on July 7, 2018. The father of seven is among more than a dozen people from Yakima County with open missing person cases on NamUS, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

 Elias Chief Culps, 25, of White Swan has been missing since Dec. 27, 2018. Those with information are asked to call the Yakama Nation Police Department at 509-865-2933, case No. 19-009167.

 Rolando "Gabby" Gutierrez, 44, of Mabton has been missing since Sept. 16, 2017. When his family last heard from him, Gutierrez was in Puerto Penasco, also known as Rocky Point, a Mexican fishing and resort city on the Gulf of California. Earlier this fall, forensic scientists in the Mexican state of Sonora had recovered 52 bodies and skeletons from a mass grave near Puerto Penasco. His family told an Associated Press reporter that they thought there might be a chance his body was among them.

 Kris Fowler, 34, was last seen Oct. 12, 2016. Fowler, also known as "Sherpa," was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and had started at the border with Mexico with a goal of completing the 2,800-mile trek to the Canadian border. He was last seen in the White Pass area. Those with information should call the Yakima County Sheriffs Office at 509-574-2500.

 Joseph Eric Miranda Jr., 23, has been missing from Granger since May 26, 2016, according to his NamUS profile. His mother last saw him late on the evening of May 25, 2016.

 Justin Lee McConville has been missing from Toppenish since January 2015. He was 24 years old at the time and was last seen on the Yakama reservation, but travels to Oregon and fishes a distance along the Columbia River. His missing person case remains active at Yakama tribal police.

 Anthony Tony Peters, also known as Anthony Colfax Peters, 56, was last seen in October 2014 at Legends Casino in Toppenish. Peters was homeless at the time, living with relatives, friends or elsewhere when necessary, a sister said. His missing person case remains open with the Yakama Nation Police Department, No. 15-006132. He has been known to travel to other nearby reservations.

 Donnie Sampson, 71, was hunting elk about 45 miles west of White Swan when his truck was found Oct. 30, 1994, in the foothills of Mount Adams. Searchers found no trace of Sampson. His nitroglycerin, lunch, clothing and three rifles were discovered in his truck. A fourth rifle he left home with disappeared. He is a well-known religious leader who had been serving for eight years on the Tribal Councils Code of Ethics Committee when he disappeared.

 Roland Jack Spencer III disappeared in late May 1984. He was 3 years old when last seen in the area of Knight Lane and Campbell Road in Wapato, according to his profile on The Charley Project. Roland is presumed to have been abducted by a non-family member, his profile notes. At that time, he was living with a great-aunt.

Rolands mother, Celestine Faye Spencer, went missing in late 1982. Two weeks after she was last seen, her body was found on Nov. 11, 1982, at the bottom of a gully in a field off McCullough Road along the north slope of Ahtanum Ridge. Investigators said she died of hypothermia and ruled her death an accident. Her son has been declared legally dead, but his case remains unsolved.
At least 30 persons, who had



travelled to Maharashtra's Sangli district in a bus from Uttar Pradesh were detained and sent for institutional quarantine, police said on Thursday.

The bus carrying 30 persons was intercepted by the police and health officials at Miraj on Wednesday and on investigation, it was found that the passengers were residents of Sangli, who had gone to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on business, an official said.

The COVID-19 lockdown had forced them to stay back in Varanasi for some time, but they decided to make their way home to Sangli, he said.

All 30 passengers were detained, taken to a civil hospital for swab tests and then sent to a quarantine facility at the Government Polytechnic in Miraj, where they will remain for the next 14 days, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands of British military personnel are self-isolating because of coronavirus, it emerged today

Figures reveal an estimated 13,000 regular and reserve personnel are currently absent from duty - accounting for 9.1 per cent of the military.

Fewer than 100 service personnel have tested positive for Covid-19, statistics released for the first time show.

The 9.1 per cent figure refers to those self-isolating because of family members and also tending to vulnerable people. It includes those people working from home.

Defence sources stressed the absenteeism has not affected the effort against coronavirus or any critical defence outputs.

The Mail understands not all personnel who show symptoms are being tested for the virus, which could explain why the figure for positive cases is less than 100.

Labour's shadow defence secretary John Healey said: 'These concerning figures make Labour's case for greater protections and more testing of forces personnel even stronger.

'Our armed forces keep us safe. It is vital we do the same for them.'

Meanwhile the head of the Armed Forces said troops could be deployed to care homes to carry out mass testing of residents and staff.

General Sir Nick Carter said they could roll out 'pop-up' sites like mobile libraries to make sure isolated communities are given the tests.

Dozens of troops have received training by Boots pharmacy so they administer coronavirus test to frontline NHS workers who come to sites to see if they are fit to work

General Sir Nick Carter said they could roll out 'pop-up' sites like mobile libraries to make sure isolated communities are given the tests

In a virtual briefing on Britain's military effort against Covid-19, the Chief of the Defence Staff said: 'We are increasingly involved in the government's testing programme.

'Partly in terms of the planning and all that goes with that but also in terms of thinking in ways of which the testing can be rolled out to isolated communities and indeed perhaps in future to care homes.

'And the idea of pop-ups, a bit like mobile libraries, that are able to get out and touch the community more closely are the sorts of things that are in development at the moment.

'And the military is involved in trying to construct that and to create prototypes that perhaps could then be lent out to industry in short order.'

Military personnel have already started conducting the tests on NHS staff across the country after they received training on how to carry out the throat and nose swabs.

Soldiers help move medical supplies at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, which is being turned into a 2000-bed hospital

Dozens of troops have received training by Boots pharmacy so they administer coronavirus test to frontline NHS workers who come to sites to see if they are fit to work.

Army medical personnel have already begun testing NHS staff across the country.

A total of 180 personnel have been set aside for the testing task and a number of extra sites have been scoped for the testing to be conducted at.

A total of 32 soldiers in Birmingham have received the initial training from Boots and are training the rest of the contingent themselves.

Troops drawn from the tri-service Covid Support Force are also being deployed to Manchester and Glasgow to start helping to test NHS staff in the first instance.

Sir Nick said the scientists in Porton Down were also 'providing valuable help to the whole way testing is being conducted and will be conducted in the future', He went on: 'Our role is very much in support of the heroic health care workers on the front line. We are for once in our lives not on the frontline and it is very important as we provide the support that is necessary that we recognise that.

'In terms of the intent that I have issued to the armed forces  humility being the watchword in the way that we help and support others.'
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Hindustan Composites share price rose 10 percent intraday on April 16 after the company resumed partial operations at its Aurangabad unit.

The stock has gained more than 40 percent after hitting multi-year lows on March 23. It was trading at Rs 142.75, up Rs 12.75, or 9.81 percent, on the BSE at 1340 hours.

After getting permission from the local administration, the company resumed partial operations at Paithan plant, Aurangabad, from April 16, Hindustan Composites told BSE.

The company suspended work at all its manufacturing units from March 23 as a safety measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Hindustan Composites manufactures friction material, industrial sealing and safety products catering to industrial sectors such as automotive, railways engineering, mining, aerospace, chemical, steel, etc.
(Newser)  The shuttered Smithfield Foods pork plant in Sioux Falls, SD, is now the largest single source of coronavirus cases in the country. Eighty more employees were confirmed to have COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the employee total to 518. State health officials say another 126 people who had contact with an employee have tested positive, for a combined 644 cases linked to the hot spot, per the Argus Leader. Previously, the largest cluster of cases came from the USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam, where 615 cases have now been recorded, per the New York Times. The plant with 3,700 employees was closed Sunday until further notice, with Smithfield CEO Kenneth Sullivan warning that the US was "perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply."

story continues below

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem says she's working with federal officials to get the plant back up and running. A team from the CDC is to offer guidance during a tour on Thursday. The state is also "aggressively testing" employees and those they've been in contact with, Noem says. The governor has come under fire for not instituting a statewide stay-at-home order. But she argues residents are voluntarily abiding by social distancing guidelines and already "bending the curve," per NBC News. "Our health care system can handle what's coming at us," she said Wednesday, noting the expected peak in cases in Sioux Falls has been pushed back to mid-May. South Dakota had 1,168 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, an increase of 180 from the day before, with six deaths. (Read more coronavirus stories.)
Bahrainis are raging heroic epics in the world war against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and present the honourable image of the Bahraini citizens daring and love for giving and contributing to any matter related to the interest and safety of the homeland and fellow citizens, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa said.

"Medical and nursing staff work day and night, exposing themselves to danger every single minute for the sake of the citizens' safety. The same sense of sacrifice and devotion is also strong among our sons and daughters in the Ministry of Interior, the media, the press, the Bahrain Defense Force, education, transport, communications, industry, trade and other official and national bodies," Prince Khalifa said in a message of love and appreciation to the people of Bahrain for their new success story in the fight against COVID-19.

"Together, they embody an impressive visualization of our war against the coronavirus in order to prevent its spread. To all of them, we express our love and appreciation, the Prime Minister said, calling on everyone to shoulder their national responsibilities through a commitment to the instructions of the competent authorities to alleviate the burden on those facing the virus at their work sites.

"After my treatment trip abroad, during which Allah the Almighty blessed me with safety, health and well-being, I committed myself to the home quarantine measures for a period of two weeks, practising my work in managing government work and serving citizens from my residence. Commitment to preventive measures is a must for everyone to eliminate the pandemic peacefully for Bahrain and the entire world, HRH Premier added.

HRH the Prime Minister stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic is a plight and a test for Mankind, scientific and medical progress and economic development, as well as for the peoples mettle, awareness and education, affirming that Bahrainis have proved to the whole world that true and successful investment is in the human element, something that the Government of Bahrain had recognised from the beginning, and proves today the soundness of its policy, as reflected in Bahrainis success stories in medicine, security and media.

Yes, we have proven to everyone that our development is not mere slogans, and our humanity is not just words, but rather part of the upbringing and mindset of these people. Indeed, Bahrainis have inherited altruism, giving, sacrifice and love for the homeland, thus everyone should be proud of belonging to this land, the home of this great people, the Prime Minister said.
McCallie Headmaster Lee Burns said on Wednesday that all on-campus activities for the rest of the school year have been canceled.

He sent the following letter Wednesday:

"In light of the continuing spread of the coronavirus in the Chattanooga area and recommendations from the governor of Tennessee, the mayor of Chattanooga, many local, state, and national health officials, and members of McCallies Board of Trustees, I have decided to cancel on-campus activities at McCallie for the remainder of the school year. Virtual classes and related activities will continue online.

"As with our previous decision to limit on-campus classes, this decision was made with one overriding consideration: whats best for our students, for their health and safety, and for their continuing growth and education.

"McCallies faculty and staff have been making plans in anticipation of this decision, and they will be in contact with students and parents with specifics as the school year wraps up over the upcoming weeks. We are a large, complex organization and there are a lot of moving parts. Like our students, were up for the challenge. Our online courses are working well and we will continue with them through the remainder of the school year.

"For the seniors: I know this is particularly hard for you, as you will miss many of the wonderful springtime activities that lead up to your graduation. We promise to do the best we can to make your final days as a McCallie student meaningful, and already were preparing for a special mid-summer graduation weekend complete with a number of preliminary events that will make that a truly special occasion. The duck hasnt quacked its last time yet.

"These are challenging times for all of us, but McCallie has faced many challenging times throughout our 115-year history, and we always came out of those challenges stronger and more united as students and alumni. We will do the same this time. We will end this year not with a whimper, but with a roar. And well be back next fall with a similar roar."
Kirk Lawrence Brannan managed to win release from federal prison two years early, fleeing a Louisiana lockup where seven people had died from complications of COVID-19.

Pedro Muniz got a Houston judge to let him out of a North Carolina facility where one medically vulnerable inmate freed himself by scaling a razor-wire fence.

Maria Neba hasnt been so fortunate. A 55-year-old mother with terminal breast cancer, she is trying to avoid sick dorm mates as she seeks release from a womens medical prison in Fort Worth.

As the coronavirus crisis raises concerns about mass infections at prisons and jails, few federal prisoners from Southeast Texas have cleared the gauntlet for compassionate early release.

Barriers remain despite a flood of pleas to federal judges and memos by Attorney General William Barr urging the Bureau of Prisons to speed up the release of elderly and infirm inmates amid a historic pandemic.

LAWYER CONVICTED: Lake Jackson man admits to $5.3 million mortgage scheme involving Surfside, Freeport beach homes

Brannan, now on home confinement in Lake Jackson, said nights at the federal prison in Oakdale, La., were the toughest after the new coronavirus invaded the complex and began to spread. Inmates were crammed in, he said, and he mingled with 50 people per day, including two men with deep coughs and a senior citizen with a 103-degree fever whom he worries about.

In the dorm, you could hear people coughing all night, the 66-year-old said. One of my friends got really sick, he had medical issues and he was elderly.  They hauled him to the hospital.

Lightning in a bottle

Federal prisons say 38 inmates and 22 staffers have contracted the virus at Oakdale, where officials halted testing as they are doing in all facilities with sustained transmission. Instead, the prison treats those with symptoms as if they are positive to conserve valuable testing resources at these facilities, an official said.

Across 122 federal prisons, 650 inmates and 338 staffers have contracted COVID-19  with many more being monitored for possible exposure. Twenty-two federal inmates have died from the disease, about a third of them at Oakdale.

Brannans lawyer, Josh Schaffer, said he believes the federal prisons and courts are overwhelmed with requests for release. The timing of his petition to Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal was auspicious.

I think we captured lightning in a bottle by presenting this request to the right judge at the right time, he said. Oakdale was the Attica of the coronavirus, Schaffer said, referencing the New York state prison where a riot in 1971 left dozens dead and spurred a national discussion about prison conditions.

The process to thread the needle and obtain a compassionate release is incredibly onerous, requiring sign-offs by seven or eight officials at different agencies, said Sharon Dolovich, director of UCLAs Prison Law & Policy Program. The inmate petitions the warden for a medical review. Then the medical director, general counsel and director of the Bureau of Prisons must approve the request. A prosecutor must then get a federal judge to agree to a reduced term. If its a pre-1987 sentence, the warden sets a hearing before the parole commission, or otherwise releases the prisoner. Typically, this process takes months.

None of this was designed for an emergency situation where you have to get people out immediately, Dolovich said. When the building is on fire, you dont stop to ask whether all the ts are crossed and the is are dotted. ... When the building is on fire you get people out.

Barrs March 26 memo urged prison officials to release elderly and medically vulnerable inmates during the pandemic to make sure our institutions dont become Petri dishes and it doesnt spread rapidly. Since that directive and a second, more urgent one issued April 3, 1,252 inmates have been released to home confinement.

Dolovich, however, stressed that most of these inmates did not walk out the door under compassionate releases. Theyre not sick and infirm; rather, they are low-level offenders sent home to finish their terms.

Opposing compassionate releases

A federal official said the department has continued to process compassionate release requests by sick and elderly inmates, with priority given to people who are terminally ill. In all cases, the decision on whether to grant such a motion lies with the sentencing court, the spokesperson said.

Inmates may petition the Bureau of Prisons for compassionate release under the federal First Step Act. If they dont hear back within 30 days, they may seek a compassionate release through their trial judge.

The Justice Department has an obligation to maintain public safety and protect victims and witnesses from threats and retaliation and to safeguard the health and safety of those in our custody, an agency spokesperson said.COVID-19 presents real risks, but so does allowing serious criminals such as violent gang members and child predators to roam free.

Brannan, a former Lake Jackson lawyer sentenced for mortgage fraud, is among just three inmates who have been granted compassionate release in the 43-county Southern District of Texas since officials declared a pandemic. His lawyer filed a request initially with the Bureau of Prisons, citing his high blood pressure as a risk factor. A week later he asked a federal judge. He said he didnt wait the required 30 days, because the situation at the Louisiana prison was deteriorating so rapidly. Rosenthal took only nine hours to grant the release.

The BOP was saying, Hey, give us time, but at that facility at that time, there was no time, his lawyer said.

Another defense lawyer pushing for releases said prosecutors are handling compassionate release matters under seal in order to litigate cases involving sick and elderly inmates out of the public eye.

I firmly believe that there are a great number of completely valid claims for compassionate release that the government is opposing unreasonably and on a wide-scale basis, said Zachary Newland, who is pressing for the compassionate release of Neba, the inmate with terminal cancer, and another client, a 78-year-old former doctor with a heart condition at the federal prison in Seagoville. Theres no way to know the scope of the problem because everything is filed under seal.

The few prisoners from the Houston region who earned releases since the pandemic include Muniz, 47, who had two years left on a drug sentence at a North Carolina facility where 66 inmates and 29 staff have become infected, and one inmate so fearful about catching the virus he climbed the fence, escaped through the woods and was trying to arrange a safe self-surrender. Five inmates have died at that prison north of Raleigh.

Muniz had a petition before the Bureau of Prisons for a year and another pending for several months before U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison when the virus hit. Ellison released Muniz on March 30 saying he was especially vulnerable, as a wheelchair-using amputee with end-stage renal disease, diabetes and arterial hypertension.

Worried about dying

Others, such as Neba, the mother with stage IV metastatic breast cancer, are still waiting for the court to respond. Doctors have told her she has less than two years to live. The former nurse and home health care clinic director is serving a 75-year sentence for a $13.2 million Medicare fraud scheme at a federal lockup in Fort Worth, where two inmates have already contracted COVID-19.

A pregnant inmate from her facility was in the intensive care unit on a ventilator after delivering her baby prematurely by emergency cesarean-section, according to local news reports.

Neba said everyone at the prison is sick  its a designated medical facility. With her compromised immune system, she thinks she wouldnt be able to fight it.

I have little boys, she said, referring to her 9-year-old twins who are being cared for by their older sister. Im worried Im going to die without being there for them.

Prior to the pandemic, Nebas lawyer, Newland, requested compassionate release several times, citing her medical condition. He is concerned that the medical facility isnt following safety protocols to protect the most vulnerable of the vulnerable federal inmates. A judge ruled Tuesday that Neba needed to go back through the federal prisons applications process.

Dolovich, who has been tracking pandemic-related releases at her program at UCLA, said the Bureau of Prisons has few options for releasing inmates from crowded prisons without revisiting sentences.

Compassionate release is an option, she said, but the numbers formally being released this way are vanishingly small. With an infection rate of more than 4 percent in federal prisons, many people over 50 are at high risk if they get the virus, and they should be prioritized for release if possible, Dolovich said.

There are almost certainly high-risk people in BOP prisons who have the virus, and they need to be removed, she said. Its only if you think the lives of people in custody dont count that you would think this policy is appropriate under the circumstances.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com

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New Delhi, April 16 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday registered a money laundering cases against the chief of Delhi-based Tablighi Jamaat Markaz, Maulana Saad, and others, days after Delhi Police booked him under sections of Epidemic Disease Act.

The ED registered the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Saad Under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Central probe agency will probe the funds being received by Saad to organise Tablighi congregations and other activities. His bank account details and other transactions in the countries and from overseas bank accounts will also be part of the ED probe, said sources.

After evacuating about 1,600 people from the Markaz building in Nizamuddin where a Tablighi congregation was arranged by Saad amid novel coronavirus pandemic, Delhi Police on March 31 registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him and others of Tablighi Jamaat under sections of Epidemic Disease Act.

The Delhi Police case was filed under the Epidemic Act 1897 read with Section 269, 270, 271 and 120-B Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violation of government directions given to the management of Markaz of Basti Nizamuddin regarding restriction of social, political and religious gathering and for taking safety measures, including social distancing for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 viral infection, said Delhi Police.

Delhi Police on Wednesday charged Saad under stringent sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which is equivalent to second degree murder.
The Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday said it is deliberating upon forming a set of guidelines on refunds for flight ticket cancellations due to coronavirus lockdown.

Several people have been complaining on social media as domestic airlines have decided not to give refunds in cash for cancelled flights due to the lockdown and instead issue credit for future travel.

"A video meeting was held (with the airline CEOs). The ministry is deliberating (on guidelines)," said the ministry spokesperson.

Senior officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation and CEOs of Indian airlines companies met on Wednesday afternoon on the issue of cancellation refunds during the coronavirus lockdown period.

The US had earlier this month directed its airlines to issue refunds to passengers for ticket cancellations done amid the coronavirus pandemic.

India is under a nationwide lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus. Consequently, all domestic and international commercial passenger flights were suspended for this time period.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, April 16 : The air quality of the national capital slumped due to mild dust storm from the dry arid western region and stood at 151 in "moderate" category on Thursday.

Weeks after the city witnessed clean air and clear sky, tiny particles in the air known as PM 10 skyrocketed to 151, while PM 2.5 stood at 145.

"Long-range dust transport from the dry arid western region is engulfing the region that has led to a sudden increase in the coarser particles (PM 10)," stated an advisory issued by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

Impact on the air quality is purely attributed to external natural factors linked to dust and is independent of local emissions, the advisory added.

"Due to western winds, low humidity, rise in temperature and no rainfall, dust is lifting and blowing towards Delhi from Rajasthan. This will deteriorate the air quality of the region," Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the regional meteorological centre at the Indian Meteorological Department, had earlier said.

Maximum and minimum temperatures in the national capital will hover over 38 and 24 degrees, respectively. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted "partly cloudy sky for Thursday.

Meanwhile, AQI in Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai was docked in the "satisfactory" category at 53, 86 and 60, respectively.
Indo-Canadian Mixed Martial Arts practitioner Gurdarshan Mangat is set to be a part of a series which seeks to raise funds for the fight against the rapidly-spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

The "Together At Home" series will provide fans an in-depth look into how MMA athletes are living through the coronavirus outbreak, as well as offer engaging home fitness workouts on April 18 and 19.

The series aims to raise funds for the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVID-Solidarity Fund, as well as encourage people to stay at home, stay inside, and practice social distancing.

With the world in lockdown mode, Mangat has been using the spare time to learn the ins and outs of trading.

"I've been waking up every single day at 5am and learning the market, the fluctuations, and all these kinds of things that I never have time for. It's hard for me to be part of the stock market or trading because I'm normally always training at those times," he said.

"The focus is normally solely on mixed martial arts, but right now I get to take kind of a break and enjoy a much more flexible schedule. So I've been trying to dive into different aspects of life."



The series will end with "One World: Together at Home" global music special, featuring some of the biggest musical stars such as Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga.

Hosted by late night talk show icons Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel, the global broadcast will help raise funds for the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic with already USD 35 million raised till date.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japan's Immigration Services Agency says the number of foreigners who entered the country in March fell by more than 90 percent from the same month last year, due largely to refused entries attributed to the coronavirus.

Preliminary data from the agency shows that 152,162 foreigners arrived in Japan. That number excludes people who were given permission to re-enter. The figure was 2,504,193 in March, 2019.

The number of visitors from China fell by more than 90 percent, with only 3,716 arrivals. There were 10,919 arrivals from South Korea. That figure also represents a 90 percent drop.

There were 20,989 visitors from the United States and 36,210 from European countries. Those numbers represent a decrease of about 80 percent.

The agency attributes the drop to the Japanese government's expansion last month of its entry ban on people coming from certain countries and regions. The rule initially applied to arrivals from parts of China and South Korea, but it was expanded to include people coming from some countries in Europe and other areas.

On April 3, Japan further increased the number of target countries and regions to 73. The United States and most of the nations in Europe were included.

Agency officials say the number of foreigners entering Japan during the month of April is likely to be even lower than the number that entered in March.
16.04.2020 LISTEN

A canoe operator in the Chereponi District of the Northern Region, Dramani Kwaku has been fined Ghc 12,000 or in default, face 4 years imprisonment by the Yendi Circuit court.

The convict failed to comply with the new law on imposition of restrictions as stipulated in paragraph 1(1)b of the Executive Instrument 64 of Act 2020 (1012).

According to prosecution, Dramani was using his canoe to transport passengers to and from Ghana across the Oti river using unapproved routes despite the closure of the countrys borders.

The Chereponi area is bordered on the east by Togo.

Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Joseph Danso told the court that, on the 2nd of April 2020, said some police officers from the Formed Police Unit under Conquer first in the Chereponi district decided to patrol the banks of Oti river where most people cross in and out of Ghana as unapproved routes arrested the victim who was transporting passengers across the river using canoe into Ghana. He was arrested and upon interrogation, he admitted the offence and was charged with the offence.

The convict pleaded guilty in court and asked for mercy, indicating that he was not aware of the directive against the movement of people in or out of the country.

But in delivering his judgement, His Honour, Anthony Aduko Aidoo convicted the accused on his own guilty plea saying the accused person is a first-time offender and under this new law, Act 1012, the accused is hereby sentenced to a fine of 1000 penalty units equivalent to GHS12,000. In default, the accused shall serve 4 years with hard labour in a prison sentence as the law stipulates.

He cant pay

Family members of the victim who accompanied him to the court described the fine as too harsh.

They told Citi News that looking at the state of the man, even if he is given five years to pay the fine, he will be unable to pay the amount.

A brother of the convict, John Akor Kofi said, the judgement appears so harsh because giving his age and the work he does, even if you give him 5 years, he wont be able to raise GHS12,000.

No idea about new law

Tahidu Mohammed, an Assemblyman in the area said the convict is innocent.

He said the convict had no idea about the new law.

Even though we disagree with the judgement, we have nothing but to plead. The fact still remains that this is an innocent person that has been fined such an amount, GHS12,000. In the community he is from, the sensitization hasnt reached them. We are trying to reach all the people in the district, we hadnt reached there before the unfortunate happened, he said.

In March 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo issued an Executive Instrument 64 of Act 2020 (1012) closing all territorial borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, some persons continue to attempt coming into the country illegally through unapproved routes.

Security officials who have been tasked to enforce the law have had the cause to complain that some locals in Ghana assist foreigners to enter the country illegally through unapproved routes.

---citinewsroom
Maggie, The Witch, Eddie The Eagle.

Icy murder mysteries, astonishing animations and a lesser known Arnie drama all feature as TopFilmTip brings you the best films on TV: Thursday, 16 April.

Redheaded adventurer discovers world of wizardry precipitating magical mayhem in joyously jaw-dropping wonder Mary And The Witchs Flower 11:50am Film4

Sabotage and subterfuge as nationalistic caricatures jockey for women and winnings in comedic classic Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 2:05pm BBC2

On the cusp of womanhood, an emotionally stunted girls fondness for burying dead animals brings love for a Romany man in Sky West And Crooked 3:55pm Talking Pictures

With ambition exceeding ability, an indomitable outsider soars until his ability meets his ambition in endearing wonder Eddie The Eagle 5:50pm Film4

Read more: The best 4K TV deals

Gradually zombifying girl faces her imminent fate under the loving care of father Arnie in beautifully filmed, morose drama Maggie 9pm Horror Channel

Cary Guffey on the set of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Lights in the sky, melodic mystery and mashed potato mountains herald the arrival of aliens in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind 9pm SyFy

Institutionally abused boy becomes lawyer and masterfully manipulates trial of avenging friends in extraordinary drama Sleepers 9pm Sky Living

Pregnant policewoman tracks Minnesota murderers as a belittled son-in-law's simple plan unravels in the Coen Bros flawless film Fargo 9:35pm ITV4

Accidental killing of a woman draws creeping chaos upon stubborn rural poacher Sam Rockwell in grimy tension builder A Single Shot 9:50pm Sony Movies Action

Detached and unlicensed private-eye Liam Neeson hunts sadistic serial killers in brutal, obsidian thriller A Walk Among The Tombstones 10:05pm 5Star

Pious puritan familys sins draw eldritch interference in goaty, crow-pecked, baby-snatching intimate and unsettling horror The Witch 11:20pm Film4

Everything new on streaming in April:

Netflix UK: Aprils new releases

Everything coming to Now TV in April

Amazon Prime Video UK: The biggest April releases

Story continues

Everything coming to Disney+ in April

Follow TopFilmTip on Twitter for daily film recommendations.

Some films may require a Sky subscription.
The bright green tentacles of a magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) waft in front of its pink mouth, on a coral reef in Papua New Guinea, Pacific Ocean. Credit: Tane Sinclair-Taylor

Though coral reefs are in sharp decline across the world, scientists say some reefs can still thrive with plentiful fish stocks, high fish biodiversity, and well-preserved ecosystem functions.

An international team, led by Professor Josh Cinner from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU), assessed around 1,800 tropical reefs from 41 countries across the globe.

"Only five percent of the reefs were simultaneously able to meet the combined goals of providing enough fishing stocks, maintaining biodiversity and a working ecosystem," Prof Cinner said.

"These are like the Hollywood A-listers of coral reefs. They have it all, but they're also rare and live in exclusive areasremote locations with little human pressure. Our study shows how to help other coral reefs get on that A-list."

The research team assessed if no-fishing marine reserves and other fisheries restrictions helped reefs to meet multiple goals. The study found that implementing such local efforts helped, "but only if the management efforts are in the right locations," Prof Cinner said.

"It's all about location, location, location," he said. "Marine reserves placed in areas with low human pressures had the best results for helping reefs get on the A-list."

"We also had a B-list of reefs, which met all the goals, but to a lesser degree. Reserves in areas with intermediate human pressure made the biggest difference to getting reefs on our B-list. Quite simply, they occurred in less exclusive locations than our A-listers."

However, marine reserves made little difference in areas where the environment was so severely degraded that only wider seascape conservation could help.

A blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) swims in the shallows in the Cocos-Keeling Islands, Indian Ocean. Credit: Tane Sinclair-Taylor

Co-author Jessica Zamborain-Mason, a Coral CoE and JCU Ph.D. candidate, says coral reefs worldwide are facing intense degradation due to numerous anthropogenic drivers, such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

"There is an increasing need to manage coral reefs to meet multiple goals simultaneously," she said.

"Our findings provide guidance on where to strategically place local management to achieve the greatest benefits."

Co-author Professor Nick Graham from Lancaster University says the study uses data to show what works.

"Coral reef science and management is often focussed on meeting just a single goal," Prof Graham said.

"Managing for just one goal at a time is common, but what if you want it all? The multiple goals of biodiversity, fisheries and functioning ecosystems are often required at any given location, yet the science to understand when and how this can be achieved has been lacking."

"We looked at the fish communities, not the coral communities, and these are affected by different driversoverfishing really drives the former and climate change the latter."

"The study not only has important implications for the placement of new marine reserves, but is also relevant to future socioeconomic changes, such as how infrastructure development and population growth may impact the efficacy of reef conservation," Prof Cinner said.

"We show where managers will be able to maximise multiple goals, and likewise, where they will be wasting their time."

The study concludes that, while international action on climate change is crucial for ensuring a future for coral-dominated reefs, effective management is also critical to sustaining reefsand the millions of people whose livelihoods depend on them.

Explore further Marine reserves are vitalbut under pressure

More information: J.E. Cinner el al., "Meeting fisheries, ecosystem function, and biodiversity goals in a human-dominated world," Science (2020). Journal information: Science J.E. Cinner el al., "Meeting fisheries, ecosystem function, and biodiversity goals in a human-dominated world,"(2020). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aax9412

Provided by ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Biden, as the presumptive Democratic nominee, can strike an agreement with the Democratic National Committee to jointly raise money for the general-election campaign and close the money gap with Trump and the RNC. By this point in the 2012 campaign, presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney had begun his own joint fundraising operation. DNC and campaign officials said Monday that they do not yet have official plans for one.
The National Youth Authority (NYA) is set to train about 2000 young volunteers to argument government's efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authority will train and equip additional thousands with entrepreneurial skills ostensibly to address the issues of job losses resulting from the pandemic.

Speaking at the Ministry of Information press briefing today, April 16, 2020, Chief Executive Officer of NYA, Sylvester Tetteh stated that about 2000 young people across the country will be trained to educate the public and also provide assistance to frontline workers as the country intensifies its combat strategies to stem the pandemic.

Over 500 megaphones with recorded messages that will be approved by the Ministry of Information will be given to some of the youth to educate Ghanaians, not only in the cities, but also in the villages and rural communities. Also, the youth with health background will provide the needed support to frontline workers in the area of contact tracing and others, he added.

Mr. Tetteh acknowledged the economic hardships, specifically job losses, that is associated with the pandemic and assured the Ghanaian youth the readiness of the NYA to implement programmes to offset the jobs losses and reduce the hardships.

The youth are the worse affected by the pandemic and as part of measures to support them, a baseline studies into job losses and health related issues are being carried out by NYA. This will help us, with the support of government, design and implement entrepreneurial programmes that would drastically deal with the issues of COVID-19 related job losses, he asserted.

The NYA launched a youth driven campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic recently and followed it up with massive donation of PPEs worth over GHC700,000.00 to the Ministry of Health.

---citinewsroom
Social distancing measures and quarantine due to Covid-19 have led to feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress amongst the Irish public, a new study suggests.

More than four in 10 people reported feeling lonely (41%), more than one in five are experiencing clinically defined levels of depression (23%), and one in five (20%) are experiencing anxiety and post-traumatic stress problems.

The uptake of a potential vaccine for the virus here could also be worryingly low, with just less than two-thirds of those surveyed (65%) indicating they would accept a vaccine for themselves and their children.

New research carried out in the wake of sweeping restrictions requiring Irish residents to stay at home gives a snapshot inside the mood of the nation.

The survey of 1,000 adults found:

Almost a fifth (18%) of those surveyed reported clinically meaningful levels of post-traumatic stress;

Women are experiencing higher levels of depression and anxiety than men;

Men are experiencing higher levels of post-traumatic stress than women.

More than 1,000 adults completed the survey, which was launched on March 31  31 days after the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was reported in the Republic of Ireland. This was also 19 days after Leo Varadkar announced sweeping restrictions on movement, and two days after people were required to stay home.

Almost half of those surveyed reporting feeling lonely, and those with higher levels of loneliness were most likely to experience adverse mental health problems. That is according to Dr Philip Hyland of Maynooth University, who worked on the study.

We also found that younger people, those who have a tendency to think in catastrophic ways, those who fear being infected by Covid-19, and those who have had someone close to them infected by Covid-19 are at a higher risk of mental health problems, he said.

Despite encouraging results in terms of peoples knowledge on Covid-19, attitudes towards the uptake of a potential Covid-19 vaccine were found to be worryingly low, according to Dr Frederique Vallieres, director of Trinity Colleges Centre for Global Health.

Only 65% of people indicating that they would accept a vaccine for themselves and their children, Dr Vallieres said. One-in-four people did say however that they might accept a vaccine for themselves and their child, compared to one-in-10 people who said they would not.

A better understanding of why people might be hesitant to accept a Covid-19 vaccine, if and when it is developed, is required.

The second part of the Covid-19 Psychological Survey is due to begin May 5. It will examine what effect prolonged quarantine and physical distancing measures are having on peoples mental health, as well as reasons for Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy.

Helplines for those affected include Aware on 1800 80 48 48,Samaritans on 116123, and Pieta House on 1800 247 247.

Additional help can be found at www.Turn2me.ie.
Over 40 Pakistanis stranded in India due to the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country returned home via Wagah border on Thursday.

According to officials, 41 out of 150 stranded Pakistanis returned Lahore via Wagah border.

Those returned include Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus. The purpose of their visit was to attend religious ceremonies as well as meet relatives.

The Pakistan High Commission in Delhi oversaw the repatriation of citizens stranded in India due to the lockdown. The officials said the remaining Pakistani citizens will be brought back soon.

Quoting Ehsan Ahmed, a repatriated citizen, the Express Tribune reported that he had gone to India on March 12 and was expected to return by March 19. However, he couldn't return due to the lockdown.

I will appeal to all the Pakistanis stranded in India to remain confined to their homes and stay in contact with the Pakistan High Commission. The Pakistan embassy is making efforts for the return of all Pakistanis, he said.

Amtal Basit also thanked both the governments for her safe return and appealed to others stranded Pakistanis in India to follow the government's directives and remain confined to their homes.

Most of the returnees were quarantined in various cities and screened at Attari before being allowed to cross the Wagah border.

Upon their arrival, they were shifted to Lahore's Jinnah Hospital.

The paper reported that efforts are also underway to send back Indian citizens stranded here due to coronavirus.

Some 205 Indian citizens including 105 Kashmiris are stranded in Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The captured serviceman of Ukraines Armed Forces Viktor Shaidov is among them

Militants of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic have handed over nine people to Ukraine as part of today's exchange near Horlivka and Mayorsk checkpoint. Ukraines Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova announced this on her Telegram page and posted the photo of the released Ukrainians.

"Nine citizens of Ukraine will be returned from the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region. In particular, Viktor Shaidov is among them. He is a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was imprisoned and illegally held in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region since 2019, Denisova noted.

The information resources of Donbas militants report that Donetsk has handed over nine persons to Kyiv, and has received 10 people in return.

It is noted that 11 people were initially listed, but one person refused to participate in the exchange.

As we reported earlier, given the lockdown in Ukraine, upon their return, the released Ukrainians will be sent for mandatory observation.

Mutual release of detained persons takes place in an all for all format.
TikTok is introducing a minimum age requirement of 16 to use its direct messaging feature, to help ensure families can 'trust the service' during coronavirus lockdown.

By the end of this month, only users aged 16 and over will be able to send and receive direct messages on the video-sharing platform.

TikTok has said the decision is part of efforts to boost safety at a time when messaging services are increasingly being used to stay in touch with loved ones.

Any TikTok user under the age of 16 who will impacted by the change will receive an in-app notification from Thursday.

On April 30, existing users and new users who do not meet the new age requirements for direct messaging will no longer have access to it.

TikTok has previously come under fire from for its live-streaming capability that potentially allows anyone to view videos of children.

TikTok has introduced the age limit to direct messaging in recognition of the need for children to be safe when they are online during the pandemic

The platform, which allows users as young as 13 to create an account, acknowledged the potential of direct messaging to be 'misused' by predatory adults.

WHAT IS TIK TOK? TikTok is a Chinese social media app where users can live stream, create short videos and music videos and Gifs with a host of functions. TikTok's tagline is 'Make every second count'. It was the most downloaded app in the US in 2018 and the world's fourth most downloaded app in 2018, ahead of Instagram and Snapchat. TikTok is known in China as Douyin where it was launched in 2016 and then made more widely available around the world in 2017. Douyin is still the version of the app used in China, available to download separately to TikTok. The app was merged with popular music video lip-syncing app Musical.ly, also with headquarters in China. Most children use the app to film themselves lip-syncing to chart hits. It offers users a raft if colourful modification and editing tools including overlaying music, sound, animated stickers, filters and augmented reality (AR) for creating short videos. The Beijing based social network has more than 500 million active users and the company is now worth more than $75 billion (58 billion). Advertisement

'Direct messaging is an amazing tool that enables people to make new friends and connections no matter where they are in the world, but despite its potential for good, we understand the potential for misuse,' said Cormac Keenan, TikTok's head of trust and safety for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in a blog post.

'Today's announcement is about going one step further to put in place stronger proactive protections to keep younger members of our community safe.

'We look forward to the feedback of our community and all of our stakeholders as we constantly improve with new features and resources to help our community manage their TikTok experience.'

Keenan said more robust safety features were needed as more people came to places like TikTok as a means of staying in touch with others while social distancing.

'More than ever, families are turning to platforms like TikTok to keep entertained, active, and informed,' he said.

'As we are all further apart physically, platforms like ours are providing people with ways to express their creativity, seek some light relief, and show support for their friends, families, and communities.

'At the same time, we know families are focused on ensuring that their family members have an appropriate experience and most importantly, that they are safe when they are online.'

TikTok already prevents users from receiving unsolicited messages from other users who they are not friends with and has a 16-and-over age limit for a user to host a live stream.

As well as this, the China-based social network doesn't allow videos or images to be shared within direct messaging.

TikTok has already come under fire from a children's charity for its live-streaming capability that potentially allow anyone to view videos of children

Last year, the company changed its virtual gifting policies to only allow those over 18 to purchase, send, or receive virtual gifts, such as emojis.

Before this was introduced, anyone older than 13 was allowed to send virtual gifts, and anyone over 16 could receive them.

In February, it introduced 'Family Safety Mode', which links a parent or guardian's account to their child's account to keep them safe.

Parents can use the system to control how long children spend on TikTok each day, limit or turn off direct messaging and rebuff potentially inappropriate content.

Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC praised the new 'proactive' step taken by the social media firm.

'This is a bold move by TikTok as we know that groomers use direct messaging to cast the net widely and contact large numbers of children,' he said.

'Offenders are taking advantage of the current climate to target children spending more time online, but this shows proactive steps can be taken to make sites safer and frustrate groomers from being able to exploit unsafe design choices.

'It's time tech firms did more to identify which of their users are children and make sure they are given the safest accounts by default.'
Under this action, no more mercury will be emitted into the air than before, Andrew R. Wheeler, the E.P.A. administrator said in announcing the rule.

Environmental lawyers and public health leaders called the timing of the final mercury rule, as well as its substance, an attack on air quality.

What is most disconcerting to me is this administrations lack of interest in science and, frankly, their lack of concern for our nations children, said Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Mercury pollution in the United States damages our childrens brains before they even come into the world, and estimates are that that cost is in the billions of dollars.

Patrick Parenteau, a professor at the Vermont Law School, noted that in virtually every environmental rollback, Mr. Trumps E.P.A. has acknowledged in the fine print that enormous increases in health problems and deaths will occur because of increased pollution.

A plan to weaken carbon dioxide emissions at power plants, for example, predicted as many as 1,400 additional premature deaths a year. A draft analysis of the soot policy put forward this week showed that tightening the existing standard by 25 percent could save as many as 12,150 lives a year.

Two people close to the administration said the White House was concerned enough about the public perception of loosening environmental rules during the outbreak that it held the mercury plan for several weeks after it passed a review from the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. E.P.A. officials assured the White House that the agency was merely responding as required to a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that found it must justify the economic impact of the mercury standards.

The weakening of the mercury rule would be one of the most significant regulatory rollbacks engineered by the Trump administration. The existing federal regulation on mercury pollution, completed in 2012, is the most expensive clean air regulation ever written by the E.P.A.
President Donald Trumps falling approval ratings, an economy in free fall, a public in panic due to the coronavirus pandemic  for these very real reasons, it would appear that any Democratic Party nominee should have a clear path to the White House in November.

That nominee appears now to be former Vice President Joe Biden, as Senator Bernie Sanders ended his campaign for the United States presidency last week and endorsed Biden a few days later. Others have also endorsed Biden, including former President Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren, who ended her campaign to be the Democratic Party nominee in March.

Yet a Trump loss and Biden win is no guarantee. If Biden does not seriously begin campaigning, then it is more than likely that Trump will be re-elected.

Trump is a master campaigner. He has raised record amounts of money, launching his re-election campaign the day after he took office in 2017.

True, right now, he is not holding large rallies that attract thousands and energise his followers. With the coronavirus pandemic making everyone shelter in place around the country, would this not critically derail the Trump re-election campaign?

Not necessarily. His campaign has been investing considerably in online campaigning. On Facebook, his campaign has spent millions on advertising, for example.

There are also his media allies, for instance, at Fox News. While they were initially ridiculed for downplaying the global pandemic, many of the commentators at the station have since reckoned with the new normal that the virus has caused in the US. Still, many at the news outlet cover the pandemic differently when compared to others, tending to side with the president whenever possible.

There is also the electoral disaster that voters had to endure on April 7 in the critical battleground state of Wisconsin, where Republicans denied the request by Democrat Governor Tony Evers to postpone the primary election. As a result, voters had to stand in line for hours, practising social distancing on their way to the polls.

In effect, voters were made to choose between their health and exercising their constitutional right to select their leaders. The Supreme Court weighed in, not only allowing the election to proceed, but also placing a limit on the time for absentee ballots to be turned in late. The court ultimately ruled that the primary election should go on, regardless of the fact that the number of coronavirus cases in the state was continuing to rise.

The Supreme Court decision is not something to ignore. Effectively, the court has decided to leave decisions about elections to individual states.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has a long history of holding such a position, even forming part of the majority in the court that significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act  a central piece of 1960s Civil Rights-era legislation that sought to ensure free and fair elections for people of colour, particularly in areas of the country that were known for racial discrimination.

Wisconsin is not the only state where voting rights are being challenged. There are other states where voting rights have been curtailed, including Georgia, Texas and North Carolina. From purging the rolls of registered voters, to creating voter ID requirements, many states around the US have made real efforts to suppress the vote.

Moreover, it is low-income folks and, particularly, people of colour who have been disproportionately affected by such restrictions.

For the Democrats, this is an acute problem  the very people who have been targeted by voter suppression efforts tend to lean left, casting their ballots for the Democrats, and not for the Republicans.

It is safe to say that this electoral year is a veritable minefield for Democrats, due principally to Trumps campaigning acumen, and the Republicans success in distorting electoral rules in their favour.

Enter Joe Biden.

Are he and his campaign up to the task of navigating this treacherous political terrain?

Honestly, it is hard to say  after all, it was Bernie Sanders who was making regular public appearances, even if they were virtual, as the pandemic spread throughout the US.

And Biden? Did he rise to the occasion? Did he make public declarations, rallying the public to his campaign?

Not really  for the most part, he has been silent. He apparently placed a call to Trump to discuss the crisis, remarking that the government needs to take responsibility.

How is that for a platitude? Sure, the government needs to be responsible, but what else? What about ensuring the provision of the much-needed ventilators that hospital workers are demanding, or guaranteeing the safety of the millions of food system workers who keep restaurants open and food in the grocery stores? Did Biden call Trump out for neglecting these folks? No, he did not.

What about Wisconsin? Here, again, Biden fails  he essentially sided with the Supreme Court by leaving it up to the state to decide what to do.

Meanwhile, Biden has asked for the support of Sanderss followers.

But on what grounds would they give it? Look at Bidens positions  he does not support Medicare for All and he supported President Barack Obamas approach to immigration, which included mass deportations. This latter policy position will make it hard for him to earn the support of Latinos.

Young people have been turning away from the former vice presidents campaign for lots of reasons, including that they tend to hold more liberal positions than older Democrats, do not have the same nostalgia for Obama and are not persuaded that Biden is more electable than Sanders.

We also know that there are thousands of Bernie supporters  in swing states  who in 2016, voted for Trump when Sanders was not an option.

Meanwhile, Trump makes daily appearances in his press briefings. Yes, he is regularly called out for lying and underemphasising the severity of the pandemic.

Yet, when this crisis subsides  and according to some reporting on lower-than-expected death rates, we may see a certain return to normal in September  it will be Trump who will take credit for bringing things under control.

The real question that we need to pose to Biden is not where has he been during these difficult days of the coronavirus pandemic, but instead, what is his plan moving forward?

More to the point, when will he start to campaign seriously, bringing in Sanders supporters, and offering a viable, real model of leadership for a country that is in dire need of direction?

If Biden chooses to continue his silence, then Trump will surely fill the void and, with his media allies and the millions of dollars in his campaign coffers, the Republican will fight like hell to keep the presidency.

Will Biden show equal resolve to take it from him? Judging from his actions until now, it is doubtful.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Josie Norris /Staff Photographer

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is calling on his fellow Texas leaders, including San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, to help donate and assemble hygiene supplies to the homeless.

On Wednesday, Houston's official Twitter account, on behalf of Turner, challenged Nirenberg, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Houston Rockets' James Harden to take part in assembling toiletry bags for the homeless.
A couple from Bolton have told how they have lost their income and their home amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Ashley Khan and Katie Bland are now forced to stand in a queues in the shadow of Bolton town hall, waiting their turn to access food at a street kitchen run by support group Homeless Aid UK.

Both of them have been homeless before, but just a few weeks earlier they were living in a shared house and 37-year-old Mr Khan was earning a wage working as a painter and decorator.

Then, the pandemic began and his job disappeared, leaving the pair with no way to pay their rent and no other choice but to go back to the streets.

Ashley Khan (pictured right) and Katie Bland (pictured left) are now forced to queue for food at a street kitchen in Bolton after losing their income and their place in a shared home

'I was working, but the coronavirus situation happened and that led me to being unemployed,' Ashley explained.

'I had given my landlord money but once that was eaten away they gave us a notice and said we had to go.

'Because the weather is OK we came out and we decided to get a tent. I had a little money left from my wages and we started camping in the wild areas of Bolton.

'We don't do drugs and we're not alcoholics we're just living in the woods at the moment in Rivington. Times are hard, we've got no food.'

The government has moved to make sure nobody is evicted from their homes during the crisis, but Ashley and Katie were living in shared accommodation and paying rent in cash so when the lockdown began they were among the people who slipped through the net and were not protected.

Dozens queue in Bolton town centre to access food from Homeless Aid UK

'Then the landlord came in and took the keys and said we had until that night to get our stuff out and if we didn't do it it would get more forceful. Because I didn't want to get involved we just left.'

While most people are staying in their houses in an attempt to self-isolate, Ashley and Katie have chosen to make their home at a camp in Rivington, far out of Bolton town centre, in an effort to avoid other people.

But, the couple still need to venture into town regularly to get food and any other supplies they can and it was after one of these trips that they returned to find somebody had slashed at their tent and stolen many of 26-year-old Katie's clothes.

Ashley believes this damage could have been caused by youngsters who came across the tent in the woods and might not have known it was someone's home.

He said: 'We were camping in Rivington a few weeks ago and we thought we were out of the way but when we went out someone knifed our tent.

A street kitchen run by support group Homeless Aid UK in the shadow of Bolton town hall

'We had tried to hide it away with branches. Maybe someone saw it and found it, I don't know, but when we got back it was ripped up and somebody had stolen lots of Katie's clothes.'

Katie added: 'I've literally only got the clothes on my back now. It's terrible, we can't even go to charity shops and ask if they have anything to spare because the shops are all closed.'

Since their tent was damaged, the pair have taken to carrying everything they can with them when they travel anywhere, which has been tough during the six-mile walk into Bolton town centre.

'Yesterday I fell and I smashed my knee and hurt my shoulder pretty badly but we've had to find somewhere so far away so we can be away from everyone.'

People who sleep rough in Bolton are supported by a number of organisations, including Homeless Aid UK, (pictured above in action) by being provided with food and other supplies

Katie receives benefits from the government and has struggled to find work because of a number of health problems but is keen to try and stay well during the pandemic.

'I like to keep myself clean and now it's hard to keep up with that,' she said.

'I'm having to wash my hair in cold water - it's horrible. I have mental health issues and I can't go to the doctors because they're closed to most people.'

Despite isolating themselves far away from where most people live, the couple are still concerned about contracting the coronavirus on trips into town.

Katie added: 'The virus has made us homeless. Now, I'm worried about getting the virus. I was sick for about four weeks recently. I'm not sure if it was the same thing but I had a temperature and I was sick and I had a really bad chest.

'I don't want to get ill again, it's my birthday next week. I don't want to be ill on my birthday.'

People who sleep rough in Bolton are supported by a number of organisations, including Homeless Aid UK, by being provided with food and other supplies.

The coronavirus crisis has added pressure to charities and other support groups.
Strong topline growth in Q1 driven by continued semiconductor recovery; Outlook 2020 remains positive despite uncertainty related to COVID-19

Q1 2020 results

Demand recovery in semiconductor markets that began in the second half of 2019 drives Q1 growth in orders (+42%) and net sales (+14%) versus same period a year earlier; Global Service with all-time order intake record in Q1

Book-to-bill ratio of 1.3x and order backlog of CHF 150 million at quarter-end, 31% above year-end 2019

VAT's continued technology leadership generates new specification wins in line with expectations to support future market share gains

COVID-19 pandemic showed limited impact on Q1 business but uncertainty regarding full-year impact on supply chains and short-term demand remains

Outlook 2020 depends on duration of COVID-19 pandemic

Market recovery is expected to continue as semiconductor sector is designated system-critical in most markets

Strength of recovery will depend on duration of pandemic and broader macroeconomic developments

Focus on technology innovation, organizational flexibility and efficiency improvements expected to support improved performance as volumes recover

Guidance for Q2 2020

VAT expects net sales of CHF 150 - 160 million

VAT Group

in CHF million Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Change Order intake 181.3 127.8 +41.9% Net sales 145.5 127.7 +13.9% Mar 31, 2020 Mar 31, 2019 Change Order Backlog 150.6 113.5 +32.7%

Semiconductor demand continues upswing seen during second half of 2019

The market recovery that started in the second half of 2019, especially in the semiconductor sector, continued in the first quarter of 2020. Customers are spending more on technology upgrades, especially in logic and foundry, as well as in memory where large investments are going into the latest generation NAND technologies. As a result, order intake and net sales were up 42% to CHF 181 million and 14% to CHF 146 million, respectively, in line with the company's previously published guidance. VAT's order backlog was almost 32% higher at the end of the first quarter compared with the end of 2019, the result of the very positive book-to-bill ratio of 1.3x in the first quarter.

The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on VAT's orders and net sales was limited in the first quarter of 2020. Very early in the pandemic, the company, , has rigorously enforced local health and safety guidelines and regulations, such as physical distancing, hygiene precautions and home office arrangements, across all of its facilities to ensure the well-being of employees, suppliers and customers. Local restrictions on the operation of businesses in California and Malaysia led to a temporary halt in the company's operations in those locations near the end of the quarter. However, governments and regulators in many countries have since designated the semiconductor industry and its suppliers as system-critical. As a result, VAT has received exemptions from those shutdown orders and is operating at normal capacity in Switzerland and with reduced staff in the US and Malaysia.

Higher orders in all three segments versus weak Q1 2019

Demand improved across all of VAT's businesses in the first quarter of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, when the company's main markets, and especially the semiconductor sector, were experiencing a cyclical downturn.

The Valves segment reported an order increase of 50% to CHF 147 million in the first quarter and net sales grew to CHF 177 million, an increase of 22% compared with the same period a year earlier. The Global Service segment increased orders by 14% to CHF 31 million, while net sales declined by 9% to CHF 25 million, the result of the weaker order intake in the second half of 2019. Orders in the Industry segment rose to CHF 4 million, a 41% increase over the very low levels a year ago. Net sales declined by 12% to CHF 4 million, also reflecting the lower orders received in 2019.

Valves

Demand increased for the Valves segment, driven mainly by increased customer investments in new fabrication technologies and equipment needed to manufacture the latest generation of high-performance semiconductors and displays. As a result, orders and net sales were up in both the Semiconductors and Display & Solar business units versus a year ago. Semiconductors again recorded a number of significant specification wins, reflecting VAT's technology leadership position among leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). In Display & Solar, the company shipped control valves for qualification at key OEM display customers in Asia from its plant in Penang, Malaysia and signed a frame contract to provide valves to a leading supplier of OLED technology used in high-resolution applications such as OLED-based mobile devices and ultra-high definition TV. Demand was lower in the solar sector as the Chinese markets were impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns. Orders and net sales were lower in General Vacuum as stronger demand in the space simulation and scientific research areas was more than offset by weaker industrial demand.

Global Services

Orders in the Global Services segment reached a record level in the first quarter on a combination of the launch of new VAT service products and solutions in 2019 and the re-stocking by customers of consumable spare parts. Upgrade and retrofit activities also remained strong, although there have been some installation delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Net sales declined, reflecting lower orders in the second half of 2019 related to the timing of retrofit and service projects and a slowdown in maintenance activities especially in Asia.

Industry

Industry segment orders increased sharply from the very low levels of the first quarter a year ago. Net sales were lower, however, reflecting the relatively slow introduction in the automotive industry of the latest generation of high-efficiency fuel injection systems, for which VAT is a key supplier of pressure diaphragm cells.

Continued focus on operational excellence and organizational flexibility

VAT continued to drive operational improvements in the first quarter aimed at speeding up the business, improving quality and supporting profitability and cash flow. Measures included the ongoing integration of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems across all of the company's facilities and sharpening the focus of VAT's research and development capabilities. At the beginning of April, the company also announced the appointment of Thomas Berden as Chief Operating Officer, effective October 1, 2020. Dr. Berden will join the company from Sweden-based industrial bearings manufacturer SKF.

Outlook 2020 remains positive despite uncertainty related to COVID-19

The medium-term growth drivers for VAT remain firmly in place, based on the Internet of Things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other digitalization trends. Vacuum-based production processes continue to gain importance in a variety of industries, while the outlook for the solar photovoltaic market remains positive, based on improving energy efficiency and cost competitiveness.

For 2020, VAT continues to expect a return to growth, driven mainly by the semiconductor-related businesses. However, uncertainty regarding the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on global supply chains in the company's markets during the next several quarters makes full-year forecasts increasingly difficult. The designation of the semiconductor sector as system-critical in the company's largest markets is expected to buffer some of the negative impacts of the pandemic on the global economy, but reliable forecasts on overall market development are not feasible at this time.

Thus, based on current trends and until more robust macroeconomic forecasts are available, VAT maintains the outlook it published at the end of 2019 for higher net sales at constant foreign exchange rates in 2020 compared with 2019.

On that assumption, the company also expects its 2020 EBITDA margin to be higher than in 2019, driven by higher volumes and better cost absorption as well as the ongoing focus on costs. VAT also maintains its mid-term EBITDA margin target of 33%.

Capital expenditure in 2020 is expected to be around CHF 30 million. Free cash flow in 2020 will depend on the magnitude of sales growth and working capital requirements and may be lower than in 2019.

New nomination to VAT Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has nominated Daniel Lippuner for election to the Board of Directors at the company's Annual General Meeting on May 14 for a term of one year. Mr. Lippuner is a Swiss citizen and is currently a member of the Boards of Directors for the Remnex Foundation, 3S Solar Plus AG and Amsler Tex AG, all based in Switzerland. He has also held a number of senior management positions across a variety of global industrial companies.

"We are very pleased to nominate Daniel Lippuner for election to our Board of Directors," said Martin Komischke, Chairman of the VAT Board. "He brings more than 25 years of international experience from a range of manufacturing and technology companies, from construction equipment to semiconductors and renewable energy. He has successfully expanded businesses in the dynamic Asian market and has a proven track record in operational excellence initiatives that have driven higher profitability and cash flow. Komischke added: I'm convinced that Mr. Lippuner will be a strong addition to the Board. His experience will serve us well as we continue to build a fast and flexible global organization that can create increasing value in a sustainable way for all of our stakeholders."

Segment data

Valves in CHF million Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Change Order intake 146.6 98.0 +49.6% Net sales 117.0 96.3 +21.5% Inter-segment sales 12.1 12.2 -1.0% Segment net sales 129.1 108.5 +19.0% Global Service in CHF million Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Change Order intake 31.0 27.1 14.0% Net sales 24.5 26.9 -9.0% Inter-segment sales - - -% Segment net sales 24.5 26.9 -9.0% Industry in CHF million Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Change Order intake 3.8 2.7 41.3% Net sales 4.0 4.5 -12.0% Inter-segment sales 2.4 2.1 13.7% Segment net sales 6.4 6.6 -3.9%

Additional information

There will be a short media and investor conference call today at 10.00am CEST.

To participate in the call please dial:

+41 58 310 5000 (CH/Europe)

+44 207 107 0613 (UK)

+1 631 570 5613 (USA)

A playback of the call can be accessed through our website www.vatvalve.com approximately one hour after the call has finished.

For further information, please contact:

VAT Group AG

Communications & Investor Relations

Michel R. Gerber

T +41 81 772 42 55

Financial calendar 2020

Capital Markets Day postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Annual General Meeting (no shareholder attendance) Thursday, May 14, 2020 Ex-date Monday, May 18, 2020 Dividend payment Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Half-year 2020 results Thursday, August 6, 2020 Q3 2020 trading update and Capital Markets Day Thursday, October 15, 2020

ABOUT VAT

VAT is the leading global developer, manufacturer and supplier of high-end vacuum valves. VAT vacuum valves are mission-critical components for advanced manufacturing processes of innovative products used in daily life such as portable devices, flat screen monitors or solar panels. VAT is organized into three different reporting segments: Valves, Global Service and Industry offering high-end vacuum valves, multi-valve modules, edge-welded bellows and related value-added services for an array of vacuum applications. VAT Group is a global player with over 1'800 employees and main manufacturing sites in Haag (Switzerland), Penang (Malaysia) and Arad (Romania). Net sales in the financial year 2019 amounted to CHF 570 million.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

Forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified in their entirety as there are certain factors that could cause results to differ materially from those anticipated. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates" and similar expressions) should be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond the company's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions, currency fluctuations, the behavior of other market participants, the performance, security and reliability of the company's information technology systems, political, economic and regulatory changes in the countries in which the company operates or in economic or technological trends or conditions. As a result, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Except as otherwise required by law, VAT disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 02:21:06|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese medical experts attend a meeting at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 15, 2020. A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to assist the kingdom in combating COVID-19. (Xinhua/Tu Yifan)

RIYADH, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Wednesday to assist the kingdom in combating COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus.

The team comprises eight medical experts who specialize in various areas including virus testing, infectious disease, respiratory disease, intensive care, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Based on a work plan agreed by the two sides, the Chinese experts will share their experience with and offer trainings for Saudi medical staff on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

They will also provide necessary medical supplies, TCM consultation and epidemic prevention trainings for the Chinese expats in the kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Chinese medical team brought the medical supplies donated by China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, including masks, protective suits, nucleic acid testing kits and infrared thermometers.

Speaking upon the experts' arrival in Riyadh, Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chen Weiqing noted that, since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Saudi Arabia have become a model of state-to-state relations and international cooperation in fighting the disease.

China thanks Saudi Arabia for providing its help and support after the outbreak of the coronavirus in China early this year, and pays close attention to the raging pandemic in the kingdom, the Chinese envoy said.

He added that China speaks highly of the effective measures taken by the Saudi government to curb the virus' spread and safeguard public health.

"We believe that with the joint efforts of China and Saudi Arabia and the international community, we will surely overcome the crisis," Chen said.
Tom Steyer, co-founder of NextGen Climate Action Committee and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, speaks during the 61st Annual McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020.

Billionaire and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer is shutting down his organization that advocated the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Steyer, a businessman who founded Need to Impeach in 2017 to call on Congress to impeach and remove Trump from office, has decided it's time for the political action committee to close after the president was indeed impeached by the Democratic-led House late last year, according to his spokesman. The GOP-led Senate acquitted the president in February.

"Tom started Need to Impeach two and half years ago and committed over $75 million of his own money to help shine a light on this lawless president. Over eight million Americans joined that effort and their voices were heard loud and clear when the House of Representatives voted to impeach Donald Trump," Benjamin Gerdes, the spokesman, told CNBC. "With the work complete, Need to Impeach is wrapping up, but Tom's commitment to taking on Donald Trump continues."

When asked if "wrapping up" means Need to Impeach is shutting down, Gerdes confirmed that was indeed the case.

It doesn't appear Need to Impeach will be evolving into a new venture. The organization's website says it is "transitioning to Need to Vote  our movement to hold Republican Senators and the President accountable." No other details are given, except that it calls for people to sign up for an email list. Executive director Nathaly Arriola's LinkedIn page says that she's now the executive director of Need to Vote.

However, Gerdes, the Steyer spokesman, said it is not a new group.

"It's not the start of a new organization  it's simply an opportunity to encourage the NTI list to commit to vote in November," he said.

Gerdes said Steyer has committed over $50 million this year to help fund grassroots organizing dedicated to defeating Trump.

Steyer dropped out of the Democratic primary for president after failing to pick up delegates in South Carolina, where he had invested millions of his dollars in his campaign to win the Feb. 29 primary there. Steyer stepped down from his leadership post at Need to Impeach when he decided last year to get into the race.

Steyer has given nothing to the super PAC since he dropped out, and they have just over $650,000 on hand, according to their latest first quarter filing. He was the main donor to Need to Impeach.

Steyer recently endorsed apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden. In an interview with Politico, Steyer said the former vice president is "going to have to show, in terms of policy, that Joe Biden is more progressive than people understand him to be."

Representatives from Need to Impeach did not return multiple requests for comment.

Need to Impeach advocated for Trump's removal throughout special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and the congressional impeachment process. Millions of people signed their petition calling for Trump's removal. The organization aired multiple TV ads highlighting what it considered the president's transgressions.

Need to Impeach, along with Steyer's other group, NextGen America, were involved in get-out-the-vote efforts that helped Democrats take back the House during the 2018 midterm elections.

NextGen America recently co-signed a letter to Biden calling on him to disallow Wall Street executives from either being campaign advisors or members of his cabinet.

Steyer's funding of the PAC continued all the way through his run for president. A Federal Election Commission filing that covered July through December of last year showed that Steyer gave the organization over $4 million. Steyer announced his run for president in July. Vox reported in November that Need to Impeach had scaled back their operations after some of its staff started working for his campaign.
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Mumbai, April 16 : India's first micro web series shot during the COVID-19 lockdown will be out soon. "Mardaani 2" actor Sunny Hinduja, who features in the series, says the project was challenging as well as fun to work on.

Titled "A Viral Wedding", the series had its pre-production, shooting and post-production work done entirely during the lockdown, with none of the individuals who are involved in the series stepping out of their homes.

The series is directed by Shreya Dhanwanthary, Sunny's co-star in the 2019 OTT show, "The Family Man". It tells the story of a social media influencer who refuses to cancel her wedding owing to the lockdown.

"We had our shares of fun on video and phone calls during the making where people were located in different states and cities. It also brought along shares of struggles with it. But I must admit it was harder than we anticipated, we had nobody to help us, no equipment, no setup, we had to become the lightmen, cinematographers, art directors and everything," said Sunny, who is playing primary part in the series," said Sunny.

"Taking care of the sound was another task, as people would be cooking so there were cooker whistles at random times, sometimes there were birds, crows making noise. But with all this, we still managed to complete the shoot in just a week. From start to finish everything was done during the lockdown period. It's a light-hearted attempt to make people smile during this time," he added.

On working with Shreya Dhanwanthary, he said: "When Shreya asked me, I said a yes without thinking. The idea in itself was so unique that it was difficult to say no. We even discussed various ideas about the character and worked together to come up with something real and very different to my own personality. But after reading the script which was penned in 24 hours, I was bewildered at how good it was." "Even if it wasn't for the lockdown, I would have agreed to do it. The cast and crew are based in different cities and they are working at different timelines, knowing the kind of hard work put into it, feels like a humbling experience to be a part of a first-of-its-kind web series," added Sunny.

Besides Sunny and Shreya, the show also features Amol Parashar, Aishwarya Chaudhary, Aritro, Sharib Hashmi and Mohit Raina, among others.

The shoot is over and the team is giving final touches to a few episodes. The series is likely to come out later next week.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 16, 2020) (the "Company") and Dixie Gold Inc. (formerly, Clean Commodities Corp.) announce an agreement with Azincourt Energy Corp., to extend the deadline for the remaining obligations owing in connection with Azincourt's acquisition of a 70% interest in the East Preston Uranium Project (the "Project"), located in the western Athabasca basin in Saskatchewan, Canada. Azincourt Energy is currently earning an interest in the 25,000-plus hectare Project as part of a property option agreement previously entered into with the Skyharbour Resources Ltd. and Dixie Gold Inc.

Under the terms of the extension, Skyharbour and Dixie Gold have agreed to extend the deadline for the remaining obligations owing to complete the acquisition of a 70% interest in the Project, which include incurring a small portion of the exploration expenditures remaining on the Project and completion of a final cash payment of CAD $400,000. The deadline for these obligations has been extended through until March 31st, 2021. Following satisfaction of these obligations, Azincourt Energy will hold a 70% interest in the Project.

In consideration for the extension, Azincourt has agreed to issue 5,000,000 common shares (the "Consideration Shares"), at a deemed price of $0.05 per share, to be divided evenly between Skyharbour and Dixie Gold. Completion of the issuance of the Consideration Shares remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Following issuance, the Consideration Shares will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To date Azincourt has run several geophysical surveys that have delineated multiple long linear conductors with flexural changes in orientation and offset breaks in the vicinity of interpreted fault lineaments - classic targets for basement-hosted unconformity uranium deposits. These are not just simple basement conductors but are clearly upgraded/enhanced prospectivity targets due to structural complexity. The targets are similar to NexGen's Arrow deposit and Cameco's East Point mine. The project ground is located along a parallel conductive trend between the PLS-Arrow trend and Cameco's Centennial deposit in the Virgin River-Dufferin Lake Trend. Limited drilling (552m) in the winter of 2018-19 confirmed the prospectivity of the East Preston project, as basement lithologies and graphitic structures intersected are similar and appear to be analogous to the Patterson Lake South-Arrow-Hook Lake/Spitfire uranium deposit host rocks and setting.

Azincourt has recently followed up with a winter drill program that focused on prospective targets in the Five Island Lakes area, testing multiple subparallel EM conductors in the area of marked structural disruption. A portion of the recent targeting was concentrated along the A-Zone, where 2019 drilling verified the conductor hosts significant graphite in strongly deformed (sheared) host rocks that offer both fluid pathways and a reducing host rock conducive to uranium deposition. Assays are pending for this drill program.

About Skyharbour Resources Ltd.:

Skyharbour holds an extensive portfolio of uranium and thorium exploration projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin and is well positioned to benefit from improving uranium market fundamentals with six drill-ready projects. Skyharbour has acquired from Denison Mines, a large strategic shareholder of the Company, a 100% interest in the Moore Uranium Project which is located 15 kilometres east of Denison's Wheeler River project and 39 kilometres south of Cameco's McArthur River uranium mine. Moore is an advanced stage uranium exploration property with high grade uranium mineralization at the Maverick Zone with drill results returning up to 6.0% U 3 O 8 over 5.9 metres including 20.8% U 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres at a vertical depth of 265 metres. Skyharbour has signed option agreements with Orano Canada Inc. and Azincourt Energy whereby Orano and Azincourt can earn in up to 70% of the Preston Project through a combined $9,800,000 in total exploration expenditures, as well as $1,700,000 in total cash payments and Azincourt shares. Preston is a large, geologically prospective property proximal to Fission Uranium's Triple R deposit as well as NexGen Energy's Arrow deposit. The Company also owns a 100% interest in the Falcon Point Uranium Project on the eastern perimeter of the Basin which contains a NI 43-101 inferred resource totaling 7.0 million pounds of U 3 O 8 at 0.03% and 5.3 million pounds of ThO 2 at 0.023%. The project also hosts a high-grade surface showing with up to 68% U 3 O 8 in grab samples from a massive pitchblende vein, the source of which has yet to be discovered. The Company's 100% owned Mann Lake Uranium project on the east side of the Basin is strategically located adjacent to the Mann Lake Joint Venture operated by Cameco, where high-grade uranium mineralization was recently discovered. Skyharbour's goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions.

Skyharbour's Uranium Project Map in the Athabasca Basin:

http://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/SYH_Landpackage_2014.jpg

To find out more about Skyharbour Resources Ltd..

SKYHARBOUR RESOURCES LTD.

"Jordan Trimble"



Jordan Trimble

President and CEO

For further information contact myself or:

Simon Dyakowski

Corporate Development

Skyharbour Resources Ltd.

Telephone: 604-687-3800

Toll Free: 800-567-8181

Facsimile: 604-687-3119

Email: info@skyharbourltd.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
Power is the glue that binds disparate allies and creates unlikely friends. The quest for that demanding, yet fickle mistress ensures that politicians and political parties strike expedient and often self-serving alliances to gain and hold on to positions of authority.

But, when this power turns elusive, relationships change, and old animosities get sharpened further.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, which saw defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory, is said to be simmering with sub-terrain internal dissent against the state leadership. The party saw its former ally, the Shiv Sena, snub it to form a government under party chief Uddhav Thackeray, with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The factional feuds between the group led by former chief minister and incumbent leader of opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, and his detractors, have also manifested themselves when it comes to the BJPs response to the Maharashtra governments handling of the lockdown and its aftermath.

While Fadnavis has attacked the Uddhav Thackeray government for its handling of the Corona crisis and lockdown, many party leaders note that criticizing the government at this juncture serves little political utility.

Fadnavis has criticized the incumbent regime for lack of a cohesive response. He pointed to the lack of co-ordination in tracking those from Maharashtra who attended the Tablighi Jamaat convention in Delhi, and gaps in its Shiv Bhojan scheme to provide meals to the weaker sections for just Rs 5 and in distribution of public distribution system (PDS) grain.

More importantly, Fadnavis charged that the lockdown was being violated in certain 'mohallas' in Maharashtra. He sought that the state reserve police be deployed there and conduct daily flag marches to create "positive fear", but claimed this was not being done due to "votebank politics".

The leader of opposition said that the infection and mortality rates were on the higher side in Maharashtra, and the spread of the virus was alarming in cities like Mumbai and Pune, bringing them to the doorsteps of community transmission.

Fadnavis loyalist and BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare had also pointed to Uddhavs lack of experience, and claimed that Maharashtra would have done well to have an experienced administrator like Fadnavis during this crisis. Davkhare was attacked by the Shiv Sena and NCP for these comments. This also prompted an angry editorial in Saamana, which has Shiv Sena hawk Sanjay Raut as the executive editor, and Uddhavs wife Rashmi as the editor.

There is no point in criticizing the government now and trying to score political brownie points. This strategy may cause greater harm as it makes for bad optics. During a pandemic like this, we must rise above politics and make constructive suggestions to the government, noted a senior BJP leader.

He, however, added that despite the pro-Uddhav PR spiel, the government had failed to respond to issues like ensuring social security for sections like those in the unorganized sector and supply of essentials to cities.

Though Fadnavis retains his position as the numero uno BJP leader in Maharashtra, voices of dissent have emerged against his leadership after the Shiv Sena dumped the BJP to come to power.

BJP leaders admit that during their years in power from 2014 to 2019, the party leadership had rubbed the Shiv Sena the wrong way, which led to the Sena eventually breaking off their three-decade old alliance.

A section of senior leaders, who felt cornered during the time Fadnavis was the chief minister, are said to be getting increasingly assertive every time they get an opening.

Some BJP leaders like Pankaja Munde, who are seen as being firmly in the anti-Fadnavis camp, have lauded Uddhav for his handling of matters.

Pankaja is the daughter of senior BJP leader and former Union minister, late Gopinath Munde.

We can criticize later, we must give suggestions now, said Pankaja, while speaking to the media. She also stressed on the need to rise about party affiliations, but also called for welfare measures to better the lot of migrant workers and the weaker sections, who are in economic distress.

Pankajas father, Gopinath Munde, a leader of the powerful OBC Vanjari community, is credited with taking the BJP to the masses in Maharashtra, and changing its image as the party of the upper castes like the Brahmins. He died in a road accident in Delhi, soon after being inducted as the rural development minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet in 2014.

After Fadnavis, a Brahmin, was appointed as the chief minister in 2014, Pankaja had claimed the Bahujan samaj (non-Brahmins) wanted her to become the chief minister. Pankaja said she was the chief minister in the eyes of the masses.

Though Pankaja was the rural development minister in the Fadnavis regime, she faced a shock defeat at the hands of her estranged cousin, Dhananjay Munde of the NCP, from the family pocketborough of Parli in Beed district. Dhananjay is the social justice minister in the Thackeray cabinet and is known to be close to Fadnavis since their days in the BJP.

In December 2019, Pankaja had organized a show of strength with other disgruntled BJP leaders like former ministers Eknath Khadse and Prakash Mehta.

Khadse, a chief ministerial aspirant, had to quit as the revenue minister in 2016 after a rush of allegations against him. Though he was denied the party nomination from his Muktainagar constituency in Jalgaon, in favour of his daughter Rohini Khadse Khewalkar, she lost by a slender margin.

Loyalists of both, Khadse and Pankaja blame the rivals of their leaders for these losses. Mehta, the housing minister in the Fadnavis cabinet, was denied a renomination from Ghatkopar in Mumbai after a controversy in a slum redevelopment proposal.

However, Fadnavis associates said that their leader had consistently pointed out that he did not want to criticize the government. He was instead offering constructive suggestions.

An associate of Fadnavis said the campaign by some on social media seeking Fadnavis as an alternative to Uddhav, who has little administrative experience, had no official sanction of their leader or the party. He added that the BJP was firm in its resolve of standing by the state government in this hour of crisis.

Devendraji is consistently saying that he is making requests to the state government for measures to be given to those affected by the lockdown. But, these are misinterpreted as criticism. Statements which are claimed to be his attacks on the government were made after pointed questions on these issues were asked by the media, he noted.

(Dhaval Kulkarni is a Mumbai-based journalist and author of The Cousins Thackeray: Uddhav, Raj and the shadow of their Senas)
Reid Park Zoo's cute baby elephant Penzi is now 4 months old and still as playful as ever. Mapenzi and her big sister Nandi were both born in Tucson, to the delight of locals. Reid Park Zoo is still closed.
GCB Bank Limited on Tuesday, 14th April began providing meals for 500 doctors and frontline health services staff as part of its commitment to the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) on a daily basis.

The Bank, under an arrangement with some private suppliers and catering services companies, is offering nutritious meals, water, and drink as a lunch package for the health workers for a month.

Medical doctors and other frontline health services workers from Ga East Municipal Hospital, Mamprobi Polyclinic, Legon COVID Centre and Ussher Polyclinic in the Greater Accra Region are being catered for by the Bank.

The gesture and intervention of the Bank are to complement the efforts of the Government of Ghana in the efforts to contain COVID-19.

The Managing Director of GCB, Mr. Anselm Ray Sowah, commenting on the programme, noted that with the increasing pressure on frontline workers due to the rise in the number of COVI-19 cases, it is very difficult for frontline health service staff to leave their duty posts in search of food due to the partial lockdown.

He explained that the decision of the Bank to provide meals for frontline health service staff is motivated by the drive to connect with and serve others as well as to promote survival.

As Ghanas largest and indigenous bank, GCB is obliged. I feel driven by our tenets of corporate social responsibility. It is a moral imperative, the GCB MD said.

Mr. Sowah said the Bank prioritises health matters believing that good health for all Ghanaians will enhance productivity.

The Medical Doctor in charge of Ussher Polyclinic, Dr. Patrick Amo-Mensah, on behalf of the staff and the community, expressed gratitude to the Bank.

Here are the details of the doctors who received the donation of 200 free lunch for 14th April 2020.

At the Ga East Municipal Hospital, Dr. Ali Samba (National Coordinator for Case Management Teams), Dr. Ebenezer Oduro Mensah (Medical Superintendent for Ga East District Hospital) and Dr. Chris Owoo (National Coordinator for Management of Severe and Critical Cases) and Dr. Humphrey MaCauley, received the package on behalf of the health workers.

The Head of Corporate Affairs Department of the Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Kojo Kwarteng, on behalf of the Management presented parcels of the meals to the Specialist Doctor in charge of the Mamprobi Polyclinic, Dr. Charlotte-Alberta Baaba Cato.

Mr. Kwarteng also witnessed the delivery of the meals to doctors and staff of the Ussher Polyclinic.
The new research review shows the potential of fish and shellfish production to feed a growing global population could be enhanced through advances in genetics and biotechnology. Credit: University of Exeter

The potential of fish and shellfish production to feed a growing global population could be significantly enhanced through advances in genetics and biotechnology, researchers have said.

Many species of fish and shellfish have been domesticated relatively recently compared with most livestock species, and so have diverse gene pools with major potential for selective breeding, according to the review paper in Nature Reviews Genetics.

The development of tools to gain insight into the genetics of these species, and apply such tools for breeding and management, provides opportunities to release that potential, researchers say.

Most aquaculture species can produce many offspring, and large populations with improved genetics can be bred quickly for improved production performance.

The benefits may include improved growth, resistance to disease or robustness in diverse farming environments.

Farmed fish is on course to overcome wild fish as the main source of seafood, and consequently genetic tools and expertise are in high demand to increase the efficiency and sustainability of aquaculture systems, which currently rely mostly on unselected stocks.

Insight into the genomes of species can enable careful selection of a farming population with desirable traits, and monitoring genomic variation will help maintain genetic diversity as farm populations develop.

In the future, technologies such as genome editing could be used to introduce desirable traits, such as disease resistance, into farmed species, and surrogate breeding could be employed to support production of preferred species.

The review paper, collaboration between experts from Universities of Edinburgh, Exeter, Stirling, and Aberdeen, is an output of the AquaLeap consortium project.

AquaLeap is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, in partnership with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Hendrix Genetics, Xelect, The National Lobster Hatchery, Tethys oysters, and Otter Ferry SeaFish.

Environmental Biologist Dr. Eduarda Santos, from the University of Exeter and co-author of the study said: "The rapid expansion of aquaculture has contributed to increased food security across the globe, however, issues related to domestication of desired species and emergence of diseases, limit its further development.

"Genomics has the potential to offer solutions to many of these limitations by improving our knowledge of the genomes of cultured organisms, genetic selection, and better understanding of the dynamic interactions between genes and the environment, to maximise food production."

Dr. Jamie Stevens, also from the University of Exeter and co-author added: "We only have to look at the example of Atlantic salmon to see the immense value of a sequenced genome to the relatively recent optimisation of a wild species for the aquaculture market.

"Similarly, we anticipate the delivery of a genome for other species, including the European lobster, will offer similar opportunities to develop molecular tools with which to rapidly increase the potential of lobster as an aquaculture species and improve the sustainability of its wild populations."

Professor Ross Houston, the Roslin Institute: "There is a timely opportunity to harness the potential of farmed aquatic species, to ensure food security for a growing population. Genomic selection and biotechnology can speed up this process, and recent developments in these fields will soon be translated to benefit aquaculture production for many of these species across the world."

Explore further Research alliance to improve aquaculture and livestock breeding

More information: Ross D. Houston et al. Harnessing genomics to fast-track genetic improvement in aquaculture, Nature Reviews Genetics (2020). Journal information: Nature Reviews Genetics Ross D. Houston et al. Harnessing genomics to fast-track genetic improvement in aquaculture,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-0227-y
CHICAGO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ActiveCampaign, the leader in Customer Experience Automation (CXA), today announced the launch of an expanded Agency partner program, benefitting over 6,000 partners globally. With a partner network that has grown by 150% in the last year alone, the upgraded Agency program will better serve a wider variety of agency partners, empowering them to deliver unique customer experiences to their clients whether they're an agency of 2 or 2000.

Now with the ability to sell and manage accounts directly, earn commission or margins on accounts sold, and the choice to manage client billing or not, ActiveCampaign is allowing the agency to focus on what they do best  growing their clients' business.

Agencies within the CXA Partner Program can elevate their agency's brand through white labeling opportunities, build new accounts and onboard clients with ease via a customizable Sandbox account, expand industry knowledge through hosted monthly webinars and a dedicated account manager, and access partner-exclusive event discounts.

ActiveCampaign has always focused on helping businesses of all sizes build meaningful connections with their customers. For over 10 years, ActiveCampaign partners have played a significant role in helping to build those connections through their agencies and clients. With a new Agency program, ActiveCampaign is continuing to evolve its CXA Partner Program to better fit the needs of all agency types so they can continue to create unique customer experiences for their clients.

Stephen Lynch, owner of L2 marketing agency and ActiveCampaign partner since 2017, decided to join the ActiveCampaign Agency Partner network after evaluating over 30 different tools. "When it came down to it, ActiveCampaign checked off 90% of the requirements we were looking for in a partner. The API, performance, robustness and ease of use are some of the top reasons ActiveCampaign was at the top of my list."

In addition to the expansion of the agency program, ActiveCampaign continues to grow and support its thriving affiliate network, which has contributed more than 50% year over year growth.





About ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign's category-defining Customer Experience Automation Platform helps over 95,000 businesses in 161 countries meaningfully engage with their customers. The platform gives businesses of all sizes access to hundreds of pre-built automations that combine email marketing, marketing automation, CRM, and machine learning for powerful segmentation and personalization across social, email, messaging, chat, and text. Over 70% of ActiveCampaign's customers use its 300+ integrations including Shopify, Square, Facebook, Eventbrite, and Salesforce. ActiveCampaign scores higher in customer satisfaction than any other solution in both Marketing Automation and CRM All-In-One on G2.com. Pricing starts at just $9/month. Start a free trial at ActiveCampaign.com.

Media contact:

Amy Dardinger

[email protected]

SOURCE ActiveCampaign
The 2020 presidential election has been upended by COVID-19.

With Bernie Sanders dropping out of the race, former Vice President Joe Biden stands as the presumptive Democratic nominee and is all but certain to face President Donald Trump in November.

Analysts agree Pennsylvania will remain a battleground state.

One constant is Pennsylvania remains extremely coveted," said Christopher Borick, a political analyst at Muhlenberg College. "The electoral math hasnt changed because of CoVid-19. Pennsylvania will be an epicenter of the campaign.

Aside from that fact, political analysts say its virtually impossible to forecast what will happen in November.

The coronavirus has altered virtually every aspect of American life. The efforts to reduce the spread of the virus have shut down businesses and left millions of Americans without jobs.

Many arent giving much thought to the November election. Nonetheless, the coronavirus pandemic has completely reshaped the election, analysts agree.

Analysts say its tough to project who will win Pennsylvania when there are so many larger, looming questions that cant be answered right now. What will campaigning even look like in 2020? Can traditional campaigning resume and if so, when?

As Borick asked: "How do you campaign in a time of pandemic?

Will the Democrats and Republicans have their national conventions this summer? Can Trump and Biden have rallies or will public health concerns scrap events that would draw big crowds?

Will people show up to the polls in November or will more voters cast ballots by mail?

Seasoned political analysts said there are far more questions than answers right now.

Trump is no longer the biggest wild card in the race, said Lauren Copeland, a political analyst at Baldwin Wallace University.

Biden, a Scranton native and a longtime U.S. senator from Delaware, could give Democrats a chance to take back the Keystone State. Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2016, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win the commonwealth since 1988.

We are in an environment where its very, very difficult to make judgments that hold any future sway, said G. Terry Madonna, a political analyst at Franklin & Marshall College.

Expect plenty of advertising money to be spent in Pennsylvania. Normally, itd be easy to project plenty of events featuring both candidates, who made repeated appearances in the Keystone State before the pandemic.

Were going to be one of the most visited states," Madonna said, "if they can get out and campaign.

In this Feb. 25, 2020, file photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Vice President Joe Biden participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate in Charleston, S.C. This week, Sanders endorsed Biden's bid for the White House. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)AP

A shortened campaign

Most analysts agreed voters arent focusing on November right now.

If theyre worried about paying rent and putting food on the table, I dont know to what extent theyre paying attention to the election, Copeland said.

Some analysts suggest the campaign calendar could be shorter. It could be a throwback to previous generations with most campaigning taking place around Labor Day and beyond.

Experts say the coronavirus will dominate the campaign.

Youre going to have a shortened campaign thats going to be largely focused on who can lead us out of this, said Charlie Gerow, a Harrisburg public affairs consultant and Republican strategist. What does the future look like under President Trump? What does the future look like if you have Joe Biden?

Analysts agree Trump faces two crucial questions. First, will efforts to reduce the spread of the virus lead to fewer deaths and infections than the most dire forecasts? Secondly, how long will it take for the economy to recover?

Throughout his presidency, Trump has been able to tout the economys strength. If many businesses go under and the unemployment rate remains high for a prolonged period, thats usually bad news for a sitting president. Typically, the economic downturn triggered by the pandemic would be an absolute game changer, Borick said.

Weve seen less dramatic shifts derail presidencies, Borick said. Economic downturns helped ensure Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush were one-term presidents, Borick and other analysts noted.

On the flip side, analysts said many people may see the economic fallout from the pandemic as being beyond the presidents control.

Gerow noted the public has rallied around presidents in times of crisis and may be less inclined to put someone else in the White House. The American public rallied around Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Depression, Gerow noted.

Partisanship remains

The pandemic hasnt really altered partisan views among the general public, said Borick.

This is one of the biggest events to hit American society in modern history, Borick said. "Im not sure how much it has shifted our political landscape.

"Im not seeing dramatic changes from before the outbreak really hit in terms of how people are viewing the president or the matchup with Joe Biden.

Polls show Trump received a bump in support after the outbreak. However, his job approval ratings still show a divided public when it comes to the president.

Last week, a Quinnipiac University poll found Trumps job approval at the highest of his presidency, with 45 percent approving of his performance and 51 percent disapproving of it. Still, the same poll also found Biden leading Trump in a hypothetical matchup, 49 percent to 41 percent.

A CNBC poll found voters who approved of his performance outnumbering those who dont for the first time in Trumps presidency (46 percent to 43 percent).

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence speak at the Giant Center to rally supporters and campaigns for a second term. Dec. 10, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com

No rallies, at least for now

The federal government has advised against gatherings of more than 10 people. So Trump isnt holding any of his rallies which fill arenas across the country.

Trump drew a capacity crowd of more than 10,000 to the Giant Center in Hershey in December and hundreds more were turned away.

Biden isnt able to do public events either, of course. This week, former President Barack Obama endorsed Biden. After endorsing Hillary Clinton four years ago, Obama joined her on the campaign trail to fire up the faithful. Thats not happening now.

Still, Gerow and other analysts agreed the lack of rallies is a bigger setback for Trump.

In addition to motivating his base, the Trump campaign collects reams of data from those who sign up for the free tickets for his rallies.

If social distancing measures are eased, Borick suggested the candidates could opt for smaller venues.

With the lack of traditional public campaign events, social media becomes more important and thats where Borick said Trump has an edge over Biden. The presidents use of Twitter sometimes flusters even his backers. But he has more than 76 million followers on Twitter and the platform gives him a direct line to his most ardent supporters.

Engaging the public

With the public focused on the pandemic, Biden faces challenges in gaining attention.

Virtually every day, Trump has had a daily press briefing on the coronavirus. Trump garners huge media attention with cable news shows spending hours dissecting the briefing.

Biden has criticized the presidents handling of the crisis.

Analysts said Biden needs to be wary of being too critical of the president during the pandemic because it could be viewed as politicizing the crisis.

He doesnt like to go very negative very quickly, Borick said of Biden. "In this situation, that serves him well. He has time. Let this play out. Therell be plenty of time during this campaign to target the failings of the president, particularly related to his handling of this issue.

Questions for Biden

Other questions persist. Namely, can Biden convince more progressive Democrats to get behind him in November?

Sanders endorsed Biden on Monday and urged his supporters to get behind the former vice president. Elizabeth Warren endorsed him Wednesday. But some analysts say Biden has work to do to rally more liberal Democrats.

He doesnt have the strong support of the more progressive wing of the Democratic party, said Copeland, the Baldwin Wallace University analyst.

Rogette Harris, the chairwoman of the Dauphin County Democratic Party, said Biden can win the Keystone State but shes not taking anything for granted.

I think he has a good chance to win Pennsylvania but its not a guarantee, Harris said. We didnt think Trump would win Pennsylvania before.

Biden is going to have to do his part and reach out to Bernies supporters, she said.

Madonna also said Biden hed give an early edge in Pennsylvania but said the state could go either way in November.

I would probably say Biden is the slight favorite but that could change, Madonna said.

Amplified by the coronavirus, health care will be a pivotal issue, analysts said.

Energy is a big issue in Pennsylvania, given the states vast production of natural gas. Gerow said this could give Trump an edge since the president has been a big supporter of the industry. Biden has said he opposes new permits for fracking on public lands.

More than most elections, Bidens selection of a vice presidential nominee is going to be critical for his campaign.

Thats going to decide whether we can get a lot of voters where he wasnt their first choice, Harris said.

Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate. Given Bidens age (he turns 78 in November), some analysts expect hell pick someone younger. Typically, the choice of a running mate isnt a deciding factor in the race.

As with so much else, its different this year.

Joe Biden is an interesting case study, Borick said. At his age, theres real consideration if hes elected, he may be a one-term president.

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Thursday, April 16th, 2020 (12:01 am) - Score 2,381

Weve talked a lot about the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis on UK consumer and business broadband ISP traffic (mostly internet data) over the past month, but today were going to do something a little different. Were taking a brief look at the impact on education and research networks, specifically Janet.

At present Jisc (formerly the Joint Information Systems Committee), which is a not-for-profit company, runs the Janet Network. Something like 18 million users in education and research (science projects etc.) organisations, science parks and public sector bodies rely on this network to stay connected via anything from 1Gbps to 100Gbps links.

The Janet Network also includes 600+ direct peerings to key education and research network facilities and cloud providers (e.g. Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Apple), as well as key content providers (BBC, Facebook, Netflix, Akamai) and supporting international collaborations. As we recall the backbone capacity of the current Janet6 network is 600Gbps (up from 10Gbps in 2006), but we think it can go to 2Tbps and beyond (here).

Suffice to say that Janet carries a lot of data and it has a number of particularly big individual users. For example, the Imperial College London and University of Edinburgh have both got 100Gbps links, not to mention that masses of data from CERNs Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment needs to use the network. Janet is fast moving into the Terabit era.

Janets Chief Network Architect, Rob Evans, has now revealed some interesting insights into the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on their network. Below shows a graph covering 6 weeks worth of traffic, which runs up to Maundy Thursday (held in 2020 on 9th April), and compares the same pre-Easter period in 2019 with 2020.

NOTE: The 20th March 2020 is around day 18 below on this graph and the full lockdown started three days later on 23rd March.

During 2019 you can clearly see the natural slowdown in work toward Easter, as well as the usual weekend dips as people returned home. However, 2020 is very different and we can see that a sharp and consistent slowdown begins roughly a week ahead of the official lockdown on 23rd March. The move to work from home has had a huge impact on Janets traffic.

Its interesting to see how close the weekday traffic is to the weekend traffic, perhaps as people looking after children home from school catch up with a bit of work at the weekend?, pondered Evans. Credits to James for spotting the update.
Joe Biden accused US president Donald Trump of having temper tantrums, during a virtual town hall meeting amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During the online session on Wednesday, the former vice president criticised the way Mr Trump has handled the Covid-19 outbreak so far.

He claimed that Mr Trump spends too much time during his daily coronavirus briefings discussing what the press are reporting.

The briefings are designed to inform the US public on developments with the government's efforts to tackle the pandemic, and Mr Biden thinks the president needs to put the focus back on to that.

He likes to say he is a wartime president. Well, he needs to step up and act like one, not harangue the press for hours on end while people are dying, he said.

The virtual town hall was comprised of food and transit workers, many of whom are still doing their job during the pandemic, according to the Independent.

Mr Biden said that Mr Trump is not showing empathy for those badly affected by the pandemic and is instead focusing on his authority over the country.

Your friends and coworkers are dying, our family members and neighbours and friends are dying while Trump is having temper tantrums about his authority over whatever he wants as president. He said hes the boss, he said.

Well, have we heard him offer anything that approaches a sincere expression of empathy for the people who are hurting? Mr Biden told the town hall. Have we seen any sign that he grasps just how hard it will be for people to recover from this, not just economically but physically and emotionally as well?

Mr Biden added: I dont think this is appropriate conduct for a president.

During his daily coronavirus briefing on Monday, Mr Trump claimed that he has total control over when states will ease social distancing measures.

When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And thats the way its got to be. Its total, he said.

On Tuesday, Mr Trump backtracked: Im not putting any pressure on the governors, he said, before adding that well open it (the country) in beautiful little pieces.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, the US has upwards of 639,733 people have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 30,990.
I want to thank Bonnie Werkheiser Goldfein for reminding many of us about polios impact on us in the summer/fall of 1951 and into 1952 (April 13 column, Remembering Johnny Mack: In the summer of 1951, a virus kept Americans in fear.)

At that time I was in junior high (now called middle school) and my brother was in high school in the suburbs of Wilmington, Delaware. I remember visiting, with my brother, one of his classmates who was fully enclosed in an air lung  a mechanical respirator that helped the patient to breathe. Only his face was visible. My brother and I stood out on the lawn by the window where we could see and talk to him. There were others in the same large room of the hospital.

After about a year our friend was able to start rehab and return to high school with some physical disabilities, using crutches and then a cane. He later became a doctor in neurology.

That summer we were not allowed in parks and could not go swimming in community pools. Movie theaters were closed. We could not play with our friends for fear of catching polio, so we suffered through the summer heat and humidity. For us there was very little television and no cable, no Netflix. We could play catch with a ball outside or read books. I read most of the Nancy Drew mystery series that year.

Ann Terres

Hanover Township, Northampton County
The rush to understand, predict and head off the Covid-19 outbreak has prompted technology researchers to deploy artificial intelligence to create tools that can determine whether people are infected by analysing the sound of their cough, the way they speak or even breathe.

Currently, most of these efforts are at a stage in which the researchers are gathering data  speech and coughing recordings paired with information whether someone has an infection. These are then fed to AI algorithms  specifically deep learning and machine learning programmes.

Since the voice production mechanism is so complex and dependent on cognitive abilities, any factor that affects your body or your mind will reflect in your voice. The changes can be in fractions of seconds -- what we call micro signatures, that are not audible to the untrained listener, but nevertheless present, said Rita Singh, a computer sciences research professor at the Carnegie Mellon University, whose team created the COVID Voice Detector.

The changes, added Singh in a video-call, carry a surprising amount of information that can be linked to physiological factors. Any condition affecting the lungs or the respiratory system  as has been established in the cases of Covid-19 infections -- has a palpable effect on voice. Moreover, the cough of a Covid patient is also distinct from a healthy persons, she added.

The tool is basically a self-learning system that is now trying to learn signatures of a Covid infection that shows up in voice, not just in cough, Singh said, adding that more data it is fed, the more it understands the signatures.

At the core of the tool is a computer programme patented by Singh and used extensively in voice profiling work by law enforcement in United States, according to a homeland security research agency.

A similar effort has been launched by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The COVID-19 Sounds app, available as a Chrome or Firefox plugin for now, is at present building a crowdsourced data set.

Having spoken to doctors, one of the most common things they have noticed about patients with the virus is the way they catch their breath when theyre speaking, as well as a dry cough, and the intervals of their breathing patterns, said professor Cecilia Mascolo from Cambridges department of computer science and technology in an article published by the university.

A third such initiative is being carried out by Mumbai-based Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Launched on April 7, Wadhwanis Cough Against Covid mobile application asks users to record the sound of their coughing and share an image of a test result if they are positive.

For such efforts to work, the quality and the accuracy of data is crucial. Such a system needs to be thoroughly vetted by the medical community and thoroughly tested. It must have near-zero false positives and zero false negatives. This is impossible to achieve in a short run, so our goal is tempered down to being able to return more conservative factoids from voice that may still be helpful to everyone, Singh said.

As the disease brings much of the planet to a halt, scientists and health experts have called for technology to play a bigger part in tackling the pandemic  which has grown too quickly for conventional containment tools to have an effect.

Software giants such as Apple and Google are working on a mobile phone-based contact tracing tool, a technology that several nations  including India with the Aarogya Setu app  have already deployed on their own.

Apart from AI and proximity-estimating tools meant to trace contacts, researchers are also looking at internet-of-things (IOT) devices such as smart thermometers. A company called Kinsa comes up with heat maps of fever prevalence. Such tools can be useful in identifying large outbreaks that health authorities can respond to and direct testing and containment resources if need be, said Bhramar Mukherjee, the head of biostatistics at the University of Michigan.

The efforts also present a challenge for privacy, since connected device data, personal audio recordings, location histories and health records need to be protected from profiteering and surveillance.

Indias Aarogya Setu app has been criticised by privacy advocates for collecting too much data, the use of which is governed by privacy policies that, they say, lacks transparency and accountability. The developers and the government of India have rejected the concerns.

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Seeking to strictly implement



lockdown rules during the holy month of Ramzan, the Tamil Nadu government on Thursday said mosques in the state cannot prepare gruel from the rice allotted by it as is the case, but distribute it among the deserving Muslim benefeciaries.

Unlike the previous years, the gruel cannot be prepared in mosques owing to the lockdown rules imposed to stem the spread of coronavirus, even as places of religious worship have been shut as part of the country's fight against COVID- 19.

Late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had earlier announced providing rice to mosques free of cost for preparing the gruel consumed while breaking fast during Ramzan season.

Chief Secretary K Shanmugam chaired a meeting with respective Islamic clerics in this connection, an official release here said.

It said the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board has directed that prayers and breaking of fast should be avoided in mosques, dargahs and imambadas.

Every year, 5450 tonnes of rice is supplied to mosques and dargahs to prepare the gruel to be distributed among the poor, it said.

However, this time, the said quantity rice will be sent to 2,895 mosques by April 19 and the functionaries there can distribute it among deserving Muslim beneficiaries with the help of volunteers before April 22, the release said.

"It is being clarified that preparation of the gruel in mosques this year is banned to contain the spread of coronavirus," it added.

The Ramzan month will start by April 23/24, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 2.1 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus worldwide as the pandemic continues to affect every aspect of people's lives.

The global death toll stands at more than 141,000 people, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to a number of deaths in which a person is not tested for the virus.

Many municipalities have begun counting probable deaths caused by COVID-19, including New York City, the epicenter of the disease in the United States.

The U.S. has more cases and deaths than any country in the world, with more than 653,000 diagnosed cases and at least 30,998 deaths.

Today's biggest developments:

Birx, Fauci lay out details of reopening guidelines New York extends shutdown in coordination with Northeast states UK will stay on lockdown for next 3 weeks Midwest governors form coalition to reopen their states NJ governor 'outraged that bodies of the dead' piled up at nursing home

Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.

8:53 p.m.: Black Americans have disproportionate number of cases: CDC

Of the novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. in which persons race was identified, 30 percent of those people were black or African American, according to new nationwide statistics posted online by the CDC.

Thats despite being only about 13 percent of the U.S. population.

The federal government has provided very little data on who is getting sick, and this single nationwide statistic still provides a limited look at who is the most vulnerable. Race was identified in only about a quarter of the cases known to the CDC and the agency was expected to provide updated data.

The new data also is limited to positive cases and does not note the outcomes, such as hospitalizations, ICU admissions or deaths.

7:18 p.m.: Birx, Fauci lay out details of reopening guidelines

Story continues

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, and Dr. Anthon Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, provided more details and insight into the president's reopening guidelines that were provided to governors earlier today.

Speaking at the Coronavirus Task Force's daily briefing, Birx said the White House won't be setting up timelines to scale back their shelter in place orders.

"We want the governors with the data that they have, community by community, to be setting up those timelines," she said.

Birx added that health officials will be watching vulnerable areas, including nursing homes, during the initial phases.

PHOTO: Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, April 16, 2020, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)

"When we talked with all of the states that had not had a major metro outbreak, their sentinel surveillances picked up always the first cases in nursing homes," she said.

Fauci said during the third phase of the reopening it may be conceivable to see things like packed arenas for sporting events, large crowds, and concerts.

"I think there will always have to be attention to making sure that we don't do all of that packing in together. I think well be able to have sports events in that phase where you actually have participants there," he said.

Fauci warned this is still "uncharted water."

"There may be some setbacks that we may have to pull back a little and then go forward," he said.

6:36 p.m.: NYPD to wear mourning bands

NYPD officers will wear black mourning bands on patrol in honor of their fallen members until the pandemic is over, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a message to his members that was obtained by ABC News.

So far, the force has had 27 of its members perish from COVID-19 related complications, which is more than the number of NYPD members who were killed in the 9/11 terror attacks.

The fallen members include six officers, five detectives, five school safety agents, four traffic agents, three 911 operators, two custodians, a police administrative aide and a senior police administrative aide.

"This unprecedented crisis has already taken a significant toll on our NYPD family," Shea wrote. "We vow never to forget our heroes service and sacrifice."

6:06 p.m.: NYC cancels all permitted May events, will decide on June soon

New York City has ordered that all permitted events in the month of May cancelled, Olivia Lapeyrolerie, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office, said.

This includes the Brooklyn half marathon and several Memorial Day parades, such as the annual marches in Queens.

PHOTO: Runners during the final leg of the Brooklyn Half Marathon in New York, May 18, 2013. (Michael Nagle/The New York Times via Redux, FILE)

"We are in the process of reviewing June events and will be engaging with key stakeholders," she said in a statement, adding that the office will have more information by the end of the week.

5:41 p.m.: Navy identifies sailor who died from COVID-19

The U.S. Navy provided more information about the sailor assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt who died from coronavirus complications on April 13.

Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., of Forth Smith, Arkansas, was diagnosed with the virus on March 30, removed from the ship and placed in isolation at the Naval Base in Guam, according to the Navy. The 41-year-old sailor was placed in the ICU on April 9th, the Navy said.

PHOTO: Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Ark., is pictured in a photo released by the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt and died from COVID-19 on April 13, 2020. (U.S. Navy)

Thacker's spouse, who is an active duty member stationed in San Diego, was flown to Guam the next day and was at his side during his final hours, according to the Navy.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time," Capt. Carlos Sardiello, Theodore Roosevelt's commanding officer, said in a statement.

5:08 p.m.: Boeing to restart work at Washington facilities

Boeing announced it would restart work at all of its facilities in the Puget Sound region of Washington state next week.

Approximately 27,000 employees will return to production of the 747, 767, 777 and 787 programs as early as April 20, the company said. Extra safety precautions will be administered including staggered shift times, face masks and PPE for employees, markers on the floor that help to indicate 6-feet distances and more hand washing facilities.

PHOTO: The Boeing Everett Factory is pictured after Boeing announced a temporary suspension of production operations at its Puget Sound area facilities, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Everett, Washington, March 23, 2020. (David Ryder/Reuters)

"This phased approach ensures we have a reliable supply base, our personal protective equipment is readily available and we have all of the necessary safety measures in place to resume essential work for our customers," Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement.

Boeing closed down its Washington facilities in March as the number of coronavirus cases began surging in the state.

4:30 p.m.: Trump releases guidelines to reopen country

President Donald Trump unveiled his administration's plans to reopen the American economy in a video conference call with the nation's governors.

The guidelines, obtained by ABC News, are broken up into three phases. Governors were instructed that they could move through the phases at their own pace, and that the guidelines are not orders from the government, according to a person familiar with call.

PHOTO: A pedestrian passes a business which has closed temporarily in San Antonio, Texas, March 24, 2020. (Eric Gay/AP)

The guidelines' "phase one" calls on employers to telework where possible, have employees return to work in phases, minimize non-essential travel, and make accommodations for vulnerable populations.

In "phase two," non-essential travel for employers can resume. Schools, gyms and large venues can reopen with proper social distancing measures. Churches can open with social distancing and elective surgeries can resume.

PHOTO: A sign alerts customers that a business in Queens, which has one of the highest infection rates of coronavirus in the nation, is closed on April 03, 2020, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The third phase says bars, gyms and large venues can reopen with limited social distancing and proper sanitation.

Trump, who had previously stated he had the authority to open up the economy, told the governors he would defer to them for specific dates on removing shelter in place orders, according to audio of the meeting obtained by ABC News.

"Before we do any announcements, we want to speak to the governors. You're going to be running it, we're going to be helping you," he said.

Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis.

4 p.m.: 52 veteran residents dead at Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Mass.

At the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Massachusetts, 52 veteran residents have died, including 44 who tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the state's Office of Health and Human Services.

Seven of those residents tested negative for the virus. It was not clear if the final resident contracted the virus.

PHOTO: A tent sits idle beside the entrance to the Soldiers' Home, April 6, 2020, in Chelsea, Mass. (Elise Amendola/AP)

Ninety-seven veteran residents and 81 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division are conducting a joint investigation to determine whether the facility "violated the rights of residents by failing to provide them adequate medical care generally, and during the coronavirus pandemic," according to a statement from the agencies.

Gov. Charlie Baker has also called for an independent investigation by attorney Mark W. Pearlstein, which will focus on "the events inside the facility that led to" the deaths, and "on management and organizational oversight of the COVID-19 response."

3:30 p.m.: More NJ coronavirus victims than residents killed in WWI

New Jersey has now lost 3,518 people to the coronavirus -- more than the number of residents in the state killed in World War I, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy: US can open on June 1 only if we've 'broken the back' of COVID-19

Like in many states, coronavirus is disproportionately impacting African Americans in New Jersey.

Of the state's fatalities, 51.1% are white, 22.5% are American American. Murphy called the percentage of African American fatalities a concern, calling it "50-plus %" higher than the overall representation in the population;

As of Thursday, 8,224 coronavirus patients are in New Jersey hospitals, including 2,014 people in intensive care units, Murphy said.

PHOTO: New Jersey police officers and health workers are seen in a newly approved saliva-based COVID-19 testing site during the coronavirus pandemic, in Edison, New Jersey, April 15, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

3 p.m.: Facebook canceling events with 50 or more people through June 2021

Facebook is canceling physical events with 50 or more people through June 2021, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

He said some events would be held virtually instead.

SLIDESHOW: Coronavirus outbreak sparks global health emergency

Most Facebook employees will work from home through at least the end of May 2020.

"Even after more of our teams can return, if there's any reason they feel they can't work in our offices -- because they are in a vulnerable population, because with schools and camps canceled they don't have childcare, or anything else -- that they can plan to work from home through at least the summer," Zuckerberg said.

2:30 p.m.: Midwest governors form coalition to reopen their states

The governors of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky announced Thursday that they'll work together to reopen the Midwest economics.

PHOTO: Rick Wittenmyer shops for groceries at the West Side Market, April 10, 2020, in Cleveland. (Tony Dejak/AP)

The governors said in a joint statement that they'll look at four factors to determine when is best to reopen: "sustained control" of infection and hospitalization rates; "enhanced ability" to test and trace; "sufficient health care capacity" for resurgence; and social distancing practice prepared for workplaces.

"This doesnt mean our economy will reopen all at once, or that every state will take the same steps at the same time," the governors' statement said, "But close coordination will ensure we get this right."

1:55 p.m.: NJ governor 'outraged that bodies of the dead' piled up at nursing home

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday that he's "outraged that bodies of the dead were allowed to pile up in a makeshift morgue" at a New Jersey nursing home.

Murphy said he asked the attorney general to investigate the deaths at the Andover Subacute and Rehab Center.

"New Jerseyans deserve to be cared for with respect, compassion and dignity," Murphy said.

PHOTO: An ambulance departs with a patient from Andover Subacute and Rehab Center, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Andover, New Jersey, April 16, 2020. (Stefan Jeremiah/Reuters)

New Jersey's Department of Health said the facility has had 35 deaths, including 19 from coronavirus, in recent weeks.

At least 103 residents have COVID-19, the health department said.

New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer claims 68 people have died at the nursing home, which is in his district.

In a Thursday morning interview with ABC New York station WABC, Gottheimer said he "just got off phone with administrator ... they have 68 lives lost ... It's horrific."

PHOTO: One of the two buildings of Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, in Andover N.J., April 15, 2020. (Gregg Vigliotti/The New York Times via Redux)

The investigation comes after a number of bodies were removed this week. According to police, the first clue was a request for 25 body bags.

"When they called Saturday they were desperate for body bags," Gottheimer said.

Investigators initially discovered five bodies in the facilitys holding area. In subsequent days they were tipped off to a body being stored in a shed. No bodies were seen in the shed but investigators then found another 12 bodies in the holding area.

Faces of the coronavirus pandemic: Remembering those who died

The owner of the center said in a statement, "The health and safety of our residents and staff is our utmost priority and responsibility. Ownership and administration is working around the clock to ensure we are able to resolve the pandemic."

"To clarify previous news reports, there was a total of 15 bodies in our holding room on April 13th," the statement said. "8 of them actually expired on April 13th and a total of 13 bodies were removed before midnight and occurred with the assistance of Andover police department."

A team has been sent to help the residents and staff at the rehab center, Murphy said.

The governor also said the attorney general will "do a review of all long-term care facilities that have experienced a disproportionate number of deaths" during the pandemic.

12:55 p.m.: Trump discusses coronavirus with G-7 leaders

President Trump discussed the coronavirus pandemic with G-7 leaders in a conference call on Thursday, joined by the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan.

According to the White House, "The leaders recognized that the G7 nations annually contribute more than a billion dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO), and much of the conversation centered on the lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement of the pandemic by the WHO."

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 15, 2020, in Washington. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

The White House said the G-7 "leaders called for a thorough review and reform process."

Readouts from other countries dispute the White House account.

A readout from Germany said Chancellor Angela Merkel "expressed her full support for the WHO."

The U.K's readout of the call made no mention of the WHO.

A Downing Street spokesperson said, "Leaders discussed the particular risk coronavirus poses to developing nations and agreed on the need to fight coronavirus in every country."

PHOTO: A handout image released by 10 Downing Street, shows President Donald Trump on the screen and Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, right, attending a remote G7 meeting inside 10 Downing Street, in central London, on April 16, 2020. (Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump said Tuesday that his administration was halting funding to the WHO, accusing it of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus" and said the organization even "pushed Chinas misinformation about the virus."

"With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether Americas generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump said.

WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday, "The United States has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so ... We regret the decision of the president of the United States to order a halt in funding to WHO."

12:30 p.m.: UK will stay on lockdown for next 3 weeks

The United Kingdom will stay on lockdown for the next three weeks, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced Thursday, explaining that relaxing measures at this stage would be a risk to the public.

PHOTO: A woman passes a closed shop in Central London, Britain, April 16, 2020. (Will Oliver/EPA via Shutterstock)

The U.K.'s lockdown has been in place since March 23. Schools, restaurants and most shops are closed, and people are allowed to leave home only for essential errands or exercise.

Over 13,000 people have died in the U.K.

Raab said five steps must be accomplished before it's safe to change the current measure: the National Health Service must be able to cope; there must be a sustained and consistent fall in the daily death rate; there must be a falling rate of infection across the board; need to have more PPE and testing; and need to be certain that a second peak will not happen.

12:05 p.m.: New York shutdown extended to May 15

In hard-hit New York state, 606 lives were lost on Wednesday.

PHOTO: A makeshift morgue is set up outside Lenox Hill Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, on April 15, 2020, in New York City. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

However, intubations are down, the hospitalization rate is down and ICU admissions are down, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday.

"It means we can control the virus," he said. "We did not know for sure we could do that."

Cuomo said New York's shutdown -- in coordination with other Northeast states -- will be extended to May 15.

Timeline: Government's evolving guidance on when Americans can return to work

"I don't want to project beyond that period," Cuomo said.

PHOTO: A man wearing a face mask walks by a pizzeria near the Brooklyn Hospital Center with a sign of support for doctors and nurses, on April 15, 2020, in New York City, amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

"The close down has worked," he said, "however, we're not there yet."

Cuomo announced Monday that seven Northeast states -- New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts -- were joining forces to create a reopening plan.

PHOTO: A woman and child wear protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic, on April 15, 2020, in New York City. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Cuomo said Thursday he needs a "coordinated action plan" with the other states.

Going forward, the phased return to the "new normal" will involve determining how essential a business is and how risky it is for spreading the virus, Cuomo said.

PHOTO: A sign posted on a door reads 'for safety of staff a mask or scarf is required to enter office' on April 15, 2020, in New York City. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Businesses must have new practices when they reopen, he said, like making sure employees can get to work safely and ensuring the workplace is designed to include social distancing measures.

The governor called testing the "single-best tool to inform decisions."

Cuomo said New York -- home to 19 million people -- conducted 500,000 tests in 30 days, which he said was more than California, Florida and Michigan combined.

10:30 a.m.: NYC expected to lose $7.4 billion in tax revenue

In New York City -- hit the hardest by the pandemic in the U.S. -- 386 people suspected of having coronavirus were admitted to hospitals on Tuesday, which was up from 370 on Monday.

PHOTO: Medical worker on the night shift outside of a special coronavirus intake area at Maimonides Medical Center, on April 15, 2020, in the Borough Park neighborhood of the Brooklyn, New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The city's ICUs had 887 patients on Tuesday, up from 868 Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

And of the New Yorkers tested for the coronavirus on Tuesday, 55% were positive -- up from 53% on Monday.

De Blasio warned Thursday that New York City is expected to lose $7.4 billion in tax revenue over the current and next fiscal year.

PHOTO: Medical worker on the night shift outside of a special coronavirus intake area at Maimonides Medical Center, on April 15, 2020, in the Borough Park neighborhood of the Brooklyn, New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

De Blasio urged President Trump to help New York City get "back on our feet" by providing funds through the next government stimulus.

"If you lead, the Senate will follow," de Blasio said in a message to Trump.

PHOTO: Workers organize food to be donated by City Harvest Mobile Market Food Distribution Center, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 15, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

Meanwhile, the mayor said 11,000 free hotel rooms are being provided for New Yorkers who need to quarantine.

The rooms will be open to health care workers, the homeless and some living in overcrowded households who cannot socially distance.

Referrals will begin on April 22 through hospitals and community health providers.

9 a.m.: Japan declares nationwide state of emergency

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday expanded a state of emergency from seven prefectures to all 47 prefectures in the nation in an attempt to prevent COVID-19 from spreading further.

PHOTO: People commute to work despite a state of emergency in Japan at Shinagawa station in Tokyo, April 16, 2020. (Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)

Tokyo, Osaka, and five other prefectures had been under a state of emergency since April 7.

Japanese authorities plan to ease restrictions on May 6.

Japan has 8,626 diagnosed COVID-19 cases and 178 fatalities, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. This includes figures from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was forced to dock in Japan when an outbreak on the ship spread.

What to know about coronavirus:

How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained

What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms

Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map

6:38 a.m.: CDC to tour processing plant where hundreds tested positive

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announced that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials are on the ground in Sioux Falls and will tour a Smithfield Foods plant Thursday "in partnership with state and local officials," Noem said.

MORE: Scientist behind saliva test breakthrough sees bridge to nationwide coronavirus screening

There's been 518 Smithfield employees who have tested positive for novel coronavirus as well as 126 cases of nonemployees that became infected due to an employee, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.

Noem said the state is "aggressively testing" employees and those they have come into contact with "and as soon as possible getting them into isolation."

The governor added she's working with federal officials and Smithfield leaders "on a plan to safely reopen the plant to get it back online to bring some relief not only to our egg producers, but to make sure we're continuing to secure our nation's food supply."

3:55 a.m.: Harry, Meghan help at LA nonprofit

Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry spent a second day helping out at Project Angel Food, a charity in Los Angeles that feeds people too sick to do so themselves.

Those facing a hard time during the coronavirus pandemic are being helped with food by the nonprofit.

The nonprofit was founded by former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson originally to deal with helping those with HIV/AIDS.

Meghan decided to help on Easter Sunday, and then again on Wednesday, after her mom, Doria Ragland, said the group was in need of volunteers.

ABC News' Mary Kathryn Burke, Katherine Faulders, Ben Gittleson, Aaron Katersky, Whitney Lloyd, Jordyn Phelps, Kirit Radia, Joe Simonetti, Dimitrije Stejic, Christine Theodorou, Ella Torres and Anastasia Williams contributed to this report.

Blacks make up as many as 30% of COVID-19 cases, per early CDC figures originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
WILTON  The state is reporting 11 deaths due to COVID-19 in Wilton, according to First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice, who also said the number of confirmed cases has increased to 99.

In a message to residents on Wednesday evening, she explained that the state Department of Public Health noted there is catch up in todays reporting so the rate of increase in deaths is not for the single day.

Vanderslice told Hearst Connecticut Media there has been a delay in Wilton receiving information on deaths of residents from the state. A number of towns in the state experienced such an increase.

On Wednesday, 197 new coronavirus deaths were reported in Connecticut, bringing the total to 868 statewide, a 29-percent increase, with 365 in Fairfield County.

There have been 14,755 confirmed cases statewide, with 6,480 or 44% in Fairfield County.

The number of cases currently hospitalized increased to 1,908 with 784 in Fairfield County.

The increased numbers prompted Gov. Ned Lamont to direct residents to wear masks out in public. When you get in a crowd, put on a mask, Lamont said. If youre in a store, wear a mask. Thats the rule.

Reporting on a leadership call with the governor on Wednesday, Vanderslice said he expressed concern about the one-day increase in hospital admissions, noting the reversal of the previous flattening of admissions in Fairfield County.

He stated admissions are going up as fast as they ever had and emphasized that we have not yet bent the curve. Please continue to behave as if you have the virus and as if those around you do as well, she said in the message that is on the towns website.

School parking lots

A number of residents have inquired about the use of school parking lots, Vanderslice said in her message. With the exception of the north lot at the high school, all school parking lots are open for walking, running and biking, she said.

Social distancing guidelines still apply. Please, keep your distance from others in the parking lot. This should not be viewed as an opportunity to join other families at the parking lots, she said.

The north lot remains closed because it is adjacent to Lilly Field, site of the greatest number of noncompliance issues, she added.

The towns ballfields and recreational facilities have been closed to maintain social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Police are patrolling the areas and fines may be given for trespassing. That move was taken because groups were violating the closures and still congregating on the fields.

The parking lots are remaining open, Vanderslice said, because the town has generally not had issues with groups gathering there. Even though the fields and facilities were closed and clearly marked, residents continued to use them. Even with the recent notice that patrolling has increased and that the police will be issuing trespassing tickets, we are still removing residents from the fields, she said.

The town will further review the parking lots should groups start gathering there, she said.

pgay@wiltonbulletin.com
Donald Trump has said that the US has passed the peak of its coronavirus pandemic and proposed some states could reopen in the coming weeks.

"We'll be the comeback kids, all of us," said Mr Trump on Wednesday. "We want to get our country back."

The US has seen more cases and deaths than any nation worldwide, with almost 640,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and over 31,000 deaths.

But on Wednesday the president announced that the White House was in a strong position to finalise guidelines for states reopening based on unspecified data.

Speaking at the White House news briefing, the president said: While we must remain vigilant, it is clear that our aggressive strategy is working.

Were going to be announcing guidelines and well be talking about various states and its very exciting.

Mr Trump pointed to the decline in new cases in New York, where state governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that the worst is over.

That comes as an amended New York death toll on Wednesday increased the number of fatalities by 60 per cent, to more than 10,000.

"The data suggests that nationwide, we have passed the peak of new cases, assured president Trump at the White House. Hopefully that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress."

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, appeared to caution against a sudden end to social distancing guidelines.

To all of you that are out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20, dont do it yet. Continue to follow the presidential guidelines, Dr. Birx said.

She added that nine states have less than 1,000 cases each and were reporting less than 30 new cases per day.

Meanwhile, state governors on the east and west coasts of the US announced on Monday that they had begun considering how to coordinate an end to shutdown measures.

State governors had pushed back at Mr Trumps suggestion on Monday that he had total authority over them.
Two people tested positive for COVID-19 in Assam on Thursday, taking the total in the state to 34, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here.

Both the cases are from Morigaon district of the state and are secondary contacts of attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat event at the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi, the minister said in a tweet.

The cumulative number of patients in Assam now stands at 34. The figure includes one fatality and five patients who have been cured, he added.

Thirty-three of these are linked to the Jamaat event.

Three people were discharged on Thursday from the Goalpara Civil Hospital and two others on Wednesday from the Sonapur District Hospital as they have recovered from COVID-19.

The minister said that around 10 more COVID-19 patients were undergoing treatment in Golaghat and Guwahati, and were expected to be released during the next few days.

Currently, 28 COVID-19 positive persons from the state are undergoing treatment.

Another person hailing from Nagaland tested positive at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital and is currently undergoing treatment here.

The condition of all of them, except a cancer patient who was the first to test positive in Silchar, was stable and they would be gradually released if their condition does not deteriorate, the minister said.

"We expect the cases related to the Nizamuddin event to close by April 20 as all those who attended have been either quarantined or isolated," he said.

The patients are being released after following all ICMR COVID-19 protocols which include that they must test negative in the two repeat tests conducted after 14 days of treatment, clear the mandatory chest X-ray and be certified by doctors that they have no symptoms of cough and cold, Sarma said.

The recovered persons will spend the next 14 days at government guest houses in Goalpara and Jagiroad for observation though they can meet people and do their normal activities within the premises, he said.

Golaghat with nine patients, Morigaon with six and Dhubri, Goalpara and Nalbari with four patients each have been identified as the five hotspot districts of Assam.

The other districts to have reported confirmed cases are Silchar, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup, Hailakandi, Lakhimpur and South Salmara.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The large lion statue that stands at the east end of Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament, holds a secretit is made neither of stone nor of concrete but from a special mixture of ingredients whose recipe was lost to the world for more than a hundred years. The statue is close to two hundred years old, yet looks brand new with no visible signs of weathering on its surface. The fine details of its modelling still remain clear after centuries of exposure to the corrosive atmosphere of London. This remarkable artificial stone is known as Coade stone, named after Eleanor Coade, who owned the factory that made it. Coade stone was immensely popular during the 18th and the 19th centuries because it was practically indestructible and could be shaped into any kinds of ornamental objects, including friezes, arabesques, capitals and other decorative architectural items. Every leading architect of the time used it, and its examples can be found all over the world.

Coade stone lion on Westminster Bridge, London. Photo: ddub3429/Shutterstock.com

Coade stone looks and feels exactly like worked stone, but it isnt stone at all. It is a type of ceramic called stoneware. Ceramic, as you know, is just baked clay, but depending on the type of clay and how intensely they are fired, the kiln will produce different types of material. Low temperature firing results in earthenware (terracotta, pottery, bricks etc.). These are fragile. Higher temperature causes vitrification of the clay and results in a much tougher material called porcelain. An even higher temperature is needed to produce stoneware. These are dense, impermeable, noncorrosive and resistant to scratching.

At the time Eleanor Coade set up her Coade's Artificial Stone Manufactory in Lambeth, there were many businesses manufacturing artificial stone in England. Eleanor Coade, the daughter of a wool merchant, in all likelihood, knew next to nothing about making artificial stone. On the contrary, she sold linen. But towards the end of the 1760s, she had the fortune of meeting one Daniel Pincot, who was already into the business of making artificial stone but was having difficulty keeping up with the finances. Eleanor Coade had the money and Daniel Pincot had the formula, and together they opened a factory on the south side of Thames where Waterloo Station stands today and began producing an unusually high-grade material. Coade originally named her stone Lythodipyra, which was Greek for twice-fired stone, before rebranding it to the punchier Coade stone. Within two years, Eleanor Coade had fired Daniel Pincot and nothing more is known about him.

An engraving of the Coade Stone Factory yard at Narrow Wall, Lambeth, London, in about 1800.

Eleanor Coade ran the business very successfully for fifty years until her death, which was very rare for a woman in the Georgian era. Materials from her factory was dispatched across Georgian Britain and beyond, and was used by many brilliant sculptors and architects of the day, including Robert Adam, James Wyatt, Samuel Wyatt, Sir William Chambers, John Nash, and John Soane. The crowning achievement of her career was gaining the royal appointment to both George III and the Prince Regent. Her stoneware was used for St George's Chapel, Windsor; The Royal Pavilion, Brighton; Carlton House, London; the Royal Naval College, Greenwich; and refurbishment of Buckingham Palace.

Eleanor Coade died in 1821. Her stone remained in use for another two decades before it was replaced by another marvelous inventionPortland cement.

There is an enduring myth that the secret of Coade stone died with Eleanor Coade. But this is not true. The formula for Coade stone was well known by the middle of the 19th century, and a number of manufacturers were using the recipe. This was possible because neither Pincot nor the Coades sought for a patent.

That Coade stone was a single, patented formula is perhaps the most persistent myth, writes Caroline Stanford. The sheer range of size in Coade wares rendered a single formulation impossible: the proprietorial secret, if there was one, lay in the consummate skills of the craftsmen who mixed the clay and the fireman who tended the kiln.

Lord Nelson's Pediment in the King William Courtyard of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was regarded by the Coade workers as the finest of all their work. Photo: Brian Hancill/Flickr

Indeed, the manufacturing of Coade objects was a very time consuming process and required highly skilled labour. First, a model of the figure was made from clay to a size about 10 percent larger than required to allow for shrinkage during firing. A plaster mould was then taken from this model, usually in several sections that could be removed and reassembled. The Coade clay mixture was prepared and pressed into the mould by hand. Many old Coade stone pieces still carry fingerprints of Coades workers on the inside. Once the clay mixture hardened, the plaster mould was removed and the model was fired in the kiln for several days. This was the most critical stage of the process. Often the kilnsman stayed awake all night working the fire to keep the temperature constant. He didnt always get it rightsometimes the iron rods corroded and cracks developed. These batches were rejected by Eleanor Coade who strived to maintain the highest standards of quality control. But most of the time, the Coade stones came out of the kiln in supreme.

Coade stone owns its success, to a large extent, to the entrepreneurial leadership of the woman who promoted it. Eleanor Coade forged highly productive relationships with some of the most respected architects and designers of the time, and through them had access to some of the wealthiest clients in Britain. She held exhibitions for her products at the Society of Artists in the 1770s and in 1799 opened a permanent exhibition gallery on the south side of Westminster Bridge. She placed frequent advertisements in the newspapers, and made sure that the best of the manufactorys works were exhibited at the Royal Academy. Her designs were exhaustive. The 1784 catalogue, for instance, contained no fewer than 788 designs. Often the pieces could be customized according to her clients wishes.

Eleanor Coade never married. When she died in 1821, at the age of 88, she left much of her fortune to charity schools and clergymen.

Father Thames, a Coade stone sculpture by John Bacon, in the grounds of Ham House, Richmond. Photo: RookPaparazzo/Shutterstock.com

One of a pair of Coade stone sphinxes at Croome Park, Worcestershire. Photo: Peter Young

References:

# Caroline Stanford, https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/globalassets/3.-images-and-documents-to-keep/news-and-events-pdfs/belmont/revisiting-the-origins-of-coade-stone_gg_vol-xxiv_2016.pdf

# The Landmark Trust, https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/news-and-events/restoration-of-the-year/blogs/how-to-make-a-coade-sculpture/

# Addidi, https://web.archive.org/web/20120425124239/http://www2.addidi.com/awards/2009/profile_ec.asp

# Ian Freestone, Michael Tite, https://www.academia.edu/4568386/The_Constitution_of_Coade_Stone
The St. Clair City Council met in special session on April 6 to adopt rules for conducting virtual public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were doing a Zoom meeting tonight, giving this a try, said Mayor Bill Cedar, wearing a mask. Were going to dispense with the roll. Let it be known that all council members are present. Warren is in the room with me. All other council members have joined via Zoom and we have Ellery on the phone.

Warren Rothe is the city superintendent. Steve Ellery is a council member.

City Attorney Jim Downey, also joining the meeting via Zoom, outlined the proposal.

Before you is resolution 20-08, said Downey. It is essentially a codification of Governor Whitmers executive order 2020-15 which she implemented last month.

Whitmer issued her order on March 15.

It allows for the conduct of city council business via platforms such as Zoom, said Downey. Essentially it suspended elements of the Open Meetings Act during the time of this pandemic.

Downey said that the Michigan Municipal League recommended that each local unit of government adopt the executive order on its own.

The business of the city goes on during this time, said Downey.

For safety reasons, all public meetings need to be conducted remotely if possible, the attorney said. The public may participate via the app, via telephone or via written comments to the administration.

Council member Mitch Kuffa made the motion to adopt the resolution, supported by member Butch Kindsvater.

Any comments from the public? asked Cedar.

I do not see comment from the public, said City Clerk Annette Sturdy, also via Zoom.

The council adopted the resolution 7-0.

The rules

The resolution allows members of public bodies to attend meetings by electronic means or by phone and members of the public to do so as well.

The city clerk must post virtual meetings at least 18 hours in advance on the homepage of the citys website and in a visible location at city hall. The post must include contact information for all members of the public body. Members of the public may ask that their comments about upcoming city business be read into the record, if those comments are received by the clerk or a council member before 5 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

The meeting announcement must include information about how the public may join the meeting remotely and how people with disabilities may attend the meeting.

If the meeting includes a public hearing, all germane information must be posted on the homepage of the citys website.

The technology employed must allow all members of the public body to talk to each other and the public to talk to each of them.

All remote attendance will be akin to physical presence for the purpose of establishing a quorum and for voting on agenda items. All votes will be roll call votes, including motions to adjourn.

For any closed session conducted under this policy, each member and authorized attendee of the closed session shall not allow anyone else to hear or view the closed session, said the resolution. All members and authorized attendees of the closed session shall affirm, before the closed session begins, that they are in compliance with this subsection.

The board members may not text, email or otherwise electronically communicate among themselves during public meetings.

After the meeting is called to order, the city clerk must make sure the technology allows for the participation of members and the public. If the technology is not working, the meeting must be immediately adjourned.

As in physical meetings, the public must be given the chance to speak during the public comment portion of the agenda.

 Jim Bloch is a freelance writer. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made a significant impact on the United States of America. The U.S. now holds the top spot with the most COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world, says a recent article.

More than 5000,000 individuals have confirmed cases of the illness, while deaths are not less than 20,000.

Aside from affecting the healthcare system of the country, it has also hit the economy as a lot of businesses have been shut down, and the unemployment rate continues to rise. Another group that is greatly affected by the COVID-19 crisis is the working immigrant community, their employers, and international students studying at U.S. universities.

There are confused as to the status of holders of L1 visas, H1B visa holders, and international students due to the broader business and university postponement of operation. Also, the current crisis had caused the implementation of stricter travel policies. These events create uncertainty for these individuals.

Holders of H1B and L1 Visas

Holders of H1B and L1 visas are currently in a rough spot. The denial rate for H1B visa applicants has been reportedly high. A significant concern is that those who are already H1B employees are getting rejections for their re-application for H1B visas.

In U.S. immigration policies, the validity of H1B visas is three years. The holders of this visa have the option to extend for another three years. To be allowed to apply for a visa extension, H1B employees typically need to leave the U.S. to apply for an extension.

According to a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) former adviser named Lynden Melmed, a lot of employers are not allowing domestic and international travel. Additionally, the government of the U.S. is discouraging people from traveling to certain nations.

Check these out:

The Conflict

The conflict arises due to some denial of H1B visa petitions. If the H1B employee remains in the country, then he or she may violate the immigration laws of the United States. This is also a similar case for L1 visa holders.

The USCIS is being asked to extend the H1B and L1 visas of employees who are already in the United States.

Businesses are also requesting the USCIS finds a way for them to reapply without needing to leave the country quickly.

One measure implemented by USCIS amid the widespread postponement of business operations is the suspension site visits for these companies. Many business owners have welcomed this measure.

Remote Work for U.S. Visa Holders

One primary concern of businesses employing foreign workers, along with holders of H1B visas and L1 visas, is the effect on the visa sponsorship's terms and their status on U.S. immigration with remote working arrangements. However, the USCIS assure concerned partied that there is no need for an amended labor condition application (LCA).
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said that it has arranged free meals for over 1.27 crore, needy people since the day lockdown started (March 25) till April 10. The ministry worked with major municipal corporations in the country to feed the homeless and destitute in 17 days, it said.

The ministry instructed municipal corporations of ten cities-Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Indore, Patna, Lucknow, and Nagpur-to implement a comprehensive scheme to provide free meals to needy.

The comprehensive scheme also includes rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, education, skill development, counseling, with support of state government, local urban bodies, voluntary organisation, and other similar institutions.

Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown India Live Updates: COVID-19 deaths cross 400-mark; Maharashtra's toll highest at 187

The Government of India had announced a relief package worth Rs 1.70 lakh crore to help the nation's poor tackle the financial difficulties arising from coronavirus outbreak. The package included a mix of food security and direct cash transfer benefits.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked people to help the poor and needy. The PM said, "If you have so much love for and want to honour Modi, then take responsibility for a poor family at least as long as coronavirus crisis exists. There can be no great honour for me than this."

Yesterday, the Supreme Court took note of the Centre's submission that it was taking steps to implement relief measures to help the poor during the nationwide lockdown and disposed of a PIL seeking relief such as financial help and food for them.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Amazon, Flipkart may resume full operations after April 20

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Railways to refund Rs 1,490 crore for cancellation of 94 lakh tickets
Downton Abbey turned her into a star, but Laura Carmichael claims shes ignoring advice given by its creator to stick to period dramas

Downton Abbey turned her into a star, but Laura Carmichael claims shes ignoring advice given by its creator to stick to period dramas.

The actress played dowdy middle sister Lady Edith in the hit ITV series and film, but is now starring in a contemporary thriller The Secrets She Keeps.

According to Laura, Julian Fellowes told her: Dont try and destroy an image that people have of you, that they enjoy.

The star (below, right, with Michelle Dockery in Downton) says: I can understand the logic in it, but I also think theres something in actors that you want to . . . flex every muscle and push yourself, and do something different.

However, Oscar-winnner Lord Fellowes tells me: She has slightly misunderstood me. I would never advise anyone to stick to period drama, any more than I would tell someone to avoid comedy.

I was talking about the propensity among British actors to demonstrate their versatility at the first possible opportunity, while American actors tend to allow a certain perception of themselves to take root among audiences . . . only then do they start to diversify.

But I certainly agree with Laura that a wide range of performances should be part of any successful acting career. The difference, if there is one, is only about the journey most likely to get to that goal.

The star (below, right, with Michelle Dockery in Downton) says: I can understand the logic in it, but I also think theres something in actors that you want to . . . flex every muscle and push yourself, and do something different'

It's The Wombles v Tom Watson. Mike Batt, composer of the furry creatures hits, is furious that the former Labour deputy leader has been awarded a cushy role as chairman of the UK Music lobbying body.

Watson is arguably equally reviled on both Left and Right of politics, says Batt.

If the British music industry is to continue to thrive, it must have access to a sympathetic ear in Government  and thats currently Conservative. Savaged by Orinoco!

Home alone  Antheas ex has lockdown blues

While Anthea Turner is busy planning her wedding to socialite Mark Armstrong, the television personalitys former husband, Grant Bovey, has found his love life taking a turn for the worse.

I live alone so Im just at home abiding by the lockdown rules, the property tycoon tells me.

I was dating, but Im not in what I would call a steady relationship at the moment. When you cant see each other, its tough  and virtual dates arent quite the same.

Bovey, who was married to the former Blue Peter presenter for 12 years, adds: It was my birthday last month and my daughter Lilys 28th birthday this week, so that was very strange. I havent seen my kids for a month.

Chat show legend Sir Michael Parkinson has always been proud of his working-class Yorkshire roots. And hes using lockdown to record them for posterity.

He is writing a book with his son Michael Jr about his father, Jack, who died of lung disease from inhaling coal dust.

Its about the wonderful relationship I had with my dad and his life working in the coal mines, Parky tells me.

It will also be about grief and how you deal with it.

Chore Royal Cleanliness mopping up

Sarah, Duchess of York is pictured mopping the floor of the royal residence at Windsor which she shares with her former husband, Prince Andrew

She may be a duchess who lives at Royal Lodge, but Fergie has proved shes not afraid of getting her hands dirty.

Sarah, Duchess of York is pictured mopping the floor of the royal residence at Windsor which she shares with her former husband, Prince Andrew.

The photograph was shared online by her aide Antonia Marshall, who commented: Its chore time.

As a teenager in the Seventies, Fergie worked as a cleaner. But her sister, Jane, nevertheless smelled a rat, remarking: What? Thats a first. The floor looks dry, too. Cant sisters be awfully cynical?

Happy birthday to One! Fogle wants us to sing on our doorsteps for the Queen

Thursday nights clap for carers has not only inspired exhausted NHS workers, it has also helped people get to know neighbours they had rarely spoken to before lockdown.

Now, Ben Fogle wants to bring the country together in the same way to celebrate the Queens birthday.

Hes launching a campaign to encourage the nation to gather on their doorsteps to sing Happy Birthday to Her Majesty at 9am next Tuesday, when she will be 94.

It was actually my daughter Ionas idea, the television adventurer tells me. Her ninth birthday is on May 26 and she got a bit sad not being able to see her friends.

We started talking about different peoples birthdays and she asked when the Queens birthday was. I said it was next week and she said: What if everyone sang Happy Birthday?

The more I thought about it, the more it sounded like a nice, rousing opportunity.

Fogle, who has made television programmes with the Duke of Cambridge and attended the royal wedding at Westminster Abbey with his wife, Marina, says: Imagine if the whole country, or lots of the country anyway, could come out and sing Happy Birthday from their windows, balconies, doorsteps and roofs.

The son of television vet Bruce Fogle was inspired by the monarchs broadcast about the coronavirus crisis.

When I watched the Queens speech, I was so touched because I thought it was tinged with personal sadness from her, he says.

I think the Queen feels the same sentiment as we do: the sadness for the tragic losses we are having; the danger that NHS workers are in; her own family, I suppose like everyone else, worrying about her husband; all of those things.

Her words We will meet again were so inspiring. I found it very moving and uplifting. I find her an inspiration.

National treasure Sir David Attenborough says some things still make him angry.

I get letters that make me go absolutely spare, the television naturalist admits.

I got sent one letter about how important it was to care for the planet, which was sent in a completely pointless plastic envelope. Ludicrous.

He tries to take more care: I live in a reasonably modest fashion. I dont believe in excess, in luxury.

Then he adds quickly: I must be careful, though, or Ill end up sounding like St Francis.

National treasure Sir David Attenborough says some things still make him angry. I get letters that make me go absolutely spare, the television naturalist admits

Veteran broadcaster and Strictly Come Dancing favourite John Sergeant was alarmed to see that he had turned 77 this week, according to the birthdays column of one newspaper.

At my age, each year counts rather a lot, the former ITN political editor, who turned a mere 76 on Tuesday, observes wryly.

Well they do say that dancing keeps you young.

Countdown whizz Rachel is loving her new addition

Lockdown is strictly baby-bonding time for Rachel Riley. The Countdown co-host, who gave birth to her first child with Russian-born dancer Pasha Kovalev just before Christmas, has shared this adorable picture of herself with their daughter, Maven.

Four months together already, Rachel says. There really is nothing like it.

The Oxford graduate met Pasha when he was her partner on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013.

They exchanged vows in Las Vegas last year, shortly after announcing that she was pregnant.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Big businesses in the country have been active in extending aid to the government as it continues to grapple with the coronavirus epidemic.

The big donors include San Miguel Corporation which has now donated nearly 1 billion to COVID-19 initiatives.

RELATED: TIMELINE: The COVID-19 response money trail

The company says it continues to look for more opportunities to help, as its assistance to various areas across the country now stands at 947.7 million.

This amount has come in the form of protective gear for medical frontliners, food donations to indigent communities, distribution of ethyl alcohol, and free expressway toll for health workers.

Our people are working hard to be able to extend our assistance to more provinces and communities and to support our national governments efforts," SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said in a statement on Thursday.

The bulk of SMCs donationsamounting to some 500 millionhas been earmarked for the purchase of protective gear for medical frontliners. The company, together with the Department of Trade and Industry, earlier tapped local manufacturers, while also sourcing from international suppliers.

The company added that it has allotted food donations and distributed rice to underprivileged areas, so far amounting to an estimated total of 265.4 million.

SMC has also donated ethyl alcohol, produced from its Ginebra San Miguel facilities, to various institutions nationwide, including hospitals and local government units.

To further offer relief, it has waived toll fees for health workers who use the tollways operated by SMC and donated millions worth of fuel to transport them.

A 5-million fund has also been designated for the construction of emergency quarantine facilities in military camps nationwide, in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Apart from these, SMC donated P100 million to Project Ugnayan, a broad coalition of businesses groups also helping in the COVID-19 battle.

"Our goal is to help keep our countrymen away from hunger and illness, and somehow, in our own way, give them hope during this difficult time, Ang said.
Beaches in the unincorporated areas of Galveston County, Bolivar Peninsula, were reopened this week on April 13, the Sheriff's Office announced on Facebook.

Yet, the city of Galveston's beaches on the island are still closed. As Galveston County's The Daily News reports, most of the "beaches on Galveston Island are closed to pedestrians through April 30, except for the beach at Jamaica Beach, which has been closed to traffic, but not to pedestrians."
The Indianapolis Recorder will host a virtual town hall at 7 p.m. April 16 about continuing your childs education at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The town hall, which will be broadcast on the Recorders Facebook page, will also address racial achievement gaps.

Panelists will be Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township Superintendent Shawn Smith.

Recorder columnist Marshawn Wolley will be the moderator.
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will lead the nation in the Days of Remembrance with a Virtual National Commemoration on Tuesday, April 21, at 11 a.m. EDT, to honor the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. The ceremony will be simulcast on Facebook and YouTube .

Despite this unprecedented moment for our nation and the world, we owe it to the Holocaust survivors and liberators, and to ourselves, to remember for a purpose  to honor the victims, reflect on the failures of the past, and join together in pledging to shape a better future by advancing our common humanity.

"Seventy-five years ago this spring, U.S. and other Allied troops liberated camps across Nazi-dominated Europe," said Museum director Sara J. Bloomfield. "Those brave individuals who defeated Germany and its allies, finally brought an end to the genocide of European Jews. We remember the six million Jewish men, women and children whose voices, hopes and dreams were silenced. Their struggles to retain their dignity and humanity in the face of unimaginable terror and violence, and their stories of defiance, resistance and resilience remind us of what is possible in moments of crisis."

The pre-recorded program will include:

Remarks by Elie Wiesel , Nobel Laureate, Holocaust survivor and founding chairman of the Museum, who spoke at the 2009 Days of Remembrance ceremony;

, Nobel Laureate, and founding chairman of the Museum, who spoke at the 2009 Days of Remembrance ceremony; Remarks by Benjamin Ferencz , the last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor , who spoke at the 2018 Days of Remembrance ceremony;

the last surviving , who spoke at the 2018 Days of Remembrance ceremony; Tributes from Holocaust survivors to the family members they lost; and

The public will be invited to participate in a names reading of Holocaust victims.

A Facebook account is not needed to watch or to participate and a recording of the event will be available afterward for on-demand viewing. Viewers can share their remembrances and reflection online with the hashtag #WeRemember.

The week-long Days of Remembrance was first held in 1979 and then later established by Congress as the nation's commemoration of the Holocaust. This year's Days of Remembrance will be observed from Sunday, April 19, through Sunday, April 26.

About the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires leaders and citizens to confront hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit ushmm.org .

SOURCE United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Related Links

http://www.ushmm.org


Utica, N.Y.  Two more Oneida County residents have died from coronavirus, bringing that countys total fatalities from COVID-19 to six.

County executive Anthony Picente announed the deaths this afternoon during his daily briefing on the pandemic.

READ MORE: Oneida County coronavirus dashboard

Picente said Oneida County had 10 new positive test results for coronavirus overnight, bringing the countys total of positives to 249. There are 179 active cases and 33 county residents hospitalized in and outside of the county.

The county also announced that a person from outside of Oneida County who tested positive for coronavirus had visited two businesses on April 8  one in Rome and one in Verona.

The person was at the Big Lots store at 1146 Erie Blvd. W. in Rome between 3 and 4 p.m.; and they were at the Nicky Doodles ice cream store at an unspecified time the same day. The store lists its hours as 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Anyone who was at the businesses during those hours should self-monitor for coronavirus symptoms through April 22.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

Cuomo extends closure of schools, nonessential businesses into May

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

Coronavirus survivor donates blood to give Syracuse patient second chance

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Nolan Weidner is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached by call or text at 315.247.7419 or via email at nweidner@syracuse.com.
SAGINAW, MI  Scientists at Saginaw Valley State University are turning 270 gallons of ethyl alcohol donated by Old Town Distillery into about 300 gallons of hand sanitizer to combat coronavirus.

Hand sanitizer is a scarce resource amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has closed schools and businesses and prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to issue a stay-at-home order for non-essential workers. DIY hand sanitizer recipes abound on the internet, but even the raw ingredients needed to make it are difficult to find.

With the Saginaw distillerys donated alcohol, SVSU expects to produce about 300 gallons of hand sanitizer for health care professionals. The project is one of several COVID-19 response initiatives SVSU is pursing in collaboration with Michigan Health Improvement Alliance, a nonprofit that coordinates health care-related efforts across 14 mid-Michigan counties.

Matthew Kline, manager of SVSUs Independent Testing Laboratory in Kochville Township where the sanitizer is being created, described the process:

The ethyl alcohol from the distillery is pumped into the mixing vessel. Glycerin is added so that the alcohol will stay on your hands for the critical two seconds. Hydrogen peroxide is added for shelf life. Isopropyl alcohol is added to denature the ethyl alcohol, making it undrinkable, Kline said. Finally, sterile water is added to reduce the concentration of the alcohol. All of these ingredients are mixed and transferred into bottles.

Officials with the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance will handle distribution of the finished product.

READ MORE:

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus

RELATED STORIES:

Essexville woman shows how to make face masks for home use amid coronavirus pandemic

Blood shortage has ended, but donors still needed in Mid-Michigan

Michigans chief medical executive: strongly consider wearing masks in public during coronavirus pandemic

Whitmer orders all Michigan schools to remain closed through academic year as coronavirus cases surge

Coronavirus impacts at Dow, Nexteer, XALT in Mid-Michigan include layoffs, remote work, extra sanitizing

Nexteer temporary layoffs begin Monday, March 23, to protect workers from coronavirus

Dow to make hand sanitizer in Michigan and 4 other plants worldwide
When a vaccine for coronavirus is found -- possibly as little as 12 months away -- a massive effort will be needed to manufacture it for seven billion people around the world

The wealthy Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called Wednesday for global cooperation to ready COVID-19 vaccines for seven billion people, while offering $150 million toward developing therapeutics and treatments for the virus.

While it is likely to take as many as 18 months to develop and fully test a safe coronavirus vaccine, global authorities and businesses need to start now on plans to manufacture it, said foundation chief executive Mark Suzman.

"It's normal to have, at maximum, hundreds of millions of doses manufactured," he said.

"When you are dealing with a novel pathogen like COVID-19, as and when we get to identifying a successful vaccine, we are going to need billions of doses."

"There are seven billion people on the planet," he said. "We are going to need to vaccinate nearly every one. There is no manufacturing capacity to do that."

Suzman announced the foundation, started and controlled by mega-billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates, is adding $150 million to the $100 million it announced in February to help in international efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Much of the money is to support the development of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, therapeutic treatments and vaccines, and to make them globally available, he said.

Some is also for helping the poorest countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, which lack supplies, equipment and infrastructure to counter the new epidemic.

But the foundation has its focus on preparing for the creation of a vaccine that could effectively halt the spread of coronavirus.

Some 100 potential vaccines are being developed and tested by scientists around the world, Suzman said.

Many might appear hopeful in initial, small tests, he said, but most will fail in larger trials.

"A successful vaccine has to be available for seven billion people. You need to test if there are unexpected side effects, or side effects within cohorts or groups, whether it's pregnant women or the elderly or the very young," said Suzman.

"The vast majority of vaccine candidates fail in those larger trials, the so-called phase-three trials."

- 'Fastest vaccine ever' -

But even as those trials take place, he said, there needs to be an international group of experts, countries and companies honing in on those with the most promise and preparing ahead of time to manufacture them.

He said both China and the United States have to be part of the joint effort, as well as the World Health Organization. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he was cutting off US funds for the WHO.

"Clearly for us, the World Health Organization is a very strong, reliable partner," Suzman said, noting the Gates Foundation is WHO's second-largest source of funding after the US.

Earlier Wednesday, European Commissioner chief Ursula von der Leyen called a donors conference for May 4 to fund the creation and global deployment of a vaccine, calling it "our collective best shot at beating the virus."

Suzman said the Gates Foundation is "reasonably optimistic" that one or more successful vaccines can be proven within 12 to 18 months.

"This will be the fastest vaccine ever developed in human history," he said.

Yet getting the production going, he estimated, will cost several billion dollars.

Each vaccine finally approved will require its own manufacturing process, and if people don't begin to prepare within months, a lot of time will be lost, he warned.

"There will be no return to 'normal' until there is a vaccine," Suzman said. "But there are no dramatic ways to short-cut it."
As if Covid-19 were not already a big enough challenge for your business, the FBI has a warning this week about something new and frankly a little depressing: trusted employees committing fraud by taking advantage of the current crisis.

The FBI's Office of Private Sector warned companies this week that it's seen multiple reports of employees using fake doctor's notes and other documentation to back up false claims of having been diagnosed with Covid-19.

More than simply trying to get a free sick day, the FBI warns, the nature of Covid-19 and the fact that companies will want to disinfect work areas and ask other employees to self-quarantine means that fake Covid-19 claims can cost affected employers lots of money.

"Ceasing production and halting delivery"

In the report, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, the FBI described an unnamed "critical manufacturing company" at which an employee told his or her bosses that they'd tested positive for Covid-19, and turned in "what appeared to be documentation from a medical facility."

"In response," the FBI said, "the company shut down the affected manufacturing facility to disinfect the location, ceasing production and halting delivery of necessary materials to the plant. The company notified all employees at the facility, including four workers who had close contact with the reportedly infected employee and were required to self-quarantine."

Ultimately, the employer became suspicious and realized that the documentation the employee turned in was bogus, the FBI said.

However, the "victim company" lost $175,000 because of the lost productivity, according to the FBI.

Also, a co-worker who thought they'd been exposed to the virus because they'd worked with the employee who reported being infected lost money by renting an apartment, so as to stay away from family during self-quarantine.

Nobody said it was easy

The report on CNN also cited two other cases--a McDonald's worker in Canada and a South Carolina worker who both faced charges for faking doctor's notes.

Now, the fact that a few employees have scammed their employers by using Covid-19 as an excuse might be enough to prompt an FBI report.

But clearly it doesn't mean that most employees are dishonest, or that Covid-19 isn't creating terrible effects for many workers.

There are a lot more employees who are concerned about losing their jobs or getting sick-- or who actually have been afflicted with Covid-19--than there are people trying to take advantage.

Still, according to the FBI this just means you now have three jobs as a business leader:

Keep building and running your company.

Look out for your employees' health, safety, and well-being.

Be on the lookout for unscrupulous claims that amount to people trying to take advantage of a global pandemic.
FLORENCE, S.C.  The Florence One Schools Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday and people can attend online.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be broadcast through the districts social media sites, Facebook Live and YouTube channel only.

Agenda items include a one-time $1,000 bonus for all Florence One employees, an emergency resolution for the 2019 novel coronavirus response, reappointment of certified and classified staff for the 2020-21 school year and emergency modifications to board meetings and public participation. The board will also vote on personnel, financial statements and minutes.

To access the districts live streaming, visit its Facebook Page or YouTube page titled Florence 1 Schools.

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MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 /For a company to succeed in today's ultra-competitive environment the right approach to advertising and marketing is essential. One of the rising leaders in the space is Switzerland-based Zurtech AG, winning a reputation for working with global brands to help them be disruptive forces in their market, develop creative strategies and employ innovative methods to help them dominate their markets. In exciting news for the company, this approach has been winning the attention of high-quality clients, while also attracting interest from leaders in the industry. Most recently this has led to Zurtech AG announcing a new partnership with the Google Accelerator Program, which the company believes can only lead to even greater short-term and long-term success. The excitement surrounding the news is high."We're honored to receive the invitation from Google," commented the CEO of Zurtech, Nick Perzichilli. "This partnership will exponentially increase Zurtech's marketing reach and place our user acquisition strategies at peak performance levels." The marketing, tech and financial experts at Zurtech offer everything from product builds, website design, funding, distribution, consulting, and much more, depending on client needs.The Google Accelerator Program is equally enthusiastic about the new partnership.Google's Rebecca Selznick recently said, "We know Zurtech is a crazy growth engine. I work on a dedicated team at Google that handpicks new ventures each quarter to partner with and offer internal resources and high touch support." Google's Brand Accelerator Program is famously by invitation only, for selected brands who show high growth potential and are seen to be likely to be future leaders in their space, especially with experienced guidance.Zurtech will now have access to Google's top tools and resources, one-on-one analytic and strategic support such as Google Ad data, Fortune 500 account representatives and information on customer behavior and much more, which would have been far beyond their budget otherwise. Experts from Google's digital marketing and strategy teams will work with the team from Zurtech to manage Google Ad buys on their properties like Google Search, YouTube, and Display.This surely equals a win for both Zurtech and Google.Zurtech's portfolio currently includes over 100 companies as they help drive over $500 million in revenue for its partners. Expect both the number of companies working with Zurtech to rise along with the benefits they deliver to clients as the new relationship with Google bears fruit.For more information about Zurtech, go to www.Zurtech.ch or contact CEO@ Zurtech.ch Related ImagesSOURCE: Zurtech AG
[April 16, 2020] Respond Software Unlocks the Value in EDR Data with Robotic Decision Automation

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Respond Software today announced analysis support of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) data from Carbon Black, CrowdStrike and SentinelOne by the Respond Analyst  the virtual cybersecurity analyst for security operations. The Respond Analyst provides customers with expert EDR analysis right out of the box, creating immediate business value in security operations for organizations across industries. The Respond Analyst provides a highly cost-effective and thorough way to analyze security-related alerts and data to free up people and budget from initial monitoring and investigative tasks. The software uses integrated reasoning  decision-making that leverages multiple alerting telemetries, contextual sources and threat intelligence  to actively monitor and triage security events in near real-time. Respond Software is now applying this unique approach to EDR data to reduce the number of false positives from noisy EDR feeds and turn transactional sensor data into actionable security insights. Mike Armistead, CEO and co-founder, Respond Software, said: "As security teams increase investment in EDR capabilities, they not only must find and retain endpoint analysis capabilities but also sift through massive amounts of data to separate false positives from real security incidents. The Respond Analyst augments security personnel with our unique Robotic Decision Automation software that delivers thorough, consistent and 24x7x365 analysis of security data  from network to endpoint  saving budget and time for the security team. It derives maximum value from EDR at a level of speed and efficiency unmatched by any other solution today." Jim Routh, head of enterprise information risk management, MassMutual, said: "Data science is the foundation for MassMutual's cybersecurity program. Applying mathematics and machine learning models to security operations functions to improve productivity and analytic capability is an important part of this foundation." Jon Davis, CEO of SecureNation, said: "SecureNation has made a commitment to its customers to deliver the right technology that enables the right security automation at lower operating costs. The EDR skills enabled by the Respond Analyst will make it possible for SecureNation to continue to provide the most comprehensive, responsive managed detection and response service available to support the escalating needs of enterprises today and into the future." The Repond Analyst: Integrated Reasoning Closes the EDR Gap



EDR solutions capture and evaluate a broad spectrum of attacks spanning the MITRE ATT&CK Framework. These products often produce alerts with a high degree of uncertainty, requiring costly triage by skilled security analysts that can take five to 15 minutes on average to complete. A security analyst must pivot to piece together information from various security product consoles, generating multiple manual queries per system, process and account. The analyst must also conduct context and scoping queries. All this analysis requires deep expert system knowledge in order to isolate specific threats. The Respond Analyst removes the need for multiple console interactions by automating the investigation, scoping and prioritization of alerts into real, actionable incidents. With the addition of EDR analysis, Respond Software broadens the integrated reasoning capabilities of the Respond Analyst to include endpoint system details  identifying incidents related to suspect activity from binaries, client apps, PowerShell and other suspicious entities.

Combining EDR analysis with insights from network intrusion detection, web filtering and other network telemetries, the Respond Analyst extends its already comprehensive coverage. This allows security operations centers to increase visibility, efficiency and effectiveness, thereby reducing false positives and increasing the probability of identifying true malicious and actionable activity early in the attack cycle. EDR Availability within the Respond Analyst The EDR capability is already in beta deployment at several enterprises. General availability is scheduled for April 30. Resources for EDR Download the Respond Analyst At-a-Glance

Read the Blog: Respond Software Announces Automated Detection and Investigation of EDR Data

Register for the Webinar: Automating SecOps  Monitoring & Triage for EDR Events, Tuesday, April 21 at 8:15 am PT .

at . Learn How It Works within the Security Environment About the Respond Analyst The Respond Analyst is a virtual security analyst built on robotic decision automation (RDA), a new class of software automation for security operations. RDA combines the best of human judgment with the scale, consistency and depth of analysis in software with reasoning and decision-making skills needed to tackle the complexity and high volume of data-facing security teams today. About Respond Software Respond Software delivers near-instant return on investment to organizations in their battle against cyber-crime. As a leader in the emerging class of automated software known as Robotic Decision Automation (RDA), Respond Software is working to address the critical shortage of skilled security analysts impacting security teams of all sizes. Its patented intelligent decision engine uniquely combines human expert judgment with the scale and consistency of software to dramatically increase capacity and improve monitoring and triage capabilities at a fraction of the cost of in-house or outsourced personnel. Respond Software was founded in 2016 by security and software industry veterans and services customers across critical infrastructure sectors such as banking, energy, and retail.

https://respond-software.com/. For more information, press only:

Katrina Porter, [email protected], PT

Carmen Harris, [email protected], CT View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/respond-software-unlocks-the-value-in-edr-data-with-robotic-decision-automation-301041690.html SOURCE Respond Software

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W&M School of Education rallies to support K-12 at-home learning

Learning hub: The School of Education building houses William & Mary's nationally-ranked School of Education and brings all of its academic programs, outreach centers and research projects together in a highly professional setting designed to stimulate collaboration and innovation. Photo by Sasaki Associates Photo - of - Hide Caption

When William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe asked School of Education faculty to organize a webinar for parents to assist their children in at-home learning after schools were closed because of COVID-19, those faculty members were already brainstorming how they could help parents.

Education faculty made quick decisions on what would be best to include and how to keep the format simple, and held the first of several webinars on at-home learning on April 3. They will host another webinar for Spanish-language parents on April 17 at noon, have set up an at-home learning hub full of resources and tips and are planning several more webinars.

Future webinar topics include support for struggling readers April 29 at 2 p.m. and a planned session on mindfulness in the virtual classroom. The webinars are live with a question-and-answer period at the end, and each will be archived for later viewing.

More than 1,000 people registered for the first one.

All of us are trying to keep up our teaching and research at the same time, but we believe this has to be the service that were doing right now because theres a need, said Kristin Conradi Smith, associate professor of reading education, who organized the initial webinar and at-home learning hub setup.

This really was just a collaborative and very fast effort. I happened to be the one who put the hub together, but everyones authors on it.

Not intended to replace classroom teachers, the information being provided is intended to assist parents with helping students at various grade levels with their schoolwork, as well as to help them monitor their childs psychological well-being at this time, according to faculty members. The idea is to keep information simple and accessible.

The first webinar presented five tips in the areas of social and emotional well-being, creativity and screen time, reading, math, science and supporting students with special needs. One faculty member in each area gave tips and suggested activities as well as links to more resources.

The goal is to partner with you on continuity of learning for the remainder of this school year, said Amy Colley, one of the moderators and executive director of the School-University Research Network.

Challenges for parents are wide-ranging, according to Conradi Smith. Variables include what materials were sent home with students, their grade level and access to online resources.

I think theyre varied and theyre many, and the public school system does a great job teaching our kids and providing for our communities, Conradi Smith said. Suddenly when thats not going on, at least physically, thats been problematic for a lot of us. And then theres just the stressful situation of whats going in general.

Meredith Kier, associate professor of science education, presented the science segment on the first webinar. She also is personally experiencing the juggling act of working at home and helping with schoolwork with her daughters ages 8 and 5 and husband, who also works at the School of Education.

As educators and teacher advocates ourselves, we are trying to navigate the plethora of resources available online that align with elementary school standards, Kier said. This process has magnified the empathy that we have for other parents, K-12 teachers and students who are being asked to change the structure of their lives, profession and social/learning environment during this time.

The School of Education hopes to continue to support our community with quality educational resources to help make this time less stressful. We hope teachers and parents will give themselves grace during this unprecedented event in our lives.

Gladys Krause, assistant professor of mathematics education and a native of Colombia who conducted the math segment of the first webinar, worked with Katherine Barko-Alva, assistant professor of English as a second language/bilingual education, to put together the webinar for Spanish-speaking parents.

Stereotypes often portray Spanish-speaking parents as disengaged from their children's education and unresponsive to contact from schools, Krause said. However, the truth is frequently different  the parents often come themselves from educational systems with more rigid and faster-paced curricula and have a hard time understanding why their children are being taught in a very different manner. This is often compounded by language barriers in communication between home and school.

The webinar provides a space for community engagement and seeks to extend a sense of connectedness. For the Spanish-speaking families in particular, it provides resources in their own language, perhaps most importantly access to people who speak their language and understand their culture.

Faculty members are choosing topics to cover based on feedback from the parents in the community.

We want to do what William & Mary does well, which is be of service to our local community, so that was our goal, Conradi Smith said. We dont want to step on teachers toes or look like we are saying, Hey, teachers are not doing their job so were jumping in. Were just trying to be of help right now in this small way.
HUHTAMAKI OYJ PRESS RELEASE 16.4.2020 AT 10:00

Huhtamaki joins forces with the International Red Cross to provide COVID-19 emergency relief

Huhtamaki has announced a donation of EUR 0.5 million in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) COVID-19 appeal. The funds will be channeled via Finnish Red Cross to go towards boosting emergency relief efforts in Asia and Europe and improving the lives of the worlds most vulnerable.

The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted people's health, safety and livelihoods in ways that were unimaginable only a couple of months ago. These unprecedented times reaffirm Huhtamakis commitment to protect people, food, and the planet.

Huhtamaki plays an essential role in ensuring food safety and availability and reducing food waste, as acknowledged by governments internationally. This contribution is only one part of our support towards alleviating the impact of the pandemic globally. We have partnered with the International Red Cross, a leading global organization, to do our share in helping tackle the humanitarian aspect of the COVID-19 crisis. This emergency affects us all, regardless of where we are around the world, and together we can make a difference where it is most needed, says Charles Heaulme, President and CEO of Huhtamaki.

It is important for industry to do its part in helping the fight against COVID-19. Huhtamakis donation will go a long way in enabling us to address health and safety of people in Europe and Asia as these situations evolve, says Tiina Saarikoski, acting Director of Finnish Red Cross International Operations and Programmes.

Huhtamaki has also asked management teams across its 81 locations globally to reach out and see where they can lend a hand to the local community. For example, Huhtamaki has started to produce face shields for healthcare workers together with a local partner in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Initially, 4 million face shields will be produced per week for HSCNI, the publicly funded service which provides health and social care services in Northern Ireland. Huhtamaki is looking to ramp up the production up to 6 million per week and investigating whether the shields can be produced in other locations, too. Huhtamaki is also donating its products to health care systems, for example over 6 million foodservice products to hospitals and nursing homes in Europe to ensure food hygiene and safety. The company is looking at other opportunities to help going forward.

Story continues

If there is anything this outbreak has emphasized, it is how interconnected and dependent we are globally. Our initiative today underlines our commitment to protecting people, food and the planet, says Charles Heaulme.

For further information, please contact:



Katariina Hietaranta, Head of External Communications, tel. +358 10 686 7863

HUHTAMAKI OYJ

Global Communications

Huhtamaki is a key global player in sustainable food-on-the-go and food-on-the shelf packaging solutions. Our innovative products help billions of consumers around the world make responsible lifestyle choices every day. Today, packaging plays a significant role in food safety and convenience. We are committed to making packaging more circular and we embed sustainability in everything we do. We are focused on achieving carbon neutral production and having all our products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.

With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 35 countries and 81 sites around the world. Our 18,600 employees are working to deliver smart next generation packaging. Our 2019 net sales totaled EUR 3.4 billion. Huhtamaki Group has its head office in Espoo, Finland and the parent company Huhtamaki Oyj is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Find out more about our Sustainability Action Plan and our ambition at www.huhtamaki.com.
Kyiv city authorities restricted entry to the capital of Ukraine on Thursday, with a thermal screening for all travellers as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus.

Police started with a selective check of drivers and passengers of private cars, later screening buses too.

If those screened showed temperatures higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5 Fahrenheit) and there were symptoms of respiratory illness, they would then be tested for COVID-19 and sent into self-isolation.

For those with temperatures higher than 38 Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) and further symptoms of the coronavirus, an emergency medical team would be called to take the patient for hospitalisation.

In the first hours of the checks few people were found to be ill, but one was taken to a hospital for further examination.

Kyiv city authorities are eager to restrict the spread of the virus during the Easter holidays in Ukraine.

Ukraine has registered 4,161 coronavirus cases, including 116 deaths.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.

(Image Credit: AP)
Property worth $74 million seized from Yugra bank ex-managers

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

14:43 16/04/2020

MOSCOW, April 16 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Commercial Court has ruled in favor of the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) seeking to attach cash assets and other properties of former Bank Yugra owner Alexey Khotin, ex-bank board chairman Dmitry Shilyayev, and several corporate bodies worth over 5.5 billion rubles (about $74 million), the court materials read.

DIA has petitioned the court to grant it interim relief by seizing the aforesaid property in the framework of a claim by which it sought to hold the defendants civilly liable and recover from them about 8 billion rubles (about $108 million at the current exchange rate). The claim is to be heard on June 3.

This February, the court dismissed a request of Yugra bank acting on behalf of Shilyayev to review the ruling, by which the banks license had been revoked in 2017, basing upon new evidence.

An earlier petition to review the order of Russias Central Bank of 2017 revoking Yugra license was dismissed in cassation in September 2019.

In July 2017, Russia's Central Bank said withdrew the license of Yugra bank, one of the top 30 banks. It imposed temporary administration represented by the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) in the bank. The DIA was ordered to conduct Yugras status inquiry.

In October 2018, the Moscow Commercial Court declared Yugra bankrupt.

This April, the Moscow City Court extended house arrest of the majority stockholder of Yugra bank Alexey Khotin charged with embezzling 7.5 billion rubles from the credit organization until July 18. Other defendants in the embezzlement case, ex-bank board chairman Dmitry Shilyayev and ex-president of the bank Alexey Nefedov, will also stay under house arrest until mid-July.

Investigators believe that banker Khotin and his alleged accomplices have been involved in stealing the money from Yugra. The fact of the embezzlement is confirmed by the documents of Russias Central Bank, Deposit Insurance Agency and other evidence, according to the investigation.
Donald Trump on Thursday urged Congress to return to Washington to "do your job," despite his own health advisers  including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  telling Americans to practice social distancing. Impossible during the normal voting and committee procedures of Congress.

The president pulled out one of his favourite rhetorical techniques on Thursday to apparently get even with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has called Mr Trump a "weak person" and "poor leader" more than once over the last several days over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic: He's throwing the same insults right back at her.

"Crazy 'Nancy Pelosi, you are a weak person. You are a poor leader. You are the reason America hates career politicians, like yourself,'" the president tweeted, quoting (and tagging) one of his closest confidants, Fox News prime-time host Sean Hannity.

Mr Trump then beckoned Democrats back to the capital, adding: "She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job!"

Mr Trump deployed his new White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, to deliver the same message to Ms Pelosi on Fox & Friends on Thursday morning.

"[Democrats] need to get back to Washington. Get out from in front of that ice cream freezer, Nancy Pelosi. Come here and work with this president," Ms McEnany said, referring to the speaker's freezer full of artisan ice creams she showed comedian James Corden on his late night programme earlier this week.

Democratic leaders in the House, and Republican leaders in the Senate, do not plan to call their members back for full sessions until at least 4 May, they have said, noting local and CDC guidelines advocating social distancing.

Congress is also, disproportionately, an institution of older people. Many members are in the highly vulnerable age ranges for Covid-19.

Congressional leaders have been working with the Treasury Department over roughly the last 10 days on an interim relief package that can pass both chambers by unanimous consent to help provide an infusion of funding to the department's paycheck protection program (PPP) that has already shelled out nearly $350bn to small businesses to keep employees on the payroll.

The White House announced on Thursday morning that the program has run out of funds, and is frozen until Congress refills it under a larger pact that would be Washington's fourth major legislative reaction to the pandemic.

Such a deal would mean not all members would have to travel back to Washington to record their votes because, unless a single member of either chamber showed up to voice an objection, the next coronavirus bill could pass quickly and get to Mr Trump for his signature.

Thursday's tweet was not the first time this week the president has complained about the strange rules of Congress preventing business-as-usual in Washington.

Mr Trump griped earlier in the week about Senate Democrats blocking dozens of his nominees, alleging many of the people pegged for administrative posts would be working on virus-related efforts if they had been confirmed.

The president even went so far as to brandish a never-before-employed power of his office to adjourn both chambers of Congress so he can make recess appointments, a comment that received round criticism from Democrats but a muted response from most Republicans.

But it's Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, who controls the chambers calendar. He began holding pro formas early in Mr Trumps term to block just that: recess appointments, opting to ensure his chamber would have a say in vetting potential Trump administration officials. In a subtle rebuke of Mr Trump, the Kentucky Republican's office issued a statement late Wednesday night saying while the majority leader shares Mr Trump's frustration about stalled nominations, he will continue trying to move them "under Senate rules that will take consent from [Minority] Leader [Chuck] Schumer."

For Mr Trump to execute the never-used power, there would need to be a disagreement between the two chambers on a date of adjournment. Mr McConnell's statement was a message he would play no part in orchestrating one with Ms Pelosi.
Culpable homicide charge added against Tablighi leader Maulana Saad

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhalvi has been booked for culpable homicide after some of the attendees of the religious congregation died due to coronavirus, police said on Wednesday.

Kandhalvi had organised the religious gathering at Nizamuddin Markaz last month against the social distancing protocol imposed by the Centre to curb the spread of the deadly disease.

Over 2,000 nationals attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi

An FIR was registered against the cleric on March 31 at Crime Branch police station on a complaint of the Station House Officer of Nizamuddin.

He was earlier booked for holding the event, police said.

After several attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat event succumbed to coronavirus, we added IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in the FIR against the leader, a police official said.

Some foreigners who attended the event have also been booked for violation of visa norms.

In an audio message, Kandhalvi had said that he was exercising self-quarantine after several hundred who visited the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz tested positive for coronavirus.

The FIR registered against the Tablighi Jamaat event says that the Delhi Police contacted the authorities of Nizamuddin Markaz on March 21 and reminded them of the government order which prohibited any political or religious gathering of more than 50 people.

Delhi govt now classifies Tablighi Jamaat cases as Special Operations

It says that despite repeated efforts, the event organisers failed to inform the health department or any other government agency about the huge gathering inside the Markaz and deliberately disobeyed government orders.

The sub-district magistrate of Defence Colony inspected the premises several times and found that around 1,300 people, including foreign nationals, were residing there without maintaining social distance. It was also found that there were no arrangements of hand sanitizers and face masks, the FIR adds.

The Nizamuddin centre, attended by thousands, turned out to be a hotspot for spread of coronavirus not only in the national capital but the entire country.

More than 25,500 Tablighi members and their contacts have been quarantined in the country after the Centre and the state governments conducted a "mega operation" to identify them.

Red, White, Green zones: Breaking down the Coronavirus hotspots in India

At least 9,000 people participated in the religious congregation in Nizamuddin. Later, many of the attendees travelled to various parts of the country.
Covid-19 is about to put the global trading system through its most dramatic stress-test since World War II, with supply lines for essential food and medical goods entering a critical phase as the pandemic peaks in the U.S. and Europe.

Hospital staff in the world's richest countries are dying for lack of protective gear, and governments are also running short of ventilators and medicine. Under pressure to secure supplies, officials are starting bidding wars and throwing up new trade barriers.

The other urgency is safeguarding the world's food chain, and the people who process and transport it. From meatpackers to vegetable farms, and trucks to merchant ships, workers and infrastructure are showing signs of fatigue.

In short, the backbone of global trade needs reinforcement before anyone can think of moving on from crisis-mode to recovery.

Shipping companies, for example, which carry some 80% of internationally traded goods, are operating with crews who've been stuck on their vessels far longer than usual.

Typically, about 100,000 seafarers - one in 12 of the global total - board ships each month to relieve colleagues. Those crew changes are impossible now in much of the world because of restricted air-travel or port rules.

"Once we get to the middle of May, this is going to be a real crisis unless we start taking action now," Guy Platten, secretary-general of the International Chamber of Shipping, said in an interview. The ICS is urging the Group of 20 major economies to classify seafarers as "essential" workers, so they can move more freely to and from their jobs, particularly through airports.

Companies like Oldendorff Carriers are bearing the brunt of restrictions. Germany's largest transporter of commodities like grain, coal and fertilizers, it has 700 ships and 4,500 employees -- some of whom haven't been home for months.

"The crew aren't supposed to stay on ship in perpetuity," said Scott Bergeron, Oldendorff's director of business development and strategy. "The equivalent is like a doctor or nurse being told, 'You can't go home at the end of your shift, you're at the hospital until the crisis is over'."

Truckers are encountering snarls, too. In parts of Africa, they can't even make it to work because there's no public transportation. In Europe, they're enduring long waits at supposedly open borders.

And all over the world, drivers hauling goods across or between nations are running into locally enforced rules aimed at locking down the wider population to stop the virus from spreading.

"We have had a lot of governors and mayors putting up barriers to the safe and efficient movement of goods," said Sean McNally, a spokesman for the American Trucking Associations. "If officials want to have store shelves re-stocked, and hospitals supplied, they need to make accommodations for trucks and truck drivers."

President Donald Trump on Tuesday sought to reassure Americans that their food supplies are safe. At a White House briefing, he said U.S. farmers can produce in abundance, and food retailers like Kroger and Walmart seem to be in "very good shape."

Yet the problems are piling up.

Smithfield Foods, the world's biggest pork producer, is among the American food-processing companies to close plants temporarily because of virus outbreaks among employees.And when slaughterhouses stay shut for too long -- as well as reducing supplies and ratcheting prices up -- it creates a dilemma for farmers. Some choose to euthanize part of their herd, rather than foot the bill to keep feeding them.

Fruit and vegetable growers from California to Spain are already watching their harvests go to waste. Dairy farmers from the U.S. Midwest to Britain's Midlands are dumping surplus milk.

Not every lifeline is under strain. America's pharmaceutical supply chain "is in good shape," Larry Merlo, chief executive of CVS Health Corp., told Bloomberg Radio last week. The company has about 10,000 outlets, and Merlo said its suppliers tend to carry enough stocks for three to six months.Still, researchers at the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy recently warned that there could be shortages in life-saving medicines. Stocks are hard to quantify because of "the lack of structural transparency and available supply chain data about drugs," they wrote.

Beyond the health crisis, leaders are already looking to the economic snapback they hope will follow. The resilience of supply chains will be crucial in determining how fast it arrives."Say a large container port is struggling with Covid-related issues," said William Davis at maritime logistics firm T Parker Host in Norfolk, Virginia. "Well, guess what? Critical medical supplies coming off container ships, and critical food supplies, are disrupted" -- and ultimately can't reach the consumer.

That kind of pressure on the provision of basic needs is leading governments to raise barriers against exports of food and health products. And it's one reason why a political fight is looming, as some nations seek to redirect production of key supplies back home and undo decades of investment in globalization.

The U.S. and Europe are already split on the issue.

"Self-sufficiency is not an option for any country," Sabine Weyand, the European Commission's director-general for trade, said last week. She gave the example of ventilators, breathing aids crucial to the fight against coronavirus. They can contain as many as 900 pieces sourced from all over the world.

In the other corner: Peter Navarro, Trump's virus tsar. On Easter Sunday, he said America's dependency on globalization was behind shortages of medical supplies.

"If we made it here, we wouldn't be faced with this," he said. "That was the original sin."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 02:37:29|Editor: Xiaoxia

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A worker disinfects boxes of medical supplies donated by China at Algiers International Airport in Algiers, Algeria, on April 15, 2020. Algeria on Wednesday received a new batch of medical donation from China, the second of its kind since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the North African nation. (Xinhua)

ALGIERS, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Wednesday received a new batch of medical donation from China, the second of its kind since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the North African nation.

A plane loaded with the donation landed in Algiers International Airport and was welcomed by Algeria's Vice Minister for Pharmaceutical Industry Lotfi Djamel Benbahmed and Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Lianhe.

Benbahmed told reporters that the donation is composed of prevention equipment, including medical masks, test devices, and medical protective outfits.

He said the donation "highlights how deep and historic are the bilateral relations between Algeria and China."

For his part, Li said that "Algeria and China are bound by strong and excellent relations."

The donation shows that the people and government of China are still grateful for Algeria, which was among the first countries to rush medical help to China at the very beginning of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Chinese envoy said.

In early February, Algeria sent medical donation to help China combat the coronavirus.

Last month, China sent the first batch of medical donation to Algeria, including surgical masks, N95 masks, medical protective outfits, face shields, as well as respirators for intensive care use.
Donations of medical equipment, Easter eggs and beautiful messages to patients are all cheering up staff and residents at Laois' biggest HSE nursing home.

Staff in St Vincent's Community Nursing Unit in Mountmellick have thanked the public for their support. The hospital has about 80 patients many of them elderly, and a dementia unit and a small hospice unit.

On Wednesday they tweeted a photo of a poster on a road near the hospital that is thanking frontline staff.

"Seen this on the way home from work on the Mountmellick/Ballyfin road. Thank you, gave us the lift we needed to keep going x

Beautiful letters and artwork is up on display, sent in by families of patients who have not been able to receive any visitors for over a month since the Covid-19 restrictions began.

Some of the lovely artwork we have received keeping all our spirits up. pic.twitter.com/GX4wZzwnFF  St Vincent's CNU, Mountmellick (@SMountmellick) April 14, 2020

The local Rock GAA club were thanked by them for delivering boxes of supplies.

"A much appreciated donation to staff in St Vincent's Community Nursing Unit. Thank you to James Murphy (Chairman) and all at The Rock GAA Club," Clinical Facilitator Deirdre Phelan tweeted.

A much appreciated donation to staff in St Vincent's Community Nursing Unit. Thank you to James Murphy (Chairman) and all at The Rock GAA Club. @SMountmellick pic.twitter.com/16tFF6QACB  Deirdre Phelan (@deefaylan) April 10, 2020

Deirdre also tweeted to show the Personal Protective Equipment now being worn by staff.

So today I hopped from delivering chocolate to the eggcellent staff and residents @SMountmellick, to donning what has become the 'new' uniform. An Easter Sunday like no other. We got through it @LucyCam17699259 pic.twitter.com/dozOaoA8IN  Deirdre Phelan (@deefaylan) April 12, 2020
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said on Thursday during a live Q&A that Staten Islands 120th Precinct, located in St. George, was among eight commands throughout the city piloting temperature-taking measures in response to limiting the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

By a week from Friday, Shea said it is intended for the program, which is also currently in the Midtown South, 32nd, 44th, 67th, 75th and 113th precincts, to be rolled out to the remainder of the NYPDs jurisdiction.

The measures, similar to those in place for health care workers  including those who work in nursing homes  are aimed at trying to keep people out of the work place who feel fine but you may be in the early stages of this disease, Shea said.

Thus far, the program has not been catching people with fevers coming into work, Shea said, who mentioned that the program began earlier this week. Specific statistics were not provided during the Q&A; however, Shea said the early results were indicative of NYPD members heeding the advice of the department and health professionals and not arriving to work with symptoms.

The coronavirus has had a significant impact on the departments ranks. Twenty-seven members of the NYPD have died as a result of coronavirus-related illnesses as of Thursday morning, Shea said, who held a moment of silence for the victims.

There have been 4,190 positive coronavirus tests within the department, Shea said, but added that 1,450 of those individuals have returned to work, adding that he couldnt be more proud of the job everyone is doing.

While the NYPDs sick rate reached nearly one in five approximately a week ago, the percentage of the uniformed workforce out sick dropped for the seventh consecutive day, according to Shea, falling to 16.7%.

The Advance/SILive.com reported that 17.3% of cops were out sick on Wednesday.

Because the amount of officers out sick have decreased in recent days, Shea said he does not believe the department will be conducting 12-hour tours due to a reduced workforce.

It certainly could change, Shea said, but added, I think we have enough resources out there.

Watch live as @NYPDShea hosts another Q&A with Commissioner Shea. Todays topics include: - Fallen members of the NYPD - COVID-19 Update - Supply & Inventory of PPE - 73 Precinct Crime Team https://t.co/hv45DJ9N5J  NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 16, 2020

Shea said that antibody testing, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo Wednesday said would prioritize first responders, health care and essential workers, was a priority for the NYPD, but said Its not quite there yet in terms of being rolled out to officers citywide.

Antibody tests are extremely important to returning to normalcy, Shea said, but echoed sentiments expressed by officials that the scale of antibody testing across the state and city is currently not sufficient enough to broach a widespread effort to conduct and process those tests.

At Wednesdays press conference, Cuomo said the states current antibody testing capacity is 2,000 per day, but said that New York has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expeditiously approve a state test that could get us to 100,000 people per day.

Still, it was not clear exactly where these tests would take place.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

Under the direction of Governor Cuomo, the department is working with many private partners, including large hospitals and private laboratories, to scale up antibody testing availability at sites that do not put individuals at risk of exposure, state Department of Health (DOH) spokeswoman Erin Silk previously told the Advance/SILive.com.

While vital questions still remain as to the plan to provide antibody tests to essential workers, including the NYPD, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which Cuomo referenced during the briefing, applauded the move.

This is a smart move by Governor Cuomo that will ultimately help get our city and state back up and running," said PBA President Patrick J. Lynch.
In total, about 600 locations in Illinois have received the emergency day care licenses, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Children and Family Services, which is overseeing the program. Sites licensed as centers can receive a maximum of 50 children, with no more than 10 per room, and the kids cannot mingle freely. There are also home day care programs, which can take in up to six children at a time. The state is deeply discounting the cost of day care for essential workers.
San Francisco school officials, grappling with how to grade students during the coronavirus closures, have landed on a solution: Just give everyone an A.

The proposal stands out as the most extreme among districts across the state, with many, including Oakland and West Contra Costa, switching to a pass/fail system sanctioned by Californias public university systems.

The San Francisco school board mulled over several options during a nearly eight-hour meeting Tuesday, but settled on the preliminary idea of an automatic A for all high school and middle school students.

Elementary schools dont give letter grades.

Why not just give students As, said school board member Alison Collins. Lets just consider this a wash and just give all students As.

The proposal was largely supported by the seven-member board, but a final decision wont be made until later this month  after staffers research the possible implications on college admissions.

School board President Mark Sanchez initially wanted to let high school students decide what grade they would get in each class, but he ceded to his colleagues.

I guess giving an A to every kid means, You survived, you did great work, you helped your family, Sanchez said. Its not going to be a grade for academics, clearly.

The districts teachers union said they would support giving all students As.

Lowell High School teacher Katherine Melvin also supported the idea.

This epidemic happened to them, she said. They should not be held responsible or harmed by a pandemic that changed their ability to prove their success.

The idea, however, stands in stark contrast to guidance from state officials, as well as the expectations of colleges and universities, including the University of California and California State University systems.

We will accept credit or pass grades in classes that satisfy A-G (course) requirements for winter, spring and summer 2020, said Mike Uhlenkamp, spokesman for the CSU Office of the Chancellor. Those grades are not going to be included in high school GPA.

No admission offers would be rescinded, Uhlenkamp added.

It was unclear, however, how a universal 4.0 grade-point average for the spring semester would affect future admissions, he said.

School board member Rachel Norton, who advocated for a pass/fail system, said that before the board makes a final decision, district staff needs to look into what impact guaranteed As would have on students.

Im happy to give everybody an A, as well, she said. I do want to be sure, however, that we are not putting our individual students in jeopardy by doing so.

Superintendent Vincent Matthews said staff would look into the impact that straight and unconditional As would have, but he noted the proposal would likely be controversial regardless.

If every student is going to get an A, we definitely will hear from parents and teachers, he said. If every student knows theyre going to get an A, for many, learning becomes optional for them.

Like many districts, San Francisco shuttered schools for its 62,000 students on March 16 to combat the spread of the coronavirus and later decided they will not reopen this academic year.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

District officials have broad leeway in how to conduct distance learning or grade students, although compulsory education laws still apply and teachers should continue to take attendance, state education officials have said.

In Los Angeles, district officials adopted a letter-grade system last week, but one that eliminates the possibility of an F, or failing grade. The lowest grade in the states largest district will be a D.

Other districts have maintained traditional letter grades for high school students or, in some cases, offered them the option of pass/fail instead.

State guidance does not include a guaranteed A as a possible option.

High school senior Betsy Herrera, a student member on the Board of Education, said she, too, wanted to ensure no student would fail during distance learning.

This isnt really a way of learning especially for people of low-income backgrounds and undocumented families, she said. The best way to handle the situation is just to pass all students.

Sanchez said he could live with pass/fail.

Its such a crazy time, he said. This is just such a wasted semester.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Temporary visa holders are leaving Australia in droves after the Prime Minister said they would not receive any government funding during the coronavirus crisis.

At least 300,000 temporary residents have returned home since January, and a further 300,000 might be on their way out, The Australian reported.

Economists have warned that the slump in immigration could be detrimental to housing and the economy - particularly when the COVID-19 pandemic passes.

Former senior Immigration Department official Abul Rizvi is concerned the number of temporary visa holders in Australia could drop from more than 2.4 million to less than 1.82 million by the end of the year.

Temporary visa holders are leaving Australia in droves after the prime minister said they would not receive any government funding during the coronavirus crisis

This graph shows how Australia's unemployment rate will likely nearly double to peak at 10 per cent for the June quarter as a direct result of the coronavirus crisis - but it could have been far worse if the government hadn't introduced JobKeeper

More than 300 people lined the streets of Sydney after losing their jobs, desperately waiting to get into Darlinghurst's Centrelink office to claim unemployment amid the coronavirus pandemic

He criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison's message to non-Australians earlier this month, when he told them to return to their home countries if they could not financially support themselves during the crisis.

'We won't be able to run a ''Where the bloody hell are you campaign'' ever again if we told everyone to p*ss off,' Mr Rizvi said.

He said the nation is on the verge of the biggest decline in population since 1788 - worse than during the Great Depression.

Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge revealed that 260,000 people visiting Australia left between January and March.

A further 50,000 people have already left in the first two weeks of April, he said.

The forced closure of cafes, bars and restaurants has forced some out of business entirely (like this cafe in Mollymook on the NSW south coast)

'We will almost certainly have fewer temporary migrants by year end as few are coming in while many are returning home as their visas expire or their work dries up,' Mr Tudge said.

Mr Rizvi has estimated at least one in five foreign students, and one quarter of all foreign workers, will return to their home countries by year's end.

Research conducted by the Reserve Bank suggests such mass losses could negatively impact industry.

A decrease in the overall population would would rental vacancies, reduce rent costs and housing prices, and ultimately reduce construction.

On Thursday, it was revealed Australia's unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 5.2 per cent in March.

Police screen incoming passengers at the domestic airport in Brisbane after all non-residents were banned from traveling

Pictured: A couple wears surgical masks as they walk in the streets in Adelaide following a coronavirus outbreak

Treasury predicts the unemployment rate will soar to 10 per cent by the end of June, a level not seen in Australia since April 1994.

Non-essential businesses like pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas and dine-in restaurants were forced to close on March 23, and three days later nail salons, beauticians and massage parlours followed suit.

Economists fear the mass closures could've put one million people out of work.

But the Australian Bureau of Statistics March findings, which showed a minimal growth in unemployment, were likely already wrapped up prior to the closures, meaning the true scale won't be felt until the next report.

The Treasury initially predicted the jobless rate would surge beyond 15 per cent had the government not introduced the $130billion JobKeeper package for about six million workers.

From April 27, the unemployed are receiving a $550 a fortnight coronavirus supplement for six months, on top of the $565.70 JobSeeker payment.
Valerio, de 90 anos, es un guerrero. El es el peruano con mayor edad en vencer al #COVID19. Su lucha incansable junto a los #HeroesDeLaSalud nos demuestra que la recuperacion es posible. El Peru y su familia celebran. pic.twitter.com/FjnGFDJHEQ
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  The Communist Party of the Philippines declared on Thursday the extension of its nationwide ceasefire to April 30, citing the need to prioritize the fight against the pandemic.

In a statement on its website, the CPP said it has ordered the New Peoples Army to continue to desist and cease from carrying out offensives against government forces. It said during the ceasefire period, all of their actions will be limited to defense operations.

The CPP said the order was made to shift priority to the anti-COVID-19 campaign, adding that its forces are ready to cooperate in order to ensure quick and unimpeded support" to all those requiring urgent assistance during the health crisis.

On March 25, the CPP declared a ceasefire initially intended to last until April 15, following the recommendation of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

It said the ceasefire order has been observed despite the difficulties and dangers brought about by the continuing occupation of AFP combat troops," and other forms of attacks "mounted by the AFPs strike forces against detected NPA units.

The CPP also reiterated its call for the urgent release of all political prisoners and for declaring a general amnesty. The party also expressed its desire for the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDFP.
Sanjay Dutt was very close to his actor mother Nargis who gave up her film career to bring up her three kids. But being the first child of his superstar parents, Sanjay was the most pampered among his siblings  sisters Priya and Namrata. However, the actor was just 22 when he lost his mother to pancreatic cancer, three days before his Bollywood debut Rocky.

His sister Namrata has shared in his biography, Sanjay Dutt: The Crazy Untold Story of Bollywoods Bad Boy by Yasser Usman, about how Nargis tried to be tough with Sanjay during his childhood but always ended up giving in to his demands. She has been quoted in the book as saying, Mom sometimes got angry with Sanjay. Shed spew expletives like suwar, ullu, gadha and even throw a chappal at him.

Sanjay was hardly over his drug addiction at the time of her death and her demise sent him further into the deep hole. His mother was so much in love with him that she refused to acknowledge the proofs of his drug addiction and even covered up for him at times.

The book has quoted his sister Priya Dutt as saying, Once I heard Mom say to a friend, Why is Sanjays room always locked when his friends are there? What is the big deal? I hope hes not gay.

Shedding light on Nargis blind trust in Sanjay, an excerpt from the book read, She trusted Sanjay against the mounting evidence that he was an addict. Even when well-wishers tried to talk to Nargis about Sanjay, her default reply was My son never drinks and never touches drugs.

Also read: Rahul Dev to play an extremist leader in Sanjay Dutt-starrer Torbaaz, says I didnt exchange a single blow with anybody

Sanjay got to hear his mothers last message for him only two years after her death and couldnt stop crying. An audio recorded at her deathbed at a hospital in New York has Nargis saying, More than anything, Sanju, keep your humility. Keep your character. Never show off. Always be humble and always respect the elders. That is the thing that is going to take you far, and that is going to give you strength in your work.

A decades old video of Sanjay talking about the audio shows him getting teary-eyed as he talks about her. He shared about crying for 4-5 hours after listening to her message which changed him as a human being.

Sanjay had once told in an interview to India Today, I hope my wife doesnt pamper my children the way my mother did me. My wife tells me if the kids dont hate the parents when they are growing up, there is something wrong in their parenting. I am tough to my children when I want to be tough.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
In absolute first, a dissident from the North wins a majority seat in South Korea. A candidate for the conservative front, Thae is critical of the South Korean president's openings to Pyongyang. Moon Jae-in, however, wins: thanks to successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Former North Korean high diplomat Thae Yong-ho was elected to the South Korean parliament yesterday. It is the first time that a dissident from the North has won a majority seat in South Korea.

Thae, who was Pyongyang's deputy ambassador to Britain, ran for the Conservative Party of Freedom, the main opposition force to President Moon Jae-in and his Liberal Democratic Party.

He won with 58.4% of the votes in Gangnam borough, a wealthy district of Seoul where conservatives traditionally hold sway. He wants to work on unification between the two Koreas, divided along the 38th parallel since the end of the Second World War.

In a testimony to the South Korean Parliament, Thae said that the North Korean people live in slavery. He is also convinced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will never give up his nuclear arsenal.

The exile joined the conservative front because in his opinion Moon's policy of detente towards Pyongyang is unrealistic. The South Korean president has tried to carve out a mediator role between the United States and North Korea, a dialoguing line that partly follows the "Sunshine Policy" of his liberal predecessors.

Thae, who fled with his family to South Korea in 2016, is accused by the North Korean regime of revealing state secrets, stealing money from his country's government and rape of minors.

In South Korea there are 33 thousand North Korean refugees. The first to gain a parliamentary seat in the South was Cho Myung-chul in 2012, always elected to the ranks of the Conservative Party, but on a proportional list.

Another North Korean exile, Ji Seong-ho, will keep Thae company among the parliamentary chairs of the South. Ji has been elected on a proportional list of the Future Korea Party, a satellite formation of the Conservative Party.

The South Korean elections were held in the midst of the fight against the coronavirus. Moon's Liberal Democratic Party gained an overwhelming victory. Together with the allies of the Platform Party, the Liberal Democrats won 180 seats out of the 300 in the National Assembly. The conservative front stopped at 103 seats.

The election result is seen as a clear popular support for the government management of the pandemic crisis: Seouls model of intervention is being studied in the rest of the world and an alternative to the draconian one adopted by China. Despite the epidemic, 29 million South Koreans cast their vote, 66.2% of the electorate.
A Chinese survey ship embroiled in a standoff with Vietnamese vessels moved south near Malaysia, shipping data showed on April 16, amid accusations that China is using the pandemic to assert its presence in the South China Sea.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 was spotted off Vietnam this week, returning after being closely tracked last year in the resource-rich waters, a potential global flashpoint as the United States challenges Chinas sweeping maritime claims.

The ship appeared to have started a survey in waters 218 miles off the coasts of Brunei and Malaysia on Thursday, according to data from Marine Traffic, a website that tracks shipping.

That appeared to be just north of Malaysias exclusive economic zone (EEZ), near waters claimed by both Vietnam and Malaysia.

A Malaysian coastguard vessel, the KM Pekan, is shadowing the Chinese ship, a Malaysian maritime source said, declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 had been flanked by as many as seven Chinese coastguard vessels that have since moved away, two sources familiar with the matter said. The Malaysian navy was monitoring the situation, one of the sources said.

The foreign ministries of Malaysia, Brunei, and China did not respond to requests for comment.

On Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman had said the ship was conducting normal activities.

The presence of the Haiyang Dizhi 8 in the South China Sea comes amid movement curbs imposed by Southeast Asian countries to slow the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The U.S. State Department had urged Beijing to focus on combating the pandemic and stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea.

Chinas U-shaped nine-dash line on its maps marks a vast expanse of the waters that it claims, including large expanses in the south that are also claimed by Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei.

Earlier this year, the Washington think tank Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said China has maintained a near-constant presence in Luconia Shoals, off the coast of Malaysias Sarawak state on Borneo.

Last year, at least one China Coast Guard vessel spent weeks in waters close to an oil rig in a Vietnamese oil block, operated by Russias Rosneft, while the Haiyang Dizhi 8 conducted suspected oil exploration surveys in Vietnams EEZ.

By Rozanna Latiff and James Pearson

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
Coleman said this is one of the oldest forms of transfusion therapy known to humans. Its been well-established that blood taken from a person who has recovered from a disease can potentially help someone suffering from that same disease.

Of course, before we knew about blood types and things like that it was a real iffy proposition, he said. Now it comes up again every time theres a fast-moving new or novel incident like this.

Its a very good way to do it. Were harvesting the antibodies that people naturally build to fight off the infection and give them to someone whose body hasnt been able to produce those antibodies yet because it takes time to build those up.

Coleman said each plasma donation can treat one to two patients, depending on whether the physician decides to give both doses to one patient. There is a 28-day wait before a donor can give again.

Were hoping that given the very large number of recovered patients there are in the United States that well be able to manage the flow of new patient needs with the large number of existing patients being able to give in that 28-day interval, Coleman said.
Accusing the World Health Organisation (WHO) of causing thousands of deaths by collaborating with China to initially cover up the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, US President Donald Trump has announced that he will stop funding the WHO.

Trump said on Tuesday, "The WHO pushed China's misinformation about the virus, saying it was not communicable and there was no need for travel bans" and its "reliance on China's disclosures likely caused a 20-fold increase in cases worldwide."



He did not say that the US would pull out of the organisation but only that funding would be on temporary hold "while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."





"Our countries are now experiencing -- you look all over the world -- tremendous death and economic devastation because those tasked with protecting us by being truthful and transparent failed to do so," he said.



The US pays 22 per cent of WHO's annual assessments of $2.47 billion from members.



Its dues for the current year is $580 million and it has arrears of $413 million from previous years, according to WHO.



Even before Trump announced the halt to funding, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it is "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organisation or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus."



Support for WHO "is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19," he said.



The Senate Homeland Security Committee is also planning an investigation of the WHO's role in the coronavirus pandemic and the origins of the virus, according to the panel's Chairman Ron Johnson. He told Politico that the probe would also look into the lack of preparation for the crisis and the dependence on foreign manufacturers for essential medical equipment.



Trump, who has made his January 31 decision to bar visitors from China as an important plank of his defence against allegations that he did not act soon enough, said that WHO had "fought" the travel ban.



He was also attacked by Democrat leader Joe Biden, who is the party's likely presidential candidate, for imposing travel restrictions.



Trump also criticised WHO's inaction on the silencing and punishment of Chinese doctors and scientists who first set off alarm bells about the virus.



WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been crticised for his role in handling the pandemic.



Asked at his briefing if he would resume support for the organisation if Tedros was replaced, Trump said, "I don't know the gentleman, but I know there have been problems."



China has an outsize influence over international organisations because it has been able to mobilise support among developing countries, especially the smaller ones, through aid programmes that lack transparency and have implicit or direct conditions.



Trump, who has made his decision to bar visitors from China on January 31 an important plank of his defence against allegations that he did not take preventive measures soon enough, again criticised WHO saying it had "fought" the travel ban.



The travel ban was also attacked by Democrat leader Joe Biden, the likely party candidate for president.



Trump also criticised the WHO for not defending the Chinese doctors and researchers who first set off alarms about the virus but were silenced or punished by the government.



The pandemic has increased Beijing's influence because it has a stranglehold on medical equipment and supplies needed by countries around the world and is profiting from the consequences of a virus that originated there.



The US has been running an "airbridge" of jets ferrying essential medical supplies and this, along with donations by Chinese philanthropists, obfuscates China's role in the pandemic.



New York has received donations of ventilators from Chinese e-commerce entrepreneurs Jack Ma and Joe Tsa and Democratic governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Phil Murphy of New Jersey have publicly thanked China for its help.



Trump has also had to be diplomatic in dealing with China because of the dependence on it to face the pandemic.



He has often praised China's President Xi Jinping and even initially said that China was cooperating in stemming the pandemic before it blew up into a global problem.



Trump has questioned the US dependence on China, built over decades of Democratic and Republican administrations and has faced criticism for trying to reverse it through trade wars and "Buy American" campaign but the pandemic has brought home the dangers.



His trade adviser, Peter Navarro, recently said, "We are dangerously over-dependent on a global supply chain. Never again should we rely on the rest of the world for our essential medicines and countermeasures."
New Delhi, April 16 : The Delhi government has provided grain to over 300,000 poor, who lacked ration cards, to help them tide over the lockdown, according to the Food and Supply Department here on Thursday.

The distribution was started on April 7, in addition to the steps taken to provide ration to the PDS (public distribution system) cardholders.

"In the prevailing situation, the department is making all efforts to meet the food needs of the poor and the vulnerable in the city," it said.

In Delhi, the PDS caters to 17.50 lakh households, comprising 71,08,074 people including 68,609 Antyodaya Anna Yojana households with 2,78,926 people.

"The monthly quota of grain under the National Food Security Act, 2013 is 5 kg (4 kg wheat and 1 kg rice). However, amid lockdown the Delhi government has provided 7.5 kg grain (6 kg wheat and 1.5 kg rice) free of cost," it said.

The distribution of April grain was advanced to March 28 through the network of over 2,000 fair price shops (FPSs).

Claiming that most of the allocation has been distributed, the department said, it would provide much-needed relief to the people, particularly in the disadvantaged and vulnerable sections.

To reach out to the people not be covered by the PDS, the city government is providing for free 4 kg wheat and 1 kg rice to the needy. "The initiative is based on self-selection criteria where any person in need of food can apply for e-coupons. The only document required is an Aadhaar number, issued from anywhere in the country," the department said.

To optimally use available resources, 374 schools of the Directorate of Education, and the municipal corporations have been designated as distribution centres for the relief initiative.

To inform and educate the targeted beneficiaries, multimedia publicity through SMS, radio jingles, flex banners has been launched.

"Despite severe shortages of labourers, trucks and other logistical constraints due to the lockdown, the department is striving to distribute grain to the beneficiaries," it said.

The Civil Defence Volunteers have been deployed at the FPSs to ensure social distancing and orderly distribution.

The helpline number '1967' and grievance redressal portals could be approched for redressal of grievances, if any, about distribution of grain, it said.
Chairperson of the COVID-19 Trust Fund, Madam Sophia Akuffo says all monies donated to the fund will be accounted for.

President Nana Akufo-Addo last month established the COVID-19 Trust Fund to solicit support from Ghanaians as the country fights the Coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to Citi News after a number of companies made donations to the fund; Madam Sophia Akuffo said the money will be used for its intended purpose.

The amounts will go into the main Fund. But, in the disbursement, we will make sure that we reach as many communities as possible. The Fund was set up to supplement and complement the governments effort in combatting the virus. Medical centres and frontline activities will benefit and also the poor and vulnerable people in the community will also benefit, she said.

President Nana Akufo-Addo in his fifth national address to the nation disclosed that the COVID-19 National Trust Fund has so far received a total sum of GH8.75 million in the form of donations from the general public.

He noted that the stated amount also includes US$600,000 and commended Ghanaians and institutions for heeding to the clarion call to support the Fund meant to support the vulnerable and those who will be hard hit by measures adopted to combat the Coronavirus disease in Ghana.

---citinewsroom
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan offered congratulations to law enforcement officers as Armenia is marking Police Day.

Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, the PM addressed Police Chief Arman Sargsyan, and said: Mr. Sargsyan, allow me to congratulate you and the entire personnel of the police on this important holiday. Police is one of the most important institutions of maintaining the legal order of any state, just like our state, and the level of human rights protection, democracy, up to the preservation and application of economic and political liberties depends on the quality work of the police. We must admit that in Armenia the relations between the police and the public werent simple, they had many difficulties, even crises, and today our biggest objective is to establish complete mutual trust, total trust towards the work of the police. This is a highly important task on our agenda, Pashinyan said.

He said that the government has been discussing the police reforms strategy for a long time and that it shouldve launched from April 1, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the plans. He said the agenda of reforms is based on two important cornerstones  the publics complete confidence in the police and the effectiveness of the police work.

Pashinyan said the police must reform its image, and become the law enforcement agency which is in line with the present-day demands of Armenia, the aspirations that the state and the people bring forward.

After the speech, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet members held a moment of silence in honor of all police officers who fell in the line of duty.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
The availability of Personal Protective Equipment or PPE for nursing homes is still patchy and will be raised again with Health Minister Simon Harris today amid some concern that deaths due to Covid-19 in nursing homes may be under-reported.

Nursing Homes Ireland CEO, Tadgh Daly, said the organisation isnt monitoring the number of cases or number of deaths at member nursing homes.

He said nursing homes are collating Covid-19 data for public health services but their focus is on providing care.

Mr Daly said he can not say if the number of deaths in nursing homes is being under-reported and noted that the responsibility to register deaths lies with clinicians and GPs.

The nursing homes chief executive said while some believe that Covid-19 could become pervasive in nursing homes, his view is less pessimistic: Its also important to say that there have been people who tested positive for Covid-19 in nursing homes, who have made a full recovery."

Around 30% of nursing homes have been impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak and Mr Daly said supports need to be ramped up for those facilities affected, while also providing wraparound supports to facilities not affected by the disease.

Mr Daly said he will be pressing for more staff and PPE, as well as a faster turnaround on Covid-19 test results when he meets Health Minister Simon Harris today.

His comments come as a Dublin coroner has written to hospitals and services advising of the need to report any death linked to a proven or suspected case of Covid-19.

The Irish Times reported on Thursday that Dublin coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, raised concern in a letter that not all Covid-19 deaths are being reported as required by law.

Covid-19 is a notifiable disease under infectious diseases regulations and deaths due wholly or partly to a notifiable disease must be reported to the coroner.
Image: Shutterstock

Zoom has had an unmatched rise in popularity ever since the global outbreak of Coronavirus forced people around the world to work from home. However, the platform was seemingly unprepared for this boost in userbase, because this sudden rise in popularity also disclosed various security concerns regarding the app. Zoombombing was one of the most dangerous flaws found in the video conferencing app, which caused schools in the US to ban the app for its students. Zoom CEO soon apologised for the issue and promised to fix the app Besides these, Zoom was also found to be infected with some other vulnerabilities that was leaking data of its users.Now, a report by Bleeping Computer claims that half a million Zoom accounts have been hacked and the data from these accounts have been sold on the dark web.Reportedly, these accounts are being sold for less than a rupee each and in some cases, they are being given away for free. This was first found byaround 1 April.Per the report, Cybel had reached out to the sellers of these Zoom accounts and bought 530,000 Zoom credentials at $0.0020 (15 paisa approximately) per account. "These accounts are shared via text sharing sites where the threat actors are posting lists of email addresses and password combinations," Bleeping Computer writes.These Zoom account credentials reportedly included email address, meeting URLs, passwords, and HostKeys

The cybersecurity firm also revealed that most of the hacked accounts belonged to well-known companies such as Chase, Citibank, educational institutions, and others. 290 of these belonged to universities and colleges.

Currently, Zoom has not responded to this report, however, if you have a Zoom account it would be wise to immediately change your password if you use the same for other accounts and websites as well. You can also visit Have I Been Pwned to see if your account has been compromised.

Original Source:
Bengaluru, April 16 : No traces of coronavirus was found in the raw material imported from China for making drugs at Jubilant Life Sciences plant near Karnataka's Mysuru, a company official said on Thursday.

"The raw material imported from China tested negative for Covid-19 virus by the state-run National Institute of Virology at Pune," said the official in a statement to IANS.

The pharma major's plant at Nanjangud near Mysuru was shut down on April 7 after it was suspected to have been infected by the virus from a container that came from China with the raw material.

Nanjangud is about 30km from Mysuru.

"It is unfortunate that a wrong perception was created in the public and the media about the raw material imported from China," the Noida-based drug maker's official said.

The raw material is active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in drugs required to sustain patients' lives, including azithromycin dihydrate and azithromycin monohydrate, which are needed to fight the Covid-19 disease.

"Evidences and scientific facts published by global organisations, indicate that the virus does not survive for more than 72 hours on any surface," the statement said.

The raw materials sampled from the Nanjangud plant took over three weeks of transit to reach India by sea route and no virus can survive that long on any surface, the company noted.

Contrary to claims made by the state Health Department, the company clarified that one of its employees (patient 52) who tested positive on March 26 did not travel to China or was on an overseas trip during the last 6 months.

"None of our employees tested Covid positive so far travelled overseas in the last 6 months," the official said.

The employee in question, who works in the quality assurance section, had no contact with the raw material (APIs) or had no role in receiving, transporting, handling or storing it.

The company also said it values the state government's support in this hour of crisis.

"We are working with the district administration, the state health department and the local police to mitigate the situation arising out of the pandemic," the official added.

The decade-old plant has about 1,450 employees, including 950 on its payroll and 500 on contract.

The company got the plant disinfected by a certified agency to make the place safe and healthy.

Mysuru has accounted for the second highest number (61) of Covid positive cases after Bengaluru Urban (76) in the state, with 49 active and 12 discharged till Thursday.
"We were in a unique position to be able to shift our efforts to the design and production of a system which can address an immediate and urgent need in the midst of this current crisis," said GreenBroz CEO, Cullen Raichart. "We want to be part of the solution and are excited that we have a prototype ready to go, and are currently seeking FDA Fast Track approval."

The Alchemist Trichome Extractor, originally designed for processing cannabis, has been retrofitted with the optek-Danulat Cl0 2 gas detection advanced sensing system, which is designed to detect the level of Cl0 2 in the rotating drum. Scott Rotary Seals provided the seal, which allows the Cl0 2 to enter the rotating chamber. Kaman Automation designed the human machine interface (HMI) touch-screen panels. The HMI makes the machine safe and easy to use, as there is minimal contact and the surface of the touch screen is easily cleanable.

Gard'n Clean Cl0 2 is an EPA-registered, FDA approved, OMRI organic certified and NSF listed sterilant. The PPE remediator technology is eco-friendly, requiring no special handling or disposal. The activated solution has a neutral pH. Therefore, it is exceptionally gentle and aids in retaining the integrity of fibrous material.

"Using Gard'n Clean patented, ultrapure Cl0 2 is the only way to fully remediate without damaging or leaving a residue on disinfected material," said Shamol Vyas, founder of Gard'n Clean. "Our best-in-class Cl0 2 coupled with GreenBroz' manufacturing prowess is the best way to sterilize PPE, such as fabric coveralls, masks and gowns."

The PPE Remediator is constructed using surgical-grade stainless steel and measures just 40 inches by 52 inches by 60 inches, with a capacity of 8 cubic feet. This means it can easily be used on-site in a healthcare setting, eliminating the need to transport contaminated PPE to a larger machine on a separate floor. The whisper quiet motor and fully programmable 30- to 60-minute cycle make it convenient to use. The active two-stage filtration system ensures complete decontamination, while the Cl0 2 detector monitors functionality for optimum safety.

About GreenBroz, Inc.

GreenBroz, Inc. provides industry-leading automated harvesting solutions to the legal cannabis industry. Veteran-owned, and committed to fine American craftsmanship, top-of-the-line machine engineering, and exceptional customer service, GreenBroz is helping small, medium and large-scale cultivators reach their own version of the American dream. All GreenBroz equipment is American-made at our Las Vegas manufacturing facility. With retail partners on 4 continents, GreenBroz makes it easy to meet your equipment needs. For more information visit https://greenbroz.com/

About Gard'n Clean

Gard'n Clean's innovations in antimicrobial solutions provide versatile and user-friendly choices for surface infection, sanitation and space deodorization to a wide variety of businesses. Gard'n Clean products are made in the U.S. and offer more intelligent and ecologically sensitive methods for decontamination. For more information visit https://gardnclean.com/

Media Contact:

Jaana Prall

[email protected]

707-497-9251

SOURCE GreenBroz, Inc.

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An investigation by the Associated Press has found that sexual abuse of children by Islamic clerics is widespread in religious schools in Pakistan, where many of the countrys poorest study.

The AP documented the cases of abuse through dozens of police reports, as well as interviews with law enforcement officials, doctors, and abuse victims and their relatives.

One victim, 8-year-old Yaous from the remote northern Kohistan region, said how the mullah at his Mansehra religious school grabbed his hand, dragged him into a room, and locked the door when other students had gone out.

The boy was held prisoner for two days and raped repeatedly until he was so sick the cleric feared he would die and took him to the hospital, AP reported, citing the boy, his relatives, and a doctor.

At the hospital, examinations by a doctor Faisal Manan Salarzai, revealed brutal and repetitive assaults. The cleric has since been arrested.

Another victim, 11-year-old Misbah from Punjab, said she was raped by a cleric who taught religious classes to young girls in the village mosque.

He suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into a nearby room. I was screaming and shouting and crying, the child recalled.

Misbah was rescued by her uncle, Muhammad Tanvir, who heard screaming from inside the mosque and smashed the door down, AP reported. The cleric was arrested but later released on bail.

Police officials told AP that sexual abuse of children by clerics is prevalent in Pakistan, but clerics always escape convictions, despite police reports.

Religious groups that enjoy enormous clout in Pakistan have been able to hide the widespread abuse by accusing victims of blasphemy or defamation of Islam.



Deputy Police Superintendent Sadiq Baloch, in the country's northwest, said the victims families are often coerced into forgiving clerics, fearing shame and stigma in the deeply conservative society.

There are more than 22,000 registered madrasahs in Pakistan, teaching more than 2 million children.

But there are many more unregistered religious schools that typically are run by a local mullahs in poor neighborhoods, attracting students with promises of meals and free lodging.

In Pakistan, there is no central body of clerics that governs madrasahs, nor is there a central authority that can investigate or respond to allegations of abuse by clerics.

The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised to modernize the curriculum and make the madrasahs more accountable, but it has yet to be seen.
AIR freight charges have considerably risen with analysts attributing the trend to higher operating costs, few scheduled flights and coronavirus bite.

A special report released in Arusha yesterday on how to facilitate air cargo operations in the East African Community (EAC), region, while member states battle covid-19, showed Kenya, for example, with a volume of fresh produce at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) having reduced from a weekly 5,000 tonnes to 1,300 tonnes, and seen as a 75 percent decline with similar trends reported across the entire bloc.

Equally, with global demand and supply disruptions, the region has been mostly hit making its export produce uncompetitive.

For instance, Airfreight charges to the European Union (AU) and other markets in the last few weeks have ranged from $3-7 up from an average of $1.50-2.50 per kg.

"Costs, however, continue to ease with more scheduled capacity provided by KLM, Qatar and Ethiopian Airlines (that started routes to and from Tanzania last week). The return of Rwandair and Kenya Airways to the skies is a welcome relief for exporters.

"However, it will soon become increasingly difficult for them to compete with airlines that are receiving governments subsidies," said East African Business Council (EABC), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Peter Mathuki, while talking to this paper.

Air cargo accounts for approximately 35 percent of the worlds trade by value and is a crucial part of freight transport, complementing both land and sea transport, and for time-sensitive cargo.

Following the Covid-19 outbreak countries have imposed restrictions on flights, particularly passenger aircraft to contain the pandemic severely disrupting global supply chains.

While cargo operations have continued, measures to enhance capacity have been adopted by repurposing passenger aircraft to facilitate continuous delivery of critical goods.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), has supported the industry to execute cargo operations and use of passenger aircraft to enhance connectivity.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and IATA have worked in close collaboration to develop aviation-specific guidelines to ensure appropriate planning and action at all levels to mitigate the effects of a human outbreak.

Together, the organisations have developed guidelines on how to transport cargo safely and to ensure continued and uninterrupted air cargo services vital for global supply chains and emergency medical supplies.

The CEO noted that while the rest of the world has adopted new measures to facilitate air transport, the EAC partner state airlines are still in the process of adapting, despite most of their aircrafts being underutilised.

The demand for air cargo imports into the region remains low due to disruptions in Global Supply Chains (GSC).

However, there is sustained growth in the demand for fresh produce exports anticipated to last till the summer.

Current Aviation Industry subsidies in response to the Covid-19 crisis include government or Central Bank support through direct financing, loan guarantees, corporate bonds and tax reliefs.

"However, these measures alone, even if extended to EAC airlines will not sufficiently address the current crisis.

So, we recommend that the current Covid-19 crisis on air cargo operations get extraordinary measures to address the challenges in the region.

"Like the EU, it demands greater cooperation between East African airlines and the international aviation community, including air cargo and express service providers to ensure the supply and fair distribution of scarce and essential goods," Dr Mathuki noted in the position paper.
Maura C. McCaffrey, former president and CEO of Health New England and a member of the Baystate Health Presidents Cabinet, died Tuesday after a long illness. She was 50.

McCaffery, of West Brookfield, stepped down as head of Health New England  a regional health insurance provider based in Springfield  in 2018 to focus on health concerns.

She began her career as a pharmacist for CVS, and started working at Heath New England in 2002. She was appointed to lead the $1 billion health insurer in 2014 when she took over for the retiring Peter Straley. Owned by Baystate Health, Health New England has 365 employees and covers about 161,000 people.

McCaffery also served as chairwoman of the Western Mass Economic Development Council, secretary of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, and was an executive committee member of the Health Plan Alliance. She was on the board of trustees at Western New England University and the Country Bank board of trustees.

She was also a mentor in Babson Colleges Womens Executive Leadership program and Americas Health Insurance Plans.

She was inducted into Bay Path Universitys Women Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2015, according to her obituary.

Maura was a talented leader, dedicated board chair, wonderful family person and special woman, Richard K. Sullivan Jr., president and CEO of the Western Mass Economic Development Council, wrote in a letter to members. I will miss her.

She is survived by her husband, Edwin, of West Brookfield; her sons Patrick, a Marine at Camp Pendleton in California and Connor, a Marine at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina; and a number of other family members.

Her obituary can be found here.
Salisbury, N.Y.  A Richfield Springs man is behind bars after state police say he violently raped a woman in March.

Joseph A. OBrien, 33, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree rape. Police said he used forcible compulsion to rape a female acquaintance on March 2 in the town of Salisbury in Herkimer County.

He was arraigned via Skype and sent to the Herkimer County Jail on $10,000 bail.
A delivery driver has become a wedding day hero after arriving at a couple's beachside ceremony with the groom's wedding band right before they said 'I do.'

Savannah Kulenic and Dylan Perkins from Raleigh, North Carolina, planned to get married on April 10 in Hawaii, but their dream wedding was curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic, WNCN-TV reported.

The couple organized a last-minute beach ceremony in their home state on their special day with a total of five people in attendance  all they were missing was Perkins' ring.

What a story: Savannah Kulenic and Dylan Perkins' wedding was saved by FedEx delivery driver Joe Engel, who delivered the groom's ring during their ceremony

Amazing moment: Engel saw a note on the bride's door and took the package to the beach just in time

Change of plans: The couple was supposed to get married in Hawaii but canceled their destination ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic

The company making the groom's wedding band had been shuttered by the virus outbreak, but they told Kulenic the day before her wedding that they could overnight the ring.

One problem: The wedding was scheduled for 3 p.m., but the ring wasn't expected to show up until 4:30.

It was the latest in a long line of issues that the couple had to overcome on their journey to the altar, with Kulenic explaining to WNCN that the coronavirus pandemic forced them to cancel their original ceremony plans after they had already written their vows, packed their bags, and even printed out their boarding passes.

But, she was determined that everything would work out in the end.

So, the bride had the photographer, Amy Shores, leave a note on her door for the delivery man telling him to come down to the beach, saying: 'You have the ring.'

Thankfully, FedEx driver Joe Engel answered the call of duty, marching down the sand to hand deliver the package during the ceremony.

'We kind of met down the beach and I just handed it over to her and said congratulations,' he revealed.

The handoff was captured on camera by Shores, owner of Seaside Topsail Photography, and shared in a Facebook post.

Right on time: Amy Shores, owner of Seaside Topsail Photography, captures photos of Engel marching down the sand to deliver the groom's ring

Special moment: Kulenic was incredibly grateful for Engel, who had arrived in the nick of time. 'I can't thank him enough for what he did,' she said

'I have a great story that will make you smile,' she wrote, recounting how Kulenic and Perkins had canceled their Hawaii wedding and put together a last-minute celebration with just five people.

'We began the ceremony on the beach and at the end of the ceremony my friend, Brandy, yelled, "LOOK, ITS THE FEDEX MAN!" This sweet man came running down the sand waving the package,' she recalled.

'It was amazing! This should be a FedEx commercial.'

Kulenic was incredibly grateful for Engel, who had arrived in the nick of time.

'I can't thank him enough for what he did,' she said.

But the FedEx driver insists he was simply doing his job - although he was delighted to have been able to bring some joy to the couple, especially after they had to cancel their original wedding plans.

'Im so happy that they had a great wedding and I didnt ruin it by being the last-minute ring bearer,' he joked.

Shores added: 'You know with all of the bad going on, there are still good people in the world, and in the end, love wins.'
The gray wolf that made headlines in 2011 for becoming the first lobo in nearly a century to lope in Californias wilderness is presumed dead.

The collared wolf, known as OR-7, was last accounted for in the fall and was missing from the annual winter count in Oregon, where it was living, Oregon officials said Wednesday.

We dont know if OR-7 has died, but it would be reasonable to assume considering his age, which is old for a wolf in the wild, said Roblyn Brown, the wolf coordinator for Oregons Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is natural for packs to change over time as individual wolves are born, disperse or die.

OR-7 was estimated to be 11 years old. He was born in Oregon in 2009 and left his pack two years later, becoming a sensation in California when he crossed state lines. GPS tracking showed the lone wolf traveled thousands of miles through Siskiyou, Lassen, Shasta, Modoc, Butte and Plumas counties before eventually returning to Oregon and settling down with a mate. He fathered litters of pups each year from 2014 to 2018, officials said.

The gray wolf is believed to have been extirpated from the state in the 1920s. OR-7s appearance in the Golden State marked the return of the native species  an occasion applauded by conservationists.

Whether one is for it or against it, the entry of this lone wolf into California is an historic event and the result of much work by the wildlife agencies in the West, Charlton Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in 2011. If the gray wolf does establish a population in California, there will be much more work to do here.

Three of OR-7s pups were subsequently detected in California, where one became a breeding male to the Lassen Pack, which continues to expand in Lassen and Plumas counties, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Gray wolves are now protected as endangered under both California and federal Endangered Species Acts.

OR-7 was last seen in the fall when he was photographed in Oregon, officials said. In the winter, his mate was accounted for with other wolves but OR-7 was missing.

Suzanne Espinosa Solis is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email sespinosa@sfchronicle.com
Over 2,000 people have been apprehended so far in Jammu and Kashmir for violating the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Thursday.

Police have lodged 1,012 FIRs and held 2,303 people for defying government orders in the union territory, he said.

Also, the authorities have sealed several shops and impounded over 1,000 vehicles during the lockdown, the official said.

In Kashmir zone, 568 FIRs have been lodged for the violations of the lockdown. Around 64 shops were sealed and 447 vehicles seized, he said.

In Jammu zone, 444 FIRs were lodged for violating government orders. The authorities sealed 193 shops and impounded 591 vehicles, the official said.

Thousands of J-K Police personnel are keeping a check on the unnecessary movement of people and traffic across the union territory, he said.

Besides, helplines in every district are open 24x7 for providing assistance to people, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The number of coronavirus cases in India has reached 12,759, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

New Delhi: The number of coronavirus cases in India has reached 12,759, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

According to the official data, India has 10,824 active cases and 1,514 discharged and cured cases. Meanwhile, 420 people have died from the disease which originated in China.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases in the country which stands at 2,919, including 295 cured and discharged and 187 deaths.

With 1,578 coronavirus cases, Delhi is in the second position of India's tally of corona infected people, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,242) and Rajasthan (1,023).

Kerala, which reported India's first coronavirus case, has 388 confirmed cases, including 295 cured and discharged and 187 deaths.

On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, that border the National Capital, have 773 and 205 cases, respectively.

Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh and Pudducherry have reported 33, 21 and 7 cases respectively. While West Bengal has 231 coronavirus infected people, Odisha has confirmed 60 cases.

The newly carved union territories  Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir  have 17 and 300 cases, respectively.

In the North East, 33 people were detected positive for COVID-19 in Assam, which is the worst-affected states in the region. Six corona cases were confirmed from Meghalaya, two each from Manipur and Tripura and one from Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland remains free from coronavirus till date, said the ministry.
People wear face masks, amid concerns over a spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, as they pray to a Buddhist monk during the Khmer New Year at a pagoda in Phnom Penh on April 14, 2020.

Authorities in Cambodia have arrested a former government official affiliated with the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), RFA learned on Wednesday in the latest in the governments crackdown on former members of the now-banned political party.

Chhum Chan, who had been the provincial commune councilor in Prey Veng province before the CNRP was banned in late 2017, was arrested by the provincial police and the Ministry of the Interior on charges of incitement and attempting to topple the government. He was sent to a detention center in Phnom Penh immediately following the arrest, his wife and a local NGO said.

His wife Chhorn Sinoeun told RFAs Khmer Service Wednesday that police tricked her husband, only saying that they needed to question him when they asked him to come to a district police station in Prey Vengs Peam Ro district, offering no indication that he might be arrested.

Once Chhum Chan arrived at the station they promptly arrested him, she said, adding that she was only able to find out Wednesday that he is being detained at Prey Sar prison because he was able to call her via cellphone to request money to spend inside the prison.

I dont know why the police arrested my husband, said Chhorn Sinoeun.

I didnt have time to welcome the new Theravada because my husband was detained, she added, referring to the timing of the arrest, just prior to the Khmer New Year holiday, which runs through Thursday.

I would like the government to drop the charges against my husband and release him, she said.

NGO condemns arrest

Soeng Senkarona, spokesman of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) NGO, told RFA that the arrest was politically motivated.

He added that Chhum Chan had been a teacher but was removed from his position because he had been a member of the CNRP and demanded that the Ministry of Education reinstate him.

He has been continually involved in activism, so if the arrest was meant to silence him, it shows that [the authorities] are trying to shut down freedom of speech, said the spokesman.

Authorities have arrested eight CNRP activists since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lonely holiday for CNRP families

Relatives of detained CNRP activists told RFA that their families are under duress as the activists are being held through the Khmer New Year. The detentions have left a sour mood over the holiday, usually a joyous time, they said.

Chhum Sinoeuns son, who asked not to be named, said his family members could not smile because his father is being detained.

He asked the government to reconsider the arrest and drop the charges.

Normally we could all see each other, but not this year, he said.

Buth Samak, wife of detained CNRP activist Khut Chrek, told RFA, It is very sad because it is one of the few times we meet every member of the family, but not this time.

I am not happy. My husband was the breadwinner and now I have to [figure out how to] feed the children, she said.

Sam Sokong, a lawyer who represents the eight CNRP detainees, told RFA he is continually working to make sure those activists will be released, with plans to request bail. He added that because of the coronavirus it is difficult for him to meet his clients inside prisons.

The ban on the political opposition, along with a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on NGOs and the independent media, paved the way for Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election.

More Facebookers arrested

Meanwhile, Police in Kampong Thom province arrested a 21-year-old Lak Seang Ly for posting on Facebook, a video that decried the travel ban imposed by the government to stem the spread of he coronavirus.

He was charged with incitement to commit a felony in the provincial court for telling his Facebook followers to also denounce the ban and is now being held in prison.

RFA attempted to reach the provinces Police Chief Ouk Kosal for comment, but were not successful. The National Police website reflected the charges of incitement.

In the video, Lak Seang Ly said People can still travel during the New Year, because we arent infected with COVID-19.

ADHOCs Human Rights Unit Chief Ny Sokha told RFA that authorities should only educate the young man, asking him to stop spreading misinformation instead of arresting him.

He is young, and he said what he saw, said Ny Sokha.

He did not pay attention. They should just educate him, he added.

Police have arrested 28 people to date over their COVID-19 social media posts. Twelve are being held in prison and 16 have been conditionally released.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urges Beijing to open up on pandemics origin amid suggestions it came from Wuhan lab.

The United States stepped up its pressure on China over the coronavirus pandemic with President Donald Trump saying his administration was trying to determine where the deadly disease originated from.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called on Beijing to come clean on what it knows.

At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Trump was asked about reports of the virus escaping from a laboratory in Wuhan, where the coronavirus first appeared.

We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened, he said.

Asked if he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said: I dont want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just dont want to discuss, its inappropriate right now.

At least 136,000 people around the world have now died from the disease, with almost 31,000 in the US alone. More than two million people have been diagnosed with the virus, while at least half a million have recovered.





Trumps top diplomat, Pompeo, meanwhile told Fox News Channel after Trumps news conference, we know this virus originated in Wuhan, China, and noted that the Institute of Virology was only a handful of miles from the market, where people first came down with the disease.

We really need the Chinese government to open up and help explain exactly how this virus spread, Pompeo added.

The Chinese government needs to come clean, he said.

The state-backed Wuhan Institute of Virology dismissed reports the virus may have been artificially synthesised at one of its laboratories or escaped from its facility as far back as February.

Chinas foreign ministry noted on Thursday the World Health Organization has said there is no evidence coronavirus was made in a lab.

Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that WHO officials have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory.

Deadly consequences for delay

Trump and Pompeos comments follow an Associated Press news agency report, which blamed Chinese authorities for failing to immediately disclose information about the human-to-human transmission of the virus, also known as COVID-19, which allowed the virus to spread beyond Wuhan.

Fox News claimed on Wednesday that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory as part of Chinas effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States.

This report and others have suggested the Wuhan lab where virology experiments took place and lax safety standards there led to someone getting infected and appearing at a nearby wet market, where the virus began to spread.





Trump and other American officials have also been expressing deep scepticism about Chinas officially declared death toll from the virus of around 3,000 people, when at least 30,000 people have already died in the US.

On Wednesday, the US president returned to the subject, saying the United States has more cases because we do more reporting.

Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China, and that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of deaths; does anybody really believe that? he said.

Scientists are still trying to determine the source of the virus, although the broad scientific consensus remains that COVID-19 originated in bats and spread to humans via an intermediary host.

On Tuesday, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that US intelligence indicated that the coronavirus probably occurred naturally, as opposed to being created in a laboratory in China, but that there was no certainty either way.

Trumps critics, meanwhile, see his latest statements as an attempt to shift the blame, as the outbreak in the US continues to grow.

A report published over the weekend blamed Trumps halting action and infighting in his administration for causing the delay in the US response, resulting in more deaths.

Chinas foreign ministry said on Thursday the World Health Organization has said there is no evidence that the coronavirus that has infected more than 2 million people globally was made in a lab.

Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remark in response to a question about accusations the coronavirus originated in a lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the epidemic first emerged in late 2019.

Zhao told reporters during a daily briefing in Beijing that the World Health Organizations officials have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory.
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic that took a toll on economies across the world, the US too have witnessed a 'sharp and abrupt contration' in economy across all regions of the country. "The hardest-hit industries - because of social distancing measures and mandated closures - were leisure and hospitality, and retail aside from essential goods," the Federal Reserve said in its latest survey on economic conditions, known as the Beige Book, based on information collected from its 12 regional reserve banks before April 6.

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An exterior view of the building of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, US. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Britain to ask for an extension to its post-Brexit transition due to the unprecedented impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on the economy.

Head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, told BBC radio that "it is tough as it is. Let's not make it any tougher.

"My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, of the UK, of the EU, the whole world," she added.

The transition period for Britain leaving the European Union is due to end on 31 December this year. During this period, Britain was set to negotiate trade agreements with the 27-nation bloc as well as a number of other measures. However, no agreement has been made by this time, there will be a gulf of rules and tariffs between the parties.

Read more: European stocks climb as Germany plots path out of lockdown

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly changed everything as leaders across the globe battle COVID-19 from spreading as well as helping navigate the damage to the economy.

Earlier this week, the IMF said the global pandemic is likely to cause the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s and do lasting damage to the global economy.

Also this week, the UKs independent budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), said that the UK economy could contract by as much as 35% in the second quarter of 2020 if the current lockdown persists for three months. In this scenario, unemployment is expected to rise to 10%, compared to 3.9% at the start of the year. That would equate to 2 million extra people out of work.

The UK government has already unleashed a set of financial measures to help tackle the pandemic  worth 15% of GDP. Meanwhile, the president of the European Commission has called for a 1tn (871bn, $1.08tn) new Marshall plan to revive European economies when they start to get a grip on the coronavirus.

The European Union published its joint European roadmap for lifting COVID-19 containment measures on Wednesday. It has called for member states to co-ordinate plans for easing restrictions, with fears lifting lockdowns too early and countries divergent approaches could undermine global efforts to tackle to virus.
A leaked Santander internal memo in 2017 likely set wheels in motion. Reportedly written by the bank's head of innovation, the missive warned that a large chunk of the Spanish incumbent's profits were at risk -- specifically, those generated via international money transfers  because of the growing success of fintech challengers, such as London-headquartered TransferWise.

Fast-forward three years, and today Santander is launching a standalone money transfer app, presumably in a bid to avoid the trappings of innovator's dilemma. The new proposition is open to Santander and non-Santander customers and has been developed by a team working largely outside of the bank -- a startup within a multi-national corporation, if you will -- and has grown to around 50 team members working across Madrid, London, and Brussels.

Dubbed "PagoFX" and launched in the U.K. first, the mobile app lets anyone with a U.K. debit card send money abroad at claimed mid-market FX rates and with a low transparent fee. In addition, it offers "bank-level" security and customer support via in-app chat, web and e-mail.

In a virtual press briefing, Pago's CMO Victoria Yasinetskaya explained that Pago's unique positioning is that it effectively offers the best of both worlds: bank level security and trust (the app is co-branded alongside Santander) combined with the price competitiveness, convenience and user experience of a modern fintech solution. The thinking is that a segment of customers still trust an incumbent bank more than a challenger, and therefore a Santander-backed standalone money transfer app will be able to find room in the market.

During the same press briefing, Pago CEO Cedric Menager explained that PagoFX is essentially an open-market version of Santanders existing international money transfer service "One Pay FX," which offers competitive international transfers to existing Santander customers in various countries in Europe and the Americas. He also revealed that the Pago team was mainly big tech and fintech in its background, with various team members having worked at companies such as Amazon, PayPal and Intuit, and a number of unnamed startups.

Story continues

On price, and without doing a forensic comparison, PagoFX looks to be broadly competitive with challengers, though not necessarily the very cheapest, depending on how you value payment method (e.g. card vs bank transfer) or speed.

"Transferring money to the eurozone, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and the Czech Republic is 0.70% of the sent amount. For transfers to the U.S., Poland and Denmark, the fee is 0.80% of sent amount," explains Pago. (At launch, however, fees are being waived on transactions up to a limit of 3,000 GBP per user to help support customers during the coronavirus crisis).

Cue statement from Ana Botin, Group executive chairman of Banco Santander (who is rumoured to have given the project the green light after being shown a demonstration of TransferWise by her son): PagoFX makes it possible to transfer money internationally easily, at low cost, and with the security and peace of mind that comes from a regulated entity backed by an international bank. This is a unique proposition and we hope it will help many people and businesses. It draws on our world-class technology and talent to deliver a new and highly relevant service for everyone in the open market".

Meanwhile, I pinged two U.K. fintech money transfer competitors for comment.

"Its great to see a large legacy financial institution moving to give customers a better deal as they play catch-up with the fintech sector," Azimo co-founder and Chairman Michael Kent told me over WhatsApp. "By improving their product and moving prices closer to ours and other digital players they can finally save their customers money at an uncertain time when everyone is watching the pennies and cents".

He also pointed out that, as it stands, Pago isn't the most direct competitor since it doesn't cover developing and emerging markets, which is Azimo's main corridor focus.

In a statement given to TechCrunch, Kristo Kaarmann, CEO and co-founder of TransferWise, says: Banks and brokers have been misleading customers about the true cost of making international payments for decades, advertising transfers as free or 0% commission then adding a high mark-up on the exchange rate. But there are promising signs that PagoFX signals a more transparent approach from Santander. If so, its evidence that the transparency and low-prices we've been pioneering are on the way to becoming the new industry standard as customers demand a better service".

Kaarmann also issued a warning to existing Santander customers with regards to the FX rate they are offered within Santander's existing banking apps. If its necessary to download PagoFX separately to achieve transparency, customers using Santanders standard service will continue to be short changed," he says.

His argument is that PagoFX, like One Pay FX before it, will only benefit the most price conscious consumers. "We urge Santander to go a step further and adopt full transparency across all their international money transfer services as the standard, not just on specific products and currency routes," he adds.
The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) has collaborated with some security agencies and Zoomlion Waste Management Company to rid the Accra-Tema Motorway of filth.

The two day cleaning exercise which formed part of governments initiatives to fight COVID 19 disease started on Tuesday in front of the Accra Mall where drainage and refuse heaps along the 19 kilometre stretch of the road were cleared.

Participants consisting of personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Prisons Service and sanitation workers were also supported by nearby residents in cutting down, pruning and burning of weeds that harboured plastic waste.

The Motorway, which became operational in 1965 has over the year suffered from insanitary activities such as littering, open defecation and dumping of refuse along the stretch especially by commuters.

Some dwellers have also indiscriminately erected temporary structures such as wooden kiosks along the stretch leading to the creation of slums.

Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah tasked some seven municipalities who crisscross the motor way to make the exercise a sustainable one by enforcing sanitation by-laws.

Stringent enforcement of laws she said would deter people from flouting sanitation laws on the motorway which serves as an international road link between Accra and Lome.

People deliberately litter and expect the assemblies to clean them she said.

She called for frequent dialogues between the assemblies and residents along the stretch of the road in order to promote the concept of shared responsibility and community involvement in keeping the motorway clean at all times.

The Chief of the Defence Staff Lt Gen Obed Akwa who was present to inspect deployed military personnel urged citizens to as much as possible stay home as directed by the president so as to create a conducive environment for frontline workers to operate.

It is in your own enlightened self interest to do that and the interest of other members of the community he said.

He entreated citizens to fully cooperate and comply with directives of security operatives and other frontline workers as they perform their duties of helping curb the spread of the virus.

Also present was the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ayawaso West Assembly, Sandra Owusu Ahinkorah who issued a stern warning to residents and other commuters of the Motorway that the assembly after the clean up would not spare any recalcitrant individual or groups who flout sanitation bylaws in the assembly.

---Daily Guide
The Andhra Pradesh government has come up with an attractive incentive to retain migrant workers and other poor people held up in various quarantine camps on account of the lockdown with many of them desperate to return to their native villages.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday suggested that migrant workers who stay back in the camps till the lockdown is lifted be given a financial assistance of Rs 2,000 each while leaving the camps after completing their quarantine.

The amount would be useful to migrant workers to reach their homes after the quarantine period and have proper food. This will encourage the migrant workers to stay put in the quarantine camps till the lockdown is lifted, an official familiar with the development said.

In several parts of the state, people who have been kept in quarantine camps have been leaving by foot to reach their native places, after the extension of the lockdown till May 3.

The chief minister sought details on the facilities being provided at quarantine centres. He suggested that the poor people held up at the centres should be given nutritious food like milk, vegetables, and eggs.

The officials informed the chief minister that an amount of Rs 850 had been spent on each person put up at the quarantine centre, including Rs 500 for food, bed and blanket, Rs 50 on sanitation facilities and Rs 300 on transportation. A double room or single room is being provided to the people in quarantine and they are being sent home after following medical protocol, officials said.

They said all the quarantined people were being provided healthy food, aimed at improving their immunity, including dry fruits, citrus fruits, eggs and banana, apart from regular meals like rice, dal, sambar and curd.

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Indore police in Madhya Pradesh



are planning 'home delivery' of copies of FIRs to those violating curfew in the city, an official said on Thursday.

It has been found that many people in the city stay at home during police patrolling, but later venture out and roam around without any valid reason, thus violating the curfew imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, Superintendent of Police Puneet Gehlot told PTI.

"We are identifying such people with the help of drone cameras. The copy of the First Information Report (FIR) will be delivered at the homes of these accused and appropriate legal steps will be taken subsequently," he said.

Such persons will be booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), he said.

Following some recent bad experiences, the police are taking all precautions and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while arresting the accused in different cases, he said.

"We recently arrested some people. Later, some of them were found to be infected with the coronavirus. As a result, we had to send almost the entire staff of a police station to an isolation centre," Gehlot informed.

Indore district is one of the worst hit by coronavirus in the state.

Till Thursday morning, Indore reported 696 COVID-19 cases. The patients include an additional superintendent of police and in-charges of two police stations.

So far, 39 coronavirus patients have died in Indore.

The local administration has imposed curfew in the urban limits of Indore since March 25 after first coronavirus cases were found.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Salman Khan has been making sure not to leave any stone unturned in spreading awareness about the rapidly spreading coronavirus. In his latest video message for fans, Salman can be seen making a heartfelt appeal so that people understand the gravity of the situation and do not venture outside their homes until absolutely necessary.

Read: 'Spotted King Cobra in the Gym, Leopard Nearby': Aayush Sharma on Living in Salman Khan's Farmhouse

Salman says, "No, Bigg Boss has not started yet. This is life's Bigg Boss. Everyone is sitting at home. But there are some people who are disobeying orders. For instance, I came here for two days but got stuck ( in his farmhouse in Panvel). Coronavirus has affected everyone. At first, it felt like just another flu which would die out. But then the lockdown happened and things took a serious turn."

Salman adds, "Here's is my entire family, my mother, two sisters and their kids and some people who had come for work but are now more like friends. But, we made a rule here that who is here shall remain here. No one will go out or outsiders will be allowed to enter inside. But we have to step outside for ration. Now, we sent a person we know 4-5 kilometers from here to buy ration and meanwhile police is doing very good job of checking on people. Now, the person had a movement pass for the vehicle."

Salman further continues, "This person went ahead and talked to the police by removing his mask. The police prompted him to put it back on. This person came home and narrated the whole incident and I told him that what was forbidden was done by you. Now listen to me carefully. Testing positive for an ailment is very heartbreaking and especially the one where there is no cure. But losing hope and patience is very bad and not understanding the pain and situation of the affected person is inhuman."

Salman adds, "A patient testing positive understands that he did not take proper caution but people who are showing no signs of coronavirus but are slacking off in taking precautions will soon test positive and this is my guarantee. Now these people will spread the virus in their family, then the community, the city and the entire country. What has the government asked us to do? To stay at home. Not gather in large crowds. Stay in isolation with family. But this is for who? It is for all of us. If you want to offer prayers, do it at home. In childhood, we learnt that god resides within but still if you want to go to temples with family then surely go ahead because everyone has to die someday."

"But does anyone really want to die? Do you really want to reduce the population of India starting with your own family? Now tell me, cooperating with the government and the first responders in the coronavirus crisis is right or not? Now, are you thinking positive or negative? If your actions were right, the lockdown would have ended and the coronavirus too. If you would not have stepped outside, the police would not be around to beat you. Who has stopped you from buying ration? Go out for the work and come back soon. Wear mask, gloves and go alone. Do you think doctors, nurses and other people working now will not contract coronavirus? But they are still working for you for 18 hours." Salman tells his followers.

He then goes on to add, "Coronavirus does not discriminate. It is a cop's job and they are fulfilling their duties. Your job is to stay at home. I knew people who never stepped out usually but since the lockdown they have started venturing out, which is strange. Now people who are risking their lives, you are putting their lives at risk. When nurses and doctors came to your rescue, you pelted stones at them? Person who has tested Covid-19 positive is running from the hospital. But where are you running towards- life or death? If the doctors and policemen had not been there then because of a few people, who think coronavirus cannot affect them, the whole nation will suffer."

"Now, I can understand the plight of people who do not have anything to eat or to feed their children. I salute these people who think that instead of dying from coronavirus it is better that without food this time passes away. The work we are doing is great. But because of some jokers this virus keeps spreading. Now if your actions were not like this, thousands of people would not have been suffering from coronavirus. So many people would not have died and we would be back to work."

Salman concludes by saying, "This virus started in China and it has almost died there but because of some people the entire nation will sit at home for a long time. I have bought it that you are very strong and brave but are you brave enough to carry your family on your shoulders? Why are you bent on making your family suffer? Every issue has two aspects, this one too. Either all live or nobody does. Now you decide. Be grateful to policemen, nurses, doctors and bankers, be respectful towards people who are ailing from the infection and take caution that it does not spread. And pray that the military does not have to intervene to make you understand."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Apr 15, 2020 at 11:07am PDT

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At least two dozen ethnic Rohingya died on a ship that drifted for weeks after failing to reach Malaysia, Bangladesh coastguard officials said on Thursday, following the rescue of 396 starving survivors.

For years, Rohingya from Myanmar have boarded boats organised by smugglers in the hope of finding refuge in Southeast Asia, usually making voyages during the dry season from November to March, when the waters are calm.

A human rights group said it believed more boats carrying Rohingya, a Muslim minority group, were adrift at sea, with coronavirus lockdowns in Malaysia and Thailand making it harder for them to find refuge.

"They were at sea for about two months and were starving," a Bangladesh coastguard official told Reuters in a message, adding that the ship was brought to shore late on Wednesday.

The 396 survivors aboard would be sent to Myanmar, said the official, who revised the number upwards from an initial count of 382.

Video images showed a crowd comprised mostly of women and children, some stick-thin and unable to stand, being helped to shore. One emaciated man lay on the sand.

One refugee told a reporter the group had been turned back from Malaysia three times and a fight had broken out onboard between passengers and crew at one point.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as citizens, and the face severe curbs on freedom of movement as well as access to healthcare and education.

Myanmar denies persecuting Rohingya and says they are not an indigenous ethnic group but immigrated from South Asia, despite many being able to trace their ancestry back centuries.

More than a million live in refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, the majority having been driven from homes in Myanmar after a 2017 military crackdown the army said was a response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents.

Rights groups fear virus curbs across southeast Asia could trigger a repeat of a 2015 crisis, when a crackdown by Thailand prompted smugglers to abandon their human cargo at sea on crowded, rickety boats.

Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, said she believed several more boats were stranded.

"Rohingya may encounter closed borders supported by a xenophobic public narrative," she said in a message.

"Covid-19 cannot be used to deny access to territory to desperate refugees in distress. Another maritime crisis in the Andaman Sea, as in 2015, is unacceptable."

Several boats were trying to reach Malaysian shores and monitoring had been stepped up, a police official in the northwestern state of Kedah told Reuters.

A police official in southern Thailand said five boats carrying Rohingya had been spotted off the coast of Satun province late on Monday. It was not possible to independently confirm the remarks.

People were smuggled out by boat and over land, said Kyaw Hla, a Rohingya from Sittwe in Myanmars Rakhine state, where tens of thousands of Rohingya have been confined in camps since a bout of violence in 2012.

"Within these eight years, there has been no progress, only degradation," he said by telephone. "People cant stand it. Since we are locked up and suffocated, people try to leave, of course."

He added, "If the coronavirus breaks out here, well be as good as dead."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

Trend:

Turkmenistan aims to strengthen cooperation with international organizations, Trend reports with reference to the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan.

The remark was made at the first meeting of the Coordination Commission for the implementation of the action plan for 2020 held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

In accordance with the plan for 2020, the country also intends to improve relations with world economic and financial institutions.

The meeting was held as part of the Program for the Development of Turkmenistan's Foreign Economic Activities for 2020-2025.

The participants provided detailed reports on their work for the first quarter of 2020, and considered measures for the successful implementation of the Program for the Development of Turkmenistan's Foreign Economic Activities for 2020-2025. The macroeconomic situation in the world and the possibility of strengthening Turkmenistan's foreign economic activity were also noted.

Members of the parliament of Turkmenistan, heads and representatives of more than 30 ministries as well as representatives of the Turkmenistans private sector participated in the meeting.
GENEVA, Ill., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Burgess Norton (BN) announced today that the company has reached agreement with Tenneco Inc. to provide its full range of piston pin technology and bearing surface finish solutions for the Tenneco Powertrain Business Group. Tenneco is a world leader in gasoline and diesel engine piston technologies.

"This agreement is a solid strategic fit for both companies," said Luke Rubino, President of Burgess Norton. "Tenneco is strategically focusing their powertrain technology solutions business for growth and superior pistons are a key component of that, and Burgess Norton is targeting opportunities to expand our capacity and our global precision power transfer technologies."

Both companies have begun communicating with customers and implementing a phased-in approach to ensure a seamless transition.

"With this agreement, we're combining more than 100 years of manufacturing and technical experience to strengthen our ability to efficiently deliver improved engineered powertrain solutions addressing fuel economy, power output, and lower emissions," added Rubino.

Burgess Norton, a business unit of Amsted Industries, is a global provider of precision bearing surface finishes, powder metallurgy technologies, and advanced manufacturing for automotive powertrain and mechanical power transfer markets. With global manufacturing capability across North America, Asia and Europe, Burgess Norton provides regional customer support and simplified multi-source supply chain solutions.

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CAIRO  Bahaa Abu Shaqqa, legal adviser and head of the parliamentary Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee, announced April 4 his intention to present a draft law to parliament stipulating that citizens be required to make donations to the state-owned Tahya Misr Fund (Long Live Egypt) in a bid to support the governments effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Abu Shaqqa said in a statement that the projects goal is for citizens to share with the state the burden of the coronavirus pandemic, provided that the donations be commensurate with a citizens monthly income.

He explained that people who earn more than 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($317) would donate 5% of their income, and those earning more than 10,000 pounds ($635) would donate 10%, those making over 15,000 pounds ($952) would donate 15% and those with a salary of more than 20,000 pounds (about $1,270) would donate 20%.

The bill sparked great controversy and an angry outcry among Egyptians, especially since some private sectors had already slashed salaries by 50%, namely in the hotel and tourism sector.

On April 5, Mohamed Fathi, a journalist, commented on the bill, condemning it as a provocative measure at a time when most Egyptians suffer economically due to the pandemic that has affected most businesses.

In a video posted on his Facebook page, Fathi said, We call on Abu Shaqqa to stop suggesting such bills. Parliament ought to make donations to assist the state in fighting the outbreak of COVID-19, instead of asking people to make forced donations. He considered mandatory donations through legislation a form of taxation.

Fathis message seemingly prompted parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal April 6 to call upon parliament members to contribute a three-month bonus, amounting to 15,000 pounds in total, to the Tahya Misr Fund in order to help the government in the fight against the virus that causes COVID-19 and support Egyptians who are affected.

Egyptian parliamentarians receive a monthly bonus of 5,000 pounds, which is less than 20% of the total allowances they receive.

On April 7, parliament issued an official statement, saying members of parliament promptly responded to the calls to donate their bonuses to support the government in its effort to safeguard the safety of Egyptians, and announced the donation of 20 million Egyptian pounds (about $1.2 million) for the fund.

Meanwhile, parliamentarian Mohammed Abdel-Ghani released an urgent statement April 4 addressed to the prime minister and the minister of housing, raising questions about the governments intention to resume the normal operations of construction companies as of April 11. Abdel-Ghani considered this to be in direct conflict with the governments plan to curb the virus.

In the statement that was submitted to parliament, Abdel-Ghani said, The construction sector includes between 3.5 million and 4 million workers, technicians and engineers. The decision to have them resume work would be in direct conflict with the governments efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

He noted that several countries around the world are applying a full lockdown to achieve social distancing and preserve the health of citizens, wondering if the government is heading toward tightening measures or easing the lockdown as a prelude to the resumption of work in all sectors.

The decision to resume work in the construction sector raised questions about its links to Abu Shaqqas bill. If approved, the bill would also force the millions of construction workers who returned to work to make donations to the fund, although Abu Shaqqa said it will only target high-income workers.

On April 7, Abu Shaqqa issued a statement clarifying that his project was aimed at the social classes with high incomes, to make donations to the fund, which would support the state to provide assistance to the poor that are mostly affected by the pandemic. He stressed that he will submit the bill to parliament after a comprehensive study and review.

In a phone interview with Al-Monitor, Abu Shaqqa said that the governments decision to resume work in the construction sector, which encompasses 4 million workers approximately, has nothing to do with the bill he intends to submit to parliament. He stressed that his bill will not affect low-income employees.

He added that the bill targets only citizens with high incomes and that the poor and those relying on daily wages will not be affected.

A salary of 5,000 pounds is considered high in Egypt, where the minimum wage has only recently been increased to 2,000 pounds (about $127) from 1,200 pounds ($76).

I did not go back on the bill but I am carefully studying and formulating it before I submit. I believe Egyptians ought to support the state in this current phase according to their capabilities. We are not calling on the poor to donate but we will take from the rich to help the destitute, Abu Shaqqa said.

He added that the bill is not temporary and that people would continue making donations even after the coronavirus crisis ends, to help the Egyptian government confront any other catastrophe that may occur in the future.

Abdel Khalek Farouk, an economic expert and director of the Nile Center for Economic and Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor that the governments imposing compulsory donations on its citizens contradicts the law and does not make any sense.

Such legislations are issued when governments seek to deduct a part of the citizens income in return for a service it provides, like income taxes or progressive taxes, within the peoples economic conditions in such a way not to burden them. This compulsory donation is considered illegal taxation under the guise of donation, Farouk said.
YEREVAN.  Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: Today, in parallel with the regular sitting of the NA [National Assembly], the committee of inquiry into the April [2016] war will listen to third president Serzh Sargsyan.

We asked Vahan Kostanyan, [NA speaker] Ararat Mirzoyan's assistant, what procedural issues related to the session have been resolved. "The employees of the President's protection service came to the NA, discussed the necessary issues with the employees of the NA protection service; all the problems are solved."

Will you meet him? "Yes, the representative of the committee."

The chairman of the inquiry committee had said that he did not see any problem, the members of the committee would take a coronavirus test a day before the session. Have they taken [it]? "There were no health complaints from any of the committee members, so the committee didn't see any need for testing."
D onald Trump has continued to criticise the World Health Organisations coronavirus response after halting its funding, accusing it of a "horrible, tragic mistake".

The US leader said the WHO erroneously slammed his decision to close US borders to China and that it was tragic that other nations put their trust in the health body's early advice.

Mr Trump yesterday pulled funding from the group, saying it had promoted China's "disinformation" about Covid-19 that likely led to a wider outbreak than otherwise would have occurred.

And at Wednesdays White House briefing, he said: "Tragically, other nations put their trust in the WHO and they didn't do any form of ban," Trump adds. "You see what happened to Italy, you see what happened to Spain, you see what happened in France."

Trump halts US payments to WHO over coronavirus warnings

Mr Trump added: "Im sure they [the WHO] didn't know the gravity of it, but perhaps they knew.

He said the organisations guidance early on was a horrible, tragic mistake.

He added, citing no evidence to back up his claim: "Or, perhaps they knew. I'm sure they didn't know the gravity of it, but perhaps they knew."

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the 27-nation EU "deeply" regrets the suspension of funds and added that the WHO is "needed more than ever" to combat the pandemic.

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He called for measures to promote unity instead of division, and said: "Only by joining forces can we overcome this crisis that knows no borders."

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the country is "seriously concerned" about the US decision, telling reporters: "As the most authoritative and professional international institution in the field of global public health security, the WHO plays an irreplaceable role in responding to the global public health crisis.

The US is the biggest overall donor to the Geneva-based WHO, contributing more than $400 million (316m) in 2019, roughly 15 per cent of its budget.

The hold on funding was expected. Mr Trump has been increasingly critical of the organisation as the global health crisis has continued, and he has reacted angrily to criticism of his administration's response.

Announcing the move, Mr Trump said there was credible information in December to suspect human-to-human transmission and the WHO did not respond appropriately.

So much death has been caused by their mistakes, Mr Trump said on Tuesday.

Also at Wednesdays briefing, Mr Trump said data indicates the US is "past the peak" of the Covid-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to "reopen" the country.

Mr Trump called the latest data "encouraging," saying they have "put us in a very strong position to finalise guidelines for states on reopening the country."

He said those guidelines will be unveiled on Thursday at the White House.

The guidelines are expected to clear the way for an easing of social distancing in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast:
A sign of closure hangs outside of the Philadelphia Film Society in Center City Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Read more

One of every five Pennsylvania workers had filed for unemployment benefits as of mid-April, following a statewide shutdown of most businesses to fight the spread of the coronavirus. But tens of thousands of workers who have taken a financial hit werent eligible under the states program.

That will soon change as part of the federal $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic relief package.

Gig workers, people who had job offers revoked because of the pandemic, and those without enough work history to apply for traditional unemployment insurance are among the workers who will now be able to access benefits through the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. It will be administered by the state.

There are still some people who will not be eligible for benefits, including undocumented workers and workers in the cash economy. Advocates have been fighting for a local relief fund that will give money to these workers.

 READ MORE: Unprecedented unemployment leaves Pennsylvanians desperate, infuriated: A state of complete collapse

The online application for the new program opened on April 17 but be patient, as its been overwhelmed by demand and has been crashing. Apply here.

If you still have questions, check out the states FAQ and Philadelphia Legal Assistances primer. You can also tune in to a Facebook chat at 11 a.m. Friday with unemployment insurance expert Julia Simon-Mishel, an attorney with Philadelphia Legal Assistance.

Heres what else you need to know.

Whos eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

The program covers several types of workers who have lost income because of the coronavirus shutdowns but arent eligible for traditional unemployment benefits. Read through our explainer on state unemployment benefits to see if youre eligible for the pre-existing program.

Workers who are eligible for the new program include:

Gig workers, like rideshare drivers and food-delivery couriers.

People who had job offers revoked or delayed because of the coronavirus.

Those without enough work history to be eligible for traditional unemployment insurance (if you did not work before October 2019).

Self-employed workers like hair stylists, painters, and house cleaners.

Those employed (or formerly employed) by religious organizations, which are exempt from paying toward unemployment insurance.

 READ MORE: Unemployment benefits in Pa. during the coronavirus pandemic: How to apply and who is eligible

You could also be eligible if youve lost work because:

You or a member of your family has been diagnosed with or has symptoms of the coronavirus and youre quarantining.

You have to care for a child who is staying at home because of school closures.

You cant get to your job because of a stay-at-home order.

You became the breadwinner of your household because of a coronavirus-related death.

Here is a bigger list of situations that could make you eligible for this new unemployment program.

 READ MORE: My employer says I have to work during coronavirus. What are my rights?

What kind of documents do I need to apply?

Youll have to show proof of employment and income, which you can do through documents like tax returns, bank receipts, pay stubs, or invoices. Simon-Mishel said you could likely even use a Venmo transaction history plus a calendar showing appointments.

If you lost a job offer because of the coronavirus, youll need to show proof of that offer.

Going forward, its not clear yet what documentation you will need to file bi-weekly claims, Simon-Mishel said.

 READ MORE: Layoffs vs. furloughs: Whats the difference and what does it mean for unemployment benefits in Pa.?

I started losing work in March. Can I get benefits for those weeks?

Yes. Even though youre going to file at the end of April or in early May when the application opens, you can get paid retroactively. You can submit claims going as far back as Jan. 27 for coronavirus-related reasons.

Can I still get that extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits?

Yes. The federal governments stimulus package is upping unemployment benefits through the end of July, and anyone who gets benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program is eligible for those.

How long will I get benefits for?

You can get benefits for up to 39 weeks through this program, and it will run through Dec. 25, 2020.

 READ MORE: Why the gig workers delivering your groceries and beer dont have any labor rights

How much will I get?

It depends on your previous earning history. The minimum payment in Pennsylvania is $195 a week. The maximum is $572 a week. That doesnt count the extra $600 a week you can also get through the stimulus package.

Do I have to be denied regular unemployment benefits before applying for this new program?

No.

I applied in March for traditional unemployment and got denied. What should I do?

It depends why your application was denied, Simon-Mishel said.

If the denial was because you didnt work that much in 2019 and most of your wages have been earned in 2020, apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

If you got denied because most of your wages were earned in the second half of 2019, re-apply for traditional unemployment. Now that its April, the state will be looking at a different window of time to assess your application.

If you got denied because of an error, like some wages you earned were not reported by your employer, appeal. You have to do it within 15 days.

I think Im being misclassified as an independent contractor. Where should I apply?

If youre, say, a rideshare driver who believes youre being misclassified, Simon-Mishel recommended applying for the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

Normally, Philadelphia Legal Assistance works with those who think theyre being misclassified to appeal traditional unemployment decisions. But since time is of the essence now and theres a program for independent contractors, Simon-Mishel said they should just apply for it.
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Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 15:31 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd24baa0 1 Business Toba-lake,North-Sumatra,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,super-priority-destinations,tourism Free

The government is seeking to speed up the development of the super-priority tourist destination Lake Toba in North Sumatra as a part of its broader efforts to attract foreign and domestic tourists.

Speaking during a virtual coordination meeting, Coordinating Maritime and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan asked related ministries to gear up the development of four villages in Toba district, three villages in Humbang Hasundutan district and three villages in North Tapanuli district located close to the volcanic lake.

We will start working in July and will split the work between the related ministries and government institutions as well as Batak [North Sumatran ethnic group] culture experts to make the project more integrated, the senior minister, who is also a successful businessman, said at the coordination meeting on Wednesday.

Read also: Clean toilets, water 'top priorities' in improving Indonesia's tourism competitiveness

Its already clear what should be done by each ministry and institution so that the coordination will be close, despite the physical distancing, he said.

The government has been working to develop five super-priority destinations as part of its efforts to make the tourism industry one of the new drivers of the countrys economic growth. The destinations are Lake Toba , Borobudur in Central Java, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara and Likupang in North Sulawesi.

The development in Lake Toba is to focus on the improvement of connectivity, water resource facilities, human resource development and traditional houses in an effort to make the area a popular destination. The initiative will involve the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry and the Public Works and Housing Ministry, among others.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio said accessibility, local culture and cleanliness should be priorities as Lake Toba seeks to become a top tourist destination.

We hope the regents can focus on cleanliness and keep track of waste management, the minister said. Our task is to look for the potential of youth creativity with strong culture.

The Public Works and Housing Ministry has started to develop infrastructure around Lake Toba, and the Communications and Information Ministry is preparing an internet network in the area.

The Transportation Ministry has started to build several docks in the area, which will be ready by next year, while also working to develop the Sibisa airport near Lake Toba.

Read also: Activists slam Samosir regency for sending waste to protected forest as pollution hits Lake Toba

Indonesias tourism industry has been hit badly by the COVID-19 pandemic as people around the world have isolated themselves at home and governments have closed their borders and issued travel warnings.

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data shows that Indonesia had only 885,067 foreign tourist arrivals in February, a 28.85 percent decline from February of last year. From January to February, Indonesia recorded 2.16 million foreign tourist visits, an 11.8 percent drop from the 2.45 million tourists recorded over the same period last year.

The BPS has yet to release its March data on foreign arrivals.
Standard Chartered PLC is the first major global bank to tell employees not to use Zoom Video Communications Inc during the coronavirus pandemic due to cyber security concerns, according to a memo seen by Reuters. The message, sent by Chief Executive Officer Bill Winters to managers last week, also warned against using Alphabet Incs Google Hangouts platform for virtual gatherings. Neither service offers the level of encryption of conversations that rivals like Cisco System Incs Webex, Microsoft Corps Teams or Blue Jeans Network Inc do, industry experts said.

A Standard Chartered spokeswoman declined to comment on a Reuters query on the memo. She said cyber security remains a top priority and that staff can use several authorized tools for audio and video conferencing. The London-based bank is the latest entity to distance itself from Zoom after interlopers exposed security flaws by bursting into strangers video chats in the nude, inserting lewd images into presentations or hurling racial slurs at participants.

These zoombombing incidents have rattled all kinds of users, as hoards of business people, students, families and friends flocked to the service to stay connected while isolating during the pandemic. Zoom in March had about 200 million people using its system every day, up from 10 million last year. Banks have particular worries about cyber security because of regulations that can penalize them for exposing customer information, even if inadvertently.

Standard Chartered staff are mostly using Blue Jeans, said two employees who were not authorized to speak on the matter. The bank joins others ranging from Elon Musks SpaceX to New York Citys public school system and governments in Taiwan and Germany in placing restrictions on Zoom. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation warned Americans of its dangers two weeks ago.

Zoom, founded and headed by former Cisco manager Eric Yuan, last week tapped former Facebook Inc security chief Alex Stamos as an adviser on safety and privacy concerns to quell the global backlash against its perceived flaws. Zoom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tricky choice

Choosing a communications provider is tricky for banks, which have to balance security concerns, data-access needs and the preferences of clients and employees, who may wander off to another service outside official channels if rules are too stringent. Industry workers described a mixed experience with video chats in the age of coronavirus. Two JPMorgan Chase & Co employees said they regularly hold meetings on Zoom and that the bank had not offered any formal guidance about its use.

Some Goldman Sachs Group Inc employees have been holding virtual pub outings on Zoom, where they connect after work with a cocktail or beer in hand to chat, a source said. The banks chief technology officer told staff in an April 3 video that they could use Zoom and Blue Jeans.

Morgan Stanley employees are also allowed to use Zoom, among other options, a source there said. Barclays Plc only uses Zoom if a client requests it, according to a source. People at Wells Fargo & Co and Citigroup Inc said Zoom is not a familiar option at their banks, which rely on other services.
Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

So, the natural question for Ragnar Metals (ASX:RAG) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

See our latest analysis for Ragnar Metals

Does Ragnar Metals Have A Long Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When Ragnar Metals last reported its balance sheet in December 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$413k. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$642k. That means it had a cash runway of around 8 months as of December 2019. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

ASX:RAG Historical Debt April 15th 2020

How Is Ragnar Metals's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

In our view, Ragnar Metals doesn't yet produce significant amounts of operating revenue, since it reported just AU$4.7k in the last twelve months. As a result, we think it's a bit early to focus on the revenue growth, so we'll limit ourselves to looking at how the cash burn is changing over time. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 17%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Ragnar Metals due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth.

Story continues

How Hard Would It Be For Ragnar Metals To Raise More Cash For Growth?

Since its cash burn is moving in the wrong direction, Ragnar Metals shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Ragnar Metals's cash burn of AU$642k is about 68% of its AU$940k market capitalisation. That's very high expenditure relative to the company's size, suggesting it is an extremely high risk stock.

So, Should We Worry About Ragnar Metals's Cash Burn?

As you can probably tell by now, we're rather concerned about Ragnar Metals's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap suggests it isn't in a good position to keep funding growth. While not as bad as its cash burn relative to its market cap, its increasing cash burn is also a concern, and considering everything mentioned above, we're struggling to find much to be optimistic about. Once we consider the metrics mentioned in this article together, we're left with very little confidence in the company's ability to manage its cash burn, and we think it will probably need more money. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 5 warning signs for Ragnar Metals (4 are significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
(CNN)  After years of releasing smartphones with four-figure price tags, Apple is reintroducing a lower-cost, stripped down iPhone model in an apparent effort to broaden its customer base.

During a virtual presentation with reporters on Wednesday morning, a new normal for tech launches during the global pandemic, the company announced a new version of the iPhone SE, which launched in 2016. The second-generation SE model starts at just $399, far less than the entry-level iPhone 11, which costs $699, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which starts at $1099.

At 4.7 inches, the new SE is smaller than the latest lineup of iPhones -- the iPhone 11 is 6.1 inches -- but comes with the same fast processor that's in the11 Pro. It also offers a Retina HD display, 4K video and a home button that enables TouchID.

The smaller size, display choice and Touch ID feature may help keep the cost down but could turn off customers who are accustomed to the current lineup of bigger iPhones with higher pixel density and an option to unlock via facial recognition.

But the new SE does pack a wide camera with image stabilization and faster autofocus in low light, along with features such as portrait mode, depth of field control and lighting adjustment tools. In a tweet, CEO Tim Cook called it the "best single-camera system ever in an iPhone." It has the same battery life as the iPhone 8.

The iPhone SE, which comes in white, black and red, is available for pre-order starting Friday and ships to customers on April 24.

The lower price point could allow Apple to attract more customers in both the US and internationally and better compete with Android-based manufacturers like Google and Samsung, which already offer cheaper iPhone alternatives.

The original iPhone SE also sold for $399 when it was introduced four years ago. The device packed the internals of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus into the 4-inch body of the iPhone 5, serving as an alternative for people who didn't want a bigger device or the price tag that comes with it. The iPhone SE accounted for less than 10% of total iPhone volumes in 2016, according to IDC Research.

The launch of another budget-friendly iPhone has been rumored for years, but the actual launch could be well timed given the current economic climate, with sweeping layoffs and the fears of a potential global recession. But launching the budget phone during the pandemic poses challenges, too.

In February, Apple sold fewer than 500,000 iPhones in China -- one of its biggest markets -- a plunge of more than 60% compared to the same month last year, according to government data. Apple's retail stores, valuable real estate for the company to showcase its latest devices, are closed outside of China until further notice.

The pandemic will likely have a significant impact on Apple's product plans for the year. In the fall, the company is widely rumored to launch four iPhone 12 models, a new HomePod and over-the-ear headphones. Some analysts suspect it could delay the launch of the much-anticipated 5G iPhone until consumer appetite returns.

In a similar virtual presentation last month, Apple unveiled its latest iPad Pro lineup. Across the tech industry, companies have been forced to cancel or rethink their big press events and conferences. Google and Facebook both canceled major developer conferences. Apple also said its Worldwide Developers Conference will be online-only this year.
Premier Mark McGowan has warned West Australians the economic crisis that will be sparked by the coronavirus pandemic will be the worst the state has faced since the Great Depression.

Unemployment figures released on Thursday revealed there were 6200 part-time jobs lost before the onset of tough virus control restrictions in the state.

Premier Mark McGowan is warning the severity of the economic crisis caused by coronavirus restrictions could be the worst in 90 years. Credit:Richard Wainwright

Mr McGowan said this was largely a result of the hit to the tourism sector by international travel bans that came into force in February.

These job losses were the calm before the storm, according to some economic analysts.
A Harvard University law professor dropped his defamation lawsuit against The New York Times on Monday after the newspaper changed the headline and first paragraph in a story relating to his views about donations from financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In the lawsuit Lawrence Lessig filed in January, he objected to the story headlined: A Harvard Professor Doubles Down: If You Take Epsteins Money, Do It in Secret. The story was based on an interview with Lessig about a Medium essay he wrote about Joi Ito, the director of MITs Media Lab, who resigned amid an uproar over the labs ties to Epstein.

The first sentence of the Times story read, It is hard to defend soliciting donations from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard Law professor, has been trying.

Lessig said in his lawsuit that the clickbait headline and first sentence were sensationalized, false and defamatory. Lessig said he was clear that he believed it was wrong for MIT to take Epsteins money but didnt think Ito should be scapegoated for his mistake.

An update at the bottom of the story now says the newspaper referred imprecisely to Lessigs views. The Times wrote that while Mr. Lessig defended Joi Ito, who had accepted anonymous donations from Jeffrey Epstein, he said he would prefer that institutions not accept such money.

The headline is now the same as the print version, which read: What are the ethics of taking tainted funds?

The first paragraph now reads: It is hard to defend a university official who anonymously accepted donations from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard Law professor, has been trying, even though he wishes universities had never taken the money.

Lessig said Monday he is glad the story has been corrected.

Once the paper doubled down on its defense, I was convinced there was nothing save a jury verdictthat would get it to change. I am happy I was wrong, Lessig said in a Medium post.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
Turkey 'Neutralises' Armed Militants in Kurdish-Majority Southeast - Reports

Sputnik News

11:08 GMT 15.04.2020(updated 11:31 GMT 15.04.2020)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkish gendarmerie forces have "neutralised" two armed militants in the Kurdish-dominated Sirnak Province in the country's southeast, media said Wednesday.

The raid on the militants was part of an ongoing domestic security operation in the Mount Cudi region, the state news agency Anadolu reported, citing the Interior Ministry. It is unclear what happened to the militants, as there were no additional details in the official statement.

The news agency said they could have been killed, captured, or surrendered.

Ankara has been fighting Kurdish militants since the early 1980s. The Turkish authorities designated the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which seeks to establish Kurdish autonomy in the country as a terror group. The country's security forces carry out regular raids against the PKK and other groups across the country, as well as in northern Iraq and northern Syria, where Ankara created a safe zone, pressing the militants out of the region.

A Sputnik

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The Arkansas Insurance Department is advising auto insurance consumers to contact their insurance agents as to whether their auto insurance carrier is offering premium relief in light of the COVID-19 health crisis.

AID has posted a list of insurers that are offering rebates or refunds to their auto insurance policyholders in the state.

Insurers offering premium relief in Arkansas include: AAA; Allstate; American Family Insurance; American National; Auto-Owners Insurance; Farmers Insurance (including 21st Century); GEICO; Liberty Mutual (including Safeco); Progressive; State Farm; Shelter Insurance (including AmShield, Haulers, and Say insurance companies); Travelers; and USAA.

The Arkansas Insurance Department will update this list as it receives more information.

Source: AID

Related:

Topics COVID-19 Agencies
BLACKROCK GREATER EUROPE INVESTMENT TRUST plc (LEI - 5493003R8FJ6I76ZUW55)

All information is at 31 March 2020 and unaudited.



Performance at month end with net income reinvested



One

Month Three

Months One

Year Three

Years Launch

(20 Sep 04) Net asset value (undiluted) -10.1% -14.7% -0.3% 19.3% 365.8% Net asset value* (diluted) -10.1% -14.4% -0.3% 19.3% 366.2% Share price -15.6% -21.4% -4.9% 13.2% 327.4% FTSE World Europe ex UK -11.4% -17.5% -8.0% -1.6% 210.0%

* Diluted for treasury shares and subscription shares.

Sources: BlackRock and Datastream



At month end

Net asset value (capital only): 351.62p Net asset value (including income): 352.27p Net asset value (capital only)1: 351.62p Net asset value (including income)1: 352.27p Share price: 320.00p Discount to NAV (including income): 9.2% Discount to NAV (including income)1: 9.2% Net gearing: Nil Net yield2: 1.8% Total assets (including income): 297.0m Ordinary shares in issue3: 84,323,101 Ongoing charges4: 1.1%

1 Diluted for treasury shares.

2 Based on an interim dividend of 1.75p per share and a final dividend of 4.10p for the year ended 31 August 2019.

3 Excluding 26,005,837 shares held in treasury.

4 Calculated as a percentage of average net assets and using expenses, excluding interest costs, after relief for taxation, for the year ended 31 August 2019.

Sector Analysis Total

Assets

(%) Country Analysis Total

Assets

(%) Health Care 21.2 Denmark 17.8 Technology 19.5 Switzerland 14.8 Industrials 18.4 Germany 11.9 Consumer Services 11.3 France 11.4 Consumer Goods 11.2 Netherlands 7.6 Financials 7.5 United Kingdom 6.1 Basic Materials 3.2 Italy 5.8 Telecommunications 3.1 Sweden 5.7 Oil & Gas 2.1 Spain 4.5 Net Current Assets 2.5 Israel 2.7 ----- Russia 2.2 100.0 Finland 2.2 ===== Ireland 2.0 Belgium 1.2 Poland 1.2 Greece 0.4 Net Current Assets 2.5 ----- 100.0 =====

Ten Largest Equity Investments Company Country % of

Total Assets Novo Nordisk Denmark 7.1 SAP Germany 6.7 Sika Switzerland 6.3 RELX United Kingdom 6.3 Lonza Group Switzerland 5.4 Kering France 5.3 ASML Netherlands 5.3 Royal Unibrew Denmark 5.3 DSV Denmark 4.1 Safran France 3.9

Commenting on the markets, Stefan Gries, representing the Investment Manager noted:

During the month, the Company's NAV fell by 10.1% and the share price by 15.6%. For reference, the FTSE World Europe ex UK Index returned

-11.4% during the period.

Equity indices globally entered a bear market during the month as the spread and impact of Covid-19 took hold of the economy. With the epicenter of the disease moving to Europe causing social lockdown in most regions in March, we saw large, commensurate actions from both governments and the European Central Bank to support companies and the financial system during this period of stress.

Like most regions around the world, Europe will be in recession in 2020 and earnings downgrades are visible across the entire market. In this context, we have acted to re-underwrite all the positions in our portfolio, stress testing balance sheets and cash flows to ensure company resilience during this period.

The Company outperformed the reference index over the month, driven by strong stock selection while sector allocation was also positive. On a sector basis, the Company's long-standing underweight position in financials proved positive in the context of a sharply falling market. Banking institutions quickly saw significant stress being priced into their shares as memories of the last recession plagued them.

Our lower allocation to the energy sector also aided performance as the oil price collapsed. Both the Russia/Saudi fallout and fall in demand for oil amidst the Covid-19 pandemic have created further, and potentially longer term, pressures on the oil price.

The health care sector contributed to returns with positions in Novo Nordisk, Lonza and Diasorin being amongst the best performers. Shares in the latter performed well as the company is involved in developing Covid-19 testing kits, while Novo Nordisk and Lonza continued to see strong performance following solid results.

We also saw resilience in luxury goods companies, where evidence is emerging that sales in China are re-accelerating following the lift of lockdowns. Generally, good control over supply in the luxury market also helped our position in Kering. Our holding in Ferrari was also amongst the top contributors.

Select positions in the technology sector aided returns. ASML was amongst the largest contributors during the month as long-term trends supporting demand for its machines remain unchanged. The company updated the market on increased customer demand seeking earlier deliveries on EUV tools, despite these uncertain times.

The worst hit stock over the month was aerospace holding Safran, which suffered due to travel bans applied in many countries. The near-term impact on the business is clearly negative and the industry may have to digest some excess capacity in the medium term, given the uncertainty around the pace of recovery in 2021. However, Safran has a strong position in the narrow-body segment of the market, which is more exposed to domestic rather than international air travel. As travel bans are gradually lifted, we expect domestic travel to recover first. In addition, the narrow-body market was in a favourable supply/demand balance coming into this crisis. In the long term we expect air travel to remain a growing industry and Safran is well placed to capitalise on that growth. Having examined the balance sheet and cashflow in detail, and engaged with management on numerous occasions, we are confident the business can weather the current crisis.

The Company saw a negative contribution from its lower allocation to 'safe haven' assets when compared with the reference index. The Company particularly experienced relative losses due to not holding large benchmark constituents, considered less economically exposed, such as Roche, Nestle and Novartis.

At the end of the period the Company had a higher allocation than the reference index towards technology, consumer services, industrials and health care. The Company had a neutral weighting towards telecoms and a lower allocation to financials, utilities, consumer goods, oil & gas and basic materials.

Outlook

We believe this downturn to be politically induced; a consequence of governments taking actions to preserve life in the outbreak of a global pandemic. Owing to this, we believe an ability to judge economic recovery is likely to come down more to health and disease related data than traditional indicators or outlooks for specific companies, given the low level of visibility management teams currently have. Therefore, we have invested significant resource in the tracking of disease related data by region to understand the potential fallout and indeed speed of recovery. We have already seen tentative signs of recovery in China as the lockdown is lifted, with consumer spending slowly coming back. However, risk remains of a second wave of infection and the ability to starve this off will be important.

While uncertainty remains near term, we have spent a lot of time reviewing our holdings, ensuring these companies have the balance sheet strength to navigate this crisis. Ultimately, we will be guided by our understanding of company earnings and cashflows on a multi-year basis.

16 April 2020

ENDS

Latest information is available by typing www.brgeplc.co.uk on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Manager's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
Singapore late Thursday reported a record jump in coronavirus cases, most of them linked to packed dormitories housing foreign workers, as it battled a second wave of infections. The affluent city-state had initially been held as a gold standard in the global fight against the COVID-19 disease, but a surge in the number of cases has left the government scrambling to contain the spread. The Ministry of Health reported 728 new cases as of midday Thursday -- the biggest rise in a single day -- bringing the total number of infections to 4,427, including 10 deaths. "The number of new cases amongst Work Permit holders residing in dormitories has increased significantly, in line with our continued efforts to actively test and isolate the infected workers," the ministry said in a statement. It said 654, or around 90 percent, of the new cases were linked to the dorms and another 26 were foreign workers living outside the facilities. Around 200,000 workers, mostly from South Asia, live in 43 dorms across the island, forming an essential part of the country's work force. Many of them are construction workers typically toiling for long hours, earning in the region of $400 to $500 a month building the city-state's glittering skyscrapers and shopping malls. Following criticism of poor living conditions in the dorms, the government swung into action, moving thousands of them to other accommodation -- including a floating complex -- in order to decongest the facilities and lessen the chances of infection. The government is also providing meals and ramped-up cleaning services at quarantined dorms, and is helping run the facilities, which are usually privately operated. Writing on Facebook this month, veteran Singapore diplomat Tommy Koh slammed "the disgraceful way" in which the foreign workers were being treated. He said it should be a "wake-up call to treat our indispensable foreign workers like a first world country should".
Maharashtra minister Yashomati



Thakur on Thursday demanded that the government resume implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme and also ensure adequate allocation of funds for the kharifseason.

In a statement here,the women and child development minister said she has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray about the twin issues.

Thakur said she has demanded that the Shiv Sena-NCP- Congress government pursue policies that will boost the agriculture sector.

The ongoing lockdown, implemented to contain the spread of coronavirus, will have far reaching impact on the agriculture sector, she said.

The Congress minister said farmers need adequate seeds, fertilisers and insecticides, among other things, to draw up plans for the kharif season.

She said the loan waiver scheme, which was pending for farmers with loan of over Rs 2 lakh, should also be implemented.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brazilian Health Minister Dr. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, right, gives antibacterial gel to President Jair Bolsonaro at a news conference on the new coronavirus in March. (Andre Borges / Associated Press)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired his health minister Thursday after a series of public clashes over the need for social distancing in response to the new coronavirus.

Bolsonaro, a right-wing nationalist who won election in 2018, has dismissed COVID-19 as a little flu" and criticized media coverage of the pandemic as hysteria." He has urged Brazilians to ignore pleas from public health officials that they stay off the streets, saying it's time for citizens to return to work for the sake of the economy.

His health minister, Dr. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, had criticized Bolsonaro's dismissive response to the pandemic, which has killed at least 1,924 Brazilians.

In televised interviews, Mandetta had urged the nation to disregard the president's advice and follow the directions of state governors, most of whom have closed schools and urged nonessential workers to stay home.

Bolsonaro lashed out in response, saying, Mandetta has to listen to the president more," and warning, None of my ministers are unfireable."

In the midst of their public spat, Mandetta emerged with more popular support.

His approval rating shot up by 21 points to 76% since the onset of the crisis, according to a survey by polling firm Datafolha. The same poll put Bolsonaros approval rating at 33%.

Mandetta has been compared to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious-disease specialist leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus. Fauci has at times publicly contradicted President Trump and has also done well in public opinion polls.

Mandetta announced on Twitter that Bolsonaro had fired him.

"I just heard from President Jair Bolsonaro the news of my dismissal from the health ministry," he wrote.

At a news conference after the announcement, Mandetta urged his colleagues in the health ministry to continue supporting the social distancing measures implemented by the governors. "Do not do things one millimeter differently," he said.

Story continues

In an interview later in the day with Veja magazine, Mandetta aired his frustrations with Bolsonaro.

"You talk today, the person understands, says he agrees, then changes his mind and says everything differently," Mandetta said. "You go, talk, it looks like everything is settled and then the guy changes his mind gain. Enough, right?"

Mandetta's departure further isolates Bolsonaro, whose coronavirus response has earned him ire from several influential governors who once embraced his policies.

Lucas Barreto, a top representative of Bolsonaro's government in the Senate, said Thursday that he was resigning in protest.

Im leaving because firing Luiz Henrique Mandetta is absurd, he told journalists.

It was unclear whether the firing of Mandetta would change much.

"Bolsonaro is still under extreme pressure from business, Congress [and] others to moderate his approach," tweeted Brian Winter, vice president for policy at the Council of the Americas think tank.

The man Bolsonaro announced to replace Mandetta as health minister, Nelson Teich, is a respected doctor who has advocated social distancing.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Teich said there would be no radical changes in the country's efforts to combat the coronavirus. He vowed to make decisions based on technical criteria.

After the United States, Brazil has recorded the highest number of coronavirus deaths in the Western Hemisphere  although health experts say that severe undertesting means the true death toll could be much higher.

Many hospitals are already near capacity, and officials have warned that the nation's healthcare system could become overwhelmed by the end of this month, with infections not expected to reach their peak until May or June.

Officials in hard-hit cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have begun converting soccer stadiums into makeshift hospitals. Gravediggers are working overtime, burying as many as 60 bodies a day.

There is particular concern about the effect of the virus on the nation's large indigenous communities, many of which are in remote areas, such as the Amazon basin, with minimal access to medical care. There are similar worries about potential outbreaks in the nation's slums, known as favelas, where some 13 million people reside and basic sanitation, such as running water, is often limited.

Bolsonaro has said that social distancing guidelines could make life worse for the nation's poor and that the nation's economy cannot afford to be put on hold for months.

Though he often wears a surgical mask during news conferences, Bolsonaro has also made a point of going out in public without one. During a recent visit to a hospital, he waded into a crowd of supporters without a mask on and extended a hand for a fan to kiss.
[April 16, 2020] Ameriprise Financial Welcomes Former Registered Investment Advisor With $275 Million in Assets

Financial advisor Robert Bacino, CLU, ChFC, RICP recently joined the employee channel of Ameriprise Financial (NYSE: AMP) in Bedminster, New Jersey. Bacino made the switch from managing his own independent Registered Investment Advisory firm because he wanted to leverage Ameriprise's technology and support to become more efficient in serving his clients. His team, called Insight Financial Advisors, was established in 2004 and manages $275 million in assets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005073/en/ Robert Bacino, Ameriprise Financial advisor. Photo courtesy of Robert Bacino. Bacino carefully evaluated what it would mean to move his practice amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He decided to move ahead with the transition in March because he felt Ameriprise would help him better serve his clients in both the short and long-term. Bacino was attracted to the firm's high-touch, client-focused technology platform, comprehensive operations support ecoystem, and industry-leading financial planning capabilities.



"In the current environment, clients need solid advice to keep their goals in perspective," said Bacino, who has 28 years of experience in the industry. "Ameriprise was quite responsive in this climate, enabling me to deliver advice, research and insights to help my clients weather the market's ups and downs. I've been leaning on Ameriprise's financial planning capabilities and client-facing technology - such as e-signature and their secure client portal - that supplies timely information on any device, any time. I'm also pleased with the wide variety of investment products the firm offers to meet the unique needs of my clients." Bacino's team also includes advisor Shelley Nord and client service associates Sharon Faas and Alison Hosler. The team is supported locally by Ameriprise branch manager Eric Carlson.

"Robert and his team are passionate about doing what is right for their clients," said Carlson. "They have been able to transition smoothly to serving their clients virtually at Ameriprise, and I'm proud to support them and their clients through this uncertain market environment." More than 4,000 financial advisors have joined Ameriprise since 2008.1 To find out why experienced financial advisors are joining Ameriprise, visit joinameriprise.com. About Ameriprise Financial At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With extensive advisory, asset management and insurance capabilities and a nationwide network of approximately 10,000 financial advisors, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of individual and institutional investors' financial needs. For more information, or to find an Ameriprise financial advisor, visit ameriprise.com. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.  2020 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 Company data as of August 2019. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005073/en/

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Black PBS Newshour Reporter Questions Surgeon Generals Big Mama Remark

Dont wash your dirty laundry in the street, goes the centuries-old African-American adage. The saying is a warning to Black people: Dont get into spats with other Black people about racial differences while in mixed company. Thats code for White people.

But at a White House Coronavirus Task Force press conference last week things got a little heated. An exchange between a Black Journalist and the countrys top doctor went there  touching on African-American culture and racial stereotypes in a very public way. Big Mama may not have approved.

At the briefing held to update Americans about the global Coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who is African American, probably didnt think he would set off a controversy when he said people of color should avoid drugs, tobacco and alcohol as a safety precaution against the coronavirus.

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We need you to do this, if not for yourself, then do it for your Abuela. Do it for your Grandaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop Pop, said Americas top doctor, who is tasked with advancing the health of Americans, to journalists gathered at the White House.

Moments later, Yamiche Leone Alcindor, a Black White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour, fired a pointed question at Adams. She asked him if his comment was an attack on African Americans.

There are some people online who are already offended by that language and the idea that behaviors may be leading to these high death rates, Alcindor told Adams.

Adams apologized, but he said that he used language he uses around his family.

But Alcindor continued pressing Adams, Could you, I guess, have a response to those who might be offended by the language you used?

Some will find this language offensive after Adams stressed that behavior was not the issue for why more Black [people] are dying, Alcindor tweeted from the press conference.

We need targeted outreach to the African-American community, Adams responded to Alcindor. I used the language that I used in my family. I have a Puerto Rican brother-in-law. I call my grandaddy, granddaddy. I have relatives who call their grandparents Big Mama. So that was not to be offensive.

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Adams is the 20th U.S. Surgeon General. He oversees 6,500 uniformed officers who serve almost 800 locations around the globe charged with promoting, protecting, and advancing the health and safety of the United States.

Adams, 45, received his bachelors degree in both biochemistry and psychology from the University of Maryland, master of public health degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and a medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine.

Adams grew up on a farm in Maryland, the Baltimore Sun reported in 2017. He assumed the office of Surgeon General of the United States on Sept. 5, 2017.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leading experts on infectious diseases and a member of the task force, defended Adams remarks.

I know Jerome personally, Fauci said. I can testify that he made no  not a hint of being offensive at all with that comment.
Burger King, KFC, and Pret A Manger have announced limited reopening of some restaurants after closing during the coronavirus lockdown. (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)

Burger King, KFC, and Pret A Manger are set to reopen a limited number of restaurants after closing due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The takeaway chains have or will open some outlets around the country for delivery only, in line with government guidelines that allow restaurants and pubs to prepare food for collection or delivery.

Burger King plans to reopen two restaurants in Bristol, one in Coventry, and one in Swindon, with a limited menu.

The fast food chain said workers will wear masks and gloves while observing strict cleaning rules, and will be trained in social distancing and running delivery-only kitchens hygienically.

The restaurants will donate 1,000 meals per week to staff working at NHS hospitals nearby to the reopened outlets.

Katie Evans, marketing director at the chain, said Burger King hoped the re-openings would go some way to lifting our customers' spirits in these difficult times.

She told the BBC: We want to demonstrate how appreciative everyone at Burger King UK is of [NHS staff] efforts in these unprecedented times.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: UK job market is one of the worst hit worldwide

KFC announced it had reopened 11 restaurants around the UK in the past week for delivery only, with a reduced menu.

The chicken restaurant said it has donated thousands of meals from all our open restaurants to those on the frontline, including the NHS and key workers, in partnership with Deliveroo, and will continue to do so each week whilst the situation continues.

A KFC spokesperson said: We've spent the time since closure developing new processes to ensure we can reopen carefully and responsibly, which we've now started to do.

We also saw the impact the situation is having on those who may not be able to easily get to the supermarkets, like key workers. There's a need for affordable, accessible food and we wanted to do our part."

The company said that furloughed staff would find their jobs "waiting for them when we are able to fully reopen.

Story continues

Pret a Manger is set to reopen 10 shop kitchens near London hospitals from Thursday.

This allows us to also get our supply chain up and running to donate food to homeless charities, so we will be donating 7,000 additional meals per week to our homeless charity partners, the chain said in a statement.

READ MORE: 2,000 jobs at risk as Oasis and Warehouse collapse into administration

The sandwich chain is giving NHS workers a 50% discount until the end of April.

Pret's CEO Pano Christou wrote on their website that the chain had been hearing from local NHS workers and hospitals that they want to be able to access freshly made food nearby.

We are incredibly grateful that 160 team members have volunteered to help reopen 10 shops in London, located close to hospitals.

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A clerk sorts vote by mail ballots at the Los Angeles county registrar's office in Norwalk. (Los Angeles Times)

California is headed toward its first all-mail statewide election in November to protect voters and precinct workers from the pugnacious coronavirus. Get used to it.

All-mail elections  with every registered voter mailed a ballot  are very likely to become the new normal for California even after the virus is subdued.

Its ironic: Old-fashioned snail mail is being chosen as the easiest, safest, most efficient and fraud-free way of conducting elections in this era of rapid technological evolution. Silicon Valley techies will be posting their ballots into snailboxes.

No one apparently has figured out how to make online voting secure from hackers. With mailed ballots, theres a conspicuous paper trail.

[President] Trump keeps feeding lies about voter fraud in vote-by-mail and he has zero evidence, says California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a Democrat.

After Trump got fewer popular votes than Hillary Clinton in 2016, but won the presidency in the Electoral College, he claimed that millions of people voted illegally. He created a commission to prove his fantasy. But he had to shut it down when no evidence was found.

Lately, Trump has been urging Republicans to fight a nationwide drive toward voting by mail that is motivated by the virus pandemic.

Theres a lot of dishonesty going on with mail-in voting, the president claims. Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for the country.

And heres the real reason Trump thinks theyre dangerous: Youd never have a Republican elected in this country again, he says.

Which of course is ludicrous. Some Republican governors and secretaries of state are even urging mail voting in the November presidential election. Marylands Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has ordered the states June 2 primary to be conducted by mail.

Its the safest way to vote from a health perspective, Padilla says. And its the easiest. A ballot comes to your home and you return it. You dont even need a stamp anymore. Its prepaid. Were covering postage.

Story continues

Gov. Gavin Newsom hasnt announced that California will hold an all-mail election in November, but insiders expect him to soon. Padilla is pushing for it.

Thered still be a few local voting centers where people could register on election day or replace a spoiled ballot. The centers would also be open for early voting a few days before the election.

Newsom ordered two special elections on May 12 to be be all-mail events. One is for a congressional seat in northern Los Angeles County and the other for a Riverside County state Senate seat.

Actually, it makes sense for the whole state to do that, Padilla says.

There will be an election in November. The question is how do we vote so that its accessible, secure and safe for everybody. I believe the best way to do it is to send every voter a ballot in the mail. We have to start planning now for the worst-case scenario.

The worst case would be if the virus went on another rampage before the election and governments herded most voters back into their homes. Polling places would be virtually inoperable.

California has been gradually moving toward all-mail voting anyway. Its a lot more convenient  although not as heartwarming an exercise in American democracy as a poll visit on election day.

In the 1962 gubernatorial election, only 2.6% of voters cast absentee ballots. In those days, a voter had to have an excuse. Going to be out of town was the common claim.

In 2002, Democratic Gov. Gray Davis signed a no excuse bill that allowed everyone to vote by mail. That fall, 27% of the gubernatorial election ballots were cast by mail. By 2018, mail ballots totaled 65% of those cast.

Theres perpetual speculation about which party or ideology benefits most from mailed ballots. The prevailing theory is that since mailed voting increases turnout  and theres no question about that  it helps Democrats and liberal causes.

Thats because Republicans tend to be high propensity voters who never miss an election. But many Democrats seem to cast ballots only when the spirit moves them. Theres some truth in that, but its mostly urban legend.

Californias experience has been that improved turnout doesnt inherently advantage one party over the other, says Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., which generates voter statistics. It benefits both sides.

Mitchell dug into the 2018 general election and found that both parties had the same percentage of increased turnout among mail voters. All groups  by race and by age  had higher turnouts when they voted by mail than if they went to a polling place.

Overall, among those who received mail ballots, 71% wound up casting them. But only 53% of non-mail voters went to the polls. The turnout of registered Republicans was three percentage points higher than that of Democrats  regardless of how they voted  but the GOP is an endangered species in California.

Because of the virus scare, Bob Shrum, a longtime Democratic strategist who is director of the Center for the Political Future at USC, believes that mail voting will sustain or increase voter turnout of people who otherwise might be afraid to go to the polls. Marginally, it will help Democrats in congressional races.

Padilla wont venture into political speculation. He focuses on the virus.

Risking your health and your life should not be required to participate in democracy, he says.

Youd think thered be nonpartisan, unanimous agreement on that logic.
At least 11,600 people in Spain have died in social service residences due to the coronavirus or with compatible symptoms. The figure includes homes for seniors and also for those with disabilities, meaning that for now it is impossible to know just how hard hit old peoples homes have been.

But what is obvious from the numbers is that these centers have been one of the major focal points of the outbreak. The data has been drawn from the figures that have been supplied by Spains regions, each of which can choose what it makes public. The central Spanish government is still yet to supply official information on this aspect of the coronavirus epidemic, given that some regions are yet to hand over the required data.

A large proportion of those who died in social services residencies were not tested for Covid-19

According to the latest data supplied by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, 18,579 people in Spain have died due to the coronavirus. These patients were tested for the Covid-19 disease before passing away, a process that mostly took place in hospitals. It is not known how many of the 11,657 residents in social services homes estimated by EL PAIS to have died also figure on the official statistics. The health department in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia, for example, only sends the ministry data about those who have died in hospital. A large proportion of those who died in social services residencies were not tested for Covid-19.

Whether they are public or private, residences are obliged to send a daily report to the competent authority, in this case their regional government. An order sent out from the Health Ministry was aimed at homogenizing the information that each regional health chief was receiving. But some, such as Andalusia, only report cases that have been confirmed via a test; others, such as Extremadura and Catalonia, also include fatalities where compatible symptoms were detected. Some offer data broken down by senior center, while others, such as Aragon and Castilla y Leon, offer the global figure, including all social service centers.

Despite the order from the Health Ministry, there are regions that are yet to offer the required data. If I remember rightly, I believe that there are still some regions, Im not sure if there were two or three, that are yet to report, explained Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, at Wednesdays daily coronavirus press conference. He added that the governments coronavirus technical committee would not begin the analysis until it has all of the information requested, according to news agency Europa Press.

The most critical situation has been seen in Madrid, which has been the Spanish area worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic

Since the beginning of March, when news of a coronavirus outbreak was reported in La Paz senior residency in Madrid, there has been a constant stream of similar cases, affecting all of Spains regions. But the most critical situation has been seen in Madrid, which has been the Spanish area worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, the regions social policies department reported that 4,953 people had died in 710 social services residencies, either confirmed Covid-19 cases or with compatible symptoms. Of these, 475 were senior homes, but the number of deaths in these residences alone is currently unknown. Until now, the only figure available was supplied on Tuesday by the health chief in Madrid City Hall: 2,820 deaths in senior homes since the crisis began, a much lower figure than that reported by the regional government.

Madrid is followed by Catalonia in terms of cases, with 1,898 deaths in senior homes reported on Monday. This figure was supplied by the centers themselves and includes not just confirmed cases thanks to testing, but also those who died with compatible symptoms.

Whats more, the figure includes not just residents who died in the actual centers, but also those who passed away in hospitals, making the figures impossible to compare with those sent by the regional health center to the Health Ministry, which reported cases only in healthcare centers. Late on Wednesday, the Catalan regional government added a methodological chance, offering data reported by funeral services, based on death certificates. According to this information, 1,810 people died in Catalan residences.

In terms of numbers of cases, Madrid and Catalonia are followed by Castilla y Leon, which saw 827 confirmed Covid-19 deaths in 1,214 residences  698 of which were senior centers. Whats more, the region reported that 1,039 people died with compatible symptoms. Castilla-La Mancha has confirmed 621 confirmed coronavirus fatalities in senior residences alone.

According to 2018 data from the Institute of Seniors and Social Services, there are 381,000 places in more than 5,400 senior centers across all of Spain

According to 2018 data from the Institute of Seniors and Social Services, there are 381,000 places in more than 5,400 senior centers across all of Spain. For weeks now, the sector has been calling for personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers in these residencies, which will shield residents from the spread of the virus among this particularly vulnerable sector of society, given their advanced age and underlying health conditions.

These centers have also been calling for widespread testing, in order to measure the impact of the coronavirus across all centers, and that affected residents be treated by the health system, given that in Madrid and Catalonia there have been complaints that patients have not been transferred to hospital once they show symptoms.

The situation is very different depending on the region. In recent weeks, PPE has started to arrive at these centers, and diagnostic testing has begun in the residences.

With reporting by Virginia Vadillo, Silvia R. Pontevedra, Eva Saiz and Ferran Bono.

English version by Simon Hunter.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has followed Essence Fest in abandoning plans to postpone until this fall, organizers announced Thursday.

The move had seemed likely since Tuesday, when New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell said she thought the city shouldnt host major festivals for the remainder of 2020. While she essentially made a recommendation, not an edict, her position that the focus should shift to 2021 was clear.

On Wednesday, organizers of the Essence Fest said that they were complying with what Cantrell had bravely recommended. Organizers still plan to host the first-ever Essence Festival of Culture: The Virtual Edition on the July 4 weekend, but would no longer move forward with plans to hold a live event in the fall.

Jazz Fest organizers had previously announced a move to fall, but had never publicly revealed specific dates. Their statement on Thursday said that With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to evolve unpredictably -- and out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our community, including musicians, fans, participants, and staff -- Jazz Fest 2020 will not occur this fall.

This conclusion is made after much careful deliberation, said the statement. It takes something truly momentous to interrupt a 50-year New Orleans tradition as special as the Festival, but we feel strongly that the most prudent course right now is to allow more time for the situation to stabilize.

2020 tickets will be valid for next years festival. Ticketholders will receive information no later than April 22 on the refund process. Other major festivals subject to Cantrells recommendation include the French Quarter Fest and the Voodoo fest.

In Alabama, the Hangout Music Fest recently announced a postponement until spring 2021 after attempts to work out a postponement later in 2020 proved fruitless.
[April 16, 2020] Yellowbrick Provides Free Access to Its Cloud Data Warehouse for COVID-19 Vaccine Research

Yellowbrick announced that it is providing free access to its cloud data warehouse, a powerful analytics processing technology, to give researchers and companies actively working on a vaccine for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) real-time access and insights to critical data. "We're proud to offer access to Yellowbrick's analytics capabilities to researchers who are working tirelessly to make a difference," said Neil Carson, CEO, Yellowbrick. "We think our innovative technology can give them a powerful boost and help speed the time to insight." Virtusa, a digital strategy and services company, has partnered with Yellowbrick to provide implementation consulting and access for its Life Sciences platform, TM. Companies actively working on vaccines will have the ability to connect data from a broad range of clinical, drug development and media sources generating large amounts of daily data into an analytic platform designed for delivering time-critical insights.



"By joining the capabilities of Virtusa and Yellowbrick, we can help customers provide real-time ingestion, faster performance, and powerful analytics," said Anthony Lange, SVP, Healthcare & Life Science, Virtusa. "Synthetic data sets available in vLifeTM significantly accelerate research and clinical trials to reduce the timeline for finding and delivering life saving drug therapies." "We're pleased to be joined by Virtusa in the effort to support life-saving work," said Neil Carson. "It's essential that companies join forces to support COVID-19 research and trials and we are thrilled to partner and bring together our powerful analytics engine with Virtusa's vLifeTM platform."

Researchers actively working on a COVID-19 vaccine can find more information at yellowbrick.com/covid19. About Yellowbrick Yellowbrick powers the data-driven enterprise with the world's only modern data warehouse designed for hybrid cloud and on-premises environments. Yellowbrick sets a new standard for the data warehouse. Built from the ground up to be easy-to-manage and to provide unmatched performance with petabytes of data, Yellowbrick can support thousands of concurrent users performing complex ad hoc queries and running sophisticated reports. Through its unique hybrid cloud architecture, Yellowbrick natively manages large, difficult-to-migrate datasets where they reside-either on premises or in the cloud, all with a price/performance metric that surpasses any data warehouse, traditional or cloud-based. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005153/en/

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A communication from Andhra Pradesh's top police officer suggesting coronavirus may spread through currency notes has created a flutter in the state.

In a state with minimal digital transaction, the possibility of such a "phenomenon" rings "danger bells," police said.

Though the state police chief's office issued a memorandum to this effect recently to all Superintendents of Police, city Commissioners and Range DIGs and Guntur IG, DGP D G Sawang said, "there is no proof or any established evidence of contamination" by currency notes.

"There is no proof or any established evidence of contamination by currency notes of any kind whatsoever in the state," he told PTI.

He also denied, "first of all" having sent the memorandum but noted "our staff in office have incorporated (it) in one of the many routine messages which are sent on a daily basis to keep alerting units on the ground."



It was just one of the possibilities of catching the infection, he added.

The memo, however, caused a flutter in the bureaucracy, with IAS officers taking strong exception to it saying it could trigger "unwanted panic" when the state was fighting the pandemic.

"This is a thoroughly baseless circular without any scientific thought. Police can't act like an authority unto themselves in such sensitive matters," a senior IAS officer remarked.

The DGP's memo made some interesting suggestions, but health authorities monitoring the coronavirus cases round the clock did not corroborate them.

It said people in East Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts contracted the virus though they did not have any travel history or contact with primary\secondary contacts of any person who travelled within the country or abroad.

It suggested they might have got infected as they have done business where cash transaction involving many people happens.

Therefore, currency notes could have been the 'culprit' carrying the virus from infected people, it said.

"This phenomenon rings danger bells in our state," the top police official's memo said.

Cable TV operators, drinking water suppliers and milk vendors were among those collecting money from multiple customers.

Petrol stations, kirana shops, vegetable and fruit vendors and pharmacists also collect money from customers and in the process "may come into contact with contaminated notes."



Referring to a case in Guntur district, the DGP office said medical practitioners who did not have awareness about the virus were treating and collecting money from patients and possibly lead to infection.

In the light of these, the DGP instructed all police unit officers to propagate online transactions and ask people to accept cash only after "sanitizing themselves and the currency notes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the coronavirus COVID-19 spread has resulted in a grim picture, the government imposed a lockdown nationwide and the public servants to implement it strictly. While the police have been doing its duty, several people intentionally keep flouting the lockdown resulting in punishments for them.

Violaters are being asked to do sit-ups, squats and even acrobatics. Lathi-charging on the flouters is found to be the most common action by the policemen to strictly enforce the lockdown. In many places, they are also facing resistance with matters reaching the doors of courts.

Recently, an incident took place in Tollygunge area of Kolkata, West Bengal, where a young man violated the lockdown. When the policeman tried to stop him, the youth attacked the cops.

The matter reached the Alipore Court and it passed an interesting verdict. The youth was directed to work with the policemen for seven days and confess his offence. He was also asked to advise the other violators not to break the lockdown or face the consequences which he is currently facing.

This type of punishment will definitely teach a lesson to all those who are trying to violate the rules of lockdown which are not meant to be broken during this situation.
Israel's president Thursday asked the Knesset to choose a new prime minister, giving the parliament three weeks to agree upon a leader or plunge the country into an unprecedented fourth consecutive election in just over a year.

President Reuven Rivlin made the move after his prime minister-designate, former military chief Benny Gantz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to reach a power-sharing deal by a midnight deadline.

Although the deadline passed, Netanyahu's Likud and Gantz's Blue and White party said they would continue their negotiations toward an emergency unity government meant to steer the country through the coronavirus crisis.

The sides officially have three weeks to wrap up a deal. Otherwise, the Knesset would dissolve and trigger another election.

But Netanyahu appears to have gained some leverage. With Gantz no longer holding the presidential mandate to put together a coalition, Netanyahu could search for other options.

A total of 59 lawmakers have endorsed Netanyahu, leaving him just shy of a majority in the 120-seat parliament. While continuing to speak to Gantz, he may also try to lure two lawmakers from his opposition in hopes of putting together a narrow government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News outlets in Jakarta and in provinces across Indonesia have started to cut the salaries of the media workers amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia to call on media proprietors to look at other options and to consider employee salary cuts as the last resort.

Payments to employees at the Jakarta-based Viva Networks media group have been delayed, with some staff receiving the delayed payments in two installments. The company which owns a number of online media including Viva.co.id and VIVAnews.com, started deferring salaries before the coronavirus outbreak.

AJI has received similar reports from its networks in the different provinces. Many newsrooms have announced that they will pay the salaries in instalments. Several media outlets announced salary cuts starting in April. The policy also affects freelancers and specialist correspondents, as newsrooms cut budgets and limit the number of published articles.

Newsrooms across Indonesia, affected by digital disruption and declining advertising revenue, have been struggling, even before the pandemic. Printed media outlets have been the hardest hit.

AJI, in its statement, said that although the current, unprecedented situation is very challenging, they hope the media companies will adopt other measure to survive the crisis. Salary deductions should be the last resort.

It is essential to maintain the role of the media to give guidance and inform public as well as to hold the government to account. This guidance is necessary to ensure officials introduce the right policy and deliver it as fast as they can to tackle the pandemic, AJI added.

The IFJ said: The challenges caused by the coronavirus crisis do not have to lead to the abuse of workers rights, such as cutting or withholding salaries. The IFJ calls on companies to step up to support their workers and urges the government to take action to provide structural support in the form of tax breaks and other support mechanisms.
The donation will aid Berkshire Medical Center in providing personal protective gear to its employees; the bank is also covering costs for child care Berkshire Health System employees.

Adams Community Bank Donates $100,000 to BHS COVID-19 Relief Fund

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Adams Community Bank has donated $100,000 to the COVID-19 Relief Fund that was recently established to help Berkshire Health Systems battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The major gift be used to help defray the costs of providing personal protective equipment for hospital caregivers and staff on the front lines of the health crisis. In addition to this gift, Adams Community Bank has also committed to funding one month of emergency child care for BHS employees, totaling up to $25,000, through an arrangement with the Berkshire Family YMCA.

The coronavirus is placing unprecedented financial pressures on health-care systems nationwide, including Berkshire Health Systems. Like all hospitals in the state, Berkshire Medical Center has been directed by the governor to halt all elective procedures.

"This measure has effectively paused all outpatient care, which typically provides at least 50 percent of BMC's annual revenue," explained David Phelps, president and CEO of Berkshire Heath Systems. "At the same time, expenses related to patient care and emergency operations during the pandemic have risen dramatically. Support from donors in any amount is critically important to helping us support our caregivers and all our staff in responding to the needs of our community."

Adams Community Bank is an independent, community savings bank headquartered in Adams. Incorporated in 1869, it has branch locations in Cheshire, Lanesborough, Lee, Lenox, North Adams and Williamstown.

On March 18, the bank dedicated an initial pool of $500,000 to assist those in the Berkshires affected by COVID-19, including another $100,000 for the COVID-19 fund administered by the Berkshire United Way/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and their relief efforts throughout the county.

"The foundation of our bank is community," said Charles P. O'Brien, president and CEO of Adams Community Bank. "When we saw that the coronavirus had quickly taken hold here in the Berkshires, we knew we had to act. By supporting Berkshire Medical Center and Berkshire Health Systems, we will be helping to provide critical support for our health care providers, nurses, and support staff."

Berkshire Medical Center, an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems, is a 298-bed community teaching hospital serving the residents of Berkshire County and the neighboring areas. As the region's leading health-care provider, it also is the sole medical facility in the Berkshires treating COVID-19 patients who require hospitalization.

To support Berkshire Health Systems in its fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), visit the donation page here

"We are so grateful for our friends at Adams Community Bank. As BHS confronts the rising costs of battling the wide-scale spread of COVID-19, this support from ACB provides a much-needed boost to our efforts," Phelps said. "The generosity of Adams Community Bank clearly demonstrates that compassion and kindness are alive and well in the Berkshires."

O'Brien said the bank's support is a "multi-layered approach" to assisting the communities its serves, its customers and its employees. "Over the years we have successfully navigated through many local and national events and business cycles and again stand ready to do our part."

Smaller but no less important relief efforts include buying lunch at local restaurants for employees to the tune of $7,877

at 30 local restaurants between March 19 and 31, began buying gifts cards from local restaurants for 20 groups of our first-responders spread across each town where branch is located. As of March 31, $3,500 in gift cards at 11 local restaurants have been sent to first-responders including Northern Berkshire EMS and local police departments.

The bank also has created an ACB Consumer Assistance Loan Fund of $250,000 to lend to individuals and families who are existing customers with a hardship because of COVID-19 with low interest and flexible repayment terms for loans up to $5,000 ( applications here or call 413-743-0001

Other customer help includes refunds on certain fees, increased withdrawal limits, waiving of penalties on CD withdrawal, temporary deferral of mortgage payments, and the suspension of all foreclosures and evictions.

Adams Community Bank has created the ACB Small Business Assistance Loan Fund of $500,000 to lend to small businesses who are existing customers in need of working capital to help fund their operations. Call 413-743-0001 to get started.

Staff are also receiving full pay during this time regardless of hours or where they are working from.

"This is an amazing community, and we hope that our gifts will inspire many others to reach out with support for our hospital during this difficult time," O'Brien said.
[April 16, 2020] Analysis of COVID-19-Home Wi-fi Router Market 2019-2023 | Adoption of Smart Homes to Boost Growth | Technavio

Technavio has been monitoring the home Wi-Fi router market, and it is poised to grow by USD 966.37 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005254/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Cisco (News - Alert) Systems, D-Link Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co., and NETGEAR are some of the major market participants. The adoption of smart homes will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. The adoption of smart homes has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Home Wi-Fi Router Market is segmented as below: Type Fixed Wi-Fi Router Mobile Wi-Fi Router

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31020



Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our home Wi-Fi router market report covers the following areas:

Home Wi-Fi Router Market size

Home Wi-Fi Router Market trends

Home Wi-Fi Router Market industry analysis This study identifies partnerships among telecom network providers and Wi-Fi router manufacturers as one of the prime reasons driving the home Wi-Fi router market growth during the next few years. Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the home Wi-Fi router market, including some of the vendors such as ASUSTeK Computer Inc (News - Alert)., Cisco Systems, D-Link Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co., and NETGEAR. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the home Wi-Fi router market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Home Wi-Fi Router Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist home Wi-Fi router market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the home Wi-Fi router market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the home Wi-Fi router market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of home Wi-Fi router market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TYPE Market segmentation by type

Comparison by type

Fixed Wi-Fi router - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Mobile Wi-Fi router - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by type PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers

Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

D-Link Corporation

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd (News - Alert).

NETGEAR PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology

List of abbreviations PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005254/en/

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New case against former culture top official to be heard in St. Petersburg

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

12:55 16/04/2020

ST. PETERSBURG, April 16 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  A new case against ex-Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov over the 800 million-ruble embezzlement from the restoration of the Hermitage Museum has reached a St. Petersburg court, the United press service of the citys courts reports.

Pirumov and head of Rospan company Nikita Kolesnikov are charged with creating an organized criminal group to steal budget funds on a large scale using their job position. The gang, according to the charges, included financial director and senior engineer of the company Horizont Yulia Begeza and Valery Rogov, chairman of the Oil Alliance banks board Oleg Grigor. They also face trial.

One more defendant, ex-director of the Culture Ministrys department of property management and investment policy Boris Mazo, fled abroad. He was put on the international wanted list and later arrested in Austria. A court in Vienne in February granted his extradition to Russia. However, Spain also seeks for his extradition.

According to case papers, in 2015, the Hermitage Museum and MechStroyTrans company controlled by the defendants signed a contract for construction amd reconstruction of the museums facilities.

During the execution of the contract, alleged accomplices stole more than 900 million rubles allocated from the budget for these works. Using various financial operations and transactions the defendants legalized 800 million rubles of the embezzled money, according to the courts press service.

The accused persons plead not guilty.

Other cases

The Moscow City Court has repeatedly extended house arrest of Pirumov for 3 months as part of a 450-million-ruble (about $7 million) embezzlement case.

Investigators believe that Pirumov, Kolesnikov, Mazo and their accomplices have stolen at least 450 million rubles (about $7 million) allocated for the construction of the Hermitage Museums buildings. The defendants have pleaded not guilty.

In the first case against Pirumov, the Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow found him guilty of stealing more than 100 million rubles and sentenced the former culture official to 1.5 years in a penal colony in October 2017. The court took into consideration the time Pirumov spent in detention and freed him in the courtroom. Prosecutors repeatedly appealed against the sentence. In December, the Moscow City Court imposed a 1-million-ruble (about $15,000) on ex-official and deprived him of the second-class medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland. In January, his punishment was toughened up to 3 years behind bars.

Investigators claimed that between 2012 and 2016 Pirumov, currently wanted ex-director of the Culture Ministrys department of property management and investment policy Boris Mazo and several other defendants embezzled over 160 million rubles ($2.4 million) allocated on restoration of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, Ivanovsky Convent in Moscow and other objects across Russia.

On August 8, 2019, Moscows Preobrazhensky District Court granted parole to Pirumov as part of this case.




A group of doctors and other scientists in Bologna are testing new surgical masks to ensure they meet EU safety standards, hoping to get them faster to medical workers fighting coronavirus.

A group of professionals at the University of Bologna's Policlinico di Sant'Orsola hospital are working around the clock to test and validate the surgical mask prototypes to European safety standards.

The masks have been produced by over 100 companies in Italy, England, Germany and South Korea.

Shortages of masks for hospital workers have been a persistent challenge in Italy and around the world since the coronavirus emergency began, and many have worked without appropriate protection, risking their lives.

Over 100 doctors have died in Italy alone, according to estimates.

"It's not easy to make a mask. It seems like a small thing but it's not," chemical and materials engineer Christiana Boi told AFP on Wednesday.

"You have to leave it open enough to breathe, but close it enough to block the aerosol."



In the makeshift lab, a series of tests are performed by the team of about 30 people, from doctors and engineers, to pharmacists, microbiologists and chemists.

The first checks the ability to breathe through the mask. At least half of all masks fail this first test, says Boi.

The masks are then sprayed with bacteria particles and tested to see what percentage managed to get through.

The two types of masks tested have thresholds of 95 percent and 98 percent.

"We're trying to reduce the time of testing to less than a few days," said Francesco Violante, head of the university's school of occupational medicine who leads the lab.

Some established companies are using good materials and "know what they're doing", said Boi.

Other companies who have converted their businesses into mask producing, however, lack guidelines and know-how, she said.

The tests are the same as those done on medical devices to receive the CE mark, which shows conformity to EU requirements, but which takes a month and a half to procure.

Instead, the university will give companies whose masks pass the tests a report that can be used to ask Italy's top health agency, the ISS, for permission to sell the product in Italy, Violante said.

Martina Cappelletti, a doctor who leads the task force's microbiology group, called their work "a mission."



"Every day, while we're working on the masks we think about the fact that this mask that we're testing will be worn by a health worker, a doctor or a nurse who is treating coronavirus patients," she says.

"So our work has profound importance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prince Harry has accused the Government of abandoning British families with vulnerable disabled children during the coronavirus lockdown in a video call from his luxury LA mansion.

The Duke of Sussex, 35, spoke to British families caring for seriously ill children during the pandemic from his bolthole in Los Angeles, where he is enjoying family time with wife Meghan, 38, and their son Archie, 11 months.

He said he wanted to use the Zoom chat to 'make it clear and obvious to the Government' that families of children with severe disabilities should be a priority and the nurses treating them should have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need.

Harry said he had 'heard from friends' and 'seen things online' about drastic PPE shortages and the ever-increasing death toll back in Britain.

Respiratory nurse Rachel Gregory told him there has been 'lots of issues' around PPE for households who have to allow carers into their home to cater to their children's complex needs.

She also explained to him how families have been unable to get on the Government's 'vulnerable lists' to be prioritised for food and medicine deliveries.

But Harry replied simply: 'Hopefully through this video and other things we will make it clear and obvious to the Government and everybody else that you guys are in the vulnerable bracket and that WellChild needs more help.'

The Duke of Sussex spoke to British families from his lockdown bolthole in Los Angeles, where he is living with wife Meghan and their 11-month-old son Archie. On the call, Harry told families he 'felt almost guilty' about how much 'family time' he was having and said he spent his time 'rolling around in hysterics'

The Duke of Sussex spoke to the families over the Easter weekend, in his role as a patron of the WellChild charity.

He told them they are 'shining examples' of being 'super parents' and asked 'how they cope' looking after their children during the pandemic.

Harry and Meghan are in Los Angeles after moving from their multi-million pound Vancouver hideout where they spent their six-week Christmas break ahead of 'Megxit'.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are 'delighted' as BBC pledges 90,000 generated from wedding broadcast to help hunger charity amid pandemic The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arranged for money generated from their royal wedding broadcast to be used to help feed children during the coronavirus pandemic. Harry and Meghan asked for 90,000 - the excess profits from the BBC's broadcast - to be given to the charity Feeding Britain. A spokesman for the couple said they had been moved to hear of the organisation's work during the coronavirus crisis. Harry and Meghan, who have now quit as working royals and are living in the US, phoned the Archbishop of Canterbury, who conducted their marriage ceremony in 2018 and who is president of Feeding Britain, to discuss the donation to the charity's countrywide projects. They became aware of Feeding Britain after paying a royal visit to the Feeding Birkenhead community supermarket in Merseyside in January last year, when Meghan was pregnant. 'The duke and duchess were able to speak to the archbishop recently, and were moved to hear all about the work Feeding Britain was doing to support people during Covid-19,' a spokesman for the Sussexes said. 'They have particularly fond memories of their visit to the citizens' supermarket in Birkenhead, especially the generosity and compassion of everyone working there to help others. 'They are delighted to be able to ensure this money is donated to such a great cause.' Advertisement

Reports claim they have bought a 12million mansion in Malibu formerly owned by Hollywood star Mel Gibson.

While Harry can continue being a patron for a number of charities, he and Meghan were forced to give up their Sussex Royal brand and any other official roles in the UK.

But speaking from the US, he tried to reassure families, saying: 'If the equipment is hard to get and it's hard to actually visit people, just being able to speak to each other, on Zoom, Facetime, being able to communicate, to draw strength from other people. That's what's important.'

During the call, the Duke heard about the challenges of social isolation and the fears of families reliant on carers coming into their homes to help with the round-the-clock, complex medical care that their children need.

He asked: 'Apart from the really obvious medical need, is there something else during the last three weeks that has jumped out to you that you're quite concerned about?'

WellChild nurse Ms Gregory told Harry about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for carers and health workers up and down the country.

Ms Gregory, who supports children and young people who require long term ventilation across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, said: 'A lot of our families require external care.

'These children need round the clock care, twenty-four hours a day. You can't expect parents to do that on their own. They have to open their doors at this vulnerable time to external carers, which is a huge concern for them.

'There are lots of issues around Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

'The guidelines come out, but often the supply seems to be lacking or slow to be fulfilled. If we can get that sorted then there can be an element of reassurance for families and carers.'

The Queen's grandson also heard how many families who have not been included on 'vulnerable' lists were struggling to access support and basic supplies.

Craig Hatch from Cumbria cares for his son Fraser, 21 years old, who has Cerebral palsy, Epilepsy, Neuro muscular scoliosis, Osteoporosis, Chronic lung disorder and Type 1 diabetes.

He said: 'It's scary. We are frightened because we know that if the virus gets in our house and if Fraser contracts the virus, the implications are quite severe.'

Asked what the main difficulties his family have faced, he replied: 'Things like PPE have been in the news a huge amount.

WellChild nurse Rachel Gregory (pictured) told Harry about speaking to patients remotely instead of at their homes during the pandemic

'But other supplies, food, cleaning products, what we're hearing in the WellChild family tree is that a lot of families are finding it hard to get on 'vulnerable lists'.

'Supplies and being acknowledges as vulnerable are probably the most important things.'

Leanne Cooper from Lincoln, whose 13-year-old daughter Sophie has Cerebral palsy, Dystonia, Scoliosis and multiple complex medical needs added: 'There is a lot of information out there, but not a lot for vulnerable families and certainly not for children with complex medical needs.

'If we're in a position where carers can't come to work because they might be symptomatic, there is no way we would survive when Sophie needs care seven nights a week, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. It is terrifying.'

Harry told families they were 'shining examples' of being 'super parents' and asked 'how they cope' looking after their children during the pandemic

Reflecting on his own situation, Harry told families he 'felt almost guilty' about how much family time he was having and 'one kid' was 'enough' for him to handle while being stuck at home.

He also spoke about the mental health perspective of the crisis: 'If you've ever been through that you want to make sure no one else struggles, no one else goes through what you went through.'

But the 35-year-old claimed there are a 'hell of a lot of positives happening' for people back in the UK, adding: 'Being able to have family time - so I feel guilty.

'But you have got to celebrate those moments when you are just rolling around on the floor in hysterics.

'But inevitably, maybe half an hour later, a day later, there will be something you have got to deal with.'

The Queen's grandson also spoke about how he is coping with lockdown in the US after leaving the UK.

He said: 'Not too bad. I think it's certainly strange times.

'Everyone is experiencing the same thing in a very unique way. The longer this goes on for I imagine the harder it is for each and every one of you.'

But he added: 'Let's focus on the light at the end of the tunnel and keep morale up.'

In the chat, an animated Prince Harry praised the families and WellChild staff members

'I've always thought that if you've been through difficult times because every single person has something going on behind those eyes, behind that smile, there's always something going on and in some cases there's a lot, in some cases there's little and in some cases people try and blank it all out.

'But I think when you've been through hard times you really come out so much stronger, not just for yourself and for your family; but for other people as well.

'And certainly from a mental health point of view if you've ever been through that you want to make sure no one else struggles, no one else goes through what you went through.

'Just check in because that at the end of the day is a really good place to start.'

He told the parents: 'The resilience and strength that you guys have is absolutely incredible. And you must never ever forget that.

'And of course there are going to be hard days, I can't even begin to imagine how hard it is for you guys, having one kid, an 11-month-old, is enough.

Leanne Cooper from Lincoln (pictured) spoke to Prince Harry about her daughter Sophie, 13, who lives with cerebral palsy, dystonia, scoliosis and other complex care needs

'So, to see what you guys are going through on a day-to-day basis honestly so much respect to every single one of you. You are a shining example of just being super parents.'

'It is really nice to see you all smiling and happy. Keep going, keep the morale up, keep busy, keep being creative, dare yourself to try new hobbies and I hope to see you all again very, very soon!''

The Duke, who has been Patron of WellChild for more than 10 years, also asked about how the charity, which is totally reliant on voluntary funding, was coping following income lost through the cancellation, or postponement of key fundraising events and activities.

WellChild CEO Colin Dyer said: 'On the one hand, WellChild and lots of other charities are in the middle of trying to adapt to help the very people we are here to help, but on the other hand we are in survival mode.

'We are trying to make sure that we can access as much funding as we can so that on the other side of this, we are still here, because families will need us more than ever.'

The Duke said the sense of 'community spirit' among vulnerable families helped by WellChild is 'stronger than ever'.

Craig Hatch (pictured) from Cumbria was also on the call to talk about caring for his 21-year-old son Fraser who has cerebral palsy a chronic lung disorder and other complex needs

The father-of-one added: 'It's amazing because just looking at your faces now, the way you deal with it with such grace.'

Not wanting to 'cause too much chaos', Harry asked Leanne and Craig if their children were happy to appear on camera.

Sophie and Fraser were soon on screen with Harry waving at them enthusiastically.

The Duke then addressed both of their siblings saying: 'Listen guys I just wanted to say hello and well done.

'It's not just the mums and dads, you as kids as well, none of you should be in this situation, but we are.

'You're doing everything you can do to make it easier for your mum and dad. Full respect to every single one of you.'
Good Morning Britain's Alex Beresford's step-grandmother has died of coronavirus.

The weather presenter, 39, tweeted the sad news to fans on Wednesday, saying he feels 'upset, trapped and powerless' as he cannot mourn the loss with his family due to lockdown restrictions.

Alex's post was soon flooded with messages of sympathy from his followers and GMB colleagues, including Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.

Tragedy: Good Morning Britain's Alex Beresford's step-grandmother has died of coronavirus (pictured in 2018)

'Upset and trapped': The weather presenter revealed the sad news to his fans on Twitter, explaining his step-grandmother passed away 'on her own' during the lockdown

In his tweet Alex wrote: 'My lovely step grandmother died on her own tonight! I can't even go to my mums to hug her or my stepdad.

'They also can't leave the house because they are vulnerable and I doubt they would let us in to pay our respects. I feel upset, trapped and powerless!'

The post was soon flooded with messages of sympathy, including some from his GMB colleagues.

Hard: Alex told his followers that due to the lockdown he couldn't even hug his mum or stepfather

Piers Morgan wrote: 'Awful. So sorry mate,' while Susanna Reid replied: 'Oh Alex. I am so so sorry.'

Ben Shephard wrote: 'Alex I am so so sorry sending love pal,' while Charlotte Hawkins tweeted: 'So sorry to hear that Alex - sending love xxx.'

Just hours earlier Alex had tweeted his thanks to NHS volunteers for assisting with caring for his mum, who had been advised to self-isolate during the pandemic.

Sending love: The post was soon flooded with messages of sympathy, including some from his GMB colleagues.

In a video he explained a volunteer had delivered her food and medication and praised volunteers for stepping up during the nationwide crisis.

He said: 'You helped me today, not directly but my mum got one of the letters saying she needs to stay inside until June.

'So, as a son I've been stepping up as you do, I've been going to the shops for her and collecting her medication on a weekly basis. In between presenting the weather.

Getting some help: Just hours earlier Alex had tweeted his thanks to NHS volunteers for assisting with caring for his mum, who had been advised to self-isolate during the pandemic

'But today I didn't have to do that because a lovely lady, I don't know her name I wish I knew her name, delivered my mum's medication right to the doorstep, with a smile. Happy to help.

'And my mum also received one of the food parcels which we were amazing just how much great food was in the food parcels, so thank you so much for helping my mum, make my day a bit easier as well.

'You didn't have to sign up, but you signed up and it touched me today.'

The number of deaths from coronavirus in the UK rose by 761 to 12,868 on Wednesday, with 4,600 new cases.

While the country is expected to extend its lockdown by three weeks, England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said in Wednesday's Downing Street press briefing that he believes the crisis may have already peaked.

The positive news came as NHS hospitals said they were coping well with the influx of patients and have enough capacity in intensive care for anyone who needs it.

Government figures have already shown the number of hospital admissions is 'plateauing', and senior officials say Britain is finally starting to see the benefits of the lockdown imposed on March 23.
It was about time for those who fought and kept fighting, foot-weary from door-knocking and sign-posting and leafleting every year at election time  and yes, there is an election every year in Virginia. The Democrats owed the seats they picked up last fall to multiple voting blocs and constituencies  and, in no small measure, to President Trump and Republican legislators, who gave suburban voters in a fast-changing state every possible reason to vote against the GOP. But for LGBTQ Virginians and their allies, the electoral outcome was a milestone they had fixed in their sights for what seemed like an eternity.
When Ecuadorian couple Diego Espinosa and his wife Pamela Moscoso weigh up how they will pay this month's rent they have something more pressing to consider - do they have enough money to to feed themselves.

Until a few weeks ago the pair had plenty of work and funds to pay the rent on their South Yarra flat. They also had a strong desire to continue living in Melbourne.

Diego Espinosa and Pamela Moscoso Credit:Eddie Jim

Both have work visas and having just spent the last two years finishing a masters in planning at RMIT, Mr Espinosa had hoped to find a job in urban development.

With the coronavirus pandemic having wiped those hopes away, though, that life is a distant memory for the couple. Both lost their hours, he with a laundry company, and Ms Moscoso in retail.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended the states coronavirus restrictions through 15 May, as the hospitalisation and ICU admission rate continues its decline.

He said this decision was in coordination with other states. New York partnered with six other Northeastern states  New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts  to coordinate how each area would open in the coming weeks and months.

Although New York has appeared to reach its apex of cases and deaths, the governor has continued to implore residents to follow social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

Now essential workers would be the only ones allowed to go into work through 15 May under the New York Pause guidelines. After that, it remains unclear.

What happens after then, I dont know. We will see depending on what the data shows, Mr Cuomo said.

The move to extend social distancing measures should come as no surprise after other states including Vermont, Delaware, and Connecticut have extended their own orders into mid-May.

But it also contrasted what the federal government has been saying about reopening the US.

Federal social distancing guidelines end on 30 April, and reports have indicated President Donald Trump was not eager to extend those guidelines past that date despite what health experts have advised.

Mr Cuomos decision to extend social distancing guidelines into May comes one day after announcing an executive order that forces residents to wear masks or other face coverings when out in public.

The executive order, which will go into effect on Friday, states that all residents must wear masks when in a position where they are unable to practice social distancing.

If youre going to get on public transit, youre going to get on a bus, youre going to get on a subway, youre going to stand on a subway platform, youre going to walk in a neighbourhood that is busy, youre going to be on a sidewalk, youre going to pass other people on a sidewalk, youre not going to be able to maintain social distancing, you must wear a mask, the governor said.

Social distancing guidelines have worked in the last month to curb the spread of the virus in New York.

Weve controlled the beast. We brought the rate of spread down, Mr Cuomo said on Thursday.

Since last week, the state has reported declines in its hospitalisation, intubation, and ICU admission rates. Although those rates have declined, the state is still seeing a high number of deaths from the novel virus. The death toll rose by 606 people on Wednesday, slightly down from its per day peak.

Mr Cuomo outlined a plan on Thursday that would allow New York state to reopen slowly to avoid a resurgence in the virus. This reopening would require widespread testing and contact tracing. It would also involve slowly phasing in more workers returning to the workforce.

You stopped everything. How do you then restart that machine in a coordinated way that doesnt drive up the infection rate? Thats the balance that were trying to strike, he added.
Spains unemployment offices are struggling to deal with a flood of jobless claims tied to a temporary layoff scheme meant to soften the economic blow of the coronavirus crisis.

Around three million workers have requested unemployment assistance after companies filed 450,000 ERTEs (or expediente de regulacion temporal de empleo, as the temporary layoff plan is called in Spanish). Under the scheme, employers can send workers home without pay for a certain amount of time, but must take them back once this period ends. Workers can claim unemployment during this time, and companies can also put staff on a reduced schedule.

Faced with a surge in ERTE filings, regional governments have expanded their processing staff in a bid to avoid bottlenecks, but government sources said that the real challenge lies in the millions of individual jobless claims, which are handled by the national agency SEPE.

We are processing filings on Saturdays and Sundays Chakir El Homrani, chief of Catalan department of labor

These sources said that the agency has beefed up its computer system in order to quadruple its ability to process and approve claims. Over 600,000 jobless claims were approved in March, and more than 2.5 million are expected to be greenlighted by late April so that most of the applicants can start collecting their benefits in early May.

The Spanish government decreed a state of alarm exactly one month ago. During this time, the number of workers affected by ERTE filings has soared to more than double of what they were during the entire 2009-2019 period, which included a long economic crisis in Spain.

Public unemployment services, which had already experienced cuts after years of austerity, are now faced with an unprecedented workload. During the first few days we had a real backlog, said Yago Negueruela, the regional chief of employment for the Balearic Islands.

This official said that before the coronavirus crisis, there was one single government employee handling ERTEs on the islands, and now there are 103 of them.

His counterpart in the Valencia region told a similar story, noting that where there were once 10 workers processing ERTEs, there are now 40. And the situation is similar in the Canary Islands, Aragon, Catalonia and Andalusia, said officials in those regions. We are processing filings on Saturdays and Sundays, said the head of the Catalan labor department, Chakir El Homrani, at a parliamentary appearance on Thursday.

Slow process

Legal experts who are helping corporate clients file ERTEs complain that the process is too slow. Teresa Aguirre, a labor lawyer, has filed ERTEs in Madrid, the Valencia region and the Basque Country for schools, restaurants and a museum, and she says that so far only one decision has been returned. In Madrid, she cannot even follow up on the status of the applications, which are being filed online. She also reports that numerous technical glitches are affecting webpages and apps.

Maricarmen Barrera, head of social policy at the labor union UGT, talks about a bottleneck, and says that the years of cuts and lack of investment in public employment services are now becoming evident.

The concentrated effort to cover ERTE-related jobless claims is also delaying other initiatives, such as processing the financial aid for domestic workers introduced by the government as part of its coronavirus relief effort.

The benefit scheme for domestic workers is currently being designed. It involves a lot of work and when its ready we will make the announcement, said sources at the Spanish Labor Ministry. Approved on March 31, the aid is expected to reach an estimated 400,000 house workers who are signed up to the Social Security system.

English version by Susana Urra.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Partly cloudy. Gusty winds late. Low 9F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Gusty winds late. Low 9F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Stafford St. S., 3400 block, midnight to 9 a.m. April 5. A residence was entered and property was stolen from a vehicle.
Amidst the growing cases of crime in some parts of the country as a result of the lockdown directive, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has registered how its shortage of resources could not permit the party to offer palliative measures to Nigerians.

The party spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a phone interview disclosed this to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

He added that all the party at this point can do is to key into what the Buhari-led administration and the party leaders in their individual capacities are doing.

Well, whatever the government is doing, it is the APC government that is doing it and we key into that.

You know that we dont have the resources to do that except what the party leaders are doing in their private individual capacities and we are encouraging that for people in their constituencies to support what the government is doing, Mr Issa-Onilu said.

Also in a statement signed by its spokesperson, the party acknowledged the hardships being faced by Nigerians and described the growing crime rates in some states as the making of criminal elements exploiting the lockdown to carry out their nefarious acts.

There is no dispute about the hardships being faced by many citizens as a result of the unavoidable lockdown.

However, we must resist criminal elements trying to exploit the situation and in the process inflicting further hardships on already stressed fellow Nigerians, the party noted as it ruled against unlawful and extra-judicial actions of some vigilante groups in the name of protecting communities.

The APC added that a major and coordinated offensive by the security operatives is underway and urged Nigerians to join the security services in protecting ourselves and communities from miscreants while the government and private concerns are doing their best to provide relief.

Apart from a presidential lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, many state governors have also imposed lockdown in their states.

The lockdown is to prevent further spread of COVID-19 which has infected over 400 people in Nigeria and caused 12 deaths.

Many residents of communities in Lagos have lamented increase in crime rate and armed robbery since the lockdown commenced over a fortnight ago.
Emilio Buale Coka, left, and Ivan Massague in Netflix's "The Platform." (Netflix)

Warning: The following contains spoilers for "The Platform," now streaming on Netflix.

In the Netflix film "The Platform," director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's allegory about class warfare and the increasing fragility of our social pyramid, university student Goreng (Ivan Massague) willingly surrenders himself into a concrete tower-like prison for six months.

Referred to by staff as the Vertical Self-Management Center, the bizarre monolith houses its residents in hundreds of stacked cells  which are randomly reassigned each month  while the titular platform descends once a day bearing food. The platform stops on each level for a fixed period of time and those on the lower levels must pick over whatever is left from those above. By the time the platform descends past a certain level, those "leftovers" are nonexistent.

"There's an Orwellian thing going on there," said Susan Harmeling, an associate professor of entrepreneurship and an expert in business ethics at the Marshall School of Business at USC. "Instead of calling it hell on earth, which it actually is, they call it the vertical self-management center or the VSMC, which makes it seem a lot more sterile."

Each floor of the VSMC has two cellmates who remain constant (at least as long as they're alive), and each is permitted one personal item inside; Goreng chooses a copy of "Don Quixote," while his cellmate Trimagasi selects a self-sharpening knife.

The Spanish-language "Platform" quickly became ensconced in Netflix's top 10 most sampled titles in the U.S. upon its release March 20 (a rare feat for a foreign language film; ) and shot to the top of IMDb's most searched titles. One reason to explain the unexpectedly popularity could be the movie's exploration of the dark side of capitalism, the effects of which are even more glaring today as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the burgeoning rise of the socialist movement.

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The Times caught up with two economists  Harmeling and Nico Voigtlander, an associate professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management  to discuss how "The Platform" reflects our global economy, its resonance in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and what each of them would choose as their one item in the pit.

Ivan Massague stars as Goreng in Netflix's "The Platform." (Netflix)

What kinds of themes and philosophical theories did you recognize at play in "The Platform"?

Voigtlander: I immediately thought of the tragedy of the commons, which refers to the problem where, if anyone has access to common land, you're going to have overuse in the end. It's related to the prisoner's dilemma where individually every person's incentive is [self-serving in nature], which is of course bad for society. It would be much better to come to an agreement where you say, "We're all using the land [or food] somewhat less so that there's a benefit for everyone." But you would always go back to that situation of overuse, unless you have enforcement or some code of conduct among these individuals that is very strong.

Harmeling: There's a theory called the veil of ignorance from John Rawls, and it's about designing a society where we are all behind this veil and don't know whether we're going to be rich or poor or what our natural abilities are. Certainly, you wouldn't want to take a chance on not knowing, that's not the kind of society I think anybody would want to live in. There's also populism versus Marxism versus capitalism, and nihilism versus idealism, and also Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

[In the film] everyone loses human empathy because they're in a fight for their lives for survival and can't afford to be self-actualized and have empathy because they don't even have anything to eat. That vicious nihilism and lack of empathy, the empty populism, really, reflects the zeitgeist right now.

Along with recent films like "Knives Out," "Parasite," and "Joker," class warfare and wealth disparity have been explored in contemporary media to both critical and commercial acclaim. Did you notice a through line between "The Platform" and those other movies?

Harmeling: One thing that I thought of that is also true of "Parasite" is this idea of the global elite. In "The Platform," [Goreng] exhibits the cluelessness and sort of gullibility and naive idealism of the global elites by bringing a book into the pit instead of a knife or a gun. Like he's going down there to do an intellectual study and to earn a degree. Then he realizes, "... here I am, I'm stuck in it."

That naive idealism comes through in "Parasite" too with the son saying, "Rich people are so gullible." That idea of not knowing what you don't know was another theme that I thought came through really clearly. The nihilism of "Joker" also comes through here too. Sort of the clown leading the clowns, the emptiness of populism.

Why do you think movies and television series about these themes are achieving popularity now? It's not as if wealth or income disparity is a new thing.

Harmeling: I think there's a reckoning coming. The millennial generation has fewer assets than the couple of generations that preceded them. So I think that there's this fascination with somebody like Bernie Sanders by young people, because people are scared and don't see a path to the wealth of their parents, to homeownership, to having enough stability to start a family. There's climate change, there's so many issues that people of this generation are facing. People are saying, "You know what, this isn't fair that these corporations aren't paying taxes or that the top 1% to 2% has such a share of the wealth of this country."

Everybody's terrified of the word "socialist," and God forbid "communist" or "Marxist," but it seems to me that the pendulum is probably going to start swinging back towards competent government and some regulation and reining in of some of this literal feeding at the trough.

Alexandra Masangkay perches on a spread of leftovers in a scene from Netflix's "The Platform." (Netflix)

The film takes on a new resonance in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Did you draw any parallels between what was happening in the film and what is going on in the world now while you were watching it?

Harmeling: Those who were feasting at the great banquet in "The Platform" are probably the same people who can buy a ventilator or are already in better health because they have healthcare in the first place. Rich people or people with good jobs have healthcare, so they have a better chance of surviving this pandemic. It's disproportionately affecting communities of color, which is shocking but not surprising.

It's this idea of the haves and the have-nots and the fallacy of trickle-down Reaganomics. There was a literal trickle down going on in "The Platform" where the people at the top eat the best, and by the time you get to the bottom, there's nothing to eat. And we're seeing with this coronavirus crisis that being played out to the nth degree.

Voigtlander: I actually had a different thought. I was thinking of this platform as how we hand down our planet from generation to generation and how it's just getting more and more depleted as time goes by. Ultimately, what we should aim for as humanity is to hand [the Earth] over to our children in a way that it's still usable for them. For me, that was the allegory of the movie.

How did you feel about the ending?

Harmeling: There seems to be some debate about what it was supposed to mean. That you've somehow saved the next generation or that the next generation needs to save itself? I wasn't sure what the message was. In a way, it was a good ending, in the fact that it wasn't completely definitive or a closed book. It left you reflecting on various things, and that is maybe frustrating but pretty effective.

Voigtlander: I think it was effective. My interpretation was that on the way down to do something for the common good, [Goreng] got blood on his hands and lost his purity. Sometimes to do things for the common good you have to break with your own ideals.

Which of the characters in "The Platform" do you feel had the approach that would lead to the most favorable outcome for all?

Harmeling: In the end, maybe it is [Goreng] who has the best approach. We come to believe he doesn't get out [of the pit], but he's helped to propel... the child who we assume ended up getting out. Even through his naivete, to bring a book to what's essentially a Darwinistic knife fight, maybe in the end love and altruism is really what will win out. I'd like to think so anyway.

What one item would you choose to bring?

Voigtlander: I would have to think about what I would bring but the incentives are clear. You just want to have the most powerful weapon in there.

Harmeling: [Laughs] You know, I'd probably do the same thing [as Goreng]. I'd probably bring a book of poetry or something like that. As much as I am almost embarrassed to admit that, it would allow me to at least at some moments think other thoughts or remember and reflect on beauty and offer perhaps some motivation and inspiration to try to get through it. Even though I say how naive he was, I wouldn't bring a knife or a gun to that fight either.
Face masks have become a common sight in supermarkets and on the streets in recent weeks, with many people choosing to cover their mouth and nose with homemade or items bought online.

But do they help stop the spread of Covid-19 and should people be wearing them?

What is the UK Governments advice?

UKs chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Public Health England (PHE) has emphasised the importance of masks for doctors and nurses but has not suggested widespread public usage.

However on Monday, Sir Patrick Vallance, the Governments chief scientific adviser, said the UK position on masks was under review and would change if the scientific evidence warranted it.

What does the World Health Organisation (WHO) say about masks?

Join our new #OpenWHO online course for #healthworkers : learn how to put on and remove Personal Protective Equipment for #COVID19 Enroll now:  https://t.co/MhGrP6xyrs pic.twitter.com/w59LG6MTss  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 16, 2020

The WHO has recommended that outside of healthcare professionals, people should only wear masks if they display symptoms of Covid-19 or are taking care of someone who does.

But it also emphasised a mask on its own is not enough to protect people from the virus and other preventative measures such as hand washing should also be used.

However, Dr David Nabarro, the organisations special envoy for Covid-19, has said people would need to become accustomed to a new reality where masks are common in the wake of the pandemic.

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He told the BBC: Some form of facial protection, Im sure, is going to become the norm, not least to give people reassurance.

But, I would say, dont imagine that you can do what you like when you are wearing a mask.

Are there any downsides to wearing facemasks?

(PA Graphics)

At present there is no robust scientific evidence to suggest ordinary masks can stop the virus from infecting people who wear them.

Filtering face piece masks, both FFP2 and FFP3, recommended as PPE for doctors and nurses who are treating people with Covid-19, do offer protection, but the virus particles are thought to pass through other types of masks.

More common in public are surgical masks, which are more loose-fitting but can be a means of preventing the spread of droplets released by someone coughing or sneezing, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The WHO has also suggested widespread use of masks could lead to a false sense of security and cause people to neglect other essential hygiene and distancing measures.

#COVID19 and #FaceMasks: We have recently updated our guidance on face masks' use. 1. Their use in the community could be considered, especially when visiting busy, closed spaces  such as grocery stores, shopping centres, or when using public transport. pic.twitter.com/BWpaQ8nRX1  ECDC (@ECDC_EU) April 11, 2020

Can you make your own?

While many people are opting to make masks at home using cloth or other materials, researchers from the ECDC have suggested these may not be effective and up to 90% of particles can make their way through the fabric.

The EU agency says there is no evidence that non-medical face masks or other face covers provide effective protection for the wearer of the mask and have been shown to have very low filter efficiency.

What does the latest research say on benefits of face masks?

Our team's review of the literature found substantial evidence in favor of widespread mask use to reduce community transmission, based on droplet dynamics, mask material analysis, efficacy studies, and behavioral studies. Here's our paper: https://t.co/DyVtds2sx8  Jeremy #Masks4All Howard (@jeremyphoward) April 13, 2020

While there is no conclusive evidence to suggest wearing a face mask could stop people from catching the virus, it is accepted that they can block the transmission to other people.

A study published in Nature Medicine in early April suggested surgical masks could help prevent infected people from making others sick with seasonal viruses, including coronaviruses.

In addition, Jeremy Howard, a University of San Francisco research scientist and founder of the #Masks4All campaign, led a review panel with 18 other experts from around the globe and found substantial evidence in favour of widespread mask use to reduce community transmission.

Mr Howard cited the WHOs assistant director-general David Heymanns comment that masks were equally or more effective in combating the spread of Covid-19 than social distancing, and said the situation in Taiwan provided further proof.

He told ITVs Peston programme: Regardless of how you look at it, it looks like theres an extra 1,500 deaths a week (in the UK) due to this disease.

The entire country of Taiwan has five deaths. Now heres an example of a great country that is distributing masks to everybody.

What are other countries doing?

Growing evidence suggests #COVID19 can spread before people show symptoms (pre-symptomatic) and from people who have #coronavirus but never show symptoms (asymptomatic). Cloth face coverings help prevent spread of COVID-19 in these situations.See Q&A: https://t.co/vuYx19woY6. pic.twitter.com/7uuYJfqou4  CDC (@CDCgov) April 13, 2020

People living in the US are being told to wear cloth face masks when they go out.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

It said these rules apply especially in areas of significant community-based transmission such as New York City.

In China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan, the wide assumption is that anyone could be a carrier of the virus, so the advice is for everyone to wear a mask.

How easy is it to buy masks?

There are many different types of face masks available online, including through sites such as Amazon and eBay, although a surge in demand has made it harder to get hold of the items and forced prices up.
Hoping to stem the torrent of false cures and conspiracy theories about COVID-19, Facebook announced Thursday it would begin informing users globally who have liked, commented on, or shared harmful misinformation about the coronavirus, pointing them instead in the direction of a reliable source.

Facebook hopes the move will drastically reduce the spread of false information about the coronavirus online, a growing crisis that the World Health Organization (WHO) has described as an infodemic.

We want to connect people who may have interacted with harmful misinformation about the virus with the truth from authoritative sources in case they see or hear these claims again, said Guy Rosen, Facebooks Vice President for Integrity, in a blog post published early Thursday.

The new policy only applies to false claims related to the coronavirus, but campaigners say the announcement could lay the groundwork for a breakthrough in the battle against political disinformation online. Facebook applying this to the pandemic is a good first step but this should also be applied to political disinformation too, particularly with the 2020 U.S. election approaching says Fadi Quran, a campaign director at Avaaz, a global advocacy group that has lobbied Facebook to correct the record on false information since 2018. (In the language of online security, disinformation means the coordinated, purposeful spread of false information, while misinformation refers to accidental inaccuracies.) I hope this is going to be expanded to other issues and fast, Quran tells TIME.

Under Facebooks new policy, when a piece of harmful coronavirus-related misinformation has been debunked by its fact checkers, and removed from the site, all users who have interacted with it will be shown a message in their news feed directing them to the WHOs list of debunked claims. People who have liked, commented on, or shared Facebook posts saying that drinking bleach can cure COVID-19, or that social distancing does not prevent the disease from spreading, will be among the first to see the new message in the coming weeks, Rosen said.

Story continues

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Currently, users who have read the post without interacting with it will not be shown corrections. And according to the plans announced Thursday, Facebooks correction message will not be tailored to the specific piece of misinformation the user has seen; instead, users will be shown a single blanket message reading: Help friends and family avoid false information about COVID-19 above a link to the WHO website.

However, Facebook is planning to test different ways of showing the messages, according to a spokesperson, leaving open the possibility of more specific corrections and targeting all people who have seen the misinformation. We believe they should be more specific, says Christoph Schott, another campaign director at Avaaz. Facebook has taken the first step of admitting that yes, it actually is the right thing to tell people about factual information. There is now room to go further and we think they should.

Going further would involve also informing people who have seen misinformationnot just those who have engaged with it, as is the case under the current plans. Schott says Facebook has sophisticated tools, which it lets advertisers make use of, that can tell how long a user has been looking at a piece of content, even if they dont interact with it. These tools, he says, could be used for the purposes of correcting misinformation as well as increasing Facebooks ad revenue. If someone watches a video about how holding their breath for 10 seconds can let you know if you have COVID-19 or not [a debunked false claim circulating online] but doesnt like it or comment on it or share it, then should that person not be informed? That just doesnt make any sense to me, Schott said.

Although activists have welcomed the news, there are still several obstacles preventing Facebook from issuing corrections on political falsehoods in the same way it can for public health ones.

The last four years have shown Facebook is reluctant to crack down on political disinformation. Since Russia attempted to sway the 2016 U.S. election by flooding social media with false news stories, Facebook has cracked down on foreign interference. But it has made only limited attempts to crack down on home-grown disinformation, and is especially wary of infringing on first-amendment rights. Nevertheless, the company has still become embroiled in a partisan fight over the matter, with President Trump accusing Facebook (along with Twitter and YouTube) of anti-conservative bias. The controversy led to Facebook announcing in September 2019 that it would not fact-check political ads during the 2020 election, effectively granting political disinformation a free pass, so long as its not part of a foreign influence campaign.

Amid political consensus that coronavirus misinformation is dangerous, however, Facebook has been comparatively quick to combat the spread of false information about COVID-19. As conspiracy theories spread in February and March connecting 5G telecoms equipment to the disease, Facebook said it would remove posts calling for 5G masts to be attacked.

Although Avaaz campaigners acknowledge overcoming political opposition will be a large task, they are optimistic that Facebook has conceded that sending corrections is a viable strategy for combating false information. Our conversations with Facebook, and other social media platforms, began with them saying that correcting the record would be impossible, says Quran. And then when we proved that it was possible, the argument became that corrections were ineffective. And then when we did research to prove that corrections are effective, then it became about political controversy.

The announcement comes after Facebook was presented with a study commissioned by Avaaz showing that users are nearly 50% less likely to believe misinformation on Facebook if they are subsequently shown a notification debunking it. In the study, a representative sample of 2,000 American adults were shown a replica version of a Facebook feed. One group was shown misinformation alone. A second group was shown misinformation and then a correction, prominently displayed in the newsfeed. A third control group was shown no misinformation. The group who was shown the corrections were 49.4% less likely to believe false information, the researchers from George Washington University and Ohio State University found.

In addition, says Quran from Avaaz, the study also showed that the people exposed to misinformation and corrections were even better at separating fact from fiction than even the people who were shown none at all. This indicates that correct the record could make society more resilient, Quran tells TIME. Even for people who dont see misinformation.

Now, Facebook has said telling users about fact checks works. According to Rosens blog post, 95% of users who were shown warnings about 400,000 pieces of debunked content in March chose not to click through and read the misinformation. Incidentally, these were posts that were not designated as immediately harmful by Facebook, meaning they were allowed to remain online. Under Facebooks policy announced on Thursday, users who have interacted with such posts would not receive a correction in their newsfeed.

Campaigners at Avaaz say its not necessarily a bad thing false posts that arent designated as harmful are still online  but believe Facebook should quickly expand its new correction policy to notify users about this kind of misinformation, too. The most important thing is that you dont remove the old content, unless it has the capability to cause immediate harm, Schott tells TIME. You just go back to people and say, just so you know, on this specific issue, fact checkers have found factually incorrect information. Its about giving people more information. Its much better than a government just saying, this is fake news, take it down.

Please send any tips, leads, and stories to virus@time.com.
That intersection with New York Avenue, known for Big Ben Liquor Store and its signature turret, has been described by police as a trouble spot, and many shootings have occurred there over the years.
Coronavirus is slowly gaining a foothold in Africa, a continent once perceived as one of the safest regions against the disease.

In less than two months after Egypt became the first country in Africa to confirm a coronavirus case, the outbreak has reached all but two of Africas 54 countries. Only Comoros and Lesotho have yet to report confirmed cases.

Nearly a thousand have died of the disease in the continent of over a billion people, including the former president of the Republic of the Congo, Jacques Joachim Yhombi-Opango, and Somalias former prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein, among dozens of health officials.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were more than 17, 000 confirmed infections with over 3,500 recoveries as of Thursday evening.

Though the tally is still relatively low compared to global figures, it has doused the debate on the continent having some kind of immunity against Covid-19 due to its warm weather.

Governments across Africa are now rushing to reinforce measures to contain the spread of the disease, knowing that their fragile health systems will be swiftly overwhelmed if the disease spreads beyond a small number of cases.

Algeria has the highest number of fatalities  348 with over 2, 268 infections closely followed by Egypt with 183 deaths and over 2, 500 cases. 128 deaths and 2, 251 infections have been recorded in Morocco.

South Africa still leads the continent with over 2, 500 cases but with only 34 deaths, significantly due to the countrys good health system.

Nigeria has 407 cases as of Thursday evening with 12 deaths.

WHO officials said the statistics likely underestimate the true number of cases in Africa, raising concerns that the contagion may soon overwhelm its under-resourced health services.

Lockdowns and Social Distancing Not Working?

Social distancing, complete lockdown and basic hygiene measures are not just difficult to maintain in many parts of Africa, the measures have laid bare deep cracks of inequality.

While the few rich and affluent can stockpile food, millions living in poverty would rather die of COVID-19 than stay at home on empty stomachs.

Most African nations such as Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana extended weeks-long total lockdowns but citizens are defying the measures by going about their daily activities especially after palliatives have not been proportionately shared.

Compelling people to stay at home without providing them with aid will only make them undermine safety protocols, experts say.

They said lockdowns will only work through proper community engagement, sensitization and proper sharing of palliatives.

Local Transmission

Deterrence in welcoming foreign visitors proved helpful in pushing back COVID-19.

But local transmission  confirmed cases with no foreign travel history  has started in Africa.

It is crucial that governments prevent local transmission from evolving into a worst-case scenario of widespread sustained community transmission, said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa in March. Such a scenario will present a major challenge to countries with weak health systems.

More than half of the countries in the African region are now experiencing local transmission.

Slums and informal settlements, which are also part of the physical infrastructures of many African cities, are mostly overcrowded and lack basic hygiene services even before the threat of a global health crisis emerged.

The virus can easily spread through overcrowded cities, remote villages and among vulnerable populations such as refugees, the malnourished or those suffering from HIV and other chronic conditions.
(CNN)  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared that Japan's state of emergency will be extended nationwide through May 6 in further attempts to curb the spread of coronavirus infections.

The state of emergency previously applied to seven urban prefectures, including Tokyo. Abe said his decision comes after seeing the rapid hike of infections outside these areas.

Abe wants to minimize the human flow during the golden week, a string of national holidays from the end of April through May 6.

He also announced he was considering cash handouts of 100,000 yen (approximately $925) for each citizen, instead of the previous plan of 300,000 yen (approximately $2,800) per low-income family.

On Wednesday, public broadcaster NHK reported that a team of experts set up by Japans Health Ministry estimated more than 400,000 people could die of Covid-19 in Japan if nothing is done to contain the virus.

According to a tally from Johns Hopkins University, Japan has 8,626 reported cases of Covid-19 and 178 deaths.

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Japan extends state of emergency before national holiday."
Vinay has a proven performance history of leading high-calibre teams in transforming businesses, developing new channels and models, and delivering sustainable, profitable growth, commented Assouline on Suranas appointment. Im confident that Vinay will bring his extensive knowledge of the APAC region and global experience in the financial services industry to transform and grow our business across Asia.

Surana has more than 20 years of global experience in the financial services industry. He was most recently serving as senior vice-president, head of individual personal insurance for Asia-Pacific at AIG. Surana spent more than 13 years with AIG in a number of senior executive roles across numerous markets within Asia, the US, and Australasia.

A release said that Surana has in-depth technical expertise in insurance and underwriting, strategic planning, reinsurance, risk management, partnership development, digital enablement, and insurtech.
A Russian Soyuz 2.1v rocket launches a classified military satellite into orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russian on Nov. 25, 2019. The satellite can apparently track other satellites in orbit.

Russia just fired an anti-satellite missile in a test of technology that the U.S. Space Force considers a threat to American orbital assets.

Yesterday (April 15), Russia conducted a test of its direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile system, which is designed to destroy satellites in low Earth orbit.

This test followed the country's on-orbit test maneuvers of two satellites that "exhibited characteristics of a space weapon," COSMOS 2542 and COSMOS 2543, which the U.S. has been closely following, the U.S. Space Force said in a statement yesterday. In February, the U.S. Space Force spotted these Russian satellites following a U.S. spy satellite, behavior that Space Force commander Gen. John "Jay" Raymond described at the time as "unusual and disturbing."

Video: Watch Russia launch the two mysterious satellites

Related: Declassified US spy satellite photos & designs

The U.S. Space Force also has serious concerns about this recent DA-ASAT missile test. "Russia's DA-ASAT test provides yet another example that the threats to U.S. and allied space systems are real, serious and growing," Raymond said in yesterday's statement. "The United States is ready and committed to deterring aggression and defending the nation, our allies and U.S. interests from hostile acts in space."

"This test is further proof of Russia's hypocritical advocacy of outer space arms control proposals designed to restrict the capabilities of the United States while clearly having no intention of halting their counterspace weapons programs," Raymond added. "Space is critical to all nations and our way of life. The demands on space systems continue in this time of crisis where global logistics, transportation and communication are key to defeating the COVID-19 pandemic."

"It is a shared interest and responsibility of all spacefaring nations to create safe, stable and operationally sustainable conditions for space activities, including commercial, civil and national security activities," he said.

After being sworn in as the first Chief of Space Operations by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Gen. John Raymond addresses the audience in the Executive Eisenhower Office Building, Washington, D.C., on Jan. 14, 2020. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force Photo by Andy Morataya)

In February, when the two Russian satellites were seen seemingly "stalking" a U.S. spysat, it was the first time in history that the U.S. military publicly revealed an identified, direct threat from another country to a U.S. satellite. Yesterday's test, as described by Raymond, is another threat to U.S. space systems and resources in low Earth orbit.

However, anti-satellite weapons have also posed an indirect threat to U.S. satellites, because orbital debris, or "space junk," from damaged and destroyed spacecraft could collide with other satellites in orbit. For example, India launched an anti-satellite test in March 2019 that created at least 60 large pieces of orbital debris that NASA said could have potentially hit the International Space Station, putting astronauts' lives at risk.

The Space Force, which was allocated $15.4 billion in the Trump administration's 2021 budget proposal, was created in part to protect such resources. Satellites and technology in low Earth orbit have become increasingly more valuable as tech advances and as countries increasingly adopt space technologies for national security purposes.

This has become especially pertinent for the U.S. as both Russia and China continue to advance their space programs and capabilities in low Earth orbit. Additionally, these actions by Russia could add to political tensions that were already building between Russia and the U.S. because of allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In addition, Russian officials continue to trumpet the development of advanced, potentially threatening military technology, including a hypersonic weapon and a 100-megaton nuclear torpedo.

Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Representative image

Demand for flights and jet fuel could take years to recover from the coronavirus crisis as airlines struggle to survive their worst downturn, haunted by possible changes in the habits of tourists and business travellers.

Among the various fuels, jet has been hit hardest and industry leaders warn it will take years for all-important airline-industry demand to return to 2019 levels.

"Jet fuel consumption will be impacted for a longer time and maybe not recover fully even next year, as travellers remain concerned about long-haul vacations, and businesses get used to online meetings," said Per Magnus Nysveen, head of analysis at Rystad Energy, a consultancy.

Exemptions for agriculture and freight from widespread lockdowns have offered some support to diesel and fuel oil, but jet demand remains weak as a significant slice of the world's 23,000-strong commercial plane fleet is in storage.

Jet fuel prices in Singapore have slumped 61% over the last two months. Refining margins or cracks for jet fuel in Singapore are currently lingering at narrow premiums over Dubai crude after hitting minus $3.35 per barrel earlier this month, their lowest on record.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), representing airlines, has already warned of a slower recovery than in past crises. On Tuesday, it raised its forecast for 2020 revenue losses by 25% to $314 billion.

Director General Alexandre de Juniac told Reuters he sees a staggered lifting of restrictions starting with domestic, then regional and finally intercontinental routes being reopened where fuel consumption plays a critical role.

IATA has warned any recovery would not start before the last quarter of the year.

Planemakers Airbus and Boeing have also warned of an extended crisis, with few analysts predicting a return to previous conditions until 2023 or 2024.

According to Robert Stallard of Vertical Research Partners, it could be almost five years before the active aircraft fleet returns to where it was at the end of 2019.

But the head of Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, brushed off forecasts of a sluggish recovery, telling Reuters he saw a swift traffic rebound fuelled by "massive price-dumping" in a race to win back passengers.

Just as important for fuel demand, many airlines expect to use the crisis to speed up retirements of their oldest and thirstiest jets. That said, low oil prices mean the incentive to invest in costly new equipment is tempered for now.

Jet fuel demand averages about 8 million barrels per day (bpd). The International Energy Agency said on Wednesday it expected demand for jet fuel and kerosene to fall by 2.1 million bpd on average in 2020, or 26%.

"The full effect of these measures is likely to be seen in April, when demand will fall by 4.6 million bpd (-59%), a historic record," it said in its monthly report.

Rystad expected jet fuel demand to fall at least 1.9 million bpd in 2020, and JBC Energy consultancy estimated jet fuel demand over the next few months would fall to below 2 million bpd and to 5.2 million bpd on average in 2020.

"We see some normalisation only in 2021," said JBC Energy Asia's managing director Richard Gorry, who sees a drop of 70% in jet fuel demand in the second quarter of 2020.

Some analysts believe growth in online working during mandatory lockdowns might not disappear entirely once the coronavirus goes away. For finance directors, that offers a tempting chance to reduce office, event and travel costs.

Homayoun Falakshahi, senior analyst at Kpler, said leisure trips could recover in the next couple of years, but business travel may take longer.

"Technology improvement is a key reason why we don't think business travel will resume sharply any time soon," he said.

Others say pressure to do business face-to-face will resume when economies grow. Air travel and GDP have been closely tied.

Airport health checks, while helping to restore confidence through visible safety measures, could also discourage people from travelling by air. "Rather like what happened in the United States after 9/11, we could see the imposition of health checks, more paperwork, and basically more hassle and time getting through airports," said Stallard.

Changing lifestyles could also play a role. Under lockdowns people are adapting to a more local existence and consuming less globally produced fresh food, which may have a lasting impact on fuel demand, analysts at Goldman Sachs said. "Commuters and airlines account for 16 million bpd of global oil demand and may never return to their prior levels."

But IATA's de Juniac said economic integration, which has supported consistent growth in air transport.

"Yes there will be a slowdown - there is already - but after a while people will recognise all the benefits coming from globalisation," he said in a video interview.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
Owner of the UkrLandFarming and Avangard Group of Companies Oleg Bakhmatyuk has offered to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Deposit Guarantee Fund, the National Bank of Ukraine, and the Office of the Prosecutor General a mechanism for repaying debts of the VAB Bank and the Financial Initiative, withdrawn from the market in 2014-2015, in the amount of UAH 8 billion (US$293.9 million).

This is stated in the appeal memorandum by Oleg Bakhmatyuk on the settlement of the debt of VAB Bank and Financial Initiative commercial banks withdrawn from the market in 2014-2015, among other 95 banks affected by the crisis.

Now the main source of refunds to creditors and the state budget is the sale of assets of insolvent banks, which on average brings the state only about 1% of debt. Oleg Bakhmatyuk believes that in the current conditions of the global economic crisis, a rapid and ultimate return of funds is important for the state, and advocates the return of UAH 8 billion to the state within five years. It will also allow maintaining an important enterprise for the real sector of the economy, which employs 27,000 workers, generates about 1% of the country's GDP, and has paid about UAH 7.7 billion (US$282.8 million) in taxes over the past three years. To this end, he proposes to employ the successful world experience in the settlement of such debts. "International financial institutions, in particular, the IMF and the World Bank, support this step. I ask you to support this proposal as meeting the interests of the state," the businessman said in a memorandum.

The text of the memo contains specific proposals for the settlement of bad debts through restructuring, which will allow the state budget to receive UAH 8 billion. The first payment in the amount of UAH 1 billion (US$36.7 million) will be made in 2020, while full payment of the remaining amount will be made over the next five years without deferring payments on the loan body.
While studying at university to become an architect, Ha An, owner and chief creative figure of the Hanoi-based Veene Studio, probably dreamed of designing grand houses and epic constructions.

She never would have thought she'd end up devoting her career to creating sophisticated and pleasing miniatures.

A few years ago, to earn some extra money as a student, An decided to become an art tutor for children.

I started to get involved with craft-making to teach children how to create craft objects from paper, said the young woman, who still looks like a fresh student rather than an art studio owner.

Depending on the size and how sophisticated the item is, it takes about a week to two weeks to craft. Photo courtesy of Veene Studio

At the time, the twenty-something woman also had a great passion for baking.

Actually, I had the intention to pursue this work [baking]. However, at that time, cake baking was a hot trend for young women. Too many people were in the field, plus with the high cost of ingredients I had to give up the idea, An said.

Although she set aside ambitions of becoming a professional baker, An still had the chance to bake her elder sister's wedding cake.

It was the first cake that I baked for others. Of course, it was for such an important event, so it had to be very beautiful, said An.

As well as trying her best to make the cake, An also spent time meticulously carving a miniature wooden doll of a bride and groom to top the cake.

The cute statue was loved by her sister and all the wedding guests.

Soon after, An started to receive requests for similar customised dolls, which led to the birth of the art studio Veene. The studio was founded in October 2015, shortly after she graduated from the Hanoi Architecture University.

However, as the price of customised craft products was still quite high, most of my first customers were my friends, An said.

A customised music box created by Veene Studio. Photo courtesy of Veene Studio

At the end of 2017, An introduced a music box topped with customised dolls, which by that stage had been taken to a new level of quality.

An said she no longer had any trouble carving the dolls but to meet the desires of customers, instead of the originally painted statues, she created the new versions with hand-sewn clothes.

The lively dolls wearing fashionable outfits sold like hotcakes. Veene received its largest-ever number of orders and An had to hire more staff. Now, her studio employs five craftswomen who are architecture students.

Every day, the Veene crew gathers on the fourth floor of a building in Hanoi's Hai Ba Trung District to handcraft miniature items, including wooden dolls, custom music boxes and brooches.

An (third left) seen at Veene Studio together with her 'craftwomen'. VNS Photo Thuy Hang

We work tirelessly every day to create pleasing items. At Veene, no two items are exactly the same, An said.

To create goods that satisfy all requirements, her team takes time to communicate with clients to understand our customers wish, then can select suitable materials and design.

It takes time to complete any item because our signature reflects in the high level of every detail in each product, An said proudly.

Pho bo is among miniature Vietnamese dishes created by Ha An. Photo courtesy of Veene Studio

We do not believe in rushed work, she added.

Depending on the size and how sophisticated the item is, it takes about a week or two to craft.

Last year, Veene implemented its biggest project so far  the miniature 'Bakery Town' for a bakery company in Hanoi.

The 8.5-square-metre town features a lovely bakery with hundreds of different kinds of beautiful confectionaries, a shop selling baking tools and even a confectionary factory with trucks carrying ice cream.

Veene had to brainstorm the ideas for the town before turning them into 3D sketches. For a month, 14 members of Veene painstaking built the town which is now on display at the companys lobby in Cau Giay District, An said.

The best of Vietnamese cuisine

After completing the project, the studios chief creative continued to challenge herself by making something more sophisticated  famous Vietnamese dishes.

An decided to start with some of the best of Vietnamese cuisine, including pho bo (beef noodle soup), banh my (Vietnamese baguette) and ca kho to (caramelised fish in clay pot).

An said that the che com took her a lot of time and meticulosity. Photo courtesy of Veene Studio

The flavourful kho quet (Vietnamese caramelised dipping for vegetable) and the delicate dessert che com (young sticky rice sweet pudding) have also been replicated.

It took An two months before she could debut the completed products.

There are hundreds of steps to create these miniature dishes, from colour mixing to moulding, baking and painting. I also use polymer clay  the main material of the products  imported from Japan and Germany, An said.

She said that the most challenging step was to create the exact colours she wanted.

In the pho set, you can see the light pink poached beef slices and a few sprigs of spring onion topped on white pho noodle threads, bathed in a clear broth. Additional condiments such as lime, chilli, and quay (fried stick bread) are also included in the set.

The set che com features a blue-painted ceramic bowl containing the light-green-coloured pudding topped with white coconut threads. An said this dessert took her a lot of time and concentration to make as she had to mould hundreds of tiny rice grains as well as weave a decorative rattan mat, together with lotus flowers and leaves.

Mooncake trays featuring the salted-egg mooncakes and the traditional bunny mask. Photo courtesy of Veene Studio

During Mid-Autumn Festival, her studio also makes miniature mooncake trays featuring the salted-egg mooncakes and the traditional bunny mask.

An expects miniature food will become Veenes signature products.

However, due to the high meticulosity, the price of these items are still quite high. So far, we have had very few clients purchase these sets, she said.

In the near future, An will start to create a miniature collection of Vietnamese women's clothing through the ages.

She also wants to open craft workshops where attendees can challenge themselves at different levels of meticulosity. VNS

By Thuy Hang

Young chef preserves traditional Hanoi cuisine I first met Nguyen Phuong Hai in Hanoi a month ago when he was holding a class to teach people how to make banh chung (square sticky rice cake).
The Detroit Red Wings defense could look much different in 2020-21.

Filip Hronek, Patrik Nemeth and Danny DeKeyser, returning from an injury-plagued season, figure to be in the top four and Alex Biega, signed for another season, will be in the mix.

The Red Wings anticipate Moritz Seider, the sixth overall pick in 2019, will be NHL-ready at age 19 after one year in the AHL. They hope Dennis Cholowski, their top pick in 2016, will have improved enough defensively to trust in the lineup.

Madison Bowey, a restricted free agent, likely will be re-signed as a player who can be sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins if he doesnt earn a roster spot.

Veterans Jonathan Ericsson and Trevor Daley wont be back.

The Red Wings likely will be in the market for a pair of free-agent defensemen, preferably a right and a left shooter.

Here is a look at some of the top potential free-agent defensemen, some of whom could re-sign with their current team before free agency:

1. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis

GP: 70 G: 16 A: 36 PT: 52

Age/shot: 30/right

2019-20 cap hit: $6.5 million

One of the best all-around defensemen in the league, a Stanley Cup winner and team captain, hard to imagine the Blues wont sign him to a long-term deal.

2. Torey Krug, Boston

GP: 61 G: 9 A: 40 PT: 49

Age/shot: 29/left

2019-20 salary: $5.25 million

Hes shown you dont need to be big (5-9, 186) to flourish on defense in this league. He provides offense, is strong on the power play and plays with an edge despite his size.

3. Tyson Barrie, Toronto

GP: 70 G: 5 A: 34 PT: 39

Age/shot: 28/right

2019-20 cap hit: $5.5 million

His production dropped his first season in Toronto after eight years in Colorado, but as a right-shooting power-play specialist there will be much interest in him. The cap-strapped Maple Leafs will be hard-pressed to re-sign him.

4. Kevin Shattenkirk, Tampa Bay

GP: 70 G: 8 A: 26 PT: 34

Age/shot: 31/right

2019-20 cap hit: $1.75 million

Bought out by the Rangers following two mediocre seasons, he bounced back with the Lightning, showing he still has value as a puck-mover who can provide offense.

5. Sami Vatanen, Carolina

GP: 47 G: 5 A: 18 PT: 23

Age/shot: 29/right

2019-20 cap hit: $4.875 million

A good puck-mover who has been set back by injuries the past two seasons. He hasnt replicated the production from early in his career with Anaheim but appears to have some upside.

6. T.J. Brodie, Calgary

GP: 64 G: 4 A: 15 PT: 19

Age/shot: 30/left

2019-20 cap hit: $4.65 million

Fairly consistent defender who strung together six consecutive seasons with more than 30 points before seeing a dip this season. Hes spent his entire eight-year career in Calgary.

7. Erik Gustafsson, Calgary

GP: 66 G: 6 A: 23 PT: 29

Age/shot: 28/left

2019-20 cap hit: $1.2 million

His big breakout in 2018-19 with Chicago (17 goals, 60 points) might have been an outlier. His production declined considerably this season, which should make him more affordable on a short-team deal for the Red Wings, who might have interest.

8. Justin Schultz, Pittsburgh

GP: 46 G: 3 A: 9 PT: 12

Age/shot: 29/right

2019-20 cap hit: $5.5 million

His production has declined sharply from his first full season with the Penguins (12 goals, 51 points in 2016-17). He played top-four minutes and posted a team-worst minus-13 rating.

9. Travis Hamonic, Calgary

GP: 50 G: 3 A: 9 PT: 12

Age/shot: 29/right

2019-20 cap hit: $3.87 million

Top-four defensive defenseman wont provide much offense but logs a lot of minutes, blocks shots and kills penalties.

10. Brenden Dillon, Washington

GP: 69 G: 1 A: 13 PT: 14

Age/shot: 29/left

2019-20 cap hit: $3.27 million

Big, stay-at-home defender (6-4, 225) who has spent most of his career in San Jose can log 20 minutes a game, kill penalties and has been durable, missing two games the past four years.

Other notable impending unrestricted free-agent defensemen: Zach Bogosian, Tampa Bay; Mark Borowiecki, Ottawa; Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis; Justin Braun, Philadelphia; Cody Ceci, Toronto; Zdeno Chara, Boston; Trevor Daley, Detroit; Dylan DeMelo, Winnipeg; Joel Edmundson, Carolina; Mike Green, Edmonton; Andy Greene, Islanders; Radko Gudas, Washington; Dmitry Kulikov, Winnipeg; Mark Pysyk, Florida; Marco Scandella, St. Louis; Andrej Sekera, Dallas; Chris Tanev, Vancouver.

More: Red Wings could use free-agent forward with offensive ability
Cebu City (CNN Philippines, April 17)  Despite the widespread transmission of COVID-19 in a sub-village in Cebu City, the Department of Health in Central Visayas sees no more need to conduct COVID-19 testing for thousands of residents in Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz.

Health officials on Thursday said the whole area, with over 9,000 residents, is considered as contaminated with the deadly virus. Isolation measures will continue for those confirmed positive of the coronavirus disease, they added.

"We have already deemed (Sitio Zapatera) as a contaminated place. And we will just monitor everyone who will be symptomatic and bring them to the facility," Department of Health Central Visayas director Jaime Bernadas said in a virtual press conference.

Fifty-three residents from Sitio Zapatera  including 9-month-old twins  tested positive for COVID-19, with most of them either asymptomatic or showing mild flu-like symptoms.

Related: Two infants infected as Cebu posts largest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases

Despite the small percentage of infected residents, health authorities ordered the total isolation of the community due to its congestion. They also warned of continuous community transmission.

Bernadas said only one COVID-19 patient is admitted at the hospital, while the rest of the positive cases will just be placed in a temporary quarantine facility near Sitio Zapatera. He added the two infants will be brought to the hospital for close monitoring.

The local health official said there has been "sustained community transmission" in Sitio Zapatera since its first COVID-positive patient was detected on April 7.

"We ask all residents in sitio Zapatera to cooperate to protect the neighborhood so that not all of them will become COVID positive," said Bernadas.

The entire island of Cebu has 90 COVID-19 cases, as of Thursday. Most of the cases are found in Cebu City with 77 infected people.

Cebu-based journalist Dale Israel contributed to this report.
Starbucks is preparing to reopen cafes as some U.S. states report that the number of new coronavirus cases has plateaued or even declined.

"As we have experienced in China, we are now transitioning to a new phase that can best be described as 'monitor and adapt,'" CEO Kevin Johnson said in a letter to employees on Thursday.

The coffee chain closed most of its U.S. and Canadian cafes on March 21, limiting service to delivery and drive-thru only. More than 60% of its U.S. cafes have a drive-thru lane. Starbucks initially said the closures would be for two weeks but later extended the measures until May 3.

In China, Starbucks first began reopening stores in areas that were not hit as hard by the virus. Locations in the Hubei province, where the outbreak began, stayed closed longer.

Johnson said Starbucks field leaders will use the local status of the health crisis, guidance from officials, community sentiment and operational readiness of the individual location to inform their decisions. Some cafes will continue as drive-thru only, while others may reopen for to-go orders. The company will also monitor government data about confirmed Covid-19 cases and trends.

"Only by trying to exceed local, state and national health requirements will we be ready to serve our communities," Johnson wrote.

The company is extending catastrophe paid leave for baristas until the end of May. Employees who are still working during that time will receive an extra $3 per hour.

Cafe closures, social distancing measures and shelter-in-place mandates hit Starbucks' U.S. sales in the fiscal second quarter. U.S. same-store sales declined by 3% during the quarter. During the last week of March, same-store sales in the company's home market plummeted by 60% to 70% as only less than half of its company-operated stores were still operating.

Starbucks expects its fiscal second-quarter earnings to be cut nearly in half. The company will report its full second-quarter results on April 28.

Shares of the coffee chain, which has a market value of $85.2 billion, have fallen 17% so far in 2020.
When you take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico, be aware that you're sharing the water with these guys.

Sometimes these strange aquatic creatures are discovered by scientists with organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Ocean Exploration Trust, led by Dr. Robert Ballard, the man who discovered the Titanic wreck.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2020 ) :Government of Japan on Thursday in response to the call made by Minister for SAFRON & Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi for helping out the Afghan refugees, has contributed one million US Dollars to Pakistan.

This is the first international contribution in response to Ministers for SAFRON's call for helping out the Afghan refugees, a press release said.

In this regard, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Mr Kuninori Matsuda called on Minister for SAFRON & Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi here and presented the contribution on behalf of the government and people of Japan.

He said that the amount had been paid to the UNHCR and it would be used to help the Afghan refugees.

He said the Japanese Government highly appreciates steps taken by Pakistan to fight Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

He said that the Japanese government wants to contribute to Pakistani airports to fight COVID-19.

He said that Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees generously for 40 long years. He said that he had of late visited Afghan Refugees Camp in Peshawar and studied how Pakistan is generously hosting Afghans especially the children and streamlined them with Pakistani children.

He also said that the Japanese government has been supporting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in economic development and it would like to help the Federal government too.

"We appreciate the peace process in Afghanistan and Japanese would like to become a part of development process in KP and Afghanistan," he added.

He said that Japan would also like to collaborate with Pakistan in the field of sports.

Shehryar Afridi expressed gratitude to the government and people of Japan for helping out the Afghan refugees and said that this contribution would go a long way in helping the Afghans affected by lockdown.

"We are grateful and expect that this contribution by Japan would send a strong message to the western countries to help the stranded Afghans," he added.

He said that Japan's commitment to help the suffering humanity has been exceptional and Japan has always helped people in calamity situations. Japan has led from the front and remembering those who are deprived. 2.8 million Afghan refugees and 32 percent are in camps.

He said that Pakistan has provided equal opportunities to Afghans as enjoyed by our own people and they have been mainstreamed in our society.

"We are issuing 60,000 visas to Afghans every month without charging even a single penny beside providing scholarship to 50,000 Afghan students," the minister added.

He said that Prime Minister on his request had also written to UN Secretary General to provide special assistance to Afghan refugees.

Even amid COVID-19 fight, we are helping the refugees. Why the Prosperous World is not coming to help. 85 percent of Afghans are daily wage earners for their families. We also need to provide them medical equipment for Afghans to help fight COVID-19," he concluded.
Julien Brun Managing partner CEL Consulting

Chinese supply of goods stopped abruptly or were significantly delayed. Available inventories dried up quickly and shortages began to happen all over the planet. Everybody outside of China was urging to find alternative production and/or transport capacity to serve customers orders.

In a recent survey conducted by CEL Consulting at the end of March, 83 per cent of companies in the physical value chain (retailers, transport, traders, manufacturers) in Vietnam had suffered from supply issues over the past two months. Nearly half (47 per cent) had issues specifically with Chinese supplies and a large majority of what came missing were raw materials.

Delays started to accumulate and even though some would eventually find a new supplier, planes slowly got forced to the ground and import/export flows were slowed down due to the lack of manpower to run operations on the floor.

From the perspective of early April, things have drastically changed. The pandemic is affecting nearly every country regardless of the level of development. Nearly one million people are officially infected, with almost 100,000 new cases every day.

Over three billion people are undergoing a lockdown or social distancing, and consumption has almost frozen in the Europe and the United States, or significantly dropped in most markets.

In Vietnam, the demand clearly surged in some categories, such as packaged food, dairy, and in personal care. Shop baskets got significantly more full as people started to visit markets and stores less frequently.

This surge in demand on specific items looked like more of a just in case purchase decision, and not a healthy increase of consumption. It is obvious that some lucky companies in specific sub-sectors are still trying to cope with much bigger orders than what they can deliver. But this rush on basic consumer commodities  toilet paper being a global symbol now  had skewed our perception.

Most companies in other sectors were initially in a wait-and-see mode, hoping for China to recover and hope for a quick recovery. Two months later, the sky is darker for these businesses. Currently, the reality is that the actual demand (volume of order) is at a low. Sales in beverages, fashion, electronics, vehicles, agriculture, furniture, footwear, and many other categories have vanished both locally and globally, and the consumer is missing out.

As we speak, in Vietnam and elsewhere, manufacturers and retailers current sales volumes are too low to absorb fixed costs, leaving thousands of businesses with negative margins and thin reserves of cash. Export-dependent companies are seeing orders cancelled every day, particularly from the EU and the US. As a consequence, the global transport sector is also being affected and freight forwarders in Vietnam are seeing their volume drop by up to 70 per cent.

A number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have already declared bankruptcy and for others the impact on human resources, the main adjustment variable, is being felt strongly and unemployment is threatening multiple industries.

Further pressure is also made on rents as retailers cash erodes and the real estate and construction sectors are under stress. Government measures are expected to release such immediate tension as the end of the crisis is still yet not clearly visible.

As we stand today, we are put in front of a hard yet simple reality: despite recent noise around digital transformation, consumers and workers remain at the heart of the modern economy. Lock them up and things start to shake.

Channel shift

As people spend more time at home, household spend has both reduced and shifted. Consumers are generally more cautious spending given the lack of visibility on the mid-long term future. Business-to-consumer product companies are generally selling less of their goods.

CEL Consulting found that companies operating in retail, distribution, and logistics services (excluding e-commerce and last mile delivery) report a loss of revenue against the target of 25 per cent in 2020s first quarter and dont expect to recover this loss this year.

But as confinement becomes a more pressing reality, urban consumers seek convenient and safe shopping alternatives for their daily family needs. E-commerce and home delivery services have become central to this evolution. It allows people to get what they need and want but also helps small businesses and restaurants to maintain a certain activity as their physical outlet is closed to the public.

Figures are still not officially published in Vietnam, but Lazada reported a 300 per cent increase in the number of orders in Singapore and Grab delivery surged by 200 per cent in Bangkok. We can assume that comparable growth is being seen in the main cities in Vietnam.

So overall, a large amount of volumes have shifted from offline to online distribution channels and last mile delivery companies are barely able to cope with the surge of delivery orders. One of the main challenges that this shift creates in the domestic distribution is the ability to transfer goods over long distances, for example between north and south Vietnam as airfreight and rail transport are constrained. Long haul trucks become scarce and lack of transport capacity generate delays and extra disruptions.

As people start to be accustomed to more systematic online purchase and home deliveries, it is likely that this becomes a habit and it is likely that the post crisis situation will still benefit the e-commerce and delivery sector while the offline retail sector will slowly recover. This is certainly a fundamental new trend in the consumer goods industry that we have to keep in mind.

The crisis will also further accelerate the e-government initiative allowing the population to fulfil administrative duties online and thus avoiding long physical queues. Once the crisis ends, it is likely that the implementation of digital solutions for consumers and citizens will spur drastically.

Outlook

As the global demand crisis deepens, we start seeing economies with promising results in their fight against mass contagion, namely South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and China. However now, it appears that the EU will still face lockdown at least until June-July to, in the best-case scenario, recover slowly over the second half of the year.

On the other side, the US has been hesitant in taking clear containment measures and the pandemic is spreading faster and faster every day in the American population. First estimates predict hundreds of thousands of deaths in the US only. It is now pretty clear that the US will be under massive tension for the next two quarters at least.

The stock markets are erratic, and despite a massive injection of cash from the Fed to support the real economy, experts and economists seriously worry about a global economic crisis. Regardless how fast other nations tend to recover, if the US is affected, the global economy will face severe challenges in the months to come. Currently, American consumers are already reducing expenditures in shoes, phones, appliances, clothes, cars, and tools, most of which are made in Asia and for a large portion in Vietnam.

Practically today, orders are being cancelled from the grocery store in Spain to the red wine trader in the US, from the fashion brand in Italy to the garment manufacturer in Vietnam, from the retail chain in the US to the shoes factory in India, from trader of coffee in the UK to the farmer cooperative in Ethiopia. And despite remaining disruption in the supply of goods globally, we are now entering into a consumer demand crisis.

More than ever, for companies, cash is king  without cash, the story ends. And to survive with very tight demand volume decision-makers have already initiated rationalising their product portfolio, developing complete new services for their remaining customers, conducting massive promotion campaigns, and cutting unessential costs.

The CEL Consulting survey shows that 80 per cent of businesses have already or are considering launching special promotion programmes to ensure a minimum of sales, and 60 per cent of them have already made changes in their product range.

We are in a phase where companies need to innovate and realign themselves with new demand volumes, patterns, and trends. A Darwinist effect that will let on the side the businesses that were not able to adapt fast enough.

Even if its early to predict how the world will be post-pandemic, our global economy and global supply chains will certainly have to evolve significantly. A few trends start to emerge:

* Online ordering becomes a more common habit of consumers and the prevalence of e-commerce channels in the long run should be confirmed, including for the grocery category;

* Mature markets will develop autonomy with localised and renationalised supply chains and thus reduce their dependency to export markets. Free trade agreements may be challenged. Consumers will put higher preference to local products versus imported ones, also for environmental reasons;

* Consumers will increase expectation for transparency leading to tighter control on the origin of goods and compliance to hygienic standards. More quality controls will be required earlier in the chains;

* SMEs in the chain would have suffered a lot or even disappeared, leaving holes in the chains and forcing companies to find other, more resilient partners;

* Faster deployment of digital solutions to allow better visibility on business performance and more interconnected value chain partners; and

* Further acceleration of outsourced services such as logistics and manufacturing for companies to lighten their asset base and become more agile against uncertainty.

Regardless of our level of anxiety or optimism, it is important to remind ourselves that the weakest among us are going to suffer most. People living on daily wages in the streets of Lagos, Alger, Manila, Hanoi, and Santiago, for example, are the most exposed to very hard times to come. As businesspeople, we may be worried, but we are still comfortable.

We still can feed our beloved ones, and we still can enjoy quality time with our families. That is not a detail these days, and one must remember that some will need more support than others to cope collectively with this dire period to come. Solidarity is what we have left to emerge stronger together once the tsunami has passed.
Altaworx Team This award is further recognition that the formula Altaworx follows of business impact first, technology second is working. - Forrest Derr

The Financial Times has announced their list of Americas Top 500 Fastest Growing Companies. Altaworx is proud to announce that we made that list! We truly believe that the key to our success is based on the way that we focus on business impact first, and technology second. Altaworx is ranked as 253rd out of 500.

Read the FT Article here.

Altaworx, located in Fairhope, AL was founded in 2003 by Rickie Richey, with hopes of addressing the emerging demand for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business telephone systems. His vision was to build a company that not only provided leading-edge technology, but truly focused on helping customers drive revenue, control expenses, increase their productivity and operate more efficiently. In 2011, Altaworx continued to focus on customer impact through emerging technologies, becoming an internet telephony service provider (ITSP). The company began selling Altaworx branded SIP trunking and Hosted PBX to business customers in the 22 state AT&T footprint. Today, the company operates its cloud-based solutions from two AT&T data centers located in both Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. With a focus on empowering resellers to build equity value in their business, Altaworx continues to grow.
HOLYOKE  Six more veterans have died in the past day from COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers and four additional residents have tested positive for the coronavirus.

More than two-thirds, or 67 percent, of the about 210 people living at the state-run home for elderly and infirm veterans have now been infected with the virus since the first resident tested positive on March 21.

As of Thursday, 44 residents have died of COVID-19 and one additional death is unknown. Seven other residents have died in the same time period of other causes, officials for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said.

An additional 97 veterans who live in the home have tested positive for coronavirus, 75 have tested negative and the results of two tests are pending, officials said.

Two additional staff have also tested positive in the past day, bringing the total number of employees who were infected with COVID-19 to 81, officials said.

After learning on March 29 that eight residents had died from the rapidly-spreading virus and many more were suspected to be infected, Health and Human Services Deputy Superintendent Daniel Tsai sent a team to examine the problems at the home the next day. On March 30 officials placed Superintendent Bennett Walsh on paid administrative leave and tapped Val Liptak, a registered nurse and CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital in Westfield, to take over the administrative role.

Walsh has said any accusation of wrong-doing or mismanagement is outrageous. In a written statement released on Thursday Walsh said he kept state officials updated on the homes situation as it daily grew more desperate and requested help from the National Guard but was denied. But local and state officials have said they were not aware of the extent to which the virus was spreading.

A clinical control team made up of medical experts is continuing to work at the facility to ensure proper infectious control methods are being used to prevent the virus from spreading to the about 30 residents who tested negative and remain at the home, state officials said.

Of the residents who initially tested negative, 44 were moved to a satellite unit at Holyoke Medical Center where their health continues to be monitored. After the move, 15 have later tested positive and three have died, officials said.

At least 52 of those employees are out of work. Other employees have recovered from the virus and have returned to work, union officials said.

The Clinical Command team has continued to augment staff with trained medical and operational staff from the Massachusetts National Guard. The team is also recruiting new staff. A sign at the bottom of the driveway leading to the home announcing openings for nurses and certified nursing assistants since mid-March, officials said.

After receiving multiple complaints from employees in early March about the lack of masks and other personal protective gear, the clinical team is also tracking the amount of gear available to employees. On Thursday an additional 2,000 gowns were delivered to the home and 50,000 masks and 1,000 gowns were sent to the home on Wednesday, officials said.

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Sales of dog and cat meat have risen in Vietnam and Cambodia since the outbreak of the coronavirus because people believe it has warming properties that head off flu viruses, an investigation has found.

Even some hospital doctors recommend the meat to patients, claiming it helps protect them from cold weather and recover from surgery, according to campaigners.

But experts say caging the animals in large numbers and slaughtering them in insanitary conditions actively increases the chances of starting dangerous diseases, and there is no evidence of the meat having any beneficial effects.

The trade is part of the ticking time bomb of live animal markets strongly thought to have sparked the pandemic and which could spark another one, they warn.

Covid-19 has also led to a sudden hike in dog and cat meat dishes being advertised on food delivery apps as restaurants in Vietnam switch to takeaway services.

A street seller in Cambodia told investigators from the global animal welfare organisation Four Paws that buyers believe dog meat is good for health and helps ward off cold or viral illness, like Covid-19. Others said it was natural, without chemicals, and safe to eat.

Alongside the popularity of southeast Asias wildlife markets selling a wide variety of animals for consumption, the trade in dog and cat meat has been rising over the past three years, the organisation says.

Before the outbreak, about 10 million dogs and cats were slaughtered for eating in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia every year, according to Four Paws.

But its investigators said they had witnessed and heard how sales of the meat in the region had risen during the global pandemic.

We had expected the trade to be curtailed after the outbreak and in view of the restrictions, said Katherine Polak, a vet and head of Four Paws stray animal care in southeast Asia. But were surprised to find the traders saying business was better than ever.

The research teams interviewed sellers in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, and in the northwest Cambodian town of Siem Reap and capital, Phnom Penh.

In Siem Reap, she said their teams found a few traders had closed, but those that remained were rewarded with better business.

With each trader selling at least three dog carcasses a day, about 300 dogs are being killed in the town daily, they estimated.

Meat buyers in both Cambodia and Vietnam told the investigators that the World Health Organisations announcement on cats and dogs not catching the virus prompted people to think that eating them was safe.

Our team who talked to the traders reported an initial decrease after the outbreak because people thought maybe there was a relationship with the virus, but the Cambodian government dismissed that notion after the World Health Organisation said dogs and cats were not a risk. The WHO said that to prevent mass abandonment of pets  but it had the opposite effect.

Consumption had also risen because people staying at home want to try more exotic meat, Dr Polak said.

In interviews last year, patients had told Four Paws how medical professionals had advised them to consume the meat for its warming and healing properties thought  falsely  to ward off flu viruses and the coronavirus.

The meat is particularly recommended to women after giving birth and is said to increase blood flow for women during their menstrual cycle.

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But a report two months ago by the group, which has studied the trade in the three countries, concluded there was no evidence for any of the medical benefits claimed by health professionals.

Patients are routinely advised by health practitioners of the health benefits, and vendors are reporting to us that their customers are partaking in dog meat consumption due to the health benefits, Dr Polak said, adding that she strongly suspected doctors were now recommending it even more in view of Covid-19.

In Indonesia, people widely believe dog meat cures respiratory illness  largely asthma  so demand for it in that country could soar, Dr Polak said.

The animals may be strays or stolen pets, or are bought by traders who exchange them for pots and pans.

Vendors in Cambodia and Vietnam stand in masks at the roadside, providing bags of the meat, which may be cooked on the spot or for customers to take home.

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Cambodias capital Phnom Penh has more than 110 dog meat restaurants, many of which opened within the past two years, Four Paws says.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, the organisations teams found that a few had closed but most had switched to providing takeaway services.

And restaurants across the country are advertising dog and cat meat dishes for delivery on food delivery websites and apps.

This is concerning because we had never seen dog and cat meat dishes being advertised on a food delivery app before the Covid-19 outbreak. It demonstrates that the dog-meat industry is adapting to the increased consumption at home and increased ease of obtaining dog and cat meat, even during a lockdown, said Dr Polak.

The insanitary conditions of the cat and dog meat trade, coupled with the contamination risks of having so many different animal species caged and killed alongside one another, present the perfect breeding ground for new and deadly diseases like Covid-19.

A cage of dogs at an outdoor slaughterhouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia (Four Paws)

The rampant trade and live animal markets across southeast Asia are ticking time bombs. If governments do not act now and shut down these cruel markets, the next global pandemic might originate in Vietnam, Cambodia or Indonesia.

Last week China classified dogs as pets, not livestock, for the first time  a move campaigners hope could signal an end to that countrys dog and cat meat trade.

Four Paws, which is campaigning for a total ban on dog and cat meat, has long warned of the risk of the spread of rabies from the pet meat trade.

The news comes as The Independents Stop the Wildlife Trade campaign calls for an international effort to tighten restrictions on wet markets to reduce the risk of future pandemics.

A recent study has proposed that the virus might have travelled from bats to humans via stray dogs.
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan addressed a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirming Armenias commitment to the appeal for global ceasefire.

Highlighting the necessity to fight the pandemic through joint actions, the Armenian FM said in the letter: The international support is equally important for the people who became vulnerable as a result of conflicts. In this regard, the support and availability of the UN professional structures, and first of all, the World Health Organization, is specifically important for people living in regions and affected by conflict. Armenia is ready to provide all the necessary conditions for the uninterrupted operation of the UN respective bodies regardless of the status of the territory.

This pandemic is a great challenge for the humanity, meanwhile the joint efforts for overcoming it can give a new impetus to the multilateral cooperation, the joint efforts to create an inclusive world free of wars and hatred. Taking actions to strengthen trust towards the prevention, mitigation and management of the disaster at this difficult time should be viewed as an opportunity for all peoples, including the conflict sides.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The United Arab Emirates Interior Ministry's "Happiness and Positivity Council" announced late Wednesday the adoption by police forces of a new high-tech smart helmet to help in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

The interior minister, Lt. Gen. Saif bin Zayed, said the bulbous helmet with a large mirrored visor will be used by specialized police teams. It has night vision and facial recognition cameras and can process car license plates, but its main use now will be to diagnose people with the virus from a safe distance.

"The helmets can also accurately and quickly read the temperature of people in different climatic conditions and outdoors, as well as in an unusual environment, utilizing thermal radiation based on smart technology while generating sound alerts and warnings according to a person's condition," the state news agency reported.

The UAE, a wealthy Persian Gulf state that is a top tourist destination and an immense market for migrant labor, created a Cabinet position responsible for happiness in 2016 and has made the promotion of happiness a government priority. Police stations now contain "happiness centers."

The outbreak of the coronavirus, however, has had a heavy impact on the country and especially Dubai, a city known for its millions of tourists, hundreds of restaurants and many beaches. All restaurants have been closed except for takeout, and many top hotels have been converted to quarantine centers.

The UAE's outbreak has been worsening, with the number of cases doubling three times just in the last two weeks, reaching 5,365. Deaths, however, have been few compared to other countries. Just 33 have been reported, a tally attributed to the general youth of population, extensive testing and good health infrastructure.

The UAE already has incorporated technology in its battle to contain the virus, using phone apps to enforce quarantine, speed cameras to monitor cars moving around without permission and an online permit system for those seeking to buy food.

While the rest of the country is under just a nighttime curfew, Dubai has put its residents on 24-hour lockdown and required them to get permits to leave their homes.

Dubai's traditional trading quarter and home of its famed spice and gold markets were sealed off from the rest of the city on March 30, suggesting that the outbreak was focused in the crowded quarter packed with migrants from South Asia and Iran.

While happiness remains one of the stated priorities of police, they have also been highly visible in the past few weeks handing out fines of hundreds of dollars to those leaving homes without a permit or driving a car without a face mask. Walking pets and exercising outdoors have also been banned.

A video released by Dubai police on Tuesday and set to dramatic piano music shows an officer using the new helmet, interspersed with scenes of what appears to be heat-sensing imaging of people at a bus station.

The officer scans the often worried-looking bystanders, and their body temperatures appear in the helmet's heads-up display.

"The Ministry of Interior is keen to use the best modern technologies, adopt the latest innovation and utilize the latest products to achieve its strategy and strengthen the preventive measures taken by the UAE to reduce the spread of coronavirus," the state news agency said in its report on the new helmet.

Meanwhile, the UAE has also announced the rollout of a new "Do Not Worry" campaign on social media featuring English and Arabic podcasts to cheer people up during the outbreak, according to a spokesman from the National Program for Happiness and Quality of Life.
[April 16, 2020] iperceptions Launches Customer Feedback Program to Help Businesses Understand and Adapt to the New Normal

MONTREAL, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iperceptions , a global leader in Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions, today announced the launch of iperceptions adapt, a free, 6-month customer feedback program that provides businesses access to curated solutions to help them listen to their customers and website visitors, and navigate the business impacts from COVID-19.

The iperceptions adapt program aims to help businesses understand the disruption caused by the crisis on their customers, determine how they can adjust to support their customers, and prepare for new customer habits that develop during the crisis. iperceptions designed its adapt program to share its expertise and help businesses that need to accelerate their digital transformation by identifying the friction points in the customer experience. The program provides access to the following solutions: An easy-to-deploy customer experience measurement tool to measure customer needs and sentiment, gauge perceptions about the brands response to COVID-19, and identify opportunities to support and serve customers through these exceptional times.

li>Access to real-time reporting features in the iperceptions platform, including real-time email notifications and an interactive Customer Experience dashboard to track and trend customer feedback during the crisis. Guidance from iperceptions research design and implementation experts to start collecting targeted customer feedback on their website, quickly.



Enrollment into the free, 6-month iperceptions adapt customer feedback program is available until June 1, 2020.

Visit the iperceptions website to learn more about the iperceptions adapt program. About iperceptions Founded in 1999, iperceptions is a global leader in Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions, guiding the world's most respected brands to become customer-centric organizations. iperceptions uses Enterprise-class technology and an expert-guided approach to transform feedback into insights that empower brands to deliver optimal experiences across the customer journey. iperceptions offers a full range of solutions tailored to their clients unique needs, and which are powered by a team of experts that has managed 1000s of customer feedback programs in 35 languages for Automotive, Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare, Finance, Education and Telecommunications brands. To start doing CEM that is guided by experience, visit iperceptions.com . All trademarks and registered trademarks in this document are the properties of their respective owners. Media Contact:

Philippe Aussant

iperceptions

514-488-3600

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Those holding Laserbond (ASX:LBL) shares must be pleased that the share price has rebounded 32% in the last thirty days. But unfortunately, the stock is still down by 41% over a quarter. The full year gain of 12% is pretty reasonable, too.

All else being equal, a sharp share price increase should make a stock less attractive to potential investors. In the long term, share prices tend to follow earnings per share, but in the short term prices bounce around in response to short term factors (which are not always obvious). So some would prefer to hold off buying when there is a lot of optimism towards a stock. One way to gauge market expectations of a stock is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E implies that investors have high expectations of what a company can achieve compared to a company with a low P/E ratio.

Check out our latest analysis for Laserbond

Does Laserbond Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 14.69 that there is some investor optimism about Laserbond. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (9.9) for companies in the machinery industry is lower than Laserbond's P/E.

ASX:LBL Price Estimation Relative to Market April 15th 2020

Laserbond's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such as whether company directors have been buying shares.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

Notably, Laserbond grew EPS by a whopping 39% in the last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 32%. I'd therefore be a little surprised if its P/E ratio was not relatively high.

Story continues

Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.

How Does Laserbond's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Laserbond has net cash of AU$1.9m. That should lead to a higher P/E than if it did have debt, because its strong balance sheets gives it more options.

The Bottom Line On Laserbond's P/E Ratio

Laserbond's P/E is 14.7 which is about average (14.4) in the AU market. Its net cash position is the cherry on top of its superb EPS growth. So based on this analysis we'd expect Laserbond to have a higher P/E ratio. What we know for sure is that investors have become more excited about Laserbond recently, since they have pushed its P/E ratio from 11.1 to 14.7 over the last month. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might mean it's time to put the stock on a watchlist, or research it. But the contrarian may see it as a missed opportunity.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Laserbond. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
It's official: Murray State becomes member of Missouri Valley Conference
[April 16, 2020] Zenoo: New Tech Brings Financial Relief to Small Businesses Through PPP

LONDON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UK technology firm Zenoo (zenoo.com) has created a new solution to enable US small businesses to quickly receive essential Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 crisis. The technology was created at the emergency Hackathon to Save Small Business in March, where the Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR) brought together over 60 people representing more than 20 banks, fintech firms, non-profit organisations and other institutions across the US and Europe. Set up as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Paycheck Protection Program is a rescue package for small businesses to stay active during the current crisis. However, with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the US Treasury Department instructing banks to handle all applications in a tight timeframe, the digital capabilities of the financial institutions have found it hard to cope, leaving may desperate businesses unable to file the applications intended to keep them afloat.



The key issue has been the failure of financial institutions to have a robust and efficient digital onboarding process which allows customers to apply for loans such as PPP without physically entering a branch. "There are very few banks that have solved the challenge of fast and efficient digital onboarding, the impact of which we are seeing now," said Zenoo CEO Stuart Watkins. "And even when they do have something in place, normally the tech is built in a way that is difficult to change quickly. With something like the PPP loan, where the regulation is changing daily, banks need an ability to instantly adapt and they are ill prepared."

As the coronavirus crisis has hit US businesses hard, Zenoo has pivoted to focusing on building solutions to help firms battle the effects of the pandemic. It was this understanding of how technology can overcome the challenges of COVID-19 that led to Zenoo being invited by AIR to try and solve the PPP application problem in March's Hackathon. Zenoo worked three days and two nights on the challenge and created a solution to address the crucial issue of digital onboarding of PPP applicants at mass scale with speed. Jo Ann Barefoot, CEO and co-founder of the Alliance for Innovative Regulation, said: "We were so pleased that Zenoo participated in the Hackathon and has followed up with a working solution to help address the small business crisis." Zenoo's ability to problem solve was born four years ago when the leadership team set about assembling a group of experts from around the world to build the next generation of digital onboarding platform. From there the company philosophy has been key - solid technology, built by exceptional people with a single mission. Watkins added: "There are many companies talking about solutions, but none of them have come forward with an actual solution - we have." To learn more and sign up visit www.zenoo.com/ppp For more about Zenoo visit www.zenoo.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zenoo-new-tech-brings-financial-relief-to-small-businesses-through-ppp-301041532.html SOURCE Zenoo

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The Drug Controller General of India has given its approval to the Delhi-based Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) to conduct trials to test the effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy for serious coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients.

The therapy uses plasma  a component of blood  extracted from healthy patients who have recovered from Covid-19 to treat those who are critical. The immune system creates an antibody to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, when it enters a human body. This antibody remains in the human body even after the virus has cleared out.

The antibodies from the recovered person will theoretically help critical patients in fighting the infection. It can be beneficial in the absence of any other vaccines to treat Covid-19. This procedure has been tried for several other viral diseases as well, said Dr Sarin, director, ILBS.

We take around 300-500 millilitres of blood from those healthy people who have recovered from the infection and have high antibody level, from which plasma is derived, frozen and then administered to patients who are critical and have no other form of treatment available to them, he said.

However, no antibody tests are available in the country now, as it is not manufactured in India.

India doesnt manufacture antibody testing kits. This makes it impossible to measure the antibody levels of a Covid-19 patient who has recovered. Were choosing only those healthy patients who have recovered, as they are likely to have a good immunity response, said Dr Sarin.

The trial will be conducted only on healthy individuals, who have recovered from Covid-19 and will act as donors. The donors must not have comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, no heart condition and below 60 years of age.

The therapy will be given only to the critical patients such as those with a respiratory rate higher than 30 (normal is 20), have an oxygen saturation of less than 90% (normal is 95 to 100%), or have pus in their lungs.

Dr Meenu Bajpai will do the extraction at an isolated area at ILBS, and it will be administered to patients admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital under the supervision of Dr Suresh Kumar from Maulana Azad Medical College, said Dr Sarin.

As per the trial procedures, 10 patients will be randomly administered plasma therapy and an equal number will receive a placebo, as in it will devoid of any therapeutic effect but help in testing new drugs.

The procedure will determine whether those who received the plasma recover faster than those who did not.

Healthy Covid-19 patients, who have recovered, should come forward to help those who are critical, Dr Sarin added.

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A paedophile caught with some of the most 'horrific and disturbing' abuse images investigators have ever seen has been jailed for 20 months.

Haitch Macklin, 38, who performed part-time as DJ Spook, sold access to his catalogue to paedophiles via an encrypted messaging app for 10 a month.

His collection at his home in Higher Broughton, Salford, included sexual torture videos of babies and toddlers, the National Crime Agency said.

Macklin, who used the name 'UK Perv' online, spoke of his desire to acquire 'snuff' films showing real-life killings, investigators said.

He also told how he wanted to murder someone and film it.

Macklin admitted he was a paedophile in chatrooms, where he advertised his collections, signing off one ad: 'NO MORALS!!!!'

Born David Bradley and previously known as Haitch Bradley, Macklin admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of showing them.

He was jailed for 20 months at Manchester Crown Court yesterday.

Haitch Macklin (pictured), who performed part-time as DJ Spook, sold access to his catalogue to paedophiles via an encrypted messaging app for 10 a month

The NCA said: 'A team of officers viewed, assessed and graded the material Macklin sold access to, and all noted that this is some of the most horrific and disturbing content they've ever seen in many years investigating child sexual abuse.

'Macklin posed a very real and dangerous threat to children.

'Not only was he viewing and profiteering from indecent images of children, he was also harbouring thoughts of committing rape and murder.

'The NCA knows there is a direct link between offenders looking at abuse images and going on to commit even more severe acts.'

Macklin was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years, and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order putting stringent conditions on his computer and internet use.

It comes after the NCA estimated that there are at least 300,000 people in the UK who are a sexual threat to children.

The agency has also warned paedophiles are looking to take advantage of children who are off school and spending more time online during the coronavirus lockdown.
Ethiopia plans to shutter a camp for Eritrean refugees and resettle thousands of its inhabitants in other camps that the UN considers already full, an official said, despite concerns this could make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Hitsats camp is one of four in the northern Tigray region that together house nearly 100,000 people from Eritrea, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, out of more than 170,000 Eritrean refugees nationwide.

In early March, Ethiopian officials informed UNHCR they intended to close Hitsats as part of a consolidation scheme, but it was delayed after Ethiopia confirmed its first COVID-19 cases in mid-March.

Yet preparations for the closure have continued, and Eyob Awoke, deputy director general of Ethiopia's Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs, told AFP this week that relocations could begin by the end of April.

"We are ready to start. But we cannot start with a big number. We can start with a small number," Eyob said. "We can even start before the end of this month."

Hitsats residents will have the option of resettling in one of two other camps or being granted a permit to live and work independently in Ethiopia.

The decision to close Hitsats -- which the government says houses 13,022 refugees -- is partly linked to funding cuts from UNHCR, Eyob said.

The government also believes it can better serve refugees by consolidating the camps in Tigray, he said.

Ann Encontre, UNHCR's Ethiopia representative, told AFP that Ethiopia began the year with a 14-percent reduction in funding from the organisation but that this would not justify a camp closure.

Moving Hitsats residents to other camps would "definitely" make them more vulnerable to COVID-19, she said.

"The situation in the other two camps -- there's not enough water, there's not enough sanitation, there's not enough medical and health services," Encontre said.

"There's not enough facilities and shelter for an influx as big as that."

There are 1,600 unaccompanied children in the camp, according to UNHCR.

Ethiopia has so far reported 92 COVID-19 cases, but none in refugee camps.

'Fear and confusion'

Eritrea's system of compulsory national service has led to descriptions of the nation as an "open-air prison" akin to North Korea.

A border war erupted between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1998, killing tens of thousands and leading to a two-decade stalemate.

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed struck a surprise peace deal in 2018, but there has been no sign of political reform within Eritrea since and asylum seekers continue to stream over the border into Ethiopia.

The decision to close Hitsats is the latest of several moves by Ethiopia that the UN and human rights groups fear could deprive Eritrean asylum seekers of needed protections.

Troubled past: Ethiopia and Eritrea. By (AFP)

In January, Ethiopia reversed a longstanding policy of automatically granting all Eritrean asylum seekers refugee status, instead evaluating cases individually.

The earlier policy frequently drew criticism from the Isaias regime.

Eyob said the change was necessary because some Eritreans were coming to Ethiopia even though they didn't have a reasonable fear of persecution back home.

"Some of them are just coming to live in Ethiopia because they feel that living in Eritrea is somehow very difficult," he said.

Encontre said the policy had led to a drop in the number of Eritrean refugees being registered even before Ethiopia shut its land borders last month to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The changes in how Ethiopia treats Eritrean asylum seekers are "creating fear and confusion", said Laetitia Bader, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW).

"The government needs to make sure that it publicly announces and explains any shifts in policy and properly consults with the affected refugee communities as well as with humanitarian actors," she said.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S



Yediyurappa on Thursday launched a Mobile COVID-19 Testing Kiosk for the swift collection and testing of the COVID-19 infection in identified clusters or hotspots.

An initiative of Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, the mobile testing kiosk eradicates the need for at-risk persons to visit the nearest hospital or clinic and helps in effective implementation of social distancing norms during collection and testing of samples, the MP said in a statement.

According to him, the booths have been developed by Manoj P Kudtharkar of Mantra e-ventures, a startup based in Bengaluru.

Dr Vishal Rao, member of the COVID-19 Consultative Group, an advisory body to Government of Karnataka, has mentored the project.

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences will provide assistance in scaling up the operations using its network of colleges and hospitals for the testing of individuals on the ground, the MP said.

The booth, 6.5 feet in height and 3 feet in width, is made up of aluminium and acrylic glass, surfaces known to be resistant against the coronavirus.

Resembling a telephone booth, it can be mounted on a mini-truck or a pickup truck, which can be parked in an open field or a cluster.

The utility also supports Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for booth workers (healthcare staff).

Gloves and a medical kit to collect samples are placed inside the booth for the healthcare worker.

"Through the kiosk, we have reduced the risk of COVID-suspect individuals spreading the infection to those around them," Surya said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If theres one thing that has come up over and over in our Coronavirus Q & A Facebook Live events, its testing. People whove tuned into our daily chats with officials and experts want to know when they can be tested for COVID-19, where they can be tested and how much testing will cost. And they want to know why its so hard to find out if theyve been stricken with the virus so they can prevent spreading it to other people.

Testing is the key to controlling the coronavirus, PennLives Wallace McKelvey reported in an article this week. Without information on who has the virus and where it has spread, it will be hard to control it.

The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals office has received thousands of complaints about businesses raising prices and trying to take advantage of vulnerable people during the coronavirus crisis. This is illegal, and Attorney General Josh Shapiro has started an aggressive campaign to try to stop it. Shapiro will joins the Coronavirus Q & A today to discuss the ways his office is trying to protect Pennsylvanians during this crisis. Get your questions ready! Posted by PennLive.com on Monday, April 6, 2020

If we want to get people back to work and the economy going again, we have to significantly improve the availability of tests. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, PA Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and Attorney General Josh Shapiro have heard readers call for increased testing in their recent appearances on the Coronavirus Q & A.

Sen. Bob Casey joins PennLive's Joyce Davis on the Coronavirus Q & A.

And they all agreed: weve got to do better locally, even if we get no help from Washington.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has asked the U.S. Department of Education to clarify its announcement of an interest waiver for federal student loans to ensure everyone understands the new rules. And he is being called to closely monitor how the state is purchasing badly needed medical supplies and personal protection equipment for healthcare workers to ensure theres not price gouging of taxpayer money. Bring your questions and comments to today's Coronavirus Q & A. Posted by PennLive.com on Monday, April 13, 2020

Our readers are demanding state officials solve the problem of testing, which even has been denied to people with clear symptom of the coronavirus. PennLive and Spotlight PA have documented case after case of people becoming ill with symptoms that appear to be signs of COVID-19, but they cant confirm if they have the virus.

One 60-year-old Perry County woman came down with fever, chills, the tell-tale cough and an excruciating headache that got worse at night. She suffered for more than a week, trying to stay away from her aged father, but was repeatedly rejected for testing. Why?

She hadnt traveled out of the county in the past 14 days, and she couldnt prove shed been around anyone whod tested positive. But we all know its been almost impossible for many people to get tested.

Marlise Yameogo, a 19-year-old college student from Steelton, met the same brick wall when she came down with shortness of breath, a fever and a severe headache. A nurse told her she didnt meet the criteria for testing.

The Perry County woman was finally able to get tested at a new UPMC facility that opened this week in the Harrisburg area, and Yameogo also got a referral  for a site 40 minutes away in Williamsport. They both have to wait days to find out if they had the virus, but theres a relief in just knowing, one way or the other.

More testing sites are now opening, which is great news. UPMC has opened a testing site at 775 S. Arlington Ave. in Harrisburg, but a doctors referral is needed. Rite Aid has announced it is opening two testing sites  one in Harrisburg and another in York. But theres still concern that a whole lot more testing sites are needed to meet the demand.

And theres another problem. Officials arent keeping the right data to be able to determine where the virus is spreading and where it may be the most dangerous. Healthcare workers say not enough demographic information is being kept on age, gender, race and geographic location of those who test positive.

Sen. Bob Casey joins us in the first half hour of the Coronavirus Q & A to talk about his work to battle this deadly virus. And in the second half hour, we will discuss race and the coronavirus with Chad Lassiter, of the PA Human Relations Commission, and David Dix, chair of the Governor's Advisory Council on African American Affairs. Posted by PennLive.com on Tuesday, April 14, 2020

This is a critical issue for Chad Lassiter, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and David Dix, chair of the Governors Commission on African American Affairs, who fielded questions on race and the coronavirus on PennLives Coronavirus Q & A.

Demographic information is also critical for health care workers who need to determine how to deploy limited resources to stem the viruss spread and to identify factors that might reduce Its ability to kill.

Our readers see this as directly related to when our lives can get back to something like normal. Lets face it, even if stores and offices reopen, whos going to feel safe resuming life as usual without knowing who has COVID-19 and who doesnt?

If people cant be reassured that COVID-19 is under control, they wont rush back into restaurants, shopping centers or into their offices, even if the governor and the president both lift their stay at home orders.

In the absence of strong guidance and resources from the federal government, we urge the state to strengthen its partnership with the healthcare industry and make the presidents words ring true: anyone who wants a test can get one.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

And please subscribe to Battleground PA to stay abreast of the issues in the 2020 elections!
The demolition of a 96-year old coal plant Saturday caused dust to coat the surrounding Chicago neighborhood of Little Village. The city issued the permit for demolition just 11 days before, in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic which has infected nearly 17,000 people and killed 630 in the city and surrounding Cook County.

The dust cloud spread over a three-quarter-mile radius forcing residents to stay indoors. Those living closest to the demolition reported dust entering through cracks in the door and windows of their homes. Residents told the World Socialist Web Site they were only given a one-day notice of the planned demolition and some reported being given no notice at all.

The city is under an official stay-at-home order and only essential businesses are supposed to be operating. Why the city approved the demolition taking place under these conditions remains to be answered.

Crawford Power Plant Demolition & Fallout

On a community Facebook page, resident Jazmine Barrera remarked, Did they really have to do this with COVID-19 going on. Its been shut down all these [years] and just now they decided. Another added, We knew this was coming... they dont give a shit about us.

The coal plant was shuttered in 2012, after decades of polluting the surrounding neighborhood. City inspectors and developer Hilco Redevelopment Partners claimed that asbestos removal was completed on the site and the demolition posed no threat to public health. However, there is little reason to believe the job was done right. What toxic chemicals, if any, were in the dust that coated the area remains to be seen.

Fernando Cantu, a 78-year-old man who lived less than a half mile away from the coal plant, died within hours of the implosion. Cantu, who had suffered from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), had been outside that afternoon and was dead by 3 a.m. the next day.

Emissions from coal facilities are known to exacerbate asthma and make people more susceptible to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and influenza. An infection from the novel coronavirus can cause fatal pneumonia, particularly in those have compromised lungs, including from breathing in toxic and polluted air.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot put the blame on the developer for not keeping promises to mitigate the spread of dust. If anybody in the city government or the aldermans office knew what was represented to us wasnt actually going to be followed on site, we would have stopped it in its tracks, Lightfoot said in a press conference. However, a Chicago Fire Department crew was on scene and made no effort to halt the implosion.

Image credit via Instagram: Macnifying_glass

Public outcry and the scale of the disaster has forced Lightfoot to take a stern public tone. On one hand, she promises to make Hilco pay for the clean up, but her plan for accountability stops short of rescinding a $19.7 million dollar tax credit Hilco gets for developing the property. This exposes the basic class orientation of the Democratic Party, which has enjoyed almost 90 years of one-party rule in Chicago.

Decades of decades of deindustrialization and cuts to social spending overseen by one Democratic administration after another has devastated working class communities like Little Village, exposing the party as no less reactionary than the Republicans.

Situated near a canal on the citys southwest side, Little Village grew into an intermodal shipping hub. Containing a scrap yard, an asphalt plant, dozens of warehouses and a plant that manufactures recycled steel products, Crown Steel, this highly industrialized part of the city contains all the pollutants that go along with industry. As surrounding neighborhoods gentrify, increasing rents on substandard housing is pushing out many long-term residents. These are the social conditions that led to a house fire18 months ago which tragically killed ten children.

Image credit via Instagram: Magno81

Little Village resident Denisse told the WSWS, I was not given a day of notice when the demolition was going to happen. I would've thought our alderman would've told us. We get texts from him and [neighboring alderman] Cardenas about elections and all that, but no notification about this building going down.

It is a terrible time to do this. We already are restricted to our homes and social distancing, now they pretty much poison the air near us. The debris may be filled with asbestos and all other kinds of harmful particles. This was not done in the best interest of the people.

Another resident, Ivy added, The demolition was not essential at the moment. I think they decided to take advantage of the situation since we have the stay at home order.
[April 16, 2020] New online platform launches to provide people across Canada with immediate mental health and substance use support as COVID-19 escalates

Wellness Together Canada the first and only online mental health platform of its kind in Canada for people of all ages, in every province and territory TORONTO, April 16, 2020 /CNW/ - People in Canada, regardless of where they live or their age, can access immediate virtual mental health and substance use support with the launch of Wellness Together Canada, a historic initiative launched through a joint venture with Stepped Care Solutions, Kids Help Phone and Homewood Health, supported by Greenspace Health, in response to growing mental health concerns with the escalation of COVID-19. A "one-stop shop" online portal, Wellness Together Canada provides a "stepped care" model offering services that range from immediate crisis support to mental health screening and self-assessment tools, peer-to-peer support, educational resources, e-courses, access to virtual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and access to counselling support by phone, text or live chat. The initiative is the first and only online platform of its kind offering immediate mental health and substance use support to all people in Canada in every province and territory in English and French. "Mental wellness is difficult to maintain with the disruptions happening now. It's not easy to maintain a routine. People in every community are struggling and need our help. That's why we are acting today to make professional resources more easily accessible to Canadians" said, The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health. Stepped care is a care delivery model developed by psychologist Dr. Peter Cornish to ensure individuals are able to access the level of support appropriate to their needs while also creating a more efficient and effective healthcare system. "Wellness Together Canada is a perfect example of the power and possibilities of the stepped care model when put into action," says Dr. Cornish. "The model aims to empower people to access the support they need at the moment they need it, whether that's simply an article that helps them to better understand what they're experiencing or a direct line to a trained counsellor in a moment of crisis. Wellness Together Canada is providing the full range of solutions to everyone in Canada, allowing individuals to make decisions about the care they require and providing the resources to access it." Each service delivery partner brings their unique services and expertise to the partnership.



Canada's only nationally available e-mental health solution for young people, Kids Help Phone is offering access to its phone-based single-session counselling services and its texting service for youth, Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone, which can be accessed by texting 686868. To further extend its support to Canadians of all ages, Kids Help Phone is also launching Crisis Text Line Canada  a new evolution of its existing texting service that will be exclusively available to adults and seniors. Crisis Text Line Canada can be accessed by texting WELLNESS to 741741 for immediate support. "COVID-19 is both a public health crisis and a mental health crisis," says Katherine Hay, President and CEO of Kids Help Phone. "Kids Help Phone alone has experienced a nearly 400% increase in calls/texts related to COVID-19 since mid-March, pointing to the depth and breadth of the mental health impact on Canada's youth. Now, as Canada navigates through this unprecedented period in our history, we are committed to opening up our services to people of all ages, in every part of Canada, along with our incredible partners through the launch of Wellness Together Canada. We are actively building our team of trained professional counsellors and volunteer Crisis Responders to ensure we're ready and able to meet the needs of every single person who reaches out to us for support."

Homewood Health has been supporting Canadians with mental health, trauma and addiction treatment and support since 1883. With a complete suite of services that includes a leading Canadian Employee Assistance Program, return to work services, outpatient and inpatient treatment and much more, Homewood is a leader in evidence-based treatment and care. Through Wellness Together Canada, Homewood Health is offering single and multi-session counselling for adults via phone and video as well as online educational resources. "For Canadians living with mental health or substance use issues, times of crisis can exacerbate their challenges or destroy their recovery efforts," says Jagoda Pike, President and CEO of Homewood Health. "Everyone at Homewood is profoundly proud to be able to support Canadians during this crisis. As always, and particularly during these deeply uncertain times, it is our goal to ensure that no one feels alone in their time of need." The joint venture partners are pleased to be working alongside Greenspace Health, a Toronto-based leader in mental healthcare technology. Greenspace's technology will act as the central online portal, where Canadians can access the many resources and supports available in this stepped care solution, while regularly tracking the impact on their mental well-being. "This is an opportunity to bring a scientific and technology-driven approach to mental health services," says Jeremy Weisz, CEO of Greenspace Health. "Wellness Together Canada represents an amazing feat of collaboration, designed to provide the right supports to each individual at the right time." In addition, Wellness Together Canada will be working with many e-mental health platforms, available through this portal, to enable a robust stepped care solution for all Canadians. Stepped Care Solutions, Kids Help Phone and Homewood Health, along with Greenspace Health, extend their deepest gratitude to Health Canada and the Government of Canada for their visionary investment and partnership to launch Wellness Together Canada. About Wellness Together Canada

Wellness Together Canada is an innovative new joint venture between Canadian mental health leaders Kids Help Phone, Stepped Care Solutions and Homewood Health, and supported by Greenspace Health, to offer a full range of mental health support to people of all ages in every part of Canada. It is available in both English and French as an online portal/website and can be accessed at WellnessTogetherCanada.ca. Wellness Together Canada is funded by Health Canada. About Stepped Care Solutions

Stepped Care Solutions is a Canadian not for profit consultancy group that aims to promote mental wellness by transforming the mental health system. We collaborate with organizations and service users to improve access and deliver flexible service by providing a framework that organizes a wide range of care options. Stepped Care Solutions brings together health and industry partners to design convenient, effective, and innovative care models that meet the needs of all Canadians. About Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 national service offering professional counselling, information, referrals and volunteer-led text-based support for young people. Kids Help Phone's free, anonymous services are available in both English and French. Kids Help Phone is a registered Canadian charity, and raises the majority of revenue from individuals, foundations, corporations, and community fundraising. Visit www.kidshelpphone.ca for more information. About Homewood Health

Homewood Health is a Canadian leader in the development and delivery of national, evidence-based mental health, trauma, and addiction treatment and services since 1883. Homewood's complete suite of services includes employee and family assistance programs, assessments, outpatient and inpatient treatment, recovery management, return to work and family support services, all tailored to meet the needs of individuals, clinical and institutional referrers, insurers and employers. Homewood Health's innovative approaches are redefining how Canadians access mental health and addiction treatment and support in order to help them live healthier, more productive and fulfilling lives. Visit www.homewoodhealth.com for more information. About Greenspace Health

Greenspace Health is a Canadian technology company that improves the way that mental healthcare is accessed, measured and delivered. Greenspace works with healthcare organizations and health systems to facilitate a better model for intake and triage into care and to more effectively measure an individual's progress in treatment, while generating valuable clinical outcome data. Greenspace is research-based and designed to help drive better mental health outcomes for all Canadians. More information can be found at: www.greenspacehealth.ca. SOURCE Kids Help Phone

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The National Park Service (NPS) this week announced that the 6 th Cavalry Museum will receive a $28,000 African American Civil Rights Historic Preservation Fund grant to commemorate and educate the public about the 6888 th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-female, all-African American unit to serve overseas during World War II. Before shipping out to England in 1945, the unit did their overseas training at Fort Oglethorpe, then an active U.S. Army base. Before shipping out to England in 1945, the unit did their overseas training at Fort Oglethorpe, then an active U.S. Army base.





The grant is a portion of the $14 million African American Civil Rights Historic Preservation Fund. The 6 th Cavalry Museum joins a total of 51 projects across 20 states and the District of Columbia that have been funded this year. Projects will preserve sites and history related to the African American struggle for equality in the 20th century.





These grants will fund important projects that document, interpret, and preserve sites that tell the stories of the African American experience in the pursuit of civil rights, said National Park Service Deputy Director David Vela, exercising the authority of the Director. Thanks to the coordination of public and private partners, these projects will help connect Americans to historic places that preserve American history.





The 6 th Cavalry Museum will use their grant funds to install a permanent exhibit about the 6888 th and the battalion's experience training for deployment at the Third WAC Training Center, which was located in Chickamauga National Battlefield during the war.





"The 6888th Postal Battalion played an extremely important role in WWII, boosting the morale of soldiers even as they waged another war against racism and segregation, said Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Superintendent Brad Bennett. We are proud that the national military park was a part of this vital story and are pleased that our partner the 6th Cavalry Museum has received this grant to share the fascinating story of the 6888th with local residents and travelers to our region."





The 6888 th s overseas assignment was to sort and distribute 17 million pieces of backlogged mail to U.S. soldiers and volunteers serving in the European theater of war. The women accomplished the task in six months.





We couldnt be prouder to have received National Park Service support for this project, said museum Executive Director Chris McKeever. The story of the 6888 th is one that should be told to every school child and adult in our region. They were an extraordinary unit of soldiers.





The 6 th Cavalry Museum is the only entity funded by the NPS program in Northwest Georgia or the greater Chattanooga region. The grant will go towards a permanent exhibit and education program for middle and high school students in the region.

"This exhibit and education program will stand as a solid reminder of the sacrifices that these women made at home and abroad for their country, said GA State Representative Jeff Mullis. "I really look forward to attending the exhibit opening and hearing the Fort Oglethorpe part of the story.





Work is already underway. The Chattanooga premiere of The Six Triple Eight, a documentary that profiles the story of the battalion, drew a huge crowd to the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga in February. A son of a 6888 th veteran and his wife were among the attendees. Part of the grant funding from the NPS will be used to find and interview other sons and daughters of 6888 th veterans who live in the tristate region.

"The addition of the 6888th Central Postal Directory WAC Battalion exhibit provides an opportunity to enrich residents and visitors of the grand cultural history within Fort Oglethorpe, said City of Fort Oglethorpe Councilwoman Paula G. Stinnett. These brave and patriotic women accomplished a feat which provided solace to many service men and women who had not heard from their loved ones in several years. It is only just that we honor the 6888th and tell their story to the present and generations yet to come!"




Britain and its allies will ask tough questions of China over the coronavirus outbreak, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Thursday, adding "we can't have business as usual after this crisis".

"We'll have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier," Raab said at a Downing Street press conference when asked about future relations with Beijing.
Around 300 people gathered in California to watch cars perform stunts and donuts during a massive sideshow on Easter despite the state's coronavirus lockdown.

An 18-year-old man was also taken into police custody after he fled the scene and crashed into a California Highway Patrol car.

According to authorities, hundreds of people and up to 150 vehicles attended a sideshow at the intersection of Florin Road and Palmer House Drive in Sacramento.

Around 300 people stood at a Sacramento, California, intersection to watch cars perform donuts and other stunts on Easter

A sideshow is an illegal, informal event where people gather to watch and perform vehicular tricks. Common locations for sideshows include vacant lots and road intersections.

They're most often seen in California's Bay Area and originated with the youth in Oakland.

Footage showed several residents standing around the intersection while different drivers took turns performing donuts.

Several people recorded the tricks on their cell phones and rallied behind the drivers as their vehicle's tires screeched along the asphalt.

The event - referred to as a sideshow - is an informal social gathering where drivers meet to show off vehicular stunts and tricks

Some participants were seen hanging out of passenger side windows while cars span in circles.

Several attendees forwent protective gear, like face masks and gloves, and did not practice social distancing.

Geremy Turner told Storyful that 10 cars performed stunts while several other vehicles blocked roadways.

About 30 minutes after the sideshow began, California Highway Patrol officers arrived to break up the event.

Authorities said a driver in black Chevy Camaro tried to evade capture from police officers and fled the scene when he collided head on with a patrol car.

Several residents arrived to the sideshow despite mandated stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines enforced by California

Authorities revealed Christian Alvarado Michaca, 18, was arrested that day after he fled the scene in his black Chevy Camaro (left) and collided with patrol cruiser (left)

'A separate CHP unit was responding to assist and was presented with the evading vehicle approaching head on with his patrol vehicle. The officer turned left and stopped as the Chevy approached his location,' authorities wrote on Facebook.

'The driver of the Chevy struck the right rear of the patrol vehicle. The Chevy lost its right front tire in the process and stopped west of the collision scene.'

Driver Christian Alvarado Michaca, 18, of Santa Rosa, was taken into police custody and booked at the Sacramento County Jail over a felony evading charge.

Two minors, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, were taken to a local hospital to receive medical treatment. The officer involved in the collision was not injured.

CHP: 'When you mix thousands of pounds of vehicle with speed, it takes only a second for a tragedy to occur-endangering life, risking injury, and causing property damage'

The California Highway Patrol added that sideshows are 'extremely dangerous' and could result in unintended injuries.

'The California Highway Patrol would like to remind everyone that sideshows are not only illegal, they are extremely dangerous,' they wrote.

'When you mix thousands of pounds of vehicle with speed, it takes only a second for a tragedy to occur-endangering life, risking injury, and causing property damage.'

Fox 11 reported that some residents in Los Angeles were disrupting stay-at-home orders and social distancing with similar sideshows.

The Los Angeles Police Department said these types of social gatherings were always dangerous, but the threat of COVID-19 has increased the risks.

'Now these takeovers this weekend were unusually bad, people getting hit by cars, traffic accidents, in fact, we had a fatal accident in the city related to racing,' said Jesse Garcia of LAPD's Central Traffic Division and head of the Street Racing Task Force.

'Its unfortunate that weve got these groups coming out to take advantage of the pandemic situation that we have. These crowds number into the hundreds of people standing inches apart engaged in takeover activity which is unacceptable and illegal.

'When youre in the middle of the street and cars are doing donuts in the middle of the intersection, its only a matter of time before somebody gets seriously hurt or killed.'

California recorded more than 27,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 880 deaths. Pictured: A person wearing protective face mask and gloves looks at an iPhone while waiting in line to enter Nijiya Market in Japan Town district of San Francisco

The impromptu sideshows came after Gov. Gavin Newsom of California ordered the state undergo an emergency shutdown amid the coronavirus outbreak.

In California, COVID-19 has infected nearly 27,000 residents and killed at least 880. The nation recorded 645,063 confirmed cases and 28,585 deaths.

On Thursday, Newsom announced a $125million grant for California's illegal immigrants who have struggled during the outbreak.

California will be the first state to give cash to immigrants living in the country illegally as a stimulus check amid the pandemic, offering $500 apiece to 150,000 adults who were left out of the $2.2 trillion stimulus package approved by Congress.

Newsom said $75million of taxpayer money for a Disaster Relief Fund for immigrants living in the country illegally.

'We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportations that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians,' said Newsom, who noted 10% of the state's workforce are immigrants living in the country illegally who paid more than $2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year.

California has an estimated 2.2 million immigrants living in the country illegally, the most of any state, according to the Pew Research Center.

Since mid-March, 2.7 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits - more than all of the claims California processed in 2019 combined.

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a $125 million grant for California's illegal immigrants who are hurt by coronavirus

The state's Employment Development Department has been overwhelmed, causing delays for many people seeking assistance.

On Wednesday, Newsom announced the state's call center will expand its hours to 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. More than 1,300 state employees have been reassigned to help process the claims.

And Newsom said the state will begin distributing federal unemployment benefits by the end of the month to people who usually aren't eligible for them, including the gig workers and the self-employed.

The soaring unemployment reports have caused a substantial uptick in demand for food banks.

Figures from the LA Food Bank show it handed out over seven million pounds of groceries last month, enough for 5.8m meals.
The hot spots map shows the share of population with a new reported case over the last week.

Source: Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. Daily cases are the number of new cases reported each day. The seven-day average is the average of a day and the previous six days of data.

Source: Vaccination data is based on government reports and is provided by the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford. Data is based on reports at the time of publication.

Source: Vaccination data is based on government reports and is provided by the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford. Data is based on reports at the time of publication.

Source: Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. The daily average is calculated with data that was reported in the last seven days.

Daily cases are the number of new cases reported each day. The seven-day average is the average of a day and the previous six days of data. All-time charts show data from Jan. 21, 2020 to present.

This table is sorted by places with the most cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days. Charts show change in daily averages and are each on their own scale. Select a table header to sort by another metric.

Daily cases are the number of new cases reported each day. The seven-day average is the average of a day and the previous six days of data. All-time charts show data from Jan. 21, 2020 to present.

This table is sorted by places with the most cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days. Charts show change in daily averages and are each on their own scale. Select a table header to sort by another metric.

About the data

Data for the United Kingdom comes from the Department for Health and Social Care, Public Health England, Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency of Northern Ireland and the Chief Medical Officer Directorate. Population data from U.K. Data Service Census Support. The Office for National Statistics also produces a weekly report on the number of deaths that mention Covid-19 on a death certificate. This figure, which includes deaths outside of hospitals, is many thousands of deaths higher than the reported daily death toll. The Times has identified reporting anomalies or methodology changes in the data. More about reporting anomalies or changes Dec. 25, 2021 to Dec. 26, 2021: The United Kingdom did not announce new cases and deaths for the Christmas holiday.

The United Kingdom did not announce new cases and deaths for the Christmas holiday. May 18, 2021: Officials removed 4,776 cases from historical data because of a system issue.

Officials removed 4,776 cases from historical data because of a system issue. July 2, 2020: The United Kingdom changed its methodology to avoid double-counting positive cases. This change, along with a historical revision of data, resulted in a decrease of more than 30,000 cases. Starting June 18, data for Scotland will include testing results from the U.K. Governments Regional Testing Centres, in addition to data from NHS Laboratories. Scotland did not update data from June 15 to June 17 while preparing this change.

On Aug. 12, health authorities changed their methodology for counting Covid-19 deaths, lowering the overall death toll in the United Kingdom by more than 5,000. The data on this page has been revised to reflect the updated methodology. Data for deaths in Englands local areas was also removed and is reported on this page as of Aug. 12.

Confirmed cases and deaths, which are widely considered to be an undercount of the true toll, are counts of individuals whose coronavirus infections were confirmed by a molecular laboratory test. Probable cases and deaths count individuals who meet criteria for other types of testing, symptoms and exposure, as developed by national and local governments.

Governments often revise data or report a single-day large increase in cases or deaths from unspecified days without historical revisions, which can cause an irregular pattern in the daily reported figures. The Times is excluding these anomalies from seven-day averages when possible. For agencies that do not report data every day, variation in the schedule on which cases or deaths are reported, such as around holidays, can also cause an irregular pattern in averages. The Times uses an adjustment method to vary the number of days included in an average to remove these irregularities.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly sunny and bitterly cold. It will feel like it's in the single digits and low teens..

Tonight

Partly cloudy and extremely cold. Wind chills around or below 0 degrees.
A police department in Maryland gave a 'final warning' to residents about wearing pants while checking the mail during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Taneytown Police Department shared the odd message in a Facebook post on Tuesdaym suggesting some of the town's 7,000 residents may have gotten too comfortable while being ordered to stay at home.

'Please remember to put pants on before leaving the house to check your mailbox. You know who you are. This is your final warning,' they wrote.

Authorities in Taneytown, Maryland, reminded some of their 7,000 residents to wear pants when checking their mailboxes

The Taneytown Police Department (pictured) said it was a 'final warning', but it's unclear when or how long this has been happening

It's unclear who authorities are referring to or how long the alleged mailbox indiscretion has been happening.

This comes as millions of Americans have transitioned to working remotely and business casual clothes - especially pants - have lost its appeal.

According to USA Today, shirts have become a more important piece of clothing than pants.

'Were seeing increased sales in tops, but not bottoms,' said Dan Bartlett, Walmarts executive vice president of corporate affairs.

Some of the reasons for this include less person-to-person meetings and more time on teleconference calls with video apps like Zoom.

But social media users found the whole thing hilarious and decided to lean into the fun.

Maryland is under stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured: paramedics with Anne Arundel County Fire Department transport a patient experiencing COVID-19 symptoms

'It's been thirty some days inside! They don't fit anymore!' one woman wrote, alluding to the state's shutdown.

Another wrote: 'Just to verify, this is only for checking the mail, correct? We can continue going to the supermarket, mowing the lawn, and cleaning our gutters without any pants on... right?'

'Hey, earlier you said we need to wear a mask. And NOW youre telling me pants as well? Where will it end?!?' an exasperated man wrote.

Other people were focused less on missing trousers and more on proper safety precautions.

'As long as they wear a face mask, live and let live,' one person wrote.

The Facebook post has amassed over 7,100 shared and some 2,800 comments since it was shared.

Amid the coronavirus shutdown, Taneytown authorities have used Baby Shark lyrics and memes to urge residents tom stay indoors

Over the past several days, the Taneytown Police Department has urged people to stay indoors by using lyrics to 'Baby Shark', encouraging people to wash their hands using a Bitmoji and a Tiger King meme.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ordered the state's COVID-19 lockdown on March 5 and it was recently renewed again on April 10.

The state has more than 10,000 confirmed cases and a death toll of 342.
Kangana Ranaut's sister and spokesperson, Rangoli Chandel's Twitter account has been suspended after the latter posted some controversial tweets on the Moradabad stone-pelting incident, which was reported by many on Twitter. Netizens are divided, with some praising Twitter for suspending her account and others standing in Rangoli's support.

On Wednesday, a team of doctors reached Moradabad, to quarantine a few people in the area after two persons succumbed to the Novel Coronavirus. Reportedly, the residents started pelting stones on the doctors, which cost one doctor's life, while another one was held, hostage. A report in Free Press Journal said, the cops accompanying them allegedly fled during the pelting and the ambulance was completely destroyed.

Rangoli Chandel had taken to Twitter to react on the incident and asked that rightful action should be taken against the people who have attacked these doctors. In another tweet, she said, "Our constitution said, terrorism has no religion then what is the problem if I said they should be arrested." Take a look:

Twitter is divided in opinions about Rangoli's account being suspended. @aaasheshh wrote, "If you wanna be a #nazi. Be like #JoJo Dont be #RangoliChandel" and shared a gif from the film, Jojo Rabbit.

While another wrote, "Thanks a lot @TwitterIndia @TwitterSupport @jack for suspended this acount ... #RangoliChandel"

One user said, "No matter how much you may have hated your siblings growing up, be glad that they didn't turn out to be like #RangoliChandel. She is an embarrassment of a whole new level."

@Priyanka_0901: Finally a piece of good news amidst all the negativity! Well done Twitter! #RangoliChandel account suspension was long needed.

@Drsunil0198: Twitter quarantined her after she called for genocide. Good job Twitter ! How about Indian government & state government taking any step ?#RangoliChandel

@YasminKidwai: Thanks @Twitter @verified @TwitterIndia for suspending #RangoliChandel account -we can do with a lot less hate in India and I hope this serves as a lesson for others too

@insane_suraj: Salute to @twitter for suspending this bigot @Rangoli_A. So much hate, BJP appeasement, RW ass licking.. Twitter feels quite good now. #RangoliChandel

Kangana Ranaut Makes Perfect Cupcakes In The First Attempt

'Can Alcohol Consumption Kill COVID-19?': Kartik Aaryan Busts Myths On Koki Poochega
With the daily increase in coronavirus cases falling to single-digit levels in recent days, a Hong Kong lawmaker said he hopes the government will soon start to lift measures restricting movements in the city.

Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,017 cases of the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19, as of Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That's an addition of four infections from the previous day  and the fourth consecutive day of single-digit new cases in Hong Kong, the data showed.

The city started implementing social-distancing measures in February  much earlier than most countries around the world. But as several countries  including some still reporting thousands of new cases daily  start to lift restrictions on businesses, Hong Kong authorities have not announced plans to do the same.

"I hope all these restrictions will (be) put to an end," Jeffrey Lam, a member of Hong Kong's legislative council, told CNBC's Emily Tan.

He added that if daily new cases continue to be low, "I hope this can bring Hong Kong back to a more normal situation."
The East Delhi district administration has asked all Resident Welfare Associations to encourage people to download coronavirus tracking mobile application 'Aarogya Setu'.

The app, available on both Android and iOS mobile platforms, has been developed by the government-run National Informatics Centre, and was launched by the Union Health Ministry on April 2.

The app helps users identify whether they are at a risk of COVID-19 infection.

According to an official, all RWAs in east Delhi have been asked to encourage people to downloadand activate the central government's app.

The app recorded around five crore downloads within 13 days of its launch.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BANGALORE, India, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare companies are increasingly concentrating on cost-cutting and adopting procedures that ensure the operations are sustainable. This has created a huge demand for the healthcare analytics market as health analytics can help hospitals cut administrative costs, minimize fraudulent and erroneous payments, provide better coordination of treatment and improve support for clinical decision making.

The global healthcare analytics market size to grow from USD 11.461 Billion in 2019 to USD 40.781 Billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.55%.

The year 2019 has been considered as the base year, while the forecast period is up to 2025.

Furthermore, advances in economic development and healthcare infrastructure in developing economies coupled with the government's compliance with electronic health records (EHR) are expected to increase the rate of adoption of healthcare analytics.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/360I-Auto-0U39/global-healthcare-analytics-market

TRENDS INFLUENCING THE HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS MARKET SIZE / GROWTH

The transition from paper charts to real-time monitoring systems and the use of electronic health records to gather patient health data is expected to increase the healthcare analytics market size

Industry players invest huge amounts of money in R&D processes to offer unique platforms and solutions with enhanced features and gain competitive advantage in the market for health care analytics. This increase in investment is expected to fuel the growth of the healthcare analytics market size

According to the European Commission, due to individual data privacy requirements, the use of healthcare analytics in European countries is limited. Nevertheless, the outbreak of COVID-19 prompted nations across the globe to reconsider the initiative to implement healthcare analytics. Integrating the developments in technology and increasing the implementation of predictive and prescriptive analytics in most hospitals is the driving healthcare analytics market growth.

Get Free Sample Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/360I-Auto-0U39/Global_Healthcare_Analytics_Market

Segmentation In Healthcare Analytics Market Base On Technology

Descriptive Analytics

Descriptive analytics is a preliminary stage of data processing, which provides a description of historical data to provide useful information and potentially prepare the data for further study.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics is the method of extracting data from existing data sets to determine patterns and predict future trends and outcomes.

Prescriptive Analytics

Given the available data, Prescriptive Analytics focuses on finding the best course of action in a scenario. It is related to both descriptive analytics and predictive analytics but stresses on actionable insights rather than data monitoring.

Segmentation in Healthcare Analytics Market Base on Component

Services

Software

Segmentation in Healthcare Analytics Market Base on Deployment

On-Cloud

On-Premise

Segmentation in Healthcare Analytics Market Base on Application

Clinical Analytics

Financial Analytics

Operational & Administrative Analytics

Population Health Analytics

Segmentation in Healthcare Analytics Market Base on End-User

Healthcare Payer

Healthcare Provider

Academic Organization

Biotechnology Industry

REGIONAL HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS MARKET TRENDS

It is predicted that North America will account for the biggest market share followed by Europe . The large share of the North American market can be attributed primarily to the region's high rate of adoption of healthcare analytics technologies and services by healthcare providers.

will account for the biggest market share followed by . The large share of the North American market can be attributed primarily to the region's high rate of adoption of healthcare analytics technologies and services by healthcare providers. Due to better healthcare infrastructure in the United States , the US healthcare analytics market holds the largest market share in the North America region.

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TOP PLAYERS IN THE HEALTHCARE ANALYSIS MARKET

Many of the healthcare analytics providers are increasingly focused on providing scalable solutions that can be made adaptable to technology advancement as well as human expertise and skills in healthcare organisations. Different market strategies are being adopted by key players to enhance their market presence which has led to many recent developments. Below are the list of top companies in the healthcare analytics market:

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.

Cerner Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

McKesson Corporation

Optum

Citiustech

Health Catalyst, Inc.

Inovalon, Inc.

MedeAnalytics

Oracle Corporation

SAS Institute Inc

SCIOInspire, Corp.

Verscend Technologies, Inc.

VitreosHealth, Inc.

Wipro Limited

Others

HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS MARKET REPORT PROVIDES INSIGHTS ON THE FOLLOWING POINTERS:

Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information offered by the key players in the Global Healthcare Analytics Market. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments in the Global Healthcare Analytics Market. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets for the Global Healthcare Analytics Market. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new products launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Global Healthcare Analytics Market. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the Global Healthcare Analytics Market.

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SIMILAR REPORTS:

US Healthcare Analytics Market Report

The US healthcare analytics market size is expected to reach USD 20.54 Billion by 2025 from USD 8.09 Billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 16.8% during the forecast period.

On the basis of product type, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type for the United States Market. Primarily there are two types of segmentation based on product namely Deploy Health Care Analysis and Random Health Care Analysis. The data is also segmented by end users like Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Companies.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0J190/united-states-healthcare-analytics-medical-analytics-market

Healthcare Data Analytics Market Report

The global healthcare data analytics market size is expected to reach USD 42.60 Billion by 2025 from USD 21.24 Billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 12.3% during the forecast period.

The report strategically segments the market into Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive based on their type and Clinical, Hospital, Government and Others based on their application.

This report studies the market size of Healthcare Data Analytics by participants, countries, product types and end markets, historical data for 2014-2018 and forecast data for 2019-2025. Further this report also studies the global competitive landscape, market drivers and patterns, opportunities and threats, risks and barriers to entry, distribution channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3M185/healthcare-data-analytics-market

Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market Report

The global healthcare Big Data Analytics market was worth USD 18.16 Billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 39.05 Billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of around 13.6% during 2019-2025.

Growth in regulatory enforcement in the healthcare sector, increased demand for data analytics solution for population health management, increased spending on technologically advanced solutions by healthcare providers and steady growth in the amount of medical data generation in the form of Electronic Health Records (EHR), biometric data, sensors data are some of the major factors that are expected to boost the healthcare big data analytics market size.

With the healthcare industry generating zeta bytes of data, big data analytic solutions aim to improve quality care of patients and the overall healthcare ecosystem. The market growth is gaining momentum with government initiatives for big data integration in the healthcare sector during recent years.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0N235/healthcare-big-data-analytics-market

Healthcare Predictive Analytics Market Report

The global healthcare predictive analytics market size was at USD 1.806 Billion in 2017 and is expected to hit USD 8.464 Billion from 2018 to 2025 at a CAGR of 21.2 per cent.

Predictive analytics detects a trend in historical and transactional data and uses it to predict potential threats and opportunities. Based on the available descriptive data, predictive analytics uses various techniques like machine learning, statistical techniques, and predictive modelling to analyse and estimate the likely future.

Increased efficiency in the healthcare sector, the advent of personalized and evidence-based medicine, and increased demand to reduce healthcare spending by minimizing unnecessary costs are driving the growth of global predictive analytics in the healthcare market. Nonetheless, it is expected that the lack of adequate infrastructure for efficient functioning and insufficient healthcare IT personnel would impede market growth. Increasing healthcare significance in emerging economies is expected to open new avenues in the near future for the growth of predictive analytics in the healthcare market.

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Asia-Pacific Healthcare Analytics/Medical Analytics Market Report

On the basis of product type, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type. Primarily there are two types of segmentation based on products namely Deploy Health Care Analysis and Random Health Care Analysis. The data is also segmented by end users like Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Companies.

Geographically, this study divided Asia-Pacific into several main regions, with sales (K units), revenue (million USD), market share and Healthcare Analytics / Medical Analytics growth rates from 2013 to 2025 (predicted).

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0B189/asia-pacific-healthcare-analytics-medical-analytics-market

Healthcare Analytics Software Market Report

Healthcare analytics software collects and analyzes the massive amounts of data that a healthcare organization routinely gathers into actionable insight that affects the organizational benefits and patient outcomes.

The healthcare analytics software market is segmented into on-site and cloud-based deployment and also by end users like Hospitals, Speciality Clinics and Others.

View Full Report: http://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0X181/healthcare-analytics-software-market

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Barely 24 hours after a massive migrants' morcha demanding 'ghar-wapsi' shocked the nation, the Mumbai Police on Wednesday evening arrested a television journalist, Rahul Kulkarni, on charges of spreading fake news.

"Rahul Kulkarni has been arrested by the Bandra Police and will be produced before the court on Thursday morning. He has been charged under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Epidemic Diseases Act," Mumbai Police spokesperson and DCP Pranaya Ashok told IANS.

Kulkarni is the Osmanabad-based correspondent of ABP Majha, a Marathi language TV channel, who had came to Mumbai from where he was nabbed.

Shortly afterwards, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the misinformation regarding the commencement of trains from April 14 appeared to be a 'big conspiracy'.

"The wrong information regarding the starting of trains was disseminated using 11 different methods. Those accounts have been tracked, police cases are being filed and due process of law will follow," the minister said.

Simultaneously, the Mumbai Police and the Cyber Crime Branch are working on the probe with new revelations of a viral video suggesting a possible conspiracy theory.

Taking serious note of the incident near the Bandra railway station, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered a thorough investigation, resulting in the arrest of a Navi Mumbai-based self-styled activist, Vinay Dube. He has been remanded to police custody till April 21.

DCP Abhishek Trimukhe said that the Bandra Police have so far filed three FIRs in connection with the migrants' morcha, and against the journalist for airing a report suggesting that trains would run and ferry the migrant workers back home.

Meanwhile, state Bharatiya Janata Party Vice President Kirit Somaiya has written to Police Commissioner Parambir Singh, demanding a probe into a viral video, which he claimed, points to a conspiracy.

"I sent this video, which seems genuine, to the police and the Home Secretary. It appears to be planned," Somaiya said.
The United Nations, China and other countries have urged the United States not to suspend its financial support of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The calls came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was halting American donations to the U.N. health agency. In making the announcement Tuesday, Trump criticized the WHO for failing to investigate early reports of a new coronavirus in China.

On Wednesday in Beijing, Chinas foreign ministry said that the presidents decision to withhold the money would affect all countries. It said the move takes place at an important time in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

China urged the U.S. government to meet its obligations, saying the decision weakens the WHO and harms international cooperation.

Speaking late Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that it was a time for unity and for the international community to stop the virus.

Trump announced that the U.S. government was suspending funding for the World Health Organization pending an investigation. He called for a study of the U.N. agencys reaction to the spread of the new coronavirus. The effort would consider the WHOs part in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus, he said.

The United States is the largest donor to the WHO. It provides between $400 and $500 million dollars every year. The U.N. agency operates on a two-year budget.



Worldwide spread

Around the world, there are now more than 2 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. More than 600,000 of those cases are in the United States. Spain, Italy, Germany and France have also been hard hit. The virus has spread to at least 185 countries.

COVID-19 is blamed for more than 128,000 deaths worldwide.

Trump has called the coronavirus, the Chinese virus. The virus is believed to have started spreading late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The president has criticized the U.N. agency for not providing enough warning about the disease.

Trump said the WHO made a disastrous decision to oppose U.S. restrictions on travel from China. He said the agency put political correctness above life-saving measures.

Before Tuesday, Trump had signaled his displeasure with the WHOs reaction to the health crisis. The president said the freeze on funding would remain in place for 60 to 90 days while U.S. officials consider the WHOs actions.

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy is a member of the Democratic Party. He criticized the presidents actions and said that withholding funds from the WHO made no sense. Leahy also blamed the Trump administration for not doing enough at the beginning of the crisis.

Some health experts have questioned Chinas reported number of coronavirus infections and deaths. They have called the number too low and not dependable. The Associated Press reports that it found a delay of six days between when Chinese officials knew about the virus and when they informed the public.

The WHO has praised China for its reaction to the spread of the virus. It also called on other countries to follow Chinas example. The WHO also praised Chinas transparency in providing information about the coronavirus.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this report from VOANews.com, the Associated Press and Reuters news agency for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pandemic  n. the spread of an infectious disease over a large area in a short period of time

obligation  n. something that must be done or that is required by rules or laws

funding  n. money provided for a stated purpose

pending  preposition while waiting for something to take place

mismanaging  v. doing a poor job of supervising someone or something

transparency  n. openness
The reason antibody testing is proving so difficult is that while the test can tell what percentage of the population had coronavirus, it is far more difficult to identify those with the antibodies and clear them individually for work.

Dr. Eran Bendavid, a Stanford scientist who is leading a study into the prevalence of the virus, explained to DailyMail.com that the difficulty lies in the specificity of a test versus its sensitivity.

Dr. Bendavid gave the example of using a test with a 90 percent accuracy rate - which is the rough range most are - on a population of 1,050 people where 1,000 did not have antibodies and 50 did.

A test with a 90 percent accuracy rate would only detect 900 of the 1,000 who did not have the antibodies, thus returning 100 false positive results and giving 100 people who are not immune the false hope that they are.

Of the 50 people who did have the antibodies, the test would only correctly identify 45 of them, thus giving five false negatives and making people who are protected think that they are not.

The Premier Biomedical test which is being used in California in a prevalence study. More than 3,200 have been tested

In that scenario, 145 people would be told that they had the antibodies when in fact only 45 did. And 905 would be told that they did not have the antibodies, when five of them actually did.

WHY IS IT DIFFICULT FOR SCIENTISTS TO MAKE AN ANTIBODY TEST SPECIFIC FOR SARS-COV-2? Coronaviruses invade cells through so-called 'spike' proteins, but those proteins take on different shapes in different coronaviruses. The University of Texas at Austin were able to map the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in mid February - a breakthrough for developing a vaccine. It was also a huge step forward for scientists developing an antibody test. There are questions about which antigens (proteins) are best for an antibody test target, 'although the viral spike protein is universally perceived as the obvious candidate', Anna Petherick, a lecturer in public policy at University of Oxford, wrote in The Lancet. Which part of the spike protein to use is less obvious, and is causing difficulty in creating a reliable antibody test. 'There is a lot hanging on the uniqueness of the spike protein,' Ms Petherick said. 'The more unique it is, the lower the odds of crossreactivity with other coronaviruses false positives resulting from immunity to other coronaviruses. 'The most similar of these is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which led to the SARS outbreak of 2002. 'But another four coronaviruses cause the common cold, and ensuring there is no cross-reactivity to these is essential. ' A team at New Yorks Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (NY, USA), has published details of antibody tests that use either the whole spike protein. Others, such as Peng Zho at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, who was part of the team that sequenced SARS-CoV-2s genetic code, have used the nucleocapsid protein and the spike protein. '[The] nucleocapsid protein is the most abundant viral protein, which means its easy to detect. But we also chose spike protein because its very specific,' Dr Zho said. 'Actually, for coronavirus, the most divergent protein is [the] spike protein.' Advertisement

'That means when I get my information, I have many more that are false positive than true positive,' Dr. Bendavid explained.

That is what is known as the specificity component of the test. The problem lies in the sensitivity component of the test.

Even with a perfectly specific test, if it is only 80 percent sensitive, it will fail.

'Let's say I have a test that is perfectly specific - this is the critical example.

'If it tells me they are negative they are truly negative but it's not very sensitive, it only picks up 80 percent of those who are positive.

'So out of 50, I only picked up 40. I know I only picked up 80 percent, so I missed 20 percent of the positives. I don't know who they are so I can't tell them, here is your immunity status.

'But if I want to just calculate the prevalence - this is a great test.

'The key thing is this notion of specificity and it's something that's lost on 95 percent of academics. This is the key aspect here.

'I can't tell you which one is true and which one is false but I know that on average, they are 80 percent accurate and from that we can back out the precise prevalence of the population,' he said.

While helpful on a larger scale because it can help inform governments, it does nothing for individuals who simply want to know if they have had the antibodies or not.

'It is going to be a more difficult test to achieve. The truth is that somebody has been exposed and they have low levels of antibodies, even a very good test is not going to be able to pick them up.

'The test picks up on a very specific signature on the capsule of the virus. What if that turns out to be not a very good marker?

'What if there's cross-protection, meaning there's some coronaviruses that you've been exposed to and you have immunity from.

'So that question of can we get a perfect test is very complicated. We need all three - prevalence, individual and diagnostic testing,' he said.

Prevalence testing will be key to identifying how many more people had coronavirus than ever tested positive for it or were considered in official figures.

'Those point of care kits - the advantages are so big they're inexpensive, you can get the answer pretty quickly and they're the kind of thing that can be used for asking are you on the curve are you flattening the curve.

Stanford doctor Eran Bendavid who says it will be complicated to achieve a perfect antibody test

'When people create those models, they're trying to fit those cases to what know about the virus.

'The problem has been that people [only] knew the numbers from the diagnostics. But if that's a gross underestimation, then you need to rethink your entire model.

'You need to know about the people with the antibodies because they would then fall into the category of recovered.

'Then it would turn out the epidemic has progressed much further than we think - they assume we're going to get there at some number of cases and if it turns out we're 100-fold closer to it than we thought we are then that changes things,' he said.

He added that while we may 'eventually' achieve it, there remains too much to be learned about the virus to know now how long it will take.

'Eventually we might. We have some tests for some diseases that are both very sensitive and very specific, like the tests for HIV, for example,' he said.

Among the uncertainties is that the body first has to develop a strong enough antibody for the test to detect and to prove that the antibody is to COVID-19 and not another coronavirus.

'For a while, there were thoughts that a lot of people never developed an antibody response and that it was very short lived.

'Our knowledge of other coronaviruses is it is transient meaning after a few months or a few years, goes away. We don't know yet,' he said.

Another uncertainty is whether or not the antibody actually gives a person immunity.

'We don't fully understand the extent to which the antibodies are neutralizing or confirm immunity.

'They are markers of a disease but whether they are neutralizing, as in effective at preventing the infection, is a totally separate question. People can get them again and again - we see this with the common cold.

'And then the last thing we don't quite know right now is what's happening with the virus changing and mutating and moving around.

'This will make it incredibly difficult. We just don't have the knowledge yet of it is something we can do at this point.

'We just don't know,' he said.

He added that while he is confident science would conquer the test eventually, it is anyone's guess as to how long it will take.

Dr. Bendavid said another problem was that labs around the world are all racing to find a solution - many of them exploring the same science - without talking to each other.

'If everybody worked together and there was free sharing of who is doing what, that would certainly accelerate things.

'We were on a phone call with Harvard-MIT this morning but at this point, everybody is working in isolation. It would be much easier to have faster information.

'A lot of groups will be doing the same thing,' he said.

HOW DO ANTIBODY TESTS WORK AND WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE A RELIABLE ONE?

New Hampshire's test (pictured) looks for the presence of antibodies, but it may not tell what level of antibodies are in a person's blood, and scientists don't know how much is enough to offer protection from reinfection

The development of an antibody tests require some knowledge of the proteins that form the coat of the virus.

Viruses are made up of many proteins, called antigens, of which some are shared with other viruses. Only a few may be unique to the particular virus.

The proteins specific to the virus will trigger the production of antibodies that neutralise the virus, stopping it from replicating.

'We have to figure out what part of the virus is going to be really specific for that virus,' Dr Whittier, who heads up Columbia University and New York Presbyterian's microbiology lab, told DailyMail.com.

Those sections of the viral protein coat must then be produced in the laboratory, using cell lines, to be tested in an immunoassay.

Scientists 'take that protein, put it in the bottom of a plastic well and put the blood serum in it and see if there's something that will stick to it,' said Dr Whittier.

That 'something' would be the antibodies in the patients' blood.

Anna Petherick, a lecturer in public policy at University of Oxford, said immunoassays will form the basis of home testing kits for people who think they have had COVID-19.

'But their development takes time,' she explained in The Lancet.

'Expressing the protein in the right structure is often the most difficult step.

HOW DO 'STRIP' BLOOD TESTS FOR CORONAVIRUS WORK? Simple blood tests for coronavirus, like Premier Biotech's, work much like pregnancy tests. After the sample of blood is collected, a technician injects it into the analysis device - which is about the size of an Apple TV or Roku remote - along with some buffer, and waits about 10 minutes. The blood droplet and buffer soak into the absorbent strip of paper enclosed in the plastic collection device. Blood naturally seeps along the strip, which is dyed at three points: one for each of two types of antibodies, and a third control line. The strip is marked 'IgM' and 'IgG', for immunoglobulins M and G. Each of these are types of antibodies that the body produces in response to a late- or early-stage infection. Along each strip, the antibodies themselves are printed in combination with gold, which react when the either the antigen - or pathogen, in this case, the virus that causes COVID-19 - or the antibody to fight are present. Results are displayed in a similar fashion to those of an at-home pregnancy test. One line - the top, control strip - means negative. Two lines - the top control line and the bottom IgM line - in a spread-out configuration means the sample contains antibodies that the body starts making shortly after infection. Two lines closer - control and IgG - together mean the person is positive for the later-stage antibodies. Three lines mean the patient is positive for both types of antibodies. Advertisement

'In a nonnative system, such as a bacterial cell, the complex protein structures can come out slightly deformed, enough to stop antibodies from recognising them as they would the original viral coat protein.

'There are also questions about which antigens (proteins) are best for this purpose.

'Some diagnostic developers are cagey about giving away too many details, although the viral spike protein is universally perceived as the obvious candidate.'

Various labs making antibody tests might not even be testing for exactly the same antibodies.

Some tests may confuse antibodies produced in response to the virus that causes COVID-19 to those made for other coronaviruses.

'There are a lot of other coronaviruses, and the issue is you need to find what target is specific for this virus so it's not going to cross-react,' Dr Whittier said.

Typically, finding the correct target would 'take months or years, and we're trying to do it in weeks to months,' Dr Whittier said.

'We don't know the specific antigens or targets to look for.

'It seems to the lay public like it's taking a super long time, but from a lab perspective it's happening at lightning speed.'

Labs are testing specific antigens by using the blood of patients who have been confirmed to have the infection.

It will reveal if the antigen they have identified causes the antigens to stick. If it doesn't, it is not accurate.

'At Columbia, we validated an antibody assay that was developed in Asia and tested lots of our [blood] serum that we had from patients and it turned out it was really specific - it only picked up SARS-CoV-2, which is good,' said Dr Whittier.

'But it was only 50 per cent of patients who should have had antibodies.

'So if it was positive, that was good, they definitely have antibodies'.

But if it was negative, 'you might as well be flipping a coin'.

Needless to say, Columbia ditched that test.

And with FDA guidelines relaxed in an effort to get more tests out more quickly, there's less assurance that validation is done with a comprehensive sample of patients.

Dr Whittier says that the package insert for one test she looked at said the company had only tested their test on about five patients.

'That's crazy,' she said. 'Normally that would never happen, but in the middle of a pandemic, you're allowed to push assays out because maybe perfect is the enemy of good.'
Ron Reagan, the son of President Reagan, stars in a 30-second TV spot for the Freedom From Religion Foundation. (Freedom From Religion Foundation)

To the editor: Ron Reagan, who appeared in a commercial for the Freedom From Religion Foundation aired during three of the Democratic primary debates, is a missionary for atheism. He is a believer in nothing, and that in and of itself is a belief.

And no, as a Christian I don't think Reagan is going to hell. In fact, I don't want to broadcast my beliefs. A person's beliefs are his own business.

Reagan, one can assume, blames all of the world's problems on religion, although some of the most murderous men in world history were confirmed atheists. Personally, I hope these people are burning in hell.

My message to Reagan is this: Keep your beliefs to yourself. This is how it's supposed to work in America.

Mark Walker, Yorba Linda

..

To the editor: Columnist George Skelton delivers a refreshing and hopeful message in a society that has so vehemently embraced religion (especially Christianity), that the mere idea of not believing is somehow an "attack on religion."

Skelton notes that the major networks refused to run the Freedom From Religion Foundation's ads during the Democratic debates. It is because this country is so moribund on the subject of "faith" that all sorts of inanity is embraced to the point that the non-believer is condemned as evil. (CNN, however, decided that this paid ad was just fine in a free society.)

There is major concern about sycophants keeping this current administration afloat. We must also confront the network media sycophants of religion.

Denys Arcuri, Indio
As COVID-19s deadly toll grows across the world, the pandemic is also forever changing the business landscape of Toronto.

With non-essential businesses ordered to close, some have already said they wont be reopening when the pandemic is over; theyre gone forever.

From neighbourhood favourites like Vesuvio Pizzeria in The Junction to the 60-year-old Canadian Jewish News, heres a look at some of the businesses that have been lost to COVID-19, whether it was the primary cause or simply the last straw.

SOUTHERN ACCENT 1984-2020 (839 College St.)

After almost four decades of serving up jambalaya, gumbo and crawfish to spice-hungry Torontonians, Cajun-Creole favourite Southern Accent is closing its doors for good.

Owner Frances Wood, who opened the restaurant on Markham Street in Mirvish Village in 1984 then moved to College Street three years ago, says the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to continue.

It was bad enough three years ago when we had to move from Markham Street. It was like starting a new restaurant. Now we were just finally getting somewhere, and then COVID-19 happened, said Wood, who made the decision to close after meeting with her accountant and reviewing all the government programs offering aid for businesses struggling to deal with the pandemic. Taking on a loan  even if some of it was forgiven  just wasnt an option, Wood said.

We just couldnt see any point in taking on more debt. Whats the point if Im only operating at 50 per cent capacity, after having been closed completely for who knows how long? asked Wood, who expects business in restaurants to be slow, and some form of social distancing to be in place after restaurants and bars are allowed to reopen.

I dont see how anyones going to even be able to pay rent if theyre only half full. Who knows where this is going? said Wood, a native of Northern Ireland who came to Toronto as a nurse in 1965.

It was an emotional decision to call it quits, Wood said. Shell miss the customers, the food, her beloved bar, and most of all, the people who worked alongside her. In an industry rife with staff turnover, Wood had many staff who stuck with her for years, including Thessavan Maniceavasakan, who started 22 years ago in the kitchen, then became head chef and business partner in 2008.

I feel really sad about it, said Wood, who started Southern Accent at a time when Torontonians had barely heard of jambalaya and gumbo, let alone be able to tell them apart.

We had to explain things at every table. People didnt know what this stuff was. We had to get our own fish import licence so we could bring in crawfish and alligator, because nobody else was bringing it in. We made our own spice mix, once we found out what to use, said Wood.

Southern Accents Mardi Gras parties were legendary. One year, with the crowd at the restaurant fortified by bourbon sours and Sazeracs, they decided to take a stroll and celebrate in public, beads and all, Wood recalled.

We decided to parade around the block. We were all freezing because there was snow and wind but it was a great time.

In 1998, Wood got a call from two men who wanted to bring their mother in for a visit, but said she usually only drank Johnnie Walker Black. Wood got some. A few days later, the men came in with their mother  Maya Angelou. The American poet and author was in the Greater Toronto Area working on the film Down in the Delta, which she directed; Southern Accent ended up hosting the wrap party.

She was just an incredible presence. When she came into the room, everyone just listened. She was so kind, too, said Wood.

While she had been in the restaurant industry previously, having co-founded the Rosedale Diner, Wood said she and her then-business partner Dubi Filar hadnt eaten much Cajun food before opening up Southern Accent. Serving that sort of fare wasnt the initial plan.

We gave it the name Southern Accent because it was originally going to be Southern European food. Italian, Greek, some Israeli. But I really thought we should be only one kind of food, said Wood.

A short while later, Wood was on a trip to New York. While strolling down a street in the NoHo neighbourhood packed with quaint little restaurants and bars, she was drawn in by the aromas emanating from Great Jones Cafe.

It was the jambalaya. I didnt even know what that was at the time. They also had a sign saying Cajun martini. I knew I liked martinis, so I went in and had a drink. Everything smelled so good I had dinner too.

It was love at first bite.

During the first year, Wood closed up shop for a week, and took every single staff member down to New Orleans to soak up some on-the-job culinary lessons.

I took all the money we were going to spend on advertising and brought everybody down to New Orleans. We all worked in different restaurants for a week, said Wood, who carried on the tradition afterward, taking groups of staff to New Orleans for periodic refresher courses.

Fans of Southern Accent took to social media to mourn its demise.

Im so sad to hear this. I was just telling a friend about this amazing place I use to go to when I lived in Toronto, Southern Accent, and that I really want to check it out again when it all becomes possible again, Drazenka Saric wrote on Facebook.

The news was also sad for Soraya Haick, who called Southern Accent her favourite restaurant ever.

Spent so many birthdays, first dates and girls nights, and just hanging at the bar enjoying the best bourbon sours on the planet! The best blackened chicken livers ever! Dining in Toronto will never be the same.

MARCHE MOVENPICK, 1992-2020 (Brookfield Place)

For more than 25 years, Zenon Polejowski got up before dawn to bake thousands of muffins, cook hundreds of omelettes, and serve them up to appreciative customers at the downtown restaurant where he worked.

Now, Polejowski is at home, bored, frustrated and in shock after having learned that the restaurant  Marche Movenpick  is closed for good. The news came in two waves  one disappointing, and one shocking, Polejowski said.

First, Swiss hospitality giant Marche International told employees in a letter March 31 that it would be closing its Canadian operations at the end of May, citing a slowdown in business punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic; employees would be getting any money owed to them, including salary, severance and banked vacation pay.

Then, April 17, came a letter from bankruptcy trustee BDO, saying that the company was issuing a notice of intent to creditors that it intended to give them a proposal. In other words, hed be getting a fraction of what hes owed, if anything.

I was in shock. First I got the letter saying Id get the wages, and the severance pay, and the vacation pay. Now, Ill probably get nothing, said Polejowski, who had been expecting 10 weeks severance pay, and roughly the same in vacation pay.

Marche International executive Hermann Ircher, in an email to the Star, said the company had decided to focus on its core operations in Europe and Singapore, but that COVID-19 had hastened the departure from Canada. He said the company will try its best to help employees, but its hands are tied.

Marche feels a very strong moral responsibility toward its employees. The management will do its best for its employees, but in the current situation it is also obliged to follow the advice of our trustee and comply with the legal rules of the NOI (notice of intent), Ircher said.

Polejowski, like his 200 or so colleagues, is now trying to find work. But given the destruction COVID-19 is wreaking on the hospitality industry, many are finding it slow going, particularly those who are in their 50s and 60s.

Ive got a friend there whos 62, and she was planning to work for another 10 years. Now, shes saying, Whos going to hire me?  said Polejowski, who had worked at the Brookfield Place location since shortly after it opened in 1992 as a franchise.

He stayed when the franchise collapsed amid lawsuits over failed U.S. expansion plans, and then was replaced by its former franchisee, Richtree. In 2010, Richtree left, and Marche Movenpick came back, this time as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss company. At its peak, Movenpick had restaurants in several Canadian cities, including Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. The first one opened on York Street in 1980.

The notice sent to creditors, including employees, written by BDO Canadas Josie Parisi, said Marche Restaurants Canada owes more than $1.4 million to a list of creditors ranging from the LCBO to a downtown law firm, and small food suppliers such as HUH Imports Inc.

HUH owner Hans Ulrich Herzig, whos owed $4,532.40, was discouraged when he got a March 31 letter about Marche pulling out. He was furious when he got the letter from the bankruptcy trustee.

Movenpick is a big, rich company. The first thing you should do is pay your employees and small suppliers. This is shameful, said Herzig, a chef who runs a small business importing cheese and charcuterie, mostly from Switzerland. The restaurant, which includes the Movenpick Cafe, was still placing orders six weeks before the notice from BDO, he said.

They were placing orders right up until the end of February and early March. The last one I delivered was for around $2,500 the first week of March, Herzig said. The little guy gets hit. Every thousand matters. Its not fair, but what can I do about it?

A spokesperson for the LCBO, which according to the BDO letter is owed $163,813.48, declined to comment.

BDO declined to respond to interview requests.

Insolvency expert Bryan Gelman, owner and managing director of Albert Gelman Inc., said filing a notice of intent is usually the first step in restructuring by a company looking to free itself of some debt in order to stay in business. If creditors dont agree to the restructuring and a court doesnt approve it, a company can file for bankruptcy. (That also happens if the company simply doesnt make a proposal within 30 days from the notice).

Typically the concept in a restructuring is that you offer creditors more than theyd get in a bankruptcy, Gelman said.

If Marche does end up declaring bankruptcy, Polejowski, as well as other employees and creditors, are more than likely out of luck, Gelman said.

Typically in restaurants, the underlying value of the equipment is so small that bankruptcy produces very little, if anything, for the creditors, he said.

PROHIBITION GASTROHOUSE 2007-2020 (696 Queen St. E.)

Construction and COVID-19 were a one-two punch that knocked a favourite east-end watering hole out for good.

First, construction delays on the Eglinton Crosstown transit line forced Michael Summerfield to close the money-losing midtown location of his Prohibition Gastrohouse in November; then the coronavirus pandemic forced his original Queen Street East location to close along with other businesses. Summerfield decided this week he wont reopen.

It was a bit of a perfect storm for me. I couldnt even make the last payroll. I feel terrible, he said.

While disappointed customers took to social media to express their sadness, Summerfield said he feels worst about not paying his staff, some of whom had been with him since Prohibitions opening 13 years ago.

Ive got a lot of staff pissed off at me right now that they didnt get their last paycheques and they should be. Theyve got every right to be.

While government wage subsidies are in place for companies that keep their employees on staff, Summerfield wishes there were some assistance other than the Canada Emergency Response Benefit for employees who dont get their final cheques.

Even before COVID-19 struck, Summerfield said he sold his house months ago to pay off some of the debts he owed from his failed midtown expansion. While closed, the Queen Street location had $25,000 to $30,000 in costs per month, he said.

There was rent, there were equipment leases, hydro, gas, Rogers, you name it, said Summerfield, who says he didnt offer takeout and delivery during the shutdown because it wouldnt have been worth it.

We wouldve been losing even more money. People go out to bars and restaurants to socialize. If you cant do that, why would you go, especially at a time when people are losing their jobs? You can eat and drink more cheaply at home.

Even with a reasonable landlord, Summerfield said the idea of sticking around until the pandemic passes didnt make business sense.

If you open up again, not only do you have all that deferred rent to pay, but all your suppliers would be having terms, like COD for all your produce and dairy. That would make it even harder.

Disappointed customers took to Twitter to mourn the loss of their beloved local, which offered high-end pub grub like smoked duck wings and house-made pulled pork nachos, as well as discounted drink specials, an extensive craft beer list and high-end spirits.

My heart is breaking with news of more beloved small businesses and restos closing down, tweeted Arij Al Chawaf.

Im thinking by the time COVID is over, a number of businesses we loved and frequented will be no more, Matt Faulknor tweeted.

Summerfield agreed.

Its such a fragile industry. I know I saw some estimates that 50 to 70 per cent of restaurants were going to close down permanently because of this. Now Im convinced its 70 per cent. It will be a ghost town once this is all over, said Summerfield. In this industry, if youve made it for 13 years, youre usually there for good.

THE HIDEOUT, 2006-2020 (423 College St.)

It survived a crosstown move, noise complaints and gentrification. But The Hideout, one of Torontos most beloved live music venues, couldnt survive COVID-19.

Owners Dan Good, Jimmy Good and Phil Dodd announced this week that the bar at College and Bathurst Streets, which had been shuttered since March 15 because of government decrees closing non-essential businesses, is shutting down for good.

The landlord offered them a bit of a break on rent, but Dan Good said there wasnt much point in plugging along without any clear end in sight to the government-mandated closure.

I figure its going to be another three months at least. And bigger places like ours are probably going to be the last ones to be allowed to open, said Good. We were a month to month kind of business. This was a very tough decision.

Bands and customers were distraught at news of The Hideouts closure  and the loss of yet another live music venue when they had been closing left, right and centre even before COVID-19.

Noooo! So sad to hear this. We love The Hideout and love playing there and thanks for giving us so much support, wrote Alissa Vox Raw, the drummer for garage punk duo Queens & Kings, on The Hideouts Facebook page.

In an interview with the Star, Vox Raw (known offstage as Alissa Klug), paid tribute to The Hideout as a really special venue and expressed her worries about the damage venue closures are doing to Torontos live music scene, especially for newer acts.

Between inflating rent and noise complaints, we have seen a lot of venues that were so beloved by the musical community close down in this city. But with the global crisis that is happening now, I fear that even those that fought tooth and nail to hold on will have to shutter their doors, she said.

 We just cant afford to keep losing great venues like this one or the local music scene will just wither away. I think now that we dont have the option to go out and see live music, I am hoping people begin to really appreciate what we had and not take it for granted when we finally get it back.

Customers like Karen MacIntyre also mourned The Hideouts loss.

So thankful for the many amazing nights that Ive had at both Hideouts over the years. My last night out, before all this craziness, was at The Hideout. I hope for your sake & the sake of your staff, all of the amazing musicians  and for all of us lovers of live music, that you are able to reopen somewhere after this is all over, MacIntyre wrote on the bars Facebook page.

The disappointment wasnt limited to Toronto.

Hope that this is just temporary! Even for me, an infrequent visitor from Scotland, this place holds lots of beautiful memories for me and my family! wrote Jean Shedden.

Even when non-essential businesses are allowed to reopen, Dan Good isnt so sure customers would immediately flood back to The Hideout, which had room for 330 people.

Its not just when were allowed to open. Its when will people be willing to come out and stand shoulder to shoulder on a sweaty dance floor? said Good, who opened the bar on Queen Street West in 2006 with his brother Jimmy, later bringing their cousin Dodd on board.

In 2016, after their then-landlord raised the rent, the bar moved to its current location on College Street. Since the beginning, it has hosted live music seven nights a week, showcasing thousands of mainly local and independent bands. It also took part in music festivals like North by Northeast and Canadian Music Week.

Being a part of the music scene in this town has been a whole lot of fun, said Dan, who urged disappointed fans of the bar to follow the exhortation posted on its Facebook page:

Dont cry because its over. Smile because its happened.

HEY KIDDO, 2016-2020 (365 Roncesvalles Ave.)

As soon as the province announced it was extending school closures beyond March break to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19, Aurelie Chojnowicz decided to close her shop, which sold everything from childrens clothing to books and toys.

Its a kids shop. It wouldnt have been possible to keep people away from each other. There are always kids playing and taking things off the shelves and putting them back, said Chojnowicz, who took over the store in 2018.

At first, she planned for the March 15 closure to be temporary and immediately told her landlord she was shutting down for the time being and wouldnt be able to pay Aprils rent. Then, early this month, the landlord texted and asked for his money. At that point, Chojnowicz made the gut-wrenching decision to close for good.

I want to make clear it was my decision. He didnt force me out. But I knew it was going to be months before I could open again. And owing an extra three or four months rent by the time I opened again? That would have killed the business anyway, Chojnowicz said.

A recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that more than half of Canadian small businesses say they wont be able to afford Mays rent without more government assistance.

The proposed government assistance for paying commercial rent hadnt even been rumoured at the time Chojnowicz decided to close permanently. On April 15, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced theyd be working together on some kind of relief package for commercial rents.

That would have been nice to know two or three weeks ago, said Chojnowicz, who was able to salvage merchandise from her shop and store it in her husbands store.

Im doing some online sales for now, but the store is gone. I hope I can open up in another location someday. But I dont know if it will be months, or a year. Well have to see if maybe this situation will make rents a bit more affordable, Chojnowicz said.

Its not just the store revenue she misses, either.

This community has always been so welcoming to me. I miss that interaction with people, said Chojnowicz, a native of Paris, France.

STEVES MEATS, 2015-2020 (1938 Danforth Ave.): This neighbourhood butcher shop and Italian deli was founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Steve Miome and Piera Armata.

Along with top-quality rib roasts, steaks, chops and sausages, Miome and Armata offered homestyle southern Italian favourites like meatballs, veal parmigiana, deep-fried arancini rice balls, and a variety of salads and sandwiches.

Miome, whos been a butcher for more than three decades, learned his trade in New York City, according to the shops website, which is still online. (The shops number is out of service.)

THE GREEN BEANERY, 2008-2020 (565 Bloor St. W.): This Annex-based roastery and cafe was originally created largely as a fundraising effort for environmental group Probe International and its controversial founder Laurence Solomon. A visit into the Bloor Street storefront, on the site of a former bank, was a trip into the world of coffee. There were excellent Americanos and single- varietal drip coffees, with the beans freshly roasted on site. But there were also grinders to buy, nifty little espresso pots, and specialty coffee makers. The Green Beanery got some negative press because of Solomons stance as a self-proclaimed climate-change skeptic, but judging by how busy it was most sunny weekends, many customers either didnt know or didnt care. The Green Beanery announced via Instagram March 24 that its last day would be March 29, but would still be selling beans and some coffee makers online.

THE SHORE LEAVE, 2015-2020 (1775 Danforth Ave.): After non-essential businesses were ordered closed in late March, east-end tiki bar The Shore Leave decided to try takeout and local delivery of some of its fruity, tropical rum-based drinks. It didnt bring in enough to pay the bills, said owner Julian Altrows.

We were selling a few of our pre-batched cocktails, but it wasnt nearly enough to cover rent. Were a place that depends on people congregating, said Altrows, who let his landlord know in advance he wouldnt be able to pay Aprils rent because of COVID-19.

This week, the landlord evicted the bar, which had become a neighbourhood favourite, and one of just a handful of tiki bars in Toronto. Altrows isnt looking for pity, but warns that more and more small businesses are at risk of closing permanently.

The black and white of it is that we didnt pay rent. I get that. I think in a month, my storys going to be super common, said Altrows, who admitted that even before COVID-19 hit hed been shopping around for another location. The Shore Leaves five-year lease had been set to expire this September. Even if he had rent deferred for the next few months, the upcoming end of the lease meant The Shore Leave was likely finished, at least at its current location.

Best-case scenario wed be able to open at the end of July probably. That would have left us only a month to go on this lease to make up for all the money wed lost during COVID-19, Altrows said.

Now, The Shore Leave is gone for good.

Im optimistic that Ill be back working in this industry again at some point when this is all over. But this business? Its finished, Altrows said.

CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS, 1960-2020 (1750 Steeles Ave. W., Concord, Ont.): After 60 years of documenting Canadas Jewish community, the CJN published its last edition April 9.

The paper and its website, like many media outlets, had struggled since a brief, two-month hiatus in 2013. With advertising and subscription revenue already dwindling, the economic impact was simply too much to survive, CJN president Elizabeth Wolfe said in a note to readers.

The economic devastation striking our community has also affected The CJN. The CJN suffered from a pre-existing condition and has been felled by COVID-19, Wolfe wrote, adding that it was a difficult, emotional decision to shut down for good.

Please know that we have done everything in our power to continue The CJN for as long as possible. It is with tears in my eyes that I conclude: It had a good run. Everything has its season. It is time, Wolfe wrote.

VESUVIO PIZZERIA & SPAGHETTI HOUSE, 1957-2020 (3010 Dundas St. W.): It was a Junction mainstay for 63 years, and the first place to offer New York-style pizza in Toronto.

Ettore Pugliese, the last surviving brother of four siblings who opened it in 1957, told the Stars Karon Liu that COVID-19 made it difficult to survive. And with no idea of when things will get back to normal, he made the decision to close for good.

We have a fantastic delivery service, but a lot of people are cooking at home and theres no one outside. When you also look at rent, taxes, wages, its a long chain  I cant see this going for another two, three, four months. I dont see a light at the end of the tunnel. Its too distant, Pugliese said.

WOODLAWN PUBLIC HOUSE, 2018-2020 (1276 Yonge St.): This cosy Rosedale-area gastropub closed in early April, after owner John Oakes gathered his 15 staff members and told them COVID-19 made it too difficult to continue operating. Under previous ownership, Woodlawn had been known as The Monks Table, and had one of the top selections of craft beer and single malt in the area.

Woodlawn (and The Monks Table) had also hosted popular monthly open mic story-telling nights.

If you know of a business in the GTA that has permanently closed due to COVID-19, please email business@thestar.ca
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:41:26|Editor: huaxia

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BISHKEK, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China will send a medical team to Kyrgyzstan to help the country combat the coronavirus pandemic, Deputy Minister of Health Nurbolot Usenbaev said Thursday.

"We are preparing to meet Chinese experts, we plan to create working conditions for them," Usenbaev told a governmental briefing.

The Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan told Xinhua that the Chinese side will send a medical team of 10 people. The time and details for the arrival remain under consideration.

The number of people infected with COVID-19 rose to 466 in Kyrgyzstan, including 104 medical workers. A total of 91 people have recovered and five people have died.
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As Max van der Werff begun the Dutch War Crimes project with Yana Yerlashova  a colleague people ask him questions like: why are you so interested in this theme?

Maxs mother and father married in 1961. Mother  Anne Merlijn, born in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Father  Max van der Werff Sr., born in Cilacap, Java, Indonesia. Brown grandparents  Nelly Roumimper and Bert van der Werff. White grandparents - Gerarda Theunissen and Willy Merlijn. Maxs son Sjors as a little child prominent among his grandfathers. One he called my brown granddaddy and the other my white grandaddy. Max van der Werff recognized this was quite nice, and so he applied his terminology.

Bicycle shop owned by his white grandparents in Apeldoorn (1943). Once a grouping of German soldiers entered Maxs grandparents shop and seized all the bicycles. Amongst those was owned by the baker who had to deliver bread, and the bicycle was his just transport.

In a brave move his grandmother came to the local Hauptmann and ordered the bicycles to be returned, particularly that of the baker.

Sadly, Max cant demonstrate you a photo of the Hauptmanns face the instant his grandmother offered to the local Hauptmann the manuals, but reality is that the German soldiers who stole the bikes, returned them to Maxs grandparents shop. Then May five 1945 the Germans surrendered and for his white family the war was finish.

For the ones, the war wasn't finish. Following the emancipation, the Dutch nation bring down the wrath on the moffenmeiden  women and girls who had had any type of friendly contact with German soldiers. They had their hair cut off in public and their heads shaven. Frequently a swastika was drawn on their heads, and they were driven around in an open trucks.

Almost two million people in the Dutch West-Indies passed away over the period the Japanese invasion from hunger, diseases and violence. In the number them, three of Max fathers brothers and sisters.

Maxs grandfather was called as KNIL landsoldaat in 1942, however was practically instantly taken prisoner and imprisoned during 41 months by the Japanese imperial Army. The Netherlands didn't pay him a cent for his service period. This disgraceful side of Dutch past is called back pay problem.

Following the Japanese capitulated the incredible hard period wasn't finish for most Dutch people residing in the Dutch East Indies. The availability of Dutch rule coming back to the previously declared an independent Republic of Indonesia created anger amongst a lot of Indonesian young man and during many months nobody believes of being Dutch or having whatever to do with Dutch rule was a main goal. Maxs fathers elder brother Rudy was one of the many thousand killed for the bersiap time.

In near future 150 thousands Dutch soldiers were shipped to recover Pax Hollandia in the elderly colony and the major reason was to recover the operation of the wingewest quickly. The Dutch elite included the view how the Japanese board over the Dutch Indies was only a brief pause and that Dutch colonial rule would be restored for generations to come. The fatefully incorrect awareness of actual reality led to the Indonesian war of independence.

Maxs father left for New-Guinea. At any rate, so the head had reported it. In 1956 my dad implemented that there wasn't prospect for him in this part world and left for Holland with the Willem Ruys. Little time after he met Maxs van der Werff mother in Apeldoorn.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz said on Wednesday the government would soon ease a tight lockdown imposed to stem the spread of new coronavirus by allowing more businesses and industries to return to work.

However, it will not yet lift a curfew imposed nearly a month ago that restricts the movements of Jordan's 10 million people and imposes total shutdowns during weekends, Razzaz said.

The curfew came days after the monarch enacted an emergency law that gave the government powers that restrict civil and political rights and sent more than 60,000 troops and police across the country to enforce the new laws.

The prime minister said the new measures could also include allowing people to move more freely in some regions outside the capital, but he said they could be rescinded if Jordan sees a further rise in cases of the coronavirus.

"At any point we see more cases our duty would be to reconsider these steps," Razzaz said, referring to Jordan's 401 confirmed cases and seven deaths.

Officials are worried the crisis, which has hit hard the $5 billion-a-year tourism sector, a main source of foreign currency, will slash growth projections and deepen an economic downturn in the debt-dependent economy.

The government has allowed only food and dairy industries and some export-oriented industries such as pharmaceuticals, potash and phosphates to continue some of their operations.

Workers in small businesses are feeling the impact of the crisis, with no income flowing in since the lockdown that has brought many sectors of the economy from construction to public works to a standstill

The resumption of work will help some of the tens of thousands of workers who have been without work since the lockdown.

Economists say loss of income would deepen poverty among a significant number of the population and raised the spectre of social unrest.

Many businessmen have also been lobbying to get their companies reopened, warning of bankruptcies and layoffs in a prolonged lockdown.

Story continues

Jordan, which secured a $1.3 billion IMF reform programme last month, is seeking extra donor aid to help it cushion the impact of the crisis, Finance Minister Mohammad Al Ississ said last week. [L5N2BW0EB]

The government earlier this week extended closure of public offices, schools and universities until the end of this month. The kingdom has also closed its land borders with Iraq, Syria, Israel and Saudi Arabia and stopped all international flights.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Yeh, James S., Christopher Bullen, and Stanton A. Glantz. "E-cigarettes and smoking cessation." New England Journal of Medicine 374, no. 22 (2016): 2172-2174. Bullen, Christopher, Colin Howe, Murray Laugesen, Hayden McRobbie, Varsha Parag, Jonathan Williman, and Natalie Walker. "Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: a randomised controlled trial." The Lancet 382, no. 9905 (2013): 1629-1637. Caponnetto, Pasquale, Davide Campagna, Fabio Cibella, Jaymin B. Morjaria, Massimo Caruso, Cristina Russo, and Riccardo Polosa. "EffiCiency and Safety of an eLectronic cigAreTte (ECLAT) as tobacco cigarettes substitute: a prospective 12-month randomized control design study." PloS one 8, no. 6 (2013). Cullen, Karen A., Andrea S. Gentzke, Michael D. Sawdey, Joanne T. Chang, Gabriella M. Anic, Teresa W. Wang, MeLisa R. Creamer, Ahmed Jamal, Bridget K. Ambrose, and Brian A. King. "E-Cigarette use among youth in the United States, 2019." Jama 322, no. 21 (2019): 2095-2103.

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, colloquially known as vaping, is a public health crisis in the United States with an exponential rise in use over the last several years. E-cigarettes have been marketed as a safer alternative to smoking and studied as a tobacco smoking cessation aid.The Food and Drug Administration affirms that there are health risks associated with using e-cigarettes citing the harmful aerosolized and inhaled contents during the vaping process. Yet, the safety profile of e-cigarettes, especially as it pertains to bladder cancer risk has not been definitively characterized. Given the large and increasing use of e-cigarettes, especially among the youth, there is a pressing need to understand the health implications of vaping.In our article Carcinogen Biomarkers in the Urine of Electronic Cigarette Users and Implications for the Development of Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review we found that similar to combustible tobacco smokers, e-cigarette users are exposed to a variety of toxic and carcinogenic compounds during the vaping process. Specifically, toxic and carcinogenic metabolized byproducts were found in the urine of e-cigarette users. These urinary carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds, have a direct causative relationship to the development of bladder cancer.Our study was limited by the heterogeneous study population. Several studies included dual users; those who used e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes, which made it difficult to assess whether the carcinogen found in the urine was specifically from the e-cigarette use or from the combustible cigarette use. In order to address these limitations and further examine the potential impact of vaping on bladder cancer, we have now initiated several additional avenues of investigation. First, we are conducting a multi-institutional collaboration assessing several different bladder cancer-related carcinogens in the urine of e-cigarette only users, never users, and combustible tobacco users to quantify and compare the presence of these toxicants using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Second, in order to identify early genetic alterations linked to the bladder that may be occurring in e-cigarette users, we are assessing DNA methylation changes in bladder cancer-related genes along with the prevalence of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations. Lastly, to control for the heterogeneity of human studies, we are investigating the direct impact of vaping on the urothelium of mice models at the genomic and epigenetic levels. These studies, taken together, will help to better elucidate the health and bladder cancer-related consequences of e-cigarettes use.Written by: Ibardo A. Zambrano MD, William Y. Kim, MD, Marc A. Bjurlin DO, MSc, FACOS, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Twitters: @ibardo_zambrano, @WilliamKimMD, @MABjurlin; Richard Matulewicz, MD, MS, NYU Langone Medicine, Depts. of Urology and Population Health, New York City, New York, Twitter: @RichMatulewiczReferences:
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Linkedin Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 08:22 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2263e4 1 National Achmad-Yurianto,COVID-19,coronavirus,coronavirus-testing,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,PCR-test,pandemic Free

Indonesia is struggling to acquire the necessary kits to conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on a massive scale given the surge in global demand, the governments spokesperson for COVID-19 affairs has said.



Achmad Yurianto, who is also the Health Ministrys disease control and prevention director general, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that the government was scrambling to procure reagents from other countries as Indonesias current stock of reagents would only last a week.



The supply would only be enough for 35,000 tests, he said.



The problem for our existing labs, which use open-circuit machines, is that the whole world is scrambling to acquire reagents for RNA [ribonucleic acid] extraction. Because these reagents are certainly used by all labs with open-circuit [machines].

Read also: In major policy shift, Jokowi orders transparency in pandemic fight

Yurianto said that, as testing kit factories had reached their full production capacity, many countries, including Indonesia, were looking to countries that had an oversupply of kits. The pandemic has brought about this consequence; any country will meet its own needs and prioritize itself first, Yurianto said.



President Joko Jokowi Widodo reiterated his call for the Health Ministry and the COVID-19 task force to conduct more PCR testing on Monday, saying that they should aim to conduct at least 10,000 tests a day amid criticism that the country had one of the lowest testing rates in the world.



Yurianto said that, according to government estimates, the country would need to conduct some 1.2 million tests, which it should look to accomplish by May.



The government needs to reach the figure not only to detect new cases but also to find out whether there have been any recoveries, as patients with moderate symptoms might need to undergo the test four times, while those with severe symptoms might need to get tested even more than that.



Aside from efforts to obtain supplies of reagents, Yurianto said the government would opt to use rapid molecular testing equipment commonly used to detect tuberculosis bacteria, which with adjusted cartridges can detect the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19.



Yurianto said there were 957 such machines in 456 cities and regencies across the country, but only 305 were compatible, as they were produced after 2018.



This option, however, is not without its share of problems, as the demand for such cartridges, produced in a limited amount by the United States, was on the rise elsewhere. Yurianto said the government had ordered 23,000 cartridges this month, which could be used to run the same number of tests, but they would arrive in stages, with the first 3,000 cartridges currently on the way.



A similar concern was shared by Arya Sinulingga, an aide to State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, who said in a press briefing earlier this month that almost all countries in the world were scrambling to acquire testing kits and machines. The SOEs Ministry recently imported two RNA extractors and 18 PCR detectors, which Arya said would be distributed to labs in 12 regions.



The Health Ministry has a nationwide network of 32 laboratories that can run a total 5,000 tests a day with a declining supply of reagents, according to Yurianto, as the Health Ministry was assessing several other labs, including private ones, to run the tests.

Read also: Govt wants 78 laboratories to conduct COVID-19 tests A survey by the Indonesian Medical Biology Association (PBMI) showed that, as of April 5, Indonesia had at least 106 laboratories that met the standards to run PCR tests as proposed by the Health Ministry. However, for the government to make the most of these labs, it must ensure a sustainable supply of testing kits, experts said.



Yogyakartas spokesperson for COVID-19 affairs, Berty Murtiningsih, said that reagents were often unavailable from the central government. She said her administration supported Jokowis aim of testing 10,000 people per day, as long as the reagents were available.



There are four labs running PCR tests in Yogyakarta; two in Gadjah Mada University Hospital, one in Dr. Sardjito General Hospital and the Health Ministrys Environmental Health and Disease Control Center (BBTKLPP), which also processes samples from nearby Central Java. There is usually a long backlog at the BBTKLPP, Berty said.



Each lab could process between 100 and 150 samples, provided the reagents are available, she added.



West Java Health Agency head Berli Hamdani said there were currently three labs processing the tests in the province with a total capacity of 1,400 tests per day, but the figure is expected to double when machines imported by the SOEs Ministry arrive.



The provinces COVID-19 task force secretary, Daud Achmad, said on Monday that his administration had 20,000 PCR testing kits and, as a result, the most urgent tests should be prioritized.



Bali is planning to double its testing capacity by preparing Udayana University Hospitals lab as it also expects PCR testing machines from the central government. Currently, Sanglah Hospitals laboratory is the only laboratory conducting PCR testing on the resort island with a capacity of 68 tests a day.



 Bambang Muryanto, Arya Dipa, Ni Komang Erviani and Asip Hasani contributed to this story from Yogyakarta, Bandung, Denpasar and Blitar.
President Donald Trump on Thursday laid out guidelines for a gradual reopening of the United States after the battering of the coronavirus pandemic, saying normal life should resume quickly in some states. Trump's new push came as he saw progress in his campaign to pressure China, with fellow Western leaders agreeing that Beijing has not been transparent on the origins of the virus that has infected more than 2.1 million people. Facing re-election in November, Trump has been impatient to lift a lockdown that has thrown 22 million people out of work in the world's largest economy, although plenty of leaders at home and abroad fear that hastily easing restrictions will cause more people to die. "Based on the latest data, our team of experts now agrees that we can begin the next front in our war," Trump told a news conference. "We're opening up our country." The United States accounts for the most COVID-19 deaths of any country, with almost 33,000 of the nearly 144,000 fatalities worldwide. But pointing to sparsely populated parts of the country, Trump said some states were already free from the impact and can open "literally tomorrow." "We have large sections of the country, right now, that can think about opening," he said. The White House outlined three "phases" under which each governor would determine the permitted size of gatherings depending on their location and levels of infection. Trump's recommendations were a far cry from his previous calls for a sudden end to social distancing measures -- as well as his earlier call for the nation to be fully open in time for Easter on April 12. He also pulled back from a battle over authority, with governors ultimately deciding what to do -- as was the case before his announcement. Hours earlier, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, the US epicenter of the virus, said he was extending the shutdown there until May 15 despite signs of progress. "I would like to see that infection rate get down even more," Cuomo said, reporting that 606 people had died in the last day, the lowest number in 10 days. Britain, which shut down later than most of continental Europe, said it would extend its lockdown for at least another three weeks. Its daily death toll spiked to 861. - China under pressure - Trump, who in January said the United States had the coronavirus "totally under control," has sharply criticized China over the virus that was first detected in its metropolis of Wuhan. He appeared to win support during a videoconference Thursday among leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told reporters there could be no "business as usual" with China. "We'll have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier," said Raab, filling in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is recovering from the virus. French President Emmanuel Macron warned not to be "naive" in believing China has handled the outbreak well. "There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about," he said in an interview with the Financial Times. China has said its scientists believe the virus was first transmitted to humans at a meat market in Wuhan that butchered exotic animals. The Washington Post and Fox News reported there were growing suspicions the virus in fact slipped out of a sensitive laboratory in Wuhan that studied bats, blamed for the SARS coronavirus outbreak in 2003. Neither outlet suggested the virus was spread deliberately. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China should have been more transparent about the laboratory. "We're doing a full investigation of everything we can to learn how it is the case that this virus got away, got out into the world and now has created so much tragedy -- so much death," Pompeo told Fox News. - Bid to 'smear China' - Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone and called efforts to blame Beijing counterproductive. Xi called attempts to politicize the pandemic "detrimental to international cooperation" and Putin denounced "attempts by some people to smear China," according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian -- who previously outraged the United States by spreading an unfounded theory that US troops introduced the coronavirus in Wuhan -- quoted the World Health Organization as saying there was no evidence the virus came from a lab. "Many well-known medical experts in the world also believe that the so-called laboratory leak hypothesis has no scientific basis," Zhao said. Trump has also gone on the attack against the WHO, saying he will cut US funding for the UN body because it did not press China harder on initial statements that the virus could not be spread among people. That Trump offensive has drawn little international support. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose aggressive response is credited with limiting deaths in Europe's largest economy, voiced "full support" for the WHO, whose role is especially noticeable in developing countries. - Slow return to normal - After weeks on strict lockdowns, hard-hit Spain and Italy have begun to ease restrictions. In Venice, residents in mandatory face masks enjoyed quiet streets and canals that once thronged with selfie-stick wielding tourists. "I bought many books," Venetian Catrina said after visiting one of the city's bookshops, which were allowed to reopen this week. "I needed them. Like an addict -- for something of substance." Switzerland announced that some shops and services -- including beauty salons -- will be allowed to resume business from April 27. Germany also announced steps to reopen some shops and gradually restart schools, Denmark began reopening schools for younger children and Finland lifted a blockade of Helsinki. But Russia postponed its May 9 celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, an extravaganza to which Putin has hoped to draw leaders including Trump. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres issued an appeal to protect the world's youngest, warning that a staggering 310 million children relied on schools -- many now closed -- for daily nutrition. "With the global recession gathering pace, there could be hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020," Guterres warned. burs-sct/acb/it
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In todays film news roundup, Cinema Guild starts its virtual cinema initiative, Mucho Mas Media announces a partnership, Amazon hires a Netflix veteran and Pot Luck gets released.

VIRTUAL CINEMA

Cinema Guild is launching its virtual cinema initiative with 2019 Cannes Film Festival prize winner, Albert Serras Liberte in partnership with arthouse theaters.

Were grateful for the opportunity to continue our partnership with arthouse theaters and institutions around the country during this difficult time, said Cinema Guild President Peter Kelly. Were also very happy that U.S. audiences wont have to wait any longer to experience the audacity and artistry of Albert Serras singular vision.

Liberte will launch May 1 in partnership with Film at Lincoln Center, and a national rollout will follow on May 8. The film premiered last year at Cannes, where it won a Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.

Set just before the French Revolution, in a forest outside Berlin, the film follows a band of libertines expelled from the court of Louis XVI who meets with the legendary German seducer and freethinker, the Duc de Walchen (Helmut Berger), to convince him to join in their mission: the rejection of authority and all moral boundaries. What begins as an evening of strategizing on the proliferation of libertinage, descends into a Sadean night of pansexual one-upmanship.

PARTNERSHIP

Javier Chapa and Simon Wises Mucho Mas Media have announced a three-picture deal with Mexicos Corazon Films.

Mucho Mas will finance and produce films for the Mexican-based distributor, with a strong focus on streaming rights and specialty theatrical releasing in the U.S. and Latin America. Projects will be shot in the U.S. and Mexico, made by and for the Latin audience and beyond.

The films in development are Pet-Nup, the story of a man, his beloved dog, and the ridiculous lengths he will go to protect their bond when a custody battle ensues; Alejandro Montoyas Tia Juana, about a down-on-his-luck Latin man who take on the persona of his mom, Tia Juana, to get his girlfriend back; and Angel Gracias The Grass is Always Gringo, a body-swap comedy about a humble Mexican worker his cantankerous boss.

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AMAZON HIRE

Netflix marketing veteran Christian Davin will join Amazon Studios as the global head of movie marketing, reporting to Andy Donkin.

Davin will work closely with Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke, movies co-heads Ted Hope, Julie Rapaport and Matt Newman, and the entire movies team to design and execute all film campaigns.

He comes to Amazon from Netflix where he was the VP of Global Creative Marketing for Films. He oversaw the campaigns for Roma, Bird Box, Dolemite Is My Name, To All The Boys Ive Loved Before The Kissing Booth and The Irishman. The news was first reported by Deadline.

RELEASE DATE

Marijuana documentary Pot Luck has become available on DigitalHD and DVD in North America from Giant Pictures, the digital film distribution division of Giant Interactive.

The release date of Pot Luck is timed to the unofficial marijuana holiday on April 20. Pot Luck takes a road trip across the state of Colorado to find out what the new normal looks like five years after Colorado voted to legalize cannabis in all forms.

Pot Luck is a 3 Generations Production by Jane Wells.

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If there were ever a real-life cold case that cried out for a brilliant, obsessed investigator like Val McDermids Tony Hill or Idris Elbas Luther, its the Atlanta child murders of 1979 to 1981. An estimated 29 killings of black children, adolescents, and young men riveted the nation and almost tore apart the booming City Too Busy to Hate, even as Atlantas black community celebrated the election of the citys first black mayor. Then, in 1981, Atlanta police arrested 23-year-old Wayne Williams, a freelance news photographer and self-styled music promoter, for the murder of Nathaniel Cater, 27. He was convicted the following year, and with that, authorities closed the remaining 28 cases.

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Hardly anyone was satisfied with this resolution, as a new five-part HBO documentary series, Atlantas Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children, testifies. (The first two episodes are now available, and the remaining three will air on consecutive Sundays.) But there are a half-dozen different and incompatible ways of quarreling with it. Atlantas Missing and Murdered does justice to a couple of the criticisms, and it certainly provides a more cogent picture of the city, the time, and the crimes than the haphazard and gullible Atlanta Monster podcast did two years ago. But the HBO series also succumbs to the imperatives of a plot-twist narrative. It seems driven more by the need to entertain than a desire to get at the truth.

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Atlantas Missing and Murdered does succeed at portraying an important part of the story: how the citys black community experienced that terrifying two-year period, and the role that grassroots organizers played in forcing Atlantas recently integrated police force to take the murders more seriously. Victims relatives, journalists, people who were children at the time, and other Atlantans speak to the dread that settled over black neighborhoods, and to their indignation that officials couldnt seem to stop the killing or identify its perpetrator. Camille Bells 9-year-old son, Yusuf, disappeared while running an errand for a neighbor and his body was found three weeks later in an abandoned school; she became a spokesperson for the victims mothers and the leader of the Committee to Stop Childrens Murders. The gravitational force of Bells eloquence and dignity in archival footage tends to bend any depiction of the Atlanta murders in the direction of her beliefs, and Bell believed that Williams is innocent.

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Shes not alone. One of the most unsettling scenes in Atlantas Missing and Murdered comes in the second episode, when Williams, via speakerphone, is invited to address a forum organized by a local radio station at a church to discuss the case, an event attended by victims friends and relatives, former search party volunteers, and neighbors. If you believe (as I do) that Williams committed at least some of the murders, this is grotesque. The producers of the Atlanta Monster podcast allowed the garrulous Williams to run away with several episodes of their show, but that mistake served the purpose of making his narcissism and dishonesty impossible to ignore.

The five-part series does make for a much better introduction to the case than Atlanta Monster.

Nevertheless, the evidence against Williams is circumstantial. Most of it consists of fibers found on the bodies of many (but not all) of the victims attributed to the Atlanta child murderer, particularly an unusual green carpet fiber combined with dog hairs and traces of a bedspread found in the house where Williams lived with his parents. The fourth episode of Atlantas Missing and Murdered reconstructs the prosecutions case, and it comes across as damning. Then the fifth episode proceeds to demolish itat least rhetorically. The testimony of eyewitnesses who claimed to have seen Williams with some of the victims is cast into doubt. A 2015 expose of widespread flaws in the FBIs use of microscopic hair analysis is presented as if it also calls into question the fiber analysis that was a much larger part of the prosecutions evidence. In the mid-2000s, Williams defense team learned that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was secretly surveilling a family allegedly associated with the Ku Klux Klan and had recorded one of its members, Charles T. Sanders, praising the killings. A 1991 appeal based on the argument that this investigation should have been revealed to Williams defense team, exhaustively documented in Atlantas Missing and Murdered, failed. The series does not mention the results of independent DNA tests in 2007 and 2010, both supporting Williams conviction, although not conclusively so.

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FBI profiler John Douglasthe basis for the Holden Ford character in the Netflix series Mindhunter, which takes its title from Douglas memoirparticipated in the hunt for the Atlanta child murder, producing a profile that matched Wayne Williams to an uncanny degree. Yet even Douglas has stated that he does not believe Williams committed all 29 crimes. The HBO series presents one of the strongest alternative scenariosthat a local man with a record of sexual assaults raped and killed one victim, Clifford Jonesa story dismissed by the police because the eyewitness who claimed to have observed the crime was intellectually disabled. It also covers the persistent rumors of a house where pedophiles paid local boys, including some of the victims, for sexual favors and photographs. This line of investigation does not appear to have ever been sufficiently pursued.

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Despite its dramatic structure, anyone familiar with the Atlanta child murders wont find anything new in Atlantas Missing and Murdered, although it does make for a much better introduction to the case than Atlanta Monster. The citys current mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, interviewed for the series, reopened the investigation more than a year ago. Police chief Erika Shields said that the department still has boxes of evidence that has never been tested for DNA, but if that evidence has revealed anything of interest, it has yet to be announced. A frustrating sense of stasis prevails. Will there never be a breakthrough? Monica Kaufman-Pearson, a beloved longtime Atlanta news anchor interviewed for both the podcast and Atlantas Missing and Murdered, may be right when she tells the camera: This is one of those mysteries that will remain a mystery because we blew it from the beginning. There were all these questions. And we never got good answers.
Washington, April 16 : The US Navy has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of "dangerous and harassing approaches" in the Persian Gulf.

Eleven IRGC Navy vessels repeatedly conducted "harassing" approaches of six US Navy and Coast Guard ships on Wednesday, it said.

One passed within 10 yards (9m) of a Coast Guard cutter. The US vessels were involved in a military exercise with US Army Apache attack helicopters.

There has been no word yet from Iran.

The incident came a day after armed men - believed to have been IRGC personnel - seized a Hong Kong-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman and redirected it into Iranian waters before releasing it, the BBC reported.

The US Navy said "The US crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships' horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no response from the IRGCN." "After approximately one hour, the IRGCN vessels responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries, then manoeuvred away from the US ships and opened distance between them," it added.

Tensions between the US and Iran rose further in January, when the US killed a top IRGC general in a drone strike in Iraq. Iran responded by launching missiles at Iraqi military bases hosting US forces.
Even as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday issued a statewide executive order mandating people to wear a mask or face covering when out in public, neither California Gov. Gavin Newsom nor San Francisco Mayor London Breed was willing to tighten face mask restrictions beyond asking people to cover their faces when out in public.

In a briefing, Breed referenced the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic and the requirement for the populace to wear face masks in order to finally defeat it.

We need to look at what has happened in history, she said. Now is not the time to let up and get comfortable.

But she stopped short of any kind of mandate on face masks other than to advise people to wear them in public, along with constant handwashing, staying at home and maintaining social distancing.

This comes after Los Angeles, Riverside and Sonoma counties have all issued ordinances, punishable by fine or even imprisonment, for failing to wear face masks in public. Sonoma Countys ordinance, which goes into effect Friday, makes it a public nuisance punishable by fine, imprisonment or both, to be caught without a face mask at any indoor facility other than ones residence, any enclosed outdoor space or any outdoor place where a person is unable to maintain 6 feet of distance.

When asked by The Chronicle during the briefing whether San Francisco would follow the lead of Sonoma County, Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax was noncommital.

We know that along with physical distancing, wearing a facial covering helps protect others, Colfax said, equating it to a My mask protects you, your mask protects me buddy system. But he offered no other guidelines. We are looking to ensure that there is compliance with our face masking recommendations and whether additional measures are needed to protect people.

Police Chief William Scott ratcheted it up just barely, If you have to go outside for essential business or to get exercise it is recommended that you cover your face, he said.

In his Tuesday announcement of his road map to recovery, Newsom did not list face coverings among his six criteria to reopening the state. In her own address, Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said face coverings are likely to become common, but went no further.

Face coverings are not a replacement for physical distancing, she said. But they can add protection and we will think about it more broadly as more of us go out into the public.

When pressed on the issue Wednesday, in light of the New York ordinance requiring everybody in the state to carry a mask and be prepared to wear it, the state health department reiterated that policy.

At this time there is no requirement for mandatory face coverings in California but that may be subject to change given the fluidity of the situation, the department said in a statement.

Newsom has mostly given counties leeway in establishing public health guidelines, but none in the Bay Area have followed the lead of Sonoma County. When contacted by The Chronicle, most public health departments said they were following state guidelines issued April 2.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

While masks are strongly encouraged in Marin, there are issues of access and enforcement that stand in the way of Marin enforcing masks, Lane Hendricks, a public information officer for Marin County, said by email.

The counties are already behind at least one retailer. On Wednesday, signs posted outside all nine Mollie Stones Markets from the Peninsula to Marin advised shoppers that as of Thursday, a face covering will be required of all shoppers to get in the door.

Its for the protection of all of our employees and customers both, said owner Mike Stone. Were trying to do our best to protect the community from this virus.

In San Francisco, Yuka Ioroi, co-owner of Cassava, a restaurant in the Outer Richmond district, cited people not wearing masks as one of the reasons she closed her to-go counter this week.

Not mandating masks doesnt send a strong enough message, and people relax, Ioroi said, just as a Muni bus went by. The driver was not wearing a mask.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com
Crisis Spurs American Airlines Into Being More Customer Friendly: Will Anyone Remember It?

The novel coronavirus pandemic has created the worst economic crisis in airline history, and no carrier is expected to bounce back quickly. But at least one U.S. airline may be using this as a brand-building opportunity.

Its American Airlines, which since its 2013 merger with US Airways had fallen behind peers on customer sentiment. President Robert Isom last year told investors the airlines failure to recommend score, a metric that measures whether a passenger would tell a friend or relative to fly American, had dropped below expectations. On many issues, including on-time performance, seat comfort, and service, some flyers thought American wasnt getting the job done.

Given that history, American might have been expected to take a hard-line against customers seeking to cancel tickets during the Coronavirus. But American seemed to realize earlier than most carriers that while it needed to conserve cash, this once-in-a century crisis was no time to take an antagonistic stance.

More often than not, observers say, American is saying yes to customers.

American is looking at this saying, Yes, we are losing money on this but we are doing the right thing, said Brett Snyder, a high-end travel agent and blogger. In contrast to United, it looks so different.

Among the First to Act

By now, most U.S. airlines have been beaten into submission by customers, lawmakers, government regulators, and aggressive lawyers. All of them have made it clear that, when an airline disrupts cancels or significantly delays someones journey, that airline owes the traveler a refund, regardless of whether the passenger planned to fly.

But as recently as two weeks ago, not every airline took that approach. A least two  United and JetBlue Airways  were so focused on survival they took more of a screw the customer strategy, deciding they would retain every last dollar. Whenever they could, they would keep fare money and fix the customer damage later.

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American might have had that approach in the beginning, too. But last month, it was among the first U.S airlines to pivot to a more passenger-centric approach, helping customers rebook flights, or refund them, with few questions asked. If customers didnt want to fly because of coronavirus, American wouldnt make them.

Not all customers are eligible for refunds, but American has not tried to withhold them from passengers who qualified under the airlines terms and conditions.

American still wants to retain money, but has been more creative with its approach. It was among the first airlines to offer customers an incentive deal  cancel for a full refund, or take a travel voucher for 120 percent of the tickets value.

On the back end, American built IT to handle refunds, so fewer travelers would have to call the reservations department. Its a small but notable improvement, Snyder said.

They are devoting resources to doing this work, which means it has to be a proactive strategy, Snyder said. They are putting effort into it. I think thats a pretty admirable thing to be doing. You are basically watching your ship sink but you are still making sure that everyone gets to take their personal belongings will them.

A Concerted Strategy

At least a once a day during the early days of the crisis last month, American executives met on a conference call to discuss how the carrier would react, said Ross Feinstein, an airline spokesman.

Executives with a finance background might have recommended a hard-line against customers, since they would fear the company would run out of money. But American also had many other departments represented on the call, including sales, reservations, social media, and corporate communications.

Many understood the customer view and advocated a gentler approach, Feinstein said. The phone reservations team, which had its two busiest days in Americans history, after on March 12 and 13, understood this was no ordinary crisis.

We are looking at every single aspect of what we are hearing from our customers, Feinstein said. Every idea was listened to and analyzed. We came together to form a consensus as a group to come up with a way to take care of customers.

The group is still meeting, though less often, to discuss refunds, waivers and other issues, Feinstein said.

Long-Term effects?

During the conference calls, most discussion centers around the current situation and not about long-term implications, Feinstein said. But others wonder whether customers will remember that American treated its passengers better than some competitors during this crisis.

Henry Harteveldt, an industry analyst and former airline marketing executive, said American may emerge with stronger brand equity  assuming the airline survives. Perhaps, he said, customers will forget the airlines 2019 stumbles when this is over.

I think passengers are going to have long memories when it comes to how airlines treated them during this crisis, and the airlines that dont treat passengers well will probably see lower levels of loyalty, he said. They may see some of their frequent flyers move to other airlines. They may see fewer people carry the co-branded credit card or spend less on it. I appreciate the financial challenge that all airlines are facing now, but airlines that dont put the customer first risk coming in last.

American is not the only airline taking care of customers. Three other airlines  Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines  generally have excelled at weighing customer satisfaction against the need to conserve cash. But those airlines were well-liked by customers before the crisis and didnt need to improve their reputations.

Still, theres some question whether customers will remember Americans actions during the crisis, Snyder said.

I would like to think they will, but it may be difficult because United may have done enough damage to everyone with the stuff that they are doing, travel agent Snyder said. Everyone is focusing on what United has been doing to prevent refunds. Not as much attention will be paid to American doing the right thing.

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DEBENHAMS Irish operations have been formally placed in liquidation.

A week after Limerick suffered a huge blow with the closure of the department store and the loss of 110 jobs, Kieran Wallace and Andrew OLeary of KPMG have been appointed to formally wind the company up.

The company, which operated in Limerick at the former Roches Stores building at the corner of OConnell Street and Sarsfield Street, sought an order from the High Court for its liquidation.

In a statement, Debenhams Retail Ireland Ltd said it will support the joint liquidators in order to get the best outcome for employees and creditors in this situation.

"It is with great regret that Debenhams Retail Ireland has announced that, having explored all other possible alternatives, it has had no option but to apply to the court today to have a provisional liquidator appointed to the business," it said.

The company said it employed 957 people across 11 stores in Ireland.

It said it understood that this was a very difficult day for its employees, adding that unfortunately, the decision was forced upon it by the withdrawal of the support of Debenhams Retail Ltd in the UK after the appointment last week of an administrator to its own business there.

"As a result, legally, the directors of Debenhams Retail Ireland Ltd had no other option but to seek the appointment of a liquidator," it added.

Limerick Fine Gael TD Kieran ODonnell urged the company rather than to go into liquidation, go forward with an examinership process.

Having done this in 2016, the company was able to keep trading.

However, on this occasion, it said that option would not be possible this time.

"Unfortunately, the company has concluded that it is insolvent and unable to pay its debts, and there is no option but that it be wound up," it said, adding that regrettably there is no viable alternative.
To mitigate the impact the Covid-19 lockdown has had on the school year, Sandton City, Nelson Mandela Square, Eastgate Shopping Centre, Liberty Midlands Mall, Liberty Promenade Shopping Centre and Botshabelo Mall have made their SnapStudy education initiative freely available to learners for a limited time. Students from both government and private schools will be allowed to access complimentary online high school courses.

How does it work?

SnapStudy was designed to offer shoppers, based on their loyalty and spend within the abovementioned malls, the opportunity to study online Boston Connect courses. Boston Group, through its Ivy Schools, finds itself in the ideal position to step in and assist in the months ahead with its distance learning capabilities and array of multimedia resources, ready to engage learners and create a space for interactivity, creativity and knowledge construction. And with the funding and sponsorship of learners from respective malls, and curricula and home-schooling expertise from the Boston Group  they are making it a reality for high school students whose schooling has been interrupted, and who do not have access to either home schooling or digital e-learning through their schools.Interested learners need to apply by sending a WhatsApp to (011) 551 9019 (this is a WhatsApp hotline) and provide their cellphone number or email address, as well notify SnapStudy as to their nearest mall (from the list provided above). Once the submission has been processed, learners will be notified for their complimentary online tutorials.Learners will then need to visit SnapStudy to register for the courses they are interested in. All high school courses available will include course lectures, which can be done in their own time, as well as regular assessments and report back to parents.The President, during his announcement, asked corporate South Africa to contribute as much as possible during what will be a very difficult time for everyone, especially those that are impoverished, stated the participating malls. We believe that by assisting school students, through SnapStudy, we can create some positive educational outcomes, and help others stand in solidarity, during such an unprecedented time.For more information or to register, visit: www.snapstudy.co.za . Terms and conditions apply.
In March, the global pandemic COVID-19 began to spread in Brazil, hitting more than 28,912 people and killing 1,760. State governors began imposing lockdown measures, closing schools, businesses, and the source of income for people living in favelas---a place said to be suffering from extreme poverty.

Favelas are places where houses are often stacked and are illegally occupying the land. Some neighborhoods have found a way to thrive and embrace creativity, while others remain trapped in tight spaces that are often controlled by gangs.

The homes located in the Baixadas da Estrada Nova Jurunas neighborhood are overflowing with floating garbage that serves as home to deadly anacondas or sucuri snakes. These homes, built on wooden stilts, often suffer from flooding and get caught in the middle of gang wars.

After the Brazilian state government required people to observe strict coronavirus isolation guidelines, more than 1.5 million people living in the Baixadas neighborhood lost their jobs. Adults and children who were usually eating three meals a day were going hungry.

This scene is repeated across the nation, affecting over 14 million families living in densely populated areas. While official reports have confirmed 28,000 cases, some fear underreporting means numbers are likely surging.

Community leaders and favela associations began delivering food and basic toiletries to residents in need as hunger strikes. They fear COVID-19 will spread rapidly in poor neighborhoods where basic sanitation and health services are scarce. These neglected favelas have been known to suffer from other thriving diseases such as the Zika virus and tuberculosis.

"It's like we don't exist."



The pandemic has proved how little the Brazilian government cares about the citizens living in the impoverished areas. As one resident pointed out, the word favela has been continuously absent from press conferences and other government communication.

Bolsonaro's administration struggled for weeks over an emergency monthly payment of $116. The payments, which will last three months, will be given to almost 25 million "informal" workers and settlers. Many, however, are missing proper social security numbers and are being refused their cheques.

Favelas and activists have taken it upon themselves to organize methods to cope with the business shutdowns and the lay-offs. They've helped set up communal kitchens and deliver thousand of food parcels within many forgotten favela neighborhoods.

Some activists also found a way to "adopt" maids who were laid off from their jobs. These workers previously served in the upscale neighborhoods where the new coronavirus first emerged.

"Street presidents" have also set up local clinics with two doctors, three nurses, and three ambulances. They have also organized a donation drive, and neighborhood meets where they remind people of the importance of handwashing and social distancing measures.

Gilson Rodrigues, president of the residents association in the Paraisopolis favela, said they began building a field hospital in their neighborhood.

"We believe the cases are coming," he said. "We believe we are being abandoned to our own fate."

Conflicting Messages

Research from a local institute showed almost 80 percent of working favela residents were laid off over the COVID-19 health crisis.

Despite ongoing community efforts, many are sent back on to the street---some due to the need to work, while others due to the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's conflicting messages. Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the virus and attacked social isolation orders. His words contradict not only his own health minister's advice but also that of the World Health Organization.

His words have led to people disobeying health guidelines, which are further reinforced by evangelical pastors in some favela neighborhoods and upstate areas.

The government's lack of unity and urgency differs from the way favela groups are coping with the situation. The crisis put the neglected areas in the spotlight, intensifying all the issues they face daily.

"It made the world really listen to the favela's voice," a resident said.
CALGARY, Alberta, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FluroTech Ltd. (TSXV: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic Agreement in Principle with Alberta BioPhotonics Inc. (ABP) and Albany Medical College (AMC) to form FluroTest LLC (FluroTest).



The CompleTest adaptation is expected to take approximately three months with trials planned shortly thereafter. We caution that FluroTest is taking the existing technology developed by FluroTech and adapting that technology to be able to test for COVID-19. We are still in the early stages of research and development and are not making any express or implied claims that it can accurately diagnose COVID-19 virus at this time. FluroTech and ABP are majority shareholders in FluroTest.

The collaboration will have primary focus on adapting FluroTechs CompleTest platform technology to test for a range of viruses including COVID-19, as well as accurately determining viral load. Additionally, FluroTest believes its technology can also be adapted to allow for the detection of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 human antibodies in blood samples, potentially confirming the development of immunity. Once developed, both tests would be administered at point-of-collection with results expected to be available in less than 15 minutes.

The Team

FluroTests technology development efforts require unique expertise in spectroscopy and fluorescence as well as immunology and virology. This initiative is a collaborative effort between U.S. and Canadian scientists with deep experience in their respective fields.

For immunology and virology expertise, FluroTest has partnered with Albany Medical Colleges immunology and microbial disease department. AMC is located in the State of New York. The Departments research team is led by Dennis Metzger, Ph.D., professor and chair of the department, along with assistant professor Kouacou Konan, Ph.D., who is working with FluroTech to develop the technology. Dr. Konans research program concentrates on virus detection and the mechanisms responsible for viral disease pathogenesis. The program is supported by a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory that allows for the use of highly virulent pathogens and is one of the few such facilities in the state of New York. Dr. Konan has obtained approval for COVID-19 work in his Level-3 laboratory. As part of Albany Medical Center, the only academic medical center and Level 1 Trauma Center serving northeastern New York and western New England, Albany Medical College is in a unique position to begin large scale sample collection and clinical trials which will assist in obtaining regulatory approvals including FDA approval. My colleagues and I look forward to collaborating with Dr. Elmar Prenner and the fluorescence spectroscopy laboratory at the University of Calgary, noted Dr. Konan. This initiative enriches our mission of patient care, research and educationthree critical factors to address this difficult viral problem for the people we serve.

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FluroTechs fluorescence spectroscopy laboratory at the University of Calgary, is led by Dr. Elmar Prenner. Dr. Prenner is the original developer of the technology owned by AB Photonics. Dr. Prenner, a professor at the University of Calgary within the department of Biological Sciences, serves as senior science advisor of FluroTech and brings over 28 years of expertise in fluorescence spectroscopy. We are proud to commit our CompleTest platform technology and ongoing discovery efforts to partner with Albany Medical Colleges team to find solutions to the difficult problems posed by viruses, and COVID-19 in particular, said Dr. Elmar Prenner.

About Albany Medical Center

Albany Med, northeastern New Yorks only academic health sciences center, is one of the largest private employers in the Capital Region. It incorporates the 766-bed Albany Medical Center Hospital, which offers the widest range of medical and surgical services in the region, and Albany Medical College, which trains the next generation of doctors, scientists and other healthcare professionals. It also includes a biomedical research enterprise and the regions largest physicians practice with more than 500 doctors. Albany Med is affiliated with Columbia Memorial Health and Saratoga Hospital to provide the largest locally governed health system in the region. Combined, our system has more than 1,100 beds and nearly 100 outpatient locations throughout the Capital Region. Albany Med works with dozens of community partners to improve the regions health and quality of life. For more information: www.amc.edu or www.facebook.com/albanymedicalcenter.

About FluroTech (TSXV: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF)

FluroTechs proprietary spectroscopy-based technology allows for the testing and identification of organic and inorganic compounds contained within biological samples for specific applications. Using technology that was first developed at the University of Calgary, FluroTech has created a two-part solution comprised of its CompleTest platform technology and consumable testing kits. Its accuracy has been independently validated. FluroTech continues to develop additional applications for the CompleTest platform technology. To learn more, visit FluroTech.com .

About FluroTest LLC

FluroTest is seeking additional capital in the near-term and will also be exploring strategic partnerships with manufacturing and distribution companies to advance the deployment of the new test thats being developed. To learn more, visit FluroTest.com .

About Alberta BioPhotonics Inc.

Alberta BioPhotonics Inc. focuses on identifying market opportunities to commercialize its proprietary spectroscopy-based technology. ABP is controlled by some of the same officers and directors as FluroTech and currently holds approximately 33% of the common shares of FluroTech.

Contact Information

FluroTech Albany Medical College FluroTest Danny Dalla-Longa Amy M. Johnson William P. Phelan Chief Executive Officer Director & EIR, Biomedical Acceleration and Commercialization Center Chief Executive Officer 403.680.0644 518.669.8866 518.369.4902 Danny@FluroTech.com JohnsonA@amc.edu info@flurotest.com FluroTech.com AMC.edu FluroTest.com

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the benefit or account of U.S. persons, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuers business, capital, technology or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuers prospective financial performance or financial position. The forward-looking information in this news release includes disclosure about the formation of FluroTest and the capital structure thereof, the ability to adapt FluroTechs CompleTest platform technology to test for viruses, including COVID-19, as well as accurately determining viral load, the ability to adapt the technology to allow for the detection of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 human antibodies in a patients blood sample, and the speed and accuracy of such testing, the need for financing of FluroTest in the near term and the formation of strategic partnerships for the deployment and distribution of the technology. The Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to prevailing market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, as well as the ability to adopt the CompleTest technology as described herein in a timely manner and to obtain the financing required in connection with the same, to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors described in the Corporations Annual Information Form under the heading Risk Factors and the failure to adapt the CompleTest technology as contemplated herein in a timely manner or at all, the risk that competitors will develop a similar or superior testing platform, the technology not having the anticipated testing benefits, the inability of FluroTest to obtain the necessary financing to achieve its purpose on satisfactory terms or at all, the failure to form strategic partnerships necessary to deploy and distribute the technology. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release.
Health concerns were on artist Danai Ussama's mind when he returned to Thailand last month from a trip to Spain.

He noticed that he and his fellow passengers did not go through medical checks after arriving at Bangkok's airport, and thought it worth noting on his Facebook page.

The airport authorities denied it, lodged a complaint with police, and he was arrested at his gallery in Phuket for violating the Computer Crime Act by allegedly posting false information -- an offense punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 baht ($ 3,063).

Danai told The Associated Press that his Facebook post, though public, was really meant just for a small circle of 40 to 50 people. Instead it went viral.

He believes the government is afraid its opponents would use his observation as proof it was failing the fight against the coronavirus, and acted against him as a warning to others.

As governments across the world enact emergency measures to keep people at home and stave off the pandemic, some are unhappy about having their missteps publicised. Others are taking advantage of the crisis to silence critics and tighten control.

"COVID-19 poses significant threats to government and regime security as it has the potential to expose poor governance and lack of transparency on issues that affect every citizen in a given country," said Aim Sinpeng, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Sydney.

"As the pandemic is a global issue and is constantly on the around the world, governments have a harder time controlling messages to the public without exposing how little/how much they do in comparison to other countries around the world," she said in an email interview.

In Cambodia, where Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power for 35 years, human rights group LICADHO has documented 24 cases of people being detained for sharing information about the coronavirus.

They include four supporters of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.

Human Rights Watch also reported the arrest and questioning of a 14-year-old who expressed fears on social media about rumors of positive COVID-19 cases at her school and in her province. The group withheld more details to safeguard the girl's privacy.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban may have been the most adroit at exploiting the health crisis.

His country's Parliament granted him the power to rule indefinitely by decree, unencumbered by existing laws or judicial or parliamentary restraints. One aspect of the law ostensibly passed to cope with the coronavirus calls for prison terms of up to five years for those convicted of spreading falsehoods or distorted facts during the emergency.

"The global health problems caused by COVID-19 require effective measures to protect people's health and lives," acknowledged Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic.

"This includes combating disinformation that may cause panic and social unrest. But, regrettably some governments are using this imperative as a pretext to introduce disproportionate restrictions to press freedom. This is a counterproductive approach that must stop. Particularly in times of crisis, we need to protect our precious liberties and rights," she said.

Lawmakers in the Philippines last month passed special legislation giving President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers.

The new law makes "spreading false information regarding the COVID-19 crisis on social media and other platforms" a criminal offense punishable by up to two months in jail and fines of up to 1 million pesos ($19,500).

At least two reporters have been charged by police with spreading false information about the crisis.

Egypt expelled a correspondent for the British newspaper 'The Guardian' over a report citing a study that challenged the official count of coronavirus cases.

Iraq suspended the operations of the Reuters agency for three months and imposed a fine of about $20,800 for reporting that the actual number of infections and deaths was vastly more than the government acknowledged. Reuters stood by its story.

In Serbia, police briefly detained a journalist, Ana Lalic, who wrote about a lack of protective equipment and "chaotic" conditions at a large hospital complex.

The clinical centre said her article "disturbed the public and hurt the image of the health organisation".

A state of emergency invoked in late March gives Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha extraordinary powers to fight COVID-19, including censoring the media.

More than a dozen people in Thailand are reported to have been arrested on charges related to spreading coronavirus misinformation.

Artist Danai, who said he will contest the charge against him, admits to regrets over writing his Facebook post about his airport arrival.

"If I had known that I would be in so much trouble like this, I wouldn't have written it. I have never been arrested nor gone to court before. I was handcuffed and slept overnight in a police station cell. I was devastated, actually. It affects my family and myself. But deep down inside, I would have wanted to write it anyway," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reuters

A reddish-coloured cigar-shaped interstellar object called Oumuamua' that is tumbling through our solar system may be wreckage from a planet ripped apart when it roamed too close to the faraway star it once orbited, according to researchers.

Scientists have been puzzled by the origin and nature of Oumuamua since its discovery in 2017, with some even proposing it may be an alien spacecraft. Astronomers Yun Zhang and Doug Lin, in research published this week, said computer simulations indicated it was a remnant of a planet or planetary building block annihilated by a stars tidal forces.

Oumuamua, the first object from another star system found passing through our solar system, is about 400 metres long. Its elongated shape, curious motion and dry appearance - for instance, lacking a tail of dust and gases - indicated it is not an ordinary comet or asteroid.

When a smaller body passes near a much bigger one, tidal forces exerted by the larger body can shred the smaller one. This is what happened when a comet called Shoemaker-Levy 9 journeyed too close to the planet Jupiter in 1992.

Most planetary bodies consist of numerous pieces of rock that have coalesced under the influence of gravity. You could imagine them as sandcastles floating in space. Their structure can be disrupted when the force acting on the individual sand particle is larger than their mutual gravity, said Zhang, a researcher at Observatoire de la Cote dAzur in France.

Similar to the ocean tides on Earth, which result from the gravitational pulls of the sun and the moon, in space a planetary body that comes close enough to a star is subjected to the strong gravitational pulls of that star, added Zhang, whose findings appear in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The planets near and far parts would be separated into pieces, forming an elongated band of wreckage, with some fragments then fusing together to form objects shaped like Oumuamua, added Lin, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The star probably was one-tenth to eight-tenths of the mass of our sun or potentially an exotic type of relatively cool and dense star called a white dwarf, Lin said.

Our scenario offers an attractive and viable alternative to the widely publicized alien space ship proposition, Zhang said.

The study suggests the existence of many objects formed this way.

We show the possibility of panspermia carried by these objects, Zhang said, referring to the hypothesized spread of microorganisms or chemical precursors of life on objects hurtling through space.

Oumuamua, meaning messenger from afar in the native Hawaiian language, is travelling out of the solar system and will reach the orbital distance of Uranus in August.
A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Air Force that was on its way to Chandigarh from the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad made an emergency landing on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway here due to a technical fault on Thursday, officials said.

However, there was no loss of life or property, they said.

The two-seater helicopter with a pilot and his associate took off from the Hindon airbase at around 8 am for Chandigarh. But it developed some technical snag and the pilot after informing his seniors made an emergency landing near Mavikalan village on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Superintendent of Police, Baghpat, Pratap Gopendra Yadav said.

Another helicopter with a technical team arrived at the spot and the snag was rectified in about 25 minutes, he said, adding both the helicopters flew after that.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Group Ten Metals Inc. (TSX.V:PGE; OTCQB:PGEZF; FSE:5D32) (the "Company" or "Group Ten") is pleased to announce 2019 exploration results from the Chrome Mountain and East Boulder target areas at the Company's flagship Stillwater West Platinum Group Element ("PGE")-Ni-Cu Project in Montana, USA.

This is the third in a series of planned news releases to report results of 2019 exploration programs which focused on the advancement of drill-defined mineralized zones at five priority target areas. Subsequent news releases will report results from mapping and surface sampling programs completed in 2019, plus ongoing modelling work, and rhodium assays from drill and field samples.

Work in 2019 at Chrome Mountain and East Boulder included re-logging and re-assaying of drill core along with surface sampling and mapping programs. The aim of this work is to advance 3D modelling of drill-defined mineralization, at the Hybrid Unit, toward delineation of a mineral resource, and to refine early-stage targets for first drill testing.

Highlights include:

388 meters of 1.0 g/t Total Platinum Equivalent ("TotPtEq") , or 0.22% Total Nickel Equivalent ("TotNiEq") , starting at surface, including 30 meters of 3.86 g/t TotPtEq , or 0.85% TotNiEq ( 0.60 g/t Pt, 1.25 g/t Pd, and 0.19% Ni , plus Au, Cu, and Co values), starting at 39 meters in hole CM-2007-02 at the Hybrid Unit;

of , or , starting at surface, including of , or ( , plus Au, Cu, and Co values), starting at 39 meters in hole CM-2007-02 at the Hybrid Unit; 243 meters of 1.62 g/t TotPtEq or 0.35% TotNiEq in hole CM-2007-04, starting at surface, and including 118 meters of 2.15 g/t TotPtEq or 0.47% TotNiEq with multiple intervals rich in PGEs: 18 meters of 0.52 g/t Pt, 0.91 g/t Pd and 0.16% Ni , plus Au, Cu, and Co values for 3.12 g/t TotPtEq (or 0.68% TotNiEq ), starting at 34 meters; 30 meters of 0.55 g/t Pt, 0.96 g/t Pd and 0.13% Ni , plus Au, Cu, and Co values for 3.07 g/t TotPtEq (or 0.67% TotNiEq ), starting at 77 meters; 7 meters of 0.88 g/t Pt , 1.76 g/t Pd, and 0.15% Ni, plus Au, Cu, and Co values, for 4.85 g/t TotPtEq , or 1.06% TotNiEq , starting at 88 meters; 7.3 meters of 0.83 g/t Pt , 1.54 g/t Pd, and 0.12% Ni, plus Au, Cu, and Co values, for 4.25 g/t TotPtEq , or 0.93% TotNiEq , starting at 171 meters;

of or in hole CM-2007-04, starting at surface, and including of or with multiple intervals rich in PGEs: 226 meters of 1.58 g/t TotPtEq or 0.34% TotNiEq starting at surface, including 24 meters of 2.69 g/t TotPtEq or 0.59% TotNiEq in hole CM-2007-07;

of or starting at surface, including of or in hole CM-2007-07; 210 meters of 1.64 g/t TotPtEq or 0.36% TotNiEq starting at surface, including 20 meters of 2.78 g/t TotPtEq or 0.61% TotNiEq in hole CM-2007-08;

of or starting at surface, including of or in hole CM-2007-08; Re-logging and re-assaying of past core in the early-stage East Boulder target area confirmed the presence of significant PGE-Ni-Cu-Co mineralization two kilometers east of the Hybrid Unit; and

3D modelling is now underway to guide priority drilling planned for 2020 at Chrome Mountain.

Michael Rowley, President and CEO, commented, "Results from our 2019 programs have successfully advanced the Hybrid Unit in the Chrome Mountain target area towards delineation of a maiden resource with multiple very wide intervals returning greater than one gram-per-tonne palladium, platinum and gold starting from surface. This is the third target tested at Stillwater West to show "Platreef-style' bulk tonnage PGE-Ni-Cu-Co mineralization over hundreds of meters in thickness, placing them alongside our results from the Iron Mountain and Camp target areas as being some of the thickest mineralized intercepts ever recorded in the Stillwater Complex. Our work at the neighboring early-stage East Boulder target area has also confirmed the presence of wide intervals of nickel and copper sulphide mineralization, enriched in palladium, platinum, gold and cobalt, two kilometers east of the Hybrid Unit along the corresponding target stratigraphy that traverses the 25-kilometer-wide Stillwater West project. Our work is identifying a very large-scale mineralized system in the lower Stillwater Complex, with results that are comparable to the style of mineralization found in the Platreef of South Africa's Bushveld Complex, host to some of the world's largest nickel-copper sulphide hosted PGE mines. We look forward to reporting additional results from our 2019 program in the coming weeks along with our plans for 2020."

Chrome Mountain and East Boulder

Mineralization at Chrome Mountain and East Boulder sits stratigraphically below the world-class J-M Reef deposit, located adjacent to the Stillwater West project, now being mined by Sibanye-Stillwater. As shown in Figure 1, below, the lower Stillwater Complex stratigraphy continues across Group Ten's 25-kilometer-wide property, hosting a total of eight multi-kilometer-scale target areas that have been identified as having potential for large-scale deposits of nickel and copper sulphide enriched in palladium, platinum, rhodium, gold and cobalt.

TABLE 1 - Highlight Drill Intercepts from the Discovery Target in the Hybrid Unit at Chrome Mountain

Highlight intercepts with grade-thickness values over 25 gram-meter TotPtEq are presented above. Total Platinum Equivalent (TotPtEq g/t) and Total Nickel Equivalent (TotNiEq %) calculations reflect total gross metal content using metals prices as follows (all USD): $6.00/lb nickel (Ni), $3.00/lb copper (Cu), $20.00/lb cobalt (Co), $900/oz platinum (Pt), $1,400/oz palladium (Pd), and $1,400/oz gold (Au). Values have not been adjusted to reflect metallurgical recoveries. Total metal equivalent values include both base and precious metals. Total platinum equivalent grade-thickness was determined by multiplying the thickness (in meters) by the Total Platinum Equivalent grade (in grams/tonne) to provide gram-meter values (g-m) as shown. Total nickel equivalent grade-thickness was determined by multiplying the thickness (in meters) by the Total Nickel Equivalent grade (in percent) to provide percent-meter values as shown. Grade-thickness values have been determined across continuously mineralized intervals. Nickel equivalent values may be converted to copper equivalent values by multiplying the NiEq value by the price ratio of the two (ie times two per the above prices), such that 0.5% NiEq equates to 1.0% CuEq. Platinum equivalent has been used based on the historic values of platinum and palladium. Platinum equivalent values may be converted to palladium equivalent values by multiplying the PtEq value by the price ratio of the two (ie times 0.64 per the above prices), such that 1 g/t PtEq equates to 0.64 g/t PdEq. Intervals are reported as drilled widths and are believed to be representative of true widths. All holes were conducted by Group Ten's QP and are not considered historic.

Figures 2 to 7 present the Chrome Mountain and East Boulder target areas, including cross-sections representing the Company's current understanding of the Hybrid Unit and surrounding stratigraphy.

FIGURE 1 - Main Target Areas Across the 25-Kilometer Width of the Stillwater West Project

Group Ten has completed initial 3D modelling of historic drill data, complemented by the Company's 2019 programs, at five of the eight target areas and is now working to define maiden mineral resources at the three most advanced of these areas, including the Hybrid Unit at Chrome Mountain.

Historic sampling has indicated that the PGE mineralization at Stillwater West also includes the rare PGE rhodium along with palladium, platinum and gold. The Stillwater Complex is one of very few locations globally that hosts significant rhodium mineralization. The Company is completing final analysis of rhodium assays from rock and drill samples at several target areas, with results anticipated in the near future.

Chrome Mountain - Hybrid Unit

Mineralization at the Hybrid Unit is presently defined by ten drill holes at the Discovery target that delineate a mineralized zone of a type not identified previously in the Stillwater Complex, but known at the Platreef in South Africa's Bushveld Complex (see December 17, 2018 and February 21, 2019 news releases). These six holes returned composite mineralization of 200 to 450 meters in thickness that has been tested to approximately 300 meters vertical depth and occurs over a strike length of approximately 700 meters. Mineralization remains open in all directions and occurs within a broader approximately two-kilometer-wide area of highly anomalous metals in soils (see Figures 3 and 4).

Work at the Discovery target in 2019 focused on re-logging and re-assaying of 11 past drill holes to bring them into the developing block model and define the scale of the mineralized system. These holes were primarily targeted on highly elevated platinum and palladium values in soils.

Chrome Mountain - Dunite Ridge and Bald Hills Targets

Work by Group Ten has identified several intrusive dunite targets across the Stillwater West project, including the Dunite Ridge and Bald Hills targets. Intrusive dunites are well documented in the Bushveld Complex where they can have spectacular PGE grades. However, no systematic exploration effort had been completed on these targets in the Stillwater Complex prior to 2018. Rock sampling and geological mapping work in 2019 returned results up to 4.44 g/t 3E ( 2.15 g/t Pt, 2.27 g/t Pd, 0.02 g/t Au) in sample 3190343 at Dunite Ridge. This same area returned 16.0 g/t 3E (as 8.72 g/t Pt, 7.25 g/t Pd, and 0.03 g/t Au) in one sample, and 7.45 g/t 3E as 2.32 g/t Pt, 5.10 g/t Pd, and 0.02 g/t Au in a second, in the 2018 field campaign.

Results from Bald Hills confirm the presence of widespread orthopyroxene pegmatoid and discordant, serpentinized dunite, both of which contain lenses and disseminations of chromite and base metal sulphide. Lithogeochemical sampling defines a broad, east-west trending zone of anomalous PGE mineralization, approximately 150 meters by 600 meters in extent and open for expansion within a 750-meter-long area of highly anomalous platinum, palladium, gold, nickel and copper in soil.

Dunite Ridge and Bald Hills are priority targets for follow-up work in 2020.

Chrome Mountain - Tarantula Target

Work in 2018 identified the Tarantula target in the eastern area of the Chrome Mountain target area, where highly anomalous PGE mineralization occurs in the Ultramafic Series. Host rocks are pegmatoidal bronzitite; disseminated chromite and sulphide have been described over an approximate strike length of at least 500 meters. Work in 2019 focused on prospecting, rock sampling and geologic mapping to advance the target for additional work in 2020. Several multi-gram PGE results were returned, ranging up to 2.74 g/t 3E (0.85 g/t Pt, 1.88g/t Pd, 0.01 g/t Au) in sample 3191206. Past results from the Chrome Mountain area includes up to 3.56 g/t Pd, 0.618% Ni, and 0.049% Co in 2018. High chromium levels are noted in this area with 15 samples to date returning grades of 10 to 26.8% Cr. Furthermore, highly anomalous platinum, palladium, gold, nickel and copper are shown in soils in the Tarantula target area, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The Tarantula target is a priority target for follow-up work in 2020.

East Boulder Target Area

As shown in Figure 2, the East Boulder target area centers on a highly conductive geophysical anomaly with coincident highly elevated levels of PGE, Ni and Cu in soils (Figures 3 and 4) covering an area approximately 2.6 kilometers by 1.9 kilometers. The East Boulder target area has less outcrop exposure than the adjacent Chrome Mountain target area (Figure 5) and, as a result, remains much less explored despite historic placer mining in the area.

Assaying of archived core from drill holes CM-2008-01 and CM-2008-03 returned significant base metal values from intervals that had previously been analyzed for precious metals only, including 69.2 meters of 1.62 g/t TotPtEq (or 0.35% TotNiEq), as 0.19% Ni, 0.07% Cu, and 0.017% Co, plus PGE values, starting at 98.5 meters down hole. These holes were originally drilled to test narrower, higher-grade reef-type PGE deposits and therefore were not optimized for more recent geologic models from the Platreef district, however these new results confirm the extension of bulk tonnage PGE-Ni-Cu-Co mineralization between the Chrome Mountain and Iron Mountain target areas, across the same highly prospective stratigraphic zone. As shown in Figure 2, an untested geophysical conductive high anomaly lies immediately south of holes CM-2008-01 and -02, continuing to the east and west.

Future work at the East Boulder target area will include detailed mapping and rock sampling to develop and refine drill targets in the area of the electromagnetic conductors and coincident soil anomalies.

About Stillwater West

The Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu project positions Group Ten as the second largest landholder in the Stillwater Complex, adjoining and adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwater's Stillwater, East Boulder, and Blitz platinum group elements ("PGE") mines in south central Montana, USA1. The Stillwater Complex is recognized as one of the top regions in the world for PGE-Ni-Cu mineralization, alongside the Bushveld Complex and Great Dyke in southern Africa, which are similar layered intrusions. The J-M Reef, and other PGE-enriched sulphide horizons in the Stillwater Complex, share many similarities with the highly prolific Merensky and UG2 Reefs in the Bushveld Complex, while the lower part of the Stillwater Complex also shows the potential for much larger scale disseminated and high-sulphide PGE-Ni-Cu deposits, possibly similar to Platreef in the Bushveld Complex2. Group Ten's Stillwater West property covers the lower part of the Stillwater Complex along with the Picket Pin PGE Reef-type deposit in the upper portion, and includes extensive historic data, including soil and rock geochemistry, geophysical surveys, geologic mapping, and historic drilling.

About Group Ten Metals Inc.

Group Ten Metals Inc. is a TSX-V-listed Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the development of high-quality platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, cobalt and gold exploration assets in top North American mining jurisdictions. The Company's core asset is the Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu project adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwater's high-grade PGE mines in Montana, USA. Group Ten also holds the high-grade Black Lake-Drayton Gold project in the Rainy River district of northwest Ontario and the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu project on trend with Nickel Creek Platinum"s Wellgreen deposit in Canada"s Yukon Territory.

About the Metallic Group of Companies

The Metallic Group is a collaboration of leading precious and base metals exploration companies, with a portfolio of large, brownfields assets in established mining districts adjacent to some of the industry's highest-grade producers of silver and gold, platinum and palladium, and copper. Member companies include Metallic Minerals in the Yukon's high-grade Keno Hill silver district and La Plata silver-gold-copper district of Colorado, Group Ten Metals in the Stillwater PGM-nickel-copper district of Montana, and Granite Creek Copper in the Yukon's Minto copper district. The founders and team members of the Metallic Group include highly successful explorationists formerly with some of the industry's leading explorer/developers and major producers. With this expertise, the companies are undertaking a systematic approach to exploration using new models and technologies to facilitate discoveries in these proven, but under-explored, mining districts. The Metallic Group is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its member companies are listed on the Toronto Venture, US OTC, and Frankfurt stock exchanges.

Note 1: References to adjoining properties are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of the exploration potential, extent or nature of mineralization or potential future results of the Company's projects.

Note 2: Magmatic Ore Deposits in Layered Intrusions-Descriptive Model for Reef-Type PGE and Contact-Type Cu-Ni-PGE Deposits, Michael Zientek, USGS Open-File Report 2012-1010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Michael Rowley, President, CEO & Director

Email: info@grouptenmetals.com Phone: (604) 357 4790

Web: http://grouptenmetals.com Toll Free: (888) 432 0075

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

2019 field samples and re-assayed core from 2007 and 2008 were analyzed by ACT Labs in Vancouver, B.C. Sample preparation: crush (< 7 kg) up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split(250 g) and pulverize (mild steel) to 95% passing 105 m included cleaner sand. Gold, platinum, and palladium were analyzed by fire assay (1C-OES) with ICP finish. Selected major and trace elements were analyzed by peroxide fusion with 8-Peroxide ICP-OES finish to insure complete dissolution of resistate minerals.

2007 and 2008 drilling was conducted by Group Ten's QP while working for Beartooth Platinum.

Mr. Mike Ostenson, P.Geo., is the qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, and he has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Group Ten believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Group Ten and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Group Ten Metals Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585340/Group-Ten-Reports-Wide-Continuous-Palladium-Platinum-Gold-Nickel-Copper-and-Cobalt-Mineralization-Starting-from-Surface-at-the-Chrome-Mountain-Target-Area-of-the-Stillwater-West-Project-in-Montana-USA
God gave King Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore (1 Kings 4:29). Solomon followed the reign of his beloved father, David, with a reign of wisdom so famous that news spread to distant shores.

Even the Queen of Sheba, ruler of the kingdom of Saba (or Sheba) in southwestern Arabia, sought out the man behind the rumor. The Wisdom of Solomon is another name for the Book of Proverbs in which readers find advice and direction about how to live wisely before God.

Solomons Guidebook

The Proverbs are known, even by many unbelievers, as evidence of the wisdom of Solomon. This book of the Bible goes by both names because of the sage advice found there. In secular culture and literature, A proverb is a brief, simple, and popular saying, or a phrase that gives advice and effectively embodies a commonplace truth based on practical experience or common sense. In common usage, one might refer to vernacular wisdom or the sayings of Confucius as proverbs.

Some of Solomons many wise and simple messages of truth slipped into wider culture such as, Pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:8) and A soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). Tim Keller wrote, however, that their meaning is far deeper. The Proverbs are a mini-guide to life. Submit your whole mind to the Scripture. Don't think you know better than Gods word. Bring it to bear on every area of life. Become a person under authority. The Proverbs describe how to worship and obey God. They show what someone who loves God looks like. Proverb literally means to be like in Hebrew.

Wise to Reign

God approved of Solomon in favor of older brother Adonijah who believed he would inherit the throne. He prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, celebrating with arrogant prematurity (1 Kings, 1:5). But the throne of Israel was not left only to the rules of hereditary succession; God determined the next king. Adonijah violated a basic principle in the Scriptures  that we should let God exalt us and not exalt ourselves.

Nathan and Bathsheba simply reminded King David of his promise to place Solomon on the throne. We know from 1 Chronicles 22:5-9 that David did in fact intend for Solomon to succeed him as king. The result was a bloodless coup. Loyalty and truth preserve the king, and he upholds his throne by righteousness (Proverbs 20:28).

Wisdom and Mercy

How did Solomon become wise? He started with guidance from the prophet Nathan who spoke in Solomons favor. A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel (Proverbs 1:5). Next, God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ask for whatever you want me to give you. Solomon responded Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours? God said to Solomon that since he did not ask for wealth, honor, and power, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. God also gave Solomon the wealth he had not asked for (2 Chronicles 1:7-12).

Perhaps Solomon began his rule by modeling himself after Nathan, who sought wisdom from God. King Solomon seemed the ideal ruler for a time. He had peace on all sides of his enormous kingdom, and Judah and Israel lived in safety (1 Kings 4:24, 25).

God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore (1 Kings 4:29). He even spared Adonijah initially. The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm (Proverbs 11:17).

Examples to Follow

Solomons wisdom was exemplified in several ways:

1. Solomon took his responsibility as a ruler seriously. As Gods people were as numerous as the grains of sand, so did he require great wisdom to rule them, so he knew this was the best gift he could ask for. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6).

2. He also wisely reviewed his choices and made changes as required. Listen for Gods voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; hes the one who will keep you on track (Proverbs 3:6, The Message). Matthew Poole wrote that Adonijahs choice of wife was probably a political power play for he was an aspiring and designing man, and highly discontented with Solomons government, and desirous of a change

In spite of granting his older brother mercy early on in his reign, Solomon had Adonijah killed in response to what appeared to be new schemes of insurrection. Solomon changed his mind when the evidence urged him to.

3. He handled pressure intelligently. Consider two women, one whose baby had died, the other claiming the grieving mother had stolen her baby. The Kings plan  pretending he would have the baby cut in two  drew out the truth. When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice (1 Kings 3:28). It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice (Proverbs 18:5).

4. Solomon worshiped God, for a time. He said, The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled what he promised my father David (1 Kings 8:15). Proverbs attests to the fact that, originally, Solomon understood that fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Even though he was lauded for his wisdom, observers recognized that his wisdom was too much to be an earthly inheritance; he had wisdom from God.

The Wisdom of Solomon and Christ

Some might argue that The Wisdom of Solomon or Proverbs is an Old Testament equivalent of Christs parables. Solomon is not a Christ-like figure, even though proverb can also be defined as parable. We see some parallels: Solomon was obedient to God, building the temple as instructed. Christ, of course, was obedient even to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8).

We see in Proverbs a promising understanding of Gods character and Gods expectations of everyone, the King included. Yet, Solomons wisdom eventually gave way to temptation: for power, fame, and wealth. It was gradual. No man becomes wholly abandoned or altogether depraved at once; formation of character is, both in its construction and destruction, a gradual process. Christ was sinless from the beginning of His life until the end.

Charles Spurgeon used Solomons famed wisdom as context for a sermon in which he relates the Queen of Sheba to the Christian: the one seeking out a wise king; the other seeking out the one true Savior and Lord. Spurgeon wrote that the Christian should act like the Queen of Sheba did. Her response to rumors about King Solomon embodied wisdom. She pursued the truth. The Queen of Sheba came from a far off and remote country  to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

She heard an appealing rumor which sounded unbelievable, but she was not prejudiced and proceeded to make personal investigation. Her pursuit of the truth rebukes persons who live in the age of Christ who do not look for the truth of Christ because its too much hassle or they have already heard what their parents or culture have to say.

Spurgeon says, I wish you would even come and try Christ with your hard questions, as this queen of Sheba did Solomon. [...] It will be a new thing if He shall have to say You are beyond My power. You have sinned beyond the reach of My love. The wise ask questions and are not satisfied with second-hand accounts of Christ.

Photo Credti: Unsplash/Alabaster Co

Candice Lucey is a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her family. Find out more about her here.
After two trials, a registered sex offender has been found guilty of only minor offenses related to claims he molested an elderly hospital patient with dementia.

Thomas F. Pierson, 59, of Sicklerville, went to Inspira Medical Center Vineland in December 2018 to pick up a friend, but prosecutors alleged he entered an 83-year-old womans room and touched her genital area.

Pierson faced trial in October, and the most serious charges against him, including first-degree aggravated assault, were dismissed for lack of evidence.

A mistrial was declared after an assistant prosecutor made comments in front of the jury that were deemed prejudicial to the defendant, revealing that Pierson invoked his right against self-incrimination and ended an interview with police following his arrest.

In a hearing prior to the trial, the parties had agreed the jury would hear a portion of Piersons interview with police, but not the part where he ended the interview.

The prosecutor claimed she had made a mistake in revealing this detail, while the defense argued that it was a deliberate move by the prosecution to force a mistrial because its case against Pierson was weak.

The defense then sought dismissal of Piersons remaining charges, which included third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, third-degree burglary and fourth-degree invasion of privacy.

Superior Court Judge Robert Malestein denied the dismissal bid and, after the parties failed to reach a plea deal, presided over a new trial on the remaining counts last month. Pierson opted for a bench trial this time, with the judge issuing a verdict.

Malestein found Pierson not guilty on the sexual contact and burglary charges, but guilty of criminal trespass, a lesser included offense to the burglary charge, and invasion of privacy.

The judge ruled last year that there was no forensic evidence presented to support the most serious charges Pierson had faced.

The hospital room was under video surveillance and a nurses aide monitoring the patient reported seeing Pierson, whose back was to the camera, reach between the patients legs and touch her genital area, according to court documents. The aide testified that she could see the mans arm moving up and down, but did not witness penetration, according to court documents.

Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for June 12.

Pierson was convicted in 2004 of criminal sexual contact involving a juvenile in Camden County, according to the states online sex offender registry. He is listed as a Tier 3 sex offender, meaning he is at high risk of reoffending.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
Inside the PlayWorld facility in Lewisburg, where one worker questioned, "how is playground equipment life-sustaining? Read more

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JONESTOWN, Pa.  The paper sign taped to the glass doors of a warehouse for designer clothing and footwear warns employees that they might have their temperatures checked before entering. Outside, tractor-trailers lumber around the windowless gray facades of the industrial park, just off the noisy crossroads of two major highways here in south-central Pennsylvania.

A few minutes down the road, the doors are propped open at another warehouse  this one housing childrens toys  on a humid, overcast morning. A security guard sits behind a metal detector, beneath a purple-painted wall with the logo We Make Wonder Happen Every Day.

His job is to screen people for any signs of illness.

The continued operations at the two warehouses during the coronavirus pandemic underscore what many have criticized as the inconsistent and confusing nature of Gov. Tom Wolfs order last month to shutter large swaths of Pennsylvanias retail, manufacturing, and professional services sectors. Only life-sustaining businesses can remain open.

But ambiguity around which businesses qualify  and why  has left employees across the state wondering whether they are unnecessarily risking their health to do a job they dont consider imperative to survival. The states secretive process of granting waivers to some businesses not officially deemed life-sustaining has only fueled confusion among workers.

Over the course of the last month, dozens of people from all corners of Pennsylvania have contacted Spotlight PA to question a business decision to remain open, to raise alarm about conditions, or to complain about perceived unfairness in the states waiver process.

Some said they do not feel safe going to work but cannot afford to take unpaid leave, even if they wouldnt lose their jobs. Other employees said they were afraid to demand better pay or challenge their employers, knowing full well that they have few protections should they blow the whistle.

Unfortunately, there arent a heck of a lot of rights if you are employed, said Scott M. Pollins, a Philadelphia-area attorney specializing in employment law and a board member of the National Employment Lawyers Association.

The question of which businesses should be allowed to remain open is now at the center of a fierce debate in the Capitol between Wolf and the Republican-controlled legislature, which on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that could potentially send thousands of people back to work. State and federal health experts have cautioned against the legislatures appetite to reopen the economy, saying any moves must be measured and based on the best available science  not politics.

Wolf has not indicated how he will act on the bill, though Democrats vociferously opposed it.

In response to concerns, the Wolf administration reopened certain business sectors it had initially shuttered and set up a waiver process to allow companies to make an argument for why they should remain open. More than 42,000 waiver requests were submitted before the application process closed. Of those, 7,596 were approved, 17,010 were denied, and an additional 14,171 were submitted for activities that state officials said did not need exemptions.

While designed to ease concerns, the waiver process has in some cases sowed more confusion than clarity for businesses and their employees. For instance, a company might be granted a waiver to provide a very narrow or specific product or service  but the business might take it as a green light to reopen completely with a full complement of workers.

On the ground, there is growing resentment.

One employee, who asked to remain anonymous, works at a central Pennsylvania plant that makes playground equipment. The employee said the company has taken steps to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19, taking workers temperatures at the door, propping doors open to minimize the need for touching handles and doorknobs, and cleaning work areas, break rooms, and bathrooms.

But the employee said there are parts of the manufacturing process where social distancing is not possible if the job is to be done safely. Underlying all those concerns is the nagging feeling that making playground equipment is not essential.

I, as well as other workers, would like to work, said the employee, who requested anonymity because the companys workers are not authorized to talk to the media. We dont want the interruption in being able to support our families. But how is playground equipment life-sustaining?

Representatives for the company, PlayWorld in Lewisburg, did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment.

According to the Wolf administration, the company submitted a waiver application, describing itself as a plastics manufacturer. Thats a business category that is considered life-sustaining by the administration, so an exemption was not required.

However, upon review, the company makes recreational and playground equipment and therefore should not be opened, said Casey Smith, spokesperson for the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which is overseeing the waiver process.

Though Wolf empowered local and state law enforcement to cite businesses that arent complying with the shutdown order, only warnings have been issued to date. And state officials with the Department of Community and Economic Development have not proactively enforced the order but instead used complaints and media inquiries to review potential violators.

The stakes are high for businesses and their employees. A waiver could mean the difference between solvency and bankruptcy. On the other hand, unnecessary business operations could put workers health and safety at risk, and without enforcement, they can be in a precarious position.

State Secretary of Health Rachel Levine on Wednesday signed an order requiring all businesses that remain open to take certain measures to protect employees, including requiring workers to wear masks, staggering work start times, and ensuring that there is enough space for people to practice social distancing while taking breaks.

If a company discovers that one of its employees has been exposed to the virus, it will have to start screening temperatures at the door. If one of its employees tests positive, the business will have to close, ventilate, and sanitize all areas where the employee worked or visited.

At the central Pennsylvania warehouse and distribution center for designer brands, including Vans and Timberland, workers were told the company qualified to remain open under Wolfs list of life-sustaining businesses, which includes a warehousing and storage" category.

Yet just this week, it abruptly shut down for 48 hours for a deep clean after two employees tested positive for COVID-19. The company, VF Corp., said it has launched a contact tracing protocol to determine which employees might have been exposed and require them to self-quarantine for at least 14 days.

Any employee who is self-quarantined will continue to receive full pay and benefits under our emergency pay plan, according to spokesperson Colin Wheeler, who said the company also drafted a new shift schedule so that fewer workers are on the warehouse floor at the same time.

It is that precise scenario that one employee said he fears will play out at the 266,000-square-foot facility he works at in Clearfield County, along with about 250 others.

The company, Appalachian Wood Products, supplies cabinet components for the kitchen and bath industry. Other businesses like it had to shut down under Wolfs order, but Appalachian Wood received a waiver because its wood shavings are used to make low-bacteria bedding for dairy animals, according to state officials.

The company employee, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the wood chips are sold to farmers. They, in turn, use it for bedding to prevent their cows from developing mastitis, which affects milk and can even kill the animal.

Nobody wants cows to die, the employee said. But how can we see that as anything other than the company thinking that the cows' lives are more important than ours?

Appalachian Woods owner, Dennis McCahan, said the company is taking all required precautions, including social distancing, to keep employees safe.

Pollins, the lawyer specializing in employment law, said his firm has received an uptick in calls from panicked employees who have to work but are scared for their health. If they are not unionized, Pollins said, he recommends workers calmly and respectfully raise their concerns with management or human resources, and to do so in writing.

He said there are whistleblower protections under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, but those only kick in if an employer retaliates against a worker who raises concerns about safety and health conditions. Pennsylvanias whistleblower law applies only to government employers and, in some situations, private-sector employers that receive government dollars.

And those laws do not provide paths or strategies for workers who find themselves in the undesirable position of having to show up to a job that they dont consider essential.

These are totally unprecedented times, no matter who you work for, Pollins said.

100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA provides its journalism at no cost to newsrooms across the state as a public good to keep our communities informed and thriving. If you value this service, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate.
Residents say Guatemalas healthcare system is not equipped to handle the viruss spread in rural and Indigenous areas.

In normal circumstances, Guatemalas healthcare system in rural areas is appalling, said a doctor in the Guatemalan Department of Alta Verapaz, but in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, it is even worse.

Rural and Indigenous communities across Guatemala are increasingly concerned about the spread of coronavirus, questioning whether the countrys already fragile healthcare system could adequately respond.

The Guatemalan health care system is not prepared to attend to a pandemic of this magnitude, said Diego Petzey, currently a community leader in Santiago Atitlan, another rural area.

Most of Guatemalas 196 confirmed COVID-19 cases and five deaths have appeared in the countrys urban centres, including Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango, but earlier this month, the government reported the first case of community transmission in the Maya Kaqchikel town of Patzun, some 80km (50 miles) west of Guatemala City.

There is a false sense of confidence that the virus will only affect urban areas, said Lucrecia Hernandez Mack, the former health minister from 2016 to 2017 and current congressional representative with the centrist Semilla party.

Guatemala remains a largely rural country, with 46 percent of the population living in rural communities, according to the 2018 census. The majority of these rural residents are members of the Indigenous Xinca, Garifuna and 22 different Maya groups.

In rural areas, the government launched a prevention campaign about washing hands and social distancing in Indigenous languages on local radio and television. But both Hernandez Mack and Petzey said it is not enough, saying many communities still lack daily information in their languages about the crisis.

They have not taken sufficient necessary measures to attend the Indigenous populations that are more dispersed outside urban centres, Hernandez Mack said.

The Guatemalan health ministry and the presidency did not respond to Al Jazeeras requests for comment.

Historical discrimination

Indigenous populations have historically faced discrimination in Guatemala. More than 80 percent of the victims of human rights abuses during the countrys 36-year-long internal armed conflict were Indigenous.

Indigenous groups in Guatemala continue to suffer disproportionately from poverty, which pushes many to either migrate to the United States or to neighbouring Mexico or Honduras for the coffee harvests. According to a 2014 report from the Guatemalan National Institute of Statistics, 79.2 percent of Indigenous people in Guatemala suffer from poverty, compared with 46.6 percent of non-Indigenous populations.

Children sit on a rock in Yalambojoch, Guatemala [Oliver de Ros/AP Photo]

Indigenous residents also suffer from high rates of the factors that are considered by the World Health Organization to increase vulnerability to the novel coronavirus. More than 11 percent of Indigenous groups in Guatemala are above the age of 50-years-old and living in rural communities.

According to data from the Guatemalan Health Ministry from 2015, 45 percent of adults over 45-years old suffer from diabetes, and over 70 percent of the adult population suffers from some level of obesity.

Rural Indigenous communities also continue to suffer from extreme levels of malnutrition.

The effects of deep-seated discrimination are felt in the healthcare system, as well.

Unprepared health centres

Guatemala has 44 public hospitals and nearly 1,500 health centres across the country that serve a population of 14.9 million people, according to the 2018 census. But according to Hernandez Mack, the country needs about 5,000 health centres to meet residents needs.

We have conditions of inequalities in healthcare services, Hernandez Mack said. Departments that have larger populations of Indigenous peoples, like Alta Verapaz or Huehuetenango, have less coverage of health services.

A study by the Guatemalan Health Ministry in 2017 found that the Guatemalan government was spending less per capita on health services in largely Indigenous departments than departments with a majority of non-Indigenous communities.

Mayor Florencio Carrascoza Gamez, wears a protective mask, as he poses for photos at his office in the largely Indigenous town of Joyabaj, Guatemala [Moises Castillo/AP Photo]

Faced with the pandemic, the Guatemalan government is constructing field hospitals in five parts of the country to respond to coronavirus cases. The government confirmed that there are only 676 respirators, with only 56 designated for coronavirus patients, and another 200 arriving.

Front-line doctors and health professionals working in rural health centres often lack required equipment and medicines.

The doctor in the department of Alta Verapaz said that medics there are working double shifts in the health centre because of the government imposed-curfew, which lasts from 4:00pm-4:00am. She said that when they have had a suspected case, health professionals are required to walk two or three hours into the mountains to check in on suspected cases.

We are not prepared, she said. We dont have protection equipment, so every doctor is purchasing their own equipment. More than likely, we will be forced to reuse disposable equipment, and that is not good.
The $349 billion in emergency funding for small businesses has run out less than one month after it was created as part of the $2.2 trillion phase-three coronavirus economic relief bill.

The SBA is currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding, the Small Business Administrations said in a statement Thursday. Similarly, we are unable to enroll new PPP lenders at this time. Earlier Thursday, the agency said it had approved over 1.6 million loan applications.

It is unclear when the program might be replenished since Congress is not due to be back in session until May 4. Republicans and the White House attempted to add $251 billion more to the program last week, but Democrats pushed back, calling for more targeted relief to minority- and women-owned companies as well as local governments and hospitals.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) met with Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin on Wednesday to attempt to make a deal, but outstanding issues remain. Additional funding could be proposed during a Senate pro forma session scheduled for Thursday afternoon, but any deal remains unlikely and could be blocked by a single lawmaker.

Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), one of the architects behind the program, blamed Democrats for the holdup in a video statement on Twitter, calling it absurd and ridiculous

Now that weve reached the cap because its been so successful, the Democrats are blocking more money for it, Rubio said.  . . . Theyre blocking it because they say they want more money for other things  I agree we need to do more for those other things. But why do we have to hold the most successful part of the CARES act, thats helping millions of people, hostage?

More from National Review
- Several medical experts from China arrived in the Philippines to share knowledge and expertise

- A few days after conducting assessment, they already disclosed their findings to the public

- They said that the country is at risk of being unable to completely cut the source of the infection

- They also gave a suggestion that could reduce the infection rates and increase the recovery rates

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The medical experts from China who came to the Philippines one week ago have already disclosed their findings on the countrys situation amid COVID-19 pandemic.

KAMI learned that according to Weng Shangeng, the head of the 12-man Chinese team, the Philippines is at risk of not being able to cut off the source of the infection.

He also told CCTV Asia Pacific that many of the Filipino patients are still on self-quarantine because of limited beds and facilities.

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The Asian medical experts even suggested that a Fangcang hospital must be established immediately to lower infection rates and boost recovery rates.

Fangcang was the name of the makeshift shelter hospital that was created in Wuhan City for large-scale medical isolation.

Because of limited beds and testing capacity in the Philippines, many of the COVID-19 patients are still quarantined at home Therefore, we suggested that the Philippines should establish a Fangcang hospital as soon as possible, Shangeng stated.

"In this way, mild cases can be admitted to the hospital for observation so as to prevent the mild cases from becoming severe cases. This is a fundamental measure to increase cure rates and reduce infections rates, he added.

Watch the video below:

In a previous article by , a COVID-19 vaccine candidate has received approval to proceed to the second phase of clinical trials.

The Philippines is one of the countries that is greatly affected by the novel coronavirus. As of April 15, there are already 5,453 confirmed cases and 349 deaths due to the said disease.

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A Filipino found his own way to help frontliners amid pandemic. They had to walk an hour, an hour and a half to get to work. I mean, coming from an 8-hour shift sa hospital, tapos palalakarin mo pa yung nurse o kahit security guard. Parang hindi makatarungan, diba?  on HumanMeter!

Source: KAMI.com.gh
Sen. John Kennedy said Thursday that restrictive measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus are not worth the risk of economic collapse, even if that means more people become infected.

"We've got to open this economy," the Louisiana Republican told Fox News host Tucker Carlson. "If we don't, it's going to collapse. And if the U.S. economy collapses, the world economy collapses."

"Trying to burn down the village to save it is foolish. That's a cold, hard truth," he said.

Kennedy said the shutdown failed to stop the spread of the virus and only slowed its spread at "enormous cost."

Health officials made clear from the beginning that social distancing measures were aimed at slowing, rather than stopping, the spread of the virus in order to disperse the burden on hospitals and buy precious time to develop treatments. The White House social distancing guidelines are titled, "30 days to slow the spread."

"When we end the shutdown, the virus is going to spread faster," Kennedy acknowledged. "That's just a fact. And the American people understand that."

Health experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have said that without stringent social distancing measures, the death toll from the virus, which now stands at more than 30,000 Americans, would have been much higher.

A projection from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which has been cited by the White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, currently estimates 68,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 if social distancing measures are followed through the end of May. Previously, the IHME model estimated that number would be about 100,000.

Kennedy's home state of Louisiana has been one of the hardest-hit states, with more than 1,000 people dead as a result of the pandemic.

Kennedy is part of a growing chorus of lawmakers calling for the shutdown to be lifted as soon as possible. President Donald Trump has also embraced that message and said he will issue updated guidelines for social distancing measures and business closures on Thursday.

Story continues

"The data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases. Hopefully, that will continue," Trump said at White House briefing on Wednesday. "These encouraging developments have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country."

Trump, who has sometimes painted concerns about the virus as a conspiracy meant to harm his reelection chances, previously hoped to open the country back up by Easter but health experts persuaded him to extend the deadlines through April.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., talks to reporters after attending briefing from administration officials on the coronavirus, on Capitol Hill Feb. 25, 2020, in Washington.

The calls to reopen the economy sooner rather than later come as people in multiple states have started to protest stay-at-home orders and other social distancing measures.

Since the shutdowns began, record numbers of Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits. And experts predict the unemployment rate could climb to 16% in the coming months, a level not seen in the U.S. since the Great Depression.

Unemployment: These are every state's claims since the coronavirus shut the economy down

"If we continue to keep the economy shut down for weeks and months, there are going to be enormous public health harms from that," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday, echoing a concern voiced by Trump.

"We're going to see mental illness issues and depression. We're going to see increased rates of suicide. We're going to see substance abuse, alcohol abuse, and that's going to cost real lives," Cruz said. "Our objective should be to save lives and that means we need to fight this pandemic and let people get back to work."

Both Cruz and Kennedy stressed the need for increased testing for the virus, which experts agree is required to allow people to safely return to work and to keep other preventive measures in place.

"We've got to be smart about how we do it," Kennedy said. "Don't open up in the middle of a hot spot. Encourage your elderly and those with preexisting conditions to stay quarantined and provide them financial support. Wear masks, try to socially distance. Use technology without violating privacy to try to track the hot spots and track people who have been exposed. Test as much as we can."

Though Trump has at times claimed testing is widely available, health officials have expressed concern about the accuracy and availability of tests for the coronavirus.

Kennedy said having to choose between the risks of ending stay-at-home order and the economic costs of continuing them was "like choosing between cancer and a heart attack." He bristled at the "sophomoric accusations" from some that not wanting "to see the American economy crash" meant he did not value human life.

But he said that if someone who thinks the economy can remain shut down until there are no more coronavirus cases "probably still believes in Bigfoot."

Those arguing that the strict distancing measures should stay in place argue that the costs of reopening the country too soon could be devastating in terms of human life and the economy.

"This is a false choice," former Vice President Joe Biden told MSNBC on Thursday. "The way you revive the economy is you defeat the disease."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sen. John Kennedy: Slowing coronavirus spread not worth economic costs
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka.

Sunday, April 12

6:38 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Sanford business for a report of a man who was soliciting people for rides. The deputy made contact with the 36-year-old, currently homeless man, who said he was just trying to go to Beaverton. The deputy told the man he was not allowed at the complaining business anymore per their request due to soliciting. The man agreed to continue on and go to a friend's home.

4:56 p.m.  A vehicle failed to pay for $20 in fuel from a Warren Township gas station. No plate information was obtained, and the vehicle left in an unknown direction of travel. The incident was reported half-an-hour after occurrence.

4:28 p.m.  A deputy spoke with a 52-year-old woman about her problematic neighbor, a 62-year-old man, who has been cursing and yelling obscenities at her from his yard. The woman said the man threatens to "beat up her husband" but no action has ever been taken on the vague threats. The 62-year-old was contacted and told to keep to himself and not speak to his neighbor if he can't be civil.

2:28 p.m.  Officers responded to a suspect obstructing justice/assaulting officers in the 1100 block of of Haley Street.

2:07 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Village of Sanford gas station in reference to a failure to pay of $30. The deputy spoke with a 29-year-old female gas station employee, who said she believes the failure to pay was accidental and that the suspect was attempting to use a credit card. The deputy later located the suspect, a 56-year-old woman, at her residence, who said she believed she paid for the fuel because she used her debit card. She returned to the gas station and paid the $30 bill.

1:54 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Homer Township residence in reference to a 62-year-old man who said that his 52-year-old female neighbor was digging a hole in the easement road and stealing gravel from the hole for her own driveway. The deputy observed a medium-sized "dip" in the roadway which appeared to be from natural causes and regular usage. The woman said the 62-year-old is being petty because he does not like her as a neighbor. The man was advised he could sue her civilly if he wished.

1:23 p.m.  Officers responded to a domestic assault in the 1100 block of Haley Street.

5:34 a.m.  Officers responded to a domestic assault in the 5300 block of Dublin Avenue.
Police officers were quick to step in and rescue a family of deer trapped behind an elementary school in San Mateo, California, video posted on April 15 shows.

Police received a call of trapped deer at Laurel Elementary School, which is currently closed.

They said on Facebook that with the assistance of San Mateo-Foster City School District, Peninsula Humane Society, and the PTA, they were able to set the family free to roam the wild of San Mateo again.

This video shows the deer huddled together in a wooded area outside the school before they are seen running free after the rescue. Credit: San Mateo Police Department via Storyful
Amid the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, the National Charcoal Union of Liberia (NACUL) is appealing to government to allow its members transport their charcoal to Monrovia and other parts of the country.

NACUL says many residents in Monrovia and other locked down cities and towns use charcoal energy for cooking and other essential things.

The union says the charcoal sector is very essential in Liberia because charcoal provides energy to highest portion of the urban population including Monrovia

"On behalf of charcoal producers and sellers across Liberia, we are appealing to the Government, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to allow the free movement of charcoal during this health crisis," says Mr. Richard T. A. Dorbor, President of NACUL.

The Charcoal Union President observes that the price of charcoal is skyrocketing since the beginning of the state of emergency because charcoal producers and sellers are being stopped at various checkpoints.

NACUL says its appeal comes in the wake of calls from many of its members from around the country that they are being stopped from transporting their charcoal to Monrovia and other parts of Liberia.

One of the areas where charcoal is stockpiled now is the Clay Checkpoint in Clay, Bomi County.

NACUL foresees an energy crisis if nothing is done urgently to address its concern. "We do not want to experience another crisis when we are facing this deadly virus," the Union maintains.

Meanwhile, NACUL is appealing for charcoal to form part of essential goods listed by the government since many people need charcoal to prepare their food and others.

It can be recalled that following the declaration of the state of emergency by President George Weah, the Ministry of Internal Affairs met with leaders of the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA), where an agreement was reached to sell only food items on the market. Among the items listed, charcoal was not mentioned, knowing that without it, many Liberians cannot prepare their food.

This is reportedly causing problems between charcoal sellers and joint security officers that are enforcing the Presidents lockdown order across Liberia.

Signed: Mr. Richard T. A. Dorbor

President
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Linkedin Victor Mambor and Nina A. Loasana (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura and Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 10:15 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd232c65 1 National Papua,West-Papua,West-Papua-Liberation-Army,Komnas-HAM,human-rights,human-rights-abuse,shooting,shooting-incident,death Free

The bodies of two Papuan men bearing gunshot wounds have been found along a river near the complex of gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia in Mimika regency, Papua. It is believed they were shot and killed by security forces.

The bodies of the victims, 19-year-old Eden Armando Babari and 21-year-old Ronny Wandik, were found on a bank of the Kali Biru (Blue river) in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Eden's body was found fully clothed, while Ronny's body was discovered unclothed.

News of the incident circulating among local residents alleged that the two had been killed on Monday afternoon, when security forces were involved in a shootout with four members of an armed separatist group.

The skirmish is thought to be connected to an incident last week in which New Zealander Graeme Thomas Wall, a Freeport employee, was shot dead by gunmen in the area. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has claimed responsibility for Wall's death.

The families of the two men, however, denied that either Eden or Ronny were involved with TPNPB or any other separatist group.

The Cendrawasih Military Command did not immediately respond to The Jakarta Post's inquiries regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, Cendrawasih Military Commander Maj. Gen. Herman Asaribab and Papua Police chief Ir. Gen Paulus Waterpauw visited the victims' families later on Tuesday to express their condolences.

"We will appoint personnel to investigate the incident so we can learn what happened, and of course there will be a legal process," Herman said after the visit. He neither confirmed nor denied the involvement of Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel or Papua Police members in the shootings.

"My son went to the river to dive [for fish] with his friend [Ronny]," said Eden's father, Demi Bebari. "They both became victims of the shooting by security forces while they were out fish hunting."

A resident of Kwamiki who requested anonymity supported Demi's statement, saying that Eden and Ronny had gone to the Kali Biru on Monday afternoon to fish.

"They went to the river to fish after fixing their motorcycles at a relative's house. Family members only found out that Eden had been shot to death at 2 a.m. on Tuesday," the resident said.

Read also: Human Rights Watch calls for independent investigation into Freeport shooting

Demi added that his son was a student at Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN) in Tangerang, Banten, and that he had never been involved with any separatist movement.

A UMN spokesperson confirmed with the Post that Eden was registered as a computer engineering student, but said that had not attended any lectures since 2018.

According to Demi, however, Eden had been attending classes until September 2019, when the racial abuse incident targeting Papuan students erupted in Surabaya, East Java.

"He came back to Papua because he felt unsafe [after the incident]," said Demi.

The Surabaya incident caused an exodus of Papuan students from the island of Java.

Demi demanded that those who had killed his son be held responsible.

"I want the culprits arrested and tried in a civilian court. I don't want them tried in a military court. I ask that the National Human Rights Commission [Komnas HAM] to thoroughly investigate this case," he said.

Papuan Customary Council secretary Leo Imbiri also called for Komnas HAM to investigate the shootings, especially as he felt that cases of military violence were growing in Papua.

"In the last week alone, five young Papuans have been shot to death by the TNI," said Leo.

"Such events should not be considered normal or underestimated, especially since the victims were [part of] the future generation of Papua," he said.

Komnas HAM has since called for a military-police team be formed to investigate the fatal shootings.

"We need to find out why TNI personnel could misidentify the victims as targets of their operation. We also need to legally process all personnel involved in the incident," Komnas HAM commissioner Beka Ulung said in a statement on Wednesday.

In the statement, Beka also called on the defense minister and the TNI commander to conduct a complete review of military operations in Papua.

"It's important to prevent casualties and to protect and uphold human rights. The cycle of violence in Papua must stop. The President must not remain silent in view of the recurring violence in Papua," he said.
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YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. Former President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan is going to hold a press conference on the 2016 April War when the state of emergency is over in the country, the 3rd President told reporters today in the Parliament.

Serzh Sargsyan has been summoned to the Parliament to take part in the session of the parliamentary committee investigating the 2016 April War.

Dear reporters I am more interested than you in communicating with our media outlets for a simple reason that I have nothing to hide, and the time has come that I am ready to respond to all your questions. I applied to the committee requesting to hold the session after the completion of the state of emergency, but the committee found it appropriate to hold the session on April 16, therefore, I am deprived of that opportunity because the issue is so important that I will not satisfy you by answering one-two questions. Immediately after the completion of the state of emergency I will invite all media outlets and will answer to all your questions connected only with the April events, he told reporters.

Todays session of the parliamentary committee investigating the April War is being held in a closed-format. The committee will provide the video recording of the session to the 3rd President.

Reported by Norayr Shoghikyan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Dr. Desmond Wah is used to being the only physician tending to patients during his shifts at Margaret Mary Community Hospital in Batesville, Ind., population 6,500, where at least half of the 25 beds are usually empty. But he was hardly prepared for the weeklong shift he started on March 20, when the two counties Batesville straddles became one of rural Americas worst coronavirus hot spots.

By the end of the week, most of the hospitals beds were filled with patients who had either tested positive for or were suspected of having the virus. Six were on ventilators, two of which had been lent hastily by a local emergency medical services unit.

With limited staff, equipment and medicine, Dr. Wah and a handful of nurses and respiratory therapists had to scramble. They had only five intensive care beds, and no experience with caring for multiple patients on ventilators at once. They ran out of propofol, the drug they normally use to anesthetize patients and had to urgently consult with an anesthesia team at a big Cincinnati hospital about alternatives.

We were trying to manage them on a ventilator with limited support, burning through our sedation protocols, having to use sedatives we never typically use, Dr. Wah said. We were just cobbling stuff together.
Canberra, April 16 : An Australian company has called out for volunteers in the country's first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine, expected to take place in coming weeks.

Clinical research company Nucleus Network revealed on Wednesday it would test the effectiveness and safety of a Recombinant Spike Protein Nanoparticle vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, developed by US based biotechnology company Novavax, reports Xinhua news agency.

Paul Griffin, an infectious diseases physician and microbiologist from Nucleus Network told local media on Thursday that the human trial procedures would involve four phases, following strict protocols to make sure it was safe and effective before being released to the public.

"We still have to progress through all the stages of clinical trials and we have to make sure it is safe and effective before we proceed," Griffin said.

According to the Nucleus Network, phase one of the trial was expected to begin in mid-May with preliminary results of effectiveness and safety available in July.

Griffin said it would take roughly 12-18 months from now before the vaccine could be released to the public.

A small group of healthy volunteers would be recruited for the trial to test the effectiveness of this vaccine and according to Griffin, there was absolutely no chance that they could be infected with the disease by taking part.

The World Health Organization estimated at least 20 other COVID-19 candidate vaccines are in development around the world.
San Antonio officials are considering committing nearly $16 million to help needy families stay in their homes and cover essential household expenses including groceries and gasoline as COVID-19 lays waste to the economy.

The proposal would pump more money into the citys existing rental and mortgage assistance programs and also go toward covering the cost of groceries, fuel, internet access and utilities, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston told City Council members at their meeting Thursday.

Its the latest sign of desperation sparked by COVID-19 as the city  dealing with its own budget crisis  scrambles to find money to help those in need, though many officials including Mayor Ron Nirenberg acknowledge its not enough.

Still, the proposal could help up to 10,000 families if the council adopts it at the April 23 meeting. On average, families needing the help would get about $1,500.

We will move heaven and earth to make sure no one in our community is left behind during this crisis, Nirenberg said.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

The city already has seen overwhelming demand in recent weeks from residents who need assistance paying their rent and utility bills during the pandemic. Unemployment claims in the area have skyrocketed as businesses cut hours, laid off or furloughed workers and shut their doors.

From March 15 to April 4, more than 55,000 people filed for unemployment in Bexar County.

The proposal would expand the citys existing risk mitigation program, which sets aside $1 million for financial assistance to those struggling to stay in their homes or forced out by drastic cost increases, residential development or health and safety problems.

The council adopted the program last year on a recommendation from Nirenbergs Housing Policy Task Force.

Before the coronavirus crisis, the city received 57 calls a week from residents looking to tap the risk mitigation fund, Houston said.

The number of people seeking that aid has grown exponentially in the past several weeks as the crisis has wracked the economy. Last week, the city received more than 5,300 calls from people looking for help on their rent and mortgage. Similarly, the number of calls from residents seeking assistance to pay their utility bills hit 1,700.

Right now, the risk mitigation fund sits at $350,000. The proposal would use millions in federal and local dollars  including money already put toward the citys affordable housing budget  to bring the total funds to $15.8 million.

But the proposal before the City Council goes further than assistance on housing costs, adding aid for internet, utilities, groceries and gas.

If kids are at home having to do their homework, they need to be able to have access to the internet, Houston said.

On ExpressNews.com: As federal leaders clash over response to coronavirus, San Antonio leaders stitch together temporary safety net

Not just anyone can apply for help under the proposal. Households seeking assistance cant make more than $72,000, the area median income for the San Antonio-New Braunfels region.

And they need to show proof theyve been hit by the crisis, such as a termination letter from an employer or an unemployment application.

The city would pay landlords and financial institutions as well as internet and utility providers directly on behalf of residents looking for assistance, Houston said.

For groceries and gas, the city would give family members a gift card, Houston said. No family would get more than $300 in assistance on that front.

But there were some worries the proposal doesnt go far enough.

District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino pitched the idea of tapping the citys reserves to pay the entire cost of the proposal. The city has about $180 million in cash on hand, enough to cover less than two months of operating costs in case of an emergency.

If San Antonio used some of that money, Trevino said, it wouldnt have to worry about federal restrictions on how the city could distribute the funds.

I cant think of a more important time to make that request, Trevino said.

But city budgeters and some council members warned doing so would endanger San Antonios credit rating and weaken its ability to ride out the crisis while still providing essential services.

It is our last line of defense, City Manager Erik Walsh said of the reserves.

Trevino was unfazed.

Sometimes you ruin your credit to stay alive, Trevino said.

On ExpressNews.com: More protections eyed for San Antonio renters as coronavirus economic fallout worsens

The city is facing a budget crisis of its own, a $180 million shortfall spurred by evaporating retail sales, hotel room bookings, conventions and events.

San Antonio can expect about $403 million in federal funds in the coming months, though none of that would cover the citys shortfall. Those federal dollars are aimed at covering COVID-19 expenses made by state and local governments, as well as costs related to public safety, transit and housing.

Of that, the city already has received about $40 million to help keep San Antonio International Airport running.

But city officials still are waiting to hear how much theyll receive out of certain federal funds that help victims of domestic violence find temporary housing, low-income households pay utilities and provide assistance to firefighters, among other grants.

Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio government and politics. To read more from Joshua, become a subscriber. jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports
A Superior Court justice has denied a preliminary injunction sought by a group of recreational marijuana companies that sued Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker over his order prohibiting recreational marijuana companies from operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The companies were fighting to have recreational marijuana sales considered essential business amid an emergency order by Baker immediately halting the sale of adult-use pot. The lawsuit contended that Baker allowing liquor stores and medical marijuana dispensaries to stay open as essential business violated the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs and exceeded the governors executive authority.

Justice Kenneth W. Salinger wrote in a decision issued Thursday that there was no reason to address whether the companies may suffer irreparable harm if the requested preliminary injunctive relief is not granted because the plaintiffs failed to show that they were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims.

On the merits, however, the Court must deny this motion because there is little chance that Plaintiffs will succeed in proving their claims. Plaintiffs equal protection challenge must be evaluated under the so-called rational basis test," Salinger wrote in the decision.

"It was reasonable for the Governor to be concerned that the relatively few adult-use marijuana establishments in Massachusetts are more likely than liquor stores or MTCs to attract high volumes of customers, including people travelling from other States. The Governors decision to treat medical marijuana facilities and liquor stores differently than adult-use marijuana establishments has a rational basis and therefore is constitutional, the decision continued.

The group of recreational marijuana companies and an advocate filed the lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court last week following a March order by Baker halting all non-essential business in the state. Medical marijuana dispensaries were allowed to continue to operate through the pandemic, but the order forced 43 recreational marijuana shops to stop operations through at least May 4.

The lawsuit argued that many people use marijuana as medication even if they are not registered with the states medical program and was filed by CommCan, The Green Lady Dispensary, AscendMass, MassGrow, Bloom Brothers and Stephen Mandile, an Iraq veteran who uses recreational marijuana as medicine and is also an Uxbridge selectman.

This includes military veterans and other persons who rely on marijuana for medical treatment but are reluctant to access the Commonwealths medical marijuana program because they fear this might deprive them of federal benefits; and, persons on Nantucket, where The Green Lady Dispensary is the only legal source of marijuana products, the suit read.

Mandile said he was disappointed to learn of Salingers decision.

Its disappointing that people go without access right now and still have to deal with the barriers of entry into the medical program. I was really hopeful that this would open them back up, he said.

Salingers decision notes the impacts forced on the plaintiffs by Bakers ban, including that Mandile would need to travel more than an hour to obtain marijuana at a medical marijuana treatment center.

The Green Lady faces a very real prospect of being forced go out of business completely. It has no income. It cannot sell any of its inventory to the medical supply chain because it cannot lawfully transport any marijuana products off Nantucket island. And, like all other marijuana establishments, it cannot participate in any Federal economic relief programs, Salinger wrote.

But, Salinger wrote that for the court to constrain government action, the plaintiffs had to be able to prove they were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims, that they would suffer irreparable harm if injunctive relief is denied, that the requested order promotes the public interest or would not adversely affect the public and that when the possible harm to each side is considered in light of plaintiffs likely chance of success, the risk of irreparable harm to plaintiffs, if the injunction is denied, outweighs the potential harm to the Commonwealth if the injunction is granted.

The justice wrote that the plaintiffs failed to show they were likely to succeed.

Its beyond disappointing. I was hopeful that we would be able to move forward with guidance from the CCC [Cannabis Control Commission], said Ellen Rosenfeld, a co-owner of CommCan. The plan is to do what were doing, continuing with the medical program. We just started curbside pickup in Millis today. Were continuing to do whatever were allowed to do. I was hopeful that we would be open sooner rather than later.

Nicole Campbell, who owns The Green Lady Dispensary, said though disappointed, she was proud of her team.

We stood up to defend an industry that has been historically marginalized, she said in a statement. Whether it be banking, taxation, or having access to emergency funds to survive COVID-19, cannabis businesses are not treated equally. Today we are a small group in Massachusetts, someday I hope to see adult recreational stores across the Northeast. Perhaps because of our small effort they will be better valued and treated with more respect.

When Baker announced his order, marijuana companies and advocates immediately started to protest. But Baker held firm, unwilling to budge on his decision. He argued that Massachusetts marijuana businesses would attract buyers from out of state.

However, Salinger wrote that there were still ways for the adult-use market to operate safely, as the plaintiffs had argued.

Plaintiffs make a convincing showing that there may be other ways to address these concerns that would allow adult-use marijuana establishments to restart their businesses without harming public health or safetyfor example by temporarily limiting non-medical marijuana sales to Massachusetts residents who have ordered in advance and arrive during an assigned time-slot, authorizing adult-use retail stores to make curbside deliveries of their products just like medical marijuana treatment centers, and requiring other measures to ensure that customers and workers keep a safe physical distance apart, Salinger wrote.

Without recreational sales, many marijuana companies feared they would not be able to recover from the financial loss. Even businesses with a medical operation said the ban cost them to lose as much as 85% of their revenue. Rosenfeld said CommCan has lost 90% of its revenue related to adult-use products.

As the ban was implemented, the state Cannabis Control Commission reported a spike in new medical marijuana patient registrations. The CCC said it saw more than 1,300 new patient registrations from March 23 to April 1. In the 10 days before that period, the commission received 500 patient registrations.

That increase indicates people who medicate with marijuana were relying on the recreational market.

Other states where marijuana is legal, including California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, and Washington, have allowed recreational stores to operate during the pandemic.

It seems as if we were in another state, that we would have so much more available, Rosenfeld said.

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MP hails the people in this community pulling together

Laura Farris visiting the Fair Close Centre meals on wheels operation at Newbury Racecourse

Following a glorious Easter weekend when I know many of you were cooped up indoors and separated from your loved ones, I want to say how incredibly grateful to you I am for the selflessness and commitment you have shown towards our community and to protecting lives.

I do not attempt to downplay how challenging this is for all of you and it is my sincere hope that these measures can be lifted as soon as possible.

Although these are still early days the data does suggest that the lockdown is working.

General hospitals in the area are reporting gradual reductions in hospital admission, and nationally the figures are showing improvements.

In the course of the last week I have seen some of the best of West Berkshire in action.

I visited Newbury Racecourse (which can no longer hold race meetings), which has thrown open its kitchens to the wonderful Fair Close Centre, enabling them to triple their meals-on-wheels delivery service and engage an army of local volunteers to help.

I also went to see Garry Poulson at the Newbury Volunteer Centre, who are playing a leading role in assisting vulnerable people through the Community Support Hub.

Again and again, I have seen examples of people in this community pulling together  pooling their resources, giving up their time, connecting with neighbours who they may not have even known before this crisis began.

I have also continued my national work. Parliament is operating at a virtual level and the Home Affairs Select Committee (of which I am a member) has been working throughout the Easter break on issues such as the quality of the police response, domestic violence and border control.

We conducted a lengthy evidence session with chief constables from across the UK who described how they are adapting to their new powers under the coronavirus legislation which was passed in record-breaking time.

All MPs are keenly aware that people have seen their freedom seriously curtailed and are alive to criticisms that some forces have been overzealous.

However, it was notable that when we spoke to the chief constables, their primary view was that there was high overall compliance with the lockdown and the imposition of spot-fines had been relatively rare.

As of April 8, two weeks into the lockdown, 1,084 such fines had been issued nationally, which suggested to us that the overall police response was proportionate.

We have also interviewed domestic abuse charities including the NSPCC about the increase in domestic violence at this time, and the work that Parliament can do to protect (usually) women and children unable to leave their homes.

Next week Parliament will formally return and although most of our sessions will be conducted remotely, I want you to know that I will be relentless in raising your concerns on the floor of the House.

This is a time when the role of your Member of Parliament in holding the Government to account is more important than ever, and I will ensure that the residents of West Berkshire have their voices heard.
The 'who gave what to who' is incredibly difficult in the very near past and now we are moving into several weeks past and still trying to trace people further back and it just gets more and more difficult," Professor Way said. "We cant pinpoint it down to anybody because what youre trying to do is to go back to the earliest known person that had COVID in the contract trace. We haven't been able to get to that level of granularity yet. Professor Way said it was his understanding there were no new positive cases of coronavirus linked to the outbreak. He was hopeful the decision to expand COVID-19 testing criteria to anyone who showed symptoms would assist in identifying the true rate of transmission in the community and help protect hospitals from future outbreaks.

The greatest challenge in detecting the virus was that a significant portion of infected people - some studies suggest up to 30 per cent - were asymptomatic. "I couldnt guarantee today that there isnt somebody walking around the hospital who is asymptomatic with coronavirus," he said. Loading "Unless you screen the whole community at one time you will never know that and the likelihood of being able to do that both feasibly and sensibly is zero."

Amidst the eerie quietness of the hospital is apprehension as The Alfred's more than 10,000 staff brace for the peak of the virus. The flattening of the curve hasnt yet been fed through into models that we are dealing with in terms of capacity so we are really prepared for a worst-case scenario, Professor Way said. "We are hopeful, however, the numbers are undoubtedly going to come down and be further away. We just dont know how far away and how far down yet." Emergency patient traffic is down by 50 per cent, with the department's capacity expanded to treat up 200 people on any given day. Upstairs, the entire second floor of the hospital, which is usually a general ward, has been remodelled into a dedicated intensive-care unit to treat those critically ill with COVID-19.

"We have the ability to double our ICU capacity tomorrow if we need to," The Alfreds director of intensive care, Steve McGloughlin, said. Sign up to our Coronavirus Update newsletter Get our Coronavirus Update newsletter for the day's crucial developments at a glance, the numbers you need to know and what our readers are saying. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald's newsletter here and The Age's here. Other large sections of The Alfred - including unused operating theatres, recovery areas and day procedure wards - have been prepped to be used as isolated intensive-care units for COVID-19 patients. Dr McGloughlin said some COVID-19 patients may require treatment in intensive care for weeks as they recover. From what weve seen in some ICUs overseas, the mortality rate for COVID-19 patients is high," he said. "Regardless of how many beds we know its a very severe disease."

While nurses and doctors monitor ventilators 24-hours a day, the expertise of allied health staff will also be critical to the response, with physiotherapists deployed to help safely move severely ill patients in respiratory distress. The hospital's retired doctors and nurses could also be called on, while medical staff across the hospital are being trained to be deployed onto the frontline of the pandemic. Professor Way said the hospital was doing "everything it possibly could" to prevent another outbreak. Visiting hours had been cut back along with enforced daily limits on visitors and everybody who enters the hospital has the temperature taken. "All we can do is a our absolute best endeavours so we are screening everybodys temperature several times a day," he said. "Anyone who walks down a corridor is also being temperature-checked twice."

Professor Way said the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to health service so far had been relatively low. "We know, however, that can quickly change," he said. Hospitals run by Alfred Health in Sandringham and Caulfied have also been remodelled in the wake of the pandemic. The Sandringham hospital will lead urgent elective surgeries, while in-patient numbers have been reduced at the Caulfield hospital with staff providing care for those well enough in their homes.
New Delhi, April 16 : Till some time back, people were not much aware about viruses and their characteristics. However, that has changed ever since the coronavirus pandemic started to wreck havoc across the globe.

Every other day now, researchers are unearthing a new angle with regard to SARS-CoV-2, commonly known as Covid-19.

Arvind Kumar, founder trustee of the Lung Care Foundation and Chairman of Chest and Robotic Surgery at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi told IANS about the various aspects of the dreaded virus which has infected over 12,000 people in India besides claiming more than 400 lives. Here are the excerpts of the interview: Q. Can dust storm aggravate the spread of Covid-19? Past experiences cannot be applied to this disease. Every virus has a different character. SARS had caused 7,000 deaths in the world, but this virus has already killed more than 1,25,000 people. We do not know where it will stop.

This is a heavyweight virus. The infectivity of this virus is very high. Old people are more vulnerable. Scientists in their latest research have found that this virus can survive even in 45-50 degree Celsius temperature. In our country, the maximum temperature hovers over 45 degree Celsius and that too for a very short period of time and in limited geographical areas. Therefore, expecting this virus to be less effective in summers is misleading.

It's good to be hopeful about the theory of rising temperature, but scientific facts do not point towards this theory as of now. As far as wind is concerned, there is not much danger of spreading this virus due to wind because it spreads through droplets and there is no evidence of it travelling far via wind as yet.

Our knowledge about this virus is so dynamic that it is changing on a daily basis... What is true today may not be true tomorrow. Till today, there is no evidence of it becoming less or more efficient due to temperature, humidity or wind. If any evidence emerges tomorrow... I cannot comment on that now.

Q. Does pollution increases the spread of coronavirus or its mortality rate? The answer is a very clear cut YES. There is enough data available from Italy and from very intense study conducted across the US by the Harvard School of Public Health in which they have clearly shown that this virus can get attached to particulate matter. Through the particulate matter there is a possibility of the spread of this virus.

In North Italy, they have shown that the areas which were having very high levels of vehicular pollution, the virus spread there much faster than it did in the non- polluted areas, and also a higher mortality was recorded in those areas.

They also showed that for every one microgram increase in PM 2.5, there was a 15 per cent increase in the mortality rate. They have studied a death pattern from nearly 300 counties across the US and have found that there is a direct relation between PM 2.5 level and chances of death. Therefore, this Covid-19 virus will affect pollution affected communities much faster and with more severity.

Q. Some say that Covid-19 patients put on ventilator mostly succumb to the disease and therefore it is preferable to put them on oxygen. Is this true? There are three stages of this disease. Eighty-five per cent of the people are in a stage where they do not need anything more than paracetamol and they become alright with it. In 15 per cent cases, lungs get involved and need oxygen. Out of this, 10 per cent people will do by oxygen only and about 5 per cent of the total will go on ventilator. Of the 5 per cent who go on ventilator, 50 to 90 per cent will die.

The number depends on your age and associated diseases and therefore if the patient is old and is on ventilator with pre-existing diseases, chances of death are as high as 90 per cent, giving an overall 15 to 20 percent mortality, as has happened with the 70 plus population in Italy.

Therefore, use of ventilator in Covid-19 cases is a hyped up thing. You do need ventilators but if somebody thinks that having 1 lakh ventilator in the country means there will be no death, it is a misunderstanding.

If ventilators could save people from death, there would not have been any death in the US. When someone is on a ventilator, a tube is put into his windpipe and it is attached with a machine which pushes air underpressure into the windpipe and through the windpipe into the lungs. Therefore, a foreign body lying inside your body is an invitation to more infection. You also have a chance of contracting secondary pneumonia due to more diseases, as your lungs give up.

On the other hand, oxygen is given from outside by mask and chances of secondary infection are less and those 10 per cent people have higher chances of survival. Therefore ventilators are not the panacea for making Covid-19 mortality rate zero, but breaking the chain of transmission, identifying and testing and confining them to isolation and quarantining the contacts through tracing are more important.

Q. Why is Hydroxychloroquine suggested in Covid-19 cases, which is a viral infection, while this drug is given to malaria patients, which is caused by protozoa? Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is used for malaria but it is also used for another group of diseases which are called Auto-Immune diseases where the body starts acting against its own organs. There it is supposed to be immunomodulator and helps in those diseases.

Therefore, people want to use this immunomodulator role of HCQ to increase immunity of the body, thereby decreasing the chances of contracting the infection or curing the infection quickly from your body if you are already infected.

The fact is that this result has come from France where it was used on a small number of patients, but the conclusive evidence is still very weak. There are many side-effects of this medicine and that's why the ICMR has still not permitted it for mass consumption for the public but only for healthcare workers or family members who look after Covid-19 patients and have high chances of contracting the virus.

However, people are taking it on their own without even knowing about its doses. It can cause irregularity in heart rhythm. If everybody starts consuming HCQ, there will be no medicine left for the malaria patients. Therefore, its misuse should be stopped.

Q. Does this virus share some characteristics of HIV also? Virus is a generic term. Every virus belongs to a different family and has different characteristics. This virus is from a little difficult category like SARS and MERS. This virus has nothing to do with HIV or Polio vaccine. There are few reports on Bacille Calmette-GuErin vaccine (BCG), but there is no final decision on that also.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
LANSING, MI -- Thousands of unhappy Michiganders descended on Lansing Wednesday to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order. The protest gridlocked traffic around the Capitol and in downtown Lansing for several hours.

Whitmer commented on the protest to express her disappointment and to suggest all the protests really did was possibly extend the need for social distancing as many protestors ignored safety guidelines.

Meanwhile, more survivors and those currently battling COVID-19 are sharing their stories on what the process has been like and how they fought.

Below is a look at the most recent coronavirus developments as of April 16.

Nearly every county in Lower Peninsula has a COVID-19 case, more deaths reported

Only one county remains in the Lower Peninsula that has not had at least one positive case of COVID-19. The state announced the latest case numbers Wednesday and once again, more than 1,000 new cases were reported.

The state says 1,058 new cases and 158 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours. In total, 28,059 cases have been confirmed in the state and 1,921 people have died from the virus. Benzie County, near Traverse City remains the lone Lower Peninsula county that has not reported a case.

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Protest gridlocks Lansing streets

Protestors took to the streets of Lansing Wednesday to shut down traffic around the Capitol and to send a message to Gov. Whitmer. The participants are upset with the ongoing stay-at-home order and other restrictions that have impacted daily life in Michigan since the COVID-19 crisis grew.

Michigan State Police estimate somewhere 3,000 to 4,000 people took part in the protest which blocked streets, slowed down traffic and eventually ended up on the steps of the Capitol.

Gov. Whitmer disappointed with protest, but respects free speech

During a press conference Thursday, Gov. Whitmer addressed the protest and said that while she completely supports the rights of protestors, she was disappointed that they didnt follow social distancing guidelines and other protective steps.

I was really disappointed to see people congregating and not wearing masks," Whitmer said during a press conference Wednesday. We know that this rally endangered people. This kind of activity will put more people at risk and sadly, it could prolong the amount of time that we have to be in this posture.

Michigan infants fever spikes to 107 degrees

The parents of a 22-month-old Michigan boy share their terrifying experience as their son was diagnosed with a fever of 107 degrees while battling COVID-19. Amanda May and Ryan Schreiber describe their sons continuing battle with the virus and just how quickly he went from being normal to a temperature over 107 degrees.

Northern Michigan sheriffs say they wont enforce emergency laws

Citing vague framework the sheriffs of four northern Michigan counties say they will not enforce the rules set forth in Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order.

While we understand her desire to protect the public, we question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority, the sheriffs wrote in a letter. She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens.

MSP exercises extreme discretion during protest where social distancing was ignored

Police who were on the scene of the protest say they were not aware of any major incidents related to the protest. They also said they were not arresting or ticketing people involved with the protest who were clearly violating state social distancing guidelines for being outdoors.

First Lt. Darren Green said officers were practicing extreme discretion and electing to push for compliance with people protesting, rather than immediately issuing tickets or arresting those who violated the order.

How to track when your stimulus check will arrive

More and more people are reporting their stimulus checks are arriving in their bank accounts. However, not everyone has been so fortunate. A newly released tool from the IRS allows you check the status of your check and when you can expect it to arrive.

Order extended for hospital capacity, virtual meetings

Gov. Whitmer extended a pair of executive orders she signed last month which relax the requirements of public municipal meetings and enhance capacity at the states medical care facilities.

By extending these executive orders, we can ensure our hospitals and health care centers have the capacity needed to serve the health care needs of all Michiganders, while protecting the health of our local officials and residents by allowing public meetings to be held electronically, Whitmer said in a press release.

Inmates hiding COVID-19 symptoms to avoid quarantine

Prisoners in Michigan are hiding their COIVD-19 symptoms in hopes of avoiding being placed in quarantine as the national crisis continues. Prison officials say many prisoners are aware of people who are sick in the prisons, but will not tell guards or staff.

We know some guys in here are sick, said one prisoner who spoke with MLive. Youre hearing them coughing all through the night. Theres guys walking around here sweating. You can look at a person and know theyre sick.

COVID-19 survivors share their stories

From having to battle the chills to the worst pain of their life, those whove survived the COVID-19 virus described what it was like and how they felt as they fought for their lives. The stories of 10 people are included in this look at just how COVID-19 directly attacked their bodies.

DMC furloughs nearly 500 staff members during crisis

Despite the hospital being at or near capacity for some time, the Detroit Medical Center furloughed nearly 500 staff members Wednesday. Hospital officials say among those being furloughed are hospital staff that are not working directly in the COVID-19 efforts.

We have taken steps to divert additional resources to COVID-19 care and other urgent medical procedures that cannot be deferred, said Audrey Gregory, CEO of the Detroit Medical Center. This includes reducing costs, and hours worked, and implementing furloughs of certain jobs, where needed. This furlough impacts approximately 480 team members.

Police debunk rumors during coronavirus pandemic

Rumors of outrageous fines to unauthorized home visits from police have been persistent during the ongoing stay-at-home order. Luckily for folks in Shelby Township, the local police department has addressed some of those rumors directly.

Nope, we arent checking bags for non-essential items, the department said. No $200 tickets. No traffic stops to check work papers. No random residence checks. Its all rumor that has NO basis in fact. Please stop listening to the pot-stirrers.

Ventilators arrive in Michigan from out of state

Michigan received a shipment of ventilators from California and New York Wednesday as states across the country continue to share resources as the battles shift across the country. Gov. Whitmer praised the governors for their support and said its going to take the efforts of many to overcome the virus.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

READ MORE

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus
When a desperate man stranded



away from home owing to COVID-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu tweeted an SoS seeking to be with his nine months pregnant wife, he might not have anticipated quick help to come from Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

Faiz Arshi was overwhelmed when officials swung into action and issued him a travel pass to reach his home. Also, a medical team visited his wife and comforted her.

He is not alone. Numerous messages on social media seeking help and information on subjects varying from doubts related to farming and relief have been receiving prompt response from Palaniswami on his official Twitter handle "@CMOTamilNadu since the lockdown last month.

Harnessing the power of social media, Palaniswami seems to have struck a personal chord with citizens-cum- netizens, not only interacting with them but ensuring redressal of their grievances.

Palaniswami, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Health Secretary Beela Rajesh, both medical doctors, and another cabinet member SP Velumani are active on the social media, responding promptly to queries posed by the affected people as well as taking up concerns of those stranded in other states.

The ruling AIADMK's official Twitter handle issues regular updates, even as DMK President M K Stalin and the state BJP are also active on the microblogging site.

However, Palaniswami seems to have made good use of the opportunity to directly interact with citizens, who are confined indoors due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Whether responding to a couple in distress or advising a 'thambi' (younger brother) on coconut farming, the AIADMK veteran seems to be in a comfort zone.

Interestingly, his mentor and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa did not have a presence in social media.

Faiz tagged Palaniswami and put out a message last week that there was nobody to attend to his pregnant wife as he was stranded in a neighbouring district due to the lockdown and there was no response to his attempts to get travel pass.

"My 9-month pregnant wife and I are expecting our first child. There is no one to help her," he tweeted.

Palaniswami replied and sought his contact number and soon the government machinery was rolling and he was issued a pass to join his wife. The chief minister's humane touch also came to fore when he comforted a man mourning his mother's demise.

The man could not reach Tirunelveli in the state as he was stranded in a foreign country due to the lockdown.

However, when the person expressed grief on Twitter that he could not even see his mother's face for the last time before she was cremated, Palaniswami conveyed his heartfelt condolences and counselled him and his family to bear the loss.

The chief minister, who often calls himself a farmer, also had some words of wisdom for a fellow ryot.

When a person on the social networking site sought to know from the chief minister if he could harvest coconuts from his farm and transport it, Palaniswami replied "most certainly, thambi (younger brother)."



Its not the common man alone he is taking note of and Palaniswami has been pro-active in responding to requests for help from his counterparts in other states and political leaders to people from their states stranded in Tamil Nadu and vice-versa.

Similarly, he is also taking up the cause of Tamilians stranded in other parts including in Maharashtra, sending tweets to the official handles of his counterparts.

Sample this: "Dear @BjpBiplabji, We will definitely take care of them. I have informed my team to provide the necessary resources. Together let's fight #COVID19. Thank you!"



This was Palaniswami's response to Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb when he tweeted seeking help to provide food, accommodation, security and healthcare to the people of his state stranded in Tamil Nadu.

Vijayabaskar and Beela Rajesh also constantly update their social media pages on the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Local Administration Minister Velumani and the Greater Chennai Corporation also keep the citizens informed with various updates on their respective pages.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security education and awareness programs are an important component of any organizations security posture. However, quantifying the effectiveness of such initiatives can be difficult. Measuring content engagement metrics, test results and phishing simulation success tells only so much about an enterprises security culture  the degree to which everyone has internalized security risks and best practices.

Speaking at Tessians recent Human Layer Security Summit in London, Mark Logsdon, head of governance and assurance at Prudential Financial, discussed a new way the insurance company is trying to quantify cybersecurity culture internally. The goal is to create a reliable indicator of the companys future risk.

Security awareness and behavior program shortcomings

Logsdon sees three fundamental problems with most security awareness campaigns: They are irrelevant and not personalized to the user, dull, and take people away from their main responsibilities. It takes a big chunk of money out of the business, he said. You're asking people typically to take 30 minutes, times 30,000 people globally. That's a big number. I have to do 12 or 13 individual modules a year, so it mounts up. Is it any wonder they don't work?

Prudential set about working on a new method of quantifying security understanding and behaviors. We felt that understanding the culture helps us, at least in some way, to reduce the risk and align security better to the business, Logsdon said.

Define security culture to understand it

Before it could properly measure and understand culture, Prudential sought to first define what it meant by company values, culture and behaviors We talk a lot about culture, but what is it? People mix up core values, culture and behaviors, said Logsdon. We spent time understanding what it was, and we went looking at in various places.

Prudential decided to use North Carolina State Universitys definition of risk culture, which reads:

A system of values and behaviors present in an organization that shapes risk decisions of management and employees. A common understanding of an organization and its business purpose.

Logsdon said Prudentials core values are things like stakeholder value, honesty, innovation and thinking about the customer  ideas that rarely change. Culture, he said, is the embodiment of those values  the focus on long-term projects such as digital transformation that innovate and deliver value for the customer. The behaviors are the more day-to-day habits that make that culture happen and can be changed more readily. This gave Prudential a foundation from which it could understand the security behaviors and how they fed into the culture within the company.

Testing and measuring behaviors and culture

For the measurement project, users were presented with a test in the form of a survey. It asked questions  developed by Logsdon and his security team  about scenarios they might face at work. The test focused on five main security areas to determine how well users understood them:

The business and what is business critical

Cyber risk assessment  the threat environment and needs of security teams

Security policy and best practices

Cyber advocacy to gauge collaboration with security and their ability to challenge poor behavior among staff

Personal security practices

We developed a number of scenarios, knowledge constructs which took people out of their comfort zones and deliberately got them to challenge their thinking. For example, if you say China to a security professional, they immediately break into a sweat and think 'bad' and don't think things through.

Staff then answered questions, most of which were true or false. Few of the answers are obviously correct or could easily be answered directly by policy. After having given their answer, they were then asked to provide a confidence score from zero to 100. There was not necessarily a perfect answer to what we're asking, which was challenging to people.

The idea was to record what people said they would do in a given situation as well as their confidence in their answer. The more confidence a person gives in their answers is often the strongest indicator that they would do that action in a real-world situation. The work we're talking about is not based upon some old fool like me just thinking about some idea that may or may not work said Logsdon. It's actually based on Philip Tetlocks work.

Tetlock, Annenberg University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, is a science writer looking at the combination of psychology, political science and organizational behavior. He is best known for writing Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction and Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know? Prudential focused on his work around confidence of answers.

Something like a traditional Myers Briggs, which is, 'How likely are you to wear a pass: very unlikely, possibly likely, highly likely and so forth, is not a great indicator of future action, explained Logsdon. Confidence is a much better indicator of future action.

This theory has been tested in sectors such as oil and gas, accountancy, and healthcare to understand why staff with proper training, equipment and processes continue to make poor decisions. As far as Logsdon is aware, it had not been used in cybersecurity.

For the pilot project, Logsdon limited the survey to members of the global IT and security teams. While region, occupational group and seniority were recorded, the company wanted individuals to remain anonymous. While this might be judged as a skills audit, Logsdon said its important to have buy-in from HR and emphasize that it isnt a test of individuals.

One thing we wanted to avoid is people getting the wrong answer but were 100% confident that they're right, explained Logsdon. Conversely, we wanted to avoid the situation where people get the right answer but had zero percent confidence that they're right. Because if you accept Tetlock's work about confidence being an indicator of future actions, at those two ends of the spectrum you're going to have people making poor decisions.

We want to empower our people to make the right decisions, and if they've got the right answer but don't feel empowered to make that decision, then we're in trouble just as much as with somebody who's making the wrong answer but is 100% confident.

Cybersecurity culture measured and understood

To calculate an understanding score, Prudential subtracted the number of incorrect responses from the number of correct responses, divided the result by the total number of responses, and then multiplied the answer by 100. The results at Prudential showed a high confidence that staff feel empowered to make decisions. However, the understanding scoring suggested that some of this confidence is misplaced.

Results were visualized with a heat map. Columns represented people; rows represented questions, with the very top row showing a persons average score across the entire test. Darker red indicated poor decisions with high confidence, brighter green indicated good decisions with a high confidence, and people sitting on the fence show up as a tan. Possible areas of concern or training can be identified, and risk appetites and baselines around scores can be established and measured going forward.

If somebody sits on the fence, and continually sits around the middle about their confidence level, we can illustrate that, said Logsdon. We can start to look at individual subjects.

Prudential had green scores in areas such as policy and advocacy but more areas of red around understanding risk and business alignment. We've always been told we need to be aligned with the needs of the business. All of a sudden, we've got evidence to support that, actually, we're not terribly good at that. And we're not terribly good at managing risk. So, we can improve that.

While Logsdon says the company did pretty well overall, the study did find some members of staff, including those in senior-level positions, were getting questions wrong with a high level of confidence. We saw individuals who were in key positions who weren't necessarily as attuned to certain things as one would hope. Challenging your boss is not always a great idea in certain cultures, so we need to address that as an issue.

As a result, the company says it plans to make targeted interventions in certain locations and work on encouraging a culture where staff can feel confident and empowered to challenge their superiors if they see something that they know is wrong. And the team can redo the tests in the future to see if results have changed.

Importantly, we can measure it again. We can go back use the same sorts of things to see what's changed as a consequence of us running certain programs and interventions, said Logsdon.

Going forward

While the pilot focused solely on IT and IT security, but Logsdon has already been asked if the project can be rolled out more widely. He said the questions would need to change to suit the audience, but the methodology would work elsewhere.

We can't really benchmark ourselves just yet against others yet because nobody else has done that, said Logsdon. We're trying to encourage others to take this up so we can benchmark ourselves against others.

As far as we understand, we're the first to have done this to any degree. We can't tell until we continue to run it year after year to see what changes we're making, Logsdon said. It's well known that cultures don't happen in five minutes. They take years to build up and years to change. It's a slow burn.
Bhiwandi police in the district



have detained 12 persons who were traveling to Uttar Pradesh in a tempo amid lockdown, an official said on Thursday.

A police team intercepted a tempo on Mumbai-Nashik road on Wednesday and found that it was carrying 12 persons who were headed for Uttar Pradesh.

A case was registered against tempo driver Suhas Gupta under IPC section 188 (disobedience to public servant's order), said deputy commissioner of police Rajkumar Shinde.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It's a disaster, school says they'll be teaching for about 2 hours per day. Parents of primary school kids can't work at home and supervise kids learning at the same time. Need one teacher and 1 assistant teacher online seven hours per day per class, this will allow 1:1 teacher discussions while the other staffer supervises the rest of the class online. - James Congratulations to the NBN who have chosen this morning to conduct three hours of planned maintenance in our area between 9am and 5pm. Excellent for all the distance learners. - Ellie It would help if they gave us more info other than we're back at school and log in online to empty portals. They've had weeks to get sorted! - Anonymous

I'm sure it would be fine if I didn't have to work. But it seems the government position is to make me choose between keeping my job vs education for my 5-year-old. - Anonymous It's a nightmare having a 15-year-old turning 16 "studying from home". I cannot micromanage him whilst I am working from home. - John Evie Macheda, 5, starts remote learning at home on the first day of term two. Credit:Tanya Macheda

I have three younger brothers (two in year 9 and one in year 11) who are unable to get onto their schools online portal to complete activities/schoolwork. Im just glad that I finished year 12 last year! - Matthew Kanizay Dreadful. Clearly our government thinks working from home is a joke, and we all have plenty of spare time to supervise children. Grade preps don't learn without supervision, and parents who are working hard (which is the case for most of us who still do have jobs) don't have the ability to provide this supervision. - Anonymous

Poorly organised by school and even with a laptop and three ipads a lot of the tech and applications pretty hit and miss. Stressed kids x 2 and frustrated parent, impossible to work from home while home schooling concurrently. Nil productivity for ANYONE. All because teachers don't see their role as essential and just do their job, like all the others doing their jobs and keeping the community and society moving. - Walter Loading Lots of information etc. for schools, but no information, direction or support for kindergartens! - Anonymous

After 30 minutes both my kids are crying and my wife is angry at me. I now have a greater respect for teachers. Let's pay them more. - Anonymous As a teacher, this has been worse than any day at school. It has been a constant barrage of questions from almost every corner including kids who for some reason now can't read instructions, we still have to contact students we haven't heard from (over half of our cohort) whilst reviewing work etc. It's been a nightmare! Give me face-to-face teaching anytime... - Peter I'm hiding in the staff room. - Natalie Bailey

Not so good. I have a grade 1 and grade 2. We just finished today's tasks (11.40am), so we have been busy for 3 hours. I took the day off work to get them started, but I can't do this everyday. I'm about to go to the school to see if they will be able to attend tomorrow. If both parents are working during the day then this isn't going to work for very long. ScoMo is right. - Anonymous It is an absolute nightmare. You are given a few tasks and then are expected to sit next to the child to help them do it. The teacher meets the class for 15 minutes each morning. That is it. It's impossible to hold down a full-time job. Am concerned that I will now have performance issues at work. I am a single parent. - Lissie

WebEx failed. Fifteen minutes with the teacher daily online is apparently all we are getting (state primary school). Feeling a lack of leadership from the school and very unclear what I am supposed to be doing! - Richard Very frustrating! Lots of connection issues and no face-to-face teaching. Just multiple tasks set for completion. - Anonymous

Aaaaaargh! - Tim Chaos, this is home schooling, not remote learning, not sure how two parents working from home are supposed to undertake this. 1. We are only just receiving instructions late last night and this morning. 2. Online services are outdated and do not work on Android devices (they rely on Adobe Flash, which is at end of life and being discontinued). 3. School of the Air has been running since 1951 with more success than this. - Ian As a year 12 VCE student who has never been able to study at home, today has been really stressful and distracting. - Anonymous

Loading Today has been a disaster. I am a healthcare worker and have just got home from work. My wife is crying and has just stormed off in frustration at trying to keep our grade 1 child focussed, whilst having a 4-year-old daughter running around the house too. Weve managed to complete about half the tasks allocated to us for the day (we get an email from the school telling us what to do) but the Grade 1 boy needs constant supervision and this is something thats impossible whilst trying to work from home also. He really needs a classroom environment to stay focused. The 4-year-old is supposed to be at kinder also but unfortunately I suspect our attention will be on trying to keep the older one focused. I understand there will be teething problems, but this is not sustainable and adds significant strain to what is already a stressful environment at home. I really hope the schools will reopen in the coming month or so if coronavirus cases remain low (if it is safe to do so), otherwise it will be months of misery in this house. - Anonymous Im a stay at home parent so I have the time to devote to schooling without having to worry about work, and even I feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work we need to fit into the week. I cant imagine how working parents will manage. My kids are young (year 3 and 1) so they need quite a lot of guidance and support. Its hard for me to deliver two curriculums simultaneously. Its hard enough just to sift through the daily and weekly tasks to figure out a functional schedule. Day one in the bag and weve all been in tears today. My kids love school usually. This isnt anything I can call school, and I cant even begin to list the ways it is an inadequate substitute. What price are we paying for this decision to close schools to most kids? - Anonymous

Lauren, from Bayside Secondary school, takes part in her online school class as her mother Gayle, a teacher from Flinders Christian College, takes students for online schooling in Melbourne. Credit:AAP Miss 14 has level 5 funding. No extra assistance at home though. Pass some of her aide funding over to us so we can pay someone who is willing to work with her at home. Today included kicking her walls screaming that school is stupid and refusing to do anything productive. The system is way too complicated - a Google classroom for every subject. The refusal of the education department to allow zoom....she woke to 66 new messages, she only read her check-in one then closed her computer for the day. Where are the supports for our funded students? - Cheri I am a parent of three children with learning difficulties (dyslexia and dysgraphia etc). Dyslexic kids often struggle to understand what is expected of them and need a lot of support to get started and complete tasks. My husband took the day off work to help me get through the day and we barely managed. I will have to put my own career firmly to one side to try and make this work. Why is Bunnings still open but mothers (mostly) are expected to carry the load of educating our children? This reeks of patriarchy in my opinion! Surely schools are an essential service? - Claerwen

After the first day, I'm now listening to very loud music to avoid drinking an entire bottle of wine. Maybe the kids (year 1 and 3) don't need so much supervision at school but it seems at home they need to check the answer for everything and have no capacity to think for themselves. The school clearly has no idea what it's doing and just sent home glorified homework tasks. My heart goes out to those trying to hold down jobs. Open the schools, this is ridiculous. - Anonymous My grandson's school has no face to face time on line with their teacher not even a recorded video message. Parents don't get the timetable for the next day until 4 pm the day before. This is an international baccalaureate school. Pathetic when you consider school broke up early so teachers could have prepared for this. - Helen Gilhome

Disaster. 3, 6 and 9 year old kids at home. 9 year old was happy enough although Im sceptical of the learning outcomes achieved. The other 2 chaos. Crying, screaming, hiding under tables. And no, I didnt manage to get to even half of my own work. Its going be a late night answering emails. I appreciate its the first day, but I honestly cannot see how I can manage work from home and 3 kids for an entire term. - Anonymous Nightmare. Poor instruction from school, no face to face instruction/interaction for Year 8 student. A weeks worth of poorly explained work dumped into Compass. My daughter with dyslexia struggled with knowing what to do and how to prioritise the work. Luckily I had the day off so could be there to help her through, but what about tomorrow when I have my own work to do? - T Telstra internet outages affecting a lot of households in outer east (Belgrave, Tecoma, Upwey) since last Monday, so theres been lots of frustration and inconvenience for many out here. Our son did alright hot spotting but with parents also working from home were chewing through phone data fast. Telstra say outage could last until Monday. Im about to go all Peter Finch if it isnt sorted soon. Aaaarrrggghhhh!!! - DC

Absolutely horrendous. Its a joke expecting us to work from home. I have a preppie who cant read and a year 2. Its constant supervision, reading the assignment and in the case of the Prep 1-1 teaching. We see the teacher once a week. Its a joke. I cant believe Im saying this but I am with ScoMo on this one. I am going to lose my job if I keep having days like this with 1 hour of work done between 2 kids homeschooling. Why do teachers get to decide they are too precious to work as essential workers? My doctor husband, nurse friends and tradie friends are still working, they should be too. Im so angry. This term is going to be disaster. If COVID-19 rates keep going down then Schools need to open earlier and the health experts agree. ScoMo- you have a very committed labor voters support here. Keep schools open. - Anonymous Terrible. The school has given some very broad advice but no structure and it relies on parents being the teacher. This is not what the premier promised. this is very hard when both parents are working full time and on zoom conferences all day. Surly the education department could have developed some online material and activities over the past 3 weeks. On line Cubs was great. - Anonymous

A disaster...My eldest is doing VCE and must be back at school for face to face learning. Here is an idea.... why not bring back year 11 & 12 students first and the rest can follow later ... Mr Andrews you are out of touch with reality. - Jimbo Disaster. Not sure which genius thinks kids can get the same level of education at home. Who's going to look after them and assist them? What if parents are working from home? They need to be working part time teachers. Would've been better off extending school holidays for another 2 weeks and then go back to school. - Anonymous Not too bad, actually

I'm a teacher and so far, so good! A very large volume of emails at the moment but we've been able to work through most issues. - Callum Better than expected! My two eldest daughters are plugged into their iPads, and will be until 3.15pm following their grade 1 and grade 4 curriculum with their whole class through Zoom. My 1-year-old is plugged into The Wiggles! I'm worried about so much screen time, but it is better than the alternative- which would be me! Tricky with a 1-year-old. Aside from hearing about some very sad staffing issues through The Age, the girls school has been super organised and I have every confidence they will have a great virtual term. - Olivia Timetables all sorted-kids made it up yesterday so we'd know who had what and when - Donna Lancaster

Donna Lancaster's four children made this timetable to help them negotiate home school a little easier. Credit:Donna Lancaster Pretty easy to be quite honest. (Even though I'm in year 12 and still confused on what the VCAA are doing) Considering it will be a half day of school with only having three classes. - Nick It's going as well as can be expected: by which I mean we have agreed to a plan, a 'timetable' that includes some breaks - for all of us - and we'll see how it works today, and work together to improve tomorrow. It's a team effort. - Anonymous

Considering the circumstances, I would say pretty good! Difficult to motivate my children as they still feel like they're in holiday mode but we're getting through it. This isn't an ordinary turn of events and you can't put the blame on the teachers nor the government. Keep your patience and try a bit harder as everyone is in the same boat! - Anonymous Pretty good. Joined a call this morning at 9.30 am. The call ended at 10.20 am and I have been doing the assigned work since then! - Sebastiano Byrne As a teacher in a state school, my kids don't fully return until Friday but I have sent work out for them to complete. Almost all of my kids have completed it this morning because 'they are bored and want to return to school'. I think this will be much more successful than originally thought! - Anonymous

Beautiful. Kids self-motivated and happy. Internet working for all. No complaints here. - Sophie Surprisingly smoothly. I have three teenage sons (years 9, 11 and 12) and they seem to have adapted very well. My main concern was the capacity of the NBN, touch wood, no issues so far. I am fairly tech savvy but I am nowhere near my sons who are all 'digital natives' and seem to have embraced the new learning environment. As a parent I was really pleased to hear all three of my sons actively participating in classroom discussions. Finally, I would like to thank all teachers and support staff who have been working incredibly hard to make this work. We would agree that it isn't ideal but under the circumstances it seems the best option. - Peter Redden

I have a year 12 and year 10 - all went perfectly. Our school went online two weeks before the end of term - all issues ironed out. Microsoft teams worked well. Teachers teaching for the whole class. Kudos to the school and the teachers. - Anonymous Given I'm in year 12, it went really well. Teachers are working so hard to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and we should all be more grateful for it. Being able to learn from home is a privilege - there are no alternatives, and we just have to accept that this is our reality for now. It could be a lot worse. - Bridget My two teenage kids in year 11 and year 8 seemed happy to back with their peers. I could hear my daughter's singing lesson from the other room where I was working. They came out for breaks smiling. I think they feel more connected to the outer world through the structure of the school classroom. My hope is that this continues! - Fleur Summers

Its been a massive learning curve here for grade 1 - but weve also had some fun, completed reading, writing, art and maths tasks and sworn at the systems as we attempt to learn them quickly. Our teacher is doing an amazing job under the circumstances. - Kelly E I'm a secondary teacher and I've been at my PC since 8am. Haven't had time for breaks or lunch, it's been really hectic trying to provide offsite learning to my students. Having said that I am really proud of the kids I teach. They've all logged in and we've gone over work expectations, tried troubleshooting a few issues and sorted out how we're going to get through this as a class. I'm sure there's a lot behind the scenes that I can't see, such as parents organising these guys to get online and talk with me and manage their learning. It's a massive collaborative effort and so far I am (like many others I'm sure) exhausted but ready for more. - Anonymous

Wasnt the disaster I thought it could be. My grade 3 boy and I worked side by side at the dining table, my grace 6 daughter was at her desk following the excellent guidance given by her teacher on her own. My work did suffer today, so some juggling will be required- the 1.5 hours of making school lunches and travelling to the office will now likely become 1.5hrs of early morning work time for me, before the school day starts at 9. Some work in the evenings may also be needed. We just have to remember, that despite everything, we really are in the lucky country right now- good times will return. I wouldnt want to be anywhere else during COVID-19. Huge thanks to all our teachers and healthcare workers, youre all champions. - Stephanie From the standpoint of an IT professional; it went surprisingly well. I think our primary school was reasonably prepared. At least the online systems were performing well with access all sorted. The communications were good. Online lessons have not gone into full swing yet but they had tasks prepared and took the results via email. My time is another story. A few hours lost to school so now I'm just taking a break from my long WFH day. I figure this is likely the new norm, but I do realise I'm in a relatively lucky position. - SPB We are amazed at how well it goes. Miss 8 completely engaged in her zoom classroom from 845 to 3pm. Both parents working from home and find she can mostly be left to them. Amazing effort and attitude and communication from teachers and school leadership at Haileybury College. Cant praise them enough. - Matthew

As a public high school teacher, I think our school did well. High attendance and participation today. All classes and subjects organised at least a week in advance by our staff. There were some internet issues today but they seemed to be sorted out. It must be frustrating for parents having multiple kids (especially primary kids) at home with internet issues and I am not sure how other schools went. I think the governments, state and federal have done a good job keeping Australia from the catastrophic scenes weve witnessed in other countries. The advice may be that shutting schools may not have made a difference. I dont know. Were making the best of the situation at my work. So are the kids. They are for the most part resilient and cheerful. It was great to see them today. - Matthew I am incredibly grateful for our teachers and school staff that they have all put in so much effort over a very short space of time to put together the best home learning curriculum that they can. It is a challenge for sure. My partner and I are both working from home and we are home learning with our son, Year 1. From one day to the next, some things will work really well, whilst others will not work very well. Everyone is doing the best they can with what they have got. And when our children head back into our classroom, our wonderful teachers, who are so skilled at what they do, will have a way to bring our kids back to where they need to be. #thankyouteachers - Anonymous

We prepped our Year 7 and Year 9 kids that today was going to be a learning experience for them, us, teachers, etc. We explained it isnt going to be exactly like school. We are also both working from home. Our state secondary school has done an amazing job preparing us and the kids for the term ahead, with many weekend and late night emails from the staff. It was a really positive experience for both of our kids and I am so thankful we have this option. Everyday will bring challenges and so we will just roll with it. Teachers - you are awesome! - Susan Carter My kids (years 6 & 8) had a wonderful start to term 2, online classes were well run, my son even had an online PE class. I work full time and met by kids at 1pm for a family lunch. Long may this continue! - Anonymous I am a recently out of work father of three helping three kids at home. I am really only helping one child as the two older ones seem to be able to sort themselves out. I found the online learning really smooth and easy to navigate, and had a rewarding day helping my grade 6 child. I realise that there are plenty of people with more challenging home situations, but i think once kids and parents get the hang of it, kids will be able to work more autonomously. Two thumbs up for me. - Matthew Broadbent

My two year 8 students managed really well, and the lessons sounded productive and engaging. I was really impressed with the preparation and calm manner of the staff at Auburn High School. My kids are doing the French binational program and was even more impressed to hear all of the students manage online learning of the majority of the curriculum entirely in French. - Fiona It was breezy. Year 9 daughter is self motivated and appeared to be engaged all day. She took her recess and lunch breaks, had a music lesson and asked me some advice on a geography question. I worked as usual from home. No issues so far. I expect some days will be better than others but we're not worrying about academic progression. Just staying healthy, mentally and physically. - Zoe

So far so good. Two primary children. We are going rogue and focussing on reading, writing, spelling, multiplication stuff that interests them and anything we think they might be missing - like telling the time. We are both working from home so we are aiming to do two half hour sessions each a day- playing to our strengths. They do Joe Wicks PE and if we need extra time or to keep them occupied we will let them watch a documentary. We are hoping by the end of this they will be able to make their own lunch. Being home won't last forever, so we are trying to make the most of it. - Anonymous I had a year eight and Year five start online today and it went really well (despite a couple of glitches). secondary kid had at least 3 zoom lessons but got left out of another. Did homework. Younger one self sufficient all day once we had watched the welcome videos. Both kids found it well planned and easy to self start work. Well done to Princes Hill Secondary and Primary. Maths Teacher partner also went very smoothly with near full attendance at their school. - Anonymous As a Year 11 (completing a Year 12 subject this year) remote learning is, of course, not exactly what I'd hoped for in terms of my VCE years. However, I know that teachers and IT are trying the best they can- I could've said that any school day but it's even more poignant now. My younger siblings and I are all trying to make it through (past various tech issues and the like) and it's gone pretty smoothly thus far. We're trying to keep ourselves, our families and the wider community safe and frankly, it is disheartening to see so many people taking their frustrations out on teachers. No one, let alone teachers would have wished this on us. Thank you to our teachers and essential workers for sticking with us in such a crisis. Good luck fellow students and stay positive all!

Gosh people, we could be extremely sick, or dying in a country with no ICU BEDS left... This is an extreme time.. I feel privileged to live in Australia where we have schooling, a health system and mostly a chance at survival. I am a nurse who is also remote schooling my 11 year old... Sure, there are glitches, yes it is different, yes it is strange... But we have so much to be grateful for. As for the teachers, who haven't stopped working in weeks, and have never been payed their worth ( nor the nurses) hats off to you angels. You are doing an amazing job! Just remember, this too shall pass. - Bron Fantastic. I believe the parents that are complaining need to understand the bigger picture. We are going through a global pandemic and safety is key for our children. Alongside this, we need to step up in our role as parents. We are meant to provide for them, and we see the efforts of educators more clearly throughout this. I understand the pressures of working from home alongside this, but perhaps its time to take a proper look at parenting and structures at home. - Anonymous

Time will tell... Eight-year-old Zack Wong sent this drawing of his Easter in isolation. Credit:Zack Wong It started very positively. The kids were ready by 8.30am, and we flew into the basics, literacy and numeracy, and all done by 11.20am. I am hiding my anxiety. There is no way I can produce high quality strategic plans and reports whilst overseeing my children in their learning. My employer (state government) is flexible in every respect, and clear in their communications, that they are here for us to find the "balance". But in this scenario, there is no balance to be found. The way I could find balance would be to take leave without pay, or at half pay. But that's not a financially viable option for my family. I feel our essential services like supermarkets and triage have been able to put effective hygiene protocols in place that are working. Please, we need to install these protocols at our school gates and get our kids back in. Social distancing can continue in the home and authorities regulate accordingly. But our kids are the losers in all this. No school, no social contacts, no playgrounds..... it's gone, overnight. Living their young lives via a virtual reality should not be our go to option, until we're in a position where school hygiene is insufficient protection. - Kate Hill The screaming and shouting has subsided a little now, but it's going to be a very long term! - Anonymous

First day back at school is going okay but a poor substitute for kids interacting directly with teacher and classmates. I can only comment on primary school age kids but the more kids you have in different years - particularly below grade 4, the trickier it is for the parent to co-ordinate. It's not remote learning - there's no chance the parent can get on with their own work - it's constant supervision. - Anonymous As a teacher I dealt with the usual silly behaviours and sometimes reticent attitudes towards working. Occasionally I would have a visit from a student from another class who would come into the chat line and say very inappropriate things. In many ways, it's just a digital environment and the same issues of teaching teens are present - that is, some kids want to learn, others don't. The good thing is that we can outline all the work that needs to be covered. The bad, and this is the same in the classroom, is behaviour. The triumph of the 'no phones' policy has now got to contend with the difficult screen time behaviours that were present prior to this year. Is it a step backwards - time will tell. - Anonymous

Single working parent, one grade 4 and two grade 1s. We more or less worked through the materials for today except the Physical Activity stuff, as they are much happier just running around the backyard doing their own games; and with an added Art class by popular request. No online classes at all, which I thought was really surprising - definitely not getting much work-from-home done! Have asked my employer to stand me down as soon as they figure out whether they qualify for JobKeeper, since I only have so much leave to use up on home-schooling. - Anonymous I'm a primary school teacher and I've been on call with families and students regarding learning at home since 9am. Yes it is hectic. Parents are going to be overwhelmed. Teachers are overwhelmed. Think about the teachers who have children of their own who also need to support their own child. Everyone is learning. But it is only temporary. As much as I would love to be in a classroom with 30 of my students, I'd rather everyone is safe and healthy for the time being. In the grand scheme of things, this is a time period we can learn and adapt to challenge our persistence! Good luck to all families, parents, students and teachers on term 2. - Anonymous I'm a primary school teacher and I do not know a single teacher that insisted schools be closed, like some have suggested. It has been a steep learning curve over a short amount of time for teaching staff, and like some parents and students, quite stressful. Yes the internet is unreliable, and video meetings drop out or have poor audio. Today a big section of the remote learning platform was unable to be accessed due to high demand and poor internet capabilities. We are all doing the best we can given the circumstances. It wasn't our decision to close schools, but while it has been difficult, I would rather keep the community safe from potential infection than take the risk and keep schools open. - Anonymous

I teach in a private co-ed school, and had a really sore head (and neck) after four hours of solid remote teaching. We are talking about constant replying to questions, checking online work, giving feedback, giving reminders/ additional instructions, on top of all the planning that used up most the school holidays. While not all schools are alike, it is very demoralising to read parents disparaging remarks about teachers. I will say that most teachers would love for the students to be back at school, although the fear of an outbreak is real. School grounds are notorious for spreading viruses. (Think gastro, flu, chicken pox, what more Covid-19). For those parents whose kids seem to have had a good start, just remember that there has been lots of work that has gone behind it, and there continues to be an enormous amount of work to sustain it. I have my own kids at home too, and they have certainly been neglected today. All my attention was on my own classes. Having said all of that, I am grateful for technology, and I am grateful for my students, and I am grateful that we are keeping safe and well. - Anonymous I need to say that losing one term of school learning is not the end of the world. The dux of one of my schools came to Australia after living in a refugee camp with very little schooling for five years. He didnt know the English language when he began schooling in Australia in Year 9. He got an ATAR of 99.8. When life goes back to normal, teachers will make sure kids know the essentials in their learning. A parent's job is to make sure the kids are safe and happy. If they dont get all their work done.... so be it. Im a principal that has children. Dont stress if they cant do all the work. Dont stress if you cant help them. It will be OK. Keeping a healthy, happy environment is the role of a parent. The online glitches will be fixed and it will all work. Remember.... if it doesnt the impact on students will be minimal. - Anonymous

Not easy for the PS daughter whose instructions could have been clearer but it went well with the older HS daughter whose school is engaged and she is learning, and as a HS teacher today went well, albeit not easy to have discussions but we tried. The state gov't is doing the right thing. I feel sorry for stressed parents and students and hope it will get easier with perseverance, But this is something we simply have to do. - Darren Great day to take a step back and lower expectations. Poor teachers are struggling with completely foreign ways of teaching. Students being made accountable before they are ready. Parents wanting the best but failing at everything. Time to care less about everything. - AP By 5pm my kids, my partner and my partner's Mum who lives with us are all still healthy and alive. Sucking it up and feeling grateful. - Luke
A mass grave has been uncovered in Raqqa, which held at least 200 bodies, who were killed by the Islamic State reports Zaman Al-Wasl.

A new mass grave, including 200 bodies of Syrian army soldiers, was exhumed in eastern Raqqa province, Raqqas First Response Team said Tuesday.

At least 200 bodies were recovered from the Hamarat area, east of Raqqa city, according to Yaser al-Khamis, head of Response Team.

Since the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Raqqa in 2017, forensic teams have begun to lift bodies that are believed to have been buried there during the four-month campaign to liberate the city.

So far, 5,500 bodies have been exhumed from mass graves in the areas of the al-Rasheed Stadium, the zoo, the Bedouin neighborhood, and the ancient mosque.

In 2014, regime forces found a mass grave near Tabqa air base, containing the bodies of 60 troops killed by ISIS in 2014.

Activists said the victims in the mass graves were not only killed by ISIS, but also by the US-led International Coalition airstrikes and the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Syrian Democratic Forces have been the main partner of the US-led coalition against ISIS in Syria, helping drive the jihadists out of swathes of northern and eastern Syria.

ISIS has been largely defeated in the country but has continued to carry out ambushes, assassinations and bombings there and still poses a threat along its border with Syria.

Last week, ISIS killed 19 regime troops in a desert town near Palmyra city.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Rochester Public Schools will make its pitch Monday, asking the city to annex 80 acres into Southwest Rochester.

The property is being eyed for construction of a middle school, part of a voter-approved $180.9 million referendum.

"We look forward to presenting information and responding to your questions concerning the annexation of the Hart Farms land at the April 20 City Council meeting," Rochester Schools Superintendent Michael Munoz wrote in a letter to the Rochester City Council this week.

The district has a $2.9 million purchase agreement for 150 acres of land on property commonly known as Hart Farms, along 40th Street Southwest, west of 18th Avenue. Only 80 acres is being requested for annexation, based on anticipated city growth defined in Rochesters latest comprehensive plan.

The annexation has not been supported by city staff, who have suggested the school district look for another site. Last month, the citys Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend denying the annexation request.

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The issue was slated for an April 6 public hearing but was postponed two weeks as the community adjusted to changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even with the delay, the hearing will be conducted under unusual circumstances.

Munoz, along with district consultant Kevin Holm of Duluth-based LHB Inc., is expected to attend the meeting at 3:30 p.m. Monday in person, but the council chambers of the city-county Government Center are expected to be largely empty.

City staff and a majority of council members attended the last council meeting from remote locations, and the city has adopted rules limiting attendance to 10 people, including participants required to conduct the meeting.

Residents wanting to weigh in on the annexation are being asked to submit written comments , which will be passed along to council members prior to the meeting. However, the deadline to have comments included in the agenda documents sent to the council Thursday has passed.

The school district submitted its information prior to the deadline, according to Heather Nessler, RPS executive director of communications, marketing and technology.

The 22-page document seeks to make the case for the southwest site over other potential locations, including up to 40 donated acres in Northwest Rochester offered by Iowa-based developer Mark Kramer.

"Based on student population data, district growth over the last 10 years, maturation of neighborhoods and boundary locations, the best site is Hart Farms," the district report states.

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"The least desirable property, even though it is free, is the Kramer site due to adjacency to the district boundary and steep topography," the report said in comparisons four potential locations.

Since the proposed Kramer site sits near the districts border with the Byron School District, Rochester school officials say walkability of a school in that location would be diminished.

"It will also likely be a fragmented neighborhood due to students and neighbors attending different schools and districts," the district states.

At the same time, city staff has argued that the southwest location could spur development in the nearby area outside city limits, leading to added requests for annexation and related costs, including sewer development.

"It would take it out of sequence of other investment the city has made in areas intended to be developed sooner," Rochester Community Development Director Cindy Steinhauser told the Planning and Zoning commission last month.
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- News-O-Matic has been announced as a finalist for a North American Digital Media Award from the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The award honors news publishers that have successfully engaged children, teens and/or millennial audiences with digital initiatives, including news literacy. Previous winners include The Washington Post and NBC Universal.

Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, News-O-Matic has shared news stories and actionable advice for kids about topics like nutrition and exercise.

News-O-Matic is an educational resource for children in grades K through 8 that fosters global curiosity through daily news. Since the spread of the coronavirus, News-O-Matic has made all of its original daily content 100% free in order to grant access to the largest possible number of kids.

As part of its mission to keep kids informed, News-O-Matic's editorial team has interviewed medical doctors, child psychologists, and a patient who has recovered from COVID-19. It's also given young readers a safe space to ask questions about the virus, react to the news by creating artwork, and connect to a global community of their peers while schools are closed worldwide.

"Kids have a lot of questions about the coronavirus," said Russell Kahn, chief content officer of News-O-Matic. "In many cases, they are not being told what is happening  and they don't have a kid-friendly resource to help them make sense of the situation. That's what this News-O-Matic project has been about. We are helping all children navigate this global crisis, providing them with a critically important remote learning tool. Most importantly, we give kids a safe place to let their feelings be heard  and to learn that their voice matters."

The winners of WAN-IFRA's Digital Media Awards will be announced on May 15. All News-O-Matic content is completely free to teachers, students, and parents through June 30. For more information, visit https://newsomatic.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About News-O-Matic

News-O-Matic was founded in 2013 as an educational resource designed to make nonfiction accessible and engaging for readers in grades K through 8. Every weekday, News-O-Matic publishes interactive daily news content that teaches children 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, media literacy, and global awareness. The news stories are written across various reading levels and are available in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic  in text and audio. Thousands of schools incorporate News-O-Matic articles into their literacy and social studies curricula. News-O-Matic has more than 5 million downloads from the App Store in 148 countries. It has also been recognized as a 2020 Teachers' Choice Award Winner. News-O-Matic is available on the web, in the App Store, and on Google Play.

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LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts and his top personnel aide pushed back Wednesday on demands by the state employees union that more workers be allowed to work from home.

An estimated 40% of all state employees are working remotely now, they said, though that number drops to about 25% at the states largest agency, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Justin Hubly of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees said that an additional 2,000 state workers should, and could, be working from home now, and that hes getting a lot of tearful calls from state workers and their loved ones.

State employees are concerned, and they are anxious, he said. We need the governor to take action to ensure their safety.

But Ricketts, as well as Jason Jackson, the governors chief human relations officer, said that all state workers capable of working at home now are doing so, and that some essential tasks, like processing food stamp and unemployment applications, must be done at an office.

The expectation of the people of Nebraska is that were supposed to do these things. Were the state, Ricketts said.
A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Centre and Air India to discontinue chartered flights being operated to repatriate foreign nationals to their respective countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition also contended that these chartered flights were returning empty after dropping foreign nationals and were not bringing back Indian citizens stranded abroad.

The plea was heard on Wednesday by a bench of justices J R Midha and Jyoti Singh via video-conferencing, but the order was yet to be uploaded on the high court's website.

The petition by Vaibhav Sharma also claimed that pilots and cabin crew of these charter flights were not being provided personal protection equipment, but were being put in 14-day home quarantine after they return to India.

The plea, filed through advocate H S Nanda, has also claimed that putting the pilots and cabin crew on home quarantine would endanger lives of their family members.

It has sought that the pilots and cabin crew be quarantined in hotels for the mandatory 14 days, so that there is no danger of their families getting infected by coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
While the number of coronavirus cases breached the 12,000-mark on Thursday, reports showed signs of some respite for top Covid-19 affected regions like Delhi and Maharashtra.

As per the health bulletin released by the government, Delhi reported only 17 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday - lowest figure for Delhi in April.

Maharashtra, on the other hand, witnessed a drop of over 30% in the new cases on Wednesday when compared to Tuesdays figures - this was the lowest rise for the state in the past 6 days. On Wednesday, the state reported 232 new Covid-19 cases as compared to Tuesdays figure and exhibited a drop of more than 30%.

Kerala, which was among the top coronavirus hotspots of the country, has managed to slow down its number of new cases and accelerate the number of recoveries.

The state has the second-highest rate of coronavirus patient recovery with 218 patients beating the deadly contagion so far.

However, it would be too early to say if such figures indicate the flattening of the coronavirus curve in India. Other states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan continue to witness a surge in new cases while states like Meghalaya, which previously had no cases of the disease, have also reported patients suffering from the virus.

To flatten the Covid-19 curve, India needs to ensure that the virus does not spread any further and that a trend of drop in new cases is established all across along with a rise in the number of recoveries, especially in the coronavirus hotspots.

The government on Wednesday released a list of 170 hotspot districts which include all major metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Tamil Nadu tops the list with 22 districts in the hotspots while Rajasthan and Maharashtra are second on the list with 11 each.
The Law Society of Botswana has written a hard-hitting letter to the Minister of Defense, Justice and Security complaining on how the Ministry is handling the issuance of COVID-19 permits to their members.

In the letter titled 'LAW SOCIETY OF BOTSWANAS DISAPPOINTMENT WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF COVID-19 REGULATIONS BY MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, JUSTICE AND SECURITY', addressed to Minister Kagiso Mmusi released yesterday by LSB's secretariat, the Society says after a series of engagements to get clarity in respect of the process for issuing permits to legal practitioners (who in terms of the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations, 2020 are classified as essentials), the Ministry has through a press release issued on 14 April 2020, directed that the issuing authority in respect of permits for Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security (the Ministry) shall be the Registrar of the High Court in respect of litigation matters, and the Ministry as regards other non-litigation urgent matters.

The release limits the issuance of permits to legal practitioners who are seized with matters that the Registrar deems to be extremely urgent and those dealing with non-litigation matters that the Ministry deems to be urgent.

LSB contends that the Ministrys release shows complete disregard of the Regulations by introducing additional requirements that run contrary to the clearly expressed intention of the lawgiver. It says the clear intention of the lawgiver was that legal practitioners are essential service, and it did not confer discretion on the authorising officer to introduce additional requirements for the issuance of a permit.

"These Regulations were passed by the President and approved by Parliament. To now introduce other conditions post facto is to undermine the legislative process that was followed in passing the Regulations". LSB contends further that the issuance of permits by the authorising officer to legal practitioners should be "purely administrative" with the only questions to be considered being whether the person who seeks the permit is a licensed legal practitioner, and whether the form that has to be completed, has been properly filled-out.

"Many state-sponsored abuses of freedoms and liberties take place under the cloak of state of emergency; we believe it was partly in recognition of this that the law-giver declared legal practitioners an essential service". During such periods, it becomes critical that those who may fall victim to these abuses have unhindered access to a legal practitioner.

Subjecting the grant of permits to instances which the Registrar or the Ministry, in their wisdom, deem to be urgent therefore "chills the right to legal representation" which freedom is more critical in a state of emergency, says LSB. As a result of the Ministrys absurd implementation of the Regulations practitioners are unable to meaningfully consult with their clients until they have been given permits.

However, in many instances, it may be impossible to determine whether a matter satisfies the urgency requirement until there has been an opportunity to consult. The requirement to seek a permit from the Ministry in respect of non-litigation matters that are urgent requires legal practitioners to violate the common law duty of confidentiality that they owe their clients, reads part of the letter.

"We further have grave doubts as to whether the Ministry is competent to express a view as to whether a matter is urgent or not, as it has no internal expertise in the practice of law." Such requirement, contends LSB, also undermines the independence of the legal profession, which is an important feature in a democratic set-up that recognises the separation of powers between the judiciary, legislature and executive.

A legal practitioner should never have to depend on the subjective assessment of his legal matter by the executive before being given a permit to continue with it, says LSB. In our view, the natural home for the processing of permits is the Council of the Law Society of Botswana, which maintains a record of all compliant legal practitioners.

"The Council of the Law Society will continue to urge our members to minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19 by only leaving their homes to go to the workplace for matters that deserve their urgent attention". However, it says the call as to whether a matter requires urgent attention should be that of the legal practitioner and not the Government; in as much as a doctor and not the Government makes a determination as to which patients need to be attended to.

"It is an insult to the independence of the legal profession, and overly paternalistic to leave it to persons with no experience in regulating the profession to decide which legal matters warrant permits. We call upon the Ministry to reconsider its position. We hope and trust that the rule of law will eventually prevail, and the Ministry will see the light and revise its position, reads the letter. It reads further that, "We do not believe that there is any reason the LSB should not be able to regulate its members as regards the permits or indeed to suspect, as the Ministry seems to, that practitioners want to abuse the permits.
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LONDON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest issue of World Finance magazine is out now and includes an interview with Ivo Kamenov, Executive Director and Member of the Management Board at Chimimport, about the state of the Bulgarian economy and the role that Kamenov's organisation is set to play in its future development.

Due to the global financial crisis and political turmoil, Bulgaria's stock market remained in a perilous position until relatively recently. Before the breakout of COVID-19 all the fundamentals were in place to give private businesses and outside investors the confidence they need to enter the market. The support of companies like Chimimport is also proving a huge help.

"We support the financial, transport, construction, manufacturing, trade and real estate sectors by investing and developing companies in these areas," Kamenov said in the interview, which was conducted prior to the global outbreak of COVID-19. "Chimimport, as well as some of its subsidiaries, is often recognised by prestigious rankings detailing the best-performing companies in central and southeast Europe. Central Cooperative Bank, Armeec Insurance Company, pension companies and many others are among the Chimimport acquisitions that have been celebrated in this way."

Elsewhere in the article, Kamenov touches upon Chimimport's social mission and philanthropic activities. In particular, the company has made a number of investments in education, including providing scholarships for students attending Bulgaria's Higher School of Insurance and Finance. In addition to funding these vital social programmes, Kamenov believes that adopting a long-term strategy is the key for the success of any company and its employees.

To read more about Chimimport's plans for the future, pick up the latest copy of World Finance magazine, available in print, on tablet and online now.

www.worldfinance.com

World News Media, the parent company of World Finance, is a leading publisher of quality financial and business magazines, which enjoys a global distribution network that includes subscriber lists of prominent decision-makers around the world.

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Prevent Blindness issues call for nominations for the 2020 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award. Through this award, we are able to recognize the efforts of others who are helping to put our kids on the path toward a lifetime of healthy vision and are making significant changes that others can learn from and emulate, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.

The National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) has issued the call for nominations for the sixth annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award. The award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for childrens vision and eye health at the state or national level. The deadline for submission is June 5, 2020.

The award will be presented to the recipient at the Annual Meeting of the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2020. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this date may be postponed.

The award consists of a commemorative plaque, recognition and opportunity to present at the Annual Meeting, roundtrip economy airfare for one, and one night of lodging. The award recipient will be featured on the website for the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health with an overview of their innovative approaches to childrens vision and eye health systems. An all-volunteer committee for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award will review all nominations and select the award winner.

In 2014, the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award was established by the NCCVEH Advisory Committee to commemorate Bonnie Strickland and her groundbreaking work to establish a comprehensive system for childrens vision in the United States. Strickland served as Director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau prior to her retirement in 2014.

At Prevent Blindness we believe that all children deserve an improved system to ensure that vision problems are identified early and treated in a timely manner, standards for screening and care are uniform across the country, and that appropriate surveillance and preventive interventions are in place, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. Through this award, we are able to recognize the efforts of others who are helping to put our kids on the path toward a lifetime of healthy vision and are making significant changes that others can learn from and emulate.

Nominees for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award may include an individual or group comprised of diverse stakeholders, including family/caregiver and community leaders, who are implementing changes to improve childrens vision in the United States. Nominees should be able to demonstrate an impact in one or more areas of a public health system supporting childrens vision:



Key Stakeholder Engagement or Collaboration, including representation from families and diverse racial/ethnic/geographic and socio-economic levels target populations

Training and Education

Public Awareness

Provision of Resources and/or Services

Surveillance and Accountability

Reduction of Health Disparities

Infrastructure Development-Local, State, or National Level

Making the connection between vision and overall health, early childhood development and learning

The 2019 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award was presented to Anne L. Coleman, M.D., MPH, UCLA Stein Eye Institute, for her efforts to improve childrens vision through stakeholder engagement, resource development, and services to high-risk populations of children, specifically through her work at the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic (UMEC). Additional past recipients include the Vision in Preschoolers (VIP) Study Group, Richard Bunner, retired from the Ohio Department of Health; Sean P. Donahue, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University; the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) at Princeton Vision Clinic; and the Pediatric Physicians Organization at Childrens (PPOC).

For more information or to submit a nomination for the 2020 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award, please visit http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/content/bonnie-strickland-champion-childrens-vision-award, or contact Donna Fishman at (800) 331-2020 or dfishman@preventblindness.org.

About the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. In 2009, Prevent Blindness established the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH), with support from the federal Health Resources and Services Administrations Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Serving as a national resource for the establishment of a public health infrastructure, the NCCVEH advances and promotes childrens vision and eye care, providing leadership and training to public entities throughout the United States. The NCCVEH is advised by a committee of national experts and leaders from the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, pediatrics, nursing, family advocates and public health to guide the work and recommendations of the NCCVEH. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org or http://www.facebook.com/preventblindness.

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The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group is proud to partner with Off Their Plate to support Chicagos fight against COVID-19, said co-founders Greg Mohr and Scott Weiner in a news release. We are grateful to be able to give back to our city while supporting our employees during this incredibly challenging time that is full of so much uncertainty. Our work with Off Their Plate is helping the Fifty/50 Group to be there for our fellow Chicagoans when they need it most.
The CEO of China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings Limited (HKG:48) is Yuejin Zhuang. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels.

See our latest analysis for China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings

How Does Yuejin Zhuang's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

Our data indicates that China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings Limited is worth HK$21m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as CN380k for the year to December 2018. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below CN1.4b, and calculated the median CEO total compensation to be CN1.6m.

Now let's take a look at the pay mix on an industry and company level to gain a better understanding of where China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings stands. Talking in terms of the sector, salary represented approximately 72% of total compensation out of all the companies we analysed, while other remuneration made up 28% of the pie. Non-salary compensation represents a greater slice of the remuneration pie for China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings, in sharp contrast to the overall sector.

At first glance this seems like a real positive for shareholders, since Yuejin Zhuang is paid less than the average total compensation paid by similar sized companies. However, before we heap on the praise, we should delve deeper to understand business performance. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings has changed over time.

SEHK:48 CEO Compensation April 16th 2020

Is China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings Limited Growing?

China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings Limited has seen earnings per share (EPS) move positively by an average of 63% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 34% over last year.

Story continues

This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently. A good result. Most shareholders would be pleased to see strong revenue growth combined with EPS growth. This combo suggests a fast growing business. We don't have analyst forecasts, but shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Has China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings Limited Been A Good Investment?

Given the total loss of 93% over three years, many shareholders in China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings Limited are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously.

In Summary...

It looks like China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings Limited pays its CEO less than similar sized companies.

Considering the underlying business is growing earnings, this would suggest the pay is modest. Few would deny that the total shareholder return over the last three years could have been a lot better. We're not critical of the remuneration Yuejin Zhuang receives, but it would be good to see improved returns to shareholders before the remuneration grows too much. When I see fairly low remuneration, combined with earnings per share growth, but without big share price gains, it makes me want to research the potential for future gains. Taking a breather from CEO compensation, we've spotted 4 warning signs for China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings (of which 2 are potentially serious!) you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock.

Important note: China Automotive Interior Decoration Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
MENLO PARK, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiftee, Inc., a leader since 2012 in eGift Cards for local businesses, announces a new way for local business and Community Card clients to share their eGift Cards on Facebook and Instagram.

Merchants offering Yiftee eGift Cards may automatically have their cards displayed to their neighbors on the Facebook app, according to their location. They can also sell their eGifts via links on Instagram.

2,000+ Yiftee eGift Card local business and Community Card clients may now be eligible to have their custom-branded digital gift cards featured on Facebook to their local community, with no extra effort on their part. People on Facebook can discover eGift Cards on Facebook and complete their purchase on Yiftee, thereby supporting local businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating recovery whether they are open now or not.

On Instagram, merchants using Yiftee's eGift Card platform can add a button to their Instagram profile to purchase their cards on Yiftee and soon promote them by using a new "Gift Cards" sticker in Stories. The button and stickers will link directly to the merchant's branded Yiftee webpage for purchase. People can also re-share the sticker in their own Stories, helping drive awareness of how they can support local businesses.

Sign Up in Minutes

Local businesses can take advantage of this partnership by signing up for their own eGift Cards that will be displayed to neighbors for purchase when they login to Facebook. It takes just a few minutes to get a custom-branded eGift Card that merchants can also sell from their websites, blogs, social media and email marketing lists. Yiftee handles security and fraud protection, payment processing, gift delivery via email text or print, customer support, analytics and reporting.

No Cost to Merchants

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yiftee is waiving their usual $29.95/month subscription fee through Sept. 30, 2020, and will reassess at that time. Card buyers generally pay the $1+5% eDelivery fee, which covers processing costs, so that merchants get 100% of the eGift value, though merchants may choose to absorb this cost.

Partnering with Local Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Business Associations

Yiftee works through Chambers of Commerce, business associations and other partners to make its solution widely available. This way, the Company reaches thousands of local businesses quickly to help with today's COVID-19 threat. The Company also offers "Community Cards" which are single eGift Cards that can be redeemed at hundreds of local businesses. These complement the individual merchant eGift Cards and give cardholders spending choices in a region.

About Yiftee

Yiftee is a simple, secure, PoS-independent way to sell eGift Cards online and send them by email, text or print anywhere in the U.S. Self-sign-up takes just minutes to set up a custom-branded card with a unique URL for proactive local marketing outreach, plus access through Facebook, Instagram and other eGift Card Marketplaces. Yiftee serves thousands of local businesses and has been doing so since 2012.

Media contact:

Donna Novitsky, [email protected], (650)533-0938

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Local Yiftee eGift Cards, available on Facebook

Merchants offering Yiftee eGift Cards may automatically have their cards displayed to their neighbors on the Facebook app, according to their location. They can also sell their eGifts via links on Instagram.

Related Links

Yiftee website

Sign up link

SOURCE Yiftee, Inc.

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OTTAWA - The Canadian Federation of Agriculture says Ottawa should make the industry a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, second only to the health of Canadians, to safeguard the country's food supply.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mary Robinson, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture takes part in a press conference, Tuesday, February 25, 2020 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

OTTAWA - The Canadian Federation of Agriculture says Ottawa should make the industry a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, second only to the health of Canadians, to safeguard the country's food supply.

President Mary Robinson told a news conference Thursday that the industry is struggling with farmers being hit by higher costs due to the pandemic and a shortage of temporary foreign workers.

"We do not mean to create panic. At the same time it would be irresponsible not to sound the alarm about the realities Canadian farmers are facing," said Robinson.

"Canadian farmers need immediate, meaningful help from our federal government to continue fulfilling that responsibility. Agriculture, the foundation of our overall food supply, is at this very moment in time at a tipping point."

Robinson said the federal government needs to establish an emergency fund so producers can overcome mounting costs. She didn't specify how much money should be put aside.

"Canadian farmers are feeling increasingly stressed. In fact, right now, some farmers are so worried about the mounting challenges they are strongly considering halting their farming operations altogether," Robinson said.

"Another fear is if planting does go ahead will harvest and processing be possible without sufficient labour or will crops rot in the field as we are seeing now in other countries?"

She warned that consumers could see a decrease in the amount and variety of food in grocery stores, as well as higher prices, if action isn't taken.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the government does recognize the importance of the agriculture sector and has provided a substantial amount of assistance already. She said Ottawa will look at the request.

"As our food producers and supply chains continue to adjust, we welcome recommendations provided by the sector as we work together to respond to the exceptional situation we are in," Bibeau said in a statement.

"Farmers and food businesses are doing a huge service to feed the nation and they can be confident that their government has their back."

Bibeau also spoke Thursday with United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. She said she affirmed agriculture and food production as critical infrastructure and they spoke of the importance of uninterrupted food and agriculture trade between the two countries.

The CEO of Food Products of Canada is backing the demand for further assistance.

Michael Graydon said farmers represent the first line of Canada's food supply and need to be reassured.

"Anything less will harm our rural communities, cities and all Canadians now and well into the future," he said.

"It's an unprecedented challenge. We've worked hard to keep up with record spikes in demand for foods, help employees stay healthy and upholding the most rigorous food safety standards."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020

 By Bill Graveland in Calgary. Follow @BillGraveland on Twitter
The shareholders of GN Savings and Loans are praying the High Court to order the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to restore their specialised deposit-taking licence.

The prayer was contained in the written address that the lawyers filed on behalf of the shareholders.

These actions were taken pursuant to Section 123 (1) of the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2016 (Act 930), which requires the Bank of Ghana to revoke the licence of a Bank or Specialised Deposit-Taking Institution (SDI) where the Bank of Ghana determines that the institution is insolvent, the revocation notice stated.

According to counsel for the shareholders, Justice Srem-Sai, the BoG failed to take the total indebtedness of the government to Groupe Nduom into account in its evaluation of GN Savings books.

BoG had failed to take into account the relevant factors that it ought to, the lawyers argued in their address which was filed on April 14, 2020.

They also argued that the BoG has come to a conclusion which no reasonable person who is seized with all the relevant facts would have come to.

Affidavit in support

In his affidavit filed on August 30, 2019, Dr Nduom on his part told the High Court that the government and its ministries, department and agencies owed the GN Savings more than GH 600 million and not the GH 30.3 million that the BoG stated in the revocation notice.

The Bank of Ghana and the Minister of Finance deliberately diminished or distorted the total indebtedness of the government and its MDAs to the Groupe Nduom so as to enable the Bank of Ghana to revoke GN Savings licence, Dr Nduom stated in his affidavit to the Court.

Meanwhile, an applicant by the lawyers for the Bank of Ghana and the Attorney-General to have the case referred to compulsory arbitration was dismissed by the Court in December 2019.

A further application by Bank of Ghanas lawyers to have the case stayed pending an appeal they had filed in the Court of Appeal was also dismissed as having failed to satisfy the Court of such special circumstances warranting a stay.

The order by the Court that the parties should file their respective addresses is a sign that the case which is running into its eighth month is about to see its end in the High Court.

Written address

In a 39-paged written address in support of the originating motion on notice for various orders for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the applicants, counsel argued that all evidence pointed to the fact that GN Savings was, as at the time of BoGs decision, truly solvent; and BoG did not take into account all the relevant factors before concluding that GN Savings was insolvent.

In this regard, the applicants contend that not only did BoG fail to take into account all GN Savings assets before concluding on its solvency, but also that there was a malicious design by the respondents between and among

themselves to supress the value of GN assets so as to enable them to come to the pre-determined conclusion that GN Savings was insolvent, counsel submitted.

What follows from here, therefore, is a summary of some of the key factors that BoG and the Minister of Finance should have taken (but have, either by neglect or refusal, failed to take) into account before coming to a decision on GN Savings solvency.

According to the applicants, independent assessment of their books showed they were solvent adding that all this notwithstanding, BoG, which has not conducted any known independent, fair or truthful assessment or evaluation of the GN Savings books  assets and liabilities  was able, quite bizarrely, to come to a conclusion that GN Savings was insolvent and, consequently, revoked GN Savings licence onAugust 16, 2019.

The Applicants argument, therefore, is that BoG has failed to conduct a true, fair and independent assessment of GN Savings books  matching the value of its total assets against the value of its total liabilities. And, indeed, if BoG had conducted a proper, true, fair and independent audit into the books of GN Savings, it would have known or come to the obvious conclusion that GN Savings was solvent and, therefore, capable of meeting its debt obligations as at the time that BoG revoked its operational licence, the address pointed out.

Counsel further submitted that by revoking the licence of GN Savings and going ahead to appoint a Receiver to liquidate or wind it up without complying with the tenets of administrative justice, and failing to take into account matters of fact which had been acknowledged by the BoG and the Minister of Finance themselves in correspondence captured on the record, the respondents have, are or are likely to deprive the applicants their right to the property in the GN Savings.

According to the applicants, the BoGs conclusion that GN Savings was insolvent has no basis at law or in fact. Rather, we have demonstrated that the decision was, at best, reckless, fraught with stark malice and in self-evident violation of basic public law rules. We have showed in the affidavit and the exhibits attached (refer to the schedule below) that GN Savings was not only solvent, but also that it has assets far more than its total liabilities, counsel added.

Citing authorities to buttress its argument, counsel is accordingly praying the court to grant its reliefs because the applicants had amply demonstrated the respondents, who were mandated by law to ensure businesses thrived; acted unfairly and capriciously leading to the loss of 2,840 jobs.

Revocation

On August 16, 2019, the BoG revoked the specialised deposit-taking licences of over 20 savings and loans companies. This included GN Savings and Loans Company Limited. The reason which the BoG gave for the revocation was that GN Savings was insolvent.

However, on August 30, 2019, the shareholders of GN Savings filed a case at the High Court to challenge the BoGs decision. The defendants in the case are the BoG, the Minister of Finance, the Attorney-General and the Receiver of GN.

---Starrfm.com.gh
The Bihar government has reached out to at least 14.5 lakh migrants stranded in Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the country, amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, and provided them meals, dry ration and other



essential items, officials here said.

The state government has also been doling out a special assistance of Rs 1,000 to distressed migrant workers after verification through the Direct Benefit Transfer system.

Two days after a large number of labourers, many of them from the state, had gathered at the Bandra station in Mumbai, heeding rumours that arrangements were being made to send them home, the Bihar government took up the matter with Maharashtra, while also making efforts to establish contact with the anguished workers, Bihar Minister Sanjay Jha told PTI on Thursday.

"The Bihar chief secretary spoke to his Maharashtra counterpart on the same day and sought help for the stranded migrants there," he said.

Principal Secretary, Bihar State Disaster Management Department, Pratyaya Amrit, said a total of 14.56 lakh migrants have been provided relief so far in camps set up for the purpose in Delhi and Mumbai, and states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal.

The state government is supplementing the efforts of the local administration at these places, Amrit said.

Applications for special assistance have poured in from at least eight states, including Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and Delhi.

As part of the special assistance programme, launched by the government on April 6, about Rs 8 lakh has been debited directly in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, he said.

"In accordance with the instructions of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, we are trying to reach out to every single person who is contacting us over helpline numbers at the CM's office, the disaster management department or the Bihar Resident Commissioner office in Delhi," Amrit said.

Heart-wrenching images of jobless labourers and marginal workers walking back home, after suspension of transport services, were splashed on all TV channels and social media platforms, following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown in March end.

Some of them were grounded midway by the administration in other states.

The chief minister had appealed to them to stay put wherever they were and promised that his government would provide necessary assistance to them.

The April 14 incident in Mumbai further laid bare the woes of the migrants, many of whom have lost daily wage jobs.

Amrit, whose department is coordinating relief operations, said 14 camps are functioning in Mumbai itself.

He also said that the government-funded relief operations in far-off places, including Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Sikkim, are being carried out with the help of the Bihar Foundation's chapters and their affiliated organisations.

The Bihar Foundation -- a forum for the state's diaspora -- has Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who also head the JD(U), as its patron and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi as its chairman.

Jha, a close associate of Kumar, said the government has taken stock of the situation in the relief camps of Mumbai and elsewhere, after Tuesday's unfortunate incident in Mumbai.

At several places the workers are not receiving help from local authorities, he stated.

"We, at the party level, along with officials and their personal contacts, are trying to redress their problems," the state water resources minister said.

In a scathing attack on opposition RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for trying to "gain political mileage out of the Mumbai episode" Jha, who is also JD(U) general secretary and the party in-charge of Delhi, said, "It does not behove a person to make a political statement, when everybody else was rising above politics to fight the danger posed by the deadly virus."



Tejashwi had criticised the Nitish Kumar government over the poor plight of stranded migrants following the April 14 incident.

The state minister took a swipe at RJD heir apparent, saying "Why is he not with the people of Bihar in this time of need instead of registering his presence through tweets from Delhi?"



In the national capital, around 20,000 people are provided lunch and dinner, maintaining social distancing norms, in ten camps set up in migrant-dominated localities of Badarpur, Lakshmi Nagar and Palam among other places.

Apart from the state government and the Bihar Foundation, many organisations in Mumbai, have come forward to help the migrants left in the lurch due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Pratibha Nalin Gramin Mahila Vikas Charitable Trust in Mumbai has distributed dry ration including rice, pulse salt, sugar, cooking oil, assorted spices, besides potato and onion, to the poor in several parts of Mumbai.

Nalin Pandey, who heads the trust, said the beneficiaries were mostly from Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

"A needy is a needy... Our volunteers do not discriminate among people on the basis of caste, religion or region during crisis," Pandey added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Untwisting chains of atoms within a plastic polymer improves its ability to conduct electricity, according to a report by researchers, led by Nagoya University applied physicist Hisaaki Tanaka, in the journal Science Advances. The insight could help accelerate the development of wearable power sources for a vast number of Internet-of-things devices.

The 'smart' societies of the future are expected to contain a large number of electronic devices that are interconnected through the Internet: the so-called Internet-of-things. Scientists have been looking for ways to use body heat to charge some types of micro-devices and sensors. But this requires lightweight, non-toxic, wearable, and flexible thermoelectric generators.

Plastics that can conduct electricity, called conducting polymers, could fill this bill, but their thermoelectric performance needs to be improved. Their thin films have highly disordered structures, formed of crystalline and non-crystalline parts, making it notoriously difficult to understand their properties and thus find ways to optimize their performance.

Tanaka worked with colleagues in Japan to understand the thermoelectric properties of a highly conductive thiophene-based polymer, called PBTTT. They added or 'doped' the polymer with a thin ion electrolyte gel, which is known to improve conductivity. The gel only infiltrates the polymer successfully when a specific electric voltage is applied.

They used a variety of measurement techniques to understand the polymer's electronic and structural changes when doped. They found that, without the electrolyte gel, the PBTTT chain is highly twisted. Doping it with a critical amount of electrolyte untwists the chain and creates links between its crystalline parts, improving electron conductivity.

The scientists report that the formation of this interconnected conductive network is what determines the polymer's maximum thermoelectric performance, which they were able to uniquely observe in this study.

They are now looking into ways to optimize the thermoelectric performance of thin film conducting polymers through material design and changing the fabrication conditions.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 16:00:52|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Nine Afghan army soldiers were killed during clashes with Taliban militants in eastern Logar province during Wednesday night, the country's Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday. Enditem
A 46-year-old Nigerian national man who tested positive for Coronavirus in the Upper West Region has bolted.

Simon Okafor Chukudi was among seven confirmed cases in the region.



He had been kept under surveillance at his residence by officials of the Ghana Health Service awaiting the outcome of his test results for COVID-19 which came out positive last Monday.



According to the Upper West Regional Minister, Hafiz Bin Salih, Okafor absconded when health officials went to his residence to escort him to the regional hospital.



He said on Accra-based radio station, Cifi FM, that when Okafor was approached to be sent to the hospital, he offered to use his motorbike, while the health officials followed him behind and in the process, he escaped.



"We are on top of issues. We have seven confirmed cases and all of them are cooperating with us; except that yesterday we had the unpleasant situation of one of them absconding. He was approached to be sent to the regional hospital to be quarantined and he said he was using his motorbike so hell take the lead and they will follow. In the process he escaped," he said.



He therefore appealed to the public, especially residents of Wa, to help trace the whereabouts of Okafor.



Meanwhile, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Aboagye Nyarko, said a search party has already been dispatched to hunt for him.







Source: graphic.com.gh









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Tourists and locals alike are familiar with famously beautiful spots in Hanoi such as Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter, but less familiar is the gorgeous Ly Club Restaurant.

The restaurant is named after the Ly Dynasty that began in the 11th century, an era that featured a thriving ceramic trade, fine arts and daisy patterns, so Ly Club took the daisy flower as its logo.

An overview of the new Ly Club which was built in the early 19th century. Photo by Hai Nam

The restaurant is located in a French-style villa and surrounded by trees and colourful flowers.

As well as the enchanting exterior, the decor inside features ceramic flower pots, beautiful paintings and a modern setting. There are also luxury rooms available for large parties.

LUXURIOUS: The luxury dining rooms inside the villa make for beautiful and comfortable places to eat. Photos courtesy of Hai Nam/Ly Club

Most impressive though is the five-seat room for private meetings on the second floor, allowing diners to enjoy the peaceful Le Phung Hieu Street and the beauty around the villa with the flowers hanging on magnolia trees. Next to this room is a smaller one filled with wine bottles from around the world.

"There is also a small stage in the outside area where local and western music is played every night," said restaurant sales manager Do Minh Hang.

DIG IN: Bo nuong ong tre (grilled beef in bamboo) is among the best dishes on offer at Ly Club.

Hang asked us whether we wanted to sit in the main part of the villa or a more private room. We, although liked both places, chose a table outside to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery around us while waiting for our food.

Hang said the restaurant served Vietnamese and European dishes and indeed, the extensive menu featured hundreds of dishes. After some humming and hawing, we decided to try the black chicken soup in coconut (VND175,000).

The manager said the dish was one of the tastiest and most nutritious on offer at Ly Club and was cooked by both head chefs from Hanoi and HCM City.

We were so excited that when the server brought it to us, we couldn't wait for our other dishes to dig in. We enjoyed the dish for its pure, hot and sweet broth with soft black chicken pieces and various aromatic ingredients such as ginseng accompanied with traditional medicinal herbs in the coconut.

Goi co hu dua tom thit (coconut core salad with pork and shrimp) is a delight.

The soup helps not only cool down the heat from inside the body but also increase nutrition for health, particularly for children and the elderly, said Hang.

When the next dish goi hu dua tom thit (coconut core salad with pork and shrimp, VND290,000) came, we were so impressed by the presentation that we didn't dare eat it until a server came to help mix the ingredients and told us it was best eaten with prawn crackers.

We order the coconut core from Ben Tre, a home of coconut in Vietnam. The core can be found at the top of coconut trees, hidden inside the branches. The core is covered by a thin layer of capsules, it is sweet, fresh, cool and nutritious, especially with minerals and it is very good for the digestive system, the server said.

I was so interested in the salad because the coconut core was fresh and crispy, mixed with sour pork, shrimp and roasted peanuts.

I asked the server to bring one more dish for us but she said there were still several to come such as so iep chien le tao (fried scallop with apple and pear, VND290,000), bo nuong ong tre (grilled beef in bamboo, VND295,000), ca hoi nuong sot chanh leo (salmon fillet baked in banana leaf with passion fruit sauce, served with baked parmesan potato cake, VN395,000) and cai thia xao toi (bok choy halved and lightly sauteed with garlic, VND100,000).

All the dishes were enjoyable. The beef in bamboo had a mixed flavour between Asian and European, while the salmon baked in banana leaf was fragrant with a buttery flavour and the bok choy was fresh and soft.

While we were waiting for our dessert, a group of young Vietnamese people arrived. Like us, they chose a large table outside with a sofa.

We like to come here because apart from the tasty dishes we can enjoy the fresh air and green trees. There are very few places in the crowded city that have such a calm space suitable for friend or business meetings, a man (who wished to remain anonymous) from the group said.

The server next brought us our dessert known as che chom chom (rambutan sweet, VND115,000). Although we had never eaten this pudding before, we still liked it so much for its lightly sour, sweet and fragrant flavour.

For a quality meal in a beautiful setting, I highly recommend Ly Club. VNS

Ha Nguyen

Exploring a two-decade-old Chao suon cart vendor in Hanois Old Quarter Even without a sign board, the street cart vendor has had nearly 20 years of serving an uncountable number of foreign and local foodies.

Tasting the best "banh cuon" of Hanoi in mildly cold days All the foodies agreed that it is worth-a-wait to taste one of the best steamy "banh cuon" in town.
IT major TCS will release its March quarter result today, April 16.

On a consolidated basis, Wipro's net profit declined 5.29% to Rs 2,326.10 crore on 1.55% increase in revenue to Rs 15,711 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q3 December 2019. The company's IT services segment revenue was at $2,073.70 million in Q4, a decrease of 1% QoQ, the IT major said after market hours on 15 April 2020.

The company estimated that the IT services revenues for Q4 March 2020 were negatively impacted by COVID-19 by approximately $14 -$16 million (0.7%-0.8% of revenues).

Brickwork Ratings India has reaffirmed its ratings of ''BWR A1+'' on Commercial Papers of JSW Energy.

Seshasayee Paper and Boards said that the company had recommenced its operations in its Unit : Erode on April 13, 2020. The company expects the production ramp-up to be slow until May 3, 2020, considering the extension of the ongoing nation-wide lockdown.

Credit Analysis & Research Limited (CARE) has revised the ratings on India Cements' long-term bank facilities and non-convertible debentures as 'CARE A-' from 'CARE A'. The outlook remained 'stable'. On the short-term bank facilities, the revised rating is 'CARE A2+' from 'CARE A1' earlier.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ukrainian diplomats demand that Russia ensure unhindered and safe access of international monitoring missions and the ICRC, as well as doctors, to the population of temporarily occupied territories.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has called on the Russian Federation to provide emergency medical care to the population of the occupied Crimea and Donbas, as well as illegally detained Ukrainians, against the backdrop of the coronavirus spread.

MFA Ukraine has expressed concern about the current state of affairs in this regard.

"The ongoing armed aggression by the Russian Federation rules out direct assistance by the Ukrainian side to the population of the temporarily occupied territories. In the context of continued hostilities and the severance by the occupation administration of access of the OSCE SMM, UN agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other international humanitarian organizations, assistance on the part of the international community is also being hindered," the statement says.

At the same time, Ukrainian diplomats once again emphasize obligations Russia bears as an occupying power, in accordance with international humanitarian law, to take all necessary measures aimed at protecting the life and health of the population of these territories.

"In particular, according to Article 56 of the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of August 12, 1949, the occupying power is obliged to ensure and maintain conditions in the occupied territory that are satisfactory from the point of view of health and sanitation, and must take preventive measures required to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and epidemics," reads the statement.

Read alsoMEP warns Russia of sanctions to come over lack of COVID-19 response in occupied Crimea, Donbas

In this regard, MFA Ukraine has called on Russia to provide on regular basis comprehensive information on the situation with the COVID-19 spread in the Ukrainian territories it temporarily occupies, as well as on measures to assist the population of these territories in connection with the pandemic.

"We urge the Russian Federation to fully ensure the right to life and access to medical support for illegally detained citizens of Ukraine, to provide unhindered and safe access of representatives of international monitoring missions and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as doctors, to the population of temporarily occupied territories with the aim of conducting a qualified medical examination and treatment, as well as provide humanitarian assistance," the Foreign Ministry emphasizes.

A corresponding note was sent to the Russian side setting out demands to the Russian Federation as an occupying power.

"We urge the international community to facilitate the unblocking by Russia of access to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to provide such assistance," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summed up.
Prisoners in the exercise yard at Pentridge Prison in 1983. Credit:The Age Archives

The husband, wife and two children were tied up, but managed to break free after the prisoners fled, taking their Ford sedan, $200 and a .22 calibre rifle.

Four escapers from Pentridges maximum security J Division yesterday held a family hostage in their home for 13 hours.

First published in The Age on April 18, 1983

Police said the family were Mr Claude Egeberg, a plumber in his 30s, his wife and two young children.

The escapers indicated to their hostages that they were prepared to shoot it out, police said. Throughout their ordeal they were menaced with knives.

Police said the four broke into the family's house in Sharp's Road, Smiths Gully, five kilometres north-east of Hurstbridge about 7 am and kept them imprisoned until about 8 pm. They cut the phone line when they left.

Two of the escapers are believed to have earlier abducted a man at knifepoint and stolen his car from the car park of the Matthew Flinders Hotel in Chadstone.

Early today police were searching for a 1977 model light green V8 Ford Falcon sedan, registration number 1XC 294, stolen from the Smiths Gully home.
In the words of Paul Hawken, the renowned American environmentalist and author, the first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces or at least not try to defy them. If only the second half of his statement had resonated sufficiently with the masses!

The scare of Covid-19 has entrusted us with accountability. The lockdown, almost inadvertently, has roused our consciousness about consumption. Suddenly, urban indulgent imps have become unwilling to consume more than whats needed. With basic options at hand and a fickle future ahead, we are always looking to save, preserve, upcycle and innovate. Is sustainability no more a lifestyle choice? Is it now a survival strategy or at least, an exercise we are willing to consider?

DIY from scratch

We are living in unusual times, times we werent prepared for. And look how we have realised our capacity! The fact that we CAN make do with essentials is being absorbed now, says Rhea Chhabria, eco-preneur, SuckIn. Currently, you cant order in a cake. Bakeries are shut so, if you want to celebrate with a cake, you have to bake one. As a result, you avoid the extra packaging, nylon ribbons and a plastic knife -- all of which would have gone into the bin the following day, Rhea elaborates. SuckIn produces reusable, lead-free and easy-to-clean stainless steel and bamboo straws. She says the curfew has given her time to think up DIY tricks to work around junk. A couple of sling bags were lying in my wardrobe for years. Had the malls been open, I would have donated these and bought a new bag, she guiltily admits. Rhea threw in bright colours on her old bags to bring them back in use.

Make wonders with waste

Gauri Agarwal, founder, Skilled Samaritan, says values at work are no different from values at home. Working with underprivileged rural communities in northern India has given me an edge in curtailing waste. Except for the internet and gadgets, social distancing has taken us back to the nineties. We are home and spending time with our families. The contagion and need for sanitisation make us carry personal bottles and boxes to a store. These are habits worth living by, she says. Gauri goes on to explain how the dire situation has made mankind slow down; shops are shut, delivery services are disrupted and we cant buy things out of fancy. We are inculcating a healthy and responsible way of life. My team of rural women make charpoys with salvaged textile and industrial waste. They weave plastic waste into handbags and seats. Since I am home constantly and want the space to look inviting, I am redoing nooks with old products. Even when the curfew is lifted, people can use plastic containers or paint tubs as planters and grow their own vegetables, Gauri signs off.

From skin to seed, eat it all

Have you walked into your kitchen in the recent past and been cautious about using items in the larder? Chef Arina Suchde, a mixologist who practises sustainable cooking, says one must be watchful. Now, is the time to learn how to use every part of a fruit or vegetable. We cant go out as often and hence, we are required to plan meals that stick to the zero or reduced waste policy. We tend to throw away coriander stems when the non-woody ones can be cleaned, chopped and used in some stock or dimsum sauce; they add a nice flavour. The watermelon is our go-to summer fruit, as it keeps the body hydrated. But what about the white part? The white part mimics the taste of a raw papaya or cucumber and is rich in nutrients. After peeling off the green skin, it can be cut in pieces and cooked or can be grated into salads, she adds. As per Arina, a tenable routine should be put in place even if we are not battling tough times.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is demanding concessions from Joe Biden. Its a thought. Why havent others hit on this strategy? Perhaps Walter Mondale should have used the results of the 1984 election to influence Ronald Reagans agenda, and why didnt John McCain leverage his strong second-place finish in 2008 as to nudge the Obama administration? Come to think of it, maybe Thanos should get the Avengers to concede that half the people he killed must stay dead.

Ocasio-Cortez is still new to this game, so she may not understand the basics of politics yet, but: You dont get to change stuff when you lose. Especially when you get trounced. The Social Democrat/Democratic Socialist agenda will have to wait for another election cycle. AOCs pick for the presidency not only lost, he got creamed. Bernie Sanders had every possible advantage going into March  a string of primary victories, energetic supporters, excellent fund-raising, a perception that he was the favorite, and a lackluster opponent who picked through his sentences like a blind cripple trying to find his way across a minefield  and then he disintegrated. Far from being the heroic standard-bearer for a bold new era in progressivism, Sanders was such a disastrous candidate he got nuked by a guy who barely has enough energy left to comb his fake hair.

Undeterred by total humiliation, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez turned to Politico the other day to lay down the law for Joe Biden. Lowering Medicares eligibility age to 60 is not going to be enough for us, she said, warning that Bidens Democratic party is going to have to pursue a much more ambitious health care policy. Or else what? Like Elizabeth Warren, like Bernie Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez has already said shes going to support Biden in November. Not that the votes of Ocasio-Cortez types figure to be dispositive in an election in which the swing votes everyone is looking to harvest are the ones in the white working class in the upper Midwest. Ocasio-Cortez also declared she wants concessions on climate-change policy, immigration, and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico? She might as well state that Biden has to come through for Queens and Bronx voters if he knows whats good for him.

Story continues

Ocasio-Cortezs patent lack of enthusiasm for Biden is illustrative of a real problem, though. During the primary season, Bidens fundraising was atrocious and the enthusiasm level of his crowds ranged from tepid to somnolent. But charisma is non-transferable, as the last Democratic presidential candidate learned to her chagrin. Proximity to Bill Clinton for 45 years didnt make Hillary Clinton more appealing. Even if Biden does everything Ocasio-Cortez wants, she wont be able to transfer her youthful socialist zing to him. With or without AOC beating a drum for him, Biden is not going to excite marginal supporters and young folk the way Barack Obama did. As Biden gets confused about what office hes running for and puts out campaign videos that have the kind of audience draw of the average middle-school talent show, his campaign certainly needs all the defibrillation it can get. But the candidate has been around long enough to know that when youre in a general election, you pivot to the center. Maybe voters in Pennsylvania will forget Biden called for no new fracking, maybe hell abandon that position as untenable in a COVID-wracked economy. What he seems unlikely to do is announce a major swing left on climate change. Bidens memory may not be as strong as it used to be, but he probably remembers as far back as last month, when extremist positions were proven unpopular even among Democratic primary voters. Biden is not about to turn into Bernie Sanders, not that he is even capable of turning himself into a mad prophet of socialism.

As is typical of a generation that would rather file a formal HR complaint than inform a colleague she has a concern to discuss, Ocasio-Cortez hasnt even talked to Biden, fancying herself going over his head. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Has Never Spoken to Joe Biden. Heres What She Would Say, ran a New York Times headline. And what is she saying? In essence, its: Embrace my defeated ideology and my personal unpopularity. Actual AOC remark: Biden didnt win because of policy  I dont think he won because of his agenda, he won because of different factors. In state after state after state, Democratic voters support a progressive agenda.

So the people want an agenda far to the left of what they actually voted for, in state after state? Its a shame that Democratic primary voters are holding the country back, but until AOC figures out a way to cut voters out of the equation, shell just have to live with their choices. As for Biden, hes probably too dumb and too afraid of appearing out of touch with young folks to grasp that Ocasio-Cortez is teeing up a Sister Souljah moment for him. But simply ignoring one annoying and unpopular congresswoman is a perfectly valid option.

More from National Review
Saudi Arabia has admitted it killed a protester who refused to leave his home and make way for the Crown Prince's megacity project.

Abdul-Rahim al-Howeiti was shot dead by security forces in Al-Khuraybah, near the Saudi border with Jordan, the government confirmed.

Government media claimed al-Howeiti had 'shot at security forces' and thrown Molotov cocktails to protect land he regarded as belonging to his Howeitat tribe.

Al-Howeiti was protesting against the construction of Neom, a futuristic planned city backed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Protester Abdul-Rahim al-Howeiti (pictured left) was shot dead by security forces in Al-Khuraybah, near Saudi Arabia's border with Jordan, the government confirmed

The government said Al-Howeiti, whose age is not reported, had 'shot at security forces while holed up behind sandbags at the top of the building'.

The statement went on: 'He did not respond to appeals to surrender and as a result of continued shooting and the throwing of Molotov cocktails, security forces neutralised the threat.'

Officials claimed that an arsenal of weapons which included machines guns, pistols and Molotov cocktails were found at the scene.

Al-Howeti was an activist protesting against against the construction of Neom - often styled NEOM - and the forced displacement of his tribe from the area.

Saudi political activist Omar bin Abdulaziz has dubbed him the 'Martyr of NEOM' while others took aim at the 'thugs of Mohammed bin Salman' for the killing.

Government media claimed al-Howeiti had 'shot at security forces' and thrown Molotov cocktails to protect land he regarded as belonging to his Howeitat tribe

Al-Howeiti was protesting against the construction of Neom (pictured in an artist's impression), a futuristic planned city backed by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman

Neom is a planned city which will stretch across the Tabuk region's border with Jordan and will function as both a tourist destination and a 'smart city'.

The project is scheduled to be completed by 2025 and will cost an estimated $500bilion.

Al-Howeiti's Howeitat tribe have lived in the area for hundreds of years and were mentioned by T.E. Lawrence after he worked with them during World War I.

The tribe has expressed dismay at being forced to relocate from the area where Neom is being constructed, allegedly without any consultation from the Saudi authorities.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that up to 20,000 people could be forcibly removed from the area to make room for the Crown Prince's project.
Congressman Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) is encouraging local families to show appreciation for essential workers with homemade cards, notes, and drawings. His initiative is called Thank You Notes to Local Heroes.

From health care professionals and grocery store employees to sanitation workers and farmers, the essential workers on the front lines of the fight against coronavirus are helping keep us safe and healthy, and we owe them our utmost respect and gratitude, said Brindisi. This is just one small way for us to say thank you and let them know we will always remember their sacrifices.

Congressman Brindisis office says they will accept thank you notes on a rolling basis.

For more information, or to submit notes and cards, visit Brindisis website at: brindisi.house.gov.


Turkey is one of the countries which provided the most assistance to its allies in NATO during the global fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, NATO General-Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday, Daily Sabah reports.

Speaking to Germanys Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, Stoltenberg praised Turkeys efforts to assist the ally countries during the pandemic.

The military plane carrying medical equipment and personal protection units from Turkey to the U.K. used a mechanism developed in cooperation with NATO and the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) for the first time, he said.

Pointing out that the bloc delivered assistance to North Macedonia although the Balkan country became a NATO member only two weeks ago, Stoltenberg said: It does not matter if a country is a NATO member since 1949 or for two weeks. North Macedonia received assistance from Turkey, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Hungary, Norway and the U.S. This is not only good for North Macedonia; it is also good for the whole alliance. The virus does not recognize any border. Therefore, we should fight together against this threat.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 15, 2020) - Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. (TSX: TVE) ("Tamarack" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Marnie Smith to the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") effective April 3, 2020. In addition, the Company provides information regarding its upcoming annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") in response to public health and safety advisories regarding COVID-19.

Board of Directors Appointment

Tamarack is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Marnie Smith to its Board of Directors. Ms. Smith is a Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm, where she is a member of the Global Industrial Market, Global Financial Services and North American Board practice groups since September 2017. Prior thereto, she served as Managing Director & Head of Canadian Energy at Macquarie Group, practicing in the upstream, midstream and energy services sectors since January 2004, including working closely with and advising Tamarack's management team and the Board. Ms. Smith brings extensive experience working with North American and global energy companies' executives and boards through the delivery of strategic and M&A advice; financing solutions; corporate and asset valuation; and transaction evaluation, execution and negotiations.

Ms. Smith is actively involved in the community and supports several organizations including STARS, where she joined the Board of Directors in 2019, UNICEF and Women in Capital Markets, where she is the Co-Chair of the Calgary chapter. In addition, she recently co-founded AXIS Connect, a not-for-profit entity established to act as a central hub for more than 60 non-profit organizations focused on women in business in Calgary and recently launched the Calgary Influential Women in Business Awards. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Distinction) and a Bachelor of Arts, International Relations (Distinction) from the University of Calgary, as well as a Master of Finance from INSEAD. Following the Meeting, it is expected that Ms. Smith will serve as a member of the Board's audit committee and the corporate governance & compensation committee.

Annual General & Special Meeting Information

Tamarack's Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. (Calgary time). In light of rapidly evolving circumstances and guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Meeting will be held solely by remote communication through a real-time audio feed accessible via the following webcast link: http://www.gowebcasting.com/10610. Shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote by proxy prior to the Meeting as in-person voting will not be available. Options for voting have been described within the management information circular and proxy materials related to the Meeting, which will be mailed to shareholders, have been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and posted to the Company's website.

Tamarack continues to closely monitor COVID-19 outbreak developments and reserves the right to take any additional precautionary measures it deems appropriate related to the Meeting. Shareholders are encouraged to visit the Company's website one week prior to the Meeting for the most current information.

Tamarack also confirms its first quarter 2020 results are expected to be released after market on May 12, 2020.

About Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd.

Tamarack is an oil and gas exploration and production company committed to long-term growth and the identification, evaluation and operation of resource plays in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Tamarack's strategic direction is focused on two key principles: (i) targeting repeatable and relatively predictable plays that provide long-life reserves; and (ii) using a rigorous, proven modeling process to carefully manage risk and identify opportunities. The Company has an extensive inventory of low-risk, oil development drilling locations focused primarily in the Cardium and Viking fairways in Alberta that are economic over a range of oil and natural gas prices. With this type of portfolio and an experienced and committed management team, Tamarack intends to continue delivering on its strategy to maximize shareholder returns while managing its balance sheet.

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains certain forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "guidance", "outlook", "anticipate", "target", "plan", "continue", "intend", "consider", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "could" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning: Tamarack's business strategy, objectives, strength and focus; the COVID-19 pandemic and Tamarack's response thereto; and the Meeting.

The forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Tamarack, including relating to: prevailing commodity prices, price volatility, price differentials and the actual prices received for the Company's products; the availability and performance of drilling rigs, facilities, pipelines and other oilfield services; the timing of past operations and activities in the planned areas of focus; the drilling, completion and tie-in of wells being completed as planned; the performance of new and existing wells; the application of existing drilling and fracturing techniques; prevailing weather and break-up conditions; royalty regimes and exchange rates; the application of regulatory and licensing requirements; the continued availability of capital and skilled personnel; the ability to maintain or grow the banking facilities; the accuracy of Tamarack's geological interpretation of its drilling and land opportunities, including the ability of seismic activity to enhance such interpretation; and Tamarack's ability to hold the Meeting on the date and means described herein, or any other precautionary measures the Company deems appropriate in relation to the Meeting, in response to further developments in respect of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Tamarack can give no assurances that they may prove to be correct. By their very nature, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (both general and specific) that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g. operational risks in development, exploration and production; and delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures); commodity prices; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, cash generation, costs and expenses; health, safety, litigation and environmental risks; access to capital; and the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the nature of the oil and natural gas industry, drilling plans and operational activities may be delayed or modified to react to market conditions, results of past operations, regulatory approvals or availability of services causing results to be delayed. Please refer to Tamarack's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "AIF") and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "MD&A") for additional risk factors relating to Tamarack. The AIF and the MD&A can be accessed either on Tamarack's website at www.tamarackvalley.ca or under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

For additional information, please contact:

Brian Schmidt

President & CEO

Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd.

Phone: 403.263.4440

www.tamarackvalley.ca

Steve Buytels

VP Finance & CFO

Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd.

Phone: 403.263.4440

www.tamarackvalley.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54502
The website for the federal Freedom of Information Act tells us that the act, since its 1967 inception, is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. It goes on to state that Congress, the president and the Supreme Court all recognize that the FOIA is a vital part of our democracy. Once were all right with ceasing the flow of information for even a few weeks, will we become comfortable with extending it for a few month? A year? Or even longer, in the style of Russia, Cuba and Venezuela? Was there ever a time in recent memory when this precious freedom was more sorely needed?
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Domestic airlines involved in self-handling have hired large number of people on rolls

Engaging an outside ground-handling agency would have been a cost-effective option

Airlines have recently announced large pay cuts across workforce

It's the toughest time for the global aviation industry. With the suspension of international and domestic flights in a large number of countries, including India, due to lockdown, the global airlines industry is staring at losses of $314 billion - as estimated by global body IATA. In India, the situation with domestic carriers is pretty grim with just three months of losses being pegged at $3.6 billion (as per CAPA). The problem with the coronavirus crisis is that it has caught the entire airline industry unawares. Even the best-placed airlines like IndiGo (in terms of cash reserves) are now preparing to post record losses, and to witness a complete wipe-out of their reserves.

But did airlines actually have a chance to be better-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude? Experts say that domestic airlines would have been in a marginally better situation if they had outsourced their ground handling operations to professional agencies.

ALSO READ:Saving jobs: Allow PF contribution cuts, no wage hikes, ISF urges govt

Back in 2016, the government developed a framework for new ground handling policy, and last year, the policy was implemented at the private airports. Following which, airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir started hiring ground handlers on their rolls because the policy prohibits the use of third-party contractors which was the norm back in 2016. Air India too manages its ground handling part with its own captive subsidiary - AIATSL (Air India Air Transport Services Limited).

"Once the self-handling was allowed, most domestic carriers made a quick move. These airlines kept the ground handling close to themselves instead of handing it over to an outside agency," says a large ground handler. But there's a problem with self-handling. Globally, the airlines don't typically do self-handling. They focus on their core business of flying, and leave this aspect to outside agencies for a simple reason. Instead of hiring a lot of workforce, engaging an outside agency, which has expertise in the business, costs much less. How? A specialised agency uses shared resources and brings economies of scale that bring down the costs for everyone.

"The airlines don't realise a large number of costs associated with self-handling. Most importantly, the cost benefit of not employing hundreds of people on their own rolls. This factor keeps outside agencies at a variance when it comes to costs," says Murali Ramachandran, CEO (India) of Turkish agency Celebi Aviation Holding.

ALSO READ:Coronavirus lockdown: Travel agents lock horns with airlines over air ticket refunds

As per some estimates, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir together employ about 12,000 people in the ground handling division, which is almost a third of their overall staff strength of about 37,000 at the end of March 2019. Imagine if carriers didn't have these many people on rolls, their payroll costs (one of the largest components) would have been somewhat lower.

To tide over the crisis, airlines have announced salary cuts recently. Market leader IndiGo, for instance, has implemented salary cuts of between 5 per cent and 25 per cent from April 1 across the workforce. Distressed carriers GoAir and SpiceJet have deducted March salaries of most employees as they are left with literally no option but to take such a step.

At the moment, the specialised ground handlers - Bird Group, Menzies Aviation, Celebi - in India are largely dependent on international side which has been badly affected after the suspension of flights. Perhaps, the current crisis could act as a wake-up call for airlines to become leaner in future.

ALSO READ:Coronavirus: Capgemini India rolls-out promotions, salary-hike amid lockdown
In South Carolina, Mr. Grahams Democratic challenger, Jaime Harrison, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party who has also worked as a lobbyist in Washington, raised $7.4 million in the first quarter, nearly 30 percent more than the $5.7 million Mr. Graham did.

That $7.4 million made up roughly half of what Mr. Harrison has raised since he entered the race last May seeking to be the first Democrat elected in a statewide race in South Carolina since 2006. Mr. Grahams campaign has a sizable $12.8 million on hand, compared with Mr. Harrisons $8 million.

Mr. Graham too, has played an instrumental role in the Trump administrations judicial confirmations as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. As he has positioned himself more closely to President Trump, he has lost his maverick sheen in the eyes of some Democrats.

Kansas

Barbara Bollier  a Democratic state senator running for the seat that will be vacated by the retiring Republican senator, Pat Roberts  drew more than $2.3 million in the first three months of the year, compared with the roughly $240,000 received by her likely Republican opponent, Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state and one of the Republican contenders, and the roughly $375,000 received by Roger Marshall, another Republican candidate.

Ms. Bollier, who is hoping to be the first Democrat elected to represent Kansas in the United States Senate in more than eight decades, reported $2.4 million in cash on hand, while Mr. Kobachs campaign reported having roughly $300,000. Though there was speculation that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former congressman from Kansas, would run for the seat, he told Mr. McConnell early this year that he had decided against it.

Maine

Sara Gideon, the Democratic speaker of the Maine House, raised $7.1 million in the first quarter, roughly three times as much as the incumbent Republican senator, Susan Collins, who has come under particular pressure for her vote to confirm Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018.

As her fight to keep her seat continues, Ms. Collins, who has spent more than 20 years in the Senate, has a million dollars more on hand than her opponent  $5.6 million, compared with Ms. Gideons $4.6 million, according to the filings.
Soaring levels of domestic abuse during coronavirus lockdown has led to 16 killings, according to campaigners.

The horrific statistic is far higher for the national average this time of year, it has been revealed.

Karen Ingala Smith, the founder of Counting Dead Women, which records the number of women killed by men in Britain, has said there have been at least 16 killings between March 23 and April 12.

Horrific: The death toll due to domestic abuse in the coronavirus lockdown has soared to 16 killings

The domestic abuse death toll includes also children.

Smith's data records an average of five deaths over the last decade, it was revaled by the Guardian.

Her shock findings for 2020, which are based on internet searches and people contacting over social media, were put forward as evidence to the home affairs select committee on Wednesday.

Dame Vera Baird QC, the victims' commissioner for England and Wales, told MPs at the remote session: 'Counting Dead Women has got to a total of 16 domestic abuse killings in the last three weeks.

'We usually say there are two a week, that looks to me like five a week, that's the size of this crisis.'

Calls to domestic abuse charities and campaigners have surged and demand for online services has increased since the lockdown conditions were imposed as has been the case in other countries.

'Five a week': Dame Vera Baird has raised fears over the number of women being killed in domestic abuse cases

Smith, who is also chief executive of a domestic abuse charity, said: 'I don't believe coronavirus creates violent men.

'What we're seeing is a window into the levels of abuse that women live with all the time.

'Coronavirus may exacerbate triggers, though I might prefer to call them excuses.

'Lockdown may restrict some women's access to support or escape and it may even curtail measures some men take to keep their own violence under control.

'We have to be cautious about how we talk about increases in men killing women.

'Over the last 10 years, in the UK, a woman has been killed by a man every three days, by a partner or ex-partner, every four days.

'So if this was averaged out, we might expect to see seven women killed in 21 days. In reality, there are always times when the numbers are higher or lower.

'But we can say that the number of women killed by men over the first three weeks since lockdown is the highest it's been for at least 11 years and is double that of an average 21 days over the last 10 years.'

Highest level: Covid-19 lockdown has led to the highest level of domestic abuse in at least 11 years and is double of the average 21 days over the last decade

Smith's research shows at least seven people have been allegedly killed by partners or former partners during the period, while three people have been allegedly killed by their father.

The committee also heard evidence from Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales.

She said time limits on investigating crimes would need to be relaxed to allow survivors of violence in the home to report perpetrators once the coronavirus restrictions were eased.

'I have heard from police about the need to extend the time by which people can report crimes.

'There are people who are experiencing abuse right now who aren't able to call the police because it wouldn't be safe for them,' said Jacobs.

'But they may well want to report a crime later so we need to allow for some extension to what the normal timescales would be for that kind of thing.'

Crimes that are 'summary only', which means that they can only be tried at a magistrates court, including common assault and harassment, must be prosecuted within six months.

But Jacobs said services must prepare for the 'inevitable surge' of domestic abuse victims seeking support following the lifting of the Covid-19 lockdown.

She said there were concerns some of the millions of pounds of government funding pledged for the charity sector may struggle to reach small local charities that supported specific groups.

'We need to allow those charities to quickly and very simply bid in and get the funds they need to sustain what they are doing, but also plan for the inevitable surge that we will have,' she said.

'There will be people that are waiting and trying to survive every day and then will access support as quickly as they can when some of the lockdown is lifted,' she told MPs.

In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org
Evidence of the coronavirus devastating impact on the US economy has been steadily emerging, and the signs have grown ominous.

Sales at stores and restaurants plunged in March by the largest amount on records dating back to 1992. The nations industrial output fell by the largest amount since the end of World War II. And the outbreak keeps ravaging the global oil market.

That was just Wednesdays news.

Ive never seen anything like this, said Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. You dont want to look, but you know you have to. The picture will likely worsen in the coming weeks and months. Retail sales  a primary driver of the U.S. economy  are almost surely suffering further during April because business shutdowns will have been in effect for the entire month, compared with just half of March.

Sales of homes and cars will also keep declining. And economists have forecast that Thursdays weekly report on applications for unemployment benefits will show that millions of Americans sought jobless aid last week, on top of the record-high of nearly 17 million who filed in the previous three weeks.

Economists now project a record-shattering 40% annual decline in US economic output for the April-June quarter. While growth is expected to rebound in the second half of the year, economists at JPMorgan Chase have forecast that the U.S. economy will still shrink 7% for 2020 as a whole.

The slowdown will be global. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday predicted that the world economy would shrink 3% this year, the worst outcome since the Great Depression.

That is hammering oil prices, threatening the solvency of many oil drillers and putting many of their employees out of work. Global demand for oil will fall this year by the most ever due to economic lockdowns around the world, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday. Demand will drop an estimated 9.3 million barrels a day, which is equivalent to a decades worth of growth.

In the U.S., consumer spending drives more than two-thirds of the economy and was one of the main pillars of support before the virus. Business investment in new plants and equipment had already pulled back in the face of the U.S.-China trade war and falling oil prices.

On Wednesday, the government said U.S. retail sales plummeted 8.7% in March, an unprecedented decline, as the outbreak brought most commerce to a halt.

The deterioration of sales far outpaced the previous record decline of 3.9% that took place during the depths of the Great Recession in November 2008. Auto sales dropped 25.6%, while clothing store sales collapsed, sliding 50.5%. Restaurants and bars reported a nearly 27% fall in revenue.

Spending may be falling at an even faster pace than the retail sales figures suggest. Wednesdays report did not include spending on services such as hotel stays, airline tickets or movie theaters.

Also Wednesday, the U.S. reported that industrial production, which includes manufacturing, mines and utilities, posted the biggest drop in March since 1946.

Manufacturing output dropped 6.3% last month, led by plunging production at auto factories that have shut down. Output dropped 3.9% at utilities and 2% at mines as oil and gas drilling plunged.

And builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes has fallen off a cliff, according to an index released Wednesday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Their monthly housing market index plunged 42 points in April to a reading of 30, the largest single monthly change in the history of the index.

Retail sales represent about one-third of consumer spending, with the rest consisting of services. But the damage to the sector has broader ramifications for the economy.

The retail industry supports 1 out of 4 jobs in the U.S., according to some estimates. That includes millions of jobs like delivery workers, tailors, vendors who supply hangers to store fixtures, and construction workers charged with renovating or building new stores.

A lot of the economy is driven by the consumer, said Neil Saunders, managing dierctor of GlobalData Retail, a research firm. The consumer is the linchpin. If the consumer takes a tumble, the rest of the economy falls down. Stockpiling of essentials is starting to wane, Saunders said, which will also lower retail sales in April, and more grocery stores are limiting the number of shoppers in their locations. Walmart, the nations largest retailer, is now allowing no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time. That will reduce their stores capacity by about 80%.

The pullback in spending intensifies the problems facing brick-and-mortar retailers, which were already struggling with online competition.

With a nationwide shutdown of malls and most stores, the pandemic is putting many clothing retailers in peril, while increasing the dominance of big box stores that have remained open during the pandemic because they sell essentials like food and household goods.

More than 250,000 stores, including Macys, Nordstrom and Nike, which sell nonessential merchandise, have been shuttered since mid-March. Thats 60% of overall U.S. retail square footage, Saunders said.

Major retailers including J.C. Penney, Macys and Nordstrom have furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers, while Walmart and Amazon are on hiring sprees to try to meet the surging demand of shoppers buying online or for curbside drop-off or delivery.

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At least 668 sailors and aircrew from France's flagship aircraft carrier have tested positive for coronavirus, the country's armed forces have confirmed.

It comes after a majority of the 1,767 crew on board the Charles de Gaulle carrier were evacuated and tested for the virus after arriving in port at Toulon on Sunday.

Of those infected, 31 are in hospital and one is in intensive care. The number of infected is likely to rise further, since not all test results have come back yet.

At least 668 crew on board the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle have tested positive for coronavirus after an outbreak on board

A majority of the 1,767 crew were evacuated and tested for the virus when the ship docked at Toulon on Sunday after an outbreak on board

31 of those infected are now in hospital while one is currently in intensive care (pictured, crew members are tested for the virus as they are evacuated from the ship)

The health emergency comes after a training exercise with NATO allies including a British frigate.

'Of those who were on board, 668 have tested positive to Covid-19, but there will be more because around 30 per cent of test results are still not known,' said an Armed Forces Ministry spokesman in Paris.

A 'disinfection process' is currently underway on the Charles de Gaulle, as a skeleton crew remains on board to maintain and safeguard the warship's nuclear reactor.

At the end of last month the Charles de Gaulle was the flagship for NATO Maritime Group One as it took part in a training exercise off the east coast of Denmark.

The force included the Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland, which has a complement of 185.

Cases of Coronavirus have also been reported on the Belgian frigate Leopold 1, which was escorting the Charles de Gaulle.

The French armed forces have warned that the number will keep rising because a third of the test results have yet to come back (pictured, a testing station for sailors)

Beyond sailors and commandoes, the Charles de Gaulle has an air wing of 600 pilots and support crew.

Florence Parly, France's Armed Forces minister, admitted that Coronavirus was leading to a review of her country's defence commitments around the world.

'Does Covid-19 change our plans and our operations? Yes, sometimes,' Ms Parly told a Senate Committee of Foreign Affairs. 'But does it deflect us from our objectives? No.'

The Charles de Gaulle crisis reflects that on board the American nuclear powered carrier Theodore Roosevelt.

The Roosevelt's captain, Brett Crozier, was relieved of his command on April 2 following an outbreak of Covid-19 on board that led to 585 crew members testing positive, and one dying.

The Charles de Gaulle, which carries aircraft including Rafale M fighters and AS532 Cougar helicopters, was launched in 1994.

She was the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier built outside of the United States Navy.

An outbreak was detected on board the ship after it took part in a NATO exercise with forces including a British frigate

Most of the crew have now been sent to into quarantine (pictured arriving at hospital) with only a skeleton crew left to guard the ship's nuclear reactor
Bachelor In Paradise's Jarrod Woodgate is currently in lockdown with his girlfriend Sam Royce at her Darwin home.

And on Thursday, the 34-year-old vineyard manager appeared proposed to Sam, who starred on The Bachelor last year.

Fellow Bachelor contestant Renee Barrett posted a video of Jarrod facing Sam and opening a small box with a ring inside of it.

Did Jarrod Woodgate just propose to his girlfriend? Bachelor in Paradise star (left) gives his partner Sam Royce (right) a RING while in lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The 29-year-old public servant then leaped on Jarrod, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a big kiss.

Sam later shared a picture of the silver ring, which encased a white cowrie shell.

'I have the best boyfriend in the world,' she captioned the post, followed by a love heart face emoji.

'I have the best boyfriend in the world,' Sam (right) wrote on Instagram, followed by a love heart face emoji

The silver band was the Girl of the Ocean Ring, which costs $79 from Embella Jewellery, a Yamba shop that sells 'bohemian style jewellery'.

But whether the Jarrod's 'proposal' to Sam was genuine is yet to be confirmed.

'Sh*t proposal Jarrod,' Renee captioned her video of Jarrod giving Sam the ring, which suggests it was just a joke.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted both Jarrod and Sam for comment.

Bachelor buddies! Jarrod celebrated Easter with Renee Barrett (right) over the weekend while Sam had to work through the public holiday

Jarrod celebrated Easter with Renee over the weekend while Sam had to work through the public holiday.

On Wednesday, Sam seemingly revealed she is an Australian Federal Police officer and currently based at Darwin International Airport amid the coronavirus pandemic.

She posted a photo of herself wearing an AFP cap with a AFP lanyard on her neck and a face mask on, while tagging the location at the NT airport.

'This was me ALL LONG WEEKEND,' she captioned the post.

Officer Sam! On Wednesday, Sam seemingly revealed she is an Australian Federal Police officer and currently based at Darwin International Airport amid the coronavirus pandemic

'Its a tough time for everyone, but especially for emergency service and frontline workers who are not only dealing with the stress of isolation, but the fear they might contract COVID-19 at work and bring it home to their families,' she added.

'Please take the time to check in on all the emergency service workers and frontline workers who have spent the long weekend protecting Australia. Its so important that we ask "Are U Triple OK?"'

Prior Sam's recent post, it was only known that she was a 'public servant', which is what she was listed as on Matt Agnew's season of The Bachelor last year.

As of Thursday, there have been 6,449 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, which have resulted in 63 deaths.
The problem with churches that defy quarantine restrictions and seek "worship as usual" with crowds of believers attending services goes far beyond Ukraine. In South Korea, the research of infection chains showed that, on average, one person infected with COVID-19 spread the disease among 10 to 15 people. At the same time, one of the patients had transmitted the virus to several thousand citizens through a religious community. That is, it's in churches and temples where the disease spreads at the highest rate.

Even before the epidemic broke out in its territory, Ukraine had to carefully study the experience of those countries that had encountered a coronavirus before. Had this been done, the authorities would have realized that the problem would inevitably arise of high levels of infection among medics, and they would have been convinced much earlier that air travel with the virus hotbeds must be suspended. Also, Ukraine would have known that churches are precisely such hotbeds at a smaller scale so action must be taken in advance to avoid a disaster.

Churches are difficult to mess with, so in many countries, the authorities prefer to cooperate with them rather than get into a fight

However, the situation with the churches is not as simple as it seems. That's because they are one of the strongest institutions in the world, regardless of whether they are public, official, or informal. Churches are difficult to mess with, so in many countries, the authorities prefer to cooperate with them rather than get into a fight.

This also applies to Ukraine.

Traditionally, Ukrainian churches are organizations actively involved in politics. This has been the case since the early times of Ukraine's independence. Over the past years, churches have grown stronger, and their influence on the government has become rather powerful. That is why politicians prefer to go to churches and take selfies there.

Restrictive measures for churches are extremely difficult to implement. Therefore, at least two cases of coronavirus spread through church organizations have been recorded in Ukraine. The first example is the spread of the virus in the churches of the "Moscow Patriarchate", or more precisely, in its headquarters in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Another example is a Protestant church in Dnipropetrovsk region.

As we can see, the spread doesn't depend on denomination. Focusing on the Lavra case leads to another confrontation with a particular church organization. But in reality, this could happen in any church.

I would also remind that the first victim of a coronavirus in Ukraine, who died in Zhytomyr region, as it turned out when her contacts were traced, had visited a church and contacted a few dozen local parishioners before she died...

In Ukraine, the authorities decided not to fight churches because the latter are powerful political organizations

Therefore, the issue of the church being a potentially hazardous site at the times of quarantine remains urgent. But how can it be addressed? If government bans mass gatherings, this rule must apply to everyone, including church communities. Then it would be about executing or not executing the regulation imposed by the authorities.

However, in Ukraine, the authorities decided not to fight churches because the latter are powerful political organizations. The government prefers to remain friends and flirt with top clerics who are able influence their flock, read "electorate". So the authorities are just afraid to interfere.

Meanwhile, implementing these restrictions would be quite realistic. Unlike other European countries, Ukraine has a Council of Churches. The government needed to meet with the Council of Churches in a timely manner, work with its members and brief them on the need to abide by restrictions during quarantine. But this wasn't done.

So far, the problem with the churches has not gotten out of hand, while having significantly worsened. And now, in the wake of the story with the Lavra, church hierarchs will realize the need to adhere to restrictions to tackle the epidemic.

Easter is coming when people usually go to church in large crowds, which, of course, will contribute to a more vigorous spread of the virus. The solution is obvious: the churches should be compelled to obey the ban on mass gatherings and, therefore, the churches would have to opt for online services. Because it seems strange and incomprehensible to the public, why an exception is being made for churches where "special conditions" of quarantine are being set. But in reality, the government is simply aware that the political influence of the churches is far greater than that of the political parties, and is therefore afraid of restricting church activity.

As for the church's unwillingness to abide by the epidemic rules, it's explained as follows. Churches are not only political organizations but also financial ones. They depend on the financial support of their laity. But it's always a choice of those going to church (they do it voluntarily, no one's making them to donate). Because of this, in particular, churches oppose the call to abide by restrictions.

Public awareness of this peculiarity of the church has led to the fact that in the most developed economies, once Protestant countries, the influence of churches is seeing steady decline as citizens are shifting away from church life.

An unfortunate example of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra will make church hierarchs sober up a bit

In Ukraine, the situation is the opposite: it is increasingly becoming a clerical state as the influence of the church is steadily increasing. Naturally, any organization that's becoming influential, is expanding, including economically. And the economic "connection" between the church and its parishioners is through direct communication: ordinary people bring bread to a priest, millionaires make huge donations to churches  and all of this is happening through personal communication. Of course, churches are interested in that.

However, in a situation where some businesses have completely ceased their operations, such as restaurants, and many Ukrainians get by on their savings, there should be a uniform area of responsibility. To put it bluntly, it's not individual categories of citizens who should be "tightening the belts" but everyone. Wiser churches treat this idea with understanding, because in the future, they will depend on how many of their parishioners survive the pandemic. It might be an awkward thing to say, but it is the interest of the churches to keep their flock healthy. Therefore, they must care about their health.

The unfortunate example of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra will make church hierarchs sober up a bit as they now have to deal with the need to treat restrictions differently in order to counter the epidemic.

Oleksandr Donii is a Ukrainian political analyst, head of the Center for Political Values Studies, Former People's Deputy of Ukraine, Chairman of the Last Barricade Art Association
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Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Zurich, Switzerland  Thu, April 16, 2020 20:23 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd261580 2 World switzerland,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,movement,restriction Free

The Swiss government will start a gradual relaxation of restrictions brought in to tackle spread of the new coronavirus from April 27, it said on Thursday.

Doctors, hairdressers, massage and cosmetics parlors will be the first businesses to be allowed to reopen, it said. This will be followed by compulsory schools, shops and markets from May 11, it added.

In a third stage it will reopen secondary schools, vocational schools and universities from June 8. The government also foresees allowing an existing ban of meetings of more than five people to be relaxed, although the details of this stage will be announced at the end of May.

"The transition from one stage to the next will take place when there has been no significant increase in COVID-19 cases," the government said.

"Sufficient time must elapse between each stage to allow the effects of the relaxation to be observed. The criteria are the number of new infections, hospital admissions and deaths, and hospital occupancy rates."

Switzerland has shuttered schools, non-essential shops and many businesses for a month as it sought to halt the epidemic's spread. It has also extended billions in financial assistance to businesses and eased bankruptcy rules, to prevent companies from going under.

Europe should move with extreme caution when considering easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization's regional director said on Thursday.

The COVID-19 outbreak has so far claimed 973 lives in Switzerland, although the rate of positive tests has slowed in recent days.

Neighboring Austria has already announced a partial exit from its own lockdown, while Germany has announced its own small steps out of the lockdown.
The Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Thursday urged the government to 'strongly consider' allowing all forms of retailers, not just e-commerce players, to operate through home delivery during the extended lockdown period

New Delhi: The Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Thursday urged the government to "strongly consider" allowing all forms of retailers, not just e-commerce players, to operate through home delivery during the extended lockdown period.

While supporting the government's move to extend the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic, RAI said such a move will facilitate the availability of all goods at the doorsteps of customers while supporting economic revival for the country.

"We urge the government to strongly consider that all forms of home delivery across retailers be allowed the benefit of doing business via contactless home delivery," the retailers' body said in a statement.

Allowing this for all retailers, and not just e-commerce players, will facilitate the availability of all goods at the doorsteps of customers, it added.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

"This will ensure that there are fewer reasons for the public to step outside of their homes. It will also ensure greater availability of supplies and help conform to the requirement of social distancing," RAI said.

This move will further support the economic revival for the country as well as allow for new avenues of job creation in the market, it added.

On the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday for the extended lockdown, RAI said it brings the focus that the government has on maintaining social distancing while ensuring that consumers get what they want in a safe and contactless manner.

"It demonstrates the intent to support the safety of the people while also enabling the movement of goods required to ensure economic activity," RAI said.
Steven Van Zandt is a man of many hats. Or in his case, bandannas, babushkas, and hairpieces.

The New Jersey guitarist has been most visible as Miami Steve Van Zandt, right-hand man to the Boss in Bruce Springsteens E Street Band. As Silvio Dante, he was consigliere to James Gandolfinis Tony Soprano in HBOs The Sopranos, and wore a similar toupee as an American mobster in Norway on the Netflix series Lilyhammer.

Back in the 1980s, he became Little Steven, leading the Disciples of Soul and earning a reputation as a firebrand with the 1985 antiapartheid protest song Sun City. His brand now also includes the Wicked Cool record label, and the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, whose TeachRock curriculum provides free lessons online for educators about the history of pop music and culture

Since 2002, hes hosted Little Stevens Underground Garage, with both a weekly syndicated show  it airs on WMGK-FM (102.9) Sundays at 10 p.m.  and a 24-hour SiriusXM satellite radio channel. Hes also program director of SiriusXMs Outlaw Country station.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit home hard for the 69-year-old rocker as friends suffer urgent cases  two have died  and has brought much of his schedule to a halt. Hes now launched a 13-week series, culled from two decades of the Underground Garage, to help fans get through self-isolation.

Van Zandt calls the new best-of series the Qoolest Quarantine Collection and hosts under a new Jersey alias: Trenton Quarantino.

QQC kicked off April 5 with the first installment of a three-part conversation between Van Zandt and Springsteen. (One highlight: a discussion of the sounds of Philadelphia that influenced them in the early 1960s.) It will air Sunday nights through June 28 and stream on LittleSteven.com, with a whos who of classic rockers.

Van Zandt called to talk about it  Hey, its Stevie  from New York, where he lives with his wife, Maureen, and their Cavalier King Charles spaniel, named after Edie Sedgwick. This conversation has been edited.

Hows your quarantine?

Ive lost some friends already, and Ive got another friend in a coma. So theres the medical anxiety. It feels like were in some zombie apocalypse horror movie, with it coming through the vents in the house. Youre always worried.

That anxiety is more than enough. But I must say that, coming to a complete halt after 20 years of going nonstop, Im kind of enjoying it. I hate to admit that.

You know, every single day, I got a million things going on. I just did a three-year tour. So this forced Zen meditation thing, Im finding to be quite a healthy thing for me.

Youve been able to mellow out, not needing to keep all those balls in the air?

Yeah, the educational part is already online. There are over 200 lessons at TeachRock.org. On Sirius, all my DJs work at home. And with the syndicated show, were doing these best-of-the-best interviews.

Were starting it out with me and Bruce, having a conversation which wed never done publicly. And then the next week is Paul McCartney. Were stringing them all together: Peter Wolf, Brian Wilson, Keith Richards, Ray Davies, Ringo. Just to help people get through this time. I think people will get a kick out of it.

Last weekend on Sirius you talked about Albert Camus and existentialism before playing the Amboy Dukes Journey to the Center of the Mind.

[Laughs]. Live every day like its your first day, and like its your last day, and youre going to have a fulfilling life. Thats the essence. Theres nothing but right now.

 READ MORE: Little Steven on music, politics, and Springsteen: 'I never wanted to be the boss'

On Until the Good Is Gone, theres a line Always in the background, after everybodys gone, there was something on the radio, saying Come on, come on. 

Thats exactly what we try to capture on the Underground Garage. The whole ethos is about returning to those days when the DJ was your friend and you trusted the relationship.

That relationship gave you a sense of belonging, a sense that you werent lonely, you werent too isolated. I think thats important. And were trying to maintain that same kind of relationship with people, where theyre not alone.

When you interviewed Bruce, did you learn anything?

I didnt know what a big Four Seasons fan he was. I certainly was, but I didnt know that about him. Of course, we used the glockenspiel riff from Dawn in Hungry Heart, but I thought that was just coincidental.

I want to ask about two legendary shows you played with the E Street Band in Philadelphia in 1980. The night John Lennon died, and the following night. What do you remember?

I remember being very shook up. Surprisingly so. You dont realize how much impact the Beatles had on you. My whole life was changed by them. Theres a closeness you cant even measure.

That second night, I was very upset. I said to him, How can we go on? And he says, This is what were here for. This is part of our purpose, to provide some sort of comfort in moments like this.

You know, some sort of shared catharsis, to help us get through this. Us and the audience. And that was profound. Realizing our job is beyond what we feel personally. We have a responsibility to give some solace in a situation like that. That was a revelation.

Ive always questioned that concept of The show must go on. Its a phrase invented by a promoter. The money must be made. But there are cases where the show must go on, and its not just economics. Its emotional.

 READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen gives Philly back the love he's always gotten here

That said, at this moment, the show cant go on. What are we missing, spiritually and emotionally?

We have to make adjustments, for sure. People are going to be reaching out online. Thats just the way its going to have to be, for the next six months, or really until theres a vaccine.

This first stage has to be everybody finding a way to be online, and do that. And then once we have a legitimate test that says whether you have the virus, or the antibodies, then youll be ready for the second stage. Which is concerts and sporting events happening with no audience, or the audience at home.

So you think thatll happen ...

Once theres a guaranteed workable test. Thatll be the next phase. And that could happen, who knows: the next 3, 4, 5, 6 months? But there wont be anything close to back to normal until theres a vaccine.

Bruce was expected to tour with the E Street Band in 2020. But an announcement never came. Was that because of coronavirus fears?

[The tour] was something we talked about. It wasnt a real definite plan, but we considered it. I think instinctively he thought, No reason to rush into these things. So at the last minute, it was Wait till next year. And it turned out to be a very good decision, because we would have been canceling everything.

But youre confident something will happen next year?

Im confident that something will happen eventually. Were going to be at the mercy of this thing. If they get a vaccine together by the first quarter of next year, then I think the summer of 21 starts to open up. But thats if everything goes right.
As we got off the plane, we saw a huge banner reading Tide over this difficult time through mutual assistance in both Chinese and Arabic. We were deeply touched, recalled Chen Huai, a Chinese doctor dispatched to Iraq to help with its fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Chinese experts set up CT equipment in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 12. (Photo by Zhang Miao/Xinhua)

Chen, a chief physician of the radiology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University in Guangzhou, capital of south Chinas Guangdong province, is a member of the seven-member assistance team sent to Iraq by the Red Cross Society of China on March 7.

When China was in the most difficult time of its fight against the pandemic, all sectors of society in Iraq donated 78 tons of supplies to China, with the well-known line in a Chinese poem, Someday, with my sail piercing the clouds; I will mount the wind, break the waves, and traverse the vast, rolling sea, attached to the packages.

In return, the Chinese medical assistance team sent various anti-epidemic supplies to Iraq, including COVID-19 nucleic acid testing kits, face masks and protective suits, as well as rescue equipment for severe patients.

Chinese medical experts have quickly started their job to help Iraq fight the pandemic, despite the complicated situation of the country caused by warfare and the virus.

Amid gunshots heard from time to time, Chinese have focused their attention on sorting the China-donated materials, sharing information and experience with their local counterparts via videos, drafting epidemic prevention and control plans, training personnel, and spreading knowledge about the prevention of the pandemic.

During the first week since they arrived in Baghdad, capital of Iraq, all of the team members hadnt slept for more than five or six hours a day, as they set out for distant cities at 7 a.m. every day, often unable to return before 11 p.m., trying to get in-depth understanding of the local situation.

Chinese experts suggestions have been quickly accepted, yielding positive effects in the country, with local residents starting to wear masks and some cities resuming curfew.

They trust Chinas experience very much. As theres always too much to share and exchange with each other, many meetings which were scheduled to last for one hour were extended to more than two hours, Chen disclosed.

From oil fields and power stations to bases of the United Nations (UN), the Chinese expert team visited various places and shared experience in fighting the disease without a stop.

At first, local medical workers called these Chinese experts doctor, later calling them dear friend.

The Chinese expert team also helped Baghdad build a new Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory at its Medical City facility to increase Iraqs testing capacity for fighting the pandemic.

Inaugurated on March 25, the lab has conducted more than 2,000 tests so far, significantly relieving the pressing need for nucleic acid testing for COVID-19.

With genuine hope for helping the country contain the spread of the disease, Chinese experts have earnestly made efforts to help with the establishment of the lab. They have helped select the site, assemble equipment, and train medical workers.

Chinese people came here to help Iraq, said director general of the Medical City facility, emotional after seeing the efforts of Chinese experts and their faces that often become red and swollen after working with protective equipment for a long time.

Chinese experts have demonstrated humanitarian spirit, and thats what has united Chinese people and Iraqi people, the director general said.

In fact, since the outbreak of the pandemic, China has always upheld the idea of building a community of a shared future for mankind, and provided support and help for countries who need them as much as it can.

Besides massive medical supplies and medical assistance teams, China has also offered the world a book on the COVID-19 titled Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment.

The handbook covers such aspects of the efforts to combat the disease as prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, as well as nursing care for severe patients.

It was jointly compiled by front-line medical workers of the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University.

The hospital has, during its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, created the miracle of zero infection among medical workers, zero missed diagnosis for suspected cases, and zero deaths among confirmed patients.

Medical workers of the hospital hope to bring their experience in fighting the disease to their counterparts around the world, so as to help them avoid detours, said Qiu Yunqing, executive vice president of the hospital.

The handbook, whose Chinese version contains nearly 70 pages, has so far been translated into more than 10 languages, including Italian, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Persian, Indonesian, Serb and Arabic.

According to credible reports, local doctors in Italian hospitals now carry the handbook with them wherever they go.

On the Global MediXchange for Combating COVID-19, a platform established by Chinas Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation to facilitate communication and collaboration across the globe for fighting COVID-19, the handbook has been read and downloaded by users from more than 200 countries and regions around the world.

Translation tasks regarding the handbook involved volunteers from various countries, with every one of them feeling honored to have the opportunity to help with the global fight against the pandemic.

Each version of the handbook contains a similar message as the following:

This pandemic is a common challenge faced by mankind in the age of globalization. At this moment, sharing resources, experiences and lessons, regardless of who you are, is our only chance to win. The real remedy for this pandemic is not isolation, but cooperation.
The French government has expanded its coronavirus rescue package to include bonuses for health workers, funds for poor families and additional aid for the unemployed to assist them through the Covid-19 lockdown that was extended by President Emmanuel Macron by four weeks.

Two days after President Macron extended confinement until 11 May, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the government had agreed to boost a 45-billion-euro fund to support the economy through the epidemic to 110 billion euros.

The measures are to be included in a revised budget bill which will have to be approved by parliament. They include eight billion euros for the healthcare system, including four billion to pay for face masks.

Healthcare staff in areas most affected by the Covid-19 epidemic are to receive a bonus of 1,500 euros as well as higher pay than usual for working extra hours.

The package earmarks one billion euros for emergency aid to more than four million households, including special assistance of 150 euros per family receiving welfare benefits as well of 100 euros per child for the same families and those already on housing benefit.

Twenty-four billion euros for laid-off workers

Twenty-four billion euros in total for laid-off workers in the private sector, as well as seven billion for small businesses and independent workers, rounded out the measures affecting those out of work because of the lockdown.

The prime minister said the measures were based on a revised economic forecast for 2020 anticipating an 8 percent loss of gross domestic product (GDP), a deficit of 9 percent and debt of 115 percent of GDP.

This revised budget bill will also oblige us to revise our macro-economic forecast in a period of high uncertainty, Philippe said after a cabinet meeting.

Once the health crisis is under control, we must extend this plan with ambitious measures to ensure a strong and rapid renewal of the economy.
Cattle population sees 7.2% decline in Ukraine

11:00, 16.04.20 292

Poultry population is down by 2%.
Big haul: Some of the drugs that gardai seized along with two guns in Dublin

Gardai who witnessed a car speed through a Covid-19 checkpoint found 500,000 worth of cocaine in pizza boxes in the vehicle.

Two men and a woman were in Garda custody last night in south inner city Dublin Garda stations in relation to a drugs and firearms seizure on Tuesday morning.

Unarmed road-policing gardai recovered two guns and made the arrests. Approximately 500,000 of cocaine and a small quantity of cannabis herb were also recovered during the incident in Dublin.

Detectives believe the drugs and guns were being delivered from the Finglas area to criminals operating in the inner city.

One of the arrested trio has an address at Sean McDermott Street in the north inner city, while another is originally from Cork but now living in a flats complex on the capital's northside, and the third suspect is originally from the Ballyfermot area.

Senior sources said officers had not identified what gang the criminals were working for but confirmed the Kinahan cartel was one line of enquiry.

"None of these people has major criminal pedigrees or obvious connections to wider criminal groupings," a senior source said last night.

"It is clear they were moving this stuff from the northside of the city to a location most likely near where they were caught," the source added.

It is suspected the new handguns seized had recently arrived into Dublin Port as part of a drugs shipment, but this aspect of the case has yet to be confirmed.

The three suspects are currently being held at Kevin Street, Kilmainham and Pearse Street Garda stations respectively.
Une Equipe de lutte contre le Coronavirus capture d'ecran

Cameroons Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachie has kept lawmakers at the National Assembly up to speed with the state of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

Speaking at the National Assembly Thursday, April 16, 2020, the Minister of Public Health told Members of Parliament that Cameroon counts no fewer than 922 positive cases of the novel coronavirus among them a 3-month-old baby and 24 health workers.

Of the close to a thousand confirmed cases of COVID-19, 21 deaths have been recorded with over 200 recoveries, Malachie said. He furthered that 374 cases of the novel coronavirus are hospitalised with 30 on ventilators.

The age range for those tested positive falls between 0-80, and zero being that a woman gave birth and later infected her 3-month-old baby, Hon. Ngala Gerard quotes Minister Malachie as saying.

A total of 40.000 calls, have so far been received from the public on issues directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hon. Cabral Libii, President of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation took to twitter after the briefing to quote Minister Malachie as saying that all medical operations within the framework of the countrys coronavirus response are free".

This information however goes to contradict information from locals who say they have had to cough out hundreds of FCFA in medical expenses to take care of relatives tested positive for the virus.

Libii said governments coronavirus response plan costs FCFA 58 billion with a maximum testing capacity to date standing at 18,900. 100 respirators have been ordered and delivery expected on April 18, 2020, Libii quotes the Health Minister as saying.
Dr. Michael Noffze Offers Emergency Dental Care in Fargo, ND When Patients Need it Most Considering the health of the whole patient, not just his or her oral health, Dr. Noffze understands that if dental conditions are left untreated, they can spread and lead to medical ones.

Board-certified oral surgeon, Dr. Michael Noffze, welcomes patients for emergency dental care in Fargo, ND. Always strictly following proper Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, Dr. Noffze and his team are also adhering to recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure the spread of COVID-19 is minimized while the oral and overall health of their patients is protected.

As a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Noffze is experienced in the entire scope of his specialty including facial trauma, reconstructive surgery, and oral pathology. With surgical as well as medical training, he received his medical degree from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Considering the health of the whole patient, not just his or her oral health, Dr. Noffze understands that if dental conditions are left untreated, they can spread and lead to medical ones.

In order to preserve his patients' dental health and overall immune system, he welcomes patients to receive emergency dental services including:



Tooth extractions

Dental trauma treatment

Wisdom teeth removal

Dental implant treatment

Oral pathology exams

Dr. Noffze understands how hard it can be to receive emergency dental care in general. Which is why when patients need it most, he wants to raise awareness of his ongoing support of the community and his ability to relieve their pain and improve their oral health with in-person dental care.

Strictly following OSHA protocols and recommendations made by the CDC and the American Dental Association (ADA), The Facial & Oral Surgery Center is taking additional precautions to ensure their facility is sterilized before and after each patient visit. Those who would like to follow social distancing guidelines are encouraged to call before their visit to discuss whether or not receiving treatment at this time is recommended.

Those in need of emergency dental care in Fargo, ND can receive specialty care from oral surgeon, Dr. Noffze by calling 701-232-9565. To learn more about Dr. Noffze or the services he provides, visit http://www.tfaosc.com.

About the Oral Surgeon

The Facial and Oral Surgery Center is a leading oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in Fargo, ND. Dr. Michael Noffze is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon who received his medical degree and certificate in preliminary general surgery from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Noffze is the director of one of the largest dental study clubs in the United States, was recognized by Cambridge Whos Who as the 2010 Professional of the Year for Dental Surgery, and continually speaks internationally on the topic of dental implants. Dr. Noffze is specially trained to treat medically compromised patients and his advanced and unique digital workflow streamlines complex dental implant cases. To learn more about The Facial and Oral Surgery Center and the advanced services that Dr. Noffze provides, call 701-232-9565 or visit the website at http://www.tfaosc.com.
The first Airbus A350 aircraft in the British Airways fleet collided with an Emirates Boeing 777 in Dubai on April 14. Reports suggest that the A350 was being pushed back when it collided with the Emirates aircraft.

British Airways Airbus A350s are some of the newest flights in the carriers fleet which was delivered under a year ago in late July 2019. After todays collision, the flight wont be flying for some days as its horizontal stabilizer was damaged during a collision on the ground.

Despite several flights of the carrier that have been grounded, its oldest A350 is still under operation. In April alone, the flight has flown to Toronto, Washington, Tel Aviv and Dubai. Less than one year old, the Airbus 350 collided with an Emirates Boeing 777 on a pushback. According to the data from FlightRadar24, the aircraft was being pushed back to fly to London as BA106. The flight was due from Dubai at 01:30, to arrive in London at 06:15. Reports suggest that the flight was being operated as a freight flight without any passengers.

During the same, the aircrafts horizontal stabiliser collided with that of the Emirates Boeing 777. Given the current situation of the aviation sector around the world, the priority to repair the two aircraft is still questionable. However, British Airways is speculated to be keen to repair its aircraft in order to bring it back to London.

Also Watch:
Britney Spears certainly raised a few eyebrows when she danced to ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake's song on social media and addressed their split.

On Wednesday, Britney, 38, showed off some of her signature moves in two videos as she danced to Justin's song 2018 song Filthy from his fifth studio album, Man Of The Woods.

The Grammy winner penned to her 23.9m followers: 'I know we had one of the world's biggest breakups 20 years ago. But hey, the man is a genius! Great song JT!'

'We had one of the biggest break-ups 20 years ago': Britney Spears danced to 'genius' ex Justin Timberlake's song Filthy on social media on Wednesday... and he thought it was hilarious

Spotted it: Justin responded with a series of emojis after Britney's post, proving there is no bad blood between them

She also wrote: 'This is my version of Snapchat or TikTok or whatever the cool thing you're supposed to do these days!!!!!

'As you can see Im not really dancing folks  Im just very bored... Pssss if you KNOW WHAT'S GOOD!!!!!!'

One of those to spot the shout out was Justin, 39, who responded with a series of emojis, a crying with laughter face, and three raising hands.

Bitter break-up: Spears and the 39-year-old former NSYNC boybander began dating in 1999 until 2002 when Timberlake's hit Cry Me a River sparked speculation she allegedly cheated on him with choreographer Wade Robson (pictured in 2001)

'Put your filthy hands all over me!' Britney danced to his 2018 song Filthy off his fifth studio album, Man Of The Woods after admitting she was 'bored' at home

And her sister Jamie Lynn, 29, was also amused by the post as she wrote: 'Blogs are already plotting their outrageous stories.... you keep having fun and looking cute tho!!'

Britney's current boyfriend, Sam Asghari, was also a big fan of the video and wrote: 'Snapchat, Instagram TikTok, Facebook even Myspace was inspired by you.' [sic]

The video showed Britney gyrating on the deck of her $7.4M five-bedroom mansion in Thousand Oaks while scantily clad in yet another off-the-shoulder floral crop-top, black lace choker, and white shorts.

She and Justin were childhood sweethearts and met, age 12, on the set of The Disney Channel's The New Mickey Mouse Club between 1992-1995.

Having fun: Britney larked around on her deck in the video as she stuck her tongue out for the camera

Wow! Her sister Jamie Lynn Spears had something to say about the post

Spears and the 39-year-old former NSYNC boybander began dating in 1999 until 2002 when Timberlake's hit Cry Me a River sparked speculation she allegedly cheated on him with choreographer Wade Robson.

The 10-time Grammy winner is now father to five-year-old son Silas Randall with his wife of seven years, Limetown actress Jessica Biel.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi-born blonde has been dating fitness trainer Samsince shortly after October 2016 when she cast him as her love interest in her Slumber Party music video.

The 38-year-old Grammy winner captioned her Instagram: 'I know we had one of the world's biggest breakups 20 years ago. But hey, the man is a genius! Great song JT!'

'I'm just very bored': Britney girated on the deck of her $7.4M five-bedroom mansion in Thousand Oaks

Quarantine uniform: Spears was scantily clad in yet another off-the-shoulder floral crop-top, black lace choker, and white shorts

Alongside Ryan Gosling and Christina Aguilera! Former Mouseketeers Britney (front right) and Justin (far right) originally met, age 12, on the set of The Disney Channel's The New Mickey Mouse Club between 1992-1995

Britney just celebrated her first Easter since her custodial rights to her sons - Sean, 14; and Jayden, 13 - with ex-husband Kevin Federline went from 5050 to 70-30 in September, according to TMZ.

The change came after the Make Me... hitmaker's 30-day stint at an 'all-encompassing wellness facility' ended a year ago.

Spears has been under court-ordered permanent conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears (and various attorneys) since being put on 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold way back in 2008.

Still going strong! The 10-time Grammy winner is now father to five-year-old son Silas Randall with his wife of seven years, Limetown actress Jessica Biel (pictured July 4)

Leading man: The Mississippi-born blonde has been dating fitness trainer Sam Asghari since shortly after October 2016 when she cast him as her love interest in her Slumber Party music video (pictured March 2)

And while Britney publicly thanked all of the 'workers putting so much time and dedication into helping us during the coronavirus' she has not made donations or volunteered for remote benefits like her peers.

On March 17, the Corporate Animals actress' Broadway-bound musical Once Upon a One More Time canceled its April 14-May 17 at Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre due to the fast-spreading respiratory illness.

Spears' 30K-square-foot 10-room immersive interactive experience celebrating her music, Britney The Zone, in West Hollywood was also shut down due to COVID-19 before the end of its January 31-April 26 run.

Both ventures didn't depend on Britney's physical presence as she has been enjoying a career hiatus since the January 2019 cancellation of her Las Vegas residency Dominion.
Georgia has suspended an anti-mask Ku Klux Klan law so residents can wear face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Brian Kemp on Monday suspended the law which would have made it more difficult for residents to follow the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to wear masks or cloth coverings when out in public.

The 1951 law stated it was a misdemeanour to wear "a mask, hood, or device by which any portion of the face is so hidden, concealed, or covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer and is upon any public way or public property or upon the private property of another without the written permission of the owner or occupier of the property to do so."

Exceptions to the law included coverings for theatrical performances, physical safety for workers in industries like healthcare, and gas masks.

The reasoning behind the law was to curb the Ku Klux Klan from wearing face coverings.

Mr Kemp said the goal for suspending the law was so residents could wear face coverings "without fear of prosecution."

While some officials have worried the suspension of the law could spark negative consequences, specifically for African Americans, the Republican governor had support from both sides of the aisle in his decision.

"People are using whatever they have at home, bandannas, scarves, to put across their faces. I don't want that to be misconstrued," state Senator Nikema Williams, a Democrat, told Fox 5 Atlanta.

"I don't want anyone to put their health and safety on the line from wearing a mask because they don't want to be profiled in a grocery store or they're picking up medicine at a pharmacy."

States like New York have ordered residents to wear a mask or face covering when out in public if following social distancing guidelines was not possible, a move that came after the CDC guidelines.

A majority of states, including Georgia, have yet to issue a similar order.

Georgia has more than 15,600 documented cases and 587 people have died from the novel virus.
: Ola Group, which operates



leading mobility platform Ola, on Thursday said it has pledged Rs 50 lakh to the Karnataka Chief Minister's Relief Fund in combating the coronavirus.

The fund would be used to provide on-ground relief measures across the state during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

The group includes various business units, including its ride-hailing arm Ola Mobility, Ola Financial Services, Ola Foods and Ola Electric, the company said in a statement.

Co-founder and CEO of the Group Bhavish Aggarwal said it extends its humble contribution to the Chief Minister's Fund to support the relief measures in fighting the pandemic.

He said the company stands by the government in the fight against the virus and salutes the frontline warriors and law enforcement officials combating it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Midland Memorial Hospital is receiving daily updates from Midland Medical Lodge after five employees and two residents tested positive for COVID-19, CEO Russell Meyers said during Wednesdays press briefing.

The city of Midland Health Department confirmed Tuesday that four administrative employees, two residents and one part-time nurse at the facility were confirmed positive for the virus. The nurse and residents are in-patient at the hospital while the administrative employees are isolating at home.

Meyers said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Larry Wilson has spoken with the director of the nursing home.

We expect to be in contact with them at least daily, so that we can anticipate the course of treatment of those residents, he said. And if that should become a source of a significant additional population that is headed for the hospital, then were prepared for that.

Nursing homes are one of the largest sources of coronavirus outbreaks nationwide, Meyers said. The New York Times reported the number of coronavirus related deaths at U.S. nursing homes has passed 3,800.

On Wednesday, the city reported a resident of Manor Park in west Midland was the 36th confirmed case inside Midland County. Then, later in the day, the city reported No. 37  another resident of Midland Medical Lodge.

Its one of our biggest concerns, that that is a population of older and more vulnerable patients who could become ill in large numbers and then eventually need hospital care, Meyers said. So, we want to stay close to that, remain prepared and help the Midland Medical Lodge folks as much as we can.

He said the health department will also be involved in actively monitoring those cases.

Midland Medical Lodge has created as isolation wing, similar to the COVID-19 ward in the hospital, to house any residents who experience symptoms of the virus, according to Meyers. He said a small number of residents have been isolated in the unit.

Additionally, Wilson provided an update Wednesday on MMHs use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients, calling patients responses to the drug a mixed bag.

He said the hospitals infectious disease doctors have been using the five-day regimen to treat patients confirmed and suspected to have the virus, as some studies have shown hydroxychloroquine can decrease the viral load in patients with COVID-19 and it has been implemented in hospitals across the country.

Their observational feelings are that its positively influenced the outcome on some cases, Wilson said. We have had other cases that patients have not done as well  its a mixed bag at this point in time, but it has favorable outcomes in some circumstances.
NEW HAVEN  A city man was arrested after he allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of food and liquor from the closed Soul De Cuba Cafe over the course of four days, according to police.

Louis Ortiz, 42, is charged with burglary and larceny, both in the third degree, first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree failure to appear, according to police Capt. Anthony Duff.

Duff said officers were sent to Crown Street to investigate a report of a burglary in progress around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when a caller reported finding a man, later identified as Ortiz, asleep in the closed restaurant.

Investigators reviewed security video footage which confirmed the initial burglary occurred several days prior on Saturday when Ortiz made entry through a side window of the restaurant, Duff said.

Officers learned Ortiz helped himself over the course of four days to the restaurants food, liquor, and beer, Duff said. In addition to eating and drinking at the restaurant, Ortiz removed beverages and property from the building.

The restaurant had been closed, Duff said. A manager checked on the business and discovered the burglary, he said.

Ortiz allegedly took several thousand dollars of food and beverages from the establishment, including an estimated 70 bottles of stolen or consumed liquor, Duff said.

Ortiz was detained on Crown Street with a bottle of the restaurants rum, Duff said.

He was held in lieu of a $12,500 bail at the departments detention center at the Union Avenue station, then arraigned Wednesday, Duff said.

Lt. Sean Maher, district manager for downtown New Haven, said the incident is not part of a larger trend. While there have been burglaries during the pandemic, the rate hasnt increased during this period, he said.

He said the department has added additional patrol officers overnight in an effort to dissuade such crimes.

Maher advised owners of businesses without alarms to check on establishments every few days during the pandemic. As allegedly happened with the cafe, if theres no alarm or sign of forced entry, a break-in could go unnoticed for a period, he said.

John DeCarlo, former police chief in Branford and associate professor at the University of New Haven, said the alleged offense reflected what is termed the routine activity theory, as defined in the field of criminology by Marcus Felson and Lawrence E. Cohen  as when societal circumstances change, so do opportunities for crime.

There are, he noted, a greater number of vacant spaces than usual these days, given the coronavirus outbreak  perhaps more than ever before.

By designing the environments of their operation to better dissuade would-be criminals and remaining capable guardians of their businesses, business owners can decrease the likelihood of such offenses, DeCarlo said.

Among other measures, he suggested that valuable objects be kept out of plain view, windows be cleared and lights be kept on  allowing officers on patrol to see inside of establishments  and that owners check on their businesses every so often. A doorbell camera might also be valuable, he said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
A Russian government department has proposed renaming a Moscow subway station dedicated to the Czech capital, Prague, amid a diplomatic spat between the two countries, Russian media report.



The proposal comes after Prague city authorities recently removed a controversial statue of a Soviet World War II marshal.



Russia's Investigative Committee on April 10 threatened to open a criminal case against the Czech Republic, although Moscow has no legal jurisdiction in the Central European country.



Prague municipal officials on April 3 removed a statue of Soviet Marshall Ivan Konev, who led the Red Army troops that entered Prague in May 1945 after the city had been liberated from the Nazis by resistance forces.



Russia media reported on April 16 that the Public Council at the Russian Defense Ministry proposed renaming the "Prazhskaya" subway station to "Marshal Konev."



The council said the proposal was "a response" to the removal of Konev's statue in Prague.



The council sent a letter to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to request support for the proposal, the Defense Ministry's Zvezda television channel said.



The Czech Foreign Ministry has accused Moscow of meddling in its internal affairs.



The monument, which was erected by the communist Czechoslovak government in 1980, has long been controversial and has frequently been vandalized since the collapse of communism in 1989.

Konev also commanded the Soviet troops that suppressed the 1956 uprising in Hungary and that helped build the Berlin Wall. Some historians believe he played a role in planning the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. He died in 1973.



Czech officials have said the Konev statue will be reinstalled at another location and that its previous site would host a new monument honoring the Prague resistance fighters who liberated the capital in the days before Konev's troops arrived.



Moscow has vehemently protested the removal of the statue. On April 9, Shoigu asked his Czech counterpart, Lubomir Metnar, to hand over the statue to Russia. Metnar refused, saying it belonged to the city of Prague.



Russian President Vladimir Putin has frequently criticized European countries of "rewriting history" by allegedly diminishing the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany, while Central European countries counter that Putin has downplayed the crimes of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and the consequences of the postwar Soviet occupation of the region.

With reporting by MK24 and Zvezda
Osisko Gold Royalties Appoints The Hon. John R. Baird to its Board of Directors

Posted by Publisher Internet

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd (the ?Company? or ?Osisko?  https://www.rohstoff-tv.com/play/osisko-gold-royalties-investoren-praesentation-mit-rainer-ruckteschler/) (OR: TSX & NYSE) today announced that The Hon. John Baird has been appointed to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Sean Roosen, Chair of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer stated, \We are pleased that Mr. Baird has agreed to join the Board of Osisko.? In our discussions with John, we have been excited to have his insights on global affairs and interactions with government, an ideal complement to the top tier expertise that our Board brings to the benefit of Osisko?s stakeholders.\

Mr. Baird was a Member of Parliament for three terms, serving with distinction in a number of senior cabinet portfolios.? He served as Canada\-\-s Foreign Affairs Minister for four years. Prior to his service in Ottawa, he was Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario for ten years, where he served in senior cabinet portfolios including as Minister of Energy and Minister of Community and Social Services.? He is a director of Canadian Pacific, Canadian Forest Products, FWD Group, PineBridge Investments and is an advisor to Hatch, Barrick Gold, Bennett Jones LLP and the Eurasia Group.

About Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd is an intermediate precious metal royalty company focused on the Americas that commenced activities in June 2014. Osisko holds a North American focused portfolio of over 135 royalties, streams and precious metal offtakes. Osisko?s portfolio is anchored by its cornerstone asset, a 5% net smelter return royalty on the Canadian Malartic mine, which is the largest gold mine in Canada. Osisko also owns the Cariboo gold project in Canada as well as a portfolio of publicly held resource companies, including a 15.9% interest in Osisko Mining Inc., 17.9% interest in Osisko Metals Incorporated and a 18.3% interest in Falco Resources Ltd.

Osisko?s head office is located at 1100 Avenue des Canadiens-de Montreal, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2S2.

For further information, please contact Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd:

Sandeep Singh

President

Tel. (514) 940-0670

ssingh@osiskogr.com

In Europe?:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch
A group of states across the Midwest is the latest to announce a joint regional plan to reopen businesses in the wake of stay-at-home efforts designed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

The big picture: President Trump is expected to tell governors on Thursday that he won't hold them back if they want to restart their state economies, Axios' Jonathan Swan and Mike Allen report.

Northeastern states, including those hardest hit by the virus, like New York and New Jersey, announced a regional task force to guide the easing of coronavirus restrictions on Monday.

including those hardest hit by the virus, like New York and New Jersey, announced a regional task force to guide the easing of coronavirus restrictions on Monday. Western states including California, Oregon and Washington teamed up earlier this week on a plan to lift lockdowns as conditions permit.

Details: The governors of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky say they will focus on four factors to reopen their states: (1) controlling new infections and hospitalizations; (2) virus testing and tracing; (3) gauging whether hospitals can manage another virus surge; and (4) how to handle social distancing at work.

All states are currently under stay-at-home orders.

What they're saying: Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region," the governors said in a statement. "This doesnt mean our economy will reopen all at once, or that every state will take the same steps at the same time. But close coordination will ensure we get this right. Over time, people will go back to work, restaurants will reopen, and things will go back to normal. We look forward to working together as one region to tackle this challenge together.

The bottom line: Leading coronavirus modeling has recently lowered its projection for the number of American deaths from COVID-19, a sign that social distancing is working.

Go deeper: Michigan protesters rally over Gov. Whitmer's stay-at-home order
The director general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has thanked Deputy Irish Premier Simon Coveney for pledging to increase Irelands contribution to the WHO.

Mr Coveney said the state will donate 9.5 million euro to help with the global response to Covid-19.

He highlighted Irelands support for the UN health agency, saying so many countries rely on UN expertise and capacity to save lives.

Huge thanks to  Tanaiste @simoncoveney and the people of #Ireland for your continuous support to @WHO, and for your increased contribution for 2020 to 9.5 million. Together, against #COVID19! Together, for a healthier, safer world!https://t.co/HWQNTME3ha  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 16, 2020

In response, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted: Huge thanks to Tanaiste Simon Coveney and the people of Ireland for your continuous support to the WHO and for your increased contribution for 2020 to 9.5 million euro. Together against Covid19! Together, for a healthier, safer world!

On Tuesday, the US suspended its funding to the WHO  pending a review.

President Donald Trump claimed the organisation failed in its basic duty to adequately obtain, vet and share information in a timely and transparent fashion.

Mr Coveney described the move as an indefensible decision.
In the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), compliance with self-isolation is influenced by compensation, with very high compliance seen when compensation for lost wages is assured, according to a report published online April 9 in Health Affairs.

Moran Bodas, M.P.H., Ph.D., and Kobi Peleg, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Gertner Institute in Tel Hashomer, Israel, conducted a cross-sectional study of the adult population of Israel in the last week of February to examine public attitudes toward the COVID-19 outbreak. Public compliance rates with self-quarantine were examined depending on compensation for lost wages.

The researchers found that almost half of the respondents reported worrying about the COVID-19 outbreak "a lot" or "very much" compared with 16 percent who reported worrying "not at all" or "a little." Respondents reported their intent to comply with self-quarantine in two situations: When state-sponsored compensation for lost wages was assumed, the compliance rate was 94 percent, but this dropped to less than 57 percent when compensation was removed. When compensation was removed, self-employed individuals were more likely to refuse self-quarantine, but this difference was not statistically significant.

"Continuous earning is a crucial factor in determining public compliance with public health regulations, in particular self-quarantine," the authors write. "This is particularly important in countries relying on public compliance with regulations."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

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David Havre Raihle Sr., 86, passed away peacefully Monday, April 13, 2020, at the Chippewa Manor in Chippewa Falls.

David was born Feb. 21, 1934, in Chippewa Falls, to Paul H. Raihle and Sylvia Havre.

David spent the early years of his life on the family farm in Anson, Wis., which was the source of his life-long passion for hard work and his love of the outdoors. David and his family later moved to Chippewa Falls, where he resided the rest of his life. David cherished his time at the Raihle Homestead, a once-forgotten property located north of Bemidji, Minn., that his mother, Sylvia, homesteaded in 1914. The Homestead later became a family cabin that was the source of memorable times and Davids infamous work projects.

David began his education in the one-room country school in East Anson and graduated from Chippewa Falls High School in 1951. During his school years, David was active in the Boy Scouts of America (earning the rank of Eagle Scout), academics, debate and school plays. David graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, with a bachelor of arts in history. David also served six years in the U.S. Naval Reserve, with two years of active duty during the Korean Conflict (1953-1955), attached to the Pacific Fleet. In 1959, David graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, with a Juris Doctorate and LLB degree. While studying at the University of Wisconsin, David met Sharon Disbrow. David and Sharon were married in Wausau, Wis., Feb. 18, 1961. They recently celebrated their 59th anniversary.

Davids professional life was a testament to his devotion and commitment to Chippewa Falls. David began his legal career in 1959, when he joined his father at the Raihle Law Office in Chippewa Falls. Davids service to Chippewa Falls stemmed from a rich heritage of public service (both of his parents served in the Wisconsin State Legislature). David practiced law in Chippewa County for 38 years, during which he served as Chippewa County Corporate Counsel and at various times as the attorney for the City of Chippewa Falls, town of Lake Hallie, and other Chippewa County municipalities. David also served on the Chippewa Falls Park Board Planning Commission and was president of the second Chippewa Foundation. Davids professional contributions were also integral to building the city pool, developing a new city camper sanitary station, bringing city-wide water to the town of Lake Hallie, creating Allen Park and promoting improvements to Irvine Park and the zoo. David also had the unique distinction of seeing one of his cases being argued at the U.S. Supreme Court.

David believed in preserving the history of Chippewa Falls and Chippewa County. Davids efforts led to the establishment of the Cook Rutledge Trust, the acquisition of the Cook Rutledge Mansion, and the development of the Chippewa County Historical Society. David led the efforts to establish the historical sign markers in Chippewa County, as well as an inventory of all the Chippewa County cemeteries. David was active in historic building restorations, including the Sheely House (the restoration of the Sheely House was an adventure inspired by a desire to save the rooming house/saloon culture of the 1880s) and the Cook Rutledge Mansion.

Davids civic contributions were also extended to memberships in Kiwanis, Moose, Masonic Lodge (Blue Lodge and Scottish Rite), Elks, Wisconsin and Chippewa County Historical Societies, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association. David was also a lifetime member of Trinity United Methodist Church.

Davids greatest achievement, however, was as a husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. His irreverent humor, keen knowledge, and love of history was the stuff of family legend. His happiest moments were spent with his family at the family property near Cobban, Wis., maintaining and conserving his woodland, making maple syrup, sharing family stories and strengthening the family bonds that were important to him. David also loved to plan family camping trips throughout the U.S. and Canada. A better grandfather and father will be hard to come by.

David is survived by his wife, Sharon; children, David Jr. (Rita) Raihle, Paula (Glenn) Pederson, Christine (Thomas) Richards and Richard Raihle; and grandchildren, James Richards, Hannah Pederson, Alexis Raihle, William Richards, Joshua Pederson and David Raihle III.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Sylvia Raihle; siblings, Richard (Irene) Raihle, June (Harry) Esklund, Pauline (Dale) Wiensch, Alys Melton; nieces, Laurie Vold and Dana Melton; and nephew, David Melton.

Private funeral services will be held. Inurnment will be held at Forest Hill Cemetery in Chippewa Falls. Military rites will be conducted by the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council. A celebration of life will be held at a later date in Cobban.

To protect the health and safety of all, services are currently being limited as required by state and local authorities and the CDC. Thank you for understanding and respecting the family at this difficult time.

The family would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the Chippewa Manor for the care and kindness they extended to David and his family during his stay there. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Chippewa Area History Center Building Campaign at www.chippewaareahistorycenter.org/.

Friends and family may express their condolences at www.horanfuneralhome@gmail.com.
There was a sharp fall in Irish exports in February, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), although it appears that this was a result of a downturn in sales of chemicals and pharmaceuticals rather than the coronavirus. Those sales account for nearly half of all exports.

Seasonally adjusted exports fell by 2.2bn or 16pc 11.6bn, the CSO said yesterday.

Irish exports to China - which make up a tiny proportion of the overall number - actually rose from a year ago. 1.7bn in January and February of this year compared to 1.15bn in the same period of 2019 were destined for the Asian marketplace.

Chinese factories closed at the start of February for the Lunar New Year and many did not reopen as Covid-19 roiled the country.

But the biggest hits to exports illustrate Ireland's dependence on a small number of product lines that are largely sold in the US.

Exports to the United States took a 700m hit from February last year.

Exports of organic chemicals decreased by 560m to 2.3bn in February 2020 compared with February 2019, accounting for 20pc of total exports. Medical and pharmaceutical products, 29pc of our export total, also decreased by 578 million to 3.4bn.

Earlier this week, the country's biggest port operator, Dublin Port said it expected to see a "very significant" decline in cargo volumes and passenger traffic over the next three months.

In the first three months of this year there was a decline in overall port tonnage of almost 5pc compared to the first quarter of 2019.
A general view of the future site of the Luang Prabang dam is seen on the Mekong River outskirt of Luang Prabang province, Laos, February 5, 2020. Photo by Reuters/Panu Wongcha-um.

Groups working to protect the Mekong River have called for greater transparency and cooperation from China after a report that Chinese dams held back water during a drought last year.

China has disputed the findings of the U.S. government-funded study and said it will do its utmost to guarantee a reasonable discharge of water to the Mekong basin countries of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The study, by research and consulting company Eyes on Earth Inc., said that according to satellite data 11 Chinese dams held back water at a time when China had higher-than-average levels - while levels downstream were at their lowest in over 50 years.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC), an inter-governmental body that works with the governments of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in managing the Lower Mekong basin, said the study did not prove that the withholding of water caused the drought.

But its secretariat said it sought more information from China as well as a more formal working relationship.

"China, as an MRC dialogue partner, has provided its water level and rainfall data during flood season, from only two of its stations on the upper Mekong," it said in response to Reuters questions.

"The MRC has attempted to acquire dry season data from China, but no agreement has yet been reached."

In Thailand, the hashtag #StopMekongDam was trending on Twitter on Wednesday as a result of the new report.

Activists said the study confirmed their suspicions.

"We cannot just sit around and wait for China to say when they are releasing the water from their dams; Mekong countries need to have a say on this too," said Niwat Roykaew, an environmental activist in northern Thailand.

China has no formal water treaties with the lower Mekong countries and shares only limited information.

In Cambodia, Hok Menghoin of the NGO Forum on Cambodia said the report would at least help downstream governments to press their case in their discussions with China.

"Chinas actions must go well beyond periodic releases of water," said Pianporn Deetes, a Thai activist for the International Rivers pressure group.

"There needs to be long-term change in dam operations to prioritize the ecosystem services vital to the livelihoods of downstream communities."

Washington, which has been challenging Chinas growing influence in Southeast Asia, has said Beijing essentially controls the Mekong.
Oil prices hovered near their lowest level in 18 years after a monthly OPEC report projected global demand would fall by 6.9 million barrels per day amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, closed flat at $19.87. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 0.47 percent at $27.82.

The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in China in the first quarter of 2020, and its negative impact on transportation and industrial fuels in the country, has since spread globally and is now affecting oil demand growth in most other countries and regions, OPEC's monthly oil report said, adding that global demand was on track for its first annual decline since 2008-2009.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused governments around the world to issue stay-at-home orders, crushing demand as producers grappled with a supply glut worsened by the recently resolved price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. As a result, WTI has plunged by 67 percent so far this year.

Thursdays report follows a separate briefing from the U.S. Energy Information Administration the prior day that said 9.3 million barrels a day of global demand has been zapped.

In order to combat the one-two punch of ballooning inventory and weaker demand, the worlds largest producers on Sunday agreed to a historic cut that will reduce output by about 20 million barrels a day.

OPEC producers and their allies, including Russia, will lower their output by 9.7 million barrels a day in May and June while the rest of the cuts come from major players like the U.S., Canada and elsewhere, mostly as a result of lower prices. The agreement also calls for OPEC production to be lowered by 7.7 million barrels a day through the following year.

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We are all in dire need of maintaining our commitment, Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman told FOX Business Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired Wednesday. None of us will gain if we dont fulfill our commitment.

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Gov. Phil Murphy will hold his daily briefing Thursday in Trenton to provide updates on the coronavirus pandemic that has killed at 3,156 people in New Jersey.

The 1 p.m. press conference at the Trenton War Memorials George Washington Ballroom will be streamed lived on the governors YouTube channel.

Murphy will be joined by state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, health communicable disease service medical director Dr. Edward Lifshitz and State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan.

The topics are likely to include the coronavirus outbreak at a nursing home in Andover Township, where at least 26 people have died. Police found five bodies in a room after authorities received a request for 25 body bags at the nursing home. A day later, officers got a tip about a body in a shed but instead found 12 more bodies in nursing home.

On Thursday, Murphy is scheduled to appear on NBC 10 in Philadelphia at 10:30 a.m. He has no other scheduled media appearances Thursday.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CHICO, Calif. -- Valley Oak Children's Services modified its' Butte Parent Cafe into a drive-thru Pop-Up to serve its' community this week.

Two weeks ago, it offered its' first round of Pop-Ups in Chico, Oroville, and Gridley. It handed out bags of resources, books and provided 130 pre-packaged meals.

It will begin its second round of Pop-Ups On Wednesday in Chico. It will take place in the Valley Oak Children's Services parking lot at 5:30 p.m.

The organization will provide pre-packaged meals from Italian Cottage Restaurant as well as bags filled with resources and art supplies.

The pre-packaged meal will consist of a family-sized cheese ravioli, salad and bread. There are vegetarian and gluten-free options.

It plans to serve 160 meals and will continue to modify Butte Parent Cafe Pop-Ups as the need continues.

Organizers say they will wear gloves, masks and keep their distance when serving the families. They also say it is for any family and the event will last an hour from the start time.

The next Pop-Up will be in Oroville, Thursday April 16th in the Oroville Branch Librarys parking lot and on Friday, April 17th, in the Gridley Branch Library parking lot.
To read the daily Pandemic Poetry submissions, visit @EnglishEmory on Twitter, @EmoryArts on Instagram or the Arts at Emory on Facebook.

As people across the world experience isolation and anxiety, many are turning to their favorite artists as a way to find meaning in the chaos. Seeing ones experience and feelings reflected in art can be a comfort in unprecedented times.

Geraldine Higgins, associate professor of English and director of Emory Colleges Irish Studies Program, found herself searching for her own way to make a difference.

In this strange time of social isolation, I think we were all having conversations about what we could do to help  whether it meant sewing face masks, making sandwiches for the homeless or shopping for vulnerable neighbors, Higgins says. As a poetry professor, I was thinking about how or whether words could help.

And so, inspired by the Irish Minister for Health who quoted poet Seamus Heaney in an address to the Dail introducing emergency COVID-19 legislation, Higgins initiated the Pandemic Poetry daily email forum for English Department faculty and graduate students to share poems that speak to the human conditions of life during a pandemic.

Each weekday morning since Emorys remote learning began, Higgins has chosen a poem to share from those that have been nominated. The poem, along with a brief reflection from the submitter, is shared internally and through the English Department and Arts at Emory social media accounts. So far, works from Walt Whitman, John Milton, Lucille Clifton and Adrienne Rich have been circulated, among others.

Relating in new ways

The poems often take on entirely new meanings when read in the light of current circumstances.

Reading and reflecting on these little gifts from colleagues and students has become a fortifying ritual, allowing me to face each of these long days with my senses activated and powers of imagination strengthened, says Benjamin Reiss, department chair and Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of English.

I can honestly say that the best part of my morning is reading the submissions and choosing the poem of the day, says Higgins. Often a line will come back to me during the day when I am feeling anxious or fearful. Emily Dickinson, who has been nominated more than any other poet, wrote, I felt it shelter to speak to you.

Higgins has also enjoyed hearing from faculty and students receiving the poems. One person wrote, Can I just say again how much I love these poems? I also love how theyre all preceded by a brief explanation of why they were chosen. I think these are such a poignant marker of this time that were all going through.

Take, for example, the submission on April 7.

Untitled

by Lucille Clifton

Associate professor Nathan Suhr-Sytsma discussed this poem with the students in his Introduction to Poetry class on the first day of remote teaching. As he says, The last few lines have a new resonance in this moment.

wont you celebrate with me

what i have shaped into

a kind of life? i had no model.

born in babylon

both nonwhite and woman

what did i see to be except myself?

i made it up

here on this bridge between

starshine and clay,

my one hand holding tight

my other hand; come celebrate

with me that everyday

something has tried to kill me

and has failed.

When I read Lucille Cliftons familiar lines  come celebrate/with me that everyday/something has tried to kill me/and has failed  I have a new appreciation for how a brilliant poets words can echo powerfully beyond their original context, says Reiss. All these years, Id thought of those lines as an expression of joy in the face of social injustice, what it means for a person who refers to herself as nonwhite and woman to reach for joy.

Being neither nonwhite nor woman myself, I thought I was hearing about someone elses experience, Reiss continues. But now its mine, too, all of ours who make it through another day. To think that Cliftons papers are lying untouchable in the darkness of the Rose Library is agonizing. I hope we can let them out of their quarantine soon, and that we can continue the ritual of poem-sharing long after the thing that is trying to kill us has vanished.
A woman who claimed to have coronavirus licked, coughed and spat on two police officers after drinking two bottles of vodka, a court heard

Kimberley Maddison Blair, 47, fronted Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday to face five charges over last month's alleged incident.

Officers responded to an emergency call on March 24 after a resident on Stradbroke Street, in Norlane, alerted police, the Geelong Advertiser reported.

She told triple-0 a woman who appeared to be intoxicated knocked on her front door at around 10.30pm.

When officers arrived at the scene they found Ms Blair, who also goes by the name Kim Kruz, lying on the footpath.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Chris Capuano said Blair told the officers she was supposed to be in quarantine after contracting COVID-19 from a friend who had recently returned from Hong Kong.

A 47-year-old woman who claimed to have coronavirus licked, coughed and spat on two police officers after drinking two bottles of vodka, Geelong Magistrates Court (pictured) heard on Wednesday

Police in Victoria issued over 400 fines over the Easter Long Weekend. Pictured: Officers patrol St Kilda Beach on Monday April 13

She then allegedly moved toward the officers and coughed twice in their direction.

When police instructed Blair to back away, the court heard she became verbally abusive, before repeatedly spitting on the pair.

Senior Constable Capuano claimed after the officers restrained her, Blair licked one of the officer's hands and said: 'I hope you get coronavirus.'

But following further inquiries, it was revealed Blair had not been tested for COVID-19 and was not under any order by authorities to be in quarantine.

In a letter that was read to the court, Blair said she was 'deeply sorry' for her alleged actions.

'I am disgusted and I apologise,' she said. 'I am very sorry.'

Defence lawyer Hilary Russell said her client had severe issues relating to mental illness and alcohol addiction.

Ms Blair has been held in custody since the incident took place and has no memory of the evening after binge-drinking vodka earlier that day.

The charges include assaulting and resisting police and being drunk in a public place.

'It's a horrible act,' Senior Constable Capuano said. 'This type of behaviour must be denounced in the community.'

Magistrate Simon Guthrie will give his sentence indication for the case on Friday.
Two BJP leaders from Maharashtra



on Thursday sought action against state minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad for allegedly revealing the name of a journalist, who has tested coronavirus positive recently.

The two BJP leaders- former Lok Sabha member from Mumbai Kirit Somaiya, and sitting MLA from Ghatkopar Ram Kadam- sought to know from state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh what steps he plans to take against Awhad.

In a tweet, Somaiya said, "@AnilDeshmukhNCP in an interview clipping of @ibnlokmat I show/heard @Awhadspeaks took name of a journalist that 'the journalist is Corona positive'."



"I asked Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to book Mr Awhad for violation of COVID19 guidelines," he said.

Kadam also tweeted saying, "Will home minister Anil Deshmukh give a notice to Jitendra Awhad? What will be the course of action from Maharashtra police for revealing the name of journalist who has tested positive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Athens: Greece has transferred a dozen unaccompanied children from overcrowded migrant camps to Luxembourg, the first of more than 1000 relocations being expedited amid concerns over the impact of coronavirus on vulnerable groups.

Another group of 50 children is expected to fly from Athens to Germany on Saturday, and 20 more will head to Switzerland at a later date. Greece hopes to relocate some 1600 unaccompanied minors in the coming months.

Unaccompanied children refugees from the overcrowded migrant camps on the north Aegean Sea islands, Greece, walk towards the gates of the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens to travel to Luxembourg. Credit:AP

The children relocated on Wednesday were aged between 11 and 15. Ten were from Afghanistan and two from Syria.

At least 5200 migrant children from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and African countries currently live in Greece, many of them under harsh conditions in camps on islands in the Aegean.
Harris, 22 Senators Reintroduce Resolution Designating April 11-17 as Black Maternal Health Week

On Monday, U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) led 22 of her colleagues in reintroducing a resolution to designate April 11-17, 2020 as Black Maternal Health Week to raise awareness about the Black maternal health crisis. The resolution was led in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC).

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Black mothers in the United States are three to four times more likely than white mothers to die from pregnancy-related complications and are two times more likely than white mothers to suffer from pregnancy-related illnesses, known as maternal morbidities.

The potential ramifications that could come with giving birth during the coronavirus pandemic  specifically a pandemic that is disproportionately impacting African Americans  is of particular concern to Black women who were already facing a maternal health crisis in our country, said Senator Harris. Now more than ever, we need to address this issue. During Black Maternal Health Week, we must continue in the fight to ensure Black women are taken seriously when they speak about their health concerns, and remove disparities and implicit bias from our health care system.

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Joining Harris on the resolution are Senators Merkley (D-OR), Durbin (D-IL), Blumenthal (D-CT), Van Hollen (D-MD), Booker (D-NJ), Klobuchar (D-MN), Hirono (D-HI), Markey (D-MA), Jones (D-AL), Duckworth (D-IL), Menendez (D-NJ), Wyden (D-OR), Sanders (I-VT), Feinstein (D-CA), Murray (D-WA), Bennet (D-CO), Baldwin (D-WI), Peters (D-MI), Smith (D-MN), Brown (D-OH), Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Stabenow (D-MI).

The resolution is sponsored by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Black Womens Health Imperative, Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), Commonsense Childbirth, Every Mother Counts, In Our Own Voice: National Black Womens Reproductive Justice Agenda, March for Moms, National Birth Equity Collaborative, National Black Midwives Alliance, National Medical Association, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Perinatal Task Force, National Womens Law Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Southern Birth Justice Network, and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

This resolution says, unequivocally, that Black Moms matter, said Representative Adams, co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. Im proud to stand with my colleagues to raise awareness of Black Maternal Health Week, and urge our Congressional leaders to take action on one of the greatest public health crises of our time.

The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) thanks Senator Harris and Congresswoman Adams for their continued support and amplification of Black Maternal Health Week (#BMHW20). As the founders of #BMHW20, BMMA believes that the experiences, voices, and maternity care work of Black women must be centered in order to address the U.S. maternal health crisis  hence the importance of recognizing April 11th  17th as Black Maternal Health Week! said Angela D. Aina, Interim Executive Director of BMMA.

The Center for Reproductive Rights applauds Senator Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Alma Adams on the introduction of this years Black Maternal Health Week Resolution. Now more than ever we need recognition of this crisis and federal solutions to save the lives of Black mothers, said Jennifer Jacoby, Federal Policy Counsel. Breana Lipscomb, Senior Manager, U.S. Maternal Health and Rights Initiative, and BMMA Board Member added, The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that chronic underinvestment in the public health infrastructure is deadly and Black people pay the price. This years resolution is a call to action, reminding us that in this time of crisis we cannot sacrifice the human rights of birthing people.

Black Maternal Health Week is an important opportunity to bring national attention to the maternal mortality crisis facing Black women. This is a year like no other, as we grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, an emergency that is endangering the health and economic well-being of millions and having a particularly harmfuland deadlyimpact on the Black community. Sadly, we know the maternal mortality crisis and COVID-19 disparities share a common underlying force: racism and structural inequality. Now is the time to address those evils in this country once and for all, and do all that we can to ensure health equity along racial lines, said Dr. Jamila Taylor, Director of Health Care Reform and Senior Fellow for the Century Foundation

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The United States is one of only 13 countries in the world where rates of illness and death during pregnancy are on the rise. From 2000 to 2014, the U.S. experienced a substantial increase of 26.6 percent in maternal mortality rates.
Boston Globe, Contributor / Boston Globe via Getty Images

The Dunkin Joy in Childhood Foundation has reserved $15,000 for the Southeast Texas Food Bank to help local families during the COVID-19 crisis.

Along with $10,000 sent to the Houston Food Bank, the Foundation has earmarked $1.25 million in emergency funding to support community-based health and hunger relief organizations across the country.
The 24/7 automatic dispensing machines were invented by a Vietnamese entrepreneur in Ho Chi Minh City to provide free rice for people out of work following an ongoing nationwide social distancing order to curb the spread of the pandemic, Reuters reported on April 13th.

It quoted a Vietnamese woman whose husband was among those to lose their jobs as saying the rice ATMs have been helpful.

A "rice" ATM in Hanoi (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

With this one bag of rice, we can have enough for one day, said Nguyen Thi Ly, a 34-year-old mother of three. Now, we only need other food. Our neighbors sometimes give us some leftover food, or we have instant noodles.

The machine distributes a 1.5kg bagful of rice from a small silo to waiting workers, many of whom are street vendors or people who earn a living from cash-in-hand jobs like housekeeping or selling lottery tickets, according to the news agency.

On the same day, CNN ran a story reporting businessmen and donors who have set up machines that dispense free rice for people whose incomes have been suddenly cut off in several cities across the country.

In Hanoi, rice contained in a large water tank dispenses into residents bags from 8am to 5pm, it quoted Vietnam News Agency as saying.

Those waiting in line are required to stand 2 metres apart and they must use hand sanitiser before receiving their rice, it said.

According to Reuters, Hoang Tuan Anh, the businessman behind the idea, had initially donated a batch of smart doorbells to hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City before turning his technological expertise to food distribution.

Similar rice ATMs have been set up in other big cities like Hanoi, Hue and Da Nang.

I refer to this machine as a 'rice ATM' because people can withdraw rice from it, assured that there are still good people out there who want to give them a second chance, he said.

CNN also reported that Vietnam has more than 260 COVID-19 cases and zero deaths, numbers that are significantly lower than the rest of the world./.
A medic, who was a Diplomate of National Board (DNB) student under a senior doctor at a civic hospital, has been terminated for allegedly diverting donated materials which were to be entered in the stock of the facility, authorities said on Thursday.

DNB is the title awarded by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), an autonomous academic body under the Union Health Ministry.

North Delhi Municipal Commissioner Varsha Joshi confirmed his termination.

There was no immediate reaction from the DNB student, who is a doctor.

The official order issued by the medical superintendent (MS) of the Hindu Rao Hospital on Wednesday said, the doctor had been "terminated from his services with immediateeffect for bringing disrepute to the institution".

Joshi said, he was not an employee of the hospital, hence the matter of having an "inquiry committee doesn't apply".

He was only a DNB student under some senior doctor in the orthopaedic department. Probe is not required because "all the facts are established on record", she claimed.

In a series of tweets, Joshi alleged that the DNB student, "diverted donated materials which were to be entered in the stock of HRH by directly entering into correspondence with the donor agency which was already being communicated with by the MS".

"He then proceeded to distribute the materials himself to whoever he pleased," she said in the tweet. PTI KND



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San Francisco officials hope to have 150 people trained in two weeks to track down residents who were exposed to the coronavirus and check in daily. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

San Francisco city officials said Wednesday they are ramping up a contact tracing project that they hope will eventually be deployed throughout the Bay Area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

City officials said that so far 50 librarians, city workers and medical students have been trained to do the tracing. The project will deploy an app developed by Dimagi Inc., a for-profit software company that has been working with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Grant Colfax, San Franciscos director of public health, said at a news conference that the city hopes to have 150 people trained in two weeks. The city now has English- and Spanish-speaking tracers but needs to expand to workers fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and Tagalog, he said.

These workers will contact people who have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and then check in daily, either by text or telephone, to monitor symptoms.

Colfax called contact tracing the bedrock of good public health. The city is partnering with UC San Francisco on the project.

He said it was essential that the public cooperate with the trackers  there have been instances in which people have refused  and stressed that the screening would be done confidentially and that no information would be given to immigration authorities.

We are not going to be asking for sensitive information or Social Security numbers or citizenship status, Colfax said. We are asking for information that we need to ensure that person is as safe as possible.

Mayor London Breed said at the news conference that when the time comes to consider relaxing some shelter-in-place restrictions, contact tracing will be crucial to protecting public health.

"We need this contact tracing program in place so that were equipped to respond to new cases and keep the virus from spreading out of control," she said.

The city is increasing coronavirus testing, but there continues to be a shortage of swabs and of what Colfax called the gunk placed on the swab to stabilize the sample as it is transported to a machine.

Story continues

The biggest barrier is the instability of the supply chain, he said. I do not know on a regular basis how many swabs we can expect.

Police Chief William Scott, who also spoke at the news conference, said people should not go to San Francisco for the annual April 20, or 4/20, celebration of marijuana. Streets will be closed, and places where cannabis smokers have gathered in the past will be fenced off, he said.

If we have to cite, we will, he said. If we have to arrest, we will.

The city continues to have trouble with tent encampments. A city official in charge of homeless work said officials go out to these encampments regularly to explain the pandemic and to insist that tents be moved six feet apart. But when they return to the same block the next day, a new tent has been placed in the six-foot space, the official said.
Airbnb hosts were among the first to feel the financial pain wrought by the pandemic, as travel all but shut down around the globe. Many are individual homeowners, who have been told by the company to check local restrictions before booking tenants. A lot of hosts are now booking homes for eligible essential workers at free or subsidized rates, the company said in a statement. The company said it had also banned ads that market properties as escapes from the pandemic and suspended listings that violate the new policy.

Airbnb is working with local governments in real time to both address these orders and ensure short-term and longer-term rentals are an available resource for front-line responders and those sheltering in place during this crisis, said Josh Meltzer, head of Northeast policy for Airbnb.

Craigslist did not respond to requests for comment.

Not everyone is saying no to newcomers.

John Bigart III had been trying to sell his three-bedroom cabin in Montana for a few weeks when the virus began to take hold in New York and New Jersey. This month, he posted an ad for it on Craigslist, offering it for $195,000 and marketing it as an off grid getaway available just in time for this whole coronavirus mess.

Mr. Bigart, 48, who is also the mayor of Alberton, Mont., said he thought the post would be a good opportunity to attract potential buyers who in the past might not have considered buying property in rural Montana.

I kind of thought that if I was in that position, and I was in a big city right now, what would be enticing to me? he said. And what would make me feel a little safer and allow me to get out of this box that Im in?

Since he posted the ad, he has received inquiries from people in New York, Nashville, Oregon, Wyoming and even cities in Montana.

But with warnings not to fly, prospective buyers have been reluctant to come view it, Mr. Bigart said.
A school support teacher has been charged in relation to allegations a 12-year-old girl was sexually touched during class.

In January, the NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad launched an investigation into the incident which allegedly occurred at a western Sydney high school last year.

Detectives arrested a man, 43, at a home in Bossley Park in Sydney's south-west on Thursday morning following extensive investigations.

Police will allege in court the support teacher sexually touched a 12-year-old girl during class at a western Sydney high school last year (stock image)

The man, who is a school support teacher, was taken to Fairfield Police Station and charged with aggravated sexually touching another person.

He was bailed to appear in Fairfield Local Court on June 5.

Police will allege in court the man sexually touched the girl during class.

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of NSW Police detectives specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.

Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Soon, 100 hospital staffers in Mercer County will have a $15 gift card to Porfirios, an Italian market with locations in Trenton and Hamilton.

The cards are the gifts of the detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutors Offices detectives union, PBA local 339, and the office itself. Like many organizations around the state, and country, the union wants to help, aid and just say thank you to medical professionals battling the coronavirus.

The cards will be distributed to Capital Health, which operates two hospitals in Mercer County, in Trenton and Hopewell Township.

Union president Chris Rios said the detectives first thought of catering a lunch for hospital staffers, but decided to make the $1,500 donation in the form of gift cards so that a local business could also get some relief. Plus, staffers can use the cards when they could use a good meal, and not necessarily at work.

"Its a win win, Rios said

Porfirios started in Trentons Chambersburg neighborhood in 1964, and nearly 20 years ago opened a market in Hamilton, on Route 33.

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
- Wuhan Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital ceased operation in Wuhan on Wednesday, a landmark development in the city's months-long battle with the epidemic;

- Medics recall life-and-death moments at the hospital;

- Constructors say building the hospital was the most urgent task ever undertaken.

WUHAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A makeshift hospital ceased operation in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, on Wednesday as the coronavirus epidemic wanes.

Wuhan Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital was built in 10 days to treat COVID-19 patients. Construction began in late January. Its last batch of patients was transferred to normal hospitals on Tuesday.

At the closing ceremony, doctors and nurses waved flags and wrote their names on the clothes of their colleagues for memory.

"We hope that the hospital will never restart operations," a local district official told an applauding crowd.

After the closing ceremony, medical workers were seen disinfecting and sealing the remaining wards.

Ambulances, transferring the last batch of COVID-19 patients to other hospitals, leave Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

Wang Xinghuan, head of the hospital, said they worked hard to achieve a low mortality rate of 2.3 percent among its patients, 45 percent of whom were in severe or critical conditions.

The 1,600-bed hospital is managed by the Wuhan-based Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University with over 3,000 medics from nine provincial regions in China. A total of 2,011 patients have been treated there.

"After Leishenshan was built, I can see the efforts to increase beds and the support coming from across the nation," said Fang Yanhong, a nurse with the Zhongnan Hospital, adding that the completion of Leishenshan has shored up confidence of local medics in winning the battle.

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows cured patients waving goodbye to medical workers before leaving the Leishenshan hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 4, 2020. (Photo by Gao Xiang/Xinhua)

The retirement of the hospital is a landmark development in Wuhan's months-long battle with the epidemic, indicating the city's COVID-19 treatment and medical operations are "back on the normal track," Jiao Yahui, an official with the National Health Commission, told Xinhua.

Jiao said the medical facility was built at a time when "medical resources were in the shortest supply."

It has played a crucial role, enabling the city to admit more patients in a short period of time, thus helping contain the source of infection, she said.

The official said there is no timetable for dismantling the Leishenshan Hospital, noting it could be reactivated at any time if needed.

Photo taken on Feb. 8, 2020 shows the interior view of Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Jiangxia District of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Jiao also highlighted the importance of transferring patients from the two makeshift hospitals - Huoshenshan and Leishenshan - to four large hospitals in Wuhan.

"We hope to secure the patients the most effective treatment by placing them at the four hospitals with high-quality medical resources in the city," Jiao said, adding that the treatment of the severe and critical cases remained difficult.

HECTIC WORK, LIFE-AND-DEATH MOMENTS

Yang Xiao, an ICU doctor in Leishenshan Hospital, said the hospital is well equipped with intensive care facilities.

"The ICU wards here are well equipped with ventilators, monitors and hemodialysis devices. CT and chest radiography were also introduced into the hospital upon its establishment," said the 31-year-old doctor. "The hospital is particularly good at hemodialysis, which is managed by a team of non-local medics who came to support Wuhan."

However, Yang said, "as a temporary hospital, Leishenshan could not compete with large comprehensive hospitals in terms of testing capacity and medicine inventory. So transferring the patients (to large hospitals) will benefit their treatment."

Having worked in Leishenshan for over 20 days, the young doctor said the work there has been hectic and full of life-and-death moments.

People work at the construction site of Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Yang recalled her most impressive patient as an 85-year-old man, who was discharged from Leishenshan a few days ago.

"The retired doctor volunteered to return to his community clinic at the peak of the epidemic and got infected there," she said. "When arriving here, he was very calm. He told me he was already 85 and 'if my time had come, then be it; if I was to live on, then live it to the fullest.'"

Yang was glad she could finally take a rest. "Many local doctors were already stretched to our breaking point ... What I wish to do most (after leaving Leishenshan) is have a good sleep."

MOST URGENT TASK

With a construction area of 8 hectares, the Leishenshan Hospital has full 5G coverage and can conduct remote consultations like other large Chinese hospitals, said Wang Liang, deputy chief engineer of China Construction Third Bureau First Engineering Co., Ltd., the hospital's constructor.

People from China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd. work at the construction site of Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Wang said building Leishenshan within 10 days is the most urgent task the company has ever undertaken despite its rich experience in building hospitals. The company received the design at the last minute, and the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) workload of such an improvised epidemic hospital is three to four times that of a comprehensive hospital.

"The construction involved more than 1.5 million meters of wires, 150,000 meters of cables and 800 units of ventilation equipment. At the peak of the construction, 22,000 people worked at the same time at the construction site," he said, noting that this was completed in a locked-down city during the Spring Festival, a time when most factories cease operation and workers return to their hometowns for a family reunion.

"We mobilized all the company's buyers to hunt for materials across China, and we summoned workers from across Hubei Province and other parts of China," Wang said.

"Many came here not for money, but more out of passion -- they wanted to fight together with Wuhan."
Safari operator Pankaj Shah would normally be showing tourists the sights of Kenya.

Instead, he is spearheading a volunteer effort to feed thousands of families left penniless and hungry after the lockdown devastated the country's economy.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILANTHROPIST, PANKAJ SHAH, SAYING:

"Life in the slum is tough, people are very hungry, people need food.''

Shah's volunteers have sent out 24,000 hampers since setting up on March 22, each with enough food to last a family of five for two weeks.

They're based out of a school that offered itself up as a headquarters after the virus cancelled classes there.

It's all helping recipients like Monica.

(SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) FOOD PARCEL RECIPIENT MONICA WANJIKU, SAYING:

"I am really thankful to God for sending these guys my way, and they have brought me food. I am grateful and God bless you, and may He protect you from this disease. May you always have a heart of kindness."

Shah is calling on wealthy Kenyans to donate about $40 to fund the hampers.

So what inspired a safari guide to become such a local leader? He says it was a chance meeting three decades ago.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILANTHROPIST, PANKAJ SHAH, SAYING:

"I had a small car accident with Mother Teresa's car, they had an old twin cab pick-up. The front-right hand side wheel came out of the pick-up because it was a very old car, and it came and hit mine, for me it was a new car, it hit my car and so I came out and I saw Mother Teresa in that car. I brought her into my car and I drove her to (Mji wa) Huruma Home, and that is where a lot of things changed for my life.''
As a fresh COVID-19 death was reported taking the virus toll in the state to 14 on Thursday,Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami described coronavirus as a "disease of the rich" and a "big challenge", and said the state has managed to contain the spread of the contagion as the daily positive cases were showing a dip.

A committee under Finance Secretary S Krishnan has been formed to devise the exit strategy post May 3 when the extended lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to end, he said.

The exit strategy could be a 'phased' one, he said, adding, the commitee will also discuss on finalising what industries may be allowed to function after April 20, as permitted by the Centre.

On Thursday, the state reported a fresh COVID-19 death while 25 more people tested positive for the disease, taking the toll due to it to 15 and total cases to 1,267, Palaniswami said.

"This disease is a big challenge," the chief minister told a press conference after chairing a meeting of district collectors to take stock of the preventive measures being implemented across the state.

As many as 180 people have been discharged so far, as against the 118 on Wednesday, he said.

Palaniswami said the lower number of fresh cases showed the government was containing the spread of the contagion.

Fresh cases on Wednesday stood at 38, a little more than Tuesday's tally of 31, unlike higher numbers seen earlier in the week.

The state had reported 98 fresh cases on Monday and 106 on Sunday.

As many as 87 lakh people had been screened in 558 containment zones in the state.

So far, 11 doctors, including six government ones, have been infected with the virus and this number was less compared to other states like Delhi and Mumbai, he said.

Further, it was a "disease of the rich," he said, indicating it has lagely affected the affluent.

"It is a disease of the rich. People who had travelled abroad or to other states have imported it (to Tamil Nadu). It did not originate here," he said.

Divulging details and statistics to explain the state's fight against COVID-19, the chief minister said it took an early lead by launching screening of air passengers and placing orders for personal procurement equipment as early as in January.

There were adequate stocks of ventilators, PPE and masks while enough strength of health workers has been ensured, including new appointments.

Further orders have also been placed.

The rapid test kits ordered by the state with China have been "diverted to another nation," and even Centre was awaiting the consignment, he said.

The state was in the second stage of the spread and today's new number of cases of 25 against 38 yesterday showed the state has managed to contain it, he said.

He expressed hope the number will soon touch zero as the rate of people getting cured was also increasing.

Further, extending government support to journalists, he said it will bear all the expenses incurred if they contracted the virus and would provide an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh in the event of their "unfortunate death."



These will apply to accredited journalists, he added.

Hitting out at the opposition DMK for its criticism of the government over the handling of the contagion, the chief minister accused its president M K Stalin of finding fault during any disaster, including the earlier cyclones in the state like Gaja and Ockhi.

"This is a planned criticism as we are effectively containing the spread," he said and wondered what the 38 Lok Sabha MPs of the DMK and its allies had done for Tamil Nadu in the state though "people have elected them to do something."



A similar criticism was made against the AIADMK by the DMK when the former had 37 of the 39 MPs from the state in the previous Lok Sabha, Palaniswami said.

"DMK is a party which only criticises," he said and added that this was not the case with other states.

He regretted that there was "politics over a disease" in Tamil Nadu.

To a question, Palaniswami said people's essential needs, including of those in the containment zones, were being taken care of by the government.

This included cash assistance and provisions of free rice and pulses to rice ration card holders and financial help to those in the unorganised sector.

About 13,000 migrant labourers were lodged in 311 facilites and their needs were being taken care of, he added.

The police were also strictly enforing the lockdown, with the authorities having clamped section 144 of the CrPC, which bars assembly of more than five people, for this purpose.

Police have filed 1.94 lakh cases and arrested over two lakh people for lockdown violations, besides seizing 1.79 lakh vehicles, he said.

A sum of Rs 89 lakh has been collected as fine.

Meanwhile, the police announced returning the seized vehicles and said this will be done after verifying the documents.

The process will be carried out at the local police station limits and the vehicles will be returned to owners after informing them, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Kremlin may have succeeded in ending its oil war with Saudi Arabia, yet the pain of crude's crash is only just starting to hit Russia's budget.

Next month, the nation will get less than $1 for each exported barrel of oil, according to Bloomberg calculations based on the data from the Russian Finance Ministry. Oil export duty in May is set to tumble by 87%, compared to April, reflecting crude's biggest crash in a generation.

"This duty level is the lowest since 2002, when the new export duty mechanism was introduced," a representative from Russia's Finance Ministry told Bloomberg.

Russia's oil-export tax level is recalculated monthly, based on the average price for Urals, the nation's main export blend, over a mid-month to mid-month period. The system cushions the budget from any immediate impacts of low prices. Between March 15 and April 14, Urals crude averaged just over $19 a barrel, according to the Finance Ministry.

The oil-production tax, the so-called MET, based on a monthly average Urals price, is also declining sharply. While the level for April is yet to be determined, the March one, based on the Urals price of $28.95, reached just $6.70 per barrel, Bloomberg calculations show. That's the lowest since January 2016. Some fields enjoy tax breaks, which means the actual MET budget revenues per barrel are even lower.

The record-low crude-tax levels are alarming for Russia, which gets about 40% of its total revenues from oil and gas, and is facing billions in extra spending to cushion the economic effects of lockdowns around the globe to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. A reduction in revenues is what the Kremlin wanted to avoid when it agreed to make new, unprecedented output cuts as part of the deal with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers.

President Vladimir Putin, who in March rejected Saudi Arabia's proposal to deepen OPEC Plus production cuts by 1.5 million barrels a day, last week agreed to take the reductions to almost 10 million barrels a day. It was a joint effort to rebalance the oil market and shield it from further pain, following the double blow of Saudi production hikes and a historic demand plunge amid the coronavirus.

In a painful climbdown, Russia agreed to reduce its crude production in May and June to a level last seen in 2003. The cuts of 2.5 million barrels a day will be a "tremendous challenge" for the nation's oil industry due to difficult geological conditions, Oxford Energy analysts said in a research paper published Monday. Still, the deal is in the best interests of the country's economy and its budget, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said at a government meeting Wednesday.

While the OPEC Plus deal will contribute to stabilizing the oil market, the demand loss is so big that there is "no feasible agreement that could cut supply by enough" to offset it, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday in its monthly report. The IEA expects global storage facilities to run out of space by this summer, while demand may see the biggest annual collapse this month.

The weakness in physical crude markets is putting pressure on the price, with oil again close to the lowest levels in two decades. As of Tuesday, Urals in North-Western Europe sold at less than $17 a barrel, according to price-reporting agency Argus Media. For Russia's budget it means one thing: it may have to withstand extra-low oil revenues beyond May.
WASHINGTON  Jerry Falwell Jr.s angry counteroffensive against critics of his decision to invite Liberty University students back to its Lynchburg, Va., campus after spring break has played out in the media, the courts, even with the campus police.

But his campaign has been undermined by the spread of a virus he cannot control.

Since March 29, when the first case was diagnosed in a Liberty student living off-campus, confirmed coronavirus cases in the Central Virginia health district, which surrounds Lynchburg and Liberty, have grown from seven to 78. One person has died. On Tuesday, a Lynchburg city police officer tested positive, forcing another officer into quarantine and setting off a furious effort to trace all of the infected officers contacts.

It is not known whether any of those cases are linked to returning Liberty students, but the university community is exposed as well. Liberty said on Wednesday night that two employees had tested positive for the coronavirus, two more had results pending, and seven were quarantined at home. Beyond the one acknowledged infection in a student, who the university said was not enrolled in classes, test results are due Friday on another student. Two other students have been relocated and quarantined in an annex with no symptoms, no test.

A worship leader at Thomas Road Baptist Church, which is adjacent to and affiliated with Libertys campus, is also sick with Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The academic toll from coronavirus school shutdowns could take years to remedy, new research conducted in Portland shows.

Students in Oregon and across the U.S. are likely to start school in the fall equipped with only about 70% of expected gains in reading and writing skills and 50% or less of expected math skills.

Gov. Kate Brown ordered schools to close statewide one month ago. Schools have started delivering distance learning classes. But the potential education loss remains profound.

This is the longest break in an education that any kid who has started kindergarten has experienced in the history of modern U.S. education, said Chris Minnich, the chief executive of Portland-based testing outfit NWEA, which performed the research.

Here are more developments to know Thursday:

HOUSING: Despite the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis, the vast majority of renters in the Portland area and across the country managed to pay their April housing bills, data from housing groups show.

RESPONSE: Several states have required masks to enter businesses. Oregon has not. State officials have so far allowed wearing masks to remain voluntary.

CASES: More than 1,660 people in Oregon have contracted the coronavirus, and 58 have died, according to the latest update issued by state officials. One Oregon coronavirus patient, a Douglas County nurse, received a possible life-saving plasma donation as he fights COVID-19.

JOBS: Antiquated computer systems could cost Oregon more than $100 million in federal money earmarked for workers laid off by the coronavirus pandemic  workers who, in some cases, are younger than the computer systems themselves. State officials had said the old technology prevents them from waiving a mandatory one-week waiting period for benefits. But Oregons entire Congressional delegation urged the governor to waive the waiting period.

UNEMPLOYMENT: The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week, the government reported Thursday. Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month  easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record.

BUSINESS: Dozens of soon-to-open businesses in Portland have been placed on hold by the coronavirus pandemic. Some of those businesses had already hired staff and purchased inventory. Sweeping shutdown orders cut customers -- and traffic. Oregon transportation officials said recent traffic counts across the state show the obvious: Traffic is decreasing.

LAW: State corrections officials said up to 6,000 prison inmates could face release to allow social distancing. But Gov. Kate Brown ruled out a mass release. Attorneys say inmates in the federal prison in Sheridan are overwhelmed by the coronavirus lockdown.

YOUR STORIES:

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By Express News Service

KOCHI: Overcoming uncertainties in cargo movement due to the lockdown, a Kerala-based company has exported 33.5 lakh pairs of sterile surgical gloves to Belgrade, the second such consignment by the company to Serbia after it sent 35.5 lakh pairs at the end of last month.

St Marys Rubbers (P), Kanjirapilly, sent the consignment weighing 95 tonnes via the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) on Monday, taking the total exports to 69 lakh pairs of sterile latex surgical gloves in just over two weeks time. Subin Jose, manager-marketing of the gloves division of St Marys Rubber, said the company has been able to deliver orders quickly to other clients as well to cater to the needs of the healthcare industry amid the COVID-19 spread.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES

For the Kerala governments Karunya project, the company has received an order for 10.25 lakh pairs of gloves and it has also delivered 14.2 lakh pairs of gloves to the Odisha government.

There is no shortage of the product, he said, adding that it has also received an order for one crore pairs of gloves for Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. We have already supplied 9 lakh pairs to begin with, Jose said, adding that the remaining quantity will be supplied in the coming days.

The company, which exports to over 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, West Asia and Africa, has the capacity to produce 5-5.5 lakh pairs of surgical gloves per day. Jose said with the latest consignment to Serbia, St Marys Rubbers has completed its orders to that country.
Retail salesa primary driver of the US economyare almost surely suffering further during April because business shutdowns will have been in effect for the entire month, compared with just half of March

Washington: Evidence of the coronavirus' devastating impact on the US economy has been steadily emerging, and the signs have grown ominous.

Sales at stores and restaurants plunged in March by the largest amount on records dating back to 1992. The nation's industrial output fell by the largest amount since the end of World War II. And the outbreak keeps ravaging the global oil market.

That was just Wednesday's news.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. You don't want to look, but you know you have to."

The picture will likely worsen in the coming weeks and months. Retail salesa primary driver of the US economyare almost surely suffering further during April because business shutdowns will have been in effect for the entire month, compared with just half of March.

Sales of homes and cars will also keep declining. And economists have forecast that Thursday's weekly report on applications for unemployment benefits will show that millions of Americans sought jobless aid last week, on top of the record-high of nearly 17 million who filed in the previous three weeks.

Economists now project a record-shattering 40 percent annual decline in US economic output for the April-June quarter. While growth is expected to rebound in the second half of the year, economists at JP Morgan Chase have forecast that the US economy will still shrink 7 percent for 2020 as a whole.

The slowdown will be global. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday predicted that the world economy would shrink 3 percent this year, the worst outcome since the Great Depression. That is hammering oil prices, threatening the solvency of many oil drillers and putting many of their employees out of work. Global demand for oil will fall this year by the most ever due to economic lockdowns around the world, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.

Demand will drop an estimated 9.3 million barrels a day, which is equivalent to a decade's worth of growth.

In the US, consumer spending drives more than two-thirds of the economy and was one of the main pillars of support before the virus. Business investment in new plants and equipment had already pulled back in the face of the US-China trade war and falling oil prices.

On Wednesday, the government said US retail sales plummeted 8.7 percent in March, an unprecedented decline, as the outbreak brought most commerce to a halt.

The deterioration of sales far outpaced the previous record decline of 3.9 percent that took place during the depths of the Great Recession in November 2008. Auto sales dropped 25.6 percent, while clothing store sales collapsed, sliding 50.5 percent. Restaurants and bars reported a nearly 27 percent fall in revenue.

Spending may be falling at an even faster pace than the retail sales figures suggest. Wednesday's report did not include spending on services such as hotel stays, airline tickets or movie theaters.

Also Wednesday, the US reported that industrial production, which includes manufacturing, mines and utilities, posted the biggest drop in March since 1946. Manufacturing output dropped 6.3 percent last month, led by plunging production at auto factories that have shut down. Output dropped 3.9 percent at utilities and 2 percent at mines as oil and gas drilling plunged.

And builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes has fallen off a cliff, according to an index released Wednesday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Their monthly housing market index plunged 42 points in April to a reading of 30, the largest single monthly change in the history of the index.

Retail sales represent about one-third of consumer spending, with the rest consisting of services. But the damage to the sector has broader ramifications for the economy.

The retail industry supports 1 out of 4 jobs in the US, according to some estimates. That includes millions of jobs like delivery workers, tailors, vendors who supply hangers to store fixtures, and construction workers charged with renovating or building new stores.

A lot of the economy is driven by the consumer," said Neil Saunders, managing dierctor of GlobalData Retail, a research firm. The consumer is the linchpin. If the consumer takes a tumble, the rest of the economy falls down.

Stockpiling of essentials is starting to wane, Saunders said, which will also lower retail sales in April, and more grocery stores are limiting the number of shoppers in their locations. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, is now allowing no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time. That will reduce their stores' capacity by about 80 percent.

The pullback in spending intensifies the problems facing brick-and-mortar retailers, which were already struggling with online competition.

With a nationwide shutdown of malls and most stores, the pandemic is putting many clothing retailers in peril, while increasing the dominance of big box stores that have remained open during the pandemic because they sell essentials like food and household goods.

More than 250,000 stores, including Macy's, Nordstrom and Nike, which sell nonessential merchandise, have been shuttered since mid-March. That's 60 percent of overall US retail square footage, Saunders said.

Major retailers including JC Penney, Macy's and Nordstrom have furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers, while Walmart and Amazon are on hiring sprees to try to meet the surging demand of shoppers buying online or for curbside drop-off or delivery.
Donald Trump accused Nancy Pelosi of deleting a video from her Twitter that he claims proves she is responsible for several deaths related to coronavirus after urging people to visit Chinatown in San Francisco.

'Crazy Nancy Pelosi deleted this from her Twitter account. She wanted everyone to pack into Chinatown long after I closed the BORDER TO CHINA,' Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon, claiming the comments from the House Speaker came weeks after the span of the threat was known.

'Based on her statement, she is responsible for many deaths. She's an incompetent, third-rate politician!' he asserted.

In the video Pelosi urged people to continue coming to Chinatown, and it circulated after Trump ally Charlie Kirk posted it Wednesday sarcastically claiming 'it would be a shame if this went viral so that EVERY Americans sees it.

'It looks like Nancy Pelosi deleted this video of her in Chinatown on February 24th,' Kirk claimed in his tweet. 'Why could that be? It's almost as if she doesn't want the American people to see it.'

Trump often called COVID-19 the 'Chinese virus' in March as it originated in Wuhan in China's Hubei province.

Many claim the phrase is racist and incited violence against Asian Americans  and the president eventually let up on using the term to reference coronavirus.

Donald Trump posted a video of Nancy Pelosi urging people to go to Chinatown, claiming she made the comments weeks after he shut down travel from China and insisting she is responsible for deaths from coronavirus because of the comments

Trump posted the tweet after ally Charlie Kirk posted the video, sarcastically claiming it would be a 'shame if this went viral.' He provided no proof that the video had originally been posted on Pelosi's Twitter or the timeline of when the comments were made

The House Speaker's Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill claimed Pelosi had never posted the video to her account and said the comments were made three weeks before San Francisco issued shelter-un-place orders

'To everyone: We should come to Chinatown,' Pelosi said in the video, urging people not to stop bringing business to that neighborhood of San Francisco. 'Precautions have been taken by our city. We know that there's a concern about tourism, traveling all throughout the world,' she continued. 'But we think it's very safe to be in Chinatown and hope that others will come'

Trump often referred to coronavirus as the 'Chinese virus' last month, but let up on using the phrase after reports emerged of increased violence towards Asian Americans

'To everyone: We should come to Chinatown,' Pelosi said in the video, urging people not to stop bringing business to that neighborhood of San Francisco.

'Precautions have been taken by our city. We know that there's a concern about tourism, traveling all throughout the world,' she continued. 'But we think it's very safe to be in Chinatown and hope that others will come.'

San Francisco was the first U.S. city to issue shelter-in-place orders last month.

Kirk provided no proof that Pelosi had posted the video or a timeline of when the comments were made  although it is clear from the video clip that it was aired by a local television affiliate.

Pelosi's Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill asserted Trump and Kirk's claim about the video is incorrect, and said that the video was actually taken several weeks before San Francisco ordered citizens go on lockdown.

'Fact check: We never posted this video. It's obviously local TV coverage of the Speaker visiting Chinatown in San Francisco three weeks prior to the shelter-in-place order,' Hammill tweeted.

Trump also bashed the House Speaker in a Thursday morning tweet, claiming she is a 'weak and pathetic puppet' after she issued a letter to her Democratic colleagues railing against the president for his response to the coronavirus crisis.

'Crazy 'Nancy Pelosi, you are a weak person. You are a poor leader. You are the reason America hates career politicians, like yourself.' @seanhannity,' Trump tweeted, adding a few edits to a quote from Fox News' Sean Hannity.

'She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job!' the president continued.

As the House is recessed, Pelosi is spending lockdown at her home in San Francisco and joining network television interviews from her kitchen and dining room via video call and holds her weekly press briefings over the phone.

The House Speaker excoriated Trump in a 'dear colleague' letter sent to Democrats Tuesday.

In the letter she blamed the current situation in the U.S. in the midst of the coronavirus crisis on the president and accused him of lying to the American people.

Trump also said Thursday that Nancy Pelosi is a 'weak and pathetic puppet' as she and Democrats continue to block additional assistance. 'She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left... Come back to Washington and do your job!' Trump tweeted

The president's comments came after Pelosi released a dear colleague letter to Democrats on Tuesday claiming Trump lies about coronavirus and insisting he is to blame for the severity of the virus in the U.S. and the economic fallout

'In order to move forward, we must first understand the truth of what has put us in this position,' the House Speaker wrote before diving into a series of problems she blames on Trump.

'The truth is that Donald Trump told his most loyal followers that the pandemic was a hoax and that it would magically disappear, thus endangering lives and paving the way for economic disaster,' she listed, insisting he ignored warnings of the coronavirus threat earlier this year.

Pelosi also laid out in the letter that she believes Trump's presidential actions are the reason coronavirus hit the U.S. as hard as it has and caused so much economic disaster and financial hardships for Americans.

'Donald Trump dismantled the infrastructure handed to him which was meant to plan for and overcome a pandemic, resulting in unnecessary deaths and economic disaster,' she wrote.

'The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others,' the California Democrat continued.

Democrats were able to block a measure last week from Republicans requesting unanimous consent for a $250 billion expansion of the payment protection program (PPP) for small businesses to avoid stuttering and keep their employees on the payroll.

Pelosi claimed her Party would not allow the interim provision to pass because it did not include a list of measures Democrats demanded be included.

Although Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the other measures should be included in part two of the CARES Act, Democratic leadership said other provisions are more urgent than the PPP and require immediate attention.

Pelosi asserts one of these necessary additions is an expansion of testing availability.

'The President continues to obfuscate, saying we have more testing than any other country in the world. The truth is that only 1 percent of Americans have been tested,' she wrote. 'The failure to test is central to the spread of the virus and its impact on those most vulnerable in our society. The failure to test is dangerous and deadly, and without testing, we cannot resume our lives.'

As of Thursday morning the death toll in the U.S. from coronavirus surpassed 30,000 and there are nearly 630,000 confirmed cases, which is more than any other country has reported.

In California alone there are nearly 27,000 confirmed cases and 880 people died in the state after contracting COVID-19.

Experts analyses show the pandemic likely reached its peak in the U.S. this week, but some claim there could be a resurgence of the virus in the fall or winter.

Pelosi is also demanding that the next bill include billions for an increase in production and distribution of testing sets, masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare centers, hospitals and healthcare professionals.

In March, Trump signed the CARES Act  a $2.2 trillion bill that allocated money, loans and grants to several industries, government institutions, small businesses and directly to the American people  in the form of $1,200 direct checks.

Democrats claim they need another overarching bill like the one passed at the end of March.

Trump hold nearly-daily press briefings at the White House with his coronavirus task force. Pelosi accused Trump of downplaying the threat of the virus earlier on this year and calling it a 'hoax'

The House Speaker engages in virtual interview nearly every day to run counter-programming to Trump's White House briefings

Due to the coronavirus crisis the once record-breaking economy has spiraled and unemployment claims reached an all-time-high this month after more than 15 million people filed for the benefits in three weeks.

Pelosi blames the economic repercussions of the virus on Trump and his handling of the outbreak from the start.

'The truth is because of an incompetent reaction to this health crisis, the strong economy handed to Donald Trump is now a disaster, causing the suffering of countless Americans and endangering lives,' she said.

Trump holds nearly-daily press briefings with his White House coronavirus task force, which are nationally televised and attended by a controlled number of members of the media.

Pelosi has done her best to run counter-programming to the president's seemingly limitless air-time by appearing in virtual interviews with networks almost every day  sometimes from her home in San Francisco.
Theres a growing consensus among industry experts that insurance policies wont cover pandemic revenue losses for the vast majority of shuttered or hobbled businesses in Canada.

But the insurance industry faces looming waves of separate perils in the form of policies that cover hacker attacks and shareholder lawsuits related to COVID-19 losses.

I understand everybody wanting to shake every tree and see what money they can get from it, said David Mackenzie, an insurance lawyer with the Toronto firm Blaney McMurtry LLP.

The business interruption part of the forest I dont think is going to result in a lot of money but  other claims will arise that are more clearly within the scope of the insurance that the market is providing.

For example, Mackenzie says so-called cyber insurance policies taken out by many companies could clearly be taxed heavily by the pandemic.

Because so many people are working from home during the pandemic, computer hackers have far more opportunities to break into systems, he says  doing damage that cyber policies clearly insure.

When youre in the office it tends to be secure, or if youre set up well to work from home, he said.

But there has been such a rush to add everybody and their home computers and their cellphones and their own devices to the system  that security levels have gone down.

A recent cyber industry report said hackers could stay in your system for nearly 200 days before theyll give away their presence, Mackenzie says.

And so down the road there may be an enormous spike in things like ransomware claims and other forms of cyber-breach claims, he said.

And I think everybody is sort of seeing the potential tidal wave of those sorts of issues once the hackers have taken everything they want out of peoples computer systems.

Toronto lawyer Marcus Knapp agrees, saying there are far more opportunities for hackers and far less IT supervision with millions working from home.

If people are remoting in youve got a lot more windows for hackers  to gain access to what would other wise be secure facilities, said Knapp, an insurance expert with the firm Ricketts Harris LLP.

And these arent claims that would be subject to virus exclusions because theyre not driven by the virus, he said.

Mackenzie says there are also likely to be privacy issues that could tax insurance companies through lawsuits brought against governments and companies.

If we really do go down the road of having to track people and trace people  its not just the hacking scenarios that are covered by cyber policies, he said.

Its also if you breach somebodys privacy rights and they sue you, that can trigger coverage as well.

Mackenzie says company directors may face lawsuits in the coming months from shareholders blaming poor management for their losses  lawsuits that could lead to vast liability-insurance payouts.

Are the decisions they are making now exposing them (boards of directors) to lawsuits from shareholders for the crash in share prices, Mackenzie said.

Thats insured under directors and officers liability policies, he added.

Despite a class-action suit launched recently on behalf of business owners in Saskatchewan, claimants will have an uphill struggle to pry money out of insurance companies for their COVID-19 interruptions, Knapp says.

Unless there is specific language listing pandemics  as is the case with most Canadian dentists  then lawsuits seeking insurance payouts on property policies are likely to fail, he says.

It has to be tied to physical damage, and so the big question in all of this is, Does the virus constitute physical damage?  he said.

Thats going to be the big line of attack, or the big focus for any litigation over coverage in that area  does the virus constitute physical loss.

In a written statement to the Star, Insurance Bureau of Canada spokesperson Steve Kee said most policies do not cover business interruptions caused by the viral emergency.

Generally, commercial insurance policies and traditional business-interruption policies do not offer coverage for business interruption or supply-chain disruption due to a pandemic such as COVID-19, Kee wrote.

Mackenzie says the entire industry would likely go broke if pandemic business-interruption claims had to be paid out.

The belief among most lawyers and most brokers  so more or less both sides of the equation  is that it is only going to be the very rare business-interruption claim that might thread the needle here, he said.

Just because this wasnt what anybody had intended these things to do. The terms of the coverage that is being granted under are fairly narrowly drafted to meet certain circumstances, and this just isnt it.

Most policies only cover physical damage due to floods, fires and accidents, and a virus doesnt make that obvious and tangible grade, Knapp adds.

Still, Knapp expects to see a slew of lawsuits testing the insurance industrys general business-interruption denial policy in the courts.

He also expects to see lawsuits by employees who get sick after their companies ordered them into work  something that liability insurance might be made to cover.

That doesnt mean insurance companies wont be facing a spate of undeniable damage claims as shops and factories sit closed and empty, Mackenzie says.

If you have a building that isnt occupied or is less occupied, that is inherently a higher risk for loss, he said.

Whether its fire, whether its breakdowns, whether its break-ins, I think if this goes on much longer, actuarially all insurers would expect to see a rise in property claims.
Twitter users have been left in floods of tears after This Morning played a nurses' rendition of Rise Up today.

Staff at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary intensive care unit produced their own version of Andra Days hit song Rise Up.

The moving clip was played to open the ITV programme and left social media users feeling emotional over lyrics, such as: 'I'll rise up, in spite of the ache. I'll rise up, and I'll do it a thousands times again for you.'

Twitter users have been left in floods of tears after This Morning played a nurses' rendition of Rise Up (pictured) today

Staff at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary intensive care unit produced their own version of Andra Days hit song Rise Up and it made many viewers (pictured) emotional

One person wrote: 'Oh my gosh. I'm an emotional wreck watching This Morning with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford. We are only ten minutes in!'

Another said: 'Oh I'm sobbing my heart out already. That was beautiful #ThisMorning.' while a third added: 'I'm not crying, you're crying.'

'What an emotional opening to This Morning seeing those incredible NHS heroes singing Rise Up,' a fourth admitted.

The Newcastle NHS workers, dressed in their uniforms, are captured in their hospital as they sing the emotional tune.

The footage, which has been widely shared online, ends with a poster which reads: 'Your NHS frontline nurses fighting for you. Dedicated to our fallen colleagues and friends.'

The moving clip was played to open the ITV programme and left social media users (pictured) feeling emotional

The stars of the viral clip (pictured) appeared on This Morning to talk about the reaction they'd received and explained that they're always singing to keep their spirits up at work

Ruth and Eamonn (pictured left) also treated the medics to a go on the programme's game Spin The Wheel, winning the staff members 3,000

The stars of the viral clip appeared on This Morning to talk about the reaction they'd received and explained that they're always singing to keep their spirits up at work.

Ruth and Eamonn also treated the medics to a go on the programme's game Spin The Wheel, winning the staff members 3,000.

Some 45 NHS staff have died during the outbreak after testing positive for coronavirus, amid 12,868 deaths and 98,476 cases of COVID-19 across the UK.

Among them is Gareth Roberts, 65, who had come out of retirement to work at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff and was doing extra shifts to cope with the crisis.

But he became ill himself with coronavirus, and gradually his condition deteriorated. He died at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales on Saturday.

His heartbroken family claim the nurse was working with just a 'paper mask, plastic gloves and a pinny' ahead of his death.

A pregnant nurse, 28, also died on Sunday after catching coronavirus after undergoing an emergency caesarean to deliver and save her baby daughter.

While father-of-two Dr Peter Tun, 62, died in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Reading on Monday.

Another victim, Ade Raymond, 48, had been working as a healthcare assistant for the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust before he died.

Dr Tun worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for more than 21 years.

In an emotional tribute, his sons revealed he had always told them, 'Treat all your patients like they are your own family'.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A federal judge in Cleveland said he would not release three detainees in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to the coronavirus, but asked if there was a way to release one of them to prevent severe illness or death.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster told attorneys for ICE and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Wednesday that they should confer to see if they could come up with a plan to release Romel Amaya-Cruz from the Geauga County Jail, as it appeared he was at increased risk from the coronavirus.

Amaya-Cruz, a citizen of El Salvador who has been in custody since December 2018, is HIV-positive and has other medical ailments.

The judge told them to see if there are conditions, such as house arrest, that Romel could follow if he were to be released and to report back by Friday, according to minutes posted on the federal court docket.

The ACLU of Ohio sued Friday, seeking the release of Amaya-Cruz and three other inmates detained by ICE at jails in Geauga and Seneca counties. They argued the immigrants had pre-existing health conditions that could put them at increased risk of illness or death from the coronavirus, which is exacerbated by their living in close quarters with others and having limited access to quality healthcare.

The organization on Monday added six more immigrants to their case.

Polster said Wednesday he would not order the release of three others the ACLU initially flagged and said they were not at high risk from the coronavirus. As for the six new plaintiffs, the judge ordered ICE to look into their cases and respond to the ACLU by the middle of next week. He will hold a hearing by phone on April 24.

No ICE detainees in the state, who are also held at jails in Butler and Morrow counties, have tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday, though an employee at the Butler County Jail has. Nationwide, 89 detainees have tested positive, along with 25 who work at detention centers.

However, jails and prisons across Ohio have reported an increasing number of cases.

Lawyers from the U.S. Attorney Office, which represents ICE in the ACLU lawsuit, wrote in a filing Tuesday that Polster should not order the release the immigrants, writing that release on the possibility that a detainee could catch COVID-19 in a facility where the disease is not currently present, would provide grounds to release a large majority of the detainees in ICE custody. That would prevent ICE from enforcing immigration laws, they said.

The attorneys also wrote that the agency and jails had taken steps to ensure the safety of detainees.

In contrast, COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the outside community, states the brief, written by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Hammond Johnson. Petitioners arguably may be safer in ICE custody than they are at large.
Harrisburg School Board Member Gerald Welch lived to help others.

So when the novel coronavirus hit Pennsylvania, he continued visiting and serving his clients as a behavioral outreach social worker. He knew clients, many of them autistic, were counting on him, so he continued providing support, including rides to work and to the grocery store.

Now friends are wondering if that unwavering devotion cost him his life.

Welch wore gloves, a mask and used hand sanitizer while he was out. He had diabetes and tried to be as safe as he could. But earlier this month he started having symptoms of headache, fever and body aches. On Thursday, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and he and his wife Donna started to self-quarantine. His condition quickly deteriorated.

On Easter Sunday, Donna rushed him to a hospital because he was becoming so weak.

Donna spoke to him by phone Monday morning and he said they had transferred him to the ICU because of low lung function.

If it doesnt pick up, Gerald told her. Then theyre going to intubate me and thats when you die.

Donna said: Dont say that! You hang in there, You fight. Youre too ornery to die!

It would be the last time she would talk to him. He didnt answer her next text message, and by Monday afternoon he was on a ventilator.

Early Wednesday, doctors said he went into cardiac arrest. They tried four times to bring him back, but they could not. Welch, 56, then became one of the nearly 650 deaths in Pennsylvania from the novel coronavirus.

Donna has not seen her husbands body. The hospital wont allow it. Plus shes still under quarantine, stuck at home, unable to see friends and extended relatives. Shes not sure what kind of funeral shell be able to have for Gerald because of social-distancing rules or when since she is under quarantine until at least April 26.

Its a living nightmare, she said.

His sudden death sent shockwaves across the country as friends in different cities learned the news. He was well-known and liked in Harrisburg, but also his former hometowns of New York City and Washington D.C. and in North Carolina, where he had extended family.

He always cared about other people more than he cared about himself, said his sister, Tresa Welch, of Washington D.C. He always put others needs before his. He never met a person he didnt think was important.

Gerald showed these tendencies even as a child, Tresa said, like when he gave his coat to another kid in class who didnt have a coat.

Guess what? his mother told him. Now you dont have a coat.

But Gerald didnt care if he had to go without. As long as he knew he helped someone, Tresa said.

That was his driving force: to make a difference for others and in his community. He knew his recent job couldnt be done effectively from a distance, Tresa said. If he wasnt going to be there for his clients: Who would?

He was devoted to the men he supported, she said, to their inclusion in the community and their development.

Welch grew up one of two children in Washington D.C., where he attended public schools. He was an athlete and a fantastic dancer, Tresa said. He eventually married, had children, struggled with drug addiction and went through a divorce. He successfully completed drug rehabilitation at the Delancey Street Foundation in New York City. The experience changed his life and refocused his passion on helping people.

Brandy Newton, of North Carolina, met Gerald when they were both residents at Delancey Street.

Some people you just click with, she said. He was always very insightful and just took me under his wing, like a little sister. After they both graduated, they kept in touch. She referred to his personality as like an iron marshmallow. He had a tough exterior and called people out for messing up, but was soft and caring on the inside.

He was one of the main people I went to if I was struggling with sobriety, faith or a life-decision, Newton said. Through my moms stroke and my sons cancer diagnosis, he was always there for me. He was an inspiration in how you pick yourself up from rock bottom and be something great.

Gerald went on to earn his masters degree from Fordham University in social work, constantly pushing himself to honor his parents.

While he was finishing his degree in early 2008, he met his future wife Donna through a social media website called MySpace. She liked how sweet and polite he was. He eventually passed his phone number to her and she kept it for about a week before she finally called him.

We have talked every day since that day, she said. They talked for several months until he suggested that he could stop by her home in Pennsylvania on his way to a speaking engagement in Washington D.C.

They had never met before so Donna invited over all her relatives so everyone would have a chance to meet him. She toiled over a big dinner, but when Gerald showed up, he wasnt interested in the food. He asked to speak to her privately and then pulled out an engagement ring.

Donna said yes, even though she had originally pledged to never remarry after a bad first marriage. But his consistent kindness and honesty blew her away.

The marriage in 2008 is what brought Gerald to Harrisburg. He worked at first as a drug and alcohol counselor and then started the job he had most recently, which he loved.

He had a client who would call 100 times a day, Donna said. And Gerald would take his calls and talk to him 100 times a day. Gerald and Donna also took his clients on outings together at times, including trips to bowling alleys and tours of Washington D.C.

One of Geralds passions was education. He knew firsthand how a good education could change not only someones life, but their family and community. Thats how he got involved with the Harrisburg School District, first as a resident pushing for more transparency and accountability from school leaders.

As a resident, would show up at every school board meeting and challenge the previous administration about their decisions and why student performance wasnt increasing. His speeches during public comments often pumped up the crowd and sometimes got standing ovations.

He nearly got kicked out of a school board meeting last year for drilling into the prior school leadership amid a series of scandals and financial mishaps.

He was calling B.S. on what they were doing, Buchwach said. They called security to get him out. And Im like, Thats not going to work. He eventually just left.

Thats when he and Jayne Buchwach agreed to run for school board seats together. For Welch, it was his second attempt at a board seat.

We walked the neighborhoods and he had this instant appeal, Buchwach said. He was this big guy with a big voice. He could be seen as intimidating. But he was all about doing the right thing for the community.

They both won seats last year as part of a slate to flip control of the board. One trait people respected about Gerald was his brutal honesty.

He was very outspoken, Buchwach said. His mantra was, I dont go along to get along.

Fellow Board Member Brian Carter said Gerald Welch showed him the ropes and kept him focused.

One of his biggest strengths was his voice. He was pretty much a vocal legend, Carter said. And he was willing to offer a solution and roll up his sleeves as well. He didnt just point out what was wrong. He came with solutions.

Board Member Carrie Fowler said Welch was willing to learn from his mistakes. In fact, he insisted on it.

He was so humble in that way, she said.

Fowler said she planned to spearhead the creation of a scholarship in Geralds name that could benefit a younger student still in the Harrisburg School District, by providing tutoring, mentoring and other kinds of supports for kids on the edge, the kind of kids Gerald always wanted to help.

He always spoke the loudest for the kids who were struggling, she said, for the forgotten kids. I dont know how this scholarship will work yet, but it would be something to keep his legacy alive.

Gerald had his eye on bigger things in his future. He and Donna had started a program called FOCUS to help ex-offenders get back on their feet. He also toyed with the idea of running for mayor, even sharing the idea on his last radio show a few weeks ago. Another one of his passions was inspiring people to turn out to vote. He believed residents of Allison Hill could direct the citys agenda if they all showed up on election day.

I grieve for our community, Buchwach said. We lost a voice. We lost this force that was so needed.

Gerald Welch leaves behind five children and 14 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son who was murdered in Washington D.C.

The Harrisburg School District put out the following statement about Gerald Welch:

We are truly saddened by the passing of Harrisburg School Board Director, Mr. Gerald Welch, a true champion for others. We applaud and are extremely grateful for the unwavering support that Mr. Welch shared with the students, families and staff of the Harrisburg School District. As a true public servant, Mr. Welch was a passionate advocate for students and the broader community. The incredible manner in which Mr. Welch served and gave to others was a positive gift to our District.

READ: Decision to shut down Pa. schools for rest of academic year brings relief, disappointment
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Linkedin Rob Lever (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Thu, April 16, 2020 13:03 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd23c85d 2 Science & Tech robot-delivery,robots,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic,health Free

What looks like a rolling picnic cooler stops at the crosswalk, waits for a car to pass and then navigates its way at a leisurely pace down the sidewalk in suburban Washington.

Three blocks away, Jake Williams and his three-year-old daughter Emilia wait for the delivery robot and take out bags with pizza, fresh fruit and a loaf of French bread from the nearby Broad Branch Market.

"We can't go into the shops now," says Williams, among those locked down due to the virus pandemic. "And it's fun for her."

The Starship delivery robots have seen surging demand in dozens of cities around the world, with consumers staying home and virus risks growing for both shoppers and delivery workers.

Starship began working with the Broad Branch in early April, when the corner store was forced to close to shoppers because it was too small to ensure proper social distancing.

Store owner Tracy Stannard said a fleet of up to 10 robots each day, managed by Starship, helps the market meet demands in the neighborhood. The store handles 60 to 70 deliveries daily, half by robot.

"Some people request the robot, they don't even care about the groceries," Stannard said. "It's cute to see them roaming the neighborhood and it makes people happy."

Robot deliveries from Starship and a handful of other companies meet only a tiny fraction of food deliveries, but highlight a need in a time of social distancing and pandemic fears.

The jump in demand comes as consumers see a trip to the grocery store as a perilous adventure, and retail employees are scrambling to keep safe.

More than 40 grocery store employees in the US have died from the virus, according to a Washington Post tally. And delivery workers around the US have staged protests to press safety demands.

Expanding demand

San Francisco-based Starship Technologies, created by two Skype founders, is gearing up to operate in other areas around Washington and recently launched with retailers in Tempe, Arizona, and in cities in Britain and California.

The rolling devices operate autonomously at a speed of around six kilometers per hour and can carry about three bags of goods.

"The demand for contactless delivery has expanded exponentially in recent weeks," said Ryan Tuohy, vice president of Starship.

"Our robots are doing autonomous deliveries in five countries and we're grateful that our robots can make life a little bit easier for everyone."

A handful of other companies also has been stepping up.

Silicon Valley startup Nuro recently began delivering groceries in the Houston area in partnership with grocery giant Kroger with its R2 autonomous robot, which travels on streets at speeds up to 40 kilometers per hour and can transport some 190 kilos (400 pounds).

Nuro is moving to expand its service and has received approval in California to operate on public roads.

"We did not foresee our service helping to keep Americans safe from contagion. But the COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the public need for contactless delivery services," Nuro's David Estrada said in a blog post.

"Times like these reinforce the need for autonomous delivery services like Nuro, and how they can benefit communities."

Delivery robots from Postmates, a delivery startup, have also been seen on the streets in California. And similar autonomous robots are being tested by Amazon.

Above the fray?

Drone delivery is another area where interest is growing due to the pandemic.

Wing, the drone startup created by Google parent Alphabet, has seen a jump in demand in its pilot projects in rural southwestern Virginia -- where it delivers non-prescription medicines and other items from the Walgreens chain -- and in Australia and Finland, a company spokesman said.

"While we recognize that this service will be a small relief during this time, we hope it means one less trip to the store for items our customers may need, and provides an efficient way for local businesses to reach their customers in a time when limiting human-to-human contact is important." Wing CEO James Ryan Burgess said.

Amazon and others have continued testing drone deliveries, but these systems are subject to regulatory barriers which have prevented deployment.

Zipline, a California startup which has been delivering medical supplies by drone in Africa, has indicated it wants offer similar services in the US once it gets regulatory approval.

"Zipline is helping other countries mount their national response efforts to #COVID19," the company said in a tweet. "As an American company in a time of crisis, we want to help our country as well."
Once upon a time, Bill Gates was the poster child for big tech companies dominating the world. Now decades later, he's established himself as the business world's most important -- and impactful -- Coronavirus voice.

Over the last several weeks, Gates has been one of the more ubiquitous and outspoken voices in trying to bring understanding and solutions to the world's Coronavirus pandemic. He's talked in detail about public health, how the world can move forward with social distancing, and the role of governments in the recovery.

He's even willing to defy decisions coming out of Washington."Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," Gates said on Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would halt its support for the World Health Organization. "Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever."

Gates's comments were liked more than 200,000 times as of this writing. It was just the latest in a string of statements Gates has been quick to make as the coronavirus threat continues to spread.

Last week, for instance, Gates said in a CNBC interview that he didn't believe schools would reopen until the fall. His comments followed a TED talk he gave in March, where he feared about the impact the coronavirus spread could have on developing countries.

"I worry about all the economic damage but even worse will be how this will affect the developing countries who cannot do the social distancing the same way as rich countries and whose hospital capacity is much lower," he said.

Those comments and others have been bolstered by his willingness to put up cash in the fight. In February, he and Melinda Gates pledged $100 million to halt the coronavirus outbreak. In March, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $50 million to Covid-19 Therapeutic Accelerator.

Of course, other business leaders, like Alibaba's Jack Ma, Twitter's Jack Dorsey, and others have all pledged plenty of cash, but none has been able to lead in the way Gates has.

Gates has shared his cash, of course, but he also has authority that comes from knowing and talking about global pandemics and funding research for decades. That work continues now, and he's pledging even more cash. He's also sharing valuable insight in digestible ways with a public that desperately needs it.
University of Michigan Launches Stimulus Check Guide

Civic Technologist Creates Free Chatbots for the Health Services Space

New York State Tech Team Attracts 6,500 Crisis Volunteers

Code for Chapel Hill Launches North Carolina COVID Support Site

Developers have built a new smartphone app for tracing potential coronavirus infections.A team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine announced the tool this week, describing as potentially instrumental in the effort to trace and track infections, which is something governors have described as a vital step in reopening the economy. The tool is called TrackCOVID , and it is a free, open-sourced app that its creators say also ensures the privacy of those who are potentially affected.In-depth information about the project can be found in a recently-published paper . In short, this has to do with something called contact tracing, which means tracking down and isolating anyone who has been exposed after an individual tests positive for an infectious disease. This has traditionally been a slow, inefficient process, and previous efforts to find tech-based means of speeding it up have been met with concerns related to privacy violations.TrackCOVID, however, is different in that it developers say it works by creating an anonymous graph of interactions. People using the app simply log contacts by hosting or joining a checkpoint when they go out in public. When a person registers at that same checkpoint, they get a quick response code.What all of this adds up to is a system wherein over time interactions are linked to each other anonymously. If someone then tests positive for COVID-19, they report it through the app without revealing their identity, and the app goes on to notify users who via the checkpoint login system were potentially at an elevated risk of exposure.In a press release announcing the app, developers urged local, state and other government entities to endorse its use, and they also stressed that it would be helpful to enlist grocery stores and other essential gathering places for outreach. Ideas for outreach include posting signs displaying the QR code for the app that visitors can quickly scan to both download it and be checked in.If enough public places are doing this, then a lot of contact tracing will happen without any users making a conscious effort other than scanning a QR code when they go shopping, said report co-author Brandon Lehrich in the release. From there, I think people will start to see the value of the app and begin using it to create checkpoints for their private interactions as well.The creation of the app comes during a time of swirling questions surrounding what returning to normal will look like for the country after this pandemic, with minimum expectations for a vaccine timeline placed at around 18 months. Several governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, have pointed to testing and tracking as a key part of regaining some normalcy for American life.With the help of a company that has been a leader in human-centric design applications within state government, the University of Michigan has created a guide for how individuals can ensure receipt of their federal government stimulus check.The site is online now , titled How to Get Your $1,200 Stimulus Check, and the bulk of it is a question and answer section that addresses problems and inquiries such as who is eligible to receive the check, will the money be considered taxable income, what to do if one doesnt have a bank account, how to avoid scams related to the stimulus payments and more.The company that helped the university create this is Detroit-based Civilla, which lent assistance to Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan by user testing language to ensure clarity and to maximize understanding, both of which are key tenets of human-centric design that are being increasingly embraced by online governmental products and services.The stimulus checks from the federal government are aimed at lessening the economic blow of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. They are one-time checks for individuals that offer $1,200 for those making less than $75,000 a year. They have largely been determined and distributed based on tax data kept by the IRS.The trouble for some residents, however, comes if they have not recently filed taxes with the IRS or do not have an easily accessible and consistent address or bank account for the money to be sent to. Part of the function of the website is addressing challenges such as those, as well as others.The founder of the chatbot platform Tars has now created a series of free chatbots aimed primarily at helping those within the health service space.Specifically, there are three different chatbots, all of which are related to COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic. Those three chatbots are a coronavirus risk assessment chatbot , a COVID-19 case tracker chatbot and a COVID-19 frequently asked questions chatbot . These chatbots, while most useful for those working on the frontlines of the crisis, are filled with valuable information that anyone can use.Users can, for example, take an assessment that guides them through risks and symptoms of COVID-19, ultimately gauging how likely they are to have the virus by taking into account current health as well as health history. The idea of that first chatbot is to serve as a facsimile for cursory and introductory interactions with health-care workers, thereby lessening the burden on them.And the other two chatbots function the same way, doling out a wide range of information, most of which has been culled from the Centers for Disease Controls own online resources, and is just being imparted here in a friendlier format.After putting out a call for volunteers to help with tech-driven responses to the COVID-19 crisis, New York states COVID-19 Technology Swat Team has now attracted more than 6,500 responses.The volunteers for this project all come from the tech sector, with officials noting in a tweet that this wave of helpers is bringing a wide range of experience and skills to the table, including Web/mobile development, data science/analytics, end-user support and digital content strategy. The state is also continuing to solicit more tech help, noting that they are still inviting technology companies, universities, nonprofits, research labs, and other organizations with technology expertise to express interest in helping with this response.For those unfamiliar with New York states Tech SWAT team, it is a service partnership that aims to bring in leading tech companies to support the work being done in response to the pandemic outbreak. They are doing so with a host of tools, including data, operations, Web apps and more.As organizers note on the teams website, Almost every facet of the response effort has a technological component that were supporting or leading. New York state has been the jurisdiction hit the hardest by the outbreak by a large margin, leading in infections and deaths specifically within New York City.Code for Chapel Hill  a civic tech group that is as its name implies based in Chapel Hill, N.C.  has built a new Web platform to support the COVID-19 response in the state.Fittingly dubbed NC COVID Support , the site is primarily a means of locating necessities for citizens. With a map as its dominant element, it can be used to find restaurants, free meals, pet supplies, pharmacies and more. Users can also toggle by the day on which they need to visit these essential services, doing so with a data layer that shows whats open and when.In addition to the locating data, the site can also be used to find out information related to social distancing, including whether establishments are doing curbside pick-up or online payments. So far, it has been populated with data for Orange County, N.C., which is home to Chapel Hill. Developers are encouraging users to add new information for other areas of the state as well.Code for Chapel Hill is a member of Code for America's Brigade Network, which is a group of regional civic tech groups conveened by the national organization.
A government hospital has reportedly asked 68 doctors, nurses and staff members to practise home quarantine after a COVID-19 suspect died on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old patient, who was pregnant, was admitted to Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital in North-West Delhi on Monday but did not tell authorities that she went on a foreign trip and was asked to be home quarantined, NDTV reported.

She was admitted after providing wrong information. "The patient did not disclose her travel history and the fact about her home quarantine given by District Magistrate (North West) despite repeated verbal query at the time of her admission and she submitted wrong information in the prescribed form," the report quoted hospital sources as saying.

The patient was moved to a ventilator after her condition deteriorated. She later revealed to the doctors that she had a travel history to another country and was even in contact with infected passengers. Four members of her family were ordered to practise isolation in their own homes from the district magistrate.

All the staff members, who were in contact with her have been asked to remain under home quarantine while the coronavirus report on the patient is awaited, NDTV report said.

Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 823 new COVID-19 cases, 28 deaths in last 24 hours

Also Read: Coronavirus outbreak: 5 lakh rapid test kits arrive in India
The Pentagon logo behind the podium in the briefing room at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 8, 2020. (ReutersAl Drago)

JEDI Cloud Computing Contract Awarded to Microsoft Was Processed Fairly: Pentagon

The Department of Defense announced April 15 that its decision to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft instead of Amazon was in line with legal and government purchasing standards.

The Inspectors General final report on the JEDI Cloud procurement confirms that the Department of Defense (DOD) conducted the JEDI Cloud procurement process fairly and in accordance with law, a statement from the DOD reads, following the public release of a report by the Department of Defense Inspector General (IG), a watchdog agency for the DOD.

The IGs team found that there was no influence by the White House or DOD leadership on the career source selection boards who made the ultimate vendor selection, the DOD statement continued.

This report should finally close the door on corporate-driven attacks on the career procurement officials who have been working tirelessly to get the much needed JEDI Cloud computing environment into the hands of our frontline warfighters while continuing to protect American taxpayers.

The cloud computing contract, known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI), is intended to give the U.S. military better access to data and technology from remote locations. The computing system will store and process a large amount of classified data and enable the Pentagon to speed up real-time sharing of information across the military, thereby improving its war planning and fighting capabilities.

In October 2019, Microsoft won the $10 billion contract to build the JEDI computing system, which the Pentagon had said was expected to be completed by 2029.

Tech rival Amazon, formerly a front runner in the contentious bidding process for the contract, blamed President Donald Trump for bias against the company and for improperly pressuring the Pentagon. In November 2019, the company sued the Pentagon. Work on the project has been halted as the lawsuit proceeds.

Amazon has said that the Pentagons decision to award Microsoft the contract was full of egregious errors and was a result of improper pressure from President Donald Trump.

Trump has criticized Amazon head Jeff Bezos and also Amazon, and has accused The Washington Post, owned by Bezos, of unfair coverage.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in November 2019 that he was satisfied the Pentagon made its choice fairly and without external influence.

In its report (pdf), the Pentagons inspector general found no evidence of White House interference in the contract award process.

Our review of the JEDI Cloud procurement concluded that the DoDs decision to award the JEDI Cloud contract to a single contractor was consistent with applicable law and acquisition standards, the report reads.

The inspector general noted that the review did not assess the appropriateness of the DoDs award of the JEDI Cloud contract to Microsoft rather than AWS [Amazon Web Services].

We did not review the merits of the contractors proposals or DoDs technical or price evaluations; rather, we reviewed the source selection process and whether it was in compliance with applicable statutes, policies, and the evaluation process described in the Request for Proposals, and also whether it was influenced by outside pressure, the report noted.

The report stated that it couldnt fully review whether there was any White House influence on the JEDI cloud procurement.

We could not review this matter fully because of the assertion of a presidential communications privilege, which resulted in several DoD witnesses being instructed by the DoD Office of General Counsel not to answer our questions about potential communications between White House and DoD officials about JEDI, the report stated.

Therefore, we could not definitively determine the full extent or nature of interactions that administration officials had, or may have had, with senior DoD officials regarding the JEDI Cloud procurement.

As a result, we could not be certain whether there were any White House communications with some DoD officials, which may have affected the JEDI procurement.

We believe the evidence we received showed that the DoD personnel who evaluated the contract proposals and awarded Microsoft the JEDI cloud contract were not pressured  by any DoD leaders more senior to them, who may have communicated with the White House, the report stated.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 on Wednesday as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the new normal.

New York: The toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 on Wednesday as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the new normal.

The governors of Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania each issued orders or recommendations that residents wear face masks as they emerge from isolation in the coming weeks.

If you are going to be in public and you cannot maintain social distancing, then have a mask, and put that mask on, said New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat.

Similar orders were imposed in New Jersey and Los Angeles last week and face coverings were recommended by Kansas governor Laura Kelly on Tuesday.

California governor Gavin Newsom has said residents across the nations most-populous state would likely be wearing masks in public for some time to come.

We are going to be getting back to normal; it will be a new normal, Connecticut governor Ned Lamont said, echoing a phrase used by at least two of his fellow governors in recent days.

US midwest governors were also making plans together to restart their economies, said Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Illinois governor JB Pritzker.

In Michigan, hundreds of cars flooded the streets around the state Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday to protest Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home orders, some of the strictest in the country.

Some protesters, in the demonstration organised by conservative and pro-President Donald Trump groups, left their cars to gather on the lawn in front of the Capitol building, many of them not wearing masks or practicing social distancing.

Toll on healthcare staff

As of Wednesday night, 30,885 people in the United States had died of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, according to a Reuters tally.

That includes more than 4,000 deaths newly attributed to the disease in New York City after health officials revised their counting methods to include probable, but unconfirmed, cases.

Healthcare workers have faced unique health threats while working on the front lines trying to tackle the pandemic.

Reuters has identified more than 50 nurses, doctors and medical technicians who have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19 or showing symptoms of it. At least 16 were in New York state.

The emergency room is like a war zone, said Raj Aya, whose wife, Madhvi Aya, a physicians assistant in Brooklyn, was one of the healthcare workers who died in New York.

As the outbreak begins to slow, political leaders have bickered over how and when to begin the process of unwinding unprecedented lockdowns that have damaged the economy and largely confined Americans to their homes.

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee told an afternoon news conference the largest obstacle to a return to normalcy was a shortage of coronavirus tests.

We simply havent had enough test kits, they simply do not exist anywhere in the United States right now, Inslee said, adding the state had purchased about a million swabs, along with vials and test medium but they were just starting to arrive.

At his daily White House briefing hours later, Trump boasted that the United States had the most expansive testing system anywhere in the world. But, he said, testing was a problem for the states and not the federal government.

We cant be thinking about a Walmart parking lot, where some testing is being done, but the states and cities should do that, he said.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday unveiled a $30 billion plan to vastly increase nationwide testing for the coronavirus.

Almost in free fall

Trump, citing data suggesting the peak of new infections had passed, said he would announce guidelines on Thursday for reopening the economy. The sweeping closures of businesses have left millions of Americans unemployed and store owners struggling to pay rent.

Government data released on Wednesday showed that retail sales dropped by 8.7 percent in March, the biggest decline since tracking began in 1992. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

In addition, output at US factories declined by the most since 1946 as the pandemic fractured supply chains. The economy is almost in free fall, said Sung Won Sohn, a business economics professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

The United States, with the worlds third-largest population, has now suffered the greatest number of reported fatalities from the coronavirus, ahead of Italy and Spain.

Globally, the number of infections has crossed the 2 million mark and over 136,000 people have died, a Reuters tally shows. The pathogen emerged last year in China.

Trump said on Wednesday his government was trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing needs to come clean on what they know. The official death toll released by the Chinese government stands at about 3,600.

The source of the virus remains a mystery. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday that US intelligence indicated the coronavirus likely occurred naturally, as opposed to being created in a laboratory in China, but there was no certainty either way.
The number of coronavirus cases in Wyoming rose by eight Thursday with three of the new cases in Natrona County. There are now 296 confirmed cases in Wyoming and 105 probable cases; the Wyoming Department of Health has not changed the latter number since yesterday.

The other new confirmed cases were announced in Fremont, Laramie (three) and Washakie counties.

After a weeklong stretch (March 31-April 6) in which the state averaged more than 16 new cases per day, the state has averaged about half as many cases per day over the last 10 days.

However, Natrona County health officer Dr. Mark Dowell said those numbers were "falsely low."

On April 2, the Wyoming Department of Health began restricting testing to six priority categories; potential patients who don't fall in one of those categories now must be tested by private laboratories.

I think its probably setting us up for misunderstanding the data, Dowell said.

The state Health Department has said it's too soon to tell whether the drop-off is a result of the testing change, though Gov. Mark Gordon has said that the projected peak of the disease in Wyoming has not yet arrived.

The number of recoveries grew by 11 on Thursday  10 confirmed and one probable  to 187. Exactly half of the state's confirmed patients have now fully recovered.

Probable cases are defined by officials as close contacts of lab-confirmed cases with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The total number of probable cases did not change Thursday afternoon, though one case was added to Albany County and another was subtracted from Fremont County.

Patients have tested positive for coronavirus in 21 of Wyoming's 23 counties. With two recorded fatalities, Wyoming still has the lowest number of coronavirus deaths of any state. Alaska, Montana and South Dakota each have the second fewest deaths related to the virus, with seven each, according to the New York Times.

More than 14 percent of Wyoming's cases required a hospital stay. In over 3 percent of the cases, health officials don't know if the patient was hospitalized.

In 49 percent of the cases, the patient came in contact with a known case. In another 19.6 percent of the cases, the patient had traveled either domestically or internationally. Community spread has been attributed to over 11 percent of the cases. In 16.6 percent of Wyoming's cases, health officials don't how the person was exposed to the virus.

Wyoming is the only state with fewer than 300 confirmed cases; it was also the last state to 100 confirmed cases. The state's per capita case ranking has fallen in recent weeks; Wyoming has more cases per 100,000 people than six states, a number that was once as high as 20, according to the Times.

Total cases in Wyoming by county

Laramie: 67 confirmed (26 probable)

Teton: 59 (28)

Fremont: 43 (7)

Natrona: 37 (10)

Campbell: 13 (4)

Sheridan:12 (4)

Johnson: 11 (3)

Sweetwater: 10 (4)

Converse: 8 (6)

Washakie: 6 (3)

Albany: 5 (1)

Lincoln: 5 (4)

Carbon: 4

Crook: 4

Uinta: 4

Goshen: 3 (1)

Big Horn: 1 (1)

Hot Springs: 1

Niobrara: 1 (1)

Park: 1

Sublette: 1 (2)

Deaths in Wyoming by county

Johnson: 1

Laramie: 1

Rate of spread

This graph shows the rate at which confirmed and probable cases in Wyoming have been announced, as well as the number of patients who have fully recovered.

Keep in mind, however, that state and medical officials say the true number of COVID-19 cases is surely higher than the official numbers due to testing limitations.

Testing statistics

The Wyoming Department of Health has published the following data:

As of Thursday morning, there have been 6,427 tests performed for COVID-19 in Wyoming.

Wyoming Public Health Labratory: 3,296

CDC: 1

Commercial labs: 3,130

National cases

There have been more than 659,000 cases nationally, with roughly 30,000 deaths, according to the New York Times' running count.

Know the symptoms

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is a respiratory illness. Its symptoms include cough, fever and shortness of breath. Symptoms appear within two weeks. If you have contact with a person who has COVID-19, you should self-isolate for 14 days.

Follow the Wyoming Health Department's tips

Stay home when sick and avoid contact with other people unless you need medical attention.

Follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on what to do if you think you may be sick.

Follow current public health orders.

Follow commonsense steps such as washing your hands often and well, covering your coughs and sneezes, and cleaning and disinfecting.

Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other healthcare facilities should closely follow guidelines for infection control and prevention.

Older people and those with health conditions that mean they have a higher chance of getting seriously ill should avoid close-contact situations.
The Centre of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has announced that the Republic of Korea will automatically offer a 50-day extension for Vietnamese labourers whose contracts have expired.

Vietnamese labourers - Illustrative image (Source: baogiaothong.vn)

This move aims to support Korean enterprises that are lacking foreign labourers as many of them cannot enter the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The policy, which came into effect on April 14 and will remain valid until June 30, also helps ensure livelihoods for workers while they wait to return home.

During the extension period, the employees whose contracts have expired but their stay are still valid can negotiate with their employers to return to work when the above-mentioned policy is in effect.

The centre recommended Vietnamese workers strictly follow the host countrys COVID-19 prevention and control regulations./.

Korean language test for Vietnamese guest workers to be launched online The Centre of Overseas Labour has decided to launch an online Korean language test for Vietnamese workers to be sent to the Republic of Korea (RoK) as part of the Employment Permit System (EPS) programme.
MONTREAL, QCPopular streaming network Adult Time has announced that it has entered into a new digital content partnership with Scarlett Revell Studio, a leader in what it describes as "deliciously explicit couture porn" films.

We are so excited to bring Scarlett Revells fresh appeal to the Adult Time platform, said the companys Chief Creative Officer Bree Mills. Scarlett and Gazzman know how to make gorgeous, high-quality filmsbeautiful women, sets, scenery, clothing Youll get nothing less than perfection from Scarlett Revell Studio, and we are proud to kick off this next new chapter together.

The London-based studio is launching its official channel today, April 16, 2020, with the release of its first four-episode series, Bikini Models.

Alyssia Kent and Nick Moreno kick off the action with "Glamour Babe"; "Chill Out", with Cherry Kiss and Clarke Kent, follows on April 17; "Hands-On Documentary" with Stacy Bloom, Clarke Kent and Rico Simmons is up next on April 18; and "Models Got Talent" with Alecia Fox and Vince Carter will be out on April 19.

Launching and running Scarlett Revell Studiocreating sexy, stylish, beautifully-shot adult filmshas been the fulfillment of a dream for many years, said Revell. Now our streaming partnership with Adult Time gives us the chance to expand our viewer reach to include a broader range of potential fans. We are thrilled at the opportunity and ready to take that next step!

For those who want more Scarlett Revell, they can also expect a school-themed series beginning in late April and into May, The Headmistress and the Harlots, with four naughty new scenes starring Josephine Jackson, Lucy Heart, Stacy Bloom, Victoria Pure and Georgie Lyall.

Those interested may find Scarlett Revell Studio at ScarlettRevell.com and on the Adult Time platform at AdultTime.com, home to one of the most extensive catalogs of award-winning content and unlimited access to more than 200 channels, 60,000 episodes and 5+ new releases per day, all with one subscription.
Gandhinagar, April 16 : After a spike in coronavirus cases on Thursday morning in Surat, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani decided to impose a week-long curfew in five areas of the city from midnight.

"The curfew will be in five police station jurisdictions of Salabatpura, Mahidharpura, Lalgate and Athwa. The fifth area is in the jurisdiction of Kamrunagar police chowky under the Limbayat police station," Ashwani Kumar, Secretary at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), said on Thursday.

"The curfew will start at 6 a.m. on Friday and continue till 6 a.m. on April 22. The Gujarat Police will enforce the curfew. The decision has been taken to curb the spread of coronavirus," Kumar said.

Like Ahmedabad, relaxation to buy essential commodities, like milk, vegetables, grain and medicines, would be allowed only to women between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m, added Kumar.

Even as the number of Covid-19 cases has been on the rise in Gujarat, following intensification of surveillance and testing, number of cases in Surat was less compared with other major cities till Wednesday.

But on Thursday morning, 35 new cases were reported after intensified testing in the past 12 hours.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the Covid-19 situation at a meeting with Chief Secretary Anil Mukim, Directorate General of Police (DGP) Shivanand Jha and Additional Chief Secretary Sangeeta Singh. It was also attended by the Surat Municipal Commissioner, the Police Commissioner and the Collector through video link.

The meeting decided to intensify the surveillance in certain areas to identify each and every case of coronavirus infection.

Gujarat is inching towards the 1,000-mark with 871 Covid-19 cases and 36 deaths. At 86 Surat has the third highest number of cases in the state, after Ahmedabad's 492 and Vadodara's 127.
Press Release

April 16, 2020 Gatchalian to DepEd: provide psychosocial support to distressed learners amid health crisis In its intent to leverage online platforms for continued learning delivery, Senator Win Gatchalian said the Department of Education (DepEd) should maximize using the same tool to provide psychosocial support to distressed learners especially with an extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Under DepEd memorandum No.042 s. 2020 issued last March 15, teachers can explore the "Online Alternative Learning Delivery Platforms" identified by the DepEd's Information and Communication Technology Service (ICTS) for delivering distance learning during periods of class suspensions and similar circumstances. According to Gatchalian, the disruption of school in an outbreak makes learners vulnerable to stress and anxiety. Not being able to see their friends in school, contemplating on whether or not they passed this school year due to the sudden vacation, and being locked up at home with no assurance when they can go out and play are just some factors that contribute to their stressful environment. In providing psychosocial and mental health support to learners who are coping with the effects of the public health emergency, Gatchalian said teachers and guidance counselors should be equipped with appropriate guidelines and tools. Gatchalian cited the "Key Messages and Actions for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Schools" prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as a useful material that could guide policies of the education department in providing psychosocial support to students. Based on the recommendations of these organizations, teachers should make students feel that it is normal to have concerns and reactions during this time of crisis. Teachers should encourage learners to raise their concerns and guide them on how they can support peers and prevent exclusion and bullying from taking place. Gatchalian added that schools should foster parent participation in providing support to these learners. Like teachers, parents are expected to acknowledge their children's concerns and provide information in an appropriate manner. Parents should also make sure that learners are given ample time to play and relax. "Sa mga ganitong panahon importanteng iparating natin sa mga mag-aaral na nauunawaan natin ang kanilang mga pangamba at maipaliwanag natin sa kanila na bagama't hindi nila nakakasama ang kanilang mga guro, mga kaklase, at mga kaibigan, magpapatuloy pa rin ang kanilang pag-aaral sa isang ligtas at mabisang paraan," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture. ### Gatchalian: psychosocial support, kailangan ng mga mag-aaral sa gitna ng krisis sa COVID-19 Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Department of Education o DepEd na magbigay ng psychosocial support sa mga mag-aaral na dumaranas ng stress o anxiety lalo na't pinalawig pa ang Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Ayon sa mambabatas, nakakaapekto sa mental health ng mga mag-aaral ang pagkakagambala ng kanilang mga klase na nananatiling suspindido. Sa pangangalaga ng mental health ng mga kabataan, mahalaga ani Gatchalian ang papel ng mga guro, guidance counselors, at mga magulang. Dapat aniya ay mabigyan sila ng sapat na paggabay kung paano matutugunan ang mga pangangailangan lalo na sa panahon ng krisis. "Ngayong dumadaan tayo sa isang krisis, importanteng iparating natin sa mga mag-aaral na nauunawaan natin ang kanilang mga pangamba at handa tayong gawin ang lahat upang masiguro ang kanilang kaligtasan. Bahagi nito ang malinaw na pagpapaliwanag kung ano ang maaaring idulot ng COVID-19 at kung paano natin ito maiiwasan," pahayag ni Gatchalian na Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture. "Mahalagang iparating natin sa mga mag-aaral na bagama't hindi nila nakakasama ang kanilang mga guro, mga kaklase, at mga kaibigan, magpapatuloy pa rin ang kanilang pag-aaral sa isang ligtas at mabisang paraan," dagdag ng senador. Ayon kay Gatchalian, dapat gamiting sanggunian ng DepEd ang "Key Messages and Actions for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Schools" ng World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund o UNICEF, at ng International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies sa pangangalaga ng mental health ng mga mag-aaral. Ayon sa rekomendasyon ng tatlong ahensya, dapat iparamdam ng mga guro na normal lamang para sa mga mag-aaral ang pagkakaroon ng iba't ibang mga tanong at reaksyon sa kalagitnaan ng kasalukuyang public health emergency. Dapat hikayatin ng mga guro ang kanilang mga mag-aaral na ipagtapat ang kanilang mga pangamba. Ang pagpapakita ng suporta sa kanilang kapwa mag-aaral at pag-iwas sa bullying ang ilan din sa mga inire-rekomendang dapat ituro sa mga mag-aaral. Tulad ng mga guro, inaasahan din na magbibigay ang mga magulang ng kaukulang paggabay at pag-unawa sa kanilang mga anak. Sa kanilang mga tahanan, dapat iparamdam ng mga magulang sa kanilang mga anak na normal silang namumuhay sa kalagitnaan ng krisis. Higit sa lahat, dapat mabigyan ang mga bata ng sapat na panahong makapaglibang at makapagpahinga. Habang nananatiling suspindido ang mga klase, hinihikayat naman ng DepEd ang mga guro na gamitin ang mga "Online Alternative Learning Delivery Platforms" na ni-rekomenda ng Information and Communications Technology Service o ICTS. ###
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian speaks at a press briefing on April 15, 2020. (Photo from Foreign Ministry website)

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has decided to send teams of medical experts to Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Saudi Arabia to help the countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Wednesday.

China and African countries are longtime brothers who share weal and woe. African countries had supported China during China's most difficult times fighting the pandemic, which China will never forget, Zhao said at a news briefing, adding that China is paying close attention to the situation of the pandemic in Africa, and has overcome its own difficulties and provided anti-epidemic materials and aid to the African Union and all African countries with diplomatic relations with China.

"These steps are all a reflection of building an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future," said the spokesperson.

He said after the outbreak in China, the Saudi leaders immediately expressed their condolences and support. The Saudi government and public have provided China with many batches of aid materials.

Saudi Arabia is also facing severe challenges amid the pandemic. China also firmly supports Saudi Arabia's anti-epidemic efforts and is willing to provide assistance within its capability, he said.

He said as comprehensive strategic cooperation partners, China will maintain close cooperation with Saudi Arabia to safeguard the safety and health of peoples of the two countries.

The team of Chinese medical experts to Saudi Arabia left for the country Wednesday morning. 
FORCALQUIER, France  Last Saturday, I got pulled over by the police for the first time ever. I was running, not driving, when the dark blue van pulled up behind me and the officer told me to stop on the side of a dusty road in Provence. My heart was already pumping hard from the steady incline, but my breath quickened when they asked where I lived and requested my attestation.

I struggled to free the small slip of paper from the teeth of the zipper of my shorts pocket, declaring on my honor that Id left the house for one of the seven permitted reasons.

From my attestation, the officers verified my address and what time I had left home (11:38 a.m.). It was only 12:02 p.m., so I was well within my allotted daily hour of outdoor exercise, but I was pushing the permitted one-kilometer radius from home. According to my watch, I was still in range, but the French police officers said they knew distances in this small rural town better than the GPS.

Still, they let me go with a warning, so long as I turned around a la courbe de la route.

The officers drove off, heading toward Les Mourres, a nearby regional open space where locals were still sneaking away to hike and run. Once the police car disappeared, I sprinted, cutting across the empty town square and ending my run early. I was so relieved to avoid a $145 fine. Im in grad school; I cant afford that.


Bollywood producer Karim Morani's daughter Zoa Morani is finally discharged from the hospital after testing negative for coronavirus. For the unversed, Zoa had returned from Rajasthan around mid March and was under quarantine & medication since April 7 at a city hospital. Now that the actress is discharged, she says she's happy to be back home.



Talking about the same, Zoa said in an official statement, "I am extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who took care of my health and my spirits everyday. You will be in my prayers forever. No words can describe how does it feel to be home. I'm so grateful, God is great,"



The beauty even thanked the government for doing a commendable job and further added, "Thank you to the media for being so sensitive and warm and also for all the wishes and prayers we received through social media. Truly felt like we were in this together. Please stay safe and follow all the rules as a lot of people out there are putting their life at risk to protect us! Lets help them,"



Zoa's sister was also under quarantine at another hospital in the city post her return from Srilanka in the first week of March. Currently, both the sisters are at home and have ben taking necessary precautions. Meanwhile, their father, Karim Morani, who tested positive for Covid - 19 continues to be under medical care.
View of an empty street amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Doha, capital of Qatar, on April 13, 2020.

Countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council are stepping up their use of artificial intelligence tools to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Governments throughout the GCC  a group of countries in the Middle East that includes Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates  have enacted some of world's strictest measures, including suspending passenger flights and imposing curfews on citizens to put brakes on the number of new cases of Covid-19 that currently total over 2 million (2,064,115) globally, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

But countries aren't restricting their efforts to simply imploring their residents to stay locked in and shutting down all but the most essential of businesses.

They are increasingly deploying sophisticated technology to ensure that movement is limited and social distancing is in place through the use of speed cameras, drones and robots.

By applying location-based contact tracing, governments can monitor those who have tested positive for coronavirus, and try to limit their exposure to the population.

AI's ability to crunch large amounts of data has allowed governments worldwide to collect information to try and stop the pandemic. Contact-tracing has allowed Hong Kong, China and Singapore to monitor cases.

While governments and companies grapple with what could be a controversial violation of privacy issues, many countries have found it to be the key to lifting lockdown measures.

In Bahrain, an application called 'BeAware' allows residents to track proximity to someone with Covid-19. The application uses location data to alert individuals in the event they approach an active case.

"BeAware registration is mandatory for those in quarantine, while non-quarantined cases may choose to register," Mohammed Ali AlQaed, chief executive of Information & eGovernment Authority in Bahrain told CNBC.

Bahrain has reported 1,671 cases according to Hopkins data, and was one of the first to begin easing restrictions, allowing some stores and malls to reopen.

AI can also help businesses work more efficiently throughout the pandemic.
If you think the pictures that youve seen of Mount Rushmore National Memorial make it look imposing and inspiring, you should see it in person.

You may have seen pictures of it all your life, but that still doesnt prepare one for the powerful impact that it has on visitors. Driving around a bend in the Black Hills of South Dakota, not far from Rapid City, and suddenly seeing it come into viewjust part of it, just the massive face of George WashingtonI was so taken that I pulled over to the side of the road and just stared at it awhile before finally getting around to taking out my camera.

Half an hour later, standing on the viewing platform and looking up at George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt towering over the Black Hills from a lofty 5,675 feet, I had the same sort of feeling of awe that I had when I first stood in front of such imposing sights as the Pyramids, the mysterious giant statues of Easter Island, the Taj Mahal, or the Great Wall of China.

Except, of course, that at Mount Rushmore, you stand in awe of more than merely what man can build. Certainly, the structure itself is awe-inspiring, but what the great American sculptor and patriot Gutzon Borglum envisioned and built is something more than a monument or memorial.

It is, as he intended it to be, a shrine to freedom and American greatness. He thought of it as the formal rendering of the philosophy of our government into granite on a mountain peak.

He meant for viewing it to be a moving experience that would help inspire or reinforce in the visitor the very thing that drove him to create itlove of this country.

George Washington was the first great leader selected to be included on Mount Rushmore and is its dominant figure. (Copyright Fred J. Eckert)

The Idea That Became a Shrine

The idea that became this shrine sprang from the mind of South Dakotas state historian Doane Robinson in the early 1920s. He wanted to promote tourism and boost the states economy by building a gigantic monument somewhere in the Black Hills to heroes of the West, perhaps Lewis and Clark, perhaps frontiersman John C. Fremont; he wasnt sure who.

In 1924, Robinson brought Gutzon Borglum to South Dakota to look into possible sites. At the time, Borglum was sculpting a huge portraiture parade of Robert E. Lee and his Confederate soldiers on Stone Mountain, Georgia, a project others would complete because Borglum was outed as a racist. That seems to be little known and hasntand shouldntdetract from the obvious truth that all four leaders who grace Mount Rushmore are truly great Americans who served the country wonderfully.

Although Mount Rushmore is the work for which hes now most remembered, Borglum was already a highly acclaimed sculptor, the man who had created, among other great works, the first piece of American sculpture purchased by New York Citys Metropolitan Museum of Art and the figures of the Twelve Apostles that appear in the citys Cathedral of St. John the Divine. For many years before Robinson contacted him, he had been focusing on work that his scholarly wife Elizabeth described as showcasing the emotional value of volume.

An intensely patriotic son of Mormon Danish immigrants who was born in Idaho in 1867, Borglum not only found the perfect site but also turned the idea away from that of a narrower regional monument into that of making a shrine to American greatness, as exemplified by some of our countrys greatest leaders.

Washington was his first choiceleader of our military in the War of the Revolution, Father of Our Country, first U.S. president, and more than anyone else the symbol of the founding of the American republic.

Abraham Lincoln was a special hero of Borglums (he named his son Lincoln). He had already done some highly acclaimed Lincoln sculptures, including the enormous Lincoln bust that stands in the U.S. Capitol building and the huge sculpture of a sitting Lincoln that stands in front of the courthouse in Newark, New Jersey, a work that Lincolns son Robert called the most extraordinary good portrait of my father I have ever seen.

So, his second choice of the great man who preserved the American union was also an easy decision.

And also was the third choice, Thomas Jefferson, who was chosen because he was the president who moved America westward with the Louisiana Purchase and, of course, because he authored the Declaration of Independence.

That was itthree great leaders to symbolize America.

But as the project got underway, it became well-known that there was room for a fourth and soon there was much public discussion of whom to select, if anyone should be added.

The president of the United States in those days, Calvin Coolidge, enjoyed vacationing at nearby Custer State Park, and he was not only very interested in the Mount Rushmore project but also adamant about which great American should be the fourth. Some argued that Coolidges choice had served as president too recently, the same argument some now use against adding Ronald Reagan, but Borglum happily added a man whom he had admired and who had been his friendTeddy Roosevelt.

The sheer size of Borglums Mount Rushmore sculpture is stunning. The scale is such that if Washington were carved head to toe, his height would be 465 feet. Washingtons face is 60 feet chin to forehead, his nose 20 feet, his eyes 11 feet wide, his mouth 18 feet wide. The small mole on Lincolns face is 16 inches across.

The sheer size of Mount Rushmore National Memorial overwhelms visitors when they stand at the viewing platform and look up at the images of the four great American leaders. (Copyright Fred J. Eckert)

Making the Most of Your Visit

To make the most of a visit to the site, bear in mind that Borglum positioned the figures to take full advantage of natural overhead daylight. He deliberately picked a peak facing southeast so the figures would receive direct sunlight throughout most of the day. So dont worry about seeing it lit up at night; thats nice, too but actually, its much better to view it as it was designed to be viewed, in the daylight.

Arrive early not only to avoid crowds, but also because it is usually best viewed and photographed in morning light.

Take advantage of the opportunity to learn about this remarkable achievement by visiting the information center, the Lincoln Borglum Museum, and the Sculptors Studio. Youll learn, for example, how Borglum created models sized to a ratio of one model inch equaling one foot on the mountain and then transferred model to mountain using the pointing machine that he created.

Youll also learn about the history of the great project, why he chose this particular site, and how the sculptor invented new ways to use dynamite and pneumatic hammers to carve through stone much more quickly.

When you look at the old pictures of workmen poised high up on the mountain walking along scaffolds, climbing ladders, and swinging around in baskets and harnesses, what will probably greatly surprise you is that during the entire 14 years of work on it (only six of which were spent on actual carving) not one person was killed or even seriously injured.

Dont look at it only from the Grand View Terrace; for closer-up and interesting different angle views, also take a walk along the not very long and easy to walk Presidential Trail and take a drive along some different roads in the area to catch still more interesting angle views.

Looking up at this great American masterpiece, what you wouldnt likely realize is that it is an unfinished work.

Borglum had intended to finish the figures down to waist level and include details such as hands and period clothing. But he died in March 1941 and his son, Lincoln, who had been working with him throughout, supervised the completion of the heads, stopping work just weeks before the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor and entered World War II.

Certainly, most Americans would share Gutzon Borglums prayer that this great American shrine bearing the likenesses of Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Roosevelt will endure until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away.

If You Go

For information: See TravelSD.com

Best time to visit: Late spring to early fall.

Guidebooks: Mount Rushmore & The Black Hills is a good choice. If traveling elsewhere in South Dakota or North Dakota, you might want to add The Dakotas Off The Beaten Path.

Fred J. Eckert is a retired U.S. ambassador and former member of Congress. His writings have appeared in many leading publications, including Readers Digest and The Wall Street Journal. He is also an award-winning photographer whose collection of images spans all seven continents. See his work at EckertGallery.com
At least 27 NHS workers have died after contracting the coronavirus since the beginning of the outbreak, according to health secretary Matt Hancock.

The cabinet minister revealed a further eight deaths on Thursday morning, after last week announcing that 19 health service employees had died during the pandemic.

Very sadly there are now 27 verified deaths amongst NHS colleagues, and I think these are incredibly heart-rending, he told BBC Breakfast.

It follows news of the death of 28-year-old Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong  a pregnant NHS nurse working at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital who died from Covid-19, after her baby was saved.

Mr Hancock described Ms Agyapongs death as a terrible one. He said: Its something that I feel very strongly ... Were all deeply touched and moved by deaths of nurses like this.

The health secretary said every death amongst NHS staff was being investigated to find out what we can do better to protect those on the front line. Some of my NHS colleagues will have caught coronavirus from patients in the line of duty, others may have it caught it and not been at work.

What we want to learn is what we can do better to protect our frontline workers both in the NHS and in social care ... And I think we owe that to our colleagues as well who have given their lives in duty and in service.

The total number of health workers, care workers and support services staff to have died from Covid-19 in the UK is believed to be higher than the 27 confirmed by Mr Hancocks department, however.

The Nursing Notes website  run by nurses  is keeping an updated total of all documented deaths of medical staff, nursing and midwifery staff, social care workers, allied health professionals and ancillary workers.

The sites digital memorial had recorded the deaths of 56 health, social care and support workers in the UK from the virus by Thursday morning.

Recommended Matt Hancock ridiculed after announcing badge for care sector workers

Mr Hancock also defended his new badge for care workers, widely mocked after he announced at Wednesdays press conference. He claimed it has practical consequences  such as allowing them to attend priority shopping hours at supermarkets.

Questioned on reports that care home providers will have to buy badges for 1.20, he said: Im not aware ... Ill look into that.

Mr Hancock said just under 4,100 care workers have been tested for the coronavirus, and said the government remains set on the wider goal of 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month.

The health secretary claimed the government did not want to waste the efforts of the public by lifting the lockdown measures too early, because coronavirus would run rampant once again.

I understand those who are calling for an end to the lockdown or some kind of exit strategy to start now, but I think its just too early for that.

The Independent has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment on the latest figures on NHS staff deaths.
A number of people from Northern Ireland have spoken chillingly about their terror and fear for their lives as they were caught in the panic of the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

One woman told how she made a late-night race through police checkpoints in Wuhan to catch a rescue flight home as people died from the virus.

Several interviewees, including some from the Republic, have also talked of how a relentless crackdown by the one-party Chinese state appears to have succeeded in at least slowing down the pandemic.

But there's a warning from a health expert that the virus will almost certainly return for a second wave later this year and he's called for even more stringent measures to be introduced here to stop the spread of coronavirus.

A new Radio Ulster documentary - Alone Together in China - which is to be aired on Saturday, also hears criticism that governments in Europe didn't follow the lead of Asian authorities in preparing for a pandemic after the Sars outbreak 18 years ago.

Yvonne Griffiths, who is originally from Holywood, Co Down, was in Wuhan, the city at the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis, when the first signs of the disease were detected.

She was working for Birmingham City University teaching English to students preparing to go into higher education in the UK and tells the documentary, produced by Johnny Muir, of her alarm that students were beginning to come to class in masks.

They warned her of the dangers and brought her masks.

Yvonne says she was stranded in the city by a swiftly imposed lockdown in Wuhan until the British Foreign Office organised a rescue flight.

However, with little notice, Yvonne had to make a late-night dash through police roadblocks to catch the plane which was scheduled to leave within the hour of a phone call to her.

"We thought we were going to miss the flight," says Yvonne, who found the airport virtually deserted apart from two or three Chinese officials in hazmat suits along with Foreign Office staff.

Yvonne did eventually get on board the flight that took her home where she was in quarantine for two weeks before getting the all clear.

Alison Crozier, from Magheramorne, near Whitehead, and who teaches at a boarding school in Suzhou tells how she and her daughter ended up in a medical quarantine hotel for 14 days after returning to China from a holiday in Thailand.

The enforced move came after mother and daughter were told upon return to their home in Suzhou that someone sitting near them on their flight had tested positive for the virus.

In quarantine, Alison and her daughter had their temperatures checked twice a day and also underwent throat and anal swabs as well as chest X-rays.

"I was petrified," says Alison, who talks of her relief at discovering that neither she nor her daughter had any Covid-19 symptoms.

Maths and science teacher Stephen Maxwell, from Lisburn, also tells a harrowing story of how he and his wife left their home in Suzhou to go for a holiday in South Africa, but were refused entry into their hotel because they had come from China.

The return flight to China was stressful with passengers looking at one another suspiciously to see if their fellow travellers were showing any symptoms of the virus.

Stephen says: "The person beside us kept taking their mask off. They were sneezing and coughing and they were using the sick bag to spit into it."

And when Stephen and his wife reached home they found themselves in the middle of a total lockdown, where all movement had been severely restricted.

He says: "It was really terrifying seeing all these places which were usually packed with people, didn't exist anymore. It was like a ghost town."

Cathal Kelly, from Westmeath in the Republic, has been a language teacher since 2017 in Wuxi, which is described as a relatively small city even though it has a population of five million.

He says his Chinese friends went out of their way to look after him at the height of the coronavirus crisis.

Min Shen, who lives in east Belfast, was born in Wuhan where his mother who still lives in the city had a procurement role in the very market that the coronavirus surfaced.

Min, who came to Northern Ireland 21 years ago to study at Queen's University, Belfast, and is now a certified blue badge tourist guide here, says he first heard about the virus in the middle of December when health officials posted a message about an "unidentified pneumonia".

Min's mother has not been out of her home for 85 days and she has told her son she knows one of the first market stall holders to be diagnosed with Covid-19.

She has, however, now been tested negative for the virus.

Min says his family and friends in Wuhan supported the lockdown and impressed on him the need for people in Northern Ireland to learn from the experiences of residents in China and wear face masks, wash their hands and follow government guidelines.

Professor Sam McConkey, one of the Republic's leading authorities on tropical medicine and infectious diseases, has monitored the Covid-19 outbreak from the start, watching the number of cases soar dramatically.

He says the Sars outbreak in mainland China, Hong Kong and several other countries in 2002 was followed by a major plan on how the nations would respond promptly if it came back.

"That's why they were so much quicker off the block," says Professor McConkey, who claims that Europe and America have been suffering from a "lack of preparedness for a global pandemic".

The exiles all talk of how the Chinese used their technological expertise to help in the battle against coronavirus, with smartphones at the forefront of the tracking of the illness and providing assurances to residents that food deliveries had all been processed by people without Covid-19.

Mr Maxwell acknowledges the high levels of surveillance used by the Chinese government to monitor people's movements and to trace anyone who may have come into contact with the virus, might seem draconian to us.

"It is a bit alarming because they do know where you are, they can follow you anywhere you go and every camera in our area tracks you, but when it comes to a situation like this I do believe it's for the greater good."

So much so that he says his mother, who works at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, now feels China is probably the safest place for him to be.

In recent days it's been reported that life in Wuhan is slowly returning to normal after the apparent slowdown of the virus.

And with some people no longer wearing masks Cathal Kelly says: "You get to see their mouths again and their teeth. It's really strange."

But the threat of a second wave of infection is a real concern across China.

The worry is that people coming into China from abroad will bring the virus with them.

Cathal says it's unfortunate that "a little bit of focus" has been on foreigners returning to China.

He adds: "I haven't experienced any hostility at all but I know there have been some minor cases of foreigners being refused taxis and refused entry into certain places."

Mr Maxwell says some Chinese people in the building where he lives won't get into the lift with foreigners because they're worried about one person infecting the rest of the people around them.

Having come through their ordeals, the Irish exiles are united in hope, tempered by caution for Northern Ireland.

Alison Crozier says people here must adhere to the advice from the Government.

Yvonne Griffiths says the response of the British authorities has been slow and she's questioned if the measures they have in place are strict enough to stop the spread.

Professor McConkey says that Covid-19 will "almost definitely come back" adding: "The idea of immunity and herd immunity is to me still at the level of speculative theory.

"It has never been proved that there is effective herd immunity to coronavirus yet.

"I believe we need even more restrictions now, I would like to see the use of mobile phones for contact tracing rapidly. I would like to see restrictions on travel in and out from other countries to protect people from asymptomatic shedders.

"It's what we do now as a collective nation that will improve our long-term economy, wealth, health and happiness."

Alone Together in China, produced by Johnny Muir, is on Radio Ulster on Saturday at noon
Gov. Andrew Cuomos order on masks appears to be the most restrictive in the United States.

Cuomo said Wednesday that New York will require all people across New York to wear masks in public when they cant stay at least six feet away from others in an effort to fight the coronavirus. The order goes into effect 8 p.m. Friday.

Once the mandate starts, all New Yorkers must cover their noses and mouths with a mask or cloth face covering when in a public space where they cant socially distance. It does not apply to New Yorkers under age 2 or those who cannot medically tolerate the mask, the governors office clarified today.

New York joined about six states and territories that require masks. But those orders states orders were limited to customers at essential businesses, health-care facilities or transit riders, according to a Syracuse.com review.

Cuomo also expanded the requirements today to drivers of private and public transportation. Riders and drivers must wear masks in Uber and Lyft vehicles, private buses, private car services and public transit, Cuomo said.

At least 43 states, two territories and Washington, D.C., have recommended but not required residents wear masks in public settings, according to a spokesman for the National Governors Association. States and territories are continually changing their policies, and some orders will go into effect after New Yorks.

Five other states and two territories have requirements. They are New Jersey, Maryland, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Also, Connecticuts governor said Thursday morning the state would roll out mask requirements similar to New Yorks in 48 hours, according to the Connecticut Post, though the specifics of the order are not yet clear.

On April 11, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy mandated that all customers wear face masks when they enter restaurants and bars for take-out orders. Also, he required that transit riders must wear masks, unless wearing them exacerbates a pre-existing medical condition.

The other states and territories mandates include:

Puerto Rico , which requires business not to let people enter without wearing a mask or face covering;

Maryland , which requires masks or face coverings to be worn in stores and on public transit;

Guam , which requires transit riders to wear masks; and

New Hampshire , which requires masks when entering a healthcare facility.

The requirements treat surgical or N95 masks and homemade face coverings as the same, all an effort to reduce infections if people are unable to keep six feet of distance between each other.

Cuomo has said the requirement is necessary to reduce the infection rate in New York. He reiterated the point in Thursdays briefings, saying all need to do their part to keep themselves and others safe.

Im sorry it makes people unhappy. I do not consider it a major burden, he said. It really is a simple measure that can save lives.

New Yorks order states the following:

Effective at 8 p.m., Friday, April 17, 2020 any individual who is over age two and able to medically tolerate a face-covering shall be required to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or cloth face-covering when in a public place and unable to maintain, or when not maintaining, social distance.

Reporter Patrick Lohmann can be reached at PLohmann@Syracuse.com or at (315)766-6670.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday rejected as counterproductive attempts to blame Beijing for delaying informing the world about the coronavirus, the Kremlin said.

Putin and Xi spoke after US President Donald Trump's administration berated China for not sharing data more quickly.

Washington is also investigating the origins of the coronavirus -- which has killed more than 138,700 people worldwide -- saying it doesn't rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China.

The Kremlin said that during phone talks with Xi on Thursday Putin praised "consistent and effective actions" of the Chinese "which allowed the epidemiological situation in the country to stabilise."

The leaders did not reference the White House directly but stressed the "counterproductiveness" of attempts to blame China for not informing the world about the appearance of a dangerous new infection quickly enough.

Xi called attempts to politicise the pandemic "detrimental to international cooperation", according to a Chinese readout of the call reported by state-run Xinhua. It also reported that Putin had called "attempts by some people to smear China" over the virus "unacceptable".

Since emerging in China late last year, the pandemic has turned the world upside down, forcing half of humanity indoors and sending the global economy into freefall.

Putin and Xi also stressed the two countries' "strategic partnership" and said Russia and China were ready to help each other during the pandemic by exchanging specialists and supplying medical equipment, protective gear and medicines, the Kremlin said.

"The two leaders expressed confidence that our countries will be able to successfully overcome the pandemic-related challenges by continuing to closely cooperate," Putin's office said.
Rich Blair has been through as much the past five years than any winery owner in Pennsylvania, or maybe even the East Coast.

There was the spotted lanternfly infestation in 2017-18 that wiped out his Stonehenge vineyard, next to the former location of the winery, in Rockland Township. Those 8 acres in Berks County included primarily his vines of Pinot Noir, which is one of the producers signature grapes that go into several of his best dry wines.

Within that same timeframe, the winery decided to change its name, from Blair Vineyards to Setter Ridge Vineyards. That was much as anything a marketing decision for the family-owned and family-run winery.

We have been Blair Vineyards for almost 20 years, Blair said at the time. However, we have a chance to open new markets in other Eastern states through a distributor. There are other wineries with the name BLAIR, and it is confusing to our marketing. So, our potential distributor asked to change our name - trademark it, and rebrand ourselves as to limit any confusion.

Now, of course, there are the issues accompanying the coronavirus pandemic and how that has forced wine producers in the state to adjust and alter their business model. Setter Ridge, located near Kutztown, is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for takeout and curbside pickup (and, yes, you must call ahead for the latter) in addition to shipping Monday through Thursday.

Still, some things dont change, as Blair pointed out. The vineyard will not wait until this is over, so we are working every day in the vineyard, he said in an email. Weve got 15,000 new vines in the greenhouse ready to go into the ground in four weeks or so.

Those include close to 3 acres of Pinot Noir vines that will be planted at the Stonehenge vineyard, and also a combination of Gamay (around three-quarters of an acre), Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Does this mean hes optimistic the spotted lanternfly has moved on? No, he said, but hell stake rather than trellis them for a year or two and assess how bad the infestation gets these next two summers.

While the lanternfly appeared for a year to have destroyed the vines and moved on, Blair noted there was evidence last year and this spring that the problem isnt over. No one really knows, he said.

As for the winery side, this should be the start of our busy season. Sales now are internet or curbside pickup, about half the volume we are used to but at least we can still run a business.

Setter Ridge is a member of the Berks County Wine Trail, which had planned its annual new wine release for April 25-26 before it was canceled by the pandemic.

Heres a list of the trails wineries and what would have been offered if the release had taken place:

Setter Ridge  Not one but two Chardonnays. Both are 2014 vintage wines, crafted by the same winemaker and aged in French oak barrels. But the subtle difference in the flavor of grapes from vineyards fewer than 20 miles apart is something you need to experience yourself. Shipping available. Sat-Sun 11-5.

Stoudts Winery  Enjoy a special treat with Blue Ribbon Plum Wine made from beautiful plums grown on Stoudts nearby farm. Traditional orchard-fruit wines along with the pleasures of fresh country air and sunshine, are the hallmark at Stoudts. Thu-Sun 11-6.

Deerfoot Winery  Blaufrankish is a rich, spicy dry red wine. The grape originates from Austria and is gaining popularity in the US. And as a special and generous tribute, Deerfoot is donating 19% of sales from this wine to buy lunches and snacks for workers in our local hospitals. Shipping available. Daily 10-6.

Weathered  Naked Chardonnay is ready for bottling and will be available soon. We love the delicate natural crispness of this unoaked gem. Order and pay online from Weathereds website for contact-free curbside pick up. Daily 12-6.

Calvaresi Winery  Just re-opened. Place your order online and schedule curb-side pick up of all your Soaked brand favorites. Thu-Fri 1-6, Sat-Sun 12-5.

Manatawny Creek Winery  If you could drink a glass of sunshine, we think it would taste like Soleil. This new vintage Cayuga and Seyval Blanc blend is the refreshing drink with everything off-dry white wine that everyone loves! Shipping available. Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 12-6.

Ridgewood Winery  Ridgewood Red is your classic dry red. The bold fruit-forward flavor with a hint of spice and a smooth finish are what make this wine a long-time customer favorite! Mon-Fri by appointment, Sat-Sun 12-5.

Stone Barn Cellars  Morning Glory is back. Enjoy flavors of peach and tropical fruits in this sweet and tart best pick. Call for local delivery.

Stonekeep Meadery  Red Sangria is wonderful served chilled, just as is. But adding some chopped fruits like oranges, cherries, or grapes, makes this wine truly festive! Curb-side, 7 days. In store, Thu-Fri 12-6, Sat 11-7, Sun 12-5.

KOG Hill Winery  New vintage Riesling and Chardonnay await you at KOG Hill along with a really special Strawberry Lemon Sangria that we cant wait for you to try! Mon-Fri 3-6, Sat-Sun 12-6.

Long Trout Winery  The warm-weather months are around the corner and Lemon Squeezer is back on the shelf at Long Trout Winery. What better toast to spring than with the bright lemonade freshness of this not-so-traditional wine! Wed 6-9, Sat 12-6, Sun 12-5. Shipping available.

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(Newser)  Oddsmakers like Kamala Harris. Elizabeth Warren has made clear she'd be open to a spot on the ticket. But at the Washington Post, David Byler lays out the case for Amy Klobuchar to be Joe Biden's pick for vice president. Yes, an all-white ticket isn't ideal in 2020, and those in the progressive wing of the party wouldn't be thrilled. "But nobody is perfect, and Klobuchar is as good as it gets," writes Byler. She certainly has the resume for it13 years as a Minnesota senator, a strong presidential campaign behind her, and no whiff of a major scandal. She's also in sync with Biden's brand of bipartisan, pragmatic politics, which would help deflect from the inevitable GOP attacks of a "socialist" takeover. And she has proven success at getting legislation passed.

story continues below

What's more, Klobuchar is relatively young at 59a contrast to Biden's 77and her strength with swing voters would help in battleground states. Essentially, Klobuchar could not only help Biden win, she could then help him govern, writes Byler. "Maybe more important, whoever Biden picks would likely start out as the favorite in the next open Democratic primary," he adds. "If he picks someone who is ideologically simpatico, then he could cement the Obama-Biden-Klobuchar brand of neoliberalism as the dominant strain of the Democratic Party for years to come." Click to read Byler's full column, but those who favor other candidates might take heart to know that he'll lay out the cases for others in coming days. (Read more Amy Klobuchar stories.)
New Delhi, April 16 : Maoists groups have been using the nationwide lockdown to regain strength as a large group of the rebels have entered south Bastar from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Nepal, security sources said.

Intelligence inputs warned the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police forces earlier this month at a time when the security forces as well as the entire law and order machinnery are busy in enforcing the lockdown measures to break the coronavirus chain.

According to the inputs, Maoist groups are "continuously conducting meetings in the core areas in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district and in Darbha division in Jagdalpur district of the state and part of Dantewada district there under the supervision of top Maoist leaders.

"The Maoists are organising villagers for confronting the government on the issue of fixing minimum price for plucking up of tendu leaves and compensation for death or injury of villagers involved in plucking of the leaves," the inputs accessed by IANS said.

The Maoist groups laid traps for Security Forces (SFs) during the first phase of the 21-day lockdown between March 24 midnight and April 24 midnight at Kikler and in between Gangaloor and Cherpal under Gangaloor police station in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.

The traps were specifically laid in the second week of April for almost 3-4 days, the intelligence report said.

Taking advantage of lockdown period and less number of operations in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of SFs, the inputs said the Maoists conducted intensive recce in the Rajpenta area in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

"It is further learnt that the Maois planned Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at Rajpenta and Chimilipenta areas." In the second week of this month, a group of Maoists of "Kerlapal Area Committee of Maoists" blasted IED around 10 p.m. and damaged a culvert near Renga Para, ahead of Gorgunda, on Dornapal-Jagargunda road under Polampalli police station in Sukma district.

After a thorough investigation, the security forces found that the IEDs were planted by Maoists near Pushpal camp of 195 Battalion of CRPF in Maad area in Jagdalpur district.

A few days back the Maoists of Malangir Area Committee had cut the Aranpur-Potli road at ten places and rendered it unsuitable for plying of vehicles, the report said. It mentioned that they are looking for an opportunity to inflict damage to the personnel of "Potali camp of CAF and Kondasawli camp of 231 Battalion of ACRPF in Dantewada district".

The Maoist activities were observed in Chhattisgarh when Malkangiri-Koraput-Visakha Border (MKVB) division's committee secretary Kailasam and other Maoist groups had earlier this month released a hand-written statement in Telugu and other languages regarding ceasefire amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has announced a unilateral ceasefire and said they would not attack security forces because of the spread of coronavirus outbreak across the country.

"Our party, People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (an armed wing of the CPI-Maoist), and various frontal organisations of the party have decided against carrying out any kind of attack on the security forces during this period," the statement said.

Kailasam, however, warned that the party would be compelled to retaliate, if security forces resort to any kind of action. "We demand that the government responds to our statement within five days," Kailsam has said in the letter.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)--IANS
Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab speaks at the daily coronavirus news conference at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain April 16, 2020. (Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Handout via REUTERS)

UK Warns No More Business as Usual With China After Pandemic Ends

Britains relationship with Beijing will no longer be business as usual after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, UK foreign secretary and acting Prime Minister Dominic Raab said, in a sign of a toughening stance toward the communist regime over its handling of the outbreak.

There absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after the event and review of the lessons, including of the outbreak of the virus, Raab said at a press conference in London on April 16. I dont think we can flinch from that at all.

His comments come amid escalating criticism by the United States of the Chinese regimes lack of transparency during the pandemic. Meanwhile, many U.S. lawmakers have called for the regime in Beijing to be held accountable for its role in covering up the outbreak, which caused its global spread.

Asked if there would be a reckoning with Beijing after the crisis ends, Raab, who is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the CCP virus, replied: Theres no doubt we cant have business as usual after this crisis, and well have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it could have been stopped earlier.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration confirmed it was investigating the origins of the outbreak, including whether it came from a high-level laboratory located in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in an April 15 interview on Fox News, said the United States is working diligently to determine where the virus came from and how it began to spread.

The Chinese government needs to come clean and needs to be accountable, Pompeo added. It needs to explain what happened and why it is the case that that information wasnt made more broadly available.

But Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a April 16 press briefing that World Health Organization (WHO) officials have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory.

Meanwhile, in the UK, members of Johnsons ruling Conservative Party have called for a reset of relations with Beijing due to its handling of the pandemic.

Former Tory leader and foreign secretary William Hague, who now sits in the House of Lords, said that Britain cant be dependent on China for technology as the recent crisis has demonstrated that it doesnt play by our rules.

The former head of the UKs chief intelligence agency MI6, Sir John Sawers, told BBC Radio on April 15 that the regime concealed crucial information about the initial outbreak and was evading its responsibility in causing the pandemic.

Last month, the Daily Mail reported, citing unnamed government sources, that ministers were pushing for a reevaluation of Britains relationship with China, and pressing Johnson to block a deal to allow Chinese telecom giant Huawei to build large parts of the countrys 5G network.

The UK was criticized in January after it allowed Huawei a limited role in its 5G network, with U.S. officials saying the move endangered national security.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with the Financial Times published April 16, said there are questions concerning Beijings handling of the outbreak.

Lets not be so naive as to say its been much better at handling this, Macron said of Chinas management of the outbreak.

We dont know. There are clearly things that have happened that we dont know about.
Delhi on April 13 saw the largest spike of 356 fresh COVID-19 cases and two days later the city recorded its lowest number since the surge in cases here, with experts attributing this "fluctuation in data" to multiple factors, including pace of contact tracing.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Wednesday increased to 1,578, with 17 fresh cases and two deaths being reported in a day, taking the death toll in Delhi to 32, according to Delhi government authorities.

Of the total cases, 1,080 were those who have been brought to facilities through special operations.

Government authorities had last month carried out measures to quarantine people who were related to the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation that took place in Nizamuddin area in March.

On April 10, the city recorded 183 fresh cases, including 154 from Markaz in Nizamuddin. Till April 15, the new infection counts recorded per day stood at -- April 11 (166), April 12 (85), April 13 (356), April 14 (51) and April 15 (17).

Vikas Maurya, Director and Head, Department of Pulmonology and Sleep Disorders, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, here, says relative rise and fall in fresh cases being reported is among other factors also due to varied contact tracing over a period of time.

"If you look at the initial spike, it is clear that most cases are from the Nizamuddin area after that religious congregation. And contact tracing of people who may have contacted the disease takes time, so, those cases reflect later then once the test results are out, which take 4-5 days," he said.

Maurya said even those people who had come from abroad and infected others, including their family members, and were not telling authorities such cases and their contact tracing is also a reason why the cases are fluctuating.

"But good thing about the fluctuation in cases is that it means the infection has not gone to community level in Delhi. Otherwise, the fresh cases would have only steadily increased," he claimed.

Two kinds of diagnostic tests have been prescribed for use in India -- RT-PCR test and rapid antibodies test, as per the global health norms.

While RT-PCR test is being used currently, rapid anti-bodies test kits are still awaited from abroad, experts said.

"If the rapid anti-bodies tests begin, our screening process will get expedited and more cases can be traced and detected in shorter period of time," said another expert at a leading private hospital, who did not wish to be identified.

A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is a laboratory technique combining reverse transcription of RNA into DNA that detects the virus while the antibody tests, which use blood, detect the body's response to the virus.

"The rapid anti-bodies test takes less time and results can come in 20-30 minutes. But, till the kits do not come to India, RT-PCR tests are being used in hotspots and other high-risk areas, so results reflecting later, hence the variation in data," he said.

And tracing of people who came in contact with infected people takes time, so people who may have been infected a week ago, their data will be added only later once the results come out, the doctor said.

Delhi so far has 56 containment zones, which have been sealed by authorities.

Sample collection for the high-risk areas in identified containment zones for people who had come in contacts with persons testing positive is being carried out, Delhi Health Department authorities said, adding that 692 samples have been collected till Tuesday.

According to the department, out of the total 1,578 cases recorded till April 15, at least 867 are admitted at various hospitals like LNJP Hospital, GTB Hospital, RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) and AIIMS Jhajjhar, adding that 29 of them are in ICU and five on ventilators.

Out of the total 1,578 cases, 40 have been discharged and one has migrated out of the country, authorities said.

The total number of COVID-19 samples sent till date stands at 16,605. On April 15, the corresponding figure was 11,061.

Experts on Wednesday said that India needs to "significantly ramp up" the number of testing done across the country to trace COVID-19 cases if the pandemic is to be contained in time.

The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 in the country on Thursday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

As many as 2,517 people have been kept in quarantine at various government facilities here, the Delhi health department said on Wednesday.

A total of 30,451 people who came in contact with affected persons, are under home quarantine till date and 18,464 have completed their 14-day quarantine, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A team of scientists led by a Michigan State University astronomer has found that a new process of evaluating proposed scientific research projects is as effective - if not more so - than the traditional peer-review method.

Normally, when a researcher submits a proposal, the funding agency then asks a number of researchers in that particular field to evaluate and make funding recommendations. A system that can sometimes be a bit bulky and slow - not quite an exact science.

"As in all human endeavors, this one has it flaws," said Wolfgang Kerzendorf, an assistant professor in MSU's departments of Physics and Astronomy, and Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering.

Detailed in the publication Nature Astronomy, Kerzendorf and colleagues tested a new system that distributes the work load of reviewing project proposals among the proposers, known as the "distributed peer review" approach.

However, the team enhanced it by using two other novel features: Using machine learning to match reviewers with proposals and the inclusion of a feedback mechanism on the review.

Essentially, this process consists of three different features designed to improve the peer-review process.

First, when a scientist submits a proposal for evaluation, he or she is first asked to review several of their competitors' papers, a way of lessening the amount of papers one is asked to review.

"If you lower the number of reviews that every person has to do, they may spend a little more time with each one of the proposals," Kerzendorf said.

Second, by using computers - machine learning - funding agencies can match up the reviewer with proposals of fields in which they are experts. This process can take human bias out of the equation, resulting in a more accurate review.

"We essentially look at the papers that potential readers have written and then give these people proposals they are probably good at judging," Kerzendorf said. "Instead of a reviewer self-reporting their expertise, the computer does the work."

And third, the team introduced a feedback system in which the person who submitted the proposal can judge if the feedback they received was helpful. Ultimately, this might help the community reward scientists that consistently provide constructive criticism.

"This part of the process is not unimportant," Kerzendorf said. "A good, constructive review is a bit of a bonus, a reward for the work you put in reviewing other proposals."

To do the experiment, Kerzendorf and his team considered 172 submitted proposals that each requested use of the telescopes on the European Southern Observatory, a 16-nation ground-based observatory in Germany.

The proposals were reviewed in both the traditional manner and using distributed peer review. The results? From a statistical standpoint, it was seemingly indistinguishable

However, Kerzendorf said this was a novel experiment testing a new approach to evaluating peer-review research, one that could make a difference in the scientific world.

"While we think very critically about science, we sometimes do not take the time to think critically about improving the process of allocating resources in science," he said. "This is an attempt to do this."

###

Other members of the research team included Ferdinando Patat, Dominic Bordelon and Glenn van de Ven of the European Southern Observatory; and Tyler Pritchard, Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, New York University.

(Note for media: Please include a link to the original paper in online coverage: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1038-y)
New Delhi, April 16 : Masters Union School of Business in Gurugram on Thursday announced that it has brought on board former Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd. Managing Director Mukund Rajan and former Harvard Business School Professor Bhaskar Chakravorti as Founding Masters.

At MUSB, Rajan and Chakravorti will teach and engage with students on "How to be a Successful Brand Custodian" and "International Business" respectively.

Masters' Union is a technology-focused new age business school led by veteran leaders, executives and businessmen. At present, the school has 26 such masters from different backgrounds.

Situated in Cybercity, Gurugram, it is set to start its first session from August 2020.

Masters' Union School of Business will offer PGP-TBM (Post Graduate Programme in Technology and Business Management) which is a 16-month MBA equivalent programme.

"The aspect of the vision of the Masters' Union that I identify with the most is the concept of learning in the context of real world problems. I do believe for business education to remain relevant we need to embed a discipline and a mindset of problem solving," Chakravorti said on joining MUSB as a Founding Master.

"The only way to get your arms around a problem is to be proximate to where those problems are. One of the things I really like about the idea of Masters' Union is that it is imbedded within the industry," he said.

Chakravorti is the dean of global business at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the US and founding executive director of Fletcher's Institute for Business in the Global Context.

Additionally, Chakravorti also serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In his previous stints, Chakravorti was a partner of McKinsey & Company, on the faculty of Harvard Business School and a distinguished scholar at MIT's Legatum Center.

Rajan is a Rhodes Scholar and alumnus of Oxford University and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He has held a number of senior executive positions through his 23 year career with the Tata group.

At present, Rajan is the Chairman of ECube Investment Advisors Pvt. Ltd., an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)-focused investment platform.

Some of the other masters who will be teaching at Masters' Union School of Business are Arun Maira (Former Chairman, Boston Consulting Group), Satish Krishnan (Former MD, Financial Markets, Standard Chartered Bank), Rajiv Gulati (Former MD, Eli Lilly and Company), Elkana Ezekiel (Former CMO, Samsung Electronics), Shailaja Chandra (Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Delhi), K Sujatha Rao (Former Health Secretary, Govt. of India), to a name few.
KIRKLAND, Wash., April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alliance Memory today announced that the companys operations are continuing without disruption during the COVID-19 outbreak. For its customers in the medical market, Alliance Memorys SRAM and DRAM products  key components in a wide range of medical equipment  are being delivered from stock or with normal lead times.



The coronavirus pandemic is having no appreciable effect on our operations, said David Bagby, president and CEO of Alliance Memory. Continuation of our production is secured based on sufficient stock and deliveries, while our employees are either working from home or on-site in teams and shifts and following government guidelines by keeping the obligatory social distance and avoiding direct person-to-person contact. Our Taiwan office and test and assembly partners are operating normally, and customer consulting and support are also available. As a result, our medical ICs for critical medical equipment are being delivered as usual, allowing our customers to continue providing their life-sustaining solutions around the world.

Alliance Memory supplies SRAMs and DRAMs to customers in all facets of the medical industry. Typical end products include ventilators; lasers; ultrasound, physiotherapy, cardiology, and radiology technologies; CPAP machines; molecular, in-vitro, and blood gas diagnostic testing equipment; X-ray systems; PEC/CT scanners; pulse oximetry and airway clearance devices; defibrillators; blood pressure monitors; incubators; and more.

About Alliance Memory Inc.

Alliance Memory is a worldwide provider of critical and hard-to-find DRAM and SRAM memory ICs for the communications, computing, consumer electronics, medical, automotive, and industrial markets. The companys product range includes NOR Flash, DRAM, and SRAM memory ICs with commercial, industrial, and automotive operating temperature ranges and densities from 64Kb to 8Gb. Privately held, Alliance Memory maintains headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, and regional offices in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. More information about Alliance Memory is available online at www.alliancememory.com .
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Thursday that the company has delivered more than 1,100 ventilators to help treat patients infected by the coronavirus to hospitals in the U.S. and Spain.

The shipments included 100 ventilators in Los Angeles County and more than 20 in the Bay Area, according to Musk.

But Los Angeles officials said they received a different machine: bilevel positive airway pressure units, which are not the same as ventilators.

They have been distributed to hospitals in our system and are being used as intended. These units are used for breathing and airway support, reducing the need for certain patients to be placed on mechanical ventilation, said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, in a statement.

A county spokeswoman didnt have immediate information on whether coronavirus patients are using the machines.

Sonoma Valley Hospital said it received six continuous positive airway pressure units, not the six ventilators that Musk said were sent.

The disparity adds to confusion around Teslas ventilator commitments, particularly in California.

Musk posted a partial list of ventilator deliveries on Twitter after the Sacramento Bee and CNN reported that Gov. Gavin Newsoms office said no ventilators had been shipped to California hospitals from the Palo Alto company.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on the discrepancy between its list and claims from Newsoms office.

Musk said Bay Area deliveries also included 10 ventilators to Marin Health and five to Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City. The two hospitals did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation.

Tesla had promised 1,000 ventilators to the state, a commitment announced by Newsom on March 23. Most of the ventilators on Musks list were sent to the East Coast, including New York, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases of any state in the country.

Newsom told reporters at a news conference Thursday that he was not personally aware of Musks list of hospitals.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

I appreciate Elon. I appreciate others that have really stepped up and lent their support and offered even more support beyond what has been made public, Newsom said. I look forward to learning more about where they went, and Im grateful for his support.

Musk said the ventilator models sent were based on hospital requests. These were based on direct requests from their ICU wards, with exact specifications of each unit provided before shipment, Musk said on Twitter, referring to intensive care units.

Last week, Tesla cut pay and furloughed some workers after shutting down its Fremont factory.

Chronicle staff writer

Alexei Koseff contributed

to this report.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
With coronavirus situation slowly improving in China, wet markets are now fighting for their survival as customers are not rushing in like before. Wet markets have been slammed by the international community as it is believed the virus that has killed more than 1.3 lakh people worldwide originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city. According to reports, signboards have been placed in Wuhan's wet markets saying that the sale of wild animals is forbidden and speakers continuously announcing 'victory' over COVID-19.

Read: Surrogate Baby Born Amid Lockdown Flown To Bengaluru From Surat Via Air Ambulance

According to reports, sellers in the markets are now facing the heat because of the lengthy lockdown that lasted for approximately two months. Spice seller Yang while talking to the media said that he is doomed this year as his sale has gone down by a third. Yang added that he has never seen so few people at his market before and dismissed the criticism that markets like his are facing after the outbreak came into the light.

According to reports, one seafood market still remains closed even though others have opened their doors since the lockdown was revoked on April 8. The Huanan Seafood Market that sold a range of exotic wildlife is suspected of being the origin of the virus, it is where the virus may have transmitted from animals to humans.

Read: France's President Says He Is Hopeful Of Securing Putin's Agreement On Global Truce

China has been able to bend its curve and has put control over new deaths. So far, China has reported over 82,000 infections and more than 3,300 deaths, which now looks much smaller in front of the United States some European countries. According to data, there are currently 1,107 active cases in China, of which 95 remain under critical condition.

Read: US: Prisoner Arrested On Charge Of Murder Hours After Leaving Jail Over COVID-19 Fear

Coronavirus outbreak

The deadly Coronavirus infection has claimed more than 1,34,000 lives across the world and has infected over 20,83,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last month before Italy, Spain, the US, UK, Iran, Germany and France surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

Read: COVID-19: Father Designs Unique Protective Suit To Prevent His Son From Contracting Virus

(Image Credit: AP)
Trump halts WHO funding as world scrambles to contain coronavirus pandemic

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 1:45 AM

US President Donald Trump has halted funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) as the new coronavirus pandemic continues to take a heavy toll across the globe, accusing the international body of mishandling the deadly flu-like pathogen.

"Today I'm instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," Trump said in a news briefing in Washington on Tuesday.

Trump said the government's review of the Geneva-based agency would take somewhere between "60 to 90 days."

In another virulent attack on the UN health agency on Tuesday, the US president claimed the agency had failed to disclose or respond to "credible" information in December that suggested the virus could be spread through human-to-human transmission.

Trump accused the WHO of siding with China and reliance on Chinese data, blaming it for "all sorts of false information about transmission and mortality" that was circulated amid initial reports.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier said Washington sought to fundamentally change the UN health agency, claiming that the organization did not function very well during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The United States contributed $400 million to the WHO last year, roughly 15% of its budget.

The White House has been seeking to deflect criticism of its own sluggish response to the COVID-19 crisis by putting too much emphasis on the virus's likely origins in China, with Trump and other US officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, referring to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus."

There have been nearly two million confirmed cases of infection across the world, with the death toll topping 120,000 on Tuesday.

'Not the time to reduce the resources' of WHO

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that it was "not the time" to reduce resources for the WHO after Trump halted US funding.

It was "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus," Guterres said. "Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences."

The UN chief added that, "It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19."

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If there is an upside to the grim COVID-19 pandemic, it is this: The disaster could force Canadas governments to fundamentally rethink the countrys deeply flawed long-term care system.

In the last few days, the limitations of this system have been laid bare.

It is supposed to provide health and security to those  particularly the frail elderly  who need them most. In far too many cases, it has provided death instead.

In one Quebec nursing home, residents were left to die in their own feces. In one Ontario nursing home, a familys desperate pleas to isolate their mother before she could be infected by the virus fell on deaf ears. She died.

More often than not, when the virus did strike long-term care facilities the response was profoundly inadequate.

In most cases, no serious effort was made to separate the infected from the healthy. Nor were those affected by the virus automatically transferred to hospital where they might have had a better chance of recovery.

Instead, the assumption seemed to be that nothing could be done  that any elderly person unfortunate enough to be resident in a nursing or retirement home when the virus hit was doomed. There was no use even trying.

Would the same assumption have been made if the people at risk had been newborns? Of course not. But older people, it seems, are expendable. And if those old people who died had done so less dramatically, I suspect that few outside their immediate families would have paid much attention.

But these deaths were too gothic to ignore. Horrified Canadians were forced to face the reality of a system that far too often fails those it is supposed to help.

Little in the long-term care system works as advertised. It is overburdened and understaffed. The personal support workers who care for those we like to call our loved ones earn little more than minimum wage.

A typical day in a typical nursing home revolves around staff trying to get the basics done. Personal attention is a frill. More difficult patients, such as those with dementia, are often prescribed heavy-duty drugs in an effort keep them pliable.

The system barely functions at the best of times. In moments of crisis, it is impossible.

Some solutions are obvious: Pay caregivers more so they have an incentive to stay. End the gig economy practice of favouring part-time over full-time workers so as to avoid paying benefits.

This would obviate the need for caregivers to cobble together part-time jobs at different nursing homes just to make ends meet  a practice that in this pandemic has allowed the virus to spread rapidly from institution to institution.

The politicians know what must be done. Ontario Premier Doug Ford made headlines this week when he banned nursing home staff from working in more than one long-term care facility.

But it seems there was less to that ban than met the eye. Long-term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton said Wednesday that it will last, at most, only 14 days. After that, its back to business as usual.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hinted at some kind of federal wage top-up for nursing home staff. But there is no indication that he sees it as more than a temporary fix designed to get us through this pandemic.

If a permanent solution to the long-term conundrum is to be found, more will have to be done. Ottawa could pay a greater share of the cost on the condition that, as with medicare, participating provinces adhere to common national standards.

Ontarios government could permanently close the loopholes that make it more profitable for nursing homes and other businesses to rely on part-time employees.

Most important, long-term care homes could be treated as crucial parts of the universal, publicly funded health system rather than places where old people are expected to just quietly curl up and die.
MSBAI created GURU, an AI-driven assistant that learns to run the complicated software itself so you don't have to  minimizing the human workload needed to translate engineering questions into computational workflows.

With cloud systems already offering the compute power of government supercomputers from not long ago, it takes more time to set up a structural/thermal/fluid/trajectory analysis than it does for the computers to run them. The newest exascale, and coming quantum systems will require this kind of AI layer for humans to be able to keep up.

There are numerous dual-use applications that come from enabling more engineers to use the best design & analysis software and deploy it at high performance computing scale: manufacturers stand to gain a 500-to-1 return on investment, and the DoD will save billions of dollars in aircraft sustainment and gain advantages in rapid reaction. GURU's commercial deployment is SaaS B2B, and it will be a game-changer for remote work.

"As an engineer who struggled with these overly complicated simulation software packages myself, I felt the pain that GURU relieves," says Warren Katz, Managing Director of the Air Force Accelerator Powered by Techstars. "The award of this Phase I SBIR to MSBAI will ultimately enable engineers throughout the DoD that are working on our toughest problems in hypersonics, quantum computing, heat transfer, optics, electromagnetics, fluid mechanics, etc. to make many more trials per day and enable many more engineers to use these impossibly complex tools."

MSBAI is a privately held small business located in Los Angeles, CA, developing the cognitive AI assistant for engineering: GURU.

AFRL and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process in an attempt to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Beginning in SBIR 18.2, and now in 20.1, the Air Force has begun offering 'Special' SBIR topics that are faster, leaner and open to a broader range of innovations.

Contact:

Allan Grosvenor, CEO

[email protected]

310-954-2049

SOURCE MSBAI

Related Links

http://www.msb.ai


As soon as Trishia Bermudez heard that New York Citys public schools would be closed indefinitely because of the coronavirus, she scoured every inch of her apartment  including the medicine cabinet and pantry  to find objects that her son, Matthew, could use during his virtual physical therapy classes.

Matthew, who has learning disabilities, is in a special public school program for students with advanced needs. Ms. Bermudez has had to improvise, and Matthew now uses empty pill bottles and bags of beans during mobility exercises. On a recent weekday, she spent hours helping Matthew position his hand correctly so that he could grasp a pencil.

I didnt learn how to do that. Im an accountant, said Ms. Bermudez, a single mother who lives in Arverne, a Queens neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula. We were barely getting there, she said of Matthews progress in school, and now its like, oop, were backward.

The sudden switch to remote learning for the 1.1 million public school students in New York City has presented the nations largest school system with its greatest challenge in decades.
Rudolph (left) and Rudolpho Sutton (right) pictured at Graterford prison in Montgomery County in 2015. Rudolph Sutton died April 8, making him the first prison inmate in Pennsylvania to succumb to complications from the coronavirus. Read more

On Saturday, Rudolph Suttons son said he got news he had waited 30 years to hear: Philadelphia prosecutors would review his fathers claim that hed been wrongfully imprisoned for a 1988 murder in South Philadelphia.

But the son had news of his own for the defense lawyers on the other end of the line: Sutton, 67, had died three days earlier, the first state prison inmate to succumb to the coronavirus.

In an interview days after that call, Suttons son, Rudolpho, said life never did move quite quickly enough to work in his fathers favor.

It took decades for witnesses supporting his story to come forward. It had taken years for father and son to rebuild their relationship after Suttons life sentence took him away. And over the last month as Suttons chest pains and trouble breathing grew increasingly worse, it took medical examiners days after he died to pinpoint exactly why.

The impact of the virus on inmates has been growing exponentially across the country and the state. Seventeen have fallen ill at State Correctional Institution-Phoenix, the prison where Sutton was held. His death reinforces how quickly the disease can spread in cramped correctional facilities  and the fateful consequences of an outbreak behind bars.

When he was doing everything right, everyone seemed slow to respond, and when he was doing wrong, they acted quickly, Rudolpho Sutton said. That seemed to be the story of his life.

Rudolpho, now a 37-year-old real estate investor in Collingdale, was only 7 when a jury found his father and three other men guilty in the fatal stabbing of 33-year-old Dewey Mackey in a battle over drug turf in South Philadelphia.

Prosecutors contended that Sutton had rounded up the others to commit the crime after learning that Mackey was selling fake drugs in a house normally used by a Jamaican gang.

Though Sutton had always maintained his innocence, his family cut off contact between him and his eight children after the conviction. It wasnt until Rudolpho was 21 that he had his next conversation with his father.

Despite their years of separation, father and son quickly forged a bond  first with weekly phone check-ins, then periodic visits. Eventually, they were talking every day and within years Rudolpho had become his fathers greatest advocate.

A Marine veteran, Sutton had become an avid reader in prison, studying philosophy, computer science, art, and poetry.

My relationship with him became everything I could have hoped for, Rudolpho said.

To help his father, Rudolpho hired a new lawyer and lobbied the Pennsylvania Innocence Project to take on his case.

The justice system moved slowly, but father and son deepened their bond by the day.

An abrupt decline

The first signs of trouble with Suttons health came in early March  days before Montgomery County would report its first coronavirus case.

Complaining of chest pains, Sutton was taken to Einstein Medical Center. He returned to the prison after 10 days.

But instead of getting better, Suttons condition only grew worse. Still, even after SCI Phoenix confirmed its first inmate coronavirus case, it did not immediately occur to Rudolpho that his father might have been infected.

He had complications with diabetes, a possible heart attack, liver problems, and high blood pressure, he said. He had an inability to smell and taste food, [but] we didnt know that was a symptom at the time.

Sutton, though, was growing increasingly anxious about his declining health, especially as prison officials announced a lockdown in an effort to curb transmission.

Every day he would tell me, I dont know how much longer this is going to last,'" Rudolpho said. "He would say Im trapped in here waiting to die.

In late March, father and son managed to connect over video chat after the prison suspended in-person visits.

With his dad on the screen  frail-looking, confined to a wheelchair, and with a mask hanging around his neck  Rudolpho shared with him for the first time relics of the life he had missed: A photo of Rudolphos 10-year-old daughter, the first Sutton had seen since her birth. The obituary for another of Suttons sons, who had also served in the armed forces but died in 2013 without ever mending his relationship with his father.

You could hear the pride in [Suttons] voice, Rudolpho said. He finally got to see what his son looked like as an adult.

Questions of justice

Meanwhile, the Innocence Project was wrapping up its five-year investigation of Suttons case, concluding that he and his codefendants were likely innocent. Attorneys reached out in early March to the unit in the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office charged with reviewing past convictions to share their findings.

Among them: The central witness during the 1990 trial  a man who had also been charged and testified against the four others  had initially identified another man as the killer.

Also, a new witness had come forward, saying he had seen the killing as a 12-year-old and had tried to tell detectives back then that Sutton and his codefendants, whom he knew from the neighborhood, werent to blame.

Sutton and his son would talk a few times more in the following days. Each time, the elder mans breathing grew noticeably worse, pausing and panting between words.

During one call April 6, Rudolph fell silent midsentence.

I wondered if he died on the phone, Rudolpho said. He said he just needed to catch his breath.

Rudolpho missed four calls from his father the next day. The next time he picked up a call from the prison, it was another voice on the other end of the line. His father was dead.

As long as you know who you are

It took three days for medical examiners to confirm Sutton died from the coronavirus.

That same day, the Innocence Project called Rudolpho to say that it had submitted his fathers case to the District Attorneys Office.

We waited 30 years for this," Rudolpho said. "I was concerned he wasnt going to make it out in time. Thats exactly what happened.

Rudolpho has spent this week wrapping up the details of his fathers life  arranging for cremation and picking up his belongings from the prison in Montgomery County. But his mind still races with questions.

What might have happened if authorities had agreed to look into Suttons case sooner? And could prison officials have done anything more to improve his chances of survival?

A spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner declined to confirm or deny Wednesday that Suttons case was under review by the Conviction Integrity Unit, as did the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.

But in a statement, Innocence Project Legal Director Nilam Sanghvi said: Mr. Sutton should never have been incarcerated in the first place. ... His tragic death underscores the urgent need for the governor, the Department of Corrections, the legislature, and the courts to act quickly so that another factually innocent person does not risk death in prison due to COVID-19.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, citing privacy concerns, refused to discuss his care in prison. Rudolpho has retained a lawyer to look into the circumstances surrounding his fathers death.

In the meantime, he said he intends to live by advice his father gave him.

He would always tell me, It didnt matter where you are, as long as you know who you are,  Rudolpho said. Im focused now. I want to see him get the justice he never got while he was alive. I want to know what happened to him in that prison. And I want to see his conviction overturned.
CHICAGO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vyaire Medical Inc., the world's largest healthcare company fully dedicated to respiratory care, announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded the company a $407 million contract to produce 22,000 ventilators by the end of June in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"Vyaire Medical's sole business is making and servicing respiratory devices and we are well-positioned to deliver much-needed equipment to our frontline responders as they treat patients suffering breathing difficulties as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus," said CEO Gaurav Agarwal. "Our team accelerated production and delivery of ventilators back in February, and we are grateful for the partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services to further expand production and speed the delivery of this essential medical equipment where it is most needed."

Early in the crisis, Vyaire responded quickly to the pandemic by leveraging its global distribution network to deliver products to the areas most affected by the outbreak. The company then accelerated production of ventilators and other related respiratory equipment, hiring additional workers to add manufacturing shifts at its facility in Palm Springs, Calif., where the company makes most of the ventilators for the U.S. Vyaire also focused engineering resources on high-priority, high-demand equipment and consumables and began deploying ventilators as quickly as they were made to the regions that need them most.

"We took swift and decisive action as a result of this evolving pandemic in order to meet the expected surge in demand for ventilation equipment," Agarwal said. "Our goal was to increase output as quickly as possible. We have been in close contact with government officials and healthcare experts at the federal and state level since this outbreak began, and we are grateful for their support. This HHS award to supply ventilators for the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile allows us to further dramatically expand our production capabilities to help satisfy the intensifying need for respiratory care equipment."

About Vyaire Medical:

Vyaire is one of the largest global manufacturers of invasive ventilators and other breathing equipment based in the U.S.

The company moved quickly to ramp up production to meet increased demand, increasing production capacity in facilities around the world to produce critical ventilation equipment to treat patients.

Vyaire is in the process of securing partnerships with other industrial manufacturers to help meet the dramatic increase in demand. These partnerships, combined with the company's related move to accelerate its existing manufacturing capacity, will allow it to meet targets for both the HHS contract and other production orders from state governments, hospital systems and global health systems.

HHS will be supplied with Vyaire's LTV2 2200 ventilators, the latest iteration in the popular LTV series of ventilators that are designed to be lightweight and portable in the healthcare setting.

The LTV2 2200, already in use in Japan , has received an Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to enable rapid deployment in the U.S. while the company pursues a 510(k) submission.

, has received an Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to enable rapid deployment in the U.S. while the company pursues a 510(k) submission. Vyaire will significantly ramp production of the LTV2 2200 in June to fulfill the HHS order. The company will be able to meet this timeline, while filling orders from others, because of these efforts to rapidly expand production capacity in conjunction with its partners.

The expanded footprint means some 2,000 workers in the U.S. are preparing to assemble and service ventilators to help meet Vyaire's commitment to the American people.

For more information, please visit our website, which will be updated as our pandemic response evolves: Vyaire COVID-19 Response Center.

The LTV2 Model 2200 and 2150 EUA has not been FDA approved or cleared. It has been authorized by the FDA under an emergency use authorization to provide continuous or intermittent ventilatory support for the care of individuals who require mechanical ventilation. The LTV2 Model 2200 and 2150 is for institutional use only and shall only be utilized for the duration of the public health emergency.

About Vyaire Medical

Vyaire Medical Inc., a global company dedicated to respiratory care, enables, improves and extends lives with an unyielding focus on improving patient outcomes and increasing value for customers. The company consists of a conglomeration of well-known brands and was formed in October 2016 to serve healthcare providers with innovative devices and service solutions across the respiratory and anesthesia continuum of care. Headquartered in suburban Chicago, Vyaire's legacy brands have a 65-year track record of pioneering and advancing respiratory diagnostics, ventilation, and anesthesia delivery & monitoring. From original brands including Bird, Bear, and JAEGER to industry leaders AirLife, Vital Signs, Viasys, and many others  Vyaire Medical is recognized, trusted and preferred by specialists in respiratory and anesthesiology healthcare worldwide.

Learn more at www.vyaire.com.

Contact

Cheston Turbyfill

VP Corporate Communications

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Vyaire Medical Inc.

Related Links

https://www.vyaire.com


President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for maintaining the countrys strategic reserve of petroleum materials, while ensuring that all petroleum sector projects are seeing the necessary preventive measures to protect their workers from the coronavirus pandemic.

The presidents directives were issued during his meeting on Thursday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla, and presidential aide for national and strategic projects Sherif Ismail.

Egypt's Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady stated that the president reviewed during the meeting the latest developments in the international oil market amid the repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak.

Petroleum minister Tarek El-Molla ensured that petroleum transport and filling stations across the country are functioning regularly throughout the day to serve the citizens and activities excluded from the curfew, Rady added.

El-Molla briefed President El-Sisi on the level of the country's strategic stockpile of crude oil and other petroleum products, as well as the daily average of imports, production and consumption.

President El-Sisi called for continuing the projects of natural gas delivery to new cities and social housing units across the country, Rady said.

The president also called for the expansion of the smart gas metering system.

Egypt slightly lowered domestic fuel prices on Friday but stopped short of a significant cut despite a plunge in oil prices due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying the global decline is temporary.

The price of the widely used 92 octane gasoline was lowered to EGP 7.5 a litre, down from EGP 7.75, 80 octane to EGP 6.25 a litre, down from EGP 6.5, and 95 octane to EGP 8.5 a litre, down from EGP 8.75.

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Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor who was a Republican witness during the impeachment inquiry of President Trump, took issue with Trump accusing Congress of "obstructing" his ability to appoint judges and threatening to close both chambers.

Trump said Wednesday evening he was considering exercising "my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers" so he could make recess appointments, adding, "it's something I'd prefer not doing, but which I should do and I will do if I have to." The president can adjourn the House and Senate when the chambers are unable to agree on when to adjourn, but this constitutional power has not been used before by any president.

Turley tweeted that Trump appeared to be referencing Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution, "which gives a president 'in extraordinary occasions' [authority] to convene or adjourn the Houses. This power has never been used and should not be used now. The power to adjourn only applies 'in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment.'"

Democrats and Republicans have used pro forma sessions to prevent recess appointments. Turley said he has "long been a critic of such recess appointments. Senators of both parties should vote to support the congressional control over adjournment. Absent a 'disagreement' there is no presidential power to adjourn under Article II. A pandemic should not be an invitation for pandemonium. Indeed, we need regular order now more than ever."

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More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment aid since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency four weeks ago, a staggering loss of jobs that has wiped out a decade of employment gains and pushed families to line up at food banks as they await government help.

The United States has not seen this level of job loss since the Great Depression, and the government is struggling to respond fast enough to the deadly coronavirus health crisis and the widespread economic pain it has triggered.

Layoffs are mounting in nearly every sector as businesses have been forced to close due to the shutdowns to stem the spread of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Many companies that remain open reported a massive drop-off in sales. New data shows that manufacturing production cratered in March by the most since 1946, and new home construction saw the biggest decline in nearly 40 years.

"We are going to go through a couple of quarters, at least, where things will be bad," said Patrick Harker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. "I could see a [jobless] number hovering around or slightly below 20%, even."

Government aid has been slow to arrive for many Americans, exacerbating the downturn. The Small Business Administration stopped accepting loan applications on Thursday after it ran out of funds for a key program that's supposed to help businesses stay afloat and retain workers.

More for you New proposed $2K COVID payment would include more Americans

State unemployment offices are so overwhelmed that many people are still waiting for unemployment payments weeks later and few states have done anything yet for the self-employed and gig workers who are desperate for aid. Even the federal government's relief payments - referred to by many as "stimulus checks" - have been held up by various glitches. About half of the payments have gone out so far.

Stocks were little changed Thursday as Wall Street investors had already factored in massive job losses, but the stock market has rallied in April on hopes that parts of the global economy can reopen soon. Trump has pointed to the rally as evidence that he is doing a good job handling the crisis, though the Dow Jones industrial average remains in a bear market - down more than 20% from its February high.

"If we weren't doing well, the market wouldn't be at a level that it is today," Trump said Tuesday.

Last week, 5.2 million people filed unemployment insurance claims, the Labor Department reported Thursday, making it among the biggest spikes ever, though that is less than the 6.6 million people who applied the week before and the record 6.9 million people who applied the week that ended on March 28.

Thejob losses in the past month have erased virtually all of the 22.8 million jobs gained since 2010 as the nation rebounded from the Great Recession.

Two economists say the U.S. unemployment rate is already over 20%, according to Alexander Bick of Arizona State University and Adam Blandin of Virginia Commonwealth University, who are tracking the data in real time. It is expected remain close to 10% through the end of the year, meaning 1 in 10 people would still be out of work during the end-of-year holidays, the National Association for Business Economics says.

Every state has experienced job losses, with several key swing states in the upcoming presidential election among those hit hardest with layoffs ranging from manufacturing to hospitality. In Michigan, a million workers, or 21% of the workforce, applied for unemployment over the past month.

Pennsylvania has close to 20% of workers out of a job, and Ohio is near 15%. The state most affected is Hawaii, which has a nearly 22% unemployment rate because the tourism industry has been devastated.

These devastating jobless numbers have played a key role in Trump's intensifying push to reopen the economy. The White House on Thursday released new guidelines putting those decisions in the hands of states, but Trump reiterated his optimism that the lock downs will end soon.

"We must have a working economy, and we want to get it back very very quickly, and that's what's going to happen. I believe it will boom," Trump said in a news conference.

Even after parts of the economy reopen, people are going to remain fearful of venturing out again to restaurants or offices unless there is widespread testing or a vaccine, many experts say.

In addition to health concerns, Americans typically slash their spending when they see widespread job losses and pay cuts among their friends and family members, another issue likely to prevent a rapid recovery.

"Households are spooked by the idea that they might lose their jobs again or have their hours cut again. They see so many different ways their lives can get disrupted," said economist Ernie Tedeschi of Evercore ISI, a research firm. "They are not going to be confident that things are back to normal until well after the virus has passed."

Tedeschi, a former Treasury Department official, said the psychological effects of so many job losses are likely to be long-lasting. He pointed to how millennials have been reluctant to buy homes, years after the Great Recession, because they are still spooked by seeing so many family members and friends experience foreclosure or personal bankruptcy.

The 22 million jobless figure is likely an understatement because most gig workers and temporary employees have not been able to apply for aid yet.

"Once one adds in those not captured by the data, we are almost certainly facing a 20% unemployment rate now," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at audit firm RSM. "At this point in the pandemic, roughly 1 in every 7 individuals in the workforce is unemployed."

Nineteen states are accepting applications from gig workers and others who normally don't qualify for traditional aid but are supposed to get the $600 a week pandemic unemployment that Congress approved in March, according to Employ America, which is tracking the state unemployment office problems closely. The remaining states won't accept applications until later this month or in May.

Amanda Fleming lives in Virginia, which is not accepting unemployment applications yet from self-employed workers.

Fleming and her husband run a tree-cutting business. They have not been able to apply for unemployment. Their Small Business Administration loan has not come through, and they were among millions of Americans who found out this week that their stimulus check is delayed.

"Just any help soon would be nice. My son's prescriptions are coming up soon for renewal," said Fleming, a Clintwood resident. "I know it's not anybody's fault, but it's just a mess."

The Fleming family told its landlord that it would pay the other half of the rent this week after a stimulus check came through, but now it does not know when the money will arrive. Fleming borrowed money from family members to buy groceries this week. She spoke to The Washington Post on her way home from the grocery store.

Their tree cutting business doesn't have employees, but several people in the area work with it as independent contractors. Some have called Fleming asking for money because they are also in need and have yet to receive the government's financial help.

"We don't know how long this is going to last," Fleming said. "Our contract workers are looking at us right now, too. What should we do? I've even had some of them ask for money because they are in the same situation."

- - -

The Washington Post's Andrew Van Dam contributed to this report.
PM Phuc informed the Swedish PM of the overall measures Vietnam has been taking, the Vietnamese Governments resolve to control the outbreak, and the positive outcomes it has obtained so far, including the safety of Vietnamese citizens and foreign nationals in the country.

He asked Sweden to provide healthcare and support for Vietnamese living in the Scandinavian country during the pandemic. He also expressed Vietnams readiness to share information and experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with Sweden and to strengthen ties with other countries and international organisations in this regard.

Valuing Vietnams outstanding achievements in combating COVID-19, PM Lofven expressed his thanks for the medical assistance and treatment given to Swedish citizens in the country suffering from the virus.

He said he hopes the two countries will exchange experience and increase cooperation in disease prevention and control, within both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, especially as Vietnam is currently holding key positions in ASEAN and the UN Security Council, thereby helping to foster international cooperation.

PM Phuc also affirmed that Sweden is an important and trustworthy partner of Vietnam in the EU.

He expressed his appreciation of the valuable assistance provided to Vietnam by the Swedish Government and its people over the decades and hopes that bilateral ties will be further strengthened.

PM Lofven also expressed his delight at the development of the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Sweden in the more recent past.

He called on both sides to build on their achievements, tap into cooperative potential in different spheres, particularly sustainable development, innovation, and trade and investment, and bring into play the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and Investment Protection Agreement.

The two PMs highly valued the outcomes of the official visit to Sweden by PM Phuc in May last year on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

They agreed to enhance existing cooperative mechanisms and lift bilateral links to new heights to meet the development demand of both countries. The two will also work closely together at international and regional forums, as Vietnam is ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.

PM Phuc again invited his Swedish counterpart to visit Vietnam, who replied he will arrange the trip soon.
Who hasnt thought about retiring early and cruising around the Mediterranean  or maybe Croatia  with a yacht full of excess?

Maybe thats just us.

Problem is, every now and then, a global financial crisis or WHO-recognised pandemic will inspire your stocks to fling themselves off the nearest precipice.

Such is capitalism.

On that note, to help people deal with these challenging times, the Australian government is now offering citizens the chance to withdraw $10,000  early  from their superannuation fund.

For those looking to keep a roof over their heads and food in their belly, its great. But it also has a few hidden risks, which Fernando Prieto, CA at Solid Partners Accountants & Advisors, says may be obscured by another new piece of legislation.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Croatia Catamaran (@croatia_catamaran) on May 25, 2017 at 2:56am PDT

The government changed the way accountants can and cant talk to you about your superannuation. We cant advise anymore whether its a good idea to put money in or take money out  you now need an Australian Financial Services Licence, Fernando told us this morning.

The hardest thing is we can tell you that its there and the things you need to do to get access to it, but we cant tell you if its a good or bad idea to take money out.

Theyve introduced all these initiatives but when people go to ask their accountant what to do the accountants are going to say, oh look, before I can even tell you any of this Im going to have to charge you two or three thousand dollars to provide you with a statement of advice.

This is a really contentious issue at the moment.

Thats to specific individuals. As for advice of a general nature (and all the disclaimers that come with it), Fernando told us, all I can say is you can access $10,000 of your super before the 30th of June, and then another $10,000 after the 1st of July, and theres an eligibility criteria  make sure youre eligible first.

As to the impact this will have on your super, the generic (and we stress generic) advice is not to pull it out unless you have no other choice, as you will then lose out on all the compound interest and special benefits superannuation funds are afforded.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Croatia Catamaran (@croatia_catamaran) on May 22, 2017 at 10:56pm PDT

If youre going to take out money, the superfund has to sell some asset to fund you redeeming part of your superannuation balance. As the share market has tanked, if you do this youre sort of crystallising your losses and depending on [how things recover] you could find yourself in a situation where that $10,000 would have recovered and compounded and been hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time you retired.

Its really a function of how that $10,000 would have recovered.

In other words: yes, taking out that money is going to have a significant long term effect: when you retire its going to sustain you for a couple of years (or rather, would have).

I wouldnt be taking it out unless you really have to.

Fernando then told us he thinks its going to hit the more lower socio-economic demographic hardest of all: it sucks because people should know what theyre getting themselves into  now you have to spend a few thousand dollars just to get a simple answer [from your accountant] if you want advice tailored to your exact situation.

In the meantime, nows as good a time as ever to brush up on those saving habits.

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London/IBNS: The former head of the United Kingdom's foreign intelligence service has targeted China and the World Health Organization over the COVID-19 outbreak and said both should bear responsibility for a flawed response to the disease that has now reached nearly all corners of the globe.

Sir Robert John Sawers, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, from 2009 through 2014, told BBC Radio that the Chinese Communist Party is evading its responsibility for the COVID-19 outbreak that has also hit the UK.

Sawers said WHO has serious questions to answer."

Sawers had once served as British permanent representative to the United Nations from 2007 through 2009.

There is deep anger in America at what they see as having been inflicted on us all by China, and China is evading a good deal of responsibility for the origin of the virus and for failing to deal with it originally, initially, Sawers told BBC Radio as quoted by Washington Examiner.

Its going to be a complicated, complex set of issues were going to have to deal with, and the world will not be the same after the virus as it was before," he said.

The ex-top MI6 leader argued, It would be better to hold China responsible for those issues rather than the World Health Organization because the WHO is only as good as its member states.

He also pointed to the growth of China's influence in the United Nations since its increase in power.

Sawers said, That doesnt excuse the head of the WHO for failing to stand up for the facts and the data and making the right demands of the Chinese.

The WHO has got serious questions to answer about its performance," he said, even as he acknowledged any anger should be directed toward China rather than the WHO.

The COVID-19 disease is believed to have originated from China and now it has spread across the globe.

Recently, President Donald Trump announced that he has instructed his administration to stop US funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), which he accused of grossly mismanaging and covering up the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Today, I am instructing my administration to halt funding for the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organizations role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus, Trump said at a daily White House briefing on Tuesday evening.

Trump noted that the United States contributes to the WHO $400-500 million annually.
Ivy Techs Valparaiso campus lent one of its 3D printers to inHealth Integrated Healthcare so workers there could make respirator-style masks. Also, through an initiative with Ivy Techs School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Applied Science statewide, the campus has been using other 3D printers, some loaned by the Lake County campus, to print hundreds of headbands they affix to medical face shields for hospitals and first responders according to a design approved by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Montana reached 404 known COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, with at least 209 recoveries statewide and 21 actively hospitalized.

That represents a gain of five cases since Tuesday, the same number of cases the state added Monday and Tuesday. Prior to this week, the last time the state added fewer than seven cases in a day was March 22.

On Monday, the state saw its seventh death, a Flathead County resident older than 65 with preexisting health conditions. There have been a cumulative 50 hospitalizations and 9,583 tests run at the state lab in Helena.

Of the seven deaths, information provided by counties or families about five of the people shows that they were older. Three of the state's deaths have been in Toole County, where there's an outbreak in an assisted living facility. There were 26 cases there by Wednesday.

Fourteen of the cases there are for people ages 60 and older, including five cases for those 80-89 and three cases for those older than 90.

Gallatin County remained the state's hot spot, with 139 cases. The county has gained one case since Friday. On Wednesday, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported the City-County Board of Public Health there voted to pass an emergency rule saying that anyone with COVID-19 who violates an order that they isolate themselves for 14 days could be subject to a misdemeanor and fine.

On April 7 the public health officer in Gallatin County signed an order saying that people who have tested positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate. The order also asked people who are close contacts with known cases and have been tested for COVID-19 to self-quarantine while waiting for test results.

The state's 1.06 million residents are under a stay-at-home order that runs through April 24, though that could be extended.

On Wednesday Bullock also announced the formation of a task force dedicated to determining how to best deploy, following federal guidance, the $1.25 billion heading to the state under the federal CARES Act.

The task force is made up of 26 people who represent small business owners, the agriculture sector, nonprofits, economic development organizations, financial institutions and more.

The state Department of Labor and Industry said Tuesday it has started paying Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit, which is an additional $600 to those who have lost jobs or incomes, on top of state unemployment payments.

On Wednesday, $1,200 individual payments began arriving in bank accounts as part of a $2.2 trillion federal coronavirus relief package. Depending on income, adults will receive up to $1,200 each and $500 per child. The checks will be directly deposited into bank accounts or mailed to households in the coming weeks, depending on how they filed their tax returns.

How people use those payments likely depends on their circumstances, Billings financial planner Anthony Miller said. If someone has lost their job or is furloughed, the money will likely be used as a patch for necessities. Others might use the cash to pay down debt, or to try to support businesses in their local economy.

This act was just a bridge, Miller said. It wasnt meant to be long term.  What they decided to do is come up with a program that would push the most liquidity as quickly as possible.

One trend that Miller, who owns Retirement Solutions, said that hes seen from his clients  who typically are financially stable  is an interest in trying to help those affected by the economic slowdown.

The conversations that Ive had, more often than not  have been about, 'How can I use these funds to benefit my friends and family in this time?' he said.

Report shows more details about Montana's first 377 COVID-19 cases A report released Tuesday by Montana's Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section details the first 377 COVID-19 cases in Montana, including in

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A woman wearing a sanitary mask as a preventive measure, leaving the train during the first day of work for non-essential sectors. Barcelona faces its 31st day of house confinement due to the contagion of Covid-19. Paco Freire | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images

The coronavirus crisis has revitalized calls for a universal basic income, with even the Pope suggesting that now may be the time to consider giving everyone free money. The Covid-19 outbreak has meant countries across the globe have effectively had to shut down, with many governments imposing draconian measures on the lives of billions of people. The social, educational and economic ramifications of the confinement measures, which vary in their application worldwide but broadly include social distancing, school closures and bans on public gatherings, are expected to have a profoundly negative impact. To be sure, the International Monetary Fund now expects the global economy in 2020 to suffer its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The dramatic downgrade to this year's growth expectations has amplified concern about those most vulnerable to an economic slump. In his Easter letter over the weekend, Pope Francis said: "This may be the time to consider a universal basic wage."

Pope Francis greets the believers as he arrives to lead the weekly General Audience at St. Peter's Square. The General Audience is held every Wednesday, in Saint Peter's Square, which can accommodate around 80,000 people. SOPA Images

He argued it would "ensure and concretely achieve the ideal, at once so human and so Christian, of no worker without rights." As of Thursday, more than 2 million people had contracted Covid-19 worldwide, with 137,666 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

'We have got to protect everyone'

Universal basic income is not a new idea. But it has gained more traction of late, more recently through the likes of U.S. presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who based his platform on the policy. The IMF describes universal basic income as an income support mechanism, in which regular cash payments are intended to reach all (or a very large) portion of the population with no (or minimal) conditions. Guy Standing, a research professor in development studies at SOAS, University of London, told CNBC via telephone that there was no prospect of a global economic revival without a universal basic income. Standing, who has been an advocate for a universal basic income for more than three decades, said he believed the coronavirus crisis would be "the trigger" for a basic wage. "It's almost a no-brainer," he said. "We are going to have some sort of basic income system sooner or later, but I think getting the establishments of many countries to do it is like pulling the proverbial tooth. There's a big institutional resistance to it because of the implications of moving in this direction."

Standing urged world leaders and policymakers to avoid repeating the same mistakes that were made in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, saying another "toxic combination" of austerity and quantitative easing would simply stoke up another crisis. "Going back and doing what they did after 2008 would be a disaster." Some governments, including the U.K., Austria and Denmark, have introduced wage subsidies in an effort to protect households from an expected economic downturn. They are intended to help protect jobs and cover the salaries of millions of people. Standing dismissed such an approach as "regressive" and "inefficient," arguing wage subsidies of this nature would only ever result in a large number of vulnerable people being excluded from the system. "It's atrocious economics." "So, for me, all of the arguments are tilting us toward saying: 'We've got to protect everybody. We are all vulnerable.'"

'A level unifier'

Earlier this month, Spain's Minister for Economic Affairs Nadia Calvino told Spanish broadcaster La Sexta that the euro zone's fourth-largest economy would roll out a universal basic income "as soon as possible." Calvino said the government's wish was to make a nationwide basic wage a permanent instrument that supports citizens "forever." If the policy is implemented successfully over the coming weeks, it would make Spain the first country in Europe to introduce a universal basic income on a long-term basis.

A man applauds the hospital workers who are fighting the coronavirus on March 30, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Denis Doyle | Getty Images
Dubke, who largely defended Trumps approach to the news media in the report, nevertheless endorsed its conclusion that Trump has emboldened foreign leaders to crack down on their own news media. What concerns me is that authoritarian leaders who had already placed restrictions on their press are using President Trumps words to justify what they are doing, he is quoted in the report as saying. Its convenient for them to do so.
While people across the region get stir-crazy due to the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak, members of the Washington Township, Warren County, community have put their technical talents to good use.

The Warren Hills Robotics Association (WHRA) employed its engineering skills to produce face shields for first responders and medical personnel who are in desperate need of personal protective equipment, or PPE.

According to Warren Hills Regional High School technology teacher Adam Slack, contributing to the worthwhile cause has given volunteers a morale boost.

A lot of our kids were bummed out with the change of the school setting. Going to virtual, its been really hard for them, Slack said. Its just really rewarding. Youre seeing people excited, smiling. Its nice to be a part of something like this, to be able to help people that are on the front lines and are protecting us.

Warren Hills computer science teacher Daryl Detrick assembles personal protective equipment.Courtesy photo

While the WHRA has already raised more than $17,000 to buy the materials necessary to build face shields, the project has its roots at nearby Mount Olive High School in Morris County.

After receiving an email from a Rutgers University medical student in need of face shields, Mount Olive engineering teachers Dave Bodmer and Matt Dunster started assembling personal protective equipment through 3D printing.

Matt and I started that effort for about three days and we quickly knew that doing 3D printing was not going to get the volume that was needed, Bodmer said. We had a Zoom meeting on a Friday afternoon, and thats where we brought Adam in.  We decided we were going to pivot to laser-cutting and to a more efficient way to make shields, that way we could get a higher number of shields out to those people who need them.

The move to produce face shields in a more effective way has led to a dramatic increase in output.

Our original goal was to produce 3,000 shields, then we jumped that to 10,000, then 15,000 and now were at 26,000, Warren Hills computer science teacher Daryl Detrick said. What weve done over the last two weeks pales in comparison to what those healthcare workers are doing every single day. We want to thank them. We really consider them our heroes.

The Mele family poses with supplies generated for first responders and medical personnel by the Warren Hills Robotics Association.Courtesy photo

The initiatives success may come down to the simple fact that it gives people something to focus on while stuck at home.

Everyone felt like they can contribute, whether its financially, whether its motivational support. People have offered to help assemble, Dunster said. Families stepped up over at Warren Hills and families at Mount Olive were like, Lets do something about it. Finally, there was a direction. It was a snowball that just kept getting bigger and bigger.

After assembling the face shields at a number of locations throughout the area, the next step was organizing a system to distribute the supplies to first responders. Last Saturday at Warren Hills, participants in the effort distributed 7,000 of the face shields to emergency personnel, including New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan.

Just being able to see when people come and pick up orders and things, its very emotional. I know last week when I had a nurse from Hackensack, she said, I cant even say anything other than thank you. She was in tears, and I got a little choked up, too, Bodmer said. I have an easy job of putting these things together off-site. These are the people going into the fire and doing a lot of awesome work.

For more information on how to become involved click here. To donate to the WHRAs effort click here.

Desmond Boyle may be reached at dboyle@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @DesJBoyle.
There have been some shortcomings in regard to the intelligence operations carried out during the Four-Day Artsakh War in April 2016. This is what chair of the parliamentary committee leading a probe into the circumstances of the Four-Day Artsakh War Andranik Kocharyan told reporters after the committees session today.

When told that Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there havent been shortcomings, Kocharyan said the following: Each member of the committee has information regarding the shortcomings, and if there is any change, well try to find the shortcomings.

Touching upon President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Bako Sahakyans statement that he is ready to collaborate with the parliamentary committee, yet hasnt received an invitation yet, Kocharyan said the following: Bako Sahakyan himself expressed the desire to work with the committee as soon as possible. I have always said there wont be anyone who wouldnt like to help make the activities of the committee complete.

According to Kocharyan, the fact that third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan participated in the committees session goes to show that Armenia is a parliamentary country and that the Armenian authorities are legitimate.

When asked if Serzh Sargsyans visit will help lead to new revelations, Kocharyan said it will, to a certain extent. Serzh Sargsyan was rather well prepared. Before the committees session, he gave an introductory speech that will be attached to the committees conclusion and attached importance to that introductory speech, Kocharyan said, adding that the committee will end its work on June 4, 2020.

Touching upon the fact that Serzh Sargsyan has asked for a video recording of his meeting, Kocharyan said the committee will provide the video recording in a matter of days and that Serzh Sargsyan said he wont make the information about the committees session today public until 2050.
3D print of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19--in front of a 3D print of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle. The spike protein (foreground) enables the virus to enter and infect human cells. On the virus model, the virus surface (blue) is covered with spike proteins (red) that enable the virus to enter and infect human cells. Credit: NIH

Less than a month after restrictions first took effect, Australia appears to have contained the spread of COVID-19 more successfully than we could have possibly imagined.

But we've done so at unimaginable cost: large swathes of the economy have been shut down, leaving the livelihoods of millions of Australians on hold indefinitely. With new cases now on the decline, the conversation at today's National Cabinet meeting will turn to what can reopen, and when.

But the economic costs of re-opening prematurely could be enormous.

The least costly economic strategy is eliminating COVID-19 from Australia altogether. Growing epidemiological evidence suggests it may be possible for us to eliminate coronavirus within the next two to three months.

New Zealand is pursuing such a strategy.

Australia's state and territory governments should explicitly declare that they want to eliminate the virus, and maintain harsh lockdown restrictions until new cases are down to zero or close to it.

And in the meantime we'll accrue invaluable intelligence from other countries about how best to emerge from lockdowns, and plan accordingly.

There's no doubt this strategy would have big short-term economic costs.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that severe shutdowns like our level-three restrictions wipe out almost a quarter of economic activity, costing Australia's economy about 2% of annual GDP for each month they remain in place.

This means a three-month shutdown would shave six percentage points off Australia's annual GDP.

But the Government's unprecedented package of economic support means many firms and households are well-placed to weather a short but severe storm.

Short term pain, long term gain

There's also enormous economic upside if we eliminate the virus and the economy can more or less return to normal.

Schools and offices could re-open, as could bars, cafes and restaurants. Import and export goods would flow freely. International students could still come to Australia with quarantine and testing, and being COVID-free would mean more would choose Australia over alternative destinations.

Not everything could return to normal. International tourism would take a hit, because tight border controls would be maintained until the pandemic subsides abroad. But international tourism accounts for just 2% of our gross domestic product. And domestic travel would boom.

And while the prospect of 90 days of stage-three restrictions is daunting, it poses fewer economic costs than the alternatives.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has rightly ruled out allowing the virus to spread through the community.

Even with a so-called herd immunity strategy, there is little chance that economic life would return to normal for at least 12 months. Spatial distancing would still be needed to ensure our hospitals were not overwhelmed, and fear of infection would prevent many people from going outside. Many businesses would remain closed.

Adopting a Goldilocks strategywhere we try to find just the right balance between allowing some economic activity while keeping infections lowwould mean fewer die, but would still be bad for the economy.

While there is hope that widespread use of face masks and improvements in tracking and tracing of the disease might change thisthere is no certainty.

Sophisticated contract tracing and surveillance were initially effective in helping countries like Singapore to largely stay open, but they too have since resorted to a lockdown to keep infections under control.

In practice, few sectors currently closed could be reopened in Australia under a Goldilocks strategy.

Modellers at the University of Sydney estimate that even a 20% reduction in spatial distancing compliance would push rates of transmission back above one (that is, where one infected person on average infects more than one other).

That suggests schools could probably re-open, but many workplaces and university classes may have to stay closed.

As would domestic air travel and much non-essential retail. The political lobbying over which industry should have the privilege to re-open first would also be intense.

And whatever is required to keep infection rates stable would need to remain in place until there was herd immunity or a vaccineand that probably means for as long as 18 months, assuming either happens.

We've a choice of a long or a short shutdown

For 18 months of lighter restrictions to be better for the economy than shutting down for another 2-to-3 months to eliminate the virus, the economic costs of a lighter shutdown need to be six to nine times less damaging to the economy than a severe shutdown.

That would require an almost complete removal of spatial distancing, which isn't on the table.

If there were extended shutdowns, millions of Australians would come out the other side with significant scarring; many would never work again.

Firms that can endure a three-month shutdown without going bust are unlikely to survive for 12 months without further government support. And the budgetary costs of that support would become much bigger for future generations if extended to 12 months or more.

Relaxing most restrictions without sparking a second round of contagion may be possible in time, but only after making enormous new investments in our ability to identify cases and isolate them quickly.

Economist Paul Romer argues for universal testing of Americans every two weeks; others call for a new digital surveillance state to enforce self-isolation. In each case the technological obstacles are large, and so we should start investing now. Extending the shut down would give us valuable time to prepare if we fail.

It's commonly assumed that the public health and economic objectives of managing COVID-19 are in conflict. That's wrong. Eliminating the virus from Australia is the best strategy for our health and for our economy.

Explore further Coronavirus debate turns to whether Australia should embrace 'elimination' strategy

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- It's clear that age and chronic disease make bouts of the pandemic coronavirus more severe -- and even deadly -- but obesity might also put even younger people at higher risk, a pair of new studies suggest.

The researchers suspect that inflammation throughout the body linked to obesity could be a powerful factor in the severity of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

And, they added, it could even be more significant than heart or lung disease.

"This has relevance in the U.S., where 40% of Americans are obese, and will no doubt contribute to increased morbidity and likely mortality, compared to other countries," said Dr. Jennifer Lighter, co-author of one of the studies. Lighter is an assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases at NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

Though people under age 60 are generally considered at low risk for COVID-19, her team found that those who are obese are twice as likely to be hospitalized for the disease.

And, compared to patients whose weight is normal, those who are morbidly obese are twice as likely to need acute care and three times more likely to be confined to the intensive care unit, the study found.

Though patients studied were obese, none had diabetes or heart disease, Lighter said, but they might be on the verge of them.

"They have higher rates of obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, restrictive lung disease and reflux that may be affecting the respiratory system, which takes a hit from an infection like coronavirus," she said.

Younger people who are obese are at high risk, she added. So, they should be reminded to wash hands frequently, practice social distancing and wear a face mask when they go out, Lighter said.

The second study, led by Dr. Christopher Petrilli of NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, suggested the link with obesity may owe to its role in causing inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a factor in many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

According to Dr. David Katz, founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, Conn., "Age and prior health status are important predictors of the risks of severe coronavirus infection and death."

Basing analyses only on those people with symptoms severe enough to warrant medical attention is not sufficient, Katz said.

"We need random sampling of the general population to know what's relevant," he said. "How many people in each category by age, health and weight were infected, with or without symptoms?"

Older age, obesity and chronic illness increase health risks in this pandemic, Katz said, calling for national policies that support a "stay safe and get healthier" campaign.

"The acute threat of coronavirus highlights some chronic threats to our health that may suddenly matter more, along with an urgent timeline," Katz explained.

Meanwhile, anything you can do to improve your health while in lockdown might pay big dividends, he suggested.

"We can't change our chronological age, but even short-term efforts to improve health and weight while sheltering in place may enhance our ability to get through this safely," Katz said.

The reports were published online April 9 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases and April 11 at medRxiv.

More information

To learn more about coronavirus, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is also a recognition that Mr. Sanders has moved the party to the left, introducing policies like Medicare for all and tuition-free public college that are now embroidered into the fabric of the party.

But perhaps, above all, it is a projection of how desperate Democrats are to beat Mr. Trump. Establishment Democrats recognize that if Mr. Biden is to win in November, he will need the backing of Mr. Sanderss loyal supporters, some of whom have expressed reluctance, if not disgust, at the notion of voting for the former vice president. By showing Mr. Sanders gratitude, they are hoping to mollify his supporters, too.

On Wednesday, Mr. Sanderss campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, was circumspect about the establishments newfound respect for his boss.

Hes a person who has unrivaled integrity among many politicians, he said. When the dust settles, people recognize that integrity.

Mr. Sanders, who is 78, said this week in an interview with The Associated Press that it was probably a very fair assumption that this presidential campaign was his last. But Mr. Shakir has rejected the idea that Mr. Sanders is guided by a wish to cement a positive political legacy in the eyes of a party he has long loathed.

Thats not the way he thinks, he said. He does not think on legacy terms.

For months, Mr. Sanders had said he would do everything he could to support the eventual Democratic nominee. I hope its me, he would say, before quickly committing to work with whomever it was to defeat Mr. Trump.
Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk'. It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. We can see that Zhaobangji Properties Holdings Limited (HKG:1660) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Zhaobangji Properties Holdings

What Is Zhaobangji Properties Holdings's Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of September 2019, Zhaobangji Properties Holdings had HK$53.3m of debt, up from HK$36.5m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. But it also has HK$76.7m in cash to offset that, meaning it has HK$23.4m net cash.

SEHK:1660 Historical Debt April 15th 2020

How Healthy Is Zhaobangji Properties Holdings's Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Zhaobangji Properties Holdings had liabilities of HK$171.5m falling due within a year, and liabilities of HK$38.7m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of HK$76.7m as well as receivables valued at HK$68.4m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by HK$65.1m.

This state of affairs indicates that Zhaobangji Properties Holdings's balance sheet looks quite solid, as its total liabilities are just about equal to its liquid assets. So it's very unlikely that the HK$8.86b company is short on cash, but still worth keeping an eye on the balance sheet. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Zhaobangji Properties Holdings boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

Story continues

On top of that, Zhaobangji Properties Holdings grew its EBIT by 83% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle its debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Zhaobangji Properties Holdings will need earnings to service that debt. So if you're keen to discover more about its earnings, it might be worth checking out this graph of its long term earnings trend.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Zhaobangji Properties Holdings has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the last three years, Zhaobangji Properties Holdings saw substantial negative free cash flow, in total. While investors are no doubt expecting a reversal of that situation in due course, it clearly does mean its use of debt is more risky.

Summing up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Zhaobangji Properties Holdings has HK$23.4m in net cash. And we liked the look of last year's 83% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we are not troubled with Zhaobangji Properties Holdings's debt use. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Take risks, for example - Zhaobangji Properties Holdings has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) we think you should know about.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Mani Ratnam, the veteran filmmaker is currently working on his dream project Ponniyin Selvan. The movie, which is based on the popular Tamil historical novel of the same name, features some of the prominent faces of Indian cinema in both its cast and crew. In a recent Instagram Live, Mani Ratnam revealed an interesting fact about Ponniyin Selvan.

The senior director confirmed that the magnum opus is being made as two parts, to the much excitement of the cine-goers. Mani Ratnam revealed that Ponniyin Selvan is a two-part film, when as a fan asked him whether he will make a sequel to any of his earlier films.

As per the latest updates, the team has decided to complete the shoot in one go, mostly by the end of 2020 if things go as planned. The first schedule of Ponniyin Selvan was completed in Thailand in January 2020. The next schedule is expected to begin once the all India lockdown comes to an end.

Ponniyin Selvan novel, which is penned by Kalki Krishnamurthy revolves around the character Arulmozhi Varman who later emerged as the Raja Raja Chola I, the emperor of Chola dynasty. If the reports are to be believed, talented actor Vikram is appearing in the role of Arulmozhi Varman in the movie.

The Mani Ratnam directorial features an extensive star cast including Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha Krishnan, Vikram Prabhu, Shobita Dhulipala, Jayaram, Prabhu Ganesan, Lal, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Rahman, Ashwin Kakumanu, and so on in the other pivotal roles.

Mani Ratnam, the director himself has penned the adapted screenplay of the project, along with Siva Anand and Kumaravel. AR Rahman composes the songs and background score for the movie. Ravi Varman is the director of photography. Sreekar Prasad handles the editing. Ponniyin Selvan is jointly produced by Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions.

Also Read:

Amala Paul Reveals Why She Turned Down Mani Ratnam's Big Project Ponniyin Selvan
Across Canada, thousands of foreign-trained doctors and medical staff are being prevented from joining the front-line fight against the COVID-19 pandemic because of the countrys reactionary immigration system.

The numerous, onerous bureaucratic hurdles medical professionals trained in other countries must clear before being allowed to work, including the payment of tens of thousands of dollars for regulatory checks and certificates, has created a ludicrous situation in which highly qualified staff are not being permitted to assist Canadas overstretched hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities, even as the pandemic surges.

As of yesterday afternoon, there were more than 28,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada, and 1,006 deaths.

In 2018, Canada ranked near the bottom among the 35 OECD countries for the ratio of doctors to citizens, with just 2.8 doctors for every 1,000 people. Only seven countries, including the United States and Mexico, ranked lower. Austria topped the list, with 5.2 doctors per 1,000 peoplei.e., nearly double the rate in Canada.

In Ontario alone, there are 13,000 foreign-educated doctors and 6,000 foreign-educated nurses who are not working in their fields, according to HealthForceOntario.

The Alberta Association of International Medical Graduates (AAIMG), which represents 1,000 physicians from 82 countries, says the lengthy Alberta licensing process means many foreign doctors have had to take up jobs in fields unrelated to medicine. Alberta has not relaxed its licensing requirements in the midst of the pandemic, although it would clearly be in the public interest to do so. Many rural communities in Alberta, throughout Canadas three northern territories, and in remote communities and indigenous reserves across the country lack doctors.

University of Calgarys School of Public Policy (SPP) research associate Robert Falconer says it can take up to a decade to get a doctors licence in Alberta. When you include the costs of things like tests and books, youre also looking at around $14,000 to $28,000 per doctor to get re-certified, he said. In the current situation, doctors are required to get several credential assessments, meaning all transcripts and work history must be submitted to up to four different regulatory bodies for review.

Where attempts have been made to modify this bureaucratic logjam, they have been ad hoc and disorganized.

Last Wednesday, the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons announced that it has fast-tracked a new bylaw to amend the provinces Health Professions Act so that international medical graduates can apply for a supervised associate physician licence to join the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic. The amendment is now in a mandatory two-week review period, and there is no word on when, or if, it will be approved.

Without any public announcement, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) began last month to issue a short-term 30-day licence, called a Supervised Short Duration Certificate, by triggering a provision in existing provincial legislation. Internationally trained medical graduates who have passed their exams to practice in Canada, or have graduated from school in the past two years, can now apply for a supervised 30-day medical licence in Ontario to help fight COVID-19. The short-term licence allows some foreign-trained physicians and domestic medical school graduates to practice under supervision at public hospitals, psychiatric facilities and Crown agencies.

CPSO issued its first licence through the program in mid-March. Those who get a licence can apply to extend it an additional 30 days.

These temporary medical licences are the product of a provision within Ontarios Medicine Act that has been in place since the early 1990s. The provision exists so that CPSO can issue these temporary licences in situations like pandemics, when there may be a shortage of physicians. In a written statement, CPSO told CBC Toronto it is working to fast-track applications so that physicians can start providing care for patients as quickly as possible.

However, before applying for the licence, applicants must meet four onerous conditions. Applicants must have: graduated from medical school in Canada, the U.S. or a school that was, at the time of graduation, listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools; practiced medicine, graduated medical school or passed Medical Council of Canada exams within the last two years; provided confirmation of employment from one of the approved categories of facilities laid out in the Medicine Act, including public hospitals; and found an identified supervisor who is a licensed practicing physician prepared to act as their supervisor.

Thus far, few doctors have applied, most likely because they are unaware of the program. As of April 3, CPSO had received only 12 applications, and had approved 10 of them. However, the college couldnt say whether any foreign-trained doctors were among the 10 physicians who were issued temporary licences.

The failure of governments at all levels to effectively mobilize trained medical professionals to help combat the deadliest pandemic in a century provides yet another damning indictment of Canadian capitalisms utter indifference to human life as the coronavirus spreads. Despite having been warned time and again about the risk of a pandemic, and having had the experience of the SARS outbreak in 2003, no steps were taken in advance to facilitate the integration of foreign-trained doctors and nurses into Canadas chronically underfunded and understaffed health care system.

This failure will cost lives. Already, estimates suggest that 10 percent of all COVID-19 cases in Ontario are medical staff. As infection figures continue to rise, with the virus ripping through long-term care facilities across the country, the danger remains of the health care system being totally overwhelmed, not least due to a lack of staff.

Federal government epidemiologists project that between 11,000 and 22,000 Canadian lives could be lost over the course of this pandemic, which is the best-case scenario with the strongest control measures remaining in force. If these controls are weakened, or the health care system is overwhelmed, those deaths could well spike to more than 100,000.

In addition to the ruling elites negligent response to COVID-19, its refusal to allow foreign-trained medical professionals to practice is a direct product of Canadas reactionary points-based immigration system. Canadas immigration regulations, which are among the most stringent in the world, have been praised by the fascistic US President Donald Trump, who held them up as an example of policies he would like to implement.

Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an agreement with Trump to expand the Safe Third County Agreement to include desperate asylum seekers who enter Canada from the US irregularly. In a flagrant violation of international law, they will not be allowed to file an asylum claim in Canada, and will instead be automatically returned to the US and placed in the clutches of Trumps thugs in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service.

This move, long demanded by the Conservatives, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) and other right-wing Quebec nationalists was justified on the pretext that the refugee claimants could spread the coronavirus. This standard trope of the right and far-right blithely ignored the fact that Canadas ruling elite has more than enough resources to provide safe quarantine for incoming refugees, which would have all but eliminated any threat of further infections.
Ghaziabad, April 16 : A cancer specialist here has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the total number of infection in Ghaziabad to 32, officials said.

According to health officials, the doctor, a resident of Gyan Khand 2 in Indirapuram, works at Max Hospital, Saket in Delhi.

He is undergoing treatment at Max Hospital after testing positive for the dreaded virus.

A team of Health Department has sanitised the entire area of Gyan Khand 2, while the family members including the doctor's wife have been quarantined.

The Health Department team is now trying to find out people who came in contact with the doctor and his family so that they could be quarantined at home as well.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said Thursday that mass testing around the world for the coronavirus is needed to "get the economy back up and running."

In his annual shareholder letter, Bezos also pointed to efforts Amazon has taken to protect its employees from the pandemic.

Bezos pointed to Amazon's efforts to develop "incremental testing capacity," which the company announced last week. As part of that announcement, Amazon said it hopes to begin testing all of its employees, including those who show no symptoms.

"Regular testing on a global scale, across all industries, would both help keep people safe and help get the economy back up and running," Bezos said. "For this to work, we as a society would need vastly more testing capacity than is currently available."

Bezos detailed other steps Amazon has taken to curb the coronavirus, such as providing employees with face masks and distributing temperature checks for warehouse workers, delivery drivers and Whole Foods employees. He added that Amazon temporarily closed some of its physical stores, including Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star and Amazon Pop Up stores as they don't sell essential products, and offered those store employees roles in other parts of the company.

Despite the new safety measures, Amazon workers from at least three facilities have staged protests to call for the company to close facilities where there are positive cases of the virus. A dozen workers told CNBC they felt Amazon needed to provide employees with paid time off, among other concerns.

Amazon's logistics and delivery systems have been under some strain since the pandemic worsened across the globe. Due to a surge in online orders, the company was forced to prioritize shipments of essential goods at its fulfillment centers, resulting in longer delivery times and a rare disruption to its typical two-day and one-day delivery windows.

Bezos said unlike the typical holiday shopping season, the surge over the last few months "occurred with little warning, creating major challenges for our suppliers and delivery network." For that reason and others, Bezos added that his "own time and thinking" continues to be focused on the coronavirus.

"I am extremely grateful to my fellow Amazonians for all the grit and ingenuity they are showing as we move through this," Bezos said. "You can count on all of us to look beyond the immediate crisis for insights and lessons and how to apply them going forward."

Amazon had 798,000 full-time and part-time employees as of Dec. 31 and has hired more than 100,000 new employees since March to deal with coronavirus demands and plans to add 75,000 more jobs.

You can read the letter in full below:

To our shareowners:

One thing we've learned from the COVID-19 crisis is how important Amazon has become to our customers. We want you to know we take this responsibility seriously, and we're proud of the work our teams are doing to help customers through this difficult time.

Amazonians are working around the clock to get necessary supplies delivered directly to the doorsteps of people who need them. The demand we are seeing for essential products has been and remains high. But unlike a predictable holiday surge, this spike occurred with little warning, creating major challenges for our suppliers and delivery network. We quickly prioritized the stocking and delivery of essential household staples, medical supplies, and other critical products.

Our Whole Foods Market stores have remained open, providing fresh food and other vital goods for customers. We are taking steps to help those most vulnerable to the virus, setting aside the first hour of shopping at Whole Foods each day for seniors. We have temporarily closed Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star, and Amazon Pop Up stores because they don't sell essential products, and we offered associates from those closed stores the opportunity to continue working in other parts of Amazon.

Crucially, while providing these essential services, we are focused on the safety of our employees and contractors around the worldwe are deeply grateful for their heroic work and are committed to their health and well-being. Consulting closely with medical experts and health authorities, we've made over 150 significant process changes in our operations network and Whole Foods Market stores to help teams stay healthy, and we conduct daily audits of the measures we've put into place. We've distributed face masks and implemented temperature checks at sites around the world to help protect employees and support staff. We regularly sanitize door handles, stairway handrails, lockers, elevator buttons, and touch screens, and disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer are standard across our network.

We've also introduced extensive social distancing measures to help protect our associates. We have eliminated stand-up meetings during shifts, moved information sharing to bulletin boards, staggered break times, and spread out chairs in breakrooms. While training new hires is challenging with new distancing requirements, we continue to ensure that every new employee gets six hours of safety training. We've shifted training protocols so we don't have employees gathering in one spot, and we've adjusted our hiring processes to allow for social distancing.

A next step in protecting our employees might be regular testing of all Amazonians, including those showing no symptoms. Regular testing on a global scale, across all industries, would both help keep people safe and help get the economy back up and running. For this to work, we as a society would need vastly more testing capacity than is currently available. If every person could be tested regularly, it would make a huge difference in how we fight this virus. Those who test positive could be quarantined and cared for, and everyone who tests negative could re-enter the economy with confidence.

We've begun the work of building incremental testing capacity. A team of Amazoniansfrom research scientists and program managers to procurement specialists and software engineersmoved from their normal day jobs onto a dedicated team to work on this initiative. We have begun assembling the equipment we need to build our first lab and hope to start testing small numbers of our frontline employees soon. We are not sure how far we will get in the relevant timeframe, but we think it's worth trying, and we stand ready to share anything we learn.

While we explore longer-term solutions, we are also committed to helping support employees now. We increased our minimum wage through the end of April by $2 per hour in the U.S., $2 per hour in Canada, 2 per hour in the UK, and 2 per hour in many European countries. And we are paying associates double our regular rate for any overtime workeda minimum of $34 an houran increase from time and a half. These wage increases will cost more than $500 million, just through the end of April, and likely more than that over time. While we recognize this is expensive, we believe it's the right thing to do under the circumstances. We also established the Amazon Relief Fundwith an initial $25 million in fundingto support our independent delivery service partners and their drivers, Amazon Flex participants, and temporary employees under financial distress.

In March, we opened 100,000 new positions across our fulfillment and delivery network. Earlier this week, after successfully filling those roles, we announced we were creating another 75,000 jobs to respond to customer demand. These new hires are helping customers who depend on us to meet their critical needs. We know that many people around the world have suffered financially as jobs are lost or furloughed. We are happy to have them on our teams until things return to normal and either their former employer can bring them back or new jobs become available. We've welcomed Joe Duffy, who joined after losing his job as a mechanic at Newark airport and learned about an opening from a friend who is an Amazon operations analyst. Dallas preschool teacher Darby Griffin joined after her school closed on March 9th and now helps manage new inventory. We're happy to have Darby with us until she can return to the classroom.

Amazon is acting aggressively to protect our customers from bad actors looking to exploit the crisis. We've removed over half a million offers from our stores due to COVID-based price gouging, and we've suspended more than 6,000 selling accounts globally for violating our fair-pricing policies. Amazon turned over information about sellers we suspect engaged in price gouging of products related to COVID-19 to 42 state attorneys general offices. To accelerate our response to price-gouging incidents, we created a special communication channel for state attorneys general to quickly and easily escalate consumer complaints to us.

Amazon Web Services is also playing an important role in this crisis. The ability for organizations to access scalable, dependable, and highly secure computing powerwhether for vital healthcare work, to help students continue learning, or to keep unprecedented numbers of employees online and productive from homeis critical in this situation. Hospital networks, pharmaceutical companies, and research labs are using AWS to care for patients, explore treatments, and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in many other ways. Academic institutions around the world are transitioning from in-person to virtual classrooms and are running on AWS to help ensure continuity of learning. And governments are leveraging AWS as a secure platform to build out new capabilities in their efforts to end this pandemic.

We are collaborating with the World Health Organization, supplying advanced cloud technologies and technical expertise to track the virus, understand the outbreak, and better contain its spread. WHO is leveraging our cloud to build large-scale data lakes, aggregate epidemiological country data, rapidly translate medical training videos into different languages, and help global healthcare workers better treat patients. We are separately making a public AWS COVID-19 data lake available as a centralized repository for up-to-date and curated information related to the spread and characteristics of the virus and its associated illness so experts can access and analyze the latest data in their battle against the disease.

We also launched the AWS Diagnostic Development Initiative, a program to support customers working to bring more accurate diagnostic solutions to market for COVID-19. Better diagnostics help accelerate treatment and containment of this pandemic. We committed $20 million to accelerate this work and help our customers harness the cloud to tackle this challenge. While the program was established in response to COVID-19, we also are looking toward the future, and we will fund diagnostic research projects that have the potential to blunt future infectious disease outbreaks.

Customers around the world have leveraged the cloud to scale up services and stand up responses to COVID-19. We joined the New York City COVID-19 Rapid Response Coalition to develop a conversational agent to enable at-risk and elderly New Yorkers to receive accurate, timely information about medical and other important needs. In response to a request from the Los Angeles Unified School District to transition 700,000 students to remote learning, AWS helped establish a call center to field IT questions, provide remote support, and enable staff to answer calls. We are providing cloud services to the CDC to help thousands of public health practitioners and clinicians gather data related to COVID-19 and inform response efforts. In the UK, AWS provides the cloud computing infrastructure for a project that analyzes hospital occupancy levels, emergency room capacity, and patient wait times to help the country's National Health Service decide where best to allocate resources. In Canada, OTNone of the world's largest virtual care networksis scaling its AWS-powered video service to accommodate a 4,000% spike in demand to support citizens as the pandemic continues. In Brazil, AWS will provide the Sao Paulo State Government with cloud computing infrastructure to guarantee online classes to 1 million students in public schools across the state.

Following CDC guidance, our Alexa health team built an experience that lets U.S. customers check their risk level for COVID-19 at home. Customers can ask, "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have COVID-19?" or "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have coronavirus?" Alexa then asks a series of questions about the person's symptoms and possible exposure. Based on those responses, Alexa then provides CDC-sourced guidance. We created a similar service in Japan, based on guidance from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

We're making it easy for customers to use Amazon.com or Alexa to donate directly to charities on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, including Feeding America, the American Red Cross, and Save the Children. Echo users have the option to say, "Alexa, make a donation to Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund." In Seattle, we've partnered with a catering business to distribute 73,000 meals to 2,700 elderly and medically vulnerable residents in Seattle and King County during the outbreak, and we donated 8,200 laptops to help Seattle Public Schools students gain access to a device while classes are conducted virtually.
A New Mexico man who had been described as a "commander" of a group accused of detaining migrants was sentenced to nearly two years in prison Wednesday for illegally possessing guns, prosecutors said.

Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 70, was sentenced to 21 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico said in a statement.

Hopkins pleaded guilty in January under a plea agreement and admitted to having possessed nine pistols, rifles and shotguns on Nov. 28, 2017, in San Juan County, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Hopkins is barred from owning guns because of previous convictions in Michigan, Oregon and South Dakota.

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Hopkins was arrested in April 2019. His arrest occurred after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, demanded that members of a militia group, some of whom were armed, stop detaining migrants at the New Mexico-Mexico border.

At the time of Hopkins' arrest, Jim Benvie, a spokesman for United Constitutional Patriots, said Hopkins was the group's "national commander."

The group had been accused by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico of capturing nearly 300 people near Sunland Park, a city about 10 miles from El Paso, Texas.

The 21-month sentence imposed Wednesday was the term sought by federal prosecutors, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum that Hopkins, along with others, formed an armed militia that "engaged in vigilante-tactics by detaining immigrants without any legal authority to do so."

Hopkins' attorney, Kelly O'Connell, said Thursday that Hopkins was disappointed that he would not be sentenced to time served, but he said that the plea deal was a good one that avoided more serious prison time, and that the possession of a firearm charge would be an easy one to prove.

Image: Larry Mitchell Hopkins (Dona Ana County Detention Center)

O'Connell noted in the defense's sentencing memorandum that Hopkins was never charged with a crime in Sunland Park. The attorney suggested that he was charged because of media and state attention about the group's activities.

Story continues

Hopkins "sees the error of his ways" and has renounced any more border or militia activities, according to the defense document. His jailing and prosecution have "already inhibited other patriot border groups," O'Connell wrote.

O'Connell also wrote that Hopkins is obese and in poor health, and cited concerns that if he gets the coronavirus illness, COVID-19, in prison he could die. O'Connell said that with the time Hopkins already has already served, he faces around 9 months in prison.

Hopkins had previously been convicted in three states of criminal impersonation of a peace officer, gun possession and federal charges of failure to pay child support, which barred him from owning guns, prosecutors said.

CORRECTION (April 16, 2020, 5:15 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article used the incorrect pronoun "she" for Hopkins' attorney, Kelly O'Connell. O'Connell is a man.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a nationwide state of emergency and installed new measures to fight the coronavirus.

The big picture: Abe faced criticism for holding off on stricter measures because of possible damage to the economy. Roughly 80% of the public feels the response came too late, the Wall Street Journal writes, citing a Kyodo News poll.

Abe also said he intends to distribute approximately $1,000 to every person in Japan.

"The declaration ... amounted to an acknowledgment that [Abe's] efforts to keep Japan running normally had exposed the country to a potential sharp rise in coronavirus infections ... a potential lesson for the U.S. and European countries that are weighing when and how to resume everyday activities," WSJ writes.

The state of play: The emergency order, which will continue through at least May 6, will help officials convince nonessential businesses to shut down and issue work-from-home orders. Abe also recommended limited travel away from citizens' respective homes.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 16.04.2020 - Switzerland welcomes the latest prisoner exchange between Kyiv and the non-government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine which took place on 16 April 2020, three months after the last such large-scale exchange. Swiss diplomats working on behalf of the OSCE were instrumental in preparing the release.

On 16 April 2020, around 40 prisoners were exchanged between the government-controlled and non-government controlled areas of Ukraine. Despite the Ukrainian government having declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned prisoner swap successfully went ahead, with participants agreeing on the necessary precautions and protective measures in advance.

The prisoner exchange was preceded by intensive negotiations within the Humanitarian Working Group of the Trilateral Contact Group, a forum representing the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The negotiations have been led since January 2020 by Swiss Ambassador Heidi Grau as Special Representative of the OSCEs Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group.

The Humanitarian Working Group is led by its Swiss coordinator, Ambassador Toni Frisch, and usually meets every two weeks in Minsk. The last large-scale exchange of around 250 prisoners was concluded on 29 December 2019, following negotiations under the aegis of the OSCE. Since the beginning of March, negotiations have been conducted by videoconferencing on account of travel restrictions related to COVID-19. In addition to negotiating the release of prisoners involved in the current conflict, the working group also reached several agreements on other humanitarian challenges such as the key issue of finding and identifying missing persons, as well as improving crossing points over the contact line for civilians.

The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine has been ongoing for six years now and, according to the UN, has claimed over 13,000 lives. Switzerland is committed to a peaceful solution to the conflict and promotes de-escalation and dialogue, mainly within the framework of the OSCE. As part of its peace policy engagement, Switzerland has provided Ambassador Heidi Grau as Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group since January 2020 and Ambassador Toni Frisch as Co-ordinator of the Humanitarian Working Group since spring 2015.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

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Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




If the epidemiological situation allows festivals to be organized, the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTU) plans to distribute many times the previous subsidies, the CEO of the organization Zoltan Guller announced in an interview published on the MTUs website.

According to Guller, the measure would not only be important for boosting tourism, but also a huge help for artists who have been without performances for weeks.



As it is not yet known whether famous foreign stars will be able to come to Hungary this year, there is a constant consultation with the festival organizers, he said.



Editors note: Hungary's mega summer Sziget Festival, as well as Volt and Balaton Sound festivals, are currently selling tickets for reduced prices.



Photo courtesy of Sziget Festival
The head of the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday that the lending agency is facing huge demand for support from its members during the global pandemic.

An unprecedented 102 of the IMFs 189 member countries are seeking assistance from the organization, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. The agency is prepared to commit its full $1 trillion in lending capacity to meet the demand, she said.

It is a crisis like no other, Georgieva told reporters, reiterating her agencys assessment that the global economy is in its worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

Georgieva spoke at a news conference as the Washington-based IMF and its sister lending agency, the World Bank, began its spring meetings, being held remotely this year.

She and World Bank President David Malpass both praised a decision taken Wednesday by the finance ministers and central bank presidents of the Group of 20 major industrial countries to declare a suspension of debt payments for low income countries.

Click here to follow Covid-19 updates

The debt suspension from May 1 through the end of this year is aimed at allowing poor countries to keep an estimated $12 billion that they can use for meeting health care and other needs stemming from the coronavirus.

In a new economic outlook prepared for this weeks discussions, the IMF forecast that the global economy will shrink by 3% this year, far greater than the 0.1% dip that occurred in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Georgieva said that the IMF has already doubled its emergency assistance programs from $50 billion up to $100 billion. At the same time, the agency is preparing to assist to restart economic growth as countries emerge from the crisis.

We need to think of the challenges we will face on the other side of this crisis, she said, noting the likelihood of elevated levels of debt and rising bankruptcies in many nations.

It is important that the IMF and individual governments put measures in place to deal with those issues, she said.

As part of the meetings, the IMFs policy committee will meet Thursday, with the sessions closing on Friday with a news conference by Malpass following a meeting of the World Banks policy panel. (AP) PMS PMS

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 15:57:43|Editor: huaxia

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HARBIN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A "mobile hospital" was recently put into use in the city of Suifenhe, at the China-Russia border in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to assist local medics in treating COVID-19.

The hospital, developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), was dispatched by the First Hospital of China Medical University. It consists of a remote consultation vehicle and an X-ray vehicle.

Nearly 100 CASIC "mobile hospitals" had played an important role in the fight against the epidemic in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, as crucial medical equipment of makeshift hospitals there.

In recent years, "mobile hospitals" have participated in many major rescue missions in China, including the fight against SARS and earthquake relief works.

Facing the mounting pressure of imported COVID-19 cases, Suifenhe started to build a temporary hospital last week, which has been ready for use. The hospital, converted from an office building, will provide 600 beds for asymptomatic cases and patients with mild symptoms.

Heilongjiang reported four new confirmed COVID-19 cases transmitted locally and 16 imported cases on Wednesday. Enditem
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 1.7 crore of a CGHS clerk working in Kolkata in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged disproportionate assets case, the agency said on Thursday.

The central agency said a provisional order for attaching bank balance, post office accounts, LIC policy, a car and two flats have been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Snehasish Kar and his family members.

Kar, the agency said in a statement, is an upper division clerk in the office of the Additional Director, Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), located at Esplanade East in Kolkata.

While one of the attached flats is in Kar's name, the other is owned by his brother but was purchased by the accused and ownership was transferred later in the guise of a gift, the ED said.

The agency said it launched a PMLA probe against Kar on the basis of a CBI FIR alleging that the accused had amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 53.73 lakh by abusing his official position.

Kar had joined the CGHS, Kolkata, as a casual worker (waterman) in 1981 and was made a regular staffer (nursing attendant) the next year, it said.

Since January 2017, the official had been working as an UDC (upper division clerk) and apart from his salary account, he had several accounts in banks and post offices in his name and in the names of his family members, the ED added.

The probe revealed that huge deposits of cash were made in these accounts and the accused was not able to explain about the source of these amounts, the agency said.

Investigation found that the official "was not withdrawing any amount from his salary accounts and was making his household expenses through illegally acquired money", it further said.

Further probe against the official is ongoing, the ED said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The surprise in this space start-up, so far, is that most of the bad things that were predicted havent happened. The turf battles have been minimal, and the politicians have mostly stayed quiet. While the world has been hunkered down with the novel coronavirus, the new space commander, Gen. John W. Jay Raymond, has been keeping his eyes on the heavens, literally and figuratively.
Seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) announced on Thursday that they will boycott the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2020 saying they were not satisfied with the transparency of the process.

IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Roorkee said they will prefer to stay out of the process unless they are convinced of the parameters by the ranking agency.

The seven IITs will not participate in the ranking this year. They will reconsider their decision next year if Times Higher Education is able to convince them about the parameters and transparency in their ranking process, the institutes said in a joint statement.

The THE and QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), both of which are based in London, are two prominent higher-education surveys in the world.

No Indian university figured in the top 300 universities of the world last year in THE-World University Ranking. The Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bengaluru - the only Indian entry in the top 300 since 2012 - dropped into the 301-350 group due to a significant fall in its citation impact score offsetting improvements in research environment, teaching environment and industry income.

India has been working to improve the rankings of its institutions. However, there have been concerns amongst institutions about the criteria of global ranking agencies in the past as well.

Released by the London-based THE magazine, the rankings take into account 13 parameters that measure an institutions performance across teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. While the first 200 institutes are individually ranked, the others are placed in brackets, for example, 251-300 and 401-500.

Talking about the dismal performance of Indian institutions in the world ranking, Ellie Bothwell, THE rankings editor, had said last year, India has a huge amount of potential in global higher education, given its rapidly growing youth population and economy and use of English-language instruction. However, it is disappointing to see the country fall out of the top 300 of the rankings this year, with only a small number of institutions registering progress. The Indian government has strong ambitions to boost the global standing of its top universities and attract foreign students, academics and research collaboration. It now needs to back up these aspirations with high levels of investment - or risk declining further amid increasing global competition, especially from other parts of Asia, Bothwell had said.

Several top institutions in the country have raised questions about methodology of the ranking adopted by THE. In QS Rankings, last year, three Indian institutes -- IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi and IISc-Bangalore -- had found spots among the top 200.

The HRD Ministry had also called a review meeting with officials at QS to examine the reasons behind several prestigious Indian varsities, including JNU and the Hyderabad University, not finding top spots ranking.
By Ilkin Seyfaddini  Trend:

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16:

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) delivered 131,320 kilograms of food aid worth almost $400,000 to Uzbekistan, Trend reports citing the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

This food aid will reach more than 35,000 Uzbekistan's most vulnerable citizens and will be distributed to 144 health and social protection institutions. The list includes institutions providing quarantine services related to COVID-19, long-term care for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, orphanages and psychiatric institutions, the report said.

The delivery contains a mixture of dried vegetables and legumes enriched with vitamins and minerals to be used in health and social care facilities, as well as in households.

Since 2009, almost 1,163 tons of food worth over $3.2 million have been delivered to Uzbekistan within the USAID's international food aid program. This humanitarian aid shipment is based on a long-term U.S. investment of more than $122 million in health care and more than a billion dollars in total aid over the past 20 years.

This food aid will be distributed in cooperation with the Soglom Avlod Uchun charity foundation and Resource and Policy Exchange, Inc. of US. (RPX).

The Soglom Avlod Uchun Foundation works to improve the health of women and children, as well as to help vulnerable segments of the population in Uzbekistan.

The main goal of RPX is to improve health standards and access to information through the provision of technical assistance, such as food and pharmaceuticals.

---

Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in collaboration with the Trashy Bags has distributed over 10,000 locally made nose masks to city dwellers to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID 19).



Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Mayor of Accra, speaking at the launch of the Wear Your Mask campaign on Wednesday said the gesture was to ensure that everybody in Accra used nose masks to contain the pandemic.



The Mayor said the city was an epic center and the Assembly would do everything possible to prevent the spread of the disease, urging individuals to always use the nose masks to help in that direction.



According to him, experts said the virus was found in the droplets that come out of peoples mouths and sneezes, and the best way to keep the virus from spreading was to contain it, by wearing the masks.



Even though people complained that the nose masks are not comfortable to use, I will appeal to all to recognized that we are not in normal times and we need to support government efforts to fight the spread of the disease, he said.



He said the Assembly as part of its intervention to fight the spread of the disease, had mounted Veronica buckets and soaps at vantage points in the citys markets, provided hand sanitizers to practice good personal hygiene.



Mr Sowah encouraged residents in the city to wear nose masks when they step out of their homes since that would help in the effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19.



According to him, with the increasing number of confirmed cases being recorded daily, there was a chance of the continuous spread of the virus, hence the need for people to be on their guard by wearing the nose masks.



He said the AMA was working with all the assemblies in the city to intensify education on the campaign and the need to practice personal hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease.



The Mayor appealed to other corporate bodies to help in the production of nose masks to scale up the distribution of those who do not have.

Source: GNA









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By Gabrielle Wanneh

The College Board on Wednesday announced plans for moving forward with its college-admissions tests, despite a COVID-19 pandemic that has shuttered schools and in-person testing sites.

Were at a moment in which education has been almost entirely disrupted, said College Board CEO David Coleman. We want to help families and students plan, and transparency is important now more than ever.

All immediately upcoming administrations of the SAT and ACT were canceled or postponed around mid-March as the coronavirus spread throughout the United States. As public health officials have made it clear that it is not safe for students to gather at this time, the SAT set for June 6, 2020, has also been cancelled.

Its estimated that 1 million first-time SAT-takers missed out on testing this spring, roughly 75 percent of whom most likely would have taken the assessment during SAT School Day administrations, a partnership with states and districts through which students are required or encouraged to take the test during the regular school day.

To make up for the loss of spring testing, the College Board announced a three-point plan to make the SAT available to all students in fall and ensure that students still have opportunities to take the test despite the setbacks of COVID-19:



Once its safe from a public health standpoint, a weekend SAT will be administered every month beginning in Augustincluding a test administration in September along with the previously scheduled tests on August 29, October 3, November 7, and December 5.

To replace the canceled in-school SAT testing this spring, the College Board will offer school day administrations in the fall.

In the event that schools do not reopen in the fall, the College Board will provide digital SAT testing for at-home use, similar to how they are administering digital Advanced Placement exams this spring.

Students will be able to register for the upcoming national administrations in May, and students who registered for the June test or are currently high school juniors will have early access to register for the August, September, and October administrations. The College Board will communicate directly with students once an exact date has been set.

In preparation for each administration, the organization is planning to expand its capacity for students to take the SAT significantly once schools reopen. Member schools and colleges, as well as local communities, have also been called to help in providing additional testing space for students.

Our first principle with the SAT and all our work must be to keep families and students safe, said Coleman. The second principle is to make the SAT as widely available as possible for students who wish to test, regardless of the economic or public health circumstances.

The College Boards announcement comes as several colleges and universities are already waiving their own requirements for the admissions test. A recent survey by Cirkled In, an adaptive portfolio platform for students, found that 25 percent of college admissions officers have already planned to drop their SAT/ACT requirements as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Among some of the schools that have already chosen to drop the SAT/ACT for the time being is the University of California . At the end of March, the school announced its decision to temporarily relax its SAT/ACT requirements for the Fall 2021 freshmen class, who at the moment are high school juniors, among other temporary adjustments the university has made to alleviate the stress of prospective students.

By removing artificial barriers and decreasing stressorsincluding suspending the use of the SATfor this unprecedented moment in time, we hope there will be less worry for our future students. said John A. Perez, chair of the UC Board of Regents.

Meanwhile, the survey found that including the percentage of schools dropping their requirements, a total of 69 percent of the 33 colleges and universities that responded to the survey are making the SAT/ACT an optional portion of the admissions process.

The College Board has been working with higher education partners as they continue to navigate potential solutions as the situation evolves, and expressed support for institutions that are emphasizing flexibility for next years admissions process at this time.

The College Board also stressed the importance of understanding how many students may have been impacted by COVID-19. Families and students whove been hit the hardest are most likely the ones with the fewest resources.

It has never been more important to pay attention to the context in which students learn and live, said Coleman. This virus will hit students very differently depending on their circumstances.

The organization expressed support for the admissions officers of member colleges who have said that the circumstances of the pandemic will be taken into account when reviewing test scores, grades, and extracurricular activities in the coming year.

In light of the College Boards plans and adjustments, there are still questions to be posed about their implications, some experts said..

According to Compass Education Group Co-Founder Adam Ingersoll, lingering concerns range from when registration will open for the exisitng fall test dates to how will colleges respond to a possible outcry about security and equity should a remotely proctored SAT take place, and how might the upheaval in testing affect the college application season for the class of 2021.

The College Board plans to provide students and families with more specific information regarding testing plans and dates in the coming weeks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering and discussed the situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.

"His Majesty The King (Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck) and Lyonchhen (the prime minister) are leading Bhutan's efforts admirably," Modi tweeted.

He said India will stand by its close friend and neighbour in fighting the effects of the pandemic.

Modi and Prime Minister Tshering discussed the regional situation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and updated each other about the steps being taken by their governments to control its effects, an official statement later said.

Tshering thanked Modi for taking the lead to promote anti-COVID coordination at the regional level, even while fighting the pandemic within a large and complex country like India.

They expressed happiness at the progress made in implementing the special arrangements agreed on 15 March between the leaders of the SAARC countries.

Referring to the timeless and special nature of India-Bhutan ties, Prime Minister Modi assured the Bhutanese leader that India would ensure all possible support to Thimpu for minimising the health and economic impact of the pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
MBABANE - The figure of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in the country is now at 16.



This was confirmed by Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi in a press briefing at the Cabinet Offices yesterday.

The minister stated that the number of recovered cases of the 16 was half. This means that of the 16 confirmed cases in the country, half are now negative and the other half is positive.



Confirmed case No. 16 was among 24 tests of which 23 results came negative.

The added case is of a 25-year-old woman from the Hhohho Region who has a travel history to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

The patient presented with flu-like symptoms that were mild and had been self medicating. She is undergoing processes for admission to the COVID-19 treatment facility and contact tracing has already begun, remarked Nkosi.



Quarantined



The minister said of the positive cases, some were being attended to while quarantined at their homes.

This she said included confirmed cases four, five, 11 and 14. When asked about the criteria used when identifying those who had to be treated from their homes from those who were admitted, Nkosi said if they were staying alone and no one would be at risk. Another reason was that if there were isolation rooms for the confirmed cases which would separate them from the rest of the family members.



Nkosi further mentioned that in some cases, the disease was mild and moderate hence treating them from their home.

She clarified, however, that should the figures escalate, confirmed cases were all going to be admitted for close monitoring as they would not be able to reach out to all of them.



The minister further advised the public to wear masks when going to public places. This, she said, included those who were suspected cases and those who were not ill so as to have all parties protected from the virus.

Also, the minister requested the public to cooperate with the rapid response team when they went about their duties tracing contacts of positive cases.
The restrictions on the movement and assembly of people in Kashmir continued for the 29th consecutive day on Thursday, even as officials said the lockdown would be implemented strictly across the Valley till May 3 to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The restrictions on the movement and assembly of people in Kashmir continued on Thursday, the officials said.

They said the security forces sealed off main roads in most places in the valley and erected barriers at several other places to check the unwanted movement of the people and to enforce the lockdown.

Only persons with valid passes were allowed to move, they added.

The declared containment or red zones across the valley have been sealed off to ensure strict adherence to the standard operating procedure.

The officials said the Centre has directed the union territory administration to continue implementing lockdown restrictions strictly for the extended period till May 3 as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

They said the restrictions would be implemented strictly and stringent action would be taken against the violators.

Markets across the valley were shut and public transport was off the roads with only pharmacies and groceries allowed to open, the officials said.

They said the essential services including healthcare personnel have been exempted from the restrictions.

The total number of positive cases in the union territory has risen to 300. Four patients have died and 20 have recovered.

More than 56,000 people have been kept under surveillance including those who are either in government established quarantine facilities or in home isolation.

"Till date 56,595 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which include 7,784 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 270 in hospital quarantine, 260 in hospital isolation and 30,228 under home surveillance. Besides, 18,049 persons have completed their surveillance period of 28 days," the officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Newser)  A bit of horror for Stephen King: A massive explosion on Wednesday destroyed a building at a paper mill in Maine near the writer's home in Lovell. No injuries were reported in the blast at the Androscoggin Mill, but King had other concerns, Fox News reports. "A paper mill blew up in Jay, Maine today, not too far down the road from us," he tweeted. "A TOILET paper mill. So keep a stack of magazines and advertising circulars handy." Multiple outlets note, however, that it's not clear if the mill actually makes toilet paper, as King suggested. Some observers even think he may have been joking, and they're not happy about it.

story continues below

"Explosions aren't a joke," one person posted on Twitter. "Jay is my hometown and the whole town was sick to their stomachs for hours because so many of our friends and family are employees there. This isn't funny." Around 175 of the mill's 500 employees were on site at the time, but the mill says nobody was hurt in the blast, which sent a huge plume of smoke in the air and rained debris on vehicles. The AP notes some workers did experience respiratory distress, however. The cause of the blast wasn't immediately clear; an investigation begins Thursday. "I just want to say, if ever there was a day when we should believe in miracles, today is it," said Gov. Janet Mills. (Read more Maine stories.)
[April 16, 2020] Huntkey Sales Event and Helmet Give Away in Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntkey, a leading global provider of power solutions, has officially launched a sales event in Vietnam by giving away free motorcycle helmets to those end-users who buy Huntkey's PC power supplies and monitors from April 12th to May 15th, 2020. Huntkey's Giving Away Helmets in Vietnam:

https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Buy-Huntkey-Products-Get-Free-Helmet-1.png The sales event is operated by Huntkey's business partner in Vietnam. To better support this event, a large batch of motorcycle helmets was customized for users, and will be a nice gift for riders. PC power supplies and monitors are the two main product categories of Huntkey. The variety of Huntkey's PC power supply is quite vast, they are loaded with a wide array of features and offered with different prices to meet the demands of multiplicity. Huntkey also provides a wide range of PC monitors featuring a screen sizes from 18.5- to 34-inches.



For more information of Huntkey power strips, please visit: http://en.huntkey.com/ About Huntkey

Huntkey Enterprise Group, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, is a member of The International Power Supply Manufacturer's Association (PSMA) and a member of The China Power Supply Society (CPSS). With branch companies in the USA, Japan and other areas, and cooperating factories in Brazil, Argentina, India and other countries, Huntkey has specialized in the development, design, and manufacturing of PC power supplies, industrial power supplies, surge protectors, adapters and chargers for many years. With its own technologies and manufacturing strength, Huntkey has served Lenovo, Haier, DELL, Bestbuy and many other large enterprises for years, and has received unanimous recognition and trust from most of the customers. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huntkey-sales-event-and-helmet-give-away-in-vietnam-301041889.html SOURCE Huntkey

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Its movie lovers favourite puzzle that never got solved. The ending of Christopher Nolans sci fi masterpiece Inception is still among the most confusing and most discussed in the world of cinema. An exceptional film by all measures, its end, however, is still the one thing that made the biggest impression.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, who entered peoples minds by synthesising dreams, the film also included Tom Hardy, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon Levitt as member of his expert team. They would enter their subjects dreams to either extract information or plant the seeds of a new idea in their mind. To achieve this, they would often travel between multiple levels of dreams, risking being left behind in a limbo forever.

To keep themselves calibrated between the real world and the dreams, each would carry a totem. Cobbs totem was a spinning top which, when spun, would eventually come to rest in the real world but keep spinning endlessly in the dream world. At the end of the film, when the heist proved to be a success and Cobb is finally reunited with his kids, he spins the top one last time. But before we could see if the top rests or keeps spinning, the screen fades to black.

Fans have, for years, wanted to know if Cobb did finally meet his family or was he forever trapped in the limbo. Desperate ones even tried to find clues in the fact the kids outfits never change from the beginning of the film to the end, meaning Cobb is merely imagining his family. But there is no end to speculation about the end unless we hear it explained by the horses mouth itself--Christopher Nolan.

In an interview with Esquire magazine, Michael Caine, who played Cobbs mentor and father-in-law, said Nolan had explained the film to him. When I got the script of Inception, I was a bit puzzled by it, and I said to (Chris), I dont understand where the dream is. I said, When is it the dream and when is it reality?

He said, Well, when youre in the scene its reality. So, get that  if Im in it, its reality. If Im not in it, its a dream, he added. Now because Caine did feature in the final scene featuring Cobb and his kids, it means the scene was reality and not a dream.

But if you want Nolans own explanation of the scenes, things get bit more vague. In 2015, Nolan tried to explain it during a lecture on reality and dreams to the graduating class at Princeton University in New Jersey. Here is what he said:

In the great tradition of these speeches, generally someone says something along the lines of Chase your dreams, but I dont want to tell you that because I dont believe that. I want you to chase your reality.

I feel that over time, we started to view reality as the poor cousin to our dreams, in a sense.I want to make the case to you that our dreams, our virtual realities, these abstractions that we enjoy and surround ourselves with - they are subsets of reality.

The totem.

The way the end of that film worked, Leonardo DiCaprios character Cobb  he was off with his kids, he was in his own subjective reality. He didnt really care anymore, and that makes a statement: perhaps, all levels of reality are valid. The camera moves over the spinning top just before it appears to be wobbling, it was cut to black.

Also read: Actor Vijay worried for stranded son in Canada amid lockdown: Report

I skip out of the back of the theatre before people catch me, and theres a very, very strong reaction from the audience: usually a bit of a groan. The point is, objectively, it matters to the audience in absolute terms: even though when Im watching, its fiction, a sort of virtual reality. But the question of whether thats a dream or whether its real is the question Ive been asked most about any of the films Ive made. It matters to people because thats the point about reality. Reality matters.

The crux? If you remember, even Cobb himself doesnt stop to check if the top keeps spinning or not. He rushes to hug his kids, leaving the totem behind. In that moment, he no longer cares if his world is real or not. Why should it matter when he is finally with his kids? Maybe our ideas of what is real and what is fake should not be so definitive after all.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Kim Jong Un has failed to attend North Korea's annual Day of the Sun ceremony for the first time, sparking speculation about his health amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The celebration and holiday to mark the birth of his grandfather Kim Il Sung on April 15 is deeply significant and Kim Jong Un has not missed it since taking power in 2011.

Neither Kim Jong Un nor his sister Kim Yo Jong, believed to be his second-in-command, attended the ceremony at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, despite many of his senior officials appearing at the wreath laying.

Pyongyang claims it has zero cases of COVID-19, but the disease is rampant in South Korea and Kim may have been advised to practise social distancing.

A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows senior party and government officials and leading officials of military organs in the DPRK visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea

Kim has been highly active in recent weeks and has been pictured out inspecting his military, sometimes with officers wearing face masks, while he does not (pictured on March 9)

Although he is not in a high risk category for his age group, Kim's heavy drinking, smoking and obesity would put the 36-year-old at grave risk if he were to catch coronavirus.

Kim has been highly active in recent weeks and has been pictured out inspecting his military, sometimes with officers wearing face masks, while he does not.

But political analysts believe his conspicuous absence on Wednesday could point towards a political message Kim wants to send, that he wants to step away from the 'cult of personality' surrounding the ruling dynasty.

It also comes after a massive reshuffle of his inner circle on Saturday, in which a third of his leadership council were given their marching orders.

His sister, believed to be in her thirties, was also reinstated in her role as propaganda chief after being booted out over last year's bungled talks with Donald Trump.

Senior officials visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to commemorate the 108th birth anniversary of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung on Wednesday

North Koreans are taught from birth to revere Kim Il Sung and his son and successor Kim Jong Il, father of the current leader, and all adults wear badges depicting one or both men

People wearing face masks lay flowers before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang on Wednesday

'Kim Jong Un wants to break away from the past, as well as the North's traditional cult of personality,' said Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean defector and researcher in Seoul.

'His message is that Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung's times are now over,' he told AFP.

'He wants to come across and brand himself as a leader who is modern and competent, rather than a descendant of his predecessors.

'And he wants to gradually tone down the idolisation of the two late leaders as it goes against his agenda to brand the North as a 'normal state'.'

The ruling party's claim to legitimacy has its roots in Kim Il Sung's fight against Korea's Japanese colonisers and for years the North's official propaganda has promoted Kim Jong Un's resemblance to his grandfather, in appearance, manner, and even handwriting.

Kim Jong-Un's younger sister Kim Yo Jong (left) has been reinstated to North Korea's leadership council to preside over the police state's expansive propaganda operation. Pictured: Kim Yo Jong walks ahead of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in March

Kim Jong Un visits his air force on Sunday surrounded by officers wearing face masks amid the coronavirus pandemic

The state KCNA news agency did not mention him in a Thursday report on senior officials visiting the Kumsusan Palace to pay the 'highest tribute' to the two late leaders.

Since inheriting power in 2011, Kim has always gone to the sprawling mausoleum on the outskirts of the capital on their birth anniversaries.

Pictures Thursday in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the official mouthpiece of the ruling party, did not show him attending, although a floral basket was draped with a banner bearing his name.

But in another departure from normal practice, there appeared to be no outsize basket from Kim before the two men's giant statues in Pyongyang on Wednesday, when citizens attended to bow before them.

'This could be part of North Korea's propaganda effort to distance Kim Jong Un from his grandfather's and his father's legacy and highlight his achievements, for what they are,' said Rachel Lee, a former North Korea analyst in the US government.

Kim has presided over four of the North's six nuclear tests and overseen a rapid advance in its weapons technology, developing missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland.

A mosaic depicting supreme North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in eastern Pyongyang on Wednesday

A view of the Mansu Hill and the Mansu Hill Grand Monument in central Pyongyang on the Day of the Sun

That has seen his country subjected to multiple UN Security Council sanctions as a result.

Since 2018, he has taken part in a series of summits with US President Donald Trump and the South's leader Moon Jae-in, although talks with Washington are currently deadlocked.

Kim last appeared in state media at the weekend, when he presided over a meeting of the Workers' Party political bureau on Saturday.

Lee played down the possibility of his absence being related to coronavirus concerns, saying he had been 'quite active in recent weeks'.

Pyongyang has imposed strict restrictions to try to avoid the disease that emerged in neighbouring China and has since swept the world, at times quarantining thousands of citizens and hundreds of foreigners.

It insists it has not had a single case, although observers have expressed scepticism.
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Addressing-Biblical-Criticism-A-Critique-of-the-Documentary-Hypothesis.html

An in-depth examination of the story of the Flood yields numerous faults of the source-critical approach.

The following is adapted from the authors new book, Ani Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth and the Thirteen Principles of Faith (Maggid, 2020).

Perhaps the greatest challenge to traditional belief raised by academic biblical studies has come through what is known source criticism, or as the documentary hypothesis. This states that the Torah constitutes the editing  or redaction  of four separate documents, pioneered in the mid-nineteenth century. Many find source criticism satisfying because it strives to make sense out of passages that are difficult to understand due to what appear to be inconsistencies in the text. But how reliable is this type of inquiry? Increasingly scholars are calling into question whether it is really possible to work back from a received text, such as the Tanakh (the Bible consisting of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings), and recreate its prior stages of development without the help of any external corroborating evidence.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, classicists believed that what appeared to them to be inconsistencies in Greek and Roman compositions could be the clues to retracing the original sources that gave rise to those texts. In the twentieth century, however, classicists largely gave up the task as lacking in rigor. The pursuit of the prehistory of the text on the basis of the received text before us  the Tanakh  remains widely practiced in biblical studies alone.

The parade example of the so-called achievements of this approach to the biblical text is found in the scholarship to the story of the Flood in Genesis 69. And yet it is precisely here that we can see all of the faults of the source-critical approach on display.

A Source-Critical Reading of Noah and Its Difficulties

The attempt to separate the Flood story into two strands stems from seemingly reasonable observations. A linear or synchronic reading of this passage reveals many difficulties, as the Flood account seems riddled with doublets and inconsistencies. To recount the most significant of these, it alternates between two divine names, Hashem and Elokim. Some passages speak of a downpour lasting forty days and forty nights (Gen. 7:4, 12, 17a), while others speak of a cosmic deluge whose waters crest for 150 days (7:11, 24). One passage instructs Noah to gather a pair of every living creature (6:1920), while another differentiates between clean animals, of which seven pairs are to be taken, and unclean animals, where a single pair of each will suffice (7:23).

The source-critical solution to these and other similar inconsistencies and redundancies has been to identify within the account the interweaving of two versions of the story, usually referred to as the Priestly (or, simply, P) and non-Priestly (non-P) accounts. The strength of the approach is in its cumulative power, because the presence of so many details that coalesce so neatly along these lines suggests that what we see here is more than just a coincidence. (For a color-schemed breakdown of the Genesis flood account along the lines of the proposed P and non-P accounts, see TheTorah.com: A Historical and Contextual Approach, https://thetorah.com/textual-study-of-noahs-flood/). The devil, however, is in the details; the theory yields to scrutiny on many points of methodology, five of I which I describe below.

1. A Double-Standard for Determining Doublets

The great appeal of the source-critical approach was that it supposedly produced two accounts of the Flood that would read cleanly, without the repetitions and doublets that seem to plague a reading of the full Genesis text. However, neither the proposed P text nor the proposed non-P text achieves this. Consider that within the non-P account we find the following reconstruction of our Genesis text: (7:12) And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (7:16b) And God sealed him therein. (7:17) And the deluge was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased and lifted the ark so that it rose above the earth. The note in verse 17a that the deluge was forty days long is glaringly superfluous following the exact same claim two verses earlier in the non-P version.

The fact that source critics are willing to overlook this doublet and others like it calls into question the criterion of doubling that is the basis for the hypothesis of two strands. The criterion does not seem to be applied rigorously and consistently. Rather, it seems that source critics see doublets when these will fit into the procrustean bed of two separate sources, but overlook doublets when they remain within the hypothesized versions.

2. Creating False Doublets

Further, the two-source theory is foisted upon the text; it produces dichotomies and doublets that are of its own creation and not inherent in the text. One such imaginary difficulty and contrived doublet concerns the source of the deluge. For source critics, the P version claims that God allowed the waters of the depths and the heavens to flood the earth (Gen. 7:11; 8:2) whereas the non-P source maintains that the deluge was rainfall (7:4, 12; 8:2). The difference and distinction between the two founts of the deluge are presented as if they are mutually exclusive.

Logically, of course, there is no reason why the deluge could not have emanated from both rainclouds and heavenly and earthly wellsprings. There is no contradiction between the two. Moreover, the notion of divine deluge stemming from these two sources is a common trope. In fact, consider the sources of the deluge in the Mesopotamian account of the flood story, which is caused both by rainfall and opened dikes:

I gazed upon the appearance of the storm,

The storm was frightful to behold!...

A black cloud rose up from the horizon,

Inside [the cloud] Adad was thundering

Erregal tore out the dike posts,

Ninurta came and brought with him the dikes.

Divine deluges that stems from both from cloud rain and from the wellsprings of the earth are a familiar trope in the Tanakh (Ps. 77:1718; Prov. 3:20). Moreover, the Genesis Flood account mentions these two founts together in two places (Gen. 7:1112; 8:2). However, were source-critics to adopt a reading whereby the Genesis Flood derived both from cloud rain and from other wellsprings together, it would no longer be possible to bisect the text into two accounts. Source critics must ignore the attested trope in the Mesopotamian version of the flood story and the other biblical sources of divine deluge from rain and from other wellsprings, so that each of the putative versions of the story will have a flood unto itself. When critics separate the founts of the deluge, they do so not because the theory solves a problem in the text; rather a problem in the theory gives rise to an unnecessary and forced distinction in the text.

3. Irrational Non-Sequiturs in the Putative Sources

In addition to creating unnecessary and unwarranted dichotomies, the source-critical reading also produces non-sequiturs in the putative sources that it claims to recover. Consider the Masoretic Texts version of Genesis 7:1516: [The animals] came unto Noah, unto the ark, two by two, from all of the living creatures. They were male and female of all creatures, as Elokim had commanded him. And Hashem closed him in. The final phrase of verse 16, And Hashem closed him in, follows directly from the previous elements in verses 1316. Noah and his family enter the ark, the animals enter the ark, and, to conclude, Hashem shuts the hatch as it were, and closes Noah in. However, in the putative non-P source, the following text is hypothesized: (7:10) And after seven days, the waters of the deluge were on the earth. (7:12) The rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights (7:16b) and Hashem shut him in. Source critics splice the text in this fashion because verse 16b refers to God as Hashem, and thus must be assigned to the non-P source, which they reckon refers to God exclusively as Hashem. However, this reading is deficient on two grounds. In the first place, it creates a non-sequitur as it implies that it had been raining already for forty days and forty nights before God enclosed the ark! Secondly, it removes verse 16b, the notice of God shutting in Noah, from the simple context of the verses in which it is organically found in the Genesis text, following the embarking of Noah, his family and the animals.

4. Hiding Problems with the Theory in the Work of the Redactor

Other seemingly needless repetitions abound in the Flood narrative, such as the extended repeated report of Noahs entry into the ark in the hypothesized P version (Gen. 7:89, 11, 1316). Difficulties such as the unnecessary and juxtaposed repetition of the duration of the rain in non-P, and the wholesale repetition of the boarding of the ark in hypothesized P, might have been the types of literary phenomena that could have called into question the very suggestion that we have here two conflated sources. Splitting the text clearly does not provide us with two accounts, each free of repetition and free of incongruities. And yet rather than walking back from the hypothesis, source critics have sought to buttress their hypothesis by resorting to a series of editors, or what scholars call redactors, who are the agents responsible for the disruptive passages.

The recourse to redactors and the claims that various words and verses are later additions are made solely so that scholars will be able to preserve the integrity of the two sources, purportedly identified in the remaining verses of the narrative. The strategy is reductive in that it ensures that the underlying premise of two sources will always be preserved. For the source critic, data that complicates the split into two sources is not allowed to undermine the theory. Instead, bad data  data that are incongruous with the two-source theory  are isolated from the good data, and are assigned to redactors, often with no explanation as to why a redactor would add such sloppiness to the text. The theory of two sources is thus always sustained.

5. The Mistaken Presumption of Preserved Sources

The source-critical approach rests on the foundational assumption that the biblical redactors faithfully preserved their sources and that these sources, therefore, can be recreated by properly analyzing the received, redacted version we have today. However, this assumption is challenged both by contradictions within the source-critical approach itself and by the evidence we now have of editorial practices of scribes in ancient Israel and in the ancient Near East.

The source-critical approach rests on an internal contradiction in its claims. Source criticism does not produce two complete standalone accounts of the Flood when the fourteen snippets of hypothesized P and the thirteen snippets of non-P are separated and reconstructed. The P account may be considered a full account, but not so the non-P account, where two omissions are notable: First, it lacks a command to build an ark. Moreover, the non-P account does not report the exit from the ark by Noah and the animals. Source critics are forced to concede that the final redactor does not retain full fidelity to the putative original version of this account but has borrowed from it selectively. Source critics claim that material from an original source may be missing, but what is preserved is derived word for word from the original source and can be recovered. Yet, if, as we have seen, the putative redactor could violate the integral nature of the original version by omitting sections of it, by what right may we assume that he has not supplemented and otherwise altered other phrases in his creation of the final version of the text before us?

Source critics retort that the redactors sought to conflate the original sources as fully as possible so as to create a relatively seamless whole and tried to tamper with the original text as little as possible. But the very repetitions and inconsistencies noted by source critics in the biblical text before us undermine that claim. For their theory to account for the unevenness of the Flood narrative as found in Genesis 69, source critics must uphold three claims: (1) that the redactor worked tirelessly to disassemble the original sources and then conflate them, combining a total of twenty-seven snippets, some no longer than a phrase; (2) that the redactor freely omitted material from the non-P source, and yet with no clear explanation of why he would or could do so; (3) that in the end the redactor(s) had free reign to tamper with the text, and yet performed his (their) task in sloppy fashion, or that later accretions are responsible for the unevenness seen in passages such as the accounts of Noahs embarking the ark, discussed earlier.

The stakes here for the field of critical biblical studies are enormous. The very enterprise of tracing the history of composition of the biblical texts rests on the assumption that the earlier sources are recoverable solely on the basis of the so-called clues and evidence within the received text, and without supporting textual witnesses or epigraphic evidence. But those putative sources are available only if we assume that redactors and editors never altered or augmented their sources. Were source critics to concede the possibility that earlier sources had undergone alteration or augmentation, their concession would effectively shut down the quest for the compositional history of the text; it would no longer be possible to work backward from the received text and to isolate the earlier source texts. Scholars committed to tracing the history of the text, therefore, have a vested interest in upholding the axiom that original sources were neither altered nor augmented during redaction.

Conclusion: Unity in the Flood Story

One of the cardinal sins of source criticism has long been a scholarly conceit: if something in the text looks inconsistent to our modern eyes, it must have always seemed inconsistent to readers of any age. But the fact of the matter is that the notion that a text must read in linear fashion with no repetitions is an idea that has reached the West from the writings of Aristotle. In fact, it is demonstrable that literary aesthetics  like aesthetics in any field, such as music, art, etc. are culturally dependent. The nineteenth century scholars like Julius Wellhausen who gave us the documentary hypothesis, were unaware of ancient Near Eastern writings, which were only discovered and deciphered late in that century. Over the years these findings have upended many of the underpinnings of this theory. For instance, it was initially thought that the Tetragramatton (often spelled in English YHWH) and the divine name Elokim were two mutually exclusive names for God, and were proof positive of the claim that the Torahs narratives were interwoven sources. But scholars now know that many ancient writings refer to one and the same god by different names; these merely reflect different aspects of one and the same deity  indeed, just as our midrashic sources always maintained about these two divine names.

Or, for another example, these scholars pointed to what is called the change in address in some biblical laws. The law will commence by addressing you in the singular, but midway through the law switch to addressing you in the plural. Source critics saw this as evidence that two traditions of the law had been interwoven; after all, we wouldnt speak or write that way. But that an eigth century BCE letter of a king to his officers was discovered, in which the king vacillates between addressing the officers each in the singular and collectively in the plural.

One of the things we have learned about writing during this time is its penchant for chiastic structure. This is a literary technique whereby two ideas, A and B, together with variants A' and B', are arranged in the text as A,B,B',A'. Chiastic structures that involve more components are sometimes called "ring structures." The Flood account of Genesis 69, for all of its repetitions, forms an elaborate chiastic structure:

A. Elokim pledges to Noah to destroy all flesh (6:13)

B. Flood to destroy all flesh (6:17)

C. Covenant to sustain Noah and his animals (6:1820)

D. Command to gather food while world is destroyed (6:21)

E. Command to enter the ark + fulfillment (7:15)

F. Year 600  beginning of the flood (7:6)

G. Birds enter the ark (7:8)

H. Seven days waiting for Flood (7:10)

I. Rain on the earth (7:12)

J. Birds enter the ark (7:14)

K. Hashem shuts Noah in (7:16)

L. Forty days of Flood (7:17a)

M. Waters increase (7:17b18)

N. Mountains covered (7:1920)

O. 150 days when waters prevail (7:24)

God remembers Noah (8:1)

O. 150 days when waters abate (8:3)

N. Mountaintops visible (8:45)

M. Waters abate (8:5)

L. Forty days of receding waters (8:6a)

K. Noah opens window of ark (8:6b)

J. Raven and dove leave ark (8:78)

I. Water on the earth (8:9)

H. Seven days waiting for water to subside (8:10)

G. Dove leaves the ark (8:10b12)

F. Year 601  the earth dries (8:13)

E. Command to leave the ark + fulfillment (8:1519)

D. Commands regarding food in the new order (9:15)

C. Covenant to sustain all flesh (9:810)

B. No flood will destroy flesh (9:15)

A. Elokim pledges to Noah to preserve all flesh (9:17)

There are several aspects of this structure that are worthy of note. Note that it centers around Genesis 8:1: And God remembered Noah and all of the animals that were with him in the ark. This is the turning point of the story. All that precedes this verse is death and destruction. All that follows is rebirth and recreation  it is exactly the verse we would expect to find right in the middle of the structure. We ought to note as well that this is an extremely tight and elaborate structure. By tight I mean that it has no major gaps anywhere in the three chapters it covers. By elaborate I mean that it covers matching pairs of seventeen motifs and elements. But most significant is this: Every matching pair is much more than a deliberate repetition. Rather each pair is a report of an event of destruction and its matching event of recreation. Thus element A is a divine pledge to destroy all flesh, while A is a divine pledge to preserve all flesh; element B tells that the flood will destroy all flesh, while B tells that never again will a flood destroy all flesh, etc. This structure is found only when the entire Flood account of Genesis 69 is read in order.

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The Telangana Cabinet, which



would meet on April 19, is expected to discuss COVID-19 containment measures and whether to continue lockdown in the state strictly, as it is being implemented now, till May 3, or to give some concessions in line with the Centre's thinking.

The meeting, to be presided by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, would be held in the afternoon on April 19 at Pragati Bhavan, the CM's official residence-cum-camp office, an official release said on Thursday.

The Cabinet would discuss coronavirus containment measures in the state and the implementation of lockdown, it said.

"The Cabinet is also expected to discuss whether the lockdown being implemented strictly in the state should be continued till May 3 or in tune with the thinking of the Centre, whether to give some concessions after April 20 or not and accordingly it will take a decision," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mainly, in the country's immigration system, COVD-19 can probably make bad situations worse for the foreign-born, especially in the labor force.

The response of the Trump administration as always is to put America first. In an announcement about the proceeding motions for immigration, the president said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had extended its authority to Border Patrol to create measures that would mitigate the onset of possibly infectious immigrants coming in from the northern and southern borders.

At this time, immigrant workers constituted 17 percent of the U.S. workforce, according to a census by the National Immigration Forum. In comparison to American-born workers, immigrant workers earn significantly less, and more so during this pandemic. The American Sociological Association asserts that health and housing issues will only become more exaggerated effects of other pre-existing problems that are deep-seated in American society.

READ: Securing the Border: Illegal Crossings Down by 60%

Risk of Unemployment

This is further supported by Community Clinic Association president Louise McCarthy, who stated in an LA Times interview that these foreign-born workers are highly likely to make decisions that would determine their survival of the crisis: It's either they risk exposure or risk homelessness.

"A low-income worker can't just take a day off - losing a day's pay can mean losing your housing."

To add to that, in New York City, over 30 percent of deaths attributed to the coronavirus are Latinos. Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said, "The overlay of the anti-immigrant rhetoric across this country has real implications in the health of our community."

While U.S. President Donald Trump decreed that treatment for COVID-19 was exempted, many other socioeconomic factors lead to immigrants becoming infected from the coronavirus, such as immigrant deportations and detentions.

Postponing Processes

Because of federal preventive restrictions, nonessential border crossings have been postponed. In a White House briefing last month, Trump explained this effort would protect all three nations, adding that it will "reduce the incentive for mass global migration that would badly deplete the health care resources needed for our people."

As noted previously, border crossings have seen a significant drop since the quarantine was put in place to contain the virus. Around 600 people are apprehended daily since the borders were closed to illegal immigrants.

Though the information was underreported, Trump closed the asylum offices all across the country in the belief that apprehending people for immigration cases might be dangerous. This is the first time that the offices have been closed for decades.

During the quarantine, these measures were put in place to ascertain that immigration is controlled. Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that dealt with most immigration cases in the country, withdrew their field and asylum office as well as their application support centers.

Most transactions will instead be done online for emergency services. Previous appointments, such as interviews and ceremonies made with the offices, are rescheduled.

Meanwhile, court hearings for immigration cases like those for Migrant Protection Protocols program are postponed, and for immigrants not in detention, this may last until May.

READ MORE: Temporary Suspension of Court Hearings for Asylum Seekers in Effect
More than 13,000 members of the UKs armed forces have been unable to report for duty because of coronavirus isolation, with around a hundred testing positive.

The figures equate to around 9.1 per cent of the total number of regular and reserve personnel.

Some of those quarantined, because they or family members show symptoms of the disease, or due to looking after vulnerable people, are working from home.

The figures came as it was revealed that Ministry of Defence is changing its standing orders in an attempt to avoid the type of controversy which has unfolded in other countries over the treatment of service personnel at risk from the disease.

The captain of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is due to sail later this month, will be given the authority to bring the ship back if there is an outbreak of the virus. He will not need to seek permission from the Ministry of Defence in London as he would have had to in the past.

It is hoped this will prevent embarrassing scenarios like one involving the US and French aircraft carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt and Charles De Gaulle.

The captain of the Therodore Roosevelt was fired after he sent an email asking for urgent action to try and stop a Covid-19 outbreak on his ship from affecting more of his crew.

The sacking of Captain Brett E Crozier led to a storm of protest. The acting US Navy secretary, Thomas Modly, who took the decision to do so had to resign himself after flying to the aircraft carrier to deliver a speech highly insulting towards Captain Crozier and criticising the crew for supporting their skipper.

Donald Trump initially criticised Captain Crozier, but following the public outcry over the sacking, the US president changed his tune saying he did not want the officers career ruined.

Around 668 out of a crew of 2,000 on board the Charles De Gaulle were infected with Covid-19. According to reports in French media the ships captain had requested that the deployment to the Atlantic in mid-March should be put off, but the request was refused.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: HMS Queen Elizabeth is sailing to conduct sea training, required as preparation for further training later this year and which together will ensure that she is ready for deployment in 2021.

The continuation of this training has been agreed by senior leaders across Defence. She will be operating in waters close to the UK coast and the commanding officer has the discretion to cease the training, if deemed necessary.

Speaking about the infections in the UK armed forces, Labours shadow defence secretary, John Healey, said: These concerning figures make Labours case for greater protections and more testing of forces personnel even stronger.

Our armed forces keep us safe. It is vital we do the same for them.

Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson, Jamie Stone MP, said: News that 13,000 armed force personnel are currently absent due to the pandemic is deeply concerning.

They have been crucial to our response to the pandemic, providing specialists to local resilience groups, our local authorities, and emergency services. Our armed forces must have all the PPE they need and access to testing if they are to effectively combat coronavirus. It is not enough to say thank you.
Even though Jagan Mohan Reddys government says there are only 27 Mandals as red zones and 44 as orange zones out of 676 mandals in the state, the centre does not believe it and declared 11 districts as red zones out of total 13 districts in Andhra Pradesh. Whereas there are more COVID-19 cases in Telangana and the CM of Telangana is for complete lockdown but the centre only declared 8 districts as red zones out of 33 districts. The internal sources in BJP high command told NewsX that the Centre completely trusts Telangana Government as far as coronavirus positive cases are concerned. Except for Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts, all districts i.e. Kurnool, Guntur, Nellore, Prakasam, Krishna, Kadapa, West Godavari, East Godavari, Chittoor, Visakhapatnam, and Anantapur are declared as red zones. Whereas in Telangana, only Hyderabad, Nizamabad, Warangal Urban, Ranga Reddy, Jogulamba Gadwal, Medchal Malkajgiri, Karimnagar, Nirmal are declared as Red zones.

It seems that the Central government has its own data as far as coronavirus spread in Andhra is concerned. The Union government released a list of hotspot zones in the country, including 170 districts classified as red zones out of them, a total of 50 are from south India. According to it, next to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh is the worst affected state as COVID-19 positive cases in Andhra has crossed 500 and not just this, even the ruling party MLAs are violating lockdown rules.

Lanka Dinakar, BJP leader told NewsX  There are many COVID -19 cases in Andhra Pradesh. the government of Jagan Mohan Reddy is hiding the data and conveniently releasing some cases only. Even Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram are not safe if the approach of the Government is lenient. There are hundreds of cases in towns like Nandyala and Ongole but the Government is not transparent and the ex-CM and leader of opposition of Andhra Chandrababu Naidu expressed concern The government of AP is lying on the number of tests it is conducting. There is no transparency. The government should realize that we contain the spread of the virus only with effective testing is taking place. Testing should be intensified to detect more cases. Jagan Mohan Reddys govt is under-reporting coronavirus cases in the state and conducting inadequate testing

Senior cine producer and a resident of Vijayawada also wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India expressing serious concerns over AP govts conducting and monitoring the COVID-19 cases. He stated that the state government is not even providing the required Kits for examination and as a result the doctors and staff are unable to trace out the exact cases that have been affected by the disease so far. That apart, the doctors and staff have not been supplied with the masks and gloves and other necessary equipment to protect themselves while treating the patients.

Aswini Dutt accused that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister is interested in passing several GOs for benefit of his Government in this critical situation rather than showing any interest to arrest the spread of coronavirus. Awini Dutt feels it is a fit case to take up the issue by the court to have judicial surveillance about the measures taken by State Government and the about the genuineness of statistics furnished by the Government about COVID cases.

BJP leader Lanka Dinakar said COVID-19 pandemic is the issue of the world to fight against it, but Jagan Mohan Reddy led Andhra Pradesh Government approach hasnt been that much of the serious as requires. Initially, Jagan Mohan Reddy tried to undermine the seriousness of COVID-19 for the sake of Local body Elections against the decision of the then State Election Commissioner. He said that COVID-19 is 14 days Cold and Fever, which can be relieved by consuming Paracetamol and applying the Bleaching powder. Lanka further says Jagan Mohan Reddys approach reveals his attitude to fight against COVID-19, still, he has no seriousness in is governance and hiding the facts and violating the quarantine rules wherever he wants like newly appointed State Election Commissioner who brought from outside the Andhra Pradesh by replacing the Andhra Pradesh COVID-19 warrior Nimagadda Ramesh.

The Hotspots are defined by the Union Health Ministry to be those districts that have either large numbers of people falling sick with COVID-19 or a steady increase in the number of individuals infected with the disease. These hotspot districts contribute 80% or more of the number of cases in India. The lockdown should be strictly implemented in these districts. But the government of Andhra Pradesh says that its very transparent in COVID- 19 data and it has doubled its capacity of testing.

For all the latest National News, download NewsX App
[April 16, 2020] Church Mutual Announces Leadership Promotions

Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., looks to further the company's growth through the promotion of six individuals into new leadership roles. These individuals will continue to lead the company and advance its mission to serve those who serve others. "Church Mutual has been serving policyholders for more than 120 years," said Rich Poirier, president and CEO. "These moves allow us to leverage our leaders' strengths into positive change to ensure we remain around for another 120-plus years." Jeff Steffen has been promoted to senior vice president - chief financial officer. Steffen has a proven track record of leadership success within Church Mutual, starting when he joined the company in 2013 as director of financial planning and analysis. He was promoted to vice president - chief financial officer in 2016. Steffen earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Colorado State University and an MBA in accounting and finance from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Doug Sippel has been promoted to assistant vice president - treasurer and corporate controller. He has been in the insurance industry for 28 years, with the last 23 at Church Mutual. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. He has many industry designations including CPA, CMA and CPCU. Peter Mahler has been promoted to vice president - Religious Markets Underwriting. He has been in the insurance industry for more than 20 years with 10 of those at Church Mutual. He holds a bachelor's degree in business manageent from Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. Mahler also holds AIS, AU, CPCU, ARM (News - Alert) and ERM designations.



Dean Jarnow has been promoted to vice president - Strategic Resource Management. Jarnow has been with Church Mutual for two years. Prior to joining Church Mutual Jarnow has worked on projects with Converge One, Bemis Company, United Health Group, Allianz Life, Ameriprise and Thrivent, among others. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Iowa and a master's in leadership from Augsburg College. Alan Ogilvie has been promoted to president - Subsidiaries. Ogilvie was instrumental in establishing CM Vantage in 2016 and has provided great value to many enterprise-wide initiatives. He has been with Church Mutual since March 2015. Prior to joining Church Mutual, Ogilvie spent time with Capitol Insurance Companies, Caliber on Indemnity Company and Wausau Insurance, among others. Ogilvie has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a juris doctor degree, both from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Randy Oja is taking on additional responsibilities as vice president - Social Markets Underwriting. Oja joined Church Mutual as a senior actuary in September 2011. Previously Oja served as vice president - Broker Underwriting. He earned his bachelor's in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. About Church Mutual Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, senior living facilities, secular and non-secular camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. Church Mutual markets most lines of commercial property and liability insurance, including multi-peril, workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance. In addition to insurance, Church Mutual provides a spectrum of value-added solutions that benefit its customers. Church Mutual holds the following honors: A.M. Best Company "A" (excellent) rating

BenchmarkPortal (News - Alert) Top 10 National Customer Service Center

Wisconsin 75 by Deloitte US, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Top Private Company

Wisconsin 75 by Deloitte (News - Alert) US 2019 Distinguished Performer: Innovation

Futuremakers Partner by Wisconsin Technical College System

Celent Model Insurer for innovation and emerging technologies

Award in Innovation for entrepreneurialism and innovation by National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies

2018-2019 Employer of the Year by Northcentral Technical College View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005612/en/

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WHO chief expresses regret over Trump move to cut funding

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 5:01 PM

The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed regret over the US president's decision to cut funding to the body at the time of the new coronavirus pandemic.

"This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters during a video conference from the WHO's headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday. "When we are divided, the coronavirus exploits the cracks between us."

He also reiterated that the UN body is reviewing the possible impacts of the US President Donald Trump's decision, adding that the organization would work with its partners "to fill any financial gaps" and to ensure its activities will continue uninterrupted.

Tedros' comments come a day after Trump announced that the US would halt its financial support of the WHO.

"Today I'm instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," Trump said in a news briefing in Washington on Tuesday.

He added that review of the Geneva-based agency would take somewhere between "60 to 90 days."

Trump has repeatedly accused the WHO of siding with China and reliance on Chinese data, blaming it for "all sorts of false information about transmission and mortality" that was circulated amid initial reports.

The US contributed $400 million to the WHO last year, roughly 15% of its budget.

Meanwhile, the move by Trump drew harsh international reactions. The European Union, the African Union, China, France and Germany all criticized the US president for his abrupt move.

The US organizations and NGOs also gave a cold shoulder to the decision.

On Wednesday, the US Chamber of Commerce accused Trump of damaging the country's interests through ending Washington's funding to the WHO.

"Cutting the WHO's funding during the COVID-19 pandemic is not in US interest given the organisation's critical role assisting other countries - particularly in the developing world - in their response," US Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Head of International Affairs Myron Brilliant said in a press release.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also announced that it will continue to cooperate with the WHO to mitigate the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"WHO has been a long-term and still is a great partner for us," CDC Director Robert Redfield told CBS on Wednesday. "For me and for CDC and the public health arena, we're continuing to work side by side with WHO to do the best that we can to limit the spread of disease and to protect the American people."

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Much of Pennsylvanias economy ground to a halt in mid-March after Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a statewide shutdown of all but life-sustaining businesses in an effort to contain the coronavirus. Read more

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In theory, Hannah Koshinsky had options.

A self-employed business owner, with a hair salon near Pittsburgh shuttered by the coronavirus, shes eligible for help from several programs created by the massive federal stimulus package. Choosing between them, though, meant making high-stakes decisions, in a matter of days, with incomplete information.

Im very confused about the whole process and what my options are, Koshinky said. I wish it was like, Pick (a) or (b): Would you like vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

Self-employed people like Koshinsky can apply to programs targeted toward business owners or those aimed at helping workers. Some dont realize they might qualify for federal business loans, even if they dont have any employees. Others are wary of taking on debt at such an uncertain time, even debt that could be forgiven.

And still others are betting their best hope is unemployment, a benefit recently expanded to self-employed workers and independent contractors under the stimulus but unavailable until the state opens a separate application system.

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Much of Pennsylvanias economy ground to a halt in mid-March after Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a statewide shutdown of all but life-sustaining businesses in an effort to contain the coronavirus. Now, Pennsylvanias smallest small businesses  one-person operations  are desperate for help and must make major financial decisions quickly, even as the fine print of some programs is still coming into focus.

Its kind of a bird-in-the-hand situation, said Terri Johnson, a certified public accountant in Hollidaysburg. People are desperate for cash at this point, so theyre kind of having to take whatever comes the fastest.

Last week, Koshinsky applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, the centerpiece of the federal relief package. She needed money quickly, and the program offers federally guaranteed loans that can be completely forgiven, as long as three-quarters of the money is spent on payroll  in Koshinskys case, on herself.

She didnt realize, though, that if she wants the loan to be forgiven, taking it could undercut her ability to file for unemployment, which might bring her more money.

In new regulations released Tuesday  several days after banks had already started taking applications from self-employed workers  the Small Business Administration warned that participation ... may affect your eligibility for state administered unemployment compensation or employment assistance programs.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Labor & Industry said it is awaiting further instruction from the U.S. Department of Labor on the specifics.

Its the responsibility of the people taking the funds to make sure theyre not double-dipping, said Timothy Keohane, director of the Penn State Small Business Development Center.

Applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans were considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Self-employed people werent able to apply until a week after other businesses, putting them at a disadvantage. They had just four days to apply before the $349 billion program ran out of money, on Thursday morning.

Overwhelmed by demand, some banks have given existing customers priority for the loans, leaving some business owners hanging. A proposal to add another $250 billion to the program has so far stalled in Congress.

Those waiting to file for the new unemployment assistance, meanwhile, have watched anxiously as the existing system has been strained by an unprecedented flood of new claims, with complaints of weeks-long delays, constantly busy phone lines, and unanswered messages. One in five Pennsylvanians has now filed for unemployment, according to new numbers released Thursday.

For gig workers, the self-employed, and independent contractors  who are now all newly eligible for unemployment under the federal CARES Act  the state has to build a new application system to allow them to access the benefits.

Pennsylvania will start accepting applications for the expanded unemployment benefits within a week, Penny Ickes, a spokesperson for the state Department of Labor & Industry, said Wednesday, adding that the federal government only released guidance for states on how to administer the new system the week prior.

Christina Smith, a professional photographer in Adams County, checks the state Department of Labor & Industry website every day  sometimes two or three times  to make sure she hasnt missed it.

Valerie Shoemaker, who runs a dog and cat grooming business out of her home in Walnutport, is worried about getting her claim in as soon as the new portal opens, anticipating that the system will be overloaded.

Megan Wollerton  a personal trainer based in Butler County who has gone from seeing about 30 clients a week, in person, to around six, virtually  scours social media for updates.

Im on like every alert that you can get, Wollerton said.

The coronavirus outbreak came just as she was preparing for the usual April surge of new business, as people start to get in shape for the summer. Im completely in limbo, she said. When her son turns 2, in June, shes not sure shell be able to afford a gift.

Some states that have already opened unemployment for self-employed people and gig workers, such as New York and New Jersey, require people to file for regular unemployment and be found ineligible before they can receive the new benefits.

Pennsylvania is skipping that step.

When unemployment benefits do arrive, they will be bolstered by an extra $600 a week, another piece of the $2.2 trillion federal stimulus package signed into law March 27.

For self-employed people without any workers, unemployment is probably a better bet than a federal loan because it offers more money for a longer period of time, and doesnt come with the hassle of documenting expenses to ensure the loan is forgiven, said Eric Wenger, a CPA and managing partner at the Lancaster office of RKL, a national accounting firm.

It would be nice to have something in extraordinarily plain English that says: By the way, you cant do both, Wenger said. People are sort of at this crossroads.

Sometimes, choosing between the various programs available has simply been a question of what was available earliest.

Becca Parrish, who single-handedly runs a bakery out of her basement in Altoona, applied April 1 for the first thing she found that offered help  a $10,000 emergency grant from the Small Business Administration. She still has not received any money.

The agency originally said applicants would get the money within three days, a promise it has not been able to keep as the program has buckled under a crush of demand. Parrish said she doesnt want to take on debt or risk double-dipping across programs. For now, she said, unemployment seems like her only hope.

Demand for her scones, cupcakes, and macarons dried up after her major customer, a local coffee shop, closed. She worries that, even once businesses can reopen, people will trim their spending, and buying baked goods will be an obvious place to cut back.

Plans to remodel her house have been shelved. She cant get a job in a business thats still open, she said, because child care would be too expensive. And although she wants to support local restaurants, takeout food has become an unaffordable luxury.

Were barely keeping our heads above water, Parrish said.

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(Photo : REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/Illustration/File Photo) The logo of TikTok application is seen on a mobile phone screen in this picture illustration taken February 21, 2019. Picture taken February 21, 2019.

Popular app Tiktok now bans private messaging for under 16 years old. This means they can no longer send or receive direct messages from the app starting Apr. 30.

Tiktok is the first major social media platform to block private messaging between teenagers worldwide. The limit is based on the date of birth that users input on the account, although there is no verification is done as the system is based on trust.

However, critics are anxious about restraining because it will not stop children from lying about their age. Last year, a survey from the United Kingdom regulator Ofcom suggested 13% of teenagers between 12 and 15-years-old use the app.

READ ALSO: Australia to Use Singapore's Contact Tracing App as New Zealand Opens Up Its Aussie Borders

TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service used to create short clips, including dance, lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos. Its age rating on App Store is 12+.

Last year, Tiktok was included on the most downloaded apps list. It is the newest app on the list as it was launched only in 2017 for iOS and Android in markets outside of China.

Tiktok grossed $177 million in 2019, which is five times higher than its 2018 revenues. It was the second most downloaded app for 2019, next to WhatsApp. Meanwhile, Tiktok's creator ByteDance, a Beijing-based company, was named the "most valuable private company," earning a total of $75 billion last year.

Changes on TikTok

Tiktok users normally can send direct messages to others if both parties follow each other.

While the change completely prevents users aged below 16 from communicating privately on the platform, it does not stop them from posting on comment sections of the videos.

Affected users will soon receive a notification on the app and will lose access to direct messages by the end of the month.

Social-media consultant Matt Navarra says the restriction is a bold move as it will impact a large number of their core demographic. "The interesting thing here is that TikTok's biggest group of users are teenagers," said Navarra.

NSPCC child safety online policy head Andy Burrows applauded the app for making such a move.

"We know that groomers use direct messaging to cast the net widely and contact large numbers of children... Offenders are taking advantage of the current climate to target children," said Burrows.

He added teenagers now are spending more time online, and proactive measures like this can make sites safer and hinder groomers from exploiting. Burrows called on the need for tech firms to identify users who are children and give them the "safest accounts by default."

John Carr, secretary of British Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety, raised the same concerns. "It's good that TikTok is showing an awareness of these issues," says Carr, who also hopes the app creators will have effective means to check children's ages.

There are pieces of evidence that show there are huge numbers of under-age children accessing the site. Carr referred to research on Facebook when it was the dominant app amongst children.

The study shows that in some countries, about 80% of children aged over eight had a Facebook account. In the U.K., the proportion was about two-thirds.

In 2018, Facebook also limited access to WhatsApp for people aged above 16 to adhere to its General Data Protection Regulation. The restriction applies across European Union nations.

Read also: TikTok Videos Show Doctors Dancing Amid Coronavirus; One Even Gives Free iPad to Patients!

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
On March 24, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a stay-at-home order closing most businesses and significantly curtailing public life, and then extended it through to the end of April. A week later, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a similar order, although with a significant exemption for churches and other houses of worship.

As public health physicians and researchers, we believe Hidalgo and Abbott made the right calls. At the time of this writing, there are nearly 15,000 reported cases of COVID-19 statewide, growing at a clip of approximately 15 percent per day  meaning that each day, on average, we can expect about 15 percent more cases than the day before. Houston alone accounts for approximately one-fourth of all reported cases in the state. To bend the curve and squelch the epidemic, we need to get that rate down to below zero percent per day for at least two consecutive weeks (the time period during which nearly all people will develop symptoms after infection) until local transmission is largely interrupted.

We were interested in understanding the extent to which social distancing policies are working to slow the COVID-19 epidemic nationwide, so together with our team we constructed a database of all statewide social distancing laws. These measures included school and work closures, restrictions on public gatherings, restrictions on travel and more stringent lockdown measures.

Linking these data with statewide data on COVID-19 case counts, we found that the average daily COVID-19 case growth rate was a nearly constant 30 percent before states enacted their first social distancing policies, meaning that the number of cases was doubling every 3.3 days.

But then, beginning four days after implementation, the average daily case growth rate began declining by 0.8 percent per day. Two weeks after implementation of the first social distancing policies, the doubling time of the epidemic had increased to five days averaged across all states.

Our findings have been posted to the preprint server medRxiv.org, although they have not yet completed formal peer review. However, these estimates are consistent with mathematical models, including the recently published model from Rice Universitys Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and provide the first empirical support that social distancing policies in the U.S. are associated with decreasing case rates of COVID-19. Moreover, we are potentially just now starting to see the signs of social distancing working in Harris County. The epidemic growth rate has dropped considerably over the last week, from approximately 20 percent per day down to near zero percent per day.

In other words, the epidemic is not simply slowing: We are just now beginning to see that each days case count is actually lower than the previous days.

Social distancing policies are debilitating. They should be lifted as soon as it safe to do so. In a city like Houston, where the curve is now starting to bend, our research shows that time might be soon, but has not yet come. There is a window of opportunity to avoid the devastation seen in other cities like New York City where social distancing was enacted much later in the course of the epidemic. Until the number of new daily cases drops consistently to near zero and local transmission has been interrupted, Houstonians should keep that window open  by keeping their doors closed.

Tsai is a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Siedner is an infectious disease physician at MGH and an associate professor of medicine at HMS. Giordano is chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine.
China has reported 46 new coronavirus cases, including 34 imported ones, as the authorities strengthened medical facilities in the country's northeast bordering Russia to stem a sudden flare-up of infections among Chinese nationals arriving from across the border.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) in its daily report on Thursday said 12 new cases of domestic transmission were reported, including five in Guangdong Province, four in Heilongjiang Province and three in Beijing while no fresh cases were registered in epicentre Wuhan.

It said, 46 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the mainland on Wednesday, of which 34 were imported taking their total number to 1,534 with 898 still undergoing treatment.

Also the increasing number of asymptomatic cases continue to be a major concern for Chinese health officials as 64 new asymptomatic cases were reported on Wednesday of which 61 of them local people.

According to Mi Feng spokesman of the NHC, 6,764 asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus infection, including 588 imported ones, have been reported in China as of Tuesday, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Wuhan launched an epidemiological sampling survey on local residents to find out the incidence of asymptomatic cases.

The survey will cover a total of 11,000 residents from 13 administrative districts in Wuhan.

To ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the data, the sampling survey adopts the principle of random sampling at fixed points. One hundred residential communities will be selected as the survey points.

Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.

As of Wednesday, the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in China reached 82,341. Altogether 3,342 people had died of the disease, the NHC said, adding that 1,107 patients are still being treated while 77,892 people discharged from hospitals.

Meanwhile, China rushed medical teams to Suifenhe city near the Russian border where the virus escalated following steady arrivals of Chinese national from Russia.

The epidemic prevention and control measures will be strengthened at major Chinese cities and key ports in response to the rise of imported COVID-19, He Qinghua, an official of the NHC told media on Wednesday.

Health authorities will intensify infection screening, closed-loop management and healthcare service, he said.

On Wednesday, China has closed one of its largest makeshift hospitals built in February to treat the surging COVID-19 virus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic as the number of coronavirus cases abated.

The makeshift Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital ceased operation in Wuhan. Also last group of thousands of medical workers deployed to fight the outbreak also left the city.

The number of inbound and outbound passengers in coronavirus-hit Wuhan has exceeded 660,000 since the megacity lifted outbound travel restrictions on April 8, the city's transport department said Wednesday.

Hubei province so far reported 67,803 COVID-19 cases, including 50,008 in its capital of Wuhan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Best Marvel movies of all time (Jan 2022)

Andrew Lu | Updated on 29-Jul-2021 ByUpdated on 29-Jul-2021

Marvel movies have changed the way we look at superheroes and shared universes now. With 23 movies under its belt spanned over a decade, Marvel Studios has given us some widely popular live-action comic-book feature films. From Iron Man to Guardians of Galaxy, the best Marvel films have a distinct style that dabbles equally with science as it does with fiction. New Marvel movies have also been frontrunners in portraying diversity charting a course for future Marvel Phase 4 films.

Back then, nobody would have imagined the humble beginnings laid by Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark would set the course of 23 Marvel movies culminating in an epic comic-book-esque showdown with Avengers Infinity War in 2018 and Endgame in 2019.

There's been a lot of debate on ranking the top Marvel films and you'll find many marvel movies lists on the internet. As such, it's very difficult to pick out one film from the entire roster to say it's the best Marvel film till date, but the top Marvel movies surely increase the benchmark for what it takes for a film to be comic-book accurate and fun to watch for everyone, regardless of age.

With that in mind, we at Digit decided to pick our favourite Marvel movies and arranged them in chronological order. And there can never be a better time to watch the best Marvel movie, now more than ever. And if time permits you to do a Marvel movie marathon, go ahead and read this list first. Also, definitely skip out on The Incredible Hulk and Thor The Dark World, for reasons you already know of.

So here's a list of our favourite Marvel movies that you can watch in 2020. We'll be updating this list as and when upcoming Marvel movies release. As for The Infinity Saga, you can watch all the 23 Marvel films on Disney+ Hotstar that's launched just recently in India.

Although the prices of the products mentioned in the list given below have been updated as of 12th Jan 2022, the list itself may have changed since it was last published due to the launch of new products in the market since then.
US police found 17 bodies piled up in a nursing home morgue in New Jersey, media reported Thursday, highlighting how the coronavirus outbreak is overwhelming long-term care facilities. Officers in the small locality of Andover, around 52 miles (80 kilometers) west of New York City, discovered the bodies following an anonymous tip-off, according to The New York Times. The discovery came on Monday at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Unit -- one of the largest care homes in New Jersey, a state badly hit by coronavirus. The cause of death of the 17 has not been confirmed but 68 people have recently died at the facility, and 26 of those tested positive for COVID-19, the Times reported. Police did not confirm the number of bodies found. But in a statement posted on the Andover police Facebook page, one of the home's owners, Chaim Scheinbaum, said the morgue, which normally houses four bodies, "never had more than 15 present" on Monday. "The staff was clearly overwhelmed and probably short-staffed," Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson told CNN. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he was "outraged" that bodies had been allowed to pile up and ordered an investigation. COVID-19 has killed more than 32,000 people across the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University, with New Jersey the worst-hit state after New York. The outbreak has reportedly claimed thousands of lives in retirement homes, spotlighting how vulnerable the elderly are to the illness. Medical personnel transport a body at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey on April 16, 2020
Some 200 mourners have defied India's national coronavirus lockdown to pay their last respects to a bull adored for his race-winning heroics and revered as a deity.

'Mooli' died of old age on Sunday, sparking an outpouring of grief - including a funeral procession and lavish burial ceremony, complete with fireworks - in the village of Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu state.

The state has so far reported 1,242 cases of the virus with 14 deaths, according to official data, and is under lockdown to stem COVID-19's spread.

Villagers gather around the body of a racing bull during its funeral in Madurai

But some 200 people came to bid the bull - who villagers claimed was at least 20 years old - a final goodbye, P. Rajasekaran, president of the local Jallikattu Peravai Association, said on Thursday.

'Initially only 30-50 people participated in the burial, and then later to pay their last respects around 100-200 assembled,' local official T.G. Vinay said.

'They didn't assemble at one point but they kept walking in, paying their last respects, praying and then leaving.'

Police have registered a complaint against seven villagers for violating a ban on gatherings of more than five people, because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The bull - also a star at festivals where villagers try to hold the beasts' humps and run - enjoyed a special status as he was attached to a local temple and revered as a deity, villagers said.

Local media reports said admirers of the animal brought garlands, towels and bundles of cash as gifts for his sendoff.

'Women cried when they heard when the bull died. The villagers were very sad,' said resident Kalubambarai, who goes by one name.

He added if a lockdown wasn't in place, the funeral 'would be like a huge carnival.'

Funerals for celebrated animals are not uncommon, especially in rural India where they are accorded grand burials.

India has had at least 12,000 confirmed cases with more than 400 deaths so far, according to the US Johns Hopkins tally.

A national lockdown is in place across India until May 3, although some restrictions will be eased after April 20.
Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin have won the backing of their parties to proceed with their historic agreement towards forming a government, despite dissent from senior colleagues.

At separate meetings of the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail parliamentary parties, both leaders presented their highly aspirational joint framework document, running to 22 pages, to their parties for approval but concerns have been raised about how realistic it is.

Fianna Fail Kilkenny TD John McGuinness reportedly told his party colleagues that the only thing missing from the document was free wifi and Netflix for everyone.

At the Fine Gael meeting, three ministers, Michael Ring, Michael Creed, and John Paul Phelan, voiced either opposition or grave reservations about entering into a deal with Fianna Fail.

Mr Ring is believed to have voiced concerns about Fine Gaels ability to make a partnership with Fianna Fail last long-term.

Mr Phelan expressed fears that Fine Gael and Fianna Fail may cannibalise each other electorally.

Agriculture Minister Mr Creed articulated concerns about the difficulty that Fine Gael will face to carve out an identity in government with Fianna Fail, particularly with Sinn Fein on the opposition benches.

Doubts were also raised by Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell, Kildare North TD Bernard Durkan, and senator Jerry Buttimer, though these are described as being muted concerns.

It is understood that while members expressed wishes for additions to and deletions from the document, no red-line issues were raised and there was no discussion on Cabinet posts.

Mr Varadkar is believed to have told the meeting that in an equal partnership with Fianna Fail, every member of Cabinet, himself included, was up for a demotion.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Martin talked up the possibility of progress presented by the deal.

There is a lot in it, it is a document worth engaging with, said Mr Martin.

However, behind the scenes, some members of Fianna Fails parliamentary party said the possible coalition with Fine Gael could well spell the end of the party for good.

Reports of a difference in opinion in the party have been rife since the February election, with many grassroots and elected members disagreeing with the partys stance on working with Fine Gael and rejecting Sinn Fein after it won the popular vote.

The policy document seems to have widened that gap, with one elected representative telling the Irish Examiner: This is the fucking end of Fianna Fail.

Many flagged concerns over how the economy would look post-Covid-19 and cautioned against making promises they would not be able to keep, including a promise not to raise taxes.

One source said: No one could complain about whats in it, but its all aspirational.

Many people queried how it could be paid for given the commitment on not raising income taxes, or reducing payment levels in the civil service.

Eamon O Cuiv, TD for Galway West, reportedly raised the possibility of a national government during the meeting, as a possible alternative to a coalition with Fine Gael, which he believes will not be accepted by the party membership.

Limerick TD Niall Collins asked: How its going to paid for is a concern, but a starting point of no austerity is absolutely the way to go, and allow for the EU stimulus to restart the economy.

The document committed to 10 missions aimed at rescuing the economy: Reigniting and renewing the economy; Universal healthcare; Housing for all; A new social contract; A new green deal; A better quality of life for all; Supporting young Ireland; Opportunities through education and research; A Shared island; and At the heart of Europe: Global citizenship.

The smaller parties poured cold water on the deal.

Labour leader Alan Kelly described it as an uncosted and purely aspirational document that will require detailed scrutiny.

A spokeswoman for the Social Democrats said: The document is portrayed as some kind of radical change of direction but on first reading, it appears disappointing.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 15

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey's export of electrical goods to Turkmenistan increased by 2.16 percent and exceeded $15.5 million from January through March 2020, Turkeys Trade Ministry told Trend.

In March 2020, export of electrical goods from Turkey to Turkmenistan dropped by 0.01 percent compared to March 2019, amounting to $5.8 million.

In 1Q2020, Turkey's export of electrical goods to world markets dropped by 5.9 percent compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $2.5 billion.

During the reporting period, Turkey's export of electrical goods amounted to 5.9 percent of the countrys total export.

In March 2020, Turkeys export of electrical goods to world markets amounted to $832.8 million, which is 16.1 percent less compared to March 2019.

The export of electrical goods from Turkey in March 2020 amounted to 6.2 percent of the country's total export.

From March 2019 through March 2020, Turkeys export of electrical goods exceeded $11 billion.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
In the year since Jet Airways operated its last flight former employees and creditors have continued to wait for the payment of their dues, even as rivals have swooped in and acquired the airlines aircraft and routes. The airline operated its last flight between Amritsar-Mumbai on April 17, 2019, as lenders turned down its demand for emergency funding.

The Naresh Goyal-founded airline, among the first private carriers to take to skies in 1993, collapsed under a mountain of debt and a cash crunch. It has been under insolvency since June last with admitted claims of Rs ...
CHICAGO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced that its board of directors approved a quarterly dividend payment of $0.2125 per share of CAG common stock to be paid on June 3, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 30, 2020.

About Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, and Vlasic, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com.

For more information, please contact:

MEDIA: Mike Cummins

312-549-5257

[email protected]

INVESTORS: Brian Kearney

312-549-5002

[email protected]

SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.conagrafoods.com


WASHINGTON and BALTIMORE, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International NGO Lutheran World Relief, which is known for annually sending millions of quilts hand sewn by donors to those in need around the world, is issuing the 75,000 Face Mask Challenge in an effort to inhibit the spread of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities around the world.

Lutheran World Relief seeks volunteers to sew 75,000 cloth face masks that will be sent to the areas in which it works  from slums to remote rural villages  for those who don't have the option of social distancing or frequent hand washing, putting them at risk of serious illness. Health officials now recommend cloth face masks for reducing transmission.

The 75,000-cloth face mask goal reflects the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Lutheran World Relief, which was founded in 1945 to help communities suffering during World War II.

Volunteers are invited to register their pledge for the number of masks they will sew at https://lwr.org/masks. The website also has instructions on how make the face masks and how to send them to Lutheran World Relief.

The cloth face masks will be distributed with upcoming international shipments of personal care kits already scheduled for summer and fall. Face masks will be distributed in communities at risk for COVID-19 transmission and are not intended to be a replacement for medical grade personal protective equipment.

This initiative is in addition to Lutheran World Relief's wider COVID-19 response, which includes working with local partners and networks of faith-based health centers in over 30 African countries to rush equipment and supplies (including personal protective equipment) to health workers on the front lines, and to equip community and faith leaders to educate families about COVID-19 and more.

Contact:

John Rivera

Cell: 443-604-2918

[email protected]

SOURCE Lutheran World Relief

Related Links

http://www.lwr.org


A worker uses his feet to spread rice for drying at a rice mill on the outskirts of Kolkata

By Brijesh Patel

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India bounced to an eight-month high this week, as traders resumed signing new contracts after a gap of nearly three weeks, while rains brought some relief in drought-hit Thailand, easing prices off a multi-year peak.

Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $375-$380 per tonne this week - the highest since the first week of August - and significantly higher than $361-$365 quoted last month.

"There is good demand for Indian rice, but supplies are limited due to the lockdown," said an exporter based at Kakinada.

Indian rice traders had stopped signing new export contracts amid the nationwide lockdown as labour shortages and logistics disruptions hampered delivery of even existing contracts. [nL4N2BU0NE]

India extended the lockdown until at least May 3 as the number of coronavirus cases exceeded 12,000.

Neighbouring Bangladesh will double its allocation of ration cards to 10 million under a subsidised rice sales scheme to help the poor during its nationwide lockdown.

Domestic prices of rice have recently been driven to two-year highs as people resorted to panic buying.

Thailand's benchmark 5% broken rice prices fell to $530-$538 per tonne from last week's $555$580 - their highest since April 2013.

Traders said this week's rainfall in Bangkok and some rice-growing provinces lifted hopes that an ongoing drought, which started from November last year, may come to an end sooner than expected.

"When it rained this week, prices dropped slightly," a Bangkok-based trader said. "We have to see if the rainfall was only an irregularity, so prices could still swing back."

Expectations of a prolonged drought previously led to a forecast of lower Thai rice output this year, resulting in higher prices compared to competitors.

Vietnam's 5% broken rice prices were unavailable for the fourth week in a row even as the government partially lifted its ban on rice exports.

"Though the government has allowed the export of 400,000 tonnes of rice for this month, no new rice export contracts have been signed because the volume of the contracts signed before the ban is already higher than the quota," a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.

Story continues

The country last month banned signing new export contracts to ensure ample domestic supplies.

"Local rice exporters have been fighting to have a slice in the 400,000-tonne quota this month, but the way the customs authorities are handling customs formalities is messy and not transparent," another trader said.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
A man feeds cats while sitting near shops that are shuttered in a nearly empty street during a curfew to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, in Baghdad, Iraq. (Image: AP)
Black pastors call on Trump admin. to address impact of coronavirus on minority communities

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A group and black pastors and researchers called on the Trump administration Wednesday to address the disproportionate impact of the new coronavirus on minority communities.

We have gathered as pastors, as faith leaders around this country to simply state that last weeks headlines reminded all of us that racism is a public health issue. It has long been a matter of life and death. Sadly and immorally, we live in a country where skin color is hazardous to ones health and mortality is not determined by ones genetic code but instead by ones Zip Code, the Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, senior pastor of the 12,000-member Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, said during a press conference sponsored by Repairers of the Breach based in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference based in Chicago.

The headlines Haynes alluded to include ones such as recent report in The New York Times with preliminary data released by New York City which shows how the coronavirus is killing black and Latino people at twice the rate that it is killing white people. Nationwide data also reflect a similar trend.

As pastors who serve in communities that are most impacted by the coronavirus crisis we have come together to issue a moral appeal to the conscience of the nation in a state of emergency in the tradition of the biblical prophets who address nations in crises and prophets in this nation such as  Martin Luther King Jr and many others who fought to redeem the soul of America, Haynes said. We appeal to those in power on behalf of communities in pain and in grief. We appeal to you to channel treatment and resources to those areas in our body politic that have suffered the most from this national infection that has allowed this virus to spread disproportionately.

Other pastors who joined the conference were Repairers of the Breach President William J. Barber II, who also leads Greenleaf Christian Church; the Rev. Traci Blackmon, executive minister of justice and witness ministries of The United Church of Christ and senior pastor of Christ The King United Church of Christ in Florissant, Missouri; and the Rev. Dr. Leslie Callahan, the first female pastor of the 119-year-old St. Pauls Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

As of this moment black and brown people are being tested least but dying the most. We appeal to the federal and state leadership to prioritize healing humanity over restarting the economy. We appeal to this country to ensure that we create a vision of wellness and wholeness for our communities to repair centuries of the intentional infection of racism, Haynes added in his address during the conference. I conclude by remixing that drum major for justice, Martin Luther King Jr. In reminding us what the coronavirus crisis has shown us. Infection anywhere is a threat to health and wellness everywhere.

In his discussion of the issue, Barber highlighted a letter which he said was addressed to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Surgeon General Jerome Adams as well as the White House Coronavirus Task Force headed by Pence.

"So therefore we come today and say dear President Trump, Vice President Pence, Speaker Pelosi, Majority leader McConnell, Surgeon General Adams and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force," Barber said.

In the letter, pastors called on the Trump administration to immediately utilize the power of the Defense Production Act of 1950 to mobilize manufacturers to produce personal protective and lifesaving equipment such as face masks; work with local government officials to set up testing sites in minority communities hard hit by the coronavirus; urge 14 states yet to expand Medicaid to do so now; urge Congress to pass a fourth coronavirus rescue bill that focuses on the poor; and coordinate an effort to release demographic data on coronavirus victims.

We know from numerous studies including the Institute of Medicine that African Americans have less access to healthcare and often receive lower quality care than their white counterparts many times at the same hospital even before this coronavirus. We know that pandemics spread through the fissures of our society that are caused by the inequality. So the disease is not just biological but sociological. We need to address these inequalities now and not wait till some time in the future if were gonna deal with this pandemic, Barber said.

Southern states, with some of the highest black populations have refused to expand Medicaid that would have provided healthcare and they have done it with the permission and encouragement of the current Trump administration, he argued.

He also called out the surgeon general for telling minority communities not to smoke and drink during the outbreak since both weaken the body's immune system.

This is why two weeks ago when our Surgeon General Jerome Adams with the approval of Trump and Pence, gave a national briefing and he said in his comments that he had a special message for African Americans and Latino communities. He was calling them to step up and help stop the spread of the virus by avoiding alcohol, tobacco and drugs, Barber said.

He was so wrong to do that. While he went on to talk about possible social ills he never clarified that in his comments with the approval of Trump and Pence, he committed two glaring sins which too often occur in Americas commentary on black health and black death and are especially egregious when they are committed by black people in power, Barber continued.

The first is targeting black and brown communities to change their behavior in order not to die and then do not address how decades of structural racism, political exploitation and economic exclusion have compounded health and wealth disparities in black communities, he said.

The tendency has often been to trivialize those inequities as simply their fault, he added. We cannot be silent. We will mobilize our congregants. We will demand a moral response for no virus or physical distancing can separate us from our call to challenge nations to care for the least of these among us.

Chandra Ford, associate professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at UCLA who also leads the Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health and weighed in on the call, said that a failure to address the inequalities in society that affect the impact of the virus on minority communities will also affect the nation as a whole.

The disparities that are emerging reveals that the inequalities that already exist in our society and that we have chosen to leave unaddressed are exacerbating the spread of COVID-19 in black, indigenous and other people of color communities and the socioeconomically marginalized communities, she said.

As long as these underlying social inequalities affect pockets of our society, the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to be extended. It will remain an issue and it will make its eradication more difficult. And thats a problem not just for those in the marginalized communities but for all of us, she added.
Russias Cabinet submits bill on freeing payments to medics from personal income tax

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

16:44 16/04/2020

MOSCOW, April 16 (RAPSI)  Russias government has submitted to the State Duma a bill envisaging to amend the Tax Code so the payments to doctors and medical staff engaged in care of coronavirus-infected patients be not subjected to the personal income tax, according to Cabinet Chair Mikhail Mishustin.

Among the amendments the government presented to the lower house of Russias parliament was that freeing compensations paid to the doctors and medical staff, who combat the spread of the coronavirus disease, which had been developed according to the instructions given by the President, Mishustin said at a meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday.

Earlier, President Vladimir Putin instructed that in April through June doctors are eligible to monthly compensations at 80,000 rubles (about $1,000 at the current exchange rate); care staff is to receive 50,000 rubles ($680), whereas payments to junior medical personnel are to make 25,000 rubles ($350); emergency doctors are to be paid 50,000 rubles, medical assistants, nurses and ambulance drivers are to receive 25,000 rubles.

The government also submitted to the lawmakers amendments envisaging changes in the methods of calculation of the corporate income tax so to mitigate the tax burden on businesses, and those to the Budget Code allowing regions more room as to searching for resources available for the development of local economies and ensuring higher living standards, according to Mishustin.
By Shabina Akhtar, TwoCircles.net

Kolkata: This is the right time to show Hindu-Muslim brotherhood, says Kazi Abu Badsha.

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At a time when hate is being peddled via videos and social media to vilify the Muslim community in the wake of COVID19 pandemic, a Muslim man has chosen to rise to the occasion and reject the Hindu-Muslim divide in West Bengals Birbhum district.

Shyamashis Chatterjee, a resident of Birbhums Siuri city, was a kidney patient who died on April 9 after prolonged illness. Shyamashiss death left his brother Shibashis Chatterjee in a fix for being unable to have relatives come over to Siuri for his brothers funeral. Making matters worse was the fact that both the brothers were unmarried and were living by themselves.

I asked my Muslim neighbor if he and a few boys from his community could help me in performing the last rites of my brother. And they didnt let me down, recounted Shibashis Chatterjee. This Muslim neighbor he mentions is a 58-year-old businessman, Kazi Abu Badsha, to whom his brother had sold off half his property.

We stay in the same premise. How could I say no to Shibashis? said Kaz. Kazi opines that Irrespective of the religion we follow, we cant deny the fact that despite all the differences we are all humans. Hence, out of humanity, he said, he decided to help them perform the last rites of Shyamashis.

Elaborating the relationship they shared, Kazi narrated, Shyamashis, was younger to me. He had been unwell for long with some kidney-related problem and was undergoing a treatment when the doctors eventually gave up. He added that Shyamashis was then brought home and he breathed his last on April 9. It was then that Kazi, along with his son volunteered to help the family with the funeral.

However, it wasnt just the father-son duo who arranged and participated in the funeral but also several men from the Muslim community who helped in cremating Shyamashis.

An overwhelmed, Shibashis added, The time that we are living in, is not very good for the cultivation of humanity. Such acts, especially during this time are unprecedented. He expressed that he would always be grateful to Badsha and his son, who now regularly visit him to know about his well-being. He added, Muslims coming to my aid shows that humanity is not dead, resonating that it is people like Badsha that the world is still moving.

Amid the mainstream medias portrayal of Muslims as Super Spreaders and systemic demonization of the community, Badsha helping the Chatterjees is not a standalone example of Muslims helping Hindu families to cremate their loved ones. In the recent past, there has been news of Muslims helping families in Indore and Bandra to perform the last rites of their loved ones when their relatives couldnt make it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
[April 16, 2020] Avectas Completes Significant Series C Funding Bringing Total Invested Equity to Over $40 Million

Will Accelerate Clinical Translation and Commercial Scale-Up of Technology DUBLIN, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Avectas, an Irish based cell engineering technology business, has completed a significant new Series C equity funding of approximately $20 million, bringing the total equity invested in the business to date to $40 million. The funding was led by existing shareholders, including Seamus Mulligan, an experienced biopharmaceutical executive. The funds raised in this latest equity round will be used to accelerate the clinical translation and commercial scale-up of Avectas' proprietary cell engineering technology platform (Solupore). To support this next phase of its activities, Avectas will also expand its commercial, regulatory and technical organisation with new hires in Ireland and the U.S., as Covid-19 related conditions permit. "We are delighted to have completed our largest ever funding and are appreciative of our investors' continued support at a time when scientific advances are more critical than ever," said Michael Maguire, Ph.D., Avectas' Chief Executive Officer. He continued "Building on our recent collaborations, this Series C funding allows us to make further investments in our technology and organisation to address a significant market need n the rapidly growing gene and cell therapy market."



Cell and gene therapies offer the potential to transform the treatment of diseases, including cancer, for millions of patients worldwide. However, new cell engineering technologies are urgently needed to enable these cutting-edge therapies to achieve their potential. Avectas' patented Solupore technology addresses it's academic and commercial partners' need for an efficient, non-viral cell engineering solution. The technology achieves excellent engineering efficiencies for delivery of a broad range of payloads (including mRNA, DNA, proteins and gene editing tools) to primary T cells and NK cells for immuno-oncology and gene editing applications. Mary Martin, Ph.D., Avectas' Executive Chair commented "Ireland has a deep history in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector and I am excited to see it build on that legacy with companies like Avectas, which are at the cutting edge of the new cell and gene therapy sector."

This funding raise follows an excellent first quarter for Avectas. In March 2020, the company announced both the issuance of a U.S. Patent core to its cell engineering technology and a collaboration with Vycellix to advance next-generation solutions for the optimized manufacture of cell & gene therapies. The company also announced, in February, that it had entered an agreement with the centre for commercialization of regenerative medicine (CCRM) based in Toronto, Canada to accelerate the translation of Avectas' non-viral cell engineering platform (Solupore) into the clinic. In January 2020, the new competence center for next-generation NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy ("NextGen-NK") established at Karolinska Institutet ("KI"), Stockholm, Sweden welcomed Avectas as a collaborative partner. About Avectas Founded in 2012, Avectas is a cell engineering technology business developing a novel delivery platform to enable the ex-vivo manufacture of its partners' gene modified cell therapy products, which will retain high in-vivo functionality. Avectas employs 29 people including 19 with doctorate degrees in Ireland. The vision of Avectas is to be a leading non-viral cell engineering technology provider, integrated into manufacturing processes for multiple autologous and allogeneic therapies, commercialised through development and license agreements. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: www.avectas.com.

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CHARLOTTETOWN - Canada's smallest province finds itself in an enviable position during the COVID-19 pandemic, with just 26 people who have tested positive since the outbreak began, and 23 of them have recovered.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A sign indicates that provincial health department workers will stop traffic that has crossed the Confederation Bridge in Cape Jourimain, N.B. on Sunday, March 22, 2020. Canada's smallest province finds itself in an enviable position during the COVID-19 pandemic, with just 26 people who have tested positive since the outbreak began, and 23 of those have recovered.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

CHARLOTTETOWN - Canada's smallest province finds itself in an enviable position during the COVID-19 pandemic, with just 26 people who have tested positive since the outbreak began, and 23 of them have recovered.

Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief public health officer, said it's proof the decision to quickly implement rules for self-isolation and social distancing was the right one.

"I think the low numbers have reinforced and reassured people that we have been doing the right things up to now," Morrison said Thursday.

"I think we were relatively quick at closing our non-essential businesses, and we instituted screening and information about self-isolation at the (Confederation) bridge and at the (Charlottetown) airport. We have just those two points of entry which makes us quite unique," she.

The Island, with a population of about 157,000, also has a seasonal ferry service that runs between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., but that has not started yet.

In early April, the province stepped up its screening program at entry points with what it calls "Operation Isolation."

"Besides the screening at the bridge for health questions, name and contact number, we are asking about who is going to be helping to support you for your period of self-isolation and basically what that plan entails. We are now also calling everyone coming into the province for that 14 day period of isolation," Morrison said.

She said the calls ensure people have the necessary supports and reinforce the need to stay in self-isolation.

So far, every positive case has been the result of travellers who returned to P.E.I.  25 from international travel and one from an out-of-province trip. There have been no cases of community transmission.

So far 36 people have been turned away at the Confederation Bridge. That includes snowbird Barry Humberstone, who was declined entry Tuesday after driving from Florida.

The 60-year-old has owned a home in Northport, P.E.I., for less than a year, after moving there from Georgetown, Ont., but spent the last six months in Florida with his American girlfriend, Michelle Williamson.

Humberstone said he was denied entry to the Island because his driver's licence and car registration are still from Ontario  something he admits he should have changed sooner. As such, he wasn't able to prove his principle residence was in Prince Edward Island.

Humberstone then drove to Ontario in the hope of staying with family there, but was contacted by Island officials late Wednesday to explain what documents and arrangements were needed to enter P.E.I.

He slept in his car for another night and finally was able to get home Thursday afternoon.

Premier Dennis King said it's not in the nature of Islanders to want to turn away anyone wanting to visit.

"But for the short term, taking these measures now we feel will give us the best opportunity to keep Islanders safe and healthy and will position us to be in the best possible position for an economic turnaround sooner rather than later," King said Thursday.

P.E.I. Transportation Minister Steven Myers said while the rules are strict, they have been effective in controlling COVID-19 in his province.

"We are far from through this. We have a long way to go yet, like all other jurisdictions in Canada," Myers said.

The province took another step Thursday by declaring a state of emergency in addition to the earlier state of public health emergency. Public Safety Minister Bloyce Thompson said the new declaration  to take effect Friday  will allow more resources to be dedicated to address the pandemic and monitor border points.

"That's the bridge, the airport and the ferries. That is also any piece of shoreline  the beach, a wharf, a harbour and a port," Thompson said.

Morrison said she's proud of how Islanders have respected social distancing and found ways to support their friends, family and neighbours.

"There's been lots of support offered, whether it's picking things up for others or food. People like bringing food to each other here for any possible reason. That is part of the community culture that is here on Prince Edward Island," she said.

Morrison said the province has not had an actual peak in cases, and should be able to begin easing some restrictions in the coming weeks for activities within the province.

She said measures for self-isolation of people coming into the province will have to remain in place for some time to come.

 By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.
Amazon has become a lifeline for many during the coronavirus pandemic. Stuck at home, people have turned to the tech giant to get them through the crisis. Groceries, a new pajama set, another quarantine puzzleall are only a few clicks away. Amazon has had to hire more than 100,000 new employees in the past few weeks to keep up. But the workers who pack, distribute, and ship these goods are bearing the brunt of our impulse buys on a daily basis, and often in unsafe warehouses. Without external regulations, individuals are left weighing which goods they can ethically order from Amazon in the middle of a pandemic.

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Except for the French, that is. On Tuesday, France started to restrict Amazons business amid COVID-19 shutdowns. The Nanterre Court of Justice ruled that Amazon can receive, prepare, and deliver only essential goods: food, medicine, and hygiene products. The court gave Amazon 24 hours to comply or face a fine of 1 million euros per day and per violation. The court has also required Amazon to assess occupational risks inherent in the COVID-19 epidemic at its six warehouses in the country, according to the ruling seen by CNN. The ruling came after Union syndicale Solidaires, a French workers union, filed a complaint last week that accused Amazon of endangering workers lives.

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Amazon plans to appeal the decision, but for now the company has decided to close its warehouses in France, which employ about 10,000 people, from Thursday through at least next Monday. Amazon will use the temporary closures to assess the risks of COVID-19 in its facilities, Reuters reported, in the hopes of returning to business as usual. Were puzzled by the court ruling given the hard evidence brought forward regarding security measures put in place to protect our employees, the company said in a statement. An Amazon spokesperson also told CNN that the company has deployed an additional 127,000 packs of wipes, more than 27,000 litres of hand sanitizing gel, as well as over 1.5 million masks to our sites in France. The spokesperson also noted additional temperature checks, social distancing measures, and janitorial teams. But on March 21, Mediapart released audio recordings of top Amazon executives in France saying the company hasnt taken necessary precautions to protect its employees.

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Since the start of the pandemic, Amazons operations have sparked concern and protests worldwide. Amazon warehouse workers have staged strikes in Italy and Spain. And the recent walkouts in Chicago, Michigan, and Staten Island, New York, have garnered significant attention in the U.S. Meanwhile, workers in at least 74 warehouses and delivery facilities across the U.S. have contracted COVID-19, according to the Washington Post, and one has died. As its workers call for safer conditions, Amazon has fired at least four employees who have publicly condemned the companys treatment of warehouse workers. An Amazon spokeswoman told the Guardian that two of the employees were fired for repeatedly violating internal policies. The other two, the company says, violat[ed] social distancing guidelines.

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Yet while protests may hurt the companys public image, and one countrys restrictions will temporarily affect revenue, Amazon still stands to benefit from peoples habits during the pandemic. On Tuesday, Amazon stock hit a new record high of $2,283 per share. Not only is COVID-19 causing people to use Amazon more than ever, but its alsoperhaps permanentlychanging the way we buy goods, including groceries. When this is over, I think this could be the biggest boon ever to Amazon, David Kahan, the U.S. CEO of Birkenstock, told Recode. For now, Amazon is hiring 75,000 more employees (in addition to the 100,000 its already brought on) to meet surging customer demand. Ethical quandaries aside, as long as people have access to Amazon throughout the pandemic, theyll keep buyingand not just the essentials.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
World Health Organisation Not Immune From Criticism: Australian PM

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia will continue to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) but he said theyre not immune from criticism and should do things better.

Morrisons April 15 comments on 6PR radio came as U.S. President Donald Trump placed a hold Americas financial support for the health authority pending an investigation into their mismanagement, cover-ups, and failures during the CCP virus outbreak.

The White House said WHO repeatedly parroted the Chinese regimes claims that the coronavirus was not spreading between humans, despite warnings by doctors and health officials that it was.

Morrison likewise, said in the interview that had Australia relied on WHO advice back in January, Then I suspect we would have been suffering the same fate that many other countries currently are.

He went on to point out that Australia called the pandemic weeks before the WHO did.

At the time, on Jan. 14, the WHO advised countries that there was no human-to-human transmission of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

However, we now know that this was wrong and that by at least mid-December, the CCP was aware that human-to-human transmission was occurring in mainland China, making the virus ripe for spreading. Yet the CCP did not admit this until Jan. 20, after over 5 million people had left Wuhan.

Not waiting for the WHOs advice, Australia closed its borders to China, Iran, and Italy. Australia has a much smaller number of cases compared to other countries, with 6,458 confirmed cases (as of April 16).

Australian Partnerships With WHO

Australia works closely with the WHO on important projects in the pacific region, Morrison told 6PR, and because of that, he did not want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Australia and the WHO currently have their first joint project which will run until 2022. The core focus of this cooperation for the WHO to support Australias efforts to improve the health of everyone in Australia and in the Western Pacific region, which includes a number of Pacific islands.

Its written into their cooperation strategy that Austalia will help the organisation become more transparent and accountable.

WHO also has collaborative operations with 46 Australian centers in a variety of institutions including state governments and universities.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg the same day saying that Australia doesnt always agree with the WHO and we will make those views known so that the World Health Organisation can do a better job.

Transparency Issues at WHO

About half of the World Health Organisations budget comes from member countries. The United States has been its largest financial supporter, contributing between $400-$500 million (AU$636-$795 million) annually (pdf), representing about 15 percent of the organisations total budget.

Trumps decision to halt funding pending a review, was because the WHO had failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable, he told a press conference. That review would likely to take 60-90 days, he said.

Transparency isnt a new issue for the WHO. A 2018 report in the journal Globalisation and Health, noted that the WHO had significant issues with transparency and accountability regarding its finances. The report raised concerns about whether the organisation could provide unbiased decision making.

Australia gave the WHO over $70 million (US$44 million) (pdf) to the WHO in 2018. So far in 2020, Australia has contributed about AU$8.3 million (pdf).

Liberal Party backbencher David Sharma said on Twitter that funding should be contingent on reforms.

Australias continued funding of the @WHO should be contingent on necessary reforms  we must take a forensic look at not only the causes of this crisis but the performance of key institutions throughout it @SkyNewsAust #coronavirusaus https://t.co/GpmPCUJROU  Dave Sharma (@DaveSharma) April 15, 2020
CLEVELAND, Ohio  As part of a clinical trial of a mouthspray that could prevent the transmission of coronavirus, healthcare workers at University Hospitals will be tested for antibodies that indicate immunity to the virus.

University Hospitals doctors previously studied the drug, ARMS-I, in 2015 and found that it was safe and reduced upper respiratory infections. The drug, manufactured by Cleveland-based Arms Pharmaceutical also cut the time people were sick with these bugs.

The drug contains an antiseptic found in some mouthwashes that coats the mouth and spreads into nasal cavity. In lab tests, its shown to be effective against viruses like influenza, other seasonal respiratory viruses, and even HIV. A 2019 study in China showed that this antiseptic was effective against deadly coronaviruses like SARS and MERS.

The clinical trial could not only provide insight into whether ARMS-I prevents the spread of coronavirus through the air, as well as how the virus has spread among healthcare workers in Northeast Ohio. It will also examine whether ARMS-I could reduce the virus symptoms. The Cleveland Foundation gave $1 million to support the study  the first time its thrown its weight behind a clinical trial since studies of the polio vaccine.

If the ARMS-I is proven effective, the study may expand to see how helpful the drug is in populations especially vulnerable to the coronavirus, like the elderly, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women.

This may bring us something that truly is preventative, said Dr. Robert Salata, chairman of the Department of Medicine at UH Cleveland Medical Center, whos conducting the study.

The antibody testing that is part of the trial will be informative from a public health standpoint because it will expand information about coronavirus reach in Northeast Ohio health care workers.

Doctors will study the drug initially include up to 2,000 UH health care workers, before expanding the study to hospitals like MetroHealth. The initial trial will last six weeks, with a group receiving a placebo and a group receiving ARMS-I. Theyll spray the placebo or drug in their mouth three times a day and keep a diary. If they come down with a respiratory infection, theyll be evaluated and tested for COVID-19.

After six weeks everyone will get ARMS-I.

Any UH health care worker who has been within six feet of any patient for more than five minutes is eligible to ask to be part of the study. They will all be tested for coronavirus antibodies beforehand to see if they have some kind of immunity. These tests are rapid, and results could come as quickly as 15 minutes.

If they do have antibodies, theyll be excluded from the study, because doctors think that they have immunity. But theyll still be able to get the drug if they want it.

People in the study, who did not initially have COVID-19 antibodies, will be tested throughout for signs of that immunity.

UH is separately ramping up efforts to test its healthcare workers for coronavirus immunity. But those interested in this study could volunteer for antibody testing in the next two weeks.

While much of the focus on protecting health care workers has centered around protective gear, ARMS-I, if proven, could prevent the spread of coronavirus among healthcare workers and beyond.
Harris County has expanded its partnership with the Houston Food Bank by committing $800,000 to help the nonprofit through the novel coronavirus pandemic, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said Thursday.

The new contribution will allow the food bank to purchase 200,000 pounds of food per week and hire 80 additional employees for four weeks. In total, the county is helping purchase 640,000 pounds per week and employ 180 workers, many of whom were laid off from the restaurant and hospitality industry as a result of Harris Countys stay-at-home order.

Hopefully, this isnt going to go on for too long, but we do see we have quite a few weeks ahead of us, Houston Food Bank CEO Brian Greene said at a news conference thanking Harris County.

Ellis said he wanted to provide employment opportunities for wage laborers, such as in the service industry, who are unable to work from home. He said helping the food bank offer temporary jobs was a logical solution because the nonprofit has far fewer volunteers because of the coronavirus.

Weve got a lot of restaurant workers who need something to do, Ellis said. The food bank on a good day  yall would have 500 to 1,000 volunteers show up. With this pandemic, sometimes it went down to 50.

In addition to the contributions, the Houston Food Bank is one of the approved charities where county employees can work if they are unable to perform their regular jobs because of the pandemic. Commissioners Court in March began allowing county workers to continue to collect their salaries by volunteering at certain nonprofits.

The $800,000 for the food bank will come from the countys general fund. Commissioners Court also recently pulled $10 million from the countys emergency fund for a small-business loan program proposed by Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia.

The county suspended applications after less than two days after receiving 7,135 applications for more than $152 million.

zach.despart@chron.com
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam Airlines will operate two flights a day on the route, while maintaining one flight daily on the routes between Da Nang and Hanoi/HCM City.

Jetstar Pacific will also increase the frequency of its flights between the two biggest cities to one daily instead of four a week. The flights will be conducted in the form of code sharing with Vietnam Airlines.

Meanwhile, Vietjet Air plans to operate two daily flights between Hanoi and HCM City, one flight daily between Hanoi/HCM City and Da Nang.

The airlines pledge to strictly adhere to hygienic and disinfection regulations for the flights, including health checks and health declaration of passengers, leaving space between seats according to requirements, and spraying disinfectants after each flight and at the end of the day.

Passengers will also be required to wear face masks throughout the duration of the flight.

For more information on flight schedules, passengers are advised to access the official websites or Facebook sites of airlines, or ticket agents.
Duo Overcomes Borders and Barriers to Fight Diseases Together

Dr. Madsen Beau de Rochars of Haiti, left, and Dr. Manuel Gonzales of the Dominican Republic work closely together toward the elimination of malaria and lymphatic filariasis across difficult geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic lines. (Photo: The Carter Center/ G. Noland)

In 2006, the International Task Force for Disease Eradication urged that action be taken to eliminate the mosquito-borne diseases lymphatic filariasis (LF) and malaria from Hispaniola, the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Despite a turbulent history of economic disparity, tensions, and bloodshed, both nations eagerly agreed to binational cooperation, and The Carter Center launched the Hispaniola Initiative to assist them. Hispaniola is the only Caribbean island that still harbors malaria, which kills an estimated 405,000 people each year worldwide. Hispaniola also accounts for 95% of the LF burden in the Americas. LF, or elephantiasis, is a leading cause of preventable disability globally, wreaking devastating economic, emotional, and physical damage. It can cause limbs, particularly legs, and mens scrotums to swell to enormous proportions. The limb swelling is irreversible; the scrotal swelling, called hydrocele, is treatable with surgery, but surgery is not available to most sufferers. For nearly 20 years, Dr. Manuel Gonzales of the Dominican Republic and Dr. Madsen Beau de Rochars of Haiti have collaborated to fight these diseases across difficult geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic lines. Countless times, they have exchanged data, coordinated treatments, and put their heads together to solve challenges to ensure success on both sides of the border.

Dr. Madsen Beau De Rochars leans down to inspect records at a mass drug administration (MDA) post at a busy crossroads in Tabarre, Haiti. (Photo: The Carter Center/ H. Emanuel)

Based in the southern Haitian city of Leogane, Beau de Rochars helped launch Haitis LF elimination program in 2000 by conducting nationwide mapping surveys and launching mass drug administration in affected areas. At that time, LF was endemic to all of Haitis 140 districts. Today, 4.2 million Haitians no longer require treatment and transmission is limited to 22 districts. "I think we can make it" to elimination, said Beau de Rochars, who maintains an advisory role with the Haiti Ministry of Healths LF program through a Carter Center consultancy. "Ive been in it from the very beginning," he said, "when eliminating lymphatic filariasis was just a dream. And now you see that its real. I could not be more excited. Im very motivated to see this program succeed." The program relies on trusted, Carter Center-trained community members to deliver accurate health information and donated medicines to their neighbors. Beau de Rochars believes success against lymphatic filariasis, a neglected disease of neglected people, is breeding success against malaria. The energy and motivation invested in reducing LF are being applied to malaria as well, yielding promising progress against both. "There are lessons we learned from LF that we are applying to malaria," Beau de Rochars said.

Dr. Manuel Gonzales discusses health care with Andrean Bon, 69, a native of Haiti who has lived in the Dominican Republic for 35 years. Bon, who cuts sugar cane for a living, has endured years with an enlarged groin, a debilitating and painful condition caused by lymphatic filariasis. (Photo: The Carter Center)
Chennai, April 16 : It was a short-lived enjoyment for a 29-year-old man and his friend after they cooked and consumed what they called the "Corona Virundhu" ('Corona Feast') in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, police said on Thursday.

"On Wednesday, a couple of people assembled on the outskirts of Kabisthalam, cooked and ate food, sitting in close quarters when the Covid-19 lockdown was in force," a police official told IANS.

He said the matter came to light as the event was uploaded on Facebook and a police complaint was lodged by the Village Administrative Officer.

Police said the 29-year-old Sivaguru, who was earlier working in Tiruppur and had come to the district two months back, was arrested in this connection.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order, a response to the COVID-19 crisis, is a draconian measure that violates Michigan residents constitutional rights, a lawsuit said.

The lawsuit challenged provisions of the executive order that banned travel between primary and vacations homes and gatherings of non-household members.

It also attacked the closings of businesses, including landscaping and gun shops, while marijuana stores, with curbside service and delivery, remain open.

One of the plaintiffs, who has a landscaping business and a cottage, complained that he cant even use his time off to take his son fishing on Lake Charlevoix because motorboats have been banned under the order.

Thousands converged on Lansing Wednesday, April 15, for Operation Gridlock, a protest of an executive order they consider too restrictive.

Executive Order 2020-42 put in place draconian measures that arbitrarily and unreasonably impose restrictions and thus criminal sanctions on Plaintiffs fundamental rights and liberty, attorneys Robert Muise and David Yerushalmi wrote in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.

A similar federal lawsuit has been filed in Detroit.

The governors office declined to comment on pending litigation.

Whitmer has said that social distancing and adherence to her executive order appear to be working. The state, particularly the east side, has been hard hit by COVID-19.

There have been 2,093 deaths and 28,059 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan, according to information released by the state Thursday afternoon.

This is the most important tool we have ... to save lives," Whitmer said of people staying home.

If everyone keeps doing their part ... were going to get through this (and rebuild) our economy.  Come April 30, we can start thinking about ... getting back to living life the way we are accustomed to, Whitmer said.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit think that the executive order could be extended.

The plaintiffs are Kimberly Beemer, a Saginaw attorney, Paul Cavanaugh, who has a Livingston County landscaping business, and Muise, an Ann Arbor attorney and one of the American Freedom Center lawyers who filed the complaint.

They named Whitmer, along with county prosecutors in Charlevoix, Livingston and Washtenaw counties, as defendants.

Both Beemer and Cavanaugh have cottages in Charlevoix they now cannot use because of travel provisions in the executive order, they said. There is little chance they would spread the coronavirus to Northern Michigan, the lawsuit said.

In fact, (Beemer) and members of her household are more isolated at the cottage than when they are at their home in Saginaw, it said.

Cavanaugh said he has been hurt financially with his landscaping business closed. With an early spring, he missed out on $25,000 in spring cleanups, $12,000 in fertilizing, $30,000 mowing and $35,000 installing landscape, the lawsuit said.

Muise, the attorney, was in the U.S. Marine Corps 13 years and is a staunch defender of the Second Amendment.

Those rights are violated by closing of gun stores, he said.

Due to the panic caused by the pandemic and the unemployment, loss of income, poverty, and uncertainty caused by Defendant Whitmers executive orders, owning and possessing firearms is critically important at this time, the lawsuit said.

Read more:

Whitmer sees reasons to believe stay-at-home is working against coronavirus

Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan capitol

Grand Rapids hopes new budget will avoid layoffs amid projected shortfall from coronavirus
New Delhi, April 16 : Noodles have always been in demand due to their easy-to-cook feature and the nationwide lockdown has only spiked their offtake, with reports of stocks going nil in some areas.

Wholesalers in the national capital have said that the stocks of Maggi have depleted and the demand for the product remains high.

"The demand for noodles is very high. The stock of Maggi is very low, and Yippee! is available as of now," said Ayush, who runs Triveni Trading Company, a wholesaler in New Delhi.

Jitendar of Vardhaman Trading, in Delhi told IANS that the issue regarding Maggi is that distributors are quoting very high prices then the general rate. He said that stock is available with the distributors, but they are quoting high rates, at which retailers do not want to buy them.

"Distributors are getting products, but several distributors are quoting such prices that retailers do not want to buy it. The MRP of a Maggi packet is Rs 12 and the distributor seeks Rs 11.90, why would the retailer by for a margin of just 10 paise," he said.

Last month, Nestle, the producer of Maggi, had said that as the company is in the manufacture and sale of food and beverage products, the company is in discussion with the authorities to continue operations in the factories and distribution centres where the operations have been suspended.

"The company is closely monitoring the situation and will take all necessary measures as directed by the Central and state government and authorities, from time to time. The impact on the operations of the Company cannot be assessed at this point," it had said.

Further announcing Covid-19 related initiatives, Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India had said in early April: "This dedication to a national cause goes from our supply chain, to our factories, our people, our distribution partners, who work round the clock to ensure that we continue to meet the nutritional needs of families. We heed to a call of duty to ensure that much-needed food." FMCG major ITC, which produces Yippee!, has ramped up production despite challenges of labour shortage and transportation issues.

The demand for Yippee! too has risen during the lockdown period, according to wholesalers and retailers Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive, Foods Division, ITC Ltd told IANS: "With people being confined to their homes during such an unprecedented situation, there is a surge in demand for Yippee! noodles. Yippee! is a preferred snack option amongst consumers given that it is both tasty and filling as well as nutritious as it contains vegetables.

"To address this requirement, we are making tireless efforts to ensure availability of Yippee! in the markets across the country. With the help of state authorities, we have ramped up production of Yippee! noodles despite the challenges of labour shortage and limitations of transport availability." With the lockdown being extended till May 3, the demand for easy to cook products such as noodles would obviously rise, but sector players say with the restrictions being lifted partially on some sectors including manufacturing facilities of essential goods, the stock availability should ease.

(Rituraj Baruah can be contacted at rituraj.b@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19, joining global efforts to find a quick preventive for the deadly infection spreading rapidly across the world, says a top Indian scientist.

Nearly 70 vaccine candidates' are being tested and at least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage, but a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be ready for mass use before 2021.

As COVID-19 infects more than 1.9 million in the world and claims 1,26,000 lives, Indian scientists are also part of the global fight against the disease.

While Zydus Cadila is working on two vaccines, Serum Institute, Biological E, Bharat Biotech, Indian Immunologicals, and Mynvax are developing one vaccine each, Gagandeep Kang, executive director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, told PTI.

Kang is also vice chair of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which noted in a recent study that the global vaccine R&D effort in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in terms of scale and speed.

But it is a complicated process with many stages of testing and many challenges, explained experts. A vaccine for the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, may not take 10 years that other vaccines do but it could be at least a year before it is proven safe, effective, and made widely available, they said.

Vaccine development is a lengthy process which often takes years, with many challenges, said E. Sreekumar, chief scientific officer at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Kerala.

Generally, vaccines take several months to pass the different stages of testing, and then approvals also take time. For COVID-19, we don't expect a vaccine to come in this year, agreed Rakesh Mishra, director of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad.

Vaccine testing typically begins with animal and lab testing before going on to different stages of human testing.

The human testing phase is composed of many phases, Sreekumar told PTI.

Phase one trials are small-scale, usually involving few participants, to assess whether the vaccine is safe for humans. Phase two trials often involve several hundred subjects, and mainly evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine against the disease, he said.

The final phase involves thousands of people to further assess the efficacy of the vaccine over a defined period of time, and can last several months, Sreekumar said.

That is why we don't see a vaccine coming in at least a year from now.

Even after the vaccine is ready, he explained, there are a lot of challenges, including whether the vaccine is effective in all populations, and if it can be used for different strains of the novel coronavirus, which might start mutating as time passes.

There are lots of vaccines which are being tested for COVID-19, some of which are in the stage 1 clinical trial, Mishra added.

But we still don't know how fast they will proceed towards a vaccine and they can take several months to reach any point, he said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three vaccine candidates are in the clinical testing phase, meaning they are able to be tested on humans, while nearly 70 are in the preclinical phase -- either in lab testing, or animal studies.

Though Kang named six companies, the WHO has listed only Zydus Cadila and Serum Institute from India as among the global firms working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

As of April 8, 2020, said CEPI, the global COVID-19 vaccine R&D landscape includes 115 vaccine candidates, of which 78 are confirmed as active and 37 are unconfirmed.

Of the 78 confirmed active projects, 73 are currently at exploratory or preclinical stages, noted the CEPI team in an analysis published in the journal Nature reviews drug Discovery last week.

The most advanced candidates have recently moved into clinical development, including mRNA-1273 from US-based biotechnology company Moderna, Ad5-nCoV from Chinese biopharma company CanSino Biologicals, and INO-4800 from American pharmaceuticals company Inovio.

Others in this list include LV-SMENP-DC and pathogen-specific aAPC from Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute in China.

Numerous other vaccine developers have indicated plans to initiate human testing in 2020, the CEPI scientists said.

Experts believe the genome sequencing of the new coronavirus provided by scientists in China shows it shares 79 per cent of the same genetic material as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and 50 per cent of the same material as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a species of coronavirus which infects humans, bats, and camels.

This allows developers to use groundwork already created in research for vaccines for those viruses.

Australia's national science agency CSIRO announced earlier this month that it has begun preclinical tests of a vaccine developed by Oxford University in the UK.

A striking feature of the vaccine development landscape for COVID-19 is the range of technology platforms being evaluated, including nucleic acid (DNA and RNA), virus-like particle, live weakened virus, and inactivated virus approaches.

The CEPI noted that many of these platforms are not currently the basis for licensed vaccines, but experience in fields such as oncology is encouraging developers to exploit the opportunities that next-generation approaches offer for increased speed of development and manufacture.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man has been arrested after a police chase in the Moreton Bay region, and charged in relation to a shot being fired into a moving ute from an allegedly stolen car being driven alongside in Brisbane.

The alleged drive-by shooting occurred about 1pm on Wednesday in the southbound lanes on Gympie Arterial Road in Bald Hills, in Brisbane's northern outskirts.

Police said a silver Audi with four people inside was seen driving dangerously near the Pine River Bridge in Bald Hills, before pulling up beside a white Holden Colorado ute.

A short time later, the ute driver told police, he saw a gun being pointed out of the Audi's window.
Port Louis [Mauritius], April 16 (ANI): Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday for donating medical supplies to the country, which were delivered by a special Air India flight on Wednesday.



"I am very thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the generous donation of medical supplies from the Government of India which reached Mauritius yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, by a special flight of Air India," he said in a tweet.

"This high mark of goodwill underscores, once again, the close bonds between Mauritius and India" he added.

India on Wednesday delivered half a million tablets of hydroxychloroquine to Mauritius as per their request.

The Indian High Commission in Mauritius had said on Wednesday that Indian government provided to Government of Mauritius half a million tablets of hydroxychloroquine as a mark of our longstanding special friendship.

"The shipment was made possible as a special gesture although a restriction on its export from India continues to be in force in view of the unprecedented prevailing difficult situation because of COVID-19 global pandemic. Mauritius is one of the first countries to receive supplies of this medicine after a special exemption was granted for a few countries. This demonstrates the unique ties between our two countries," the High Commission said in a statement.

The consignment of essential medicines will be followed by a second consignment in the coming weeks.

Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius Leela Devi Luchoomun Dookun received the consignment that arrived through a special Air India cargo flight from Delhi. (ANI)
The UN special envoy for Yemen said Thursday that "very good progress" was being made towards a ceasefire in the country, although military activities regrettably "continue on a number of fronts" during the coronavirus pandemic. Envoy Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council via videoconference that work was underway in "reaching consensus" over ceasefire and political dialogue proposals submitted Friday. "We are redoubling our efforts to bridge the outstanding differences between the parties," he said. But Griffiths added that he feared fighting would continue on the ground until agreement was reached on the proposals. The city of Marib, east of the capital of Sanaa, he said "remains the center of gravity of this war." Meanwhile a ceasefire implemented in early 2019 for the western Hodeida region is violated "on a daily basis," he added. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed over the past five years in the war between a Saudi-led military coalition and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who control large parts of Yemen including Sanaa. Mark Lowcock, UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs, warned that "more than one million people could suddenly be on the move," if conflict expands in Marib. "In the first quarter of this year, civilian casualties have risen every month, with more than 500 people killed or injured," he said. "One in every three civilian casualties has been a child." Both Griffiths and Lowcock told the Security Council that "Yemen cannot face two fronts at the same time: a war and a pandemic." The UN helps "more than 13 million people across the country" every month, including nearly 12 million with food assistance, according to Lowcock. UN agencies "estimate they need more than $900 million to carry them through July," he told the Security Council. Of the UN's 41 major programs, 31 would start closing in the coming weeks if additional funds aren't secured, he said. Yemeni pro-government fighters gather at a petrol station on April 10 in the coastal town of Shihr, in the southern Hadramawt province where the country's first case of coronavirus was reported
Natural wine, on the other hand, promoted a diversity of styles. It resurrected and celebrated indigenous grapes and local traditions that had been forgotten or dismissed by wine authorities. It sought to knock wine off its pedestal with irreverence, presenting it as a delicious, fun drink that nonetheless packed emotional and cultural power.

Most of all, it reconnected wine to classic farming as it had been practiced for centuries before the rise of industry and technology. Wine as a product of the earth resonated with young people concerned with the environment, with health and with wellness in its full, and now fashionable, sense.

Ive seen the audience for natural wines evolve from the nerdy inhabitants of a small, secret parallel universe to a curious, eager, ever-growing crowd. In the last few years, natural wine has been anointed the next big thing, the new it wine and all the other tiresome labels issued by professional trend spotters.

In this time, natural wines have stepped out of the underground into the sunshine. Natural wine bars are common in almost every big city, while even some high-end restaurants have devoted entire lists to natural wines.

This new popularity has forced the sort of reckoning that natural wine producers have for so long successfully avoided  namely, what exactly is natural wine and who is permitted to use the term?

In the past, it was the wine mainstream demanding a definition for natural wine, an entreaty that most producers blithely ignored. Definitions smacked of authority, orthodoxy and bureaucracy, exactly the binding forces that many natural wine producers have long viewed as inhibiting their freedom.

I always saw this refusal to be pinned down as a strength. Allowing natural wine to be strictly defined would set it up to be co-opted, the way many organic food companies are now largely profit-making subdivisions of Big Ag.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren



Singh on Thursday said financial assistance has been provided to 3,771 people of the state who are stranded across the country due to the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19.

He said the state government was also taking care of those staying in old age homes.

Speaking to reporters while visiting an Old Age Home at Kongba in Imphal East district, the chief minister said: "till now, Rs 2000 has been provided to 3,771 stranded people outside the state through DBT."



The remaining stranded people who have registered at the website Tengbang.in launched on March 29 to provide assistance to those Manipuris stranded will also be given financial help in the coming few days.

The chief minister said that discussion are on to provide monetary assistance of Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 for those stranded who had gone for medical treatment in Chandigarh, Delhi.

He said relaxation of lockdown in certain sectors will be given from April 20.

"We have to be careful as one affected individual has the potential to spread the virus to hundred more," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Friday, April 17

(Mason City)  Friday, April 17th, 2020

Data Snapshot

2,332 total lab confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iowa (04/16/2020).

14 total lab confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cerro Gordo (04/15/2020).



Age Ranges of Lab Confirmed Cases: (18-40) = 2 cases (41-60) = 6 cases (61-80) = 6 cases

64 deaths in Iowa

0 deaths in Cerro Gordo

1,003 COVID-19 tests administered at the mobile testing unit (04/15/2020).

A status report of monitoring and testing of COVID-19 in Iowa provided by IDPH can be found at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/#CurrentStatus. For Cerro Gordo County data, visit https://cghealth.com/?page_id=3754.

MercyOne North Iowa Encourages Public to Seek Medical Care

MercyOne is asking north Iowans to continue to seek care for medical conditions. Concern has grown among MercyOne medical providers that it appears patients are delaying essential care for heart attack or stroke symptoms. Do not ignore symptoms. Heart attacks and strokes do not stop during a pandemic. Please always call 911 if you think you are having a heart attack or stroke. There are safety measures in place to protect patients and prevent the spread of infection while receiving care. If you have non-emergent concerns about your health, contact your provider for an appointment or virtual visit. For more information, visit https://www.mercyone.org/find-a-service-or-specialty/virtual-visits/.

All Iowa Schools Remain Closed for the 2019-2020 School Year

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today that Iowa schools will not re-open for this rest of the school year. The Director of Iowa Department of Education, Dr. Ann Lebo, explained how difficult this decision was, but stressed how necessary it is to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Spring sports have been cancelled, and more information on summer sports will be provided by June 1st. School districts are required to offer continuous learning opportunities for their students till the end of the school year. Currently, all Cerro Gordo County school districts have continuous learning opportunities online or in packet form for their students. Superintendent of Mason City Community School District, Dave Versteeg, will be attending the COVID-19 Weekly Press Conference this Wednesday, April 22nd at 3:30 on CG Public Healths Facebook to provide an update for Mason City Community School District.

Get Outside and Explore New Trails This Weekend

As we stated earlier this week, getting outside safely can be beneficial to us for our overall health. We encourage you or your family to explore trails in Cerro Gordo County that may not be as busy as the popular trails. Remember to avoid others by staying at least 6 feet away, pick up your garbage, avoid non-sanitized objects like picnic tables and park benches, and plan ahead since amenities are closed. For a map and list of trails, please visit https://www.cgcounty.org/i-want-to-/test-page-with-banner/advanced-components/list-detail-pages/parks-recreational-areas. For Mason City specific parks and trails, visit https://city-of-mason-city-gis-department-masoncityiowa.hub.arcgis.com and https://www.masoncity.net/pview.aspx?id=48688&catid=481.

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An inmate at Lancaster County Prison came to the jail with COVID-19 symptoms recently and has tested positive for the virus, according to county officials.

County Clerk Lawrence George said the individual had been experiencing COVID symptoms before coming to the jail and was tested at a local healthcare facility. The person, who was not identified by officials, arrived at the prison wearing a mask and was put on pandemic precautions, which included being housed alone and restricted from contact with other inmates.

The inmate has worn a mask and gloves whenever out of their cell, and all prison staff in close proximity has worn Personal Protective Equipment, Geroge said.

A second prison employee received a confirmed positive test for COVID-19 as well on Wednesday, according to George.

The employee was placed on administrative leave and asked to self-quarantine. The prison also conducted an assessment of who the employee may have been in contact with during the course of their job, according to the statement. Any staff member who had been in very close proximity to the employee was also placed on leave.

The prison also had a specialized sanitization of the unit where the positive employee worked by an industrial cleaning company, officials said.

Read: Dozens of inmates released early from Lancaster County Prison, DA says

In all, four county employees have tested positive for COVID-19, including the two at the jail. One employee with the District Attorneys Office and one with the Behavioral Health and Development Services are the remaining two positive tests.

Lancaster County is reminding all employees to practice self-distancing, wear a mask when around others and call off work and get medical advice if exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

On Tuesday, the Lancaster District Attorneys Office reported that dozens of inmates were being released from the jail early, in order to lessen numbers and slow the spread of COVID-19 within the facility.

As of Wednesday, Lancaster County is reporting 914 confirmed cases with 69 deaths. The state Department of Health is only reporting 29 deaths in the county, as reflected in the map below.

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A member of Clare Civil Defence searches for the weapon believed to have been used in the fatal stabbing of Eoin Boylan. Photo: Press 22

Probe: Members of the Clare Garda divisional search team and dog unit conducting a search along the River Fergus. Photo: Press 22

A man who died in a brutal stabbing was attacked in front of his partner and her three children, it has emerged.

Eoin Boylan, of Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh Estate, Ennis, Co Clare, was rushed to hospital by paramedics but died en route.

The 32-year-old was a mature student in Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) and yesterday neighbours and friends recalled him as kind, gentle and unassuming.

It's understood the fitness enthusiast was at home in the house he shared with his partner when the suspect gained access to the property shortly before 3pm on Tuesday.

A source said one theory is a struggle ensued as Mr Boylan tried to protect his partner from the suspect, who is known to her.

A short time after the incident, a man in his late 30s was arrested by gardai.

A neighbour provided medical assistance to Mr Boylan at the scene before paramedics arrived.

It is understood Mr Boylan had only moved to the area within the last two months.

Neighbours yesterday recalled him as "pleasant and friendly".

One woman who witnessed the aftermath of the horrific incident said the community was stunned by the tragedy.

"I saw the ambulance arriving, and I immediately thought it must be someone sick with the coronavirus. I didn't hear any commotion before that," she said.

"They brought him out a couple of minutes later on what looked like a wheelchair.

"His poor girlfriend and the kids were all outside looking into the ambulance, and then all the police started arriving.

"I didn't realise what happened until another neighbour said it.

"The ambulance was parked outside for a good while, and I just kept praying for him.

"I saw one of the children on the footpath, and I was about to bring him inside here when a guard came and brought him into another house.

"I can't believe what's happened," she added.

"I only knew him to see, but he had a nice way about him.

"He was friendly and pleasant. I know his girlfriend well, and I was so happy she met someone nice.

"For this to happen is a nightmare for her. God rest him."

A post-mortem on the remains of Mr Boylan has been completed, but the results are not being released for operational reasons.

A divisional search team found a knife in bushes within a kilometre of the scene, but it is not known if it is the weapon used in the offence.

Gardai, including members of the sub-aqua unit and the dog unit, are assisting local gardai with the search.

A suspect in the killing was arrested a short time after the attack and was being questioned at Ennis Garda Station last night.

The arrested man was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and has since been charged.

He is due to appear before Ennis District Court this morning.

Mr Boylan's sister Aoife paid tribute to gardai and the paramedics who battled to save her brother.

In a Facebook post, Aoife Boylan wrote: "I want to say a huge thank you to the gardai of Ennis and the paramedics who assisted my brother and helped my family in our time of distress and need, we will be forever grateful."

Mr Boylan was a fitness enthusiast and was skilled in martial arts, in particular taekwondo.

He was a member of Banner Martial Arts and Fitness club.

A spokesman for the club paid a moving tribute.

"We have lost one of our own. We have received word that our friend and student, Eoin Boylan, was killed. It is too soon to use many words.

"Those of you who knew Eoin will know that there are few people in the world less deserving of cruelty than Eoin.

"The embodiment of kindness and humility, Eoin was a determined student and a generous friend.

"Please hold Eoin and his family in your prayers."

Local priest Fr Ger Fitzgerald also expressed his sympathy.

"Today in Cloughleigh we watched helplessly, silently and even tearfully as Eoin Boylan, a young man with much to live for, passed from our world to eternity beyond.

"Today we were witnesses to the very worst of human nature," he said.
More than two weeks after being diagnosed with COVID-19, CNNs Chris Cuomo revealed Wednesday night that his wife, Cristina, has now also tested positive. Cuomo has continued to broadcast while being quarantined in his basement, and from the beginning he has said that his biggest fear was to pass it on to his wife or one of his three children.

Its very rare for a family to be one and done, Cuomo said. Cristina now has COVID. She is now positive and it just breaks my heart. It is the one thing I was hoping wouldnt happen, and now it has.

Families all over know the reality our family faces: few are one case and done. Sure enough, Cristina has covid now. Kids are still healthy but this shook us at our literal core. All are stepping up. Can't wait to shake this fever so I can help her as she helped me. Sucks. pic.twitter.com/ncyoQ3saWc  Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 16, 2020

Cuomos older brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has made frequent appearances on the show since the outset of the pandemic, said it was just a matter of time before someone else in the house became infected.

Its very hard for a person to quarantine in a home and other people not to get infected, Andrew Cuomo said, adding, So in some ways this was inevitable. Luckily it was Cristina, not one of the kids.

Since his diagnosis, Chris has been sharing with the American people not just the physical effects, but also the mental and emotional stress caused by the virus, and Andrew reminded Chris that this is another chance for him to continue educating the public.

This is what families are dealing with, right? The point of you communicating this rather than just taking a couple of weeks off, is youre communicating to Americans what this is like, and by the way, this is what its like, Andrew said. One person gets the virus, other people in the home get the virus, you now have a mother and a father with the virus. You have three kids that you have to take care of. This gets very complicated very fast.

Story continues

Andrew also told Chris that his kids would step up, and thats exactly what they did, giving Chris a reason to find hope in the situation.

The kids stepped up, because mom is the core, right? Chris said. I mean, when mom goes down, you feel it. And they have stepped up, theyre helping each other, theyre more quiet, theyre focused on her, and hopefully it makes the family even stronger. But I gotta tell ya, its tough.

Chris also admitted that he is taking the diagnosis much harder than his wife.

Obviously Ive been a little bit of a mess about this today so Ive been talking to Andrew about it a lot, Cuomo said. The person whos not upset is Cristina. Cristina takes everything in stride.

Cuomo Prime Time airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on CNN.

Watch Chris Cuomo get emotional about his family after his coronavirus diagnosis:

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHOs resource guides.

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LONDONOn April 2, a wireless tower was set ablaze in Birmingham. The next day, a fire was reported at 10 p.m. at a telecommunications box in Liverpool. An hour later, an emergency call came in about another cell tower in Liverpool that was going up in flames.

Across Britain, more than 30 acts of arson and vandalism have taken place against wireless towers and other telecom gear this month, according to police reports and a telecom trade group. In roughly 80 other incidents in the country, telecom technicians have been harassed on the job.

The attacks were fuelled by the same cause, government officials said: an internet conspiracy theory that links the spread of the coronavirus to an ultrafast wireless technology known as 5G. Under the false idea, which has gained momentum in Facebook groups, WhatsApp messages and YouTube videos, radio waves sent by 5G technology are causing small changes to peoples bodies that make them succumb to the virus.

The incidents starkly demonstrate how coronavirus conspiracy theories have taken a dark turn by spilling out into the real world. In just a few weeks, the pandemic has given pre-existing fringe ideas online new urgency by playing on peoples fears.

Before the coronavirus, rarely did such theories cause as much tangible harm so quickly, disinformation researchers said.

In the United States, one person died after self-medicating with chloroquine, which was touted online as a miracle cure for the coronavirus even though its efficacy is unproven. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was assigned more security this month after unfounded theories spread that he was part of a secret cabal working to undermine U.S. President Donald Trump.

Most conspiracies stay online, but this is having real-world impact, said Alexandre Alaphilippe, executive director of the EU DisinfoLab, a Brussels-based group tracking virus conspiracy theories. He called managing pandemic misinformation a new problem because the disease is global and people everywhere are hunting for information.

The false theory linking 5G to the coronavirus has been especially prominent, amplified by celebrities like John Cusack and Woody Harrelson on social media. It has also been stoked by a vocal anti-5G contingent, who have urged people to take action against telecom gear to protect themselves.

The idea has deep internet roots. An analysis by The New York Times found 487 Facebook communities, 84 Instagram accounts, 52 Twitter accounts and dozens of other posts and videos pushing the conspiracy. The Facebook communities added nearly half a million new followers over the past two weeks. On Instagram, a network of 40 accounts nearly doubled its audience this month to 58,800 followers.

On YouTube, the 10 most popular 5G coronavirus conspiracy videos posted in March were viewed more than 5.8 million times. Today, the conspiracy can be found on Facebook in more than 30 countries, including Switzerland, Uruguay and Japan.

British politicians said the conspiracy theory and the violent acts it was causing were unacceptable.

This is nonsense of the absolute highest order, said Julian Knight, a member of Parliament who leads a committee investigating coronavirus-related online misinformation. He said Facebook and YouTube needed to get a grip on the situation or risk undermining the crisis response.

Knight added that the spread of 5G conspiracies raised alarms about how information about a future coronavirus vaccine would be disseminated.

If we were to get a vaccine for COVID-19, can we trust the social media companies to ensure that the right public-health messages are put out about that vaccine? he asked. That could be a question of life and death for many people.

Facebook, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, said it was starting to remove false claims that 5G technology causes the symptoms of or contraction of COVID-19. YouTube said it would reduce recommendations of videos linking the coronavirus to 5G, while Twitter said it had taken action against misleading and harmful content about the illness.

Wild claims about 5G are not new. The technology has an outsize political importance because it may provide countries with a competitive edge, with faster wireless speeds enabling more rapid development of driverless cars and other innovations.

Internet trolls have seized on 5G and its political implications to sow fear, leading to protests in the United States and elsewhere against the technology in recent years. Russians have pushed claims that 5G signals were linked to brain cancer, infertility, autism, heart tumours and Alzheimers disease, all of which lacked scientific support.

Telecommunications companies, which have added more security and are working with law enforcement, said the attacks against their workers and equipment had been widespread, threatening communication networks during the crisis. Vodafone said it had experienced at least 15 incidents, while BT has had at least 11. The companies said that in many cases, vandals had damaged existing infrastructure and not new 5G gear.

Police in Belfast, Liverpool and Birmingham said they were continuing to investigate the incidents, reviewing security-camera footage and asking the public for leads.

Anti-5G groups have continued adding hundreds of members. One Facebook user shared photos this week of a wireless tower being constructed in an unidentified area of Britain.

Light it up, one commenter responded.

Read more about:
Qureshi underlined that the COVID-19 had a devastating impact on global economy.

Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to seek China's support for a global initiative to give debt relief to developing countries fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Foreign Office in a statement on Wednesday said that Qureshi underlined that the COVID-19 had a devastating impact on global economy and its aftermath was far more severe than the Great Depression.

The impact on the developing countries would be most severe, he said, adding that keeping these factors in view, Prime Minister Imran Khan had appealed to the world community to work for providing debt relief to the developing countries.

The foreign minster sought China's support for the initiative, including at the G-20 platform.

The Group of 20 nations announced support Wednesday for a temporary halt to debt payments by the world's poorest nations as they struggle to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Finance ministers of the G-20 group of major economies, which includes the US, China, India and others, said they will immediately put on hold poor countries' obligations to service debt they owe.

Qureshi during his call to Wang underscored that Pakistan and China are All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners and have preserved the fine tradition of solidarity, mutual assistance and mutual support and thanked China for extending solidarity and moral and material support to Pakistan in the wake of outbreak of COVID-19.

Qureshi said that generous donations and assistance sent by China for Pakistan to contain coronavirus were greatly appreciated by Pakistan and its people.

Wang thanked him for reaching out to China and assured that China will support the initiative at the G-20 as well as other relevant fora.

He said that COVID-19 has posed great danger to global economic and stability and coordinated and equitable efforts were needed to deal with its aftermath.

He also maintained that during President Arif Alvi's recent visit to China, Pakistani and Chinese leaders had reached a consensus to jointly fight COVID-19.

The novel coronavirus, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province late last year, has so far killed over 1,20,000 people globally.
"The next phase of this crisis will be devastating to consumers," said Leonard Bennett, principal at Consumer Litigation Associates . "The financial industry has blocked Congressional efforts to limit negative credit reporting and other consumer impact caused by the COVID-19 crisis. It is now up to individual consumers, as well as state and private consumer advocates, to step up and prevent their financial devastation."

"Millions of consumers could lose their homes or cars, and millions more will suffer enduring damage to their credit," said Kristi Kelly, principal at Kelly Guzzo, PLC. "We want people to have all the information they need to protect their homes and livelihoods from the aggressive debt collection we are likely to see as soon as stimulus checks hit bank accounts and courts open again for evictions and foreclosures."

The COVID-19 crisis will exacerbate existing economic inequities and vulnerabilities faced by American consumers:

Nearly 60% Americans are worried about their finances due to COVID-19.

Household debt exceeded $14 trillion at the end of 2019.

at the end of 2019. American consumers owe $1.16 trillion in car loans and $1 trillion in credit cards. Just a year ago, 5.9 million credit cards were issued in one month.

in car loans and in credit cards. Just a year ago, 5.9 million credit cards were issued in one month. And a 2019 report by the Federal Reserve found that 40% of Americans would have difficulty or not be able to cover a $400 unexpected expense.

The COVID-19 Consumer Resource Center was created by consumer lawyers including members of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the National Consumer Law Center's Partners Council. Lawyers in these firms work every day fighting to litigate credit reporting issues and stop foreclosures, repossession, and evictions.

Consumer Litigation Associates has been recognized nationally for its expertise, recognized as the top Financial Services plaintiffs' firm in the nation by the National Law Journal. Bennett has been recognized as the national Consumer Lawyer of the Year. Press recognition has included media outlets from 60 Minutes to the New York Times.

Kelly Guzzo, PLC attorneys are nationally recognized experts in consumer protection, having been consistently named Super Lawyers and Rising Stars by Thompson Reuters. Together with Consumer Litigation Associates, 2019 co-winner top Pro Bono law firm from the Virginia State Bar.

Cohen Consumer Law (The Student Loan Lawyer) is a national leader in student loan solutions and consumer litigation. Mr. Cohen teaches The Student Loan Law Workshop for lawyers.

SOURCE Consumer Litigation Associates, P.C.; Kelly & Guzzo, PLC; Cohen Consumer Law
HUHTAMAKI OYJ PRESS RELEASE 16.4.2020 AT 10:00

Huhtamaki joins forces with the International Red Cross to provide COVID-19 emergency relief

Huhtamaki has announced a donation of EUR 0.5 million in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' (IFRC) COVID-19 appeal. The funds will be channeled via Finnish Red Cross to go towards boosting emergency relief efforts in Asia and Europe and improving the lives of the world's most vulnerable.

The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted people's health, safety and livelihoods in ways that were unimaginable only a couple of months ago. These unprecedented times reaffirm Huhtamaki's commitment to protect people, food, and the planet.

"Huhtamaki plays an essential role in ensuring food safety and availability and reducing food waste, as acknowledged by governments internationally. This contribution is only one part of our support towards alleviating the impact of the pandemic globally. We have partnered with the International Red Cross, a leading global organization, to do our share in helping tackle the humanitarian aspect of the COVID-19 crisis. This emergency affects us all, regardless of where we are around the world, and together we can make a difference where it is most needed," says Charles Heaulme, President and CEO of Huhtamaki.

"It is important for industry to do its part in helping the fight against COVID-19. Huhtamaki's donation will go a long way in enabling us to address health and safety of people in Europe and Asia as these situations evolve," says Tiina Saarikoski, acting Director of Finnish Red Cross International Operations and Programmes.

Huhtamaki has also asked management teams across its 81 locations globally to reach out and see where they can lend a hand to the local community. For example, Huhtamaki has started to produce face shields for healthcare workers together with a local partner in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Initially, 4 million face shields will be produced per week for HSCNI, the publicly funded service which provides health and social care services in Northern Ireland. Huhtamaki is looking to ramp up the production up to 6 million per week and investigating whether the shields can be produced in other locations, too. Huhtamaki is also donating its products to health care systems, for example over 6 million foodservice products to hospitals and nursing homes in Europe to ensure food hygiene and safety. The company is looking at other opportunities to help going forward.

"If there is anything this outbreak has emphasized, it is how interconnected and dependent we are globally. Our initiative today underlines our commitment to protecting people, food and the planet," says Charles Heaulme.

For further information, please contact:



Katariina Hietaranta, Head of External Communications, tel. +358 10 686 7863

HUHTAMAKI OYJ

Global Communications

Huhtamaki is a key global player in sustainable food-on-the-go and food-on-the shelf packaging solutions. Our innovative products help billions of consumers around the world make responsible lifestyle choices every day. Today, packaging plays a significant role in food safety and convenience. We are committed to making packaging more circular and we embed sustainability in everything we do. We are focused on achieving carbon neutral production and having all our products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.

With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 35 countries and 81 sites around the world. Our 18,600 employees are working to deliver smart next generation packaging. Our 2019 net sales totaled EUR 3.4 billion. Huhtamaki Group has its head office in Espoo, Finland and the parent company Huhtamaki Oyj is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Find out more about our Sustainability Action Plan and our ambition at www.huhtamaki.com.
The Delhi government's Food and Supplies Department has already distributed almost 100 percent of the entitled allocation for April among public distribution system beneficiaries to help them meet their requirements during the lockdown, an official statement said on Thursday.

In Delhi, the Public Distribution System (PDS) caters to 17.50 lakh households covering 71 lakh beneficiaries, including 68,609 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households with 2.79 lakh beneficiaries.

The usual monthly quota of food grains under the National Food Security Act, 2013 is 5 kg, including 4 kg of wheat and 1 kg of rice.

However, recognizing the need of the hour and the restrictions in mobility of people due to the lockdown, the Delhi government has provided 7.5 kg of food grains -- 6 kg of wheat and 1.5 kg of rice -- free.

"The distribution of food grains for the month of April started in advance from March 28 through a network of 2017 fair price shops. Almost 100 percent of the entitled allocation has been delivered, most of which has been distributed," the government said in a statement.

The government has also launched a relief initiative for providing 4 kg of wheat and 1kg of rice to all those who are in need of food but are not covered under PDS.

The initiative is based on self-selection criteria where any person in need of food can apply through an online link of Janta Samvad - ration.jantasamvad.org/ration.

The only document required is that the person should be in possession of an Aadhaar number issued from anywhere in the country.

In order to optimally utilize available resources, 374 schools of Directorate of Education, Municipal Corporations and NDMC have been designated as distribution centers under the relief initiative.

So far, more than three lakh beneficiaries have been provided food grains under it, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)






IoT and Energy

The basic premise of the IoT is connecting devices, gathering data and personalizing the technology. This course of action is fully scalable, meaning that it works regardless of whether were looking at a large factory, a public building, or a single-family home. This way, the impact of IoT in the energy industry comes down to 4 key points:





Maximizing Energy Efficiency: Thanks to the improved control over energy consumption that IoT provides, organizations can significantly reduce their CO2 emissions and carbon footprint.

Saving Costs: Consuming less energy also means paying for less energy. IoT solutions help organizations cut maintenance and operating expenses through modern systems that minimize human intervention.

Increasing Power Supply Reliability: IoT energy systems offer a more stable and reliable source of power since all devices maintain constant communication with each other.

Gathering Data: IoT energy devices collect and process large amounts of data, which can be used to elaborate real-time insights regarding the systems performance. This way, it is possible to execute predictive maintenance models and improve general safety measures. The basic premise of the IoT is connecting devices, gathering data and personalizing the technology. This course of action is fully scalable, meaning that it works regardless of whether were looking at a large factory, a public building, or a single-family home. This way, the impact of IoT in the energy industry comes down to 4 key points:



Some IoT Energy Solutions Monitoring and Maintenance

Keeping track of numerous system metrics can get really complicated really fast. With the help of IoT, it becomes easier to closely monitor the overall performance, health, and efficiency of the system.





This, in turn, simplifies decision making and maintenance protocols. It all leads to the prevention of unexpected shutdowns and to less manual checks, which are often very wasteful and work-intensive.





This is exactly what General Electric (GE) does to monitor the output and productivity of its equipment. By implementing smart sensors on their devices and using the resulting data, the company implemented a predictive maintenance model that is manageable from mobile devices and other easy-to-access platforms.





With it, GE can effectively plan and forecast their equipments maintenance needs. In the end, this model helps them achieve higher operating efficiency and minimize downtime.



Process Automation

When we combine the Internet of Things with Artificial Intelligence, its possible to build fully-autonomous systems. Using Machine Learning, a system can actually learn what to do and what not do according to the circumstances.





As a result, it is able to automatically adjust its efficiency and performance to better save energy while maintaining optimal performance, minimizing the need for constant manual equipment tampering.





The effect of machine learning is particularly interesting in the





A great example of this can be found in the German conglomerate Siemens, which has been using neural networks to monitor its steel plants in search of potential problems that might be affecting its efficiency.





Through a combination of sensors installed in its equipment and with the help of its own smart cloud (called Mindsphere), Siemens is capable of monitoring, recording, and analyzing every step involved in the manufacturing process. When we combine the Internet of Things with Artificial Intelligence, its possible to build fully-autonomous systems. Using Machine Learning, a system can actually learn what to do and what not do according to the circumstances.As a result, it is able to automatically adjust its efficiency and performance to better save energy while maintaining optimal performance, minimizing the need for constant manual equipment tampering.The effect of machine learning is particularly interesting in the manufacturing industry , which historically has been an early adopter. Their automation solutions employ robotics and sophisticated digital solutions that increase productivity, reduce system failures, distribute workloads, and drive innovation.A great example of this can be found in the German conglomerate Siemens, which has been using neural networks to monitor its steel plants in search of potential problems that might be affecting its efficiency.Through a combination of sensors installed in its equipment and with the help of its own smart cloud (called Mindsphere), Siemens is capable of monitoring, recording, and analyzing every step involved in the manufacturing process.



Smart Grids

When you connect a series of smart energy meters along a single network, you get a smart energy grid. A smart grid will consist of controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment working together. These technologies will work with the electrical grid to respond digitally to our quickly changing electric demand.





Smart grids are not just about utilities and technologies, though. They are also about giving us, the consumers, the information and tools we need to make choices about our energy consumption.





We could be managing how much energy we use just like we manage our bank accounts. Using smart meters and other mechanisms, consumers can take a close look at how much electricity they use, when they use it, and its real cost.





For example, Duke Energy, a Florida-based company, has been using a self-healing grid system which is designed to automatically re-calibrate itself after a power outage and, as a result, minimize the downtime.





On a larger scale, the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was one of the first to implement smart grid technology. This investment resulted in over 50% shorter outages and helped the community save over $1.4 million in operating costs during a single storm.



Some Final Words

The Internet of





Without a doubt, IoT is on a path to change the way we live for the better, and investing in smart energy is a great idea. The Internet of Things is full of promise and potential but still a conceptual leap for most people and companies. Its effects benefit everyone, from savvy business owners looking to cut energy consumption to large companies running multiple energy plants that need to automate operations.Without a doubt, IoT is on a path to change the way we live for the better, and investing in smart energy is a great idea.

There is no doubt: every industry has become more tech-driven than ever before, marking a trend will keep increasing. While this has many benefits, it has also raised concerns about our energy consumption, to the point where experts estimate it will almost double in the next two decades Yes, the market for renewable energy is thriving, but we are still a long way from where we need to be. Along with a growing demand for process automation and operational efficiency, the Internet of Things (IoT) has come up as an attractive solution for highly-efficient energy management.With the help of IT outsourcing services , many companies around the world are starting to apply IoT strategies to their products and devices. From smart home technology to completely integrated urban systems, its crucial that we implement an IoT mindset to our energy management strategies.
They went public with their romance last month after they were spotted on a barefoot beach stroll during their trip to Cuba together.

And on Thursday, Ben Affleck and girlfriend Ana de Armas looked very much in love as they walked their adorable pups in the LA neighborhood of Venice.

The actor, 47, had his arms wrapped around the beautiful actress, 31, for the majority of the walk before giving her a kiss- while both sported face masks.

So in love: Ben Affleck and girlfriend Ana de Armas looked very much in love as they walked their adorable pups in the LA neighborhood of Venice on Thursday morning

Ben had his arms around the waist of Ana for part of the walk, before putting it around her shoulders.

He and Ana cuddled close and appeared to share a kiss while still wearing their masks.

The father of three chose jeans with a T-shirt, adding a face mask; he held the leash of a beautiful black and brown dog.

Ana flaunted her legs in a black long-sleeved dress that featured a fabric belt, adding white sneakers and a gold ring.

Happy duo: The actor, 47, had his arms wrapped around the beautiful actress, 31, for the majority of the walk before giving her a kiss- while both sported face masks

Staying close: The father of three chose jeans with a T-shirt, adding a face mask; he held the leash of a beautiful black and brown dog

Fresh air: Ana flaunted her legs in a black long-sleeved dress that featured a fabric belt, adding white sneakers a gold ring

The Cuban actress wore her brunette locks loose with a makeup free face while sporting a face mask as well.

She held on to the leash of her adorable Maltese pup as walked through a neighborhood together.

Ben and Ana first met in November 2019 on the set of their new film Deep River.

They first set romance rumors alight earlier this year while they vacationed in Cuba together; since going public with their romance, the lovebirds have not been shy about showing major PDA while out and about.

In step: The Cuban actress wore her brunette locks loose with a makeup free face while sporting a face mask as well

Ana shared images of herself on her Instagram account that he took during their trip to Cuba, with the actor commenting, 'Photo cred pls.'

Prior to Ana, Ben dated Lindsay Shookus and briefly with Shauna Sexton.

Ben has three children with ex wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, eight.

He was began dating Jennifer in 2004 and married on June 29, 2005, in Turks and Caicos; they announced their separation in June 2015.

They filed for divorce in April 2017 and it was finalized in October 2018; the stars have been co-parenting their children since their amicable split.

Puppy love: She held on to the leash of her adorable Maltese pup as they stayed close together

So in love: Ben and the Ana first met in November 2019 on the set of their new film Deep River
The South Shore Line will participate Thursday in a nationwide salute to transportation and other essential workers in a coordinated act that will have an anticipated 4,400 trains, buses and ferries sounding their horns at 2 p.m. Central time.

The Sound the Horn effort was initiated by New York-area transit agencies and has been joined by agencies across the country, including Metra in the Chicago suburbs as well as the South Shore.

South Shore President Michael Noland said the railroad's employees, as well as other transportation workers, have earned the salute.

Without hesitation, our SSL team has stepped up to the challenge to continue to provide transportation for essential employees that need to get to their jobs," Noland said. "In many cases, this has been health care workers trying to get to Chicago hospitals to help fight this COVID-19 crisis. The selflessness I have witnessed both in our team and with others has been humbling. We truly are all in this together, and we hope that the Sound The Horn initiative will help boost the morale of transportation workers, other essential workers and our local citizens as well.
Rep. Bass Slams Trump Administration For Halting WHO Funding During Pandemic

This week, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, issued the following statement after the Trump administration halted U.S. payments for the World Health Organization during a pandemic.

President Donald Trumps absolute abdication of international responsibility and leadership is now unequivocally apparent.

Tonights move to halt funding to the World Health Organization in the middle of a global pandemic is the exact opposite of what this country should be doing. As past administrations have done successfully prior, we should be investing in our response capacity and rallying the entire world to respond in a unified fashion to the crisis before us. To abandon this international effort days after our country has officially suffered the worlds largest death toll at the hands of COVID-19 is especially insidious.

More brothers and sisters will be infected, more mothers and fathers will be admitted to already struggling hospitals and more grandparents will die. This is an attempt by the administration to shift blame away from its own failure to heed internal warnings given as early as January. This administration should be taking every single step possible to build a coalition to defeat this virus.

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Thats what auction companies are doing now that its forbidden to gather in large groups. Its been a big switch, but one that they were prepared to make.

Companies like Kaufman Realty and Auctions and Kiko Auctioneers already had some online-only sales and an online platform for auctions, but it wasnt the preferred method of doing business. Now, its their only option, at least until Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine lifts the stay-at-home order, which is in place until May 1, currently.

The live auction is a tremendous tool in northeast Ohio, said Anthony Kaufman, president of Kaufman Realty and Auctions. A tremendous wrench was thrown into those sales.

Part of life

Auctions are a part of life in eastern Ohio. For as many people gather at an auction with plans to buy, there may be nearly as many there to socialize.

Kaufman said their market in eastern Ohio was about 75% live sales to 25% online sales. For Kiko Auctioneers, too, business was predominantly the traditional, live, in-person auctions.

We historically have really thrived with on-site auctions, said Richard Kiko, chief executive officer of Kiko Auctioneers. We have really had a great following for on-site auctions.

Auctions and real estate are considered essential businesses in Ohio so they are allowed to continue operating, but must heed public health protocols. When it became apparent how serious the situation was becoming, agents got in touch with sellers to discuss options.

A lot of our sellers hit the pause button for a couple weeks, Kiko said. Now, its started to come back.

What to do

With all the uncertainty, some sellers canceled sales. Others postponed or rescheduled for dates in the summer. Kaufman said they had about 20 sales that initially postponed, and then went online, when they saw the market stayed strong.

In addition to online auctions, Kaufman said theyve also been doing some live simulcast sales, meaning an auctioneer still calls the sale but its broadcast live online.

The crazy thing is our online sales have been as strong or stronger, Kaufman said.

He thinks this may lead to less resistance to online sales in the future.

This whole crisis has forced people to think in a different way, Kaufman said. Theyre a lot more open to these ideas.

Because not everyone has internet access, Kaufman said theyve also been offering bidder assistance to buyers. It works in different ways, but it could mean they register for a sale and an agent is made available to them as the sale is closing, or one or two people at a time could come to one of a Kaufman office to make a bid in person.

Other changes

Some other changes may stick around in the future. Kaufman said they started using an online portal to sign up for load out or showings. People can sign up for a specific time block to keep people as separated as possible. Theyre also doing more virtual consultations with buyers and sellers.

Kiko said they also converted some real estate auctions to for sale listings, with the option to hold an auction later on.

Both methods work. It just depends on what the sellers objective is, he said. An auction gives clients so much power.

Going online has resulted in a little more work up front for these companies, Kaufman said. When people cant view equipment or real estate in person, you need to make sure there are thorough photos, drone footage from above or a virtual tour of a property.

But when it comes time for the auction to open, no one has to set up a tent, get all the equipment in line or park cars.

(Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be contacted at 800-837-3419 or rachel@farmanddairy.com)
(PHOTO: Getty Creative)

By Siraphob Thanthong-Knight

(Bloomberg) -- Just one kilogram of freshly caught squid a day was almost enough to live on for Thai fishermen like Wisut Boonnak. Now the catch has halved in price and hes spending more time on village duties.

Its the biggest price drop that I can remember, said Wisut, whos been fishing for the past 40 years off the southern Thai coast. There are fewer buyers around now because exports are lower. Wisut used to go to sea daily to catch squid and mackerel. These days hes out just once or twice a week.

The global seafood industry, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, is seeing demand crater. From lobster fishermen in North America to salmon farmers in Norway and shrimp producers in Vietnam, people are hurting as the coronavirus shuts cafes and restaurants and wreaks havoc with supply chains. Whether farmed or wild, fresh or processed, few areas have escaped the impact.

Theres less demand for seafood now, fewer consumers, said Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, chairman of the National Fisheries Association of Thailand. People see it as a discretionary product. The Southeast Asian nation is one of the worlds biggest suppliers of seafood in its various forms.

In Australia, the Sydney Fish Market, one of the worlds largest, was quiet over Easter when its usually full of tourists and locals. Many tenants are offering pickup and delivery services as alternatives after the government imposed restrictions on dining out. The market was limiting the number of people entering the area and conducting temperature checks.

Rock Lobster

Theres a lot of businesses struggling, said Julian Harrington, chief executive of the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council, representing Australias largest seafood producing state by value. Were concerned that demand for product is going to disappear. To ease the pressure, the governments helping charter planes to carry rock lobster and other products to foreign markets.

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In Japan, empty restaurants and hotels and the absence of tourists have hit demand for more expensive seafood items such as sea urchins and crabs, and in Hokkaido, some suppliers are even holding emergency sales of unwanted catch. Meanwhile, a lobster glut has sent prices reeling in North America, salmon prices have dropped in Norway and seafood companies in Vietnam have seen a 35% to 50% plunge in export contracts this year.

One bright spot is demand for canned fish products. Shares of the worlds largest tinned tuna maker Thai Union Group Pcl, producer of the Chicken of the Sea brand, rallied last month as panicked shoppers rushed to buy essential foods. But demand may be set to ease in the second quarter as hoarding subsides, according to Bank of Ayudhya Pcl.

Demand from the food service industry is plummeting, but we still get orders from U.S. retailers, said Poj Aramwattananont, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association. More expensive products like lobsters and scallops are hardest hit because of restaurant closures, while fish fillets are still in demand from customers who are cooking at home, he said.

Back in southern Thailand, fisherman Wisut, also a local village chief, now spends some of his spare time helping authorities enforce a night-time curfew and other lockdown measures. Theres not much else we can do but to adapt, he said. We have to survive this.

 2020 Bloomberg L.P.
The framing of the lockdown debate as the novel coronavirus spreads has consistently been a trade-off between economic health and physical health: Either you ruin the economy or you kill tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of people. It's a miserable choice.

I've argued for prioritizing lives over dollars because I can't see a way to accepting the ethics of the standard case for reopening the economy now. But what if long-term lockdowns aren't necessary to flatten the curve? What if they can even be counterproductive? What if there's a well-informed, prudent, and, crucially, humane argument for a different approach?

Lyman Stone thinks there is. Stone is the chief information officer for the consulting firm Demographic Intelligence, a research fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and an adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He's been sharing daily pandemic data analyses on Twitter, which is where I became familiar with his work, including a guide for churches responding to COVID-19. As he writes there, Stone's job at Demographic Intelligence has him advising "Fortune 500 countries and government entities about future population trends," so while he's not a doctor, he "routinely work[s] in detail with the medical and demographic literature around infectious disease, mortality risks, and especially fertility" and has been widely published on those topics.

We corresponded by email (Stone is from Kentucky but lives in Hong Kong) to discuss his case against lockdowns as the best way to fight the novel coronavirus.

You've argued lockdowns  these stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders now in place in nearly every state  aren't of significant benefit to public health, so prolonging them would hurt the economy without saving lives. What's your thinking here?

The first issue is defining "lockdowns." I define "lockdowns" with basically three traits: First, individuals are ordered to remain at home or expected to provide special proof of need to leave their home; second, assemblies are banned above a very low, usually single-digit threshold; third, a large number of businesses are ordered to discontinue operations.

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Within lockdowns there's a lot of variety. Some states or cities enforce stay-at-home orders very strictly. Some do not. Some focus on assemblies. Others are more tolerant of assembly. Some close more businesses, some close fewer. But the basic features are stay home orders, low-number assembly bans, and ordered closure of numerous businesses. Most of the debate about lockdowns has focused on economic tradeoffs: We assume that lockdowns make COVID-19 less awful, and we assume they cause economic harms, and so we want to balance those.

I'm not sure of either side of that equation.

Countries without lockdowns like Sweden and the Netherlands are facing massive economic downturns, too. In a globalized society, you can't just turn a switch and turn your economy off and on. If other countries are in recession, you will be too. It's that simple. So I'm skeptical of the idea that not locking down will result in economics-as-usual.

Meanwhile, I'm also skeptical of the view that lockdowns make COVID-19 less awful. Daily deaths in Spain, France, and Italy have not appreciably declined over the course of their lockdowns. Academic research from China suggests that what actually got COVID-19 under control in Wuhan was centralized quarantine on a massive scale, not quarantining people in their own homes.

Hong Kong, where I live, has never had a lockdown and has been exposed to a huge amount of imported cases, and yet has avoided major spread and kept deaths at just four. Macau did a kind of soft lockdown, but nothing like what's happening in Italy. They had a successful response. Taiwan has not had a lockdown and has kept deaths very low. Singapore had no lockdown and was doing fine until it recently had a big outbreak  but note that Singapore has not had universal mask wearing and didn't cancel school until recently.

Nor is this a story of "Asian obedience." Just today I was out hiking in the supposedly-closed country parks in Hong Kong and saw every parking lot packed (on a Wednesday!) with thousands of other people hiking in the supposedly-closed country parks. Here in Hong Kong, our government downplayed COVID-19 consistently, and the population flagrantly broke anti-mask laws to wear masks. This isn't about obedience. It's simply about taking COVID-19 seriously and responding appropriately.

Moreover, lockdowns rely on a specific understanding of how COVID-19 works: Lockdowns assume that all COVID-19 infections are created equal and that exposure to COVID-19 because someone coughed on a cereal box you bought at the store is equivalent to sharing a glass of water with your spouse all day long for three days straight.

But what if this is wrong? What if viral load matters? In this case, we would want to avoid creating situations where people are cooped up together in enclosed spaces. We might look askance at the idea that keeping everyone packed in their homes is the optimal strategy. And we might worry less about folks having a picnic in the park.

Additionally, lockdowns are a very novel strategy. They were used on a limited basis to fight Ebola, but most Ebola-fighting revolved around capacity-building, changing burial practices, awareness-raising, and information provision. Broadly, information is the most powerful tool in epidemics. Fighting epidemics requires the cooperation of the whole population, which requires a massive task of public persuasion, information, awareness, and capacitation.

Relying on the cops to arrest people for going to Easter services does not fit that bill. More broadly, time-tested strategies like centralized quarantine and regional travel restrictions have been mostly eschewed in the U.S. despite being highly effective with literally millennia of supportive evidence.

Ultimately, I'm open to being wrong. When we've got good empirical studies showing that devoting state resources to harassing people for taking too many errands rather than delivering care packages of masks, hand soap, and information pamphlets is a good strategy, let me know!

The Trump administration has suggested lockdowns could end in parts of the country by the close of this month. If the strictest rules are lifted, what should we be doing instead? What measures are most effective?

Wear a mask! Wash your hands! Avoid unnecessary socialization! Leave extra space at the store! Keep school canceled! We should not be allowing a return to normal; that is extremely ill-advised. But even if the government moves toward normalcy, workers should still pursue working-from-home options; parents should try to keep their kids out of school; elders should continue to be sequestered; and excellent hygiene measures must be continued.

You've done a lot of pandemic data analysis, comparing international responses and infection and death rates. Many Americans who are skeptical of the lockdowns' value have pointed to Sweden as a model we should follow, as Sweden hasn't had a lockdown or the unemployment spike that comes with it. The pushback has been that Sweden's death rate was substantially higher than that of its Nordic neighbors, and Swedish leadership now seems to be wavering. Did Sweden make a good call? How does the Swedish approach differ from your recommendation?

I haven't followed Sweden's exact policies, and I don't know if their policies have been good or bad, but I don't see in the data any reason to think they are a miracle or a nightmare. Rather, Sweden seems to suggest that you can't avoid a recession by avoiding lockdown and also not locking down doesn't seem to lead to a very big spike in deaths vs. some plausible counterfactual.

But the "death rate" argument is ignorant and foolish. It is difficult to even get a reliable estimate of COVID-19 deaths, let alone a reliable estimate of total infections. Differential case fatality rates (CFRs) are more likely to stem from idiosyncrasies of the tested population or volatility related to low total outbreak size. Washington State has one of the higher CFRs in America, yet one of the more successfully contained outbreaks because the disease broke out in nursing homes, which made for relatively many deaths but not actually tons of contagion.

Anyone reasoning from CFRs in countries with very different testing regimes and total tests making up less than 0.5 percent of population is reasoning from complete ignorance. Someday, we will estimate infection fatality rates (IFRs) using excess mortality and serological studies. Until then, this is a policy-irrelevant variable.

You live in Hong Kong, which has handled COVID-19 differently than the United States. Can we learn from Hong Kong's approach, or are the differences simply too great between an East Asian city-state and a federalist country that spans a continent?

Yes, Americans can learn from Hong Kong. Wear a mask. All the time. Ignore the nonsense about face-touching or whatever. We don't wear masks to protect ourselves. We wear masks to protect others. You don't know if you're infected. And you don't know who else is either. Universal mask-wearing creates a powerful social norm which pushes precautionary mask-wearing onto possibly-infected individuals.

Policy-wise, epidemic-fighting isn't a national question. It's intensely local. The origin-story of modern epidemiology is a story about a cholera outbreak from one well. Hong Kong has about the population of a U.S. state (7 million). Its dense living conditions should have made spread worse, and yet we're doing fine. How? We centrally quarantine anyone who tests positive and everyone they have contact with. If somebody at the office tests positive, the entire office goes into a designated quarantine site for 14 days.

Any U.S. city could do this. Any American can wear a mask. Just do it. This strategy works.

President Trump's claim of "total" authority to restart the economy was both unconstitutional and nonsensical  he can say what he likes, but people aren't going to resume normal life if they feel unsafe. If you had the president's bully pulpit, how would you describe the risks and the way forward given what we know about the novel coronavirus so far?

First, I would suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) [Trump did this Tuesday after our interview began], recall all U.S. government personnel detailed to the WHO, announce a sanctions-related investigation into WHO leader Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' conduct as minister of health in Ethiopia during the covered-up cholera outbreaks, and announce that individuals and organizations associated with Tedros may be caught in that net as well. I would further announce that if Tedros steps down, the WHO officially states that China's suppression of information about COVID-19 caused a global pandemic, and Taiwan's 2009-2016 access to the WHO is restored, funding and U.S. support will be restored. I would commit to going to war against the WHO until either they give in or we so degrade the organization that it can no longer function. [You can read about why Tedros and the WHO have come under criticism for their handling of China and the early days of the pandemic at The Atlantic and The New York Times.]

Second, I would never appear in public or on TV without a mask.

Third, I would repeatedly communicate the truth: We are likely to be fighting COVID-19 for a long time, and many people will die. Steel yourselves. Do not plan to return to normal in 2020. Advise state governments to be working on plans for continuation of heightened risks through the summer of 2021. Speak repeatedly about the need to roll out ever-more-extensive telework, telehealth, and work-from-home arrangements. Communicate about the importance of mutual care and aid. Remind people that stimulus checks are coming, unemployment insurance is extra generous, and more stimulus will be provided if things go on too long. Remind people that even when current drastic measures end, we are going to spend a hot, humid summer wearing face masks while jogging.

Get over it. It is a small price to pay.

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As the coronavirus wreaks havoc on economies and populations around the globe, the chaos also presents a unique opportunity for disinformation efforts.

According to a new report from social analytics company Graphika, which tracks online disinformation, Iran's propaganda operations have turned to promote the country's causes through the lens of the coronavirus in recent weeks. Since February, a group known as the International Union of Virtual Media (IUVM) has seeded memes, articles and videos promoting Iranian and Chinese interests and accusing the U.S. of creating the virus as a biological weapon. The IUVM efforts also blamed U.S. sanctions for worsening Iran's situation and praised Iranian leaders for their response to the pandemic.

Image via Graphika

Through mid-February, accounts linked to the IUVM were preoccupied with the U.S. assassination of Qasem Soleimani, but they turned their attention to the coronavirus around the time that Iran reported its first COVID-19 deaths. An article in late February with the headline "Is coronavirus an American creation?" accused the U.S. of bioterrorism and claimed that "America is the biggest beneficiary to creating a virus that will paralyze China and pose internal challenges to a power that poses a threat to the White House in the economic sphere."

A series of editorial cartoons also pushed the message that the U.S. was to blame for the pandemic, depicting President Trump as a the virus itself. As Iran began to recover from its worse wave of coronavirus cases, the message shifted to praising the country's response to the virus and highlighting the failures of the Trump administration as the virus spread quickly through the U.S.

Image via Graphika

While the IUVM generally focuses its efforts on creating website content, it also promotes pro-Iran propaganda through social platforms. The propaganda group has struggled to keep a foothold on social media as platforms grow more savvy to disinformation threats, but the IUVM renewed its efforts with a handful of new accounts across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter promoting pro-Iran coronavirus content. Those accounts, which had fewer than 5,000 combined followers, were taken down by April.

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The IUVM can be expected to continue this kind of operation in the future, but Graphika notes that "its amplification network has been significantly disrupted by a series of takedowns over the years," particularly on Facebook and Twitter.

"The IUVM operation is significant and manned by a well-resourced and persistent actor, but its effectiveness should not be overstated," Graphika's researchers said in the new report.
Three COVID-19 patients in



Assam recovered and were discharged from the Goalpara Civil Hospital on Thursday, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

They were released after two successive tests turned out to be negative, he said.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) protocol on COVID-19 they have been sent to 14-day home quarantine, Sarma said.

Two persons were released on Wednesday evening from the Sonapur District Hospital and they have been kept in isolation at the Hindustan Paper Corporation guest house in Jagiroad.

Sarma and Minister of State for Health Pijush Hazarika were present on both occasions to monitor the discharge of the COVID-19 patients from the hospitals.

Assam now has 26 out of 32 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatments, while one person has died.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Labor leaders and housing advocates on Thursday pressed the city for stronger renters protections amid the economic slide from COVID-19, asking for measures that exceed the Texas Supreme Courts moratorium on evictions.

Their proposals include a 60-day grace period to allow those who fall behind on rent to catch up, a cap on late fees, and a ban on notices to vacate, which advocates said some landlords have deployed deceptively.

Variations of those measures have been adopted in other cities, including Austin, Dallas and Los Angeles, and they should be replicated here, said Hany Khalil, executive director of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation.

All were asking for is what cities across Texas and across the U.S. are doing, Khalil said at a news conference outside City Hall Thursday.

The ideas do not appear to have much momentum in the mayors office or city council, though. Asked about the requests Thursday, Turner referred to the Supreme Court moratorium on evictions and said he hoped it will extend through May.

He also said the city is seeking flexibility for some of the federal money it has received to provide more rental relief, among other priorities.

Allow us to take some of those dollars to do two things: One, to fill in the revenue gap for municipalities caused by COVID-19; and the other, to give us the flexibilty where we can enter into certain rent relief programs with some of those dollars, Turner said.

It remained unclear Thursday whether the city has authority to enact the ordinances that advocates requested, and the cash-stripped city would struggle to offer more substantive financial relief unless Washington steps in.

Its my understanding that we dont have the scope to do that. These are not city-owned properties, said Councilmember Tiffany Thomas, who chairs councils housing committee. I think what theyre asking for makes sense and I think its the appropriate thing to do. (But) the city, were limited in what we can do.

Khalil said he believes the city has the same authority to enact the ordinances as Austin.

It is a position shared by Councilmember Letitia Plummer, who has been pushing for weeks for stronger protections. Her office pointed to the mayors emergency declaration powers and the Texas Property Code to empower the city to make such policies. Plummer also said she wants to see relief for the property owners, so they are not at risk of foreclosure.

City Attorney Ron Lewis did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

The judicial pause on evictions prevents landlords from removing tenants but does not stop them from filing eviction proceedings, prompting concern about what will happen to the backlog of cases when the ban expires.

That is why a grace period is important, said Zoe Middleton, Southeast Texas co-director at Texas Housers, a nonprofit housing organization. She said most eviction cases are filed because of a failure to pay rent. The grace period would help those tenants hold onto housing if the ban expires.

What we really need to see is an appropriate prioritization. People that have lost everything, all sources of income, should be prioritized over people that have maybe lost only part of their income, Middleton said. Everyone deserves a place to live, regardless of whether were in economic collapse. The city should do everything in its power to keep Houstonians housed.

Thomas, who stressed the dire budget challenges the city will face this spring, said the Houston Apartment Association is working to establish a fund for renters and the city is looking for ways to match those dollars or attract philanthropic support for them.

Association president Clay Hicks said the group will announce the effort in the near future, adding the group was pleasantly surprised that 90 percent of tenants were able to pay rent or arrange deals with landlords in April.

Hicks said the association expects that tally to dip come May 1.

May is the month that we really need to be worried about, he said. A lot of tenants had a plan for one month, its that second month thats going to be tough.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
'For them life is very difficult since there has been no universalisation of PDS.'

'And let's understand that there are people who need ration instead of cooked meals.'

IMAGE: Migrant workers gather outside the Bandra railway station in north west Mumbai on April 14, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

Shweta Damle, founder member of Habitat and Livelihood Welfare Association, an NGO, is actively engaged in providing migrant labourers with rations during the lockdown.

"A majority of migrant workers live in slums; slums are scarce in amenities as it is and to top it, being outsiders they are treated with suspicion and are not welcome in the community," Damle tells Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore.

What is the situation of migrants in Mumbai and Maharashtra right now?

They are going through a very difficult time.

In Maharashtra, specifically there has been no universalisation of ration (the public distribution system).

Food is a priority right now, ration is a priority, but that has not happened.

With the lockdown extended, they are finding it difficult to earn money.

Some of them have got wages for March, but they have got no word from their employers (about their salaries for April).

I am talking about the workers who are working and living on site in industrial estates and industries across Maharashtra.

And they are not daily wage workers; they are a separate group.

These are people who are working in small industries in the periphery of this city, the industrial hubs that are outside the city.

Then there are other people who are into construction work, but they are not associated or they are not registered under the construction workers's boards.

These are all migrant workers among whom there are also daily wage workers, there are head loaders and hawkers too.

Many of these are not organised. For them life is very difficult since there has been no universalisation of PDS (public distribution system). And let's understand that there are people who need ration instead of cooked meals.

They are not used to what the government is providing them at some places and by non-profit organisations. They are not used to eating khichdi every day.

Many of the migrants are from northern India where rotis are consumed as staple and their tastes are also different.

Every day consumption of khichdi is something which is not palatable.

Apart from that, a majority of these migrant workers live in slums; slums are scarce in amenities as it is and to top it, being outsiders they are treated with suspicion and are not welcome in the community.

Many of these are young, male migrant workers and there is a fear (about them). Even in many housing societies when there are a couple of bachelor men living in, people are a little wary of them for various reasons.

These young migrants too are facing the same problem. For such people amenities become even more scarce.

When they are working they go out, they use public amenities (like sulabh shauchalayas or bathrooms), but when they are in the lockdown where they are not allowed to move on that's the time it's becoming all the more traumatising for them because availability of water for them in the communities is less. Similarly, toilet usage is less.

I have known many people in Behrampada (a large slum colony outside the Bandra railway station on the east side) or Indira Nagar Pipeline (outside Bandra railway terminus on the east side) who used to go to the (Bandra) terminus to use the amenities their for bathing, for toilets.

So, it is juts not food, but sanitation and hygiene are also emerging as serious problems for the migrant communities living in slums.

What's the scale of this problem? How many migrants are stuck in Mumbai, Maharashtra, who want to go home or don't get enough ration?

This data is very difficult to get. First, for the primary reason that there is no proper documentation of these people.

If they were documented in some way, if the shops and establishments were registered of small enterprises (where these people work), they wouldn't have been so invisible. We don't know the quantum of them.

Where are these migrants concentrated in Mumbai or Maharashtra?

A simplistic answer would be where livelihoods are available.

But you will see a lot of migrant workers in Bandra especially engaged in tailoring; if you move a little ahead and go to Kherwadi (also in north west Mumbai) you will see a lot of migrant workers from Rajasthan, who are naka workers (daily wagers who stand at the nooks and corners of roads where contractors come and take them to different parts of the metropolitan Mumbai for doing jobs) engaged as masons in the real estate sector.

If you go towards the northern suburbs of Mumbai like Pathanwadi in Goregaon ( also in north west Mumbai) you will find this area full of construction workers from Rajasthan.

Then if you look at the Kurla (north east Mumbai) region, the migrants here work in the scrap industry.

Since a lot of construction activities were happening in New Mumbai, you will see a lot of migrant workers associated with construction.

If you go to Bhiwandi, Kalwa and Dahanu you will see a lot of industrial workers. Similarly, you will see a lot of industrial workers around Chakan in Pune.

The migrant workers from Pune and Aurangabad may not be directly employed in the automobile industry (both the regions in Maharashtra are major auto hubs with major automobile manufacturing plants belonging to national and multinational companies) but indirectly the unorganised sector supports the organised sector.

For instance, a lot of autorickshaw drivers from the unorganised sector ply passengers who come to work in the organised sector.

So, there's a symbiotic relationship between the organised and unorganised sectors.

What are the main demands of this floating migrant population?

Their main demand is they want to be repatriated to their homes across India. The state government for its part is just providing these people food.

Do you think the miserable conditions of migrant workers will deteriorate going ahead now that the lockdown has been extended?

Yesterday (April 14), the sudden gathering of thousands of migrants was not something which was planned.

Yesterday's gathering could also have been because a lot of people might have purchased (railway) tickets thinking the lockdown will get over on this day (April 14).

This is what I have heard from one of the labour union leaders. He told me that these people had purchased tickets for their return to their homes thinking that the lockdown would be lifted after April 14.

The other thing is that most of them are living on rent. But the ground reality is something different.

There is a possibility that many of them will be evicted (if they fail to pay rents. This fear too must be very dominant among the migrant population).

Today (April 15) one group of industrial workers from Dombivali (a town near Mumbai) called me to tell me that they want to register a case because their employers had not paid them wages for March, and they have been abandoned (by their employers).

Since I am not a lawyer, I connected them with a lawyer and they are going to take it ahead.
National capacity for coronavirus testing has topped 35,000 a day, but lack of demand meant fewer than 16,000 were actually being conducted daily, Downing Street has said.

The announcement comes a day after health secretary Matt Hancock denied missing a target of reaching 25,000 capacity by mid-April set by his own department on 18 March, and marks the first time that the figure has been met. But it still leaves Mr Hancock well short of the 100,000-a-day target he has set for the end of the month.

And a body representing biomedical scientists insisted that the barrier to testing was not lab capacity but a lack of testing kits and chemicals.

Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) president Allan Wilson said: The 17,000 NHS laboratory workers that I represent are increasingly expressing their frustration, he said.

They have applied themselves innovatively to increase Covid-19 testing capacity and have the platforms ready so that the NHS laboratories are able to meet the secretary of states ambitious target, but they are still not able to source the testing kits and reagents they require.

High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Show all 18 1 /18 High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Najaf, Iraq A man holds a pocket watch at noon, at an almost empty market near the Imam Ali shrine Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Bangkok, Thailand Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of The Grand Palace) Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Prague, Czech Republic An empty street leading to the historic Old Town Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Washington DC, US Lawn stretching towards the Capitol, home of Congress Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Jerusalem's Old City A watch showing the time in front of Damascus Gate Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world London, UK The Houses of Parliament seen from Westminster Bridge Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Wuhan, China Empty lanes in the city that saw the first outbreak of disease Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Havana, Cuba The Malecon road and esplanade winds along the city's seafront Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Cairo, Egypt A little busier than elsewhere: midday traffic in Tahrir Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Berlin, Germany The Brandenburg Gate, the only surviving city gate in the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Caracas, Venezuela Bolivar Avenue, opened in 1949 and the site of many demonstrations and rallies Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Moscow, Russia Spasskaya Tower (left) on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, and St Basil's Cathedral Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Istanbul,Turkey The harbourside Eminonu district is usually buzzing with activity Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New Delhi, India Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard that runs through the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Amman, Jordan The Roman amphitheatre that dates back to the 2nd century AD Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New York City, US The main concourse of Grand Central station in Manhattan Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Kiev, Ukraine Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the site of many political protests since the end of the Soviet era Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Accra, Ghana The odd walker out in the midday sun on Ring Road Central Reuters

Prime minister Boris Johnsons official spokesperson said that NHS, Public Health England and devolved administration labs are now able to conduct 20,771 antigen tests a day, while a further 14,300 can be carried out by commercial contractors in 26 drive-through facilities across Britain. But in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday, only 15,994 took place, including just 2,040 in drive-through centres.

The spokesperson said Mr Hancock had made clear that the reason why fewer than half the available tests were being conducted was lack of demand, not lack of capacity. He pointed to the fact that the country has just had a four-day bank holiday weekend.

The new figures were released amid growing political clamour over testing in care homes, after it emerged that just 505 care staff had received tests by Tuesday this week.

He said that more than 4,000 care workers have now been invited to get tested at drive-through centres, but was unable to say how many had taken up the offer.

In all, around 60,000 NHS and care staff and their close relatives have received the antigen test, which identifies whether they are currently suffering from coronavirus and is regarded as vital to allowing self-isolating workers to go back to the front line if it turns out that symptoms such as coughs are caused by an innocuous infection rather than Covid-19.

We have been very clear that where there is spare capacity available that should be used on NHS staff, on their families, and in social care, the spokesperson said.

Just 2,040 tests took place in drive-through centres in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday (Reuters)

Downing Street has said the government remains committed to achieving the target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of April.

The prime ministers spokesperson said: We are very clear that we want the NHS to be making use of any additional capacity which exists.

We have more to do in relation to testing. We need to reach 100,000 tests by the end of the month and that is what we are working hard on.

Testing is going to be hugely important to finding the key to unlocking the way out of this pandemic and we need to keep working hard at it.

Ministers hope that the establishment of new testing centres in Milton Keynes, Manchester and Glasgow will enable figures to be ramped up rapidly in the coming weeks.

But Mr Wilson warned the new mass testing centres, which are intended to deliver three-quarters of the 100,000 daily tests by the end of the month, could simply end up competing with existing NHS labs for chemicals.

These facilities would be a welcome resource and take pressure off the NHS if the issue around testing was one of capacity, he said.

However, we are clear that it is a global supply shortage holding biomedical scientists back, not a lack of capacity.

Mr Wilson said there was concern that mass testing centres may only serve to increase competition in a wild west testing scenario.

He added: The UK must avoid this for the sake of patient safety.

It is clear that two testing streams now exist: one delivered by highly qualified and experienced Health and Care Professions Council-registered biomedical scientists working in heavily regulated United Kingdom Accreditation Services-accredited laboratories, the other delivered mainly by volunteer unregistered staff in unaccredited laboratories that have been established within a few weeks.

Around 60,000 NHS and care staff and their close relatives have received the antigen test (Getty)

Firefighters could start taking samples for antigen tests under an agreement between unions, employers and fire chiefs.

An update to national agreements will now allow firefighters to drive ambulances to non-emergency outpatient appointments and to transport those in need of urgent care, said the Fire Brigades Union.
Instead of pickups, Toyota Motor Corp.s San Antonio plant currently is turning out plastic face shields as a community service  though most of its workers remain idled in a six-week shutdown.

Toyota spokeswoman Melissa Sparks said about 20 workers are producing the face shields, which the automaker initially is distributing to Bexar County first responders and area medical personnel.

The company began making the shields early this month.

The current crisis were all facing is a humbling experience, but rallying to support our first responders in San Antonio is something we can all agree needs to be done, said Kevin Voelkel, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas..

Toyota is planning to produce 30,000 face shields for local use and 40,000 for Texas. The state will determine where to distribute the face shields it receives, Sparks said.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

Toyotas sprawling South Side plant employs 3,2000 workers. The manufacturer closed the facility and its 14 other North American plants March 23 because of concerns about workers health and declining sales stemming from the coranavirus pandemic.

The company plans to reopen the plant May 4.

Nearly 400 local contract workers for Toyota, hired through staffing agencies, will be laid off next week. The bulk of Toyotas San Antonio workers are seeing a combination of paid leave and nonpaid furlough days during the shutdown.

The San Antonio plant manufacturers Tacomas and Tundras.

Toyota plans to invest close to $400 million largely to upgrade the plants production technology. But its plastic-shield making is low-tech.

We have the team members manually assembling the face shields, Sparks said. There is not a lot of machinery needed other than cutting the right shapes and sizes of materials.

She said the San Antonio plant can make about 6,000 to 8,000 face shields a day.

The automaker also is manufacturing face shields at its two plants in Kentucky and Alabama.

Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox

A Toyota supplier in San Antonio, Reyes Hayashi Automotive, likewise is producing face shields for first responders. A spokesman said 35 workers are making 20,000 a day.

Toyota officials also said Wednesday they are helping two ventilator manufacturers with efficiency improvements and have provided monetary support for their research and development. They didnt provide additional details.

The conversion of factories to produce ventilators has been a hot issue during the crisis. The Trump administration used a wartime emergency act to order General Motors to produce the machines.

General Motors has teamed up with ventilator maker Ventec Life Systems to produce the ventilators at its auto parts plant in Kokomo, Ind.

The plant is expected to manufacture 30,000 ventilators, with half to be delivered by the end of June.

Randy Diamond covers energy and manufacturing in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Randy, become a subscriber. randy.diamond@express-news.net
Will Waldron/Times Union

WASHINGTON  The White House has tapped U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, to join a task force with other members of Congress to plan the reopening of the economy.

The task force held an introductory call Thursday morning during which President Donald Trump gave remarks and lawmakers shared their priorities and concerns, a congressional staffer said.
Lakhs of ASHA workers, self-help groups and medical interns could indeed fortify our ranks to fight COVID-19.

As the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare expands preparations for COVID-19, a call has gone out to India's 11.57 lakh doctors  irrespective of specialization, and including retired doctors  and medical staff to join ranks against COVID-19.

A call has also gone out to other healthcare providers - from ASHA workers to medical college students. Lakhs of ASHA workers, self-help groups and medical interns could indeed fortify our ranks to fight COVID-19. Here's how:

1. ASHA workers

India already has a vast network of healthcare workers who are deeply entrenched at the local community level in our ASHA workers or accredited social health activists. As of January 2017, India had 8,82,947 ASHA workers.

Data show that ASHA workers have been an invaluable human resource in bringing down maternal and child mortality. To be sure, these women dont have medical training. Yet, armed with simple tools and guidelines, ASHA workers can increase public awareness around health issues, monitor health and offer basic services in the remotest parts of the country.

Steps to recruit these women in the fight against COVID-19 are already being taken by the health ministry. The ministry has released detailed guidelines for how they can help disseminate the correct information about coronavirus infection, dispel myths and refer cases for further clinical assessment.

2. Medical students

The health ministry has already taken steps to tap another extremely important human resource for healthcare in the country: our medical college students. (Data from the Medical Council of India show that 536 colleges offer MBBS programmes in the country, with 79,498 seats.)

To be sure, India isnt the first  or last  to tap its senior medical students and launch an appropriate response to end this pandemic. In other countries, medical students are helping in the assessment of suspected patients, collecting samples for testing, and looking after patients who need immediate assistance with a health problem other than COVID-19, among other crucial tasks. Our students could do the same.

India has three different types of centres to care for COVID-19 patients: COVID Care Centres for suspected patients and those with mild disease, Dedicated COVID Health Centres with assured oxygen support for moderate cases and Dedicated COVID Hospitals with ICU and ventilator support for severely ill patients. We will need people with medical knowledge to operate all of these stations. Medical students can also help with this.

3. Medical mentors

In an update on 12 April 2020, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Aggarwal said that the government had enlisted 14 institutes of national repute like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and NIMHANS to mentor medical students at government and private medical schools to help increase our medical capacity.

Indeed, the medical mentors from AIIMS and NIMHANS can help ensure that our medical students can help in the war against COVID-19 without endangering their own safety.

Another way in which medical mentors can help at this time is through teleconsultations with doctors and medical staff in B-towns and villages: Think of a general practitioner in a small village near Udaipur or outside of Madurai - this doctor, though qualified, has limited resources at her disposal. Having an experienced mentor to sound out ideas and work out problems could be immensely useful. This type of doctor-to-doctor consultation could help share and increase knowledge at a crucial time like this.

AIIMS is already running a 24-hour helpline for this.

4. Skilled and semi-skilled workers

Some of the interventions needed for the clinical management of COVID-19 are indeed technical. For this, our national skill development centres under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) could launch training in how to operate ventilators, give oxygen support, transport patients. At last count, there were 32,671 PMKVY training centres in India with 33,20,403 students enrolled. To be sure, these students were enrolled in programmes across sectors - from retail to the beauty industry. These new courses would be targeted to those interested in building a career in hospital and emergency work.

5. NGOs and volunteers

The World Health Organization has recommended that where COVID-19 patients are getting home-based care (recommended for around 80% of patients with mild infection), a healthcare worker should be assigned to assess the health of the patient and to verify if adequate arrangements have been made to care for the patient while observing all the precautions.

NGOs and community healthcare workers could perform this role of educating home-based caregivers. To give a small example, caregivers should be told that alcohol-based hand rubs are flammable. And though they should clean their hands before cooking, if they are using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, they should wait till the sanitizer has dried completely before they turn on the burner.

6. Volunteers

Volunteer groups are also assisting  medical and other support  in their respective capacities. For example, the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists is offering free (volunteer) phone consultations to people in need of psychological counselling and psychological first aid.

5. Self-help groups

With the minimal training and lots of quality control, self-help groups (SHGs) across the country could make parts of the personal protective equipment (PPE) kits. As of mid-April, SHG women had already made over one crore masks, according to health ministry data. Gowns, shoe covers and head covers can all be hand-stitched, provided the women in these SHGs are given proper guidance on how and materials  especially fabrics that are impermeable to bodily fluids like blood  to work with.

Women in these SHGs can also stitch face covers or reusable cotton masks that will be needed by more and more people as state governments mandate their use in public.

Rural Development Ministry data show that India has 64,40,212 SHGs - 63.67 lakh of them have more than five members each. That is roughly a workforce of 3.2 crore people!

For more information, read our article on How to avoid getting COVID-19 infection if you are a healthcare worker.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.
A woman who evaded arrest for three years on charges she sexually abused a pre-teenage girl could now spend more than a decade in prison, Lancaster County prosecutors said on Thursday.

Nicole Fritchlee was sentenced to 5 1/4 to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl for years, beginning when she was 7 years old. She also stood by while her husband abused the child, according to the Lancaster County District Attorneys Office.

The assaults happened from 2006 to 2008 at a West Hempfield Township home, authorities said.

Fritchlee pleaded guilty to four charges, including felony counts of sexual assault and unlawful contact with a minor.

She was charged with sexual abuse of a child in 2015, but fled the area and wasnt arrested for the accusations until 2018, when she was arrested under a false name in New Jersey for a domestic violence incident.

Her husband, Jason Fritchlee, is serving a state prison sentence for this case, as well as a separate conviction out of York County.

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Under a government directive, all studies on Covid-19 will need to be screened by central authorities. The government is attempting to control what is said about the epidemic and push through the idea that it did not originate in China. Wuhan's doctors were the first to be gagged.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - China is censoring scientific studies on the origins of the coronavirus, according to a government directive published - and then immediately removed - by the Fudan University of Shanghai and a university in Wuhan.

Under the new rules, any academic research on Covid-19 will need to be checked by a State Council working group before its possible publication. Since the outbreak of the pandemic in January, a series of articles written by Chinese scholars have appeared in the most prestigious international medical journals. In some of them, doubts arise about the official numbers of victims in China and how Beijing's leaders dealt with the emergency.

Speaking to CNN, a Chinese researcher claims that his government is trying to control what is said about the epidemic and pass on the idea that it did not originate in China. He maintains that this governmental screening jeopardizes the impartiality of scientific research in the country.

Beijing is accused of hiding the truth about the initial spread of the virus, gagging Wuhan's doctors, who first raised the alarm. Ai Fen, head of the emergency department of the central hospital in the capital of Hubei, was ordered to remain silent in order not to create panic. Ai, of whom nothing has been known since mid-March, has shared sensitive information with her colleagues. They included Li Wenliang, who then was arrested by the police for talking about the virus. Li died of the infection on February 7, followed by other doctors in Wuhan.
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Jubilant Life Sciences Limited on April 16 said none of its employees who had tested positive for novel coronavirus had travel history to China, refuting the claim made by a Karnataka government minister.

In a statement, the company said Patient 52, the first employee working in the Nanjangud facility in Mysuru to have tested COVID-19 positive, did not travel to China or on any overseas trip in the last six months.

"Further none of the employees tested positive so far travelled overseas in the last six months," the statement added.

The companys response comes at the back of Karnatakas minister in-charge of COVID-19 K Sudhakar's statement to India Today. In the interview, he had said one of the employees had travel history to China and the company failed to disclose the same.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

It is still not clear how Patient 52 contracted COVID-19. The results related to the imported raw materials from China, which were sent for testing, are yet to come, said Karnataka Health Commissioner Pankaj Pandey to media persons.

Earlier a Public Interest Litigation was filed seeking investigation into the root cause of the virus spreading.

What had happened?

The company came into spotlight when the Jubilant Life Sciences related cases, which now stands at 49, spiked after the first case on March 26. Post this, the company suspended its operations and more than 1000 of its workforce were quarantined.

Track this blog for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak

Last week, a petition was filed in the Karnataka High Court seeking investigation into the issue and accused the company of importing chemicals from China in air-conditioned containers, which in turn spread the virus.

In a statement, the company has also clarified that the chemicals were imported in regular containers with temperature above 32 degrees and the virus cannot survive more than 72 hours. It had taken the container more than three weeks for transit.

In Charts | Economic impact of lockdown on Centre and states

It would be premature for any conclusions to be made on the role of raw material in spread of the virus, the company added. The company is awaiting results of the samples taken by the government authorities.

The company manufactures essential medicines and drugs such as Azithromycin dihydrate and Azithromycin Monohydrate, which are used for treating bacterial infections such as respiratory infections. Jubilant Bhartia group is the parent company of the firm.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 16 (ANI): Police here arrested an accused, who is a COVID-19 patient, in connection with the attack on a doctor at Gandhi Hospital on April 1.



Following his arrest on Wednesday, the accused was produced before the court through video conferencing, according to a press note issued by the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City.

"The accused who had assaulted a doctor at Gandhi Hospital on April 1 has been arrested and produced before court through video conference because he is a corona patient. He is undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital," the release by Commissioner of Police, Anjani Kumar, read.

The release added that action had also been taken in connection with the incident at Osmania Hospital on Tuesday and the two accused who had fled the hospital had been nabbed and produced before the magistrate.

Through the official note, the Commissioner reiterated the stand that his department is committed to providing security to healthcare personnel and hospitals in the region. (ANI)


There has been widespread media coverage of the possible protection of the BCG vaccine, given to children in Ireland for generations, against coronavirus.

While the World Health Organisation has warned of the pitfalls of reading too much into studies into such protection provided by the BCG vaccine, a number of reputable researchers and professors from Ireland have suggested it could be a mitigating factor in Ireland's lower death rate compared to other countries.

The BCG vaccine was given to children in a national programme in Ireland until 2015. It started being given to babies in the 1930s and was introduced and administered as protection against tuberculosis. It was stopped here in 2015 by the Department of Health due to a global shortage. It was stopped in countries like the USA, Italy and the UK far earlier. The programme for BCG in the UK started later in the 1950s and ended in 2005.

A University of Texas study revealed last week that countries with longstanding vaccination programmes for the BCG had ten times fewer coronavirus cases than countries without such programmes. WHO has warned against taking explicit findings from studies like this with a wide range of confounding factors, including population age and testing capacity and rollout.

The Texas study also pointed to a lower death rate by a factor of 20 in countries with a BCG programme compared to those countries without.

Urologist Paul Hegarty of the Mater Hospital, Dublin, has said they did not expect to see such a difference in these results. He said results were similar in a recent New York study and that he was "heartened" by such findings. Clinical trials targeted at healthcare workers are already underway in Australia and the Netherlands.

It is not recommended that whole populations are given the vaccine until further testing has been done.

Having not been endorsed by WHO for the treatment of coronavirus, it is not clear if the vaccine will be rolled out, although these reputable studies appear to show it may have some effect in stemming the impact of coronavirus.

The WHO has issued a strong warning against the use of the vaccine for coronavirus until detailed studies have been carried out on its effectiveness.

The search for a global vaccine for coronavirus continues and could take between 12-18 months to reach populations.
By Chris Kahn NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Republicans in Wisconsin pushed through state elections last week in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, Jessica Jaglowski donned a protective mask and headed for the ballot box, determining her best shot at self-preservation was not to stay home but to vote Republicans out of office. Come November, when Republican President Donald Trump is up for re-election, Jaglowski, a 47-year-old Democrat in Milwaukee, says she will be even more determined to vote, even if the deadly virus continues to ravage her community

By Chris Kahn

NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Republicans in Wisconsin pushed through state elections last week in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, Jessica Jaglowski donned a protective mask and headed for the ballot box, determining her best shot at self-preservation was not to stay home but to vote Republicans out of office.

Come November, when Republican President Donald Trump is up for re-election, Jaglowski, a 47-year-old Democrat in Milwaukee, says she will be even more determined to vote, even if the deadly virus continues to ravage her community.

Hes half the reason were in this mess right now, she said, criticizing Trump for downplaying the threat of COVID-19 before it hit the country hard. If I have to wait in line for 12 hours, in a storm, I dont care. Im voting for whoever can get Trump out.

After three years in the White House, this much about Trump is clear: Those who want to deny him the presidency are much more determined to vote now than they were four years ago.

Democrats' intention to vote is also rising more than it is among Republicans, both nationally and in historically competitive battleground states like Wisconsin that Trump narrowly won in 2016, according to more than 66,000 U.S. adults who took the Reuters/Ipsos online poll in the first quarter of 2020 or 2016.

The highly motivated opposition is another sign of trouble for Trump, who saw his chief argument for re-election - a soaring economy and record-low unemployment - evaporate amid a health crisis that has put millions of Americans out of work.

Even before the pandemic, Trump struggled to woo independents and moderates he would need to win November's election, and recent polls showed Trump trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden by several points nationwide, as well as in battleground states such as Arizona and Michigan.

According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, 70% of Democrats said they were certain to vote in the upcoming presidential election, 9 percentage points higher than in the first quarter of 2016.

Among Republicans, the increase from 2016 was much smaller  3 percentage points  with 71% saying they will vote in November. https://reut.rs/2xrz5rx

Democrats have for years outnumbered Republicans in the United States but they also tend to be less politically active. Yet for the first time since at least 2012, nearly the same percentage of Democrats and Republicans said they planned to vote in 2020.

When the poll combined states that are expected to be especially competitive this year  Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Colorado  voting interest rose by 11 points among Democrats over the past four years, while it only rose by 3 points among Republicans. https://reut.rs/2RAj75j

To be sure, a lot can happen in the next seven months to change the publics interest in voting. The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately hit Democratic-leaning urban communities, and it is unclear how a continuing, or resurgent virus will affect turnout in November.

So far, people who support Trump are just as likely to be discouraged from voting during the coronavirus outbreak as those who oppose him, with the percentage of likely voters dropping equally, 8 percentage points each, Reuters/Ipsos polling from March shows.

All the conventional wisdom and research suggests that (Trump) is in very big trouble, said Maria Krupenkin, a political science professor at Boston College.

But that same research also said he was in a bad position before the 2016 election and Trump still won, Krupenkin said, referring to opinion polls that showed Democrat Hillary Clinton with a lead in the final few weeks before the vote.

ANGRY AND DISSATISFIED

The rise in political enthusiasm was on display in the Democratic presidential nominating contests this year. Turnout in many states such as Michigan, Virginia and South Carolina surpassed previous highs set in 2008, when Barack Obama made his

historic run for the presidency.

In state after state, large majorities of Democratic primary voters - around 60% - said they were "angry" with the Trump administration, while 30% said they were "dissatisfied," according to exit polls by Edison Research. Most of them said they voted for a candidate who they thought could beat Trump.

The intensity of Democratic political engagement is part of a broader, tribal mentality of negative partisanship that has been increasingly motivating voters for a half century, said Steven Webster, a political scientist at Washington University in St. Louis.

That anger runs both ways, Webster added, saying Trump was very capable of generating enough interest among Republicans over the next several months to nullify any Democratic advantage.

Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Trump's 2020 re-election campaign, noted strong turnout for the president at state Republican primaries this year even though he did not have competition.

"President Trumps supporters would run through a brick wall to vote for him," Murtaugh said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Biden's campaign, said he expected this week's endorsements by Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, and Senator Bernie Sanders, his former rival for the nomination, to further energize Democrats.

Another sign of Democratic enthusiasm came from Wisconsin where liberal judge Jill Karofsky scored an upset victory over conservative, Trump-backed incumbent Daniel Kelly in a state Supreme Court election in which she won some counties that voted for Trump in 2016.

Milwaukee's Janine Hedges, 50, was among thousands who waited in line to vote last week in Wisconsin, which also held a Democratic presidential primary. She cast her ballot for Sanders, who has since suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden. In November, she is ready to wait in line again - for Biden - regardless of the coronavirus.

"We just cant do four more years of this," she said. "Even though he is not my first choice, Biden is somebody who has a more benevolent side to him. We need that."

(Reporting by Chris Kahn; Additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Press Release

16 April 2020

The Future of Travel podcast series from Bangkok-based hospitality-branding agency, QUO Global is attracting global tourism and hospitality thought leaders as they consider the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on our industry.

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The loss of our freedom to travel has been a devasting blow for the industry, but for many consumers the psychological and social impact runs much deeper.

This was the key takeaway from Thomas Willms, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality - Germany's largest hotel group with brands including Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts and Jaz in the City - in the latest episode of QUO's new podcast series The Future of Travel.

Willms said that for those nations where outbound travel is a relatively new phenomena, today's sudden and abrupt restrictions are a painful rewinding of the clocks.

He explained that this is equally true of markets like China, a nation that has only in recent years started travelling internationally in larger numbers. Willms is one of a number of industry leaders who've been speaking to QUO CEO David Keen and Chief Branding Officer Catherine Monthienvichienchai.

"We've been talking to thought leaders from across the industry and everyone is talking about the need to embrace change as we shift from a pre to a post-Coronavirus world. But also about the insatiable curiosity of the global consumer. The overwhelming sentiment is that people will start travelling again as soon as it's safe to do so," said QUO's CEO David Keen.

Willms is one of a number of industry leaders who've been speaker to QUO CEO David Keen and Chief Branding Officer Catherine Monthienvichienchai.

CitizenM COO Michael Levie agreed: "I predict that there will be a time that everything is close to being back to normal. Because we have an eagerness to travel around the world.. .and conquer, so that will come back, I believe."

But he said we have to understand that this will take time, because no one has ever experienced or witnessed anything quite like this before.

"It's going to take a window of a year, 18 months, two years for us to see what normality looks like again. I think that time for recovery is going to be longer because the structural impact economically is so deep it will cripple many, and unfortunately will force them to close."

Nicolas Mayer, Managing Partner of PwC's Global Centre of Excellence for Tourism, argued that we need to use the time we have to plan, undertake scenario analysis, reflect, innovate and convert our service offerings to shape the new normal to our advantage.

"It is not a fatality for which we can wait until the governments tell us you may travel again and then it kicks-off on auto pilot and you go back to travelling again," said Mayer.

He believes that, for the foreseeable future, those in the mass market segment will struggle the most.

Bill Barnett and Anthony Lark of the Phuket Hotels Association agreed. "No one's going to want to spend a lot of time in places where there's thousands of people. The smaller and more intimate the destination, the more attractive it will be," said Lark.

Safety, hygiene and space will be key priorities in the short-to-medium term, while travellers will also gravitate towards brands where there is a sense of trust and an emotional connection.

"Short term, I think, over a two-year period, people will be very selective in where they go and who they choose to stay with. People will be very selective in terms of having an emotional connect or familiarity with a brand," said Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO of IHCL, parent company of brands including Taj, Vivanta and Ginger.

Whatever the timescale on recovery is, however, it is clear domestic - and then regional - travel will be the first to come back.

"The first test will be Mainland China towards Hong Kong I think that would be a very good sign. And then from there, a gradual increase with individual countries and routes opening up," said Langham Hospitality Group CEO Stefan Leser, who takes great hope from the green shots of recovery taking place in China.

PwC's Mayer agrees: "Domestic tourism is our lifeline to start ramping up the engine again or regional proximity tourism. That is going to be what will save us in the short-term and provide us with the cash infusions we need."

The latest episodes in QUO's podcast series The Future of Travel can be found at https://www.quo-global.com/podcasts/

CEO of Deutsche Hospitality Thomas Willms considers the difficulties facing consumers right now in a heightened era or border and state controls.
Four persons were injured as a mob tried to stop a medical team from taking a coronavirus-infected man into isolation and hurled stones at their ambulance in the Nawabpura area in Moradabad on Wednesday.

Moradabad/Lucknow: Four persons were injured as a mob tried to stop a medical team from taking a coronavirus-infected man into isolation and hurled stones at their ambulance in the Nawabpura area in Moradabad on Wednesday.

Police arrested 17 people including seven women allegedly involved in the incident, a Home department official said.

They have been booked under various sections of the IPC, the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and Epidemic Act, the official said. The FIR was registered at Nagphani police station.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said those behind the attack will face action under the tough National Security Act and the cost of damage to public property will be recovered from them.

Officials said a doctor and three paramedics were hurt and an ambulance and a police vehicle damaged in the stone-pelting.

Moradabad Chief Medical Officer Milind Garg said the mob suddenly appeared as the ambulance was driving away with a man who had tested positive for coronavirus and started pelting stones.

They tried to stop the medical team from taking him away, officials said.

Moradabad District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar Singh said the situation has been brought under control and police deployed in large numbers in the area.

Condemning the attack, Adityanath in a statement said the attack on policemen, health workers and those involved in the sanitisation campaign is an unpardonable and most condemnable crime. He directed the district administration to identify those responsible and deal strictly with them.
DOJ intervenes after Miss. church members ticketed $500 each for attending drive-in service

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Days after Mississippi Pastor Arthur Scott filed a lawsuit against the City of Greenville for issuing multiple members of his congregation $500 tickets for attending a drive-in service, the Justice Department intervened Tuesday in support of the church.

Attorney General William Barr argued that the city "singled churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all CDC and state recommendations regarding social distancing."

"The City of Greenville fined congregants $500 per person for attending these parking lot services  while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants, even with their windows open."

The Department filed a Statement of Interest to back Temple Baptist Church, which held a drive-in church service last Wednesday night, where people sat in their cars with their windows up in the churchs parking lot and listened to the pastor's sermon broadcast on a low-power FM frequency radio.

Scott had reportedly called Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons' office to inform them that they were holding the service on Wednesday "no matter what," according to the Delta Democrat-Times.

The police arrived and began issuing tickets.

Longtime church member Lee Gordon, told the publication that the church had been using the radio broadcast for about three weeks when the police intervened even though they were following social distancing guidelines.

The police were respectful and just doing their job, Gordon said. They asked us to leave first and those who stayed got a ticket.

While Barr said following directions issued by state and local authorities regarding social distancing is the best path to stop the spread of the coronavirus and that "the constitution does allow some temporary restriction on our liberties that would not be tolerated in normal circumstances," he stressed that "discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers" is still prohibited.

"As we explain in the Statement of Interest, where a state has not acted evenhandedly, it must have a compelling reason to impose restrictions on places of worship and must ensure that those restrictions are narrowly tailored to advance its compelling interest," Barr stated.

The Department argued in its statement of interest that "the city has the burden to demonstrate that prohibiting the small church here from holding the drive-in services at issue hereservices where attendees are required to remain in their cars in the church parking lot at all times with their windows rolled up and spaced consistent with CDC guidelinesis the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling interest. As of now, it seems unlikely that the city will be able to carry that burden."

During his Easter Sunday service broadcast on Facebook, Scott argued that many of his members are older adults with limited access to smartphones, the internet and social media platforms like Facebook to worship online the way many other churches do. And thats the reason why they chose to do the drive-in services as a safe and creative way to stay engaged.

The reason we do this is to reach those without smartphones," the pastor said. "Most of our folks, a lot of our congregation is an older congregation and so they have no access to the internet. We care about reaching all people with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ and in particular those in our very own backyard.

He told his congregation that he filed a lawsuit on Friday with the help of religious liberty advocate Alliance Defending Freedom.

We filed suit to protect our fundamental freedoms. Our fundamental right to worship our Lord and Savior. This has absolutely nothing to do with monetary gain. This has everything to do with our freedom. Nothing more, nothing less, Scott said.

Now I do not take such action lightly but my prayer is the city will rescind its ban on drive-in services without further court intervention and that other churches facing similar situations, which there are, both here and across the United States, will also have the freedom to worship today, so please be in prayer for our government officials. Please pray for those in positions of power across this nation. For our president. For our governor, for our mayor, for our city council and for all those helping during this difficult time.

Simmons announced on Monday however that the ban on drive-in services during the coronavirus pandemic would not be lifted, prompting a response from the ADF as well.

Its disappointing to see the city of Greenville continue this unconstitutional, unwarranted ban on drive-in church services," ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker said in a statement. "This church has taken on creative ways to minister to people in its community without access to social media. The citys order is baseless, and so we intend to continue aggressively pursuing our case against it in court.

Scott said that he was very encouraged by the support his church has been getting from Christians around the country and thanked them.

Weve had calls from Hollywood, California, all the way from there to New York, to Florida, to Colorado. Weve had Christians, preachers, missionaries, Christian works of all kinds, he said, noting they have been on the phone from morning till night.

After sending out a warning on Saturday, Barr reaffirmed on Tuesday that the "Department of Justice will continue to ensure that religious freedom remains protected if any state or local government, in their response to COVID-19, singles out, targets, or discriminates against any house of worship for special restrictions."
The biggest cargo ship to ever enter San Francisco Bay is here.

MSC Anna originated in Shanghai and was off the coast of Half Moon Bay at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. It will berth at the Port of Oakland this afternoon.

At 1,312 feet long, it outmeasures the 1,070-foot-tall Salesforce Tower, S.F.'s tallest skyscraper.

The monster vessel is also longer than America's largest aircraft carrier and among the most gargantuan ships in the world. There are about a dozen oil tanks that are bigger. It's about a meter shorter than the biggest container ship. It's bigger than CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, which came to Oakland in 2016.

The ship can hold 19,200 20-foot containers; the big ships that typically dock in Oakland are 1,200-feet long and hold 14,000 containers.

Port of Oakland spokesperson Mike Zampa said the ship is part of weekly service that runs between China and California and the Mediterranean Shipping Company, which owns MSC Anna, has used a larger ship for this run to pick up a backlog of empty containers in Long Beach. Typically, the larger ships are used for longer hauls between Asia and Europe for efficiency.

MSC Anna is delivering consumer products to Oakland. "Its carrying the things container ships always bring to the U.S.," Zampa said. "Most everything youre wearing, clothes and shoes, consumer electronics furniture, ceiling fans, components for factory assembly lines, toys."

Zampa said Oakland is preparing for more regular visits from the bigger ships.

"Oakland is ready," he said. "We can handle it. Were raising our cranes. Were buying new cranes so we can reach the tops of the ships."

Weve spent years, and millions of dollars keeping ahead of the pace of trade and the size of ships, added the Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan. Were ready for the MSC Anna and well welcome her back any time.

To prepare for the arrival of MSC Anna, San Francisco's bar pilots who guide the ship into the bay underwent special training at the Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo.

"That extra 100 feet and the greater width is a challenge," Zampa said. "They work on computer simulations to prepare."

While the Port of Oakland remains an essential service during the COVID-19 emergency and the shelter-in-place order, cargo volume is down 11% and Zampa said it's a sign of "the drag on the economy." The Port of Los Angeles is seeing a more drastic decline at 30%.

"Theres less demand," Zampa said. "Its reflected in the shipping lines."

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.
Islamabad, April 16 : Around 58 per cent of Pakistan total coronavirus cases are locally transmitted, data released by the National Command and Operation Centre revealed on Thursday.

As of Thursday, the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has increased to 6,865 with 128 deaths.

During March, when the pandemic began spreading in the country, Pakistan's number of imported coronavirus cases, a large chunk of which came from Iran, was higher than locally transmitted ones, Dawn news quoted the Centre as saying.

But as imported cases began slowing as the government suspended international flights on March 21, reports of infected patients with no travel history began making the rounds.

By April 12, the Prime Minister's Assistant on Health, Zafar Mirza told media that around half of Pakistan's total positive cases were infected through local transmission.

Coordinator for National Emergency Centre on Polio Rana Safdar told Dawn news that the country's polio surveillance system will now be used to trace coronavirus cases, as it was the most effective virus detection system in place in the country.

According to Ministry of National Health Services Spokesperson Sajid Shah, Pakistan conducted 5,540 coronavirus tests on Wednesday.

This is the highest number of tests conducted over a 24-hour period in the country.

On an average, Pakistan conducts 2,500 tests in a day.

Shah told Dawn news hat Pakistan's total number of tests stood at 78,979, adding that as the number of tests conducted rises, so will the number of positive cases.

"In fact, the government's aim is to conduct 25,000 tests daily by the end of April and predictive modelling shows that in that case 1,000 new cases will be reported daily in the country on average," he said.
Netflixs Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness has been the TV hit during the coronavirus pandemic as it exploits the seedy and chaotic operations of a roadside zoo and its unsavory characters.

But can Joe Exotics wild man career become a teaching tool for responsible zoos nationwide? The head of the Birmingham Zoo, the states only zoo accredited through the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, believes so.

A place like Tiger King is not providing the amount of conservation and preservation (accredited zoos) are doing around the world, said Chris Pfefferkorn, who became president and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo in 2018. What Tiger King has done is given us an opportunity to educate folks on what they are visiting.

He said the opportunities exists for zoos and aquariums to promote themselves as accredited by organizations like the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Birmingham Zoo is the only one in Alabama with the accreditation.

There are 240 of us around the world that provide over $200 million in conservation, said Pfefferkorn. By visiting AZA accredited zoos and aquariums, you are supporting animals around the world. Tiger King is giving us a chance to educate people around that.

The AZA, in a statement about Tiger King, said their organization is the best positioned to lead an educational effort that draws clear distinctions between malignant actors and responsible parties.

Our community stands for excellent animal welfare and care; we do not hybridize animals to produce carnival freaks with no conservation value; we oppose private ownership of dangerous exotic animals and the illegal and unethical trade and commercialization it supports, the groups statement says.

Reputable zoos

Animal rights groups are also saying the popularity of Tiger King can go a long way in promoting the accredited zoos and ending the practice of human interaction with wild animals. The show is one of Netflixs most popular releases that was viewed by over 34 million people in the first 10 days of its release last month while many Americans were beginning to follow strict stay at home orders by U.S. governors.

The Tiger King documentary follows the career and personal life of Oklahoma-based zookeeper Joe Exotic. It highlights the underbelly of exotic animal trade and the operations of roadside zoos in the U.S.

It is critical that people understand the difference between reputable zoos and roadside zoos, legitimate sanctuaries and pseudo-sanctuaries, said Debbie Leahy, senior strategist of Captive Wildlife at the Humane Society of the United States. Reputable zoos and sanctuaries operate in accordance with professionally developed standards for animal care, physical facilities and other aspects of operation.

Animal rights groups are also hopeful that the shows popularity will lead to backlash against tiger cub interactions at zoos that are not accredited by the AZA. Some zoos, in recent years, have done away with the practice. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo in Gulf Shores, in 2016, ended the practice of handling the tiger cubs following the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a notice that wild cats should no longer be hands-on attractions at zoos.

Hopefully, the popularity of Tiger King has made the breeding and exploitation of big cats viewed as unacceptable by a growing number of people, who will choose to donate to legitimate sanctuaries instead of patronizing shoddy zoos only out to make a quick buck at the expense of animals, said Ben Williamson, program director with the World Animal Protection U.S.

Martin Lewison, associate professor of business management at Farmingdale State College in New York and an expert on the theme park industry, said that the smallest, private for-profit zoos (similar to Joe Exotics attraction in Oklahoma) are the most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdown. He said a worst-case scenario would see many of these roadside zoos filing for bankruptcies and starting a scramble to find forever homes for the animals.

He said that Tampa, Florida-based Big Cat Rescue, a big cat rescue sanctuary  which was prominently featured on Tiger King and is owned and operated by animal rights activist Carol Baskin  is now living only on donations and whatever revenues it can earn from its YouTube channel.

Hell holes

Joe, a Chimpanzee born in 1989 is pictured in his enclosure at the Mobile Zoo in Wilmer, Ala., on Thursday Jan. 28, 2016. Joe who is originally from California, was on commercials and in the movie "Buddy." He lived at the Mobile Zoo for 17 years before he was moved to a sanctuary in Florida before the zoo closed in 2016. (file photo)

Roadside zoos have long been targeted by groups like PETA, which routinely lists the worse of them on their website, and labels them as hell holes. Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma  The infamous zoo featured in Tiger King, currently closed during the coronavirus pandemic  is among those targeted by PETA.

The popularity of Tiger King has shown more people the sordid truth about how big cats are treated in roadside zoos, said Williamson, with World Animal Protection.

Alabama has had its controversies with roadside zoos before. In 2016, federal authorities with the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the closure of the Mobile Zoo in Wilmer following inspections that revealed the animals living in poor housing and receiving a lack of veterinary care. The Mobile County Animal Shelter was able to place the animals in new homes, including Joe, a chimpanzee that was placed at the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Florida.

The zoos administrator, John Marks Hightower, was arrested and charged with 28 counts of animal cruelty. He eventually pleaded guilty to 14 of those charges, was sentenced to $3,500 in restitution and two years probation. He was also agreed to never professionally own animals again.

Another roadside zoo closing in recent years, following PETA complaints and USDA involvement, was McClellands Critters in Banks, just east of Troy.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to China's diplomat to underscore the Trump administration's demand for "full transparency and information sharing" from China about the origins and spread of the novel coronavirus, his spokesperson said.

Pompeo's phone call to Yang Jiechi, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, came a day after US President Donald Trump announced to halt the funding to World Health Organization alleging that it sided with China on the coronavirus issue and mislead the world.

The Secretary stressed the need for full transparency and information sharing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent future outbreaks, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Wednesday.

Pompeo has repeatedly accused Beijing of covering up the scale of the coronaviurs outbreak in the early days in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

During the call, he also noted the aid the American people delivered to the people of China in January - and continue to offer - and the high importance the US attaches to China's facilitation of medical supply exports to meet critical demand in the United States.

The US has over 639,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and over 30,900 deaths.

The two sides confirmed their commitment to defeat the COVID-19 outbreak and restore global health and prosperity, Ortagus said.

Pompeo stressed the need for full transparency and information sharing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent future outbreaks, the department said in a statement.

Earlier, Pompeo told Fox on Tuesday that China did not give Americans access when it was needed the most in the beginning of the outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Pompeo also criticised the WHO for taking an awfully long time in declaring the COVID-19 a global pandemic. The deadly disease has infected over 2,072,000 people and killed 137,600 people across the world.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
High, thin clouds streamed over northern California much of Tuesday, bringing slightly cooler weather, but it was still a beautiful day. A Pacific trough will approach Wednesday, but we will not expect any rain or snow.

Severe Radar Temperatures
Hyderabad, April 16 : Islamic scholars from all schools of thought on Thursday appealed to Muslims to offer prayers during the holy month of Ramadan at their homes in view of the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus.

Ulemas and Muftis, in their joint appeal, urged the community to offer 'Taraveeh' prayers at their homes.

They also advised members of the community to eat 'Sahr' (pre-dawn meals for fast) and 'Iftar' (breaking the fast) at their homes. They were urged not to go to the mosques for 'Iftar'.

The community members have also been urged to not host or attend Iftar parties and to give away the money so saved to the poor and needy for their basic needs.

Keeping others' necessities in view and as per their affordability, Muslims shall give 'sadqa' and 'khairat' (alms) to the deserving persons and institutions, they said.

The Ulemas and Muftis also appealed to the people to follow the instructions given by the government to observe the lockdown. They should also follow the advice of health and medical experts and adopt preventive measures, especially social distancing, strictly.

"While staying at home, the Muslims shall offer prayers, observe fasting (roza) and perform 'Taraveeh'. They should refrain from holding 'ijtemas' (gatherings) for Taraveeh and recitation of the Holy Quran. At their homes, Muslims shall offer Duas and Durood-e-Shareef, take up reading of the Holy Quran and do penance (Astagfar)," said a joint appeal.

In the Shariah, responsibilities and duties are assigned and at the same time, exceptions and concessions are given during extraordinary circumstances.

They appealed to the Muslim community to offer special Duas to earn the mercy of Almighty Allah.
By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 24 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on April 16.

The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Homeless men sit in a bus as he is being evicted with other homeless people and migrant labourers from the banks of Yamuna River where they have been squatting during the lockdown in New Delhi. (Image: AP)
If you havent tuned in to watch episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, with Jerry Seinfeld, youre missing out on a good laugh. The comedian and sitcom star launched his series with the intention of spending time with fellow comedians over coffee for a candid chat and a cruise around town in a featured car. One episode notorious for hilarity stars Seinfeld and funny pal Trevor Noah. Noah humorously cracks jokes in a roasting fashion, and also discusses some of his history in South Africa, making this episode one of the best.

Trevor Noah | Rich Fury/FilmMagic/Getty Images

The Trevor Noah episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

It was back in 2015 when South African comedian Trevor Noah took a tour around Brooklyn, New York, with Jerry Seinfeld. Their chariot for this episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee was the stylish 1985 Ferrari 308GTB. They sat down for coffee at a venue called One Girl Cookie in Brooklyn. It was a pivotal point in Noahs career at the time, as he had just been appointed as the new host of Comedy Centrals The Daily Show. He shared his enthusiasm for having received the call, although he mentioned it was an inconvenient time because he was driving in Dubai at night. He had to pull over where he said he no longer had legs because of the news. He went on to laugh about being stuck in a place where finding a celebratory drink was nearly impossible.

Trevor Noahs career

Trevor Noah shared his excitement about taking the reins for Jon Stewart at the helm of The Daily Show, a job for which he never imagined hed be considered. The comedian has plenty of successes under his belt, both then and now, including three nominations for Emmys since he took over the Peabody Award-winning show. Noah has a roster of comedy specials, including Afraid of the Dark, Trevor Noah: Lost in Translation, and Trevor Noah: African American. Noah was nominated for Personality of the Year at the 2014 and 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards and won in 2015.

His upbringing in South Africa

TOMORROW: @TheDailyShow host @TrevorNoah joins @CBSThisMorning to talk about "The Daily Social Distancing Show," which will now air on @ComedyCentral, and the power of humor during this time of #coronavirus.



Tuesday on @CBS. pic.twitter.com/l5BS2fdk8e  CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 23, 2020

Trevor Noah has maintained a budding career in comedy, despite having grown up during a time when free speech was illegal in his home country of South Africa. He shares his experience with Jerry Seinfeld, and while funny, still a sobering reminder of tough times in his past. Noahs experiences are better fleshed out in his book, where he discusses poverty, bizarre tales of survival, and more. His perspective now on his success indicates he knows and respects his roots and past experiences, good and bad. To which, Jerry Seinfeld admirably responds, Youre gonna do just fine. You are a purebred, in reference to how his potentially mixed ethnicity wouldnt replace Noahs authentic and pure comedic heritage.

The roasting that had fans laughing out loud

Awkward silences. Souvenir shopping. Comedians in Cars has something for everyone. Now streaming on @Netflix. pic.twitter.com/0WfD605NIr  Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) July 17, 2018

The episode with Trevor Noah and Jerry Seinfeld wasnt all serious talk. In fact, most of the conversation and banter was hilarious. While discussing his biracial upbringing in South Africa, Noah also roasts Seinfeld allowing the episode to hit all the comedic parts. He jokes with Seinfeld about fairly common and well-known events, like the concept of apartheid. The episode itself is called, Thats the Whole Point of Apartheid, Jerry. Some say the best line of all was Noah saying, you have the humility of a colonizer.

When two hugely successful comedians sit down for coffee and take a drive in a Ferrari, fans know its about to be a good time. With his episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, viewers learn a little more behind Trevor Noahs journey to success, and of course, had a good chuckle as well.
Barely six weeks ago, Brexit was the biggest threat to our national prosperity.

Then the other unmentionable landed on us all from on high.

But despite disappearing from public view, Brexit is not dead - it has merely been sleeping amid coronavirus.

Those laid low included Brussels's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who has emerged from self-isolation as an ambitious programme of EU-UK talks was knocked sideways.

Now they are trying to put things back on track as British and European Union officials have agreed three new rounds of post-Brexit trade talks from next week onwards.

Notably, Mr Barnier and his UK counterpart, David Frost, did not mention the idea of postponing the end of Britain's EU exit transition beyond the increasingly fictional deadline of December 31.

"The two sides agreed on the need to organise further negotiating rounds in order to make real, tangible progress in the negotiations by June," their joint statement read.

They described their video conference as "constructive".

The London and Brussels negotiating teams will be back on the dreaded video link next Monday.

Their job, as always of keenest interest to Ireland both north and south, remains to frame a working relationship on trade and other matters between the EU and the UK in a post-Brexit world.

The rounds of talks will continue, starting next week, and lasting roughly a week each.

After the start next Monday, they will continue in the weeks from May 11 and June 1.

There will follow an additional "high-level" meeting sometime in June to "take stock" before they formally decide whether a delay is in fact necessary.

The EU is ready to give an extension of the standstill transition of anything up to two years beyond December 31 next.

That would be a godsend for everyone involved in Irish farming and business generally.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly insisted there is no question of the UK remaining under EU rules after December 31.

But a quick deal before this year ends always looked unlikely at very best and impossible to honest observers.

The coronavirus epidemic has nailed the door shut on the outside possibility of even some kind of scrambled deal this year.

Under the Brexit withdrawal agreement, the sides must decide on a delay of a year - or up to two years - before the end of June.

As we have learned in this Brexit process, either a EU-UK deal or a delay would mean serious trade disruption, with Ireland the meat in the sandwich.

As if to emphasise the intervention of coronavirus, UK negotiator Mr Frost was also driven into self-isolation.

That was dwarfed by the UK's Mr Brexit, Boris Johnson himself, being more grievously stricken and obliged to spend three nights in intensive care.

But even though the negotiators are fully recovered, and Mr Johnson also apparently o n the mend, the sides will remain far apart both literally and politically.

Their video-linked talks are a metaphor for how differently the sides view where this one should land.

Brussels officials say EU post-Brexit fishery rights to UK waters - something which is worth up to 500m a year to Ireland - are still derailing the whole process.

London is trying to negotiate a series of packages in different domains such as fishing, goods, aviation, justice and energy among others.

But EU leaders want a single overarching structure for ties with the former member.

Irish and French officials insist fisheries rights cannot be isolated.

All European economies are taking a massive hit from the global pandemic and the lockdowns.

That has to shift the UK negotiating stance.
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Global Load Cell Market was valued US $ 1.99 Bn in 2017 and is anticipated to reach US $ 2.70 Bn by 2026 at a CAGR of about 3.4% during a forecast.



The report on a  Load Cell is segmented by Technology, by Type, and by region. Based on Technology Load Cell Market is divided into Analog Load Cells and Digital Load Cells. Based on Type Load Cell Market is bifurcated into Single-point, S-type, and Shear Beam. Based on End-User Load Cell Market is divided into Healthcare, Agriculture Equipment, Aerospace & amp; Defense, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Bulk Material Handling, and Retail. Regionally into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & amp; Africa, and Latin America.

Request For Report Sample @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/11061

Load Cell is mostly demand in the healthcare industry. Medical devices and equipment including implantation pumps, dialysis machines, and surgical instruments among others are expanding the interest for load cells. The key factor behind the augmenting usage of load cells in the medical and healthcare industry is a development of hemodialysis machines including home haemodialysis (HHD). It usually drove by developing patient populace, substitution of existing HHD machines among others. HHD machines serve just one patient but increase the requirement to expand interest for load cells. Load Cell Market shows sustainable growth in testing applications across the aviation and the aerospace industries across the world.



Analog load cells segment is dominating the Load Cell Market. According to 2015, an analog load cell is accounted to a dominant revenue share of more than 80% in the Market. However, in the upcoming years, the demand for digital load cells is expected to increase remarkably in heavy lifting applications in the forecasting period.



Single Point Load Cell segment is dominating the Load Cell Market. These Single Point Load Cell hold much more processing power at US$ Million in 2017 and is projected to reach US$ Million by 2025. Also, hold highest CAGR during the forecast period.



Automotive, oil and gas, and mass material handling enterprises are accounted the largest Market share in Europe owing to the prolonged utilization of these cells. While North America is the fastest-growing regional Market for load cells in the field of healthcare, defense, and the oil and gas sectors.



Europe holds the major share of Load Cell. Europe is expected to grow at high CAGR during the forecast period. The high usage of these cells in the oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and defense, and bulk material handling industries has been boosting this regional Market substantially. According to 2015 record, Europe Market for load cells contributed US$561.2 Mn in revenue. The second largest and fast-growing regional Market for load cells is North America. The U.S. is expected to lead the North America Market for load cells and followed by Mexico and Canada. Also Asia Pacific Market for load cell shows healthy growth over the next few years.

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Honeywell International Inc., Vishay Precision Group Inc., Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH, Flintec Group AB, OMEGA Engineering Inc., FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology Inc., Zhonghang Electronic Measuring Instruments Co. Ltd., Yamato Scale Co. Ltd., Novatech Measurements Ltd., Thames Side Sensors Ltd., Mettler Toledo International Inc., Precia Molen, Flintec Group AB, Honeywell

Scope of the Global Load Cell Market

Global Load Cell Market by Technology:

Analog Load Cells

Digital Load Cells

Global Load Cell Market by Type:

Single-point

S-type

Shear Beam

Global Load Cell Market by End-User:

Healthcare

Agriculture Equipment

Aerospace & amp; Defense

Automotive

Oil & amp; Gas

Bulk Material Handling

Retail.

Global Load Cell Market by Region:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & amp; Africa

Latin America

Key Players analyzed in the Global Load Cell Market:

Honeywell International Inc.

Vishay Precision Group Inc.

Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH

Flintec Group AB

OMEGA Engineering Inc.

FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology Inc.

Zhonghang Electronic Measuring Instruments Co. Ltd.

Yamato Scale Co .

Novatech Measurements Ltd.

Thames Side Sensors Ltd.

Mettler Toledo International Inc.

Precia Molen

Flintec Group AB

Honeywell

Make an Inquiry before Buying @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/11061/Single
Exclusive: Ukraine ready to ban wheat exports if necessary - official FILE PHOTO: Wheat field is pictured in Kiev region

By Pavel Polityuk and Sergei Karazy

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine, one of world's top grain exporters, is ready to ban wheat exports if sales exceed limits agreed with traders, the deputy economy minister in charge of agriculture told Reuters on Wednesday.

Any further restrictions of Ukraine's grain exports could speed up trade from Black Sea producers Russia and Kazakhstan, depleting their grain export quotas earlier than anticipated.

Ukraine has exported 18 million tonnes of wheat so far in 2019/20, leaving an additional 2 million tonnes available for export over the rest of this season that runs until June 30, in line with a memorandum signed with traders.

"If the pace of exports becomes such that we are exporting 2 million tonnes in April, so, as we agreed (with traders) and warned - we will have to implement the paragraph of the memorandum to stop exports," Taras Vysotskiy told Reuters.

"So far, the pace that we are tracking looks like we are not going to exceed these 2 million tonnes," he said in a video interview.

Ukraine's wheat harvest largely exceeds domestic consumption, but last month Ukrainian bakers and millers asked the government to limit grain exports to maintain bread prices.

The government said it would curb the export of some food products but so far has only halted foreign sales of the popular staple buckwheat. It has also asked parliament to approve lifting import duties on some cereals.

Disruptions to the supply chain caused by the coronavirus prompted neighbouring Romania to ban cereal exports to non-European Union destinations.

Last week Russia agreed to limit grain exports to 7 million tonnes from April to June to conserve supplies for the domestic market during the coronavirus outbreak.

Although the amount is roughly in line with what the country was expected to ship anyway in the period, Russia's online calculator http://mcx.ru/ministry/departments/departament-ekonomiki-investitsiy-i-regulirovaniya-rynkov/industry-information/info-netarifnaya-kvota-na-zernovye-kultury shows that, as of Wednesday, only 4.8 million tonnes of grain remains available for export from the quota until June 30 and 2.2 million tonnes are already declared for export.

Story continues

Kazakhstan opted to limit exports to 200,000 tonnes of wheat and 70,000 tonnes of flour in April, although it has said it could increase the quotas in the coming months.

Looking ahead, Vysotskiy said Ukraine's 2020/21 wheat exports could fall sharply to 12-15 million tonnes from around 20 million in 2019/20 following a reduction in the sowing area caused by poor weather.

DRY WEATHER AND FROST

Ukraine has imposed strict lockdown measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, but Vysotskiy said the restrictions had not affected the spring sowing, which had taken place at an even faster pace than a year ago.

Ukraine harvested a record 75.1 million tonnes of grain in 2019 and exports could reach an all-time high of 52-55 million tonnes in the 2019/20 season which runs from July to June, Vysotskiy said.

However, after a record harvest last year, the minister said a lack of rain during sowing late last year and unfavourable weather conditions this spring would lead to a smaller wheat harvest and lower exports.

"We had three very dry months and high temperatures and frosts. It rained across all Ukraine, which improved the situation a bit, but of course we will not match the record harvest this year," Vysotskiy said.

Ukraine had sowed 2.7 million hectares of spring crops as of April 10, or 18% of the expected sowing area of 15.3 million hectares.

Vysotskiy said the forecast for the grain harvest for 2020 has repeatedly changed depending on the weather. It is now at 65-67 million tonnes but may drop to 60 million tonnes if the weather deteriorates.

(Additional reporting by Polina Devitt; editing by Barbara Lewis and David Evans)
Crystal Crawford, 34, loves her job as a social worker at a nonprofit private school for children who have experienced homelessness. But the pay has never been enough to live on in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, so Crawford has always nannied for up to 10 families at a time, taking care of kids after school, on parents date nights, during school vacations and more.

A lot of hourly workers look like me, and unfortunately, when they get rid of those jobs, people are having to seek resources from the government or from food pantries, Crawford told Al Jazeera. People who thought they had it all together  right now, were struggling to maintain our households.

Crawford also runs a small business that pairs families with nannies. The money she earned caring for children herself used to bring in an extra $900 to $1,200 per month, she said, in addition to the $45,000 she makes per year as a social worker.

But the coronavirus pandemic has caused her childcare work to dry up completely, and her social workers salary is not enough to cover almost $1,400 in rent, plus utilities and food, per month. She is also faced with the uncertainty of when her school will reopen, and whether a full-time social worker will be part of its distance learning plan if kids cannot go back to their classrooms.

The cost of living is super high in Atlanta, and to just have one-third of your salary gone on the drop of a dime, thats a hard hit for someone, she explained.Every day, were just hoping to keep our doors open, hoping that the kids get to go back to school in August. Everything is just kind of up in the air right now.

Crawford is far from alone. Women are a huge part of the workforce responding to the coronavirus pandemic, but on average, they are paid less than men and poised to lose more from the continuing economic fallout, according to an analysis by the World Economic Forum.

Part of it has to do with the jobs women fill, but the gender pay gap and the large burden of unpaid childcare and housework also play a role, said Caitlyn Collins, an assistant professor of sociology at Washington University in St Louis.

Womens disproportionate burden for caregiving hinders their ability to participate fully in the paid labour force. This is true in the best of times, and especially true, and dire, in times of economic crisis, Collins told Al Jazeera.

Women also hold a disproportionate share of jobs in the care and service sectors  especially women of colour  so theyre at the front lines and in the trenches of the coronavirus pandemic, she added.

Women comprise 70 percent of health and social sector workers in 104 countries, according to a 2019 report from the World Health Organization, and contribute $3 trillion per year to global health, half of which is in the form of unpaid care work.

But on average, women healthcare workers earn 28 percent less than men and are less likely to be employed full-time, according to the WHO. Both of those factors make women more likely to feel the effects of the coronavirus recession more acutely.

People who thought they had it all together - right now, were struggling to maintain our households Crystal Crawford, social worker and part-time childcare provider

Well-worn path of inequality

Of course, it is not just healthcare workers who are on the front lines of the crisis  grocery store workers, domestic workers, delivery people and transit workers are all still working outside their homes, and many are women and people of colour, said Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive-leaning US think tank.

Some of the front line workers are going to be disproportionately Black and brown people  people working in grocery stores, transportation, public transit, lots of different sectors  and theyre continuing to work, Gould told Al Jazeera. At the same time, we know that Hispanic workers and Black workers are much less likely to be able to telework, so that tells you about the kind of jobs that they have and their ability to weather this storm from a health security standpoint or a financial security standpoint.

And while unemployment has soared across the United States in every demographic, initial data suggests that women are more likely to lose their job at this time, and thats somewhat due to the types of jobs that are being lost, which include jobs in the service and care sectors, Gould said.

In some of the states hardest hit by the coronavirus  including New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia and Minnesota  unemployment rates for women surged between 13 and 35 points above average figures during the last two weeks of March, according to data obtained by journalists at the nonprofit Fuller Project.

That is a contrast to the 2008 financial crisis, which first impacted industries that mostly employed men, said Gould.

The Great Recession, to a large extent, was driven by initial losses in manufacturing and construction, which are dominated by men, she said. These sectors that are being hit first and hardest now are not the typical sectors. So its not just that you might have women being hit, its that youre having more low-wage workers being hit, and thats an important distinction.

Among those low-wage workers are the USs 2.2 million domestic workers, who care for children and the elderly, cook, clean and perform a variety of other household tasks. Some 91 percent of them are women, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, and many are women of colour and immigrants.

Since domestic workers have never had a social safety net  including paid time off, living wages and health insurance  that makes them even more vulnerable in a crisis, said Haeyoung Yoon, the senior director for immigration policy at the nonprofit, National Domestic Workers Alliance.

The coronavirus pandemic is travelling the well-worn path of inequality, and we are already seeing that low-wage workers, and women low-wage workers in particular, are hit the hardest, Yoon told Al Jazeera. Poverty and gender inequality will be a decisive factor in how this virus will spread and its long-term effects.

The coronavirus has already taken a major short-term toll. A recent survey by the National Domestic Workers Alliance found 72 percent of domestic workers had no work for the week beginning April 6, a 9 percent increase from the previous week.

And while the median wage for domestic workers is just $10.21 per hour, the same survey found that 77 percent of domestic workers are their familys primary breadwinners. The coronavirus crisis has the potential to thrust entire households into poverty.

Many domestic workers earn poverty wages, work with no job security, and no safety net, Yoon said. Domestic workers cannot telework from home. They must still go to work. But, for nannies and house cleaners, they are experiencing sudden and devasting unemployment or underemployment.

It's not just that you might have women being hit, its that youre having more low-wage workers being hit, and thats an important distinction Elise Gould, senior economist, Economic Policy Institute

Working more  for free

Women also do the lions share of unpaid care work at home, including taking care of children and the elderly, cooking meals and cleaning.

Globally, women perform 76.2 percent of unpaid care work, more than three times as much as men, a 2018 report by the International Labour Organization found, and unpaid care work is the main barrier preventing women from getting into, remaining and progressing in the labour force.

Even in families that are used to dividing up tasks more equitably, if a father earns more at his job, a mother might be expected to spend more time caring for or homeschooling kids during the pandemic.

Women working full-time in the US earn roughly 82 cents to every dollar a man earns, according to the US Census Bureau. That gender pay gap becomes even more pronounced for women of colour, with Black women earning only 62 cents on average compared to every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man earns, and Hispanic women earning only 54 cents.

Because the gender wage gap exists, it could be the case that if somebody has to cut their hours to take care of these things, then its more likely going to be the woman, Gould said.

Uncertain future

All of it makes for an uncertain economic future for many women.

Crawford said she has no childcare work lined up, and only two of her 10 regular clients have reached out to ask her how she is faring in the crisis. None of them have continued to pay her, even though she had standing appointments with many of them.

But the crisis might mean going back to being a full-time nanny, even though Crawford has a masters degree.

We dont know when the kids are going to go back to school, so we cant really plan for August right now. Its unpredictable because we might be doing distance learning until God knows when, Crawford said. Im thankful that if this all tumbles down and Im no longer able to work at the school, that Im able to get a full-time nanny gig once the pandemic is over.
Shes a single mother with a 3-year-old whose father is in prison for robbery, a full-time cosmetology student trying to finish school and get a better job. And here she was, confronting a pregnancy she didnt want.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her privacy, tried for weeks to get an abortion. But she lives in Texas, one of a handful of states that have moved to ban the procedure under the false, political pretense that pregnancies can be put on hold without consequence until the coronavirus pandemic ends.

In fact, the restrictions do more to harm women than to ease the pandemic.

Some desperate women are seeking abortions in other states, traveling hundreds of miles during the very period we should be hunkering down at home. Others wait as their pregnancies progress  for how long, no one can say. Its not as if they can wait forever.

Many of the abortion bans contain expiration dates; Texas ban expires next week. They should not be renewed.

For now, the bans are wending their way through the courts, and some have been temporarily blocked. The Texas restrictions have bounced back and forth between a federal judge, who has tried to restrain them, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which twice propped them up. After abortion providers asked the Supreme Court to weigh in, the appellate court on Tuesday agreed to permit medication abortions, which are induced with pills and, in 2017, comprised a little less than one-third of the abortions in the state. Surgical abortions are banned, with few exceptions.

The restrictions were instituted by Gov. Greg Abbott and other abortion opponents under intense pressure from anti-abortion groups that are using the pandemic as their latest excuse to chip away at a constitutional right. Their argument  that abortion uses masks, gloves and hospital beds needed for COVID-19 patients  is specious on its face.

Abortion doctors normally dont wear masks and each procedure utilizes just two pairs of gloves, says Daniel Grossman, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco. Although doctors must wear masks now, they use far fewer during abortion procedures than when treating women who proceed to give birth, an obvious outcome of extended bans.

Abortions also do not take up sorely needed hospital beds. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services reported that just 89 of the nearly 54,000 abortions performed in 2017 took place in hospitals. Nationally, just one-tenth of 1 percent of abortions result in emergency room visits, according to a Brown Medical School study.

On the contrary, banning abortion could send more women to hospitals either to give birth or to treat complications brought on by some types of self-induced abortion. Grossman worries that women who no longer have access to safe abortion might resort to ineffective or dangerous methods, like throwing themselves down stairs or inserting objects into the uterus.

There also are serious societal risks.

When black and brown women have continued unintended pregnancies, it increases generational poverty, said Marsha Jones, CEO and co-founder of the Afiya Center, which helps black women in Texas gain access to reproductive care.

Thats what the 25-year-old cosmetology student is trying to avoid. She decided to have an abortion early on, but encountered obstacles: Her current partner pressured her to change her mind, and she didnt have the several hundred dollars necessary to pay for the procedure. She vacillated, trying to make her partner happy, and the delay proved costly. As the weeks passed, the price for the procedure escalated to $3,100, and she struggled both to cobble together money from three nonprofits to pay for it and to get into one of Texas few remaining clinics.

Eventually, she nabbed a March appointment in her hometown of Dallas. Then the ban took effect, and her procedure was abruptly canceled.

I was in shock, she told me on the phone.

Two weeks ago, she made plans to travel, with her partner and her daughter, 645 miles to a clinic in Albuquerque, N.M. On the day they were supposed to leave, her partner refused to drive her. She doesnt have a license. Another week went by.

The woman forged ahead and was able to have an abortion in Albuquerque last week. Her pregnancy had progressed to one week beyond Texass abortion cutoff of 20 weeks gestation.

I had a lot of goals set for myself before I got pregnant, and I want to stick to my goals even though its taken me a while to get my procedure, she said.

She acknowledged that some people  including her parents, who didnt know about the pregnancy  would judge her harshly. Just 1 percent of abortions in the United States occur after 21 weeks. But delays are not uncommon among women who have difficulty scraping together money for their procedures, especially in states such as Texas that have enacted laws that constricted the number of abortion providers. Black women, like the cosmetology student, are saddled with greater stigmas, and their parenting choices have long been politicized, said Jones of the Afiya Center, which helped pay for the womans abortion.

And, of course, thats exactly whats happening now. Womens choices are again being politicized, this time in the face of a deadly disease. The abortion restrictions have forced women to wait several weeks or more, pushing many into their second trimesters and compelling some to take potentially grave risks. This is no meaningless delay.

If the governors who are bending to political pressure really want to reduce the risk of COVID-19, they might urge the Food and Drug Administration to follow the lead of the United Kingdom, which has agreed to temporarily allow women to take abortion pills at home after consulting their doctors via video or phone. But the governors wont do that; anti-abortion activists wont let them.

Indeed, in response to COVID-19, Abbott has made it easier for doctors to practice telemedicine so patients dont have to leave home.

But abortion patients dont have that option. To receive pills, they have to leave their homes. To undergo surgical procedures, most have to leave their state. They risk contracting or spreading the virus  which is exactly what Abbott and other governors should be trying to prevent.

Enda is a senior fellow at Center for American Progress. A Houston Chronicle editor spoke with and confirmed the unnamed source in this story.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/4/2020 (636 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Talk, as the old folk wisdom reminds us, is cheap.

Most times, this hoary adage is unholstered as a criticism, an admonition that deeds  not words  are required to achieve a desired outcome.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister seems to have concluded that if he keeps talking about the small-business sector's importance to Manitoba's economy, he won't have to spend any actual provincial-government dollars supporting local enterprises driven to the brink of insolvency by the forced closures deemed necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus.

But here in Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister seems instead to be banking on the phrase as an economic truism that will backstop his strategy for surviving the fiscal impact of COVID-19. Bluntly stated, the premier seems to have concluded that if he keeps talking about the small-business sector's importance to Manitoba's economy, he won't have to spend any actual provincial-government dollars supporting local enterprises driven to the brink of insolvency by the forced closures deemed necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Mr. Pallister, whose oft-repeated hardscrabble-roots mythology includes references to his entrepreneurial success and ardent support of small-business ambition and work ethic, has inexplicably decided at this survive-or-die moment for many Manitoba companies that the province will not offer a financial lifeline to those at greatest peril of financial failure.

In maintaining this position, Mr. Pallister leaves Manitoba as an outlier in terms of direct provincial aid to augment the federal support measures unveiled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. To date, the province's support for small business has come in the form of property-tax deferrals and other middling measures requiring no cash outlay from government.

The mind reels.

During the past week, the premier has spoken repeatedly about small business being the backbone of Manitoba's economy. In this regard, he is correct. Its importance to the province's overall financial well-being cannot be overstated.

But many small businesses operate on the thinnest of margins, and when the province mandates closure of all non-essential enterprises, the loss of day-to-day activity pushes those businesses toward or beyond the financial brink.

The federal government was relatively quick to act with its $82-billion relief package, but many small businesses do not qualify for the supports it offers. Other provincial governments have introduced measures to fill the gaps in order to ensure local operators that fall through the federal-program cracks find a regional safety net waiting below.

In Manitoba, Mr. Pallister's response this week was to introduce an information service to help local businesses fill out the paperwork to apply for federal-support funds.

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In other words, not much immediate help with the whole sinkorswim thing.

That's a bit like encountering someone thrashing madly in the water in the middle of a Manitoba lake, and instead of tossing a life preserver in their direction, handing them a cell phone and the number of a boat dealership in Ottawa.

In other words, not much immediate help with the whole sink-or-swim thing.

But the lack of direct-aid action is very much in keeping with this premier's approach during the pandemic, which has also included lobbying  under threat of layoffs  for reduced-work-week concessions from public-sector employees (a.k.a. small-business customers) and a high-profile announcement Wednesday of (up to) $1 billion in "additional spending authority" (read: not actual spending) to assist the province's COVID-19 fight.

As he continues to espouse an "all hands on deck" approach to the pandemic crisis, it's time for Mr. Pallister to use one of his hands to open the province's wallet. There are businesses and people in desperate need of cash assistance, right now.

Denying them aid in order to mitigate COVID-19's longer-term impact on the province's bottom line is a strategy that will break the effusively complimented backbone of Manitoba's economy. Talk might turn out to be very expensive, indeed.
When he returned home from the hospital after treating patients with coronavirus, Dr Jesus Monllor Mendez received an unwelcome surprise.

A note pinned to his door read: Hello neighbour. We know about your good work at the hospital but you should also think of your neighbours. There are children and old people. Professionals are staying at a hotel. While this lasts we ask you to think.

It was a less than subtle hint to leave.

At first I felt bad and a sense of sadness. Then I thought whoever put it up must be scared or needing psychological help to get through this, Dr Monllor tells The Independent.

Until that moment, like most doctors in Spain, he had been used to the unstinting support of a grateful public who cherished the way health workers risked their lives to try to save patients struck down with Covid-19.

Millions of Spaniards take to their balconies every night to clap for doctors and nurses on the front line of the battle against coronavirus, which has killed more than 19,000 people in the country.



However, as some struggle to cope with the fear and distrust which the pandemic breeds, doctors, nurses and supermarket workers have been targeted because a minority of people fear they run a higher risk of catching the pathogen from frontline workers.

Some have been asked to leave their homes, found their doors daubed with bleach or even been spat at.

Dr Monllors angry mother posted the neighbours letter on Facebook and it was shared by 20,000 angry supporters of the doctor.

Clara Serrano del Rey was working on a unit at a Madrid hospital where she was treating patients with coronavirus so took all the precautions to distance herself from her three flatmates.

The 31-year-old nurse developed symptoms of the virus last month and four days later she tested positive for the pathogen. She was already self-isolating when she informed the landlord and flatmates by WhatsApp.

The landlord told me immediately that I have to leave the apartment, that I was selfish because working in that unit, and that I knew I was going to get infected, says Serrano.

I have no interest in finding out who put up the sign. There are not many people like this in Spain. The positive response says more Dr Jesus Monllor Mendez

The police had to come along to explain to him that he could not just throw me out, but he insisted. I understand the fear people have. I would have left the flat anyway, but it was the manner in which this man asked me which left me feeling so bad.

She adds: I have been working in hospital to care for people who have the virus and I always kept my distance from people in the flat. Most people are applauding us every night so this was no doubt an exception.

Luckily, the nursing union Satse found her a place at a hotel in Madrid.

Serrano, who worked at Leeds General Infirmary for four years between 2014 and 2018 until she returned to Spain, has now recovered from coronavirus.

She is now in self-isolation at her parents house in Quintanar del Rey in Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain while she recovers and finds a new nursing post.

Maria Pilar Allue, deputy director of Spains national police, has condemned attacks on essential workers as hate crimes.

They are reprehensible and can be prosecuted, she told a press conference this week.

Miriam Armero Marin, a supermarket worker in Cartagena, southeast Spain, also received a blunt message pinned to her door from neighbours because they feared her contact with customers put them at risk.

We are your neighbours and we want to ask you for the good of all that you find another house while this goes on because we have seen you work in a supermarket. A lot of people live here. We dont want risks.

Furious, she responded with a video message on Facebook: Less applause at 8pm and a little bit more empathy for people who have to work and have family. The video went viral with 700,000 likes.

I am not leaving my house. I know what I have to do when I get home from work. I cannot kiss my son until I have changed my clothes, she told Cadena Ser radio station.

Ricardo Campos, an ophthalmologist at a hospital in Valencia, is among a series of leading medical figures who signed a petition against the stigmatisation of essential workers.

They are people who are risking their lives in the front line and do not earn huge amounts. These incidents are unfortunate but in the minority, he wrote.

Serrano says she has had many messages of support since her story emerged.

Likewise, Dr Monllor, 28, who works at Hospital Mancha Centro de Alcazar de San Juan, near Ciudad Real in central Spain, says he would rather cherish the support he has received than condemn the individual who put up the poster.

I received letters offering me a place to stay, food, emotional support. The mayor thanked me for my work at the hospital and they put up a sign which read Here is a hero, he says.

I have no interest in finding out who put up the sign. There are not many people like this in Spain. The positive response says more.
LAUSD Supt. Austin Beutner gives a tour of a food distribution location at John Liechty Middle School in downtown Los Angeles on March 17. (Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: Sandy Banks quotes Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Austin Beutner as asking, "Are you a Hatfield or a McCoy?" as a way to describe factionalism in the district.

I have been teaching at John Marshall High School for the last 25 years. If you asked me in early March what Beutner and I had in common on education, I would have said, "I am a Hatfield, and he is a McCoy."

For six days in January 2019, I stood in the rain and chanted for his downfall. I have publicly decried his leadership. I have knocked on doors in my neighborhood to make sure that the Board of Education had more Hatfields and fewer McCoys.

But since district campuses closed on March 13, I have found myself supporting Beutner's leadership. The food banks, the focus on PBS' educational programming, the effort to connect our neediest students to the internet, and his collaboration with the teachers union have made clear to me that Beutner and I do have quite a bit in common.

We both want L.A's children to return to their education as soon it is safely possible, and with a connection to their schools and teachers that stands the test of this pandemic.

Michael Finn, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: L.A. Unified has announced that no students will receive any grades of F on their spring report cards.

When I was a kid, teachers could issue a grade of "incomplete" (I got one once and had to do some makeup work). Couldn't we do something like that for students affected by school closures?

Teachers could issue an "incomplete" grade, provide a mechanism to complete the lessons and then issue a final grade.

David Olsen, San Diego
China on Thursday dispatched 650,000 coronavirus medical kits to India to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Ambassador to Beijing Vikram Misri said. Over two million test kits being procured from China will be sent to India in the next 15 days, he told PTI here.

"IndiaFightsCoronavirus A total of 650,000 kits, including Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits have been despatched early today from Guangzhou Airport to India," Misri tweeted on Thursday.

As its factories resumed operations after over a two-month grim battle against the coronavirus, China is busy tapping into the vast business opportunities of export of key medical goods, especially ventilators and personal protection equipment (PPE), across the world, including India, where both private and government bodies are placing orders for the import of these products.

Two major consignments of medical kits were reported to have been sent to India from China earlier as part of efforts to step up testing specially in hotspots during the current lockdown in the country. India has extended its ongoing lockdown to fight the coronavirus till May 3. It has reported 414 deaths due to the disease and 12,380 people have been infected by the disease in the country.

Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown India Live Updates: China dispatches 6.5 lakh testing kits to India; total cases-12,380

Considering the importance, Misri said the Indian Embassy is facilitating commercial procurements besides coordinating flight linkages for their timely arrival in India. On Tuesday, Misri told media here that India has placed orders to procure 15 million personal protection gear from China for medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients besides three million testing kits.

The orders are being placed with bonafide firms with the help of the Chinese government. "I think facilitation of our needs and our requirements in a timely manner, in a smooth manner, on a predictable timeline at prices that are stable and orderly, would be the best signal possible to send for the India-China relationship," Misri said.

As demand for Chinese medical supplies scaled up due to the spread of the virus in several parts of world, China on Wednesday asked all the countries to import these items through reputed Chinese firms cleared by the government and vowed to punish those involved in counterfeit behaviour.

Responding to questions about quality concerns raised by several countries related to medical equipment imports from China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Wednesday that the Chinese government is facilitating the orderly exports. "We hope foreign buyers can choose products from companies that have been accredited by Chinese regulators with good production credentials," he said.

Also read: Coronavirus: 72 quarantined after pizza delivery person tests positive in Delhi

INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic.
A cross-regulation between inflammatory signaling and energy metabolism during influenza virus infection. Credit: Shi Liu

A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in China and one in Germany has found evidence that suggests high glucose levels may explain why some flu patients have worse symptoms than others. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes their work with mouse models and flu patients and what they learned from it.

As the global pandemic has unfolded, medical workers and researchers have noted that patients who have diabetes tend to have worse outcomes than people with no underlying health issuesthe same has been found to be true for patients with influenza infections. In this new effort, the researchers sought to better understand why such patients are more susceptible to an inflammatory response that can lead to pneumonia and death.

Prior research has shown that when the influenza virus (or the SARS-CoV-2 virus) makes its way into the human body, the immune system responds by sending immune cells to the site to combat the threat. Cytokines are produced as part of the response. Their job is to handle cell-to-cell communications. In some people, though, the body produces too many cytokines, resulting in a cytokine storm, which can lead to very serious problems such as pneumonia or organ failure. Unfortunately, medical scientists have not been able to figure out why they occur in some patients but not others. In this new effort, the researchers suspected that heightened levels of glucose in the bloodstream might play a role. The researchers injected flu-infected test mice with glucosamine to see if it resulted in an increased chance of cytokine storms and report that it did.

Another part of the study involved analyzing blood samples drawn from 119 influenza patients at two hospitals in Wuhan, China, prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. The team then compared what they found with blood drawn from healthy people as part of normal blood drives. They focused their efforts on both cytokine and blood glucose levels to see if they could find a pattern. They found that those patients with higher glucose levels were more likely to undergo a cytokine storm. They suggest their findings explain why patients with diabetes are more likely to experience cytokine storms and to have worse outcomes with flu (and possibly COVID-19) infections.

Explore further Bioengineer explores selective immunosuppression to calm cytokine storms

More information: Qiming Wang et al. O-GlcNAc transferase promotes influenza A virusinduced cytokine storm by targeting interferon regulatory factor5, Science Advances (2020). Journal information: Science Advances Qiming Wang et al. O-GlcNAc transferase promotes influenza A virusinduced cytokine storm by targeting interferon regulatory factor5,(2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz7086

 2020 Science X Network
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) authoritatively declared on Wednesday night that the American people understand that the economy needs to be reopened very soon and that when that happens, the deadly coronavirus is gonna spread faster.

Appearing on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight, Kennedywhose home state has been one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemicinsisted that social-distancing restrictions need to be quickly reversed because very soon, the can is going to run out of road.

After asserting that the world economy would soon collapse if the United States isnt opened up in the near future, the Louisiana lawmaker went on to claim that nationwide shutdowns did not stop the spread of virus.

I wish it had, he added. But its too late for that. The shutdown slowed the spread of the virus at enormous cost, but it still spread.

Fox News

Because, according to Kennedy, social-distancing guidelines and widespread closures didnt slow the expansion of the virus enough, it will spread much faster when those measures are pulled back, he said.

Thats just a fact, he asserted. And the American people understand that.

The conservative senator went on to say that somebodys got to make the call on how the country goes about reopening, noting that it cant be in the middle of a hot spot and that potentially high-risk people should be encouraged to quarantine.

But, you know, this is like choosing between cancer and a heart attack, he continued.

Kennedy also took issue with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who had preceded him on Carlsons program and recommended that the economy stay closed until July to help stem the spread of the virus.

Do you really believe the American people are going to stand for that? Kennedy exclaimed. They are not. They are not. Theyre going to go back to work.

The senator, meanwhile, said he didnt want to hear any sophomoric accusations that he is morally tainted if he doesnt want to see the economy crash, adding that while he values life, this is a question of making a hard decision with cold, hard facts.

Story continues

The American people get it, he concluded. Weve got to reopen, and when we do, the coronavirus is gonna spread faster, and weve got to be ready.

Host Tucker Carlson, who has been one of the loudest Fox News voices calling on President Donald Trump to end the shutdowns, applauded Kennedy for his stance.

Yep. You know what kills more people every year than coronavirus? A lot more. Poverty, he reacted. Poverty kills people in massive numbers, we should remember that. Senator, thank you for those wise words.

According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, 28,364 Americans have died from coronavirus and 637,359 have been infected. In Kennedys home state, there have been nearly 22,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,100 deaths.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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[April 16, 2020] Patrick Carroll Issues Challenge to Business Leaders to Personally Open their Wallets to those Affected by Covid-19

In a time of enormous uncertainty and anxiety, individuals have found new ways to connect through digital platforms, brands have realigned their messaging, products, and focus to support local communities, and the government continues to look for novel ways to keep the economy afloat. For CARROLL, this brand realignment did not need to happen because it has always been a part of who we are. When the Bahamas was ravaged by Hurricane Dorian, CARROLL stepped up to make a large donation. When CARROLL CEO and Founder, Patrick Carroll, attended a meeting to learn more about The Heart Fund, he immediately committed to a large donation. And every year, each of our communities across the United States identify local charities to get involved in. Those have included The Ronald McDonald House, Boys and Girls Clubs, Make-a-Wish Foundation, and many more. Now, CARROLL and Patrick Caroll are stepping up again to help make a difference in the lives of those affected by Covid-19. CARROLL is making a donation to the food bank in each city in its eastern and western footprints and sending meals to healthcare workers on the front lines. Food scarcity affects some of the most vulnerable populations, and especially in times like these, when schools are closed and kids rely on getting nutrition from their school meals, it's important to do our part.



"I'm a father of 3 young boys, so the thought of families being unable to provide for their children by no fault of their own pushes me to act. Those who are able to do so are morally obligated to support our essential workers on the front lines. They're risking their lives each day to provide care for those infected with Covid-19. As a survivor of the disease, I can attest to its severity, and meals are a small consolation for the care they're providing." - Patrick Carroll, Founder and CEO of CARROLL In addition to the work of CARROLL to support local communities, Patrick Carroll has issued a public challenge to all business leaders to make a personal donation to help make an impact in the communities around them. He started the challenge with a $100,000 pledge to help any family struggling due to the disease and asked other leaders to open up their wallets to do the same.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005648/en/

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[April 16, 2020] Air Force Awards Contract for GURU to Put the Simple in Simulation

LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MSBAI, an Air Force Techstars 2020 company, has been awarded an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 contract to examine integrating the GURU technology to Air Force applications. Engineers use computer simulations for anything from airflow over wings to thermal analysis of the hot section in gas turbines. The problem is the simulation software is too complicated to learn so they're not getting the most out of it. MSBAI created GURU, an AI-driven assistant that learns to run the complicated software itself so you don't have to  minimizing the human workload needed to translate engineering questions into computational workflows. With cloud systems already offering the compute power of government supercomputers from not long ago, it takes more time to set up a structural/thermal/fluid/trajectory analysis than it does for the cmputers to run them. The newest exascale, and coming quantum systems will require this kind of AI layer for humans to be able to keep up.



There are numerous dual-use applications that come from enabling more engineers to use the best design & analysis software and deploy it at high performance computing scale: manufacturers stand to gain a 500-to-1 return on investment, and the DoD will save billions of dollars in aircraft sustainment and gain advantages in rapid reaction. GURU's commercial deployment is SaaS B2B, and it will be a game-changer for remote work. "As an engineer who struggled with these overly complicated simulation software packages myself, I felt the pain that GURU relieves," says Warren Katz, Managing Director of the Air Force Accelerator Powered by Techstars. "The award of this Phase I SBIR to MSBAI will ultimately enable engineers throughout the DoD that are working on our toughest problems in hypersonics, quantum computing, heat transfer, optics, electromagnetics, fluid mechanics, etc. to make many more trials per day and enable many more engineers to use these impossibly complex tools."

MSBAI is a privately held small business located in Los Angeles, CA, developing the cognitive AI assistant for engineering: GURU. AFRL and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process in an attempt to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Beginning in SBIR 18.2, and now in 20.1, the Air Force has begun offering 'Special' SBIR topics that are faster, leaner and open to a broader range of innovations. Contact:

Allan Grosvenor, CEO

[email protected]

310-954-2049 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/air-force-awards-contract-for-guru-to-put-the-simple-in-simulation-301041778.html SOURCE MSBAI

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Concerns circulate whether crew aboard the International Space Station could have been infected with coronavirus prior to a launch, after a senior Russian official present tested positive.

Deputy head of Energia Rocket and Space Corporation Evgeniy Mikrin tested positive for the virus following his attendance of the launch of the Soyuz MS-16, at Baikonur Cosmodrome , southern Kazakhstan, on April 9.

Mikrin, 64, also chief designer, shared a three-hour flight beforehand with the head of Russia's State Corporation for Space Activities (Roscosmos), who later broke social distancing by standing too close to the astronauts.

The crew aboard the Soyuz MS-16 include two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut.

Evgeniy Mikrin (pictured) tested positive for the virus following his attendance at the launch of the Soyuz MS-16

Mikrin and Rogozin (left) sat together separated by glass from the three astronauts shortly before blast off

Mikrin flew from Moscow to the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan, with the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin.

Both men also sat together in a meeting room separated by glass from the three astronauts shortly before blast off.

Rogozin supervised the April 9 launch.

Rogozin, 56, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, was later seen standing near to the Soyuz MS-16 crew during a farewell ceremony, once with a mask and once without.

He was also pictured as part of a group not adhering to social distancing - which included the astronauts - moments before launch.

Rogozin (left) as part of a group not adhering to social distancing moments before launch

Rogozin (far left) greeting the Soyuz MS-16 crew without wearing a face mask

Rogozin (left), this time wearing a face mask, and the Soyuz MS-16 crew

This, after being in close proximity to Mikrin who later tested positive for coronavirus.

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, also did not have their faces covered at the ceremony.

Pictures do not show Mikrin close to the Soyuz MS-16 crew.

However, he would later take two tests for coronavirus, both coming back positive. He is among 30 Russian space personnel with the virus.

'He was on the same plane with the head of the state space corporation Dmitry Rogozin, who was later talking directly to cosmonauts,' said newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets.

'It is not clear where exactly he could have got infected with coronavirus.'

Rogozin (right, in mask) seeing off Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner

The launch

Russian officials said 'extraordinary measures' were taken to avoid the space station becoming contaminated.

NASA astronaut Cassidy said the crew had been in 'very strict quarantine' the month before the launch, adding: 'We all feel fantastic.'

Crew commander Ivanishin said: 'We've been completely isolated at this final stage of training.'

Mikrin is self-isolating at home with 'no clinical symptoms'. Rogozin is not believed to have tested positive for the virus.
Bloomberg  28 

-- omicronCovid50Most Read from BloombergCypriot Scientist Says Deltacron Covid Variant Isnt ErrorEurope Slowly Starts to Consider Treating Covid Like the FluRepeat Booster Shots Spur European Warning on Immune-System RisksStocks Halt Five-Day Rout After Powells Remarks: Markets WrapSingapore Breaks Down Covid Deaths by Vaccine, With Moderna Seeing Lowest Rate
Its not necessary to require employees to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to work, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

In a letter sent out to employers across the state, the DSHS said it was receiving reports of employers requiring employees to a provide negative COVID-19 test. The guidelines from the Texas Workforce Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration dont require it.
The US government is handing out cheques of $1,200 to its citizens to help people mitigate the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. However, some Americans are surprised to find out that the amount has been disbursed even for people who are dead, USA Today reported.

Congressman Thomas Massie, Representative of the 4th district of Kentucky shared a screenshot of a conversation he had with his friend, whose father received the stimulus amount of $1,200. The individual had died in 2018. Massie said, "This is insane, but just the tip of the iceberg."

Ok this is insane, but just the tip of the iceberg. This is a direct text to me from a friend. I called to confirm this actually just happened. pic.twitter.com/GBRPcmYMXW - Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 15, 2020

Financial adviser Scott Salaske also took to Twitter to talk about someone who received the stimulus cheque for $1,200 as well as for the deceased spouse. "Is the government that desperate for people to spend money?" he said.

I know someone who received their $1,200 #StimulusCheck today & also received $1,200 for their deceased spouse who passed in early 2018, which was clearly indicated deceased on their 2018 tax return. Is the government that desperate for people to spend money?#StimulusChecks - Scott Salaske (@scottsalaske) April 15, 2020

Many wondered if the government would now take the cheque back. Nina Olson, founder of Center for Taxpayer Rights told USA Today that the government would not take the amount back. She said that the payments are based on the taxpayers' returns for 2019, or 2018 if they are yet to file. Individuals who died in this period would receive the amount. Moreover, if a person files jointly the year their spouse dies, they would be eligible for their spouse's amount.

Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown Live Updates: Lockdown not a solution to COVID-19; only pauses spread; says Rahul Gandhi

Malcolm Sparrow, professor of public management at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government explained to USA Today that payments might happen because government's data is not updated. Malcolm also theorised that there could be cases of fraud as well. "When you create a system where you can submit a claim electronically and it gets paid electronically, you open up the door for massive computerised fraud," he said.

It is still unclear whether the government would take the amount back. IRS is still to issue guidelines for payments sent in error.

Also read: Private hospitals in trouble: Footfall crashes due to coronavirus fear; occupancy level falls 40%

Also read: Coronavirus: Zomato, Domino's issue clarifications after pizza delivery boy tests positive

INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic.
Researchers from Ghent University, Belgium, together with researchers from the University of Turku, Finland, have developed a new method for biomarker discovery of urological cancers. The method enables timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Urological cancers include e.g. prostate, bladder and kidney cancers.

Biomarkers are biological signatures in the body that can indicate the presence of cancer. A promising source of new biomarkers are extracellular vesicles. These are microscopic vesicles that are released by cancer cells into biological fluids, such as urine.

Detecting and examining these vesicles in urine has an enormous potential for developing new tests for early detection of urological cancers. However, research related to this is still in its infancy." Bert Dhondt from Ghent University

To date, no sufficiently effective method exists for separating extracellular vesicles from urine. Such method would be essential for investigating these vesicles and using them in patient diagnostics and treatment. This means that extensive laboratory research into these promising biomarkers has not yet been translated into new urine tests which can help patients. The recently published study addresses this problem in several ways.

New 'toolbox' helps mapping the composition of extracellular vesicles

Researchers concluded that the currently used methods for separating extracellular vesicles from urine are not optimal for detecting new cancer biomarkers. Therefore, they developed a new 'toolbox' to map the composition of urinary extracellular vesicles.

This 'toolbox' consists of a novel method, developed at Ghent University, to separate extracellular vesicles from urine with high purity. In addition, researchers at the University of Turku were involved in developing a method for determining the protein composition of the vesicles.

We have the know-how and the world's top equipment here at the University of Turku for determining the protein composition of biological samples, whereas the researchers at Ghent University represent the very top in extracellular vesicle research. Therefore, the distribution of work was very clear from the beginning, notes Docent Pekka Rappu from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Turku.

Researchers applied this new method to urine samples from patients with prostate, bladder and kidney cancer. They established that extracellular vesicles in urine carry protein signatures specific to the various urological cancers. Using this new toolbox, the researchers were also able to map the protein composition of urinary extracellular vesicles in unprecedented detail.

Results can accelerate the development of new tests

Extracellular vesicles are increasingly being recognized as promising cancer biomarkers. Thanks to this recent research, scientists now have access to a new 'toolbox' that brings us one step closer to the development of promising new urine tests.

- In the future, the results of the study can aid patients with urological cancers through faster diagnosis and timely treatment, sums Bert Dhondt.

This research was carried out by the Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research and the Urology Department of Ghent University Hospital. The research was supported by an international collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Turku, Finland.
Lagos Portugal The world is a big place, and there are scores of beautiful beaches where retiring and living the good life is within anyones reach. And now is the perfect time to start preparing to visit the dream spots when travel resumes.

Most people who dream about retiring at the beach assume they cant afford it, says Dan Prescher, senior editor at International Living. Conventional wisdom says its something beyond most peoples reach, but thats simply not true when you know the best places to go to.

The world is a big place, and there are scores of beautiful beaches where retiring and living the good life is within anyones reach. And now is the perfect time to start preparing to visit the dream spots when travel resumes.

International Living correspondents have identified the top 21 gorgeous beach destinationsin Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asiawhere its possible to live well without breaking the bank. In fact, as little as $1,200 a month can bankroll a comfortable life at the beach in some of these locales. Five of the best include:

Cozumel, Mexico

Just 12 miles off the coast of Playa del Carmen, along Mexicos famed Riviera Maya, Cozumel is a well-established, world-class vacation destination. Especially known for its warm, tropical water, snorkelers and scuba divers from across the globe enjoy exploring the islands reef, teeming with aquatic life.

Those wanting to enjoy an active lifestyle while also appreciating the pleasures of island life may wish to consider Cozumel for their retirement home. In addition to unlimited water-born recreational opportunities such as boating, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and kayaking, Cozumel also provides modern infrastructure with a stable electrical grid and high-speed internet.

In Cozumel you can buy a couple of fish tacos for about $5 and wash them down with a $2 local brew, or splurge on an elegant steak and lobster dinner by the sea.

A couple can rent and apartment and live well in Cozumel for about $1,890 per month, all in.

Lagos, Portugal

Lagos is in the western Algarve, where the beautiful rock formations of Ponta da Piedade and inviting sands lure beach lovers, while a large number of bars, cafes, and restaurants offer food and beverage choices for all. Its possible to have a Portuguese breakfast at a local hangout across from the marina for a couple of dollars, with coffee and thick-sliced local bread toasted and dripping with butter.

Summer temperatures range from around 68 F to 82 F and drop by 20 F in winter on average.

A couple can live well in Lagos for about $2,080 per month, rent included.

Santa Marta, Colombia

Pressed between the Caribbean Sea and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain lies Santa Marta, South Americas oldest surviving city. With a population of 500,000 residents, Santa Marta is half the size of the more well-known city of Cartagena and is quickly becoming a sought-after destination for both tourists and retirees.

If your definition of retirement means staying active, eating well, enjoying cultural events, and soaking up natural beauty, then Santa Marta will check all these boxes and more.

Walking or riding your bicycle around the citys flat streets is an easy and inexpensive way to keep active. Spending time in the areas eco-parks is a fabulous way to appreciate the gorgeous scenery while exercising. Banks, pharmacies, grocery store chains, air-conditioned shopping malls, medical care, and beauty shops are scattered around the city and easy to get to either by walking or via public bus system or taxi.

Depending on lifestyle, a couple can live well (rent included) in Santa Marta for $1,190-$1,790 per month.

Canggu, Bali

The island of Bali has enticed many expats to retirement overseas. And, for quite some time, the towns of Sanur, Legian, and Seminyak have been popular choices. But just up the coastline is Canggu and its quickly growing in popularity.

Canggu, pronounced changoo, is a village located only 9 miles north of the more well-known party resort, Kuta. The western coastal stretch spans about five miles, running from Berawa beach to the village of Cemagi.

While Canggu is known as the new hotspot in Bali, the population hovers around 40,000. Old-time Bali still exists here and appears to be prospering, with locals, tourists and expats, a mix of old and new all merging well.

As a potential retirement location, Canggu offers a laidback lifestyle, close enough to the bigger town amenities without the hustle and bustle. The international airport is only a one-hour drive away and popular Seminyak only 15 minutes.

A couple can live well in Canggu (rent included) for about $1,266 per month.

Pedasi, Panama

Pedasi is a wonderful place to live for ocean lovers. Scuba, snorkel, windsurfing, and deep-sea fishing are just some of the things to do here. The town has all the necessary amenities for day-to-day livingthe Minsa-Capsi hospital in Pedasi offers most services with a variety of specialiststhere are a few grocery stores, gas station and even a public library. Las Tablas is the nearest shopping city and its only a 45-minute drive away.

The safety of Pedasi is one reason why many expats move here. In Pedasi, there is little to no petty crime of any kind. Locals and expats all look out for each other, and locals welcome expats and expat businesses.

Including rent, a couple can live well in Pedasi on about $1,265 per month.

More information on these and the other 16 beaches can be found here: 21 Great Value Beach Destinations Around The World

Editor's Note: Members of the media have permission to republish the article linked above once credit is given to Internationalliving.com

Further information, as well as interviews with expert authors for radio, TV or print, is available on request. Photos are also available.

For information about InternationalLiving.com content republishing, source material or to book an interview with one of our experts, contact PR Managing Editor, Marita Kelly, +001 667 312 3532, mkelly@internationalliving.com.

Twitter: @inliving

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/International.Living/

About International Living

Since 1979, Internationaliving.com has been the leading authority for anyone looking for global retirement or relocation opportunities. Through its monthly magazine and related e-letters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore, and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and services to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money, and find better business opportunities when they expand their world beyond their own shores. InternationalLiving.com has more than 200 correspondents traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate, and investment.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:16:12|Editor: huaxia

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Pandemic Watch: Washington's decision to halt U.S. funding to WHO draws sharp criticism. (Xinhua/Tan Yixiao, Hu Yousong)

"We can only be successful in defeating this global pandemic through a coordinated international response with respect for science and data," Pelosi said in a statement.



WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump faced intense blowback on Wednesday due to his decision to withhold the nation's funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the U.S. Congress, called the decision "senseless," as the WHO leads the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

"We can only be successful in defeating this global pandemic through a coordinated international response with respect for science and data," Pelosi said in a statement.

While saying the decision is "dangerous" and "illegal," the speaker vowed that it "will be swiftly challenged."

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a press conference on the Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 9, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Washington D.C.-based Georgetown University, tweeted on Wednesday that in the United States, Congress "appropriates funds for special purposes" and the "executive branch is usually required to expend funds."

"But Trump could delay & disrupt. His refusal to fund would raise major ethical/legal implications -- grounds for investigation & oversight," he warned.

During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday announcing the move, Trump claimed that the "WHO failed to adequately obtain and share information in a timely and transparent fashion," adding that a review is being conducted.

On Wednesday, he doubled down on his criticism of the Geneva-based UN specialized agency, accusing it, without providing any evidence, of what he has alleged as cover-up and mismanagement of the coronavirus outbreak.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington D.C. the United States, on Aug. 1, 2019. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

The remarks came as the Trump administration is aggressively defending its handling of the crisis in the United States after it has been scrutinized for downplaying the threat from the coronavirus early on and faulted for delays in testing.

The virus has caused at least 637,000 infections and more than 30,000 deaths in the United States, both the highest on record.

U.S. lawmakers and health experts have said the White House is scapegoating the WHO in the hope of distracting the public from its own failures in responding to the pandemic.

"The WHO had produced 1.4 million tests by the end of February," Chris Murphy, U.S. senator from Connecticut, tweeted on Wednesday. "We took none of them, because Trump decided to produce his own test, then botched the development and roll out."

"It wasn't the WHO that put us in the position we are today. It was our own President," Murphy added.

Gostin, in other tweets on Wednesday, said pulling funds from the WHO "would be disastrous."

"Poor countries about to hit #COVID19 peaks rely on WHO for resources and expertise," the professor wrote. "Without more funds, many more will die. It will also blow back onto the US."

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, receives an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Seattle, the United States, on Nov. 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Qin Lang)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tweeted on Wednesday that halting funding for the WHO during a world health crisis is "as dangerous as it sounds."

"Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever," the philanthropist stressed.

According to a new tally from Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday night, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has topped 2 million, with more than 136,000 deaths.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on Wednesday that the coronavirus doesn't discriminate between rich and poor or large and small nations, regardless of people's nationalities, ethnicities, or ideologies.

"This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat -- a dangerous enemy," he said. "We will continue to work with every country and every partner, to serve the people of the world, with a relentless commitment to science, solutions and solidarity."

Besides, the director said the WHO's performance in tackling the pandemic will be reviewed by its members and independent bodies in due course.

"This is part of the usual process to ensure transparency, accountability and recommendations for future outbreak responses," he added.

(Article by Xinhua Reporters Sun Ding and Liu Pinran) 
DUBLIN, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "COVID-19 Impact on Security Software - Thematic Research" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The COVID-19 outbreak is now travelling around the world, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. This report analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on the global security software sector and discusses the impact of the virus on leading companies in the sector.



It identifies those companies that may benefit from the impact of COVID-19 over a 12-month period, as well as those companies that will lose out.

It includes a thematic screen, that ranks the leading companies in this sector on the basis of overall leadership in the 10 themes that matter most to their industry, including COVID-19. This generates a leading indicator of future performance.

Key Highlights

Companies around the world are trying to enable remote working to keep their businesses running. That provides a significant opportunity for the security software sector to keep this new home-working army secure against COVID-19-inspired malware attacks.

Cybercriminals will stop at nothing to launch attacks. Businesses under pressure to survive and homeworkers getting used to their new surroundings are a tempting target for hackers, who would stoop so low as to use a COVID-19 tracking map created by a university as a vehicle to deliver Android spyware. For cybersecurity companies and company chief information security officers (CISOs), there will not be a bigger or better time to shine.

Reasons to Buy

COVID-19 is by far the most significant theme to affect the technology industry in 2020. It is effectively a stress test on companies' ability to cope with extreme shocks.

COVID-19 will test the financial robustness of companies. Many companies will not survive this initial phase. Almost all others will suffer a significant drop in revenues.

This report will help you understand the impact of COVID-19 on the security software sector and identify which types of companies could potentially benefit from the impact of COVID-19, as well as those businesses that are set to lose out.

Key Topics Covered



COVID-19 is Now a Major Theme for 2020 COVID-19 Impact on Security Software Security Software Sector Scorecard Who's Who Thematic Screen Valuation Screen Risk Screen Thematic Briefing

Companies Mentioned



SecureWorks

Palo Alto Networks

IBM

Trend Micro

Fortinet

Sophos

Raytheon

BAE Systems

Zscaler

NCC

Rapid7

Microsoft

Citrix Systems

Qualys

Cisco

Broadcom

Tenable

Ping Identity

Dell

Check Point Software

F5 Networks

FireEye

Securonix

Exabeam

Akamai

Okta

ProofPoint

Micro Focus

Ahnlab

Tufin

Verisign

Varonis

F-Secure

Mobile Iron

CyberArk Software

Mimecast

Fastly

Thales

SAIC

Samsung Electronics

Oracle

Softbank

Juniper Networks

Verint Systems

Blackberry

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/60fqzo

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

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In an interview published on the New York Times website Monday, Representative from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, declared her support for the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, Joe Biden.

The Times posed the question directly: Is an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsement of Joe Biden a sure thing? To which the congresswoman responded, Ive always said that I will support the Democratic nominee.

The endorsement itself is not surprising. Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly promised to back whoever won the nomination. It is, moreover, part of the mobilization of the Democratic Party as a whole behind Biden.

Ocasio-Cortezs interview came the same day that Bernie Sanders gave an obsequious tribute to Biden in a joint video conference. Then on Tuesday former president Barack Obama issued his official endorsement.

The congresswoman has been relentlessly promoted by the media and the DSA as the face of progressive politics within the Democratic Party. Her progressive credentials are, however, entirely fabricated.

The interview with the Times is revealing in this regard for a number of reasons.

First, Ocasio-Cortez managed not to place a single condition on her endorsement of the Biden campaign throughout the entire interview, unless one counts her hope to make Biden uncomfortable.

She explained to the Times that she believes the process of uniting should be uncomfortable for everyone involved, adding, thats how you know its working. The real discomfort she anticipates, however, is not from Biden, but from the workers and youth who supported the Sanders campaign and are hostile to Biden but whom she wants to convince to support the Democratic Party candidate.

When asked to give examples of ways in which she hoped to see Biden get uncomfortable, she criticized a proposal made by the Biden campaign to lower the Medicare age to 60. Ocasio-Cortez complained that Hillary Clintons olive branch to the left in 2016 was to lower the Medicare age to 50.

The second significant aspect of the Times interview is what it indicates about Ocasio-Cortezs own political aims. She is advancing herself as an advisor to the Biden campaign and perhaps even lobbying for a position in a future Biden administration.

Ocasio-Cortez went out of her way to compliment Bidens victory: I want to respect his win, he won because of his coalition building, he won because of his service, he won for a lot of different reasons. She did not take note of the mobilization of the entire Democratic Party leadership to push Bidens nomination and undermine the campaign of Sanders.

She went on to lay out what she sees as the weaknesses in the Biden campaign, not from the standpoint of political principles, but rather from the standpoint of Bidens chances of winning:

Ive flagged, very early, two patterns that I saw [among Bidens campaign], which is underperformance among Latinos and young people, both of which are very important demographics in November. And so, I dont think this conversation about changes that need to be made is one about throwing the progressive wing of the party a couple of bonesI think this is about how we can win.

In other words, Ocasio-Cortez sees herself as a useful tool for the Biden campaign. Specifically, she points out that he is lacking support from Latinos and young people. Lucky for Biden, it just so happens that Ocasio-Cortez is a young Latina, two identities which she leans on heavily in her own self-promotion.

She goes on to advise Biden on his messaging: I think people understand that there are limits to what Biden will do, and thats understandable  he didnt run as a progressive candidate. But, at the bare minimum, we should aspire to be better than what we have been before. And I just dont know if this message of Were going to go back to the way things were is going to work for the people for who the way things were was really bad.

There is a strong element of Obamas hope and change rhetorical strategy in Ocasio-Cortezs advice to Biden: People need to feel hope in a Democratic administration. And thats what this is about.

Her pitch to Biden is this: You wont get elected by telling workers and youth that everything is going to go back to the way things were. There has to be modulation of your rhetoric.

In this regard, Ocasio-Cortez is marketing herself to Biden as the key to the youth vote. She made clear that she was open to close collaboration with the Biden campaign.

In response to a question about whether or not a Biden-AOC unity rally could be in the cards, Ocasio-Cortez responded: It could be. The congresswoman followed this by doubling down on her support for Biden stating that she understood the goal ultimately was to win the 2020 election: And Im not trying to needle as a way of making a point or to score points. I want to win. And I want to make sure that we win broadly.

Ocasio-Cortezs statements should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the political trajectory of the congresswoman. She has been moving to the right since her election in 2018. She has cozied up to Nancy Pelosi who she warmly referred to in February as mama bear and dropped almost all of her earlier radical sounding rhetoric.

Organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) continue to promote the congresswoman as evidence of a transformation within the Democratic Party. Just two weeks ago, an article in Democratic Left, the DSAs publishing arm, cited Ocasio-Cortez as one of many future socialist presidential candidates who they anticipate will overwhelm the Democratic stage.

The election of Ocasio-Cortez in 2018 was hailed by the organization as a stunning defeat to the political establishment. According to a statement released by the DSA National Political Committee at the time, her election was a victory for basic principles of freedom and justice at a time when our political misleaders have given up on them.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will continue the political revolution by fighting every day for the many, not the few, in Congress, the DSA proclaimed.

Like Sanders, the political revolution has for Ocasio-Cortez ended with her groveling support for the most right-wing candidate in the Democratic Party.

The political trajectory of Ocasio-Cortez should serve as another object lesson in the character of organizations like the DSA. Her angling for a position as an advisor to the Biden campaign expressed the class character of the DSA. It represents privileged sections of the upper middle class who are looking for greater access to positions of power and privilege.

Workers and young people who may have been attracted to the DSA because it calls itself socialist should draw the necessary conclusions.
To use the PPE properly, Flowers said, it needs to be fit-tested, which has resulted in further limitations of the stock. The department continues to have fit-tested stock on hand, but it is limited. Once the department has used up that manufacturers mask, which they are currently unable to get, they will turn to a stock of N95 masks that have been donated to the department. The department has extra precautions in place, using extra measures such as using surgical masks and face shields over N95 masks.

Its been challenging, he said, with fit-tested masks not available and equipment that would allow the department to be fit tested on other manufacturers also unavailable.

Donations of masks and other things to the department has been plentiful, he said.

The outpouring from the community for first responders has been fantastic, he said. I just want to reiterate that were OK. We have our proper equipment.

Asked if there was a way for people to help the department, Flowers urged people to look into the community for other ways that they could help people.
Binghamton University will celebrate research and scholarly activities with its annual Research Days, reimagined this year as a short series of online events.

Research is meant to be shared, said Valerie Imbruce, chair of the Research Days planning committee and director of the Undergraduate Research Center. Students ask questions and find ways to seek answers. Analyzing and interpreting information, all of that is one aspect of research. But one of the things we herald as part of undergraduate research is the outward-facing nature of it.

Lisa Theo, research and scholarship advisor with the Undergraduate Research Center, led an effort to retool the large campus-wide poster sessions and put them online. Its really exciting that students will be able to share their work when it looked like it couldve been canceled, she said.

The two poster sessions will run from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and from 2-3:30 p.m. Friday, April 17, at https://sites.google.com/binghamton.edu/2020researchdaystemplate/homepage, with many students available to speak to guests via Zoom.

Because of technology, we arent limited by the size of the room, Theo noted. Potentially thousands of people can see the work of our students.

She hopes that the event will give students a little sense of normalcy, however brief. The projects theyve worked on for months can still be shared with the world, she said.

The Science Library will coordinate a Citizen Science Wikipedia Edit-a-thon from 3-5 p.m. April 21. Participants will celebrate citizen science by adding needed references to science-related articles on Wikipedia. They will also be encouraged to edit and create new science-related articles.

The Art Museum will coordinate an evening program of student curator presentations on April 23. Beginning at 6 p.m., student curators will present their exhibitions and answer questions posed by participants in a Zoom chat at https://binghamton.zoom.us/j/93560123459.

The spring 2020 exhibitions include Marvels of Materials: Trade and Materiality in Ancient Egypt, curated by senior Doug Braun with faculty advisor Hilary Becker, assistant professor of classical and Near Eastern studies; American Mythology, curated by senior Kaleigh Pitcher with faculty advisor Andrew Walkling, professor of art history; and Visualizing Voyeurism, curated by seniors Emily Mendelson and Eta Pastreich with faculty advisors Katherine Bouman, associate director of the Binghamton University Scholars Program and Tom McDonough, associate professor of art history.

Winners of the annual Art of Science competition, sponsored by S3IP and the Office of Research Advancement, will be announced during Research Days, and a video featuring all of this years entries will be posted to YouTube in place of the usual exhibition.

The current crisis is forcing people to think about how we can connect and adapt existing technology to suit our needs, Imbruce said. We had to do it under the gun but now we can think about how we might build it into our future work, she added. Were also training students to have a set of professional conduct online vs. personal or social space online. So thats an ancillary teaching opportunity, too.

Research Days are sponsored by Academic Affairs, Center for Civic Engagement, College of Community and Public Affairs, Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Division of Research, The Graduate School, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, McNair Scholars Program and the Undergraduate Research Center.
Coronavirus has made it obvious to all that people like doctors, nurses and care workers are heroes. Crisis or no, they keep society going, without glamour, gratitude or great pay.

On the other side of the world, there are other heroes keeping Britons safe. People who work harder and for less reward than almost anyone in the UK. Theyre the workers making the medical gloves we so desperately need.

Most come from the poorest countries in Asia: Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia. Typically, they meet a recruiter in their hometown and borrow money from friends and family to fly to Malaysia or Thailand, the slightly wealthier countries where medical gloves are made, and where millions of migrant workers do what are known as 3D jobs  dirty, dangerous and difficult.

Once there, they usually settle into unhygienic dorms with up to 30 or 40 colleagues. They often sign a contract promising to work for a minimum period, which can be up to three years. To ensure they dont change their mind, their passports are often taken away. This is forced labour.

The work itself is hard. The first step is mixing chemicals including toxic chlorine gas. Ironically, workers often arent provided with the kind of protective equipment that they spend all day making.

After the chemicals are mixed and moulded, the gloves are sprayed with hot water and dried in an oven. Its hot. Temperatures are often above 45 degrees celsius, sometimes up to 70.

With all this heat, fires are common; between 2009 and 2015, there were at least eleven. The factory is loud. Machines can reach 100 decibels, as loud as a motorbike. The pace of work is fast. Some workers have been forced to urinate at their workstations to keep up, and sometimes faint when they cant.

If workers are not happy, they cant complain. In both Thailand and Malaysia, foreign workers have fewer labour rights than locals. In Sri Lanka, the worlds third-largest glove producer, a local union president was attacked in 2013 by two men on a motorbike. The company then sacked the man along with ten of his union colleagues. When 281 workers went on strike in solidarity, they were all sacked too. They were only reinstated after a three-year international campaign.

Coronavirus has made the situation worse. Demand for medical gloves has rocketed, as have owners profits and the companies share prices. For workers, though, it has led to longer shifts and fewer (often no) days off.

Coronavirus itself is also something workers worry about. Malaysia has had 83 deaths, Thailand 43 and Sri Lanka 7. If the virus was to take hold, migrant workers would be at high risk. Social distancing isnt easy when you sleep in a room with 30 people, catch a crowded bus to a busy factory and eat lunch in a canteen.

Of course, you can take this logic further. There are millions of people all over the world who are exploited to make the products we need in the UK. Even if you stay with the example of gloves, there are the people who tap rubber trees for what becomes latex. Most of these people work seven days a week, are paid less than the living wage and are exposed to dangerous pesticides.

 Oprah warns of coronavirus impact on black Americans

However, progress is possible. As major customers who buy in bulk, Britains medical procurement agencies have huge power over their suppliers. They must use this to relentlessly investigate the working conditions at all their suppliers. And their suppliers suppliers. If abuses are found, they must not cut them loose straight away; that can make things worse for workers. Instead, they should use their buying power to ensure problems are fixed.

The British Medical Association campaigns against exploitation in medical manufacturing and says conditions can be improved. Look at surgical instruments, it says. Around 80% are made in the Pakistani city of Sialkot. After poor working conditions there were revealed, there was an uproar, and conditions were improved. Child labour stopped, the minimum wage was obeyed and overtime was paid. In the end, local employers grew to approve of these changes as they attracted the best workers to their factories.

Of course, medical procurement agencies have a lot on their plates right now. But when this crisis is over, they should not forget those working round the clock to make the medical kit we need. Like our nurses, doctors and care workers, they are heroes. And they deserve much, much better than they currently get.
Hyderabad, April 16 : The eerie silence in a deserted neighbourhood around midnight is shattered by the sound of a small truck, about a dozen men get down to unload large iron barricades and start installing them in the middle of the road and anxious colony residents come out to find their area has been declared a Covid-19 containment zone.

In less than an hour, personnel of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) have sealed, with 8-10 feet high barricades, half a dozen entry and exit points, covering a large part of Janaki Nagar colony. They tied Covid-19 containment zone No Entry' banner to an iron wall serving as the single entry point to the containment area.

Those using the colony roads as thoroughfares were caught unawares while the residents started discussing in hush-hush tones the reason for their colony suddenly being declared a 'red zone'.

Many were concerned over the turn of events as they had not noticed anything amiss to warrant such an action by authorities. Inquiries revealed two deaths in a family in less than a week created a doubt about the cause and health authorities sent the remaining members of the family into quarantine.

Neighbours said a woman was sick for a long time while her daughter who was also not keeping good health died of shock.

Speculations continued in the absence of any official version about the confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases. GHMC personnel on Thursday morning conducted a door to door survey and collected details from about 50 houses in the containment zone.

The authorities apparently did not want to take a chance after 17 members of a family were found infected in Bhavani Nagar area of the old city of Hyderabad two days ago. Four days after the death of a woman, it was found that she was Covid-19 positive. Screening of the family members resulted in 17 family members including a child testing positive.

Like Janaki Nagar, there are 126 containment zones also called red zones in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and account for 267 out of 514 active cases in the state as of April 15 Police along with GHMC and HealthDdepartment are strictly enforcing the containment plan following direction from the state government, which is concerned over Hyderabad being a hotspot along with seven other districts in the state.

The very idea of setting up a containment zone is to contain the spread of the virus and that is why outsiders are not allowed to enter the zone and those who live in the zone are not permitted to leave, not even to buy medicines, vegetables, groceries or other essentials. GHMC officials promise the same will be delivered at their doorsteps.

Health officials said since the virus could spread fast in highly density areas in Greater Hyderabad, they are creating containment zones to check the spread.

Senior officials including Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar continued to monitor the situation in the red zones, where people are being screened regularly and those with suspected symptoms are being isolated.

Residents in some containment zones have complained of not getting the supply of essentials.

Meanwhile, Industry Minister K. T. Rama Rao on Thursday visited containment zones in the city and interacted with the citizens.

He went around the containment centres in Khairatabad, Mallepally and Asif Nagar along with. He said the government was doing its best to supply essentials at the doorstep in these zones and requested citizens to stay home and stay safe.
Humans aren't the only primates who like smelling nice for their dates. In the journal Current Biology on April 16, scientists report that male ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) become more attractive to females by secreting a fruity and floral aroma from their wrists. Using detailed chemical analysis, the researchers identified three compounds responsible for this sweet scent, marking the first time that pheromones have been identified in a primate.

"During the yearly breeding season, male lemurs rub the glands on their wrists against their fluffy tails and then wave them at females in a behavior called 'stink flirting,'" says senior author Kazushige Touhara, professor and biochemist at the University of Tokyo.

Ring-tailed lemurs have well-developed scent glands on their shoulders and wrists. These glands are typically used to designate social rank, territory, and reproductive status. However, behavioral observations show they also use their scent glands to catch the attention of females. "Since only ring-tailed lemurs have these wrist glands and exhibit 'stink flirting' behavior, we reasoned that specific odorants for sexual communication must be involved," Touhara says.

At the Japanese Monkey Center (JMC) in Aichi and The Research Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Tokyo, Japan, Touhara and his team tracked the behavior of a conspiracy of ring-tailed lemurs. They observed that female lemurs sniffed the scent markings left by males more often and for longer periods of time during the breeding season--when females are sexually receptive. Furthermore, when researchers isolated the primate perfume from four males and presented it to females individually, they found that females sniffed the fruity-smelling odor for roughly twice as long as the bitter-smelling gland secretions produced off-season.

"Females sniff the floral and fruity scent for a few more seconds than the controls and occasionally even lick it. Although this sounds like a very short time, it's enough to recognize or evoke curiosities in the male," says Touhara.

Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis on the of the wrist-gland secretions produced during breeding and non-breeding seasons, Touhara determined the major chemical components making up the male scents. Three aldehyde compounds--dodecanal, 12-methyltridecanal, and tetradecanal--were present in both odors but showed substantially higher concentrations during the breeding season. Moreover, when the compounds were individually presented to females in the JMC enclosure, researchers found that only the mixture of all three had a significant ability to hold a female's attention.

"All three compounds have been suggested to be involved in the recognition of newborn sheep by their mothers, and tetradecanal is known as a sex pheromone in some insect species. Although this is the first time 12-methyltridecanal has been identified in primate species, all three aldehydes appear to be used as communication tools widely throughout the animal kingdom," says Touhara.

Young, sexually mature males naturally produce more of these compounds than their senior male counterparts--most likely because aged males produce less testosterone. Furthermore, scientists have observed that females past their reproductive prime are altogether unimpressed by the fruity-smelling odors males exude. These findings suggest that the three compounds are, indeed, pheromones, but more work is required to determine whether they directly influence sexual behavior. "While we have not examined behavioral changes after the sniff in detail, this is an area for future work to determine whether these pheromones impact mating success."

###

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from MEXT Japan, the ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project from JST Japan, the JST Mirai Program from the JST, and KAKENHI grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Current Biology, Shirasu et al.: "Key male glandular odorants attracting female ring-tailed lemurs" https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30407-3

Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
ROME, N.Y.  Fred F. Collis & Sons gave back to the Rome community Wednesday by thanking health care workers and supporting a local restaurant  at the same time.

The company bought trays of food from Coalyard Charlies, and Paul Collis helped delivered them to Rome Memorial Hospital staff as a way to show appreciation to The emergency room technicians -- all the people taking are of sick people. Anyone who needs help, you know, they're always the first ones to come in and jump in in a situation to help people.

All the people taking are of sick people. Anyone who needs help, you know, they're always the first ones to come in and jump in in a situation to help people, said Paul Collis

The hospital workers were able to enjoy chicken riggies, salad and homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Times are tough and everyone is either stuck inside, calling the unemployment office over and over again or trying to work while their children practice WWE moves throughout the living room, or doing dangerous frontline work.

But, heres something: that promised government stimulus money is rolling into bank accounts. Feeling rich? Thinking about stimulating the economy? Already have all of your bills paid? Here are five ideas about what to buy with that sweet, sweet government cash (that you already paid in taxes probably, lets be honest).

An exercise bike

You arent going to the gym and every day walks outside get more and more distressing, but the endorphins released by exercising are truly a necessity right now. An exercise bike is a good way to get your body moving and, bonus, you dont need a helmet to ride a bike indoors.

Amazon sells a bunch of different brands -- some under $200. If they dont last forever, well, this pandemic isnt going to last forever either, so hopefully, soon enough you will have a job again and gym membership.

Art

Now that you are home all the time, its probably becoming clear that your AC/DC poster isnt the kind of decor an adult person should be looking at all day. Why not find some nice, maybe even locally-made art for the walls of your home/home office/gym/daycare center/industrial kitchen/prison cell?

Crafty Wonderland has a bunch of prints, as does Tender Loving Empire. Theres always Etsy. And if you want to invest in some real fine art, Uprise Art has a section of pieces under $800 that ship for free.

A standup mixer

If the only thing that brings you joy is baking, might it not be time for a standup mixer? Not that kneading isnt a kind of therapy, but think of the time you will save and the complicated recipes you can attempt if you invest in a mixer?

Kohls sells a whole slew of those cool KitchenAid ones in a variety of colors.

Noise-canceling headphones

Its hard to escape your family in quarantine. Noise-canceling headphones can at least give you the illusion of solitude when you play your video games or listen to your romance novel audiobooks.

Target has a bunch of options.

A new TV

All the rules are relaxed these days, except for the big one -- stay away from other people -- and that means more screentime, for probably everyone.

This 55-inch 4K Smart TV is under $280 from Amazon, which is a pretty good deal for upgrading your viewing experience.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Hollywood stars Octavia Spencer, Melissa McCarthy along with her husband Ben Falcone, and Joel McHale have joined hands to supply meals to healthcare staff leading the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

The quartet, along with Aimee Carpenter and Leslee Feldman, have partnered with Frontline Foods and World Central Kitchen for the initiative.

Frontline Foods, a not-for-profit organisation, was recently formed in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The organisation will deliver food from the restaurants directly to hospitals and medical facilities to feed healthcare professionals.

Prior to this, the stars were already delivering food in cities like Los Angeles, Detroit and New York, reported Deadline.

"We are all so blessed to be healthy, home and safe and we wanted to do something, anything, to show our gratitude and support to the frontline workers who are making the ultimate sacrifices on our behalf," Carpenter, Feldman and Spencer said in a joint statement.

"Once we were made aware of the communal support system created by Frontline Foods, we knew that this was such a natural extension to our grassroots campaign that we started from our own homes," they added.

McCarthy and Falcone hailed the "army of volunteers" at Frontline Foods for doing good work during the global health crisis.

"This can benefit both the frontline healthcare workers who risk their lives every day in order to save ours and the local restaurants who are desperately trying to keep their lights on and pay their staff in these economically devastating times.

"Every little bit counts, whether it's 5, 50 or 5,000 dollars. It can make a real a difference," they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, might be centered around zookeeper Joe Exotic, but it was his longtime rival Carole Baskin that got most of the post-premiere attention. In the Netflix series, Baskin talks about her abusive first marriage and introduces her daughter. So where is Baskins daughter, Jamie, now?

Big Cat Rescue | Barcroft Media/Getty Images

Tiger King explores Carole Baskins history and marriages

Baskin is the founder of Big Cat Rescue, an animal sanctuary in Florida that rehabilitates and houses lions, tigers, bobcats, and other exotic animals. She actively campaigns against big cat breeding and cruelty. As shown in Tiger King, she was a vocal critic of Oklahoma zookeeper, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic.

Maldonado-Passage and Baskins longtime feud ended when Maldonado-Passage was arrested and charged with hiring two separate hitmen to kill Baskin. The 57-year-old zookeeper was convicted on 19 criminal counts, including murder-for-hire and animal endangerment, for which hes currently serving a 22-year prison sentence.

But aside from covering her feud with Maldonado-Passage, Tiger King explores the Baskins three marriages, including the disappearance of her second husband, Don Lewis. In the series, Baskin describes her relationship with her first husband, Mike Murdock, as abusive, and says she left him when she fell in love with Lewis.

The two were married for 6 years before Lewis mysteriously disappeared in 1997. Lewis body was never found. Just recently, following the release of Tiger King, the Florida sheriffs department reopened Lewis case and is actively looking for new leads.

Tiger King reveals Baskin has a daughter from her first marriage

From her marriage to Murdock, Baskin has a daughter named Jamie Veronica. On Tiger King, Baskin says that she married Murdock at 17, and left him at the age of 24. This implies Jamie was very young when her mom married Lewis.

For a few brief moments in episode 3, after Baskin talks about leaving Murdock, Jamie appears and fondly describes Lewis and his affinity to animals. He was more of an animal collector, I think, Jamie says. He definitely liked the idea of having a lot of different kinds of animals.

Where is Baskins daughter Jamie now?

As shown in Tiger King, Jamie is still very much a part of her mothers life. In fact, shes running the sanctuary as its president. In one video on the Big Cat Rescue Youtube page, Jamie is shown with the title President, Big Cat Rescue, as she talks about the health of one of the parks animals.

Jamie seems to have some expertise when it comes to handling and caring for sick animals. She appears in numerous videos on the sanctuarys Youtube channel rescuing and rehabilitating bobcats and other big cats. And on Big Cat Rescues Instagram page, Jamie is featured in many of the parks rescue and treatment posts.

A 2012 post from Big Cat Rescues website shows that Jamie was married to the sanctuarys veterinarian, Dr. Justin Boorstein. But on her Facebook page, Jamie appears to be in a relationship with a man named Victor Alonso.

Along with working for Big Cat Rescue, Jamie runs an art studio called Dancing Butterfly Arts. On her Etsy page, she describes herself as a wildlife and nature photographer and artist who uses her creativity on acrylic paintings, mix-media projects, paw-print art.
Bay Area political events that are happening online during the coronavirus pandemic:

MONDAY

Dan Pfeiffer: Pod Save America co-host on how President Trump is handling the coronavirus crisis. Hosted by Mannys. 6 p.m. More information here; join here.

TUESDAY

Rep. Eric Swalwell: East Bay Democrat host a coronavirus telephone and streaming town hall for seniors with guests Cate Kortzeborn, regional administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services San Francisco office, and Lara Calvert, director of Spectrum Community Services. 1:10 p.m. Call in at 833-380-0517 or stream here.

Change during a pandemic: Remote access-study group discusses possibilities for social change during the pandemic. Hosted by Freedom Socialist Party. Sessions on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. (register here) or Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. (register here). Reading list here. $3-$5 suggested donation per session.

THURSDAY

Christine Pelosi: Democratic activist and daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talks about growing up in the Pelosi household. Hosted by Mannys. 7 p.m. More information is here; join here.

FRIDAY

Mayor Petes California campaign: Pete Buttigiegs California campaign director, Cecilia Cabello, talks about the experience. Hosted by Mannys. More information and join here.

SUNDAY

Environmentalism and social media: A livestream on using social media to drive environmentalism, hosted by the Ecology Center. 11 a.m. More information is here.

APRIL 29

Obamas legacy: David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation, discusses former President Barack Obamas legacy and the foundations work. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here; join here.

To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Indias generous contribution towards medical supplies which reached the island nation on April 15. Taking to Twitter, Jugnauth said that the high mark of goodwill gesture underscores the close bonds between India and Mauritius.

(1/2) I am very thankful to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for the generous donation of medical supplies from the Government of India which reached Mauritius yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, by a special flight of Air India. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/OcJuOynHUf  Pravind Jugnauth (@PKJugnauth) April 16, 2020

Read: IMF Calls On All Countries To Refrain From Putting Restrictions On Exporting Medical Supplies

'Show of solidarity'

Prime Minister Modi has been holding a series of telephonic conversations with world leaders assuring Indias support in the fight against the coronavirus crisis. While several countries have banned the export of medical supplies in the view of domestic requirements, India has continued assisting foreign nations in a show of solidarity.

Read: COVID-19: India's Testing Data On Par With Global Trend On Crossing 10,000-case Mark

Last month, India sent a large medical relief team to assist health authorities of the Maldives to deal with the evolving situation of the novel coronavirus. Recently, New Delhi sent a rapid response team to Kuwait comprising 15 Indian doctors and health care professionals to provide medical assistance in testing and treatment of the afflicted persons and training their personnel.

Read: Plea In SC Seeks Free Unlimited Calls, Data Usage Facilities During COVID-19 Lockdown

Read: Germany Records Its Highest Single-day Tally Of COVID-19 Deaths, 315 In 24 Hrs

(Image credit: Twitter / @PKJugnauth)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 17:59:37|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian (R, front) and Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan (L, front) sign at a handover ceremony of medical supplies donated by China in Beirut, Lebanon, April 16, 2020. (Photo by Bilal Jawich/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday donated 3,000 PCR testing kits and 200 manual thermometers to Lebanon to help the country fight against COVID-19.

"Today, I have the honor to deliver on behalf of the Chinese government a batch of aid supplies to the Lebanese government for its fight against COVID-19," Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian said at the airport after the arrival of the donation.

Wang expressed China's gratitude for the solidarity shown by Lebanese leaders when China was going through a tough battle against the pandemic.

"The Chinese and Lebanese sides have been cooperating closely by exchanging information and expertise about prevention and treatment," he said.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan said this donation conveys a message of deep friendship between the Lebanese and Chinese peoples.

The donation from China will enable Lebanon to increase the number of tests for COVID-19 so as to assess the extent of the spread in the country, Hassan noted.

Meanwhile, Michael Najjar, Lebanese public works and transportation minister, hailed the Chinese donation a gift of life for Lebanon.

"We want to thank China for its valuable donation and we hope to be able to cooperate in the future in other sectors," Najjar said.

Last month, the Chinese government offered Lebanon two human temperature measuring instruments, which were placed at Beirut's airport, allowing the staff to measure passengers' temperature without coming into contact with them.

China also delivered 600 medical protective goggles to Lebanon's health ministry. Enditem
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 5:05PM

Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to retain the same form factor as the Galaxy Fold

The Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 is reportedly in active development, so the rumour mill has started churning. One of the newest leaks shares some details about the upcoming foldable device. The mobile device will reportedly be nearly 15% lighter than its predecessor at 229 grams (the Galaxy Fold weighed in at 263g). It will retain its form factor but will have a slightly bigger screen. It won't be coming with an S Pen, so if that's important to you, you will need to take note of that development (pun unintended).

The Galaxy Fold 2 is also rumoured to come in two colours that were initially supposed to be available for the Galaxy Fold: Martian Green and Astro Blue. Samsung reportedly plans to use the same manufacturing lines to build the Galaxy Fold 2 so that it can yield more units to meet more expected demand.

As GSMArena points out, though, there might not be a change in sales numbers because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting uncertainty across global markets, even if the manufacturing process is cheaper. Samsung is expected to lower the price tag further by offering different memory combinations.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has expressed determination to provide a palliative to cushion the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on the people of the state.

The governor made the pledge on Thursday in Ibusa, when he inspected the food bank in Ibusa.

Mr Okowa said he would set up committees comprising local government chairmen, the clergy, opinion leaders, women and youth representatives, to ensure that the food items got to the right people.

The governor said the bulk of the food items, including rice and beans, which would be distributed in a few days, were procured by the state government and that the rest came from donors.

He thanked the donors for the support and called on others to contribute to the three food banks established by the state government at Ibusa, Warri and Asaba.

Mr Okowa said more food items were needed to enable the government to cover all parts of the state.

He disclosed that the distribution would commence at the weekend to the various wards, adding that measures had been put in place to ensure that the food items got to the vulnerable irrespective of their political or other leanings.

We have food stocked in our warehouses in Ibusa, Asaba and Warri and these are the three spots from which we will commence distribution to our various wards and villages.

We have beans for distribution; we also have rice, noodles and some other food items for distribution and we have constituted committees comprising every local government chairmen, members of the House of Assembly and religious leaders.

The committees have been put in place at the local government and at the ward levels, and we have emphasised that there will be no politics in the distribution of these items. It is for every Deltan and non-Deltan living in the state.

We also appeal to privileged citizens in our various communities to support the effort of the government, he said.

He also announced that some persons and organisations had made fiscal donations to the states COVID-19 account at the bank and expressed appreciation to the donors.

I appeal to people who will want to make donations to please attend to us at this point in time because people are actually in need, he added.

READ ALSO:

The governor disclosed that the fourth confirmed case of COVID-19 in the state was being treated at one of the isolation centres in Asaba, adding that the patients currently on treatment at the centres in the state were doing well.

He said that more blood samples of suspected cases had been sent to the laboratory for test, and advised those with symptoms of the virus to quickly reach out to medical experts or the COVID-19 team to avert complications and infection of other persons.

Mr Okowa advised owners of private health facilities to report suspected cases of the virus to Public Health Centres to protect other persons from the infectious disease.

He said distribution of the first phase of one million face masks produced by the state government for residents of the state would commence in two weeks.

He said the face masks are made of clothing materials that can be used continuously after being washed with soap and water.

I have also specifically stated too that we have already made face masks for our people because we are aware that many of them may not be able to purchase for themselves, he said.

The governor pledged his administrations determination to make the state safe and healthy for all residents.

The governor was conducted round the food bank by the Secretary to State Government, Chiedu Ebie and some members of the state Executive council.

(NAN)
The holiday season is a time of reflection and good fellowship. Or, if you work for President Donald J. Trump, it's a season for watching the wheels come off the proverbial little red wagon.

As I write this, the stock market has gone bearish, the federal government is hours away from a potential shutdown, and our nation's allies are reeling from the imminent departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. It's a joke worth repeating: When the resignation of a guy nicknamed "Mad Dog" prompts people to bemoan the loss of a steady hand on the tiller, we've got worries.

It has been said that Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ have had more books written about them than any other human being, but those guys have been around a lot longer than the Trump administration. Based on the steady conga line of cabinet members and staffers heading out the door and the general lack of any sense of loyalty to their mercurial ex-boss, there aren't enough shelves in the entire Ikea chain to hold the full stock of tell-alls to come. If we're still printing books then, that is.

But how will we keep them straight, all these po-faced middle-aged white men in baggy suits? Perhaps a quiz on the fallen will help:

1. Three of these are summaries of internal investigations launched by the EPA's inspector general into Administrator Scott Pruitt before his resignation in July. Which one is made up?

a. "Administrator renting a room in a townhouse owned by a lobbyist's wife"

b. "used his official position and EPA staff to seek a 'business opportunity' for his wife with Chick-fil-A"

c. "had his security detail run errands for him, including trips to Arby's to retrieve quantities of 'Horsey Sauce'"

d. "enlisted subordinates at the EPA to secure a mattress for his personal use"

2. Can you connect these current or former administration officials with their questionable taxpayer-funded indulgences?

 Scott Pruitt, EPA

 Ryan Zinke, Interior

 Ben Carson, HUD

$31,000 for a mahogany dining set for his office selected by his wife, Candy

$25,000 in travel costs incurred by his wife, Lolita, in violation of agency policy

$43,000 for a soundproof phone booth that his wife, Marlyn, apparently had nothing to do with

3. When President Trump appointed David Shulkin to serve as head of the Veterans Administration in early 2017, he said, "We'll never have to use those words on our David." (Shulkin was fired in March.) What were those words?

a. "You're fired."

b. "Bad dog."

c. "He's a lousy dancer."

d. "After we fire David, the guy I pick to replace him will drop out under pressure within mere days."

4. Which of these White House staffers did not exit the administration in the face of domestic violence allegations?

a. Speechwriter David Sorensen

b. Chief Strategist Steve Bannon

c. Staff secretary Rob Porter

5. How long is the unit of time colloquially known as a "Scaramucci," after the length of Anthony Scaramucci's service as White House communications director?

a. five days

b. 22 days

c. 10 days

d. six days and five hours

6. How did former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly describe Trump after the president demanded a massive increase in the nation's nuclear arsenal?

a. "a guy straight out of the Sigmund Freud coloring book"

b. "a big dummy"

c. "a lot like that general George C. Scott played in 'Dr. Strangelove'  what was his name? Oh yeah: Buck Turgidson!"

d. "a ___ing moron"

7. Trump has had a lot to say about Tillerson on the more public forum of Twitter. Can you place these phrases the president has used to describe Tillerson in the order in which they were tweeted?

a. "one of the truly great business leaders of the world"

b. "dumb as a rock ... lazy as hell"

c. "a world class player and dealmaker"

d. "we work well together"

8. The president isn't the only official in the White House with changeable opinions. Which of these statements about Trump was not made in 2016 by his new Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney?

a. "I don't particularly like Donald Trump as a person"

b. "a terrible human being"

c. "not a very good person"

d. "as a person, just not good at all"

e. Someone who has made "disgusting and indefensible" remarks about women

Answers: 1. c  although Pruitt was under investigation for making his security detail run errands for him, the Horsey Sauce thing was invented; 2. Pruitt: soundproof booth, Zinke: wife's travel, Carson: dining set; 3. a; 4. b  Bannon faced charges of misdemeanor domestic violence and battery brought by his ex-wife in 1996, they were ultimately dismissed; Bannon was fired from the White House in August 2017 for contradicting the president in an interview with The American Prospect; 5. c; 6. d; 7. c, a, d, b; 8. d.

cseiler@timesunion.com  518-454-5619
Activist investor Ed Bramson has renewed his attack on Barclays boss Jes Staley  but said he will not vote against his reappointment as chief executive while the coronavirus crisis rages.

Bramson accused the Barclays chief of a 'series of dubious judgements' which had 'degenerated into a series of public spectacles', including maintaining a relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

But he said that rather than vote against Staley's reappointment at the annual general meeting on May 7, he would only withhold his vote due to fears that Barclays could be destabilised if it lost its chief executive during the pandemic.

Critic: Ed Bramson (pictured) has accused Barclays chief Jes Staley of a 'series of dubious judgements'

New York-based Bramson, who is invested in Barclays through his firm Sherborne Investors, had previously promised to vote against fellow American Staley and said it was 'with great reluctance' that he was toning down his response.

Writing to shareholders, he urged them to withhold their votes too: 'A vote in favour of Mr Staley's reappointment forces the shareholder to express support for a director who has shown tolerance for underage sex crimes.'

But by withholding their vote, he said, shareholders could express disapproval of Staley while allowing Barclays' board more time and flexibility to replace him. He wrote: 'Mr Staley's departure would bring to an end what has now degenerated into a series of public spectacles.'

Barclays revealed earlier this year that Staley, 63, was being investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority over whether he had been open enough with his employer about his connections to Epstein, who committed suicide in jail last year.

Staley visited Epstein in Florida in 2008 while he was serving a 13-month sentence for child sex offences, and seven years later joined him at his Caribbean retreat, branded Paedo Island.

Barclays declined to comment.
In an effort to reduce overcrowding in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, 19 juveniles have been sent back to their homes from the observation-cum-special home where they were being kept in Chandigarh.

According to the official data released by the district legal services authority (DLSA), out of 43 juveniles residing in observation-cum-speical homes, 19 have been sent back to their families.

Many steps have been taken to reduce overcrowding of institutions housing children. In the first phase as directed by justice Jaswant Singh, chairman of Juvenile Justice and Monitoring Committee, five juveniles were released as per Section 98 of the Juvenile Justice (Parent Protection of Children) Act, 2015, on leave of absence for a period of 21 days. Later as per HC order dated March 30, three juveniles were released. As per Supreme Court directions dated April 3, another 11 juveniles were released, the release mentioned.
The auto repair industry is staggering as the Bay Areas typically gnarled commuter traffic eases, vehicle wear and tear lessens significantly, and accidents are lower than theyve been in decades.

Even after being designated as essential businesses that can remain open during shelter in place, nearly all of the Bay Area auto shops ranked among on the top 50 on Yelp have cut hours, fired employees or made other sweeping changes. Three have closed.

It hasnt shut us down completely, but its pretty close, said Ron Arth, who manages George V. Arth & Son auto body shop in Oakland. Weve gone through a lot. Weve gone through wars, depressions, recessions, and we keep plugging away.

Its mind-boggling to me that weve been doing this for 143 years, and we havent seen anything quite like this.

Founded in 1877, when Arths great-grandfather bought a carriage manufacturing business and used his blacksmith skills to create tools and modify wagon beds into truck chassis, the company survived the Great Depression, recessions and the volatile gas market. Its even seamlessly switched from Polaroid photos and handwritten estimates to camera phones and

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

computers.

When Arth took over the struggling business from his father in the early 1990s, he overcame the surgery and radiation needed to rid his body of a pituitary tumor. He fired his accountant after it was suggested he shutter the business doors. Then he pounded the pavement to hand out pens and find customers.

Still, nothing could have prepared him for this.

The U.S. automotive repair and maintenance industry includes about 160,000 businesses that combine for $115 billion in annual revenue, according to First Research. Nearly two-thirds of industrys revenue is derived from households, according to analysts at IBISWorld market research, a market that is running dry amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District says bridge traffic is down by 70% throughout the region. On Monday, about 68,500 vehicles crossed the Bay Bridge, about half of the number on a comparable day last year, and nearly 19,000 crossed the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, also a 50% drop according to the Bay Area Toll Authority.

The California Highway Patrols Golden Gate Division monitors nine Bay Area counties. It reported 23 incidents during Wednesdays would-be morning rush hour, about 75% fewer than normal.

Im trying not to panic. Theres part of me inside thats screaming, but when you panic, you dont add anything positive to the situation, said Joel Gile, office and service manager for Metric Motors in San Francisco.

Metric Motors, a full-service auto repair business that focuses on German and European vehicles on Howard and 11th streets, is now accepting Fords and Toyotas. Usually open Monday through Friday, Metric Motors is open on Fridays only for appointments these days. Two of its four staffers are brought in only for special projects, and the daily average of cars serviced has dropped from 10 or 12 to two or three.

Well still be here in a month, but we may be at the very end of our savings, Gile said. We know that weve got enough to float the two guys who are here that long. If the SBA (Small Business Administration) loans kick in, we would bring back our staff, clean the shop and repaint stuff.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Not every auto repair business has been so fortunate.

Among Yelps top 50 auto shops in the Bay Area, DAS Auto Service in Daly City, Larkin Bros. Tires in San Francisco and Trakspec Autosports in Fremont have closed. Trakspec is accepting appointment requests and arranging contactless pickup and drop-off services for after the pandemic.

Adjustments are necessary to survive.

Buoyed by savings and a backlog of projects, Arth has not laid off any of his 15 staffers, but he has trimmed hours from 40 to 32. Arth has not heard back about the Paycheck Protection Program loan he applied for the first week of this month.

Hes offering free pickup and drop-off for cars, upped his sanitizing practices and moved his staff meetings out of the break room and into an open space. Despite it all, the shop that usually has 12 to 14 cars on Mondays had only four this week.

Were keeping our fingers crossed, Arth said. I heard once that the auto repair industry is like a pack of coyotes. We learn to adapt. We just have to change and adapt and do what we need to do to stay in business.

Hopefully, in a month, well be coming back to life and seeing people out there.

Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron
New Delhi, April 16 : Highlighting the pivotal role played by IMF in maintaining stability of the international monetary and financial system, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that the multilateral financing body should continue rendering this critical role to the global financial architecture.

The Finance Minister said this during the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, the ministerial-level committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which she attended through video-conference.

The discussions at the meeting were based on IMF Managing Director's Global Policy Agenda titled, 'Exceptional Times - Exceptional Action'.

The members of the IMFC updated the committee on the actions and measures taken by member countries to combat COVID-19, and also remarked on IMF's crisis-response package to address global liquidity and members' financing needs.

During her intervention, Sitharaman outlined various measures taken in India to respond to the health crisis as well as to mitigate its impact. In this regard, she mentioned about allocation of $2 billion (Rs 15,000 crore) by the Government of India for strengthening the healthcare system; announcement of a scheme of social support measures amounting to $23 billion (Rs 1.70 lakh crore) to alleviate the hardship of the poor and the vulnerable; provision of relief to firms in statutory and regulatory compliance matters; easing of monetary policy by the RBI; and three-month moratorium on loan instalments.

The Finance Minister also informed the IMFC about India's role as a responsible member of the global community by providing critical medicines to other nations. She also mentioned about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of creating a COVID-19 Emergency Fund for the SAARC region at the SAARC Leaders' video-meeting.

The IMFC meets twice a year, once during the Fund-Bank annual meetings in October, and again during the Spring meetings in April. The committee discusses matters of common concern affecting the global economy and advises the IMF on the direction of its work. This year, due to the COVID-19 Outbreak, the meeting took place through video-conference.
A chance discovery of global terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed cadres in Afghanistans Nangarhar province on Monday night has confirmed the assessment of Indian intelligence agencies that Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence had resumed training a select groups of terrorists for Kashmir in war-torn Afghanistan, people familiar with the development told Hindustan Times.

The Afghan forces had carried out a raid in Nangarhars Muhmand Dara at what was presumed to be a Taliban camp that led to a bloody gunfight. At the end of the clash that cost the Afghan security forces four lives on April 13-14 night, the security personnel discovered that only 5 of the 15 men they had killed were from the Afghan Taliban. The other 10 were Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists being trained to fight in Jammu and Kashmir.

One Jaish terrorist survived the gunfight and was captured.

Counter-terror operatives in Delhi and Kabul told HT that the Masood Azhar-founded Jaish-e-Mohammed, which shares the same Deobandi umbilical cord with Taliban, appeared to be running three camps (called Mustaquil) along with four Taliban camps in Nangarhar province. The camps have been identified as Khogyani I, Khogyani II and Dargah camp in Nangarhar province and were lent by the Taliban in lieu of Haqqani networks cadre being trained in JeMs camps in Pakistan.

Hindustan Times has accessed photographs and video footage of the clash. One of these photographs shows some of the weapons seized by the Afghan security forces from the camp: 2 mortar launchers, one rocket-propelled grenade and 2 AK series rifles.

Afghan security forces recovered mortar launchers and other firearms from the spot of the bloody clash with Taliban and Jaish operatives (Sourced)

Maulana Masood Azhar, who has been on Indias most wanted list for years, is incapacitated due to health issues and lives in the terror groups headquarters, Markaz-e-Usman-o-Ali in Pakistans Bahawalpur.

His younger brother Mufti Rauf Asghar is the man running the Jaish s terror show.

Intelligence reports indicate that the Jaishs de facto chief Mufti Rauf Asghars son Wali Azhar is also being trained in these camps that are headed by former Afghan war and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen veteran Mufti Asghar Kashmiri. His second-in-command at these camps is the Jaishs Kashmir infiltration specialist Abdullah aka Asadullah.

We have photographic evidence that places Kashmiri and Abdullah at the terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, one official told HT.

Also Read: The Taliban has trumped the US in Afghanistan | Analysis

According to information shared with Indias security planners, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir residents Yasin, Umar, Said and Mansoor along with Bahawalpur-based chief trainer Chacha Wagah, Junaid and Qari Sahab were present in the camp along with Kashmiri and Abdullah as late as March 29.

The total strength of Khogyani I camp is 23 cadres and seven instructors, while the number of cadres in Khogyani II and Dargah camps number 66 excluding trainers and logistics staff.

The radicalised cadre are being given a 15-day normal training after which they have to clear the six-month Jundullah (commando) training course before being launched into J&K. These cadres are also being given jungle survival training in Kunar reserve near Nuristan border.

Also Read: Pakistan proxies in fight to the finish in Afghanistan, but India too needs to prep | Analysis

Miniature replicas of the areas around their launch pads at Neelum, Sharda, Kel, Athmuqam, Leepa, Kotli and Forward Kahuta across the Line of Control (LOC) have been created for briefing them about infiltration into J&K.

Already, intelligence agencies have reported that the Pakistan terror groups had prepped to send about 230 terrorists across the Line of Control.

Indian national security planners are also watching with some anxiety the emerging big picture in Afghanistan with the US on the verge of withdrawal and Taliban all set to fight it out with the Ashraf Ghani regime for the seat in Kabul.

It is quite evident that once the Taliban gain control of Kabul, Pakistan would acquire strategic depth through Afghanistan and use the soil to launch terror strikes against India, a counter-terror operative in Delhi said.

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Scientists have discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting in a star's habitable zone, the area where a rocky planet could support liquid water.

This planet, called Kepler-1649c, was discovered as scientists looked through old observations from the NASA Kepler space telescope retired in 2018. Previous searches with a computer algorithm misidentified the exoplanet as a "false positive" result from the telescope, but researchers double checking the data realized it was a planet, according to a NASA news release.

More NASA science: Advocates seek more for science in proposed $25.2B NASA budget

There are some exoplanets closer to Earth's size or closer to Earth's temperature, but this new exoplanet is the closest thing scientists have found to Earth when considering three factors: its size, temperature and location in a habitable zone. The news release says Kepler-1649c is 1.06 times larger than Earth. It is 300 light years from Earth and the amount of light its receives from its star is 75 percent of what the Earth receives from our sun.

However, there is a key difference. This exoplanet orbits a red dwarf, a type of star know for flare-ups that may make a planet's environment challenging for potential life.

"This intriguing, distant world gives us even greater hope that a second Earth lies among the stars, waiting to be found, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate, said in the news release. The data gathered by missions like Kepler and our Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will continue to yield amazing discoveries as the science community refines its abilities to look for promising planets year after year."

Kepler searched for exoplanets by staring at stars and looking for dips in brightness caused when a planet passes in front of the star it's orbiting. An algorithm was used to sort through the data, though astronomers knew it would need to be double checked. So a team is reviewing what the algorithm identified as "false positives," where it determined dips in brightness were caused by a phenomenon other than exoplanets.

NASA is holding a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" to discuss this exoplanet finding on Friday at 1 p.m. CT. To participate, go to www.reddit.com/r/space.
TDT | Manama

A man convicted of peddling drugs recently lost his final chance to challenge the 10-year prison sentence he has been serving since 2017. This came as the man, who was also fined BD3,000 back then for the same charge, got his final appeal rejected by the Court of Cassation, which upheld his punishment on Tuesday. The details of the case show that the man was caught red-handed while he was selling hashish to a secret informant in the Muharraq Governorate.

The informant was recruited by the Anti-Narcotics Department in the Interior Ministry and contacted the appellant to request to buy a piece of hashish worth BD50. They agreed to meet near a pharmacy in Muharraq where the informant handed over the amount, which was previously copied by the police, and received the piece from the man under secret surveillance from authorities. After collecting the piece from the informant, a police force moved to apprehend the appellant, while an accomplice who was waiting for him in a car (a black SUV) escaped the scene after ramming into the police vehicle.

Laboratory tests of the sold piece confirmed it was hashish, while a blood and urine examination of the appellant showed traces of several narcotic substances. On December 19, 2017, the appellant was interrogated by the Public Prosecution, which charged him of illegal sale of drugs (hashish). He was sentenced by a first degree court to 10 years in jail and to pay a fine of BD3,000. He appealed against the verdict to the Supreme Criminal Court of Appeal, which rejected his plea considering the provided evidence, witness testimonies and the confiscated substance.

The man once again challenged the verdict before the Court of Cassation, which deliberated the case and upheld the same sentence that was initially issued against him.
New Delhi: Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in India and the lockdown coming into force, a lot of people have been affected, one of them is a former Tihar inmate -- a software professional in the US who was lodged in the Tihar Jail. He was accused of quarelling with a man on Facebook and now finds his freedom a difficult affair.

While the stories of migrant labourers and many others are flooding the newspapers, in an unsual incident, a prisoner who was released early from Delhi's Tihar Jail is not able to go home as he has been stuck here due to the lockdown.

Vishal Sharma, narrating his journey from the US to the Tihar Jail, said, "A complaint was lodged by a man in 2013 after I had a quarrel with him on Facebook under the provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act. In 2018, when the case reached the court, I did not claim trial and pleaded guilty following which I was awarded an year of imprisonment.

However, only aftter three months, I got bail and went to Dubai for official purposes. When I came back to India in 2019, I again surrended so as to complete my remaining term. Though, I was supposed to be released in May, the jail authorities upon seeing my conduct decided to release me early and I walked out of Tihar on April 4, Vishal told IANS over the phone.

Revealing what happned after his release, Vishal said, "The day I walked out of Tihar's Jail number 7, I called up my parents and they were shocked to hear the news of my release, however, I refused to return home as the only way to reach my home in Jalandhar is by driving and since my parents are old and there was no curfew pass, I didn't want to trouble them."

When asked about the condition of the prisons since the lockdown has come in place, he said that awareness campaign is done by the Deputy Jail Superintendent and doctors inside the jail about how hygiene should be maintained and also about the social distancing norms.

"But, nobody is following the social distancing norms and even the food was also being prepared without much precautions. Prisoners were standing closely in the line to fetch food and everyone is having water from the same tap," Vishal said.

Vishal is currently residing inside a shelter home in Tihar Gaon near Tiak Nagar area.

Recently, a high-powered committee constituted for taking steps to decongest prisons in the wake of coronavirus expressed its deep anguish after it found that no steps were taken to implement its resolution for various steps to be taken to decongest the prisons including remission of sentence to the convicts.

The committee headed by Delhi High Court judge Justice Hima Kohli and also comprising Tihar Jail DG Sandeep Goyal, Principal Secretary (Home) Satya Gopal and Kanwaljit Arora, was set up pursuant to the orders of the Supreme Court in order to decongest the prisons.

After Justice Hima Kohli expressed displeasure, Principal Secretary (Home) apprised her that on the basis of resolution, the Delhi government has passed the necessary orders "granting remission of sentence".

He further assured the court that the said orders will be communicated to D.G.(Prisons) during the course of the day.

Goyal said he will expedite the process within two-three days of receipt of the orders from the government of NCT of Delhi in order to achieve the objective, for which the committee is constituted.
Australian City Moves to Sever Ties With China Sister City

New South Wales (NSW) largest inland city, Wagga Wagga, has voted to cut its relationship with its Chinese sister city, Kunming in Yunnan province, over concerns that the Chinese regime covered up and lied about the severity of the CCP virus.

Spearheaded by councilor Paul Funnell, the motion was passed on April 14.

In addition to severing the ties Wagga Wagga had with Kunmingwhich were in place since 1988Funnell also called to sever relationships with two other friendship cities, Tieling in Liaoning province, and Rugao in Jiangsu province, which started in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

Given that these current arrangements are actually with the governing and ruling authorities of the said provinces and educational facilities, we are therefore in relations with the totalitarian communist regime of the Peoples Republic of China, Funnell said in his report (pdf) to Wagga Wagga Council.

This is the same Chinese communist government that delights in lies, subterfuge, and coverups; for example, by now trying to claim that the U.S. military is responsible for the spread of COVID-19, said Funnel in the report.

Funnell added that the Chinese regimes actions and inaction post the outbreak has brought death and destruction across the world  and Wagga Wagga LGA (Local Government Area) has not been spared.

According to NSW Health, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District in southern NSWwhich includes Wagga Wagga and surrounding areashas 44 reported cases of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. There has been one reported death as of April 15.

Mayor Greg Conkey issued a statement the next day saying that he immediately put forward a rescission motion to be considered at the next council meeting, which is scheduled for April 22.

Its hypocrisy, Conkey told SBS News. The three councilors who voted in favour of it either directly or indirectly benefit from our very close trading ties with China.

Its all very well for them to say theyre opposed to the central government, but that has nothing to do with our sister city and the strong friendship and ties we have with them.

We are a very proud multicultural city, we have 112 nationalities represented, and we speak 107 languages, so Im really just devastated by this, Conkey added.

Request From Sister City

According to Funnell, the city of Wagga Wagga received a letter from Kunmings municipal government on Jan. 29 requesting face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as China was under a severe situation of preventing and controlling pneumonia.

Funnell told 3AW radio host Tom Elliott that one week later, the city received another letter from Kunming that praised the Chinese regimes victory over the CCP virus.

According to Funnell, the letter stated: After confirming Chinas victory over the epidemic, I will invite you to lead a delegation to show you a healthy, prosperous, and vibrant Kunming.

Ive never supported the communist regime, and never will. And I dont want to be in a relationship with the communist regime, Funnell said.

Funnell added that he has been accused of racism but has made it clear that its not about race but rather the communist ideology.

The beauty of our democratic process is that we can and should put forward what we believe are not only in the best interests of our constituents, but also an opportunity to stand up for our principles, and that of the people that chose us to represent them, Funnell said in his report.

If we dont sever ties with the aforementioned anti-democratic organisations, we are giving tacit approval to the [Chinese] regime that what they are doing is alright, just by our ongoing relationship, he said.

Six out of nine councilors were present to vote at the meeting. Of the three who were not there, one was ill and two declared a conflict of interest. Mayor Conkey was also not present due to an illness.
China's national digital currency (DCEP) will be issued to local government employees in the city of Suzhou in May, a local news outlet reported on Thursday.

Citing an official document, China Star Market said that Suzhou municipal government employees would receive 50% of their May transportation subsidies in DCEP. The digital currency will be issued to them by four state-owned banks, including the Agricultural Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the Bank of China, and the China Construction Bank.

According to China Star Market, the official document is asking all government institutions and committees to sign DCEP issuance contracts with these banks in preparation for the May launch. All employees are asked to download digital wallets developed by these banks to receive their subsidies.

Earlier this week, The Block reported that the Agricultural Bank of China had piloted a digital wallet app. However, at the time, only users who are on the bank's white list were allowed to register accounts on the app. In December 2019, PBOC reportedly planned to roll out DCEP pilot programs in several major Chinese cities, including the cities of Shenzhen and Suzhou. Since the coronavirus outbreak, the central bank also mentioned on several occasions that the development and testing of the digital currency were "progressing smoothly."
Jose Jimenez is hospitalized with COVID-19, on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma. His family hopes plasma recently donated from a recovered patient can save his life.

His wife, Holly Jimenez, who is also a nurse, told KOIN (6) her husbands doctors had been looking at such a treatment, but Jimenezs blood type posed a challenge.

"There is research supporting that the convalescent plasma can be helpful for these patients, his wife told the station. He has a rare blood type which is AB-positive. We are also looking for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have recovered -- have been symptom- and fever-free for at least 14 days.

On Wednesday, Holly Jimenez posted on Facebook that her husband had received a unit of convalescent plasma.

He had a steady day with improvement in his vital signs and lab results, she said. She added, for people who still want to donate, Many patients nationwide are in critical need of this convalescent plasma.

Jose Jimenez is a nurse in Douglas County, according to KOIN. He became ill on March 20 with fatigue, body aches and chills, the station reports, and instead of getting better, got worse.

Jose Jimenez, who is also a veteran, was working on a mental health unit at the Roseburg VA Health Care System when he became sick, the report said.

On Monday, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Legacy Emanuel. A GoFundMe for his family says he is now on a ventilator, in a medically induced coma and has started dialysis.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

According to the American Red Cross, patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus.

The plasma of these recovered patients is being tested as a treatment for patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections, or those judged by a healthcare provider to be at high risk of progression to severe or life-threatening disease, the Red Cross says.

Fully recovered patients who are over 17, weigh 110 pounds or more and are in generally good health can fill out a form to be a donor on the Red Cross website.

April 15 update: Last night, I found out that Jose did receive a unit of convalescent plasma. He had a steady day with... Posted by Holly Jimenez on Friday, April 10, 2020

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There is a video going round the internet, showing a group of teenagers suspected to be robbers crying and begging for mercy as they were being tortured after they were allegedly caught robbing in Ikutun, Lagos.

Residents of Lagos (Mainland) and Ogun State have complained bitterly about the spike in robbery ever since the pronouncement of lockdown in those locations by President Buhari.

It is quite saddening and disturbing that in a period of National Emergency, caused by Corona Virus, a Virus that brings death and despair, Nigerians now have a choice of staying home with no power, high probability of being robbed, dying of malnutrition and hunger, those who decide to go out, are faced with options of being harassed by security operatives, contacting the virus or even being killed by trigger happy personnels.

Considering the fact that we are still battling serious insecurity problems with bandits, cow rustlers, kidnappers, arm robbers, internet fraudsters, terrorists etc.

This forces the question down my mind. When will Nigerian Insecurity Problems end?

Nigeria is going through a lot of pressure, especially as regards population explosion, increased number of people living in absolute poverty, climate change, desertification and increasing proliferation of weapons. Our security apparatus is really stressed, from the Northeast, Boko Haram runs mayhems, conflicts in the middle belt and alteration between fulanis and indigenous farming communities in the south. There is also a high crime rate as aggregated by organized gangs or cults, adding to a high level of police brutality.

The sky looks dark for this great country of more than 200 million people.

However, we have recorded some gains, especially as regards high profile killings, the Nigerian Police Force, have showed great courage and determination, but the is a high level of mistrust in public institution, which have led citizens to most times take laws into their own hands, leading to the establishment of armed militias by regions, and agitation by some states.

To flatten this rising curve of insecurity, Nigeria must open more doors for her citizens, especially, graduates roaming the streets in their millions, skilled men should be given viable opportunity to work, accountability should be the watchword of the country. If the looming danger is not averted on time, it may consume us with time.

Ubong Usoro, writes for the NigerianVoice, he lives in Calabar. You can reach him through [email protected]
Sixty Rohingya died on a boat crammed with hundreds of people stranded in the Bay of Bengal for more than two months, two survivors told AFP on Thursday.

Both said that the captain of the fishing trawler, carrying over 500 men, women and children, was also killed in a fight with those on board.

Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps near Bangladeshs border with Myanmar after fleeing a military offensive in 2017. Thousands try every year to reach other countries on crowded rickety boats.

Survivor Anwarul Islam said that after the ship was denied entry by both Malaysia and Thailand it headed back to Bangladesh where they were picked up by the coastguard late on Wednesday.

There were more than 500 people onboard, jam-packed. At least 60 of us died in the boat. We held on board their funeral prayers and dropped their bodies in the sea, Islam told AFP by phone.

We barely had food, freshwater, and medicines, he said.

The captain tried to rape one of our women and fighting broke out, Islam said, stating the man was killed during the confrontation and his body thrown overboard.

His account was echoed by Anwar Alam, another survivor, who said the ordeal lasted two months and 18 days.

We entered Malaysia (waters) three times but they didnt let us in. Many of us died in the heat and sweat. There were too many onboard, mostly women and children, Alam told AFP in southeastern Bangladesh.

The captain of the ship was killed when there was a quarrel between us and the crew.

 Starving 

A Rohingya community leader in Bangladesh, who declined to be named, said there were 482 people on board the boat.

That suggests more than 50 people may have perished.

It made several attempts to land in Malaysia but was turned back. We think several boats carrying Rohingya are still at sea, he said.

The Bangladesh coast guard said that other survivors had told them that 32 people died on board and their bodies dumped in the sea, and that the boat had tried to enter Malaysia and Thailand.

Coast guard officer Shah Zia Rahman told AFP that nearly 250 women and children were among the 400 or so rescued late Wednesday from the vessel off the Coxs Bazar district in southeastern Bangladesh.

They were starving, Rahman said.

The UNs refugee agency said that they were extremely malnourished and dehydrated.

Their bodies have become skeletal. Some grew beards on the boat, local police chief Masud Hossain told AFP.

Bangladesh media reports quoted one of those on board as saying the boat was denied entry by Malaysia because of stricter controls due to the coronavirus pandemic.

We failed to anchor in Malaysian coast despite repeated attempts, Mohammad Jubayer told the bdnews24.com news portal.

Admiral Mohamad Zubil Mat Som, director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, declined to comment on the reports. But he said the maritime border was being strengthened.

Only a few of those rescued had refugee cards from the camps and many had boarded in Arakan in Myanmars Rakhine state, said Hamidul Islam, another coast guard officer.

They were detained for illegally entering Bangladesh territory, he said, before they were handed over to the UNHCR, a United Nations spokesperson confirmed.

Since late last year, Bangladeshs law enforcement agencies have picked up some 1,000 Rohingya from coastal villages and boats as they waited to board vessels bound for Malaysia.

Amnesty Internationals Biraj Patnaik hit out at the callous indifference of other governments to the plight of the Rohingya since fleeing crimes against humanity in Myanmar.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at a press conference where he announced the Japanese billionaire chosen by the company to fly around the moon, on September 17, 2018 in Hawthorne, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images

SpaceX is launching more often than any other country or company and CEO Elon Musk touted low insurance costs as proof of the improving reliability of his company's Falcon 9 rockets. "Last I checked, over a million dollars less ... to insure a Falcon 9 mission," Musk said in tweets Wednesday evening. Musk tweet Insurance on a launch is "the acid test" for the reliability of a rocket, Musk added in another tweet. A top space insurance underwriter, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNBC that Musk's reference is true for insurance premiums, which are based on the rocket's price tag, but not for the insurance rate, which is based on the market's perceived reliability of the rocket. SpaceX advertises Falcon 9 rocket launches on its website with a $62 million price tag. The insurance rate on a Falcon 9 is about 4% currently, the underwriter said. That's the same rate as competitors' similarly-capable rockets, such as the European launcher Arianespace's Ariane 5 or U.S. rocket builder United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas V. But Ariane 5 and Atlas V launches go for upwards of $165 million each, meaning a Falcon 9 premium is about $2.5 million while its competitors' premiums would be in the range of $7 million.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying 60 Starlink satellites on November 11, 2019 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Starlink constellation will eventually consist of thousands of satellites designed to provide world wide high-speed internet service. Paul Hennessy | NurPhoto | Getty Images

In essence, the underwriter said a Falcon 9 mission is cheaper to insure because the rocket costs less than competitors'  not necessarily because it is seen as more reliable. The underwriter added that Musk's method of comparing insurance premiums is additionally misleading given that launch insurance is almost always based on more than just the cost of a rocket itself. A launch insurance policy typically includes the cost of the launch vehicle, the price of the spacecraft it's launching and the amount paid for the insurance, the underwriter explained. While SpaceX has had suffered two rocket failures in the past decade, the company's Falcon 9 has successfully launched 81 times.

Reusing rockets as a way to save money
Burman Invest's chief investment officer Julia Lee (pictured) said the Australian economy faced 'a lot of pain' for the remainder of 2020. The International Monetary Fund is predicting a 6.7 per cent economic contraction for Australia this year

A finance expert has warned Australia faces 'a lot of pain' for the remainder of 2020, as the coronavirus crisis hits twice as hard.

The International Monetary Fund this week predicted the Australian economy would contract by 6.7 per cent this year.

The global economy by comparison was expected to shrink by three per cent in 2020.

Burman Invest's chief investment officer Julia Lee told Sunrise Australia was particularly reliant upon Chinese demand for commodities like coal and iron ore.

Export volumes were expected to plunge as coronavirus affected China, Australia's biggest trading partner, and most advanced nations.

'Unfortunately, we do see a slowing down in global growth that will hit Chinese demand,' Ms Lee said.

'That has an effect on Australia. It is about the global economy and how quickly you can lift these lockdowns.'

Ms Lee said border closures would also damage the tourism industry and the foreign student market, adding the magnitude of the downturn depended on 'the trajectory of the virus' and how long the government-imposed lockdown on businesses would last.

Job market numbers released on Thursday showed unemployment at 5.2 per cent in March, up from 5.1 per cent in February.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics data was collected in the first half of the month before non-essential businesses like pubs, clubs and gyms were shut down on March 23 to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Treasury is expecting the jobless rate to surge to 10 per cent by the end of June, a rate unseen since early 1994.

Treasury is expecting the jobless rate to surge to 10 per cent by the end of June, a rate unseen since early 1994. Pictured is a Centrelink queue in Brisbane on March 24, 2020

Australia's unemployment rate shot up to 11.2 per cent in December 1992, even though the last recession in 1991 had technically ended 18 months earlier.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

At that point, it was the highest jobless rate since the 1930s when at least one in five people were without work.

Without the $130billion JobKeeper program, to provide $1,500 fortnightly wage subsidies to six million workers, Treasury predicted Australia would have a 15 per cent jobless rate.

Ms Lee agreed Australia would have Great Depression levels of unemployment without this stimulus program.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was putting a positive spin on the IMF forecast.

'The IMF is forecasting Australia to grow by 6.1 per cent in 2021, faster than the economies of the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and the United Kingdom,' Mr Frydenberg said.

'Our measures are temporary, targeted and proportionate to the challenge we face and will ensure Australia bounces back stronger on the other side.'
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Mike DeWines office is batting away reports that the governors of Kentucky and Indiana want to coordinate with Ohio on easing stay-at-home orders.

You will see the three of our states at least working together significantly as we move forward, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Its been shown that the Great Lakes region has done a fairly good job of mitigating our connections and our travel, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said Tuesday, according to the Indianapolis Star. And thats had a significant positive impact, unlike in some other places. Well move forward together as a state, but Ill not surprise my neighboring states by any actions we take in the future as well.

But Dan Tierney, a spokesman for DeWine, said Thursday nothing is set in stone.

Governor DeWine speaks frequently with the governors of states surrounding Ohio, Tierney said in an email. He has a conference call with the Governors of Indiana and Kentucky weekly. No formal compact has been agreed to at this time.

Ohio has the largest population and economy of the three states.

DeWine has been under increasing pressure from fellow Ohio Republicans to ease restrictions on businesses. However, in daily briefings, DeWine has made it clear that reopening Ohio is dependent on testing for the population at large. The current stay-at-home order ends May 1. Its unclear if DeWine will extend it, as he did with the first order.

By Wednesday afternoon in Ohio, there were 361 coronavirus deaths and 7,791 infections.

Other coronavirus coverage:

Gov. Mike DeWine facing increasing pressure from state lawmakers to roll back coronavirus closures

State senator writes Gov. Mike DeWine, asking to reopen businesses in rural Ohio

Ohio coronavirus deaths up to 361, with 7,791 infections: Gov. Mike DeWines Wednesday, April 15 briefing
He has not been able to be open, and its something close to me thats been affected, Wolschlag said. Its just a nice gesture. What were doing is not going to solve anything for anyone, but we can say we understand the pain youre going through.
A 19-year-old man was allegedly



stabbed to death by three persons, including two minors, over a petty dispute in the western suburb of Malad here, police said on Thursday.

While the minors were detained by the police, the hunt is on for the absconding accused, an official said.

The incident took place late on Wednesday when Karan Sigwan, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Appapada, confronted one of the minors for allegedly stealing some pigeons that he owned, he said.

A heated argument ensued and the minor stabbed Sigwan in the stomach killing him instantly, while two other accused aided the attack, he said.

The minors were detained by the Kurar police, while the hunt is on for the third accused, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Both the economic concerns and lingering restrictions on travel mean domestic flying is likely to bounce back more quickly than international travel. Thats better news for airlines that focus more on domestic flying, like Southwest, than airlines like United with a larger international network. United accounted for a little more than half of all flights domestic carriers operated connecting the U.S. to China and Hong Kong last year, according to data from PlaneStats.com, Oliver Wymans aviation data portal.
A Mumbai court here on Thursday granted bail to a television journalist arrested for allegedly `spreading misinformation' with his report that the government was thinking of starting Jan Sadharan train services for migrants, which allegedly led to a crowd gathering in Bandra.

Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here

Rahul Kulkarni, journalist with a Marathi news channel, was arrested by Mumbai Police on Wednesday, a day after several migrant workers gathered near Bandra station here demanding that they be sent back to their home towns.

Kulkarni was produced before a magistrate in Bandra on Thursday where the police sought his custody.

The court, however, refused the police's plea and remanded Kulkarni in judicial custody, following which his advocate Subodh Desai immediately filed a bail application.

After hearing brief arguments, the court granted him bail on a surety of Rs 15,000.

Ten others arrested in the case were remanded in police custody till April 19.

The police booked Kulkarni under Indian Penal Code Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 505(b) (intent to cause fear or alarm among public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquility), and provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

According to police, Kulkarni allegedly gave a "false" story, saying the Railways was going to start special trains to ferry migrant workers stranded in Maharashtra back to their native states.

The police said hundreds of migrant workers gathered at the Bandra station on Tuesday after watching the news, and they were later dispersed.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut hailed court's decision to grant bail to Kulkarni.

He said the arrest of the journalist in connection with the gathering of migrants in Bandra was unfortunate.

Talking to a news channel, Raut said the government and media were both important pillars of democracy.

"Both sides should be alert that such an incident should not happen again. I am happy journalist Rahul Kulkarni got bail. The police should find out truth into the charges on which he was arrested," the Rajya Sabha member said.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An Alaska city appealed a state agencys order allowing an energy company to keep the companys finances confidential as it seeks to complete a $5.6 billion oil field purchase.

Valdez turned to the state Superior Court in Anchorage this week to force Hilcorp Energy Company to release its financial details as part of the deal to buy BP Alaskas interests, The Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday.

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska said last month that Texas-based Hilcorp and its subsidiaries can shield their financial statements during the transaction.

The decision creates an exception to the general rule allowing public access to documents filed with the commission, the city argued.

Hilcorp in August announced its plan to buy BP Alaskas Prudhoe Bay oil field operation, including the companys 49% stake in the 800-mile (1,287-kilometre) trans-Alaska pipeline and related pipelines.

Hundreds of people have raised concerns about the companys privacy request, arguing financial information should be publicized to boost confidence that the smaller company has the financial strength to maintain aging North Slope facilities and clean up costly oil spills, if they occur.

Valdez challenged the regulatory commissions interpretation of the state statute in the order, according to the citys appeal.

The RCA erred in broadly rather than narrowly interpreting the statute, the city said in its court filing.

The regulatory commission decision violates constitutional rights and hurts transparency and the right to question, investigate, and monitor the discharge of the RCAs duties, the city argued.

Regulatory commission spokeswoman Grace Salazar said the agency could not comment on the appeal.
The stark numbers reflect Chinas dramatic efforts to stamp out the coronavirus, which included shutting down most factories and offices in January and February as the outbreak sickened tens of thousands of people.

They also illustrate how monumental the challenge of getting the global economy back on its feet will be.

China is trying to restart its vast, $14 trillion economy, an effort that could give the rest of the world a much-needed shot in the arm. But the spread of the virus to Europe and the United States has sharply cut the worlds appetite for Chinas goods. That could lead to factory shutdowns and worker furloughs even as the country tries to get back to business.

Chinas National Bureau of Statistics confirmed last month that domestic industrial production, retail sales and investment all suffered record, double-digit drops in the first two months of this year compared with the same period of 2019. That prompted most, though not all, economists to guess that overall economic performance for the first quarter of this year would show a decrease from a year earlier.
Biologist Kim Ji-hee, first from left, and other South Korean polar scientists explore Antarctica to search for candidate locations for the country's second research station there in this February 2010 file photo. Their expedition led to the establishment of the Jang Bogo Research Station in 2014. / Courtesy of KOPRI



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Polar scientist Kim Ji-hee spends two to three months annually on Antarctica, known among other things for its significant penguin population, depending on her research schedule.



She said that watching penguins in Antarctica is one of the joys of being a polar scientist. Although the Jang Bogo Research Station on mainland Antarctica has no habitat for penguins, they can be spotted there because Emperor and Adelie penguins go there to molt. Around the King Sejong Research Station on Barton Peninsula, King George Island is a place where penguins tend to congregate, making it a better place for penguin watching.



Polar scientists conduct their research missions against severe weather conditions in a desolate environment.



Thus, Kim noted, overall working conditions are tough. She said one of the tough challenges she faces during her annual summertime field research is that she sometimes has to repress her "basic human needs."



Kim said she tries to drink water as little as possible when and if she performs research on plants and biodiversity in the areas far away from the Jang Bogo Research Station in the mainland Antarctica. "It has everything in there from restrooms to a kitchen. Even internet access is available at the research station. But in case I leave for a field trip in a location far from the station, there are no restrooms," she said.



She said she doesn't want to waste her time going back and forth for the bathroom, so she chooses to skip drinking water.



"I like coffee a lot. But when I go to Antarctica, I never drink it (because of its diuretic effect)," she said.



The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty has a rule for disposal of human waste. Scientists or other visitors are encouraged not to dispose of human excrement or other waste particularly in the area near fresh water or habitats for plants. There are various bacteria in human feces which could distort the region's ecosystem if not properly managed.



The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research strengthened the rule on disposal of waste and encouraged researchers to use bags or containers to carry human waste and to take it back to the research stations for disposal.



Such regulations were introduced because the consequence of scientific activities, such as human waste, could harm the Antarctic environment. In Antarctica, 65 research stations operating during summer and 30 during wintertime.



Repressing basic human needs takes a toll on polar scientists. Kim said she and fellow scientists found their faces swell. Seeing them, a doctor from South Korea's icebreaker ship Araon advised them to drink more water.



Kim said sometimes she and fellow scientists wash their faces with snow or wet tissue to save time when they are researching plants away from the research station.



Because of extreme weather conditions on Antarctica, polar scientists are susceptible to hypothermia, even though they perform research during summer.



In the western parts of Antarctica such as Cape Bucks, the "white night" continues during summertime. The midnight sun encourages Polar scientists to set their time based on their biological clocks. Kim found herself adaptable to the new daily routine in Antarctica but some of her fellow scientists struggle. To help them sleep, doctors give them melatonin injections.



As a female polar scientist, Kim said she had a hard time balancing work and family in the beginning of her career when she first embarked on a field trip to King George Island in 2002. At that time, her son was a two-year old.



Kim said leaving her son behind for the research trips to Antarctica every year was a tough decision. She felt torn. It was her mother-in-law who convinced her to go and to keep pursuing her dream as a biologist.



"She made me feel relieved by saying she would take care of my young son during my absence from home, advising me not to give up my career for family and to live my life as a professional scientist," she said.


The wet markets in Wuhan, China, are incubators of global pandemics. Dr. Anthony Fauci believes they should be shut down immediately. He said, It boggles my mind how, when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human-animal interface, that we just dont shut it down.

Our U.S. intelligence community has evidence that Chinese government officials are hiding the truth concerning the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in China. Underestimating Chinese deaths and total cases of the virus only broadens the breach of trust between communist China and our nation.

Even Chinese citizens of Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, are skeptical of official government estimates as they see thousands of ash urns outside funeral homes in their city.

Heres a look into Chinas wet markets, places where the exotic and epidemic has already become pandemic.

Fact 1. Wet Markets sell freshly slaughtered meat and fish, and water is used to wash away potential stench and sickness

Most farmers markets in the U.S. can be considered dry markets. Local farmers and vendors come to sell their fruits, vegetables, and various goods. Frozen and processed beef, pork, and chicken are the only meats sold at my hometown farmers market.

Around the world, the sights, sounds, and smells at wet markets are much different. You can see exotic and indigenous animals locked in cages or fish melting on ice. Blood is splattered on the ground as animals are slaughtered on the premises. The reek of animal urine, feces, and blood grows stronger as the temperature rises. Vendors seek to wash away animal droppings and body fluids with their water hoses and buckets -- thus the name, wet markets.

Fact 2. Zoonotic diseases are uniquely problematic to the wet markets in mainland China

Crowding wild and indigenous animals into hot and humid cages in these markets sets the stage for a cauldron for contamination and contagion. It has been described as a smorgasbord of dogs being boiled alive, bats served on sticks like lollipops, kittens slaughtered, rats fried, and giant snakes carved up for human consumption, with the blood splattering everywhere.

Zoonotic diseases jump from animals to humans. The stress of captivity of wild and domesticated animals and the prolonged chaos found in these markets can cause the immune systems to deteriorate in some animals. The environment becomes ripe for viruses from different species to mix and mingle -- sharing bits and pieces of their genetic code, according to biologist Kevin Olival with EcoHealth Alliance. With the direct or indirect contact between these animals and humans the virus is spread.

Fact 3. COVID-19 did not originate with American soldiers in Wuhan, China.

The Military World Games were held in Wuhan on October 18-27, 2019, and 300 U.S. military personnel participated, along with soldiers from around the globe. While none of these soldiers tested positive for the coronavirus, they became the perfect foil for a conspiracy theory.

On March 12, Zhao Lijian, Communist Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, wrote on Twitter, When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!

Fact 4. The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China is believed to be the source of the early cases of COVID-19.

Dina Fine Maron, an investigate reporter for Wildlife Watch (a project between National Geographic Society and National Geographic Partners) wrote today that, Hunan Seafood Wholesale Market, which Chinese public health authorities say was the origin of most early cases of the novel coronavirus, was closed in early January. The market sold fresh produce and seafood, as well as wild animals that were slaughtered for meat. It has not been reopened.

Some Chinese scientists are now saying that the pangolin is the animal that jumped the virus over to humans. The pangolin is one-of-a-kind, for it is the only mammal totally covered in thick protective scales. It eats ants, termites, and larvae with its long sticky tongue.

A much darker narrative is that the novel coronavirus originated in a Wuhan laboratory using intermediate horseshoe bats from China in experimentation and the killer virus escaped. Two of the labs are near the wet market in Wuhan.

Fact 5. On February 25, the Chinese legislature banned the buying, selling, and eating of wild animals to prevent zoonotic diseases jumping from animals to humans.

One report indicates that Chinese consumption of certain wild animals is driven as much by the desire to flaunt wealth by a mixture of superstition and belief about the health benefits of wildlife. Only the very wealthy can order a bowl of soup made with palm civet (a cat-size mammal indigenous to jungles throughout Southeast Asia). Fried cobra and braised bear paw are two more items on the exotic menu for wealthy Chinese.

President Trump describes our current enemy as COVID-19, and it is our big war. He describes it as a medical war and one that we have to win. Part of fighting this war is dealing with the truth.

Confucius once said, three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. Sadly, the Chinese Communist Party has not always been truthful with the free world.

After serving in the Midwest for 25 years in church and denominational roles, Ron F. Hale returned home to Jackson, TN in 2006 to serve on a large church staff for 12 years. He continues in ministry doing interim pastor work, freelance writing, and serving on the SBC Executive Committee in Nashville.
- A World Bank report shows that remittances from Ghanaians abroad have fallen in volume since the outbreak of the coronavirus

- The 2019 rankings show that Ghana placed 11th which was a fall from the 9th position in 2018

- The top four countries for 2019 were Comoros, Lesotho, The Gambia and Liberia

Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

The World Bank has disclosed that the outbreak of the coronavirus has affected the inflow of remittances to Africa.

In its 2019 report, it was realised that Ghana placed 11th on the list of African countries that received the most volumes of funds from abroad.

Ghana recorded remittances of about 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: COCOBOD predicts $1 billion loss to Ghana as world cocoa prices fall

It fell behind Nigeria, which secured the 10th position and Togo which was in the 7th position, a report by classfmonline.com shows.

The first, second, third and fourth positions were taken by Comoros, Lesotho, The Gambia (13.2% of GDP) and Liberia (12.0% of GDP) respectively.

In the year 2018, the total amount of remittances to Ghana was US$3.8 billion, which was about 7.3% of GDP, making the country the 9th largest receiver in Africa.

Information available shows that the funds were mainly from the United States of America, Canada and Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain).

However, the outbreak of the coronavirus is likely to lead to a fall of between 5% and 15% in 2020.

According to the World Bank, about a third of African countries are likely to experience a decline in remittances.

In other news, a World Bank report has projected that Ghanas economy could have grown by 6.4% and 5.9% in 2025 and 2030 but for the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Per projections available, the economy should have grown by 6.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020, which has been considered as appreciable by economists and market watchers.

The 2020 Pulse Africa Report also shows that investments were expected to increase by 5.1%, 4.6% and 3.9% in 2020, 2025 and 2030, respectively.

READ ALSO: IMF approves $1 billion for Ghana to combat COVID-19

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An Israeli drone has attacked a vehicle travelling from Lebanon into Syria, although the attack is not thought to have killed anyone writes Al-Masdar.

An Israeli drone carried out an attack on Wednesday, hitting a vehicle that was traveling along the Syrian-Lebanese border.

According to a report from Damascus, the Israeli drone struck the vehicle while it was traveling through the Jdeideh Yabous area of Damascus.

The Israeli drone fired two missiles at the vehicle: the first caused minor damage to the car, allowing the driver to abandon it; the second struck shortly after.

As a result of the Israeli drone attack, the vehicle was badly damaged, but no details have been released about the people inside the car.

A source in Damascus said the drone was monitored entering Syrian airspace from Lebanon before carrying out the attack and returning to Lebanese airspace.

Some early reports claim that the vehicle was operated by a Hezbollah operative; however, this is unconfirmed.

No further details have been released.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The Controller and Accountant Generals Department says it has effected the three months tax relief for all health workers as directed by the President.

According to the Accountant General, the relief will reflect in the salaries this month.

In a Statement signed by the Acting Controller and Accountant General, Mr Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem also indicated that it is engaging the health ministry on the modalities for the computation of the 50% basic salary as allowance for frontline health workers.

Three (3) months tax relief for all health workers has been effected. This will reflect in each of the three months (April, May and June 2020) payroll.

On the 50% of basic salary as allowance for frontline health workers for the next three months, the Department has engaged the Ministry of Health on the modalities for effecting the payment, the statement announced.

Tax relief

Government has announced a tax holiday for Ghanas health workers on their emoluments for a period of three months.

President Akufo-Addo who disclosed this in a televised broadcast early this month said the move is billed to take effect from April to June.

Government has also decided that all health workers will not pay taxes on their emoluments for the next three months i. e. April, May and June, the President said.

This, according to him is part of governments incentive for the Health Workers and their sacrifices as the country fights the coronavirus pandemic.

Aside this, frontline health workers will receive a 50% allowance on their March to June basic salary.

---kasapafmonline
Vice president of sales and marketing at Paradise Cruises and Paradise Vietnam Nguyen Hong Nhat

Which prevention measures have you applied against a possible spread of the virus?

At Paradise Vietnam, the health and safety of our passengers and staff are always our top priority. In the wake of the current pandemic, we regularly update our staff with useful information from credible sources to ensure they are well-equipped to maintain a high standard of safety, hygiene, and customer service.

We have been one of the very first cruise operators in Halong Bay to start carrying out a series of preventive safety measures for staff and guests. Following the Ministry of Healths guidelines, all of our vehicles were sanitised before transporting guests from Hanoi to Halong Bay. All of our cabins and hotel rooms, as well as public areas such as our vessels corridors and decks, were sprayed with disinfectant safe for humans.

Before our tours came to a halt, we ensured that the body temperature of all of our staff was regularly checked before each shift. Face masks were also distributed to all staff before they started their shifts and to all passengers upon check-in. While we currently cannot offer any more tours since Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay have been closed for tourism, we hope to soon be able again to offer visitors our exciting tours.

Should the situation change again for the better, we will continue to take precautions to prevent any new outbreak. While onboard on one of our cruises, we will strongly advise all passengers to wear face masks in public areas and during excursions. Furthermore, we will also advise our guests to regularly use hand sanitisers which will be readily available at the reception, the check-in counter, and other public areas.

Vietnams tourism has been hit the hardest compared to other industries. Did you have to reduce your staff or implement special policies?

When such an outbreak occurs, it is inevitable that the tourism industry takes a big hit. Like many destinations throughout Asia, the current health crisis is significantly affecting Vietnams tourism, especially now that our tours cannot run anymore. But even before the closure, in Halong Bay, the number of visitors, both domestic and international, has dropped dramatically.

Before the official closure on March 12, we still maintained our original itineraries with all excursions included.

Fortunately, confidence and trust among our partners had helped ensure a decent number of visitors to continue to book our cruises. Therefore, we did not have to reduce staff yet and tried to maintain normal operations. At the moment, of course, normal operations are not possible anymore. However, we still keep our staff and hope to be back on the water soon.

Some experts argue that despite the damage the pandemic is causing, the current situation may also offer chances to alter Vietnams tourism industry towards a greener and more naturally-friendly one. What do you think of this opinion?

I believe that especially the countrys luxury tourism sector has increasingly appreciated the need to protect the environment and has been moving towards a greener and more sustainable direction, well before the outbreak of the virus. Promoting green tourism initiatives is important, regardless of whether there is a virus or not.

Back in 2018, Paradise Cruises introduced a programme to tackle the scourge of plastic, banning plastic straws from all of our luxury cruise ships and saving an estimated 36,000 plastic straws annually. In addition to using biodegradable paper and stainless steel straws, we have also introduced reusable glass bottles on our cruises, eliminating around 700,000 plastic bottles annually. Moreover, we also use cotton placemats, paper bags, and paper cups, further preventing substantial plastic waste.

Finally, as a move to contribute to the community and the environment, all Paradise Vietnam employees are split into teams to collect trash from different areas of Halong Bay every month to help preserve and protect this natural heritage.

Considering the heavy losses in the industry, do you have any suggestions for the government to support tourism businesses in overcoming this hard period?

Vietnamese authorities have taken a raft of proactive measures to protect citizens against the threat of the novel coronavirus, with the closure of tourism site being the most drastic one for us. After the recent spike of infections in Europe and the US, the government has frozen the current visa waiver programme for visitors from any country and asked people to self-isolate at home.

While these measures are well-placed to protect Vietnam at the moment, we support the Vietnam National Administration of Tourisms proposed general measures for the country to provide visa exemptions and waive fees in a bid to help the countrys tourism industry. Of course, these measures can only be reactivated when the situation has become safer.

Amid the current health crisis, it is time for us all to band together and support one another. As such, as soon as Vietnam is again free of infections, we need to encourage the locals to travel in their own backyard, where it is relatively safe.

We have supported travel agents and retailers by providing them with information about our preventive safety measures for staff and guests, and we have also given our business partners very good rates. By doing so, we hope to boost domestic tourism and secure a stable income source for local businesses right after the national lockdown at the moment.

At Paradise Vietnam, we are always trying to offer exciting new experiences. Two months ago, we sailed into uncharted waters with the launch of our inaugural cruise in Lan Ha Bay, situated just south of the famed Halong Bay. Lan Ha Bay is a geographical extension of Halong Bay and home to 300-odd towering limestone karsts, emerald waters, and white sand beaches.

To offer the best possible experience for our guests, we unveiled the first of two Paradise Grand vessels - the most luxurious overnight boats to ever cross Lan Ha Bays waters, on January 25. The ships conveniences include butler services for all guests, a fine dining menu crafted by British Michelin-starred chef John Burton-Race, and an indulgent spa with four treatment cabins, as well as live music at an elegant piano lounge, a vast sun deck with an outdoor movie theatre, and adjacent sky bar with panoramic views.
Justin Trudeau has said it will be a 'significant amount of time' before the US-Canada border opens to non-essential travel, despite Donald Trump's claims that it will be one of the first to reopen.

The Canadian Prime Minister said in a daily briefing Thursday that its border restrictions with the US will remain in place 'for a significant time' as the two nations continue to fight to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control.

The US and Canada made an agreement in March to limit border crossings to essential travel until April 19.

But Trudeau's comments suggest Canada will seek to extend the restrictions until the pandemic improves.

Justin Trudeau said at a daily briefing Thursday (pictured) it will be a 'significant amount of time' before the US-Canada border opens to non-essential travel

'There's a recognition that as we move forward there will be special thought given to this relationship. But at the same time we know that there is a significant amount of time, still, before we can talk about loosening such restrictions,' said Trudeau.

'I don't think we can talk about reopening things until we are confident that we have exactly the plan on responding to future resurgences of the virus.'

Trudeau added: 'The work that we continue to do to keep our citizens safe while coordinating very carefully is unlike our approaches with other countries around the world.'

'We will continue coordinating our efforts, collaborating, but the reality is we are still weeks away from being able to talk about softening these measures at the border or others.'

His comments may cause embarrassment for President Trump, who said Wednesday the US and Canada are 'doing well' amid the global pandemic and the border between the two nations will be among the first to open.

'Our relationship with Canada is very good  we'll talk about that. It will be one of the early borders to be released,' Trump said during his daily White House briefing.

'Canada's doing well, we're doing well  so we'll see.'

The northern US border was closed on March 18 after the US and Canada worked out the details of a mutual ban on non-essential travel.

Under the agreement, trade continues to flow across the long shared border as a total shutdown would have spelled severe economic damage for both sides.

Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the US and about 18 percent of American exports go to Canada.

Truck drivers, and Canadians who live in the US for part of the year and are returning to Canada, are also exempt from the current travel ban.

President Trump speaking at an event to celebrate Americas Truckers at the White House on Thursday. On Wednesday he said the US and Canada are 'doing well' and the border between the two nations will be among the first to open

Before the pandemic, nearly 200,000 people typically crossed the border each day.

Relations between the two leaders grew tense earlier in the month when Trump banned US companies from exporting critical N95 masks and other precious medical gear to Canada.

'We need the masks. We don't want any other people getting it,' Trump said, blasting US manufacturing giant 3M saying it 'has not treated our country well' by sending supplies over the border.

Trudeau hit back warning Trump that it is not in either of their countries' interests to engage in a coronavirus trade war.

'We're working with the American administration to ensure that they understand the goods and services that are essential to both our countries flow in both directions across the border, and it is not in any of our interests to actually limit that flow,' he said.

Trudeau said Canada shipped medical gloves and testing kits to the US and said materials for the N95 masks originated in Canada.

The US-Canada border in Lansdowne, Ontario, on March 22. The border was closed on March 18 after the two nations worked out the details of a mutual ban on non-essential travel

Health workers in Canada rely on the masks, while Canadian nurses also cross the bridge from Windsor, Ontario, to work in the Detroit medical system every day, he said.

The US continues to be the hardest-hit country in the world from the coronavirus pandemic, with more confirmed cases and deaths than any other nation.

More than 33,000 Americans have died from the virus and confirmed cases have surpassed 658,000.

In Canada, 1,048 people have died and 28,889 have been infected, according to figures from the Government of Canada.

Almost half of its deaths are linked to nursing homes.
Cameroons main opposition leader said he wants a top court to declare a power vacuum because President Paul Biya hasnt addressed the coronavirus crisis in the country.

Africas second-longest serving president has been criticized on social media for his silence amid the rapid spread of the disease. Cameroon diagnosed the first case of the coronavirus on March 6 and is now among the most affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with 855 patients. The 87-year-old was last seen on March 11 after receiving the U.S. ambassador.

In the face of the unprecedented political situation in which our country finds itself, characterized by the prolonged and unexplained absence of the head of state, I have decided to act, opposition leader Maurice Kamto said on his Facebook page Wednesday. Kamto called on the speaker of Parliament to seize the Constitutional Court.

Known for his secretive leadership style and his frequent, months-long stays in Switzerland, Biyas silence has also fuelled widespread speculation about his health.
A top official with Russia's National Guard has been arrested for allegedly extorting a "protection" bribe from a businessman in the Moscow region.

A court in the city of Istra near the Russian capital said on April 16 that it had sent Colonel Albert Kudryashov, deputy chief of the National Guard's intelligence center, to pretrial detention for at least two months while an investigation continues.

Kudryashov and another unidentified person were detained earlier that day, it added.

Media reports quoted sources in law enforcement as saying that the two men were suspected of extorting significant amounts of cash from a local businessman in exchange for "protection."

No further details of the case have been made public.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  Coronavirus has hit staff and residents of residential living facilities in Muskegon County, but health officials declined to say what ones.

A news release was issued by the Muskegon County health department after MLive inquired about a tip it received regarding staff infected with COVID-19 at a Muskegon area assisted living facility.

As anticipated, cases have been identified in employees and residents of residential congregate facilities such as long-term care, assisted living, and adult foster care, the release states. "No further information about the residents or employees will be released due to privacy laws.

Local residential congregate facilities are taking such precautions as quarantining residents in their rooms, monitoring employees and residents for signs of respiratory illness, restricting visitors and increasing cleaning and use by staff of personal protective equipment, the release states.

A spokesman for the assisted living facility about which MLive received the tip said he could not confirm or deny any COVID-19 cases among residents or staff there, citing privacy concerns. He referred MLive to the health department for more information.

Muskegon County has 103 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and five deaths, according to information posted by the health department on Wednesday, April 15.

Among the confirmed cases are six people in their 70s and 10 in people ages 80 and older. Those who died include two over age 70 while the others were in their 50s and 60s.

COVID-19 has caused deaths among nursing home residents throughout the state. There have been six deaths among residents of a Cedar Springs nursing home, where a total of 31 residents and five staff members tested positive, the nursing home reported.

There were 19 cases and four deaths in a Genesee County nursing home, which was named by the health department there. One resident of an Ann Arbor nursing home died and 10 were sickened along with four staff. That nursing home released information about the case there.

MLive has complete coverage on coronavirus COVID-19, including maps of known cases, at mlive.com/coronavirus.

PREVENTION TIPS

Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:

What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:

 Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.

 Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same.

 Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

 Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

 Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

 Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available.

 Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (computers, keyboards, desks, etc.).

 Its not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.

For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

More on MLive:

Whitmer orders nursing homes to transfer coronavirus patients to separate units or special facilities

Thursday, April 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

4 corrections officers at private prison in Baldwin have coronavirus
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Crime Branch will soon question Nizamuddin Markaz chief Maulana Saad Kandhalvi in connection with the FIR against him and his outfit for violating a Centres ban on big gatherings while coronavirus lockdown is in force.

According to reports, the Crime Branch had earlier grilled three sons of Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad, who had so far evaded arrest and put himself in home-quarantine. The Delhi Police had earlier issued notices to the Jamaat chief in connection with the gathering organised in Delhi.

At least 17 people, including Saad, have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder for holding a gathering last month that authorities say led to a big jump in coronavirus infections.

A congregation at Markaz in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi of Tablighi Jamaat became an epicentre of coronavirus spread, with several who attended the event testing positive and infecting hundreds of others across the country.

The headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat group in a cramped corner of Delhi was sealed and thousands of followers, including some from Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh, were taken into quarantine after it emerged they had attended meetings there in mid-March.

Police initially filed a case against Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi, the chief of the centre, for violating a ban on big gatherings but later invoked the law against culpable homicide.

Delhi police had filed a first information report earlier against the Tablighi chief, now section 304 has been added," the officer said, referring to culpable homicide in the penal code, which carries a maximum punishment of a 10-year prison term.

The Tablighi is one of the world`s biggest Sunni Muslim proselytising organisations with followers in more than 80 countries, promoting a pure form of Islam.

Authorities said at the beginning of the month that a third of the nearly 3,000 coronavirus cases at that time were either people who attended the Tablighi gathering or those who were later exposed to them.

India`s tally of coronavirus infections has since jumped to 12,380, including 414 deaths, as of Thursday. In the coronavirus hotspot of Delhi, 1,080 of its 1,561 cases were linked to the group`s gathering, according to the city government data on Wednesday.

The Tablighi administrators earlier said many of the followers who had visited its offices in Delhi`s historic Nizamuddin quarter were stranded after the government declared a three-week lockdown, and the centre had to offer them shelter.

The Tablighi was also linked to a surge of cases in neighbouring Pakistan where it cancelled a similar gathering, but only at the last minute when thousands had already arrived at premises in the city of Lahore.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has moved to allay fears the coronavirus could disrupt Australia's food supply, saying it is one of the most food-secure nations in the world.

A report released on Friday by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) found Australia produces a vast food surplus and exports about 70 per cent of total production.

There is no risk to Australia's food security from the coronavirus pandemic, says Agriculture Minister David Littleproud. Credit:Jessica Shapiro

Mr Littleproud said Australia would always have enough food and the coronavirus pandemic did not change that.

Stockpiling by consumers during the coronavirus outbreak had temporarily overwhelmed supply chains but that was "not an indication of food shortages", he said in a statement.
(PHOTO: Migrant Workers' Centre/Facebook)

SINGAPORE  A Bangladeshi man, Singapores 42nd COVID-19 patient, has been transferred to a general ward after being in the intensive care unit (ICU) for over two months.

The 39-year-old man has been taken off the ventilator and is no longer sedated, said non-government organisation Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) on its Facebook page on Thursday (16 April).

He is able to breathe on his own and will require speech therapy moving forward as part of his recovery process, said the MWC, an initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

The man was admitted to the Changi General Hospitals ICU on 7 February.

He tested positive for the virus a day later and was transferred to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) where he was admitted to the ICU.

The man was in "very critical condition, having had respiratory and kidney problems as well as pneumonia prior to being infected with the coronavirus, said the Bangladesh High Commission on 21 February.

He was later transferred out of the NCIDs ICU in the second half of March after being cleared of the virus, into a normal ICU.

While under sedation, the mans wife gave birth to their firstborn, a boy, on 30 March.

He is the first of five cases  all Bangladeshi nationals  linked to a construction site at Seletar Aerospace Heights, one of several identified clusters in Singapore.

The MWC said in the post on Thursday that it has tracked his case closely for more than two months and grown close to both the workers family and his employer.

We have spoken with the family and the employer regarding this very encouraging and happy development and can report that all concerned are overjoyed, said the centre.

It added, On behalf of the family and the employer, the MWC would like to thank all well-wishers and benefactors for their prayers and contributions during the workers time in hospital.

In particular, we are inspired by Case #42s fighting spirit throughout this lengthy ordeal and thank him for prevailing and getting better.

Story continues

To date, there are 3,699 cases of the virus here in Singapore. Of these, 10 have died while 652 have fully recovered. A total of 1,711 cases are linked to foreign worker dormitories and construction site clusters.

Related stories:

COVID-19: Wife of critically ill Singapore-based Bangladeshi worker gives birth to firstborn

Bangladeshi man infected with COVID-19 in Singapore in 'very critical' condition: High Commission
In this Jan. 5, 2014, file photo, people wait in line to receive measles vaccine shots for children, at a makeshift camp housing people displaced by violence at a monastery in the Boy Rabe district of Bangui, Central African Republic. Doctors fear that the focus on the coronavirus pandemic could waylay efforts to combat other diseases. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Lavina D'Souza hasn't been able to collect her government-supplied anti-HIV medication since the abrupt lockdown of India's 1.3 billion people last month during the coronavirus outbreak.

Marooned in a small city away from her home in Mumbai, the medicine she needs to manage her disease has run out. The 43-year-old is afraid that her immune system will crash: "Any disease, the coronavirus or something else, I'll fall sick faster."

D'Souza said others also must be "suffering because of the coronavirus without getting infected by it."

As the world focuses on the pandemic, experts fear losing ground in the long fight against other infectious diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and cholera that kill millions every year. Also at risk are decadeslong efforts that allowed the World Health Organization to set target dates for eradicating malaria, polio and other illnesses.

With the coronavirus overwhelming hospitals, redirecting medical staff, causing supply shortages and suspending health services, "our greatest fear" is resources for other diseases being diverted and depleted, said Dr. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That is compounded in countries with already overburdened health care systems, like Sudan. Doctors at Al-Ribat National Hospital in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, shared a document detailing nationwide measures: fewer patients admitted to emergency rooms, elective surgeries indefinitely postponed, primary care eliminated for non-critical cases, and skilled doctors transferred to COVID-19 patients.

In this March 24, 2018, file photo, a tuberculosis patient sits on a bed at a TB hospital in Gauhati, India. Doctors fear that the focus on the coronavirus pandemic could waylay efforts to combat other diseases. Resources to fight illnesses like tuberculosis, HIV and cholera that kill millions every year could be depleted by the pandemic's toll on hospitals, medical workers and supplies. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)

Similar scenes are unfolding worldwide. Even in countries with highly developed health care systems, such as South Korea, patients seeking treatment for diseases like TB had to be turned away, said Hojoon Sohn, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who is based in South Korea.

About 30% of global TB casesout of 10 million each yearare never diagnosed, and the gaps in care are concentrated in 10 countries with the most infections, Sohn said.

"These are people likely not seeking care even in normal circumstances," he said. "So with the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in health systems overload, and governments issuing stay-at-home orders, it is highly likely that the number of TB patients who remain undetected will increase."

In Congo, already overwhelmed by the latest outbreak of Ebola and years of violent conflict, the coronavirus comes as a measles outbreak has killed over 6,000 people, said Anne-Marie Connor, national director for World Vision, a humanitarian aid organization.

"It's likely we'll see a lot of 'indirect' deaths from other diseases," she said.

In this April 8, 2020, file photo, a health worker gestures to colleagues during the screening and testing for COVID-19, in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, South Africa. Doctors fear that the focus on the coronavirus pandemic could waylay efforts to combat other diseases. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

The cascading impact of the pandemic isn't limited to treatment. Other factors, like access to transportation during a lockdown, are threatening India's progress on TB. Patients and doctors can't get to clinics, and it's difficult to send samples for testing.

India has nearly a third of the world's TB cases, and diagnosing patients has been delayed in many areas. Dr. Yogesh Jain in Chhattisgarhone of India's poorest statesand other doctors fear that means "TB cases would certainly increase."

Coronavirus-related lockdowns also have interrupted the flow of supplies, including critical medicine, protective gear and oxygen, said Dr. Marc Biot, director of operations for international aid group Doctors Without Borders.

"These are difficult to find now because everybody is rushing for them in the same moment," Biot said.

The fear of some diseases resurging is further aggravated by delays in immunization efforts for more than 13.5 million people, according to the vaccine alliance GAVI. The international organization said 21 countries are reporting vaccine shortages following border closures and disruptions to air travelmostly in Africaand 14 vaccination campaigns for diseases like polio and measles have been postponed.

In this April 2, 2020, file photo, medical workers prepare to test people for COVID-19 at a testing clinic in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. Doctors fear that the focus on the coronavirus pandemic could waylay efforts to combat other diseases. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht, File)

The Measles & Rubella Initiative said measles immunization campaigns in 24 countries already are delayed, and it fears that more than 117 million children in 37 countries may miss out.

Dr. Jay Wenger, who heads polio eradication efforts for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said recommending the suspension of door-to-door polio vaccinations was difficult, and while it could lead to a spurt in cases, "it is a necessary move to reduce the risk of increasing transmission of COVID-19."

Programs to prevent mosquito-borne diseases also have been hampered. In Sri Lanka, where cases of dengue nearly doubled in 2019 over the previous year, health inspectors are tasked with tracing suspected COVID-19 patients, disrupting their "routine work" of destroying mosquito breeding sites at homes, said Dr. Anura Jayasekara, director of Sri Lanka's National Dengue Control Unit.

During a pandemic, history shows that other diseases can make a major comeback. Amid the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2014-16, almost as many people died of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria because of reduced access to health care.

Rashid Ansumana, a community health expert in Sierra Leone who studied the Ebola outbreak, said the coronavirus's "impact will definitely be higher."

In this March 24, 2014, file photo, a doctor examines a tuberculosis patient in a government TB hospital in Allahabad, India. As the world focuses on the pandemic, experts fear losing ground in the long fight against other infectious diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and cholera that kill millions every year. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)

Health providers are trying to ease the crisis by giving months of supplies to people with hepatitis C, HIV and TB, said Biot of Doctors Without Borders.

As countries face difficult health care choices amid the pandemic, Nkengasong of the Africa CDC warns that efforts to tackle other diseases can't fall by the wayside.

"The time to advocate for those programs is not when COVID is over. The time is now," he said.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

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For House, superintendent of a private religious institution, and Torres, president of a public but specialized school, part of the challenge is keeping track of students spread throughout the area, state and even the world. House said Aurora Christian teachers have been using Google classroom, but some of their students who went back to China cannot access that. So, a teacher has been taking charge of keeping those students up to date on assignments and instruction through email.
The Kelly Foundation supports health and human services, education, culture, environment and civic improvement through its funding. Access to food is a fundamental right, and the Kelly Foundation is pleased to support families throughout Northern California by awarding grants to five regional food banks serving some of the most at-risk populations.

In response to the global coronavirus crisis, the Kelly Foundation awarded a total of five individual grants to Northern California food banks in Sacramento, Yolo, Alameda and Sonoma counties. The grant monies, representing $220,000 in total donations, will be used to secure and refrigerate food supplies, support community deliveries, and pay workers. Recipient organizations include Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, Yolo Food Bank, Redwood Empire Food Bank, Alameda County Community Food Bank and Meals on Wheels of Alameda County, the latter of which serves food primarily to housebound elders who are among those at greatest risk from COVID-19.

Access to food is a fundamental right, and the Kelly Foundation is pleased to support families throughout Northern California by awarding grants to five regional food banks serving some of the most at-risk populations, said Shawn Kelly Devlin, President of the Kelly Foundation and Chairman of the Board of River City Bank. As demand for these essential services continues to surge, it is imperative that we equip our food banks to meet needs and help our communities rise to the multitude of challenges presented by COVID-19 without sacrificing health and wellness.

TWEET THIS: To support local efforts to keep food on the table for those most at-risk from #COVID19, the Kelly Foundation, in partnership with @RiverCityBank, awards $220k to five food banks across Northern California. @SacFoodBank @YoloFoodBank @refb @ACCFB @MOWofAlCo

COVID-19 has stressed our organization like never before, and we are sincerely grateful for this important funding from the Kelly Foundation, said Melanie Flood, Director of Development and Communications for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Demand has skyrocketed, and we are seeing people in need who have never asked for assistance from a food program before. This funding will help us continue to purchase food, invest in supplies and equipment to keep pace with demand, and provide vital services while also planning for the next 60 to 90 days.

The Redwood Empire Food Bank normally serves 82,000 people per year, and we are projected to serve twice that number because of the COVID-19 crisis, said David Goodman, CEO of Redwood Empire Food Bank. This contribution will help us purchase and refrigerate food, pay our dedicated staff and fuel our trucks to make deliveries across Sonoma County. Ultimately, it will keep food on the table for thousands of people who need it.

Human lives literally will be saved because we received critical funding to ensure food access to vulnerable people, said Joy Cohan, Director of Philanthropic Engagement at Yolo Food Bank. The Kelly Foundations generosity will provide more than 10 days of nourishment for the more than 35,000 people experiencing hunger in Yolo County.

In evaluating the needs of communities throughout its organizational and geographic footprint, the Kelly Foundation prioritized providers and allocated funds according to the total number of people and families served, as well as the urgency of the need. Sacramento Food Bank and Yolo Food Bank each received a grant in the amount of $75,000; Redwood Empire Food Bank received a $25,000 grant, Alameda Food Bank received $12,500 and Meals on Wheels of Alameda County was awarded a grant of $32,500.

The Kelly Foundation supports health and human services, education, culture, environment and civic improvement through its funding. Each year, the Foundation provides approximately $500,000 in grants to organizations that support the Sacramento and North Bay Area regions. Since merging with the RCB Foundation in 2009, the Kelly Foundation, of which River City Bank remains a major contributor, focuses on giving back to the greater Sacramento region through charitable donations.

For more information about the Kelly Foundation, please visit KellyFoundationSacramento.org.

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About the Kelly Foundation

The Kelly Broadcasting Companys KCRA-TV (Sacramento-Stockton-Modest, CA) went on the air on Sept. 5, 1955, and the owners of the Kelly Broadcasting Company established the Kelly Foundation in December 1988 as a formal vehicle for structuring charitable contributions. The Kelly family sold KCRA-TV in 1999 and have continued the Kelly Foundation ever since. In 2009, the River City Bank Foundation merged with the Kelly Foundation, and some executives of the Bank currently serve on the Foundations Board. Jon S. Kelly founded River City Bank and continues to support the Bank. His daughter, Shawn Kelly Devlin, currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board. The Kelly Foundation is an expression of the importance the Kelly family places on being a good neighbor and citizen in regions where they do business. For more information on the Kelly Foundation, please visit KellyFoundationSacramento.org or call (916) 978-4892.

About River City Bank

Named one of Sacramento Business Journals 50 Fastest Growing Companies for each of the past three years, River City Bank is the Sacramento regions premier business bank with assets over $2.5 billion. River City Bank offers a comprehensive suite of banking services, including loans, deposits and cash management tools to the business, consumer and commercial real estate sectors. With tailored, executive-level service and a Superior financial rating from the nations leading independent bank-rating firm, Bauer Financial, River City Bank redefines the banking experience and every touch point that surrounds it. River City Bank is the largest, independent, locally-owned bank in the Sacramento region with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and a presence in Southern California. For additional information, please visit RiverCityBank.com or call (916) 567-2600. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
M ichael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford have all been praised for their stellar performances in Quiz - but one of their co-stars stole the show in Wednesdays series finale.

After making brief appearances throughout the courtroom-meets-game show drama, Helen McCrory stepped into the spotlight as the Ingrams barrister, Sonia Woodley QC.

The third and final episode focussed on the couple's defence before McCrory, 51, delivered a rousing closing argument.

Viewers praised the actress in their droves and her name soon started trending on Twitter.

ITV's Quiz featuring Michael Sheen (2020) - In pictures 1 /26 ITV's Quiz featuring Michael Sheen (2020) - In pictures ITV / Left Bank Pictures Michael Sheen as Christ Tarrant ITV/Left Bank Pictures ITV/Left Bank Pictures ITV/Left Bank Pictures James Graham as Major Charles Ingram celebrating winning the million pounds ITV/Left Bank Pictures ITV/Left Bank Pictures ITV/Left Bank Pictures ITV/Left Bank Pictures ITV/Left Bank Pictures  LEFT BANK PICTURES (Television) Ltd All rights reserved

One fan joked the actress could tell me the Earth is flat and I would be convinced while another quipped: Got to think if Helen McCrory was the Ingrams actual barrister all those years ago theyd have been found not guilty. She had me convinced.

Quiz tells the story of the infamous Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? cheating scandal, which saw Major Charles Ingram and his wife Diana accused of using an elaborate coughing trick to win the cash prize.

Macfadyen and Clifford played the central couple while Sheen transformed into the shows host, Chris Tarrant.

While the Ingrams and an alleged accomplice were eventually convicted, serious doubts persist over their guilt and yesterday, the Ingrams lawyer revealed their plans to appeal against their conviction.

Quiz proved to be an instant hit for ITV and in the wake of the three-part series, writer James Graham has teased the possibility of a spin-off.

Quiz is now available to watch on the ITV Hub.
Opinion Article

16 April 2020

These days, you can't help but notice that virtually every COVID-19 news clip has repeatedly depicted a person being screened for fever using some device that looks like it is from Star Trek. The use of the non-contact handheld infra-red thermometer has become, somewhat disturbingly, commonplace.

So does this mean our 'new normal' will include the frequent practice of our temperatures being monitored via these portable infrared devices wherever we go? Or scarier yet - will it become necessary to scan entire crowds through the use of thermal imaging? Right now, of course, this is only speculation, but signs are pointing (mind the pun) to this being a potential outcome of this global event.

Some examples: Wynn Resorts, currently closed, recently announced the launch of thermal cameras to detect body temperatures of guests. All Emirates passengers flying from Dubai to any destination in the US will have to undergo thermal screening. Retail is even getting in on the action. Walmart said it would take the temperatures of associates when they first report to work, and the Atlanta Journal reports a local grocery chain now requires customer temperature checks. Anyone who registers a temperature of 100.4 or higher "will be discreetly informed by a trained member of our staff, and we will find an alternative for your shopping."

Events that changed how we travel

Who would have thought in July of 2000 that travelers would have to remove their belts, clean out their pockets, and discard any sharp items before they went through a security check at airports worldwide? And as if that weren't enough, we had to start removing our shoes as well, thanks to Richard Reid, who tried to blow up an American Airlines flight on Dec 22, 2001, using a shoe bomb. These events and several others have radically changed the way we travel.

The COVID-19 pandemic will most likely have a more substantial impact on how we travel and stay in accommodations than any other event in history. It will become the catalyst for dynamic technological change that will possibly remove some of our civil liberties, and it will feel as if our privacy is being invaded.

In an article recently posted in the Daily Mail, an Australian citizen and his wife, who are currently living in China, provide a glimpse into what our lives may be like until a vaccine is readily available. "Everyone has to wear masks here. It sucks, it gets a bit annoying, but you get used to it I suppose," Mr. Nagy explains. Mr. Nagy and Ms. Yang also document the stringent health checks required before entering a nearby restaurant. Two workers in gloves and face masks use thermometer guns to check the couple's temperature. The couple even had to confirm that they had not been to any areas where COVID-19 was still highly infectious via an app on their phone. It's quite incredible to think about living life this way.

Infrared temperature systems will help in instances where we customarily have lines, such as TSA checkpoints, malls, stores, and possibly the entrances to hotels and restaurants. Though uncomfortable, it does make sense.

Now enter thermal imaging at a mass scale.

Tech That Scans

Thermal imaging can also be used to scan a large number of people quickly, which enables a broader view and the possibility of identifying those with elevated temperatures more proactively. First fielded during the 2003 SARS epidemic, thermal fever screening systems use cameras that detect the infrared energy invisible to the human eye that people and objects emit. Whether it's a medical organization, event, business, airport, or hotel that wants to implement this screening before you enter, the demand for this tech is going to be greater than ever before. Though it can be perceived as invasive, it could prove invaluable in helping us manage larger gatherings as events, conferences, and sports-oriented outings.

All of this being said, there is still the issue of asymptomatic individuals who are just carriers of the virus and show no outwards signs of infection. Thermal imaging and infrared solutions are advantageous, though not perfect by any means, and can be used to mitigate at least the most known issues with those who may be infected.

There are a myriad of articles written about what the "new normal" may look like, and I certainly don't claim to be an expert or have a crystal ball. Still, I do think we have to contemplate all the disturbing scenarios on the horizon, even those we deemed impossible before this pandemic. I hope I am wrong about the looming impacts of the outbreak on our industry, and I am incredibly hopeful that the travel and hospitality ecosystem will emerge stronger than before. But at the end of the day, we must all work together to take whatever measures are needed to ensure that our world is safe.




Haiti - News : Zapping...





"Avoid counting corpses..."

On Wednesday the 15th from his second home, the Prime Minister said he believed that we should "avoid counting the corpses in Haiti". According to him, "We destroyed the country, so today we have to admit that if we don't have hospitals and other infrastructure, it's because of our behavior. We must use this crisis and take this opportunity to rebuild the country."



Covid-19 : Management of death

Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said on Wednesday that the government would care for the dead of Covid-19.



Supply of personal protective equipment to hospitals

Tuesday April 14, 2020, the Town Hall of Port-au-Prince through its medical service, thanks to the support of the city of Montreal, delivered personal protective equipment (PPE) to the State University Hospital of Haiti (General Hospital). This equipment will help protect medical staff in the context of the treatment of Coronavirus. This distribution will continue in other hospitals in the commune of Port-au-Prince which are involved in the management of COVID-19.



Warning to bandits

Wednesday, Me Lucmanne Delille, the Minister of Justice during a press briefing with members of the High Staff of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) has issued a warning to bandits seeking to impose their laws in the locality of Martissant stating "They will be hunted down and stopped".



Covid-19 : Collateral damage

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stresses that "Containment as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus should further increase food insecurity. Women are likely to be particularly affected as gender violence by intimate partners and domestic violence will increase as a result of increased tensions in the home. Attention needs to be paid to how to ensure the delivery of services to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities, people living with HIV and pregnant women. The number of unwanted pregnancies is also likely to increase due to confinement."



Montreal supports Port-au-Prince against the epidemic

The Embassy of Canada to Haiti salutes the city of Montreal, which supports the efforts of the City of Port-au-Prince in the fight against Covid-19 with the local purchase of essential products : masks, gloves, chlorine, soaps and uniforms. Town Hall of Port-au-Prince's efforts are essential to protect citizens and reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The Embassy welcomes the efforts of health professionals, the town hall and all front line workers.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Strong majority on highest turnout in 28 years should give renewed momentum to reform agenda of President Moon Jae-in.

South Koreas left-leaning governing party won a landslide in parliamentary elections results on Thursday showed, boosted by President Moon Jae-ins successes in containing the coronavirus.

Moons Democratic party and its allies took 180 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, while the opposition United Future Party (UFP) won 103, according to the National Election Commission. South Koreas voting system combines direct and proportional votes.

Turnout was 66.2 percent, higher than any parliamentary elections since 1992.

In line with the strict command the people gave us we will put top priority on overcoming the national crisis of the coronavirus and economic declines, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who led the governing partys campaign, said in a televised speech.

Just a few months ago scandals over power abuse and sluggish economic growth were undermining the president, with critics calling his dovish approach towards North Korea  despite Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear and ballistic missile test moratoriums  unrealistic.





But the Souths relatively quick and effective handling of the epidemic boosted Moons approval ratings before the elections, which were seen largely as a referendum on his performance.

Reform momentum

His so-called coronavirus diplomacy  such as recent publicity on his bilateral phone calls with at least 20 state leaders regarding epidemic response  boosted Koreans confidence in his administration, said Minseon Ku, a politics scholar at Ohio State University in the United States.

Ku added that the leader has been successfully framing the pandemic as an opportunity for South Korea to restructure its economy  capitalising on industries like AI and biopharma and this coupled with South Koreas global recognition for its handling of the outbreak sat well with the voters.

South Korea was among the first countries to hold a national election during the pandemic, with citizens still being asked to maintain social distancing, wear protective masks, clean their hands with sanitiser and don plastic gloves.

National Election Commission officials count ballots from Wednesdays parliamentary elections [Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters] [Reuters]

At each of the 14,000 polling stations, voters had their temperature checked before they were allowed to enter. Those found to have fevers cast their ballots in separate booths that were disinfected after each user.

The absolute majority should help Moon press ahead with his reform agenda in his last couple of years in office.

It should give his administration greater momentum, said Andrew Yeo, a politics professor at the Catholic University of America.

Meanwhile, UFP heavyweights former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and ex-parliamentary floor leader Na Kyung-won failed to be re-elected.

The conservative party had failed to rebrand itself after the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, which limited the boundary of support to older generations and core support regions, Ji Yeon Hong, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, told AFP news agency.

Foreign policy questions

The UFP, however, performed strongly in Daegu, the city at the heart of South Koreas coronavirus outbreak and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province. The Democrats, meanwhile, won more than 80 percent of the seats in Seoul.

Lee Nak-yon, former Prime Minister and a ruling Democratic Party candidate for the parliament, watches the exit polls come in. The party was returned to power in a landslide [Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters]

While the pandemic has drawn public attention away from the oppositions criticisms, it would be dangerous if Moon interprets the election as vindicating foreign policies that arent working, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

Seouls engagement of Pyongyang has been met with diplomatic insults and missile tests. Placating China has yielded little benefit, he said.

Talking tough on Japan has not advanced South Korean interests. And progressives want to accelerate military command reforms and resist cost-sharing pressures in Seouls alliance with Washington.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17)  There are currently only a handful of COVID-19 cases in Zamboanga City, but a local hospital director worries about how the city government and medical facilities can respond once there is a surge in cases.

Ciudad Medical Zamboanga Director Dr. Marissa Lim told CNN Philippines on Thursday that there are only eight confirmed COVID-19 cases and about 100 suspected cases with mild symptoms. She said local hospitals can manage for now, even highlighting that facilities can take in non-COVID-19 patients from Basilan, Jolo, and Tawi-tawi.

But she said there are not enough resources and manpower if the southern city sees a spike in COVID-19 cases with severe symptoms. She said there are only around 100 beds in the internal care units of local hospitals.

Each private hospital would have 5 to 10 ICU beds. That would be really not sufficient if we have a surge with severe cases, she said.

Lim also said the number of medical frontliners showing up for work is dwindling. She added the travel restrictions and Zamboangas location is making the delivery of personal protective gear and medicine a grueling challenge.

It's the staff, they fear for their safety so not all of them would want to serve. Logistics is also a problem because of the delivery of supplies It's very difficult to get those PPEs, masks, goggles down to Zamboanga. Also because there are no regular flights and we are last on the route of the planes that drops off supplies, she lamented.

If the COVID-19 pandemic lasts until June, she worries about how the current efforts of the local government and hospitals can be sustained.

The other thing is the sustainability if the projections are right and this pandemic is going to push through until May or June, sustainability of hospital operations  trying to pay the staff, trying to do all that  is going to be a really big challenge, she said.
MONTREAL  Thirty-one people were found dead in less than a month at a nursing home in Montreal, at least five confirmed to have coronavirus  a powerful Canadian emblem of how nursing homes are among the places hardest hit by the pandemic.

In the United States 17 bodies were recently discovered at a long-term care facility in New Jersey, among 68 deaths linked to the residence, 26 confirmed as coronavirus cases. And it was at a long-term care facility in Kirkland, in Washington state, that Americans first got a glimpse of the horrors to come after residents fell ill with Covid-19 in late February.

The phenomenon has been seen across Europe as well. In Spain, soldiers sent to disinfect nursing homes found people abandoned, or even dead, in their beds. Italy, Britain and France have acknowledged that their official statistics have overlooked many virus-related deaths in long-term care facilities.

The deaths in Canada were discovered late last week at Residence Herron, a private home for seniors in Montreal, after the local health authority, alarmed by staff shortages and the spread of coronavirus at the home, took control of the residence.
SOLON, Ohio -- The Swagelok Foundation has donated $100,000 to be distributed among six area nonprofits immersed in battling the coronavirus global pandemic on the local level.

This donation will help sustain direct-service nonprofit organizations with designated programs in place to support the areas most vulnerable citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, who are facing a sudden increase in economic and medical needs, Chris Miklich, the companys chief financial officer and president of the Swagelok Foundation, said in a press release.

The recipients, announced Wednesday (April 15), are:

-- The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, set up through the Cleveland Foundation and a host of other charitable organizations in mid-March with nearly $4 million, over one-quarter of that amount already awarded earlier this month to more than a dozen organizations on the front lines of the health and economic crisis

-- The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, which activated its disaster plan in mid-March while adjusting its volunteer and distribution plans to allow for social distancing to meet the increased demand for food for those out of work or quarantined at home because of COVID-19

-- Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland, which closed its facilities to the public in March and laid off most of its staff, but are still trying to get food to kids wherever needed

-- The American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio, which has been facing a severe blood shortage since mid-March

-- The May Dugan Center, which provides health and service programs to individuals and families on the Clevelands near West Side and has been focusing on food distribution, both drive-up and walk-up, as well as deliveries to the elderly and disabled

-- United Way of Lake County, using on-the-ground knowledge gained through 2-1-1 calls to coordinate with local food banks.

Swagelok, a developer of fluid products, assemblies and services for the oil, gas, chemical and transportation industries -- and specializing in precision metal machining -- has been headquartered in Solon since 1965.

Swagelok owns and operates 200 sales and service centers in 70 countries, as well as 20 manufacturing facilities, five global technology centers, and a new Innovation Center under construction off of Cochran and Solon roads.

COVID-19 is undoubtedly the largest global crisis we have faced in our generation, and we dont yet know what the full ripple effects of this pandemic will be," Miklich said.

Serving as the charitable arm of the multibillion-dollar company, the Swagelok Foundation was formed in 2000.

We remain deeply committed to the communities in which we live and work and wanted to come to their aid at this challenging time, Miklich said.

The six nonprofits were selected for their focus on critical services, from feeding children, families, seniors, and other hard-working neighbors struggling with hunger, to helping to prevent blood and medical supply shortages.

These organizations are also giving priority to children and youth; people disproportionately impacted by the crisis, people experiencing (or at risk of) homelessness; healthcare and emergency response workers, and seniors," Miklich noted.

Distribution plans were still being finalized Thursday (April 16) for the one-time gifts earmarked to the local organizations.

While local and state leadership mandate the necessary policies to keep our communities stable and safe, the members of the Swagelok Foundation believe it is important to support our nonprofit peers, who are providing essential services to those affected by the coronavirus, Miklich added.

Swagelok continues to work with its worldwide supply chain, including many who have been impacted by the pandemic and new government requirements in their areas, to minimize any disruption that customers may see due to the global implications of this pandemic.

Shipments to sales and service centers have continued and Swagelok has seen an increase in demand for some product lines resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, said Vice President of Corporate Communications Theresa Polachek.

Orders have increased for products such as regulators, tube fittings, valves and hoses that are used by customers in the manufacturing process for ventilators, protective fabrics and polymers, hydrogen fuel cells that power forklifts used to move goods in warehouses, and even the production of test kits and vaccine trials, Polacheck added.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.
This is a significant follow-up call taken by the Government of India to its recent decision to bring testing and treatment of COVID-19 under AB PM-JAY scheme

The National Health Authority (NHA) has launched express empanelment to bring large number of private hospitals under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to ensure continued essential treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer and heart ailments.

This is a significant follow-up call taken by the Government of India to its recent decision to bring testing and treatment of COVID-19 under AB PM-JAY scheme as per protocols and guidelines of ICMR, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the State Governments.

During the current situation of Novel Coronavirus (COVID -19) outbreak, many medical colleges, civil hospitals and district hospitals which were otherwise treating bulk of AB PM-JAY patients are being converted as dedicated COVID-19 facilities in States. With the launch of this new mechanism called Hospital Empanelment Module (HEM) Lite, patients suffering from serious illnesses, such as cancer, cardiac issues and diabetes that require continuous treatment, will be able to continue getting inpatient services without the fear of contracting the infection. The mechanism will also help in empaneling dedicated COVID-19 hospitals as well.

Hospitals can empanel themselves for a temporary period of 3 months through online system available on the schemes website.

Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and National Health Authority said, To ensure that treatment of AB PM-JAY patients doesnt suffer as many currently empaneled hospitals are converting themselves to dedicated COVID-19-only facilities, As part of our effort in enhancing our capacity for serving beneficiaries of AB PM-JAY, we have designed and launched express empanelment of private hospitals on a temporary basis to strengthen the supply of care under the scheme. We have started reaching out to the States, hospital associations and healthcare industry bodies with this new proposal to onboard private hospitals through a simple, quick and seamless system on a temporary basis. These hospitals have the choice whether to provide regular treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer and cardiac illnesses under the scheme or convert themselves into COVID-19 only hospitals providing dedicated testing and treatment to COVID-19 patients.

The State Health Agency (SHA), which is the apex body of the State Government responsible for the implementation of AB PM-JAY in the State will sign an MoU with express empaneled hospital for three months only. After this period, the SHA can continue with the empanelment on mutual agreement between hospital and SHA but only after the detailed empanelment process is followed i.e. hospital has filled the entire form and DIU and SHA have verified the details and submitted the verification report in the due course of time.

The eligibility criteria for public hospitals and private hospitals are already defined. Using the HEM Lite, will take less than 1 hour for a hospital to fill the application form along with documents. The system has been built in a way to ensure that the rest of process of approval by concerned authorities is expeditious. For your easy reference, empanelment guidebook has also been provided. In case hospitals get stuck anywhere, they can call the NHA representative for prompt response and extend full support on submission of the form.

The scheme covers more than 1500 health benefit packages of procedures pertaining to secondary and tertiary care and hospitals are reimbursed at pre-fixed rates. The package prices are revised periodically and new rates were launched last year. Over and above listed price, there is further incentive available to hospitals up to 39% (cumulative) for NABH entry level/full accreditation, geographical location (metro/aspirational districts) and for running PG courses.

As on date more than 8,804 private hospitals are empaneled under AB PM-JAY across the country and account for 51% of all treatments (96 lakh hospitalizations) and 64% of the hospital admissions amount (Rs.13,000 crore).

The claim money is transferred within 15 days from date of submission of documents by hospital and there is a robust system for grievance redressal.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have volunteered to help distribute meals to those in need amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who recently relocated to Los Angeles, California, volunteered with Project Angel Food, a non-profit organisation that prepares healthy meals for people impacted by serious illness, according to executive director Richard Ayoub.

In honour of the Easter holiday, the duke and duchess spent Sunday morning volunteering with Project Angel Food, Mr Ayoub said in a statement shared to Instagram. And on Wednesday they quietly continued delivering meals to relieve our overworked drivers.

It was their way to thank our volunteers, chefs and staff who have been working tirelessly since the Covid-19 crisis began.

Of the couples decision to volunteer with the organisation, Mr Ayoub told People: Were completely honoured.

Describing the couple as extremely down to Earth and genuinely interested in every single person they met, Mr Ayoub said they wanted to make sure that people felt the love and appreciation.

What Meghan said is she wanted to show Harry Los Angeles through the eyes of philanthropy. Its just beautiful  Our clients are clients who are often forgotten. They really wanted to go visit these people. They wanted to see them and talk to them and hopefully put a smile on their faces, he continued.

According to Mr Ayoub, the couple chose to volunteer with Project Angel Food at the suggestion of Meghans mother Doria Ragland.

After taking six deliveries during the weekend, Mr Ayoub said the duke and duchess wanted to help again so they took 14 deliveries on Wednesday.

In addition to helping deliver the meals, Mr Ayoub said the couple, who wore masks and gloves and followed social distancing guidelines, also wanted to learn about the organisations clients and how the medically-tailored food is made.

As for the response to having food delivered by the couple, Mr Ayoub told CNN one of the organisations recipients did not recognise the couple at first - as they were dressed so casually.

That's not how you expect to see them," he said. "You don't expect to see them at your door."

The duke and duchess are also doing what they can to help charitable organisations in the UK as the coronavirus pandemic continues, despite no longer living there.

This week, it was revealed that the couple have donated the profits made from their wedding broadcast to the charity Feeding Britain, which helps provide families in need with food.

In response, Andrew Forsey, Feeding Britain's national director, called the donation of more than 90,000 a godsend.
: The local chapter of the



Hindu Economic Forum (HEF) has handed over to Tamil Nadu Minister S P Velumani one lakh washable, reusable face masks meant for workers combating coronavirus.

The masks from export quality performance fabric would be distributed among the police, conservancy workers and others through the state government, its secretary Palaniappan Shanmugham said in a press release on Thursday.

HEF is a pan-India organisation with chapters in all major cities. The Coimbatore chapter is headed by Arya Vaidya Pharmacy managing director Dr P R Krishnakumar Warrier.

During this current crisis, the chapter is running two central kitchens, in association with Sreevatsa Lunchbox and CMS Trust, and serves 1,500 meals per day to migrants and needy people



In association with the revenue authorities, the food would be served till the lockdown is lifted and plans to distribute a total of 50,000-60,000 meals during this period, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 06:37:07|Editor: huaxia

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A man shops at a market in Sanaa, Yemen, April 17, 2020. UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock on Thursday rung alarm over Yemen's economy amid fears for a COVID-19 outbreak. In a virtual briefing to the UN Security Council, he warned that the disruption of imports and the expected drop of remittances as a result of COVID-19, as well as the drying up of foreign exchange as a result of lower oil prices, will bring disasters. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock on Thursday rung alarm over Yemen's economy amid fears for a COVID-19 outbreak.

In a virtual briefing to the Security Council, he warned that the disruption of imports and the expected drop of remittances as a result of COVID-19, as well as the drying up of foreign exchange as a result of lower oil prices, will bring disasters.

Yemen depends almost entirely on imports for supplies. Commercial cargo is still entering the country despite increased scrutiny to reduce the risk of COVID-19. In March, commercial food and fuel imports into the seaports of Hodeidah and Saleef fell by 9 percent, said Lowcock.

Although the drop is a matter of concern, it is within normal fluctuations. But Longer-term economic prospects are more alarming, he warned.

Imports must be purchased in hard currency, which means the government needs foreign exchange to finance them. And to afford those imports, people need the Yemeni rial to maintain a reasonable exchange rate.

The impact of COVID-19 on the global economy will make this more difficult. Oil prices have fallen. Because the government depends on oil as a main source of revenue, officials may soon find it much harder to finance imports, to pay civil servant salaries or support the exchange rate, said Lowcock.

Rapid, uncontrolled currency depreciation was a key factor in bringing Yemen to the brink of widespread famine 18 months ago. The World Bank warns that a similar risk of currency collapse persists today, said Lowcock.

In the past, remittances have served as a last defense for millions of vulnerable families. Economists estimate that Yemenis abroad send home more than 3 billion U.S. dollars a year, making remittances the largest source of hard currency in local markets, he noted.

But COVID-19 is affecting the economies where expatriate Yemenis work. A group of Yemeni economists and private-sector leaders recently projected that remittances could drop by as much as 70 percent in the coming months. "This places us in uncharted territory."

Lowcock asked for bold action to stabilize the economy before it is too late. This should include regular foreign exchange injections that have proved effective in the past, as well as measures to increase quantities of affordable food and other consumer goods in markets across Yemen.

COVID-19 is presenting a unique opportunity to reinvigorate the political process and move toward peace. It is, though, also promising severe repercussions if that does not happen, he warned.
Anthony Fauci has become Americas doctor. Hes also become a countervailing breeze to Donald Trumps hurricane-force winds, making him the latest savior of the political left.

So bright is the federal governments top infectious disease officials star burning during the coronavirus pandemic that he was asked recently if he should be in the running for sexiest man alive. Sexy is not an adjective that comes to mind when this reporter thinks of Fauci, but the mere question says a lot about his newfound celebrity.

Americans seem to appreciate his Brooklyn-bred straight talk. Those on the left often take things one step further, portraying him as an almost saintly figure. But Fauci does not claim membership of any of the tribes that now dominate American politics.

Its proven time and time again: stick with the science, stay completely out of the politics, he recently told Vanity Fair. I have no ideology. My ideology is health, public health, and science. You do that. You can make it uncomplicated. If you get involved in political rhetoric, then it gets complicated.

Several Washington insiders this week noted that Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, sees himself as a medical authority and the leading voice in his field. So its natural that he is doing a slew of media interviews, eager to get his data- and science-based messages out to as many people as he can.

Fair enough. A noble undertaking. With Trump whipsawing between policy positions and rewriting history every evening during his coronavirus press conferences, somebodys got to do it. Or at least try.

The trouble is that nothing in the age of Trump is uncomplicated, as the doctor described his approach to all things health.

So even though Fauci does indeed avoid political rhetoric, every word he utters is compared to those of the president. And everything Trump-related becomes political.

In such a dynamic, can even a well-meaning, truth-telling pros pro like Anthony Fauci avoid being silenced? There simply is no other Trump administration official past or present to point to as a survivor of a celebrity competition with the president.

And, to be sure, the good doctors star is burning much brighter than that The Donald.

 Dr Fauci cautions Americans about meeting up with people from dating apps

Fauci has told interviewers he does not concern himself much with the false or misleading things Trump says during his daily press conferences. He says his focus becomes correcting the record as soon as possible. Thats typically, for him, during a morning television interview.

Sometimes, Faucis straight-talking television tour irks the president. Trump earlier this week shared a tweet that called for the doctors firing, prompting hours of Washington scuttlebutt that the president would push out Fauci or at least blacklist him from federal anti-pandemic efforts  and, perhaps most importantly to Trump, ban him from the television circuit.

There can be no bigger celebrity in this White House and administration than the former reality show star. (He happens to be the boss.)

That means we are back to a central conundrum of the Trump era, and at the worst possible time: When does one stop being a truth-teller and start being a sideshow who distracts the president from countering, in his words, an invisible enemy?

Fauci tiptoes up to that line almost daily, and sometimes crosses it.

He even had a Trumpian moment on Monday evening when he clashed with CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid. After hed taken time to clean up his own mess from the day before  explaining he mistakenly fell for a hypothetical question while also using a wrong choice of words  Reid, who seems to get under the skin of Trump and his nightly cast of anti-Covid warriors, asked the doctor why he mentioned getting some pushback from the White House on his preferred approach.

There wasn't anybody saying no, you shouldn't do that, the normally congenial Fauci shot back.

The persistent Reid kept going, inquiring why Fauci was at the lectern so early in the briefing to mop up his mess: Are you doing this voluntarily or did the president?

In a moment typically reserved for Trumps almost daily sparring with reporters, Fauci did not give her time to finish, snapping back: No, I am doing it, everything I do is voluntary. Please don't even imply that.

The doctors mouth said please but the look he shot her way was certainly not medicinal. It was ripped straight out of the media-bashing presidents prescription book.

There have been other straight shooters in this White House who gained fame and what passes for widespread respect these days. The political left fell in love with almost all of them, placing upon their shoulders the gargantuan hope that the perceived truth in their words would either bring down this presidency or cause Trumps supporters to finally just see what they see.

James Comey. Robert Mueller. James Mad Dog Mattis. John Kelly. Even the typically talkative John Bolton.

They all have one thing in common: These truth-telling liberal heroes faded, unable to slow the Trump express as it speeds down the track towards a second term. Liberals should avoid lulling themselves into the delusion that just a few more Fauci hits on CNN will doom the president come Election Day.

Their latest star is outshining Donald Trump. These cosmic icons of the left never shine brightly for very long  but Trump just keeps blazing an unprecedented trail as the white-hot sun at the centre of American politics.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Makati City will be distributing P50 million worth of grocery vouchers to middle-class residents, said Mayor Abby Binay.

She said each family will get P500 worth of grocery voucher, with the middle-class residents who live in low-end condominiums as initial beneficiaries.

We really need to make a targeted distribution of the vouchers," she told CNN Philippines Thursday. "But this is on top of our existing relief packs being released.

Binay said the money for the cash amelioration program is already with the city government and they hope to distribute it by Monday. She added that the list of beneficiaries should be checked multiple times, otherwise the money has to be returned.

The city will also be partnering with a private company in paying for the cremation of people who died of COVID-19, added Binay.

The crematorium can only accommodate five remains a day. But the mayor said it is a big help for families who cannot afford to bury or cremate their loved ones.

We are still waiting for the assistance of the DSWD which still hasnt come," she said. "We are advancing it for the cremation."

Mass testing to start Monday

Meanwhile, the city government, together with the Philippine Red Cross, will also start mass testing for COVID-19 next week. Priorities will be given to persons under investigation (PUIs), persons under monitoring (PUMs), and frontliners.

We plan to start on Monday," Binay disclosed. "Our target is 2,000 people, so hopefully well start on Monday. With the promise of Red Cross, the test results will come very, very quickly."

She said that barangays are requesting for their frontliners to be tested as well.

Hopefully, well be done with our mass testing prior to the lifting of the lockdown, she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 23:43:05|Editor: huaxia

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Palestinian journalist Khawla al-Khaldy draws paintings that feature the nature and beautiful landscapes as she stays at home amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Gaza City on April 7, 2020. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

by Sanaa Kamal

GAZA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Khawla al-Khaldy, a journalist from Gaza city, spends long hours every day to draw paintings as she stays at home amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The 33-year-old Palestinian woman working at the Palestine TV said that home quarantine due to the COVID-19 restores her talent in drawing.

"I decided to restore my talent in drawing, which I have given up for more than ten years," the mother of four told Xinhua.

The young woman paints the nature, especially the sunset when the sunlight reflects on the sea.

"Watching that view is like listening to heavy music, so I try to transfer my feeling by painting on the white paper," she said, adding that "every art piece can send positive energy to other people, and this is my goal."

"It is normal to feel anxiety and fear about the current situation, but I decide to be a positive person and convey my positive thoughts through paintings to others, especially the women who are suffering," said Khawla.

By sharing her paintings via her account on Facebook, Khawla has received positive feedback. "It is a wonderful feeling to hear encouragement comments," she said, noting she is improving her drawing skills by taking advice from professional painters.

In addition, she presented some of her paintings to her friends, colleagues, and relatives. "I believe that every person can transform the quarantine period to beautiful and useful times," she said.

"Sooner or later, this harsh time will end and we will restore our normal time once again," Khawla said, adding that "then I may organize an art exhibition to show all my paintings to tell the others how we undergo quarantine in Gaza."

Palestine has so far has recorded 375 in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza Strip, while 66 have recovered and two died. Enditem
Gov. Bill Lee told Tennessee lawmakers Wednesday he plans to take measured steps to re-open parts of the economy sometime in May, saying the state cant shut our economy down for months on end because of the coronavirus.

We believe there is a way to do that, and were encouraged about the possibility, the Republican governor told lawmakers during a morning teleconference.

I feel strongly about that. I think we can do it. I think Tennessee can do it. I think were in a place where we can begin to do it very shortly, and thats our strategy.

While thousands of Tennesseans have tested positive for the potentially deadly COVID-19, Lee said, "were expanding capacity for future surges that may come down the road because as we take steps to open up our economy, we clearly have a risk there of an increase in COVID cases.

The way that we can manage both those cases and the economy opening up is the way that we will do this right, Lee said. Thats when we know we are doing this right, is when we can manage both the disease spread and the economic recovery.

Earlier this week, Lee extended his current stay-at-home executive order, which had been scheduled to expire Tuesday, to April 30. It permits a wide array of essential businesses to operate but closed personal care enterprises such as barber shops, hair salons and more.

Acknowledging lawmakers have asked what re-opening will look like, Lee said, we dont know what its going to look like yet, except that we do know there are going to be definitive steps before an opening of this economy. It may include regional components.

It may include industry-specific decisions. It may have guidance for essential businesses that are already operating.

The governor also emphasized he is absolutely committed to returning our state to a place where we can have economic activity that keeps us in a place where people can work and make a living and return to their livelihoods -- that we bring back a new normal to our state.

During his call, Lee also described to the 132 legislators the devastating picture in Chattanooga and across Hamilton, Bradley, Marion and Polk counties that were struck by at least one tornado late Sunday and early Monday morning, as well as Georgia and Alabama.

That tornado did a significant amount of damage, Lee said. Lives were lost. Those cities and regions across there, our hearts are with you. And the rest of us out there that are not affected in that region, we need to be praying for the leaders there, for those on this call who are leaders in that community, because they have a lot of work to do. And it comes on top of an existing crisis.

Two people in Hamilton County died as a result of the storm winds, while in Marion County a woman died after she was swept away by a raging stream.

(c)2020 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
[April 16, 2020] Shareable Asset Democratises Global Asset Ownership with Real Estate Tokenisation Platform

SINGAPORE, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareable Assets Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based fintech firm today announced that it has received the Capital Markets Services (CMS) licence on April 16 from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its global real estate tokenisation platform -- Shareable Asset. With the licence, Shareable Asset can now disrupt real estate investment models for asset owners and investors by issuing asset-backed security tokens for fractional ownership in a regulated environment, and is one of the first platforms to do so. Shareable Asset is a secure mobile and desktop application, that gives all investors equal access to high quality global real estate investments which were previously only accessible to sophisticated and institutional investors. The platform for everyone Direct asset purchase and sale are conducted on the platform through blockchain and smart contract technology. This enables the issuance process for digitised asset-backed securities to be more simple and efficient through tokenisation, and is more cost-effective as compared to conventional investment channels. By subdividing expensive real estate ownership into digitised security tokens, fractional ownership allows investors to own a portion of the asset while earning returns similar to purchasing the entire asset. Benefits Shareable Asset presents a new way for asset owners to sell their properties. It provides opportunities for smaller investments, verifying real estate assets, non-physical, easy investor onboarding, hassle-free digital purchase of global real estate, once an account is created. For investors, the simple-to-use interface means that they can easily select from the list of equity and debt investment products via the app, with a minimum of one-hundred Singapore Dollars (SGD 100) in investment per asset. Asset owners can now be motivated to sell a portion of their properties or raise debt on their properties with complete ease and minimu paperwork, and benefit from the comprehensive asset listing that is made available to investors worldwide, excluding the United States. They can also track the performance of the sale at any time.



With Shareable Asset's tech-forward platform, it greatly reduces the time spent on transactions and paperwork for real estate stakeholders including developers and brokers. This allows the stakeholders to focus on value-added aspects that optimise the success for their projects and bring greater good to communities. "We are excited to launch a tokenisation platform to deliver better global real estate investment products available to every investor beyond geographical limitations," said Will Lee, Executive Chairman of Shareable Asset. "By redefining traditional investments with our blockchain-based tokenisation structure, investors can easily build diversified portfolios and capitalise on the opportunity to securely trade real estate assets online and in real-time. Ownership of fractional global real estate assets is now made easy with attractive market returns and we aim to become the leading global real estate investment platform."

"With the licence, Shareable Asset can drive the change to enhance the liquidity in the global real estate market by stimulating the supply and demand. We will also include in our asset list, properties around the globe which are currently not in the public REITs structure. To provide better liquidity of the security tokens, we plan to apply for the recognised market operator licence from the MAS to facilitate trading of the security tokens on an exchange in the next few months," added Will. Shareable Asset upholds robust regulatory standards and licensing conditions set by MAS in the conduct of operations and business activities. This includes: All assets and money are held in trust under each user's name with an appointed custodian.

Seamless digital know-your-customer (KYC) process that is integrated with the MyInfo service powered by the Singapore Government which enables new users to register for their Shareable Asset account with pre-filled personal data from MyInfo.

Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations.

All financial transactions and asset ownerships are recorded in a transparent, immutable distributed ledger leveraging blockchain-convergent technology.

User protection aligned with industry best-practices including two-factor authentication, data encryption during transit and authentication of the communication network with Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.

Highest level of cybersecurity with enhanced infrastructure resiliency practices that include vulnerability assessment and penetration tests, access controls, information security, data protection, network security and patch management. Shareable Asset will continue to expand on gathering asset owners and properties. Shareable Assets Pte. Ltd. plans to operate a global exchange specialised in global real estate products in the future to lower the bar for global investors interested in the new digital world of finance and fintech. Beyond trading and investment, Shareable Asset aims to leverage borderless fintech and position its platform for the global audience to contribute and transact assets digitally in an increasingly interconnected world. Shareable Asset is developed by Blue Whale Global , an established entity with strong expertise in blockchain technology. To register, visit https://www.shareableasset.com . What is Shareable Asset?

Direct Ownership of Global Assets for Everyone, Anywhere



Shareable Asset is a Singapore-based real estate tokenisation platform. The platform allows all investors to easily manage their own investments in real estate anywhere, anytime.



Shareable Asset aims to make global real estate ownership and investment accessible to all.



 2020 Shareable Assets Pte. Ltd. Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200416/2778645-1LOGO SOURCE Shareable Asset Pte. Ltd.

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(William Morrow)

Perhaps it isnt fair to judge a book by its predecessor, but in the case of Paulette Jiles, the impulse is irrepressible. Her new book, Simon the Fiddler, shares a great deal of DNA with her the 2016 National Book Award finalist, News of the World. Set in postbellum Texas, each centers on the quest to rescue a young woman: News (soon to be a film starring Tom Hanks) follows 71-year-old Captain Kidd as he endeavors to return an orphan girl captured and raised by the Kiowa to her family near San Antonio. The new novel tracks red-headed fiddler Simon Boudlins progress toward the same city, bent on reuniting with a woman he believes he is fated to marry. And while News transcends some of the hoary tropes of westerns  lending dignity and consciousness to its captive child  Simon the Fiddler sometimes tends toward the old-fashioned, sentimental and untrue.

If youve read News of the World, which was a bestseller in paperback, you already know how Simon the Fiddler ends; its closing section could serve as a prequel, at least in the story of Simon and Doris. And even if you havent, the conclusion isnt difficult to foretell, though if you're spoiler-sensitive and haven't even glanced at "News," skip to the next paragraph. Simon Boudlin, the military-dodging musician from Paducah, Ky., and his love interest, shiny-eyed Doris Dillon from Tralee, Ireland, after much toil, torment and adventure end up married, happy, living off the land of the Red River. To say its obvious is not to deny the appeal of giving oneself over to an afternoon of love-seeking across the Texas frontier.

In the last days of the Civil War, the capricious 23-year-old Simon, leader of a ragtag crew of retired regimental musicians, sets his sights on the young, blue-black maned Miss Dillon. Following two brief encounters in which he displays his talents on his treasured Markneukirchen fiddle, Simon knows Miss Dillon is meant for him. The two go their separate ways  he to Galveston with his new ensemble, she to San Antonio as an indentured governess to a family whose patriarch, the cruel and lecherous Colonel Webb, serves as the villain (every love story requires one). What follows is a young man's pursuit of a patch of land and the girl with whom he wishes to settle it.

Story continues

Paulette Jiles, author of "Simon the Fiddler." (Jill Gann Photography)

Jiles airy, luminescent prose and facility in spinning miniature dramas carries the novels sometimes predictable narrative further than one might expect. There are a half-dozen bar fights; the theft and violent recovery of the fiddle; a cross-Gulf boating caper; a kiss with a stereotypically frivolous debutante; the shooting of an alligator (the only time Chekhovs proverbial gun is deployed); and a tense, year-long exchange of coded letters.

Jiles, who plays the tin whistle in a group where she lives in Texas, clearly delights in displaying the research shes done, delving into the socioeconomic ramifications of being an itinerant performer trafficking in low music. Fiddler is suffused with music, and some of its most crystalline scenes feature the motley troupe: Damon, a Poe-quoting whistle player; Doroteo, a Tejano guitarist; and Patrick, a sweet, underage bodhran banger. "Music is clean, clear, its rules are forever, another country for the mind to go to, writes Jiles, and along with her well-crafted action scenes knitted through with period detail, these lilting, elegiac scenes are the books cleanest and clearest, inching Simon ever closer to San Antonio and his damsel in distress.

But then Simon and Jiles fairy tale incites its own kind of distress. By design, Doris requires rescuing. She is young, foreign, bound by a likely unlawful contract, and subject to the whims of Colonel Webb, a banal hyper-misogynist who intends to have his way with her (or already has). And by design, Simons perspective dominates. At times it feels as if his relationship to the idea of Doris is expressed only through the desire for domination. "He felt he was approaching San Antonio as if it were an enemy city to be taken by stealth, at its heart a young woman who had been promised to him by some unknown means. He meant to have her. This line is more sinister than Simon ever appears to be (though he does end up wielding half of his fiddlers bow to another mans devastating end). Yet its an alarming way to express ones intent for a woman who is already effectively enchained. This may be the way of the old-fashioned love story, but I kept expecting the framework to be subverted at every turn.

Perhaps had a few fleeting pages of Doris perspective not cropped up about a third of the way through the book, her agency and interiority would not be so sorely missed. The omission is further underscored by Doris fierce, fascinating self-possession in News of the World, where she delivers some of the novels most incisive lines on behalf of a young girl who cannot speak for herself. It isnt so much that Fiddlers Doris lacks spirit  she saves Simon in some ways, too. Its that for the most part she is muted, relegated to the imaginary domestic.

All of that said, there is still merit to writing  and reading  a love story. And in a moment when the mind may be in need of another country to go to, Jiles timeworn territory provides a cozy escape.

Pariseau is a writer and editor in New Orleans.
A recent survey done by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and George Mason University shows that 91% of the responding departments have offered guidance to officers over COVID-19 concerns.

The survey, obtained by ABC News, shows that most police departments were prepared for COVID-19 and more than 1,000 departments around the country were ready to instruct their men and women on calls of service. But departments could be doing more to obtain personal protective equipment for officers. Just 15% of agency respondents rated their ability to provide PPE as excellent."

Steve Casstevens, the president of the IACP and chief of the Buffalo Grove Police Department, told ABC News that some agencies didn't realize the long-term effects of the virus.

"I don't think a lot of them expected it to go on this long," he said. "As this got worse and worse, policies changed."

Now it is standard procedure for all officers to wear masks, Casstevens noted.

PHOTO: New York State Police officers stand outside a new coronavirus testing center in the Staten Island borough of New York City, March 19, 2020. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Fifty-seven percent of the agencies surveyed have also experienced significant declines in their calls for service, with 14% of respondents noting more than a 50% reduction in calls for service.

One agency that is still taking routine calls for service is the Rhode Island State Police.

"The amount of activity is down, simply because people aren't going to work, people are staying home and the restaurants and bars are closed," Kevin Barry, deputy superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, told ABC News.

MORE: Police departments stress need for officers to get tested to limit disruptions to service

In Fairfax County, Virginia, police chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. told ABC News that the academy is still in session.

"Our recruit class is in session, and we are using social distancing and using virtual training at the Academy in compliance with social distance and executive orders from the governor," he said.

Casstevens said he gives the distillery industry a lot of credit for making hand sanitizers and donating it to law enforcement, adding that his department in Illinois only got its first shipment of protective masks this week.

"Everything else we've either purchased or we had donated," he said.

US police departments issued guidance on responding to calls during COVID-19 pandemic, survey shows originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 01:12:26|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, spoke over phone on Thursday night, reaffirming mutual support in the fight against COVID-19 and rejecting politicization of the pandemic.

As the coronavirus disease is spreading around the globe, Xi said, all countries are faced with the arduous task of tackling the epidemic.

Recalling that he and Putin held two telephone conversations in a month to exchange views and coordinate positions on how to better cooperate in epidemic prevention and control, Xi said that has once again demonstrated the high level of China-Russia relations.

Xi noted that Putin has been personally planning and commanding Russia's battle against the contagious illness, and has introduced a series of effective prevention and control measures.

The Chinese side, he added, is confident that under Putin's strong leadership, Russia will certainly stem the spread of COVID-19 at an early date, safeguard people's safety and health, and restore economic and social development.

China and Russia are connected by mountains and rivers, and their people share a hearty friendship, Xi said, adding that the Chinese people will bear in mind Russia's all-out assistance at the most difficult moment in China's fight against the epidemic.

He noted that in recent days the team of medical experts dispatched by the Chinese government have been working actively in Moscow, and exchanging experience with their Russian counterparts on how to combat the disease.

China has provided Russia with a batch of assistance and been actively helping Russia purchase anti-epidemic medical supplies in China, Xi said, adding that China will continue offering the northern neighbor firm support.

The Chinese president expressed his gratitude for the active efforts Russia has made for Chinese nationals in Russia, saying he believes that Russia will, as always, protect Chinese nationals' normal work and life on its soil.

He stressed that politicizing and labeling of the COVID-19 pandemic are detrimental to international cooperation, and suggested that China and Russia work together to jointly safeguard global public health security.

Noting that bilateral trade in the first quarter this year increased 3.4 percent year on year, Xi pointed out that the expansion is especially valuable against the background of the overall downward trend in the world economy.

China and Russia should explore new flexible and diverse forms of cooperation amid regularized epidemic prevention and control measures, so as to continuously push forward bilateral cooperation, Xi said.

He said he is confident that through the test of the pandemic, China-Russia strategic coordination will grow more resilient and robust, and the friendship between the two peoples will become stronger than before.

For his part, Putin said the Chinese government and people, united as one, have made important achievements in preventing and controlling the coronavirus outbreak, and are providing support and assistance for many other countries fighting the disease.

Since the epidemic broke out, Russia and China have always adhered to solidarity, cooperation and mutual support, which demonstrates the strategic nature and high level of Russia-China relations, he added.

The attempts by some people to smear China on the origin of the novel coronavirus are unacceptable, stressed the Russian president.

Russia, he said, stands ready to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in various areas, including COVID-19 containment, and enhance bilateral communication and collaboration within such frameworks as the United Nations.

The two heads of state also agreed to continue to maintain close contact through flexible and diverse means.
After negotiating with the Massachusetts Nursing Association, the health care organization that manages St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester sent a message to the union Wednesday night threatening mandatory furloughs and daily staff cuts, the union said.

The threats of furloughs, the union said, date back to last Friday amid the negotiations with Tenet Healthcare. Nurses, the union said, are asking for protection amid the coronavirus pandemic. The measures included ensuring that when nurses are redeployed to a different unit or floor that they did so in partnership with a nurse on that unit. The union said the protocol is a standard accepted by other hospitals undergoing redeployment

Tenet managements response to our concerns, their refusal to agree to providing nurses with widely accepted policies to keep our patients safe, and their attempt to bully us into accepting this dangerous plan is reprehensible, Marlena Pellegrino, RN, said in a statement. Tenets decision demonstrates their true intent all along, which is to cut staff to increase profits while patients could be suffering and dying waiting for our care.

St. Vincent Hospital said nurses redeployed to a different unit or floor would first receive proper training. The hospital said nurses would never be forced to provide care they havent been trained for.

The proposal offered by the hospital to the MNA included the choice between being trained for the assignment or taking time off with or without use of paid time off at the nurses discretion, a spokesperson for St. Vincent Hospital said.

According to a hospital spokesperson the union wanted nurses that refused to be trained for new assignments to remain at the hospital and get paid and while also using personal protective gear.

With no agreement with the MNA to date, we have no choice but to implement a series of steps to align our nursing resources with patient care needs, a hospital spokesperson said in a statement. "Consistent with our latest offer to MNA, Saint Vincent will grant requests of nurses who have asked to be furloughed and will seek additional volunteers, while ensuring we remain appropriately staffed to care for COVID-19 patients and those in need of urgent medical care.

Negotiations from last weekend continued through this week, and the Massachusetts Nursing Association said progress was made to devise a plan to allow for voluntary furloughs and minimal staff reductions.

St. Vincent Hospital said it made 10 concessions to the union, while the MNA made none. The union said Tenet Healthcare still wouldnt budge on the protections nurses sought, leading to the threat of forced furloughs in the Wednesday night message.

We have made clear to management that we oppose any efforts to furlough, cancel, or otherwise remove from service any frontline staff during this crucial phase of the pandemic, said Marie Ritacco, RN, who is the MNA Vice President. Their decision to move ahead with this plan is nothing short of shameful, and a callous display of corporate greed and medical malpractice.

The threat of furloughs comes as Massachusetts braces for a surge of coronavirus cases in the state. Gov. Charlie Baker warned residents of difficult days ahead. In Worcester, Director of Public Health Dr. Michael Hirsh, said Wednesday the surge had arrived in the city.

Between the UMass Memorial Health Care system and Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, there were 208 inpatients with coronavirus on Wednesday, an increase of eight since Tuesday. Of those patients, 79 are in the intensive care unit, which is a decrease of one patient since the day prior, said City Manager Edward Augustus Jr.

Theyre recognizing the surge is here, said Hirsh, at the citys daily COVID-19 press conference. Theyre recognizing their numbers are going up and that the percentage of ICU beds, availability is going down.

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As the world continues its fight against the novel coronavirus, Google has been honouring healthcare workers and essential service providers through its doodles.

On Thursday, 16 April, the search engine giant thanked all the food service workers who have been serving people during these hard times. Today, wed like to say: To all food service workers, thank you.

Google Doodle

The animated doodle features a heart emoji skipping across the doodle to a figure cooking food and packing them for deliveries. This is similar to all the recent Google Doodles in which a heart comes from the letter G and goes towards the E in the word Google.

Todays Google Doodle is part of the series to recognise and honour many of those fighting the Covid-19 pandemic on the front lines.

To restrict the spread of COVID-19, people have been asked to stay indoors and maintain social distancing. Only people engaged with essential services are allowed to move out to serve the country at present times.

On 6 April, Google started its doodle series to honour the contributions of the healthcare workers, emergency service workers, and sanitation workers.

Over the next two weeks, our Doodles will honour other essential frontline workers, including healthcare workers, first responders and the many people keeping services like sanitation, food service, public transit, schools, and more up and running, Google had said in a blog post.
At a time when people are



staying at home to protect themselves from coronavirus, some braveheart police personnel are winning accolades for giving priority to duty and keeping their personal issues and safety aside.

Showering praises, some social media users have termed these policemen as 'Corona Warriors'.

One such 'corona warrior' is Dahod's police sub- inspector P K Jadav, whose elder brother died in Ahmedabad recently. Instead of taking leave, Jadav went to work after completing the last rites of his brother.

Taking note of his dedication for work, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani called on Jadav to praise him, the state police tweeted.

Another gutsy personnel is constable Indravijaysinh Rehvar, posted at Gambhoi police station in Sabarkantha.

"Despite suffering from fracture on one arm, Rehvar, who was assigned the task of patrolling in a PCR van, resumed duty after getting his broken arm plastered. We appreciate his dedication for service," Sabarkantha Superintendent of Police Chaitanya Mandlik said.

In Morbi district, constable Vipul Fultariya refused to take leave even after getting the of being blessed with a baby girl.

"Instead, he went home, showered his love on his new born daughter and came back to resume his duty," Gujarat Police said in a tweet.

In Bhuj town of Kutch district, woman constable Alka Desai has been doing her duty carrying her two-year-old daughter along with her.

Since her husband is also a police constable, there is no one at home to take care of the child.

"I have joined the police force to serve the nation. I can't take leave when the nation needs me the most. At the same time, I am also a mother. So I have decided to carry on my duty with my daughter along," Desai said.

After the authorities learnt about her dedication, she was assigned duty close to a police station where she can keep her daughter.

Another 'corona warrior' is Jyoti Parikh, working as constable with Raopura police of Vadodara city.

Despite getting stitches on her forehead following an accident, she decided to resume her duty "in service of the nation", the Gujarat Police said in a tweet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Marion Janic

Rooney Partners is joining forces with investor relations agency LHA to provide integrated investor relations and public relations programs to healthcare clients. Both firms will continue to operate independently, and there are no staffing or executive changes planned. Rooney Partners partner Marion Janic says over the past two decades the firms have informally partnered to offer integrated IR and PR services to more than 20 clients in the U.S. and Europe. With offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, LHA works with public companies and those going through the IPO process. Rooney Partners provides services for companies in such market verticals as finance, healthcare, manufacturing and technology.

IntelligenceBank has launched a crisis communications hub, an online platform intended to help cross-functional teams to develop unified messaging around COVID-19. The company says the platform offers one-click access to crisis statements, protocols, content and collateral. Its features include digital asset management (with crisis-specific sections for such content as media releases, customer hardship offerings, internal communications, customer communications and government relations) as well as assistance with crisis communications briefs and project management, workflow approvals, crisis brand guidelines and crisis news.

Israeli PR technology company Propel has conducted research indicating that the volume of pitches sent to journalists has increased during the COVID-19 crisis, while the engagement by journalists with such pitches has remained stable. The study shows that so far this month, PR professionals are sending an average of 16 pitches per day to journalists, up from 14 in March, 13 in February and 10 in January. When it comes to how many of those pitches are opened, journalists polled said they opened 47 percent of pitches received in April, compared to 45 percent in March, 51 percent in February and 46 percent in January. The pitch volume increase in April and March may indicate a rise in creative story ideas around COVID-19, or crisis management related pitches. The slightly lower but relatively equal open and response rates are likely due to journalists adjusting to remote work, said Propel co-founder and CEO Zach Cutler. The study is based on pitches sent by over 100 U.S.-based PR professionals in 2020.
Austria is planning to test every person at retirement homes for coronavirus, the government announced today after a series of care home outbreaks across Europe.

Health minister Rudi Anschober said testing at care homes would be the 'big, central focus' as Austria begins to loosen the lockdown and enters 'phase two' of the crisis.

The new policy means that 130,000 people will be tested at 918 retirement and care homes across Austria, including every staff member, the minister said.

Those tests alone will nearly double the nationwide total of 162,816 tests carried out so far in Austria, which has a far higher rate of testing per head than Britain.

The Green politician also declared the country's lockdown a success after the daily growth in new infections fell below one per cent.

Anschober contrasted the infection rate unfavourably with that in Britain, which had the worst rate on a graph he showed to journalists today. The minister said the UK rate was 'frightening' European policymakers.

Austrian health minister Rudi Anschober, pictured at a press conference in Vienna today, says Austria will test everyone at retirement homes. The graph he is holding highlights a low infection rate in Austria (the furthest column right) and a high one in Britain (third from left)

Speaking at a press conference in Vienna today, the minister said 'international experience' showed that care homes were a major source of virus cases.

'The big, central focus of the next weeks will be the testing of all workers and residents of retirement and care homes,' he said.

'We're talking about 130,000 people.

'Why are we doing this? Simply, international experience shows that this area is the area with the greatest risk.'

Studies from across Europe showed that a high number of coronavirus deaths were linked to care homes, the minister said.

Some countries have banned visits to care homes to stop the virus spreading to older people, who are typically more vulnerable to the disease.

There have also been widespread reports across Europe of care home outbreaks which have not been fully documented in official figures.

Unions, health workers and relatives in Lombardy, the worst affected region in Italy, have reported the death of scores of patients who were never tested for the virus.

France's death count has surged after it began including numbers supplied voluntarily from homes, but these figures are not complete.

Care homes have been a worrying source of virus cases across Europe (pictured, a medical worker takes a sample from a care home resident in Spain yesterday)

UK health secretary Matt Hancock said today that 15 per cent of care homes have two or more confirmed coronavirus cases.

The minister was responding to reports that as many as half or even two-thirds of care homes had suffered a virus infection.

On the testing of care workers, Mr Hancock said: '1,500 were tested the day before yesterday, which is the latest figures that I've got.'

Another 4,100 have been referred to testing, which means 'the test is immediately available to them', he said.

However, Britain has not pledged to test everyone at care homes in the way that Austria has.

Some 918 care homes and retirement homes across Austria will be tested 'comprehensively,' Mr Hancock's counterpart said.

Customers push trolleys outside a hardware store in Eisenstadt on Tuesday, after the Austrian government allowed some shops to re-open with a view to opening others on May 1

Austria has carried out a total 162,816 tests so far, compared to 417,649 in the UK - around 39 per cent as many as Britain for a population only 13 per cent as large.

Put another way, Austria has tested around one in 54 people for coronavirus compared to Britain's rate of one in 159 people.

So far Austria has reported just 410 deaths in total, fewer than some larger countries are suffering each day.

Anschober told reporters the daily increase in cases was now 0.9 per cent, which he said was the lowest rate in Europe.

The care home testing policy will require a further 130,000 tests, almost as many as have already been done.

Ministers say they will also be testing workers at shops which have re-opened this week to assess whether the loosening of the lockdown has caused new infections.

Austria allowed small shops to re-open from Tuesday with a view to opening larger ones on May 1 if there is no surge in infections.

It has said it will be on the lookout for any acceleration in infections and will delay its step-by-step loosening of its lockdown if necessary.

Austria also has some lingering hotspots of infection under quarantine, including the ski resorts of Ischgl, St Anton am Arlberg and Soelden.
(Newser)  There wasn't a crowd at the launch of the latest iPhone, and with all Apple stores outside China closed, customers won't be able to try it before they buy it. The new iPhone SE, the first low-cost phone the company has released since 2016, has the same name as its predecessor and costs just $399, compared to $699 for the iPhone 11 and at least $999 for the iPhone 11 Pro, CNBC reports. CNET describes the new phone as "essentially an iPhone 11 stuffed into the revamped body of an iPhone 8," which has a 4.7-inch screen. It has lower specs than the newest smartphones, but the same speedy A13 chip as iPhone 11s. Apple says preorders begin on Friday and sales will begin April 24.

story continues below

The new phone is being released in a weak market, but its very release shows that Apple's supply chain in China "has returned to a place of some normalcy amid the global Covid-19 pandemic," Bloomberg notes. Shira Ovide at the New York Times, however, writes that consumers have been gradually losing their enthusiasm for new smartphones, with the average American now keeping theirs for at least three years, and "until economic conditions stabilize, our zing will probably be even less zingy than normal." She adds that "a smartphone is now a refrigerator. We need it, but we dont replace our current model when a new ice-making feature comes out. This is not great for companies with shiny new phones to sell. For the rest of us, it's fine." Click for her full piece. (Or read about a new virus-tracing plan for smartphones.)
An assistant professor, two



resident doctors and a nurse of Ahmedabad'sKidney Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Thursday.

Apart from these medical staff of the government-run hospital, an assistant municipal commissioner of the city civic body has also got infected with the virus, said Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra.

During the last 12 hours, as many as 42 cases of coronavirus were reported in Ahmedabad alone. These included relatives of a Gujarat Congress MLA who tested positive for the viral infection two day ago.

"Cases are rising because we have increased testing. We expect that around 100 cases will emerge daily from tomorrow (April 17). Our administration is ready to deal with this situation," said Nehra.

Nehra said 10 persons, either relatives or neighbours of the Congress MLA who has tested positive, were found to be infected with the disease on Thursday.

The legislator is undergoing treatment at SVP Hospital here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AUD/USD Current Price: 0.6331

Australia expected to have lost 40,000 jobs in March amid the coronavirus crisis.

The poor performance of global equities weighed on the Aussie.

AUD/USD bearish in the short-term but trading above 0.6300.

The AUD/USD pair turned south this Wednesday, following the poor performance of global equities spurring demand for the greenback. Data coming from the country at the beginning of the day added pressure as Australian Westpac Consumer Confidence fell to -17.7% in April from -3.8% in March. China reported Foreign Direct Investment, which plunged by 10.8% in the year to March. AUD/USD bounced from its daily low of 0.6283 to settle in the 0.6330 price zone, helped by Wall Street which closed in the red but off its daily lows.

During the upcoming Asian session, Australia will release March employment data. The country is expected to have lost 40K jobs, on the back of the pandemic that is hitting the world. The unemployment rate is seen up to 5.5% from 5.1%. The impact of such a negative number could be limited, as investors had already priced it in.

AUD/USD Short-Term Technical Outlook

The AUD/USD pair heads into the Asian opening with a short-term bearish tone, given that, in the 4-hour chart, technical indicators remain within negative levels, although with modest downward slopes. In the same chart, the pair stands below a flat 20 SMA, which offers an immediate resistance at around 0.6375.

Support levels: 0.6300 0.6265 0.6230

Resistance levels: 0.6375 0.6400 0.6440

Image sourced from Pixabay

See more from Benzinga

 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
(Natural News) The unemployment rate in Australia will likely hit 10 percent for the June quarter because of the global coronavirus pandemic. However, early investigations have shown that unemployment levels would have been 5 percent higher had the government not introduced the $130 billion JobKeeper stimulus package.

At least 1.37 million Australians will be out of work by June, according to projections. However, according to Australia Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, that number could have soared to 2.05 million had workplaces not been offered any incentive to keep their staff on the books.

The upswing is the first time in 26 years that the countrys unemployment rate hit double digits. In particular, Australia hit its peak unemployment rate of 11.2 percent back in 1992.

Heartbreaking numbers

Back in February, Australias unemployment rate was 5.1 percent. When the pandemic led to major shutdowns of businesses and stand-downs of workers, many economists feared that number would triple. The JobKeeper stimulus package seems to have lowered that. (Related: Boon or bane? Australias response to coronavirus means lower caseloads, but a year-long lockdown.)

In the absence of the $130 billion JobKeeper payments, Treasury estimates the unemployment rate would be five percentage points higher and would peak at around 15 percent, stated Frydenberg.

More than 800,000 businesses have already registered for JobKeeper payment, which will allow the economy to recover more quickly once we are through to the other side of the crisis, he continued.

Westpac chief economist Bill Evans agrees. We expect the beneficial effects of the governments JobKeeper policy to restrict the rise in the unemployment rate to a peak of 9 percent [in] June 2020 and to then see it fall back to around 7 percent at years end, said Evans. Before the stimulus package was announced, Evans had earlier predicted that Australias unemployment rate would hit 17 percent in June.

The JobKeeper package is one of three separate stimulus packages that the Australian government has proposed to inject #320 billion, or 16.4 percent of the GDP, back into the countrys economy.

Despite the lower-than-predicted unemployment numbers, thanks to the stimulus package, government officials arent downplaying how bad the losses are. During an interview with the Today Show on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the predicted numbers as heartbreaking.

Its a heartbreaking number, stated Morrison. Unemployment at that rate, hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs. It is just absolutely heartbreaking.

As part of this, Morrison said that he wanted Australians to know that the country came into what he described as a dual health and economic crisis in a strong financial position. However, he admitted that what has happened was a big blow to the country nonetheless.

I dont want to lessen that in terms of how we speak of it, explained Morrison. Its seriously impacting on our economy.

The opposition thinks unemployment could be lower

Despite how much JobKeeper has lowered the unemployment, members of the opposition in Australias parliament are arguing that its still higher than it needs to be. Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who serves as Frydenbergs opposite under the Westminster system, has argued that while the stimulus package was a good move, it could have been that much better.

Currently, the Jobkeeper stimulus package is only offered to permanent staff or those who have worked with one company for more than 12 months. Australias Labor party has pushed for more casual employees and freelancers to get access to the package as well.

The unemployment rate will be higher than it would be if Josh Frydenberg exercised his powers to give more casual and other workers access to JobKeeper payment, read a statement from Labors finance team.

When unemployment spikes in the next few months remember hundreds of thousands of job losses could have been prevented if the Treasurer picked up his pen and included more workers currently left out and left behind, continued the statement.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TheGuardian.com
A woman washes her clothes at a Laundromat in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reuters/Brian Snyder

Studies suggest the novel coronavirus lives on cloth and fabric surfaces for up to two days.

Experts say clothing is unlikely to be a major source of infection for the general public, since you'd still have to touch your clothes and then your face.

But medics are taking extra precautions to clean their clothes after being in contact with COVID-19 patients  having outdoor and indoor shoes, and washing their hospital clothes separately.

The best defense for the general public is to stay home whenever possible and wash your hands often.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

As efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus stretch into weeks and months, and wearing cloth masks in public becomes more commonplace, people are now starting to wonder about other possible sources of contagion, including their clothing.

Trending Google searches (how long the virus survives on clothing, and how to wash clothing to prevent contamination) suggest people are wary of whatever they've worn in public.

But while the virus is believed to survive for up to two days on fabric, experts still say you're less likely to be infected by your clothing as by another person. However, if you still want to take precautions, simple hygiene habits can help, such as an immediate shower and change of clothes after venturing outdoors.

Here's how medical experts advise you should decontaminate your clothing if you think it's been exposed to coronavirus.

How two doctors decontaminate their clothes after a shift

Dr. Darria Long Gillespie, an emergency physician and clinical assistant professor at University of Tennessee, said the viral outbreak has changed her whole routine going in and out of the emergency room for work.

Previously, she would pack a bag with a reusable water bottle and anything else she'd want along for her shift. Now, it's strictly the basics  ID card, stethoscope, pen, and cell phone.

Story continues

"Every item can be a fomite, meaning it could carry the virus, so I'm trying to minimize what I bring with me to work," Long Gillespie told Insider.

Once she's done with work, she changes into a fresh set of scrubs at the hospital before heading home, where she leaves her shoes outside, changes out of her scrubs again and heads into the shower. Then, only after she's washed and in a clean set of her own clothes, she rejoins her family.

Those precautions, or "firewalls" as she calls them, help give her peace of mind by separating her life into three zones  the contamination zone, with active patients at the ER; the clean zone of her house; and the transition area between the two.

To keep that clean zone clean, Long Gillespie said she leaves as many items as possible in that transition area by changing out of dirty scrubs at the hospital and leaving other work essentials there. Anything she does bring home is carefully disinfected or contained  the shoes she wears to work, for instance.

"My hospital shoes stay in a certain corner of the garage, and nothing else is near them," she said.

Out of habit, Long Gillespie follows a similar routine when she makes grocery trips, removing her outer layers of clothing when she returns home and washing her hands thoroughly.

Healthcare workers in PPE outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn.

Reuters

Dr. Lee Riley, professor and chair of the Division of Infectious Disease and Vaccinology at Berkeley Public Health, says his wife, a physician working in family medicine, has a similar routine now when she comes home after seeing patients. At the door, she immediately removes and washes her clothes.

After the clothes are in the washing machine, she washes her hands thoroughly. If the patient has respiratory symptoms, she also showers immediately. Riley and his wife also have a habit of leaving their shoes at the door when they come into the house  something he said is a good idea not only because of coronavirus but for general hygiene.

So far, the system has worked, and neither Riley nor his wife have developed COVID-19 symptoms. "I don't know if we need to do that, but we do to be safe," he told Insider.

For most people who aren't in close contact with patients on a daily basis, clothing is unlikely to be a problem, and normal hygiene habits should be enough to prevent contagion.

"It's not necessary to wash your clothing all the time," Riley said. "Just wash your clothes regularly and change them every day."

Clothing is 'unlikely' to be a source of infection if you're not a medic working all day with COVID-19 patients, experts say

According to official guidance, if you're a healthcare provider, or taking care of someone with the virus, some additional precautions may be warranted. The UK's National Health Service advises washing potentially "high risk" items like patients' towels and clothing, as well as healthcare workers' uniforms, on high heat. The CDC advises healthcare workers wash and dry their clothes with as much heat as possible.

However, clothing is unlikely to be a major source of infection for the general public, since it's more likely you'll get sick from person-to-person contact, according to Dr. Sue Anne Bell, a nurse scientist, family nurse practitioner, and professor at the University of Michigan.

"It's primarily spread by droplets, so you'd need to be thinking about if someone is coughing or sneezing directly on you, or brushing up against something with droplets. Then you'd have to touch that part of the clothing and touch your face to get infected," Bell told Insider.

She said that while it is possible for clothing to be contaminated, and there are steps you can take to prevent that, the biggest priority is to follow previous advice about physical distancing and hygiene.

"That's somewhat of a stretch. I would focus my efforts much more on staying at home, not being around other people who might be affected, wearing a face mask, and careful handwashing," she said.

If you're concerned about exposure, remove and bag clothing after being in public, and wash it separately from other laundry

Bell says that, to be safe, you could establish a protocol for returning home with possibly contaminated clothing, even if you're not a medical worker or otherwise caring for a COVID-19 patient.

"If you're very concerned about it, you could leave your shoes outside, and wash and dry clothes any clothes you've worn in public separately," she said. This is also her personal routine after seeing patients.

To do so, remove whatever you've worn in public immediately when you get home, either in the entryway or garage if possible. Leave your shoes outside or in the garage, and spray them with a disinfectant if you're able to. Put your used clothing in a garbage bag and then shower, changing into a fresh set of clothes once you're clean, Bell said.

If you're able to wash your clothes immediately, that's a good idea, she added, but for people without access to an in-home washer and dryer, you can repeat the procedure as many times as necessary, storing outdoor clothes in a sealed, disposable bag, until you have enough to warrant a trip to the laundromat.

When washing, be sure to not shake the bag, and keep it as close to the washer as possible while transferring clothes to avoid spreading any viral particles. Wash your hands thoroughly after contact with any potentially contaminated clothes, or use gloves.

A regular laundry cycle with hot water and soap, and a thorough dry, should be sufficient, according to CDC guidelines.

"With detergent, the virus would be killed very quickly, and with a dryer, the heat would kill it," Riley explained.

Remember: The best defense against the virus is to stay home, wash your hands, and stay calm

"I think we need to be aware but not frightened," Long Gillespie said.

"In the ER, you're used to scary moments, you stay calm, you stay aware, and you have a plan. I don't go more than I have to, I don't spend more time than I have to, and I wash up afterward."

If this kind of cleaning routine puts your mind at ease, it can be helpful to do so, Bell said.

But it's still no substitute for other preventive measures like washing your hands, staying 6 feet away from other people, and whenever possible, not going in public in the first place. It's also important not to panic: stress can be damaging, and there's no need to if you're staying home and clean.

"Following the latest guidelines, like staying home, washing hands, and wearing a mask if you do go out, is the best thing you can do right now," she said.

Read more:

Everything we know about masks and the coronavirus, from who should wear them to how to make one

Laundromats aren't likely to contaminate clothes with the coronavirus if you use common sense, according to a microbiologist

You don't have to spray your groceries with bleach to prevent the coronavirus. Here's what experts recommend.

Read the original article on Insider
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro clarified on Thursday their local COVID-19 testing center is still awaiting accreditation.

In an interview with CNN Philippines Ruth Cabal, Teodoro said the Department of Health is still in the process of expediting the accreditation of the citys testing center.

DOH Undersecretary and Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire also confirmed it.

The testing center is not licensed yet but we are working with them for immediate compliance so they can open soon, said Vergeire.

Teodoro assured the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases backed the local testing laboratory, located inside a new two-storey building in Barangay Concepcion Uno and can process up to 400 samples daily.

He added that during their teleconference meeting with the IATF-EID yesterday, the task force instructed the DOH to hasten the accreditation of the citys COVID-19 testing laboratory.

We expect to have the accreditation by Monday or Tuesday, said Teodoro, who guaranteed the local testing laboratory will be fully operational by next week.

The Marikina mayor also emphasized that all polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines and biosafety cabinets in their local testing center are already installed and calibrated. The laboratory layout, workflow procedures, and standard operating procedures are also in place.

Teodoro stood firm on opening the facility even without the DOH's green light. He admitted to CNN Philippines he would be breaking the law, but said he is ready to face charges since he can no longer put off mass testing for Marikina residents.

The city has recorded 72 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday afternoon. Of this number, 18 have died, seven have recovered, while 22 are suspected of coronavirus infection and have yet to be tested.

In March, Marikina set up its testing laboratory at the sixth floor of the City Health Office, but the DOH said it should be in a different location to comply with guidelines on biosafety.

Two dedicated ambulance units will be picking up samples from hospitals and testing centers for delivery to the laboratory. A molecular pathologist will always be on duty to run the tests.
In the Soviet Union, activists were sent to state psychiatric wards. According to the state, any and all opposition to government policy was considered a form of mental illness.

Stephanie Buck writes about the treatment of the social parasite Joseph Brodsky.

In 1963, Russian poet Joseph Brodsky was seized and sent to a mental institution Hospital workers pumped him with tranquilizers and repeatedly woke him during the night. He was given cold baths and wrapped in wet canvas that shrank and cut his skin while drying.

It is not likely German lawyer Beate Bahner will be tortured like Brodsky. However, that does not make her arrest and forced confinement in a mental institution any less egregious.

It has begun: German medical lawyer Beate Bahner, who has been committed to a psychiatric institution for publicly disagreeing with lockdown.https://t.co/N1IGdNdScE  Welsh hill farmer (@FreeWales) April 14, 2020

Bahner had become known in the past few days with a call for nationwide demonstrations and an urgent application for the abolition of all corona protective measures, reports Welt. The [medical specialist] lawyer from Heidelberg considers the corona rules to be excessive and advocates for them to be abolished.

Prior to her arrest, which she resisted, Bahners website was shut down at the request of the Mannheim police, according to the newspaper.

Hundreds pour onto the streets of Berlin to protest. Protest to end the lockdown #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/DLrdEW2xy3  World Updates (@Rntk____) April 14, 2020

In America, the state has yet to lock dissidents up in mental institutions, although police have threatened people for attending church services and disobeying social distancing mandates.

In Mississippi, parishioners were fined $500 for attending a drive-in church service. In Massachusetts, the governor and local government control freaks ordered citizens to wear masks. The city of Lynn imposed a mandatory curfew. Authorities in Minneapolis charged twenty-three people with violating stay-at-home orders.

In Australia and Britain, police are fining citizens for daring to go outside (doing so in Queensland will result in a $100k fine). The dictator president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has ordered police and the military to shoot and kill all in violation of an iron-fisted lockdown.

As a nation-wide lockdown and draconian measures destroy business, jobs, and lives, people are beginning to resist.

In Michigan, protesters gathered outside the state capitol to denounce Gov. Gretchen Whitmers lockdown. We do not agree with or consent to our unalienable rights being restricted or rescinded for any reason, including the COVID-19 pandemic, said Michigan United for Liberty on its Facebook page.

Wow. The Michigan anti-lockdown Facebook group gained another 45,000+ followers yesterday and is now close to 310,000, ~4% of the states adult population. Wonder how many will show up for the protest.  Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) April 14, 2020

#stopthelockdown #TheRealDonaldTrump

This will only get worse until we reverse course on this lockdown. Which is destroying our economy, everything America stands for around freedom, and peoples livelihood.https://t.co/OiEmRx8Ihg  Troy (@Yortious) April 13, 2020

In Raleigh, North Carolina the police denounced a protest against lockdown as non-essential activity, a direct violation of the First Amendment.

I wanted to believe this was a joke or a hoax  @raleighpolice calling a protest a non-essential activity and arresting someone for speaking out against the states lockdown. But it is as real as Stalin. pic.twitter.com/d8Z0UqquIS  Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) April 14, 2020

Protesters angry with Gov. Mike DeWines lockdown order interrupted a coronavirus briefing at the Ohio Statehouse on Thursday.

Officialdom has warned lockdowns may be in place until a vaccine is manufactured, possibly 18 months from now. This is a sure recipe for civil unrest and violence. It is not feasible for millions of peopleand billions around the worldto endure lockdown and other authoritarian measures, possibly indefinitely.

In Germany, the state has moved to declare opposition to the destruction of civilization a mental illness. As more people resist mass house arrest and enforced privation, the state will undoubtedly resort to measures above and beyond locking activists up in mental institutions.

NORAD and the Pentagon have planned for civil unrest for some time. The military is now engaged in a PR campaign to reassure the public that it will use the appropriate protective equipment as it prepares to put down inevitable uprisings.
President of Baekjehongsam Cho Sung-jung, right, and My Pay President Oh Se-yong pose after signing an MOU to increase cooperation between the two firms at Cho's office in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, in February. / Courtesy of Baekjehongsam



By Kim Jae-heun



It was not long ago when Cho Sung-jung, president of Baekjehongsam, decided to open his red ginseng business. Prior to starting his business, Cho was just a typical businessman at a trading company who didn't think twice about starting his own business, until learning about the mass health benefits of Korean red ginseng.



"It's been almost nine years since I started this business. It all started when I purchased red ginseng from my daughter. The product made me curious about the herbal remedies that could be received from red ginseng, so I read a book about it," Cho said during an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday.



"There are different types of red ginseng out there in the world but Korean ginseng is the best. American ginseng is popular in Hong Kong but it is incomparable to Korean ginseng." Cho said.



Korean ginseng in particularly contains a large amount of minerals, nearly equivalent to the amount found in wild ginseng, he said.



Red ginseng is good for blood circulation, which Cho believes is the basis for maintaining good health. The herb also improves immunity which helps protect people from the common cold.



Once he learned about the greatness of red ginseng, Cho wanted the whole world to know, which led him to start his own company.



Cho launched a brand called "Samdaein," translated as "man of ginseng," and he exports his products currently to the United States, China and Vietnam. He is also preparing to establish a joint venture in Indonesia, which is pending the local government's approval.



"Evaluation for the import of red ginseng is taking time due to the coronavirus outbreak. When the situation eases, Korean red ginseng will be available to around 300 million customers there," Cho said.



Cho believes his company's most notable advantage over other Korean red ginseng firms lies in his leadership and his will to actively engage in overseas business.



"We also use only the top-quality red ginseng and do not mix with low-quality ones. I've seen competing brands mixing various materials to produce their products. Our products are made by red ginseng produced only on organic farms," Cho said.



Recently, Samdaein introduced a new product line called "Fox & Wolf" to better target young customers.



Red ginseng is well-regarded as a healthy functional food for parents and older people but not as much in younger generations.



"Fox & Wolf has two different red ginseng products  one is for women and the other for men. We've added pomegranate for women and maca for men. They are good for each gender in their own ways," Cho said.


Aktia Asset Management has been rewarded as the best corporate bond fund in euro in the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards 2020 in the category "Best Fund Over Past 10 years". Aktia's asset management services have been rewarded several times in different comparisons and Aktia has this year already been rewarded as the best fixed income fund house.

The fund Aktia Corporate Bond+ has been rewarded by the Lipper Fund Awards 2020 as the best fund in euro in the series "Bond EUR Global Corporates" in the category "Best Fund Over Past 10 years". The fund award is granted based on the best return development.

"The fund Aktia Corporate Bond+ has followed its own path for more than ten years, which is also the reason behind our success. We make all our investment decisions independently, not based on indices. In addition, our four-member main team participates in the fund management according to their own strengths and we also have a big fixed income team that supports our daily operations. The feeling is great, we share information and the co-operation works well. The highly respected Lipper Fund award is once again a token that we are on the right road in our operations", says Juuso Rantala, portfolio manager for Aktia Corporate Bond+.

"Aktia Asset Management has already for a long time been investing in strong fixed income competence and our portfolio managers are passionate about their work. The many awards confirm that Aktia is even at an international level a very competent fixed income fund house. It makes us especially happy that our competence helps our customers to achieve better results. We are going to invest also in the future in even better customer service and in helping our customers with our strong competence", say Niina Bergring, director in charge of Aktia Bank's asset management.

Aktia's asset management has been repeatedly rewarded in several actors' competitions. This year Aktia's fixed income competence was once again awarded as the best in Finland in Morningstar's Awards. Aktia has been rewarded by the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards as the best Nordic asset manager in the Small Company category in the whole selection in 2019 and 2017. In addition, the fund Aktia EM Local Currency Frontier Bond+ was chosen as the best Nordic fixed income fund in the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards 2019.

Refinitiv Lipper is a leading international and independent producer of fund analyses and comparisons. The highly respected Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards are granted to the best funds and asset management and fund management companies all over the world.

Further information:

Juuso Rantala, portfolio manager, Aktia Asset Management, tel. +358 50 303 9387

Niina Bergring, Director, asset management, Aktia Bank Plc, tel. +358 40 822 1514

Aktia is a Finnish asset manager, bank and life insurer that has been creating wealth and wellbeing from one generation to the next for 200 years. We serve our customers in digital channels everywhere and face-to-face in our offices in the Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Vaasa and Oulu regions. Our award-winning asset management business sells investment funds internationally. We employ approximately 750 people around Finland. Aktia's assets under management (AuM) 31.12.2019 amounted to EUR 9.9 billion and the balance sheet total was EUR 9.7 billion. Aktia's shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd (AKTIA). aktia.com
The General Assembly in Harrisburg passed a bill (HB 1100) in February, with broad bipartisan support that allows for a $22 million per year/per project tax credit for petrochemical-related building projects, including fracking. Fortunately, on March 27th, Governor Tom Wolf vetoed the bill, but there remains considerable pressure to override the veto.

For those unfamiliar, fracking is a method of extracting gas and oil from deep underground by injecting millions of gallons of water, chemicals and sand at high pressure. There are tremendous costs to the environment. Fracking has been shown to result in the release of dangerous levels of methane  a greenhouse gas more potent that CO2, as well as ground and water pollution. Additionally, single-use plastic from fracking-to-plastic plants clogs our waterways and oceans, killing wildlife.

The bill is completely outrageous given that important environmental programs such as the DEP and Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund remain unfounded and means less money available for education and infrastructure. It also comes at a time when the state will need to address the huge economic costs resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

Pennsylvania has been moving in the direction of cleaner sources of energy and this bill takes us in the opposite direction. Thus, we need to encourage our state representatives and senators to vote to uphold the veto and stop this disastrous proposal.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 23:00:01|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry condemned on Thursday the Turkish airstrike of a refugee camp for Turkish Kurds in northern Iraq that killed two women.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in the strongest terms the attack carried out by the Turkish side, which resulted in loss of life and property," Ahmed al-Sahaf, the ministry spokesman, said in a statement.

Moreover, the foreign minister directed to summon the Turkish ambassador to Iraq to hand him an official letter of protest, al-Sahaf added.

The condemnation came a day after a Turkish drone fired a rocket on a refugee camp for Turkish Kurds near the town of Makhmour, some 100 km southeast of the northern city of Mosul.

A statement by the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that the Turkish bombardment resulted in the killing of two women among the refugees.

Makhmour area is mainly populated by Arabs and Kurds and has been captured by Iraqi army from the Kurdish Peshmerga forces since October 2017.

Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardments against the positions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, main base of the PKK.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Enditem
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the United States would halt payments to the World Health Organization (WHO). He charged the organization with "severely mismanaging and covering up" the Covid-19 pandemic and claiming that "so much death has been caused by their mistakes."

Trump is desperately trying to deflect attention from his own catastrophic behavior. He has presided over one of the largest security failures in US history, with far more deaths than at Pearl Harbor or on 9/11.

While the President has called for an investigation of the WHO, it's his own administration's disastrous response to the crisis that needs scrutiny. The urgent and practical goal should be to fix the federal response before possibly hundreds of thousands of lives are lost. The Congressional Oversight Committee should immediately scrutinize the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic so that we can change course.

At this point it's clear: The Trump Administration has failed. The United States has so far incurred 26,000 deaths, 79 per million; South Korea, in contrast, has incurred 225 deaths, just 4 per million. Taiwan's death toll stands at just 6 deaths (0.3 per million) and Singapore's death toll stands at 10 (2 per million).

Many other countries have a similar record of lower death rates. Canada's is less than a third of the US rate, with 24 per 1 million. Some countries in Europe have more deaths per million than the United States, but we should judge our performance against the highest-performing countries and investigate how to improve US performance rapidly before incurring a further massive loss of life.

The overwhelming evidence is that the Trump administration received repeated early warnings of a possible pandemic. Indeed, even before his inauguration, Trump received warnings of the grave danger of a global pandemic, and such a threat was rated among the highest security threats facing the United States. The threat of pandemics was well known and well studied in the intelligence, military and scientific communities.

There is no way around the reality that Trump was unable to process this information and give direction to the federal government to respond to it effectively in the manner that Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and other countries did.

Here is what we know, and what questions remain to be answered from an in-depth congressional investigation:

First, China reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization on December 31. According to Reuters, the National Security Council also received notice of the outbreak around the same time from a US health attache in Beijing. The investigation should ascertain whether and when the White House received this information and when was it first part of the President's intelligence briefings.

On the basis of the reports from China, on December 31 Taiwan immediately began to screen flight arrivals from Wuhan, where the coronavirus emerged, without waiting for WHO guidance or any other advice. South Korea began to screen flights from January 3.

The US screening that began on January 17 was haphazard at best, nonexistent in many places at worst. Why didn't the US government follow the lead of Taiwan, South Korea and others on flight screenings?

On January 3, according to Reuters, the director of China's Center for Disease Control, Dr. Gao Fu, called the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, to discuss the outbreak. What did they discuss? When were the details of the call conveyed to Trump and the National Security Council?

According to The Washington Post, the US intelligence agencies issued classified briefs in January and February on the dire urgency of the epidemic. What were the warnings, and were there specific recommendations made by the intelligence agencies?

Trump now seems to think the United States was misled by the WHO. In what ways did the United States rely on WHO statements and warnings for its policies, given that many other countries were proceeding on the basis of a high emergency situation?

On January 23, the WHO Emergency Committee declined to declare Covid-19 a global health emergency, an action that it took a week later, on January 30. The US CDC has a senior official on the WHO committee. What was the advice of the US committee member at the January 23 meeting? Did the US representative call for declaring Covid-19 a global emergency? Was the CDC position discussed with Trump?

The Centers for Disease Control sent out faulty test kits around the United States in early February. Red tape prevented the issue from being resolved as quickly as possible. Other nations developed test kits and went into large-scale testing weeks before the United States. What accounts for this basic failure of the CDC?

Early on in the outbreak, Trump repeatedly asserted that the pandemic was not a great threat in the United States. He told the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, "We have it totally under control," thereby misleading or deceiving not only Americans but the entire world.

In February, he asserted that with the warm weather of April, the virus "miraculously goes away," once again contrary to scientific evidence. There are countless other such misguided statements.

The federal government and many states have been in a nonstop battle over scarce and urgently needed supplies including personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, test kits and other medical basics. What information was used to decide how to assist each state in acquiring these medical essentials? Trump long delayed invoking the authority of the Defense Production Act, causing governors and mayors to scramble desperately until now for these missing supplies. Why did Trump refuse to utilize the Defense Production Act for many critical weeks?

As of now, there is no agreed national strategy for how to reopen the economy. On the contrary, Trump and many governors are in open conflict about the best plan of action. What federal management systems and agencies are being used to obtain the best information and evidence for how to proceed and to coordinate the actions of the federal and state governments?

Answers to these questions are urgently needed. The United States failed to act early, to heed the dire alarms heard clearly by many other nations to mobilize supplies of vital commodities and to coordinate between national, state and local levels.

Addressing these urgent questions is the responsibility of the House Oversight Committee, which is the House of Representatives' main investigative committee. Its legislative jurisdiction includes the "overall economy, efficiency, and management of government operations and activities, including federal procurement," the "relationship of the federal government to the states and municipalities," and "reorganizations in the executive branch of government."

Hundreds of thousands of American lives are at stake, not to mention the millions of lives around the world that the United States should be helping to save. Congress must urgently investigate and correct the disastrous failures of the Trump administration in handling this crisis. There is no time to lose.
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the virtual session of the 2nd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Saudi Arabian Presidency, to discuss the global economic outlook amid evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Finance Minister appreciated the Saudi Presidency for their tireless efforts in delivering on the outcomes as mandated by the G20 Leaders during the Extraordinary Leaders' Summit, particularly in preparation of G20 Action Plan in Response to COVID-19.

Finance Minister focused upon the role of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in safeguarding the lives and livelihood of people while maintaining macroeconomic stability in a sustainable manner. She shared with her G20 counterparts the measures taken by Government of India to provide the vulnerable sections with swift, timely and targeted assistance. She added that so far, within a couple of weeks, India has disbursed financial assistance amounting to USD 3.9 billion to more than 320 million people, with a special focus on direct benefit transfer through digital technology so that the exposure of beneficiaries to public places is minimised.

Sitharaman also said that the monetary policy measures undertaken by Government of India, Reserve Bank of India and other regulators have helped de-freeze the market and catalyse credit flows. These measures include liquidity support of USD 50 billion, regulatory and supervisory measures for credit easing, relief on debt servicing through moratoriums on instalments of term-loans, eased working capital financing and deferred interest payments on such financing.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On April 8th at 6:00 PM (CST) the Online Tournament put on by the Association of Collegiate Anglers officially ended. Over the span of six days, numerous college anglers fished public lakes, streams, rivers, and private ponds from upstate New York to the delta in California in search of the longest bass they could catch. Approximately 100 fish were submitted in total, with dozens of fish measuring over 20 inches. Cole Sands (NA/Calhoun, Tennessee) from Bryan College won the Online Tournament with a largemouth bass measuring 24.6 inches.

Cole embarked on a full day of fishing on Friday, April 3rd at Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee.

He knew that he needed to catch a fish over 20 inches to even have a shot of finishing in the Top 5 and earning one of the coveted prizes. By the end of that day, he had managed to sack up 30 pounds of bass for his best five. The longest of those fish measured a little over 22 inches, which had him inside the Top 5 after Friday's update. However, Cole immediately knew that wasn't going to cut it against the best college anglers in the country.

"I knew that wouldn't hold up against the guys in this competition. So I went out on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday just trying to catch one true giant," said Sands.

Knowing now what he needed to do to claim the lead, Cole armed himself with a large swimbait and went out in search of a bass that would best the 23.5-inch leading mark. So Cole loaded up and made his way to an area on Chickamauga where he knew the big ones lived. "I picked up that big swimbait, and about my tenth cast that one bit and it jumped. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is the fish to win this tournament.' I horsed it in. We got it in the boat," Sands explained.

Cole was ecstatic to land the winning fish. The bass measured just over 24.5 inches and weighed in at 10.18 pounds. That placed him at the top of the leaderboard and bested second place by half an inch. By taking first place in the Online Tournament, Cole will receive a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and parliament speaker Benny Gantz missed a deadline to form a unity government on Thursday, prolonging the country's unprecedented political crisis.

The right-wing premier Netanyahu and centrist Gantz, Israel's former army chief, have gone head-to-head in three elections over the past year, resulting in a stalemate.

A Netanyahu-Gantz deal would have given the Jewish state its first stable government since December 2018 and offered a rare period of political calm during a global health crisis that is taking a devastating economic toll.

Representatives from Netanyahu's Likud party and former military chief Benny Gantz's Blue and White gathered late Wednesday, after the end of the Passover holiday, for last-ditch talks on a power-sharing deal.

Their failure could mean the country moves closer to a fourth consecutive election in just over a year.

President Reuven Rivlin said that if they failed to meet his midnight deadline he would likely ask Israel's parliament to nominate a candidate to become prime minister.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and his rival Benny Gantz are in talks to form a possible unity government

Israeli soldiers wearing masks and gloves stand at a temporary checkpoint in Jerusalem during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis

Throwing the decision to the Knesset would almost certainly create further uncertainty and could push Israel towards another election.

But following the most recent vote last month, both men fell short of a majority and neither had a clear path toward a viable governing coalition.

With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in more than 12,500 confirmed infections in Israel, there were widespread calls for an interim emergency alliance.

Gantz, who heads the Blue and White alliance, was given a deadline of four weeks to form a government following the March vote after receiving a majority of recommendations from the 120-member Knesset.

But he was unable to do so given the bitter divisions within the anti-Netanyahu parliamentary bloc.

After being elected Knesset speaker, Gantz pledged to use the remainder of his grace period to seek a deal with Netanyahu.

Minutes before that mandate expired at midnight on Monday, Gantz and Netanyahu asked Rivlin for an extension, insisting they were close to a deal.

The president gave them until the end of Wednesday.

Israel was shut down until Wednesday evening for the last day of the Passover holiday.

The sides were reportedly meeting late into the night once the holiday ended, but Blue and White and Netanyahu's Likud both declined to comment on the status of the talks.

Gantz's attempt to seek a deal with Netanyahu triggered the break-up of his original Blue and White alliance.

An empty highway near Tel Aviv during a curfew over most of the state of Israel due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Israel's President Reuven Rivlin has set a midnight Wednesday deadline for Netanyahu and Gantz to reach a deal on forming a unity government

But he said it was necessary to ease the grinding political deadlock and strengthen Israel's ability to confront the pandemic.

By becoming speaker, Gantz all but conceded that Netanyahu would remain prime minister, at least through the first part of any prospective unity deal.

The two have reportedly discussed a range of power-sharing scenarios, including one that would see Gantz take over as premier after a number of months, or years.

But obstacles emerged during coalition talks.

The sides were reportedly split over the choice of the justice minister, who would be tasked with overseeing a corruption case against Netanyahu.

The veteran premier, in power since 2009, became the first Israeli prime minister to be indicted in office after being charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

He denies the allegations.

There has also reportedly been friction about the implementation of US President Donald Trump's widely condemned Middle East peace plan.

Netanyahu wants fast action on the plan, which would see Israel annex strategically crucial parts of the occupied West Bank in defiance of international law.

Gantz has been more cautious regarding the Trump plan, which has been categorically rejected by the Palestinians.
The US President, Donald Trump has said that his administration was trying to determine where the deadly Coronavirus disease originate...





The US President, Donald Trump has said that his administration was trying to determine where the deadly Coronavirus disease originated from.





Also addressing reporters yesterday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the Chinese government to come clean on what it knows about COVID-19.





During his daily briefing on the pandemic at the White House on Wednesday, Trump was asked about the reports of the virus escaping from a laboratory in Wuhan China, where the coronavirus started.





We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened, Trump said, according to Al Jazeera.





Pressed further on whether he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the US leader added, I dont want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just dont want to discuss, its inappropriate right now.





Coronavirus has killed at least 136,000 people around the world, with almost 31,000 in the US alone.





Globally, more than two million people have tested positive with the virus, while at least half a million have recovered.





Trumps top diplomat, Pompeo, told Fox News after Trumps news conference, that, We know this virus originated in Wuhan, China, and noted that the Institute of Virology was only a handful of miles from the market, where people first came down with the disease.





We really need the Chinese government to open up and help explain exactly how this virus spread, Pompeo added.





The Chinese government needs to come clean, he said.


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Apollo Tyres share price rose 9 percent intraday on April 16 despite company's plants to remain shut till April 20.

In view of the recent directives issued by the Central Government relating to further extension of the countrywide lockdown, the operations at our 4 plants situated in the states of Kerala (at Kalamassery & Perambra), Gujarat (at Limda) and Tamil Nadu (at Chennai) will continue to remain shut down up to April 20,2020, company said in a release.

We will further assess the situation based on the announcements made by the respective State Governments and update accordingly, it added.

At 10:08 hrs Apollo Tyres was quoting at Rs 95.40, up Rs 7.40, or 8.41 percent on the BSE.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 221.15 and 52-week low Rs 73.55 on 18 April, 2019 and 24 March, 2020, respectively.

Currently, it is trading 56.93 percent below its 52-week high and 29.5 percent above its 52-week low.

Follow our market coverage LIVE here
The Kano health ministry confirmed on Wednesday night that the populous northern state had recorded its first death from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also confirmed 12 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 21 within one week.

The ministry made this known on its Twitter handle @KNSMOH.

As at Wednesday, April 15, 2020, at 11:55 p.m., one death from COVID-19 was recorded in Kano State.

As at the same time, 12 additional cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, bringing the total number to 21, it said.

The ministrys tweet was written about 30 minutes after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control indicated that Kano had a total of 16 cases.

The spokesperson of the Kano State health ministry, Hadiza Namadi, told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday that she could not explain the reason behind the disparity nor ascertain the number of COVID-19 patients in Kano isolation centres.

Ms Namadi, who confirmed that the Twitter handle belongs to her ministry, said only members of the state task force have the data.

When contacted, Hassan Fagge, the chief press secretary to the Kano State deputy governor, Nasiru Gawuna, who is also the chairman of the task force on COVID-19, told PREMIUM TIMES that the tests are now being conducted in Kano, and the additional figure might have come after the NCDCs daily update.

He also could not ascertain the number of patients currently receiving treatment at the states facilities for COVID-19. However, going by the official figures, with 21 confirmed cases and one death, 20 people are believed to be receiving treatment in Kano.

Kanos Lockdown

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had on Tuesday ordered a total lockdown of the state from Thursday (today) for a period of seven days.

He said the lockdown would be enforced throughout the state.

A spokesperson for Mr Ganduje said the governor has ordered security agencies in the state to ensure full enforcement of the lockdown as no movement would be tolerated.

He said the lockdown would take effect from 10 p.m., on Thursday (today) and warned that violators would be arrested.

With a population of over nine million people, Kano is the most populated state in the northern region.

There are concerns that the social life of the people may not help the efforts to curb its spread of the deadly virus.

Before the first case was recorded there, the government had blocked access into the state. But within the state, little or nothing was done to promote safety measures like social distancing, use of facemask and hand washing.

Despite the directive of Mr Ganduje that people of the state should wash their hands regularly with running water, use hand sanitizer, keep their environment clean, avoid large assembly, particularly markets and other public places, among others, the residents carried on with their normal daily activities as if there was no pandemic in sight.

Mega markets and commercial places like Kantin-Kwari, Sabon-gari, Dawanau, France Road Market, Janguza and Abubakar Rimi Markets among others maintained high traffics and crowd without adherence to any safety measures.

Various mosques observed Friday services with the usual large crowds.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday again urged Armenians to strictly follow social distancing rules, warning of the risk of a fresh upsurge in coronavirus cases in the country.

Both Pashinian and Health Minister Arsen Torosian insisted at the same time that the COVID-19 epidemic, which has killed 18 people so far, remains under control.

The Armenian Ministry of Health reported the latest fatality in the morning. It also said that 48 more coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the past day. They brought to 1,159 the total number of cases registered in Armenia so far.

Also, the number of people who have recovered from the highly contagious disease rose by 61 to 358. Torosian stressed the importance of this figure when he spoke at a cabinet meeting in Yerevan.

He said the health authorities thus ended the day with a positive balance despite more than doubling the daily number of coronavirus tests since April 10. The authorities are still able to use only half of Armenias hospital capacity in the fight against the virus, he added.

Torosian also revealed that more than 1,500 Armenians have been released from quarantine while about 300 other quarantined people have tested positive for the virus since the government declared a state of emergency on March 16. Im saying this to show that the quarantine measures are very effective, explained the minister.

Overall, our infection curve is now within a manageability range, so to speak, Pashinian said for his part. But if we carry on with the kind of attitudes which we see very often in our reality we may have a renewed outbreak of the disease.

The police cannot control everything he went on. Citizens must realize that this situation is extremely serious  Those who are healthy and very unlikely to die [from the disease] must realize that their loved ones and the elderly loved ones of their friends and relatives can die as a result of their actions.

Pashinian cited in that regard the governments decision late on Wednesday to effectively seal off Norashen, a village 20 kilometers south of Yerevan, over the risk of mass infections among its residents. He revealed that a quarantined resident of Norashen was allowed to attend the funeral of his father who died there a few days ago.

The isolated citizen was escorted to the funeral service after being warned to follow social distancing and other rules, said Pashinian. However, things got emotional at one point and contrary to those appeals and warnings they did not stick to the rules and hugged their relatives in line with the common practice. Two days later the isolated person tested positive for coronavirus.

According to Norashen sources, the infected man was placed under quarantine immediately after returning from Russia earlier this month.

All roads leading to Norashen remained blocked by police checkpoints on Thursday afternoon. Vehicles were allowed to enter or leave the village only in cases of extreme necessity. A senior regional police official said the quarantine will last until Sunday morning.

The village mayor, Artak Harutiunian, refused to say whether participants of the funeral have been identified and isolated or whether he was among them. Everything is alright, he told RFE/RLs Armenian service by phone. Im in the village, with my fellow villagers.

Another local resident, who claimed to have not participated in the funeral, was untroubled by the situation in the winegrowing community. My dear, he had endured hunger and power cuts [in the early 1990s,] he said. How can we not survive this quarantine?

The Armenian government imposed a nationwide lockdown and ordered the closure of many nonessential businesses as the epidemic gained momentum on March 24. The rate of new infections fell considerably after April 3, leading the government to allow some of those businesses to resume their operations on April 13.

Pashinian on Thursday reaffirmed the authorities intention to reopen next week more sectors of the Armenian economy and textile manufacturing in particular. But if the owners and employees of those factories do not show particular responsibility this decision will have disastrous consequences, he declared.

He said the health and law-enforcement authorities will therefore keep those plants under special surveillance to ensure that they take all precautions against the virus.
(@FahadShabbir)

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2020) The Arab coalition has carried out several airstrikes on the rebel-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa and its suburbs, a Yemeni military source told Sputnik on Thursday.

According to the source, the coalition carried out nine airstrikes on the city and nearby positions of the Shia Houthi rebels.

The coalition, in turn, has accused the Houthis of 547 violations of the ceasefire, declared last week.

Yemen has been mired in a conflict between the UN-backed government and the Houthi Shia rebels since 2015. The parties signed a ceasefire agreement in late 2018, which collapsed shortly thereafter.

On April 8, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it would cease operations in Yemen for a 14-day period in response to a UN call for a global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic.
'Have discreet, separate corona and non-corona hospitals for treating these two categories of patients.'

'Concentrate on your non-corona patients as well.'

'Because then your diabetics, your hypertensives, the ones on dialysis, the asthmatics, who, if and when they get corona, are the ones who are going to require more intensive care and are going to be more at risk of death.'

IMAGE: Medical staff wheel a patient at a government hospital in Mumbai, April 11, 2020. Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational reasons. Photograph: Prashant Waydande/Reuters

"Everyday, everybody's learning. We are learning about it and we are working on it. And the administration -- whether it's the health and medical education (departments), the district administration, the police -- everybody is working unitedly in this fight against COVID-19," Dr Pallavi Saple -- dean of the J J Hospital in Mumbai, who led the successful battle against coronavirus in Sangli -- tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com in the final segment of a must-read interview.

How many more days for the patients to get discharged or go back home?

As per the norms and protocol, all these 25 could have very well gone home and stayed under home quarantine for another 14 days.

The rule is 14-day hospital stay and 14 days's quarantined stay; normally the infectivity is for 14 days. But in very few cases, it can be as long as 28 days.

With abundant caution, the rule is that if you are positive today, then for the next 28 days, you should not be in contact with the world so to say.

Like, they could spread the infection even before knowing they were positive, but then in such cases there is nothing much one can do.

The norm is 28 days's quarantine from the day they test positive. Out of these 28 days, 14 days at a hospital. Then on day 14 and 15 your samples are checked, and if they are negative then you can be discharged for home quarantine.

But what had happened was because these were from one extended family and the whole region was under lockdown, we wouldn't know had they returned home, what repercussions they might have had to face.

So, we, along with the District Civil Surgeon Dr C S Salunkhe, took a collective decision taken to let them stay here in institutional quarantine for some time rather than send them home.

Also, in terms of facilities, as almost the entire family was positive, at home they would have other logistic issues also like who will go out to purchase groceries, vegetables, etc because practically everybody from this family was COVID-19 positive.

Institutional quarantine would be any place outside the hospital like a hotel, lodge, school, or any facility that is identified by the administration for the purpose. There, you don't mix with any outsiders.

Could you tell us about how the district administration and state administration helped this effort?

Normally, the lay public always blames the bureaucracy and government for being slow in responding to emergencies. This is true not only in India; it's universal.

Since I was in JJ (Hospital as its dean) when India recorded its first COVID-19 case in January in Kerala, and even as Maharashtra recorded its first case in March, I can vouch for it that the Maharashtra government began preparing in January.

The airport screening was happening. And then the testing had started.

Unfortunately, since the state's case happened a month-and-a-half later, in the initial phase only people coming from China, Hong Kong and other eight countries that were considered as hotspots (were screened).

Then cases started emerging from Southeast Asia, then Iran and Europe happened. Then all flights were suspended.

At that time, we were screening passengers coming from flights and ships and that was happening since January.

Even testing had started in January, but this (the COVID-19 pandemic) is evolving and teaching each one of us new things.

Remember, the Nipah virus was a huge threat when it started happening in Kerala. In fact, it's a huge killer; out of every hundred people it infects, 90 die. Mortality is that high.

Somehow, it stopped in Kerala. Even if you look at what was known as swine flu or H1N1 it did not affect Mumbai for more than three months.

We were kind of settled into a plateau; even coronavirus could do that; we don't know because we are still learning about it and it is not settling down.

Fortunately, mortality is pretty low if positive patients get good medical care; in Maharashtra for some reason, it's a little on the higher side at 8 to 9 per cent.

China documented one (per cent); certain countries have documented five (per cent), but that also is a reflection of how much medical care you are able to offer.

Like for example, Italy was swamped. They had kind of one ventilator and five patients waiting for it.

So even if you had the best of medical care if you don't have the facility, like a ventilator, then the other four are going to die.

If you have a ventilator, maybe all five could have lived.

Sometimes, mortality is a reflection of unmet health needs. And that is what we are doing right now. Increasing our health facilities so that there is no gap between requirement and supply.

The state health department, the state government are doing their best to provide for as many ventilators, ICUs, PPEs, and all other medical infrastructure that needs to be in place to fight the coronavirus.

You said the general public perception is that bureaucrats and governments act slow during emergencies.

What did you learn while interacting with bureaucrats and the state administration while fighting the COVID-19 pandemic?

Actually, this government pre-empted a lot of things and the bureaucracy was spot on. I can say this because I was part of that system.

When the flights were stopped and visas were suspended or cancelled, people were very surprised. But the way coronavirus is infecting people across India, everybody seems to agree that was the right thing to do.

In fact, we started getting our testing labs in place since January. But then we realised that these testing facilities were not enough.

So now every government and private medical college will be asked to provide a testing lab; there's going to be a little bit of hand holding.

They are going to be decentralised; you won't have to go to Delhi to seek permission for every lab; it will happen at the state level so that we can get started as many labs as possible in quick time.

Everyday, everybody's learning. We are learning about it and we are working on it.

Te administration -- whether it's the health and medical education (department), the district administration, the police -- everybody is working unitedly in this fight against COVID-19.

What are the biggest learnings which you would like to share with other states, other districts in Maharashtra based on your experience of defeating COVID-19 in Sangli district?

One is, if possible, have discreet, separate corona and non-corona hospitals for treating these two categories of patients.

Concentrate on your non-corona patients as well. Because then your diabetics, your hypertensives, the ones on dialysis, the asthmatics, who, if and when they get corona, are the ones who are going to require more intensive care and are going to be more at risk of death.

If you keep your non-corona patients fit now, keep their sugar levels in control, keep their blood pressure under control, they will not come as your complicated corona cases tomorrow.

Because it's so highly infectious, it's going to spread.

The second part is everybody needs to practice social distancing, hand hygiene and cough hygiene.

I don't know how the corona story is going to play out, but if everybody sticks to this hand hygiene and cough hygiene and social distancing, then probably the TB cases will also decrease.

Tuberculosis is one of the many scourges afflicting our country. And not exclusively, but TB, in lots of cases, spreads because of coughing by (TB) patients and close proximity with others.

So, if you are going to practice social distancing, cough and hand hygiene, then probably even TB numbers would go down.

Not probably, I am pretty certain (that TB cases will go down), but first let us fight the corona.

Finally, remember that the healthcare providers are going to be the heroes.

Bolster them emotionally, spiritually and physically. Only then can we win this battle.

Were these 25 COVID-19 positive patients from different age groups? Did they have different symptoms?

The youngest was a two-year-old boy. He was the last one to be declared negative.

And the oldest was the index case, the one who had come from abroad was a 65-year-old male. He was diabetic and hypertensive. He did have co-morbidities, but he did not suffer from any complications.

What was the treatment given to these patients? What medicines helped them defeat COVID-19?

At that time, treatment was evolving and to give you an example, at that time antivirals were recommended.

Today, antivirals are no longer recommended by the government, the (Indian Council of Medical Research) protocol. So at that time, it was new.

And so by protocol, they were given the drugs that ICMR recommends, but I never mention those because hoarding may occur.

Essentially, whatever ICMR recommended at that time and even an antiviral was there. Right now, it's not there; but they got that treatment as per ICMR protocols and guidelines.

None of these 25 patients required a ventilator or an ICU?

Not even an ICU.

They were all kept in the general ward; all of them together because all of them were positive.

And not one of them required any anything more than that, not even oxygen.

Were you, your team, the state administration, the district administration confident that you would be able to treat these patients when you were treating them?

How could a doctor ever be confident of anything?

I mean, I'm a paediatrician by training. I work in the neonatal ICU, paediatric ICU. I've seen patients turn for the better and then suddenly deteriorate.

I've seen patients of whom we almost give up hope, but they fight their way back.

Doctors would never have that kind of arrogance to believe that this is going to happen.

We knew we had to be very systematic. It was a very clinical, a very surgical kind of approach; we knew what we were monitoring; we were monitoring for early signs of pneumonia.

If we found out those, we were pre-empting them and giving them treatment for that.

We were checking their blood pressure and sugar and didn't allow that to go haywire so that that would that wouldn't mess up the whole situation.

We were ensuring that their nutrition was taken care of. We were doing everything to see that they test negative.

But there was no guarantee or confidence.

I mean, medicine doesn't come with guarantees.

All the 25 COVID-19 patients who are right now under institutional quarantine have reported two negative swab tests before they were sent for institutional quarantine.

Yes, the last two consecutive swab tests came out to be negative and hence they were declared negative.
Too often in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic the Government has lagged behind other countries.

We have bungled the testing challenge, which explains why Germany, South Korea and much of Scandinavia have done better in containing the outbreak and in achieving lower mortality rates.

Now, the Government must belatedly acknowledge that its failure to endorse the mass wearing of face masks was perverse.

My own suspicion is that they allowed this ambiguity to fester only because they knew they had failed to stockpile sufficient supplies to hand out on the streets.

This is why the Daily Mail is absolutely correct today to demand the Government regard sourcing sufficient quantities of facial protection as a new priority in containing the pandemic.

Once again, we are merely trailing behind much of mainland Europe which has already concluded that masks save lives.

Germany yesterday announced it would easing its restrictions imposed following the outbreak of coronavirus. But the German government says people should wear face masks out in public. Pictured: A woman wearing a protective face mask while walking in East London

As supplies in shops have long run out, some enterprising individuals have fashioned their own masks out of handkerchiefs and scarves which, frankly, would offer only limited protection.

Of the manufactured options, the basic surgical mask as worn by a nurse or doctor performing routine procedures offers some protection, though the viral droplets are tiny and can certainly get through the cotton or polyester material.

But, they are a very good way of stopping the wearer spreading the virus to others, by keeping exhalations from dispersing.

The more reliable mask option is the N-95, which is more accurately called a respirator.

It has a plastic valve that regulates breathing, and the material is thicker than in the standard surgical mask.

The N-95 is typically used by clinical staff needing to intubate a gravely ill patient, and blocks out roughly 95 per cent of the droplets.

Neither mask offers absolute protection because Covid-19 is transmitted in absolutely tiny droplets.

But I tend to apply the principle of firing an arrow through a forest: that is, the arrow might make its way to the other side, but it is more than likely to hit a tree somewhere, just as the microscopic droplet is likely to hit the fabric of the mask.

But there is an even more important factor at play here, and that is the psychology of the individual.

If you are wearing a mask, you feel you are somehow dressed for battle with the coronavirus. It gives you a ring of confidence.

It is a constant reminder to the wearer of the threat of infection all around you; it will stop you touching your mouth when you are out of your home; it will remind to you maintain the two-metre distancing.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock refused to speculate about how and when the shutdown in the UK will be lifted

It reminds other people, and the wearer, what we are all up against.

Mr Hancock refused to speculate about how and when the shutdown will be lifted, but at some point relaxation will have to come to save us from the sort of economic annihilation that will preclude future spending on the NHS.

One of the great mysteries of this pandemic is why the NHS is unable to offer its staff and care home workers the sort of personal protection equipment still being advertised on Amazon.

The basic surgical masks can be bought very cheaply, and the N-95 version for about 7 each.

Given that it has taken on emergency powers, it is not clear to me why the Government has not simply commandeered them.

In the meantime I would strongly urge Mail readers to procure and wear masks.

Some of us used to regard the Japanese habit of wearing face masks in public as slightly hysterical, but I suspect many of us will be doing so long after the infection curve has peaked.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:04:19|Editor: huaxia

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KIEV, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Kiev will receive 19 captive citizens as part of a prisoner swap with rebel fighters in the non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, the Ukrainian president's office said Thursday on its Facebook page.

The Ukrainians, upon returning, will be sent to mandatory quarantine, the office said.

The last exchange of detainees took place in the separatist region of Donbass at the end of 2019, following the agreements reached on Dec. 9 in Paris at a leaders meeting of the Norman Four member countries, namely Ukraine, Germany, Russia and France.

During the exchange, Kiev received 76 captives and transferred 124 people to Donetsk and Luhansk. The participants in the six-year conflict in Donbass have also expressed their intention to continue the prisoner swap. Enditem
Boycott in place since 2006 over rights abuses has deepened unemployment and economic weakness, government claims.

As the coronavirus threatens to weaken Uzbekistans economy, the country is calling for a boycott of its cotton to be lifted.

Nozim Khusanov, minister of employment and labour relations, issued an open letter to the Cotton Campaign on Thursday, requesting the organisation abandon a boycott on Uzbek cotton, in place since 2006 over a long-established state-sponsored system of forced labour.

According to the letter, since the countrys lockdown began, nearly 150,000 citizens have lost their jobs and more than 200,000 Uzbeks have fallen below the poverty line.

The ministry claimed that 140,000 migrant workers have returned home without a source of income.

Since the Soviet period, Uzbekistan had used forced and child labour in its vast cotton fields.

Every harvest season, school pupils, university students as well as public administration workers  including doctors, teachers and military staff  were obliged to spend weeks picking cotton on state-owned fields without financial compensation.

After rights groups intervened, foreign governments, companies and investors pledged not to source textile products originating in the country. To date, more than 300 global companies have joined the boycott.

When the reformer President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in December 2016, he assured his commitment to ending forced labour and introducing private ownership in agriculture. A cluster system of private enterprises is expected to gradually take over from the government as the sole cotton producer.

According to a recent International Labour Organization (ILO) report, during the 2019 harvest season 102,000 people were in forced labour in Uzbekistan. However, it said that the practice is no longer systemic.

Forced labour has been illegal for a number of years, people are given fines for forcing others, the fines were also increased tenfold, Jonas Astrup, Chief Technical Advisor for the ILO, told Al Jazeera.

What is changing now is that they are introducing criminalisation of forced labour and this is something that ILO has recommended for a while.

While some groups disappeared from the cotton fields early on, including school pupils, students, educational and medical staff, local administration workers, the army and even some bank employees continue to dot the fields during harvest seasons.

In March, President Mirziyovev ended the countrys state quota system for cotton, effectively leaving the industry in private hands. The same month, the United States removed Uzbek cotton from a list of products produced with forced child labour.

The governments letter to the Cotton Campaign on Thursday said: Uzbekistans textile sector is one of the countrys leading sources of employment. In textile production alone, nearly 7,000 enterprises employ more than 200,000 workers, whose incomes support the livelihood of 1 million of our citizens. Our preliminary assessment suggests that the end of the cotton boycott could double overall exports of Uzbek textiles  growth that would create much-needed jobs.

Importantly, the government of Uzbekistan is not seeking an end to your important work. We would like to continue to work collaboratively as we enter this new chapter of reform, drawing on your expertise to consolidate the progress made in eliminating forced labor, to support ongoing monitoring efforts, and to assist in the introduction of sustainability and social responsibility commitments across the value chain.

While lifting the boycott might ease some of the burden on the economy, critics claim it is too early to judge whether the governments long term commitment to reform is genuine.

The co-founder of the Cotton Campaign and former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Bennett Freeman told Al Jazeera: The issue is less whether to end the pledge  but when and how  and above all, how ending it can become a catalyst for responsible sourcing and investment in a reforming Uzbekistan.




Representational Image/PTI

Data from the Health Ministry also showed 37 deaths reported in past 24 hours, taking the overall toll in India to 414. Meanwhile, 1,489 patients have been cured of the virus or discharged. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:

1) Medical & Police Team That Went To Spread Awareness On Covid-19 Attacked By Villagers In Bihar

ANI

Villagers in East Champaran in Bihar blocked and attacked a medical and police team that went there to spread awareness on coronavirus. Read more

2) Pizza Delivery Guy Tests Positive For Coronavirus In South Delhi; 72 Families Quarantined

Representational Image

In a nightmarish development, a pizza delivery guy has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and tracking his work, 72 families in south Delhi have been told to observe self-quarantine. Read more

3) Fight Against Coronavirus! China Has Dispatched 6,50,000 Medical Kits To India

China has dispatched 650,000 coronavirus medical kits to India in the fight against the pandemic, Indian Ambassador to Beijing Vikram Misri said. Read more

4) Spelling Mistake Nightmare: Typo In Medical Report Declares Patient As Positive For Coronavirus

BCCL

A 66-year-old man was suffering from cold and sore throat and was admitted to a Moradabad hospital for treatment. Read more

5) 17 Foreign Tourists Booked For Swimming In Sea & Defying Lockdown At Kerala's Kovalam Beach

Representational Image

Seventeen foreign tourists have been charged for allegedly bathing in the sea off the famous Kovalam Beach in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram in violation of lockdown regulations. Read more
A Supreme Court Police officer walks up the steps at the U.S. Supreme Court on March 16, 2020 in Washington, DC.

The Supreme Court's announcement this week that it will hold oral arguments via teleconference for the first time in its history has a small group of America's top attorneys prepping for the most important phone calls of their careers.

The court said that it will hear 10 arguments over the first two weeks in May, including blockbuster disputes over the Electoral College and whether President Donald Trump can keep his tax records shielded from investigators.

The issues are weighty, whether they are discussed in a basement office over a cell phone or inside the Supreme Court's historical Corinthian building. But lawyers who will be arguing before the court are still adjusting.

"I'm trying to figure out: Do you stand up? Do you sit down? Do you get a podium?" Jay Sekulow, an attorney for the president and a veteran Supreme Court lawyer, said in a recent interview.

Those questions are just the beginning. Do you use earbuds? Put the justices on speakerphone? And what about the handcrafted quill pens, which in more normal times are left on the counsel table as a souvenir for arguing attorneys?

"I am planning on giving my quill pens to my grandchildren, so I am hoping they still send us the quill pen," said Sekulow, who will be asking the top court to reverse lower court rulings ordering Trump's banks and longtime accounting firm to hand over his financial records to state and congressional investigators.

The questions facing the group of attorneys working on the cases to be argued next month are emblematic of the ways the coronavirus has reshaped how Americans work and live.

While some of their cases are likely to live on in textbooks for decades, the attorneys face many of the same challenges confronting other white-collar professionals learning to work from home in the middle of a public health crisis.

"I will not be in a place where my kids can ask me questions at the same time the justices are. That already happens in conference calls," said Eric Rassbach, a lawyer at the nonprofit Becket who will be arguing in a religious freedom case next month.

"I haven't figured that out yet," Rassbach said, referring to how he would find privacy. "Four-year-olds do not understand what the Supreme Court is."

Ian Gershengorn, who was a top Justice Department lawyer under President Barack Obama, said the "core of preparation"  knowing the case, knowing the record, practicing your answers  will "mostly be the same."

But he has gotten some sartorial advice.

"I've gotten all sorts of suggestions from colleagues, ranging from pajamas to a morning coat  there's a lot of flexibility," said Gershengorn, who is now chair of the appellate and Supreme Court practice at law firm Jenner & Block.

State and local courts often stream proceedings live, and some federal circuit and district courts have experimented with video cameras, but the Supreme Court has long resisted any changes to its tradition.

The court announced last month it would postpone some arguments indefinitely as a health precaution, the first time since the Spanish flu a century ago. On Monday, the justices said they will hear some arguments via teleconference in May. While decisions are generally handed down by the end of June, it is not clear if that tradition will hold amid the Covid-19 crisis.
By PTI

DHAKA: A Bangladeshi Coast Guard said on Thursday that it has rescued 396 starving Rohingyas who had been drifting at sea for weeks following their failed attempt to reach Malaysia while nearly 50 of them died due to ailments and malnutrition during the period.

"We have handed them over to UNHCR (UN refugee agency) to be quarantined for 14 days," Coast Guard's station commander in southeastern Cox's Bazar Lieutenant Commander Sohel Rana said.

He said many of the rescued Rohingyas would stay at a cyclone shelter in Teknaf coastlines which was overnight converted into a quarantine centre.

Rana's comments came a day after coastguards rescued and detained the mostly emaciated Rohingyas, including 64 minor children, when they were trying to secretly land at a ferry terminal in Teknaf after floating for 58 days.

ALSO READ | COVID-19: At least 34 Rohingya camps in Bangladesh put on lockdown

One of the rescued Rohingyas told a journalist near the scene that they managed to get onboard a ship through small boats sneaking out of their camps in Cox's Bazar to be ferried to Malaysia under a contract with 'Myanmar middlemen'.

"We twice tried to disembark in Malaysian coast but were chased away by their navy. Then the ship tried to take us to Thailand where the Thai navy also barred us from landing," said 34-year old Moahmmad Salam.

He said that during the return journey the Myanmar navy redirected the ship to Bangladesh when it reached near the Burmese coastline where the 11 Myanmar middlemen disembarked.

Another Rohingya, 23-year Mohammad Zobair, said that at the start of the journey they were 450 in number but dozens of their compatriots perished as they drifted on the sea having little food and water.

"The Thai navy and some fishing boats, however, gave us food and water to survive. We threw bodies of the deceased into the sea," Zobair said.

Nearly one million Rohingyas fled a crackdown by Myanmar's military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in camps in Cox's Bazar.

Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow Rohingyas to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights.
Guwahati/Shillong, April 16 : There is no coronavirus hotspot district or red zones in northeast region, while there are five districts in Assam had clusters or orange zones, officials said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, with two more coronavirus positive cases reported in Assam on Thursday, the total number of such cases in the northeastern region (excluding Sikkim) reached 46, with 34 from Assam alone.

According to the health officials of northeastern states, there are seven districts in Assam, two districts in Tripura, and one district each in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Meghalaya, which have been classified as non-hotspots districts reporting cases.

Health officials said that, according to the letter of Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan to Chief Secretaries of states and Union Territories, there are five districts in Assam - Golaghat, Marigaon, Nalbari, Goalpara, Dhubri -- categorised as hotspot district with clusters or orange zones.

In the region there are seven districts in Assam - Cachar, Hailakandi, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Lakhimpur,South Salmara-Mancachar and Karimganj, two districts in Tripiura -- Gomati and North Tripura, one each district in Arunachal Pradesh (Lohit), Mizoram (Aizawl) and Meghalaya (East Khasi Hills) which have been classified as as green zones.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a tweet, said: "Two persons from Morigaon (north-central of Assam) have tested COVID-19 positive. They are secondary contacts of Nizamuddin Markaz attendees. The cumulative number of patients in Assam now stands at 34. So far, 5 patients have been cured (since Wednesday)." The tally in other NE states is: Six in Meghalaya (after one death), two each in Manipur and Tripura, and one each in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

Of the 46 people, 34 had either attended the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month or their close contacts had.

Two persons have so far died in the Northeast -- a senior 69-year-old doctor in Meghalaya on Wednesday and a 65-years-old man, with a travel history to Saudi Arabia and Delhi in Hailakandi district in southern Assam, on April 10.

In an odd development, the body of a veteran doctor was finally buried in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills on Thursday afternoon with the intervention of various authorities, government and elderly people.

East Khasi Hills District Deputy Commissioner Matsiewdor War Nongbri told IANS over phone that the mortal remains of the senior doctor were buried at Riatsamthiah Presbyterian Church cemetery at Lawmali on Thursday afternoon. A senior police officer said after the doctor died of coronavirus at 2.45 a.m. on Wednesday, the residents of Jhalupara, Mawbah and Shillong cantonment area and elsewhere had refused to dispose of the body fearing it could pose health hazard in the overcrowded localities.
Riad al-Turk has been a prominent figure in Syrian politics for decades, but his alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood has long been questioned and criticised writes Brocar Press.

Journalist Giselle Khoury hosted on her al-Mashhad talk show the prominent Syrian opposition leader, Riad al-Turk, who was also the famous leader of the Syrian Democratic Peoples Party (formerly known as the Communist Party / Political Bureau).

Much like his previous media appearances, this episode has sparked a debate between his critics and his supporters who never cease to accuse whoever criticizes Turk of treason or at least to look down on them as fame-seekers.

The party, which has been historically linked with the name of Riad al-Turk, is described (or describes itself) as democratic and secular, thus, it is but logical that criticism would come from secular and democratic opponents before anyone else.

The partys members themselves should admit to their failings objectively and boldly, disregarding the power of names and the infallible character of their figures.

Their leader himself, in his first media interview after leaving Syria, nearly two years ago, called on the party and its allies to make self-criticism and review the past seven years, which did not happen until now.

Turks critics mostly denounce him for links with political Islam, specifically the Muslim Brotherhood and his insistence on being their ally, just as in the 2005 Damascus Declaration, and after the Syrian revolution under the framework of the Syrian National Council in 2011.

In the aforementioned interview, Turk was asked: Where did the Syrian opposition fail? The Peoples Party, in particular. His response highlighted the problematic issue of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, he did not consider allying with them as a mistake, rather, he merely had notes to make regarding their performance.

They did not fully comply with the direction of the popular democratic revolution, rather, they were more focused on their Islamic orientationOur aspirations over the role of the Muslim Brotherhood were not met. We were looking for them to get engaged as a new force alongside other forces and not as a force driven by external forces, Turk stressed.

Their major mistake was resorting to violence and trying to shed light on their group rather than on the movement in its broad form, he added.

In politics, alliances arise over interim goals or temporary mutual interests, regardless of opinions and ideological differences between allies.

However, flogging a dead horse is a surprising act, coming from an experienced politician like Riad al-Turk who knows his allies and opponents pretty well.

Why is he so optimistic of and keen on the role of the Brotherhood, while they were never sincere in their alliance with him? They turned their back on the Damascus Declaration only months after its formation and allied with Abdel-Halim Khaddam to establish the Salvation Front, which they also slipped away from in 2009.

Perhaps the circumstances of the revolution imposed the necessity of reaching consensuses to bring the opposition together, which is acceptable. However, whats the excuse for keeping up with an alliance with the Brotherhood which was one of the reasons for the internal crisis in the Peoples Party and its division years ago, noting that the remarks that Turk has made against them were old matters.

As for resorting to violence, the Brotherhood and their Salafi brothers were proactive in militarizing the revolution and giving it an Islamic ambiance that goes in harmony with their projects.

Also, wasnt resorting to violence, which Turk saw as a fundamental mistake by the Brotherhood, also the vision of the National Council and its leader George Sabra, who was a prominent leader in the Peoples Party?

The answer comes from Sabra himself. In his first statements to the media after he was elected President of the Syrian National Council in November 2012, Sabra said explicitly: We want arms, repeating that phrase for three times in a scene that revealed the National Councils drift behind the new warlords, including the various forms of armed factions.

That stance has reflected the acquiescence of the components of the Council and its representatives to the domination of Islamists, their politicians, their funders and their fighting organizations, including jihadist Salafism, in addition to tolerating the crimes and crises that they have committed against the revolution on the pretext that overthrowing the regime was the ultimate priority.

Since the militarization and Islamization of the revolution lead to disastrous prospects, it was necessary to criticize and hold accountable the forces that adopted these policies and supported them or at least went silent about them.

Blaming the Assad regimes brutality and criminality, the international negligence and regional interventions, is right and critical, but it is not enough to make matters clear and does not absolve Syrian opposition politicians from accountability for their performance during the revolution. The Peoples Party and the Muslim Brotherhood are guilty of this.

Meanwhile for Turk, as confirmed by many of his former comrades, he is personally responsible for pushing his party in this direction.

One cant but respect Riad al-Turks journey and his struggle. No one can ignore the gravity and cruelty that the man has undergone from torture and detention because of his opposition, especially the 18 years that he has spent in solitary in the prisons of late dictator Hafez al-Assad. Turk has spent two-thirds of his detention isolated from the outside world, however, his stance did not change despite all this.

At the same time, his history cannot be a barrier in front of every criticism against the decisions and alliances that Turk has made, not even those against his behavior in leading his party, because he is a public national figure and a political leader who can do wrong just as he can do right.

His presence was not only symbolic, but since his release from prison he had played an influential and decisive role, in his party and within the opposition alliances, before and after the revolution.

It is not criticism that undermines Turks history, its rejecting it. It is not in highlighting his mistakes or admitting them, but in denying them.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
A homeless man was left for dead after he was doused in fuel and set on fire in an unprovoked attack.

The horrific assault took place in the Santa Ana area of California in early April and was captured on surveillance camera.

Footage shows the homeless man sitting on the sidewalk in front of a closed business in the area of 1st Street and Broadway.

The homeless victim looks toward the alleged attacker who approaches him on bike

The attacker douses the homeless man, who is sat outside a closed business, with a flammable liquid

The suspect, who has since been arrested and named by police as 45-year-old Adrian Herrera, can be seen dressed head-to-toe in black and covering his face.

He nears the victim on a pedal bike and douses him in a flammable liquid repeatedly thrown from a bottle.

The victim can be seen desperately trying to scramble away as he swats the attacker and tries in vain to protect himself.

The suspect then uses a lighter to set the alleged victim on fire as flames engulf the victim's arm and climb towards his face.

The victim desperately tries to flee while his attacker - who police have since arrested and say is another homeless man - flicks open his lighter

Flames engulf the homeless man as he slumps to the ground while his alleged attacker flees

Santa Ana police froze the video at the moment the flames appear to overwhelm the victim and he slumps to the floor. The department says the man was completely engulfed, abc7 reported.

The Orange County Register said that a witness saw the victim, believed to be aged 64, and called for help.

He sustained first-, second-, and third-degree burns to his upper body in the attack so traumatic he required surgery and remains in critical condition at a local burn center.

The suspect - who police say is another transient - fled on his bike. He was arrested on Monday on suspicion of arson and attempted murder.

Officers specializing in interacting with the homeless spotted the suspect and his bicycle and detained him because he matched the description of the arson and attempted murder suspect, CBSLocal reported.

A report issued by the Santa Ana Police department on Tuesday said: 'Detectives are collaborating with the Orange County District Attorneys Office and working on gathering additional evidence.'
COVID-19: What you need to know now
Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse.

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Velocity Composites (LON:VEL) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.

View our latest analysis for Velocity Composites

How Long Is Velocity Composites's Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. Velocity Composites has such a small amount of debt that we'll set it aside, and focus on the UK3.4m in cash it held at October 2019. Importantly, its cash burn was UK505k over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of about 6.8 years from October 2019. Even though this is but one measure of the company's cash burn, the thought of such a long cash runway warms our bellies in a comforting way. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

AIM:VEL Historical Debt April 16th 2020

Is Velocity Composites's Revenue Growing?

We're hesitant to extrapolate on the recent trend to assess its cash burn, because Velocity Composites actually had positive free cash flow last year, so operating revenue growth is probably our best bet to measure, right now. As it happens, operating revenue has been pretty flat over the last year. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. This graph of historic earnings and revenue shows how Velocity Composites is building its business over time.

Story continues

How Easily Can Velocity Composites Raise Cash?

Given its problematic fall in revenue, Velocity Composites shareholders should consider how the company could fund its growth, if it turns out it needs more cash. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Velocity Composites has a market capitalisation of UK7.6m and burnt through UK505k last year, which is 6.7% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

Is Velocity Composites's Cash Burn A Worry?

It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Velocity Composites is burning through its cash. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. While its falling revenue wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Velocity Composites you should be aware of, and 2 of them are significant.

Of course Velocity Composites may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
A woman has died in a house fire in north London last night only hours after she had been in contact with the police.

A 36-year-old woman was rescued from a burning building on Alric Avenue, Brent, North London, by the London Fire Brigade after they received an emergency call last night.

The London Ambulance Service took the woman to hospital where she died four hours later at six oclock this morning.

Police say the fire is being treated as suspicious and a man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of arson.

London firefighters pulled a 36-year-old woman from a house fire in Brent, north London, last night. She died four hours after arriving in hospital

A man in his 40s, who was known to the 36-year-old, was arrested by police on suspicion of arson. The METs Directorate of Professional Standards was also told the woman had been in contact with the police hours before the fire

The METs Directorate of Professional Standards was informed that the woman had been in contact with the police only a few hours before the fire.

An investigation led by Detective Chief Inspector Neil John has been launched into the contact between the 36-year-old and the police.

A second woman, 60, was rescued from the fire and taken to hospital where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The 36-year-old woman has not been identified yet and the cause of death is yet to be determined.
In April of any other year, instructors and ponies would be welcoming some 80 students to spring classes at Little Britches Therapeutic Riding in Roxbury.

The local nonprofit provides therapeutic riding and equine-assisted activities for people with disabilities from 28 surrounding towns.

But the spread of COVID-19 has forced the nonprofit to delay classes indefinitely this spring.

Thats disappointing for students and instructors alike  and it has created a serious problem for Little Britches.

"Like many nonprofits, we are feeling the impact of these uncertain times, said Alice Daly, Little Britches program director. Our program cant operate, but our costs continue.

The horses and ponies still need feed, shavings, and farrier and veterinary careall of which come at a price.

The Connecticut Community Foundations Give Local event is scheduled for April 21-22.

The annual online appeal supports local nonprofits.

Many, including Little Britches, depend to generate much needed funds.

Our community has been very supportive of Little Britches during Give Local in the past, Daly said, adding she hopes this year will be no different.

She notes that the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in March, includes important tax changes intended to encourage charitable giving, even for taxpayers who dont itemize deductions.

We know that many people in our community have been affected by COVID-19, Daly acknowledged. If youre unable to participate this year, we thank you for your past support and hope youll help us during Give Local by sharing pictures and stories about Little Britches on social media.

To learn more about Little Britches or to donate directly, visit www.littlebritchesct.org.
YMCA of Greater New York to Celebrate Healthy Kids Day @ Home on Saturday, April 18

On Saturday, April 18, the YMCA of Greater New York will celebrate Healthy Kids Day @ Home, part of the Y's national initiative to improve the health and well-being of kids and families.

Hosted on the Y's Facebook page, Healthy Kids Day @ Home will share live family workouts, fun activities, and more ways to connect. Most resources will also be available on demand for families who aren't able to participate in a live session.

Schedule of Events

To support middle school and high school students in YMCA programs, we're also hosting private virtual meet ups for Y teens to learn new skills, develop leadership abilities, and connect with their peers. This is part of the YMCA's broader effort to support our communities during this period, including providing early learning for children, temporary housing, counseling services, and remote support services for teens, immigrants, and seniors.

"Our branches may be temporarily closed, but we can still offer families fun and healthy ways to stay active at home and connected to the Y," said Lauren Barr, Vice President, Youth & Community Development at the YMCA of Greater New York. "We're excited to create new ways to virtually engage with our community and can't wait to see them again in person."

Healthy Kids Day is an annual event typically held at thousands of YMCA locations nationwide.

As Americans remain at home to protect their health and safety, the YMCA of Greater New York launched Healthy Kids Day @ Home to ensure children and families in our communities have fun and healthy resources to stay active during this unprecedented time. The initiative is part of YMCA @ Home, the Y's new virtual content hub that offers free virtual workouts, family activities, and community resources.

About the YMCA of Greater New York

The YMCA of Greater New York is here for all New Yorkers - to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community. Founded in 1852, today the Y serves a diverse population of more than half a million New Yorkers who learn, grow, and thrive through programs and services at our 24 branches. Community is the cornerstone of the Y. Together, we connect active, engaged New Yorkers to build stronger communities. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (News - Alert), and Instagram at @ymcanyc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005869/en/
To mitigate the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this month recommended that all Pennsylvanians wear a mask any time they leave their homes.

A new order issued Wednesday makes that mandatory for anyone working or shopping at grocery stores and pharmacies. The order zeroes in on the safety of workers and customers at essential businesses.

The order issued by Wolf and Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary of the Department of Health, goes into effect Sunday amid escalating numbers of coronavirus cases.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday confirmed 1,245 new coronavirus cases, raising the statewide total to 27,735. At least 707 people have died due to the virus, including 60 new deaths reported today,

Who now has to wear masks?

Under this weeks new order from Wolf anyone at grocery stores, markets and pharmacies. That includes employers, employees and customers, and impacts all businesses authorized to operate during the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the order employees and customers must wear face masks whenever on the premise of a business.

What does the order require businesses to do?

Provide face masks for all employees to wear while at work

Maintain a work environment that adheres to a social distancing protocol of 6 feet; including providing sufficient space for employees to have breaks and meals

Limit in-person meetings to 10 employees at one time; opt for virtual meetings and training

Schedule handwashing breaks for employees at least every hour

What are some of the other requirements for businesses under the order? It directs businesses to:

Reduce large gatherings of employees as well as customers

Stagger work start and stop times for employees

Install shields or other barriers at registers and check-out areas to physically separate cashiers and customers

Close lines to maintain a social distance between of 6 feet between lines

Limit occupancy to no greater than 50 percent of their certified occupancy

Use signage throughout the premise to ensure social distancing for customers and employees.

Can employees use homemade masks or must masks be provided by the employer?

Yes, employees can use homemade masks, but employers need to ensure that they meet the guidance from the Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

Whats the main impacts of the order on customers?

They are required to wear masks any time they are in a grocery store, pharmacy or other business that is authorized to be open during the pandemic.

Can a business deny entry to individuals not wearing masks?

Yes, but it gets tricky. The order makes exceptions for businesses that provide medication, medical supplies or food. In those cases, the business must provide pick-up or delivery service.

Is anyone exempt from the mask requirement? Yes: individuals who cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition. No medical documentation is required under the order.

Does the order help ensure to customers that places of business are cleaned properly? Yes, it provides guidance on cleaning, including directing businesses to:

Alter hours of business to allow time to clean

Use every other register, or fewer, and hourly rotate the use of register lines

Clean registers, credit card machines, carts and handbaskets

Is the order mandatory?

According to the Wolf administration, failure to comply with the requirements could lead to citations, fines or license suspensions.

READ MORE: Heres a link to our full coronavirus coverage

The order includes requirements for businesses that have outbreaks of COVID-19 or positive coronavirus cases.

Under the order, any business dealing with a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 is ordered to:

implement temperature screenings for employees

dismiss for the day any employee with an elevated temperature of or above 100.4 degrees

implement liberal paid time off for employees who are on home isolation (this is a recommendation)

More from PennLive

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Its Pennsylvania politics as usual, even in the pandemic | John Baer

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
Rajasthans Bhilwara, a designated hotspot among the 123 Covid-19 districts with large outbreak, may become the first to transition from red to green zone as it reported no new confirmed case for a week.

The last Covid-19 case in the district was reported on April 9 after a gap of five days.

The Union health ministry identified 170 districts as hotspots on Wednesday, classifying them under Red Zone, 207 districts as non-hotspot or White Zone, and 353 unaffected districts as Green Zone. The 170 hotspots were further categorised into hotspot districts with large outbreak (for 15 cases or more) and those with clusters (for fewer than 15 cases).

Follow coronavirus latest update here.

According to a letter sent by Union health secretary Preeti Sudan to chief secretaries, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, there are 12 hotspot districts, including Bhilwara, in Rajasthan. The textile town is among the hotspots with large outbreaks because it has reported 28 cases so far.

The first case in Bhilwara was reported on March 19. In the next 14 days, the district emerged as one of the biggest Covid-19 hotpots in the country with 26 cases. Among those infected were three doctors and 14 nursing staff and other health workers of Brijesh Banger Memorial Hospital, a private institution, in Bhilwara.

We will complete the second 14-day cycle on Friday. If we can stay without a new case until May 15, we will become Covid-19 free district, said Rajendra Bhatt, Bhilwara district collector, who has been in the forefront of implementing what has come to be known as the Bhilwara model of ruthless containment.

The letter from Sudan said a district could move from the Red to the Green Zone if it does not report any case for 28 days, and vice-versa. If theres no new confirmed case in a Red Zone district for 14 days, it will transition into the White Zone, a middle zone between the red and the green zones.

Districts that together contribute 80% of the cases in a state or those that have a doubling rate of less than four days have been marked as Red Zones. Rajasthans capital, Jaipur, also figures in the list with more than 480 cases until 9am Thursday. The states tally is 1,101.

Rajasthan with 12 hotspot districts is among the top 5 states; the other states are Tamil Nadu (22), Andhra Pradesh (16), Maharashtra (14) and Uttar Pradesh (13).

The Bhilwara collector said the administration has extended the second phase of curfew in the city until April 20. Curfew was first imposed on April 3 and was in force until April 13. In the first phase, there were no exemptions to anyone and all essentials were home-delivered by the administration.

After Jaipur, Bhilwara is testing most samples in the state. So far, about 5,000 samples have been tested from Bhilwara which is about 8,000 less from the number of samples tested from Jaipur.

Out of the 28 cases in Bhilwara, only one is in hospital; two have died and the rest have been discharged after recovery, said Bhatt. We have put 55 people in government quarantine facilities and 9,819 are in home quarantine, he added.

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The spasm of panic arrived in the grocery store, a Tuesday, at 8:45 a.m., not that days or hours hold much meaning anymore. After waiting 45 minutes in line, it was my time to enter. Have a nice day, the gloved and masked man at the door said, which felt more like a command, than a greeting.

My grocery list was drafted with military precision. Goods were organized under headings  produce, fish and meat, bread, dairy  and arranged in the order of which they appear in the store. The cart handle was sanitized, my hands protected in latex-free blue gloves. Get in fast, accomplish the mission; get back out. Leave no product behind.

But then the store shape shifted into a Salvador Dali canvas, the stocked shelves both a maze and a mockery. Everyone seemed suspicious of each other and the task of shopping, suddenly, overwhelming. What is a wine gum anyway? Why is there fresh, frozen and canned corn? Why does any of this matter? It took another shopper trying to move around me, his approach as awkward as a Grade 5 boy asking for a dance, to break my trance.

Having a grocery store moment is rather cliche. Writer Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow trademarked that scene in their 2008 film, Hurt Locker. Sgt. William James, played by Jeremy Renner, has just returned from the Iraq War and is trying to shop. He stands alone in the aisle, morose, his head swiveling left to right, until he angrily grabs a box of cereal.

Theres no dialogue and none is needed. Its a perfect portrayal of what Chris Hedges described in his book, War is the Force That Gives Us Meaning. Sgt. James had been defusing bombs, now hes deciding between Frosted Flakes and Captain Crunch. Those who have witnessed war know that while it is neither heroic, nor glorious, it can give us purpose and direction. Moreover, it exposes the vapidness of our every day lives.

We are all at war now, we are told. We are battling an illness and in the trenches of a dying economy. Health care workers are on the front lines. This is made worse by the lack of protective equipment, which, in keeping with the war metaphors, is like sending armed, highly trained soldiers to battle without bullets. The 24-hour news cycle forces us to think about our own death, or that of loved ones. What was once important now seems trivial. And there is boredom  that comes in times of war too.

There should be no surprise that politicians are relying heavily on the war rhetoric. Rudolph Giuliani, as New Yorks mayor, strode through lower Manhattan after 9/11 with the dust from Ground Zero on his cheek, and was crowned Time magazines Man of the Year. In times of crisis, we crave this leadership, strength, and simple narratives and those who deliver it will be rewarded. We are asked by these politicians now and pressured by memes to answer the call to duty.

But the mission for the masses, should you chose to accept, is to sit on the couch.

And that is the surrealism of our pandemic state. Were not cowering from bombs or trying to eke out an existence. We are told to not shake hands or hug. We are told to come together, but not too close because everyone is dangerous. We are essentially being asked to do nothing. Nothing is doing something. It is as if we are all flirting with PTSD, but for the vast majority of people there is no real trauma in our post traumatic stress disorder.

Life just seems absurd.

Writing for the New York Times last month, philosopher Alain de Botton deconstructed Albert Camus 1947 novel, The Plague, which is garnering new generations of readers today.

Plague or no plague, there is always, as it were, the plague, if what we mean by that is a susceptibility to sudden death, an event that can render our lives instantaneously meaningless, he wrote. This is what Camus meant when he talked about the absurdity of life. Recognizing this absurdity should lead us not to despair but to a tragicomic redemption, a softening of the heart, a turning away from judgment and moralizing to joy and gratitude.

This isnt a war in any way weve defined previously. We wont win. But with the noise from our pre-pandemic lives silenced, we are left alone to contemplate a tragicomic redemption.

We are just waiting. Waiting once again in a line, six feet from anyone else, ready to leave the grocery store. The cashier is humming, the tulips are on sale, and there is time to Google the origins of wine gums on my phone.

Thank you, I said, as I load the last bag. Have a nice day.
To the Editor:

Re Alexei Botyan, 103, Soviet Spy Hailed as Hero, Just Not by the Poles or Historians (obituary, March 12):

You try to question the battle merits of the Soviet World War II hero Alexei Botyan, presenting them as a myth. Mr. Botyan saved not only Krakow. He and the Red Army saved the Polish nation.

Mr. Botyan said in one of his last interviews:

Several groups took part in saving Krakow. Both mine and the one led by Yevgeny Bereznyak. We had the only task: secure rapid advance of the Soviet troops to Krakow.

Its saving is the most important achievement of my life.

The Soviet Union not only helped liberate Poland, preserve its rich culture and traditions, but also restored its economy. Hitler sought to turn all inhabitants of the occupied Polish territories into slaves. Those who were not fit for these goals were planned for extermination. Such things should be remembered.

The 75th anniversary of our Great Victory shared with other nations will be celebrated soon. We must shield it from all kinds of lies.


New logo for STEP activities

TOKYO, Apr 16, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - To further contribute to the resolution of diversifying social issues, MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION (MMC) has revised its STEP Social Contribution Activities(1) policy in April 2020, and created a new logo with a tagline, "STEP to the future" to improve awareness on these activities.Based on its Vision & Mission, MMC has been promoting the STEP Social Contribution Activities(1) in four major fields of; 1. Support for the next generation, 2. Traffic safety, 3. Environment preservation, and 4. Participation in local communities. The company has also conducted global activities such as donating to the Children's Forest Program that educates children around the world through tree planting and other related environmental activities as well as helping to build a new elementary school in the Philippines by utilizing Mitsubishi Motors STEP Funds(2).MMC revised the policy to widen the scope of its social contribution activities while enhancing links with major markets and inheriting existing activities, thereby to further contribute to the resolution of global social issues, which have been diversifying in recent years, including natural disasters and social inequality. STEP stands for Society, Traffic Safety, Environment and People.To assist more diverse needs of more people, regardless of their generation or where they live, the new STEP activities policy has been revised as indicated below replacing the field of Support for the next generation with People and the field of Participation in local communities with Society.SocietyContributing to the development of local communities through activities tailoredto local needsTraffic safetyContributing to the realization of a safe and secure society with no trafficaccidentsEnvironmentContributing to the preservation of our precious global environmentPeopleContributing to the realization of a life full of smiles by supporting and beingconsiderate of peopleThrough STEP activities, the MMC group will work together to promote the realization of a society that can visualize better future.The rings in the logo depict the STEP activities emanating from the center.For further information on the MMC social contribution activities: https://bit.ly/2Ka3bmc.(1) The collective term for social contribution activities based on the Vision & Mission of MMC.(2) The Mitsubishi Motors STEP Funds system adopted in April 2009 raises funds based on the voluntary contribution of group employees in order to continuously participate in social contribution activities. The funds are utilized in the assistance of activities in developing countries and areas affected by natural disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake. MMC matches all donations made by Mitsubishi Motors STEP Funds by the same amount through the Matching Gift Program.About Mitsubishi MotorsMitsubishi Motors Corporation is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has a competitive edge in SUVs and pickup trucks, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The company launched the i-MiEV - the first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, which was followed by the OUTLANDER PHEV in 2013 - a plug-in hybrid market leader in Japan and Europe. Mitsubishi Motors has 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan, Thailand, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia. Models, such as the PAJERO SPORT/MONTERO SPORT, TRITON/L200, OUTLANDER, ASX/OUTLANDER SPORT/RVR and XPANDER play a major role in achieving its growth. The global sales volume in fiscal year 2018 was 1,244,000 units, and the net sales of Mitsubishi Motors for fiscal year 2018 was 2.51 trillion yen. Mitsubishi Motors is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.Source: Mitsubishi MotorsCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Champaign County GOP Rep. Jim Jordan is temporarily doing double duty as the top Republican on two House Committees.

After Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins was forced to step down as top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee because hes running for U.S. Senate, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives picked Jordan to replace him.

The original plan was for Jordan to cede his post as top Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to his longtime political ally, North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows. But Meadows resigned from his job in Congress on March 30 to become President Donald Trumps chief of staff, temporarily leaving Jordan in charge of both committees.

An aide to Jordan said his boss will wear both hats until Congress reconvenes after the coronavirus pandemic abates. After that, congressional Republicans will be able to meet and select an Oversight Committee replacement for Jordan.

He has been pressing the Democratic Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, New Yorks Jerry Nadler, to invite Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz to testify about his probes of the Federal Bureau of Investigations abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Meanwhile, he urged the Democratic Oversight chair Carolyn Maloney to stop using the popular Zoom" teleconference platform to conduct committee business during the pandemic, because of security concerns that include its use distributing malware, videoconferences being Zoom-bombed by hackers with interruptions that include hate speech and pornographic images, and the fact that a large part of the companys research and development work is being done in China.

In an April 10 letter to Maloney, Jordan said an April 3 briefing on womens rights in Afghanistan for members of the committee was Zoom-bombed at least three times, with the impact of hacking and malware on Member and staff devices still being determined.

Please immediately suspend any current or future use of Zoom systems for official committee activities and take immediate steps to evaluate the Committees internal cybersecurity preparedness to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive committee information through the Zoom platform, Jordans letter said.

In a Thursday interview, Jordan said hes stayed at his home in Urbana during the congressional break, which hes used as a base for tele town halls and phone conversations with business leaders, county health administrators and constituents in his district.

Jordan said that both the committees where hes the top Republican have oversight responsibilities, although the Judiciary committee also has jurisdiction over important areas like immigration, the courts, copyrights, patents and antitrust issues. He said Attorney General Bill Barr was scheduled to testify before the Judiciary Committee last week, but it was postponed because of the virus.

Thatll be happening at some point when we get back in session, he said. The oversight function is still important, obviously in this committee as well.

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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung today held phone talks with Minister of State at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Nigel Adams to discuss cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and promote bilateral ties.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung (Photo: VNA)

Dung informed the British official about measures undertaken by Vietnam and affirmed the Vietnamese Governments determination to control the pandemic, thus ensuring the safety of Vietnamese citizens as well as foreign nationals working and living in the country.

Vietnam stands ready to share its information and experience with the UK in the fight against COVID-19, he said.

Dung also expressed his wish that the UK would share its experience and research regarding COVID-19 treatment to help Vietnam improve its community healthcare capacity, thus joining hands to drive back the global pandemic.

He proposed the UK offer medical support and favourable conditions to Vietnamese citizens living and working in the UK during the period of pandemic.

Adams, for his part, congratulated Vietnam on successfully holding the online Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN 3 Summit on COVID-19, which he said, reflected the countrys active and proactive role in its capacity as ASEAN Chair 2020.

Speaking highly of Vietnams achievements in the fight against COVID-19, he wished that both countries would share information and enhance cooperation in the field within bilateral and multilateral frameworks, uphold their voices, especially when Vietnam assumes important roles in ASEAN and the UN Security Council, in a bid to push forward international coordination in the tough fight.

Adams expressed his appreciation for the Vietnamese Governments donation of 110,000 anti-bacterial cloth masks to the UK, as well as arrangement of the flight carrying British citizens home safely.

As the two nations will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership this year, the two officials pledged to further improve the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms and step up bilateral ties in the fields of politics, economy, security, national defence, education and culture.

They also vowed to work closely together at regional and global forums when Vietnam serves as ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. VNA

Vietnamese nationals brought home from the UK Around 100 British nationals have flown home from Vietnam and Cambodia onboard a specially arranged flight.
As communities tighten rules on social distancing, the short-term rental has become a fraught piece of turf. In areas like the Jersey Shore and Newport Beach, Calif., and in states like Pennsylvania and Vermont, officials have severely restricted short-term rentals to discourage residents of urban hot zones from spreading the coronavirus to lower-density locations. Recent evidence has shown that their caution is justified.

But throughout the country, hotel groups and hosts on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO continue to make direct appeals to guests seeking refuge from the pandemic. And they are finding takers.

In Raleigh, N.C., Sheri Outlaw offers a Sparkling Clean Social Distancing Space through Airbnb, in the little house behind her home where her great-grandparents once lived. As soon as the virus appeared, Ms. Outlaws catering business tanked. Then she lost all of her Airbnb bookings in early March, when the company offered 100 percent refunds for stays booked on or before March 14, and with a check-in between March 14 and May 31, regardless of the hosts cancellation policy. (Airbnb is paying out $250 million to hosts in partial compensation.)




iciHaiti - GrandAnse : Serious bus accident more than 10 victims





Wednesday on the national road #7, near "Nan Andre", near the commune of Baumond (Department of Grand-Anse) a bus "Psaumes 37", ensuring the route Port-au-Prince / Jeremie, including the brakes allegedly dropped overturned while the driver was trying avoid maneuvers.



The partial toll is heavy at least 5 dead including the driver and more than 7 injured passengers including several seriously who were rushed to the Saint Antoine Hospital in Jeremie.



Recall that the local authorities in the South Department had taken the initiative to close all roads giving access to the department in order to protect the population from the spread of Covid-19, without however succeeding in enforcing this ban https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30497-haiti-flash-access-to-the-south-department-closed-for-15-days.html



PI/ iciHaiti


















Last week we were warned that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic was about to be upon us, and indeed it has. The number of cases and deaths keeps growing.

Thats certainly the case here in Delaware County. And in truth much of Pennsylvania as well.

The state Department of Health Wednesday released numbers indicating the total number of COVID-19 cases  the illness that results from infection from the novel coronavirus, now stands at 1,882. Sadly, the death toll has claimed 59 lives. Across the state, the numbers continue to mount. Officials indicated another 1,145 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 26,490. The department also reported 63 new deaths among positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 647. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania now are reporting cases of COVID-19.

What started as a trickle, a fairly small number of cases, has ballooned, with one triple-digit spike in cases after another. And each day were seeing more deaths related to COVID-19.

Our numbers still may seem small compared with other parts of Pennsylvania and especially with New York, but they are significant nonetheless.

Public health officials in Pennsylvania and elsewhere say there are signs that were at the peak of the pandemic and that things should start to settle down soon thanks to social distancing practices. There will still be more cases, but the rate of increase should decline.

We look forward to seeing more encouraging numbers, but its imperative that people not allow good news to make them complacent. Doctors and scientists are adamant that the situation could quickly take another turn for the worse if people let down their guard prematurely.

With that in mind, were puzzled by a move by Republicans in the state House and Senate to subvert the stay-at-home orders from Gov. Wolf and push to reopen business. We believe their hearts are in the right place, but the science and medicine does not seem to back them up.

Most health officials fear that opening things up too early would reverse the solid efforts undertaken in the state to flatten the curve.

We no doubt will continue to see conversation focusing on when and how to loosen restrictions and resume normal economic activity. We hope and pray that can happen as soon as possible, but in the meantime its imperative that people continue to do what they have been doing since mid-March: Stay home if possible, and take steps to protect themselves and others when its necessary to go out in public.

State and local officials will continue to pound home the point using print, television, radio and online advertising along with posters that can be put up by businesses and residents. Their message is worth repeating here:

* Stay at home as much as possible.

* Avoid touching your face.

* Wash your hands vigorously with soap and water multiple times a day.

* Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

* Clean surfaces in your home and office regularly.

* Practice social distancing.

* Wear a cloth mask when going out in public.

* Support businesses that implement healthy standards and avoid businesses that ignore these precautions.

* Call on state leaders to change the focus away from deciding what businesses are opened or closed and instead enforce meaningful health and safety standards.

Much of this has been said countless times before since the pandemic struck, but it bears repeating nonetheless.

Which raises the question of just how well Delco residents and businesses are doing in following the rules.

Pretty well, actually.

A company called SafeGraph that collects and analyzes smartphone GPS location data has launched a Shelter-in-Place Dashboard showing mobility trends as a way to gauge how the global pandemic has brought massive changes to how people interact with their surroundings.

The dashboard ranks all states and counties to show if people are following through on the orders from the World Health Organization and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay at home.

Delaware County ranks seventh in Pennsylvania with a score of 26.8. This figure represents the percentage of people staying home above a baseline as of last Tuesday, the most recent day available. The baseline was recorded in the first week of February.

It means about 49% more county residents are staying at home all day compared to early February  when schools and businesses across the state remained open.

The state ranked eighth in the country by this same metric. Overall, SafeGraph found that 46% of Keystone State residents stayed home.

Better times are ahead, if only everyone focuses on what needs to be done. But now is not the time to sound the retreat from the policies of staying at home and social distancing that have gotten us to this point.
The Government has placed an order for 15,000 more ventilators for coronavirus patients after a newly-adapted design was approved by the regulator.

The Penlon Prima ES03 model has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in hospitals, with hundreds of units expected to be built over the next week.

The firm has worked with the VentilatorChallengeUK (VCUK) consortium, which includes Formula One racing teams Mercedes, McLaren and Williams.

The device is an adaptation of previous models and is designed to provide support to critically ill patients - with a range of functions including volume and pressure-controlled ventilation.

The Penlon Prima ES03 model (pictured) has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in hospitals

These ventilators will offer an increased chance of survival for coronavirus patients in NHS hospitals who are suffering the worst symptoms of the virus.

They can take over the body's breathing process when the lungs fail, and allow the patient to fight off an infection.

The Government today confirmed an order for 15,000 Penlon devices following the approval of the design.

Hundreds of units are expected to be built over the next week, with production being further scaled up in the coming weeks.

The first 40 of the devices were sent to a military distribution site at MoD Donnington today for onward delivery to the NHS.

Michael Gove said: 'The approval of Penlon's device underlines the significant progress being made in the Ventilator Challenge.

Pictured: Penlon employees assemble ventilators at a facility in Oxfordshire on April 5

The first 40 of the devices (pictured) were sent to a military distribution site at MoD Donnington today for onward delivery to the NHS

'I pay tribute to the incredible ingenuity and commitment of our manufacturing industry, coming together as part of the national effort to protect the NHS and save lives.'

An existing design - paraPAC devices, made by Smiths Medical - has had its production boosted by the consortium and is already in use in NHS hospitals.

As well as the Formula One teams, the consortium includes Ford, Siemens, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, and BAE Systems.

Dick Elsy, chairman of VCUK, said: 'I'm very pleased to confirm that we have now secured MHRA approval for the Penlon Prima ES02 device which has been undergoing stringent testing and clinical trials for the last two weeks.

'Ventilators of this type are complex and critical pieces of medical equipment so ensuring the absolute adherence to regulatory standards and meeting clinical needs were always our priorities.

'We will now accelerate the ramp-up of production at the Penlon site in Oxfordshire and the new VCUK production lines we've built in Broughton, Dagenham, Woking and Maidenhead.

'Having already commenced deliveries of the Smiths Group's paraPAC plus devices, we are working closely with our supply chain partners to rapidly scale up production to achieve our target of at least 1,500 units a week of the combined Penlon and Smiths models.

'I want to take this opportunity to again thank every member of the consortium and the hundreds of dedicated colleagues who have been working day and night to get us to this point.'

The Cabinet Office said more than 10,000 mechanical ventilators are now available to NHS patients, with that number set to rise from the increase in production and products imported from overseas.
Indias worst-hit state, Maharashtra, crossed a grim mark of 3,000 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases on Thursday, with the addition of 286 new infections. The state, which accounts for a fourth of the countrys tally, has so far reported 3,202 cases and 194 deaths, including seven on Thursday.

The states capital, Mumbai, which is the countrys most affected city, saw 177 more patients on Thursday, taking its tally past 2,000 to 2,073, and reported three deaths. The citys death toll is now 117. The other four deaths were from Pune. The state government said that there was a drop in the rate of doubling of cases and an increase in the number of patients recovering.

The state government has also started planning to relax lockdown restrictions in about half its districts from next week, by allowing industrial operations and intra-district movements.

Of the days deaths, four of them were above 60 years of age, while the remaining were above 40 years. Six had underlying ailments, including diabetes, heart ailment, asthma and high blood pressure, read a statement released by the state health department. The state has conducted 56,673 tests at various public and private facilities, and has marked 297 active containment zones. A total of 5,664 survey teams, comprising doctors and assisting staff, have screened more than 20.50 lakh people. A total of 300 patients have been discharged from hospitals, while 71,076 people in the state are home quarantined and 6,108 are under institutional quarantine.

State health minister Rajesh Tope said the rate of doubling of cases has improved to 5.5 days, from 2 and 3.5 days a few days ago. We expect to improve it further. It is true that the mortality rate in the state is high at 7%, but its owing to comorbid issues in patients. 83% deaths are related to underlying ailments such as diabetes, and ailments related to heart and kidney. We have also formed a task force of experts to suggest measures to minimise the death rate and clinical management of Covid-19 patients who are critically ill, he said.

He said that the percentage of patients being discharged after recovery has increased.

Our focus on expediting the recovery has been reaping fruits as the rate of discharged patients has increased. 300 patients have been discharged so far, he said. The minister said that only 2.5% of the 51,000 tests conducted turned positive.

He said that six more labs are expected to be added to the existing 36 laboratories. We are expecting approval from the ICMR to our proposal of pool-testing rapid testing, he said. He said that all 1,400 people from Maharashtra, who had attended the international congregation at Nizamuddin in Delhi, have been traced, quarantined and tested. Only 50 of them are diagnosed with Covid-19, the rest are kept in quarantine facilities, he said.

The state government is also planning to relax the lockdown restriction in the state from April 20. The relaxation will, however, be in the non-affected areas and limited only to the essential services, industries and agriculture sectors by strict following of the lockdown norms. Tope clarified that no public gathering will be allowed nor will educational institutions, such as school and colleges, be allowed to function.

The state government is also planning to increase the workforce in government offices to 33%, according to the Central government. In a video conference on Thursday, top-level officials held discussion on the guidelines by the Central government. Based on the notification issued by the Centre, we have already included a few auxiliary sectors in exempted essential activities. The districts with no Covid-19 patients or less than 15 patients can have more relaxed lockdown restrictions, said an official on the condition of anonymity.

There are seven districts with no patients and four other districts, where rural parts are unaffected. These districts will get maximum relief although all the activities will be within the district boundaries, which have been sealed. The districts with less than 15 patients are expected to get relief in unaffected areas. However the most affected areas, mostly governed by municipal corporations, will continue with the strict implementation of lockdown, said the official.

Industries minister Subhash Desai said the state government was considering to allow industrial operations in at least 20 districts, which have either no case or very few cases from April 20. Following the Centres guidelines for the second phase of lockdown and by using our own powers, we are preparing a proposal to begin industrial operations in some districts. The industrial units, following the standard operating procedures (SOP) laid down and making arrangements for their employees, would be allowed to commence operations, he said. The minister said that the industrial units will have to make arrangements for the shelter and transportation of workers. According to officials, the state government has planned to begin operations of at least 60% MSMEs by the end of the month.

Palghar district in MMR saw a sudden spurt in cases over the past few days after a 3-year old daughter of brick workers and two intern doctors tested positive for the virus. We have 75 patients, including 62 in Vasai-Virar, who have tested positive. Its spread in remote areas is a matter of worry for us. All contacts of the doctors who tested positive are being traced. Our priority is containment of the spread, for which we have identified five hotspots, said Kailash Shinde, Palghar collector.

According to officials from the state government, the doubling rate of cases is a little over five days. Our aim is to contain it at that rate, if not improved, immediately. Endeavours are put in to ensure that the doubling rate does not drop below 4. In such a scenario, the condition can be said to be under control. Our major concern is areas like Dharavi and Worli, where the number of patients are rising rapidly. But with full focus on these areas, we expect it to be contained soon, the officer said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former education minister Vinod Tawde, while attacking the state government for suppressing the freedom of press by arresting a journalist, has also criticised its failure in handling the Covid-19 pandemic. Tawde said that journalists are being booked to cover government failures in handling the Bandra crowding incident on Tuesday. A journalist of a Marathi channel was arrested, holding him responsible for the crowding of migrants outside Bandra station. In fact, it was a failure of the government and the action against the journalist was just to cover its own failure in handling law and order. The state government has also failed to handle the pandemic effectively. It has not even done adequate financial arrangements to combat the outbreak, he said in a video statement.
Photo: Getty

The pound slumped against the US dollar (GBPUSD=X) in trading on Thursday 16 April as Britain braces for potentially, at least, another three weeks of lockdown.

UK ministers are later expected to announce at the daily government press conference a three-week extension to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The longer the lockdown continues, the longer businesses will remain closed, threatening large scale job losses, firms falling into administration, and the economy being put on hold.

While the UK government has yet to officially announce a lockdown extension, the minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, said at a press conference three days ago that Whitehall is likely to announce continuing lockdown measures on Thursday.

The pound against the US dollar is currently down 0.4% from the previous day.

Chart: Yahoo Finance UK

UK ministers are bound by law to assess whether the lockdown rules are working, every three weeks.

A number of European countries have already extended their lockdowns. On Wednesday, chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany would extend its current lockdown for another two-and-a-half weeks, until 3 May. Earlier, France confirmed it would be extending the lockdown to 11 May.

Read more: Europe's largest economy extends coronavirus lockdown until May 3

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday the global pandemic is likely to cause the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s and do lasting damage to the global economy.

Already, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) said this week that its members were struggling to access the financial support promised by the UK government last month, setting many up for a potentially devastating cash crunch at the end of the month. Around two-thirds of businesses have furloughed staff.

Late on Wednesday, fashion chains Oasis and Warehouse were the latest to have fallen victim to the impact of coronavirus. Both collapsed into administration, with more than 200 workers losing their jobs and more than 1,800 others at risk.

Story continues

Deloitte confirmed on Wednesday they had been called in as administrators, and warned of the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the retail industry.

The president of the European Commission has also called for a 1tn (871bn, $1.08tn) new Marshall plan to revive European economies when they start to get a grip on the coronavirus.

The European Union published its joint European roadmap for lifting COVID-19 containment measures on Wednesday. It has called for member states to co-ordinate plans for easing restrictions, with fears lifting lockdowns too early and countries divergent approaches could undermine global efforts to tackle to virus.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - HEYBRYAN MEDIA INC. (CSE: HEY) (OTCQB: HEYBF) (FSE: 9HB) ("HeyBryan" or the "Company"), the creator of the HeyBryan app that connects consumers with home maintenance experts to complete small tasks around the house, is pleased to announce details around its new on demand gig insurance solution, available soon for all HeyBryan experts, in partnership with digital insurance brand Duuo (The Co-operators Group Limited). The new insurance solution - branded Duuo Gig Insurance - will be a first of its kind in the Canadian gig economy.





HeyBryan Media Inc. (CSE: HEY) (OTCQB: HEYBF) (FSE: 9HB)



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6572/54494_heybryana.jpg

Duuo Gig Insurance has been exclusively designed to meet the unique needs of HeyBryan experts across the GTA, BC's Lower Mainland, the City of Calgary, as well as future locations where HeyBryan is active. All HeyBryan experts will be able to purchase Duuo Gig Insurance in just a couple of minutes on their mobile device through the HeyBryan platform. The cost for the majority of HeyBryan's 20 task categories range around $5-7 per day, providing $2,000,000 in liability protection.

This service will eliminate the lengthy and antiquated insurance purchase path. Policy information, contact information and activation of the policy are all easily accessible via the mobile device and increasing ease at the touch of button. And it will give customers the peace-of-mind knowing that their HeyBryan expert is fully insured for all work performed.

"We're thrilled to be the first mobile marketplace app to be offering a targeted, on demand gig economy-focused insurance solution with our partner Duuo," says Lance Montgomery, CEO of HeyBryan. "Whether an expert is performing one or four tasks in a given day, an expert will have peace of mind knowing he has full insurance coverage for all their HeyBryan gigs, and customers will have comfort in knowing their expert is fully insured for all work performed at their home" he adds.

"Our mission at Duuo is to provide our clients with innovative insurance on their terms," says Robin Shufelt, Managing Director of Duuo. "That's why we're so excited to offer HeyBryan experts a solution designed to meet the emerging needs of gig workers."

Duuo Gig insurance will be available to all HeyBryan experts Q3 2020.

ON BEHALF OF HEYBRYAN MEDIA INC.

Lance Montgomery

CEO, President & Director

778-928-7708

lance@heybryan.com

About Duuo:

Duuo was created by The Co-operators, a proudly Canadian insurance company founded in 1945 by a small group of farmers and social pioneers who felt traditional insurance didn't meet their unique needs. Duuo is the 21st century version of this mindset. Launched in late 2018, Duuo is committed to creating new, on-demand solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of Canadians living and working in a highly innovative and fast-paced digital economy.

For more information, visit www.duuo.ca or contact pr@duuo.ca

About HeyBryan Media Inc.

HeyBryan Media (CSE: HEY) is a peer-to-peer marketplace app offering a friendly and seamless way for customers to connect with trusted and vetted Experts for everyday home-maintenance needs. Founded in 2018, the app is named after Canadian HGTV personality and one of the country's most trusted contractors, Bryan Baeumler.

Payments are processed through the HeyBryan app, eliminating the need for any in-person money exchange. Every Expert is background checked and credit checked to ensure a safe and secure experience for consumers. Typical tasks booked include handyman services, mounting or installation, furniture assembly, plumbing, painting, cleaning, lawn and yard maintenance, and more. HeyBryan accommodates busy schedules by allowing the independent workforce and consumers to communicate and work together. It's about real experts doing real work for real people.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54494
As India continues its attempt at the worlds biggest social isolation effort to halt the new coronavirus outbreak, millions are struggling to navigate weeks of canceled public transit, closed businesses, and therefore no Sunday services.

Many smaller churches have their attendees join the livestreams of larger churches. Our own sunrise service on Easter, conducted on Zoom, drew 250 peopledespite its 5 a.m. start.

After greeting Christians and praising Lord Christ in Good Friday and Easter tweets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this week his decision to extend the lockdown until May 3, due to the lack of widespread testing for the virus as the death toll rises.

However, despite all the disruption and our inability to worship together as usual, I believe the pandemic lockdown is being used by God to use his church in a new way.

Two things were happening before the pandemic hit. First, the church was severely opposed. Second, because of this opposition, there has been a prayer movement that resulted in great unity among the national Christian community. Churches have begun to overlook their historical denominational divisions, bringing the Indian church to the cusp of revival. There has been news of breakthroughs in the work of the Holy Spirit in places and among people. And in spite of severe opposition, the church has been responding maturely and collectively to its challenges. As a result, the church has been growing spiritually and numerically.

Church leaders across denominations have fostered a misperception in the pewsand in the watching worldthat Christians concentrate their efforts solely on Sunday gatherings. Commitment to the church and its goals has been gauged by Sunday morning attendance. Thus, at the initial stages of the pandemic, only a very small portion of churches in India were responding practically to the upcoming challenges.

Following the lockdown, churches began scrambling to put plans together. I asked one congregation how they planned to hold their services, and their response was rather naive. They said that churches cannot close their doors, believing that the Bible mandates weekly group worship in buildings and that God grants health to the faithful. Because of this general attitude, it took three weeks for many churches to get their feet under them and to provide online alternatives.

When churches started streaming their services online, they were surprised at the audience they received. I know of small churches that normally had less than 100 people attend on an average Sunday now have more than 700 viewers online. Our own church, Bible Bhavan Christian Fellowship, which has been livestreaming for more than four years, saw a 300 percent increase in viewership. People have been watching from all over India, and all around the world. We have received responses from as far as Africa and South America.

Indian churches have been praying for the Lord to enlarge their borders, and the Lord has answered with an unexpected opportunity to reach more people.

The challenge that churches now face is harnessing this new reach and developing tools for follow-up and discipleship in a new teaching model. For example, our midweek ministries have taken on a life of their own as physical attendance is no longer a criteria. Our groups for men, women, youth, and pastoral care have more participants and from farther away, which is good because we are ministering to many more people. While we had to close our Bible schools in seven locations, we are moving our complete syllabus from written materials to audio, visual, and digital versions. We were too busy doing the Lords work to think of this before, and we may have missed the bus on such innovations if the lockdown had not happened.

Article continues below

As churches deal with the reality of increased community needssince many people are unable to perform their jobs during the lockdownthey face complicated decisions. In the past, many churches were apprehensive when responding to the poor, since they could be accused of having an ulterior motive to convert those they were serving. Many churches also did not have adequate resources or tools to help their non-Christian neighbors who had no interest in the church.

Now, I have heard amazing stories from our multisite congregations across North India where neighbors who once were hostile toward us have come forward and supplied the church with free food and aid to distribute to vulnerable community members. At one of our churches, the neighbors even volunteered to come with our team to provide aid to the community, and shared that it came from the local church.

As the Indian church is expressing its love for those who are suffering the most, previously antagonistic neighbors are partnering with the church in our expressions of help. This marks a new day.

For example: I know a local church community in rural North India that has been struggling even in the best of times. Despite showing genuine love and concern for the community around them, they have continually faced opposition and threats. After COVID-19 hit India and a nationwide lockdown was put in place, the local police showed up at the doors of the church. The pastor was apprehensive. The police brought a request from the government for the church to make 1,000 cloth face masks in its center to be distributed among the community. The officers then accompanied the pastor to a local cloth shop, specially opened for them to procure the necessary materials.

What the police did not know was that this church community had been praying for ways to respond during the lockdown. The Lord answered by providing an opening to serve and the potential for better relationships with the authorities.

Finally, a common refrain being heard in all Indian churches and denominations is to repent. Even in our conservative Indian culture where sins are not openly confessed, people are being more transparent. The church is repenting of its own sins, the sins of the city, and the sins of the nation. We pray this prayer regularly: Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

The world we will come back to after this pandemic will look very different. Therefore, the churchs priorities must turn from looking inward to looking outward.

I believe the church has been ushered into a new age of growth and engagement with each other and with the world around us. We are witnessing a huge turning after God. The last revival in India was in 1905-1906. If all the nations of the world repent, then we can anticipate a mighty movement from God in our times.

Isaac Shaw is senior pastor of Bible Bhavan Christian Fellowship.

"Speaking Out" is Christianity Today's guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  One of the most notorious fraudsters in recent memory asked a judge to release him from a federal prison in Ohio because of the coronavirus.

Billy McFarland, the man behind the doomed Fyre Festival, says the dire situation at the low-security Federal Correctional Institution Elkton in Columbiana County puts him at an increased risk of serious illness associated with the coronavirus.

McFarland is serving a six-year sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements. The 28-year-old admitted to defrauding investors and a vendor out of tens of millions of dollars related to the festival, which left concertgoers stranded in the Bahamas in 2017 after they went with the promise of a major concert event.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons moved him to Elkton in October, according to a letter McFarland wrote that his attorney filed in court Tuesday. His lawyer wrote in a separate letter that his client has pre-existing health conditions that make him more susceptible to serious illness associated with the coronavirus, including asthma, allergies and heart issues.

His worst and understandable fear is that a denial of his request will inevitably lead to infection by the Coronavirus, lawyer Robert Hantman wrote in asking a judge to move his client to home confinement.

McFarlands request is not substantially different than the ones many other inmates at Elkton and other jails and prisons have made in recent weeks as advocates and health officials warn that lockups could be ground zero for severe coronavirus outbreaks. Inmates live in close quarters and often lack access to adequate healthcare.

Still, his celebrity ensures his request for release will get more publicity than many other inmates.

The situation at Elkton has deteriorated in recent weeks. Thirty-nine prisoners have tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday, as well as 34 staff members. Five prisoners have died from the virus.

Gov. Mike DeWine deployed members of the Ohio National Guard to assist with healthcare at the prison. U.S. Attorney General William Barr has also ordered the prisons bureau to look at releasing certain federal prisoners nationwide but also said the bureau must prioritize inmates at Elkton because of the increased coronavirus risk.

McFarlands lawyer cited all of those issues in the letter. He wrote that the staff has his client confined to a room with 140 inmates, and more than 30 of them have gotten sick.

It says he is unlikely to commit more crimes if released and, because he participated in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, is eligible for home confinement in 2021.

The filings also detail McFarlands plans if he is released. He said family and friends could support him if released and that he has earning potential through a pending deal with a streaming service, a book and a podcast hosting job.

I know that by living every day with the dedication of helping those I let down, and by doing it within the rules and regulations, I will slowly but surely continue down the path so I badly needed to regain, McFarland wrote to the judge.

Read more:

Fifth inmate dies of coronavirus at Elkton federal prison in Ohio

Groups seek release of hundreds of inmates from Ohio federal prison where 3 inmates died from coronavirus

Ohio National Guard will assist with coronavirus response at Elkton federal prison

U.S. attorney general says officials must prioritize releasing inmates at federal prison in Ohio due to coronavirus outbreak
India's biggest private lender HDFC Bank is closing in on its search for the current Chief Executive Aditya Puri's successor. Puri is set to retire in October. Top three contenders for the post include Sashidhar Jagdishan, Kaizad Bharucha and Sunil Garg. While both Jagdishan and Bharucha are executive directors at the bank, Garg heads Citi Commercial Bank. The bank's board members could discuss these names during their meeting on April 18. The lender plans to finalise the name soon before it's sent for final approval to the Reserve Bank of India.

The reason behind HDFC's decision to hurry the CEO appointment process may be the RBI's recent directive to fill its important board positions only post the joining of the new CEO. HDFC Bank on November 28, 2019, had intimated the apex bank about the appointment of Sashidhar Jagdishan and Bhavesh Zaveri as additional director and executive director (whole-time director) but the RBI directed the bank to first appoint its new CEO.

Also read: Bank of China's 1% in HDFC: Should we fuss?

HDFC Bank said it would accordingly ensure compliance with the Reserve Bank's instruction, and Jagdishan and Zaveri would continue as additional directors on its board till the ensuing Annual General Meeting. The agency that has reportedly finalised these names is global executive search firm Egon Zehnder. HDFC Bank had earlier roped it in to identify its successor.

HDFC Bank last year had constituted a six-member search committee to replace Puri. Aditya Puri had hinted that his successor could also be an outsider. As reported by BusinessToday.In earlier, Puri wants a proper evaluation of the candidates, as the challenges bank is facing now, especially from digital banking and new models in the rural market, will require a new strategy.

The HDFC Bank boss has been at the helm of the bank since its inception in 1994, making him the longest-serving chief executive of any private-sector bank in the country. He has over 40 years of experience in the banking sector in India and abroad, and is credited with building India's biggest bank in terms of market valuation from scratch.

The HDFC Bank stock has been trading 0.7 per cent higher at Rs 870.80 on the National Stock Exchange, while 0.9 per cent up at Rs 871.20 on the Bombay Stock Exchange today.

Also read: HDFC's Deepak Parekh says property prices may fall 20%; suggests measures for survival
Safety is always a top priority for Uber Eats. This has never been more important, claimed an unnamed spokesperson in todays Herald. Oh puh-lease, Uber Eats, pull the other one! Safety is not a top priority for your company, let alone your cyclists  its profit.

Delivery agents riding their bikes illegally is at epidemic levels throughout Sydney, with the problem exacerbated by a coronavirus-driven influx of new riders. These agents are remunerated based on how fast they can deliver their orders - so no wonder they are breaking every road rule in the book.

Food delivery cyclists working during the coronavirus isolation lockdown in the Sydney CBD. Credit:James Brickwood

In 1996, the High Court decision in Hollis v Vabu found Vabu (Crisis Couriers) to be vicariously liable for the act of an employee - a bicycle courier - who was ultimately never personally identified, but wore the distinctive clothing of Crisis Couriers. But its eyes wired shut at the head offices of these multinational fast-food delivery companies, which charge restaurants up to 30 per cent of the menu price of the food.

Many of these delivery agents are riding pedelecs - electric bicycles that have a maximum of 250 watts and are pedal assisted, where the motor must cut off at 25km/h. Its clear that many have been souped up to enable faster deliveries, putting them in the category of a motor scooter/bike, which require registration and CTP insurance. The penalties for riding an illegal pedelec in a public place are around $2000 and $344, plus three demerit points for riding on a footpath. And the rider must wear an approved motorcycle crash helmet  the penalty is a $344 fine and three demerit points (six during double demerit periods).
Six more detention deputies at the Bexar County jail tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of workers at the facility with the virus to 24, officials said Wednesday.

Of the six, one graduated April 3 from the training academy. Thirteen other deputies from the same academy class tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

Officials provided few details about the other five deputies, except to say that its possible they contracted the virus while working at the jail or through community transmission. They said they are conducting contact tracing to determine the source of the infection.

To date, 20 sheriffs deputies have tested positive for COVID-19. Four other workers at the jail  a video visitation employee, a dispatcher, a facility maintenance employee and a University Health Systems nurse  have also contracted the virus.

All instructors at the Bexar County Sheriffs Office Training Academy have tested negative for the virus. Only six deputies from the same cadet class have not shown any symptoms, but they remain self-quarantined, officials said.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

A spokesman for the department confirmed that the dispatcher who tested positive for the virus last week taught a class to the cadets on March 31.

More Information First responders and COVID-19 At last count, about 30 first responders in Bexar County have tested positive for the highly contagious coronavirus. Dozens more are in quarantine awaiting test results. Here's the breakdown. Bexar County Sheriff's Office: 22 positive Other jail staff: 2 positive San Antonio Fire Department: 2 positive; 20 in quarantine San Antonio Police Department: 6 positive; 15 in quarantine See More Collapse

Officials originally said the dispatcher likely contracted the virus from a family member who was feeling sick around that same time. But on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Sheriffs Office declined to comment on whether the dispatcher contracted virus from the cadet class, or the other way around.

We are working on contact tracing for all positive COVID cases at the jail, the spokesman said.

Another class of detention deputies is scheduled to graduate Friday. Officials said none of those cadets had contact with cadets from the first class, and as such, have not been tested for the virus. They are scheduled to start work Saturday.

At last count, eight inmates at the jail have tested positive.

On ExpressNews.com: After first jail inmate tests positive for COVID-19, officials detail measures to prevent spread

To further prevent the spread of the virus, staff with the Sheriffs Office and University Health Systems, which provides medical care to inmates, is holding daily conference calls to assess the situation and make changes as needed.

All inmates  roughly 3,000 at the jail, many of whom are awaiting trial  have been given face masks to wear at all times. Time limits have been placed on the use of the jails day room, and all areas are being regularly sanitized and disinfected.

Anyone booked into the jail has their temperature taken and is isolated for 14 days before being released into the general population.

Were worried about the spread of this and the effect it could have, not only hurting the people in jail but the guards who could transmit it out to the general public, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said this week.

Video visitation has been closed for two weeks, due in part to ongoing upgrades to the facility. However, officials announced Wednesday that remote video visitation was now in place for inmates and their families.

Friends and family of those incarcerated can now schedule a remote video visit 72 hours in advance from a webcam-equipped computer or from an Android device. At this time, Apple iPhones are not compatible with the program.

Inmates will continue to be afforded two free 15-minute phone calls a week, in addition to being provided two 20-minute video visits a week, until further notice, officials say.

More information about the process is available through ICSolutions, the Bexar County contractor that provides video visitation services, at icsolutions.com.

Do you work at the Bexar County jail, or do you know individuals who are incarcerated there? Share your experience about the COVID-19 jail outbreak with reporter Emilie Eaton at eeaton@express-news.net or 210-650-2779. Your identity can remain confidential.

Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Emilie, become a subscriber. Twitter: @emilieeaton
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CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Nanalysis Scientific Corp. ("Nanalysis") (TSXV: NSCI)(OTCQX:NSCIF)(FRA: 1N1) is excited to announce that it will be participating in the Planet MicroCap Virtual Showcase 2020 on Wednesday, April 22.Mr. Sean Krakiwsky, CEO of Nanalysis will be hosting an investor presentation, answering questions from investors, participating in one-on-one investor calls, and participating in a panel discussion hosted by Mr. Paul Andreola of SmallCap Discoveries.Caption: Sean Krakiwsky, Nanalysis Founder and CEO with their flagship 60MHz deviceMr. Krakiwsky said, "We are excited to share our story with new investors in the United States after being cleared to trade on the OTC markets. We believe that American investors will be interested in hearing our story and Planet MicroCap is a great platform to do that. Investors are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we are eager to share our exciting story with a new group of investors south of the border." Mr. Andreola said, "I'm happy to bring a group of great companies to a wide American audience and it's important to highlight investment stories that continue to be compelling even in these uncertain times." Mr. Robert Kraft, CEO of Planet MicroCap, said, "Over the past 7 years, Planet MicroCap has built a large group of small-cap investors and we are eager to bring our conference online." To access the live presentation, please use the following information:Planet MicroCap Showcase Virtual Investor Conference 2020Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2020Time: 5:00 PM Eastern Time / 3:00 PM Mountain TimeWebcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2059/34162 In addition to the company's webcast, Nanalysis will be participating in a virtual panel titled, "Best Canadian Non-Resource MicroCap Ideas During Coronavirus Crisis", hosted by Paul Andreola, Founder and Editor of Small Cap Discoveries, on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.To access the virtual panel, please use the following information:Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2020Time: 3:30 PM Eastern Time / 1:30 PM Mountain TimeWebcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2059/34220 If you would like to book 1-on-1 investor meetings with Nanalysis, please make sure you are registered for the virtual event here: https://www.planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup 1-on-1 meetings will be scheduled and conducted via private, secure video conference through the conference event platform.If you can't make the live presentation, all company presentations webcasts' will be available directly on the conference event platform on this link under the tab Schedule': https://www.planetmicrocapshowcase.com/presenting-companies About Nanalysis Scientific Corp. (TSXV: NSCI, OTCQX: NSCIF, FRA: 1N1)Nanalysis trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) in Canada with ticker symbol NSCI' and over the counter in the United States under the ticker symbol NSCIF'. The company's business is what we term MRI for industry': It develops and manufactures portable Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers or analyzers for laboratory and industrial markets. The NMReady-60 was the first fully featured portable NMR spectrometer in a single compact enclosure requiring no liquid helium or any other cryogens, and the company has followed-up that initial offering with new products and continues to have a strong innovation pipeline. Nanalysis recently announced that it will begin selling a 100MHz device in mid-2020. The Company's new device will be the most powerful non-cryogen, permanent magnet NMR device ever brought to market.Nanalysis devices are used by chemical professionals in many industries (oil and gas, chemical, mining, pharma, biotech, flavor and fragrances, agrochemicals, and more) as well as numerous government and university research labs around the world. The company continues to exploit new global market opportunities independently and with partners.For further information, please contact:Sean KrakiwskyCEO, Nanalysis Scientific Corp.T +1.587.436.1291About Planet MicroCap ShowcasePlanet MicroCap Showcase brings together promising companies with well-known and influential microcap, investors, fund managers, and newsletter writers for three days of company presentations, one-on-one meetings, and networking.If you would like to attend the Planet MicroCap Showcase, please register here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements and Legal DisclaimerThis news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "would" occur. These statements are only predictions of what we believe might happen. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Corporation is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Nanalysis Scientific Corp. via Planet MicroCap
It would be a lie to say that Alexa and I werent disappointed that we werent going to be able to celebrate our birthdays at college with our friends, and my graduation ceremony was canceled, Mariel Boden said. But after our parents got sick, we quickly realized, OK, this is what we have to do for our parents, and what we have to do for the good of everyone else.
A logo is pictured outside a building of the World Health Organization (WHO) during an executive board meeting on update on the coronavirus outbreak, in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb 6, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

By Osidipe Adekunle

With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, a wave of xenophobia hit parts of the globe. In many countries, it spread like wildfirelike the virus itself. Anxiety, fear, resentment and all forms of discrimination that go hand in hand with xenophobia began to manifest themselves in many countries.

Many people of Asian origin, especially Chinese, have been subjected to various forms of racial discrimination, although some brave ones have reacted in creative ways to show that being an Asian or a Chinese is not equal to being a virus carrier, unlike what some tend to believe.

The quick intervention of the World Health Organization, which identified and named the virus and the disease caused by the virusSARS-COV-2 and COVID-19should have brought the ugly wave of racism to rest. Sadly, that did not happen.

Coronaviruses are not new to humanity. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people around the world have been infected with coronaviruses such as 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1. On the other hand, there are coronaviruses that are transmitted by animals to humans, which subsequently mutate to make people sick.

Even outbreaks of coronaviruses, which cause respiratory problems in humans ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome, and now COVID-19 leading to fatalities, are not new. And the WHO has acted responsibly by not naming any of the diseases caused by coronaviruses after a country, region or community to avoid undue racial profiling and stigmatization, which could undermine the joint efforts needed to contain the spread of the virus.

The fueling of racism has not only hindered the fight against the pandemic, but also weakened the collective resilience that had gathered steam since the virus and the disease were identified as a public enemy by the world health body.

Also, those fanning the flames of racism at this critical juncture will take humanity back to the dark ages of segregation complete with its negative consequences.

In the era of globalization, global governance requires collective sharing of responsibilities for the good of humanity. Viruses are non-discriminatory, respect no borders, and are loyal to no community or religion. That the novel coronavirus, in particular, is non-partisan is evident from the fact that one Republican and one Democrat were the first two positive cases in the US House of Representatives.

The trajectory of COVID-19 shows the discriminatory attitude of some people, especially Western politicians, has had a negative effect on the fight against the virus. In the initial stages, many viewed the virus as a Chinese problem and expected China to deal with it. By not seeing the virus as a common human enemy, they wasted precious time, which could have been used for building solidarity in the fight against the virus.

Also, in the initial stages of the outbreak, the media were expected to play the role of a catalyst in bolstering the campaign against racism, finger-pointing, false accusations and fake news. But many media outlets failed to live up to that expectation.

Consequently, many countries did not take preemptive measures that would have prevented the global situation from being as bad as it is today. It is, however, refreshing to see many global mainstream media outlets gradually waking up to the challenge and playing their due role of educating the public about how to prevent the spread of the disease and help contain the outbreak. The WHO has repeatedly warned against racism and stigmatization, and taken measures to boost the global fight against the pandemic.

Therefore, everyone, especially national and opinion leaders, should ensure that their actions, directly or indirectly, do not jeopardize the global fight against the virus, and instead promote solidarity, resilience and hope. The global fight against the virus has yielded results in certain places as a result of people and nations coming to the help of one another. To ensure this progress does not lose steam, individuals, organizations, especially media outlets, and governments across the world should desist from making racist and discriminatory comments.

The author is a researcher at the Research Center for China Africa Education Cooperation, Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Military Online.
Page Content

In an ongoing effort to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 virus on St. Maarten, Prime Minister and Chair of the EOC Silveria Jacobs declared a State of Emergency on St. Maarten on April 4, 2020, during her National Address, with immediate effect as of April 5, 2020. This state of emergency instituted a total lockdown of Dutch St. Maarten including the ports of entry and the borders to the Northern side of the island.





After several heavy discussions with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and strategic meetings with the relevant Emergency Support Function (ESF) coordinators, the decision was made to allow persons with urgent and necessary need(s) to access essential services for two days during the lockdown also alleviating the social unrest. Supermarkets have been closed to the public, allowing only for deliveries, which was not being executed as planned. As a result, Prime Minister Jacobs stated on April 14, that she has taken the decision to make amendments to the State of Emergency Nation Decree in order to allow supermarkets and other essential services to open today, Thursday, April 16, 2020, and Friday, April 17, 2020.





On these two dates, the general public is permitted to make use of the public roads from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM in order to purchase food and other essential goods necessary for their basic needs. The businesses allowed to open and provide essential services to the public during the two-day period are grocery stores, bakeries, pharmacies, banks and gas stations between 8:00 AM  6:00 PM. Funeral home services may be conducted, provided with the understanding that no more than 20 persons are allowed to participate, also taking into account the conditions in article 9 of the State of Emergency National Decree regarding social distancing.





I would like to remind the general public that the lockdown is still in full effect. You should only leave home if it is absolutely necessary, said Prime Minister Jacobs. Persons who are making use of the essential services during this two day period are to adhere to the requirement of wearing a mask when out in the public. Persons should continue to practice proper hygiene and maintain social distancing of at least 1.5 to 2 meters from other persons at all times; in and outside of these establishments. Grocery stores opening to the public for this period are also encouraged to continue allowing deliveries to be made as well.




US halting funding to WHO unethical: China's top epidemiologist

Global Times

Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/15 11:28:56

By halting funding to the World Health Organization, the US is only trying to divert attention from its failure to handle its domestic epidemic, China's top epidemiologist said on Wednesday, noting that the US decision is "unethical."

In a speech at the White House, US President Donald Trump accused the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus." Trump criticized the international health agency for making a "disastrous" decision to oppose travel restrictions from China.

"This is a very bad sign, but can the US defeat its domestic epidemic by halting funding to the WHO?" asked Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zeng told the Global Times that the world is making efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and now is the right time for the WHO to play its role, but the US is only trying to divert attention by halting funding to the organization. "The US has not responded to the epidemic properly and its accusations against the WHO go against the facts. This is unethical and will only make it more isolated in the world."

"It is no longer a world of unilateralism, but multilateralism," Zeng said, noting that the US withdrawal of funds may not have a domino effect, as other countries may not follow the US lead.

According to the introduction of the WHO, its program funds come mainly from two sources - assessed contributions made by member states relative to their wealth and population, and also voluntary contributions.

The US is the biggest financial contributor to the WHO for 2020-2021, accounting for 22 percent of the total assessed contributions from the organization's member states, according to WHO data.

Zeng said the US suspension of funds to the WHO won't impact the international health organization in its sharing of information with the world, but may result in a shortage of funds for staff salaries and some projects. As the US is yet to declare that it will withdraw from the WHO, US officials will continue to attend WHO meetings, which is quite disgraceful, Zeng said.

Commenting on whether China is considering increasing its funding for the WHO, Zeng said it is within China's capability to support the organization financially, but the WHO should not be backed only by one nation. Worldwide nations should jointly increase support for the WHO, otherwise the US may use this as an excuse to attack other countries.

The data issued by the WHO said China accounted for 12 percent of total assessed contributions for the 2020-2021 period.

Assessed contributions have declined as an overall percentage of the program budget and have accounted for less than one quarter of the organization's financing for years. The balance is made up through voluntary contributions, the WHO said.

But assessed contributions by member states remain a key source of financing for the WHO, as it provides a level of predictability and helps to minimize dependence on a narrow donor base, allowing resources to be aligned to the program budget.

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[April 16, 2020] MetLife Foundation Supports COVID-19 Response In NYC

MetLife Foundation today announced that it is providing grants to four New York City-based nonprofit organizations in support of COVID-19 relief efforts. The grants to these four organizations total $1 million and are part of MetLife Foundation's $25 million commitment to the global response to COVID-19. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005690/en/ The organizations receiving grants are: Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation ($200,000), to help families and businesses with funds for expenses such as rent, healthcare and childcare, as well as to provide financial counseling and food supplies to low-income communities.

Children's Health Fund ($150,000), to increase access to healthcare amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to support low-income families with funds for transportation, food, access to technology for remote education, and supplemental learning materials.

Hot Bread Kitchen ($150,000), to provide financial suport and other critical relief for its workforce program alumni, including workers and small businesses in the food industry.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation ($500,000), to support families with small-dollar emergency cash funds for expenses such as rent, food, childcare, transportation, and other basic needs.



As part of the $25 million commitment, MetLife Foundation and other MetLife entities have already provided over $6 million to relief efforts in Asia, EMEA, Latin America, and the United States, including $1 million to U.S. food banks to help them deal with increased demand for their services as a result of COVID-19.

About MetLife Foundation At MetLife Foundation, we believe financial health belongs to everyone. We bring together bold solutions, deep financial expertise and meaningful grants to build financial health for people and communities that are underserved and aspire for more. We partner with organizations around the world to create financial health solutions and build stronger communities, engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. MetLife Foundation was created in 1976 to continue MetLife's long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its founding through the end of 2019, MetLife Foundation provided more than $860 million in grants and $85 million in program-related investments to make a positive impact in the communities where MetLife operates. To date, our financial health work has reached 9.9 million low-income individuals in 42 countries. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.metlife.org. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (MetLife), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005690/en/

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President Trump has finally acknowledged that the coronavirus catastrophic spread in the United States has been fueled by mistakes, mismanagement and misinformation. Unfortunately, he has misdirected the blame at a favorite sort of bogeyman, an international bureaucracy, rather than the chief culprit, his own administration.

Trump announced Tuesday that he would suspend U.S. funding of the World Health Organization, charging that its mishandling of the outbreaks early stages in Wuhan, China, is responsible for so much death. The president no doubt hopes to distract Americans from his dithering and dissembling in the face of the crisis by hobbling an organization charged with guiding the global response to this and other diseases. That makes Trumps outburst as dangerous as it is disingenuous.

The United States is the chief sponsor of the WHO, providing about 15% of its relatively modest budget, as well as the architect of the post-World War II international order that spawned the U.N. agency. To the extent that the WHO has its flaws, as it certainly does, the United States has ample leverage to address them.

But its not clear how a dramatic and sudden reduction of the agencys operating budget might improve its performance or advance American goals, particularly in the midst of a deadly pandemic. Hence the immediate rejection of Trumps position by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers, U.S. allies such as Australia and Japan, and Bill Gates, whose foundation is the WHOs second most significant source of support.

The critique of the WHOs coronavirus response has been that it was excessively deferential to the Chinese government, which initially covered up and downplayed the contagion, and slow to recognize it for the global health emergency that it was. These are legitimate complaints that have little to do with the glaring shortcomings of the U.S. response.

The WHO issued warnings about the coronavirus starting early in the new year and, however belatedly, declared it a public health emergency of international concern by the end of January, at which point California and three other states had already confirmed their first cases. Even in the absence of this international advice, the president heard ample alarm about the potential human and economic cost of the pandemic from his own advisers dating to the same period.

The president nevertheless did not declare a national emergency or back strict social distancing measures for another six weeks. In the interim, he was just as obsequious on the subject of Chinas efforts as the WHO, complimenting Xi Jinpings hard work, professionalism and transparency in dealing with the crisis.

Moreover, the nation owes its lack of testing capacity, one of the greatest and most persistent weaknesses in its defenses against the contagion, to a decision to reject a viable WHO test and insist on domestic efforts that proved halting and ineffective, hobbling efforts to detect and contain outbreaks.

Like the testing fiasco, Trumps reluctance to support and adhere to social distancing recommendations as well as his constant promotion of miracle cures and other misinformation continues to haunt the national response to the pandemic.

With less than a twentieth of the worlds population, the United States now claims more than a quarter of the worlds confirmed coronavirus cases and more than a fifth of the global death toll. Even for an administration steeped in specious scapegoating, this attack on an international public health agency is a remarkably senseless and feeble excuse for a gross abdication of national leadership.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
Police are appealing for witnesses after a 16-year-old girl when missing near Birmingham.

Christine Smith left home on April 14 around 5pm and was believed to have been going shopping at the Morrisons in Acocks Green, Birmingham.

The girl has not been seen in two days and West Midlands Police have issued a photo to try and find her.

She was last seen wearing a black fluffy coat and ripped blue jeans.

Christine is described as five-foot-six, white and with long dark brown hair.

The missing persons appeal was shared on Wednesday, the day after Christine went missing.

It said: '#MISSING| Have you seen Christine Smith from Acocks Green in #Birmingham anywhere?

'The 16-year-old hasn't been seen since yesterday (Tuesday 14 April) when she left her home just before 5pm.

'It's understood she went to the Morrisons store in Acocks Green, but she didn't return.

'Christine is described as white, 5ft 6ins tall, has dark brown long straight hair and was wearing a black fluffy coat and blue ripped jeans at the time of her disappearance.'

Anyone with information is asked to contact Acocks Green Locate team on 101 ext 8926017.
By Akbar Mammadov

The volume of oil produced from the block of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) fields amounted to 505 million tons as of April 1, 2020, the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry has said in a report published in the local media.

As of April 1, 2020, 505 million tons of oil and 168.4 billion cubic meters of associated gas were produced from the block of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) fields. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2020, 6.4 millions tons of oil (a decline of 7.2%) and 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas (an increase of 9.4%) produced from the ACG block, the ministry's report says.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the total oil production in Azerbaijan in the first quarter of 2020 exceeded 9.3 million tons, meaning the total export with 7.6 million tons. In the meantime, the total gas production from the Shah Deniz field in 2006-2020 amounted to 121.5 billion cubic meters.

Moreover, in the first quarter of this year from this, the field produced 4.7 billion cubic meters of gas (an increase of 9.3%) and 0.952 million tons of condensate were produced, the report says.

The ministry also notes that in the first quarter of 2020, 2.6 billion cubic meters of gas was exported from the Shah Deniz field to Turkey, which is 23% higher than that in the same period of 2019. At the same time, so far, 527 million tons of oil, along with condensate and 80.3 billion cubic meters of gas, have been exported from the Shah Deniz field and the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block to world markets.

According to the new contract for the development of the ACG block, which was initially signed on September 20, 1994, newly signed in Baku on September 14, 2017, the share of British BP (project operator) will be 30.37%, SOCAR (25%), American Chevron (9.57%), ExxonMobil (6.79%), Indian ONGC (2.31%), Japanese Inpex Corp. (9.31%) and ITOCHU Oil (3.65%), Norwegian Equinor (7.27%), Turkish TPAO (5.73%).

It should be noted that investments under the new agreement designed until 2050 are estimated at $43 billion for 2017-2049. According to the contract for the development of the Shah Deniz field signed in Baku on June 4, 1996, the participants in the Shah Deniz project are: BP (operator, 28.8%), Petronas (15.5%), SOCAR (16.7%), LUKOIL (10%), NICO (10%), TPAO (19%). Currently, gas production from the Shah Deniz field is carried out from the Alfa platform as part of Stage 1 and from the Bravo platform as part of Stage 2.

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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Islamic terror groups in the Af-Pak region are deemed to be as credible as the support that they receive from the deep-state in Pakistan. It is pertinent that the main accused in the Kabul gurdwara attack is Aslam Faroqi, a Pakistan national based.





by C. Uday Bhaskar





Last year, on Easter Sunday, Sri Lanka was subjected to a vicious terror attack by suicide bombers. The death toll exceeded 250 people, including foreigners. A local group, the National Thoweed Jamaat (NTJ) and its leader, Zahran Hashim, were identified as the perpetrators. The Islamic State (IS) swiftly claimed responsibility and described the bombers as Islamic State fighters.









For India, the presence of sleeper cells and modules in the country that have links with Islamic jihad groups is an abiding internal security challenge. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, there was speculation about the degree to which al Qaeda had been able to make inroads in India.





In recent years, the focus has shifted to the IS. The creation of an IS-Khorasan (IS-K) in early 2015 with a visible presence in Afghanistan-Pakistan, seemed to suggest that the group is now targeting South Asia. The propaganda disseminated by the IS has made extravagant claims about its agenda and the group is now on the regional security radar.





The recent terror attack on a gurdwara in Kabul (March 25) was also claimed by the IS. The IS released a photograph of one of the perpetrators brandishing an assault rifle and identified him as Abu Khalid al-Hindi  the suffix indicating that he was from India. Investigations indicated that this terrorist was Mohammed Muhsin (28), a resident of Kasargod in Kerala, who went to the Gulf in 2018 from where he is believed to have joined the ranks of the IS in Afghanistan.





How serious is the IS as a security threat to India and the South Asian region? According to Indias leading terrorism think-tank SATP (South Asia Terrorism Portal), 99 persons from India were confirmed to have joined the IS in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Of these, 48 are already dead and 35 have since returned.





Last October, the NIA disclosed that it had arrested 127 IS sympathisers from across India since 2014, and the highest number of 33 were from Tamil Nadu. Nineteen persons were arrested from UP, followed by 17 from Kerala, 14 from Telangana, 12 from Maharashtra, eight from Karnataka, seven from Delhi, four each from Uttarakhand and West Bengal, three from the erstwhile J&K, and two persons each from Rajasthan and Gujarat and one each from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. This degree of granularity is testimony to the close watch the Indian security agencies are maintaining concerning the IS and one may conjecture that close intelligence cooperation has been established within and beyond South Asia.





The pattern that now obtains is that countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have their own internal surveillance in place to monitor the activities of the IS-K. One characteristic that merits notice is the inverse relationship between the exaggerated claims made by the IS-K about its profile and reach, and the efficacy of the group by way of human and material resources.





In its most virulent phase (2016-17), the IS projected itself as a de-facto state in West Asia. It has since been militarily decimated and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi neutralised.





The IS has demonstrated a proclivity to re-group by co-opting or merging with credible domestic affiliates, even if they are little-known. The Sri Lankan NTJ is case in point. In Afghanistan, the IS-K has sought to position itself favourably in the factional tussle, and the Kabul gurdwara attack is seen as part of this murderous strategy. Islamic terror groups in the Af-Pak region are deemed to be as credible as the support that they receive from the deep-state in Pakistan. It is pertinent that the main accused in the Kabul gurdwara attack is Aslam Faroqi, a Pakistan national based.





Afghanistan Vice-President Amrullah Saleh, a former intelligence chief, had perceptively noted that the IS-Khorasan presence in Afghanistan is an intelligence game played by some of our neighbours. India and the other affected nations will have to strive individually and collectively to foil such nefarious designs.





The writer is director, Society for Policy Studies, New Delhi, India
Saducas Joins Cloud Management Provider's Executive Team as Global VP of MSP Sales

SEATTLE, April 16, 2020), a global provider of cloud management software for information technology solution partners (ITSPs), recently announced the promotion of European General Manager Kathryn Saducas to Global Vice President, MSP Sales. In this role, she will lead sales and account management teams focused on SkyKick's Managed Services Provider (MSP) segment, driving the company's reach and engagement with SkyKick's 25,000 MSP's and the broader MSP market. Saducas becomes SkyKick's first leader promoted to the SkyKick Executive Team from within the company, a nod to her extremely strong track record of results in the European market, and to the importance the global market plays for the Seattle-Based company.



"SkyKick's rapid expansion and growth for our partners in Europe is due in no small part to Kathryn and her demonstrated ability to build the SkyKick team and brand into a substantial force in the region," said co-CEO, Todd Schwartz. "Her appointment allows us to further develop our global sales teams' capabilities to better help serve our partners' cloud business."

Since joining SkyKick in April 2016 as General Manager of Europe, Saducas has been instrumental in driving awareness and adoption of SkyKick's suite of products - which make it easy and efficient for ITSPs to migrate, backup, and manage customers in the cloud - driving exponential revenue growth in the EMEA region. Additionally, Saducas helped position the company as a leader in GDPR compliance and advocate for European data protection and the rights of SkyKick Partners. The Amsterdam-based office she helped establish now has 50+ team members from 14 different countries delivering sales, support, engineering, marketing, and HR across 15 different languages to 10,000+ partners in over 50 countries.

"SkyKick's growth and expansion globally in the past five years have been phenomenal, and sustaining that growth requires truly integrated, best-in-class sales, marketing, operations and support systems," said co-CEO, Evan Richman. "In order to continue to serve our expanding global partner base, it's essential to have the right leaders in place. We look forward to Kathryn's continued leadership in delivering on SkyKick's mission to help partners successfully move, protect, and manage their customers in the cloud."

The executive appointment is the latest in a series of high points for the Seattle headquartered cloud management company. SkyKick was recently ranked in an article in Forbes as the #1 Cloud Computing Company to work for in Seattle and 11th in the country. Earlier this year, CRN named SkyKick as one of the 20 Coolest Cloud Management and Migration Companies of 2020 , and SkyKick's VP of Global Business Development, Pete Labes, was named a CRN 2020 Channel Chief . Additionally, the company was recognized in the 2020 CRN Partner Program Guide , an annual guide that identifies successful partner programs available in the IT channel. CRN evaluated hundreds of application submissions to compile the annual list, scoring applicants on their program offerings, partner profitability, available partner training, education, and support; marketing programs, sales support, and more. The recognition highlights the company's commitment to providing value and profitability for its over 25,000+ partners around the globe.

About SkyKick

SkyKick is a global provider of cloud automation and management software for IT solution partners. Its products help build successful cloud businesses by making it easy and efficient for IT providers to migrate, backup, and manage their customers in the cloud. Over 25,000 partners in more than 125 countries use SkyKick's products to accelerate their cloud business. The company has won numerous awards, including being named a Microsoft Partner of the Year, Forbes #1 Cloud Company in Seattle to Work for, and one of North America's fastest-growing technology companies, according to Deloitte's Technology Fast 500. SkyKick's global headquarters is in Seattle, European headquarters is in Amsterdam, and it has offices in Sydney and Tokyo. For more information, visit skykick.com.
Opalesque Industry Update - The Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index registered its strongest outperformance relative to underlying markets since October 2008, outperforming the MSCI AC World Index by 9.22% in March. Long volatility and tail risk hedge funds topped the performance tables for Q1 2020, outshining other strategies as market volatility level remained elevated during the past two months. The CBOE Eurekahedge Long Volatility Hedge Fund Index and the CBOE Eurekahedge Tail Risk Hedge Fund Index have returned 39.70% and 44.29% respectively over the first quarter of the year. The Eurekahedge AI Hedge Fund Index gained 0.27% in March, ending the quarter up 0.02%. On a similar note, the Eurekahedge Trade Finance Hedge Fund Index and the Eurekahedge ILS Advisers Index have also recorded gains over the first quarter, with the two indices returning 0.27% and 0.40% respectively as of March 2020 year-to-date. The asset-weighted Mizuho-Eurekahedge Emerging Index - USD ended March down 19.03%, recording its worst month since the inception of the index. Fund managers focusing on Asia ex-Japan and Latin America have witnessed a total of US$6.7 billion net investor redemptions year-to-date. The Eurekahedge UCITS Hedge Fund Index was down 8.51% in March, underperforming non-UCITS hedge funds which were down 3.92% on average during the month. The US$209.4 billion UCITS hedge fund industry has seen US$14.6 billion of performance-driven losses and US$10.1 billion of net investor outflows over the first quarter of 2020. The Eurekahedge North American Long Short Equities Hedge Fund Index declined 7.26% in March, weighed by the weak US equity market performance during the month. Underlying constituents for the index have outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 8.62% as of March 2020 year-to-date. The Eurekahedge Greater China Long Short Equities Hedge Fund Index was down 6.92% in March, outperforming the Hang Seng Index by 2.75%. On a year-to-date basis, the Greater China hedge fund industry has seen its AUM decline from US$30.4 billion to US$30.2 billion. Eurekahedge Fixed Income Hedge Fund Index down 8.49% in March The Eurekahedge Fixed Income Hedge Fund Index was down 8.49% in March as the increase in default rates and lower credit ratings resulted in the weak performance of high yield bonds. The strategic mandate witnessed US$5.0 billion of performance decline and US$3.5 billion of net outflows throughout March. Preliminary data showed that hedge fund managers focusing on structured credit were down 24.50% in March as fund managers suffer substantial losses from illiquid bond holdings and investor redemption pressure. The Eurekahedge Structured Credit Hedge Fund Index has plummeted 25.32% year-to-date, recording its worst quarter since inception. The Eurekahedge Eastern Europe & Russia Hedge Fund Index was down 18.59% in March, ending the first quarter of 2020 losing 25.31%. Failed negotiations between OPEC and Russia exerted significant pressure on economies reliant on the energy sector. The Eurekahedge Billion Dollar Hedge Fund Index was down 4.99% in March, bringing its year-to-date loss to 5.93%. Hedge funds overseeing in excess of US$1 billion in assets have come under redemption pressure in recent months, with US$31.8 billion of net outflows recorded through Q1 2020. Hedge fund managers utilising equity long bias, event driven and distressed debt strategies were down 18.68%, 13.50%, and 11.04% respectively as of March 2020 year-to-date, ending the first quarter of the year at the bottom of the performance table. Equity market sell-offs, weak M&A activities and strained corporate debt market weighed heavily on the performance of these strategies in recent months. Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index down 4.77% in March The Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index was down 4.77% in March , outperforming the underlying equity market as represented by the MSCI ACWI IMI (Local), which lost 13.99% over the month. Global equities were under pressure from the market sell-offs throughout most of the month, before recouping some of their losses later on. The COVID-19 outbreak continued to worsen globally, with the United States overtaking China as the country with the highest number of confirmed cases. US authorities were forced to implement stringent social distancing measures in an attempt to flatten the outbreak curve, resulting in increasing unemployment rate and slowing economic growth as businesses deemed non-essential were forced to temporarily cease their operations. Stimulus packages and an emergency rate cut were implemented during the month, with the aim of supporting the economy and increasing market liquidity. US equity benchmarks record their worst quarterly performance since 1987 The US equity benchmarks recorded their worst quarterly performance since 1987, as they ended the month of March with double-digit losses - the DJIA and S&P 500 were down 13.74% and 12.51% respectively. In the same vein, European equities performed poorly as the coronavirus outbreak situations worsened in the region, turning it into the new epicentre of the pandemic. The CAC 40 and the DAX plummeted 18.01% and 16.44% respectively throughout the month of March. On the other hand, Chinese equity markets outperformed other regions as Mainland China is on track to ease its months-long lockdown. The Shenzhen and Shanghai Composite indices were down 7.54% and 4.51% respectively in March. Contrary to the relative underperformance of the region's equity market, fund managers focusing on North America were down 4.91%, topping their Asia ex-Japan and European peers who were down 8.44% and 6.48% respectively over the month. Approximately 31.6 % of the underlying constituents of the Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index posted positive returns in March, and 10.3% of the fund managers in the database were able to generate double-digit returns over the first three months of 2020. Preliminary estimates showed that 81.8% of the hedge fund managers were able to outperform the global equity market in March, exemplifying the downside protection afforded by hedged strategies as opposed to long-only portfolios. Mizuho-Eurekahedge Asset Weighted Index The asset-weighted Mizuho-Eurekahedge Index - USD was down 7.78% in March as weak equity market performance and strong US dollar weighed on the index performance. It should also be noted that the Mizuho-Eurekahedge Index is US dollar denominated, and during months of strong US dollar gains, the index results include the currency conversion loss for funds that are denominated in other currencies. The Mizuho Eurekahedge Index - USD is down 10.22% over the first quarter of 2020, recording its weakest quarter post-crisis. All of the Mizuho-Eurekahedge indices were down in March, with the Mizuho-Eurekahedge Emerging Markets Index posting the steepest loss of 19.03% as the COVID-19 outbreak situation continued to worsen throughout the month. The underlying long/short equities and multi-strategy mandates of the index suite were also down 7.53% and 10.66% respectively in March.
Editors note: Todays guest editorial originally appeared in The Seattle Times. Editorial content from other publications and authors is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

Remarkable journalism exposed corruption, righted wrongdoings and held government accountable in 2019.

This is highlighted by the recently announced Investigative Reporters & Editors awards. They laud stories exposing abuse of children, bribery and state prison-system failures, among other wrongs.

Sadly, the list could be a high water mark.

While news readership is surging during the pandemic, many outlets are doing stellar work and reporters zeal for investigative work continues, thats not enough. The crisis is accelerating the downward spiral of the news business.

Several IRE winners and finalists work for publishers that went bankrupt or were sold in private-equity deals in the last six months.

Across all U.S. media, newsroom employment fell 25%, shedding 28,000 jobs, from 2008 to 2018, according to Pew Research. At newspapers, newsroom jobs fell 47% over that decade. At least 1,800 newspapers went out of business since 2004.

That could be repeated in a single year. So far the crisis has resulted in 28,000 news workers being laid off, furloughed or having pay cut, according to a New York Times estimate. Some newspapers are dropping editions or suspending print altogether.

Clearly this is going to be an extinction event for some news publishers, industry analyst Ken Doctor told USA Today.

Every industry is suffering, and all workers are important. As the nation works to shore them up, it must also ensure the free press survives and continues to perform its essential role informing the public and holding institutions accountable.

Newspapers officially have been an essential business since 1791, when the First Amendment was ratified. Democracy depends upon a free press to inform voters. The press also provides critical information such as health and safety information during a crisis.

Local newspapers continue to provide most original reporting in their communities. They significantly outperform local TV, radio, and online-only outlets in news production, both in overall story output and in terms of stories that are original, local, or address a critical information need, a 2019 Duke University study found.

With advertising and content being siphoned by online giants, press survival increasingly depends on subscribers and philanthropy. It will also require federal support this year.

Thats just sustenance. As newspapers contract, fewer may be willing or able to devote resources to investigations.

That makes this years IRE awards all the more remarkable.

The Chicago Tribune, working with nonprofit ProPublica, was a finalist for exposing schools wrongly confining and restraining children as young as 5. That was in 2019. In early 2020, some staffers are pleading for a philanthropist to rescue the paper from its hedge-fund owner.

Also lauded were stories published by Gannett papers in Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina. All were sold last year to GateHouse Media, a private equity-backed outfit known for trimming newsrooms. The stories exposed shoddy work of doctors denying disability claims, police seizing property from innocent people and drug cartels in the U.S.

Will the mergers debt burden limit those papers ability to keep investing in such work? Gannett recently ordered staff to take a week off without pay.

McClatchys Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald and Washington, D.C., bureau were lauded for exposing corruption by a giant engineering company. McClatchy has since gone bankrupt. Its likely buyer is the hedge fund controlling The National Enquirer.

On the bright side are IRE wins by organizations pursuing new models to sustain journalism.

The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit co-founded by a venture capitalist, won for exposing voter-roll shenanigans that disenfranchised thousands of voters. The Philadelphia Inquirer, which was saved by a billionaire who donated it to a nonprofit institute, was lauded for exposing abuse at a youth reform school.

But there are only so many billionaires supporting journalism. Thousands of communities no longer have a local newspaper, or only have ghost papers with little reporting.

The pandemic is highlighting how critical local news coverage is to every community, much less award-winning accountability journalism.

Americas free press is essential, gravely threatened and must be preserved.
- Ara Mina has sweet treats to health workers and police officers in some medical centers and police stations

- The actress, who owns a cafe business, personally baked desserts for the frontliners

- She said, I baked from the heart para naman magkaenergy sila

- Ara was also able to share groceries to her employees and revealed that she has donated to some fundraising campaigns as well

PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed

Actress Ara Mina, who owns a cafe business, has sweet treats to health workers and police officers who are at the forefront as the country combats the coronavirus spread.

On her Instagram account, Ara shared photos of frontliners receiving the desserts she personally baked for them.

Eto lang mahehelp ko somehow sa frontliners natin, simpleng desserts na I baked from the heart para naman magkaenergy sila, the actress said.

Ara is the owner of Hazelberry Cafe, which has branches in Pampanga, Pasig, Quezon City, and Alabang.

In the caption of her post, she wrote, First week of ECQ, I was able to bake some cupcakes, cakes and we sent some food for our frontliners in Pasig Doctors Medical Center, AFP Medical Center, Angeles Pampanga Police Station 5 (near #Hazelberry in Pampanga), as well as Police and Military Officers in San Mateo Rizal checkpoint.

"Just a little something for our heroes. Thank you to our frontliners, we salute you! Ara added.

Ara did not forget her employees at Hazelberry Cafe for she was also able to share some groceries with her staff.

My partner @christineangela21 (Christine Quimbo-Baniqued) and I were also able to share some groceries to our employees. Thank God for providing, she wrote.

Tulungan lang po tayo hanggat sa makakaya. Were giving our best effort. Donating also to some friends na nagreraise ng funds. Still thinking of how we can help pa while still working from home for @hazelberryofficial para kahit papaano may maitulong pa tayo sa ating kapwa, said Ara.

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

As reported earlier by KAMI, Ara Mina, a veteran actress in the Philippines, willingly granted an exclusive interview with KAMI. She was asked to give an honest opinion about the rift between Sarah Geronimo and mommy Divine. She clarified that the said personalities are her good friends but she is siding with Sarah this time.

Ara Mina, or Hazel Pascual Reyes in real life, is a Filipina showbiz personality and commercial endorser. She is the elder sibling of popular actress Cristine Reyes.

Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters!

Maricar Reyes participated in a hilarious edition of our Tricky Questions challenge! Check out all of the exciting videos and celebrity interviews on our KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel!

Source: KAMI.com.gh
An American in northern port city of Hai Phong faces deportation after falsely claiming he was Covid-19 positive, authorities said Wednesday.

Au Joseph Elhayboubi, 32, had entered Vietnam last October, and his visa allowed him to stay until January 25. Previously, since May 2018, he had tried several times to enter Vietnam for traveling and working in foreign language centers, but failed. Further details of his earlier attempts were not available at publication time.

After entering Vietnam, he traveled to several localities and applied for jobs. He came to Hai Phong in January and applied for a job at a local English center, but failed. He left and visited several other places before returning to the northern city on March 22 and taking up temporary residency on Lach Tray Street.

He then reported to authorities that he had Covid-19. He was taken to the Viet Tiep Hospital to be monitored, but caused such a commotion that he had to be quarantined in a separate room.

Elhayboubi later tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

Police said it was likely that he did not have enough money to get by and couldn't return to the U.S. as international flights in Vietnam are currently suspended under Covid-19 prevention policies.

He came up with the Covid-19 ploy so he would be provided accommodation and food in Vietnam, they said.

Elhayboubi finished his quarantine period on April 3. A report was filed against him by the Hai Phong Police department for overstaying his visa, and they are recommending that he is fined and deported to the U.S.

Vietnam has confirmed 268 Covid-19, 97 of them active and the rest discharged. The global death toll has been reported at over 134,600, with the pandemic spreading to 210 countries and territories.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend:

Azerbaijans Azercosmos OJSC has signed an agreement with the US UltiSat, Inc., one of the world's leading satellite services company, Trend reports referring to Azercosmos.

According to the agreement, UltiSat will provide data services in the Middle East and Europe using the resources of the Azerspace-1 telecommunication satellite.

We are glad to have UltiSat in our portfolio as a strong and reliable partner, stated Mark Guthrie, Chief Commercial Officer at Azercosmos. We truly believe that this cooperation will ensure that every community is provided with data services that are of high demand in these challenging times.

UltiSat is excited about our new relationship with Azercosmos, said Chris Hetmanski, EVP of Business Development. We look forward to working closely with our new partner in the coming months to deploy advanced, managed network services for our customers.

Azercosmos is the premier satellite operator in the South Caucasus. Azerspace-1, the telecommunication satellite operated by Azercosmos, provides highly-reliable broadband and broadcast solutions to its customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The company operates two communications satellites - Azerspace-1, Azerspace-2, and the low-orbit satellite Azersky.
Vermilion Energy Inc. VET recently suspended its monthly dividend payout to preserve cash and maintain liquidity in the wake of weak global energy demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. With this strategic move, the company plans to spend the saved amount on reducing its financial leverages. The dividend postponement is effective Apr 15.

With the coronavirus spread showing no signs of subsiding, most companies across the world are undertaking compensatory measures to tackle the situation. These industry players are not only stalling their dividends but also focusing on other cost-cutting actions.

Further adding to its woes is the status of the Canadian oil market, which is in complete disarray. Heavy Canadian crude, which usually trades at a discount with U.S. West Texas Intermediate oil, seems sinking after the countrys oil-sand producers were required to halt maintenance activity, thereby clogging the market with possible surplus supply.

Vermilion Energy Inc. Price

Vermilion Energy Inc. Price

Vermilion Energy Inc. price | Vermilion Energy Inc. Quote

In response to the bearish oil environment, last month, Vermilion Energy trimmed its monthly dividend from the prior payout of 11.5 Canadian cents to 2 Canadian cents per share and curbed 2020 spending budget following a dip in oil prices. Starting March, this Calgary-based oil-and-gas producer managed to lower its cash deployment for capital investments and dividend payouts by C$520 million. The company also came up with new strategies that have potential to save costs up to worth C$30 million.

For cash holding and liquidity sustenance, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company follows various other E&P players in the energy sector that are resorting to dividend cancellations and capex cuts. Citing the uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic, Continental Resources, Inc. CLR, EQT Corporation EQT and Apache Corporation APA among others also announced plans to defer or slash their dividend distributions and trim capital budgets. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Story continues

Given the growing possibility of a depression in 2020, cash seems the principal factor for businesses and investors. Therefore, amid the coronavirus crisis, many companies might be forced to make rigid moves for cash conservation. So, until normalcy resumes, investors should brace up for more capex reductions and dividend payout delays.

5 Stocks Set to Double

Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth.

Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>



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Oregon-made organic superfood bars rapidly expand across US

LivBar has seen whirlwind growth in 2020, and bars are now available in every state in the US. They continue to expand their footprint into larger retailers beyond the natural food sector including the traditional grocery and convenience store segments. Over the next month, LivBar will be launching in Lowes Foods (East Coast), Piggy Wiggly (South East), and Plaid Pantry (Pacific Northwest).

The combination of superfoods, low allergen (gluten free, GMO free, soy free, dairy free, corn free, peanut free) ingredients, a crunchy and chewy texture, and a home compostable wrapper have captured the interest of consumers and retailers alike.

Created by Jan Johansen, a practicing nutritionist in Salem, Oregon, in 2012, she was ahead of her time using organic superfoods and compostable packaging from the very start. Over the last eight years, the market has made major shifts into the fast-moving current that LivBar was founded in.

LivBars are innovative in the bar space as one of the few baked bars and fall in the sweet spot between hard nut bars and soft date paste bars. They are all plant-based vegetarian with two vegan options.

All this growth has been personally overwhelming, Johansen said. I always hoped, but never anticipated, how many people are taking their health seriously and looking for organic, real food alternatives, that are good for their bodies, minds, and the environment.

LivBar has rapidly gained momentum since early 2019 to expand the brand, gaining national distribution in UNFI, KeHE, DPI, Core-Mark, and McLane, and also winning an impressive string of awards, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Most Mindful Consumer Packaged Good, and Oregon Organic Processor of the Year.

LivBars are currently available nationwide, online at Amazon Prime, Amazon Subscribe and Save, direct from the LivBar website (http://www.livbar.com), and in thousands of stores including Whole Foods, Erewhon, Fresh Thyme, Bristol Farms, and now Piggy Wiggly, Lowes Foods, and Plaid Pantry. LivBar is distributed nationally through UNFI, KeHE, Core-Mark, McLane, and DPI Specialty Foods.

About LivBar

LivBar was founded in 2012 in Salem, Oregon, by two nutrition and fitness experts, Jan and Gabe Johansen. Jan was challenged to find any truly healthy energy bars she could recommend to her clients, so she created the LivBar recipes. LivBars are crunchy and chewy and come in five delicious superfood flavors: Coffee Maple Cacao, Raspberry Kale Maca, Blueberry Vanilla Kale, Ginger Lemon Turmeric, and Lemongrass Cherry Matcha. For more about LivBar, visit LivBar.com or check out our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, & LinkedIn.

About Plaid Pantry

Plaid Pantry is a locally owned and operated 108 location convenience store chain based in the greater Portland Oregon area, with stores ranging from Salem, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. They carry the widest variety of beverages and snacks of any local convenience store and have recently added many organic, GMO-free, fair trade and other healthier choices to their stores.

Lowes Foods

Lowes Foods began in 1954 as a single store in North Wilkesboro, NC, and has grown to become a major supermarket chain operating in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The company grew rapidly during the 1960s, '70s and early '80s. Lowes Foods was acquired by Merchants Distributors, Inc. (MDI) in 1984 and began an aggressive expansion program in 1986, opening 19 stores over the next four years. In 1997, Lowes Foods acquired Byrds Food Stores, located in eastern North Carolina. It continued its growth in 2000 with the purchase of 13 Hannaford stores. Today Lowes Foods operates close to 100 stores and continues to open new stores throughout North and South Carolina.

Piggly Wiggly

Piggly Wiggly, America's first true self-service grocery store, was founded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1916 by Clarence Saunders. Saunders' reason for choosing the intriguing name Piggly Wiggly remains a mystery; he was curiously reluctant to explain its origin. Someone once asked him why he had chosen such an unusual name for his organization, to which he replied, "So people will ask that very question." Regardless of his inspiration, he succeeded in finding a name that would be talked about and remembered. Today there are more than 530 Piggly Wiggly stores serving communities in 17 states. All Piggly Wiggly stores are independently owned and operated, and though they are located primarily in the Southeast, there are Piggly Wiggly stores and as far north as Wisconsin.
Removing hazardous vapours from tanks using nanotechnology

Ecochlor is providing a technology which removes VOC vapours from fuel and cargo tanks, and suppresses further evaporation from fuel and sludge with a liquid suppressant.

Maritime equipment company Ecochlor, headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, is providing a service to the maritime industry which promises to clear a tank of VOC (volatile organic compound) vapours in a fraction of the time that air purging or gas inerting requires. Fuel and cargo tanks contain hazardous VOC vapours, especially when sludge is present in the bottom of the tank. VOC vapours must be managed for several reasons. They have to be removed before filling the tank with a different cargo. They carry a risk of explosion, when mixed with oxygen in the right ratio. They must also be reduced to a safe level for any person to enter the tank for inspections or maintenance in order to prevent unhealthy exposure for workers. VOC vapor management conventionally involves inerting the tank by pumping a non-reactive gas, such as nitrogen, into the tank to displace oxygen. This removes the explosive hazard but means a worker cannot safely enter the tank, as breathable atmosphere has been removed. Ecochlors new technology is licensed from NanoVapor Inc, based in the Woodlands, Texas. It utilizes a liquid suppressant which is blown into the tank together with compressed air, creating extremely small nano droplets. The nano droplets work at a liquid surface level, creating a molecular layer that quickly suppress any VOC vapor formation in the tank, as well as preventing further evaporation without removing breathable atmosphere. This allows workers to safely enter the tank without risk of asphyxiation or explosion. While the technology is new, it is important to use standard sensors to measure VOC vapor in the tank, and determine that the technology has worked as described, says Andrew Marshall, Vice President, Business Development, Ecochlor. According to Mr Marshall, The NanoVapor method can be up to 90 per cent faster than using normal air ventilation, as well as better for the environment. This nanotechnology is completely non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-reactive, and biodegradable. It is completely safe for human contact. Other tank inerting technologies, such as filling the tank with water to suppress and remove VOCs, also create a waste disposal challenge. According to Ecochlor, NanoVapor leaves no waste to clean up or contaminate the environment. Shell Oil conducted a study in which compared NanoVapor to all possible alternatives for removing VOC vapour from petrol underground storage tanks, such as air purging, water filling, inerting with nitrogen, and dry ice (CO2). Upon completion, Shell chose NanoVapor as their global best practice for fuel storage tank degassing for maintenance and inspections. Ecochlor is the exclusive marine agent for the product. About the technology The technology was initially developed for use in aviation, where VOC vapours must also be removed from a fuel tank in the course of maintenance. Since development, it has been utilized in tanks at retail petrol (gas) stations. It has been optimised for hydrocarbons categorised as C5 or heavier, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and heavy fuel oil. The technology comprises a container of liquid suppressant, and a portable hardware delivery unit which blows the nano droplets into the tank using compressed air. The system weighs only 45kg, is about the size of a filing cabinet, and has no moving parts. It is connected to a compressed air input, and the output is connected to the tank vent. The delivery unit will use about 1 litre of liquid suppressant per hour. There are a number of demonstration videos on the Ecochlor website, including using the fluid above an open container of petrol, and then lighting a match above the petrol to see that there is no VOC igniting. In December 2019, NanoVapor received a product type approval certificate from Lloyds Register. Using in practice The shipowner takes out a contract with Ecochlor to use the NanoVapor technology. Ecochlor also provides a chemical related service for ballast water treatment, and in that, there is a requirement for an Ecochlor technician to visit the ship twice a year, and can do chemical resupply at the same time. The same ship visit can be used to replenish the NanoVapor suppressant. It will be initially available for use in bunker tanks, and towards the second half of 2020 the company plans to look at cargo tank applications. The technology has not yet been extensively used in the maritime sector, although if it is reliable enough for aviation, the maritime sector ought to be comfortable with it, Mr Marshall says. Were building our body of knowledge on exactly how the system behaves and performs across a variety of applications. We want to get to a point where we can give a specific answer to a question like, Ive got a bunch of suezmaxes, I want to be able to degas, how much and how long, he says. So far, conversations are going on with a couple of cruise lines, a couple of very large tanker organizations, some Korean bulkers and some Japanese chemical tanker companies, he said. If someone wants to take part in those demonstrations they are more than welcome to contact us. Beyond that, theres a question of how else we can use this technology. A number of owners that we spoke to have been quite creative in their thinking Were adding a process. People have to think slightly differently about how they are doing things onboard. Were taking baby steps to make sure the roll out is done properly. Enclosed space death Mr Marshall believes that the technology could also directly reduce the number of enclosed space deaths, one of the biggest causes of death on ships today. Deaths are often associated with asphyxiation, especially when rescue attempts are made to retrieve an already compromised worker in the enclosed space. The root cause of these incidents has been attributed by a number of commentators to be time pressure (see Jan-Feb 2020 issue, reports from Tanker Operators Hamburg conference). People do not follow the full procedures for entering an enclosed space because they are also under pressure to get the task completed by a deadline, and feel their job may be at risk. It is tough to fix the problem of seafarers feeling under time pressure, but the pressure might be reduced a little if a service like this can make the tank free of gases much faster, Mr Marshall says.




The Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department promised millions of Americans would receive their coronavirus stimulus checks this week, but many are reporting glitches or other delays.

As many as 80 million U.S. adults were expecting to receive $1,200 via direct deposit by Wednesday morning, but a large number are saying they havent received anything -- or the wrong amount. Some parents reported not receiving $500 for their dependent children, despite being eligible.

IRS and Treasury officials told The Washington Post Thursday that they are aware of the issues and are working to fix them.

According to the Post, one of the glitches appears to be related to people who filed their tax returns through TurboTax and H&R Block. Several million people who filed taxes though those tax preparer services were unable to get their payments because the IRS did not have their direct deposit information on file, according to the Treasury, companies and experts.

In a statement, TurboTax insisted the IRS has the appropriate banking information for all its users.

Any TurboTax customer who selects a refund transfer or a debit card that gets a stimulus payment sent from the IRS to those accounts will receive those stimulus payments without delay or fees, TurboTax said. The IRS is responsible for determining taxpayer eligibility for receiving a stimulus and, if a taxpayer is eligible, how and when the stimulus payments will be delivered to them.

The IRS launched a new online tool, Get My Payment, on Wednesday to allow people to look up the status of their coronavirus relief check or add any information that may be missing. However, many complained they were seeing messages saying Payment Status Not Available.

According to USA Today, some people reported the Get My Payment site showed money being sent to wrong bank accounts that dont belong to the filers.

I was so confused, Aimme Saldana, a 23-year-old warehouse worker in California, told the newspaper. I dont know where they got that number from... I lost two weeks of pay because I was sick. I was depending on that for my car payment.

I'm gonna try writing 'payment status not available' on my tax return this year, since it's apparently an acceptable excuse. pic.twitter.com/XHrsNRywr5  Matt Christiansen (@MLChristiansen) April 15, 2020

great my stimulus check got sent to the wrong bank account I cannot find any information on how to even talk to the IRS about this issue now it looks like I'm just s*** out of luck great I really needed this money  Chris Brown (@ChrisBr45854814) April 15, 2020

People getting their checks while Im stuck with Payment Status Not Available pic.twitter.com/BGtz88Sszq  Isaac Reyes (@isaacr312) April 15, 2020

The stimulus checks, officially referred to as economic impact payments, are part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act approved by Congress. Most U.S. adults will get $1,200 each and $500 per eligible child.

Most people dont have to do anything to get their relief payments. The money is being deposited directly into taxpayers bank accounts, if the IRS already has that information from 2019 or 2018 tax returns. Social Security recipients also will get their money automatically, delivered by whatever method they receive their monthly payments (either direct deposit or a check mailed to them).

More than 70 million paper checks are expected to be mailed out over the next few months, but those may be delayed, too, because President Donald Trump wanted his name on them. Multiple reports this week say the Treasury Department instructed the IRS to print Trumps signature in the memo line of the checks, likely creating "a downstream snarl that will result in a delay.

Note: This story has been updated with a statement from TurboTax.

Cuomo extends closure of schools, nonessential businesses into May

Coronavirus stimulus: Americans would get $2K a month during pandemic in proposed bill

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The girl told a police detective that she did not know the mans real name, but she provided an Instagram handle. She told police that the man was a counselor and that while in the shelter, she would have to do what he told her to do.
City officials in Romulus want residents to have a voice in the decision that was made to transfer the title of the deep injection well, and they want all voices to be heard.

Although the change was made, giving the title to Republic Services, the company is hosting a virtual community meeting to discuss the move at the request of city officials.

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. April 20.

The well is located on Citrin Drive.

In September 2019, Mayor LeRoy Burcroff, along with the citys executive team, met with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy to voice concerns over the transfer of the license for the deep injection well to Republic Services.

The request for transfer was approved by EGLE before a hearing could take place. Nevertheless, officials want a hearing prior to any activity taking place.

For the most part, the well has been inactive since the original license was granted in the beginning of the 2000s and transferred to Environmental Geo-Technologies in 2011.

City officials continued to press the issue, despite the fact the transfer is considered a minor modification to the permit and it doesnt require public input.

Officials still urged EGLE, the governors office and Republic to host the hearing for the public prior to the onset of operations of the facility.

According to city officials, the idea is to ensure transparency and accurate information provided to residents. It also would establish a channel for public input on the issue.

Our primary responsibility is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Romulus, Burcroff said. While the city of Romulus has always voiced its strong objections to the operation of any hazardous waste injection wells in the city, the state several years ago, over those objections, granted a permit to operate the well on Citrin Drive, and in September, approved the transfer of the license.

My team has been working hard for months to ensure the people of Romulus have the opportunity to participate in a public meeting on the deep injection well and we are pleased Republic is accommodating this request.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the format in which the meeting would have been held, Burcroff said he believes it is still important to give the public the opportunity to be engaged with the process.

Officials said Republic has made significant safety improvements to the facility and is expected to tell more about its operations during the meeting.

Residents who wish to join the virtual community meeting may do so by visiting DetroitIndustrialWell.com/Webinar.

For questions or concerns, call 734 946-1000 or visit DetroitIndustrialWell.com.
 Flash

Tanzania, located in East Africa, is regarded as one of the birthplaces of humankind. The Serengeti National Park and Kilimanjaro Mountain are two of its most famous tourist spots.







Since the country won its independence in the 1960s, the Chama Cha MapinduziCCMof Tanzania has been its ruling party, and the long-term political stability of Tanzania has won it a reputation as an "oasis of peace" in Africa.





Relations between China and Tanzania have developed in a sound and steady manner since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1964.





Epoch-making visit





In 2013, President Xi Jinping chose Tanzania as the first stop of his Africa visit after he took office as Chinese President. This demonstrates the significance President Xi attaches to bilateral ties, and his desire to open a new chapter in the two countries' friendship.





During his visit, President Xi delivered an important speech Trustworthy Friends and Sincere Partners Forever at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Dar-es-salaam. The 30-minute speech won 30 rounds of warm applause.





In his speech, President Xi proposed the key principles of China's Africa policy - sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith - charting the course for the development of Sino-Africa relations in the new era.





Time-honored friendship





As an African saying goes, "A river runs deep because of its source". The friendly exchanges between China and Tanzania date back a long time. The traditional friendship between the two countries were forged and deepened by the older generations of Chinese and Tanzanian leaders, such as Chairman Mao Zedong, and President Julius Nyerere. Julius Nyerere visited China more than 10 times, a testimony to his deep friendship for China.





In 1971, China resumed its lawful seat at the United Nations during the 26th UN General Assembly. Chairman Mao observed fondly that it was our African brothers who have carried us into the U.N.





Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim was dedicated to developing Sino-Tanzania and Sino-Africa relations when he served as Foreign Minister, Prime Minister of Tanzania and Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity (predecessor to the African Union).





President Xi awarded Dr. Salim the "Friendship Medal" in 2019, an event marking 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He is the only African national to have won this honor.





More and more Tanzanians have taken up the relay baton from elder generation of Tanzanian leaders like Mwalimu Nyerere and Dr. Salim. In 2008, when the Beijing Olympic torch relay reached Dar-es-Salaam, local Tanzanians celebrated the occasion as if it's their own festival.





Friendship monument





In the 1960s, despite financial difficulties, China helped the Tanzanian people build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, nicknamed the Uhuru Railway or freedom railway. It has not only lent support to the national liberation struggles in Southern Africa, but also erected a monument for Sino-Africa friendship.





Tanzania has actively participated in the construction of the Belt and Road, and more and more Chinese enterprises are seeking development opportunities in Tanzania, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples.





In 2016, the Nyerere Bridge built by a Chinese enterprise was opened to traffic. It is the largest cable-stayed cross-sea bridge in East Africa.





Inter-party exchanges





Even mountains and seas cannot distance people with common aspirations. Since the launch of reform and opening-up in China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has engaged with political parties of all kinds around the world.





In 1978, the CCM was among the first to send a delegation to China and built close ties with the CPC. Since President Xi's visit in 2013, inter-party relations have developed fast with the personal attention and support of the two parties' leaders.

The year 2018 was special in the history of the two parties' relations. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the CPC and the CCM, the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting Africa Thematic Event was held in Tanzania, the first time the event was held outside China. Nearly 200 delegates of the CPC and 38 parties from 36 African countries shared their views on common concerns.





Following the COVID-19 outbreak in China, leaders of the CCM sent a message of solidarity to the CPC immediately. And after confirmed cases of COVID-19 were first reported in Tanzania, the CPC shared its epidemic-control experience with the CCM without reservation, which was highly commended by the Tanzanian ruling party.





As long as the two sides can grasp opportunities, and value what we have achieved, the cooperation between the CPC and the CCM will become closer, and show endless vitality.




Written By:Stacy Simon

Researchers from the American Cancer Society found that sales by e-cigarette maker JUUL bounced back from a dip within weeks after it removed most of its flavored products from stores. In fact, sales went on to rise even higher than they were before that change was made, as buyers switched to menthol, mint, or tobacco flavors that were still in stores.

In November 2018, JUUL voluntarily removed most of its flavored products except mint/menthol and tobacco flavors from stores (but not its website). The company was under pressure from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address a sharp rise in vaping among young people, among whom JUUL is the overwhelming favorite e-cigarette. According to the FDA, most young people say flavors are the main reason they vape.

The study, published online April 16, 2020 in the American Journal of Public Health, tracked sales data of e-cigarette flavors in convenience, food, and drug stores from January 2015 through October 2019, in part to see what effect the product ban had on sales. The researchers used the Nielsen Companys Scantrack data to look at trends for 5 categories of flavors: fruit, menthol/mint, sweet, tobacco, and other.

Tracking sales over time

JUUL sales grew from 2017 to 2018, during which the use of e-cigarettes with fruit flavors rose from 12.9% of sales in January 2017 to 33.3% in October 2018.

During the same time, tobacco flavored e-cigarettes dropped from 39.7% of sales to 16.6%.

Once JUUL took its fruit flavors out of stores in November 2018, sales of fruit-flavored e-cigarette products dropped to 9.1% by April 2019.

During this same time, menthol/mint flavors rose from 33% of sales to 62.5% and tobacco flavors rose from 16.6% to 22.3%.

Within 12 weeks of the fruit and sweet flavor ban, sales of JUUL vaping products hit a new high, with mint/menthol flavors leading the way.

By September 2019, sales of fruit flavors had risen again to 15.9% of e-cigarette sales, driven by increased sales from other e-cigarette companies (including NJOY, blu, VUSE, Logic, and others).

Self-regulation didnt work

The researchers say their study shows that relying on e-cigarette companies to regulate themselves doesnt work, because buyers will switch to other flavors or other brands.

Alex Liber, MSPH, senior scientist with the Economic & Health Policy Research program at the American Cancer Society, said, Companies attempts to self-impose their own restrictions are unlikely to improve public health. JUULs withdrawal of fruit-flavored products was quickly offset by a combination of increased fruit-flavored sales by JUULs competitors and increased sales of other flavors  notably, mint/menthol  by JUUL.

The researchers say consistent, government-set standards may be more successful at lowering the number of young people who are vaping because all companies would have to meet them.

Our study shows when exceptions to regulatory policies are made, the market will fill the void, said Liber. The growth of fruit-flavored sales experienced by NJOY once JUUL stopped selling mango-flavored e-cigarettes is a striking indication of that happening. If governments exempt some e-cigarettes from a flavor regulation and not others  for example if governments exempt disposable or open system e-cigarettes from prohibitions on selling flavored products  we might expect consumer demand for flavored products to migrate to those types of products.
Air Force makes final basing decision for next two Air National Guard F-35A bases

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published April 15, 2020

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Department of the Air Force selected Truax Field, Wisconsin, and Dannelly Field, Alabama, for the next two Air National Guard F-35A Lightning II locations.

F-35As will begin to replace many of the older fourth-generation aircraft, but the Air Force will continue to fly a mix of fifth and fourth-generation fighters into the 2040s. This will allow the Air Force to maintain enough fighters to meet combatant commander requirements, provide required training, and allow a reasonable and uninterrupted deployment tempo for the force.

"The Department of the Air Force selected the 115th Fighter Wing and the 187th Fighter Wing as the next Air National Guard locations to receive the F-35A," said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett. "Putting F-35s at these two bases continues our transition into the next generation of air superiority."

Before finalizing the basing decisions, the Air Force completed the required environmental analysis, which began in early 2018.

The Air Force expects the F-35As to begin arriving at Truax and Dannelly Fields in 2023.

Currently, three active duty operational locationsHill Air Force Base, Utah; RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom; and Eielson AFB, Alaska, one other Air National Guard location, Burlington Air Guard Station, Vermont.

One Air Force Reserve location, Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, has been selected to host F-35A aircraft, pending the results of an environmental study.

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Mumbai, April 16 : In a significant announcement, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday said that Mumbai has been spared "community transmission" of Covid-19.

The declaration came against the backdrop of the country's commercial capital recording the highest number of Covid-19 deaths at 114 and 1896 positive cases in the country till Wednesday.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray added to the glad tidings by proclaiming that success is also being achieved in the 'war against virus' ranging from a six-month-old infant to an 83-year-old grandma, who have emerged as fully cured of Covid-19 and returned home.

The trend started with the state's first married couple which tested Covid-19 positive on March 9 and was successfully cured to return home on March 23.

"Since then, the number of Corona patients getting cured has consistently increased to 295 till April 15, including the maximum 166 from Mumbai, 43 in Pune district, 26 in Thane district and 11 in Nagpur, and other parts of the state," said Thackeray, in a social media interaction.

The BMC's conclusion came after analyzing the data of patients at 97 'fever clinics' - started by the civic body recently in the city, many of which are operated in 'containment zones' and congested slums.

Of the 3,585 persons examined in these 'fever clinics', 912 persons were sent for Covid-19 tests in which five were detected positive.

These five persons had either a history of foreign travel or contact with those who had recently travelled abroad, and accordingly, the BMC exercised all precautions and implemented the relevant protocols.

"The test data reveals an incident of only 0.54 percent infections, indicating that there is no 'community transmission' of Covid-19 in Mumbai," said the BMC official.

Besides the 'fever clinics', the BMC has also launched a helpline number where doctors offer free advice to persons with complaints of fever, cough, cold or breathing problems.

Around 6,000 persons took advice, of which 1,200 were advised 'home quarantine', over 300 referred for Covid-19 tests for which samples were collected from their homes to prevent them from stepping out during lockdown, said the BMC.

In the past over a month, Maharashtra has recorded 2,916 Covid-19 cases and 187 fatalities, though 7 districts in the state are totally free of the corona scourge.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
A rising cloud of smoke that was recorded by a bystander was followed by raining debris that made bullet-like noise as it struck cars in the area. Video recorded after the explosion showed extensive damage to the mill, which employs about 500 people and is a key piece of rural Maines economy.
PHILADELPHIA  A Lansdowne was arrested this week in connection with the alleged March 30th murder of another man on board a SEPTA train along the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue in Philadelphia.

Police identified the suspect as Tahmir Banks, 21, of the unit block of Beverly Avenue in Lansdowne.

According to police, SEPTA police were called to the 3100 block Kensington Avenue March 30 at 12:37 a.m. on the report that a man had been shot in the head on a moving Market-Frankford line train. The incident reportedly occurred near the Erie-Torresdale and Tioga stops.

The victim, identified as Nicholas Troxell, 41, of the 2000 block of East Firth Street, was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he died shortly before 1 a.m.

Nicks family will remember him for his artistic talent, and like many who grew up in Philly, he displayed this through street graffiti art. He will also be remembered for his love and loyalty to his family, according to an online obituary for Troxell.

Banks was charged with murder, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of an instrument of crime and related charges. Following his arraignment, Banks was incarcerated without bail. He is next scheduled in court later this month.
FORMER Tanzanian Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, is expected to lead the East African Community (EAC), elections observation mission to Burundi as the nation heads to the polls later next month.

Mr Pinda will lead an observer mission that will be deployed in the East African country to supervise its upcoming 2020 elections.

This comes as the incumbent Burundi President; Mr Pierre Nkurunziza expressed his intention not to run for the countrys top most office this year.

EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko had in February this year assured the region and the international community that Burundi elections will be fair, inclusive and peaceful.

In the same vein, the EAC Secretariat pledged to support credible, free, fair and peaceful elections in the country.

The EAC boss stressed that his office had already dispatched a group of experts to make consultations with Burundi officials and Burundis electoral commission in order to make sure that the upcoming elections are peaceful and inclusive.

The EAC Observation Mission team will supervise Burundi elections before, during and after the elections, the EAC Secretary-General said recently.

Article 124 of the EAC Treaty affirms the need for peace and security within the Partner States.

The article further spells out wide-ranging approaches for implementation in order to have a stable and secure environment within the region.

The Treaty further mandates the community to observe electoral processes within the context of the National Constitutions of the Partner States.

This years elections will be conducted for the first time since the country promulgated its new Constitution in 2018.

The country has been embroiled in political chaos ever since the incumbent embattled President Nkurunziza announced his intention of running for a third term back in April 2015.

It has also witnessed political instability marked by violent clashes between government and opposition forces as well as the suppression of civil society, media and opposition groupsfollowing the disputed decision by President Nkurunziza.

The political atmosphere in the neighboring country led to the commissioning of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue (IBD) an EAC initiative, which seeks to resolve political tensions whipped up by the controversial general elections of 2015, under the facilitation of former Tanzania President, Benjamin William Mkapa.
Deans Beans Organic Coffee Co. donated $5,000 Wednesday to the Springfield Public Schools to help provide 15,000 meals a day to students left without a source of nutrition while schools are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The gift is one of several of at least $2,000 the 26-year-old coffee company plans to make to Massachusetts school districts including Holyoke and Amherst, said founder and CEO Dean Cycon.

The donations come as Deans Beans is helping the fight against COVID-19 by gifting one-pound bags of coffee to 1,000 Massachusetts residents hit hardest by COVID-19. People can nominate a recipient at deansbeans.com.

Deans Beans is also donating thousands of tin ties  those little twisty things that close coffee bags  to mask makers so the masks will fit better over the nose.

The coronavirus  and the shutdown orders around the country that have disrupted commerce  has also done something interesting to Deans Beans business.

6 Congressman Richard E. Neal visits Lincoln Elementary School distribution site

Cycon said his wholesale business to restaurants and coffee shops is usually 70% of total sales. But since the middle of last month, its down a similar 70%. The reason is simple, he said. Those shops have either closed or cut back and restricted themselves to takeout orders.

But Deans Beans online business  selling bags of coffee to consumers  has tripled, Cycon said.

The company has been able to trace some of that business to areas where cafes that once sold Deans Beans have now closed. That would indicate people who are used to buying cups of coffee at cafes are now making it at home.

But much of the business is coming from areas where there were no coffee shops, Cycon said. That indicates consumers are Googling organic free trade coffee and buying from Deans Beans, he said.

"So web orders have been off the charts for us," Cycon said. "Maybe its the way of the future."

The last time he saw this kind of a surge was in the early days of the 2008 Great Recession. He said in times of uncertainty, consumers seek out companies where they see a reflection of their own values.

"The money we're making we are turning it around and giving it back so kids can get the food they need," he said.

The use of the tin ties began after a home mask maker told Deans Beans that using ties scrounged from empty coffee bags makes for a better seal. The company has since donated thousands of ties to mask makers in Massachusetts and New York.

Deans Beans has 15 employees in its roasting operation in Orange. Cycon said it has been difficult to keep everyone employed and to keep up with orders while working around child care demands and ensuring employees who feel ill dont come to work. Cycon said the plant is now running two shifts, instead of one, so that workers are not bunched up together.

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New Greatness extremist movement trial adjourned until May due to pandemic

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

11:53 16/04/2020

MOSCOW, April 16 (RAPSI)  Moscows Lyublinsky District Court has postponed hearing of arguments in a case against activists of the New Greatness (Novoe Velichie) extremist movement until May 7, according to a statement of the courts press service.

Starting March 18, courts have heard only urgent cases and hold hearings without the parties precense due to the coronavirus epidemic. This order is set minimum until April 30.

Moreover, one of the defense lawyers involved in the movement case is currently in France and cannot depart for Russia because of the closed borders, the statement reads.

Four defendants, Ruslan Kostylenkov, Vyacheslav Kryukov, Dmitry Poletayev and Petr Karamzin are in detention. Three other alleged members of the movement, Maria Dubovik, Anna Pavlikova and Maxim Roshchin are under house arrest.

One more accused person, who had been placed under house arrest, Sergey Gavrilov managed to escape and was put on a wanted list. His case was returned to the prosecution.

Alleged activists of the extremist movement were arrested in March 2018. Investigators stated that the defendants followed far-right ideas and that their leader claimed that he planned to establish a new order in Russia.

The New Greatness case became a subject of public controversy because the defense has information that the movement itself was organized by a law enforcement officer.




The number of COVID-19 contacts linked to the only index case in Anambra has hit 39 with three of them living outside the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Vincent Okpala, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) in Awka on Thursday.

Mr Okpala said the state government had established contact with each of them while it had located where the other three contacts were staying to bring them under control.

He said the index case patient was stable and was making progress and cooperating with the government on the tracing of contacts.

He said the identities of the patients and hospitals involved could not be disclosed as demanded by the ethics of medicine, but assured that all were safe.

As of Wednesday night, we had 39 contacts out of which three are not resident in Anambra.

We are taking care of the ones here and we have contacted the states where others are staying to follow them up.

We have made contacts with the ones here and are following them up on daily basis, some of them are quarantined in the various protective care centres, others are on self-quarantine but we are monitoring them.

Government has not divulged the identity of any patient, it is our ethical responsibility to protect the identity of these people including the index case and the hospitals.

The important thing is that the index case is stable and the hospitals have been decontaminated, while the contract tracing is ongoing, he said.

Mr Okpala applauded Governor Willie Obiano for providing the needed support to contain the situation and urged residents of the state to keep to the safety tips including regular hand washing and use of face masks.

(NAN)
A protester in North Carolina who stayed in her car. Photo: Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images

One month ago, President Trump stood in the White House press room and told Americans to stay home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Avoid gathering in groups of more than ten people. Avoid discretionary travel. And avoid eating and drinking at bars, restaurants, and public food courts, Trump said, finally seeming to recognize the gravity of the global pandemic.

But now he seems ready for that to end. And hes not the only one. Protesters around the country have started gathering, some in groups that defy social-distancing recommendations, to register their disapproval for the ongoing economic shutdown tied to the coronavirus.

On Wednesday, opponents of Governor Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order in Michigan held a car-bound protest dubbed Operation Gridlock. Organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, the protest saw the streets around the capitol in Lansing fill with vehicles. The traffic jam blocked at least one ambulance.

Despite organizers asking protesters to remain in their cars, groups gathered in front of the capitol waving pro-Trump and anti-Whitmer signs. One reporter tweeted that he heard chants of recall Whitmer, U-S-A, and lock her up.

Chants of recall Whitmer, USA and lock her up outside Michigan Capitol. #OperationGridlock pic.twitter.com/7Q7niiNFUF  Malachi Barrett (@PolarBarrett) April 15, 2020

The protest follows a lawsuit filed by four Michigan residents who accuse Whitmer of violating their First and Fifth Amendment rights. Its taking a sledgehammer to an ant, their attorney told Fox 2. We believe it is over-broad and overreaching. There is a way to do it appropriately without infringing on constitutional rights like the governor has.

On Tuesday, more than 100 protesters in Raleigh, North Carolina, came together to oppose Governor Roy Coopers stay-at-home order. Some shouted and honked from the relative safety of their cars.

The protest was organized through a private Facebook group called ReopenNC, which wants people to make their own stay-at-home decisions to avoid exposure to COVID-19, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. Attendees told the paper that theyre concerned about the effect of Coopers orders on small businesses. Others questioned the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The hospitals are empty. Nobody is sick with COVID. All of these COVID deaths are being attributed to COVID that arent COVID deaths, a Raleigh resident told ABC 11. One woman was arrested at the protest.

In Ohio, protesters have started showing up at the capitol during Republican governor Mike Dewines daily press briefings, with signs that say Quarantine worse than virus, and Social distancing or social conditioning. We do not consent. Many have not practiced social distancing.

This looks like a still from a horror movie. It's not. It's yesterday outside the Ohio Statehouse. Incredible shot by @joshuabickel pic.twitter.com/wZFye9YTCX  Shawn Mitchell (@shecky218) April 14, 2020

One Cincinnati man who told the Columbus Dispatch that he was laid off from his job, was at the capitol speaking through a bullhorn. Some say that were actually causing havoc or putting lives in danger right now  but actually theyre putting my livelihood in danger and others because were laid off during this pandemic, the man told the crowd through a bullhorn. Then he led them in a chant: When I say tyrant, you say Mike DeWine.

The problem of rising unemployment during the widespread economic shutdown is indisputable. Between March 15 and April 4, 16.8 million people sought jobless benefits. The numbers, according to the AP, constitute the largest and fastest string of job losses in records dating to 1948.

Dewine, whose response to the pandemic has won raves in his home state, asked protesters to hang in there. All the evidence that we have indicates if we dont hang in there, if we dont continue to do what were doing, its going to cost a lot of lives, he said. And, its going to delay our ability to economically recover.
People wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of the new coronavirus wait in line to cast for their votes for the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Nonsan, South Korea, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Read more

One week after the Wisconsin primary, where voters faced long lines and confusion, South Korea showed how to hold a national election in the era of COVID-19.

Standing three feet apart, wearing masks, voters had their temperatures taken before entering the polls. All were given plastic gloves, and booths were repeatedly disinfected. Early voting was permitted, and those under quarantine could vote by mail or at a special time slot after polls closed.

Most impressive, beyond the sheer competence of the preelection planning, was that 66.2% of the electorate voted, the most in nearly three decades. In large part, this was a tribute to the success of President Moon Jae-ins government in curbing COVID-19, making South Korea a global model and earning Moon a landslide win.

But the vote was also a tribute to South Koreans commitment to democracy. They were determined that the precious right to vote would not be thwarted by a virus  or by political games.

 READ MORE: How South Korea got masks for everybody and Germany kept fatalities down I Trudy Rubin

Elsewhere, Britain, France, Chile, Bolivia, and Ethiopia have postponed or canceled elections this spring due to the virus.

Many U.S. states have delayed primaries, and debate is intensifying over how to hold U.S. elections in November.

But South Korea has demonstrated what is required to preserve the publics right to choose its leaders: political will and vision at the top.

The Seoul government recognized the countrys history demanded that it hold elections on time. South Korea is a relatively young democracy, only since the late 1980s, explains Jung Pak, a senior fellow and top Korea expert at the Brookings Institution. Postponing elections might have been seen by the public as a governmental effort to subvert the democratic process.

There was a desire to go on with elections, Pak told me, because of the countrys authoritarian past.

A second factor, however, enabled elections to be held on time. Call it the trust factor.

People had confidence in the Moon government because it had done a good job in keeping the virus under control, says Pak.

And how did President Moon earn that trust? By demonstrating his respect for science and expertise in fighting COVID-19, says Scott Snyder, director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Almost from the beginning (after a brief, rocky start in fighting the virus), Moon practiced political distancing, leaving public direction of the coronavirus battle largely to Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Live briefings were held at the KCDCs headquarters, not at the Blue House (Seouls equivalent of the White House). The agencys head, Jung Eun-kyeong, became a public icon with her real-time graphs and data. Her success has to do with the fact that there was political will behind letting scientists take the lead, says Pak.

It was as if [Dr. Deborah] Birx and [Dr. Anthony] Fauci were the only ones on the stage, Snyder adds.

 READ MORE: Trump should take a lesson from South Korea and start testing now I Trudy Rubin

Driven by memories of casualties in the 2015 MERS epidemic, South Korea had prepared its public health system to tackle a future virus. In a supreme irony, the KCDC acted on best practices shared with them by the American CDC.

The government did its part by ensuring that supplies of tests were available for drive-through sites, along with sufficient masks and equipment. The result: Seoul never formally had to shut down its economy and new cases have dropped to fewer than 50 a day from a peak of 909 in late February.

As for election planning, says Snyder, South Korea integrated those best health practices into its preparations for the April 15 national election. Every registered voter got a 10-step guide on how to behave and what to expect at polling places, which were numerous,and sufficiently staffed to avoid unmanageable lines.

 HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to hear from you.

We wont know for another two weeks whether, despite precautions, these elections will produce a spike in virus cases. But voters were clearly willing to chance it. Individual Korean voters made the decision that the right to vote was worth the health risk, Snyder says.

I believe that the same fervor to preserve Americas democracy will drive U.S. citizens to the polls in November -- if the White House takes the steps necessary to ensure safety.

Instead, President Trump still refuses to organize the national coordination of testing, and the distribution of vital supplies, required before the country can restart. He still claims, falsely, that there is sufficient testing.

GOP legislators refuse to appropriate funds to prepare for the November vote. They steadfastly oppose preparations for mass voting by mail, which may be necessary if the virus resurges.

The South Korea election signals what we could achieve if we could only follow the guidelines that our CDC once provided to Seouls experts. We have the scientists  and the committed voters.

What we lack is a president willing to forgo political games in the interest of country. Watch South Korea and weep.
Facebook will soon let you know if you saw or interacted with dangerous coronavirus misinformation on the site.

The new notice will be sent to users who have liked, reacted to, or commented on posts featuring harmful or false claims about COVID-19 after they have been removed by moderators. The alert, which will start appearing on Facebook in the coming weeks, will direct users to a site where the World Health Organization lists and debunks virus myths and rumors

The latest move is part of an unprecedented effort by Facebook, Google and Twitter that includes stricter rules, altered algorithms and thousands of fact checks to contain an outbreak of bad information online thats spreading as quickly as the virus itself.

Challenges remain. Tech platforms have sent home human moderators who police the platforms, forcing them to rely on automated systems to take down harmful content. They are also up against peoples mistrust of authoritative sources for information, such as the WHO.

Through this crisis, one of my top priorities is making sure that you see accurate and authoritative information across all of our apps, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page Thursday.

The company disclosed Thursday that it put more than 40 million warning labels in March over videos, posts or articles about the coronavirus that fact-checking organizations have determined are false or misleading. The number includes duplicate claims.

Facebook says those warning labels have stopped 95% of users from viewing the bad information.

Its a big indicator that people are trusting the fact checkers, said Baybars Orsek, the director of the International Fact-Checking Network. The label has an impact on peoples information consumption.

But Orsek cautioned that the data Facebook provided should be reviewed by outside editors or experts, and called on the historically secretive company to release regular updates about the impact of its fact-checking initiative.

Orseks organization is a nonprofit that certifies news organizations as fact checkers, a requirement to produce fact-checking articles for Facebook. Facebook has recruited dozens of news organizations around the globe to fact check bad information on its site. The Associated Press is part of that program.

Facebook will also begin promoting the articles that debunk COVID-19 misinformation, of which there are thousands, on a new information center called Get The Facts. Putting trustworthy information in front of people can be just as useful, if not more, than simply debunking falsehoods.

Still, conspiracy theories, claims about unverified treatments, and misinformation about coronavirus vaccines continue to pop up on the site daily sometimes circumventing the safeguards Facebook has implemented.

Facebook users, for example, viewed a false claim that the virus is destroyed by chlorine dioxide nearly 200,000 times, estimates a new study out today from Avaaz, a left-leaning advocacy group that tracks and researches online misinformation.

The group found more than 100 pieces of misinformation about the coronavirus on Facebook, viewed millions of times even after the claims had been marked as false or misleading by fact checkers. Other false claims were not labeled as misinformation, despite being declared by fact-checkers as false.

Coronavirus misinformation content mutates and spreads faster than Facebooks current system can track it, Avaaz said in its report.

This is especially problematic for Italian and Spanish misinformation, the report said, because Facebook has been slower to issue warning labels on posts that arent in English. Avaaz also noted that it can take as long as 22 days for Facebook to label misinformation as such  giving it plenty of time to spread. Facebook did not immediately comment on the Avaaz report on Thursday.

False claims about coronavirus treatments have been deadly.
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has criticised US President Donald Trump for his decision to cut funding to the World Health Organisation.

Mr Rudd told ABC News President Trump's funding cut is an attempt to distract the world from the US government's lack of preparation for the COVID-19 outbreak - saying the President made a 'lunatic' decision.

'Frankly I just shake my head. The reason is the President is seeking to find any opportunity any day to make a new media statement to take attention away from his appalling lack of domestic preparedness within the United States itself,' Mr Rudd said.

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (pictured) has criticised US President Donald Trump for his decision to cut funding to the World Health Organisation

'When you're looking at culpability for the coronavirus around the world that culpability is shared by multiple institutions starting from the internalities of the Chinese state with the late notification of the disease outbreak in Wuhan, through to the internal politics of the WHO, through to the poor and late responses by governments around the world to the public warnings issue in January by the WHO.'

The comments follows calls to establish a new multinational network to defend the and protect global institutions, outlined in an editorial piece in the Economist.

Mr Rudd wants to see a Germany, Japan, France, Britain and Canada form a group called the 'M7' which would 'become the thin blue line that, for the interim at least, protects us against an increasingly anarchic world'.

He suggested the bloc of countries could also include Singapore and the European Union, but did not include Australia.

'They could start by issuing an immediate joint statement that together they will now fill the funding gap left by the lunatic decision by Mr Trump to axe America's financial contributions to the WHO,' Mr Rudd wrote.

Donald Trump gave a briefing at the White House on Tuesday announcing that he will suspend all US funding to the World Health Organisation

The M7, 'given that Sino-American relations are beyond the control of any of us,' would form a core group of constructive powers to reform, fund and politically defend WHO, the World Food Programme, the Food and Agricultural Organisation, UN High Commissioner for Refugees and WTO, he said.

Mr Rudd said Mr Trump's 'America First battle-cry' in effect abandoned the country's global leadership role for the first time since 1945 while China 'will continue exploiting tactically any political vacuum left by the Americans'.

Mr Trump announced on Tuesday his administration would stop funding the WHO.

The president claimed WHO favoured China and has parroted Chinese assurances about how the virus spread.

The president also said the WHO opposed his decision to restrict travel from China to the US.
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Linkedin Steve Holland (Reuters) Washington, United States  Thu, April 16, 2020 10:45 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd233ce7 2 World US,Donald-Trump,WHO,fund,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,health Free

The United States could redirect to other aid groups some $400 million it would have paid the World Health Organization this year, senior Trump administration officials said on Wednesday after President Donald Trump halted funding for the UN agency over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Washington has already paid the Geneva-based WHO some $58 million this year, the officials said, half of what it is required to pay for 2020 - known as an assessed contribution.

"We're stopping that second tranche," said a senior Trump administration official. "We can very easily give this money to the Red Cross" or other similar organizations.

The United States also provides several hundred million dollars to the WHO every year in voluntary funding tied to specific programs like polio eradication, vaccine-preventable disease, HIV and hepatitis, tuberculosis, and maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.

It was not immediately clear how much voluntary funding the United States had already provided for WHO programs in 2020.

"We can find another partner that is not the WHO. That money will be spent with other partners," a second senior Trump administration official said.

Trump announced on Tuesday that US funding would be halted while Washington reviewed the WHO's role "in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," which he said was likely to take 60 to 90 days.

The move prompted widespread condemnation as reported global coronavirus infections passed the 2 million mark. The head of the WHO, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he regretted Trump's decision, and said now is the time for the world to be united in the fight against the virus.

Trump on Tuesday accused the WHO of promoting China's "disinformation" about the virus, saying it likely led to a wider outbreak than otherwise would have occurred.

Trump's decision came amid criticism of his administration's response to the worst epidemic in a century, from some of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. Just this week, some Republican governors pushed back on Trump's assertion that he had "total authority" to order states to reopen businesses that have been closed to stop the virus' spread.

The senior administration officials said the US Congress was unable to stop them from redirecting WHO funding elsewhere.

Some Democrats disagreed, promising they would try to include funding for the WHO in the next coronavirus relief bill.

"This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged," Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Republicans in Congress, who rarely break from White House policy, quickly backed Trump's decision.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a vocal Trump supporter who heads the Senate subcommittee that oversees foreign aid, called the WHO "incompetent" and demanded new leadership. "This is a critical time for worldwide public health and we cannot afford China apologists running the WHO," Graham said.

Two sources who track US. funding to international organizations said Trump's action was serious. "This is not an idle threat. There are actual implications to this," one said.

The sources said the US. Agency for International Development had been due to make a voluntary payment last week of $43 million to the WHO for polio surveillance and it was now blocked.

The WHO is a UN specialized agency - an independent international body that works with the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday it was "not the time" to reduce resources for the body.
After receiving praise from happy customers across the US and UK, skincare brand Carbon Theory has brought its best-selling Breakout Control Facial Cleansing Bar to Australia and launched at Priceline.

Priced at $14.99, the popular soap bar has been dermatologically tested to prevent breakouts and help balance and brighten skin complexion through the use of organic ingredients, including tea tree oil.

The product also infuses shea butter and an 'activation charcoal' that becomes highly absorbent once exposed to oxygen, making it ideal for banishing unwanted toxins and dirt.

Skincare brand Carbon Theory has brought their best-selling Breakout Control Facial Cleansing Bar to Australia and have launched at Priceline today

Priced at $14.99, the popular soap bar has been dermatologically tested to prevent breakouts and help balance and brighten skin complexion through the use of organic ingredients

CEO and founder Philip Taylor revealed the brand is selling around 8,000 cleansing bars per week across both America and England, and the product has received more than 2,200 positive reviews on their website.

On social media hundreds of users shared before and after images of their skin, demonstrating how the soap has helped reduce their acne.

'This is genuinely the best skincare product I have used in a long time. My skin has never been this smooth and oil free throughout the day  this works!' one happy customer wrote online.

'This soap is actually amazing, I could literally see the irritation on my skin go down after first use, within two days my skin was looking incredible, I actually couldn't believe it,' another said.

The product also infuses an 'activation charcoal' that becomes highly absorbent once exposed to oxygen, making it ideal for banishing unwanted toxins and dirt

On social media hundreds of users shared before and after images, demonstrating how the soap has helped reduce their acne

The soap bar works in the same way as a liquid cleanser and the brand encourages using the product twice daily for fast results.

The Breakout Control Facial Cleansing Bar is also 100 per cent vegan, cruelty free and is made to suit all skins types.

Australians can purchase the newly arrived cleansing bar from the Priceline website.




A Chinese company in Ogun State has come under serious criticism or allegedly locking over 100 Nigerian workers in its premises without proper feeding in Ogun state.

Naija News understands that the Chinese company, Goodwill Ceramics located in Ogun Guangdong Free trade zone Igbesa in Ogun state, held back Nigerian staff inside its premises for 14 days of the lockdown.

In a video now making the rounds on social media, the youth were, however, said to be angry because they were hungry.

Some of the protesters were heard saying no more management. This management should have sorted this since yesterday, pay us at least two-two month salary.

It also appeared the protesters were destroying some parts of the companys facility.

But Abimbola Oyeyemi, police spokesperson in Ogun, said it was an issue between the company and its workers, and not a case of angry youths going about to destroy Chinese facilities as the video is being portrayed in some quarters.

Nobody is attacking. What happened is a dispute between the workers and the management of that company, he said.

The workers said since the lockdown started, the management of the company did not allow them to go out of the company; that they locked them inside. So that was what sparked the protest.

It was the workers that were having problem with the management and it has been resolved. The incident happened three days ago. It is not as if members of the public are attacking the company, no.

See the series of the video below:

Attack on Chinese Company in Ogun State South West Nigeria. Property destroyed. pic.twitter.com/sbbDK0teye  Kayode Ogundamisi (@ogundamisi) April 15, 2020

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Canada to use gender neutral pronouns in military to accommodate trans ideology

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Members of the Canadian Armed Forces will soon be ordered to begin using gender neutral pronouns for all service members in official military documents, according to an unclassified document announcing the change.

In what appears to be yet another advance of gender identity ideology in Canada, documents obtained by a conservative commentator and given to The Post Millennial say that members of the military will be ordered to stop using the sex-specific pronouns "he" and "she" and instead say "they" and "them."

Based on a recent [Canadian Armed Forces] cultural and normative shift to promote gender diversity and associated inclusiveness, CFPAS [Canadian Forces Personnel Appraisal System] writing policy and guide will also reflect this new reality where sex, gender identity, and gender expression are prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Forthwith the use of gender pronouns such as quote he/his and she/her unquote are not to be used when drafting pers. Members will be referred to by rank and name or by using gender-neutral pronouns such as they/their, the official notice from the Canadian Armed Forces reads.

Commenting on Twitter Monday, Derek Sloan, a member of Parliament for Hastings-Lennox and Addington, Ontario, called the new requirement for military members "absolute madness!"

"Canadian military personnel will no longer be allowed to write 'he' or 'she,' even if one of those is an individuals 'preferred pronoun,'" he added.

In recent years, the North American nation has rapidly enshrined transgender concepts such as gender identity into law and social institutions. The notion is that one's self-declared identity as the opposite sex is what's real and the physical and biological sex is not.

The trans movement has been bolstered by Canada's bill C-16 which added gender identity into the national human rights charter as a protected category and also in the criminal code in 2016.

Concurrent with revisions to polices are ongoing demands from transgender activists that a transgender-identifying individual's preferred pronouns  which might include they or them for people who identify as "nonbinary"  be used in public settings. They argue such for such measures under the banner of inclusiveness, respect for diversity, and equality.

"While use of preferred pronouns have been considered a necessary element of the promotion and inclusion of gender diversity, this change by the CAF is the first time that preferred pronouns are being officially discounted in favor of a catch-all, gender-neutral pronoun system," the Post Millennial reported Sunday.

It remains unclear as to what will happen to military personnel who oppose the new policy.

Critics of gender identity ideology have maintained that describing the identity of a person with pronouns, which denote the sex of the body, is not an act of discrimination but a necessary function of society and that language ought not to be deconstructed in such fashion. Unlike sex, which is an observable reality, gender identity cannot be defined in any material sense and rests on sex-based stereotypes, they say.
High school students will be able to take an at-home, online SAT test if the coronavirus keeps schools closed into the fall, the College Board announced Wednesday.

The College Board would ensure that at-home SAT testing is simple; secure and fair; accessible to all; and valid for use in college admissions, a news release from the organization said. Like the pencil-and-paper test, a digital, remote version of the SAT would measure what students are learning in school and what they need to know to be successful in college.

The announcement comes as colleges across the country are making the SAT and ACT standardized tests optional as an admissions requirement for students entering college in fall 2021.

The nonprofit organization previously announced that it would similarly deliver digital exams for 3 million Advanced Placement students this spring.

The College Board announced the at-home possibility as one of three options it could give students who have not been able to take the SAT this spring or who have concerns about their ability to take it in the fall. Officials said in a web conference call Wednesday that 770,000 students scheduled to take the test this spring were unable to do so.

Other options for administering the test include offering a weekend test date every month beginning in August through the end of the calendar year, if its safe to do so from a public-health standpoint, and offering the SAT in schools. Almost all of the College Boards state partners have expressed interest in testing during the school day in the fall, the organization said.

Nina Agrawal of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story. Los Angeles Times staff writer Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report.

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Kevin Rudd

It's a sad state of affairs when the former prime minister of one of America's closest allies, rips Donald Trump's "lunatic" decision to cut funding for the World Health Organization and scapegoat it for his own domestic failings.

Kevin Rudd, Australia's leader from 2007 to 2010, called on Germany, France, the European Union, Japan, Canada and the UK to restore the "funding gap created by the lunatic decision by Mr. Trump to axe America's financial contributions to WHO."

The Economist invited Rudd, now president of the Asia Policy Institute in New York, to submit an essay as part of its series on state of the world following the COVID-19 crisis.

In it, he faulted Trump and his "America First" battle cry for abandoning America's global leadership for the first time since 1945.

Normally, America would have managed the global COVID-19 crisis, instead of punishing the only global entity empowered to build immediate public-health capacity in poor countries, where the virus is headed next, wrote Rudd in the April 15 article.

He warned that the 2020 presidential election represents the "Last Chance Saloon" for American global leadership.

If Trump were re-elected, it would "further entrench his nativist, screw-the-rest-of-the-word approach where it's everyone for themselvesa new international law of the jungle.

"National borders would become tighter. Protectionism would become the global norm, rather than the exception, oblivious to the lessons of the 1930s. Global output could actual continue to shrink."

On the other hand, "If the Democrats win, they would need to marshal the domestic political will to sustain a new, pragmatic, Rooseveltian internationalism.

"They would need to re-convince the American public of the enduring lessons of Versailles and Pearl Harbor: that national interests are enhanced, not undermined, by leading an effective multilateral system," wrote Rudd.

The Australian advised a president Biden to work closely with America's G20 partners "to smash through on pandemic management, climate change, trade reform and global macroeconomic management" to protect all of us in an "increasingly anarchic world."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:36:22|Editor: huaxia

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MADRID, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Spanish health authorities are carrying out between 40,000 and 47,000 tests every day to detect coronavirus infections, Salvador Illa, Minister for Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare, said on Thursday.

Illa made the remarks while appearing before the Health Commission in the Spanish Parliament.

"In the last three weeks, we have been carrying out between 40,000 to 47,000 tests every day to a total of 930,230," said the minister.

Illa noted that the high numbers of tests were behind recent increases in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Spain, with 4,978 new cases reported on Wednesday and 5,183 confirmed on Thursday, taking the number of people known to have been infected with COVID-19 to 182,816.

Fernando Simon, head of the Center for the Coordination for Health Emergencies at the Health Ministry, also welcomed the increased number of tests.

"It is good news because it duplicates what we had been doing," said Simon, adding that many of the new cases were from tests detecting antibodies that show a person had been infected with the virus, but had recovered and subsequently developed immunity.

"It is hard to know where to put these people in the time-line of the epidemic, because if they no longer have symptoms, we don't know when they were ill," he explained.

Thursday also saw Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez begin a round of talks via video conference with the leaders of Spain's political parties.

The prime minister has said he wanted to form a national pact involving all parties to help the economic and social reconstruction of his country after the crisis and proposed setting up a "Round Table for Social and Economic Reconstruction." Enditem
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  The Labor Department announced Thursday that it has suspended the acceptance of applications for financial assistance for formal sector workers as funding for it is very close to being depleted.

Online application for the assistance program, called COVID Adjustment Measures Program, had been closed since Wednesday, 5 p.m., the Labor Department said.

The Labor Department has been swamped with volumes of requests that the available fund for the program amounting to 1.6 billion is very close to being depleted, it said. We seek the full understanding of employers and workers who were unable to receive the assistance.

The Labor Department said from March 23, it has been able to provide a one-time P5,000 assistance to 236,412 workers from 10,663 establishments, which it said is a total of 1.2 billion. It said it has yet to pay 85,563 more workers.

DOLE is working closely with other agencies, including Congress, for an immediate alternative program to help ease the burden on the greater number of workers who did not benefit from CAMP, it said.

Under the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program, each worker will receive 5,000 in cash to be processed through the companies' payroll system.

The agency had said 250,000 workers are expected to benefit from the program, which will prioritize those who work in small businesses and micro enterprises.

CNN Philippines Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report.
Trump, curiously, was selected and celebrated precisely for his gleeful assault on norms. But during this pandemic, he has been remarkably hesitant to help establish a new way of life. Only under duress did he start to encourage a national program of social distancing. He persisted in shaking hands at news conferences, even when the rest of us were leaving six-foot wedges between ourselves and our fellow citizens. He says that he, personally, wont wear a face mask.

Trump was certainly not the only official who was slow to adapt. Human beings are hard-wired to follow the herd. On March 2 Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, was still encouraging New Yorkers to get out on the town despite the coronavirus. He went to the gym in Brooklyn on March 16, even after hed announced the city schools were shutting down. (Then again, Trump, on March 2, said he expected deaths to be in a much smaller range than those from the flu. On March 10, he still said: Just stay calm. It will go away.)

Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, perhaps the most trusted man in America right now, admitted recently that he rode the subway to work in the early days of the pandemic. When the White House heard that, they went completely nuts, he said.

If some people are riding the subway, how bad could it be? Gilbert said when I asked him about this phenomenon  what psychologists call normative influence. No one wants to be a chump. Human beings look to other human beings to know what to do, he said. Its the primary way we know what to do.

Which makes the early action of some of our governors all the more remarkable  particularly Mike DeWine of Ohio. On March 3, the day after de Blasio was encouraging New Yorkers to mingle, DeWine was canceling the Arnold Classic, a health-and-fitness Lollapalooza that draws some 60,000 participants from 80 countries. (It was named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, natch.)

I spoke to DeWine last week to try to determine what, precisely, gave him the fortitude to cancel that event. He was three days ahead of the city officials in Austin, Tex., who canceled South by Southwest, and at the time even that was considered extreme. He canceled school before any governor in the nation. He shut down restaurants and bars long before New York. And his state had far fewer cases of Covid-19 than New York.

And hes a Republican. Red-state governors have been far more reluctant to issue stay-at-home orders during this pandemic than blue-state governors. To this day, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota still hasnt issued one, though more than 300 workers in a pork-processing factory in her state fell ill, forcing the entire plant to shut down on Sunday.
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Linkedin Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 17 2020

A few days after President Joko Jokowi Widodo issued the order to stay, work and study at home in mid-March to curb the spread of COVID-19, residents of a low-cost apartment complex (Rusunawa) in Klender, East Jakarta, were busy racking their brains for a way to keep their homes virus-free.

At the time, some of the residents of the rusun were already well-aware of the highly infectious disease, thanks in no small part to the unceasing news coverage on the topic.

In anticipation of the virus possible emergence at Paguyuban Rusun Klender, the adult members of the tenants community asked Karang Taruna, a local youth organization, to install informational banners throughout the apartment complex, said member Parat Hutapea.

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People walk past a red-and-white police warning tape in Plainpalais place in Geneva on April 16, 2020, during the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus, Covid-19.

Switzerland will start gradually relaxing from April 27 the drastic restrictions it brought in last month to tackle the spread of the new coronavirus, the government said on Thursday.

Hospitals will be allowed to perform all procedures, even elective surgeries, while hair salons, massage parlours and cosmetic studies will be allowed to reopen.

This will be followed by compulsory schools, shops and markets from May 11, it added.

In a third stage it will reopen secondary schools, vocational schools and universities from June 8. The government also foresees allowing an existing ban of meetings of more than five people to be relaxed, although the details of this stage will be announced at the end of May.

"The spread of the coronavirus was slowed, and our hospitals are not stretched to the limit," Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga told a news conference.

"We want to make sure there isn't a resurgence in infections, and we don't want to endanger the gains we've made so far. That's why we ask people to stick to the social distancing and hygiene measures we've put in place."

Switzerland's death toll from the Covid-19 respiratory disease the virus causes has risen past 1,000, with nearly 27,000 people testing positive.

The rate of infections has slowed in recent days, while the government has come under increasing pressure to reopen businesses which have struggled during the shutdown.

"The transition from one stage to the next will take place when there has been no significant increase in Covid-19 cases," the government said.

"Sufficient time must elapse between each stage to allow the effects of the relaxation to be observed. The criteria are the number of new infections, hospital admissions and deaths, and hospital occupancy rates."

Switzerland has shuttered schools, non-essential shops and many businesses for a month as it sought to halt the epidemic's spread.

It has also extended billions in financial assistance to businesses and eased bankruptcy rules, to prevent companies from going under. Still, the country's economy could shrink by as much as 10% this year, experts have said.

Europe should move with extreme caution when considering easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization's regional director said on Thursday.

Neighbouring Austria has already announced a partial exit from its own lockdown, while Germany has announced its own small steps out of its lockdown.
Small businesses, which have been hit hard by orders to close because of the coronavirus pandemic, employ 60 million people and account for 44% of GDP. (Los Angeles Times)

The last time America suffered an economic meltdown in 2008 we came out of it poorly.

Yes, the economy and the stock market recovered. So did the banks, with a big assist from Uncle Sam. But millions of homeowners were left with mortgage debts that squeezed their disposable incomes to the vanishing point.

The unshared recovery proved a downer in two ways. First, the recovery was unusually sluggish. Secondly, it gave rise to simmering class resentments. Arguably, it led to the election of Donald Trump.

How can we avoid a similar shock this time?

Every depression is distinct, but Id argue that the victims of the COVID-19 depression  this years version of households drowning in mortgage debt  are Americas small businesses. This time, the economist Ken Rogoff says, The small businesses are getting slaughtered.

A decade ago, the subprime crisis blew up the entire economy. This time, the shock to small business has led to a vicious multiplier effect: Those shuttered hair salons arent ordering supplies or investing in new hair dryers.

The federal government recently enacted a small business rescue package in the CARES Act. But its already exhausted and beset with bureaucratic problems. By contrast, the Federal Reserves emergency measures such as buying debt have immediately propped up large corporations.

Government aid aside, larger firms are naturally better suited to weathering the storm. Larger companies can tap capital markets, which are used to translating future prospects into current dollars. Even if McDonalds isnt selling as many hamburgers today as it did before, investors know that eventually its business will recover.

Small businesses, however, are on their own. The corner pizzeria cannot borrow against the future, because by the time the recovery arrives it may not exist.

There are some 30 million such businesses in the U.S. (41,000 do sell pizza). Most are tiny, but cumulatively they employ 60 million people.

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Since these firms account for 44% of the gross domestic product, to lose even a sizable fraction would be an economic catastrophe. Millions of employees would lose their jobs. Thousands of ideas would go up in smoke. Small business is the laboratory for big ideas.

The cultural fallout would be just as serious. If every coffee shop were rebranded a Starbucks, the caffeine would still be there, but it wouldnt taste the same or feel the same.

Reports from the tapestry of small business around the country  a grocer in New Orleans, newspapers from Oregon to West Virginia, an art gallery in my home city of Boston  suggest that small businesses everywhere are fighting for their lives. In Camden, Me., the lone bookstore shut its doors for good.

Each of these businesses represents the savings, the sweat and the dreams of an entrepreneur or family. On average, their proprietors earn only about $50,000 a year. But they symbolize something larger  call it the dream of plausible opportunity.

Part of that dream got destroyed or badly damaged in the mortgage crisis. But we dont have to repeat the mistakes of 2008.

As part of the $2.2-trillion CARES legislation, Congress authorized $349 billion in federally guaranteed loans for firms with fewer than 500 employees. Importantly, firms that retain their pre-crisis payroll for workers will have these loans forgiven.

This is a big improvement from 2008, when neither regulators nor Congress was willing to endorse a full-scale bailout for mortgage owners. The fear then was that undeserving homeowners would benefit. And it was true: If you want to help a lot of people in a hurry, fraud and waste will be a cost of doing business.

The same trade-off is true today. The good news is that Congress, recognizing the scale of this crisis, was willing to allocate much more money so that small business borrowers would emerge from the crisis with healthy balance sheets.

But in its eagerness to build in safeguards, it wrapped the program in red tape. Businesses had to apply for the loans through banks. The banks have been uncertain about the criteria to qualify for the federal guarantee, which has gummed the works.

Many of the smallest businesses did not apply because they didn't have working relationships with banks beyond making their weekly cash deposits. Some opted out because the criteria for loan forgiveness was unclear and they dont want to get stuck with the debt.

Moreover, the loans only cover eight weeks of payroll plus limited expenses for rent and utilities. Many firms need assistance for more than eight weeks. What happens if after eight weeks a company has to lay off staff? Will the loan still be forgiven?

Worst of all, the program is far too small. The Trump administration announced on Thursday that the entire fund was committed. (Due to red tape, only a fraction of the money has been disbursed.) It took fewer than two million businesses out of 30 million nationwide to claim all of the money.

Congress is considering expanding the loan program by adding another $250 billion. It needs to add even more since that amount will also fall short. And it needs to move fast to get money to the most desperate businesses before they fail.

For the smallest businesses  those with a dozen or fewer employees  a non-bank funding mechanism is needed. Banks gave priority to pre-existing clients, and they processed larger applications first. That left out many of the most desperate firms. Amanda Ballantyne, director of the Main Street Alliance, an advocacy group, suggests giving the smallest businesses direct grants from the Treasury.

The program needs more funds and at least a partial redesign. In 2008, many homeowners did share the blame for borrowing beyond their means. Even then, the fallout from letting so many fail was catastrophic. This time, small businesses are completely blameless.

Sheila Bair, former head of Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., who pushed hard for more help for homeowners in 2008, told me, One lesson from the last crash is that saving Wall Street doesnt save Main Street.

We shouldnt make the same mistake again.

Roger Lowenstein is the author, most recently, of Americas Bank: The Epic Struggle to Create the Federal Reserve.




In 2015 Alan Schnitzer was appointed CEO of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV). First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at other large companies. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels.

See our latest analysis for Travelers Companies

How Does Alan Schnitzer's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

At the time of writing, our data says that The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a market cap of US$26b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of US$17m for the year to December 2019. We note that's an increase of 15% above last year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at US$1.0m. We further remind readers that the CEO may face performance requirements to receive the non-salary part of the total compensation. When we examined a group of companies with market caps over US$8.0b, we found that their median CEO total compensation was US$12m. Once you start looking at very large companies, you need to take a broader range, because there simply aren't that many of them.

Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of Travelers Companies. On a sector level, around 22% of total compensation represents salary and 78% is other remuneration. Readers will want to know that Travelers Companies pays a modest slice of remuneration through salary, as compared to the wider sector.

Thus we can conclude that Alan Schnitzer receives more in total compensation than the median of a group of large companies in the same market as The Travelers Companies, Inc.. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the pay is too high. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at Travelers Companies, below.

Story continues

NYSE:TRV CEO Compensation April 16th 2020

Is The Travelers Companies, Inc. Growing?

Over the last three years, The Travelers Companies, Inc. has not seen its earnings per share change much, though there is a positive trend. In the last year, its revenue is up 4.3%.

I would argue that the improvement in revenue isn't particularly impressive, but the modest improvement in EPS is good. It's clear the performance has been quite decent, but it it falls short of outstanding,based on this information. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings.

Has The Travelers Companies, Inc. Been A Good Investment?

Since shareholders would have lost about 7.8% over three years, some The Travelers Companies, Inc. shareholders would surely be feeling negative emotions. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation.

In Summary...

We compared the total CEO remuneration paid by The Travelers Companies, Inc., and compared it to remuneration at a group of other large companies. We found that it pays well over the median amount paid in the benchmark group.

While we have not been overly impressed by the business performance, the shareholder returns, over three years, have been disappointing. This doesn't look great when you consider CEO remuneration is up on last year. Shareholders may wish to consider further research. Although we don't think the CEO pay is too high, it is probably more on the generous side of things. On another note, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Travelers Companies that investors should look into moving forward.

Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
SAGINAW, MI  A 55-year-old man has been arraigned on murder charges stemming from the fatal shooting of a mother and her daughter.

Jerome R. Rogers on Thursday, April 16, appeared in Saginaw County District Court for arraignment on two counts each of open murder and assault with intent to murder, six counts of felony firearm, and single counts of felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent. In a separate file, Rogers was arraigned on a count of possessing less than 25 grams of a narcotic or cocaine.

The arraigning judge set Rogers bond in the drug case at $7,500 cash-surety but denied bond in the murder file. The drug charge relates to police on Jan. 19 interacting with Rogers and seeing suspected crack cocaine in his vehicle, though he was not arrested that night.

The murder charges stem from the March 14 fatal shootings of Hortense Williams, 72, and her 48-year-old daughter Teresa Allen.

Shortly before 9 p.m. on March 14, police responded to the shooting at 4107 Gallagher St. on the citys East Side. In addition to Williams and Allen, a 60-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man also suffered gunshot wounds.

First responders pronounced Williams and Allen deceased at the scene. The other two wounded individuals were taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Property records indicate Williams and her husband owned the house where the shooting took place. Allen did not live there, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors issued the drug charge against Rogers two days after the shooting on March 16. On March 19, police learned Rogers was in jail in Chicago on the outstanding drug warrant.

Authorities on April 14 issued a warrant for Rogers on the murder charges. Police were on their way to pick up Rogers from Chicago on Wednesday, prosecutors said.

Police and prosecutors have not said what led them to develop Rogers as a suspect in Williams and Allens killings, nor have they shared their theory on motive.

Rogers next court date is pending.

The victims

Williams, nicknamed Aunt Sister, hailed from Brooklyn, where she met her husband. The couple later moved to Saginaw and had four children.

She loved when her family and friends would gather and fellowship with one another, Williams obituary reads. She enjoyed cooking and watching everyone enjoy her meals. Sister liked to double dutch and was one of the best to ever do it.

Allen graduated from Saginaw High School in 1990, after which she attended Michigan State University.

Teresa loved spending time with all her family and friends, especially her grandkids, her obituary states. Playing softball, cooking, and helping others was what she did to enjoy life. She always had a smile and was a joy to be around. Teresas beautiful smile and sweet spirit will truly be missed.

Both women are survived by their husbands, several children, grandchildren, and extended family members.

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No arrests yet in Saginaw quadruple shooting that left 2 dead

2 women killed in Saginaw shooting, 2 other people injured
It is part of the campaign 'Dont Consume Wildlife to Protect Your Health And Of the Community'.

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The NGO Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) has released a short film calling on people not to consume wildlife to prevent the risk of disease outbreaks in the future.

In the short film entitled COVID 19: Dont Consume Wildlife to Protect the Health of Yourself And the Community, ENV emphasises that wildlife consumption poses dangers to individuals, families, community and the world.

It is part of the campaign 'Dont Consume Wildlife to Protect Your Health And Of the Community'.

The campaign's message is being shared on more than 2,000 LCD screens of elevators in residential and office buildings in major cities across the country.

A monkeybeing illegally caged in the southern province of ong Nai. Photo courtesy of ENV

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, about 70 per cent of dangerous diseases for humans originated from wildlife. The coronavirus in wildlife has been constantly modified and become more dangerous before causing disease in humans.

Nearly a decade ago, the SARS outbreak came from a new type of betacoronavirus derived from bats and transmitted to humans through civets as intermediate hosts. Presently, the world is struggling against the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also thought to be derived from wildlife.

Lessons from previous pandemics show that new viruses will continue to develop and spread from wildlife to humans if trading, consumption, contact and use of wildlife products continue.

ENV also noted that although Viet Nams Government and citizens are properly controlling and monitoring the sources of infection of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences for countries around the world are still extremely serious.

Therefore, to prevent future pandemics, ENV calls on each person not to consume wildlife and wildlife products in any form.

People can call free hotline 1800-1522 if they see the illegal advertisement, transportation, trading or storage of wildlife.  VNS

Conservation scientist aims to inspire people to protect wildlife Young wildlife conservation scientist Trang Nguyen, full name Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, has dedicated herself to protecting our wonderful world. She talks to Minh Thu about the ambition and enthusiasm.
A 3-year-old drowned in the downtown Event Centre pond Wednesday and his mother was hospitalized after being pulled from the water.

The tragedy on a gorgeous spring afternoon came to rescuers attention about 2:30 p.m. with a call from a passerby to the Beaumont Police Department.

The caller said it looked like an adult was trying to get one or two children out, BPD spokeswoman Haley Morrow said. When first-responders arrived, a 3-year-old child and who we believe is the mother were both in the lake.

A social media who claimed to have seen the family prior to the accident said they were there feeding ducks.

The drowning is believed to the be first at the manmade, 2-acre pond since it opened along with The Event Centre in 2012, Mayor Becky Ames said.

Beaumont Fire and EMS pulled the mother from the water first. A dive team found the young boy about 15 minutes later.

Rescuers tried to resuscitate the child for about 20 minutes before placing him in an ambulance.

The child was later pronounced dead. The mother was last listed in critical but stable condition.

My heartfelt condolences go out to this family, Ames said.

Morrow said a 6-year-old girl who was at the park with the family was taken away from the scene. She said she was unsure of the girls relationship to the boy and the woman.

Obviously anytime something like this happens, the police department investigates juvenile cases, which is why there are investigators out here, Morrow said.

Councilman Mike Getz, who was walking nearby, said he thinks the pond is 12 to 15 feet deep in some places. The section where divers found the child is about 5 feet deep, he added.

Ames said it starts shallow around the edges and deepens toward the middle.

Nearly 50 yards from the pond, the gate to a playground was locked shut due to the coronavirus outbreak. People passing by stopped and paced near the park as emergency personnel tried to revive the young boy.

Its always important to be mindful anytime there is small children around any amount of water, Morrow said. It could be a lake, a river or a bathtub. Its very unfortunate.

She also expressed support for the affected family as well as those involved in the rescue effort.

A lot of the people who responded are parents, she said. When it comes to a child, it always tugs on the heart strings.
IndusInd Bank said it has supplied relief materials such as face masks, hand sanitisers and gloves to the affected areas to and is also working on facilitating PPE for medical officials on duty.

Mumbai: Private sector lender IndusInd Bank on Thursday said it has committed Rs 30 crore towards COVID-19 relief efforts.

The bank did not specify if it is contributing to any corpus like the PM CARES Fund and limited itself to saying that it is working with both the Central and state governments to fight the pandemic.

It can be noted that a slew of corporates and banks have announced help to the relief efforts since the outbreak last month.

IndusInd Bank said it has supplied relief materials such as face masks, hand sanitisers and gloves to the affected areas and is also working on facilitating personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical officials on duty.

It has also been given a mandate of opening an account towards the collection of contributions towards Prime Minister''s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), an official statement said.

Meanwhile, Edelgive Foundation headed by Vidya Shah has also made a pledge to spend Rs 10 crore through NGOs working with vulnerable communities in the June quarter.

The foundation has already helped develop the Common Charter for Indian Donor and Philanthropic Community as a founding member.

This common platform for action on Covid-19 is developed jointly by Shah, Rohini Nilekani of Arghyam, Rishad Premji of Wipro, Amitabh Behar of Oxfam India and Ford Foundation.

Its parent Edelweiss Group has already committed Rs 2.5 crore to the PM CARES Fund and to the Chief Minister''s Office in Maharashtra for the same efforts.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, people across the world have rushed to "panic buy" and stockpile food and toilet paper, fearing potential shortages.

But Bill and Melinda Gates began to stockpile food in their basement years before the current pandemic.

"A number of years ago, we talked about, 'What if there wasn't clean water? What if there wasn't enough food? Where might we go? What might we do as a family?' So, I think we should leave those preparations to ourselves," Melinda Gates told BBC Radio Live on Thursday.

"We had prepared, and had some food in the basement in case needed, and now we're all in the same situation," she said.

Melinda said they could not prepare with a particular drug or vaccine, of course, as "there are no tools" for Covid-19.

"This is a disease we're all in together," she said on BBC Radio.

But she also acknowledged her family's privilege.

"What we mostly talk about now in our home every night is how lucky we are. We understand our privilege. When we say our grace at night, what we're thankful for around the table, is that we aren't struggling to put a meal on the table as so many families around the world are," Melinda said.

As far back as 2010, Bill Gates warned of a looming pandemic in a blog post after the 2009 H1N1 outbreak.

In April 2018, Bill said the world wasn't prepared for such an event, which should "concern us all," he said at an event hosted by the Massachusetts Medical Society and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

"The world needs to prepare for pandemics in the same serious way it prepares for war," he said.

Bill had been preparing for war since he was a kid  growing up during the Cold War, his family had a barrel in their basement "filled with cans of food and water."

"When I was a kid, the disaster we worried about most was a nuclear war. When the nuclear attack came, we were supposed to go downstairs, hunker down, and eat out of that barrel," he said in a 2015 Ted Talk. "Today the greatest risk of global catastrophe doesn't look like [nuclear war]. Instead, it looks like [an infectious virus]."

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation committed more than $250 million toward Covid-19 relief efforts across the world.

Correction: This headline has been corrected to reflect that the Gates stored food in their basement in preparation for a potential future pandemic.

Check out: The best credit cards of 2021 could earn you over $1,000 in 5 years

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Detention of Moscow lawyer extended again in $15 mln embezzlement case

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

13:17 16/04/2020

MOSCOW, April 16 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Thursday again extended detention of Sergey Yuryev, the president of Moscow's bar association Mezhregion charged with embezzling 1 billion rubles (over $15 million) from the State Air Traffic Management Corporation (ATM), RAPSI was told in the courts press office.

The defendant will remain detained until June 29 as well as anoter defendant, ex-head of the Federal Air Transport Agencys (Rosaviatsiya) legal department Vladimir Mnishko.

Members of the Federal Chamber of Lawyers Council and heads of several regional bar associations have repeatedly stood bond for Yuryev. He is an honest and reputable attorney, the Chambers statement reads. One of the lawyers bail bondsmen was Chair of the Federal Chamber of Lawyer Yury Pilipenko.

They proposed a 1-million-ruble bail for Yuryev, but their motion was rejected.

Investigators claim that in 2008, the State ATM Corporation signed a contract for legal services with one of the bar associations. The bar chairman working connections in the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) submitted a conclusion with a write-up value of legal services for the completion of tender documentation. The signed agreement has been repeatedly prolonged in violation of the established procedure.

The contract overpricing resulted in unjust receipt of more than 1 billion rubles by the bar association from 2008 to 2018, investigators claim.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. - A Roman Catholic diocese in New Mexico announced Wednesday it will reopen churches and allow a small number of people to attend public celebrations of Mass in what could be the first move to alter a diocese-declared ban on public services in the U.S.

Priests were encouraged to hold public Mass at Las Cruces Diocese parishes while having parishioners abide by social distancing restrictions ordered by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, diocese spokesman Christopher Velasquez said.

That means churches can only hold Mass with five or less people in attendance and they must stay 6 feet apart, Velasquez said.

If you show up to your parish without calling first, you might be turned away, Velasquez said.

The diocese also announced it would allow priests to hold outdoor Mass services while people stay in their cars.

The Santa Fe Archdiocese and Gallup Diocese  New Mexicos other Catholic dioceses  are continuing a ban on gatherings and in-person Mass services.

Las Cruces Bishop Peter Baldacchino made the decision about the limited opening of churches after hearing news reports about the spread of COVID-19 in southern New Mexico, Velasquez said

We are hearing reports about divorces, drug abuse and now people losing their jobs, Velasquez said. The church is here to offer hope.

The Catholic News Agency reports Baldacchino is the first in the nation to modify a declared diocesan ban on public Masses.

The bishop also made provision for priests to resume weddings and funerals as along as state regulations on social distancing are followed.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops shared steps with members that could be taken in response to the outbreak. Since then, bishops across the U.S. moved to cancel in-person Mass services, closed schools and halted Easter pilgrimages.

States also have imposed restrictions on social gatherings involving places of worship.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

___

Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras
Angry locals from an idyllic peninsula have taken to social media to demand tourists stay away from their area to avoid spreading coronavirus.

An image appearing to show a large sign erected on the Mornington Peninsula freeway near Dromana, 75km south of Melbourne in Victoria has been widely shared online.

'If you don't live here f*** off,' the sign appeared to read.

An image of a rude sign on the Mornington Peninsula freeway near Dromana has caused heated debate online

'Fabulous. Shows that people are actually taking this new invisible disease seriously. Love the Aussie ''direct' manner'',' a woman posted on the Humans in Melbourne Facebook page.

'It's extraordinary people feel they are above the law Stay home, not the holiday home... If anything happened the region hospitals are not equipped to cope,' another person wrote.

Residents claimed shopping facilities were still busy despite restrictions and urged holidaymakers to stay home, while another wrote that flyers with similar messages as the sign had been placed in letter boxes across the Victorian peninsula.

Other locals were disgusted, and told people to ignore the message as it was not the true sentiment of Mornington Peninsula dwellers.

'I live in Rye, I'm appalled at this sign and what it represents,' one man wrote.

A woman added: 'This is NOT the feelings of everyone who lives here . Yes we want people to stay safe . But this is unacceptable and makes decent residents sad to see.'

But it turned out the photo was possibly a fake.

Some observant social media users pointed out the freeway now had a guard rail indicating the sign had been photoshopped into an old image.

Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Sam Hearn said it has been the quietest Easter he has ever seen in the region. Pictured: Mills Beach

Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Sam Hearn said council rangers were alerted to the photo not long after it was uploaded on the weekend and inspected the site soon after.

'There was no sign of that particular sign,' Cr Hearn told the Herald Sun.

'Unless it was put up, photographed, and then taken down immediately, I'd say it was likely never really there.'

A movement of towns urging tourists to keep away has been witnessed across the country, and worldwide, since the outbreak.

In March, graffiti began appearing around the Peninsula telling people to remain in their own postcode.

One social media user shared an image of how the freeway really looks, pointing out a new guard rail is not featured in the photo with the sign

Similar handwritten signs were witnessed in NSW south-coastal town Mollymook earlier this month.

Despite some locals' claims, Mr Hearn said it was the quietest Easter he had ever experienced in the region, and anxiety and uncertainty about the coronavirus crisis had increased existing friction between permanent and part-time residents.

Victoria Police conducted 3245 spot checks across the state during the Easter long weekend as part of Operation Sentinel and issued a total of 427 fines.

Breaches included four people gathering together outside shops in Baxter, four people having a barbecue at Brighton and a group of overseas tourists holding a party at a rented short stay property in Cowes.
WHO's list of ways it interacts with Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

04/15/2020 01:57 PM

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement Tuesday in response to a crowdfunded ad that Taiwan is isolated from the world health body.

The statement issued by WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic listed 13 ways in which the WHO and Taiwan have interacted over the years. Here is the full text of the statement:

WHO has maintained regular technical exchanges with Taiwanese health authorities over several decades.

Below are examples of how Taiwanese health experts and authorities interact with WHO in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic (points 1 through 8) as well as examples of regular interactions that have taken place over many years and across many different global health concerns (points 9 through 13).

1. Taiwan has an established International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Point of Contact that receives IHR communications, provides IHR information updates directly to WHO Headquarters, and has access to the IHR Event Information Site (EIS) system. While noting that Taiwan's COVID-19 caseload is low relative to its population, WHO continues to follow developments closely. (The EIS system is a password-protected database and information exchange platform supporting the IHR. It is the main platform for all IHR communications, back and forth, between WHO and IHR contacts.)

2. Taiwanese health experts participate in two of the key WHO networks set up in January 2020 to support WHO work in the global COVID-19 response. Three experts are part of the WHO Infection Prevention and Control Network; two are part of the WHO Clinical Network. Every week, they join some 60 to 80 other experts from around the globe through a WHO-hosted teleconference, working to advance our knowledge and guidance in this response.

3. Two Taiwanese experts participated in the Global Research and Innovation Forum organized by WHO on 11-12 February 2020. They took part, alongside other world scientists, in considering critical research questions and in finding ways to work together to advance the response.

4. Taiwan's Field Epidemiology Training Program is a member of the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (also known as "TEPHINET"). WHO shares Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network alerts and requests for assistance with TEPHINET, and those messages are cascaded to the TEPHINET members.

5. WHO, through its technical lead, has directly briefed Taiwanese health authorities and has repeated that offer.

6. Taiwanese experts and authorities have open access to developments, guidance and other materials through the WHO's website (www.who.int) and other digital platforms. They can also access the www.OpenWHO.orgplatform, which hosts open online courses for decision-makers and responders around the world.

7. WHO has a designated contact point with Taiwan's office in Geneva. Through this channel, general questions are handled and when technical concerns arise, WHO technical responses are coordinated.

8. WHO interacts with Taiwanese health authorities through the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

9. Over the course of 2019, Taiwanese experts were invited to attend 9 WHO technical meetings. They attended 8 of these meetings, contributing to WHO expert processes on issues including immunization, drug-resistant TB, assistive technologies, vaccine safety and SDG targets on NCDs and Mental Health. Work is underway for more Taiwanese experts to participate in 2020.

10. On influenza, a Taiwanese vaccine manufacturer, Adimmune, contributes to the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP Framework) and preparations are underway for concluding an agreement between WHO and Adimmune under the PIP Framework for pandemic influenza vaccine products;

11. In the fight against cancer, Taiwanese experts have contributed to key publications issued by the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer;

12. In support of the International Health Regulations, a Taiwanese expert has been appointed to the IHR Expert Roster; and

13. On a range of other issues, from WHO pre-qualification practices for pharmaceutical manufacturers to malaria, we have exchanges on a variety of practical and technical issues.

enditem

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SEAMAN, Ohio  A woman was shot and wounded Wednesday by Adams County deputies outside a home, according to reports.

According to WLWT Channel 5, officials have released few details about the incident, but a witness says the female suspect was armed and exchanged gunfire with deputies. Officials did not release information on the condition of the suspect, but said no deputies were injured, WCPO Channel 9 reports.

Rosemarie Chase, who lives across the street from where the shooting occurred, tells Local 12 the incident began Wednesday afternoon when the woman fired shots in the front yard of a residence. The woman was changing her clothes in the front yard when police arrived, Chase tells Local 12.

Next thing we know, shes aiming a gun, theyre pointing guns and just shooting it out, Chase tells WLWT. Chase tells Local 12 that deputies gave the woman several chances to drop her weapon.

According to WCPO, Ohios Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation. Adams County is located southeast of Cincinnati along the Ohio River.

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The U.S. Space Command said Wednesday it is tracking a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile test Russia conducted to prove if it can interfere with or destroy satellites in low earth orbit.

"Russia's DA-ASAT test provides yet another example that the threats to U.S. and allied space systems are real, serious and growing," Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, SPACECOM commander and U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, said in a released statement. "The United States is ready and committed to deterring aggression and defending the nation, our allies, and U.S. interests from hostile acts in space."

Space Command officials said the most recent test follows unprofessional behavior observed in February when two Russian satellites, Cosmos 2542 and 2543, tailed an American satellite, USA 245, also known as the KH-11. Time Magazine reported the Russian satellites loitered within 100 miles of KH-11, activity Raymond called "unusual and disturbing," similar to Russia's past risky, high-velocity confrontations in international airspace.

Related: Space Force Is Now Fighting Coronavirus. Here's How

"This test is further proof of Russia's hypocritical advocacy of outer space arms control proposals designed to restrict the capabilities of the United States while clearly having no intention of halting their counterspace weapons programs," Raymond said.

After its deactivation in 2002, Space Command reactivated in August to become the military's 11th combatant command.

"Space is critical to all nations and our way of life. The demands on space systems continue in this time of crisis where global logistics, transportation and communication are key to defeating the COVID-19 pandemic," Raymond said. "It is a shared interest and responsibility of all spacefaring nations to create safe, stable and operationally sustainable conditions for space activities, including commercial, civil and national security activities."

The Russian test follows two new reports that infer disruptive anti-satellite actions by adversary nations are on the rise.

According to a March 30 Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis, "Space Threat Assessment 2020," more countries, including big players like the U.S., Russia and China, are launching or experimenting with next-generation technologies in space; some are gradually normalizing non-kinetic ways to disrupt operations. Those methods include disguising information and communications through GPS spoofing, jamming connections and even dazzling, or blinding, satellites with lasers.

The report warned of increased co-orbital adversary activity, such as close inspection of satellites in geostationary orbit, and said that "the rate of satellite jamming and spoofing incidents will only increase as these capabilities continue to proliferate and become more sophisticated in the coming years."

That report followed another study released last month by the Secure World Foundation, which stated countries around the world should not discount the reality that some bad actors may be stepping up both offensive and defensive measures in space.

"The evidence shows significant research and development of a broad range of kinetic (destructive) and non-kinetic counter-space capabilities in multiple countries," according to the annual Global Counterspace Capabilities study, as reported by Space News.

According to a 2019 SWF report, Russia has been working on stepping up its on-orbit experiments -- to include anti satellite weapons -- since at least 2011.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

Read More: Air Force Tests Ability to Mass-Evacuate COVID Patients
T oday on his return to No.10 after being hospitalised for coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said lifting lockdown now would "throw away the sacrifice of the British people", adding that "this is the moment of maximum risk".

In the dramatic statement he asked families and businesses to be patient, and said it was too soon to "go easy" and relax social distancing measures.

Mr Johnson said difficult judgments still had to be made about phase two, when the country will start one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy.

Imperial College epidemiologist Professor Neil Ferguson warned the UK death toll could jump past 100,000 by the end of the year if lockdown is lifted too early.

Health experts had previously warned that rushing to ease UK lockdown restrictions could lead to a resurgence of coronavirus, after it was revealed that the total number of deaths from Covid-19 in England and Wales could be more than 40 per cent higher than previously reported, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab announced the UK's lockdown has been officially extended by three weeks until Thursday May 7, but the Cabinet remains split over how to ease lockdown measures in the UK.

It comes after Mr Raab chaired an emergency Cobra meeting last Thursday to review the social distancing measures. He said: "We've come too far, we've lost too many loved ones to ease up now, especially when we're beginning to see that our efforts are starting to pay off."

But the Scottish and Welsh devolved governments have already announced plans to loosen restrictions, as Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said on Friday that he hoped to lift some restrictions gradually in early May.

Here, we take a closer look at what the Government has said about lockdown measures.

The UK's lockdown measures will be reviewed after April 13 / PA

How long will lockdown last?

Lockdown measures were announced in the Prime Minister's emergency address to the nation on March 23, and the UK is now in its' fifth week of lockdown.

Today Prime Minister Boris Johnson made it clear restrictions will still need to remain in place, as he remains cautious about relaxing existing lockdown restrictions due to fears such a move could unleash a second wave of the virus.

Last Thursday there was a formal review of the strict social distancing measures that have been in place since March 23, as the UK's death toll exceeds 13,000 - and the lockdown has now been extended for another three weeks until Thursday May 7.

Previously, Dominic Raab said Brits should brace for an extension of UK's coronavirus lockdown.

Ministers have said they want to be sure the UK is past the peak of the outbreak before easing the restrictions, but 10 members of the Cabinet are reportedly urging lockdown conditions to be eased amid concerns about the impact on the economy.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said the capital is "nowhere near" being able to ease social distancing measures / PA

Mr Raab said: Weve still got a long way to go, and as those grisly figures that Ive just read out show, weve still not passed the peak of this virus."

Health minister Nadine Dorries suggested the "full lockdown" to tackle coronavirus could only be lifted once a vaccine is developed which could take up to 18 months, but insisted there could still be relaxation of the social-distancing measures.

The Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told the BBC: "We're just beginning to see this strategy start to work, we're not seeing cases accelerating. People really need to stick the course."

Ministers sat in an emergency COBRA meeting on April 9 to review the UK's lockdown measures based on evidence of their success.

On Tuesday April 7, Dominic Raab, whilst deputising for Boris Johnson, said the worst thing the UK could do was "take its foot off the peddle" regarding social distancing measures.



He said, "In terms of the review, we are not at that stage yet. We will take any decision when the time is right, based on the facts and the scientific and medical advice.

"Our number one and overriding focus right now is on conveying the key message which is that everyone needs to keep adhering to this guidance."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan echoed ministers in saying the capital is "nowhere near" being able to ease measures, as the World Health Organisation warned leaders to be "very careful".

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast:

In a virtual international press conference, the WHO said it was too soon to scale back measures aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus, in spite of "positive" signs from some countries, and cautioned against "complacency".

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that some restrictions could be "a fact of life for a long time to come", with several lockdowns in place until 2021 with "little notice" given to the public in future - in what she called the "horrendous reality" of coronavirus.

Announcing the Scottish Government's plan for easing coronavirus restrictions, Ms Sturgeon said that steps will be "gradual, incremental and probably quite small to start with."

The plan has been read by around 250,000 people already, Ms Sturgeon said on Friday.

The First Minister's warning came after Health Secretary Matt Hancock vowed to continue the "hard work" of containing the spread of the virus.

Speaking at Downing Street on Wednesday, Mr Hancock said there could be no "let up" in the efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

He said: "We cannot let go of the hard work that has been done so far.
IFC inked a deal with the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Over the next four years, IFCs work with the department will primarily focus on enhancing exports of internationally recognized-quality dragon fruit and passion fruit, some of the largest and fastest-growing single fruit product categories with strong potential to access high-value markets. While exports of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables have more than tripled within just five years to 2018, the bulk of produce is still exported through informal channels and at less competitive prices due to inefficient standards.

To help address this challenge, the two parties will work to enhance the legal framework and public services in opening new export markets. Efforts will also aim to improve the quality and safety of dragon fruit and passion fruit by updating and enforcing requirements for phytosanitary measures, traceability, quality, and food safety standards in line with international practices and the requirements of importing countries.

As tax is no longer a trade barrier with free trade agreements in place, meeting sanitary and phytosanitary requirements is now the No.1 concern for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter export markets, said Hoang Trung, director of the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This co-operation with IFC will help accelerate our continued efforts to unlock our export potential and the success of this project will serve as a basis to scale up to other agricultural products.

In partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, Government of Japan, and Korea Green Growth Trust Fund of the World Bank Group, IFC will help launch an interactive online system on export-related requirements for dragon and passion fruits by 2022.

Quality infrastructure services will also be improved to ensure export product conformity to international standards. These services will cover standard development, testing, and certification of fresh and processed dragon fruit and passion fruit to meet export market requirements.

Access to new and diversified markets will not only help increase export revenue and expand production, it will also improve the resilience of Vietnamese agribusinesses against the declining demand in their markets due to crises such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, said Kyle Kelhofer, IFC country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. This will help protect jobs and livelihoods for millions of agribusiness workers and farmers and help build a higher value-added, export-oriented, and resilient agribusiness sector in Vietnam.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spent two days delivering food to critically ill residents in LA this week after the Duchess wanted her husband to see the city through the eyes of philanthropy, it's been revealed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved to the city last month, have been volunteering with the charity Project Angel Food, a non-profit who cook and deliver meals to people with critical illness who are at a greater risk amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Sporting masks, gloves and dressed down in jeans, the royal couple began by delivering the non-perishable meals to six vulnerable people in the city on Easter Sunday and asked to return on Wednesday to drop off another 14 meals.

Project Angel Food's executive director Richard Ayoub told PEOPLE the Sussex's kept a low-profile throughout their voluntary work, adding the charity was 'completely honored' to have them onboard.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delivered food to Los Angeles residents living with critical illnesses, it has been revealed. Pictured, the couple on a royal tour last year

The couple volunteered with local charity Project Angel Food on Easter Sunday and returned on Wednesday to drop-off non-perishable meals to 20 more vulnerable people in the city. Pictured, Meghan at the Hubb Community Kitchen in London in November 2018

'They were extremely down to earth and genuinely interested in every single person they met,' Ayoub continued.

'They engaged with our chefs, they engaged with clients  they just wanted to make sure that people felt the love and appreciation. Their goal was really to just honor our chefs and staffs and volunteers by being of service.

'What Meghan said is she wanted to show Harry Los Angeles through the eyes of philanthropy. Its just beautiful,' Ayoub added.

'Theres obviously a great deal of love and selflessness between them. They both are individuals who want to know about others.

'Our clients are clients who are often forgotten. They really wanted to go visit these people. They wanted to see them and talk to them and hopefully put a smile on their faces.'

Ayoub said Meghan had learned about Project Angel Food back when she previously lived in LA and was desperate to help out with their cause.

Project Angel Food's executive director Richard Ayoub told PEOPLE the Sussex's kept a low-profile throughout their voluntary work, adding the charity was 'completely honored' to have them onboard.

'She said she wanted to do something to give back on Easter and was talking to her mom [Doria Ragland] and her mom told her that Project Angel Food needs help and Meghan said, "Yes, brilliant.",' Ayoub told PEOPLE.

'They really wanted to ease the workload of our drivers because they deliver to between 50 and 60 people a day.

'Meghan and Harry took about six deliveries last Sunday and then they said, "We want to do it again and we want more," so they took 14 deliveries on Wednesday.'

Before the couple set out on their delivery routes they first paid a visit to the charity's headquarters, where Ayoub gave them a tour.

The charity director said both Meghan and Harry asked a number of questions, showing genuine interest in learning how the food is medically-tailored for each client.

Meghan and Harry also met with the non-profit's chefs before the royal couple were taken through the charity's social distancing protocols for the deliveries, requiring them to wear gloves and masks, while ensuring they stayed six feet away from any member of public.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved to the city last month, have been volunteering with the charity Project Angel Food, a non-profit who cook and deliver meals to people with critical illness who are at a greater risk amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Sporting masks, gloves and dressed down in jeans, the royal couple began by delivering the non-perishable meals to six vulnerable people in the city on Easter Sunday and asked to return on Wednesday to drop off another 14 meals

One recipient of the royal delivery was Dan Tyrell, who admitted he didn't recognize the couple when he first opened the door of his West Hollywood apartment.

'I thought that tall red-headed guy looked pretty familiar, and that girl was very pretty. Then I saw the large black SUVs with the security guards behind them,' Tyrell said to WEHOville.com

'They were both nice and very down-to-earth people,' Tyrell added. 'They had masks on, and they were dressed down with jeans, but very nice jeans.'

Speaking to ET Online earlier, Richard Ayoub told how the couple contacted the charity after learning its drivers are 'overloaded' needed more support as they try and feed people during quarantine.

'They told us they heard our drivers were overloaded and wanted to volunteer to lighten the drivers' workload,' Mr Ayoub said.

Project Angel Food serves 1600 meals a day, which will now rise to 2000 during the coronavirus crisis, ensuring some of those most at risk are fed.

It is thought to be the first charity publicly supported by Harry and Meghan since their move to California from Canada. The couple are now in quarantine with their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, who turns one next month.

Meghan and Harry also met with the non-profit's chefs before the royal couple were taken through the charity's social distancing protocols for the deliveries, requiring them to wear gloves and masks, while ensuring they stayed six feet away from the clients

Project Angel Food serves 1600 meals a day, which will now rise to 2000 during the coronavirus crisis, ensuring some of those most at risk are fed. It is thought to be the first charity publicly supported by Harry and Meghan since their move to California from Canada. The couple are now in quarantine with their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, who turns one next month

Yesterday it also emerged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had donated 90,000 to British charity Feeding Britain to support efforts to keep vulnerable populations fed during lockdown.

Harry also made a special video call to the UK-based Charity WellChild this week, to shed a light on the families caring for seriously ill children through the pandemic.

During the video-chat, Harry said both he and Meghan are focusing on 'family time' during isolation,

'Theres a hell of a lot of positives that are happening at the same time and being able to have family time  so much family time  that you almost think, "Do I feel guilty for having so much family time?"' Harry said.

'Youve got to celebrate those moments where you are just on the floor rolling around in hysterics. Inevitably, half an hour later, maybe a day later, theres going to be something that you have to deal with and theres no way you can run away from it.'

The couple announced they are launching a new charitable foundation named Archewell this month.

They said they 'look forward' to getting started with the Archewell foundation, which will replace their Sussex Royal brand.

The pair also have plans to include their own charity as well as a website, as part of their new venture.
Water Testing Laboratory at University of Queensland's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences. (University of Queensland)

Sewage Monitoring Provides Early Warning for CCP Virus Outbreaks

Australian scientists have discovered that sewage can be used as an early warning system in efforts to contain the spread of the CCP virus in the community.

After wading through Australias sewage system, two independent research teams have reported finding in wastewater the presence of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

This might make it possible to detect the presence of the virus in particular locales even before tests on individuals are conducted.

On April 16, researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) announced that they had detected traces of SARS-CoV2 in Queensland sewage plants.

Led by Kevin Thomas, the director of UQs Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, the teams found RNA fragments of SARS-CoV2 in wastewater samples from two sewage plants that service the states capital city, Brisbane, and the surrounding region.

The SARS-CoV2 fragments are believed to have been released into the wastewater stream by infected people.

In a statement, Thomas said wastewater is already used to monitor the spread of other diseases in the community. The project was built on work done by research groups in the Netherlands and the United States.

This is a major development that enables surveillance of the spread of the virus through Australian communities, he said.

CSIRO Land and Water Science Director Paul Bertsch said a timely deliverance of COVID-19 wastewater surveillance data is important in strengthening Australians response system as a whole.

These data will be particularly useful for catchments with vulnerable populations where testing using other methods may not be feasible.

An early warning detection system like this would also be incredibly useful for monitoring and response in the recovery phase, he said.

ACT Research

A similar project was announced on April 14 by the Australian National University (ANU) that will monitor the sewage systems in the territory in order to examine transmission outside of patient testing and hospital reporting. That project will be launched in late April.

This detection is an additional measure to find the trigger points that community transmission has stopped, said Aparna Lal who is leading the project at ANUs National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health.

In a statement released on April 14, she stressed that Australian sewage systems were not a source of COVID-19 transmission.

There is no evidence that the virus is spread through sewage, she said.

Both teams are keen to share their knowledge and methods to develop a national collaboration.
The IMF on Thursday approved nearly $1.4 billion in emergency aid to Pakistan to help it weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "While uncertainty remains high, the near-term economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to be significant, giving rise to large fiscal and external financing needs," the international lender said in a statement. Pakistan has recorded just over 100 deaths but experts have voiced fear that the country of 215 million people could see a rapid and devastating increase due to its shortage of medical infrastructure and crowded cities. Worried about hurting an already weak economy, Prime Minister Imran Khan has resisted a sweeping, nationwide lockdown but provinces have shuttered schools and companies. "The domestic containment measures, coupled with the global downturn, are severely affecting growth and straining external financing," said Geoffrey Okamoto, the IMF's first deputy managing director. "This has created an urgent balance of payments need," he said. He voiced support for actions taken in Pakistan including a boost in spending on public health and the social safety net to brace for a worsening crisis. He also credited the central State Bank of Pakistan with measures that have included lowering its benchmark rate and supporting liquidity. The IMF said it was providing the $1.386 billion under a so-called rapid financing instrument, which addresses emergencies and does not subject a country to a full-fledged reform program that undergoes review. Pakistan is a longtime recipient of help from the IMF and is already under a three-year, $6 billion program that was approved last year. Okamoto said Pakistan needed to recommit to its goals under the package once the crisis abates, including restoring its public finances and governance.
Maharashtra minister Subhash



Desai on Thursday indicated that the state government may allow resumption of industrial activities in the areas where no COVID-19 patient has been found so far.

In an official statement, Desai, who is the state Industries Minister said, "In the areas where no COVID-19 cases have been found, the industrial activities are likely to resume from April 20 onwards."



"We will give the permissions within the framework set by the union government," he said.

Desai made the announcement after holding a special meeting with a group of senior bureaucrats from the industries and health department.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced the extension of the current nation-wide lockdown till May 3 to curb the spread of coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With every new year comes a new scam, and so far, 2020 is no different. At the beginning of this year, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Social Security Administration announced a new twist on an old scam  the Social Security phone scam.

By now, lots of you are familiar with the old ruse of menacing phone calls from someone posing as an agent from the Social Security Administration, threatening to take you to jail or initiate some other legal action if you dont pay up immediately. In this new farce, scammers are delivering this same back story in a whole new format ... by email.

The OIG reports that potential victims are coming forward to share suspicious emails with very official-looking attachments, such as letters on government letterhead and reports with official jargon claiming the recipient must submit immediate payment to prevent something terrible from happening.

These emails and attachments are said to be quite convincing with varying details. I have included a few examples, and red flags to keep in mind when sorting through your inbox.

The fraudsters who send these emails will pose as government employees who claim to be notifying you of a problem. This problem could be possible identity theft or issues with your Social Security account, benefits, or number.

They will then either threaten you with arrest or legal action, or alternatively, offer you a solution to increase your benefits, protect your assets, or resolve the matter of identity theft.

The scammers will also demand payment in a form that, though they will not advertise, is untraceable; this could be cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or prepaid debit card. These letters and reports may look completely legitimate at first glance, but if you look closely you may find misspellings and grammatical errors. Despite the apparent legitimacy, the Inspector General has provided reassurance that Social Security will NEVER:

 Demand immediate payment of a fine or fee as a way to avoid legal action or jail time;

 Require untraceable forms of payment;

 Solicit payments or money in exchange for an increase in benefits or other assistance; or

 Send anything with personally identifiable information via email.

Though the Social Security Administration primarily communicates via letters through the mail for official matters requiring action, they may on occasion call your phone. However, they will never threaten you, demand immediate action such as payment, or suspend your Social Security number. Payments are requested through the mail and will include detailed instructions and secure payment options.

If you receive one of these suspicious emails or calls, do not respond. Instead call the BBB Education Foundation for information at 713-341-6141, or submit a report directly to the Office of the Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/.

Beware of stimulus check scams

Scammers use public health emergencies as opportunities for new fraud schemes. In fact, The Federal Trade Commission has already received complaints about stimulus check

scams.

As you may know, the government is preparing to distribute stimulus checks to help provide relief to households due to the COVID-19 crisis. Heres what you need to know:

Individuals with an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 should expect to receive $1,200, with couples receiving $2,400, and $500 per child.

The rate is adjusted if the gross income is more than $75,000. This will be based on your 2019 tax return, or 2018 if you havent filed yet for 2019. Please keep in mind that it is estimated to take weeks for these checks to be distributed.

Your stimulus check will be directly deposited into your bank account if funds you received from your 2018 tax return were directly deposited. Otherwise your paper check will arrive by mail. Social Security beneficiaries will automatically receive a stimulus check via direct deposit. There is no need to complete any tax information. The IRS will automatically use what the Social Security Administration has on file.

Scammers are already using this opportunity to steal the money coming your way or your identity by getting access to your personal information. Keep in mind; no one has early access to these funds!

Beware of these scams:

 Fake stimulus checks. There are fake checks circulating right now. If you receive any physical paper checks now, it may be fraud. In order to avoid this scam, contact your bank to see if the check is authentic. The first paper checks are expected to go out at the very end of April or beginning of May. Telltale signs are checks written in odd amounts or include cents, or a check that requires you to verify receipt online or by calling a number.

 Social media, phone calls, or text messages claiming to get in touch with you. Scammers are reaching out to people online on social media platforms or by sending text messages with claims they are from the IRS or other government agency and are trying to get in touch with you regarding your stimulus check. Ignore/delete these messages. The U.S. government will never reach out to you via any social media platform or by text.

 Scammers pose as a government agency and will send a link to this website or something similar for you to verify personal information. The government does not do this. The government already has the information it needs and will not reach out to you for verification of your Social Security number or other personal identification.

 Processing fee. Scammers pose as the IRS or other government agency claiming you can receive your stimulus check faster if you pay a processing fee. There is no such thing and there is no way to speed up the IRS payment process.

 The IRS will never call or email you to verify any personal information. This includes your Social Security number, bank account number, or anything that allows access to your identity.

 As soon as you receive a call or email saying they are from the IRS or U.S. Treasury, hang up or delete it. These scammers are professional criminals and will use a variety of methods to steal your personal identification and your money.

Texas Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is ready to provide you with the information you need to protect yourself from Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse; detect potential fraud, errors, and abuse; and report your concerns. SMP can help with questions, concerns, or complaints about potential fraud and abuse issues. Texas Senior Medicare Patrol is at 1-888-341-6187.

Consumers who feel they have fallen victim to a scam should report it to the Texas Office of the Attorney General https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint, 1-800-621-0508; the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov, 1-877-382-4357; or Better Business Bureau https://www.bbb.org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint/get-started, 713-868-9500.

Call the BBB Education Foundation for further assistance at 713-341-6141.

Melissa Ramsey is the BBB Education Foundation columnist. For more information, call 713-341-6141.
Throughout this season's Married At First Sight, Michael Goonan often spoke about his wealth and expensive assets.

And the 29-year-old, who helps run his family's business Adelaide Ice, certainly has a lot to be grateful for.

The reality star is lucky enough to live in a $1.1million Adelaide mansion he bought in his early twenties, travels in private jets and is often clad in designer goods.

Mansions, private jets and solid gold watches: Throughout this season's Married At First Sigh t Michael Goonan often spoke about his wealth and expensive assets. And the 29-year-old, who helps run his family's business Adelaide Ice, certainly has a lot to be grateful for

After moving to Australia from Scotland when Michael was just eight, the Goonan family built their empire by taking a huge gamble, and it has more than paid off.

THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Michael's father, also called Michael, moved the family to Australia in 2000.

After spending 13 years managing a chain of nursing homes in the UK, he initially started an online grocery business in South Australia - but it failed to take off.

Moving out of his comfort zone, he bought small local business, Reliable Ice, in 2002, renamed it Adelaide Ice, and then spent years building it into an empire.

'Ice wasn't our first interest': Michael's father, also called Michael (pictured), moved the family from Scotland to South Australia in 2000. He bought small local business Reliable Ice in 2002 and has since grown the family business into a multimillion dollar empire

'Coming to Australia  ice certainly wasn't our first interest To be honest, I stumbled into the ice business,' he told Migrant Solutions in 2016.

'It wasn't my skill set, manufacturing, or the food industry  but I had a look at this business and thought, "I could buy that, I could make that work".'

Adelaide Ice is now South Australia's largest ice manufacturing and packaging business, and has offices in Victoria, Northern Territory and Queensland.

Empire: He renamed the company Adelaide Ice, and it is now SA's largest ice manufacturing and packaging business, with offices across the country. Pictured: Michael on Wednesday

MICHAEL'S SLOW TAKEOVER

Michael Jnr started working for his father before his 13th birthday.

'I can't remember a week since when I was 12 when I wasn't working. I'm the director of a cold-storage and food manufacturing business,' he said during his MAFS introduction.

'When I was 24 years old, I was able to afford a property over one million dollars.'

Start: Michael started working for his dad when he was 12. He was promoted to company director years later and bought a $1.1million mansion when he was 24. Pictured as a teen

In November, while filming MAFS, he told his now ex-'wife' Stacey Hampton he could no longer live with her in Adelaide once filming wrapped after receiving a call saying he must relocate to Melbourne for six months for the business.

The quick decision that impacted his personal life, showed his commitment to work.

Kara Goonan, believed to be Michael's sister, also works for the family business. She previously told Adelaide Now she 'does the accounts'.

Priorities: In November, while filming MAFS, he told his now ex-'wife' Stacey Hampton he could no longer live with her in Adelaide once filming wrapped after receiving a call saying he must relocate to Melbourne for six months for the business

HIS OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME

Adelaide Ice isn't Michael's only source of income.

As he travels so much, he hires his $1.1 million mansion out on Airbnb for up to $1,000-a-night, and has earned a top rating from previous guests.

He also co-owns a wine label called Australian Sapphire Enterprises with his friend Calvin Daniels.

The duo launched the business in May 2019, three months before filming MAFS.

The company donates 50% of profits made to 'charities and causes of need'.

Other sources of income: Michael hires his $1.1million mansion (pictured) out on Airbnb for up to $1,000-per-night, and has earned a top rating from previous guests

Venture: He also co-owns a wine label called Australian Sapphire Enterprises with his friend Calvin Daniels

NET WORTH & EXPENSIVE TASTES

According to some websites, Michael currently has a net worth of at least $1 million. However, it is thought to be much more.

The newfound reality star, who is dating co-star KC Osborne, certainly has expensive taste and is rarely seen without his solid gold watch on.

On Monday, he chartered a private jet from Sydney to Melbourne for the couple, with the quick journey tipped to have set him back at least $9,000.

Expensive tastes: Michael has a rumoured net worth of $1million and enjoys the finer things. Pictured: Michael and KC Osborne with matching Louis Vuitton luggage outside of a private jet
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By JULIE CARR SMYTH

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio  A review released by Ohio State University last week identified $336,000 in donations and pledges that the university received from Jeffrey Epstein and his foundation, a sum the school said it was donating immediately to fight human trafficking.

All the donations went to the Wexner Center for the Arts, a campus museum bearing the family name of billionaire L Brands Leslie Wexner, who employed Epstein as his personal money manager in the late 1980s. An earlier review had found no evidence that Epstein influenced the fiscal operations of Wexner's multi-million-dollar charitable foundation during their association.





. . .
Millions of meals will be donated to poor people in big cities as part of a programme launched by the Central Committee of Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF) and PepsiCo Vietnam.

Members of the Vietnam Youth Federation and volunteers deliver food packages to people in need on Monday in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of thee VYF

The programme began on Monday with 1,200 food packages given to hemodialysis patients in Hanoi and poor elderly people in HCM City. Additional food packages will be delivered in Da Nang, Hai Phong and Can Tho in the coming weeks.

As a part of PepsiCos global initiative called 'Give Meals Give Hope', the organiser has committed to provide nutritious meals to at-risk groups and medical supplies.

The 'Millions of Meals' programme seeks to inspire the business community and society to work together to provide 1 million meals or more for vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Nguyen Anh Tuan, chairman of the VYF.

Volunteers will directly deliver the food packages to those most vulnerable in society. Its the meaningful activity of young people and the VYF to combat the effects of COVID-19, he said. VNS

Restaurant owners offer free meals to poor people After closing their restaurant due to Covid-19, a couple in HCM City have offered free meals for low-income people in the area.
Today the news broke that Victoria Fuller from Peter Webers season of The Bachelor is quarantining with former Bachelor Chris Soules from season 19. The fan reactions to this shocking duo are more intriguing than the news itself.

Chris Soules | Fred Lee/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Are Victoria Fuller and The Bachelor Chris Soules dating?

On April 15, 2020, Reality Steve tweeted the news that this uncanny couple is quarantining together in Iowa at Soules farm.

One of the more random Bachelor couples that I cant say I ever wouldve guessed, tweeted Reality Steve. I dont know how long this has been going on or how serious it is, but I can confirm that Victoria Fuller is currently together in Iowa for the week with Chris Soules.

(EXCLUSIVE): One of the more random Bachelor couples that I cant say I ever wouldve guessed. I dont know how long this has been going on or how serious it is, but I can confirm that Victoria Fuller is currently together in Iowa for the week with Chris Soules. Discuss.  RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) April 15, 2020

The fan reactions that ensued on Steves post were extensive throughout the day. Other news organizations began to report on the news  some with further evidence.

Chris slid into Victorias DMs, Us Magazine reported later in the day from an unnamed source. He apparently DMs a lot of people.

Fans also noted that on April 2, 2020, Fuller and Soules began following each other on Instagram. No photos or videos have leaked yet, but it is only a matter of time.

Soules and Fuller are perfect for each other due to their criminal records

Both Soules and Fuller were arrested in the past five years, and fans are quick to point it out.

Match made inprison? tweeted one fan.

That first reply to Reality Steves tweet ended up with almost 2,000 likes on Twitter. With a little digging, fans quickly found that the fan was partially correct. Fuller was arrested in 2017 for a DIU in her hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia. She was sentenced to one year in jail but ended up doing two years of probation instead, according to Cosmopolitan.

Soules criminal record is more involved. In April 2017, Soules ran his pickup truck into a John Deere tractor. The driver was thrown from the tractor into a ditch and later died. Soules stayed at the scene until the EMTs arrived, but left before officers arrived.

Soules also was sentenced to two years of probation. So, it looks like it was a match made on probation.

Bachelor Nation weighs in on the train wreck waiting to happen between Soules and Fuller

The fan base is upset on so many levels. The first comments after the prison jokes include fans who want to know why Victoria F. is traveling while the country is on lockdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). However, other fans are more intrigued by how the two could ever last.

And Im sure they are both going into it with the best intentions for a long-lasting relationship, tweeted one fan. I cant see Victoria lasting even a week in small-town Iowa, no matter how much money Soules has.

If you remember, Victoria was a special kind of contestant on Webers season. She often ran away crying, while Weber chased her.

This sounds like an absolute train wreck waiting to happen, added another fan. Which means I will definitely follow their relationship.

Many fans do not think the two will last together but want to hear about it anyway. It merely adds to The Bachelor drama.

So many questions and the main one would be how could she survive on a farm? tweeted one more fan.
UTICA, N.Y. - The demand for PPE and better working conditions is occurring nationwide. On Wednesday, local health care workers and community members held a car rally to draw attention to the lack of PPE, especially N95 masks.

The rally was organized by front line health care workers with CWA and UFCW.

Local health care workers are calling on area hospitals to end the policy that forces health care workers to reuse equipment that they believe is not being cleaned in a safe manner.

In an effort to preserve essential PPE, MVHS has instituted a reuse and extended use policy for N95 respirators. MVHS says reusing N95 respirators is not a new practice and they are following the CDC guidelines.

Below is a statement from CWA 1126.

"Today healthcare workers and community members held a car rally to draw attention to the lack of PPE, especially N95 masks, for essential and healthcare workers. Since about April 6, MVHS has had to sterilize and reuse masks, a process which itself may have adverse health effects for workers.

"CWA has done all we can to work with MVHS to keep members informed despite sudden furloughs and no hazard pay for our healthcare heroes. Our members expressed that they did not believe MVHSs mask reuse policy was safe, and our unions cannot allow members to be put at risk needlessly. On Sunday Governor Cuomo made it clear that no hospital should be operating under crisis conservation guidelines and that the state would send PPE if needed.

"CWA will work to maintain a safe work environment for healthcare workers. That is why we cannot allow our healthcare workers to be put at risk by allowing this unapproved mask reuse to continue. We continue to call upon the federal government to implement the National Defense Production Act to make the PPE our healthcare heroes need in the United States."

Below is a statement from Caitlin McCann, vice president of marketing and communications for Mohawk Valley Health System:

These are certainly unprecedented times for communities and our health systems throughout the country and the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the capacity, the equipment and the personnel of the healthcare system in New York State and across the nation.

In an effort to preserve essential PPE, we have instituted a reuse and extended use policy for select PPE, including the small size of N95 respirators. The protocols we use for reuse and extended use are guided by CDC reuse guidelines. Prior to this pandemic, we had been fortunate enough that we had enough supplies to use an N95 respirator just once and then dispose of it. Now, we are in an unprecedented time, facing a new virus, and there are shortages of items, including the small size N95s masks, which is what is worn by more than two-thirds of MVHS employees and physicians. The good news is that reusing N95 respirators is not a new practice  CDC had guidelines about this for years. In fact, its been a practice that has been used when caring for patients with tuberculosis.

As recently as this week, we again calculated our burn rate or usage rate of small size N95s to verify it was still necessary to sanitize and reuse the N95s. We found that prior to instituting this policy, we were using 426 small size N95 respirators a day, which were then discarded. After the reuse policy took effect, that rate dropped to 83 small masks a day. This means that without the reuse policy we would be days away from running out.

Its important to note that we are talking about small size N95 respirator masks. These type of PPE must be fit tested for each individual, ensuring that the mask is properly sealed for the most effective protection.

We have been unable to get more small N95s through the New York State Coordinating Council and have been very limited with what weve been able to get through other avenues. It is vital to preserve our supply so that we do not run out of N95 respirators which are keeping our staff safe.

It is unfortunate that at this time, when communities and nations are coming together to support one another, there are those who refuse to work collaboratively to approach a problem that is bigger than any healthcare organization. It is our hope that we can all work together in the future to best manage our supplies and keep our staff safe.
MINNEAPOLIS  The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a petition against the state Department of Corrections on Wednesday, April 15, to release inmates at Moose Lake Correctional Facility.

As of Wednesday, the prison has tested 15 inmates with 12 positive results, one negative and two tests pending. It is presumed that 31 inmates have the disease, according to the Department of Corrections. Seven inmates no longer require isolation.

"The ACLU of Minnesota is suing because the prison and DOC have failed to perform their legal and moral duty to keep the people in their custody safe," ACLU-MN staff attorney Dan Shulman said in a news release. "Prisoners tell us that people are jammed into cells with others who have symptoms of COVID-19, and the prison refuses to perform adequate testing.

"The prison and DOC have failed to take even rudimentary measures to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19 at Moose Lake, endangering inmates, staff and the surrounding communities. Detention should not mean a death sentence."

In a news release, the DOC said it had just received the lawsuit and is reviewing it but shares the sentiment that "COVID-19 has created exceptional circumstances," as is noted in the court filing.

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"The agency continues efforts to implement early work and conditional medical release processes that fall within the parameters of current Minnesota law," Minnesota DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said. "Our work continues to make adjustments to conform long-standing correctional practices with their emphasis on public safety to meet the compelling public health and fast-moving challenges that result from COVID-19."

The statement also said the DOCs efforts to date have been developed in close collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for correctional settings.

The lawsuit claims the DOC has failed to protect the health and safety of prisoners at the Moose Lake facility, which it calls the "epicenter for correctional facilities" in Minnesota. Moose Lake was the first facility to have a positive case. The only other facility to have a positive COVID-19 test is Willow River, which is about 8 miles away in the same county.

The ACLU-MN is also claiming that at least one person in each unit has tested positive for COVID-19.

"Given the number of people incarcerated, Moose Lake cannot provide for adequate social distancing," the suit claims. "Until recently, hundreds of inmates were still eating meals together, walking together to meals, and passing other units leaving meals, thereby increasing the risk of both contracting COVID-19 themselves and spreading COVID-19 to other inmates."

The three inmates being represented by ACLU-MN  Roger Foster, Kristopher Mehle and Adam Dennis Sanborn  are claiming they are being kept in unsanitary conditions and were told by guards that cleaning supplies, including soap and disinfectant, are in short supply and have been instructed "to use less because once gone such supplies will not be replenished."

Guards and inmates have been given masks but their use is not mandatory and only about half the distributed masks are used, the lawsuit claims. Also, guards who are allegedly sick are continuing to come to work against the recommendation of the facility nurse.

The petition asks for the immediate release of the three inmates and all others similarly situated.

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Foster is scheduled to be released Oct. 8 after serving a sentence for assault. The lawsuit claims Foster has requested to be tested, but Moose Lake staff have refused.

Mehle is in prison for a felony threat of violence and is scheduled to go on work release May 14.

Sanborn is scheduled to be released Aug. 17, 2022, after serving a sentence for felony DUI. The lawsuit claims Sanborn is "particularly vulnerable and susceptible to serious physical impairment and death from COVID-19 because he is a smoker, has asthma and breathing problems and requires a prescription inhaler."

"The introduction and rapid spread of COVID-19 at Moose Lake is undoubtedly the result of (the DOCs) neglect and failure and refusal to provide even the most rudimentary measures at prevention, mitigation, and protection, as set forth in the paragraphs immediately following," the lawsuit claims.
Plastic store bags are making a comeback, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and a push by the plastics industry.

An increasing number of state and local governments have instituted temporary bans on customers bringing their own reusable bags to grocery stores and other retail outlets. The thinking: Such bags potentially could be contaminated with the coronavirus. Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, San Francisco and other locales across the country have instituted bans on reusable bags. And statewide bans on single-use plastic bags slated to go into effect this year in New York and Maine have been put on hold. More localities may follow suit.

Citing environmental concerns, state and local governments for years have been trying to wean the public from its plastic bag habit, either by requiring customers to pay a few cents to purchase single-use bags at checkout or instituting outright bans on the bags. Such moves have become a growing threat to the plastics industry  and the fight over bags has been fought at culture-war intensity.

But since the pandemic took hold, the industry has been lobbying the federal government to proclaim that plastic bags are more hygienic.

The science around reusable bags and their potential to spread disease is contentious. An often-quoted 2011 study by researchers at the Universities of Arizona and Loma Linda found that reusable plastic bags can contain bacteria. But the study was funded in part by the American Chemistry Council, which represents major plastics and chemicals manufacturers. The study recommends that shoppers simply wash their reusable bags, not necessarily replace them with plastic bags.

Some retail chains have instituted their own restrictions on plastic bags. Target has prohibited reusable bags and has asked customers who bring their own bags to their stores to bag their own items at checkout. The retailer has temporarily waived any local fees on distributing single-use bags. And Midwestern supermarket chain Hy-Vee is temporarily not accepting reusable bags.
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Tom Hardy takes on the iconic larger-than-life persona of notorious gangster Al Capone in the new trailer for Capone from director Josh Trank.

The filmmaker posted the new trailer on Twitter Wednesday, revealing that it will be released on May 12, while adding, 'Different title. My cut,' referring to the film's original title, Fonzo.

Vertical Entertainment also released a brief statement, clarifying the May 12th release, which reads, 'With theaters closed, Vertical Entertainment and Redbox Entertainment have teamed up to release Capone as a home premiere VOD release on May 12th with an on-demand 48-hour rental. The distributor is still hoping for a theatrical release later in the summer as things return to normal.'

The biopic tells the 'untold story' of the final chapter of Capone's life, after his release from an 11-year prison stint when he suffers from dementia.

Trailer: Tom Hardy takes on the iconic larger-than-life persona of notorious gangster Al Capone in the new trailer for Capone from director Josh Trank

Real Al: The biopic tells the 'untold story' of the final chapter of Capone's life, after his release from an 11-year prison stint when he suffers from dementia

The trailer begins with Capone slowly shuffling through a nightclub, as an announcer says, 'How 'bout it for our good friend Al, ladies and gentlemen?"

Capone takes the stage, cigar in mouth, confused, as we then see shots from earlier in his days as a ruthless gangster in Chicago.

But then the trailer cuts to Capone smoking a cigar outside in his lavish Florida estate after his release from prison.

Friend Al: Tom Hardy takes on the iconic larger-than-life persona of notorious gangster Al Capone in the new trailer for Capone from director Josh Trank

Estate: But then the trailer cuts to Capone smoking a cigar outside in his lavish Florida estate after his release from prison

The trailer continues with FBI agent Crawford (Jack Lowden) asking, 'Do you know what the difference between Adolf Hitler and Al Capone is? Hitler is dead, Capone lives like a king in Florida.'

There are other brief shots that shows Capone's turbulent home life as his huge family feasts at a banquet at his home, while Crawford's associate says Capone has, 'full blown dementia,' though Crawford thinks its an 'elaborate act.'

The trailer also features a brief shot of Chappelle's Show co-creator Neal Brennan as Capone's attorney, with Crawford telling him that he has, 'reason to believe your client may have tucked away a very large sum of money.'

Agent: The trailer continues with FBI agent Crawford (Jack Lowden) asking, 'Do you know what the difference between Adolf Hitler and Al Capone is? Hitler is dead, Capone lives like a king in Florida'

Family: There are other brief shots that shows Capone's turbulent home life as his huge family feasts at a banquet at his home, while Crawford's associate says Capone has, 'full blown dementia,' though Crawford thinks its an 'elaborate act'

The trailer also features one of Capone's relatives telling him to 'drop the act now,' referring to his dementia, as he's seen stalking through his home at night.

A title card reveals this movie represents the 'untold story' of the 'final chapter' of Capone's life, as Matt Dillon's Johnny is seen fishing, saying, 'Guys like you don't just misplace $10 million.'

Throughout the trailer, Hardy is never seen speaking as Capone, until the very end, when, at a banquet, he says, 'We made a promise, some day we was gonna make it big.'

Speak: Throughout the trailer, Hardy is never seen speaking as Capone, until the very end, when, at a banquet, he says, 'We made a promise, some day we was gonna make it big'

The trailer ends with shots of Capone firing a machine gun in his lawn, and the gangster coming face to face with a live alligator.

The final shot features Dillon's character saying, 'The only thing that really matters is how a man treats his family' as the trailer comes to a close.

Capone has been portrayed on screen numerous times in other films, perhaps most notably by Robert De Niro in the 1987 Brian De Palma film The Untouchables.

Guns blazing: The trailer ends with shots of Capone firing a machine gun in his lawn, and the gangster coming face to face with a live alligator.

Capone was born and raised in Brooklyn, and after being kicked out of school, he started hanging around gangster Johnny Torrio, who became his mentor.

He left New York City for Chicago in 1919, where he founded the Chicago Outfit, which gained notoriety during the Prohibition Era for bootlegging alcohol.

The gangster is also widely believed to have ordered the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, in an attempt to kill a rival gang leader.

Mentor: Capone was born and raised in Brooklyn, and after being kicked out of school, he started hanging around gangster Johnny Torrio, who became his mentor

While he was arrested and served time for various criminal offenses, it was tax evasion that landed him in federal prison in 1932, at 33 years of age.

He was released in 1939 due to his failing health, and he spent the last years of his life in Palm Island, Florida, where he passed away in January 1947 from heart failure.

He was sometimes known by the nickname Scarface, and served as the inspiration for the original Scarface film, released in 1932 starring Paul Muni.

Passed away: While he was arrested and served time for various criminal offenses, it was tax evasion that landed him in federal prison in 1932, at 33 years of age

Party's Over: In a glimpse of a brutal scene Tom Hardy is covered in blood as he plays the gangster Al Capone.
Uber drivers and supporters gather to protest outside of Uber offices in Santa Monica on Tuesday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

More than 2,000 California ride-hailing drivers have filed wage claims against Uber and Lyft since February, alleging the companies have illegally treated them as independent contractors and owe them more than $630 million in lost wages, expenses and damages.

By calling attention to the influx of claims, the drivers, organized by Los Angeles labor group Rideshare Drivers United, hope to pressure the state to enforce Assembly Bill 5, a law that established stricter standards for companies that treat workers as contractors rather than employees.

The drivers, along with members of the Transport Workers Union, plan to caravan outside the offices of the California labor commissioner as well as the Employment Development Department in Los Angeles and San Francisco on Thursday to demand that the state enforce AB 5 so they can qualify for unemployment insurance benefits and receive the wages they say they were wrongfully denied through misclassification.

Stacey Wells, a spokeswoman for the App-Based Drivers Services Coalition, which represents both Uber and Lyft, said stepped-up enforcement of AB 5 would only hurt workers in the gig economy. "Forcing app-based rideshare and delivery drivers to become employees  which the vast majority have repeatedly said they do not want  will result in the widespread elimination of work for hundreds of thousands of Californians at the very worst possible time," Wells said in a statement.

Some groups have called for the suspension of AB 5, arguing the law makes it difficult for freelancers to find work while stay-at-home orders remain in effect. But groups including Rideshare Drivers United say the coronavirus pandemic highlights the need for employee benefits and protections to ease the fallout from an economic downturn. Those protections include paid sick leave and unemployment insurance.

"For whatever reason, neither the state nor the cities that are empowered by the law to enforce AB 5 have taken hard action to do so," Nicole Moore, an organizer with Rideshare Drivers United, said. "That's why in February drivers took it upon ourselves to enforce the law through the people's enforcement, which are these wage claims."

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Navigating how to file wage claims against a company while being treated as a contractor can be complex, Moore said. So the group created a web tool to help streamline the process for drivers. In February, when RDU first began calling drivers to file wage claims, there were about 200 claims. As of Tuesday, the organization said 2,535 drivers had filed for back wages.

The labor commissioner's office said it is processing more than 2,600 such claims filed by ride-hail drivers since March 1. In a statement, the office said it is monitoring the outcome of pending misclassification lawsuits under AB 5, but noted that U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, who is presiding over one such case, has written that "companies like Lyft" are "thumbing their noses" at the law.

Although some drivers have heard back from the labor commissioner already, others said they expect the process to take months. One driver, Kristie Contine, said she had a brief follow-up call with the labor commissioner's office after she submitted her wage claim and was told the process for determining whether she was owed these wages could take up to a year and a half.

In addition to overtime pay that drivers say they are owed, drivers are also asking the labor commissioner to order the companies to pay them back for business expenses, including vehicle mileage, phone bills, monthly carwashes and customer amenities, according to a wage claim The Times reviewed.

One driver who said he worked about 3,300 hours, including 944 hours of overtime, alleges he is owed about $125,000. That includes $40,000 in business expenses, the vast majority of which was payment for the 66,000 miles he had driven for Uber.

Uber and Lyft have fought off lawsuits alleging the companies have misclassified workers for years, arguing the companies serve as intermediaries between riders and drivers, not employers. In California they, along with other gig companies, have invested $110 million to advance a ballot measure that could serve as an alternative to AB 5, creating a third category of work in between contracting and employment.
New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking relief to lakhs of parents, who are facing financial crunch due to lockdown and Health Emergency arisen out of COVID-19, was submitted before Delhi High Court on Thursday (April 16), but the Registry refused to list the matter before the court citing no urgency.

Advocate Amit Sahni sought urgent hearing of the matter stating that lakhs of parents are facing financial problems due to lockdown and Health Emergency in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The PIL sought Delhi government and Directorate of Education, Delhi, to issue directions to all schools under its jurisdiction not to charge school fees/charges from students for a period from April 2020 till the school become operational.

The urgency of the matter was mentioned before the Registrar, who did not find it sufficiently urgent to list before the Bench. The Registry of Delhi High Court told the petitioner, your request for urgent listing has been rejected.

The PIL also sought directions to schools not to pressurize their students to pay fees/charges etc. It also sought direction to the government to provide sufficient funds to the schools to bear its liabilities viz salary to staff or other expenses in order to strike a balance in the larger public interest.

Further, the plea highlighted that the Haryana government has issued directions to all unaided/private schools not to pressurize its students or parents to deposit fees/charges till school become operational and if any school pressurize its students or parents then strict disciplinary action would be taken against such school.

The petitioner submitted that the Delhi government has not issued any such directions to schools.
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Members of the coronavirus task force are expected to hold a press briefing Thursday amid signs that the curve is flattening in some hard-hit areas.

President Donald Trump is expected to roll out guidelines on how the U.S. can start to reopen for business in areas where coronavirus cases are on the decline and testing ramps up.

For weeks, government officials across the federal, state and local levels have been responding to the outbreak, issuing financial aid and guidance on dealing with the spread.

The first wave of stimulus relief checks were deposited into some Americans' bank accounts last weekend, according to the IRS. Millions more can expect to receive theirs in the coming weeks as part of the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill passed to aid Americans suffering financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Already, the Small Business Administration's rescue loan program hit its $349 billion limit and the nation's top lawmakers are sparring over a deal to replenish its funds.

Trump has said he believes some states will be able to "reopen" their economies before the end of April. But New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that his state and several others on the East Coast would extend their nonessential business shutdowns until at least May 15.

California on Wednesday released a list of requirements that must be met before its mitigation efforts can be moderated. And top CEOs say widespread testing must be available before the nation can get back to work.

Task force members include Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Vice President Mike Pence; Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar; Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, among others.

The outbreak has spread to dozens of countries globally, with more than 2 million confirmed cases worldwide and over 138,008 deaths so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 639,600 cases in the United States and at least 30,985 deaths, according to the latest tallies.

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News outlets are also grappling with how to cover voters in crucial states like Florida, Michigan, and Nevada, where journalists often gauge the direction of the countrys politics.

After 2016, when Donald J. Trumps victory caught many prominent journalists by surprise (and led to remonstrations from readers and viewers), senior leaders in the news business pledged not to repeat the same mistakes. In 2020, went the refrain, political writers would focus on the heartland, leaving behind the conventional-wisdom factories of newsrooms in Washington and New York.

Man plans, and God laughs. Amid the pandemic, much of the countrys political press is now marooned in those coastal cities, covering a national race from couches in Georgetown and Brooklyn.

David Weigel, a nomadic campaign correspondent for The Washington Post, said in an email that he has been off the trail for a month, his longest stretch at home in Washington since 2017. Hes worried about what reporters are missing.

Being able to check in with voters when some story was blowing up on cable is essential, Mr. Weigel said. Its not just that its better to talk to voters at random. Its that Id worry, usually correctly, that online chatter was not reflecting what was happening.

Mr. Weigel belongs to a band of road-warrior reporters that Peter Hamby, a former CNN campaign journalist, has deemed the Avis Preferred press corps: journalists who hoof it in the heartland, rather than offering analysis from afar.

The value of traveling in political journalism is not to travel to Las Vegas to go to a rally, Mr. Hamby, who hosts a political show on Snapchat, Good Luck America, said in an interview. The value is to travel to talk to moms in a Whole Foods parking lot in Henderson, Nev. Its not necessarily to cover a campaign event and just transcribe it.
The Malcolm Turnbull memoir, A Bigger Picture, is uncomplimentary about many people and organisations. But few come out of it as badly as Rupert Murdoch's media empire, News Corp, which Turnbull portrays as an ideologically-driven exemplar of everything thats bad about access journalism. (Malcolm's sentiments, not ours.)

Malcolm Turnbull and Rupert Murdoch. Credit:Alamy and Alex Ellinghausen

The first real taste of this is a passage in which Turnbull notes his then treasurer Scott Morrison had a habit of "tilling the soil" ahead of policy announcements in the hope that by giving them a head of steam in the media, his colleagues couldnt push back". "In return for a drip of good political stories, hed be rewarded with favourable coverage," he writes, specifically noting The Australian's editor-in-chief Paul Whittaker and Daily Telegraph editor Chris Dore. (Dore now edits The Australian, while Whittaker runs Sky News Australia.)

Throughout the book, however, Turnbull argues that Murdoch and his eldest son Lachlan backed ex-PM Tony Abbott  who he deposed in 2015  because they didnt like his moderate conservatism and resented that his personal wealth meant he wasnt "dependent on them". The Murdoch family's views, Turnbull writes, were not shared by everyone at News Corp. The most regular question I have had over the years from News Corp editors, executives and senior journalists is, Why do the Murdochs hate you'," he says.

The Australian's former political scribe David Crowe is described telling Turnbull he was going to leave the masthead because he hated the "negative" and "destructive" culture. Crowe is now this masthead's chief political correspondent. Meanwhile, Turnbull took diary notes on another (allegedly) extraordinary March 2017 conversation with The Australian's political doyen, editor-at-large Paul Kelly.
The Navajo Nation has announced plans to continue its weekend overnight curfew through the first weekend in May to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez announced the plan Tuesday after reservation officials put the curfew into effect Easter weekend. The curfew runs from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

The 57-hour weekend curfew was effective in reducing the numbers of people that went into the public, Nez told The Arizona Republic, adding that officials are developing a new order to implement similar curfews for the next three weekends for the entire Navajo Nation.

The order is expected to be formally issued in the coming days, Navajo Nation spokesman Jared Touchin said.

The Navajo Police Department enforced the curfew by setting up checkpoints in multiple communities and issuing more than 170 citations to violators, which could include a fine up to $1,000 and 30 days in jail.

The Navajo Nation also has a nighttime curfew requiring residents to stay home between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. every day. Essential employees with official identification and people with emergencies are exempt from the restrictions.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clears up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

As of Wednesday, the Navajo Nation reported 921 known cases of coronavirus infections and 38 deaths, 83 more cases and five more deaths than officials reported Tuesday.

Five Navajo Nation police employees had tested positive for COVID-19 by Tuesday, including four officers, the department said.

Nez expects an increase in cases for the tribe because of testing that is expected to produce quicker results.

The sooner people choose to stay home more, the sooner we will beat the virus and the sooner we can begin to heal, Vice President Myron Lizer said.
Times Union education reporter Rachel Silberstein conducted a Facebook Live chat Thursday to discuss the ways the newsroom is covering the COVID-19 outbreak and its effects on area schools and educational institutions.

This is part of a series of Facebook Live discussions with a range of Times Union journalists covering the story. Columnist Chris Churchill will give a live update on Friday.
The big picture: After reviewing 31.2 GB of emails, one gigabyte of memos, meeting agendas, travel calendars and 80 interviews, the DoD's Office of Inspector General concluded that the Pentagon cloud contract awarded to Microsoft wasn't influenced by the White House. It also arrived at this conclusion while not being able to fully verify that possibility due to the "presidential communications privilege."

The DoD's Inspector General has cleared Microsoft's $10 billion JEDI contract after no evidence of wrongdoing was found. It also noted that awarding the project to a single company as opposed to dividing it among competitors was in line with "applicable acquisition standards."

This comes after Amazon disputed the decision alleging that President Trump personally intervened in the matter. The company argued that because of friction between Trump and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the former pressured Pentagon officials to award the contract to the closest competitor.

Last month, Amazon won a preliminary injunction that prevents Microsoft and the DoD from executing on the cloud project for 120 days. In a different lawsuit pending an appeal, Oracle is arguing that the terms of the contract bidding were tailored for Amazon, a scheme that was disrupted by a conflict of interest between Jeff Bezos and the Trump administration.

At this point, it doesn't look like either case is going to lead to a different conclusion, and the DoD appears to have settled on the idea that the noise around this case should quiet down now that its internal probe hasn't found any evidence of misconduct.

Frank Shaw, Microsoft's head of corporate communications, noted that "the Inspector General's report makes clear the DoD established a proper procurement process. It's now apparent that Amazon bid too high a price and is seeking a do-over so it can bid again. As the IG's report indicates, Amazon has proprietary information about Microsoft's bid that it should never have had. At this stage, Amazon is both delaying critical work for the nation's military and trying to undo the mistake it made when it bid too high a price."

Amazon, however, isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. The company said in a statement that the DoD's 313-page report "doesn't tell us much. It says nothing about the merits of the award, which we know are highly questionable based on the Judge's recent statements and the government's request to go back and take corrective action. And, it's clear that this report couldn't assess political interference because several DoD witnesses were instructed by the White House not to answer the IG's questions about communications between the White House and DoD officials."

Simply put, Microsoft argues that Amazon was allowed to receive information about its winning price, as well as sensitive trade secrets that could be used by the latter as an unfair advantage on the cloud market.

Amazon believes that the DoD selection process unfairly rated Microsoft's technology as equal or superior on all criteria including the cost of implementation. Now its case hinges on the fact that officials who could have confirmed its allegations were barred from answering questions in the DoD's internal probe.
A U.S. judge canceled a key permit Wednesday for the Keystone XL oil pipeline that's expected to stretch from Canada to Nebraska, another setback for the disputed project that got underway less than two weeks ago following years of delays.

Judge Brian Morris said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to adequately consider the pipeline's effect on endangered species such as pallid sturgeon, a massive dinosaur-like fish.

The ruling, however, does not shut down work that has begun at the U.S.-Canada border crossing in Montana, according to attorneys in the case. Pipeline sponsor TC Energy will need the permit for future construction across hundreds of rivers and streams along Keystone's 1,200-mile route.

A spokesman said TC Energy was reviewing the ruling.

"We remain committed to building this important energy infrastructure project," spokesman Terry Cunha said.

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers did not have an immediate response to the ruling.

Morris is holding a court hearing Thursday on two other lawsuits against the $8 billion pipeline. American Indian tribes and environmental groups want him to halt the construction at the border while a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's approval of the pipeline last year works its way through the courts.

The pipeline was proposed in 2008 and would carry up to 830,000 barrels (35 million gallons) of crude daily to Nebraska, where it would be transferred to another TC Energy pipeline for shipment to refineries and export terminals on the Gulf of Mexico.

It was rejected twice under the Obama administration because of concerns that it could worsen climate change, then Trump revived it.

TC Energy's surprise March 31 announcement that it intended to start construction amid a global economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic came after the provincial government in Alberta invested $1.1 billion to jump-start the work.

Tribal leaders and some residents of rural communities along the pipeline's route worry that thousands of workers needed for the project could spread the virus.

As many as 11 construction camps, some housing up to 1,000 people, were initially planned for the project, although TC Energy says those are under review amid the pandemic.

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Authorities in the Chinese capital are holding a documentary filmmaker who was making a film about now-detained dissident Xu Zhiyong.



Chen Jiaping, who has also used the name Chen Yong, was detained in early March on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power," according to multiple reports.



His wife published an extract from an letter she wrote to him on his 50th birthday, in which she links his detention to the unfinished documentary about Xu.



Chen is being held incommunicado at an unknown location. An officer who answered the phone at the police department in Changping, a suburb of Beijing, declined to give out any information.



"Where is he now?" the officer asked. "There are more than 20 police stations in Changping," before saying he couldn't check a detainee without knowing where they were detained.



An employee who answered the phone at the Haidian district police department made a similar response, before adding: "It's not one of ours, anyway."



In her letter, Chen's wife hit out at the reason for her husband's detention, saying that no written article had ever upended society.



"Our country can't be subverted by a work of art, and the people can't be subverted by a documentary that hasn't even been released yet," she wrote. "I don't believe that any institution would be able to place limits on artistic creativity in a free and democratic country."



Bei Ling, executive secretary of Independent Chinese PEN said the order to pursue anyone connected to Xu likely came from the highest ranks of the Chinese leadership.



"I think it's because Xu Zhiyong has ... angered people in highest echelons of leadership in China, which is why people involved in making this documentary were also detained," Bei said. "But a filmmaker trying to understand something isn't participating in it."



"The Xu Zhiyong documentary wasn't going to be a record of his calling on Xi Jinping to step down; it was more of a portrait of a civil rights campaigner," Bei said.



CPJ decries 'absurd' detention

Interview requests made via friends to Chen's wife had met with no response at the time of writing.



The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for Chen's immediate and unconditional release.



"Detaining Chen Jiaping for filming a documentary on a subject the Chinese government doesnt like is absurd," CPJ program director Carlos Martinez de la Serna said in a statement.



"Chinese authorities should drop all charges against Chen Jiaping, release him immediately, and allow him to continue his work," he said.



The CPJ said the authorities have repeatedly denied Chens wifes requests to see her husband, and have put pressure on her to keep quiet about his case.



On Dec. 26, police from the eastern province of Shandong coordinated with other police nationwide to arrest human rights activists and participants who gathered in Xiamen, Fujian, in early December to organize civil society actions and plan nonviolent social movements in the country.



Several people who attended were detained on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power and subversion of state power." The latter charge carries a minimum 10-year prison sentence.



Among them was New Citizens' Movement founder Xu Zhiyong, who was eventually detained in Guangdong province on subversion charges.



While their families waited to learn their whereabouts, other rights activists who had gone to the Xiamen event, and even those indirectly connected to them, fled the country or went on the run.



Reported by Hsia Hsiao-hwa for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Image: Supplied

Aussie fintech Airwallex has raised US$160 million (AU$254 million), the largest amount it has raised so far.

The company will use the funds to drive up its growth in the US, Europe and the Middle East.

The funding round comes after Airwallex reached unicorn status in 2019.

Visit Business Insider Australias homepage for more stories.

While some businesses have been struggling to adjust during the coronavirus pandemic, Aussie fintech Airwallex has managed to secure US$160 million in funding  its biggest funding raise to date.

The funds will be used to ramp up the company's growth mainly in the US and Europe, as well as new markets like the Middle East. Airwallex will expand its product line and look at possible acquisitions in the payments space.

Airwallex is a cross-border payments service that lets you make domestic and international payments through its platform. In 2019 it teamed up with Visa to launch borderless, multi-currency cards for businesses and earlier in 2020 announced an integration with accounting platform Xero.

Founded in Melbourne in 2015, the company's latest funding round brings the total amount of money it has raised to over US$360 million.

Airwallex co-founder and CEO Jack Zhang said in a statement, "The global shift to digital is imminent."

"We envision a world in the not-too-distant future where all businesses will operate and conduct their affairs online  including banking  with the help of modern tools. From the very beginning, our vision has been to lead the transformation of global financial infrastructure.

"We have stayed true to our vision by building the Airwallex platform with fast and agile technology, continually improving our product and investing in dedicated support teams."

Zhang added that "more than ever", the company is "well-positioned to support businesses no matter their size as they adapt to todays changes."

The latest funding round was led by new investors ANZi Ventures  ANZ Bank's venture capital firm  and Salesforce Ventures, as well as existing investors such as Tencent, Sequoia Capital China and Hillhouse Capital.

Story continues

"The commitment and confidence from both new and existing investors in this round is a strong validation of our successes and our strategic vision," Zhang said. "With their support, we look forward to accelerating our growth and further empowering businesses across the globe."

Airwallex reached unicorn status in March 2019  marking it as one of a growing list of private startups valued at more than a billion dollars. It is on the list with other Australian businesses like Canva, Culture Amp and more recently, SafetyCulture.

READ MORE:
A teacher conducts an online class from an empty classroom of Yongsan Elementary School in Seoul, Thursday, as Korea begins the new school year for freshmen and sophomores in secondary schools and fourth to sixth graders in elementary schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Yonhap



By Bahk Eun-ji



More than 3.1 million elementary, middle and high school students nationwide began the spring semester online, Thursday, joining about 800,000 others who have been taking online classes since April 9, according to the Ministry of Education.



Fourth to sixth graders in elementary schools as well as freshmen and sophomores at middle and high schools were able to meet their teachers online, after seniors at secondary schools who had already begun the semester last week.



Fifth graders at Yongsan Elementary School began their first class with their homeroom teacher Song Mi-kyeong, using a combination of the online class platform of the Education Broadcasting System (EBS), and Zoom, a video conferencing platform. After checking students' attendance by calling out their names at 8:30 a.m., Song let the 23 students share greetings through web cameras.



The MOE gave schools guidance for remote learning, suggesting the use of a number of methods such as classes involving real-time interaction, using online lectures pre-recorded by national educational TV channels like EBS, or giving projects and homework to students. For elementary school students, education authorities recommended schools use pre-recorded materials, but teachers at Yongsan Elementary School, chose real-time interaction.



"We were not so sure whether the younger students, such as first and second graders, could handle the smart devices and programs required for remote classes. So we asked parents to participate in our demonstration class last weekend so they could practice and teach their children, and thankfully, the children learned so quickly that they could manage the programs and tools by themselves," said Kim Kyung-mi, deputy headmaster at the school.



Kim also said many teachers at the school believed students would be able to concentrate more in real-time interaction classes. During the class Thursday, some parents could be seen standing behind the students monitoring the class, but Kim said teachers didn't discourage them from doing this.



"We need to relieve the parents' anxiety by letting them watch the class because this online school opening is unprecedented and parents also need some time to get used to the change," Kim said.



Although the class went smoothly at the school, complaints from many parents and students have erupted over persistent malfunctions of the distance learning platforms.



In some regions, there were access failures for both EBS Online Class, and e-learning sites run by the Korea Education and Research Service (KERIS) during the morning when students tried to confirm their attendance.



In response to the technical problems, the MOE announced that it plans to increase the number of servers for the e-learning sites, and keep testing the system load in order to prevent access failures by April 20 when first to third graders at elementary schools will begin their classes.



The education ministry had earlier postponed the new school year, which was initially scheduled to start March 2, by five weeks to April 6. The opening date was delayed again as fears grew that schools could become hotbeds for the coronavirus when unexpected infection clusters occurred in various parts of the country.






GRAND RAPIDS, MI  MLive Media Group is temporarily cutting wages, eliminating 401(k) contributions and requiring all employees to take one week off without pay as it contends with a steep loss of advertising revenue amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The company told employees Wednesday it will have their base pay cut by between 2 percent and 20 percent. The amount of each employees pay cut will depend on their base pay. Those with higher salaries will see bigger pay cuts than lower-paid employees.

The reductions are projected to be in effect through December, though the company said it would reexamine the matter in September.

These werent easy decisions to make and there was a lot of thought put into this, said Tim Gruber, president and chief revenue officer for MLive Media Group. We strived to make these decisions with the least impact on employees as possible and look forward to coming out of this stronger and running a better business.

Advance Local, MLive Media Groups parent company, is implementing similar cost-cutting measures at its newspapers and websites across the country, including in Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Alabama and Pennsylvania.

The company said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant decline in revenue, as it has for other local news and information companies around the country.

Gannett, which owns the Detroit Free Press and other newspapers in Michigan, announced earlier this month that it was implementing furloughs as a cost-savings measure.

With the mandated furloughs at MLive, each employee will be required to take one week off without pay prior to July 31. The company said it would assess its financial standing in June to determine whether employees would be required to take a second unpaid week off of work.

The company is also suspending all 401(k) contributions until December.

MLive Media Group was formed in 2012, and includes MLive.com and newspapers in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw and Bay City.

Last week, MLive announced it was launching a voluntary subscription program to allow digital readers to support its journalism.
Mumbai, April 16 : A Mumbai Court on Thursday granted bail to a Marathi channel reporter who was arrested in connection with the migrant crowd at Bandra two days ago.

The accused, Rahul Kulkarni, Osmanabad-based correspondent of ABP Majha news channel, was produced before a Bandra Magistrate Court which released him on a bail of Rs 15,000.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said he was glad that Kulkarni secured bail, while some other mediapersons have demanded that a thorough probe should be carried out before arresting journalists.

Kulkarni was arrested on Wednesday on charges of allegedly airing fake news which resulted in the huge migrant crowd build-up two days ago.

However, the channel on Thursday debunked allegations that its reportage on April 14 could be linked to the huge crowd of migrants outside Bandra west station.

In a statement here on Thursday, the channel termed reports linking the migrant gathering with its news reports as "entirely misconceived and circulated with the sole intention of baselessly maligning ABP Majha".

Claiming its stories were broadcast in the public interest, it said it had valid documents and information, on the basis of which it ran multiple stories on the channel.

After the PM's announcement on Tuesday at 10 a.m. on continuing the lockdown, announcements later from the Ministry of Railway pertaining to cancellation of trains and refunds till May 3, the channel said from 12.30 p.m.-1.30 p.m. it clearly announced that no trains would be running.

"There is no conceivable way in which the crowds that gathered at the Bandra West Station from around 3.45 p.m. can be linked to our stories. To insinuate that our running of the story and the updates thereafter amount to a criminal act is outrageous," ABP Majha said in a statement early on Thursday.

It expressed shock and dismay over the arrest of its reporter Rahul Kulkarni and said it would take immediate legal measures in this regard.

The channel contended that there was no denial of the Railway Ministry's letter of April 13 recommending running of trains to return migrants to their hometowns, but after the RM's announcement that no trains would be run till May 3, 2020, it had immediately run the story on its news bulletins.

"We would like to say that before journalists are arrested there should be due verification of all facts and circumstances," said ABP Majha.

Among other things, Kulkarni has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Diseases Act, according to Mumbai Police Spokesperson and DCP Pranaya Ashok.

Taking serious note of the incident on Tuesday near Bandra station, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered a thorough investigation, resulting in the arrest of a Navi Mumbai-based self-styled activist Vinay Dube. He has been remanded to police custody till April 21.

DCP Abhishek Trimukhe said that the Bandra Police have so far filed three FIRs in connection with the migrants' morcha incident, and against activist Vinay Dube, the journalist and some others.
BarcelonaThis newspaper has got confirmation that Fira de Barcelona and GSMA, the company that organises the Mobile World Congress (MWC), have agreed to extend their contract for an additional year. The current contract was due to end in 2023 but, since this years show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both parties have now agreed that Barcelona city will host the trade fair through to 2024.

That does not necessarily mean that the MWC will be moving to a different city after 2024. The citys local institutions have always hoped that the trade show would remain in Barcelona for as many years as possible, but longer, more complex talks will be needed for that to happen. In contrast, this fast-track one-year extension is merely a way to make up for this years cancellation, our sources say.

Tacking on an extra year might pave the way for an agreement between both parties on the subject of who foots the bill of this years cancellation. At any rate, none of our sources mentioned this as being a key factor in securing the contract extension.

This news will provide some respite for the hotel and catering sectors, who were left without this years show back in February and are currently struggling due to the coronavirus crisis. Fira de Barcelona will also welcome the additional year, as the MWC provides more that one third of its annual revenue. The mobile communications trade show has been held in Barcelona city since 2006 and has become the leading event in the sector.

Furthermore, the growing debate across the world on the subject of 5G technology and its use by the global superpowers could even give the MWC greater prominence. China is currently the leader in 5G tech, with Huawei as its flagship company. This has raised the alarm in the US, who have brought their struggle with China over to the field of telecommunications.

In fact, initially some claimed that the MWCs cancellation had nothing to do with the coronavirus, but was part of a campaign against China which sought to boycott the event, where Chinese companies and, in particular, Huawei have a high profile. Time has shown, though, that the COVID-19 threat was very real.
By offering better data and better insights on the industrial purchase process  marketers can make more informed decisions on content, creative, platforms and partnerships to help them connect to current and prospective buyers

Gardner Business Media, Inc., today released Industrial Buying Influence 2020, the fifth installment of a research series that examines behaviors and influencers impacting the industrial manufacturing technology purchase process.

First published in 2011 as Media Usage in Manufacturing Facilities, the Industrial Buying Influence (IBI) series offers a comprehensive analysis of how media and marketing impact the industrial buying cycle in discrete parts manufacturing. Specifically, the pace and the process by which buying teams evaluate, research and decide on purchases; and, the media types and messaging strategies that inform each stage of that purchase process.

The survey, conducted from October 21  November 4, 2019, includes the insights of 884 respondents comprised mainly of executives, managers and engineers at companies engaged in durable goods manufacturing.

The survey results include observations and raw data investigating primary trends in business-to-business industrial marketing and media usage. Specific topics include:



Buying team attributes  size, duration, title, age, motivation

Industrial buying cycle  discovery, research, evaluation, decision

Media usage  most accessed and preferred media channels

Influencers  content, messaging, environment, triggers

Commenting on the survey results, Dave Necessary, Director of Strategic Engagement, noted We want to help industrial marketers make the best possible marketing decisions. Our hope is that by offering better data and better insights on the industrial purchase process  marketers can make more informed decisions on content, creative, platforms and partnerships to help them connect to current and prospective buyers.

Key findings:



Motivation: 45% of purchases are initiated by a new project or new customer need

Duration: Nearly half (48%) of purchase processes require at least 6 months.

Size: More than 80% of buying teams consists of at least 3

Media Types: 90% of industrial buyers use a minimum of 3 different media types during the purchase process

Evaluation: Nearly 97% of purchase processes involve the evaluation of at least one alternative vendor

Website: Vendor website is the most commonly accessed channel throughout the industrial purchase process

Sources: Only 5 media types appeared in at least 50% of responses  vendor website, search, industry website, industry event, magazine

The complete Industrial Buying Influence 2020 report is available at: collections.gardnerweb.com/ibi. In addition to Industrial Buying Influence, Gardner Business Media and Gardner Intelligence produce a volume of market intelligence for the durable goods manufacturing market including the annual Capital Spending Surveys and the monthly Gardner Business Index. For a complete list of Gardner Intelligence reports, visit: gardnerintelligence.com
Raab, Haddon said, was only there through the borrowed authority of Boris Johnson. If the cabinet turned around and said, We dont respect his authority and Raab should cease doing his job, then youd have a clash that would have to be resolved. How you resolve is a tricky constitutional question.
Illegal police action and police brutality through frequent lathi-charge during lockdown should not be normalised, a former Director General of Police (DGP) in Uttar Pradesh told the Supreme Court on Thursday.

The petitioner, Dr Vikram Singh, who is currently chairperson of think tank, Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change, sought quashing of FIRs registered under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against persons for violation of the Coronavirus lockdown.

The registration of FIRs under section 188 IPC is grossly illegal and antithesis to Rule of Law, and violates Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the petitioner submitted.

Section 188 of the IPC states that any person who disobeys an order given by a public servant can be punished with imprisonment up to 6 months.

Singh, in his petition, pointed out that between March 23 and April 13, 848 FIRs were registered under section 188 of IPC in 50 Police Stations of Delhi alone.

Similarly, he also claimed that as per Uttar Pradesh Governments own admission through its Twitter handle, 15,378 FIRs under section 188 were registered in the state against 48,503 persons.

If this is the situation in the national capital and adjoining state, then the situation in other parts of the country can very well be imagined, the petition said.

Singh also referred to the order issued by the Supreme Court on March 23 in a suo motu case directing release of prisoners from jails to reduce overcrowding in prisons and minimise the risk of spread of Covid-19.

However, the police on the other hand, is continuing to burden the criminal justice system through FIRs in petty offences in unlawful manner, which at the most mandate the jail term of six months, Singh alleged.

The Petitioner, who himself was the DGP of Uttar Pradesh understands the police functioning as well as the pain and suffering of those who are caught in the wheels of the criminal justice system. The Petitioner is also concerned with the undue burden on police officers, who will have to do voluminous documentation in all such matters, the petition stated.

Singh maintained that he was not supporting violation of lockdown and that strict action should be taken against violators; however, action under criminal law should be minimal. He contended that alternative methods like directions to plant trees and cleaning of drains should be adopted to deal with those who violate lockdown.

Coronavirus has caused a global pandemic, in which every person is suffering. The situation needs to be handled humanely, and it will be best to avoid adding aspects of criminality, wherever possible, the plea said.
Some 20 French sailors remain hospital following an outbreak of Covid-19 in the naval group of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. More than 650 marines have tested positive for the coronavirus, most from the carrier itself.

"There are about 20 at the moment in hospital. Out of the 20, one is in the re-animation ward and in a stable case," French navy spokesman Eric Lavault told RMC radio Thursday.

The statement comes a day after the French armed forces said 1,767 marines -- most from the Charles de Gaulle carrier itself -- had been evaluated and at least 668 had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The carrier sailed for the eastern Mediterranean on 21 January to reinforce French military operations against Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria.

It participated in exercises with northern European navies in the Baltic Sea before returning to France two weeks earlier than planned when sailors began showing coronavirus symptoms.

The carrier which had helicopters and fighter jets on board, was accompanied by two frigates -- one for aerial defence and the other an anti-submarine vessel.

Sailors from the Charles de Gaulle, one of the frigates and the pilots who returned the aircraft to their respective bases, have all been placed in isolation for 14 days, the ministry said.

No outbreak was declared on the other frigate.
Bengaluru, April 16 : Karnataka registered 34 new COVID-19 cases in the last 19 hours, raising the state's tally to 313, an official said on Thursday.

"Till date, 313 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 13 deaths and 82 discharges," a health official said.

Most of the cases are the contacts of the previous cases.

Karnataka's 280th Covid positive case is a 13-year-old boy from Bengaluru, a contact of 252nd case.

A 65-year-old woman with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) from the city is the 281st case.

Next, a 51-year-old woman from Hirebagewadi, Belagavi is the 282nd case. She was a contact of the 225th case.

Similarly, a 42-year-old man from the same place and a contact of 224th case is 283rd case.

Next, a 33-year-old man from the same location and a contact of 225th case is 284th case.

A 16-year-old girl from the same place and a contact of 224th case is 285th case.

Likewise, a 65-year-old woman from the same place and contact history is the 286th case.

A 30-year-old woman from the same place and contact history is 287th case.

A 54-year-old woman from the same place and contact history is 288th case.

Similarly, a 58-year-old woman from the same place and contact history is 289th case.

A 54-year-old woman from Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh is 290th case. She is admitted in Bengaluru.

A 37-year-old man from the city is 291st case.

A 43-year-old man from Bengaluru is 292nd case.

On repeat testing, a 47-year-old man from Chikkodi, Belagavi with travel history to Delhi has emerged as 293rd case.

Similarly, a repeat tested 25-year-old man from Raibagh, Belagavi is 294th case.

A 45-year-old woman from Belagavi with travel history to Delhi on repeat testing is 295th case.

A 30-year-old man from Raibagh, Belagavi with travel history to Delhi is 296th case. He tested positive on repeat testing.

A 43-year-old man from the same place and travel history is 297th case on repeat testing.

A 50-year-old Goa resident staying at Raibagh, Belagavi since a month is 298th case. He is a contact of 245th case.

A 35-year-old Vijayapura resident staying at the same place since a month is 299th case. He is a contact of 245th case.

Likewise, a 25-year-old Miraj, Maharashtra resident staying at the same place is 300th case. He is also a contact of 245th case.

A 64-year-old man from Raibagh, Belagavi is 301st case. He is a contact of 245th case.

A 23-year-old woman from Kalaburagi and a contact of 274th case is 302nd case.

A 52-year-old man from Mysuru, an employee of the pharmaceutical company is 303rd case.

A 59-year-old woman from Gadag is 304th case. She is a contact of 166th case.

A 12-year-old boy from Vijayapura, contact of 221st case is 305th case.

A 65-year-old man from the same place and contact history is 306th case.

Similarly, a 66-year-old man, 37-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman from the same place and contact history are 307th, 308th and 309th cases respectively.

A one and a half year old infant, girl, from the same place and a contact of 228th and 232nd cases is 310th case.

A 38-year-old Mysuru man from the pharmaceutical company is 311th case.

A 26-year-old woman from Mysuru and a contact of 277th case, his wife, is 312th case. Her husband is an employee of the pharmaceutical company.

The last case for Thursday morning and the state's 313th case is a 55-year-old woman from Vijayapura and a contact of 221st case.
India, one of the largest producers of HCQ now used in coronavirus treatment, is exporting the drug to many countries.

New Delhi, India  Days after India banned the export of pharmaceuticals amid the coronavirus pandemic, it reversed its decision after US President Donald Trump last week demanded New Delhi ship anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to the United States.

Foreign policy experts in India expressed shock at Trumps threat of retaliation against India  a close trade and security ally of the US. But New Delhis decision to export HCQ seems to have changed the US presidents tune immediately.

Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight! tweeted Trump.

Earlier, the US president, while speaking to reporters, had called Modi terrific and said the US will remember that India allowed what they had requested.

Modi was quick to respond, underlining the close ties between the two countries.

Fully agree with you President @realDonaldTrump. Times like these bring friends closer. The India-US partnership is stronger than ever. India shall do everything possible to help humanitys fight against COVID-19. We shall win this together, Modi tweeted.

Game-changer drug

Trump, who has faced criticism for his handling of the COVID-19 crisis domestically, has called hydroxychloroquine a game-changer drug in the fight against coronavirus.

Global rush for HCQ forced India to put restrictions on its export and that of several other drugs on March 25. The only exceptions were on humanitarian grounds or for those who had made their advance payments in full.

Used for treating rheumatoid arthritis and malaria, India is one of the largest producers of HCQ in the world and exports $50m worth of it every year.

After the revocation of the ban, reports claimed that India has decided to export HCQ and other drugs used for treating COVID-19 patients to more than a dozen countries under two categories  humanitarian aid and commercial supply.

A chemist displays hydroxychloroquine tablets in New Delhi, India [File: Manish Swarup/The Associated Press]

India, dubbed the pharmacy of the world, has drawn praise for the decision to export pharmaceuticals to some African and Latin American countries on humanitarian grounds.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Modi after New Delhi decided to ship the medicines.

Several other countries, including the United Kingdom, expressed their gratitude, earning diplomatic goodwill for New Delhi.

Ever since the coronavirus outbreak worsened, Modi has been constantly reaching out to the heads of states to create solidarity in fighting the pandemic.

In mid-March, Modi proposed a coronavirus fund for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, with New Delhi committing $10m.

India will also send drugs to neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles.





Will drug diplomacy work?

The jury is still out on whether these efforts will strengthen Indias diplomatic position.

In some terms, this decision has earned some goodwill. People are aware that unlike China which has a surplus of PPEs [personal protective equipment] or ventilators and the machinery to produce a lot of these things, India is making genuine sacrifices to show international solidarity and not to earn money, Kanwal Sibal, Indias former foreign secretary, told Al Jazeera.

According to Sibal, these gestures will help India earn goodwill but it still remains a much smaller part of the overall scenario of how developing countries are going to relate to each other after the coronavirus pandemic is brought under control.

So, I dont think one should exaggerate the amount of goodwill but certainly Indias diplomatic hand would be strengthened when it would seek a similar favour from some of the countries to which it is showing a degree of generosity, said Sibal.

Meanwhile, Indias former ambassador to the US, Lalit Mansingh, said at this point, diplomacy should not be discussed in transactional terms.

When a country makes an appeal for drugs in this kind of calamity, humanity remains the foremost priority in the decision making. It is not about taking advantage of a particular country in a crisis. Right now, its the humanitarian sentiment that is uppermost, Mansingh told Al Jazeera.

He claimed that India has not deviated from its policy to help those in need, especially in the pharma sector.

As a fact, India has a policy of helping like it did in the case of HIV/AIDS. Drugs made in India helped millions of lives in Africa, he said.





Pharma industry hit by pandemic

India is the largest producer of generic drugs and has, over the years, made the cost of treatment much cheaper for people all over the world.

According to Global Business Reports, The generic drugs industry continues to strengthen itself as a key pillar of Indias burgeoning economy. As the largest provider of generics in the world, the sector contributes to 40 percent of the United States generic demand with Indian companies receiving 304 Abbreviated New Drug Application approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017. Moreover, the industry exports to almost every nation, and has significant footprints in all the highly-regulated developed markets.

India is home to the third-largest pharmaceutical industry in the world in terms of volume and 10th-largest in terms of value.

The total size of the industry, including drugs and medical devices, is approximately $43bn of which it exports $20bn worth of drugs. The pharmaceutical sector currently contributes about 1.72 percent to Indias gross domestic product (GDP).

India exports pharma products to more than 200 countries, including heavily regulated markets in the US, Western Europe, Japan and Australia.

However, with businesses across the globe taking a major hit because of the pandemic, Indian pharma sector, too, is not untouched by the crisis.

The spectre of coronavirus has exposed the chinks in Indias pharmaceutical sector which is struggling to ramp up production due to its overreliance on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and other bulk drugs which are key ingredients of the finished formulations.

Last year, the country imported roughly 50,000 crore rupees ($6.5bn) worth of API and other intermediaries that go into production of finished formulations, said Dr Saktivel Selvaraj of the Public Health Foundation of India.

About 31,740 crore rupees ($4.1bn) [worth of API] were from China alone, accounting for two-thirds of API imports.





A large section of these APIs is are imported from the Hubei province of China, which is believed to be the origin of the new coronavirus and a manufacturing hub of API and other bulk drugs.

Over the years, Indias dependency on China has increased substantially since Indian pharma companies found it cheaper to import than to manufacture the key ingredients.

Meanwhile, domestic drug manufacturers have claimed that if the government did not intervene soon, the consumer would start feeling the pinch of the shortage of API, as many essential drugs could disappear from shelves in the next few weeks.

Manav Grover, managing director of Cosway Pharmaceutical, which manufactures more than 200 drugs, including painkillers, antibiotics and other medicines, said the companys stocks are depleted and the cost of raw materials has skyrocketed in the last few weeks, especially after imports from China were stopped due to the spread of the coronavirus.

According to him, the end consumer will start to feel the heat of this shortage very soon.

Suppliers are hoarding raw materials and have increased the price manifold. The situation is really bad, there is so much black-marketing. Even those raw materials which were easily available are being hoarded by traders, Grover told Al Jazeera.

Just like masks and hand sanitisers, raw materials too are not easy to find. For instance, we used to get HCQ for 20,000 rupees ($261) a kg but the rate is now 85,000 rupees ($1,111) a kg. So, production of one HCQ tablet cost the manufacturer five rupees ($0.06) earlier, it costs 35 rupees ($0.45) now.
The commerce ministry has clarified that export incentives under Merchandise Export Incentive Scheme (MEIS) will be available to exporters only up to December 31 this year.

The government after approving a new scheme - remission of duties and taxes on export products (RoDTEP) - in March this year has stated that MEIS will be phased out after rolling out of this new scheme.

Under MEIS, the government provides duty benefits depending on product and country. Rewards under the scheme are payable as percentage of realised free-on-board value and MEIS duty credit scrip can be transferred or used for payment of a number of duties including the basic customs duty.

In a trade notice, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said, "it is clarified, without prejudice and subject to changes that may be deemed necessary in public interest from time to time that: benefits under MEIS for any item/tariff line/HS Code currently listed...will be available only up to December 31, this year".

It said that RoDTEP scheme was approved by the cabinet to replace the ongoing MEIS.

After this decision, the directorate said it had been receiving queries from the members of the trade, "as to in what manner benefits under MEIS will be available under the FTP (foreign trade policy) beyond March 31, 2020" as this policy was extended for one more year till March 31 , 2021.

It also said that if rates for any item or product will be fixed under RoDTEP before December 31, 2020, those goods will not get MEIS benefits.

"Detailed operational framework for the RoDTEP will be notified separately in consultation with Department of Revenue," it added.

This trade notice was addressed to all export promotion councils/Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), all regional authorities of DGFT and all customs authorities.

Commenting on this, FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said: "It has to put an end to validity of MEIS to December 31 this year. I am not sure whether government will be able to fix RoDTEP rate for all products by said date. A good option could be to fix rates at four digits HS code, like duty drawback, so that the fixation work is reduced and some flexibility is available at the same time".

In trade parlance, every product is categorised under an HSN code (Harmonised System of Nomenclature). It helps in systematic classification of goods across the globe.

India's exports dipped by a record 24.57 per cent in March. It contracted by 4.78 per cent to USD 314,31 billion in 2019-20.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Imagine if Donald Trump had called the Ebola virus, which originated in Africa, The Black Virus.

Or, if in some alternate universe COVID-19 had originated in Israel and the American president started calling it The Jewish virus.

He wouldnt. Because he knows better.

But yet, he got away for days calling COVID-19 The Chinese virus. In fact, he insisted on it, despite widespread condemnation.

It was perhaps too much to expect the bombastic Trump to realize that Chinese isnt a country. Its an ethnicity. And after a few days and a few more hate crimes against Asians, he finally relented.

But why did he get away with this particularly despicable piece of Asian bashing when if he attempted it with other communities he would get pulverized?

I blame my mother. She bought into the whole myth of the model minority. Turn the other cheek, she would say if I told her about any perceived prejudice growing up. Just do your work and show you belong.

And so I did. This was the prevailing wisdom for her generation and the generation before that. I would grow up admiring the Black and Jewish communities and their fight for civil rights. Where were our Black Panthers? Those guys didnt take crap from anybody.

As a result of decades of historical xenophobia, the racist trope that Asians were a Yellow Peril who would spread into communities like a disease, the public is less sensitized to discrimination against Asians. When Saturday Night Live comic Shane Gillis mocked accents and referred to Chinese as f--king ch--ks in a podcast last year it took an agonizing five days for him to get fired. It makes you wonder how fast would he have been fired if he had used the N word? But perhaps what was more disheartening were the number of celebrity defenders who came out to defend his right to free speech.

So generations later, what feels like a punch to the gut is hearing former U.S. Presidential candidate Andrew Yang telling Asian Americans to pitch in and work harder to be more American so they can be accepted.

In an op-ed published in The Washington Post, he said Asian Americans need to step up, help our neighbours, donate gear, vote, wear red white and blue  we should show without a shadow of a doubt that we are Americans who will do our part for our country in this time of need.

Of course everyone should do their part for the country and their community. Thats a given. This week an initiative by the Chinese-Canadian community, in a largely unheralded move under former United Way chair Dr. Joseph Wong, donated 200,000 masks to area hospitals after raising more than $400,000 .

But thats not because anyone wants to curry favour with the Ku Klux Klan. Or in the words of Canadian Simu Liu (Kims Convenience) and soon to be Marvel superhero Shang-Chi in a tweet, Andrew Yang just told us to suck it up, eat a cheeseburger and buy an American flag.

There have been numerous incidents reported of assaults on Asians worldwide, as racists feel empowered by the virus to lash out. Canada has not been immune. An Asian emergency room nurse in Toronto reported that she was hit with an umbrella and spat on by a woman. Actor Russell Yuen (who I shared the briefest of scenes with in a Frankie Drake Mysteries episode) said he had to fend off a verbal attack in North Bay. And reports of being spit on, yelled at and physically attacked have been more common as the pandemic continues to take a toll.

Meanwhile, Yangs op-ed was also a bitter pill for the Japanese-American community, who like Japanese-Canadians, were interned during the Second World War.

Yang used the example of Japanese-Americans enlisting in the military to demonstrate their American-ness during a time of need. He neglected to mention that many of the prisoners were drafted while interned.

It was so typical, know your place and be grateful and well be fine as long as youre dutiful and obedient, says Amy Go, president of the Chinese Canadian Council for Social Justice (CCNSJ). Its basically shut your mouth and let it slide.

Now Yang is a smart guy with some great ideas, including universal basic income that is becoming prophetic in the age of COVID-19. But its sad to see someone this intelligent feel that the best way to counteract racism is to appease the racists.

Yang should have called out the racism for what it is  but instead he chose to promote the myth that Asians are the subservient people of colour  working to uphold a system of institutionalized racism, to show the other coloured people that they can do it too.

To explore the absurdity of the comments, Comedian Jenny Yang (Last Man Standing) took Yangs words to heart by wearing red white and blue, stepping out into the streets and handing out disinfecting wipes, while holding a sign saying Honk If You Wont Hate-Crime Me.

There is hope. Leaders at all levels recognize the impact and have spoken out. But Canadians of all colours need to step up. Gos group is in the process of launching a nationwide anti-racism campaign that she promises will Empower people to call out racism. We need to be more bold.

One issue is that a lot of racism does not fall under the category of physical assault, and its difficult to respond to in the heat of the moment. What happens when someone at the grocery store calls you by a racial slur and tells you to back off?

How do you react? Its really hard and even asking victims to come out is challenging, says Go. But we have to shut this down, to show this is completely unacceptable.

(A first step: The Toronto chapter of the council is gathering data by asking anyone who has been a victim to record their experiences on their website)

Despite his progressive ideas, Yang, not unlike many people of colour suffers from model-minority syndrome. He really, really wants to be liked.

Reasonableness, mind you, isnt a bad thing. Unfortunately, social media rewards the loudest voices. Moderates like Yang who dont play partisan games get drowned out. But there is is no middle road when it comes to race.

Turning the other cheek while trying to say, Were just like you was a strategy that didnt work in the last century. And its not working now.

Racism must be confronted, called out and prosecuted. Or in the words of CCNCSJs Go, Its everyones responsibility to take action as a society. Were all in this together.

Tong Wong is a former Toronto Star reporter and a current freelance contributor.

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MIAMI, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TissueTech, Inc., the pioneer in the development and clinical application of regenerative human birth tissue products, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted their cryopreserved human umbilical cord investigational biologic product TTAX02 RMAT designation for the treatment of spina bifida in-utero.

This designation aims to streamline development of regenerative medical products used in the FDA's Investigational New Drug (IND) program for the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases such as spina bifida. In spina bifida, the spinal canal opens along vertebrae in the lower or middle back of the fetus. It is the most common neural tube defect in the U.S. and is characterized by incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or protective covering around the brain and spinal cord.1

"Although rare, patients who suffer from open spina bifida have a ten times greater death rate than the national average from ages five to 40 years,"2 said Amy Tseng, TissueTech Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This RMAT designation highlights the need for an effective treatment for this life-threatening condition and the great potential TTAX02 holds."

The benefits of in-utero fetal surgery are promising and include less exposure of the vulnerable spinal nerve tissue and bone to the intrauterine environment. Additionally, doctors have discovered that in-utero fetal surgical repair of spina bifida may positively affect fetal hindbrain development in-utero, decreasing the severity of certain complicationssuch as Chiari II and hydrocephalusor reduce the need for surgery to implant a shunt.1

In addition to the RMAT designation, TissueTech is also planning to conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of TTAX02 when used as a single patch to cover the neural placode, or a dual patch to close both the skin and meningeal defects during in-utero fetal surgical repair of spina bifida, to determine if it may improve clinically meaningful neurological outcomes after birth.

About TissueTech, Inc.

TissueTech, Inc., the parent company of Amniox Medical, Inc. and Bio-Tissue, Inc., pioneered the development and clinical application of human birth tissue-based products. Founded in 1997, Bio-Tissue markets products for the ophthalmology and optometry markets; and Amniox markets products for use in the musculoskeletal and wound care markets. Clinicians have performed more than 500,000 human implants with the company's products and published more than 360 peer-reviewed studies supporting its technology platform. The Company's first product, AmnioGraft, is the only tissue graft designated by the FDA as homologous use for promoting ophthalmic wound healing as acting as an anti-scarring, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic agent and supporting epithelial adhesion and differentiation. Learn more at https://tissuetech.com/.

Physicians are encouraged to visit the TissueTech Physician Portal to learn more about TissueTech's platform technology, review product application guides, and view educational webinars.

1 https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Spina-Bifida-Fact-Sheet

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2786149/

SOURCE TissueTech

Related Links

tissuetech.com


Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant facilities, other critical infrastructure were not affected

A fire raged in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone from April 4 to April 14. As of April 16, the blaze was put out and the situation was taken under control. However, members of the fire fighting operations headquarters said it was too early to say the fire was completely extinguished. Although there is no open fire, the forest floor will be smoldering for at least a week and, amid unfavorable conditions, it may again turn into a flame.

HOW IT HAPPENED

According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, a fire on an area of 20 hectares was reported in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone on April 4. The fire broke out in the Kotovske forestry in the western part of the zone. Rescuers managed to curb the flames quite quickly, but the situation was complicated by new fires.

This fact suggested that the fire in the exclusion zone was not only the result of burning grass, but also the result of arson.

"According to the operations headquarters, there are several seats of the fire in the exclusion zone and the unconditional resettlement area, which are not interconnected geographically and temporally," the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management said.

The agency is known to have contacted the police with a request to establish the facts of possible arson and the actions that led to the fires. To date, law enforcement authorities have detained two suspects.

As early as April 9, the situation looked critical for outside observers: the fire reached the village of Chystohalivka in the Korohodske forestry, close to the Chornobyl NPP, which meant the fire was gradually approaching the spent fuel storage facility and the town of Prypiat. Social media also stated the danger for the popular tourist object - the town of Chornobyl-2 and the Duga over-the-horizon radar.

At the same time, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said there was no danger for the critical objects of the exclusion zone.

"In our time of total information noise, it is very simple to get lost in three pines, or rather 'in three fake news stories,' the purpose of which is to intensify the tension and sow confusion in our nervous society disoriented by the pandemic. So, friends, there's a big request for you - be critical of everything you read and of the fires in the exclusion zone. We can say the main thing - there are no threats to the nuclear power plant, the spent fuel storage facility and other critical objects in the exclusion zone," the service said.

Ukraine's Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko also added that all critical infrastructure is reinforced concrete structures that do not burn, and all trees around them were cut down for protection against forest fires.

On April 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was aware of the fire in the exclusion zone, and the government allocated UAH 44.86 million from the reserve fund for firefighting. The next day, the open fire was finally extinguished.

At the same time, the work to eliminate the fire is ongoing.

"Seats of the fire have been contained. The work is ongoing to extinguish smoldering areas. Rescuers are now on duty where there were the strongest seats of the fire, where the blaze could spread over the roads, where there is smoldering," deputy chairman of the public council at the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management Maksym Virych told an Ukrinform correspondent.

CONSEQUENCES OF FIRE

While the work is still ongoing to eliminate the fire, it is not yet possible to calculate the damage. Some people even claim that it is difficult to do so because there were 1,566 fires in the exclusion zone between 1993 and 2018, and they destroyed tourist sites and forests in one way or another.

The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management estimates losses at tens of millions of hryvnias.

Some people call the 2020 fire the largest in the exclusion zone - comparable to the 1992 fire. Others say that the area of the fire was not the largest, but this fire can be called the most unpredictable in all past years as new seats of the fire appeared too chaotically.

One thing is obvious: Chornobyl NPP facilities and other critical infrastructure were not affected. Residential buildings in the town of Chornobyl, where the station workers live, were not affected, too.

However, enormous damage has been done to the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve.

"Our representatives yesterday started to come to the site and make a preliminary assessment," the head of the department of information and educational work of the reserve, Viktoriia Volodkina, told Ukrinform.

RADIATION BACKGROUND

Experts explain that in order to understand how the fire affected the environment, it is necessary not only to measure the level of gamma background, but also to sample air.

These measurements were constantly carried out in the exclusion zone, in Kyiv, and in the adjacent territories.

"In connection with the fires that continue in the territory of the exclusion zone, experts of the Chornobyl NPP's radiation safety unit are constantly monitoring the industrial site of the station. The monitoring results show that there is no excess of radiation control levels at Chornobyl NPP facilities," the NPP's press service said.

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate reported on the effects of the fire on the population: "Data from measurements of radiation characteristics indicate that the event had no significant radiological consequences for the population and the environment outside the exclusion zone and was not accompanied by the formation of additional emissions of radioactivity into the environment in the situation of existing radiation exposure."

Ukrinform also learned from Serhiy Kireyev, director general of the state-owned specialized enterprise Ecocentre, how the level of radiation exposure of rescuers is controlled. According to him, measurements of the content of cesium in the body began to be made from 10:00 on April 12. The measurements are carried out in the town of Chornobyl.

"These are the firefighters who come for the rotation. We have a special chair with a spectrometer. The person sits down, the operator makes measurements," Kireyev said.

He stressed that no excess doses of cesium were detected.

Lana Borovska
PARIS, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) announces that Peter Freedman will step down as Managing Director (MD) after leading the organisation for more than six years. His successor will be Dr Wai-Chan Chan, currently senior partner and co-leader of the retail and consumer goods practice at Oliver Wyman. At the end of a planned induction process, Mr Freedman will hand over his responsibilities as MD on 1st June 2020.

Peter Freedman joined the CGF as MD in January 2014. Ozgur Tort and Emmanuel Faber, Co-Chairs of the CGF Board of Directors, said, "The Board is deeply grateful to Peter for his leadership over the past years. During his tenure, the CGF has grown into a unique force in the industry, enabling CEO-led collaboration between the world's manufacturers and retailers to drive positive change. He has also built a great team of CGF staff, while delivering continued membership growth and a sound financial position. He leaves an organisation that is well positioned to support the industry through the many challenges and opportunities ahead, including the implications of the current pandemic."

Peter Freedman commented, "Leading the CGF has to be one of the best jobs in the world. It has been a privilege to work with so many industry chief executives who passionately believe that consumer businesses must be a force for good and are prepared to commit enormous amounts of time and leadership energy to driving positive change together. I would like to thank the many executives in our member companies around the world, who by participating in our working groups and networking events make the power of collaboration a reality. Lastly, I would like to thank the CGF Management Committee and all members of the staff for giving so much of themselves to the CGF and for being such fun to work with."

Wai-Chan Chan brings to the role more than 25 years of retail and CPG experience globally, with a particular focus on Asia and Greater China. At Oliver Wyman, he has served clients in the grocery, health and beauty, speciality retail and property industries, on a broad range of strategic, operational and organisational issues. Prior to joining Oliver Wyman, Dr Chan has been a partner at McKinsey & Company, a director at OC&C Strategy Consultants and the North Asia Regional Director for the retailer Dairy Farm where he ran the Wellcome, 7-Eleven and Mannings banners. He has also served as a non-executive director, most recently on the board of Bellamy's Organic, a leading infant nutrition supplier based in Australia.

Ozgur Tort and Emmanuel Faber commented, "Wai-Chan Chan's experience, character and leadership skills qualify him very well to lead the CGF into its next phase of development. With the establishment of our new Coalitions of Action governance model, the CGF is now even better placed to help the industry drive greater collective impact across our agenda of positive change. Its ability to convene industry CEOs and senior executives also makes it a uniquely valuable forum to share best practices, as we are discovering right now, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Post crisis, all the signs are that the CGF's agenda will play an even more central part in securing consumer trust in the industry."

Wai-Chan Chan said, "Having been involved with the CGF over the past few years, I have been able to see first-hand the power and potential of this organisation to bring the industry together and to be a force for good, in Asia as well as elsewhere in the world. Much progress has been made, but there is still a great deal to be achieved and I am excited by the prospect of stewarding the organisation to the next level of stakeholder impact and to weather the challenges being posed over the next couple of years."

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs.

For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/556222/The_Consumer_Goods_Forum_Logo.jpg

SOURCE The Consumer Goods Forum

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* Lockdown hurts miners production plans

* Government relaxes rules after lobbying

* Increased output subject to controls

* Other industries to come online slowly (Adds industry comment)

By Tanisha Heiberg

JOHANNESBURG, April 16 (Reuters) - South Africa will allow mines to operate at up to 50% capacity during a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, according to amended regulations published on Thursday.

The government had ordered most underground mines and furnaces to be put on care and maintenance during the lockdown, apart from coal mines supplying state power utility Eskom.

Miners have been lobbying the government to allow them to resume production with controls in place to detect and contain COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

South Africa is the worlds biggest producer of chrome ore, accounts for around 70% of global mined platinum supply and is a major producer of other minerals and metals.

The lockdown, which started on March 27 and has been extended until the end of April, has affected global commodities markets since several local miners have cut their production plans or declared force majeure, which exonerates them from contractual obligations.

Mines minister Gwede Mantashe told a news conference the government knew there was a chance of instability if some deep-level mines were closed for an extended period.

In the amendment we are identifying a risk, particularly in deep mining, (that) if they are left alone for a long time the stability of the ground gets tampered with, he said.

South Africa is home to some of the worlds deepest mines, some of which are nearly 4 kilometres deep.

Minerals Council South Africa, an industry body, welcomed the revised regulations.

It is Minerals Councils view that government has adopted a pragmatic and practical approach to fighting the pandemic and enabling the economy to survive the crisis, its CEO Roger Baxter said.

The amended rules say mines will be allowed to restart and increase capacity subject to conditions, including the screening of employees for COVID-19 symptoms, the availability of quarantine facilities and transport arrangements for workers.

After the lockdown, it will be up to Minister Mantashe to determine how mines ramp up beyond 50% of capacity.

Cooperative affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the government planned to ease other lockdown restrictions in an orderly, incremental manner.

We are going to be probably every week announcing which areas are being opened and the conditions of those openings, she said. Industries will have to slowly come on stream.

South Africa has reported 2,506 people infected with the coronavirus and 34 deaths. (Additional reporting by Alexander Winning and Wendell Roelf; editing by Jan Harvey and Barbara Lewis)
[April 16, 2020] Global Health Crisis Coordination Center Launches in Atlanta to Confront COVID-19 Outbreak

The Global Health Crisis Coordination Center (GHC3) has been formed to develop and lead a partner coalition of corporations and nonprofits that can assist public officials in real-time problem-solving and coordination during health related crises. Following more than 18 months of planning and collaboration, GHC3 has officially launched upon the request of the CDC Foundation to immediately assist with the COVID-19 pandemic response. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005221/en/ CDC Foundation & Microsoft (News - Alert) fund launch of the Global Health Crisis Coordination Center in Atlanta (Photo: Business Wire) "At this time, we need a place for our businesses and nonprofits to share ideas, information, tools and resources as we face the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, who co-chairs GHC3 along with Dr. Russell Medford, Chairman and CEO of Covanos and Clark Dean, Executive Managing Partner at Transwestern. "As the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated, we've had scores of offers from businesses and organizations to get involved in the response. That's why we've called for the immediate formation of the Global Health Crisis Coordination Center." While significant additional support will be needed to fully fund GHC3, initial seed funding totaling $1 million has been donated by the CDC Foundation and Microsoft. This funding has enabled GHC3 to rapidly assemble a leadership team of experienced corporate, nonprofit, and public health experts and launch a capable COVID-19 Incident Command. GHC3 leadership is actively building the partnership coalition's diverse capabilities, analyzng and prioritizing problems raised by crisis respondents, and organizing strike teams to develop and implement solutions. Initial support to study the need for and formation of GHC3 was provided by Fidelity Charitable Trustees' Initiative.



"Microsoft is pleased to bring our resources and technologies in support of the Center's mission to enhance human health outcomes around the world," said Patty Obermaier, Vice President, US Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft. "We're honored to work with such an amazing group of industry and government leaders to enable rapid deployment of much needed supplies to combat COVID-19." Added Charles Redding, president and CEO of MedShare International, Inc., and co-chair of the planning team behind GHC3, "The private sector offers practical experience, rich resources and proven networks related to global and public health. While the concept of the crisis center has been in development for several years, it's urgent we activate it now so that we quickly mobilize our resources to help respond to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus."

Ken Berta has been appointed the Executive Director of GHC3, which will operate under the Center for Global Health Innovation, led by President and CEO Maria Thacker-Goethe. Berta brings more than 25 years of research, technology development and general management experience to the GHC3 team, most recently serving as lead for global strategic alliances and partnerships at Philips (News - Alert) Healthcare. "The world is experiencing an overwhelming crisis that requires innovative coordination across the public and private sectors," said Thacker-Goethe. "During this critical moment, we need visionary leadership to successfully implement the mission and purpose of the GHC3." "I am honored and excited to lead the GHC3," Berta said. "As a liaison between the private and public health sectors, GHC3 can serve as a critical clearing house for ideas and information and will vet private sector and nonprofit offers to assist the government's response, which could have a positive impact for the entire country as we fight the spread of COVID-19." GHC3's partner coalition consists of Fortune 500 companies, major organizations, nonprofits and universities including Dell (News - Alert) Technologies, Microsoft, Delta Air Lines, UPS, MedShare, Emory University, Georgia Tech, Morehouse School of Medicine and The Task Force for Global Health. The GHC3 continues to welcome new leaders and organizations to the partner coalition. In 2018, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Global Health Alliance and Deloitte (News - Alert) announced the launch of Global Health ATL, a collaborative initiative designed to drive Atlanta's reputation as the center for global health. The initiative's priorities are to create a health innovation hub in the heart of metro Atlanta and drive impact in areas such as disease eradication, economic development and disaster response. One result is the founding of GHC3. "The formation of the Global Health Crisis Coordination Center just makes sense now and is clearly a natural result of how our region continues to drive conversations and thought leadership around global health, particularly as we deal with this unprecedented crisis," said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. "With metro Atlanta's rich talent pool, reputation as a logistics leader and thriving innovation ecosystem, we are poised to continue leveraging our global reach to have a positive impact in the response to COVID-19 and beyond." About Global Health Crisis Coordination Center (GHC3) The Global Health Crisis Coordination Center (GHC3) leads a partner coalition of business, philanthropic and nonprofit leaders to help solve problems raised by public officials during health-related crises. The CDC Foundation and Microsoft are providing seed funding to establish GHC3 and accelerate the GHC3's activation as part of The Center for Global Health Innovation (CGHI), launched in January 2020 in Atlanta, to bring together diverse global health, health technology and life sciences entities to collaborate, innovate, and activate solutions to enhance human health outcomes around the world. CGHI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that comprises five divisions including GHC3, Georgia Bio and Georgia Global Health Alliance. More information: https://globalhealthc3.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005221/en/

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Editors note: Jose Galang is a senior copy editor at CNN Philippines. He is a veteran business/economics/political economy journalist and has previously headed newsroom operations at The Manila Chronicle, Business Day, and Business World, among others. He has also written for the Far Eastern Economic Review, Financial Times, and a London-based online science and development journal.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  While there is still uncertainty about how much longer and how deep the COVID-19 pandemic would damage global social and economic conditions, the Philippine government has drawn up a strategy to both control the damage on livelihoods and the economy as well as spark a recovery in the aftermath.

On the face of it, the program that the Duterte administrations economic team has stitched together looks to be comprehensive and coherent. It covers the urgent need to boost the healthcare system and its frontliners in confronting the deadly virus, as well as cash assistance to citizens whose means of subsistence have vanished in the outbreaks fallout.

This early, however, the program is already encountering great stress. Officials and business leaders agree more needs to be done. After all, COVID-19 has triggered a crisis like no other, says the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva.

The pandemic is causing tragic loss of life, and the lockdown needed to fight it has affected billions of people, Georgieva lamented in a message ahead of this weeks annual spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group.

The spring meetings, to be attended by finance ministers and central bank chiefs of about 190 countries, will be conducted virtually for the first time. They are expected to decide on coordinated actions to help shield the most vulnerable people and revitalize the economy amid the rampaging coronavirus.

The IMF is expected to present this week a four-pronged approach toward accelerating the speed of the recovery from the crisis. It is interesting to note that the key elements of the program unveiled last week by the Philippine governments economic team are in step with the strategy that the IMF will propose.

National recovery program

A combination of innovative measures addressing the public health emergency and remedies used in past local and global financial crises are the key components of the national recovery program crafted by the government economic team led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.

But without tightening the grip on lapses in implementation at various levels of government, however, these measures are not likely to offer comfort to large sections of an anxious nation. Even now, the distribution of relief goods and cash aid to communities under strict lockdown has remained patchy. There is also confusion over who should be getting cash subsidies.

Dominguez mentioned large sums  so far a cumulative 1.17 trillion package of fiscal and monetary measures  that probably could sustain lifeline support for the needy even if the coronavirus continues its spread that will require the current enhanced community quarantine to be kept in place until the end of May.

ANALYSIS: Quarantine extension will only work with social distancing

There are now more than 5,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the country, said to be the highest number of infections in all of Southeast Asia. To at least slow the spread of the virus the government ordered last March 17 the quarantine on Luzon, the nations largest island where the capital region Metro Manila and major industries are located.

Originally set to lapse in mid-April, the quarantine has been extended until the end of this month, with multiple provinces and cities in the Visayas and Mindanao replicating the restrictions as new infections continue to emerge across the archipelago.

Support and recovery measures

Thus far, the fiscal measures announced by the government have included the purchase of more test kits and health equipment, social protection for harshly-affected workers, and support for the tourism and agriculture workers. These measures are estimated to be worth 27.1 billion, or about 0.15 percent of the 2019 GDP, the combined value of all goods and services produced by the economy. The low percentage value indicates that the economy can afford to do more for the health sector.

The government has also laid down a 200-billion cash assistance program for 18 million low-income households that will each get cash transfers of between 5,000 and 8,000 for two months. The amount that a household will get will depend on the minimum wage rate in the region where the family resides.

Also in the assistance program are specialized microfinancing loans and loan restructuring to vulnerable households and affected small and medium enterprises.

Most recently, the government has also decided to provide small businesses with a wage subsidy in response to calls for social amelioration assistance also to the middle class. An estimated 51 billion would go to employees of small businesses that regularly pay taxes and contribute to the Social Security System.

An estimated 1.6 million small businesses in the informal sector were affected by the stringent quarantine restrictions. Around 436,000 of these firms had been forced to shut down operations while around 1 million were allowed to maintain skeletal work forces. Small businesses engaged in essential services and allowed to operate number around 117,000.

Around 3.4 million workers in small firms, classified as belonging to the middle class, are affected by the lockdown. Of these, 2.6 million workers are in the so-called alphalist of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, indicating that their employers comply with BIR requirements. This latter group will be given priority in getting cash assistance, while options are being studied on how to provide help for the remainder.

For its part, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has reduced its policy rate twice since the local COVID-19 outbreak began in January. The key rate has now been cut by a total of 75 basis points to its present level of 3.25 percent. Additionally, the central bank late in March lowered the ratio of reserves banks are required to keep in their vaults, effectively releasing more cash in the streets.

In support of the governments campaign to ease the effects of the outbreak, the Bangko Sentral purchased some 300 billion worth of Treasury bonds. This transaction is effectively a borrowing incurred by the national government from the central bank.

To help banks provide relief to their borrowers that have been allowed by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act a temporary grace period for loan payments, the Bangko Sentral implemented a number of measures that include: a temporary relaxation of requirements on compliance reporting, penalties on required reserves, and single borrower limits; easier access to the central bank rediscounting facility; a temporary relaxation of provisioning requirements as approved by the Bangko Sentral; and a relaxation of prudential regulations regarding marking-to-market of debt securities. These measures are intended to speed up the processing of lending for early releases of cash to bank clients.

To help ensure a stable supply of essential products during the lockdown period, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Finance have agreed on a more liberal grant of incentives for the manufacture and importation of critical equipment or supplies. The importation of these products is exempt from import duties, taxes and other fees.

If necessary, the national government will also seek new borrowings through a bond issuance. There is still no amount pinned on this plan, especially since costs of floating bonds have been pushed up in the wake of volatile financial markets due to the COVID-19 crisis. It is a consolation that the peso exchange rate has remained stable despite weak export revenues and remittances from overseas Filipino workers.

Financing the program

In all, the fiscal and monetary assistance package that the government is implementing to provide assistance to individuals and businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak is estimated to cost around 1.17 trillion.

To help raise money for this package, the government will realign 205 billion from some items in the 2020 national budget seek, borrow 300 billion from the Bangko Sentral through the issuance of Treasury bonds, seek loans of $5.7 billion (worth nearly 290 billion) from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The ADB launched a $5-million (over 252 million) Bayan Bayanihan program to provide food (a bag of rice and canned goods) to low-income families in Metro Manila that have lost their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also approved a $3-million (151 million) grant to help the government purchase emergency medical supplies and deliver immediate and effective health care services.

Last week, the World Bank also approved a $500 million (25.23 billion) disaster risk management development policy loan to help the Philippines cope with urgent needs created by the COVID-19 crisis. The entire amount is intended to help strengthen the countrys policy and institutional capacity to reduce disaster risk, respond to, and recover from natural disasters.

To augment these, the government intends to: seek from Congress a supplemental budget for the rest of this year, improve collection of taxes and of cash dividends from government corporations, and possibly sell off government buildings and land, or even some agencies that now serve as cash cows for the state.

The financing plan appears to be well-crafted for the expected heavy doses of cash injection into the economy to stave off a collapse. But there are unknowns in the severity of the pandemics impact and the length of time it will take before the slump turns around. If this period of uncertainty is prolonged, the cost of the efforts to stabilize the economy and propel it toward growth again will become more bloated.

The four-pronged approach of the IMF, which is considered as the worlds lender of last resort, will have the following key recommendations: continue with essential containment measures against the coronavirus spread and support health systems; protect affected people and firms with large, timely, targeted fiscal and financial sector measures; reduce stress to the domestic financial system and avoid contagion that could hit other nations; and plan for a recovery even as the world moves through the containment phase.

As earlier pointed out, the Philippine response to the crisislabelled by Dominguez as an economic bounce-back programbears similarities to the IMFs major recommendations. Does that represent an assurance that the country, which is already bracing for an economic contraction this year, will be able to prevent a more serious devastation from this global calamity?

Only more nimble steps and more sacrifices by both the government and the Filipino people will determine the ultimate result. What we know for now is that there is a lot of uncertainty and volatility that will keep everyone on their toes.
MANITOBAS four Christian colleges and universities have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving all courses online, adjusting budgets, laying off staff, and preparing various scenarios for the fall.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANITOBAS four Christian colleges and universities have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving all courses online, adjusting budgets, laying off staff, and preparing various scenarios for the fall.

"We had to pivot really quickly to accommodate the closures," said Michael Boyce, vice-president academic and dean at Booth University College, of how the Winnipeg school moved to online teaching for its 296 students.

While its working, "Its not a long-term solution," he said, adding some students do well with that form of learning, but for others "its not a format they excel in."

At Providence University College and Theological Seminary, the transition was easier, said president David Johnson.

"We were well-positioned for this because we have run an extensive online program in our seminary for a number of years," he said of serving the Otterburne schools 438 undergraduate and seminary students.

As for graduation ceremonies, only Canadian Mennonite University, with 1,607 students, plans to hold a short online commencement this month. It also plans to hold an in-person celebration in fall, if circumstances permit. The others, including Steinbach Bible College, have postponed commencements until fall, if permitted.

In terms of staffing, only Winnipeg-based CMU has made significant cuts; in early April, the school temporarily laid off about 20 per cent of its staff (about 30 people).

One area all the schools feel good about is student services.

"Staff have been in regular contact with students," said Terry Schellenberg, vice-president external at CMU. "They have shown themselves to be vital, supporting students during this disruptive time."

Looking to the 2020-21 academic year, all four schools hope it will be safe to return to normal, in-person instruction. However, they are also preparing for different scenarios.

"We are committed to a strong fall program," said CMU president Cheryl Pauls, whether it is in-person instruction, a hybrid of online and in-person, or all online. "We are trying to determine which one to put most effort into planning."

At Providence, "We are going full bore for a fall opening on campus," said Johnson, noting it is a residential school at the undergraduate level. "Students have their best experience if they live on campus."

At Booth, "We are fully engaged for fall courses," said Boyce, although, "We are holding loosely what that means."

SBC (counting more than 100 students) is also considering various options for the new school year, said president Rob Reimer.

Financially, all are expecting to take a hit from reduced giving and loss of rental income. None could predict how big the downturn in revenues will be.

"Time will tell on this," said Johnson, adding, "If we cant open in the fall, our future depends partly on how much cash we can preserve or receive before we open again."

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"We realize some donors will have less capacity to give in the future," said Pauls, noting CMU held its annual spring fundraiser online, instead of at the school, earlier this month.

"We dont know what the next few months will hold," agreed Reimer. "We are preparing multiple budget scenarios."

The schools are also worried about the loss of summer employment for students, and how that might affect enrollment in fall.

As for the future, "Providence will be a different institution on the other side of the pandemic," said Johnson, noting the school was already in the early planning stages for an overhaul before the impact of the novel coronavirus was felt.

"We are going to keep doing what God has called us to do," said Reimer. "Our mission hasnt changed."

faith@freepress.mb.ca
Reopening Could Require Thousands More Public Health Workers

SEATTLEBefore Washington state lifts its stay-at-home order, public health workers in Seattles King County want to be ready to douse any new sparks of infection.

That task, they say, requires at least 20 more investigators to call people who test positive for the CCP virus, track down their contacts, and get them into quarantine. Without the extra help, the workers insist, the state cant possibly be ready to resume normal everyday activities.

We are trying to build these teams and processes in the midst of a crisis, county health spokeswoman Sharon Bogan said.

The challenge extends well beyond Seattle. As federal officials weigh how and when to reopen the country, experts say the United States does not have enough public health workers to suppress another outbreak, especially those qualified to do contact tracing, the critically important effort to find people who may have been exposed to the virus.

The work could require as many as 300,000 public health workersa daunting number given that the combined federal, state, and local public health workforce has been shrinking and is now probably less than 280,000, according to some estimates.

Public health nurse Jennifer Morgan, right, checks-in via phone with a patient self-quarantined at home who had some risk of exposure to the CCP virus as University of Washington epidemiology student Erika Feutz observes at Public Health Seattle King County, in Seattle, Washington state, on Feb. 13, 2020.(Elaine Thompson/AP)

The problem has inspired some novel ideas, including enlisting Peace Corps volunteers, furloughed social workers, and public health students. San Francisco is training librarians, medical students, and people who work for the city attorneys office.

While the exact number of workers needed is a subject of debate, a top federal health official this week acknowledged the mandate to find many more.

Everybody agrees that our public health capacity at the local and state level is not ready to take this on at a very large scale without reinforcements, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who oversees the agencys CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus response work.

The extra workers would help conduct testing, isolate sick cases and trace everyone those sick people had contact with.

Its crucial that such a system be in place before government officials ease social-distancing guidelines, reopen schools or lift stay-at-home orders, said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former CDC director.

If we have explosive spread when we reopen, well have to close again. That will be very damaging, not just economically but from a health standpoint, Frieden said.

The U.S. government has funneled about $800 million to states for CCP virus response work that can include contact tracing. And on top of hundreds of staff sent to states to help with virus work, the CDC has already assembled community protection teams of six to 12 people each to do contact tracing and investigate tools that could help with it. Some have already been deployed to states where spread of the virus has been relatively low.

Rhode Island National Guard Sergeant Cora Brown is fitted with protective gear during training to administer CCP virus tests to the public in Warwick, Rhode Island, on March 30, 2020. (Air National Guard/Staff Sgt. John Vannucci/Handout via Reuters)

Tiny Rhode Island has nearly 100 people focused on nothing but contact tracing, reaching out to hundreds of contacts of infected people each day, Gov. Gina Raimondo told reporters. She has urged all state residents to take a minute each evening to write down who they physically encountered that day and where those encounters took place.

If Im going out to the store, Ill put the date, what store I went to, and then the time I was there, said Drew Grande, 40, of Cranston, Rhode Island. He started a contacts diary on a note-taking app on his phone after he heard the governors request.

Contact tracing has changed over the last few months in the United States. When the first handful of infections were being identified, teams of 20 or more might be assigned to each confirmed case. Investigations would often start with a staffer or two doing an in-person interview at a hospital bedside. Disease trackers might spend hours asking a sick person and that persons relatives who they had been in contact with since symptoms surfaced.

In-person interviews are often better, said Isaac Ghinai, a CDC disease tracker assigned to Chicago to work with that citys health department.

Theres a value to looking someone in the eye. You can build a relationship face to face that you cant always do by phone, he said. Some people are comfortable sharing personal details over the phone but others require more cajoling.

With hundreds of new cases emerging each day in Chicago, that kind of attention to individual infections has largely stopped. Instead, the priority is large groups of people who are particularly vulnerable, like those at nursing homes or homeless shelters. Many new confirmed cases are not being investigated, and when they are, the interviews may be done by only two or three people, and over the phone, Ghinai said.

Apple and Google are teaming up on a contact-tracing app, and other efforts use Bluetooth to gather data from phones that came close to an infected person. Seattle scientist Trevor Bedford has developed a digital interview that public health departments can use if they dont have enough people trained in contact tracing.

Whatever the solution, it will take a while.

People have to be tested and diagnosed before contact tracing kicks into gear, and testing remains limited in many parts of the country. This week, the Association of American Medical Colleges sent a letter to the White House Coronavirus Task Force saying that testing materials and machines remain in short supply.

President Donald Trump has floated the idea of easing at least some restrictions as soon as May 1.

Some observers believe restrictions could be eased first in places where the spread is low, if rigorous testing and contact tracing could prevent a sudden explosion in infections.

But Schuchat warned that there is no way the entire country could relax mitigation on May 1 and the country not experience a major resurgence.

By Carla K. Johnson And Mike Stobbe
The town of Brookline is requiring anyone out in public to wear a face mask or face covering, beginning April 17.

Town officials said there are 148 positive cases of coronavirus among Brookline residents, and four people have died after contracting coronavirus.

Effective Friday, April 17, anyone out in public in Brookline is required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth.

Also: Residents are invited to sign up for virtual visits to be pre-screened for a potential referral for https://t.co/vFkRTIDv48 pic.twitter.com/5F4N4KlJBK  Town of Brookline (@TownofBrookline) April 15, 2020

Officials tout the measure as a way of helping to prevent the spread of the virus.

This is a public health measure that I believe will be effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19, Swannie Jett, Brooklines director of health and human services, said. A face covering can be made out of any number of items or materials that residents can find right in their homes, such as a bandanna or scarf, so the transition to wearing face coverings should be seamless.

Officials said the face coverings should fit snugly but comfortably, be secured with ties and or ear loops, include multiple layers of fabric, allow for breathing without restriction and be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change in shape.

Other places have ordered face masks with varying restrictions. On April 13, Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. issued an order requiring employees of public-facing businesses to wear masks.

Medford, Salem and Beverly have also issued emergency orders requiring customers and workers at grocery stores, pharmacies and take-out restaurants to wear face coverings.

There are 29,918 cases of the virus across Massachusetts as of Wednesday, and 1,108 people are reported to have died.

Gov. Charlie Baker issued an advisory for people to wear masks outside. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has previously issued a similar advisory.

Related Content:
A Massachusetts man was charged with attempted arson after a five-gallon plastic canister of gasoline was found near the entrance to a Jewish-sponsored assisted living home that was discussed on white supremacist online platforms, authorities said.

John Michael Rathbun, 36, of Longmeadow was charged in a criminal complaint Wednesday after a 5-gallon container of gasoline was found outside the entrance to Ruth's House, a Jewish-sponsored residential facility on Converse Street, authorities said.

Rathbun was slapped with two counts of attempted arson after DNA from blood stains found on the canister handle and on a charred Christian religious pamphlet that was stuffed into the container's nozzle was linked back to him, the US Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts says.

During the course of an investigation, Rathbun also was found to be the the same person who posted a 'Jew killing day' on a calendar maintained by one of the online platforms, according to federal prosecutors.

John Michael Rathbun, 36, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, was charged in a criminal complaint Wednesday after a 5-gallon container of gasoline was found outside the entrance to Ruth's House (pictured), a Jewish-sponsored residential facility on Converse Street

FBI agents armed with a search warrant are pictured during a raid of Rathbun's home in Longmeadow on Saturday

FBI investigators set up a blue tent outside of Rathbun's home during the weekend raid

Investigators did not say why the tent was set up outside Rathbun's home during th eraid

Federal investigators are pictured outside of Rathbun's home following a raid on Saturday

Investigators are seen packing items into their vehicles following the raid of Rathbun's home

FBI agents armed with a search warrant raided Rathbun's home on Saturday, prior to his arrest, WBZ reports.

'The charges in this case allege that the defendant tried to blow up a Jewish assisted living residence with a five gallon gas canister, at the same time that the facility was being discussed on white supremacist online platforms,' says US District Attorney Andrew E. Lelling in a released statement.

'We will find, investigate and aggressively prosecute anyone engaged in this kind of mayhem.'

A federal investigation began in March, when authorities say they identified two social media platforms that were operated by a white supremacist organization.

On the platforms, 'users promoted mass killings in the United States and elsewhere directed against religious, racial and ethnic minorities,' prosecutors said.

The users discussed plans to 'engage in these crimes themselves; discussed using various explosive and incendiary devices, including improvised devices commonly known as 'Molotov cocktails'; and identified targets, such as mosques and synagogues,' federal said.

Around March 4, a user on one of the social media platforms mentioned two choices for mass killings, including 'that jew nursing home in longmeadow massachusetts.'

The entrance to Ruth's House, a Jewish-sponsored assisted living care facility in Long Meadow, Massachusetts. A user on a social media platform tied to white supremacists mentioned two choices for mass killings, including 'that jew nursing home in longmeadow massachusetts'

A calendar of events on the other platform had entries in April for a 'jew killing day' and listed a location an unnamed, Jewish 'Nursery Home'.

Authorities say the investigation concluded that the person who made the Long Meadow nursing home reference on the first platform was the same who made the calendar entries on the second.

Rathbun was hit with a charge of 'attempting to maliciously damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce.'

He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, if convicted.

Authorities also charged charged Rathbun with 'attempting to transport or receive explosive devices in interstate or foreign commerce with the knowledge or intent that the device will be used to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property provided.'

The charge comes with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, upon a conviction.
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Vodafone Plc might inject some fresh capital into Vodafone Idea to meet operational requirements and clear adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, according to a report by The Economic Times.

Vodafone Idea is a joint venture (JV) between Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group.

Vodafone Group will provide $200-225 million, while Aditya Birla Group will put in $125-$150 million, the report said.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story.

As per the report, the companies denied that fresh equity is being put into Vodafone Idea.

I can confirm that Vodafone is not intending to contribute further equity into Vodafone Idea, said a spokesperson. The spokesperson, as per the report, did not respond to queries on AGR dues.

"The information is not correct. As stated earlier, the Aditya Birla Group does not intend to contribute further equity into Vodafone Idea," an Aditya Birla Group spokesperson said.

Also Read: Telecom sector moving towards duopoly, say brokerages

A source quoted in the report said that one tranche of the payments was made in the last week of March.

The investment will likely be made in the form of preference capital or redeemable preference shares, the report added.

Aditya Birla Group will likely provide most of the funds through Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla's private entities, the report said.

"If money has been kept aside to offset losses arising out of events like AGR accrued from pre-merger era, then technically it is not fresh equity," said an official quoted in the report.

Vodafone Idea owes Rs 58,254 crore as AGR-related dues, according to an estimate by the Department of Telecommunications.
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Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 17 2020

As the recently updated draft of Indonesias climate action commitments under the Paris Agreement awaits government approval, activists worry the reworked pledge might not be ambitious enough for one of the worlds largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is a pledge made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to cut down on emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

After inviting environmental groups, experts and public officials in February to weigh in on its reworked NDC pledge, Indonesia decided to keep its previous pledge to reduce emissions by 29 percent independently  or 41 percent with international assistance  by 2030, a carbon copy of the target outlined in its first NDC submission in 2016.

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Israeli president gives gov't formation duty to Knesset

Earlier, the leader of Blue and White party Benny Gantz failed to form an emergency government with the Likud party's leader and outgoing Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin announced on Thursday that he will return the government mandate's formation to the Knesset -- the Israeli parliament.

EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT FAILED TO BE FORMED

Rivlin wrote on Twitter that he informed the Knesset speaker of his intention to mandate the Knesset to form the Israeli government.

"I hope that it will be possible for Knesset members to formulate a majority and avoid a fourth election campaign, Rivlin said.

According to the Israeli law, the Knesset has a period of 21 days after asking one of the parliament members to form the government with a majority of 61 votes.

If no such Knesset member achieves to form the government, the 23rd Knesset will be dissolved on May 7 and a fourth round of elections will be declared.
Former Chadian president Hissene Habre has been with his family in the Ouakam district of Dakar, the Senegalese capital, since the evening of 6 April. This is under a two-month permission granted by the Senegalese justice system to prevent the former dictator from possibly being infected by the new coronavirus in Cap Manuel prison. In its application of 26 March, Habres defence had argued that, because of his age, he was particularly vulnerable. This argument convinced the sentence enforcement judge. According to the order, however, Habre is not allowed to leave his residence during the two months and must return to Cap Manuel prison immediately upon expiry of the authorization to leave.

In Chad, victims still waiting for compensation are angry. For us this decision is a big blow, it mocks the memory of the victims. We were rather expecting the reparations mechanism to be activated, because nothing has yet moved on that front, says Clement Abaifouta, president of the Association of the Victims of Hissene Habre. Abaifouta, who spent four years in Habre secret jails, finds it inappropriate to invoke humanitarian reasons in the case of the former dictator. Hissene Habre had no humanity, he had people over 70 years old killed. His victims are sick and continue to die, but when he complains of a cold, people make a fuss. Its not fair. Senegal has turned its back on us, he told Justice Info.

Temporary measure

Hissene Habre ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, when he was ousted from power by current President Idriss Deby Itno. He took refuge in Dakar, where he was arrested on 30 June 2013. In April 2017 he was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in jail by the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC), a special tribunal established under an agreement between the African Union and Senegal.

Reed Brody, who fought for many years alongside Chadian victims to obtain the trial of Hissene Habre, urges Dakar to ensure strict compliance with the temporary release order. This release order is only a temporary measure to protect Habres health and to allow for better prison management in this time of crisis. It is therefore in no way a prelude to a pardon or a release, the American jurist stresses. Brody, who is also an adviser to Human Rights Watch (HRW), hopes that all necessary measures will be taken to prevent any attempt by Habre to escape and flee and to avoid that such permission be accompanied by reprisals against witnesses or civil parties who participated in the trial.

In addition to life imprisonment, Hissene Habre was sentenced to pay 82 billion CFA francs (125 million euros) to the civil parties. Alain Werner, a member of the civil parties lawyers collective in the Habre case, says the victims we represent have been waiting almost four years for the compensation awarded following the Habre trial. They have not received a single cent and the only thing that seems to be happening in this case still revolves around the issue of his detention, even though he was found guilty after a fair trial of the worst possible crimes under international law. The Swiss lawyer stresses that the UN Committee against Torture reminded Senegal in December that early release of perpetrators of the most serious international crimes is not in conformity with obligations under the Convention against Torture.

The Semanza case

Will Rwandan convict Laurent Semanza be granted early release?  IRIN

So in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic, should there be temporary conditional release from jail for all vulnerable individuals convicted of serious international crimes?

In principle, this should be extended to other persons convicted by international tribunals, says Peter Robinson, lawyer for former mayor Laurent Semanza, convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Robinson filed a request on 16 March for the immediate provisional release of his client, so that he can survive the coronavirus pandemic. Semanza, 76, is currently imprisoned in Benin.

The circumstances of each case may be different, depending on the age and health of the convicted person, the conditions of detention and the amount of time still to be spent in prison, continued the American lawyer. Semanza, who has already served more than two-thirds of his 34.5-year sentence, is awaiting a decision on his application for early release, filed on 26 July 2018. The general practice in UN courts has been to grant such a release when the convict has served two-thirds of his sentence. However, under the new presidency of the International Mechanism exercising the residual functions of the UN courts (including early release), no ICTR convicted persons have been granted early release.

I have visited prisons in Benin and Mali where ICTR convicts are serving their sentences, says Robinson. The prison in Porto Novo, Benin, is very large and overcrowded, and ICTR prisoners are not separated from other prisoners as they are in the Koulikoro prison in Mali. I dont see how prison officials can prevent the spread of Covid-19 there. Its only a matter of time. The lawyer considers that, for Semanza, its a matter of life or death.

Awaiting a decision

In a statement issued on 27 March, the Association of Defence Counsel practising before International Courts and Tribunals (ADC-ICT) urged the Mechanism to grant early release to convicted persons who have completed two thirds of their sentences, starting with those who have already applied. For the others, the ADC-ICT suggests that they be granted provisional release measures like Habre. All prisoners currently serving their sentences in Europe and Benin are elderly and therefore particularly vulnerable. If they catch Covid-19 in prison, their lives will be in danger, the lawyers argue.

Cameroonian lawyer Hugo Jombwe Moudiki worked as an expert for the EAC in the Habre trial. He says he understands both the emotion of the victims and the humanitarian reasons that led the Senegalese justice system to grant [Habre] leave permission until the epidemic can be managed. But he is in complete disagreement with a general release initiative. It does not seem advisable to me that the Covid-19 health crisis should lead to the release of those who have been convicted of international crimes at the ICC or other international criminal tribunals. I believe that international judicial bodies have the means to fight against the contamination of detained persons, says the lawyer.

Senegalese human rights activist Alioune Tine, former Amnesty International Regional Director for West and Central Africa, agrees. I think we still need criteria in relation to the crimes that have been committed. Some have committed genocide, torture, crimes against humanity. Impunity is not tolerable for crimes of this nature, he said on Deutsche Welle radio on 6 April.

Eyes are now turned to Judge Carmel Agius, president of the Mechanism, whose decision in the Semanza case could be a reference.
Rawai Mayor makes drunk Uncle walk the line, sends him home in a pickup truck

PHUKET: An elderly man who was deemed to be drunk after he failed to walk a straight line at the main checkpoint into Rawai on Wednesday night (Apr 15) was given a surprise reprieve by Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos, who simply had a pickup truck deliver the man home instead of risking an accident.

Thursday 16 April 2020, 11:59PM

Uncle walks the line at the main checkpoint into Rawai on Wednesday night (Apr 15). Screenshot: Rawai Municipality

The episode began when the man approached the checkpoint just south of the Makro store on Wiset Rd on his motorbike, but instead of stopping at the checkpoint, he pulled over early and parked by the side of the road. He then walked down the middle of the road up to the checkpoint.

The officers screened the man  who they referred to only as Uncle, a Thai term of endearment for older men  for high body temperature and asked him where he was going.

Uncle replied that he was going to visit a friend.

Although the man did not have a fever, the officers soon suspected Uncle was drunk.

The officers asked Uncle if he had been drinking alcohol. Uncle replied that he had been drinking, but assured that he was not drunk.

At this stage, Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos, who was at the checkpoint with other Rawai officials to provide encouragement to the officers and volunteers on duty, took an interest in Uncles antics.

He asked Uncle to walk straight along a yellow line painted in the middle of the road. Uncle obliged, and started wobbling along the line.

Wanting to be sure of his opinion of whether Uncle was indeed drunk, Mayor Aroon then asked him to turn left, then asked him to turn right. Uncle proved he was unable to complete the manoeuvres.

Mayor Aroon asked Uncle where he had bought his liquor from, considering there is currently a ban on the sale of alcohol across the island. Uncle replied simply that he had stocked up at home before the ban kicked in.

Deciding to not take any legal action against Uncle, or even have him tested for drunk driving, Mayor Aroon arranged for him to be taken home in a pickup truck.

In sharing photos and a video showing Uncle at the checkpoint, Mayor Aroon pointed out, If I let him go it might have caused him to get into an accident.

The photos and video have been shared widely on Thai social media in Phuket, drawing a mixed response from online viewers.

It was not reported what time the incident took place.
Facebook this morning announced its latest step in its effort to combat the spread of misinformation around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Chief among them is a new message targeting users who have commented on, reacted to or liked false content about the virus.

The social network will pop up a message from the World Health Organization (recently defunded by Trump) with an option to share the link or visit the WHOs COVID-19 debunk site. We want to connect people who may have interacted with harmful misinformation about the virus with the truth from authoritative sources in case they see or hear these claims again off of Facebook, the company wrote in a post.

The pop-up is set to start appearing in the coming weeks. Debunks on the list include:

5G mobile networks DO NOT spread COVID-19.

Exposing yourself to the sun or to temperatures higher than 25C degrees DOES NOT prevent the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

You can recover from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Catching the new coronavirus DOES NOT mean you will have it for life.

Being able to hold your breath for 10 seconds or more without coughing or feeling discomfort DOES NOT mean you are free from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) or any other lung disease.

Drinking alcohol does not protect you against COVID-19 and can be dangerous.

COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates.

Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus.

Taking a hot bath does not prevent the new coronavirus disease.

The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.

You seem like a rational person who probably knew all of that, but this is Facebook were talking about here. So, um, better safe than sorry. The site has also added a new page called Get the Facts that curates accurate info, including media fact checks. That information will soon trickle into Facebook News, as well.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:22:52|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

PARIS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- French shares lost on Thursday, with the benchmark Paris CAC 40 down 0.08 percent, or 3.56 points, to close at 4,350.16 points.

Of the 40 selected large companies, 20 lost in the day.

French multinational advertising and public relations company Publicis Groupe lost 6.19 percent. French industrial group Bouygues shed 5.21 percent. French mass media conglomerate Vivendi went down by 4.95 percent.

France-based 3D product design company Dassault Systemes advanced 5.83 percent. European multinational IT service and consulting company Atos rose 3.15 percent. Capgemini, the multinational corporation that provides consulting, technology, professional and outsourcing services, added 2.93 percent. Enditem
As African Americans continue to be infected with, and die from, the coronavirus at an alarming rate, Oprah Winfrey is addressing the situation in a special presentation on Apple TV+ and OWN.

In Oprah Talks COVID-19  The Deadly Impact on Black America, the media mogul looks to bring attention to the devastating impact the pandemic is having on African-Americans across the country.

This coronavirus is shaking up the world, Winfrey wrote in a Twitter post. I hope youll join me to understand why COVID-19 is having such a deadly impact on black America as I speak to leaders in our community and family members who are having to bury their dead alone.

The episode is available now, for free, on Apple TV+ (no subscription needed).

In the special, Winfrey speaks with Van Jones, CNN host and CEO of Reform Alliance; Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot; Dr. Aletha Maybank, chief health equity officer at the American Medical Association; and Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times staff writer and founder of 1619 Project, a civil rights-themed series as part of the New York Times Magazine. (Hannah-Jones is a former Oregonian/OregonLive reporer.)

Additional guests join the conversation from remote locations around the country to share how COVID-19 is impacting certain regions, how people can support those most in need and hear personal experiences from those on the frontline fighting this pandemic.

Also featured: A musical performance by Jennifer Hudson.

On Tuesday morning, Winfrey appeared on NBCs Today, where she spoke to Hoda Kotb about how the coronavirus is ravaging the black community.

Not only is it serious, but people that you dont know, but probably will know, are losing their loved ones, she said.

Winfrey went on to note that, among the reasons the black community has been so devastated, is the occupational obligations its citizens are facing.

We as a people, as African Americans, have jobs that require us to be at work, she said. For so many African Americans, there isnt this ability to telecommute.

We certainly understand that the responsibilities and dynamics of some peoples lives, particularly African American and brown people, do not allow you to be able to stay at home, she continued. Therefore, they need masks  For now everybody needs to look out for themselves and for their neighbors.

Winfrey went on to emphasize the need for more  and faster  testing and stressed that its vitally important that African-Americans understand the urgency of the situation.

Its taking us out, she said. Its killing your cousins and your friends and your neighbors. And you need to do whatever you can to protect yourself.

Winfrey is backing up her potentially life-saving message with money. Last week she announced that she is donating $10 million to coronavirus relief efforts.



2020 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)
News that at least 10 residents of a Londonderry care home have died from coronavirus will further increase concerns about how this important sector is being regarded and treated during the current pandemic.

There are 484 care homes with 60,000 beds in Northern Ireland and coronavirus has been confirmed in 32 of them. Yet until this week the public - but more importantly relatives of residents - have had no idea of the number of people in those homes who have died after being infected.

The position should be rectified tomorrow when, belatedly, deaths in care homes will be added to those which occurred in hospitals.

Quite rightly the whole country has been applauding those in the front line of the fight against the virus. They are putting their lives on the line to save others and deserve nothing but the highest praise.

But we should also remember and applaud those who work in care homes. They are in a unique situation, spending time every day with residents with whom they have built up a rapport over a protracted period of time.

Their tasks are many but no one envisaged that they would also include looking after vulnerable elderly people who could be infected by a highly transmittable disease.

And they are doing so in many cases, according to their own testimony, with inadequate protective clothing and equipment. Little wonder they sometimes feel they have drawn the short straw in the fight against the virus.

Also we must think of relatives who learn that some residents have tested positive for the virus or died from it. Unable to visit their own loved ones they wonder what will become of them. Could they be moved to another location which is virus free? Unlikely.

Their only contact is via telephone to staff and their loved ones but that does little to reassure either the relatives or the residents. For many of the residents are well aware of the threat of the virus. They may even have learned that someone in their care home has died from it and will wonder when the next empty chair or bed appears. They are aware of their mortality in the normal cycle of life but coronavirus is an enemy which snatches people from this mortal coil before their time.

What can be done to better support staff and allay the fears of residents and their relatives? Certainly comprehensive testing of those in care homes would be a positive move. There is an impression that the Northern Ireland Executive merely echoes measures decided at Westminster rather than exploring if they can take their own initiatives.

Northern Ireland is a largely rural community with a relatively small population of 1.8m people. The response to the pandemic in England is constrained by its huge population and the challenge that alone poses. Instead of pointless arguments which have occurred at times over whether to follow advice from Westminster, Dublin or the World Health Organisation, the concentration of local politicians should be on deciding if measures can be tailored to make them more Northern Ireland specific.

That said, Health Minister Robin Swann had some encouraging news yesterday that the expected surge and death toll could be less than modelling had suggested. Of course complacency must be avoided at all costs. Instead we all must do our utmost to ensure that optimism is not misplaced and the health authorities must at last pay full attention to ensuring staff and residents in care homes are supported as robustly as possible.
This is a time to reflect on government revenue risk management with respect to our oil production.

There should be a policy to take out price insurance (hedge using financial derivatives) on a certain percentage of our oil using the benchmark price (floor price) as determined by our Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA).

We need to review our stabilization and heritage funds. What are their objectives? Should more money be allocated to them? It is the perfect time to take a second look at restrictions on what instruments these funds can invest in; as we need to improve on our investment strategies. To do that means we need qualified fund managers and investment officers.

Take the Norwegian Sovereign fund for example, which is one of the worlds richest Sovereign Funds. Part of their funds are invested in local oil companies, and they actively trade and change its portfolio investments.

Yet in our case, due to the restrictions on the type of investments the Ghana Sovereign Funds are permitted to have, we have been averaging an investment return of between 0.5-1.25% per annum which is unacceptable. For instance, we are only allowed to invest in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) government financial instruments and cannot even buy our own Ghana Government Eurobonds which gave a yield (rate of return) of 8.5% when originally issued in January.

Our Eurobonds are trading at its lowest since issuance, at 70% of the original price - which gives a yield (rate of return) of 12+% - so this is a good time to invest in them especially for the Heritage Fund as the maturities of these Eurobonds are 30+ years.

Another opportunity could also have been to take advantage of the 88% drop in Tullows price which is the closest traded proxy to owning part of the oil fields in Ghana. An investment of a portion of the Heritage fund in Tullow (and/or Kosmos) shares when the price fell to 10p would have yielded a 200% return on investment as the share price is now above 30p, and far below the highs of 2.50 we saw a year ago.
>>> 22 more discharges bring Vietnams COVID-19 recovery rate to over 63%



>>> PM orders stricter physical distancing



>>> Warm sharing to ease difficulties for vulnerable groups during pandemic

Earlier, on April 1, the Prime Minister issued Directive 16 to order a nationwide social distancing measures for 14 days, starting from the beginning of April.

Amid the complex development of COVID-19, experts at the meeting suggested that for localities at high risk of transmission, it is necessary to continue applying social restrictions in the next days. Meanwhile, social distancing policy should be loosened in other localities with lower risk.

They also discussed in detail social distancing measures that need to be uniformly applied on a national scale so that the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control can report to the Prime Minister on April 15.

* On the afternoon of April 14, Nguyen Thien Nhan, Politburo member and Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, visited the citys Department of Health to encourage the city's health workers in the fight against COVID-19. Nhan requested the local health sector to build a set of specific criteria to proactively respond to COVID-19 and other diseases.

* On the same day, Vietnam Fatherland Font (VFF) Central Committee President Tran Thanh Man received donations worth VND300 million (US$12,804) from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, VND 315 million (over US$13,444) from the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) and other donations from relevant businesses and agencies. Man said that donation from organisations, businesses and individuals nationwide and those abroad have climbed to over VND845 billion (over US$36 million) for the COVID-19 relief efforts so far, channelled to the VFF Central Committee.

The "Happy Supermarket" was in Phu Yen after Hanoi on April 14 to support the disadvantaged against COVID-19 by offering free necessities. (Photo: NDO/Trinh Ke)



* Four severely ill COVID-19 patients, including Patients 20, 161, and 251 who are being treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases Base 2 in Hanoi and Patient 91 at the Hospital of Tropical Diseases Ho Chi Minh City, are showing positive recovery signs, according to experts. On April 14, leading medical experts gathered for an online conference to discuss the treatment regime for the four patients.

* In addition to exchanging experience in fighting against COVID-19, Thanh Hoa Province has supported Houaphanh Province (Laos) with medical equipment worth a total of VND1 billion. In addition, Thanh Hoa Police Department has presented Houaphanh Police with disinfectant sprayers, chemicals, protective suits, cloth masks and disinfectant solutions to help in the fight against COVID-19.

* Dien Bien Provincial Military Command said that, as of 17:00 on April 14, the whole province has 1,162 citizens who have completed their 14-day isolation at local concentrated isolation facilities and were granted a certificate of health assurance to return to their families. The same day, 74 Vietnamese citizens were also released from a Thanh Hoa Provinces isolation camp after their two-week quarantine period.

* Starting from the morning of April 15, Lao Cai Province Economic Zone Authority began to implement measures to boost transfer of goods to China at Kim Thanh International Border Gate No. 2, aiming at shorten time and push quick clearance of goods while ensuring the effective prevention and control of COVID-19.
TDT | Manama

Fadheela Isa Hasan, a retired Bahraini woman, has become the first winner of Ithmaar Banks remote draw for USD200,000 Thimaar Quarterly prize. The first-of-its-kind draw was physically held at the banks headquarters in Seef but remotely coordinated as part of national efforts to help contain the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Hearing that you won USD200,000 in cash is always great news, said Hasan.

In these difficult, challenging times, as we all try to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak, this is very welcome news indeed, she said. I did not expect to hear such great news  it has made my family and I very happy, said Hasan. When the Bank informed me about the prize, I honestly did not believe them especially that I have never won anything before, she said. Ithmaar Bank is committed to following Central Bank of Bahrain and Ministry of Health directives, and to doing its part to help contain the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Ithmaar Bank General Manager, Retail Banking Group, Mohammed Janahi. Thimaar, Arabic for fruits or harvest, is a prize-based saving account that Ithmaar Bank introduced to help encourage its customers to save.

To mark the accounts tenth anniversary, the Bank announced it is offering more prizes and more chances to win, with over US$ 4 million up for grabs to more than 3,000 winners this year. With this announcement, Ithmaar Bank will have distributed more than US$ 26 million in prizes to almost 29,000 customers, in the ten years since it launched Thimaar. This years Thimaar prizes include 100 monthly prizes, three quarterly prizes worth US$ 200,000 each, and a grand prize worth US$ 1 million.

In appreciation of the Banks loyal customers, the Thimaar loyalty draws offer 90 monthly prizes to customers who have not won a prize in the past year. There are also 60 Junior prizes for the Banks younger customers. Additionally, this year, Thimaar will distribute prizes to two monthly Elite customers for depositing amounts of BD 50,000 and above. Along with cash prizes, the Thimaar account offers a profit rate on the balance maintained
By Steven S. Honigman

Medical experts and government leaders agree that to fight the spread of the coronavirus and speed the time when the economy can reopen, effective, widespread and sustained testing is essential.

Gov. Phil Murphy has said, In order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and manage our health care resources and personal protective equipment supply, we need to implement more aggressive testing techniques. New Jerseys Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli has added, Rapid testing will help provide more real-time data on the impact of COVID-19 in our state. New York State Governor Cuomo has also urged, The key to reopening is going to be testing. Testing of antibodies, testing for diagnostic results  and testing on a scale that we have not done before.

Ready access to rapid diagnostic tests for all symptomatic cases or those with reasonable suspicion of COVID-19 exposure, and widespread serological testing to understand underlying rates of infection and to identify those who have developed immunity and could potentially return to work or school without fear of becoming infected, are the foundation for the National Plan to Enable Comprehensive COVID-19 Case Finding and Contact Tracing in the U.S. issued last week by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Tuesday morning, Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said serological tests looking for the antibodies in a persons blood that the immune system makes in response to an infection may help accelerate some reopening of the economy and give people confidence that they can return to work. It may also benefit patients in the fall or winter when another wave of the disease is expected.

And a few days ago, Vice President Biden said the nation should "scale up a second form of testing: rapid serology tests to tell who has already been infected with the coronavirus and has antibodies.

Now, its time to help our nations pharmacists join this fight.

On April 8, Health and Human Services Secretary Azar said, Giving pharmacists the authorization to order and administer COVID-19 tests to their patients means easier access to testing for Americans who need it.

As a result, HHS has authorized licensed pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 tests to their patients. HHS recognizes that the accessibility and distribution of retail and independent community-based pharmacies make pharmacists the first point of contact with a healthcare professional for many Americans, and this authorization will further expand testing for Americans, particularly healthcare workers and first responders.

Pharmacies will open tens of thousands of professional healthcare testing destinations throughout the United States. And the testing itself will be a welcome small business stimulus by providing income and jobs to independent and community pharmacists and their employees during this crisis.

The FDA has drafted a policy for the testing that includes a key provision that the agency wont object to the development and distribution of a test by commercial manufacturers or development and use of one by laboratories. The tests that comply with the FDAs policy are simple finger-prick serology tests to identify antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 that produce results within minutes. They are not tests of high complexity.

These actions are needed right away:

Enlisting pharmacists to administer rapid serological tests should become a cornerstone of the Northeastern Governors  plan to reopen our states. Governor Murphy and the Board of Pharmacy can lead the way on this critical point.

President Trump should encourage the governors and Boards of Pharmacy of every State to follow the lead of his own Health and Human Services Secretary and authorize their licensed pharmacists to order and administer the point of care rapid serology tests.

New Jerseys Department of Health administers the federal CLIA (the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment) program that monitors laboratory facilities. Expediting CLIA application processing by the NJDOH will be needed to bring the tests and their results on board as soon as possible.

Finally, from a public health perspective, assuring that all New Jersey residents will be able to be tested and retested without charge is crucial to motivating residents without medical insurance to participate in the testing regime  and each persons participation will benefit everyone. Governor Murphy should work with Medicare and the health insurance companies who serve New Jersey to guarantee that nobody will have to pay for their test.

Medical facilities, their heroic medical and healthcare workers and first responders are already strained beyond capacity. Professionally trained and licensed pharmacists are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Give them the tools to join the fight.

Hon. Steven S. Honigman is a former General Counsel of the Navy and a member of the board of directors of the EastWest Institute. He is working with Dr. Steven Victor, Kenneth DeRoberts, Ritesh Shah, Rph and New Jerseys Legacy Pharmacy Group of community pharmacies to distribute and use SARS-Co-V-2 IgG/IgM rapid tests in accordance with the FDAs Policy.

The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
While FMCG companies were not barred from carrying out their operations during the 21-day lockdown, since most manufacture staples and essential products, capacity utilisation remained poor, owing to the restricted movement of raw materials, finished goods, and labour.

Makers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) such as Dabur, ITC, and Parle Products say the detailed guidelines issued on Wednesday by the Ministry of Home Affairs will ease supply chain concerns that have marred production over the past few weeks.

Distribution will also take-off in rural areas, which had come to a near halt, owing to limited stocks that were available in the marketplace.

Durables and mobile companies, on the other hand, say plants may open from April 20, but production may take time to stabilise.

We are hopeful that we will be able to start our units from April 20.

"In both our plants, at Satara and Mohali, respectively, workforce stay around the units, so starting manufacturing activities is not a challenge, Kamal Nandi, business head and executive vice-president, Godrej Appliances said.

While FMCG companies were not barred from carrying out their operations during the 21-day lockdown, since most manufacture staples and essential products, capacity utilisation remained poor, owing to the restricted movement of raw materials, finished goods, and labour.

This is now likely to improve as firms expect to open more units from April 20, when the guidelines for the second phase of the lockdown will come into effect. The lockdown will conclude on May 3.

Certainly, the guidelines will be useful in terms of easing the capacity constraints we were facing over the last few weeks, said Mohit Malhotra, chief executive officer, Dabur India.

We anticipate last-mile distribution to be mobilised, especially in rural areas, where industries and farming operations have been allowed.

"This is a big plus because our sub-stockists were not operating in rural areas due to the lockdown. They can now conduct their operations.

Companies also expect better movement of labour, as sectors such as construction open up, prompting migrant workers to make their way back to factory sites.

The big concern for us was to get labour back into the factories. The guidelines may inspire some confidence in them to get back to work, said Mayank Shah, senior category head, Parle Products.

Firms have been asked to maintain strict social distancing norms including providing residential quarters for workers at the plants or ensure transportation to and fro factory units with hygiene standards in place.

Firms are also going in for longer shifts with fewer workers and compensating them for the extra hours of work put in.

An ITC spokesperson said the company would focus on manufacturing essential items such as food and hygiene products.

The easing of restrictions, particularly in the agricultural sector as well as transportation, should help in streamlining the supply chain, the spokesperson said.

Avneet Singh Marwah, chief executive officer, Super Plastronics, brand licensee for Kodak and Thomson TVs in India, said the final green signal for manufacturing would come from district authorities.

To keep our premises safe, we will make wearing of masks, gloves, etc, mandatory. Further, frequent temperature screening will be in place.

"We are also setting up a sanitization box (at units) through which everyone would have to pass," Marwah said.

Photograph: PTI Photo
The Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that he is still in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus in March.

Mr El-Rufai who wrote on his twitter handle @elrufai said all stories announcing that he has been cleared of COVID-19 are lies.

Earlier Wednesday 10 am-2 pm, I took a few hours during isolation to chair a virtual meeting of the State Executive Council. I havent been cleared of COVID-19 yet & will personally announce when confirmed negative. Ignore all fake news even if you like it, Mr El-Rufai said.

Reports have been circulating on different social media that Mr El-Rufai has been cleared of COVID-19.

In jubilation on Wednesday, a resident of Kaduna, Baba Lawal, said he is happy for the governor.

When asked where he got his information that Mr El-Rufai is COVID-19 free, he told PREMIUM TIMES he came across the message on social media and he shared it.

Meanwhile, the governor has said he will have to publicise it, like other prominent Nigerians had done, if he is cleared by the NCDC.

Governor El-Rufai had announced on March 28, that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, geodesy is a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the determination of the size and shape of the earth and the exact positions of points on its surface and with the description of variations of its gravity field.

Having studied geology at Stanford University, Judy Jordan took inspiration from this measurement tool for her Geodesy Wine.

Raised in the wine industry, Jordan launched J Winery, her sparkling wine brand, in 1986 at the age of 25. After building a successful brand that received acclaim from wine critics, Jordan sold J Winery in 2015 to E&J Gallo.

Selling J Winery was not the end for Jordan, but rather the beginning of a new, inspired project. With a belief that social change can be accomplished through strategic philanthropy and flexible investments, she combined her knowledge of geology, business and winemaking to create a business that mentors and supports women in the agricultural community.

Following the sale of J Winery, Jordan began buying vineyards under Capra Vineyards, her vineyard management company. She purchased the Sage Canyon Vineyard in the Napa Valley and the Chehalem Mountain Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountain AVA and the Eola Springs Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, both in Oregon. Much of the fruit from these vineyards is sold to other wineries but it is also used to produce Geodesy, the estate wines.

In 2016, Megan Baccitich joined as the winemaker for Geodesy. Raised in Sonoma County, Baccitich knew at an early age that she wanted to work with wine, although her parents were both teachers, who did not work in the industry.

While bussing tables in local restaurants in high school, she met many people from the local wine community. She went on to study at Santa Rosa Junior College and Fresno State, getting a degree in enology. Her first job in wine was as the assistant winemaker at Taft Street Winery, a small family-owned winery and custom crush facility in the Russian River Valley where she worked with luminaries such as Mary Edwards, Carol Shelton and Jill Davis.

Next Baccitich worked with Paul Hobbs for 10 years where she started as the associate winemaker and ended as the director of winemaking. Joining Jordan at Geodesy is the first time that Baccitich has worked for a woman-owned business. Working for Judy is amazing, she said. It is a feeling of coming home. There is a culture of openness, respect, mindfulness and gratitude. And it is a very collaborative and creative process.

The wines of Geodesy are site-specific, terroir-driven wines. Rather than working with micro-parcels, Baccitich looks at each vineyard as complete color palates. With different soils and aspects within each vineyard, the possibilities are endless.

The Sage Ridge Vineyard in Napa Valley is 60 acres overlooking Pritchard Hill planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, as well as Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Sangiovese. The Cabernet Sauvignon-based red blend spends 20 months in oak and is then bottled aged for one year. The first release of the Sage Ridge wine was the 2016 and it retails for $175 per bottle.

The Chehalem Mountain Vineyard was first planted by Dick Erath prior to the establishment of the Chehalam Mountains AVA. Located in a forested mountainous area, the maritime influence and intense diurnal swings produce thick-skinned grapes and richly textured wines. The Eola Springs Vineyard on the north side of the Willamette River was also planted prior to the establishment of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. In contrast to the Chehalem Mountain Vineyard, the Eola Springs Vineyards has rolling contours, complex geology, and cool breezes from the Van Duzer Corridor resulting in bright and acidic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Both vineyards produce one Chardonnay and one Pinot Noir, each retailing for $75 per bottle. 2017 was the first vintage for the Oregon wines.

Geodesy produces only 750 cases of wine each year, but 100 percent of the profits support the WG Edge program, the foundation Judy Jordan established with the sole purpose of empowering the next generation of young women.

WG Edge stands for Women Getting an Edge in Ag. A local leadership development program for young women pursuing agricultural and natural resources careers, WG Edge offers up to $15,000 in scholarship awards towards their studies at Santa Rosa Junior College. In addition, WG Edge provides a mentoring network of teachers that include local female leaders as well as internships to guide, inspire and open doors.

Jordan, with her team, has created a fully integrated system in which each part of the business contributes to the whole of the business. Capra Vineyards is the management company of the three vineyards owned by Judy Jordan. These three properties help to underwrite the nonprofit training and mentorship programs for young women. Geodesy is the brand that funds the foundation, and WG Edge is the foundation. Each bottle purchased has a direct impact on the next generation.

Geodesy is supporting the agricultural community and women, one bottle at a time.

Allison Levine is owner of Please The Palate, a marketing and event-planning agency. A freelance writer, she contributes to numerous publications while eating and drinking her way around the world. Allison is also the host of the wine podcast Wine Soundtrack USA. Contact her at allison@pleasethepalate.com.
Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) standing vice chairman Woo Tae-hee, right, speaks during a meeting along with representatives from five industrial associations in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of KCCI



By Nam Hyun-woo



The government and lawmakers plan to expedite efforts to rescue domestic industries hit hard by COVID-19, after the general election, Wednesday, ended in a landslide victory for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.



Business organizations have raised concerns with the government and lawmakers, urging them to provide extensive support for virus-stricken industries in the form of easing regulations, providing financial relief and introducing government-led industrial projects.



On Thursday, representatives from six leading business organizations held a meeting and requested the government to "become a relief pitcher" by infusing liquidity into companies.



The Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, the Korea Association of Machinery Industry, the Korea Iron & Steel Association, the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association and the Korea Petrochemical Industry Association took part in the meeting.



They raised concerns that their industries will face a nosedive in the second quarter, and a growing number of companies will suffer a liquidity crunch, urging the government to take pre-emptive measures to prevent an industrial collapse.



"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., Europe and other major markets, global supply chains and automobile demand will suffer a shock from April," the automobile association said. "The industry is in desperate need for policy-level support including expanded vehicle purchases by government arms, enhanced subsidies for eco-friendly vehicles, extended customer tax cuts for vehicles and the lifting of the regulations on online vehicle trading."



The machinery association also urged the government to raise demand, asking for facility replacement at public research institutions and other government-run organizations. The steel association demanded the government to kick start planned public construction projects as well as new projects to replace old public water pipes.



The shipbuilding and petrochemical associations called for financial relief, such as extending the expiration of shipbuilding loans, infusing new funds and easing duties on petrochemical raw materials.



In general, the associations demanded the government ease regulations on labor, chemical and environmental issues, including flexible work hours and stabilized carbon credit prices.



"The reason that the Korean economy survived the past crisis was the fundamental power of manufacturing and other backbone industries," KCCI standing vice chairman Woo Tae-hee said. "Following the COVID-19 outbreak, domestic companies are facing daunting difficulties to attract new clients amid a decline in exports which require inevitable aid from the government."



Prompt relief packs



Following the businesses' calls, Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo on Thursday visited a mid-size steel processing firm, Kibo Steel, in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, and promised the government will spare no effort in delivering pledged financial aid, such as primary collateralized bond obligations, to small- and medium-sized enterprises.



A day before the general election, President Moon Jae-in said the government planned to submit an additional supplementary budget to the Assembly soon after the vote, to provide prompt help for companies reeling from the COVID-19 fallout.



Last month, the National Assembly passed an 11.7 trillion won supplementary budget for the country to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus. On Thursday, the government approved an additional 7.6 trillion won extra budget which is focused on providing direct aid to households, with Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun calling for "a prompt approval" by the Assembly.



As the ruling party has won a super-majority in the Assembly, the party's pledge to create the third COVID-19-related extra budget focusing on helping ailing companies will likely pick up speed.



More details on the government's support of industries is expected to be available after an emergency meeting on economic matters at Cheong Wa Dae next week. President Moon is expected to dropped hints that the government might help companies to pay wages for retained employees.



Despite the government's coronavirus aid plans, some companies expressed their doubts on the fundamental direction of the economic policies.



"The Moon administration has created many economic policies mostly affecting businesses, rendering it more difficult to run a company," a conglomerate official said asking not to be named. "As the liberal ruling party consolidates its control on the Assembly, the Moon administration's existing economic policies will pick up momentum, and there would be no opposition voices strong enough to challenge the ruling party's policies burdening companies."



Securing the fiscal balance is also a challenge for the new assembly and the administration.



When setting the first supplementary budget, the government decided to issue sovereign bonds worth 10.3 trillion won. For the second extra budget, the government came up with the money by cutting costs on social overhead capital and defense projects due to immense fiscal burden.



With the third extra budget expected to materialize, Korea's fiscal prudence will likely be an additional burden for the government. Last year, the government posted a 12 trillion won deficit in the consolidated budget balance; the first time since 2009 when the country was reeling from the global financial crisis.


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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang  Thu, April 16, 2020 18:23 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd25db2c 1 National Semarang,Central-Java,students,school,study-from-home,COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia Free

Under normal circumstances, teachers usually have the authority to decide how to deliver their lessons on various subjects to their students in the classroom.

But the current COVID-19 pandemic has overhauled the old study process as teachers now find themselves under constant pressure to become tech-savvy with the current study-from-home policy. The scheme requires knowledge about the ins and outs of digital communication platforms  largely uncharted territory, especially for older members of the faculty who have been accustomed to markers and whiteboards.

In Semarang, Central Java, some students have taken it upon themselves to spice up their remote learning experience, claiming that their teachers have failed to fully adjust to the all-digital reality amid the ongoing public health crisis.

Amelia Adiputri Diansari, a student at SMA 1 state high school in Sragen, said the apparent lack of digital literacy among teachers had become a major issue as the entire classroom moved into the virtual space as a result of physical-distancing measures.

Many teachers, especially the senior ones, are tech-illiterate. Since the study-from-home policy was issued, these teachers have had difficulty adjusting [to digital platforms], Amelia said on Wednesday.

Amelia, who serves as the head of Central Java Childrens Forum, was among the students from over 35 cities and regencies across the province who were invited to share their remote-learning experiences with Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo on Wednesday.

The 150-minute online forum, which was held virtually via video conference, aimed to address issues that students have experienced since they started studying from home.

Ganjar encouraged teachers to be more creative in designing learning modules to spark students interest.

The point is that [students] need [video conferences]. They need to see their teachers faces. Teachers may even assign students projects that they like, such as vlogs, Ganjar said.

According to a recent online survey conducted by the Central Java Childrens Forum in collaboration with the Central Java Child Protection and Empowerment and Population Control Agency, the majority of students are bored by the current learning method, Amelia said.

The survey found that 80 percent of students were bored, she said.

She went on to say that, in an unusual display of role-reversal, students have often initiated video conferences themselves to maintain interactivity in the classroom.

Read also: Studying from home: Seven online learning platforms for students

In a bid to improve the remote-learning experience amid the COVID-19 pandemic, public television broadcaster TVRI regularly airs a full-day education program called Belajar dari Rumah (Study from Home) in cooperation with the Education and Culture Ministry.

The programs, for all levels of education from pre-kindergarten to high school, focus on developing student literacy, numeracy and character and life skills.

Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim said the program was the ministrys effort to help students who faced hindrances in remote internet learning.

"This program can help students who have limited internet access for economic or geographic reasons," Nadiem said. (rfa)
Ford Management Change







Company taking series of actions to better serve customers, streamline decision-making and increase accountability

Strategic organizational moves focus on accelerating a winning portfolio, commercial vehicles as a business and implementing customer facing digital experiences across platforms

Data and AI play pivotal role in servicing companys brands and customers particularly in Connected Vehicles and Enterprise Connectivity organizations

Kumar Galhotra named president, Americas & International Markets Group; Lisa Drake appointed chief operating officer, North America, continues as vice president, Global Purchasing

DEARBORN, Mich., April 16, 2020  Ford Motor Company today announced both leadership and organizational changes to its global automotive operations to accelerate its Creating Tomorrow Together transformation plan.

The reorganization, the result of a 10-week deep dive led by Ford COO Jim Farley, is aimed at sharpening Fords focus on product and launch execution; fully leveraging smart, connected vehicles and big data to better serve customers; improving quality and lowering costs; and creating a dedicated commercial vehicle business in the U.S. and Canada.

Under Jim Farleys leadership, we are empowering a talented and diverse group of leaders  from inside and outside the company -- to continue to drive our transformation into a higher-growth, higher-margin business, said Ford CEO Jim Hackett.

Added Farley: We are moving with a renewed sense of urgency to improve the fitness of the business and improve our launches, while at the same time modernizing Ford in a way that plays to our strengths. That means putting the right team of global leaders in place, streamlining the way we work, embracing the power of connectivity, data and AI, and turning our leadership in commercial vehicles into a dedicated growth business.

Kumar Galhotra, 54, takes on an expanded role as president, Americas & International Markets Group, and continues to report to Farley. The North America, South America and International Markets Group business units will report to Galhotra. In this new role, Galhotra is responsible for the P&L of the business units including a newly established commercial vehicle business for the U.S. and Canada. Galhotras new organization will drive faster enterprise-wide decision-making and further efficiencies to better serve customers and adapt to changing market conditions.

Lyle Watters, 54, takes on an expanded role as president, South America & International Markets Group, reporting to Galhotra.

Mark Ovenden, 55, continues in his current role as president, International Markets Group. He will report to Watters.

Lisa Drake, 47, is named chief operating officer, North America, reporting to Galhotra. In this newly created role, Drake will bring enhanced focus to product launches, warranty cost reduction, and material cost improvements. Drake will help lead the push to return the North American business back to a 10 percent EBIT margin. With Drakes deep operational knowledge, she will further accelerate the transformation of the North American business through cash conservation and profit actions. Drake continues as vice president, Global Purchasing, responsible for all category management processes and procurement functions across direct and indirect Purchasing areas, as well as supplier technical assistance.

Ted Cannis, 53, is appointed general manager, Commercial Vehicles, for the U.S. and Canada, also reporting to Galhotra. In this newly created position, Cannis will bring together dedicated resources needed to drive the Commercial Vehicle business forward. This new business aligns functional areas to deliver holistic customer solutions and optimizes operations to improve alignment with potential partners. As leaders in the commercial vehicle space, the company is accelerating its plans to create solutions that help businesses run a better business. Cannis joins Hans Schep, general manager, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Europe. With two accomplished commercial vehicle leaders in these key roles, Ford is better placed to help make customers businesses thrive.

Retired Col. Gil Gur Arie, 44, joins the company from a distinguished career in the Israeli Military Intelligence Corps as chief, Global Data Insight and Analytics, reporting to Farley. Gur Arie brings vast and unique experience to Ford in big data and AI, information technology, digital-age human-machine aspects and multi-domain large scale analytics. In this position he will lead the Ford team through the digital revolution and develop Fords big-data and AI strategy in the coming years. Gur Arie will capitalize on the enterprises data sources and advance analytics talent to find solutions and steer better decision making throughout the company. Ford also will drive efficiency and gain understanding from connected vehicles, amongst other modern capabilities, to better serve the customer and improve the companys fitness.

Burt Jordan, 53, is appointed vice president, Global Purchasing Operations, reporting to Hau Thai-Tang, chief product development and purchasing officer. In this role, Jordan is responsible for Global Purchasing Operations, program delivery, purchasing strategy and supply chain diversity to drive strategic transformation, growth and efficiencies.

Stuart Taylor, 48, is appointed executive director, Enterprise Connectivity, reporting to Thai-Tang. In this newly created role, Taylor is responsible for developing and implementing a suite of connectivity solutions that will support all areas of our business. Alex Purdy, 36, joins the company as director Business Operations, Digital Experience and Connectivity, reporting to Taylor. In this newly created role, Purdy will be responsible for delivering our connectivity product portfolio strategy. Purdy was most recently director of Deere Labs at John Deere and brings to Ford an extensive background in technology and connectivity products. This new consolidated organization will provide Fords internal and external customers with exciting new digital experiences leveraging end to end connectivity.

The creation of the Enterprise Connectivity organization provides seamless end-to-end ownership for connectivity between the vehicle, consumer, and infrastructure within Ford, said Thai-Tang. Establishing this new organization, along with these appointments will help us accelerate the delivery of human-centered, connected experiences for our customers and realize our vision of delivering intelligent vehicles in an increasingly connected world.

All the changes announced will be effective May 1, 2020.
A woman is behind bars after Albuquerque police say she struck and killed a man on East Central Wednesday afternoon before fleeing the scene.

Ramona Ortiz, 41, is charged with homicide by vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in great bodily harm or death in the collision that left Gilberto Mejia dead. Ortiz was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Wednesday night.

Before her arrest, Ortizs boyfriend told officers the two were racing each other home in separate vehicles as a game when the crash occurred. He said Ortiz, who court records show has been cited for speeding three times in the past year, drives aggressive and unsafe.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:

Officers responded to the hit-and-run crash around 2 p.m. at San Pablo and Central SE, and found 200 feet of skid marks that led to Mejias body in the median. Mejia, whose age was not provided, died at the scene.

Due to the length of the skid marks and after viewing surveillance footage of the crash, officers determined the driver  later identified as Ortiz  was speeding down Central when the crash occurred.

Police found the SUV involved outside a home near Valencia and Ross SE, where they interviewed Ortiz and her boyfriend. The boyfriend told police the couple had just left an ATM in two separate vehicles and agreed, over the phone, to race home  something they would often do as a game in their relationship.

The boyfriend said Ortiz arrived home visibly upset and told him she struck someone and left the scene.

Ortiz at first denied anything happened before becoming very emotional and, eventually, told police she had struck Mejia after he stepped off the sidewalk. Ortiz said she intended to return to the scene of the crash, although she couldnt remember exactly where it was.

I do not believe Ms. Ortiz had any intention of returning to the scene, an officer wrote.
Former deputy advocate-general Vinay Sharma on Thursday wrote to the state director-general of police (DGP) SR Mardi seeking registration of an FIR against Mandi MP Ramswaroop Sharma, for violating the lockdown.

Sharma arrived at his hometown Jogindernagar from Delhi a few days ago despite a nationwide lockdown.

In a letter to the DGP, Sharma alleged that a few days ago Mandi MP along with three other persons entered the state without informing the authorities even as there is a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

He said that as per the guidelines issued by the Union health ministry and the state government, the borders were sealed and no one was allowed to enter the state.

If anyone enters the state with permission he must undergo 28-day quarantine at the facilities at border areas and FIRs are registered if someone enters without informing authorities, said Sharma.

If the Mandi MP has entered the state without permission an FIR must be registered against him, he added.

This issue was first raised by Aashray Sharma, who contested the 2019 parliamentary election against Ramswaroop Sharma. Aashray is the grandson of Congress veteran Sukh Ram and son of former minister Anil Sharma.
The total coronavirus death toll in the UK has now reached 13,729. (Getty Images)

The total number of new coronavirus deaths in the UK has now surpassed 13,000, while the confirmed number of cases has passed 100,000.

Across the UK, new coronavirus deaths rose by 861 in 24 hours on Thursday  bringing the death toll from 12,868 to 13,729, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

The Department of Health also confirmed that, as of 9am on 16 April, the total number of positive coronavirus cases had reached 103,093.

The latest figures follow Tuesdays rise of 778 to 12,107 and Wednesdays daily rise of 761 hospital deaths.

In the 24 hours to Thursday, 740 patients died in hospitals in England, taking the total there to 12,396.

Professor Chris Whitty said he expected the number of deaths may well go up following the long Easter Bank Holiday weekend. (PA/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, 18 people in Northern Ireland died from coronavirus in the past day, while Wales reported 32 more deaths and 80 new deaths were recorded in Scotland.

Thursdays figures come after the governments chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said he was anticipating a spike in deaths.

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Previously, the UK experienced its deadliest day on 10 April, recording 980 deaths in a 24-hour period.

But on Wednesday, Prof Whitty said that following the Easter Bank Holiday, he expected the number of deaths may well go up.

He told the Downing Street conference: After a long four-day weekend there may well be a bounce up tomorrow. I think it is very important we dont get to the point where we say, look at the numbers of deaths that means we have passed the peak.

But we do all think that this has flattened out. Sadly we do think that high numbers of deaths will continue, certainly for a short while on from where we are at the moment.

Paramedics prepare ambulances outside the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel exhibition centre in east London. (AP)

So I think at the moment we are not yet at the point where we can say confidently and safely this is now past the peak and we can start thinking very much about the next phases.

Story continues

The chief medical officer also warned it was too soon to begin discussing easing restrictions because there was not enough evidence of how social distancing had restricted the transmission of the disease in the community.

Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute and University of Oxford, said: As expected the Easter weekend has introduced additional volatility into the daily numbers. The rise in numbers of deaths announced today may well have arisen from reporting delays rather than a resumption of rising daily number of deaths.

Screen grab of Health Secretary Matt Hancock during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by PA Video/PA Images via Getty Images)

Unfortunately even although this particular measure may hopefully have peaked with the 980 deaths announced on April 10th, we will see many hundreds of hospital deaths announced each day for some weeks ahead.

The prime minister imposed a full lockdown on 23 March for an initial three week period  with measures to be reviewed after the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

The UKs former chief scientific adviser said Boris Johnsons delay in enforcing the coronavirus lockdown has cost lives.

However, the government is expected to make an announcement around the extension of lockdown measures today following a review by SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies).

Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson, will reveal the outcomes from the lockdown review - and it is thought measures will continue into May.

Legislation behind the mass containment must also be reviewed at least once every 21 days  with the first due to be carried out by Thursday at the latest.

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Central New York small businesses are undergoing immense disruption as customers and sales all but disappear during a shutdown prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

In large numbers, businesses have had to lay off employees or cut back on hours, shifts or workdays, according to survey results collected by CenterState CEO.

CenterState CEO heard from 240 local businesses, the majority with fewer than 50 employees, and found 55% of respondents have had to cut their workforce as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Revenue and customers are the top concerns for surviving the shutdown, business owners responded.

Almost every single business, not-for-profit or institutional entity in our community is being disrupted in some way, shape or form, said CenterState President Rob Simpson in an interview with Syracuse.com. While theres only so much comfort in knowing that other people are hurting, too, there should be a sense among folks that we are in this together, and were going to figure it out together.

CenterState CEO, which teaches business leadership and acts as the regions chamber of commerce, has developed its own plan to respond to the economic crisis.

The first step: assessing the impact of the coronavirus. (Simpson will join Syracuse.com for a Facebook Live Q&A later today with more insights and a discussion on future steps.)

CenterState is continuously surveying its more than 1,500 members to better understand whats happening among local businesses and the people who keep them running.

The initial round of responses was collected between March 19 and April 8 as New York phased out and eventually shut down non-essential businesses to prevent the spread of the virus. Respondents included businesses ranging in industry and size, with most being small companies.

The results emphasize an intense concern about revenue.

Business owners witnessed a precipitous drop in customers, and theyre worried this will only get worse as the shutdown continues.

They are cutting costs, CenterState found, by reducing hours, shifts and making layoffs. Among respondents, 55% said the decrease in demand for their products or services had led to these kinds of cuts.

READ MORE: Did you shut down your business because of the coronavirus? Did you lose your job? We want to hear from you.

CenterState officials said employee well-being and cash flow were also top concerns, as well as access to timely, trustworthy information, relief programs and community resources.

In the longer term, businesses are concerned about supply chains. CenterState indicates the data shows businesses are starting to grow more worried about how the shutdowns will impact supply chains.

Not all the results were gloomy.

Some businesses have adapted or find that their products are in higher demand due to the public health crisis. According to Centerstate, 10% of respondents said they are currently looking to hire to meet new demand. That includes 1 of 5 manufacturers, CenterState said.

Other results may come as good news to consumers, who are also navigating similar concerns about revenue: 35% are respondents said they were offering discounts.

CenterState is continuing to poll its members and plans to provide regular updates on what Central New York businesses are experiencing during the pandemic.

As the shutdown progresses or potentially begins to lift, CenterStates Simpson said he expects the needs of business owners and different industries to change over time.

Already, many businesses have told CenterState they have applied for federal relief programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program. Some have begun to think about hiring rehiring, as others struggle increasingly with remote work.

Well discuss this and more at the 1 p.m. discussion with Simpson.

Syracuse.com is following the economic crisis and compiling resources for local small businesses. Check back to our website regularly for more information. Got a question? Have a story to share? Contact Reporter Julie McMahon: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992

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Press Release

April 16, 2020 Pangilinan: Govt agencies, LGUs can now directly buy food for relief from farmers National government agencies and local government units (LGUs) can now directly buy food for their relief operations from farmers and farmers' organizations, Senator Francis Pangilinan said Thursday. The senator, who is a small-scale vegetable farmer himself, said this is made possible by the approval of the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) circular* detailing how national government and LGUs can directly procure from farmers and farmers' organizations, particularly for their food requirements during the enhanced community quarantine period. Pangilinan said he is constantly in touch with the Department of Agriculture and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines in institutionalizing a mechanism for LGUs "to go directly and purchase directly through negotiated contracts with farmers' organizations for produce which they need as they monitor the enhanced quarantine in Luzon and other areas." He said the system will also get rid of the middlemen who purchase the farmers' produce at lower prices yet sell them high in the commercial market. "Government is stepping in. Dati ang ating mga farmers, hawak sa leeg ng mga traders and middlemen. But now, with government coming in and needing these agricultural products whether it's livestock, whether it's chicken, pork, or agricultural products, rice, they will get it at a negotiated price or a fair market price," he said. With a support mechanism in place, Pangilinan said farmers will also continue to plant. Helping farmers continue farming "If this is going to be a prolonged quarantine -- qualified or transitioning into a semi-quarantine situation because until we have a vaccine precisely, we are going to have to maintain social distancing -- we are going to have to maintain a new normal which is very different from how it was before this pandemic and food will be critical," he said. "And so this is strategically important in the long run. As we face this new normal, how do we secure our food? And therefore direct purchases to our farmers and farmers' organizations is an opportunity for them to up their income but at the same time to sustain their planting practices," he explained. While the cash aid that farmers should get from the Bayanihan Law will be a big help, the more sustainable support would come in the form of having a steady market for their produce, so that they can continue with their planting cycle. "Hindi biro ang pagtatanim. You stop planting for two to three weeks, one month later, two months later, delayed ang supply natin. I think the best support is, apart from cash assistance which is part of the law -- the Bayanihan Law provided for cash assistance to rice farmers -- I think precisely upping their incomes by purchasing directly from them will really be the biggest incentive for them to continue planting and that they know that their products will not be sold -- hindi sila malulugi or babaratin sa presyo at magtatanim at magtatanim 'yan," Pangilinan said. Under Section 6 of the GPPB circular, the barangay captain can certify that a farmer is a bona fide farmer of the area and that certification will be enough basis for a purchase contract for the procurement entity with either the LGU or the DA for their purchase of products. Vegetables and farm supplies have become part of the relief packs being distributed by some local government units to their constituents amid the quarantine period. Pangilinan said that as COVID-19 slowly creeps into communities, food has never been more important in securing the health and safety of families. He said Filipino farmers can help stave off a pandemic-related food crisis in the country as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown in many parts of the world. Pangilinan said government intervention should always be in place to allow farmers and agricultural workers to continue their work and to provide channels for marketing their produce to mitigate the risk of food shortage and high prices. "This enhanced quarantine has disrupted our food supply and the longer this stays disrupted, hunger will step in and this is something we really need to face squarely," Pangilinan said. ### * https://www.gppb.gov.ph/issuances/Resolutions/GPPB%20Resolution%20No.%2006-2020.pdf
[April 16, 2020] Anthem Foundation Donates to United Way of Central Indiana and Gleaners Food Bank as Part of Coordinated Response to COVID-19

The Anthem Foundation announced today $200,000 in donations to United Way of Central Indiana and Gleaners Food Bank, two organizations that are crucial frontline responders to the coronavirus pandemic in Central Indiana. These new contributions are in addition to nearly $1.2 million dollars in active grants to Indiana organizations being used to support local communities and families where they are most needed in responding to COVID-19. The Anthem Foundation is committed to the whole health of individuals and families. In the current public health crisis, that means working with partner organizations to provide emergency response, access to food, protective and medical equipment, volunteers, human services and addressing education and technology needs. The support provided by the Anthem Foundation will evolve to meet the ever growing and changing needs of the communities we serve. "We have been a part of the Indiana community for more than 75 years, and we understand the uncertainty this crisis is bringing to Indiana families," said Gail K. Boudreaux, President and CEO of Anthem, Inc. "Our actions to support those on the frontlines are part of a coordinated response to COVID-19 and guided by our commitment to improve lives and communities." The Anthem Foundation's $100,000 contribution to the nited Way of Central Indiana will go to the COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund, initially designed to support more than 30 nonprofits to address childcare for healthcare workers and first responders, access to food and shelter for the homeless and other community needs. The Foundation is also donating $100,000 to Gleaners Food Bank and their #FillTheBanks Hunger Relief Challenge. This is an effort to raise money to fund eight weeks of emergency food boxes for Indianapolis Public Schools families. For every dollar donated, Gleaners can provide four nutritious meals to people in need.



In observance of National Volunteer Month in April, the Anthem Foundation announced that it is doubling the matching contribution to $2 for every $1 donated by Anthem's 70,000 associates across the country as well as doubling paid volunteer time to $20 per hour, which associates can donate to the nonprofit of their choice.

"The needs of individuals and the community continue to evolve rapidly," said Boudreaux. "Anthem and its associates continue to adapt and respond with caring, compassion and the necessary support to help guide us through this crisis and aid the recovery." About Anthem, Inc. Anthem is a leading health benefits company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler. Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves more than 79 million people, including 41 million within its family of health plans. We aim to be the most innovative, valuable and inclusive partner. For more information, please visit www.antheminc.com or follow @AnthemInc on Twitter (News - Alert). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005481/en/

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WASHINGTON - The struggle to reopen Congress is more complex than just monitoring how far the coronavirus curve has been bent toward containment, then recalling more than 500 lawmakers to the Capitol.

This isn't at all like reopening a corporate headquarters in a city center or a regional plant in a suburban office park, where employees are traveling a relatively short distance to their workplace.

Instead, Congress functions much more like a large college campus. More than 10,000 employees, on a normal day, are spread across the Capitol, seven office buildings for lawmakers and committees, the Capitol Police headquarters, the Library of Congress and a dormitory for Senate pages.

Then there are the more than 15,000 tourists a day who would visit the complex during the peak springtime season. That practice has been prohibited since March 13, and few leaders are even contemplating when the general public would be allowed to return.

The most basic duties - 100 senators showing up for a roll call, or up to 435 members of the House voting - are inherent violations of federal health guidelines that say groups should be limited to no more than 10 people.

And then there are the dozens of members of the House who, rather than rent or own a private apartment, live in their offices. Each morning these lawmakers use showers in the House gym to get ready for that day's work representing their constituents.

Without access to the House gym, these lawmakers have nowhere to shower each morning, and all gyms in Washington have been ordered closed through District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser's emergency orders shuttering all nonessential businesses.

On Wednesday, Bowser extended that order until at least May 15, which is almost two weeks beyond what congressional leaders have set as their aspirational return to the Capitol.

Those leaders are now recognizing just how daunting the task is to try to get Congress back to any semblance of normalcy.

"People think we can do Congress by Zoom. Zoom is a Chinese entity that we've been told not to even trust the security of. So there are challenges, it's not as easy as you would think," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday night on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes."

The Silicon Valley company, founded by a Chinese entrepreneur, has come under scrutiny for its security measures. Pelosi said a more detailed technology report would be delivered during a House Democratic caucus call Thursday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who is in charge of the chamber's scheduling, acknowledged Wednesday that some things would have to change to make up for the lost time while Congress is shut down. He said lawmakers will go beyond the typical workweek of starting Monday evening and finishing Thursday afternoon.

"Once we're back, the schedule will likely change to accommodate the work we have to get done," Hoyer told reporters during a conference call, predicting some recess weeks for lawmakers to work in their districts would be canceled. "They'll have less time at home, less time with their constituents, but more time acting on behalf of their constituents on work that we need to do."

To be sure, many members of Congress say they are working harder than ever before, just doing so from their homes trying to help the myriad local hospitals dealing with the deadly coronavirus and small businesses struggling through the economic crisis.

These constituent services have consumed their daily lives, but there remains the need to continue to work on legislation, both bills related to the coronavirus and others dealing with normal business like funding the federal government.

Committee chairmen have been holding teleconference meetings with rank-and-file lawmakers, but long-standing rules forbid actually holding formal hearings and votes on legislation from remote distances.

To change those rules, the full House and Senate would have to return to the Capitol, hold a debate and then vote on such changes. Hoyer said Wednesday that no such full return can happen until the "advice of the health-care community" is that doing so is safe.

Whenever that time comes, Hoyer's planned five-day workweek in Washington requires lawmakers to travel from near and far, most on planes and trains, to get to the Capitol.

Any return to normalcy would then involve several hundred lawmakers trekking back home after five days in Washington, then repeating that exercise after a weekend at home.

That would place hundreds of lawmakers on two flights a week, the type of regular travel that many are reluctant to even think about now because of the constant exposure that would entail.

"I'm actually more concerned about members of Congress spreading this back in their district," Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said in a recent interview.

Diaz-Balart, who contracted covid-19 in mid-March, spent three weeks quarantining himself in his Capitol Hill apartment before he returned to Florida. With constant travel to and from Washington, even seemingly healthy lawmakers could be asymptomatic vectors of the virus.

"That's the last thing you want," Diaz-Balart said.

Some lawmakers live in group houses, which puts them in close quarters just like college students. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., has lived almost a decade in a townhouse with three other lawmakers.

Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., has an even trickier routine. Every day he usually takes Amtrak from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Washington, then back at night - the type of travel on public transit that seems more dangerous than ever. On some occasions, when he has to stay overnight, Coons will bunk up with a fellow senator who has an extra room in their home near the Capitol.

Beyond the lawmakers are the more than 13,000 aides who work for them, some of whom are back home in their states. Since Congress finished a $2 trillion rescue package in late March, almost every staffer has been working from home, leaving the Capitol complex a bit of a ghost town.

Many office doors have signs telling cleaning crews not to enter, because no one is working there.

Of the Senate's dozen cafeterias and coffee shops, just one carryout remains open, mostly serving the police who still guard the buildings. In a cramped basement room, just four customers are allowed in at a time.

Any return to normalcy, just bringing back the lawmakers and a few staff each to the Capitol, would be an exponential growth from the current occupancy and likely require even more support staff to help operate dining areas and cleaning.

Leaders, for now, have few answers, other than hoping medical research can come up with a solution sometime soon.

"We need to get the work of the American people done," Hoyer said.
New Delhi Two of the three Indian manufacturers of antibody-based Rapid Test Kits (RTKs) for Covid-19 have begun production after the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory body for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, issued manufacturing licenses.

The move comes at a time when the RTKs that the Indian government ordered from China and which were supposed to arrive first by April 5, then April 9 and finally by Wednesday, have still not reached.

Earlier this month, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) validated samples of RTKs manufactured by three companies, Vanguard Diagnostics in New Delhi, the state-owned HLL Lifecare Limited in Kerala and Voxtur Bio Limited in Gujarat, following which they applied for, and received, their manufacturing licenses.

While HLL and Voxtur have begun production  the former expects to deliver its first batch of 100,000 RTKs by April 20  Vanguard aims to start production within three weeks.

These kits are in great demand because unlike the RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests currently in use, which take up to five hours to throw up a result, RTKs provide results in 30 minutes. However, ICMRs protocol requires a confirmatory RT-PCR test to back up a negative RTK result.

Public sector company HLL Lifecare Limited, known for its production of popular condom brand Nirodh, began producing RTKs in its Manesar, Haryana plant on April 14. It aims to ready its first batch of 100,000 kits by April 20.

We have just started [manufacturing the kits] after receiving the approval from CDSCO on Monday [April 13]. We have the capacity to produce 100,000 testing kits in a week. We will be supplying directly to the ICMR, a senior executive at the company said on condition of anonymity. .

The executive added that some of the material needed to manufacture the RTKs is imported from the US. As of now we are comfortably placed in terms of stock We are trying to scale up but there are several logistical issues. We import our raw material, but not from China. We import raw material from a US company.

We have started production. We are planning to make 25,000 kits a day, E A Subramanian, director of technical operations of the HLL Lifecare added.

Surat-based Voxtur Bio Ltd is using indigenously manufactured raw material to develop the kits. We have got nothing to do with China or any other country; we are manufacturing the kits and the raw material required to develop the kits indigenously. We have the capacity to produce 10 million kits a month, and we can double it if required. But we have to look for vendors, distributors and manage other logistics, so it takes about 10-12 days to start the production from the day you get the licence, said Khushroo Pastakia, CEO and managing director, Voxtur.

He did not specify the quantities of kits currently under production.

Vanguard is putting processes in place to produce RTKs in large numbers. We havent started manufacturing yet as we are internally getting ready for production. If all goes well then we should be able to start production in the next two to three weeks. Theres a lot of demand for rapid test kits, and everyone is working hard to ensure that the kits are produced in India. In my opinion, during the next few weeks many other manufacturers will also be ready, said Veena Kohli, CEO of Vanguard Diagnostics Limited said.

The list of manufacturers is a dynamic one: the CDSCO provides licenses as and when the ICMR validates sample kits. In all, ICMR has validated 13 RTKs, of which four are made by Indian manufacturers. This includes antibody test kits of Indian vendors with Chinese suppliers.

Chennai-based CPC Diagnostics received the go ahead from both ICMR and CDSCO to import Chemi Luminescence Immuno Assay or CLIA-based antibody detection kits, which are not the same as RTKs, but close  the CLIA kit also requires a specific instrument to conduct the antibody test. These kits, which CPC has been sourcing from YHLO, a Shenzen, China based company, are also used to perform other kinds of tests, including fertility and thyroid tests , and thus several accredited labs in the country already possess them, a company spokesperson said. By using this system a laboratory can test 100 samples per hour, he added.

The company expects to receive the supply of the CLIA-based antibody test kits this week. The order was placed at least two weeks ago, and the delay is due to a number of factors the spokesperson said. The government of India has been following due process in validating and approving kits. This process takes time. The restriction on air traffic has been a major reason for delay of receiving test kits and sending them for approval. This factor will continue to delay supplies. Currently the world demand being large it will be difficult for us to obtain the entire quantity of kits we require in a short period.

China recently restricted export of its supplies of antibody test kits to a few companies following quality control concerns raised by different European countries.

Mumbai-based Lab Care, which has a manufacturing facility in Gujarat also received ICMR approval for its RTK, but it is yet to receive its manufacturing license. We have applied for a manufacturing license, and expect to receive it within 10 days, said Ravi Chadha, director, Lab Care.

Chadha said the company can make between 125,000 to 150,000 kits every day. Lab Care imports its raw material from China, and finding new suppliers would involve new ICMR approvals. Whats more, it cannot stock raw material till it receives its manufacturing license.

For the Chinese to dispatch raw material is a task given the current situation. And even once the raw material is sent from China to Delhi , transporting that to the manufacturing unit will be a challenge, he said.

With inputs from Snehal Vivienne Fernandes and Dhamini Ratnam

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The health watchdog for NI has said it cannot provide information pertaining to coronavirus outbreaks or deaths in Derry care homes despite legislation stating that it should be notified.

RQIA is the independent health and social care regulator in Northern Ireland which aims to assure public confidence in health and social care through its independent, proportionate and responsible regulation.

Public pressure has been mounting for health authorities to provide records of the number of coronavirus-related deaths occurring in care homes.

Northern Ireland has 484 care homes with approximately 16,000 beds. Derry has around 20 nursing/residential care homes.

Earlier this week Health Minister Robin Swann confirmed that 32 care homes were now affected by coronavirus.

At the end of February COVID-19 became a notifiable disease and in line with regulations services were required to advise RQIA of outbreaks - 2 or more cases - of a disease, any deaths within the service and also incidents of a notifiable disease at a service.

However, along with the Public Health Agency (PHA) which records all details of outbreaks in care settings, it has been unable to provide a breakdown of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Derry care homes.

An RQIA spokesperson said death certification is needed before it can provide any details of deaths in care homes.

But he didnt elaborate when asked why that process would take any longer for a COVID death in a care setting - considering the first COVID deaths in care homes are known to have taken place weeks ago - as opposed to hospital fatalities which have been reported on a daily basis.

The spokesperson explained that as part of the Health and Social Care (HSC) response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to minimise the risk of spreading infection to the most vulnerable people in society, the Department of Health has directed RQIA to step down its regular inspection programme.

This is consistent with the approach of health and social care regulators across the UK and Ireland.

The health watchdog sought to assure the public that where it has any specific safety concerns it will not hesitate to conduct inspections.

An RQIA spokesperson said: During this time RQIA is the seven day a week single point of contact for care homes and domiciliary care agencies, supporting these services to make risk-assessed and evidence-based decisions using their professional judgement and their knowledge and understanding of the people in their care.

RQIAs team of inspectors are providing this dedicated service seven days a week from 8am to 6pm daily (including over the Easter holiday period).

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic RQIA has responded to hundreds of queries from providers who are working under immense pressures to deliver safe, effective and compassionate care to everyone living in these homes in line with the latest guidance.

He added: While services are required to notify RQIA of all deaths in their homes, these notifications are often received in advance of death certification and in the absence of confirmed results of a COVID-19 test it is not possible to provide details of the deaths in care homes.

As part of its role, the Public Health Agency records details of all outbreaks of disease (including Covid-19) in care homes, and provides additional support to these services.

The safety and wellbeing of everyone in receipt of health and social care services across Northern Ireland is of paramount importance to RQIA, and we continue to monitor every service to ensure their management arrangements are robust and in the best interests of those who are receiving care.

For further information, visit: www.rqia.org.uk.
Schools in New South Wales will use a roster system to bring some children back to class, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said today.

On Thursday the Premier announced face-to-face teaching will resume in week three of term two.

Today she clarified that not all students will go back to class at the same time.

A roster system is being designed so some children attend on certain days and work from home on others when their peers go to class.

This would keep classrooms less busy and help maintain social distancing.

'Students will not be in school full-time and I suspect the majority of learning will still be from home,' Ms Berejiklian said.

Schools in New South Wales will use a rota system to bring some children back to class, Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) said today

Victoria has no plans to re-introduce face-to-face teaching.

The state's education secretary James Merlino said on Thursday: 'If you can learn from home you must learn from home.'

He said around three per cent of students were going to school and the rest were at home.

Schools are open for children who cannot learn from home if their parents have to go to work.

Australia's health experts say it is safe for children to go to school because, for an unknown reason, the virus does not affect them as much as adults.

All states and territories, except the Northern Territory where attendance is compulsory, have made school optional or told parents not to send children to class during the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus restrictions will be in place for at least four more weeks as Australia continues to reduce the infection rate, Scott Morrison announced on Thursday after a National Cabinet meeting.

Wider testing, more rigorous contact tracing involving an app and plans for local lockdowns to combat outbreaks need to be in place before so-called 'baseline restrictions' can be removed across the nation, he said.

But Australia's biggest states will be able to relax some of their harsher restrictions sooner if they chose to do so.

'States and territories that went further than those baselines... will be reviewing those in the meantime,' Mr Morrison said.

NSW Police ask people to move on while patrolling during the Easter Long Weekend at Bondi Beach in Sydney

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

It means that pubs, restaurants and gyms will be kept shut, large gatherings will remain banned and working from home will be encouraged where possible.

Weddings are still limited to five people and funerals to ten people.

However, elective surgery could be resumed on Tuesday when the National Cabinet meets again.

There were only 19 new cases of coronavirus in Australia on Wednesday, taking the national total to 6,468. The crisis peaked at 460 daily cases on 28 March.

Mr Morrison warned that lifting restrictions too fast could be catastrophic.

'If you ease off too quickly too early, then you end up making the situation even worse and I don't just mean in the health terms,' he said.

'If you move too early and the health response gets out of control then the economic consequences will be even worse. We need to keep it finely balanced.'

The Prime Minister said over the next four weeks the government will work on measures to make it safe for restrictions to be lifted.

A police officer refrains a woman from swimming on Bondi Beach in Sydney

Testing - possibly including random community testing - is crucial to tracking the spread of the virus.

So far only certain 'hotspot' suburbs have made testing available to everyone due to a shortage of testing equipment including chemicals - but the government wants to expand the testing regime.

Secondly, contact tracing is crucial to stopping further outbreaks.

The government is working on an app that can tell people if they have come into contact with someone with the virus - but there are 'privacy concerns' to work through before it can be rolled out.

It will be similar to the trace app rolled out in Singapore, Mr Morrison said.

How will contact tracing app work? The Prime Minister said the government is working on an app that can tell people if they have come into contact with someone with the virus - but there are 'privacy concerns' to work through before it can be rolled out. It will be similar to the trace app rolled out in Singapore, Mr Morrison said. Singapore's TraceTogether app uses Bluetooth on mobile phones to link up with other phones nearby. It is then able to track when two people are in close proximity with one another, providing times, dates and locations. If officials then need to call upon this data, they can determine a person's close contacts based on the proximity to another person and the length of time spent with them. Mr Morrison said: 'The trace app which has been put in place in Singapore is a consent based model and the reason we are not quite ready yet is we are still working through ensuring that it meets the privacy protections. 'It is a complex area, but it is a tool that Australia will need to pursue the road out of this that we would like to pursue.' Advertisement

Thirdly, the Prime Minister said there need to be measures in place to rapidly re-introduce restrictions in certain areas if outbreaks occur, such as the one in north-west Tasmania.

Two hospitals there were closed this week after 45 medical workers and nine patients caught the disease. Extra soldiers and medical personnel were deployed to the area.

'You can't rule out increasing potentially restrictions at some point if things got a bit out of control because the virus writes its own rules,' Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison said social distancing and hand washing will be in place until a vaccine is found.

He also warned that Australia needs to brace for economic strife ahead - and flagged the government will adopt pro-growth policies such as lower corporate tax to help Australia recover.
Governments will have to decide how to stagger a return to relative normality from the coronavirus and how to deal with the emotional issues of inequality, unemployment and debt that will surge to the fore of the political debate

Brussels: President Emmanuel Macron, never very popular, has touched his highest approval ratings in France since the onset of the coronavirus. As Italy has been devastated, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has hit a remarkable 71 percent, up 27 points. Even in Britain, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson waffled over a strong response, then became seriously ill himself, the government is the most popular in decades.

There is nothing like a good crisis to get diverse populations to rally around their leaders. When people are confused and afraid, they tend to trust their governments because to think that authorities are themselves confused and afraid, let alone incompetent, is too much to bear.

The question is whether that will last once the crisis eases, criticism mounts and normal politics resumes. Usually, it does not last long. Formal inquiries into the inevitable errors and mistakes soon follow, and voters, if allowed, often take their revenge, even on the most effective leaders.

And it is safe to say that many of those getting a boost for the moment have been less than effective, judging by the crushing toll of a virus impervious to partisan bluster and unforgiving of mistakes.

The uncertainties may best be demonstrated in the United States, where President Donald Trump, in a highly charged election year, got only a small bump up that did not last, given widespread ambivalence about how the White House has handled the pandemic.

The initial instinct is to rally around the flag because it is seen as unpatriotic and unhelpful not to do so, said Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. But societies cant be mobilised in perpetuity. Theres inevitably a fatigue, and people will ask more difficult questions.

George Robertson, the former NATO secretary-general and British defence secretary, put it bluntly: People do rally around, but it evaporates fast.

But for now, at least, most government leaders have seen a surge in popular support as they combat a natural calamity that has wreaked havoc, even if sometimes made worse by their own inaction or miscalculation.

One might expect competent leadership to benefit more. That has been largely the case in countries, particularly in northern Europe, that imposed tough measures early that allowed them to start reopening tentatively this week.

In Austria, where returning workers are required to wear masks, Chancellor Sebastian Kurzs approval has risen to 77 percent, up 33 points. Similarly, Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands has 75 percent support, up 30 points.

As some children return to school and her government prepares Danes for a phased reopening that could take many months, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksens support is up 40 points, to 79 percent.

The virus has even managed to revive the lame-duck government in Germany, which had been shedding support to both the Greens and the Far-Right. Support for Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose performance has been mostly applauded both inside and outside the country, has risen 11 points, to 79 percent.

But even in the countries hardest hit by the virus, leaders have also gotten a boost, in ways that at first glance would not seem to make perfect sense.

Italy has the highest death toll in the world behind the United States, and the government seemed to fumble through a piecemeal response that was always a step behind the virus. But Conte has seen his overall approval rating soar.

In a warlike situation, you want to trust who governs you, and that goes for bad leaders and competent ones, said Nathalie Tocci, director of Italys Institute of International Affairs. But my hunch is that ultimately true colours will show.

Already there are signs that some leaders are slipping from their peaks as public patience wears thin.

In the case of Macron, who acknowledged mistakes as he announced an extension of Frances lockdown this week, polls show him back down to 43 percent from 59 percent on 13 March, the highest rating of his administration.

Macron has never been much above 25 percent, said Christian Lequesne, a professor of European Politics at Sciences Po, citing the yellow vest movement, union unhappiness with economic reforms and a popular perception that Macron is more a man of the banks than of the people.

The French are beginning to focus on the frustrations, like the lack of masks and were we prepared for such a pandemic, Lequesne said. Im sure when the lockdown is finished those questions will immediately be put into public debate, and it will be in the interest of Opposition parties to blame the government.

Macrons presumed presidential opponent, Marine Le Pen of the Far-Right, populist National Rally, has been largely quiet in this time of national trauma, Lequesne said. But when she speaks, she stresses the mask issue, the inability to manage the situation, and argues that we should have shut the borders completely.

The crisis surrounding the coronavirus has produced much the same pattern as more violent conflict, when shows of support are typically immediate, if ephemeral.

In October 1979, President Jimmy Carter had a 31 percent approval rating. But after the siege of the US Embassy in Iran, his approval hit 58 percent in January 1980. Carter was defeated by Ronald Reagan that November.

President George Bushs approval rating rose from 58 percent in January 1991 to 87 percent after he drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. But he lost in 1992 to Bill Clinton.

President George W Bush had a 51 percent approval rating in a Gallup poll just before 11 September, 2001. By the end of the month, his approval rating hit 90 percent. He narrowly won reelection three years later.

Trumps smaller-than-expected bump, given the coronavirus, has made him something of an outlier. While other world leaders are reaching highs in the 70 percent range, his approval ratings hover between 40 and 45 percent, reflecting his strong base but also widespread criticism of his performance.

One positive result of the virus, Tocci said, may be the discrediting of populism and a return to trust in expertise and more rational government.

The whole nationalist populist surge was connected to an historical moment where you could afford to play with fire, she noted. But now the situation is really bad, so much more dangerous, and people dont want the easy nonsense from media-savvy populists.

She cited polls showing that Matteo Salvini, the noisy Italian populist, has been losing support on the right, while another Far-Right Opposition politician, Giorgia Meloni, on the rational, coolheaded, nonpopulist right, has done better.

Much of the public reaction may ultimately depend on how long the sense of crisis lasts, the onslaught of the virus being uncertain and open-ended. The unlocking of the lockdown will itself be fraught with political danger.

Though we see these leaders making decisions, theyre not making them from a position of strength but from uncertainty and weakness, said Nicholas Dungan, a Paris-based senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Theyre not leading so much as administering, he said. And once people are out and about and not confined anymore doing their duty, people are going to be quite angry, and this will lead to greater instability.

Tony Travers, professor of government at the London School of Economics, noted that Winston Churchill was revered for having presided over the victory over Adolf Hitler but was summarily tossed out of office in 1945.

Winning a war is absolutely no recipe for staying in office, Travers said. When the threat of illness goes away, then the consequences of being protected from the threat are very different.

Governments will have to decide how to stagger a return to relative normality and how to deal with the emotional issues of inequality, unemployment and debt that will surge to the fore of the political debate.

When we come out of this, the reckoning will start, said Robin Niblett, director of the British foreign policy research institute Chatham House. When people realise the expense, there will be questions of who gets taxed, how much the state owns and how much will people chafe against the controls, he said.

Much remains unclear across the world, but there is the potential for some serious political wind shears, Niblett said. Leaders are going to have a very rocky time toward autumn as the bills get delivered.

Steven Erlanger c.2020 The New York Times Company
One of Australia's most prominent anti-vaccination activists is telling others not to participate in social distancing or to be fearful of coronavirus because she believes the pandemic is not real - despite more than two million known cases globally and about 134,600 deaths.

Judy Wilyman believes the Australian government is unnecessarily restricting human rights by implementing social-distancing measures.

Dr Wilyman, an anti-vaccination activist, said there is 'no evidence of a pandemic', despite a declaration from the World Health Organisation on March 11.

She said the current disease - which has spread across 210 countries and territories around the world - shouldn't change the way Australians live.

'Our human rights are being reduced as we speak... These are draconian measures,' she said.

There are currently 6,449 known cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 63 people who have died

WHY VACCINES ARE IMPORTANT Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases before they come into contact with them. Immunisation not only protects individuals, but also others in the community, by reducing the spread of preventable diseases. Research and testing is an essential part of developing safe and effective vaccines. In Australia, vaccines must pass strict safety testing before the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will register them for use. Approval of vaccines can take up to 10 years. Before vaccines become available to the public, large clinical trials test them on thousands of people. High-quality studies over many years have compared the health of large numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Medical information from nearly 1.5 million children around the world have confirmed that vaccination does not cause autism. People first became concerned about autism and immunisation after the medical journal The Lancet published a paper in 1998. This paper claimed there was a link between the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. Since then, scientists have completely discredited this paper. The Lancet withdrew it in 2010 and printed an apology. The UKs General Medical Council struck the author off the medical register for misconduct and dishonesty. Source: Australian Department of Health Advertisement

She agrees that quarantining return travellers is a successful method and said she wouldn't oppose tracing contacts of known cases.

'But do not lock down the healthy population under the guise of social distancing for a global pandemic, where there is no evidence of that pandemic,' she said in a video.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

According to Dr Wilyman, testing being carried out globally is not advanced enough to distinguish between a standard strain of coronavirus and the more deadly COVID-19.

Scientists, health authorities and medics throughout the world disagree.

Sydney neurologist Kate Ahmad said the message Ms Wilyman is sprouting is, at best, a 'hodge-podge' of conspiracy theories, and at worst, dangerous.

'To say that the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which is the one currently circulating in the pandemic, is not dangerous, is ridiculously wrong and also dangerous,' she told A Current Affair.

'We know that social distancing is the best tool we have to prevent viral transmission, so to say this doesn't work and we don't need to do it, potentially endangers lives.'

Dr Wilyman believes the social distancing restrictions are too harsh and encourage a police state. Pictured: Police speaking to two people about breaking stay indoors orders

Despite the consistent medical advice, Dr Wilyman insists Australians have nothing to worry about during the crisis.

'You do not have to be fearful of an outbreak of this disease in Australia... We've had serious outbreaks in a handful of countries, but it will not be a threat.'

'What you're being asked to accept... When we don't have a global pandemic... If you accept it, then you have already lost your freedoms. This will become the new norm,' she said.

Dr Wilyman was given a humanities PhD by the University of Wollongong. She wrote a thesis arguing that the World Health Organisation worked together with pharmaceutical companies to promote vaccines that weren't needed.

She was no medical qualifications.

Ms Wilyman has urged her followers to stand up against the 'draconian restrictions' and not to be fearful of coronavirus

The Prime Minister restricted gatherings to no more than two people and urged civilians not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Australia.

There are currently 6,449 diagnosed cases in Australia and 63 deaths.

On Wednesday, Isabel Lucas was dropped from her role as an ambassador for Plan International Australia, a charity for girls' equality, after admitting she does not 'trust the path of vaccination'.

The charity announced the decision on Twitter on Wednesday in the wake of Lucas' controversial coronavirus comments.

A Twitter user wrote: 'Are you aware your ambassador, actress Isabel Lucas, is one of these conspiracy theorists stoking fears during this crisis? She's also anti-vaccination... go figure.'

Plan International Australia replied: 'We are aware of the issues and as of today, Ms Lucas and Plan International have come to a mutual agreement to end the ambassadorship.'
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: A doctor in Meghalaya capital Shillong, who died after contracting COVID-19, was laid to rest on Thursday  a day after locals resisted the performance of his last rites at different localities at the hill station as well as elsewhere.

Official sources said the body of the 69-year-old was buried at the Riatsamthiah Presbyterian Church cemetery in Lawmali area of Shillong.

The last rites were performed by a small group of priests and officials. They adhered to all the guidelines including social distancing, East Khasi Hills District Magistrate Matsiewdor War Nongbri told this newspaper.

The doctor had died in the wee hours of Wednesday at Bethany Hospital which he owned. The death occurred in less than 48 hours since he was declared a COVID-19 patient.

Initially, the burial was planned within his residential compound adjacent to the hospital but the authorities did not approve it for reasons not known.

They had plans to cremate the body at the Jhalupara electric crematorium on Wednesday night and then, put the ashes into a coffin for burial at the doctors farmhouse in Nongpoh, 50 km north of Shillong towards Guwahati. However, the locals stood opposed to it and staged a protest as they feared the virus would spread to their area.

The Nongpoh dorbar (a traditional local council) also resisted it on the ground that the doctor was not a permanent resident of the place.

Eventually, the authorities heaved a sigh of relief when a Shillong locality, Mawryngkneng, came forward approving the burial at the cemetery out of gratitude to the departed soul for his decades-long service extended to the locals. A similar offer was also made by three churches of different denominations.

Six people, including family members, who had come in contact with the doctor, have tested positive. All of them were quarantined at the hospital which has since been sealed. It was still not known from whom the doctor contracted the virus. He had no travel history in recent times.
In a letter to the prime minister, Export Promotion Council for SEZs and EOUs vice chairman Bhuvnesh Seth said the pandemic has severely impacted the sector with more than 50 percent loss of export orders.

New Delhi: Apex body for promotion of special economic zones EPCES has sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an incentive package for the sector, which is facing challenges due to the lockdown on account of COVID-19 outbreak.

In a letter to the prime minister, Export Promotion Council for SEZs and EOUs vice chairman Bhuvnesh Seth said the pandemic has severely impacted the sector with more than 50 percent loss of export orders.

He said that liquidity too is badly hit on account of recovery of receivables pertaining to the lockdown in exporting countries as those companies there have said they will delay the payments.

"On behalf of EOUs (export oriented units) and SEZs (special economci zones), my humble submission for an immediate roll out of an economic relief package," Seth said in his letter.

He said that EPCES sector is providing direct employment to more than 25 lakh persons with investment of more than Rs 5.50 lakh crore and contributing Rs 7.87 lakh crore to India's export basket.

Seth also said that at present India being a most preferred country, the government should consider a special package to Japanese companies to invest here.

"Presently, we have only one Act and policy for exports that is SEZ Act. But, under this act any new company operating after 30 June will be deprived of income tax benefits whereas other countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka are offering customised packages to investors. Unless government of India consider a special policy or extend the SEZ Act, attracting investments will be a challenge.

Seth said that the association urged the prime minister to consider a special package to infrastructure developers either by extending the sunset clause of SEZ or by announcing some financial package so that new investments come forward in this sector.
'Mumbai is testing a lot compared to a lot of other places in the country.'

'Now that we exactly know where the hotspots are, and they've been converted into containment zones, there is a lot of testing, going on, from door to door and symptom screening.'

'In the last 10 to 15 days we have definitely done a good job.'

IMAGE: Doctors and health workers enter a containment zone at Jijamata Nagar, Worli, south central Mumbai, April 14, 2020. Photograph: Arun Patil

Dr Trupti Gilada, an infectious diseases specialist at the Prince Aly Khan Hospital and Unison Medicare and Research Centre, both in south Mumbai, was interviewed by Rediff.com three weeks ago.

You can read the interviews here and here.

Dr Gilada provides an update to Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel on how Mumbai and Maharashtra are faring, given that there been 178 deaths and nearly 3,000 cases as of the night of April 15.

We last spoke three weeks ago. Although it feels like almost a lifetime. And you had, at that time, mentioned that the next two weeks would be critical.

So I am checking with you now, three weeks later, for your picture of what is unfolding, especially in Bombay and Maharashtra.

Like I said, in my last interview, the lockdown is going to be one strategy.

The other two important things are going to be, apart from just social distancing, was strengthening the healthcare system. And testing strategies that (required) to be increased.

I think, in the last three weeks, we have been very great at social distancing, I must say. There have been instances here and there where people have not obeyed which has lead to some clusters, that's true.

But by and large, the social distancing, because of the lockdown, has been successful.

What probably has strengthened -- probably not so much in the last few weeks, but in the last seven or eight days -- is that our healthcare planning has definitely improved.

You know, when we had just started (the battle against COVID-19) in Bombay, like our first case, went to the Kasturba hospital (central Mumbai), which isn't a tertiary care hospital (a level of health care in a hospital obtained from specialists) and doesn't have an ICU.

But in the last 10 to 15 days, they have pulled in a lot of other BMC and government hospitals, like the KEM hospital (central Mumbai), and a lot of peripheral BMC hospitals, which means now there will be specialists and an entire team of other experts managing the situation.

So that has definitely improved. The number of beds dedicated to corona in private and public hospitals has also improved.

We have heard news of hospitals shutting down because healthcare workers got infected, which meant that we knew that the personal protective equipment or the use of personal protective equipment was failing somewhere.

I think this was all a learning curve for us.

The supply of PPE has improved. Even healthcare professionals have started to understand that we need PPEs not just when we are managing COVID-19 patients, but also when you're seeing a lot of other patients.

I was telling you yesterday (April 14) about two positive cases. Some of the patients, that are now testing positive, are asymptomatic, who were probably (only) were screened because they were going to be admitted in a hospital, for surgery, or for something that required care, and cannot be postponed for the next three weeks.

We understand that there are going to be more and more people who are asymptomatic, who test positive.

More and more people who do not have a contact history or travel history and they are going to be positive.

Healthcare workers have started to understand that: 'Just treat every patient coming in as COVID-19 patient and take the precautions like you would take for a COVID-19 patient'.

And hopefully that will help us.

But you have also read the news that we have had a lot of healthcare professionals test positive in the city in the past 10 days.

That is of concern because these are people who are exposed to people day in day out -- the number of people they get exposed to and they often call it the five second exposure.

So it might not be just one person that they are exposed to but probably multiple people, some that you know, and some that you don't that you have been exposed to. And that's the reason why healthcare workers have a higher risk.

I was speaking to a surgeon, the other day, and he was saying that many Mumbai hospitals have to also learn a lot about how to plan for COVID-19 patients.

Which entrance COVID-19 patients come through, which entrance health professionals come through and how their entry into a hospital needs to be monitored.

And he says that that many Mumbai hospitals haven't really got that down pat.

Would you agree?

That's true.

Initially, when we thought this was going to be something different, I don't think everyone knew to what extent it was going to be different.

Now we know that when hospitals, clinics or centres need to be COVID-ready, it's not just the healthcare personnel, it's also the infrastructure of the hospital.

Where are you going to isolate your suspect patients?

Where are you going to take in your confirmed cases?

Who is going to see them?

How many shifts are going to see them?

Are these healthcare workers, who are going to see COVID patients, are they going to be moving around in other centres or other wards or other places in the hospital, because then that will expose other patients?

This was a learning curve...

Which is the hospital entry that you use, which is the exit, where are the other patients going to be entering and exiting from?

Are the other non-COVID-19 patients completely isolated from the systems that are taking the COVID-19 patients?

There is a lot of planning that went in and a lot of the hospitals, that are now taking in COVID-19 patients, have all these things.

We only hope that 50 doctors getting infected in a hospital doesn't get repeated.

IMAGE: Members of the Medical Practitioners Association conduct thermal screening of residents at Dharavi, north central Mumbai, April 14, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

I also read a tweet thread from a doctor in New York about how, when you think of taking care of healthcare workers, people usually just visualise doctors and nurses being exposed to COVID-19 patients.

But it's actually so many other people -- the technicians, the person who cleans the room, the person who brings the meal.

So healthcare workers encompasses every person involved in patient care. It is not just doctors and nurses. It is everyone.

The ward boys, the ayahs, the X-ray technician, the CT scan technician, the sonography technician who comes in for a scan.

It actually does involve the whole thing. And the personal protective equipment, that is now being offered, is being offered not just to the doctors and the nurses, but also to everyone is close contact, or who will be in close contact with the patient.

A lot of hospitals have started screening any of patients that they are going to admit.

So if they are going to admit a patient for delivery. Like my sister is full term and she is going to be delivering any time soon. She's been told that whenever she gets admitted she is going to be tested for COVID-19.

And tests are freely available, for even these kinds of patients?

These are not available free. They will have to done in the private labs.

And the thing about private labs is yet to be solved, you know, who's going pay for the test, right?

Is the BMC going to pay or is the patient going to pay?

At this point in time, the understanding is that those who can't afford the test the BMC will just pay for them, but those who can should just do the test by themselves.

So private testing is available, but it costs and it's easily available?

Yes. It costs Rs 4,500.

Maharashtra has had some 178 deaths and counting. And is the highest count for any state. Yes we have special constraints.

What is it that we are doing wrong? What are some of the things that are not going well?

There is a lot of speculation that the patients, who are coming in to the tertiary centers or the COVID-19 centres are coming in later in the course of illness. That doesn't give them enough time.

We had a conference call with a lot of doctors from COVID-19 hospitals in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

One thing that was different, when they when they spoke about Kerala was that a lot of their COVID-19 patients were young and with mild illness.

Which means that a lot of their patients definitely fall in a low-risk category, compared to Maharashtra where they probably are many in the high-risk category.

But there is no there is no denying that Kerala just has a much better health preparedness.

They have their hospitals in place.

Like I said, initially Kasturba didn't have a ventilator when the first patient needed it and it needed to be moved out from a BMC hospital (to the patient).

And we lost a few patients in that learning process of where will these patients need to be managed.

It was just not being absolutely well-prepared for it, when we should have been.

In these last three weeks I think Maharashtra has learned a lot.

Now Maharashtra has the COVID-19 task force, which was set up two days back, under Dr Sanjay Oak (surgeon, former dean of the KEM hospital, former vice chancellor of the Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth and CEO of the Prince Aly Khan Hospital).

If you were to think about this, this should have been done maybe three weeks.

Because he's (Dr Oak) a great leader. He understands public health care beautifully.

You know, three weeks back (if Dr Oak had been in charge), they would have had a team of intensivists and people from different specialties to actually plan where these patients were going to be managed, who's going to manage them? What is the management protocol going to be.

Because if you read the entire title of the task force, it is to reduce mortality of any COVID category patients.

So it's just that we are just doing things a few weeks later.

Hopefully, now we have learnt our lesson.

I think, also now we are watching the success stories of other states, not just other countries, and that is also going to help us.

IMAGE: Dr Trupti Gilada.

But basically you would say that the Maharashtra administration has been quite responsive, even if maybe they have been slow, because they haven't faced this kind of epidemic before and are trying to learn quickly and then really take hold of the situation?

Very responsive.

For a lot of aspects Maharashtra was very proactive. Like we shut before the rest of the country did.

A lot of screening started. Mumbai is testing a lot compared to a lot of other places in the country.

Now that we exactly know where the hotspots are, and they've been converted into containment zones, there is a lot of testing, going on, from door to door and symptom screening.

The two things that we were not very good at was testing and healthcare infrastructure and strengthening that.

In the last 10 to 15 days we have definitely done a good job on that.
(Bloomberg) --

The latest detente between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping didnt last long.

After vowing last month to fight alongside Xi against the coronavirus, the U.S. president turned his anger yesterday toward the World Health Organization and its ties with Beijing, announcing a temporary halt in funding for the global body. Trump said the WHO took Chinas claims about Covid-19 at face value and failed to share information about the pandemic. China defended its response and blasted Washington.

The WHOs loss of its biggest donor during a pandemic is unprecedented, and Trumps announcement drew criticism from the likes of billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Infections are quickly heading toward the 2-million mark, with the U.S. now the epicenter of the outbreak.

Trumps fellow Republicans have also joined in by ratcheting up efforts to paint China as the villain, seeking to shift blame as the president faces intensifying criticism for his handling of the pandemic.

Its not surprising that Trump  facing re-election this year  would attack a global body during a crisis. Since taking office hes criticized NATO, defanged the World Trade Organization, and pulled the U.S. out of both the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal.

And while he may have stopped calling Covid-19 the Chinese Virus, his decision to target the WHO could have far-reaching consequences for global health  and relations with Xi.

Global Headlines

Biden boost | Back-to-back endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama have cemented the Democratic Party behind Joe Biden as its presumptive presidential nominee and demonstrated the careful calculus of party leaders to unite its once-warring progressive and moderate wings. But how did it unfold? As Tyler Pager explains, the Biden camp wanted Sanders to endorse before Obama to ensure the Vermont senator was genuinely behind the campaign.

Story continues

Grim exit plan | The European Commission unveiled a sobering plan for the partial lifting of coronavirus lockdowns, saying economies wont fully reopen until a vaccine or a cure for the raging pandemic is found. The roadmap unveiled by the European Union's executive seeks to coordinate the 27 members actions as they chart a gradual exit from restrictions that have hammered output in the worlds largest trading bloc.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will consult with Germanys 16 regional premiers today about possibly relaxing social-distancing rules.

Digital age | The lockdown gripping much of the world has spurred a real-time stress test of the long-heralded digital future. While millions have lost their jobs as waiters, flight attendants, Pilates instructors and other service providers, sustaining sectors that can function online has never been more important for the global economy, Enda Curran reports.

Oil chaos | Saudi Arabias signing off on one of the most notable oil output deals in history hasnt stopped it from slashing prices to fend off fierce competition in Asia. The latest moves from the de facto leader of OPEC indicate that the market is in danger of careening out of control, said Michael Hsueh, a strategist at Deutsche Bank.

Virus voting | South Korea held the biggest election of any nation during the pandemic, offering a potential model for other world leaders to follow. A raft of precautions were put in place for the parliamentary ballot, in which President Moon Jae-in looks poised to leverage his handling of the virus response to rebuild support battered by an economic slowdown, corruption scandals and resurgent tensions with North Korea.What to Watch

The $349 billion program to help U.S. small businesses reeling from the Covid-19 outbreak could be exhausted by tomorrow, a top White House adviser says, but negotiations in Congress to replenish it remain stalled. Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers are scheduled to speak today after the worlds top industrial economies backed plans to help shield emerging and developing markets from the crisis. Polands ruling nationalists will start debating laws today to fully ban abortions and criminalize teaching teens about sex, in whats seen as a bid to raise support among right-wing voters before a disputed May 10 presidential election.

Tell us how were doing or what were missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally  One of South Koreas leading sources for accurate tallies for the pandemic was made by an industrial engineering student fed up with misinformation. Its a growing trend, Sheridan Prasso and Sohee Kim report. While big-named companies like Apple and Google are developing contagion-tracking software, volunteer coders in South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, the U.S. and elsewhere are jumping into action with some of the best ideas to flatten infection curves and save lives.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.
<! Late Mrs. Funke Olakunrin: four suspects arrested >

Four men suspected to have murdered Mrs Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti have been arrested.

IGP Mohammed Adamu announced the arrests of the four suspects on Thursday.

But he said four other suspects, including the ringleader named Tambaya are on the run.

Adamu has declared Tambaya a wanted man.

Those arrested are: Lawal Mazaje,40, from Felele, Kogi and Adamu adamu, 50, from Jada in Adamawa.

The other two are Mohammed Shehu Usman, 26, from Illela Sokoto and Auwal Abubakar, 25, from Shinkafi, Zamfara state.

Funke Olakunrin was killed at Kajola on Ondo-Ore Road on 12 July 2019.

The murder, suspected to be by Fulani marauders triggered national uproar.

The police in a statement explained how the suspects were nabbed by a police crack team led by CP Fimihan Adeoye.

After months of relentless efforts to apprehend the killers, the Police Team, on 4th March, 2020 during a follow-up action on a case of a high-profile armed robbery and kidnap for ransom that occurred in Ogun State, arrested one Auwal Abubakar m 25yrs, an accessory after the fact of the crime, along Sagamu-Ore expressway in Ondo State.

The arrest of Auwal Abubakar led to the arrest of two other members of the gang, Mohammed Shehu Usman and Lawal Mazaje in Benin, Edo State from whom cache of ammunition was recovered and one other Adamu Adamu in Akure, Ondo State.

Having established sufficient physical and forensic evidence linking the suspects to the killing of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the investigators, determined to clear all doubts relating to their findings.

On 8th April, 2020, they conducted an Identification Parade at the Federal SARS Headquarters, Lagos which led to the positive and physical identification of three (3) suspects, Adamu Adamu, Lawal Mazaje and Mohammed Shehu Usman by a survivor of the earlier crime.

The survivor gave a clear description of the roles each of the identified suspects played in the killing.

At this point, the suspects capitulated and voluntarily offered a no-holds-barred confession on how Mrs Funke Olakunrin was killed.

Investigations so far reveal that the operation that led to the killing was carried out by eight fully armed kidnap/robbery suspects led by one Tambaya (other name unknown) who is currently at large.

While four of the suspects are in custody, effort is being intensified to arrest the four others still on the run.

The 8-man gang has its operational base and membership spread in the south-western part of the country and Edo State.

Investigations have also revealed that they are responsible for series of high-profile armed robbery and kidnap operations in the region.

They also attack, vandalize and steal components of critical national infrastructures such as electrical and telecommunications installations.

Consequently, the Inspector General of Police hereby declares the principal suspect, Tambaya (other names unknown) wanted for his involvement in the death of Mrs Funke Olakunrin.

Tambaya, a Nigerian, speaks Hausa, Fulfulde and Pidgin English.

He is fair in complexion and in his late 20s  between the age of 27 and 30.

His last known address is Isanlu, Kogi State. He has visible scar from stitches on his forehead down to his nose and mouth.
Dear Amy: I'm in my mid-30s. I am married, with no kids.

My mortgage payment is low, my student loans are paid off, and both my husband and I work for "essential" businesses -- I in the defense sector (working from home), and he in infrastructure.

We aren't rich, but in comparison to so many families, we are in an enviable situation during this crisis.

Right now, I don't need a stimulus check. Since I'll get one anyway, what can I do with it to help during this pandemic?

-- So Far, So Good

Dear So Far: As of this writing, stimulus payments have not started arriving.

However, assuming that these payments find their way into many bank accounts, I urge you -- and anyone else in this position -- to consider donating your stimulus check to a worthy nonprofit that helps people in your community. My funds will go to Foodnet Meals on Wheels in my home county of Tompkins Co, New York.

Meals on Wheels (mealsonwheelsamerica.org) delivers nutritious meals to homebound seniors and is a Godsend in the many small and isolated villages in the rural area where I live -- especially now.

Because of the pandemic, the need has grown, and in my area, Meals on Wheels has already delivered two-weeks' worth of frozen meals to their clients, in case the organization itself is forced into quarantine.

Healthy social distancing dictates that volunteers cannot closely connect with clients in the way they are used to doing, but these volunteers are valued "first responders," as they visit elders whose own family members may not be able to get to them because of the current travel restrictions.

To help those on the other end of the generational spectrum, Save the Children is partnering with No Kid Hungry to distribute funds to local communities in order to ensure that the estimated 22 million schoolchildren who rely on school lunches for daily nutrition have access to food during this pandemic.

Check Savethechildren.org to see how you can help.

Dear Readers: I recently heard from Karl Pillemer, author of "30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans." (2011, Avery). Pillemer, a professor of gerontology at Weill Cornell Medicine, interviewed over 1,000 elders for his 10-year research project. This is a great time to absorb some of the lessons they imparted.

Following is an excerpt from a recent interview with the Cornell Chronicle. Pillemer notes: "The elders can provide us with the long view, confirming in a literal sense that 'this, too, shall pass.'"

"I met Holocaust survivors, refugees from many of the early 20th century's other major conflicts, and people who lost everything in the Depression," Pillemer said. "By the time I sat with them 40, 50, 60, or 70 years later, they had built comfortable, often successful and fulfilling lives. Their message was extraordinarily clear: Crises occur, societies change, and, with resilience, we recover and move on."

"Focusing on what your future can be a decade or more from now can provide an antidote to worry, the elders advise. This lesson is also a reminder: Present actions are the future stories of how we survived. What story do we want to tell?

"If you want to help yourself, the elders said, help others. Pillemer noted that their own poor families helped out even poorer ones during the Great Depression. They remember World War II as a time when communities came together, and everyone joined hands and hearts to support one another at home.

"Generously assisting other people to the extent that we can is a major way people are able to feel a sense of control, whether that was helping other people during the Great Depression or assisting the war effort during WWII. Generously helping others is a very good, self-interested strategy."

Dear Amy: I'm responding to a question a while back from "Wondering Diners." These two lucky people were eating out and were dumbfounded when a stranger paid for their meal.

I had a similar experience a few years ago. My wife and I went to a steakhouse for dinner. After we ordered, a server informed us that a gentleman on the other side of the room had paid for our meal. I was wearing a cap with "Korean War Veteran" printed on it.

I wanted to thank him, but he had already left.

I am so grateful there are a few nice people left in the world.

-- Proud Veteran

Dear Proud: It feels good to be able to thank veterans for service to the country.

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
EU chief apologizes to Italy for coronavirus response

It is true that too many were not there when Italy needed help, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The European Union is sorry for the way it treated Italy amid its coronavirus crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today in the European Parliament.

Von der Leyen noted that apologies have meaning only if behavior changes afterwards.

ITALY IS THE WORST-HIT COUNTRY IN EUROPE

"It is true that too many were not there when Italy needed help from the start. And yes, it is right that Europe as a whole apologizes from the bottom of its heart." she stated.

EU chief apologizes to Italy for coronavirus response WATCH

Italy, which has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other country, said on Thursday its toll had risen by 760 over the last 24 hours to 13,915, slightly up on a day earlier. The number of new cases was steady, growing by 4,668 to 115,242.

Italy, which has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other country, said on Thursday its toll had risen to 21,645. The number of new cases was steady, growing by 105,418 to 165,155.
HEBRON  A 28-year-old Portage man, claiming to be out Wednesday on a scavenger hunt, was taken into custody on a charge of violating the governor's stay-at-home order after three run-ins with police, according to Hebron Police Chief Joshua Noel.

Noel said his department was first alerted to Kyle Kincaid around 4 p.m. when his vehicle was stopped in response to a reckless driver complaint.

"He said he was out on a scavenger hunt," the chief said.

When it was discovered he was driving on a suspended license, the officer impounded the vehicle. But police opted to take Kincaid to a gas station to call for a ride home rather than take him to jail, Noel said.

"We've been very hesitant to take any but the worst charges to jail," Noel said.

Police then received a call about a man attempting to enter a home in the 200 block of east Bates Street and discovered Kincaid was responsible, the chief said. Kincaid reportedly told police he had become upset and broke his cell phone and was looking to use a phone to call for a ride.
Howden Broking Group, the London-based independent specialty broker, announced it has acquired Matrix Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers in Greece.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Athens, independent broker Matrix became a broker at Lloyds in 2012, and swiftly attained a leading position in the Greek and Cypriot markets, specializing in large corporate and industrial risks. The group has expanded through subsidiaries in Turkey and South Africa with an increasing number of international clients.

This announcement follows a strategic partnership between the two brokers last year, in which Howden supported Matrix to complete the acquisition of Piraeus Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers S.A., the broking arm of Greeces largest bank, Piraeus Bank.

Dimitris Tsesmetzoglou will continue as CEO of the business, which will rebrand to Howden Matrix later in the year. The business will become part of Howdens Mediterranean region, led by CEO Danny Sever, who is appointed to the Matrix board alongside Isabelle Cadignan, commercial director, Howden Broking Group, and Daniel Whiteside, head of Marine, RKH Specialty.

This is a great opportunity for both businesses and above all, for our clients. Joining with Matrix, the leading independent broker in Greece and Cyprus, aligns with our strategy and pledge to provide clients with market-leading expertise, wherever needed, commented Jose Manuel Gonzalez, CEO of Howden.

Danny Sever, CEO of the Howden Mediterranean region, welcomed Matrix, saying, This is the culmination of a longstanding relationship between our businesses, and reinforces our dedication to this important region.

Joining the Howden family creates a large opportunity for our clients in terms of international expertise, financial strength and access to global markets, said Gerry Tighe, director of Matrix. Furthermore, Howdens philosophy is similar to ours: we consider all our stakeholders as family members.

Dimitrios Tsesmetzoglou, CEO of Matrix, commented: Completing this merger in the current conditions is testament to the shared priorities, values and commitment of our two businesses and an environment of stability and economic growth, which a new government has established in Greece. We are excited to join forces to enhance our offering to existing clients, and together present a more compelling proposition going forward.

Source: Howden Broking Group

Topics Mergers Agencies Reinsurance
- Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the funding was part of programs the telco had initiated to cushion vulnerable Kenyans from prevailing tough economic times

- The telco had also donated thermal cameras worth KSh 10 million to the Ministry of Health which were installed at border points

- Safaricom said all the initiatives it had launched to support the government in the war against coronavirus were valued at KSh 5.5 billion

- The company further supported the government in the establishment and operation of a 24-7 COVID-19 Information Centre, leveraging the capabilities its Customer Contact Centre

Telecommunications company Safaricom through its M-Pesa and Safaricom Foundations has announced it has committed to a tune of KSh 200 million toward providing food and nutrition to needy Kenyans.

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the funding was part of programs the telco had initiated to cushion vulnerable Kenyans from the economic freeze caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

READ ALSO: CS Kagwe confirms receiving 18,000 kits, masks from billionaire Jack Ma

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the funding was part of programs the telco had initiated to cushion vulnerable Kenyans from prevailing tough economic times. Photo: Safaricom.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Opinion: Disloyal House leaders are a liability to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya

Another arrangement the company had made to enable Kenyans to share what they have in abundance with the needy, Ndegwa said, was the Bonga for Good - a programme enabling customers to redeem bonga points to pay for essential goods and donate their points to those in need as a show of goodwill.

Safaricom PLC is fully committed to supporting Kenya through the evolving situation around the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made business decisions that will enable our customers to access more of our products and services for at either no cost or at a highly subsidised rate.

These decisions will ensure Kenyans spend their money where they need it most, Ndegwa said in a statement on Wednesday, April 15.

READ ALSO: Landlords and tenants association orders all tenants to stop paying rent citing COVID-19 impact

The telco has also donated thermal cameras worth KSh 10 million to the Ministry of Health. Photo: Bebeto Ogutu/TUKO.co.ke.

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Lucky man receives KSh 868 million stimulus funds from govt instead of KSh 180k

Ndegwa's sentiments were echoed by M-Pesa Foundation chairman Michael Joseph who added the initiative would also go a long way towards ensuring no child goes to sleep hungry owing to the epidemic.

"Since our inception in 2010, the M-Pesa Foundation has partnered with the government and other organisations on large scale, long-term, and highly impactful social projects for the social and economic benefit of the people of Kenya.

In the years we have been in existence, we have focused on making a meaningful impact by solving problems that societies face through addressing the underlying causes," said Joseph.

Chairman of the M-Pesa Foundation Michael Joseph (pictured). Photo: Michael Joseph.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Polisi wanamsaka dereva aliyemgonga na kumuua mwandishi Ken Walibora

TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that Safaricom zero-rated M-Pesa Person to Person transactions below KSh 1,000 for 90 days to reduce handling of hard cash.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier warned that paper money could host the virus if handled by an infected person and the infection could be passed on to an uninfected person during transaction.

Other initiatives include zero-rated paybill tills for government hospitals and dispensaries, double bandwidth to fibre connections to give citizens better experience while working from home and donation of thermal cameras worth KSh 10 million to the Ministry of Health.

The gadgets were installed at various entry points to the country.

According to Safaricom, these programs were valued at KSh 5. 5 billion.

As of Wednesday, Kenya had recorded 225 cases of coronavirus which include 53 recoveries and 10 deaths.

Globally, some 1.99 million had been infected as of Wednesday, April 15, out which 492,892 patients had recovered while 129,091 others had succumbed to the respiratory disease.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

Ruth Matete is not telling the truth about her husband's death - Pastor John's manager | Tuko TV.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Man wanted for Tabasco murder discovered after passing through virus filter

Cancun, Q.R.  Elements of the Quintana Roo Police assured a person who had an arrest warrant for the crime of homicide in the state of Tabasco.

State Preventive Police discovered the man had an arrest warrant after being identified in a coronavirus sanitary filter in the southern part of Cancun. The vehicle carrying two was hailed to stop, however, the driver fled instead. Police were quick to catch up with him and inspect his vehicle and the two aboard the car.

The driver was arrested after police ran his name through C2 and found an outstanding arrest warrant for homicide in the state of Tabasco. Police say 31-year-old Daniel A was taken into custody.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market Research Report by Modality (Arteriovenous ECMO, Venoarterial ECMO, and Venovenous ECMO), by Age (Adult, Neonate, and Pediatric), by Application - Global Forecast to 2025 (Cumulative Impact of COVID-19)

New York, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market Research Report by Modality, by Age, by Application - Global Forecast to 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05881963/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market is expected to grow from USD 271.62 Million in 2019 to USD 431.73 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.02%.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



"The Arteriovenous ECMO is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period"



On the basis of Modality, the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market is studied across Arteriovenous ECMO, Venoarterial ECMO, and Venovenous ECMO. The Venovenous ECMO commanded the largest size in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market in 2019. On the other hand, the Arteriovenous ECMO is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.



"The Adult is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period"



On the basis of Age, the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market is studied across Adult, Neonate, and Pediatric. The Adult commanded the largest size in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market in 2019, and it is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.



"The Respiratory Application is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period"



On the basis of Application, the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market is studied across Cardiac Application, Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and Respiratory Application. The Respiratory Application commanded the largest size in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market in 2019, and it is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.



"The Asia-Pacific is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period"



On the basis of Geography, the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market is studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region is studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region is studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region is studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. The Americas commanded the largest size in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market in 2019. On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market including Abbott Laboratories, Alung Technologies, Inc., Eurosets S.R.L., Getinge AB, Livanova PLC, Medtronic PLC, Microport Scientific Corporation, Nipro Corporation, Origen Biomedical, Inc., Terumo Corporation, and Xenios AG.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on sulfuric acid offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and their impact analysis shaping the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market during the forecast period?

3. What is the competitive position if vendors in the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market?

4. How Porters Five Forces define the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market landscape?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market?

6. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market?

7. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market?

8. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05881963/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001
DURHAMSurprising and thrilling.

Thats the reaction of the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation after receiving a donation of $50,000 from the Picov family.

Family spokesperson Barry Picov said the donation was made to ease the burden on those working at the hospital.

For 100 years, the Picov family has been living and running businesses in the Ajax Pickering area. The Ajax Pickering Hospital has always been a significant part of our local community. Were living through a most challenging time, and we would like to recognize our doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are the #frontlineheroes looking after all of our families and friends. To do this, our family are donating $50,000 so that our heroes can order in on us and enjoy whatever takeout meals they would like from our local restaurants, Picov said in a statement.

Its imperative that we, as a community, work together, recognize selfless acts and continue to follow the recommended guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19. Thank you to the staff of the Ajax Pickering Hospital and all that you are doing for us, he added.

The Picov family has a history of helping the hospital. Each year, they hold their annual Family Fun Day, held at Ajax Downs, to raise money for the hospital. They also donated $100,000 to the Image is Everything campaign that raised over $5 million for the hospitals MRI facility.

Foundation CEO Tracy Paterson said, We are making funds available to all hospital departments and they can choose how they wish to spend it. Pick whatever restaurant they want to order from, buy K-cups for their coffee machines, whatever they want that will help improve their days. In addition to this tremendous gift, people have been donating online and weve been purchasing items for staff (like mints and gum) and will keep making allocations to departments as we get more donations in.

Paterson noted the community is being amazingly generous and supportive of our hospital, all its staff and of course our patients. Whether making donations (both big and small), creating cards, drawings or posting their appreciation on social media, it means a lot to everyone who works here that they are not alone during these interesting, stressful and even frightening times. Generosity like demonstrated by the Picov family makes a long and hard shift a little easier to get through for staff who can be away from their own families for very long periods of time.
New Delhi, April 16 : Delhi Congress President Anil Chaudhary on Thursday demanded that an FIR should be registered against the Arvind Kejriwal-led government for the fire at some shelter homes on the Yamuna river bank, as he accused the Delhi government of criminal negligence and failing to fulfil its duties.

Addressing a press conference, Chaudhary highlighted the plight of the poor and needy people after a fire gutted 4-5 shelter homes on the Yamuna bank near Kashmere Gate recently.

"Illegal gathering of thousands of people took place despite Delhi government and its officials being aware of the situation. We had apprised the government about the gathering on April 6 and reminded it again on April 12. Delhi government has been making tall claims and asking people to maintain social distancing through advertisements, only to pat its own back," he said.

He said that the rules made by the Central and Delhi governments for the people to follow during the lockdown period are being violated with impunity by top officials of both the governments.

"We demand that the Lt. Governor should take strict action against the Delhi government and the concerned officials for playing with the lives of thousands of poor people. An FIR should be registered against the Kejriwal government for committing gross violation of the rules," he added.
The Gujarat government has



decided to impose curfew in five densely populated areas of Surat from Thursday midnight to contain the spread of coronavirus, an official in the Chief Minister's Office said.

These areas fall under the jurisdiction of Salabatpura, Mahidharpura, Lalgate, Athwalines and Limbayat police stations, CMO secretary Ashwani Kumar said.

The curfew will remain in force till April 22, and a three-hour relaxation will be given from 1 pm to 4 pm on these days,Kumar said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dubliners out for a stroll yesterday using face masks to protect themselves

Two health care workers at the same hospital have died of suspected coronavirus in the past 24 hours.

The hospital staff, one male and one female, were both middle-aged and were working until becoming ill.

Staff at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny are understood to be shocked at the deaths.

The woman, aged in her 50s, was a member of the household staff and the man, who was in his 40s, was a health care assistant. They both had children.

"We can confirm two valued staff members have passed away at St Luke's Hospital," a spokesperson for the Ireland East Hospital Group said.

Combat

"We can't comment on individual staff. We are deeply saddened at their passing."

The deceased are believed to be the second and third cases of health service workers dying of Covid-19 in this country.

Meanwhile, any relaxation of lockdown regulations to combat the coronavirus will not be a licence to have a party, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has warned.

He was speaking as the youngest person to die here from the virus, a 23-year-old patient, was among another 38 people to lose their lives to the infection.

Asked where the first easing of restrictions might take place following the May 5 extension of measures, Dr Holohan said the threat from the virus remained too strong, but if there was room for some reprieve it could not be taken as a signal to hold parties or get togethers.

"If we identify a model for relaxation it may be that we are wrong and we want to pick it up," he said. "It may well lead to other behaviours we don't intend."

He added the fear was that people would see any loosening of the restrictions as a "path to rapid relaxation" and that would be wrong.

All measures are "on the table" for review, but if there is an easing they are likely to have a social, educational and economic benefit.

Asked about the continued recommendation that over-70s cocooners should not go out in public for a walk, even in such beautiful weather, he said he understood their frustration.

However, he added that even if they were fit and without underlying illness, age itself would put them at higher risk of contracting the virus.

It emerged yesterday that because people have managed to slow down the spread of infection by following restrictions, fewer will have caught the virus and got immunity.

That in itself will mean that some restrictions may have to be in place for longer as protection.

The figures yesterday showed that the overall death toll from the disease is now 444 and 245 of the deceased had been residents of nursing homes.

Another 657 cases were detected by Irish laboratories and 411 older tests were found to be positive by a German lab, pushing the total number of people infected here to date to 12,547.

Intensive

The rise in cases is mostly due to more testing of people in hospitals and nursing homes.

Dr Holohan said the next week will be spent on getting the testing system, including contact tracing, in order.

"There is intensive work going on around that," he added.

If there is to be any relaxation of measures the testing and tracing system needs to be at a high standard. The number of patients in intensive care beds has fallen slightly to 158.

So far, 84 patients have been discharged from intensive care - accounting for 29pc of people who needed this high level treatment. However, 43 of the critical care patients have died.

An analysis of cases of the virus, as of last Monday, showed that 52pc of people did not know where they picked up the infection.

Another 42pc were infected through close contact with another person and 6pc picked up the illness while abroad.

Meanwhile, Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain, consultant psychiatrist and HSE integrated care lead, said: "There are still concerning reports that attendance to emergency departments is unusually low. This concerns us.

"Everyone should continue to seek medical intervention if concerned about their health.

"Do not ignore symptoms of illness because of fear of contracting Covid-19 or fear of imposition on healthcare staff. The health service is there for everyone."
She was discovered on the beach in Colombia as a teen, sparking her life in the public eye.

And Sofia Vergara was reminiscing about those days as she celebrated throwback Thursday by sharing an 80s swimsuit picture to Instagram.

#tbt The 80s Colombia,' she wrote, along with two heart emojis.

Beauty in yellow! Sofia Vergara throws it back to the 80s as she shares swimsuit picture from her teens in Colombia on Thursday

The 47-year-old, who has just finished a long run on ABC's hit sitcom Modern Family, has been in a reflective mood while she sits in isolation.

On Tuesday she shared a throwback of herself in a bikini, during her time hosting Univision's Spanish travel show Fuera De Serie from 1995-1998.

Sofia seemed thrilled to reminisce on her days as a young journalist, as she shared a series of videos reporting live from the beach and on safari.

Bikini-clad: Sofia Vergara shared some rare footage from her successful career hosting Univision's Spanish travel show Fuera De Serie from 1995-1998 on Tuesday

In the clip, she passionately shared information about how the country is home to many of South America's best beaches, which stay warm enough to swim in all-year-long.

The bikini clad star radiated confidence, as she walked toward the camera in the sand and sported significantly lighter tresses.

The second video proved her knack as a natural entertainer, as she effortlessly read her lines from a teleprompter, despite the particularly heavy wind.

Reporting live: While flaunting her phenomenal curves in a bright yellow two-piece, the native Spanish speaker began her Instagram video with footage speaking about some of El Salvador's most incredible beaches

''#tb Fuera de Serie!!!' she captioned the brief video, while tagging Univision sportscaster Fernando Fiore with multiple laughing emojis. 'The 90s.'

Fiore and Vergara both hosted the popular travel and lifestyle program, which aired on one of the most watched Spanish-language broadcast television networks.

The show made her a household name in Latin America, while she and her co-host Fiore would travel to various exotic locations.

The Colombian travel show often had the America's Got Talent judge strip down to swimwear.

Destined for stardom: The show made her a household name in Latin America, while she and her co-host Fiore would travel to various exotic locations
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaves with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, after speaking to the media during her weekly briefing March 12, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The talks come as a key component of that package  the $349 billion fund for small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program  is quickly being wiped out : More than 1.3 million loans totaling more than $296 billion had been approved by Wednesday afternoon, according to the Small Business Administration. By Wednesday evening, $315 billion had been approved, a person familiar with the situation told CNBC.

The meeting follows a similar one Wednesday afternoon , as the leaders seek to hammer out a deal over emergency relief funds for the country, just a few weeks after Congress passed a historic $2.2 trillion spending package.

Staffers for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will continue talks with the Treasury Department on Thursday about additional coronavirus relief legislation, a senior Democratic aide told CNBC.

Democrats have pushed for changes to the program and more funds to support local governments battling the pandemic. Republicans have accused the Democrats of holding up necessary money for small businesses that are hemorrhaging cash as commerce has come to a halt.

Senate Democrats last week blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to rush another $250 billion in funding for the program through his chamber by a unanimous vote. Republicans then rejected the Democratic proposal outlined by Pelosi and Schumer allocating another $250 billion to small businesses, hospitals, states and food assistance programs.

"It has been stunning to watch our Democratic colleagues treat emergency funding for Americans' paychecks like a Republican priority which they need to be goaded into supporting," McConnell railed Wednesday.

"The cost of continued Democratic obstruction will be pink slips and shuttered businesses."

Meanwhile, Pelosi told CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday the party is still pushing for changes to the program. One plan the Democrats "still want to negotiate" calls for $60 billion for community financial institutions, like credit unions or community banks, to help get money into those hands, she said.

"We all want it to work. We all want to facilitate that," she said, "But we cannot do it by ossifying the lack of access to credit for smaller businesses in our country."

On Wednesday, governors from Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, three notable swing states, sent a letter to President Donald Trump warning of budget shortfalls.

"In Michigan, initial estimates suggest state revenues could be reduced by $3 billion alone this year $7 billion over the next 18 months," wrote Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Niche players in the global natural insect repellent market must realign their communication strategy while maintaining a fine balance between conventional and online communication channels for tapping untapped geographies.

DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Rising industrialization across the globe is projected to bode well for the global natural insect repellent market through the course of forecast period (2019-2029). Moreover, the market will witness strong growth at approximately 6% CAGR through the projection period. On that premise, the market will grow 1.9X through 2029, projects FMI.

"Various side-effects caused by conventional insect repellents, such as skin and eye reaction is limiting the growth of this segment. Countries all over the world collectively report 200 million malaria cases every year as per World Health Organization. This factor is supporting the growth of natural insect repellent market, especially in Asia and Africa," concludes FMI.

Request report sample with 200+ pages to gain in-depth insights https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-10884

Key Takeaways of Natural Insect Repellent Market Study

Sprays/aerosols continue to be top-selling category in terms of product type.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus will remain highly preferred ingredient by prominent manufacturers.

Europe and North America will lead the global natural insect repellent market through 2029.

Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Asia Pacific will offer lucrative opportunities for manufactures over the forecast period.

Natural Insect Repellent Market - Key Growth Factors

Rising sentience among consumers for natural insect repellents is stimulating market growth.

Heightening prevalence of vector-borne diseases continues to fuel the demand for natural insect repellents.

Rapid climatic changes will drive the growth of global natural insect repellent market through 2029.

Flourishing real estate industry remains major growth propeller of natural insect repellent market.

Natural Insect Repellent Market - Key Restraints

Counterfeit products are threatening the reputation of top players in the natural insect repellent market.

Natural insect repellents are considered less effective which is constraining market growth.

Explore the full natural insect repellent market report with 166 illustrative figures, 96 data tables and table of contents. Request ToC of the study at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-10884

Impact of COVID-19 on Natural Insect Repellent Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down the services sector activity in view of dented demand across the globe. The discretionary spending by the consumers worldwide is dampening the growth of natural insect repellent market in the wake of current outbreak. COVID-19 has posed economic challenges which the government is trying to combat. Hence, natural insect repellent market is experiencing a slowdown on account of strict lockdown measures. The priority of businesses has shifted to surviving the economic fallout caused by Coronavirus crisis. The pandemic has put a break on the otherwise upward-moving trend which will continue through later half of 2020. The market will gradually recover during first half of 2021.

Competitive Landscape

Some of the prominent stakeholders profiled in this FMI study include, but are not limited to, Enesis Group, Honasa Consumers Pvt. Ltd., Dabur India Limited, S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., First Step Digital Pvt. Ltd., Homs LLC, Quantum, Inc., Godrej Consumer Products Limited, Spectrum Brands, Inc., and Reckitt Benckiser Group plc. Top players must adopt an integrated communication strategy which involves leveraging social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to promote the usage of natural insect repellents. Meanwhile, they must continue to capitalize on conventional communication media such as television advertisement and printed media as well.

More about the Report

This Future Market Insights study of 340 pages provides all-inclusive insights on the global natural insect repellent market. The market analysis is based on product (sprays/aerosol, creams, essential oils, liquid vaporizers), ingredient (oil of lemon eucalyptus, citronella oil, catnip oil, soybean oil), distribution channel (online, offline), pest targeted (mosquitoes, flies, ticks) across seven regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, Middle East & Africa).

Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Services and Utilities Landscape

Foundation Repair Services Market - Get FMI's in-depth commentary on the global foundation repair services market covers successful strategies, winning imperatives and market share of key players for predefined projection period (2018-2027).

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Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the Islamic Republic's net debt to reach 33.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, up 22.5 percent compared with the previous year.

IMF's report released on Wednesday, April 15, a day after the publication of its World Economic Outlook, says that Iran's GDP will be about $ 439.2 billion this year. Last year, that figure was nearly $ 491 billion.

Therefore, the net debt of the Iranian government is expected to reach over $ 148 billion in the current year.

Meanwhile, according to the report, the Iranian government's foreign debt this year will be 2.7 percent of total GDP, or $ 11.8 billion. Last year, that figure was about $ 10 billion, which incidentally is the same as in the Central Bank of Iran's (CBI) report.

A drop in economic growth, as well as the government's soaring debts, are highlighted at a time that Tehran has asked IMF for $5 billion emergency funding to fight coronavirus.

The IMF's estimate of $ 1.8 billion in the Islamic Republic's foreign debt growth this year shows that the international body does not anticipate seeing Iran capable of borrowing about $ 5 billion from the fund in 2020.

It is Irans first request for IMF aid since the early 1960s when the pro-West king, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ruled in Iran.

In the meantime, IMF's director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department Jihad Azur has also told Reuters that "We have received a request for assistance (from Tehran), and since we have had limited engagement with Iran in recent times, the process of obtaining the information we require to assess the request takes time."

He also said it would take time to assess the situation in Iran and decide to lend to the Islamic Republic, due to a lack of interaction over the years.

However, President Hassan Rouhani's administration has insisted that the loan was needed urgently. At the same time, Washington has repeatedly asserted that it was against granting the loan.

Over the past forty years, Iran's economy has been severely damaged by inefficient management and widespread corruption, and Iran's share of the global economy has dropped from about two percent before the Islamic revolution to less than 1 percent.

U.S. sanctions and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic have exerted additional pressure on the Islamic Republic's economy. Under such pressure, IMF says Iran's economy is expected to shrink by six percent compared with the previous year.

Iran's economy shrank about 7.6 percent last year compared with 2018, and it was 5.4 percent smaller in 2018 than in the previous year.

Much of Iran's declining economic growth over the past two years has been due to U.S. oil export sanctions. The IMF estimates are based on the presumption that Iran will be able to sell 500,000 barrels of oil a day this year.

However, Radio Farda's data provided by Kpler, an international data intelligence company that "provides transparency solutions to commodity markets", indicate Iran's crude oil exports in March were 144,000 barrels per day (BPD).

However, the IMF says Iran's gross domestic product, excluding crude oil, will drop by about 6 percent this year and the oil sector by nearly 5.9 percent.

Consequently, Iran's non-oil sector is also expected to fall sharply this year. Last year, Iran's non-oil sector dropped by only 1.2 percent and the oil sector fell by 34.5 percent, bringing the total gross domestic product down 7.6 percent, but this year the non-oil sector will also suffer severely.

The International Monetary Fund says the country's total exports, including oil, goods, services, etc., are expected to be only $ 46 billion in the current year, down nearly twenty percent from last year. The figure was close to $ 110 billion in 2017, a year before the U.S. imposed sanctions, which indicates that Iran's exports have fallen by more than half.

Imports are also expected to reach $ 64.6 billion, up more than eleven percent from last year. Thus, for the first time, Iran's imports will far exceed its exports.

Iran imported about $ 93.6 billion in 2017.

Based on the IFM estimates, this situation, along with other economic complications in the country, will cause Iran's foreign exchange reserves to fall to nearly $ 85 billion this year, down nearly nineteen percent from last year, and to $ 69.1 billion next year.
BALLSTON SPA  Most of Saratoga County's Board of Supervisors members defied their written rule by not showing up to the monthly agenda meeting on Wednesday, effectively blocking the expected backlash from supervisors who want to meet to discuss the controversial overtime pay for county employees during the pandemic.

On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., as per the rules, eight of 23 supervisors arrived to the county office building for the monthly meeting, which Chairman Preston Allen and leaders from the other smaller county towns did not attend. Without a quorum, the meeting could not take place.

We werent surprised that they refused to show up for a regularly scheduled meeting that remained valid, Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett said.

Earlier in the week, Allen, who did not respond to the Times Union request for comment, called for a special meeting on Friday to cancel the regular scheduled meeting on the following Tuesday. No special meeting was called to cancel Wednesdays agenda meeting, however.

This whole virus things throws everything into question, as to what can be dispensed with and what cant be, on whose order and when, said Malta Supervisor Darren OConnor, who was one of the eight who showed up to Wednesdays meeting. In the normal course, a regular meeting of the board of supervisors has to be scheduled.

Previously: Saratoga County: Forget the promised extra pandemic pay



Saratoga County supervisors lament 'vacuum'



Saratoga County's HR director benefits from pandemic pay hike

He said most supervisors probably assumed the Wednesday meeting was not happening as it was not on the county calendar. The only thing on the calendar this month is Fridays special meeting.

Nine supervisors from the largest municipalities are among those who want to hold the regular scheduled meeting rather than a special meeting where only the agenda items, of Chairman Allens choosing, can be discussed. The controversial overtime pay, which is of the greatest concern of the nine, is not on the Fridays agenda.

There is a great deal of concern about canceling a regular scheduled valid meeting in favor of a special meeting, Barrett said. County employees were sent to all of our homes to give us notice of the special meeting. A great deal of time and effort has been invested in establishing a special meeting, which isnt even necessary, unless they are trying to control what the supervisors can discuss.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The nine supervisors, known as the Saratoga County Public Health Northway Corridor, are from the countys largest communities and thus have a weighted vote. If they stick together as a caucus, they block the wishes of the other 14 smaller town supervisors, forcing a regular meeting on Tuesday.

The group had a more secure voting block when it was comprised of 10 supervisors, but Milton Supervisor Benny Zlotnick dropped out of the group because he said he was unhappy with the tone and direction it was taking.

OConnor is optimistic that supervisors can work things out if they can get a meeting where everyone can air their concerns.

Im hopeful, OConnor said. We will talk tomorrow and hopefully meet on a more regular basis during this crisis. If we can all get together and move forward.
When a desperate man stranded away from home owing to Covid-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu tweeted an SoS seeking to be with his nine months pregnant wife, he might not have anticipated quick help to come from Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

Faiz Arshi was overwhelmed when officials swung into action and issued him a travel pass to reach his home. Also, a

medical team visited his wife and comforted her.

He is not alone. Numerous messages on social media seeking help and information on subjects varying from doubts related to farming and relief have been receiving prompt response from Palaniswami on his official Twitter handle "@CMOTamilNadu since the lockdown last month.

Harnessing the power of social media, Palaniswami seems to have struck a personal chord with citizens-cum- netizens, not only interacting with them but ensuring redressal of their grievances.

Palaniswami, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Health Secretary Beela Rajesh, both medical doctors, and another

cabinet member SP Velumani are active on the social media, responding promptly to queries posed by the affected people as well as taking up concerns of those stranded in other states.

The ruling AIADMK's official Twitter handle issues regular updates, even as DMK President M K Stalin and the state BJP are also active on the microblogging site.

However, Palaniswami seems to have made good use of the opportunity to directly interact with citizens, who are confined indoors due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Whether responding to a couple in distress or advising a 'thambi' (younger brother) on coconut farming, the AIADMK

veteran seems to be in a comfort zone.

Interestingly, his mentor and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa did not have a presence in social media.

Faiz tagged Palaniswami and put out a message last week that there was nobody to attend to his pregnant wife as he was stranded in a neighbouring district due to the lockdown and there was no response to his attempts to get travel pass.

"My 9-month pregnant wife and I are expecting our first child. There is no one to help her," he tweeted.

Palaniswami replied and sought his contact number and soon the government machinery was rolling and he was issued a pass to join his wife. The chief minister's humane touch also came to fore when he comforted a man mourning his mother's demise.

The man could not reach Tirunelveli in the state as he was stranded in a foreign country due to the lockdown.

However, when the person expressed grief on Twitter that he could not even see his mother's face for the last time

before she was cremated, Palaniswami conveyed his heartfelt condolences and counselled him and his family to bear the loss.

The chief minister, who often calls himself a farmer, also had some words of wisdom for a fellow ryot.

When a person on the social networking site sought to know from the chief minister if he could harvest coconuts from his farm and transport it, Palaniswami replied "most certainly, thambi (younger brother)."

Its not the common man alone he is taking note of and Palaniswami has been pro-active in responding to requests for

help from his counterparts in other states and political leaders to people from their states stranded in Tamil Nadu and vice-versa.

Similarly, he is also taking up the cause of Tamilians stranded in other parts including in Maharashtra, sending

tweets to the official handles of his counterparts.

Sample this: "Dear @BjpBiplabji, We will definitely take care of them. I have informed my team to provide the necessary resources. Together let's fight #COVID19. Thank you!"

This was Palaniswami's response to Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb when he tweeted seeking help to provide food, accommodation, security and healthcare to the people of his state stranded in Tamil Nadu.

Vijayabaskar and Beela Rajesh also constantly update their social media pages on the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Local Administration Minister Velumani and the Greater Chennai Corporation also keep the citizens informed with various updates on their respective pages.
With the nationwide lockdown extended till May 3, the central government has deferred all the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examinations. The new dates will be announced after the end of lockdown.

The decision on fresh dates for the remaining Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination (Tier-I) 2019, Junior Engineer (Paper-I) Examination 2019, Stenographer Grade 'C & D' Examination 2019 and the Skill Test for Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination 2018 will be taken after May 3, according to a Ministry of Personnel statement.

The new dates will be notified on website of the Commission and its regional and sub-regional offices. "Annual calendar of examinations, notified by the Commission, will also be reviewed in respect of the schedule of other examinations," it said.

The decision was taken at a special meeting of the SSC, convened to review the Covid-19 pandemic situation. In view of the lockdown restrictions, including social distancing norms, it was decided that "dates for all examinations, where candidates are required to travel, will be reviewed from time to time."

It was also decided that all SSC officers and staff members will contribute their one day's salary to the PM's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation (PM-CARES) Fund).
Efforts to contain coronavirus outbreaks in Irish nursing homes must be redoubled, the chief medical officer has said.

Dr Tony Holohan said nursing homes and other long-term community residential facilities were a priority as he again expressed concern at the rate of infection in the sector.

His comments came as Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain, the HSE Integrated Care lead, insisted nursing homes were not the poor relation when it came to the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Cocooning is a way of protecting the people in our communities that are most at risk of serious illness. Everyone over 70 years of age or with a serious medical condition should stay home. 

Find out more about cocooning here: https://t.co/ksgUU5wMA9#COVID19 #coronavirus  pic.twitter.com/gNS8KPJZNM  HSE Ireland (@HSELive) April 15, 2020

Earlier on Wednesday, it emerged that some healthcare workers are set to be redeployed to private nursing homes in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

There had been 250 infection clusters identified in residential community settings as of midnight on Monday this week, with 159 of those in nursing homes.

(PA Graphics)

Dr Holohan said: A range of different measures are in place at this point in time to help to address that sector because that sector is a priority for us.

It is the area within our population or society where we have a particular challenge and its therefore a particular focus of our work.

We think, for the most part, we have made significant progress in reducing the risk of transmission of this infection in the wider community, out in the streets and out in communities and so on for the reasons that are clear and obvious weve seen that in the disease, but we have a continuing challenge in nursing home and community settings.

And weve set that out  there has been a pattern of mortality and infection in that sector that means that we need to redouble our efforts, we need to continue to prioritise and weve said all along that we continue to be concerned about that.

At the daily Covid 19 briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team, Dr Holohan was asked if advice to close nursing homes to visits had been issued too late in the outbreak.

The chief medical officer said all measures were timed to maximise their impact, stressing that to introduce restrictions too early risked the potential for them to start slipping when they were most needed.

Dr Ni Bhriain said the HSE was involved in a range of initiatives to control infection rates in the sector.

I think its important to emphasise that its not just nursing homes were talking about, its longer term residential care facilities in the disability and mental health sector as well, she said.

We have a range of responses to the nursing home and longer term residential care settings, which includes clinical guidance, includes support.

And certainly theres no question of those institutions in any way being a poor relation in terms of PPE.

It is being taken very seriously and responded to with both clinical response infection control and occupational health responses.
Details added (first version published on 12:51)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 15

Trend:

Head of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan Tural Ganjaliyev has issued a statement, Trend reports citing the community on Apr. 15.

Currently, the biggest problem that the world is facing is the coronavirus pandemic that doesn't recognize borders. Azerbaijan is taking the necessary and proactive steps to ensure the health and safety of citizens, and is protecting them from the socio-economic consequences of this pandemic," the statement said.

Twenty-two clinics were allocated in the country for the treatment of coronavirus-infected patients. In March, three new clinics were opened in the regions of Azerbaijan, namely in Goranboy, Gazakh and Shamkir districts. The new Yeni klinika medical institution with 575 beds commissioned in Baku also is intended for the treatment of coronavirus-infected patients. To diagnose and examine infected patients, over 70,000 tests have been carried out in Azerbaijan so far, the statement said.

Armenia, holding the Armenian community of Nagorno Karabakh captive in the occupied Azerbaijani lands, does not allow it to use the social, economic, medical and other projects and programs implemented in Azerbaijan. So, despite the fact that a few weeks ago the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan issued a statement and warned of the spread of coronavirus infection in the occupied territories, the puppet regime of Armenia, hiding the cases of infection, held a show of so-called "elections" on March 31, 2020. Following this, despite the recognition of the spread of infection by Armenia, the second round of the so-called "elections" was held on April 14, 2020, and hereby once again this threatened people's lives, Ganjaliyev noted.

All this shows that ordinary Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh are just a tool for the dirty political games of Armenia, and the life and health of the people living there are not of interest to Armenia. The Armenian authorities and representatives of the fictitious regime, risking the lives of ordinary members of the Armenian community living in Karabakh, continue to prevent them from receiving treatment as citizens of Azerbaijan, the statement said.

The head of the Azerbaijani community emphasized that the priority of the policy of the Azerbaijani authorities are the citizens of the country and the protection of their interests.

The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region once again declares that after the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories, the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh will live together in peaceful conditions within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, and equally enjoy the privileges given to Azerbaijani citizens, said Ganjaliyev.
Currency notes turned out to



be the "culprit" carrying the coronavirus from infected persons and transmitting them to others, the Andhra Pradesh Police have found out.

This "phenomenon" rings "danger bells" in the state as online transactions are minimal and mostly business is done through cash transactions, the police said, highlighting the "emerging pattern of new tested Covid-19 positive cases."



A memorandum to this effect was issued a couple of days ago to all Superintendents of Police, city Commissioners, Range DIGs and Guntur Range IG in the state from the Director General of Police's office.

When asked how the police deduced that currency notes could be a carrier of the coronavirus, DGP D G Sawang told PTI: "There is no proof or any established evidence of contamination by currency notes of any kind whatsoever in the state."



He denied, "first of all" having sent the memorandum and noted that "our staff in office have incorporated in one of the many routine messages which are sent on a daily basis to keep alerting units on the ground." It was just one of the possibilities of catching the infection, he pointed out.

The memo, however, caused ripples in the state bureaucracy with the IAS officers taking strong exception to the DGP's claims, saying it could trigger "unwanted panic" at a time when the state was seriously fighting the pandemic.

"This is a thoroughly baseless circular without any scientific thought. Police can't act like an authority unto themselves in such sensitive matters," a senior IAS officer remarked.

The DGP's memo made some interesting revelations but the health authorities, who are monitoring the coronavirus cases 24x7, did not corroborate them.

The DGP's memo to his subordinate officers said people in East Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts contracted the virus though they did not have any travel history or contact with primary\secondary contacts of any person who travelled within the country or abroad.

"They have done business in which they collected currency notes from many persons while selling goods, essential commodities or collected monthly charges from multiple persons and got infected.

This clearly shows the currency notes as the culprit carrying the virus from infected persons. This phenomenon rings danger bells in our state," the top police official's memo said.

It listed cable TV operators, drinking water suppliers, milk vendors as some of the persons collecting money from multiple customers.

Petrol stations, kirana shops, vegetable and fruit vendors and pharmacists also collect money from customers and in the process "may come into contact with contaminated notes."



Referring to a case in Guntur district, the DGP office said registered medical practitioners who did not have awareness about the virus were treating and collecting money from patients and getting infected. They were also infecting others who come to them for treatment.

In the light of these, the DGP instructed all police unit officers to propagate online transactions and ask people to accept cash only after "sanitizing themselves and the currency notes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CHESTER  The patriarch of one of Southern Illinois largest and oldest family-owned businesses died Thursday from complications of COVID-19.

Don Welge, the president and chief executive officer of Gilster-Mary Lee, a family-held food manufacturer headquartered in Chester, died at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, his son confirmed. He had been airlifted there several weeks ago from Memorial Hospital in Chester as his condition deteriorated.

Welge was 84.

He was at work doing what he loved doing up until just a couple of weeks ago when he had to go to the hospital, said his son, Tom Welge, who is a vice president and general counsel at the company. Family was not able to be at his side because of hospital visitation restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, but staff kept the family updated regularly, he said.

His nurses were with him, they told us, Welge said. He went peacefully.

Welge, a well-known businessman and philanthropic civic leader, started his career with the food manufacturing company in 1957.

Welge was a great-nephew of one of the original Gilster family members who formed a flour milling business together in the small town of Steeleville at the end of the 19th century. Over more than half a century, Don Welge helped modernize, diversify and expand the company into the food manufacturing powerhouse that it is today by helping it find its niche in the store-brand business.

When he started his career with the company, it employed about 20 people.

Today, Gilster-Mary Lee employs more than 3,000 people across four states  Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Colorado. Its products are shipped across the U.S. and Canada and into international markets. The company makes such products as pastas, soups, pancake mixes, cereals and other pantry staples.

Numerous employees of Gilster-Mary Lees administrative office contracted COVID-19 in recent weeks, Tom Welge said. About half of the employees at the companys executive office in Chester either tested positive for COVID-19, or were quarantined because they had symptoms indicative of the disease, or had been in close contact with someone who had it. Tom Welge said he also contracted COVID-19, but only experienced mild symptoms. The virus just hit him especially viciously, he said of his dad. Most employees have recovered but three others remain hospitalized, he said.

Chester Mayor Tom Page said that Don Welge has made numerous contributions to the Chester area as a business owner and citizen. The opportunity hes provided for people to go to work has been unbelievable for the city of Chester, he said. Its a tragic loss to our community. It makes it hit home, thats for sure.

In his immediate family, Don Welge is survived by two sons, Tom and Rob Welge, and his wife, Mary Alice Welge. In addition to his two sons, Don Welges brother, Michael Welge, also works at the family-owned business. Tom Welge said the loss of his father has hit hard at the company, where many people have had careers for decades and know him well.

He described his dad as a down-to-earth, humble guy who was an eternal optimist. He extended second and third chances to employees, and made a point to hire people with disabilities, Tom Welge said. Welge said his dad always had an open-door policy. Literally anybody could make an appointment with him and come in and talk about whatever they wanted to and he would give them the time.

Welge said his dad did not have hobbies outside of work, and continued to run the business because it was a labor of love.

You look up entrepreneur, that was him, he said. It wasnt like he was always 100% successful. He had setbacks in his career. But he always picked himself up and moved forward.

I was fortunate to have him as a father. I was fortunate to have him as my boss and Im obviously going to miss him tremendously.

Randolph County has experienced one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the state, and Glister-Mary Lee was hit particularly hard. Don Welge is the first person to die in Randolph County from COVID-19 or its complications. Though he was considered high-risk due to his age, Tom Welge said his father was otherwise healthy prior to contracting the disease.

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Bern has been one of Ukraine's main and consistent partners in providing humanitarian and technical assistance since the beginning of the crisis caused by Russian aggression against the country, Ukrainian Ambassador to Switzerland Artem Rybchenko has said in an interview with Ukrinform.

"At the beginning of 2020, Switzerland's Federal Council approved a new international cooperation strategy for 2021-2024, which provides for a new program for cooperation with Ukraine for 2020-2023. This program envisages 24 projects to implement reforms in Ukraine and to overcome the crisis in the east of our country," the ambassador said.

In March 2020, despite the pandemic, Switzerland declared its readiness to send the 12th humanitarian cargo to the needs of 11 hospitals in eastern Ukraine worth more than 1.5 million Swiss francs. Through the Swiss Cooperation Office in Kyiv, the Government of Ukraine will also receive support worth 200,000 Swiss francs for the fight against the coronavirus.

According to the diplomat, Switzerland is, in fact, the only state providing humanitarian assistance on both sides of the contact line in eastern Ukraine. Until the end of 2019, Switzerland's humanitarian aid projects for eastern Ukraine were implemented in accordance with the strategy of Swiss cooperation with Ukraine for 2015-2019. As part of the cooperation, about 125 million Swiss francs were allocated, and 11 humanitarian cargoes were sent to Ukraine.

Technical assistance projects focus on such priority areas as promoting local governance, improving health, infrastructure and energy efficiency, and sustainable economic development.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is responsible for Swiss humanitarian aid projects for eastern Ukraine in the field of water supply and health care.

Assistance is provided through international organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as bilaterally.

op
Lina Evans, the coroner in Shelby County, said she was not notified that covid-19 deaths would be reviewed before being counted. She said she began asking questions after she reported four deaths and noticed that none immediately appeared in the state death toll. Eventually, she said, they were all counted  but it took days and, in one case, a week and a half.
A coronavirus outbreak has sickened at least 37 children at a Chicago shelter for unaccompanied and undocumented immigrant youth, and officials there said Thursday that they've been scrambling to test all the children in their care and to isolate those who are positive for the virus.

The outbreak occurred at a shelter in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, where 69 children separated from their parents or guardians at the Southern border are housed, officials said.

The crisis has prompted demands from child advocates that the federal government expedite the release of the children in such shelters to the custody of relatives in the United States.

"The reality for most of these children is that there is a way for them to be released to relatives here in the U.S. and that's what the government should be doing right away," Mony Ruiz-Velasco with the West Suburban Action Project, an Illinois community-based social justice organization, told ABC station WLS-TV in Chicago.

About 2,400 unaccompanied minors are being held in shelters nationwide and most were detained at the U.S.-Mexico border and placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The Chicago shelter is operated by the nonprofit group Heartland Alliance, which also runs two other dormitory-style shelters for unaccompanied immigrant youth in Chicago. The children living at the shelters range from infants to teenagers.

The Administration for Children and Families said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday that a total of 39 unaccompanied immigrant children in its custody across the nation have tested positive and placed in medical isolation, indicating that the largest coronavirus outbreak in its system is at the Chicago shelter.

Positive cases have also turned up at two shelters in Texas and 69 staff members affiliated with the Office of Refugee Resettlement have self-reported testing positive for COVID-19, according to the statement

Story continues

However, the agency did not address what it is doing to reunite the children with family in the United States. But officials said that "out of an abundance of caution," it has stopped placing unaccompanied children in virus hotspots such as California, New York and Washington.

"The situation remains extremely fluid and can change rapidly. We are providing the latest information while working diligently to combat random speculation and rumors," according to the statement.

In a statement to ABC News on Thursday, Heartland Alliance said it had tested all the children in its care and that the positive coronavirus cases are contained to the one shelter in the Bronzeville neighborhood. The agency said that 76% of the 37 children to test positive were "completely asymptomatic at the time of testing."

PHOTO: In this Feb. 1, 2019, file photo, a child watches as a U.S. Border Patrol agent searches a fellow Central American immigrant after they crossed the border from Mexico, in El Paso, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images, FILE)

"Heartland Alliance has aggressively tracked down and secured tests for our children and our staff -- knowing full well that children are often asymptomatic and can spread the virus even more easily than others," the statement reads. "And we are committed to ensuring access to testing for our staff because it's imperative for their health and well-being, and that of their families and the larger community."

The agency described the prognosis for the children as being "very good, and they are doing well."

Heartland Alliance declined to comment on whether any of the agency's 500 staff members have tested positive.

MORE: Coronavirus economic updates: 5.2 million more Americans file for unemployment

"We have been encouraging our staff to access their medical providers for testing and, as we all know, it is hard to gain access to tests," according to the agency's statement. "We have fought hard to obtain test kits for our staff, and we are beginning to roll out this voluntary testing process, in coordination with their health provider, and we are prepared to address the confirmed cases."

The agency said it has been closely following local, state and federal safety guidelines, including taking daily temperatures of staff and clients, frequent hand-washing and social distancing.

"When staff are sick with anything, they are sent home. And when anyone tests positive for COVID-19, we communicate with all with whom they have been in contact, and they too are put on quarantine," according to the agency's statement.

MORE: As stimulus checks hit bank accounts, many encounter roadblocks

Ashley Hueber of the National Immigrant Justice Center, which is affiliated with Heartland Alliance, said social distancing in such dormitory-type facilities is difficult.

"At the end of the day they are group settings. When you have anybody who is living in a group setting right now, it is nearly impossible to practice any kind of social distancing," Hueber told WLS-TV.

Chicago has been especially hard-hit by the virus also known as COVID-19. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 386 deaths linked by the virus in Chicago and more than 10,000 positive cases, according to data released by the city.

PHOTO: In this Dec. 7, 2018, file photo, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials detain a migrant woman and children after they crossed illegally with other migrants from Mexico to the U.S. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters, FILE)

The data shows that 146 children, ranging from babies to 17-year-olds have contracted the virus or about 1.3% of the positive cases. Only one child has died from the virus in Chicago, according to the city.

Heartland Alliance officials said the lack of testing made the crisis "much, much worse."

Scientist behind saliva test breakthrough sees bridge to nationwide coronavirus screening

"You cannot compare our shelters, where we fought to test ALL of our kids and staff, to other shelters that have only tested those showing symptoms," the statement reads. "The facts are simple -- by testing 100% of the population in a group setting, a higher number will be reported -- BUT we are finally now able to identify all the positive cases (including the invisible, asymptomatic cases) and isolate the positive cases from the negative ones."

The first cases at the Heartland Alliance shelter in the Bronzeville neighborhood were detected around April 8 and quickly grew to 19 by Sunday, according to ProPublica Illinois, which first reported the outbreak.

Coronavirus outbreak sickens at least 37 children at Chicago shelter for undocumented immigrant youth originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
PUNE, India, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global offshore drilling market size is slated to reach USD 56.97 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. Surging demand for electricity worldwide is expected to drive the growth of this market, states Fortune Business Insights in its new report, titled "Offshore Drilling Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis, By Rig Type (Drill-ships, Semi-submersibles, and Jackups), By Water Depth (Shallow Water, Deepwater, and Ultra-Deepwater), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026". According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global demand for electricity is projected to rise by 2.1% annually till 2040, representing an increase from 19% in 2018 to 24% in 2040 in terms of share of electricity in total energy consumption. Moreover, presently, non-renewable sources account for 36% of the total electricity generation around the world. Fossil fuel-powered plants require oil and gas to function smoothly and generate a stable amount of electricity. With the accelerating pace of urbanization and industrialization in emerging economies, the demand for electricity will necessitate higher production of oil and gas, which will drive the offshore drilling market trends.

Offshore Drilling Market Analysis (USD Billion)

As per the report, the value of this market stood at USD 31.26 billion in 2018. Additionally, the report contains the following:

Comprehensive insights into the key drivers and trends shaping the market;

In-depth evaluation of the major hindrances facing the market;

Microscopic study of all the possible market segments; and

Thorough research into the competitive landscape and regional dynamics influencing the market.

Get Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/offshore-drilling-market-102636

An Overview of the Impact of COVID-19 on this Market:

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.

To get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market.Please visit:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/offshore-drilling-market-102636

Market Restraint

Devastating Environmental Impacts of Offshore Drilling to Dampen Prospects

The offshore drilling market outlook is likely to get dampened owing to the grave threats that offshore drilling activities pose on the environment. One of the biggest risks is that oil spills that can inflict long-term harm on ocean ecosystems. For instance, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska continues to affect marine ecosystems after 30 years of the event, according to the National Academy of Sciences. Another threat posed by drilling activities is that of marine pollution. For example, the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council observes that waste drilling muds, an essential part of drills, house large amounts of toxic metals such as mercury and lead. These toxic materials can bio-accumulate and bio-magnify, causing irreparable damage to marine organisms. Thus, these ill-effects on marine ecology may inhibit the growth of the market in the near future.

Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific to Occupy Commanding Position; Middle East & Africa to Show Promising Growth

Asia-Pacific, which boasted a market size of USD 11.23 billion in 2018, is anticipated to command the offshore drilling market share during the forecast period on account of potential presence of undiscovered oil & gas reserves. The Middle East is well-known for its vast hydrocarbon reserves and countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar are further ramping up their exploration & production (E&P) capabilities through extensive fleet expansion activities. Africa is fast emerging as a major hotbed of hydrocarbon sources, prompting huge investments by companies and governments in the continent. European energy majors, namely Norway, UK, Germany, and Russia, are making significant investments in increasing their offshore E&P activities, especially in the North Sea and the Norwegian continental shelf.

Speak to Analyst:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/offshore-drilling-market-102636

Competitive Landscape

Geographic Expansion to be the Central Focus of Key Players

The offshore drilling market forecast suggests that key players in this market such as Maersk and Archer will focus on expanding their operations in unchartered territories in the coming years. This expansion will enable them to broaden their business horizons and exploit early-bird advantage in regions with untapped sources.

Industry Developments:

March 2020 : ExxonMobil's Australian subsidiary, Esso Australia, announced that it has hit the total depth in its ongoing project in the West Barracouta gas field development in Bass Strait. Comprising of two subsea production wells, the development project will be controlled by the prevailing Barracouta infrastructure, with production slated to commence from early 2021.

ExxonMobil's Australian subsidiary, Esso Australia, announced that it has hit the total depth in its ongoing project in the West Barracouta gas field development in Bass Strait. Comprising of two subsea production wells, the development project will be controlled by the prevailing Barracouta infrastructure, with production slated to commence from early 2021. January 2020 : Transocean Ltd., the world's largest offshore drilling company based in Switzerland , reported that it is experiencing a flood of contracts for its ultra-deepwater services as well as its services for drilling in inhospitable environmental conditions. The company also declared that it has secured additional contracts worth $352.9 million at the beginning of 2020.

List of Key Players Covered in the Offshore Drilling Market Report are:

Archer Well Company ( Norway )

) Borr Drilling ( Bermuda )

) Odfjell Drilling ( Norway )

) Pacific Drilling (United State)

Noble Drilling ( United Kingdom )

( ) Valaris plc ( United Kingdom )

) Transocean ( Switzerland )

) Shelf Drilling (UAE)

Maersk Drilling ( Denmark )

) KCA Deutag ( United Kingdom )

) COSL  China Oilfield Services Limited ( China )

) Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. ( United States )

) Saipem ( Italy )

) Nabors Industries ( Bermuda )

Quick Buy  Offshore Drilling Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102636

Detailed Table of Content

Introduction

Research Scope



Market Segmentation



Research Methodology



Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers



Market Restraints



Market Opportunities

Key Insights

Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries



Latest Technological Advancement



Regulatory Landscape



Industry SWOT Analysis



Porters Five Forces Analysis

Global Offshore Drilling Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026

Key Findings / Summary



Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Rig Type



Drillships

Drillships



Semisubmersibles





Jackups



Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Water Depth



Shallow Water





Deepwater





Ultra-Deepwater



Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region



North America





Latin America





Europe





Asia Pacific





Middle East & Africa

TOC Continued...!!!

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Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Directional Drilling Services Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Location (Onshore, Offshore), By Type (Conventional, Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS)), By Service (Measurement While Drilling (MWD), Logging While Drilling (LWD), Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS), Mud Motors, Others) and Geography Forecast, 2019  2026

Well Cementing Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Primary Cementing and Remedial Cementing), By Application (Onshore and Offshore), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Well Intervention Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Type (Light Intervention, Medium Intervention, Heavy Intervention), Service (Logging & Bottom Hole Survey, Tubing/Packer Failure & Repair, Stimulation, Remedial Cementing, Zonal Isolation, Sand Control, Artificial Lift, Fishing, RE-Perforation), Application (Onshore, Offshore) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Well Testing Services Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Service (Real Time Testing, Downhole Testing, Reservoir Sampling, Surface Well Testing), By Application (Onshore, Offshore) and Regional Forecast 2019-2026

Oilfield Services Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Service (Seismic Service, Drilling Service, Completion & Workover Service Production Service, Processing & Separation Service, Others), By Application (Onshore, Offshore), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Wireline Services Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Type (Electric line, Slick line), By Well Type (OpenHole, CasedHole), By Application (Wireline Logging, Wireline Intervention, Wireline Completion), By Location (Onshore, Offshore), and Regional Forecast 2019-2026

Artificial Lift System Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Type (Electric Submersible Pump (ESP), Sucker Rod Pump (SRP), Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP), Gas Lift, Others), By Application (Onshore, Offshore) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Process (Seamless and Welded), By Product (Well Casing, Production Tubing, Drill Pipe, and Others), By Application (Onshore and Offshore) Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Logging While Drilling Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Application (Onshore, Offshore {Shallow Water, Deepwater, Ultra-Deepwater}), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Offshore Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Service Type (Inspection {Visual Inspection, Ultrasonic, Electromagnetic}, Maintenance {Reactive Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance}, Repair), By Type (Offshore Support Vessels, AUVs/ROVs, Others), By Application (Oil & Gas, Wind Farms, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

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With the western United States and northern Mexico suffering an ever-lengthening string of dry years starting in 2000, scientists have been warning for some time that climate change may be pushing the region toward an extreme long-term drought worse than any in recorded history. A new study says the time has arrived: a megadrought as bad or worse than anything even from known prehistory is very likely in progress, and warming climate is playing a key role. The study, based on modern weather observations, 1,200 years of tree-ring data and dozens of climate models, appears this week in the leading journal Science.

"Earlier studies were largely model projections of the future," said lead author Park Williams, a bioclimatologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "We're no longer looking at projections, but at where we are now. We now have enough observations of current drought and tree-ring records of past drought to say that we're on the same trajectory as the worst prehistoric droughts."

Reliable modern observations date only to about 1900, but tree rings have allowed scientists to infer yearly soil moisture for centuries before humans began influencing climate. Among other things, previous research has tied catastrophic naturally driven droughts recorded in tree rings to upheavals among indigenous Medieval-era civilizations in the Southwest. The new study is the most up-to-date and comprehensive long-term analysis. It covers an area stretching across nine U.S. states from Oregon and Montana down through California and New Mexico, and part of northern Mexico.

Using rings from many thousands of trees, the researchers charted dozens of droughts across the region, starting in 800 AD. Four stand out as so-called megadroughts, with extreme aridity lasting decades: the late 800s, mid-1100s, the 1200s, and the late 1500s. After 1600, there were other droughts, but none on this scale.

The team then compared the ancient megadroughts to soil moisture records calculated from observed weather in the 19 years from 2000 to 2018. Their conclusion: as measured against the worst 19-year increments within the previous episodes, the current drought is already outdoing the three earliest ones. The fourth, which spanned 1575 to 1603, may have been the worst of all -- but the difference is slight enough to be within the range of uncertainty. Furthermore, the current drought is affecting wider areas more consistently than any of the earlier ones -- a fingerprint of global warming, say the researchers. All of the ancient droughts lasted longer than 19 years -- the one that started in the 1200s ran nearly a century -- but all began on a similar path to to what is showing up now, they say.

Nature drove the ancient droughts, and still plays a strong role today. A study last year led by Lamont's Nathan Steiger showed that among other things, unusually cool periodic conditions over the tropical Pacific Ocean (commonly called La Nina) during the previous megadroughts pushed storm tracks further north, and starved the region of precipitation. Such conditions, and possibly other natural factors, appear to have also cut precipitation in recent years. However, with global warming proceeding, the authors say that average temperatures since 2000 have been pushed 1.2 degrees C (2.2 F) above what they would have been otherwise. Because hotter air tends to hold more moisture, that moisture is being pulled from the ground. This has intensified drying of soils already starved of precipitation.

All told, the researchers say that rising temperatures are responsible for about half the pace and severity of the current drought. If this overall warming were subtracted from the equation, the current drought would rank as the 11th worst detected -- bad, but nowhere near what it has developed into.

"It doesn't matter if this is exactly the worst drought ever," said coauthor Benjamin Cook, who is affiliated with Lamont and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. "What matters is that it has been made much worse than it would have been because of climate change." Since temperatures are projected to keep rising, it is likely the drought will continue for the foreseeable future; or fade briefly only to return, say the researchers.

"Because the background is getting warmer, the dice are increasingly loaded toward longer and more severe droughts," said Williams. "We may get lucky, and natural variability will bring more precipitation for a while. But going forward, we'll need more and more good luck to break out of drought, and less and less bad luck to go back into drought." Williams said it is conceivable the region could stay arid for centuries. "That's not my prediction right now, but it's possible," he said.

Lamont climatologist Richard Seager was one of the first to predict, in a 2007 paper, that climate change might eventually push the region into a more arid climate during the 21st century; he speculated at the time that the process might already be underway. By 2015, when 11 of the past 14 years had seen drought, Benjamin Cook led a followup study projecting that warming climate would cause the catastrophic natural droughts of prehistory to be repeated by the latter 21st century. A 2016 study coauthored by several Lamont scientist reinforced those findings. Now, says Cook, it looks like they may have underestimated. "It's already happening," he said.

The effects are palpable. The mighty reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell along the Colorado River, which supply agriculture around the region, have shrunk dramatically. Insect outbreaks are ravaging dried-out forests. Wildfires in California and across wider areas of the U.S. West are growing in area. While 2019 was a relatively wet year, leading to hope that things might be easing up, early indications show that 2020 is already on a track for resumed aridity.

"There is no reason to believe that the sort of natural variability documented in the paleoclimatic record will not continue into the future, but the difference is that droughts will occur under warmer temperatures," said Connie Woodhouse, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona who was not involved in the study. "These warmer conditions will exacerbate droughts, making them more severe, longer, and more widespread than they would have been otherwise."

Angeline Pendergrass, a staff scientist at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, said that she thinks it is too early to say whether the region is at the cusp of a true megadrought, because the study confirms that natural weather swings are still playing a strong role. That said, "even though natural variability will always play a large role in drought, climate change makes it worse," she said.

Tucked into the researchers' data: the 20th century was the wettest century in the entire 1200-year record. It was during that time that population boomed, and that has continued. "The 20th century gave us an overly optimistic view of how much water is potentially available," said Cook. "It goes to show that studies like this are not just about ancient history. They're about problems that are already here."

###

The study was also coauthored by Edward Cook, Jason Smerdon, Kasey Bolles and Seung Baek, all of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory; John Abatzaglou of the University of Idaho; and Andrew Badger and Ben Livneh of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Scientist contacts:

Park Williams williams@ldeo.columbia.edu

Edward Cook drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu

Jason Smerdon jsmerdon@ldeo.columbia.edu

Bemjamin Cook bc9z@ldeo.columbia.edu

More information: Kevin Krajick, Senior editor, science news, The Earth Institute

kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu 212-854-9729

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is Columbia University's home for Earth science research. Its scientists develop fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution and future of the natural world, from the planet's deepest interior to the outer reaches of its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean, providing a rational basis for the difficult choices facing humanity. http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu | @LamontEarth

The Earth Institute, Columbia University mobilizes the sciences, education and public policy to achieve a sustainable earth. http://www.earth.columbia.edu.
: Over 600 migrant workers



employed by concrete equipment manufacturer Schwing Stetter India in Tamil Nadu were provided accommodation, food and shelter following the lockdown, according to a top official.

It may be recalled that the Tamil Nadu government has directed companies and the district administration to ensure migrant workers were not stranded and were taken care of in view of coronavirus pandemic.

Schwing Stetter India has taken complete responsibility for the health and well-being of the migrant workers and the employees were continuously provided with food, accommodation and treatment.

The workforce includes truck drivers who had visited the facility, an official said adding the migrant workers were completely monitored and motivated to fight the unprecedented challenges due to the virus.

Schwing Stetter India, MD, V G Sakthikumar said, "We are thankful to our contractors for getting all this done at the site."



"The entire SSI team stands with Nation in this hour of crisis and will do everything as a company, to help win this battle," he added.

According to him, the workers undergo continuous medical monitoring and are also tested for COVID-19.

He said accommodation facility has been set up with 625 beds at the upcoming facility in Cheyyar, Thiruvannamalai to help prevent cross contamination and control infection.

The company is setting up the facility at Cheyyar with an investment of Rs 350 crore to produce truck-mounted concrete boom pumps, self-loading mixers among others.

The Centre had initially announced a nationwide lock- down till April 14 while Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended it till May 3 as part of its fight against the spread of coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Like many mothers, Jodie Carter discovered during the birth of her first child that things don't always go to plan. She had hoped the birth of her second child might go a little more smoothly, but with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in her final trimester, she's had to let go of that idea.

Mrs Carter now faces giving birth at the Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick in coming days, with just one person allowed to support her during her labour and as her sole visitor afterwards.

Jodie Carter is expecting her second child this week. Credit:Brook Mitchell

Having her mother present for the birth of her first child was "handy", Mrs Carter said. When her husband became unwell and had to leave, her mother was able to take over so she had emotional support for the remainder of her labour.

This time around her mother, 71, has had to get medical clearance just to travel to Sydney from Melbourne. If she takes the flight, she will be looking after her three-year-old grandson George  and neither will be allowed to visit Mrs Carter and the new baby in hospital.
Birmingham police are investigating two separate shootings that took place in the city before 10 a.m. Thursday.

The first happened just before 9:30 a.m. in the Southtown public housing community. According to Birmingham police, a male was shot in the leg and treated by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service on the scene. He refused transport to the hospital.

No arrests have been announced, but several people were detained for questioning.

The second happened at 9:40 a.m. on Gallant Drive in east Birmingham. Police were notified of shots fired at an apartment complex there and then received a call a short time later of a victim showing up at St. Vincents East.

Authorities said the victims injuries are life-threatening. A lookout bulletin was issued for a vehicle that fled the scene.
By Trend

So-called elections in Nagorno-Karabakh are not helpful for creating a positive atmosphere surrounding the talks, former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the US Matthew Bryza told Trend.

The holding of elections by one country in the occupied territory of another country is of course, not at all helpful to building the psychological mood that is necessary for two opposing countries to reconcile with each other. In the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, it is legally a part of Azerbaijan, as is recognized by every country in the world. It would be better if these so-called elections did not happen, said Bryza.

Bryza pointed out that the statements he has seen from several governments have been the same, which say these so-called elections dont mean anything, because they dont recognize the so-called independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.

But generally, as I said, these so-called elections are not helpful for creating a positive atmosphere surrounding the talks. Basic principles for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that have been negotiated for a long time and in fact were agreed in principle in January 2019 do foresee that the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh would have the right to elect their own representatives, but that would happen once there was a framework agreement based on the basic principles reached for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he concluded.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
As other cities and states across the nation begin requiring mandatory masks in public spaces, Oregon has allowed the decision to remain voluntary.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday ordered residents to wear masks in stores, public transportation or on crowded sidewalks. Pennsylvania has ordered masks to be worn by workers and customers in essential businesses. So have Los Angeles, Maryland and New Jersey.

Oregon has left it as a recommendation, even with new cases continuing to be found as the virus spreads amid the unprecedented statewide shutdown. State estimates show there could currently be as many as 7,000 cases statewide, the vast majority of which have not been found because of a lack of testing.

Oregon health officials are drafting plans that could require masks to be worn when businesses reopen, Nik Blosser, the chief of staff to Gov. Kate Brown, told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Tuesday.

Asked why masks arent currently being required, Blosser replied: I think thats a fair question.

Its certainly something we can have our medical advisory panel look at, Blosser said, referring to the panel of doctors thats advising the governor.

Simple masks arent designed to keep their wearers from catching the virus, but instead to reduce the transmission of virus-laden droplets generated if they are unwittingly carrying it and cough, sneeze or simply talk.

Chunhuei Chi, director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University, said wearing masks has been an important tool to control the spread in Taiwan, a country of 23 million people that has been able to keep its case count below 400. Theyre required in schools, churches and public places like transit.

In the United States, Chi said, we have neglected it for over two months.

The risk, Chi said, is that asymptomatic people can spread the disease in public  a danger underscored by the story reported Monday of a Redmond man who had been staying at home but still ended up in an intensive care unit after testing positive for the coronavirus.

We had been following the recommendations, the mans wife, Stephanie Widler, told the Bend Bulletin. The only place he had been to was the grocery store. He had gotten gas once. In the time frame he didnt go anywhere.

A study from Iceland published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine found 43% of people tested there were asymptomatic, though some were possibly tested before developing symptoms. Estimates of the percentage of asymptomatic carriers has continued rising as more has been learned about the novel coronavirus.

We need to be very cautious. This is a very new disease, Chi said. This is the most complex and tricky virus weve ever had to deal with.

Seeing people continue going to grocery stores without wearing masks has left Yvonne Hall feeling unsettled.

Hall, 58, of Yachats, is a former lab technician who suffers from asthma and fears what the coronavirus would do to her lungs if she caught it. Her colds always turn into bronchitis, she said, sometimes into pneumonia.

So since late February, she wears gloves, a lab coat and an old respirator equipped with carbon filters. When she leaves the store, the coat goes into a garbage bag (straight into the washing machine once home), she sprays her gloves with rubbing alcohol (straight into a Ziploc) and she spritzes her shoes with disinfectant. Her approach: Assume everyone and every thing is infected.

I call it hazmatting up, Hall explained.

As in: I completely hazmat up before I go into the store.

Before going into grocery stores in Oregon, Yvonne Hall goes through a process she calls "hazmatting up." She said she worries about others who do not wear masks. (Courtesy/Yvonne Hall)

Her reasons? There was a woman coughing at the deli counter during one store trip, a woman hacking in the produce section in another. Just Monday, she watched a man spit on the sidewalk in front of the Fred Meyer in Florence. Gross, she said.

She said she understands why state officials havent acted. But she wishes they would.

They dont really want to impose that on people, and I get it, Hall said. Its not nice to tell people to do something because people dont like to be told what to do. But seeing women cough openly and a guy cough today  thats the risk right there. If those people are COVID positive, even if they dont know it, theyre spreading it.

Multnomah County health officials have followed the Centers for Disease Controls guidance in recommending masks. A county spokeswoman did not respond to questions about why they were not made mandatory in stores and other public spaces where physical distance is not always possible.

Tim Becker, a spokesman for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, said the city was following guidance on masks from state and county health officials. Weve seen many Portlanders heed that advice, Becker said. If we find that we need to take more aggressive measures, we will re-evaluate based on guidance from our public health experts.

 Rob Davis

rdavis@oregonian.com

503.294.7657; @robwdavis

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Hundreds of asylum seekers are having to travel to London to submit their claims or else survive without the support that they are entitled to, prompting calls for the Home Office to urgently modify its asylum policy during the coronavirus lockdown.

Charities have warned that vulnerable people who have fled danger in their home countries and who are eligible for protection in the UK are falling into destitution because the department is cancelling scheduled screening interviews  a step in the process of being granted financial support and access to healthcare as an asylum seeker  as a result of the pandemic.

Immigration lawyers said that because the screening interviews, which take place at the asylum-intake unit in Croydon, are no longer being scheduled, the only way for people who have nowhere to live and who are at immediate risk of destitution to access asylum support was by presenting themselves to the Home Office at the Croydon unit.

Campaigners have now called on the department to urgently establish a system of carrying out screening interviews remotely or at a regional level, in order that vulnerable people are not forced to choose between travelling to London during the lockdown or surviving without financial support and without access to the NHS and other public services.

The Home Office told The Independent that it was working to establish regional processes for people wishing to seek asylum who are outside of London and the southeast, but those advocating for asylum seekers said this was taking too long.

Tony Paterson, an asylum solicitor, said he was representing a family who had arrived in Britain after fleeing persecution but who had been informed by the Home Office that they could not attend a screening interview, and therefore are not able to access asylum support or NHS treatment.

He told The Independent that the family, whose identity he wished to protect, were very stressed about the situation, particularly because they cannot access free healthcare.

Mr Paterson said he had asked a civil servant at the Home Office whether there was a plan B for ensuring access to medical treatment for people who cannot claim asylum at the moment because of the pandemic, and was told they would need to provide a medical report to the NHS in order to access healthcare  which he described as immensely unsatisfactory.

Describing the familys current state, he said: Theyre too scared to access the NHS. Theyve got no money to pay for treatment. If they cant get themselves into the system, how are they supposed to get a medical report? Theyre having to wallow around, nervously keeping out of sight. Its an absolutely grim situation for them.

The most recent immigration statistics indicate that approximately 2,500 people claim asylum in the space of three weeks. About 45 per cent of applicants go on to receive asylum support, suggesting that since the announcement of the lockdown in the UK on 23 March, hundreds of asylum seekers who would ordinarily have been granted support will not have received it, or will have had to be present at Croydon.

Jon Featonby, policy and advocacy manager at the British Red Cross, told The Independent that while there had initially been some positive developments by the Home Office to protect asylum seekers  notably, the end of evictions from asylum accommodation  ministers were dragging their feet on modifying the system for claiming asylum.

He said the charity still had service users who were having to travel to Croydon in order to access the support system because they had no other option or means of supporting themselves.

If you are destitute, you havent got anywhere to live, you havent got a way of financially supporting yourself  you have to turn up at Croydon and do a drop-in screening interview. That cant be done remotely, said Mr Featonby.

We would like to see alternatives to the screening interview process to be introduced as quickly as possible, whether thats a combination of being able to physically do screening interviews but regionally, to make sure youre cutting down that travel  or, ideally, having some way of being able to do it remotely, through digital means, which would mean people are still able to access the protection system.

Its still vital at this time that people who are in need of international protection are able to access the asylum system, not least to enable people who would otherwise be destitute to get the accommodation and the financial support they need.

Judith Dennis, policy manager at the Refugee Council, echoed his concerns, saying: Its very concerning that people seeking asylum are still being asked to travel to the asylum-intake unit in Croydon to begin their asylum claim. This directly contradicts the public health advice on social distancing that the government has issued.

The Home Office has made some positive changes to the asylum process in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, but this issue remains unresolved and should be addressed without delay.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We take the wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously and have already put in place a range of measures to support asylum seekers affected by the coronavirus outbreak, including registering asylum claims in a safe way that adheres to social-distancing guidance.

These are unprecedented times and we are adjusting processes and procedures where necessary and appropriate to adapt to these changes.
Half a million masks were delivered yesterday to the warehouse of Italys Civil Protection near Rome. The gift stems from the "serious situation" in some countries. For De Siervo, from Civil Protection, the people of Taiwan demonstrated great friendship. Taiwans ambassador said she was happy and honoured to be able to help and that we can do it together.

Rome (AsiaNews)  The Taiwanese government has donated seven million masks to the eleven European countries most affected by the coronavirus outbreak, most notably Italy, Spain, Germany and France.

In a statement, Taiwans unofficial diplomatic office in Italy, the Taipei Representative Office in Italy, said that the medical supplies (pictured) were delivered yesterday afternoon to the warehouse of Italys Civil Protection agency in Fiumicino, near Rome. The gift is a response to the serious situation caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in some countries.

Five hundred thousand masks were delivered to Italys Civil Protection Agency at its warehouse at JAS Worldwide Italy in Fiumicino, read the statement.

Taiwans representative to Italy Andrea Lee and her staff were present at the event, along with officials from the Civil Protection Agency.

Giovanni De Siervo, Civil Protection coordinator, noted that the people of Taiwan have demonstrated the great friendship that binds them to our country.

For her part, Ambassador Lee said that friends can be seen at times of need, and that she was happy and honoured to be able to help Italy. Hence, Long live Italy! Everything will be fine; together we can do it.

Taiwan is one of the countries that have best managed the emergency caused by the novel coronavirus, faster and more efficiently than the World Health Organisation (WHO) in fighting the pandemic.

In recent weeks, the island nation has donated millions of masks to Europe and the United States, which are still coping with the peak of the viral outbreak.

The gift to Italy, officials say, represents "further proof of the spirit of generosity" of the islands people, best captured by the well-known motto Taiwan Can Help. The donation will also strengthen long-term bilateral relations between the peoples of Taiwan and Italy.
MELVILLE, N.Y., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AIP Publishing, a leading not-for-profit scholarly publisher in the physical sciences, is pleased to announce that they have signed a multi-year "Read and Publish" agreement with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

KAUST is the first university from the Middle East region to sign a multi-year transformative agreement with AIP Publishing. As a result of the agreement, university-affiliated corresponding authors whose articles are accepted for publication in any of AIP Publishing's hybrid journals (subscription-based titles that offer an open-access option) will be made open access without any article processing charge (APC). Members of the KAUST community will continue to have access to all AIP journals content for which they hold subscriptions, as well as the new journals scheduled to launch during the agreement's term.

"Authors from KAUST are important contributors to AIP Publishing," said AIP Publishing's chief executive officer, John Haynes. "We are pleased to add an open access publishing component to our agreement to help make research from KAUST available to the global scientific community," he added.

J. K. Vijayakumar, Library Director at KAUST said, ''KAUST is proud to be a pioneer of open access and to be aligned with global initiatives. Through efforts like this transformative agreement with AIP Publishing, we are helping shape a sustainable, responsible approach to ensuring that our research on world-leading scientific advances is available to all." The KAUST University Library, with the support of university's Office of Sponsored Research (OSR), has taken a proactive role of negotiating with publishers on innovative ways to support the KAUST open access policy, supplement the KAUST research repository, and increase the impact of KAUST research publications with widespread availability throughout the world. More about KAUST OA publishing options can be found here.

ABOUT AIP PUBLISHING

AIP Publishing is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics (AIP). AIP Publishing's mission is to support the charitable, scientific and educational purposes of AIP through scholarly publishing activities in the fields of the physical and related sciences on its own behalf and on behalf of our publishing partners to help them proactively advance their missions.

SOURCE AIP Publishing

Related Links

http://publishing.aip.org


A team of researchers has discovered a new species of venomous snake in Arunachal Pradesh and named it Trimeresurus Salazar.

It was discovered in the thick evergreen forests of the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh during a field expedition by researchers in July 2019.

The new species is named after J.K. Rowlings fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardrys co-founder, Salazar Slytherin.

Two specimens of the new species were found in the field that helped diagnose the new species, states the paper published by the researchers  Zeeshan A. Mirza, Harshal Bhonsle, Pushkar Phansalkar, Mandar Sawant, Gaurang Gowande and Harshil Patel  in the international science journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.

While Zeeshan Mirza is associated with the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, Harshal and Mandar with the Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, Gowande is associated with Punes Fergusson College and Pushkar is associated with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Shripad Halbe of the Brihad Bharatiya Samaj and the Singinawa Conservation Foundation funded the study.

The new species belongs to the group of green pit vipers from which it differs from its closely related species in bearing a rusty red or orange lateral stripe along the head and the entire body. The comparison of DNA sequences and skull morphology of closely related species highlights the distinctness of the new species.

The authors are happy about discovering a new species of pit viper but worried at the same time, as the proposed 49-km Seijosa-Balukpong road will cut through the habitat of the new species. Roads take a heavy toll on life and data from various studies have highlighted high mortality of snakes due to vehicular movement.

Researchers behind the discovery, who covered large tracts of forested land in northeast India, said that they have documented more species from the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, which is likely to yield new species. Work is underway to describe them.

Underlining that forests across northeast India have not been well-explored for their biodiversity, especially reptiles, amphibians and most invertebrate groups, the authors have said that anthropogenic pressures like road widening, construction of dams and hydropower plants threaten the forest and biodiversity across Arunachal Pradesh.
Thirty residents at a nursing home and rehab center in Belmont have died of coronavirus-related illness, which is double the number of fatalities at the facility since Saturday, according to the Boston Globe.

Health and Human Secretary Marylou Sudders addressed the spike in deaths on Thursday, noting that the National Guard has been sent to Belmont Manor to conduct testing. The state is also planning to send its Supportive Planning and Operations Team to help the staff.

Stewart A. Karger, the facilitys administrator, sent out a letter to families on April 4 about an influx of positive coronavirus test results. At the time, only one resident had passed away from the virus.

Karger did not immediately return a phone call requesting comment, but told the Globe that his staff is heartbroken over the loss of life, and has taken every possible step to address this fast moving situation.

Karger told the newspaper that altogether 116 residents have tested positive, with two more pending results. Among staff, 59 of 94 employees tested also have the virus, he said. The company said it employs around 190 people.

The high number of COVID-19-related fatalities at long-term care facilities continues to raise concerns about how the state is responding to protect the elderly and more vulnerable populations. On Wednesday, the states Department of Public Health reported that of the 1,108 statewide deaths from the virus, 530 were in long-term care facilities.

Related Content:
Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters

Donald Trump found himself isolated among western leaders at a virtual G7 summit, as they expressed strong support for the World Health Organization after the USs suspension of its funding.

Health officials around the world have condemned the US presidents decision to stop his countrys funding for the UN agency, amid a crisis that has left more than 2 million people infected and almost 140,000 dead.

On Thursday, G7 leaders voiced their backing for the WHO and urged international co-operation. Immediately after the hour-long conference call, a spokesman for Angela Merkel said that the German chancellor had argued that the pandemic can only be overcome with a strong and co-ordinated international response. The spokesman said Merkel expressed support for the WHO as well as a number of other partners.

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said: There is a need for international coordination and the WHO is an important part of that collaboration and coordination. We recognise that there have been questions asked, but at the same time it is really important we stay coordinated as we move through this.

The Gates Foundation also announced an extra $150m (120m) donation, in a move the WHO welcomed.

The White House insisted there was support for US criticism of the WHO in the G7 call, saying much of the conversation centred on the lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement of the pandemic by the WHO. The leaders called for a thorough review and reform process.

The US is the largest donor to the WHO, providing about $400m annually, but it claims that the WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was unwilling to confront the Chinese at the start of the outbreak.

Trump  in a battle to save his presidency this November, and under fire over the lack of US leadership during the crisis  is widely seen to be eager to turn the pandemic into a trial of strength and influence with China.

Related: US's global reputation hits rock-bottom over Trump's coronavirus response

Story continues

Other G7 leaders harbour doubts about aspects of the WHOs role and Chinas response to the coronavirus, but argue that the middle of the coronavirus pandemic is the wrong moment to disrupt the organisations leadership by blowing a surprise hole in its finances.

With the US acting as the current chair of the G7, and facing criticism of Americas global leadership, Trump had convened the special meeting of the G7 leaders, a grouping of mainly western leading economies that, unlike the larger G20, excludes both Russia and China.

The UK was represented on the call by the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, who is still standing in for Boris Johnson as the prime minister recovers from coronavirus.

He said once the outbreak is controlled we cannot have business as usual and must ask the hard questions about how it came about. He added: There needs to be a very deep dive and review of the lessons including the outbreak of the virus.

But he called for a balanced review stressing this should be driven by the science.

The UK this month increased its aid to the WHO, and its officials recognise that the WHO was involved in a delicate diplomatic effort to win Chinese permission to enter the country to investigate the outbreak.

In a statement after the summit, the EU council president, Charles Michel, called on world leaders to contribute to an international online pledging conference on 4 May to enhance general preparedness and ensure adequate funding to develop and deploy a vaccine against coronavirus.

The EU conference could help fill the hole created by the US suspension of funding. The EU says it is trying to raise as much as $8bn, but it is not clear how the EU conference will work alongside UN calls for extra money for the WHO.

The EU statement also sent a shot across Trumps bows by stressing multilateralism should be at the core of the action. The EU also stressed that its pledging conference should be devoted to building African resilience, a theme that the French president, Emmanuel Macron, stressed at the G7 conference.

In a separate video conference with international counterparts, Germanys foreign minister, Heiko Maas, described the WHO as the backbone of the fight against the pandemic.

It makes no sense now to question the ability of the WHO to function or its significance, he said.

G7 finance ministers agreed limited debt relief for low-income countries, in a sign of concern that the epidemic could play havoc with the economies of developing countries. But the G7 aid was for a year and limited to interest, as opposed to the principal. The help is conditional on wider support for the measure from the G20. The G20 has been discussing a debt suspension plan covering about $18bn of payments.

Related: US awol from world stage as China tries on global leadership for size

Trump has already had one falling-out with the other six G7 leaders when they refused to accept a previous US-drafted communique for a meeting on 16 March.

The US wanted the 16 March G7 communique to describe coronavirus as the Wuhan virus in a bid to pin China with responsibility for the coming global economic recession. The other six countries  Japan, Italy, France, the UK, Italy and Canada  refused.
NEW DELHI: The sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which has been at the forefront of the governments response to coronavirus, has informed that nearly 6.5 lakh medical kits, including 3 lakh rapid antibody testing kits, is arriving soon from China.

The MEA has been regularly coordinating with foreign agencies to ensure vital medical supplies from other countries to tackle the COVID-19 challenge.

As part of these efforts, the first lot of 3 lakh Rapid Antibody Testing Kits from Guangzhou Wondfo, 2.5 lakh kits from Zhuhai Livzon and 1 lakh RNA Extraction Kits from MGI Shenzhen were given custom clearance on Wednesday and the consignment is on the way to India.

In total, around 6.5 lakh medical kits should reach us on Thursday, the MEA sources said. Our Embassy in Beijing and Consulate in Guangzhou played a key role in this, the MEA sources said.

Indian Ambassador to Beijing Vikram Misri also confirmed the news by saying, ''Over two million test kits being procured from China will be sent to India in the next 15 days.''

''#IndiaFightsCoronavirus. A total of 650,000 kits, including Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits, have been despatched early today from Guangzhou Airport to #India,'' Misri tweeted on Thursday.

It may be noted that the delay in procuring anti-body testing kits has resulted in a delay in ramping up the testing strategy in containment zones of the country. The Indian Council of Medical Research had recommended the use of rapid anti-body testing for COVID-19 in high containment zones on April 2.

ICMR's chief epidemiologist RR Gangakhedkar had said on Monday that the first consignment of rapid testing kits is likely to arrive in the country on April 15. India already missed four previous deadlines to supply antibody test kits.

According to the ICMR, India placed the order to import rapid anti-body kits to about 30 countries. As per reports, the kits from China were found to be relatively faulty and hence orders were placed from other countries as well.

The testing kits ordered earlier from China had failed quality tests, resulting in Beijing putting on hold its consignment.

However, MEA sources said that India had placed orders from South Korea, Singapore and China almost at the same time. Most orders are placed simultaneously to ensure a smooth supply for India.

According to experts, India needs to "significantly ramp up" the number of tests done across the country to trace COVID-19 infection if the virus is to be contained in time. Experts feel the figures are modest for a count of the size of 1.3 billion and "much more tests" are needed to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 in the country on Thursday, according to the Union Health Ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 10,477, as many as 1,488 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said.

Data obtained from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said, till April 14, the number of samples tested stood at 2,44,893, an increase of 27,339 from the corresponding figure till the previous day (2,17,554).
[April 16, 2020] AM Best Assigns Credit Ratings to Bridgeway Insurance Company; Withdraws Ratings of American Modern Surplus Lines Insurance Company

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of "aa" to Bridgeway Insurance Company (Bridgeway) (Princeton, NJ). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Concurrently, AM Best has withdrawn the FSR of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICR of "aa" of American Modern Surplus Lines Insurance Company (AMSLIC) (Amelia, Ohio). Both ratings had stable outlooks. AMSLIC was a member of the American Modern Insurance Group of companies, a subsidiary of Munich Reinsurance Company (Munich Re), which was contributed to the Munich Reinsurance America Corporation group of companies, also a subsidiary of Munich Re. Following the contribution, the company changed its name to Bridgeway and re-domiciled to Delaware from Ohio. The ratings of Bridgeway reflect its inclusion in the Munich Re group. AM Best categorizes Munich Re's balance sheet strength as strongest, its operating performance as strong, its business profile as very favorable and its enterprise risk management as very strong. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individul ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.



AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright  2020 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005572/en/

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Disney+ will mark the Star Wars fan-generated holiday May the Fourth with new content.

It will premiere eight-episode documentary series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian and also screens the finale to Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is an opportunity for fans of the show to take a look inside and get to see a different perspective, and perhaps a greater understanding, of how The Mandalorian came together and some of the incredibly talented contributors throughout Season 1, said Executive Producer Jon Favreau. We had a great experience making the show and were looking forward to sharing it with you.

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian

Monday, May 4 (New episodes every Friday).

In Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, Executive Producer Jon Favreau invites the cast and crew to share an unprecedented look at the making of the series which quickly became a pop culture phenomenon after premiering in November.

Debuting on the day that a worldwide community of fans celebrate all-things-Star Wars  Monday, May 4  Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is an eight-episode documentary series that pulls back the curtain on The Mandalorian. Each chapter explores a different facet of the first live-action Star Wars television show through interviews, never-before-seen footage, and roundtable conversations hosted by Jon Favreau.

Topics this season include the filmmaking process, the legacy of George Lucas Star Wars, how the cast brought the characters to life, the series groundbreaking technology, the artistry behind the shows practical models, effects, and creatures, plus the creative influences, the iconic score, and connections to Star Wars characters and props from across the galaxy.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Series Finale, Monday, May 4

After seven seasons, one of the most critically acclaimed chapters in the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will come to a close on a special day, Monday, May 4, giving fans around the world the chance to watch the finale together for Star Wars Day.

The Emmy award-winning continuation of the greatest space fantasy of all time, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation with Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian) serving as Executive Producer/Supervising Director. With ambitious, ground-breaking computer animation, classic characters, astounding action, and the timeless battle between good and evil, Star Wars: The Clone Wars expands the Star Wars story with all-new adventures set in a galaxy far, far away.

The highly anticipated conclusion to the critically acclaimed series explores the events leading up to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Dulquer Salmaan & Amals First Meeting

Dulquer Salmaan and Amal had a love-cum-arrange marriage. Speaking about first meeting his lady love, Dulquer said, "After I returned from the US where I was finishing my studies, my folks were keen on getting me married. My friends and family suggested the name of one of my schoolmates who was five years my junior. My friends started matching her bio-data with mine. Now, it so happened that on most of my outings, I would notice the same girl there as well. Or at times when I decided to watch a movie, surprisingly, she would also be there watching that same movie and the same show. Since I was bumping into her often unknowingly, I somehow felt it could be some celestial sign that I should get married to her."

It Happened On A Coffee Date

Dulquer Salmaan revealed that he gathered courage and invited Amal on a coffee date. Before that, he had already informed his parents about Amal that he likes her a lot. "I informed my parents about this girl. Both the families met and connected immediately. "So I can say it's a love-cum-arranged marriage," the actor said. The duo got married in a private ceremony in 2011 in Chennai.

Amals Reaction To Dulquers Female Fan Following

As we all know that Dulquer Salmaan has a crazy female fan following. He always gets attention from girls on social media. When asked if Amal feels insecure about this, he said, "No, not at all. Sometimes I also tell her to comment on me, but it's like ghar ki murgi dal barabar. My wife is very secure."

Dulquer Salmaan On His Little Angel Maryam

Dulquer Salmaan and Amal were blessed with a baby girl in 2017. The duo has named their daughter Maryam. Speaking about his little angel, Dulquer said, "We have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter who is very talkative. She entertains the entire family throughout the day."
The American economy is said to be under the threat of suffering the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression (1929-1933) and the news is giving US President Donald Trump sleepless nights.

With close to 95 per cent of Americans stuck at home due to the Coronavirus outbreak and close to 16 million left without jobs, the world's largest economy is currently struggling to hold its own.

 Twitter DD News

So now, in a bid to revive the US economy, President Trump has chosen six Indian-American corporate honchos to be a part of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups.



These are a number of groups covering various aspects of the economy and includes, as Trump said, 200 brightest and smartest people who will help restart the US economy.

 Reuters

The list includes bigwigs like Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Bill Ford and Mark Zuckerberg among others, who have been segregated into a number of groups according to their areas of expertise such as tech, banking, energy, financial services, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, telecommunication, thought leaders, etc.



Here are the six Indian-Americans who have been shortlisted to advise President Trump on reviving the US economy in the time to come:

1. Sundar Pichai

 Reuters

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who was named as one of the Worlds Most Reputable CEOs by Forbes in 2018, has made it to Trumps list of advisors.



Tamilian star Pichai has been placed in the Tech group as part of Trumps Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups.

2. Ajay Banga

 Twitter

The CEO and President of Mastercard, Ajaypal Singh Banga has also been named as one of the key influencers in President Trumps list.



The IIM-Ahmedabad graduate will be a part of the Financial Services group along with others such as Visas Al Kelly, Fidelity Investments Abigail Johnson and the like.

3. Satya Nadella

 BCCL

Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella will also be seen participating shoulder-to-shoulder with Sundar Pichai as part of the Tech group.



The Microsoft CEO will be sharing his valuable insights about the industry and share recommendations on how the US tech giants can help boost the economy.

4. Arvind Krishna

 Twitter

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna will also be joining fellow leading CEOs Pichai and Nadella as part of President Trumps Tech group and add to his set of advisors.



The Andhra-born, IIT-Kanpur graduate who became IBM CEO in January earlier this year is yet another Indian jewel leading a top US tech company.

5. Ann Mukherjee

 Twitter

Mukherjee, a veteran in the field of marketing took over as the Chairman and CEO of French beverage giant Pernod Ricard last year and has been appointed to President Trumps Manufacturing Group.



Kolkata-born Mukherjee will be working closely with Teslas Elon Musk, Fords Bill Ford and Fiat Chryslers Mike Manley amongst others, as part of the group.

6. Sanjay Mehrotra

 Twitter

Yet another glorifying addition to Trumps Tech group, the Micron Technology CEO and co-founder of SanDisk will be adding to the technology think-tank being set up by the US President to revive the American economy.



Kanpur-born, BITS Pilani graduate Sanjay Mehrotra, has over three decades of experience in the field of technology.

All six of these great leaders are set to work together with the White House to bring the US economy to its former glory.
A "Zuck Buck" is displayed on a monitor as David Marcus, the executive leading Facebook's blockchain initiative, is questioned by U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C., on July 17, 2019.

Facebook's cryptocurrency project is taking a new, scaled-down approach as transactions increasingly take place online during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Libra Association, an independent group organized by Facebook to manage the libra crytocurrency, said it now plans to offer stable coins backed by just one nation's currency in addition to its coins backed by multiple currencies. That means some coins offered by the group would serve as the equivalent value of a U.S. dollar or a Euro, for example. The change comes after Facebook's plans for libra were shot down by lawmakers around the world who worried about a company with a history of privacy scandals having control over their citizens' resources.

The move represents a big change for libra, which Facebook originally pitched last year as an alternative global system that would make it easier to make digital payments no matter where in the world you are. The new proposed design for libra would make it more like standard digital payments services such as PayPal.

The change also could ease some concerns among U.S. lawmakers who feared the new currency could compete with the U.S. dollar. The Libra Association also said it's taking steps to make the currency more secure and safeguard it from illegal activity like money laundering.

David Marcus, the Facebook executive and former PayPal president who spearheaded the cryptocurrency initiative and is now a member of the Libra board, addressed the changes in a series of tweets Thursday.

"I keep on thinking about all the people and small businesses that could benefit from the Libra Network already being operational  especially now during these times of unprecedented hardship," he wrote.

Tweet

Marcus said the group is now fully funded by its members, with less than 10% of that funding coming from Facebook.

The Libra Association has seen a significant change in its makeup since the project was first announced. A slew of payments companies, including Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, abandoned the project following government scrutiny. After losing eight of its original members, Shopify and crypto start-up Tagomi joined the Libra Association in February.

It's still unclear if the changes announced Thursday will be enough to sway regulators and policymakers in favor of the project. U.S. congressmen pressed Marcus and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a series of hearings last year, even asking them to halt plans for the currency altogether until they could come up with a proper regulatory framework. The executives only said they would wait to launch until they got approval from who they deemed were the appropriate U.S. regulators.

Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Tex., a member of the House Financial Services Committee that grilled Zuckerberg at a hearing about libra last year, does not seem entirely convinced by the new framework.

"Facebook and the Libra Association had an opportunity to address the concerns I and my other colleagues raised with their initial whitepaper," Garcia said in a statement Thursday. "Unfortunately they chose not to listen to the bipartisan concerns raised about Libra. I will continue to work to make sure that the SEC regulates any such asset as the security that it is under current securities laws."

The group is now waiting on regulatory guidance from the Swiss government. Libra said Thursday it had started the payment system licensing process with the Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

FINMA said in a statement Thursday that Libra's application "differs considerably from the project originally submitted." FINMA said it's committed to coordinating with international partners during its evaluation of the project due to its global implications. It said it has been working closely with the Swiss National Bank and more than 20 supervisory authorities and central banks around the world.

"FINMA will give special consideration to whether strict national and international standards for payment infrastructures and also for combating money laundering can be upheld," according to the statement.

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Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 07:35 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd22406d 1 National Indonesia,environment,COP-26,Paris-Agreement,NDCs,COVID-19,Environment-and-Forestry-Ministry Free

As the recently updated draft of Indonesias climate action commitments under the Paris Agreement awaits government approval, activists worry the reworked pledge might not be ambitious enough for one of the worlds largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is a pledge made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to cut down on emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

After inviting environmental groups, experts and public officials in February to weigh in on its reworked NDC pledge, Indonesia decided to keep its previous pledge to reduce emissions by 29 percent independently  or 41 percent with international assistance  by 2030, a carbon copy of the target outlined in its first NDC submission in 2016.

The international community was supposed to convene again to review its commitments at the 26th session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, but the swift and sudden spread of COVID-19 pushed the summit back to 2021.

Although most countries including Indonesia are heavily focused on the viral outbreak response, there is still much to do in preparation for the next COP meeting next year, said Nur Masripatin, senior adviser to the environment and forestry minister.

Nur said the ministry must still prepare an environmental road map document and legal framework, but also help other agencies prepare in accordance with the pledges outlined in the rehashed NDC. She said her office was also preparing the countrys Long-Term Strategy for Low-Carbon Climate Resilience (LTS-LCCR) to target net zero emissions by 2050.

Even with a lot on its plate, Nur said the government was expecting progress on some of its NDC target pledges, particularly in the energy sector where the B30 biodiesel mandate was launched.

Under the B30 program, the government will impose the mandatory use of 30 percent oil palm-based blended biodiesel fuel to help lower fossil fuel imports and increase foreign exchange. It is also planning to make 50 percent blended biodiesel fuel mandatory by 2021.

The energy sector is poised to become Indonesias second-largest contributor of greenhouse gas reductions, making up 11 percent of all targeted reductions after the forestry sector (17.2 percent).

Greenpeace Indonesia has criticized the updated NDCs as not ambitious enough, underscoring the decision not to increase the emissions reduction target. Its climate and energy researcher, Dila Isfandari, suggested that any failure to do so would be reflected in more tangible consequences.

Indonesia wont be able to save its people from the climate crisis [even with the current NDCs]. Even a rise of 1 degree Celsius in global temperatures drastically increased the frequency of hydrometeorological disasters, Dila told The Jakarta Post.

Government data even confirms this trend. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the rising trend of natural disasters has continued from year to year, from 1,967 cases in 2014 to 3,721 cases in 2019.

According to the Climate Action Tracker, a website that analyzes government climate actions and measures them against the Paris Agreement goals, Indonesias current NDCs will be highly insufficient as with it global warming would reach 3 to 4 degree Celsius, above the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold.

A World Resources Institute study in 2015 suggested that, if Indonesia continues implementing existing measures, its 2030 carbon dioxide emissions from the land use and energy sectors will overshoot the target associated with the countrys unconditional commitment to a 29 percent reduction.

Reducing emissions to meet Indonesias conditional target of a 41 percent reduction below business-as-usual levels would require even stronger efforts, including extending the [...] forest moratorium, restoring degraded peatland, implementing energy conservation programs, and pursuing mitigation measures for other sectors and gases, WRI researchers wrote in the study.

The ministry was advised not to reduce its emissions reduction target after a public consultation in February with environmental groups and other stakeholders, including the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

The important principle is that the updated NDC must progress beyond existing commitments, meaning that we arent allowed to lower our ambitions to reduce emissions, Nur said in a virtual discussion on Monday.

Environmental studies scholar Gusti Anshari of Tanjungpura University said that the updated NDCs will, even if approved, require new regulations to be passed before they can be implemented.

In the meantime, he said, the government should figure out a way to attain our NDC target, whether it be mitigation or adaptation.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts has named Santa Fe-born Kim Peone executive director.

An enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Peone is the first Native American woman in SWAIAs 99-year history to helm the organization.

The announcement comes in the shadow of the cancellation of the Santa Fe Indian Market due to the coronavirus and amid serious financial problems within its umbrella group.

Peone last served as the CEO/CFO of the Colville Confederated Tribes. She possesses dual degrees in accounting and marketing.

Ive been working in Indian Country for 30 years, Peone said in a telephone interview from North Carolina, where she was visiting her children.

In Washington, Peone moved from serving as a board member of the Colville Confederated Tribes to its leadership position.

It was a natural fit, she said. I grew our cash distribution by $32 million.

Before moving to Washington, Peone worked as the CFO for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for seven years.

On the first day I took over, cash flow was $600,000. When I left, it was $6 million.

I was able to really look at efficiencies; I was able to look at promotion.

She also oversaw a $700 million trust fund and a $350 million operating budget.

Peone is aware of the challenges awaiting her. Board members have said the Santa Fe Indian Market, the most prestigious of its kind in the world, could come to an end without more sponsorships. The annual event draws about 115,000 summer visitors with an $165 million economic impact on northern New Mexico. For many of its approximately 1,000 artists, it generates half their annual income. For the past several years, its leadership has resembled a revolving door.

Well, you know, thats Indian Country, Peone said, referring to the latter. There are good leaders and there are bad leaders. You have to have a skill set beyond just a title.

I feel like they made a bold decision to hire an executive director during a crisis like this. I come at it with optimism. I come at it as a businesswoman. The pandemic has created a ripple effect of dire need. Were going to be strategic; were going to look at our options.

Peone lived in Santa Fe until she was 8 years old; her parents met at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
BOGOTA, Colombia  So many men. Men at the bakery, men on bikes, men in parks, men in the grocery aisles.

Its weird, said Adriana Perez, a nurse in scrubs waiting at the bank, the only woman in sight. But its working.

Bogota, Colombias capital and largest city, joined Panama this week in instituting a gender-based virus-prevention measure designed to limit the number of people in the streets. On odd-numbered days, men can leave the house to seek out essentials. On even-numbered days, its the womens turn.

The measure comes as cities across Latin America are struggling to keep people off the streets, despite quarantine orders that have been in place for weeks in most countries.
Kangana Ranauts sister Rangoli Chandel has always been in the limelight for her notorious tweets. Time and again, Rangoli has been slammed for her tweets and people have been calling her parasite, for that matter, on the social media platform. Well, she is back at the top trends because her Twitter account has been suspended.

She had tweeted, A Jamati died of Corona when police and doctors went to check their families they were attacked and killed, secular media, make these mullahs + secular media stand in a line and shoot them dead...f****k the history they may call us nazis who cares, life is more imp than fake image (sic). It was because of this tweet a lot of people and even celebs started to report and block her.

Now, Rangoli has issued a statement that reads, Twitter is an American platform absolutely biased and anti-India, you can make fun of Hindu Gods, call Prime Minister and Home Minister terrorists, but if you say anything about people pelting stones on health workers and Police forces, they suspend your account. I have no desire of empowering any such platforms with my perspective and honest opinions, so I am not reviving my account, I was my sisters' spokesperson now watch out for her direct interviews, she is a huge star she has many ways of reaching out, a biased platform can be easily avoided.

Recently, she expressed how she was getting warnings from Twitter for writing against the Muslim Jamaats. Tracking Rangoli for years, we know that she is known for her outlandish and bold statements.

Before her account got suspended, she even criticized the platform tor sending her warning for raising her point. She wrote, Twitter giving me warnings, so basically you can abuse our PM call our home minister terrorist, give artists rape threats mock Hindu Gods and Gaumutra whole day but if you say anything about mullas twitter gets upset.

Heres what people have to say about Twitter suspending Rangoli Chandels account after a series of abrasive tweets that seemed to have provoked religious hatred. However, people on the internet are calling the account suspension of Rangoli Chandel the much-needed break that Twitter needed from her.

Twitter is free from Rangoli Chudail



A positive news amid corona lockdown pic.twitter.com/AeZAfcK6aj   (@insane_suraj) April 16, 2020

Two minutes silence for whoever Rangoli C is in isolation with. She/he would've to take all the bullshit that's marinated in her mind now that she doesn't have Twitter to vomit it out on.  Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) April 16, 2020

Breaking: Rangoli Chandel tested positive for islamophobia & bigotry. Suspended

  Mohd Naeem (@rahmandude) April 16, 2020

Rangoli To Run Out Ho Gai  #RangoliChandel  Sunil Gupta (@HeySunilGupta) April 16, 2020

I actually feel sad for Rangoli Chandel. These posts were actually By Kangana for sure.  BigBossKiMaa (@MataRani440) April 16, 2020

World is healing 



Rangoli Chandel Account Suspended  pic.twitter.com/rN11Ijqjvq  Sanjay Tambe Patil (@SANJAYTAMBE8008) April 16, 2020

Recently, she also ranted about how people are attacking the doctors and nurses should be shot dead.

Apart from informing people about Kangana Ranauts upcoming projects, Rangoli is often seen using the platform to express her views about Corona Jihad, anti-CAA protestors and many other religion sensitive matters.

With all of this, we think its time that Rangoli also takes a break from getting slammed by people for her views.
Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion curated for you. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

Mumbai Covid-19 infections near 2,000, 5 new cases in Dharavi

The number of Covid-19 cases in Mumbai nudged 2,000 on Wednesday with the citys civic body saying the growing numbers are a result of extensive testing even as the risk of infection in the crowded slum of Dharavi worried authorities. Read more

First for Assam: Two Covid-19 patients recover; discharged from hospital

The two patients, both with links to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, were released from the Sonapur district hospital on the outskirts of Guwahati on Wednesday evening. Read more

SDM shifted after wife seen learning driving in his official vehicle

A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), engaged in administrative work to check spread of coronavirus, was shifted from field posting on Wednesday after his wife was found learning driving in official vehicle of her husband on Tuesday. Read more

Evidence of virus effect on US economy grows more ominous

Evidence of the coronavirus devastating impact on the US economy has been steadily emerging, and the signs have grown ominous. Sales at stores and restaurants plunged in March by the largest amount on records dating back to 1992. Read more

Salman Khan angry at lockdown violators in new video: If you dont go out with friends, police wouldnt hit your behinds

Salman Khan has shared a long video on his life under lockdown. The actor also schooled those who are venturing out of their houses, putting their families at risk of the novel coronavirus. Read more

IPL postponed, franchises told

The BCCI has suspended this years IPL till further notice. After the government extended the lockdown (till May 3), it has been decided that the IPL shall remain suspended till further notice, a top BCCI official said on Wednesday. Read more

Maskaba: Fashion designer Masaba Gupta manufactures face masks to battle coronavirus

On Wednesday, Mumbai-based fashion designer and actor Neena Guptas daughter, Masaba Gupta announced that she will be contributing to Indias fight against the coronavirus pandemic by producing non-surgical face masks at a production facility. Read more

Apple iPhone SE 2nd gen: Top things to know about the new iPhone

Apple on Wednesday announced the launch of iPhone SE 2nd gen. The successor to 2016 iPhone SE model, Apples new phone comes with a combination of old and new features. Read more

Even Tulsi has refused visitors to her home: This message from BMC has Smriti Iranis nod

Who can forget the iconic Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi title track. Even the slightest mention of it conjures an instant image in our minds of Tulsi opening the doors to her house and welcoming you in. Read more

Watch: WHO chief reacts to Donald Trumps decision to halt funding amid Covid war
Tech entrepreneurs including software, hardware, advanced manufacturing and cleantech are welcome to register for this free 1 hr E2E online speaker series.

This RIC Centre COVID Survival Toolkit Speaker Series is intended to share targeted tips from tech experts with practical insights and stories from the front lines. Tech entrepreneurs are, by nature, problem solvers and we will share things you can do today to benefit your business now and later.

The speakers are select domain experts, successful entrepreneurs and innovation enthusiasts with impressive track records. They are committed to helping our tech innovation ecosystem remain strong and grow from this tumultuous phase.

Speaker Dates & Featured Topics:

21-Apr Marketing Innovation & Creative Techniques from the Front Lines 05-May Agile Innovation - Staying Nimble 19-May insights on seed fundraising during COVID-19 02-Jun Growth Hacking During a Downtown 16-Jun Generating Business Leads 30-Jun Bootstrapping

RIC Centre hopes entrepreneurs take this opportunity with unprecedented free online access to experts focused on tech start-ups. Experts will share frameworks and techniques while the entrepreneurs will share steps to success with a focus on adaptations with practical and achievable measures that are easy to implement right away.

Register HERE for E2E COVID-10 Speaker Series - April 21, 2020 3-4pm EST

Register HERE for the ENTIRE E2E COVID-10 Speaker Series

RIC Centre is a not-for-profit innovation hub and business incubator for Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and other communities in Southern Ontario. RIC Centre's focus is to be a dynamic catalyst for tech companies.

RIC Centre is part of the innovation network created to support tech entrepreneurs to start, grow and succeed. The network has centres across the province including Innovation Factory, Innovation Guelph, Innovate Niagara, Haltech and WeTech, and is supported in part by the government of Ontario.

More information www.riccentre.ca

SOURCE Research, Innovation and Commercialization Centre (RIC Centre)

For further information: Pam Banks - Executive Director, [email protected]

Related Links

riccentre.ca


Food and beverage major PepsiCo India on Thursday joined hands with industry body CII to provide two million meals to the marginalised communities in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan

New Delhi: Food and beverage major PepsiCo India on Thursday joined hands with industry body CII to provide two million meals to the marginalised communities in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The meals would be distributed amongst families of farmers, self-help groups (SHGs) and migrant workers in the states, according to a statement.

Earlier, on April 6, PepsiCo Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, had committed to provide over 5 million meals to families impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak, in partnership with Akshaya Patra Foundation.

With this latest partnership, PepsiCo India has upped its commitment to provide over 7 million meals to the underprivileged and marginalised families impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak across India, it said.

As part of the partnership, CII Foundation will provide dry rations to the underprivileged families in partnership with the Local administration and police authorities in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

PepsiCo India President Ahmed ElSheikh said: "We are partnering CII Foundation to reach out to these communities and offer assistance in expediting the relief measures".

So far, CII Foundation, CII and CII Membership have reached out to over 25 lakh beneficiaries across 27 states, through the distribution of meals, ration kits, hygiene kits and awareness, as per Seema Arora, Deputy Director-General, CII and CEO, CII Foundation.

Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the extension of lockdown till 3 May. India is presently going through an unprecedented complete lockdown since 25 March to prevent the spread of the virus.

According to the latest updates from the Health Ministry, a number of cases from Covid-19 has climbed to 12,380 and the death toll has risen to 414 in the country.
Despite its passenger services suspended till May 3 amid the country-wide lockdown, the Indian Railwyas will be running two special trains this week from Bangalore to ferry army personnel for their border duty, military sources said on Thursday.

The sources said the Home Ministry has given the approval to run a train on the Bangalore - Belgaum- Secundrabad - Ambala- Jammu route on April 17, and another one on April 18 on the Bangalore - Belgaum- Secundrabad - Gopalpur - Howrah - NJP Guwahati route.

The sources said the special trains would be run to meet the operational requirements of the northern and eastern borders during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

"Only personnel due to rejoin units in northern and eastern borders and who have undergone mandatory quarantine period or found medically fit will be accommodated.

"Further coordination with ministry of railways is in progress for planning additional trains in coming weeks, the source said.

Railway sources said in the two special trains, railways will maintain the social distancing norms prescribed by the health ministry due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Currently, the Railways is only running freight and parcel trains to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential goods. The suspension of passenger services will be effective till May 3.

According to Union health Ministry, the death toll due to coronavirus rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 in the country on Thursday. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 10,477, as many as 1,488 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2020World Bank Group President David Malpass today issued his remarks from the G20 finance ministers virtual meeting:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The World Bank Group has been focused on taking fast, broad-based action, especially for the poorest countries. By the end of April, we expect to have Covid-related projects in 100 countries, and we are taking steps to provide $160 billion of financing over the next 15 months. We thank you for the capital and funding you provide for IBRD, IDA, IFC, and MIGA, and we invite your early subscriptions.

Our goals are to:

help developing countries implement emergency health operations;

protect the poorest households;

save jobs and businesses. IFC and MIGA are working with private sector clients to support trade and working capital lines.

All of this will shorten the time to broad based, sustainable economic recovery.

The other MDBs have committed to roughly $80 billion over this period, bringing the total to $240 billion. Weve been coordinating closely in order to act efficiently and achieve impact at scale. We invite your bilateral assistance programs and the other MDBs to join us through parallel and co-financing of our 100 emergency programs, and to take advantage of WB-facilitated joint procurement of medical equipment and supplies.

I strongly welcome the G20 efforts to allow the IDA countries to suspend repayment of official bilateral credit on May 1st. Commercial creditors would be expected to provide comparable treatment. In turn, beneficiary countries would commit to use the additional resources to respond to COVID-19; and to fully disclose their public sector financial commitments. The World Bank and IMF are being asked to analyze and report on the liquidity needs of eligible countries and monitor their use of the fiscal space created by the debt relief.

This is a powerful, fast-acting initiative that will bring real benefits to the poor.

Multilateral development banks are being asked to further explore options for suspending our debt service payments, while maintaining our credit rating. Kristalina and I met with MDB heads yesterday to discuss this and our coordinated support efforts. They unanimously asked me to register our requirement to maintain credit-worthiness and our concern that suspending repayments to MDBs, if not fully compensated by new shareholder contributions, would run the risk of hurting the poor in both the short-term, by reducing our ability to front-load assistance, and in the long-term, by reducing our leveraging capacity.

The World Bank and IMF will do everything possible to support the debt initiative. Kristalina and I championed it, and were committed to taking all possible steps to support to the poor. The World Bank will be providing massively scaled up and frontloaded net transfers to IDA countries on highly concessional terms -- over $50 billion of financing over the next 15 months  and the IMF has its own highly impactful initiatives.

The Development Committee, including its many representatives from the poorest countries, will discuss the various support initiatives on Friday. I know we will thank Saudi Arabia for strongly leading the debt relief efforts during its chairmanship of the G20 and will thank all the creditors for their efforts.

I am certain that substantial progress on debt has been made this week; also, that our fast action to provide support during the crisis will help during the downturn and strengthen the recovery. Thank you."
More than 80 million Americans can expect to receive emergency coronavirus relief payments direct deposited into their bank accounts this week, according to the Treasury Department. But as the payments roll out, many of those eligible to receive them are encountering problems ranging from persistent error messages on the new online payment tracking tool to money deposited into the wrong account. There are also reports of payments going to people who are deceased.

Bryan Leeds of Waterford Works, New Jersey, was looking forward to his payment to help his mother, who is a widow, pay her rent and bills. He received a tax return in January via direct deposit and was expecting to see his payment in his account. When he checked the IRSs "Get My Payment" tool to track his money, it showed that the funds were sent to an account number that was one digit off.

"They messed up one digit and it was the last digit and I was confused because they have my direct deposit information. So how could they screw that up, for lack of a better term?" Leeds said.

PHOTO: Workers organize food to be donated by City Harvest Mobile Market Food Distribution Center, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 15, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

A cornerstone feature of the $2 trillion emergency relief package passed by Congress in March, the direct payments to Americans will be a lifeline to those who are out of work or struggling to make ends meet as the economy contracts. Individuals making $75,000 or less and couples making $150,000 or less are eligible to receive $1,200. Individuals and couples in those income brackets also are eligible for $500 for each child 17 or younger.

MORE: Who will get what and when from the $2 trillion relief package

The payments are smaller for individuals making up to $99,000 and couples making up to $198,000. Americans making more than that will not receive a payment.

According to the IRS, those who filed 2018 or 2019 tax returns and provided direct deposit information would automatically receive the payments in their bank accounts. But that has not been the case for everyone, like Leeds.

Story continues

"I tried calling my bank. The bank said that the account ending in 1-4-2-9 doesn't even actually exist in their bank," Leeds said.

He then attempted to call any phone number he could find for the Treasury Department or the IRS to get help, but none of the lines were accepting calls.

"I don't know how you just send out $1,200 to random bank accounts and not verify that they're actually real. And I'm not working so it's like, I'll keep trying to call," Leeds said. "It just seems like a bunch of empty promises."

The "Get My Payment" tool rolled out Wednesday and was designed to allow people to track the status of their payment and submit their direct deposit information to the IRS if they havent in the past, in order to avoid waiting for a paper check to arrive in the mail.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump listens as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 13, 2020, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP, FILE)

However, the portal struggled on the first day to deal with traffic, often displaying a "please wait" message for minutes before allowing visitors to access the initial form. After entering their personal information, including their social security number, users were often met with the following message: "Payment Status is Not Available." The phrase was trending on Twitter Wednesday afternoon as frustrated users vented about their experience.

The IRS denied there were any issues with the user experience. The agency did urge taxpayers in a statement to limit themselves to checking the tool once per day due to high volume.

"IRS is actively monitoring site volume; if site volume gets too high, users are sent to an online waiting room for a brief wait until space becomes available, much like private sector online sites," the agency said in a statement.

The statement said 6.2 million taxpayers had received their status via the tool, and another 1.1 million successfully provided their banking information.

To help taxpayers like Leeds, whose payments have gone to the wrong account, the IRS plans to mail a letter to the most recent address on file for each recipient 15 days after the payment is sent, which "will provide information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment," according to the IRS website.

MORE: Timeline: Government's evolving guidance on when Americans can return to work

In addition to erroneous account numbers, closed accounts are proving to be a problem.

A full-time student, Mikel Thomas of College Station, Texas, closed the account he used to receive his 2018 tax return, so when he heard about the stimulus checks in March, he made sure to file his 2019 taxes right away.

On April 12, Thomas received his 2019 refund from the IRS via direct deposit to his new and active account. He said he thought to himself, 'Cool, they have my new stuff. Everything is good."

But Wednesday morning, the stimulus payment was not in his new account. He checked the status of his payment and discovered it was routed to his old, closed account.

"The thing that doesn't make sense is, again, the fact they just used my new account information," Thomas said. "Why would you use the old information and not check the new one to see if it's changed? I don't understand that."

PHOTO: People wait in line to pick up groceries from the food pantry at the Fourth Presbyterian Church amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Boston, April 14, 2020. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Thomas said he was depending on the check to pay his rent.

"But now if I have to wait til May. I don't know what's going to happen," he said.

JP Morgan Chase told ABC News the bank has received payments for customers whose accounts are no longer open. In the event an account is closed and a new one cant be located, the bank has been sending the funds back to Treasury.

According to the IRS, those payments will be sent as checks by mail to the recipients.

Others are reporting receiving payments for relatives who are deceased. Since the IRS is relying on taxpayer data that is up to two years old, it is inevitable the system will send payments to some Americans who have since died.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R.-Ky., tweeted a message from a friend who told him his father received a stimulus check.

"He died in 2018," the friend said in a text message.

Ok this is insane, but just the tip of the iceberg. This is a direct text to me from a friend. I called to confirm this actually just happened. pic.twitter.com/GBRPcmYMXW  Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 15, 2020

Massie drew criticism last month when he used procedural maneuvers to force many members of Congress to travel to Washington to pass the $2 trillion relief bill, arguing that House members should have to vote on the record on the largest spending bill in history. Now, he says he's concerned about oversight of the funds.

"I understand the incentive to move quickly and I understand the stakes are high but I'm afraid nobody will go back and correct the mistakes that are made because it's such a massive program," Massie told ABC News. "I'm also concerned that even after these are sent out, if there are mistakes that are made, that these wont be audited, that there won't be much diligence in terms of going back a year or two from now."

Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis.

At least one of the stimulus check mishaps seemed to be in the recipients favor: Charles Calvin of New Chicago, Indiana, a volunteer firefighter, said he was shocked to discover $8.2 million dollars in his checking account while using an ATM, according to Chicago-based WGN9. Calvin expected to receive $1,700 from the IRS. By the time he was able to speak with his bank Monday morning, the millions had disappeared and only the $1700 stimulus payment was there.

Calvin choose to look at the mistake in a positive light.

"You go from being a millionaire one second then back to being broke again. But hey, once you're poor, you don't have anywhere else to go but up."

ABC News' Taylor Dunn and Sophie Tatum contributed to this report.

What to know about coronavirus:

How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained

What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms

Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map

As stimulus checks hit bank accounts, many encounter roadblocks originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
(Alliance News) - Dominic Raab has called for a "deep dive" review into how coronavirus was able to spread from China a warning there is "no doubt" it cannot be "business as usual" after the crisis.

The Foreign Secretary, who is deputising for Boris Johnson, said "hard questions" needed to be asked about how the virus came about and how its spread was not stopped sooner.

He told the daily Downing Street press conference: "I think there absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after the event review of the lessons a including of the outbreak of the virus a and I don't think we can flinch from that at all, it needs to be driven by the science."

He said the UK had good co-operation with China in relation to the return of UK nationals and in procurement of equipment, and that the review would need to be done in a "balanced way".

"But there is no doubt we can't have business as usual after this crisis, and we will have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier."

The Covid-19 outbreak began in Wuhan at the beginning of the year, but quickly spread globally. More than 100,000 people have since died with the disease worldwide.

By Harriet Line, PA Deputy Political Editor

source: PA

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
A day after Mizoram



minister Lalchhandama Ralte announced the resumption of class-12 board examination, a group of students on Thursday launched a campaign on social media demanding postponement of the re-scheduled exams till normalcy returns.

Many students took to Instagram under the hashtag "mbse no exam no risk" blaming the state government for its decision to resume the board exams amid the lockdown.

The students also showed placard demanding the state government to postpone the re-scheduled exams till normalcy returns in the state.

"Our demand is not that we should not write the exam forever, but our exam should not come at this time of crisis. What will happen to those students, who already left Mizoram and those who live in villages as the MHA new guidelines states that not only all institutions should be suspended, but also prohibits inter-district and inter-state movement till May 3," Francis Laltlankima, a class-12 student of St Paul Higher Secondary school told PTI.

He said that the Mizoram Board School (MBSE) had earlier said that the suspended examination will be resumed only after the lockdown and once normalcy returned in the state.

Although the board asked students to appear in nearest or their choice of centre, the risk remains as many students have to travel as exam centres are not available in their villages.

"Why are we conducting exams in this tiny state when even the CBSE exams are yet to be finished?. The government ought to listen to the voice of students, who are the future leaders," he said.

Francis said that a group of students have launched a campaign on Instagram and other social media platform demanding the state government to postpone the re-scheduled exams till the world is back to normalcy.

Meanwhile, Bhupesh Chaudhary, the deputy commissioner of Siaha district on Thursday wrote to the MBSE informing that the decision on the recommencement of the board exams was against the Centres guidelines.

In the letter addressed to the controller of examinations, MBSE, Chaudhary said that the lockdown measure stipulated in the consolidated guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued on Wednesday for containment of COVID-19 epidemic will continue to remain in force till May 3.

"The notification for re-commencement of HSSLC (Arts, Science and Commerce) examination from April 22 in Siaha is a clear violation of the MHA order and therefore, no exemption can be accorded for the class-12 board examinations," the letter said.

B. Vanlaltana, president of states apex student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) has endorsed the state government decision and said that the student body wanted to complete examination on the remaining subjects as earliest as possible.

Lalchhandama Ralte on Wednesday announced that examination for high school leaving certificate (HSSLC) or class-12 will be resumed on April 22 and will continue till April 24 for remaining three subjects in arts, science and commerce streams.

He said that resumption of the exam was inevitable and the issue has been discussed by the cabinet and meeting of NGOs and political parties on Monday.

The MBSE on Thursday issued a notification informing the students to appear in the nearest examination centre as per their convenience.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bhubaneswar: To combat coronavirus, the Odisha government has set up 21 Covid-19 hospitals in 19 districts, raising the number of beds to 3,620, according to an official here on Wednesday.

The government plans to set up coronavirus hospitals in each district in a week.

An exclusive Covid-19 hospital with 200 beds became operational in the Subarnapur district, said Subroto Bagchi, Odisha's chief spokesperson for Covid-19.
Comment



There may be consensus on how the novel coronavirus spreads, but there is certainly no one size fits all solution to how best each country can stop it.

This is evident in the different levels of lockdowns adopted by affected countries globally, with the Eswatini Government preferring a partial lockdown that has now been extended for three more weeks with a relaxed ban on non-essential sectors.



Many have welcomed the move, but some have not, in what puts to a serious test the countrys ability to effectively curb the spread of the virus and minimise fatalities without destroying the livelihoods of more than 90 per cent of the population.



It is no easy balancing act, but the World Bank this week cautioned African States to desist from copying Western practices and policies to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The bank cites recent research that found how the economic and social dynamics of developing and developed countries warranted different strategies in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. An argument has also been raised on how recommended lockdowns may not be suitable for Africa.

However, what is not in dispute is that a lockdown (of whatever form) without mass screening, testing, strict quarantine, adequate protective equipment, physical distancing and uncompromised hygiene practice, is an effort in futility.



This pandemic is unprecedented and, therefore, the strategy adopted by Eswatini is a trial and error. It can go horribly wrong if members of the public would begin to think that they can now relax on the precautions advanced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health. Actually, the risk of infection just got higher despite the enhanced screening and quarantine measures announced yesterday.



Our government, like that of Sweden, has just placed the onus of surviving COVID-19 on the populace.

Sadly, the mad rush to stock up on alcohol may be an indication of just how serious emaSwati take this responsibility. The negative consequence of this may be a prolonged total lockdown that would kill us all in one way or another.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 03:03:23|Editor: huaxia

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A pedestrian is reflected in a window of a closed dining room and bar of The Smith in New York, the United States, March 26, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

Amid COVID-19 fallout, 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past four weeks.

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Newly released data showed that 5.2 million Americans filed initial jobless claims last week, bringing the four-week total to a staggering 22 million, as the COVID-19 fallout continues to ripple through the U.S. workforce.

In the week ending April 11, the number of people filing for U.S. unemployment benefits decreased by 1.37 million to 5.25 million, following figures of over 6 million in the previous two weeks, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said on Twitter that the four-week sum is nearly 10 times of previous four-week high.

The four-week total erased job gains during the decade-long expansion that began in mid-2009, Bloomberg reported, while noting that the latest figures suggest a current unemployment rate of around at least 17 percent.

Michael Hicks, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University in Indiana, however, told Xinhua that "today's initial jobless claims provided the first glimmer of hopeful economic news in weeks."

"Though the initial claims were very high, at 5.2 million, this is a deceleration from last weeks 6.6 million," Hicks said via email. "The encouraging part is that slowing job losses are a sign that earlier reports were not terribly understated because of a backlog in unemployment insurance claims."

Bernstein, meanwhile, noted that getting unemployment insurance compensation to laid-off workers is still clogged, urging the federal government to provide more help to states.

Hicks, who had estimated about 28 million U.S. workers were at risk of losing jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the slower growth in initial jobless claims "also suggests that estimates of 'at risk' jobs made last month are likely correct and we are not experiencing accelerating job losses as consumer spending and business investment drop."

As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the country, most states and local officials have closed non-essential businesses and ordered residents to stay home in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, effectively shutting down a significant part of the economy.

According to the Federal Reserve's latest survey on economic conditions, known as the Beige Book, released Wednesday, employment declined in all districts as the COVID-19 pandemic affected firms in many sectors.

"Employment cuts were most severe in the retail and leisure and hospitality sectors, where most districts reported widespread mandatory closures and steep falloffs in demand," the survey said, adding that severe job cuts were also widespread in the manufacturing and energy sectors.

Noting that Wednesday's retail data, despite overall decline, points to large increase in grocery store and online purchases, Hicks said many workers might be transitioning from restaurants and retail to grocery and online sales positions.

"Contacts in several districts noted they were cutting employment via temporary layoffs and furloughs that they hoped to reverse once business activity resumes," the Fed survey said, noting that the near-term outlook was for more job cuts in coming months.

A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks past a closed shop in San Mateo City, California, the United States, April 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)'s semiannual Global Economics Prospects outlook released last week, the U.S. output is expected to shrink by 8.0 percent in 2020, and the unemployment rate will probably peak around 20 percent in the early summer.

Karen Dynan, a nonresident senior fellow at PIIE and economics professor at Harvard University, predicted a roughly 6 percent unemployment rate by the end of next year, compared with 3.5 percent prior to the COVID-19 crisis.

To cushion the economic impact of the epidemic, the U.S. Congress last month approved a 2.2-trillion-dollar relief package, which includes measures to stabilize the labor market, such as emergency loans for small businesses, business tax breaks, unemployment benefits expansion, and 1,000-dollar-plus direct payments for working Americans.

Earlier this week, major U.S. airlines and the Treasury Department reached a tentative agreement over financial assistance for the industry heavily hit by the pandemic through a payroll support program, as part of the relief package.

"Everything I'm seeing suggests the economy will go from red to green through yellow," Bernstein said. "And we'll likely be hanging out at 'yellow' for at least a year as we create a heretofore unseen rolling average of commerce and distancing/testing/tracing/re-quarantining."

Dynan said the most likely scenario would be a check-mark shaped cycle, which means a sharp downturn followed by a relatively slow recovery. 
Covid isolation centre, Akwa Ibom. [PHOTO CREDIT: BBC]



The COVID-19 index case in Kano State withheld critical information about his medical condition and travel history to doctors at the neuro-surgical specialist hospital where he was first treated, a staff of the clinic has said.

James King, one of the doctors at the hospital, said the patient was evaluated, examined, and admitted into a private room at the hospital on the night of April 10.

Prior to his admission, the patient, an ambassador whose identity has been withheld, told the doctors he had been having fever, mouth dryness, and loss of appetite for some days.

He was asked if he had cough, breathlessness, or palpitations, and if he had travelled recently, questions to which he replied in the negative.

It was later discovered that he had been economical with the truth.

It was unknown to us that he was alleged to have travelled abroad too before returning to my resident state via Abuja travelling by road, Mr James wrote in a Facebook post Thursday, adding that the deceased had had contact with two doctors (himself and his boss), three nurses, and one non-medical staff.

The doctor also spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday morning. He said his post was to warn other health workers to be careful.



While travelling by road he stayed briefly in Kaduna before arriving to my resident state on the 25th March 2020. He denied all these travel history to us.

He also denied about the pertinent Coronavirus symptoms, ..breathlessness and cough. He also hid the fact that he had been to several medical outlets since his return to the state.

And importantly, he did not provide information that his samples were taken by NCDC for COVID-19 testing before coming to us.

Testing positive

On March 24, the Kano State government directed its civil servants to stay away from work for 14 days and banned the movement of large-capacity buses into the state as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus into the state. The state was yet to record a COVID-19 case at the time.

Mr King said they found out that during his illness, before he was admitted into their hospital, the deceased had been attending Friday Mosque prayers, naming ceremonies and other gatherings.

On Saturday, barely a day after the patients admission, Mr King said there was a Nollywood-like dramatic entrance into their hospital as the police and other security agents barricaded the road leading to the facility.



The officials told us that we had a man in our facility that just tested positive for COVID-19, the doctor said.

Luckily, my boss, a renowned neurosurgeon, who was still in theatre while rounding up a delicate Spinal Cord Pedicle Screw Fixation + Laminectomy surgery had to be told. He derobed. And met the officials.

There was an order from the Governor of the state to lock down the hospital immediately to prevent further spread.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported the first case of COVID-19 in Kano on April 11, bringing Nigerias total case as of that date to 318.

On Wednesday, the NCDC announced 12 new cases of coronavirus in Kano, as the countrys tally rose to 407.

It also announced the first COVID-19 death in the north-western state.

Mr King also said himself and other staff who had been in contact with the index case were placed on isolation in the hospital and their samples were taken for testing.

On April 15, their results came back negative.

A call for investigation



On Wednesday, a Kano-based group, Kungiyar Matasan Kano, petitioned the police seeking an investigation into claims that the deceased deliberately wanted to spread the virus in Kano.

According to the petitioners, the deceased entered Kano on March 25, two days before the state government ordered a lockdown.

They alleged he had been to Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos, and then escaped out of Abuja knowing his samples had been taken for a COVID-19 test.

They also alleged that while in Kano, he had visited two mosques, two diagnostic centres, and a hospital before his case was detected.

Alhassan Dambatta, the chairman board of trustees of the group, said there are claims that the deceased intentionally refused to disclose his travel history to all the centres and hospitals he visited while he was sick.



The essence of this petition letter is to demand for investigation into the circumstances surrounding this issue in order to establish or otherwise of any case of recklessness, sabotage, and intentional desecration of the law by the said index case, the group said in a press release issued by Mr Dambatta.

The people of Kano state are in need of knowing the actual truth about the incidence and demanded for a discreet investigation of the circumstances surrounding the issue.

***

Source: PREMIUM TIMES
New Delhi, April 16 : A day after the Delhi's AAP government shifted hundreds of migrant labourers from the Yamuna river bed near the Kashmere gate area, the BJP said that it had apprised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the issue on April 8 and also asked him to shift them to a safer place.

Neelkant Bakshi, Head, Media Relations of Delhi BJP, told IANS, "The issue of the migrant labourers was taken up by Manoj Tiwari on April 8 with the Chief Minister in a video call. Tiwari also raised concern about homeless people not getting proper and quality food." Bakshi's remarks came a day after the Delhi government ordered to vacate the area, 10 days after IANS reported the plight of hundreds of migrant labourers living in the river bed.

Bakshi said that Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari was updated on the IANS report from the Yamuna river bed highlighting the plight of migrant labourers and thus he raised the issue with Chief Minister for intervention.

Bakshi further said that the Delhi BJP Chief also demanded to know about the kitchens set up by the Delhi government to prepare food for the stranded people, so that MPs can also go and inspect and help.

He further said that the Chief Minister deputed AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and asked him to share details of back end kitchen where the food was being prepared. "But to our surprise till date no list has been shared by the Aam Aadmi Party or the Delhi government," the BJP leader said.

The BJP leader also said that several Delhi Lok Sabha MPs have requested Kejriwal to share the details of the kitchens operated by the city government, but to date no list has been shared.

Bakshi further said that Tiwari, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from northeast Delhi, again posted a video appeal to Kejriwal on April 14 requesting him to share kitchen details so that he can put posters of these 500 kitchens, as he did on 20th day of the lockdown on 20 sanitisation machines, so that people know about the kitchens run by the AAP government.

"The AAP government claims to run 500 kitchens with the logic that each kitchen prepares food for at least 2000 people to a total of 10 lakh people. We just wanted the details of these kitchens, Bakshi added.

The issue of migrant labourers turned into a flashpoint between the ruling AAP and the BJP on Wednesday, as the latter slammed the city government for ignoring hundreds of migrants who were forced to take shelter under the bridge that connects east Delhi with north Delhi's Kashmere gate Interstate Bus Terminal (SBT).

The action to vacate the Yamuna river bed came exactly 10 days after IANS visited the spot in the night and highlighted the plight of the migrant labourers, who were stranded here with no money and food after the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24.

Over 2,000 migrant labourers were forced to stay on the river bed in pathetic situation with no facilities of drinking water and toilets. They got food during the day and night when it arrived at the nearby night shelters.

The Yamuna riverbed where these migrant labourers were staying for more than 23 days is just two kilometres away from the residence of Kejriwal and Lt Governor Anil Baijal.
[April 16, 2020] AgTech Scientific will produce non-hemp based food products at its 1,900,000 square foot greenhouse to aid the country during the COVID-19 supply chain crisis

PARIS, Ky., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic is unprecedented in its impact on the American people. Schools, public facilities, government offices and businesses have closed in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus.

In addition to business pauses and closures, a demand for capable companies to take leadership within their respective essential supply chains and keep the engine of the American economy turning is needed now more than ever before. AgTech Scientific is proud to announce that we will immediately begin utilizing essential employees and greenhouse indoor farming capabilities to serve our nations supply chain, to help ease the increasing demand on our food supply systems at this time and beyond. This will not affect AgTechs ability to supply hemp or hemp derived products. Thanks to the combined management experience under the AgTech umbrella, supply chain disruption, which is commonplace across agricultural industries, was modeled and has allowed the organization to ensure that it consistently keeps more than a one-year supply of raw materials on hand. Ultra-modern, stable, and controlled growing environments are needed during this pandemic and we believe will continue to be more prevalent in the new economy going forward. AgTech remains dedicated to protecting employees by encouraging remote work and increasing safety standards for those continuing to work on-site. We encourage you to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to protect yourself against the virus during this critical time. About AgTech Scientific Headquartered in Paris, Kentucky, AgTech Scientific is a large-scale food supplement provider and product manufacturer with hemp derived compounds as its key ingredients for sale in bulk and in its proprietary consumer packaged goods. AgTech Scientific is dedicated to compliance and controlling every channel within its supply chain to ensure full chain of custody for its R2S (Root to Shelf) brand of products. The company has two lage facilities in Paris, Kentucky within close proximity to each other. The 2,000,000 million sq. ft. greenhouse and ag-processing center allows for year-round indoor cultivation and serves outdoor farming operations in Central Kentucky.



The purpose built 50,000 sq. ft. extraction and manufacturing center (phase 2 completion expected in Q2, 2020) has been designed and is being constructed to meet GMP and ISO standards, producing a variety of bulk T Free formulates and consumer products to mass market scale. The AgTech family includes partners and subsidiaries in 13 states for additional indoor/outdoor growing, extraction, consumer packaged goods manufacturing and distribution.

In 2017, the company signed agreements with leading U.S. universities to research AgTechs hemp derived formulates for safety, dosing, efficacy and delivery methods through quantitative and qualitative clinical studies. The first publication date is anticipated by mid-2020. Watch the following video on AgTech Scientifics 2019 Harvest here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbI8RonupO8&t=2s To learn more about AgTech Scientific and see additional content, visit our website at http://www.agtechscientific.com/ or contact corporate communications at: Jessica Scott

Director of Corporate Communications

[email protected] Safe Harbor

Certain statements herein relating to the Company constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, business plans and/or objectives, sales programs, forecasts and projections, assumptions, expectations, and/or beliefs of future performance, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual and future events to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to commercial operations, including production and/or sales of hemp derived products, quantities of future hemp products production, anticipated revenues in connection with such sales, the overall projected size of the market, completion and/or expansion of production facilities, and other information that is based on forecasts of future results, estimates of production not yet determinable, and other key management assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and involve risk and uncertainties relating to the Companys historical experience with regulatory changes, timeliness of government approvals for the granting of permits and licenses, changes in hemp products prices, actual operating performance of facilities, and other uninsured risks. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Contents are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction. The information in this news release is qualified in its entirety.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Maritime Resources (TSXV: MAE) ("Maritime" or the "Company") or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has filed on SEDAR the independent NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") Technical Report for the Hammerdown Gold Project, located in the Baie Verte mining district of Newfoundland and Labrador near the towns of King's Point and Springdale. The results of the PEA were previously announced in the Company's news release dated February 29th, 2020. A copy of the PEA is also located on the Company's website (www.maritimeresourcescorp.com).

Maritime also wishes to extend its gratitude to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for continued support of its exploration programs at the Green Bay Project through the Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) Program. The Company received funding under the JEA Program for exploration within the property during 2019.

About Maritime Resources Corp.

Maritime Resources holds a 100% interest in the Green Bay Property, including the former Hammerdown gold mine and Orion project plus the Whisker Valley exploration project, all located near the Baie Verte Mining District and Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Hammerdown gold deposit is characterized by near-vertical, narrow mesothermal quartz veins containing gold in pyrite. Hammerdown was last operated by Richmont Mines between 2000-2004 producing 143,000 ounces of gold at an average mine grade of 15.7 gpt Au through a combination of narrow vein open pit and underground mining.

On Behalf of the Board

MARITIME RESOURCES CORP.

1900-110 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5C 1T4

Garett Macdonald, MBA, P.Eng.

President and CEO

For further information, please contact:

Candace Di Vito, Director, Investor Relations

candace@maritimegold.com

www.maritimeresourcescorp.com

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, discovery and production of minerals, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, timing of geological reports, strategic plans, capital and operating costs, statements about the results of economic analyses in respect of Hammerdown and Orion, the timing, extent and success of mining operations, the availability of financing, taxation, currency exchange rates, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof, and is based on the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54536
Care home residents say they are being asked to sign letters agreeing to not be taken to hospital if they become ill the coronavirus.

Elderly people are being asked to sign the agreements en masse as hospitals come under intense pressure from thousands of patients with the infectious disease.

People over the age of 80 are known to be the most at risk of dying if they catch COVID-19 and account for 52 per cent of all the fatalities in England so far.

And the NHS has admitted that life-support machines could have to be prioritised for younger or healthier patients if an overloaded hospital is left with a 50/50 choice.

One woman living in a care home in Wiltshire, Elizabeth Diacon, 97, said she and 'several friends' were asked to sign the letters but claims she did not feel pressured.

Ms Diacon, who worked in military intelligence at the Bletchley Park codebreaking operation in Milton Keynes in World War Two, said: 'I'm not afraid of dying but I'm rather afraid of how I might die. I'd rather do it here than go to hospital.'

It comes as there are fears elderly patients won't get life-saving care despite the Government banning the use of blanket Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders for groups of people.

One family speaking to MailOnline said medical staff in a hospital in Hertfordshire told them their relative, who has both dementia and COVID-19, would not be saved if they started to die.

Elizabeth Diacon, pictured left in pink, met with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, in May last year to discuss her role in military intelligence at Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, in World War Two

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Ms Diacon said 'all who could' at her care home had been asked to sign the letter.

'To say that if we fell ill that we would not go to hospital,' she said. 'Unless of course we broke a hip or something.'

Ms Diacon said she 'presumed' the form was referring to the event in which they became critically ill with the coronavirus, which causes pneumonia.

She added: 'I don't know where the form came from but I've spoken to several friends in care homes and they've all had to sign it.'

HIDDEN EPIDEMIC OF CORONAVIRUS IN CARE HOMES MAY HAVE COST 4,000 LIVES, EXPERTS WARN A 'hidden epidemic' of coronavirus in care homes may have cost 4,000 lives, experts warned last night. They believe deaths are being hugely under-reported because of a lack of testing. GPs are also sometimes reluctant to write COVID-19 on death certificates and figures from care homes are not included in the official daily toll. The latest report from the Office for National Statistics says the virus killed 217 care home residents in England and Wales up to April 3. But industry figures say the true count is much higher  potentially 4,000 since the outbreak started. Campaigners and MPs warned yesterday of an 'unfolding horror' that could end up with tens of thousands of forgotten victims. Ministers face urgent calls to get a grip and get virus tests for all staff and residents with symptoms, more protection gear and a Cabinet minister to deal with the crisis. Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night pledged action on testing and is also expected to outline a plan to address the crisis in a social care strategy. Care home operators complain they are being overlooked, with desperate short - ages of testing and staff safety equipment making it extremely hard to stop the disease ravaging their sites. Advertisement

Asked whether she felt she had been pressured into signing the form Ms Diacon told the BBC: 'You didn't have to - you were asked if you would sign it, to agree.

'And I thought I would rather be ill here than go to hospital. Our local hospital is much overworked and it has the virus there.

'I'm not afraid of dying but i'm rather afraid of how I might die. I'd rather do it here than go to hospital.'

When questioned about the letter, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said they were 'standard procedure' and that it was appropriate as long as people aren't pressured.

He claimed that residents often say they would rather die in the home than a hospital ward, adding: 'It is reasonable and right, I'd argue a good thing, to ask people their wishes.'

The form is not the same as a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, which dictates that someone should not be given CPR if they die.

It would, however, mean someone wouldn't get the lifesaving medical care available in a hospital and be limited to what care home staff and on-site doctors can provide.

The Government was yesterday reported to have banned the use of blanket DNRs in care homes as the industry faces devastating situations amid outbreaks in nursing homes around the country.

Guidance sent out by ministers, the Evening Standard reported, said: 'It is unacceptable for advance care plans, including Do Not Attempt Resuscitation orders, to applied in a blanket fashion to any group of people, and the CQC have been urgently contacting providers where this practice has been brought to their attention.'

But people are still thought to be being affected by restrictions on care for elderly patients.

One family told MailOnline that they had been told their female relative would not be offered life-saving care if her condition deteriorated.

They said: 'She has early onset dementia and COVID. She's on a ward... and the staff have said they won't help her if she gets worse. The family are so upset'.

CARE BOSSES HIT OUT AT 'SHAMBOLIC' PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES IN LEAKED LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH A letter sent from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) to the Department of Health at the weekend has shown the care chiefs accuse a senior figure at the Department of overseeing a 'shambolic response'. It raised concerns about testing in care homes, funding for the sector, and inadequate amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, the BBC reported. Adass said it was facing 'confusion' and additional work as a result of mixed messaging put out by the Government. It said the situation around PPE, which is now mandatory for all healthcare workers, was 'shambolic' and that deliveries had been 'paltry' or 'haphazard'. The care sector, which looks after around 400,000 of Britain's most vulnerable people, was being overlooked while officials focused on the NHS, Adass said as they raised fears of a 'significant imbalance'. The bosses added that they welcomed coronavirus swab testing for people working in social care but said it looked as it if it would be 'rolled out without being given thought to who is going to be tested and what we are going to do with the result,' according to the BBC. Advertisement

Earlier this month care homes in Brighton were told that residents would not be admitted to hospital because it might increase their suffering.

One care home manager told the Daily Mail they felt 'shocked and numb' at the advice issued by Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), adding that a GP had even told them 'none of your residents aged over 75 will be admitted to hospital'.

Another said: 'We have been told flatly that it would be highly unlikely that they would be accepted into hospital.'

Similar guidelines were sent out to family doctors in north-west London, who were told that they would face 'difficult decisions' about whether to admit care home residents to hospital.

Some care homes have reported dozens of deaths already and routine testing is not yet being carried out on residents or staff.

Bosses in the sector say thousands of people have been infected with the virus and as many as two thirds of homes could have outbreaks, but the Government's supply of personal protective equipment has been 'shambolic' and 'haphazard'.

And it has emerged that the NHS in England rowed back on 'prejudiced' guidance for care home staff to avoid taking elderly residents to A&E if it could be helped.

The A&E guidance had been published over the Easter weekend but has since been withdrawn, the HSJ reported.

Homes had been advised to try not to take residents to A&E if they had problems that could be dealt with elsewhere, dementia patients with minor head injuries or anyone with a do-not-resuscitate order, the Health Service Journal reported.

A boss inside the NHS, speaking anonymously, told the specialist news site the guidance had been 'prejudiced against older people, those with dementia and those in care homes.'

They added that it would have placed 'obstacles' between vulnerable elderly people and emergency departments.

And the notes advising homes not to take to hospital dementia patients who had hit their heads but were 'functionally unchanged' was at odds with policy set out by the NHS regulator, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

NHS England said it regularly updates guidance and this time had changed it within four days.

A spokesperson said: 'Decisions about when a patient would benefit from hospitalisation are judgements for clinicians to take in consultation with patients and their families in the usual way.'
Photo: The Canadian Press

A front-line health worker helping people with addictions on the Downtown Eastside is stuck living in a Burnaby hotel room after her landlord evicted her - fearing she would contaminate him with COVID-19.

Thats according to the tenant, Katherine, who spoke on condition that her last name be withheld.

The dispute started ramping up in late March, when Katherine says her landlord  allegedly a former paramedic himself  began to tape off sections of their shared residence, including the washer and dryer.

At work, people are overdosing on the floor, she said. I need to kneel on the ground and work on somebody. Im exposed to blood, faeces, urine, insects  things and live on people. All of a sudden, I can no longer do laundry.

And while Katherine and her fellow support workers are encouraged to put on hazmat suits, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19, thats not always practical. So she usually cycles through a few pairs of cargo pants  clothing that allows her to store the pens and packs of cigarettes she uses to diffuse tense or awkward situations with a client. On top of that goes a removable med-kit containing a full complement of Narcan.

I can understand peoples fear. Weve had people taken away in ambulance with signs of COVID, she said.

But at the same time, support workers on the DTES are used to working with people who have tuberculosis, HIV and other respiratory or blood-borne pathogens.

Considering all the precautions in place, Katherine said, Its not a factual fear.

"He was going to spontaneously reconsider my living [there] if I didnt disclose COVID symptoms, Katherine said, adding that while she never exhibited symptoms, over the next few days the situation escalated.

When she returned home  she was living in Coquitlam - on April 10, she found the owner had broken into her room and was packing up her belongings with the help of two neighbours, said Katherine.

Thats when she called the RCMP.

They came in and arrested him for breaking into my room and removing things, she said.

B.C.'s Residential Tenancy Act does not cover renters who share a washroom or kitchen, so when RCMP officers called in a supervisor to sort out what was legal and what was not, the landlord was found to be acting within his rights and the officers escorted Katherine off the property.

Without a place to live, she checked in at a hotel in Burnaby and has launched an expedited complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

The government needs to change its policy and legislation to protect everybody  especially those who are still working right now," she said.

But by Tuesday, she said she had spent the last of her paycheque on the hotel, and Wednesday morning, April 15, she found herself homeless.

Acquaintances have offered her a place to stay, including a room in Langley and a couch in New Westminster. But neither option was feasible: Langley is too far without a car and self-isolation is impossible without your own room.
About 500 tonnes of rock lobster will be shipped from Perth to China as the valuable export market gets back on track after being smashed by coronavirus.

The outbreak triggered an abrupt stop to rock lobster exports in January when China scrambled to lockdown its borders.

With demand returning, Western Australia's Geraldton Fisherman's Co-operative will pack 18 flights full of western rock lobster onto planes out of Perth over the next two months.

The Western Australian rock lobster industry is set to be revived as 500 tones of produce will be shipped to China over the next two months. Freshly cooked rock lobsters are pictured ready for packaging at the at the Blu-wave factory in O'Connor, a suburb of Perth.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said the new agreement would save jobs in an industry hit hard by the crisis.

'This will be a lifeline for the industry. These flights will help get WA's rock lobster industry back on track,' he said on Thursday.

'We recognise the current crisis is placing immense pressure on Western Australia's seafood exporters, many of whom felt the earliest impacts when overseas demand began to dry up.'

The new agreement is part of the Morrison government's $110 million for special export flights, which will pick up some of the slack created by the sharp downturn in commercial aviation.

In January, the value of the Co-operative's rock lobsters dropped from up to $105 a kilogram to $0 overnight.

Around 97 per cent of the Geraldton fishery's catch is sent to China.
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Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 17 2020

Indonesias diplomatic missions are ramping up efforts to help citizens abroad who are facing hardship amid the stringent measures imposed by many countries in the battle against COVID-19.

For the last few days several embassies have been actively delivering aid to isolated citizens or those whose livelihoods have been disrupted as a result of the policies of the countries they live in.

In Australia, for instance, the Indonesian Consulate General in Sydney has delivered aid packages to 210 Indonesians with Work and Holiday Visas (WHVs) who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

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By Emma Rumney and Victoria Waldersee

JOHANNESBURG/LISBON (Reuters) - Banco Comercial Portugues (BCP) has taken legal action against Mozambique, becoming the latest bank to pursue the heavily indebted East African state, which has been embroiled in a long-running $2 billion debt scandal.

A filing dated April 8 shows BCP <BCP.LS> has begun proceedings in London's High Court against both the Mozambique government and state firm Mozambique Asset Management (MAM) related to "general commercial contracts and arrangements".

BCP declined to comment, but said it maintains "excellent institutional relations" with the Mozambique government. The London court filing does not provide any further information, other than that BCP is being represented by Enyo Law.

Mozambique's Attorney Generals Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

MAM is one of three state-run firms set up as part of a $2 billion project spanning tuna fishing, shipyard development and maritime security that U.S. authorities now say was an elaborate front for a bribery and kickback scheme.

BCP contributed $100 million of a $535 million syndicated loan arranged by Russia's VTB <VTBR.MM> to MAM as part of the project, VTB court documents in a separate case which were reviewed by Reuters showed.

VTB and Credit Suisse <CSGN.S>, both of which are involved in separate court cases demanding payment from Mozambique, together arranged around $2 billion in lending for the project in 2013 and 2014, all of which was guaranteed by the government.

Mozambique, which as well as being one of the world's poorest countries is also one of its most indebted, has tried to challenge the validity of some of the guarantees and arrested several people for their alleged roles in the scandal but it remains on the hook for all of the money.

Its economy had been recovering from the impact of the scandal until the global coronavirus crisis, which is expected to hit vulnerable nations with high levels of debt hardest.

Story continues

The country's external and public debt to GDP ratios already stood at 99% and 118% at the end of 2019, the World Bank says.

Hundreds of millions of dollars went missing and the supposed benefits of the project never materialised, while Mozambique's government also did not disclose some of the loans.

The scandal has sparked criminal and civil lawsuits spanning three continents.

It also prompted donors including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cut off support when the loans came to light in 2016, triggering a currency collapse and sovereign debt default.

Debt campaigners say Mozambique should not have to repay any of the loans, which in two cases were arranged in secret and none of which were approved by parliament.

(Reporting by Emma Rumney in Johannesburg and Victoria Waldersee in Lisbon; Editing by Alexander Smith)
After looking at Straumann Holding AG's (SWX:STMN) latest earnings announcement (31 December 2019), I found it useful to revisit the company's performance in the past couple of years and assess this against the most recent figures. As a long term investor, I pay close attention to earnings trend, rather than the figures published at one point in time. I also compare against an industry benchmark to check whether Straumann Holding's performance has been impacted by industry movements. In this article I briefly touch on my key findings.

Check out our latest analysis for Straumann Holding

Could STMN beat the long-term trend and outperform its industry?

STMN's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2019) of CHF306m has jumped 12% compared to the previous year.

However, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 20%, indicating the rate at which STMN is growing has slowed down. Why could this be happening? Well, let's look at what's transpiring with margins and whether the entire industry is feeling the heat.

SWX:STMN Income Statement April 16th 2020

In terms of returns from investment, Straumann Holding has invested its equity funds well leading to a 23% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 13% exceeds the CH Medical Equipment industry of 8.0%, indicating Straumann Holding has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Straumann Holdings debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 25% to 23%.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. Positive growth and profitability are what investors like to see in a companys track record, but how do we properly assess sustainability? I recommend you continue to research Straumann Holding to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for STMNs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for STMNs outlook. Financial Health: Are STMNs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2019. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
You remember Welcome right? How people tried to burn RDXs son alive and he woke up the moment they were about to burn his body- that was the moment he should have stolen his fatherss dialogue and said, "Abhi Hum Zinda hain."



IMGFlip

It seems like life imitates art because something very similar happened with a woman in Paraguay.

A woman came back to life miraculously just at the moment funeral parlour workers were set to prepare her body for the final service. This was hours after a doctor at a clinic in east-central Paraguay had informed her family she had died, reports Daily Mail.

Gladys Rodriguez Duarte is an ovarian cancer patient. She was rushed to San Fernando Clinic in the city of Coronel Oviedo on Saturday morning after her blood pressure shot up.

According to local media reports, the 50-year-old woman was taken to the hospital at 9:30 am local time and was checked by Dr. Heriberto Vera.

Daily Mail

Dr. Vera declared Rodriguez Duarte dead at 11:20am and gave the tragic news to her husband Maximino Duarte Ferreira and daughter Sandra Duarte. The cause of death was given to be cervical cancer.

Sandra Duarte slammed Dr. Vera's judgement and said he did not even try to bring her back to life, just wrote her off.

He assumed she was dead and handed her naked to me like an animal with her death certificate. He didn't even revive her, she was quoted as saying by Daily Mail that cites Paraguayan television network TV Aire as a source.

We trusted him, that's why we went there. But they disconnected her and passed her off to the funeral home, she further said.

San Fernando Clinic/Daily Mail

The hospital handed over a body bag containing Rodriguez Duarte's body to Duarte and Sons Funeral where the shocking discovery was made. The owner of the place told the investigators that Rodriguez Duarte was moving inside the bag when they unloaded her at the funeral parlour.

The poor 50-year-old Rodriguez Duarte was immediately taken to one of Paraguay's Social Welfare Institute medical facilities and was placed under observation.
TROY  With live performances banned until an uncertain point in the future, the Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center is the latest local cultural organization to expand its online offerings as a way to continue to engage audiences and provide an outlet for artists.

Earlier this week, CCIAC debuted "Circus Hiatus," a video interview series with circus artists from around the world. Conducted by CCIAC founder Aaron Marquise, who is himself a professional clown, the series is hosted on CCIAC's new-last-week YouTube channel. The channel was launched with four videos, including "Clown in Quarantine," a three-minute segment about Marquise's clown character serving spiked tea to dolls seated around a tiny piano.

The first "Circus Hiatus" interview is with Olivia Weinstein and Stefan Swoboda, who perform as the comedic duo of Clown and a Drummer. Currently planned for six parts, "Circus Hiatus" has received strong initial feedback and may expand to include several more episodes, Marquise said Thursday.

Interviews, running about 10 minutes apiece and introduced on the YouTube channel on Tuesdays, will covers subjects' works in progress, COVID-19 disruptions and future prospects. The CCIAC board of directors reallocated six months worth of live-program funds to offer payments to all artists interviewed for "Circus Hiatus," Marquise said.

A registered not-for-profit organization dedicated to presenting, promoting and producing work related to the contemporary circus, CCIAC was formally founded last year by Marquise, a 28-year-old Capital Region native who trained at the world-renowned National Circus School in Montreal and moved to Troy four years ago to develop circus works. While working day jobs, he presented several shows under the company name Marquise Productions, then evolved it into CCIAC. It had two productions last year: a fundraising performance/dinner series called "Oh, Garcon," held in private homes with Marquise, in his clown persona, as the waiter for the evening and food by Marquise's wife; and "Roadkill," by New York City-based aerial artist Cooper Stanton. The latter was the production of CCIAC's Artist First residency program, under which the company brings performers to Troy to develop new work.

In other online offerings from area arts organizations, Schenectady-based Proctors and its affiliates are hosting videos of acting lessons and career tips for actors, a video series with musicians nominated for Proctors' Eddies Awards, and videos of new concerts on Goldie, Proctors' pipe organ. Playhouse Stage Company, of Albany and Cohoes, is using its affiliated artists for acting, voice and dance lessons. And the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs is launching an online campaign to connect with the community and will be creating a virtual education portal with original arts education content and videos. All online programming is or will be available on the respective organizations' websites and/or social-media pages.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 16:05:08|Editor: huaxia

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NANCHANG, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Yang Liusheng, 47, is skillfully using a sewing machine to hem a long skirt. After finishing sewing, these skirts will be sold to all parts of China through e-commerce platforms.

Instead of in a factory or a tailor store, Yang makes clothes at home in Yudu County, east China's Jiangxi Province.

Working together with his wife in the "micro-workshop" in his apartment, Yang's family had an income of about 60,000 yuan (about 8,500 U.S. dollars) in 2019.

For Yang's family with disabilities, it is a substantial income compared to the figures in the past years when they lived under the national poverty line.

Yang now lives in Siyuan Community, a relocation neighborhood for impoverished populations from uninhabitable areas in Yudu, a place where around 86,000 Red Army officers and soldiers left for the Long March in October 1934.

Cangqian Village, Yang's hometown, is one of the most remote mountain villages in Yudu.

In Yang's early years, his family of six people crowded into an adobe house built by his grandfather with only three rooms, which were cold in winter and even leaked in raining days.

Sun Juying, an official with Siyuan Community, still remembered her first travel to the mountain village.

"When I first went there in 2012, there was only a one-foot-wide mud road leading to the village. Villagers even couldn't ride a bicycle on it," Sun recalled.

In Cangqian, apart from arable lands and mountain forests, there is almost no flat ground for villagers to build houses.

"To build a house, people had to carry sands and gravels on their shoulders from outside step by step," said Sun.

Moving out from the mountains had always been Yang's dream.

"I used to walk for three and a half hours to go to school when I was a kid," he said.

To make it easier for his son to go to school, Yang went to Yudu County in 2007, living in a rented house there for nearly 10 years.

In 2016, Yang moved into his new apartment in Siyuan Community in Gongjiang Town, thanks to the local government's poverty alleviation policies, including relocation programs.

"The 110-square-meter apartment and a 25-square-meter garage cost less than 220,000 yuan," Yang said.

"But we only paid over 10,000 yuan to move into the house after we applied for poverty alleviation subsidies and loans from the local government," Yang said.

Like Yang, so far, a total of 596 poverty-stricken households have moved into the community.

Yudu, with a tradition of fluffing cotton and sewing clothes, is home to more than 2,200 textile and garment enterprises. In Siyuan, many residents are engaged in the garment industry, achieving a stable income every year.

Between 2016 and 2020, China plans to lift about 10 million people out of poverty through relocation, which has so far benefitted over 9.6 million.

In Jiangxi, 35,000 households with a total of 134,700 poverty-stricken people have benefited from relocation programs and moved into new houses during the period. Enditem
By Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) - Apple Inc <AAPL.O> on Wednesday released a smaller iPhone priced at $399, cutting the starting price for the company's smartphone line in a move to broaden its appeal to budget-conscious customers as the coronavirus hobbles the global economy.

The lower-cost model could also attract more consumers to Apple services, a growing driver of revenue. Shares of Apple fell 0.8%, less than the 2.1% decline of the S&P 500 index.

Apple will start taking orders for the phone on its website on Friday, with delivery of devices expected to start April 24.

The iPhone SE will start at $50 less than what was previously the cheapest iPhone available, the iPhone 8, which will be retired. The SE comes with a 4.7-inch display and the same processor chip as Apple's most advanced phone, the 11 Pro. The SE lacks Apple's facial recognition system to unlock the device, instead relying on a fingerprint sensor similar to older models. While the new iPhone adds features such as wireless charging and a high-end camera, it lacks connectivity for 5G, the next generation of mobile data networks.

The announcement comes as the United States and much of the world is reeling from the novel coronavirus, although U.S. political leaders have begun to talk about ending stay-at-home orders and restarting the economy, hoping record deaths and falling hospitalizations represent a peak.

Previous iPhones have been unveiled in a polished presentation in front of fans, but large events remain banned in Apple's home base of Santa Clara County, California, where public officials ordered the first lockdowns in the United States to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Apple's cheaper phone reflects the coronavirus-driven economic downturn and job loss.

Ben Bajarin, principal analyst for consumer market intelligence at Creative Strategies, said that Apple likely realized many customers were buying older models such as the iPhone 8 rather than the newer iPhone 11 Pro at $999, "and a big part of that is probably price." Those budget-minded iPhone buyers may have been turned off by the iPhone 8's aging chips and camera.

Apple is "addressing that head-on with a device and price that can still get people on the latest technology," he said. "Having a device you're sure is going to last a long time is exactly what (consumers) want."

Story continues

The new aluminum-and-glass SE - which comes in black, white and red, looks much like an iPhone 8.

The cheaper phone enters a cut-throat market for value phones, especially in China, where Apple derives about 17% of sales. In China, rivals such as Xiaomi Corp <1810.HK> last month announced models with 5G features starting at about $425.

But Bajarin said buyers interested in 5G may gravitate toward flagship phones, while budget buyers are not people that would give a hoot about 5G.

With wavering hardware sales, Apple has been investing in subscription services such as its Apple TV+ streaming television service, Apple Music and iCloud. The new SE will come bundled with a one free year of the streaming television service, similar to Apple's flagship devices released last fall.

"Given its price tag, (the iPhone SE) is unlikely to be that impactful for Apples financials, but could help widen the installed base, which will be helpful long term for Apples services revenue," said James Cordwell, an analyst with Atlantic Equities.

Horace Dediu, an analyst with Asymco, said that budget-minded phone buyers may not pay attention to whether a device has Apple's latest chips, but third-party app developers do. If more iPhone users have powerful hardware, he said, it could encourage developers to create apps with augmented reality and artificial intelligence that could help the devices stand out against competitors.

The coronavirus has created a volatile start to the year. Sales in China, the first nation hit by the virus, plunged, then rebounded as the country began to reopen. Sales of 500,000 phones in February rose to 2.5 million phones in March, according to government sales data there.

Apple will begin selling the new model online while its stores around the world are closed, except those within its greater China sales region.

Apple gets about 31% of its sales from its elegant stores and website, with 69% coming from partners such as mobile carriers and other retailers.

Apple said partners would decide whether to sell the phones in their physical stores. Many of Apple's resellers are trying to guide customers toward online sales. Major partners such as Best Buy Inc <BBY.N> have reduced their hours, and AT&T Inc <T.N> has closed about 40% of its U.S. retail stores.

Best Buy said customers would be able to pre-order the new iPhone on its website and either have it shipped to their home or use the company's curbside pickup option. Verizon Communications Inc <VZ.N>, which has stopped selling any phones in physical stores, told Reuters on Wednesday that it will not sell the iPhone SE in stores. T-Mobile US Inc <TMUS.O> did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Arriana McLymore in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Peter Henderson)
With a helping hand from the Wisconsin National Guard, election clerks in Walworth County managed higher-than-expected voter turnout April 7 in an election turned on its head by the coronavirus outbreak.

Clerks wore face masks, used window-pane barriers and took other extraordinary measures in an effort to prevent a spread of the contagious virus during a full day of in-person voting.

The National Guard deployed about 30 troops to Walworth County to provide extra manpower at polling places where needed.

In some cases, clerks reported higher voter turnout than they had anticipated.

The town of Geneva offered drive-though voting so that voters could drive up to the town hall, have their identification checked by election inspectors and receive a ballot while still in their vehicles.

Deputy Town Clerk Ellen Lamping said 14 poll workers assisted with the drive-through voting, working in two split shifts. Two National Guard members served as election inspectors, and employees from the county highway department helped to direct traffic in and out of the polling place.

Lamping said traffic was steady, with three or four voters arriving at a time.

It was wonderful, she said. Everyone did a great job.

Lamping said about 50 percent of the towns registered voters cast ballots in the election  half in advance, half on election day.

The village of Williams Bay also reported strong turnout.

Village Clerk Jackie Pankau estimated that 800 people vote absentee, while another 161 people voted in person.

Pankau said she was not by surprised by the turnout, as about 1,100 residents voted in the 2016 primary election.

We were expecting about 200 people to vote in-person, she said, so we were almost spot on.

As a safety precaution, Williams Bay clerks permitted only one voter to vote at a time. However, two people where allowed to vote at a time if they came as a couple.

Volunteers also were on hand in Williams Bay to spray voters hands with sanitizer, and there was a glass barrier between the election inspectors and the voters when people received their ballots. Voting booths and pens were wiped down after people cast their ballot.

Pankau said the longest wait was about 45 minutes, and voters adhered to the safety regulations. She also said there were no glitches.

Im grateful to my team and village staff. They all pitched in and helped, she said. Im grateful to the voters for being patient.

In Fontana, the village recorded 617 ballots cast  415 through absentee ballots, 202 in person.

It was a little higher than anticipated, Village Administrator Theresa Loomer said. People steadily come in all day long.

Only four voting booths were set up in Fontana to limit the number of people who could vote at one time, reducing congestion to combat the spreading of germs. The village also provided glass barriers between election inspectors and the voters to follow safe distancing requirements. And booths, pens and ballot markers were wiped down after each use.

Loomer said voters were understanding of the safety measures that were put in place.

Everything went smoothly, she said.

The day after the election, Walworth County Clerk Kim Bushey issued a statement applauding the efforts of local clerks in the county, citing their can-do attitude.

Bushey also recognized the contribution of the National Guard troops.

She said polling places were operated in a way that encouraged safe distancing standards and provided a clean atmosphere for voters. Representatives from several county departments distributed safety masks, paper towels and gloves.

The municipal clerks did a lot of creative things to make sure everyones vote was counted and voters were in a healthy environment, she said.

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Researchers said they have identified 275 ways to reduce the spread of coronavirus once lockdown measures are lifted.

Phased reopening of schools, businesses and open spaces should be considered alongside a range of practical ways to keep people physically apart, a new study suggests.

The research did not consider medical possibilities when compiling the 275 measures.

Suggestions the Cambridge University experts make range from simple adjustments - like propping open doors or gates so people don't have to touch them - to futuristic - using drones for delivery - and even bizarre - drawing grids colorful, textured grids to show people how far apart they should sit when eating lunch.

The study does not offer recommendations but the scientists said a shortlist of the most appropriate options for specific regions and contexts should be considered in terms of their likely effectiveness, cost, practicality and fairness.

Once lockdowns across the globe end, some measures to continue social distancing, such as setting hours for older people to be outside and in parks when others aren't, will help to lower the risk of a second wave of coronavirus infections, Cambridge University scientists say (file)

Although the scientists say parks should stay open, the recommend minimizing infection risks by reducing contact with surfaces like benches and gates

Professor William Sutherland, from the University of Cambridge's department of zoology, who led the study, said: 'There's increasing pressure to reopen the economy and get people back to work and out of isolation.'

'But if we return to operating as we did before the pandemic, there will be a second wave of the virus.

Already, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr Robert Redfield, has said the US should brace for that second wave in the second.

His comments followed President Trump's announcement that he wants to declare the US open for business again by May 1.

Trump claimed that there are 20 states that are in 'extremely good shape' to reopen by that date - but top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci refused to name any one state that fit that bill.

Regardless, experts have repeatedly warned that when the US does open, it needs to be done on a state-by-state, and that resuming life just as it had been will only give the virus an opportunity to resurge.

'All activities will need to be considered individually, and phased back in carefully, depending on the risk they pose to spreading the virus,' said Professor Sutherland.

While strict lockdown measures are proving to be effective in controlling the spread of Covid-19 in many countries in the absence of a vaccine against COVID-19, these essential restrictions are putting a strain on the population's mental and physical health, and on the economy.

One of the Cambridge options for reducing transmission is to keep people apart by drawing grids that people are meant to stay confined to when in public spaces (file)

Researchers recommend having people not only stay several feet apart, but 'normalizing' having everyone move in a clockwise fashion in public spaces to limit the odds of contact and exchanging saliva droplets (file)

A vaccine is unlikely to be available for at least 12 months.

Measures such as physical distancing, enhancing personal hygiene and reducing contamination are likely to remain central elements of all control strategies for some time, the researchers said.

The study, which has not been peer reviewed, lists the range of practical options available to achieve these measures.

This includes cafe owners opening outdoor areas only at first, and wiping down tables  spaced well apart  after each customer.

According to the study, access to public parks could be restricted to different age groups at different times of day, with gates left open so they do not need to be touched, and users asked to walk on the right side of the pavement or clockwise around large open spaces.

Outdoor areas where breeze can disperse viral particles in the air are safer than enclosed spaces, so the Cambridge authors say cafes could consider first only allowing outdoor seating when they reopen for non-takeaway dining (file)

Until a vaccine is available - which is likely still 12 months away - many experts believe that some social distancing efforts will be necessary to keep coronavirus at bay. Pictured: a potential coronavirus vaccine in development at Kaiser Permanente in Seattle

Other suggestions include patients with doctors' appointments being asked to wait in their car outside the surgery until called in.

School classes could be split into smaller groups with dedicated teachers, who only go into school one week in every three.

'It's basically about how to stop people hanging around together, and phasing in activities starting with the ones that are the safest,' Professor Sutherland said.

Some of his team's ideas for how to ensure that seem reasonable enough, such as keeping the same team members who have been working together in their groups.

Others, however, seem more difficult to enact.

In states like New York, officials are now mandating wearing face covering in public anytime you will be within six feet of others

'Focus on constraining 'long connections between people in different social groups who seldom or rarely interact (e.g. people with a shared hobby or interest rather than short connections between people in similar social groups who regularly interact with one another (e.g. close family, colleagues, close friends),' the report authors write.

They go on to suggest governments might 'Ask people to identify their bubblebeing everyone they live with or must have contact with during lockdownand ask people to stay as much as possible within their bubble,'a piece of advice they apparently borrowed from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden.

'Making this happen will be up to the people responsible for every element of society,' said Professor Sutherland.

Identifying, assessing and applying a wide range of options could enable some of the stricter lockdown conditions to be lifted earlier, and make the transition period shorter, said the researchers.

A full list is available at covid-19.biorisc.com.

But a choice selection of particularly novel items from the list includes:
A pastor in missouri's online sermon has gone viral after it was delivered using a range of entertaining filters.

The Facebook Live video streamed March 27 at 11.27am shows Scott Mowery delivering a Daily Devotional on Timothy 2: 1-2 with funny guises including googly eyes, cat ears and wizard character.

But the senior pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Butler says he had no idea.

'We had another church member saying, "This is some interesting attire," and I'm like, "What? What's going on? I can't see anything".' He told FOX 4.

Scott Mowery at Immanuel Baptist Church in Butler, Missouri appeared under a range of filters including pace helmets, wizard hats and cats ears on March 27

The pastor spoke or nearly three minutes before realizing the mistake after his wife commented

The pastor spoke or nearly three minutes before realizing the mistake.

Mowery only knew what they were talking about when his spouse told him specifically what was happening via a message on the social media platform.

'My wife's comment pops up that says, "You've got filters going on,"' Mowery explained.

The video went viral with almost 8,000 views as of Thursday, much to Mowery's surprise.

'I've never had a video with even 1,000 views,' Mowery said. 'And I never thought this is what I'd be known for. You go to school for all those years, have all that experience and prepare yourself, week in and week out, and then your famous moment is a bunch of cartoon faces.'

Viewers commented that he had on some 'interesting attire' during the Facebook Live broadcast

Some viewers believe Mowery deliberately activated the rotation of space helmets and other filters.

He denies it but is glad he was able to lift people's spirits amid the coronavirus pandemic which has closed churches around the country.

In Missouri there are over 5,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 166 deaths.

'People were like, 'He did that on purpose,' he revealed. 'And my mom, who was talking to me later says, 'I know that face. you didn't know that was happening.''

Mowery thinks the glitch may have come down to the way he placed his phone before going live.

'I have a tripod that I put the iPhone in. I don't know if when I was putting it in if I hit the filters. I'm really not sure to be honest with you,' Mowery said.

The pastor claims he didn't so it on purpose but was glad he could raise the spirits of people amid the COVID-19 pandemic
President Donald Trump's threat to deploy a never-used constitutional power to force Congress to adjourn exploded hours after he leveled it Wednesday  with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell showing no interest in the idea.

Trump's threatened course has also immediately shown to face legislative and practical obstacles. One of the two chambers might have to vote to adjourn in the middle of a global crisis in order to provoke a required 'disagreement.'

From a practical political standpoint, even if Trump were to prevail, sending Congress home during the coronavirus crisis might not be the signal he wants to send. The White House is continuing to negotiate with Congress to try to get billions to prop up the economy, with more than 20 million Americans unemployed.

A spokesman for McConnell did not exactly endorse the idea in comments Wednesday evening, after Trump floated the idea as a way to force consideration of stalled executive nominees.

President Trump on Wednesday threatened to try to force Congress into adjournment in order to install additional conservative judges and other nominees, but the idea appears dead-on-arrival

'Leader McConnell had a conversation today with the president to discuss Senate Democrats unprecedented obstruction of the presidents well-qualified nominees and shared his continued frustration with the process. The Leader pledged to find ways to confirm nominees considered mission-critical to the COVID-19 pandemic, but under Senate rules that will take consent from Leader Schumer'  a reference to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York, he said.

Independent Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican, tweeted: 'Without one chamber participating in this improper scheme, this action would be unconstitutional. The president has no general, unilateral power to adjourn Congress. He may do so only in the limited Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment.

The Constitution, in Article II Section 3, gives the president the power to call Congress into session, which has happened numerous times in the nation's history. It also states that 'in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.'

However at present each chamber has chosen to stay open and in 'pro-forma' session amid the coronavirus outbreak. That has stalled the confirmation of nominees  although in many cases many vacancies exist because Trump has not submitted nominations, and he has often said he prefers officials in an 'acting' role rather than seeking Senate-confirmed officials.

McConnell has been the archetect of a strategy that has packed the courts with Trump's conservative nominees, but he has in some cases prioritized the lifetime appointments over administrative posts. Trump on Wednesday complained about not having new oversight of Voice of America, which he called a 'disgrace.'

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin told the Washington Post after Trump's threat: No other president has tried to force a collision between the House and the Senate to try and indefinitely adjourn one of the houses. . . . That would provoke a true constitutional crisis. The president has just never reconciled himself to the existence of other branches of government.

Trump leveled the new threat at Congress Wednesday, with U.S. coronavirus deaths approaching 30,000 and the number of recent unemployment claims approaching 20 million.

He did so just days after clashing with governors and claiming he had 'absolute' power to force them the country to reopen  only to make comments the following day backing down.

He blasted senators for holding up judicial and administrative nominees, saying the Senate must 'fulfill its duty.'

'If the House will not agree to that adjournment I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress,' Trump said.

'The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis. It is a scam. What they do, its a scam and everybody knows it,' he said.

The Senate is not due back until May 4th, and has been meeting in 'pro forma' sessions every three days, which has the effect of preventing the president from making 'recess' appointments.

Both houses must agree to a resolution to adjourn. The Senate is narrowly controlled by Republicans, and the House is in Democratic control.

A White House official told DailyMail.com the conditions are already there for presidential action. 'They havent agreed on an adjournment resolution, so by definition they are in disagreement,' the official said.

University of Texas law professor Steven Vladeck wrote Thursday: 'Leave aside that the presidents own party controls the Senate and has assented to the current legislative calendar. Trumps argument is legally implausible, practically moot...'

He added: 'Simply put, it would take both a remarkable abandonment of tradition from Senate Republicans, and a refusal to go along from House Democrats for the president to even be in position to formally adjourn Congress. And before any of this happens, Congress would, more than a little ironically, have to return to Washington  and the Senate would have to vote to change the adjournment schedule.'

Add to that Trump would have to adjourn Congress in the midst of a crisis where he desperately needs more legislative action to prop up the economy and maintain his electoral prospects.

Congressional leaders made the decisions on going home in part to protect the health of members and staff, while still being able to quickly pass bailout legislation. When the chambers meet, members typically fly back and forth from their districts, coming in contact with numerous Americans en route.

Congressional scholar Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institution told DailyMail.com: 'He could only do it if the two houses disagree on adjournment. I wish I could count on McConnell to act in the interests of Congress and the country. But he cannot adjourn Congress without that disagreement.'

The Senate has gone home for recess amid the coronavirus outbreak. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell controls the schedule

The president only has the authority to adjourn Congress if the chambers cannot agree on whether to go out of session

'It is absolutely essential that the key positions at relevant federal agencies are fully staffed and we're not allowing that to take place through our Congress, they're just not giving it to us. We have many, many positions that are unstaffed,' Trump complained.

'We have judges because we go through the process,' he said, complaining of a 'very unfair system.'

'They'll take the maximum number of hours and days, we're talking about days, to get one judge approved. Many of these people have been waiting for two and a half years,' he said, mentioning 129 nominees 'stuck in the Senate.

'We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government. And now more so than ever before because of the virus and the problem,' he said.

He vented: 'The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people can not afford during this crisis.'

In 2014, the Supreme Court sided with Republicans on setting its own pro forma sessions in ruling against Obama recess appointments. 'The Senate is in session when it says it is,' the court ruled.
The celebrations can wait.

This column has pointed out, more than once, that the trajectory of Covid-19 infections in India is very different from that in any other country. Its slower; there havent been too many deaths; and, at least anecdotally, the proportion of patients requiring ventilator support is lower than that in many other countries.

It isnt clear why. Nor is it clear that this trend will continue (this writers hope is that it will).

The relatively low number of cases in India  again, as this column has pointed out; when you write a column every day for 30 days, theres bound to be a bit of repetition  cant entirely be explained by the countrys low testing. But that stroke of fortune  till science can explain, it is just that  is no excuse not to test more.

India has tested 203 people per million of its population. This is lower than even Brazil (296), it is definitely lower than the US (9,866), the UK (6,152), Italy (18,481) and Spain (19,896). A comparative chart put out by the government says that at the time India crossed 5,000 infections and then, 10,000 infections, it had carried out more tests (in absolute terms) than the US, UK, and Italy. That just means that we havent learnt from their mistakes. India has been a clear laggard when it comes to testing, just as it has been a leader when it comes to enforcing a lockdown, something that is certain to flatten the curve of infections and also delay the peak.

Maharashtras aggressive testing, of those at high-risk of infections, is perhaps one reason why the state has the highest number of cases in India  minus a super-event such as the Tablighi Jamaats gathering in New Delhi that is responsible for 68% of the city-states cases. Since testing resources, like other resources, will always be scarce in India, the protocol will always be skewed towards those at high risk  which will, in turn, mean that at least in the initial phases of testing, states that test more will show more cases. Maharashtras testing stands at 504 per million of its population as of Thursday.

India will test more in the coming weeks, though, not just in the so-called hot spots and containment zones writhing hot spots but also in what the health ministry describes as green zones -- parts of the country that have seen either no infections or an insignificant number of them. These tests will be done using rapid testing kits (RTKs) that screen for antibodies and will provide crucial information on the actual spread of Covid-19 in India.

India has defined a protocol for these tests. A negative test may require a quarantine followed by another antibody test, or an immediate RT-PCR test. A positive test may require isolation and treatment.

But countries such as Italy and the UK that want to use the test to decide who gets to return to work will need to do it differently. Thats because of a concept in probability called Bayes theorem.

Tests for many diseases are defined in terms of sensitivity (probability of an infected person testing positive) and specificity (probability of an uninfected person testing negative). Assuming a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 98% (very high, but lower than ICMRs requirement of 100% on each, or a USFDA certification), and a situation where 10% of the population is infected, it turns out that the probability of a person who tests positive being infected is (drumroll here), not 99% but only 84.61%. This is because the probability is calculated the other way around in this case  starting from a positive test.

I will avoid going into the details because I dont want to make this column any more geeky, but this is the reason why many people worry about using antibody tests as a basis of deciding who gets to be declared immune. Imagine: a person tests positive and thinks she is immune because she is infected; she is declared eligible to return to work; but according to Bayes theorem there is only a 84.61% channel of her being infected (and that too only if the test is very good). Many tests have sensitivity and specificity ratings in the mid-90s. The probability that someone who tests positive is actually infected falls sharply in these. I was first pointed in this direction by the erudite twitter feed of Taal Levi, an associate professor of the College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University (@taaltree).




By Jung Min-ho







U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has lifted its travel ban on Daegu, once a COVID-19 hotbed in Korea, after the city successfully brought the situation under control.





"Due to the hard work of the City of Daegu, USAG Daegu and the 19th ESC, the USFK Commander has declared the Daegu area is no longer a Hot Spot off-limits area, effective 15 April 2020 at 4:00 PM. Current HPCON measures and local restrictions still apply," USFK said on Facebook Thursday (KST).





On Feb. 20, USFK banned its personnel from traveling to and from Daegu over virus concerns.





After reporting its first case on Feb. 18, the city struggled with a surging number of patients, with daily new cases reaching a peak at 741 on Feb. 29.





But with strict quarantine measures, the number started to decease and, on April 10, Daegu declared no additional infections for the first time since the outbreak. According to the city government, daily new cases over the past week remained under five.




ISIS fighters attack oil well in eastern Syria Reports circulating for weeks of jihadist revival

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, APRIL 16 - Fighters from the Islamic State on Thursday attacked oil facilities in eastern Syria in an area controlled by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Reports were from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which said that the attack was conducted by a jihadist cell in eastern Deir al-Zor near oil facilities known as Conoco, near the most important military base under the SDF. There have been reports circulating for months of a resurgence of jihadist attacks in eastern and central Syria attributed to IS against the SDF and regime-linked ones on the western side of the Euphrates River. (ANSAmed).




Victorias anti corruption watchdog has cleared police of using excessive force during a botched raid at a gay bookshop that left an innocent man with horrific injuries.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission's long-awaited report into the incident, released on Thursday morning, found that police acted lawfully and did not use "disproportionate" force in restraining the man while arresting him.

Famous LGBTI bookshop Hares & Hyenas in Fitzroy Credit:Scott McNaughton

Melbourne man Nik Dimopoulos was mistakenly arrested by police in May last year, during a terrifying ordeal at the Hares & Hyenas bookstore in Fitzroy that resulted in his shoulder being ripped from its socket.

Mr Dimopoulos, an event promoter, was sleeping in an apartment above the bookshop when he was woken by the sound of unfamiliar voices.
His eyeglass frames had broken, something he cheerfully blamed on the pandemic, and he had to balance them on the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

Once you get in someones space  this is going to be different, to the extent that it is virtual  but sitting with folks in their homes, the subtext of these tracings was, Hey, we want to help you and your family, he said.

The downside of human contact tracing is that it is expensive, can overlook contacts a subject may not recall, and, some argue, is too slow for a fast-moving virus.

Using automation to do it, cellphones and triangulations of data, that is the easiest and fastest way, and probably the most effective way to do this, said Ranu S. Dhillon, a physician at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, who advised the government of Guinea on the Ebola outbreak.

If youre taking one or two days to manually figure out where someone went, youre adding more time where people can transmit it to others, he said.

But human outreach is a standard public health practice, first used in many countries to seek out sexual partners of men and women known to be carriers of sexually transmitted diseases.

It was gritty, solitary work. A contact tracer who worked in New Zealand in the 1970s described spending her evenings in bars and boardinghouses, tracking down subjects based on sketchy descriptions, like, she goes to the hotel at Friday nights and she drinks Southern Comforts, and Kathleen  with a generous superstructure.
Innovation drives COVID-19 fight at Detroit care center

By Capt. Andrew Layton | Michigan National Guard April 15, 2020

DETROIT -- "I've never seen 1,000 oxygen lines coming down from the roof of a convention center, and I've never seen walls made of portable plexiglass so they can be increased and decreased in size based on the number of patients we have  what we see here is an engineering marvel."

Myles Stone, U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) lieutenant commander, is observing the floor of the TCF Regional Care Center in Detroit, one day before the alternate care facility opened to receive patients in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

Nine days earlier, this area was a 350,000-square-foot section of the TCF Center, the 17th-largest convention hall in the United States and perennial host for events like the North American International Auto Show. It is now a 970-bed hospital, augmenting Detroit's regional health care system with tailored treatment for COVID-19 patients. This lightning-quick transformation was the result of a partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Michigan National Guard. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget leased and acquired the equipment to make the facility possible.

Stone is part of a team of more than 60 officers deployed by the USPHS Commissioned Corps to assist with staffing as the TCF Regional Care Center becomes operational.

One of the first people Stone met at TCF Regional Care Center was Lt. Col. Aaron Proffitt, an emergency physician with the Michigan Army National Guard's medical detachment. Proffitt leads a team of five medical specialists from the Michigan National Guard serving as advisers since April 4 during the center's conversion and setup.

"Lt. Col. Proffitt and I met three hours ago and we've already revised our treatment guidelines five times because that's how quickly the medicine is changing," says Stone. "Both of us have been physicians for years and we've seen several diseases, but the management of the coronavirus disease is literally changing minute-by-minute  we have to stay innovative to make sure we have the care available to the patients that need it."

Proffitt spent seven years as an Army physician before coming to the National Guard and even after deployments to Afghanistan and Poland, he says the opportunity to be at the front lines of the COVID-19 fight is something he has spent his entire career preparing for.

"Nothing like this has ever been done before, so by definition, the whole thing is innovative," he says. "It's pretty exciting to see how the Southeast Michigan community is coming together to support this  not only is the Department of Defense involved, but multiple hospital systems are contributing. The Veterans Administration has supplied a pharmacy trailer, and actual medications are going to be coming from Henry Ford Health System."

Proffitt said his team is supporting civilian medical authorities staffing TCF Regional Care Center. Detroit-area professionals from Henry Ford Health System, McLaren Health Care and Region 2 South Trauma Network manage the center.

"We're working side-by-side with the civilian medical authorities to help develop their standard operating procedures for medical operations; we've helped design what the nurse's stations are going to look like, and we give our input where we can," Proffitt says. "Of course, as a Department of Defense asset, we're playing a supporting role to help the civilian authorities, as they've requested us to do."

Unlike alternate care facilities established recently in other parts of the U.S., TCF Regional Care Center was planned from the outset to provide care to COVID-19 patients exclusively. The facility will accept patients from regional health care systems who have mild symptoms requiring treatment they cannot receive at home.

"Hall C, which is on the second floor, has 600 rooms and will be a little higher acuity  there's oxygen that can be delivered to each patient room there," says Proffitt. "As patients become more stable, the plan is to move them down to Hall E, where there may not be an oxygen supply to every room; the final step down comes when patients will be discharged from that floor once they've improved enough to continue the final stage of their recovery at home."

Because the care center is integrated with Detroit-area hospital networks, the facility's model of care is not intended for patients to check-in or receive initial care at the site.

"The admission criteria is for patients who have gone to a hospital, been admitted for at least 72 hours, and have met other criteria that will allow them to come here," he says.

While facilities, logistics and staff swiftly came together to create the care center, those involved believe its impact will be lasting.

"There's a huge team of very talented and dedicated people who have put this enterprise together from scratch in a very short period of time," says Proffitt. "When this is all said and done, I believe we'll look back and see that the TCF Regional Care Center was a big part of Detroit's solution to this pandemic."

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The Delhi Police have charged the chief of Delhi-based Tablighi Jamaat Markaz, Maulana Saad, under stringent sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which is equivalent to second degree murder.

Legal experts say if during the investigation more serious offences are made out then police are free to add further stringent sections to the case.



According to police sources, Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been added in the FIR lodged against Saad and others in the matter. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi speaking to IANS said: "This is a clear case of Section 302 instead of 304. The Tablighi Jamaat people were grossly criminally negligent in conducting their affairs in March, which is responsible for a large portion of positive people all over the country. They knew their action would lead to spread of infection, which is likely to cause numerous deaths."





Rohtagi insisted immediate action must be taken in the matter. The cleric was last seen on March 28. Later, through an audio message he claimed to be in self-isolation.



According to Section 304, whoever commits culpable homicide not amounting to murder shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years. Earlier, Maulana Saad was booked under sections which were bailable but after the addition of Section 304, it will be tough to secure bail.



Senior advocate Aishwarya Bhati said culpable homicide can be understood as second degree murder, somebody does not have intention to cause death but they have done an act which is so dangerous it is likely to cause death.



"Currently this case is under investigation, as these people are yet to join. At any stage of the investigation if it is found their roles in the conspiracy or in crime are much more heinous then even more heinous offences may be murder can added to the investigation before the chargesheet can be filed", added Bhati.



She insisted if the accused do not join the investigation at this stage then they would end up adding more culpability to the crime.



Senior advocate Vikas Singh said more appropriate sections should have been Section 51 (b) of the National Disaster Management Act and Section 270 of the IPC. Singh said both these sections carry punishment of two years each and Section 304 will not apply.



Kumar Mihir, Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court, said the congregation of the Tablighi Jamat by Maulana Saad was in clear contravention of the mandate of lockdown imposed by the Centre. "The subsequent act of hiding the jamaatis including foreigners affected with COVID-19, which resulted in spread of the viral infection. Deaths of the affected persons clearly amount to culpable homicide and therefore registration of FIR under Section 304 IPC is completely valid", added Mihir.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized production of a simple, low-cost medical device designed at the University of Minnesota to mechanically inflate the lungs of patients suffering significant breathing problems for COVID-19.

The emergency-use device, called the Coventor, was designed in temporary working digs in a conference room at the U. It was conceived to sell for as little money as possible. And it would not exist without donations and collaboration involving private companies that don't normally work on the same team.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Coventor is its timelinein the space of 30 days (and nights), the device went from an early demo using an old toolbox as a component to an FDA-authorized device moving into professional production to potentially save scores of lives.

"30 days! It was 30 days from the toolbox to FDA authorization. That is incredible," said Arthur Erdman, director of the U's Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center.

The first unit will roll off a Boston Scientific assembly line in Maple Grove, Minn., in another month or so. Randy Schiestl, vice president of research and development at Boston Scientific, said Wednesday that only 18 days passed between when the company got involved and when the FDA approved its joint authorization request with the U.

"We've looked at several devices. This is the one that we thought we could get to market the quickest," Schiestl said. The speed to market "demonstrates the collaboration of all parties under emergency-use authorization to move quickly and agilely."

Medtronic, the medical device company co-founded by Bakken in Minneapolis 71 years ago, also provided input on the product.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus discovered late last year in China. In severe cases, people with COVID-19 develop acute respiratory distress, and they can't breathe adequately because of fluid buildup in the lungs.

Mechanical ventilators are used in hospital intensive-care units to maintain a person's breathing functions when their lungs can't do the job on their own. The invasive medical devices have been the focus of worldwide attention because of fears that there will not be enough of the machines available when the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients reaches its peak.

The Coventor is not designed to solve the global shortage of ventilatorsin fact, it is barely in the same category as the devices. It lacks alarm bells, it doesn't measure oxygen in the patient's blood and it relies on a commercially available ambulatory ventilation bag to work.

But what the Coventor does do is reliably pump air into a person's lungs, without requiring a family member or health care provider to sit at the bedside and manually pump the ventilation bag.

The device was first dreamed up by U cardiac anesthesiology fellow Stephen Richardson. He was thinking of a mass-casualty contingency developed for a similar respiratory illness in the past that included a plan to fill a large room with critically ill patients who needed to have family members or clinicians manually pump cardiac-resuscitation bags to keep their lungs moving.

All of those people could be using a Coventor, if such a scenario unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemicthe device has been described in some circles as a "one-armed robot" that pumps the resuscitation bag.

"We wanted to provide an option where, if it comes to that, you don't have to sit there and have somebody ventilate a patient by hand," said Aaron Tucker, the lab supervisor at the Bakken Center whose team worked with Richardson to develop the device.

Because of the low cost and ease of construction, the devices might prove useful in parts of the world where advanced medical care is difficult or impossible to get in an emergency. It could also be used in ambulances and as a backup device in a hospital setting.

Once Boston Scientific produces the first run of Coventors, the plans will be made available online, with no royalties due.

The project website says the system consists of a frame and a moving component that compresses an ambulatory ventilation bag that is connected to the patient's endotracheal tube. The frame can be metal-stamped, 3-D printed, made from "modified consumer goods." The device can be attached to external compressed oxygen, or it can use ambient air.

Companies that provided financial or in-kind support for the device included Digi-Key in Thief River Falls, MGC Diagnostics in Vadnais Heights, Protolabs in Maple Plain and Teknic in Victor, N.Y.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

2020 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

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New Delhi, April 16 : Just days after a sea of migrant workers was seen in Mumbai's Bandra area, the central government, here on Thursday, asked the state governments to ensure adequate arrangements for them.

"The cabinet secretary has asked all state Chief Secretaries to ensure adequate arrangements for safety, shelter and food security of migrant labourers and stranded persons," a letter by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting read.

In the letter, the Cabinet Secretary asked states that the District Collectors must appoint nodal officers who would be responsible for coordinating the arrangements for migrant labourers.

"Each camp should be put in charge of a senior officer," it added.
It's almost impossible to imagine biology without individuals -- individual organisms, individual cells, and individual genes, for example. But what about a worker ant that never reproduces, and could never survive apart from the colony? Are the trillions of microorganisms in our microbiomes, which vastly outnumber our human cells, part of our individuality?

"Despite the near-universal assumption of individuality in biology, there is little agreement about what individuals are and few rigorous quantitative methods for their identification," write the authors of new work published in the journal Theory in Biosciences. The problem, they note in the paper, is analogous to identifying a figure from its background in a Gestalt psychology drawing. Like the famous image of two faces outlining a vase, an individual life form and its environment create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

One way to solve the puzzle comes from information theory. Instead of focusing on anatomical traits, like cell walls, authors David Krakauer, Nils Bertschinger, Eckehard Olbrich, Jessica Flack, and Nihat Ay* look to structured information flows between a system and its environment. "Individuals," they argue, "are best thought of in terms of dynamical processes and not as stationary objects."

The individual as a verb: what processes produce distinct identity? Flack stresses that this lens allows for individuality to be "continuous rather than binary, nested, and possible at any level." An information theory of individuality (or ITI) describes emergent agency at different scales and with distributed communication networks (e.g., both ants and colonies at once).

The authors use a model that suggests three kinds of individual, each corresponding to a different blend of self-regulation and environmental influence. Decomposing information like this gives a gradient: it ranges from environmentally-scaffolded forms like whirlpools, to partially-scaffolded colonial forms like coral reefs and spider webs, to organismal individuals that are sculpted by their environment but strongly self-organizing.

Each is a strategy for propagating information forward through time--meaning, Flack adds, "individuality is about temporal uncertainty reduction." Replication here emerges as just one of many strategies for individuals to order information in their future. To Flack, this "leaves us free to ask what role replication plays in temporal uncertainty reduction through the creation of individuals," a question close to asking why we find life in the first place.

Perhaps the biggest implication of this work is in how it places the observer at the center of evolutionary theory. "Just as in quantum mechanics," Krakauer says, "where the state of a system depends on measurement, the measurements we call natural selection dictate the preferred form of the individual. Who does the measuring? What we find depends on what the observer is capable of seeing."

###

*Co-authors David Krakauer, Jessica Flack, and Nihat Ay are affiliated with the Santa Fe Institute. Nihat Ay is also affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, as is co-author Eckehard Olbrich. Co-author Nils Bertschinger is affiliated with the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have expressed disappointment at the lack of detail in Fianna Fail and Fine Gaels new green deal proposals.

The proposals, included in the parties joint framework for shared government, commit to setting new carbon reduction targets and to viewing the post-Covid recovery through a green lens.

But some groups say they lack specifics on what the targets should be, omit assurances that all capital investment will be climate-proofed and fail to set timelines for progression of the Climate Action Bill to enshrine national and sectoral targets in law.

The statement in the document that the climate crisis is the most pressing existential crisis was welcomed, as was the plan to convene a Citizens Assembly to guide action on the biodiversity crisis.

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Sadhbh ONeill, policy advisor with the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, said however more explicit commitments were needed.

We are concerned that major parties are still not uniting behind the science by proposing specific annual cuts in emissions she said.

To be in line with the science and our climate obligations, the programme for government must deliver emissions reductions that average at least 8pc a year over its lifetime.

All the measures in Fine Gaels Climate Action Plan published last summer will together only achieve a 2pc annual emissions reduction.

Most of the ten priorities outlined in the framework are taken from that action plan with emphasis placed on developing the countrys offshore wind potential, greater investment in public transport and ramping up electrification of both private and public vehicles.

Other measures retained as priorities include a gradual increase in the carbon tax to 80 per tonne by 2030, the planting of 440 million trees by 2040, an extensive home retrofitting programme and implementing just transition policies to support people losing work or facing other hardships in the move away from carbon-intense activities.

Oonagh Duggan of BirdWatch Ireland, welcomed the commitment to protect ecosystems on land and at sea and to establish a Citizens Assembly on biodiversity loss.

This framework represents a real and timely opportunity to fully integrate biodiversity and climate goals into policies on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, housing, health, transport and energy, she said.

Friends of the Earth, however, had hoped for the introduction of a structured and continuous talks mechanism similar to the National Economic Dialogue.Director Oisin Coghlan said the lack of specifics in the policy document left the impression that the two big parties were leaving it up to the smaller parties to raise the issues in prospective coalition talks.

"The acknowledgement that 'the climate crisis is the most pressing existential crisis' is welcome but that makes it all the more strange that there is no mention of what climate science is telling us we should do about it, he said.

And no mention of what we have agreed to do about it under the Paris Agreement.

The Green Party are considering the document but in the meantime, the partys MEPs Ciaran Cuffe and Grace OSullivan have written to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, calling on the government to join with 12 EU countries pushing for a green recovery post-Covid.

Environment ministers from ten member states set the ball rolling last week by issuing a joint statement that green policies must be central to investment plans and assistance packages.

The original countries, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, were later joined by Germany and France.

Since then, the group have been backed by almost 170 leading businesses, trade unions, think tanks and campaign organisations in forming an alliance to push for a green stimulus plan when EU leaders meet next week to try to plot a way out of the current crisis.

Mr Cuffe said: I am extremely disheartened to see that Ireland has not yet joined with our European colleagues in calling for the Green Deal to be placed at the heart of the EUs post-pandemic recovery plan.
On April 14th, Prof. MA Cheng from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and his colleagues made an important discovery on the mechanism of Li-ion migration in solid electrolytes for batteries. They observed a new type of microscopic feature that can significantly influence ionic transport.

Solid electrolyte is the key component in enabling the safe, energy-dense all-solid-state batteries. Before highly conductive solid electrolytes can be developed in a knowledge-based manner, the mechanism behind Li-ion migration must be thoroughly understood. In many materials, the success of this task lies in whether the "non-periodic features" can be well understood, because such features frequently cause orders of magnitude change in ionic conductivity. At present, only two types of non-periodic features, i.e., grain boundaries and point defects, were considered in most studies.

MA's team discovered an additional type of non-periodic feature that profoundly affects ionic transport. Using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, they spotted a large number of single-atom-layer defects in a prototype solid electrolyte Li0.33La0.56TiO3. In contrast to other well-known non-periodic features, the observed defect is essentially a single-atom-layer compound that emerges only on a limited number of atomic planes. Because of the symmetry of these planes, differently oriented defects almost always form closed loops.

"There are actually many of such defect loops in the material, but it is very difficult to observe them," said the first author ZHU Feng, who is currently a Ph.D. student of USTC. "They are visible only along certain orientations. Besides, due to their extremely small thickness and the distraction from other coexisting microstructures, the presence of these defects can hardly be noticed. This might explain why they have not been reported until now."

The observed defects were found to exhibit an atomic configuration that completely forbids Li-ion migration across the defect layer. As a result, when such defects form a closed loop, Li ions can neither enter nor exit the volume inside, and this part of material is thus excluded from the overall ionic transport. The volume isolated this way is as large as ~15%, which can lead to 1-2 orders of magnitude reduction in ionic conductivity.

"The defect loop is acting as Li-ion traps: it prevents the Li ions within the enclosed volume from escaping," said Prof. MA Cheng from USTC, the lead author of the study. "As such, although the defects themselves are only one-atom thin, they still can 'kill' very large volumes of the solid electrolyte, making them non-conductive."

The scientists coined a term called "single-atom-layer trap" (SALT) to describe this unique feature. Its discovery points out that non-periodic features other than grain boundaries and point defects may also greatly alter ionic transport, and that similar study is urgently needed in other solid electrolytes. The reviewer of Nature Communications spoke very highly of the scientific significance of this work: "This was an exciting manuscript to read, reporting on a very novel observation." "I would ... expect that it stirs up quite some discussion both in the solid electrolyte/solid-state battery field as well as generally in the material science and electron microscopy communities."

###

The study was published on Nature Communications, entitled "Single-atom-layer traps in a solid electrolyte for lithium batteries".

Prof. MA Cheng's collaborators include Prof. MO Yifei from University of Maryland, Prof. NAN Cewen from Tsinghua University, and Prof. LUO Jun from Tianjin University of Technology.
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CDW Corporation (CDW) today announced updates related to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.



Our mission at CDW is to help our customers navigate change and be successful in an ever-evolving world. This mission is even more relevant during the current COVID-19 crisis, said Christine A. Leahy, chief executive officer, CDW. First quarter demand was strong as customers looked to CDW to meet urgent needs for greater technology capabilities. CDW teams have worked tirelessly to safeguard the health and well-being of each other and to continue delivering for our customers at this time of great need.

Given the depth and duration of the pandemic is unknown, it is too early to predict the full impact of COVID-19 on our business. We are committed to deliver on our mission by providing the essential technology required across all sectors of the economy  from vital healthcare, education and government entities to businesses of all sizes  as organizations strive to achieve their goals during this pandemic, concluded Leahy.

Business Update

For the first quarter, preliminary Net sales are expected to be $4.39 billion, Operating income is expected to be $246 million and Non-GAAP operating income is expected to be $304 million. Net income per diluted share is expected to be $1.16 and Non-GAAP net income per diluted share is expected to be $1.38. Non-GAAP operating income and Non-GAAP net income per diluted share are measures that are not based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). Reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are included in the attached schedules. These preliminary results have not been reviewed, audited or subjected to any agreed-upon procedures by our independent registered public accounting firm. Final results for the first quarter may ultimately differ from these preliminary results.

CDW is focused on the well-being and safety of its coworkers, leveraging standing crisis management protocols and following guidelines from public health authorities. CDW implemented precautions to help keep its coworkers healthy and safe, including activating a cross-functional response team led by Executive Committee members, moving to remote working for its office coworkers, and implementing safety protocols at its distribution centers, including social distancing measures, segmented shifts, additional personal protective equipment, enhanced facility cleanings, and temperature screening for anyone entering the facilities. In recent weeks, to limit the virus spread after a few coworkers tested positive for COVID-19, CDW decided to close its Vernon Hills, Illinois distribution center for several days and to require a shift of configuration center coworkers to self-isolate. CDW has continued to pay its affected coworkers their wages. These actions have not had a material impact to date as the company leveraged flexibility in its distribution and configuration capabilities where possible, and where not, shipping times modestly increased.

Story continues

2020 Targets and Related 2020 Financial Information

As a result of COVID-19 and the adoption of current and potential future measures to prevent its spread, CDW is withdrawing its 2020 targets and related 2020 financial information that were previously issued on February 6, 2020. While CDW has a balanced portfolio of customer end-markets and a full suite of solutions and services that address customer priorities across the IT landscape, the impact of COVID-19 on CDWs businesses could be material with some customer end-markets impacted more significantly than others or due to operational measures taken to safeguard its coworkers or issues with its supply chain. CDW is unable at this time to predict the impact of COVID-19 on its operations, liquidity, and financial results, and, depending on the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, such impact may be material.

Liquidity

The company remains confident in its liquidity position. CDWs primary liquidity sources are operating cash flow, cash and cash equivalents, and borrowings under its revolving credit facilities. As of March 31, 2020, CDW had cash and cash equivalents of $214 million and $3.47 billion of total debt outstanding, plus the capacity to borrow an additional $1.0 billion under its revolving credit facilities. The company has no debt maturities due in 2020 and $57 million (46 million) of debt maturing in August 2021. The company has taken measures to enhance liquidity, including implementing cost savings initiatives and suspending share repurchases.

The company will provide an update in its first quarter earnings release and on its first quarter earnings call.

About CDW

CDW Corporation (CDW) is a leading multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. A Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW was founded in 1984 and employs almost 10,000 coworkers. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the company generated Net sales over $18 billion. For more information about CDW, please visit www.CDW.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements regarding (i) the impact of COVID-19 on its business, operations and liquidity, (ii) its preliminary and future financial results, and (iii) other strategic plans of CDW. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. Although CDW believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Reference is made to a more complete discussion of forward-looking statements and applicable risks contained under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in CDW's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Our actual results may differ from those described in forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties described in these filings as well as risks related to COVID-19, including disruptions in the supply or distribution of products, and postponements or reductions in spending on technology products or services related to the pandemics economic impacts. CDW undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

Non-GAAP operating income excludes, among other things, charges related to the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, equity-based compensation and related payroll taxes, and acquisition and integration expenses. Non-GAAP net income per diluted share and Non-GAAP net income exclude, among other things, charges related to acquisition-related intangible asset amortization, equity-based compensation, acquisition and integration expenses, and the associated tax effects of each. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a companys performance or financial position that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally included or excluded in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. The financial statement tables include a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the applicable most comparable GAAP financial measures.

CDW believes these measures provide analysts, investors and management with helpful information regarding the underlying operating performance of CDWs business, as they remove the impact of items that management believes are not reflective of underlying operating performance. CDW uses these measures to evaluate period-over-period performance as management believes they provide a more comparable measure of the underlying business. Non-GAAP measures used by CDW may differ from similar measures used by other companies, even when similar terms are used to identify such measures.

Investor Inquiries

Brittany A. Smith

Vice President, Investor Relations and Financial Planning and Analysis

847-968-0238

investorrelations@cdw.com

Media Inquiries

Sara Granack

Vice President, Corporate Communications

847-419-7411

mediarelations@cdw.com

CDW CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

PRELIMINARY NON-GAAP OPERATING INCOME

(dollars in millions)

(unaudited)





Three Months

Ended

March 31, 2020 Operating income $ 246 Amortization of intangibles 45 Equity-based compensation 9 Other adjustments 4 Non-GAAP operating income $ 304





PRELIMINARY NON-GAAP NET INCOME

AND NON-GAAP NET INCOME PER DILUTED SHARE

(dollars and shares in millions, except per-share amounts)

(unaudited)
Shares of IT major Wipro on Thursday dropped 6 per cent after the company posted 6 per cent decline in net profit for March quarter that was battered by the fallout of Covid-19.

The scrip plunged 6 per cent to Rs 175.30 on the BSE. On the NSE, shares of the company fell 3.51 per cent to Rs 180.

"Wipro's results were weak along expected lines. The company desisted from its usual practice of providing quarterly revenue guidance," Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd said in a report.

The IT major did not provide revenue forecast for the current quarter due to business uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

The company, which is the first among its peers to announce financial numbers for the quarter, said it will resume providing revenue guidance after it sees "increased certainty" on demand and supply side factors.

Wipro, which posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 2,345.2 crore in March quarter compared to Rs 2,493.9 crore in the year-ago period, said it expects revenue in June quarter to decline that will put a huge pressure on margins.

The Bengaluru-based company's revenue increased 4.6 per cent to Rs 15,711 crore in January-March quarter as against Rs 15,006.3 crore in the year-ago period.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks suggestion last month that he and other senior citizens would be willing to risk exposure to the coronavirus to get the economy back on its feet sparked headlines  and outrage  around the globe.

But the details of just how Patrick wants to jump start commerce in Texas, and who all is advising him on it, remains a state secret  with one notable exception, that is.

Patrick announced last week that G. Brint Ryan, a multimillionaire Dallas businessman and Donald Trump ally, would lead his Task Force To Re-Start the Economy.

Who else is on it? Whats the focus? Why all the secrecy?

Patricks office didnt respond to numerous requests for more detail about his task force.

In the meantime, government watchdogs say Ryan, a Republican megadonor whose company specializes in reducing tax bills and getting economic development grants for big corporations, could benefit from his elevation to the head of Patricks quietly assembled task force.

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Ryan denies that and insists his goal is to stabilize and revive the economy, particularly for small businesses.

The tension about who stands to gain from government recovery efforts mirrors a debate in Washington, where the lack of oversight and transparency of coronavirus-related spending is leading to concerns that the money could end up helping people that dont need it.

A major question here is whether Brint Ryan would be serving in this capacity in the interest of all Texans or if he is going to be serving in this capacity as sort of the Dan Patrick-sanctioned chief lobbyist for Ryan LLC, said Dave Levinthal, editor at large at the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit research group that tracks the influence of money in politics. Maybe the answer is both, but thats a question that Texans would probably need to ask.

Likewise, Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, a nonpartisan watchdog organization, said with this much money flowing around the last thing you want is for it to all go to people who just happen to be politically well connected as opposed to people who are out of a job without health care or have their business shutting down.

Ryan said hes serving on the new task force not to assist his clients but rather to make recommendations on getting Texans back to work safely. Ryan said his clients, mostly large corporations, would weather the coronavirus storm but that small businesses need urgent help now.

This is 100 percent my focus  to help the state of Texas, get our economy back up and running again. Now do I indirectly benefit from that? Of course I do. And I make no bones about that. The more effective and the faster we can get things going, frankly, everybody benefits from that, he said. But I do not see this as an opportunity to lobby the lieutenant governor, or any member of his staff or any member of the Legislature for any specific benefit for any client. Thats not part of the charge.

Ryan said Patrick had already added some really talented entrepreneurs to the task force, but he wasnt at liberty to name names. He said the list of task force members and special advisers will be divulged in a few weeks when the task forces initial report is released.

Patricks office did not respond to repeated requests for information about the work of the task force. Senior Patrick adviser Sherry Sylvester said in a text message only that the group was hard at work on this urgent project and hopes to issue a report quickly.

Unabashed advocate

When he announced the new task force last week, Patrick said members would come from an advisory council, made up of dozens of business leaders, that he formed upon taking office in 2015.

Ryan certainly knows the tax code and how to wrangle billions of dollars out of government coffers for corporations. Hes been dubbed the corporate welfare king of Texas, the states shadow comptroller, and in his own words, a benign dictator.

Im an unabashed advocate for my clients. Thats what I do, Ryan told the Houston Chronicle in a telephone interview. Thats why they hire me.

Ryan said he has served as head of a Patrick tax advisory panel for years without any hint of self-interest.

Elsewhere, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday he is consulting with the White House about an economic reboot and putting together his own comprehensive team to evaluate it. The governor is expected to make an announcement Thursday on opening business in Texas.

Apart from getting people safely into the workforce again, policymakers will have to decide how theyll use their powers to tax, spend and regulate at a time when millions are out of work and the federal government is spending trillions of dollars to fight the outbreak and keep the economy afloat.

Texas is expected to receive a little more than $11 billion from the bipartisan relief package passed by Congress. That money is largely earmarked for direct virus response efforts. A second package under discussion in Congress could double the amount of aid to states and local governments, though it is unclear what form that assistance may take.

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Ryan said the new task force is already formulating recommendations on how to improve state government, such as enhancing its ability to work remotely and accept electronic payment for services. Theyre also exploring recommendations to bring back to Texas some critical manufacturing  the definition of which has changed essentially overnight.

One former Ryan executive, Bruce Gibson, said hed be shocked if Brint Ryan used his position on the lieutenant governors new task force to benefit his firm directly.

Hes too smart for that. And hes honest, Gibson said. If he got caught doing something like that, it just taints everything you do, and hes just too savvy to do something like that.

Savvy and politically wired: records show Ryan and his companys political action committee together have given Patrick at least $775,000 since 2011, and over the years he has essentially power-sprayed money into campaigns benefiting major statewide Republicans.

Hired lawmakers

But he doesnt just use campaign money to build relationships with elected officials. Ryan also puts them directly on the company payroll  even while they file bills Ryan LLC wants passed.

Case in point: in 2009 a Ryan lobbyist bragged the company was heavily involved in the passage of a package of property tax relief measures co-authored by then-state Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton. Ottos other job: director of business development at Ryan. The company worked with Otto to fine-tune one bill and drafted major provisions of another before lobbying to pass the legislation, according to Ryan LLCs own post-session analysis.

Otto told the Houston Chronicle the initiatives came from hearings he held all over the state  not from his private employer.

I didnt file any of those bills as a result of anything Ryan brought to me; it was a result of my going out and speaking to taxpayers, Otto said.

Ryans hiring of state Rep. Drew Springer of Muenster in 2017 as a director raised eyebrows at the Capitol since the North Texas Republican served on a key tax panel and voted in favor of several of the tax bills the company was pushing at the Capitol  including at least one Springer authored.

Springer said hes no longer a Ryan LLC employee but he saw no conflict between his elected service and his day job, adding, I never had anybody once come up and tell me that this would have been a beneficial Ryan bill to go vote on.

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Dallas area U.S Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Terrell, also was on the Ryan payroll for a time during his stint in the Texas Legislature, as was former state Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville.

A member of the University of North Texas Board of Regents, Ryan has served as an informal tax adviser during President Donald Trumps 2016 run, and his company sponsored the speaker series that paid for Donald Trump Jr.s controversial 2017 speech at UNT, which came with a $100,000 fee.

Ryan has fundraising and business ties to Democrats, too, none as eye-catching as the one with state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, now in a U.S. Senate Democratic primary runoff. Ryans PACs have given West at least $37,000, and hes also in a joint business venture with the senator  RyanWest LLC, which touts itself as a minority-owned tax consulting company.

Ryan said he doesnt use his legislator-employees to advance his agenda at the Texas Capitol, or ask or encourage them to file company-backed bills. Sometimes he opposes them when they do.

The key in our business is relationships and just getting to know people, Ryan said. I found those folks to have really strong Rolodexes. And theyve been successful in helping us generate business and thats the sole purpose for their hiring.

jay.root@chron.com
A woman in Florida was left stunned when she tried to withdraw her stimulus check from an ATM and discovered an additional $8.5 million had been deposited into her account.

Diana Lagulli was taking cash out at a Wawa convenience store in Sanford on Thursday when she glanced down at her receipt to find her remaining bank balance displaying a few extra zeros than she'd expected.

Confused and shocked at the multi-million dollar sum written in bold ink at the bottom of the paper, Lagulli said she called her son laughing, telling him: Your parents are millionaires!'

But her reverie didnt last long. After phoning her bank to inquire about the jackpot sum, Lagulli learned the $8.5 million deposit had been the result of a malfunction, rather than good fortune.

Diana Lagulli was taking cash out at a Wawa convenience store in Sanford on Thursday when she glanced down at her receipt to find her remaining bank balance displaying a few extra zeros than she'd expected

Confused and shocked at the multi-million dollar sum written in bold ink at the bottom of the paper, Lagulli said she called her son laughing, telling him: Your parents are millionaires!'

That fairytale went out the window, Lagulli told WOFL, adding that she'd already imagined paying off her home and car with the eye-watering funds.

Within 12 hours Lagulli received a text alert notifying her that her bank balance had been reduced back down to normal.

But though she was no longer a millionaire, the retiree decided to take the surprise windfall as inspiration, later using some of her stimulus check to buy groceries for a nurse she'd seen stocking up on supplies in Walmart.

It made me very happy to do that even though I dont have $8 million, Lagulli said. You should have seen her face.

Lagulli wasnt the only person to receive a shock at the ATM this week. On Tuesday, a similar incident happened to volunteer firefighter Charles Calvin in Indiana.

Calvin was withdrawing his $1,700 stimulus payment when he found $8.2 million sitting in his account.

'I went to the ATM at the Family Express and once I withdrew $200 out of my account I looked at the available balance still left in my account,' he said.

At first, he through the machine had thrown up some sort of error so he ran his card again but the exact same amount was shown.

However, much like Lagulli, the good fortune was short-lived. By the time he called the bank to question the amount, the seven-digit sum had already disappeared.

Charles Calvin, a volunteer firefighter, was expecting a stimulus payment for $1,700

Upon checking his bank account he found there was a payment for $8million

'It kind of sucks,' he said. 'You go from being a millionaire one second then back to being broke again. But hey, once you're poor you don't have anywhere else to go but up.'

Calvin is not sure if the readout was an error made by the federal government or just the ATM he used. Either way, he is not complaining as he received what he was legitimately entitled to.

The government said eligible Americans should receive their stimulus deposits no later than April 15. Those without direct deposit capabilities will receive a check in the mail.
Bollywood actor Salman Khan used his star power to express anguish and disappointment at people flouting lockdown rules and pelting stones at healthcare workers as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

The "Bharat" star, who is currently at his Panvel farmhouse, urged everyone to abide by the guidelines laid down by the government to contain the spread of the deadly virus and praise the efforts by all those working on the frontlines.

Channelling his "Bigg Boss" host persona, Salman began the 10 minute-long video talking about his life under lockdown.

'Bigg Boss' is not starting, this is life's Bigg Boss' going on. There are some people who are violating (the lockdown). I had come here for a two-day holiday but corona has sent everyone on a 'holiday'," he said in the Instagram video shared on Wednesday.

"First we thought it was just a flu. It will all get over in a few days and everyone will be back home. But when lockdown happened, it became all serious, he said.

He is currently at his farmhouse with his mother Salma, sisters Alvira Agnihotri and Arpita Khan Sharma, brother-in-law, actor Aayush Sharma, nephew Ahil and few friends.

Sharing an incident about the callous behaviour by one of his friends, who had gone out to get vegetables from a nearby village, Salman said, Police are there all around and they are doing a good job. He (friend) had the pass. When the police stopped him on the street, he took off the mask to speak with the policemen, who in turn told him to put it back.

"He understood he shouldn't have done it. He came back and narrated this story to us. When he got back home, I told him that taking off the mask was a stupidity, the actor added.

The intention behind narrating this story, the 54-year-old star said, was to make people aware about how they are putting their families and everyone else at risk by not following the lockdown rules.

In any disease to get the result positive is a very sad thing, especially for a disease that has no cure and such a person losing hope is not good. And to not understand the sadness of those who have tested positive is anti-human.

"The positive tested patients have understood that it is their mistake and those who are negative at the moment are not taking things seriously will soon turn positive as well. And they will then spread the disease to the family, to the locality, to the city and then to the entire India," Salman said.

The actor said the government has asked everyone to stay at home and not do social gatherings and rather spend time with family.

"Do your prayers at home. We had learnt in our childhood that God resides within us. Everyone has to die someday, but do you want to actually die? Do you want to put the country at risk, starting with your own family?



"And you have to think whether you want to support the police, doctors and those working in the banks or not.

He further said if everyone would have followed the guidelines properly, the lockdown would have been lifted.

"If you wouldn't have gone out in groups or with friends, then police wouldn't have hit you. They don't enjoy it. No one has stopped you from going to buy essentials, but wear masks and gloves. The government has assured that all the essential items will be available," the actor asserted.

Hailing the efforts of the frontliners such as the healthcare workers and police force, Salman said, Do you think doctors, nurses, policemen, those working in banks are immune to coronavirus? They are still working 18 hours and are doing this for you, not to stop you, but to stop coronavirus because the disease does not see class, economic standing or age. Police is doing their duty, but you are not doing your duty to stay at home.

You are throwing stones at doctors, nurses who are saving your life," he said in a reference to incidents of doctors and health workers being attacked across the country.

"And those who are coronavirus positive are running away from the hospitals. Where are you running? Towards life or death? Just imagine if these doctors and police wouldn't have been there, then those who think it won't happen to them will take the entire India to doom," he added.

Salman said he salutes those who do not have anything to eat and yet decide to sustain without food as they understand it is better to sustain the way it is going on than risking their family's health.

This shows India is united, he added.

He said everyone must be thankful to the police force, medical staff and those working in banks for risking their lives.

"Let it not be so bad that they'll need the military to make you understand," he concluded.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tiny cocktails served in bars around the globe aren't this small, but they are often half the size of a traditional drink.

Tiny cocktails, really? If the notion of miniature mixed drinks gives you pause, you're not alone. For all those times you peered into the spirits swirling in your martini glass and thought "if only this drink were  smaller," enter tiny cocktails to solve a problem you never knew you had. So why are mixologists around the globe doubling down on miniscule mixed drinks? And is now  while the world wrestles with the stresses of a global pandemic  really the right time to make this a "thing"?

The history of the tiny cocktail

In reality, tiny cocktails have been quietly making the rounds for years. Restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., began quietly adding miniature mixed drinks to menus in the early 2010s. By 2014, Instagram was awash in images of these Lilliputian libations. From there, the trend entered a long simmering phase, always hot but never boiling over the way, say, cosmos did during the 1990s or dalgona coffee did just last month.

Tokyo's Gen Yamamoto offers a cocktail tasting menu based on "shiki," or Japanese seasonality. Courtesy of Hendra Wijaya

Tokyo cocktail bar Gen Yamamoto is credited as an early adopter of the idea of mini cocktails. The bar is as small as its pours  just eight seats  and the owner of the same name approaches cocktails the way a Michelin-starred chef approaches food, serving a tasting menu of four to seven drinks for approximately $48 to $73, respectively. Slowly, the notion of premium mini drinks grew. Now tiny cocktails are no longer the exclusive purview of hip gastropubs in major world cities and can be ordered in comfy brunch spots in St. Paul, Minnesota and trendy restaurants in Kolkata, India.

Why bigger is not always better

Spaniard Jorge Conde, the head bartender of experimental cocktail bar Smoke & Mirrors located atop Singapore's National Gallery, launched a mini-cocktail menu in early March of this year. With a full-sized cocktail menu peppered with ingredients like pickled purslane, black rice, chili oil and white truffles and with drink names like "Dali's Self Portrait," the menu can be a bit aggressive for people who are not into mixed drinks.

Head bartender Jorge Conde pours two drinks from the the married pony menu at Singapore cocktail bar Smoke & Mirrors. Courtesy of Smoke & Mirrors

That's why he launched the "married pony" menu with classic cocktails served in small-stemmed pony glasses popularized in the 19th century. The married part references each drink's pairing with a complementary flavor  gimlet with bergamot, for instance. But why opt for the smaller-sized pours? If bars in Mexico party towns are hawking liquor by the yard in plastic souvenir cups, perhaps petite drinks are the upscale mixologists' way of encouraging a more refined, truncated style of drinking. Not exactly, said Conde. "The idea with the ponies is to drink more," he said. "The menu has eight ponies, and it's very easy to drink six as the quantity of the cocktail is between a shot and a cocktail."

Small cocktails allow customers to taste a wider variety of drinks. Courtesy of Smoke & Mirrors

Small cocktails allow bartenders to show off their mixing skills to customers who may normally only order one or two drinks. Indecisive drinkers can taste more of the menu and designated drivers can have a sip while staying sober. Some spirits are simply too pungent  especially those infused with onion and other aromatics, as experimental bars are known to do  to truly enjoy more than a few sips. And smaller portions keep deliciously cool throughout the duration of the drink. While classic pony glasses hold 142 milliliters, which is about half the size of a normal cocktail (or slightly more than a half cup of liquid), Smoke & Mirrors sells three sizes of 120, 140 and 160 milliliters priced at SG$18 (US$13) per drink or SG$65 (US$46) for a set of four. Other bars offer drinks that are scant more than a shot (but usually made with better alcohol than typical shots) which are served individually or as a cocktail flight.

Getting the glass right

Conde first came across pony glasses when he was flipping through an old cocktail book in London. "I saw an illustration of a hand holding a pony, and I found it to be very unique," he said. Pony glasses were originally used to drink spirits  both before and after dinner  but serving less potent cocktails in them makes them more socially acceptable during the day. Cocktails before happy hour may be uncommon, but a half cocktail offers stiff competition to the usual glass of white wine at lunch.

The image that sparked Singapore's Smoke & Mirrors new pony menu. Courtesy of Smoke & Mirrors

The glasses are critically important. Serve a tiny cocktail in a regular-sized martini or margarita glass, and customers will openly revolt. Present it in a fancifully antiquated crystal pony glass, and they're toasting and posting selfies while plotting their next drink order. "People may have one drink from the signature cocktail menu and then a pony. Or they start with a pony and then a signature cocktail," said Conde. "For other types of clients, instead of shots, they try a pony. They enjoy a little taste of a classic and then order something more experimental later." Tiny cocktails also work for situations when you're on the fence about ordering another drink. Should you, shouldn't you? A pony is a smaller commitment of your time and wallet.

How people react to diminutive drinks

To date, Conde said the reaction to Smoke & Mirrors' pony menu has been overwhelmingly positive. "At the beginning, people were a bit confused," he said. "They would ask, 'How small is small?' Now most people order a set of four, and the feedback has been great."

American Lisa Gottlieb mixes tiny cocktails as a way to relax while sheltering at home. Courtesy of Lisa Gottlieb

He said he hasn't noticed any particular gender or age of customers who prefer the smaller drinks, though he has recognized that the cacao & negroni pony, which weds shiraz barrel-aged gin with Campari, Italian vermouth and bittersweet cacao, is a pony bestseller. Though Smoke & Mirrors is temporarily closed during Singapore's "circuit breaker" response to the coronavirus pandemic, the plan is to keep the pony menu for six months, then create a new set of tiny classic cocktails with a twist.

Making them at home

While people are quarantined, the trend for tiny cocktails doesn't appear to be losing steam, as big nights out are being swapped for more muted evenings at home. American Lisa Gottlieb is a social worker who has been making mini cocktails and food  intriguingly popping a single popcorn kernel at a time  while sheltering in place in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
I am a retired nurse who for 50 years worked in hospitals, the Peace Corps, public heath, academia and psychiatry. My youngest daughter, a pediatric oncologist, recently asked if I had ever had an experience like the current coronavirus pandemic. I suddenly recalled myself at age 14  the summer of 1955. I was living at the shore with a family taking care of their four children. I was a young, attentive babysitter, but I did know about polio. It was not an uncommon disease then. My father, oldest sister and a cousin had each survived polio with some residual disability. It was a global, infectious, sometimes crippling illness, and in the 1950s there was a polio epidemic in the United States, the worst in our nations history. And, then in that summer at the shore the outbreak affected me.

I developed a friendship with another babysitter living nearby. She developed polio, was taken to the hospital and died. A doctor gave me an injection of gamma globulin to boost my immunity. When I returned home that summer, several of our neighbors, including a close friends mother, had contracted polio, resulting in minor paralysis. In high school I visited one of my classmates in the hospital. He was then in an iron lung to help him breathe  he eventually died.
This, they say, would be possible due to the Reserve Bank of Indias three-month moratorium on loan repayment, and due to the lockdown being imposed in the second half of March. "As the shutdown of economic activity was undertaken in the second half of March 2020, the full impact of the fallout will not be reflected in Q4FY20 numbers. In the current uncertain environment, large banks like HDFC Bank continued ...

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Ireland, Europe and the world are living through an unprecedented crisis. We are facing an invisible enemy and a daunting common challenge.

If there is one clear lesson from the past weeks, it is that the more closely and effectively we work together in Europe, the quicker we will defeat coronavirus. Joint action saves lives, limits the economic damage and prepares us for as rapid a recovery as possible. The European Commission is pulling out all the stops to achieve this.

While national governments are in the driving seat in taking immediate action within their own countries to address the pandemic, the EU has a big role to play in helping governments to coordinate their policies. For example, when some Member States closed their borders in mid-March in their initial response to the crisis, the European Commission stepped in to establish green lanes to keep goods flowing, supermarket shelves stocked and vital components reaching factories.

The EU has done a lot more to address the wide-ranging challenges posed by COVID-19. Just before Easter, EU finance ministers agreed a 540 billion package to support member states, companies and workers hit by the crisis. The Commission made the state aid rules more flexible than ever before so that businesses big and small can get the support they need. The budgetary rules were relaxed to allow national and EU spending to go quickly to those that need it. This has enabled EU institutions and Member States put up 2.8 trillion to fight the crisis  the strongest response anywhere in the world. Through an initiative called SURE, the EU is working to ensure that people can keep their jobs and their incomes and businesses stay afloat while we are in lockdown. The scheme will provide 100 billion to help governments make up the difference if a company, especially SMEs, has had to reduce hours for its employees.

Since the early days of the crisis, the Commission is deeply concerned with ensuring food security and an effective food supply chain across the continent. The Commission adopted quick measures in support of the agri-food sector  increasing the level of advance payments under the CAP and the admissible support for individual farms and providing new lines for financing of food producing and food processing companies. Ultimately, the development, production and deployment of a vaccine is vital in the COVID-19 battle. The Commission has therefore reoriented existing research priorities and is making new funding available to this end. It has mobilised 140 million to finance vaccine research, making  80 million available to Cure Vac, a global leader in this field. Seventeen other vaccine-related projects are being supporting, including Dublin-based Hibergene Diagnostics. The Commission prepared a common tender for EU Member States to help secure equipment to protect frontline health care workers and provide their patients with the best possible care under the circumstances. As we all know, frontline workers sacrifice the most in our fight against the coronavirus, including healthcare workers caring for patients, and all workers who contribute to combating the spread of the virus and keeping essential services running. We owe them all our most sincere thanks.

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It is with deep regret and profound sadness that the High Commission of the Republic of Ghana to the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland learnt of the passing away of a number of our beloved compatriots resident in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland as a result of the current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has infected several people and claimed precious lives. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.

The High Commission of the Republic of Ghana to the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland once again commiserates with all affected compatriots and their loved ones and hereby encourages all to observe the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as host authority guidelines to contain the spread of the virus. Our compatriots are further entreated to observe the lockdown directives and social distancing protocols recommended by the British authorities.

The Mission can be reached on matters requiring urgent attention and be notified of anyone who has been infected or passed away by COVID-19 via the following email addresses:

The Ghana High Commission reiterates its commitment to the concerns of the community and wishes to as.sure of its thoughts and prayers with every Ghanaian family in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland as we sojourn this difficult period of our time together.

Keep safe!

GHANA HIGH COMMISSION, LONDON

15th APRIL 2020
Employment tribunal dismissed claim saying her work was completely different to her comparators

Found three other programme directors had salaries up to 40% higher than hers

A former TalkTalk executive who claimed she faced gender pay discrimination has had her employment tribunal case rejected.

Rebecca Burke, 43, was paid a basic salary of 110,000 while she helped lead the company's cyber security programme in the wake of a high-profile data breach in 2015.

But following her 'sham' redundancy after just 15 months into the job, she discovered three male programme directors had salaries up to 40 per cent higher than hers and were given at least 50 per cent more in bonuses.

Mrs Burke, from Yately, Hants, had sued TalkTalk for both unfair dismissal and unequal pay discrimination - but the tribunal ruled against her.

Judge Graeme Hodgson, who chaired the tribunal, said Mrs Burke's work was completely different to her comparators.

Rebecca Burke, 43, of Yately, Hampshire, has lost her claim of gender gay discrimination against TalkTalk at the Central London Employment Tribunal

'When we stand back and consider all of these factors, we are satisfied that there is clear water between the claimant's role and the roles of her comparators,' he said.

'There are key differences in terms of the overall budget, accountability, and importance to the business.

'The key difference, which revolved around the importance of the areas of responsibility to the business, is fundamental.'

Judge Hodgson said dismissal was within the 'band of reasonable responsible responses open to a reasonable employer.'

He added: 'It follows that we reject the allegation that dismissal was unfair.'

TalkTalk's lawyers had said her pay was calculated using a clear methodology showing her role was less strategically important.

Ms Burke's appeal against her redundancy on June 29, 2017 was not upheld by boss Derek Cheng (left). The hearing was told Ms Burke also became aware that directors she considered her equals, including Jonathan Ellison (right) were on higher pay grades

The Willis Towers Watson survey methodology is a 'market driven job levelling tool' that puts employees into bands, and then subdivides them into grades, the employment tribunal in central London was told.

Mrs Burke was not aware exactly how pay grades were set until her redundancy hearing.

She discovered three other programme directors had salaries up to 40 per cent higher than hers and were given at least 50 per cent more in bonuses.

Mrs Burke was made redundant just 15 months after leading the company's pivotal cyber security programme in the wake of a catastrophic hacking scandal which cost the company up to 77m in lost business affecting 150,000 customers.

Her appeal against her redundancy on 29 June 2017 was not upheld by chief security officer Derek Cheng.

TalkTalk has an average gender pay gap of 14.6 per cent and an average bonus gap of 31.6 per cent, according to the firm's 2018 Gender Pay Report. Pictured: Its offices in London in 2017

Mrs Burke was told: 'Your role has drastically reduced in size and complexity as clearly shown by the size of the relevant budget (now 2m) therefore not warranting a programme director anymore.

'Your role as Programme Director for Lightning (even in its previous form) was substantially smaller than the other Programme Director roles across the group and therefore materially different

Mrs Burke was made redundant just 15 months after leading the company's pivotal cyber security programme in the wake of a catastrophic hacking scandal

'Other 4 programme directors are Band B employees and considered more senior while Rebecca (although shared the same job title) is a Band C employee.'

According to the telecom firm, Ms Burke was only in a 'supporting role' following the hacking scandal.

Charles Bligh, Chief Operating Officer of TalkTalk until December 2018, explained the jobs were 'vastly different' and 'not comparable in anyway'.

He told the tribunal: 'With the complexity of those new programmes, the detail that we would need, stakeholder management and the leadership qualities.

'I would not have put her in charge of those programmes, I just don't see her as senior enough to run those programmes.

'I don't recall seeing her CV, I must have.

'I must have two years experience working with Rebecca, I think that entitles me to have an opinion,' he said.

'I was working with Rebecca and Richard [Sinclair - her reporting superior) quite a lot so I saw what she delivered, the way she approached things.

'She was very, very capable and did a good job but not to the same level to deliver those complex programmes.

'We had lots of issues, the technology programme we had re-plumbing the entire network, it was very complex.

'Rebecca was not the only person responsible for security, the whole company was concerned with security.'

Dido Harding was chief executive of TalkTalk at the time of the data breach in 2015, a scandal which cost the firm up to 77million in lost business affecting 150,000 customers

Speaking after the tribunal decision Ms Burke said: 'I'm shocked and disappointed by this judgement, and I know that those familiar with my case will feel the same.

'I'll be consulting with advisers, family and friends before taking any decisions on what comes next. I'd like to thank everyone on my team for their rock solid support over the last two years.'

A TalkTalk spokesperson said: 'We are very pleased the Tribunal found no evidence of gender discrimination at TalkTalk and dismissed the claim of unfair dismissal.

'We are fully committed to treating all our employees fairly and there is no disparity in pay between genders.'

Mrs Burke has worked in the project management sector for 21 years, after graduating from Kingston University in 2007 with a Masters in Business Administration.

Before being recruited onto Programme Lightning at TalkTalk she earned about 130,000 a year as programme director for a partnership project between Airbus Space and Defence, and the Ministry of Justice.

She was directly accountable for the delivery of this project, using TalkTalk's new project management strategy 'change framework'.

York was a flagship project for a fibre optic network TalkTalk hoped to then roll out across the UK.

Mrs Burke was responsible for managing projects as well as achieving corporate objectives at Talk Talk alongside Daniel Rynehart, Jonathan Ellison and Daniel Richardson, who she compared her role with as part of her pay dispute.

She was set specific tasks, such as delivering a new fibre optic network for York, and other objectives including achieving 80% customer satisfaction.

Mrs Burke claimed she was never told she was at risk of redundancy, nor given an opportunity to apply for an alternative role during restructuring of the company.

Under the Equality Act 2010 (previously the Equal Pay Act 1970), it is illegal to pay employees performing the same job or 'work of equivalent value' differently because of their gender.

In her witness statement Mrs Burke said: 'I believe that my redundancy was a sham.

'It was clear to me that the work required... was being artificially and rigidly divided in order to contrive a reason for my redundancy.

'I had not, previously to the redundancy process, appreciated that my colleagues were regarded as more senior and paid more than me.

'It certainly did not reflect what I saw as the reality of the situation.'

One of her most crucial roles was directing the security programme following the October 2015 hacking scandal, when customers' data was plundered by two cyber criminals in one of the biggest data breaches in history.

TalkTalk was fined a record 400,000 for security failings which allowed the data to be accessed 'with ease' in 2016.

CEO Dido Harding had received demands for Bitcoins in return for the stolen data, which included customers' names, email addresses, mobile numbers, home addresses and dates of birth.

It is believed that 1,707 tables with 439,365,020 rows of data - 1,662,367 of which contained sensitive data - were taken by the hackers.

Connor Allsopp, 21, and Matthew Hanley, 23, admitted fraud and computer charges and were jailed for eight and 12 months respectively at the Old Bailey in November 2018.

Daniel Kelley, 22, was locked up for four years for his involvement in the hack attack in June 2019.
We need good data and that means we need more testing, says Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases physician, a professor at the Australian National University and the executive director of ACT Pathology at Canberra Hospital. We have to turn the social controls on and off depending on how much community spread there is. That can only be done if we have more tests to identify the spread. Collignon cautions that the tests are not as simple as the kits described in the news. The standard nasal swab is straightforward but the analysis requires about 10 different chemicals from suppliers around the world. Australia is in a race with other countries to get these raw materials. The Morrison government is hoping to get another large supply of tests soon, but it can never count on a shipment until it lands. It has been satisfied with the quality of the tests imported so far  an important issue given the flawed test kits used in parts of Europe. There is work under way on local production, but there are doubts about whether it can be scaled up quickly enough.

Better tracing is the next objective. Some of the failures against the virus have been clear for weeks  the bungling of the Ruby Princess, the complacency in early March  but the successes are also significant. Tracing is one of them. Loading State governments have massively increased their tracing capabilities, sometimes with help from the Australian Defence Force, and this has slowed the spread of infection. The question is whether it can be done more quickly. The federal plan for a tracing app is already controversial, but the proposal is logical. Someone who tests positive for COVID-19 currently has to go through their movements to identify those who may have caught the virus. The project, based on TraceTogether in Singapore, would require users to allow an encrypted phone app using Bluetooth to record those who are near them. Is it worth sacrificing privacy to counter a pandemic and ease an economic shutdown? It is a calculation we have never had to make before.

Mary-Louise McLaws, a professor of epidemiology at the University of NSW, has been heartened by the testing rate so far and believes the tracing app is an idea worth debating. As an epidemiologist, I think anything that speeds up contact tracing is incredibly helpful for shutting down the spread of such a highly contagious virus as COVID-19, she says. It would have to be carefully balanced with any loss of personal privacy, and that would need a debate in a well-informed community. (McLaws also has some practical advice: get a flu shot. If you care about the health workers handling this crisis, do everything you can to ease the load on the health system. There were 18,000 hospitalisations from the flu last year.)

The latest decisions by national cabinet are positive. Morrison was right to change his mind and plan for Parliament to return in early May rather than waiting until August. If the virus is kept under control, perhaps the economic restrictions can be lifted earlier than thought as well. Loading Do not assume Australia can keep every restriction in place in the hope of a vaccine this year, because that hope can be easily dashed. Professor Peter Doherty, who won the Nobel prize for medicine for his work on the immune system, says a vaccine could take 12 to 18 months. So the path of patience, if extended too long, becomes a detour to a depression. The destruction of jobs is already catastrophic. The biggest victims are those without savings to fall back on, without assets to cushion their fall, without secure work even before the virus arrived. Right now, young Australians cannot visualise what it will be like to look for work during a recession. They are at school, TAFE and university, or perhaps waiting out the crisis on unemployment benefits, but they will emerge from isolation to a changed world. We cannot be sure just how brutal that world will be. The wider testing and faster tracing cannot come soon enough.
Postal workers are being forced to work in unsafe conditions, largely without personal protective equipment (PPE), adequate hand cleansing facilities or social distancing.

This has resulted in the deaths of at least three postal workers, while many more have either contracted the virus or are self-isolating. Three of the deceased workers have been named: Stefan Haluszczak, who worked at Coventry Parcels Hub, Akie Fenty from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, and Bola Omoyeni, who was employed at the National Distribution Centre in Northampton.

Haluszczak, who had worked for Royal Mail for eight years, was well-respected at his depot.

Akie Fenty, UK postal worker dead from COVID-19 (Photo: Facebook)

Fenty, a 45-year-old father of one, described as normally fit and healthy, had been fighting the virus for two weeks. He had only just been released from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he was treated for a chest infection, when he collapsed and had to be rushed back to hospital. His girlfriend, Lisa Masson, said he sent her a text message at about 11:15 pm, saying, I love you, this is f****** crazy. Just 45 minutes later he passed away.

Omoyeni, originally from Nigeria, had worked for Royal Mail for 30 years. His distraught colleagues described him as a gentle giant and a big man with a big heart. He, too, died within hours of being taken to hospital. His friend, Kenny Daodu, wrote that he was a family man and had plans for his children.

Confronted with the deaths of fellow workers, a management more concerned with upholding shareholder value than the safety of their staff, and a trade union refusing to mobilise against Royal Mail, postal workers are taking matters into their own hands.

Last month saw walkouts in Southwark, London and Bridgewater in the south west. This month, postal workers at several Royal Mail sites have taken unofficial action over their safety concerns, including Chatham, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington, Didcot, Edinburgh, Alloa and Fife.

Bola Omoyeni, UK postal worker dead from COVID-19.

Parcelforce drivers in Swansea, Wales staged a protest in the car park over the lack of proper measures by management to deal with the danger of the coronavirus spreading in the workplace. A manager threatened to call the police to report a social gathering.

At the Longton Delivery Office in Stoke-on-Trent, 50 workers walked out after being forced to work dangerously close to each other.

Workers at the Warrington Delivery Office downed tools after a manager who had been handing out workloads and van keys all week was admitted to hospital and reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.

In Didcot, postal workers walked out of their depot after it was not deep cleaned when a staff member became ill with COVID-19.

At another Oxford office, postal workers took unofficial action over lack of safety measures, forcing bosses to take the mail out of the building before they would handle it.

Royal Mails ruthless money-making operation is putting lives at risk in order to boost profits. According to the Communication Workers Union (CWU), about 20 percent of Royal Mail staff are currently off work, amounting to 26,000 postal workers who are either ill, self-isolating or looking after relatives. With the union saying it is busier than Christmas, those working report they are exhausted by the extra workload and struggling to cover for absent colleagues amid a growing mountain of parcels, as more people who are at home order goods for delivery. They are also forced to deliver junk mail to millions of customers. The only reason for this is to allow Royal Mail to maintain advertising revenue at the expense of postal workers health.

Royal Mail, which claims that it take(s) the health and safety of our colleagues very seriously, turned down a request by postal workers for an extra day off during the Easter break. Royal Mail human relations boss Sally Ashford said having a day off was not consistent with our objectivesthat is, making as much money as they can by trampling on postal workers health.

Reporting a shortage of basic items such gloves, masks and hand sanitisers, one worker said postal employees were being forced to choose between their jobs and their health.

A postal worker from the north of England said, It is more than two weeks since the lockdown, and we are in a situation where there is still a lack of PPE [personal protective equipment], there is still a lack of sanitisers. I am scared that my job will be in danger if I refuse to do a task because I believe it puts me in an unsafe position.

Another said, When this was all kicking off, we were saying [to management] we need this stuff. However, our big boss upstairs just said no, you just need to wash your hands. I would love to wash my hands, but nowhere is open. Everything is shut. It is ridiculous.

When workers have fallen ill at work, managers have refused to deep clean the area where they worked. In Greenock, when a worker was hospitalised with COVID-19 symptoms, postal workers went on strike until the area was cleaned. One worker told the Greenock Telegraph, They actually had people working where the ill employee had been. Managers have done nothing about it and are refusing to clean any of their stuff.

In Peterborough, where a postal worker was sent home after testing positive for the virus, Royal Mail failed to contact colleagues who may have come into contact with him and they were made to work as normal.

In Oxford, a member of staff was tested for COVID-19. While the van he used was cleaned, the depot was cleaned by a man with a rag and a spray bottle, a worker said.

Royal Mail can act with such calculated contempt only due to the CWU. On three occasions over the last two years postal workers have voted for national strike action to defend their pay and working conditions. On all three occasions, the CWU has refused to call a strike.

Earlier this month, the union called off a strike that had received almost unanimous backing in a ballot, instead offering up postal workers to the Conservative government as a fifth emergency service. The deadly consequences of that action are now being felt. This is all on the heads of the CWU. Even now, as postal workers are dying and the danger of infection is massive, it refuses to pull the whole workforce out on strike until Royal Mail can guarantee their safety.

Postal workers are right to look to themselves rather than the union in the fight against dangerous working conditions. The CWU bureaucracy has shown it will only spout hot air about workers safety while seeking to protect its handsome pay packets and privileges as the negotiating partner with corrupt management. Postal workers should organise rank-and-file committees of action to coordinate and lead a national fightback, linking up with delivery workers at Amazon, DPD, UPS and elsewhere who face similar conditions.
The exact number of captives for exchange can only be determined after verifying the remains

Oleksiy Reznikov. Open source

As of April 16, about 200 people are on the exchange lists, but the exact number of detainees can be established only after full verification, reports RBC-Ukraine, citing the Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov.

According to him, within the framework of all for all exchange, Ukraine is ready to hold exchange without any conditions.

Today is one of the stages of 'all for all' swap. This formula means that we are ready to exchange without any reservations and conditions, he explains, adding that now the most important thing is that all our compatriots are in Ukraine.

Then we will give everyone they request for. Because for us, the life, freedom and health of every citizen of Ukraine who wants to return home is more important," he stressed.

According to Reznikov, there are now about 200 people, but there is still a large number of people missing and the government does not receive confirmation from militants that the person is in the temporarily occupied territories.

"Sometimes it happens so that this person is, unfortunately, deceased. Therefore, the exact number can be called only after verification, in particular the remains that are left after the fighting that began in 2014 with the aggression of the Russian Federation, the attack on Ukraine, he explained.

Ukraine and militants of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions hold the prisoner swap. 19 people had to be returned to Ukraine.

As we reported, militants of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic have handed over nine people to Ukraine as part of today's exchange near Horlivka and Mayorsk checkpoints.

Later, the Ukrainian side and the militants of the so-called Luhansk Peoples Republic held the prisoner swap at eleven for four formula.
The underwriting hire joins the companys Melbourne line-up, which Solution Underwriting Agency described as ever-growing. The business also has an office in Sydney.

Commenting on Boyces arrival, Solution Underwriting Agency said in its announcement: We are thrilled to have him join us.
The number of deaths from a disease caused by the new coronavirus over the last day in China has not increased by a single person, the number of infected in hospitals has increased by 46, to 1,107 people, TASS reported referring to the Chinese committee.

According to it, over the entire time the virus spread in China, 94.5% of those infected recovered, including 76 in the last day. The number of cases since December 2019 amounted to over 82.3 thousand, the official mortality rate from pneumonia in the country is 4% (more than 3.3 thousand people died).

The government maintains enhanced security measures. There are special rules that govern behavior in public places.

According to the latest data, over 8.4 thousand people who had close contact with the infected are under the supervision of the Chinese physicians. There are also 63 suspected coronavirus quarantined people in the country.
[April 16, 2020] Medopad Rebrands as Huma as It Expands Offerings and Acquires AI and Wearable Tech Startups

- Building beyond remote patient monitoring into digital biomarkers and therapeutics, UK-headquartered global digital health company Medopad is renamed Huma - Huma acquires wearable technology and AI businesses BioBeats and Tarilian Laser Technologies (TLT) to add mental health and cardiovascular support to its remote patient monitoring platform - Huma appoints former UK Health Minister The Right Honourable Alan Milburn to chairman of its board of directors, who also serves as Chairman of the European Advisory Board at Bridgepoint Capital and Chair of PwC's UK Health Industry Oversight Board - With its new technologies and brand, Huma shares its mission to discover digital biomarkers, making sense of the data our bodies produce in a move towards proactive and preventative health LONDON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Medopad is announcing that it has changed its name to Huma and acquired two UK AI and wearable technology businesses, BioBeats and TLT. The rebrand and acquisitions support the company's mission to use insights gathered by remote monitoring to help healthcare, life sciences and innovation partners understand, treat and prevent poor health. By collectively benefiting from the data people individually generate, Huma aims to give knowledge and power to individuals, while saving clinicians time, energy and valuable resources. Dan Vahdat, founder and CEO of Huma, commented, "We've been through quite a journey since Medopad started in 2011. Medopad has specialised in remote patient monitoring for patients with rare and chronic diseases. Over time, we've realised that health is about more than disease states; it's about general physical and mental wellbeing go hand-in-hand. That's why it makes perfect sense for us to evolve what the company stands for, what we offer, and why we do what we do. That's why from today, Medopad is now Huma. Huma reflects our commitment to working with people, for people. The name Huma says that we're for all of humanity." Pioneering Digital Biomarkers with New Offerings Mr Vahdat explained further, Every day our bodies generate millions of unrecorded data points, masses of information previously unseen. We believe that this data can open up new insights on people's health, just as mapping and visualising the genome has done. This previously unseen data represents a category called digital biomarkers, the unique signatures created as we walk, talk and move. Digital biomarkers may help tell us what causes disease, how they progress, and potentially how we can prevent disease. BioBeats and TLT enable our partners to have a more holistic sense of people's health and wellbeing through better data."



BioBeats is a London-based company dedicated to building validated digital mental health interventions and leading a new approach to wellbeing support through its flagship product, BioBase. The mobile app, paired with biosensors and a wearable device, gathers biometric data (e.g. heart rate variability) and psychometric measures (e.g. mood journaling) to provide users with a personalised wellbeing score, fostering an increased understanding of their mental wellbeing. Combining applied research and AI, BioBase improves mental health through tailored insights, biofeedback tools and digital therapeutics for a preventative mental health intervention. David Plans, BioBeats co-founder and CEO commented, "We share a vision with Huma for pioneering preventative health. We want people to go from simply surviving to thriving. By creating clinically-validated products to predict, diagnose and treat mental health disorders, we allow everyone to flourish. We are excited to join Huma to realise our ambition for preventative mental health and wellbeing to people around the world. With Huma's experience, global partners and innovation capabilities, we look forward to joining the Huma team to help people live longer, fuller lives."

TLT is a Hertfordshire-based medical technology company that is pioneering an innovative breakthrough in blood pressure monitoring with an unobtrusive wearable device on a person's wrist. This novel sensor utilises light modulation to detect motion, including continuous beat-by-beat flow motion forces that determine arterial blood pressure. Through this new, clinically-validated technology, it provides continuous blood pressure monitoring without a cuff. Tamir Strauss, Huma's Head of Customer Solutions & Hardware, commented, "We were attracted to the patented technology and the innovative approach to monitoring blood pressure, a field that has remained unchanged for nearly 100 years. We saw an opportunity to help create new cardiovascular and other digital biomarkers with the unique dataset the device generates." Former UK Secretary of State for Health The Right Honourable Alan Milburn has also been appointed as chairman of the Huma board of directors. He served as a Member of Parliament for Darlington from 1992 until 2010, including serving as Health Secretary from 1999 until 2003. Since leaving government, he has focussed on the health sector through a number of global roles. He is Chairman of the European Advisory Board at Bridgepoint Capital and Chair of PwC's UK Health Industry Oversight Board. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He also serves as Chancellor of Lancaster University. The Right Honourable Alan Milburn, Chairman of the Huma Board of Directors, added, "I'm pleased to work with Huma to help transform the health sector by developing a new understanding of the human body through digital biomarkers. We're at the very early stages of what could be breakthroughs in how we understand health, diagnose and treat illnesses and Huma could become a true leader in this promising new area for life sciences, innovation partners and healthcare." Huma is based in London, UK with offices in New York and Shanghai. Huma technology and innovation, healthcare and life sciences partners include Apple, Tencent, J&J, Bayer, Johns Hopkins University and the NHS. The company has raised more than $50m from Bayer, NWS Holdings and more. About Huma Huma partners with scientists, technologists and healthcare professionals to understand, treat and ultimately prevent ill health. Giving knowledge and power to those with medical conditions, while saving clinicians time, energy and valuable resources. Because, by collectively benefiting from the data we individually generate, we can all live our longest, fullest lives. www.huma.com Press kit available here: https://bit.ly/2RzlXI1 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1155630/Huma_Product_Trio.jpg Media contact for Medopad Katy Zack, [email protected]

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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment on Wednesday virtually signed a US$42 million agreement to advance Vietnams economic competitiveness.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam said in statements the same day that the advancement will be made possible through strengthening private-sector competitiveness, innovation and startup ecosystems, and human capital.

Under this agreement, USAID technical assistance activities will enhance the capacity of small and growing Vietnamese businesses, including those led by vulnerable populations, by facilitating access to competitiveness-enhancing technology, business management skills, and capital.

The deal will also foster greater entrepreneurship; enable deeper linkages of Vietnamese startups to corporations, investment capital, and other supporting organizations in the international innovation and startup ecosystems; and churn out high-quality human capital needed for a robust knowledge-based economy.

The deal reflects the United States continued commitment to support the Southeast Asian nations efforts to become a more open, innovative, and inclusive economy, according to U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink.

Through close collaboration with the government of Vietnam, we can ensure that USAIDs development assistance will meet our two countries mutual vision for a prosperous and independent Vietnam, Ambassador Kritenbrink was quoted as saying in a news release on the embassys official website.

Last September, USAID introduced a $22.1 million project to connect Vietnams small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with foreign partners and enhance their capacity to join global value chains.

Data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam revealed SMEs accounted for a whopping 98 percent of all enterprises in the country, 63 percent of its employment, and 45 percent of the national gross domestic product between 2010 and 2017.

However, while the foreign direct investment sector made up a staggering 70 percent of export revenue, only 21 percent of local SMEs had joined supply chains for foreign firms.

USAID said the spillover benefits to Vietnams domestic economy have been dampened by the limited supply chain linkages of Vietnamese SMEs.

Therefore, the multimillion-dollar project aims to address this gap by strengthening the capabilities of the intermediary organizations in Vietnam, such as business associations, export development centers, and SME promotion agencies.

The goal is to facilitate the supplier-buyer relationships between Vietnamese SMEs and leading firms located in Vietnam and expand Vietnamese SMEs capacity to participate in manufacturing supply chains.

Total merchandise trade between the United States and Vietnam grew from $1.5 billion in 2001 to $77.6 billion in 2019, transforming Vietnam into the 7th-largest source of U.S. imports and 27th largest destination for U.S. exports, according to U.S. trade statistics.

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A detective for the NYPD who survived cancer relating to 9/11 died yesterday of the coronavirus.

Detective Robert Cardona, 41, was a 19-year veteran of the NYPD and becomes the fifth NYPD detective to succumb to Covid-19 and is at least the 27th police employee of the police department to die from the illness.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said in a statement shared on Twitter: 'Today we lost another great detective to COVID-19 complications. Detective Robert Cardona is a 19 year veteran and leaves behind an 8-year-old son.

Detective Robert Cardona, 41, had served for 19 years in the NYPD and survived cancer related to 9/11 before succumbing to the coronavirus

A message was shared by NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison on Twitter, announcing the death of Cardona. He becomes the fifth NYPD detective to die from Covid-19

'While assigned to the 13th Precinct Detective Squad, Robert was a 911 cancer survivor and dedicated DEA (Detectives Endowment Association) delegate,' the message read.

Cardona joined the force in July, 2001 mere months before the city was attacked by terrorists on September 11 later that year.

Like many people in New York City around the time attacks, he developed cancer, likely from dust and other building equipment that was scattered through the air around the site of the World Trade Center.

He was in remission and had returned to work with the NYPD before being admitted to the hospital with the coronavirus almost a month ago.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea praised Cardona's heroism in fighting the 9/11-related cancer in a message to the NYPD.

He wrote: 'Heroically, he had fought back against and was in remission from 9/11-related cancer at the time he was admitted to the hospital with coronavirus symptoms nearly one month ago.'

Cardona had joined the NYPD just months before the 9/11 attacks rocked New York City. As with many first responders, he developed cancer relating to the disaster

The message also said the police force is facing a very challenging time during the coronavirus crisis, which has hit New York City particularly hard, but added that the faith of the force will not be broken.

'To all of you: It is understandable to feel overwhelmed. We are frightened and tired. But like you, I have faith we will get through this and be a stronger and closer NYPD as a result. That faith might be shaken, but it will not be broken,' he concluded.

Cardona served as the union delegate for the 13th Precinct Detective Squad in Gramercy Park, and was assigned to the precinct.

'He was dedicated to his job and being a detective,' said Paul DiGiacomo, the president of the NYPD's detective union. 'Not only did he serve the people of the city, but he also served his fellow detectives.'

NYPD detectives have been asked to don their police uniforms to make up numbers on the streets as over 6,500 uniformed officers have fallen sick during the coronavirus crisis

New York City has been under lockdown during the coroanvirus, with the city's police putting themselves at risk of catching the virus to keep the peace and help the city

Speaking earlier in the week, DiGiacomo told AM 970 The Answer: 'It's a very dangerous time for New York City detectives and all first responders.'

'The fact that you're out there risking your life every day, one, from the criminal element, and two, from what I call the invisible bullet, this coronavirus.'

The Detectives Endowment Association president added: 'And then you are going home and possibly taking it home to your families, which is very disturbing for all first responders.'

Detectives of the NYPD have been asked to don their police uniforms to add to the numbers of police on the streets to increase numbers as officers fall sick.

As of Sunday, 6,522 uniformed members of the NYPD were off sick, while 2,344 uniformed members and 489 civilian members had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The US has seen more cases than any other country in the world. As of April 15 it had 645,064 cases of the coronavirus reported

New York has been the worst-hit state by the virus, with 111,424 confirmed cases in the state
Barack Obamas efforts to replenish Americas stockpile of protective equipment for healthcare workers were repeatedly blocked by Republican lawmakers, an investigation has found.

The investigation by ProPublica found requests for funding to purchase protective equipment and train medical staff to prepare for future outbreaks were denied by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives that was filled with Tea Party-affiliated politicians.

Citing budget documents, as was as administration and congressional officials involved in negotiations, the report discovered that had Congress kept funding at the 2010 level through the end of the Obama administration, the stockpile would have benefited from $321m (259m) more than it ended up getting.

Healthcare workers treating coronavirus patients across the country have complained about a lack of proper protective equipment. Many are having to reuse masks, which puts them at greater risk of contracting the virus.

As the coronavirus has continued to spread across the US in recent weeks, Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to shift blame for shortfalls in the governments response to the outbreak onto his predecessor. Speaking last month, the US president said the Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what were doing. It was unclear exactly what decision the president was referring to.

Mr Trump has also blamed the Obama administration and state governors for shortages of protective equipment for healthcare workers across the country.

Earlier this month he said he had inherited a broken system. He added: They also gave us empty cupboards. The cupboard was bare  So we took over a stockpile with a cupboard that was bare.

In fact, Mr Obamas efforts to build up the stockpile and prepare for the next outbreak were stymied by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives that was heavily influenced by Tea Party-affiliated politicians elected on promises of cutting back government spending.

Speaking in 2014, Mr Obama argued it was necessary to set up a public health infrastructure that we need to deal with potential outbreaks in the future.

He said: There may and likely will come a time in which we have both an airborne disease that is deadly, and in order for us to deal with that effectively we have to put in place an infrastructure, not just here at home but globally, that allows us to see it quickly, isolate it quickly, respond to it quickly, so that if and when a new strain of flu like the Spanish flu crops up five years from now or a decade from now, weve made the investment and were further along to be able to catch it.

At the time, the former president was asking for hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to prepare the US for future pandemics, but the request was rejected by Republican politicians.

The funding was a small part of an emergency request for $6.18bn (3.98bn) to deal with the Ebola epidemic in 2014. As part of that package, hundreds of millions were to be set aside to help the country prepare for the next outbreak by procuring personal protective equipment for the countrys strategic national stockpile and training medical staff.

Most of that money was eventually secured, but funding for the future preparedness programmes was reduced. According to ProPublica, only $165m (132m) went to the Centre for Disease Control and Preventions public health emergency preparedness programmes, which included the stockpile.
One of the front-line defenses individuals have against the spread of the coronavirus can feel decidedly low-tech: hand-washing.

In fact, it was 19th-century Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis who, after observational studies, first advanced the idea of hand hygiene in medical settings.

The simple act of hand-washing is a critical way to prevent the spread of germs. Heres how Semmelweis, working in an obstetrics ward in Vienna in the 19th century, made the connection between dirty hands and deadly infection.

Benefits of cleanliness, symbolic and real

The history of hand-washing extends back to ancient times, when it was largely a faith-based practice. The Old Testament, the Talmud and the Quran all mention hand-washing in the context of ritual cleanliness.

Ritual hand-washing appears to have come with public health implications. During the Black Death of the 14th century, for instance, the Jews of Europe had a distinctly lower rate of death than others. Researchers believe that hand-washing prescribed by their religion probably served as protection during the epidemic.

Hand-washing as a health care prerogative did not really surface until the mid-1800s, when a young Hungarian physician named Ignaz Semmelweis did an important observational study at Vienna General Hospital.

After becoming disillusioned with the study of law, Semmelweis moved to the study of medicine, graduating with a medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1844. Having graduated from this prestigious institution, he believed he would be able to pursue a choice practice. He applied for positions in pathology and then medicine, but received rejections in both.

Semmelweis then turned to obstetrics, a relatively new area for physicians, previously dominated by midwifery, which was less prestigious and where it was easier to obtain a position. He began working in the obstetrics division of the Vienna Hospital on July 1, 1846.

The leading cause of maternal mortality in Europe at that time was puerperal fever  an infection, now known to be caused by the streptococcus bacterium, that killed postpartum women.

Prior to 1823, about 1 in 100 women died in childbirth at the Vienna Hospital. But after a policy change mandated that medical students and obstetricians perform autopsies in addition to their other duties, the mortality rate for new mothers suddenly jumped to 7.5%. What was going on?

Eventually, the Vienna Hospital opened a second obstetrics division, to be staffed entirely by midwives. The older, First Division, to which Semmelweis was assigned, was staffed only by physicians and medical students. Rather quickly it became apparent that the mortality rate in the first division was much higher than the second.

Semmelweis set out to investigate. He examined all the similarities and differences of the two divisions. The only significant difference was that male doctors and medical students delivered in the first division and female midwives in the second.

Washing away germs from the dead

Remember that at this time, the general belief was that bad odors  miasma  transmitted disease. It would be two more decades at least before germ theory  the idea that microbes cause disease  gained traction.

Semmelweis cracked the puerperal fever mystery after the death of his friend and colleague, pathologist Jakob Kolletschka. Kolletschka died after receiving a scalpel wound while performing an autopsy on a woman whod died of puerperal fever. His autopsy revealed massive infection from puerperal fever.

Contagiousness now established, Semmelweis concluded that if his friends

general sepsis arose from the inoculation of cadaver particles, then puerperal fever must originate from the same source.  The fact of the matter is that the transmitting source of those cadaver particles was to be found in the hands of students and attending physicians.

No midwives ever participated in autopsies or dissections. Students and physicians regularly went between autopsies and deliveries, rarely washing their hands in between. Gloves were not commonly used in hospitals or surgeries until late in the 19th century.

Realizing that chloride solution rid objects of their odors, Semmelweis mandated hand-washing across his department. Starting in May 1847, anyone entering the First Division had to wash their hands in a bowl of chloride solution. The incidence of puerperal fever and death subsequently dropped precipitously by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, as in the case of his contemporary John Snow, who discovered that cholera was transmitted by water and not miasma, Semmelweis work was not readily accepted by all. The obstetrical chief, perhaps feeling upstaged by the discovery, refused to reappoint Semmelweis to the obstetrics clinic.

Semmelweis refusal to publish his work may have also contributed to his downfall. With little recognition during his lifetime, he eventually died from injuries sustained in a Viennese insane asylum.

Taking an old lesson to heart

Although Semmelweis began the charge for hand hygiene in the 19th century, it has not always fallen on receptive ears.

The medical field now recognizes that soap and running water are the best way to prevent, control and reduce infection. But regular folks and health care workers still dont always follow best practice guidelines.

Hand-washing appears to get a bump in compliance in the wake of disease outbreaks. Take the example of the first major outbreak of SARS, which occurred in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong in March 2003. Health authorities advised the public that hand-washing would help prevent spread of the disease, caused by a coronavirus. After the SARS outbreak, medical students at the hospital were much more likely to follow hand-washing guidelines, according to one study.

I suspect the current pandemic of COVID-19 will change the way the public thinks about hand hygiene going forward. In fact, White House coronavirus advisor and NIAID Director Anthony Fauci has said absolute compulsive hand-washing for everyone must be part of any eventual return to pre-pandemic life.

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Leslie S. Leighton, Visiting Lecturer of History, Georgia State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

THE CONVERSATION IS PREMIUM TIMES SYNDICATION PARTNER. WE HAVE PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH ITS CONTENTS.

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New York, April 16 : The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed additional $150 million in the global fight against COVID-19, raising its total funding to $250 million.

The foundation's new $150 million commitment announced late on Wednesday will fund the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, as well as new efforts to provide partners in Africa and South Asia with resources to scale their COVID-19 detection, treatment, and isolation efforts.

In announcing the funding, the foundation called on world leaders to unite in a global response to COVID-19 to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines.

"COVID-19 doesn't obey border laws. Even if most countries succeed in slowing the disease over the next few months, the virus could return if the pandemic remains severe enough elsewhere," Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates said in a statement.

"The world community must understand that so long as COVID-19 is somewhere, we need to act as if it were everywhere. Beating this pandemic will require an unprecedented level of international funding and cooperation." The foundation will also leverage a portion of its $2.5 billion Strategic Investment Fund, which uses a suite of financial tools to address market failures and incentivise private enterprise to develop affordable and accessible health products.

These funds, which can include equity investments, loans, and volume guarantees, will be used to help health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) facilitate the rapid procurement of personal protective equipment for health care workers, COVID-19 diagnostics, oxygen therapeutics, and other essential medical supplies.

Any financial returns generated by the Strategic Investment Fund are re-invested in Gates Foundation philanthropic programmes.

The foundation in February announced $100 million to support the global response against COVID-19.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
100 Years Ago  1920: A stand-pat attitude summers up local strike conditions in Chester today, with the additional worriment of conditions being further affected by a walk-out in Philadelphia of Baltimore and Ohio and Philadelphia and Reading employees. Pennsylvania Railroad at noon declared no men had returned to work in Chester and freight movements were nil, except for the lone crew moving emergency freight here  foodstuffs and coal; Sugar is still soaring in price in Chester. Profiteers here  violating a Department of Justice ruling if charging over 20 cents per pound  are charging 26 cents a pound and before tomorrow night it is predicted that 30 cents will be asked for the sweetened snowflakes.

75 Years Ago  1945: Three men and a woman were under bail for the June Grand Jury today as the result of a near riot at Seventh and Welsh streets early yesterday, in which two city policemen were injured and scores of spectators who had gone to see the Roosevelt funeral train milled about in confused disorder. Officer Frank Carr testified at todays hearing that the disturbance began when he asked a one of the men, 45, to move his car, which was said to have been blocking traffic on Welsh Street.

50 Years Ago  1970: Rev. Frederick W. Myers has been elected chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Sex Education for Marple Newtown Schools. Mr. Myers is pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Newtown. Mrs. Vivian Gutter was elected secretary. A meeting set for Thursday will have faculty from junior high schools in attendance to summarize what is being taught in grades seven through nine.

25 Years Ago  1995: A 38-year-old Aston man was charged with drunken driving and drug possession, Nether Providence police said. He was observed driving 48 mph in a 35 mph zone on Rose Valley Road about 4:39 p.m. Tuesday. Police detected a strong odor of freshly burned marijuana in the vehicle and on the drivers clothing. When the man exited the vehicle, he was extremely unsteady on his feet, police said. While police searched him, he voluntarily turned over a small bag of suspected marijuana and a package of rolling papers, police said.

10 Years Ago  2010: Delaware County Council will host a public presentation on the results of a public health study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, commissioned in 2008. The study found Delaware County is improving in some areas, such as obesity, mental health and physical activity, but there were worsening trends for asthma, drug-related deaths, chlamydia and low birth weight.

 COLIN AINSWORTH
Police on Thursday registered an FIR against BJP MP Subhash Sarkar on the charge of spreading a rumour through a social media post over the cremation of two bodies.

Sources in the police said the FIR was registered against the Bankura lawmaker after a complaint was lodged against him with the Bankura Sadar police station by Jaydeep Chattopadhyay, a leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

The BJP lawmaker had said on social media that the authorities were wrong in cremating two bodies, claiming that the persons had died of coronavirus.

The TMC leader said, "The MP is a doctor himself. It is unfortunate that without seeing any report (of the two deceased), he tried to spread rumour through social media during the time of COVID-19 pandemic".

The BJP MP hit back saying, "How did the administration cremate the bodies even before the test results have come?"



The bodies of two persons who died in a government hospital were cremated by the authorities on April 12 midnight. Some people had demonstrated claiming that the two died of coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Inmates are staying in county jails longer after being sentenced to the Department of Corrections because of the coronavirus pandemic but other factors are offsetting that and reducing the overall numbers in some of the states largest county jails.

Deputy Chief David Agee, public information officer for the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, said there are about 800 inmates in the countys two jails in Birmingham and Bessemer, below the normal average of about 1,100.

Agee said several factors contribute to the reduced number, including the use of separate booking stations where inmates who can post bond are held without being admitted to the main facility. The station at the Birmingham jail uses a military-style tent.

The jail hardest hit by the pandemic so far might be the Mobile Metro Jail, where Sheriff Sam Cochran said 10 inmates and 10 correctional officers have tested positive for the virus.

That has happened despite efforts that have reduced the jail inmate population by several hundred inmates to try to mitigate risk since the pandemic started, Cochran said.

County jails generally hold several categories of inmates -- people who have been arrested and are awaiting release on bond or trial, people sentenced to county jail for misdemeanor convictions, and people convicted of felonies and awaiting transfers to the Alabama Department of Corrections.

The third category is growing because on March 20, the Alabama Department of Corrections placed a hold on accepting inmates from counties to try to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection in the states jam-packed prisons.

Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, said that as of last Friday there were 665 inmates in county jails 30 days or more after being sentenced to state custody. Before the pandemic there were normally about 100 state inmates in county custody past the 30-day mark, Brasfield said.

The 30-day mark is important because a consent decree approved by a court in 2006 requires the state to accept inmates within 30 days after sentencing.

These are inmates that have been tried, convicted, and sentenced to state custody, Brasfield said. These are not inmates that are there because they are on bond and we can go back to the judge and ask the bond to be reconsidered or any of that. These are inmates that are staying in county jails until the department can figure out what its going to do.

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn told legislators last week the agency was setting up quarantine areas to try to resume intake on April 20.

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said earlier this week the countys jail was holding 27 state-sentenced inmates but that the overall jail population of 188 inmates is below the capacity of 242 and below normal for this time of year.

St. Clair County Sheriff Billy Murray said there were a total of 188 inmates in the countys jails in Ashville and Pell City. Murray said that includes 86 state-sentenced inmates. He said the average for this time of year is generally about 200 to 230 inmates in the two jails.

Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham, president of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, said some counties are experiencing problems because of the state hold on receiving inmates. But Cunningham said its not yet a problem in Montgomery.

Cunningham said the Sheriffs Association is working with the court system to ramp up ways to hold court hearings through videoconferencing or other alternatives to in-person hearings.

Rich Hobson, director of Alabamas Administrative Office of Courts, said circuit and district courts across the state are conducting all kinds of court business through alternative means except for jury trials, which are on hold. The Alabama Supreme Court has suspended in-person court proceedings, with exceptions, through April 30 because of the pandemic.

Hobson said judges have been creative and that there were more than 1,600 virtual hearings scheduled. Theyre getting more acclimated. Attorneys getting more acclimated. Every day, more and more virtual hearings are occurring, Hobson said.

Hobson said the reliance on virtual court proceedings has exposed some problems, such as outdated desktop and laptop computers in some places and disparities in broadband internet access.

Shelby County Jail Commander Russell Bedsole said the county jail has approximately 430 inmates, down from the average of about 475. He said thats because of efforts to make sure the jail population does not spike during the pandemic

We have on a daily basis been instituting video court from here and its done wonders to keep the system moving at some kind of a pace, Bedsole said. We recognize its not as quick of a pace as typical. But the good thing is were seeing a lot of inmates that are here, their cases are being moved along.

Bedsole said those include plea deals in which the person is able to get back into society and hopefully be productive when the economy opens back up and jobs are there.
Chinese officials have pledged to deport any 'foreigners' who refuse to cooperate amid the coronavirus crisis as the nation faces scrutiny for discriminating foreign nationals living in the country.

Non-Chinese citizens who dodge health checks, quarantine or treatment will be expelled from the country, said police in Guangzhou of southern China today.

The move comes as cities around China have seen a surge of imported cases from inbound travellers and asymptomatic patients, sparking fears of a possible second outbreak.

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong province and home to China's largest African migrant population. The metropolis has come under fire recently over racist mistreatment towards black people.

Non-Chinese citizens who deny health checks, quarantine or treatment will be removed from the country, said police in Guangzhou of southern China today. A man passes by a poster in part of the Guangzhou city where most of the African people live and work

FIlE: People are pictured gathering on a street in the 'Little Africa' district in Guangzhou, China

Cai Wei, a spokesperson for the Guangzhou police, said on Thursday that all foreign nationals living in the city should follow the government's rules against the spread of the contagion.

The regulation includes carrying passports at all times to be checked by the authorities.

Non-Chinese citizens are also required to cooperate with officers for health checks, quarantine and receiving treatment. People who fail to comply will be deported based on their circumstances, Mr Cai noted.

Property owners who fail to register foreign tenants to the police will also be punished, according to the press.

'Since the start of the anti-virus operation, the Guangzhou police have received the support, understanding and cooperation of the general public and foreigners in Guangzhou.

'We have always placed great importance on the safety of the general public and foreigners in Guangzhou,' Mr Cai added. 'And we've protected their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law.'

The official also stressed that foreign nationals have always been treated equally as the Chinese residents during the coronavirus crisis.

Cai Wei, a spokesperson for the Guangzhou police, said on Thursday that all foreign nationals living in the city should follow the government's rules against the spread of the contagion. FILE: A man is seen walking in the 'Little Africa' district of Guangzhou, southern China

Africans in Guangzhou also claimed they have shunned by others in public and targeted for additional COVID-19 tests without ever seeing the results. A closed African restaurant is seen in Guangzhou on April 13

The announcement comes as African expats in Guangzhou have claimed to be evicted from their homes, banned from entering restaurants and turned away from hotels because the locals think they might have COVID-19.

US and African officials have confronted China publicly and in private over racist mistreatment of black people.

McDonald's had to close a chain in Guangzhou after it banned black people from entering.

A half-black, half-Asian beauty blogger has been racially abused by Chinese internet users because of her African origin.

A U.S. Embassy security alert on Saturday said that 'police ordered bars and restaurants not to serve clients who appear to be of African origin,' and local officials have launched mandatory testing and self-quarantine for 'anyone with 'African contacts'.'

Africans in Guangzhou also claimed they have shunned by others in public and targeted for additional COVID-19 tests without ever seeing the results.

Nigeria's House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila (right) spoke with Ambassador Zhou Pingjian (left) last week to discuss his concerns over racism

Since April 4, Guangzhou Health Commission has screened 4,553 African nationals currently living in the city, according to an official yesterday. A total of 111 residents tested positive for the coronavirus.

The city officials recorded 13,652 African citizens living in Guangzhou in December 2019. Less than half of them have remained in the city after the outbreak began.

'We have provided African nationals with the exact same nucleic acid testing procedures as we do for Chinese and other foreign nationals,' Chen Yongqiu, deputy chief police officer of Guangzhou, told the press on Monday.

'We appointed the same quarantine hotels and staff members. There is no discrimination or racism.'

Chinese experts have warned that the surge of 'imported cases' and asymptomatic patients could trigger a new wave of outbreak, spoiling the nation's progress to curb the epidemic.

The authority has urged officials to step up monitoring 'scattered infections' and possible 'regional outbreaks', triggered by non-native cases and patients with no symptoms.

Chinese experts have warned that the surge of 'imported cases' and asymptomatic patients could trigger a new wave of outbreak. Medical workers check the body temperature of a resident entering a community health centre in Guangzhou
'The only idea -- the only idea -- of the shutdown was to buy time.'

IMAGE: Senior citizens, who were COVID-19 positive, being discharged from hospital in Kottayam. Photograph: ANI Photo

"Once we realised that this is going to be a couple of months of battle and it is not just a few weeks, then we have to ask ourselves, will we ever be able to have a shutdown for six months, nine months? And the answer is no," Dr Anup R Warrier, consultant for infectious diseases at the Aster Medcity Hospital, Kochi, tells Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel in the concluding segment of a two-part interview.

What are your thoughts on hydroxychloroquine and BCG vaccination?

Both are two (things) with different theory behind them.

So regarding the BCG vaccination, I think it is very, very early and quite unlikely, at all, to protect.

From the scientists's angle -- when we discuss this among our professional societies, the infectious diseases societies and clinical microbiology societies -- we are not very comfortable or confident that this is something is going to be very protective.

Basically here people are rushing into 'research' findings -- probably to find solace from the fact that all of us are in a crisis situation.

It will take another four to six weeks to see where India stands to gain from BCG vaccinations.

And hydroxychloroquine?

When you talk about the hydroxychloroquine, now what we realise is that hydroxychloroquine and many such chemicals, they have had in-vitro, or laboratory-based data, for a long amount of time, for various viral diseases.

Unfortunately, for none of viral diseases could they actually show clinical benefit.

Now, there are large trials, which include thousands of people, in the European countries (going on), which are looking at this particular question -- whether hydroxychloroquine will work.

If you put it simply, hydroxychloroquine has got all the theoretical basis for it to work. It inhibits the binding of the virus to the receptor, it inhibits multiplication of the virus inside the cell.

It also sort of blocks its connection to the heme molecule (in the hemoglobin) in the RBC (red blood cells). There a lot of theoretical basis for hydroxychloroquine.

The same thing has been noticed with other viruses, in the past, but it has not helped with the treatment of those viruses.

Chikunguniya, dengue, even influenza sort of viruses. There are many other viruses where this laboratory phenomenon has been observed, but it didn't work clinically.

We have to watch for this data, for the clinical data to come. WHO is already conducting clinical trials, including thousands of these people.

I'm sure that in a week or two or so, the results of the reports of these studies will come up and then we will have more confidence.

Right now, we are going more by the sort of anecdotal data. Even in Kerala when we had proven cases, actually people with pneumonia, a couple of them got Lopinavir (an antiretroviral, one of a combination of drugs which has been used against HIV infections) and a latter part got hydroxychloroquine.

IMAGE: The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvanathapuram decided to transfer various equipment free of cost to combat coronavirus. Photograph: ANI Photo

So Kerala is also still waiting to see how hydroxychloroquine worked and it is too early to say, in the cases where you used -- the evidence is not conclusive because there have been just a few cases and not seriously-ill COVID-19 patients?

Yes.

There are two schools of thought on the use of lockdowns and their extensions. What is your view?

Do you feel the lockdown should continue or there should be a region by region let up depending on the cases?

But that can be only possible if it is established through thorough testing that there is no COVID-19 case is left in those area and that there is absolutely no movement between areas. And that's quite difficult in India.

This is a long-haul sort of a situation.

We will have these cases around the world for the next six to nine months.

So it's not like it is going or that everything is going to subside after one week, all around the world, and then all will be back to normal.

No, it is not a situation like that.

Once we realised that this is going to be a couple of months of battle and it is not just a few weeks, then we have to ask ourselves, will we ever be able to have a shutdown for six months, nine months?

And the answer is no.

We will not.

A lot of people will die from poverty and other complications -- a lot of issues will be there.

It is not possible for any country to have a continuous shutdown for six months and nine months.

You will have to block all incoming traffic, air traffic, inter-state traffic etc until the disease disappears throughout the world!

That is not possible. Not practically possible!

We can't think that the shutdown can continue like this until there is no more COVID-19 out there.

We have to have to have a scene where we are able to come down on the lockdown restrictions. We are able to open up a bit.

But still how do we catch, identify and isolate people, who get the disease when where they are coming in from the other places?

Suppose if I talk from the Kerala perspective, if for the next two to three days, suppose, we are having very few cases and we reach a situation where we have contained it.

Then when we open up our borders. How will Kerala ensure that when people travel -- suppose they are coming in from Bombay, which is now a hot bed and you now have hundreds and thousands of cases coming up in Bombay -- and people coming in from (say) Bombay will not spread this disease in the community in Kerala again?

While I completely realise that an extended shutdown is not a practical thing, because there is no end point like one week, two weeks or one month or two months, it's a very long haul.

We will kill not just the economy, but obviously a lot of people if we go on like that.

We have to have a plan where we need to come up from this shutdown.

But that is only possible when:

1. We have a lot of access to testing.

2. Access to the ability to quarantine and put people in isolation and,

3. aA very effective way of treating the complications for people who get sick and who need hospitalisation.

The only idea -- the only idea -- of the shutdown was to buy time.

Time, so that you generate enough capability of tests, generate enough PPE to generate enough beds, to generate enough capability that you are able to triage, identify and isolate patients. That is the idea.

Use these three weeks or four weeks or whatever number of weeks, to do these things, increase your testing capability, to get inventories of PPE, get ready for hospitalisation and quarantine.

Then when you open up, you need to put these things into use so that anybody who's coming in -- we can test them, quarantine them and take them away, so that our healthcare system can manage whatever complications that come out of it.

IMAGE: Medical staff, wearing protective suits, hold medical waste as they exit the Special Isolation Ward set up to provide treatment to coronavirus patients at the Kochi Medical College. Photograph: PTI Photo

There was a recent interview and video from an ER physician fighting COIVD-19 in New York. He said he was seeing a high number of deaths after patients were put on ventilators because they were put on ventilators, because this not exactly an illness that presents itself like other illnesses.

So he believes there is some tweaking that has to be done before you put a patient on a ventilator.

I have not actually seen the video, but I read a couple of things about the difference in ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and pneumonia from these COVID patients.

There have been multiple theories and -- for the good or the bad -- we have not come in contact with those kinds of serious stage patients.

Even the mortalities which we have had, they had serious cardiac abnormalities and they did not die primarily from pneumonia.

Mostly they died from cardiac issues. We personally we have no experience with managing ARDS or pneumonia in these patients.

We are familiar with the theory part, but we have not actually come face to face with it so we don't have any personal experience.

IMAGE: Thermal screening of passengers in Thiruvananthapuram before the lockdown. Photograph: ANI Photo

Kerala is one of the more tropical of Indian states. Are you yet seeing any, any, any connection of the lack of survival of the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID-19 in relation to temperature and humidity or a potential for seasonal reduction in cases, which implies a resurgence later.

Anything at all that is being seen?

No.

I am not a strong proponent of the climate theory and there are multiple reasons for that.

And most of the professionals societies agree that that will not hold much water -- the humidity, temperature part.

With varying temperatures and different, different situations COVID-19 has been seen. In Kerala last week, we had thunderstorms and still we had 12 to 14 cases diagnosed, each day, in the northern districts.

It's not just me, even our professional societies and most of the people in clinical microbiology, we don't sort of believe that a change in temperature or humidity will have a drastic impact on the transmission.

During this crisis, what kind of hours are you putting in? How busy are you with this crisis?

Right now, all the numbers which we had, except for a couple of UK citizens, they are all managed in the government isolation centres.

In private (hospitals), in my hospital, we have just about four UK citizens, we had to take care of and none of them, as I told you earlier, were drastic or in the ICU.

So as of now we are neither crunched for manpower. Or is it a hectic situation for us.

What are areas of concern in this war to overtake COVID-19?

I wanted to state that though there are a lot of announcements, from various sources, in terms of production and supply and availability of PPE, in reality it is very difficult to come by in the market.

I have been in touch with my procurement team and we have been trying to source (material) -- especially the N-95 masks -- from Indian manufacturers.

Even for the PPE, for which we need some sort of standard requirement/or performance requirements, it is very difficult for us -- or I would say almost impossible for us to find an Indian manufacturer whose product meets the specifications -- WHO specifications -- for the PPE and also especially for the N-95 mask and most things.

I was mentioning earlier about the shutdown period and that we are in a lull period now; even our normal cases have come down tremendously. Now a major time for us to prepare.

We are preparing by providing training to our staff in two things. One, we are cross-training our other medical and surgical specialties to support the intensive care staff in the ICU and the general medicine wards.

Second, we are training them in the appropriate use of the PPE -- that is donning and doffing of PPE, what kind of PPE to use, how to wear it and take it off.

That is how we are spending our time. Basically training. Because right now, as I told you, we don't have any work on COVID. We have just four mild cases -- they are going to be discharged.

So we are preparing in this fashion.

But allthis will work out only when the supply of PPE is assured at the end of it.

There is no place in India which is manufacturing PPE upto standard?

Correct.

When you look at WhatsApp, Facebook, social media, you will find a lot of hospitals, big, big hospitals, All India Institute, St John's Bangalore, and all of them are doing a lot of homemade stuff, cutting up material, they're stitching material to make equipment and masks.

All of us are re-using the N-95 mask, which is supposedly a single-use item.

Why?

Why should you force hospitals and healthcare workers to go for all this?

Why can't you produce and supply enough masks and gowns so you don't have to stitch gowns in the hospitals or reuse the masks?

There is no manufacturer that you know, of India, that's getting close to knowing how to manufacture it properly yet?

Nothing in the market as of yet.

And if you see in social media you will find all large hospital chains doing it. They are doing a lot of this homemade stuff. None of them are validated and we don't know how they will perform.

Can't we manufacture enough numbers?

Why are we forcing people to do this kind of stuff?
REUTERS/Shaun Best

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) says Canadians could see less food and higher prices at grocery stores if the government does not provide additional support for farmers grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facing a severe labour shortage and rapidly rising costs amid the coronavirus outbreak, CFA president Mary Robinson said that farmers require immediate, meaningful help from the federal government in order to continue operations.

Agriculture, the foundation of our overall food supply, is at this very moment in time at a tipping point, Robinson said during a virtual press conference Thursday.

If we do not, as a nation, address the rising challenges immediately, Canadian consumers could see a decrease in the amount and variety of food at their local grocery stores, as well as higher prices, in the months ahead.

The CFA wants the government to establish an emergency fund for the agriculture industry, providing a financial backstop for producers and farmers dealing with rising costs. Robinson said farmers are currently considering leaving fields unplanted, or opting to plant food for animal feed instead of humans, which are cheaper to grow and require less labour.

Right now, some farmers are so worried about mounting challenges that they are strongly considering halting their farming operations altogether, Robsinson said.

This is a potential tragedy, one Canada cannot afford.

Labour has been a key issue for the agriculture industry, which relies on temporary foreign workers. About 60,000 people arrive annually in Canada to work on farms and in processing plants.

Earlier this week, the government announced it would provide funding to farmers to offset the costs of having temporary foreign workers quarantine for two weeks. Farmers will be able to receive up to $1,500 per worker, which can be used to cover wages or the cost of space while the workers are in mandatory quarantine.

The CFA applauded the governments funding announcement, but said much more needs to be done to support farmers.

Story continues

Robinson also urged Canadians to contact local members of Parliament and advise them to support farmers.

We must ensure Canadas domestic food supply is secure, not only for the duration of this battle, but long into the future, Robinson said.

We do not mean to create panic. At the same time, it would be irresponsible not to sound the alarm about the realities Canadian farmers are facing.

With files from the Canadian Press

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"How can we not let our side be called on the carpet when they lie to the people?" That was February 24. Loading At the time, coronavirus outbreaks were largely limited to a handful of countries like China, South Korea and Italy. Only a few dozen cases had been reported in the United States. The same day, Rush Limbaugh likened the coronavirus to the common cold on his radio program. But it spread aggressively in America just as Savage had warned it would  a prediction that earned him the ire of people who called him a hysteric and a sellout.

His contempt for hosts like Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, whose top-rated radio shows draw more than 30 million listeners each week, is especially searing. He mocks them as "Dr. Hannity" and "Rush Limbaugh, M.D., Ph.D.," belittles their lack of education compared with his, and berates people who took their claims seriously. Loading During one program in early March, for instance, Savage asked why anyone would continue to believe that the virus was being hyped by the president's enemies when Trump himself was taking aggressive steps to slow its spread. Referring to the president, Savage fumed, "Is it because he doesn't know as much as Sean Hannity does? Is it because he doesn't study at the same medical school as Dr. Limbaugh?" "Do you understand the danger you're in by listening to these people and just following them blindly over a cliff?" he implored his audience. Hostilities among the bold personalities and big egos of talk radio are nothing new. Savage has always been the misfit of conservative radio who relished taunting his higher-rated rivals.

But his background in science, and a recent heart attack that has reduced his schedule to three days a week, have given him a unique perspective. Still, anyone tempted to think that Savage is fundamentally gentler and milder needs only to listen to a few minutes of his program. "I just saw that San Francisco's homeless population are being given hotel rooms, so they can crap on the floor and throw the sheets out the window," he said on a recent show, reacting to the news that some cities were trying to limit the spread of the virus among people who sleep on the streets. On another day, he questioned whether Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer, should have been convicted of criminal sexual assault. Referring to the women who accused him, Savage said: "They all went into his apartment. What were they going there for?"

These kinds of provocations will be familiar to fans and critics of Savage, who was once was barred from entering Britain after making inflammatory comments about Islam, including calling the Koran a "book of hate." Loading Savage's coronavirus crusade is partly a reflection of his training as a scientist. He has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in nutritional ethnomedicine, a field that examines how various cultures and ethnicities use natural products for health purposes. As part of his training, he studied epidemiology. He is a germaphobe and has a survivalist streak. One of the houses he owns in Marin County has its own reservoir. But his persistence on the issue is also a reaction to his own recent death scare. The heart attack he had in December made the life-or-death nature of a pandemic personal. "I would like to believe that God has kept me here for this reason," he said, calling this "the defining moment of our lives." At one point he turned to his producer, Jim Verdi, and asked, "When was I this wound up?"

"Never," Verdi replied. Savage's wife, Janet Weiner, said in an interview that she had noticed more compassion in her husband since his heart attack. And she sees him taking on responsibility for waking people up to what parts of American conservatism, especially in the media, have become. Loading "This culty hero worship of the uneducated, it's very depressing," she said. "It makes me ashamed to be a conservative," she added, before stopping herself. "I don't want to identify with the conservative movement anymore." Savage's criticism of the conservative media allows him to sidestep the bigger questions about Trump's leadership.

Nicole Hemmer, a scholar at Columbia University and author of a book on the history of right-wing media, "Messengers of the Right," said that Savage was letting the president off the hook by arguing that people in his inner circle like Hannity are giving him bad advice. "In a way, he inoculates Trump from criticism by saying it's not necessarily Trump that has bad instincts  it's that he's been misinformed," Hemmer said. She added that Savage was still a lot like other hosts in that "they are all trying to find ways to protect Donald Trump, they just disagree about the method to do that." The only serious point of disagreement between Trump and Savage is in treating the virus with hydroxychloroquine, which the president has hailed as a potential miracle drug. "Almost every day now," Savage said in the interview, "I've been warning people about the dangers of this drug." Faced with his own mortality and the slowing down of his professional life, Savage has sounded sentimental at times. Earlier this month, he told his listeners, "My career will be defined by how I've treated you, my audience, during this epidemic."
The coronavirus has brought the weaknesses of our health care system into stark relief, and reminded us that when a public health crisis like this strikes, we are all in it together  even inmates of our prisons.

On that front, we are seeing progress. Thousands of those being released from jails and prisons are about to benefit from smart new reforms by our governor. And that will help keep us all safe.

Each month, New Jersey releases about 9,000 inmates, often with nothing more than a bus ticket. Many of them lack even identification papers, which means they cant get food stamps or Medicaid, or get into a shelter. Thats cruel and shortsighted in normal times. But during this pandemic, its irrational and outright dangerous.

Often the only place they can find health care is our overcrowded emergency rooms. That wont fly in our current crisis. The coronavirus puts a bright light on the deficiencies of the status quo, notes former Gov. Jim McGreevey, a tireless advocate for the re-entry population.

To think what it would be like for any of us, to be dropped in the community without food, without shelter, without health care or employment. It would be a frightening prospect.

It should frighten us all, since it means more sick people end up in our stores and on our buses. With Motor Vehicle Commission and social service offices not fully operational, the challenge of getting them signed up for the benefits they need to survive and get basic health care becomes even more glaring.

Thankfully, at McGreeveys suggestion, Gov. Phil Murphy just issued an executive order to require state i.d.s to be given out prior to an inmates release, along with a completed application for food stamps, Medicaid, welfare or housing assistance.

Hes doing it for the purposes of the crisis. But the Legislature promptly passed a bill that would mandate it for perpetuity, and Murphy should sign it, to preserve this sensible policy.

To his credit, he already included money in his budget for the screening and treatment of inmates with hepatitis behind the wall. This builds on that same proactive approach.

Its enormously costly and onerous for people to cycle through our ERs, whether its for coronavirus, untreated diabetes, hepatitis or addiction problems. Some jails even provide medication-assisted drug treatment on the inside, but when inmates leave, they need access to that same care.

Instead, they routinely come out and dont have Medicaid, which means they may only have enough medications to last a few days. That makes their first few weeks on the outside, sometimes in the midst of heroin cravings, a dire, dark place, as McGreevey puts it.

They need Medicaid to stabilize them in longer term treatment, for the virus or anything else. Or they will continue to course through our ERs, costing the state more and more, until they die.

Murphys executive order is a major win for thousands of people trying to turn their lives around. Now lets make it permanent.

* * * * *

At Essex County jail, where resistance has sometimes been stiffer, McGreevey is pushing to set up an oversight task force by May  a month earlier than originally planned, due to the crisis.

Sen. Cory Booker just called for the release of all jailed ICE detainees who do not pose a public safety or flight risk, an obvious and sensible step, but the Trump administrations releases have been slow and sporadic.

In the meantime, detainees complain of days-long waits to see the doctor. One said he didnt get to the medical unit until his lawyer called the jail, and even then, had to fight to be given a mask because he could be exposed there. Faced with criticism, the jail has agreed to test all staffers and inmates, a most welcome move that will help prevent the spread.

But the virus already has a powerful foothold. Only 7 out of 27 ICE detainees tested so far were negative, according to the jail. And doctors say false negatives are common.

Last week, an ambulance took about an hour and a half to arrive, and one of the jails regular inmates died well before that. Given that the jail isnt set up for the level of critical care that a hospital is, and the ambulance cant get there quickly, what will be done in the future?

All jails and prisons are overwhelmed by this crisis. But the oversight here can help set the standard.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

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Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. today announced a new collaboration with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). For the first time, Wolters Kluwer will provide AHIMA members with access to a custom solution within the MediRegs Compliance Suite portfolio, delivering expert-curated content on federal regulatory changes to health information management professionals.

Wolters Kluwer's MediRegs  a medical coding and healthcare compliance solution  provides professionals with immediate access to deep domain expertise and constantly updated content. The premier software allows users to easily access the regulatory information they need to make the right decisions. Through this new relationship with AHIMA, Wolters Kluwer will produce a custom weekly newsfeed entitled "MediRegs Weekly Regulatory Highlights" that provides insights on federal guidelines and aggregates the most widely used content on MediRegs. AHIMA members will be able to access this resource for free on My.AHIMA.org.

"The MediRegs team at Wolters Kluwer, known for the breadth and depth of content available in our workflow solutions, is delighted to have created this custom newsfeed for AHIMA members," said Tim Feldman, Vice President and General Manager, Healthcare Compliance & Reimbursement, Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. "As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to unfold and change the regulatory landscape, we are very pleased to make even more of our expert content available to health information management professionals now, when it's needed more than ever."

"Regulatory issues are a top concern for AHIMA members and I'm pleased MediRegs Weekly Regulatory Highlights will offer members news and content they need," said Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE, AHIMA CEO. "As the nation continues to fight COVID-19, these resources will help our members navigate a new landscape. Our new relationship with Wolters Kluwer is a win for health information management professionals."

The newsfeed will feature several highlights, including:

The latest news from government press releases and fact sheets.

Final and proposed federal regulations.

Content from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including:

Manual Transmittals and MLN Matters Article



Quality, Safety, & Oversight - General Information (QSO Letters)

Court cases and administrative actions.

Office of Inspector General actions.

About AHIMA

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) represents more than 103,000 health information professionals in the United States and around the world. AHIMA is committed to promoting and advocating for best practices in health information and to actively contributing to the development and advancement of health information professionals worldwide, www.ahima.org .

About Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.

Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare; tax and accounting; governance, risk and compliance; and legal and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer helps its customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

For more information about Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., visit www.WoltersKluwerLR.com, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media

Linda Gharib

Director, Communications

Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.

Tel: +1 (646) 887-7962

Email: [email protected]

Mike Bittner

Media and Communications Manager

AHIMA

Tel: +1 312-233-1087

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Envestnet | Yodlee (NYSE: ENV), a leading data aggregation and analytics platform powering dynamic, cloud-based innovation for digital financial services, announced today that it has come to terms with Charles Schwab on a financial data access agreement. This will aid in providing the framework for the financial services company's clients to more securely and effectively allow access to, and use their personal financial information, with selected services designed to manage their financial wellness.

The agreement enables Charles Schwab clients to safely and more securely connect to and share their financial data for use with the more than 1,200 third-party financial service providers powered by the Envestnet | Yodlee Platform. These clients can expect an overall improved user experience with faster and more reliable access to their personal financial information through the financial services company's API (application program interface). Access will be based on client consent and tokenization, leading them to experience an application solution without having to enter and store usernames or passwords with any third party. With the agreement signed, teams from both Envestnet | Yodlee and Charles Schwab will now move forward together to seamlessly implement these capabilities into the client experience.

This marks the third data agreement Envestnet | Yodlee has entered into in the past eight months with a major U.S. financial institution, furthering Yodlee's goal of creating a comprehensive financial ecosystem to aid consumer financial health and well-being.

"API-based connectivity in the United States has gained significant momentum and data-access agreements, like the one we've signed with Charles Schwab, are critical to enabling the financial services ecosystem," said Stuart DePina, President of Envestnet. "We're working with major financial institutions like Charles Schwab to allow improved consumer choice, reliability and insights, with the goal of helping consumers achieve financial wellness."

Financial solutions powered by Envestnet | Yodlee help millions of consumers better manage their spending, budgeting, savings and investments  in an effort to improve their overall financial wellness. The Envestnet | Yodlee Platform has proudly fueled innovation and insights for financial institutions and FinTech companies for more than 20 years in an effort to help consumers seek better lending rates, lower fees, and more. Envestnet | Yodlee is a market leader in financial data aggregation, partnering with more than 1,200 financial institutions and FinTech innovators, including the vast majority of the top 20 U.S. banks, enabling a massive data network associated with tens of millions of consumers who use platform-related personalized apps and services.

About Envestnet

Envestnet, Inc. (NYSE: ENV) is a leading provider of intelligent systems for wealth management and financial wellness. Envestnet's unified technology empowers enterprises and advisors to more fully understand their clients and deliver actionable intelligence that drives better outcomes and improves lives.

Envestnet Wealth Solutions enables enterprises and advisors to better manage client outcomes and strengthen their practices through its leading Wealth Management Operating System and advanced portfolio solutions. Envestnet | Tamarac provides portfolio management, reporting, trading, rebalancing and client portal solutions for registered investment advisers ("RIAs"). Envestnet | MoneyGuide provides goals-based financial planning applications. Envestnet Data & Analytics enables innovation and insights through its Envestnet | Yodlee data aggregation platform.

More than 100,000 advisors and more than 4,700 companies including: 16 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 43 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, over 500 of the largest RIAs and hundreds of internet services companies leverage Envestnet technology and services. Envestnet solutions enhance knowledge of the client, accelerate client on-boarding, improve client digital experiences and help drive better outcomes for enterprises, advisors and their clients.

For more information on Envestnet, please visit www.envestnet.com and follow Envestnet on Twitter @ENVintel.

SOURCE Envestnet | Yodlee
Governments around the world must take "extraordinary" measures to contain the economic damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday.

Poor nations are especially vulnerable, and the US official offered support for the emergency lending by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

"With most projections pointing toward a deep but brief shock, there is an urgent need for all members to deploy extraordinary fiscal and monetary actions to contain the fallout of the outbreak and limit long-term damage to economies, laying the foundation for a strong recovery," Mnuchin said in his statement to virtual meetings of the two lending organizations.

In addition, "we must all stand ready to accelerate and expand our policy actions if needed as circumstances evolve".

The US government has rushed out more than $2 trillion in support and lending for the hardest hit industries like airlines, and the IMF estimates the world's biggest economies have pumped $8 trillion into the economy.

But, Mnuchin said, "Low-income countries will face extraordinary needs in this crisis."



Even after the Group of 20 nations endorsed a debt payment standstill for the 76 poorest nations, he said IMF and World Bank emergency financing will be critical to helping those nations and expressed support for the moves the Washington-based crisis lenders have taken to deploy aid quickly.

The US government is "currently exploring" making a contribution to two of the emergency funds that rely on member donations to provide grants and low-cost loans to the poorest countries.

"This robust response by the IMF and World Bank Group would not be possible without the committed support of its shareholders," Mnuchin said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amidst speculations that the novel coronavirus will start disappearing due to the hot weather brought by summer time, like some viruses do, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine told the public to essentially not get their hopes up. (Photo : Pexels)

Amid speculations that the novel coronavirus will start disappearing due to the hot weather brought by summer time, like some viruses do, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine told the public to essentially not get their hopes up. This is explained in a report which it gave to the White House.

A panel from the organization concluded this after having reviewed various research reports that say there is no basis for the summer weather to suppress the virus' spread. No evidence exists that the humidity and the sun offers benefits.

The report was sent to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director Kelvin Droegemeier, who is also the National Science Foundation's acting director. It was a nine-page "rapid expert consultation" brief.

Scripps Research Translational Institute in California immunologist Kristian Andersen, who is also part of the National Academies Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases & 21st Century Health Threats, said that the current data shows that the virus will not likely diminish due to summer. She also said that policy makers must be careful not to base their strategies and policies around this belief. She adds that should a reduction occur, it is more plausible to attribute it to other measures that have been implemented.

David Relman, a researcher on host-microbe interactions in Stanford University, said that human behavior will be more critical than temperature and humidity.

The National Academies is a pool of independent agencies advising the public and the government. Its latest report cited well-controlled studies showing how high humidity and temperature diminishes the coronavirus' capacity to survive outside a host. However, the report also noted the limitations of these studies; they consider the findings less conclusive.

The report also noted how some reports discussed how growth rates of the pandemic peak in colder temperatures, but the studies were limited and short. A study conducted by M.I.T. scientists had a preliminary finding that there were fewer Covid-19 cases in warmer climates. However, it did not give any definite conclusion. Study co-author and MIT computational scientist Qasim Bukhari says that the real chance of stopping the virus is through quarantine measures.

The report also cautioned that in other countries that currently experience summer, such as Iran and Australia, the COVID-19 virus still spreads rapidly. In light of this fact, the theory that high humidity and temperature decreases case loses credence.

Pandemics behave differently from seasonal outbreaks. The report looked into the history of past flu pandemics, and found that out of the 10 influenza pandemics during the last 250 or so years, two began during Northern Hemisphere winter; three during spring; two during summer; and three during autumn. In addition, all of them had a second wave peak which occurred roughly six months after their first emergence in humans, regardless of the time of the initial outbreak.

Last March 16, President Trump said that the coronavirus may "wash" through during the hotter weather. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious diseases expert in the U.S., expressed various opinions about summer's effect on the coronavirus. During his live interview last Wednesday with The Journal of the American Medical Association editor-in-chief Dr. Howard Bauchner, Fauci said the virus will "almost certainly" go down a bit by fall. However, a conversation with Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry last March 26 found Fauci saying that even though it was reasonable to assume that the summer will diminish the virus' spread, one "should not" count on it.
Apollo Tyres said the operations at its four plants situated in Kerala, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu will continue to remain shut till 20 April 2020.

In view of the lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, the operations at the company's four plants in India were shut down till 14 April 2020. In view of the further extension of the countrywide lockdown, the operations at the plants situated in the states of Kerala (at Kalamassery & Perambra), Gujarat (at Limda) and Tamil Nadu (at Chennai) will continue to remain shut up to 20 April 2020. The company will assess the situation based on the announcements made by the respective state governments and update accordingly. The news was announced post trading hours yesterday, 15 April 2020.

Apollo Tyres on Tuesday, 14 April 2020, had announced that its board would meet on Friday, 17 April 2020 to consider the issuance of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) through private placement. The company is proposing to issue NCDs through private placement within the limits approved by the members in the annual general meeting held on 31 July 2019.

Shares of Apollo Tyres soared 8.52% to Rs 95.50 on BSE. The scrip hovered in the range of Rs 89 to 95.90 so far.

Apollo Tyres' consolidated net profit dropped 29.12% to Rs 173.86 crore on a 6.62% decline in net sales to Rs 4,347.16 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018.

Apollo Tyres is an international tyre major with manufacturing units in India, the Netherlands and Hungary.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The coronavirus lockdown has wreaked havoc on the lives of poor and underprivileged. Many are struggling to sustain themselves, sometimes even going hungry for days.

We heard of people scavenging for edible bananas at a crematorium in Delhi. Them there was the story of a man filling his earthen pot with split milk from a road in Agra, the same spot some stray dogs were drinking the milk from. These cases just highlight the plight of the needy.

As if he heard their call for help, a man from Assam decided to do his bit to help those suffering during the lockdown.

Source/India Today

According to India Today, Golap Gogoi, 52, from the Bhelouguri village, engaged in a noble act by distributing food items to the poor and the needy instead of performing his wife's shraddha. Shraddha is a ritual that is performed in honour of a deceased ancestor or relative. This was his way of paying homage to his deceased wife.

Speaking to India Today, Golap said that he was very happy to help the needy and that it was the best tribute he could pay to his wife. "After consulting elder people in my village, I decided to help the poor and needy by distributing food items to them," Golap said.

In another heartwarming instance, an off-duty CRPF officer in Assam went out of his way to help the poor. CRPF ASI Padmeswar Das prepared ration packets, purchased using his savings, for the poor in his village.



Twitter/CRPF Madadgaar

He used money from his savings and bought about 80 kg of rice and other dry ration. The next day, he and his family prepared over 50 packets containing 2 kg of rice, 1 kg potato, a small bottle of mustard oil, a packet of salt, onions and half kg pulses in each.



According to recent reports, no new coronavirus cases were reported as of 8:00 am on Apr 16 in Assam. This brings the total reported cases of coronavirus in Assam to 33 according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Among the total people infected as on date, 0 have recovered and 1 has passed away.

Another BIG reason to cheer!



Keeping life first as the motive, we're glad to have imported 50,000 PPE kits from Guangzhou,China. I am happy to receive this special flight along with @Pijush_hazarika at #Guwahati airport just now. A big reassurance for our doctors & nurses. pic.twitter.com/nFkFkwfPQZ  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 15, 2020

According to an NDTV report, Assam has become the first state to receive PPE kits from China. The report states that a cargo flight operated by Blue Dart touched down in Guwahati after flying five hours non-stop from China's Guangzhou.

A more recent Economic Times report points out that of the 170,000 personal protection equipment (PPE) kits China donated to India--that arrived on April 5--about 50,000 failed quality tests and were found to be unusable. What action the government will take next remains to be seen.




Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Scientists, engineers and clinicians from University of the Philippines Manila and UP Diliman have developed a technology aimed at protecting healthcare workers at Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila by reducing their exposure to the highly infectious coronavirus disease.

Dr. Nats Orillaza, leader of the ongoing project, said they created a "telepresence" device, which lets healthcare workers and patients communicate with one another without having to touch or manipulate the apparatus. With Orillaza are members of the UP Manila College of Medicine's Surgical Innovation and Biotechnology Laboratory or S.I.B.O.L. and UP Diliman engineers.

"It's like any teleconferencing device without the need to manipulate the gadget to answer the call," he explained. "It is also helpful for users who are not tech-savvy since they just have to wait for the other party to appear on-screen."

Teams from UPDs Computer Science department, led by Professor Pros Naval and the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute department headed by Professor Luis Sison, set up the terminals' software, in such a way that the device could auto-answer scheduled and authorized calls, Orillaza pointed out. This aims "to limit touching and contamination.

"Those terminals, once the call is scheduled and parties have consented to talk, will automatically answer a teleconference call from the outside without the need to press any button to accept the call," Orillaza disclosed.

He also said security measures are in place to allow access only from authorized control computers.

The groups are preparing more units that are easier to use, added Orillaza, who is also an orthopedic surgeon at the facility.

This initiative aims to conserve the scarce supplies of personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 outbreak. N95 masks, gowns, gloves are examples of PPE.

PGH earlier sought donations for protective equipment due to its dwindling supply.
Tributes have been paid to a dental nurse who died after testing positive for Covid-19, with colleagues describing how she brought 'love, light and joy' to everyone she met.

Linnette Cruz, 51, died on April 14 after being treated for coronavirus in the intensive care unit at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

Mrs Cruz was senior head nurse at the Brynteg dental practice in Sketty, Swansea.

Dental nurse Linnette Cruz, 51, from Swansea, pictured, is the latest NHS worker to have lost her life to coronavirus

The mother-of-one died after being treated in the intensive care unit of Morriston Hospital in Swansea

Ms Cruz, pictured, is survived by her husband Jeonardy and their son Jeonard, as well as her sister Rose and her parents

Practice owner Nik Patel said her friends and colleagues were devastated by her death.

'She brought love, light and joy to everyone around her and will be sadly missed by all,' he said.

Mrs Cruz leaves husband Jeonardy, son Jeonard, sister Rose and her parents.

She trained in the Philippines and came to Swansea several years ago.

She qualified as a dental surgery assistant whilst working for Kee Dental Care and Parkway Clinic and joined Brynteg as an extended duty dental nurse before rising to senior head nurse.

Karl Bishop, dental director for the Swansea Bay University Health Board, added: 'Linnette's death is deeply upsetting to her family, friends and colleagues and all our thoughts are with them.

'She was a highly committed and caring dental nurse, respected by her colleagues, patients and the communities in which she worked.

'Any death to Covid-19 is a very sad event, and where it affects a healthcare professional it is particularly upsetting.

'The health board will provide all necessary support to the practice and staff during this difficult time.'

Ms Cruz's death followis the tragic death of a 28-year-old pregnant nurse in Luton.

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, who worked as a nurse on a general ward at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for five years, died on Sunday.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, pictured, said 27 NHS staff have been confirmed as Covid-19 victims, including heavily pregnant nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong

Her baby daughter was delivered successfully by caesarean section and is doing well, according to the hospital, although it is not clear whether she has also tested positive for the disease.

Ms Agyapong's husband is currently self-isolating and has also been tested for Covid-19.

The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that Ms Agyapong tested positive on April 5 and was admitted to the hospital she worked at on April 7.

A Gofundme page set up on Wednesday morning had raised 59,018 by early Thursday morning.

'Mary was a blessing to everyone she came across and her love, care and sincerity will be irreplaceable,' organiser Rhoda Asiedu wrote on the page.

'I am raising this funds for her immediate family; her husband, AJ and her baby girl little Mary, who was born at the time of her demise.'

Ms Agyapong had been working at the hospital until at least March 12, well into her third trimester, Channel 4 news reported.

But the hospital said it did not have any coronavirus patients before she took maternity leave.

Colleagues paid tribute to Ms Agyapong, who also went by her married name Mary Boateng, on the GoFundMe page.

Renai Mcinerney wrote: 'Sister Mary was my colleague, I worked alongside her for a few years. She deserves her family to be looked after, after she devoted her life to the NHS as a nurse.'

Heavily pregnant nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, pictured, died after contracting Covid-19. Medics were able to save her baby who was delivered by emergency caesarean section

Caitlin Green posted: 'So sorry to Mary's family and friends for her loss. She will live on in her beautiful baby girl.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast there had 'very sadly' been 27 verified deaths amongst NHS staff with coronavirus.

He said the story of 28-year-old Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, a pregnant NHS nurse who died from Covid-19, was a 'terrible one'.

'I think these are incredibly heart-rending. The story of Mary, as you say, is a terrible one,' he said.

'It's something that I feel very strongly and I think the whole country, uniting as we are in our support for the NHS and carers across the board.

'We'are all deeply touched and moved by deaths of nurses like this.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast there had 'very sadly' been 27 verified deaths amongst NHS staff with coronavirus.

He said the story of 28-year-old Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, a pregnant NHS nurse who died from Covid-19, was a 'terrible one'.

'I think these are incredibly heart-rending. The story of Mary, as you say, is a terrible one,' he said.

'It's something that I feel very strongly and I think the whole country, uniting as we are in our support for the NHS and carers across the board.

'We'are all deeply touched and moved by deaths of nurses like this.'

Mr Hancock said every death amongst NHS staff was being investigated to find out "what we can do better" to protect those on the front line.

Asked about the supply of PPE and testing of NHS workers, he told BBC Breakfast: "In each case, it's important to investigate exactly what the reasons were.

"Because of course some of my NHS colleagues will have caught coronavirus from patients in the line of duty, others may have it caught it and not been at work.

"What we want to learn is what we can do better to protect our frontline workers both in the NHS and in social care, hence investigating each case to find out what happened.

"And I think we owe that to our colleagues as well who have given their lives in duty and in service."
Wednesday marked the 75th anniversary of Margit Feldmans liberation from the Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Nazi Germany. On Tuesday, the Holocaust survivor and New Jersey resident died at age 90 due to complications from the coronavirus.

Feldman was born in Budapest and grew up in a small village near the border of what was then Czechoslovakia before being detained with her parents by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz. Her parents were murdered in the concentration camp, but Feldman lied about her age, saying she was 18 rather than 15, putting her into forced labor.

She survived several concentration camps, including a return trip to Auschwitz and a death march to Bergen Belsen. Feldman was 16 when British forces liberated her.

Feldman briefly moved to Sweden before discovering an aunt and uncle in the United States, allowing her to relocate to New Jersey in 1947.

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She became a x-ray technician and married Harvey Feldman in 1953. The two had a son, Joseph, and daughter, Tina, and three grandchildren.

When New Jersey formed the Holocaust Education Commission in 1991, Margit Feldman played a key role in orchestrating the program while working alongside former Gov. Jim McGreevey.

McGreevey, who was a state assemblyman when he worked with Feldman on the commission, remained friends with her through the end of her life.

Never any sense of bitterness, but always the teacher and always filled with a sense of compassion and kindness," McGreevey said. "She was just an extraordinary human being, to have lived through all that, to have lived that life and to have suffered through those camps, yet to be grateful for life, to see the promise of tomorrow, she was just such an exceptional person.

When Feldman published a book about her experiences during the Holocaust, McGreevy wrote its foreword. As they worked together decades ago, if McGreevey ever felt angry or upset, Feldman would be right there to tell him to let it go. He said that quality reflected perfectly on her outlook on life.

After living through that hell, she was blessed with the gift of authenticity. She lived fearlessly and she loved fearlessly," McGreevey said. "Its like there was nothing that the world could do that would cause Margit to live anything less than with full authenticity and the full measure of her being.

Gov. Phil Murphy spent part of the Thursdays daily coronavirus press briefing remembering Feldmans life.

"Margits legacy is best captured in her work to ensure that the world never forgets the horrors of the Holocaust, Murphy said. "She would share her story of survival and liberation with tens of thousands of students across the state, and served as a founding member of both the New Jersey Holocaust Education Commission, and the Holocaust and Genocide Institute at Raritan Valley Community College.

Her husband Harvey Feldman is currently hospitalized at Morristown Medical Center with the coronavirus. Joseph Feldman is a doctor in East Orange, working on the front lines to fight the pandemic.

During her life in New Jersey, Margit Feldman became an active member in her synagogue and with The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties, along with other organizations.

Margit gave us so much hope over her 90-plus years, Murphy said.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Texas has one of the most simplified probate processes in the country. Yet, as simple as Texas probate can be, there are still reasons that one may want to avoid it. One reason is that probate does take time and almost always requires retaining an attorney. Some may desire to avoid probate because they have few assets to pass. Another reason to avoid probate is the desire to maintain privacy. Having assets pass outside of probate protects the assets from people prying into the public records of the probate courts for information.

Probate is necessary when there are assets in the estate in a deceased persons name.

Independent administrations that account for the majority of probates in Texas usually involve only one court hearing and allow the executor to settle the decedents estate without further court supervision. Independent administrations are simple, but still some want to avoid them.

There are several ways to avoid probate. A person who dies may own assets that are referred to as non-probate assets that pass at death outside of the probate process. Instead of passing under the decedents Will, these non-probate assets distribute outright to named beneficiaries. Life insurance policies, retirement accounts and IRAs all pass to listed beneficiaries outside of probate.

Accounts that are owned by the decedent and another individual which are titled as joint tenants with right of survivorship pass directly to the survivor outside of probate. Similarly, bank accounts with a payable on death also known as POD designation or transfer on death known as TOD, pass directly to the beneficiary listed on the account. Funds are paid out to the listed beneficiary with the presentation of a death certificate to the financial institution.

Real property can also be transferred on death without going through probate by a Texas transfer on death deed or lady bird deed. This type of deed does not affect the transferors homestead rights, their right to transfer or encumber the property, or their ad valorem tax exemptions. Another probate-avoidance technique involving deeds is the creation of a life estate. A life estate is a form of ownership in which one person has exclusive possession and use of the property for life. This person is known as a life tenant. The other person involved in ownership is the remainderman. The remainderman receives the property immediately upon the life tenants death without the requirement of probate.

The use of a revocable trust is another popular way to avoid probate. Assets transferred to the revocable trust pass privately to the decedents chosen beneficiaries without the need for probate.

There are also several ways to pass items of personal property without going through probate. One way is to simply give them away before death. To transfer a motor vehicle upon death, the Texas Transportation Code now allows the owner to designate a beneficiary to whom title will pass upon the owners death. The designation does not provide any ownership interest to the beneficiary during the owners lifetime.

All of the probate-avoidance techniques can create costly pitfalls for the unwary. For example, as one ages, it is not uncommon to add a child to a bank account so that the child can help with bill paying. The intent might be only to add the childs name for the sake of convenience not realizing that by checking the box for right of survivorship they are leaving the money in the account to that one child, rather than equally to all children as per the provisions in their Will. By checking a box, the account holder may unwittingly cause an unequal distribution of their estate.

Anyone contemplating probate-avoidance techniques should be aware of all available options as well as the pitfalls. Determining if probate-avoidance is best for you involves having an attorney evaluate your situation and advising the best way to accomplish your particular objectives. What is best for one person may not suit another.
The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama has extended its suspension of in-person group worship services through Sunday, May 17.

Bishop Kee Sloan made the announcement today in a letter to Episcopalians.

Sloan said that date may need to be extended again. I also recognize that civil authorities may be setting an earlier date, and that other churches of other denominations may reopen sooner than we do, Sloan said. I would rather we be too cautious than not cautious enough.

On Tuesday, Bishop Robert J. Baker, pastoral administrator for the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, extended the ban on public gatherings for Mass at least through Thursday, April 30. Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of the Archdiocese of Mobile said on Tuesday that although his current suspension of group worship extends through April 18, thats now viewed as indefinite. He did not give a possible date for return. Although the suspension of public Masses had been extended through this week, it must again be extended indefinitely," Rodi said. "Let us pray that public Masses will resume soon. This will depend upon medical advice and civil authorities.

Here is Sloans letter to the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama:

Hello, friends

Alleluia, Christ is risen  the Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Well, that had to be the weirdest Lent ever. Every year somebody tells me theyre giving up church for Lent, and this year, a casual observer might say we did. But, just listening to folks around the diocese, we really didnt  in fact, far from it. Thank you all for your ingenuity, creativity and technological savvy as we put up several hundred services, studies, meditations and meetings. I think weve handled all of this pretty well so far, and I am proud of all your good work. It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks, if the old dog really needs to learn some.

Now were starting to wonder when we can make plans for what happens next: when can we come back together to worship face to face, can we do that wedding planned for May, what about the various ordinations coming up  whats the plan? One of the ongoing frustrations of this whole upheaval is the uncertainty of it all, and the simple truth is that we do not know when it will be safe to go out. We dont know how long we will need to be careful about physical distancing when we come together in worship, when we will be able to exchange the Peace or take bread and wine during Communion.

But still, plans need to be made. I am writing to tell you that I am directing that parishes and worshipping communities continue to suspend face-to-face worship through and including May 17th, recognizing that we may need to extend it further if necessary. I also recognize that civil authorities may be setting an earlier date, and that other churches of other denominations may reopen sooner than we do. I would rather we be too cautious than not cautious enough.

So stay at home as much as possible, say your prayers, wash your hands, and keep your sense of humor. Please remember to support your parishes, and our diocese. I hope youll reach out to people you love and encourage hope. I said this in a previous note to yall, and now Im saying it again: it is in the darkness that the Light of Christ is most needed.

Gods Peace,

Kee
New economic data being released as earnings start to hit may alter how investors perceive the recent price recovery in the US and global markets. Many institutional analysts began suggesting the bottom is in and recently began to issue stronger forward guidance. The new data suggests we are seeing an economic contraction that, in some cases, maybe 2x or 3x the contraction that took place in the 2008-09 Credit Crisis.

The US stock markets reacted to this news and earnings data by collapsing over -2% in early trading. Gold and Silver are both lower as we write this article which would indicate weakness across the broader market. We continue to believe a deeper price low will set up in the near future with the US and global stock prices attempting to retest recent price lows  possibly falling below these levels. We believe the collateral damage to consumer engagement, manufacturing, transportation, retail/leisure, real estate and other sectors of the economy is just now starting to become evident. What the economy may look like near Mid-May is anyones guess.

Manufacturing Output Index

One of the most interesting data items published recently in the US Manufacturing Output Index which reported at -6.3%. This is the largest downside (negative) print going back over 20 years. It is nearly 2x larger than the deepest levels from the 2008-09 Credit Crisis and nearly 6x the levels of the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks. This time it really is different.

New York Empire State Manufacturing Index

The New York Empire State Manufacturing Index was no different  posting a level at -78.20%. This massive negative number is nearly 2x the deepest levels printed during the 2008-09 Credit Crisis and clearly illustrates how the COVID-19 virus event has disrupted manufacturing output across the globe. Depressed manufacturing translates into decreased shipping, decreased supply, decreased demand, and decreased overall economic engagement (employment, support services, taxes, and others). A number similar to the lows of 2008-09 would be sufficiently terrible. A number that is 2x below the lowest levels in 2008-09 is absolutely destructive to forward expectations.

Story continues

NAHB Real Estate Index

Real estate is starting to feel the pinch too. The NAHB Real Estate Index came in at 30. The only times in history where this level has been reached were September 1990, October 2006, and June 2007. These areas in history clearly point to an early recession indicator in the markets. We found it interesting that September 2001 (9/11) didnt experience any major downside print in the NAHB index. The lowest level reached after 9/11 was 46 (November 2001). The current 30 level is shocking. If history is any indication of what to expect in the future, this real estate index may attempt to set up an extended bottom near or below 15 to 20 over the next 12+ months.

Redbook Index

Lastly, the Redbook Index  which printed a level of -8.3. This index of over 9000 retail locations is one of the broadest market indicators of consumer/retail-based activity in the US. Obviously, with the shutdown taking place within the US and across the globe, we were not expecting any type of fantastic number. Yet our concern is that consumer engagement continues to slowly emerge from the shutdown over the next 12+ months and the collapse in retail may become prolonged

Historically, this is the deepest level printed on the Redbook Index since 2008-09. We believe the continued shutdown and disruption to traditional manufacturing, supply and retail will continue to present very negative outcomes for global economic measures. Thus, we believe the risks to the US and global stock market are still very real for skilled traders.

Concluding Thoughts:

The US Fed and global central banks are doing everything possible to support a shocked global economy  yet they cant print enough money to replace the global activity of consumers, manufacturers, and traditional economic functions. They can just attempt to patch things up while they wait for consumers and manufacturers to begin operating near-normal levels.

It is very important for skilled traders to understand the bigger economic risks that are at play and to understand the process of price moves within the current market cycle. I was recently interviewed about my market opinions and stated very clearly how investors could fall into a suckers rally trap. Listen to my talk here.

Be prepared for more downside risks and a potential for a much deeper price bottom over the next 6+ months. Those individuals/firms suggesting the bottom is in are certainly jumping the shark, in our opinion, right now. Its a pretty big event to come out right now and tell investors buy these dips because we believe the US Fed has everything under control. Be cautious and use your own skills to wait for a proper bottom setup.

I have to toot my own horn here a little because subscribers and I had our trading accounts close at a new high watermark for our accounts. We not only exited the equities market as it started to roll over, but we profited from the sell-off in a very controlled way, and yesterday we locked in more profits with our SPY ETF trade on this bounce.

As a technical analyst and trader since 1997, I have been through a few bull/bear market cycles in stocks and commodities. I believe I have a good pulse on the market and timing key turning points for investing and short-term swing traders. 2020 is going to be an incredible year for skilled traders. Dont miss all the incredible moves and trade setups.

I hope you found this informative, and if you would like to get a pre-market video every day before the opening bell, along with my trade alerts. These simple to follow ETF swing trades have our trading accounts sitting at new high water marks yet again this week, not many traders can say that this year. Visit my Active ETF Trading Newsletter.

We all have trading accounts, and while our trading accounts are important, what is even more important are our long-term investment and retirement accounts. Why? Because they are, in most cases, our largest store of wealth other than our homes, and if they are not protected during a time like this, you could lose 25-50% or more of your entire net worth. The good news is we can preserve and even grow our long term capital when things get ugly like they are now and ill show you how and one of the best trades is one your financial advisor will never let you do because they do not make money from the trade/position.

If you have any type of retirement account and are looking for signals when to own equities, bonds, or cash, be sure to become a member of my Long-Term Investing Signals which we issued a new signal for subscribers.

Ride my coattails as I navigate these financial markets and build wealth while others lose nearly everything they own during the next financial crisis.

Chris Vermeulen

Chief Market Strategies

Founder of Technical Traders Ltd.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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An aggressive timeline and far-reaching orders are making it difficult for Pennsylvania food retailers to implement new safety directives set by Gov. Tom Wolf, said the head of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association.

President and CEO Alex Baloga said grocers are concerned about the latest orders, which mandate customers and employees wear masks.

The enforcement timeline is almost nearly impossible or unworkable, trying to do all of these things by Sunday is an immense Herculean task, he said.

Grocers have to learn and implement a whole new setup, which Baloga said takes time, especially when they are already working day and night. They need to figure out how to close down every other register, take employees temperatures and purchase enough masks for associates during a nationwide shortage, he added.

On Wednesday, Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced the series of new measures aimed at retailers and designed to curb the spread of coronavirus. They will be enforced starting 8 p.m. April 19.

With a few exceptions, most shoppers will be required to wear face coverings when entering such businesses as grocery and convenience stores. Retailers also will be required to wipe carts, stagger employee start times, erect sneeze guards and ensure employees are wearing face coverings.

READ MORE:

But Baloga said retailers havent been given enough time to implement the measures or adequate information about enforcement. The association is reaching out to the Wolf administration with concerns in hopes of making revisions or possibly delaying the enforcement date, he said.

During her daily press briefing today Levine said the state is not going to extend the deadline for the implementation of orders. She said they recommend grocers tell customers who dont have masks to go home and get one. Otherwise, she said stores with extra masks can hand them out to shoppers.

Our mitigation efforts have been successful, but they need to continue, Levine said. We need to do everything we can to prevent the spread of the dangerous virus COVID-19, so we want to protect the workers that are in those life-sustaining activities, the very brave workers who are in grocery stores.

Gov. Wolf added the orders are simply guidelines and they are asking retailers to use their best judgement in applying those guidelines.

Baloga said its challenging enough for grocers to acquire enough face coverings for employees, let alone enforce customers wear masks.

Under the governors orders entry can be denied to shoppers who arent wearing face coverings, unless the business is providing medication, medical supplies, or food. In those cases, the business must provide alternative methods of pick-up or delivery of goods.

Putting retailers in the middle of that and saying they need to be law enforcement could be dangerous and could make the situation more tenuous, Baloga said.

Since the start of the pandemic, grocery stores instituted dozens of changes to business models, from cutting store hours to allow employees time to restock and clean to adding senior citizen shopping hours and limiting the number of shoppers inside stores.

On Wednesday, Scott Karns, president and CEO of Karns Foods, said his stores will post signs in parking lots and near entrances reminding shoppers to wear masks. Those who dont follow the rule, Karns said will be asked to leave. And if they refuse to leave, he said the police will be called.

Thats not where you want to go. This is a mandate from the department of health. Its not an option, Karns added.

Wegmans spokeswoman Laura Camera said associates will man entrances to ensure shoppers are wearing masks or face coverings.

Food Merchants Baloga said initial conversations with the Wolf administration indicate a willingness to discuss the order. He emphasized its not so much the spirit of the directive, but finding the best possible scenario to allow businesses to operate and keep employees and customers healthy.

Pennsylvania joins New York state, where on Wednesday Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered residents to wear face coverings in public settings such as public transit and grocery stores. New Jersey has also instituted a similar order.

Two weeks ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended everyone wear face coverings in public.

Here are other highlights of the order pertaining to stores and businesses, as spelled out in the Wolf administrations press release:


By James M. Dorsey





The coronavirus pandemic and the global economic meltdown forced Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United States and Russia to call time out in a war that was less about prices and more about market share and survival of the fittest.



The agreement among producers to cut production by 10 million barrels a day amounts to a ceasefire that will likely end once economies recover and can again sustain the cost of war.



Saudi Arabia and the UAE risk jeopardizing their relationship with the U.S. as a result of diverging interests that became evident with the eruption of the recent oil price war. That remains true even if the war was unsustainable in the midst of a devastating pandemic.



So far Saudi Arabia has been the focus of U.S. wrath at the kingdom's perceived insensitivity and recklessness while the UAE has managed to fly under the radar despite it too declaring that it would increase production in support of the price war with Russia. The question is for how long the UAE can stay off the radar.



An immediate crisis has been averted with an agreement on Sunday (April 12) between members of the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers to cut production by some 10 million barrels a day.



But 13 U.S. Republican congressmen from oil-producing states put Saudi Arabia on notice in a two-hour phone call with Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman a day after the agreement.



"While we appreciate them taking the first step toward fixing the problem they helped create, the Saudis spent over a month waging war on American oil producers, all while our troops protected theirs. That's not how friends treat friends. Their actions were inexcusable and won't be forgotten. Saudi Arabia's next steps will determine whether our strategic partnership is salvageable," said North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer



The congressmen's notice reflected a deterioration of the kingdom's relations with Congress over the past two years as well as U.S. President Donald J. Trump's anger at the Saudi price war.



There is, however, a silver lining in the U.S.-Saudi clash over oil prices even if it was suspended with the production cut agreement. The clash clarifies the parameters of the long-standing relationship between the two countries.



Eager to knock out the U.S. shale industry, which accounts for some 10 million jobs, Saudi Arabia made clear that it would pursue its interests irrespective of U.S. concerns or the fact that the world was in a massive economic downturn as the result of a pandemic.



"The kingdom will  have to reduce its budgetary expenditures while wisely accessing its financial reserves for essential spending as it fights this potentially long-term battle of the fittest for market share in global energy," said Ali Shihabi, a political analyst and former banker who often reflects Saudi thinking.



To accommodate sharply reduced revenues, the Saudi finance ministry has instructed government bodies to submit proposals to slash this year's spending by up to 30 percent, the economic consultancy Nasser Saidi and Associates said in a research note.



The U.S.-Saudi clash has also laid bare the vulnerability of the U.S. shale industry at a critical time. The ability of the United States to project itself as the world's largest producer and exporter takes on added significance against the backdrop of a decline in U.S. credibility reinforced by America's inability to get a grip on the coronavirus crisis.



The irony is that U.S. anger could have just as well been directed at the UAE, which was quick to declare its support of the Saudi move to drive prices below U.S. shale's breakeven point by flooding the market.



There's "ample production capacity that will be quickly brought online given the current circumstances," UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei said March 11.



By putting Saudi Arabia and by implication the UAE on notice, the U.S. congressmen were drawing battle lines for a renewed clash in the future that may have become even more inevitable as a result of the pandemic and its economic fallout.



With a likely reduction of the value of oil reserves and limited new gas stockpiles in the coming decades because of the rise of shale and renewables, Saudi Arabia needs to secure market share by capitalizing on its low costs. Indeed, the kingdom has one of the world's lowest costs of production of a barrel of oil.



The collapse in demand, low prices, and the global economic turndown increases the importance of market share. Saudi Arabia is likely to have to downsize its attention-grabbing big tickets like Neom  the futuristic city on the Red Sea, and focus on revenue and job-creating sectors.



"There's a high likelihood (Neom) fades into nothingness  The momentum will likely die out. And it will take a lot to rebuild that momentum," said a Gulf-based economist.



In a sign of the times, JPMorgan was reportedly seeking to sell at a discount loans, raised by the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia and the UAE as banks brace for a borrowing spree in the Gulf due to low oil prices.



Some economists suggest that Saudi Arabia and other oil producers may seek to create jobs and domestic and regional markets for their petrochemicals by pushing the development of plastics processing and chemicals.



Saudi Arabia hinted at a return to a focus on energy derivatives with the acquisition by its sovereign wealth fund of stakes worth roughly $1 billion in four major European oil companies  Equinor, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, and Eni.



"Managing heightened public expectations of the leadership will be crucial in maintaining public support for MbS when the pandemic subsides. The crisis is also a test for the progress made on Saudi Vision 2030, especially its programs to transform public services, reduce unemployment, and diversify the economy away from oil," said Saudi Arabia scholar Yasmine Farouk.



Ms. Farouk was referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by his initials and his Vision 2030 plan to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil revenues by diversifying its economy.





Dr. James M. Dorsey (jmd@jmdonline.org) is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg's Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.




Costa Rica - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband- Statistics and Analyses

Sydney, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Costa Rica outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets.

Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Costa-Rica-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses

Costa Ricas liberalised telecom sector saw substantial growth for a number of years, though the level of growth has fallen sharply since 2016, and fell to only 0.3% in 2018, year-on-year. Although the state-owned operator ICE remains the dominant provider of fixed-line services, the regional operators Claro and Movistar are significant players in the important mobile services market. Considerable change to the market emerged from the 2019 sale of Movistar to Millicom International, trading as Tigo. The deal, still to be finalised, was part of a wider plan which also saw Tigo acquire Movistars business units in Panama and Nicaragua.

The number of fixed-lines fell for a number of years though more recently the decline has been offset by growing consumer use of VoIP services. This was stimulated by the 2014 hike in tariffs for fixed-line calls.

Costa Ricas broadband market is the most developed in Central America, with the highest broadband penetration for this sub-region. Geographical distribution however is unequal, with a much higher digital gap than in the case of telephone services. Compared with the whole of Latin America, Costa Ricas broadband penetration lags behind Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and some Caribbean islands.

The Costa Rican telecom sector has showed greater resilience than most others in the region, and with the implementation of number portability there is greater scope for increased competition in coming years. This has been reflected in the sharp decline in the cost of broadband data in recent years.

BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains all around the world. During this time, the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device and ICT equipment production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to source necessary equipment or manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may also be postponed or slowed down in some countries.

Story continues

On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is likely to be impacted by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes.

It is largely unknown what the long-term impacts will be as the crisis develops. However, though challenging to predict and interpret, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

In addition, the report covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Key developments

Government, telecom regulator and telcos agree on strategy to address COVID-19 crisis;

Regulator prepares for 700MHz auction;

Telefonica Costa Rica sold to Millicom International;

ICE secures access to Telia Carrier's Central America backbone network;

Movistar and Claro secure licenses at auction;

ICE investing more in multi-technology NGN project;

Report includes the regulator's market data reports for 2018; telcos' financial and operating data updates, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report

Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), RASCA, Tigo, Cabletica, Claro, Movistar

Key Statistics

Regional Market Comparison Telecom Maturity Index by tier Market Leaders Market Challengers Market Emergents South America Telecom Maturity Index Central America Telecom Maturity Index TMI versus GDP Mobile and mobile broadband penetration

Country overview

Telecommunications market Market analysis

Regulatory environment Historical overview Regulatory authority Sutel Fixed-line developments General Telecommunications Law Sector liberalisation Universalisation Fund (Fonatel) Interconnect Access Number Portability (NP) Tariffs DR-CAFTA Mobile network developments Spectrum auctions Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Roaming

Mobile market Mobile statistics Mobile data SMS/MMS Mobile broadband Mobile infrastructure Overview Digital networks Major mobile operators ICE (Kolbi, ICE Cellular) Claro (America Movil) Movistar (Telefonica Costa Rica) Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Fixed-line broadband market Introduction and statistical overview Market analysis Broadband statistics Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks RACSA Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) and Fibre-To-The-Home (FttH) Other fixed-line broadband services Fixed wireless (WiMAX, WiBro, Wi-Fi) Internet via satellite

Fixed network operators ICE Claro

Telecommunications infrastructure National telecom network Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) International infrastructure Terrestrial networks Submarine cable networks Satellite networks Smart infrastructure Wholesale

Appendix  Historic data

Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1  Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities  Costa Rica  2020 (e)

Table 2  Evolution of GDP in Costa Rica  2010  2020

Table 3  Number of authorised telecom service operators  2011  2018

Table 4  Growth in telecom sector revenue and annual change 2011  2018

Table 5  Change in telecom revenue by sector  2014  2018

Table 6  Change in revenue market share by sector  2014  2018

Table 7  Fonatel investment in telecoms  2012  2018

Table 8  Fonatel covered premises, people  2015  2018

Table 9  Mobile, broadband subscriptions enabled via Fonatel  2014  2018

Table 10  Growth in the number of mobile number portings - 2013  2018

Table 11  Development of roaming revenue (SMS/MMS and voice) - 2013  2018

Table 12  Average traffic per mobile subscriber - 2012  2018

Table 13  Change in the number of mobile subscribers by main operator - 2012  2018

Table 14  Change in the mobile market share by operator - 2011  2018

Table 15  Mobile market traffic - 2011  2018

Table 16  Development of mobile revenue by service - 2014 - 2018

Table 17  Development of mobile revenue by service - 2014 - 2018

Table 18 Proportion of mobile telephony service revenue by type - 2011  2018

Table 19  Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2010  2025

Table 20  Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers - 2010  2018

Table 21  Change in the proportion of prepaid and postpaid subscribers - 2010  2018

Table 22  Change in the proportion of prepaid and postpaid subscribers - 2010  2018

Table 23  Development of prepaid and contract mobile ARPU - 2014  2018

Table 24  Development of prepaid and contract mobile ARPU - 2014  2018

Table 25  SMS and MMS traffic - 2011  2018

Table 26  Average SMS traffic sent per user per month - 2014  2018

Table 27  Decline in SMS/MMS revenue - 2011 - 2018

Table 28  Growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers and penetration - 2010  2025

Table 29  Growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers and penetration - 2010  2025

Table 30  Growth in mobile internet revenue - 2013  2018

Table 31  Growth in mobile internet traffic - 2013  2018

Table 32  ICE mobile subscribers - 2012  2018

Table 33  Claro mobile subscribers - 2012  2018

Table 34  Movistar mobile subscribers - 2012  2018

Table 35  Change in the number of MVNO mobile subscribers by provider - 2011  2018

Table 36  Change in the number of MVNO mobile subscribers by provider - 2011  2018

Table 37  Fixed-line broadband revenue and ARPU  2011  2018

Table 38  Change in the proportion of fixed internet connections by data rate - 2015  2018

Table 39  Change in the proportion of fixed internet connections by data rate - 2015  2018

Table 40  Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration  2010  2025

Table 41  Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscribers by technology  2015  2018

Table 42  Fixed-line internet traffic and annual change 2013  2018

Table 43  Growth in the number of cable modem subscribers and penetration  2010  2018

Table 44  DSL subscribers and household penetration  2010  2018

Table 45  Fibre broadband subscribers  2010  2018

Table 46  WiMAX subscribers  2009  2018

Table 47  Development of ICEs financial data  2010  2018

Table 48  Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity  2010  2025

Table 49  Decline in the number of ICEs PSTN lines and penetration  2010  2018

Table 50  Growth in the number of VoIP connections and penetration  2010  2018

Table 51  Change in VoIP market share of subscribers by operator  2013  2018

Table 52  Change in the proportion of traditional fixed and VoIP lines  2012  2018

Table 53  Change in PSTN and VoIP revenue  2012  2018

Table 54  Development of PSTN telephony and VoIP ARPU  2012  2018

Table 55  Average PSTN telephony and VoIP revenue per minute  2014  2018

Table 56  Change in fixed-line telephony and VoIP traffic  2010  2018

Table 57  Change in the average telephony traffic per subscriber (fixed-line and VoIP)  2010  2018

Table 58  Growth in international internet bandwidth  2007  2018

Table 59  Wholesale fixed-line broadband lines and revenue  2015  2018

Table 60  Historic - Evolution of GDP in Costa Rica  2000  2009

Table 61  Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration - 1998  2009

Table 62  Historic - Internet users and user penetration  1997  2015

Table 63  Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration  2000  2009

Table 64  Historic - Broadband market share by technology  2000  2008

Table 65  Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity  1997  2009

Table 66  Historic - Cable modem subscribers and household penetration  2000  2009

Table 67  Historic - DSL subscribers and household penetration  2002  2009

List of Charts

Chart 1  Latin America Overall Telecoms Maturity Index

Chart 2  Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index  Market Leaders

Chart 3  Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index  Market Challengers

Chart 4  Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index  Market Emergents

Chart 5  South America Telecoms Maturity Index by country

Chart 6  Central America Telecoms Maturity Index by country

Chart 7  Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita

Chart 8  South America mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration

Chart 9  Latin America fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration

Chart 10  Growth in telecom sector revenue and annual change 2011  2018

Chart 11  Change in telecom revenue by sector  2014  2018

Chart 12  Change in revenue market share by sector  2014  2018

Chart 13  Fonatel covered premises, people  2015  2018

Chart 14  Mobile, broadband subscriptions enabled via Fonatel  2014  2018

Chart 15  Growth in the number of mobile number portings - 2013  2018

Chart 16  Development of roaming revenue (SMS/MMS and voice) - 2013  2018

Chart 17  Average traffic per mobile subscriber - 2012  2018

Chart 18  Change in the number of mobile subscribers by main operator - 2012  2018

Chart 19  Change in the mobile market share by operator - 2011  2018

Chart 20  Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2010  2025

Chart 21  Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers - 2010  2018

Chart 22  Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration  2010  2025

Chart 23  Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscribers by technology  2015  2018

Chart 24  Growth in the number of cable modem subscribers and penetration  2010  2018

Chart 25  DSL subscribers and household penetration  2010  2018

Chart 26  Development of ICEs financial data  2010  2018

Chart 27  Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity  2010  2025

Chart 28  Decline in the number of ICEs PSTN lines and penetration  2010  2018

Chart 29  Change in the proportion of traditional fixed and VoIP lines  2012  2018

Chart 30  Change in PSTN and VoIP revenue  2012  2018

Chart 31  Development of PSTN telephony and VoIP ARPU  2012  2018

Chart 32  Change in fixed-line telephony and VoIP traffic  2010  2018

Chart 33  Change in the average telephony traffic per subscriber (fixed-line and VoIP)  2010  2018

Chart 34  Growth in international internet bandwidth  2007  2018

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1  Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment

Exhibit 2  South America - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country

Exhibit 3  Central America - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country

Exhibit 4  Major submarine cable networks connecting Costa Rica

Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Costa-Rica-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses

Nicolas Bombourg

nbombourg@budde.com.au



Within Australia

(02) 8076 7665



Outside Australia

+44 207 097 1241








By Michael McGough



What would have been a huge story in British politics _ the election of a new leader for the opposition Labour Party on April 4 _ was understandably overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the hospitalization of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Johnson was released from intensive care on Thursday.)



But the election of Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, could be the beginning of a comeback for Labour, which suffered a humiliating defeat in December's parliamentary elections.



It isn't just that Starmer projects more competence than the hapless Jeremy Corbyn, the hard-left politician who led Labour to two election losses and who was unable to finesse divisions in the party over Brexit. Starmer isn't burdened by Corbyn's reputation for not responding decisively to anti-Semitism within the party.



Starmer has apologized to Jewish leaders for anti-Semitism in the party. In a column in the Evening Standard last week he wrote: "Passover is also a fitting moment for me to acknowledge the pain and hurt that the Labour Party has caused Jewish people in recent years anti-Semitism has been a stain on our party."



Corbyn too had expressed a grudging apology for anti-Semitism in the party before the election, telling a television interviewer who pressed him on the subject: "Obviously I'm very sorry for everything that's happened but I want to make this clear: I am dealing with it. I have dealt with it."



But Corbyn had a massive credibility problem with British Jews who regarded him as insufficiently vigilant about anti-Semitic tropes and insults that they said flourished under his leadership.



In a submission last year to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Jewish Labour Movement alleged that the party was characterized by "endemic, institutional anti-Semitism" and argued that "anti-Semitic conduct is pervasive at all levels of the party."



The filing was based on the testimonies of 70 current and former Labour Party staffers. One reported 22 examples of anti-Semitic abuse during party meetings, saying that he had been called a "Tory Jew," a "child killer" and "Zio scum" and had been told that he was "good with money."



Anti-Semitism is an amazingly adaptable prejudice, manifesting itself on both the political left and the political right. On the left, criticism of the state of Israel and its policies sometimes morphs into anti-Semitic tropes.



That's the case with much of the anti-Semitism that has bedeviled the British Labour Party, and it also manifests itself, to a lesser extent, in U.S. politics.



Last year Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) offered this explanation of the influence of pro-Israel lobbyists in Washington: "It's all about the Benjamins, baby." (Omar apologized, and the Democratic-controlled House later passed a resolution condemning all sorts of bigotry and discrimination.)



Anti-Semitism wasn't the only or even principal cause of the Labour Party's defeat in last year's election. In addition to Corbyn's unpopularity and confusion over the party's position on Brexit, Labour had to cope with Johnson's outreach to traditional Labour voters with a relatively moderate platform.



Still, anti-Semitism was an albatross for the party that Starmer now says he wants to cast off. That will make it easier for him to challenge Johnson on other issues, including his response to COVID-19.





Michael McGough is the Los Angeles Times' senior editorial writer, based in Washington, D.C. His commentary was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.




David Placek never thought twice about his decision.

We should all do our part, and its something we can do, Placek, who owns rental units in Montclair, told NJ Advance Media this week of his decision to cancel rental payments for April, May, and June for all of his tenants, as a way to ease the economic stresses brought on by the spread of the coronavirus.

And on top of that, he encouraged his tenants to spend some of the money theyd be saving on rent to help support local businesses and charities that are giving back during the pandemic.

It provides a little bit of good news to people in a world where theres no good news, and I think thats meaningful.

Acts like this are why NJ.com launched #TogetherNJ, an initiative to share the stories that remind us about all of the good, strong, inspiring people in New Jersey who are selflessly giving to others and who will help us get through the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are some of the highlights from the past week of #TogetherNJ stories:

Pizza vs. Pandemic, a collaboration between Slice Out Hunger, a volunteer non-profit organization, and Slice, a pizza delivery app, says it has collected in the past three weeks $342,000 from 5,200 donors, using that money to coordinate the delivery, through local pizzerias, of nearly 8,000 pizzas to 300-plus hospitals and clinics across the country.

The restaurant owner furloughed his employees, but wanting to make the landing as soft as possible, he said he tapped his own home equity line of credit to continue paying health insurance premiums for his 18 full-time workers. Hed already stopped paying his own salary, anticipating the restaurants would need extra cash to help in the storm to come.

A high school student has thrown support to his local New Jersey community  despite living thousands of miles away from it.

The plastic surgeon has switched gears and patched up nearly a dozen young patients whose parents are anxious about taking them to the emergency room amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Surrounding businesses big and small have been helping the Rescue Mission of Trenton carry out its 105-year-old charge to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless -- just now amid the coronavirus outbreak, with unsolicited gifts of food and security.

Bon Jovi called on fans last month to help him finish writing a song, Do What You Can, about the pandemic. He had a first verse and the chorus, so he asked fans to share their coronavirus experiences.

The Evangel Church in Scotch Plains has expanded its mission to provide aid to individuals and families impacted by the coronavirus.

Stephen Wolf has been using his culinary talents to whip up hearty grub for needy seniors and worn-out doctors and nurses fighting the coronavirus at University Hospital in Newark, and Newark Beth Israel and St. Michaels medical centers.

After COVID-19 slowed passenger traffic at Newark Liberty Airport to a trickle, Transportation Security Administration agents turned downtime into a way to encourage medical staff and coronavirus patients in isolation at a medical center in Toms River.

Williamstown-based COPS Monitoring, the largest provider of wholesale professional alarm services in North America, donated laptops to the states oldest operating veterans home because the company wanted to give the residents the ability to connect with loved ones during the quarantines placed on the facility.

Newark-based Audible is donating $1 million to World Central Kitchen to help expand its efforts in the city and launch Newark Working Kitchens, which is designed to provide meals and help restaurants reopen amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The PSEG Foundation has committed $2.5 million in aid in response to the coronavirus pandemic, including a $1 million donation to the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund.

Subscribe to the #TogetherNJ newsletter to get a weekly dose of these uplifting stories right to your inbox.

Have you seen an inspiring story in your community during this troubling time? Tell us about it. See more uplifting stories in #TogetherNJ.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.
MICHIGAN  Law enforcement must immediately stop enforcing registration, verification, school zone violations, and fee violations in relation to Michigans sex offender registry law until the coronavirus has ended, a federal judge ruled this week.

Earlier this year, the U.S. District Court previously ordered that the registry was invalid for pre-2011 registrants, and that certain provisions, including the exclusion zones, are invalid for all registrants, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The court intended to delay the effective date of the judgement for 60 days to allow the legislature time to pass a new statute and to ensure that registrants got notice of their responsibilities.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland entered an interim order until the end of the pandemic.

The interim order does the following:

1. Law enforcement must immediately stop enforcing registration, verification, school zone violations, and fee violations in connected with Michigans sex offender registry law from Feb. 14 until the COVID-19 crisis has ended.

NOTE: This order enjoins the enforcement of the registry but does NOT stop law enforcement from continuing to use the registry.

2. The coronavirus crisis is considered over:

 When there is no longer an operative federal or state executive order or legislative act declaring a state of emergency, or when the Court determines that the conditions giving rise to the need for this Order no longer apply.

 Registrants are notified of their duties under Michigans registry law going forward.

Within seven days of this order Michigan State Police shall post notice of this order on their website and other locations where it can be seen widely by registrants.

The Prosecuting Attorneys Association Coordinating Counsel must provide notice of the order to all Michigans Prosecuting Attorneys.

Michigan State Police must provide notice of the order to the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police and to the Michigan Sheriffs Association, who must send notice to all law enforcement personnel who are responsible for registry enforcement matters.

The attorneys involved in this case must report to the court every 30 days on the progress of this order. A final judgment will be entered after the pandemic ends.
PHILADELPHIA - A blood test may be able to detect the most common form of pancreatic cancer while it is still in its early stages while also helping doctors accurately stage a patient's disease and guide them to the appropriate treatment. A multidisciplinary study from the University of Pennsylvania found the test - known as a liquid biopsy - was more accurate at detecting disease in a blinded study than any other known biomarker alone, and was also more accurate at staging disease than imaging is capable of alone. The team, which includes researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, the Abramson Cancer Center, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, published their findings today in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer deaths. The overall five-year survival rate is just nine percent, and most patients live less than one year following their diagnosis. One of the biggest challenges is catching the disease before it has progressed or spread. If the disease is caught early, patients may be candidates for surgery to remove the cancer, which can be curative. For locally advanced patients - meaning patients whose cancer has not spread beyond the pancreas but who are not candidates for surgery based on the size or location of the tumor - treatment involves three months of systemic therapy like chemo or radiation, then reassessing to see if surgery is an option. For patients whose disease has spread, there are currently no curative treatment options.

"Right now, the majority of patients who are diagnosed already have metastatic disease, so there is a critical need for a test that can not only detect the disease earlier but also accurately tell us who might be at a point where we can direct them to a potentially curative treatment," said the study's co-senior author Erica L. Carpenter, MBA, PhD, director of the Liquid Biopsy Laboratory and a research assistant professor of Medicine. The study's other co-senior author is David Issadore, PhD, an associate professor of Bioengineering and Electrical and Systems Engineering.

Researchers in this study developed a blood test to screen for a panel of biomarkers instead of just one biomarker on its own. These markers include carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and KRAS mutational burden, which are known to be associated with PDAC. In a blinded test group of 47 patients (20 with PDAC, 27 who were cancer free), the test was 92 percent accurate in its ability to detect disease, which outperforms the best known biomarker, CA19-9 (89 percent), alone.

The researchers then used samples from the 25 patients who imaging showed did not have metastatic disease. The Penn test was 84 percent accurate in determining disease staging, which is significantly higher than imaging alone (64 percent).

While the test still needs to be validated in a larger cohort, researchers say they are excited by the promise of what it could potentially mean for a patient population in need of this kind of advancement.

"If validated, this test could not only provide a key tool for at-risk patients, but also a monitoring tool for patients with certain known risk factors like BRCA mutations," Carpenter said.

###

The researchers also note this work would not have been possible without cooperation and coordination across multiple disciplines at Penn, including Hematology-Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Bioengineering, Surgery, and more. The study also received critical financial support from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the University of Pennsylvania Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, and the Abramson Cancer Center Pancreatic Translational Center of Excellence.

The study's first author is Zijian Yang, a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania. Additional Penn authors include Michael J. LaRiviere, Jina Ko, Jacob E. Till, Theresa E. Christensen, Stephanie S. Yee, Taylor A. Black, Kyle Tien , Andrew Lin, Hanfei Shen, Neha Bhagwat, Daniel Herman, Andrew Adallah, Mark H. O'Hara, Charles M. Vollmer, Bryson W. Katona, and Ben Z. Stanger.

Additional support for this study came from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the National Institutes of Health (R21MH118170), the American Cancer Society (RSG-15-227-01-CSM), and Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (W81XWH-19-2-0002).

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $7.8 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $425 million awarded in the 2018 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center--which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report--Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Home Care and Hospice Services, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.

Penn Medicine is powered by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 40,000 people. The organization also has alliances with top community health systems across both Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2018, Penn Medicine provided more than $525 million to benefit our community.
With a major holiday ahead, Japan broadens state of emergency

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan declared a nationwide state of emergency as coronavirus cases in the country continued a monthlong sharp rise that pushed its total past 8,000.

The move expands the emergency he declared for seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka. It gives governors the authority to call on businesses to close and residents to stay inside, but no enforcement power.

Mr. Abe acted ahead of Golden Week, a popular travel period. Experts warn that when it begins on April 29, people could spread the virus to previously unaffected areas, which would overwhelm their health systems.

We also have the latest updates on the pandemic, as well as maps of its spread.

After President Trump suspended U.S. funding to the World Health Organization and accused it of mismanaging the crisis, our reporters looked at the agencys response during the early days of the outbreak and found that it sounded the alarm early and often.

An additional 5.2 million U.S. workers have filed for unemployment benefits. In the last four weeks, the number of unemployment claims has reached 22 million  roughly the net number of jobs created since the end of the Great Recession nine and a half years ago.

Britain extended its lockdown by three weeks, amid signs that the country is nearing the peak of its coronavirus outbreak. More than 13,700 have died in the country. The Times has learned that Britain spent $20 million on unguaranteed test kits from two Chinese companies that did not work.

New York State, the epicenter of the global outbreak, will remain shut until May 15. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the extension even as he noted that the rate of hospitalizations and deaths had slowed. The state has more than 213,700 cases and more than 11,500 deaths, with New York City the hardest hit.

Nursing homes are among the places hardest-hit by the pandemic. Thirty-one people were found dead at a facility in Montreal over a month and 17 at a home in New Jersey.

The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter  like all of our newsletters  is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.
In recent research, it is predicted that there will be a rise in the deportation of Latino U.S. citizens. More so, in 2007, the same study presented that 41 percent worried about being deported that year.

Meanwhile, in 2018, 48 percent were reported to have the same apprehension. This is equivalent to roughly 13.6 million Latino U.S. citizens who are concerned about deportation.

Primarily, the Pew Research Center conducts regular surveys on Latino adults who are citizens and non-citizens of the U.S.

The surveys were conducted six times from 2007 to 2018 from which they asked various participants a common question of how much they are worried that they, a relative, or a friend is likely to be deported?"

Family Members for Family Deportation

Deportation affects U.S. citizens and their families and loved ones who are eligible for deportation. An assessment from the Center of the Study of Immigrant Integration of the University of Southern California reveals that to a certain extent.

Nearly nine million U.S. citizens, mostly comprised of children, have at least one undocumented family member. Meanwhile, four out of five of these citizens are Latinos.

However, this number captures just a fraction of U.S. citizens who have a deportable family member or loved one. Millions more consist of household members who have provisional statuses such as a green card.

Roughly 20.5 million U.S. citizens, or one in every 13 citizens, have a deportable family member. Nearly 60 percent of these citizens happen to be Latinos.

U.S. citizens are not insusceptible. Consequently, when these citizens are afraid of the safety of their loved ones, they are less likely to attend school, receive routine health care, or call the authorities during an emergency.

Mistakenly Deportable

The immigration law does not usually mention race. Nevertheless, the manner it is enforced, according to the research, "has racially unequal consequences."

An uneven share of Latino U.S. citizens has deportable family members. Latin American non-citizens are representing over 90 percent of all deportations, although they account for roughly 57 percent of all non-citizens.

When regulations predominantly impact one racial group, an official of the federal, as well as the everyday people, can mistakenly identify U.S. citizens as deportable. For instance, the federal government had around "200,000 US citizens of Mexican descent during the Great Depression" deported under the supposition. They were undocumented.

Such a mistaken identification is happening today, too. From 2007 to 2015, over 1500 US citizens, a lot of them, Latino, were illegitimately detained because they were suspected deportable.

Then, a 2018 study presented that, White Americans, most suspected Mexican and Salvadoran immigrants of being undocumented-and least doubted Canadians and Italians.

Moreover, reports from the media continue depicting cases of the Latino US citizens illegitimately detained for suspected violations for immigration.

Mainly, U.S. citizens should not be deportable by the law. However, Latinos still feel apprehensive about being mistaken as deportable, given the racially unjust enforcement of immigration policies and regulations.

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Nature doesnt care about you. That may seem harsh, but strictly speaking, nature doesnt care about anyone or anything, except passing genes into the next generation. We know this if weve studied evolution. It was Darwins great achievement to explain the adaptation of organisms without appeal to Gods design or mystical idealism. Darwinian evolution is true (corroborated by mountains of evidence), but its also a cold metaphysics. The biologist Stephen Jay Gould described it as a cold bath view of nature  not warm and fuzzy in the way religion characterizes nature.

Reflect for a moment on the Rhizocephala, or root-headed barnacle, which lives its life feeding inside crabs and other crustaceans. It gets inside the crab as a seed and begins to spread throughout the host in a series of complex root systems, often infiltrating, like a creeping vine, every limb of the crab. This root system castrates its host (preventing the crabs continuation of gene line), stops the crabs molting cycle and keeps it alive (all the while feeding off it) for years. Or consider the tarantula hawk, a giant wasp that hunts tarantulas as a food supply for its larvae. The wasp paralyzes a tarantula with its powerful sting and lays an egg on the spiders paralyzed body. When the wasp larva hatches out, it feeds slowly on the still living tarantula  even carefully avoiding at first the consumption of working vital organs, to guarantee extended freshness. Not even the most inventive Hollywood writers can spin tales this fantastic, yet it is the bread and butter of everyday biology.

Should we thank the E. coli in our guts that help us to digest? Should we alternatively fault the virus that is breaking down our immune systems and spreading through the host population? These organisms are not evil or noble, intentionally wreaking havoc on our health  they are simply doing what comes naturally, surviving and reproducing. This is not meant to sound callous or insensitive. Its obvious that our struggle with other organisms matters a great deal to us  causing real despair and tragedy. But from the more general evolutionary perspective, this drama is value neutral. Strictly speaking, it isnt even a drama because there is no plot in nature.

Many religious people see something benevolent in nature, or at least see purpose dimly grasped in the interworking of biology. But theres something even deeper than religious optimism. There is a broader conception of nature  shared by monotheists, polytheists, Indigenous animists, and now politicians and policymakers. It is the mythopoetic view of nature. It is the universal instinct to find (or project) a plot in nature. A mythopoetic paradigm or perspective sees the world primarily as a dramatic story of competing personal intentions, rather than a system of objective, impersonal laws. Its a prescientific worldview, but it is also alive and well in the contemporary mind.
A widening diplomatic spat between France and China has seen members of the French Senate demand answers at a hearing with the foreign minister as to why an article they said was fake and cast them in a bad light was still up on the Chinese embassy website.

The French language article, entitled "Restoring distorted facts - Observations of a Chinese diplomat posted to Paris", first appeared on Sunday, the latest in a series of posts and tweets by the embassy that has defended Beijing's response to the coronavirus pandemic, while criticising the West's handling of the outbreak.

In the post, an unnamed diplomat suggests that careworkers in Western nursing homes had abandoned their jobs, leaving residents to die. It came just days after France had raised its death toll substantially to include nursing homes.

The diplomat also suggested that some 80 French lawmakers had co-signed a disparaging statement about World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and had accused Tedros, an Ethiopian, of pro-Chinese bias.

"The WHO has been the subject of a real siege on the part of the Western countries, some even launching ad-hominem attacks against its Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus," the article on the website says.

'Fake news', says Taiwan

"The Taiwanese authorities, supported by more than 80 French parliamentarians in a co-signed declaration, even used the word 'negro' to attack him. I still do not understand what could have gone through the heads of all these French elected representatives."

Reuters could not find any evidence French lawmakers backed such a declaration nor that Taiwanese authorities used this word to insult Tedros.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said the Chinese embassy was creating fake news.

"The Chinese embassy in France's tweet created something out of nothing," it said. Taiwan has strongly denied racially abusing Tedros and demanded he apologise.

The Chinese embassy posted a response on its website by its Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Story continues

"We hope that there is no misunderstanding: the Chinese side has never made a negative comment on French management of the epidemic, and has no intention of doing so," it quoted spokesman Zhao Lijian as saying in a French translation.

Facemask diplomacy failing?

The timing of the dispute is especially awkward for Paris, as it has ordered about 600 million masks from China to compensate for coronavirus-related shortages across the country and is still waiting for their delivery.

The French presidency and foreign ministry were initially cautious in their response to the article.

But on Tuesday after a growing clamour in France, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian summoned China's ambassador to stress his disapproval, while underscoring the good relationship he has with his Chinese counterpart.

"In the face of the virus and its consequences on our economies there is no place for controversy," he said.

However, during a parliamentary hearing with Le Drian on Wednesday, several senators expressed their dismay at the diplomat's comments. They denied such a declaration existed and demanded to know what the minister had told the envoy and why the article was still on the embassy's website.

Le Drian sidestepped the questions, citing the remarks by China's Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday.

"You have a new brand of Chinese diplomats who seem to compete with each other to be more radical and eventually insulting to the country where they happen to be posted," said Francois Godement, a senior advisor for Asia at the Paris-based Institut Montaigne.

"These diplomats are behaving as if they were trolls, or bots, and putting outrageous texts on their own social media, which happen to be the embassy website, not quite necessarily noting the distinction between an official embassy website, which represents the government."

(Reuters)

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The UK government on Thursday announced that its current social distancing measures will remain in place for at least another three weeks, going up to May 7, as the country's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic rose by a further 861 to hit 13,729.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is standing in for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recuperates after testing positive for coronavirus, chaired a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (Cobra) to announce the Cabinets decision to extend the lockdown during the daily Downing Street briefing.

"Any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus," said Raab, who is also the UK's First Secretary of State.

Your efforts are paying off. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. To lift measures now would undo the progress we've made to date and, as a result, would require an even longer period of the more restrictive social distancing measures, he said.

It was incumbent upon the government by law this week to review the impact of the lockdown, imposed for an initial 21-day period by Johnson on March 23, based on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) assessment.

"There are indications that the measures we have put in place have been successful in slowing down the spread of this virus. But SAGE also say that is a mixed and inconsistent picture and, in some settings, infections are still likely to be increasing," noted Raab.

The minister said that relaxing rules could cause a "second peak", which would risk increasing deaths "substantially" and also prolong the economic fallout from the outbreak.

"We've come too far, we've lost too many loved ones. Now is not the time to give coronavirus a second chance," he said, adding that he is mindful of the hardships the lockdown was causing for the British public but the measures were absolutely essential.

The UKs lockdown, which involves strict stay at home measures with movement allowed for limited urgent purposes only if absolutely necessary and for one form of daily exercise, came into force on March 23 after a televised address by Boris Johnson.

Under the emergency measures passed for it, ministers are required by law to assess whether the rules are working every three weeks, based on expert scientific advice.

Ministers had already indicated in their daily Downing Street briefings this week that an extension to the lockdown measures is inevitable.

"We can see that we're reaching a peak, that is good news, but we can see that the numbers are not yet coming down, therefore we can't make a change," said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock in reference to the Cabinets extension plans.

"If we just released all the measures now then this virus would run rampant," he said.

Hancock joined other Cabinet members and the first ministers of the devolved governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on Thursday as they discussed the further lockdown measures.

Scotland and Wales have already indicated that their social distancing norms will not be lifted yet and Northern Ireland has extended its lockdown until May 9.

The Opposition Labour Party has offered its support to an extension but is pressing the government on tabling an exit strategy from the severe policies and lay out a plan for how the country would eventually come out of it. In a letter to Raab, Labour Leader Keir Starmer stressed that while millions of Britons are following the rules, they need some clear idea on what to expect in the future.

He has urged the government to publish its lockdown strategy because "transparency is the best way" to maintain public trust.

"If we can get a consensus that this is the right strategy going forward, I think that will give trust to the public as well," he said.

(Image Credit: AP)
The coronavirus pandemic could push an estimated 42-66 million children into extreme poverty and the economic downturn resulting from the outbreak could result in hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020, the United Nations said on Thursday.

"Children are not the face of this pandemic. But they risk being among its biggest victims. While they have thankfully been largely spared from the direct health effects of COVID-19 - at least to date the crisis is having a profound effect on their wellbeing, according to a new Policy Brief: The impact of COVID-19 on children' released by the United Nations on Thursday.

The brief said that there are three main channels through which children are affected by this crisis - infection with the virus itself; the immediate socioeconomic impacts of measures to stop transmission of the virus and end the pandemic; and the potential longer-term effects of delayed implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

It said an estimated 42-66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis this year, adding to the estimated 386 million million children already in extreme poverty in 2019.

The pandemic has also exacerbated the learning crisis as 188 countries have imposed countrywide school closures, affecting more than 1.5 billion children and youth.

"The potential losses that may accrue in learning for today's young generation, and for the development of their human capital, are hard to fathom, it said.

More than two-thirds of countries have introduced a national distance learning platform, but among low-income countries the share is only 30 per cent. Before this crisis, almost one third of the world's young people were already digitally excluded.

According to estimated by the Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed two million globally and 139,419 people have died so far. The US is the worst hit with more than 640,000 COVID19 cases and 31,000 deaths.

On the threats to child survival and health, the policy brief said economic hardship experienced by families as a result of the global economic downturn could result in an hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020, reversing the last 2 to 3 years of progress in reducing infant mortality within a single year.

It said this alarming figure does not even take into account services disrupted due to the crisis it only reflects the current relationship between economies and mortality.

It further added that rising malnutrition is expected as 368.5 million children across 143 countries who normally rely on school meals for a reliable source of daily nutrition must now look to other sources. "The risks to child mental health and well being are also considerable. Refugee and internally displaced children as well as those living in detention and situations of active conflict are especially vulnerable.

Releasing the policy brief, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said while the poorest and most vulnerable members of society are being hardest hit by the pandemic, he is especially concerned about the well-being of the world's children.

Even though children have so far been largely spared from the most severe symptoms of the disease, their lives are being totally upended.

"This is a universal crisis of unprecedented scale. All children, of all ages, and in all countries, are affected. However, some children are destined to bear the greatest costs. Among those who will be badly hit are children living in slums, refugee and displacement camps, and zones of active conflict. Children with disabilities. Children living in institutions and detention centres.

Urging nations to act now on each of these threats to children, Guterres said leaders must do everything in their power to cushion the impact of the pandemic.

What started as a public health emergency has snowballed into a formidable test for the global promise to leave no one behind," he said.

The report urged governments and donors to prioritize education for all children and recommended they provide economic assistance, including cash transfers, to low- income families and minimize disruptions to social and healthcare services for children.

We must also prioritize the most vulnerable children in conflict situations; child refugees and displaced persons; children living with disabilities, Guterres said., adding that with the pandemic placing so many of the world's children in jeopardy, I reiterate my urgent appeal: let us protect our children and safeguard their well-being.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By AFP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's administration is urging an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it doesn't rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China.

Beijing has said that the virus, which has killed more than 138,700 people worldwide, was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan "wet market" that butchered exotic animals -- a longtime focus of concern for public health experts.

But The Washington Post and Fox News both quoted anonymous sources who voiced concern that SARS CoV-2 may have come -- accidentally -- from a sensitive bioresearch centre in the metropolis.

"We're doing a full investigation of everything we can to learn how it is the case that this virus got away, got out into the world and now has created so much tragedy -- so much death -- here in the United States and all around the world," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News.

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He did not reject the reports and said that the United States knew that the Wuhan laboratory "contained highly contagious materials."

"In countries that are open and transparent, they have the ability to control and keep them safe and they allow outside observers in to make sure all the processes and procedures are right," Pompeo said.

"I only wish that that had happened in this place. We would know more about it and we would know more about what has transpired there, if anything, today."

Trump, asked about the laboratory theory at a news conference on Wednesday, said that "more and more, we're hearing the story" and that the United States was "doing a very thorough investigation."

Trump, who has faced wide criticism at home for his handling of the pandemic that has killed more than 30,000 people in the United States, has repeatedly blamed China and the World Health Organization.

The origin of the virus is a popular topic on social media, with conspiracy theorists suggesting it is a Chinese bioweapon and a Chinese official outraging Washington by saying that US troops may have brought it to Wuhan.

Neither Fox News nor The Washington Post said that the virus was spread deliberately or that the laboratory was definitively determined as the source.

A column by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin said that US embassy officials visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology two years before the pandemic and warned of inadequate safety at the laboratory, which studied bats blamed for the SARS coronavirus in 2003.

Fox News said that "patient zero" in the new pandemic may have been infected by a bat at the laboratory and gone into the population in Wuhan.
SAN DIEGO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 20, 2020, U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) pilots and sensor operators from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) conducted their first operational flight of an MQ-9A Reaper Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in the Middle East. The multi-sensor reconnaissance-equipped MQ-9A UAS produced by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has provided crucial support to USMC's forward operations on the battlefield.

With the oversight of the GA-ASI team, the VMU-1 "Watchdog" crews took control of a Company Owned/Company Operated (COCO) MQ-9A supporting forward deployed Marines. This USMC achievement comes shortly after surpassing 7,000 hours of COCO flight operations since September 2018.

"This achievement represents a unique milestone and example of the Marine Corps' legacy of innovation," said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. "As a partner with the Marine Corps, we look forward to expanding the role of Medium-altitude, Long-endurance (MALE) UAS in support of maritime littoral missions."

VMU-1 leases MQ-9A Reaper aircraft to fulfill its urgent needs request for persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) in Afghanistan. GA-ASI has been working with VMU-1 as the USMC transitions its COCO MQ-9A contract to a Government Owned/Government Operated (GOGO) contract in the coming year.

The GOGO capability fulfills the Commandant's directive for USMC Group 5 persistent ISR capability with strike. VMU-1 will be the test bed and incubator to provide crucial information, lessons learned, requirements, tactics, techniques, and procedures that will aid in the USMC efforts for the successful acquisition and fielding of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Expeditionary (MUX) Group 5 capability.

Hi-resolution images of the MQ-9 Reaper are available to qualified media outlets from the GA-ASI media contact list.

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator RPA series and the Lynx Multi-mode Radar. With more than six million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.

Lynx, Predator, SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

GA-ASI Media Relations

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

+1 (858) 524-8101

ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com

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GA-ASI's MQ-9A Block 5

With the oversight of the GA-ASI team, the VMU-1 "Watchdog" crews took control of a Company Owned/Company Operated (COCO) MQ-9A supporting forward deployed Marines.
Journalists in Timor Leste face pay cuts amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Timor Leste Press Union (TLPU) call on media companies to reconsider this decision and protect the rights of journalists, who are on the front line in the fight against Covid-19.

A worker walks past closed shops as police officers man a post on a usually busy street in Dili, on April 16, 2020 during the country's lockdown for a whole month until April 26 as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Credit: Valentino Dariell De Sousa/AFP

The President of Timor Leste Francisco Guterres Lu Olo declared a national emergency on Friday, March 27. Since Monday, April 1, all activities in the capital city of Dili have been significantly reduced in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Several printed media outlets have reportedly cut workers salaries, as media companies face a steep decline in revenue. The decision also affects correspondents in regional areas, with newspapers focusing on stories in the capital.

Even before the pandemic, journalists in Timor Leste struggled to make a living because of wage pressures. On average, journalists receive around USD 150 per month which is insufficient to make a decent living and provide for a family.

The South East Asia Media Freedom Report 2019 revealed that the key safety threats for journalists in Timor Leste are poor wages and deteriorating working conditions. This results in journalists being forced to take on work after hours to supplement their income. It also affects their professionalism and independence, as journalists are more likely to be paid by sources for their services. The lack of decent wages and associated benefits continues to discourage and undermine good journalism in the country.

As of April 14, Timor Leste has confirmed 18 positive cases of Covid-19. Around 570 people are still in isolation.

The chairman of TLPU, Manuel Pinto, has asked media owners to review their decision to cut journalist salaries. Actually, in such a situation journalists' salaries must be increased rather than cut because journalists are on the front line in the fight to overcome this pandemic, Pinto added.

The IFJ said: IFJ is disappointed with the decision to reduce the salaries of journalists at a time when high quality reporting in vital. The IFJ urges media proprietors to review their decision, prioritising workers rights and safety in this health crisis.
COVID-19 Claims Lives of Local and National Faith Leaders

The devastating impact of coronavirus pandemic transcends all boundaries and the faith community is no exception. Since the end of March, several religious leaders in Los Angeles and across the nation have passed away due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Among the victims in the L.A. area is Bishop Anthony Pigee, Sr., the 49-year-old founder and senior pastor of Life of Faith Community Center, who died April 8, of complications from coronavirus. Known throughout the U.S. for his powerful preaching, Pigee was also lauded by his family and colleagues for his charitable and generous spirit towards others in need.

In a statement, his family said, We bow our heads in humble submission to the perfect will of God as He has seen fit to transition Bishop Anthony Pigee, Sr a giant of a husband, father, son, brother, pastor and preacher across this country and a blessing to so many.

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The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) denomination has been especially hard hit by COVID-19, with a number of bishops and superintendents dying from the disease in the last month. The First Jurisdiction of Michigan alone lost seven leaders including Bishops Robert E. Smith, Sr. and Robert L. Harris, and Superintendents John D. Beverly, Paul E. Hester, Sr., Kevelin B. Jones, Myron E. Lett and Leon R. McPherson, Sr.

The passing of COGIC Bishop Timothy T. Scott, who died on April 3, especially saddened communities in the South. Scott, the pastor of St. James Temple Church of God in Christ in Clarksdale, was the presiding prelate of the Northern Mississippi Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. He was also the longest serving jurisdictional prelate in the Church of God in Christ, according to The Christian Post.

Bishop T. T. Scott is an icon of fatherly leadership, humble servitude, and unwavering faith, said Bishop Robert G. Rudolph, Jr., adjutant general in the Church of God in Christ, in a statement.

The passing of Bishop Phillip A. Brooks, a legendary preacher, statesman and social activist in the area, similarly distressed residents in Detroit, Michigan. He passed away on April 9, at the age of 88.

In an April 10 story in The Detroit News, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., described Brooks as an intellectual giant for writing the manual for the training of COGIC leaders.

Brooks, who was also selected by Blake to serve as the denominations vice president, was known as a confidant to Coleman Young, Detroits first Black mayor, and the late recording artist, Aretha Franklin.

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Knowing the deadliness of COVID-19, Blake has been providing clear directives for the members of the church since March 2020, said COGIC spokesman Robert Coleman.

These directives have included the shutting down of the national headquarters and publishing house locations in Memphis, mandating that all other locations comply with local and state orders, cancelling all international events, establishing an informational call with the White House for pastors and leaders and canceling of four of the churchs upcoming major conferences and meetings, explained Coleman.

In addition, Blake recently released a video to COGIC members where the presiding bishop stated, I would like to take this opportunity to, once again, unequivocally state that all Church of God in Christ local, district, state, national and international gatherings should cease.

Saints of God, let us please continue to do all we can to contribute to the flattening of this pandemics curve. I cannot stress the vital importance of doing so for the safety and well-being of all.

Bishop Gerald O. Glenn, founder and pastor of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Chesterfield, Virginia, also came to that conclusion before he died from COVID-19 on April 11.

Initially, Glenn resisted his states social distancing recommendations and continued to hold in-person worship services despite the pandemic. In his last known in-person sermon on March 22, the New York Post reported that Glenn boasted about being controversial and in violation of state social distancing recommendations.

I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus. You can quote me on that, he declared.

The next day, after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam prohibited gathering on more than 10 people, Glenn announced an indefinite suspension of services. He even reminded members to be mindful of the heightened risk that large gatherings could pose in the spread of the coronavirus, reported the HuffPost.

Glenns daughter, also advised people to adhere to social distancing recommendations. She told WTVR-TV, I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying its not just about us, its about everyone around us.
China is not allowing American companies with factories in the country to ship desperately needed medical items like masks, gowns, and coronavirus test kits back to the US, it has been reported.

American companies operating in China are unable to import the critically needed supplies back to the states because the government in Beijing needs those high-quality items for their own efforts to stamp out the pandemic.

China imposed export restrictions on American companies with products that have long been approved by the Food and Drug Administration because they are superior in quality to the masks, gowns, and other personal protective items made by domestic Chinese firms.

The State Department and several US-based businesses told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that millions of test kits are stranded in warehouses in China, which has so far refused to clear them for export back to the US.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen above in Wuhan on March 10. China's government this month has placed restrictions on exports by US-based companies seeking to bring badly needed medical supplies to the states

PerkinElmer Inc, a health technology firm based in the Boston suburb of Waltham, Massachusetts, has been unable to ship 1.4 million test kits for COVID-19.

The kits are currently stranded in its factory in the Chinese city of Suzhou after the central government in Beijing imposed export restrictions requiring new certification procedures, according to the Journal.

According to PerkinElmers web site, the company has developed a real-time test kit.

The company told the Journal that it is working with authorities in Beijing to clear the test kits for export.

Another US-based firm, 3M, is also having difficulty getting clearance from Beijing to ship urgently needed N-95 respirator masks, which are in short supply among hospital staff around the country.

PerkinElmer, a Massachusetts-based health technology company, is seeking to bring COVID-19 tests currently warehoused in China. A company warehouse is seen above in China on Thursday

A Communist Party official in Shanghai reportedly told the Minnesota-based 3M that the city relies on 3Ms locally produced N-95 respirators for its COVID-19 prevention efforts and lacks viable alternatives.

The Shanghai vice mayor signaled that lifting restrictions on distribution of the companys masks would require instructions from Beijing, according to a memo written by 3M.

A spokesperson for 3M told the Journal that it received shipments from China and is working to coordinate more.

The company said that the task of shipping the products to the states is complicated by the fact that there are fewer airplanes available than usual.

Chinas government instituted the restrictions this month in order to make sure that high-quality items stay in the country as it battles its own coronavirus outbreak.

The State Department said that Beijings new policy has disrupted established supply chains for medical products just as these products were most needed for the global response to Covid-19.

When asked about the Chinese governments export restrictions, Chinas embassy in Washington, DC, said: Countries across the world are all hunting for medical supplies, causing a big challenge for Chinas efforts of quality control and regulation of export.

3M, the Minnesota-based firm, also has millions of N-95 masks bound for the US stranded in China. Vice President Mike Pence is seen above at the company's Maplewood, Minnesota headquarters on March 5

More than 40 per cent of the worlds masks, gloves, goggles, visors, and medical garments are manufactured in China, according to the Journal.

The Trump administration has instructed its diplomats in China to help American companies, states, and the federal government arrange for shipments of masks, gloves, and ventilators to the US, the Journal reported.

Local officials said that the delays could end up costing American lives.

Every single day we dont have the proper protective equipment is a new health-care worker exposed, is a new hole in the ship that is our current hospital system and ICU bed structure, said Illinois Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell.

Mitchell, who is in charge of the states efforts to procure PPE, was told by companies to expect a six-to-10-day delay in receiving the supplies from China.

The delays in shipments, which have created a bottleneck that has made combating the coronavirus more difficult for health care professionals, have exacerbated simmering tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The two governments have been engaged in a war of words over their alleged roles in the pandemic.

The Americans say China was not transparent enough in the early stages of the outbreak, while Beijing has suggested that the US military brought the pathogen to the Communist country.

Reports on Thursday indicated that the Americans were investigating the possibility that the coronavirus originated inside a lab in Wuhan and that safety lapses led to an accidental leakage, igniting the current crisis.

In an effort to soften its battered image in the eyes of the world, China started shipping badly needed materials to European countries in the grip of the pandemic which originated in Wuhan.

But when those recipient countries complained of the poor quality of the products, China announced the new export restrictions.

China required companies seeking to ship out the items to first obtain certification from the National Medical Products Administration.

Last week, China added more red tape, requiring extra checks before surgical protective gear, masks, and ventilators are allowed to be exported.

General Electric needed days of negotiations with Chinese officials to finally get permission to ship needed parts so that an assembly line in Wisconsin could churn out ventilators  another item in critically short supply for hospitals.

Others, however, are not so fortunate.

Owens & Minor Inc, a Virginia-based company, has been unable to ship out 2.4 million masks that are still stranded in a Shanghai warehouse because they have yet to be certified by the government in Beijing.

Emory Healthcare is also unable to get its hands on 100,000 N-95 face masks and 40,000 isolation gowns for the same reason.

Cellex Inc, a biotech company based in North Carolina, still has not received a shipment of coronavirus antibody tests that are sought by at least four state governments.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 11:16:00|Editor: Wang Yamei

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CHANGSHA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Experts from a hospital in central China's Hunan Province have shared their experience on combating COVID-19 with their counterparts in Sierra Leone.

Via a video conference held on Tuesday, experts from Xiangya Hospital of Central South University conducted an online training session for the medical staff in China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital of Sierra Leone as well as members of the medical aid team China has sent to the African country.

The key to combating COVID-19 lies in the principles of "early detection, isolation and treatment," as well as targeted treatment on patients with different levels of severity, said Hu Chengping, an expert on respiratory and critical care, during the conference.

The Chinese experts also stressed the importance of protecting medical personnel by keeping a safe distance between the wards and the living area of the medical team.

"When the COVID-19 cases began to emerge in Africa, we were very concerned about the safety of people in Sierra Leone," said Lei Guanghua, president of Xiangya. "We hope to share Xiangya's experience and practices with our African counterparts."

Karim Kabineh, president of China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital, expressed his appreciations for the Chinese medical aid team.

"At this critical moment, Xiangya's team shared China's anti-virus experience with us, which helped us cope with the epidemic in advance," said Kabineh.
The body of a fisherman has washed up on the sand at a quiet beach as police forensically examine his boat for clues.

Police retrieved the body of a 76-year-old man just after 6.30am at Burrill Lake beach, south of Ulladulla, about 230km south of Sydney, on Wednesday morning.

The man's overturned boat was also found on shore by officers and has been taken in for forensic analysis.

Police retrieved the body of a 76-year-old man just after 6.30am at Burrill Lake beach (pictured) , south of Ulladulla, about 230km south of Sydney, on Wednesday morning

Police believe the man set off from Ulladulla harbour only an hour earlier, heading in a southerly direction.

The man is not believed to have been wearing a life jacket.

A crime scene was established and detectives have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the man's death.
While the rest of the world is still struggling to contain the spread of coronavirus, lockdown was lifted in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the outbreak. This happened on April 7, after roughly 11 weeks. After authorities allowed locals to come out, life seems to be slowly going back to normal there. Here are some before-and-after photos of Wuhan that show how much change the city has witnessed.

#1.

Left: A man in a protective suit stands in front of a shopping mall in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Right: People wearing face masks slowly trickle in at the same shopping mall after the lockdown was lifted.
A normally busy Main Street is deserted as the small businesses that line the business district remain closed after the governor instituted a shelter-in-place order in an attempt to curtail the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on March 24, 2020 in Rockton, Illinois.

During our bank's 108-year history, we've weathered the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, two World Wars, the September 11th attacks, and the Great Recession. There have been many sleepless nights over the decades, but few were as monumental as the night of April 3. On that day, we processed a government-backed loan at 3:30 AM.

We've been working around the clock ever since the CARES Act was signed into law, and we're not alone. Fellow community banks across the country are pulling late nights as well, processing as many Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program loans as we can to keep our friends and neighbors off the unemployment line. For our part, we've funded loans as small as $1,400 and as big as $7.8 million to give businesses that were thriving just four short weeks ago a fighting chance.

Through no fault of their own, small businesses find themselves in uncertain times. Those looking to secure an SBA PPP or Economic Injury Disaster Loan understandably have lots of questions. Does my company qualify? Why is my bank not participating? Will there be enough money for my business? While the government took some admirable steps in getting funds ready for small businesses, it's the banks that are learning the program, adapting their processes and answering those questions in real time.

This is where Main Street businesses can and should look to Main Street banks. Working more like a start-up than an established company, community banks bring a sense of urgency that benefits entrepreneurs in any environment and most certainly in today's business climate, where relationship-driven focus can be the delta between life and death for small companies.

We're not, in other words, a Wall Street Bank. And in this case, that's helped. While we didn't have their "Fortress Balance Sheets" or global call centers, we do have long-time relationships in our communities. We frequent the businesses we lend to; we know the owners and have shaken their hands.

Perhaps that's why the local community banks were among the most prepared and willing to step up during these unprecedented times, releasing loans far earlier than many of our Wall Street counterparts.

In recent years, some have questioned if there was still a place in society for community banks. Truth be told, there were times when I asked myself the same question. Every bank wants to be top of mind when corporations seek a line of credit or finance an expansion. But in moments of crisis  when agility, the capacity to think outside the box, and relationships are vital  our bank and those like it had a distinct advantage.

Of course, I'd like for companies seeking assistance to look no farther than their community bank, but this moment in time has a policy dimension as well as a practical one. It's important for people in positions of power and influence to consider the network of smaller, local banks that serve small business. While we don't always make headlines, we do make a genuine difference. Just ask the entrepreneurs, families, and communities that are stronger today than they were last week, because of a community bank that answered the call to put people first.

John D. Steinmetz leads Vista Bank, a 108-year old Texas-based bank.
TV actors Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma, who were set to get married on Wednesday, have revealed that while they certainly got married, they cancelled all celebrations given the lockdown amid Covid-19 pandemic. They have also donated the amount they had set aside for their wedding.

Sharing an old picture with her husband Kunal, Puja wrote on Instagram, This is a pic from last year durga puja sindoor khela. Today was supposed to be our wedding but the situation is such that we have cancelled all our ceremonies although we had registered our marriage before a month. So we are officially married and together forever now. With the blessings of our parents and grandparents we starting our new life. Need all ur best wishes.

The actress also mentioned that she will be donating the amount kept aside for the wedding celebrations to needy, as this is not the time to celebrate. Our family is happy and so are we but given circumstances our heart goes out to all the people who are fighting for their lives right now and to all the families who lost their loved ones. Our prayers with all of you and a small contribution from our side as the money we were to spend for our marriage function we are donating to people who are in need now. This is no time to celebrate but we will celebrate with our loved ones once the world becomes a happy place again. Jai Mata Di, she added.

Also read: When Nargis wondered if Sanjay Dutt was gay as he locked himself up with his friends

Speaking with Spotboye in an interview, Puja revealed why they will treat April 15 as their wedding date. We had already done a court marriage, one-and-half month back. We hadnt spoken about it to the world. Today, we were supposed to do our wedding rituals but had to call them off due to the lockdown. However, we will consider today (April 15) as our wedding. Aaj bataya na duniya ko! Seeing the condition outside, I really dont think it will be possible to have any party etc at least for the next 6 months from now. Even if the lockdown is lifted, it will take some time for things to return to normalcy. Many of our relatives stay in Kolkata and some are abroad. Hence, we decided okay at least lets announce our shaadi for now, she said.

Earlier in March, Puja had announced her wedding with Kunal and wrote on Instagram, Big news on this Womens Day I want to share with all of you @kunalrverma u complete me. I have been a daughter, a sister a friend and a girlfriend and now finally going to be a wife. It is time to be together forever. So we are finally getting married. Need all of your best wishes.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
As many as 270 British nationals, who were stranded in Punjab and some other states after the Centre imposed a nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus outbreak, were airlifted in a special flight from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here on Thursday, officials said.

The special flight to Heathrow Airport was arranged by the British government, they said.

The British nationals were stranded in Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As in every major crisis, the psychological downward spiral of this pandemic is remarkable. Its invisible vastness and its stealth stimulate the minds capacity to assume the worst. And so COVID-19 has triggered an avalanche of predictions that the world as we know it is at an end.

Depending on individual taste and temperament, analysts tell us that, inevitably, China will soon reign supreme; that representative democracy and the Western model are in decline; that neoliberal capitalism and globalization are doomed; and that the nations of the industrialized world will be less open and free, less connected and poorer.

Past crises have indeed hastened change. And certainly, this viral storm will leave much wreckage. But lessons from past calamities dont tell us that things always turn out worse. Even bad initial notes dont always signal a bleak coda. It is by no means certain that the end is nigh for the Western world.

Many observers claim that nationalism will be boosted by the coronavirus, and that cosmopolitan internationalists who believe in multilateralism and cooperation across borders have lost their case. The overwhelmingly national responses to the outbreak of the pandemic seem to bolster this argument. Yet, almost from the outset, nationalist answers, even if popular, were insufficient. Nowhere in the battle against the virus is the performance sheet of nationalists and nativists particularly impressive. While the initial crisis response was indeed a low point for international cooperation, a strong, striking case for internationalism will have been made by the time the world emerges from the storm. A pandemic like COVID-19 is a textbook case for international cooperation, because it can only be beat by homo sapiens working in unison, irrespective of passport. It may even become a gigantic teaching moment such as World War II, because individuals across the globe will have been touched by the same experience.

It is similar for nationalism in the European Union. It is not surprising that the nation-state is the first responder to crisis. It is the entity that has democratic legitimacy for decisive executive action. But there will be a phase two of this crisis. And it will turn out that no other region in the world is better equipped, also institutionally, to mount a collaborative response. The crisis might not trigger deeper integration, but the error of failing to use the EU as a tool of choice early in the fight against the virus will soon be evident -- and corrected for the future.

What about the widespread argument that in executive moments such as this, autocracies and dictatorships outperform liberal systems? Autocrats, including from the Chinese Communist Party, love to claim that they have a more efficient system. But in the coronavirus crisis, democracies such as Taiwan, Japan and South Korea have demonstrated that they also can meet the challenge without resorting to oppressive tactics. A strong state does not have to be an illiberal one, and incompetent leadership is not a specialty of democracies -- see Iran. The jury is still out on Russias performance. History shows that in the long run democracies transparency, legitimacy, and self-correcting capacities help them master complex problems better than autocracies.

Which leads us to the claim that the coronavirus crisis is the death knell of globalization. Corrections to accelerated globalization actually predate the appearance of the virus. Measures like shortened supply chains, greater regionalization, and more room for politicians to consider national security will not, by necessity, lead to a fundamentally less integrated world. The forces that drive globalization will not be suspended by this crisis. In all likelihood, they will actually be reinforced. A few supply shortages will quickly remind us of the efficiency of a global market.

Yes, it is true that borders are back in style. And it is true that they can have a role in slowing the spread of a virus. Managing space through the separation of populations is a key characteristic of any fight against an epidemic. But borders must be managed in a bilateral, cooperative, and pragmatic fashion and must target the virus, not the foreign national. Unilateral border closures, while claiming to keep the virus out and to let goods in, have produced the opposite -- see Poland.

Finally, and perhaps most important: The coronavirus crisis will not bring about a permanent global shift in the balance of power, at least not a wholly new or vastly accelerated one. While it seems for the moment that China is emerging successfully from the storm, this is mostly a consequence of asynchrony. China was hit earlier, and its coming out of it earlier. But China cannot succeed economically without the rest of the globe and its markets. Global power distribution is no longer a zero-sum game. The great leap forward to Chinese world domination will not be triggered by a virus.

The great historian Ian Morris once wrote that humans, in large groups, act surprisingly similar and have surprisingly similar needs, regardless of what era in history or region of the world you look at. Humans want more than security and a full stomach. They want fundamental freedom and a say in the way they are being ruled. Expect this wisdom to survive the coronavirus fallout. But dont expect it to be easy.

The authors are analysts at the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The views expressed are the authors' own.
At least 5,000 healthy volunteers in the East Bay will soon find out if they have  or ever had  the coronavirus, as UC Berkeley public health researchers begin testing them in early May to learn how far the virus has spread.

The professors from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and the College of Engineering also want to understand who may be most susceptible to the disease, and to gather information that might help predict the outbreaks future.

As the state and federal government look closely at ways for people to return to work and resume their lives, having large, community-based data on asymptomatic individuals will be absolutely essential, Eva Harris, a UC Berkeley professor of infectious diseases co-leading the study, said in a statement Thursday.

Public health officials say they need to understand how many people have the disease to help contain the outbreak and judge when its safe to reopen society.

The researchers will recruit thousands of healthy people ages 18 to 60 from communities across the East Bay through a mail and social media campaign that will go live Monday. Over eight months, the researchers will conduct rounds of diagnostic tests using nasal swabs to identify infections. And they will take saliva and blood samples to look for antibodies, which would indicate that such people had had COVID-19 and recovered  perhaps without ever realizing theyd been infected with the coronavirus. Antibodies develop to fight an infection and remain in the blood for varying lengths of time, depending on the disease. Scientists are still learning about the nature of antibodies to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Volunteers will also fill out questionnaires with personal health and social information.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as many as 1 in 4 people infected with the coronavirus dont show symptoms and could be driving the spread of the disease.

The UC Berkeley researchers said thats why they created their study. There is a dearth of data on asymptomatic infections, particularly in potential high-risk areas like the Bay Area, and these data are desperately needed in order to stop transmission, according to the statement.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Lisa Barcellos, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics who is co-leading the study, said the research will provide much-needed insight into how many people have the disease, how it spreads, and how much the general population is at risk.

UC Berkeleys long-term study is funded in part by Open Philanthropy, a research and grant-making organization in San Francisco.

Stanford Medicine conducted a similar, short-term study this month with the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health, in which researchers tested the blood of 3,200 people to see whether they had the virus. The results have not yet been released.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
The document is to be debated by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in the coming weeks and could potentially be endorsed by the full chamber in May.

The European Parliament will call for the creation of a "common economic space" between the EU and the six former Soviet republics of its Eastern Partnership program as part of a process of "gradual integration" into the bloc.

The parliamentary draft report seen by RFE/RL on April 15 also denounces Russia's "illegal" actions in Eastern Partnership countries  Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine  including what it calls destabilization, invasion, and annexation.

The document is to be debated by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in the coming weeks and could potentially be endorsed by the full chamber in May.

A Brussels summit bringing together the leaders of the 27 EU member states with those of the six Eastern Partnership members is scheduled for June 18. But several EU diplomats told RFE/RL the gathering might be postponed to the second half of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read alsoFarmland market launched in Ukraine: main facts

In a veiled reference to Russia, which has vehemently opposed efforts by countries of the ex-Soviet bloc to get closer to the EU and NATO, the European Parliament will "confirm the sovereign right of the Eastern partner countries to freely choose their individual level of cooperation or integration with the EU," according to the draft report.

The document adds that the European lawmakers want to "embark on a process to create a common economic space, including services, that facilitates deeper economic integration and convergence with the EU policies and deeper economic cooperation among the Eastern Partnership countries themselves."

The lawmakers will express support for a gradual integration of the six countries into the EU's energy union, transport community, and digital single market, according to the draft report.

Among other things, in the telecommunications field the document suggests creating "a roaming-free regime between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries and an intra-Eastern Partnership one as soon as possible." Other suggestions include the establishment of an Eastern Partnership University in Kyiv.

Read alsoUkraine enters world's top five poultry suppliers

The Eastern Partnership program was launched in 2009 and is meant to bring the six former Soviet republics closer to the EU without clearly offering future membership.
It is becoming disheartening that media practitioners in the course of carrying out their constitutional responsibility, have unfortunately, turned targets of attacks by members of the public, particularly security agencies and governmental bodies in Delta State.

Only recently, the Chairman of the NUJ, Michael Ikeogwu and a reporter with Daily Trust newspapers were harassed and manhandled somewhere in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state for inquiring from officials of the state environmental taskforce if people should congregate for clean up in the face of effort aimed at curtailing the spread of the Corona virus.

Few days after that incident, a photo journalist with the Pointer newspapers, Norbert Amede, was brutally attached by security agents (the police) in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area. The attack left Amede physically disfigured and hospitalized for days.

Several reports of harassment and intimidation of media practitioners by security agencies and hired thugs of government functionaries across the state have been incidented in our secretariat.

Yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, Uvwie Local Government registered another attack on media personnel from Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS), Warri, who were on their routine to monitor compliance of the lockdown and more importantly, social distancing at the Effurun Market.

The DBS Warri team, led by a deputy general manager, Linus Chima, was attacked for covering scenes of clear violation of the social distancing directive by both the federal and state governments.

A release signed by the chairman, Comrade Michael Ikwuogu and Secretary, Churchill Oyowe and made available to The Nigerian Voice, said: "We view this latest attack and previous ones as barbaric in an era where democratic tenets and freedom of the press are expected to be held in high esteem.

"NUJ Delta State Council hereby, aligns with the earlier call by the DBS Chapter of NUJ and RATTAWU call on the Chairman of Uvwie Local Givernment Council, Mr. Ramson Onoyake to apologise to NUJ as well as arrest, interrogate and prosecute the team that attacked the DBS crew or face imminent boycott of coverage of programmes and activities within Uvwie Local Government Area.

"We recall that in the wake of the lockdown, the media were among those exempted from movement restrictions. This is because of the vital role the media, like other critical sectors, play in the developmental advancement of society".

Sadly, the leverage of the media to operate responsibly is daily curtailed and threatened by security agents and government officials who have skeletons to cover.

"We wish to state that the media will not be daunted in the face of the unfriendly atmosphere some security agencies and government officials have put in place".

Nevertheless, we wish to remind governments at all levels in the state of their responsibility to protect the lives of the citizens, including media practitioners. We have not recorded any death among our folds. At the rate these abusers of the media are going, we might soon register.

This is why the authorities must stand up to their responsibilities and protect the sanctity of the freedom of the press as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

"We however call on our members to be law abiding and continue to go about their duties responsibly while we call on authorities in the local, state and federal governments to take urgent steps to stem the tide of attacks on media personnel".

For the avoidance of doubt, our governmental bodies should be reminded that these same media they are treating with disdain were at the forefront of the fight for the democracy these levels of government are presenting savouring. The media deserve a better deal.

In conclusion, "we may be left with the option of a total blackout of coverage of the lock down order if the needless attacks on our highly esteemed members continues".
Shehu Isah Daiyanu Dumus has run out of cash and says he only has a few handfuls of cassava flour left to eat. The 53-year-old paraplegic man usually sells phone cards. But an extended lockdown to fight the new coronavirus in Nigeria`s biggest city, Lagos, has left him stranded.

The Lagos state government sent him a text after the lockdown began on March 30 saying he would receive a food parcel. But no food came, and with government offices closed, he had no idea when or how he would get any.

"I am sure that if this coronavirus did not kill people with disability, definitely this order of stay at home will kill people," he told Reuters outside a building near the airport where a friend is letting him stay.

Hunger and anger are building in Lagos and other major African cities with little or no social safety net to protect the poor from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Food Programme says at least 20% of Africa`s 1.2 billion people are already undernourished - the highest percentage in the world.

The combination of widespread poverty, reliance on imported food and price spikes due to the epidemic could prove deadly if African governments don`t act quickly, it says.

Under new restrictions in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, millions who once lived on daily wages are running out of food.

Many work as traders, labourers or craftsmen in the informal sector, which accounts for 85% of employment across the continent, and must now stay home with no savings as a buffer.

"A WAR ZONE"

In Lagos, three out of seven of its 20 million residents can`t always get enough food under normal circumstances, according to the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, a nonprofit. The 14-day lockdown, extended by another two weeks on Monday, has thrown millions more into need.

Food prices spiked as residents raced to stock up. Imported rice rose 11% and the price of garri, a staple made from cassava, nearly doubled, said Lagos-based risk consultancy SBM Intelligence.

Michael Sunbola, the food bank`s president, said his organization was getting 50% more calls than usual from frantic residents. Some trek for five hours to collect food.

As his team unloaded rice, beans, oil and cassava flour this month in Agboyi Ketu, he said many would struggle as the shutdown continues.

"We are afraid some people might starve," Sunbola said.

The Lagos state government is trying to help. It distributed 200,000 food packs during the first weeks of the lockdown and aims to give out 2 million as soon as possible, Agriculture Commissioner Gbolahan Lawal told Reuters.

The federal government has promised cash grants for the poorest Nigerians, and food vouchers. But videos online show angry Lagos residents tearing apart what they consider paltry offerings.

Lawal said those people did not understand that the aid was meant only for the most vulnerable. But officials acknowledge they are barely scratching the surface of the problem.

Mohammed Zanna, with the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, said desperate residents mobbed his truck when he tried to deliver food for the disabled on Monday in the run-down Agege neighbourhood.

Gangs of men armed with machetes, cutlasses and iron bars prowled the area as he sped away, dodging burning tyres.

"It is a war zone," he said, and the group can no longer distribute food in some neighbourhoods without police escorts.

Police said they had deployed extra units to tackle the crime wave.

UNDERESTIMATES

Kenya has imposed a night curfew and forbidden most movement - apart from food - in and out of the capital, Nairobi, the country`s coronavirus epicentre.

On Sunday, hundreds of desperate residents in the city`s biggest slum, Kibera, stampeded during an aid distribution by opposition leader Raila Odinga. The next day, the government banned direct donations, insisting they go through government to prevent "unnecessary disorder".

Kennedy Odede, whose charity Shining Hope for Communities works in Kibera, said the restrictions could cause more unrest.

"Food is more important than corona," he said. "The government must see how people are desperate - they will risk their life for food."

In South Africa`s Gauteng province - which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria  the government is distributing food to 54,000 people deemed vulnerable due to a nationwide lockdown.

But even before the restrictions, at least 16% of Gauteng`s 12 million people needed food aid, according to government estimates.

"The reality is that we underestimated the number of poor ... (and) homeless people," said Panyaza Lesufi of the Department for Social Development.

Back in Lagos, Dumus managed to reach a state worker after Reuters gave him a flyer distributed by Lawal`s team. But he said he has yet to receive any government aid.

He noted that the government is seeking private donations to fight COVID-19. "Even the federal government now is begging," he said.
Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces have arrested nine people they claim belong to the Islamic State, although locals say they are mostly cattle dealers reports Zaman Al-Wasl.

US-backed Kurdish forces on Tuesday arrested nine people in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, claiming they have links with the Islamic State (ISIS).

Residents told Zaman al-Wasl that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had stormed the town of al-Baghouz in the Albukamal region and detained nine people, who are mostly cattle dealers.

But Kurdish news outlets said the detained people are members of a sleeper cell that carried out a series of car bombs in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.

The YPG-led forces say ISIS sleeper cells are still active in Deir ez-Zor, claiming that tens of families are still receiving salaries from the ultra-hardline Sunni militant group.

ISIS has been largely defeated in the country but has continued to carry out ambushes, assassinations and bombings there and still poses a threat along its border with Syria.

Last week, ISIS killed 19 regime troops in a desert town near Palmyra city.

The Islamic State still controls a territory in the gas-rich desert that lies between Homs and Deir ez-Zor provinces.

ISIS has resorted to guerrilla tactics since it abandoned its goal of holding territory and creating a self-declared caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Ontario is not clawing back Canada Emergency Relief Benefit payments from people on social assistance  yet.

In a memo to case workers this week, provincial officials said people on social assistance who have lost jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and who receive $2,000 monthly CERB payments from Ottawa should report this income.

But until the province determines how to treat the CERB, case workers have been told not to record the income in Ontarios computerized benefits system, where the extra cash may trigger automatic clawbacks and even termination of benefits, including drug and medical coverage, a government spokesperson said.

Our ministry will provide  direction once we have received further information from the federal government, said Palmer Lockridge, a spokesperson for the ministry of children, community and social services.

Minister Todd Smith has asked for a meeting to seek clarification with Carla Qualtrough, the federal minster for employment, workforce development and disability inclusion, Lockridge said in an email. Qualtrough has not yet responded to that request, he added.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Qualtrough said Ottawa has urged provinces not to clawback CERB benefits from people on social assistance to ensure vulnerable Canadians do not fall behind during the crisis.

Our government believes the CERB needs to be considered exempt by provinces and territories in the same way as the Canada Child Benefit to ensure vulnerable Canadians do not fall behind, Qualtroughs spokesperson Marielle Hossack said.

The provincial directive clears up some confusion for Jordan Freedman, 50, and his wife Devra, 42, who receive about $2,100 on Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits while working part-time.

Devra quit her part-time cleaning job when she developed a cough recently, and Jordan, who does occasional work for trade shows, nightclubs and the film industry, said his odd jobs have dried up since the pandemic. Both have applied for the CERB and are awaiting payment.

Im just happy they are telling us what to do with this money, said the Toronto man who has been unable to find full-time work due to a learning disability, ADHD, depression and anxiety.

We have always reported our (employment) income every month, a portion of which is deducted from their ODSP benefits, he said. But this is a lot of money, and we are worried about losing our drug and medical benefits.

More than 960,000 people in Ontario rely on social assistance, either ODSP, for people with disabilities, or Ontario Works (OW) for those deemed able to work. About 75,000 of them have jobs that pay at least $5,000 a year and would therefore be eligible for the CERB.

Ottawa expanded eligibility for CERB payments this week beyond workers who have lost their jobs due to the health crisis to include those who are earning less than $1,000 a month as well as students and seasonal workers.

A coalition of more than 130 health-care workers, community agencies and Ontarians living in poverty wrote an open letter to Smith April 7 urging Queens Park to boost social assistance rates and not to claw back the CERB from those on OW and ODSP.

The provincial NDP has also called on the Ford government to stop the clawbacks.
Bangladesh Coast Guard said on Thursday that it has rescued 396 starving Rohingyas who had been drifting at sea for weeks following their failed attempt to reach Malaysia while nearly 50 of them died due to ailments and malnutrition during the period.

"We have handed them over to UNHCR (UN refugee agency) to be quarantined for 14 days, Coast Guard's station commander in southeastern Cox's Bazar Lieutenant Commander Sohel Rana said.

He said many of the rescued Rohingyas would stay at a cyclone shelter in Teknaf coastlines which was overnight converted into a quarantine centre.

Rana's comments came a day after coastguards rescued and detained the mostly emaciated Rohingyas, including 64 minor children, when they were trying to secretly land at a ferry terminal in Teknaf after floating for 58 days.

One of the rescued Rohingyas told a journalist near the scene that they managed to get onboard a ship through small boats sneaking out of their camps in Cox's Bazar to be ferried to Malaysia under a contract with Myanmar middlemen.

"We twice tried to disembark in Malaysian coast but were chased away by their navy...Then the ship tried to take us to Thailand where the Thai navy also barred us from landing, said 34-year old Moahmmad Salam.

He said that during the return journey the Myanmar navy redirected the ship to Bangladesh when it reached near the Burmese coastline where the 11 Myanmar middlemen disembarked.

Another Rohingya, 23-year Mohammad Zobair, said that at the start of the journey they were 450 in number but dozens of their compatriots perished as they drifted on the sea having little food and water.

The Thai navy and some fishing boats, however, gave us food and water to survive...we threw bodies of the deceased into the sea, Zobair said.

Nearly one million Rohingyas fled a crackdown by Myanmar's military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in camps in Cox's Bazar.

Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow Rohingyas to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Germany arrests 5 Daesh members planning attack on US bases

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 3:54 PM

Germany says it has arrested five members of Daesh terrorist group allegedly planning to carry out a series of attacks on US military bases.

According to federal prosecutors, the suspects, identified as Azizjon B., Muhammadali G., Farhodshoh K. and Sunatullokh K., were all citizens of Tajikistan and joined Daesh in January 2019. They were arrested on Wednesday at different regions within the territory of North Rhine-Westphalia state.

The group, headed by Ravsan B., a 30-year-old Tajik man, were initially supposed to attack some targets in Tajikistan. But, due to some reasons, they have switched their target country to Germany in a bid to attack US airforce bases. They have been in contact with two high-ranking Daesh figures in Syria and Afghanistan.

The police also announced that the group had obtained firearms and ammunition for its operations, while having an order from Ravsan B. to construct an explosive device.

Ravsan B. had accepted a $40,000 contract to assassinate someone in Albania in order to pay for the plans, but it has failed, the police added.

Germany has repeatedly warned about the threat of attacks by Daesh terrorists, the bloodiest of which was a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead.

In June 2018, German police said they foiled what would have been the first biological attack with the arrest of a Tunisian Daesh supporter in possession of ricin and bomb-making material.

Also in November 2019, police forces in the western city of Offenbach arrested three Daesh members over planning a bomb attack.

That same month, a Syrian was arrested in Berlin accused of having procured key components for an explosive device and discussing bomb-making tips with other suspected in an online chat group.

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[April 16, 2020] Molina Healthcare Donates $30,000 to Texas Nonprofit Organizations in Response to Coronavirus Shortages

Molina Healthcare of Texas ("Molina") is donating $30,000 to community-based organizations throughout the state to help address COVID-19 pandemic resource shortages. The donations will provide food to charitable organizations, as well as provide lunch for frontline health care workers, staff at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and nursing facilities. "During this critical time, Molina is proud to uphold our commitment to the communities we serve throughout Texas," said Anne Rote, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Texas. "The donations will help fund vital resources for health care providers and local nonprofits as Molina continues to provide best-in-class support for our members, providers, and the communities we serve." Molina is providing donations to the following Texas organizations: Catholic Charities (Dallas)

Daily Bread Ministries (San Antonio)

El Centro de Corazon (Harris)

El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank (El Paso)

Loaves and Fishes (Hidalgo)

Lunches of Love (Harris)

Mercy Ministries (Laredo)

Mission Hospitality Center (Hidalgo)

North Channel Assistance Mnistries (Harris)

Pleasant Grove Food Pantry (Dallas)

Visiting Nurses Association of Dallas



Coronavirus Chatbot online tool available to help members identify COVID-19 symptoms and immediately connect with support resources. About Molina Healthcare of Texas

Since 2006, Molina Healthcare of Texas has been providing government-funded care for low-income individuals. As of December 31, 2019, the company served approximately 341,000 members through Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Health Insurance Exchange programs, with service areas across Texas. For more information, visit molinahealthcare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005191/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
(Natural News) In this open-label, randomized controlled study, Chinese researchers examined the effect of gua sha therapy in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Their results were published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

A total of 119 subjects were recruited by the researchers, 60 were assigned to the gua sha group and 59 were assigned to the usual care (control) group.

The treatment involved 12 consecutive sessions of gua sha that occurred once a week.

Outcome measures for the study included Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS), Vibration Perception Threshold (VPT), Ankle Brachial Index (ABI), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG).

The researchers reported that after the first cycle of gua sha treatment, they found statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of the performance of sensory function (VPT) and symptoms of peripheral artery disease (ABI).

Total TCSS scores and FPG levels, on the other hand, were not different.

At the eighth and 12th week of post-intervention assessment, gua sha therapy significantly reduced the severity of neuropathy symptoms, improved the performance of sensory function, reduced peripheral artery disease and regulated plasma glucose levels.

Changes in the mean scores for TCSS, VPT, ABI and plasma glucose levels in the gua sha group were significant from baseline to week 12, suggesting that gua sha therapy induced progressive improvement of DPN symptoms, sensory function peripheral artery disease and blood glucose levels.

Both groups reported no serious adverse events.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that gua sha therapy is a safe, effective and well-tolerated treatment that reduces DPN symptoms.

Journal Reference:

Xie X, Lu L, Zhou X, Zhong C, Ge G, Huang H, Zhang X, Zeng Y. EFFECT OF GUA SHA THERAPY ON PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. May 2019;35:348352. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.03.018
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he has personally read letters sent to him on social media and realized that many people are not fully aware of the governments relief programs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan said their specialists are providing assistance to citizens over the phone on how to fill in the data online. According to her, there are some citizens who require simple information, for example what certain abbreviations stand for. Pashinyan himself said he is unaware what a specific abbreviation in the forms stands for, and highlighted that the information must be explained and made very accessible and simplified.

Today there is a task to deliver the relief on time and effectively. Therefore, all powers must focus  the information system, the social security and technology systems. It is important for this assistance to reach people immediately. And now we have to discuss this publicly, we have already discussed this 5-6 times on the working regime, he said.

Pashinyan tasked his deputy Mher Grigoryan to personally check the system every two hours.

We arent adopting these relief measures just to announce on live television that we are doing so. This is done in order for this help to reach the people immediately. Therefore, the entire state system must serve the people, in order for the help to reach them immediately, the PM said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle stunned the entire world after announcing in January that they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family.

The couple had to negotiate and navigate their plans once Megxit took effect during their last remaining months as royals.

However, the big question was clear - what drove Meghan Markle to break free from the House of Windsor?

According to London-based writer and royal commentator Ashley Pearson, the former "Suits" actress may have no idea how unglamorous it is to be a royal family member.

And as per the writer, Meghan reportedly claimed to say "no way" upon learning that she was going to be a civil servant in a tiara.

The Duchess was also known to be politically driven before joining the Firm, that she was once very vocal of her hatred for the then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Meghan was a keen advocate for addressing climate change and supporting women's rights. However, writer Tom McTague pointed out that these advocacies as a royal are still linked to politics.

The couple claimed that they want to have progressive roles, but seemingly without the controversy and criticism that comes from taking a stance on issues of public debate.

McTague revealed, "At heart, it's unclear whether Harry and Meghan realize being progressive is not an apolitical act. Climate change, even mental health, is not apolitical. These issues which the couple has voiced their opinion on coming with real, important, and political questions attached."

Last month, it was reported that Meghan Markle may have thought that she will live happily ever after fairytale after her royal wedding to Prince Harry. However, she suddenly reportedly realized that being part of Britain's famous family isn't what she expected.

"Saturday Night Live" actor Dave Spade revealed on "The Kelly Clarkson" that he believes Meghan easily got swept off her feet like a dream.

"She goes over to England, and she has this crazy wedding, and she's literally royalty, but then it gets a little mundane and then she's like, 'Let's head back to LA.' I think the fun part was over, and now she's sort of a little bored."

Royal life might not be for Meghan Markle as royal editor Omid Scobie revealed that the Duchess of Sussex was disappointed since she gave up her career and experience to be part of Britain's monarchy.

Prince Harry, on the other hand, is finding life a bit challenging after moving to Los Angeles early this month.

Aside from giving up his royal title, he's also forced to give up two of his royal traditions, which includes hunting and shooting animals.

As per the couple's close friend Dr. Jane Goodall, Meghan made her husband stop because she's an animal welfare activist.

Since their bombshell announcement, some experts claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are trying to follow in the footsteps of leaders such as Barack Obama and Michele Obama.

The couple is currently running the Obama Foundation and has been open to declare their political views and have used their celebrity status to support causes they believe in.

READ MORE: Duchess Sabotaged? Meghan Markle's Royal Training Set Her Up to Fail
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, on Thursday, said that over 68 percent of the Covid-19 positive cases in the national capital are of persons who participated in the Tablighi Jamaat event at the Markaz Nizamuddin.

In the last 24 hours, with only 17 new cases being reported and two deaths, the total number of cases rises to 1,578 of which, 1,080 cases (68.4 per cent) are Markaz cases, the Delhi Health Minister told ANI.

Out of the 1,578 cases, 867 people have been admitted to hospitals. 29 patients are in intensive care, five patients are currently on the ventilator and 32 patients are dead.

With regards to whether the extension of lockdown would help to curb the Covid-19 cases in the national capital, he said: Three weeks of the national lockdown have already been passed with 17-18 days more to go, if the public follows the lockdown norms judiciously, we can contain the spread to quite an extent.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

Jain informed that the hotspots identified would continue to remain sealed as the chances of new cases emerging are from these areas is high. The hotspots have been sealed from all corners and health workers are also going to these areas and checking for any symptomatic patients. The necessities required by people will be fulfilled, he said.

On the issue of a pizza boy being detected with the coronavirus, Jain said that 17 other delivery boys linked with him have been placed under institutional quarantine and 72 people have been placed under home quarantine.

Click here for Covid-19 updates

Speaking about the matter of the anesthetist working at the Intensive Care Unit of the Maulana Azad Medical College, he said: We are currently investigating the matter. Around 20 health workers have been infected and all of them will receive treatment.

Regarding the availability of rapid testing kits, he said that the Delhi Government has not received any new kits as of now, citing reasons that the centres may not have received the kits.
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By Express News Service

DEHRADUN: Maharashtra government on Thursday granted permission to the chief priest of Kedarnath temple to travel to the shrine from the Nanded district of Maharashtra where he got stranded due to the lockdown.

The priest had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking help to reach the shrine before the opening of portals on April 29 morning.

Bhimashankar Ling, the chief priest said, "We have been granted permission to travel by the Maharashtra government. I will be reaching the shrine before April 29 along with four others."

The chief priest (Rawal) had sought special permission to travel by road along with his team and also bring the sacred gold crown of the deity which is to be kept in the main temple in Kedarnath when the shrine reopens.

Meanwhile, priests in Kedarnath refused online ceremony saying that the government should make arrangements for the travel of the chief priest.

According to a centuries-old tradition established at the time of Adi Shankaracharya, the head priest of the Kedarnath shrine has to be present for the rituals at the time when the deity is brought in procession to the Kedarnath temple from Ukhimath when the portals are opened in summer.
Despite being categorised among economies in sub-Saharan Africa that would be hit hardest by the impact of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Nigeria can come out of the crisis with a combination of sound macroeconomic policies and deft deployment of available resources.

Also, the Fund urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise revenue mobilisation to limit the humanitarian and economic cost of the crisis to protect the peoples health and boost health spending.

Apart from targeted cash transfers and similar measures to support people whose livelihoods have been significantly distorted, the IMF also wants the Nigerian government to consider giving temporary and targeted support for hard-hit small and medium scale enterprises.

Although the Fund acknowledged the countrys economy was already grappling with the impact of declining crude oil prices since 2015, it said the current global pandemic has worsened the situation.

This, it noted, has pushed the country into making significant adjustments to its fiscal and budgetary estimates to accommodate the new realities in the governments economic growth and recovery plan.

To redress the crisis, the IMF advised the government to address the immediate challenge of prioritising revenue mobilisation in the medium-term, till enough resources become available over the next four to five years for infrastructure development, building the network of universities, and public education entities.

It is only when the health and acute part of the economic crisis have subsided that fiscal policy can revert to medium-term past consistent with debt sustainability considerations, the IMF African Department Director, Abebe Selassie, said on Wednesday during the online launch of the regional economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the near-term, the IMF said with Nigerias request for support under its rapid credit financing instrument, no resource should be spared to quickly strengthen health spending to provide social protection to people against the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the fiscal policies, the Fund proposed a monetary exchange rate policy framework by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to support other measures to be adopted by the government to contain the crisis.

Outlook

In his introductory remarks, Mr Selassie said the new publication focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered an unprecedented crisis threatening to reverse the regions recent development and policy gains.

He said the crisis has brought significant distortions to the Sub-Saharan African economy, with the outlook expected to contract by about 1.6 per cent in 2020.

Describing the contraction as the highest, in terms of per capita income, close to 4 per cent, Mr Selassie, who noted this to be the regions worst performance since 1970, said urgent policies were required to protect lives and ensure a swift recovery.

Although the possibility of further growth contraction remained high, he argued that even if it was limited to the current level, it would still represent a 5 per cent points downward revision since last October.

The hit to growth reflects a poisonous cocktail of shocks affecting livelihoods and economic activity. Swift and decisive measures, closing borders, shattering businesses, requiring people to stay at home were adopted to halt the advance of the virus before it overwhelmed already stretched health services, but it also disrupted production and reduce demand sharply, he said.

Impact on vulnerable

The greatest impact of the crisis was on the regions most vulnerable people, who, the Fund said, have to go out every day to earn income to feed, but who are now being required to stay at home.

Apart from the declining global demand for the regions goods and services, tourism, remittance flows, the IMF said tighter global financial conditions triggered significant capital outflows, which also adversely affected the prospect for investment

Although the Fund noted that no country would be spared the impact of the crisis, it, however, said commodity-exporting economies, like Nigeria, would be hit the hardest, as they would suffer from an additional sharp decline in key commodity prices.

As elsewhere, the region faces a synchronised and deep economic downturn with less diversified economies. All exporters tourism dependent economies set to be very hard.

Critically, the ability of the countries to mount an adequate response will depend on a bold and decisive support from the international community to contain the unprecedented crisis.

With domestic savings and financing options severely limited, as countries have been shut out of capital markets, excellent financing on concessional and grant terms has an inordinate important role to play, the group said.

Maintaining a looser monetary policy, the IMF said, would complement the fiscal and financial measures to help minimise credit or liquidity disruptions for businesses.

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While countries with flexible exchange rates could consider a combination of currency movement and the drawdown on reserves, it said others facing significant outflows distortions might consider temporary capital flow measures as part of a wider policy package.
Neweastfoundation.org scored 42 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

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Linkedin Galih Gumelar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 12:19 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd23aa41 1 National #Perppu,Perppu,COVID-19,#COVID19,Constitutional-Court,#Constitutional-Court,corruption,#corruption,pandemic,#pandemic,MK,#MK,judicial-review,#judicial-review Free

The newly proposed regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on COVID-19 pandemic response has fueled anger among civil groups who fear it would lead to budget misappropriation and embezzlement if passed.

Now, they are taking the Perppu to the Constitutional Court, demanding the revocation of contentious provisions stipulating that officials responsible for fiscal and monetary policies cannot be criminally charged when using the state budget to counter the negative economic impacts of the pandemic.

Five organizations filed a petition for judicial review with the Constitutional Court online on April 9 against the Perppu.

"It gives officials excessive power over the state budget, which might lead to corruption. That very provision is unacceptable, Boyamin Saiman from the Indonesian Anticorruption Community (MAKI) said.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo issued the Perppu on March 31, giving Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) members impunity in taking extraordinary measures to cushion the economy from the negative impacts of the outbreak as long as the measure were performed in good faith and with respect to existing laws. It also stipulates that the funds spent by the government to save the country from the economic crisis are considered simply economic costs rather than state losses.

MAKI said the provisions violated the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law and judicial independence, as well as the principle of a state governed by laws.

We think that no one should be allowed to have impunity whatsoever, even during times of pandemic, Boyamin said, adding that the phrase in good faith was open to multiple interpretations that could be misused by officials to gain personal benefits from the state budget.

Read also: Activists warn government not to repeat mistakes of past economic bailouts

The court registry, which has suspended all trials until April 21, is checking the application and verifying all required documents before scheduling the first hearing, court spokesman Fajar Laksono said.

A legal advocacy group called Mahutama is preparing to file a similar petition soon with the Court.

The regulation is very peculiar because it paves the way for the government to abuse power, said Syaiful Bakhri, a lawyer representing the group.

Not only does it violate the Constitution, the suspicious provision, he said, also contradicts some prevailing laws: the 2003 law on state finances and the 2006 law on the Supreme Audit Agency.

It is very problematic. We need to revoke the Perppu before the House of Representatives passes it into law, Syaiful said.

Read also: Indonesias COVID-19 stimulus playbook explained

Submitted to the House of Representatives on April 2, the regulation is awaiting lawmakers approval.

Lawmakers, however, have no plans to deliberate the regulation during the current session as Jokowi sent an approval notification days after the session had started.

Even if there is no petition, we can only deliberate [the Perppu] in the next legislative session, House Budget Committee chairman Said Abdullah said.

Finance Ministry spokeswoman Rahayu Puspasari said the ministry would respect the legal processes at the court. The Palace was not immediately available for comment.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  A group of nurses has appealed to the Department of Health to hire nurses in large numbers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Filipino Nurses United Secretary General Jocelyn Andamo said on Thursday the nurses will be fairly compensated and provided with benefits if they are regularized by the Health Department.

Nurses and other medical professionals are currently being recruited by the DOH as volunteers who are paid an allowance of 500 a day.

Ang aming kahilingan, maemploy ang nurses as regular na government workers para mabigyan sila ng makatuwirang sahod, sapat na benepisyo, at siguradong may proteksyon sila na sila ay magkakasakit, said Andamo in an interview with CNN Philippines Pinky Webb.

[Translation: Our request is to employ nurses as regular government workers to provide them with reasonable wages, adequate benefits, and ensure that they are protected from sickness.]

Andamo elaborated there is no security of tenure with the volunteer nurses, as they are paid only 500 per day for their service.

When the nurses are regularized, a Nurse 1 or the entry level government nurse, gets a salary of 30,500 a month.

Wholeheartedly, our nurses are there in the field. Naglilingkod sa ating mga kababayan, added Andamo.

[Translation: Wholeheartedly, our nurses are there in the field and serving our countrymen.]

Last March 28, the DOH apologized for the low compensation given to volunteer nurses for the COVID-19 crisis and promised they will allocate more funds for them.

RELATED: DOH apologizes for COVID-19 volunteer health professionals P500 daily allowance

The mass hiring of nurses will also benefit hospitals and other health centers in the countryside to solve the health needs in far-flung communities, the nurses' group said.

The group also dissented in the DOHs order for the volunteer nurses to sign a waiver absolving the agency of any liability when they contract the disease that has affected 5,453 people and claimed 349 lives in the country.

Andamo said the DOH acknowledged the appeal they sent to the department and are awaiting for the agencys response to them.
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow welcomed an announcement from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that the agency will automatically send $1,200 stimulus checks to Americans currently receiving benefits from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

Earlier this month the Senators called on the Trump Administration to automatically issue stimulus checks to recipients of benefits through the Supplemental Security Income program, without requiring them to file a tax return.

The announcement comes after the Senators successful effort earlier this month to push the U.S. Treasury Department to provide Social Security recipients the direct cash assistance included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Protection Act without having to file a tax return.

After pressing the Administration to automatically send stimulus checks to Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries, Im glad that the IRS announced it will do so, said Senator Peters. This is more effective and should help provide faster relief to the low-income seniors and people with disabilities in Michigan. Now the same must be done for veterans who rely on VA benefits for income.

The IRS was right to reverse course and make it easier for millions of seniors and people with disabilities to get their stimulus checks automatically. Now those who need help should get it fast, without having to file a tax return, said Senator Stabenow.

SSI recipients who have qualifying children under age 17, however, are encouraged to proactively go to the Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info section of the IRSs website to provide their information instead of waiting for an automatic $1,200 payment. By taking proactive steps to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they will also receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. If SSI beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, they will have to wait until later to receive their $500 per qualifying child.

Source: Gary Peters
Mrs. America Gloria Season 1 Episode 2 Editors Rating 5 stars * * * * *  Previous Next  Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem. Photo: Sabrina Lantos/FX

This Gloria Steinemfocused episode of Mrs. America opens with a sequence that is hilarious, thrilling, and, perhaps unintentionally, a meta-commentary on this series as a whole.

While beginning to consider how to counter the wave of state ratifications of the Equal Rights Amendment, Phyllis Schlafly, a woman so uptight that she does sit-ups while wearing a skirt and her Wilma Flintstone updo, tells her husband Fred that feminists are not expecting any organized opposition. The other thing youve got going for you is that no one likes feminists, cracks Fred. Not even liberals.

Phyllis has a chuckle then responds, via a great, ironic Cate Blanchett line delivery: Oh, thats so true. Theyre no fun.

The episode, directed, like the first, by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, immediately cuts to imagery of Steinem (Rose Byrne) looking all 70s beautiful as she heads to an event at the Guggenheim. She is with her handsome boyfriend (Insecures Jay Ellis). Photographers are snapping her picture. The energizing funk of Sly and the Family Stones I Want to Take You Higher plays on the soundtrack. Yeah. Feminists. They sure dont know how to have a good time!

In addition to showing the contrast between Schlafly and Steinem, this neck snap of a transition also addresses the notion that a show like this  about the events that transpired during a significant period in womens history  could be perceived as something dry, dull, or didactic. But Mrs. America is not any of those things. Its an extremely entertaining drama that also has depth and a brilliantly conceived sense of structure.

That structure comes into sharper focus in this second episode, which confirms that creator Dahvi Waller will zero in on a different figure in the feminist movement in each installment while still addressing broader themes and characters. The broader theme in this episode is the paradoxical landscape that many women must navigate, between being valued for stereotypically female reasons versus being taken seriously for their substance.

Thats certainly an issue for Steinem, a rising star in the media world who is viewed as the pretty face of the feminist movement but, despite her clout, isnt always afforded respect. We see that in the feud between her and Betty Friedan, who kickstarts that conflict by saying about Steinem in a speech: The media tried to make her a celebrity, but no one should mistake her for a leader. When Steinem is later seated next to her on an airplane, Friedan tries to apologize. I was misquoted, she says. As played with massive bravado by the fantastic Tracey Ullman, Friedan is a woman who cant keep her mouth shut, ever, which means its inevitable that a foot will wind up in there. She definitely wasnt misquoted. Steinem doesnt necessarily believe her, but she accepts the apology. She has learned, like so many women before and after her, that moving forward means making compromises.

For example, shes the editor of Ms. magazine, but she still has to deal with pushback from a misogynist publisher when she wants to put presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm on the cover of the first official issue. It becomes apparent later in the episode that Gloria caved; the cover, rather famously, winds up with Wonder Woman on it, although the real story behind that has more of a female-power bent to it. During conversations with Senator George McGovern about voicing support for abortion rights, Gloria tries a softer touch than the blunt instrument that is Betty Friedan. She suggests he voice support at the democratic convention for reproductive freedom, which sounds nicer and more inclusive. As Bella Abzug, who sees the advantages of Glorias influence and also of not asking for too much, adds, that includes men as well as women. It still doesnt get them anywhere.

Contrast that with Phyllis Schlafly, who doesnt have the fame or connections that Gloria has, but refuses to water down her message. When she makes an outspoken anti-Equal Rights Amendment appearance on The Phil Donahue Show, the host is convinced she must be putting on an act until he speaks to her after the show, when she casually mentions that passage of the ERA could lead to the eradication of the Girl Scouts and unisex bathrooms. Before you know it, we are living in a feminist totalitarian nightmare, she says matter-of-factly, while Phil Donahue picks his jaw up off the floor and realizes shes not faking at all. Like a bizarro Bella Abzug, Phyllis also realizes that using certain feminine skills to her advantage could be the clearest path toward getting what she wants.

Which is why Phyllis spearheads her From the Breadmakers to the Breadwinners campaign, in which she and her housewife friends give Illinois legislators homemade baked goods, greasing the wheels to get the no votes on ratification that they want. This is a total Tracy Flick move. Want to get ahead in politics? Give em cupcakes! Is that all it takes to get a man to change his vote? Gloria asks, incredulously. Well, Bella replies, with all the dryness that Margo Martindale can muster, which is a lot, there was also jam.

There was also something else: the fact that male lawmakers desperately need some evidence that voting against the ERA wont be the equivalent of dismissing an entire gender. When Phyllis and her crew waltz in with buns straight from their ovens, they provide, in more ways than one.

The problem, obviously, is that Phyllis is building a movement based on lies and hysterical exaggeration, which is just one of the ways in which this episode of Mrs. America strikes a chord that resonates with contemporary politics. A female aide to a member of the Illinois legislature confronts Phyllis with this question: When you go on Donahue, do you know what youre saying has no basis in fact, or do you just not know what the hell youre talking about? Raise your hand if you ask this question multiple times a day.

Phyllis gets no credit for spouting talking points that she hasnt bothered to more closely examine herself. She does get some credit for, following this confrontation, trying to do the research to understand the legal basis behind some of the conservative arguments shes been making, although she has to ask her husband for help. Gloria, on the other hand, has convictions that she has carefully considered and that are rooted in a deep sense of the personal.

The episode eventually reveals, via flashback, that she had an illegal abortion at 22, which helps explain why she feels so strongly about putting a pro-choice plank in the Democratic party platform. (So does her conversation with a Ms. reader who also had an illegal abortion and remains shaken by the inhumanity of the experience.) Gloria finally argues strongly for that plank when she blows up during a meeting of key figures in the National Womens Political Caucus. Its the big, climactic moment of the episode, and it gives Byrne, who gets Steinems cool, low-key confident tone just right in every other scene, the chance to finally show us a Gloria Steinem with her volume cranked to a higher level.

How long do we give people to adapt to change? she asks Bella. Or am I the only one whos so fucking tired of waiting? These are the same questions that progressive Democrats have been asking this election season when theyre told, for example, that lobbying for universal health care is pushing too hard and too far. This is one of the many moments in Mrs. America that reminds us this country hasnt moved all that far from where it was almost 50 years ago. Which is depressing.

But the Gloria episode ends on a somewhat optimistic note when Gloria tap dances over to Bellas  she really was a tapper, by the way  to the tune of The Kinks This Time Tomorrow to tell her shes willing to be the spokeswoman for the ERA movement at the convention. But she has a condition: they must force a vote on abortion on the convention floor.

Gloria Steinem is used to making concessions. Now shes starting to figure out, maybe, how to leverage her power. To put it another way: She agrees to provide the bread. But she demands that Bella pony up the jam.

Fuck Yeah, Feminism Moment of the Episode: Its definitely the moment when Gloria makes that speech. How many more women are going to die from botched abortions while we wait for men to feel comfortable with us having control over our own bodies? she asks. How many women are going to be forced to give birth to babies they cant afford to feed while we wait for housewives, who have no idea what its like to have to work to survive, to feel comfortable with women having power? These, too, are questions that are still relevant in 2020.

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Bengaluru has been reliable partner of the world where IT sector is concerned: Ashwathnarayan

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Apr 16: Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister, C N Ashwathnarayan spoke about the road map in which the IT sector in the state would function.

When asked about how the IT sector would function without public transport, he said that private vehicles would be allowed. Employees can be transported in contract buses as well. He, however, added that only 40 to 50 per cent persons would be allowed in these buses. He also added that if the capacity of the bus is 50 passengers, then only 20 would be allowed in it.

342 deaths in 21 days: Without COVID-19 lockdown, it would have been worse

On being asked who would implement the social distancing norms at IT companies, he said that the sector was very responsible. He said that most IT employees have been working from home and it has been very successful. He said that Bengaluru has been a very reliable partner of the world where the IT sector is concerned.

The Deputy CM went on to add that we are facing a crisis and we need to accommodate the sector and also be part of the solution. If this is not done, then all of us would face a problem. Our IT professionals are willing to come forward and they would adopt and follow all the norms. They have been advising the government, not only where the IT sector is concerned, but in other fields as well.

COVID-19: 38 hot spots declared in Bengaluru

On the issue of public transport, he said that when compared to other parts of the state, there is very limited activity in Bengaluru. He also said that where construction is concerned only those available at the site will be working. He also said that the activity is very limited where manufacturing is also concerned. Only a few sectors have been given permission, he said while also adding that we are all facing a crisis and all steps need to be taken to overcome the problem.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) United Nations, United States  Thu, April 16, 2020 08:50 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd22aa27 2 World UN,UN-Secretary-General,Antonio-Guterres,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-drugs Free

A COVID-19 vaccine may be the only thing that can bring back "normalcy," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday, hoping for just that before the end of the year.

"A safe and effective vaccine may be the only tool that can return the world to a sense of 'normalcy,' saving millions of lives and countless trillions of dollars," he added during a video conference with the 50 or so African countries that are members of the United Nations.

He called for its accelerated development and accessibility to all, adding it must have a "universal global benefit" and "allow us to control the pandemic."

"We need an ambitious effort to ensure that international stakeholders operate through a harmonized, integrated and leveraged approach to maximize the speed and scale needed for the universal deployment of such a vaccine by the end of 2020," he insisted.

Guterres said his appeal on March 25 for $2 billion in donations for a comprehensive UN humanitarian response to the pandemic had so far raised about 20 percent of that amount.

Through the World Health Organization, the United Nations has been able to equip 47 African countries with COVID-19 tests, he said.

The UN chief also praised the efforts of several African governments to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic.

He cited Uganda, which has given businesses more time to file their tax returns; Namibia, which provides emergency income for workers who have lost their jobs; Cape Verde, which provides food aid; and Egypt, which has reduced taxation on industries.
Authorities in Dubai have extended until further notice the closure of all restaurants, hotels and events centers in the Emirates amid the ongoing containment of the coronavirus pandemic, Arabian Business reports.

The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) reportedly this week announced the extension of precaution measures in place to curb the novel disease.

In line with Dubai Government Precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of its residents and visitors, we extend all the Precautionary Circulars on the website until further notice.

Dubai Tourism will continuously evaluate the situation in coordination with the health authorities, the department said in a circular.

Authorities in the emirates taken harsh measures including grounding of all passenger airlines expect repatriation flights.

The ban on hotel, restaurant activities and events has reportedly crippled businesses. A survey by restaurant performance company Mingora, which covered 30 respondents from 1,050 restaurants, Arabian Business reports, has revealed that around 90% of CEOs in the F&B space expect a significant drop in business in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

UAE has recorded as of Wednesday confirmed 5,365 cases of coronavirus and 33 deaths according the health ministry.

Written by: Jaber Ali on April 16, 2020. on July 23, 2020.
As the world is grappling with coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people infected with the deadly virus crossed the two million-mark on Wednesday (April 15), serving a reminder that coronavirus has spread to different parts of the world, damaging economies significantly and putting the lives of many people in real danger.

It is to be noted that the first million infections took 93 days but the second million took place in just 13 days, with maximum cases reported in the US and Europe.

According to Johns Hopkins University as on Wednesday at 10:45 PM IST, the total number of coronavirus positive cases jumped to 20,16,020. The fatal virus has now taken over 1,30,528 lives since its outbreak in the world.

The United States (US) has been the worst-hit country as it has reported over 6,13,187 confirmed cases. Spain is at the second place with around 1,77,633 COVID-19 positive cases.

Italy on the third spot reported over 2,667 new confirmed cases in a day. The total confirmed cases in the country surged to 1,65,155. The number of positive cases was the lowest since March 13 but the daily count of deaths remained high.

Germany with approximately 1,33,154 positive cases is the fourth-worst affected nation in the world. Germany is also thinking to extend its restrictions to May 3 to combat the global pandemic.

The US has also reported the maximum number of deaths due to the coronavirus in the world with over 26,950 people succumbing to the disease.

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 578 on Wednesday, down from 602 the day before. It has hovered between 525 and 636 for the last 11 days now. The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 surged to 21,645.

Spain on the third spot recorded over 18,579 deaths in the country. France remained the fourth most affected country where around 15,729 people have died till now due to the virus.
Technology is constantly evolving and so, too, are the developer skills employers look for to make the most of what is emerging and what is solidifying its place in the enterprise.

As companies dive deeper into digital transformations and pivot to data-driven cultures, tech disciplines such as AI, machine learning, internet of things (IoT) and IT automation are driving organizations technology strategies and boosting demand for skills with tools, such as Docker, Ansible and Azure, that will help companies innovate and stay competitive in rapidly changing markets.

What were seeing is companies developing internal skill maps within their developer organizations so they can see what skills they have, and where they need to grow, says Vivek Ravisankar, CEO and co-founder of HackerRank. Theyre building these competency frameworks to find their skill gaps and then put in place training and education to close those.

Understanding which disciplines and skills are up-and-coming and which are fading can help both companies and developers ensure they have the right skills and knowledge to succeed. And what better way to find that out than to mine developer job postings.

Indeed.com analyzed job postings using a list of 500 key technology skill terms to see which ones employers are looking for more these days and which are falling out of favor. Such research has helped identify cutting-edge skills over the past five years, with some previous years risers now well establish, thanks to explosive growth. Docker, for one, has risen more than 4,000 percent in the past five years and was listed in more than 5 percent of all U.S. tech jobs in 2019. IoT as well has shot up nearly 2,000 percent in the past half-decade, with Ansible  an IT automation, configuration management, and deployment tool  and Kafka  a tool for building real-time data pipelines and streaming apps  showing similarly strong growth. And, of course, the rise of data science has also since cemented high demand for a range of skills, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analysis.

Developers looking to add new skills to their repertoire should pay close attention to the most recent upticks in skills demand that Indeed identified from September 2018 to September 2019  and those falling out of favor  as outlined below. Each skill is accompanied by average annual salary information for developers who possess these skills, according to PayScale.com.

Hot: Pytorch

Pytorch is an open-source machine-learning library written in Python, C++ and CUDA. It is used for applications such as computer vision and natural language processing. While primarily developed by Facebooks AI Research Lab, its offered free under the modified BSD license.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +138%

Average salary: $118,000

Hot: GraphQL

GraphQL is an open-source data query and manipulation language for APIs, and a runtime for fulfilling queries in existing data sets. GraphQL was originally developed for internal use by Facebook but was released for public use in 2015 under the GraphQL Foundation, hosted by the nonprofit Linux Foundation. GraphQL supports reading, writing and subscribing to changes in data, and servers are available for multiple languages, including Haskell, JavaScript, Perl, Python, Ruby, Java, C#, Scala, Go, Elixer, Erlang, PHP, R and Clojure.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +80% Average salary: $97,000

Hot: Kotlin

Kotlin is a cross-platform, statically typed, general-purpose programming language thats designed to interoperate with Java. The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) version of its standard library, in fact, depends on the Java Class Library, though Kotlins syntax is more concise than that of Java. In May of 2019, Google announced that the Kotlin language is now its preferred language for Android developers, and has been included as an alternative to the standard Java compiler since the release of Android Studio 3.0 in 2017.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +76% Average salary: $99,000

Hot: Vue/vue.js

Vue is a progressive, incrementally adoptable JavaScript framework for building user interfaces on the Web. It allows users to extend HTML with attributes (called directives) that offer increased functionality to HTML applications through either built-in or user-defined directives.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +72% Average salary: $116,000

Hot: .Net Core

.Net Core is a free, open-source, managed software framework for Windows, Linux and macOS. It is a cross-platform successor to Microsofts proprietary .NET Framework and is released for use under the MIT License. Its primarily used in the development of desktop application software, AI/machine learning and IoT applications.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +71% Average salary: $87,000

Hot: Looker

Formerly Looker Data Sciences, Looker is a data exploration and discovery business intelligence platform that was acquired by Google Cloud Platform in 2019. Lookers modeling language, LookML, enables data teams to define relationships in their database so business users can explore, save and download data without needing to know SQL. Looker was the first commercially available BI platform built for and aimed at scalable or MPRDBM (massively parallel relational database management system) such as Amazons Redshift, Google BigQuery, HP Vertica, Netezza and Teradata.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +68% Average salary: $68,000

Hot: Terraform

HashiCorps Terraform is open-source infrastructure-as-code software that allows users to define and provision a datacenter using the proprietary, high-level configuration language Hashicorp Configuration Language (HCL) or JSON. Terraform supports a number of cloud infrastructure providers, including Amazon AWS, IBM Cloud, Google Cloud Platform, DigitalOcean, Microsoft Azure, and more.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +66% Average salary: $104,000

Hot: Google Cloud Platform

Googles suite of cloud computing services runs of the same infrastructure used for Googles end-user products, and includes a set of management tools, modular cloud services such as computing data storage, data analytics and machine learning. The platform provides infrastructure as a service, platform as a service and serverless computing environments to customers, as well as Googles App Engine, which allows for development and hosting web applications in Google-managed data centers.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +62% Average salary: $191,000

Hot: Kubernetes

Originally designed by Google, Kubernetes (sometimes abbreviated as K8s) is an open-source container orchestration system for automating application deployment, scaling and management. Kubernetes provides a platform for application container automation, deployment, scaling and operation across clusters of hosts.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +61% Average salary: $115,000

Hot: Spring Boot

Spring Boot is an open-source, Java-based integration framework used to create microservices and to build stand-alone and production-ready Spring applications. Spring Boot is built on the Spring framework and gives developers a platform on which to jumpstart development of Spring applications. Spring Boot uses pre-configured, injectable dependencies to speed up development and save developers time.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: +58% Average salary: $78,000

As fast as some tech skills rise, others fall. Five skills that dropped off significantly in the year between 2018 and 2019 are:

Cold: Firefox

The free, open-source Web browser from the Mozilla foundation has seen its popularity wane in recent years; developers with these skills may also find theyre not in demand.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: -47%

Cold: Vagrant

Open source software from HashiCorp for building and maintaining portable virtual software development environments, Vagrant tries to simplify configuration management of virtual environments.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: -41%

Cold: Chrome

Skills related to Googles web browser have also decreased in popularity between 2018 and 2019.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: -33%

Cold: Optics

Production of optics systems have seen a steep decline of late.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: -33%

Cold: GSM

The Global System for Mobiles is an older telecommunications standard for mobile phones, which could explain why its decreased in popularity.

Rate of growth, 2018-2019: -26%
Princess Sofia of Sweden today started working in hospital to help the country's fight against coronavirus.

The royal, 35, who is married to Prince Carl Philip, 40, took a three-day medical course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm, where she is an honorary chair member.

She is now able to assist with healthcare work and help fight the pandemic, which has infected 11,927 in the Scandanavian country and killed 1203.

Pictures show her scrubbed up posing with other staff members at the Sophiahemmet hospital - who are all keeping a safe distance from one another.

Princess Sofia of Sweden today started working in hospital to help the country's fight against coronavirus

The royal, 35, who is married to Prince Carl Philip, 40, took a three-day medical course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm, where she is an honorary chair member. The royal, 35, who is married to Prince Carl Philip, 40, took a three-day medical course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm, where she is an honorary chair member

The university is training up to 80 people a week to help lift the heavy burden placed on doctors and medical workers in the country, according to local media reports.

Director of the Information and Press Department at the Royal Court Margaretha Thorgren said the princess wants to make a voluntary contribution to healthcare at at time where resources are stretched.

The former model became part of the Swedish royal family in 2015, after marrying Carl Phillip, who is the son of King Carl Gustaf.

Prince Carl-Phillip is fourth in line to the throne, after his sister Crown Princess Victoria, and his niece and nephew Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.

Sofia is now able to assist with healthcare work and help fight the pandemic, which has infected 11,927 in the Scandanavian country and killed 1203.

The former model became part of the Swedish royal family in 2015, after marrying Carl Phillip, who is the son of King Carl Gustaf

The Duchess of Varmland has two children with Carl-Phillip, Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel, who are fifth and sixth in line to the throne.

Prior to marrying the Swedish royal, Sofia boasted a successful career as a glamour model and reality television star, as she appeared on the Swedish version of Paradise Hotel.

Sweden reported a record 170 new coronavirus deaths yesterday in a widely-expected surge after the Easter weekend

The 170 new deaths - surpassing Tuesday's joint-record 114 - bring the death toll from 1,033 to 1,203 in a country still refusing to go into lockdown.

Princess Sofia became part of the Swedish royal family in 2015, after marrying Prince Carl Phillip

The Duchess of Varmland has two children with Carl-Phillip, Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel, who are fifth and sixth in line to the throne, she is pictured centre with other workers

Sweden reported a record 170 new coronavirus deaths yesterday in a widely-expected surge after the Easter weekend. Sofia started work at the hospital today, she is picture right

Prior to marrying the Swedish royal Sofia boasted a successful career as a glamour model and reality television star, as she appeared on the Swedish version of Paradise Hotel. She is now working as a health carer, pictured centre

Only a handful of deaths had been recorded on Saturday and Sunday, meaning that the numbers were always likely to shoot up when the weekend was properly accounted for.

The number of infections rose by 482, a less striking increase which brings the overall tally from 11,445 to 11,927.

Swedish officials had announced only 17 new deaths on Saturday, an implausibly low figure after an average jump of 94 during the week.

Health officials now say that 50 deaths were registered on Saturday, but many of them have not been revealed until after Easter.

Similarly, the 12 new deaths announced on Sunday were only a fraction of the 54 people who are now said to have died that day.

Only a handful of deaths had been recorded on Saturday and Sunday, meaning that the numbers were always likely to shoot up when the weekend was properly accounted for - Sofia is now helping the fight to stop the spread
Winners of the 2020 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability Revealed during Unique Livestream

Salt Lake City, UT, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Ivory Innovations revealed three housing innovators as the winners of the 2020 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability. The winners are Rhino in Finance, Symbium in Policy and Regulatory Reform, and Entekra in Construction and Design. In addition, the Ivory Prize recognized the State of Oregon and City of Minneapolis as co-honorees for a new category that focuses on public sector innovation. The winners will be awarded a total of $200,000 and provided access to Ivory Innovations network that includes interns, capital partners, and strategic planning. These winners of the second annual Ivory Prize competition were selected from 168 applicants  a nearly 25% increase from the inaugural year of the Prize.

In lieu of an in-person event, the announcement was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the announcement, the Ivory Innovations Advisory Board held a panel discussion on the latest housing topics, including COVID-19s current and future impact on housing. A permanent copy of the livestream will be available here.

"The winners of the 2020 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability represent the most promising solutions to the nations affordable housing crisis, said Clark Ivory, Member of the Ivory Innovations Board, President and Trustee of the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, and CEO of Ivory Homes. These winners stand out among hundreds of applications submitted in the second year of the competition. From helping renters afford the upfront cost of apartments, to building single-family homes less expensively, and making it easier to build accessory dwelling units, our 2020 class is leading the way in housing affordability. These difficult times have shown that stable, affordable housing is more important now than ever, and these innovators have the tools, technology, and know-how to ensure Americans have access to a home they can afford.

Story continues

The 2020 Ivory Prize Winners:

Construction and Design  Modesto, California-based Entekra is implementing a fully integrated offsite building technique that streamlines its panelized building process from permitting to assembly, so that it can be completed in just a couple of days.

Finance  New York City-based Rhino works with landlords to eliminate costly security deposits and replace them with a small monthly insurance payment, helping users avoid cutting into their savings when they need to move.

Policy and Regulatory Reform  San Francisco-based Symbium is a computational law platform that mechanizes the rules and regulations of planning codes to help homeowners, design professionals, and planners quickly determine if an ADU is allowed on a property, what the development standards are, and processes needed to build these units.

The Public Sector Outstanding Achievement Award  1000 Friends of Oregon and the Oregon Housing Alliance on behalf of the State of Oregon and its passage of the missing-middle housing bill HB 2001, and the City of Minneapolis for its comprehensive Minneapolis 2040 Plan.



The Ivory Prize recognizes companies, non-profits, and government entities making measurable and scalable strides in housing affordability. The Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability strives to find and support the companies, governments, nonprofits, and advocacy groups that are making housing more attainable and affordable for Americans who are at or below area median income.

In the first year the Ivory Prize received 126 nominations from 28 states, said Kent Colton, who chairs the Ivory Innovations Advisory Board. This year 168 nominations were received from 32 states. The significant increase shows both the magnitude of the housing affordability challenge as well as the innovation and creativity that is underway.

The finalists and winners for the Ivory Prize are determined by Ivory Innovations Advisory Board, which is composed of some of the top minds in housing. These include Clark Ivory, President and Trustee of the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation and CEO of Ivory Homes, Utahs largest homebuilder; Kent Colton, Chair of the Ivory Innovations Advisory Board and President of the Colton Housing Group; Carol Galante, Faculty Director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California at Berkeley; Chris Herbert, Managing Director of Harvards Joint Center for Housing Studies; Urban Institute Vice President and Co-director of its Housing Finance Policy Center, Laurie Goodman; Natalie Gochnour, Director of Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah; John McManus, VP-Editorial Director for Residential at Hanley Wood; and Ryan Smith, Director and Professor of the Washington State University School of Design and Construction.

The winners of the 2020 Ivory Prize were selected from the Top 10 finalists announced in February; the Top 25 were announced in January. Judging occurred at the headquarters of 2019 winner for Construction and Design, Factory_OS. The Terner Center at UC-Berkeley has a blog post about the competition and how the winners were selected.

For more information about the Ivory Prize and Ivory Innovations, check out this video or visit www.ivory-innovations.org.

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About Ivory Innovations: Ivory Innovations is an applied academic institution at the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business dedicated to catalyzing high impact innovations in housing affordability. Ivory Innovations seeks to promote the most compelling ideas in housing affordability by working across sectors, providing monetary awards for groundbreaking innovations and leveraging its network and resources.

Lewis Lowe

Ivory Innovations

7063028404

lewisl@strategies360.com






BULAWAYO Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube has condemned the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) for running the zonal mealie-meal distribution in the city without consulting locals.





The programme, which started in Bulawayo on Wednesday, is aimed at averting corruption in the sale of subsidised roller meal. Some people have been sourcing the product from the official market at the recommended selling price of $70 a 10 kg bag and sell it for as much as $170 a bag on the black market.





Minister Ncube said the zonal distribution was a noble idea but said it was distasteful that millers wanted to run the show without consulting locals. She said she felt ashamed when some businesspeople and community members approached her for more details only to find her also clueless.





While we appreciate the gesture and the people are really in need of this basic commodity, it is not proper for me to see it on social media and hear that such is happening. It is a noble cause, but the locals always know their challenges better and know what homegrown solutions work. We have always had ozibuthe lamabhuku. It would have been noble to also hear of this zonal distribution programme from the millers themselves not from social media. Right now, even when people call my office and seek details about the programme, I am also clueless and all I have is a chain message I saw on WhatsApp. It is not the proper way of doing things, she said.





The minister asked how a proposal went into implementation stage, on behalf of Bulawayo while leaving the people of Bulawayo out of the process.





We must all sit at the table and add inputs on how it can be rolled out in Bulawayo. I hear the mealie-meal has been coming to the city, some are buying in numbers, some people are reselling the mealie-meal, we see them on WhatsApp statuses and in the street selling roller meal at a premium, said the minister.





These are some of the issues that we are very much concerned with. Involve the people of Bulawayo so that we may also add input on how we can address the issue of the black market. If people are abusing this facility, now how do we protect the millers when we have not been involved from the onset. It makes it very difficult.





I read about this zoning in the papers. There are people who want to run Bulawayo without us knowing.





That will not work. If you have your dream or your idea, you may approach the relevant office, and do not implement your own things, you will mess things up for us in Bulawayo. Come up with your suggestions, our offices are always open.





We know what has worked and what has failed and we are open to new ideas, just do not leave the locals out, she said.





She urged corporates to respect and involve local people in decision making and developmental projects so that the programmes implemented would be crafted to be relevant to the needs of the people.





This is how they operate. But this is how we operate. People have approached me and said they dont want the zonal distribution to go via shops due to corruption and rejection of other payment options as they want cash only. The people of Bulawayo find it nagging. I have actually been approached by people who have made suggestions of better ways of doing this thing, but I have no platform of suggesting them since we have been left out, she said.




The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Sanjeev Sharma, an interior designer, who was arrested by the city police for allegedly assaulting two women resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital after accusing them of spreading Covid-19 in Gautam Nagar area on April 8.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar granted bail to Sharma on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 after the police had arrested him on a complaint by a 29-year-old junior resident doctor at Safdarjung Hospital who had alleged that Sharma started speaking about social distancing and remarked that doctors like them were spreading infection in residential areas while she had gone to the market on April 8.

According to the complaint, she then told Sharma that she knew the importance of social distancing and tried to reason out with him but he got abusive and aggressive and threatened that he would get a case registered against them.

It also said that Sharma even assaulted them and touched them inappropriately when they were about to leave the spot.

Sharma was granted bail by the Metropolitan Magistrate on April 9, however, it was cancelled on the same day by the Additional Sessions Judge looking into the seriousness of the allegations. Aggrieved, he moved to the Delhi High Court seeking release from the jail.

Appearing for him, his counsel contended that his client had been falsely implicated and he had only protested against the complainant and her sister for not maintaining the social distancing. He said that both the ladies became aggressive and told that they were doctors and knew the meaning of social distancing.

However, the court said that Sharma being an educated man should have been respectful to the doctors rather than abusing and threatening them.

The country is passing through a very difficult phase and the doctors are rendering service to the nation. The petitioner being an educated man, as stated by the counsel for the petitioner that he is an interior designer by profession, should have been respectful to the doctors rather than abusing and threatening them, the court said.

It also stated that No useful purpose would be served by keeping him in judicial custody and overcrowding Tihar Jail.

Therefore, in view of the above facts and circumstances, the petitioner is admitted to bail on his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs 20,000 with one surety of the like amount subject to the satisfaction of the concerned MM/Duty MM, the court said.
POPULAR businessman Rostam Aziz has today donated various items, including sanitizers and face masks, in efforts to strengthen fight against the COVD-19 in the city of Dar es Salaam.

Mr Aziz handed over the donation to the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda in implementation of his last weeks pledge to the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

He promised to donate 1bn/- for buying the items to be distributed to commuter buses in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
As human activity shapes Earth's climate, animals must increasingly adapt to new environmental conditions. The thermoneutral zone -- the ambient temperature range in which mammals can maintain their body temperature without expending extra energy -- is a key factor in estimating a species' ability to survive in a warming world.

Reptiles and other ectotherms that rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature are believed to be more vulnerable to global warming in the tropics than in temperate climates. However, less is known about small tropical mammals, especially those active during the day.

To better understand if small tropical mammals also have increased vulnerability as their environments heat up, Danielle Levesque, University of Maine assistant professor of mammology and mammal health, and collaborators from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak studied Bornean treeshrews. They measured the oxygen consumption of the wild-caught lesser treeshrews (Tupaia minor) over a range of temperatures, calculating the animals' resting metabolic rate and thermoneutral zone.

The team found that, like other treeshrew species, the animals exhibited more flexibility in body temperature regulation than other small mammals. This contradicts current assumptions that the upper limit of the thermoneutral zone between mammal species has little variation. The findings highlight the importance of further research on the energetics of mammals in the equatorial tropics.

###

The team's findings were published in the paper "Small tropical mammals can take the heat- high upper limits of the thermoneutrality in a Bornean treeshrew" in May in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.

The study's team included undergraduate students who were funded by two National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates and a Research Coordination Network grants awarded to the University of Arkansas. The research was supported by a grant from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and a fellowship from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
NEW YORK, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pager , a virtual care companion technology that provides a personalized, omni-channel care experience throughout people's healthcare journey, today announced that Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc's Horizon Blue mobile application is deploying Pager's white label COVID-19 solution across its network of 2.1 million Commercial members (age 18 and up) and 108,000 Medicare members.

With Pager's AI-based technology, the Horizon Blue mobile application now offers members of New Jersey's oldest and largest health insurer convenient access to comprehensive risk assessment services, telemedicine services from licensed clinicians, and designated locations for testing and emergency treatment for COVID-19 if appropriate. This enables members to avoid the higher than usual hold and wait times they can experience due to the demands from the COVID-19 outbreak when trying to contact clinicians directly. The solution enables members to triage from assessment all the way through a complete video consultation with a doctor in approximately 20 minutes without ever leaving their home.

"The solution we developed with Pager is part of a coordinated effort to connect Horizon's network doctors with our members in the midst of an unprecedented need for virtual visits and an overwhelming demand on telemedicine capacity," said Allen J. Karp, Horizon's Executive Vice President of Healthcare Management & Transformation. "It is testament to our collective creativity that our physicians are able to trade their brick and mortal practices for video and texting platforms to meet the growing demand of our 3.5 million members. At the same time, by delivering care via telemedicine, we can eliminate some of the strain placed on our providers and preserve resources for the most serious cases of COVID-19."

Built on top of Pager's existing sophisticated virtual care platform that is fully integrated within the Horizon Blue mobile application, Pager's clinical triage protocol first identifies members at risk for COVID-19 before navigating them to the right point of care according to their needs and symptoms.

"COVID-19 is pushing our health systems to their limits, and people are afraid to leave their houses unnecessarily-- with good reason," said Walter Jin, CEO of Pager. "We are grateful that our technology can be applied to address COVID-19 concerns as we help Horizon's members and providers in this time of need."

About Pager

Pager is your virtual care companion that provides a personalized, connected care experience throughout your healthcare journey, like having a "doctor in the family." Pager provides people with the right information, navigation and coordination services to access the complete set of virtual care services including triage, telemedicine, prescriptions, appointments, transportation and after-care follow-up. Pager simplifies the healthcare experience by enabling collaboration with multiple healthcare professionals into a unified group conversation through various omni-channel modalities. Pager's embedded SaaS technology integrates with claims and clinical data systems, in addition to third-party point solutions, to enable AI automation that delivers a personalized, seamless engagement experience. Pager partners with payers, providers and employers to offer this solution to over 10 million people across the United States, in addition to Latin America.

SOURCE Pager
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- It all happened purely by chance.

Donna Terry was sitting on the porch of her Ocean Springs home roughly three weeks ago when a younger neighbor walked by.

She was walking by and asked how I was doing, Terry said. She said she knew some women who were sewing masks for people to wear to protect against the coronavirus and she thought Id be interested. She didnt sew herself, but said shed be happy to come by, pick them up and distribute them. I havent seen her since."

But no matter. An idea was born.

Terry had spent 22 years as a professional seamstress for the Swingster company when it operated in downtown Ocean Springs. When the company shut down many years ago, she purchased two of the commercial sewing machines and continued to sew for family and friends -- particularly for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, making them clothes, costumes and the like.

I decided to go ahead with the masks, she said. I had a lot of material and a lot of time and was sick of watching television, so I decided to get started.

Get started, indeed. Roughly three weeks later, Terry has created more than 1,500 masks which have been distributed throughout the community and elsewhere, including to employees with Singing River Hospital System.

Her daughter, Gidget Terry, posted a few of the masks on Facebook and the demand for the colorful, but fully functional masks escalated rapidly, with another daughter, Kerry Terry Nall, assisting with the process. Gidget and Terry are two of Donna Terrys five children, all of whom live in the local area.

Gidget posted it on Facebook and Kerry started helping -- it just kind of snowballed from there, Terry said. I had no idea when it started it would turn into something like this.

She started March 24 and hasnt stopped, Gidget Terry said. She puts them in a ziplock bag, you dont come in the house and you pick it up off the porch. At one point, the entire front planter was full of them.

Donna Terry estimated each mask takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Its like a factory process, she said. Right now, I have about 300 cutout, some have the elastic in them already -- the elastic has been a big problem. We cant get enough of it. Nobody has it, so we have to order it. Kerry got some yesterday with 144 yards. Itll be gone tomorrow.

The 76-year-old Terry has lived in Ocean Springs for 62 years. She said she has remained at home since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Mississippi. Creating the masks, she said, has been a welcome distraction.

This has kept me from watching too much television, she said. The only bad thing is I sometimes stay up too late getting ready for the next day. But its been good. Ive enjoyed doing it and Im glad I can help people. I hope theyre getting use out of them.

It seems clear people are not only using Terrys masks, but are grateful for them.

The response has been overwhelming, Gidget Terry said. "We dont even see the people, but there will be cards and gifts left by the door. I love that everyones sending me their pictures with their masks on, thanking her.

Everyone talks about how wonderful she is. Weve always known it, but now everyone gets to see it.

And this isnt an isolated incident. Donna Terry has been helping her community for years. Prior to beginning her mask project, she had put together more than 100 Easter baskets to donate to The Lord Is My Help food pantry in Ocean Springs. She bought all the baskets and the goodies that went inside and put them together, setting them aside until Easter week.

One problem: Once she began making the masks she got so busy she forgot about the baskets.

It was the Wednesday before Easter and I said Mom, all those Easter baskets you did are still here, Gidget said. She asked to call and see if they were open.

Thankfully, they were, for one more day until closing for Good Friday, so Gidget and Donna were able to deliver the baskets.

Among the thank yous Donna Terry has received for her masks are tacos, po-boys, flowers, monetary donations to help continue making masks -- even a certificate for a facial once businesses are able to reopen.

In the meantime, she says shell keep making the masks as long as theyre needed.

I love the thank you notes, everything theyve given me, she said. I didnt realize people would do that. I didnt expect any recognition for it. I was just doing it to try and help.
The coronavirus pandemic in Latin America has had its most devastating impact in Ecuador. According to data released by the government on Wednesday, April 15, there were 7,858 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country and 369 deaths. The focus of the pandemic is the port city of Guayaquil, capital of Guaya province, which accounts for over 70 percent of the cases.

According to the official data, Ecuador is the second in terms of the absolute number of deaths from the disease on the continent, trailing only Brazilwith 1,736 confirmed deathswhich has a population that is 12 times larger.

However, as President Lenin Moreno himself admits, due to the general lack of tests, the official figures are a gross underestimate. Cynthia Viteri, the mayor of Guayaquil, from the Christian Social Party, said that mathematical projections made by experts point to more than 7,000 COVID-19 deaths in her city alone.

Jorge Wated, the leader of the task force organized by the government to collect bodies after the collapse of the funeral system, made a terrifying statement last Sunday. According to him, in recent weeks, 771 bodies have been removed by his team from residences in Guayaquil and another 631 dead from overcrowded hospital morgues. In some areas, bodies have been left in the street.

Although the task force has collected and buried many bodies, there are reports that at cemetery gates there are still rows of family cars carrying the bodies of their relatives inside sealed cardboard coffins.

Other families are condemned to endless searches to find the bodies of their loved ones. In a report to Agencia EFE, Liliam Larrea said that her father died on March 31 and she only was informed of the location of his body 10 days later. She was waiting for the weekend so she could remove him from an improvised morgue and transport him to the cemetery in her car.

She also reported that she had gone to three private clinics that refused to admit her father, who had respiratory problems, before being accepted by a specialized hospital. The doctor on duty at the hospital warned her to prepare herself, as her father would not overcome this one, although he arrived walking and conscious.

Health care professionals represent a considerable portion of coronavirus cases. The Ministry of Health reported about 10 days ago that more than 1,600 doctors, nurses and technologists were infected. More recently, the minister regretted that many doctors summoned on an emergency basis were deserting after discovering they would be sent to Guayaquil.

There is a total collapse of the health care system. Hospitals report a massive staff shortage, as many have taken medical leave after becoming infected. The Teodoro Maldonado Carbo hospital of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS) reported that it is operating with half the regular number of nurses in the ICU. There is a nurse for every 16 critical patients, this is a difficult fight, we are not supplied, the hospital staff told El Universo .

Nurses from the IESS hospital and other hospitals have protested on social media over the lack of basic equipment. They send us to war without weapons. We dont have the protective materials, especially the N95 masks, the disposable materials, and the clothes they give us are the disposable aprons, one for each shift, there is no disinfectant to wash our hands well ... and if we take sick days off, they start giving us white cards (dismissals), reported a nurse from the Francisco de Ycaza Bustamente Hospital.

The immense social crisis faced by the Ecuadorian population is a result of the criminal negligence of the ruling class and Lenin Morenos government, which, following the International Monetary Funds (IMF) austerity agenda, has annihilated funding for health care.

At the end of March, as he tried to stifle the explosion of the pandemic in the country and the collapse of the health system, Moreno accelerated payment of US$320 million in debt, declaring that the governments priority is to bring credibility. That is why we have already received the support of the International Monetary Fund, he said.

Last Sunday, the president made a new nationally televised statement, announcing a series of emergency measures to supposedly combat the coronavirus crisis in the country. In fact, through these measures, Moreno is taking advantage of the situation to advance his policies of attacks on the working class.

The government plans to create a so-called National Humanitarian Emergency Account, aimed at rescuing companies and providing basic aid to the poorer sectors of the population. To this end, it will tax for three months the profits of companies with an income larger than US$1 million, by 5 percent.

However, most of this fund will be financed by working class wages. Those who earn more than $500 a month will be required to make progressive contributions for nine months. Salaries of civil servants above $1,000 will also be taxed, at 10 percent.

Trying to cover up this attack with grotesque populism, Moreno announced that he will cut his own salary and that of other government officials by 50 percent. Even after these cuts, everyone will still receive over $2,000 a month, while they plan to allocate $60 in aid to the most impoverished for just two months.

At the same time, the government is preparing legislation for the urgent consideration of the national legislature. In the name of halting layoffs, it will propose free negotiation between the parties on the reduction of working hours and wages, as well as payment dates, in agreements valid for up to two years and with the option of renewal for two more! The content of this proposal is exactly the same as the labor reform that Moreno has been trying to approve since last year and was blocked by massive strikes and protests.

Instead of protecting workers, this measure will only give employers more freedom to continue the destruction of jobs. In the midst of the pandemic, a number of companies have invoked force majeure, using a clause in the Ecuadorian Labor Code to carry out mass layoffs without paying any compensation.

Moreno has attempted to shift the responsibility for these onto his predecessor, Rafael Correa, whom he served as vice president. About a week ago, Correa was sentenced for corruption to eight years in prison, together with a 25-year suspension of his political rights. He was accused of receiving illegal financing from companies. Referring to him, Moreno said: The pandemic hit us at a critical moment, when we were trying to surpass a very tough economic crisis. A crisis caused by the irresponsible debts we inherited and the robberies of those who were just convicted.

Morenos greatest fear, however, is not of his bourgeois political rivals, but rather the masses of workers and indigenous peasants. In his speech last Sunday, he launched an abstract threat, but one that must be understood as directed against the latent social opposition. Be very careful, said Moreno, those who want to commit abuses, or who want to benefit from this serious, very serious situation. Personally, I will make sure that the law punishes these abuses with all its weight!

In protest against the measures announced by Moreno, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), along with unions and other organizations that claim to be of a popular character, called a cacerolazo (beating pans in protest) this past Sunday.

CONAIE, just as its opponent Moreno, addresses itself to Washington to resolve the political crisis in Ecuador. On April 7, it sent a letter denouncing the government and making a series of demands to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), administered by the Organization of American States (OAS)the same US-dominated body that recently legitimized a military coup in Bolivia. The letter concludes: We trust in the intervention of the Inter-American Human Rights System, as well as in its objectivity.

The opposition to the government led by CONAIE has the same political character that was seen in the mass uprising of October of last year: it works to demoralize the Ecuadorian masses of the city and the countryside and in order to politically subordinate them to the bourgeoisie.

The working class and the peasant population cannot overcome the deep social and economic crisis, extremely aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic, without confronting the countrys subordination to the profit interest of international capital and the national bourgeoisie. In this struggle, all sectors of the Ecuadorian ruling class are mortal enemies and are inextricably bound with imperialism.

The workers need to establish an independent political movement for a socialist government in alliance with the international proletariat, especially the working class of the rest of Latin America and the United States.
The Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea filed by an accused in a rape case seeking interim bail to perform his father's last rites, saying it would be dangerous to release him in the current coronavirus pandemic situation as he will get in touch with many people outside increasing the risk of infection.

The court also said the bail application was totally silent on various aspects including record of recovery of the body of man's father who allegedly died by drowning, documents of cremation and details of other ceremonies.

There is another aspect of this matter. The village of the petitioner (accused) is around 800 Km from Delhi so it will be highly dangerous to release the petitioner on interim bail as it is not known as to how many persons he will get in touch while he will be there in his village, Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said.

The court added, There are great chances of his being infected and then his coming to jail after a period of interim bail would further complicate the matter which cannot be allowed in the current pandemic situation. Needless to repeat that the interim bail application is totally bereft of any details.

Accused Rakesh Kumar claimed that his father died on April 9 by drowning in a river in Kurwa village in Uttar Pradesh Ambedkar Nagar and sought to be released on interim bail for two months to perform the last rites and to settle family affairs.

The man, against whom a rape case was registered against Kumar in 2014 at Anand Parbat police station, said he has been lodged in jail for over six years.

The prosecution opposed the bail plea saying nothing has been placed on record to show that the man's father died on April 9 due to drowning and contended that the allegations against him are serious in nature as he is accused of raping a minor girl.

The high court, while dismissing the bail plea, said Nothing has been placed on record to show that the father of the petitioner expired on April 9 by drowning. The petitioner could have filed the police documents regarding the recovery of the dead body of his father or any document to show that he was cremated.

"More so, in the entire bail application it is not stated as to what all ceremonies have to take place and on which date these ceremonies are to be performed. The bail application is totally silent on this aspect.

The court, which was informed by the prosecutor that the trial court has fixed the matter for pronouncement of judgement, said it was expected from the lower court that the verdict would be passed as expeditiously as possible and when the situation warrants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
From being optimistic about the future to laughing through tough times, prominent Indian-Americans, including former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, shared the best advise they received to remain hopeful and motivated in a special edition of TIME magazine as the world battles with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of its annual issue on 100 most influential people in the world, TIME asked members of its TIME 100 community for insights and perspectives on some of the challenges people all across the world are all facing in navigating the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nooyi, who had been named to the TIME 100 most influential people in 2008, said in her advise, Yes, be nostalgic about the past. Be very realistic about the present. Educate yourself thoroughly. Be optimistic about the future. Human ingenuity is limitless.

Comedian Hasan Minhaj, featured in 2019 TIME list, says right after you read the news, try doing a physical activity. Do push-ups, take a walk, do 25 jumping jacks. You're going to feel panic and anxiety; do something physical to burn it off. It'll give you clarity.

Former US Attorney Preet Bharara, named to the TIME 100 list in 2012, said Someone recently told me, It's still O.K. to laugh.' It's important.

Indian-origin physician and entrepreneur Raj Panjabi, co-founder and CEO of Last Mile Health, recalled a lesson he learnt from his father as his family just arrived in North Carolina after fleeing Liberia's civil war.

As we rebuilt our lives in America as refugees, my father kept repeating this lesson he learned from West Africa: no condition is permanent, he said.

Panjabi said this lesson shaped his world view. I fundamentally believe that we as human beings are not defined by the conditions we face, no matter how hopeless they seemwe are defined by how we respond to them.

TIME said a few months ago, not many could have predicted how quickly COVID-19 would reshape the world.

For many people, the biggest changes seemed to happen overnight: cities shut down, jobs lost, and family and friends suddenly at risk of contracting an unfamiliar and frightening disease.

"Futures that once seemed certainsummer vacations, work anniversaries, weddings with all of your loved ones presentnow seem much less so, it said.

The publication said it asked members of the TIME 100, its community of the world's most influential people, to share the best advice they've ever given or received about how to stay hopeful and motivated during difficult times.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hanoi to conduct quick COVID-19 tests at wholesale markets

With its typical characteristics, wet markets pose a high risk of virus infection

Localities throughout the capital have been requested to conduct rapid tests at a number of wholesale markets on April 18-19 in order to detect the potential spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung was speaking at a meeting of the Citys Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on April 17.

Chung noted that the nature of performing quick tests at various wholesale markets will greatly help to detect any COVID-19 cases and will allow authorities to quickly zone off certain areas to slow the spread of the disease if necessary.

Indeed, the testing method known as Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction is to be carried out on suspected cases in order for relevant bodies to receive confirmation on whether suspected cases are positive or negative for the virus.

The wholesale markets selected for the quick tests include Nga Tu So Market in Thanh Xuan district, Long Bien Market in Long Bien district, Hoang Mai fruit wholesale market, Ha Vy poultry wholesale market in Thuong Tin district, in addition to other seafood markets located around the capital.

With Hanoi remaining the countrys epicentre of the COVID-19 epidemic, mass testing is still considered a vital and effective method to prevent the transmission of the virus.

Vietnam has 21 more recovered COVID-19 patients, total at 198

Three COVID-19 patients, including Patient 105, Patient 106 and Patient 144, have recovered and were discharged from the Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital in Tra Vinh Province on Friday morning.

Twenty-one Vietnamese patients with COVID-19 have recovered and were discharged from three treatment facilities across the country on April 17.

The new recovered patients have brought the countrys total patients being given the all-clear to 198, making up nearly 74 per cent of the total 268 COVID-19 patients in Viet Nam.

At the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, there are 17 recovered patients, including three canteen staff of Truong Sinh Service Company at Bach Mai Hospital. All of them had at least two samples testing negative for SARS-CoV-2 and are in a stable health condition.

They include: Patient 108 (male, 19); Patient 128 (male, 20); Patient 133 (female, 65); Patient 139 (female, 24); Patient 169 (female, 47); Patient 172 (female, 35); Patient 173 (female, 43); Patient 174 (female, 57); Patient 183 (female, 43); Patient 191 (female, 36); Patient 213 (female, 40); Patient 217 (female, 25); Patient 219 (female, 59); Patient 221 (female, 24); Patient 223 (female, 29); Patient 242 (female, 34); and Patient 251 (male, 64).

At the General Hospital of Nho Quan District of Ninh Binh Province, the recovered patient is Patient 229, female, 30. She was admitted to the hospital in April. During treatment, she was tested three times and all tests were negative for SARS-CoV-2 on April 10, 12 and 14.

On Friday morning, three other patients, including Patient 105, Patient 106 and Patient 144, have recovered and were discharged from the Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital in Tra Vinh Province. All three patients tested negative three times for SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The remaining patients undergoing treatment are in a stable condition, except three severely ill patients undergoing treatment in intensive care units.

As of this morning, Viet Nam reported no new COVID-19 cases. The countrys total COVID-19 cases stands at 268 and no fatalities have been reported. The world reported over 2.18 million people with the novel coronavirus and more than 145,500 deaths in 211 countries and territories.

Vietnam gives Cambodia medical supplies to fight COVID-19

An official of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia gives aid to Vietnamese-Cambodians

The Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association handed over medical supplies and cash to its counterpart on April 17 in Hanoi to help the Cambodian people cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The handover ceremony took place at the Cambodian Embassy, with gifts including 12,500 face masks, 500 bottles of disinfectant, and 50 million VND.

Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chay Navuth expressed his gratitude towards the Vietnamese people and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association for their support amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He recalled the assistance the Vietnam People's Army gave to the Cambodian people in the fight against the genocidal Pol Pot regime.

The ambassador also expressed his belief that the COVID-19 pandemic will soon end in Vietnam, Cambodia, and the world.

The two countries will continue to promote the solidarity and traditional friendship nurtured by many generations of leaders and people of Cambodia and Vietnam, he said.

Thailand to reopen land border gates

Thailands Immigration Bureau on April 16 announced that it will reopen 23 land border gates as from April 18 for Thai citizens who wish to return from neighbouring countries.



Only Thai nationals would be allowed to enter the country after obtaining a health certificate and permission from the respective Thai embassies.

They are also obliged to take 14-day quarantine upon their return.

Foreigners will not be allowed to enter Thailand except for diplomats or work permit holders.

Thailand closed its border gates on March 20 as part of the state of emergency lockdown orders imposed to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The closures have left many Thais stranded in Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

Thailands Health Ministry receives donations for COVID-19 fight

Deputy Prime Minsiter and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (R) and Swiss Ambassador to Thailand Helene Budliger Artieda (Source: http://thainews.prd.go.th/)

Medical supplies are now in high demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the governments efforts to supply and fund hospitals, the private sector and partner countries have been making helpful contributions through donations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul has officially received cash donations from the Ambassador of Switzerland in Thailand Helene Budliger Artieda, and a representative of a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Novartis, who have donated 7.75 million baht to the Department of Medical Services Foundation for COVID-19 disease control operations.

The Bunjitpimol Family, executives of Navamintra Hospital, have donated two respirators. Ocean Life Insurance has donated 77,650 face shields for 902 hospitals nationwide.

Executives of MCOT have donated aerosol protective boxes for medical professionals, while Fahlangfon Foundation has donated surgical masks.

The Health Minister said Thailand is still on top of the situation, with the government on high alert despite a stabilizing trend in the number of new cases reported each day, in order to prevent any new clusters occurring.

He has assured the public that donated items will be distributed for the benefit of medical professionals.

177 covid-19 patients declared to have fully recover

One more patient has recovered from the coronavirus and been discharged from the Ninh Binh General Hospital on Thursday evening, lifting the total number of COVID-19 recovered patients in Vietnam to 177.

Vinh Phucs makeshift hospital closed

The Peoples Committee of northern Vinh Phuc Province has decided to close a 300-bed makeshift hospital which was opened to accommodate quarantined people and treat COVID-19 patients.

The hospital was renovated in early February from an old section of the provincial school of culture and art on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Vinh Yen City.

The facilities, with many rooms, have helped quarantine a large number of people.

Quick response teams managed by the provincial General Hospital were on duty at the temporary establishment.

About 196 staff were mobilised to work at the hospital across eight departments.

After the closure, the provincial Peoples Committee asked the local Military Command Force to hand over all facilities and equipment to the provincial General Hospital for management.

The General Hospital and the provincial disease control centre are in charge of supervising health of medical staff who worked at the temporary hospital.

Vinh Phuc Province was a hotspot in COVID-19s first phase in Viet Nam after local people returned from Wuhan, Chinas epicentre.

The province now has 19 patients. Thirteen have recovered.

Since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Viet Nam in January, Vinh Phuc Province made use of a number of facilities to quarantine people including Quang Ha General Clinic, the provincial Military School, and headquarters of the local Military Command Force.

One village, two healthcare facilities locked down after Ha Giang reports first COVID-19 case

Pin Tung Hamlet, ong Van District where the 16-year old patient lives.  Photo dongvan.hagiang.gov.vn

Pin Tung Hamlet and two healthcare facilities in ong Van District in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang have been placed under lockdown after a 16-year-old ethnic minority girl tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Thursday.

The provincial health sector will provide essential items to households under lockdown in the village.

According to the provincial Department of Health, the teenage girl visited Pho Bang General Clinic for a health check after experiencing breathing difficulties on Tuesday.

She was then moved to ong Van Districts General Hospital for quarantine.

In the middle of March, she had close contact with her brothers who worked in China and completed 14-day quarantine after returning to Viet Nam.

Local authorities identified 177 people having contact with her including 56 people with close contact.

Those people are being quarantined.

As of Friday morning, 83 had their samples taken for testing with 22 results negative.

San Van Cuong, director of the district General Hospital, said the patient was being quarantined and was in a stable condition. She stopped coughing and was breathing normally.

The General Clinic of Pho Bang Town and the ong Van District hospital have closed and now only deal with emergencies, he said.

The Yen Minh and Meo Vac general hospitals will receive patients of ong Van District Hospital.

The provincial steering committee on COVID-19 prevention and control asked district authorities to set up eight more health check-up points at Pho Bang Town, Pho La Commune (ong Van District) and Thuong Phung Commune (Meo Vac District).

Local authorities were asked to encourage people to declare their health status and sanitise all places connected to the patient.

Ministry of Health releases COVID-19 aftercare guidance





Workers spray sterilising substances in ong Cuu Village, Dung Tien Commune, Thuong Tin District in Ha Noi after the 266th COVID-19 patients was confirmed there.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has released guidance on rehabilitation after recovering from a coronavirus infection.

The guidance says COVID-19 patients need to improve their lung function, avoid a physical and mental decline and improve their motor capacity.

After being deemed free of the virus by medical professionals, patients should use various techniques to recover from the damage it has done to their body.

The techniques include different types of breathing practice, how to release sputum and moving with gradually increasing intensity.

The patients should keep space of at least two metres with other people and avoid close contact during their rehab.

Some patients can use guidance videos or leaflets, while others more severely affected should be helped by medical workers after consultation from specialised doctors.

Patients with lung injuries affecting their respiratory function should have a re-examination after a month and then depending on their recovery, the re-examination should be taken every three months.

Medical workers should gradually adjust exercises, intensity and practice periods to be suitable for the patients condition.

Number of COVID-19 cases remains at 268 as of April 17 morning

Samples are tested at the disease control centre of Da Nang city

The number of COVID-19 patients in Vietnam remains at 268 as there were no new cases reported overnight, the national steering committee for the coronavirus prevention and control said on April 17 morning.

Among the total, 160 or 59.7 percent are imported cases while the remaining 108 cases, 40.3 percent, contracted SARS-CoV-2 from other patients in the community.

As many as 177 patients have fully recovered.

An additional 14 people under treatment at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi are expected to be given the all-clear on April 17, according to the committee.

Of the 91 patients currently in hospital, 14 have tested negative once and 19 others twice.

Meanwhile, the three patients in critical conditions, which are cases No. 19, 91 and 161, are showing signs of improvement.

Hanoi Buffaloes deliver gifts to poor residents amid COVID-19

People in need can come to to pick Hanoi Buffaloes' free packs for families at 124-126 Le Duan Street. Photo toquoc.vn

The Hanoi Buffaloes basketball team has been helping people in difficulty during the COVID-19 crisis by handing out hundreds of free gifts every day.

The Buffaloes started their charity activities on April 13 and have not yet set an end date.

Everyone in need can visit 124-126 Le Duan Street, Ha Noi, to take a pack of items which could feed up to four people per day. Around 200 sets will be delivered daily.

The coronavirus has strongly affect all people, especially poor ones. It is time for enterprises to show their responsibilities to the community, said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, Deputy General Director of Hanoi Buffaloes Company.

As a professional club based in the city and being citizens of Ha Noi we hope to share difficulties with our people so that we can overcome this challenge, said Anh.

Anh also expects the club will inspire other enterprises and sponsors.

Hanoi Buffaloes is the first professional basketball club in the capital. Established in 2016, they have participated in the Vietnam Basketball Association league for four years with their home ground at Bach Khoa Gymnasium.

The Buffaloes have not won any titles yet, but they finished third at the Thailand Basketball Super League in 2017 and second in the VBA in 2018.

Singapores new COVID-19 cases set another daily record

Singapores Health Ministry on April 17 confirmed additional 728 cases of COVID-19, the countrys new daily record, lifting the total to 4,427.

No new deaths were reported on the same day, leaving the toll at 10.

The ministry said of the new cases, 654 were linked to migrant workers dormitories. The latest count of the new infections was much higher than the previous biggest daily jump of 447 recorded a day earlier.

Local authorities have managed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 among Singapores citizens by rigorous contact tracing and surveillance, earning praise from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Singaporean authorities said they would impose stronger punishments on those who repeatedly break the 28-day circuit-breaker rules.

From April 9, enforcement officers would stern written warnings to people found gathering in public in Singapore. Those found to breach the rules a second time are fined 300 SGP, and taken to court if caught a third time.

The number of new COVID-19 cases is increasing sharply, and we must comply with the Stay Home measures very strictly, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote in a Facebook post last week.

The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been implementing social distancing measures on the metro and bus systems, such as limiting the number of commuters who can enter train stations and buses.

Safe distancing stickers are progressively rolled out on all trains, train stations, buses, bus stops and bus interchanges to mark out spaces and seats that should be avoided by commuters. Thermal scanners are deployed at selected MRT stations to screen commuters before they enter the stations.

Thailand: CCSA insists fewer new cases not from testing less

The Thai governments COVID-19 centre has insisted the lower number of new COVID-19 cases announced each day is not due to an alleged lesser number of tests, while health authorities are working to increase test numbers according to the situation.

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administrations (CCSA) Spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin has stressed that the drop in the daily number of new COVID-19 cases is not a result of less testing.

He said 100,498 tests for the coronavirus causing COVID-19 have been performed in Thailand from February up until April 10, using the RT-PCR method.

Test capacity as well as criteria for eligibility have been expanded to cover all groups of patients, and in response to the current situation.

In the case of a BMTA bus driver who has died of COVID-19, formally announced by the CCSA on April 16, the spokesman insisted the authorities had not tried to conceal this information.

He said the BMTA promptly notified health authorities according to the protocol, while health workers have been tracing and screening 20 persons who were in close contact with the deceased in this case, all of whom are now in self-isolation for symptoms monitoring.

Passengers on buses operated by the then driver can receive an examination if they exhibit suspicious symptoms.

Regarding Thai nationals overseas who wish to return home, Taweesin has clarified that the government does not prohibit their return travel, but rather asks them to comply with the screening measures which will start in their current country of residence.

He said Thai nationals abroad are asked to travel back in batches, as authorities in Thailand must come up with supporting protocols, as well as preparing the staff and facilities.

The CCSA spokesman said he isnt worried that protocols to screen returning Thai nationals from abroad might be seen as unconstitutional, stressing that this is an essential measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country, while also pointing to the declining number of new cases.

Cambodia extends travel ban on citizens from US, Iran, four EU nations

People in Phnompenh wear face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Cambodia has decided to extend its ban on arrivals of citizens from the US, Iran and four European nations in an attempt to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading.

In a letter to Cambodian Ambassadors, General Consuls and Honorary Consuls overseas, Cambodian Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sea Kosal announced the decision to continue the ban on all persons travelling from the US, Iran, Italy, German, Spain and France until further notice.

The letter also said that Cambodias decision to deny entry to all foreigners will also remain effective until further notice.

Cambodia barred entry of citizens from the six nations in mid March.

The same day, the Cambodian Ministry of Health confirmed no new COVID-19 cases for the fourth day in a row, while two more patients have recovered.

Cambodia has recorded 122 cases of COVID-19, of whom 98 have recovered.

No new COVID-19 cases reported on April 16 evening

Medical workers spray disinfectant at a residence of a patient

Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 cases on April 16 evening, keeping the total number of infections in the country at 268.

According to the Ministry of Health, 177 patients have so far recovered, including six in Quang Ninh, Ha Nam and Ninh Binh provinces on April 16.

Among 91 active cases, seven tested negative once. Twenty nine others tested negative twice.

After the first case was reported on April 16 morning in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, the province has been added to the list of localities at medium risk.

Men jailed for assaulting official on COVID-19 duty



Trinh and Thanh at the court hearing.

Two men in the Central Highlands province of ak Nong on Wednesday were charged with resisting officials on COVID-19 prevention and control duty.

Nguyen Cong Trinh, 37 years old, and Kieu Van Thanh, 50, living in Gia Nghia City, were jailed for nine months and one year, respectively.

According to the indictment of the city Peoples Procuracy, at 9pm on April 9, a number of people were found in a coffee shop owned by Trinhs wife. The patrons were not wearing face masks in spite of the Governments social distancing orders.

A police officer from Nghia Thanh Ward wrote a report and asked Trinhs wife to sign it so an administrative fine could be issued.

The two offenders, Trinh and Thanh, opposed the official on duty by snatching the paper from his hand and punching him in the face.

At the court hearing on Wednesday, the two men admitted their wrongdoing and said they were unable to control themselves after drinking alcohol.

Vietnamese Embassy in Russia calls for support for COVID-19 treatment





A quiet street in St. Petersburg, Russia at the height of COVID-19.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia has sent a diplomatic note to local authorities calling for their essential and timely health support for overseas Vietnamese.

The Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Moscow reported that the number of Vietnamese people infected with SARS-CoV-2 had increased sharply since the end of March.

As of April 15, about 100 Vietnamese in Russia were admitted to hospitals for common pneumonia and pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.

Among those, at least 80 people in Moscow tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Many infected people who are in stable condition were advised by doctors to self isolate at home.

The Vietnamese Embassy has sought Russian competent agencies assistance in COVID-19 testing and treatment.

The embassy has also updated the pandemic developments to the Vietnamese community and offer support if needed.

As of Thursday morning, Russia recorded 24,490 cases including 198 deaths.

The government has put into operation additional treatment facilities to address overcrowding of healthcare facilities.

Moscow has become a hotspot of COVID-19 in Russia. Up to 54 per cent of healthcare facilities in Moscow are reportedly virus transmission sources.

Three COVID-19 patients in Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh discharged

A patient is discharged from the Ninh Binh General Hospital

Three more COVID-19 patients in the northern provinces of Ninh Binh and Quang Ninh were discharged from hospital on April 16.

The patient in Ninh Binh - the 211th in Vietnam - is a 23-year-old Vietnamese female student who returned home from the US on March 20.

She was tested many times during her treatment and was negative for SARS-CoV-2 in her last four tests.

She will undergo self-quarantine at home for the next 14 days.

The Ninh Binh General Hospital has successfully treated two COVID-19 patients, while eleven others are currently receiving treatment.

In Quang Ninh, patients 50 and 149 were discharged from the provincial center for disease control and will be under quarantine for seven more days at a local acute respiratory disease hospital.

Patient 50 is a 24-year-old woman who returned from London on a flight with patient 46.

The 149th patient is a 40-year-old worker returning from the German state of Hessen.

Both tested negative three times.

COVID-19: Low-risk localities told to remain vigilant

Many people seen on Ha Giang street amid COVID-19 outbreak

Localities with a low risk of the COVID-19 pandemic are nonetheless not safe amid the outbreak, a health expert has said.

At a Cabinet meeting on the afternoon of April 15, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed with a proposal from the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on classifying the risk in different localities.

Twelve cities and provinces face a high risk of infection, the group with medium risk comprises 15 cities and provinces, and the low-risk group include the remaining 36 cities and provinces.

However, Associate Professor Tran Dac Phu, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine and adviser to Vietnams public health emergency operations center, said these classifications are resulting in many people believing that low-risk localities are completely safe.

Nowhere and no one in Vietnam, he explained, is completely safe from COVID-19.

He took the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang as an example. It is classified as a low-risk locality but reported its first infection on the morning of April 16.

Everyone, he said, including those in low-risk localities, must remain vigilant and strictly obey prevention and control measures such as wearing face masks, washing hands with antibacterial soap or sanitiser, and keeping a distance of at least 2 meters away from others.

Social distancing is extremely important, he emphasised, recommending that everyone with a fever and cough make medical declarations to be tested.

After its first infection was reported, Ha Giang province held an urgent teleconference to identify and adopt appropriate measures and boost its communications activities with locals, especially ethnic minority groups in remote areas.

Viet Nam has strong response to COVID-19: international experts





Medical staff spray disinfectants in Gieng Mut Alley, Hai Ba Trung District, Ha Noi.

A leading expert from the COVID-19 International Task Force said Viet Nam has had a very strong response to the pandemic in reply to a question on why the number of infection cases has been kept low in the country.

Dr Barbara Marston, COVID-19 International Task Force Lead at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said there were many different factors that contribute to Viet Nams low number. But they are certainly related to the quality of responses."

She made the comment at a telephonic press briefing on Wednesday on the CDCs response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia and co-ordination efforts with national governments in the region.

Responding to a reporters question on the efforts of Viet Nam in containing COVID-19, Dr John MacArthur, the CDC Thailand country director, said the CDC team in Viet Nam is working quite closely with the Vietnamese Government and they believe that the Vietnamese Government is doing a good job.

The public health system in Viet Nam is very strong. The Government at the highest level took this seriously, and has really taken a whole-of-government approach to the response, and I think thats why were seeing some successes in Viet Nam.

The Government has been building the disease detectives that are necessary to do the on-the-ground contact tracing, really, the public health heavy lifting thats necessary to get this epidemic, pandemic under control, and that theyve got some strong laboratories.

The CDC team in Viet Nam is working very closely with counterparts from the health ministry on many aspects of this pandemic response, providing technical assistance in the areas of surveillance, data analysis, laboratory testing, doing investigations, contact tracing, he said.

As of Thursday morning, Viet Nam recorded 268 COVID-19 cases while many other neighbouring countries like Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia have witnessed more than 5,000 cases.

Viet Nams daily increase of infection cases in the latest week remained below five cases.

The Government is continuing a social distancing policy in high-risk localities along with other national-scale measures like quarantine and limiting immigration.

More COVID-19 patients recover

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The last three COVID-19 patients in a hospital in the northern province of Ha Nam were declared to have fully recovered on the morning of April 16.

This makes Ha Nam now free of COVID-19 cases.

The patients are female employees of the Truong Sinh Company which provided catering services to Hanois Bach Mai Hospital which was a hot spot of the pandemic.

The same day, another patient in Ninh Binh general hospital was also cured and discharged from hospital.

Meanwhile, two COVID-19 patients have been given the all-clear and were discharged from the Quang Ninh Hospital 2 in Quang Ninh Province on April 16 morning.

The patients will undergo quarantine and monitoring per regulations from the Ministry of Health.

By April 16 afternoon, Vietnam had reported 268 Covid-19 cases, one more case compared to the previous day.

Of the total patients, 176 have fully recovered.

Southeast Asian countries see downward trend in COVID-19 cases

Thailand on April 16 reported 29 new COVID-19 cases, lifting the total to 2,672, and three new deaths, bringing the toll to 46.

This continues an encouraging downward trend with double-digit numbers since April 8. The countrys highest daily toll to date was the 188 recorded on March 22.

In Cambodia, the Health Ministry confirmed zero case on April 16, the fourth day in a row, while two more patients have fully recovered. The country has so far recorded 122 cases and 98 recoveries.

The country's Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training said over 95 percent of local factories have maintained normal operation during Chol Chnam Thmey festival, Cambodias traditional New Year.

The Cambodian government has also called for enforcement of stringent measures to ensure food security for the country.

Meanwhile, Brunei plans to introduce tracking devices for recovered COVID-19 patients and those undergoing self-quarantine, according to its Ministry of Health.

The electronic devices are expected to help tracking the movements of quarantined people to ensure they abide by the 14-day home quarantine rules.

Brunei has reported no new cases for the fifth consecutive day on April 15. The total cases remained at 136.

Ha Tinh border guard find 20 people crossing from Laos illegally

A border soldier patrols the border in Ha Tinh Province to prevent illegal entry into Viet Nam amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Photo dantri.com.vn

Border guards in the central province of Ha Tinh have arrested 20 people (including 15 Vietnamese citizens and five foreigners) who were crossing the Viet Nam-Laos border illegally.

They were discovered when the border guards patrolled trails and openings along the border to prevent illegal entry into Viet Nam amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dan Tri online newspaper reported.

Fifteen Vietnamese were given medical examinations and put under quarantine in Huong Son District.

Five foreigners were forced to return to Laos.

Border authorities in Ha Tinh Province also set up 16 checkpoints at the trails and roads along the border and nine patrol teams to strictly control all travel through border gates as part of an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
School boards and other governing bodies have moved to virtual meetings to maintain the social distancing considered crucial to slowing the coronavirus spread  and, in some cases, are operating under looser rules made possible by hastily crafted executive orders and board motions.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

MiG-31 interceptor aircraft of Kazakhstans air force crashed on Apr. 16, 2020 near countrys Karaganda city, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Defense Ministry.

The ministry said that the plane crashed during a scheduled training flight to prepare for combat duty.

The incident occurred south of the airfield in Karaganda city. After The fire started in one of the engines after the take-off. After receiving a command for ejection, pilots directed the aircraft to the field, away from the village and having made sure that the civilian population was not in danger, the crew ejected. The pilots are alive, the ministry said.

By the decree of the countrys defense minister the commission was put together to investigate the incident. A squad of search and rescue service of Kazakhstans air force has already arrived at the scene.

---

Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
SIU manufactures, donates 3D-printed face shields to SIH

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Among the many items essential healthcare workers rely upon to keep them safer during the COVID-19 pandemic is a clear, plastic shield that fits on their head, covering their faces. And, like other items, face shields are running in short supply.

Faculty at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are pitching in to help solve the local shortage.

Lingguo Bu, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, with support from the SIU STEM Education Research Center, on Tuesday delivered about 40 shields to Southern Illinois Healthcare, a major healthcare provider in Southern Illinois. Bu is one of several faculty and students using 3D printing technology housed at the university to manufacture the shields in the face of growing demand.

Were glad we can do something to serve the community, which is one of the missions of the university, Bu said.

SIU longstanding mission of service

SIH officials said the shields are a critical need for their healthcare workers.

The 3D technology to produce face shields for our healthcare providers is a game-changer, said SIH Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Harre. I am so appreciative of the university's efforts to stand in the gap and support us during the COVID-19 crisis.

SIU faculty and students routinely perform outreach with local agencies. It was one of these service missions  a workshop with local schools  that made the connection and started the process this time. Bu said his sons fifth-grade teacher at Carbondales Lewis School first alerted him to the need for shields locally, as well as available construction plans that could be used to make them.

Over years weve built a 3D design lab, and we use designs and printing to serve our students as well as STEM teachers in the area, Bu said. Because of this, we got a message from a Lewis School teacher with whom we had done a workshop, as well as from another of my students from Mt. Vernon whose husband does laser cutting. They told us about the SIH request for the shields.

SIH sent the construction plan files, created by the European Prusa 3D printing team and recommended by SIH, to SIU. Faculty were off and running from there, with Grant Miller, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, and Harvey Henson, director of the STEM Education Research Center, leading the way along with Bu.

Manufacture gearing up

They began working with raw filaments and other materials they had on hand, but have ordered more. They plan to continue building the shields as long as they are needed.

The 3D design lab has been supported by the STEM Center and the SIU Foundation over the years, Bu said. We designed some tools to make the clear face shields. But the STEM Center is fully supporting this effort with equipment, space and supplies. We worked together closely to make this happen.

Aaron Scott, associate professor of design in the School of Art and Design, is also working on building the shields.

We have created a few prototypes and are now just waiting on our materials to arrive. Then we will begin production, he said. We are utilizing the equipment, 3D printer, laser cutter and space in the School of Art and Designs design area to create the face shields.

Bu said his lab can currently make about a dozen shields a day, but that capacity could grow if demand persists or increases.

STEM Center, collaboration play vital roles

Henson said the STEM Education Research Center is a collaboration of STEM faculty, staff and students working to address issues, study problems and explore interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The center uses external funding to provide financial support to SIU faculty, staff and students to help cover research related expenses, and offers support and resources to regional educators to advance STEM learning.

Working collaboratively with colleagues such as Bu and Miller to put STEM learning and research into action during the COVID-19 pandemic, and creatively serving the community, is a great way to demonstrate the importance of STEM, Henson said.

The STEM center is covering the cost of 3D printing and materials used to produce the shields, and providing student workers and staff to help out, Henson said. SIU faculty and students have a long tradition of giving and serving to the region and this is an important time to help out.

Remaining vigilant

Bu said the group will remain committed to helping any way it can until the health emergency has passed.

It feels great to be useful and meet the needs of the community, Bu said. At SIU, we serve. Our students in the community were the ones who reached out to us, believing we could do something to help, and that makes us feel great.

Lingguo Bu, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, delivers 40 face shields to Jennifer Harre, chief nursing officer of Southern Illinois Healthcare, a major healthcare provider in Southern Illinois. Bu is one of several faculty and students using 3D printing technology housed at the university to manufacture the shields in the face of growing demand during the COVID-19 health emergency. (Photo by Yenitza Melgoza) Lingguo Bu, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, delivers 40 face shields to Jennifer Harre, chief nursing officer of Southern Illinois Healthcare, a major healthcare provider in Southern Illinois. Bu is one of several faculty and students using 3D printing technology housed at the university to manufacture the shields in the face of growing demand during the COVID-19 health emergency. (Photo by Yenitza Melgoza)
The Alameda County district attorney's office is investigating a Hayward skilled nursing facility where 13 residents have died after contracting the coronavirus and 54 other people have been infected.

Gateway Care & Rehabilitation Center has come under blistering scrutiny over the past week amid reports of understaffed nursing, symptomatic employees being pressured to report to work and families being left in the dark about about the severity of the outbreak.

Civil rights attorneys John Burris and Adante Pointer, who represent the family of one of the victims, called for a criminal investigation on Monday into the center and have filed a complaint with the state Department of Public Health. If the allegations against Gateway are true, they said, their actions could amount to elder abuse.

Excellent, Im glad theyre doing it, Burris said on Wednesday when told of the district attorneys investigation. I think its important to get to the bottom of this; determine whether these deaths of people are the result of malfeasance or misconduct as opposed to natural (deaths).

Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman with the district attorney's office, said she could not comment on the details of the investigation and would not confirm whether it was criminal in nature. She said the office initiated the probe prior to Burris media statements on Monday, in which he specifically implored them to do so.

Even as coronavirus outbreaks have swept through vulnerable communities in more than a dozen Bay Area nursing homes and assisted living centers, Gateway has emerged as a deadly outlier. None of the other facilities tracked by The Chronicle had experienced more than two coronavirus deaths as of this weekend, when Gateway had recorded nine.

By Wednesday, the death toll climbed to 13. Of the 54 people infected at Gateway, 26 are staff members and 28 are residents, public health officials said Wednesday.

The Chronicle was unable to reach Antony and Prema Thekkek, who have owned the Hayward facility since 2003.

Jaime Patino, a Union City councilman whose grandmother, Emma Patino, was one of the victims, said he believes a lawsuit or criminal investigation will be necessary to answer all of his familys questions about her death.

Emma Patino, 84, was taken to the hospital on Friday and died Monday evening at Kaiser Permanente in San Leandro. During her four-day stint there, doctors at Kaiser discovered a battery of serious ailments that suggested she should have been transported much earlier, Jaime Patino said.

She had pneumonia, her kidneys were beginning to fail, she had septic shock and her heart was working overtime.

Jaime Patino said his family wants to see his grandmothers medical charts from Gateway.

They had to know something was going on ... days before she went to the hospital, Jaime Patino said.

Family of another Gateway resident who died told reporters they were troubled by reports of understaffed nursing and employees who failed to use personal protective equipment like masks and gloves.

Diane Akrie, the widow of Costell Akrie, said the family believes he contracted the virus from a staff member, since he had a room to himself. Akries family said an employee acknowledged that staffers had not been tested, and that several were staying at home because they were symptomatic or afraid of becoming infected.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The remaining staff members were left to treat 25 to 35 patients each, Diane Akrie said.

At no time did we ever see the staff wear masks, before and after the outbreak, she said.

Guadalupe Tafolla, the husband of a nursing assistant at Gateway, told a Chronicle reporter last week that his wife was at home sick, had tested positive for the virus, and had still been pressured by the nursing homes management to report to work.

When Tafolla told a manager his wife wouldnt be coming to work, the manager said she has to come back to work, or shes quitting, Tafolla recalled.

The Hayward facility has a record of violations, according to the California Department of Public Health, including 25 federal violations last year. The facility was fined $1,000 last year for failing to supervise a resident who fell to the floor while using the bathroom, breaking her hand and sustaining multiple bruises, according to a state report.

In an inspection report filed last August, officials found that, at least twice, a resident was not administered a prescribed antibiotic on schedule because no registered nurse was on duty. The inspector also observed three wash basins full of used disposable needles in an unlocked utility room, according to the report, violating an infection-control protocol that requires staff to dispose of certain items in designated, closed containers.

Jaime Patino said he hopes the county investigation will lead to accountability.

I dont want any other family going through this, he said. I dont want this to happen again.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
A woman supporter holds a pictures on Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega during a march called"Brave Women! Victorious women!" to mark International Women's Day in Managua, Nicaragua March 7, 2020.

Reuters/Oswaldo Rivas

Nicaragua's 74-year-old president reappeared in public for the first time on Wednesday after not being seen since March 12.

His disappearance had been particularly concerning given the coronavirus pandemic, which the Nicaraguan government has not addressed through major policies.

According to Human Rights Watch, Ortega is "the only Latin American leader who has not made a single public announcement on how his government would address the pandemic."

Ortega has disappeared from the public view before, and some suspect his absences are due to chronic illnesses.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The president of Nicaragua, 74-year-old Daniel Ortega, reappeared on Wednesday after not being seen in public since March 12.

His unknown whereabouts sparked rumors and controversy.

Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Ortega's disappearance has prompted rumors that the Latin American leader has been in quarantine or ill, according to The New York Times.

He was conspicuously absent from the recent funeral of an old friend and former jail cellmate, Jacinto Suarez, with whom he worked to overthrow the dictator Anastasio Somoza in the 1970s.

His disappearance has even sparked a meme on social media, with users joking, "Be like Ortega: Stay home," according to the Times.

Human Rights Watch has decried Ortega's lack of a response to the coronavirus pandemic, noting in a statement that he is "the only Latin American leader who has not made a single public announcement on how his government would address the pandemic."

The disappearance has prompted concern that Nicaragua is without strong leadership amid a public health crisis. Unlike many other nations, Nicaragua hasn't imposed social-distancing policies such as closing businesses or encouraging residents to stay home.

So far, the Nicaraguan government has reported just nine coronavirus cases and one death, CNN reported.

Story continues

Ortega has disappeared in the past without explanation and many suspect he has chronic illnesses, according to the Times.

The leader of a Nicaraguan opposition group, Juan Sebastian Chamorro, has criticized Ortega's absence and suggested it was a ploy to shore up public support.

"I think it is in preparation for his glorious appearance," Chamorro told the Times last week. "He has done similarly in the past. He will resurrect on Easter."

Nicaragua's vice president, Rosario Murillo, who is also Ortega's wife, has hosted daily briefings and recently assured the public that Ortega is "here, working, directing, coordinating all the efforts," according to The Times.

Read the original article on Insider
Nineteen lived in Oak Lawn; 13 lived in Bridgeview; nine in Matteson; seven each in Park Forest, Harvey, Chicago Heights and Chicago Ridge; six each in Homewood, Hazel Crest, Markham and Country Club Hills; five each in Orland Park, Tinley Park, Evergreen Park, Richton Park, South Holland and Palos Heights; four each in Flossmoor and Burbank; three in Steger, Dolton, Lemont, Riverdale and Midlothian; two each in University Park and Blue Island; and one each in Oak Forest, Lansing, Alsip, East Hazel Crest, Burnham, Calumet City, Calumet Park, Hickory Hills, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Frankfort, Robbins and Thornton.
New Jersey officials on Wednesday reported 3,156 total fatalities from the coronavirus as the total confirmed cases increased to at least 71,030 people infected.

A large number of the newly reported deaths occurred over the Easter holiday weekend, bringing a lag in reporting new numbers, officials said.

These lives should be the inspiration we need to keep working to defeat COVID-19 and to lower the toll this enemy is having on our blessed state, Gov. Phil Murphy said during the daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. Stay home, stay apart, keep your face covered, and we will beat this damn virus.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Heres a roundup of coronavirus news:

U.S. Army docs join fight against coronavirus at N.J. Hospital: University Hospital in Newark is getting help from the U.S. Army in its effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Eighty-five medical professionals, part of the Armys Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces, will assist clinical staff at the hospital, officials said Wednesday.

N.J. deaths from coronavirus surge to 3,156 with 71,030 total cases: The death toll from the coronavirus in New Jersey surged Wednesday to at least 3,156 total fatalities, exceeding the 2,997 total number of people killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. State officials also announced that total confirmed cases in the state have increased to 71,030.

Dont expect a normal gathering in the foreseeable future,' Murphy says of life after coronavirus peak: Residents should expect some coronavirus-related restrictions to remain in the state for a while and not an immediate return to the way life was before, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday.

The notion that were going to go back to some sort of Lets just turn the clock back to three months ago, I just dont see it," Murphy said. People talk about a new normal, and I think thats a reality.

At least 6K coronavirus patients have been discharged from N.J. hospitals, officials say: More than 6,300 patients with the coronavirus or under investigation for it have been discharged from hospitals since April 4, state officials said Wednesday.

While the numbers we report every day are grim, over 6,000 discharges is a reminder people are getting better and overcoming this illness, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Wednesday during the states daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton.

Urgent cares now offering coronavirus testing in N.J: Urgent Care centers across the state are now offering testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. One chain of centers, MedExpress Urgent Care, is now testing people at eight of its New Jersey locations, which can be seen by clicking here.

Coronavirus cases in the United States: There were 636,350 cases reported in the country as of Tuesday afternoon, according to information from the the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Matt Arco, Brent Johnson, Chris Sheldon and Chris Ryan contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Sept. 3, 2019 in NYT Parenting.

I never intended to be one of those people who would whip out a boob for a toddler old enough to demand milk using full sentences. When I was pregnant, I hoped Id be able to breastfeed at all. If things worked out, I thought, Id continue for a normal amount of time and stop before it got, you know  weird.

But whats a normal amount of time to breastfeed? The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization suggest feeding a baby only breast milk, if you can swing it, for six months. After that, the A.A.P. recommends supplementing breast milk with solid foods until age 1; the W.H.O. goes further by recommending some breastfeeding along with solids until age 2 or beyond.

[The topics parents are talking about. Sign up now to get NYT Parenting in your inbox every week.]

But theres nothing like delivering a child to remind yourself that whichever guidelines you read on your computer screen, youre still an animal driven by biology. Since mammals first evolved some 200 million years ago, theyve come up with countless ways to nurse their young: underwater, upside-down, a dozen at a time. The echidna  an egg-laying mammal that looks like a hedgehog with a long snout  has no nipples at all. She leaks milk straight out of skin patches in her abdominal pouch for her baby to lap up.

What is normal?

Turns out, the average human mother is a pretty weird kind of mammal. Were driven to make decisions not just by our biology, but by the judgments of ourselves and others, and the flexibility of our social structures. And compared with our closest relatives like chimps and orangutans, what makes humans unique  and possibly so successful as a species  is not so much how we nurse, but how we stop nursing.
On New Years Eve, William DeBlasio and his wife, Lynn, decided they would celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas, so they booked a flight for April 14.

This week, they were supposed to fly from Bradley International Airport to Charlotte, then on to Las Vegas, where they would have spent four days.

The coronavirus pandemic dashed those plans, but until a few hours before the flight was to take off, the Newington couple were on a glide path to lose their $1,638 airfare.

Attorney General William Tongs office, which has received about 100 similar claims from anxious vacationers, helped secure DeBlasios forthcoming refund.

Everything in Las Vegas is closed and even if we got there, wed have to self-quarantine for 14 days, said DeBlasio, a municipal worker whose wife is a teacher. We were only going to be there for four days.

After emailing American Airlines a few times, the carrier finally offered to give the couple a credit.

Weve only flown four times in our lives and we did not want the credit, DeBlasio, the father of three, said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.

Finally, after prodding from Tongs office, the airline, which canceled the flight, told them to expect a refund within 10 days.

Tongs office said Thursday that it has been able to secure refunded for some residents among the 100 similar complaints about booked air flights, cruises and hotel reservations as the tourism industry seems reluctant to relinquish money it has received.

We continue to hear from consumers across Connecticut who are having a hard time getting their money back and navigating complex refund policies related to COVID-19 travel cancellations, Tong said. Traveling right now is not advised, and in many cases is not possible. Consumers should not be bearing the financial burden for these canceled trips.

Tong said his staff has been able to get refunds for:

A family who paid nearly $2,200 for a deposit, food, and room reservations for a party for their daughters 16th birthday. The hotel held them to their contract until Tongs staff got involved.

A consumer was scheduled to fly from New York to Paris, but the airlines website was tough to navigate in attempt to secure a refund. After Tongs staff helped, she got a refund totaling more than $560.

A couple reserved a room in Florida hotel, which had a refund policy, but the telephone busy signal was constant, making it impossible to get through. Tongs office expedited a nearly $500 refund.

Guidance for consumers is available through Tongs office.

In other coronavirus-related developments on Thursday, Gov. Ned Lamont said during his daily news conference in the State Capitol that he expects his upcoming executive order requiring the wearing of face masks will not include legal penalties.

Right now, all the executive orders I have done were firm orders: this is what we want you to do, Lamont said. In 90 percent of the cases, people are taking care of that. If you go into a store, if youre in a crowded area, yes you put your mask on at that point.

Is that going to be a punishable offense? Were not thinking about it that way. Were saying this is what youve got to do and I hope your neighbors help police you if you dont.

Dr. Albert Ko, the head of epidemiology at Yale New Haven Health, said during the news conference that a spike in coronavirus cases in Bridgeport is likely related to the close proximity of people living in an urban environment. With 1,042 COVID-19 cases, Bridgeport is second in the state only to Stamfords 1,620 cases.

Were living in an increasingly interconnected world, Ko said. Bridgeport Hospital serves a very different community than the rest of Fairfield County. We know that proximity, or increased contact, people living closer to each other actually, is one of the drivers or one of the factors that promote transmission. These are all things were going to have to drill down on.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
The selloff followed a mixed trading session in Asia, which ended with losses in Australia, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Japan's Nikkei was flat.

European markets also recorded losses after two days of gains, following news of the mounting death toll from COVID-19. Britain's FTSE, the CAC-40 in Paris and the DAX in Frankfurt all ended Wednesday down more than 3 percent.

Major U.S. market indexes were all down at closing. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 445 points, or 1.9 percent, to close at 23,504. The S&P 500 dipped 62 points, or 2.1 percent, to end the session at 2,783. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 122 points, or 1.4 percent, to close near 8,393.

World markets fell Wednesday, a day after the International Monetary Fund predicted that global economic output would shrink by 3 percent in 2020 as a result of shutdowns caused by a new strain of coronavirus.

 Brief Rally

Financial markets had rallied over the past two days with cautious optimism over a decline of new coronavirus infections and deaths in some countries. But Tuesday saw an increase in deaths and new COVID-19 cases in Britain, France, some Eastern European countries, Sweden, Japan and the United States.

More than 2 million people worldwide have been infected with the novel virus and more than 134,000 have died.

U.S. stocks also plunged Wednesday as U.S. crude oil ended below $20. Global demand for oil is expected to be the lowest ever thanks to the lockdowns enforced around the world to contain the pandemic. Some countries, including China, India, Korea and the United States, are expected to buy cheaper oil to keep as strategic reserves.

The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday that global economic output would shrink by 3 percent in 2020, with nearly all economic activity shut down because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said half of the world had asked the IMF for bailouts. She said the global economy could expand in 2021 if the virus was contained.

 G20 Suspends Debt Payments

Member nations of the G20 group of leading economies have agreed to suspend debt payments owed to them by some of the world's poorest countries. The agreement covers money that is due to be paid to G20 governments up to the end of 2020.

The U.S. government has provided bailout funds for small businesses hit by the pandemic, and some hedge funds are now looking into profiting from it, too. Banks and insurance companies do not qualify for small-business loans, but the guidelines are not clear regarding hedge funds. Debate is raging on Wall Street about whether this is ethical or even good for the business, with some managers asking why a hedge fund that collects management fees would seek a government handout.

While economic losses will be felt in most sectors, some people will profit from the economic shutdown. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, has added a reported $24 billion to his fortune as closed stores sent many people to shop online.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought good fortune to Amazon Inc founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos in the form of $24 billion. Bezos' overall wealth soared as demand for online shopping sent the company's stock to a new high. With this, Jeff Bezos' wealth has topped $138 billion, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index says. The e-tailer boss owns 11 per cent stake in the world's biggest online shopping platform.

As part of preventive measures against coronavirus, most countries have placed lockdown measures, giving rise to online shopping and thus a boost to revenues of companies like Amazon and Walmart. At a time when many big companies have resorted to unprecedented job cuts due to the havoc wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon has been on a hiring spree. The company has recently recruited thousands of workers to manage the spike in online demand.

Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown India Live Updates: COVID-19 deaths cross 400-mark; Maharashtra's toll highest at 187

Despite criticism over failure to ensure workplace protections amid the pandemic in the United States, Amazon's share has risen 5.3 per cent. The company's India unit has, however, plans to shut down its 2-hour grocery delivery app Prime Now, and all the services of the app would now be moved to the main Amazon app.

Earlier last week, Amazon resumed accepting orders for grocery essentials through Amazon Pantry service. The e-commerce company had stalled its services due to coronavirus lockdown.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 12,000-mark as the country formally entered the second leg of nationwide lockdown on April 15. India's tally has climbed to 12,380 comprising 10,477 active cases and 414 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The world tally on coronavirus stands at over 20 lakh, including 1.34 lakh deaths.

Also read: Amazon to shut down 2-hour delivery app Prime Now in India
Jack McBrayer hosts the debut installment of "The Second City Presents: The Last Show Left on Earth." (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Second City comedy troupe laughs its way into your coronavirus quarantine with "The Second City Presents: The Last Show Left on Earth," with former "30 Rock" regular Jack McBrayer  a Second City alum  hosting the debut installment.

The weekly variety show features new sketches, live music, classic clips and surprise cameos. Wilco's Jeff Tweedy is the inaugural musical guest, and Kelci Saff Saffery from Netflix's boffo true-crime reality series "Tiger King" puts in an appearance.

It's all from the Chicago-born company (with L.A. and Toronto outlets) that has nurtured the talents of Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, among many others.

The festivities kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday and will be free to stream on youtube.com, facebook.com/thesecondcity and on Instagram @TheSecondCity for a week. (Episodes will be archived on the social pages for the streaming service Topic at youtube.com/topicstories and facebook.com/TopicStories

There are other ways to engage with a little culture during your coronavirus quarantine. We'll keep sharing picks for streaming concerts, online musicals, virtual art exhibitions and more. Here's Thursday's list, all times Pacific.

Mahlers New York: A Digital Festival



Continuing through April 30, the New York Philharmonic's two-week celebration of the composer who served as the orchestra's music director back in the day launches with the audio of a 2005 performance of Mahlers Symphony No. 1 led by maestro Lorin Maazel. 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Free. nyphil.org/mahlerny

Treasure Island



Aaarrr! Britains National Theatre streams its thrilling 2014 reimagining of Robert Louis Stevensons classic pirate tale, recommended for ages 10 and up. 11 a.m. Thursday; available for seven days afterward. Free. youtube.com

CAP UCLA Virtual Poetry Bureau



The Center for the Art of Performance at UCLAs ongoing celebration of National Poetry Month includes this live event featuring new work from five poets. 5 p.m. Thursday. Free. facebook.com/CAPatUCLA

Story continues

New Works Series



New York Theatre Barn offers excerpts from two new musicals: Borders, about the romance between an Israeli man and a Palestinian man; and Suenos: Our American Musical, about a multigenerational Mexican American family. 4 p.m. Thursday. Free. youtube.com and facebook.com/nytheatrebarn

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic



Alan Gilbert leads the orchestra in a program that includes Mozarts Overture to The Magic Flute and Haydns Symphony No. 88 in a concert filmed at the Konserthuset Stockholm in the Swedish capital. Available anytime beginning 10 a.m. Thursday. Free. konserthuset.se

In the Studio



Artist Cybele Lyle discusses her process and gives a tour of her temporary ad-hoc workspace at home in this new series from the Orange County Museum of Art. Available beginning 8 a.m. Thursday. Free. On Instagram @ocmuseumofart

Each day's recommendations are indexed in the same place where our regular event listings (sigh) used to post.
It hasn't been the best quarter for EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE:EGP) shareholders, since the share price has fallen 22% in that time. On the bright side the returns have been quite good over the last half decade. After all, the share price is up a market-beating 79% in that time.

View our latest analysis for EastGroup Properties

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During five years of share price growth, EastGroup Properties achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 16% per year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 12% over the same period. Therefore, it seems the market has become relatively pessimistic about the company.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

NYSE:EGP Past and Future Earnings April 16th 2020

We know that EastGroup Properties has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? If you're interested, you could check this free report showing consensus revenue forecasts.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, EastGroup Properties's TSR for the last 5 years was 110%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

While it's never nice to take a loss, EastGroup Properties shareholders can take comfort that , including dividends, their trailing twelve month loss of 1.5% wasn't as bad as the market loss of around 6.2%. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 16%, each year, over five years. In the best case scenario the last year is just a temporary blip on the journey to a brighter future. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand EastGroup Properties better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we've spotted with EastGroup Properties (including 2 which is shouldn't be ignored) .

We will like EastGroup Properties better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Trump says halting U.S. funding to World Health Organization

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:17, April 15, 2020

>> US attack against WHO will backfire

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), a move experts have warned against, as COVID-19 continues to take a toll globally.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump also said a review is being conducted to assess the WHO's role in addressing the spread of the coronavirus.

The announcement came as Trump is aggressively defending his own handling of the outbreak in the United States after the administration has been scrutinized for downplaying the threat from the coronavirus early on and faulted for delays in testing.

The tone also differed from one of his tweets on Feb. 24, several days before the United States reported the first death from COVID-19.

"The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA," Trump wrote at that time. "We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart."

Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, called cutting funding to the WHO during a global health crisis "disgraceful," warning that it would cause death and even blow back on the United States.

"How shortsighted when global coop needed more now than ever," Gostin said in a series of tweets on Tuesday.

In remarks delivered from Geneva last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "We must quarantine politicizing this virus at national and global levels."

"We have to work together, and we have no time to waste," he added.

According to a tally from Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, the United States has reported more than 600,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25,575 deaths, both the highest on record.

Globally, the number of cases is approaching 2 million, as the death toll has surpassed 125,000, the tally showed.

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The more comments I read, the more it seemed as though what people were not taking seriously was the ambiguity that those attempts can ultimately produce. Many readers seemed to have determined Bidens guilt or innocence, and Reades level of truthfulness, without skimming much beyond the headline. Either they were eager to exonerate Biden because he had to beat Trump  who has himself been accused by many women of sexual misconduct  or they were eager to convict Biden because Trump had to beat him. Or, perhaps, because they believed another Democratic candidate would have been a better nominee all along.
In what many are calling a case of apartheid during a global pandemic, a government-run hospital in Ahmedabad, the main city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, has segregated coronavirus patients based on their religion, claiming the order came from the government.

Generally, there are separate wards for male and female patients. But here, we have made separate wards for Hindu and Muslim patients. It is a decision of the government and you can ask them, Dr Gunvant H Rathod, the medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, told The Indian Express newspaper in its report on Wednesday.

The Gujarat state is governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also governs the country. Narendra Modi was the states chief minister for nearly 13 straight years from 2001 before he became Indias prime minister in 2014.

When Al Jazeera called Jayanti Ravi, the principal secretary of health in the Gujarat government, about the segregation of patients on religious lines, her personal assistant took the call and suggested we speak to Dr Sanjay Solanki, the resident medical officer at the hospital.

I have no idea, said the personal assistant, without revealing his name.

Solanki, in turn, asked Al Jazeera to speak to Rathod. He is the right person to talk to, he said.

Rathod did not answer the phone calls made by Al Jazeera.

USCIRF is concerned with reports of Hindu & Muslim patients separated into separate hospital wards in #Gujarat. Such actions only help to further increase ongoing stigmatization of Muslims in #India and exacerbate false rumors of Muslims spreading #COVID19 https://t.co/GXigs4w5na  USCIRF (@USCIRF) April 15, 2020

Knowing Gujarat, I am not surprised

Meanwhile, Gujarats Health Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel told Al Jazeera that nothing of that sort had happened.

Whatever is needed to give people the best possible treatment is being done, he said and hung up.

The states health department also put out an official statement, calling reports of separate wards for Muslims and Hindus baseless.

Patients are kept in different wards based on their medical condition, severity of the symptoms and age, purely based on the advice of the treating doctors. Therefore, reports appearing in certain media are totally baseless and misleading, it said.

However, in The Indian Express report, a patient was quoted as saying, On Sunday night, the names of 28 men admitted in the first ward (A-4) were called out. We were then shifted to another ward (C-4).

While we were not told why we were being shifted, all the names that were called out belonged to one community. We spoke to one staff member in our ward and he said this had been done for the comfort of both communities.

A family is transported to a quarantine centre after one of the members tested positive for coronavirus in Ahmedabad [Amit Dave/Reuters]

According to a doctor quoted in another report by The Hindu newspaper, Certain patients from the majority community were not comfortable being in the same ward with patients of the minority community.

After some patients complained, it was decided to segregate them on temporary basis, the doctor told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.

When Ahmedabad-based sociologist Ghanashyam Shah was asked by Al Jazeera if the hospital segregating patients according to their religion amounted to apartheid, he replied, Absolutely.

Knowing Gujarat, I am not surprised it has happened, he said.

It is a very obvious kind of thing. The fake news propaganda around Muslims spreading the virus is probably rampant across India. But I can see it is visible in Gujarat.

Shah was alluding to a widespread Islamophobia fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic, especially after Tablighi Jamaat, a Muslim missionary group, organised a congregation in New Delhi in March.

The congregation was later linked to hundreds of COVID-19 positive cases across the country, triggering a nationwide hunt to trace the attendees.

On Wednesday, Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Kandhalvi was charged with culpable homicide.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization had warned against any religious profiling of coronavirus patients by the governments across the world.

Having COVID-19 is not anybodys fault. Every case is a victim. It is very important that we do not profile the cases on the basis of racial, religious and ethnic lines, WHOs emergency programme director Mike Ryan had said.

According to media reports, more than half of the nearly 500 cases of coronavirus in Ahmedabad have come from Muslim-majority neighbourhoods.

The city has long been a hotbed of communal divide, with separate localities marked for Hindus and Muslims.

In 2002, Ahmedabad was one of the main sites of state-wide religious violence, in which nearly 2,000 Muslims were killed, dozens of women raped, and thousands others displaced.

The violence followed the outbreak of fire on a passenger train, in which 60 Hindu pilgrims were killed.
SPRINGFIELD  The city has received an initial allotment of 300 COVID-19 testing kits for use at a new tent triage area for the homeless.

The delivery was aided by U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Gov. Charlie Bakers office, city officials said Wednesday.

The city recently erected the three-tent complex on Worthington Street across the street from the Friends of the Homeless Shelter. The facility was set up to test individuals and house then pending results or while they recovered. Test kits were not immediately available, however.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris thanked Neal and the Baker administration for their support in getting the kits. The city is still trying to secure as many more kits as possible, a city spokesman said.

Neal, D-Springfield, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said in a news release that he recognized the urgency of the situation and contacted the state to provide the test kits.

Phase One of the Coronavirus Relief Act was about testing, testing, testing, Neal said. While it is imperative that the tests get into the hands of health care providers who need them most, we must not forget our most vulnerable populations as well.

Neal praised Sarno and his team, as well as Mercy Medical Center, Friends of the Homeless and others who worked to create the tent triage area and their herculean effort in constructing, staffing, and preparing this facility for opening in such a timely manner.

Sarno said the kits will go a long way in helping the citys continuing efforts of being proactive with the preventative health measures the city continues to implement for the wellbeing of our residents and business community.

The homeless health center is a collaboration between the city, Mercy Medical Center and Open Door Community Services, Caulton-Harris said.

In order to be effective in our mitigation strategies it is imperative that we are able to test our most vulnerable populations especially our homeless, Caulton-Harris said. These test kits will help us identify those who are infected with COVID-19 and rule out those who are negative.

The ability to provide effective intervention strategies depends on the ability to test, identify and isolate those people who are positive for COVID-19, Caulton-Harris said.

The city has contacted the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, seeking to secure an Abbott machine for rapid testing, said Bill Baker, communications director for Sarno. However, the city was told that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has embargoed that equipment and taken it under its control and distribution authority, he said.
We wanted to continue with our annual conference even though it was a challenge to move everything online in fewer than three weeks. We wanted to provide IACBEs members and friends with a little sense of normalcy amid all of the chaos and change that have come with COVID-19

Amid thousands of organizations whose leaders made the decision to cancel on-site annual conferences in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) chose to transition its annual conference to a virtual platform despite having a three-week timeline. More than 400 attendees participated in the conference, which included presentations, exhibitor showcases, the Deans Roundtable, special sessions and the student case competition.

We wanted to continue with our annual conference even though it was a challenge to move everything online in fewer than three weeks. We wanted to provide IACBEs members and friends with a little sense of normalcy amid all of the chaos and change that have come with COVID-19, explains Dr. Phyllis Okrepkie, CMA and IACBEs president.

Transitioning from an on-site conference to a virtual two-day event in a matter of just three weeks required a 180-degree turn, and visionary leadership to press forward and not just cancel.

When we made the decision to move to virtual, we did not have the platform to host the conference, so we researched, acquired and learned a new webinar platform, Dr. Okrepkie says, We notified the hotel on March 12 that we were cancelling and three weeks later we put on a two-day virtual conference. We also refunded conference registrations and offered the virtual conference free of charge as a service to our members and the business education community.

The annual conference was held with:



436 total registrants with 268 attendees on Wednesday and 277 attendees on Thursday from the U.S., Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Switzerland, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Dubai, India, Suriname, Dominican Republic, Oman, France and Guam

17 presentations

3 sponsor/exhibitor showcases

26 attending the Deans Roundtable: Universities Respond to COVID-19: And, Suddenly We Were All Virtual

26 attending Wednesday mornings special session: Adapting to the Challenges of COVID-19  Thoughts & Perspectives from Around the World

The student case competition was held with eight teams competing virtually in front of a panel of judges. The winners were Post University (graduate) and Oregon Institute of Technology (undergraduate)

An IACBE member reviewed, This was an incredible undertaking, especially given the extremely short time period to convert this from an on-ground conference to a full virtual conference. It is a true testament to the IACBEs belief in supporting excellence in business education put into action.

Dr. Okrepkie reiterates, As always, the goal of the IACBE is to work with our members so that we are MOVING. FORWARD. TOGETHER.

About IACBE

The International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) was founded in 1997 in response to higher education administrators, business program leaders and faculty who wanted an accreditation process that was mission-driven and outcomes based. The IACBE has hundreds of member institutions with campuses worldwide, and has accredited more than 1,800 business, accounting and business-related programs worldwide.
UP RERA also asked erring developers to give details of properties that can be auctioned

Several real estate regulatory authorities - MahaRERA, Karnataka RERA and now UPRERA - have decided to extend the date of completion of real estate projects by three months in view of the lockdown.

Interestingly, the authority circulars have focused on the RERA timeline and not the completion date agreed between the buyer and the builder as per the contract or the Builder-Buyer Agreement signed between them.

RERA authorities have not extended the contractually agreed date by three months. They have only extended the RERA agreed date, says Kunaal Shah, partner at Trilegal.

The authorities by extending the RERA timelines have not provided any benefit to the developers vis-a-vis handover commitments to the homebuyers. The only thing the extension has achieved is that the builder would not have to apply for separate extension of RERA registration dates, he said.

This means that on account of closure of RERA redressal forum - a homebuyer whose contractual handover timeline expires during the lockdown period, will have to wait until the lockdown is lifted to seek redressal.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

It should be noted that post the implementation of RERA in 2017, most of the older projects had a completion date as per the Builder-Buyer Agreement signed between the homebuyer and the builder and a different RERA timeline proposed by the concerned developer to the relevant RERA authority.

In case of the latter, builders had intentionally pushed back the delivery date to allow themselves a buffer in case the project gets stuck for some reason. However, newer real estate projects are likely to have the same contractual and RERA deadlines.

On April 2, Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has decided to extend the validity period for registration of real estate projects, whose date of completion or for that matter extended completion date gets over on or after March 15, for a period of three months which in this case is June 30.

On April 14, UP Rera said that in view of the slow pace of construction work due to the need for social distancing and movement restrictions and stoppage of the work following the national lockdown in March, the Authority has decided to extend by three months the date of completion of the projects with the date of completion between March 15 and December 31.

All RERA registered projects, whose completion date (including revised completion date) expires on or after March 15, has been extended by three months until June 30, the Karnataka circular had stated.

The issue with the three orders is that the date that concerns the homebuyers most is not the RERA deadline date but the date which they agreed to with the builder under a contract or the Builder Buyer Agreement. These authorities are silent on the issue.

Homebuyers rights are not governed by the RERA date but by the contract date. Majority of projects where 10 percent to 20 percent construction work had commenced when the RERA was introduced in 2017 had a prior contractually agreed date and a later RERA date.

To cite an example, if the RERA agreed date was June 30 but the contractually agreed date was April 15, then both from a legal perspective and even a RERA precedent, the relevant date is April 15 and not June 30 as far as the homebuyer is concerned. The ability of the homebuyer to sue the builder for seeking interest on delay in delivery or invoking termination of allotment (with interest), actually fructifies on April 16 and not on July 1.

Rera authorities have focused on completion timelines because the Authority by itself cannot change the contracts signed between the two private parties  between developer and homebuyers.

The two parties have signed a private contract and only the private parties can amend the contract. Alternatively, any extension of contractually agreed timelines will have to be dealt with as per extension caveats, if any, built under the contract, on a case to case basis, as the RERA circulars does not extend the contractual handover date and only cover to extend the project registration validity says Shah.

Also, in terms of committed delivery date - what takes precedent is the date specified under the contract or the BBA and not the RERA completion date.

As per a 2017 Bombay High Court order in the matter of Neelkamal Realtors Suburban Pvt Ltd versus Union of India, it was made clear that under the provisions of Section 18, the delay in handing over the possession would be counted from the date mentioned in the agreement for sale entered into by the promoter and the allottee prior to its registration under RERA.

Under the provisions of RERA, the promoter is given a facility to revise the date of completion of project and declare the same under Section 4. The RERA does not contemplate rewriting of contract between the flat purchaser and the promoter.

Also, Section 4(2)(l)(C) enables the promoter to revise the date of completion of project and hand over possession. The provisions of RERA, however, do not rewrite the clause of completion or handing over possession in agreement for sale.

Section 4(2)(l)(C) enables the promoter to give a fresh timeline independent of the time period stipulated in the agreements for sale entered into between him and the allottees so that he is not visited with penal consequences laid down under RERA. In other words, by giving the promoter a fresh timeline under Section 4(2)(l)(C) he is not absolved of the liability under the agreement for sale.

Therefore, if a buyer has a contractually agreed date, the developer despite the RERA circular brought out during COVID-19, may still have to abide by the contract and pay delay penalty to the buyer and the buyer has every right to proceed against the developer for having delayed the project delivery, says a legal expert.

Having said that, the homebuyer has no relief because though he can proceed against the builder, the RERA redressal forum is not open for the buyer to proceed. He can proceed only after RERA reopens after the lockdown.

RERA came into effect from May 1, 2017 and Maharashtra was the first state to implement it by setting up MahaRera. The act ended the practice of real estate developers diverting funds collected from homebuyers to other projects or for land purchase.
The Ministry of Information and



Broadcasting on Thursday served a show cause notice to a Kannada channel for broadcasting a programme in which it purportedly said that the Centre would 'air drop money' to the poor, owing to the COVID-19 lockdown.

The notice said that the channel was "spreading false information, creating panic and social unrest."



The channel had allegedly aired a show titled, "Helicopter Money" on Wednesday which claimed that the Centre would drop money from helicopters during the lockdown period.

A Twitter user took a serious note of it and complained to the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar.

The fact check team of the Press Information Bureau, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, refuted the claim.

In its notice to the channel, PIB said, "You are hereby directed to show cause why your channel should not be taken out of air immediately.

You are instructed to send your reply in this regard within 10 days of receipt of this notice."



Reacting to the notice, the management of the channels said, "A programme which has been seen in bits and pieces and those who have not even seen the programme appears to have complained. Notice will be replied accordingly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[April 16, 2020] Emmaus Life Sciences Announces SFDA (Saudi Food & Drug Authority) Accepts Endari Priority Review Request

TORRANCE, Calif., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: EMMA), a leader in sickle cell disease treatment, announced today that the SFDA (Saudi Food & Drug Authority) has accepted its request for priority review of Endari, its prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder. Similar to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), priority review by the SFDA in Saudi Arabia is a program designated to expedite the review process for drugs that are expected to have a particularly significant positive impact on the treatment of a disease.

Saudi Arabia has the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease in the MENA (Middle East, North Africa) region. Emmaus estimates that there are approximately 225,000 sickle cell disease patients that could potentially be treated with Endari in that region. Yutaka Niihara, M.D., M.P.H., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus, stated, We are pleased that the SFDA has accepted our priority review request for Endari. Emmaus sincerely thanks the SFDA for its recognition of the urgency to make effective and safe therapy available for sickle cell disease patients. We will present our study data that led to the FDAs approval along with additional data and patient experience since the FDAs approval of Endari for the SFDAs review. George Sekulich, Senior Vice President of Global Commercialization of Emmaus, further commented, This decision by the SFDA is welcomed and represents a significant step in providing Endari to sickle cell disease patients both in Saudi Arabia and throughout the entire MENA region. Additionally, Emmaus will continue to provide the drug through its early access program for patients and clinicians in the Gulf Cooperation Countries. About Emmaus Life Sciences

Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, marketing ad sale of innovative treatments and therapies, including those in the rare and orphan disease categories. For more information, please visit www.emmausmedical.com.



About Endari (L-glutamine oral powder)

Indication - Endari is indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older. Important Safety Information

The most common adverse reactions (incidence >10 percent) in clinical studies were constipation, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, cough, pain in extremities, back pain, and chest pain.

Adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation included one case each of hypersplenism, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, burning sensation, and hot flash. The safety and efficacy of Endari in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease younger than five years of age has not been established. For more information, please see full Prescribing Information of Endari at: www.ENDARIrx.com/PI. About Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder characterized by the production of an altered form of hemoglobin which polymerizes and becomes fibrous, causing red blood cells to become rigid and change form so that they appear sickle shaped instead of soft and rounded. Patients with sickle cell disease suffer from debilitating episodes of sickle cell crises, which occur when the rigid, adhesive and inflexible red blood cells occlude blood vessels. Sickle cell crises cause excruciating pain as a result of insufficient oxygen being delivered to tissue, referred to as tissue ischemia, and inflammation. These events may lead to organ damage, stroke, pulmonary complications, skin ulceration, infection and a variety of other adverse outcomes. Sickle cell disease is a significant unmet medical need, affecting approximately one hundred thousand patients in the U.S. and millions worldwide, the majority of which are of African descent. An estimated 1-in-365 African American children are born with sickle cell disease. Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding patient access to Endari. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which change over time, including uncertainties relating to possible future marketing approval in the MENA region and Emmaus working capital and ability to carry on its existing operations and obtain needed financing and other factors previously disclosed in the companys reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and actual results may differ materially. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Emmaus assumes no duty to update them, except as may be required by law. Company Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. LifeSci Advisors Joseph (Jay) C. Sherwood III Bruce Mackle Chief Financial Officer (929) 469-3859 (310) 214-0065, Ext. 3005 [email protected] [email protected]

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Recently, a group led by Prof. WU Heng'an and Prof. WANG Fengchao from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in collaboration with Prof. Joel De Coninck from University of Mons provided a theoretical insight into capillary forces at the contact line and validated Young's equation based on a mechanical interpretation. The research results were published online in Physical Review Letters.

In 1805, the British scientist Thomas Young described the quantitative relationship between interfacial tension and contact angle when studying wetting and capillary phenomena. For more than 200 years, the Young's equation has become one of the most basic theories in the field of wetting. It describes the balance of three interface tensions parallel to the solid-liquid interface. However, researchers have disputed its interpretation as surface forces or surface energies and committed to prove its validity at the nanoscale.

Despite remarkable progress achieved in past years, puzzles and challenges still remain. First, the capillary force is not presented in the Young's equation. Additionally, the Young's equation cannot be verified directly in experiments. Compared with its thermodynamic derivation, there are more obstacles to put forward the mechanical interpretation of the equation.

To solve the problem, a theoretical model was proposed by the group from USTC to describe the capillary force at the contact line.

The researchers examined the capillary force balance on a liquid corner on the atomic scale and considered this problem with a liquid in coexistence with its vapor phase. The analysis was based on the decomposition of the solid-liquid and solid-vapor interface tensions into three terms, either of which has a clear physical meaning. The proposed model is verified by molecular dynamic simulations over a wide contact angle range. Differences in capillary forces are observed in evaporating droplets on homogeneous and decorated surfaces.

Following the same approach, they also verified Young's equation at the nanoscale from a view point of mechanical interpretation. Microscopic details regarding the mechanism of wetting and capillarity. These results provide new physical insight into the capillary force balance at the contact line.

This study not only provides new insights for the profound understanding of many phenomena of interface wetting, but also has important scientific significance in the application fields of micro-nano fluidic chip design and the improvement of low-permeability reservoirs recovery.

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Mich. gov. clarifies school closing order after complaints from homeschool groups Governor's office: outdoor activities protected by First Amendment are permitted

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Michigan Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has clarified that an executive order issued earlier this month suspending all in-person schooling for the remainder of the school year does not ban homeschooling.

Following backlash from the Great Lakes Justice Center, Whitmers office published guidance on her April 2 order banning all face-to-face instruction at K-12 schools for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year.

The nonprofit legal organization warned that the language in Whitmers order could be interpreted as a ban on homeschooling because the order also applied to all nonpublic schools in the state.

The EO, therefore, bars parents from directly teaching their children at home, the group warned in a fact sheet published last Thursday. While this may be an unintended consequence of faulty drafting, the EOs plain language bans all in-person instruction of all children for the rest of this school year.

The group went on to state that parents have a fundamental constitutional right to raise and educate their children as guaranteed by the First and Fourth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution as well as the Michigan state Constitution. The center called on Whitmer to correct this unconstitutional action.

The Home School Legal Defense Association agreed with the Great Lakes Justice Centers interpretation that Whitmers order could have been interpreted as applying to families homeschooling as a nonpublic school.



On Monday, the new guidance from the governors office declared that homeschooling can continue in Michigan under her order.

Does the orders suspension of in-person instruction prohibit homeschooling? the guidance asked. It provided a straight answer of No.

While concerns were raised about the language in Whitmers order, HSLDA Senior Counsel Mike Donnelly said in a statement that he was not aware of any enforcement actions taken to prohibit or otherwise interfere with families homeschooling.

HSLDA does not believe that the governor ever had any authority to suspend or otherwise interfere with non-public schools in Michigan and, to the extent her order sought to do so, was ... invalid to begin with, Donnelly said.

Whitmers order also clarified that the executive order does not apply to schools that operate 100 percent online.

These schools should continue to educate students in the manner the schools had been operating before the public health emergency, the guidance explained.

Additionally, the guidance clarified that school districts can resume in-person instruction if the state of emergency is lifted before the end of the scheduled 2019-2020 school year.

Last week, Whitmers office released a clarification on her stay-at-home order after a man who was issued a ticket for protesting outside of a Detroit abortion clinic filed a lawsuit against Whitmer and the city, arguing that the order appeared to criminalize free speech activity.

In an online blurb published last week, the governors office said the stay-at-home order does not prohibit persons from engaging in outdoor activities that are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Persons may engage in expressive activities protected by the First Amendment within the State of Michigan, but must adhere to social distancing measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including remaining at least six feet from people from outside the persons household, the blurb reads.

NBC News reported that Michiganders from more conservative areas of the state believe Whitmers stay-at-home order is infringing on their constitutional freedoms. Residents in the state are banned from traveling to their other in-state residences, such as vacation homes. They are also not allowed to use their own motorboats, or even buy seeds to grow vegetables or buy paint for their homes. But residents can still purchase lottery tickets.

One petition online calling for Whitmer to be recalled has amassed over 200,000 supporters.

The Facebook page "Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine" has amassed over 300,000 followers.

"The reason we started this group wasn't that we were against the quarantine. We're not," the Facebook groups founder, Garrett Soldano, said in a Facebook video on Monday. "We were against our very constitutional rights taken away from us. No governor should ever have that power.

Soldano assured the groups followers that their voices have been heard.

We have been in contact with the state of Michigan in Lansing this morning, he said in the video. Know and understand that there is legislation being made right now to get us back to work as safe and as fast as possible by or before May 4.
15/04/2020 - Tax and fiscal policy responses are playing a critical role in limiting the hardship caused by containment measures, and should continue to do so as governments seek to support households and businesses, protect employment and pursue economic recovery from the global pandemic, according to new OECD analysis.





Tax and Fiscal Policy in Response to the Coronavirus Crisis, a report requested of the OECD by the Saudi G20 Presidency, was presented today during a virtual meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. The report takes stock of the emergency tax and fiscal policy measures introduced by countries worldwide. It discusses how tax and fiscal policy can cushion the impact of continued containment and mitigation policies and subsequently support economic recovery. It also outlines the major policy reforms that will be needed to prepare for restoration of public finances.





The report shows that while many governments have taken rapid, extensive and often unprecedented action, getting the support to the most vulnerable households and firms still poses significant challenges. It underlines that developing countries will need specific support - notably significant financial support  for helping health and fiscal systems withstand the current shocks.





Tax policy responses have been strong and rightly focused to date on providing liquidity, said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. This has helped maintain confidence through an unprecedented shock. These efforts will need to continue as containment is relaxed gradually, to ensure a strong recovery. We should meanwhile map out the trajectory to a tax system that can help restore public finances while sharing the burden evenly.





Maintaining business cash-flow has been a core goal of the fiscal policy measures. Measures include extending deadlines for tax filing, deferral of tax payments, faster tax refunds, more generous loss offset provisions, and some tax exemptions.





Governments have also helped businesses retain their workers through short-time work schemes or wage subsidies, and have extended income support to households, eased access to and expanded eligibility for sick-leave benefits, and sometimes broadened the coverage of unemployment benefits to self-employed workers.





The report points out that as containment is gradually relaxed, expansionary fiscal policy may be needed for a sustained period to stimulate broader household consumption and business investment where recovery is anaemic. Stimulus could foster resilience to health risks and encourage decarbonisation, while policy coordination will make stimulus more effective.





Tax policy can contribute to covering the costs of the crisis, according to the report. The unprecedented nature of the crisis should prompt debate on how wide-ranging tax reforms, including solidarity levies, carbon taxes and supporting greater progressivity across the tax system, can help governments better restore public finances. Low-income countries could benefit from new international efforts to address the challenges they face in taxing cross-border activity and offshore assets.





Addressing the tax challenges posed by digitalisation of the economy, and ensuring that Multinational Enterprises pay a minimum level of tax, will become more prominent issues after the crisis. The increased use of digital services and the need to collect more revenues could provide new impetus to efforts to reach agreement internationally, the report said.





For media queries, contact Pascal Saint-Amans, Director of the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration (+33 1 45 24 91 08) or Lawrence Speer in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 7970).

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
Australian drug smuggler 'Cocaine' Cassie Sainsbury has walked free from a Colombian prison after spending three years behind bars.

Sainsbury was locked up at El Buen Pastor women's prison in Bogota after being found guilty of trying to smuggle 6kg of cocaine in April 2017.

She was released on parole early Friday morning after President Ivan Duque signed a decree to release about 4,000 prisoners due to concerns of overcrowding in prisons amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the new measures, prisoners who have sentences of up to five years and who have completed 40 per cent of their sentences were released.

The former personal trainer from Adelaide will have to stay in Colombia for another 27 months as part of her parole conditions.

Scroll down for video

She was released from prison on Friday after serving three years behind bars (Pictured with partner Joslianinyer Pico)

Cassie Sainsbury was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine (pictured) concealed in her luggage at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport in April 2017

The Colombian government made drastic changes to its prison system to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.

Part of the measures will see prisoners who are pregnant, disabled or over age 60, women prisoners with children under age three, and those with cancer, diabetes or cardiac problems released into home detention for six months.

Speaking from what appears to be a hotel room, Sainsbury told 60minutes said she learned a lot while behind bars.

'I've grown up a lot. I learned a lot about myself, I learned a lot about people, I've learned how to analyse people better.

'I've learned not to trust people so much.

'It's been definitely a massive learning curve but, at the same time, everything that I've been through in prison, everything that I learnt I wouldn't change it because it's made me a stronger person it's made me who I am today.'

The former personal trainer from Adelaide (pictured with her partner Joslianinyer Pico) will have to stay in Colombia for another 27 months as part of her parole conditions

Sainsbury (pictured in 2017) says she has grown a lot during her time behind bars

The infamous inmate was locked up at El Buen Pastor women's prison in Bogota (pictured) after being found guilty of trying to smuggle 6kg of cocaine out of Colombia in April 2017

Sainsbury was sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of trying to smuggle 6kg of cocaine out of Colombia in April 2017.

The 24-year-old was due to begin her parole process last year after serving three-fifths of her sentence, taking into account a seven-month reduction in her sentence for good behaviour.

However, a high profile prison break, a food poisoning outbreak and allegations of corruption led to El Buen Pastor's chief being stood down - delaying her hearings.

At the time of her conviction, she was engaged to 25-year-old Scott Broadbridge, but she admitted the two no longer speak after their split in February 2018.

Cassie Sainsbury has undergone an incredible transformation in prison, she said she has learned a lot

Cassie Sainsbury's lawyer says she missed her mother Lisa Evans (pictured left with Cassie)

Sainsbury was engaged to Scott Broadbridge at the time of her conviction, but no longer speaks to her former fiance after they split in February 2018

She became engaged in November after her Venezuelan girlfriend Joslianinyer Pico proposed to her behind bars.

'She stole my heart. We are very happy together and if time allows us, we will be with each other for many years,' she told New Idea.

The former personal trainer revealed her now fiancee surprised her with a ring and banner reading: 'Cassie, will you marry me?' in the corridor of the prison after playing a game of soccer.

'A huge amount of people were watching me! She doesn't speak English, she was trying to learn English to propose. It was quite cute! I said yes, of course,' she told the magazine.

Sainsbury became engaged in November after her Venezuelan girlfriend Joslianinyer Pico (pictured together) proposed to her behind bars

Joli, who is serving time for theft, proposed to the 24-year-old and shared photos of their engagement rings on social media

Over the past three years, Sainsbury has learned to speak Spanish fluently and now teaches English to inmates in the prison, she said.

The pair plan to tie the knot in the beautiful coastal city of Cartagena some time this year after they are both released.

The romance has been well-documented on social media, with Joli frequently sharing photos of the happy couple on Facebook.

'Our first Colombian Valentine's Day together and five months by your side, my princess Rapunzel. Love you Cassie,' she wrote in one post.

In another Facebook post, she updated her friends of her wedding plans with a status saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen, I'm getting married.'
The deaths of nine people in one weekend in a psychiatric unit in Portlaoise, most with Covid-19, is "extremely difficult and even traumatic" for families and for staff, according to the association for psychiatric nurses in Ireland.

Eight of the nine people who died over Easter Weekend had tested positive for Covid-19. Another resident died on Tuesday April 14, a total of 10 in four days in the centre which still has 16 elderly residents.

This Thursday, Peter Hughes General Secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) gave a statement to the Leinster Express about the deaths in Maryborough Centre, Portlaoise, a centre for older people with psychiatric needs.

"On behalf of the PNA I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the families, friends and relatives of those who died at the Maryborough Centre, St Fintans Hospital, Portlaoise. It is an extremely difficult and even traumatic time for everyone involved, including the dedicated staff who have had to deal with a situation that is unprecedented in their experience," he said.

He said it highlights the "lethal virus" that is Covid-19.

"Any death of a loved one, and particularly those who are vulnerable is traumatic, but the numbers involved in Maryborough Centre over the past week bring home to us all the seriousness of the threat posed by Covid-19, not alone to those in residential and care settings but to the entire community. This is a lethal virus that we are still learning about and this makes it all the more concerning and worrying for those frontline staff who are working tirelessly to care for and assist those in their care," he said.

The association has been monitoring the level of Personal Protective Equipment for its members and he said there had been shortages.

"PNA has been constantly monitoring the adequacy of the response to the Covid crisis in psychiatric and intellectual disability settings, including the allocation of adequate staffing, appropriate training and the supply and quality of PPE. While in recent weeks, and in common with other services across the country, there were issues with the continuity of supply of PPE, PNA are satisfied that those issues have been resolved," Mr Hughes said.

"We are satisfied that in the case of the Maryborough Centre that the unit is appropriately staffed, has ample supply of PPE available and is supported by senior clinicians from the adjoining hospital," he said.
Spiritually, I believe that Tasmania needs its dark past broken off it and healed through the supernatural power of Jesus Christ and the holy spirit before the new wine that contains Gods complete blessing and kingdom can fully come.

Tasmania is synonymous in a tourism context with its convict past which involves some very dark and cruel history. Several towns are dedicated to preserving the convict past which draw thousands of visitors every year. Yes it can be interesting and people make money from it but we believe that it contributes to a darkness that hangs over the state because the land hasn't been given an opportunity to heal.

Healing the land hasn't been done through the traditional churches because unfortunately they are in fact part of the problem. Many thrive on preserving their historical church traditions which have in the past aligned themselves with secret societies, some which have never been dealt with or acknowledged as sinful, leaving legacies which make it hard for the spirit of God to dwell in.

Religion can't fix it - religion is responsible for corporatising, institutionalising and presenting Christianity to its members and the public as mere ritualistic man made church culture instead of a supernatural lifestyle.

So, spiritual warfare and knowing how to fight principalities of darkness in Tasmania is something they don't generally do, nor do they teach their congregations how to fight in spiritual warfare leaving them as sitting ducks. Why? Because the traditional church as a whole is a sitting duck for the enemy itself - they don't know HOW to fight let alone teach others.

So, lets cut to the chase here. God needed people to carry out supernatural cleansing and healing work on the land here in Tasmania and chose us as some of those people to help him out on the ground.

Praying for the land is very similar to healing people through the supernatural power of Jesus Christ and the holy spirit. It can get a bit technical but everything we have learnt has been adapted from healing people through the authority of Jesus in conjunction with being taught by God himself - 1 John 2. 2, you have been anointed by the Holy One and have all knowledge.

We use several prayers and scriptures along with anointed oil from the holy land which varies according to what the holy spirit is telling us. The location is always instructed by God himself and it often happens spontaneously with very little notice giving the enemy little or no time to mobilise. Intense prayer and scripture is required for protection from demons attempting to land on us during the process.

The general process is this:

Prayers of protection spoken.

Prayers with scripture that break off and destroy evil that has occurred on the land in the past including curses spoken with authority of Jesus Christ.

All demons commanded to leave with authority of Jesus Christ along with decrees spoken of their destruction in Jesus Christs name.

Prayers of anointing the land in Jesus Christs name spoken while pouring (pre-prepared) holy oil onto the ground.

Prayers of inviting God through the holy spirit to come and fill the land with his healing, will, presence, love and kingdom.

Prayers of thanks and protection spoken.

The process is conducted In the spirit as much as possible and tongues are almost always spoken. Visions often accompany the process to enable us to see that change has taken place with confirmation given by the holy spirit almost all the time if the land anointing has been successful.

The good news is that we are seeing great results with spiritual atmospheres changing in entire towns and areas through the supernatural power and authority of Jesus Christ, holy spirit and angels which is contributing to an overall saturating effect on the entire land of Tasmania, bringing with it refreshment, Gods presence and kingdom.

If you would like further instruction on how to pray for land in your area please ask for Gods permission first and then contact Tim Crawshaw.
FLINT, MI  One by one, the vehicles maneuvered through a maze of cones and up to a table and tent where medical personnel stood clad in head-to-toe personal protective equipment.

People inside the vehicles provided identification and insurance information prior to receiving a nasal swab to test for COVID-19.

The test was then placed into a cooler and shipped off to a reference lab for results in 24 to 48 hours.

After a test run roughly one month ago, the citys first drive-thru testing site opened Wednesday, April 15 in the parking lot of Atwood Stadium situated near the Flint River.

Flint hospital runs practice drills at new coronavirus testing drive-thru

The site is one of 13 new or expanded COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in the state of Michigan.

The expanded testing services are available through a partnership involving the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Michigan Primary Care Association, 11 health centers and NxGen MDX Laboratory.

John Stewart, Hurley Medical Center administrator, oversaw the launch Wednesday morning.

Were set up to complete 50 screenings today. Its by appointment only, he said. We have a screening number at the medical center which is our hotline number which has been made available to the community.

The testing will take place Monday, Wednesday, Friday for the foreseeable future in the space being provided by Kettering University.

Were starting out reasonably conservative because we dont know how this is going to look and feel. We do have the capacity to increase that volume, but what we really want to do is community surveillance, Stewart commented.

In Genesee County there were three more COVID-19 deaths reported Wednesday, meaning a total of 89 deaths are now attributed to the virus in the county by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

5 more die from coronavirus in Genesee, Saginaw counties as cases slow

The number of total cases in the county also increased from 1,030 to 1,084, with Genesee County ranked fourth out of the states 83 counties in cases.

Stewart said Wednesdays testing felt like a reasonable introduction and they will critique the situation after Friday and figure out any needed adjustments to better support the communitys need.

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley offered his thanks to Hurley Medical Center for providing the additional testing option in the city.

Their work is heroic. We are continuing to work with other providers also to further expand testing available to residents of the city of Flint, he said. All of us must do our part to help stop the spread of this deadly virus.

He advised residents to continue to heed the advice of the medical community and be vigilant in protection themselves and others, including staying at home unless travel is essential and wearing a mask.

At the head of the line for testing on Wednesday was Clio resident John Newvine.

The Highland Park firefighter said it was nearly impossible to find testing when he inquired three weeks ago.

Ive been exposed a couple times. Were actually getting it from the inside several of our firefighters have gotten it, said Newvine, who self-quarantined two weeks ago. This is going to help tremendously. I think its going to get us more accurate numbers. I think its going to get more people tested and its actually going to give us a better picture of whats going on up here.

The states testing priorities include:

 Hospitalized patients.

 Symptomatic healthcare workers.

 Patients in congregate facilities with symptoms, including those at:

 Long-term care or elderly living facilities.

 Jails or prisons.

 Homeless shelters.

 Residential foster care facilities.

 Other group living settings.

 Patients age 65 and older with symptoms.

 Patients with underlying conditions with symptoms.

 First responders with symptoms.

 Critical infrastructure workers with symptoms.

The new testing efforts across the state will increase Michigans daily COVID-19 testing capacity by about 40 percent when fully operational.

Drive-thru coronavirus testing sites opening in Flint, Detroit

When asked how long the testing would be provided, Stewart responded: Thats the magical question.

Were prepared to support it as long as theres a need and our resources are available to complete what we need to do to complete the test, he said. I think its reasonable for the next three, four weeks (and) at the end of that reassess where were at with the community. Have we flattened the curve? Is there still need for community surveillance? And kind of just base our next steps off of the outcome of that.

As for city residents whove dealt with a water crisis that may have impacted their health, Stewart said it probably wont be clear if they are more likely to be impacted by COVID-19 until enough research is completed.

I think we do feel like there are patients who are more susceptible just like they are with any type of virus if they have comorbidities that are coexisting and make them more prevalent to getting that, he added.

As the testing shifts to meet needs, Stewart said the same strategy is taking place in the hospital.

We have a handful of what we call COVID containment units that are for those positive patients, he said. As we see that number reducing, were flexing those units to become available for other patients.

The effort in the fight against the virus has involved everyone at the hospital, with staffing at the testing site coming primarily from the laboratory unit but also including outpatient medical assistants, as well as physician support from residents and emergency department physicians.

Theyre behind this. Ive never seen a stronger sense of team and the spirit around the organization is still very strong, said Stewart.

Their spirits are up and thats been tremendously achieved through the support of the community, he said. Every day, someones delivering food, theyre calling, theyre asking what (they) can do, theyre donating PPE, iPads. Its amazing.

People must call ahead to the hotline number at 810-262-3685 and schedule an appointment to get a test.

Flint opens hotline for people with coronavirus symptoms seeking tests

An appointment is needed in order to be tested.

Appointments will be given to people who are screened over the phone for COVID-19 symptoms including difficulty breathing, fever, and dry cough.

CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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Rajesh Abraham By

Express News Service

KOCHI: For the first time, Kerala reported no Covid cases from overseas returnees on Wednesday, but the coronavirus infected cases being reported in recent days from among those who returned from foreign countries -- even 24 days after the airports were closed -- is worrying the health authorities. The doctors and health authorities said they suspect this could be an indication of a large number of asymptomatic carriers of the deadly virus in the state.

On Tuesday, of the eight new Covid cases reported, five have come from Dubai while the remaining three got the infection through local contact. Similarly, on Sunday, both the cases reported were UAE returnees while on Monday, one out of the three Covid case reported was from a foreign returnee.

We feel the airports were lax in letting passengers go directly to their homes after the thermal screening. Except for one case, when a three-year-old Kannur boy who came with his parents from Italy was screened international passenger was detected with possible infection. In the case of the Kannur boy too, it was done due to the insistence of the parents, said a health official, on condition of anonymity.

We suspect the foreign returnees may be contracting the coronavirus from their fellow asymptomatic travellers - their partners or children, long after they reached homes, he said. Dr Praveen G S, epidemiologist at Government Medical College, Kalamassery, said though the incubation period for Covid-19 - the time between exposure to the virus (becoming infected) and symptom onset -- can extend up to 14 days, the emergence of Covid positive cases in Kerala even after 20-23 days indicates that the overseas returnees may be contracting the virus from asymptomatic co-traveller, who could be living in the same house, say the person contracting from his wife or son or viceversa. In the case of Nipah, there were strong symptoms, which helped us to isolate the person from others.

Thats not the case with Covid-19. The symptoms are not very strong and this is not helping us to isolate the infected person from others. There are a large number of asymptomatic cases out there, which will make the task of tackling the disease very hard, he said. Dr Tinku Joseph, pulmonologist, AIMS, said in certain instances the incubation period could be more than 14 days. Cases are reported from different parts of the world in which patients become symptomatic after 25 days of exposure, he said. We still dont have clear cut data. The pattern of the virus is also constantly changing, Joseph said, adding that there are also chances that a foreign returnee acquiring infected from someone else after coming here or contracting the virus from asymptomatic carriers.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a request for an emergency stay and appeal of the preliminary injunction preventing the state from banning abortion amid COVID-19.

Abortion providers attempts to obtain special treatment under the emergency health orders orders the district court recognized are facially constitutionalcreate a potentially dangerous limitation upon the ability of the State to further respond to the coronavirus pandemic, said Marshall in a press release.

Marshall said the purpose of the health order was to promote social distancing and conserve personal protective equipment. He said the court ruling jeopardizes Alabamas ability to implement health orders during the pandemic.

The Alabama Department of Public Health issued a state-wide health order on March 27 calling for the postponement of all elective medical and dental procedures. The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama sought clarification of the order as it did not specify what procedures would be considered elective.

As leading medical experts have recognized, abortion is essential, time-sensitive health care. Alabamas attempts to prevent patients from accessing abortion care does nothing to slow the spread of COVID-19, it just stops people from getting this essential care," said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, attorney at the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, in an emailed press release.

Marshall said in a press release on March 30 that Alabama abortion clinics will not be exempt from the March 27th ADPH order.

At a time when all Americans are making significant sacrifices to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it is remarkable that one class of providers demands to be treated differently than all others, Marshall said in a press release. "Abortion clinics want an exemption, yet they are by no means exempt from the known risks of spreading the virus in crowded waiting rooms, depleting scarce personal protective equipment that should be reserved for those treating the virus, and transferring patients with complications to already overburdened hospitals.

United States District Court Judge Myron Thompson said in a the court filing on April 10, Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and their offices cannot use the Alabama Department of Public Healths order mandating the postponement of all medically unnecessary procedures to prevent healthcare providers from performing abortions.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Unable to provide food to his family amid the coronavirus lockdown, an out of business snacks seller attempted suicide by consuming pesticide in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday evening.

However, alert family members rushed Devendra Rathore to the hospital, where timely action by doctors saved his life. The incident happened in Yadav Colony of Morena town (around 460 km from Bhopal).

"Due to the lockdown, I've not been able to put up the stall for selling snacks, which has meant no income and food for my 10-member family, including my mother, brother, sister-in-law, wife and three children. A few days ago, my mother borrowed wheat flour from neighbours to make chapatis, and since then we didn't have proper food," said Devendra.

He further said: "My kids have been asking for food which I am unable to provide. This has led to led to tiff with the wife too. I had no option left, but to consume pesticide to end my life."

Devendra's brother Ram Lakhan said some days back the family had got 10 kg rice from the administration. "But can rice alone feed our family. After my younger brother attempted suicide, some activists gave the family food and grains."

Devendra's mother Meera, in whose name there is a BPL card, said the lockdown has ruined the entire family. "Both my son sold snacks through stalls, but due to lockdown, they are not allowed to do the business. Now, We have no income and there is no food in the house. Even the neighbours can help you for a day or two and not forever. It's the inability to feed the family, which provoked my younger son to attempt suicide, but doctors have managed to save his life," said a tearful Meera.

The shocking incident in Morena has also exposed tall claims of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government of providing food grains to the poor and needy in the state.
Irish mobile operators say they are increasingly concerned at the risk of attacks on equipment as misinformation about 5G continues to circulate. While Facebook and YouTube say they will remove posts and videos that lead to damage or danger, conspiracy theorists are operating in plain sight on the platforms.

Now populist scare stories about the technology, given oxygen by Irish county council resolutions, are starting to translate into agitation and violence.

On Easter Sunday, a suspected arson attack left Eir mast equipment in Donegal in flames.

The next day, Eir confirmed that the mast does not have any 5G connectivity, but is being upgraded to give better 4G coverage to the local hospital in Letterkenny.

Donegal, like many other counties around the country, has a number of increasingly active anti-5G protesters.

In Letterkenny, the most prominent group is called 'Stop 5G Letterkenny'.

Last Thursday, the group turned its Facebook page's attention to the large Eir mast beside Letterkenny Hospital that was undergoing maintenance. It urged members to "go to the mast near the hospital" and "share it with the nation".

It then posted videos of workers at the site and a telephone conversation between a local anti-5G activist and the safety manager responsible for the construction site and the Eir upgrades.

One of the comments on the post suggested that "a 22 or a good sling shot will sort them out".

One activist called Michael Mooney, reposted by Stop 5G Letterkenny, suggested that the maintenance was a "cover-up" to facilitate a 5G upgrade.

He then posted some questions about the maintenance work being done on the Eir mast. These questions included conspiratorial suggestions linking the work to the current coronavirus pandemic.

He asked: "Why was this work ongoing during a pandemic? Was this pandemic pre-planned to allow this work to be carried out whilst everybody else [is] locked up?"

Mr Mooney then followed up with a common assertion from most anti-5G protesters in Ireland: "When this new gear is switched on, what new sickness and illness and cancers and headaches are going to appear?"

Mr Mooney's post, shared by Stop 5G Letterkenny, was shared 59 times.

Similar posts from other anti-5G protest groups are common on Facebook.

The social media giant, with an international headquarters in Dublin, has promised to crack down on pages and groups that make specific debunked claims, such as that Covid-19 and 5G are connected. "We are starting to remove false claims that 5G technology causes the symptoms or contraction of Covid-19 under our existing policies against harmful misinformation," a spokesperson for the Irish office told the Irish Independent.

"We are enforcing these policies globally, so if we are made aware of this content in Ireland, it will be removed."

However, the spokesperson was unable to say whether it had yet taken action against any Irish posts under the new rule.

Last week, Facebook confirmed that it had taken down pages run by a handful of British anti-5G campaigners for linking the technology to the coronavirus.

These included the groups entitled 'Stop 5G UK' and 'Destroy 5G Save Our Children'.

But Facebook isn't the only problem. Fringe news websites in Ireland are also suggesting that there may be a link between the Covid-19 lockdown and 5G installations around the country.

Five days before the Stop 5G Letterkenny post about the Eir mast, theliberal.ie posted a story about an "apparent rush to install 5G masts while the country is on lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus crisis".

The story, with a byline of Gerard Clarke, went on to say that "those concerned with the possible health impacts of 5G have been left outraged by the move which some see as an opportunistic move by the Government to install the network without facing public query or protest".

It then asked readers to share the post on social media and leave comments.

Those battling such rumour mongering also sometimes have to deal with primetime media presenters appearing to offer succour to the conspiracy theorists.

Earlier this week, the British broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, received over 400 complaints when the Northern Irish anchorman of the ITV 'This Morning' programme, Eamonn Holmes, suggested mainstream media was wrongly "slapping down" 5G health scare stories because they "suited a state narrative".

On unproven fears linking 5G to health problems, Mr Holmes also claimed that the mainstream media "does not know that they're not true".

The next day, he said that his comments "may have been misinterpreted" and acknowledged that "there is no connection" between Covid-19 and 5G.

However, he left the door ajar on the issue of whether 5G might still be bad for your health, adding that "many people are rightly concerned and are looking for answers and that's simply what I was trying to do".

He may have known he was on safe political ground in adding this rider.

In Ireland, there are dozens of elected politicians - representing tens of thousands of people - who advance debunked theories that 5G technology can cause cancer or other health maladies.

Five county councils - Clare, Leitrim, Wicklow, Wexford and Sligo - have passed resolutions asking for 5G mobile rollouts to stop in their counties. In each case, councillors claim that the technology has not been proven to be safe.

In some instances, some of the country's most senior TDs have joined in.

In November, Sinn Fein's Donegal TD and front bench spokesman, Pearse Doherty, voiced concern about potential health downsides to 5G and supported a motion (backed, he said, by the entire Sinn Fein front bench) to review its rollout in Ireland. However, Mr Doherty's proposal was voted down by the general membership of the party.

The combination of all the escalation in agitation against 5G is giving Irish operators the jitters.

The country's second-biggest mobile network, Three, is currently preparing its 5G rollout here.

"Given what we have seen in the UK and in Donegal, we would have concern that our equipment could be targeted as well," a spokesperson told the Irish Independent.

Vodafone, which has a growing 5G network across the country, is also on alert.

"We strongly condemn the attacks reported in Donegal on network infrastructure at a time when connectivity for critical services, businesses and vulnerable groups within our society is vital," said a spokeswoman.

Donegal isn't the only recent incident of intimidation. Last week, protesters threw onions at mobile engineers upgrading a 4G mobile site in Dublin's Ballyfermot suburb. The work was being done by the telecoms contracting firm KTL.

Although no one was injured, one of the engineers targeted was on a monopole, the company's chief operating officer, Peter Dwyer, said.

"It was quite dangerous," said Mr Dwyer, who added that industry workers upgrading telecoms equipment are increasingly on the "receiving end" of violent behaviour.

In the UK, there have been over 40 attacks on 5G masts in recent weeks, as activists boil over with theories they've read on social media groups or heard in YouTube videos.

Ironically, maintenance work is more urgently required on Irish networks now than in previous months.

Operators here say that there has been a spike in usage since the lockdown began. Writing in these pages today, Vodafone CEO Anne O'Leary says the increase in data and voice demand is as high as 50pc.

Last week, the telecoms regulator approved additional spectrum capacity for the mobile operators, to help vital services and people working from home.

Following a rise in tension over 5G, the watchdog was also moved to publish a special notice debunking some of the more extravagant claims.

"ComReg urges everyone to ignore misinformation circulating on social media and not to spread it further," said a spokesman.

"There is absolutely no truth in the rumours of a link between Covid-19 and 5G.

"This has been confirmed by the European Commission and World Health Organisation, among others.

"The Department of Health has advised that Covid-19 is spread in sneeze or cough droplets and there is no evidence of a link to 5G."

Other organisations, from cancer charities to the World Health Organisation, have categorically ruled out health threats from 5G.

"There is simply no evidence to support worrying about phones or masts when talking about cancer risk," says the Irish Cancer Society on the 5G health question.

"The changes to frequency used by technology such as 5G mean that these signals cannot even penetrate the human body."

However, this is unlikely to arrest the wilder conspiracy theories about the technology online.

Ireland has a long history of frightening itself about mobile phone masts, from Kerry's one-mile exclusion zone rule to masked gunmen threatening contractors in the Border counties.

It may take a new round of civic resolve to change the temperature, involving organisations like Facebook and the dozens of councillors who are still giving refuge to mythical stories of death and disfigurement from the latest cellular technology.
Environment Health Officials at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly have raised concerns over six COVID-19 bodies that have been left unattended to at various morgues due to the lack of training and PPEs to handle the bodies.

According to them, bodies of infectious diseases are meant to be buried within 72-hours of death in a designated burial site.

Per the WHO standards bodies of infectious diseases are not supposed to be kept in the morgue. They are meant to rest in a cold van for not more than 3 days then moved to a designated burial site for sanitary disposal.

The health officials, however, reveal that a section of the Awudome cemetery has been designated for that, but they have neither the necessary capacity nor Protective gears to carry out the task.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Thursday Director of Public Health for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Florence Kuukyi, said her department has not been trained on how to handle COVID-19 bodies.

She explained It is the duty of the environmental health officer who is supposed to dispose off these bodies, and as we are talking, part of Awudome cemetery has been designated for Ghana infectious disease burial site. If we dont release the place, the bodies cant be buried because you cant bury the body at the blind side of the assembly where the cemetery is located.

On when the notification of the dead bodies came she said to the best of my knowledge, I know one is not less than two weeks now because the first call that came was on the 25th of March and the subsequent calls came in on the 30th of March and 1st April.

The communication we have received from them (GHS) is that immediately they move the body from the hospital ward into the cold van, that is where the medical officers work end. It is now the duty of the local government service to takeover. But as Im talking with you now, no provision has been made for us to undertake such burial hence these bodies are still lying in the mortuary.

---Starrfm.com
LOS ANGELESWhile coronavirus infection can clearly be transmitted by physical content with a person carrying the virus, there has been some confusion as to whether COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is actually sexually transmitted. But a new study by medical researchers in China, where the virus was first detected, appears to show that the disease is not sexually transmissable  at least not by men.

A preliminary abstract of the study was published by the online medical journal MedRxIv, and conducted by researchers at Nanjing Medical University, and Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, which is located in the center of Chinas coronavirus outbreak.

The researchers took semen samples from 12 male patients between the ages of 22 and 38 years old. At the time of the study, in early March, 10 had already been judged to have recovered from their illnesses, and were discharged from the hospital. Another two were entering the recovery stage, according to scientific paper titled, Detection of 2019 novel coronavirus in semen and testicular biopsy specimen of COVID-19 patients.

But all of the recovered or recovering patients tested negative for 2019-nCoV RNA, the genetic material contained by the novel coronavirus. The scientists also took a testicular biopsy from a deceased 67-year old male patient, who had died of COVID-19. But the sample of the patients testicular tissue also showed no evidence of the viruss genetic material.

The results from this study show no evidence of sexual transmission of 2019-nCov from males, the researchers concluded.

But though the virus, it now appears, is not transmitted via semen, that doesnt mean sexual activity with a partner whose infection status is uncertain would be a good idea.

The city of New York has even issued guidelines for how to safely have sex without getting coronavirus, or giving it to ones partner. The citys main suggestion?

"You are your safest sex partner, the New York Health Department wrote. Masturbation will not spread COVID-19, especially if you wash your hands ... with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after sex.

According to public health expert Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz of George Washington University, in an interview with The Guardian, certain sexual acts can definitely transmit the disease, even if seminal fluid cant.

Kissing is a very common practice during sexual intercourse, and the virus can be transmitted via saliva, he explained. There is also evidence of oral-fecal transmission of the COVID-19 and that implies that analingus may represent a risk for infection.

Photo By Victoria Islas / Pixabay
She is expecting her second child, a daughter, with husband Spencer Matthews and said earlier this week she was beginning to feel 'very pregnant'.

And Vogue Williams continued to update her Instagram followers with bump snaps on Thursday as she took a mirror selfie in the lift.

The television personality, 34, who is six months pregnant, gave mums-to-be some maternity wear inspiration as she sheathed her bump in a white ruched maxi dress.

Stylish: Vogue, who is six months pregnant, gave mums-to-be some maternity wear inspiration as she sheathed her bump in a white ruched maxi dress on Wednesday

The maxi dress nipped Vogue in at the waist before billowing out over her pregnancy curves.

She wore her blonde locks and in a slick bun and accessorised her chic dress with gold jewellery and black sunglasses.

Vogue wrote: 'Yes I came into the lift just for a selfie!'.

Blossoming bump: The maxi dress nipped Vogue in at the waist before billowing out over her pregnancy curves

Radiant: She wore her blonde locks and in a slick bun and accessorised her chic dress with gold jewellery and black sunglasses

Earlier this week, the Irish beauty, who is already mum to Theodore, one, shared a lengthy caption describing how she is trying to 'embrace' her body.

She wrote: 'All of a sudden I feel VERY pregnant! I'm trying as much as I can to embrace my changing body but it's not easy. I feel a lot bigger this time and it's true what they say, girls make you wider and wowza that water retention is something else

'I'm also not into having my bump out at all, last time I was all about the crop top and this time I'm not even sure I'll wear a bikini in the summer.

'I feel VERY pregnant': Earlier this week, the Irish beauty shared a lengthy caption describing how she is trying to 'embrace' her body

Cute: Vogue is already mum to Theodore and recently said he is keeping her distracted during lockdown

'The best thing about a second pregnancy is that you don't have much time to think about it which actually makes it easier. So Theodore my gorgeous boy, thank you for taking up every second of my day!'

Last month, Spencer and Vogue announced they were expecting their second child, a baby girl.

After confirming her pregnancy, Vogue admitted she's feeling more 'relaxed' this time.

The TV presenter revealed they found out they were expecting 10 weeks into her pregnancy and they have since learned they are having a baby girl.
The Federal Council

Bern, 16.04.2020 - Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer, State Secretary Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, representing Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, and Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, will attend the virtual Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank on 16 and 17 April 2020. The main focus of the Meetings, like the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in the run-up to them, is the global management of the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

The IMF's International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) will address the economic policy challenges and the need for action by the IMF in dealing with the pandemic. Switzerland will emphasise the importance of swiftly granting Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) assistance in order to create budgetary leeway for urgent expenditure. To this end, it also supports a temporary and targeted expansion of IMF's crisis lending instruments. It will call for the IMF measures to focus in particular on a fast and sustainable exit from the crisis and the medium to longer-term sustainability of national budgets.

In the Development Committee, Switzerland will support the World Bank's package of measures to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Switzerland will call on the World Bank to provide focused, sustainable interventions that are implemented in close coordination with partner organisations. The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Convention should also serve as an international reference framework for global sustainable development during the management of the COVID-19 crisis. The World Bank has the capacity to provide developing countries with financial support of up to USD 160 billion over the next fifteen months.

Switzerland is also prepared in principle to support the initiative launched by the IMF and the World Bank to temporarily suspend debt service payments for poorer countries. This is intended to create fiscal space for severely affected poorer countries for urgent expenditure in the fight against COVID-19.

In the run-up to the Annual Meetings, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer and SNB Chairman Thomas Jordan took part in a video conference of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. The G20 presented its action plan to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, which includes the initiatives mentioned above. In the G20, Switzerland underlined the great importance of measures to ensure financial stability and emphasised that a financially viable solution and a credible longer-term outlook are needed to strengthen the confidence of markets and investors.

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Azerbaijani authorities abuse the restrictions imposed in the fight against coronavirus and arrest opposition activists to shut up critics of the government, Turan reported referring to the Human Rights Watch (HRW).

At least six activists and an opposition journalist have been arrested for 10 to 30 days on trumped-up charges of violating quarantine or disobeying the police.

Almost all have been arrested after criticizing the conditions in quarantine centers or the inability of the government to provide adequate compensation to vulnerable groups.

Among those arrested, there was a man who was taking his child with a chronic illness to the hospital for treatment.

According to George Gogia, HRW deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, these arrests are fully consistent with the long-standing model of political retaliation in Azerbaijan.

The authorities should stop using the emergency as an excuse to punish freedom of expression, he added.

HRW believes that arresting people for violating the quarantine regime can increase the spread of the disease because the virus can spread in crowded places of detention. Both regional and national monitoring groups criticized prison conditions in Azerbaijan.

HRW believes the permission to leave the home system introduced in Azerbaijan unduly restricts movement and personal freedom.

Imprisonment as a sanction for violation of quarantine is counter-productive and contrary to the recommendations of experts from the UN and the Council of Europe.

Authorities must immediately cease the political application of restrictive measures and release those arrested, the HRW statement noted.
An NHS nurse who is critically ill with coronavirus has lost her mother to the killer disease, according to a friend.

Anusuya Chandra Mohan passed away from Covid-19 while her daughter Jenifer remains on life support at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.

A GoFundMe campaign has now been launched to cover the costs of delaying the funeral of Ms Mohan so that her daughter can see her before she is laid to rest.

Anusuya Chandra Mohan, pictured, passed away from Covid-19 while her daughter Jenifer remains on life support at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge

Jenifer is a nurse on the Denver Ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

It comes as the UK has announced 861 more deaths from the coronavirus today, taking the total number of victims to 13,729.

Britain has also diagnosed more than 100,000 people with the virus - making it only the sixth country in the world to do so.

But the rising number of cases remains stable, with just 4,618 positive tests in the past 24 hours resulting in a total case count of 103,093.

'The situation is very grim and hence please continue to uphold her in your prayers for speedy recovery,' said Evelyn Nadar, who set up the campaign.

'Funerals are always a difficult subject specially at a time when Jenifer is on life support, and the rest of the family in India and the UK are mourning the loss of their loved one, while also remembering Jenifer and wishing her a speedy recovery.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, where Jenifer is a nurse on the Denver Ward. A GoFundMe campaign has since been launched (file photo)

'We want the family in UK to be able to give Anusuya the send off she deserves, so through this page we hope to help out with some expenditures.'

The campaign, which has so-far raised 4,754 from 150 donors, hopes to gather 15,000 so Jenifer can 'see her mum before she is finally laid to rest.'

'This would mean delaying the funeral and Anusuya remaining at the Chapel of Rest which would come with a cost,' Ms Nadar explained.

'We would appreciate any amount you can spare, as everything will go straight to the costs.

'We want to thank you for your support to the bereaved family.'
RUSHVILLE  City Council has approved an ordinance following in the footsteps of many municipalities and counties to implement a sales tax on future cannabis sales within the citys boundaries.

Mayor Carson Klitz said the council passed an ordinance April 6 assessing a 3% tax.

We just mimicked what the county had already done, Klitz said. If there are going to be sales, we will get a portion of the tax.

Schuyler Countys board previously passed an ordinance to collect taxes on cannabis sold in the county and the city followed its example, Klitz said.

The ordinance must be filed with the Illinois Department of Revenue for the city to collect taxes from the sales.

Rushville doesnt have any dispensaries or facilities  or any proposed facilities  right now.

The city has not addressed any other ordinances regarding cannabis sales or facilities, but Klitz said that is something the council will have to discuss in the future.

In addition to a sales tax, many municipalities have implemented ordinances that would oversee facilities, including setbacks and zoning.

We arent currently granting any licenses, Klitz said. If someone does decide to do that, well address it then.




The results of 90 people who showed symptoms of Coronavirus were released by the Federal Capital Territory Administration on Thursday.

According to FCTA in a post on their Twitter account noted that people that were tested for COVID-19 were confirmed negative.

A further report revealed that individuals tested were from the Mpape community of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

FCTA added that everyone with a history of cough, fever, catarrh, chest pain and difficulty in breathing in various communities of Abuja, will be screened.

The post reads: During community active case search, department of public health detected and tested the persons whose test came back as negative.

As FCTA continues Community Active Case Search in various communities of Abuja, results of 90 clients from Mpape community testing, have all returned negative to COVID-19.

This is to detect anyone with COVID-19 and get them treated promptly to break the chain of transmission in FCT.

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Stress isnt new to teachers, but what theyre experiencing now makes their typical stress seem like a picnic. Driven by a pandemic to the front lines of an unprecedented rush to distance-learning, the nations teachers are scrambling to manage an armful of new challenges. And theyre exhausted.

That exhaustion emerges from a tangle of dynamics. Teachers are grappling with unfamiliar technologies. They have to retrofitor reinventtheir lessons and find new ways to do familiar things, like grading homework. Theyre inundated with emails, texts, and calls from principals, parents, and students. Theyre trying to be there for students and their families. And many are also juggling the needs of their own children or other loved ones while managing their own coronavirus fears.

Amy Pollington, a kindergarten teacher at Saint George School, a private K-8 in Seattle, didnt mince words when she described her first week of distance-teaching.

By the fourth day, I started to have a panic attack, she said. I hadnt slept. I was feeling like the walls were coming in on me.

Sitting there in a living room chair, her $6 Amazon classroom-backdrop poster taped up behind her, Pollington had to shut down her laptop and her phone to regain her composure. She was trying so hard to give 150 percent, to be there every moment of the day and night for her families. But she had to stop. Just for a few minutes.

She isnt alone. In interviews with Education Week, teachers described staying up until 2 or 3 a.m., answering emails, trouble-shooting technology or planning lessons. They cant seem to shut it off. Papers are strewn across their living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. And on top of the stress and exhaustion, theyre grieving.

Im sorry Im crying, but just to be with them, their little faces, every day, in person, I miss that so much, said Angie Shaw, who teaches 1st grade at Longfellow Elementary in Scottsbluff, Neb.

She aches for the familiar routines and rituals of her brick-and-mortar school day and how she knew every loose tooth, every hurt feeling, in her students lives. Shaw holds a weekly evening circle time on Zoom, but she cant get the kind of connection shes used to with each student.

A New Level of Multitasking

One of Rana El Yousefs recent days illustrates the complexities that teachers are now managing. El Yousef, a high school chemistry teacher in Glendora, Calif., multitasked during her morning dog-walk, using it as her twin 9-year-old sons recess and as a quick tutorial in writing and fractions so they could get started on their teachers assignments.

Home again, she made the boys breakfast and got them logged onto their Chromebooks. Then El Yousef tackled a brimming inbox, scanning each emails demands: Theres a science department Zoom meeting at 2 p.m., as well as her sons 3rd grade Zoom meeting. Theres another Zoom meeting at 3 p.m. for honors and Advanced Placement teachers.

Its hours before she can get to her own students, and the emails were flooding in. El Yousef had posted YouTube videos with lessons and worksheets, and a do-at-home science experiment and a Google quiz. Students were asking: How do I answer this lab question? How do I submit my answers? Between emails, she graded her AP students practice quizzes and surveyed her students about their online access. And theres the small matter of planning new lessons, too.

Ive been staring at a computer for eight solid hours, my eyes are strained, my shoulders are tense, and I have to keep reminding myself, all this is new, and we are all learning, and it will get easier, I hope, El Yousef said.

Teachers also feel caught between their students and families, who are overflowing with questions, and their principals who often cant provide answers yet.

Families are asking, what is grading going to look like? What are they going to base promotion on? And we dont know yet, said Theresa Bruce, who teaches 8th grade social studies at the KIPP-Harmony School in Baltimore. Were used to being able to quickly get answers for our parents. But not being able to answer, it plagues your mind.

Haunted by the No-Shows

Bruce and her students are more comfortable than many with technology-based instruction, since their school is a blended-learning environment, with 1-to-1 computing. Even still, teaching from home is a massive and difficult change, she said. Among other things, shes lost the cues that she can pick up only from seeing her students in person, she said.

When Im with them, I can see whats really going on with them, she said. But digitally, they can hide it: their joy. Their depression. Anybody can put their game face on for an hour on Zoom.

Bruce is haunted by the ones who arent signing on for virtual sessions. In the past, she wouldnt hesitate to call home if a child missed class. But now, with parents losing jobs, or maybe caring for ill relatives, Bruce isnt sure if a call is too intrusive. She agonizes: Should I reach out? Is that too much?

Teachers report that simple things take much longer as they get used to working with online tools. Ayako Anderson, who teaches Japanese to high school students at three schools in the Boston suburbs, said that just noting an incorrect verb conjugation on a students paper recently required a laborious process of zooming in and out on her iPad, switching cursors and forming one word with a scratchy red scrawl.

In a brick-and-mortar world, shed be able to make more extensive comments quickly, with a pen on paper. But she recognizes that adapting paper practices to computer can itself be inefficient. One of the schools where she teaches is 100 percent virtual, and its systems and processes are designed for online learning, so they work better, she said.

Teaching from home comes with another risk: too little physical activity. Teachers said theyre worn out from sitting still in front of a computer so much. My body aches from sitting for hours on end, said Shaw. Anderson said that since she doesnt need to walk from classroom to classroom anymore, or walk to lunch, she finds herself sitting endlessly, working until the hours blur and its 3 a.m.

Trying to Go From Zero to 60

Experts in online learning, and in grief and stress, say none of what teachers are experiencing is surprising. Susan Patrick, the CEO of the Aurora Institute, a nonprofit that supports districts with virtual learning, said its impossible to do full-scale distance-learning instantly.

Theres a reason districts and schools take one to two years planning time, she said. You cant go from zero to 60 in 24 hours if you dont have the processes and structures in place.

Michael Barbour, who focuses on virtual learning as an associate professor of education at Touro University California, said research shows that preparing lessons for distance-learning can be more time-consuming than for brick-and-mortar settings. Plans for liveor synchronoussessions can take up to three times as long, he said, and plans for asynchronous lessons can take as much as five to eight times longer.

Experts said teachers and those around them shouldnt discount the emotional toll that the sudden shift to home teaching is taking on them.

Being asked to suddenly do something youre not skilled in, coping with the worry about coronavirus in their own lives, feeling theyre not doing enough for kids and parents, plus their fears about next fall, and how their students and families could really be suffering mentally and financially then, all of that piles up into an amazing amount of stress, said Kathleen Minke, the executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists.

Teachers experience of grief is going unacknowledged, too, as exhaustion and stress take a higher profile, experts said. That can produce a phenomenon known as disenfranchised griefa grief thats tougher because its not acknowledged and accepted, said Kenneth Doka, a psychologist who specializes in grief.

It could be hard for teachers to feel they can complain about the loss of not seeing their students, when they know people out there are dying, Doka said. But that lack of recognition leads to [a] more complicated [form of] grief.

The combination of stress and grief can produce brain changes that make the already-stressful job of teaching even tougher, said Patricia A. Jennings, a professor of education at the University of Virginia and an expert in teacher stress. The sudden shift to the new demands of home teaching, laced with fears about coronavirus, blend into a kind of trauma that can shift the brain from higher-order thinking skills into survival mode.

We might shut down a bit, space out, dissociate, or check out because we cant cope very well, Jennings said. We might also get into a kind of hypervigilance, where were constantly checking emails or news developments, and its hard to concentrate.

Little by little, though, teachers are finding ways to adapt. Anderson, in Massachusetts, now sketches her daily schedule out in Google Calendar, to help her build clearer beginnings and endings into her work hours. With her districts blessing, Pollington, in Seattle, now sends home lesson plans every other day, instead of daily.

In her first home-teaching days, Pollington woke up anxious and disorganized. Should she check email first or feed the dogs? She rushed to answer every email right away. Now, each morning she turns on her computer, feeds the dogs and makes coffee. Then she responds to students work on the video app Flipgrid. She gives herself 24 hours to respond to emails. She still forgets to eat lunch, but shes working on that. She tries to stop working at 4 p.m. And she tries not to feel guilty about it.

Bruce encourages teachers to give themselves the grace they need to set realistic goals and take care of themselves. Try actually scheduling time in each day for something that brings you joy, she said.

Like anything, the first year is tough, but over time, you learn and adapt, Bruce said. Youre gonna regroup. Youre gonna recover.
EUGENE, Ore. -- PeaceHealth has started testing patients for COVID-19 who need emergency hospitalization but show no signs of having the virus.

Dr. James McGovern is PeaceHealth's vice president of medical affairs for the state. He said all of their hospitals got machines that can tell if someone has the virus in less then an hour.

Before the machines, they were sending samples to labs across the state, which could take days to get results back.

McGovern stressed they are testing only people who need long-term care and need to stay in their hospitals overnight.

He said they have already tested hundreds of people in Lane County but couldn't say how many came back positive. He said people who test positive are kept in separate areas of the hospital to limit the spread. He said patents who test positive at University District Hospital and Cottage Grove are taken to RiverBend.

"This illness, knowing that people can spread it before they have symptoms, it's as important to know who doesn't have it as it is to know who has it," McGovern said.

McGovern said the chemicals to run the test are in short supply but said their supplier who gave them the machines have also guaranteed them a certain amount of chemicals. He said they still don't have enough supplies to test everyone.

Meanwhile, leaders at Lane County Public Health said their stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) has improved but said they may need more.

On Monday, the Oregon National Guard dropped off boxes of supplies to Lane County Public Heath. Lane County Public Health Spokesperson Jason Davis said they have received more than 16,000 N95 masks from the state. They have also gotten face shields, protective gowns and more.

Those supplies are distributed to health care workers as needed. Davis said so far they have distributed more than 11,000 pieces of PPE.

"I think we are always looking to get more in case a surge does still happen; however, I think we are in a good place," Davis said

Along with the state, Davis said they have gotten a large donation from the University of Oregon and others. He said people can still donate supplies at the Lane County Warehouse at 3040 North Delta Highway.
The COVID-19 index case in Kano State withheld critical information about his medical condition and travel history to doctors at the neuro-surgical specialist hospital where he was first treated, a staff of the clinic has said.

James King, one of the doctors at the hospital, said the patient was evaluated, examined, and admitted into a private room at the hospital on the night of April 10.

Prior to his admission, the patient, an ambassador whose identity has been withheld, told the doctors he had been having fever, mouth dryness, and loss of appetite for some days.

He was asked if he had cough, breathlessness, or palpitations, and if he had travelled recently, questions to which he replied in the negative.

It was later discovered that he had been economical with the truth.

It was unknown to us that he was alleged to have travelled abroad too before returning to my resident state via Abuja travelling by road, Mr James wrote in a Facebook post Thursday, adding that the deceased had had contact with two doctors (himself and his boss), three nurses, and one non-medical staff.

The doctor also spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday morning. He said his post was to warn other health workers to be careful.

While travelling by road he stayed briefly in Kaduna before arriving to my resident state on the 25th March 2020. He denied all these travel history to us.

He also denied about the pertinent Coronavirus symptoms, ..breathlessness and cough. He also hid the fact that he had been to several medical outlets since his return to the state.

And importantly, he did not provide information that his samples were taken by NCDC for COVID-19 testing before coming to us.

Testing positive

On March 24, the Kano State government directed its civil servants to stay away from work for 14 days and banned the movement of large-capacity buses into the state as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus into the state. The state was yet to record a COVID-19 case at the time.

Mr King said they found out that during his illness, before he was admitted into their hospital, the deceased had been attending Friday Mosque prayers, naming ceremonies and other gatherings.

On Saturday, barely a day after the patients admission, Mr King said there was a Nollywood-like dramatic entrance into their hospital as the police and other security agents barricaded the road leading to the facility.

The officials told us that we had a man in our facility that just tested positive for COVID-19, the doctor said.

Luckily, my boss, a renowned neurosurgeon, who was still in theatre while rounding up a delicate Spinal Cord Pedicle Screw Fixation + Laminectomy surgery had to be told. He derobed. And met the officials.

There was an order from the Governor of the state to lock down the hospital immediately to prevent further spread.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported the first case of COVID-19 in Kano on April 11, bringing Nigerias total case as of that date to 318.

On Wednesday, the NCDC announced 12 new cases of coronavirus in Kano, as the countrys tally rose to 407.

It also announced the first COVID-19 death in the north-western state.

Mr King also said himself and other staff who had been in contact with the index case were placed on isolation in the hospital and their samples were taken for testing.

On April 15, their results came back negative.

A call for investigation

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On Wednesday, a Kano-based group, Kungiyar Matasan Kano, petitioned the police seeking an investigation into claims that the deceased deliberately wanted to spread the virus in Kano.

According to the petitioners, the deceased entered Kano on March 25, two days before the state government ordered a lockdown.

They alleged he had been to Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos, and then escaped out of Abuja knowing his samples had been taken for a COVID-19 test.

They also alleged that while in Kano, he had visited two mosques, two diagnostic centres, and a hospital before his case was detected.

Alhassan Dambatta, the chairman board of trustees of the group, said there are claims that the deceased intentionally refused to disclose his travel history to all the centres and hospitals he visited while he was sick.

The essence of this petition letter is to demand for investigation into the circumstances surrounding this issue in order to establish or otherwise of any case of recklessness, sabotage, and intentional desecration of the law by the said index case, the group said in a press release issued by Mr Dambatta.

The people of Kano state are in need of knowing the actual truth about the incidence and demanded for a discreet investigation of the circumstances surrounding the issue.
Just days after the largest production cut in history, WTI fell below $20 per barrel.

The oil world was hyper-focused on what OPEC+ might do over the past week, and on what the Texas Railroad Commission might do as a follow-up measure. The cuts are massive. OPEC+ alone will cut by nearly 10 million barrels per day (mb/d). The market-induced contraction will make the output declines even larger.

But the destruction in oil demand is both larger and much more immediate. April demand is expected to be down by 29 mb/d, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Oddly, so many forecasts from investment banks have predicted a V-shaped recovery for the global economy, but that scenario appears increasingly optimistic.

The global economy is under pressure in ways not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s; businesses are failing and unemployment is surging, the IEA wrote in its April Oil Market Report, its first since lockdown measures went truly global. Even assuming that travel restrictions are eased in the second half of the year, we expect that global oil demand in 2020 will fall by 9.3 million barrels a day (mb/d) versus 2019, erasing almost a decade of growth.

The IEA assumes a version of a V-shaped recovery, although it says demand will be down for the rest of the year, including down 26-mb/d in May. For the full-year, the IEA sees demand contracting by 9.3 mb/d.

We just released @IEAs latest monthly Oil Market Report. The numbers are staggering. Global oil demand is set to plunge by 29 mb/d in April. Even if lockdowns ease in 2nd half, we expect demand to drop by 9 mb/d in 2020, erasing years of growth. ??https://t.co/lZcV1nFMzJ pic.twitter.com/gdO5kM73EY  Fatih Birol (@IEABirol) April 15, 2020

Against this backdrop, the OPEC+ deal is unable to engineer an immediate rebound in prices. There is no feasible agreement that could cut supply by enough to offset such near-term demand losses, the IEA said. However, the agency said the OPEC+ deal was a solid start that could reduce the buildup in inventories.

Premium: There Is Still Hope For Oil Prices

Because the OPEC+ deal falls far short of the decimation in demand, more supply cuts are coming, whether or not governments mandate them. With pipelines and storage tanks filling up, local prices are crashing. Western Canada Select has been trading in single digits since late March  WCS is currently below $5 per barrel.

WTI in Midland is as low as $10 per barrel, while West Texas Sour in Midland has plunged to $7 per barrel. These are prices that force immediate shut ins.

The U.S. shale industry spent Monday arguing over whether or not the Texas Railroad Commission should regulate production. Nobody wants to give us capital because we have all destroyed capital and created economic waste, Scott Sheffield of Pioneer Natural Resources told the Texas Railroad Commission. If the Texas Railroad Commission does not regulate long-term, we will disappear as an industry like the coal industry, he said. That comment comes after years of shale executives boasting of low breakeven prices.

But the notion of regulation enraged other oil executives, some of which implied that producers may be trying to find a legal loophole out of their contracts. Diamondback Energy even threatened to cease all operations if Texas regulators imposed production cuts. Diamondback will not be using any service providers to drill, complete or produce wells during the proration period, Diamondbacks CFO Kaes Vant Hof said, warning of a sector with zero revenue and zero employment.

It likely matters little what the Texas RRC does. Output declines are coming one way or another.

Global upstream investment is expected to contract by 32 percent this year, falling to $335 billion. The first to cut will be in the U.S. and Canada. Heavily indebted independent US upstream companies had already signalled a 10% y-o-y cut in investments but it is now likely that spending will fall by 30%-40% to free up cash for service repayments, the IEA said.

The agency said that roughly 2.2 mb/d of U.S. oil supply cannot even cover operating costs with WTI at $20 per barrel, including 1.2 mb/d of conventional supply. Another 1.3 mb/d of losses could come from the steep declines in existing shale production.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
COVID-19 has so far been detected in 14 settlements, and there are more than a thousand such communities in Slovakia.

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In early April, PM Igor Matovic announced the government had information that some 1,500 people returned to Roma settlements around Slovakia from abroad.

Throughout the country, new COVID-19 infection epicentres might have emerged around the country and that was why he insisted that the settlements needed to be tested.

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The armed forces were deployed for this purpose. Between Friday, April 3 and Tuesday, April 14, they took altogether 2,560 samples at more than a hundred localities.

The armed forces also used American-made Black Hawk helicopters. These are helping to transport healthcare materials and samples to labs.

Eight teams working in the field have been able to take between 150 and 250 samples every day. Based on the Atlas of Roma Communities, about 207,000 Roma live in excluded communities.

Testing in the settlements Number of Roma - about 440,000 Number of Roma communities - 1,053 Number of segregated communities outside municipalities - 693 Number of tested localities as of April 15 - 103 Number of samples taken as of April 14 - 2,560

They are thus not testing everyone, only selected at-risk groups, like people who have returned from abroad and their circle. The selection of people who will be tested is up to the Zdrave Regiony (Healthy Regions) organisation running with the financial support of the Health Ministry.

The testing has not confirmed what is known as the community spreading of the novel coronavirus infection, the positive cases are more individuals.

"We are still well off and we do not need to quarantine large areas of Slovakia," said Chief Hygienist Jan Mikas.

As of Thursday, they have tested 110 Roma settlements, and the COVID-19 infection has been confirmed in 14 of them, OLaNO MEP and former government proxy for Roma communities, Peter Pollak, said ahead of the session of the crisis staff.

How the testing goes
Backing: Senator Elizabeth Warren has now officially endorsed former US Vice President Joe Biden to be the next president. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The number of Americans who approve of President Donald Trump has risen by five percentage points over the past week, but registered voters still favour Democrat Joe Biden for president by a small margin.

The Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll also showed the public is paying closer attention to the candidates' views on the pandemic than to what they are saying about the economy, healthcare or immigration. More people think Mr Biden is better suited to guide the country through the crisis.

Overall, 45pc of adults in the United States said they approved of Mr Trump's job performance, while 48pc said they approved of the way he has responded to Covid-19, up five and six points respectively from a similar poll last week. Mr Trump's approval numbers have been up and down over the past few weeks, however, and it is not yet clear if the public is truly rallying around the president.

Meanwhile, 45pc of registered voters said they would back Mr Biden in the November 3 election, while 40pc said they would vote for Mr Trump. Mr Biden has maintained a small advantage in support among registered voters over the last four weeks.

The poll was conducted with most Americans forced indoors to protect themselves from the coronavirus that has infected more than 600,000 people in the United States and killed more than 25,000.

After initially downplaying the threat of the virus, Mr Trump has conducted a series of combative news briefings in which he has harangued reporters for criticising him. Mr Biden, meanwhile, has struggled to remain in the conversation as the media focused on briefings by governors in some of the hardest-hit states.

When asked what was most important to them when deciding how to vote in the presidential election, 32pc of Americans said it was the candidate's plan to help the nation recover from the coronavirus. Smaller numbers said the candidate's views on the economy (21pc), healthcare (13pc) or immigration (5pc) were most important.

Some 52pc of Americans said they felt Mr Biden was better suited to deal with the coronavirus, while 48pc said they thought Mr Trump would be better. Fifty-seven percent also thought Mr Biden would be a better steward of the country's healthcare system, while 43pc said Mr Trump would be better.

Meanwhile, US Senator Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Mr Biden for president, delivering another high-profile backing from one of his former rivals as he aims to unify the Democratic Party ahead of a bruising contest with Mr Trump.

"In this moment of crisis, it's more important than ever that the next president restores Americans' faith in good, effective government - and I've seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild," Ms Warren wrote in a tweet. "I'm proud to endorse Joe Biden as president of the United States."

Ms Warren, a liberal who ended her own bid for the White House last month, gives Mr Biden his third major endorsement of the week. His chief rival, Bernie Sanders, endorsed him on Monday after suspending his campaign last week, while former president Barack Obama backed Biden on Tuesday.

In recent weeks, the more moderate Mr Biden has made overtures to liberal backers of Mr Sanders and Ms Warren. After Mr Sanders's departure from the race, Mr Biden's campaign shifted left on two of his top priorities, student debt and Medicare, and the two men said during a joint video appearance they would create working groups to address major policy areas.

Mr Biden also adopted Ms Warren's sweeping plan on bankruptcy, a striking move given that the two rivals had clashed for more than a decade over legislation, which Mr Biden had backed, making it harder to file for bankruptcy protection.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is glad that the next stage of mutual release of detained persons has begun today and promises to continue to struggle for the return of all Ukrainians.

I am very happy that the first group of our citizens has already been released. They were held captive in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region. Actions are now underway to release another group of people from the territories of Luhansk region, which are, unfortunately, temporarily occupied also. But the time will come and we will return everything. First of all, as we said, we return everyone, both within the framework of the Minsk agreements and within the framework of the Normandy Four arrangements. We will release everyone and will struggle until every Ukrainian returns home, Zelensky said in a video address during his working trip to Zakarpattia region, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He stressed that he was happy with the return of every compatriot: servicemen, heroes, political prisoners, ordinary citizens as all of them, according to Zelensky, are heroes "because they were behind the bars, because they defended Ukraine, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity."

The Office of the President released the names of 20 liberated Ukrainians who had been held in captivity in the occupied territories.

As reported, the next stage of mutual release of detained persons, who had been in captivity in the temporarily occupied territories, had begun in the morning. Given the quarantine restrictions currently in force in the country, the released Ukrainians will be sent for mandatory observation upon their return.

The mutual release of detained persons takes place within the framework of all for all format.

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The presence of the Sunni Jama Masjid amid the now closed market outside the Bandra station, which witnessed the gathering of thousands of migrant workers, found a mention in many news reports and also in the commentary by politicians and social media users

A 2,000-strong crowd of migrant workers gathered at Mumbais Bandra railway station on Tuesday, demanding passage back home, as the coronavirus lockdown had rendered them jobless. The presence of the Sunni Jama Masjid amid the now closed market outside the station, which witnessed the gathering, found a mention in many news reports and also in the commentary by politicians and social media users.

India TV chief editor Rajat Sharma, in a tweet, asked why people had gathered outside the station to go home without any luggage in their hands. He mentioned the location of the protest to be Jama Masjid.

                .   ?                      ?  Rajat Sharma (@RajatSharmaLive) April 14, 2020

While NewsNation asked why the venue of the gathering had to be a mosque, Republic TV too referred to the location in the same manner. ABP News also questioned the organisers of the crowd at the mosque.

BJP leader Kapil Mishra also asked three questions about the incident, including why it was outside a mosque.

    - 1.                , ,   ? 2.      ? 3.   30             ?    pic.twitter.com/vDSfWXHNKM  Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) April 14, 2020

On the same day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus would be extended till 3 May, the gathering was witnessed in Bandra, among the sensitive spots in Mumbai, a city which has reported 1,753 confirmed cases as on Wednesday. "The migrant labourers had gathered in Bandra demanding permission to return to their native states. However, they were later dispersed after police and local leaders intervened and asked them to vacate," news agency ANI quoted a police official as saying.

The communal angle found further mention in a widely shared video that showed a Muslim man addressing the crowd. In the video, the local was seen telling the crowd that the he understands the hardship they are facing and that it from Allahs side, to which, a person responds, "Allah ki taraf se nai, Modi ke taraf se hai". The man responded saying that the whole world is facing this pandemic and that mosques, churches and religious places have been shut in its wake.

Wow. Thousands of ambassadors of peace doing this at #Bandra right now. Well done @OfficeofUT, well done. The world should see this.#Covid_19 #COVIDIOTSpic.twitter.com/SdinaZXm39  Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) April 14, 2020

In response, Twitter users posed questions about speakers invoking Allahs name and asked if all Bihari-Bengali migrant workers in Mumbai are Muslims. Another Twitter user blamed the Shiv Sena-led government for hiding a story of Muslim defiance due to its secularism bug.

The same crowd was addressed by a Muslim gentleman who was appealing to them in the name of Allah. Are all Bihari- Bengali migrant workers in Mumbai, Muslims? Secondly if they had to go to Bihar and Bengal they would gather either at VT, Dadar or Kurla not Bandra. https://t.co/UcqiO9eGMM  Vikas Saraswat (@VikasSaraswat) April 14, 2020

Why is the appeal in the name of Allah? Migrant Labourers are from pan India and pan religious background.... Pls note yesterday #KavitaKrishnan yesterday tried to peddle a fake story of a hungry woman.... Today this concerted effort to sabotage lockdown. What is happening?  Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) April 14, 2020

Is it true that people whom @AUThackeray was referring as Migrant Labours were basically Muslims from Bandra? Their secularism bug caused them to hide another story of Muslim defiance for laws and in the process he blamed it on Migrant Labour?  Piyush Kulshreshtha (@ThinkersPad) April 15, 2020

Three FIRs have been registered in relation to the incident. One of the FIRs is against at least 1,000 migrant workers for assembling near the Bandra railway station. The other two are against a television journalist and self-proclaimed labour leader.

An FIR was filed against around 1,000 unidentified persons under Sections 143 (Punishment), 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant), 188 (disobedience to public order) of the Indian Penal Code as well as Section 3 (Penalty) of the Epidemic Act.

Earlier, the Mumbai Police also detained a man who may have set off rumours that led to hundreds of migrants flooding Bandra. The arrested person was identified as Vinay Dubey, who allegedly ran an online campaign 'Chalo Ghar Ki Ore' (Head towards home) for migrant labourers in Mumbai, India Today reported. He has been accused of inciting migrants by posting calls for action on Facebook and Twitter.

In a Facebook video, Dubey can be heard saying that if the government doesn't provide migrants with adequate transport, he will set off on a rally on foot to take the migrants back to North India. He can also be heard saying that his team was present at Bandra to lead the 'movement' and calling for a nationwide protest of special relief trains are not arranged by 18 April.

However, according to a Free Press Journal report, the gathering at Bandra had its root in a news report by Marathi channel ABP Majhas scribe Rahul Kulkarni. It claimed that train services will be resumed to ferry migrants back home on 14 April. He was arrested on Wednesday.

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik also tweeted the ABP Majha story and said it cant be ruled out that the news reports might have triggered the massive crowd at Bandra railway station.

Later, Kulkarni tweeted a letter from the South Central Railway with the caption, A lot of people have been trolling me. Among them I don't know how many saw the 9 o'clock news I gave. Did we say anytime that trains are going to start? Read this railway letter now.

It is important to note that the 'letter' is a proposal and not a circular or order. However, the letter said that in a video conference held on 13 April, it was decided to run Jansadharan Specials for clearing stranded passengers/migrant labour of unreserved segment. The circular does not mention when the trains will run but has directed officials to critically analyse the number of stranded passengers and migrants and submit a proposal with destinations.

https://twitter.com/RahulAsks/status/1250107912879513601

The Railways later clarified that no passenger special relief trains were being run till 3 May.
(Source: Getty)

Theres no longer any doubt that Australia is heading for a recession  but one particular decision by the government will make the economic downturn worse, according to some experts.

With thousands of businesses forced to shut their doors to comply with the coronavirus restrictions, the nation has all but ground to an economic standstill.

Treasury estimates are that the unemployment rate could hit 10 per cent, meaning 1.4 million people would be out of a job. Fresh ABS figures revealed this morning found the unemployment rate rose to 5.2 per cent over the March quarter.

In a bid to control government spending, various levels of government have announced or proposed pay freezes to public servants, including federal public servants, the Queensland Government, NSW Government and Brisbane council staff.

But economists Troy Henderson and Jim Stanford have said that calls for public servants to cop freezes on planned pay rises would be destructive for Australias economy.

Scapegoating public sector wages would be a mistake economically, not just politically, the economists wrote in a briefing paper released today.

Freezing or cutting public sector wages would substantially exacerbate the dangerous deflationary risk we already face.

Henderson and Stanford argued that this current point in time was an especially dangerous moment for Australias macroeconomy, and pointed out wage growth stalled in 2019.

The country was already teetering on the brink of deflation even before being slammed by the double shock of bushfires and coronavirus, the economists said.

Wages have a particular significance to the Australian economy, they added. The price of labour is the most important price in the economy; and governments are by far the biggest employers in the land.

Story continues

Federal, state and municipal governments should all proceed with the normal, negotiated pay increases that were in course before this crisis hit.

Scapegoating the public servants who are doing so much to help us through this crisis, and suppressing their incomes, will make things worse, not better.

Public sector pay freezes would spill over

Federal and state governments are major employers: together, they keep more than two million Australians in a job and represent 16 per cent of national employment.

So when they sneeze, the rest of the jobs market catches a cold.

The negative example set by governments in suppressing normal wage increases for their own employees has a contractionary influence on broader labour market functioning.

There are three ways public sector wage restrictions spread into the wider economy.

Firstly, lower public sector wage growth will impact overall wage growth, called the composition effect.

Secondly, public sectors have a trend-setting effect on wages, and are used as a benchmark by private employers. If public sector wages go down, private employers will reduce their own wages. This is called the demonstration effect.

Thirdly, suppression of wages means less money to spend, which means lower consumer spending overall.

This in turn saps the vitality of private-sector activity  especially in retail trade and other consumer-sensitive industries.

With less spending power in the pockets of millions of Australian workers, market conditions for tens of thousands of Australian businesses are undermined  and this in turn undermines their own employment decisions and wage offers. This is called the macroeconomic effect.

An empty view of arrival area at Sydney International Airport on April 11, 2020. (Photo by Izhar Khan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

All of this would ultimately undermine the governments own bottom line, the economists said.

The macroeconomic spillover from public sector pay freezes in turn feeds back negatively on the budget positions of the governments which imposed those pay freezes in the first place.

Less income for their own employees translates directly into reduced income tax and GST revenues. Indeed, that direct impact immediately offsets a substantial proportion of the supposed savings that were supposed to result from the pay freeze.

The motivation for freezing public sector wages seems more ideological than fiscal or economic, according to the economists.

Pay freezes are justified with appeals to shared sacrifice, and a symbolic desire to look tough on finances at a moment when governments, of all political stripes, are about to incur their largest deficits in history.

But government policy should be driven by economic reality, not political optics. These arbitrary pay freezes are both unfair and economically counterproductive.

Short-term pay freeze have permanent effects

According to the economists, even one-time pay freezes will have a long-term effect on an employees wages  so much so that it can affect retirement nest eggs.

This claim that pay freezes cause only temporary financial losses for workers is false. Even if nominal wages do begin to grow again at the end of the freeze period, in reality workers continue to experience cumulating annual losses, they wrote.

Heres what that looks like:

(Source: Australia Institute)

Even when those workers retire, they experience an additional loss of income that extends into retirement. This will in turn mean an accumulating loss of superannuation contributions.

The only way that compounding losses can be prevented is if there are catch-up wage increases to make up for the loss.

If the current proposed or announced pay freezes went ahead, some public servants would lose more than $100,000 across 20 years, Australian Institute analysis revealed.

(Source: Australia Institute)

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business Seven IITs drop out of participation in Times Higher Education Rankings 2020 These institutes said they will reconsider the decision next year if Times Higher Education is able to convince them about the parameters and transparency of the ranking
(TNS)  Philadelphia School District students will begin formal remote, computer-based instruction next week  38 days after they were last in classrooms.They wont begin learning new material until May 4, 52 days after in-person school was dismissed March 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic.That gap, officials say, is due in large part to a lack of technology and internet access for many in a school system where roughly 75% of students live below the poverty line. Inventorying existing technology, then purchasing Chromebooks and putting them in students hands, was cumbersome and complicated.But an article published this month in the national research and opinion journal Education Next took issue with the districts count of students who lacked internet access, and said the long lag time between in-person and digital instruction has disadvantaged impoverished students, a point echoed by some advocates and parents.Monica Lewis, district spokesperson, said the district has made an all-out effort to ensure that students had the opportunity to learn even when schools were closed, noting that it has made optional paper packets available for students since just after the closure.We have to put this in perspective: We have obstacles that other districts dont have, and weve been doing everything that we can to make sure that our students have the education they need, said Lewis. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. has said that 59% of pupils in grades three to eight lack computers at home, as do 49% of high school students.Paul von Hippel, the Education Next studys author and an associate professor of public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, took issue with those numbers, drawn from the districts own student survey. Another internal measure, the districts parental survey, suggests 91% of those who responded said they had internet service at home. Another source, the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey, said 80% of households covered by the city school system had internet access and 88% had access to more than one computing device.Von Hippel said he believes the real number is somewhere in the middle, but the larger points are that Philadelphia waited too long to get children online, and that some children will always lack access  even on May 4, when new learning is supposed to begin.At some point, you have to decide that we have enough kids online that we should keep learning going, said von Hippel, who said he became aware of Philadelphias situation as he researched the effects of school closures nationally. Theyre letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.Many large urban school systems are in Philadelphias boat, forced to find ways to buy tens of thousands of computers quickly and distribute them to children. New York Citys district, the largest in the United States, had launched remote learning by March 23. Local districts plans have varied widely. Cheltenham began remote instruction Monday; other school systems, like Downingtown, had no interruption in academic offerings.Philadelphias long pause worries me, von Hippel said. We know from past research what happens when kids miss two months of school. Its very concerning. Philadelphia is already behind other districts in achievement. Can we really let that gap grow?Also at issue is the Pennsylvania Department of Educations role in what remote learning looked like. Early guidance from the Commonwealth did not mandate that districts offer education during coronavirus shutdowns, and decreed that districts could not offer instruction to some students unless all were able to access it.Philadelphia specifically instructed teachers not to offer remote instruction, in a March 17 memo to principals, then clarified its stance a day later, saying teachers did not have to do so but could teach as long as no assignments were mandatory or graded. When Pennsylvania announced new guidance the next week, lifting the no instruction for some but not all rule, that freed the district to move forward with a technology plan, Hite has said Pennsylvanias early directive stemmed from a fear of lawsuits over the rights of students with special needs and English-language learners, said Donna Cooper, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizens for Children and Youth, but it did not serve districts well.The state stopped everybody in their tracks for three weeks, said Cooper, whose organization launched a campaign urging Philadelphia and other districts to fully teach children during the coronavirus closures. I would have used those three weeks for planning. Some districts thought, This is it, schools over.'Philadelphia is hampered by infrastructure issues and the challenges associated with educating large numbers of needy kids, Cooper said, but the district also made the wrong assumption about whether movement was possible.Lewis, the district spokesperson, said the school system has been diligent about moving its students toward digital learning since the shutdown, with administrators acting urgently to set the framework for digital learning.We were prepared to address some type of learning throughout the course of the closure, Lewis said. Weve done everything possible. Theres not been a day where we sat around twiddling our thumbs.
The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday quashed a two-year-old ban on interstate transportation of the Felspar mineral in the form of chips, grains and gitti, imposed by the the state government.

A Jodhpur bench of the high court annulled the ban imposed in October 2018, terming its as unconstitutional and violative of the part XIII of the Constitution dealing with interstate trade and commerce in India.

A bench of justices Vineet Kumar Mathur and Sanget Lodha quashed the ban saying that the state government was not empowered to put restrictions on the transportation of the minerals outside the state and annulled the Rajasthan government's two notifications, dating back to October 2018 and March 2019.

The impugned notification issued by the state government putting restriction on the transportation of the mineral Felspar in lumps or in the form of grains, chips and gitti, so as to protect the domestic industries in purported public interest, are violative of the provisions of part XIII of the constitution and deserved to be quashed, the bench ruled.

The court ruling came on a bunch of petitions challenging the state government's two notifications banning the interstate transportation of the minerals.

The government had first restricted the transportation of Felspar in lumps out of state for three years through a notification dated October 5, 2018, and then the transportation of mineral in the forms of chips, grains and gitti till October 4, 2021 through another notification dated March 10, 2019.

During the hearing of petitions, petitioners' counsel P P Choudhary had argued that the interstate transport of Felspar in its various forms were banned by the government in the name of protection of domestic industries and in public interest.

The state government cannot ban the transportation of the legally excavated Felspar mineral in form of grains, chips and gitti while allowing its transportation only in powder form, Choudhary argued.

He further contended that the state could not prohibit the transportation of minerals, which has been excavated legally with the permission of the state government, across state borders.

Assisting senior advocate Choudhary, counsel Ramit Mehta argued, Such a ban of the movement or transportation of mineral outside Rajasthan was unconstitutional and in violation of the freedom of interstate trade and commerce, said Ramit Mehta, who assisting in the arguments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The country as a whole is losing money because you have states competing against each other, according to Sanders, who said it would have been smarter to have the federal government buy these products on the open market, aggregate purchases and then begin to allocate those based upon areas of need

"It's just remarkable to see the governors of the different states to see the different hospitals that are competing, and then being outbid by somebody at the last minute," Sanders said.

Last week, 3M, the largest maker of N95 face masks in the country, sued another company for offering to sell New York City overpriced N95 masks for $45 million.

3M claimed the company, New Jersey-based Performance Supply, wasn't authorized to distribute the masks, and had attempted to inflate the price of the masks at a more than 500% markup for New York, calling it "extreme price-gouging," according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan on Friday.

Price gouging and demand work in tandem, according to Sanders. The more demand there is, the more competitive bidding there is, adding to the possibility for "some really unscrupulous actors."
The UN special envoy for Yemen said Thursday that the threat of the new coronavirus has galvanized peace efforts and that he expects the country's warring sides to agree on a lasting cease-fire and peace talks in the immediate future.

The envoy, Martin Griffiths, told the U.N. Security Council that talks with Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-backed Shiite rebels known as Houthis are making very good progress.

I believe we are moving towards a consensus over the proposals, particularly on the principle of a nation-wide ceasefire, the envoy said.

And we are redoubling our efforts to bridge the outstanding differences between the parties, before we convene them at a meeting where agreements will be tabled, confirmed, I hope, and published.

The arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in Yemen, which reported its first case earlier this month, threatens deeper and more widespread suffering in the Arab world's poorest country, convulsed by civil war since 2014, when the Houthis took control of the country's north, including the capital, Sanaa. The Saudi-led military coalition intervened against the Houthis the following year, conducting relentless airstrikes and a blockade of Yemen.

The conflict has killed over 100,000 people and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical care shortages and pushing the country to the brink of famine.

There cannot be a more timely moment for the two parties to commit to silencing the guns and ending the conflict through a peaceful, political solution, he said.

Last Friday, Griffiths gave the warring parties revised proposals for a nationwide cease-fire, resumption of peace talks, and measures to spur the economy and alleviate suffering of the Yemeni people.

The Saudi-led coalition launched a unilateral cease-fire on April 9 in response to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' appeal for a halt to hostilities in all global conflicts to tackle COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. But the Houthis dismissed the offer as a ploy and clashes have continued since, casting doubt over a future peace agreement.

The recent heavy fighting has been described by observers as the worst violence in over two years. Both sides have blamed each other for violations across the key central provinces of Marib and Bayda, as well as the mountainous northern province of Jawf. The Yemeni army on Wednesday accused the Houthis of breaching the truce 183 times over 48 hours with ballistic missile attacks. The rebel military spokesman, Yehia Sarea, said the Saudi-led coalition had launched 230 airstrikes since the start of its cease-fire.

Griffiths acknowledged the violations but said that in his discussions with the rebel leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi always communicated his desire to end this war." Lamentably, military activities continue on a number of fronts despite many calls from Yemenis and the international community for it to stop," Griffiths said. The sooner we can stop the fighting, the better." Griffiths told the Security Council that he has been in constant negotiations on the details and wording of his proposed agreements. We expect them to agree on and formally adopt these agreements in the immediate future, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Coronavirus Socialism

When (hopefully soon) we all get out of coronavirus lockdown and try to resume normal life, we will probably find a different normal.

The best-case outcome: scientists discover a magic bullet treatment that quickly restores the most serious cases to health. We could then ease restrictions and get on with business.

But more likely, any such treatment is months away and a vaccine probably a year away, so many precautions will have to stay in place. We wont see large gatherings and crowded restaurants anytime soon.

But well see something else: a radically different economic structure.

The US has never been truly capitalist but at least it had a free market facade. Thanks to the coronavirus, the facade is now crumbling.

We will come out of this further from capitalism and closer to socialism. We know this because a leading capitalist said so.



Photo: Needpix

Shoved Left

Back in January, about the time Chinese authorities quarantined Wuhan, the worlds billionaires gathered in Davos, Switzerland, as they do each year.

CNBC interviewed JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon on January 22. Asked about the Democratic presidential candidates, Dimon said he preferred a moderate, not a socialist. He went on:

Capitalism is the greatest thing that ever happened to mankind. I think that people who havent read history books about socialism really should Once you have governments taking control of businesses it ends up in corruption

If youre talking about governments controlling corporations thats socialism. You can do it in a small way or a big way. The small way is to put a commissar on your board remember the old Russian commissars could sit in the room or do it through regulatory or stuff like that the other way is that they actually own the company. Look at all the other countries and they start to take over the oil companies and the steel companies and utility companies.

And the banks. The banks start making loans not to good companies not because they are properly allocating capital to its highest and best use but to keep that factory open. The bridge to nowhere to make sure the mayor doesnt lose jobs in his town and once you do that you will have an eroding society. (full transcript)

As I wrote at the time (see Socialism Is Coming But Not the Way You Think), Dimon actually loves misallocating capital. His bank routinely makes bridge to nowhere loans and does so happily as long as it gets repaid with interest.

So if those activities define socialism, Jamie Dimon is a very confused billionaire. He professes to love capitalism, but his actions say otherwise.

My point back then was that the US-China Phase 1 trade deal was nudging the US toward some kind of socialism. I didnt expect the coronavirus would soon shove us that same direction. Yet it is.

Collectivized Production

Two months after Jamie Dimon said socialism doesnt work because governments cant properly allocate capital, Congress allocated $2.2 trillion via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Note, left-leaning Democrats didnt do this alone. The bill was as bipartisan as it gets.

The CARES Act does some useful things. It will help workers and small businesses who had to close down to stop the virus from spreading.

But thats not all. The new law gives the Treasury Department $454 billion to invest in a special purpose vehicle jointly with the Federal Reserve. The Fed will then allocate (or perhaps misallocate, to use Dimons favorite word) that money in loans to private businesses.

But in fact, its way more than $454 billion. Heres how two economists described the arrangement in a Wall Street Journal article (my emphasis in bold).

The expectation is that the central bank will leverage this money 10 to 1, enabling it to lend up to $4.54 trillion to companies.

That sum is more than all U.S. commercial and industrial loans outstanding at the end of 2019 ($2.35 trillion) plus all the new corporate bonds issued during 2019 ($1.41 trillion).

Thus, if this capital is all deployed by the Fed, and at rates that will surely crowd out private capital, all capital allocation in the U.S. in 2020 will be done by the Federal Reserve System, not by the capital market. This is the largest step toward a centrally planned economy the U.S. has ever taken.

Will the Treasury-Fed partnership wisely allocate this money? We dont know yet, but the plan is exactly what Jamie Dimon says wont work. Quoting him again:

The banks start making loans not to good companies not because they are properly allocating capital to its highest and best use but to keep that factory open. The bridge to nowhere to make sure the mayor doesnt lose jobs in his town.

Keeping factories open and avoiding job losses is the CARES Acts entire point, and government, not private lenders, will decide how to do it.

Maybe this centrally-planned financing will find the highest and best use Dimon thinks it should, but we dont know that yet. We do know that private companies will get money from taxpayers, and taxpayers will bear the loss if those companies dont repay it. The government might get equity in those companies, too.

In other words, we are (for now, at least) collectivizing the means of production. Mao Zedong would be pleased.

Power to Some People

If, like Jamie Dimon, you fear socialist misallocation, Bernie Sanders should be the least of your worries. Its already happening on a massive scale and President Trump, not Sanders, signed the bill.

We were heading that direction anyway; the coronavirus sped up the process. And where it will lead isnt clear yet. But it wont be anything you can plausibly call capitalism.

More likely, we will get even more state-enforced corporatism, with socialized losses and privatized profits.

The Great Reset: The Collapse of the Biggest Bubble in History

New York Times best-seller and renowned financial expert John Mauldin predicts an unprecedented financial crisis that could trigger in the next five years. Most investors seem completely unaware of the relentless pressure thats building right now. Learn more here.

By Patrick_Watson

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Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

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A resident waves as she speaks to her son outside on the sidewalk at the Residence Floralies Lasalle in Montreal on April 15, 2020. Eighteen residents at the facility have died in the last three weeks. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

Beijings Reach: How Chinese Regime Is Impacting the Lives of Canadians

Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic may be the most visible way in which China has impacted life in Canada, with the pandemic costing Canadian lives, shutting down businesses, and forcing people to stay home. But the Chinese regime has been influencing Canadas way of life and decision-making for decades, including how Canada initially responded to the outbreak.

A group of over 100 China scholars signed a letter this week calling out the Chinese communist regime for its initial coverup of the virus outbreak, saying Beijing is responsible for the pandemic that is threatening peoples lives around the world.

(Click to enlarge infographic)

(The Epoch Times)

Last week, the Taiwanese ministry of foreign affairs said that as early as Dec. 31, Taiwan sent a notice to the World Health Organization warning of human-to-human transmission of the virus, but the advice was ignored.

Throughout the crisis, WHO praised China for its response to the outbreak while actively asking other countries to avoid closing their borders to Chinese travel and trade. The United States has decided to put a hold on funding to the agency, with President Donald Trump saying WHO is too China-centric.

Ottawa refused to restrict travel from China until later in March, even though over 50 countries implemented some form of restriction at their border in early February. Ottawas move was praised by Beijing.

Ottawa shipped 16 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) to China in early February, and pro-Beijing groups in Canada organized to ship large volumes of PPE to China under the direction of the Chinese regime. Chinas envoy to Canada lauded Canadas collaboration around that time. As reported previously by The Epoch Times, Beijing has now hoarded the global inventory of medical supplies, while other countries including Canada are facing shortages, putting the lives of front-line health workers at risk in the face of a deadly pandemic.

In response to questions from opposition politicians in early February on why Canada isnt restricting travel from China, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer and an adviser to WHO, cited the agencys advice against travel bans.

She said that the idea is to not have measures that very negatively impact China, which is trying very hard to do its best, as such measures can impede whether this country in the future will ever share anything transparently with others.

I think the idea is to support China, she said.

Similar justification was presented by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and other world leaders like U.S. President Bill Clinton to bring China into the World Trade Organization. China formally joined the WTO in 2001.

Canadians were told at the time that linking China closer to international institutions would entice it to follow the international rule of law and bring more freedom for Chinese citizens who have been suppressed by the regime for decades.

World leaders before them who brought China out of isolation in the 1970s and paved the way for it to become a member of the United Nations made similar arguments.

But Chinas aggressive behaviour on the world stage today, and the regimes hostile attitude toward Canada, have shown a different result.

World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the WHO headquarters in Geneva on April 6, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images)

Taking advantage of its membership in the WTO, China has maintained huge trade surpluses, meaning that its trading partners are buying more from it than selling to it. Meanwhile, it has used that trade to supplant its competitors in WTO countries.

China is now the worlds second-largest economy and the second-highest military spender. It has exerted influence over the international bodies it had once been shunned from, and is using them to its advantage. The regime is acting aggressively in the South China Sea and other parts of Asia while expanding its military presence around the world and challenging defence alliances that Canada is a member of. And it remains one of the worst human rights perpetrators in the world.

At Stake This Time: Canadian Lives

When China detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor after Canadas arrest of Huawei chief executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Canada lacks leverage in asking for the two mens release because of years of appeasement to China by the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A frontline healthcare worker attends people at the Etobicoke General Hospital drive-thru COVID-19 assessment centre, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on April 9, 2020. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)

China still has Kovrig and Spavor in custody while blocking Canadian agricultural imports in violation of WTO rules. It has also warned Canada against blocking Huawei from the national 5G network. Canada is yet to make a decision on the issue, despite warnings by the United States that inclusion of the telecom giant in the 5G network would mean Washington would limit intelligence sharing with Canada.

If Canada were to allow Huawei in its 5G network, it would be distancing itself from its closest trade and security partner while allowing a Chinese communist regime-linked firm to gain penetrating control over Canadian telecommunications.

In past considerations to support China in the hope that it would become a responsible world citizen, a number of critical issues were at stake, including national security and human rights.

This time, what has been at stake in the support China approach is the very lives of Canadians.

The following sections explore some of the ways Beijing has impacted life in Canada and the various means the regime uses to influence public policy and decision-making.

Influencing Industry and Gaining Leverage

Beijing uses access to its market as a way to coerce countries to bend to its will.

For Canada, this was the case as early as the 1960s, when Canada and China signed a grain deal that increased Canadas annual exports from under $10 million to almost $150 million. Back then, some politicians cited as a risk the threat of China cutting grain exports if Canada didnt align its stance on Taiwan with Beijings. The communist regime says the self-ruled island should be under its control.

Containers originating from China are stacked on a vessel at a port in California in a file photo. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Today, China incites major corporations and business associations to lobby Ottawa to follow Beijings wish and threatens to block imports if Canada falls out of line. The latest example is Chinas disruption of exports of canola and other products after Canadas refusal to free Huaweis Meng Wanzhou.

Despite Chinas trade disruptions against WTO rules, the regime has enjoyed access to Canadas market in a rules-based environment. The trade deficit in Chinas favour was over $50 billion last year, similar to the year before. The cumulative trade surplus that China has held with Canada and other countries has fuelled the massive foreign reserve of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)over double of the next largest, Japansgiving the regime more power over its own citizens and other countries.

A 2018 report published by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service capturing views by experts says that China is prepared to use threats and enticements to bring business and political elites to its side, and motivate them to defend the Chinese perspective on disputes such as the status of Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The business benefits that Beijing promises may only be helping certain players. Research papers show that since Chinas inclusion in the WTO and the flow of Chinese goods to Canada, Canada has lost hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs.

In 1978, eight major Canadian corporations and a Chinese state-owned company formed the Canada-China Trade Council, which later was renamed the Canada China Business Council.

In his 2019 book Claws of the Panda, journalist Jonathan Manthorpe says the founding members of the organization became a persuasive lobby for enhanced relations with China, for which the benefits of trade were held to be of paramount concern.

A police officer gestures at the photographer as security staff stand guard outside the Canadian embassy in Beijing on Dec. 20, 2018. (Reuters/Thomas Peter)

One of the corporations is Power Corp. of Canada. Manthorpe describes the company in his book as the premier gatekeeper of [Canadas] formal relations with China.

Several retired senior Canadian politicians have worked for the corporation or continue to be affiliated with it. Among them are former prime ministers Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney.

Chretien suggested last year that Canadas justice minister should use his authority to block Mengs extradition to the United States, and Mulroney suggested that Chretien be sent as a special envoy to China to negotiate the release of the arrested Canadians.

The pro-Beijing business lobby has managed to influence government policy even in staunchly China-averse governments.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper famously shunned the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a vocal critic of Chinas human rights and behaviour on the world stage. But later in his tenure, his government eased its tone on China.

Behind the scenes, a major lobby operation was mounted using the CCPs agents of influence in business and academia to get the Harper government to change its attitude toward China, Manthorpe writes in his book.

The lobby was successful, he adds.

Subverting Institutions and Politicians, and Gaining Influence

The Chinese regime uses the United Front Work Department, a key organization of the regime, to advance its sphere of influence abroad. CCP founder Mao Zedong called the United Front a magic weapon necessary for sustaining the regimes power.

The agency aims to bring Chinese diaspora and politicians abroad under its control to act in the regimes interest.

The Parliament Hill Peace Tower in Ottawa in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Then-CSIS head Richard Fadden famously said in 2010 that some provincial cabinet ministers as well as municipal elected officials were under the influence of a foreign regime, and mentioned China as the most aggressive country in the pursuit of influence.

Starting around 2005, China initiated a strategy of using members of the Chinese diaspora it trusts to run for public office, according to Clive Hamilton, author and professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University in Australia. This strategy is most advanced in Canada, he writes in The Conversation.

A 2018 report by Hoover Institution notes that in Canada, Chinese state actors have targeted political parties and politicians as well as civil society and academia to be used as sources of influence.

Trudeau stirred much controversy in 2016 for attending cash-for-access fundraisers attended by wealthy people from the Chinese-Canadian community. One of the events was attended by a wealthy Chinese individual who acts as a political adviser to the Chinese regime. Trudeau ended cash-for-access fundraisers in 2017.

The 2019 annual report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians cites an excerpt from a Washington, D.C.-based Hudson Institute publication saying, With deep coffers and the help of Western enablers, the Chinese Communist Party uses money, rather than communist ideology, as a powerful source of influence, creating parasitic relationships of long-term dependence.

One of the common methods Beijing uses to develop closer relations with politicians is by offering free junkets and treating the guests to lavish dinners and luxury hotels.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan told the Vancouver Sun in 2006, when I go to China, they treat me like an emperor. Sullivan pursued court action to shut down a long-running protest site outside the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver run by practitioners of Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice being persecuted by the Chinese regime.

In 2010, after returning from a trip to China, Ottawa Mayor Larry OBrien withdrew his support for a proclamation recognizing local practitioners of Falun Dafa. He reportedly explained to an Ottawa city councillor that his change of heart was the result of a commitment he had made while in China.

Beijing also in many cases offers lucrative job offers to politicians and senior civil servants after they leave their official posts.

Shortly before Australias new anti-foreign interference laws came into effect, two former cabinet ministers and a former premier resigned their posts with organizations with strong links to the Chinese regime. The countrys new laws require those acting on behalf of foreign powers to publicly register their names.

The United States has enacted similar laws, but no such legislation exists in Canada.

Charles Burton, a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, wrote in an op-ed in the National Post that the scenario of former politicians and senior civil servants working for China-linked organizations raises huge questions about whether theyd been compromised in defending Canadas national interests vis-a-vis China while in office.

Buying Key Assets to Gain Control

China has been buying key assets in Western countries for a number of years. Politicians in New Zealand started warning of their citizens becoming tenants in their own land after Chinese state-owned companies started buying up farmland as well as assets in other sectors.

In a controversial decision, the government of Stephen Harper allowed a Chinese state-owned company to buy Canadian oil giant Nexen in 2013. Harper said at the time that this wouldnt happen again and implemented rules to stop such takeovers in the future except on an exceptional basis.

Nexen CEO Fang Zhi speaks with media on July 22, 2015. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

But the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau has allowed the takeover of two sensitive high-tech companies, drawing heavy criticism from intelligence and security circles, including U.S. politicians. In one case, Canada allowed a Chinese company to buy Norsat, a Vancouver-based satellite communications firm. In another case, a Hong Kong-based company was allowed to buy Montreal-based ITF Technologies, a laser technology company.

The Liberal government did draw a line when it came to a proposed takeover of Canadian construction giant AECON by a Chinese state-owned company, with Ottawa disallowing the takeover in 2018.

In the background, however, Chinese state-owned companies continue to purchase major stakes in Canadian companies.

A Chinese state-owned company has a major stake in Teck Resources, a Canadian mining company that was criticized in 2016 after appointing a Chinese regime official to its board of directors.

You have an official with a foreign government who is sitting on the board of a public company in Canada, Dermod Travis of Integrity BC told The Tyee at the time.

Co-opting Academia and Controlling Thought Leaders

A critical component of Chinas efforts to influence foreign policy in various countries is having academics publish headline-grabbing papers and experts give talking points in media interviews that are aligned with what Beijing wants.

Canadian decision-makers often consult with academics on policy creation. Pro-Beijing academics can therefore have significant impact on government policy on China.

Chinas approach to influencing academia is multi-pronged.

Several Canadian universities and colleges, as well as school districts in Canada, host Confucius Institutes. The institutes are controlled by a Chinese state agency and are branded as providing opportunities for those abroad to learn about Chinese history and culture.

But intelligence agencies think otherwise. The institutes present content thats in line with Beijings directions and become bases for exerting influence in the host organizationswhich in many cases could be leading universities. This influence includes rallying students to oppose events or talks critical of the Chinese regime.

A long line of school buses parked near Parliament Hill on June 23, 2010, bringing Chinese students and others from nearby cities to welcome Chinese leader Hu Jintao to Ottawa. In recordings obtained by The Epoch Times, Chinese Embassy officials can be heard saying they will foot the bill to bring 3,000 people to Ottawa to welcome Hu. (The Epoch Times)

One of the ways Beijing maintains control over students from China studying abroad is via the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA). These associations, found in almost all major Canadian campuses, openly declare that they were founded or supported by Chinese consulates.

Most recently, the CSSA at McMaster University had its student club status revoked by the universitys student union. The association had issued statements against a human rights event on campus that was critical of China, and the event was disrupted while it was in session.

Chinas Huawei has also invested millions of dollars in various Canadian universities while taking ownership of the intellectual property developed by Canadian researchers. The administrations of universities with Huawei funding, and those that rely on tuition fees from international Chinese students, have voiced concern over the souring relationship between Canada and China after Mengs arrest, fearing the loss of those funds.

Another of the CCPs tools is the Thousand Talents Program, publicly branded as a program to attract foreign experts to China. U.S. intelligence agencies say the program is a means to enable technology transfer to China. The FBI most recently arrested the chair of Harvard Universitys Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department, Charles Lieber, for allegedly lying about his financial ties with the regime. He is alleged by the FBI to be part of Chinas Thousand Talents Program.

According to author and China expert Steve Mosher, Beijing is very active in trying to co-opt individual scholars to support its lines in academia. It achieves this, he says, by for example offering scholars large sums of money for a lecture, or granting them honorary titles. In many cases, China also manages to silence scholars by threatening to deny them visas, which can hinder the ability of a China scholar to conduct research.

Exporting Opioids, Fuelling Addiction and Overdose Deaths

Besides the pandemic, China is behind another crisis that is directly killing Canadians in large numbers: the opioid crisis.

According to police, China is the main source of illicit fentanyl into Canada. There were close to 14,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada between January 2016 and June 2019, with fentanyl accounting for the majority of them.

An Ontario Provincial Police officer displays bags of fentanyl during a news conference in Vaughan, Ont., on Feb. 23, 2017. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

Christian Leuprecht, a political science professor at Queens University and the Royal Military College of Canada, says China is intentionally shipping fentanyl to North America to contribute to the decline of society here.

The White House has used its trade negotiations to compel Beijing to say it will take action to combat the flow of fentanyl. A Global News report citing sources says Beijing has refused to make any promises to Canada to take action on the exports of the drug into the country.

The fentanyl operations are also related to illegal gang activity and money laundering, both of which have impacted everyday life significantly in British Columbia.

Intelligence agencies have long reported on links between Chinese gangs operating in Canada and Beijing. A joint report by the RCMP and CSIS prepared in the late 1990s says Beijings intelligence agencies use Chinese triads and Hong Kong tycoons for laundering money, stealing economic secrets, and gaining influence over Canadian politicians, media, companies, and other areas.

Conducting Espionage to Gain Strategic and Economic Advantage

Chen Yonglin, a former Chinese diplomat who defected to Australia in 2005, said at the time that China has over 1,000 spies in Canada.

In his book Silent Invasion, Australian author Hamilton says that in addition to traditional kinds of spying, Beijing also recruits a large number of the members of the Chinese diaspora to pass on useful information to the regime. The information includes state and commercial secrets as well as information on groups persecuted by Beijing such as Falun Gong adherents and Uyghur Muslims.

Chen Yonglin, a former Chinese diplomat who defected to Australia, addresses the crowd during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on June 26, 2005. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

In consecutive years, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, the parliamentary watchdog overseeing national security, has named China as a major threat in espionage and influence activities in Canada.

China is known globally for its efforts to influence Chinese communities and the politics of other countries, one of the committees reports says.

A major area of concern when it comes to China identified by the committee is cyber threats.

In 2014, Chinese state-sponsored hackers infiltrated the computer networks of Canadas National Research Council. The attack cost Canada hundreds of millions of dollars.

Canadian telecom giant Nortel, which filed for bankruptcy in 2009, was the subject of massive years-long IP theft by Chinese hackers, according to the companys former senior security adviser Brian Shields. Shields is convinced that the beneficiary of the IP theft was Huawei, which started to prosper in global markets around the same time Nortel was going bankrupt.

In 2018, U.S. and Israeli researchers found that China Telecom, a Chinese state-owned company, has been routing internet traffic in Canada and the United States through its own network for espionage and IP theft purposes.

Hamilton says in his book that Beijing aims to build Chinas technological and engineering capabilities on the back of research carried out in other nations.

Ottawa still has not made a decision to rule out Huawei from participating in its 5G network, despite calls by the United States over security concerns, threatening limitation of data sharing if Canada doesnt exclude Huawei. Huawei has close links to the Chinese regime, and Chinese law requires Chinese companies to assist Beijing in intelligence gathering when required.

Imprisoning Canadians and Pressuring Government

When the Chinese regimes influence efforts are ineffective in co-opting an institution or individual, it often uses more physical forms of intimidation. In China, that means mass incarceration, institutionalized torture, and state-sanctioned extra-judicial killings.

For Canadians in China, it can mean arbitrary imprisonment. Kovrig and Spavor remain behind bars while the pandemic rages on in China.

Michael Kovrig (L) and Michael Spavor have been detained in China for over a year. (The Canadian Press)

A similar scenario played out back in 2014, when China arrested the Canadian couple Julia and Kevin Garrett. This followed Canadas arrest of a Chinese national on a U.S. extradition request. Julie stayed behind bars in China for a year, and Kevin for two years.

Robert Schellenberg, another Canadian, who originally was serving a 15-year jail sentence on drug charges in China, had his sentence escalated to death following Mengs arrest. And since then another Canadian, Fan Wei, has been sentenced to death in China on drug charges.

A number of other Canadians have been arbitrarily detained in China.

Sun Qian, a Chinese-Canadian businesswoman, has been held in custody in China since 2017 for practising Falun Dafa.

Canadian winery owners John Chang and Allison Lu were arrested in 2016 and charged with smuggling for allegedly misreporting the value of ice wine they export to China.

Huseyin Celil, a Canadian citizen and Uyghur human rights activist, was detained during a visit to Uzbekistan in 2006 and handed over to Beijing.

There are many other family members of Canadians, as well as countless numbers of dissidents and minority groups, who continue to be persecuted by the Chinese regime.

Using Increased Strength to Change World Order

As the Chinese regime gains control, it shifts from soft tactics like ingratiating foreign dignitaries to win trust and acceptance, to heavy-handed tactics that have shifted the dynamics of global power. This has become a challenge to alliances that Canada is a part of.

Since its early days, the Chinese regime has tried to create wedges between allies, using the divide and conquer approach.

A Chinese coast guard vessel sails near the disputed East China Sea islands on Aug. 6, 2016. (11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters via AP)

In the case of Canada, this strategy could be seen as early as the 1970s when Canada and China re-established relations. According to Chinese diplomats formerly stationed in Canada, when Mao learned that Canadian and Chinese diplomats had reached an agreement on establishing relations, he laughed and said Beijing now had a friend in the backyard of America.

Chinas increased belligerence can already be seen both in its military aggressiveness and its ambitious global economic initiatives. These include endeavours such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an ambitious infrastructure plan to establish China-centred land and maritime trade routes, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Chinas version of the World Bank, in which Canada is an investor.

Countries that have taken loans from China under its different programs, such as the BRIand had to forfeit major infrastructure after defaulting on their loanshave found this to be more of a debt-slavery mechanism. Such was the case in Sri Lanka, which had to forfeit control of a major port to Beijing after failing to repay its loan.

China has behaved in an increasingly hostile manner in the South China Sea and other parts of Asia. And it has extended its influence in Africa as well as Latin America, the latter being the backyard of Canadas closest ally, the United States.

China is also showing increasing interest in Canadas own backyard, the Arctic.

According to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the risk of China investing tens of billions of dollars in the Arctic to develop shipping lanes is that it will establish a permanent Chinese security presence.

With files from The Canadian Press

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the number of Canadian corporations forming the Canada China Business Council. In fact, eight Canadian corporations were founding members of the organization. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
Over 2,000 nationals attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The Tablighi Jamaat came under the scanner after those who attended the congregation in Delhi spread the virus to several others. The agencies have and continue to track several members of the Jamaat who attended the congregation.

The agencies say that 2,041 foreign nationals attended the congregation held at Nizamuddin last month. Reports say that nine Chinese nationals too had attended the congregation. There were Indonesians also who were part of this event, the report also says.

Delhi govt now classifies Tablighi Jamaat cases as Special Operations

Of the 9,000 who attended the event, 1,100 have tested positive for coronavirus. These persons are being treated at the various hospitals in New Delhi. The Ministry of Home Affairs has blacklisted over 800 foreign nationals who attended the congregation for violation of visa norms. The ministry said that these persons ought to have obtained a religious visa, but took part in these activities while holding a tourist visa.

A lookout circular has been issued and several states have given an ultimatum to these persons to surrender and undergo tests.

Meanwhile, Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhalvi has been booked for culpable homicide after some of the attendees of the religious congregation died due to coronavirus.

Kandhalvi had organised the religious gathering at Nizamuddin Markaz last month against the social distancing protocol imposed by the Centre to curb the spread of the deadly disease.

An FIR was registered against the cleric on March 31 at Crime Branch police station on a complaint of the Station House Officer of Nizamuddin.

He was earlier booked for holding the event, police said.

After several attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat event succumbed to coronavirus, we added IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in the FIR against the leader, a police official said.
India's largest cab-hailing platform Ola has offered its technology and capabilities to the government for free to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The company has recently launched the Ola CONNECTS (COmprehensive Navigation, NEtworking, Control and Tracking Solution) initiative, which is customizable to cater to specific needs of governments and public service offices.

"Ola CONNECTS can be deployed as a turn-key solution or customised to specific requirements, to assist governments and its various agencies in managing Real-Time War Rooms for various operations at scale, with 100% data privacy and world-class security," the company said in a statement. "Keeping in mind national interest and welfare of citizens, Ola is offering the CONNECTS platform and required development solutions free of cost to the government and its various agencies."

The company had teamed up with the Punjab government to track and manage vehicle movement of over 17 lakh farmers across the state. Apart from providing a direct method of sending security travel passes to farmers, Ola CONNECTS also provided the authorities with a centralised dashboard to track and manage the movement of the farmers.

Ravi Bhagat, Secretary Punjab Mandi Board and Special Secretary, Governance Reforms said, "With essential services working with limited manpower, this unique partnership with Ola will help in minimising the disruption to the critical food supply network in the country by ensuring the safety of farmers as well as the mandi officials as per the protocols set by the Government.

The platform also provides benefits other than navigation and real-time tracking. The platform has geo-fencing capabilities that can restrict users to a specific zone. The platform also has a real-time Alert System, as well as Crowd and Flow Management enable scheduling, flow control and planning capabilities to ensure social distancing. An AI-enabled selfie Authentication feature will help authorities to perform random checks and make sure that preventive measures like wearing masks are adhered to.

"By opening up Ola CONNECTS to various state governments and public service organisations across the country, we are able to offer a ready to deploy technology solution that addresses unique challenges in the various relief initiatives that are underway," Pranay Jivrajka, Co-Founder, Ola said. "All of Ola's innovations across AI, tracking technologies, allocation and flow management are part of the CONNECTS platform."

The statement also said that Ola CONNECTS can be customised for different scenarios like Emergency and Healthcare Support, Supply Chain Management, Law Enforcement, War-Room Management, amongst others.

Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: Auto sales crash 45% in March; commercial vehicles worst hit

Also Read: How Toyota plans to restart its factory after lockdown
(Newser)  Elizabeth Warren is ready to step into the role of vice presidential candidate if asked. The Massachusetts senator on Wednesday told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that she would accept the role of Joe Biden's running mate should he offer it to her, per NBC News. "We both want the same thing. We want this country to work, and we want it to work for everyone," said Warren, who endorsed Biden earlier Wednesday. "He's a man who has a good heart, and that's what we need in a leadersomeone who is steady, who is prepared, but ultimately who cares not just about himself, but cares about everyone else."

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Biden, a moderate, promised to "pick a woman to be my vice president" during a debate a month ago. But while he has "plenty of other talented female politicians to consider," the choice of Warren, a progressive, "would help unify Democrats going into the fall," John Cassidy writes at the New Yorker. Biden has already "shifted toward Warren on a number of policy issues, including bankruptcy reform." And her "toughness and killer instinct" could come in handy, too, argues Cassidy. Biden apparently agrees with that assessment of her. In responding to her endorsement Wednesday, the former VP said he was "proud to have the fiercest of fighters  on my side." (Read more Elizabeth Warren stories.)
Groups known as samba schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, usually spend the year working to make beautiful clothing for the citys Carnival celebration. But members are now working to protect lives instead. They are making medical clothing for hospital workers who are treating coronavirus patients.

Dr. Wille Baracho recently carried cloth into the Unidos de Padre Miguel samba school in the Vila Vintem neighborhood. Inside, the sewers sat on plastic chairs and busily turned the cloth into medical clothing.

The plan started when Baracho and one of his coworkers were at a nearby hospital emergency room. There, they saw a shortage of materials. Both also are part of the leadership in the Padre Miguel samba school and saw a chance to redirect labor. The city joined in, donating thousands of meters of cloth, and the workers set to work.

We have some friends who died already, some who are on leave or sick with the disease, Baracho told the Associated Press. He added that he has found it more satisfying to produce medical clothing than Carnival costumes. I think everyone here would say that. Carnival is a different happiness: fun, a pleasure. This is a mission.

The Unidos da Vila Isabel samba school also joined the effort, with two workers sewing in a storage building.

More will start sewing soon, both from Vila Isabel and others at top samba schools. People across the city are expected to join, said Eneida Reis. She is executive director of assistance at RioSaude, a public company that supervises the citys health divisions.

Every willing helper is welcome. At one Rio hospital treating COVID-19 patients, doctors and nurses can use 2,000 sets of scrubs every day, city officials say.

It is not Rios first effort to use the spirit of Carnival toward combating the virus. The parade grounds where samba schools compete is known as the Sambadrome. It has started sheltering homeless people  who are considered especially at risk during the health crisis.

Rio has Brazils second-biggest number of COVID-19 patients, with more than 1,000 cases. There are a few hundred more in the surrounding area, the state health secretary said.

For most people, the coronavirus causes few symptoms which leave the body in two to three weeks. But it can lead to something more serious, including pneumonia and death, for some. Older adults and people with existing health problems are especially at risk.

At the Padre Miguel workshop, Jucelia Abreu and other sewers feed cloth through their machines. Others from the samba school are doing the same at home. Together, the team makes around 450 scrubs each day.

The directors asked us if we would be willing to volunteer, and I accepted, because its very satisfying to help the people, Abreu said through a face mask. We have to help.

Im Jill Robbins.

The Associated Press reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

samba n. a lively Brazilian dance

sewers n. people who sew things like clothing

costume n. clothing that is worn by person who is trying to look like a different person or thing

mission n. a task or job someone is given to do

scrubs n. a special loose-fitting clothing that is worn by people who work in hospitals

symptom n. a change in the body which shows that a disease is present

pneumonia n. a severe infections of the lungs

mask n. a covering over the face, especially to prevent the spread of germs
ALBANY  Albany County confirmed on Thursday that the number of Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center residents who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 has grown to nine.

Earlier this week the county said three staff members and two residents at the nursing home in Colonie tested positive for COVID-19.

Since the pandemic began, 21 nursing home residents and 15 staff members at various facilities in the county have tested positive.

County spokeswoman Mary Rozak said she did not immediately have information on how many residents were hospitalized as a result of the disease or if any died.

Additionally there are nine staff members and nine residents who have contracted the virus at Our Lady of Mercy Life Center in Guilderland, two residents with the disease at the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Guilderland facility and one staff member and one resident at the Hudson Park Rehabilitation And Nursing Center in Albany.

The county has never mentioned specific outbreaks at any nursing homes in the county during County Executive Dan McCoy's daily news briefings, which have taken place daily for at least a month.

Locally and nationwide, the effort to keep the highly contagious coronavirus out of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities has become increasingly difficult. At least seven other facilities in the Capital Region reported new cases in the last week alone. The spread has continued weeks after visitors were forbidden from entering nursing home and other long-term-care facilities.

The largest known local outbreak has been at the Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in the Columbia County town of Philmont, where 23 residents have tested positive and six have died, according to the county's public health director, Jack Mabb.

Earlier: New York nursing homes try - and fail - to keep coronavirus out

During Thursday's briefing, McCoy said an effort is underway to bring wireless high-speed internet access in the county's Hilltowns, an area where balky service is impeding the ability of roughly 300 local children to take digital school classes during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Long overdue," is how McCoy called the partnership with Hudson Valley Wireless.

We thought we had to get this done, he said. Getting this rolled out is more important now than ever before. Its crucial to continue on their education while theyre at home and not fall behind.

McCoy said the county will help families that cannot afford service. The wireless system will be run through new towers that the sheriff's department installed previously to help the agency's communications.

For more than a month, schools in the state have been closed and students have been taking online classes. On Thursday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced schools and business would remain closed until at least May 15. McCoy has previously said he does not believe classes will resume in schools at all this semester.

Timothy Mundell, the superintendent for the Berne-Knox-Westerlo school district, said about 30 percent of the students in the district do not have access to high-speed internet. The district has compensated by getting some families mobile hotspots and parking schools buses equipped with a wireless signal in public places.

Earlier: A month into COVID-19 remote learning, many students still offline

More Information The breakdown of known cases, hospitalizations, recoveries and deaths for the 11-county Capital Region are below: Albany - 563 cases, 32 hospitalized, 8 adults in ICU, 216 recovered, 20 deaths

Columbia - 102 cases, 6 suspected, 10 hospitalized, 3 in ICU, 49 recovered, 10 deaths

Fulton - 25 cases, 2 deaths

Greene - 88 cases, 48 active, 40 resolved, 5 hospitalized, 0 deaths

Montgomery - 35 cases, 20 recovered, 2 under medical care, 1 death

Rensselaer - 162 cases, 58 recovered, 9 hospitalized, 4 in ICU, 6 deaths

Saratoga - 246 cases, 14 hospitalized, 122 recoveries, 6 deaths

Schenectady - 279 cases, 27* hospitalized, 83 recoveries, 13 deaths

Schoharie - 24 cases, 4 hospitalized, 16 recovered, 1 death

Warren - 75 cases, 3 hospitalized, 52 recovered, 3 deaths

Washington - 48 cases, 21 recovered, 2 deaths *includes all hospitalizations in county, regardless of patient's county of residence See More Collapse

Emergency homeschooling network grows in Capital Region

The county and Hudson Valley Wireless did not have an estimate as to when the installation of the antennas in each home might be completed but said a priority would be on getting the equipment to homes with children in the district. It was not immediately clear what the project would cost the county. McCoy said the county would subsidize the cost for families with children at least until the new school year began in September. The companys basic level of service is $50 a month, not including the initial installation fee.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Jason Guzzo, general manager for Hudson Valley Wireless, said the network uses a combination of fiber optic cables and a microwave network to transmit a signal to an antenna in a home or business.

McCoy also gave the latest update on the COVID-19 numbers in the county. The county did not see any additional deaths but did see a large jump in the number of positive cases due to increased testing at the University at Albany site. The county expected to see a sharp increase in the numbers due to more testing but isnt seeing hospitals hit surge capacity, County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen said.

This is something well continue to follow along. It goes along with the paradigm weve discussed all along, that 80 percent of the people who contract COVID-19 will get an illness that does not necessarily require hospitalization, she said.

Whalen also reminded residents who have illnesses not related to the coronavirus that they should still go to local hospitals if they are sick. Some areas of the country, especially New York City, have seen a spike in people dying at home. Albany County has not had a similar trend, Whalen said.

If you are feeling very ill at home, the hospitals is still the best place for you to receive care, she said.

The county now has 563 cases since the pandemic began, up from 515 on Wednesday.

There are 668 residents in mandatory quarantine and 66 residents in precautionary quarantine. The dip in precautionary quarantine numbers is due to most county residents following social distancing guidelines, officials have said. Health department employees are finding that when they ask people who have tested positive where theyve been in the past two weeks, there arent as many contacts to alert about the possibility of being exposed to the virus.

There are still 32 residents hospitalized, with eight in intensive care. Several hundred residents have recovered from the virus.

County officials also announced a slight change to their mobile testing plans. The county is opening four sites throughout the county, three in Albany and one in Watervliet. One site, at the Whitney Young Health Center, will remain open throughout the pandemic. The other three will move throughout the county, based on testing needs, officials said.

Residents need an appointment to get a test and should call 518-465-4771.

Schenectady County reported its 13th death, a man over age 60.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmers latest executive order mandates that nursing homes and other long-term care facilities create a unit for residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, or send them to a facility in the region that has one.

Whitmer on Wednesday, April 15 signed Executive Order 2020-50, which includes a list of protections and precautions for long-term care facilities and their employees.

To help limit the outbreak, any facility less than 80% full is required to open a separate COVID-19 unit and provide personal protective equipment to employees working in it. Any resident who is medically unstable must be sent to a hospital.

If a nursing homes occupancy is above 80% of its capacity, COVID-19 residents must be sent to a regional hub, the governor ordered. The state is designating certain nursing homes as regional hubs, and they will only provide care to residents who have tested positive for the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The order and a state news release dont list which nursing homes will become regional hubs, or what will happen to non-COVID-19 residents at those facilities. That wont be finalized until early next week, per state officials.

If all the regional hubs are full, residents with cases of the virus must be sent to the hospital, per the order.

The order is necessary, the governors office says, because a couple cases of the virus in a small setting with vulnerable people can threaten the safety of the entire facility.

"I know this is a hard time for Michigans elderly residents, their families, and the hardworking staff who work with them every day," Whitmer said in the release. "I will continue to do everything in my power to protect Michiganders everywhere from the spread of this virus."

The order also mandates nursing homes notify their employees of any COVID-19 cases within 12 hours and notify the health department within 24 hours.

Other measures in the order include prohibiting facilities from evicting residents for not paying, barring denial of admission based on COVID-19 testing requirements and protecting staff from punishment if they stay home due to coronavirus symptoms.

The full order can be viewed here. Its in effect through May 13.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here

Wednesday, April 15: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

All but one county in Michigans Lower Peninsula have a reported coronavirus case; 153 more deaths

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Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine

Michigans coronavirus survivors describe battles to stay alive
The Husky Investment Tournament hosted this spring by the College of Business (COB) at Michigan Technological University drew more than 300 high school business students across the region to compete for a cash prize and scholarships toward a Michigan Tech education.

The competition utilized a virtual stock-trading tool and College faculty-led video modules to help high school educators lead engaging conversations and lessons of their own. Teams of three to four students received $1,000,000 in virtual U.S. dollars to build a portfolio. The group with the highest-valued portfolio earned $1,000 in prize money and all students who actively participated were awarded scholarships to attend Michigan Tech.

The purpose of the Husky Investment Tournament is to offer more students more pathways to discover business opportunities at Michigan Tech, said Dean Johnson, dean of the Michigan Tech College of Business. We want young people to understand that investing is the key to their retirement and we want to help demystify the stock market in a hands-on and dynamic way.

Students from Hancock Central High School in Hancock, Michigan, came in first place at the conclusion of trading earlier this month. Despite the stock market declining by 26% during the contest, the team of Ryan Levanen, Lance Meyette, Blain Stromer and Sam Stromer earned a positive 24% return. Their teacher, Leanne Laakonen, was impressed with how enthusiastically they participated: They were emailing me, reaching out for updates  Im immensely proud of them, she stated.

A New Way of Doing Business

When the outreach initiative kicked off in February, the biggest obstacle to work around was various spring break schedules. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the content considerably, and the program quickly became a more important aspect of students remote learning opportunities, Johnson said.

In real-time, the participants witnessed the longest bull market in U.S. history come to a screeching halt. At first, like many people, students were uncertain of next steps. The market tanked and students were afraid to make the wrong move, Johnson added.

In addition to financial lessons, students learned the value of teamwork; one member of the winning Hancock team noted: We discovered the need to consult with our investment partners every time we made a trade.

These students now have a better understanding of trading strategies and how to work through obstacles, Johnson concluded.

Moving Business Education Forward

The Husky Investment Tournament is embedded into high school economics, business and personal finance classes. Since its launch in September 2019, 600 students across Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois have participated. High school educators or administrators wishing to sign teams up for the fall 2020 competition, should visit mtu.edu/business-tournament.
The deaths of two Kilkenny hospital workers, described as "real-life heroes", has "rattled" healthcare workers in the area.

Tributes have poured in for the man and woman, who worked at St Lukes Hospital in Kilkenny and died after contracting Covid-19.

The woman in her 50s died in the hospital on Wednesday and the man in his 40s died at his home on Tuesday.

Both were employed as support staff at the hospital.

Dr John Cuddihy, chairman of the Carlow Kilkenny/St Lukes Hospital Local Integrated Care Committee (LICC), heralded the bravery of healthcare workers.

Speaking on KCLR 96FM, Dr Cuddihy said the news of the deaths of two healthcare workers "rattled" him.

"They were taken from us in such a cruel way. It brings it home in a raw way.

"Our colleagues are bravely battling on. We are all afraid, every one of us but we all afraid together. We are not on our own.

"And its this togetherness and teamwork and courage that helps us carry on. But what choice do we have? Our friends, our families, our fathers, our cousins, our next door neighbours are ill and they need our help."

Cllr Peter Cleere, cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, said it is a stark reminder of the importance of the current restrictions: These are everyday, real-life heroes. There are people who have just lost friends and colleagues, and they have still faced into their work this morning.

"We are all so indebted to them and grateful. All we can do for them is try to adhere to the rules and stay home."

SIPTU Health Division organiser, Paul Bell, said: "The colleagues of these two workers, as well as the members and staff of the Unions health division, are deeply shocked by their deaths.

"These two workers have made the ultimate sacrifice while assisting in the fight against the Covid-19 virus."

Kilkenny-based Fine Gael TD, John Paul Phelan, said he was devastated to learn of the death of two healthcare workers at St Lukes General Hospital in Kilkenny from COVID-19: "Our healthcare workers go above and beyond every single day to care for those impacted by Covid-19.

We all see or hear the figures every evening and we all know of people in our commmunity who have been tested for or are recovering from the virus."

"But a death in our community, particularly the death of two people who risked life and limb day after day to help others, is particularly hard to comprehend.

"I want to offer my heartfelt condolence to the families, the friends and the communities of the bereaved. We stand with them at this dark time."
Veteran animator Amm Sullivan, who worked on Disney classics such as "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King", has died from complications due to the coronavirus. She was 91.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sullivan's retirement community, the Woodland Hills-based campus of the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF), confirmed the of her death.

Sullivan is the third member of the industry retirement home to die as a result of COVID-19.

At MPTF, the animator was nicknamed "Giggles" by staff, with chaplain Dina Kuperstock saying in a statement, She had the best laugh of any person I've ever known. Ann didn't just laugh with a sound. When she giggled, her whole body would shake and light up with joy, and it was contagious for everyone in the room.

Originally from North Dakota's Fargo, Sullivan matriculated at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena the alma mater of Zack Snyder and Michael Bay, among other famous alums.

After graduation in the 1950s, she started working as a member of the animation paint lab at The Walt Disney Company.

Sullivan left her job to raise four children, but she re-entered the business in 1973, when she started at Filmnation and Hanna Barbera.

The animator later returned to Disney, landing credits on studio titles from the late-1980s to the mid-2000s. Sullivan worked in the paint lab on 1988's "Oliver & Company", 1989's "The Little Mermaid", 1991's "Rover Dangerfield" and 1992's "Cool World".

She painted for the 1990 short "The Prince and the Pauper"; 1994's "The Lion King"; 1995's "Pocahontas"; 1997's "Hercules"; 1999's "Tarzan" and "Fantasia 2000"; 2000's "The Emperor's New Groove"; and 2002's "Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet".

Sullivan also is credited for having worked as a cel painter on 1994's "The Pagemaster" and for performing additional caps and painting on 2004's "Home on the Range".

She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to adjourn Congress so he can unilaterally install nominees to federal positions that he said are pertinent to the coronavirus crisis, an unprecedented move that critics likened to a dictatorship.

Trump said the Senate should either approve his nominees or adjourn so he can "recess appoint" them. Congress holds pro forma sessions when it isn't working, a process Republicans made common under President Barack Obama to prevent him from temporarily filling vacancies without Senate approval.

"If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress. The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis," Trump said at a White House briefing. "It is a scam what they do."

"Perhaps it's never been done before. Nobody's even sure if it has. But we're going to do it," he said. "We need these people here."

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics

The president said Democrats have forced the Senate to eat up time while confirming judges, a top priority of the GOP-led chamber, and as a result, there's "no time for anybody else," like a director of national intelligence and an undersecretary of agriculture to administer food programs.

Trump's comments seemed to come as a surprise to both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, with aides initially reluctant to comment on the record.

The president has the power to adjourn Congress only if the two chambers disagree with each other, and it's a power reserved for extraordinary circumstances that has never been invoked.

Image: Donald Trump, Steven Mnuchin, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy (Evan Vucci / AP file)

"To get away with it, he would obviously have to do this with the support of the Senate," said Thomas Mann, a senior fellow in governance studies at the nonpartisan Brookings Institution. "If [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell agrees to this, it would be the most extraordinary abdication of power. And somehow I can't believe he would do it.

Story continues

"Maybe in his own mind he's thinking 'This is my way to push Congress out of the way and do anything I want.' It's sort of an autocratic move," he said.

Nearly two hours after the president's remarks, McConnell released a statement defusing some of the tension by underscoring that Democrats would have to agree to adjourn the Senate to allow recess appointments.

"The Leader pledged to find ways to confirm nominees considered mission-critical to the COVID-19 pandemic, but under Senate rules that will take consent" from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a McConnell spokesman said.

McConnell's office said Democrats have a history of "obstructing" Republican nominees but couldn't or wouldn't point to any positions that are critical for the pandemic and are being blocked.

The Constitution says the president "may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper."

Recess appointments are a way to bypass Congress  when it is out of session and unavailable to approve nominees, the president can appoint them without a Senate vote  but the appointments come with strings attached. The nominee can serve for only the rest of the two-year congressional session. The Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that pro forma sessions, when a chamber gavels in and out without conducting business, don't count as recesses for the purpose of appointments.

Mann said he's unaware of any president's having used that power of adjournment, calling it "a power move that a determined Congress can certainly prevent."

To make it possible for the Senate to disagree with the Democratic-led House, the Senate would have to adjourn  a process that requires either unanimous consent of all senators or a vote on the floor. Any party wishing to adjourn the Senate would need 51 votes to do so. Currently, there are 53 Republicans in the Senate.

The move would face pushback from Democrats.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a constitutional scholar, said there's a reason the Constitution doesn't give the president unilateral power to send the legislature home.

"That's what tin-pot dictators do  disband the legislatures" to diminish their power, he said.
Readers will probably remember reporter Macey Adams, who in addition to covering Bismarck and Leadington beats, also covered her town of residence, Desloge, from September until January before returning to her prior job, working in Turkey as a cultural liaison to foreign residents.

Since COVID-19 is a global pandemic, we thought wed reach out to her to see how shes doing over in Istanbul.

Adams, who grew up in Rolla, first moved to Istanbul in 2018. After about a year, she moved back to the U.S., but she described Turkey as one of her favorite places.

Sometimes I felt like I was more at home over there, she once said. Everyone in my apartment building was so kind and looked after me. Theyre a more formal culture, but there was a great sense of community that I really enjoyed.

When she was contacted to move back, she said it was a tough decision to quit the newspaper, but she couldnt pass up the opportunity. Shes been in Turkey since late winter.

The company I work with is a business based in Istanbul which specifically helps expats, people living abroad, navigate life in a country that isnt their own, she said. A lot of what I do is helping other expats navigate their life overseas through the center. I am trying to live like a Turkish person among the Turkish people and really immerse myself in this culture while I am here.

Additionally, Adams is trying to study at one of the local universities, although due to the spreading of COVID-19, the enrollment process has been more difficult.

It was mid-March when the threat of COVID-19 became a concern for many people. In my opinion, many peoples attitudes changed overnight, she said. The locality was aware of COVID-19 and the severity of it, but no one thought it was here.

But the city with a population of roughly 20 million seemed to change its collective attitude overnight, she said. Then, all of a sudden, coffee shops, restaurants, cafes, parks, schools, malls, and shops closed over the course of a few days.

The city is always hustling and bustling with life and activity. When the threat of COVID-19 became a factor in everyones life, that all changed, she said. Now, youll see very few people on the street, no one walks in groups anymore, and it very much feels deserted.

Since everything except essential places like banks and grocery stores are closed, including her expatriate center, Adams has been on self-quarantine. The government requires all residents to wear masks, and she said some businesses suggest wearing gloves.

People under the age of 20 and above the age of 65 are not allowed to leave their homes throughout the whole country, she said. Mainly, it is encouraged for everyone to stay home, and the majority of people here are abiding by and respecting that for the sake of flattening the curve.

In her locus of acquaintance in Turkey, it seems to be working. As of this writing, none of the people she knew in Istanbul, either native or expat, had the virus. One of her friends in America, however, is struggling for his life, she said.

I would say everyones mood is serious. Everybody I know is taking the pandemic very seriously and wanting to do whatever they can to insure it doesnt spread. I think in general, people stateside and here, are scared, or maybe apprehensive is a better word, to a certain degree, she said. COVID-19 is something we do not have immunity to nor do we have any tangible control over it. It is a very sobering experience for many.

Adams said on the rare occasions she forays out for groceries and errands, she takes the precautions that know no geographical boundaries: she washes her hands immediately, disinfects everything brought into her apartment, and she changes clothes, throwing what she was wearing into the hamper.

She keeps in touch with family and friends stateside through internet calls and social media. The power of social media can be a wonderful thing, especially when you have a big amount of free time on your hands and are staying cooped up in your apartment, Adams said.

And as in America, Turkey has a rediscovered appreciation for essential workers.

People recognize the sacrifices workers in these vocations are taking to help us continue on with life. For about a week, at 9 p.m. every night throughout the whole country, people would lean out their windows and show appreciation for the people working by whistling, shouting, clapping, banging pots and pans, flicking their lights on and off, car horns blaring, etc., she said. Turks have not divided themselves during this time. They have somehow managed to come together even while remaining in their separate homes.

Adams recently posted an update on her Facebook page.

People here are thoughtful, kind, and are always looking out for their neighbor, she posted. The day the mask rule was announced, a lady in my apartment building was giving masks to each household in the building Yesterday, the president announced the option of free masks being shipped to people throughout the country if you request them online.

Im thankful to be in a place where people are taking precautions to keep everyone around them safe. Life almost feels like a film, but its an interesting and challenging thing to experience it in a culture that isnt my own  a culture that Im always humbled to be included in.

The Daily Journal staff would like to wish Macey a "Happy (and safe) Birthday."

Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or at shaas@dailyjournalonline.com.

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Dawn Kulach, a registered nurse, was let go after asking for better equipment for herself and colleagues. "Coming home was frightening and my biggest fear is giving this to my family. Read more

Two weeks ago, as a surge of COVID-19 cases loomed, nurse Dawn Kulach worried that she didnt have the gear she needed to stay healthy and on the job during the worst pandemic in a century.

Wary of running out of N95 masks, Virtua Health System was limiting them to workers at its five South Jersey hospitals who were dealing with COVID-19-positive or suspected patients.

Knowing that people without symptoms can carry the easily spread virus, Kulach, a medical surgical nurse, asked for better equipment for herself and colleagues. She got permission to wear an N95 brought from home, but kept agitating for other nurses who didnt have the masks.

On Friday, she said, she was dismissed for insubordination.

A Virtua spokesperson wouldnt talk about Kulachs case, but said bringing items from home could hinder infection control and staff are expected to adhere to hospital policy.

Nurses like Kulach have been hailed as heroes for their courageous work in dangerous times.

 READ MORE: Nurses are using their own time off from work to be in isolation after coronavirus contact

In numerous interviews, nurses told The Inquirer they wave off that title, saying that saving lives is their calling. The work now is physically and emotionally taxing in ways they could never have imagined, but that, too, is part of the job they love.

They understand their employers struggles to get the medicines, ventilators, and protective gear that governments around the world have been fighting over. Hospitals note that the shortage of supplies has forced them to make difficult choices.

N95s remain a scarce resource, said Patrick V. Norton, Penn Medicines vice president for public affairs. Given the unpredictability of the pandemic, we remain vigilant in our efforts to procure and conserve PPE to ensure we continue to have an adequate supply of these resources to protect our staff.

 READ MORE: As the coronavirus spreads, Pa. and New Jersey race to add hospital beds, testing

But nurses say what has stunned them is how their employers react when they try to point out the risks they are facing and suggest alternatives.

I wish [hospital administrators] were saying to us, Hey, this sucks, were trying to get you PPE, said an emergency nurse at Pennsylvania Hospital who, like most of the nurses The Inquirer interviewed, asked to remain anonymous because she feared losing her job. But the messaging has been more, Its fine, dont worry about it and dont make a fuss about it.

Philadelphia nurses, a dozen of whom spoke to The Inquirer, are far from alone. Twitter is inundated with accounts from health-care workers frustrated by a lack of protection at work. Medical personnel from Los Angeles to New Jersey have faced punishment and termination for speaking publicly. On Wednesday, nurses protested outside several Philadelphia-area hospitals, calling for better safety practices on the job.

 READ MORE: Anguished nurses say Scranton hospital risked infecting cancer patients, babies and staff with COVID-19

Daily danger

Pennsylvanias Department of Health estimates that about 5% of the more than 23,000 confirmed COVID cases are health-care workers, but that is likely an undercount. Nationally, at least 9,000 in health care had been infected as of April 9, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded.

Another recent CDC recent study, of COVID wards in Wuhan, China, validates nurses fears. Coronavirus particles were found in the air and on surfaces, even in areas of COVID treatment wards not immediately adjacent to those with COVID patients.

All front-line health-care workers know theyre at risk  the concerns are over how much of that risk is avoidable.

This is my job, this is my career, said one Pennsylvania Hospital nurse, who declined to be named for fear she could lose her employment. I know its a lot and some days I do get really upset, but this isnt going to be a forever thing.

Social distancing is impossible for nurses, so they carry small bottles of hand sanitizer and try to touch only the people and objects they have to, said Temple University Hospital intensive care nurse Beverly Minch. Their work spaces  phones, counters, even the copier  are regularly cleansed. But without proper PPE, they dont feel safe.

 READ MORE: Nurses are using their own time off from work to be in isolation after coronavirus contact

N95 masks can block at least 95% of very small airborne particles, including viral particles that could slip through surgical or cloth masks. Once they were considered disposable, good for just one patient interaction. Now, because of shortages, CDC guidelines say to keep using the same one as long as it holds up. Only staffers likely to be exposed to an airborne or fluid hazard need them, according to the federal agencys website.

This change in medical practice violates all their training, nurses say.

Stuff that was always considered disposable, single use, for my entire career  now theyre saying reuse it, said the Pennsylvania Hospital nurse. Or [that] you dont have to use an N95 for that procedure now, you can use a surgical mask.

Kulach noted that even though her employers said N95 masks are not needed away from COVID-heavy wards, she knows of nurses in areas considered low-risk who have caught the virus.

Virtua confirmed that four nurses have been hospitalized for the virus and one is still in a hospital, but would not say where they worked.

So much about the virus remains unknown that guidance for health-care workers from medical authorities constantly shifts. Different hospitals have different policies. That uncertainty, nurses said, adds to anxiety.

Its really hard for us to understand these emails every day, one front-line Penn Medicine nurse said. What is real? You guys dont even know whats real," she said of executives issuing the memos.

 READ MORE: One breath at a time: Fighting for survival inside Philadelphias busiest COVID-19 hospital

As a result, health-care workers resort to personal protection measures that may not do much for their own health.

Some nurses are going entire shifts without eating or drinking because they dont want to risk exposure, said Peg Lawson, a nurse at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.

Pervasive anxiety

Nurses at Temple joke that Minch is unflappable, the last one to lose her cool even on the most hectic days. She does not agree.

I am mentally and physically exhausted, she said last week.

 READ MORE: Emergency doctor: The coronavirus pandemic shows the stresses and mercies of my job | Perspective

Longtime nurses accustomed to seeing elderly patients die from pneumonia are watching the same thing happen to people in their 40s and 50s.

What were not used to is how sick theyre getting, how fast theyre getting so sick, and how young they are," Minch said. "No matter what we do, some people I cant fix. Were not used to that.

Minch said last week that she held the hand of an older woman whose breathing was so impaired, she had chosen to be placed on a ventilator.

The two of them talked as the sedatives needed to have a tube placed down her windpipe took effect.

She just wanted to know what her chances were of waking up again, Minch recalled. The fact that I couldnt give her that answer tore me up.

 HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to hear from you.

The patient is recovering and off the ventilator.

I was so happy for her," Minch said, "I teared up when I went in to speak with her.

Nurses described watching out for friends who are seeming overwhelmed, and taking them for quick coffee breaks.

Its like a little family, said the Penn Medicine nurse. You dont want anybody you know to get this. We all have to look out for each other.

Doctors, nurses, and technicians are collaborating and supporting each other in unprecedented ways.

Theyve never asked before, What can I do to make your day easier? Minch said of her physician colleagues. 'What can I do so you dont have to go into this room?'

In the dark

Until Monday, Penn Medicine dictated that hospital staff not wear N95 masks when treating many COVID-19 patients, reserving them only for those in isolation or having procedures like intubation that spew more of the virus into the air.

In one emergency department at Pennsylvania Hospital, nurses were instructed not to bring N95 masks from home to maintain continuity" among team members, according to an email obtained by The Inquirer.

The policy shifted Monday to give workers the option to wear N95 masks around any confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patient and in emergency rooms, in response to staff concerns, a Penn spokesperson said.

 READ MORE: Lessons from a Main Line doctor who is surviving the coronavirus

At Temple, Chinese-made versions of the N95 the hospital recently obtained dont always fit properly and seem prone to breaking, nurses said.

Ive worked for more than 25 years, said Francine Frezghi, president of the Temple University Hospital Nurses Association, a local of PASNAP. Ive never seen this version before.

Temple did not respond to questions about the new masks, but concerns about the Chinese KN95 masks have been raised in Missouri and Boston, too.

Not only are they using disposable masks repeatedly, nurses say, they are made to feel badly when they need a replacement.

You almost feel like you cant ask for another one, Minch said. You almost pray yours doesnt break during the day because you dont want to get any pushback if you have to ask for another mask."

Another source of distress: not knowing how many of their colleagues are out with the virus, said nurses at Temple and Einstein and surgical technicians at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

An Inquirer effort to gather staff quarantine policies from large hospitals in the region and a count of how many workers have been forced to stay home due to exposure or infection was largely ignored.

Only Main Line Health provided the information, and its numbers show the toll that the coronavirus is taking on staffing.

Among that systems four hospitals, 100 workers tested positive for the illness and 97 were awaiting test results as of Tuesday. Workers who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 are required to quarantine for seven days, said Bridget Therriault, a spokesperson for the health system, and be fever-free for 72 hours before returning to patient care.

But amid the risks that work entails, purpose and focus endure. Nurses describe having little time to worry about hazards while wrestling to heal an onslaught of seriously sick patients.

Being at home, nurses say, is when they ruminate on the same unknowns haunting all Americans, only made worse by their inside knowledge.

Clearing the Record: Kulachs title, medical surgical registered nurse, was incorrectly reported in an earlier version of this story.
Directed by Laurent Bouzereau; written by Mark Harris

Five Came Back is a three-part US documentary based on the book Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War (2014) by journalist Mark Harris. Although the series, directed by Laurent Bouzereau, was released a few years ago, the subject matter remains highly relevant and worth examining. It is currently available on Netflix.

The documentary focuses on five major American directors of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950sJohn Ford, John Huston, William Wyler, George Stevens and Frank Caprawho enlisted with the US War Department to create films as part of the war effort between 1941 and 1945.

Narrated by Meryl Streep, the series creators worked through over 100 hours of archival footage and many feature films. Present-day filmmakers serve as commentators, each paired with an earlier figure: Steven Spielberg (Wyler), Francis Ford Coppola (Huston), Guillermo del Toro (Capra), Paul Greengrass (Ford) and Lawrence Kasdan (Stevens).

Five Came Back (2017)

The primary value of Five Came Back lies in the light it shedsthrough an abundance of fascinating materialon World War II, the response of the filmmakers to the conflict and their subsequent artistic and ideological development. Bound up with each of these processes are multifaceted and even perplexing problems.

The French-American Bouzereau has earned a reputation in particular through meticulously documenting the production of dozens of films, including works by Spielberg, Coppola, Kasdan, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Roman Polanski, Francois Truffaut, Sidney Lumet, David Lean, Brian de Palma, Martin Scorsese and others.

To its credit, Bouzereaus Five Came Back provides a sense of the shattering and tragic nature of the Second World War, which had far-reaching consequences for film and art, along with every other aspect of social life. In evaluating what the five filmmakers in question produced during and after the war, one is obliged to take into account their histories and outlooks, as well as the more general political and cultural challenges of the time. Moreover, there is the matter of the standpoints of the current filmmaker-commentators and that of Bouzereau and Harris themselves.

It is necessary to point out, at the outset, that the character of the war itself is a critical, inescapable issue here. Was it a monumental struggle for democracy, as the official version contends, or was itin essencean imperialist, great-power conflict, like World War I? The series tends to take the official version for granted.

The first two episodes of Five Came Back (The Mission Begins and Combat Zones) recount the individual experiences of the filmmakers during the war. At one point, Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now) makes the interesting observation that I like to think that all war movies are anti-war movies. However, he continues, the propaganda films produced by the five directors at the behest of the US government tend, if not [to] glorify, to enhance the sensation [of war].

Francis Ford Coppola in Five Came Back (2017)

John Ford (The Informer, Grapes of Wrath) was the first of the group to respond to the Second World War. In September 1941, he was already on active duty as a lieutenant commander in the Navy and established the Field Photographic Unit. He filmed The Battle of Midway (1942), recording the June 1942 naval battle between US and Japanese forces that was one of the turning points of the war in the Pacific and was wounded during the shooting.

Frank Capra (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe) oversaw the production of Why We Fight (1943-44), a six-part series plus The Negro Soldier (1944), seeking to convince American soldiers about the legitimacy of their countrys involvement in the war. Later on, the documentaries were shown to the general public as part of the US government campaign to encourage support for the war effort.

Simultaneously inspired and horrified by the effectiveness of German director Leni Riefenstahls Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will (1935), Capra wanted to emulate the latters power on behalf of the American cause. (I sat alone and pondered. How could I mount a counterattack against Triumph of the Will; keep alive our will to resist the master race? I was alone; no studio, no equipment, no personnel.). A commentator describes one of the films in the series as virulently anti-Japanese.

The most substantive of the Why We Fight films, The Battle of Russia, was actually directed by Russian emigre Anatole Litvak (Confessions of a Nazi Spy), although Capra is listed as co-director.

The German-Jewish William Wyler (The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver) enlisted in the Army Signal Corps, flying on bombing missions over Germany, where he pointed his camera through the ball turret of a B-17. This resulted in his documentary The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944). At a White House preview, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told Wyler, This has to be shown right away, everywhere.

In 1942, Huston (The Maltese Falcon, In This Our Life), probably the most left-wing of the filmmakers, also began serving in the Army Signal Corps. With the rank of captain, he directed and produced three films: Report from the Aleutians (1943), about soldiers preparing for combat; The Battle of San Pietro (1945), the story of a failure by America's intelligence agencies that resulted in many deaths; and Let There Be Light (1946), about the psychological trauma and damage suffered by veterans.

The Battle of San Pietro initially ran into difficulties with the US Army for its unstinting picture of war. On the Turner Classic Movies website, Rob Nixon cites the comment by critic-historian David Thomsonin a New Republic review of Mark Harris bookthat Hustons film is that rare work, made by the military but regarding war with horror. Indeed, Huston later recalled, Nixon explains, that when he showed the film to his military superiors, irate viewers walked out according to rank. One story has it that a general told the director, This picture is pacifistic. Its against war. Against the war. Huston is said to have replied, Well, sir, whenever I make a film thats for war, you can take me out and shoot me.

As for his Let There Be Light, it was banned by the Army for 35 years, until 1981. About that film, Huston asserted: So deep was their [the veterans] despair and shock that the camera made no difference to them ... [The film showed] what the experience of war does to mens souls.

Originally a cinematographer, George Stevens (Woman of the Year, The More the Merrier), as the commander of the Special Coverage Unit of the Army Pictorial Service, filmedalong with Fordthe bloody D-Day Normandy landings in June 1944. Even more devastatingly, he recorded the liberation of the Nazis Dachau concentration camp in Bavaria, southern Germany, in 1945. Shocked almost beyond belief, Stevens was witness to the piles of corpses, the half-dead, skeletal survivors and a generally unimaginable nightmare.

George Stevens

Stevens and his crew would no longer be combat photographers, explains Five Came Back, they would be gatherers of evidence. His footage and other concentration camp film were presented at the postwar Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals.

Although undoubtedly containing fascinating historical material, the first two segments of the series suffer the most from an uncritical attitude towards the war and Americas participation in it. The final part, The Price of Victory, the most intriguing, deals with the impact of the conflict on the five directors postwar lives and filmmaking. It is the contention of the documentary, that after returning from the war, each of the filmmakers made his most important films. Both the experience of the slaughter and a generally critical attitude toward the American society that emerged from it dominated their work in that period.

The first postwar movie Ford directed, for example, has the suggestive title, They Were Expendable (1945). The film, noted for its military and emotional realism, follows a PT boat unit slowly killed off during the US militarys disastrous defeat in the Philippines, hardly a subject for patriotic celebration. Apparently severely shaken after filming the D-Day carnage, Ford had gone on an alcohol binge. Very little of the D-Day footage was released. In a 1964 interview, Ford asserted that the US government was afraid to show so many American casualties on the screen.

John Ford during filming of They Were Expendable (1945)

Wyler, who suffered a combat-related 80 percent loss in hearing, made The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), an extraordinary film about the dysfunction of post-war American society and how it treated its veterans. The film was an enormous success in the US and Britain. As we noted a few years ago on the WSWS: Astonishingly, it sold 55 million tickets in the US, at a time when the American population numbered 141 million, and the adult population 106 million! Even today, remarkably, after all the blockbusters in recent decades, it remains the sixth-most-attended film in British history. It obviously struck a chord.

Capras Its a Wonderful Life (1946), with all its ultimate sentimentality, shows for the most part that life is anything but  The film, on which various left-wing writers labored, caught the attention of the FBI. The latter issued a memo in 1947 reporting the opinion of anonymous sources who argued that the film represented rather obvious attempts to discredit bankers by casting Lionel Barrymore as a scrooge-type so that he would be the most hated man in the picture. This, according to these sources, is a common trick used by Communists. [In] addition, [redacted] stated that, in his opinion, this picture deliberately maligned the upper class, attempting to show the people who had money were mean and despicable characters.

James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Jimmy Hawkins and Larry Simms in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Hustons The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) is based on an explicitly anti-capitalist novel by left-wing German emigre writer B. Traven. Huston transposes his critique of the American mania for money-making to the wilds of Mexico, but the message is clear.

In the movie, Howard (Walter Huston, the directors father) gives a speech loosely basing himself on Marxs theory of value: A thousand men, say, go searchin for gold. After six months, one of ems luckyone out of the thousand. His find represents not only his own labor but that of 999 others to boot. Thats, uh, 6,000 months, uh, 500 years scrambling over mountains, goin hungry and thirsty. An ounce of gold, mister, is worth what it is because of the human labor that went into the findin and the gettin of it.

And Stevens, a specialist in light comedy before the war, after the immigrant family drama, I Remember Mama (1948), ambitiously directed A Place in the Sun (1951), an adaptation of Theodore Dreisers great novel, An American Tragedy (1925). The film, although somewhat watered down from the book, is a critique of the ruthless, heartless pursuit of the American Dream at any cost. Its central figure, played by Montgomery Clift, George Eastman (Clyde Griffiths in Dreisers novel), is willing to carry out an act of (self-serving) social euthanasia, the killing of the weak and useless, as it were, so that he can fully enjoy the golden life.

Walter Huston in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Stevens went on to direct The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), based on the diary of the Dutch-Jewish girl who lived in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam with her family during the war until they were apprehended and sent to concentration camps.

Five Came Back, because it largely accepts the status quo, does not genuinely appreciate or understand the disillusionment, even bitterness, and degree of political radicalism that the filmmakers exhibited in the postwar period, as part of the general mood in America. It should be noted that there were prolonged and violent strikes against the Hollywood studios in 1945 and 1946, part of a massive nationwide strike wave, which elicited a right-wing counter-attack from the industry.

Many of the ideological problems of the era in the working class and intelligentsia were bound up with the role of the Communist Party, a significant force and influence in Hollywood. Once Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, the CP became the most rabid pro-war, anti-strike element in the American labor movement and played a deeply disorienting role. The American Stalinists hailing of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 underscored their politically criminal role.

Just over the horizon of the series, of course, lie the anti-Communist purges of the late 1940s and early 1950s, another shock for the filmmakers. Capra secretly became an informer, while the careers of the others took various twists and turns in efforts to evade the repressive, increasingly stagnant climate.

The five filmmakers, like the rest of society, ran up against the predatory, criminal reality of American imperialism, now the dominant world power. As US capitalism launched the attempt to contain communism internationally, it needed as well to decapitate workers politically at home and make certain they would not threaten its global designs. The purge of left-wing forces in the unions and elsewhere and the Hollywood blacklisting were part of that general effort.

The weakest aspect of Five Came Back is its inclination, sincere or otherwise, to go along with the dominant myths that American filmmaking, including its left, perpetrated about World War IIabove all, that the conflict was a kind of peoples war against Hitler. There was undoubtedly mass anti-fascist feeling in the American and international working class, with a profoundly democratic and potentially revolutionary content. The bourgeoisie was able to manipulate that sentiment and pursue its own rapacious aims due to the lack of a broad-based revolutionary party capable of mobilizing the working class along socialist, internationalist lines.

As the WSWS once noted, Hollywoods wartime national-populism always rang false in the end because the reality was otherwise. The generally uncritical attitude toward the US and allied war effort; the veneration of Roosevelt ... the pretense that a united and democratic America was at war against some unfathomable foreign evil; frankly, all too often the beautification of American lifeall this had harmful artistic and political consequences 

While millions went into combat motivated by the desire to defeat Hitler and fascism, World War II, in its social and economic essence, remained an imperialist war, a struggle between great power blocs for the division and re-division of the world. The US, with its vast industrial strength and reserves, could afford Roosevelts reformist experiments in the 1930s, but that did not make the war aims of the American ruling elite or its plans for the postwar world any less predatory or criminal.

Grasping these harsh truths would make for a stronger, more penetrating examination of the five directors treated here, and American political and cultural life generally.
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

In 25 years as a journalist, including a decade spent in Eastern Europe, one of my more challenging tasks came this month: reporting on the novel coronavirus  not from inside a besieged New York medical center, but from bucolic Amish country in Ohio.

Working (and healthy) journalists are exempt from restrictions on travel that apply to most Americans. But our work has necessarily become more solitary, as we protect ourselves and the people we meet. In a field that relies on human contact, we stand six feet away, hiding ourselves behind masks, goggles and gloves, refusing opportunities to interact that we would normally prize.

Reporting on the coronavirus has made me think more deeply than I have in years about the nature of risk. In this case, its physically microscopic yet as potentially dangerous as risks encountered in conflict zones. Technological and physical barriers have reminded me of the vulnerability reporters share with the people who are our subjects, and reinforced the importance of human connectedness to reporting. Its easy to discount the value of a facial expression, a tone of voice or a firm handshake in establishing rapport until such things are obscured behind a mask or prohibited by social-distancing rules.
Citing the extension of the



ongoing coronavirus lockdown till May 3, the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) has requested the Centre to further continue the supportive measures announced by it earlier.

FTCCI president Karunendra S Jastialso said the government's three weeks national lockdown announced earlier to control the coronavirus spread was showing "positive effect".

He however, said the woes of industrial and business entities cannot be addressed with the earlier packages and there was need to further extend the supportive measures "to revive the economic activities and strengthen the industries to face the challenges in the areas of finance, supply of raw materials, work force, marketing and logistics, Jasti said.

FTCCI urged the centre to waive off the interest on term loans and working capital facilities during the moratorium period and also consider extending the loan term beyond the three months moratorium period depending on the business need.

The pandemic outbreak affected all sectors except essential services to some extent and the employers are not in a position to pay the salaries to workers as the lockdown brought all production and business activities to a standstill and rendered workers jobless, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
LONDON  Britain confirmed on Thursday that it would prolong its lockdown for at least three more weeks as part of efforts to keep smothering the spread of the coronavirus. But the government was far less clear about the steps it is taking that would allow it to relax restrictions later without causing another outbreak.

The widely expected extension was announced by Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary who has assumed the duties of Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he recuperates from the virus at his country residence, Chequers.

Were now at both a delicate and dangerous phase in this pandemic, Mr. Raab said at a news conference. Lifting the lockdown, he said, would risk all the progress weve made. Now is not the moment to give the coronavirus a second chance.

With the extension, the lockdown will last at least until the second week of May.

Relaxing the restrictions would not only raise the risk of new outbreak, Mr. Raab said, it would also damage the economy. The government would likely be forced to impose a second lockdown, he said, which would shatter confidence.
More than two dozen people, including two nurses have died of the coronavirus at a nursing home in Sussex County.

Of 68 recent deaths at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, at least 26 of those who died had COVID-19.

The scope of the unfolding tragedy began coming into focus over the weekend when authorities received a request for 25 body bags at the nursing home in Andover Township. Cops found 12 bodies in the building.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths statewide has climbed to 3,156 with 71,030 confirmed cases, officials said Wednesday. At least 6,000 have been discharged from hospitals with thousands more recovering at home.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Heres a roundup of coronavirus news:

Gov. Murphy defends N.J.s coronavirus lockdown on Fox News: In an often combative interview Wednesday night with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Gov. Phil Murphy defended his decision to put New Jersey in a near-lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic, saying more than 3 million residents  about a third of the states population  would have been infected if he didnt.

Murphy said the state continues to make every call based on the facts, the data, the science as best we can and that the alternative was worse.

Grandfather denied chance to survive because EMTs feared he had coronavirus, family claims: A 75-year-old Elizabeth man who likely died of a heart attack wasnt treated by EMTs because they feared he had the coronavirus, according to his family. The familys claims are being investigated, a city spokeswoman said.

N.J. tax collections falling off the cliff in coronavirus crisis, Murphy says: New Jerseys tax revenues are plummeting, Murphy said at a Wednesday press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. But its not yet clear exactly how far theyve plunged. The state Department of Treasury released a new monthly revenue update Wednesday that, while a report on March revenues, actually is a reflection of February activity.

Tropicana lays off 2,704 Atlantic City employees as casino closures enter second month: Tropicana Atlantic City has laid off 2,704 employees as the state-mandated closures of New Jersey casinos stretch into their second month, according to a WARN notice filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Murphy ordered New Jerseys nine casinos to close March 16 as part of an order that also shuttered movie theaters, concert venues and gyms across the state to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

NJ Transit is lying about its coronavirus cleanliness, so I quit the task force, union head says: The head of a union representing NJ Transit conductors quit the agencys coronavirus task force, contending they arent following their own procedures and has made inaccurate statements about masks and gloves provided to employees in statements to the public and the media.

In an interview with NJ Advance Media, Jerome Johnson, general chairman of SMART United Transportation Union local 60 said the lack of response and communications on what NJ Transit was doing to provide safety equipment for front line workers were among his major issues. He said the agency also didnt follow its own procedures and protocols to slow the spread of the disease.

In what could be a game changer, nearly 200 tested at N.J. site for coronavirus based for the first time on saliva: Dozens of people lined up Wednesday at the state inspection center on Kilmer Road in Edison to take a saliva test for COVID-19 in what could turn out to be a game changer in the fight against coronavirus.

It was the first time in the state samples were collected from 184 people using saliva rather than nose swabs from those symptomatic with coronavirus. The new test, developed by a Rutgers University lab with several corporate partners, has been called a potential game changer by state officials in the coronavirus testing.

Worldwide coronavirus cases: More than 137,000 of the 2.07 million people to test positive have died as of 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. About 519,000 have recovered.

U.S. cases: The center reports about 26,7000 deaths among the roughly 629,000 cases as of 7 a.m. Thursday. About 48,000 have recovered.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson, Larry Higgs, Rob Jennings, Ted Sherman, Samantha Marcus, Chris Sheldon and Noah Cohen contributed to this report.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 16, 2020 - 20:00 | World, All, Coronavirus, Japan

Taiwan on Thursday donated 2 million face masks to Japan for provision to frontline medical personnel to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The masks donated by the government to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association will be shipped to Japan in the near future, the ministry said, in order to help Japan fight the epidemic.

The move comes after Taiwan, which has been recognized internationally for its actions in containing this pandemic, earlier this month donated 10 million face masks to the United States, European nations, and diplomatic allies.

Related coverage:

Cloth mask delivery set to begin under controversial Abe initiative

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The Foreign Ministry said the donations are being undertaken in the spirit of "Taiwan can help and Taiwan is helping."

The donation to Japan follows requests for Taiwanese assistance from Japanese parliamentarians and private organizations.

The ministry said Taiwan hopes to strengthen cooperation with Japan on various epidemic-related issues, including information sharing, research and development of vaccines and medicines, and exchange of medical experts.

As of Thursday, Japan has seen more than 9,800 coronavirus infections confirmed, including about 700 from a foreign cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo. The number of infection cases rose by over 400 on Thursday, including 149 in Tokyo.

By contrast, Taiwan has only 395 cases. On Thursday, for the second time this week, it reported no new infection cases.
A 66-year old man from the city, became the thirteenth COVID-19 related fatality in Karnataka, where 34 new positive cases have been confirmed, taking the total number of infections in the state to 313, the Health Department said on Thursday.

The elderly patient from Bengaluru, who was COVID-19 positive was referred from a private hospital to Victoria Hospital here.

He was on ventilator support since April 10 and died on April 15, it said.

According to the mid-day situation report by the department, 34 new positive cases have been reported since last evening to this noon.

"Till date 313 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 13 deaths and 82 discharges," it said.

Among 34 patients newly tested positive, 22 are contacts of patients already tested positive, five are with travel history to Delhi (repeat test), three are linked to pharma company in Mysuru.

While contact history of three is being traced, one is with history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI).

Four out of 34 new cases are children (below 18), one of them is a one-and-half-year old baby girl.

Of the 34 new cases, 17 are from Belagavi district, seven from Vijayapara.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WASHINGTON  A federal loan program meant to help small businesses stay afloat during the coronavirus outbreak ran dry Thursday, and Congress had no clear plan to bolster it  even as businesses across Texas and the rest of the country struggle to get much-needed help.

By Thursday, when the program ran out of money, $28.5 billion in so-called paycheck protection loans had been approved for 134,737 Texas businesses, according to data Small Business Administration released on Friday. That was the second most of any state in the nation, yet only a fraction of the eligible businesses in Texas received the loans, which can be forgiven if they keep workers on the payroll.

With the money dried up, the small businesses without accountants or close relationships to banks were left hanging as bigger companies swiftly scooped up the loans, said Imtiaz Munshi, an accountant in Sugar Land who helped his clients apply. Munshi himself received one of the loans for his accounting firm.

Theres just a total sort of bewilderment out there, Munshi said. I think a lot of those folks are left behind, not just because the moneys run out, but because they dont know how to go about it.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Rules for the program gave big corporations a weeklong head start over sole proprietor businesses and independents, Munshi said, which further tipped the scales.

The loans were available to companies with fewer than 500 employees and have gone to a range of businesses from accounting and architecture firms to fast-food chains, including San Antonio-based Taco Cabana.

The data released Friday showed the bulk of the loans issued under the program went to businesses in the fields of construction, professional services, scientific services, technical services, manufacturing and health care.

The state has more than 546,000 businesses that could have qualified, according to the most recent data from the Texas Workforce Commission. Lawmakers say more funding is urgently needed as unemployment claims skyrocket, passing 1 million in Texas in just four weeks.

Texas lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, have acknowledged that the loans didnt get to some of the entrepreneurs who needed them the most.

The sophisticated smaller businesses  with professional staff  lawyers and accountants and a robust relationship with a SBA-certified lender  they obviously were the first in line, Republican Sen. John Cornyn said. But we cant forget the mom and pops, who perhaps dont have the lawyers and accountants and those sort of banking relationships, that are going to be left out in the cold unless we replenish this.

DELAYS AND DOUBT: Small-business owners hampered by agency that was to offer aid

Republicans have urged Congress to boost funding for the program by as much as $250 billion  nearly doubling the initial $349 billion allotment included in the historic $2.2 trillion stimulus package passed last month. But an effort to do so last week stalled in the Senate as Democrats demanded it be rolled into a broader relief package with funding for hospitals and more.

My only problem with that is I think it ignores what a priority this paycheck protection program is  it is working and needs to keep working in order to keep that lifeline to small businesses, Cornyn said Thursday. Now is not a time to hold up the emergency lifeline in order for other things youd like to do that are not as urgent.

Democrats agree on the urgency of replenishing the small-business loan program, but they say more needs to be done.

It does not make sense to take any action that helps small businesses but excludes hospitals and local and state governments, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Houston said. This is all connected and about helping people in need. We have the ability to get this all done at once and should not delay any further.

They say the paycheck protection program needs to be fixed so that small businesses truly have a shot at this money before Congress pours billions more into it.

For many small businesses that are hurting, the existing programs havent eased the pain, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio said. While some well-connected big businesses tapped into available funds, underserved small businesses fell through the cracks.

U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, a Houston Democrat, said there has to be some middle ground.

This is not a time for partisan name-calling and finger-pointing, Fletcher said. This is the time for our government to work together to solve the very real problems presented here: the need for more funds in the programs and more capacity for all our small businesses to be able to access them. We can do both of those things now, and we must.

The SBA processed more than 14 years worth of loans in less than 14 days, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza said in a joint statement this week.

The loans of up to $10 million can be forgiven if 75 percent of the proceeds go toward keeping workers on the payroll and paying eight weeks of wages. Businesses can also use the money to rehire workers theyve laid off or furloughed. And they can use the other 25 percent of the loan for rent and utilities.

CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLE: Subscribe to our new daily podcast for pandemic insights through a Houston lens

But many in Texas have struggled to access the loans, even as big chains, including Taco Cabana, Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Ruths Chris Steak House, were gobbling them up. Those three restaurant chains reported loans of $10 million each in recent days  the maximum available under the program.

Within days of the program going online, banks had already reported thousands of applications. San Antonio-based Frost Bank, with 140 branches in Texas, said it received a years worth of commercial loan requests in five days. The bank had stopped accepting new applications on Thursday after it said it had received more than 14,000 requests for a total of $3.3 billion.

Munshi said his Sugar Land accounting firm was inundated with calls from his clients, which include hotels, restaurants and some in the energy industry, asking how to apply. Munshi said the loan he received will get his 10-employee firm through June. And several of his clients were successful in getting loans, as well.

Everybody knew this money would run out. It was quite obvious, he said. So there was this huge, mad scramble.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said he thinks Democrats will give in soon and pass the funding boost without what he called a series of partisan demands.

What (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer are doing right now is partisan and cynical, Cruz said. And I dont think theyll be able to maintain that line.

ben.wermund@chron.com

twitter.com/benjaminew
Federal parliament will meet for its ordinary business in May, although it is likely to still be a cut-down version that practises social distancing.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the week-long sitting, yet to be agreed with the opposition, would be a trial.

'It is important that parliament goes about that work and we are in a position to do so,' he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters Federal Parliament will resume for a 'trial' week in May at a press conference (pictured) in Canberra on Thursday

'So I look forward to parliament being able to resume and continue to do the legislative work that it does.'

Since early March, politicians have only returned to Canberra twice for single sitting days called to deal with specific coronavirus-related legislation.

It abandoned six scheduled sitting weeks between March and August.

But Mr Morrison said that as the nation slowly moved towards a return to normalcy, it was important parliament did so too.

'But obviously we just need to trial how that is going to work,' he said.

Logistical problems that need working out include the fact there aren't many flights running at the moment and several states have border closures in place.

Fewer members will meet physically in Canberra during the May business week to incorporate social distancing measures. Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg bump elbows after the Coronavirus Economic Response Bill was presented in the House of Representatives on April 08, 2020

The prime minister flagged the parliament would likely sit with fewer members physically in Canberra, so as to comply with social distancing requirements.

It comes as Mr Morrison revealed after a national cabinet meeting on Thursday that coronavirus lockdown measure would remain in place for at least the next four weeks.

He listed three requirements need to be fulfilled before restrictions can be removed, which include wider testing, more rigorous contact tracing involving an app, and plans for local lockdowns to combat outbreaks to be in place.

Until then, pubs, restaurants and gyms will be kept shut, large gatherings will remain banned and working from home will be encouraged where possible.

In the meantime, elective surgeries could resume as early as Tuesday and states may consider relaxing some of the harsher restrictions, such as 'essential' reasons for leaving home.
When Tequeria King and her aunt pulled up Thursday to Houston ISDs Key Middle School, arriving about two hours before district staff started distributing food to families, they parked their aging gray sedan at the back of a line already stretching nearly a half-mile.

For King, the mother of four children on the citys northeast side, the long wait for roughly 30 pounds of meat, produce and non-perishables was an acceptable price to pay for ensuring her kids do not have to ration meals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

It will mean a lot to me, because Im sacrificing to make sure my kids have enough, said King, an airport customer service agent facing fewer work hours amid reduced air travel. Im having to plan for the long-term, because its scary right now since I still have bills to pay and my kids always come first.

As school districts across the country work to feed millions of children during the coronavirus-induced shutdown, HISD is employing a unique plan for food distribution at schools like Key Middle. Rather than delivering modest meals to kids at dozens of campuses, district officials opted to give out more food  provided by the Houston Food Bank  to families at a handful of schools each day.

WHY NOT CANCEL CLASSES?: Financial, labor concerns mean online instruction keeps going amid frustrations

Among the nations 25 largest school districts, HISD stands alone in this approach. The district operates the fewest number of distribution points  10 sites prior to a safety scare in late March, five sites since then  but provides the greatest amount of food at its locations, according to a Houston Chronicle review of district meal plans. Adults also can eat food provided by HISD, while meals are designed only for children in other districts.

The distribution method carries benefits and trade-offs.

By providing larger quantities of food at one time, children and their families receive higher-calorie meals that can last multiple days. The plan also limits the number of times adults must leave their homes to receive food, aiding social distancing efforts.

However, HISD is delivering food to fewer children each day than many similar-sized districts. HISD officials serve up to 12,500 families  some of which have multiple kids  per week in a district with about 164,300 children considered economically disadvantaged by the state and 210,000 students total.

Whatever the criticism may be, I accept it, but this is how you feed families, HISD Nutrition Services Officer Betti Wiggins said last week at Sterling High School, where the food pickup line stretched nearly a mile long. My whole belief is by doing this way, it puts some food on the shelf and gives the parents better opportunities.

The district hopes to reach another 3,000 families between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday at the NRG Stadium parking lot, where it will host its second weekend distribution event since the shutdown.

Quality vs quantity

Wiggins, a highly-decorated administrator affectionately dubbed the rebel lunch lady, said many districts are providing low-calorie, grab and go meals lacking nutrition  an argument backed by some less-than-appetizing school menus. In Dallas ISD, for example, one days worth of breakfast and lunch this week consisted of a banana bread slice, apple cherry juice, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, sunflower seeds, a piece of shortbread, broccoli and a gala apple.

Still, available data suggests HISDs focus on quality comes at the expense of reaching more children.

Los Angeles Unified School District, which has an enrollment roughly three times larger than HISDs, reports serving breakfast and lunch to about 250,000 children per day.

Dallas ISD, the states second-largest district, provided a weeks worth of meals to nearly 34,000 children at 47 sites during a pickup date earlier this month.

THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: Race is on for school districts to acquire hotspots for students without home internet

Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle

Aldine ISD, roughly one-third the size of HISD with a comparably low-income student population, averaged about 10,000 children served during its two pickup days last week.

Do I believe HISD should do more? Absolutely, said Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of the Houston-based nonprofit Children At Risk, which advocates on education and youth health issues. Do I think the food banks should do more? Yes. But the reality is they dont always have the capacity of the waivers or the supply.

HISD could replicate the models used by other large school districts, in addition to running its five daily sites with the Houston Food Bank.

The grab and go system comes with little cost, as the federal government reimburses districts for their food spending. HISD also could employ some of its 1,600-plus food service attendants and other employees  all of whom continue to receive paychecks during the shutdown  to operate sites.

Wiggins said the added effort is not necessary. She noted that the City of Houston offers lunch and snack pickup Monday through Friday at its 50 community community centers, while neighboring ISDs provide meals to all children, regardless of residency.

Why would I compete with the city? Wiggins said. Why would I compete with other ISDs around me, in particular when some of the people were feeding are coming from other ISDs.

Mixed reviews

A small fraction of HISD families, however, appear to be using those options.

FOOD IN DEMAND: Hundreds arrived earlier this month when HISD restarted food pickup

City officials said they served an average of 1,450 meals per day last week. Officials from Aldine, Cy-Fair and Pasadena ISDs also said they did not notice a significant increase in meal pickup when HISD halted food distribution for six days in late March and early April because of safety concerns.

HISDs model has drawn praise and a smattering of criticism from community leaders and residents.

HISD Trustee Kathy Blueford-Daniels, whose represents one of the lowest-income sections of the district, said she has been satisfied with the administrations efforts to date.

Theres no pre-written instructions for how to deal with something of this magnitude, Blueford-Daniels said. Were learning as were going, and I think weve done an excellent job adjusting when necessary.

Courtney Prochaska, who watched a pickup line extend more than a mile outside her westside home last week near Revere Middle School, said she believes too many children are going hungry in HISD, requiring more action from the district.

It brings tears to my eyes why anyone isnt fired up about this, Prochaska said.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com
Egyptian security forces killed seven suspected militants in the capital, Cairo, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

A police officer died and three others were wounded following a shootout that erupted when Egyptian security forces raided a hideout in the Amiriyah district in eastern Cairo. After the hourslong standoff, officers found ammunition, weapons and explosives.

Authorities say the suspected terrorist cell was plotting attacks against the countrys Coptic Christians to coincide with their Easter celebration on April 19. The religious minority, which makes up about 10% of Egypts population of 100 million, is a frequent target of armed groups in the volatile Sinai Peninsula.

Under President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Egypts security forces have upped their campaign against the insurgency but have struggled to tamp down the sectarian attacks in the Sinai, which borders the Gaza Strip and Israel.

In April 2017, the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings that killed dozens of people at Coptic churches celebrating Palm Sunday in northern Egypt. Just months earlier, the group said it was behind a bombing at a cathedral in Cairo that killed at least 25 people.

In November 2017, an IS-claimed bombing at a crowded mosque in northern Sinai left more than 300 dead. The worshippers were Sufi Muslims, whose mystical form of Islam the Sunni extremists find heretical.

In February, the group took credit for an attack on a pipeline in north Sinai that carries gas from Israel to Egypt. In a statement, IS said its fighters attacked the line linking the Jews and the apostate Egyptian government.

Mahmoud Bayoumi, a researcher of Islamist groups at Istanbul Aydin University, told Al-Monitor he expects more operations of the kind.

IS dwindling control in Syria and the military advances of Gen. Khalifa Hifters forces in Libya, in addition to the Egyptian armys tightened grip on the Sinai Peninsula, are pushing armed organizations in Sinai toward ramping up operations to prove they're still around and able to strike.
No royal news has overshadowed Prince Andrew's alleged "trashy" attempt to clean his name amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Good Friday, Sarah Ferguson's assistant Antonia Marshall shared a photoset showing Prince Andrew and his ex-wife working together to pack cupcakes for the Thames Hospice located in Windsor, England.

"Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew packing all the care packages for Thames Hospice in Windsor today," Marshall wrote on the caption while tagging the Duke and Duchess of York, as well as the hospice.

"The York Family are a wonderful and steadfast unit, and through this crisis, are continuously helping others. So proud of them all."



The new images marked Prince Andrew's first public appearance ever since he was spotted attending a mass in Sandringham, Norfolk with Queen Elizabeth II in January 2020.

Prince Andrew Got Slammed!

While such philanthropic act is needed, most especially now that the health crisis is widespread, a lot of people criticized the Duke of York for the "trashy" PR move in an attempt to regain the public's trust.

Speaking with The Daily Mail, investigative journalist Tom Bower said, "He should do good works but not seek to win kudos by posting trashy photos. If only they would both accept that their only public duty is to remain invisible from the public."

After the photographs spread on the internet, social media users slammed Prince Andrew and Sarah for failing to wear their face masks or gloves while packing up the cupcakes.

One netizen wrote, "You both are wrong in so many ways 1st it should have been done inside on kitchen counter and 2nd you should have had face mask and gloves on."

"You have caused the Firm a great deal of embarrassment and harm. Not to mention you mother the Queen what she must be going through," another one wrote.

To recall, the Duke of York's brother, Prince Charles, survived the life-threatening disease after the Clarence House confirmed that he was tested positive for coronavirus. The heir to the throne reportedly displayed mild symptoms after he attended multiple events before his diagnosis.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip traveled to Windsor Castle to self-isolate after learning their son's health status.

Despite all the negative comments he received, another royal watcher Richard Fitzwilliams chose to commend Prince Andrew's "admirable" actions.

"This is the sort of thing he (Prince Andrew) ought to be doing. When someone does something like this, it's very, very clear it should be appreciated," the royal commentator said.

Crimes Are Not Forgotten

Despite complimenting the Duke, Fitzwilliams still warned Prince Andrew that he is still expected to face interrogations over his unresolved case about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, which led him to step down from his royal duties.

Last year, the Duke of York became the center of attention after he exposed his knowledge about the late convicted sex trafficker during his bombshell BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis.

He ultimately failed to give the answers the public wanted and just created more questions instead -- which are still all unanswered up until today, making it even more impossible for him to regain the public's trust all over again.
Stars Hollow was a fictional town, dreamed up by Amy Sherman-Palladino, to serve as the home base for Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. The other locations mentioned in Gilmore Girls, however, are genuine cities and towns in Connecticut. Based on the locales mentioned, can we pinpoint roughly were Stars Hollow would be located within the state? Lets try.

Washington Depot, Connecticut served as the main inspiration for Stars Hollow

Sherman-Palladino used multiple small towns and hamlets in Connecticut as inspiration for the town of Stars Hollow, but it is mostly agreed upon that Washington Depot gave the showrunner the majority of her inspiration. Its a little hamlet inside the town of Washington, Connecticut. According to Roadtrippers, what it lacks in diners, it makes up for in charm.

There is one problem though, Washington Depot isnt close enough to Hartford to be the actual location of Stars Hollow. Rory told Dean, in the first season, that Hartford was just 30 minutes from Stars Hollow or 40 minutes on the bus. Washington Depot is an hours drive from Hartford, and similarly an hour away from New Haven.

Jess suggests that Yale is only 22.8 miles from Stars Hollow

When Rory decided to attend Yale, her then-boyfriend, Jess Mariano, seemed pleased. Jess noted that Yale was just 22.8 miles away from Stars Hollow. New Haven was also similarly close to Hartford because Rory was able to meet with her grandparents for their weekly dinners.

Richard and Emily popped in at Yale on multiple occasions, so it can be assumed that New Haven was less than a 30-minute drive from Hartford. Those two geographical points are essential, but there are plenty of towns that could fit the bill. Thankfully, several other cities in Connecticut are referenced during the series, which makes it a bit easier to pinpoint precisely where Stars Hollow could have been located.

Gilmore Girls used other local points of references

Luke Danes incited panic in Lorelai when he casually mentioned he had moved out of Stars Hollow to live with his first wife, Nicole. Lorelai noted that Litchfield was in an entirely different county than Stars Hollow. The town of Litchfield, which is located in Litchfield County, is about 45 minutes west of Hartford, Connecticut.

Litchfield County borders Hartford County, so we know, at the very least, Stars Hollow is not, in fact, in Litchfield County. Presuming Luke wanted to avoid a long drive back to Stars Hollow to run his diner, the city had to be relatively close, although it was never mentioned just how far away Litchfield was from Stars Hollow. Woodbridge, Connecticut, is also referenced regularly throughout the series. Lorelai noted in one episode that Woodbridge was 20 miles from Stars Hollow.

So, where exactly was Stars Hollow?

If you consider all of the points of reference, there are only a few towns that would make geographical sense. Since Rory was both close to Richard and Emilys house in Hartford and Stars Hollow when she attended Yale, one can assume that Stars Hollow was located between the two points, but more westerly. Locations east of Hartford and New Haven would have left Luke with an hour-long drive to the diner each day when he briefly lived in Litchfield.

Woodbridge is also mentioned multiple times in the series, and Lorelai notes that Woodbridge is 20 miles from Stars Hollow. Based on that information, it can be assumed that Stars Hollow, if it were a real town, would have been located close to Meriden, Connecticut.

Meriden, a city in New Haven County, is just 22 miles from Yale, about the same distance that Jess referenced. It is also a 29-minute drive from Hartford, Connecticut, and just 21 miles away from Woodbridge, Connecticut.
Amid the coronavirus epidemic, healthcare workers say action has been too weak and slow in addressing PPE concerns.

London, United Kingdom  Most healthcare workers in the United Kingdom believe the government has failed to protect them amid the coronavirus pandemic, a poll has found.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and YouGov surveyed 996 healthcare professionals across the country from April 2 to April 7, including doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals.

Three-quarters of respondents were concerned that the government was putting their health at risk, and a third report their physical health has deteriorated since the COVID-19 crisis began.

The findings were particularly stark in London, where 80 percent of health workers said the government had not done enough to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and test them to prevent the spread of infection in hospitals and care homes.

London is very much ahead of the rest of the country in terms of disease progression, IPPR research fellow Chris Thomas, one of the authors of the report, told Al Jazeera.

It is a question of both distribution and supply [of PPE]. It is difficult to make sure that the right amount gets to the right place. There is an overarching question of supply, and how the global shortage of PPE is impacting how extensively it will have to be rationed, he added, saying there was a severe shortage of gowns.

The government must now do everything in their power to manufacture and distribute the right supplies to everyone working in health and care who needs them, Thomas said.

Other severely-hit countries in Europe such as Italy and Spain have also suffered from a lack of protective equipment.

In Italy, more than 100 healthcare workers have died since the epidemic took hold there in late February.

In New York, where more than 10,000 people have died after testing positive for the virus, nurses and doctors reuse and recycle disposable equipment.

Dozens of doctors and nurses have died on the UKs coronavirus front lines, and more than 12,000 people have died in hospital after testing positive for the virus.

But figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown that at least one in 10 COVID-19-related deaths takes place outside hospitals.

Hundreds have taken place in care homes, where PPE remains in short supply.

The UK government stepped up its PPE guidance at the beginning of April following criticism. The type of PPE staff are advised to wear depends on the level of contact with patients potentially infected.

There have been some concerns raised about plastic aprons, particularly working outdoors. They do fly around and there is not so much protection, said Richard Webber, a paramedic and spokesman at the College of Paramedics, adding the situation has improved over the past week with fewer complaints.

Earlier this month, the College of Paramedics said 20 to 30 percent of ambulance staff had been off sick or self-isolating. Tests are only carried out on those who exhibit symptoms.

Since the start of the outbreak, weve delivered over 923 million pieces of PPE to the front line and have published clear guidance setting out the safest levels of PPE to protect healthcare workers in different settings, in line with WHO advice, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told Al Jazeera.

We are also working closely with Public Health England to monitor the impact on care homes. We have now tested over 50,000 NHS staff or members of their household.

But nurses and doctors argue these efforts are weak and have come too late.

We knew this crisis was coming since December, said Joan Pons Laplana, an intensive care nurse in Yorkshire.

The government did nothing for three months, and suddenly at the end of March everyone is running around to organise everything.

Despite working in a high-risk unit, Laplana has not been tested.

I could have the virus and be asymptomatic, I simply dont know.

Departments that do not deal directly with coronavirus patients have also been affected.

About half of our staff is self-isolating and I took on the work of one of my colleagues that had to self-isolate due to a medical condition, said a nurse in an oncology department in London, who wished to remain anonymous.
[April 16, 2020] The New Normal: Redefining Business Continuity in Customer Experience

SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesys, the global leader in cloud customer experience and contact center solutions, is hosting a free live webinar to deliver expert perspectives on where the customer experience industry is headed given the dramatic shift in operations in response to challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This 45-minute panel discussion will feature insight from global leaders in the financial, energy and airline industries, as well as a customer experience industry analyst.







What: The new normal: Redefining business continuity

Customer experience has entered uncharted territory. The first quarter of 2020 has ushered in global unpredictability, forcing organizations to rapidly respond to unprecedented spikes in customer service requests and adapt their business processes and even technology accordingly. It's important to understand the implications of this "new normal" and what it means for the customer experience industry in both the short and long term.



Who:

 Paul Bourdeaux, vice president of information technology, eFinancial  Shelia McGee-Smith, founder and principal analyst, McGee-Smith Analytics  Barbara Gonzalez, global vice president for strategic business consulting, Genesys



When:

 North America: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 | 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET  Europe, Middle East & Africa: Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 2 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. CEST  Asia-Pacific: Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 1 p.m. AEST / 11 a.m. SGT



Why: Join this webinar to  Hear how business leaders are adapting to the new landscape  Learn how to successfully manage a remote workforce  Gain insight into rising customer experience trends that are reshaping the industry



How: Register now to view this webinar live

About Genesys

Every year, Genesys delivers more than 70 billion remarkable customer experiences for organizations in over 100 countries. Through the power of the cloud and AI, our technology connects every customer moment across marketing, sales and service on any channel, while also improving employee experiences. Genesys pioneered Experience as a ServiceSM so organizations of any size can provide true personalization at scale, interact with empathy, and foster customer trust and loyalty. This is enabled by Genesys CloudTM, an all-in-one solution and the?world's leading public cloud contact center platform,?designed for rapid innovation, scalability and flexibility. Visit www.genesys.com. 2020 Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Genesys, Genesys Cloud, Experience as a Service, and the Genesys logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Genesys. All other company names and logos may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies. Contacts

Shaunna Morgan

Senior Public Relations Manager

Genesys

[email protected]

+1 317-493-4241 Adriana Saldana

Sterling Communications

[email protected]

+1 408-395-5500 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-new-normal-redefining-business-continuity-in-customer-experience-301041671.html SOURCE Genesys

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New Delhi: Food being cooked at the Headquarters of Indian Youth Congress, to be distributed among the poor, needy and homeless people during the 21-day nationwide lockdown (that entered the 17th day) imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the Image Source: IANS

New Delhi, April 16 : Amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Congress is trying to reach out to the poor and the needy and has started the 'Congress ki Rasoi' to feed them.

It has set up a control room in Delhi to monitor the humanitarian efforts and pitched in all its supporting organisation for the endeavour.

Delhi Congress Chief Anil Chaudhary said all state units had launched the 'Congress ki Rasoi'. In Delhi, 167 community kitchens had been set up to serve the people in distress, he added.

Sandeep Dikshit, former East Delhi MP, who has been distributing masks and urging party workers to help the poor, said, "It's a challenge that we have got to face together. The Congress supporters are also making individual efforts to help others." The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) has turned its headquarters into a community kitchen and has installed a roti (flat bread) making machine.

"Since the day one of the lockdown, the IYC has been striving to help the poor and the workers, stranded in the country, by providing relief materials, starting 24X7 community kitchen and donating blood for meeting the emergency requirements," said IYC chief Srinivas B.V.

IYC National Media Coordinator Amrish Ranjan Pandey said, "The IYC urges fellow citizens to join hands to help meet the needs of our poor and needy brethren." Apart from the Congress frontal organisations, others too are trying to help in this time of crisis. The Rahul Priyanka Sena, not an official organisation, headed by Jagdish Sharma, has been distributing food.

"I am Congress soldier and every soldier is working for the country. My organisation is distributing food in states like, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttrakhand," he said.

Among the common Congress sympathisers are people like Azhar Hasan, an engineering student, who is distributing "ration packets" in Okhla under the name of his society -- New Way. He has collected funds for it by using social media platforms.

The pandemic has also helped local politicians connect with the people. Okhla block Congress chief Parvez Alam Khan, who distributed masks during the 21-day lockout, is now helping in sanitising the area with the help of locals.

On Thursday, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi assured the people not be scared of the pandemic.

"You might be feeling that it's a very scary experience. We have never been locked up in our houses. I want you to know that this country is bigger than any disease. This country knows how to deal with much bigger challenges than the one we are facing.

"I want you to think about this with a sense of confidence. If we are able to overcome this, it will put us actually in a much better place," said Rahul Gandhi.
In a nightmarish development, a pizza delivery guy has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and tracking his work, 72 families in south Delhi have been told to observe self-quarantine.

According to District Magistrate BM Mishra, a delivery boy from a famous pizza chain in Malviya Nagar area tested positive on Tuesday, following which the authorities immediately decided to quarantine his 16 colleagues at the outlet. A detailed trail was followed to identify each house where food was delivered by the outlet.

"We have found that 72 houses had taken delivery from that outlet and hence everyone has been told to follow precautionary measures and be under self- quarantine," Mishra told IANS.

Representational Image

Mishra added that there is no need to panic, as he has directed all the delivery boys to use masks and follow the safety measures while executing a delivery. He said that the decision to ask families who ordered from the outlet to self quarantine was 'necessary' as a precautionary measure.

News agency IANS said the delivery boy is now undergoing treatment at a hospital, while others who came in his contact are being monitored on a daily basis.

A pizza delivery boy has tested positive for #Coronavirus. The administration has asked people living in around 72 houses to stay in quarantine: District Magistrate South, #Delhi pic.twitter.com/IHrUZxu6Pt  ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The restaurant has now suspended operations for some time.

Some of the orders at the restaurant were made from delivery giant Zomato. All other of his colleagues have tested negative.

"All the co-workers of the said rider have tested negative and as a precaution, the restaurant where the rider worked has suspended operations," a statement by Zomato said.

The development has fortified the debate on ordering food from restaurants amid a global pandemic, considering it ccould be a risky affair.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Republican congressional candidate Peter Meijer raised $202,952 in the first three months of this year, narrowly beating out his closest competitor, state Rep. Lynn Afendoulis, who brought in $182,095, new campaign finance reports show.

Meijer and Afendoulis, R-Grand Rapids Township, are regarded as the frontrunners in the six-way Republican primary for Michigans 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses the Grand Rapids-area and other parts of West Michigan.

Meijer has routinely led in fundraising efforts.

When including loans, the amount of cash Meijers campaign brought in during January, February and March jumps significantly. Meijer, whose family launched the supermarket chain, loaned himself $150,000. That brings his total fundraising haul for the period to $352,952.

The 3rd Congressional District seat is now held by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, I-Cascade Township. On Wednesday, April 15, Amash announced that he paused his congressional campaign and is considering running for president.

Elected in 2010 as a Republican, Amash left the party in July to serve out the remainder of his term as an independent. Earlier that year, he gained national attention for becoming the first Republican in Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

The campaign finance report for Amashs congressional race shows he raised $96,845.

Meijer ended the latest campaign finance reporting period with $634,224 cash on hand (some of which must be used in the general election, not the primary), while Afendoulis ended with $248,273.

Democrat Hillary Scholten, an immigration attorney from Grand Rapids, raised $149,381, records show. She ended the latest period with $259,032 cash on hand. A Democrat has not represented the Grand Rapids area in Congress since 1976.

The 3rd Congressional District includes the city of Grand Rapids and a large portion of Kent County, part of Montcalm County, as well as Ionia, Barry and Calhoun counties.

On Wednesday, the DeVos family announced that it was endorsing Meijer.

Seven members of the family  Dan DeVos, Pamella DeVos, Cheri DeVos, Steve Ehmann (Cheri DeVos husband), Doug DeVos, Maria DeVos and Dalton DeVos  have each contributed $5,600 to Meijers campaign, for a total of $39,200. Half that total can be used in the primary election.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her husband, Dick, have not supported federal candidates since she took her confirmation pledge in 2017, said family spokesperson Nick Wasmiller. The couple are not endorsing or supporting any candidates in the 3rd Congressional District race, he said.

Besides Meijer and Afendoulis, the four other candidates running in the August Republican primary are former Sand Lake Village President Tom Norton; Andrew Jackson Willis, pastor at Maplelawn Baptist Church in Wyoming; Lyons Village Trustee Joe Farrington; and Battle Creek attorney Emily Rafi.

Norton reported $2,156 in donations, while Rafi brought in $2,300, records show. Farrington and Willis did not report any fundraising for January, February or March.

Campaign Finance Reports for the period were due to the Federal Election Commission by the end of Wednesday, April 15.

To appear on the August primary ballot, candidates must submit 1,000 signatures to the Michigan Secretary of States Office by April 21, said department spokesperson Tracy Wimmer. As of Thursday afternoon, Meijer, Afendoulis and Farrington had submitted signatures.

However, she noted that her office has asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to extend the signature submission date to May 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

More on MLive:

Thursday, April 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Yes, Michigan is in a recession, and a quick recovery is unlikely

Dont share your senior pic on Facebook: The BBB warning for #ClassOf2020 posts
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

One of the most alarming things about COVID-19 is that there are no FDA-approved drugs to fight it.

Instead, doctors have turned to medications such as azithromycin, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, interferon, or ribavirin, which are officially approved to treat other conditions such as malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and hepatitis C.

While researchers are racing to understand whether those drugs work against COVID-19, there is still no clear proof that they help.

Giving a patient a drug not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for a particular condition is called off-label prescribing. While that practice is legaleven commonits also sometimes controversial.

Thats because there typically isn't much evidence that they're safe and effective for those off-label purposes, as with the drugs now being used to treat COVID-19, says Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a former FDA principal deputy commissioner.



And in some cases, drug companies, physicians, and others have been known to prematurely and inappropriately promote the use of drugs for unapproved uses.



Off-label prescribing may also be confusing to consumers, according to a nationally representative Consumer Reports survey conducted a few years ago. Seventy-eight percent of Americans said it was extremely or very important that the FDA fully vet the safety and efficacy of a medication for a particular use, something that doesn't happen when a drug is used off-label.



Heres what you need to know about off-label prescribing, including when it can be a good idea and how to make sure your doctor is doing it safely.

Off-Label Prescribing Is Common

To get FDA approval for a drug, a pharmaceutical company must submit data from clinical trials showing that the medication is safe and effective to treat a specific condition, says Robert McLean, M.D., president of the American College of Physicians and a practicing physician at the Northeast Medical Group of Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut.

Story continues

That can take years and usually costs about $20 million per trial, with some larger trials of more than 1,000 patients costing upward of $77 million, according to a 2018 analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

But sometimes a drug is known or thought to be useful in treating other conditions as well, says Steven Woloshin, M.D., a professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and a visiting professor of medicine at Harvard, who has researched the effects of drug marketing on physician prescribing.

While companies may not always seek additional FDA approvals for a drug to treat those other conditions, doctors often prescribe them for those purposes. In fact, between 12 and 38 percent of all prescriptions written in doctor's offices are for off-label uses, according to a July 2019 Congressional Research Service report.

Companies can't advertise their drugs for off-label use, but doctors often learn about them, legally, through medical literature provided by drug company sales reps or from continuing medical education, says Adriane Fugh-Berman M.D., a professor of pharmacology and physiology at the Georgetown University Medical Center who has studied off-label marketing.

And drug companies have been known to skirt the law by, for example, soliciting case studies from doctors highlighting their successful use of drugs for off-label purposes, and hiring thought leaders to write about and promote the results in industry-funded speeches or classes, Fugh-Berman wrote in a research paper.

In a 2019 JAMA paper, Woloshin found that in the past 20 years companies have paid more than $11 billion in settlements and penalties for their unlawful, mostly off-label, drug promotion.

Some companies have sued the FDA on First Amendment grounds, arguing that they should be allowed to promote off-label use, says Woloshin. Amarin, a company that makes a prescription fish oil pill, recently won such a suit, potentially opening the door for more to follow.

Thats concerning, Woloshin says, because decades of research shows that off-label drug promotion to doctors influences their prescribing habits, sometimes to the detriment of patients.

One example: In the early 2000s, a company promoted using antipsychotics, approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, to sedate patients with dementia in nursing homes, even as the FDA warned against it. The labeling now includes a black-box warning, the most severe kind of warning the FDA issues, that doing so increases the risk of death, Woloshin says.

When Off-Label Prescribing Can Make Sense

Only about a quarter of off-label prescribing is supported by strong scientific support, according to the Congressional Research Services report. But that doesnt mean its all useless or dangerous. Just because something is an off-label use doesnt mean it doesnt work, says McLean. And it doesnt mean its inappropriate.

Heres when off-label prescribing can be worth trying.

No other treatments are available. In dire situations, when no other options are available or a patient doesn't respond to any approved options, it can make sense to try an unapproved drug. For someone critically ill with COVID-19 and on a ventilator, for example, its hard to imagine that some families wouldnt want to try a drug even if was a long shot that it might work and the chance of side effects high, says Woloshin.

The problem is extending that logic to people who arent so sick or who arent sick at all, he says. Thats because when a person is less ill, he or she stands to benefit less, but the risk of a drug still remains high.

For example, hydroxychloroquine increases the risk of severe irregular heartbeats and even death. That might be an acceptable risk if a patient is on the verge of dying, Woloshin says. But for someone who has only mild symptoms, the heart risk might not be worth it because it's unclear whether the drug will help.

An unapproved drug might work as well or better than standard care. McLean says that sometimes a drug may become such an accepted medical treatment that doctors may not even realize its not officially approved for that use. He cites certain muscle relaxers like tizanidine and cyclopentadiene often used to help a person sleep. Theyre officially approved as muscle relaxers," he says, "but I use them as sleep aids, either alone for sleep or if a person has muscle issues, too.

Another example is a treatment for macular degeneration, a degenerative eye disease that can lead to blindness, Fugh-Berman says. While doctors sometimes treat it with an approved drug called Lucentis, many have switched to a related, nearly identical drug made by the same company, called Avastin, that costs far less but isn't approved to treat the condition.

Youre in a group that wasnt studied. In many cases, drugs are officially approved for only very narrow cases, such as people with specific stages of certain cancers, says Peter Lurie, M.D., president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, and a former associate commissioner for public health strategy and analysis at the FDA.

Lets say your study is in certain patients with stage 4 cancer, then you have a patient with stage 3. Do you discard the drug as a possibility or would you consider it?, he says. Within limits, in this case, people could consider using a drug off-label a reasonable thing to do.

In other cases, drugs are studied (and approved) only in certain groups of people. Most drugs arent studied in children, in older people, or in pregnant women, for example, Woloshin says. So if the FDA approval doesnt extend to them, you wouldnt be able to use the drugs in those populations without off-label use.

What You Can Do

Here are some steps you can take to understand whether a drug your doctor prescribed is off-label and if it's appropriate for you.

When your doctor prescribes a drug, ask if its an approved use. If he or she doesnt know, ask your pharmacist, Fugh-Berman says.

Look it up. Go to DailyMed (dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/), a government-funded database of all approved medications and their FDA-approved drug labels, and search for your medication. Click on Indications & Usage to see if your condition is listed.

Ask about the evidence. If its an off-label use, ask your doctor if its supported by well-designed trials that show improvement in people with your condition, Woloshin says. Also ask your doctor if he or she thinks the drug will work better than approved drugs for your illness.

Check with your insurer. Some insurers may require that you first try a conventional treatment before agreeing to cover an unapproved one, especially if the drug is expensive, says Lurie. Even then, the insurer may still deny coverage if it doesnt find scientific support or medical justification for the off-label use, says Barbara Young, Pharm.D., editor for AHFS Patient Medication Information, who has researched off-label prescribing.





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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2020, Consumer Reports, Inc.
michael barbaro

From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.

[music]

Today, in the middle of the pandemic, China has expelled journalists from The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. One of those reporters, my colleague Paul Mozur, recounts his final days there. Its Thursday, April 16. Paul Mozur, tell us about these text messages that you got a few weeks ago.

paul mozur

So its late, probably a bit after midnight. And I am in Shanghai, in my apartment, where Ive lived for the past three years. And Im doing that thing, where youre trying to read in bed, but the phone keeps buzzing.

[phone buzzing]

paul mozur

And Ive told myself, this is the last time Im going to check, and I look at the phone. And for the first time ever, when Ive picked up my phone while Im trying to sleep, its actually relevant. And so what I see is, one of my colleagues, in our sort of private chat group for covering the coronavirus, sends a message. And its a memo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in China. And the first bit, its all kind of stock language. Its not too big of a deal. But then I get to point two, and I read point two, and I have to read it again. Because what it says, in this roundabout way, is basically that the entire staff of The New York Times, all of our reporters in China, have to leave the country in just a few weeks. Weve effectively been expelled. Its not just us thats been thrown out, its also a number of reporters with The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. So this is the greater part of the U.S. press corps in China being tossed.

michael barbaro

So youre on your phone in bed, looking at a memo that basically says your job in China is over?

paul mozur

Yes, our time is up.

michael barbaro

As youre looking at this, what are your colleagues and you saying to each other, as youre digesting this information from the Chinese government?

paul mozur

You know, I think Im the first to weigh in, and I say, let me be the first to say this expletive: [EXPLETIVE]

[laughter]

paul mozur

[EXPLETIVE] And then that kind of starts it off.

[phone messages chiming]

paul mozur

Theres some agreement about that. Theres various other kind of expressions of shock, and then 

[sound effect]

 our Asia editor, Adrienne Carter, weighs in and says, were still trying to figure out what this means. Were going to have some calls tomorrow. But it doesnt look good. I think we knew for a long time that it was possible our days were numbered. But even if you kind of know that the Chinese government isnt happy with you, the idea of kind of closing a chapter of more than 13 years of your life spent focusing on a place, learning a language, being there is just impossible to kind of deal with instantly. It just felt totally surreal. So I kind of wandered out to my balcony, and it was a cool kind of  the fog was coming into Shanghai, and it was sort of just a dark night. And I just kind of spent the next hour or two just sort of outside and thinking. I was sort of a nostalgic mess, in a way.

michael barbaro

Wow, so this is basically a large scale media purge. I wonder what explanation the Chinese government gives for this, because it feels like this violates decades of journalistic tradition, where the U.S. has reporters in China, and China has reporters in the U.S.

paul mozur

Yeah, ostensibly, its a tit-for-tat. A few weeks ago, the Trump administration put a cap on the number of Chinese journalists who work for state media that can be in the United States. And China calls this an effective expulsion of 60 Chinese media workers. So this is the response from the Chinese government to throw us out. But theres a lot more to it than that. It becomes really clear, pretty quickly after, because a commentary goes up on state media and asks the question, why are these journalists being thrown out?

michael barbaro

Mhm.

paul mozur

And it doesnt bring up the United States. What it goes into is or coverage. And it says that we were overly critical and biased in attacking the Chinese government in how it responded to the coronavirus, that we were biased against China generally. And then it also brings up Xinjiang. And it says that the stories that we told over the past year about Uighurs being locked away in camps are exaggerated and false and just not the true narrative. And so I think at that point, you kind of see, yes, on the one hand, this is a tit-for-tat. But on the other hand, its about so much more.

michael barbaro

So once you have more or less made peace with the fact that youre going to be kicked out, what do you do?

paul mozur

Well, you do what you have to do when you have to leave very quickly. I start buying plane tickets. And you cant think of a worse time to be thrown out of a country, because borders are closing all over, and any flight has some level of virus risk. And so 

michael barbaro

Right.

paul mozur

 I get a flight ticket to the United States. I get one to Japan. I get went to Korea. I get three tickets. And then as borders are closing, I actually buy two more 

michael barbaro

Wow.

paul mozur

 more close to my date so I can get out quicker before these borders close. But then I realize I have a few days left, and I have a bit of this  well, this sort of dilemma, because I was supposed to go on a reporting trip the day I heard about this thing. And we canceled it. But in my experience in journalism has been you always go out when you can. And so I decided, OK, one last hurrah. Here we go.

michael barbaro

And what is this reporting job?

paul mozur

Well, its supposed to be a pretty routine article. China, at this point, is getting back to normal. Life is starting to return to the rhythms that had been there pre-epidemic. So the idea is to find a sort of more middle-class town and go there and talk to people, and see how dazed they are, how excited they are to be out. That kind of thing. And so we choose the town of Hefei, which is a city about three or four hours away from Shanghai by train. And my colleague and I planned the trip, and we decide to go there for two days and see what life is like there.

[indistinct chatter] So we go to this mall to try to do some interviews. speaker [SPEAKING CHINESE]

paul mozur

The checkpoints are out. To get into the mall, you need to have your temperature taken by a guard. You need to write down your personal information.

speaker [SPEAKING CHINESE]

paul mozur

And we start talking to a construction worker. And within a few minutes, a police officer comes in and sort of beckons him.

[music]

paul mozur

He basically disappears. And we ask him, what happened? He said, oh, the police officer said no assembly here because of the virus. So we move on. And what becomes apparent is the police officer, hes stripped off his jacket to go undercover. And he is following us, kind of diving into stores when we look back to see him, and kind of peeking from behind clothing racks to look at what were doing. So we say, all right, well, lets get out of here. So we hop in a car and we go across town to a pedestrian shopping street. We seem to have lost him. Were like, OK. So were walking down, and we hear this beat, the beat of pop music. And theres this fantastic scene.

[music]

Its the storefront of China Gold, which sells jewelry, and all of the staff are out in front doing these coordinated dance moves. Theyre trying to drum up business. And they invite us in. They say, oh, yeah, were happy to talk. And so one guy says, you know, for all of our dancing, its not helping that much. People want to get out, but nobody has any money to spend. And were starting to kind of sit down and sort of set up to talk to him longer, and we look up   and whos coming in the store behind him but that same police officer? And he goes in the back, has a word with the manager. And just a few minutes later, the guy kind of says, you know what? Im sorry, I cant talk.

michael barbaro

Ah. So the police are clearly attempting to block your reporting.

paul mozur

Yeah, so I get a little frustrated. But you cant get rid of these guys, and so theyre basically on us for the rest of the time. And it becomes almost impossible to talk to any regular person about what would be an overwhelmingly positive story.

michael barbaro

Paul, I feel like being surveilled by the Chinese authorities is now a somewhat familiar feeling for you when you go on a reporting trip.

paul mozur

Yeah, I was thinking about it, and I think its maybe been a dozen times over the past year that Ive had to deal with security. But the thing is, with something thats sort of a more basic story like this, you dont normally get this kind of attention. I mean, thats the kind of thing you get in really, really sensitive stories, where they know youre coming and theyve prepared for you, and they really dont want you to learn anything. So the idea that just talking to regular people feels so dangerous to them that theyre putting this kind of effort in, I mean, thats different. And its extreme, for sure.

michael barbaro

So what happens next?

paul mozur

Well, we go on walk across the park, and we end up at a McDonalds. So were talking about leaving and how frustrated we are by whats happened. And a man is kind of eating behind us. And he gets up, and as hes walking out the door, he turns to me and he says, foreign trash.

michael barbaro

Wow.

paul mozur

We both kind of look up and were sort of shocked. And so we look at him, and he says, yeah, you foreign trash. What are you doing in my country? And then he turns to my Chinese colleague and he says, you [EXPLETIVE], what are you doing with him 

michael barbaro

Wow.

paul mozur

 you [EXPLETIVE]. And so she starts wanting to kind of defend me, and shes very upset. And I have to basically tell her, dont yell back. Hes menacingly hovering over us. It does feel like it could get physical very easily. And after a few minutes of kind of basically mumbling more nastiness at us, he leaves. Nobody says anything, and everybody goes back to eating. And we try to calm ourselves down.

michael barbaro

And Paul, what did you make of that attack from this random stranger?

paul mozur

Well, I mean, as a foreigner, you stand out in China. And theres a lot of good attention that brings, and theres some negative attention over the years. But I think there had been a real uptick in xenophobia lately. Online, weve seen a lot more nastiness on the Chinese internet about foreigners. And a lot of foreigners are starting to talk about run-ins theyve had. The reason we went to Hefei in the first place is it was one of the few places we could find a hotel that would accept a foreigner. I called about 30 hotels  and these are American chains, the Hilton and the Marriott  and none of them would accept a foreigner.

michael barbaro

Wow.

paul mozur

And so Hefei was partially because we found a Westin that would take us.

michael barbaro

Paul, at this point, youre describing a bunch of experiences that have happened to you in the past, but are happening a lot more intensely in this moment. Government surveillance, anti-Westernism, and of course, youre about to be kicked out of the country by the government. So are you starting to suspect that this is all linked?

paul mozur

Yeah, I think it all feels a part of the same thing. And everything has been so extreme with the virus. Theres so much fear and theres so much anger. Theres just so much that feels so heightened that it feels different. And it feels like were kind of at a point of change. And its not good. Its not good for a foreigner in the country. But its also probably not good for the country itself. It feels like theres a kind of rejection of what I had thought was an openness to the world in China.

[music]

michael barbaro

Well be right back. Paul, where do you think rejection of the outside world  this really heightened version of surveillance and xenophobia  wheres this coming from in this moment?

paul mozur

The Chinese government. And I think maybe one way thats interesting to think about it is through the lens of the virus. So by all rights, the virus appears to start in Wuhan and kind of spreads out from there. But I dont remember precisely when this was, but a Chinese scientist at some point comes out and says, well, we dont know precisely where it came from. We dont know precisely the first patient, or how the first person got infected. And then what happens is Chinese state media and Chinese officials seize on this to say, it seems like maybe it didnt come from China at all  that it could come from somewhere else.

michael barbaro

Theyre saying that this virus didnt come from Wuhan?

paul mozur

They arent that pointed about it at first. They just kind of inject this skepticism.

speaker [SPEAKING MANDARIN]

paul mozur

And so then what starts to happen is rumors start to spread. One thing you hear is that, oh, well, the U.S. has a really bad flu season. And the U.S. doesnt even pay attention to it because the U.S. has a bad health care system. And so it could be that it was in the U.S. for a while and then it came over. And then theres this sort of more pernicious rumor that a number of Chinese officials seem to endorse 

archived recording  pointed to this tweet from a spokesman for Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying, quote, it might be U.S. Army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent. Make public your data. U.S. owe us an explanation.

paul mozur

 which is that the U.S. military brought it to Wuhan, because Wuhan had this military games last year.

archived recording The inflammatory tweet echoed a Canada-based conspiracy websites unsubstantiated claims that America was the real source of the coronavirus, apparently linking it to the U.S. Armys participation in the Military World Games.

paul mozur

And that during that, a U.S. military representative might have brought it and released it into the city. And these are not small things. This is loud enough that a lot of my Chinese friends are asking me, hey, what do you think about this? Could this be right?

michael barbaro

Oh, wow.

paul mozur

And then what starts happening on state media is that you start hearing about cases being imported back into China from the world. Theyre not specifying whos bringing these things back. And oftentimes, its Chinese who live overseas or who are traveling overseas, who got infected and came back. But oftentimes, state media just describes this as foreign cases. And so if youre seeing that every day, and youre a regular Chinese person, you start to fear seeing a foreigner, because you assume those foreigners 

michael barbaro

Right.

paul mozur

 theyre the ones who are bringing the cases back. So I dont have to worry about anything but people coming from abroad. And who else comes from abroad but foreigners?

michael barbaro

So the Chinese governments tolerance for, and even promotion of, these conspiracy theories that the coronavirus didnt start in China, but perhaps started in the West  in a place like America  that, in turn, is going to foment xenophobia. A fear, naturally, of Westerners, who Chinese people think will be carrying the virus.

paul mozur

Right. And not just Westerners, too, I mean, anybody who could be perceived as not being from China at this point.

archived recording Africans living in Guangzhou say that theyre being kicked out of their homes and face harassment as health workers step up testing for imported infections.

paul mozur

In southern China, where theres a large African community, a large number of Africans are evicted from their homes out of fear. And hotels wont have them, so theyre sleeping on the streets. African diplomats are trying to deal with this, but theyre shouted down. McDonalds and other restaurants wont let black people in. The United States issues an actual diplomatic warning to African-Americans, saying, avoid this area because of the xenophobia and racism. And so you just see this sort of snowballing effect of this fear growing and growing. All of the fear of the foreigners related to the virus starts to tie into nationalism and a national self-image, all of which has been carefully cultivated by the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government.

michael barbaro

Paul, why would it be in Chinas interest to basically promote this xenophobia right now?

paul mozur

So this is an old trick that the Chinese Communist Party has used in the past. Whenever theres a fear that the legitimacy of their rule is threatened, if people start to point the fingers at top leaders, they need to find somebody else to blame. And the easiest is foreigners  foreign influence, and often, the United States.

[protesters chanting]

paul mozur

So if we go back to last year, one of the biggest stories here was the Hong Kong protests.

michael barbaro

Right.

paul mozur

And for month after month, the front of newspapers, on TV, we just saw fiery clashes, tear gas, police shooting protesters.

[protesters chanting]

paul mozur

This is hugely embarrassing.

michael barbaro

Right.

paul mozur

And so what does the Chinese Communist Party do? They blame the protests on the United States and on the West. They say the United States is fomenting this, and its an aggressive act against China. And so then, throughout the year as well, we did a lot of coverage of what was going on in Western China, in Xinjiang 

archived recording More than a million Uighurs, and others belonging to various Muslim minority groups, are believed to be detained in the Xinjiang region into a vast network of detention centers for what China calls re-education.

paul mozur

 where more than a million minority Uighurs have been held in camps. And for that, too, it gets tons of attention and 

michael barbaro

Right.

paul mozur

 people talking about it all over the world. And so, again, they have to find an excuse. And they say, well, the foreign forces and the Western media are making this up. And theyre trying to blacken China and tar China. And so then, we get to this year, and out of nowhere comes this virus. And what becomes very clear is that theres quite the cover-up at the beginning. And so, again, were relentless in our coverage. We put this 

michael barbaro

Right

paul mozur

 on the front page. We dissect meticulously how this happened and what happened. And again, the Chinese government sees this as uncompromisingly aggressive and just an embarrassment. And so, once again, how else can you kind of explain it all except to kind of turn the tables and blame foreign influences. And so we see this pattern, where we are a thorn in their side, and they ultimately blame us. And under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, theres been this idea that China is now a superpower, and that the world needs to take China into account. They need to listen to what China has to say. China will be at the table, and they should respect China. And I think, over and over again, we see in Xi Jinpings China that theres less and less room for anything that challenges that idea. And so, now, were at a place where one more group of people who would challenge this idea are gone.

michael barbaro

Meaning the foreign media?

paul mozur

Yeah, what the Chinese government wants to tell is a story of triumph. Theyve emerged from the virus as the rest of the world is under siege and under lockdown. And the story they want to tell is that the reason they were able to beat the virus is the superiority of the Chinese system. This sort of enlightened authoritarianism that is able to technocratically manage every variable and fix everything and make things right. And when they look around the world, they can point and say, look at all of these democracies. Theyre suffering terribly. More people are dying. More people are sick. Theyre in crisis and weve gotten through this. We succeeded. That means we are the new superpower. We are the sort of country in ascendancy and everybody must pay their respects now.

michael barbaro

Right. And of course, the one thing that could get in the way of that  that idealized version of that story, that China conquered this virus and did better with it than the West  are a bunch of Western reporters poking around, finding examples of failure, or finding the reemergence of the virus. I mean, that just is incompatible with that story.

paul mozur

Exactly.

michael barbaro

Paul, correct me if Im wrong. At this point, theres still an order telling you that you need to leave China. This unsuccessful reporting trip has come to an end. So where are you in your process of being expelled?

paul mozur

So this is sort of the end of March. And the thing is the virus is spreading around the world and countries are closing their borders to foreigners. So if I want to go anywhere outside of the United States and be in the same time zone and continue to cover China, I need to leave quicker. And so I actually end up leaving just a few days later, much faster than I thought I would. And so I pack up my stuff  [INDISTINCT CLATTER]  I walk out the door 

paul mozur Taking one last look. ^[DOOR CLOSING]^

paul mozur

I leave my apartment 

speaker [SPEAKING MANDARIN]

paul mozur

 and I head for the airport for a final flight out of a country that has held my imagination and just captured my attention and just been so incredibly interesting that its been impossible to leave for 15 years.

[plane taking off]

paul mozur

I get on a flight and leave it for what will probably be the final time in a long time. And I find myself a few hours later 

flight attendant Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed at Narita Airport. [INAUDIBLE] with our time difference between Shanghai and 

paul mozur

 in Japan. And I get through just before the borders are closing to Americans 

flight attendant Its been our pleasure to serve you on this flight. Thank you for flying with [INAUDIBLE], your China flight 

paul mozur

 and start a two-week quarantine and a new life outside of China.

michael barbaro

I mean, I cant imagine that its easy or even really possible to cover China from outside of China, right?

paul mozur

Yeah, its a different sort of thing. I think one of the really important things about having journalists in China is that for all of the propaganda and all of the intimidation, Chinese people still want to talk. They love telling stories. They love talking about what their experiences are. And one of our best ways to just find out what was happening is to go to places and talk to regular people. And now that avenue is cut off to us. And so were going to be reliant on filings and government documents. And were just going to have a vaguer picture, a far less precise picture of whats going on in the place.

michael barbaro

Right, at a moment when it would seem like the eyes and ears of journalists would be as essential as ever. So how are you feeling about this?

paul mozur

You know, it feels like it couldnt be at a worse time, because now is the most important and most interesting moment to be in China, because China is as powerful and as large as its ever been. And its on this steep path of authoritarianism. Xi Jinping will not step down the way previous presidents did. He will continue to push this triumphalism. And where that goes and what it means for Chinese people and for the world is probably, in my mind, the most important story. To not be able to be there to see it just feels like an irreparable loss. And it makes me feel, I guess, grateful for the time I had there.

michael barbaro

Do you think, Paul, that when this is all over  this pandemic  and perhaps China reaches a point where this triumphalism has been achieved, that things might return to the way that they were before all of this? For journalists like you, and for the relationship between China and the West?

paul mozur

I really do think weve crossed a point in the U.S.-China relationship that will be difficult to come back from. I think both countries have made it clear the way they view the world is at odds.

[music]

And its unfortunate, because the one way we could get back to where there is more understanding is to have exchanges and to have people on the ground, trying to explain China to the United States and the United States to China.

michael barbaro

And thats not happening.

paul mozur

Yeah, thats not happening. And I dont see it getting better anytime soon.

michael barbaro

Paul, thank you very much. I know you dont really want to be in the position that youre in, but we wish you the very best of luck.

paul mozur

Thanks.

michael barbaro

Well be right back.

[music]

michael barbaro

Heres what else you need to know today. U.S. retail sales, which include purchases in stores and online, as well as in restaurants and bars, experienced their largest monthly decline in three decades in March, as lockdowns changed consumer behavior. The depth of the decline, nearly 9 percent, according to the Commerce Department, is significant because the retail industry accounts for 1 out of every 10 American jobs. Aprils retail sales may be even worse, because state lockdowns have only intensified since March. And 

archived recording (elizabeth warren) Among all of the other candidates I competed with in the Democratic primary, theres no one Ive agreed with 100 percent of the time over the years. But one thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is he will always tell you where he stands.

michael barbaro

In a video released on Wednesday, Elizabeth Warren became the latest former rival to endorse Joe Biden for president, as the Democratic Party moves to coalesce around his candidacy.

archived recording (elizabeth warren) When you disagree, hell listen. And not just listen, but really hear you and treat you with respect, no matter where youre coming from.

michael barbaro
The city of Greenville, Mississippi issued an order prohibiting communal religious services. The prohibition was a response to the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. The prohibition applied no matter what social distancing methods churches used to ensure against spreading the virus.

Greenville aggressively enforced its order. On April 8, police officers broke up a service held in a church parking lot in which there was no person-to-person physical contact. Violating social distancing protocols, officers demanded that those in attendance roll down their car windows, demanded to see drivers licenses, and wrote out fines of $500 per attendee.

This was too much for the Trump administration. When the church in question responded by suing the City, the Justice Department, through its Civil Rights Division, filed a statement of interest in support of the church. In addition, Attorney General Barr issued a Statement on Religious Practice and Social Distancing.

The Trump administration took the following position, with which no American should find fault:

[E]ven in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity. For example, if a government allows movie theaters, restaurants, concert halls, and other comparable places of assembly to remain open and unrestricted, it may not order houses of worship to close, limit their congregation size, or otherwise impede religious gatherings. Religious institutions must not be singled out for special burdens.

(Emphasis added)

Greenvilles order did not meet this standard:

The City of Greenville fined congregants $500 per person for attending these parking lot services  while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants, even with their windows open. The City appears to have thereby singled churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all CDC and state recommendations regarding social distancing.

The Justice Departments intervention seems to have given Greenville pause. It has rescinded the order. Churches will be allowed to proceed with drive-in services, using church parking lots and the radio.

Its unfortunate that it took a lawsuit plus DOJ involvement to induce Greenvilles mayor, Erick Simmons a law school graduate, to back away from his discriminatory and unconstitutional order. Its also unfortunate that other jurisdictions want to discriminate in similar ways.

Fortunately, the Trump administration is defending religious liberty and the Constitution against this attack. We hope its intervention in the Greenville case will cause other jurisdictions to back off.
Anodot, a Redwood City, Calif.-based autonomous business monitoring company, raised $35m in Series C funding.

The round, which brought total funding raised to date to $62.5m, was led by Intel Capital with participation from SoftBank Ventures Asia, Samsung NEXT, and La Maison and existing investors Disruptive Technologies L.P., Aleph, and Redline Capital Management. In conjunction with the funding, Intel Capitals Investment Director Roi Bar-Kat will join Anodots board of directors.

The company intends to use the funds to grow its go-to-market activities, including expanding into new verticals, such as banking and financial services, building ready-made business packages per use case, as well as increasing hiring across its global team.

Led by David Drai, CEO and co-founder, Anodot provides a Business Monitoring platform that uses machine learning to constantly analyze and correlate every business parameter, providing real-time anomaly alerts and forecasts. Fortune 500 companies, from digital business to telecom, use its patented technology to reduce time to detection and resolution for revenue-critical issues. Organizations including Atlassian, Xandr, T-Mobile, Bird, and others can monitor business metrics, including revenue and costs, partners, and customer experience. The platform, through granular monitoring and analytics capabilities, tracks more than 400 million metrics daily, driving four billion autonomous decisions.

FinSMEs

16/04/2020
Israel was under lockdown during the Passover holidays. Large police and military forces manned checkpoints outside the cities and patrolled the streets to ensure that the curfew was enforced. Yet even as a modern-day plague ravages the country, it's clear who the countrys favored residents are.

On April 6, about 20 of the young extremist settlers known as the "hilltop youth" were ordered to self-isolate after coming into contact with a coronavirus patient. Some of them had even shown symptoms of the disease. They refused to be confined in a hotel in Jerusalem and then rioted on the way to a confinement facility in the south of Israel.

What would have happened if these young men were run-of-the-mill Israelis and not part of a group that has long been accustomed to preferential treatment? They would certainly have been punished in one way or another  perhaps a fine or jail time.

But when these young people rioted and resisted confinement, the government set up a tent camp for them at Metzoke Dragot in the Judean Desert, one of the most stunningly beautiful natural attractions in the country and a major draw for desert hikers. Surely many of the Israelis who did follow instructions, who kept to the curfew and stayed pent up in their apartments, would have preferred to be isolated at a major tourism destination. But even in the war against COVID-19, that kind of treatment is reserved for rowdy settler teens who break the law. And since the Israel Defense Forces is busy enforcing the curfew throughout the rest of the country and assisting the regions hardest hit by the epidemic, like Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, there were fewer troops to fulfill their routine duties in the occupied territories, leaving the hilltop youth on their own in a facility created especially for them.

The story doesnt end there.

On April 13, two members of the hilltop youth appeared in a parking lot not far from their campsite where they encountered three Arabs: two men and a woman. The youths summoned their friends who came running, masks and all, to attack the Palestinian men with rocks and tear gas. Then they turned their wrath on the woman, kicking her in the face and stomach until she passed out and needed to be taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. The assailants also set fire to two cars belonging to the Palestinians they assaulted.

The incident followed another case of violence, this one near the settlement of Yitzhar on March 26. Masked settlers threw three Molotov cocktails at a border patrol vehicle during a shift change, a vehicle carrying soldiers charged with protecting them. While no one was hurt, one can only imagine what would have happened if it had been Palestinians who had thrown the explosives. In response to the attack against IDF troops, Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi condemned the settlers, calling what they did a terrorist act of utmost severity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Naftali Bennett joined him in condemning the attack.

The response to the April 6 attack against Palestinians by people in isolation because of the coronavirus was very different. While the IDF spokesperson released a statement, it came from an anonymous security source and not the chief of staff or any other commaning official. It read, The acts of terror against border patrol officers in Yitzhar and innocent minorities in Metzoke Dragot is how the hilltop youth show their gratitude to the State of Israel for helping them during the coronavirus crisis. It is just further proof that this is a violent group of racist extremists who terrorize people no matter where they are. The security forces will bring them to justice.

Knesset member Merav Michaeli of the Labor Party and former Knesset member Mossi Raz of Meretz spoke out openly against the incident. Raz tweeted, If you are an Israeli in lockdown, stay at home at your own expense and lose your livelihood. If you are one of the hilltop youth, we will build you a summer camp in the desert and train you to set fire to cars, throw rocks and spray tear gas at Palestinians.

Michaeli tweeted, The IDF takes care of them, the state funds them, the government legitimizes them and in exchange they commit terrorism, hurt people, riot and cause harm. Dont give me that bull about a unity government.

A magnanimous attitude toward Jewish terrorism has been a regular motif of the Netanyahu government for the past few years. Netanyahu took a big step in advancing this position when he granted legitimacy to the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, many of whose members have broken the law on numerous occasions. Yet despite their long criminal records, much of it hate crimes, Netanyahu ensured they could theoretically serve as parliamentarians in the Knesset.

It should come as no surprise. Right-wing governments have always elevated the settlers over the rest of the country. They have always been the pioneers, and as such receive preferential treatment. Their violence is seen as a means to fulfill their vision. This preferential treatment includes the wayward teens and young adults who came to be known as the hilltop youth. They were portrayed as being driven by a deep-rooted ideology to fulfill the vision of a Greater Land of Israel. The defense minister may have condemned the act of throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli troops outside of Yitzhar, but he in no way condemned the perpetrators. Quite the contrary. Just this January, shortly before the coronavirus wreaked havoc on the country, he attacked activists on the left and denied them access to West Bank territories to protest the occupation.

Over the years, settlers who established illegal outposts have been provided with infrastructure and encouragement, and continued to receive both even after the coronavirus began to spread. On the hill from which they threw Molotov cocktails at the IDF  Seruga Hill, which was declared a closed-off military zone  they built a yeshiva. They posted a photo of it on Facebook, along with a link to the defense ministers page. The post bragged, Even in the shadow of the coronavirus, we have not given up on building the country. We are now starting to build a new seminary on Kumi Uri Hill, using their name for the site. The hilltop youth see the IDF being busy fighting the pandemic as an opportunity to intensify their own activities.

For years now, the IDFs general staff has known that any action against settlers who violate the law is a political act. This adage has been especially true over the last few years, during Netanyahus last government, particularly since Bennett took over as defense minister. The April 13 attack was not the first and it certainly will not be the last. On more than one occasion, IDF troops have found themselves helpless while settlers attacked Palestinians. Their orders are to protect the settlers, their mission in the territories to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish residents from Palestinian troublemakers.

The most recent events are a warning to Israel. The mandate for the formation of the next government was transferred to the Knesset this morning and we will find out in the coming days whether Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz will form a unity government. Talks have fizzled, but the sides apparently did reach an agreement on the annexation of some West Bank land as soon as summer 2020. Once that happens, the settlers and especially the hilltop youth will finally feel like they are really in charge, the lords of the land. And the Palestinians surrounding them will be little more than a nuisance.
At your average grocery store visit, you probably do not spend more than 10 minutes around a clerk, she added. I wouldnt say that that means theres no possibility you could contract the virus, but it means that for our purposes, you wouldnt meet the definition of a close contact for tracing purposes.

She stressed that the local health district has been impressed by the many actions our local grocery stores have taken to keep their stores safe while also continuing to provide an essential service to the community.

The measures include signs in checkout lines that mark where customers should stand to maintain social distancing; plexiglass shields at cash registers to keep employees safe; limiting how many customers can be in a store at once; making the shopping aisles one way; and frequent disinfecting of carts, conveyor belts and credit card machines.

We thank the many grocery stores employees for continuing to do their jobs, BalmesJohn said, though we do want to continue to remind them that if they are sick or experiencing symptoms, please stay home from work.
Evangelical leaders call for release of some detained immigrants to stop spread of COVID-19

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Influential evangelicals are calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to utilize alternatives to detention and release some detained undocumented immigrants as they await their hearings so long as they dont pose a threat to public safety.

Nine leaders of evangelical organizations aligned with the Evangelical Immigration Table  including the new National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim and Southern Baptist Convention ethicist Russell Moore  signed onto a letter sent Monday to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.

They expressed concern about the wellbeing of staff and detainees in immigration detention centers nationwide as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues.

Our concern is rooted in our Christian belief that each human life is made in the image of God and thus precious, and, like you, we want to do everything possible to minimize the loss of life as a result of this pandemic, the letter explains.

Individuals who are held in detention facilities, which often hold a large number of beds within a constrained space, are effectively unable to practice the social distancing advised by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to limit the spread the COVID-19.

The letter goes on to state that while it may be necessary to continue detaining individuals whove been convicted of violent crimes and pose a threat to public safety, data obtained by Syracuse University suggests that the majority of individuals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent years have no criminal conviction on record.

In the interest of public health  for these detainees, for the staff of these facilities and for the general public  we encourage you to utilize alternatives to detention for individuals who do not pose a threat to public safety, the letter states. Detainees who are elderly or who may otherwise be uniquely vulnerable to the worst effects of COVID-19 are of particular concern.

Expanding the use of alternatives to detention would provide those individuals who must remain in detention with more space, limiting the public health threat to them and to staff who work in these facilities, while allowing those who can be safely released to reside with family members, friends or hosts from local churches.

According to the leaders, alternatives to detention (ATDs) have proven highly effective in reducing the taxpayer expense of detention and assuring proper tracking of immigrants.

The leaders encouraged the DHS to partner with churches and community organizations to "ensure that individuals who are released can find safe accommodations in which to shelter in place.'"

"We pledge to encourage the many churches and ministries within our networks to provide any assistance they can," the letter asserts.

In addition to Moore and Kim, the Evangelical Immigration Table letter was signed by Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities President Shirley Hoogstra, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference President Samuel Rodriguez and Bethany Christian Services President Chris Palusky.

The letter was also signed by Scott Arbeiter, president of the evangelical refugee resettlement agency World Relief; Jo Anne Lyon, the general superintendent emerita of the Wesleyan Church; and Hyepin Im, president of Faith and Community Empowerment.

The letter doesn't state which alternatives to detention make the most sense. But Evangelical Immigration Table National Coordinator Matthew Soerens told The Christian Post that he thinks there is a "range of good options available."

"Were not arguing that these individuals should not be required to go to court, but that there are more humane, cost-effective ways to ensure their compliance that dont risk their  or others  health as this virus spreads," Soerens told CP.

In the online version of the letter, the leaders define ATDs by linking to a fact sheet produced by the pro-immigration advocacy group National Immigration Forum.

The NIF contends that ATDs are a fraction of the cost of detention while ensuring that upwards of 95 percent of individuals on ATDs attend required immigration hearings and appointments.

GPS-tracking ankle monitors are already being used as alternatives to detention for immigrants who do not pose a flight or safety risk.

Some advocates have proposed allowing non-violent immigrant detainees to take part in the Family Case Management Program, a DHS pilot program where families received caseworker support without having to wear ankle monitors.

The program offered a way for humanitarian organizations to organize efforts to supervise asylum-seeking families as they await their immigration hearings.

Through the program, case managers ensured that participants upheld their legal obligations as their cases proceed and required check-ins with ICE. The program, advocates say, achieved high levels of compliance throughout its two years with over 630 families enrolled.

However, the program was halted by the Trump administration in 2017.

ICEs formal but now terminated Family Case Management Program, for example, had compliance rates of 99 percent with immigration requirements such as court hearings and immigration appointments, at a cost of only $36 per day per family, the National Immigration Forum reported.

Soerens, who also serves as World Relief's U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy, explained that the Family Case Management Program has been more cost-effective than detention while GPS-tracking ankle bracelets have also been a "more humane option."

"They allow an individual to stay isolated within his or her home, while still ensuring that they comply with their obligations to show up for court," he explained.

"The only justification Im aware of for detaining individuals who have not been convicted of any crime ... is that they might not show up for court if not detained, but the stats do not bear out that this is a common occurrence," Soerens wrote.

Soerens cited data analyzed by the American Immigration Council to state that "more than 4 out of 5 individuals who are released have shown up for court."

"And, if they are tracked with an ankle bracelet, those who might not show up generally forfeit their case and can be quickly found," Soerens added.

In their letter, the evangelical leaders thanked the administration for already releasing some vulnerable individuals from detention facilities.

As ABC News reports, federal authorities have begun reassessing protocols to release some detained immigrants as detention centers have seen a spike in coronavirus cases.

The push for alternatives to detention gained steam in 2018 when there was widespread media coverage over the governments practice of separating immigrant families at the border.

In a statement, Hyepin Im stated that it is unconscionable to detain so many individuals, especially when there are proven alternatives available.

Arbeiter said in a statement that he recently visited a detention center where World Relief staff have long facilitated church services for detainees.

Most of those detained are either asylum seekers or are long-time residents of the U.S. awaiting a deportation hearing. Only a very small share have ever been convicted of a serious criminal offense, Arbeiter said.

These individuals, many of whom we have come to know as brothers and sisters in Christ, would not pose a public safety threat if released under supervision, but to continue to detain them  in conditions where social distancing is basically impossible  poses a public health threat to them, to the staff of these facilities and to the general public.

According to a late March report from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse of Syracuse University, about 100,000 cases were added to the immigration courts backlog since the beginning of the fiscal year 2020 with over 1.1 million cases pending before the court as of the end of February 2020.

That number, the university reports, is up from over 542,000 cases when Trump assumed office in 2017.

A TRAC report from last November stated that there were over 50,000 people in immigration detention centers on the last day of April 2019. According to the clearinghouse, 64 percent (nearly 32,000) of those detainees had no criminal conviction on record.

This is up from 10,000  or just under 40 percent of the nationwide total  four years prior, the TRAC report reads. Over the same period, the total number of detainees with criminal convictions remained consistently between a low of 16,000 in March 2015 to a high of just over 19,000 in late 2017 and early 2018.

A TRAC report from last December notes that the number of detained immigrants convicted of serious felonies has fallen from between 7,500 to 8,000 in 2017 to just above 6,000 in April 2019.

Those convicted of serious felonies have been replaced by an increasing number of detainees who have committed at most misdemeanors  what ICE labels as Level 3 offenses  such as unlawful entry or traffic-related violations, the TRAC report explains.
Unity is one of the best Azerbaijani people's features, First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva wrote on Instagram, expressing gratitude to those, who joined the blood donation campaign, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, voluntarily.

"Azerbaijani peoples being always ready to help one another by demonstrating unity and solidarity, standing the challenges and trials honestly hand-in-hand are one of our best features," she stressed.

"Voluntary joining of many Azerbaijani citizens the blood donation campaign, started by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in order to help people, who suffer from blood diseases, especially Thalassemias, shows it once more," the First Vice-President said.

"I express my gratitude to everyone, who joined the noble initiative! I wish everybody good health! May the number of good deeds increases! May the Almighty protect you!" Mehriban Aliyeva wrote.
A bevy of crocodiles showed what life at the beach without humans could be like in southwestern Mexico.

Local photographer Janitzio Ramos captured the reptiles sunbathing on the beaches of La Ventanilla, Oaxaca, which have been closed by the government for several weeks to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

The 31-year-old told Mexican media outlet Uno TV that he was strolling through the sands of the beach located off Mexico's Pacific coast when he came across the reptiles last month.

Janitzio Ramos Jacinto, a local photographer from Mexico, photographed five crocodiles at a beach in La Ventanilla, Oaxaca, in March before sharing the viral image Sunday

Ramos, who works for Lagarto Real, a local ecotourism company that operates out of the small village, took a snap the five relaxing reptiles and filed them away in his treasure drove of photographs that document his love and enthusiasm for Mother Nature.

It wasn't until Sunday that Ramos decided to shared the astonishing, viral image on his Facebook account.

'The photograph was taken on March 6. I dedicate myself to photography and many times I keep those images in my file,' he said.

Several crocodiles were spotted at a beach in Oaxaca, Mexico, in March. All beaches in Mexico remain closed under orders from the federal government as a way to combat the spread of the coronavirus

Ramos captioned the image 'one more day without humans' because he was looking to highlight 'the moment we are living.'

While other local media outlets were quick to point out that the crocodiles had invaded the beach because visitors were banned due to a nationwide shutdown imposed by the federal government, Ramos said the large reptiles are constant regulars.

'The crocodiles never came back, because they were always there.'
Obama endorses Biden as the best leader for darkest times

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden on Tuesday, giving the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a boost from the partys biggest fundraiser and one of its most popular figures.

Joe has the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery, Obama said in a 12-minute video in which he argued the coronavirus pandemic reinforced the need for better leadership.

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The endorsement marked Obamas return to presidential politics more than three years after leaving the White House. He didnt mention his successor, President Donald Trump, by name and instead sought to bridge the ideological divide among Democrats.

Obama commended Bernie Sanders, who was the leading progressive foil to Biden during the Democratic primary. The Vermont senator ended his campaign last week and threw his support behind Biden on Monday.

The former president called Sanders an American original and backed his frequent call for structural change. But he also said that while Democrats may not always agree on every detail, they must unify to defeat Republicans.

The Republicans occupying the White House and running the U.S. Senate are not interested in progress, he said. Theyre interested in power.

Sanders reiterated his support of Biden on Tuesday, saying it would be irresponsible for his own supporters not to back the former vice president.

I will do everything I can to help elect Joe, Sanders said in an interview. We had a contentious campaign. We disagree on issues. But my job now is to not only rally my supporters, but to do everything I can to bring the party together to see that (Trump) is not elected president.

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Elizabeth Warren is the only former Democratic presidential candidate who hasnt yet backed Biden. The Massachusetts senator is expected to do so soon, according to a person familiar with her plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss her thinking.

Two other prominent Democrats who have yet to publicly back Biden are former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the partys 2016 nominee. Hillary Clinton has been in regular touch with Biden, including several times since Sanders dropped out of the race, according to an aide.

Obama avoided intervening in the Democratic primary, but followed the race closely from the sidelines and is eager to take a more active public role. Hes expected to headline fundraisers for Biden and public events in key swing states, if such gatherings can still be held given social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

After his endorsement was released, Obama sent a fundraising appeal to Biden supporters, asking for donations ranging from $5 to $100.

The endorsement will test whether Obama can transfer his personal popularity to Biden. While the former president is seen favorably by a wide swath of Democratic voters, he was also a deeply polarizing figure during his two terms in office. During his presidency, Democrats lost about 1,000 legislative seats around the country, starting with disastrous 2010 midterms that also cost the party control of the House and many statehouses.

In 2018, he campaigned for some winning Senate and gubernatorial candidates, like Sen. Jacky Rosen in Nevada and Gov. Tony Evers in Wisconsin. But his influence seemed less powerful in other places such as Florida.

The Trump campaign noted that Obama tacitly discouraged Biden from running for president in 2016 and said the former president is only backing him now because everyone else has dropped out of the primary.

Now that Biden is the only candidate left in the Democrat field, Obama has no other choice but to support him, Brad Parscale, Trumps campaign manager, said in a statement.

Though Obama stayed out of the primary, Biden frequently pointed to their time together in the White House. Biden often spoke of the Obama-Biden administration when talking about various accomplishments and referred to himself as an Obama-Biden Democrat.

But he also insisted he was running as his own man, telling anyone who asked that he urged Obama not to endorse him out of the gate or even in the thick of the primary.

Obamas tenure became a sort of punching bag for some presidential hopefuls in a primary fight that early on was defined by a debate over the need for generational and systemic change versus a return to normalcy after the Trump era.

Julian Castro pushed Biden repeatedly on whether he argued with Obama privately over deportations overseen by that administration. Pete Buttigieg and Beto ORourke jabbed Biden  and by extension, Obama  by suggesting the party shouldnt return to the past. Sanders and Warren said the 2010 Affordable Care Act hadnt gone far enough.

But Biden was a staunch defender of that legislation and called it bizarre for Democrats, even faintly, to attack Obamas record.

The conversation around Obamas presidency shifted as the primary wore on. By the time voting began, Buttigieg was almost explicitly comparing his youthful bid to Obamas 2008 campaign, and progressives were framing their health care proposals as a way to build on Obamas legacy.

For his part, Biden leaned even more heavily into Obama as primary voting began. Aiming at Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist, and Bloomberg, whod been elected New York City mayor as a Republican, Biden said in a Feb. 21 interview that theyre not bad folks. Theyre just not Democrats.

Campaigning before increasingly diverse audiences in Nevada and South Carolina, Biden ramped up his recollections of when Obama tapped him for the ticket in 2008. Biden recalled Inauguration Day 2009, waiting for the train in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, for a black man to pick me up . for the two of us to be sworn in as president and vice president of the United States.

Often drawing nods and vocal affirmation from his audiences, Biden said he had thought of that day as a national victory over institutional racism. Now, in the Trump era, Biden calls that conclusion a mistake.

I thought we could defeat hate, he said, but it never goes away.
Thus, the Ukrainian side and the militants the exchange of prisoners captured in Donbas

The Ukrainian side and the militants of the so-called Luhansk Peoples Republic held the prisoner swap at eleven for four formula as the separatist mass media reported.

The prisoners exchange took place near the bridge at Schastia town.

LPR passed eleven people to Ukraines authority and received four people. Another three persons refused to go to Luhansk in the process of the exchange; the eighth potential partaker of the swap refused earlier, so-called head of the task group on prisoners exchange of LPR Olga Kobtseva said.

Ukraines Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmyla Denisova confirmed that 11 people were released on Telegram. Particularly, Vitaliy Zheldak, he was convicted by Supreme Court of LPR and was illegally kept in Slovyanoserbska penal colony in Luhansk region.

Oleksandr Tabachny, disabled and veteran of Interior Ministry of Ukraine. He was captivated in 2019 and was kept in Luhansk remand center.

A released woman  Alevtyna Popova was illegally kept in the penal colony since 2018. She was convicted by the so-called LPR court for state treason.

Serhiy Rusynov is the youngest Ukrainian citizen who returned from the captivity. He was detained in 2018 for urges for integrity of Ukraine and condemnation of activity of illegal armed formation of so-called LPR on the social networks. He was sentenced to imprisonment and serving his sentence at Slovyanoserbska penal colony in Luhansk region.

Today, Ukraine and militants of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions hold the prisoner swap. 19 people had to be returned to Ukraine.

As we reported, militants of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic have handed over nine people to Ukraine as part of today's exchange near Horlivka and Mayorsk checkpoint.
Hollywood heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro have an offer a fan can't refuse - to get a walk-on role in their upcoming film, "Killers of the Flower Moon", in exchange for donations going to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is based on David Grann's historical book of the same name.

"Killers..." is set in 1920s Oklahoma and centres around the Osage Nation murders, in which members of the Native American tribe were murdered one by one after the group became rich off the oil found underneath their land.

In an Instagram video on Wednesday, DiCaprio urged people to donate to America's Food Fund as part of the 'All In Challenge'.

The fund, which the actor launched with entrepreneur Lorraine Jobs, is set up to help ensure that every family in need gets access to food at this critical time.

Those who donate will get a chance to star in "Killers...", spend a day on the set and go to the premiere of the film, he said.

"If you've ever wondered what it's like to be able to work with the great @martinscorsese_, Robert De Niro and myself, this is your chance. Robert and I are going to be starring in a new movie called 'Killers of the Flower Moon', directed by Martin Scorsese.

"We want to offer you a walk-on role, the opportunity to spend the day on the set with the three of us, and attend the premiere," the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star captioned the video.

De Niro said that donations at http://www.allinchallenge.com will go to Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry and America's Food Fund.

While DiCaprio tagged his "Wolf of Wall Street" co-star Matthew McConaughey and popular TV host Ellen DeGeneres to accept the challenge, De Niro reached out to "Mercy" star Jamie Foxx to drive the initiative forward.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Students have often been a driving force for numerous important social and cultural events for over a hundred years. They were asking essential questions about what is wrong with the current state of society, raising their voice for the voiceless, or even trying to prevent ongoing wars.

The 21st century alone is full of student demonstrations that engaged the whole world to think about human rights, racism, democracy, and many other issues that were not even present in the public sphere. Women's rights and LGBTQIA rights were something that did not even exist just a few decades back for most of the world. Here are just some of the examples that showed the importance of critical mass, such as student activists certainly are.

School Strike In Poland

In one catholic school located in the town of Wrzesnia, students protested after the Germans announced how all classes about religion would be taught in the German language.

In 1901, parts of Poland were annexed by Germany. In one catholic school located in the town of Wrzesnia, students protested after the Germans announced how all classes about religion would be taught in the German language. What started as an initiative from a 100 brave students, turned into massive crowd protests that lasted for three years.

Anti-Establishment Protests At UCLA

The 1930s in the United States of America, and especially in the West Coast, were symbolized by a discourse against communism, which caused the so-called red scare. Image credit: Michael Gordon / Shutterstock.com

The 1930s in the United States of America, and especially in the West Coast, were symbolized by a discourse against communism, which caused the so-called red scare. When five students got suspended because they allegedly formed communist affiliations. In 1934, more than 3000 students from UCLA protested on the streets of Los Angeles.

The White Rose Society

Hans and Sophie Scholl, c. 1940. Members of the founding group. Image credit: britannica.com

In 1942, while the Nazi regime was slowly but surely devastating, not only Germany but the whole world, students from the University of Munich decided they will not stand in the shadows. They printed and shared fliers and information about Hitlers wrongdoings, trying to stay under the radar of the Gestapo. Unfortunately, most of the students were caught and put in jail, with many of them being sentenced to death.

Vietnam War Protests

Across the whole of the United States of America, in the mid-1960s, students raised their voices against the war happening in Vietnam. Image credit: pbs.org

Across the whole of the United States of America, in the mid-1960s, students raised their voices against the war happening in Vietnam. Demonstrations first started in 1965, at Michigans University, after which the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) spread to other cities in the US.

Soweto Youth Uprising

Horrific events that happened in 1976 marked a tipping point against the South African struggles against apartheid. Image credit: laranik / Shutterstock.com

Horrific events that happened in 1976 marked a tipping point against the South African struggles against apartheid. On June 16, inspired by the Black Consciousness Movement, a group of students demanded that Afrikaans becomes the official language in schools. The response from the police was rapid and violent, and it is estimated that close to 700 people were gunned down that day.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square. Beijing, China. May 04, 2017 Image credit: Ablakat / Shutterstock.com

Arguably the most famous photo that shows how it looks when people stand up against something comes from the Tiananmen Square in China as students started occupying the square after the death of Hu Yaobang, to pay their respects.

Occupation grew into massive demonstrations against the government that lasted more than six weeks. A man stood in front of a tank on May 20, 1989, because the Chinese government declared martial law, and it gave a green light on military action against the students. Hundreds, if not even thousands of people were killed that day by the military.

Black Lives Matter

After Trayvon Martins killer was released in 2013, high-school students started to protest against this crime. Image credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

After Trayvon Martins killer was released in 2013, high-school students started to protest against this crime. Black Lives Matter movement grew into something much bigger, and engaged student activists from all over the world, raising their voice against racism.

Jadavpur University #Hokkolorob

In 2014, a female student at Jadavpur University in Calcutta was molested, and it immediately prompted a response from all students that the authorities need to investigate the crime.Image credit: qz.com

In 2014, a female student at Jadavpur University in Calcutta was molested, and it immediately prompted a response from all students that the authorities need to investigate the crime. After that did not happen, they technically took over the university, not letting the officials leave.

The police responded violently and molested some of the female students again. However, that only triggered four-month-long demonstrations in which the students decided to starve themselves to death. Finally, the vice-chancellor held responsible resigned.

#MeToo

The #MeToo movement spread across the world to raise awareness of the presence of sexual harassment in every part of our society.

Engaging millions of people with a meaningful hashtag on social networks never proved to be more potent of a weapon than now. In 2017, the #MeToo movement spread across the world to raise awareness of the presence of sexual harassment in every part of our society.

March For Our Lives

March for Our Lives demonstration, protesting gun violence. Image credit: Rob Crandall / Shutterstock.com

In 2018, seventeen students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were killed by a mass shooter. One of the survivors, Emma Gonzalez, shared her story with the world and sparked a nationwide movement that demanded more strict gun control laws.

On March 24, just seven weeks after the horrific events in one of Parklands high schools, more than a million people marched across the United States of America under the rally known as March For Our Lives.
Chennai, April 16 : DMK-led opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Thursday urged the state government to provide Rs 1 crore as financial relief to the families of those who died due to Covid-19.

The parties also asked the state government to increase the compensation amount to Rs 1 crore for the families of medical professionals deployed in treating Covid-19 patients and others who work to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

With the state government denying permission to hold the meeting at DMK headquarters on Wednesday, the all-party meeting was held through video conferencing.

The DMK alliance parties like Congress, VCK, Left parties, MDMK and others participated in the meeting.

The resolutions passed at the meeting are: -Urging the state and central governments to procure the coronavirus test kits and other medical equipment, increase the bed strength;

-Distribute Rs 5,000 to all ration card holders in the state as relief;

-The central government should allocate Rs 15,000 crore asked by the Tamil Nadu government for relief measures

-Quickly formulate the scheme for relief and economic welfare.
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Linkedin Shaun Tandon (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Thu, April 16, 2020 08:08 636 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2259bb 2 World Donald-Trump,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,WHO,funding Free

With his brash move to stop funding the World Health Organization in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump may score points at home but is handing an opportunity that China is delighted to exploit.

Critics say Trump is eager to find a scapegoat as thousands of Americans die from COVID-19, even if there is broad agreement in Washington that the WHO was too eager to please China when the virus first emerged in the metropolis of Wuhan.

Trump, who has fiercely criticized UN agencies and foreign aid as part of his "America First" philosophy, said Tuesday that the United States was freezing funding to the WHO for "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread" of the virus that has sickened more than two million people.

The move came just as the United States was rejoicing that its criticism of China was gaining ground, with several countries questioning China's made-for-cameras deliveries of medical supplies, France summoning Beijing's ambassador and African nations furious over Chinese discrimination against their nationals.

China -- which offers a sliver of the more than $400 million sent to the WHO each year by Washington -- said it was "seriously concerned" that the US aid cut would weaken international cooperation, while a senior Russian official called Washington "selfish."

Brett Schaefer, a senior research fellow at Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that is usually supportive of Trump, agreed with criticism of the WHO response but said the United States had bungled the message.

The United States has already delivered most of this year's WHO contribution, so Trump's announcement makes other countries believe falsely that the decision will have a major impact, Schaefer said.

"There has been a great deal of frustration and anger expressed by a number of different countries about China's response and its role in the spread of COVID-19 around the world, and I think the president's decision diverts attention from that issue onto the decision of the United States," he said.

Schaefer said that the United States would have been better served by conditioning future WHO aid on an investigation into its COVID-19 response, as well as highlighting the $500 million in bilateral aid the United States has already promised over the virus.

'Self-inflicted wound'

The Trump administration accuses the WHO and its leader, Ethiopian doctor turned diplomat Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, of failing to challenge China's initial assertions that the virus was transmitted between humans. Tedros flew to Beijing in late January and praised China as transparent.

But Trump himself had initially praised China in similar terms and in January said his administration had the virus "totally under control." Since then, COVID-19 has killed more than 25,000 people in the United States.

Derek Chollet, executive vice president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, called the WHO announcement a "self-inflicted wound" that symbolically showed the United States stepping back from its historic leadership role.

"And to the extent that the world has been paying attention to the US's own response, the US is not looking like an ally that can be relied upon," said Chollet, who served in former president Barack Obama's administration.

"Obviously this is an attempt to try to blame China for this. It could end up playing to the Chinese advantage as they use it to make a case to the world that the US is the problem," he said.

'Cutting off ammunition'

But Chollet said it was too early to see if China's efforts would succeed and said that US allies were accustomed to Washington feuds over funding -- in which Congress can reverse course.

Senator Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the subcommittee in charge of State Department funding, said Trump was essentially "cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in."

"Not wanting to take responsibility as the deaths continue to mount, he blames others," Leahy said.

"WHO could have been more forceful with China and declared a global health emergency sooner, but it is performing an essential function and needs our strong support."

Public health advocates also widely condemned the move. Bill Gates, the Microsoft billionaire who is one of the WHO's largest private funders, said that the world needed the UN body "now more than ever."

"Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them," Gates said.

But Trump, who is gearing up for November elections, enjoyed favorable coverage in conservative media and on the right of his Republican Party.

"Good. If the WHO wants to keep getting money from American taxpayers, it shouldn't be carrying water for the Chinese Communist Party," tweeted Representative Mark Green of Tennessee.
The crisis that Irelands nursing homes, which accommodate in the region of 25,000 residents, are facing has played out in worryingly familiar circumstances.

Care homes across the globe have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in Italy and Spain.

However, while the preparation and performance of the oft-criticised Irish acute health system in the face of the coronavirus storm has been reasonably accomplished, the same cannot be said for the measures put in place in institutions in which some of the countrys most vulnerable citizens reside.

While the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been publishing daily statistical updates regarding the prevalence of the virus in an Irish context since last month, it is only since the beginning of April that data on nursing homes has been made available.

There are currently at least 236 clusters (a cluster being two or more cases in one place), more than half the number recorded nationwide, in nursing homes and other institutions here, a figure that has grown exponentially since the beginning of April.

In more stark terms, some 245 of the 444 deaths (the figure is 290 when other institutions are accounted for) recorded to date have been in nursing homes or as a referral from same.

That figure, recorded on Wednesday of this week, rose from 156 the previous Friday (the first occasion on which the Department of Health offered a figure for the toll in residential institutions)  a jump of 57% in just five days.

In terms of how the statistics have evolved, on March 30, three weeks after Nursing Homes Ireland advised its members to place a lockdown on all visitors, the number of clusters in Irish nursing homes was just 29, generally on par with the number noted in private homes.

Over the following fortnight, that figure ballooned five times in size to 155.

Over the same time period, the numbers in residential institutions and step-down facilities/community hospitals jumped more than six times from 13 to 81.

The single worst day was April 4, when 19 new nursing home clusters were uncovered in the east and north-east of the country  two of the three worst-hit regions along with the west of Ireland.

However, after a bruising period where never less than seven clusters were noted in care home settings on any one day, things have finally started to settle to an extent.

On April 12 just two new cases were noted. The following day the number was four.

Meanwhile, residential institutions held steady on 58 clusters on the same date  the first time that daily number has remained unchanged since the HPSC began producing the figures.

All of which would indicate that the isolation measures in place, coupled with a change in HSE testing protocols for care homes, are  belatedly  starting to have the desired effect.
You can listen to the latest episode at this link, or on your favorite app including Alexa, Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Subscribe/follow and rate the podcast via your favorite app.

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | April 16, 2020

A bill aimed at reopening businesses in Pennsylvania is set to be vetoed by the governor. Meanwhile the state health department reports that half of the COVID-19 deaths in the commonwealth are from long term care facilities like nursing homes. State prisons begin temporarily releasing inmates and one school district could have its first school named after a woman -- and shes pretty darn awesome.

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Julia Hatmaker. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories in the state.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

Special thanks to Apple Podcast listener agaliardi8104 for leaving Today in Pa. a review. Heres what they wrote:

Bite-Size News from a Reliable Journalist! This podcast is an awesome way to get local news fast. I literally listen to it each morning as I brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair and by the time Im done with that, Ive had my fill of great news stories. Julia Hatmaker does an excellent job of bringing out the highlights in the news, offering uplifting stories alongside the more dreary news, and doing all of this with a lot of integrity. Throughout the podcast, you can hear how getting each story right, and presenting it in a fair, unbiased way is important to her. There is so much value to having access to this kind of reliable journalism! Highly recommend!!"

If you enjoy Today in Pa, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, we like to know what you think of the program.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
"Patient 52" (L) and a doctor hold a health certificate at the No.2 Hospital in Quang Ninh Province, April 16, 2020. Photo courtesy of the hospital.

Six coronavirus patients in Quang Ninh, Ha Nam and Ninh Binh provinces were confirmed recovered Thursday, bringing down Vietnams active cases to 91.

Two of them, "Patient 52" and "Patient 149," had entered Vietnam from abroad and treated at the No.2 Hospital in Quang Ninh.

"Patient 52" is a 24-year-old woman from Quang Ninh's Ha Long Town. She had flown in from the U.K. to Vietnam on March 9 and confirmed positive with the novel coronavirus on March 14.

"Patient 149" is a 40-year-old man who lives in Hanoi's Long Bien District. He flew from Germany to Vietnam on March 23 and was confirmed positive on March 26.

Three others, "Patient 168," "Patient 188" and "Patient 231," are employees of the Truong Sinh Company, which provides food and logistics services for several hospitals in Hanoi, including the Bach Mai Hospital, a major Covid-19 hotspot. They were treated at the Ha Nam General Hospital.

"Patient 168" is a 35-year-old woman who was confirmed positive on March 28.

"Patient 188" is a 40-year-old woman in Hanoi's Chuong My District who was confirmed positive on March 29.

"Patient 231" is a 57-year-old woman from the northern province of Bac Kan who was confirmed positive on March 4.

The Ninh Binh General Hospital announced Thursday that one of its Covid-19 patients has recovered. Though the patient has tested negative four times, the patient would continue to be monitored at the hospital in the context of some other patients having tested positive after testing negative several times, said Vu Manh Duong, director of the Ninh Binh Health Department.

Vietnam has confirmed 268 Covid-19 cases so far and discharged 177 from hospitals.
The state of Wyoming has selected Timothy Walsh, a longtime state employee, as its new Information Security Officer.The top cybersecurity spot was previously occupied by Arlen Fletcher, who served with the state's IT agency, the department of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS), from October of 2017 through November of 2019 Walsh, who replaced Fletcher in January, previously worked as a network and security supervisor for the ETS for nearly 12 years, according to his LinkedIn profile In that role, Walsh was the supervisor of a security team that performed the "management, maintenance and administration" of the agency's firewall services, VPN services, intrusion detection systems and network vulnerability assessment systems. In this role, he frequently worked directly with the CISO.For Walsh, it's been a hectic start to the job, as the COVID-19 virus has forced the state's government to go mostly remote. As is the case for many other governments across the country , this has presented Wyoming's cybersecurity staff with an assortment of new challenges. He said that over the past several weeks he's been focused mostly on making sure that staff migrating to telecommuting setups have been properly equipped and secured."Coming into the new position, I've had all these ideas and things I want to get implemented, but all of that has been put on hold for the time being," he said. "For now it's a matter of stepping back, making sure everybody's secure, and that they can work and as things start going back to normal we'll be able think about pushing new initiatives."Walsh toldthat among the things he wants to accomplish, growing Wyoming's government cyberworkforce retention is a big one."I definitely want to promote within and encourage people within the state to pursue and take these jobs," he said. "Overall I'm excited to take this job. It's a great opportunity to protect the people of Wyoming."
The Paulowina trees on the Place dItalie are in bloom, and they smell AMAZING without all of the cars stinking up the place. Fun fact of the day (which Im sure residents can already guess): Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), produced mainly by vehicles and thermal power plants, have fallen by 54% in Paris during confinement according to maps published by the European Space Agency.

The Latest News

Today the French news shows are preoccupied with questions of what will happen when May 11 rolls around and the logistics of coming out of confinement. Will we all be required to wear masks? What about kids in school? Will those going back to work be guaranteed safe conditions? Will the elderly be required to stay in confinement and if yes, what age is considered elderly? Will France limit travel to countries hit hard by the pandemic such as Spain or Italy? This last one concerns me the most because I still havent cancelled my June trip to Venice and Florence. My friends and I are trying to remain optimistic, but Im pretty much resigned to the idea that well have to postpone it, even if France is open and running at that point. I think this is just how were going to be looking forward for awhile  indefinitely?  after todays announcement that despite the 17,920 deaths due to coronavirus in France, at least the number of people hospitalized and the number of those patients on life support are still going down each day.

How to Make Authentic Cafe Creme at Home

David Lebovitz continued his daily 6pm (Paris time, CET) with an interview with coffee expert David Flynn of Belleville Brulerie in Paris, on making cafe creme and cafe au lait. There is also a ton of geeky coffee tips (like ground coffee grain size). You can see the replay for 24 hours on his Instagram Stories.

Free Artisan Coffee Delivery

Belleville Brulerie is also shipping their artisan coffee free throughout France during the Covid-9 lockdown, and for every purchase of a bag of their special Assemblage Petits Soins blend they will donate a bag to Paris hospitals.

Why is it Hard to Find Flour?

One of the few things thats not always easy to find in French supermarkets is regular flour. There are a few reasons for this, which you can learn about in this Spotlight on France podcast in English from Radio France International. The hosts also discuss how the pandemic has highlighted inequalities in the French healthcare system, and the origins of the word for French suburbs, banlieu.

Parisian Restaurants Helping Soup Kitchens

Producers, distributors and restaurateurs founded a collective, Les Ravitailleurs, in order to provide thousands of meals a day in Ile-de-France to four soup kitchens, including Restos du Coeur and Secours Populaire, during the health crisis. If youre a restaurant owner, producer or distributor who wants to participate, check out their website. They are not (yet) accepting donations from the public but if youre interested, go ahead and give them your email info to be informed when they do: https://www.lesravitailleurs.org/

Navigo Pass Reimbursements

The president of the Ile-de-France region, Valerie Pecresse, has announced an additional reimbursement of 25 for annual and monthly Navigo transport subscriptions, covering the period from the beginning of May, in addition to the reimbursement of April subscriptions, for 100 total in reimbursement per subscriber since the start of the lockdown in the Ile-de-France. The RATP will be scraping the budget barrel in 2020, since this comes right on the heels of the reimbursements they made in January for the strikes that crippled public transportation in December.

The Paris Challenge

How well do you know Pariss metro stations and popular places? This timed quiz by My Little Paris is fun to play to test yourself. When you start, just choose Mission 1: Stations de Metro or Mission 2: Lieux Iconiques and youll see the name of the place on the bottom left appear, click where you think it is on the map. Points are calculated by distance as well as speed. I havent been able to get more than 15,000 yet on the metro challenge and 14,500 on the iconic places, but Ive always been close to the mark except for La Badaboum (totally wrong arrondissement!). Have fun playing!

Stay healthy, stay inside!  Heather
CANFIELD, Ohio  4-H members in Mahoning County are doing what they can from home to make a positive impact on the COVID-19 crisis. They have partnered with county commissioners, the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown and JOANN to make face masks for the countys essential medical workers.

Face mask patterns, best practices when making masks and drop off locations were shared by the League of Women Voters to help 4-H members in this project. JOANNs has kits available for mask making and serves as a drop off location.

Once 4-H members started making masks and donating them, some medical centers found out and have reached out to members directly to ask for more masks.

Community service is a large part of 4-H, beginning with pledging hands to larger service. Mahoning County 4-Hers have already donated hundreds of masks and are still making them. This has allowed the countys youth to be part of the action right from home.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - April 16, 2020 - Lodge Resources Inc. (CSE: LDG) (FSE: 3WU) ("Lodge" or the "Company") announces that it today completed (the "Closing") the acquisition of all of the shares of 1132144 British Columbia Ltd., the parent company of Lower 48 Resources Ltd. and indirectly Lower 48 Resources (Idaho) LLC (collectively, "Lower 48"), which recently acquired the Lemhi Gold Project located in Lemhi County, Idaho, USA (the "Lemhi Project").

In connection with the acquisition, Lodge issued 33,740,000 common shares to the shareholders of Lower 48 in exchange for the common shares of Lower 48 on a one for one basis. The Lodge shares are subject to a voluntary release schedule with 17.5% of the shares released on Closing, 22.5% to be released six months after Closing, 30% to be released nine months after Closing, and the balance to be released twelve months after Closing. A finder's fee of 3,500,000 Lodge shares has been issued to Sub C Holdings Ltd. of Surrey, BC, which are subject to the statutory hold of 4 months plus one day from the Closing.

As a post-closing condition of the acquisition, Lodge has agreed to complete a financing of a minimum of $3,500,000, with proceeds to fund exploration on the Lehmi Project and for working capital.

The Lemhi Project located in the prolific Salmon, Idaho region is comprised of 99 unpatented claims and 11 patented claims subject to certain existing encumbrances, which have over 10,000 meters of historic drilling. Of the 99 unpatented claims, 53 are owned directly by Lower 48 and 46 claims (the "Optioned Claims") are held subject to an option agreement with BHLK-2 LLC ("BHLK"). Lower 48 has the right to earn a 100% interest in the claims subject to the Option Agreement upon making an aggregate of $1,000,000 in payments to BHLK over a seven year period. Upon earning a 100% interest in the Optioned Claims, BHLK will be granted a 2% net smelter return royalty.

Lodge in the coming months will be completing its work program on its Comstock Property, located outside of Merritt, British Columbia in the Nicola Mining District. The Lemhi Project will significantly expand the Company's gold exploration portfolio and there are plans for a work program on the Project this year.

Lodge is pleased to announce that following the acquisition, Mr. Simon Marcotte of Toronto, Ontario, was appointed as the sole director of the Lower 48 companies. Mr. Marcotte has over 20 years of capital market experience. He was a partner of Cormark Securities for four years in institutional equity sales and also sat on their board of directors. Prior to that, Mr. Marcotte was a Director for CIBC World Markets in Montreal for eight years. He holds a B.A.A. from Sherbrooke University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is currently a Director of Arena Minerals and has been involved, either as a director or an officer, with Mason Graphite, Belo Sun Mining, Alderon Iron Ore, Copper One and others.

The Company is conducting a non-brokered private placement of up to 2,300,000 units ("Units") at $0.35 each, for gross proceeds of up to $805,000. Each Unit consists of one common share and one common share warrant exercisable for 12 months at $0.50 per share. There is to be a finder's fee to qualified finders of 6% in cash and 6% in Units, with proceeds of the offering to be for working capital.

Lodge further announces that it has engaged 2686362 Ontario Corporation and, MIDAM Ventures LLC of Coral Gables, Florida, for marketing services.

The Company's shares are now listed for trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under symbol "3WU".

About the Company:

The Company is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and the USA.

For further information, please contact Howard Milne, Chief Executive Officer of Lodge, at (604) 377-8994, hdmcap@shaw.ca

Forward Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, which may include, but are not limited to statements relating to its future business plans. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law.

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54535
As the world struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic through lockdowns and social distancing, a new test developed by Stanford University could hold the key to helping life return to normal sooner.

Unlike most current diagnostic tests for COVID-19, which are aimed at detecting the presence of the virus itself, the test developed by the California university looks for protective antibodies against the novel coronavirus.

By analyzing plasma, the liquid in blood, the test will be able "to provide information about a person's immune response to an infection," according to a statement by Stanford University.

This means that anyone shown to have a certain level of immunity to the virus could potentially be cleared to return to work, limiting the need for widespread lockdowns.



The university began offering the test on April 6 and is now testing 500 samples per day, with health care workers and others in the hospital setting being prioritized for taking the test.

"The test will enable us to determine which health care workers might be at low risk for working with COVID-19 patients, as well as understanding disease prevalence in our communities," Lisa Kim, a spokesperson for the School of Medicine at Stanford University, told the Nikkei Asian Review.

Tests like this one -- known as serological tests -- work by measuring the amount of antibodies or proteins present in the blood when the body is responding to a specific infection like COVID-19.

However, the purpose of most existing COVID-19 diagnostics, including some fast antibody test kits, is to determine if the person being tested is currently infected with coronavirus.

Because the new Stanford test is able to detect who has or had the virus in the past, it could also able to tell whether, and for how long, someone might carry antibodies that could protect them from re-infection.

"Understanding the immune response to the virus could also help inform when it is safe for individuals to return to normal activity," the Stanford research team that led the test development said in a statement.

As promising as the new antibody test sounds, however, the method is not perfect because a person whose blood contains coronavirus antibodies could still be sick, contagious or both.

The World Health Organization said on Monday that it is unclear whether patients who have recovered from COVID-19 are immune to further infection as they may not develop sufficient antibodies to resist the virus the next time it enters their body.

"This [antibody test] isn't a perfect tool, but it's one tool that I suspect we'll use to help devise protocols for unwinding shelter-in-place orders," said Thomas Montine, Ph.D. professor and chair of pathology at Stanford School of Medicine.

Despite warnings from public health experts about the need for further study in the area, officials and economists are pinning their hopes on such tests to be able to reopen the economy.

Blood tests for antibodies to the novel coronavirus will be foundational and fundamental for sending Californians back to work, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press briefing last week, highlighting the latest development at Stanford.

Newsom is far from alone in his optimism.

If 60% of the U.S. working population could be given quick serology tests by the end of April and 95% by the end of May, around 90 million sidelined workers could return to the workplace as early as mid-May, according to a report published by Citi.

"We believe antibody testing will be the key to getting the economy back up and running," said Andrew Baum, the lead author of the report.

Serological tests can help identify individuals who have overcome infection in the past and have developed an immune response, but more importantly, "this may potentially be used to help determine ... that such individuals are no longer susceptible to infection and can return to work," said a statement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"We're working to bring blood-based serology tests to the market as quickly as possible so that Americans can determine whether or not they have already had the virus and potentially have immunity," President Donald Trump said in a press briefing last Friday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading medical expert on the White House coronavirus task force and director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Disease, has said mass antibody testing could be a key factor in reopening the U.S., though he also stressed the need for caution.

"I know people are anxious to say, 'Well, we'll give you a passport that says you're antibody-positive, you can go to work and you're protected'," said Fauci in a TV interview on April 10. "But the worst possibility that would happen is if we're actually wrong about that."

Fauci cautioned that most of the tests on the market, which are generally aimed at determining current infection, have not been proven to be reliable and noted that some countries have bought millions of antibody tests only to learn they did not work.

The questionable accuracy and quality control of existing antibody test kits have been a headache for countries that have been banking on large-scale serological tests in fighting COVID-19.

Malaysia's health ministry director-general Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said it has decided to purchase test kits from South Korea instead of China to avoid what happened to Spain, which had bought over 3,000 rapid test kits from China but is now not using them "due to the lower accuracy rate," according to local media reports.

Georgia has canceled its contract with the Chinese company which supplied those kits to Spain.

The uncertainty and variety of the quality of commercial serological tests now being developed around the world is one of the reason that drives Stanford University to build its own test kit.

"We thought this was an urgent medical need, and the usual supply chains were unreliable, so we decided to build our own," Montine said.

"We're currently limited by the number of robots we have to run the test. ... Ultimately, we aspire to provide serological testing to as many people in Northern California as we can," he added.
MIDDLEBURGH  A Schoharie County man accused of repeatedly punching one woman in the face and grabbing another around the throat when she tried to intervene last week was arrested Monday on several charges, State Police said Thursday.

Troopers in Cobleskill charged Cody C. Ganson, 20, of Middleburgh with criminal mischief, obstruction of breathing, obstruction of governmental administration, two counts of assault and two counts of menacing, all misdemeanors. He was also charged with disorderly conduct, a violation.
Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (29)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delivered food to Los Angeles residents living with critical illnesses, it has been revealed.

The couple, who moved to the city last month, volunteered with charity Project Angel Food on Easter Sunday and returned on Wednesday to drop-off non-perishable meals to 20 more vulnerable people in the city.

Speaking to ET Online, Project Angel Food's executive director Richard Ayoub told how the couple contacted the charity after learning its drivers are 'overloaded' needed more support as they try and feed people during quarantine.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delivered food to Los Angeles residents living with critical illnesses, it has been revealed. Pictured, the couple on a royal tour last year

'They told us they heard our drivers were overloaded and wanted to volunteer to lighten the drivers' workload,' Mr Ayoub said.

He explained the couple followed strict social distancing guidelines, wearing masks and gloves while keeping 6ft or more apart from any members of the public.

Project Angel Food serves 1600 meals a day, which will now rise to 2000 during the coronavirus crisis, ensuring some of those most at risk are fed.

It is thought to be the first charity publicly supported by Harry and Meghan since their move to California from Canada. The couple are now in quarantine with their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, who turns one next month.

The couple volunteered with local charity Project Angel Food on Easter Sunday and returned on Wednesday to drop-off non-perishable meals to 20 more vulnerable people in the city. Pictured, Meghan at the Hubb Community Kitchen in London in November 2018

Yesterday it also emerged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had donated 90,000 to British charity Feeding Britain to support efforts to keep vulnerable populations fed during lockdown.

The couple announced they are launching a new charitable foundation named Archewell this month.

They said they 'look forward' to getting started with the Archewell foundation, which will replace their Sussex Royal brand.

The pair also have plans to include their own charity as well as a website, as part of their new venture.
The Centre has given its nod for the running of two special trains to be deployed for the Indian Army personnel citing national security consideration, according to officials aware of the development.

Two special trains are scheduled to run on Friday and Saturday (April 17 and 18).

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the running of two special trains for security forces, the officials said. The MHA authorities have given their nod for deploying two special trains for security forces, a senior official said requesting anonymity.

Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage

To meet the operational requirements for Northern and Eastern borders, two military special trains are planned to be run. These are: Bangalore - Belgaum- Secunderabad - Ambala- Jammu on 17 April 20. And Bangalore - Belgaum- Secunderabad - Gopalpur - Howrah - NJP - Guwahati on 18 April 20, the official said.

This will enable decongestion of Category A and B training establishments at Bangalore, Belgaum, Secundrabad & Gopalpur as well assist in op preparedness of active formations deployed in the borders. Only personnel due to rejoin units deployed in northern and eastern borders and have undergone mandatory Quarantine period/ found medically fit will be accommodated. Further coordination with Ministry of Railways is in progress for planning additional trains in coming weeks.he added.

Hundreds of soldiers, who have finished their training at key centres such as Bengaluru, Secunderabad, Gopalpur and Belgaum, need to be moved for their deployment.

Only personnel due to rejoin units deployed in northern and eastern borders and have undergone mandatory quarantine period/found medically fit will be accommodated. Further coordination with the Ministry of Railways is in progress for planning additional trains in coming weeks, the official said.

All passenger train services and domestic and international flights have been suspended since the nationwide 21-day lockdown came into effect from March 25 and further extended by another 19 days till May 3 to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

The Indian Railways is only running freight and parcel trains for an uninterrupted supply of essential goods.
The study will identify potential biomarker candidates to predict progression from non-severe to severe COVID-19 conditions

The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), will support exploration of metabolomics alteration in COVID-19 infected patients conducted by IIT Bombay in collaboration with some hospitals in Mumbai.

The study will identify potential biomarker candidates to predict progression from non-severe to severe COVID-19 conditions. Search for potential diagnostic candidates will involve metabolite profiling of different patient groups with various complications.Metabolites are small biomolecules, capable of regulating various pathways in all the living-organisms.

Dr. Sanjeeva Srivastava, Professor at IIT Bombay, with the expertise of using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based technologies, has teamed up with Dr. Om Shrivastav, Director, Infectious Diseases, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai and Dr. Jayanthi S. Shastri, Professor & Head (Microbiology) T N Medical College & Nair Hospital and Dr. Mala Vinod Kaneria, Infectious Disease Specialist at Kasturba, Nair &Jaslok Hospitals, for this research.

An advanced mass spectrometry-based national facility equipped with hybrid and tribrid mass spectrometers will facilitate the analysis of nasopharyngeal swab andplasmasamples. A team of over 20 researchers having expertise in handling a large number of different types of human biospecimens for proteomics and metabolomics investigations will work on it.

This is a very interesting approach to differentiate between the mild and severe cases of COVID-19 based on the determination of biomarkers fromdetailed metabolome or proteome investigations. If successful, it could help both in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, said Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.

The study will include COVID-19 confirmed patients with mild and typical respiratory tract symptoms as non-severe group and patients with respiratory distress or multi-organ failure as severe groups. Patients with flu symptoms and RT-PCR negative will serve as controls.

The comparison of metabolomics between these groups in terms of severity with the help ofthe patients plasma and swab samples will be a novel approach to understand the progression of infection and also assess changes in the metabolite profile of the host. By identifying potential markers to distinguish the patients based on severity,the study can help find novel targets for therapy.

A number of research groups are working globally on COVID-19 problem, and most of these studies have been restricted to cell-line based investigation. However, detailed metabolome or proteome investigation of COVID-19+ patient clinical samples needs to be done to provide novel cues of COVID-19 severity.

Investigation of different patient groups having mild to severe symptoms will provide early cues to identify an asymptomatic group of patients and understandinginfection mechanism and the difference between severe cases of COVID-19 from non-severe ones in terms of biological pathways. This might be helpful for future therapeutic interventions.
Terry Smith, a 65-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD, multiple health issues and a history of homelessness, spent nearly three years in San Francisco County Jail awaiting trial on a burglary charge. The final several weeks were served in the full flush of a burgeoning viral pandemic.

He considers himself lucky.

"I'm out, and I had a place to go," Smith said in a telephone interview with Kaiser Health News from the halfway house where he lives. "If you're in there, you're just in a breeding ground for infection  and this coronavirus is no game."

In fact, the jail where Smith was held has profoundly thinned its population, part of a dramatic release of inmates from California prisons and jails aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, which can race through institutional populations with deadly impact.

Outbreaks have already been reported in lockups across the country, and more are expected.

Governments and jail and prison officials are releasing thousands of inmates, crediting time served in plea deals or granting early release to nonviolent offenders with short terms remaining on their sentences.

In California, attorneys representing prisoners appealed to Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve targeted releases of older inmates and those with chronic medical conditions. The state announced March 31 that it would grant early releases to 3,500 prisoners, 3% of its prison population, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. By that time, COVID-19 cases had been documented at 10 of its 35 prisons. Counties also are releasing some of their 67,000 or so jail inmates.

In Michigan and Colorado, governors signed orders allowing for early releases of vulnerable inmates. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered the state's corrections department to compile a list of those eligible for a commutation of sentence. U.S. Attorney General William Barr, meanwhile, directed the Bureau of Prisons to use home confinement measures to release vulnerable people from federal facilities in Louisiana, Ohio and Connecticut that have been buffeted by the coronavirus.

There is, however, no universal policy or process. Governors in Texas and Arizona have either denied or hampered efforts to enact early releases. Florida and Wisconsin officials announced they would no longer accept new inmates at state prisons but said nothing about releases, thus transferring the problem to city and county jails.

Jails and prisons alike confine people too closely to follow guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"You cannot practice safe distancing in that situation," said Mano Raju, San Francisco's public defender. "The pandemic must be factored in. The conditions most people in the jails are living in is bunk beds. You cannot control your own hygiene in those conditions."

"We pass each other all the time, and you stand in lines, and you go to the TV room where you're sitting right next to a bunch of people," said Smith, the released inmate. "The young guys think they're not gonna get it. The tough guys think they'll muscle through it. They're laughing and joking about it, you know?"

But if the experience in San Francisco is an indicationit hasn't recorded a single inmate infected with COVID-19  progress is possible. Officials and criminal justice advocates agree that population density behind bars can be reduced.

Raju's office has led a painstaking, case-by-case effort to gain emergency releases for prisoners who fall within the CDC's defined at-risk category: age 60 and older or suffering from an underlying medical condition. Raju also asked San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto to release all those in the county jail system with six months or less remaining on their sentences; Miyamoto responded, in part, that he was working on releasing those with 60 or fewer days remaining.

Some inmates are being sprung with time served; some go into diversion programs or wear ankle monitors as they finish their terms under home confinement.

"I would like the sheriff to release everyone that it is within his power to release  those who are safe to return to the community on probation," Raju told KHN. "Case by case is a very inefficient way to do it. We need the court time for other things."

San Francisco's district attorney, Chesa Boudin, has instructed his prosecutors to consider giving credit for time served in the plea deals they negotiate. Boudin also told prosecutors not to oppose motions for those in pretrial detention to be released if they present no public risk.

Partly because of that, the county's jail population is dwindling. San Francisco Sheriff's Department spokesperson Nancy Crowley said that as of April 12 the county's jails, which housed more than 1,200 people in January, were down to 749. That reduction allowed for the kind of physical distancing that the CDC recommends, Crowley said. Newsom, meanwhile, signed an executive order freeing up $50 million to lease hotel rooms and buy travel trailers to house the homeless, including those recently released from jails.

Using similar release criteria, Los Angeles County's jail system, the largest of its kind in the U.S., has dramatically reduced its count, going from more than 17,000 inmates at the end of February to 13,586 in early April.

The L.A. sheriff's office said several employees and four inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 8; San Francisco had no positive tests among those incarcerated, although four staffers had been diagnosed.

On Tuesday, Newsom signed an executive order aimed at making it easier and faster to release qualified juveniles from detention.

There has been little organized opposition to the moves. The California State Sheriffs' Association did oppose a zero-bail emergency measure for specific misdemeanors and felonies because it included those accused of child and elder abuse.

Jails where populations have yet to be reduced are grim scenes in the pandemic, Terry Smith said. Although he had his own cell because of his age and poor health, most people in the county jail were housed "four to a box," in close quarters with two bunks, he said.

The food system, Smith said, worried him constantly. He said he counted nine employees who touched his tray of food before he ate. "That's nine guys without a mask," he said.

Crowley said that county staffers are required now to wear gloves and masks. New inmates are screened aggressively for symptoms or potential exposure to the coronavirus, and the county has stopped all visits and taken other measures to maximize safety.

Because Smith had a prior conviction, his public defender, Eric Quandt, had been unable to secure a plea deal despite asserting that Smith had already served the likely maximum sentence for his first-degree burglary charge while awaiting trial.

Smith, though, is in recovery for heroin addiction and also has seizures and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD. Using those details, Quandt was able to obtain an emergency release and get Smith placed at the Metropolitan Fresh Start House, a program designed to give homeless veterans new direction and, often, track them into jobs through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"I don't want to be sent to the street, and I'm not going back to jail for nobody," Smith said. "The virus is already in the jails. You don't want to be there."

This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation.
COVID-19 is causing an unprecedented global economic crisis which also affects the LNG industry. In February Chinas lockdown seemed to contain the outbreak of the virus but the ensuing pandemic has proven otherwise. Energy prices have plummeted as demand evaporated overnight. While Chinas economy took a severe hit due to the lockdown, the country could now benefit significantly as its restarting while most of the world is closed for business.

Before the outbreak of COVID-19, the world's second-largest economy was on the path towards dethroning Japan and becoming the largest LNG importer. Beijings coal-to-gas policy was intended to combat rampant air pollution, which led to a surge in demand for cleaner natural gas. China was the largest contributor to global demand growth of supercooled fuel.

Several large producers have set their eyes on the massive Chinese market. While Qatar for years was the dominant LNG producer globally, Australia's gas sector surpassed the Arab country's due to Beijing's insatiable appetite. Doha has lifted the self-imposed moratorium on the massive North Dome field to increase production by 48 megatons/year to 126 until 2027, which is an increase of 15 percent based on global LNG production in 2018. Russias LNG strategy is also primarily aimed at the Asian market. Moscow intends to increase capacity to 46-65 megatons/year by 2024 and to 70-82 megatons/year by 2035.

Despite the COVID-19 outbreak in China, LNG imports were still rising during the first two months of this year. A significant part of the natural gas was heading towards storages as most of the Chinese economy was under lockdown. While imports are returning to normal again, state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation, the countrys biggest LNG buyer, is largely absent from the market as its storages are mostly full.

However, other Chinese market participants are ready to take advantage of the global LNG glut. According to Edmund Siau, a Singapore-based analyst at energy consultancy FGE, demand has also been driven by smaller players with storage capacity, who are emerging to take advantage of low spot prices.

According to Kpler, a Paris-based company providing market data on energy markets, Chinese companies imported about 1.26 million tons of LNG in the week of March 23, which is the first time its risen above the 2019 weekly average. Related: Trump Threatens Very Substantial Tariffs On Oil Imports

The restarting of China coincides with the shutting down of most of the worlds economy causing lower commodity prices. Every crisis offers opportunities, including this one. The advantage has not gone unnoticed. According to Wang Li, a researcher for the Ministry of Commerce, China needs to seize the opportunity of super-low oil prices and expand its strategic oil reserves before prices rise again. It also includes other commodities such as LNG.

The restarting of the Chinese economy is also good news for American LNG producers as four vessels are heading to the mainland from the U.S. This would mark the first time supplies are delivered since March 2019. These companies were granted tariff exemptions for LNG cargoes.

This couldnt have come at a better moment for Americas LNG industry as prices have sunk to historic lows. It is a remarkable turnaround for the U.S. industry that was touted as the next big player on the international gas market.

Despite the hopeful signs for LNG producers regarding Chinese demand, it is uncertain whether this trend will continue. Much depends on developments concerning the containment of COVID-19 in other major markets such as Japan and South Korea and how quickly they're able to restart their economies. One thing is certain, Chinas becoming the buyer of last resort which increases the countrys influence. This comes at a time when the West is preoccupied and inward looking.

By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
However, as pressure built following Croziers removal, Modly acted out of character, the officials said. After spending the better part of a day flying from Washington to Guam to visit the Roosevelt, he delivered a 15-minute profanity-laced speech over a loudspeaker in which he said without evidence that Crozier either had written the memo to be leaked to the media, or was too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this.
Broadcaster Alan Jones has ridiculed a Chinese newspaper for accusing him of being a liar and a racist.

The Sydney radio 2GB and Sky News commentator has addressed the smear campaign against him by the Global Times, an English-language propaganda mouthpiece for the Communist Party.

'I made comments last week about the appalling decision of China to reopen its wet markets - this led to an extraordinary outburst in the Chinese Global Times newspaper where several pages of the story were dedicated to accusing me of fabricating facts, lying and being a racist,' he told Sky News on Wednesday night.

'Good luck to them.'

In a bizarre editorial, Jones was even likened to a Nazi for daring to criticise China and the World Health Organisation's response to COVID-19 - the world's worst pandemic in 100 years that is also sparking the most severe global downturn since the Great Depression.

The Global Times published an editorial on April 4 under the headline: 'Australian radio host racist, fans hatred with lies about China.'

The column by Chen Hong, the director of Australian Studies Centre at the East China Normal University, accused Jones of broadcasting 'twisted facts' after he singled out two Chinese companies - Greenland and Risland - for exporting surgical masks and hand sanitiser from Australia to China.

The column also likened Jones' reports to the tactics employed by Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister.

'Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth', is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels,' it said.

'Jones apparently intended to do so by virtue of mass media's influence.'

The newspaper column also took exception to Jones for criticising Chinese wet markets, even though scientists have linked COVID-19 with Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Market, which had live animals slaughtered next to meat.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also criticised this practice.

'He also groundlessly accused China of resuming wet markets without additional rules and regulations, saying 'fruit bats are still on the menu',' the Global Times said.

The Global Times published an editorial on April 4 under the headline: 'Australian radio host racist, fans hatred with lies about China'

A wet market in Shanghai. Alan Jones was criticised by Chinese media for slamming the government's decision to reopen such markets in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus

The Chinese newspaper opinion piece didn't stop there, getting upset with Jones for daring to criticise WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for publicly backing China's secretive response to the coronavirus crisis.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

'He went on to smear the cooperation between WHO and China in the pandemic fight,' it said.

'How dare you, Alan Jones, with your ignorance, wickedness and shamelessness?'

The Global Times also had a go at Jones, a former Liberal Party candidate, for being politically conservative.

'The right-wing radio shock jock cares less about how to effectively contain COVID-19 and more about pointing an accusing finger at China,' it said.

The unhinged editorial also ridiculed Australians for eating kangaroo meat, even though it is a niche product that hasn't been linked to any major health risks.

'In a country where kangaroo meats can be found in supermarkets, how can Jones tell the tall tale without shame that Chinese are now eating bats everywhere?,' it said. 'This is the most abhorrent lie based on blatant racism.'

Jones, in one of his broadcasts, had cited a Nine newspapers article which alleged company director Kuang Yuanping, a former People's Liberation Army officer, sold tens of thousands of medical protective overalls in late February to Hong Kong-based property developer Risland for $2.2 million. Risland then flew the goods to China.

Broadcaster Alan Jones has ridiculed a Chinese newspaper for accusing him of being a liar and a racist. The Sydney radio 2GB and Sky News commentator has addressed the campaign against him by the Global Times, an English-language mouthpiece for the Communist Party

The Chinese newspaper opinion piece didn't stop there, getting upset with Jones for daring the criticise the World Health Organisation's early endorsement in January of China's secretive response to the coronavirus crisis, which has so far killed 63 people in Australia
Masks can't hide eye makeup, the new fashion normal of women

From:ChinaDaily | 2020-04-16 07:35

Wearing eye makeup over face masks has become the new normal for Chinese fashionistas amid the country's ongoing efforts to rein in the novel coronavirus pandemic, industry experts said.

Gone are the days when expensive lipsticks and makeup used to be the ultimate luxury possessions. Instead, they are fast being replaced by cosmetics that enhance the eyebrows and eyes, judging by the rate at which these products are flying off the shelves.

Sales of eyeliners and eye shadow products made by foreign brands rose by 40 percent on a yearly basis on Tmall, the online shopping platform of Alibaba Group, during the first three months of this year, according to company officials.

Sales of other cosmetic products, on the other hand, have been falling steadily. Cosmetic sales plunged by 22 percent on a yearly basis across all channels for the week to March 20. Sales of facial makeup and lipsticks fell by 19 percent and 39 percent, while eye makeup product sales rose 13 percent year-on-year, said a report from Kantar Worldpanel China, a consultancy.

"Cosmetics is not a necessity. There will be a phase of delayed consumption due to the epidemic. Once the contagion is over, makeup sales are expected to see a big rebound," said Neil Wang, president of Frost & Sullivan China, a consultancy.

"Chinese consumers are showing an increasingly high demand for quality lifestyles, and more people are buying makeup to look beautiful. After the outbreak ends, we will see a further strengthening in the online shopping habits and spending on cosmetic products," he said.

French cosmetics group L'Oreal said during the past two months, sales of eye makeup products, including eyeliners, eye shadows, mascara, and eyebrow pencils grew faster than other product categories in the China market. The company, however, did not provide any data to support its claim.

L'Oreal officials said face masks have become an essential part of life. People are now looking to source fashion products that complement the masks and it is an ideal opportunity for brands to promote such products.

Currently, Chinese consumers own 11 color makeup products on average, and their makeup procedures have become more professional and sophisticated, according to L'Oreal China.

"The penetration rate of eye shadow products in China has exceeded South Korea, where the makeup market is highly mature. In recent years, sales of eye makeup products have risen steadily in China," said Sarah Sai, China brand director of Urban Decay, a US brand under L'Oreal Group.

Since late January, some cosmetics retailers have started to raise the concept of makeups paired with surgical masks, and they promoted the content on popular social media platforms such as Weibo, WeChat, Douyin, and Little Red Book.

Domestic makeup retailer Perfect Diary Beauty promoted its primer, cushion foundation and powder by focusing on their durable effect when wearing masks. Besides, more makeup bloggers have started to post makeup tips for mask wearers.

"For makeup retailers, the marketing strategies of combining old problems with new scenarios are a way of creating new demand and promote sales," Wang said.

Chen Jiaxin, a 27-year-old white-collar employee in Beijing, said she bought six eye shadow palettes since the COVID-19 outbreak. Though she has been mostly working from home, Chen puts on eye makeup when she goes to supermarkets or nearby parks.

"I would like to find a sense of ritual for myself. I change the colors of eye shadows every day to create a good mood. I even bought a purple mascara," she said. "Most of my purchases have been made via online platforms and I have also been able to get good discounts," she said.

He Wei contributed to this story.
Health Minister Robin Swann's decision to share personal protective equipment (PPE) with England to help cope with the coronavirus pandemic has split opinion.

Last night the move was criticised by the health workers' union Unison, while one leading Belfast doctor said he had no concerns over the decision and compared it to local general practices sharing equipment, but on a much larger scale.

Addressing the Assembly's Covid-19 Committee yesterday, Mr Swann said that the UK was working closely as part of the 4 Nations PPE Plan and admitted sending 250,000 gowns to England over the past two weeks as part of the sharing of PPE.

He added that the supplies will be immediately reimbursed once England's own stocks arrived, and said that England and Wales acted quickly to help Northern Ireland when he reported a serious shortage of eye protective equipment.

The Health Minister also highlighted the 5.6 million items of PPE that the UK Government has already sent to the province.

"So I make no apologies for sharing our stock, because when we need some the other UK nations are not reluctant to share theirs," he continued.

Commenting on Mr Swann's announcement, Unison's regional secretary Patricia McKeown said that if we didn't have a sufficient stockpile of PPE then "we shouldn't be sending it anywhere else".

"The general secretary of Unison, Dave Prentis, has a statement out today expressing extreme concern at the fact that the English health service is planning to find ways to decontaminate and reuse PPE," she explained.

"That clearly indicates that, for all the talk that we have heard, either from the Westminster Government or from our own people, there is not sufficient supply."

She added that Unison's major concerns surround the shortage of PPE in residential care, nursing homes and in the community for home care, as well as the lack of Covid-19 testing.

"There has been a lot of talk and a lot of promises about testing but it's not being delivered in any quantity whatsoever," said Ms McKeown.

"All of this stems from a fatally flawed mistake made by the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland when they hitched their wagon to the English health service and decided to take their instructions centrally from a Government that was weeks behind where it should have been in its approach to this virus and it has put us all in danger." Ms McKeown said that if the PPE shared with England is later deemed to be surplus to requirements, that was understandable, but complained over the "lack of transparency".

Praising the information handed out by the South Eastern Trust regarding patients suffering from coronavirus, she feels that the same must be done right across Northern Ireland.

"Given the reaction we have seen from so many health service staff over the last three weeks, it just seems incredible that we're able to have such generosity of spirit," she said.

Meanwhile, west Belfast GP Dr George O'Neill stated that he has no objections to sharing PPE supplies with other healthcare bodies and described it as a "quid pro quo", as England and Wales has helped our own health system during the pandemic.

"It's on a larger scale as to what happens in general practice," he said.

"What happens in hospitals and hospital wards where somebody has a problem, others will rally round and try and support them.

"I think that's an example of the goodwill that people have.

"The priority is to protect staff, protect patients and ensure that everybody comes through this well.

"In general practice, we would share PPE with our colleagues if they're short, so that would be the norm."

Dr O'Neill highlighted that Mr Swann delivered on his promise to supply general practices with PPE after deliveries were made yesterday.

"He's also promised to set up an inquiry to look at the logistic problems," he added.

"There has been some very impressive stuff where people ordered PPE two days ago and it arrived today, whereas previously it might have taken two weeks.

"This is a good news story. It means we can protect our staff, our patients and ourselves.

"We need to know more detail about what has been shared and what has been returned."
A UK nurse who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 had delivered a healthy baby girl in the United Kingdom, international media reported. According to reports, Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong had tested positive on April 5 following which she underwent a cesarean operation on April 7 but died on April 12. Agyapong had previously worked for five years as a nurse at Luton and Dunstable hospital where she died of the infection.

A hospital trust spokesman while talking to international media revealed that the child was doing very well. Meanwhile, speaking about the highly values and loved nurse, David Carter, chief executive of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that she was a fantastic nurse and great example of the principles of the trust before saying that his condolences ware with her friends and family. He added that the survival of the baby daughter was a beacon of light at this very dark time."

Read: Nirav Modis Next Extradition Hearing In PNB Fraud Case On April 28

Agyapong's husband is currently under self-quarantine after being tested for the virus. Her colleagues have paid tribute by starting a fundraising page to aid her family. According to reports, the page has raised over 4,500 as of now. This comes as there are reports that hundreds of pregnant healthcare workers are allegedly being forced into working in the UK. The pandemic has infected 98,476 in the United Kingdom and has killed 12,868 people.

106-year-old women recovers

On the flipside, Connie Titchen, a 106-year-old great-grandmother, has reportedly become the oldest patient in Britain to beat the novel Coronavirus. According to reports, she battled the virus in just three weeks and was given a clean bill of health by medics at Birmingham's City Hospital. A resident of from Birmingham in central England, Connie Titchen was discharged from the hospital amid applauses from nurses and health workers.

Read: UK Trade Secretary Thanks India For Sending Paracetamol Units

An elated Titchen, while speaking to international media, said that she feels very lucky as she fought against the virus and can't wait to see her family. While leaving the hospital all the masked health workers lined up in the ward to applaud her as she made her way out. Titchen told them she was looking forward to seeing her family and having a good meal as she was "famished".

Read: 106-year-old Connie Titchen Becomes The Oldest In UK To Beat Coronavirus

Read: UK, EU Hold Brexit Trade Talks By Video Amid Virus Outbreak

(Image Credits: Twitter/ NursingNotesUK)
Beijing says it is committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests after US claimed China may have conducted a secret blast.

China says it is committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests following a US State Department report that said Beijing may have conducted secret low-level underground nuclear tests.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on Thursday that China has been actively fulfilling commitments to treaties on arms control, and said Washingtons false accusations are not worth refuting.

China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed, he said.

The US criticism of China is entirely groundless, without foundation, and not worth refuting, he added.

The State Departments claim, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, may worsen ties already strained by US charges that the global COVID-19 pandemic resulted from Beijings mishandling of the 2019 outbreak of the coronavirus in the city of Wuhan.





US concerns about Beijings possible breaches of a zero-yield standard for test blasts have been prompted by activities at Chinas Lop Nur nuclear test site throughout 2019, the State Department report said.

Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead.

Chinas possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur, and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities  raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard, the report said, without providing evidence of a low-yield test.

Beijings lack of transparency included blocking data transmissions from sensors linked to a monitoring centre operated by the international agency that verifies compliance with a treaty banning nuclear test explosions.

The 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) allows activities designed to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons.

A spokeswoman for the CTBT organization, which verifies compliance with the pact, told the Wall Street Journal there had been no interruptions in data transmissions from Chinas five sensor stations since the end of August 2019, following an interruption that began in 2018.

Testing activities

A senior US official said the concerns about Chinas testing activities buttressed President Donald Trumps case for getting China to join the US and Russia in talks on an arms control accord to replace the 2010 New START treaty between Washington and Moscow that expires in February.

New START restricted the US and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads, the lowest level in decades, and limited the land and submarine-based missiles and bombers that deliver them.

The pace and manner by which the Chinese government is modernising its stockpile is worrying, destabilising and illustrates why China should be brought into the global arms control framework, said the senior US official on condition of anonymity.

China, estimated to have about 300 nuclear weapons, has repeatedly rejected Trumps proposal, arguing its nuclear force is defensive and poses no threat.

Russia, France and Britain  three of the worlds five internationally recognised nuclear powers  signed and ratified the CTBT, which still requires ratification by 44 countries to become international law.

China and the US are among eight signatories that have not ratified it. But China has declared its adherence to its terms, while the US has observed a unilateral testing moratorium since 1992.
Bexar County Sheriff's Office

A 25-year-old man was charged with making terroristic threats after he threatened to chop a woman "into little pieces," according to an arrest affidavit.

On March 29, the woman called police on Matthew Vasquez, saying he was threatening her family after he was asked to leave her home, the affidavit said.
At least two dozen ethnic Rohingya died aboard a ship that was rescued on Wednesday with nearly 400 starving people aboard after failing to reach Malaysia and drifting for weeks, Bangladesh coast guard officials said on Thursday.

They were at sea for about two months and were starving, one of the coast guard officials told Reuters in a message. The official said a final decision had been made to send the 382 people on board to neighbouring Myanmar, where the Rohingya are from.

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Mumbai, April 16 : The funds raised by Actor Arjun Kapoor's virtual date will be used to help the families of 300 daily wage earners.

The actor's virtual date happened through his sister Anshula Kapoor's online fundraising platform, Fankind, and raised enough funds to feed the families in question for a month.

"Coronavirus has thrown us all into an unchartered territory.I'm grateful to all my fans that my 30 minute virtual date with five lucky winners for Anshula's Fankind has raised enough funds to feed many families," Arjun said.

Earlier, the actor has pledged to the PM-CARES Fund, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund, GiveIndia, The Wishing Factory and Bollywood's Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).

He announced: "Along with the funds raised during the chat, I have also extended some additional support to GiveIndia and this collective fund will support the families of these daily wage earners for a month. I felt happy to raise their morals and connect with people outside my circle and instill hope and faith within them. We must do our best in whatever way we can to help everyone triumph over this." On the acting front, Arjun will next be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar". The film also stars Arjun's "Ishaqzaade" co-star Parineeti Chopra.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Three separate lawsuits have been filed against the US government to try and access federal coronavirus stimulus funds.

The owners of two strip clubs, Little Darlings in Flint, Michigan, and Silk Exotic Gentlemens Clubs in Milwaukee and Middleton, Wisconsin, are suing the Small Business Administration (SBA) because they are unable to get loans from the $2trn CARES Act bill passed by Congress.

A third lawsuit against the SBA was brought by the American Association of Political Consultants and Ridder/Braden Inc, a Colorado-based political firm.

Most small businesses are eligible for loans of up to $10m under the $349bn paycheck protection program (PPP), which is intended to cover employee wages during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, small businesses engaged in a number of specialised sectors have found that they have been shut out of the programme. These include lenders, life insurance companies, those involved in gambling, certain types of nonprofits and private membership clubs, businesses that promote or teach religion, and companies that present live performances of a sexual nature or that sell pornography.

The political consultants have not applied for loans as they are also ineligible. In their suit they write: The government does not have a legitimate interest during this global pandemic in preventing small businesses from obtaining much needed cash to cover payroll and health insurance for their employees just because these small businesses exercise fundamental constitutional rights.

CNN reports Rick Ridder, a partner in the Colorado consulting firm, as saying that it is ironic how political consultants and lobbyists have been shut out from access to the federal funding package agreed by Congress.

Everybody wanted a piece of the action, but it turns out the lobbyists didn't take care of themselves, he notes.

The strip clubs have been shuttered since the middle of March when their respective states issued stay-at-home orders. Each applied for stimulus loans from the SBA, but they were either denied or they believe that they will be.

The terminology that excludes them is that they present live performances of a prurient sexual nature.

The Wisconsin clubs argue in their filing that their performances are not prurient, are non-obscene, appeal to healthy human interests and desires and are in full compliance with the numerous licences and permits.

The lawsuits are still in early stages, but it does not look like funding would be coming anytime soon even if the suits were successful.

On Thursday the PPP ran out of funds leaving millions of small businesses in financial limbo.

The SBA said it is currently unable to accept new applications  based on the available appropriations funding.

Before the program ground to a halt, approximately 1.6 million businesses were approved for loans on a first-come-first-served basis. It is estimated that there are 30 million small businesses in the country.

The fourth stimulus package, which will include more money for small businesses, is currently being negotiated, but it is unlikely to be agreed until towards the end of the month.
The US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State convened a virtual meeting today to discuss the fight against the remnants of the terrorist group.

The political directors agreed to maintain maximum pressure on [IS] despite the several and multifaceted challenges, including those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to achieve the enduring defeat of the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria and to remain vigilant against the threat of [IS] around the world, the coalition said in a join statement. In particular, the political directors agreed upon the importance of maintaining and allocating adequate military and civilian means and resources to sustain coalition efforts in Iraq and Syria, including providing support to legitimate partner forces, in order to safeguard our collective security efforts.

Why it matters: While the coronavirus pandemic has forced the US-led coalition to scale back some of its operations, todays meeting is intended to signal that the United States remains committed to continuing support for its partners in Iraq and Syria to continue the fight against remaining IS cells. The coalition announced last month that the pandemic has forced temporary adjustments to the anti-IS fight. Specifically, Iraqi security forces suspended all training with coalition forces to help stem the spread of COVID-19, prompting some of the roughly 5,000 troops stationed in Iraq to return home.

Whats next: The coalitions joint statement today noted that the training, temporarily suspended due to the pandemic, will resume as conditions permit. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced last week that Washington and Baghdad will convene a strategic dialogue in June to discuss the future US troop presence and other issues in the bilateral relationship. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have attacked US personnel and killed Americans. The United States assassinated Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq on January 3. There remains a shared US-Iraq consensus on the need for cooperaton against IS. The coalition also said it would convene at the ministerial level in Italy as soon as conditions allow.

Know more: Khaled al-Khateb has a must-read report on how IS has taken advantage of the coronavirus to increase its attacks throughout Syria.
The Central Regional House of Chiefs has donated assorted sanitary items to facilitate the fight against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the Region.



The items included veronica buckets, liquid soaps, boxes of tissues, hand sanitizers and dustbins running into thousands of Ghana Cedis.



They were handed over to the Regional Coordinating Council for onward distribution to the Regional Health Directorate at a brief ceremony in Cape Coast on Wednesday.



Obrempong Nyanful Krampah XI, President of the Regional House who presented the items said it required the collective efforts of all and sundry to combat the global pandemic which must not be left on the shoulders of governments alone.



He said the Houses contribution in this difficult period of COVID-19 was geared towards protecting the public against the spread of the virus in the region.



He said the House was equally concerned about the possible spread of the disease and had since issued a communique to all chiefs to take active role in educating their people on the need to stay safe.



He called on all to adhere to the Presidents directives of social distancing, the ban on large gatherings as well as regular washing of hands under running.



Mr Kwamena Duncan, Regional Minister who received the items highly commended the chiefs for the gesture, saying it was the first since the advent of the pandemic.



He urged the chiefs to continue to play lead roles in educating the people about the disease in their respective communities.

Source: GNA









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"As we all have been affected by this global pandemic, innovation brings hope to fighting COVID-19. Tampa General is one of the few hospitals in Florida able to commit so many resources to seeking new therapies," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. "This is a testament to the power of academic medicine. Because we're an academic medical center, we have the teams of experts and the clinical infrastructure already in place and ready to go."

Tampa General is the primary teaching hospital of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Physicians on the medical staff and participating in research include USF Health faculty physicians and physicians from private practice groups.

"We're fortunate to have so many USF Health faculty members and private practice physicians committed to advancing medicine through research," Couris said. "Their drive to be at the forefront of discovery helps us deliver world-class care to our patients, especially during this time of need."

National studies that Tampa General Hospital is participating in include:

Enrolling health care workers in a national data base, called the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response & Outcomes (HERO) Registry, that may ultimately determine whether an investigational drug, hydroxychloroquine, can help prevent COVID-19 infections.

Research to see whether infusions of antibody-rich plasma from recovering COVID-19 patients can help treat patients who are severely ill.

Trial of a monoclonal antibody in a new indication designed to modulate the body's immune response so that it doesn't damage the lungs and other organs.

The HERO Registry launched Monday, April 13. The registry invites U.S. healthcare workers at participating sites, including Tampa General, to share clinical and life experiences to better understand the perspectives and problems faced by those on the COVID-19 pandemic front lines.

The registry will unite America's healthcare workers into a community to facilitate rapid-cycle research, including an upcoming large study of hydroxychloroquine's effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers. The HERO research program leverages PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, and is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

In addition, Tampa General is conducting independent research studies. These include a trial of the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with COVID-19 and a project with USF Health to see whether nasal swabs created using a 3D printer are as effective as traditional swabs, as traditional swabs have been in short supply.

"We hope that this research will produce new weapons in the fight against COVID-19," said Dr. Sally Houston, executive vice president and chief medical officer. "At Tampa General, we practice innovation every day in delivering world-class care to our patients. Now we're taking that same innovative approach and focusing it on a new target  COVID-19. We're committed to doing everything we can to help Florida and our nation find new solutions to overcome the greatest health challenge of our lifetimes."

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1007-bed non-profit academic medical center, delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to an 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a state-certified spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 14 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Care, 15 outpatient Radiology Centers and a TGH Urgent Care located in Brandon. As one of the largest hospitals in Florida, Tampa General Hospital is first in the state to open a command center in partnership with GE Healthcare. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

Media Contact: Lisa Greene

Manager, Physician Communications

(813) 844-3832 (direct)

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SOURCE Florida Health Sciences Center, Inc. d/b/a Tampa General Hospital

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New Delhi, April 17 : The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported that 12,581 individuals have tested positive for coronavirus in India and 1,206 tested positive on Thursday.

ICMR said that a total of 3.02 lakh samples from 2.86 lakh individuals have been tested as on April 16 out of which 12,581 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases in India.

This translates into only 4.39 per cent of the individuals who were tested were positive for COVID-19.

On Thursday till 9 p.m., 27,256 samples have been reported and of these 1,206 were positive for SARS-CoV-2, translating into a conversion rate of 4.42 per cent.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday refuted the allegation of testing less people to detect the transmission of novel coronavirus in the country.

Speaking to the media here at a press conference, Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, chief scientist of the ICMR said, that the ratio of tests and population of the country cannot be a defining criteria for reaching at a conclusion that less tests are taking place.

"In Japan, 11.7 persons are tested, to detect one positive case, which is highest in foreign countries. In Italy, 6.7 people are tested to find one positive case, in the US it's 5.3 and in the UK it's 3.4. Here in India, we do 24 tests for one positive case" said Dr Gangakhedkar, adding "of these 23 tests negative, but still we conduct tests on them. Our population is over 130 crore but everyone is not vulnerable that's why we have divided the country in different zones. There are many districts where no case has been reported.If we consider their population as a base that will be misleading." Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry Secretary said, "If there is just one positive case among 24 people, it is a clear indication that the government, through its advance actions, has been successful to some extent in containing the disease. It is not about the absolute number of testing which will define criteria for saying that we are testing less, the most important thing is what overall output we are getting by our containment measures along with testing".

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
At a time when the country is under lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, Bengalis can relish desserts like rosogolla and mishti doi even more as the West Bengal government has decided to extend the timing of the opening of sweet shops in the state from 8 am to 4 pm.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while addressing a briefing on coronavirus changed the timing of the opening of sweet shops in the state from the earlier schedule of 12 pm to 4 pm.

The sweet shop owners, the association have written to the government that the timing for the opening of sweet shops be extended. Earlier the government had decided that the shops will remain open from 12 pm to 4 pm now we have decided it will remain open from 8 am to 4 pm, said CM Mamata.

A week ago, the West Bengal government allowed an exemption from lockdown for sweet shops in the state.

The Chief Minister had said that the milk industry was incurring massive losses due to the closure of sweet shops. She had said that tonnes of milk was being wasted and the cattle owners were not being able to buy fodder for the cattle with none to buy their milk production.
[April 16, 2020] Midwest BankCentre Honored as Celent's Model Bank 2020 for Community Banking Transformation

After just a year of operating its digital-only banking brand, Midwest BankCentre has been named Celent's Model Bank 2020 for Community Banking Transformation. Founded in 1906, Midwest BankCentre is St. Louis' second largest locally owned bank with assets exceeding $2 billion and deposits of $1.4 billion. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005552/en/ Celent selected Midwest BankCentre for the prestigious fintech award in recognition of its successful development and operation of Rising Bank. The bank's digital-only brand launched in February 2019 in partnership with MANTL, a New York-based fintech firm. Rising Bank raised 75% of its $100 million annual deposit goal within 10 weeks of launch and ultimately closed 2019 at more than $130 million in new deposits, 30% over its aggressive target. Midwest BankCentre calculates it has achieved a tenfold increase in operational efficiency in addition to strengthening its balance sheet. "Midwest BankCentre demonstrates that disruptive innovation to a bank's operating model does not require wholesale jettisoning of legacy technology. However, it does require a healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo and a willingness to challenge time-tested business and operating practices," said Bob Meara, a senior analyst with Celent's banking practice based in Atlanta. "A key contributor to the bank's performance has been its willingness to try new approaches, its data-driven mindset to solve problems along the way and its rigorous sales funnel management." Midwest BankCentre adopted significant technology changes to offer a seamless, secure digital customer experience to Rising Bank customers across the country who want to accumulate and expand long-term wealth. It also expanded the bank's footprint from 17 branches in the St. Louis region to customers in all 50 states. Core deposits captured by Rising Bank support Midwest BankCentre's continued growth. "Midwest BankCentre is honored to receive the 2020 Celent Model Bank Award for our technological achievements as a community bank," said Dale Oberkfell, president and chief financial officer of Midwest BankCentre. "Few banks of our size have chosen the bold strategy of establishing completely ne digital brands. Our approach has allowed us to meet the financial needs of customers across America with intuitive and convenient service delivered online. We've gained financial dividends and fueled our team's confidence in continuing our transformation to meet our customers wherever they are."



"We selected vendors based on their operational and technological excellence, taking the approach that if you want to win the Super Bowl, you have to recruit Tom Brady," Oberkfell added. "This frame of mind brought the right parties around the table to execute our vision for Rising Bank. When issues arose, our partners thought creatively and approached problem-solving with a data-driven mindset that helped us optimize performance." Rising Bank was conceived, built and launched in six months in partnership with MANTL, an enterprise fintech firm that specializes in digital account opening. Because it integrates directly into core banking systems, MANTL functions on a real-time basis. New accounts are booked to Midwest BankCentre's core and become instantly accessible to customers upon completing the application. On average, bank customers can complete an application in two minutes and thirty seven seconds. MANTL automatically triggers product services for new accounts. Its built-in marketing tools boost conversion rates to help banks grow deposits up to 78% faster.

"In a rapidly evolving banking landscape, Midwest BankCentre is among the leaders of tomorrow who are taking bold action to stand out from the pack," said Nathaniel Harley, CEO and founder of MANTL. "The bank developed a plan and meticulously found strong partners to help grow its business. We are happy MANTL was selected as one of those partners because of our results-oriented approach to the account opening process. We value our partnership with Dale Oberkfell and his team, and look forward to growing with Midwest BankCentre." Building on Midwest BankCentre's foundation in traditional banking, Rising Bank meets customers' needs as the banking industry evolves in an increasingly digital world. Rising Bank has attracted a new online community of customers who can easily open new accounts in less than three minutes. All Rising Bank accounts are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per individual account and up to $500,000 per joint account. About Midwest BankCentre Midwest BankCentre, a mainstay of St. Louis community banking since 1906, is St. Louis' second largest locally owned bank with assets exceeding $2 billion and deposits of $1.4 billion. It employs a staff of about 280 working at 17 bank locations in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis, Jefferson and St. Charles counties. The bank works to empower people, enable business and energize neighborhoods through the strength of its financial services, including personalized consumer and business banking, business cash management, mortgage lending, home equity loans, financial planning and investments, insurance and digital banking. The bank is a local leader in the St. Louis Regional Financial Empowerment Coalition (formerly the St. Louis Regional Unbanked Task Force) and its Bank-On Save-Up St. Louis initiative. Since 2001, Midwest BankCentre has consecutively achieved the Bauer Financial 5-Star Superior financial rating each quarter. For its success in bringing mainstream financial services to unbanked and underbanked citizens in the region and other diversity and inclusion contributions, it won the 2019 Community Commitment Award from the American Bankers Association Foundation and the 2018 National Community Bank Service Award from the Independent Community Bankers of America. For more, visit www.midwestbankcentre.com. About Rising Bank Rising Bank is the state-of-the-art, digital-only bank launched in February 2019 by Midwest BankCentre in partnership with MANTL, a New York-based fintech firm. During 2019, Rising Bank attracted customers from all 50 states with digitally generated deposits exceeding $130 million. Rising Bank offers a targeted suite of savings products, including high-yield savings, no-fee checking and term CD accounts. All Rising Bank accounts are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per individual account and up to $500,000 per joint account. Rising Bank checking customers enjoy nationwide ATM access through Money Pass shared ATMs and limited reimbursement when out-of-network ATMs are used. For more, visit www.risingbank.com. About MANTL MANTL is a banking technology firm offering the leading account opening software. Its platform empowers regional and community banks and credit unions to grow up to 78% faster. These institutions play a critical role in the economy and MANTL is passionate about preserving that. Founded in 2016, MANTL's customers have raised billions in core deposits to date. MANTL is a privately held company headquartered in New York with the backing of prominent venture capital investors. For more, visit www.mantl.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005552/en/

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New York, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Open Society Foundations will give more than $130 million to combat the ravages of COVID-19 around the globe, with a focus on providing immediate relief for vulnerable communities and pushing back against government encroachment on political freedoms.

Open Society's commitment includes rapid response at the local level where many of our staff live and work-from Berlin to London, to Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro, to Amman and Cape Town. Half of Open Society's initial COVID-19 response will go toward the United States, which has so far suffered the largest number of confirmed deaths, and where systemic inequality will have profound global consequences in the years to come. As the virus spreads across continents, we will also focus our efforts in the Global South, particularly in countries where weak institutions face both public health and economic disaster.

Our funding centers on those who are most at-risk, including informal, low-wage, and gig economy workers; refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers; disadvantaged groups such as the Roma in Europe; homeless people; frontline health workers and caregivers; and detained and incarcerated individuals.

"The scale of this pandemic has laid bare the fault lines and injustices of our world," said George Soros, founder and chair of the Open Society Foundations. "We missed the opportunity to create a more just economy after the financial crisis of 2008 and provide a social safety net for the workers who are the heart of our societies. Today, we must change direction and ask ourselves: What kind of world will emerge from this catastrophe, and what can we do to make it a better one?"

"This is the first step of our ongoing response to address the economic and political dislocation wrought by this disease," said Patrick Gaspard, president of the Open Society Foundations. "Our emergency relief efforts will support our grantees to immediately reach those who cannot access aid through government systems. But just as critically, we aim to ensure that the centers of power never again allow those who are the backbone of our economies to suffer in the shadows."

Deeply concerned about grave threats to democratic accountability and individual freedoms, Open Society will also fund partners that are challenging violations to political freedoms, as leaders take steps to suspend access to information, roll back sexual and reproductive rights, extend surveillance beyond public health means, and look for scapegoats to blame, exploiting the pandemic as a means to seize unchecked power.

Specific elements of the funding package include:

Nearly $42 million for our global partners to support low-income workers, including in the informal sector, care givers, and the undocumented; protect refugees, migrants and asylum seekers; and provide access to new vaccines and treatments, regardless of economic or citizenship status.

$37 million to initiatives to support workers and their families in New York City, home to Open Society's largest office, and $12 million will contribute to emergency relief for vulnerable workers in numerous other U.S. cities and states. $2.5 million will fund additional community efforts in Baltimore, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.-communities in which Open Society works and to which the Foundations maintain deep ties.

$9 million toward the ongoing struggle to end the excessive use of mandatory imprisonment and detention around the world, which will have a catastrophic impact on health, including for those at greatest risk in crowded facilities in the United States and across Africa, Asia, Eurasia, and Latin America.

$3 million for Europe, including both London and Berlin, for local groups countering disinformation and serving the cities' most vulnerable people, such as senior citizens. Budapest and Milan have each received over $1 million already.

$3.5 million for southern Africa, through the Open Society Foundation for South Africa and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, to support essential emergency services and care work, and to bolster an equitable public health response from civil society, the media, the government, and the private sector.

The Open Society Foundations works in more than 120 countries around the world to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To learn more, visit our website here.
A coronavirus outbreak at a nursing home in Sussex County is shaping up as potentially the deadliest in New Jersey.

Of 68 recent deaths at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, including two nurses, at least 26 who died tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the New York Times.

Causes of death for the others remain unknown, the Times reported.

The scope of the unfolding tragedy began coming into focus over the weekend when authorities received a request for 25 body bags at the nursing home, Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday night.

Danielson said that, when police arrived at 2 a.m. Sunday, five bodies were being stored in a room.

Then, on Monday, police received an anonymous tip about a body reportedly being loaded into a shed on the property.

The concern we had, obviously, was that a body was being put into a shed, Danielson said, explaining that a death or deaths at the nursing home would not automatically prompt an investigation.

When officers returned, the shed did not have a body, but an additional 12 bodies were being stored in the building, bringing the total to 17, Danielson said.

Of that, Danielson said 13 were transported to a refrigerated truck at Newton Medical Center, with four remaining behind because arrangements had been made with funeral parlors.

Since then, the owner has procured a refrigerated truck on site, in case of any further issues, Danielson said.

The discovery of the bodies was first reported by the New Jersey Herald.

The nursing homes two buildings have 696 beds. The first building has a three-out-of-five star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the second has an overall one-star rating.

The facilities could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. It has not made public statements to other media outlets.

New Jerseys coronavirus outbreak, with 71,030 confirmed cases and 3,156 fatalities as of Wednesday afternoon, has especially impacted the states nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

In Elizabeth, more than two dozen residents have died at the Elizabeth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Grove Street since at least March 21, a city spokeswoman said Saturday. NJ Advance Media previously reported at least 12 of those who died had tested positive for COVID-19.

On Monday, State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli announced that 324 long-term care facilities have confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease, and cited an estimate that about 10% in the facilities have the virus.

On April 4, the state Department of Health announced that all nursing homes must notify staff, residents and families within 24 hours when either a resident or staff member is under investigation for the coronavirus disease or tests positive.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Rebecca Panico contributed to this story.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
W hen new employees join Facebook, they receive a slender booklet. On one of the final pages, in light blue text against a navy background, are Mark Zuckerbergs thoughts on leadership: If we dont create the thing that kills Facebook, someone else will. The internet is not a friendly place. Things that dont stay relevant dont even get the luxury of leaving ruins. They disappear.

When Zuckerberg paid $1 billion dollars for Instagram and its 13 employees in 2012, he was buying relevance. Instagram would now be worth some $100 billion as a standalone company. It has become the channel of choice for celebrities to connect with their fans, and nurtured entire businesses. It has become its own verb.

But it has also developed a dark side. What began as an app for applying filters to photographs, has become a theatre of fake, curated versions of life. A feeding ground of insecurity.

Sarah Frier, a reporter for Bloomberg News based in San Francisco, knows the characters and business of all the social networks, including Twitter and Snapchat, and it is rarely pretty. Inside and outside Facebook, the story of Instagram is ultimately about the intersection of capitalism and ego - about how far people will go to protect what they built and to appear successful.

The protagonists of her story are Kevin Systrom, the founder of Instagram, and Zuckerberg. Both attended elite boarding schools before making their way to Silicon Valley. Both are highly competitive, but in different ways.

Systrom, she writes, wants the best of everything, the best wine, the best coffee, the most luxurious holidays. He effortlessly makes friends with celebrities. Zuckerberg simply wants to be better than everyone else, to an insane degree. When a friends teenage daughter beat him at Scrabble, he wrote a computer program to find all the possible word combinations from any mix of letters.

When Systrom and Zuckerberg took a ski trip together, Systrom showed Zuckerberg an app which calculated the best route down a slope. Zuckerberg challenged him to a flat-out, downhill race.

Instagram was already flush with investor cash and buzz when Facebook was preparing to go public. Zuckerberg could see it had the capacity to grow. That year, he had made a vow only to eat the meat of animals he had killed personally. He invited Systrom over for a barbecue, but couldnt be sure what exactly what he was cooking. Boar, maybe. But the deal was quickly struck and the two firms fed each others growth.

Zuckerberg promised Instagram it could grow independently within Facebook. But culturally, they were a poor fit. Facebooks campus was plastered with posters of Zuckerbergs aphorisms: Done is better than Perfect. Move fast and break things. Instagrams founders, Frier writes wanted things to be carefully considered and designed before they were released to people. Humans, not numbers. Artists, photographers, and designers, not DAUs, the Facebook term for daily active users.

If Facebook wanted to thrust its users into echo chambers of like-minded friends and followers, Instagram wanted to open you up to new ideas and experiences.

The Kardashians were among the earliest to spot the advantages of Instagram. Their fans much preferred images to words. The combined Kardashian sisters reach more than half a billion followers. Kim Kardashian West alone has 157 million followers and makes about $1 million for a single paid post.

The fashion industry was not far behind. Christopher Bailey, the former president and chief creative officer of Burberry realized that the traditional way of organizing shoots under the heel of magazine editors and their long lead times, was absurd. With Instagram, the fact that we could hire our own photographs, our own team, and within minutes it could be online and we could have dialogue directly with people who were interested in our brand, was just incredible.

But eventually Instagrams founders tired of fighting to save their product from Facebooks commercial imperatives, from death by pixelated digital billboards. They resented the pressure to be part of Zuckerbergs toxic universe. Systrom even stopped posting on his own Instagram account. Since he left the firm in 2018, its product has become Instagram by Facebook.

At the end of staff meetings, Zuckerberg leads his team in a cry of Domination! Yet again, he has proved himself the grim-faced winner.
President Donald Trump has further backed away from his claim of having 'total' authority on when to reopen the country  and told Americans Thursday he would 'allow' governors to reopen at their discretion.

But his administration's three-phase guidelines provided only a general idea of how and when states would be able to graduate to a point where their citizens could congregate, work, get educated, and dine in public.

'To preserve the health of our citizens we must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy,' Trump said at the White House.

Even as deaths and infections in the nation continued to rise, the president declared the nation in the 'process' of winning the war against the coronavirus, and announced the new phased return toward normalcy.

He said states would make decisions on when to reopen  a turnaround from what he said on Monday, when his bold pronouncements brought a rebuke from New York Gov. Andrew Como, who said the president is not a king.

President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Thursday, April 16, 2020. Trump said the country was 'in the process of winning' the war against the coronavirus

The three phases to reopening the U.S. PHASE ONE - All vulnerable people should shelter in place - Social distancing should still be observed in public, and people should avoid socializing in groups of more than 10 - Non-essential travel should be minimized - Workers should still telework, where possible - Schools and youth activities should remain closed - Large venues, such as movie theaters, sit-down dining, sporting venues and places of worship can operate under strict social distancing rules - Elective surgeries can resume - Gyms can reopen if they stick to strict social distancing and sanititation PHASE TWO - All vulnerable people should continue to shelter in place, and gatherings of more than 50 people should be avoided - Non-essential travel can resume - People are encouraged to telework - Schools and youth activities can reopen - Large venues can operate under moderate social distancing rules - Bars may operate with diminished standing room occupancy PHASE THREE - Vulnerable people can resume public interactions, but should practice social distancing - Low risk populations should consider minimizing time spent in crowded places - Employers can resume unrestricted staffing at work sites - Visits to senior care facilities and hospitals can resume - Large venues can operate under limited social distancing rules - Bars may operate with increased standing room Advertisement

'If they need to remain closed we will allow them to do that,' said Trump, suggesting that he still believes he has the authority to bless such a decision.

'If the virus returns in the fall as some scientists think it may possibly, these guidelines will make sure that our country is up and running so that we can likewise put it out quickly,' said Trump.

Trump centered many of his remarks around the grand battle against the 'invisible' enemy, which he likes to cast in military terms.

'We have an invisible, as opposed to a visible, enemy,' he said.

What he steered clear of were precise metrics about when states should reopen, and what yardsticks citizens can look to to see when they might be able to leave their homes and return to work and school.

Trump teased the possibility of some states reopening within days, but didn't specify which ones. He has said repeatedly that large western states without dense populations should not be subjected to nationwide lock-downs.

The new guidelines say a state can move toward Phase One when it experiences a 'sustained decrease' in infections over a period of 14 days, the period of time during which an infected person is most likely to further spread the disease. But a state could still be experiencing serious public health problems even while on a downward slope.

Trump again pointed to the economy, and the dangers a closed former powerhouse poses to the nation.

'We took the greatest economy in the history of the world and we closed it in order to win this war, and were in the process of winning it now,' the president declared.

'We are starting the rejuvenation of our economy again,' he said, a day after recent new unemployment claims hit 20 million.

The White House chose a name for the three-phase program that echoes Trump's Make America Great Again campaign slogan, even as he appeals for bipartisan cooperation.

'Which we are calling [it] "Opening up America Again." And thats what we are doing. We are opening up our country,' Trump said.

PHASE ONE: Keep hunkering down , but go back to work in phases

PHASE TWO: No break room, but non-essential travel is back. 'Moderate' distancing at the movie theater

PHASE THREE: Grandma visits are allowed. 'Limited distancing' at restaurants and movie theaters

The president indicated that some states with low infection rates could move to Phase One and early stages of opening in a matter of days  promising 'surprises' that would even come before May 1.

Were going to have a number of states opening relatively soon,' he said. 'Youre going to have some nice surprises over the next few days.' But he noted that some other sidelined states are 'big stuff' and 'very important states.'

'The last thing we want is for say a New York to come back too soon or a New Jersey to come back too soon' and lead to a spike of new infections, he said.

He isn't promising there won't be a resurgence  with health officials warning not to end social distancing too soon, and governors and business leaders warning the nation needs sufficient testing to identify the spread of the disease before reopening.

'As we see a hot spot developing, maybe not, maybe not, well be able to suppress it, whack it,' Trump said.

With all the detail about the three phases, there was very little by way of hard details about when a hard-hit state should move forward.

Asked specifically how many millions or tens of millions of tests a state like New York might need, coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx responded: 'You've heard me talk about tests for a while from the podium, and I think what has happened over the last several weeks is hospitals and clinics that could move to the more point of care tests move to those point of care tests and what's left is an amazing array of capacity that exists in the country for at least a million more tests per week. We have a whole team working lab by lab to see what it would take to turn on all of those labs that aren't running the pieces of equipment now.'

She didn't say how many tests might need to be conducted.

'Just so you understand, we have tremendous testing capacity,' Trump said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci called the three-phase guidelines 'a rather robust program for reentering into normality.' He said the 'dominating drive of this was to make sure that this was done in the safest way possible.'

Trump, however, asserted that the country would return to the way of life before the coronavirus started ravaging the population  even packing arenas like the University of Alabama, which can accomodate 100,000 people.

'We want 110,000 people there. We want every seat occupied,' Trump said.

Trump spoke after telling governors on a conference call the decision on reopening rests with them.

Emergency Medical Technicians wearing personal protective equipment move a patient from a nursing home in Brooklyn, New York, yesterday

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr Anthony Fauci speaks at Thursday's White House briefing

Armed protesters join in 'Operation Gridlock' near the Michigan state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan

KEEP ON TRUCKING: President Donald Trump told governors it is up to them when to reopen their states, as the White House released new guidelines for a phased reopening

The three-phase spells out different iterations of when people can return to work school and a semblance of normal life  absent dates or clarity about how and when it would occur.

Notably missing from the plan are metrics about what level of testing must be reached, or what will constitute a sufficiently leveled 'curve' of deaths or infections to trigger moving up the scale.

The guidelines recommend states be on a 'downward trajectory' to move forward through the phases, Bloomberg News reported.

It will be up to the governors to decide when to reopen, the president acknowledged, days after saying he had 'absolute power' on the subject and getting pushback.

'You are going to call your own shots,' Trump said, a source told CNN.

The first phase would have schools remain closed, with strict guidelines for restaurants and other places where people usually gather.

During Phase One, vulnerable people should still shelter in place, while people should still practice social distancing in public and avoid groups of 10 or more. Businesses should close common areas and avoid non-essential travel. Schools remain closed, and movie theaters and churches are under strict physical distancing. Bars are closed.

By Phase Two, individuals are still to maximize social distancing, and should avoid groups of more than 50. As the situation improves, workers who are not symptomatic could return to their jobs.

Non-essential work travel can resume. Schools and daycare can reopen. Sit-down dining can operate under moderate distancing guidelines, and gyms can open. Bars should have diminished standing-room capacity.

Only by Phase Three is there unrestricted staffing at worksites. People can go to senior care facilities to visit their elderly relatives. Nursing homes which have become hotspots for the virus taking the lives of vulnerable populations. Large venues scan operate under limited physical distancing. Gyms and bars can open with increased standing room.

The plan conforms with Trump's stated goal to get the U.S. economy moving again, with some states potentially opening before current guidelines run out at the end of the month.

The document puts some of the key burdens in the hands of the states, who it says should have the 'ability to quickly set up safe and efficient screening and testing sites,' as well as have 'quickly and independently supply sufficient Personal Protective Equipment.'

Trump has bristled at the notion that the federal government should first implement widespread nationwide testing before reopening, and has said it should be up to states to get needed equipment, even while the administration rushed in March to secure millions of masks and other protective gear.
A 12-year-old girl whose mother died in hospital from Covid-19 has been left orphaned with no living relatives in the UK.

Rutendo Mukotsanjera, aged 45 and originally from Zimbabwe, died of coronavirus on April 10.

Her 12-year-old daughter Cheidza, known as Chichi, is now being cared for by members of the Renew Church in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, where her mother worshipped.

Church members have been in contact with relatives in Zimbabwe to decide what is in the best interests of the young girl.

Rutendo Mukotsanjera, pictured, died of coronavirus in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, leaving behind her daughter, Chichi, left, who does not have any relatives in the UK

According to The Mirror, Ms Mukotsanjera was a public health official and had previously worked for the Infrastructure Bank in Zimbabwe.

Britain's black and minority ethnic communities appear to have been hardest hit by the virus sweeping the country.

Despite only making up 14 percent of the population of England and Wales, they represent a third of the patients in intensive care with coronavirus, according to the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre.

Chaand Nagpaul, head of the British Medical Association, said this was 'extremely disturbing and worrying'.

'We have heard the virus does not discriminate between individuals, but there's no doubt there appears to be a manifest disproportionate severity of infection in BAME people and doctors,' he told The Guardian newspaper.

The first ten doctors who died with coronavirus in Britain were from ethnic minorities, including Alfa Sa'adu, Jitendra Rathod, Mohamed Sami Shousha and Syed Haider.

Ms Mukotsanjera, pictured, was originally from Zimbabwe. Members of her church are currently looking after Chichi

In a letter to the government, several opposition Labour MPs said deaths represented 'serious concerns' and called for an urgent investigation.

Sunder Katwala, the head of thinktank British Future, also said that a large number of Filippino nurses, hospital porters and other staff had been affected by coronavirus.

'Tragically, a disproportionate number of those in the NHS who died are people who came to make their lives here and to work in the NHS,' Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a recent press conference.

Non-British staff make up 12 percent of the UK healthcare workforce, according to the Office for National Statistics.

In London, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Britain, this rises to 23 percent.

In terms of patients, people from ethnic minorities are more likely to live in London or in the West Midlands - another hard hit area - and suffer more poverty and ill health.

'South Asians live in more deprived areas and have more cardiovascular disease and diabetes,' said Kamlesh Khunti, an expert in ethnic minority health who led the ICNARC study.

They also often live in larger, multi-generational households and so 'social isolation may not be as prevalent'.

Zubaida Haque, deputy director of the race equality Runnymede, said ethnic minorities were also more likely to be in low-paid jobs or be key workers - as transport and delivery staff, healthcare assistants, hospital cleaners and social care workers.

'All of which bring them into more contact with coronavirus and so increase their risk to serious-illness and death,' she told the BBC.
We live in the shadow of a tsunami. As of Wednesday, 28,000 have died in the US from COVID-19. The bodies pile up so quickly that those who care for the deceased cannot keep up. Last week, New York City Councilman Mark Levine tweeted the news that coronavirus victims will temporarily be interned in city parks to help morgues, hospitals, and cemeteries cope with the death toll (currently more than 10,000 New Yorkers have died due to COVID-19). Trenches will be dug for ten caskets in a line, Levine said.

This last week was predicted to be the peak death week for the US coronavirus outbreak, though various US regions and other countries have yet to face the foreboding summit. Worldwide, as of Wednesday, the coronavirus pandemic has taken 133,000 from our numbers and infected over 2 million. Projections show that as much as half of the worlds population could catch COVID-19 by August.

We also just celebrated Holy Week, remembering Jesus Christs crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. In Christs life, we remember that divinity entered into a human body, which shows us that bodieseven deceased bodiesmatter. In his death, we remember that our bodies are fragile, mere organic matter like all living things. In his resurrection, we remember that our lives extend beyond a mere physical reality into the age to come.

In this season, as in any natural disaster, death norms have been upended. Evangelicals typically prefer burial to cremation, according to a theological journal. But the pandemic has disrupted how everyone deals with their deadin New York City and around the world, with cremation emerging as a more practical option. In Wuhan, China, the ground zero of the outbreak, hurried cremations have left the mourning without closure, and relatives wait in long lines to receive the ashes of the departed from funeral homes. In Italy, the center of Catholicism, the number of dead has outpaced any theological stance. Such an influx of the dead and dying left one Catholic priest officiating solitary funerals and storing coffins in his church, each one awaiting cremation instead of burial as the Vatican would prefer.

Furthermore, whether people die of COVID-19 or of other causes amid this time of restricted gathering, they might die alone, their deceased bodies needing services from strained morgues and funeral homes.

In the US, death norms had already been shifting before the coronavirus pandemic arrived. In 2019, the cremation rate was nearly 55 percent, while the burial rate dropped to 39 percent, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. Looking ahead, many fringe options have emerged: In Washington state, people can now opt to be composted after death. Others plan cryonic freezings or look to launch their remains into outer space.

Whether the pandemic will permanently change the way we inter bodies is unclear. But funeral homes have already become more flexible, giving families more say than in previous generations.

Traditionally, a delay occurs between death and burial, so bodies due to be buried are embalmed (bodily fluids are replaced with chemicals) or are refrigerated in a morgue to preserve and prevent decay for the sake of a later funeral service.

As forensic researcher Melissa Connor told CT, We [humans] try hard not to [be] just part of the [natural] worldthe point of embalming is to not decay and to keep our bodies lifelike for as long as possible. There are many ways that humans are different from other animalsintelligence, opposable thumbsbut the physical aspect of death is not one of them.

In cremation, a deceased body is burned within a combustible box in a large metal chamber at nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for 1.5 to 2 hours, and any bone remnants are then pulverized. The powder left behind is delivered to the family.

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Funeral directors have long adapted to a familys wishesfor example, services are held without or without caskets, and even cremated remains can be buried. Yet during this pandemic, grieving relatives may not have the opportunity to view the body of the deceased before putting it to rest. Will death linger on without closure? Will they receive comfort from viewing the corpse, so unlike the body of the person they knew?

In the era of coronavirus, Martha L. Thayer, program chair of Arapahoe Community Colleges mortuary program, said funeral directors are using video conferencing to help grieving families say goodbye to a loved ones body, regardless of its destination.

But Thayer pointed out that choosing burial or cremation does not fundamentally change the way a family experiences a loss. No one can outrun grief. Cremation doesnt fast-track, and burial doesnt prolong it, she said.

A tricky point for some Christians, and a position held throughout church history, though, is that burial is the preferred way of laying to rest deceased bodies, even as cremation has become the preferred method in the US.

On one side, believers struggle with cremation for its seeming disregard for the body. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote, There is no question that God can and will resurrect all human bodies on that day  [but] without  the Christian hope, the dead human body becomes just one more object for disposal. John Piper, Russell Moore, and others have expressed similar concern with cremation.

Yet others do not see cremation as a spiritual issue at all, including Focus on the Family and John MacArthur. Billy Graham, founder of Christianity Today, pointed out that Hebrews practiced both burial and cremation during their history. Ultimately, he counseled families to make the decision together: Whether burial or cremation best expresses that appropriate respect [for the body] is a very personal decision. At the resurrection it will not make any difference whether a persons body has been buried or cremated. (It should be noted that Graham himself was buried upon his death.)

However, discussing the morality of cremation or burial is a luxury, as health care workers, materials, time, and even gravesites are in short supply. Its not so much a question of cremation versus burial, but of death: Are we ready to face it when it comes?

Kathleen Tallman, a professor of biology and chemistry at Azusa Pacific University who works with deceased bodies in a cadaver lab, explained how the disciples of Jesus anointed his body and wrapped it in linens. In light of Jesus own death, Tallman seeks above all to respect the cadavers in her care. She wrote, When I work with cadavers, [I try] to care for them as Joseph and Nicodemus cared for Jesus.

Even though we honor the gift of a body donated to scientific discovery, most of us feel disgusted by a decomposing body. Starting from four minutes after expiration, the body bloats, drains, rots. The skin turns green, then red, then teeth and nails drop, remains liquify, leaving behind only a skeleton.

As Thayer said, The dead body is a symbol of the essence of the person who lived in it and where their soul dwelled. While the soul has clearly left the body, the physical vessel remains, albeit temporarily, and remains a source of comfort. I greatly admire people who move toward their discomfort and allow themselves to cry and feel and fully grieve the loss of [what] that body represents.

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In the case of Jesus bodycrucified on Good Friday, embalmed, and then entombedhe never made it through the stages of decomposition so neatly. When the angel met Mary at the tomb to declare, He is not here; he has risen, (Matt. 28:6) Jesus appears to her in a new body. The mystery of that glorified body has befuddled theologians across centuriesJesus body held enough substance to be scarred but passed through locked doors; he ate fish grilled over a fire but disappeared from rooms in an instant.

Though we cannot explain its anatomy, Jesus dead and then resurrected body resounds with meaning in the life of a believer. Our God became flesh and experienced the indignity of death, like his creatures. As Tallman put it, In the anatomy lab  we see on a daily basis the wonder of Jesus creation in the human body, the imago Dei. We know that the cadavers we are learning from also had loved ones who miss them and mourn them. We are reminded anew of the sanctity of all life and the source from which it comes.

We mirror Jesus not only in our bodies; imago Dei means we also share his spirit. As Eugene Peterson said in his memoir, Resurrection does not have to do exclusively with what happens after we are buried or cremated.  We practice our death by giving up our will to live on our own terms. Only in that relinquishment or renunciation are we able to practice resurrection. We know the body matters in this life, yet our spirit must experience death, even as our bodies live. And even in physical death, we await the promise of bodily resurrection. For those who believe, death does not mean our end but our beginning, life in the shadow of death.

Liz Charlotte Grant is a freelance writer and Christian speaker in Denver. She has writing published at the Huffington Post, Fathom Magazine, Image Journals blog, Ruminate Magazines blog, and Geez Magazine, among others. The Collegeville Institute awarded her a residency in 2019 and 2020. Find her at LizCharlotteGrant.com or on Instagram @LizCharlotteGrant.
As many as 50 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Telangana on Thursday, taking the number of active cases in the state cumulatively to 496.

No death occurred on Thursday and the number of people who succumbed to the virus remained at 18, a state government bulletin said.

According to the bulletin, 68 people were cured/discharged from hospitals on Thursday after recovery.

With this, the number of people discharged rose to 186.

With 50 cases being reported, the total positive cases reported in the state mounted to 700.

The bulletin said measures to contain the virus are being taken in 13 districts and 159 clusters.

State Health Minister E Rajender told reporters that 90 per cent of the fresh cases are from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

The intensity of the virus is less in rural areas in the state, he said.

More number of positive cases were found when samples from Hyderabad were tested, he said.

About 10,000 tests have been done so far.

About 640 of the total 700 positive cases are those who returned after participating in a religious congregation in Delhi and their contacts, the minister said.

He appealed to those who came in contact with the positive cases to report to the authorities, before the administration reached out to them, so that the virus can be contained soon.

In one instance, 20 members of a single family in the city were found positive because of one positive case, he said.

Rajender said two more labs in the city have got permission to conduct the COVID-19 tests.

The tests are already being conducted at about six state-run labs.

Telangana would soon acquire the capacity to conduct 5,000 tests per day with new machinery expected to be put in place in the city in another three weeks, he added.

Replying to a query, he said the state government has applied to ICMR to use plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients and would go by the recommendations of the ICMR.

On Thursday, state IT and Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao inspected the containment zones at Khairatabad, and other areas in the city and interacted with the local residents.

The Telangana Cabinet, which would meet on April 19, is expected to discuss COVID-19 containment measures and whether to continue lockdown in the state strictly, as it is being implemented now, till May 3, or to give some concessions in line with the Centres thinking, an official release said on Thursday.

In the wake of attacks on doctors treating COVID-19 patients in the state, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy has warned of stringent action against all those accused involved in such incidents even if they happen to be COVID-19 patients or their attendants.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, quoting a statement from Jamia Nizamia, one of the oldest Islamic seminaries of higher learning based in the city, said the Hyderabad Muftis and Ulemas of all schools of thought have appealed that 'taraweeh' (prayer) be offered at home during the coming Ramzan.

"In a statement from Jamia Nizamia, Hyderabad Muftis & Ulemas of all Schools of Thought have appealed that taraweeh be offered at home during the coming month of Ramzan.

Of course, these guidelines do not just apply to Telangana & AP, they are to be strictly followed across India," he tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[April 16, 2020] Netsmart Launches Telehealth App to Help Providers Deliver Virtual Care

Netsmart has announced the successful launch of the Netsmart Telehealth Mobile App to implement a consumer telehealth solution for all Netsmart providers. The evolution of telehealth, a vital component of virtual care, is now available in a secure HIPAA compliant platform at consumers' fingertips through Android (News - Alert) and iOS devices. The Netsmart Telehealth Mobile App provides both an integrated EHR engagement platform for users, as well as a standard solution that can be used with any EHR. Netsmart has been working with clients for many years on initiatives to develop telehealth solutions to support a virtually connected healthcare community. While reimbursement models have been slow to enable telehealth adoption to become broad based across community service lines, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has quickly driven the expansion of telehealth. Netsmart clients have shown a 150% increase in services delivered via telehealth in the past two weeks. For example, The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, a long-time partner of Netsmart, has seen the percentages of services delivered via telehealth skyrocket to more than 75% of all services delivered. This required a rapid implementation of the Netsmart integrated telehealth solution to serve clients in more than 70 locations in the New York City area. "Our need to move fast to ensure our clients continued to receive services was critical," said The Jewish Board CIO Uday Madasu. "While we initially leveraged all available methods of interacting with our clients virtually, we quickly realized the need for a more integrated solution to ensure our ability to scale and capture needed documentation efficiently to ensure reimbursement and provider satisfaction." The Netsmart telehealth platform offers integration with the EHR, enabling the ability to schedule and launch virtual appointments, create dedicated virtual practices by service line or location, while providing strict compliance with industry safety and security standards. "You can tell the difference between the integrated workflow provided by Ntsmart versus other virtual conferencing solutions, which is why we chose Netsmart telehealth," explained Madasu. Madasu also encourages organizations who have not yet implemented telehealth, to have a plan and start implementing immediately. "If you have a head start in preparing for some of this, because you're not maybe in the middle of this crisis like we are in New York City or New Jersey, I think you should start really planning for having the right equipment in place and staff trained properly."



"Telehealth has seen steady growth over the last several years as organizations have been tapping into the solution as a means to scale during staffing shortages," said Netsmart CEO Mike Valentine. "The onset of COVID-19 has greatly accelerated this trajectory. Enabling telehealth allows a population to remain at home and still continue to receive important services." According to Valentine, "The integration of the Netsmart Telehealth Mobile App also allows individuals to engage with their care team from any location. As many of our clients are on the forefront of fighting COVID-19, we are committed to continuing to quickly develop solutions that enable the critical service delivery our clients provide." About The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services

For more than 140 years, the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services (The Jewish Board) has been helping New Yorkers realize their potential and live as independently as possible. We promote resilience and recovery by addressing all aspects of an individual's life, including mental and physical health, family, employment and education. Across the five boroughs and in Westchester, we serve more than 43,000 New Yorkers from all religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds each year. About Netsmart Netsmart designs, builds and delivers electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), analytics and telehealth solutions and services that are powerful, intuitive and easy-to-use. Our platform provides accurate, up-to-date information that is easily accessible to care team members in behavioral health, home health, hospice, senior living and social services. We make the complex simple and personalized so our clients can concentrate on what they do best: provide services and treatment that support whole-person care. By leveraging the powerful Netsmart network, care providers can seamlessly and securely integrate information across communities, collaborate on the most effective treatments and improve outcomes for those in their care. Our streamlined systems and personalized workflows put relevant information at the fingertips of users when and where they need it. For more than 50 years, Netsmart has been committed to providing a common platform to integrate care. SIMPLE. PERSONAL. POWERFUL. Our more than 2,000 associates work hand-in-hand with our 600,000+ users in more than 35,000 organizations across the U.S. to develop and deploy technology that automates and coordinates everything from clinical to financial to administrative. Learn more about how Netsmart is changing the face of healthcare today. Visit www.ntst.com, call 1-800-472-5509, follow us on our CareThreads Blog, LinkedIn and Twitter, like us on Facebook or visit us on YouTube. Netsmart is pleased to support the EveryDayMatters Foundation, which was established for behavioral health, care at home, senior living and social services organizations to learn from each other and share their causes and stories. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005638/en/

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When times are grim, we tend to cling for dear life to anything that offers even the faintest glimmer of hope. So it is that for me  and for countless other cigarette addicts  the most cheering read of the week was David Hockneys letter to the Mail, in which he suggested that our disgusting habit may just possibly afford us some degree of protection from Covid-19.

Could it not be, wrote our greatest living artist and patron saint of chainsmokers, that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus?

With all these figures coming out, its beginning to look like that to me. Of course, the 82-year-old Hockney  a smoker for 60 years  could well be indulging in wishful thinking. The anti-smoking zealots at Public Health England cite a small but highly impactful Chinese study which claims that we addicts are 14 times more likely to develop severe disease if we succumb to this modern plague.

But if the great man is right  and Im the first to admit its a very big If  he has highlighted one of the most surprising possibilities thrown up in the scientists struggle to understand how this vile virus works, and how best to beat it.

For me  and for countless other cigarette addicts  the most cheering read of the week was David Hockneys letter to the Mail, in which he suggested that our disgusting habit may just possibly afford us some degree of protection from Covid-19

Expensive

Its also the first time since I foolishly took up smoking during my gap year in France almost 50 years ago that Ive heard anyone suggest my antisocial, unhealthy and cripplingly expensive addiction might actually be doing me some good.

Smokers have had a terrible press since 1604, when King James I of England and VI of Scotland wrote his magnificent polemic, A Counterblaste To Tobacco.

In words that could teach todays internet trolls a thing or two about expressing fury, the king described smoking as this filthie noveltie.

It was, he wrote: A custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, harmefull to the braine, dangerous to the Lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, neerest resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is bottomelesse.

And, lets face it, he was right.

Yet despite the kings rage, fools like me continued to smoke  and it was only during my lifetime, after the discovery of the indisputable link between smoking and lung cancer, that the anti-tobacco lobby began to make serious headway.

SMOKING NOT LINKED TO COMPLICATIONS, CLAIMS NYU STUDY A study by New York University found that just five per cent of 4,103 coronavirus hospital patients in the city admitted to being smokers. This was far lower than the 15.5 per cent of smokers in the population there. The same proportion of smokers were found in COVID-19 patients who did not need hospitalisation, suggesting they were less likely to catch the virus or were not being accurately recorded. The New York study is not the first to find a low number of smokers in COVID-19 hospital admissions. One team of experts from Wuhan - where the pandemic began - were mystified after finding smokers were less likely to catch the deadly virus in the first place. Scientists have called for further trials to clarify if smoking poses a real threat, but admit, in general, smokers are more susceptible to infection. Public Health England has warned users face a greater risk because the tiny hairs inside the airways and lungs, which help move pathogens and mucus away, are often damaged by the toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke. The new study was published on the archive site medRxiv and not in a journal. Its authors said: 'Surprisingly, though some have speculated that high rates of smoking in China explained some of the morbidity in those patients, we did not find smoking status to be associated with increased risk of hospitalization or critical illness.' Advertisement

In modern times, we smokers have become social pariahs  thrown out of offices, restaurants and pubs to satisfy our slavish craving on the streets outside in rain, hail or snow.

Even the most charming and welcoming of dinner party hostesses now thinks it acceptable to answer a smokers plea with the words: Id much rather you didnt.

Either that, or shell make her displeasure felt by saying: Yes, of course you can smoke, if youll just let me open a window. Oh, and Im almost sure we have an ashtray somewhere. Just give me a few minutes to look for it.

Thus, she leaves us feeling like the worms that, deep down, we know we are. At school, children have it drummed into them that smoking is an evil on a par with man-made climate change, guaranteed to destroy their health.

Indeed, words that echo down the decades to me were spoken to one of my sons by a classmate, as they sat in the back seat of the car when I was doing the school run: Your dad smokes, doesnt he? So how come hes not dead?

Meanwhile at Budget after Budget, successive chancellors have cranked up the duty on tobacco, never failing to pull pious faces as they claim theyre thinking only of our health.

In fact, theyre thinking only of the absolute maximum they can screw out of us without driving us to give up.

Indeed, I well remember resolving that Id give up when cigarette prices topped 1 for a packet of 20.

As it turned out, they went up by so little above 1 that I kept going, thinking: What difference can a few pence make?

Warning

These days, a packet of 20 Marlboro Reds costs more than 13. But pathetic addict that I am, I carry on smoking, blocking out the warnings about the harm Im doing to myself and those around me.

Enough to say it came as no surprise to anyone that as soon as the Covid-19 crisis broke, the anti-smoking lobby stepped up its campaign against tobacco, warning that smokers were at particular risk.

Among the first out of the traps was the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, who said: It is abundantly clear from the research into previous coronaviruses that smoking makes the impact of a coronavirus worse.

A study of 41 patients at Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan found that none of the 13 patients who needed to be admitted to ICU were current smokers. In contrast, 11 per cent (three) of those who did not need intensive care were smokers

A study of 552 hospitals across China, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that of the 173 patients who had severe symptoms, 16.9 per cent of them were current smokers and 5.2 per cent had previously smoked. In comparison, of the patients with less-severe symptoms, 11.8 per cent were current smokers and 1.3 per cent were former smokers

One study of 140 coronavirus patients found that among the 58 patients who severely ill, 3.4 per cent (two people) were current smokers and 6.9 per cent (four) were former smokers. In comparison, of the 82 with milder symptoms, none were current smokers and 3.7 per cent (three) were former smokers

Researchers at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University made the conclusion that only 1.4 per cent of 140 hospitalised patients were smokers

The NYU Grossman School of Medicine study found that just five per cent of coronavirus hospitalisations were current smokers - roughly the same percentage seen in the group that didn't need hospital care

To that, my only answer is that nothing is abundantly clear about Covid-19. Since there has been no mass testing in the UK, we have no idea how many of us are infected with the virus, or how many have recovered from it. We dont know, with any degree of accuracy, our chances of survival if we get it. We dont know how many have died because of it, rather than just with it.

The only thing that seems more certain by the day is that those selfless people among us who are constantly exposed to the virus  front-line health workers, bus drivers and others  are more at risk than the rest of us. God bless them and keep them safe.

Most crucially of all, we still have very little idea whether or not its possible to contract Covid-19 more than once, or how long immunity is likely to last (if at all) after weve had it for the first time.

And heres my point: its also far from abundantly clear that smokers are in greater danger than anyone else. On the contrary, as Hockney suggests, we may actually be safer  safer even than those infuriating health fanatics we see jogging around the park, panting and spreading their toxic droplets to anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way.

I wont go into the science, because frankly it baffles me. But the fact is that several studies conducted all over the world have found that smokers are significantly under-represented among those who have succumbed to coronavirus.

Revolting

In China, where more than a quarter of the population smoke, researchers found that only 6.5 per cent of those hospitalised with Covid-19 were smokers.

In the U.S. (whose figures I trust more), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that a mere 1.3 per cent of those who have tested positive for coronavirus are smokers, though 14 per cent of Americas adult population are said to smoke. Various explanations have been offered for this.

One, popular in the anti-tobacco lobby, is that we smokers smell so revolting that nobody wants to come within half a mile of us, never mind two metres.

Others say doctors have either been too busy to ask patients whether or not they smoke, or that sufferers have been too sick to answer the question.

Meanwhile, scientists struggling for an explanation suggest that nicotine may offer some protection through the way it affects the ACE2 receptors in our lungs.

No, dont ask me.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am absolutely not advising anyone to take up smoking, which is probably the stupidest thing I ever did. But if theres even a grain of truth in Hockneys theory, I strongly urge medics to set aside their anti-smoking prejudice and examine precisely how nicotine may act to combat the virus.

That way  who knows?  they may come up with the elusive treatment we all yearn for.

As for myself, Ill carry on puffing away through the lockdown, hoping along with Hockney that in some mysterious way, our unhealthy addiction may protect us.

I only pray that the words Ive just written wont be filed, all too literally, under the heading: 'Famous Last Words.'
KAMPALA  The Ministry of Health has announced that all the new samples of 1,032 people that were tested for coronavirus at the Uganda Virus Research Institute on Wednesday, April 15 negative.

The Director General Health Services Dr. Henry G. Mwebase made this announcement in a statement that leaves Uganda as of Wednesday April 15 standing at 55 coronavirus infections.

Dr. Mwebesa also explained that previously confirmed case, a Ugandan male truck driver who arrived from Kenya was tracked by security and surveillance teams and intercepted at Kamdini.

He is being evacuated to Entebbe Hospital Grade B for treatment. Surveillance teams are currently tracing his contacts, he said.

Meanwhile, he also said that four patients from Mulago Hospital were discharged after testing negative twice for coronavirus.

The total number of patients who have been discharged have been is now 12, he added.

A cumulative of 1361 contacts to confirmed cases have been listed to date, of these, 1063 have completed 14 day follow-up and will be dropped, Dr Mwebesa said adding that 298 contacts are being follow-up by surveillance team.

A total of 181 individuals are under institutional quarantine, he added.

Elsewhere in East Africa, Tanzania on Wednesday reported 29 infections and her total number shoot to 88 cases, Rwandas infections stand at 139 after two infections were recorded on Wednesday, whereas Kenya has 225 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Related
STUTTGART (dpa-AFX) - Porsche Automobil Holding SE (POAHY.PK, POAHF.PK) has decided to withdraw its forecast for the group result after tax for fiscal 2020. The previous forecast of the Porsche SE Group's net liquidity remains currently unaffected. Also, Volkswagen AG has announced that it withdraws the outlook for fiscal 2020. Porsche Automobil Holding SE noted that the result of the Porsche SE Group is significantly influenced by the at-equity result attributable to Porsche SE and thus by the earnings situation of the Volkswagen Group. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Appeal against ex-penitentiary officials term for embezzlement postponed for 2 weeks

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

15:39 16/04/2020

MOSCOW, April 16 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has adjourned an appeal against against a 7-year prison sentence given to ex-deputy chief of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Oleg Korshunov for a 263-million-ruble (about $4 million) embezzlement until April 28, RAPSI has learnt from the courts press service.

In July 2019, Korshunov received the prison term and was fined 900,000 rubles (about $14,000). In addition, he was divested of his service grade and forbidden to hold public offices for 3 years.

The head of the state-run production company, the Industrial Production House of FSIN Russia Vitaly Morusov, an alleged accomplice of Korshunov, was sentenced to 5 years in a penal colony and fined 500,000 rubles (about $8,000); he was also forbidden to hold managing positions in commercial organizations.

Korshunov and Morusov pleaded not guilty.

Investigators claimed that in 2015 Korshunov had conspired with CEO of Russian footwear company Datse Group, Smbat Arutyunyan, and the head of state-run production company FSIN Russia Vitaly Morusov. Allegedly, Korshunov ordered to use prisoner labor to manufacture footwear from cheap materials provided by Datse Group. Later, he allegedly facilitated signing of a state contract with FSIN Russia.

Korshunov was appointed to the post of FSIN deputy head in March 2014. He has been bestowed the rank of Full State Counsellor 2nd Class of the Russian Federation. In October 2017, President Vladimir Putin relieved him of the post.
Maharashtra industries minister Subhash Desai on Thursday indicated that the state government may allow resumption of industrial activities from April 20 in the areas where no COVID-19 patient has been found so far.

The most industrialised state has recorded the maximum number of coronavirus cases so far and the lockdown in force since March 25 to check the COVID-19 spread has brought most of the industrial and commercial units to a grinding halt.

In an official statement, Desai said, "In the areas where no COVID-19 cases have been found, the industrial activities are likely to resume from April 20 onwards."



"We will give the permissions within the framework set by the Union government," he said.

Desai made the announcement after holding a special meeting with a group of senior bureaucrats from the industries and health department.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced the extension of the current nation-wide lockdown till May 3 to curb the spread of coronavirus.

We are preparing a draft proposal on how to resume industrial activities in the areas where we have not found any cases of COVID-19.

"The decision will be taken only after consultation with local medical staff, district collector, industrial officers and owners of the units, Desai said.

The proposal will be submitted to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray soon for his approval, he said.

We are hopeful that industries would resume their work around April 20. Those who have no job at present, some of them could start earning as well. Their tension would get reduced to some extent, Desai said.

The Shiv Sena minister said agriculture will remain a focussed area for the government.

"Within the plan of resuming industrial activities, our priority would be to agriculture-allied industries. Farmers need support in a such situation as well, he said.

"The Centre on Wednesday permitted states to undertake some activities that would set the wheels of economy moving. A review meeting in this regard was held today along with the stakeholders, Desai said.

Industries wanting to start operations will have to take certain measures like in-house accommodation for workers, he said.

"If an industry can arrange accommodation for its workers within its premises, it will be given priority by the state to resume work.

"This measure will ensure no infection from outside comes to the industrial unit," said the minister.

Some factories can even arrange transportation for their employees. If small and medium scale companies in the MIDC areas come together, some accommodation for workers can be provided and these units can resume production and processing, he said.

There are six districts with no case, while there are some 14 districts where a handful of COVID-19 positive patients have been found.

Maharashtra has 36 districts.

"A secretary-level meeting will also take place to come up with more solutions, Desai said.

Maharashtra has so far recorded 3,202 coronavirus cases and 194 deaths.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nearly 80,000 has been raised for the family and newborn baby of a pregnant NHS nurse who died from coronavirus.

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, who worked on a general ward at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for five years, died on Sunday.

Her baby daughter was delivered successfully via emergency caesarean section and is in good health, according to the hospital, although it is not clear whether she has also tested positive for the disease.

Following the news of Ms Agyapongs death, a GoFundMe page was set up to help raise money for her husband, who is currently self-isolating and has been tested for Covid-19, and her newborn baby.

In a matter of days, the campaign has surpassed its goal of 2,000, receiving 80,636 in donations from more than 4,000 people.

Mary was a blessing to everyone she came across and her love, care and sincerity will be irreplaceable, organiser Rhoda Asiedu wrote on the page.

I am raising this funds for her immediate family; her husband, AJ and her baby girl little Mary, who was born at the time of her demise.

It is humane for us to take care of them in every way we can during this heavy and trying time. You will forever be in our hearts Mary. Your memories are still with us and we will cherish them forever until we meet again. We will forever miss you.

A number of people, including friends and colleagues, paid tribute to Ms Agyapong on the GoFundMe page.

Sister Mary was my colleague, I worked alongside her for a few years. She deserves her family to be looked after, after she devoted her life to the NHS as a nurse, one person wrote.

Ms Agyapong had tested positive for the virus and died at the hospital where she worked (Rhoda Asiedu via GoFundMe)

Another added: So sorry to Mary's family and friends for her loss. She will live on in her beautiful baby girl.

Ms Agyapong is one of at least 45 NHS staff, many of them nurses, who have died of Covid-19.

The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that Ms Agyapong tested positive on 5 April and was admitted to the hospital where she worked on 7 April.

The nurse, who had been working until at least 12 March, well into her third trimester, was on a general ward which has since been converted to treat coronavirus, Channel 4 News reported.

The hospital said it had not suffered any significant equipment shortages and did not have any coronavirus patients at the time Ms Agyapong took maternity leave.

David Carter, chief executive of the trust, said: It is with great sadness that I can confirm the death of one of our nurses, Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, who passed away on Sunday.

Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart  DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe  Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

Mary worked here for five years, and was a highly valued and loved member of our team, a fantastic nurse and a great example of what we stand for in this trust.

Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Marys family and friends at this sad time. We ask that the familys privacy is respected at this time.
EGU2020 - Sharing Geoscience Online - Prolog

Posted on 16 April 2020 by BaerbelW

Like many others, I was looking forward to travelling to Vienna in the first week of May to participate in this year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union, something I had done and enjoyed in both 2018 and 2019. But, due to the Corona epidemic the in-person event had to be cancelled like so many other gatherings where people would otherwise meet in the hundreds or - like in Vienna - thousands. Something which obviously now couldn't happen. Instead of completely foregoing this year's general assembly, the organisiers decided to do something unprecedented instead and EGU 2020: Sharing Geoscience Online was born!

Here is how this will work according to the website:

EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online (#shareEGU20) brings part of the activities of the EGU General Assembly 2020 online. We hope that authors and conveners will join us in sharing their research and discussing with colleagues. From 4 to 8 May 2020 (CEST) everyone can join us online for their favourite sessions. Participation in EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online does not require a separate registration or the payment of a registration fee. For uploads of presentation materials and commenting, authors and participants only need to have a Copernicus user account. Viewing presentation materials and participating in chats does not require registration or login. To organize your participation, please consider preparing your personal programme.

This means, that all the presentation material will be open access and participating in the chat sessions or commenting on the presentations will be free of charge and open to everybody interested! There's a lot of information on the EGU-website of how they plan to pull this off (e.g. the FAQs) - not an easy feat considering that about 18,000 abstracts have been submitted to 700 sessions!

One of these many presentations will be one I submitted together with John Cook for session ITS1.8/SSS1.1 - Bridging between scientific disciplines: Participatory Citizen Science and Open Science as a way to go. Initially we were given a poster for our abstract titled "The story of Skeptical Science: How citizen science helped to turn a website into a go-to resource for climate science" but now - just like everybody else - we were given the opportunity to upload a "display". This could be anything like a graphic, an animation, a video or a presentation as long as its size stayed below 50MB.

Given the amount of material suitable for a mention in our presentation about Skeptical Science, I would have had a pretty hard time boiling things down to make it fit onto a poster! The switch to a display and therefore multi-page presentation suited me just fine and I set to work. The completed presentation has already been uploaded to the EGU website and you can view and download it from its abstract page. The presentation has comments enabled, so it's possible to have a discussion about it. All you need to comment on ours and many other displays is a Copernicus ID. Creating an ID is easy and free of charge but participating in EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online, implies that you adhere to EGU's Code of Conduct. Comments will remain publicly available together with the abstract and presentation.

Here is a teaser about the many facets of Skeptical Science mentioned in our presentation:

There's one slide for each of these topics in the presentation containing links to relevant pages on Skeptical Science or related material. Do have a look and mark your calendar for the online chat-session happening on the very first day of EGU 2020: Sharing Geoscience Online on Monday, May 4 from 8:30 to 12:30 CEST. I'm really looking forward to what is bound to become a big experiment in how a large conference like this one can be done online! I plan to write a couple of blog posts throughout the event to share my thoughts and experiences. Stay tuned and "tune in" online from May 4 to 8!
Ndjamena, Chad (PANA) - In a bid to help Chad meet the urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the deterioration of global conditions and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IMF Executive Board has approved a US$115
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  Three governors and four mayors are facing show cause orders for supposedly violating quarantine policy set by the national government amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The officials who were issued the show cause orders by the department include: Bukidnon Governor Jose Zubiri, Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao, and Abra Governor Jocelyn Bernos.

The DILG also explained that the concerned mayors and governors released executive orders that do not abide with guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Kailangan na namin sila padalhan ng show cause order para pagpaliwanagin lang ang kanilang mga executive order, DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing told CNN Philippines Balitaan.

[Translation: We needed to send them a show cause order so they could explain their executive orders.]

Densing explained that Abras governor has prohibited the exit of agricultural products, disrupting all of Luzons food supply chain, while the governor of Antique disallowed the entry of cargo, specifically construction materials.

The government had earlier assured the free movement of all types of cargo to, within, and from Luzon, despite being placed under enhanced community quarantine.

The governor of Bukdinon, however, released an executive order stopping all operations of companies in the province from April 13 to April 20, 2020. This has hampered the activities of firms producing food such as pineapples, bananas, and rice, explained Densing.

Densing said Noveleta, Cavite Mayor Dino Reyes Chua, Talisay, Batangas Mayor Gerry Natauan, Dao, Capiz Mayor Ernesto Escutin, and Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. have also been flagged for violations.

Sa mga mayor naman, puro mass gathering ito at meron na silang mga show cause order, said Densing.

[Translation: For the mayors, all (their violations) are mass gathering and they already have show cause orders.]

Mass gatherings have been restricted under quarantine policy.

Pag hindi pa rin nila itinatama at hindi katanggap-tanggap ang paliwanag, nagbigay na po ng panuntunan si Secretary Ano na i-elevate na natin ito sa Office of the President para silay patawan ng automatic na two-month preventive suspension sa lagay ng ating mga gobernador, said Densing.

[Translation: If they dont correct (their executive orders) and their explanations are unacceptable, Secretary Ano has already released guidelines saying we will bring this up to the Office of the President so that a two-month preventive suspension will automatically be imposed on our (erring) governors.]

A suspension also awaits concerned mayors, should they provide unacceptable explanations, Densing added.

On Thursday, Ano said more show cause orders will be issued against local chief executives as the department had already exhausted all means of dialogue with LGUs.

READ: DILG issues show cause orders to barangay captains for ECQ violations

We consider LGUs as our partners from the very beginning, but once we have exhausted all avenues for dialogue, we have no choice but to start filing cases. Hahabulin namin sila, he said.

[Translation: We will go after them.]
Crews battled a difficult fire at a house in Stone Harbor on Wednesday morning, but were able to bring it under control after about an hour.

No one was injured and the house was unoccupied at the time, fire officials said.

Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Company responded to the home on the 200 block of 118th Street around 7 a.m. and found the structure ablaze.

The fire was tough to douse because it had extended into several voids in the structure, according to an announcement on the departments Facebook page.

Units from Avalon and Dennisville responded to assist.

A neighbor indicated the property was a summer home and that the owners were not home.

The Cape May County Fire Marshal investigated and determined the blaze was unintentional, according to the fire department.

8 Firefighters battle Stone Harbor house fire

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
Coastguard says the boat had been at sea for about two months after failing to reach Malaysia.

At least 24 Rohingya died at sea after their boat failed to reach Malaysia, the coastguard in Bangladesh said on Thursday after rescuing 396 Rohingya people from the vessel which had been adrift for weeks after failing to reach Malaysia.

They were at sea for about two months and were starving, an official from the coastguard told Reuters news agency.

The official said a final decision had been made to send those rescued to neighbouring Myanmar. The coastguard initially said 382 had been rescued but later revised the number higher.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as citizens [Abdul Aziz/Al Jazeera]

Video images showed a crowd of mostly women and children, some stick-thin and barely able to stand, being helped to shore. One refugee told a reporter that the group had been turned back from Malaysia three times and at one point there was a fight on board between the passengers and the crew.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as citizens, and they face severe curbs on their movement as well as access to jobs, healthcare and education.

A boatload of hundreds of emaciated #Rohingya drifted ashore in #Bangladesh after a failed attempt to flee to #Malaysia. 28 reportedly died while adrift. Until justice, rights, & livelihoods improve, many will continue to risk their lives at sea & these horrors will continue https://t.co/jsPVNmyDpp  Matthew Smith (@matthewfsmith) April 15, 2020

Lieutenant Commander Sohail Rana, incharge of Teknaf station of Bangladesh coastguard, told Al Jazeera they handed a total of 396 rescued Rohingya refugees to the UNHCR.

The UNHCR will keep them in quarantine for the next 14 days in a camp inside Bangladesh, he said, After that, they will be sent back to their respective homes in Rohingya camps inside Bangladesh.

Louise Donovon, UNHCR spokesperson, told Al Jazeera the organisation has received the rescued refugees from the coastguard authorities.

They will be kept inside medical facilities established in the Rohingya camps. If none of them show COVID-19 symptoms in the next two weeks, they will be sent to the transfer centre and subsequently to their homes inside the camps in Bangladesh.

The designated Bangladesh governments official of Teknaf region told Al Jazeera the refugees could not reach Malaysia because of the ramped up security following the coronavirus pandemic.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the border and coastguards of all of the countries have ramped up their vigilance. Hence, the refugees on the boat couldnt get down on the Malaysian shore.

Myanmar charged with Rohingya genocide

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled the country in 2017 following a brutal army crackdown, and violence continues in the western state of Rakhine where some remain in squalid camps.

Those forced into Bangladesh live in sprawling refugee camps near the border with Myanmar, which is under investigation at the International Court of Justice for alleged genocide against the ethnic group.

Myanmar denies persecuting the Rohingya and says they are not an indigenous group despite having lived in the country for centuries.

A human rights group said it believed more boats carrying Rohingya were still at sea, because of coronavirus lockdowns in Thailand and Malaysia, a popular destination for the mainly Muslim Rohingya despite the country not being a signatory to the UN refugee convention.

One refugee told a reporter that the group had been turned back from Malaysia three times [Abdul Aziz/Al Jazeera]

Rohingya may encounter closed borders supported by a xenophobic public narrative, Arakan Project Director Chris Lewa said.

On April 5, Malaysian authorities intercepted a boat found drifting off the coast of the northwestern island of Langkawi and detained more than 200 Rohingya, including children, who were found on board.

In February, at least 15 Rohingya who had been living in the refugee camps in Teknaf died after their boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal. Reports said they had also been trying to get to Malaysia.

A police official in Malaysias northern state of Kedah told Reuters that several boats were trying to reach Malaysia and that monitoring had been stepped up. In southern Thailand, a police official said that five boats had been seen off the coast of Satun late on Monday.

It was not possible to independently confirm the comments.

Rohingya have for years boarded smugglers boats to get to Southeast Asia, usually during the November to March dry season when the sea is calmer.

Faisal Mahumd contributed to this report from Dhaka, Bangladesh
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to fall back on the old voter register if it is challenged to compile a new one ahead of election 2020 following the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

National Coordinator of CODEO, Albert Arhin believes the EC may have no other alternative given the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and the impact it is likely to have on the compilation of a new register.

The Electoral Commission suspended its planned compilation of a new voters' register over the ban on public gatherings imposed on Ghanaians as part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease that has bedevilled the country.

While many continue to cast doubts on the ability of the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters' register ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections, there have been proposals to the EC to begin the voters' registration exercise in places outside the partial lockdown.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Arhin maintained that all other things being equal, the EC may have to reconsider its decision on the new register and settle on the old electoral roll.

Even if this thing subsides and there is not ample evidence to show clearly that it is gone, then definitely there is going to be some opposition facing the EC. So it is not going to be easy at all. If we are not able to do the election, there might be a constitutional crisis. But I think by now, constitutional experts mare thinking of a way out. The other option is that, if the compilation is not able to take place then maybe, they could use the old register. But even there, how do you conduct the election if the pandemic hasnt abated maybe by September or thereabout. It is readily even dicey because the owners of the register dont want to use it so maybe a way has to be found to do the new register.

On the issue of the registration in areas outside the lockdown, Mr. Arhin expressed fears over its feasibility and reasonability because of the already disregard for social distancing protocol and other safety precautions in stemming the spread of the virus.

The problem I envisage is the way the Ghanaian is going to conduct himself or herself. Look at the food that we are distributing, the queues, pandemonium, panic, and the rush, so if it is going to be done areas that have not been affected, my problem is how the Ghanaian is going to behave in the rush to get registered. That is the fear that I have. If in those areas they are going to adhere by keeping the distances, then probably they can go ahead and do it. But where is the guarantee that there is not going to be a stampede? Its really a dicey issue.

New voters register shaky

The conduct of the December 7, 2020 polls remains uncertain given the fact that many of the electoral activities in the build-up to the polls have been put on hold until further notice as a result of the pandemic.

Electoral management body, the EC was seeking to on April 18, 2020 begin processes to replace its biometric machines to better address verification challenges that could occur during the elections.

Although the EC has said it wants to ensure that the register that is used on the election day is more credible and efficient than the existing one hence the need for a new Biometric Voter Management System (BVMS), no new date has been announced for the registration exercise after the suspension was announced in March 2020.

The move for the new register has however been met with opposition from key political stakeholders, including the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

---citinewsroom
Two weeks after canceling elective surgeries and shutting down most of the state, the Baker administration made a multi-million-dollar infusion to the health care sector to offset the financial impact of COVID-19.

With that funding came the expectation that hospitals, nursing homes and other would increase pay for their workers on the front lines, officials said.

But its not clear whether they will deliver on that expectation and increase pay during the coronavirus pandemic. Nor is it clear whether the lifeline to the health care sector will prevent furloughs and layoffs.

Within our rate increase is an expectation that we will see increased salaries for front-line nursing home staff," Sudders said at a news conference on Wednesday, noting the state had invested nearly $1 billion in the health care sector in April.

Some hospitals arent meeting that expectation. Tenet Healthcare, which owns Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, furloughed 3,400 workers or roughly 10% of its workforce, the Dallas Morning News reported. The decisions came days after the Dallas-based company started threatening furloughs and daily staff cuts.

This is no time to be sending staff home, when our patients and our community needs us more than ever before, said Marlena Pellegrino, a medical surgical nurse at the hospital and co-chair of the nurses local bargaining unit. Tenet is putting its concern for the bottom line over the safety of our patients, and we will not be silent when lives are at stake."

It is unclear how many workers at Saint Vincent Hospital are furloughed. Tenet did not answer questions from MassLive about how many workers in Massachusetts would be affected.

St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester

The company did issue a statement citing restrictions on elective surgeries, shelter-in-place advisories and other disruptions across the country as reasons for cost reductions and furloughs.

Our expectation is that we can return impacted staff to service once we navigate through this unprecedented time and can return to providing our full range of patient care services, Tenet said in a statement. These actions do not impact direct bedside nursing care for COVID-19 and do not impact emergency or medically necessary care access for patients with other medical conditions.

When asked about Tenet Healthcare on Thursday, Baker said, One of the reasons we put, its almost $1 billion now, into the health care system since the start of this outbreak is to ensure we can create financial stability for our partners in the health care community."

Doctors, nurses, home health aides and other health care workers are trying to keep COVID-19 contained as much as possible during the surge. As of Thursday, 32,181 people have tested positive for COVID-19, and 1,245 people have died. Nearly half of those deaths were in long-term care facilities, according to data from the Department of Public Health.

State lifeline to health care

The Baker administration announced an $800 million package earlier this month to cover a rate increase at hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. All health care facilities would get a 10% rate increase.

Half of the money was set aside for hospitals. That infusion also included $50 million for nursing homes and additional funding for dedicated COVID-19 wings.

This week, the state said it would send more money to nursing homes, offering an additional 15% rate increase to facilities with dedicated COVID-19 units in addition to the 10% base rate increase. Those funds are expected to be used for additional staffing, infection control and supplies, such as personal protective equipment.

One way Sudders envisions the money being used at facilities with COVID-19 wings is for hiring enough people to keep those working in COVID-19 units separate from everyone else.

If you know how nursing homes are staffed, theyre essentially staffed by shift, and depending on whos called in sick and whos reported to work, people float, Sudders said on Thursday. We cant have that if were going to have COVID-negative and COVID-positive units.

Another $30 million would be available for facilities that establish dedicated skilled nursing facilities, Sudders said.

Some nursing homes have to submit documentation to prove they are meeting safety requirements for dedicated COVID-19 wings, but they do not have to attest that they are increasing wages as a condition of receiving the new state funds.

While the funding might not stop staffing cuts, Sudders said on Thursday that the state is looking into whether health care workers furloughed at one facility could get clearance to work at another facility without losing their benefits through their main employer.

Some ideas always sound easier than they are to implement, Sudders said.

For laid off medical professionals, Sudders recommended applying for work through the recently launched long-term care portal. People who get hired through the portal are eligible for a $1,000 signing bonus, funded by MassHealth. Nursing homes would need to submit documentation proving that an employee meets the criteria for the signing bonus.

Tara Gregorio, president of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, argued the state should make a $130 million monthly investment in long-term care facilities to fund overtime costs, recruitment and double-time or heros pay for workers on the front lines.

While we acknowledge and are grateful for Governor Bakers and Secretary Sudders continued support for nursing home residents, their families and caregivers, we believe the crisis situation warrants significant additional investments for our frontline staff, Gregorio said in a statement. Together with the Command Center, we are making good progress on accessing testing and vital PPE [Personal Protective Equipment], but we need to do more to help protect and support our residents, their families and workforce."

UMass Memorial Medical Center

Will pay increases come?

On Sunday, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 93 and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services came to an agreement to boost pay for workers at state-owned hospitals, Soldiers Homes and other long-term care facilities on the front lines.

The agreement did not benefit non-union workers, including nurses contracted temporarily through staffing agencies. The Baker administration is looking into waiving the rate cap for some nurses contracted through the staffing agencies. Those who would be eligible for a pay increase include those working at COVID-19 dedicated nursing homes and state-owned facilities, including the Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers Homes.

The union agreement didnt include employees of nonprofit hospitals affiliated with the public sector, either.

The SHARE union, which represents employees at UMass Memorial hospital, UMass Medical School and Marlborough Hospital, said hospital workers should receive hazard pay, especially if the next federal stimulus package includes funding for front-line workers.

Our jobs are not highly paid, but we are essential to our patients, said Leslie Kendall, an emergency room registration representative at Marlborough Hospital, in a statement. We feel so much support from our local community right now, and that matters to us. Hazard pay would show that the country recognizes our contributions.

The entrance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton (Staff-Shot/Republican file)Staff-Shot

Partners Healthcare, which owns Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton and several Boston-area hospitals, said earlier this month it did not plan to offer hazard pay to its employees.

A core part of our mission is that we deliver the same high-quality care to all patients without regard to the type of severity of their condition. Similarly, we do not calibrate pay and benefits based on the patients condition and for this reason we do not offer hazard or crisis pay, a letter signed by Dr. Anne Klibanski, the company president and CEO, and 12 hospital presidents, states.

In addition to Cooley Dickinson, Partners owns Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Brigham Health and Brigham and Womens Faulkner Hospital in Boston; Newton-Wellesley Hospital; Marthas Vineyard Hospital and Nantucket Cottage Hospital; McLean Hospital in Belmont; North Shore Medical Center and Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, New Hampshire.

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When it came to defining the architectural style of California during the mid20th century, perhaps no one played a bigger role than Richard Neutra. The Austrian-born architect was responsible for some of the eras most recognizable homes, from the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, which was immortalized by photographer Slim Aarons, to the Lovell Health House.

While Neutras airy steel and glass structures defined the times, his ideas were ahead of them. In 1953, the architect published Survival Through Design, a book of 47 essays exploring the impact of the built environment on physical and mental health. In a review in The New York Times, Talbot Hamlin wrote, It reminds us that all the things we find dangerous and even intolerable in our environment today (and this includes the atomic bomb) are the results of human design working under an economic system that sets a premium in artificial obsolescence and that these things are susceptible of human amelioration and cure. Every architect and industrial designer, every policy-making executive in industry should read and ponder this elegant warning.

Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Raymond Richard Neutra

Neutra was extremely concerned by the consequences of design. Conceivably far-reaching influences on the future of a species can be exerted through design, he wrote in the book. Out of ignorance, we permit our instrument, human design, to operate accidentally, and it may bring about mutations more faithful than natures. To help combat this ignorance, he founded the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design in 1962 in hopes of increasing the amount of research on the topic. He was thinking that his reputation could attract donations, says Raymond Neutra, a physician and a son of the architect. If they could support research, they could help people who are affected by the environment. Unfortunately, the funds and the research didnt materialize. Following Neutras death in 1970, his son Dion, who was also an architect working at the family firm, took over as president and chief consultant.

Story continues

A few years ago, the Neutra Institutes board began thinking of the future mission of the organization and how they can accomplish the original goals set forth by the architect. Dion died in November 2019, leaving the Institute a sizable bequest of stocks and bonds and three Neutra-designed buildings in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. Now Raymond has stepped into the role of president of the Institute and is hoping to realize the new set of five-year goals he developed with his brother and the board.

Richard Neutra Photo: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Supporting research is still a top priority, and while Raymond Neutra notes that it is still in the beginning stages of planning, the Institute could potentially fund publications, visiting fellowships, and workshops. With Neutra archives located at UCLA; California Polytechnic State University, Pomona; and Cornell, the board plans to create comprehensive catalogs and finding aids to help remove barriers to scholarly research and develop a website linking Neutra information from around the world.

The organization will also work to restore the three buildings, which include the Reunion House, designed by Neutra in 1950 and later renovated by Dion; Treetops, an apartment complex designed by Dion; and the Neutra Museum. One of the goals is to make educational use of those buildings, says Raymond. Were focusing on the fact that all of them have apartments that relate to the surrounding nature. Were going to focus on the basic needs of apartment livinghow they are satisfied by these designs, but also what are the basic needs and how will they be accommodated for a changing climate.

Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Raymond Richard Neutra

The institute also hopes to designate the Neutra Colony, which includes the three Silver Lake buildings and the nearby Neutra VDL Studio and Residences, as a historic district and create augmented-reality virtual tours of the spaces in the colony.

See the video.

It's an interesting end-of-life project, says Raymond. Im 81 years old and my own career was in environmental public health. So theres a relation, not surprisingly, between where I grew up and what I ended up doing. Its a nice opportunity for the family and other interested people to work together to create something constructive around this issue of a helpful and healthful environment.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
Gozoop, an integrated communication agency, through its do good ecosysytem 1SmallStep Foundation is serving slums of Mumbai amidst the COVID pandemic.

Currently the Foundation, through its volunteer network has served more than 2,000 families in the following slum clusters of Dharavi, Mahim West / Mahim Kabristan, Worli Koliwada, Navy Nagar and Napean Sea Road Coastal slums.

Rohan Bhansali, Co-Founder Gozoop, who also founded the 1SmallStep Foundation said, If Mumbai is to curtail the spread on the pandemic the slums must be served and protected. Lack of food, overcrowding, lack of clean water, poor sanitation, social dependency, shared amenities and limited access to dependent medical facilities make for tremendous speed and size of virus transmission in Mumbai slums.

Based on the requirements of each slum, the foundation is providing food rations (Rice, daal, sugar, oil, sugar, milk and salt) and cooked vegetable khichdi. The Foundation is also focussing on hygeine in slums by educating the slum dwellers and supplying Resuable double layered masks and disinfecrant soaps. All efforts are being done with the requisite governement permits.

In support of their efforts in the slums, 1SmallStep Foundation, also produced a live show Humour & Humanity, in assocaition with BookMyShow. The first show featured legends of comedy Boman Irani and Johny Lever in an unscripted live conversation to inspire everyone to take one small step of kindness in such times.

Ahmed Naqvi, CEO of Gozoop, stated, It has been enriching to see us coming together as a team by using our resources and God-given skills for social good. We always say at Gozoop  what we do is important, but who we become doing what we do is also eqully important. Great to see us living our shared values.
Latest News Sydney property prices might not drop yet, as planning problems persist NSW planning approvals have fallen off a cliff since October, showing that the supply crisis might yet continue

The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed, with rentvesting and borderless investing likely to surge

Retailers fuel the desire for instant gratification with three-hour delivery options. Smartphone apps have enabled consumers to order taxis, food and even alcohol on demand. And in the financial sector buy-now-pay-later services allow consumers to purchase products even if they dont have the funds in their account.

This trend is already impacting the lending industry. It was recently reported that Macquarie Bank is dominating mortgage lending, thanks to its speed of service and digital offerings. Aussie Group also announced it had committed $20m in tech investments to improve its processes. And aggregator Loan Market suggests its tech is what helps its brokers grow.

Using technology to gain the advantage of speed is clearly what is winning the battle. Its why we keep seeing significant investment in fintech, which jumped to $2.9bn last year, according to KPMG.

Speed is not only providing competitive advantage but quickly becoming an imperative in business. And the pace of change will only increase as digital transformation takes hold.

Turning manual into virtual

Unfortunately for brokers, there are many processes for meeting lending requirements that are still very manual.

For example, one of the biggest time sinks is the verification process, from verifying the identity of customers and vendors to arranging site visits where authorised verifiers can then tick their checkboxes. Traditional processes currently take from days to weeks. Meanwhile, a cash buyer can swoop in and scupper the deal.

However, there is one ubiquitous technology that is enabling brokers to turn these manual processes into virtual, digital processes, cutting the time it takes to secure finance, reducing processing costs and opening the door to automation. And it is something many of the new digital services are based on  the smartphone.

The smartphone can remove the need or many manual, location-based activities that require a physical inspection. Its camera offers a means by which customers and vendors can share the required information, with GPS location data used to confirm the picture is not fraudulent.

This means brokers no longer need to do physical asset inspections, as information on assets can be shared by capturing the verification details with the vendors smartphone camera. This can be a game changer for brokers in regional areas, who typically spend an inordinate amount of time coordinating asset and vendor checks.

Using technology to gain the advantage of speed is clearly what is winning the battle

A faster experience

Now that documents are being shared digitally, it is easier for brokers to use software to automate the process, creating a faster, scalable and repeatable experience.

For instance, instead of customers having to download and email brokers their bank statements, tools like Illions bankstatements.com.au allow brokers to retrieve the statements they need, including a responsible lending report, to secure finance from lenders. Brokers can also use DocuSign for signatures and confirmations so customers can secure funds directly from their smartphone.

Online opens opportunities

The biggest benefit of transitioning towards a digital, online model is that it opens the door to diversification.

Todays digital landscape can help improve the relationship between lenders and brokers, creating a platform on which digitally driven organisations can better integrate and provide products and services to meet customer needs.

Using these digital platforms, lenders can easily define the documents required for brokers to provide an offer in a matter of minutes. Whether its for a car, boat, caravan or home loan, by creating a set of defined parameters, along with the ability to connect and share digital information, this allows brokers to quickly and easily meet almost any customer scenario.

This gives them the chance to diversify outside of their niche and offer products that meet different life stages of customers.

Keeping it secure

However, while going digital can provide the advantages of speed and diversification, it is imperative that brokers should remain compliant with data privacy regulations.

Many of the documents and information required for financing are extremely sensitive. Customers can also sometimes send unsolicited information that leaves brokers at risk of a data breach  such as additional financial information they think may help with their applications.

It is important that brokers understand how they must handle this information, particularly if they sent it by email.

To this end, when brokers choose technology platforms to improve efficiencies, they must check they encrypt the information, ensure it meets data privacy regulations and doesnt hold any information beyond reason. If unsure, it may be worth asking their lending partners if there are digital platforms they would recommend.

No better time than now

Technology will be the next big battleground for brokers. Those that move first to digitise and automate will not only get the advantage of speed but also open the door to new service offerings. This will be a significant advantage in meeting consumers demands for instant gratification and convenience.

Peter Hewett

CEO at Verimoto
The daily death toll in the United States has set yet another grim record after more than 2,500 fatalities were recorded in a day - the highest yet amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Another 2,524 Americans died of coronavirus in 24 hours, bringing the death toll in the country to more than 33,500.

The record number of deaths comes days after a statistical model relied on by the White House projected that the peak death day would be Monday with 2,150 fatalities.

The number of coronavirus infections across the US has increased by 30,550, bringing the total to 658,962 cases.

Experts view deaths as a 'trailing indicator' that continues to increase for several days even if new cases and hospitalizations decline - as people who were hospitalized days or weeks ago continue to pass away.

The record number of deaths comes days after a statistical model relied on by the White House projected that the peak death day would be Monday with 2,150 fatalities

Model from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicted this week that the total US deaths in the pandemic could reach about 68,800 by early August

The statistical model from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicted this week that the total US deaths in the pandemic could reach about 68,800 by early August.

It suggests the US has not yet hit the halfway point for potential fatalities.

New York, which remains the epicenter of the US outbreak, has recorded a decrease in its daily death toll. There were 606 deaths in 24 hours, bringing the total to more than 12,100.

The number of infections in hard-hit New York have increased to 222,000.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended the state's lockdown by two weeks until May 15.

Cuomo said on Thursday that while the rate of hospitalizations in New York is decreasing, it was still unclear how many people have actually been infected with COVID-19.

He said the unknown tally of infections is what is stopping him from reopening the economy because if people who don't know they are infected return to work, they risk infecting countless others and wiping out all the progress that has been made.

Cuomo, who has emerged as a leading national voice on the pandemic, said the improvement in key metrics reflected social distancing efforts that had brought the infection rate in his state low enough to control the outbreak.

A total of 17,735 people were hospitalized across New York because of COVID-19, down from 18,335 a day earlier and the lowest since April 6, Cuomo said. Intubations and admissions to intensive care units also declined, he said.

'The good news is it means we can control the virus. We can control the spread,' Cuomo told a daily briefing. 'And we did not know for sure that we could do that.'

Cuomo said on Thursday that while the rate of hospitalizations in New York is decreasing, it was still unclear how many people have actually been infected with COVID-19

But Cuomo noted that about 2,000 infected people were newly admitted to hospitals on Wednesday, and that while deaths declined to 606, marking the lowest daily count in more than a week, the toll on his state was still significant.

'That is still continuing at a really, really tragic rate,' Cuomo said of the death tally, adding that there were 29 fatalities at nursing homes, which he called 'ground zero' in the fight against the virus.

Cuomo said there was room for optimism in how social distancing had lowered the infection rate to 0.9 across New York, meaning one infected person was causing less than one new infection.

President Donald Trump's social distancing guidelines are set to expire on April 30 and he has cited May 1 as a target for reopening the country.

On Wednesday, Trump said he was prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work.

Trump said during his latest White House briefing that data indicates the US is 'past the peak' of the COVID-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to 'reopen' the country.

Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, added that data from across the country showed the nation 'improving' but that Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.

She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen new cases per day. She said those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Thursday ordered a review of long-term care facilities across the state after learning that one nursing home had piled up dead bodies in a makeshift morgue.

Murphy said he had asked his attorney general to investigate long-term care facilities after being 'outraged that bodies of the dead' had been stacked in a provisional morgue at an overwhelmed nursing home in Andover, a northern New Jersey town.

'Last Saturday, we were notified that the facility was in need of body bags for deceased residents. And it was also reported that there were 28 bodies being stored in that facility,' Judy Persichilli, the health commissioner, said.

While New York appears to have passed the worst of the crisis, New Jersey has yet to call a peak.

New Jersey reported an additional 362 deaths for a total of 3,518, now exceeding the number of residents who died in World War 1, Murphy said.

New Jersey has joined New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island in a pact to coordinate the reopening of their economies.

Murphy extended the closure of New Jersey public schools until May 15, conforming in part with the plan laid out by Cuomo, who said he would be looking at the infection rate and other metrics to decide when to end the shutdowns in New York.

'One month is a long time,' Cuomo said. 'What happens after that, I don't know - we will see, depending on what the data says.'
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 10, 2020 | 11:50 AM | PADUCAH

An online job fair is being offered today for those interested in work-from-home opportunities.The website paducahremoteworkers.com, provides information about resume writing, remote job opportunities, and in-demand skills for remote jobs.Many people in Paducah are without work or have seen a significant reduction in their wages. Because we live in a global economy with advanced communication technology, remote work can be a good option for those looking for employment during this time, said Paducah mayor Brandi Harless.I also encourage anyone interested in remote work to attend the Virtual Job Fair on April 16. You will need a Flexjobs membership to attend the job fair. We have worked with Flexjobs to provide a significant discount for Paducah residents.The websites landing page also links to helpful tools to prepare for remote work and be competitive in the application process.The launch of the new website is a partnership among the City of Paducah, Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, Paducah/McCracken County NAACP, West Kentucky Community & Technical College, and West Kentucky Workforce Board.Click the link below to visit the website.

On the Net:
Two family members of a senior officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade have tested positive for Covid-19.

However, the officer and his other family member have tested negative.

His two family members have been admitted to a Covid-19 speciality hospital, and the officer along with the other family member have been quarantined at home.

The fire brigade personnel have been at the frontline of Mumbais bid to combat the Covid-19 outbreak, and have been sanitising containment zones and hotspots, including special tertiary care hospitals and other isolation centres.

The health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC)E ward, which has the jurisdiction over the fire brigade station in Byculla, has set up a special Covid-19 testing camp on an emergency basis, to trace contacts of the officer, whose two family members have been infected.

This led the fire brigade authorities to quarantine four other officers and their family members, but all of them have tested negative.

We have sealed two floors of a building where these four officers live along with their family members. All the precautions have been taken as per the standard operating procedure of the BMCs health department, P Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade, said.

All the fire personnel on the field are given personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and they are taking all the precautions, he added.
Students will receive their GCSE and A-level grades on the pre-planned results days in August after exams were cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has confirmed.

A-level pupils will get their results on August 13 and GCSE students will be given their grades on August 20, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

It comes after exams regulator Ofqual said the results would be released no later than originally planned and suggested they could be made available sooner.

The Government originally said it was aiming for grades to be awarded to pupils by the end of July.

But pupils who should have been sitting GCSEs and A-levels this summer will not be able to challenge the grades their teachers give them, proposals released last night reveal.

They will have no way of appealing the 'professional judgment' of their teachers as it would be 'inappropriate, ineffective and unfair', Ofqual said in a consultation document.

Students will receive their GCSE and A-level grades on the pre-planned results days in August after exams were cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has confirmed (file photo)

No appeals over exam grades this year, pupils are warned Pupils who should have been sitting GCSEs and A-levels this summer will not be able to challenge the grades their teachers give them, proposals released last night reveal. They will have no way of appealing the 'professional judgment' of their teachers as it would be 'inappropriate, ineffective and unfair', Ofqual said in a consultation document. Their only option if they feel they were unfairly graded will be to sit a fresh exam in the autumn. Appeals will only be allowed to be made by schools on technical grounds, the exams regulator said. The news is likely to exacerbate concerns about the accuracy of teacher assessment and whether pupils such as those with behavioural problems could be unfairly treated. An analysis of nearly 20,000 predicted grades across 22 subjects last year found that only 40 per cent of teachers' estimates turned out to be accurate. Of the 60 per cent that were wrong, 31 per cent were too generous and 29 per cent too negative. The document acknowledged the system could be open to abuse. Earlier this month, Ofqual said teachers will need to decide what grades the 1.3million pupils whose GCSE and A-level exams have been cancelled due to coronavirus 'were most likely to get if teaching, learning and exams had happened as planned'. But they will not have to submit any evidence to show how they reached their decisions. Before the grades are confirmed, exam boards will run a 'standardisation' process to root out teachers trying to 'game' the system by inflating results, or those that are overly harsh. When allotting grades, teachers will be expected to form a 'holistic' view, even taking into account complex factors like pupils who may be 'crammers' and excel at the last minute. The consultation is open until Wednesday April 29. Advertisement

Students in Northern Ireland are still waiting for a decision on how GCSE, AS and A-Level results will be awarded.

Arlene Foster said confirmed yesterday that Education Minister Peter Weir would give a statement to the assembly today.

Earlier this month, the watchdog instructed teachers to provide grades for students which reflect the results they would have been most likely to achieve if the exams had gone ahead.

Schools and colleges have been told to rank pupils within each grade for each subject but not to share these with families until final results are issued.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: 'I am pleased to confirm that GCSE and A-level students will still receive their exam results as planned this summer, on Thursday August 20 and Thursday August 13 respectively.

'I want to thank all those who are helping to make this happen despite the challenges we are facing.

'We know that this is an important milestone for students, parents and teachers and so I hope this news will provide them with some reassurance and clarity.'

Schools in England closed more than three weeks ago to the majority of pupils, apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

On Wednesday, Ofqual launched a two-week consultation on its plans for awarding grades to GCSE and A-level students amid the pandemic.

The regulator had previously said only Year 11 pupils would be awarded GCSE grades, but now it is considering issuing grades to those in Year 10 and below after concerns were raised by parents.

Ofqual is also proposing that appeals should only be allowed if a school or college made a data error when submitting information to the exam board, or if the exam board made a mistake when calculating, assigning or communicating a grade.

The watchdog said: 'We do not believe it would be meaningful or appropriate for students to appeal on the basis of their centre's judgment of their likely performance in the exams, had they gone ahead, or on their position in the centre's rank order.'

Students will also have the opportunity to sit exams at the earliest opportunity in the new academic year, as well as in summer 2021. If they choose to do this, both grades will stand.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'We would imagine that this is a pragmatic decision taken to give exam boards and Ofqual as much time as possible to sort out this year's grading given the fact that it is a totally untried system forced by extraordinary circumstances.

'That seems pretty reasonable, and actually only returns us to the normal timing of the respective results days.

'Universities have already indicated that they will treat this year's A-level grades in the normal way so we cannot foresee this decision creating any problems.'

In other UK coronavirus news:

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets, as they are the businesses most likely to boost the economy and pose the smallest risk of spreading the virus;

There are claims the population could be 'segmented' to ease restrictions with young people allowed back to work and primary schools opened, while pensioners and the vulnerable are ordered to stay in isolation;

One of the Government's own key experts, Professor Neil Ferguson, has warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place and criticised the government's slow action;

The first newly-adapted ventilator design has been approved by regulators, with the government ordering 15,000 of the Penlon's Prima ES202 model;

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has rejected calls for ministers to take a pay cut in solidarity with hard-hit workers, after counterparts in New Zealand announced they would;

Mr Hancock insisted the government could hit its 100,000 a day testing target by the end of the month, despite questions over why it is still not using the current capacity of 25,000.

'Social distancing in schools will be impossible': Headteacher says narrow corridors and small classrooms will spell 'chaos' if schools reopen outside London and Birmingham next month

Britain's 'strictest headteacher' has today issued a stark warning that social distancing is 'simply impossible' in schools.

Katharine Birbalsingh, the formidable head of the Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, said it was a 'lie' that safe distancing within educational settings was possible.

Ms Birbalsingh's riposte came in response to the suggestion that children could soon return to lessons, in the wake of Denmark becoming the first country in Europe to reopen schools.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'We're considered to be the strictest school in Britain and even we would find it impossible.'

The headteacher also warned 'chaos would ensue' if supply teachers were brought in to replace full-time staff members who were still self-isolating.

Katharine Birbalsingh, the head of the Michaela Community School in Brent, north London. She is pictured here on Good Morning Britain last February

Michaela Community: Life at Britain's strictest school The Michaela Community School sits in a deprived area of London and the majority of pupils come from families so poor they qualify for the pupil premium grant. Nearly half speak English as a second language. Despite only opening in 2014, the school has already sparked protests from parents and unions due to the teaching methods. Ms Birbalsingh claims it is the more middle-class parents that have a problem with the strict nature of the school and added they would 'balk at the level of discipline' at the school. Students eat vegetarian school meals and older pupils are expected to do 90 minutes of homework a night. The uncompromising rules have seen many parents pull their children out but, the school claims its methods are working and pupils do, on average, twice as well as those in other comprehensives. Advertisement

Ms Birbalsingh's school hit the headlines in recent years for giving pupils detention for slouching in their chairs, using a mobile phone or wearing make-up or jewellery.

She spoke today after nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools welcomed returning students in Denmark yesterday - with France set to follow suit next month.

This comes as ministers meet this morning to agree to prolong the social distancing controls announced on March 23, amid signs the epidemic in the UK is beginning to peak.

Schools in England closed more than three weeks ago to the majority of pupils, apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Schools outside coronavirus epicentres including London and Birmingham could reopen next month under plans being considered by ministers, according to The Times.

But Ms Birbalsingh warned: 'The fact is, social distancing in schools is simply impossible.

'We're considered be the strictest school in Britain and even we would find it impossible  we've got corridors that are just over one metre in width, so the children when passing one another obviously touch each other, when they're in the classrooms coming in and out.

'First of all classrooms are small in all schools so the children are all sat right next to each other  they have to hand out books and pens and paper when they get up off their desk to walk out the classroom they touch each other they are also children we need to remember  reception children are all going to be together the younger they are the more difficult it is.

'Let alone the physical implications around all this in terms of making that work.

'For me if government want schools to reopen whenever they do and I understand that schools cannot stay closed for ten monthsand they will open at some point.'

She added it was a 'lie' that safe distancing would be possible.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured outside Downing Street yesterday), has expressed concerns about the effect of school shutdowns on pupils' progress as Cabinet tensions grow over the length of the lockdown.

Schools across Europe set out blueprints for reopening as lockdown measures ease DENMARK: Denmark became the first in Europe to reopen schools. Nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools welcomed students yesterday who were pictured lining up outside, six feet apart, to maintain social distance rules. Around half of Denmark's municipalities and 35 percent of Copenhagen's schools are now reopening. Many schools are opting to teach outdoor classes in order to maintain the guidelines, which could pose a challenge for those in urban areas. Denmark's middle and high school-age students will continue to learn remotely. They are only expected to return to classrooms on May 10. GERMANY: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is said to be considering easing restrictions on shops and schools - despite a record spike in coronavirus deaths in Germany. A panel of academics advised Merkel to re-open primary schools 'as soon as possible' as the number of infections loses pace. It could see Germany begin to emerge from its lockdown as soon as April 20. SWEDEN: Sweden is the only country which still has pubs and restaurants open, allows public gatherings of any size and keeps primary schools open as usual. SPAIN: Schools remain completely closed in Spain. FRANCE: French President Emmanuel Macron this week said from May 11 he will gradually reopen creches, schools, colleges and high schools. Classes will not resume physically until the summer. The French government said it 'will set up special rules to organise time differently, to protect teachers and children.' ICELAND: Iceland said on Tuesday that it would begin loosening restrictions next month, with high schools, universities, hair salons and museums set to re-open on May 4. ITALY: Schools in the country remain closed. But Matteo Renzi, leader of the Italia Viva party who led the country from 2014 to 2016, said Italy must reopen its schools at the start of May or risk causing mass protests and riots. NETHERLANDS: Schools, nurseries and universities are closed until at least 28 April. AUSTRIA: Austria plans to keep schools, cafes and restaurants closed until at least mid-May. BELGIUM: Flemish Education Minister Ben Weyts has said he wants to be able to announce a date for the reopening of schools as early as next week. This follows comments by Minister-President of Wallonia, Elio Di Rupo who said that while something will happen with the schools in May.' SWITZERLAND: Switzerland's government is due to unveil a three-stage plan today, outlining a gradual opening of businesses and schools. Under the plan, schools could reopen on May 11. NORWAY: Children will go back to kindergartens in Norway on April 20, and then junior schools a week later. IRELAND: The government is considering letting some school children return to classrooms when the lockdown restrictions are eased on May 5, according to The Times. Advertisement

'But what I don't want is for people to perpetuate the lie  and it is a lie  that social distancing is possible.

'It just isn't and that's fine if they say look we understand that there's a risk and we know what we're asking you teachers and this is what we need you to do  we need you to do your duty and go out and do this for the country, it's in order to jump start the economy and people need to go out and get their children into schools.

'That's what needs to be said.

'What shouldn't be said is what's told that's is absolutely fine we can do social distancing in schools, and we pretend. It's the pretense that I can't bear  that social distancing is possible.'

The National Education Union (NEU) has written to ministers asking to see the government's evidence on the impact of allowing pupils back.

It warned acting too early in the coronavirus crisis will result in an 'increased risk' to staff and children, and could 'undermine people's resolve to stick to social isolation'.

The alarm comes after headteachers suggested that schools should reopen for a period before the summer holidays - rather than in September - if scientific evidence says it is safe to do so

Ms Birbalsingh also said students would be likely to misbehave if supply teachers were brought in.

She added: 'The other thing to remember is from the point of view of a headteacher, if you are sending home all your staff who have underlying issues. if you have to send home staff who have a cough; you are probably going to have fewer than half your staff in your school.

'So if you have half your staff in then how are you filling your classrooms with teachers  you can't.

'So you have got to think about the kind of chaos that ensues in schools when the children don't have their own teacher you have cover teachers well we all know what you used to do when you had a supply teacher at school  remember?'

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the teachers union NASUWT, told the programme that any decisions in relation to fully or partially reopening schools, 'must be guided by the overriding public health concerns.'

He added it was important to ensure teachers, support staff, but also children and young people and their families are protected from the spread of the virus.

He said: 'Government has tended to dismiss the relevance of PPE in educational settings. Access to gloves, aprons, face masks is absolutely essential.

'Social distancing is a major challenge in most educational settings. What constitutes safe social distancing and how that's practiced, the government has not been particularly clear about that.'

He also suggested schools 'may need to be remodelled' with fewer children on site at any one time.

Meanwhile, Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London, who is advising ministers, said 'significant' social distancing will most likely be needed until there is a vaccine.

He told the Today programme that as restrictions are eased, more testing will be needed to isolate individual cases and trace their contacts to keep future outbreaks under control.

'Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway,' he said.

'If we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission.

'What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner.

'And I should say, it's not going to be going back to normal. We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available.'

Professor Russell Viner, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said he believed school reopening could take place early in any exit strategy.

The Cabinet is said to be split between 'hawks' who want the lockdown to be lifted in weeks and 'doves' who believe it should last until Whitsun at the end of May.

A Government source said there was no 'table-thumping' going on, but added of Mr Williamson: 'He's Education Secretary  he'd, of course, prefer schools to be open. But it's not his choice.

'He is worried about all children and how they are going to do. There is no replacement for children going along to classes under the supervision of teachers who know them.

'However, schools will only be opened when it is safe to do so.'
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced an additional USD 150 million of grant for the global fight against the deadly coronavirus, raising its total funding to more than USD 250 million.

The foundation also called on world leaders to unite in a global response to COVID-19, that has infected over 2 million people worldwide, to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines.

"It is increasingly clear that the world's response to this pandemic will not be effective unless it is also equitable, Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates said in a statement on Wednesday.

We have a responsibility to meet this global crisis with global solidarity. In addition to contributing to the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, these funds will support efforts against COVID-19 in low-and-middle-income countries, where local leaders and healthcare workers are doing heroic work to protect vulnerable communities and slow the spread of the disease."



The foundation's new USD 150 million commitment will fund the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, as well as new efforts to provide partners in Africa and South Asia with resources to scale their COVID-19 detection, treatment, and isolation efforts, it said.

The additional funding brings foundation commitment to more than USD 250 million to help mitigate the social and economic impacts of the virus.

According to the Johns Hopkins University data, over 2 million people are infected by the virus and more than 136,000 people have died of the disease globally.

"COVID-19 does not obey border laws. Even if most countries succeed in slowing the disease over the next few months, the virus could return if the pandemic remains severe enough elsewhere, foundation co-chair Bill Gates said in the statement.

The world community must understand that so long as COVID-19 is somewhere, we need to act as if it were everywhere. Beating this pandemic will require an unprecedented level of international funding and cooperation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The inaugural event will be held in the exhibition centre of 22,500 SQM in size and joined by 800 high-quality exhibitors from various sectors for an expected number of 20,000 trade visitors.

Leading suppliers for diversified market needs

Serving as the vane of the beauty industry, SCBE bases on its geographical advantage and dominant background to fit the industry trend and consumer demand by selecting the exhibit categories: Perfume & Fragrance, Personal Care & Toiletries, Cosmetics & Tools, Nails & Equipment, Professional Salons Products & Equipment, and Hair Salons Products & Equipment, Supply Chain.

Along with the rise of Gen Z make-up consumption, the requirement of exquisiteness has also become higher and higher. The industry-related Bluebook 2019 shows that the hottest categories, i.e., lipsticks and various tools of makeup and beauty have developed rapidly. Clearly, the setting of exquisite beauty needs sophisticated makeup tools.

In the current industry value system, the supply chain service is becoming the key for the manufacturers to get business opportunities. The customers are not only interested in the R&D and production of the suppliers, but also their ability to provide more diversified services.

Powered by the advantage of strong resource integration, SCBE selects the best one-stop exhibitors and service providers at home and abroad exhibiting in the Beauty Supply Chain area for the fields of contract manufacturing, OEM/ODM, packaging materials, raw materials, printing, machinery and equipment to present forward-looking information as well as professional and effective supply-chain solutions to the visitors. The leading suppliers at the exhibition will also present opportunities of sourcing and starting beauty business for the Greater Bay Area and neighbouring areas.

Four major exhibition features aggregate new resources and information

From production to consumption, the entire population is within the transformation of new retail. Returning to value and retail empowerment are the mission and responsibility of the industry brought by the new consumption era. For the companies of channels and brands to explore the growth strategy under the new consumption trend, SCBE will join hands with China Beauty Expo to host an industry summit of cosmetics retails, at which, the elites of cosmetics channels and retails as well as the practically experienced experts inside and outside the industry will brainstorm new ideas for the visitors to activate new retail power.

The beauty industry has no boundary. As more and more foreign companies or brands see the huge capacity of the Chinese market and the rapid development of the Internet, domestic companies also need to go global. Most domestic consumers use the cross-border e-commerce channel to buy from overseas. Similarly, foreign companies or consumers can rely on the same channel to understand and buy Chinese products. The inaugural SCBE will center on the theme of "Cross-border E-beauty" to invite the overseas e-commerce platforms to present front-end market information and one-stop solutions for the visitors to explore overseas markets.

In the new era, cross-border is not a new concept with related businesses appear in all walks of life. In the beauty industry, cross-border is also a normality. However, we are going to have a divergent new gameplay presented by SCBE's Beauty-Accessory Pavilion with sparkling fusion of fashion accessories and innovative beauty that will unfold a new cross-border journey.

Cross-border also associates with IP marketing which is booming in recent years especially in the beauty sector. Many beauty brands have successfully surged the sales by using IP marketing. In the coming event, SCBE and Licensing Expo China (LEC) will jointly hold an IP licensing conference combining beauty IP marketing to bring valuable new style to the brands.

Special activities for the industry focus

Nowadays, as more and more Gen Z consumers are more willing to get brand information through the social platforms, social e-commerce has emerged as a new social retail channel. Beauty products use the advantages of social e-commerce to attract the users to become their fans, then subtly transform them into the brand advocates. For example, being leaned on by many beauty brands, WeChat App Mall has gradually become the main outlet for many companies. The SCBE has specially invited relevant industry experts and media veterans to share the hot content such as " E-Commerce WeChat Mini Program Best Practices for Beauty Brands", "How to Create Value-Added Community with Differentiable Content Strategy" and "Digital Marketing for Beauty Enterprises".

The development of the cosmetics industry is inseparable from sustainability. Comparing with the counterparts in Europe and America who have mature environmental protection concepts, the domestic consumers' awareness of environmental protection and sustainability is in the stage of innovation and growth. This means that there is a huge market behind the healthy and sustainable lifestyles. In the new transformation of green wave, the pioneers who can foresee and grasp the new trends will take the lead in winning the favour and recognition of the consumers, thus, lead the entire beauty industry towards a greener and more sustainable production model. The Keynote Speech of "Tomorrow Strongest Marketing Tools of Brands: Green and Sustainability Designs" will share how the brand activities that related to environmental protection can bring win-win results to the brands and the environment.

In addition, the coming SCBE will hold more exciting events such as "Design Trends and Product Innovation Targeting the New Generation", "The Future Trend in Beauty Retail" and the 10th Anniversary Hair & Styling Awards and Hair Culture Exchange Hair Show by The Asia Hair Masters Association (AHMA).

Pre-registration for visiting SCBE

Based in Shenzhen of the Greater Bay Area, the South China Beauty Expo unleashes its strong advantage of resource integration of high-tech R&D and creative innovation trends to provide hard-core reform potential for the innovative development of the Chinese beauty industry.

From July 30 to August 1 of 2020, this highly regarded beauty event will be held in Shenzhen. At this moment, the pre-registration has begun. Please follow SCBE in WeChat or log in to the official website to register. The successful applicants of Invited VIP Buyer can also get the exclusive benefits provided by the buyer service team.

For the information and activities of the exhibition, please visit the SCBE website: www.southchinabeautyexpo.com

- End -

For media enquiries, please contact: Mainland China

Ms Elly Li Informa Markets, Guangzhou

T: +86.20 3895 1650 E: [email protected] Hong Kong, China

Ms Joy Zou

Informa Markets, Hong Kong T: +852 2827 6211 E: [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

Download the high-resolution images at the following link: https://we.tl/t-w0RFIRYKUJ

About the organiser:

The South China Beauty Expo is organised by Informa Markets, BolognaFiere and Shanghai Baiwen Exhibition Co Ltd.

About INFORMA MARKETS (www.informamarkets.com)

Informa Markets on Beauty segment has an extensive network powered by B2B events across 11 cities in Asia (Bangkok, Chengdu, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tokyo), the world's fastest growing markets. By further expanding its strength, the Beauty Portfolio now includes a new B2B event in Miami 2020 serving the East Coast and USA, South America and Caribbean Islands regions. Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organiser, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

About BOLOGNAFIERE GROUP (www.bolognafiere.it)

BolognaFiere Group is the world's leading trade show organiser in cosmetics, fashion, architecture, building, art and culture. The Group has more than 80 international exhibitions within its portfolio, notably Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, the most important meeting point in the world for beauty professionals, established in 1967 and held in Bologna, Italy. For the 2019 edition, Cosmoprof registered more than 265.000 attendees from 150 countries in the world, with an increase by 10% of foreign professionals, and 3,033 exhibitors from 70 countries. The Cosmoprof platform extends throughout the entire world, with its events in Bologna, Las Vegas, Mumbai, and Hong Kong (with Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, Cosmoprof North America, Cosmoprof India, and Cosmoprof Asia). It participates as international sales agent in events dedicated to the beauty world in Colombia (Belleza y Salud in Bogota) and South East Asia (AseanBeauty in Thailand, PhilBeauty in the Philippines, VietBeauty in Vietnam, and BeautyExpo in Malaysia). The Cosmoprof platform will reinforce its influence in Europe, thanks to the acquisition of the German group Health and Beauty, in South America, thanks to the collaboration with Beauty Fair - Feira Internacional De Beleza Profissional, and in Asia.

About SHANGHAI BAIWEN EXHIBITION CO LTD (www.cbebaiwen.com)

Shanghai Baiwen Exhibition Company is a branch of Informa (FTSE 100), the world's largest exhibition magnate, and also the organiser of China Beauty Expo (CBE), China's renowned beauty show. With over ten years of experiences in planning and organising quality exhibitions, Baiwen has won the honors of quality, professionalism and authority. China Beauty Expo, with an annual exhibition space of 260,000sqm, is one of the top three beauty shows in the world. As the international trading platform covering full supply chain of beauty products, CBE includes three shows, namely China International Skin Care and Washing Product Show, Shanghai International Skin and Hair Care Product Show and Shanghai International Daily-use Chemicals' Ingredient, Packing and Machinery Show. Baiwen is currently the Chairman Unit of Shanghai Exhibition Industry Association and Vice Chairman Unit of Shanghai Daily-use Chemical Association. CBE has been awarded the honors of Shanghai's Well-known Brand, Shanghai Brand Exhibition, Shanghai Brand Service etc

SOURCE Informa Markets
American Medical Association: Trump's halting of WHO funding is "a dangerous step"

People's Daily Online

(People's Daily Online) 17:25, April 15, 2020

After US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would halt US funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest association of physicians, immediately called on him to reconsider his decision, which they describe as "a dangerous step in the wrong direction", according to a report by The Hills.

"During the worst public health crisis in a century, halting funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) is a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier," AMA President Patrice Harris said in a statement Tuesday.

"Fighting a global pandemic requires international cooperation and reliance on science and data. Cutting funding to the WHO  rather than focusing on solutions  is a dangerous move at a precarious moment for the world," she added. "The AMA is deeply concerned by this decision and its wide-ranging ramifications, and we strongly urge the President to reconsider."

The broadside against Trump, the article said, comes after the president said he will halt funding to the WHO while a review is conducted to "assess the World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus".

"The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain, vet and share information in a timely and transparent fashion," Trump said at a White House briefing Tuesday.

Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a virtual briefing when asked about Trump's remarks, "We are still in the acute phase of a pandemic so now is not the time to cut back on funding".

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that this is "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organisation" in the fight against the coronavirus.

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Linkedin Nedi Putra AW (The Jakarta Post) Malang, East Java  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:10 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd256671 1 Lifestyle coronavirus,COVID-19,fashion,fashion-designer,Agus-Sunandar,Malang,East-Java Free

The physical distancing policy that forces people to stay at home does not stop Malang designer Agus Sunandar from continuing to work and even be inspired to create COVID-19-themed fashion designs.

As the name suggests, the designs indeed feature a coronavirus theme, Agus recently told The Jakarta Post in Malang, East Java.

He said he initially just wanted to encourage people to continue being creative even though they had to stay at home due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Agus wanted to make his designs as a campaign medium so that others like him would be able to respond to the social and environmental conditions around them through their works.

In his COVID-19-themed designs, Agus presents fashion with asymmetrical patterns rich in layers. He does the same to the head accessories that were also made to resemble the virus.

I deliberately made if fun and colorful, said Agus, who is also a fashion lecturer at the Malang State University.

He named the designs COVID-20 to refer to the year they were created.

Read also: Indonesian fashion designers help sew, donate protective gear for medical workers

Agus said he used a print technique on scuba fabrics and baby canvas for his works. For the head accessories, he utilized used helmets and washing machine hose.

For some accessories, he combined the costumes with boots. He also added face shield eyeglasses and masks with colorful motifs.

Other accessories he used included big round and triangle bags bearing the drawings of purple coronaviruses with black and white stripes.

Its to fit the projected fashion trends for 2021-2022 with an exploitation and exploration theme and excessive maxi sizes, said Agus, who is also chairman of the Malang chapter of the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC).

So far, Agus has created eight looks along with accompanying accessories during his two weeks of working from home. He said he planned to make a total of 30 sets of coronavirus-themed fashion works.

He expressed hope the pandemic will end soon so that he would be able to present his designs in a fashion show.

I do not have plans to sell them but should there be buyers, I will donate the money from the sales for efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. (yun/kes)
New Delhi, April 16 : At least 6.5 lakh rapid antibody testing kits and RNA extraction kits imported from China by the Central government are arriving to the country for Covid-19 patients on Thursday.

Official sources in the Ministry of External Affairs, which has been at the forefront of the government's battle against the coronavirus pandemic, is also ensuring imported medical supplies from other countries.

"As part of these efforts, rapid antibody testing kits (first lot of 3 lakh from Guangzhou Wondfo and 2.5 lakh from Zhuhai Livzon) and RNA extraction kits (1 lakh from MGI Shenzhen), all custom cleared on late Wednesday night, have left this morning for India," an official source said.

The government is also providing all necessary assistance for further supplies of testing kits from the Republic of Korea. Firm quotations have been obtained from companies in the UK, Malaysia, France, Canada and the US. India has also received some leads from companies in Germany and Japan, sources said.

The Indian missions are closely coordinating with the concerned agencies for supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, sources said, adding that a large consignment is expected shortly.

Sources said, the ministry is identifying suppliers, obtaining quotations, closely coordinating on the ground with suppliers, clearing agents, airlines and local authorities in ensuring that deliveries take place in a timely manner.

The Indian Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate in Guangzhou played a key role in tying-up and expediting the import of the medical supplies from China.

There were particular challenges considering the supply crunch and local regulations requiring registration, sources said.

Special efforts were made with local authorities for customs clearance late on Wednesday evening. The mission also helped get necessary clearances for airlines which transported the cargo as they were operating on non-scheduled flights.

"Supplies of vital items required for our Covid-19 response are now well underway," an official said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 20:58:51|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson of the commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Thursday slammed certain foreign politicians for their unwarranted remarks, saying they are meddling with Hong Kong affairs and undermining the policy of "one country, two systems".

The spokesperson, in a statement, refuted some foreign politicians' and media outlets' unwarranted accusations against the comments by central government bodies about the chaos at Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo).

The spokesperson said the commissioner's office firmly supports Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Chinese central government in the HKSAR, stressing that it is only right and proper that the two organs have made the comments.

The spokesperson said that since October, 2019, some opposition lawmakers have abused their power and filibustered maliciously for their selfish political interests, causing an impasse at the LegCo House Committee for nearly six months.

"Till today, a chairperson and a deputy chairperson are yet to be elected, 14 bills have been stalled, and more than 80 subsidiary pieces of legislation were not reviewed before expiry," the spokesperson said.

There is solid evidence that by unscrupulously obstructing the work of LegCo and disrupting the normal function of the Hong Kong's political system and governance, the opposition politicians have posed a grave threat to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and the well-being of Hong Kong people. It has revealed their tactic of "objecting for the sake of objecting" and the "burn with us" mentality, and laid bare their destructive instead of constructive nature.

"Of course, their behaviors deserve condemnation," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson pointed out that since its return to China, Hong Kong has been reincorporated into the national governance system. The central government has overall jurisdiction over the HKSAR, which both includes the rights it directly exercises, such as the rights to establish SARs, organize the SAR government, enact, amend and interpret the Basic Law, and deal with the foreign affairs and defense of the SAR, and is embodied in its authorizing the HKSAR to exercise the high degree of autonomy in accordance with the law.

"The central government has the right to supervise the high degree of autonomy in the HKSAR, so as to ensure full and accurate implementation of the SAR mechanism established in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson emphasized that it is only natural and dutiful for the two central government bodies on Hong Kong (and Macao) affairs to state their position on the opposition's attempt at hijacking LegCo and paralyzing the HKSAR Government's law-based governance, set things right, uphold the effective governance, prosperity and stability of Hong Kong in accordance with the law, and protect the fundamental interests of the residents here.

"Their insightful and timely comments have represented the people's will," the spokesperson said.

Rather than feeling ashamed of and stopping meddling with Hong Kong affairs, some foreign politicians and media outlets have distorted the truth, openly endorsed the opposition politicians, and even smeared the central government bodies.

It is they who are blatantly meddling with Hong Kong affairs and undermining "one country, two systems," said the spokesperson.

"Again they have colluded to play the victim, which has only exposed their motive to damage Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. But they will never be allowed to have their way," the spokesperson said.

"Hong Kong is part of China. We are firmly committed to implementing the 'one country, two systems' policy and the Basic Law, and to opposing any external interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs."

"We again urge the relevant foreign politicians and media to immediately stop meddling with Hong Kong affairs," said the spokesperson of the commissioner's office.
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal



Purohit on Thursday turned 80, with a host of leaders including President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Palaniswami extending their birthday greetings to him.

Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Modi rang up Purohit to extend their greetings, Rajbhavan sources said.

In his message, Palaniswami said, "please accept my heartiest greetings and best wishes on the happy occasion of your birthday."



"I pray that the Almighty grant you many more years of good health and peace to continue serving the Nation and the people," he said.

The Governor thanked the Chief Minister for his greetings,a Raj Bhavan release said.

Born on April 16, 1940, Purohit was an educationist, social activist and has been in public life for more than four decades.

He was elected as an MP from Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency thrice and adjudged as the most active parliamentarian with highest number of questions to his credit.

He assumed governor's office in October 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 04:48:19|Editor: huaxia

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A resident walks past a poster thanking people in various professions during the epidemic in Paris, France, on April 14, 2020. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)

-- Italy registers 168,941 coronavirus cases, death toll at 22,170;

-- UK extends lockdown for at least three weeks as death toll climbs to 13,729;

-- Death toll in France nears 18,000;

-- Portugal declares another 15-day extension of state of emergency;

-- Spain sees rise in new cases, deaths.

BRUSSELS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.

Medical staff work at Intensive Care Unit in Sant'Orsola-Malpighi hospital in Bologna, Italy, on April 15, 2020.(Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)

ROME -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 22,170 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of cases, including fatalities and recoveries, so far to 168,941, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Thursday.

Speaking during a televised press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli confirmed that there were 1,189 new active coronavirus infections compared to Wednesday, bringing the nationwide total to 106,607.

People wearing face masks take pictures of blooming wisterias in Paris, France, on April 15, 2020.(Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)

PARIS -- A month after a national confinement was imposed, the coronavirus epidemic remains "dynamic" in France, claiming 17,920 deaths, a health official said on Thursday.

In an update, Health General Director Jerome Salomon announced that coronavirus combined death toll rose by 753 on a daily basis. A total of 11,060 patients died in hospitals, a daily rise of 417 compared with 514 on Wednesday. Fatalities registered in nursing homes totaled 6,860, up by 336.

In the last 24 hours, 2,641 more people were diagnosed with the COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, taking the tally to 108,847. Among them, 31,305 remained in hospitals, down by 474 -- the second such fall since the start of the epidemic on March 1.

Photo taken on April 14, 2020 shows a red double decker driving through the Southwark Bridge, with the Tower of London as a backdrop, in London, Britain.(Xinhua/Han Yan)

LONDON -- The British government announced on Thursday that the current restrictive measures that aim to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus will remain in place for "at least three weeks".

Asserting that relaxing lockdown measures would lead to a resurgence of the virus, Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary and first secretary of state, told reporters that the government has decided relaxing the measures would make the economic impact worse, not better.

"We must keep up this national effort for a while longer... now is not the moment to give coronavirus a second chance," he said.

The death toll of those hospitalized in Britain who tested positive for the virus hit 13,729 as of Wednesday afternoon, a daily increase of 861, the Department of Health and Social Care said Thursday.

As of Thursday morning, 103,093 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19, said the department.

A school is closed amid the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in Cascais, Portugal on April 14, 2020.(Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua)

LISBON -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Thursday declared in a televised national speech another extension of the State of Emergency until May 2, in an attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Portuguese parliament approved the second extension earlier in the day.

The 15-day state of emergency, first of its kind in Portuguese history, was declared on March 18, and renewed on April 2 until April 17.

According to the Portuguese Constitution, the state of emergency cannot last longer than 15 days, but it can be renewed with the same time limit.

A volunteer distributes a mask to a passenger at the Sants train station in Barcelona, Spain, April 15, 2020.(Spanish Red Cross/Handout via Xinhua)

MADRID -- Both the numbers of new cases and deaths from COVID-19 have risen in the past 24 hours in Spain, according to data released by the country's health ministry on Thursday.

The death toll in Spain increased to 19,130 after 551 patients infected with COVID-19 died in the last 24 hours.

The country confirmed 5,183 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the tally to 182,816.

The ministry said that the total number of recovered cases has reached 74,797.

Chinese and German guests attend the welcome ceremony of China-Europe freight train from Wuhan in Duisburg, Germany, April 14, 2020.(The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Dusseldorf/Handout via Xinhua)

BERLIN -- The rate of new infections with COVID-19 in Germany continued below peak times as the number of confirmed cases increased by 2,866 within one day to 130,450, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday.

At the height of the pandemic in Germany, more than 6,000 new COVID-19 infections were recorded on a single day by the RKI, the federal government agency for disease control and prevention.

The estimated number of people in Germany who had already recovered from COVID-19 rose by more than 4,400 within one day to 77,000 by Thursday, according to RKI. The number of deaths from the new coronavirus increased by 315 to 3,569 as of Thursday.
Officials with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office are asking for the public's help in locating a missing 29-year-old Sugar Land woman who was last seen nearly a week ago.

Ashley Flores, 29, was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9 in the 16100 block of Soaring Eagle Drive, Sugar Land, according to a Facebook post from the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office. At the time, Flores was leaving her residence. She is believed to be driving a black 2020 Chevrolet Traverse with a temporary tag, number 68781N3.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your Inbox
While Lawrence has already donated 3 crore rupees to several welfare measures including Chief Minister relief fund from the advance he earned through his upcoming film with Sun Pictures, he has also got another 25 lakhs advance from his new film with producer Kathiresan.

Multi-faceted actor, director, producer, and choreographer Raghava Lawrence has announced 25 lakhs financial assistance to Corporation sanitary workers.

Lawrence requested producer Kathiresan to donate the 25 lakhs to the sanitary workers who are relentlessly working hard for the clean environment in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

This gesture of Lawrence is winning hearts in social media. While big stars are donating in lakhs, the Kanchana actor has a large heart to donate in crores.




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has granted $6.9 million funding to INOVIO (INO) to work with the International Vaccine Institute and the Korea National Institute of Health for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of INOVIO's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800, in South Korea. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is a partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil society organizations, to develop vaccines. It has initiated 8 partnerships to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, the International Vaccine Institute is a nonprofit inter-governmental organization. IVI has 35 signatory countries. Joseph Kim, INOVIO's CEO, said: 'Our DNA vaccine platform was one of the first technologies to receive support from CEPI to accelerate a COVID-19 vaccine, and IVI conducting safety and efficacy trials in South Korea is a crucial step forward in evaluating this vaccine.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
business The Jet Airways story: How the airline that brought 'joy to flying' got grounded on April 17, 2019 Naresh Goyal did a lot of things right in creating a world-class airline. Alas, he also committed a few errors
Weve been self-isolating ... The symptoms are from her cancer, not from having coronavirus. Peninsula Health, which operates Frankston Hospital, would not reveal if the circumstances around Mrs Raysons death would be reviewed, citing privacy and patient confidentiality. Gill Rayson holidaying in Thailand in 2018. Her family said she lived a charmed life, full of holidays and fun. Instead, in a short statement, chief medical officer Associate Professor Vikas Wadhwa said the thoughts of everyone at Peninsula Health were with Mrs Raysons family and friends. Mrs Rayson, a doting mother of two children in their early 20s, was diagnosed with lung cancer in August last year after a whirlwind trip around the world, when she developed a severe cough cruising through the Mediterranean.

Gill Rayson on holiday in Thailand in 2018. Birthdays and celebrations were always big events in the Rayson household, so it was clear by mid-March that she was extremely unwell, waking up one morning spacey, having forgotten it was her wedding anniversary and husbands birthday. It was so unlike her, Mr Rayson said. By this time, COVID-19 was dominating the headlines and she was tested as a precaution, having recently had two friends visit from Britain. The test came back negative. Mrs Rayson, who divided her time between homes in Warrandyte and Mount Martha, then spent a stint at the Epworth Hospital with pneumonia, isolated there because doctors were concerned she could have the flu, before returning home, where she slipped further into illness.

On the morning of March 30 she was taken by ambulance to Frankston Hospital awaiting a palliative care bed. Soon after she arrived, a call confirmed one had been found but Mr Rayson said the admitting doctor told him his wife couldn't leave the ward because she needed a coronavirus test. Mr Rayson describes an agonising four-hour wait in the emergency department before he was told his wife would be moved to an isolation ward but he would have to leave by 8pm and no one else could visit. I actually said to them What, you want me to drop my wife off, drive home and youll ring me when she is dead'." Staff at the hospital eventually relented and allowed him to stay, giving permission for her children to visit for five minutes but his mother-in-law had to stay away because she was over 70, Mr Rayson said.

In the isolation ward he describes battling to get his wife adequate medication to calm her. Each visit from medical staff was delayed as they had to put on and take off coronavirus protective gear. Mr Rayson fears his wife died in agony. I said to the doctor, she needs more sedative and they are saying 'We dont have any authorisation to give her more until 9pm'. Mr Rayson said his wife eventually calmed after she was given an accidentally large dose of morphine  80 per cent of her daily dose within 15 minutes. Hes not angry about that but feels it could be evidence the ward was not equipped to deal with palliative care.

About 2.30am, Mr Rayson said a nurse told him they had finally got approval for the children to come back in, but he couldn't bring himself to disturb them. Mrs Rayson died at 8.30am the next morning. Mr Rayson has a photo of the view from the window in the isolation ward  overlooking a skip stacked with discarded crutches, old furniture and a fridge. He is concerned that other people might present to hospitals with symptoms similar to coronavirus and not get the treatment they deserve. Mark Rayson took this photo from the room in the isolation ward where his wife died. I just want to make sure medical people balance some of these things, so they dont make irrational decisions because of paranoia about coronavirus," he said.

Mrs Rayson's test confirmed after her death she did not have coronavirus, he said. Her family says she lived for being a mum to Joshua, aged 24, and Christie, 21. She was always so happy and caring and understanding, Christie said. She just loved being a mum and was upset she wouldnt be around for grandkids. If you or anyone you know needs support call Lifeline on 131 114, or Beyond Blue's coronavirus mental wellbeing support service on 1800 512 348.
THE draft guidelines for the new normal are expected to be presented before the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on April 20, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.

The guidelines are being drafted by the IATF Technical Working Group (TWG) for Anticipatory and Forward Planning, which is chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority.

By next week mayroon na pong i p-present sa amin sa IATF ng maliit na grupo na inatasan ni Pangulo para tignan kung anong mangyayari after April 30, said Nograles, who is the spokesperson of the IATF.

Magiging masinsinan at malalim na pag-uusapan ang mga bagong dos and donts After april 30, he added.

The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, which hosts more than half of the Philippine population, will end on April 30.

Nograles said the IATF may issue guidelines for the new normal after April 30 based on the report of the TWG.

So ang mensahe ko na lamang po after April 30, we will try to set up the guidelines for the new normal all things being considered kung maganda ang makita natin within the next 14 days , Nograles said.

So kailangan po natin ng kooperasyon ng bawat isa to make the decision easier for us the more na may mga pasaway the more difficult it is to make the decision, he added.

Nograles said it is still too early to say whether the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in the country has been contained.

As more people were tested for the novel coronavirus, the rate of infection also decreases.

Dati kasi 17 to 18 percent ang nagiging positive out of the number of testsbut there was a slide that was presented to us yesterday naging 15 percent nalang, so it may be also a function of more testing, Nograles said.

The bigger syempre the number of people being tested then  yung mga nagiging positive bumababa na rin but its to early to tell, he added.

As of April 15, there were 5,453 persons found positive for the novel coronavirus in the Philippines. The novel coronavirus, or Sars-CoV-2, causes Covid-19.

Story continues

Of the total, 349 had died while 353 have recovered from the disease.

The TWG drafting the new normal guidelines was created through an IATF resolution on March 27, 2020.

Aside from Neda which chairs the group, members are the Departments of Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Education, Health, Budget and Management, Finance, Agriculture, Tourism, and Information and Communications Technology; National Intelligence Coordinating Agency; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; and University of the Philippines Resilience Institute. (SunStar Philippines)
A tip of a body in a shed led Andover Police to one of New Jerseys largest nursing homes on the evening of April 13 where they found 17 bodies in the facilitys morgue, one of the responding officers told CNN.

The officers responding to the Andover Subacute and Rehab Center II didnt find a body in the shed, but employees asked them for assistance with the bodies in the morgue.

The staff was clearly overwhelmed and probably short-staffed, Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson, one of the responding officers, told CNN. The residents were expiring. Why? Were not sure if its from COVID-19 or from other diseases, but we tried our best to ease the burden.

Nursing homes have been a vulnerable target for the pandemic that has killed more than 30,000 people in the U.S. Visitors have been barred in many facilities to reduce bringing in infections, and staff has raced to treat patients as the virus spreads internally. It is not clear, however, if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus was the cause of the deaths at Andover Subacute.

When officers arrived Monday, they found each of the 17 bodies in a body bag with a tag identifying the deceased. The morgue was only intended to hold up to four people, according to The New York Times.

Four bodies remained on site, and the other 13 were transferred to a refrigerated trailer at Newton Medical Center. Danielson did not provide any identifying details regarding the victims. CNN has reached out to the center.

Danielson said he was in awe seeing so many bodies.

It is by far one of the most bodies at one time that Ive experienced in terms of a nursing home. Based upon the pandemic and the numbers we saw coming out of the facility, I dont know if Im necessarily shocked about that. Its an unfortunate situation altogether, Danielson said.

According to the New York Times, 68 deaths have been linked to the facility and the Andover Subacute and Rehab Centers I, officials said, and 26 of those people tested positive for COVID-19.

With 2,543 licensed beds, it is one of the biggest facilities in the state, Danielson said. The facility was rated much below average by Medicare in a March health inspection and received five health citations.

CNN Wire and NTD staff contributed to this report.
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Independent early years education providers across Ireland are in danger of never re-opening after the government paused funding from the Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) scheme in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to some providers.

The ECCE scheme provides funding for childcare services to allow children to access early learning prior to starting primary school.

The scheme has helped many independent childcare providers establish themselves across the country.

However, the scheme was halted in recent weeks in the face of the global pandemic and country-wide closures of early years facilities and providers are now being encouraged to sign up to a new scheme.

Ciannait Ni Riain Ui Broin, who runs a pre-school in Rathmines, said the loss of the ECCE scheme has had a devastating impact in her business and many more like it.

Ms Ni Riain Ui Broin is in her sixth year of business and, after some hard years, turned over small profits in the past 24 months, which she puts towards her salary as she charges nothing for her service.

All of my funding comes from the ECCE scheme and I do not expect parents to have to fork out anything because thats what inclusion in education means, she said.

I am extremely upset and disappointed that the government has broken this contract with me with no consultation and absolutely no communication with me.

I am very frightened that the government has just ceased my contract and are asking me to sign another one, which I have no idea what it entails, she added.

On March 25, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs announced plans for a temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (WSC) to support the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector during Covid-19 closures.

The Department told the Irish Examiner that, in order to receive payment next week, providers will need to have signed the funding agreement by Tuesday, April 21.

Otherwise they will be paid the following week.

Critically, the payments will be backdated to April 6 to ensure there is no break in the continuity of funding between the repurposing of scheme funding announced on March 25, a spokesperson said.

However, Ms Ni Riain Ui Broin said the decision to halt ECCE funding has had a massive effect on her business.

They have broken the contract and thats it, Im gone. I dont know if Im going to open in September.

The DCYA spokesperson said the WSC aims to support sustainability in the early years sector, ensuring providers can reopen following the Covid-19 crisis; to reassure parents their children can retain their place in preschool without paying fees; and to give early years providers funding to retain staff.

The spokesperson added that the department is aware that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection had reported a high number of childcare workers attending at their Intreo offices on March 13.

To achieve this, the Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme will provide funding towards staff wages and a portion of services overhead costs.

"The minister is satisfied that the package available to the sector go as far as is possible to protect the sector and support its sustainability after Covid-19.

"The minister also believes this provides the best use of available public funding to support the sector during this time.
Home  Just In  Opposition objects to formation of landless squatters commission

Kathmandu, April 16

The main opposition Nepali Congress has objected to the governments decision to form a commission to solve the problems of landless squatters in the country.

The party says the government is busy giving jobs to cadres of the ruling party instead of solving current problems even in this time of the global coronavirus crisis.

A Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday had formed the commission under the leadership of Devi Gyawali, a leader of the ruling party in Chitwan district.

Avoiding its responsibilities for the people, the main opposition partys chief whip in the House of Representatives, Bal Krishna Khand, says in a statement today, It seems the government intends to politically manage the people close to it and give them some jobs by forming various commissions at this time of crisis.

Khand claims all stakeholders have supported the government in coronavirus outbreak control, but it is not serious.
A total of 274 servicemen have been quarantined, including in self-isolation.

The number of COVID-19 coronavirus cases registered in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 07:00 on April 13 grew by five cases, to 28, in the past 24 hours.

"As of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 16, twenty eight cases of acute respiratory illness COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, including one fatality and one recovery, were registered in the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the press service of the Medical Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

Some 274 servicemen have been quarantined (including in self-isolation), the report said. For fortz servicemen, the isolation term is expiring in the next three days.

In particular, a serviceman from the Chernivtsi garrison has tested positive for the coronavirus. He contacted citizens who had arrived from abroad in early April. Since April 5, he had been on outpatient treatment, diagnosed with the acute respiratory infection. On April 10, he returned to service, but his body temperature rose and the soldier was admitted to the Chernivtsi Military Hospital. Now, his condition is satisfactory, and he is being treated at home under medical supervision.

Read alsoUkraine coronavirus update: 397 new cases in past 24 hours, bringing total to 4,161

In addition, three soldiers from various military units of the Zaporizhia garrison have tested positive for the coronavirus. Since April 9, they have been self-isolating after being in contact with an infected person. Their condition is also satisfactory. They are being treated at home under the supervision of healthcare workers.

A female employee of the Kharkiv garrison has become the fifth confirmed case. Since April 13, she had been on outpatient treatment, in accordance with the recommendations of a family doctor, with a diagnosis of acute respiratory infections. Now, her health condition is satisfactory, and she is being treated at home.
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Australia donated more than $12.5 million direct to the embattled World Health Organsiation's grand headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland in the past two years.

Pressure has been heaped on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to cut funding to the WHO in exchange for reforms after US President Donald Trump pulled $500 million in annual funding and slammed WHO as a 'tool of China' overnight.

Despite its small population, Australia made the eighth biggest voluntary donation to the WHO of any nation, financial documents show.

The documents expose how $44 million of Australia's spend was used by the organisation in a two year period spanning 2018 and 2019.

How WHO spent $44.8 million of Australia's donations in 2018 and 2019: polio eradication and millions to WHO headquarters to spend on health regulations, information and infection management

$12.5 million of Australia's donations were earmarked to the World Health Organisation's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and spent on programs including enforcing international regulations

$12.5 million in funding was directed to the WHO's Swiss headquarters, which used the money to fund programs involving international health regulations and helping countries prepare for crises.

Australia also spent a further $8 million on efforts to wipe out polio in the Pacific and Africa.

A further half a million was spent on HIV/AIDS efforts, $200,000 to programs for vaccine preventable illnesses and just $1,000 was donated to management or administration.

Over 2018 and 2019, Australia paid about $105million to the body in total - including $35 million in compulsory dues and $71 million in voluntary payments.

Australia even outspent China in 2018 with a $63 million total payment, despite that country's sway over the organisation.

The WHO has come under intense criticism for parroting the Communist nation's lines about COVID-19 not being transmissable between humans.

US President Donald Trump announced his government would halt funding to the WHO while it investigates how it 'severely mismanaged' the coronavirus crisis.

But his decision has sparked fierce blowback - with billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates saying cutting funding in the middle of a pandemic is 'as dangerous as it sounds'.

'Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them,' Mr Gates tweeted. 'The world needs WHO now more than ever.'

More than two million people have tested positive to COVID-19 around the world, including 6,449 cases in Australia.

Australia's is the eighth biggest donor to the World Health Organisation by voluntary contributions, while China is 21st, 2018 financial figures show. The countries also pay compulsory dues each year. In 2018, China paid $28 million and Australia $9.3million. But China paid more than Australia over a two year period, thanks to hefty fees

Former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd said the United States - the WHO's biggest donor - has 'underfunded' the WHO for 'decades' and was being used as a scapegoat by Mr Trump.

'Under Donald Trump, America has turned the WHO into a convenient scapegoat for its own domestic failings,' the former PM wrote for The Economist.

Federal Cabinet ministers, including Home Affairs' Peter Dutton, have condemned WHO's decision to sign off on China re-opening its live animal markets.

COVID-19 is believed to have initially spread among humans at one such 'wet market'.

But Mr Dutton warned against following US President Donald Trump's move pulling funding for the WHO during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Dutton believes Australia cutting ties with the UN's health agency could risk other countries making strategic advances as poorer Pacific nations deal with devastating outbreaks.

'It's important for us not to let other countries use this as an opportunity to influence their leverage within some of these communities,' he told 2GB radio on Thursday.

Mr Dutton said the WHO needed to be called out for backing the reopening of China's wet markets where the virus is likely to have been transmitted to humans.

'I think it's a huge mistake and they need to reassess what their advice is,' he said.

He said it was clear through a number of instances, including the SARS outbreak, that wet markets were a significant problem.

'China needs to change some of its ways including in relation to the wet markets and the way in which that has led to the spread of disease,' he said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters on Wednesday: 'It's extraordinary that the World Health Organisation sees it fit for these wet markets to continue in China. They shouldn't.

'They've been the source of outbreaks that have killed people around the world.'

Mr Frydenberg said the WHO played an important role in the Asia-Pacific but 'that doesn't mean that we've agreed with them on everything.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Perth radio station 6PR he was 'sympathetic' to Mr Trump's position 'but you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater'.

US President Donald Trump has slammed the World Health Organisation as too 'China-centric'. Above, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands in Beijing on January 28 ahead of their meeting to discuss how to curb COVID-19

A Chinese wet market in Wuhan, China, has widely been described as the epicentre of the disease. Above, a man buys seafood from a market in Macau in January

US President Donald Trump has halted funding to the WHO, with Mr Trumpy claiming the organisation had 'severely mismanaged' the coronavirus. Some of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's own MPs have called for reform in the WHO, saying the UN agency should face a 'reckoning'

Liberal MP David Sharma told Sky News on Wednesday that a 'reckoning' was coming for the WHO and described Australia as a 'significant' donor to the agency.

'I think a lot of countries, Australia included, have been less than impressed with the WHO's performance,' Mr Sharma said.

'I think we should make sure we condition our future funding on necessary reforms,' he said.

'We will need to settle on those reforms with a group of other countries, like-minded countries as well.'

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles told the same network that Australia shouldn't 'abandon' the WHO.

'We should be raising whatever issues we have from inside the organisation. We should not be abandoning the World Health Organisation.

'With everything that's going on at the moment, the idea that we would be walking away from the globe's multilateral response to health issues, I think makes no sense at all.

'There's a conversation that can be had about how the World Health Organisation can be reformed but at the end of the day, we should not be walking away from it.'
TOKYO, Apr 16, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), today announced that the company completed the acquisition of all shares of seneos GmbH (seneos) on April 15, 2020. Through this transaction, seneos, a German automotive device software developer, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Automotive Systems.Hitachi Automotive Systems supplies products and systems in growth areas such as electrification and is expanding its customer base of European automakers, growing sales of new products and solutions. seneos is a software development system engineering service company focused primarily on the automotive components sector and boasts an impressive track record in software applications and designs for mainly European automakers. Moving forward, Hitachi Automotive Systems can harness the software development capabilities that seneos has built in Europe, enhance the competitiveness of its products and systems, and further grow sales. seneos' software design and application development capabilities will be leveraged throughout its products and systems globally to enable a faster response to automaker needs and to accelerate development of advanced vehicle solutions with integrated control systems.As modern automobiles become increasingly sophisticated with advanced features such as electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity, the number of software applications used per vehicle has been increasing. Today, an automobile has 10 times or more lines of code than an airplane*. The acquisition of seneos will reinforce Hitachi Automotive Systems' front-end engineering capabilities to strengthen development of software for auto parts. The acquisition will also improve the Company's ability to develop complex software in accordance with local business needs, standardized software architectures, and software development processes.*Source: NXP SemiconductorsHitachi Automotive Systems will continue to offer solutions to societal issues through technological innovation by leveraging group synergies across powertrain, advanced chassis, autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance fields. The company will continue to contribute to realizing a sustainable society where people can live healthy, safe and comfortable lifestyles.About Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including Powertrain Systems, Chassis Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/.Source: Hitachi, Ltd.Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
The longest stretch of continuous monthly job gains in U.S. history started in October 2010 and continued until this March, when the coronavirus pandemic forced a sudden shutdown of most of the economy. Over those 113 months, the U.S. economy added more than 22 million jobs. Over the past four weeks, nearly as many have been wiped out. A decade of record labor market expansion that dropped the unemployment rate to a half-century low has been undone just that quickly.

Another 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. Thats down from 6.6 million the previous week and nearly 6.9 million the week before that, suggesting that the pace of new filings may have peaked, though some economists warn that it might still be weeks before new jobless claims fall to much lower levels.

The economic devastation has been staggering: About 13% of the labor force has applied for unemployment assistance since mid-March, far higher than any previous four-week stretch, according to The Wall Street Journal. Until the pandemic, the largest number of Americans to apply for jobless benefits over a four-week period was 2.7 million, or 2.4% of the labor force, in the fall of 1982, according to the Journal.

NPR

Whats more, the 22 million jobs lost since the middle of March may undercount the actual total. State unemployment offices are still struggling to process the surge of new claims and most gig workers who Congress made eligible for unemployment assistance as part of the coronavirus relief package passed last month havent yet been able to apply for aid.

It is showing us what I think we all know, that the economy is falling off a cliff at an unprecedented rate, Jay Bryson, the acting chief economist at Wells Fargo, told NBC News.

Nearly 12 million people continued to receive unemployment insurance during the week ending April 4, also a record. Economists will be watching that number to see how quickly the economy is rebounding and people are returning to their jobs or finding new ones. If continued claims three months from now remain very, very high, it means that the labor market is not bouncing back as fast as we had hoped, Bryson told NBC News.

Story continues

How high will the unemployment rate go? The government will release official unemployment data for April on May 8, and the number is certain to be dreadful. The U.S. unemployment rate is already over 20 percent, according to two professors who are tracking the data in real time, The Washington Post reports. It is expected remain close to 10 percent through the end of the year, meaning 1 in 10 people would still be out of work at the holidays, the National Association for Business Economics says.

The hardest-hit states: Every state has been hit by the downturn, but the highest rates of new jobless claims have come in Hawaii, Michigan and Rhode Island, where more than 20% of workers have filed for unemployment. The Journal reports that the most claims were filed in California (2.8 million, or 14.5% of the state labor force), followed by Pennsylvania (1.3 million, or 19.8% of workers) and New York (1.2 million, or 12.4% of workers).

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The so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic transferred 9 people to Kyiv, and received 10. In total, 19 citizens of Ukraine will return to the government-controlled territory

Occupied Luhansk to return 11 people to Ukraine in swap lug-info.com

Militants of the s Luhansk Peoples Republic will hand over 11 captive persons to Ukraine as part of a swap on April 16. The news resource of militants reported this.

The bus has already departed from Luhansk to the place of exchange, which will be held at the contact line near the bridge in Shchastya vicinity.

We are transferring 11 people to the Ukrainian side, and we are taking seven people. As a result of the verification held during the video conference, one person who had previously turned to us for help confirmed refusal to participate in the exchange, LPR representative Olga Kobtseva said.

Earlier, Ukraine and Donbas militants started the exchange of prisoners.

Militants of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic have handed over nine people to Ukraine as part of today's exchange near Horlivka and Mayorsk checkpoint.
He made the remarks in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)s reporter in Jakarta, Indonesia, following the online Special ASEAN and ASEAN+3 Summits on the COVID-19 response chaired by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on April 14th.

The summits were a concrete demonstration of ASEANs solidarity and leadership manifested in concrete regional cooperation with its Plus Three neighbours, especially in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Dato Lim Jock Hoi speak at the online Special ASEAN and ASEAN+3 Summits (Photo: VNA)



According to the Secretary-General, the summits were also an opportunity for ASEAN to enhance cooperative relationships between ASEAN Plus Three counterparts, together to respond COVID-19. Especially given the pandemic has shown that the virus knows no national boundaries, and a collective response will complement and strengthen, national and local responses.

The ASEAN health sector, as one of the first regional responders to the COVID-19 outbreak, has been reaffirmed by the ASEAN leaders in its mandate to concretise collective efforts from all stakeholders and sectors, to support a whole-of-government and whole-of-health system approach with a stronger regional response in mitigating the impact of this pandemic.

On the economic front, ASEAN has renewed our commitment to ensure continued macroeconomic and financial stability and liquidity; ensure supply chain connectivity and production and distribution continuity particularly of essential supplies such as medical supplies, food and agricultural products; and mitigation of the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable households and individuals, affected sectors, and small, micro, and medium enterprises, he said.

The summits have also reaffirmed the need for a post-pandemic recovery plan, he said, adding that this plan will involve collaboration among industries, private sector and other actors.

The leaders also urged greater collaborative effort in information and knowledge sharing not only in areas of medical development but also on domestic policies related to social and health security given the vast impact of COVID-19 on communities, the Secretary-General said.

Vietnam has demonstrated strong leadership in spearheading a collective regional response to COVID-19. Its Chairmanship theme of building a cohesive and responsive ASEAN is very relevant given the situation we find ourselves in. Indeed, ASEAN has come together and responded quickly to the pandemic since February, and today, through the two summits. ASEANs strong response is in large part due to Vietnams leadership in encouraging our continued dialogue and collaboration, the ASEAN chief stressed.

The convening of todays summits conducted via video conference has been an achievement in its own right. Vietnam has shown that we can overcome the challenges of COVID-19 if the region works together in unity and with resilience, he concluded./.
Brandon Reids marriage to Taylor Dunklin on Lifetimes Married at First Sight Season 10 has been an enigma to many viewers. Brandon first gave his wife the silent treatment during their honeymoon in Panama, and nothing seemed to get better from there. From Taylors controversial Instagram story to Brandons ongoing arguments with Lifetime producers, nothing seemed to go quite right for the couple.

In an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming Apr. 15 episode of Married at First Sight from In Touch Weekly, Brandon and Taylors rocky marriage seems to get even rocker on Decision Day. After eight weeks of marriage, every couple has to decide whether they want to get a divorce or stay married. But Brandon might not even show up at all.

Taylor Dunklin | MAFS Lifetime via Instagram

Brandon and Taylor struggled with their marriage from the very beginning

To some fans, Taylor and Brandon seemed ill-matched in many ways from the very start.

Brandon, a beer sales representative, wasnt happy with research scientist Taylors love of Instagram. Meanwhile, Brandons moodiness and temper (especially with the Lifetime production crew) often seemed to upset his wife. After Taylor posted an Instagram story in which she claimed to be single and looking for a man, Brandon moved out of the couples apartment.

But that wasnt the worst of the Married at First Sight pairs troubles. On a couples retreat just before Decision Day, Brandon had yet another meltdown with Lifetime producers and staff. He cursed out two producers and seemed to essentially quit the show after the confrontation.

Taylor sits down with the Married at First Sight experts to discuss her tumultuous marriage

In the In Touch Weekly sneak peek, Taylor sits down with the three Married at First Sight expertsDr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Viviana Coles, and Pastor Cal Robersonto discuss her marriage to Brandon.

Its no secret to us that Brandons had a tough time with the experiment and, in fact, seems to have quit after the retreat. Am I correct in that? Dr. Pepper asks an already emotional Taylor. (Taylor agrees that thats a correct assessment.)

Have you seen him since then? the matchmaker wonders.

Taylor admits that she spends time with Brandon off camera, which sometimes seems to confuse her about his intentions. Yeah, Ive seen him since then. Even though he was fighting with production, we hang out off camera all the time, she tells the experts in the preview clip.

Pastor Cal tentatively approaches the subject of Brandons absence on this crucial day. I know you are here alone right now. How do you feel about that? What if he doesnt show up? he wonders.

Taylor begins to cry as she confesses, You know, you just feel anxious. You never know what youre going to get.

The Married at First Sight star admits she feels like she missed out due to Brandons behavior

Next, Dr. Viviana wants to know if Taylor thinks Brandons hatred of filming and arguments with Lifetime producers eclipse his devotion to his wife and marriage. Do you feel like he has prioritized production over his marriage? the expert asks.

Taylor sadly agrees with Dr. Viviana, lamenting, It definitely feels that way. There are so many things that I feel like I missed out on that were so fun that we could have done together. His stubbornness just really gets in the way.

As tears well up in her eyes again, the 27-year-old confesses that she still hopes Brandon will show. But if he doesnt show up, Ill be very disappointed, the Married at First Sight star says.

What would that tell you? Dr. Viviana asks.

Just before breaking down, Taylor says it would be the final nail in the coffin of her marriage to Brandon. I mean, it would definitely tell me his decision for sure, she says.
Land OLakes has begun new packaging for its products that previously included a Native American woman.

The company said the new package is designed to better tell its farmer-owned story in advance of its 100th anniversary in 2021.

In addition to the removal of the woman, the new package includes the phrases farmer-owned and since 1921.

Some packages include a photo of actual Land OLakes farmers and co-op members and says, Proud to be Farmer-Owned: As a farmer-owned co-op, we stand together to bring you the very best in dairy.

Land O'Lakes has redesigned its logo, eliminating the Native American Woman that has been there since 1928. Land O'Lakes says the new logo is designed "to better tell its farmer-owned story." (Provided by Land O'Lakes)

The company said in a news release, Land OLakes was founded by a group of Minnesota dairy farmers in 1921, and as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2021, the co-op has reflected on its treasured history and made the decision to showcase its greatest strength  its farmers.

As Land OLakes looks toward our 100th anniversary, weve recognized we need packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of our company cultureand nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land OLakes dairy products, said Beth Ford, president and CEO, Land OLakes.

As a farmer-owned co-op, we strongly feel the need to better connect the men and women who grow our food with those who consume it, Ford said. Our farmer-to-fork structure gives us a unique ability to bridge this divide.

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The former floor manager of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? has revealed how he watched the Ingrams cheat live on the set as he insisted that the couple are 'guilty as sin'.

Major Charles Ingram, from Derbyshire, cheated his way to the top prize assisted by a secret syndicate of quizzers who would help contestants on the show, including fellow quizzer Tecwen Whittock,who coughed in the audience to indicate correct answers.

And now Phil Davies has spoken out about the scandal, revealing how he and the crew were left 'flabbergasted' as the cheating unfurled before their eyes on the night of filming.

Phil, who worked through hundreds of recordings on the show, told Sky News that the team were suspicious as they had 'never seen anything like' the Major's performance on the show.

Former floor manager at Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Phil Davies has revealed how he watched Tecwen Whittock and Major Charles Ingram cheat on the show

He was situated just metres away from the hot seats in the studio and opposite host Chris Tarrant and Whittock on the set.

He said the set was 'very small' and he was able to 'move about and sit and watch contestants' when he needed to, coming 'pretty close' to those taking part in the show.

Phil described Ingram as a 'very nice, polite, unexceptional' man, and said the team had little hope of him getting very far on his second evening in the hot seat.

But as Ingram started answering every question right, with seemingly no prior knowledge of the topic and with a lot of luck on his side, some of the crew became suspicious.

Phil revealed how the team would tell contestants to 'verbalise what you're thinking' as they considered their options for each question, while Tarrant would offer prompts to help contestants come to an answer by asking, "What are you thinking?" or "What are you leaning towards?"

But as Ingram approached the 32,000 question, the Who Wants to be a Millionaire team were unconvinced by his performance, with Phil saying he was unlike any he had ever seen.

Ingram bagged the 1 million prize on the hit British show in 2001, but went on to be found guilty of cheating on the programme

Ingram opted for Craig David as the answer, despite admitting he had never heard of him before.

Phil said the moment was extraordinary because it was a baffling way to come to an answer without any apparent strategy.

He revealed that every other contestant would 'talk through their knowledge and they always eliminate answers.'

Meanwhile Phil also revealed how the show was edited show, and said contestants could often sit for 10 or more minutes to come to an answer using their reasoning.

However, he said Ingram had 'no reasoning', and the crew were left 'flabbergasted' by his continued winning streak.

Despite the crews growing suspicions, they were told they had to keep filming.

Ingram, his wife Diana (right), and lecturer Tecwen Whittock were found guilty at Southwark Crown Court in 2003 of cheating their way to the top prize (pictured, 2003)

Convinced something was amiss, Phil started looking around the set and watched as Whittock turned towards the hot seat and coughed 'at appropriate points'.

Phil said he is now convinced that Whittock was coughing to indicate the correct answers to Ingram, saying: 'All I can say is the only times [Whittock] coughed were when the major was trying to answer a question, and at no other point - like, no other point.'

He also refuted Whittock's claims that the studio had been 'very dusty', saying: 'You could have eaten your dinner off that set' and calling it 'immaculate.'

After going through the different options for the million-pound question, Ingram landed on the answer and went on to win the jackpot.

But Phil described the atmosphere on set as 'dead' and said 'everyone was just really quiet'.

Phil revealed that he watched Whittock 'turn towards the hot seat and cough' while Ingram was on the programme

The Ingrams were searched as soon as filming stopped, says Phil, but he's not sure about Whittock.

Phil went on to be a witness during the trial and spoke about the coughing, revealing he 'didn't elaborate anything' and had 'no doubt at all' that the cheating had been intentional.

He has since left the world of television, and now lives in France running a family holiday resort, remaining convinced that Ingram and Whittock are 'guilty as sin' of cheating.

The drama Quiz about the scandal starring Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford as the couple, Michael Jibson as co-conspirator Tecwen Whittock, and Michael Sheen as Tarrant, concluded on ITV on Wednesday night
On March 9 th , Loomer's campaign was the first federal campaign in the nation to temporarily halt events and public activities like door knocking due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Loomer instructed volunteers and staff to assist with community needs such as blood drives and mask making for first responders.

Fundraising was deprioritized by the campaign as well in order to shift focus to community assistance. Despite the shift, Loomer's campaign reported the largest fundraising total since starting the race for Florida's 21st Congressional seat.

During this cycle to date, 10,790 donations have been received by the campaign from all 50 states with Florida residents being the top contributors. The average contribution was $52 proving widespread support among the voting public.

Loomer stated, "We're doing all that we can to assist residents in the 21st District. Palm Beach County is now Florida's top COVID-19 'hot spot' and we must be vigilant and responsible for ourselves and each other if we are to expedite our recovery and return to normalcy. While Congresswoman Frankel works to obstruct their efforts, I am confident that under President Trump and Governor DeSantis's leadership this will happen sooner rather than later. To assist in these efforts, I will continue to divert campaign resources, staff, volunteers and activities to help all who are in need."

Karen Giorno, President Trump's 2016 Florida State Director and chief strategist for the Loomer campaign commented, "I don't know how Lois Frankel is spending her time at home, but in my career, I've never seen a challenger outraise a four-term incumbent by such a massive margin. Frankel is sitting back, relying on checks from special interests and doing absolutely nothing to prove community support in our district. It's insulting. Is Frankel even running?"

Loomer's campaign has outraised Democrat incumbent Lois Frankel, as well as all primary challengers combined for the third quarter in a row, making her the undeniable Republican frontrunner despite being shut down by Big Tech on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Paypal.

Giorno continued, "Many of our staff and contractors have agreed to reduced compensation without even being asked out of respect for Laura's leadership as well as respect for our donors who are going through tough times. Their selflessness inspired me to max out to the campaign with a $5,600 donation. I am honored to be a part of this historic and important campaign."

Loomer's campaign has contacted supporters through phone, text, email, Telegram, Parler and Gab over 9 million times during the election season with campaign updates, calls-to-action and requests for donations.

Loomer closed by saying, "During these challenging times, we are reminded now more than ever that elections matter, and strong leadership is essential. My campaign is committed to winning this Congressional seat, and when I'm elected, I will always people before politics, partisanship and party."

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Laura Loomer for Congress

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

Trend:

The conditions of the special quarantine regime in Azerbaijan may be softened gradually, Azerbaijani chief infectiologist Jalal Isayev told Trend on April 16.

The Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers and other relevant structures must make proposals about the steps to be taken after April 20, Isayev said.

"There may still be carriers of the virus among people, chief infectiologist said. If a person is infected and does not lie in a hospital, he/she may infect others. Of course, in this case it will be impossible to control the spread of the virus. But if we observe a decrease in the number of infections and the disease will pass in a milder form, the rules may gradually be softened.

The chief infectiologist stressed that a two-week period for applying strict quarantine rules is not enough.

The term must be extended at least until the first ten days of May, Isayev said. Only afterwards the issue of softening the quarantine rules may be considered taking into account the sanitary-epidemiological situation and other measures may be taken.

Having said that it is still unknown when the pandemic will end, the chief infectiologist stressed that no one can give accurate predictions on this.

From this point of view, the situation with COVID-19 is changing and decisions are made in accordance with the actual situation, Isayev added.

Of course, everyone wants the quarantine regime to be abolished soon, he said. However, the most important task is to protect the health of citizens, ensure the safety of the population. People must be aware of their responsibility and follow the established rules. Afterwards, the government will take appropriate steps."

No healthcare system, including that in the developed countries, can withstand the growing dynamics of infection, the chief infectiologist said.

"The experience of European countries is a clear example, Isayev said. Azerbaijan has taken and continues to take all necessary measures to prevent this situation."
When teacher Adam Gonzalez saw the improvement in his school's VCE results last year, he had to check twice.

"I couldn't believe it, that jump," he said.

Mount St Joseph Girls' College principal Kate Dishon says the whole school has worked hard to improve results. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Mr Gonzalez, director of pedagogy and innovation at Altona's Mount St Joseph Girls' College, had seen a lot of changes during his 10 years at the school, but finally seeing the dramatic improvement in its results was a very welcome surprise.

The college's percentage of study scores above 40 has risen from 7 per cent in 2010 to 10.3 in 2019. Its median study score  the ranking a student gets for each subject  has made steady progress from 30 to 31.
Iraqi PM-designate says resolved to end illegal foreign military presence

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 10:29 AM

Iraq's Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi has expressed his resolve to bring an end to any illegal presence of foreign boots on the ground in the Arab country, saying Baghdad will soon hold talks with Washington in this regard.

Speaking to Baghdad Today news website on Wednesday, Kadhimi said that he was "serious" about ending any manifestation of the illegal presence of foreign forces in Iraq.

He also noted that Baghdad would, in the near future, discuss with Washington the nature of its presence on Iraqi soil.

Iraq should not be used as a field to settle scores, he stressed, adding that he would pursue an open policy based on the principle of common interests in the foreign and Arab-Islamic spheres.

Kadhimi further underlined the need for de-escalation as a prerequisite for attracting investments and diversifying the oil-dependent economy.

On January 5, the Iraqi parliament voted for a resolution that called for an end to the presence of all foreign troops, including the Americans.

The vote came two days after the US military  acting on President Donald Trump's order launched a fatal drone strike on senior Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani upon his arrival in the Iraqi capital at the invitation of the Baghdad government.

The attack also claimed the lives of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Sha'abi, along with eight other Iranian and Iraqi people.

The assassination operation stoked anti-US sentiment in Iraq, where Washington has not only defied calls to withdraw, but also reinforced its military presence by deploying troops and equipment.

On Monday, Sa'ad al-Sa'adi, a senior member of the Fatah (Conquest) parliamentary coalition, said the country's political parties had set action on the parliament's withdrawal vote as a condition for endorsing Kadhimi as prime minister.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kadhimi, director of Iraq's National Intelligence Service, emphasized that his most important criteria for selecting ministers were honesty and efficiency.

He is the third candidate for leading Iraq since former prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned last year amid violent anti-government protests against unemployment and the lack of basic services.

Kadhimi said that the list of his ministers was ready, and that he was currently negotiating with political factions to introduce his cabinet to the parliament as soon as possible.

The Iraqi prime minister-designate also noted that his government's top priority was to hold snap elections, urging all Iraqi political groups to cooperate in resolving challenges such as the economic crisis, declining oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.

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FBI Falsely Claimed No Sign of Russian Disinformation in Steele Dossier, Declassified Info Indicates

A claim by a former senior FBI official that there was no indication of Russian disinformation in the 2016 Clinton campaigns anti-Trump dossier has been contradicted by newly declassified information.

The FBI learned in January 2017 that a part of the dossier was assessed by a certain source to be a product of Russian disinformation, according to a previously redacted footnote in a December report (pdf) by the Justice Departments inspector general (IG).

That contradicts what the former head of FBI counterintelligence, Bill Priestap, told the IG: that by May 2017, the bureau didnt have any indication whatsoever of disinformation in the dossier.

A number of footnotes in the IG report were partially declassified at the request of Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who released them on April 15.

The dossier claimed collusion between the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald Trump and the Russian government to sway the 2016 presidential election. The FBI used it to obtain a highly intrusive FISA warrant to spy on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

The investigation ultimately was unable to establish any such collusion.

The IG reviewed the probe and found more than a dozen problems with the Page warrant, at least one serious enough to prompt a referral for criminal inquiry. The FBI later confirmed that at least two of the warrants three renewals were invalid and thus resulted in illegal surveillance.

Red Flags

The FBI received numerous red flags about the dossier and its author, former British spy Christopher Steele, who was paid, through intermediaries, by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the 2016 presidential campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Already in 2015, the FBIs Transnational Organized Crime Intelligence Unit (TOCIU) recommended that Steele should be vetted again as an FBI informant because of his numerous contacts with Russian oligarchs.

From January through May 2015, 10 Eurasian oligarchs sought meetings with the FBI, and 5 of these had their intermediaries contact Steele which was unusual, the IG said, paraphrasing a 2015 TOCIU report in one of the previously redacted footnotes.

Steeles FBI handler, who wasnt on the team probing the TrumpRussia allegations, told the team that Steele was trying to arrange the Russian oligarch meetings, he told the IG. He said Steele was reaching out to the oligarchs and that he believed TOCIU was aware of Steeles efforts and supported them.

Key claims of the dossierabout a well-developed conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russiacame from a person tied to Russian intelligence, the Trump-Russia team learned in early October 2016, before the team took out the Page warrant later that month.

Steele himself told the FBI that month that the source was a boaster and tended to embellish. Days before applying for the warrant, the FBI opened a separate counterintelligence investigation of the source.

None of this, however, was conveyed to the secret FISA court, which approved the warrant.

Then, on Jan. 12, 2017, a report relayed information from [redacted] outlining an inaccuracy in a limited subset of Steeles reporting about the activities of [Trumps former personal lawyer] Michael Cohen, the IG said in another previously redacted footnote.

The [redacted] stated that it did not have high confidence in this subset of Steeles reporting and assessed that the referenced subset was part of a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate U.S. foreign relations.

It isnt clear where the report originated, but the footnote indicates that it came from a U.S. intelligence report the FBI received, Grassleys release says.

A second report from the same [redacted] five days later stated that a person named in the limited subset of Steeles reporting had denied representations in the reporting and the [redacted] assessed that the persons denials were truthful, the IG said.

Based on the IG report, the unsubstantiated allegations about Cohen were provided by a source that had contacts with an individual in the Russian Presidential Administration in June/July 2016, the FBI learned in early June 2017, the same month it applied for the last renewal of the Page warrant.

This source was voicing strong support for candidate Clinton in the 2016 U.S. elections, the FBI was told, according to another previously redacted footnote. Parts of the footnote remain redacted, including possibly the source of that information.

Also in June 2017, a report from the U.S. intelligence community indicated that two persons affiliated with RIS [Russian Intelligence Services] were aware of Steeles election investigation in early July 2016, the IG said.

That would suggest Russian intelligence was aware of Steeles efforts since early on and was thus in a position to have disinformation fed to him.

The Goal of Disinformation

While Priestap not only denied any indications of disinformation in the dossier, he went on to argue against even the possibility.

[Russia] favored Trump, theyre trying to denigrate Clinton, and they wanted to sow chaos. I dont know why youd run a disinformation campaign to denigrate Trump on the side, he told the IG.

This argument has been countered by Ronald Rychlak, a law professor at the University of Mississippi and an expert on Soviet and Russian disinformation.

In his view, Moscow had ample reason to inject disinformation into the dossier and the FBI, the Clinton campaign, and the DNC should have seen it.

I think there was a lot of what we sometimes call in law willful blindness here, he told The Epoch Times in a prior interview.

Disinformation is not merely spreading false information. Its a term devised by the communist regime in the former Soviet Union to describe a method of manufacturing a false story to achieve a specific goal.

Disinformation usually contains three elements: It needs to have a kernel of trutha bit of accurate information that could be exaggerated or manipulated to create a false perception; it needs to be spread by a source perceived as credible, such as a government agency or an established media organization; and its main claims need to be difficult to disprove.

The dossier fit the bill on all accounts, Rychlak said.

They wanted whoever won to be weakened, to be continually fighting inside the United States, instead of dealing with things around the world.
"Riverdale" borrows glam rock songs and style from the cult hit "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," with Casey Cott donning a full drag look for the musical episode. (Shane Harvey / The CW)

The following story contains spoilers from Wednesday's episode of "Riverdale," "Wicked Little Town."

Wednesday's musical episode of "Riverdale" attempts to exalt "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," the 1998 cult hit that's "not appropriate for students and families," according to the school principal (Kerr Smith): Though it was on Broadway and won multiple Tony Awards, it's too niche, too downtown; the movie version is rated R.

"'Hedwig' is not a niche show," argues Kevin (Casey Cott), who wants to perform a "Hedwig" song at the upcoming variety show. "It celebrates identities, genders, expressions of all kinds, and it speaks to my entire generation. We are relentlessly slammed with crisis after crisis, and we take it, and we're numb, yes, but also screaming on the inside. Please, just listen to us. We're people, not numbers. We're Generation Z."

This impassioned proclamation leads into a cover of the deep cut "Random Number Generation," with Kevin's classmates headbanging with him through the hallways. Undeterred, he then shows up at school in Hedwig's signature garb  an embellished denim outfit with fishnet stockings, patterned boots and fringe-laden wrists  for a rogue performance of the roaring rock song "Tear Me Down."

"This was actually my first time doing full-out drag," said Cott, who donned the "paper towel wig" from the 2001 movie adaptation and suggested the midsong smooch with KJ Apa's Archie, since a kiss with a random audience member is a "Hedwig" trademark .

"I learned more than I could have ever imagined, and it was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had," he continued. "My hat is off to all the drag performers out there. What they do is not easy, and I think they're incredible."

"He sat in the makeup chair for a good hour before that scene and definitely experienced a whole different world," added makeup department head Juliana Vit. "He actually even curled his own eyelashes and put on his own mascara. He did a pretty good job for a first-timer!"

Story continues

The episode sees Casey Cott leading a cover of "Wig in a Box" from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." (Katie Yu / The CW)

Kevin later finds solace during a sleepover with Betty (Lili Reinhardt), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Toni (Vanessa Morgan), who share the verses of "Wig in a Box." Kevin is shown trying on the Farrah Fawcett and Miss Beehive wigs (the latter of which took 10 days to construct) while the ladies sport scintillating sleepwear.

"That took hours and hours and hours of bedazzling thousands of rhinestones and crystals," said costume designer Rebekka Sorensen-Kjelstrup. "I don't think we realized how long it was going to take to get that kind of detail onto their pajamas!"

Throughout the episode, two couples  Betty and Jughead (Cole Sprouse), and Veronica and Archie  get into separate shouting matches via the punk number "Exquisite Corpse," and each pair reconsiders their relationship through the power ballad "The Origin of Love."

Nearly everyone from the cast sings a line of "Wicked Little Town"  three words that really couldn't describe "Riverdale" any better  while the episode's newly formed band, The Archies, perform "Midnight Radio" atop Riverdale Diner.

"It's such a different style of music for a musical than we've done in the past, so we're broadening [our viewers'] horizons in terms of musical theater in general," said Tessa Leigh Williams, who wrote this episode as well as the show's previous takes on the musicals "Carrie" and "Heathers."

"I first saw 'Hedwig' in high school and I had never really seen anything like it, and it just completely blew my mind. So I'm really excited for people to get to know this music that they may not have heard before," Williams added.

These "Hedwig" songs so effortlessly slot right into the world of "Riverdale" that the episode can almost make you forget the title character of John Cameron Mitchell's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is a gender-fluid musician who suffered a botched sex change operation in order to secure passage out of Cold War-era East Berlin alongside an older man. Its framing device is a tell-all concert, in which the internationally ignored" performer banters with the audience about her fractured childhood and various lost loves.

From its 1998 debut at the Jane Street Theatre to its more recent, Tony-winning Broadway run with Neil Patrick Harris, Andrew Rannells, Michael C. Hall, Darren Criss, Taye Diggs and Mitchell himself in the title role, "Hedwig" has remained so beloved because its ending, while ambiguous, leads to an emotional nakedness and wholehearted self-acceptance.

"For all its serious subtext, the movingly affirmative 'Hedwig' is raucous, racy and full of hilarious, lowdown survivors wit," wrote Times staff writer Kevin Thomas in 2001 .

"The specific issue of gender identity raised by Hedwigs cruel surgical plight extends to the eternal inner conflict between the need to accept ones self and the desperate craving for changes believed to be required to be accepted and loved by others. Hedwig demands the love and acceptance from others that she cannot give to herself."

Of course, it's impossible for a 45-minute television episode to fully encapsulate the plot, context and legacy of an 100-minute stage show. And as with any musical TV episode, songs are trimmed for time and recontextualized to further the storylines of those onscreen, not those who originally sang them onstage.

But "Riverdale's" decision to remove any mention of the surgery snafu or the characters in Hedwig's fictional orbit leaves just a fraction of her story intact, primarily in the form of passing mentions of the Berlin Wall.

"Hedwig" was also notable at the time for its widening of the theater's representation of gay characters. "[It] gave a new twist to the diva musical altogether," wrote Larry Stempel in "Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater."

"It turned from the traditional divas of Broadway's gay culture to embrace the ambiguities in the gender-bending personas of those glam-rock performers who, starting in the 1970s, sought to replace the staunchly masculinist ideals of earlier rock icons."

Whether the episode's rendition of "Sugar Daddy"  a crowd-pleasing, country-driven number in which Hedwig unabashedly basks in the gender binary's gray area  is a brilliant commentary on gender identity or a strained recontextualization will depend on your reading of the scene: In it, queer couple Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz are joined by a handful of other female high school students to seduce the school principal, an older male who is visibly uncomfortable with the song's overt sexual nature.

Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told The Times that the series decided to take on "Hedwig" at the suggestion of its composer-lyricist, Stephen Trask, who is a fan of the "Riverdale" franchise, and that the writers consulted with a GLAAD representative in the making of the episode.

Every time we do one of these musical episodes, we do have to figure out the balance of how much of the story of the musicals do we include or explain, Aguirre-Sacasa said. What I think people know about Hedwig is the outlandish Hedwig look, the iconic costumes and the rock score.

In this case, it felt like the quest for identity in pre- and post-Berlin-Wall-breaking-down felt very removed from the stories that we were telling with our kids, he continued. So we focus more on the song in terms of mood and emotionality as opposed to hard story.

Hedwigs picturesque wigs and glam-rock sound remain, and her lyrics now serve characters concerned with variety shows, college prospects and sinister videotapes. It illustrates the final lyric of Hedwigs Lament, a tune from the musical left out of the episode: He took the good stuff and ran.
The United States decision to stop funding the World Health Organization (WHO) could not be more badly timed. The WHO remains the closest thing to an international coordinating and information-gathering body during the pandemic. At a time when multilateral cooperation could not be more needed, United States (US) President Donald Trump has concluded there is greater political benefit in turning on the agency. His action is partially symbolic: The US has already provided funds for this financial year.

However, a large share of the blame rests with the WHO. The director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, allowed his organisation to become entangled in great power rivalry. This is a minefield which all multilateral organisations should avoid. He tried a strategy of accommodation to persuade China to be more open about the pandemic, to the extent of appeasing it. The WHO issued a stream of flawed advice based on the information provided by Beijing, including criticising the decision of India and other countries to impose a travel ban on China. Some of his comments, such as criticising Taiwan despite its exemplary handling of the virus, were gratuitous. The approach yielded little. The WHO needed to take a harder line, for example, about the limited access foreign scientists have been getting to ground zero of Covid-19. The agency also has long-standing internal issues. Donors tie much of its funding to specific programmes; so it has minimal capacity to watch out for black swan events. Its regional directors are answerable to multiple national health ministers. Half of its 10 largest donors are non-governmental organisations. But many of these defects ultimately derive from the agencys long neglect by governments. The US, whatever Mr Trumps own views, has long been the WHOs strongest supporter and contributes a quarter of its budget. China, for all its evident influence, pays less money than Rotary International.

The WHO has played a quiet-but-crucial role in global health. It effectively runs the health services in some 30 countries. India is also a beneficiary, especially in the agencys efforts against tuberculosis and polio. The WHO standard-setting helps India serve as the worlds generic drug maker. The world can ill-afford a cash-starved WHO  despite its flaws  in a time of pandemic. India should consider joining other governments in pledging to fill any financial gap that may occur. New Delhi should also clearly warn the agency to be more open in calling out China and other governments who fail to meet their medical obligations.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 13:09:26|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on March 16, 2020 shows the White House Visitor Center in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Trump's decision to suspend funding to the WHO triggered widespread backlash and criticism across the world.

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The international community has regretted U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), voicing support for and highlighting the organization's crucial role in guiding global efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump announced Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

This triggered widespread backlash and criticism across the world on Wednesday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO regretted the U.S. decision.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that the COVID-19 outbreak can be characterized as a "pandemic" as the virus spreads increasingly worldwide, at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

"The U.S. has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so," he told a virtual press conference from Geneva.

Tedros called on all the nations to be united in the common struggle against the common pandemic, because "when we are divided, the virus exploits the cracks between us."

Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney described the U.S. decision as "indefensible" and "shocking."

"This is indefensible decision in midst of global pandemic. So many vulnerable populations rely on WHO -- deliberately undermining funding & trust now is shocking. Now is a time for global leadership & unity to save lives, not division and blame!" he tweeted.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned the Trump administration's decision, saying "the U.S. act to punish the only coordinator of world health affairs amid the fight against a global disaster is the utmost irresponsibility and crime against humanity."

"Main aim of Trump's decision to defund WHO is blaming others and covering up the U.S. government's inefficiency in dealing with the novel coronavirus," said Mousavi.

U.S. President Donald Trump (Front) addresses a news conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The African Union (AU) said the U.S. decision is "deeply regrettable."

"Today more than ever the world depends on WHO's leadership to steer the global COVID-19 pandemic response," tweeted AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.

"Our collective responsibility to ensure WHO can fully carry out its mandate has never been more urgent," he added.

Noting the U.S. funding suspension is "a major setback," Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told Finnish news agency STT that "the work of the WHO is needed especially these days for overcoming the coronavirus."

The Finnish government pledged to increase its funding for the WHO by restoring it to the 2015 level -- 5.5 million euros (6 million U.S. dollars).

"It is a decision that we regret," French government spokesperson Sibeth Ndiaye told a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

France expects "a return to normal" so that the WHO could pursue its work, she added.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also slammed the U.S. decision.

"Blaming does not help. The virus knows no borders. We must cooperate closely against COVID-19," said Maas on Twitter. "One of the best investments is that the United Nations, especially the underfunded WHO, to strengthen, for example in the development and distribution of tests and vaccines."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter the U.S. decision is "attack vs intl community."

"It's criminal to do so amidst the pandemic. It's a selfish action intended to distract attention from inefficient response & neglect of its people. Cuba will keep working with WHO in defense of solidarity & cooperation," he tweeted.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tweeted that halting funding for the WHO during a world health crisis is "as dangerous as it sounds."

"Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever," the philanthropist stressed.

People practice social distancing as they wait outside a supermarket in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, April 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The United States is the country worst hit by COVID-19, registering more than 637,000 confirmed cases and over 30,000 deaths by Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University tally. More than 2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases with over 136,000 deaths have been reported globally. 
President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day, January 20. But by that time, more than 3000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data.

New York: In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the epicentre of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people; millions began travelling through for Lunar New Year celebrations.

That delay from January 14 to January 20 was neither the first mistake made by Chinese officials at all levels in confronting the outbreak, nor the longest lag, as governments around the world have dragged their feet for weeks and even months in addressing the virus.

But the delay by the first country to face the new coronavirus came at a critical time - the beginning of the outbreak. China's attempt to walk a line between alerting the public and avoiding panic set the stage for a pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people and taken more than 128,000 lives.

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"This is tremendous," said Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. "If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient. We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhan's medical system."

Other experts noted that the Chinese government may have waited on warning the public to stave off hysteria, and that it did act quickly in private during that time.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 13:17:35|Editor: Xiaoxia

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WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to use his executive power to force both chambers of the nation's Congress to adjourn if the Senate did not confirm his nominees for vacancies across the administration.

"The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so I can make recess appointments," Trump said during a press briefing at the White House. "We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government. And now more so than ever before because of the virus and the problem."

Lawmakers in both chambers are not expected to return to the Capitol until early May due to the coronavirus outbreak but they have been conducting pro forma sessions to make it impossible for Trump to make recess appointments.

According to the U.S. Constitution, the president is allowed to make nominations for appointed positions like cabinet officers, but the Senate controls the process, including the rules that allow a nomination vote to get to the full Senate floor.

If the Senate isn't officially in session, the president does have the power to appoint officers directly using his recess appointments powers. The U.S. Constitution also grants the president the power to adjourn both chambers of Congress "to such time as he shall think proper."

"No president has ever exercised" the authority, noted the National Constitution Center.

"Perhaps it's never been done before, nobody's even sure if it has," Trump said on Wednesday. "But we're going to do it. We need these people here. We need people for this crisis, and we don't want to play any more political games."

Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University, warned Trump against taking the step.

"The President just said that he may unilaterally adjourn Congress. ... This power has never been used and should not be used now," he tweeted on Wednesday.

Out of 749 "key positions" that require Senate confirmation, 150 do not have nominees, while 15 are awaiting nomination, according to a tracker provided by The Washington Post and Partnership for Public Service.
BOSTON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ridgeway Partners is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Fitzgerald as a Partner in their Boston office. Mike specializes in asset management and has a strong track record of recruiting senior leadership positions in distribution, marketing, product, investments as well as building new business lines.

"We are truly excited to have Mike join Ridgeway Partners. He brings a unique combination of extensive industry experience and senior level search experience to our firm," said Charles Preusse, Managing Partner for Ridgeway. "He and Kevin McKeon will make a formidable team in the asset and wealth management space," Preusse added.

"I've known Mike for many years, and I am thrilled to be partnering with him at Ridgeway," Kevin McKeon, Partner, said. "His decades-long experience building and leading distribution teams will be immensely valuable to our clients," he added. "As the demand for leading talent among asset managers remains strong, Ridgeway's first-class execution and 98% completion rate will continue to provide our clientele a distinct edge in this competitive landscape."

"Mike's industry experience is of tremendous value to clients, and he has an outstanding network and reputation," Preusse said. "He has successfully completed assignments for boutique and global asset managers as well as banking institutions, having recruited senior distribution leaders, portfolio managers, and marketing professionals."

Mike joins Ridgeway after leading the Boston office for RSR Partners and previously leading the Asset Management Distribution practice for another boutique executive search firm. Prior to that, Mike enjoyed a successful 30-year career in the asset management industry, holding various senior leadership roles including Head of Intermediary Distribution at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He also spent over fourteen years at MFS Investment Management, and nine at Federated Investors. He built and led multiple sales and relationship management teams across numerous distribution channels. This experience provides him with unique insight into the rapidly changing and complex distribution and investment product landscape. His experience allows him to deliver the necessary expertise and relevant market intelligence to clients, as well as to access high caliber talent across the industry.

About Ridgeway Partners

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Our unique focus and deep relationships give Ridgeway Partners access to the best candidates. We ensure that our retained clients receive a premium service. We have built long-standing relationships with our clients because of our exclusivity, our responsiveness, our discretion and our track record of success. We listen intently and think outside the box for a solution. Our creativity and tenacity are key differentiators.

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Britain First and Tommy Robinson find loophole to share hateful content, after accounts suspended by other major sites.

Far-right groups and figures in the UK who have been banned from sites such as Facebook and Twitter have started posting on TikTok, a Chinese social media app which is popular among young people and used to share short videos.

Britain First, a fascist political organisation, began using the application at the start of April.

Many of its TikTok posts are anti-immigration, with one depicting leader of the group Paul Golding telling two Black men in Calais, France: We dont want any more migrants coming to our country  dont come to England, were full up, were a small country. We want to look after our own people. With all these migrants coming to our country, youre making it difficult.

Prominent far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, signed up to the app at the end of March.

His account has already garnered almost 22,000 followers. His TikTok bio reads: Banned from all western social media, lets give the Chinese a go.

In one post, Robinson shares a clip from an interview with ITV in which he holds the Quran and says: This book is the reason we are in such a mess.

Azfal Khan, an MP with the main opposition Labour Party and shadow deputy leader of the House of Commons, urged the government to take steps to regulate TikTok and ensure that internet firms take responsibility for protecting their users.

He told Al Jazeera it was worrying that far-right figures have been able to sign up to TikTok when they have been banned on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

Both Britain First and Robinson, who are banned on Facebook and Twitter, have consistently rallied against Muslims in the UK, a minority comprising 3.3 million people in the country, portraying them as a threat to society.

A spokesperson for Tell MAMA, an organisation monitoring anti-Muslim hate crimes, said it was concerned far-right figures were able to post on TikTok, given it attracts so many young users.

Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, called on TikTok to recognise its responsibility against hate and align with best practice.

TikTok, a Chinese app, said it was investigating posts by UK far-right groups and figures, but did not confirm which posts exactly and whether either account had contravened its rules.

A spokesperson said: Keeping people on TikTok safe is a top priority and our Community Guidelines clearly outline what is not acceptable on our platform.

The accounts in question are subject to a live investigation due to the nature of some of the content posted, and we will take appropriate action following the completion of this investigation.

Facebook removed Robinsons page and profiles in 2019 for posting material that used dehumanizing language and call[ed] for violence targeted at Muslims.

His Twitter account, meanwhile, was reported as banned in 2018.

Britain First, which has over 3,000 TikTok followers, was removed from Facebook alongside other far-right figures in 2018 after being accused of promoting hate.

At the time of publishing, neither Robinson nor Britain First had responded to Al Jazeeras request for comment.

TikTok, owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance, has amassed more than 800 million users since it was launched in 2016.

Last year, a TikTok post highlighting the mistreatment of Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China received widespread praise and attention.

The user who posted the video claimed her account was frozen for a month, an allegation disputed by TikTok at the time.
The government is showing no sign of easing its coronavirus lockdown restrictions, with another extension to the measures confirmed on Thursday. But the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, is reported to have privately made clear that if it were up to him, schools would be reopening at the first safe opportunity.

The issue is contentious: the science of to what extent children contribute to the pandemic, and by how much, is uncertain. Childcare is becoming an issue for many parents who are not key workers and thus entitled to still send their children to class. And with what started as an extended Easter holiday is in danger of turning into several months off school, pupils are starting to miss out on serious amounts of education.

I suspect we might open schools again, partly because there is still debate about whether school closures are actually beneficial or not, Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia tells The Independent.

Weve not answered that, and there are very good reasons why school closures, in terms of the children, might actually not be that useful. And if they dont get that ill, maybe theyre not that infectious  but it is a maybe.

This uncertainty is key to the question of how long this extended Easter break might turn out to be, and whether it starts to turn into a summer holiday before children go back to class.

Dr Mike Tildesley, an expert in disease modelling at the University of Warwick, tells The Independent that even if children are less effective vectors for the virus, the fact that so many of them would be crowded into schools could pose a risk.

The problem is theres still an awful lot of uncertainty, and this is the real concern we have, he says. We know from the data coming in that children tend to have much more mild symptoms than the older age groups. Where there is still a lot of uncertainty is how much they transmit and this is a big concern.

Children themselves might not be getting sick, but could still be acting as carriers for the disease.

Even if someone is asymptomatic and has no symptoms at all its still possible they can transmit the virus. If someone has very clear symptoms and is coughing a lot theyre much more likely to transmit and spread droplets, so its very likely that people with very severe symptoms will have a higher transmission rate, says Dr Tildesley.

But what we dont know and whats still uncertain is the role of these asymptomatic or mild cases in infection. This is the concern because of course even if thats lower the fact that youve got a lot of children in one place is a concern.

With repeated government promises to ramp up Covid-19 testing falling short, there is very little data around about the extent to which people  never mind children  are even being asymptotically infected. Until that bottleneck is sorted, it will be hard to judge exactly how many people are carrying the virus. But with seriously ill people and NHS workers being prioritised for the limited number of tests, people with no symptoms are a long way down the list.

The manner in which the lockdown was implemented is also a problem, as it becomes difficult to separate out the different measures and tell which ones are making a difference.

We dont know the relative effects of these [measures]. It may be that school children are playing a minor role in that and that in allowing children to go back to school we will be able to keep it under control, but its very difficult at this stage to be able to say that with a high level of confidence, Dr Tildseley says.

It may be that if you allow children back to school and we see cases climbing again it may be that schools have to be closed once again. Dr Mike Tildesley, University of Warwick

It may be that if you allow children back to school and we see cases climbing again it may be that schools have to be closed once again.

At this point, any decision to reopen schools, even if it was based on the available scientific evidence, would be a guess  because there isnt much scientific evidence yet available. But many teachers are worried about being flung into the classroom as an experiment when the science is not yet clear.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union tells The Independent it would be reckless to put political or business considerations ahead of safety.

Everyone is anxious to return to normality as soon as possible, but decisions to either strengthen or loosen the current restrictions must always be governed by the medical and scientific evidence. Political or business considerations must never be allowed to override the safety of pupils, school staff and the wider community, he says.

The NASUWT is committed to work with the government to protect public health and the health of our members who, along with other public service workers, are doing so much to help the country through this crisis.

One option being recommended by some epidemiologists is bringing schools back, but with specific social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the virus: setting desks further apart, closing playgrounds, asking children to keep their distance. Teachers could also be given protective equipment (PPE): another union, the National Education Union (NEU) has written to the prime minister asking him to base any decision to reopen partly on the availability of appropriate PPE and enhanced levels of cleaning.

One study published in The Lancet medical journal, which looks at data from the 2003 Sars outbreak in China, suggests schools could come back earlier if students could be prevented from mixing and have social-distancing measures imposed during class.

The children of key workers are still able to attend school (Getty) (Getty Images)

Interventions in schools, such as closing playgrounds, keeping students in constant class groups/classrooms; increasing spacing between students in classes, reducing the school week and staggering school start and break times across years or classes, should be considered if restrictive social-distancing policies are to be implemented for long periods of time, said Professor Russell Viner, one of the authors of the study.

In Denmark, schools this week started to reopen in a staggered manner, with different arrival times and just the first five year groups plus kindergartens back for now. The youngest children are going back first because they are thought to be the least vulnerable to the virus and also the most difficult to arrange childcare for, keeping workers tied up looking after their families.

But if the UKs 506,400 full-time teachers are to be given protective equipment, the UKs supply lines, already insufficient for NHS staff and care workers, are a long way off from being able to cope. And teachers say that there are other practical issues to consider.

Katharine Birbalsingh, the high-profile headteacher of Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, has said it was a lie that social distancing is possible in schools.

The fact is that social distancing in schools is simply impossible, she said. Were considered to be the strictest school in Britain and even we would find it impossible.

506,400 Number of full-time teachers working in the UK

Ms Birbalsingh said she understood that schools cannot stay closed for 10 months, and that they might have to open eventually, but said the government should be upfront with teachers and the public about the risks.

Schools will open at some point, but what I dont want is for people to perpetuate the lie  and it is a lie  that social distancing is possible. It just isnt, she said.

Staffing would also be an issue, the headteacher told the BBC, with supply teachers not an adequate replacement on such a grand scale.

The other thing to remember is that from the point of view of a head teacher, if you have to send home staff who have underlying issues, if you have to send home your staff who have a cough you are probably going to have fewer than half your staff in. So if you have half your staff in, how are you filling your classrooms with teachers? You cant.

And youve got to think about the kind of chaos that then ensues in schools when children dont have their own teachers  you have cover teachers, and we all know what you used to do in schools when you had a supply teacher.

Dr Tildesley also notes the problems, telling The Independent: Possibly for secondary school children its easier to implement a policy like that; for primary school, thats a challenge  Ive got two six year olds, trying to explain to them the concept of going back to school but not hugging their friends is a real challenge. I think thats difficult.

Political or business considerations must never be allowed to override the safety of pupils, school staff and the wider community Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary

Despite these concerns, other countries in addition to Denmark are going ahead with reopening schools anyway. Germany announced on Wednesday that it would start opening schools early next month, and Austria and France have also set tentative timetables.

Given the lack of clear information, this, says Dr Tildesley, could be useful for the UK authorities in deciding which way to go.

We are seeing other countries in Europe who have declared that they are going to start sending children back to school earlier than us. That will also give us some evidence, he says.

It would be really informative to use to look at their epidemic curves and how they might change when children start to go back to school. Of course, every country is different but it would at least give us some evidence of what that effect might be.

But, he adds, evidence would take several weeks to filter through, given the viruss incubation period  and if schools reopen at the same time as other measures are lifted it would be harder to disentangle the effect. It is for this reason that the European Commission has asked countries to leave gaps of weeks between phasing out different measures stating that sufficient time should be left between the steps (eg one month), as the effect of their lifting can only be measured over time. Whether member states, under domestic political pressure of their own, adhere to this will remain to be seen.

High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Show all 18 1 /18 High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Najaf, Iraq A man holds a pocket watch at noon, at an almost empty market near the Imam Ali shrine Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Bangkok, Thailand Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of The Grand Palace) Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Prague, Czech Republic An empty street leading to the historic Old Town Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Washington DC, US Lawn stretching towards the Capitol, home of Congress Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Jerusalem's Old City A watch showing the time in front of Damascus Gate Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world London, UK The Houses of Parliament seen from Westminster Bridge Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Wuhan, China Empty lanes in the city that saw the first outbreak of disease Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Havana, Cuba The Malecon road and esplanade winds along the city's seafront Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Cairo, Egypt A little busier than elsewhere: midday traffic in Tahrir Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Berlin, Germany The Brandenburg Gate, the only surviving city gate in the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Caracas, Venezuela Bolivar Avenue, opened in 1949 and the site of many demonstrations and rallies Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Moscow, Russia Spasskaya Tower (left) on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, and St Basil's Cathedral Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Istanbul,Turkey The harbourside Eminonu district is usually buzzing with activity Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New Delhi, India Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard that runs through the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Amman, Jordan The Roman amphitheatre that dates back to the 2nd century AD Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New York City, US The main concourse of Grand Central station in Manhattan Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Kiev, Ukraine Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the site of many political protests since the end of the Soviet era Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Accra, Ghana The odd walker out in the midday sun on Ring Road Central Reuters

There is going to be something of a lag in that and two, three weeks really before we start to see strong evidence of what the effectiveness of that policy is, Dr Tildesley said.

This is the challenge with any kind of exit strategy for lockdown: because we cant tease out all these relative effects, we can do something but then were not going to see immediate effects of that. Its taken three weeks [since the lockdown was introduced], really only at this stage were only seeing early signs that the curve is flattening. Its taking really long to see strong evidence that this is working.

If the government makes the leap to opening schools any time soon, it will be somewhat of an experiment.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: Schools will remain closed until further notice, except for children of critical workers and the most vulnerable children and we have published guidance on how schools can employ social distancing during this period. We will only re-open schools when the scientific advice indicates it is safe to do so, and will consult closely with the sector on our approach.

Theres always a trade off here, says Dr Tildseley. I accept this as an infectious disease modeller, we tend to be very focused on trying to minimise the risk to human health of the virus, but of course there is another aspect of this and its something Im aware of: you cant stay in a lockdown strategy forever.

If all we cared about was minimising deaths then essentially you would persist with lockdown. But theres a practical side to it. At some point youve got to start to visit measures for lifting.

This becomes a really difficult political decision because you have the problem of if you open them and its deemed to be too soon and cases begin to climb again, you could start to lose public trust.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister



Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday blamed the previous Kamal Nath government for the spread of coronavirus among health department employees.

Chouhan also said he has ordered an inquiry into the spread of the COVID-19 infection among health officials and action would be taken on the basis of its report.

In a tweet on Thursday evening, he said, Previous government had not made any preparations to fight against COVID-19. It seems the health department team was not given any training.

"So, the health workers got infected. I have ordered an inquiry. The action will be taken on the basis of report of this inquiry.

The situation changed after the BJP government assumed office, he said.

I have rapidly increased testing capabilities. We are finding each and every positive case and arranging for their treatment.

"More patients can come out in Indore and Bhopal, but there is a good that most people are recovering fast," Chouhan said in another tweet.

About 90 health department personnel, including four IAS officers and a few doctors who were working as frontline warriors against the dreaded virus, have tested positive so far, an official said Thursday.

Apart from them, around 40 policemen and their family members have also been found infected by the deadly virus, the official said.

The Congress, however, rejected Chouhan's charge against its government.

State Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja said the Nath government had taken several measures to contain the coronavirus spread.

Saluja released a list of measures taken by the Nath government to curb the viral disease, including closure of shopping malls, cinema halls, schools and colleges, on March 13.

He said the budget session of the assembly convened from March 16 was also cancelled apart from several meetings to focus on the fight against COVID-19.

On the other hand, the BJP held a meeting of its legislature party on March 23, Saluja said.

He accused the BJP of speaking "lies" to hide the "failure" of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government to control the COVID-19 spread in the state.

Chouhan had taken oath on the night of March 23, a day ahead of the country-wide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

A fortnight-long political drama following the resignation of 22 Congress MLAs had led to the collapse of the Nath government in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) made an emergency landing on a highway near Hindon in Ghaziabad after developing a technical snag on Thursday, a military official said.

The helicopter was on its way to Chandigarh from Hindon on a COVID-19 mission to bring test samples from Leh.

An IAF spokesperson said the chopper developed a technical snag and carried out a safe landing on the Outer Ring Road highway near Hindon.

"The actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct. No damage to any property has been reported," he said.

The official said a recovery aircraft was launched immediately from Hindon following the incident, adding that the chopper was brought back to the airbase "promptly and safely".

The IAF has deployed a sizeable number of its transport aircraft and helicopters for ferrying medical equipment to remote areas.

It is also transporting test samples of suspected cases from far-flung areas to various cities having laboratories to examine them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
California Gov. Gavin Newsoms plan to provide some monetary relief to undocumented people who don't qualify for federal funds during the coronavirus pandemic is a start that recognizes a key group of the state's workers, say advocates and lawmakers who support the initiative.

The most important thing is coronavirus affects all of us, said Sonja Diaz, executive director of the Latino Politics and Policy Initiative, at University of California, Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, Newsom announced a $125 million public-private Disaster Relief Fund for California workers who do not have permanent legal status. The fund, which will start taking applications next month, will pay a one-time cash benefit of $500 per adult, capped at $1,000 per household.

The fund puts California out front in assisting undocumented residents and workers. But the money is only enough for about 150,000 people in a state where the undocumented population is about 2.2 million.

Image: US-HEALTH-VIRUS (Robyn Beck / AFP - Getty Images)

Advocates as well as some Democratic lawmakers are pushing for follow-up at the federal level.

In California, the undocumented constitute about 10 percent of the workforce here and they annually pay about $7 billion in taxes  local, state and federal  and yet theyre left out of the federal relief," said Daranee Petsod, president of Grantmakers Concerned With Immigrants and Refugees. The group has raised $6 million toward the relief fund, with an ultimate goal of $50 million.

This is necessary. Immigrants were intentionally excluded from the federal stimulus package. They will not be getting the $1,200 checks that are going out this month, Petsod said. "It doesnt make sense in any pandemic to leave anyone behind."

The exclusion of undocumented people is hitting Latino and Asian families the hardest, said UCLA's Diaz.

Fifty-six percent of majority Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles County had a high proportion of residents at risk for not qualifying for federal relief, according to a study by the Latino Politics and Policy Initiative, with UCLAs Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.

Story continues

Hispanic Caucus: Tax-paying Americans should have 'support'

Undocumented immigrants who plant and harvest Americas farms, clean homes and public spaces and care for children and the elderly have either become essential workers who cant stay at home or have joined the unemployed as restaurants and other businesses have shut down.

Another 5 million people filed first-time unemployment claims last week, bringing the number of people out of work to 22 million. In addition, there are other workers who have not been able to get through to file for benefits, and people who are undocumented cant collect unemployment.

In the $2 trillion federal coronavirus relief package, Congress restricted assistance to people who have a Social Security number. For those who file jointly, both must have a Social Security number and any dependents included also must have a Social Security number.

Most people without legal status do not have valid Social Security numbers, although many pay taxes with a tax identification number.

California's plan comes as lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pressing for another relief bill that includes those who have been left out. However, its clear there is heavy competition for any new funds. The Small Business Administrations relief fund, the Paycheck Protection Program, hit its $350 billion limit, officials said Thursday.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have been calling on Congress to include farmworkers and the undocumented in the next relief package, while also asking that the administration extend employment authorization for those whose work permits that are expiring.

Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., chairman of Bold PAC, the Hispanic Caucuses's political action committee, said Newsom is doing what he can to ensure the state's workers and taxpayers receive some assistance.

"Undocumented working and tax-paying Americans should have the basic human rights and support from the government as everyone else," Cardenas said.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a tweet: "If you dont believe undocumented workers should have access to relief during #COVID19, does that mean youre willing [to] return the billions they pay in taxes each year? Will you defund your schools? Or, in this moment, will we recognize that we should just take care of each other?"

Various groups have been trying to fill gaps to assist those who are not included in the three federal relief packages President Donald Trump has signed. The National Domestic Workers Alliance created the Coronavirus Care Fund to raise $4 million to help some 10,000 domestic workers; many of them are immigrants. That fund provides $400 to qualifying home care workers, nannies and house cleaners.

The Latino Community Foundation, based in San Francisco started the Love Not Fear Fund for undocumented families before Newsoms announcement.

Christian Arana, the foundations policy director, has raised about half a million to provide assistance. The philanthropic organization regularly invests in Latino-led organizations.

Arana said he hopes Newsoms action helps apply pressure at the federal level to assist people left out of the previous relief packages.

We cant pick and choose when society wants to consider us essential, said Arana, whose parents emigrated from Guatemala. We were always essential.

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US concerns about Beijings possible breaches of a zero yield standard for test blasts have been prompted by activities at Chinas Lop Nur nuclear test site throughout 2019, the State Department report said

Washington: China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, the US State Department said in a report on Wednesday that could fuel US-Chinese tensions.

The finding, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, may worsen ties already strained by US charges that the global COVID-19 pandemic resulted from Beijings mishandling of a 2019 outbreak of the coronavirus in the city of Wuhan.

US concerns about Beijings possible breaches of a zero yield standard for test blasts have been prompted by activities at Chinas Lop Nur nuclear test site throughout 2019, the State Department report said.

Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead.

Chinas possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities ... raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard, the report said, without providing evidence of a low-yield test.

Beijings lack of transparency included blocking data transmissions from sensors linked to a monitoring center operated by the international agency that verifies compliance with a treaty banning nuclear test explosions.

The 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) allows activities designed to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons.

A spokeswoman for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, which verifies compliance with the pact, told the Wall Street Journal there had been no interruptions in data transmissions from Chinas five sensor stations since the end of August 2019 following an interruption that began in 2018.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily briefing in Beijing that China was committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests and said the United States was making false accusations.

China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed, he said.

The US criticism of China is entirely groundless, without foundation, and not worth refuting.

Worrying

A senior US official said the concerns about Chinas testing activities buttressed President Donald Trumps case for getting China to join the United States and Russia in talks on an arms control accord to replace the 2010 New START treaty between Washington and Moscow that expires in February.

New START restricted the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads, the lowest level in decades, and limited the land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers that deliver them.

The pace and manner by which the Chinese government is modernizing its stockpile is worrying, destabilizing, and illustrates why China should be brought into the global arms control framework, said the senior US official on condition of anonymity.

China, estimated to have about 300 nuclear weapons, has repeatedly rejected Trumps proposal, arguing its nuclear force is defensive and poses no threat.

Russia, France and Britain, three of the worlds five internationally recognized nuclear powers - signed and ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which still requires ratification by 44 countries to become international law.

China and the United States are among eight signatories that have not ratified it. But China has declared its adherence to its terms, while the United States has observed a unilateral testing moratorium since 1992.
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According to a new study published by Polaris Market Research the global magnetic sensors market is anticipated to reach USD 4,680.3 million by 2026. The growing acceptance of e-compasses owing to their competence to improve the navigation experience of the users is anticipated to mount the application of magnetic sensors in automobiles during the coming years. Moreover, the implementation of these sensors is rising in consumer electronics application such as smart phones, and tablets, which is expected to propel the opportunities of magnetic sensors in the consumer electronics segments during the forecast period

In the end-user segment, for consumer electronics market for magnetic sensors is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to its wide usage for navigation purpose in smartphones as in the modern day, almost every smartphone is integrated with e-compass. In smartphones, e-compass acts as a digital compass providing positioning of the smartphone concerning Earths magnetic field thus, facilitating the smartphone to sense the precise direction.

Get sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/magnetic-sensors-market/request-for-sample

The market in Asia Pacific and Europe together contributed the highest share. The presence of large automotive sector in European countries and consumer electronics manufacturers in Asia Pacific is bolstering the market growth. The emerging economies of Asia Pacific region such as China, India and other Southeast countries are contributing to the market growth with the increasing spending capability of population resulting in increased demand for consumer electronics, cars, gaming devices and others. For instance, sale of cars in China surpassed the sales of US. Also, the semiconductor industry of Asia Pacific region is growing at a high pace thus, propelling the market growth for magnetic sensors.

Major companies profiled in the report include Elmos Semiconductor AG, Baumer Ltd., Honeywell International, Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, NVE Corporation, Allegro Microsystems, Inc., Infineon Technologies AG, Melexis Corporation, austriamicrosystems AG (AMS), and NXP Semiconductors among others. However, the constant decrease in the average selling price of magnetic sensors components is restricting the entry of new players in the market.

Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/magnetic-sensors-market

Key Findings from the study suggest Asia Pacific and European region is expected to command the market over the forecast years. APAC is presumed to be the fastest growing market, developing at a CAGR of more than 38% over the forecast period. The magnetic sensors market is presumed to develop at a CAGR of over 8.2% from 2018 to 2026. The consumer electronics and automotive segment is presumed to display the speediest development. The increasing implantation of magnetic sensors in several consumer electronics including budget smartphones, as well as growing demand for smart watches and fitness bands is driving the growth in APAC region.

Magnetic Sensors Market Size and Forecast by Type Anisotropic Magneto-Resistive (AMR) Magnetometer Giant Magneto Resistance (GMR) Magnetometer Tunnel Magneto Resistance (TMR) Magnetometer Hall Effect

Magnetic Sensors Market Size and Forecast by Technology Low Field Sensor Earth Field Sensor Bias Magnetic Field Sensor

Magnetic Sensors Market Size and Forecast by End-user Automotive Aerospace & Defense Consumer Electronics Healthcare Energy & Power Industrial Others

Magnetic Sensors Market Size and Forecast by Regions North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK France Italy Asia Pacific China South Korea Japan India Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa



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About Polaris Market Research

Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.

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An Australian couple have found a ingenious way to get around isolation rules by making a fence that folds into a table so they can have a few drinks with their neighbours.

The couple living in Cairns, in far north Queensland, built the fence to sit with their friends next door all while remaining 1.5 metres apart and staying within their homes.

Setting up a few chairs on either side, the group shared a video of them enjoying a couple of beers at the 'COVID-19 bar', suggesting it was the best way to cure loneliness amid the pandemic.

A Queensland couple built a fence that folds into a table so they can have a few drinks with their neighbours without breaking social distancing rules

'Rough times at the moment mean my neighbor has been struggling,' the man who built the fence said.

'Thought a place to unwind over a couple of beers would be a good idea so I knocked up the COVID-19 bar.

'I recommend everyone does the same it's a great way to socially distance.'

Police across the country have been cracking down on those who break social distancing or isolation rules.

The neighbours are seen enjoying a few beers while wearing gloves and applying hand sanitiser

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

Social distancing restrictions mean Australians are only allowed to leave their homes for exercise, food, work or medical appointments and must keep 1.5 metres apart from others.

Hundreds of people have already been slapped with fines for breaking these rules.

One man was fined 1,652 fine for breaking coronavirus restrictions by washing his car in the dead of the night in Melbourne.

Another couple was fined $1,000 after driving hundreds of kilometres from Victoria to NSW, their reason being to recycle cans.

Three friends were each fined $1,652 after they were caught by police playing video games despite not living together.

A Perth man who was staying in a hotel to quarantine became the first Australian to be sent to jail for breaking isolation rules.

Jonathan David, 35, had snuck out of the Travelodge Hotel to get food and to see his girlfriend.

David will spend one month behind bars and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
COLUMBIA, Md. (April 15, 2020)Gov. Larry Hogan said on Wednesday that the battle against the coronavirus has progressed to a point at which plans to gradually reopen Maryland's economy are being formulated.



"Fortunately, because of the early and aggressive actions and because of the extraordinary sacrifices of Marylanders, we are now in a position to move from containment and mitigation to plan the gradual rollout of our recovery phase," Hogan said at an afternoon news conference at the State House in Annapolis.



"Our numbers are still rising and we're still heading up that curveso we're not quite there yet. But we are seeing positive signs of cautious optimism."



Hogan said discussions are ongoing with health officials and members of his coronavirus response team about coming up with a plan to reopen the state's economy. He said the details of the plan will be released next week.



But Hogan cautioned that opening up the state too soon could result in a spike in deaths and hinder economic recovery efforts. Progress is contingent upon Marylanders' continued compliance with the stay-at-home directive and social distancing practices, he said.



"There are some very real reasons for hope and optimism right now. And there is clearly a light at the end of this tunnel. But exactly how and when we will get to that light is going to be up to each and every one of us."



Hogan said that today he signed an executive order that will require Marylanders to wear "masks or face coverings when inside any retail establishmentsincluding grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience storesor when riding on any form of public transportation in Maryland." Hogan said the order requires businesses to ensure that their employees wear masks and that social distancing measures are practiced inside their respective establishments. Restaurant staff that interact with customersincluding delivery peoplealso must wear masks. The order will go into effect Saturday at 7 a.m. EDT, Hogan said.



Hogan made note of and applauded several counties that have already issued orders that require their residents to wear masks or face coverings in stores. Hogan mentioned Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Montgomery and Charles counties by name. A similiar mandate goes into effect in Frederick County on Thursday.



Marylanders "may have to become more accustomed" to wearing masks "in order to safely reopen" the state, Hogan said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also issued an executive order on Wednesday mandating masks when residents are in public and cannot ensure proper social distancing.



Hogan said the recovery plan will consist of four criteria: expanding testing capabilities, expanding hospital surge capabilities, increased supply of PPE and "building a robust contact tracing operation." The tracing operation "will enable us to investigate every single positive case and to ensure those patients are isolating during the duration of their illness," Hogan said.



Hogan is chair of the National Governors Association and has been in frequent contact with the White House about securing federal resources for Maryland during the crisis. Hogan relayed that on Thursday he has a teleconference call scheduled with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.



Hogan said that while the federal government has been helpful, more assistance is needed.



"Additional federal action and assistance is critically needed right now if the governors are going to continue leading on the front lines of this battle. Without sufficient federal investment, we will be unable to do all of the things that we're being asked to do. And states could be forced to confront the prospect of devastating budget reductions to essential services and potential layoffs, which could hinder our abilities to provide necessary services and which could also further prolong the economic recovery and severely limit out our collective efforts to get people back to work."



Deputy Health Secretary Fran Phillips urged Marylanders to remain vigilant in the fight against the virus.



"We're in this for a very long time We will prevail. We will get past this virus. But right now is not a moment to let up. This is absolutely not a moment to relax. This is a moment to stay at home and to do the things that we all know have been very very difficult to do. But as the governor has said, we are starting to see progress."



There are 10,032, confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Maryland as of Wednesday morning, according to the state's Department of Health, while 349 people in Maryland have died from the virus.
His grandmother, Martha, once lived at 182 South Street, in the Alfred E. Smith Houses on Manhattans Lower East Side, but moved out in the 90s.

That building is very significant in my familys history, Mr. Che wrote on Instagram.

Mr. Che, 36, was raised in a housing complex nearby on Allen Street.

In an interview with The New York Times last year, Mr. Che said he spent countless summers hanging out at the Smith Houses and was subject to many of the living conditions still plaguing the housing authority, such as leaky roofs and widespread heat outages.

This city is so rich and so vast and so powerful and so important to the fabric of the country that you would imagine that our public housing would be a lot more habitable, he said at the time.

Millions of people have filed for unemployment benefits in New York, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, and thousands have struggled to make rent payments as a result of strict social-distancing measures that have shut down most workplaces.

In an attempt to protect renters, New York implemented a moratorium last month to halt evictions for 90 days, but renters are still expected to pay the rent they owe. Progressive politicians and liberal activist groups have been clamoring for a so-called rent freeze.

More than 400,000 low-income and working-class New Yorkers live in the citys sprawling and deteriorating housing complexes, which have exposed residents to health hazards including peeling lead paint and mold.
Meghan Markle's celebrity background may have been a factor to her clashing with Buckingham Palace staff before she tied the knot to Prince Harry, according to royal expert Camilla Tominey.

She claimed the royal staff asked, "Who do you think you are?" at the commands of the Sussexes.

Tominey called the staff her "critics inside the palace."

Markle's personality reportedly caused the royal staff to be "less enamored of the very qualities that made her irresistible to the press: her showbiz lustre, self-confidence, and feminist habits of assertion."

Tominey, an editor at the Daily Telegraph, who had covered the royal family for more than a decade, said that the clashing of cultures was particularly because the duchess and the palace were operating on two different speeds.

The bustling pace of the Duchess of Sussex's life in Hollywood was in conflict with people who have been servants to the British royal family for years.

Before the wedding, according to an article by the New Yorker, Markle had been dubbed as "imperious" by the royal staff.

Initially, the staff members at the palace loved Markle because of her looks, her advocacy for women's rights, and for her seemingly businesslike mentality.

This changed "in the sense that she had come from the celebrity world, which is very fast-paced and quite demanding," Tominey explained. "The royal world is very different-it's much slower-paced and hugely hierarchical. In the royal world, it's 'What should we do next?' 'Well, what did we do last time?'"

Also Read: Meghan Markle True Colors Revealed: Former Friend Says She's a 'Shapeshifter'

The royal expert also claimed that the aides did not approve of Archie's mother's lack of respect for the hierarchy. She reportedly did not understand the many unwritten traditions in the institution.

Fallouts were reported between the duchess and her employees during her earlier days in The Firm and this was ignited by several staff members handing in their notice.

Tominey compared the said hierarchy to Downtown Abbey wherein "there's a hierarchy of staff who have been at Buckingham Palace for years and years, to serve Queen and country."

"And, therefore, for Harry and Meghan to be making demands, there was a bit of below-stairs chatter, particularly with the Duchess, that was 'Well, hang on a minute, who do you think you are?'"

In contrast, the former "Suits" actress had a deep connection with the Frogmore Cottage staff who received a farewell with a tearful lunch from the former royal couple.

The royal expert also underscored how the warm welcome courtesy of the royal family received by Markle prior to her wedding escalated quickly as she was settling in her new life in the palace.

Miscommunication over unwritten traditions dominating the palace may have caused problems.

Markle was also deemed to be highly demanding to precede the big day.

The couple's approach was said to have led to some "below-stairs chatter."

Related Article: Royal Heartbreak: Prince Harry Regrets Megxit, Misses Royal Family

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Bagalavan Perier B By

Express News Service

VILLUPURAM: Details of the week-long hide and seek game between cops and the missing COVID-19 patient ended Tuesday night. Deva (name changed), a 32-year-old hotel management graduate, came to Puducherry from Delhi in December last year looking for a job. A few days later, he was arrested for stealing a car and causing an accident. He was remanded in Puducherry Central Prison.

Deva was booked again in January, this time for issuing a hoax bomb threat to the Raj Nivas in the UT and railway station. Cops later found out that he had used mobile phones of rowdies inside the jail to make the hoax calls. The incident caused a spark, and prison officials raided and seized all mobile phones.

Irked by consequences, a gang attacked Deva inside the prison. Finally, he got bail on March 16, as precautionary measure due to COVID-19. After spending a few days in the UT, Deva landed in Villupuram on March 21. The plan, allegedly, was to hitch a ride back to Delhi. He had pinned his hopes on interstate trucks. The lockdown, however, prevented him from leaving.

He decided to spend the next few days with truck drivers, in the truck parking area. As part of checking those with Delhi travel history, Deva was picked up by the cops for COVID-19 test. He had symptoms, and was admitted to the local government hospital. The initial test showed him negative, and he was discharged with 25 other people on April 7.

Later that evening, the second test report came, which showed Deva and three others had the virus. The cops were alerted. Three others, local residents, were brought back but Deva went missing. Soon, health department officials came up with fresh allegations: that Deva had escaped from the hospital.

Laying rumours to rest, Collector A Annadurai confirmed that he was, indeed, mistakenly discharged. Seven teams were formed to trace Deva. Suspecting that he could have left the district, the cops made a map, detailing the route he could have taken. A team from Villupuram left for Chennai. They pasted notices in three languages, about Deva.

On April 14, a truck driver from Tirunelveli identified Deva at Padalam, near Maduranthagam. He was at a truck lay-by. The driver alerted the cops, who rushed to the spot. Deva was shifted to the Villupuram government medical college hospital. Meanwhile, local police officials were alerted, and they secured four persons who were in contact with Deva. Samples have been taken for testing from all of them.

We could not trace him easily as he had given wrong number and address details at the hospital, said SP Jeyakumar. The SP said Deva travelled by a truck on the same night he went missing, and reached Padalam.

As far as we know, no other persons have come into contact with him, said the SP. One mystery still remains: Where did Deva contract the virus from?
The St. Bernard Parish Council voted Wednesday to authorize the emergency removal of the top of the rock dam that closes the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet navigation channel so that seawater from Lake Borgne can enter it and adjacent wetlands once again.

The council says the repeated opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway is damaging water quality in the channel and wetlands north of the dam, causing fish kills and otherwise disrupting the parish's commercial and recreational fishery.

The parish government submitted permit requests with the federal Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Natural Resources in February, but amended its state request to become an emergency action this week after the spillway was opened.

Parish President Guy McInnis said the dam retains freshwater within a broad area of wetlands on St. Bernard's eastern edge, including Lake Borgne, harming oysters, shrimp and finfish in the area. The Midwestern floodwaters entering the area now are high in nutrients that can trigger algae blooms and cause low-oxygen dead zones, he said.

McInnis pointed out that problems are now happening almost every year, the result of the spillway being opened six times since 2011. And the dam also limits the ability of water from local storms to exit through Lake Borgne and the wetlands to the south.

Corps closes some bays of Bonnet Carre Spillway as Mississippi River peaks in New Orleans The Army Corps of Engineers began closing a few bays in the Bonnet Carre Spillway on Monday, reducing slightly the flow of fresh water into La

But the project likely faces major permitting obstacles from both the Corps and the state, officials say.

McInnis believes the permits can be approved by the Corps and the state without having to ask Congress to deauthorize the dam. But the executive director of the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Bren Haase, is not so sure.

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"It is our understanding that altering the project may literally require an act of Congress, in addition to federal and state permits," Haase said.

Ricky Boyett, a Corps spokesman, said the agency would have to determine how the change would impact the dams authorized purpose.

Both the Corps and the state would also have to find the modification would not cause environmental problems.

Haase said altering the dam was not identified as a need in either the 2012 and 2017 updates of the state's Master Plan for coastal restoration and hurricane protection. He also noted the property on which the dam sits is owned by the state, which is responsible for its maintenance.

"Altering the structure would not be consistent with the (Master Plan) unless information was developed that demonstrates it would not have an effect on its intended purpose related to navigation, in addition to possible ecosystem and storm surge impacts," Haase said.

When it was completed in 1965, the MR-GO was a 72-mile-long, 36-foot-deep federal navigation channel that acted as a short cut for ocean-going vessels from the Gulf of Mexico to the Industrial Canal in New Orleans. It was originally authorized to be 500 feet across, but eventually eroded to more than 2,500 feet wide in spots.

By the time of Hurricane Katrina, an average of only one major ship a day was using it. Public officials, including many in St. Bernard Parish, and members of the public also argued that the MR-GO helped focus Katrinas storm surge onto hurricane levees in St. Bernard and New Orleans in Katrina. It was deauthorized.

Several members of the public argued at St. Bernards meeting this week that allowing a 12-foot-deep gap in the dam would be a return to the reduced surge protection St. Bernard had before Katrina. Their emailed comments were read toward the beginning of the meeting in a time set aside for public comment.
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia of Sweden pose for a picture upon arriving at the Swedish Parliament House for the opening of the new parliamentary session on September 10, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

Princess Sofia of Sweden arrives at Stockholm University to attend the Learning and Dyslexia conference on October 2, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

Princess Sofia of Sweden poses before a royal banquet to honour the laureates of the Nobel Prize 2019 following the Award ceremony on December 10, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)

Sweden's Princess Sofia is joining frontline workers at a Stockholm hospital in treating patients with coronavirus.

The mother-of-two took part in an intensive three-day course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm to support medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sweden's response to the virus has drawn criticism as it has yet to go into lockdown or enforce social distancing, with schools still remaining open. So far, 1,203 people have died in Sweden due to coronavirus.

Sofia, who married into the royal family in 2015, is joining 80 other volunteers trained by experts at the university to contribute.

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A statement issued by Sweden's Royal Court on Wednesday, said: "In the crisis we find ourselves in, the Princess wants to get involved and make a contribution as a voluntary worker to relieve the large workload of health care professionals."

A spokesperson for Sophiahemmet Hospital, which has no confirmed coronavirus cases yet, said that volunteers will not be working directly with patients, but allowing doctors and nurses the necessary relief "so that those who are trained to care can actually do it"

"In other words, anyone who attends this training will not have any patient-close care. They can disinfect equipment, do shifts in the kitchen and cleaning. Regardless, none of the course participants will work directly with corona patients," Pia Hultkrantz said.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Sweden's foreign minister Ann Linde said she did not believe in the long-term practicalities of a nationwide lockdown.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been contributing on the ground in their new home of Los Angeles. They delivered meals to vulnerable citizens as part of Project Angel Food on Easter Sunday and returned to volunteer on Wednesday.

The charity's executive director Richard Ayoub said they have become overwhelmed with demand are currently giving 2,000 meals a day to members of the community.

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"They told us they heard our drivers were overloaded and wanted to volunteer to lighten the drivers' workload," Mr Ayoub told ET Online.
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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said the WHO regretted the U.S. decision to halt its funding to the WHO.





Speaking at a virtual press conference from Geneva, Tedros said that WHO is reviewing the impact of any withdrawal of U.S. funding and will work with its partners to fill any financial gaps to ensure the work continues uninterrupted.





"Our commitment to public health, science and to serving all the people of the world without fear or favor remains absolute. Our mission and mandate are to work with all nations equally, without regard to the size of their populations or economies," he said.





"The U.S. has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so," the WHO chief said.





"WHO is not only fighting COVID-19. We're also working to address polio, measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer, diabetes, mental health and many other diseases and conditions," he noted.





Tedros called all the nations to be united in the common struggle against a common pandemic, because "When we are divided, the virus exploits the cracks between us."





"WHO is committed to serving the world's people, and to accountability for the resources with which it is entrusted," he said.





Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding to the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."





Shortly after the announcement, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the WHO must be supported, as it is "absolutely critical" to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19.




Live Q&A: CenterState CEO discusses economic impact of coronavirus in CNY Were talking to Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO, about the economic impact of the coronavirus in Central New York. What are your questions? Ask them in the comments. Posted by syracuse.com on Thursday, April 16, 2020

Central New York is experiencing record job loss and business closures as the economic impact of the coronavirus is felt nationwide.

What should local business owners here be doing now to help their businesses weather this storm?

What funding and resources are available to help?

What does getting back in business look like weeks or months from now?

Syracuse.com has invited Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO, the regions chamber of commerce and business leadership organization, to discuss these and other questions during a live Q&A on Facebook later today.

Head over to Syracuse.coms Facebook page to tune in at 1 p.m.

You can submit your questions for Simpson by emailing reporter Julie McMahon at jmcmahon@syracuse.com, or by commenting on the live feed.

See you at 1 p.m. on Facebook. If you miss the live stream, come back to Syracuse.com for a replay.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

A Syracuse bicycle shop was threatened as 'non-essential; heres how it found a way to stay open

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Syracuse.com is following the economic crisis and compiling resources for local small businesses. Check back to our website regularly for more information. Got a question? Have a story to share? Contact Reporter Julie McMahon: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992
Atheists most politically active group in US, survey finds

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Americans who identify as atheist are the most likely group to be involved in political activism, according to a report by a political science professor.

Ryan P. Burge of Eastern Illinois University drew from data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Survey of 2018 for his report published by Religion in Public.

When asked about political activity within the past 12 months, 24.9% of atheist respondents said they had attended a march or protest, the largest of any of the surveyed religious groups.

Additionally, 41.9% of atheist respondents said they had contacted a public official, again the largest percentage of surveyed religious groups, and 37% had donated money to a candidate, tying with Jews for first place.

Also, 24.1% of atheist respondents reported putting up a political sign, placing them in a close second to 24.7% of Buddhist respondents.

White evangelical respondents showed less participation by comparison, with 4.4% of respondents saying they had attended a march or protest and 28.5% saying they had contacted a public official.

Its become almost a trope at this point among people who study and write about American religion and politics  evangelicals punch way above their weight. Their voter turnout has stayed relatively steady despite their drop in population share, wrote Burge.

But I was working through some data today and noticed something that I dont think that Ive seen reported on much  atheists are incredibly politically active  more so than any other religious group.

Burge went on to speculate that this increased political involvement might have helped contribute to Democratic political successes in the 2018 midterm elections.

This could be one of the reasons that the Blue Wave happened in 2018  a very agitated base of atheists who got politically involved, he continued.

White evangelicals make up 15.6% of the population, atheists and agnostics combined are 13.2%. With that level of political activity, its fair to say that these nones might be a bigger political force in the next presidential election than we give them credit for  they just have to stay angry and stay engaged.

As religious unaffiliated Americans in general appear to increase in number, the Democratic Party has made more overtures to those who identify as atheist.

Last August, the Democratic National Committee passed a resolution in support of religious unaffiliated Americans, declaring that atheists and agnostics overwhelmingly share the Democratic Partys values.

"I am proud to see the Democratic Party take that to heart by bringing secular Americans into the fold, said Sarah Levin, director of governmental affairs for the Secular Coalition of America, which championed the resolution.

America was founded as a secular government charged with representing and protecting the freedoms of people of all faiths and none.

In the current session of Congress, 88.2% of members identify as Christian, while 6.4% identify as Jewish, and 3.6% identified either as unaffiliated or declined to answer, according to Pew Research Center.
LONDON (Reuters) - A Hong Kong-flagged tanker was briefly detained in Iran before being freed after armed Iranian guards in speedboats directed the vessel into its waters while it was sailing through the Gulf of Oman, maritime security sources said on Wednesday. The sources said the SC Taipei chemical tanker had been sailing in international waters on Tuesday when it was stopped by Iranian authorities.

LONDON (Reuters) - A Hong Kong-flagged tanker was briefly detained in Iran before being freed after armed Iranian guards in speedboats directed the vessel into its waters while it was sailing through the Gulf of Oman, maritime security sources said on Wednesday.

The sources said the SC Taipei chemical tanker had been sailing in international waters on Tuesday when it was stopped by Iranian authorities.

"The vessel was approached 48nm (nautical miles) offshore Fujairah and hailed by four skiffs carrying armed Iranian coastguard personnel," British maritime security company Ambrey Intelligence said.

"The vessels crew were ordered to lower the ladder and were then boarded. The vessel was later directed to Kooh Mobarak, Iran, but quickly released with crew and vessel now confirmed safe."

Two other maritime security sources also said the vessel had been briefly detained in Iran before being allowed to sail.

Iranian and Hong Kong officials could not be immediately reached for comment . The vessel's Singapore-based manager SC Shipping was also not immediately available.

The SC Taipei's last position on Wednesday was at anchor near to the United Arab Emirates with the UAE port of Fujairah listed as its destination, Refinitiv ship tracking data showed.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday that armed men had boarded an unnamed vessel at anchor in the Gulf of Oman but the ship was later released.

The UKMTO said on Wednesday that Tuesday's episode was "assessed to be an isolated incident of state-based intervention, with no wider threat to maritime shipping in the region".

Last year Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) detained a Swedish-owned tanker which was held for weeks in Iran after Britain had earlier detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar.

Ambrey Intelligence said the IRGC had stepped up activity in recent weeks throughout the Strait of Hormuz, hailing ships via VHF radio systems and conducting brief interdictions. It added that such activity should be viewed in the context of "domestic pressures related to sanctions".

The United States re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran in 2018 after Washington pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, raising tensions and hitting the Middle Eastern oil producer's economy.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, additional reporting by Dubai and Hong Kong bureaux; Editing by Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
TRUCKS carrying more than ten-tonnes will soon be prohibited from entering the city center after construction of a ring road, the Dodoma City Council Executive Director, Mr Godwin Kunambi has said.

He said construction of the ring roads are at different stages, saying the move to divert the trucks is among others to tackle congestion in the city, where a number of beltways encircling the designated capital to various regions will be put in place.

"We want to reduce traffic volumes in the city center, therefore we will offer an alternate route around the city to drivers who do not need to stop in the city," said Mr Kunambi.

In October last year, the government announced the construction of 112.3 kilometers after receiving 494b/-loan from African Development Bank (AfDB).

Mr Kunambi thanked the government for continuing to invest in the city's mega projects so that it bears the status of a Capital City. "This ring road will virtually go round the city, and big trucks which are upwards of 10 tonnes will not be allowed to enter into the city center," he said.

He said feasibility study for the construction of 100km railway line within the city has started as a measure to reduce the envisaged traffic congestion. He said Dodoma city is growing fast, therefore there is need for railway transport.

He added that the train will connect Mtumba government city, city center, Msalato airport and other areas served by the proposed ring road.

He said when completed, all strategic projects for Dodoma city will transform the landscape and make it more attractive.
In her book White as Milk and Rice: Stories of Indias Isolated Tribes, author Nidhi Dugar Kundalia records the ways of life of six tribes in modern-day India, as they navigate a hyper-globalised world, dealing with issues of identity and access to resources.

In his 1968 documentary Close to Nature, Shyam Benegal recorded the way of life of the Bastar tribes, and explained how the 20th century tribal welfare schemes were enriching their communities. There were schools and other educational institutions to make them aware of the mainstream society around them, besides providing them with access to a doctor and healthcare services, a cooperative store for basic utilities, free milk-booths, and more. In spite of this, can the tribals prevent civilisation from overrunning them? Benegal asks in the documentary, further inquiring if they can prevent a commercial exploiter or the overzealous reformer", through the films voiceover. Unfortunately for the tribals, change means loss of identity, a break from their past, he adds. While the threat of a cultural, religious, and social reconstruction loomed large, their traditional lifestyle remained largely unchanged.

Today, five decades later, as Nidhi Dugar Kundalia records the life of Birsu, a woman of Bastars Maria tribe in her book White as Milk and Rice: Stories of Indias Isolated Tribes, it is clear that their entire way of life has been radically altered. Birsus everyday concerns include worrying about the miners of giant corporations getting closer in order to destroy their jungles, with the police being rendered powerless against these companies. She notices how the fireflies have disappeared and how the mahua trees die young because of increasing storms. However, what most strongly reflects the changes that have engulfed them is Birsu's internal conflict about whether her daughter Radha will grow up in a ghotul (a traditional hut commonly constructed by the Gond and Maria tribes) like she did, or go to a school. She finally decides on the latter, as she reasons in the book: "She may then become a police officer, or teacher...or even a Mao".

This shift in daily life is something that most tribal populations in the country are experiencing in varying degrees. Faced with the challenge of adapting to a rapidly developing country amid breathless globalisation, they are increasingly encouraged to integrate with mainstream society. Through deforestation and mining, their land and resources are ruthlessly encroached upon, destroying the way of life that they are familiar with. For some, this integration with society is also understood as a type of colonisation, as sometimes tribal children are enrolled into factory schools, where they are given a mainstream education. They are, however, often ill-treated, and made to feel disconnected from, and ashamed of, their own culture.

Kundalia writes in her book: "Over the last few decades, rapid urbanisation has affected the character of their lives; the loss of their innocence and the damage to their environment are, perhaps, inevitable." Through a focus on the human element, the writer brings to the fore the impact of development and the resulting conflict of identity among the population. Whats going on in their head? How are they negotiating their life with all the changes happening? What are they going through on a human level? I was interested in exploring all these things, she says. While they were trying to understand all these changes, they themselves changed a lot, without them realising, she adds.

"On the one hand, they want their forest life and culture to be untouched, and want not to be questioned about certain practices...On the other hand, they want to explore the world of mainstream society that has opened up to them, and have access to education, healthcare, and equal job opportunity," the writer, who's also a journalist, explains.

This ongoing change is also reflected in the songs of the Halakki women from the Ankola district of Karnataka, another tribe that Kundalia documents in her book. From singing about a group of women journeying on a boat, to commentating on the nature of mothers-in-law and praising the abundance of the Sahyadri forest, they now also sing of rich landlords who are offered paans when they visit. As a result of development and legislation, the Halakki men lost the two major sources of livelihood they depended on  hunting and agriculture. They took to working as daily wage labourers by day, while alternatively indulging in alcoholism.

A few Halakki women have come together to agitate against unlicensed liquor shops along the northern coast of Karnataka, which have encouraged their men into becoming useless alcoholics, leaving the women to fend for themselves. Among them is Padma Shri Sukri Bomma Gouda, also known as the 'singing woman of Ankola', who has witnessed first-hand the changing ways of her tribe, as chronicled by Nidhi Dugar Kundalia.

***

Besides the Marias of Bastar and the Halakkis of Ankola, White as Milk and Rice also presents stories of individuals from across four other tribes, always focusing on the transition and uncertainty surrounding them. These include the Kanjars of Chambal, the Kurumbas of the Nilgiris, the Khasis of Shillong, and the Konyaks of Nagaland. While aware of her non-tribal background, Kundalia's process included attentive listening, meticulous research, and minimal author intervention. Her goal was to record their stories the way they wanted them to be told, offering the tribes a platform through which they could claim their narrative to a certain extent. The book also takes readers into the minds and settlements of said indigenous people,  instead of reporting as an outsider  offering a visual, emotional, and balanced view of their lives.

While some tribes still live deep within forests and are untouched by the society beyond, Kundalia chose to focus on those tribes that are on the brink of change. While putting the book together, she faced challenges like finding a trustworthy translator and getting her subjects to open up and communicate with her, besides overcoming geographical hurdles. Most of them, she recalls, were very hard to crack."

"It did take a long, long time. They dont know what I need. They dont understand all of this, she says. Sometimes, they simply didnt mention things because of how obvious that knowledge seemed. At other times, the person could be lying or not giving you enough (information) because she or he is not sure about how you will project the issue, she says.

This distrust stems from having experienced centuries of exploitation, making them wary of outsiders. The Kurumbas, for instance, claim to harbour a lot of information about traditional medicine. They say they have cures for diseases like AIDS, but theyre not willing to share it because they arent sure what well do with that information and how the tribe will be exploited, the author says. Most Konyaks today have converted to Christianity as a consequence of the British instilling a deep sense of shame in their identity during their reign. They are desperate to prove that they are normal, that they do not belong to the tribals at all. As far as possible, they avoid their native identity, says Kundalia.

The question about tribal conflict of identity, finally, has no simple answer. Ive written a book exploring that and still, Ive not found the right answer, she says. The most important thing that can be done in this regard is to hear and respect the tribal voice. Most importantly, while its still too early to say if Indias tribal culture will be completely wiped out, or estimate the extent to which it will change, it is true that a lot of it is being lost to irresponsible development.

However moving forward, how much of their culture is to be preserved should be entirely up to them. All I ask for is to let them make that choice. Let them decide what they want to be. There should be legislation where they get to choose whether they want to educate themselves or not, whether they want forest land to be encroached upon or not, the author concludes.
Shenzhen, China 15 April 2020  HUAWEI, the worlds leading technology company, today invites its community of millions to create and share their most uplifting and inspirational images as part of NEXT-IMAGE 2020, the worlds biggest smartphone photography and video competition. Turning it in to a celebration of the positive power of creativity, Huawei will share the joy far and wide  as well as offering prizes for the most creative captures  hoping to bring the world together, even when they are apart.

Its time for new creators across the world to make their next image matter and use their creative skills to capture and share their most joyful inspiring images from wherever they are. Join us in our mission to use the positive power of creativity to bring the world together, even when we are apart. Said Andrew Garrihy, global chief brand officer of HUAWEI Consumer Business.

Open to Huawei owners, HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE 2020 will offer amateur smartphone photographers and visual storytellers who share their uplifting images, over 70 chances to win cash prizes of up to $10,000, with the most powerful images selected by a collection of the worlds leading photography experts.

Six categories to celebrate the beauty and positive power of creativity

HUAWEI has introduced video and storytelling categories to recognise how modern media formats can help users to create new, unique and powerful narratives.

HUAWEI is encouraging entrants to explore different perspectives to discover the diversity and beauty of life, with six distinct categories.

Near Far : Use your smartphone camera to capture hidden gems and different perspectives  whether youre inside or out.

: Use your smartphone camera to capture hidden gems and different perspectives  whether youre inside or out. Good Night : Capture fun moments at night or in a low light environment. Reflect the atmosphere of the moment and get creative.

: Capture fun moments at night or in a low light environment. Reflect the atmosphere of the moment and get creative. Hello, Life ! A picture is worth a thousand words  so capture and share the emotion or inspiration you take from your everyday.

! A picture is worth a thousand words  so capture and share the emotion or inspiration you take from your everyday. Faces : Experiment with identity and the power of portrait photography. Capture the faces of those closest to you.

: Experiment with identity and the power of portrait photography. Capture the faces of those closest to you. Live Moments : Shoot and produce a short video or mobile movie of up to 10 minutes. Express your creativity and share positive stories in the form of moving images.

: Shoot and produce a short video or mobile movie of up to 10 minutes. Express your creativity and share positive stories in the form of moving images. Storyteller: Use a set of photos to express emotions to tell your personal story. Story must include 3-9 images.

Paying tribute to every wonderful moment

HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards 2020 encourages mobile photography enthusiasts to create freely  whenever and wherever they are. Capturing artistic inspiration and sharing the beauty of life, participants also have many chances to win incredible rewards, including HUAWEIs latest flagship device, the HUAWEI P40 Pro.

NEXT-IMAGE is the worlds largest smartphone photography and videography competition, and it received over 520,000 entries last year alone.

Winners decided by the best in the business

HUAWEI has invited some of the worlds leading photography experts to select the winners of its NEXT-IMAGE Awards 2020, with world-leaders across a variety of photography styles represented.

Steve McCurry is a winner of numerous awards including the Robert Capa Medal, the National Press Photographer's Award, and four Jose Awards. A knight of French culture and art, McCurrys photographed entitled Afghanistan Girl has become one of the most iconic and powerful works in the history of photography.

is a winner of numerous awards including the Robert Capa Medal, the National Press Photographer's Award, and four Jose Awards. A knight of French culture and art, McCurrys photographed entitled Afghanistan Girl has become one of the most iconic and powerful works in the history of photography. Elizaveta Porodina , is a renowned fashion portrait photographer from Russia. A leading light in experimental fashion and fine art photography, Porodinas work is famous for its use of alternative shapes and eye-catching colours.

, is a renowned fashion portrait photographer from Russia. A leading light in experimental fashion and fine art photography, Porodinas work is famous for its use of alternative shapes and eye-catching colours. Reuben Krabbe is a Canadian extreme sports photographer, who uses creative photography techniques to display polarised styles and subjects such as solar eclipses. Krabbe will add energy and new possibilities to the judging panel.

is a Canadian extreme sports photographer, who uses creative photography techniques to display polarised styles and subjects such as solar eclipses. Krabbe will add energy and new possibilities to the judging panel. Karolina Henke is a well-known Swedish photographer with a unique visual narrative and artistic identity. Henke has an esteemed standing in field of international fashion and art photography.

Andrew Garrihy, the global chief brand officer of HUAWEI Consumer Business, and Li Changzhu, vice minister of consumer strategy marketing department of HUAWEI CBG will also help to select the winning entries.
A nursing home in northern Illinois has become one of the latest US care facilities to report a deadly outbreak of COVID-19.

Twenty-two residents and one staff member at the Symphony of Joliet have died after testing positive for coronavirus, a spokeswoman for the facility announced Wednesday.

More than 4,810 deaths have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term facilities across the country, according to the Associated Press, which has been keeping its own count as the federal government has not released an official tally.

But the true toll among the one million mostly frail and elderly people who live in such facilities is likely much higher, experts say, because most state counts don't include those who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.

Outbreaks in just the past few weeks have been reported across a number of states, including Virginia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington state and now Illinois.

Twenty-two residents and one staff member at the Symphony of Joliet nursing home in northern Illinois have died after testing positive for coronavirus

Diane Brooks (left) died aged 65 from coronavirus earlier this month while living at Symphony of Joliet. Fellow resident Gerald Frances (right), an 84-year-old Army vet, died on Tuesday after he also tested positive for COVID-19

The death toll at Symphony of Joliet spiked dramatically this week after just three fatalities were reported at the facility last week.

Symphony spokeswoman Lauryn Allison insisted that staffing has been adequate and the employees have been following government guidelines for minimizing the spread of the virus.

She said they began moving healthy residents from the facility to other locations in its network earlier this month.

'It's a global pandemic, there's nothing they could have done to prevent it,' she said.

But a brother and sister of a 65-year-old woman who was one of the 23 to die said the care at the facility was inadequate.

'She was complaining that she was in constant pain,' Michael Brooks told the Chicago Tribune after his sister, Diane Brooks, died.

'Sometimes she would defecate herself without them changing her. We'd come visit her, and who knows how long she was like that.'

Brooks and his other sister, Dorisell, said they also saw that Diane Brooks, who needed around-the-clock care after suffering an aneurysm and stroke, also had bed sores.

They said that they were never told by anyone at Symphony that their sister had contracted the virus.

The family of fellow victim Gerald Francis, an 84-year-old Army veteran, said that the care home never told them about his COVID-19 diagnosis.

They learned he had contracted the virus after Francis died on Tuesday, the family said.

Brooks' loved ones said they were not informed that she had COVID-19 until after she was rushed to the hospital. The family released the photo above to local TV station WLS

Francis' family said that they were not informed of his COVID-19 diagnosis until after he died. He is pictured with his now-widow, Mary Ann Francis

More than 8,200 coronavirus cases and at least 720 deaths reported across 379 long-term care facilities in New Jersey

Data released on Thursday revealed that New Jersey's nursing homes are being hit especially hard by the coronavirus crisis, with more than 8,200 cases reported in outbreaks at 379 long-term care facilities.

There have been at least 720 coronavirus-related deaths reported from 375 nursing homes and 200 assisted living facilities statewide.

The new figures came days after New Jersey police discovered 18 bodies piled in the tiny morgue at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center on Monday night after an anonymous tipster claimed that a body was being stored outside a shed at the facility.

By the time police arrived at the nursing home, the body had been removed from the shed.

But a search around the facility - which is one of the state's largest residential care homes - revealed 18 corpses had been stacked in a small morgue designed to hold no more than four.

The home, which has room for 700 beds, has suffered 68 deaths in recent weeks, including two nurses.

Of those who died, 26 have tested positive for the coronavirus. The cause of dearth of the others is not known, and it is possible more may also have been killed by the disease.

'They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring,' Andover police chief Eric C Danielson told the New York Times.

Police were called to the largest nursing home in New Jersey after reports of a body being left outside in a shed. In the end 18 bodies were found and moved to this refrigerated truck

Thirteen of the discovered bodies were moved to a refrigerated truck outside a hospital in the nearby town of Newton. A funeral home picked up the other four.

Seventy-six patients who are still housed at the facility have tested positive for coronavirus, and 41 members of staff are out sick with it.

The extent of the outbreak at Andover has outraged family members, who have demanded answers from Congress.

'The challenge we're having with all of these nursing homes, is once it spreads, it's like a wildfire,' said Representative Josh Gottheimer. 'It's very hard to stop it.'

Like many nursing homes across the country there has been a lack of testing for coronavirus and PPE for staff at the Andover Subacute home to wear

Forty-five residents die at Virginia nursing home after testing positive for COVID-19

The Canterbury Rehabilitation Healthcare Center near Richmond has reported at least 45 deaths in what's become one of the worst coronavirus clusters in the country.

Since the outbreak began, more than 100 elderly residents and 35 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at the facility, which is home to 163 residents.

'It's been tough,' medical director Dr James Wright told Reuters earlier this week.

'We were surprised by how quickly this went through.'

More than 100 elderly residents and 35 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Canterbury Rehabilitation Healthcare Center in Henrico County

Wright told media at a recent news conference: 'It's a battle that at times we feel like we're losing. It's a battle that we have to fight every day and night, seven days a week.'

He said the virus has exacerbated an existing staffing shortage, with some staffers refusing to come to work for fear of getting ill.

'We did the best we could,' he said.

The situation was made even worse by a severe shortage of personal protective equipment such as medical masks and gowns, Wright said.

'We were prepared as we could be,' he said, 'What this virus tends to do is find a susceptible population and spread rapidly without being detected.'

Of the 97 known coronavirus outbreaks in Virginia, 53 are in long-term care facilities such as Canterbury, state health officials said during a press briefing Monday with Gov Ralph Northam.

Family members had to visit relatives through a window at the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Richmond, Virginia

Nevada nursing home where coronavirus outbreak has infected at least 36 people and killed two tells staff to reuse surgical masks

The Lakeside Health and Wellness assisted living center in Reno sent a letter to its nursing staff on March 26 instructing them to store their masks overnight in a paper bag and then re-wear them inside out on the second day.

'When returning the next day that you are scheduled, you will use the same mask as the prior shift, by turning it inside out and wearing it through your shift,' the letter obtained by the Reno Gazette Journal said.

'That mask will then be discarded at the end of your 2-days.'

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines state that the outside surface of a surgical mask should be considered contaminated and that health care workers are not to come into contact with it.

The facility asked its employees to sign and date the letter so as to indicate that they would adhere to the mask guideline.

One nursing assistant who spoke to the Gazette said she couldn't believe it when she saw the letter.

'That doesn't make sense to me,' she said.

'You're putting the exposed side back on your face. Of course I didn't turn it inside out.

'That's just common sense.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to the nursing home for comment.

State health officials are investigating the nursing home as well as at least 19 other assisted living facilities after suspected coronavirus outbreaks affected residents and staff there.

The Lakeside Health and Wellness assisted living center sent a letter to its nursing staff on March 26 instructing them to store their masks overnight in a paper bag and then re-wear them inside out on the second day

States face mounting pressure to publicly track COVID-19 cases at nursing homes

It's possible many more outbreaks are occurring at care homes that have not reached the media, as most states provide only total numbers of deaths across all facilities.

Experts say care home deaths may keep climbing because of chronic staffing shortages that have been made worse by the coronavirus crisis, a shortage of protective supplies and a continued lack of available testing.

And the deaths have skyrocketed despite steps taken by the federal government in mid-March to bar visitors, cease all group activities, and require that every worker be screened for fever or respiratory symptoms at every shift.

But an AP report earlier this month found that infections were continuing to find their way into nursing homes because such screenings didn't catch people who were infected but asymptomatic.

Critics say the lack of tracking and transparency has been a major blind spot, and that publicizing outbreaks as they happen could not only alert nearby communities and anguished relatives but also help officials see where to focus testing and other safety measures.

'This is basic public health - you track this, you study it, and you learn from it,' said David Grabowski, who specializes in health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

He said it's difficult to have confidence in officials' ability to contain the virus if they aren't tracking where it has struck and why.

Such an action by the agencies that oversee the nation's 15,000 nursing homes is seen as long overdue, coming more than a month after a nursing home in Washington state became the first COVID-19 hot spot in the US with an outbreak that ultimately killed 43 people and a near-daily drumbeat of new cases that in some cases has forced entire homes to be evacuated.

'We recognize there should be more reporting,' said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, during a call with reporters on Wednesday.

Verma said her agency is working with the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention to increase reporting on outbreaks.

But she did not provide details on how that would work or what information would be made public, other than to say her agency was considering requiring homes to disclose information to residents and their family members.

Medics transport a patient from an ambulance into Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington state

Many individual states have added to the lack of transparency by releasing only totals of infections and deaths and not details about specific outbreaks.

Foremost among them is the nation's leader, New York, which accounts for more than 2,477 nursing home deaths - about 20 percent of the state's entire death total - but has so far refused to detail specific outbreaks, citing privacy concerns.

New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said this week that even releasing total numbers by nursing homes could violate the privacy of individuals, which is protected under federal health privacy law.

'The issue is here as I've mentioned previously, this is their home. The nursing homes are their home,' he said.

Nevada, on the other hand, unveiled an online tool this week that allows people to track cases in specific nursing homes and other assisted living facilities.

'It's just scandalous not to tell the public which facilities have the virus,' said Charlene Harrington, a professor emerita at the University of California San Francisco and former state health official.

'Even some staff members don't know. They're hiding it because it's bad for business and it's just horrible.'

Mark Parkinson, the head of the American Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, said a national reporting system for homes could at least help prioritize the potential hot spots most in need of testing and personal protective equipment such as masks and gowns.

That lack of PPE and mandatory testing for residents and staff are among the gaps experts say have allowed deaths to continue mounting at nursing homes.

Chris Laxton, executive director of the The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, said a national database would help to create a picture 'of how completely dire the situation is in nursing homes. Not only is it underreported, but we're nowhere near the peak and it's continuing to surge'.
PHOENIX  Arizona processed a record 82,771 background checks on would-be gun buyers in March, as fears of the coronavirus drove people to gun shops in what one shop owner called panic time.

It was twice as high as any March in the state since FBI background checks began in 1998 and almost one-quarter of the total sales in Arizona for all of 2019, according to NICS Firearm Checks data, which showed a doubling of background checks from February.

Gun shop owners said the only thing that has slowed down sales is a lack of inventory after Marchs surge.

People have just started panic buying at an insane rate, said Wayne Semenko, owner of SnG Tactical in Tucson. Its been quite a roller coaster. People that have never bought before are in here buying.

The surge in Arizona gun sales was reflected nationally, with background checks in March exceeding 3.7 million, the most ever for one month and more than 1 million more than the 2.6 million checks in March 2019.

Semenko and other gun shop owners blamed the increase, especially for first-time gun buyers, on fears that police agency ranks might be thinned by coronavirus infections as well as worries that gun shops might shut down along with other businesses.

Theres no danger of that for now in Arizona, where Gov. Doug Ducey declared gun shops an essential service in his March 23 executive order that shut down many other nonessential businesses.

Duceys decision was praised last month by the National Rifle Association, which says on its website that the COVID-19 outbreak is a threat to the Second Amendment.

Nothing is more important than protecting ourselves and our families  especially during these times of uncertainty, the NRA site says. It goes on to claim that some lawmakers are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to deny you and your loved ones your fundamental right to self-defense and your Second Amendment rights.

But Everytown for Gun Safety, an anti-gun violence movement, said it is the NRA that is exploiting the pandemic to drive gun sales by fear mongering.

The NRAs suggestion that Americans should stockpile firearms during this pandemic is rooted in the organizations desire to line the pockets of gun manufacturers, the group said in a statement. More guns dont mean more safety: If more guns made Americans safe, then wed be the safest nation in the world  but Americas homicide rate is 25 times than that of other high-income countries.

Flagstaff resident Marisa Scionti volunteers with Moms Demand Action, which is part of Everytown. She hopes gun owners, especially new owners, are being responsible with their guns because of the tragic consequences of irresponsible gun ownership.

We want to make sure that parents, people who are gun owners, whether theyre new guns or old guns, are being very careful to lock them up, Scionti said. Especially now that theres children at home all day long.

Mark Healy, who owns Healy  Americas Firearm Provider, a large-volume dealer in Tempe, said he takes the responsibilities of gun ownership seriously. During last months rush, he said, he handed out as many cards for gun training to people who were unprepared for gun ownership as he did applications for gun purchase.

Healy, who said he worked 20 days straight in March, said cheaper handguns  anything below $400  went right away and were extremely popular. He also said shoppers were buying more ammunition than they normally would and his store quickly ran out of popular items.

They were certainly trying to beat the curve, he said.

Healy said he does not have enough 9mm and basic-range ammo because it got hoarded right away. He has enough stock to supply someone who just bought a gun but will not sell ammunition alone. While things have slowed down recently, he said he still has enough stock to supply most buyers.

Were still out of some things right now, but for anybody walking in right now looking for a handgun or long gun, we can certainly supply that, Healy said. Not to the variety that we could before this started but to a large degree. Weve been bringing in quite a bit of things every day to replenish.

Semenko also said ammunition is in high demand. He said business slows down when stocks are low  but other times there can be a line out the door. When his Tucson shop recently got 9mm ammunition in stock, there were 100 people waiting in line when the doors opened.

Thats really what it boils down to is having enough ammo to protect your family if something was to happen, Semenko said.

He said there is still a constant flow of customers coming in to get what they need.

People are worried about other people, they want to be able to defend their possessions and their families, Semenko said. They dont know what to expect. They see what happens in the grocery stores when things get a little bit low and they dont want to be at the mercy of those people.
Founded as TenX Group in 2011, the parent company is incorporated in Delaware but has its primary office in Leesburg, Va., according to court records. It has received a handful of federal contracts in recent years, primarily for training exercises such as high-risk driving, according to a contract summary from 2018. But Punelli said in sworn testimony in October 2019 that the subsidiary now under contract with FEMA  focused primarily on activities outside the country  was bringing in no income. Not right now, he told a U.S. attorney who asked whether there were any earnings.
Photo: Kevin Cortopassi/Flickr

Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Sacramento.

Attempted robbery victim crashes into sedan while trying to escape suspect in North Sacramento

An attempted robbery victim crashed into a vehicle Wednesday afternoon while trying to escape the suspect.

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Sacramento woman among 3 killed in Highway 160 crash along Delta, CHP says

Three people were killed in a two-vehicle crash Monday evening on Highway 160 along the Delta in south Sacramento County, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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Coronavirus no-no: State treasurer posts photo posing inside Sacramento restaurant booth

It's a Facebook flub, showcasing a failure at social distancing from one of the highest elected officeholders in the state.

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Newsom announces relief fund for undocumented immigrants

Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced a $125 million state relief program that will provide financial assistance to undocumented immigrants during the coronavirus pandemic.

Read the full story on The Antelope Valley Times.

4 new coronavirus deaths announced in city of Sacramento, region reaches 43 dead

Four new deaths from the coronavirus were announced Wednesday morning in an update by Sacramento County public health officials, all of them within the city of Sacramento. Two more deaths were also reported in Placer County.

Read the full story on The Sacramento Bee.

This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  China will likely prioritize the Philippines in securing supply of COVID-19 vaccines being developed there, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday.

"Inaasahan natin, dahil BFF (best friends forever) naman tayo ng China, na kapag sila'y nagkaroon ng gamot na ganyan ay unahin naman nila tayo. Alangan namang unahin pa nila ang mga kalaban nila," Roque said in a Thursday briefing when asked about his expectations on how fast will the Philippines secure supply of the much-needed vaccine.

[Translation: We expect that they will prioritize us if ever they find a cure to the virus, after all we're best friends. They wouldn't give the supply to their foes first.]

Three COVID-19 vaccines have been cleared for clinical trials in China, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The virus, believed to have been transmitted from animals to humans, first sprouted in Wuhan City, before eventually spreading to the rest of China to 184 other countries and territories.

The United States, Spain, and Italy lead the tally of infections out of the more than 2 million cases worldwide.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said that he will only lift the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon once a cure against the novel coronavirus becomes available. He cited that a giant drugmaker is currently developing the vaccine which may be out in the market soon.

During his Monday night report on the government's COVID-19 response, Duterte thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping who he said sent him a note expressing full support for Philippine policies to combat the deadly disease. He also cleared Xi of any blame for the global pandemic.

FAST FACTS: What you need to know about WHOs clinical trial for COVID-19 treatment

But Roque, along with other Cabinet officials, said he did not know which company Duterte was referring to, but said that the Philippines can leverage on its warm ties with China if the cure comes from laboratories there.

Healthcare institutions worldwide have been using medicines meant to cure other diseases like HIV on COVID-19 patients. Locally, the state-run Philippine General Hospital has spearheaded experimental plasma therapy, which infuses antibodies from blood donations of recovered persons on struggling patients. The World Health Organization has also backed the use of antibodies to treat a COVID-19 patient.

RELATED: Heart risk concerns mount around use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 treatment
Robbie Lawlor was shot dead outside a house in Etna Drive, Ardoyne at around 11.50am on April 4

Detectives investigating the murder of Robbie Lawlor in north Belfast have appealed for information about a hooded man seen close to the scene.

Mr Lawlor (36) was shot dead outside a house in Etna Drive, Ardoyne at around 11.50am on April 4.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Montgomery said: "It's been over a week and a half since the brutal, broad daylight killing and I have received reports of a person, wearing a black jacket with the hood up, carrying a holdall while walking along Jamaica Way towards Old Park.

"I would like this person to come forward so they can be eliminated from my enquiries.

"I would also like to hear from anyone who noticed someone matching this description that day."

Police have appealed for anyone who captured footage relating to the incident to upload it on the Major Incident Public Portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI20P04-PO1 and contact officers on 101.
The centre in Portlaoise where nine people have died from Covid-19 in three days is just one of many residential care centres and nursing homes around Ireland and the midlands where people are ill or have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to official figures

The HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre's report issued on April 15 carries data on infectious diseases for weeks 11 to 15 of this year. The HSPC must publish such figures by law.

The data for week 15 reveals a staggering spread of the virus into nursing homes and other residential care settings around Ireland. Data compiled between April 5 and April 11 show that Covid-19 was reported in more than 100 care settings by the end of the reporting period.

The data does not identify care facilities by name but does locate the centres by type and HSE region.

No nursing home or residential care centre is listed on the week 11 report.

However, by week 12 the virus had spread to residential care with four centres listed. One nursing home in the HSE East (Dubin, Wicklow, Kildare) had a total of 86 lab-confirmed coronavirus infections with 121 people ill. Another home in the same region had 65 ill and 26 people confirmed cases.

Another nursing home in the same region reported 47 people being ill and 21 confirmed positive tests.

The transmission was airborne and person to person in all three settings.

By week 13 a total of 26 residential facilities are listed. One residential institution in the west (Galway, Mayo, Roscommon), reported that 87 people were ill with 12 Covid-19 cases confirmed.

Another nursing home in the HSE east had 49 ill patients with 22 confirmed cases and a different nursing home in the same region had 36 confirmed cases with 26 people reporting to be ill.

A nursing home in the northeast (Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan) had 40 ill patients with 22 lab-confirmed cases.

The biggest outbreak in week 13 was in a hospital in the northeast where 66 people were ill and 64 had tested positive.

The incidence in residential care escalated rapidly in weeks 14 and 15.

More than 90 nursing homes, residential institutional care settings or community hospitals or long stay units are on the HSPC disease outbreak list for Covid-19 for the first week of April.

A nursing home in the midwest reported 65 ill patients and 30 positive tests. Another one in the east reported 50 ill patients but just 3 positive tests. A nursing home in the northeast reported 48 ill patients with 31 cases confirmed.

A residential institution in the east reported 66 ill patients with eight positive tests while a nursing home also in the east reported 71 ill patients and 13 confirmed positive tests.

By week 15 more than 100 nursing homes, residential institutional care settings or community hospitals or long stay units were on the HSPC list finalised on April 11.

A community hospital / long-stay facility in the midlands (Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath) had 18 confirmed lab cases and 24 people ill.

A nursing home in the east reported 68 ill patients with 17 lab cases confirmed. A nursing home in the midwest reported 40 ill patients and 20 confirmed cases. A community hospital in the south (Cork & Kerry) had 33 ill patients and 33 confirmed cases.

Another nursing home in the East had 61 ill patients but just nine confirmed.

Data for the report was extracted from the Computerised Infectious Diseases Reporting on April 15 and the report says were "correct a the time the data was extracted". The data is subject to final validation at the end of the outbreak.

A specialist in infectious disease at the Mater Hospital has said the situation facing nursing homes and residential care facilities is a national emergency.

Dr Jack Lambert told RTE that the redeployment of healthcare staff from all underworked healthcare facilities needs to happen immediatly to each of the public and private nursing homes and care facilities.

He said these staff need to be given strict directions about what to do in relation to PPE access, looking at testing pathways and training.

Dr Lambert told RTE's Today with Sean O'Rourke, that the focus on acute hospitals meant Ireland "never put together a battle plan for community care facilities".
Cash-strapped Pakistan has requested China to ease the payment obligations of over USD 30 billion in the power projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to minimise its financial and economic difficulties.

The CPEC is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea.

The CPEC was launched in 2015 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan and it now envisages investment of over USD 50 billion in different projects under construction in Pakistan.

According to a report in the Dawn newspaper on Thursday, Pakistan's request for relaxation in payments is part of its ongoing efforts to secure discounts and savings on power purchases from independent power producers as its circular debt liabilities crossed Rs 2 trillion (over USD 11 billion).

A Cabinet member, on the basis of anonymity, said the Chinese leadership had advised the National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC) of China to discuss the matter with the financial institutions (mostly owned by the government).

He said the matter could move forward under the aegis of the CPEC's Joint Working Group (JWG) on Energy before taking a clear shape.

The member said that Pakistan had formally taken up the issue with China during the recent visit of President Arif Alvi to Beijing, as Pakistan's capacity payments alone were estimated to be closer to Rs 600 billion (USD 3.5 billion) this year.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, who also heads the Cabinet Committee on Energy, were part of the presidential delegation to China on March 17.

According to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the capacity payments could go beyond Rs 1.5 trillion in a few years, which would be beyond the repayment capacity of the people.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing met Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Tuesday.

Pakistan looks forward to Chinese support in dealing with this unprecedented situation arising out of this (COVID-19) pandemic, an official statement quoted Shaikh as saying.

The finance adviser also discussed with the Chinese ambassador the effect of the pandemic on the overall growth of Pakistan economy as exports and remittances will suffer as economies around the world enter recession.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Moon Jae-ins governing party in South Korea won a landslide in parliamentary elections Wednesday, as he leveraged his surging popularity over his countrys largely successful battle against the coronavirus to increase his political sway

President Moon Jae-ins governing party in South Korea won a landslide in parliamentary elections Wednesday, as he leveraged his surging popularity over his countrys largely successful battle against the coronavirus to increase his political sway.

With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, Moons Left-leaning Democratic Party had won 163 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, according to the National Election Commission on Thursday morning. A satellite party the Democrats created for Wednesdays elections won 17 seats. Together, the two groups took three-fifths of all seats, giving Moon the largest majority of seats in three decades.

The main conservative Opposition United Future Party and its own satellite Future Korea Party suffered a crushing defeat, winning 103 seats between them. The remaining seats were taken by Independents and candidates from smaller parties.

Pandemic or not, South Koreans proved eager to vote in the election, widely seen as a mid-term referendum on Moon, elected to a five-year term in 2017. The voter turnout was 66.2 percent, the highest for a parliamentary election in 28 years.

Wednesdays election marked the first time in 16 years that Left-leaning parties have secured a parliamentary majority, as South Koreans expressed their support for Moons government, which has won plaudits for bringing the epidemic under control. 

Their victories could embolden Moon to reinvigorate his stalled diplomacy with North Korea and press ahead with domestic priorities, like reforming State prosecutors offices, which have long been accused of abusing their power.

In South Korea, elections typically have been decided by regional loyalties, ideological differences over North Korea or issues like the economy and corruption.

But this time, how the government has responded to the coronavirus was the most decisive factor in the presidents approval ratings and in the parliamentary election, said Park Si-young, head of WinG Korea, a Seoul-based political survey company.

The prospects for Moons party did not look good until less than two months ago. He and his partys approval ratings had been slumping over a decaying job market, stalled diplomatic efforts with North Korea and scandals involving Moons closest allies. The coronavirus had initially appeared to work against Moon and his party, as they were criticised for underestimating the threat.

But their political fortune shifted once Moons government began testing large numbers of people in February to screen out patients for isolation and treatment. South Korea, once home to the worlds second-largest outbreak, with as many as 813 new cases a day, has reported fewer than 40 new patients a day in the past week.

As President Donald Trump and other foreign leaders called Moon, asking South Korea for supplies of test kits or advice in handling the outbreak, his popularity rebounded at just the right time.

During the campaign, Moons conservative rivals accused him of coddling the nuclear-armed North Korea and undermining the alliance with Washington by taking Seoul too close to Beijing, criticisms which Moon strongly rejected.

With their victories Wednesday, South Koreas liberals achieved more political clout than they have ever held.

Their ascent began when former president Park Geun-hye, a conservative, was impeached and then ousted on corruption charges in 2017. Moon won the presidency in an election that same year, becoming the first Left-leaning president in nearly a decade. In 2018, his party won all but three of the 17 contests for big-city mayors and provincial governors.

By taking over the Parliament as well, the progressives complete replacing the conservatives as the mainstream political force in South Korea, said Park Sung-min, head of Min Consulting, a political polling company in Seoul.

Anti-North Korea conservatives had dominated politics, the news media and other elite groups in South Korea during the decades following the 1950-53 Korean War. It was not until 1998 that South Korea elected its first Left-leaning president, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kim Dae-jung. Kim was succeeded by another liberal, Roh Moo-hyun, president from 2003 to 2008.

But neither Kim nor Roh could obtain the type of parliamentary majority that Moon just earned.

Older South Koreans have tended to vote conservative, criticising anything less than unequivocal support for the alliance with Washington as pro-North Korean.

But postwar generations of South Koreans have more readily seen a need for diplomacy with North Korea and have voiced scepticism over the power of chaebol  family-controlled business conglomerates like Samsung  that have dominated the economy with the help of close, and often corrupt, political ties.

Surprise winners included Thae Yong-ho, the first defector from North Korea to win an election in the South. Thae, a former North Korean diplomat in London who defected in 2016, won the contest in a Seoul district as a candidate for the conservative United Future.

The polling in South Korea was one of the first national elections taking place amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the country took significant safety precautions to try to ensure that infections did not spread.

All voters were required to wear masks and line up at 3-foot intervals. Officials screened out those with high temperatures so that they could vote separately. Voters were also required to rub their hands with sanitiser and put on disposable plastic gloves handed out by officials before entering voting booths.

More than 13,000 South Koreans who were in a mandatory two-week quarantine but still wanted to cast ballots were escorted by officials to vote after the polling stations closed to the general public at 6 pm. Hospitalised patients of the virus were given the choice to vote by mail. Hundreds of patients with mild symptoms were allowed to vote in advance.

The outbreak also changed the campaign scenes: Candidates replaced handshakes with elbow and fist bumps. Instead of loud singing and dancing, their volunteer helpers handed out name cards and flyers.

The election in South Korea tells other world leaders that how they respond to their own crisis could make or break their political fortunes, said Duyeon Kim, a senior adviser on Northeast Asia and nuclear policy at the International Crisis Group. Because the pandemic is at the top of everyones mind.

Choe Sang-Hun c.2020 The New York Times Company
Ups and downs for the Venn family since April 6 have been surreal and emotional  a house fire, a missing cat, a theft and a new home.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Ups and downs for the Venn family since April 6 have been surreal and emotional  a house fire, a missing cat, a theft and a new home.

Prior to their upheaval, Mbaku and Dave Venn recall a beautiful day on April 5. Theyd cleaned, rearranged furniture and generally prepared the house for schooling for their older children, Okeri, 16 and Mekere, 12. The twins, Aiya and Cassius, babies almost a year old, slept.

Master Corporal David Venn, with wife Mbaku Venn and twins Aiya and Cassius, lost their home to fire in the early morning hours of April 6. Their other children, Okeri, 16, and Mekere, 12 are absent from this photo, one of the few remaining the family has available. (Submitted)

Mbaku felt restless, unable to sleep, as sometimes happens. The couple went outside for a cigarette during the early morning hours. Mbaku was hoping to fall asleep soon.

"I was looking at the house," Mbaku said.

She spotted an amber light. Dave identified it was in the kitchen and headed indoors to investigate. He found flames. He called out to Mbaku, who quickly followed her husband in. Dave headed for the babies. The fire had already taken hold. Mbaku continued to follow Dave until they were outdoors again. But she realized he only had one baby.

"What happened?" she asked. "Wheres the other baby?"

Dave assumed theyd follow the normal pattern  that theyd each take a twin, so he automatically grabbed one, went to the door and jumped through the flames, his wife on his heels.

Thunder, the Venn family cat, survived the house fire and two days alone in the burned-out out house before being rescued. (Submitted)

"You look at each other. You absolutely know. Theres no talking. I knew. Im going inside the house," Mbaku said.

For Dave, time stood still.

"Im screaming, Baby, where are you? Youve gotta come out. I was about to go back in when she came around the corner from the back yard," Dave said.

Babies safe in hand, the two stood on Braecrest Drive watching the fire consume their home of three years, and everything in it but the clothes on their backs and summer items in the garage. Neighbours welcomed them in and took care of the family as firefighters fought the blaze beginning at approximately 2:45 a.m.

Thinking back to that night, Mbaku is happy Okeri and Mekere were overnighting at her sisters.

"They were not there that night. They were not there," she said.

Their rooms are in the basement.

The following days were filled with getting things done and organizing, including a walk-through with investigators, who have not yet disclosed a cause. But one family member couldnt be found: Thunder, the cat. Firefighters did not find remains. On Monday and Tuesday, the Venns returned to the yard. No Thunder.

13042020 A home on Braecrest Drive near First St. sits boarded up on Monday after last weeks fire. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) ***for story follow***

"Tuesday night, we went back to the back yard, calling for Thunder. We heard little whimpering," Dave said.

Thunder, normally pure white and now covered in soot, stared at them from the bathroom before retreating deeper into the house. Once again, the fire department came to the rescue, with a member coming to the house. The landlord came along to help, as well.

"So attentive, no judgment," Mbaku said.

She received a crash course on how to use a thermal searching device. With help and hushed tones, Mbaku found Thunder under the bed. The four adults were shocked the cat survived. The cat, though, was still very scared.

"Im holding him so close but at the same time Im so scared that hell hurt me," she said.

Dave and Mbaku returned to the children at her sisters place, where the whole family was staying, and surprised them. Reuniting offered joy during a confusing time. They cared for Thunder into the morning, one at a time, in the bathroom. Grand Valley Animal Clinic agreed to care for Thunder, who hadnt had anything to eat or drink since Sunday.

"I called them at 7:30 the next morning. They accepted him immediately. It was so wonderful because with all this COVID going on, I was so scared of how I would be able to transfer him. They had it all figured out for me," Mbaku said.

"Every day that goes by, even if its difficult, theres that little light."

On Wednesday, the now-vulnerable family would experience another setback. In their absence after the fire, someone took advantage and broke into their garage, leaving with family bicycles and camping gear. Police are investigating.

The experiences of previous days left the family feeling stripped. The theft left them feeling violated.

Then came Thursday. A mere few days after the fire, the Canadian Armed Forces, where Dave is a master corporal, permanently moved the family into a home at Shilo.

"Right now, where were at, is all about the children. We want to make sure the children get back to some routine," Mbaku said.

The Venns want to thank the Brandon Fire and Emergency Services, Brandon Police Service, specifically Const. Huculak, their neighbours on Braecrest Drive who took them in during the fire, and Andy Venn and everyone who donated to the GoFundMe page he started for the family, the Grand Valley Animal Clinic and Mike Sanderson of Direct Wholesale Furniture for beds.

The family also feels gratitude for families at CFB Shilo and the Canadian Armed Forces for the house, furniture and household items and the Brandon School Division for setting up the Okeri and Mekere with everything they need for school, as well as family and friends.

 mletourneau@brandonsun.com

 Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism.
For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here.

Children rode tiny pink scooters. Artists drew elaborate flowers. A jogger passed a family playing in the middle of the street. There was plenty of room to spare.

To a great deal of national fanfare, the city of Oakland announced its plan to close 74 miles of existing and planned bike boulevards to motor vehicle through traffic last week. On Saturday, the program debuted with four pilot streets. Grateful residents shared photos and videos of the joyous scenes on social media.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Berkeley, City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley informed activists that no such program was imminent. In a set of emails addressed to Liza Lutzker, a member of the advocacy group Walk Bike Berkeley, and shared with SFGATE, Williams-Ridley argued the plan is likely too difficult for an already-stretched staff to implement at present. (SFGATE reached out to the city of Berkeley for comment but did not receive a response as of the time of publication.)

In an email sent on March 23, nearly three weeks before Oakland made their public announcement, Lutzker asked Williams-Ridley for Berkeley to "temporarily repurpos(e) Berkeleys bicycle boulevards" by "closing these streets to through motor vehicle traffic." Lutzker's request essentially matched what Oakland ultimately announced. Lutzker argued the closures were necessary, in part, due to the impossibility of physically distancing from fellow pedestrians on four-foot-wide sidewalks.

Williams-Ridley did not respond to the initial email. In a follow-up on March 26, Lutzker noted the popularity of a petition circulating that supported the details of their plan and touted a number of volunteers willing to help with implementation.

"Our proposal has significant community support: in just 48 hours weve collected 150 signatures in support," Lutzker wrote. "Moreover, 70 supporters are willing to volunteer to help set up and check on signs if the city decides to implement this idea."

Later that day, Williams-Ridley replied. She agreed to promote a message imploring drivers not to speed, but wrote that transportation staff was spread too thin for such an ambitious plan.

"Staff and materials to plan and implement safe and effective closure of bike boulevards to through traffic while maintaining essential access for motorized vehicles are in short supply and in some cases already redirected to support the emergency response, such as setting up traffic controls to support temporary medical screening tents on Colby Street in front of Alta Bates," Williams-Ridley wrote. "We appreciate the offer of volunteers to set up and check on signs, but we lack adequate materials for such a broad deployment, including night time illumination for all barricades."

BAY AREA: 'I do not believe it will work': NYC mayor Bill De Blasio dismisses Oakland's plan to close streets

Undeterred, Lutzker responded the next day with a number of additional suggestions, including closing the streets during the daytime and widening sidewalks on arterial streets. On April 9  two weeks after the city's initial response  Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced a plan to close existing and planned bike boulevards to through traffic. Lutzker, once again, followed up with the city, pointing to the similarity of Oakland's plan to her original proposal and asking to schedule a conference call with staff for further discussion. (She also noted in the email that Williams-Ridley had not made good on publicizing the anti-speeding message.)

On April 10, the day Oakland rolled out their ambitious plan to close streets, Williams-Ridley emailed back. She told Lutzker that she would "follow up with Oakland on what they are doing and what resources they are using," and suggested under-served communities could be a theoretical target of such a plan rather than existing bike boulevards. She kept the door open a bit, writing that the city will "continue to consider ways in which we can best use our remaining resources to support the public in staying safe and maintaining social distancing."

Ultimately, however, Williams-Ridley did not suggest that the city would take immediate action to close any streets. She repeated that transportation staff was focused on "high priority" tasks and argued that she did not want residents to "congregate onto a few specified locations." (She also wrote that she was very busy but that she had not forgotten her "commitment to message out information about vehicles slowing.")

"While these are options, it is more important to shelter in place now more than ever," Williams-Ridley wrote. "Under the current shelter in place, walking and biking is still preserved, but these activities should be limited as well as accessing essential services. The goal is to reduce person to person contact and for our community to stay indoors as much as possible."

Lutzker, for her part, remains optimistic that the city will continue to engage in dialogue. Farid Javandel, the head of the transportation division, told Charles Siegel, another member of Walk Bike Berkeley, that he would be watching Oakland's "methods and results closely."

"The door is certainly not closed," Lutzker said. "We had hoped there would be quick and bold action, and there hasn't been. But I don't think we have lost hope."

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.

Michael Rosen is an SFGATE digital editor. Email: michael.rosen@sfgate.com.
We're living in the golden age of fandom, where social media has allowed stans to interact with their idols on a daily basis. Whether you're a barb, lamb, belieber, or registered bardi gang member, you're probably @-ing somebody. On Stan Stories, we meet the internet's most dedicated followers and delve deep into their obsessions.

Bad Bunny's standom is booming. Being too cool for one, they don't have an official fandom name. But pages like @badbunnylaperla, @badbunnytb and @sanbenitonetwork deliver constant dispatches on Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio's every move. Whether they're OG disciples from his mixtape days, or recent converts thanks to his global dominance, they have their work cut out for them. The trap king has become more shippable and streamable with every album, video, award show look and broken chart record. Lately, they're booked and busy keeping up with the rollout of new album YHLQMDLG  like his drag-filled "Yo Perreo Sola" music video  and increasingly hot takes on politics.

Cynthia Coronado isn't your average Bad Bunny stan. For one thing, the 22-year-old Houston artist is mostly offline. Bad Bunny also plans to purchase a nude painting of himself that she made. Who else can say that?

Coronado has been a Bad Bunny fan for years. She doesn't count herself as a part of the standom due to her offline status, but that doesn't mean she's not dedicated. "I would do everything I could to support him and his work," she tells PAPER. She only made a Twitter this month to post her artwork. After being laid off from her job at an auto shop due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she's been using her spare time to paint and found one particular image of Bad Bunny, a sun-kissed thirst trap he posted last month, understandably... inspiring.

Related | Bad Bunny Just Hits Different

She shared the final piece on Monday. Hours later, Bad Bunny was in her mentions, exclaiming: "Yo lo quiero," and asking if $5,000 was enough for the painting. They haven't worked out the details yet, but in all likelihood, Coronado's painting will soon be hanging in Bad Bunny's home for him and his (post-quarantine) guests to admire.

PAPER caught up with Cynthia over email to hear about the moment she saw The Tweet, past celebrity art exchanges and her favorite part of Bad Bunny to paint.

So, walk us through the aftermath of Bad Bunny's tweet. How did you feel? This is going to sound corny... but this is exactly how it went down. I was on a FaceTime call with my family in Mexico. When I got the message saying, "Cynthia he saw it," I saw the message, but wasn't sure what it was referring to. I continued my conversation, when suddenly my phone would not stop with the notifications. I headed to Twitter and could not open it. My phone had frozen! But I looked at my sisters and you could just see the excitement in their face! That's when I put all the pieces together. My heart dropped! I was super shaken up and just had a mixture of excitement and joy running through me. Then after that my sister on her phone shows me the Tweet... " yo lo quiero..." HE WANTS IT. A bit of happy tears came rolling after that.

How long have you been painting? I started painting just as an elective when I was a freshman in high school. I ended up loving it and have been painting since then.

Did you make this painting more because you thought Bad Bunny was an interesting subject to paint, or because you're a big fan? I am a big fan, but that was not the reason I decided to paint him. My sister and I were just relaxing one day, and he so happened to post those images. I really admire Bad Bunny as a person, for his aesthetic and that is what drew me to the image. It was a "simple" image, but honestly there were many shadows, colors, and fine details that really were captured through it and that was what led me to deciding to paint it.

Do you make a lot of fan artworks of your favorite artists/celebrities? Yes, many of my paintings are of artists. I actually got the opportunity to do a meet and greet with Mac Miller before his passing and I did two artworks of him on the back of two jackets. He kept one and I got to keep the other one, with his signature and a message that said, "Cyn, This is beautiful Keep going!" I also was recognized, on my old Twitter account that's been deleted, by Post Malone. I am currently working on a collection of Latin artists. Benito was the first piece.

How long have you been a Bad Bunny fan? I have been following Bad Bunny as an artist since 2016 when the song "Diles" with Ozuna and Farruko came out. It has been some years now and seeing him grow has been amazing. He deserves all the recognition and support that he has. The fact that he not only shares music and an image with his fans, but also the personality that comes with him is something that stands out a lot to me. I recognize that he isn't afraid to break boundaries and go out of the typical norms of a man. Seeing him be admired not only in the Latin community, but also worldwide motivates me personally.

Would you consider yourself a part of the Bad Bunny fan community? If so, what is that community like? Until recently, I was not involved in social media. In my opinion, in order to be in a "fandom," I think it is necessary to be very involved with other fans of the artist. Therefore, I never really got to experience the fan community. That being said, I consider myself a big fan. I would do everything I could to support him and his work.

Why did you choose this particular shot of Bad Bunny? How long did it take to make? As mentioned before, it was an image that really stood out to me due to the details that came along with the simplicity and I mean... come on, look at that picture! It took me about a week. Not from morning to day, but a couple hours each day.

What was the most fun feature of Bad Bunny to paint, and the most challenging part? The lips were my favorite part! To capture the dimensions, angle, and color to capture them was something that stood out to me. Also, the reflection on the glasses was something I never really did before. The most difficult... definitely the abdominal area. Although it may just look like brown, white, and "tan" paint here and there. It is truly thousands of layers of different colors. Skin is not just one color!

As you were making it, did you hope he might see it? When making the piece... no, it's something that crossed my mind. I recorded strictly for the purpose of seeing the process. As I started painting, I did realize that I want to share my work. My sister, Fabiola, who knows more of social media recommended I make accounts. That being said, who doesn't hope that the person you painted sees your work and recognizes you for it? Even with tagging him, I did not think he see it due to thatI had about ten followers on Twitter at the time. But my sister retweeted it and that amazing power of Twitter and his supporters is why I think he saw it! NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS would I have thought Benito would have offered to buy my painting.

To be clear, has Bad Bunny actually bought the painting yet? How did that go down logistically? Officially, no. Haven't heard from anyone yet, but hope to soon!

I saw you plan on making prints. Where can people buy them when they're available? I will be making some soon! I did not expect it to blow up the way it did, especially not this fast. I am currently working on my website and will have it up and running this week! If people are interested, I have just recommended people follow me on my social medias. I will be posting all the details.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is undertaking a 24-hour operation to provide vital medical supplies to African countries that are battling to contain the spread of COVID-19.



The Solidarity Flight by the World Food Programme (WFP) left Addis Ababa Tuesday with cargo that included one million face masks, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE), which the WHO said would be enough to protect health workers while treating more than 30,000 patients across the continent and laboratory supplies to support surveillance and detection.



Gloves, goggles, gowns, masks, medical aprons and thermometers, as well as ventilators are also part of the air cargo.

Commercial flights are grounded and medical cargo is stuck, said David Beasley, the Executive Director of the WFP.



WFP is committed to getting vital medical supplies to front lines and shielding medical workers as they save lives.



Our air bridges need to be fully funded to do this, and we stand ready to transport frontline health and humanitarian workers as well as medical cargo, he added.



The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), under the aegis of the African Union, is providing technical support and coordination for the distribution of the supplies.



The WFP, which is appealing for $350 million to provide vital COVID-19 services globally, including the Solidarity Flights, has already received $84million.



The Solidarity Flight is part of a larger effort to ship life-saving medical supplies to 95 countries, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO.



The medical supplies are much needed at this critical time that medical commodities are in short supply worldwide, said Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission. The African Union will continue to provide the coordination needed as well as resources to ensure that our member states are able to meet the need for healthcare services during this pandemic.



Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: We have seen time and again our health workers fall victim to infectious diseases as they work in hospitals and sometimes pass away.



This is unacceptable.



This personal protective equipment will help keep them safe.



WHO is committed to protecting those on the front-lines of health care, she added.



The operation from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa is managed by a team of 25 WFP aviation and logistics staff.



The medical supplies are timely as the continent still has a window of opportunity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, said John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC.



Collective and fast actions as exemplified by the Solidarity Flight are therefore critical.



Meanwhile, a WHO logistics hub in Dubai, staffed by a team of seven, has been working around the clock to send over 130 shipments of PPE and laboratory supplies to 95 countries across all six WHO regions.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Delhi government has joined hands with 'CallDoc' app to launch 24x7 free online medical consultation services to help the patients connect with the doctors remotely through the mobile application for their non-emergency medical needs. Through this, the Delhi Health Department said the patients can easily consult with the general physicians as well as specialists from home at any time convenient to them. Announcing this collaboration, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that more than 100 doctors are offering their services for free to provide hassle-free consultations to patients.

"Delhi government is glad to collaborate with 'CallDoc' app to bring 24x7 online medical consultations for free to the people of Delhi. This will save the trouble of physical travel for regular OPD visits, especially for the senior citizens. We are proud of the 100+ doctors from Delhi who are offering their services for free via this app," Jain said. The doctors include are those affiliated to Delhi Medical Council, as well as doctors from Delhi government's University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), the Health Department added.

The outbreak of coronavirus has put a lot of pressure on the healthcare infrastructure across the globe, including Delhi. The outbreak of the virus has made it difficult for people to visit hospitals and doctors over non-emergency medical issues, with major hospitals being marked as 'Covid-19 designated' hospitals. The CallDoc app will help people in such situations, while at the same time reducing the chances of transmission of the dreaded virus at the hospitals and clinics. CallDoc is a cloud-based platform created by Oncall Medicare Pvt. Ltd. to provide citizens with better and faster healthcare at any time and place of their convenience.

"The user is able to connect to a doctor through video or audio or chat and get the consultation over phone by using this mobile app," the Health Department said. It added that through the mobile app, the patients can upload their test reports for doctors to review. The doctors can upload prescriptions on the app after consultation. The CallDoc app can be downloaded from Google Play Store and ioS store. After downloading, the patient has to select the doctor on the basis of name and specialty and mention the purpose of consultation.

"We at Oncall Medicare are extremely pleased to collaboration with the Delhi government. Our services, along with the well laid network of the Delhi government, will be able to deliver affirmative outcomes and provide relief to the people at large and all the stakeholders," said Arun Dagar, Founder and Chief Executive of CallDoc app.
With Americans across the country receiving their stimulus checks, folks are making some much needed lax purchases in addition to paying their regular bills.

Americans began receiving their $1200 stimulus checks late last week. And it was only a matter of time before people took to social media to share what they had already purchased.

'Why did we get our stimulus check and the first thing I bought was an inflatable dinosaur costume,' shared Destiny Zamora, who spent under $40 for the goofy item.

Folks took to social media to share some of the crazy purchases they made with their stimulus checks

User Jennifer Dawson spent her stimulus check on an electric bill, car payment and paid off a small credit card. That didn't stop her from also buying a bidet and some tank tops.

'And just like that, its gone,' Dawson declared.

One 'fairy-god' mother gifted her child an adorable princess carriage bed set, made to look like Cinderella's.

A healthcare worker looking to let off some steam purchased a $200 vibrator after paying off her credit card.

One 'fairy-god' mother gifted her child an adorable princess carriage bed set, made to look like Cinderella's

A healthcare worker looking to let off some steam purchased a $200 vibrator after paying off her credit card

She later added: 'Did I just get the email that my baby was finally available on Build a Bear? Did I quickly order him? Is my heart pounding? YALL I AM THRIVING'

The Yoda plush was a common acquisition for some Twitter users, clearly annoyed they didn't their hands on one in the first go-around

She later added: 'Did I just get the email that my baby was finally available on Build a Bear? Did I quickly order him? Is my heart pounding? YALL I AM THRIVING'

The Yoda plush was a common acquisition for some Twitter users, clearly annoyed they didn't their hands on one in the first go-around.

Another cheeky shopper purchased a pair of sweatpants that came with a very pointed message.

'I had to treat myself to somethingggg with my stimulus check ... so i just bought these,' the user said.

One user who decided to purchase a children's size because they were '$10 cheaper'

And a different person decided to purchase a pair of figurines made to look like Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama

Crocs were purchased by one user who decided to purchase a children's size because they were '$10 cheaper.'

And a different person decided to purchase a pair of figurines made to look like Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama.

One person reshared a tweet made by Alyssa Milano decrying the increased purchase of guns for the month of March 2020. They asserted that they would be using the check to make more gun purchases.

The individual stimulus checks are part of the $2.3 trillion aid package passed by Congress and signed by Trump last month.

The individual stimulus checks are part of the $2.3 trillion aid package passed by Congress and signed by Trump last month

Many Americans will receive their stimulus check by direct deposit in their bank account, if they provided the IRS with direct deposit information on their 2018 or 2019 tax returns.

For those who did not file a return in either year, the IRS has an online form to provide payment information to receive a direct deposit or check.

The IRS has already begun issuing the one-time payments this week. Direct deposits are expected to go out faster than the physical checks.

Most adults who earned up to $75,000 will see a $1,200 payout, while married couples who made up to $150,000 can expect to get $2,400. Parents will get payments of $500 per child.

Where's my check?

To track the stimulus payments, the IRS made its tracking tool available on Wednesday.

Users must enter a Social Security number, date of birth and mailing address in order to track their payment.

The site will respond with a payment status, type and requests for more information, including bank account details, if needed.

Americans who filed their 2018 and 2019 taxes, as well as the lowest earners, should be among the first to receive their checks, the IRS has said, reports CNN.

People who haven't been required to file a return for those two years will likely have to enter additional information online.

Social Security recipients will also receive their payments first.

Aside from the potential for delays because of the president's request to have his signature on the checks, millions of Americans also may not see their payment sooner because they didn't authorize direct deposit.

The Treasury has set up its own new web portal, where updated information can be entered.

To track the stimulus payments, the IRS made its tracking tool available on Wednesday

What else can I do if I don't get my check

The Get My Payment tool will allow taxpayers to input their bank account information so they can receive their payment electronically, as opposed to a paper check that might take weeks, or even months.

Low-income earners who did not make more than $12,200 last year or married couples who did not earn more than $24,400, and who do not normally file tax returns will have to take several actions to get their payments.

Most will be able to provide the required information with the new online tool, which is very 'very straightforward, and likely much faster, than requiring non-filers to fill out and submit a tax form,' Erica York, an economist at the Tax Foundation, tells CNN.

Alerting those persons is the challenge, especially for those who do not have access to the internet, she said.
By Trend

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) held an extraordinary foreign exchange auction with the participation of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), during which Azerbaijani banks acquired $53 million, Trend reports citing CBA.

According to CBA, demand from the banks at the auction decreased by 6.2 percent or by $3.5 million compared to the previous auction, reaching $53 million.

Considering the number of days remaining before the next scheduled auction, as well as with the aim of ensuring uninterrupted currency trading by the banks on weekends, the demand of banks at the auction will be fully provided.

The first foreign exchange auction in a long time was held with the participation of SOFAZ on March 10, 2020, during which Azerbaijani banks acquired 323.2 million manat ($190.1 million).

CBA began to hold foreign exchange auctions through unilateral sale of foreign currency in competitive conditions since mid-January 2017. In March 2020, it was decided to hold extraordinary foreign exchange auctions in connection with the increased demand of the population for foreign currency amid the failed deal OPEC+, which entailed a sharp decline in oil prices.

(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on April 16)

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Michigan protesters swarmed the state capital on Wednesday, demonstrating against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmers latest state restrictions. These restrictions are some of the strictest in the country, including a ban on in-state traveling, which blocks downstate residents from fleeing to their summer cottages in the less densely affected northern counties in the state. It seems every step the governor takes confirms for conservative voters what they have always suspected  that liberals dont care about them. Even as Whitmer is trying to save their lives.

The lions share of the Covid-19 cases in Michigan are in the more populous and politically liberal counties in the southeast region of the state, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Genesee (where the city of Flint is). The number of cases reported in the deeply red northern regions is practically negligible, but officials worry that these regions dont have the medical infrastructure to withstand a widespread breakout should it reach these counties. Meanwhile, locals are worried about the devastating effects Whitmers restrictions are having on the tourism industry.

Northern Michigans economy relies heavily on its annual influx of seasonal residents and visitors, particularly in the summer. Second homes in Northern Michigan towns are common even for middle-class residents in the state, and small northern towns see their populations swell dramatically every year when downstate residents return up north.

Whitmers ban on traveling to vacation homes up north was an effort to keep residents in highly infected areas  like Oakland County, the wealthiest county in the state  from spreading in the north, where there are fewer economic and medical resources. But most of the states wealth is concentrated in areas like Oakland County (home to Quicken loans founder, billionaire Dan Gilbert, for example), which is now no longer contributing to the economy in northern regions.

A Michigan State University study suggests the norths population increases by about 93,000 people between its peak in July and low point in January. Additional studies indicate tourism brings in billions of dollars to the state each year. A study conducted by Anderson Economic Group of East Lansing and released by Traverse City Tourism (located in the northeastern part of the state) showed that in 2012, tourism in the area accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the areas employment. The citys annual cherry festival, which brings in thousands of visitors each year, was shown by one estimate in 2016 to have had a $26.7m impact on the economy.

Speaking specifically for the tourism industry, it also doesnt help that in January, Whitmers office voted to cut off funding for the states Pure Michigan campaign, a marketing effort to boost tourism in the region. (Advocates and tourism workers were furious about the move, while other studies indicated that the campaigns effectiveness was dubious).

A hit to the states tourism industry has the potential to snowball, eventually hamstringing the entire area, crushing small retail businesses, rental home companies, and other industries. And the more successful Whitmers efforts are to keep social distancing measures in place and stop the spread into these regions, the harder the people in these counties are going to feel the financial effects.

Industries in the southeastern part of the state, such as manufacturing, are also feeling the economic impact, but demographically, the less densely populated northern regions are the most representative of Trumps base. While Detroit and its surrounding counties are fairly diverse racially and even economically, the hard Republican-leaning counties largely comprise lower-income white voters. With a population already inclined to favor the president, with no personal experience of the disease but getting hammered economically, the protests taking shape in the capitol begin to make sense.

In February 2020, Mackinac County, located in the far north and home to several resort towns and summer residents, had the states highest unemployment rate at 17.9 per cent, followed by nearby Cheboygan at 14.3 per cent. These counties also claim the fewest number of coronavirus cases, reporting 4 and 12 respectively. By contrast, Oakland Countys unemployment rate is the seventh lowest at 2.9 per cent.

Two months later, the states unemployment rate is now close to a quarter of the workforce.

Wednesdays protest, called Operation Gridlock, was organized by Michigans Conservative Coalition, who argued that the governors draconian restrictions were nothing more than political posturing. Republican National Committee Chairman Ronna McDaniel tweeted: Gretchen, stop auditioning for VP & do your job. He later referred to her actions as a power grab.

The norths economy could be facing a total collapse, and these voters feel their strife is being ignored by a power-hungry Democratic governor who is too focused on a problem they cant see or feel, and suspect is blown way out of proportion for media attention. Unfortunately, if Whitmers actions are successful, this will only confirm their suspicions. And if theyre not, many will die.
Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: The Union health ministry said that about 63,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits which arrived from China recently did not fulfill the criteria.

Auto refresh feeds

By week's end, paid account holders will be able to select which regions their data is routed through during their sessions in a move apparently aimed at concerns over information passing through China where it might be subject to snooping.

Zoom chief executive Eric Yuan laid out steps Wednesday that the company is taking against problems such as data hacking and harassment by individuals who crash sessions in what is referred to as "Zoombombing."

Videoconferencing platform Zoom is rolling out a number of measures meant to stem criticism over how it has handled security as users flock to the application during the coronavirus pandemic.

The total number of confirmed cases in Meghalaya stood at nine.

Meghalaya has reported two more positive cases of the novel coronavirus and both of them are family members of the first COVID-19 patient, who died early on Wednesday morning and was laid to rest at the Riatsamthiah Prebyterian Church Cemetery at Lawmali on Thursday.

"The testing kits should be here very soon. The testing facilities in Neigrhims has been increased to almost 100 tests per day. We are thankful to the Assam government and institute of Assam which had given an additional of 50 more tests in a day. We now have a capacity of 150 tests in a single day," he said.

"We have seven positive cases (six including the deceased patient) out of the 552 tests which have been collected," Sangma said in a video message in Shillong on Thursday.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday informed that 552 samples have been collected so far ro conduct COVID-19 tests in the state.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 6,54,301 on Thursday.

The guidelines for "Opening up America Again" outline three phases in which states can gradually ease their lockdowns. Trump promised governors they would be handling the process themselves, with help from the federal government.

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the US with over 32,000 deaths reported as of Thursday, President Donald Trump gave guidelines to the governors on reopening state economies in the coming months.

The toll as of 8.30 pm on Thursday marked an increase of 4,491 deaths in the past 24 hours, by far the highest daily toll in the pandemic so far.

The death count in the United States due to the novel coronavirus reached 32,917 on Thursday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

As Tripura continues to fight the battle against COVID-19, the Officers & Staff of Tribal Welfare Department expressed their concern towards the challenges being faced by the state government and made a contribution to the chief ministers relief fund (CMRF) on Thursday.

The decision was taken by authorities at the government-run Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital (BMH), who claimed that the woman did not disclose her travel history and or her 'home-quarantine' status to the hospital authorities.

Sixty-eight staff members including doctors and nurses of a Delhi hospital have been sent to home quarantine after a 25-year-old pregnant woman admitted there died possibly due to the novel coronavirus, officials said Thursday.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das will address the media at 10 am on Friday. This would be Das' second press briefing since the COVID-19 outbreak began in India. In his previous address on 27 March, the RBI governor had announced a rate cut of 75 basis points.

Zomato said they are constantly training their delivery partners on safety and hygiene in addition to providing masks to them.

Looking at the severity of the situation and fearing a dip in their online orders, food delivery platforms and several restaurants have reached out to their customers to reassure them of all the precautions taken at their end for their safety and well-being.

Online food delivery, the silver lining to the economic gloom set in by the coronavirus pandemic, is likely to take a massive blow in the National Capital after news of a pizza delivery agent testing COVID-19 positive in south Delhi went viral and raised alarm bells in the minds of the already terrified people.

Zomato, an online food delivery platform, on Wednesday launched a new safety feature where users can see the body temperature of their delivery partner on its app.

India has 11,201 active cases while 1,749 have been cured/discharged after testing negative of the virus. One patient has been migrated, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

According to the data released by the Union Health Ministry on Friday, the total number of positive cases of the novel coronavirus climbed to 13,387 while, 437 deaths were reported.

With five more individuals testing positive for COVID-19 in Srikalahasti of Chittoor district, the overall tally in the temple town was increased to 10. Of the five fresh new cases, one woman is a contact of a positive case, ANI reported.

Indian indices opened on a strong note on 17 April ahead of RBI governor press conference. At 09:16 hrs IST, the Sensex is up 1,063.78 points or 3.48% at 31666.39, and the Nifty up 309.50 points or 3.44% at 9302.30. About 797 shares have advanced, 64 shares declined, and 23 shares are unchanged.

According to the Johns Hopkins University data, by 8 pm on Thursday, as many as 4,591 Americans have died in the last 24 hours, The Wall Street Journal said. The previous highest was 2,569 on Wednesday. By Thursday, more than 662,000 Americans tested positive with the coronavirus.

A record number of 4,591 Americans have died in the last 24 hours due to the deadly novel coronavirus in the US, which has the highest number of COVID-19 casualties in the world.

The adjustment, detailed in a social media posting by the city government, adds 1,290 deaths to the tally in Wuhan, where the global pandemic emerged and which has suffered the vast majority of China's fatalities from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

China's coronavirus hotspot centre Wuhan on Friday abruptly raised its death count by 50 percent to a total of 3,869, admitting that many cases were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely.

According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the novel coronavirus has so far claimed more than 1,44,000 lives and infected over 2.1 million people.

"Today humanity is facing the trial of its time, as COVID-19 grips the world with its deadly embrace. In this kind of environment, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been very proactive and monitoring the situation closely," said the RBI governor Shaktikanta Das.

RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday said that industrial output has been at its highest in seven months. "Foreign exchange reserves continue to be robust," said RBI governor.

Shaktikanta Das also cited the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) global growth projections revealing that in 2020, the global economy is expected to plunge into the worst recession since 'The Great Depression'.

RBI governor said that the impact of the coronavirus outbreak is not captured in IIP Print and warned not to get "mislead by that data."

RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said that the prices of crude oil remained volatile and India is among handful of countries with positive GDP.

"Surplus liquidity in banking system has increased substantially as result of central bank actions," said the RBI governor

The Reserve Bank of India will announce new measures to maintain adequate liquidity in system, facilitate bank credit flow and ease financial stress, said the RBI governor Shaktikanta Das.

'Reverse repo rate reduced to 3.75% from 4%', said the RBI governor Shaktikanta Das. He further said that economic activities have been at standstill since lockdown in view of COVID-19.

The contraction in exports at 34% has turned out to be much worse than in GFC, said the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. "Systemic liquidity surplus averaged at Rs 4.36 lakh crore as of March-end 2020."

He also added that the government is taking measures to maintain adequate liquidity in the system.

RBI Shaktikanta Das said the government will be conducting TLTRO 2.0 for an aggregate amount of Rs 50,000 crore. "This TLTRO amount can be stepped up as necessary to ensure various segments of the market (NBFCs, MFIs etc) get enough liquidity."

For 2020-21, International Monetary Fund projected sizable reshaped recoveries, close to nine percentile points for the global GDP, said RBI Governor. "India is expected to post a sharp turnaround & resume its pre-COVID, pre-slowdown trajectory by growing at 7.4% in 2020-21" he added.

The RBI Governor said India has enough Forex reserves for 11.8 months of imports and is "well maintained at $476.5 billion." He further said, "RBI's liquidity injection has been at 3.2 percent of GDP since 6 February-27 March, 2020."

India among handful of countries to project positive growth this fiscal year at 1.9 percent, said RBI governor Shaktikanti Das on Friday during press briefing.

Inflation may settle below target of 4 percent by H1FY21, barring any supply side disruption and shocks, said RBI governor Shaktikanta Das.

The RBIs 10 percent stipulation will help mid-sized companies and smaller ones with investment grade rating to get a share of the TLTRO money. The RBI introduced the TLTRO to help the industry tide over the liquidity crunch on account of the COVID-19 economic impact.

According to Gujart Health Department, two more individuals have succumbed to the novel coronavirus, taking the death count to 38 in the state, reported news agency PTI.

They said the security forces have sealed off main roads in most places in the Valley and erected barriers at several other places to check the unwanted movement of the people and to enforce the lock down.

Restrictions on the movement of people in Kashmir to contain the spread of coronavirus completed one month on Friday, even as the number of red zone areas in the valley has risen to 80, officials said.

As per the data released by the state health department, Odisha has so far received a total 6,734 samples till 12 am on 16 April. Of these, the number of positive cases stood at 60. The last time when a new case has been reported was 14 April.

No fresh COVID-19 cases have been reported in Odisha in the past two days, the state Health and Family Welfare department said.

Forex traders said positive domestic equities and weakening of the American currency in the overseas also supported the rupee.

The Indian rupee appreciated by 45 paise to 76.42 against the US dollar in intra-day trade on Friday after Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das announced measures to ensure adequate liquidity in the system to ease the financial stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To maintain financial health, he said, banks have been exempt to make any further dividend payout in view of financial difficulties arising from COVID-19.

Banks shall be exempted from making dividend payment in the light of financial difficulties posed by COVID-19 pandemic.

Making a slew of announcement to ease the pressure on financial sector, Das said that the 90-day norm will not apply on moratorium granted on existing loans by banks.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das announced relief measures to maintain adequate liquidity in system, facilitate bank credit flow and ease financial stress.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other ministers were also present during the meet.

The Union group of ministers (GOM) meeting over COVID-19 situation in India is currently underway at Nirman Bhawan in Delhi.

"It has come to my notice that many schools are taking fees arbitrarily and charging transportation fees even when schools are closed. Private schools should not stoop to this level. Be it private or government schools, they cannot hike fees," he said.

Delhi's deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia said on Friday that no private school will be allowed to increase fees during lockdown.

The private schools in Delhi to charge tuition fee monthly, mandated to pay salaries to both contractual and full-time staff during lockdown, said Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday.

Delhi deputy minister Manish Sosodia on Friday said that no students of private schools must be restricted from attending online classes.

Earlier, SBI customers were allowed three free transactions on other banks' ATMs in six metro centres (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad & Bengaluru) and five free transactions at other centres.

State Bank of India has decided to waive off charges for all ATM transactions made on SBI as well as other banks till June 30 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday said the inflation is on a declining trajectory and could fall below the central bank's 4 per cent target by the second half of this fiscal amid challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic. He said the consumer price index based retail inflation has fallen by 170 bps from its January 2020 peak.

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Friday sent 300 buses to facilitate return of students stranded in Kota, Rajasthan, in the wake of the nationwide lockdown.

It is called targeted because RBI requires banks to specifically invest the funds in investment grade corporate debt.

TLTRO is a tool under which RBI provides money to banks at the repo rate for three years. This is done to boost liquidity in the financial system. When liquidity gets tight, borrowing costs for companies shoot up. So RBI gives cheap fund to banks, which the banks then lend to companies by subscribing to their bonds and debentures.

RBI announced a second Targeted Long Term Repo Operation (TLTRO) of Rs 50,000 crores to ensure liquidity for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and microfinance institutions, which lend to small medium and micr businesses,

CNBC listed out the measures announced by the Central Bank and the reasons for those:

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday announced multiple measures, primarily aimed at ensuring that small businesses get funds at reasonable rates of interest.

Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal Lucknow dispelled rumours about the spread of coronavirus from the body of COVID-19 patients. It also issued a fatwa carrying instructions about burial of the body of someone who succumbed to the infectious disease.

Taking to Twitter Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Today's announcements by RBI will greatly enhance liquidity and improve credit supply. These steps would help our small businesses, MSMEs, farmers and the poor. It will also help all states by increasing WMA."

The reported death toll has risen by 299 to 3,868, the tally showed.

Germanys confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 3,380 to 133,830, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday, marking a third straight day of new infections accelerating.

The private labs have to share the data pertaining to the diagnosis of the COVID-19 to state government and ot the ICMR on a real time basis

The ICMR has approved 16 laboratories (11 government and 5 private) in Karnataka for testing the samples for suspected COVID-19 cases. The cost per test has been fixed at Rs 2,250.

The state had recorded 19 cases on Wednesday and 36 on Thursday.

Karnataka recorded another peak in COVID-19 incidence for the third consecutive day on Friday, with 38 people testing positive and taking the total number of the infected in the state to 353.

An official of AIIMS, Patna said that a 35-year-old male, who had tested positive for COVID-19, lost his life at the institute on Friday. He had a history of tuberculosis and had a fever at the time he was admitted to hospital, the statement said.

A 75-year-old coronavirus patient from Armpora Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Friday died at the JVC Hospital in Srinagar, taking the toll due to the disease to five in the union territory.

ANI on Friday reported that migrant workers in Maharashtra's Nagpur are cycling and walking to their homes in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh amid coronavirus lockdown. "I started my journey from Nashik five days ago and it will take another six days to reach my home," one of the workers was quoted as saying.

"Doubling rate in 19 states, union territories are even lower than average doubling rate. The doubling rate is lower than the national level in Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Puducherry, Delhi, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Assam, Tripura etc," said Lav Aggrawal, Health Ministry.

The Union health ministry on Friday said that before the nationwide lockdown, the "doubling rate" of COVID-19 cases was about three days, "but according to data in the past seven days, the doubling rate of cases now stands at 6.2 days."

He added, "The ratio between recovered COVID-19 patients and deaths stands at 80:20 in India which is higher than that in several other counties."

"We have been witnessing average growth factor at 1.2 since 1 April which stood at 2.1 (average) between 15 and 13 March. Hence, there is 40 percent decline in average growth factor even as we increased COVID-19 testings," he said.

Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal on Friday said that India was witnessing a 40 percent decline in the average growth factor in the coronavirus cases across the country, due to increased testing.

The Union health ministry said that all the government's actions "are focused on speeding up vaccine development". "We are working on recombinant BCG, convalescent plasma therapy, monoclonal antibodies to fight COVID-19," said Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health.

"We are aiming to make 10 lakh RTPCR kits by the month of May indigenously," said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health during the daily briefing on Friday.

The Maharashtra State Housing Department has issued instructions to landlords/house owners to postpone rent collection by at least three months. During this period, no tenant should be evicted from the rented house due to non-payment of rent.

1,007 new COVID-19 cases, 23 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, said Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health.

He added, "This virus has been in India for three months, the mutation doesnt happen too quickly. Whatever vaccine comes out now, it will work in the future as well (if the virus mutates)."

The ICMR on Friday said that it will begin a study on the effectiveness of the BCG vaccine to fight coronavirus next week. "Till we have definite results, we won't recommend it even for health workers," ICMR's R Gangakhedkhar said.

DRDO's S Joshi said on Friday that the organisation has developed a "contact-less" sanitiser dispenser and installed it at its HQ. The machine dispenses sanitiser for 20 seconds without any touch and helps to disinfect people entering buildings. "Such machines can be provided to other agencies also," he said.

The coronavirus toll in Spain rose to nearly 19,500, after the country reported 585 new casualties in the past 24 hours, AFP reported on Friday.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has reported registered 20,453 cases and booked 68,811 people so far, for violating the lockdown guidelines. Police has recovered over Rs 8.11 crore fine from those violating the lockdown put in place since 25 March.

The Uttarakhand government said that three COVID-19 cases wewre reported in the state on Friday, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 40.

"In case of an incident of domestic violence against women, we will first do counseling, if that fails, then the harasser will be institutionally quarantined," he said.

Pune zila parishad CEO Ayush Prasad said that the administration has taken measures to prevent any form of domestic violence against women.

He also said that 2,962 tests were conducted on Thursday. 993 people are in isolation wards and 10,714 are in quarantine facilities in the state, he said.

Uttar Pradesh principal secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said that a total of 846 COVID-19 cases have been reported in 49 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including 74 cured/discharged.

The Karnataka government said that 44 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state from 5 pm on Thursday to 5 pm on Friday. Taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 359, including 13 deaths and 88 discharges.

Meanwhile, 255 patients have reportedly been discharged, while two people have succumbed to the infection.

The Kerala health department said that only one new case of coronavirus was reported in the state on Friday, taking the total active cases to 138.

Reports on Friday said that the total number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai's Dharavi crossed the 100-mark with 15 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Reportedly, 10 deaths have occurred in the densely-populated area so far.

ANI reported that police on Friday conducted a flag march from Sanjauli to Dhalli in Shimla. Curfew is in place in the area in light of coronavirus. A total of 35 people have tested positive so far in the state, including 18 active cases and 12 recovered.

Tamil Nadu on Friday reported a rise of 56 new COVID-19 cases in the state, taking the total tally of cases to 1,323. Meanwhile, 283 patients have been discharged so far, and the toll stands at 15.

He said that while these workers travel to the sugarcane-farming districts for six months in a year, the lockdown has resulted in their families being without support.

Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil on Friday said that the migrant workers employed in the sugarcane belts in the western regions of the state will be "conditionally" allowed to return home to districts like Beed and Ahmednagar

1. Entire effected area around H.No 859/20, L-II SangamVihar, New Delhi 2. Gali No. 26 & 26B, H.NO. 2056 to 2092 and Gali No, 27 & 27B, H.No 2063 to 2083, Tughlakabad Extension, Delhi. 3. In and around area of C-105, Hari Nagar, New Delhi. 4. In and around area of B-333, Hari Nagar, New Delhi. 5. In and around area of C-785, Third Floor, Camp No. 2, Nangloi, Delhi. 6. In and around area of RZ-168, K2 Block, Nihal Vihar, Delhi

The new containment zones are as follows, India Today reported:

The Delhi government on Friday identified six new containment zones in the National Capital, in addition to the list of 60.

"Changes made by BMC may bring down the number of positive patients artificially but may result into subsequent spread in community. Please adhere strictly to ICMR guidelines," he said.

In a letter to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, former CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the BMC was not following the testing guidelines laid out by the ICMR.

Reports on Friday said that employees of the Central government are likely to donate their one-day salary to the PM-CARES fund for people affected by the coronavirus lockdown. According to reports, the amount comes up to Rs 3,900 crore.

The Union health ministry said that about 63,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits which arrived from China recently did not fulfill the criteria.

MCGM on Friday said that 77 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths were reported in Mumbai, taking the total number of positive cases in the city to 2,120 including 121 deaths.

The maximum number of the cases have been reported in Indore at 842, followed by Bhopal at 197. 408 containment zones have been identified in the state.

The Madhya Pradesh government said that the number of COVID-19 cases in the state surged to 1,310 on Friday, including 69 deaths and 68 recovered/cured.

The first batch of about 30 mursing officers at AIIMSs National Cancer Institute Jhajjar were welcomed by the Institute staff after treating 200 COVID-19 patients. Now, these nursing staff will go for quarantine for at least seven days as a protective measure against COVID19.

The Maharashtra government on Friday sought financial aid from the Centre. Maharashtra finance minister Ajit Pawar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeks grant of Rs 10,000 crore for five months

The Haryana government said that the active number of COVID-19 cases rose to 135 in Haryana. 86 patients have recovered while two others succumbed to the disease.

So far, 31 real-time PCR kits have been validated by ICMR validation centres, were found to be satisfactory, says Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday.

So far, 31 real-time PCR kits have been validated by ICMR validation centres, were found to be satisfactory, says Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday.

Cases of coronavirus rose to 562 in Telangana, with 66 new cases being reported on Friday. 18 people have died due to the disease while 186 others have been cured.

MHA writes to all States & UTs to trace Rohingyas after it was reported that they attended religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat&there is a possibility of their contracting COVID-19. MHA has given locations in New Delhi, J&K, Punjab and Haryana where Rohingyas are living.

The Rajasthan health department said that 98 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Friday, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,229.

The Delhi government said that 67 COVID-19 cases were reported in the National Capital on Friday, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,707.

The Maharashtra government has listed select activities to be allowed in non-hotspots from 20 April, ANI reported, adding that all health services, all agricultural and horticultural activities, operations of coconut,cashew and spice plantations, operation of animal husbandry farms, bank branches, ATMs, e-commerce companies

One person tested positive for COVID19 in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 36.

"Grant of consular services to foreign nationals, presently residing in India due to travel restrictions in the context of COVID-19 outbreak, till 3 May, 2020," said Ministry of Home Affairs.

India Today reported that the West Bengal government on Friday transferred Murshidabad SP Ajeet Singh Yadav "a week after a large number of locals had gathered at a mosque during Friday prayers, defying the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown".

The Delhi government said that 67 COVID-19 cases were reported in the National Capital on Friday, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,707.

Bhilwara DM Rajendra Bhatt said that no COVID-19 case was reported in the Rajasthan district, after the release of two patients from the hospital on Friday. Out of total 28 cases, two had succumbed to the disease while others recovered, he added.

The Maharashtra government has listed select activities to be allowed in non-hotspots from 20 April, ANI reported, adding that all health services, all agricultural and horticultural activities, operations of coconut,cashew and spice plantations, operation of animal husbandry farms, bank branches, ATMs, e-commerce companies

One person tested positive for COVID19 in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 36.

Commissioner of Police Delhi has approved a grant of Rs 1 lakh to any officer/staff of Delhi Police who tests positive for COVID19 while discharging his/her duty.

A total of 118 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths were reported in Maharashtra on Friday, taking the total number of positive patients in the state to 3,320.

Grant of consular services to foreign nationals, presently residing in India due to travel restrictions in the context of COVID19 outbreak, till 3rd May, 2020: Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/mAsQ3kqZ8x

"Grant of consular services to foreign nationals, presently residing in India due to travel restrictions in the context of COVID-19 outbreak, till 3 May, 2020," said Ministry of Home Affairs.

SHO Kho Nagoriyan said15 people were detained on Friday in Rajasthan's Jaipur for defying social distancing norms and lockdown rules as they gathered at Ayesha mosque to offer prayers; FIR registered against them, strict action to be taken.

Earlier, the city of Wuhan admitted missteps in tallying its death toll as it abruptly raised the count by 50 percent following growing world doubts about Chinese transparency, the report added..

"China has just announced a doubling in the number of their deaths from the Invisible Enemy. It is far higher than that and far higher than the US, not even close!" Trump tweeted.

US president Donald Trump on Friday said China's real death toll from coronavirus was "far higher," even after officials issued a new count doubling the number of dead in Wuhan, where the pandemic began, AFP reported.

India Today reported that the West Bengal government on Friday transferred Murshidabad SP Ajeet Singh Yadav "a week after a large number of locals had gathered at a mosque during Friday prayers, defying the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown".

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The Union health ministry said that about 63,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits which arrived from China recently did not fulfill the criteria.

In a letter to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, former CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the BMC was not following the testing guidelines laid out by the ICMR.

"Changes made by BMC may bring down the number of positive patients artificially but may result into subsequent spread in community. Please adhere strictly to ICMR guidelines," he said.

Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil on Friday said that the migrant workers employed in the sugarcane belts in the western regions of the state will be "conditionally" allowed to return home to districts like Beed and Ahmednagar.

.He said that while these workers travel to the sugarcane-farming districts for six months in a year, the lockdown has resulted in their families being without support.

The ICMR on Friday said that it will begin a study on the effectiveness of the BCG vaccine to fight coronavirus next week. "Till we have definite results, we won't recommend it even for health workers," ICMR's R Gangakhedkhar said.

Reports on Friday said that the total number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai's Dharavi crossed the 100-mark with 15 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Reportedly, 10 deaths have occurred in the densely-populated area so far.

'We are aiming to make 10 lakh RTPCR kits by the month of May indigenously," said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health during the daily briefing on Friday.

The Maharashtra State Housing Department has issued instructions to landlords/house owners to postpone rent collection by at least three months. During this period, no tenant should be evicted from the rented house due to non-payment of rent.

The Union health ministry on Friday said that before the nationwide lockdown, the "doubling rate" of COVID-19 cases was about three days, "but according to data in the past seven days, the doubling rate of cases now stands at 6.2 days."

"Doubling rate in 19 states, union territories are even lower than average doubling rate. The doubling rate is lower than the national level in Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Puducherry, Delhi, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Assam, Tripura etc," said Lav Aggrawal, Health Ministry.

A 75-year-old coronavirus patient from Armpora Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Friday died at the JVC Hospital in Srinagar, taking the toll due to the disease to five in the union territory.

The ICMR has approved 16 laboratories (11 government and 5 private) in Karnataka for testing the samples for suspected COVID-19 cases. The cost per test has been fixed at Rs 2,250.

The private labs have to share the data pertaining to the diagnosis of the COVID-19 to state government and ot the ICMR on a real time basis

India reported more than a thousand cases and 23 deaths in 24 hours, taking the total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country past the 13,000-mark on Friday.

The government on Friday removed restrictions on exports of medicines made from Paracetamol amid the outbreak of Covid-19.

The total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Gujarat crossed the 1,000-mark on Friday after 92 new infections were reported, while the death toll reached 38 with the addition of two fatalities, health officials said.

Restrictions on the movement of people in Kashmir to contain the spread of coronavirus completed one month on Friday, even as the number of red zone areas in the valley has risen to 80, officials said.

The Indian rupee appreciated by 45 paise to 76.42 against the US dollar in intra-day trade on Friday after Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das announced measures to ensure adequate liquidity in the system to ease the financial stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

India among handful of countries to project positive growth this fiscal year at 1.9 percent, said RBI governor Shaktikanti Das on Friday during press briefing.

Inflation may settle below target of 4 percent by H1FY21, barring any supply side disruption and shocks, said RBI governor Shaktikanta Das.

The RBI Governor said India has enough Forex reserves for 11.8 months of imports and is "well maintained at $476.5 billion." He further said, "RBI's liquidity injection has been at 3.2 percent of GDP since 6 February-27 March, 2020."

For 2020-21, International Monetary Fund projected sizable reshaped recoveries, close to nine percentile points for the global GDP, said RBI Governor. "India is expected to post a sharp turnaround & resume its pre-COVID, pre-slowdown trajectory by growing at 7.4% in 2020-21" he added.

'Reverse repo rate reduced to 3.75% from 4%', said the RBI governor Shaktikanta Das. He further said that economic activities have been at standstill since lockdown in view of COVID-19.

RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said that industrial output has been at its highest in seven months. "Foreign exchange reserves continue to be robust," said RBI governor.

Indian indices opened on a strong note on 17 April ahead of RBI governor press conference. At 09:16 hrs IST, the Sensex is up 1,063.78 points or 3.48% at 31666.39, and the Nifty up 309.50 points or 3.44% at 9302.30. About 797 shares have advanced, 64 shares declined, and 23 shares are unchanged.

According to the data released by the Union Health Ministry on Friday, the total number of positive cases of the novel coronavirus climbed to 13,387 while, 437 deaths were reported.

Sixty-eight staff members including doctors and nurses of a Delhi hospital have been sent to home quarantine after a 25-year-old pregnant woman admitted there died possibly due to the novel coronavirus, officials said Thursday.

The decision was taken by authorities at the government-run Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital (BMH), who claimed that the woman did not disclose her travel history and or her 'home-quarantine' status to the hospital authorities.

Meghalaya has reported two more positive cases of the novel coronavirus and both of them are family members of the first COVID-19 patient, who died early on Wednesday morning and was laid to rest at the Riatsamthiah Prebyterian Church Cemetery at Lawmali on Thursday.

The total number of confirmed cases in Meghalaya stood at nine.

India registered 826 new cases and 28 new deaths on Thursday with the total number of confirmed cases climbing to 12,759. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh crossed the 1,000 mark in their tally of COVID-19 patients.

According to data from the Union health ministry, India has 10,824 active patients while 1,514 have been cured/discharged after testing negative of the virus while one patient has migrated. The toll due to the virus is 42o.

As of Thursday evening, Maharashtra with 2,919 patients remained at the top, followed by Delhi at 1,578 and Tamil Nadu at 1,242. The number of cases in Madhya Pradesh rose to 1,120 cases.

Madhya Pradesh now also accounts for 53 deaths, the second highest toll due to COVID-19, in India. Maharashtra leads in number of deaths with 187 patients succumbing to the virus in the state.

In Rajasthan, the total number of confirmed cases is now at 1,023 with three deaths so far.

Globally, according to estimates by the Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed two million on Thursday and 1,39,419 people have died so far. The US is the worst-hit with more than 6,40,000 COVID-19 cases and 31,000 deaths.

Amidst this, a UN report said that the coronavirus pandemic could push an estimated 42-66 million children into extreme poverty and the economic downturn resulting from the outbreak could result in hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020.

State figures put India's tally above 13,000

While the health ministry put the number of confirmed cases at 12,759 as of Thursday, according to a PTI tally based on reports from the states, the total number of cases was 13,201 while 1,594 patients had recovered. The death toll stood at 444.

Coronavirus cases crossed 1,000 in Madhya Pradesh (1,164) and Rajasthan (1,131) taking to five the states which have surpassed this mark.

Maharashtra topped the tally at 3,262 with Mumbai (2,043) being the worst hit, followed by Delhi (1,578) and Tamil Nadu (1,267). The cases in the country's commercial capital have doubled in six days.

According to data from the health ministry's website, there are 871 COVID-19 patient in Gujarat and 773 in Uttar Pradesh.

Telangana has 698 cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh at 534 and Kerala at 388.

The number of novel coronavirus cases has risen to 315 in Karanataka, 300 in Jammu and Kashmir, 271 in West Bengal, 205 in Haryana and 186 in Punjab.

Bihar has reported 74 COVID-19 cases, while Odisha has 60 coronavirus cases. Thirty-seven people were infected with the virus in Uttarakhand, while Himachal Pradesh has 35 cases and Assam and Chhattisgarh have registered 33 cases each.

Jharkhand has 28 cases, Chandigarh has 21 cases and Ladakh has 17, while 11 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Meghalaya, Goa and Puducherry have reported seven COVID-19 infections each, Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each.

According to the health ministry, of the total 420 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 187 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 53, Gujarat 36, Delhi 32 and Telengana 18.

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have reported 14 deaths each while Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka 13 deaths each.

West Bengal has reported seven COVID-19 fatalities.

Four persons have lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir while Kerala, Haryana and Rajasthan have recorded three deaths each. Jharkhand has reported two deaths.

Meghalaya, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to health ministry data.

ICMR defends India's testing rate

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday also defended the Central Government's testing strategy in the wake of fresh criticism, saying the testing ratio is not low, adding there has been no COVID-19 infections in 325 of the 736 districts.

"In countries like Japan, one out of 11.7 tests turns out to be positive, which is among the highest in the world. Italy tests 6.7 persons for one positive test while the USA tests 5.3 persons and the United Kingdom 3.4," said Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the ICMR.

"Taking their population base into consideration, it is difficult to comment about our testing rate. In India, we are conducting 24 tests out of which one comes out to be positive. Also, we have huge population and not all people belong to vulnerable groups. Hence, one can't say our testing ratio is low," he told the daily press briefing.

Endorsing the official's assessment, Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary in the health ministry, said data can be interpreted in many ways and the government's effort is aimed at ensuring not a single positive case is missed out.

Earlier on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi had slammed the government saying the scale of testing in India has been low so far at 199 per 10 lakh people  around 350 tests per district  which he said is not enough to tell which way the virus is moving.

Gandhi told reporters via video-conferencing that aggressive testing is the main weapon to defeat the coronavirus and it should be used strategically.

At the briefing, Agarwal also said that the implementation of containment strategies in some districts which earlier had reported COVID-19 cases have yielded positive results, he said. One such place is Mahe, an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala, where no case has been reported in the last 28 days.

There are 27 other districts in the country also where no positive case has been reported in a fortnight, he added.

The Centre on Thurday also declared 170 hotspots  123 hotspot districts with large outbreaks and 47 hotspot districts with cluster  in 25 states and Union Territories.

Besides, it has identified 207 non-hotspot districts with clusters in 27 states which can be potential hotspots if there is no containment strategies.

India receives delivery of rapid testing kits from China

On Thursday, India also received the much-awaited five lakh rapid COVID-19 testing kits from China, the government said.

Gangakhedkar said the testing kits from China will be used for surveillance and to monitor whether coronavirus hotspots in the country are increasing or decreasing.

Reacting to reports suggesting that the Chinese kits could be faulty, Gangakhedkar acknowledged that the sensitivity and specificity of such kits are less.

"Rapid antibody tests are for monitoring surveillance, not for early diagnosis. Hence there is no concern with respect to the testing kits being faulty, that concern was with respect to immune response alone," he explained.

Delhi may do clinical screening of food delivery personnel

In Delhi, authorities are considering clinical screening of all food delivery personnel in south Delhi with scores being quarantined after a pizza delivery agent in the area tested positive for coronavirus.

The 19-year-old tested positive for the virus on 14 April. People in 72 households where he delivered pizza to have been put under home quarantine, said BM Mishra, district magistrate of South Delhi. The total number of people in the households was not immediately known.

"In view of this incident, we are considering that all those involved in home delivery of food are put through clinical screening so that those showing symptoms are stopped from visiting homes," Mishra told PTI.

The 17 first line contact of the infected man, including his colleagues, have been quarantined at an institutional facility at Chhatarpur, Mishra said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on the Indian economy, and discussed a possible second stimulus with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to boost sectors hit hard by the pandemic.

Modi held discussions with the finance minister as the pandemic hit sectors from small industries to the aviation sector hard with millions of jobs at stake.

The finance minister last month announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore stimulus that included free foodgrains and cooking gas to poor for three months, and cash doles to women and poor senior citizens as it looked to ease the economic impact of the nationwide lockdown.

3,336 Indians abroad infected with coronavirus

Official sources said that a total of 3,336 Indians in 53 countries were infected by the coronavirus while 25 lost their lives due to the disease.

They said Indians stranded abroad will have to show patience as the government is not evacuating them as part of a larger policy decision to check spread of the virus in the country.

The sources said India has decided to supply anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to 55 countries on commercial basis as well as grants.

On sourcing medical equipment from abroad, they said India is procuring coronavirus testing kits from South Korea and China.

India is looking at procuring medical equipment from Germany, the US, the UK, Malaysia, Japan and France to fight COVID-19, they said.

COVID-19 pandemic could push 42-66 mn children into extreme poverty: UN

Meanwhile the United Nations said that an estimated 42-66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the coroanvirus crisis this year, adding to the estimated 386 million million children already in extreme poverty in 2019.

"Children are not the face of this pandemic. But they risk being among its biggest victims," said a new Policy Brief: The impact of COVID-19 on children' released by the United Nations on Thursday.

"This is a universal crisis of unprecedented scale. All children, of all ages, and in all countries, are affected. However, some children are destined to bear the greatest costs. Among those who will be badly hit are children living in slums, refugee and displacement camps, and zones of active conflict. Children with disabilities. Children living in institutions and detention centres," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.

Urging nations to act now on the threats faced by children, Guterres said leaders must do everything in their power to cushion the impact of the pandemic.

With inputs from PTI
Saliva could be used instead of blood to monitor diabetes in a method proposed in research involving the University of Strathclyde.

The test has been developed as an alternative to the current prevalent practice of monitoring blood glucose, which can be invasive, painful and costly.

Lab tests of the saliva process had an accuracy rate of 95.2%. The research shows promising results for monitoring diabetes, which affects an estimated 425 million people worldwide - around half of them undiagnosed.

The research has been published in the journal PLOS ONE. It also involved partners at the Federal University of Uberlandia in Minas Gerais, Brazil, the University of Vale do Paraiba in Sao Paolo, Brazil and the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

Dr Matthew Baker, a Reader in Strathclyde's Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry and lead researcher in the project, said: "Frequent monitoring of diabetes is essential for improved glucose control and to delay clinical complications related to the condition. Early screening is also paramount in reducing these complications worldwide.

"Blood analysis for screening, monitoring and diagnosing diabetes is widely practised but is quite invasive and painful. The constant need of piercing the fingers several times daily for most patients may lead to the development of finger calluses, as well as difficulty in obtaining blood samples; furthermore, not everyone would want to give blood and there are circumstances in which it could be dangerous.

"Saliva reflects several physiological functions of the body, such as emotional, hormonal, nutritional and metabolic, and so its biomarkers could be an alternative to blood for robust early detection and monitoring. It is easy to collect, non-invasive, convenient to store and requires less handling than blood during clinical procedures, while also being environmentally efficient. It also contains analytes with real-time monitoring value which can be used to check a person's condition."

The present protocol used in the infrared platform is able to detect spectral biomarkers without reagents. The combination of a non-invasive salivary collection and a reagent-free analysis permit us to monitor diabetes with a sustainable platform classified as green technology." Dr. Robinson Sabino-Silva, associate professor at Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU) and a partner in the research

The lab tests used a scientific system known as Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. This has been used in the diagnosis of several diseases, although its applications in the monitoring of diabetic treatment have begun to emerge only recently. Samples were assessed in three categories - diabetic, non-diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic - and two potential diagnostic biomarkers were identified.

The researchers are hopeful that the process they have developed could be used for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, although further study will be required to confirm this.
U.S. military aircraft spotted near southern Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

04/15/2020 11:01 AM

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) A United States military reconnaissance plane was reported flying near Taiwan's southern airspace Wednesday morning, marking the 12th time in the past three weeks U.S. military aircraft have been spotted operating near Taiwan.

A U.S. RC-135W Rivet Joint was operating over the South China Sea, according to a flight chart posted to Twitter by the military air movement tracker Aircraft Spots.

Taiwanese military spokesman Shih Shun-wen () did not directly confirm the sighting, except to say Taiwan's armed forces are closely monitoring the country's surrounding waters and airspace.

American military aircraft have been reported in the skies around Taiwan 12 times since March 25. By comparison, Chinese military aircraft were spotted at least six times since Jan. 23, according to publicly available information from Aircraft Spots and Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND).

On Monday, Chinese Navy spokesman Gao Xiucheng () confirmed media reports that the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and several escort ships passed through the Miyaki Strait and waters east of Taiwan on Saturday, en route to the South China Sea for annual training exercises.

Su Tzu-yun (), an analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said Sunday that China has expanded its maritime and air presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

"This is probably the main reason U.S. reconnaissance planes have recently been spotted operating near the Bashi Channel, to monitor the movements of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the area," Su said.

Taiwanese analysts have also said the two sides are likely using the frequent appearances to signal their continued commitment to the region, despite the challenges both countries have had in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

(By Matt Yu and Matthew Mazzetta)

Enditem/ls

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A Russian jet flew within 25 feet of a US surveillance plane during an 'unsafe' maneuver at high-speed over the Mediterranean Sea.

A Kremlin SU-35 carried out an 'inverted' intercept on a US P-8A Poseidon aircraft that lasted 42 minutes yesterday, according to the US Navy.

According to the statement one of the Navy's aircraft was intercepted by the Russian jet while flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea.

It was claimed by the Navy that its aircraft 'was operating consistent with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity' when it was approached by the jet.

A Russian fighter jet intercepted a US aircraft over international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday (pictured Russian SU-35's in a file image)

A US P-8A Poseidon aircraft (picture above in a file image) was involved in an 'unsafe' inverted maneuver by a Russian SU-35

The US Navy said the smaller Russian jet flew 'unsafe' and at 'a high-speed, inverted maneuver', 25 feet directly in front of the American aircraft, although it is not clear which direction the plane was travelling at the time

The Navy's 6th Fleet, which is based in Gaeta on Italy's western coast, described the incident as 'irresponsible'.

It said in a statement: 'The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed, inverted maneuver, 25 feet directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk.

'The crew of the P-8A reported wake turbulence following the interaction. The duration of the intercept was approximately 42 minutes.

'While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible.

'We expect them to behave within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents.'

The crew of the P-8A Poseidon was said to have experienced 'wake turbulence' during the inverted maneuver.

The Navy's 6th Fleet is based in Gaeta on Italy's western coast and Russia has a base at the Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia, in Hmeimim. The interception happened over international airspace in the Mediterranean

F-22 stealth jets intercepted four Russian bombers and two Russian Su-35 fighter jets off the coast of Alaska and four Russian Tupolev Tu-95 bombers (one shown above)

A Russian SU-35 jet performed a similar maneuver towards a P-8A Poseidon over the Mediterranean Sea in June 2019.

The jet 'dangerously buzzed' the US aircraft three times over three hours and conducted a pass directly in front of it.

Officials from the 6th Fleet said at the time that the US plane was not trying to bait or 'provoke this Russian activity', adding again that the stunt was 'irresponsible'.

The recent encounter comes as Russia performed another provocative test on Wednesday by firing an anti-satellite missile, according to US Space Command.

Russia's missile system is capable of destroying satellites in low Earth orbit and comes on the heels of Russia's on-orbit testing the US highlighted in February, the statement said.

Gen. John W. 'Jay' Raymond, USSPACECOM commander and US Space Force Chief of Space Operations, said the US will defend itself against 'hostile acts in space'.

He said in statement: 'The United States is ready and committed to deterring aggression and defending the Nation, our allies and US interests from hostile acts in space.

'This test is further proof of Russia's hypocritical advocacy of outer space arms control proposals designed to restrict the capabilities of the United States while clearly having no intention of halting their counterspace weapons programs.

'Space is critical to all nations and our way of life. The demands on space systems continue in this time of crisis where global logistics, transportation and communication are key to defeating the COVID-19 pandemic.

'It is a shared interest and responsibility of all space-faring nations to create safe, stable and operationally sustainable conditions for space activities, including commercial, civil and national security activities,' Raymond added.

Russian and Chinese anti-satellite weapons were cited as one of the reasons for the US to create a Space Force to defend its equipment.
PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- For the first time in the citys history, Pepper Pike City Council, due to coronavirus concerns, held a virtual meeting using the Zoom app. While some area councils have held meetings in which some members have been at city hall and others online, all members of Wednesdays (April 15) Pepper Pike meeting took part remotely.

For its first virtual meeting, the agenda was light. Council unanimously passed the only piece of legislation on the agenda, a piece calling for Pepper Pike to participate in the Ohio Department of Transportations winter contract for road salt so that a bulk purchase of 3,400 tons can be made later this year.

As expected, the remainder of the meeting was taken up with discussions of the coronavirus and how it has affected -- and will affect -- city operations. Each department head went over procedures that have been undertaken in the past month, since March 2, when Mayor Richard Bain closed CIty Hall to public traffic.

With many people throughout the country out of work or furloughed due to the virus, all cities are expecting financial difficulties to come. Like many communities, because the economy was strong just prior to the virus shuttering-in much of the countrys workforce, Pepper Pike had been expecting healthy tax returns through March. That expectation was fulfilled.

Finance Director Joseph Brodzinski said, in his update to council: "We are right on board with real estate taxes -- actually ahead of budget. And income tax, through March, we are ahead $230,000 to $232,000.

"Obviously, things will start to change with the shutdown of non-essential businesses, as well as the delay of the (income) tax (returns), not due until July (15).

Ive been working with RITA (Regional Income Tax Agency)," he said. "RITAs working on putting together an estimate of how they think its going to impact us. The negative to their estimate is that its going to be a generic estimate thats going to be across all of their (more than 300 Ohio) communities, which I dont think really applies to Pepper Pike.

(Pepper Pike) is not a community thats heavy in retail, (or) heavy in restaurants, so its going to be different for us, he said.

Approximately 50 percent of our tax dollars come in from individuals, 43 percent come in from withholding, so were going to have see as it goes forward how its going to actually play out, but obviously were going to stay on top of it.

Bain said he was on a two-hour phone call Wednesday with approximately 130 mayors that make up a large portion of the Ohio Municipal League.

The universal agreement (among mayors) was we need to just see how this plays out over the next few months, because no one knows what they dont know at this point, Bain said. We dont know when things will restart, how fast theyll restart, and just what the new look is going to be.

Brodzinski said Pepper Pike will also likely take a loss when it comes to receiving money from the states Local Government Funds. He said the city has already received $15,000 in LGF and that he has budgeted for the city to receive $50,000.

So,he said, even if we dont receive another dime, its only a $35,000 hit.

Bain said he also spoke on the phone with Kimberly Murnieks of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, who told him that, in early returns, Ohio has experienced an overall 10.5 percent drop in revenues.

But in the next month, Bain said, "its going to become much more dramatic.

But, thats for all of Ohio, Bain said, noting Brodzinkis comments that Pepper Pikes revenues are different from those of many other Ohio communities.

Meanwhile, Fire Chief John Frazier was asked if the department has transported COVID-19-positive patients to the hospital.

Weve transferred COVID patients, theres no question about that, Frazier said. Everyone now is considered to be COVID-positive, so we treat every patient (assuming) as if they were COVID-positive.

Since the stay-at-home order, weve transferred 50 patients, which is actually low. A lot of people are choosing not to go to the hospital, so those numbers are actually down, he said. "That seems to be a trend. People are preferring to stay out of the hospital.

Bain spoke favorably about the states leadership during the crisis.

Its Dr. (Amy) Acton (that) this state is very, very fortunate to have on the front line, Bain said, referring to the Ohio director of health.

Bain restated many of his comments from the meeting about Acton and Gov. Mike DeWine in an email he sent out later Wednesday night to residents.

We are fortunate to have her (Actons) calm voice explaining the daunting reality, Bain said in the email. It is critical that we maintain those efforts and continue to drive down the curve, which reflects the rate by which new infection and cases are being reported in Ohio and elsewhere.

Dr Acton has told us to expect to wear masks for the next year, at least, Bain wrote. "She asks we understand that this threat does not diminish until a vaccine is available, perhaps a year and half from now.

Testing will remain imperative in the meantime. We still need to get those available. This is a time requiring we trust in the epidemiologists and the data they provide. It is difficult to comprehend, but we are instructed that we are merely at the end of the beginning, with a long way to go.

As difficult as that is to accept and internalize, it seems this pandemic is not about the next two weeks, it is more about the next two years," he wrote.

"As Dr. Acton poses the issue, the question is not when will it end. The right question is how will we learn to continue and deal with this ongoing reality. That is the general societal question. It is also the challenge for each of us.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.
The combined entrance examination for eligible candidates following an Army recruitment drive has been postponed till further orders in view of the prevailing conditions due to COVID-19.

The examination was scheduled for April 26.

A notification by Headquarters Recruiting Zone, Southern Command, Pune, said that Combined Entrance Examination was scheduled for the eligible candidates on April 26, 2020 after recruitment drive at Beed District from February 3 to February 14 this year.

In view of the prevailing conditions due to threat of COVID 19, it has been postponed till further orders, the notification said.

It said admit cards for the examination have not been issued to any candidate and these will be issued once new orders on the subject are received from the Army headquarters.

The notification said that the candidates are required to monitor their respective email I-D which is registered with Join Indian Army website during initial registration and should not fall in trap of any confusion, rumours or touts.
Representative Image

Oil rose on Thursday, with U.S. crude rebounding from near-20-year lows in the previous session on hopes that a big build-up in U.S. inventories may mean producers have little option but to deepen output cuts as the coronavirus pandemic ravages demand.

Brent crude was up 69 cents, or 2.5%, at $28.38 a barrel by 0102 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up 56 cents, or 2.8%, at $20.43.

With official data showing U.S. inventories surging the most on record, WTI fell on Wednesday to its lowest since February 2002, with Brent slumping more than 6%.

The figures followed a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that forecast oil demand would fall by 29 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, to the lowest in 25 years, and just below 30% of global demand before the coronavirus outbreak.

That number is well above production cuts in the pipeline. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allied producers including Russia, a grouping known OPEC+, have agreed to reduce output by 9.7 million bpd, while hoped-for cuts of another 10 million bpd from other countries including the United States could lower production by 20 million bpd.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

"The massive storage build, as counterintuitive as it sounds, did provide some price support as the build foreshadows that more wellhead closures are just around the corner, which effectively trims U.S. supply," said Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at AxiCorp.

Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said U.S. production is expected to slump by 470,000 bpd.

Some countries have also committed to increasing purchases of oil for their strategic stockpiles, but there are physical limits to how much oil can be bought.

The "use of strategic petroleum reserves in China, India, South Korea, and the U.S. could add about 200 million barrels of temporary storage, but this only buys a few months of wiggle room," said Innes.

Further cuts to production will be required "to avoid another collapse in oil prices," he said.
The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and the AAP government to respond to a man's plea seeking permission to transport his critically ill wife to Chennai by air ambulance for cancer treatment.

Justice Rekha Palli listed the matter for hearing on Thursday on the limited aspect of permission for travel to Chennai and sought the Centre's stand on it.

The court said the other relief sought by the man for reimbursement of the cost of treatment at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in Chennai would be considered later.

He had sought reimbursement of the treatment costs under the Delhi government employees health scheme of which he is a member.

During the hearing on Monday, the man told the court that his wife, who is suffering from carcinoma, has been advised proton therapy at the hospital in Chennai and he had forwarded to the Delhi government all the details, including estimated costs, for grant of requisite permission for the treatment.

However, as he received no response, he had to approach the court, he said.

He also told the court that as his wife needs the treatment at the earliest, he is willing to travel to Chennai and bear the therapy costs, but it should be reimbursed later in accordance with the health scheme rules.

The Delhi government, represented by its additional standing counsel Gautam Narayan, told the court that it will endeavour to expeditiously process his request, in accordance with the rules, within one week from Monday.

The court gave Delhi government a week's time to file its reply on the aspect of reimbursement of the treatment costs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Putting a family member in a nursing home or other long-term facility is always tough. But doing it during a global pandemic is even harder.

COVID-19 has hit senior living facilities especially hard -- older people are more at risk for serious complications with the virus and people in these facilities live in close quarters.

At least 32 people in Oregon at senior care homes have died from the disease, making up over half of the states death toll.

Still, sometimes it is impossible to delay moving an adult into professional care.

We talked to experts to find out what families need to know before transitioning loved ones into long-term care. Here is their advice.

Do your research

All the research you would have done before placing someone into care before the pandemic still applies, said Peter Wilhelm, owner of Assisted Living Locators in Portland.

Wilhelm suggests looking at the Oregon Department of Human Services website to check on any facility you might be considering.

I often find its a comfort, he said, to just really load up on facts.

Know what to look for

Most of the time putting a family member into a facility is not an elective procedure, said Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, a professor of general internal medicine and geriatrics at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine.

While she acknowledged that right now is an especially difficult time to put a family member into someone elses care, she said many facilities were following tight regulations.

They are really working very very hard not to get infections in the facility, she said.

To make sure the facility you are considering is staying safe, know what to look for.

First, Wilhelm said, ask if they have had any cases of COVID-19, either in residents or staff.

Eckstrom said you should also make sure the facility had a station where they were screening staff, asking about coughs and taking temperatures.

Both Eckstrom and Wilhelm said to ask the facility if they had plenty of personal protective equipment.

And its important not just to ask about the immediate virus reduction steps a facility is taking, but to find out how that facility is helping residents stay connected to the outside world and stay active.

Are you doing exercise classes on the televisions set for everybody? is one question Eckstrom suggests.

Do they have facility staff who are taking the time to ensure that people stay connected? is another.

Dont let a loved one be a carrier of the virus

Do everything you can to make sure that your family member doesnt bring it in, Eckstrom said.

If youve had a cough and youve been visiting your loved one, make sure they dont have it before going into care.

Set reasonable expectations

When a family member enters care, know you may not see them for a long time, for their protection.

It is also important to have serious conversations with them and your family about the very real risks of COVID-19.

For an older, high-risk person who gets the virus, Eckstrom said, Going to the hospital and being put on a ventilator probably wont save their life.

Instead, it may be better for a sick individual to be cared for in their residence, where they can remain comfortable and possibly still interact with family.

And in the worst-case scenario, she said, Lets make sure the community is ready to care for you there through end of life. If you do get it and you happen to get a severe case, lets have a plan in place right now.

Once youve made your decision, trust youve done the right thing

We recognize just how challenging this is and theres no right answer, Eckstrom said, so you have to do what you think will work best and not second guess yourself.

Both Eckstrom and Wilhelm said they had mainly seen facilities work hard to protect staff and residents and do their best to keep everyone comfortable and safe.

Trust in the system, Wilhelm said. Trust in the professionals that are within the system, whether its at the state level or the management of any given community.

Allow yourself to feel scared and worried

Ultimately, they both said that choosing to put a family member in long-term care was a challenge that was only made more difficult by the crisis.

Be kind to yourself, they said. Allow it to be hard.

Its really hard to move a family member into long term care in the first place, Eckstrom said, and if you add on this whole crisis of COVID, its overwhelming.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
The comedian got serious about rent relief on his Instagram. Photo: Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Michael Che extended some kindness to his grandmas neighbors to honor her after she died from the coronavirus earlier this month. The Saturday Night Live head writer pledged to cover rent for every tenant in his grandmothers New York City Housing Authority building this month. Its crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many New Yorkers cant even work, Che posted on Instagram, not Instagram Stories  a rare occurrence. Obviously, I cant offer much help by myself. But in the spirit and memory of my late grandmother, Im paying one months rent for all 160 apartments in the NYCHA building she lived in. I know thats just a drop in the bucket. So I really hope the city has a better plan for debt forgiveness for all the people in public housing, AT THE VERY LEAST.

He finished by asking New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo to page him, saying, Lets fix this! Ches grandma, Martha, died on April 5, according to a since-deleted, heartfelt post on his Instagram, where he still managed to crack a few jokes. The comedian has found his own unique ways to celebrate her life. Just last Saturday, on SNLs first remotely produced show, Che signed off of Weekend Update as Marthas grandbaby.




President Mnangagwa yesterday expressed concern over increases almost daily in Covid-19 confirmed cases, a development which makes it crucial for the corporate world to continue assisting Government in all ways possible to fight the pandemic.





The President said this while launching the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Call and Data Centre that was sponsored by Innscor Africa and Liquid Telecom.





The call centre, which is located in Newlands, Harare, is a helpline that can be accessed by all Zimbabweans to get information relating to Covid-19 and any other factual Government information.





It (Covid-19) has just begun to attack Zimbabwe and the spike is beginning to show an upward trend in our country. Yes, we introduced a lockdown some two weeks ago but we are realising now that the pandemic is now more serious than at the time we introduced the lockdown, he said.





President Mnangagwa applauded Innscor Africa and Liquid Telecom for heeding Government calls to come forward and support the fight against Covid-19.





Said the President: You are not only serving Government but your brothers and sisters, mother, your father, your uncle and niece is being assisted. I wish that many other entities countrywide in the private sector, in the public sector are able to do anything small or big to contribute towards the fight against this pandemic. I am happy that many people across this country are coming forward with resources to assist us and support our frontline soldiers  the doctors and the nurses.





As a result of the call and data centre, President Mnangagwa said all Zimbabweans could now call on the helpline 2023 and seek assistance.





He said on that helpline, people could access information that all countries are receiving as guided by the World Health Organisation.





As I launch this, it is at an early stage but I believe as we move on, the more we speak about it on television, on radio and in newspapers, I believe that more and more of our people will get to know about this facility and possibly in future there may be need for you to expand the facility here, said the President.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the helpline would provide a free and easy platform for citizens to get factual answers to questions they might have, not just related to Covid-19, but any other issue that impacts their lives especially under this lockdown.





They will be timeously informed of the interventions that are being made by Government. Information is now a free phone call away. Any Zimbabwean from the four corners of our 10 provinces can access it. It will also provide a quick, fast check platform . This is actually a good platform where citizens can easily check whether information they have heard is factual or fake. This centre will decongest the clinical Ministry of Health and Child Care health care centre helpline by providing an alternative platform for non-clinical inquiries.





Meanwhile, Innscor Africa Limited and Liquid Telecom later handed over 30 tonnes of roller meal to President Mnangagwa at State House to be distributed to frontline health workers after the launch of the call and data centre. The handover ceremony was witnessed by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.





Innscor Africa chief executive officer Mr Julian Schonken handed over the maize meal to President Mnangagwa.





This is one of the gestures we have made to assist our frontline staff because we know they are working very hard every day, Mr Schonken said.





Receiving the maize meal donation, President Mnangagwa said: On behalf of Government and my own behalf I would like to thank Innscor Africa and Liquid Telecom who have contributed a lot in our endeavour to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.They have given us 30 tonnes of roller meal to give to our frontline workers and it means 3 000 of them will get a packet each.




The US state department claimed China might have secretly conducted small nuclear tests, effectively violating international agreements banning such tests.

The State Department reported is concerned the Chinese government may have performed low-yield nuclear tests underground. A report published earlier Wednesday cited an array of results and circumstantial evidence, including excavations and other activities at China's Lop Nur test site.

The report also found China conducting the tests using low explosive power. It claimed they were using explosive containment chambers and hiding nuclear testing activities. Officials said the Chine government maintained a high level of activity at the site, possibly leading to a year-round operation.

While the report did not provide any concrete evidence, it still raised red flags.

The US government could not determine whether or not China shut down its biological warfare program primarily due to a lack of transparency.

The US defense intelligence agency threw similar accusations to Russia the previous year, but the allegations were never confirmed.

Republic Senator Tom Cotton urged the Trump administration to break free from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which serves as a moratorium on nuclear testing.

On Twitter, Cotton claimed Beijing is working to modernize its nuclear arsenal. "China has proven it can't work with us honestly," he said.

The Chinese Communist Party's conducting covert nuclear tests is yet another reason to unsign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. https://t.co/xH7SAedwn7  Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) April 15, 2020

Coronavirus Controversy

The Chinese government has been under fire over its poor handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. The US intelligence and national security officials are now investigating the possibility that the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory. Chinese officials initially claimed it originated in a local wet market known for selling exotic animals as food.

The probe comes after it was discovered China released a central government directive restricting the publication of all academic research related to COVID-19 and its origins.

According to an online notice published by a Chinese institution, all written research and reports about the novel coronavirus must be classified and strictly managed. All papers will be reviewed by a committee who will then determine if they should be published locally or internationally.

The directive requires all papers to be vetted to three layers. They must gain approval from academic committees at universities, then from the Education Ministry's science and technology department, and lastly to the State Council. Researchers will be notified via email whether or not they can submit to journals.

The leaked notice further fueled multiple theories being pursued by investigators who are attempting to uncover where the virus originated amid the pandemic. The US reiterates it does not believe the virus was a bioweapon.

Intelligence officials are reportedly investigating the theory that the virus originated in a laboratory near the Wuhan market and was accidentally released to the public. Two Chinese researchers first presented the explosive theory. Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson later echoed the sentiment.

Most experts who were interviewed discounted the theory, saying there wasn't enough evidence to support it. The Chinese government also denied the speculation.

However, Dr. Richard Ebright, a chemical biology professor, and bioweapons experts, said the theory is possible and should not be dismissed.

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By Laurence Frost PARIS (Reuters) - Ryanair is steeling for an airline price war that it expects to win once coronavirus restrictions are lifted and passengers flock back to tourist destinations, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told Reuters on Wednesday.

By Laurence Frost

PARIS (Reuters) - Ryanair is steeling for an airline price war that it expects to win once coronavirus restrictions are lifted and passengers flock back to tourist destinations, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told Reuters on Wednesday.

Brushing off forecasts of a sluggish recovery, O'Leary predicted a swift traffic rebound, with the pain coming instead from "massive price-dumping" that traditional airlines now seeking bailouts would struggle to keep up with.

His bullish outlook puts the Ryanair boss at odds with peers such as Lufthansa and analysts who see a return to 2019 traffic only around 2023-4. Plane manufacturers and airline body IATA have also warned of a slow recovery from the pandemic.

O'Leary also voiced dismay at the multibillion-euro aid packages sought by Lufthansa and Air France-KLM and said Ryanair was appealing against EU-approved French tax breaks that exclude airlines registered in other European states.

An Air France-KLM spokeswoman declined to comment.

Ryanair assumes European flights will stay grounded until a "limited" resumption in June, O'Leary said. After that, a resurgence of intra-European travel will be driven by steep discounts on last-minute holidays in July-August.

"Lots of people across northern Europe have been locked up in apartments," he said. "They will all want to go on holiday before the kids go back to school as long as they can do so in reasonable safety."

Ryanair backs anti-coronavirus measures including masks and temperature checks for passengers and crew, while rejecting calls for planes to fly one-third empty.

Before too long, "volumes will be back on a normal footing but on lower pricing" O'Leary predicted. "The minute we're about to start flying again we'll start doing seat sales, and so will every other airline."

But a low-cost model and robust balance sheet make Ryanair better prepared for a fare-slashing recovery, with pricing unlikely to improve before next year, he added.

BUMPER 2021

"Whether it's 9.99 euros, 4.99, 1.99 or 99 cents per seat, we almost don't care - our critical thing in the short term isn't to make money, it will be to get our pilots and cabin crew back flying and the aircraft back in the air," he said.

For Ryanair, nonetheless, "2021 has every prospect of being a bumper year in terms of earnings," O'Leary also predicted. "Pricing might be lower but oil prices will be lower" and airports will cut charges to encourage traffic growth.

Sounding another discordant note amid the coronavirus gloom, he said the summer of 2021 had huge potential as holidaymakers make up for the previous year's thwarted plans.

O'Leary said he planned to hold onto all existing Boeing 737 MAX jet orders and even dangled the prospect of adding more of the currently grounded planes - and repeating a Ryanair habit of buying when demand and prices are low.

"I don't think there are that many airlines out there at the moment looking to order more aircraft," he said. "I would think the pricing would be pretty keen in the next 12 months."

O'Leary said he expected Boeing to resume 737 MAX production in the second half of 2020, with the first of 135 MAX jets on order likely to reach Ryanair in late 2020 or early 2021.

(Reporting by Laurence Frost; Additional reporting by Conor Humphries in Dublin, Sarah Young in London and Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Mark Potter)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
As we begin to look for the light at the end of the tunnel, Cook County is using an equity lens, grounded in data, to make sure that our path to recovery is equitable and accessible to all of our residents  regardless of race, ZIP code, income or documentation status  because that is our moral responsibility, Preckwinkle said.
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Nairobi, April 16, 2020  Somali authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye and guarantee that the media can cover and comment on the COVID-19 pandemic without facing jail time, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On April 14, police arrested Abdiaziz, an editor and deputy director of the privately owned Goobjoog Media Group, after he responded to a summons to appear at the Hodan Police Station in Mogadishu, the capital, according to Goobjoog director Hassan Mohamud, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app, and a statement by the Somali Journalists Syndicate, a local press rights group.

Yesterday, Abdiaziz appeared in a Mogadishu court, where state prosecutors alleged that he had spread false news and offended the honor of the president, according to one of his lawyers, Mohamed Genboon, and Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, secretary general of the Federation of Somali Journalists, another local press rights group, both of whom attended the hearing and spoke to CPJ via messaging app.

The accusations stemmed from Facebook posts Abdiaziz made on his personal page and on Gurbiye Official, a page that he manages, in which he alleged the government had mismanaged its COVID-19 response, and criticized President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo, according to Moalimuu and Hassan. On the two pages, which each have about 10,000 followers, the journalist posts a mix of original reporting and commentary, and also shares content originally published by Goobjoog.

Mohamed Genboon told CPJ that authorities did not produce a formal charge sheet against the journalist and said Abdiaziz was sent to Mogadishu Central Prison yesterday pending an investigation into the case.

Every moment that Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye remains detained sends the message that there is no room for critical reporting or commentary on the COVID-19 outbreak in Somalia, said CPJ sub-Saharan Africa Representative Muthoki Mumo. Somali authorities should immediately and unconditionally free Abdiaziz, and cease reacting to criticism by throwing journalists behind bars.

Hassan said that he accompanied Abdiaziz to the police station in response to the summons on April 14, and that police showed them a court warrant for the journalists arrest and took him into custody.

The warrant, which CPJ reviewed, was issued in response to a complaint by the attorney general alleging that Abdiaziz contravened a section of Somalias penal code that makes it a crime, punishable with up to three years in jail, to offend the honor or prestige of the head of state or blame him for government actions.

Yesterday in court, the prosecution cited Abdiazizs Facebook posts and further accused him of contravening sections of the law stipulating up to six months in prison for the publication of false news, and up to a year prison for offending authorities by damaging official posters, according to Mohamed Genboon and Moalimuu. The prosecution also accused him of violating a section of the penal code on international reciprocity for crimes committed against foreign heads of state, but did not clarify how Abdiaziz was alleged to have contravened that section, Mohamed Genboon and Moalimuu said.

Mohamed Genboon told CPJ that the court rejected Abdiazizs bail application and said the journalists lawyers were filing applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court hearing the case and the judge who issued the arrest warrant.

CPJ reviewed two of Abdiazizs Facebook posts, both published on Gurbiye Official and his personal account on April 13. One of the posts alleges that the president had taken away a ventilator donated to a local hospital. The second alleges a lack of drugs at the same local hospital and corruption on the part of public officials.

In a phone call, Ismael Mukhtar Omar, the spokesperson of Somalias Ministry of Information, referred CPJ to the police for comment on the case. Deputy Police Commissioner Zakia Hussein Ahmed did not answer phone calls from CPJ or respond to text messages.

In texts sent via messaging application yesterday, presidential spokesperson Abdinur Mohamed told CPJ that the presidency had not instituted any complaint against Abdiaziz and, citing the independence of other state organs, declined to comment substantively on the case.

CPJ called, emailed, and texted Attorney General Suleiman Mohamed Mohamud and Muse Moalim Mohamed, chairman of the Banadir Regional Court, but did not receive any responses.
Here is a list of stocks that will remain in focus today. (Image: PTI)

Wipro | Software services provider, Wipro, has reported a 6.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) fall in its consolidated profit at Rs 2,326.1 crore for the quarter ended March 2020. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

TCS | The IT major will release its March quarter scorecard on April 16. Industry experts and brokerages expect the IT major to release a subdued set of numbers. The estimates of Kotak Institutional Equities show TCS' CC (constant currency) revenue growth of 0.6 percent QoQ and 4.9 percent YoY. (Image: Moneycontrol)

IndusInd Bank | Goldman Sachs Singapore Pte picked up shares worth over Rs 176 crore through an open market transaction.

Bajaj Auto | The company has proposed a 10 percent pay cut for factory employees if production does no resume on April 21. (Image: Reuters)

India Cements | CARE has revised ratings on the company's long-term bank facilities and non-convertible debentures as 'CARE A-' from 'CARE A'. The outlook remained 'stable'. On the short-term bank facilities, the revised rating is 'CARE A2+' from 'CARE A1' earlier. (Image: PTI)

Essel Propack | The company has appointed Sudhanshu Vats as Managing Director & CEO of the company w.e.f. April 16, 2020. (Image: esselpropack.com)

JSW Energy | Brickwork Ratings India has reaffirmed its ratings of 'BWR A1+' on commercial papers of the company. (Image: jsw.in)

Seshasayee Paper | The collector of Namakkal District has given permission to the company to recommence its operations at Erode unit. (Image: PTI)

Endurance Technologies | Italy arm buys 99 percent share in Adler SpA for 3.5 million

Motherson Sumi Systems | India Ratings has placed company's long-term issuer rating of AAA on Rating Watch Negative with a stable outlook.

Tata Steel | S&P Global has lowered the rating to 'B+' with a negative outlook. It expects COVID-19 related disruptions and the consequent economic slowdown to adversely impact the steel maker.

Navin Fluorine | Company has resumed operations at its facilities Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh from 14 April after obtaining requisite permissions.

Punjab & Sind Bank | Bank will raise up to Rs 1500 crore through equity and preferential issue of shares.

Eveready Industries | Company has resumed partial operations at its battery manufacturing facility at Maddur in Karnataka, after obtaining permission from the concerned authorities.

Dr Dr Reddy's Labs | Company in early stages of creating generic copy of remdesivir, the experimental drug developed by Gilead thats said to have improved the condition of critically ill COVID-19 patients in a multicountry trial.
As might be expected, Pres. Trumps audacity in speaking out in support of the hydroxychloroquine treatment for coronavirus was more than enough to set off his critics among the liberal Democrats and liberal media Trumps hopeful remarks were made only days ago but, since then, the American left, especially the media, has engaged in a rabid campaign against hydroxychloroquine even though they have no real basis for such a reaction. That is, the drugs medical efficacy -- which many physicians all over the world have been endorsing because of safe use -- is clearly an issue beyond the technical competence of the mainstream media establishment. This suggests an ulterior motive. What could it be? The possibilities:

(1) Maybe the liberal mainstream media is honorably motivated, for once. Perhaps they sincerely believe  though without apparent justification -- that the drug is too dangerous and would do more harm than good. But if driven by genuine, humane concern, surely even the most lightweight media stars would have noticed the contemporary efficacy reports about hydroxychloroquines relief of coronavirus along with absence of serious side-effects. They have seen news of the same favorable clinical results the rest of us have. The media (or real doctors) could argue insufficient medical cost-benefit ratio, but the danger-to-health hysteria is not supported by evidence. Moreover, the coronavirus-hydroxychloroquine issue is in or near right-to-try and nothing to lose territory, so there is little realistic downside for prescribing the treatment -- as verified by physician behavior. The honorable media hypothesis therefore does not add up, is internally incoherent, and can be discounted.

(2) The liberal Democrat media could possibly be afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome so severely that they can no longer think straight. Although conceivable, even the angriest CNN and MSNBC celebs or the ones with lowest SAT scores should sense, by instinct if nothing else, the non-viability of their jihad against hydroxychloroquine. Even lower life-forms can tell when they are too far out on a limb, as the lib-Dem media are on hydroxychloroquine. Even the medias reptilian-type collective brain can discern a threat to self-preservation. What if the drug works? What if it works as well as it appears to be working? That outcome would leave the lib-Dem media humiliated, with the meager remnants of their credibility in shambles. Too risky, therefore not a good bet, so an unlikely answer because the lefty medias actions are contrary to their own self-interest -- with perception of that interest such a low bar that even media hacks can meet it.

(3) Recognizing the cognitive capacity of any sentient human, even mainstream media organisms can see and hear the numerous reports of hydroxychloroquine success, as stipulated. Yet they still advocate desperately against its use, with obvious morbid and mortal potential consequences. The liberal mainstream media is, frankly, trying to scare Americans into not using or allowing the use of hydroxychloroquine treatment. (New York governor Andrew Cuomo has even restricted its use in his state.) They pursue this gambit despite the corresponding lethal implications.

Although the danger of judging motives in discourse is well-established and noted, therefore only adduced as a last resort, we may be at a juncture when such a judgment is indicated, by process of elimination. The lib-Dem media can perceive the recklessness of their practice of medicine without a license. Even now the balance of extant evidence is cautiously in support of hydroxychloroquine -- based on mass medical use, not this observers unqualified opinion. The media know full well that scaring people away from using an effective medical treatment can cause fatal consequences. That, apparently, is their intention because they aggressively perpetrate cynical scare tactics nonetheless. Perhaps they despise Trump so much that they relish the prospect of more American coronavirus fatalities, just to damage the President. The liberal Democrat media are playing politics, deadly politics, with a national emergency.

Severe criticism, yes, but still mild compared to the way the left groundlessly calls Donald Trump a mass murderer. Recall how the lib-Dems regularly accuse their opponents of what they, themselves, are doing (e.g., collusion with Russia) -- and now they accuse Pres. Trump of wanting to kill people. Logical analysis points in the opposite direction.

Politics is everything to the lib-Dems because big government is everything to them. Their sordid, grisly conduct during the current phase of the coronavirus crisis seems to align with that maxim, and also confirms the worst suspicions about their nature. It is past time to call them on it.

The authors professional specialization is social power and conflict. He is a long-time registered Democrat -- and long-time registered Republican -- intermittently, not sequentially or simultaneously, which should dispatch any erroneous impression of partisanship.
Police have issued a fresh appeal for information on the first anniversary of the murder of Lyra McKee.

A senior detective has offered anonymity to anyone who may be able to help the police investigation to catch the killer.

The 29-year-old journalist was shot dead in the Creggan area of Londonderry by dissident republican group the New IRA while observing clashes with police.

Expand Close A mural of Lyra McKee in Belfast city centre (David Young/PA) PA / Facebook

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A year on, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has sent letters to those living close to where she was killed urging them to bring any new information forward to detectives.

Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy has offered anonymity to anyone who may be able to help the police investigation.

While this appeal for information is being distributed by the police, it is also a direct appeal from the McKee family for help in getting justice for Lyra, he said.

The community as a whole was devastated by Lyras murder. Condemnation of her killing was unequivocal.

That condemnation brought support for the communitys response from countries across the world.

In the letter, Mr Murphy asks for mobile phone footage or photographs from the night, as well as requesting to speak to anyone who was present and can identify those involved in the disorder and has first-hand evidence relating to the events which preceded or followed Lyras murder.

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He has also asked for help to recover the gun that killed the young journalist.



We have made the public portal available again, so that you can contact us discreetly. Log onto https://mipp.police.uk from your mobile, tablet, laptop or other device, he said.

We do not need to keep your mobile phone or device  we are only interested in downloading the videos or images of that night. Please tell us what you know. If you want to speak to me directly, let me know via the MIPP application, email me at jason.murphy@psni.pnn.police.uk or ring me via 101.

Mr Murphy added: For the purposes of this investigation, I will offer anonymity to those who wish to talk to us.

All I am looking for is a conversation. Thats it. I know that individuals may be struggling with their conscience, either about footage they have or information they know.

We can help with that. Talk to us. Ease your conscience and help us resolve a small part of the nightmare that the McKee family live through every single day.
However, Smith added, his absence is really quite shocking during a time in which Cameroon has experienced the most cases and deaths due to the coronavirus in all of Central Africa.


U.S. banks have a huge opportunity to emerge from the coronavirus as "heroes" and "good guys," a fund manager told CNBC on Wednesday.

Speaking to CNBC's "Street Signs Europe," Nick Ford, co-manager of the U.S. Opportunities Fund and U.S. Smaller Companies Fund at Premier Miton Investors, said there was a "big silver lining" for lenders, despite the pandemic piling pressure on their operations.

"Bear in mind that banks are the transmission for the systems getting money to people in difficulty," he said. "I think there's a huge opportunity for the U.S. banking system to come out of this as very much the good guys  as the heroes."

Ford acknowledged that banks were entering "a very difficult period," with the impending economic downturn as a result of the pandemic likely to put pressure on credit card and loan repayments. However, he said lenders would be well-positioned after the crisis if they worked with authorities to help ensure vital funds made it to small firms and consumers that needed them.

"If they can work through the problems they've been having with the SBA (Small Business Administration) in actually getting money to small businesses and consumers, and perhaps be a lot more compassionate in terms of forbearance, forgiving late payments and payments on loans, they can come out of this looking very, very good," he told CNBC.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: Google said Wednesday it will launch an emergency fund to help local news outlets struggling to maintain operations in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

The internet giant gave no specific figure for its fund, but said it would offer grants ranging from the "low thousands of dollars" for the smallest operations to "low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms."

The move comes with the media sector facing deep cutbacks resulting from the global consumer lockdown, an intense economic slump and a retrenchment in advertising revenues that many news outlets depend on.

"Local news is a vital resource for keeping people and communities connected in the best of times," Google News vice president Richard Gingras said in a statement.

"Today, it plays an even greater function in reporting on local lockdowns or shelter at home orders, school and park closures, and data about how COVID-19 is affecting daily life."

Gingras said the fund will open to outlets "producing original news for local communities during this time of crisis," with applications due by April 29.

"At the end of the process, we'll announce who has received funding and how publishers are spending the money," he said.

"We believe it is important to do what we can to alleviate the financial pressures on newsrooms, and will continue to look at other ways to help with more to announce soon."

The New York Times has estimated that news outlets have cut 28,000 jobs as a result of the health crisis and subsequent economic impact.

Other outlets have furloughed journalists or announced pay cuts.

Facebook on March 30 said it was donating $100 million to support news organizations globally hurting from the coronavirus pandemic. This includes $25 million in grants and ramped up ad spending by the social media giant.

In recent months Facebook and Google have stepped up efforts to help news organizations, following criticism that their dominance of online advertising has made it difficult for media to profit from digital operations.
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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 16:53 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2559b6 1 Business Indonesia,aviation,aircraft-ground-handling,Ground-Handling-Companies-AGHI,COVID-19,layoffs,rescue-efforts Free

Indonesias aircraft ground-handling companies have asked for a rescue package from the government to keep them afloat as business has come to a virtual standstill as a result of the harsh impact of COVID-19 on the countrys aviation business.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Ground-Handling Companies (AGHI), Ida Pangelingsir Agung Putra Sukahet, said demand for aircraft ground-handling had plunged sharply during the past two months as most airlines had cut their flight frequency or even suspended their operations.

The number of flights that are handled by ground-handling companies has dropped by 80 percent due to travel restrictions globally, which have forced airlines to reduce flights or stop operations for an unknown period of time, he said in an official statement on Monday.

Ground-handling companies generally employ many people as they provide a wide range of services not only to airlines but also airport operators. The services include aircraft ground-handling, cargo and warehouse handling, passenger and baggage handling, airport assistance, aviation security, airbridge operation and other aircraft servicing at airports.

With the current business situation, the AGHI said about 20,000 workers in the ground-handling business across Indonesia were at risk of losing income and jobs. There are at least 25 companies engaged in aircraft-handling services.

With ground-handling companies now experiencing cash-flow problems, incentives or a kind of rescue fund were urgently needed, Ida said.

The expected incentives include deferral of tax payments and premiums for social security insurance (BPJS), discounts on space-leasing fees or delays in leasing payments.

Financial support from the central and regional governments in the form of direct cash aid for the affected employee is also needed since many AGHI members have been unable to pay wages to their employees for the last two months, said Ida.

Ida warned that without help from the government, massive layoffs could not be avoided. He added that many companies in the business might go bust if the COVID-19 pandemic lasted for a long time.

Meanwhile, the Indonesia National Air Carrier Association (INACA) reported that due to the drastic decline in passenger numbers, airline companies have reduced their flights by up to 50 percent. Certain airlines such as Air Asia Indonesia have even decided to temporarily suspend their operations.

Meanwhile, state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I, which manages 15 airports in the central and eastern parts of Indonesia recorded a total of 17.78 million passengers using its airports, an 8.11 percent drop from 19.3 million in the same period last year.

The airport operator also reported that cargo traffic at its airports dropped by 16.98 percent to 121.12 million kilograms in the first quarter this year from 145.89 million kg in the same period in 2019. Aircraft traffic fell by 6 percent to 175,143 flights in the first quarter from 184,085 flights during the same period last year.

Another state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II, which manages 19 airports in the western part of Indonesia including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, in Tangerang, Banten, has shortened operational hours and closed some terminals following the sharp drop in flight traffic as a result of government-imposed social restrictions to slow down the spread of COVID-19.

At Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for example, Angkasa Pura II has closed terminals 1B, 1C and 2F, while terminals 1A, 2D, 2E and all of Terminal 3 remain open 24 hours.

The company has also reduced the operational hours of 12 other airports including Raden Inten II Airport in Lampung, Supadio Airport in Pontianak in West Kalimantan, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang, South Sumatra.
Egypt has received four tons of medical protective supplies from China as a measure to help the country combat the spread of the coronavirus, the Egyptian health ministry said on Thursday.

The supplies include 20,000 N95 respiration masks, 10,000 protective gowns and 10,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits, the ministry said.

Chinese Ambassador to Cairo Liao Liqiangwho, who received the aid along with Egyptian health ministry officials, said the assistance is the first batch in a series of shipments planned for "the next few days.

Liao pledged his county will share all information and technical results on the respiratory disease with Egypt to help it in its fight against the pandemic. Experts from the two countries had held a meeting via video conference to discuss measures to fight the disease, he said.

A protective face mask factory inaugurated by China in Egypt earlier this month will increase its production lines to five, each with a capacity of 100,000 masks a day to help boost the country's reserves of protective gear, the ambassador added.

Last month, Egypt sent China a shipment of protective medical supplies during a visit by health minister Hala Zayed.

Egypt also dispatched 10 tons of protective equipment to China in early February, according to state news agency MENA.

Egypt has so far recorded 2,505 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 183 deaths. Meanwhile, China -- where the virus first emerged late last year -- has reported over 82,300 cases and 3,342 deaths.

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Rural hospitals sound code blue on finances

RALEIGH  Lawmakers shifted their focus away from the coronavirus surge for the first time during the Tuesday, April 14, meeting of the House Committee on COVID-19 Health Care Working Group.

Legislators focused on the damage the pandemic is wreaking on the infrastructure of the states health care system. The virus has drained revenue from urban and rural hospitals, imperiled the finances of health insurers, and triggered a potential surge of behavioral health problems in counties grappling with shortages of behavioral health care providers.



Rural hospitals across the state are losing $145 million a month. Most of that loss, some $118 million, comes from canceled non-urgent elective procedures. Hospitals spent another $13 million on supplies and labor and $14 million on other expenses associated with the virus, says Dr. Roxie Wells, president of Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital.



The cost of past hurricanes pales beside the economic toll of the virus, Wells said.



I have grave concerns for the survival of the states rural hospitals, Wells said. The uncertainty has led to a level of preparation that is unprecedented in cost and has left most hospitals, especially rural hospitals that were already financially fragile, in dire straits.



Wells wants to use rural hospitals to treat non-coronavirus patients and low-level cases of the virus. Rural hospitals canceled elective procedures to prepare for the surge of coronavirus hospitalizations. But, some say if rural hospitals dont see a surge, revenue will fall still lower than their urban counterparts.



I know that rural hospitals were already in peril before this crisis. Those that were breaking even are now in the red, with no sign of recovery, Wells said.



Health insurers are worried about their finances. COVID-19 could cost health insurers $251 billion in the U.S. commercial market. Thats more than the capital and surplus held by the entire industry in 2018, said Ken Lewis, N.C. Association of Health Plans executive director.



Some major insurers agreed to cover the costs of COVID-19 testing and treatment, waiving member co-pays, deductibles, and cost-sharing until June. But the virus has shrunk their revenue and forced some members to drop coverage. In North Carolina, some major insurers already lost tens of millions to the budget stalemate and delays in Medicaid managed care.



The solvency of health insurers is critical, Lewis said. "But our resources are finite.



Behavioral health providers say lawmakers should expect a surge of mental health and substance use disorders because of the pandemic and social distancing measures.



The surge could catch the state unprepared. Not all behavioral health providers have the resources to shift to telemedicine, said Dr. Sy Saeed, N.C. Statewide Telepsychiatry Program director.



Local mental health and addiction centers are likely to basically shut down their business, Saeed said. There is no other alternative to them. We need to make sure that people have resources.



North Carolina had a shortage of behavioral health care workers for years. The state had just 1.01 psychiatric physicians per 10,000 residents in 2018. Almost all the states counties qualify as health care professional shortage areas under federal standards, and 31 counties had no psychiatrists at all.



We were in semi-crisis mode before COVID-19, and its likely to get worse unless we prepare for the aftermath of this epidemic, said Saeed. The time for dealing with that is now.  We know telemental health is a viable and reasonable option for providing care to those who are currently underserved.



The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has also freed funds for the behavioral health managed care companies that run its Medicaid program. MCOs can now use up to 15% of their risk reserve, and the state is giving MCOs a 1.5% increase in Medicaid rates.



-30-
Washington, April 16 : US President Donald Trump has threatened to use his executive power to force both chambers of Congress to adjourn if the Senate did not confirm his nominees for vacancies across the administration.

"The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so I can make recess appointments," Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying during a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday.

"We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government. And now more so than ever before because of the virus and the problem." "I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress," Trump said, adding: "I'd rather not use that power. We'll probably be challenged in court and we'll see who wins." Lawmakers in both chambers were not expected to return to the Capitol until early May due to the coronavirus pandemic but they have been conducting pro forma sessions to make it impossible for Trump to make recess appointments.

Out of 749 "key positions" that require Senate confirmation, 150 do not have nominees, while 15 are awaiting nomination, according to a tracker provided by The Washington Post and Partnership for Public Service.

According to the US Constitution, the President is allowed to make nominations for appointed positions like cabinet officers, but the Senate controls the process, including the rules that allow a nomination vote to get to the full Senate floor.

If the Senate isn't officially in session, the President does have the power to appoint officers directly using his recess appointments powers.

The US Constitution also grants the President the power to adjourn both chambers of Congress "to such time as he shall think proper".

"No president has ever exercised" the authority, noted the National Constitution Center.

"Perhaps it's never been done before, nobody's even sure if it has," Trump said on Wednesday.

"But we're going to do it. We need these people here. We need people for this crisis, and we don't want to play any more political games." Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University who had testified last year against Trump's impeachment, warned the President against taking the step.

"The President just said that he may unilaterally adjourn Congress... This power has never been used and should not be used now," Turley wrote on Twitter.

"The power to adjourn only applies 'in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment'... I have long been a critic of such recess appointments," he said.

"A pandemic should not be an invitation for pandemonium." In the city of Washington, the seat of both the Congress and the White House, a stay-at-home order issued by Mayor Muriel Bowser is in place until May 15.
No corner of the globe has been spared from the highly contagious coronavirus -- or the immense challenges of trying to slow its spread.

A variety of different tactics are being employed -- including lockdowns, social distancing, and other restrictive measures. But even when those efforts are implemented they can be undermined by supply shortages and lack of transparency.

RFE/RL looks at the challenges medical workers and others are facing in coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Some experts say a legacy of decades of secrecy and denying or ignoring the truth in the areas of the former Soviet Union may be impacting how governments there react -- or don't -- to the current crisis.

Doctors in the area and nearby complain that they lack protective gear. And those who point this out are often punished, negatively affecting much of the region's current efforts at tackling the crisis.

Russia: Too Many Cases, Not Enough Beds

Russian President Vladimir Putin was blunt on April 13, saying the situation in the country was grave. He spoke the same day Russia recorded its highest single-day spike in cases, with 2,558 new patients.

The comments also came as video emerged of ambulances waiting in line outside Moscow hospitals struggling to cope with the influx.

"There are already nearly 1,500 patients, all with pneumonia. There are not enough beds. They put patients wherever there's a free space. We informed the ambulance service that we had around 180 spare places, and they brought us 303 patients," said Irina Sheikina, a doctor at a Moscow hospital.

Another doctor at a Moscow hospital told Current Time TV what many already suspected: hospitals in the Russian capital are ill-prepared to cope with the crisis.

"Right now our hospital is preparing for the COVID-19 patients, but we still lack protective equipment such as masks and disposable gowns. We don't have them. In some cases, there aren't even enough syringes, drugs. And this is Moscow," said the doctor, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Vsevolod Shurkhai, a Moscow neurosurgeon, told Current Time that medical staff were being asked to share oral thermometers among up to 40 doctors. Shurkhai said he had filed a complaint with the Prosecutor-General's Office and Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer-safety watchdog.

In the Volgograd region, Tatyana Revva was called in for police questioning after complaining publicly about the lack of protective equipment at the local hospital where she works as a doctor.

Belarus: 'Head In The Sand' Approach

President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has dismissed the coronavirus as a "psychosis" and urged his countrymen to drive tractors, drink vodka, and sit in saunas, to fend it off. Belarus has ignored calls to impose tighter restrictions.

The opposition website Charter 97 has accused Lukashenka of "sticking his head in the sand," and suggested that Minsk's lack of action could spell the end of his quarter century of rule.

Few reportedly believe the numbers being reported by the government, with many suspecting flu cases are actually coronavirus infections. Even fewer dare speak out. One who did was Syarhey Satsuk, editor of the online news portal Yezhednevnik, who criticized the government's handling of the crisis and cast doubt on official coronavirus figures.

Satsuk was arrested on March 25 on a corruption charge. Media watchdogs and others, however, suspected he was targeted for his critical coronavirus coverage.

The OSCE representative on freedom of the media, Harlem Desir, on March 26 said he was "very much concerned" by Satsuk's detention.

Desir insisted that journalists "should not be intimidated, prosecuted, or detained for reporting on issues of public interest and on the COVID-19 situation."

Satsuk was released on bail on April 4.

Meanwhile, doctors in Belarus complain of long hours and little protective equipment, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported.

Hotels, sanatoriums, and even space at an airport has been transformed into temporary housing for the country's stretched medical personnel. One doctor said he continued to work even after being confirmed with the coronavirus.

Ukraine: High Corruption, Low Communication

In neighboring Ukraine, doctors are struggling as well.

"I get calls, people say, 'Come and check if my mom has coronavirus.' I comfort them the best that I can," said Yaroslav Semchyshyn, chief doctor in a town of 5,000 people in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine.

"As far as I know, there are no tests even at the district level. I don't know about the region, there is very little communication," Semchyshyn, who did not want the name of the town published for fear of repercussions, told RFE/RL on March 27.

Corruption, long the bane of Ukraine, may be hampering efforts to get needed supplies. At least that's the contention of Arsen Zhumadilov, head of the country's new national procurement company.

Zhumadilov told RFE/RL on April 8 that his efforts to procure equipment were stymied mainly by a now-dismissed health minister.

Uzbekistan: High Toll Among Medical Workers

Doctors in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan are also paying a high price. The situation in Andijon appeared especially critical. Shukhrat Abdurakhmonov, mayor of the town that witnessed major unrest in 2005, said on April 12 that out of 90 coronavirus patients at a local hospital, 78 were medical workers.

"The other 12 were in contact with medical workers" the mayor added. A doctor working at the hospital where all patients are kept isolated disputed the mayor's numbers, telling RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that there were 56 medical workers under quarantine, of which four of them are doctors and the rest nurses.

As elsewhere in the region and other former Soviet states, authorities in Uzbekistan appeared less than eager to delve into the details of the coronavirus crisis.

A representative of the Health Ministry refused to comment and @Koronavirusinfouz -- the Uzbek government's Telegram channel that provides official information on the spread of COVID-19 in Uzbekistan -- did not carry the information shared by Abdurakhmonov.

Kazakhstan: Major Hospital Under Lockdown

High coronavirus infection rates among doctors and other medical staffers also appears to be a problem in neighboring Kazakhstan.

According to the Kazakh Health Ministry, as of April 13, 211 medical staffers at the country's hospitals had been infected with the coronavirus.

According to Lyudmila Byurabekova, chairwoman of the committee for the safety of goods and services of the Health Ministry, hospitals lack protective equipment, including masks, and work schedules are not being followed, suggesting doctors and other staff are facing long hours.

The biggest city hospital in Almaty is under quarantine after 12 doctors were infected with coronavirus over the weekend.

Kyrgyzstan: Social-Media Outcry

In Kyrgyzstan, it's not always a lack of protective equipment that is the problem. Bektur Apyshev posted a picture on Twitter of a protective mask he said he and other medical personnel were supplied with at the hospital where he works. A few days later, Apyshev's Twitter account was mysteriously shut down. Later, on April 12, Apyshev posted a video saying he had lied about the masks.

That apology, suspected by many of coming after pressure from authorities, caused a social-media outcry and even one deputy came to the defense of Apyshev.

RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports that authorities in Kyrgyzstan are keeping a watchful eye out for social-media posts critical of the country's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pakistan: Lack Of Equipment Leads To Protests

It's not only doctors in the former Soviet Union nations that are suffering. Like elsewhere, ill-equipped doctors in Pakistan are falling victim as well to the coronavirus.

Two doctors and a nurse are reported to have died from COVID-19, the disease contracted from coronavirus. More than 150 medical personnel are reported to have contracted the virus.

Dr. Fazle Rabi at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad puts the high infection rate among medical staff down to a lack of protective equipment. Rabi recently told Radio Mashaal he expects those numbers to rise if such gear is not supplied soon to the country's hospitals.

On April 14, nine doctors at a hospital in Punjab's Multan district were confirmed as being infected with coronavirus, the highest number among medical staffers in a single day.

Fed up with the lack of supplies, doctors in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province, held a demonstration last week with dozens arrested. They were later released after the provincial government vowed to secure the needed equipment and distribute it across the province. A strike by doctors, as a result, was also called off.
Parents and students have defended University of Texas, Austin, students against harsh backlash they have received since a spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas left 53 people infected with coronavirus.

Supporters have responded to critics and threatened to call the cops on anyone who has targeted the group with angry messages on social media.

In total 211 students, all in their 20s, traveled to Cabo San Lucas between March 14 and March 19 using both private and commercial flights.

The university's West Campus outside of Austin is now a coronavirus hotspot after 53 members of the group tested positive when they returned to the United States.

The backlash was swift with actor Matthew McConaughey recording a video urging the students to place themselves into quarantine and saying he was 'sorry youve got these responsibilities on you at this time'.

The Austin group, dubbed the Cabo 211, is the largest identified group of infections among college students who ignored social-distancing guidelines of Spring Break.

A University of Texas student commented on this picture of a sorority sister who went on Spring Break to Cabo criticizing the decision to do so. The sorority member's mother contacted the student to inform them she told the police about the comment and that none of the sorority had tested positive for coronavirus or chartered a plane to Mexico

In a separate incident, social media users were sent this message defending the Texas Theta sorority and claiming that reports of their Spring Break trip to Mexico were inaccurate

The University of Texas had canceled classes on March 13 and instruction resumed online after Spring Break.

By the time the UT students headed to Cabo, not only had the campus been shutdown and all programs abroad canceled but the City of Austin had already declared a local state of emergency.

Within two weeks of their return, the universitys west campus was identified as a hotspot and harsh criticism was left under the social media posts from the students' vacation.

Students who remained at home or had canceled their Spring Break plans were angered as the outbreak worsened because of the actions of other students.

University of Texas professor and actor Matthew McConaughey was forced to intervene as the heated debate continued, posting a video on April 2, just after it first emerged that students on the trip were beginning to test positive.

The youth in the city of Austin, all the students at the University of Texas, the virus has come on and youve been asked to grow up sooner than you thought you were going to have to, he said.

Youve had responsibilities laid on your lap that you didnt bargain for. You just went off to Spring Break, you got back with a tan, you feel great. Whats wrong with that? Not blaming any of that.

But no matter how good you feel right now, stay home if you can. Im sorry youve got these responsibilities on you at this time,' he added.

'Its an unprecedented time in all our lives but face the facts that theyre here. This is a science-fiction film no more. Its reality, man. Deal with it. Please, we need you to and you need us to. Please.

This tweet claimed the sorority house was spay painted with 'eat the rich'

University of Texas professor and actor Matthew McConaughey published this video on April 2 in which he urged the students who went on the trip to stay home

Other students complained on social media that the group sparked an outbreak on campus

Other UT students were frustrated that not enough information was being provided over where the Cabo 211 traveled to after their trip.

As a UT student I can tell UT will answer none of these questions, one wrote.

All we got was a flimsy email saying they traveled back to different locations in the US.... but now 78705 is a COVID-19 hotspot so clearly some of them are back in West Campus.

One detailed Twitter thread identified the impact the spring breakers could have and the harm their four-day trip could cause, stating that students were warned about the dangers of coronavirus and so playing dumb isnt gonna cut it.

CABO44 potentially infected more than a million (1,049,041) people, they said, using figures from earlier reports that 44 were infected.

But how big is that you ask? The city of Austin has a population of 950,254. So pretty huge.

So remember your fun spring break potentially put a million people at risk. So quit complaining about cyberbullying cause going on that trip was beyond irresponsible and stay at home for gods sake.

Also your Instagram pictures sucked, they added.

On Twitter user broke down the projected coronavirus impact of the group's trip

The Twitter user explained how many people they could have now infected

A hunt immediately began to track down which students were involved after their return.

UT twitter on another level, they found out everyones names and affiliations in less than a day... one Twitter user wrote.

In particular, criticism was leveled against the University of Texas branch of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, members of which are believed to be among the students that traveled.

Members had posted pictures using the hashtag #springbreak to the account.

'When stories came out about students on a chartered plane to Cabo, everyone was like, "Who the hell are these people?"' one student told Vice.

'And then someone was like, "Hey, Texas Theta just posted all these pictures from Cabo... It's them!"'

'We had a lot of students who canceled spring break trips; I canceled mine. It seemed very clear that we shouldn't be flying, for our own safety as much as other people's safety. Seeing those Instagram pictures of people in Cabo, it's just like, compounding the issue.'

The sororitys social media accounts have been made private after an influx of comments on their postings.

One tweet has even claimed that eat the rich was spray painted onto the wall of the Texas Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house.

Social media users were quick to hunt down the students who were on the Mexico trip

This Twitter user was contacted by a parent of a sorority member after this tweet. She claimed that she had contacted the police and that the sorority was not involved in the outbreak

The online conflict escalated as the spring breakers began to answer back with at least one parent sending threatening messages to other young people posting about their child.

Jonathan Valadez, 18, told Vice that he received a direct message, reportedly from a parent, on Instagram after posted a tweet that read: 2020 sucked A-S-S, then Texas Theta and their selfish members decided to exist.

Valadez is not a student at the university but said he has friends who attend.

'We have contacted the Austin police and our attorney!!! These Theta girls DID NOT CHARTER A PLANE!!! Our daughter has been in quarantine for 13 days now, the message he received read.

The same woman contacted another UT student after he commented on a picture from one of the sorority members.

'Are you aware that is [sic] was not the Texas Theta girls that chartered a plane to Cabo? she said.

Are you aware that none of the Theta girls have tested positive for corona. We have sent all the texts to Austin police.

She has now made her profile private but the student reports that the woman had pictures with the student whose post he commented on.

'I understand mothers being protective of their daughters, but I find her reporting me to the police over an Instagram commentthat wasn't particularly threatening or insultinga bit overkill, the student said.

Neither have been contacted by the Austin police since the message.

Members of the sorority themselves have responded to the social media hits as well, with one also claiming that university officials have been contacted.

'Hi. I hope you know that what you are tweeting about Texas Theta is completely wrong and will be reported for cyberbullying. We are already in contact with UT officials and have your tweets screenshotted, her message, sent to several Twitter users, reads.

Im not sure if you think this is some kind of joke but for you to feel like you can post things like this and spread false information then you are 100% in the wrong. You should really think before you post something online because you never know how it will effect [sic] others.

During this time no one should be trying to bring down ANYONE. Hopefully you will learn from this mistake.

This message was sent by a member of Texas Theta claiming comments were cyberbullying

Videos were created about the sorority member message, firing up the backlash

Social media users continued to criticize the sorority after their complaints of bullying

The Theta members were accused of racism for their response to the backlash

The message itself caused further uproar, sparking a wave of jokes about the sorority members and accusing them of racism.

The fact that these T*xas Th*ta girls want to instill fear and use their white privilege to silence us, mostly POC, shows that this PWI has racism so far embedded in its roots that they feel their selfishness that leads to the endangerment of everyone is meaningless. Sickening, said one social media user.

Yall are so... LMAOOO, added another.

Others created TikToks, videos and memes from the message, furthering the conflict.

There was uproar in mid-March as spring breakers defied warnings issued about spread of coronavirus and continued on their traditional party holidays to locations like Mexico and Florida.

Many of the students appeared to believe that they could not catch coronavirus because they are young. Not only can coronavirus hit a person of any age but anyone can be a carrier and increase the spread.

There have been other outbreaks among spring breakers from the University of Tampa and the University of Wisconsin-Madison after their own trips.

Officials at the University of Texas say a total of 83 students at the university have tested positive or have been presumed positive for COVID-19.

Eight employees have also tested positive for the disease.

DailyMail.com reached out to the university and the Austin Police Department for comment but a representative was not available.

There are 977 confirmed coronavirus cases in Travis County, where Austin is located, and there have been 19 deaths.

Texas has 16,473 cases and the death toll in the state is 397.
The Competition Law Report provides insight into how enforcers across the globe see issues that will be critical to future growth or recovery and to avoiding dangerous competition pitfalls that have often marked past economic downturns.

Lex Mundi, in conjunction with members of its Lex Mundi Antitrust and Competition Practice Group, has published the Lex Mundi Global Competition Law Report.

Bringing together local and regional expertise of more than 20 Lex Mundi member law firms, this Law Report has been created to provide in-house counsel with thoughtful insight and analysis on current global competition law. It draws on the expertise of members on-the-ground to provide an understanding of salient legal issues including:



Vertical Merger Trends

Cartels

Labor & Employment and Competition Law

Digitization and Competition Law

The relevance of each legal issue varies depending on the region, but consultation with each jurisdiction was important to understand the global status of the topics addressed in the Law Report. As in-house legal teams navigate forward during this unchartered COVID-19 pandemic, this inaugural edition of the publication provides valuable and practical guidance for their organizations.

Barbara Sicalides, Partner at Pepper Hamilton (Lex Mundi member firm for USA, Pennsylvania) and Co-editor of the Report comments, In tough economic times like these, competition law enforcement agencies will make use of all the tools in their toolkits to ensure that companies do not use COVID-19 to harm competition or as an excuse to harm competition. Despite not having a crystal ball when we chose our subjects, the Competition Law Report provides insight into how enforcers across the globe see issues that will be critical to future growth or recovery and to avoiding dangerous competition pitfalls that have often marked past economic downturns.

The report can be accessed on the Lex Mundi website at: https://www.lexmundi.com/lexmundi/Global_Competition_Law_Report.asp.

About Lex Mundi

Lex Mundi is the worlds leading network of independent law firms delivering consistent, high-quality advice that is critical to solving complex cross-border challenges. Our carefully vetted, and continuously reviewed, top-tier member firms uphold the highest-level service standards while offering preferred access to more than 22,000+ lawyers worldwide in more than 125 jurisdictions. Supported by client-focused methods, innovative technologies, joint learning and training, member firms collaborate across borders and industries to deliver joined-up solutions focused on real business results for clients.

Through our innovative service delivery model, clients have the ability to assemble an ideal international legal team, with the best lawyers in the jurisdictions that match their unique footprint, flexed to their most significant legal challenges.

Lex Mundi member law firms are located throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America. Through our nonprofit affiliate, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, our members also provide pro bono legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the globe.

For more information, please visit http://www.lexmundi.com and http://www.lexmundiprobono.org.
Mankind's quest to better understand asteroids just went a step closer. Yesterday, on April 15, NASA's OSIRIS-REx space probe reached its closest yet approach to the asteroid Bennu, marking a final trial run of sorts ahead of its eventual landing and sample collection endeavour scheduled for later this year. Having successfully completed what NASA called a 'checkpoint rehearsal', the Origins-Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, which is the official nomenclature of OSIRIS-REx, has also sent home photographs from Bennu.

These photographs have revealed in closer detail Nightingale, the northern hemisphere crater on Bennu's surface, in which OSIRIS-REx is set to land in. The probe's closest ever approach to Bennu brought to a mean altitude of 75 metres from the asteroid's surface. Since reaching Bennu, OSIRIS-REx has remained in a 'safe home' orbit, studying the asteroid from up close, yet afar. Its general orbit around Bennu is 1km above the surface. Yesterday's manoeuvre included two key steps of the landing process that will be followed by OSIRIS-REx in August 2020, which are the departure from its mean orbit and approach to Checkpoint (at 125 metres above surface), and a subsequent, nine-minute descent towards Bennu that brought the probe to its closest ever point to the asteroid.

In a statement shared by NASA, Erin Morton, the communications lead for the OSIRIS-REx mission, said, "During the rehearsal, the spacecraft successfully deployed its sampling arm, the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), from its folded, parked position out to the sample collection configuration. Additionally, some of the spacecrafts instruments collected science and navigation images and made spectrometry observations of the sample site, as will occur during the sample collection event.

"This first rehearsal provided the mission team with practice navigating the spacecraft through both the orbit departure and Checkpoint maneuvers and with an opportunity to verify that the spacecrafts imaging, navigation and ranging systems operated as expected during the first part of the descent sequence. Checkpoint rehearsal also gave the team confirmation that OSIRIS-RExs Natural Feature Tracking (NFT) guidance system accurately estimated the spacecrafts position and speed relative to Bennu as it descended toward the surface."

The first asteroid rock sample collection procedure is scheduled for August 25, when OSIRIS-REx will reach Bennu's surface, deploy its sample collection arm for just five seconds, and collect a surface sample and safely return to its positino. This is believed to be the first attempt at capturing a piece of the asteroid, and it is likely that the probe may need a few more attempts, if results are unsatisfactory. OSIRIS-REx is expected to come back to Earth with a chunk of Bennu on September 24, 2023.
The chaos inside Trumps head. Its unfair that people enduring so much must also cope with the chaos inside Trumps head. A Finnish teacher-trainer once explained why some teachers cant control their classes. It reflects the chaos in the teachers head, she said.

Trumps most astute biographer, Michael DAntonio, says his lack of emotional intelligence and empathy  causes him to struggle to relate to human suffering. Hes so attuned to his own feelings that hes numb to the pain of others.

He cant recognize that others exist for independent reasons; to him, theyre there solely to magnify or hinder his need for acclaim and worship. So when a reporter begins a question, he cant hold back, he breaks in hysterically if criticism is implied. Why? Everyone exists only to adore or torment him.

Equally remarkable is how people  reporters, Fauci, Pence  sense this and tolerate it. It isnt just because hes president, its because hes crazy. Its how youd treat any raving lunatic in the street. You dont engage them, its pointless, you let it flow and try to ignore it. The most youd do, if necessary, is solicit professional assessment and have them committed.

Some of his raving clearly resonates. His chaos represents the chaos we all sometimes fear lurks just under the veneer of social order. He amplifies that sense. Especially in the U.S., he mirrors a deep fear that unworthy others  minorities, women  will take advantage of our hard work to commandeer health care and other benefits.

Hes not Everyman but hes the darkest corner in Everymans head. In Trump its his entire self. Thats why DAntonio said, compassionately, If youre a human being, be glad youre not Donald Trump.

His solipsism is also his saving grace. Hes no fascist. He lacks the ideology and organizational sense. He cant keep track of a press conference, much less program a nation. He could become a dictator and itd be catastrophic but hed be Nero or Caligula, not Hitler. OTOH, if Nero actually fiddled as Rome burned or Caligula collected his tears in a tear catcher, at least people didnt have to hear the music, watch the facial contortions or listen to the inane ravings.

Just in time vs. just in case. The neo-liberal watchword of globalization is Just in Time: dont produce till the last minute, to amass cash and maximize profits. Its the opposite of what a pandemic requires: Just in Case preparation well beforehand, in case it happens although it may not. So Doug Fords Ontario cut way back on long-term care and inspections, hoping to act nimbly if need arose. Then it did and they didnt. Why? You have to get ready to be ready.

If you arent, youre stuck with the blunderbuss of physical distancing rather than the fine instrument of testing, which has to already be in place before the first signs of pandemic emerge, unlike just-in-time thinking.

Who is ready? For 60 years, Cuba has dropped highly specialized medical teams into disaster areas and war zones, saving numerous lives. Did they also hope for some diplomatic returns? You betcha. But that cant be what motivates the teams that risk their lives. Name another poor country under a strangulating blockade thats done anything comparable.

Now some Manitoba First Nations have requested a Cuban team so they dont have to send their sick to cities, but they require visas. Chrystia Freeland said no, we can handle it ourselves. Lets hope so. Perhaps Doctors without Borders, which is sending a team to help the homeless in Toronto, could fill the role. Theyd be less likely to irritate Trump or embarrass Freeland.

China has also sent much COVID-19 aid out, no doubt with some self-interest too. Their boxes arrived in Argentina with the flags of both nations and a line from a the beloved epic poem, Martin Fierro. The aid to Italy had a Latin quote from Seneca and Spains included a Spanish proverb. You dont have to be genuinely empathic to make this kind of gesture. It can be calculated, self-serving and insincere. But you need to at least know what empathy is and what youd sound like if you had it.
Image credit: Petra Diamonds





Of the total VAT receivables, $13.8 million relates to historic VAT pre July 2017.

Petra also had a parcel of 71,654.45 carats that was still blocked for export on August 31, 2017.

Tanzania claimed that the blocked diamonds were worth $29.5 million at the time, but Petra had under-declared the stones for export.

However, Petra said it was not responsible for the provisional evaluation of the stones.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished





Petra Diamonds says discussions with the Tanzanian government in relation to various issues, including the overdue VAT receivables and the blocked diamond parcel, are ongoing but have been interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak.The group indicated last February that it had gross VAT receivables of $38.0 million in respect of the Williamson mine.
Japan's government will call on companies to help address the shortage of masks and other medical supplies designed to protect medical professionals treating coronavirus patients .

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo will make the call at a teleconference on Wednesday with medical product makers and firms interested in starting to produce such items. He is to ask for the increased production of face masks, sanitizers, ventilators and other products.

Abe on Tuesday held a video conference with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and acknowledged that Japan depends heavily on ASEAN members for medical supplies. Along with the heads of China and South Korea, the participants at the talks agreed to work together to maintain the distribution of the products.

Japan is experiencing acute shortages of high-performance masks.

On Tuesday, a week passed since the government declared a state of emergency in seven prefectures.

The government says its current effort to limit outings is not enough. Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi on Tuesday repeated a call on the leaders of Japan's three main business organizations to cooperate in slashing the number of in-office employees by 70 percent or more. Nishimura is also in charge of coronavirus measures.

The government is asking people to stay home and reduce contact with others by 70 to 80 percent during the month-long state of emergency which it hopes to lift within that period.
James Jordan has revealed his father is battling coronavirus whilst in hospital recovering from a stroke.

The former Strictly star's dad Alan was admitted to hospital last month after suffering a stroke, mere weeks after James welcomed his first child with wife Ola Jordan.

Whilst Alan was able to leave hospital for a brief period, he was readmitted this month with an infection in his arm, and has now tested positive for COVID-19.

Sad news: James Jordan has revealed his father is battling coronavirus whilst in hospital recovering from a stroke

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, James, 41, penned: 'Just when you think things couldnt get any worse! After being in hospital for nearly 2 weeks after his stroke my dad has now tested positive to coronavirus.

'He is also fighting an infection he recently got in his arm (Cellulitis) God, please give my dad a break #StayAtHome.'

He added: 'My dad has always been my hero. When I spoke to him he was more worried about my mum, sister & family. He kept saying  Dont worry about me, Ive got this.

'The sad thing is today he was supposed to be transferred to another hospital where he would have a TV. He was so excited'.

Regular visits: The former Strictly star's dad Alan was admitted to hospital last month after suffering a stroke, mere weeks after James welcomed his first child with wife Ola Jordan

Awful: Whilst Alan was able to leave hospital for a brief period, he was readmitted this month with an infection in his arm, and has now tested positive for COVID-19

Last month, James confessed he was struggling to cope during what had been the 'most stressful time of my life'.

He tweeted: 'Trying to juggle a new born with wife who is still recovering, my dad in hospital and the coronavirus.

'I would like to think I'm a strong person but I'm going to admit it's the most stressful time of my life. I'm still thinking of all of you! We must all stay safe AND #BeKind'.

Highs and lows: Last month, James was struggling to cope during the 'most stressful time of my life' as he discussed welcoming his first child and his father's hospitalisation

James was born in Gillingham, Kent and grew up in the Medway area. His mum Sharon worked in a bank, while his father Alan worked as a site manager for a power station.

Last month, Ola, 37, and James become parents for the first time after the former Strictly Come Dancing star gave birth to a baby girl.

The professional dancer and her husband of almost 17 years announced the happy news via Instagram.

The new mother shared a sweet snap holding her little one's hand, and gushed in the caption: 'She's here and she is perfect.'

James also took to Instagram to share a snap of their baby girl, as he held onto her feet and said: 'I'm the happiest man in the world.'

The couple, who have been together for 20 years, announced they were expecting their first child in September 2019 after a painful three-year battle with infertility.
Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion curated for you. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

Covid-19: India approves supply of hydroxychloroquine to 55 countries as commercial sales or grants

The Indian government has so far approved the supply of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, either as commercial sales or as grants, to 55 countries as part of the efforts to fight the global Covid-19 pandemic, people familiar with developments said on Thursday. Read more.

Covid-19: India gets 650,000 testing kits from China; looks to South Korea, France, US for more supplies

India on Thursday received 650,000 testing kits from China even as efforts were ramped up to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies from countries such as South Korea, France and Canada, people familiar with developments said. Read more.

ED files money laundering case against Tablighi Jamaat chief

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday registered a money laundering case against Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad based on Delhi Polices FIR seeking answers related to the religious gatherings in mid-March at the groups six-storey headquarters in Nizamuddin Basti. Read more.

Govt directs airlines to refund tickets booked during lockdown

The Centre on Thursday issued an advisory for all domestic and foreign airline operators to issue full refund to passengers who had booked during the lockdown period up till May 3 for both domestic and international flights. Read more.

Kolkata slum emerges as a Covid-19 hotspot with six new coronavirus cases

After Dharavi in Mumbai, a densely populated slum at Belgachhia in north Kolkata is rapidly turning into a Covid-19 hotspot, with at least six people reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus infection.The administration sealed the slum on Tuesday  putting up barricades at all entry points  besides launching a door-to-door survey on Thursday. Read more.

This video of a monkey playing with a kite has left people surprised.

With people practising self-isolation and various countries under lockdown, videos of animals taking over streets have become common on the Internet. Such videos are generously praised and evoke happiness among people. However, this recent video has left people surprised. The video shows what appears to be a monkey playing with a kite. Watch here.

Seasons Greetings review: Lillette Dubey shines in this poetic film that marks Celina Jaitlys comeback

Actor Celina Jaitly has returned to the screen in Seasons Greetings, a film that she shot during trying circumstances -- the actor has said that she lost a child and her mother while she did the project. However, it can be safely said that she has worked through that immense pain to deliver one of her finest performances. Read more.

Glenn McGrath picks the batsmen he wishes to dismiss in his dream hat-trick

Former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath was arguably the greatest seam bowler of his era - his unnerving accuracy and relenting lines and lengths caused havoc and there were few batsmen around the world who dominated him. However, over the years he was locked in great battles with batting icons and in a chat show with ESPNCricinfo, he picked the batsmen who he would want to dismiss in his dream hat-trick. Read more.

Covid-19 positive person can infect people before getting symptoms: Know how

People with Covid-19 can infect others 2-3 days before symptoms appear. Contagiousness started 2-3 days before symptoms, and peaks at 0-7 days before first signs of cough or fever. 44% people get infected by people with no visible signs of illness. On average, it takes 7 days to develop symptoms after getting infected. Many infections cannot be linked to known Covid-19 cases or travel to hotspots, which indicates asymptomatic transmission. Watch here.
WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

Cleared by customs, first set of COVID-19 rapid testing kits to arrive today

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The first consignment of rapid testing kits for coronavirus is expected to reach India today. The customs in Guangzhou has cleared 3,00,000 testing kits, which are headed to Delhi.

India is expected to receive over 2 million kits in the next couple of weeks, sources tell OneIndia. It may be recalled that China has notified a list of companies whose products are quality tested and would be eligible for exports. This move came in the wake of several countries rejecting the kits, stating that they were sub-standard.

COVID-19: Assam becomes first state to import PPE kits directly from China

These kits will be used in hotspot areas, where the infection rate is high. These kits add another level of surveillance and these would also be used to test persons with influenza like illness symptoms in cold spots.

India has intensified its sources of testing kits. We are currently tapping Germany, Israel, France and Korea as well, the officer cited above said.
A cheeky groundhog spent more than an hour casually eating a slice of pizza on a family's back porch.

Kristin Chalela Bagnell was shocked when she saw the rodent sitting outside her home in Brewerytown, Philadelphia, calmly chewing a large slice of pizza.

She filmed the groundhog and sent it to 6ABC, joking that 'its not just the people that like Philly pizza' in the video's caption.

Kristin Chalela Bagnell was stunned when she looked outside her home in Brewerytown, Philadelphia, and saw a groundhog eating a large slice of pizza on her back porch

The pizza-loving animal can be seen nibbling the tasty snack, seemingly unafraid of Bagnell's two large dogs, Maggie and Moses, staring at him from the other side of the glass.

The rodent has nerves of steel as he taunts the dogs by sneaking a glance into the house as he enjoys his dinner.

'Before I recorded, we noticed that pizza was out in our backyard and we didn't know where it came from. Then both of the dogs were very intently looking out the glass,' Kristin told CNN.

The pizza-loving rodent refused to be scared away by Bagnell's two large dogs, Maggie and Moses, staring at it from the other side of the glass door

She has spotted the creature outside her home before - but never eating an entire slice of pizza.

The pizza groundhog has given the famous 'pizza rat' from 2015 a run for its money.

The vermin became famous after a video showed the long-tailed rodent trying to carry a large pizza slice down the subway steps in Manhattan.

A plucky Brooklyn squirrel was also filmed carrying a slice of pizza up a tree last year.

The acrobat famously jumped from tree to tree with his stolen snack between his teeth.

The adorable groundhog has dethroned its fellow pizza rodents and seized five minutes of fame during the coronavirus lockdown.

Groundhogs first found fame after the 1993 Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day and this sneaky rodent has put the species into the limelight once again.
FILE PHOTO: A sign warning of a high pressure petroleum pipeline is seen on the "Line 9" Enbridge oil pipeline as it is worked on in East Don Parkland in Toronto

By Nichola Saminather and Jeff Lewis

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian banks are beginning to relax lending standards for energy firms struggling to operate with oil prices at half the level needed to cover costs, seeking to keep them afloat until the industry recovers from its deepest slump ever.

Banks are extending credit and waiving covenants for some energy companies to avoid forcing defaults and bankruptcies that leave the lenders holding assets, in contrast to some U.S. counterparts preparing to seize oil and gas fields.

A 2019 Canadian Supreme Court ruling requiring bankrupt oil companies to prioritize clean-up of inactive wells over paying creditors is also an incentive, analysts said.

While the measures would help stem banks' loan losses during a difficult year, a slower-than-expected recovery or oil prices consolidating at lower levels could lead to more soured loans longer term in an already challenged portfolio.

By renegotiating credit agreements, banks don't have to consider the loans impaired, "but the concern is that maybe theyre just kicking the can down the road," said Brian Madden, portfolio manager at Goodreid Investment Counsel.

Obsidian Energy <OBE.TO>, Pembina Pipeline Corp <PPL.TO> and Baytex Energy <BTE.TO> are among the companies that have obtained or extended credit facilities from their lenders recently.

But Obsidian's lenders - including ATB Financial, BMO <BMO.TO>, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce <CIBC.TO> and National Bank of Canada <NA.TO>, according to Refinitiv data - waived debt-to-adjusted EBITDA covenants while renewing https://www.obsidianenergy.com/press-releases/obsidian-energy-announces-completion-of-agreements-with-our-banking-syndicate-noteholders-and-landlord its credit facility, despite debt of C$461 million at 2019 end, up 10% from the prior year.

Bonavista Energy Corp <BNP.TO> in March got approval under a temporary waiver to tap its credit line for a reduced amount after a CIBC-led banking syndicate rejected an earlier drawdown request.

Story continues

Still, the majority of banks' energy loans are to larger diversified companies and lenders are not relaxing requirements across the board.

Calgary-based Delphi Energy Corp <DEE.TO> on Tuesday sought creditor protection after a syndicate of banks, including ATB Financial, Bank of Montreal <BMO.TO> and Bank of Nova Scotia <BNS.TO>, balked at waiving a debt covenant.

REDUCED LENDING

Banks could lower lending amounts as they recalculate energy companies' borrowing bases through to May, the total collateral against which they can lend.

Royal Bank of Canada <RY.TO> analysts said in a Wednesday note they wouldn't be surprised to see between 20-40% drop in borrowing bases on average, though it could be more case specific.

Those reviews are playing out as Ottawa considers ways to backstop banks to keep them lending to energy companies, Reuters reported.

For banks, standing by their clients, who are also a source of non-lending revenues, is the best strategy for now.

CIBC is providing new credit lines, helping companies restructure where needed and "is ensuring they have the financial strength to deal with this very unique challenge," CEO Victor Dodig told Reuters.

U.S crude has slumped almost 70% since January to less than $20 a barrel despite an agreement over the weekend between Saudi Arabia and Russia to slash production. Although highly variable, the majority of the Canadian industry needs oil prices above $40 to maintain volumes and cover costs, according to RBC.

Oil producers have responded by cutting spending and laying off workers.

Toronto-Dominion Bank <TD.TO> expects stresses in the industry if prices fail to recover, but the bank continues to "be there for them," CEO Bharat Masrani told reporters this month.

Scotiabank declined comment. BMO did not offer an immediate comment.

ARC Financial, Canadas largest energy-focused private equity manager, screened 140 oil producers in February, and found two-thirds were already insolvent.

Larger, more diversified companies are seen as better able to survive the current crisis, and banks are continuing to provide liquidity to them, RBC CEO Dave McKay told media last week.

But some analysts expect even the bigger companies to face pressure if prices stay soft for long.

Barclays analyst John Aiken said that, while he's not overly concerned about banks now, "even if were not seeing any cracks being formed, the outlook is more negative, and banks are going to be required to put up more reserves against these loans."

(Reporting By Nichola Saminather and Jeff Lewis in Toronto; Additional reporting by Rod Nickel; Editing by Denny Thomas and Nick Zieminski)
An official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Abia State on Wednesday shot a commercial driver killing him instantly.

The incident happened in Umuikaa in Isiala Ngwa Local Government Area of the state.

Enraged by the killing of the driver, youth of the area took to the streets to protest the killing.

The protesting youth blocked the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway leaving commuters and other road users stranded for hours.

Residents alleged that the commercial motorist carrying perishable and non-perishable food items reportedly had a heated argument with the NSCDC personnel.

The driver, in the midst of the argument, reportedly attempted driving off which angered the NSCDC official who shot at him and he died instantly

One witness said: The driver carrying tomatoes among other food items approached the Civil Defence checkpoint where they (NSCDC) were enforcing the order of the governor (Ikpeazu) on COVID-19 after they flagged him down.

We didnt know what they were discussing initially, but when tempers started flaring, the driver was accusing him (NSCDC) personnel of extortion.

The driver said that he cant give him more than what he has given (bribe) to him (the NSCDC official), insisting that the restriction order doesnt affect drivers carrying food items.

When the temper was high, we left and were watching the drama from afar.

The driver tried driving off and the next thing we heard was gunshot. We all ran away and by the time we came back, we saw the driver in the pool of his blood.

The gunshot attracted people in the area and seeing what happened, the youths and others blocked the express in protest.

The incident was said to have angered youth in the area, who attempted to lynch the NSCDC official.

The NSCDC official, who narrowly escaped death, ran into a police station in the area for safety.

Police confirm killing

Meanwhile, the commissioner of police in the state, Ene Okon, confirmed that the NSCDC personnel is in police custody.

Mr Okon said he has directed that the NSCDC official be transferred to the SCID, Umuahia for proper investigation.

The police boss, who warned security personnel to be mindful the way they use guns entrusted in their care, said if after investigation the man was found culpable, the police would arraign him for murder.

NSCDC condemns killing

Also, the Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu, has condemned the killing of the commercial bus driver.

Mr Gana, in a statement by his media aide, Ekunola Gbenga, sent to PREMIUM TIMES, also ordered a thorough investigation into the killing.

He revealed that the suspect had been arrested and handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.

He admitted the victim whose identity was yet to be known was reportedly shot by an officer of the corps while enforcing lockdown order in the state on Wednesday.

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The spokesman claimed that the slain driver had allegedly approached the checkpoint without stopping and in his bid to pass the checkpoint in a haste, he brushed an NSCDC personnel, where they were enforcing the lockdown order by the government before the incident occurred.

The Commandant General has ordered a probe into the incident and given assurance that if after investigation the officer involved was found culpable, he would be made to face the full wrath of the law, the statement said.

Mr Gana totally regretted the unfortunate incident and condemned it in its entirety and commiserated with the family of the slain driver. He assured Nigerians that the Corps would continue to live above board.

We want to say that the action of this erring officer does not represent what the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps stands for.

The CG directed the ACG in charge of zone E, and the Commandant of Abia State Command to carry out a full-scale investigation into the incident and ensure that the suspect was prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

The Corps respects the sanctity of life and dignity of the human person as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. Once again, we apologise profusely for any inconvenience or embarrassment this isolated action must have caused anyone most especially at this critical period when the world are facing the pandemic of COVID-19, the statement added.

Many Nigerians have been killed by trigger happy operatives in the last few days as a result of the lockdowns initiated by the federal government and many state governments to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Apple finally introduced the iPhone SE (2020) with an A13 Bionic chipset and an improved camera. The company kept its tradition not to reveal RAM and battery capacity of its devices, but thanks to a listing at China Telecoms website, we got the details.

According to the carrier, the new iPhone has 3GB RAM, which is an increase over the 2GB of the iPhone 8, but lower than the 4GB in the other A13 phones in the iPhone 11 family. However, the power cell remains 1,821 mAh - exactly the same as the iPhone 8.

Other specs that the iPhone SE (2020) inherited from the 2017 flagship are the screen, the 2014-style bezels, and the Touch ID home button. It also has the same footprint and overall design.

China Telecom will offer the phone in its three colors (White, Black, Red) with all three storage options - 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB. Prices begin from CNY3,299 ($465/428) and go up to CNY4,599 ($650/600).

Source (in Chinese) | Via
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims it has invented a device that can detect a person infected with the coronavirus from 100 meters away. Yet, after receiving criticism on the device's functionality, the IRGC doubled down on the device, insisting that it works.

The IRGC commander, Gen. Hossein Salami, told Tasnim News Agency that dozens of countries have contacted Iran about the machine, but it would not be shared with the Americans until all sanctions are removed.

IRGC spokesman Ramazan Sharif said, Soon, the production process, technical features and capabilities of the device will be shared with the media and experts. In response to the international criticism and mockery of the device, Sharif said that Iranians take more pride and honor in causing the shock and anger of enemies and those who want ill for us.

Salami unveiled the device April 15 on Iranian television. According to Salami, the device can detect an infected surface or individual in five seconds. Scientists working under the Basij designed the device, which uses a magnetic field and reportedly has an accuracy rate of 80%. Many critics, however, pointed out that the device resembles the fraudulent bomb detection wands, invented by a British businessman, that were used in Iraq at the height of suicide bombings.

The IRGCs media campaign around the device may have been coordinated to upstage the administration, which has run the campaign to combat the coronavirus through the Health Ministry. Iran appears to have lowered the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths, in large part thanks to a national lockdown, though the figures remain high. Iran had 92 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours and 1,606 new cases, according to Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour. In total, Iran has had 77,995 cases and 4,869 deaths.

President Hassan Rouhani said April 16 that this will be a difficult year for all the people of the world, but for us it will be more difficult. The country, he said, will not only have to deal with the coronavirus but also the virus of sanctions. He added that government ministries and the private and public sector are working to alleviate the stress of the virus on the population.

Tehran is on lockdown, with only essential stores open. According to the Health Ministry, one-third of coronavirus-related deaths are taking place in Tehran. Iranian officials on the committee to combat the coronavirus have presented four conditions for partially reopening the economy: having enough hospital beds to absorb the sick once stores reopen; having enough testing capabilities to meet demand; being able to identify those who have been in contact with those who tested positive; and a declining infection rate.
INDIANAPOLIS, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. (IEA) (IEA or the Company), a leading infrastructure construction company with specialized energy and heavy civil expertise, today announced that the Company finalized a $65 million wind construction award in the state of Iowa. The contract was secured by White Construction, a subsidiary of IEA that manages utility-scale renewable energy and heavy civil infrastructure projects. IEA recognized approximately $56 million of this contract in backlog at December 31, 2019.



The award is for the construction of a 150 MW wind farm in Northern Iowa that, upon its anticipated completion in November 2020, will produce roughly 600,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year, or enough energy to power roughly 70,000 homes. White Construction will self-perform all of the engineering, procurement and construction needs of the project, including the building of access roads, the erection of wind generators, the installation of turbine foundations, and the construction of project substations and a medium-voltage collection system.

Iowa is a national leader in wind energy, ranking second in the U.S. for installed wind capacity. Iowa was also the first state to produce more than 30 percent of its electricity from wind. Wind construction projects, including that of this newest wind farm, will bring Iowa well over 10,000 MW of installed capacity within the next few years, according to the Iowa Environmental Council.

IEA is committed to providing state-of-the-art, sustainable energy solutions to each of our clients, said JP Roehm, IEAs President and Chief Executive Officer. We are very pleased to be able to support this newest wind farm project that will bring reliable, affordable energy to Iowa, while also contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions in the state.

IEA has assembled more than 7,200 wind turbines across North America.

About IEA

Story continues

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. (IEA) is a leading infrastructure construction company with specialized energy and heavy civil expertise. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with operations throughout the country. IEAs service offering spans the entire construction process. The Company offers a full spectrum of delivery models including full engineering, procurement, and construction, turnkey, design-build, balance of plant, and subcontracting services. IEA is one of three Tier 1 wind energy contractors in the United States and has completed more than 200 wind and solar projects across North America. In the heavy civil space, IEA offers a number of specialty services including environmental remediation, industrial maintenance, specialty transportation infrastructure and other site development for public and private projects. For more information, please visit IEAs website at www.iea.net or follow IEA on Facebook , LinkedIn and Twitter for the latest company news and events.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of words such as anticipate, expect, could, may, intend, plan and believe, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available operating, financial, economic and other information, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. A variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual future results or events to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements in this release. For a full description of the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, please refer to IEAs periodic filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission including those described as Risk Factors in IEAs annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 12, 2020, and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed during 2020. IEA does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Contact:
A group of Canadian biotech companies are joining forces in the war on COVID-19 with a unique open-source model using next-generation antidotes known as nanobodies1.

Image Credit: GEMINI PRO STUDIO/Shutterstock.com

Were donating our resources to develop custom nanobodies for others to use. It is our hope that others will take our work to create diagnostics and therapeutics, Hamlet Abnousi, CEO and Co-founder of NovoBind Livestock Technologies (NovoBind)

The coalition of five companies will adopt an open source biology model (similar to open-source software) to make and disseminate their findings, encouraging the biological version of crowdsourcing.

Abnousi and his team recognized their potential to help after reading several peer-reviewed publications that clearly demonstrated the strong neutralizing effect of nanobodies on MERS, a member of the coronavirus family.

NovoBind will identify and share the nanobodies, which stick to and neutralize pathogens. The World Health Organizations recent list of experimental therapies, which includes conventional antibodies as well as the nanobodies, confirms their thinking.

Our staff, Board, shareholders, and advisors immediately agreed that we had to do something to help, says Abnousi, whose company is one of only a few that specialize in this area.

The intent is to ensure the potential of their technology for COVID-19 applications is accessible to everyone around the world, irrespective of their capacity to pay for breakthrough medications. NovoBind will not seek any financial benefit from this effort.

The coalition is focused on nanobodies due to their ability to act like guided missiles to specifically identify and stick to the coronavirus. Because nanobodies envelop the virus, they can be used to create diagnostic tools to detect the virus, or therapeutics to effectively neutralize it. Full details of the approach can be found at www.novobind.com.

Partnering with NovoBind in this coalition are SignalChem, who will create the synthetic version of the viral targets; and Cedarlane, who will facilitate the generation of the antibodies.

A leading law firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, will advise on the intellectual property strategy to ensure that the resulting products are accessible to all countries around the world.

Natural Products Canada will support knowledge transfer to ensure developments from this initiative are integrated into global efforts against COVID-19.

Abnousi is heartened by the progress and creativity exhibited by many other research teams and hopes this coalition can add to their arsenal. Were really proud to see trusted companies come together so quickly and enthusiastically to drive a critical solution.

FOR MORE INFO

Hamlet Abnousi, Co-Founder and CEO, [email protected]
iStock/AlizadaStudios (OKLAHOMA CITY) -- Marking 25 years since the deadliest domestic terrorist attack on U.S. soil, federal authorities on Thursday warned law enforcement agencies across the country that the threat from violent white supremacists and anti-government extremists remains persistent and evolving.



The prevalence of lethal [domestic terrorist] attacks in the 25 years following the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City highlights the continued threat they pose, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism said in a joint intelligence bulletin issued nationwide.



The bulletin noted that the April 19, 1995, bombing by anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people and injured several hundreds more, making 1995 the nations deadliest year for domestic terrorist attacks.



The nations second-most lethal year for such attacks was last year, when domestic terrorists killed at least 31 people, 23 of which were killed by white supremacists, according to the bulletin.



"While threats from [domestic terrorists] have continued to evolve since the Oklahoma City bombing, many of their significant drivers have remained constant, the bulletin added, pointing to perceptions of government overreach, reactions to immigration policies, and the advocacy for the superiority of the white race."



The bulletin mentioned several recent cases, including Februarys attempted arrest of suspected white supremacist Timothy Wilson in Missouri for plotting to bomb a health care facility in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.



Wilson was fatally shot when FBI agents tried to arrest him, but in the days before he cited the likely increased impact and media attention on the health sector during the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to accelerate the timing and selection of a healthcare facility," Thursdays bulletin said.



The bulletin also discussed the February arrest of five members of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, whose founder allegedly kept a framed picture of Timothy McVeigh on his nightstand. It also discussed the 2017 arrest of Jerry Drake Varnell, who was arrested for trying to "seemingly replicate" the 1995 attack by bombing a bank in downtown Oklahoma, according to the FBI and Justice Department.



Varnell, who had expressed anti-government views, was convicted of federal changes that he attempted to use a weapon of mass destruction, and last month was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.



In Thursday's bulletin, federal authorities made clear that they "have no information indicating there is current attack plotting related to the Oklahoma City bombing anniversary."



However authorities urged law enforcement officials around the country to remain vigilant, providing them with a list of possible "indicators" that could mean someone is moving toward violence.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 16:48:26|Editor: huaxia

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VIENNA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) daily basket price dropped to 17.51 U.S. dollars a barrel on Wednesday, compared with 19.70 dollars on Tuesday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations released on Thursday.

Also known as the OPEC reference basket of crude oil, the OPEC basket, a weighted average of oil prices from different OPEC members around the world, is used as an important benchmark for crude oil prices.

It currently averages the oil prices of 13 countries, namely Algeria, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Enditem
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' fraud trial for 'misleading patients about blood tests' has been postponed until October due to the coronavirus pandemic.

US District Judge Edward Davila in California announced the decision to postpone the trial Wednesday after the global healthcare crisis has shut down courts across the US.

Holmes, 36, was due to stand trial on July 28, accused of misleading patients and investors about the capabilities of her company's blood tests.

The date has now been moved to October 27, Davila said during a telephone conference.

Elizabeth Holmes is pictured arriving for a motion hearing in California in November. The Theranos founder's fraud trial for 'misleading patients about blood tests' has been postponed until October due to the coronavirus pandemic

Holmes' lawyer, Lance Wade, had requested a postponement until early next year.

He said prosecutors recently disclosed that they intend to file new charges expanding the period of the alleged fraud and naming new investors, which would require more time for the defense to prepare for the trial.

Holmes started Theranos at age 19 claiming its technology offered a cheap, easy way to run blood tests with a simple prick of the finger.

The Stanford University dropout quickly shot to fame as a rising Silicon Valley star and was hailed the US's youngest self-made female billionaire by Fortune magazine in 2014.

Holmes (in court in 2019) was indicted in June 2018 alongside Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani (right leaving court in June 2019), the company's former president and her one-time boyfriend, face nine counts of wire fraud

Theranos' downfall began when questions were raised about the accuracy and reliability of the company's signature finger prick blood-testing device in a series of articles in the Wall Street Journal in 2015.

Holmes was indicted in June 2018 alongside Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani, the company's former president and her one-time boyfriend, on nine counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

They were accused of misleading patients and investors about the abilities of her company's blood tests even though they knew the tests did not work.

They have both pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Holmes speaking at the Forbes Under 30 Summit at Pennsylvania Convention Center in 2015. The rising star of Silicon Valley is accused of misleading patients and investors about the abilities of her company's blood tests

The conspiracy charges were dropped back in February, after a judge ruled that although the pair knew results weren't reliable, they didn't make doctors recommend the tests.

The wire fraud charges still stand.

Holmes' lawyer had asked the judge to drop all 11 counts against them, claiming that the government's charges were 'broad' and that there was no proof people who got inaccurate test results were harmed.

They said the finger prick blood-testing device carried out over 100 tests and only eight had been identified as defunct.

Prosecutors said there is evidence that Theranos got $700million through misleading investors.
The coronavirus pandemic will cost New York City a projected $7.4 billion in lost tax revenue over the current and next fiscal year after the city shuttered businesses and ordered people to stay indoors to try to contain the outbreak, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday.

"That's today's estimate. We don't know what the future brings, but that's what we know right now and that's a horrifying figure," de Blasio said at a press conference.

De Blasio urged Washington lawmakers to approve $500 billion in spending in the next stimulus bill with at least $150 billion of that going toward states, cities and local municipalities. That would help plug holes in budgets devastated by the government quarantines and help fund needed services, including police, fire and emergency response.

De Blasio said Congress should direct $100 billion to hospitals and health-care workers and $250 billion to small businesses and paycheck protection for workers.

"The federal government was very quick to bail out the banks a decade ago no questions asked. The federal government was very quick to bail out the auto industry," de Blasio said. "How about bailing out the nation's largest city? How about bailing out the epicenter of this crisis where people are suffering?"

Without federal aid, the city may be forced to make "horrible choices," including laying off municipal employees as a "last resort," he said.

"There's just no way to make up for this level of lost revenue, which has happened almost overnight, because of a global crisis we've never seen the likes of in history," he said. He said the city needs federal aid to continue providing basic services to New Yorkers.

President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion relief package in late March that strengthened unemployment insurance and included one-time payments to individuals, additional health-care funding and loans and grants to businesses to deter layoffs.

De Blasio said only $1.4 billion of that funding was directed to New York City. In comparison, he said the airline industry was awarded approximately $58 billion. Negotiations are under way in Washington for the next round of stimulus funding that will focus on small businesses and paycheck protection.

"For New York City to be able to provide basic services to people and participate in the recovery, we must have that stimulus money or else we're going to have to make horrible choices going forward," de Blasio said.

The Democratic mayor said he spoke to Trump on Wednesday to discuss the city's budget problem and urged him to "speak up."

The coronavirus has infected more than 118,300 people in New York City, including 10,899 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The New York metropolitan area is suffering from the worst outbreak in the U.S.

"Everyone wants a restart. Everyone wants our economy to recover," de Blasio said. "But there has to be a really clear understanding, if we can't provide the basics for our people, then you can kiss your recovery goodbye."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 12:31:37|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Growth in Asia is expected to stall at zero percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the lowest growth since the 1960s, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday.

"This is a crisis like no other. It is worse than the Global Financial Crisis, and Asia is not immune," Chang Yong Rhee, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, said at a virtual press conference Wednesday night.

The region's growth prospect for 2020 is the worst in almost 60 years, including during the Global Financial Crisis (4.7 percent) and the Asian Financial Crisis (1.3 percent), Rhee said.

"That said, Asia still looks to fare better than other regions in terms of activity," he noted. According to the IMF's new World Economic Outlook (WEO) report released Tuesday, the global economy is on track to contract "sharply" by 3 percent in 2020.

The latest WEO report showed that advanced economies will contract significantly by 6.1 percent in 2020, and emerging market and developing economies, which typically have growth levels well above advanced economies, will shrink by 1 percent.

Despite overall negative growth, the IMF projects 1-percent growth for emerging and developing Asia. China and India will both see moderate growth this year, with a rate of 1.2 percent and 1.9 percent respectively.

"Prospects for 2021, while highly uncertain, are for strong growth," Rhee told reporters. "If containment measures work, and with substantial policy stimulus to reduce 'scarring,' growth in Asia is expected to rebound strongly -- more so than during the Global Financial Crisis."

Rhee noted the region is experiencing different stages of the pandemic. "China's economy is beginning to get back to work, other economies are imposing tighter lockdowns, and some are experiencing a second wave of virus infections," Rhee said.

"Much depends on the spread of the virus and on how policies respond," he said, while stressing that "there is no room for complacency."

The IMF official noted that the multilateral lender is in continuous contact with the authorities in the region to offer advice and assistance, saying that more than 15 countries from across the region have expressed interest in its two emergency financing instruments.

At the virtual press conference, Rhee also conveyed IMF's thanks to Japan and China for their "generous contribution" to the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT), which can currently provide about 500 million U.S. dollars in grant-based debt service relief to the poorest countries.
Ramu Patil By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: The State Government has submitted a report by experts to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), seeking approval to begin trials/therapy using convalescent plasma on critical COVID-19 patients. We are likely to get approval for it any time soon, after which we will begin plasma therapy.

We have sent a report to ICMR, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar told TNIE on Wednesday. Kerala has already got approval for trials and we hope to get it soon. Convalescent plasma therapy is seen to offer much hope in turning critically ill patients around, even as the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities have increased by the day.

Once the go-ahead is obtained, plasma therapy will be used on infected patients in designated hospitals as part of clinical trials. According to Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, plasma transfusion therapy will help critically ill patients. People who had tested COVID-19 positive and discharged on recovering after treatment will have developed antibodies. Plasma from their blood can be used to treat others, he said.

State waits for ICMRs plasma therapy protocols

The antibodies developed in recovered patients, when transfused into critically ill patients, would help boost the immunity system of the latter to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19. The clinical trials will include antibody tests on recovered patients donating their blood to check the levels and status of antibodies sought to be transfused through plasma into patients critically ill with COVID-19.

As on Wednesday, Karnataka reported 279 positive cases, while 80 patients were discharged after treatment. We have all details of the recovered patients discharged from designated hospitals and it will not be difficult to get in touch with them and convince them to help others, the minister added. Sources said that ICMR is yet to come out with protocols on plasma therapy and states will be able to go ahead with it once the protocols are issued.

It may take some time for ICMR to come out with protocols and for trials to begin, a specialist privy to the development said. Once we get the required approvals, we need to talk to them (recovered patients) and convince them to donate their blood. If they are willing and their haemoglobin values are good, we can proceed. We can use it to treat critical COVID-19 patients, the specialist said.
Irving oil major Exxon Mobil is giving Houston-area food banks, restaurants and first responders dealing with the coronavirus pandemic a $450,000 boost through the company's new "Meals & Masks" program.

The company has donated $250,000 to the Houston Food Bank and Montgomery County Food Bank, which will provide an estimated 1 million meals to Houston area residents.

Exxon Mobil is also donating $100,000 to the TX Restaurant Relief Fund, which contracts local restaurants to prepare and deliver 6,000 meals for first responders and other frontline workers.

Exxon Mobil also is donating $100,000 worth of face masks and other protective gear to Texas Medical Center member hospitals, the Houston Police Foundation, the Fire Fighters Foundation of Houston and the Spring Fire Department.

Philanthropy: James Harden, Kroger help underserved communities during pandemic

Emily Williams Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association and Education Foundation, said the donation is a life line to some Houston area restaurants.

Through this initiative, participating restaurants will be able to hire back up to 50 percent of their furloughed employees," Knight said. "This donation demonstrates that by working together we can keep the heartbeat of our communities  food and medicine  in service for all."

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner agreed.

"Houston is a foodie town, and our restaurants reflect the city's diverse culinary tastes and vibrant culture," Turner said. "The COVID-19 public health crisis is having a devastating effect on the men and women who work in the foodservice industry. I applaud ExxonMobil for its generous donation to assist restaurants and to feed first responders."

Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox
Till date around 56,595 people have been put under surveillance, including 7,784 people in home quarantine, 270 in hospital quarantine, 260 in hospital isolation and 30,228 under home surveillance, an official bulletin said

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday said over 56,000 people who came in contact with COVID-19 suspected cases were put under surveillance.

Till date around 56,595 people have been put under surveillance, including 7,784 people in home quarantine, 270 in hospital quarantine, 260 in hospital isolation and 30,228 under home surveillance, an official bulletin said.

Besides, 18,049 persons have completed their surveillance period of 28 days, it said.

Meanwhile, 22 new positive cases of novel coronavirus were reported in the union territory on Wednesday, of which 18 are from Kashmir division and four from Jammu division, the bulletin said.

It said the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir has now reached 300.

Out of these 300 cases, 260 are active, 36 have recovered and four have died, according to the daily media bulletin on the coronavirus pandemic. Till now 4,871 samples have tested negative, it said.

The bulletin further gave the district wise breakup of the COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar registered 76 positive cases, of which 64 are active, 11 have recovered and one died, it said.

In Bandipora, total 56 positive cases have been reported till now, of which 45 are active, 10 have recovered and one died, the bulletin said.

Baramulla has registered 42 positive cases, of these 41 are active and one died, it said.

In Kupwara, all the 25 positive cases are active, according to the bulletin. Of the 14 cases in Shopian, 12 are active and two have recovered, it said.

There are 13 active positive COVID-19 cases in Ganderbal. Of the Budgam's 11 positive cases, eight are active and three have recovered, the bulletin said.

Kulgam has five active positive cases and in Pulwama there are two active positive cases and one has recovered, it said.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

Anantnag district has only one active positive case. The bulletin said Jammu has 26 positive cases, of which 23 are active and three have recovered.

It said of the 20 positive cases in Udhampur, 15 are active, four have recovered and one died. Rajouri has three positive cases, of which two are active one has recovered.

Samba district has reported four positive cases till now, which are all active and Kisthwar has one case who recovered, the bulletin said.

It said the breakup represents the districts from which the patients have been traced.
The European Commission has announced the allocation of EUR 13 million to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians who are most affected by the conflict in Donbas.

As the conflict in eastern Ukraine enters seventh year, the European Commission announces today 13 million to support the most vulnerable people affected by the ongoing hostilities. At the same time, EU funded humanitarian projects will also help address the coronavirus outbreak, reads the press release published on website of the European Commission.

As EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic noted, the European Union stands in full solidarity with the people in eastern Ukraine.

EU aid helps vulnerable people who are exhausted by six years of conflict reach basic services, such as health and water. Access to such services is even more important in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. The EU supports people in need on both sides of the contact line, the EU Commissioner emphasized.

As highlighted, the humanitarian needs in eastern Ukraine continue to rise. The funding announced today will help repair buildings damaged by the conflict, such as schools and health facilities, and provide basic needs such as education and water. All EU humanitarian assistance is channelled via UN agencies, NGOs, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The EU consistently calls for unimpeded access for the humanitarian organizations providing support on the ground to the non-government-controlled areas, the statement reads.

The European Commission reminds that the situation in eastern Ukraine remains extremely volatile. Since March 2014, the conflict has affected over 5.2 million people, of whom 3.5 million are still in need of humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian needs are steadily on the rise due to increased economic vulnerability of the conflict-affected population, mainly in the non-government controlled areas where humanitarian access is facing even further restrictions due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Indiscriminate shelling continue to hamper the provision of essential services, such as water and electricity, on both sides of the contact line. Ukraine ranks fifth in the world for civilian casualties linked to landmines and unexploded ordnances, the statement underscores.

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New city and town-specific breakdowns of coronavirus cases in Massachusetts show Chelsea has been hit harder than any other municipality. As of yesterday, Chelseas per capita rate of 1,890 per 100,000 people was the highest in the state. Boston, with a much larger population than Chelsea, has the most cases of COVID-19.

The rate of infection is so bad, Chelsea City Manager Tom Ambrosino last week advised all city residents to stay indoors for 24 hours if possible. That level of precaution has led to particularly bad hardships for many in the city.

To help meet the immediate needs of families especially desperate for bare essentials, the city, along with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, have created the One Chelsea Fund.

Chelsea is home to some of the most vulnerable groups in the Boston region: newly-arrived immigrants, undocumented families, non-English speakers, and low-income workers and families with children, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay wrote on its fundraising page. As a frontline community, Chelsea residents already experienced the greater public health challenges associated with environmental contamination. Therefore, the economic, social, and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were immediate and dire for the many Chelsea individuals and families who live one paycheck away from serious financial hardship.

The increased vulnerability of Chelsea residents has led to questions about the state response to a known hotspot. Gov. Charlie Baker, who was asked if the state should have acted sooner to help Chelsea, defended his administrations COVID-19 response.

Weve been in contact with the leadership in the city of Chelsea almost every day in the last month. When they ask us for stuff, we respond, he said.

Baker said Chelsea officials declined some of the assistance the state offered but would not elaborate on what those offers entailed.

We try to be respectful of what locals, the folks who are on the grounds, know their communities best, believe are the most important things for us to do, he said.

The One Chelsea Fund has begun distributing $250 checks, which are currently being limited to one per family. Those are being distributed as a check, direct deposit, or direct payment to a vendor. The city will expand access and amounts as the fund grows.

Since this crisis hit our community, we have seen people and organizations come together swiftly and decisively to meet the needs of individuals and families who are being severely impacted, Ambrosino told the Chelsea Record.

People can make a donation to the fund directly through its web page. People can also send a check to: United Way of Massachusetts Bay; P.O. Box 51381, Boston, MA 02205-1381. Please make checks out to United Way of Massachusetts Bay and include One Chelsea Fund in the memo of your check.

MassLive reporter Steph Solis contributed to the reporting of this story.

Related Content:
The federal government will cover the cost of Qantas and Virgin Australia operating domestic flights on a limited network to maintain air connections between capital and regional cities, following sharp cuts to their networks amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Transport minister Michael McCormack said on Thursday night that an initial $165 million package would underwrite flights to all capital cities and regional centres including Albury, Alice Springs, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Kalgoorlie, Mildura, Port Lincoln, Rockhampton, Tamworth, Townsville and Wagga Wagga.

Planes have been grounded at airports around Australia due to travel bans and border closures. Credit:Wolter Peeters

"We are ensuring secure and affordable access for passengers who need to travel... as well as supporting the movement of essential freight such as critical medicine and personal protective equipment," Mr McCormack said.

He said the network also ensured repatriated Australians can get to their home city after spending the mandatory 14 days in quarantine in the city they fly into.
Members of the citys police and fire departments held a parade Thursday to pay tribute to the Norwalk Hospital employees. Police and fire vehicles used their sirens and lights to acknowledge hospital workers while making two loops around the hospital on Stevens and Maple streets. The fire department also raised a large American flag on a ladder truck in the Brush Street parking lot.
The Management of Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL) has lauded Hon. Bryan Acheampong, MP for Abetifi and a Minister of State at the Office of the President, for supporting the nations fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.



The MPs gesture, in the form of donations to the tune of GHS 821,000 to members of his constituency, included among other things, 107,000 pieces of hand sanitizers manufactured right here by the liquor giant.



Speaking to the press, Mr. Gerald Bonsu, Commercial Director of Kasapreko Company Limited, commended the MP for supporting indigenous businesses in these troubling times.



The honourable ministers patronage of our products especially in such a large quantity demonstrates his confidence and commitment to the success of made in Ghana Businesses , he said.



Mr. Bonsu further reiterated Kasaprekos readiness to support the MP, as well as other individuals and organisations with the production of their quality WHO and ISO certified products in the drive to curb the pandemic within the shortest possible time.



Following governments call for local companies to join in the nations fight with the production of alcohol-based Hand Sanitizers among other products, Kasapreko has led the charge, emerging as one of the first companies to embark on the manufacturing of affordable hand sanitizers and rubbing alcohol. Over the past few days, the company has donated KCL hand sanitizers to the Ministry of Information, 37 Military Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, and the Manhyia Palace Kumasi.



Ghana continues to record daily increases in the number of persons who contracts the virus.

The general public is advised to adhere to safety protocols which include washing hands thoroughly with soap and water under running water for twenty seconds, the use of hand sanitizers, abstinence from face touching, and the observance of social distancing among others.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Spain saw 551 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, according to figures supplied on Thursday morning by the Spanish Health Ministry. This was a slight increase on yesterdays figure, which came in at 523.

So far during the coronavirus epidemic in Spain, there have been a total of 19,130 official fatalities due to the Covid-19 disease, with 182,816 confirmed infections and nearly 75,000 patients who have recovered and have been discharged from hospital.

The rise in cases was 2.9% today in Spain, when two weeks ago the rate was 7% Health Minister Salvador Illa

Despite todays slight rise in daily fatalities, the Spanish health authorities said on Thursday that there was still a continuing downward trend for hospitalizations and ICU admissions due to Covid-19, a result of the nearly five weeks of near-total lockdown that has been in place in Spain since a state of alarm was implemented by the Spanish government on March 14.

The number of daily fatalities came in at 567 on Tuesday, 517 on Monday and 619 on Sunday. Reporting delays due to the Easter weekend are thought to have contributed to these fluctuations.

The peak of daily deaths was seen on April 2, when there were 950 Covid-19-related fatalities.

The rise in registered infections rose slightly on Wednesday, however, to 3% of the total, a phenomenon that was attributed yesterday by Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, to the testing kits that are now being widely distributed across Spain. Until recently, only patients with more severe symptoms were being tested.

A similar rise was seen in Thursdays new infection rate, which came in at 2.9%

Speaking at a weekly congressional commission to provide information about the coronavirus crisis, Health Minister Salvador Illa began his appearance by recognizing the boys and girls who are behaving in an exemplary manner, in reference to the children across Spain who are unable to leave their homes under the strict measures in place under the state of alarm. We are aware that the confinement is affecting their health, but we are following the progress of the epidemic so that they can get out on the street when it is possible in an ordered manner.

We have reached the peak and we must flatten the curve Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts

Illa also referred to the infection rate. The rise in cases was 2.9% today in Spain, when two weeks ago the rate was 7%, he explained. So far 40.5% of patients have been discharged from hospital, he continued. With a huge effort on everyones part, the adequate response for patients has been guaranteed and cases are falling. We must maintain the capacity that has been installed until now and there are difficult weeks ahead, for which the health system must be on alert. We have to be very prudent.

Meanwhile, while Illa was speaking in Congress, Fernando Simon was holding the governments daily coronavirus press conference. He also addressed the higher infection rate than that seen earlier in the week. Increasing testing is making the number of cases rise, but in some cases they are people who had the disease some time ago and others are asymptomatic, he explained. While this poses a challenge from a communication point of view, it is good news.

Simon explained that at least 1,312 infections had been detected thanks to serological tests, which detect the antibodies for the virus in a blood sample and can be used to identify people who have overcome the disease or not showing symptoms. The PCR test, in contrast, detects if the virus is currently active.

Simon said that while there is still a large number of fatalities, the number of patients in hospital and ICUs [intensive care units] continues to fall. Simon explained that there were only 1,003 hospital admissions on Wednesday, and 79 patients taken into ICUs, both of which represented a 1% increase.

He added that the measures in place are allowing us to achieve our objective. We have reached the peak and we must flatten the curve. We are facing the biggest challenge of our recent and not that recent history. For a transition to a new normality, we need to take note of the lessons we have learned.

But the figures offered by the government cannot be taken as absolute. The Catalonia region, for example, on Tuesday began to include fatalities based on data from funeral services, and calculated that that the number of coronavirus deaths in the region exceeded 7,000. But in order to maintain coherence in the figures, only deaths with confirmed infections were sent to the Health Ministry: 3,855. Until the information that the Justice Ministry has requested from the countrys civil registries arrives, that difference points to an underreporting of coronavirus deaths of around 50%.

Political consensus

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will today begin a round of virtual meetings with opposition parties, in a bid to start laying the foundation for what are being dubbed the new Moncloa Pacts, in reference to a sweeping cross-party deal in 1977 that produced a national socioeconomic recovery program and shored up Spains transition to democracy after the death of Francisco Franco.

Pedro Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias in Congress on Wednesday. EFE

However, so far Sanchez has not managed to secure a meeting with Pablo Casado, the leader of Spains main opposition Popular Party (PP), which has been highly critical of the governments handling of the coronavirus crisis. Far-right Vox, meanwhile, the third-largest group in Congress, is outright refusing to even take the call from the prime ministers office to set a date for talks.

As a result, Sanchez will begin conversations with smaller parties such as his coalition partner Unidas Podemos, Ciudadanos (Citizens), the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and pro-Catalan independence group Together for Catalonia.

Opinion poll

The results of the latest opinion poll from Spains CIS public research institute were released on Wednesday. The survey found that 87.8% of Spaniards questioned believe that political parties should support the Spanish government during the coronavirus crisis and leave criticism until a future moment.

Just over 91% of those questioned in the CIS poll agreed that when the health crisis is over, the political parties should make an effort to reach wide-ranging agreements to deal with the economic and employment crisis that is forecast.

The governments management of the crisis deserved little or no confidence according to 48% of those interviewed, with 46.5% saying they were satisfied.

There was widespread outrage on Wednesday on social media and among associations of journalists regarding a question included in this latest CIS poll. The question, asked via telephone interview, was: Do you believe that during these times the spread over the internet and social media of hoaxes and misleading news stories with little basis in fact should be prohibited, with all information about the pandemic coming from official sources, or do you believe that total freedom for the distribution of news and information should be maintained?

A total of 67% of those interviewed replied saying that information should be controlled, with just one official source established for news about the pandemic.

Guaranteed minimum income

Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva announced on Wednesday that in the coming weeks Spains coalition government would approve a guaranteed minimum income scheme aimed at assisting the most vulnerable families. Sources close to one of Spains deputy prime ministers, Unidas Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias, explained that an agreement has been reached with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of the Socialist Party (PSOE) to roll out the measure, which is aimed at helping 100,000 single-parent households. The government is due to present the measure on Thursday.

The guaranteed minimum income scheme is something that the PSOE-Unidas Podemos coalition had been planning for some time, but given the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, its implementation has been sped up.

The scheme, Escriva said on Wednesday, will be structural, permanent and will be here to stay. He offered no further details, however, such as the total cost of the measure nor how many citizens it could benefit. It will not be an individual benefit, he said, but will place the emphasis on households and will differentiate according to the structure of those households.

Wildlife in Spain

One of the surprising consequences of the lockdown in Spain for the last month has been the appearance of wild animals in cities and in other unexpected places. This week one woman managed to capture a video of the highly unusual sight of a group of wild horses trotting along a ski slope at the Sierra Nevada resort, in the Granada province in southern Spain.

Meanwhile, a wild boar was spotted in the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid.

With reporting by Jesus Servulo Gonzalez, Emilio de Benito and Jose Marcos.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Six Indian companies are working on a vaccine to control coronavirus, joining global efforts to find a quick prevention for it, a top Indian scientist said. Nearly 70 vaccine candidates' are being tested and at least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage, but a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be ready for mass use before 2021.

Meanwhile, experts have warned that India needs to "significantly ramp up" the number of tests done across the country to trace Covid-19 infection if the virus is to be contained in time. While Zydus ...
CCP Virus Delays Criminal Case Against Bellamys Former Director

Australias corporate watchdog has adjourned the criminal case against Bellamys former director due to restrictions caused by the CCP virus. Its the second time this year the watchdog has delayed a hearing against the Tasmanian businesswoman, Jan Cameron.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) accused Cameron of failing to disclose a substantial holding in the baby formula company, Bellamys Organic, when the company went public on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) on Aug. 1, 2014.

Cameron and her associate, the Black Prince Private Foundation, held 14.74 percent of Bellamys total issued capitalabout 14 million shares.

Under the Corporations Act, a person must lodge a substantial holder notice with the company and the relevant market operator, such as the ASX, if a person holds more than 5 percent of the voting power.

Cameron is also accused of misleading the watchdog when she failed to properly disclose her true and complete relationship with Black Prince upon lodging an initial substantial holder notice on Feb. 15, 2017.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Cameron denied having a personal interest in the Black Prince Private Foundation, which in 2017, controlled the largest block of Bellamys shares. The Black Prince Private Foundation was registered in Singapore and is based in the Caribbean tax haven of Curacao.

After calling for a shareholder meeting in 2017 to usurp the four independent directors at Bellamys, it was found that Cameron and her long time lawyer Rodd Peters were behind the shareholding. Additionally, both Cameron and Peters were directors of a charitable organisation called Elsie Cameron, which answers to Black Prince.

There is an expectation that the Black Prince Private Foundation would act (concerning its Bellamys shares) per the wishes of the Elsie Cameron Foundation as expressed by the directors of its trustee, that is Jan Cameron and Rodd Peters, Bellamys informed the ASX, as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald in 2017.

Cameron confirmed on January 2017 that the Elsie Cameron Foundation was the beneficiary of any dividends paid by Bellamys, or of any profit generated from the sale of shares held in Bellamys.

According to the Australian Financial Review, Cameron said in 2017 that she was naively hoping to keep the donation to the Elsie Cameron Foundation private, rather than splashed across the news.

Just because its in a tax haven, its got nothing to do with tax issues, she said. As you know, the Elsie Cameron Foundation doesnt pay tax anyway. People who think this is a tax dodge are completely wrong.

Other business interests in Camerons portfolio include outdoor apparel brand Kathmandu, which she founded. She later sold 51 percent of the company for $247 million (US$155 million)making her Australias fourth-richest woman in 2006, reported Business News Australia. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Cameron invested in other retail brands, which later failed and devoured most of her fortune.

In November 2019, the Foreign Investment Review Board approved the $1.5 billion (US$940 million) take-over of Bellamys by China Mengniu Dairy Company. Cameron was reported to have received $300 million (US$188 million) from the sale of her shares in December 2019.

Cameron served as director of Bellamys from 2007 to 2011. She faces imprisonment for a maximum of five years and six months, a fine of $38,250 (US$24,047) or both; the maximum penalty in August 2014 for breaching two sections of the Corporations Act.

The criminal case is rescheduled for hearing at 9:45 a.m. on July 24, 2020, at the Hobart Magistrates Court.

The Australian Associated Press contributed to this report.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Granite City man pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of animal torture and burglary, and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons said Rodney W. Johnson, 45, received the maximum sentence for animal torture, but he wished the law allowed more prison time.

While we are proud he received the maximum sentence, considering the horrific nature of the crime we do not think it is enough time, Gibbons said. We will continue to advocate for longer possible sentences in future animal abuse cases.

In February, Johnson was charged with animal torture and aggravated cruelty to animals after he allegedly poured a corrosive liquid on a 10-year-old Maltese mix breed dog named Charlie, which nearly died. The dog was initially given only a 20 percent chance of survival. The burns destroyed most of the dogs hair.

Pound Pets Inc., an animal welfare agency, took charge of the dog and saw to it that Charlie received medical treatment.

First of all let me start off by saying that anyone that hurts an animal is a coward. Especially one the size of Charlie, the group posted on its Facebook page. We want to thank the Madison police department with the assistance of the Granite City police department and the Madison County States Attorneys office for making sure that our Charlie got his justice. Today is a good day.

Johnson was also charged with five counts of burglary for allegedly breaking into five automobiles on Sept. 12, 2019. Bail was set at $100,000. He will get a day off for each good day he serves.

In February, a Madison County prosecutor said an unknown person dropped off the dog at the Madison Police Department and officers immediately contacted Pound Pets, Inc. The agency contacted Veterinary Specialty Services in Manchester, Missouri, for urgent medical attention.

Authorities said they know Johnson was not the owner of the dog. Assistant Madison County States Attorney Chad Loughrey said Johnson became a suspect because he was living with the dogs owner.

Under Illinois law, animal torture is a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Johnson has a criminal record dating to 2001 when he was convicted of burglary. He also has convictions for possession of a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials, a 2014 burglary conviction and 13 misdemeanors.
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The Cannes Film Festival, held every May in the French Riviera, isn't just a venue for important premieres, yacht parties and celebrity-filled red carpets. It's also the home of one of Hollywood's biggest movie markets, where hundreds of independently financed films try to find a distributor.

With Cannes now postponed indefinitely and the prospects for other fall festivals uncertain, Hollywood sales agents are scrambling to find new ways to auction their films and bring them to audiences hungry for new content.

The organizers of Cannes, who previously had postponed this year's festival from May to June, said this week they have canceled the festival's parallel Critics' Week and Directors' Fortnight programs. There are now no plans for Cannes itself this year, since French President Emmanuel Macron has banned large public gatherings until mid-July.

As of now, the three biggest fall film festivals -- Venice, Telluride and Toronto -- have not yet canceled or rescheduled their dates, which run consecutively from Sept. 2 to Sept. 20. The trio of gatherings have become the launching point for almost all of the recent best picture Oscar winners, including "Green Book," "The Shape of Water," "Moonlight" and "Spotlight."

The Oscar-winning South Korean film "Parasite" won the Palme d'Or award at Cannes before going mainstream in the US. (John Phillips/Getty Images)

The most recent winner of the top Academy Award, "Parasite," premiered at Cannes. Its domestic distribution rights were sold to Neon in 2018 at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, a massive industry gathering focused on global film sales.

VIRTUAL FESTIVALS

Cannes has an equivalent market to AFM, called the Marche du Film, which will now be held virtually. Sales agents and potential buyers will watch new releases online, and bid on them over email and video chat applications. Similarly, movies that were supposed to premiere at the canceled South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin will now be streamed later this month to Amazon Prime customers.

Josh Braun, whose sales agency Submarine specializes in highbrow documentaries like the Oscar-winning "American Factory," said he's trying to duplicate the energy of a crowded film festival sales screening by holding online viewings more or less simultaneously. He told me via email:

"We are taking a methodical approach to screening films virtually for buyers at pre-scheduled times with the goal of getting reactions relatively quickly from each of them. For the moment, screening on password-protected links is the only way to screen films for buyers during a pandemic. Overall, this is a slower process, but it's working for us."





Braun said he is in the midst of selling the Sean-Penn-in-Haiti documentary "Citizen Penn" (which was supposed to show this week at the canceled Tribeca Film Festival), a documentary about death and grieving called "An Elephant in the Room" (originally set to premiere at SXSW), and the 1968-set documentary "The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show" (which also was going to debut at Tribeca).

One veteran buyer, however, said some filmmakers and sellers have been reluctant to participate in virtual festivals, not only because they fail to mimic the hype and excitement of a live screening but also because honest audience enthusiasm is difficult to discern online.

With the nation's movie theaters padlocked with no immediate prospects of reopening, it's unclear how and when all of the new movies will be released. But one thing is for certain: they won't have a black-tie blowout in Cannes.

WE LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
Frustrations with Gov. Gretchen Whitmers COVID-19 stay-at-home order reached a fever pitch Wednesday as thousands flocked to Michigans capital city for a daylong rally that stretched from local roads to the Capitol steps.

The current stay-at-home order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is in effect through April 30 and bans gatherings of any size outside a household, as well as in-person business and activities deemed non-essential. The measures are intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 28,059 people in Michigan and resulted in 1,921 deaths.

Whitmer and Chief Medical Executive Joneigh Khaldun have said the ongoing stay-at-home order is essential to prevent more deaths in Michigan.

Initially, the stay-at-home order didnt get much pushback. But an extension of the order that included additional restrictions on business and individual activity was widely panned by Republican lawmakers and conservatives, who felt the order went too far and didnt take into account businesses that could operate safely.

Protesters began circling the Capitol Wednesday morning, and the action didnt cease until nearly 6 p.m. Traffic was backed up for miles. Participants were encouraged to stay in their cars, but a crowd began gathering on the Capitol lawn by 10 a.m., and many were not wearing masks or following social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC.

The protest had a political edge  many who participated held signs and waved flags in support of President Donald Trump. One sign asked Trump to lock up the Nazi woman in Michigan, and at one point, a Lock Her Up chant started from the Capitol steps.

Some participants also displayed Confederate flags, which were widely criticized on social media.

Related: Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan Capitol

The concept was initially proposed by Birmingham resident Anthony DiMaggio, who said he had no idea it would get so big.

The manufacturing jeweler and jewelry designer said hes never been involved in planning a political protest before. But his business has been suffering under the order, and after he contacted state Rep. Matt Maddock about the idea, he was connected to the Michigan Conservative Coalition. The Operation Gridlock Facebook event they created snowballed from there.

DiMaggio said he thought a few hundred people might show up to drive around the Capitol building. In the end, police estimated somewhere between 3-4,000 people were in downtown Lansing at the protests peak, either in their cars or on the ground.

It wasnt me that did it, it was just the consciousness of Michigan people, he said. They desperately want to work, they want to control their own destiny, and this place just exploded with thousands and thousands more people than I ever thought.

Critics said the event endangered lives and shouldnt be construed as the opinion of all Michigan residents.

Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, said the protest showed selfishness, a lack of empathy and disregard for human life.

Beyond the right to protest, which we all agree is important, we know many Michiganders were disappointed by the actions of a vocal few," he said. We know that Michigan is better than the lack of compassion we saw in Lansing today and in the coming days we will work with our partners on an effort to mobilize Michiganians to support our frontline workers.

Whitmer said in a press briefing Wednesday she understood why people were protesting. But she expressed concern about the people who ignored social distancing guidelines while doing so.

I was really disappointed to see people congregating and not wearing masks," Whitmer said during a press conference Wednesday. We know that this rally endangered people. This kind of activity will put more people at risk and sadly, it could prolong the amount of time that we have to be in this posture.

Shelly Vanderwerff of Zeeland, one of the participants in the protest, is currently laid off from her job at a local greenhouse. She is also trained as a pet groomer, and carried a sign on the Capitol lawn asking for the ability to do curbside pet grooming during the stay-at-home order.

She said she felt it was important to show up in person because the governor is taking away jobs, hobbies and other means of activity that could be done safely and help people who are struggling with their mental health.

It seems like shes not listening to petitions and calls and emails, shes not getting how many small businesses that this really is affecting and hurting, she said.

Vanderwerff said shes taking personal precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, but is concerned that Michigans stay-at-home measures are too extreme.

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, was at the Capitol Wednesday and witnessed the proceedings, and later posted a video of himself waving a flag in support on Twitter. Hes been a vocal critic of Whitmers latest order, and said the protest was a simple exercise of Constitutional rights although he encouraged people to do so while properly socially distancing.

There is nothing more American than people coming together and petitioning their government and ensuring their voices are heard, and thats what were seeing here today," he said.

Throughout the day, downtown Lansing was a cacophony of car and truck horns, megaphones and occasional chanting.

Cars and trucks lined the streets surrounding Michigans Capitol building, displaying flags and painted messages like Stop Oppressive Quarantining: Bring Back Common Sense and Freedom Isnt Negotiable. Some brought their motorboats, which the administration said are not allowed under the stay-at-home order. Others drove business vehicles.

State Rep. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, said in a statement she understood people were angry and scared, but said it was extremely irresponsible to orchestrate a traffic jam in the capital city.

Maybe these protesters havent lost someone to COVID-19. Maybe they havent had to figure out how to bury a loved one while selecting only 10 family members to attend the memorial service," she said. Maybe they dont know a doctor, nurse, corrections officer, long-term care worker or first responder putting their lives at risk every day during this global pandemic.

This decision put lives in jeopardy by blocking emergency vehicles, impedes the ability of essential state workers to perform critical responsibilities and risks further transmission of COVID-19 throughout our state," she continued.

Live: Stay-at-Home Protest at Michigan Capitol Protestors at Michigan Capitol against Gov. Whitmer's stay-at-home order Posted by MLive.com on Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Michigan State Police estimated somewhere between 3,000-4,000 people involved in the protest with traffic backed up for miles in all directions leading away from the Capitol.

If their goal was to create gridlock, they succeeded in that, said Michigan State Police First Lt. Darren Green.

Public safety officials and local hospitals said there were some anecdotes of slow traffic delaying ambulances, but said for the most part, operations proceeded as usual.

John Foren, a spokesperson for Sparrow Hospital, said the entrances and exits to the facilitys downtown location were not blocked and said security was on the premises for the duration of the protest.

Lansing Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations Michael Tobin said the biggest impact on their department was the temporary relocation of vehicles out of downtown headquarters to other parts of the city.

The Capital Area Transportation Authority, which provides public transit to the Lansing area, temporarily stopped its services in the downtown region in light of the protest. On its website, CATA stated its vehicles were unable to accommodate life-sustaining and medically necessary trips to or from these areas.

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The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has prompted Chinese vocational schools to start live streaming lessons teaching practical skills, such as cooking, as part of efforts to maintain teaching progress.

Wang Xingsheng teaches a class online. (Photo/Wang Haihan)

Wang Xingsheng, a senior technician of Chinese cuisine at a cuisine school in East Chinas Anhui province, has become one of these live streamers.

Dressed in neat chef's clothes, Wang Xingsheng patiently explained the process of preparing shredded pork with garlic sauce, while his assistant, Chu Zhaolong, a teacher of Chinese food theory at the school, set up his mobile phone to start the live streaming, occasionally adjusting his position according to the chefs actions.

Chu Zhaolong worked skilfully with Wang Xingsheng, capturing the best shot as the chef explained the key points of the process. The class was attended by 300 students from eight classes taking the Chinese food major at the school.

After two online classes lasting two hours, Wang Xingsheng's face was covered in sweat.

Wang Xingsheng has 30 years of teaching experience, but this year was the first time he had given live-streamed lessons. So far, he has taught more than 30 such classes. "I have live streamed classes teaching how to make omelette with tender leaves of Chinese toon, spicy pot, braised smelly mandarin fish, and freshly brewed Huainan Tofu."

Wang Xingsheng revealed that he began to prepare for live-stream classes more than a month ago. "At the beginning of each class, I will not start teaching right away. Instead, I will tell students to pay attention to key points, including clothing, equipment, equipment inspection, health and safety, and other issues."

"We will give priority to what students want to learn. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, we have also taught students some home-cooked dishes such as lily, spring bamboo and yam, which not only allows the students to learn practical skills, but also serves as culinary therapy to their families." To Wang's delight, the students have embraced the online approach.

"In the future, we will consider recording teaching videos of classic dishes of various cuisines and establishing an online platform for collaboration between families and schools," said Zhang Honghui, head of the school's academic affairs office.
They raise the slogan as as they prepare to raise their voice against the patriarchy in the Aurat March

It is a state of turmoil not just in India, but across our borders as well. While the women of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh are holding the fort against CAA, women from Pakistan are raising their voices against the patriarchy with Aurat March today.

With the slogan 'Mera Jism Meri Marzi' My Body, My Choice pakistani women are coming out in heavy numbers on Twitter, urging sisters to attend the march and demand their bodily rights.

The courage of my Pakistani sisters who are planning to march for their rights is brave and beyond words. Women from all segments of society will walk, sing and talk together, smiles Farahnaz Ispahani, a former member of the Pakistan National Assembly.

Beacon of hope

The march which has been organised on International Women's Day since 2018 has been a visible and growing proof of Pakistani women finding their voice. The aim of the march is not just to show resentment against male-run society, but also talk about rape, honour killing, forced marriage, sexual harassment, and other issues specific to Pakistans women.

For author Naila Inayat, the very fact that a conversation around women is being held in the first place is no less than an achievement.

Women in Pakistan for long have been dictated by the society on what and how much freedom they can have and to what extent they are allowed to go. Aurat March is the real change and women from a cross-section of the society come together (sic), shares Inayat, adding, It is not only to challenge these dictates, but also to raise voice against rampant violence against women, be it domestic abuse, rape, sexual harassment, honour killing, forced religious conversions and more.

Similarly, professor Nida Kirmani from Lahore University of Management Sciences opines that the march is an important avenue for women put forward a concrete list of demands.

It is an important first step in building these bridges and starting some critical conversations in our society, she says, adding that it is time that women came out in solidarity. It is definitely time, which we can see from the fact that the march is getting bigger and louder with each passing year, she asserts.

Over the years, not only has Aurat March been a baton of sisterhood in Pakistan, but it has also inspired similar organisations like the Women Democratic Front, a socialist-feminist organization, to organize the Aurat Azadi March in Hyderabad and Islamabad. The young women who are emerging and carrying the torch of courage handed down to them by their predecessors, in many ways are even bolder than their foremothers. I have a lot of hope for them, Kirmani shares.

From march to movement

While Ishapni feels like globalisation has helped women pass more laws for their own protection, Pakistan, like many other countries in the region, has not moved forward as a society.

In an environment where several leading political clerics have threatened the march by saying 'those calling for women's empowerment and gender equality are agents of the Devil' are using violent speech to incite their followers. This is very dangerous in a society where acid crimes, honour killings, and forced child marriages are present and accepted widely, she rues.

So strong is the fear among Pakistani men over the march, that petitions were filed in Lahore High Court against it. However, the Islamabad High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on the petition and in turn questioned the eight petitioners' interpretation of the slogans they had objected to.

With hope and determination as ground-rules, Kirmani believes that Aurat March in the coming years will keep growing and hopefully will spark a wider revival of the women's movement.

Though that is something we can already see happening in the country as a whole. For now, it is confined to particular classes in urban areas. I sincerely hope that it grows and spreads with each passing year, the professor muses.

It remains to be seen whether this years Aurat Match will top last year, which saw a brave, joyous expression of unity among women, with even supportive men marching alongside. I believe that if the federal and provincial government and authorities ensure the marchers move in a physically safe environment, this movement will live on, Ishapani concludes.
New Developments in Export Control in China

Posted by Publisher Internet

On 28 December 2019, China released a second draft of the PRC Export Control Law (the ?Draft?) for public comment. Currently, the legal framework for export control is based on several administrative regulations focusing on chemical, nuclear, military and biological products (the ?current regulations?).

The Draft does not change the current framework; it improves the regulatory measures and fills the gap in the current regulations. The proposed changes are extensive and will have an impact on companies doing business in China, the Ecovis experts explain.

Scope of controlled items widened

The scope of controlled items in the Draft is open. These include dual-use items, military products, nuclear and other goods, technology and services ?related to international obligations or national security?. The scope of controlled items is also extended to include a ?related service?. Under current regulations, this is only included in the control of military products. The controlled items in other regulations are equipment, materials, supplies, technologies, etc.

Regulated actions extended

According to article 2 of the Draft, regulated actions include the transfer of controlled items from China to foreign countries and provision by Chinese citizens, legal persons and other organisations to foreign natural persons, legal persons and other organisations. The regulated actions in the Draft are extended from geographical cross-border transfer to cross-border transfer in terms of nationality. In addition, when the controlled items are transferred outside China, this may also be subject to Chinese export control. Article 45 of the Draft stipulates that re-export shall be regulated in accordance with this law.

Regulatory measures diversified

Under the current regulations, the regulatory measures are relatively simple. Export operators need to be registered and authorised and each export project approved. The Draft provides diversified regulatory measures. In addition to the current measures, the controlled items may be generally prohibited from export or from export to specific natural persons, legal persons and other organisations. The Draft also requires monitoring of the end use after export, such as submitting end user and end use certificates, end user commitment not to change the end use or transfer to a third party without permission and the export operator?s obligation to report a change of end user or end use.

At the same time, the Draft also provides simple control measures. If an export operator has a working internal compliance review system and there is no record of major violations, the responsible department may grant facilitation measures to the export operator which can replace the approval.

Higher compliance requirements for export operators

According to the Draft, in addition to control lists, export operators must apply to the responsible departments for approval if they know, should know or are notified that particular risks may occur. Compared with current regulations, there are now increased compliance requirements for export operators.

Investigative powers of the responsible departments increased

Currently, only the regulations controlling dual-use nuclear items stipulate that the Ministry of Commerce can implement investigative measures. The Draft gives the responsible departments the power to take a variety of measures including entering into business premises, interviewing relevant personnel, checking and copying transaction and financial documents, inspecting vehicles, sealing or seizing items, checking bank accounts etc.

Assistance from other enterprises included in the scope of punishment

Even if they are not the operators of dual-use items, military products, nuclear products and other controlled items, other enterprises who provide assistance to anyone violating the rules should also bear legal responsibility. Article 37 of the Draft stipulates that the responsible export control or customs departments have the right to punish those who are aware of any export control violation but still provide services such as agency, freight, delivery, customs declarations, third-party e-commerce trading platforms and financial services.

Suggestions for companies in relation to the new developments in export control

To cope with above developments in export control, we suggest that companies implement the following measures:

Export operators should follow closely the control lists published by the authorities and check whether their exported goods are included. Where the exported items are not included in the control lists but may be used in connection with controlled items, export operators must consult the responsible departments for confirmation.

Companies are advised to strengthen compliance management. The scope of compliance management should cover the traded items, their end use and the business activities of their partners.

Other enterprises that do not operate controlled items should also pay attention to the export control law. Companies are advised to check a customer?s field of business. If this involves controlled items, it is necessary to check whether the customer has obtained operating qualifications and whether each batch of export items has been approved.

For further information please contact:

Pingwen Hu, Certified Public Accountant, CPA, ECOVIS Ruide Certified Public Accountants Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China, Email: pingwen.hu@ecovis.cn

In cooperation with Qiao Wenbao, Partner/Attorney-at-law, DeBund Law Offices, Shanghai, China

Ecovis is a leading global consulting firm with its origins in Continental Europe. It has over 7,500 people operating in over 75 countries. Its consulting focus and core competencies lie in the areas of tax consultation, accounting, auditing and legal advice.

The particular strength of Ecovis is the combination of personal advice at a local level with the general expertise of an international and interdisciplinary network of professionals. Every Ecovis office can rely on qualified specialists in the back offices as well as on the specific industrial or national know-how of all the Ecovis experts worldwide. This diversified expertise provides clients with effective support, especially in the fields of international transactions and investments ? from preparation in the client?s home country to support in the target country.

In its consulting work Ecovis concentrates mainly on mid-sized firms. Both nationally and internationally, its one-stop-shop concept ensures all-round support in legal, fiscal, managerial and administrative issues.

The name Ecovis, a combination of the terms economy and vision, expresses both its international character and its focus on the future and growth.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Thursday said it has come up with a manual of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for industries to follow post the withdrawal of nationwide lockdown in the country.

The maker of Innova and Fortuner said that with possibility of manufacturing operations commencing from April 20, it has devised a comprehensive 'restart manual' as a guide for industries to follow post the withdrawal of the nationwide lockdown.

With an intent to support the manufacturing sector, TKM management had put together a team of cross functional experts to go into the minutest details of various operations and create an SOP that would ensure the safest possible restart to manufacturing by securing the workers from any health hazards, the company said in a statement.

This manual is in consonance with the broad government guidelines that have been issued and will be used by TKM, its suppliers and has also been shared as a reference document with all Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) members, it added.

The company also intends to share it with wider segment of industry through industry association platforms like CII, TKM said.

"We need to safeguard business continuity and economic recovery as well by ensuring 'safety and health first' approach. In this perspective, this 'restart manual' is prepared not only for our use but also for the benefit of government, industries and stakeholders," TKM Managing Director Masakazu Yoshimura said.

Post Covid-19, the industry will witness a new normal and change will be inevitable, he added.

"We need to stop jobs that do not fit the needs, change procedures or the way we work and continue to navigate in these turbulent times," Yoshimura noted.

Appreciating the manual, the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) President Deepak Jain said the safety measures to be adopted at each function are indeed very well described and explained through appropriate graphics.

"We are confident that this manual would be of immense value to all ACMA members in ensuring that we have a safe, secure and sustainable restart post the lockdown," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Here are all the coronavirus updates you need to know this Wednesday, April 15.

1. The number of cases in Kenya have hit 225 after nine more people tested positive for the virus.

2. The Ministry of Health has also announced one more death pushing the death toll to 10.

READ ALSO: Opinion: Disloyal House leaders are a liability to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya

The government has confirmed nine more cases of coronavirus. Photo: TUKO.co.ke.

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Lucky man receives KSh 868 million stimulus fund from govt instead of KSh 180k

3. There are 12 more recoveries in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of survivors to 53.

4. Telecommunication giant Safaricom has donated KSh 200 million to help the poor during COVID-19 pandemic.

5. The government has confirmed it received a consignment of 18,000 kits, masks from billionaire Jack Ma.

6. Donald Trump has halted funding to WHO over 'poor' handling of COVID-19 pandemic.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

I have forgiven the men who killed my husband- Dorcas Wandera | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
EL CERRITO, CA  The death toll climbed again in Contra Costa County on Wednesday, with the additional two deaths bringing the total number of fatalities to 14. The number of confirmed illnesses in the county is now 615.

Here in El Cerrito, 8 people have been diagnosed as having tested positive for the illness.



Contra Costa Health Services also reports that 44 county residents are hospitalized for complications from COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

Looking beyond Contra Costa County, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Johns Hopkins University reported that California has 26,686 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The states reporting more cases than California are New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

As for deaths, California reports 859. The county with the most deaths is Los Angeles with 405, followed by Santa Clara with 65, San Diego passed Riverside today with 53, Riverside has 50, and Alameda broke into the top 5 with 36 deaths.

Nationwide, the United States leads the world in both confirmed cases and deaths. Confirmed cases have reached 636,350, and 28,326 deaths.

Around the world, there have been 133,572 deaths and 2,056,055 confirmed cases.



El Cerrito Patch Coronavirus Page



Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know

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This article originally appeared on the El Cerrito Patch
EDWARDSVILLE  A Pontoon Beach man is accused of sexually assaulting a child temporarily living in his home.

Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons has filed five counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, Class X felonies, against Kevin D. Tayon, 46. The offenses allegedly happened between June 1, 2016 to April 1, 2018.

Gibbons said evidence of the alleged abuse was revealed after the child returned from Tayon. Following an investigation by the Pontoon Beach Police Department and detailed interviews by the Madison County Child Advocacy Center, charges were filed. Tayon has no prior criminal history.

A no-contact order is in place for the juvenile. Tayon is being held at the Madison County Jail on a $1 million bond set by Circuit Judge Kyle Napp. If convicted of all five counts, the maximum possible penalty is 60 years per count, totaling 300 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Recognizing this, we remain particularly mindful of the devastating impact of abuse on children, Gibbons said. As prosecutors, cases where perpetrators target children must be dealt with swiftly and severely. In collaboration with law enforcement, our crucial duty is to remove offenders who prey on our most susceptible population, our children, from our communities for as long as the court will allow.

Gibbons acknowledged the work of Assistant Madison County States Attorneys Kathleen Nolan and Cara Tegel of the offices Childrens Justice Division, who collaborated with Pontoon Beach Police, the Madison County Child Advocacy Center and the Illinois Department of Human Services.

While there is nothing we can do to erase the memories of sexual abuse for child victims, it is the will of our office to seek the maximum penalty and ultimate justice for the young victims of these horrible crimes, said First Assistant Madison County States Attorney Crystal Uhe.
A woman with a 'heart of gold' who lost everything when her home was destroyed in Storm Dennis floods has died of coronavirus aged 28.

Becca Evans passed away on 9 April after being admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in South Wales last month and testing positive for the infection.

It is thought she contracted the virus after arriving at the hospital.

Becca Evans, pictured, passed away on 9 April being admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in South Wales last month and testing positive for the infection

According to the BBC, the 28-year-old's friend Jacqui Evans said the family had lost everything after their Rhondda Cynon Taf home was destroyed in the Storm Dennis floods in February.

She paid tribute to Ms Evans, describing her as 'completely unique' with a 'heart of absolute gold'.

She said: 'Everyone she met, she touched their lives in some way and everyone loved her.

'She was so widely loved by so many people. I've had so many messages from people saying they'll remember her smile and her willingness to help anybody.

'Becca was just completely unique, she had an absolute heart of gold, she was always doing something, always active and always smiling.'

It follows Dominic Raab declaring tonight that lockdown will stay in place for at least another three weeks.

Ms Evans, pictured right, is thought she contracted the virus after arriving at the hospital. She was described as 'completely unique' with a 'heart of absolute gold'

In a speech from Downing Street, the First Secretary of State said: 'Overall, we still don't have the infection rate down as far as we need to.

'As in other countries we have issues with the virus spreading in some hospitals and in care homes and in sum, the very clear advice we have received is that any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus.

'That would threaten a second peak of the virus and substantially increase the number of deaths.

'It would undo the progress we have made to date and as a result would require an even longer period of the more restrictive social distancing measures.

'So early relaxation would do more damage to the economy over a longer period and I want to be really clear about this.

'The advice from SAGE is that relaxing any of the measures currently in place would risk damage to both public health and our economy.'

The UK has announced 861 more deaths from coronavirus, taking the total number of victims to 13,729.

A spokesperson for Public Health Wales told MailOnline: 'We do not comment on circumstances at individual sites, we also have a responsibility to protect individuals tested and patients being treated for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

'For this reason we will not share any information on these individuals other than that published in our official statements.'
More than two fifths of coronavirus transmissions occur before the infected person shows symptoms, new research suggests.

Scientists say patients with Covid-19 may begin to shed, or excrete, the infectious virus two or three days before the first symptoms appear.

According to a modelling study several factors can affect the efficacy of control measures designed to prevent the spread of the disease.

These include the time between successive cases in a chain of transmission (serial interval), and the incubation period.

If the serial interval is shorter than the incubation period, it would indicate that transmission may have happened before overt symptoms develop, researchers say.

As a result, control measures that take place when symptoms begin to appear may have a reduced effect in controlling the spread of infection.

Eric Lau from the School of Public Health, at the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues, looked at patterns of viral shedding in 94 patients with Covid-19 admitted to Guangzhou Eighth Peoples Hospital in China.

Throat swabs were collected from these patients from when symptoms first appeared until 32 days later.

In total, 414 swabs were analysed, and the authors found that the patients had the highest viral load at the onset of symptoms.

Separately, they modelled coronavirus infectiousness profiles from a different sample of 77 transmission pairs from publicly available data.

Each transmission pair was made up of two patients with Covid-19 with a clear epidemiological link, with one patient highly likely to have infected the other.

Using this information they inferred that infectiousness started 2.3 days before symptoms appeared and peaked at 0.7 days before their appearance.

The researchers estimated that 44% of secondary cases were infected during the pre-symptomatic stage, with infectiousness predicted to decrease quickly within seven days.

The study published in Nature Medicine states: Disease control measures should be adjusted to account for probable substantial presymptomatic transmission.

Story continues

The authors note that the limitations of the study include the reliance of the research on patients remembering the onset of symptoms, which may have introduced bias.

Babak Javid, principal investigator, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing and consultant in infectious diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals, said: This new study in Nature Medicine by Leung and colleagues confirms that for the vast majority of patients, most virus shedding of Sars-CoV2 occurs at, or before symptoms arise.

Using these data and modelling approaches, they estimate that just under half of transmissions from cases where the most likely source of transmission was known, occurred before the source patient showed symptoms.

These data have important implications for public health control measures such as whether masks should be worn by well people.

He adds that the research confirms a previous study which suggests maximal shedding of the virus appears to be before symptom onset.

Prof Javid said: This is important because current public health control measures advised, for example, by the WHO and UK government assume that maximum contagion is after symptom onset.

Hence one reason masks are not advocated for wearing by asymptomatic members of the public.
A 43-year-old Ipswich woman is accused of texting while driving before a car crash last month that killed a 58-year-old bicyclist and injured two others, prosecutors announced Thursday.

George Norris was biking on Topsfield Road in Ipswich on March 26 with his 60-year-old wife and 19-year-old son when all three were struck by a 2011 Kia Soul, Essex District Attorney said in a statement.

Norris was flown by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he died early the next morning, according to the statement.

The woman driving the Kia remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, the statement said.

Ryane Linehan, the suspected driver, was cited for motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, a marked lanes violation and composing, sending and reading an electronic message, the district attorney said.

The 43-year-old woman is expected to appear at a hearing on May 18, where a clerk magistrate will determine whether a criminal complaint should be issued, according to the district attorney.

Related Content: 58-year-old George Norris dead, two others injured after being hit by car while riding bicycles in Ipswich
17.04.2020 LISTEN

The Ghana Health Service has dispatched a team of experts to the Upper West Region to help fight the increasing number of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) cases in the area.

This follows a rise in the number of CSM cases from 214 to 258.

The number of deaths has also increased from 37 to 40.

Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih who disclosed these in an interview with Citi News said one of the experts arrived from Accra today, Thursday while two others are expected in the region on Friday.

With regards to CSM, there are 258 confirmed cases with 40 deaths. As I have always indicated, we have enough medication to administer to patients. So, what we have to continue doing is to educate people to report early to the health facilities. We have realized that this is the major cause of the deaths. They report late when all hope is lost. But, if they report early, the situation can be managed.

The pleasant thing is that having reported the issue to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service and the Minister of Health, they have sent an expert to come to the Upper West Region to assess the CSM situation in the Region. I am also reliably informed by the Director-General that, two other experts will be coming so that together we will study the situation and recommend immediate measures that we could implement to bring the issue to an end, he noted.

Last week, the GHS commenced an audit of the CSM related deaths in the Upper West Region.

The outcome of the audit is to enable the Ghana Health Service to review treatment protocols on the endemic to prevent the recurrence of the high incidence of deaths in the region.

The Regional Health Directorate has cited the Nadowli Kaleo district and the Nandom municipality as the hardest-hit areas.

Meningitis can lead to serious long-term consequences such as deafness, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, or cognitive deficits, especially if not treated quickly.

In 2015, meningitis occurred in about 8.7 million people worldwide which resulted in 379,000 deaths.

Residents failing to adhere to safety measures

The Upper West Regional Director of health services, Dr. Osei Kuffuor Afreh has also expressed worry over the failure of most residents in the Upper West Region to adhere to safety protocols to help reduce meningitis in the area.

When we mention social distancing, it should also work for meningitis, but unfortunately from the field visits that we have conducted, we realised that people are not adhering to social distancing. People are still gathering at night, people are still grouping to do their normal things. So, the only disadvantage we have is that, we have not been able to quarantine anybody for meningitis.

---citinewsroom
Australian Associated Press

A third Federal Reserve official has resigned following a trading scandal at the US central bank, with vice chair Richard Clarida saying he will step down on Friday.Monday's announcement followed new revelations around Clarida's trading in a stock fund in February 2020, when the coronavirus threatened to upend the global economy and the Fed was discussing extraordinary measures to counter its impact.
Areas of southwestern North America affected by drought in the early 2000s; darker colors are more intense. Yellow box shows the study area. Credit: Adapted from Williams et al., Science, 2020

With the western United States and northern Mexico suffering an ever-lengthening string of dry years starting in 2000, scientists have been warning for some time that climate change may be pushing the region toward an extreme long-term drought worse than any in recorded history. A new study says the time has arrived: a megadrought as bad or worse than anything even from known prehistory is very likely in progress, and warming climate is playing a key role. The study, based on modern weather observations, 1,200 years of tree-ring data and dozens of climate models, appears this week in the leading journal Science.

"Earlier studies were largely model projections of the future," said lead author Park Williams, a bioclimatologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "We're no longer looking at projections, but at where we are now. We now have enough observations of current drought and tree-ring records of past drought to say that we're on the same trajectory as the worst prehistoric droughts."

Reliable modern observations date only to about 1900, but tree rings have allowed scientists to infer yearly soil moisture for centuries before humans began influencing climate. Among other things, previous research has tied catastrophic naturally driven droughts recorded in tree rings to upheavals among indigenous Medieval-era civilizations in the Southwest. The new study is the most up-to-date and comprehensive long-term analysis. It covers an area stretching across nine U.S. states from Oregon and Montana down through California and New Mexico, and part of northern Mexico.

Using rings from many thousands of trees, the researchers charted dozens of droughts across the region, starting in 800 AD. Four stand out as so-called megadroughts, with extreme aridity lasting decades: the late 800s, mid-1100s, the 1200s, and the late 1500s. After 1600, there were other droughts, but none on this scale.

The team then compared the ancient megadroughts to soil moisture records calculated from observed weather in the 19 years from 2000 to 2018. Their conclusion: as measured against the worst 19-year increments within the previous episodes, the current drought is already outdoing the three earliest ones. The fourth, which spanned 1575 to 1603, may have been the worst of allbut the difference is slight enough to be within the range of uncertainty. Furthermore, the current drought is affecting wider areas more consistently than any of the earlier onesa fingerprint of global warming, say the researchers. All of the ancient droughts lasted longer than 19 yearsthe one that started in the 1200s ran nearly a centurybut all began on a similar path to to what is showing up now, they say.

Varying soil moisture in southwestern North America, 800-2018. The straight horizontal center line indicates average moisture; blue line at bottom shows 2000-2018 mean. Green bars indicate abnormally wet periods, pink ones abnormally dry. The fluctuating red moisture line is based on tree-ring data until it converts to blue at the start of modern instrumental observations. Credit: Adapted from Williams et al., Science, 2020

Nature drove the ancient droughts, and still plays a strong role today. A study last year led by Lamont's Nathan Steiger showed that among other things, unusually cool periodic conditions over the tropical Pacific Ocean (commonly called La Nina) during the previous megadroughts pushed storm tracks further north, and starved the region of precipitation. Such conditions, and possibly other natural factors, appear to have also cut precipitation in recent years. However, with global warming proceeding, the authors say that average temperatures since 2000 have been pushed 1.2 degrees C (2.2 F) above what they would have been otherwise. Because hotter air tends to hold more moisture, that moisture is being pulled from the ground. This has intensified drying of soils already starved of precipitation.

All told, the researchers say that rising temperatures are responsible for about half the pace and severity of the current drought. If this overall warming were subtracted from the equation, the current drought would rank as the 11th worst detectedbad, but nowhere near what it has developed into.

"It doesn't matter if this is exactly the worst drought ever," said coauthor Benjamin Cook, who is affiliated with Lamont and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. "What matters is that it has been made much worse than it would have been because of climate change." Since temperatures are projected to keep rising, it is likely the drought will continue for the foreseeable future; or fade briefly only to return, say the researchers.

"Because the background is getting warmer, the dice are increasingly loaded toward longer and more severe droughts," said Williams. "We may get lucky, and natural variability will bring more precipitation for a while. But going forward, we'll need more and more good luck to break out of drought, and less and less bad luck to go back into drought." Williams said it is conceivable the region could stay arid for centuries. "That's not my prediction right now, but it's possible," he said.

Lamont climatologist Richard Seager was one of the first to predict, in a 2007 paper, that climate change might eventually push the region into a more arid climate during the 21st century; he speculated at the time that the process might already be underway. By 2015, when 11 of the past 14 years had seen drought, Benjamin Cook led a followup study projecting that warming climate would cause the catastrophic natural droughts of prehistory to be repeated by the latter 21st century. A 2016 study coauthored by several Lamont scientist reinforced those findings. Now, says Cook, it looks like they may have underestimated. "It's already happening," he said.

In the Catalina Mountains in southern Arizona, forests struggle to keep up with recent increases in drought and wildfire activity, which are expected to continue due to human-caused climate change. Credit: Park Williams/Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

The effects are palpable. The mighty reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell along the Colorado River, which supply agriculture around the region, have shrunk dramatically. Insect outbreaks are ravaging dried-out forests. Wildfires in California and across wider areas of the U.S. West are growing in area. While 2019 was a relatively wet year, leading to hope that things might be easing up, early indications show that 2020 is already on a track for resumed aridity.

"There is no reason to believe that the sort of natural variability documented in the paleoclimatic record will not continue into the future, but the difference is that droughts will occur under warmer temperatures," said Connie Woodhouse, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona who was not involved in the study. "These warmer conditions will exacerbate droughts, making them more severe, longer, and more widespread than they would have been otherwise."

Angeline Pendergrass, a staff scientist at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, said that she thinks it is too early to say whether the region is at the cusp of a true megadrought, because the study confirms that natural weather swings are still playing a strong role. That said, "even though natural variability will always play a large role in drought, climate change makes it worse," she said.

Tucked into the researchers' data: the 20th century was the wettest century in the entire 1200-year record. It was during that time that population boomed, and that has continued. "The 20th century gave us an overly optimistic view of how much water is potentially available," said Cook. "It goes to show that studies like this are not just about ancient history. They're about problems that are already here."

Explore further Climate change has made western megadrought 38 percent more severe, say new estimates

More information: "Large contribution from anthropogenic warming to an emerging North American megadrought" Science (2020). Journal information: Science "Large contribution from anthropogenic warming to an emerging North American megadrought"(2020). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aaz9600
* Euro zone periphery govt bond yields http://tmsnrt.rs/2ii2Bqr

LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - Italian government bonds were back in demand on Thursday after the European Union said it wants to channel more funds to Italy, Spain and other countries hit hardest by the novel coronavirus in an updated proposal for the bloc's 2021-27 joint budget.

The executive European Commission has proposed to incorporate additional support into the EU's next long-term budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which is currently being negotiated, an internal document shows.

The country's debt had been under pressure on Wednesday due to disappointment with the Eurogroup's response package to tackle the economic downturn caused by COVID-19. Lockdown measures imposed from mid-March to halt the pandemic are expected to push the economy of the 27-nation EU into a deep recession.

On top of that, "what has helped to stabilise sentiment a bit was the news that some voices within the (Italian) coalition are pushing for the activation of OMT (Outright Monetary Transactions), which provides some hope that even without the prospect of joint issuance" Italy might receive some support, said Michael Leister, rates strategist at Commerzbank.

Outright Monetary Transactions is a program of the European Central Bank under which the bank makes purchases in secondary, sovereign bond markets, under certain conditions, of bonds issued by Eurozone member-states.

Euro zone finance ministers agreed a half-a-trillion euro plan to support coronavirus-hit economies last week. However, to the disappointment of several states led by Italy, the deal did not mention using joint debt to finance the economic recovery. EU members are divided, with fiscally conservative northern countries opposing southern countries' calls for joint debt issuance.

Italian 2-year government BTP yields were down 18 basis points at 0.87%, having risen on Wednesday to as high as 1.15%. 10-year yields falling by 15 bps to 1.76% . Spanish 10-year yields were down 4 bps at 0.83% .

Yields in the core European markets were, on the other hand, rising, with German 10-year Bund yields up 1.1 bps at -0.45% . (Reporting by Olga Cotaga; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Technavio has been monitoring the baby oral care market and it is poised to grow by USD 263.65 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 2% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005536/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Baby Oral Care Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Church Dwight Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Company, Pigeon Corporation, Procter Gamble, and Unilever are some of the major market participants. The awareness of oral and dental health will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Awareness of oral and dental health has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Baby Oral Care Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Baby oral care market is segmented as below:

Product Baby Toothpaste Baby Toothbrush

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31167

Baby Oral Care Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our baby oral care market report covers the following areas:

Baby Oral Care Market Size

Baby Oral Care Market Trends

Baby Oral Care Market Industry Analysis

This study identifies increasing emphasis on organic products as one of the prime reasons driving the baby oral care market growth during the next few years.

Baby Oral Care Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the baby oral care market, including some of the vendors such as Church Dwight Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Company, Pigeon Corporation, Procter Gamble, and Unilever. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the baby oral care market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Baby Oral Care Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist baby oral care market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the baby oral care market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the baby oral care market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of baby oral care market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT

Market segmentation by product

Comparison by product

Baby toothpaste Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Baby toothbrush Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by product

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

Increasing emphasis on organic products

Focus on customer engagement to increase sales

Government initiatives to promote oral hygiene among children

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Church Dwight Co. Inc.

Colgate-Palmolive Company

Pigeon Corporation

Procter Gamble

Unilever

PART 14: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005536/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/
Technavio has been monitoring the wearable electronics market, and it is poised to grow by USD 35.67 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 15% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005377/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Apple Inc., Fitbit, Inc., Garmin Ltd., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., and Xiaomi are some of the major market participants. The growing Internet penetration will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Growing internet penetration has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Wearable Electronics Market is segmented as below:

Product Smartwatches HMDs Smart Bands Smart Clothing Smart Glasses Smart Rings

End-user Enterprise Consumers

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31204

Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our wearable electronics market report covers the following areas:

Wearable Electronics Market size

Wearable Electronics Market trends

Wearable Electronics Market industry analysis

This study identifies a growing focus on the development of low-powered electronics as one of the prime reasons driving the wearable electronics market growth during the next few years.

Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the wearable electronics market, including some of the vendors such as Apple Inc., Fitbit, Inc., Garmin Ltd., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., and Xiaomi. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the wearable electronics market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Wearable Electronics Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist wearable electronics market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the wearable electronics market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the wearable electronics market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of wearable electronics market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT

Market segmentation by product

Comparison by product

Smartwatches Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Wireless headphones Market size and forecast 2018-2023

HMDs Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart bands Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart clothing Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart glasses Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Smart rings Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by product

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER

Market segmentation by end-user

PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 12: MARKET TRENDS

Focus on the development of low-power electronics

Growing number of partnerships and M&A activities

Emergence of hybrid smartwatch market

PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Apple Inc.

Fitbit, Inc.

Garmin Ltd.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Xiaomi

PART 15: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005377/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/
The ministry of Jal Shakti, has written to all states to ensure clean water supply to citizens including those residing in shelter homes or undergoing quarantine or treatment during the ongoing pandemic. Offices and divisions concerned with the treatment and supply of water are part of the essential services allowed during the ongoing nation-wide lockdown that will end on May 3.

In a letter that was sent on April 13, the ministry has said that state governments can use the flexi funds under the Jal Jeevan mission to meet the requirements that have arisen on account of the pandemic. The JJM aims to provide tapped water to every household.

The provision of Flexi funds up to 25% of the annual allocation already exists in the Jal Jeevan mission, it is reiterated that the Flexi funds under this mission can be utilised for mitigating drinking water requirements during calamities and whenever needed, the letter says.

Also read: 6,50,000 kits dispatched from China for India, to arrive later today

States have also been asked to ensure that portable water supply, an essential service is maintained and necessary arrangements for manpower, chemicals, water testing, operation and maintenance are in place.

In case, people involved in running the water supply systems get infected, alternate arrangements have to be made so that there is no breakdown in service, the letter says.

The ministry had also issued an advisory for the states to ensure safe drinking water during the period of lockdown. State government have been asked to ensure that chemicals needed for purification of water are acquired, water supply is available in rural areas where the facility of medical sanitisers may not be available; and to accord priority for supply of water in deficit ares such as relief camps, places of quarantine, old age homes and slums.

Also read: Food delivery agent tests Covid-19 +ve in Delhi, 72 families quarantined

The centre has also suggested increasing supply hours so that people who have to fetch water from the public stand post are not inconvenienced and can follow the protocol of social distancing.

Prof. Vikram Soni, Emeritus Professor at Jamia Millia and JNU said though there is little evidence to suggest the transfer of Cornoavirus through water; it is imperative that the authorities should provide clean water.

It is not just availability of water that is of concern but that it should be free from contamination. Contaminated river water which carries human waste, sewage and toxic waste can be a huge carrier of viruses and we do not know where and how they can mutate and strike To avoid another catastrophe we must protect our good water sources with our life and make sure that contaminated water does not release another invisible monster to plague our world, he said.

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MONTREALThirty-one people were found dead in less than a month at a nursing home in Montreal, at least five confirmed to have coronavirus  a powerful Canadian emblem of how nursing homes are among the places hardest hit by the pandemic.

In the United States 17 bodies were recently discovered at a long-term care facility in New Jersey, among 68 deaths linked to the residence, 26 confirmed as coronavirus cases. And it was at a long-term care facility in Kirkland, in Washington state, that Americans first got a glimpse of the horrors to come after residents fell ill with COVID-19 in late February.

The phenomenon has been seen across Europe as well. In Spain, soldiers sent to disinfect nursing homes found people abandoned, or even dead, in their beds. Italy, Britain and France have acknowledged that their official statistics have overlooked many virus-related deaths in long-term care facilities.

The deaths in Canada were discovered late last week at Residence Herron, a private home for seniors in Montreal, after the local health authority, alarmed by staff shortages and the spread of coronavirus at the home, took control of the residence.

They found dehydrated residents lying listless in bed, unfed for days, with excrement seeping out of their diapers.

Id never seen anything like it in my 32-year nursing career, said Loredana Mule, a nurse on the team. It was horrific  there wasnt enough food to feed people, the stench couldve killed a horse.

After she left the home, she said, she collapsed in her car and wept.

A skeleton staff of two nurses had been left to care for a private residence with nearly 150 beds, she said. The remaining staff had fled amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, leaving patients, some paralyzed or with other chronic illnesses, to fend for themselves.

In announcing the deaths on Saturday, Francois Legault, the premier of Quebec, said there appeared to be gross negligence.

The Montreal police, Quebecs health ministry and the provincial coroners office have begun investigations into the home. Officers from Montreal polices major crime unit have been sifting through evidence, confiscating files and interviewing employees.

Autopsies of the dead are also expected, though families of relatives said they feared they may never learn the truth about how many residents had died of the virus since many of the bodies had been cremated.

How is it possible that so many body bags left that place and no one raised the alarm? Mule asked.

After discovering the deaths at the Herron, Quebecs ministry of health this week inspected 40 private homes for the elderly, and Legault called for volunteers to fill staffing gaps at residences. On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Quebec officials had asked the federal government for staffing help for its overwhelmed nursing homes.

Quebec is the Canadian province most severely affected by coronavirus, with 15,857 cases and 630 people dead. Health officials say retirement homes accounted for roughly half of the total deaths in Quebec.

Legault has blamed Herrons management for the catastrophe, saying that after the residence was informed last month that a patient had tested positive for the virus, it refused to co-operate with the regional health authority, forcing it to obtain a court order and delaying intervention.

By the time a team of health care workers arrived on March 29, the coronavirus had already invaded.

Residence Herron is owned by a Quebec real estate company, Katasa, which owns six other retirement residences. A spokesman for the company declined to comment on allegations of negligence.

But Katherine Chowieri, whose father, Samir Chowieri, is president of Katasa and who is a manager at the company, denied negligence to local news outlets, telling them that she blamed the health authority for not heeding the residences calls for help as staff left amid a shortage of protective equipment.

On Tuesday, Patrizia Di Biase-Leone learned that her mother, Antonietta Pollice, who turned 97 on March 11 and suffers from dementia, had tested positive for the virus. She said the residence had obfuscated her mothers condition, even as she suffered symptoms including diarrhea, dehydration and hallucinations.

Of course, we are gravely concerned about our mom, she said. She is emaciated and losing the will to live. We are getting no co-operation. What do we do? Call the cops?

The glossy website of Residence Herron touts a nutritionist for personalized meal plans, a bistro cafe, a hairdresser and a full-time nursing staff for its elderly patients.

But families of residents said in interviews that, over several years, they had seen their relatives deprived of basic needs like diapers, exercise, proper hygiene and healthy meals, despite a monthly cost of between 3,000 and 10,000 Canadian dollars to stay there.

When the coronavirus spread to the residence, they said, they desperately struggled to get information about their loved ones, while their pleas to test their relatives for the virus were ignored.

This is not the first time the Herrons services have come under scrutiny. Last year, a report by Quebec Health and Social Services warned that the homes palliative care was lacking.

In 1981, Chowieri, the owner of Residence Herron, was convicted of drug trafficking, serving about 15 months in prison. One year later he was convicted of fraud. In 1994, a seniors residence he owned was the subject of a money-laundering inquiry by the national police. And in 2002, he was fined $125,000 for tax evasion.

Frederic Lepage, a spokesman for the company, said Samir Chowieris criminal record was expunged in 2014 due to good behaviour.

Leane Conti, whose mother, Carole Stewart, 79, is partially paralyzed and was bedridden at Residence Herron for two years, said staff repeatedly refused to lift her mother off her bed to properly bathe her, leading to infections in her legs and feet.

She said she was chided by the residence that her mother was urinating too much and using too many diapers.

After her mother came down with a fever in late March and was sent to a nearby hospital, Conti said she finally learned from the hospital that there was a case of coronavirus at the residence.

Stewart was sent back to the Herron, where Conti said she wasnt quarantined, pending test results. She has since tested positive and has been hospitalized.

When I learned there were 31 bodies in less than a month at the Herron, I was shocked but not surprised, she said.

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Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the virtual session of the 2nd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting on Wednesday under the Saudi Arabian Presidency, to discuss the global economic outlook amid evolving Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

During the meeting, she appreciated the Saudi Presidency for their tireless efforts in delivering on the outcomes as mandated by the G20 Leaders during the Extraordinary Leaders' Summit, particularly in preparation of G20 Action Plan in Response to Covid-19.

Sitharaman had represented India in the 2nd Extraordinary Virtual G20 FMCBG Meeting held on March 31, wherein she talked about the importance of international cooperation and coordinated actions in ensuring that the financial system continues to support and quickly revive the global economy.

During her intervention, Sitharaman focused upon the role of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in safeguarding the lives and livelihood of people while maintaining macroeconomic stability in a sustainable manner. She also shared with her G20 counterparts the measures taken by the India government to provide the vulnerable sections with swift, timely and targeted assistance.

In this regard, she mentioned that India has disbursed financial assistance amounting to $3.9 billion to more than 320 million people, with a special focus on direct benefit transfer.

The Finance Minister also said that the monetary policy measures undertaken by Government, the Reserve Bank of India and other regulators have helped de-freeze the market and catalyse credit flows. These measures include liquidity support of $50 billion, regulatory and supervisory measures for credit easing, relief on debt servicing through moratoriums on instalments of term-loans, eased working capital financing and deferred interest payments on such financing.

An Action Plan has been prepared by G20 members on the directions of G20 Leaders to protect lives, safeguard people's jobs and incomes, restore confidence, preserve financial stability, revive growth and recover stronger, provide help to countries needing assistance, coordinate on public health and financial measures and minimise disruption to global supply chain.

Sitharaman called it a step in the right direction and said that the document will guide individual and collective actions for the G20 members in responding to Covid-19 pandemic in short and medium term.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey's export of electrical goods to Tajikistan increased by 18.85 percent from January through March 2020, reaching $3.4 million, Turkeys Trade Ministry told Trend.

In March 2020, export of electrical goods from Turkey to Tajikistan increased by 26.5 percent compared to March 2019, and exceeded $1.9 million.

In 1Q2020, Turkey's export of electrical goods to world markets dropped by 5.9 percent compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $2.5 billion.

During the reporting period, Turkey's export of electrical goods amounted to 5.9 percent of the countrys total export.

In March 2020, Turkeys export of electrical goods to world markets amounted to $832.8 million, which is 16.1 percent less compared to March 2019.

The export of electrical goods from Turkey in March 2020 amounted to 6.2 percent of the country's total export.

From March 2019 through March 2020, Turkeys export of electrical goods exceeded $11 billion.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
The coverage on this live blog has ended  but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC's U.S. team. Global cases: More than 2 million

Global deaths: At least 134,178

Most cases reported: United States (636,350), Spain (177,644), Italy (165,155), Germany (134,753), and France (134,582). The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of 8:19 a.m. Beijing time. All times below are in Beijing time.

7:03 pm: UK set to extend lockdown for three more weeks

Dominic Raab, who is deputizing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he is recovering from a serious case of Covid-19, is meeting government ministers Thursday, and is chairing a meeting of its emergency response committee. It's widely expected that the country's lockdown will be extended for three weeks, amid stark warnings that the U.K. could end up being the worst hit country from the coronavirus in Europe. The U.K.'s top medical expert stated Wednesday that the country is probably seeing its peak of the virus (the death toll currently stands at 12,868 in British hospitals, with 761 daily deaths reported Wednesday), but it is too early to consider lifting lockdown measures that have been in place since March 23.  Holly Ellyatt

An empty Westminster Bridge is pictured in front of Britain's Houses of Parliament in central London on April 13, 2020, as life in Britain continues over the Easter weekend, during the nationwide lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic. - GLYN KIRK

6:35 pm: Spain's daily death toll rises slightly

The number of daily deaths in Spain has risen slightly, according to health ministry data Thursday. In the past day, 551 people have died from the coronavirus, bringing the total death toll to 19,130. The daily death toll on Wednesday was 523. The overall number of infections now stands at 182,816, the ministry said, 5,183 more cases than yesterday.  Holly Ellyatt

5:40 pm: WHO says coming weeks are 'critical' as Europe's cases near 1 million

The World Health Organization's European regional director said Thursday that in the past 10 days, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Europe has doubled to reach almost 1 million. WHO's Hans Kluge told reporters in an online briefing, reported by Reuters, that this meant that about 50% of the global burden of Covid-19 was in Europe, where he said more than 84,000 have died from the virus. "The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region," Kluge said. Commenting on the gradual lifting of restrictions on public life, Kluge said "there is no fast track back to normal."  Holly Ellyatt

A priest wearing a face mask checks a book of funeral rites as he gives the last blessing to a deceased person, by a coffin during a funeral ceremony outside the cemetery of Bolgare, Lombardy, on March 23, 2020 during the COVID-19 new coronavirus pandemic. PIERO CRUCIATTI

4:30 pm: Dutch study suggests 3% of population may have coronavirus antibodies

A study of Dutch blood donors has found that around 3% have developed antibodies against Covid-19, health authorities said on Thursday, Reuters reported. The findings give an indication of what percentage of the Dutch population may have already had the disease. The head of the National Institute for Health disclosed the results during a debate with parliament. "This study shows that about 3% of Dutch people have developed antibodies against the coronavirus," Jaap van Dissel said, the news agency reported. "You can calculate from that, it's several hundred thousand people," in a country of 17 million.  Holly Ellyatt

4:15 pm: Governments and Big Tech are looking to curb the spread of coronavirus with your smartphone

Governments around the world are developing mobile apps to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus using a method known as "contact tracing." Contact tracing is the process of asking infected patients who they've recently come into contact with. The logic being that, by doing so, health authorities are able to better identify the people at risk of infection and have them quarantined or monitored. CNBC runs through all the major global initiatives on contact tracing technology  and how the companies and governments behind them are thinking about privacy.  Ryan Browne

4:02 pm: Russia reports new record daily rise in coronavirus cases

Russia reported 3,448 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, up from 3,388 the day before. The total number of reported cases has reached 27,938, the government's crisis response center said. The center said 34 people have died in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 232.  Holly Ellyatt

3:45 pm: The coronavirus crisis could pave the way to universal basic income

The coronavirus crisis has revitalized calls for a universal basic income, with even the Pope suggesting that now may be the time to consider giving everyone free money. The Covid-19 outbreak has meant countries across the globe have effectively had to shut down, with many governments imposing draconian measures on the lives of billions of people.  Sam Meredith

3:30 pm: UK health minister says 'too early' to end lockdown

U.K. Health Minister Matt Hancock said it's "too early" to end lockdown measures in the country although the outbreak is starting to peak, according to Reuters. If the lockdown is lifted, the virus would "run rampant once again," he said, according to the report. "We think it is too early to make a change," he said. The U.K. reported 4,605 new cases as of 9 a.m. local time on April 15, to a total of 98,476 cases. It had an additional 761 deaths, making it 12,868 fatalities overall, according to the latest data from the country's health ministry.  Weizhen Tan

2:45 pm: French sailors hospitalized as virus cases break out on French aircraft carrier

Following a large outbreak of coronavirus on a French aircraft carrier, about 20 French sailors have been hospitalized, according to a Reuters report. The French armed forces ministry said at least 668 out of the 1,767 marines on the Charles de Gaulle carrier have tested positive for the virus, the report said. The carrier had sailed for the eastern Mediterranean on Jan. 21 to support French military operations in Iraq and Syria. It participated in exercises with navies from northern Europe before returning to France earlier than planned after crew members showed symptoms.  Weizhen Tan

French navy soldiers stand on the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on April 12, 2020, as it arrives in the southern French port of Toulon with sailors onboard infected with coronavirus. CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images

2:20 pm: Number of new cases in Germany jump by more than 2,800

The number of new confirmed cases in Germany jumped by 2,866 to a total of 130,450, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. The number of additional fatalities rose by 315 to a total of 3,569.  Weizhen Tan

1:10 pm: Australia PM outlines three goals to be met before easing social restrictions

Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined three goals that his government will try to achieve in the next four weeks before it can begin to consider easing social restrictions in the country. First goal is to have a more extensive testing regime that moves beyond patients who show symptoms of Covid-19. That would give Australia more confidence in identifying and responding to outbreaks quickly when restrictions are eased, Morrison said at a press conference following a national cabinet meeting on the coronavirus outbreak. "The second part of that is ensuring we have an even greater tracing capability than we have now," the prime minister said, commending the states for their contact tracing efforts. "We need to lift that to an industrial capability. We need to do that using technology and we need to do that as soon as we possibly can."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison reacts during a division for amendment to the Coronavirus Economic Response Bill in the House of Representatives at Parliament House on April 08, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. Sam Mooy | Getty Images

The final goal is to develop a local response capability that can respond to localized outbreaks around the country as fast as possible to stop transmission. "If you're going to move to an environment where there are fewer restrictions, then you need these three things in place," Morrison said. "The national cabinet agreed today that we will use the next four weeks to ensure that we can get these in place." Social restriction measures will remain in place until those goals are achieved, he said. Australia has 6,440 confirmed cases of infection and 63 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

11:45 am: Grab CEO says he anticipates transport business to bounce back once people start commuting again

Southeast Asia's ride-hailing giant Grab saw its transport GMV fall by a double-digit percentage in some countries, CEO Anthony Tan told CNBC's Nancy Hungerford in an interview. GMV is a commonly tracked metric by internet companies that measures the total value of sales for goods and services sold on their platforms. Tan said the company's diversified business model, which includes food and grocery delivery, has helped it weather some of the impact brought about by the pandemic.

The company has adjusted to the environment by scaling up other business segments to meet demand spikes, and moving its supplies around to ensure drivers on its platform can still have income opportunities, he said. The uptick in Grab's delivery services has not completely offset the impact on the transport business, according to Tan. "Looking ahead, though, I know that transport is a mass-market essential service, so we anticipate it will recover strongly once people start commuting again post lockdown," he added.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

11:06 am: South Korea's ruling party wins landslide victory in election

South Korea's ruling party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary election, providing fresh momentum to President Moon Jae-in's policy agenda for the remainder of his tenure, Yonhap News reported. Moon has two more years in office and the election was seen as a referendum on his presidency as he handled several challenges including an economic slowdown and the current pandemic, Yonhap said. Polls were held in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea. Total confirmed cases of infection stood at 10,613 and 229 people have died so far, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recent daily reports appear to suggest the virus' spread has been brought under control. On Thursday, KCDC said there 22 additional cases of infection and four more people died.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

10:29 am: IMF says growth in Asia expected to stall at zero percent in 2020

The International Monetary Fund said in it expects growth in Asia to stall at zero percent in 2020. "This is the worst growth performance in almost 60 years, including during the Global Financial Crisis (4.7 percent) and the Asian Financial Crisis (1.3 percent)," Chang Yong Rhee, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific department, wrote in a blog post. However, he added that Asia still looks to fare better than other regions in terms of economic activity. Rhee said downward revisions are substantial, ranging from 3.5 percentage points in the case of South Korea, to over 9 percentage points in the case of Australia, Thailand and New Zealand. The latter three countries have been hit by the global tourism slowdown while Australia has also been affected by lower commodity prices. China is projected to decline from 6.1% in 2019 to 1.2% in 2020. Overall, IMF expects the global economy to contract in 2020 by 3%, describing it as "the worst recession since the Great Depression."  Saheli Roy Choudhury

10:10 am: Icelandic doctor says the country's strategy to track spread of coronavirus can be used in the US

Iceland's strategy to track the spread of the coronavirus can be used in the U.S., deCODE Genetics CEO Kari Stefansson told CNBC on Wednesday. Stefansson, whose Reykjavik-based biopharmaceutical company is known for its work analyzing the human genome, noted the obvious size differences between the U.S. and Iceland. For starters, the U.S. has about 330 million people while Iceland has just about 347,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But Iceland's ability to test around 10% of its population and deploy robust contact tracing when someone is diagnosed with Covid-19 should not be seen as something only small countries can do, Stefansson said in an interview with CNBC's Meg Tirrell.  Kevin Stankiewicz

8:55 am: China reports 46 additional cases, says most of them 'imported'

China's National Health Commission said there were 46 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, of which 34 were attributed to travelers from overseas. It also said that there had been no additional deaths. The NHC also reported 64 new asymptomatic cases, whereby people tested positive for the virus but did not show any of the usual symptoms associated with the illness. Since the outbreak was first reported late last year in the Hubei province, China said it has had 82,341 cases and 3,342 deaths.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

8:50 am: Vietnamese airlines to resume flight after virus lockdown eases

VietJet Air and Vietnam Airlines will resume some domestic flights starting Thursday after the government eased a 15-day lockdown for some parts of the country, Reuters reported. Vietnam's government extended a two-week period of social distancing for 12 provinces, including the capital Hanoi, and the southern business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, according to the news wire. But, the restrictions were said to have been lifted for most rural areas. The Southeast Asian country has 267 reported cases of infection and no deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

8:11 am: Singapore reports record 447 new cases

Singapore's health ministry reported a record 447 new cases of Covid-19 infection as of April 15, noon local time. In the last three days, Singapore reported a sharp uptick in infection with 1,167 confirmed cases. Most of the new cases were linked to infection clusters in dormitories that house foreign workers. The people living in those dormitories are typically men from other Asian countries who carry out labor-intensive construction jobs in order to support their families back home.

Foreign workers are seen in a dormitory which has been gazetted as an isolation area to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Singapore, on April 14, 2020. Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty Images

There have been 3,699 cases confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak; 652 patients have been discharged from hospitals and community isolation facilities and 10 people in Singapore have succumbed to the illness.  Saheli Roy Choudhury, Ted Kemp

8:06 am: Global coronavirus cases top 2 million

The total number of infections worldwide has risen to 2,056,055 and at least 134,178 people have died from the disease, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. Hopkins data showed the coronavirus has infected more than 636,300 patients in the United States. Spain, Italy, France, and Germany have each reported more than 134,000 cases each. Cases in the United Kingdom climbed to over 99,400, according to Hopkins, and more than 12,800 people have died.  Saheli Roy Choudhury All times below are in Eastern time.

7:30 pm: LA mayor says large gatherings likely banned for the rest of the year

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday large gathering such as concerts and sporting events likely won't resume until 2021. "It's difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands anytime soon, so I think we should be prepared for that this year," Garcetti said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "Until there's either a vaccine, some sort of pharmaceutical intervention, or herd immunity, the science is the science. He added that public health officials made clear it has "miles and miles to walk before we can be back in those environments."  Jennifer Elias

7:02 pm: Apple and Google have an ambitious plan to help officials track the virus

Rival tech giants Google and Apple have teamed up to create technology to help health officials trace who's been infected by Covid-19, and are building it directly into iOS and Android, the two operating systems that power almost 100% of the world's smartphones. It's a big announcement  not only is it an unusual example of two tech giants working together, but digital contact tracing is a technology that is being closely watched to see if it can help schools and businesses re-open when the Covid-19 epidemic slows down. It's a digital version of traditional contact tracing, a labor-intensive process in which public health officials contact everyone who might have been exposed to someone infected with Covid-19 to tell them to self-isolate or get tested. Contact tracing is a big part of mitigation efforts in Hong Kong and Taiwan, for example.  Kif Leswing

6:37 pm: Trump says US has 'passed the peak' of outbreak

President Donald Trump said the U.S. has "passed the peak" of the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 632,000 people in America.

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington D.C., on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Stefani Reynolds | CNP | Bloomberg via Getty Images
EasyJets founder and largest shareholder Stelios Haji-Ioannou has called for the ousting of the companys chief executive and chairman.

The business tycoon accused the company of behaving like scoundrels over their decision to press ahead with a multibillion-pound deal to buy new aircraft from Airbus.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of easyJet, has called for the removal of the airlines CEO and chairman (Chris Radburn/PA)

The founder is angry over the Airbus decision, which comes as the value of his shares in the airline lost around 1.2 billion in value in less than a month.

Since the crisis began, shares in easyJet have plummeted from 1,508p a share to just 616p on Thursday.

Mr Haji-Ioannou explained he wanted chief executive Johan Lundgren out for sending 1.5 billion of our money to Airbus whilst running an aircraft parking lot for nine months.

He added that the companys chairman John Barton should go for refusing to instigate an independent inquiry to investigate if the Airbus bribery techniques exposed by the UK court judgment on the 31st of January 2020 have been used in securing the easyJet order by Airbus.

Since the coronavirus pandemic grounded easyJets entire operation, the company has turned to the British Government for a 600 million loan.

But Mr Haji-Ioannou warned: What the scoundrels are not telling us at all is how much money the company will burn each week after the resumption of flying, which will be well in excess of the 40 million per week that they state that they burn whilst the fleet is grounded.

Flying half empty planes will be heavily loss-making. That 40 million per week of cash burn is before the payments to Airbus UK taxpayers should be really worried now that they will not see any of their money back in March 2021.

The airline founder has already called for the heads of two non-executives at easyJet and wrote to the UK financial regulator to warn that the budget airline could be breaching market rules over its deal with plane manufacturer Airbus.

He wanted the deal to go to a shareholder vote, but the company would only say it will defer the delivery of 24 aircraft over the next two years.

The FTSE 100-listed airline said that in an effort to preserve liquidity amid uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, it has deferred 10 aircraft deliveries scheduled for financial year 2020, 12 deliveries for 2021 and two deliveries for 2022.

Mr Haji-Ioannou added: If I succeed in removing the four directors at the forthcoming meetings, I expect the rest of the board (seven of them left) to promote the COO to acting CEO to run the aircraft parking lot and to serve notice of termination to Airbus.

Any attempt to operate a fleet of more than 250 aircraft (down from 337 now) is bound to just burn a shed load of cash in 2021.

I hope the remaining scoundrels will follow that fleet plan and cancel the order for new useless Airbus aircraft that will lose a lot of money.
Such are the sensitivities surrounding Informer 3838, the miniseries about criminal barrister turned police informer Nicola Gobbo, that the writers of the show have asked their names not appear on it.

Ordinarily that only happens on movies that have been savaged beyond recognition by a producer or a studio (if you ever see the name "Alan Smithee" on the credits, that's why). But in this instance it was because of fears that one or more of the people portrayed in the show might not be too happy with what they're seeing. And when the offended parties are police and/or gangsters, it doesn't pay to be cavalier.

"It's because of safety fears," says actor Rhys Muldoon, who plays drug dealer Terrence Hodson in the series.

"One of the writers doesn't care, but one of them really does," says Rory Callaghan, CEO of Screentime, which has produced the show for Nine.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 17:26:16|Editor: huaxia

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GUANGZHOU, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Major Chinese real estate developer Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co., Ltd. posted a 47.9-percent year-on-year net profit increase in 2019 following steady property sales growth.

The Guangzhou-based property developer said in its annual report that its net profit reached 27.96 billion yuan (about 3.96 billion U.S. dollars), or 2.35 yuan per share, last year.

Meanwhile, it generated a revenue of around 236 billion yuan, an annual increase of 21.3 percent. The real estate business contributed to 94.8 percent of its revenue.

In the whole year, the company achieved a contract sales of 461.8 billion yuan, an annual growth of 14.1 percent. In addition, the contract sales area rose 12.9 percent year on year to 31.23 million square meters.

Boosted by the strong earnings growth, shares of the developer gained 3.01 percent in Shanghai Thursday while the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed 0.31 percent higher. Enditem
France regrets U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to cut funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), French government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye said

"It is a decision that we regret," Ndiaye said at a press conference following a cabinet meeting.



She added that France expects "a return to normal" so that the WHO could pursue its work, Xinhua reported.



U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Tuesday that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding for the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."
USPS coronavirus

Mail carrier during the coronavirus outbreak.

AP Photo/Nati Harnik

Hundreds of US Postal Service workers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but the chances of contracting COVID-19 from a contaminated piece of mail are extremely small, experts say.

The novel coronavirus only lives for a few hours on paper  possibly less in harsh shipping conditions  and the transfer rate of viruses from paper to a person's fingers is extremely low, only 1-2%, according to Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona.

Plastic packaging and plastic packing tape have a higher transfer rate than paper, and allows the virus to live longer on its surface, theoretically increasing a person's chances of picking up the virus on their fingers, according to Gerba.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization both say that the novel coronavirus spreads mainly through person-to-person contact.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Hundreds of cases of COVID-19 have been reported within the US Postal Service, and thousands of employees have had to self-quarantine, so some people may be concerned about contracting the coronavirus from a contaminated piece of mail.

But there are several reasons why you may not need to worry about getting sick from your postal mail.

Related Video: How to Treat Mild Symptoms From Home

As it turns out, getting the mail is quite safe even in the midst of a global pandemic, according to experts Business Insider spoke with. Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Arizona, and Dr. Bernard Camins, an infectious disease specialist and a professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, both told Business Insider that the risk of falling ill as a result of a contaminated piece of mail is incredibly low.

"The chances of COVID-19 being spread through the mail that you receive is extremely low, and not something that people need to worry about at all," Camins said. Both he and Gerba said that the novel coronavirus likely can't survive for very long on mail under normal shipping conditions, and that only trace amounts of the virus are able to transfer from paper to a person's fingers. According to both experts, though contaminated objects could potentially pose some risk, people's main concern should be maintaining social distance in public.

Story continues

Both experts said that a large number of cases among postal workers  though a serious problem in its own right  likely doesn't pose a public-health risk as far as getting the virus from a piece of mail. Recent studies, along with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, back up their claims.

Here's why you shouldn't be too concerned about contracting COVID-19 through the mail, despite the growing number of confirmed cases within the US Postal Service:

coronavirus usps 3

A USPS letter carrier crosses a quiet street in Boston on March 18, 2020.

Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

A recent study published in the journal The Lancet found that the novel coronavirus only lives for three hours on printing paper and tissue paper. According to Camins, lab studies may not reflect real-world conditions, so it's possible that the virus' lifespan would be even shorter in practical situations, where conditions are not monitored or controlled.

By comparison, the same study found that the novel coronavirus could survive for up to a week on plastic or stainless steel. That means that even if a piece of mail was to become contaminated with the COVID-19-causing virus, the virus would likely die before it reached your mailbox.

coronavirus usps 1

A USPS worker in New York City.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Even if an envelope does become contaminated and the virus is still alive when it reaches a person's home, the chances of transmission to a person's fingers are slim to none.

"We had people touch all kinds of surfaces with viruses on them, and paper was probably the least worrying of the whole group," Gerba said, referring to his past research. "There was only about 1-2% transfer of any viruses from touching the surface, whereas a stainless steel door knob or push plate, or a smooth plastic surface, is about 70%."

That's largely due to the porous nature of paper, Gerba says. Microorganisms like the novel coronavirus get trapped in paper's tiny holes and crevices, making transfer to the fingers unlikely. Smooth surfaces like metal or plastic, however, facilitate the transfer of viruses at a much higher rate.

A good rule of thumb, according to Gerba: "Generally, the easier it is to clean a surface, the easier it is to transfer something to your fingers."

Camins says that at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he works, healthcare workers sometimes express concerns about the virus lingering on patient consent forms, but the hospital has not issued a policy on the matter since paper is such a poor conduit for the virus. "Paper is fine. We just say to wipe their pens  pens are plastic  if they're really worried," Camins said.

coronavirus usps 2

A USPS letter carrier delivers mail as the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States on March 18, 2020 in New York City.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Not only is paper an inhospitable environment for viruses in terms of their lifespan and rate of transfer, the material can actually kill the organism itself, according to Gerba. Paper is absorbent, so it draws moisture out of the virus "like a paper towel," desiccating it, Gerba said.

"That's why metal and plastic have a higher rate of transfer," Camins said, referring to the fact that paper dries out the virus, while other surfaces may stay moist for longer.

usps amazon

A USPS van full of Amazon packages.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Paper mail is highly unlikely to transfer the virus to a person's fingers in any significant quantity, but plastic packaging and packing tape may pose a slightly greater risk of infection, Gerba said.

"My only concern is if it's plastic-wrapped or if there's plastic tape. Maybe I'm over-paranoid, but because I know the transfer is greater from plastic, I usually wipe it down with a disinfectant wipe," Gerba said. However, Gerba said, plastic packaging is only "a little bit more of a concern" than normal paper mail, which he does not worry about at all.

Additionally, a study published March 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that the novel coronavirus could live on cardboard for up to a day.

So, at least theoretically speaking, there may be an increased likelihood for a package or a plastic mailer from Amazon, for instance, to harbor the virus and transmit it to a mail recipient, as compared with regular paper mail. At least 74 Amazon facilities have reported cases of the COVID-19, and on Tuesday Amazon had its first warehouse-worker death from the virus.

usps united states postal service mail man woman van

A USPS truck.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Both Gerba and Camins said that  based on new research as well as what is known about other coronaviruses  the novel coronavirus is relatively unstable and is sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. They both said that shipping conditions are likely inhospitable for the novel coronavirus.

On its website, the CDC says, "Although the virus can survive for a short period on some surfaces, it is unlikely to be spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures."

Similarly, the WHO says, "The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low. "

usps

Postal worker.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Gerba, whose years of research on germs have earned him the nickname Dr. Germ, is not aware of any illness that was proven to have spread through the mail, aside from anthrax, which was deliberately disseminated that way.

"People shouldn't confuse [the novel coronavirus] with anthrax spores, which are incredibly stable and easily aerosolized," Gerba said. "That's a much different organism."

austria loosens lockdown measures coronavirus

People walk on a shopping street during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Guidance from both the World Health Organization and the CDC states that though the virus can spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, it mainly spreads through person-to-person contact. According to the CDC, "The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes."

For that reason, all the experts Business Insider spoke with said that people's main concern as they go through life during this pandemic should be to follow social-distancing guidelines, and to wash their hands, and avoid touching their faces. Camins says he's typically a friendly guy who chats up MTA conductors, cab drivers, and mail carriers, but, "Until this thing is over, I'm not going to talk, so they don't talk to me."

USPS coronavirus

A USPS mail carrier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Even taking into account the high number of COVID-19 cases within the US Postal Service, both Camins and Gerba said that as long as mail carriers practice social distancing, wear face coverings, and self-quarantine if necessary, the risk of infection to themselves and to the mail-receiving public is minimal.

However, for many postal employees, that may be easier said than done. According to prior reporting by Business Insider, some postal workers feel that the US Postal Service is not doing enough to protect them from coming down with COVID-19. Mail carriers have resorted to mixing their own hand sanitizer and purchasing gloves out of pocket.

According to reporting from ProPublica on Tuesday, US Postal Service workers are not being informed by their employer when their colleagues test positive for COVID-19, meaning they don't know when to self-quarantine and may be unwittingly working while carrying the virus.

So, though the risk of contracting coronavirus through the mail may be insignificant, the pandemic's impact on the US Postal Service and its workers may prove severe.

Business Insider
Perched in the hills of Darjeeling, the factory was set up in 1874, but has remained shut since 2001.

Efforts to reopen the colonial era establishment are now on a war footing, reports Namrata Acharya.

IMAGE: Health workers take the sample of a suspected COVID-19 patient at a hospital in Chennai. Photograph: PTI Photo

Udena Amgmu Yonzome holds one of the rarest jobs in the country. She is the only official quinologist, or expert in the age old anti-malarial medicine quinine, derived from the bark of a plant called cinchona, in India.

In February, Yonzome joined as assistant quinologist at the country's only exclusive quinine processing factory, situated at Mungpoo (Darjeeling).

Perched in the hills of Darjeeling, the factory was set up in 1874, but has remained shut since 2001 as it failed to secure the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) tag, required for producing pharmaceutical products in India. The last quinologist retired in 2012.

Covid-19 has triggered urgency in reviving this sick unit from the colonial era, as Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an anti-malarial drug similar to chloroquine (a synthetic form of quinine), quinine, has surfaced as a potential medicine to alleviate symptoms of the disease.

HCQ is less toxic and an improved version of chloroquine.

However, much before the pandemic swept the globe, the West Bengal government had already begun reviving the quinine factory, even though there were doubts over its large-scale viability in the face of HCQ's proven efficacy to treat malaria with minimal side effects.

In fact, when the state government sought applications for the appointment of auinilogist and assistant quinologist in 2018 for the quinine factory at Mungpoo, the numbers of applicants were so few that the entrance exam had to be scrapped and recruitment took place through direct interviews.

However, the scenario has changed since last month.

Efforts to reopen the colonial era establishment are on a war footing, with the state government working hard, says Samuel Rai, director of cinchona and other medicinal plants, West Bengal.

In fact, Mungpoo is the only major cinchona plantation site in India, apart from a small-scale production in the Nilgiri hills.

Every year, Mungpoo produces 200,000 kg of cinchona barks, bought by pharmaceutical companies in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

"Before Covid-19, demand for quinine was low. Now, we are getting some queries from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of labourers will benefit if demand rises," says Rai.

Cinchona plantations in Darjeeling are spread over 3,400 acres, with about 100 acres added every year.

Close to 5,000 plantation workers and 400 support staff members are directly associated with the plantations. The plantations have an illustrious history, too.

Cinchona plants originally belonged to South America, brought to India by the British and into present-day Indonesia by the Dutch.

However, the decline of Indian quinine started in the early twentieth century, as the Indonesian variety was superior, says Rohan Deb Roy, lecturer (South Asian History), University of Reading, who has specialised in the field of colonial medicine.

German scientists discovered a synthetic alternative to quinine, chloroquine, in the 1930s.

Later its improved version HCQ was discovered as an anti-malarial drug that made the botanical raw material of cinchona redundant.

However, for long, quinine remained a popular drug as it was seen as a colonial solution to malaria, a disease prevalent in developing world.

"In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, malaria was predominantly associated with tropical colonies ruled by the European powers. In imperial propaganda, quinine was highlighted as an example of how colonial rule benefited the colonised.

"Even after the end of colonial rule, malaria is seen to be feature of the so-called 'developing' and 'underdeveloped' world.

"In contrast, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the whole world. The pandemic has exposed the fragility of the 'austere' public health systems of the United States, the United Kingdom and European countries," says Roy.

While the prospects of reviving the quinine factory look exciting, doctors are yet to give their verdict on whether quinine can be a substitute for HCQ, which itself is in an experimental stage in the treatment of Covid-19.

"Quinine was once a very effective medicine, especially for the treatment of obstinate forms of malaria. However, quinine was found to have many side effects.

"After better alternatives were found, it was no longer used. For Covid-19, there is no evidence that quinine will be useful," says Arindam Biswas, consultant, department of general medicine, in a private hospital.

Even though there are question marks on the place of quinine in modern pharmaceutical industry, Yanzome and Rai are betting on its high potent for revival.

"Quinine being the organic form, is always more potent," says Yanzome.
'We may have moved back three decades on the fiscal situation,' notes T N Ninan.

IMAGE: Police in Surat negotiate with migrant workers who gathered in large numbers demanding they be allowed to go back to their villages after the national lockdown was extended, April 14, 2020 Photograph: PTI Photo

There are three phases on a standard growth curve, like one that plots the progress of COVID-19.

The first is when the number of new cases increases every day at a steady or accelerating rate.

The second is when the rate of growth declines; the total number of cases continues to increase, but the curve flattens.

The third phase is when the tally of new cases daily stops increasing altogether and begins to decline.

Seven of the top 10 countries that account for 80 per cent of the million cases so far are into the second or the third phase.

The exceptions are the US, Britain, and Turkey.

The world as a whole seems to be at the fag end of the first phase of the curve.

India is at the same spot, or would have been without the contribution of the Tablighi Jamaat.

If we follow the norm, which is to track proliferation from the day the country notched up 100 cases (March 14), it took nine days to quintuple to 500.

In the first 10 days of the subsequent lockdown, the number has quintupled again to over 2,500.

If we quintuple again in the 11 remaining days of the lockdown, the total would get to about 12,000 by mid-April.

If we have not moved decisively into the second phase by then, despite the lockdown, it would be really bad news.

No wonder the prime minister has suggested only a phased ending of the lockdown.

Fortunately, we may never reach the cases-to-population ratio seen in Western Europe.

Cases numbering 100,000 for populations of 50 million to 60 million in Europe would translate pro rata in India into a peak of well over 2 million -- whereas the world as a whole has just reached a million cases.

Still, the limitations of India's medicare infrastructure could soon be in evidence.

The government's response has been a combination of maximalism (for you and me) and minimalism for itself (the rate of testing and size of relief package).

Instead, a maximal lockdown (closure of factories, loss of incomes, crisis for migrants, etc) should have been accompanied by more generous, universal pay-outs, starting immediately and not a week later.

The lack of forethought is becoming a habit: Demonetisation in 2016 saw a shortage of new currency notes, made worse because they were issued in a different size that necessitated re-calibrating cash-dispensing machines.

What is the impact on the economy?

The early numbers show severe effects during the last month, and reflect also the earlier slowdown: 50 per cent fall in automobile sales, 20 per cent shortfall in revenue from goods and services tax, 20 per cent drop in petrol/diesel consumption, a reported 30 per cent drop in power consumption, and so on.

Direct tax revenue for the full year is where it was two years earlier, when the economy was 15 per cent smaller in nominal terms.

Some of the numbers would be worse than in the 2008 financial crisis.

The fiscal stress will increase as revenue shrinks and crisis-driven expenditure goes up.

We may therefore have moved back three decades on the fiscal situation.

The finance minister had a cushion then: He could squeeze capital expenditure in the Budget.

Since that is now a much smaller fraction of GDP, the cushion no longer exists.

One should expect a quarter or two when the economy shrinks, and after that a slow recovery.

Slow, because of the time needed by closed firms to start up again, tight fiscal constraints, an unfriendly trade environment, lower consumption as household budgets reflect lay-offs and pay cuts, and therefore an investment famine.

There will also be renewed life for the twin-deficit problem: Amid falling demand that has already provoked a commodity price crash averaging 25 to 30 per cent, heavy corporate debt could morph into stressed assets for the financial sector.

The first decade of the new century ended in crisis.

The second has done the same in an environment of sharply slowing growth.

The first half of the third decade, if not all of it, is likely to fare much worse than the last two decades.

Do please light your lamps as the lights go out.
Most of NASA's facilities around the country have been shut down, and while some teams can work (and drive a Mars rover) from home, others are knuckling down to get some crucial missions out the door  or face a half-billion-dollar late fee, said agency head Jim Bridenstine.

In an interview with the Planetary Society published today, Bridenstine discussed a variety of interesting topics, but none more immediately salient than the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on NASA's work.

With projects tentatively scheduled for as long as a decade out, there's plenty of wiggle room. But not every mission has that luxury, he explained, and the two that have been deemed truly essential  and therefore warranting NASA employees actually coming in to work  are the Commercial Crew program and the Mars Perseverance rover (formerly known as Mars 2020 and recently renamed in a very cute contest).

Commercial Crew has SpaceX and Boeing competing to provide an American-built alternative to the Soyuz spacecraft we've been using exclusively to send astronauts to the International Space Station since we retired the last Space Shuttle in 2011.

"That's an essential function really for one reason. We have to make sure that we have access to the International Space Station, which is a $100 billion investment by the American taxpayer," Bridenstine said. "So that mission is going forward."

Going forward as early as next month, in fact, a date that has remained remarkably solid during a tough time for industries around the world, and in a program that has seen any number of speculative deadlines come and go.

Later in the interview he clarified that the Crew Dragon and Starliner capsules are not meant to be complete and permanent replacements for the Soyuz and Russian launch vehicles, but an alternative to make sure access is assured and the relationship to Russia isn't one of dependency. Late last year a Soyuz failure nearly led to the ISS being empty for the first time ever, but quick work by investigators got things going again quickly. Having multiple vehicles ready to go would reduce the likelihood of that kind of crisis occurring.

Story continues

The second mission that has been deemed essential is the next Mars rover, Perseverance.

"That's mission essential for one reason and that is that we have a very limited launch window to go to Mars," explained Bridenstine.

Unlike satellites going to orbit or even missions to the Moon, which have long and frequent launch windows, spacecraft going to Mars must be launched at times when our two planets are at very specific points in their orbit, in order to have shorter travel time and arrive precisely at the location planned. Interplanetary travel is a very exact science, and failing to get Perseverance out the door on time (July 17 in this case) would be disastrous.

"If we miss that launch window, it will cost us upwards of $500 million over the course of two years, if not wreck the mission altogether, which we do not want to have happen," Bridenstine said.

He was careful to add that this would not be accomplished at the cost of NASA employees' health:

They're going to work with as many precautions as we can attain. We're spreading the people apart. We're putting people on different shifts, so they're not at work at the same time. And then using PPE [personal protective equipment] when and where appropriate. Look, if there's anybody in the NASA workforce that doesn't feel comfortable doing what they're doing, we want them to say so and we want them to feel free to do something else. We wanna help them in fact do something else. We don't want anybody to do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Our employees are the number one highest priority of the agency and we want everybody to feel safe in this very unique moment in time. And so we're giving people a lot of latitude so that they feel safe and there will be no judgment on them at all.

As for projects that may face delays after all, Bridenstine admitted that the agency's next-generation launch vehicle, the Space Launch System, or SLS, is in "a tough spot." Its first test, Artemis I, is scheduled for the end of 2021, but may very well slip to 2022, he admitted. But he noted that Artemis II, the SLS's second launch, is being prepared for independently and isn't highly dependent on the timing of the first.

The ambitious plan to put boots on the Moon in 2024 was already considered something of a long shot, and the pandemic is making it look significantly longer. But at least in the short term, NASA's truly critical operations are continuing and this spring and summer will, if all goes well (and let us hope it does), host successful and historic missions.

You can read or listen to the full interview with Bridenstine on Planetary's podcast here.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has debunked claims by Member of Parliament for Klottey Korley, Zanetor Rawlings that food and other relief items are being distributed on partisan lines to Kayayei.

The Klottey Korley legislator in a post on social media accused the Ministry of being biased in the distribution of food as only pro-NPP members are benefitting from the donation.

But a press release signed by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison refuted the claims and reiterated the ministrys impartial distribution to the Kayayei.

The MPs allegation that people are being asked to show party cards ostensibly by officials distributing Government food relief items is a total fabrication. In fact, the distribution of the food items to the Kayayei and the vulnerable is being done by the officials of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in collaboration with the AMA, NADMO and the Fifth Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The Ministry further explained that there has been equitable distribution of food to Kayayei at both Tema Station and Old Fadama contrary to the claims by the Klottey Korley legislator.

Specifically, contrary to the claim that Kayayei around the Tema station and Old Fadama are not being fed, the Ministrys monitoring system shows that on the average 5,000 packs of food are distributed to Kayayei and other vulnerable persons from that vicinity daily. The MPs claims are therefore false and unfounded.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection used to go to the said community to distribute the relief items directly. But due to the challenges in maintaining the social distance protocols, the food distribution exercise was moved to the Ministrys premises and later to the Afua Sutherland Children Park. On each occasion that the venue for distribution changes, the beneficiaries are informed and have reported at the new venues for their share of the food.

Also, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has disputed claims by Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings that food being distributed were being done on a partisan basis to needy.

Below is the full press release:

---citinewsroom
DALLAS, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing his tireless work and renowned influence in the disability community, C-Hear Director of Business Development & Partnerships Dylan Rafaty has been reappointed to one of the state's most prestigious government boards. Governor Greg Abbott reconfirmed Rafaty  for a third term  as Vice-Chair to Texas' Committee on People with Disabilities.

Rafaty's appointment, which commenced with his unanimous approval in August 2019, now extends through Feb. 1, 2021.

"I'm tremendously honored to be again recognized by Governor Abbott," Rafaty said. "I am committed to continuing to push for what's right regarding disability policies, programs and people."

The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities supports a network of committees within the disability community, presents awards, promotes awareness and monitors compliance with related laws. It also recommends changes to the Governor in the areas of accessibility, communication, education, emergency preparedness, health, housing, recreation, transportation, veterans and workforce.

An activist, disability inclusion self-advocate and public speaker  along with his executive role at C-Hear  Rafaty was in January inducted into the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame.

"We're so proud to have Dylan on our team," said C-Hear founder and CEO Adena Harmon. "His validated influence continues to symbolize our company's dedication to the disability community."

C-Hear's positive impact includes innovative services that benefit not only the seven million visually impaired Americans using the Internet, but also clinical workflows in the healthcare industry, teachers, lawyers and anyone that  until now  has toiled sending separate video, audio and photo files.

Rafaty is also the founder/chief navigator of DylanListed, a support services provider focusing on consulting, employment, and training opportunities for people with disabilities. He proudly serves on numerous executive boards including as Social Responsibility Committee chairman of IAICDV, an Advisory Council Member of Angel City Sports, and an Advisory Board Member of Sandlot Children's Charity, and Care and Mercy Foundation.

ABOUT COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

In existence since 1950, the GCPD works toward a state in which people with disabilities have the opportunity to enjoy full and equal access to lives of independence, productivity, and self-determination. The Governor appoints 12 members to serve on The Committee, seven of whom must be people with disabilities. The Committee makes recommendations to the Governor and Legislature on disability issues; promotes compliance with disability-related laws; promotes a network of local committees doing similar work; recognizes employers for hiring and retaining employees with disabilities, and recognizes media professionals and students for positively depicting Texans with disabilities.

ABOUT C-HEAR

A Dallas-based company launched in 2015, C-Hear was created for the purpose of delivering a small digital footprint file containing both image and sound. C-Hear's revolutionary Codec will help the seven million visually impaired Americans "hear" images on the Internet, while also allowing health-industry companies and their patients a smooth transition into the age of ADA compliance. Recognizing that more than 30 percent of all websites (more than 87 million) use WordPress as their primary framework for the administration of content, C-Hear is developing a WordPress plugin set of widgets and templates. Having found its space snuggled between static images and fast-moving videos, C-Hear is proud to be a disruptive enabler of talking pictures.

Media Contact:

Michelle Lamont

214-228-9135

[email protected]

SOURCE C-Hear
A grass roots group, created by two New Jersey women to feed front line workers and help restaurants that have lost business during the coronavirus crisis has hit two milestones -- it now has more than 80 chapters nationwide and has raised more than $1 million in donations.

The Front Line Appreciation Group was born in Chatham and Madison in mid-March as a way to feed and show support for front line workers at Morristown Memorial hospital and has blossomed across the nation with chapters as far away as Hawaii.

Were definitely still past $1million and have 83 chapters across 24 states as of now, said Liz McGuire of Chatham, who co-founded the group with Gina McGuire of Madison. Hitting the $1 million mark was incredibly moving for us -- its an amazing show of support for local businesses and front line workers.

Of the 83 chapters, 32 of them are in New Jersey. Just over the weekend six new chapters were formed in Indiana, Texas and Kansas. The FLAG website has instructions how to set up similar groups.

The FLAG idea is a simple one -- feed doctors, nurses, cops, EMS and other workers battling the coronavirus, and help devastated local restaurants, while giving people sheltering-in-place at home a way to help during the crisis.

Of the $1 million donated so far, over $366,000 has been paid to local restaurants around the country as of the weekend, to serve 50,000 meals for the front lines.

FLAG is one of four organizations selected by law firm Calcagni & Kanefsky of Newark that pledged 5% of its revenue earned during April to support non-profit organizations. An exact amount of the donation wont be known until after the end of the month.

CKs support is critical to a grassroots organization like ours, and we are humbled to partner with them, McGuire said.

Subscribe to the #TogetherNJ newsletter to get a weekly dose of these uplifting stories right to your inbox.

Submit your ideas for #TogetherNJ stories, and read some inspiring #TogetherNJ stories here.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai suggests that blood clots, especially in the lungs, may play a role in severe cases of COVID-19. The finding suggests that treatment for respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 might follow the model for strokeanticoagulation drugs for milder cases and thrombolysis, or clot removal, with continued anticoagulation for more severe disease.

The researchers found that critically ill COVID-19 patients have relatively well-preserved lung mechanics despite severe gas exchange abnormalities, a feature not consistent with classical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but one that is more consistent with pulmonary vascular disease.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is closely related to SARS-CoV-1, the virus that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003. Previous autopsy studies from SARS cases demonstrated pulmonary thrombi, pulmonary infarcts, and microthrombi in other organs. Pulmonary thrombi are blood clots in the lungs that can cause pulmonary infarcts, the death of lung tissue due to lack of blood supply. Now, studies show that SARS-CoV-2 appears to be causing similar pathophysiological derangements. Although microthrombi, clots in small blood vessels, are present in sepsis and classic forms of ARDS, they are not the principal drivers of respiratory failure and organ dysfunction in those cases. In COVID-19 pneumonia, the thrombi may play a direct and significant role in gas exchange abnormalities and in multisystem organ dysfunction, the Mount Sinai researchers said.

The researchers observed five cases of COVID-19 patients at Mount Sinai Health System hospitals with refractory respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and shock. Significant pulmonary microthrombi and/or macrothromboses were suspected to be serving as drivers of this pre-terminal state. The patients were administered tPA, a thrombolyic agent used to dissolve blood clots. All cases showed rapid improvement in alveolar ventilation, oxygenation, and/or shock.

These five cases had respiratory failure early in their COVID-19 course along with evidence of the pulmonary vascular phenotype, such as elevated protein fragments that are produced when a blood clot gets dissolved in the body and increased dead space, or air that is inhaled but does not take part in the gas exchange. Based on these findings, the researchers said, it may be prudent to consider full systemic anticoagulationmedication that is used to prevent the formation of blood clotsto mitigate disease progression in early stages and thrombolysis, in which clots are dissolved using thrombolytic agents, such as tPA, for more serious cases.

It seems that for at least a significant subset of these patients, the underlying driver of respiratory failure and organ dysfunction is actually thrombosis and endothelial dysfunction, said Hooman Poor, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Future clinical trials will need to evaluate the role of anticoagulation for milder disease and thrombolysis for more severe disease.

The high prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia may point to an underlying susceptibility to endothelial injury and dysregulation, in which the inner lining of the small arteries fails to perform all of its important functions. The researchers advise that these therapeutic approaches should be considered in the management of COVID-19 patients and must be further examined in clinical research studies.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a top-ranked academic medical center in New York City, and National Jewish Health, the nations leading respiratory hospital based in Denver, Colorado, have partnered to create the Mount Sinai  National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute. To learn more about the Mount Sinai  National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute, visit our website, Facebook, or Twitter.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality carefrom prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty and our physicians in the top 1% of all physicians nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
University of North Georgia (UNG) alumna Donna "Katie" McCullough remembered hearing about a National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate program as an undergraduate student and thought about applying for it. However, when she won the prestigious scholarship with the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for research in Poland in 2017, it was pushed to the recesses of her mind.

"Then two weeks before it was due last semester, a friend reminded me about the fellowship application," McCullough said. "I thought, 'That's what I am going to do. It can't hurt me to apply.' Then I frantically started writing."

Her frantic writing paid off as it did for another UNG alumnus. McCullough and Cory Duckworth, both with Bachelor of Science degrees in biology, earned the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program award. McCullough, a December 2016 graduate from Ringgold, Georgia, and Duckworth, a December 2019 graduate from Hiawassee, Georgia, each will receive up to $134,000 in funding for research purposes.

"A mentor told me that the NSF funds the researcher, not the research," said McCullough, who is in her second year of a doctoral program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. "By awarding me this grant, it means the NSF believes in me enough to give me money for my tuition and living expenses; that they will support me while I get my degree."

Duckworth, a former U.S. Army medic and UNG McNair Scholar, said he was shocked when he read the email, especially since he found it in the spam folder.

"I had learned with my applications for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) that I should be confident, but I was still surprised to get it," he said.

The surprise happened at the quintessential moment. That same morning, Duckworth received a letter of intent from the University of Pittsburgh's graduate program in biology, ecology and evolution.

"I was wait-listed at every graduate program that I applied to, even Pittsburgh," he said. "Now, I'm going to grad school and have the money in place. It's been a goal of mine to get into a Ph.D. program, and it worked."

This marks the second consecutive time a UNG student or graduate has received this highly competitive and prestigious award. Last year, Caroline Brown became the first UNG student to earn it.

Dr. Andy Novobilski, associate provost for research and engagement and chief research officer, said this award is one of the National Science Foundation's prestigious programs for investing in the future of research and scholarship in the United States.

"The awards are an affirmation of Ms. McCullough and Mr. Duckworth's commitment to excellence as recognized at the national level," he said.

Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of research and engagement at UNG, said roughly 16% of applicants nationwide received the award this year.

"The NSF GRFP is notoriously hard won," she said. "Having two alumni win the honor this year reflects the hard work and academic excellence of our students as well as the impressive undergraduate research opportunities provided by UNG faculty."

Two alumna and one current student received honorable mentions from NSF GRFP.

Nathan Clement, a senior pursuing a degree in chemistry, is an S-STEM Scholar from Peshtigo, Wisconsin. In spring 2019, he earned an REU at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Lily Rainwater Diodati, a May 2018 graduate with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, worked with Dr. Aimee Tomlinson in a few undergraduate research projects and had a paper published. She is a graduate researcher at the University of Florida.

Lydia Nicole Skolrood from Flowery Branch, Georgia, graduated in May 2018 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She conducted research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in summer 2018 after earning entry into a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, which is sponsored and managed by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The GRFP recipients and honorable mentions were involved in undergraduate research at UNG.

Students interested in learning more about nationally competitive scholarships, including the NSF GRFP and other opportunities for graduate funding, should contact ncs@ung.edu for more information.
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest and largest Hispanic organization in the United States, with the support of long-standing partner Hornitos Tequila, today announced the launch of #AyudaEnEspanol (#HelpinSpanish), a resource kit and social media effort designed to make crucial information accessible to members of the Spanish-speaking community during the current crisis.

Created and managed by LULAC, the Spanish-language toolkit consolidates and translates critical COVID-19-related resources that are inconsistently accessible in-language. The online one-stop information center includes the latest CDC updates and government updates, help for seniors, access to health services, guidance on applying for government benefits, job training and help tackling food insecurity. The online resource kit can be downloaded by visiting www.lulac.org/ayudaenespanol.

"#AyudaEnEspanol is about helping millions of Spanish-speaking Latinos with practical, needed information that can be accessed by multi-generational households in both Spanish and English," said Sindy Benavides, LULAC National Chief Executive Officer. "The program provides COVID-19-related assets that will help save untold numbers of lives and reduce suffering in our community, which has already been impacted beyond measure."

"What we discovered was that as COVID-19 disruptions started to increase, many Latinos were seeking answers, and sadly there was and continues to be minimal information in Spanish," says Sandra Caraveo, LULAC National Programs Manager. "What makes this partnership so special to LULAC is that Hornitos truly understands the importance of getting this information to our community."

To help spread awareness for this vital resource kit and get it into the hands of those who need it most, LULAC and Hornitos Tequila are teaming up to encourage fans and followers to join the effort on social media. To participate, fans can post a photo holding up a sign stating who or why they're helping in Spanish, share a link to the resource and use #AyudaEnEspanol. Collectively, the promotion of this message can spread the important message that there is #AyudaEnEspanol available.

"When our partners at LULAC shared the challenges facing the Spanish-speaking community during this crisis, our first question was 'How can we help?'" said Beth Krigel, Senior Marketing Director of Tequila at Beam Suntory. "As a brand that immigrated from Mexico and is rooted in Hispanic heritage, Hornitos Tequila is proud to facilitate this effort and use #AyudaEnEspanol to get critical information and resources out to Spanish speakers who need it. We're all in this together."

For more information about LULAC, visit www.lulac.org, follow @LULAC on Twitter and Instagram or like LULAC on Facebook. For more information about Hornitos Tequila, visit www.hornitostequila.com, follow @HornitosTequila on Twitter and Instagram or like Hornitos Tequila on Facebook.

About LULAC

Established in 1929, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC's programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.

About Hornitos Tequila

Hornitos Tequila has a history of breaking tradition dating back to 1950 when founder Don Francisco launched the brand in honor of Mexican Independence Day. The Hornitos family of tequilas keeps Don Francisco's legacy alive, using the same high standards to cultivate the best and most flavorful agaves, molding them into premium tequilas that everyone can enjoy. He brought the celebrated spirit to new heights with the agave-robust Reposado, broke the rules to create a crystalline Plata, went above and beyond tequila standards to make an ultra-smooth and aromatic Anejo and pushed the boundaries of tequila innovation with whiskey barrel aged Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila and Hornitos Cristalino.

Nearly 70 years later, Hornitos inspires its fans to adopt the same boundary-pushing mindset through its "A Shot Worth Taking" campaign that highlights the extraordinary things that can happen when people are willing to take a chance. Since the inception of "A Shot Worth Taking" in 2017, Hornitos has empowered fans to take their shot and provided funds and opportunities to make their aspirations achievable.

Hornitos Tequila, 40% alc./vol. 2020 Sauza Tequila Import Company, Chicago, IL

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE LULAC; Hornitos Tequila

Related Links

http://www.lulac.org


The Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea filed by an accused in a rape case seeking interim bail to perform his fathers last rites, saying it would be dangerous to release him in the current coronavirus pandemic situation as he will get in touch with many people outside increasing the risk of infection.

The court also said the bail application was totally silent on various aspects including record of recovery of the body of mans father who allegedly died by drowning, documents of cremation and details of other ceremonies.

There is another aspect of this matter. The village of the petitioner (accused) is around 800 Km from Delhi so it will be highly dangerous to release the petitioner on interim bail as it is not known as to how many persons he will get in touch while he will be there in his village, Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said.

The court added, There are great chances of his being infected and then his coming to jail after a period of interim bail would further complicate the matter which cannot be allowed in the current pandemic situation. Needless to repeat that the interim bail application is totally bereft of any details. Accused Rakesh Kumar claimed that his father died on April 9 by drowning in a river in Kurwa village in Uttar Pradesh Ambedkar Nagar and sought to be released on interim bail for two months to perform the last rites and to settle family affairs.

The man, against whom a rape case was registered against Kumar in 2014 at Anand Parbat police station, said he has been lodged in jail for over six years.

The prosecution opposed the bail plea saying nothing has been placed on record to show that the mans father died on April 9 due to drowning and contended that the allegations against him are serious in nature as he is accused of raping a minor girl.

The high court, while dismissing the bail plea, said Nothing has been placed on record to show that the father of the petitioner expired on April 9 by drowning. The petitioner could have filed the police documents regarding the recovery of the dead body of his father or any document to show that he was cremated.

More so, in the entire bail application it is not stated as to what all ceremonies have to take place and on which date these ceremonies are to be performed. The bail application is totally silent on this aspect. The court, which was informed by the prosecutor that the trial court has fixed the matter for pronouncement of judgement, said it was expected from the lower court that the verdict would be passed as expeditiously as possible and when the situation warrants.
(Corrects paragraph 10 to make clear that laid off workers were from contractors of Livent, not company employees)

By Marina Lammertyn

BUENOS AIRES, April 16 (Reuters) - Argentina's fledgling lithium sector has been torpedoed by the global spread of coronavirus, with operations stalled by a nationwide crackdown and some projects being abandoned as the pandemic has sharpened economic concerns in the country.

Argentina is part of South America's so-called "lithium triangle," a major sources of the light metal that is key to the development of electrified vehicles. It has been pushing new projects to catch up with neighboring lithium powerhouse Chile.

Those now are hanging in limbo, threatening what the country had hoped would one day be a $2.1 billion lithium export market, according to a government presentation, up from $190 million last year when it shipped 50,000 tonnes of the white metal.

"The quarantine is going to affect the industry across the board," said Emily Hersh, a managing partner at Buenos Aires-based advisory DCDB Group, adding the longer-term hit would be reduced global demand for electric cars.

"The bigger issue for Argentina is going to be the global recession that's going to delay electrification," she said.

The pandemic has already stymied a U.S. push to develop lithium, while miners have warned the virus could hit to sales and prices further this year.

Argentina President Alberto Fernandez, who imposed the lockdown in mid-March, has moved to put mining on a list of essential sectors, but that has done little to help restart operations with transport snarled by the virus.

"As far as I know, lithium companies have made efforts to start their exports, some cargo that was pending in the port. But demand is low; everything is paralyzed", said Alberto Carlocchia, president of Argentina's mining chamber.

"I don't think that the main mining operations are going to be capable of operating even at 50% of normal. Not because they don't want to, but because of the transportation restrictions for people to move between provinces," he added.

Story continues

U.S.-headquartered Livent Corp, which had suspended operations at its Argentine facility leading to layoffs at some local contractors, did restart them in April, though withdrew its 2020 guidance due to the global uncertainty created by the pandemic.

Others went further. French mining and metals group Eramet scrapped plans for a $600 million Argentine lithium project due to economic uncertainty created by the pandemic. It had aimed to produce 24,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent per year in a first phase.

Pierre-Alain Gautier, the director of strategy at Eramet, said that Argentina's volatile economic climate had made it more challenging to finance the project, which had "got more and more difficult since the beginning of coronavirus crisis."

Lithium Americas, which had been aiming to complete construction of a plant in northern Argentina by early 2021, said in March it had suspended work on the project due to government restrictions linked to the pandemic.

This had seen it reduce workers at the site to 93 personnel from 850 previously and could hit the project's time frame.

"I don't know the whole impact of this. There's too many unknowns at this point," Jonathan Evans, the firm's president and CEO told Reuters, adding the global situation was "changing every day".

"However, I am still confident that in 2021, at some point, we should be able to complete the project."

Argentina's push to grow lithium exports had already faced challenges, with rivals such as Australia and Chile developing deposits faster and a global price drop hurting investment. (Reporting by Marina Lammertyn; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Cynthia Osterman)
BOOK OF THE WEEK

PUTIN'S PEOPLE

by Catherine Belton (William Collins, 25, 640pp)

Thank heavens for coronavirus! I know I shouldnt say that but there are some small blessings in the current pandemic.

In Russia, the national referendum to extend Vladimir Putins stay in office for another 12 years has been postponed.

The proposal that he continue for two more six-year terms after his present stint ends in 2024 was due to be put to the people next Wednesday. But thanks to Covid-19 the vote has been deferred.

Given his vice-like grip on the levers of power of that vast country and the muted opposition to him, there can be little doubt which way it would have gone. He would effectively have been endorsed as president for life.

But now there is a pause  if a brief one  in his relentless march to unchallenged, autocratic supremacy.

Journalist Catherine Belton has written about Vladimir Putin's rise to power 20 years ago

That even tough guy Vlad  The Papa or The Number One as his cronies call him  has to bow to the virus is almost a relief.

Because in the 20 years since he grabbed the presidency, no one at home has managed to stand in his way without being rolled over, removed, imprisoned, killed, cowed or bribed into submission.

At the same time, he has turned a clapped-out post-communist nation going nowhere into an aggressive and much feared international power.

Putins Russia now has its insidious fingers in every political, diplomatic, military and financial pie around the world  with deeply worrying implications for all of us.

How this man seemingly from nowhere managed his Napoleonic rise from mere deputy mayor of St Petersburg to absolute power is arguably the biggest story of the 21st century so far.

In forensically unravelling it, journalist Catherine Belton, former Moscow correspondent of the Financial Times, has done a great service, producing a book that western experts on modern Russia acknowledge as vital to our understanding of the Putin phenomenon.

Her thesis is chilling indeed. When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991 and communism gave way to a makeshift form of democracy, the KGB, Moscows underground army of spies, crooks and secret policemen, disappeared from the radar.

Media magnate Boris Berezovsky (pictured in 2012) fled before dying mysteriously in England

But they hadnt gone for good, tails between their legs. They werent defeated, only biding their time.

Their moment came when the oligarchs, who in effect ran Russia after making vast fortunes from oil, gas and mineral rights amid the economic and political chaos of the Yeltsin years, catapulted the seemingly pliable Putin into the presidency.

They promoted him as their man to sort the country out and bring it to some semblance of liberal democracy. They didnt expect him to last more than one four-year term.

Russias richest man, oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky (pictured), said to be worth 12 billion, was boarding his private jet in Siberia when commandos arrested him

What they didnt reckon on was that Putin was KGB to the core. Hed cut his teeth spying on the West in the old communist days, subverting Western businessmen, stealing industrial secrets, smuggling. And it was with his old pals that his true allegiance lay.

With Putin in the driving seat, Belton argues, the KGB was back in control of Russia and its grip on the country is as strong now as it ever was in Soviet days.

His agenda  eagerly taken up by the so-called siloviki (the word means strongmen) he recruited from the old ranks  was to make the nation all-powerful again, a top-down, state-run force not to be trifled with at home or abroad.

With Putin in the driving seat, Belton argues, the KGB was back in control of Russia and its grip on the country is as strong now as it ever was in Soviet days. Pictured, the Kremlin

Along the way they would feather their own nests, through money-laundering, bribery, fraud, rake-offs, slush funds and theft. Putins Russia would become not just an autocracy but a kleptocracy.

He turned the tables on the oligarchs whod sponsored him, strong-arming them into acquiescence. They worked for him now, not the other way round.

What emerged, writes Belton, was a system in which all businesses of any scale were dependent on the Kremlin. Tycoons had to serve the state in order to preserve their standing and wealth.

Those who resisted found the police knocking on their doors with arrest warrants for tax evasion or fraud or some other crime. Backed by the state, he had them at his mercy.

Some ran  like media magnate Boris Berezovsky, only to end up dying mysteriously in England.

Some went to jail  Russias richest man, oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, said to be worth 12 billion, was boarding his private jet in Siberia when commandos arrested him. Most, however, did as they were told.

Even those closest to him werent safe, especially if they got too big for their boots. Sergei Pugachev made billions as Putins favourite banker before Papa turned on him and looted his vast assets.

In exile, Moscow mafia thugs turned up, took him out to a yacht in the Mediterranean and demanded 280 million to guarantee the safety of his family.

Belton draws on published sources and deep-throat contacts to plot a course through the maze of crooked financial manoeuvres  the sleights of hand, the back-room deals, the loans from state banks, the kick-backs on contracts  that Putin and his courtiers got up to as they systematically drew the wealth to themselves as inexorably as iron filings to a magnet.

They stashed their ill-gotten gains overseas, their so-called black cash amounting to a staggering 640 billion in all, according to one estimate, while at home they flaunted their riches, kitting themselves out with yachts and private planes and vast palaces. One of these had a garage for 15 cars and a storeroom for fur coats.

All the while, human rights, freedom and the rule of law went increasingly by the board. Local governors were stripped of their authority. Dissent was suppressed. The courts acted as an arm of the Kremlin. Judges toed the line.

Though Russia was ostensibly a democracy, the reality was that power emanated from the top down, with Putin as a feudal monarch, a tyrant, a tsar like Peter the Great, surrounded by his henchmen, his boyars, who owed their fealty and their vast riches to him.

Belton finds it shameful that the West  which had worked for and then welcomed the demise of communist rule in Russia  connived in this return to autocracy.

Bankers and brokers in London, in particular, fell over themselves to get a slice of the financial action, happy to look the other way as fortunes were hidden in offshore havens.

Peers of the realm lined up to lend their apparent respectability to the boardrooms of Russian ventures.

PUTIN'S PEOPLE by Catherine Belton (William Collins, 25, 640pp )

Russian money swirling around London earned the capital the nickname of Londongrad or Moskva-na-Thames, Moscow-on-Thames.

In the U.S., Donald Trump, before he became president, did deals with the Russians to bail out and expand his property empire.

Greed triumphed over principle, with the result that the West, by slavishly following its own money-making instincts, has allowed itself to be infiltrated.

Belton warns: The weakness of the Western capitalist system, in which money ultimately outweighs all other considerations, has left it wide open for the Kremlin to manipulate.

Making matters worse is that the siloviki were on a mission, not just to get very rich, but to use that wealth to undermine the West.

Under communism, the KGB had seen the West as its enemy. Its successors, led by Putin, feel the same way.

Under him, Russia, once a busted flush on the world stage, has become the worlds power broker again, whether openly, as in Ukraine and the Middle East, or covertly.

In its new guise, the KGB has adopted the tricks of the old KGB, causing disruption in the West wherever it can.

Its money backs political extremists, Right or Left  the cause isnt important, only the confusion they cause.

It gets up to all sorts of mischief to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Europe. It encourages unrest and dissension just to stir the pot.

In the eyes of Putin and his cronies, the Cold War has never ended, just moved into a new phase. We have been warned.
Kathmandu, April 16

The West Bengal state government in India has unilaterally closed the Nepal-India border point at Kakarbhitta, a major eastern border point of Nepal, in its bid to prevent the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

The state government made the decision not only without consulting the Nepali counterpart, but it also goes against the Indian central governments directive.

Mechi Customs Office chief Dhruva Raj Bishwakarma says, Officials across the border have informed me that the Bengal government sent a letter to the customs office, informing the border has been closed indefinitely. Accordingly, Indian customs officials are preparing to reroute the consignments via other border points, according to him.

The border closure will deprive Nepal of receiving the supplies from Bangladesh and Bhutan also.

Meanwhile, the Department of Customs in Kathmandu says it has taken note of the recent development, stating efforts have already begun to solve the problem.

A letter has been sent to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Supplies demanding that solution to the problem.
Conservative Pastor Franklin Graham encourages U.S churches to obey authority with social distancing and following guidance of the government to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 on Ben Shapiro Show Sunday.

"We need to obey those in authority. That's what the Bible teaches," the son of the late evangelical leader Billy Graham said. He also emphasized churches should do what they are called to do by God.

"The churches are not shut down," Graham said. "I think more people are attending online services than they did when they were meeting in person," "the church needs to continue to be the church." He continued.

"But I'd just encourage pastors across the country to obey those that are in authority. And I think that's what the congregations would expect us to do," he said, calling the virus very infectious and deadly. "Especially for those who have underlying health issues, this could be a death sentence," he added.

The Christian Post reported that Graham told Shapiro that Christians should not stop the work but need to be careful. "We just need to do things differently, he explained. "practicing social distancing is wise."

The pastor is also the CEO and president of humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse and noted that their organization recently set up a team in New York, where 8,627 people have died from the new coronavirus. They also have set up and sent dozens of healthcare professionals to Italy, "which is not receiving help from anywhere in the world, The Christian Post noted.

Asked about his opinion about Christian's participation in politics, Graham said, "I encourage people to pray to God to lead the capital staffs. We need Christian voice in the state and local politics, school boards. I encourage Christians not only to vote but to get involved politically. We can have Christian candidates. They can also run for office and win. I have conservative values and I think we have the right to be heard," he added.

"We shouldn't compromise. We should hold onto what the Bible teaches us about. We have the right to build voice."
SPRINGFIELD, MI  Calhoun County Sheriff deputies are seeking additional information after receiving reports of a possible military or police impersonators in the area.

The Calhoun County Sheriffs Office received a report of a vehicle that was stopped by two men in camouflage military-style uniforms at about 1 p.m. Monday, April 13, according to a news release from the sheriffs office.

Deputies have completed a thorough investigation and are confident it did not involve any legitimate law enforcement officers, Lt. Kevin Callahan told MLive.

The woman who reported the incident said she was stopped on Helmer Road at West Dickman Road by two men in a dark-colored truck or SUV with red and blue lights on top, the release said. One of the men approached the drivers side of the callers vehicle and asked the woman her license and vehicle paperwork.

The driver questioned why she had been stopped and had paperwork in her hand to prove she had a relationship with someone in local law enforcement, the release said. Then, the two men told her to have a good day and left in their vehicle.

Calhoun County deputies determined the men who stopped the woman were not from their agency or any neighboring agency, Callahan said.

Police ask anyone who may have been stopped by the subjects or who have any additional information to contact Calhoun County Sheriffs Office or their local law enforcement agency, the release said.

Also on MLive:

East Michigan Avenue construction to begin Thursday near Kalamazoo

Coronavirus cases surpass 100 in Kalamazoo County

Suspect arrested in double homicide in Battle Creek

Front-line workers can quarantine for free at Kalamazoo Expo Center campsites
Hungarian newspaper praised Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention.



Hungarian newspaper



On April 13th, the origo.hu website and some other Hungarian websites quoted the Hungarian national news agency MTI that Vietnam was praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for responding to COVID-19.

According to the news, Vietnam has reported over 260 cases, but there have been no fatalities. So far, Vietnam has avoided mass death experiences like in Europe and the US thanks to early drastic actions, widespread testing, strict isolation and social unity. Official statistics showed that there were more than 75,000 people, both in quarantine centers and in self-quarantine at home, while the figure was 72,000 people on April 13th.

Australian newspaper

On April 13th, the 7news.com.au news website posted an article by Chris Humphrey and Bac Pham of the Australian Associated Press (AAP), which commented that Vietnam, thanks to the combination of early actions, widespread testing, strict quarantine and social solidarity, so far has avoided the devastation COVID-19 has wrought in Europe and the US.

The article identified that much of Vietnam's success was brought about by social consensus. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently compared Vietnam's efforts to fight COVID-19 as "the Spring 2020 uprising".

Vietnamese schools have been closed since January and the mass quarantine began on March 16th. Since then, tens of thousands of people who entered Vietnam from countries affected by the pandemic were isolated in large centres. On March 25th, international flights were completely stopped.

So far, there is no sign that the restrictive measures will be loosened. A majority of domestic flights, railways and buses have been suspended, and anyone who leaves Hanoi, the centre of the pandemic, is quarantined on arrival in most other provinces.

The article commented on very strict measures regarding how Vietnamese people respond to the crisis. Official notices in Ho Chi Minh city warn those who do not wear masks, that are found to have spread the dangerous disease to others, could face up to 12 years in prison. These strict measures have brought successful results.

British newspaper

According to Reuters, despite the lack of resources compared to neighboring countries, Vietnam has donated 550,000 masks to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom; 390,000 masks to Cambodia and 340,000 masks to Laos.

Vietnam has also delivered 450,000 protective suits to the US and received thanks from US President Donald Trump.

Professor Carl Thayer, honourable Professor of the Australian National Defense Academy, and an expert on studies of foreign affairs in Vietnam, commented that Vietnam seems to have successfully controlled the virus./.
TIGERTAIL (2020) Stream on Netflix. This family drama from the Master of None co-creator Alan Yang darts between two eras and three languages to tell the story of Pin-Jui, a man who leaves behind his lover in Taiwan to emigrate to the United States. It casts three actors (Tzi Ma, Hong-Chi Lee and Zhi-Hao Yang) as Pin-Jui at different ages, exploring the way the international move shapes his life  and evoking the work of Asian filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai and Hou Hsiao-hsien. Its using classic techniques to tell a modern story that I hadnt seen before, Alan Yang said in an interview with The Times.

Whats on TV

IN THE DARK 9 p.m. on the CW. Murphy (Perry Mattfeld), the 20-something at the center of this dramedy, spent the seriess first season solving a murder mystery. In Season 2, Murphy deals with the fallout of the cracked case while getting wrapped up in another dangerous pursuit, as shes forced to use the guide-dog school she runs with her roommate (Brooke Markham) and her boss (Morgan Krantz) to launder drug money.
A mother whose eldest son was 'fathered' by the infamous fertility doctor Jan Karbaat has spoken out for the first time, admitting she felt 'misused' and 'dirty' when she discovered his deception.

Lidia Moret, originally from the Netherlands but now living in Benidorm with her second husband Fred, visited the Dutchman's Blijdorp medical centre in Barendrecht, south of Rotterdam, in the 1980s because her first husband had fertility issues.

She told how Dr Karbaat recommended she and her husband kept quiet about how their two children were conceived.

When Lidia's first husband died from stomach cancer, her eldest son, born in January 1982, became anxious that he might inherit the condition from his father.

Lidia Moret, who now lives in Benidorm, visited Jan Karbaat's Blijdorp medical centre in Barendrecht, south of Rotterdam, in the 1980s, where she conceived her sons. Pictured with her eldest, Peter (right)

Lidia decided to tell her boys the truth about their conception, and in 2019, Peter took a DNA test which revealed he was the biological son of his mother's doctor, Jan Karbaat.

Speaking on Somethin' Else's The Immaculate Deception podcast, Lidia admitted she feels 'misused' by the doctor, who died in April 2017 aged 89 and is feared to have fathered up to 200 children without his patients knowing.

Asked if she now feels her pregnancy was 'tainted', she told journalist Jenny Kleeman: 'The feeling's the same, my children are my children, the situation, what I know now. It's not nice. I don't know what to do. What can I do. I feel guilty.

'If I hadn't done this, then he wouldn't have been born, and now he is born and he's the son of Karbaat.'

Lidia admitted she feels responsible, despite the fact Karbaat deceived her, adding: 'I feel misused. I felt dirty.

Lidia decided to tell her sons the truth about their conception, and in 2019, Peter took a DNA test which revealed he was the biological son of his mother's doctor, Jan Karbaat (pictured)

'I was in the room and maybe in the next room he make sperm. And then he comes to me... I feel misused. Why, why, why you do that?'

Lidia said she feels she is the victim and is 'isolated and alone' - while Peter is now 'lucky' because he has many siblings he never knew about.

'I saw him in Rotterdam with his brothers and sisters. He's so lucky. I'm happy for him because he said he sees things for himself in the other,' she admitted.

Lidia claimed she had misgivings about Karbaat, after he behaved inappropriately during her appointments, 'leering' at her breasts and making comments - but she didn't report him because she felt she needed him to help her have a baby.

Lidia admitted she feels responsible, despite the fact Karbaat deceived her

When her second son was born, she admitted to thinking he looked 'nothing like' Peter and the two boys had very different personalities as they grew up - but she never suspected Karbaat could be his biological father.

After Peter took the DNA test, he rang Lidia in a state. She recalled: 'He was crying, he said my donor is Karbaat.

'I hear it and I say no, anyone is OK but not Karbaat. I was shocked and crying and crying. Why?'

Lidia revealed she was raped by a neighbour at the age of eight, and claims her family blamed her for it. They eventually went to the police and moved house, but Lidia said she was always made to feel responsible and ashamed for allowing it to happen to her.

Her husband Fred told Jenny she feels 'misused' by Karbaat in the same way she did following the sexual assault as a child.

'When she was young, she was also miused by a guy, and it happens again with Karbaat, she feels like that,' he explained, adding: 'She is very traumatised with it. Her whole life is a trauma.'

Asked why so few mothers who were victims of fertility doctors like Karbaat don't speak publicly about their experience, Lidia said many keep quiet as their husbands are still alive.

'The people must know what happened,' she explained. 'Always I hear the donor children, the donor children. Oh wait a minute. And the mothers? You hear nothing from the mothers. Nobody.'

When Karbaat's Rotterdam clinic closed in 2009 by the Dutch government amid reports of irregularities, rumours began circulating about the methods he used to achieve his success.

The children conceived at the clinic - the Karbaat Kids - began asking difficult questions about what happened to their mothers.

The controversial case became public after a Dutch court ruled in February 2019 that the results of Karbaat's DNA test should be made available to parents and children to conduct their own comparisons.

Lidia's eldest son Peter Liefhebber (pictured) discovered he had dozens of siblings following the revelation about his paternity

Before his death, Karbaat reportedly admitted to having fathered about 60 children in his time at the discredited clinic.

Karbaat later also admitted to mixing sperm from various donors and issuing fraudulent donor documentation, the Dutch daily newspaper NRC reported.

The group of suspected Karbaat children dragged his family to court to force them to release Karbaat's DNA profile, which was kept locked in a safe.

The Karbaat family's lawyers had argued that their clients' right to privacy had to be respected.

'However, with the judges agreeing to the paternity test, the judge placed the children's rights above those of Karbaat and his family,' Defence for Children advisor Iara de Witte said.

'Now, after years of uncertainty the plaintiffs can finally close a chapter and start processing the fact that they are one of Karbaat's many descendants.'
Mumbai, April 16 : In a major development, Maharashtra is contemplating easing of restrictions selectively in certain industrial areas with stringent safety conditions from Monday, April 20, Industry Minister Subhash Desai indicated here on Thursday.

In a video statement, he said that the move follows a joint meeting with officials of the Industry and Health Departments to consider kickstarting commerce in industry in the state which is virtually paralysed since March 25, even as the national lockdown has been extended till May 3.

"Areas or industries falling under the 'Red Zone' will not be permitted for the time being in view of the large number of cases there. The government will consider all aspects and consult the local authorities before deciding on the 'Orange Zones', while in 'Green Zones' we don't see any problems," Desai said.

He ruled out any easing in areas like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali and Bhiwandi in Thane, Vasai-Virar in Palghar, Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Nagpur and other urban industrial centres falling in the 'Red Zones' - as IANS reported on April 15.

Since it would be impossible for industries or people falling in the containment areas to enter or exit, it will not be feasible to loosen any restrictions in the 'Red Zones', the minister pointed out.

In districts falling under the 'Orange Zone', where there are very few cases, the government would consider permitting agriculture activities and local industries to resume work, but with stringent conditions pertaining to safety, social distancing, transportation and whether they can offer residential facilities to their employees on the work premises, etc, Desai said.

In such areas where the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation has a presence, it may be possible to erect temporary residential camps for the workers there, subject to all safety norms if all the small industries work together.

However, he made it clear that all this would be subject to clearance by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after taking into account all relevant factors, and the guidelines of the Centre issued on Wednesday.

Desai said that this would help those who have lost their jobs besides gradually setting in motion the trade, commerce and industry which is currently immobilised due to Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

Besides Desai, the meeting was attended by Industries Secretary Venugopal Reddy, Industry Commissioner Harshdeep Kamble, MIDC CEO P. Anbalagan, Director of Medical Education Department T. P. Lahane, NRHM Director Anup Kumar Yadav and other top officials.
April 9, 2020Sue Fritzke, Superintendent, 435-425-4100

Torrey, UT  Capitol Reef National Park is announcing additional modifications to operations in response to a letter from the Central Utah State Health Department recommending a full closure. The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective immediately, Capitol Reef National Park will be closed to all park visitors until further notice, which includes all recreational and overnight activities, such as camping, hiking, backpacking, and canyoneering. The Cathedral Valley Road, Hartnet Road, State Route 24, Notom-Bullfrog Road, and Burr Trail will remain open to pass-through traffic only.

"We have been working closely with Wayne and Garfield County and the State of Utah to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the states Stay Home, Stay Safe order, park superintendent Sue Fritzke said. Continued recreational activities in Capitol Reef National Park made it hard to maintain the thresholds needed to ensure a safe visit, which is why this temporary closure is so important. Id like to express my appreciation to both Wayne and Garfield Counties and the state for helping us keep visitors and our communities safe during this situation."

The public will be informed when full operations resume. The park will provide updates on the park website www.nps.gov/care and social media channels. The NPS encourages people to take advantage of the many digital tools already available to explore Capitol Reef including on the park website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.



About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos informed shareholders on Thursday that the company is preparing to test all of its employees for the coronavirus amid warehouse worker protest

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos informed shareholders on Thursday that the company is preparing to test all of its employees for the coronavirus amid warehouse workers protesting over health and safety concerns during the pandemic.

Bezos explained that the company is in the process of building a lab where employees can receive testing.

'A next step in protecting our employees might be regular testing of all Amazonians, including those showing no symptoms. We've begun the work of building incremental testing capacity,' Bezos wrote.

'A team of Amazoniansfrom research scientists and program managers to procurement specialists and software engineersmoved from their normal day jobs onto a dedicated team to work on this initiative.

'We have begun assembling the equipment we need to build our first lab and hope to start testing small numbers of our frontline employees soon. We are not sure how far we will get in the relevant timeframe, but we think it's worth trying, and we stand ready to share anything we learn.'

The letter to shareholders comes at a time when the Seattle-based firm has been facing public scrutiny over safety and working conditions of warehouse, delivery and retail gig workers in the US after cases of COVID-19 were reported in some of its facilities.

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The letter comes at a time when the Seattle-based firm has been facing public scrutiny over safety and working conditions of warehouse, delivery and retail gig workers in the US after cases of COVID-19 were reported in some of its facilities. Protesters in New York on March 30

Workers across the US have protested at what they say are unsafe working conditions.

Employees have staged walkouts in Staten Island, Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit.

Amazon has terminated at least three employees for raising health and safety concerns by staging protests outside the company's facilities.

Amazon told DailyMail.com it supported 'every employee's right to criticize their employer's working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies.'

The world's largest online retailer has been updating its safety protocols in a bid to keep warehouses functional and ship essential goods to shoppers who have been told by their governments to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Bezos said some of those measure include 'extensive social distancing'.

Workers in across the US have protested at what they say are unsafe working conditions. Employees have staged walkouts in Staten Island (pictured on March 30), Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit

Amazon recently hired 100,000 employees across their fulfillment and delivery network. Earlier this week, the company announced that it is looking to fill an addition 75,000 positions

'We have eliminated stand-up meetings during shifts, moved information sharing to bulletin boards, staggered break times, and spread out chairs in breakrooms.

Some elected officials have called on the company to close warehouses, but with unemployment rates hitting record levels, Amazon is looking to fill the gap.

Amazon recently hired 100,000 employees across their fulfillment and delivery network.

Earlier this week, the company announced that it is looking to fill an addition 75,000 positions.

'These new hires are helping customers who depend on us to meet their critical needs. We know that many people around the world have suffered financially as jobs are lost or furloughed,' Bezos said.

'We are happy to have them on our teams until things return to normal and either their former employer can bring them back or new jobs become available.'

The billionaire also said that the company is 'committed to helping support employees now'.

There are more than 677,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the US with 34,846 deaths

In doing so, Amazon has increased its minimum wage through the end of April by $2 per hour in the US.

'And we are paying associates double our regular rate for any overtime workeda minimum of $34 an houran increase from time and a half. These wage increases will cost more than $500million, just through the end of April, and likely more than that over time,' Bezos said.

'While we recognize this is expensive, we believe it's the right thing to do under the circumstances. We also established the Amazon Relief Fundwith an initial $25million in fundingto support our independent delivery service partners and their drivers, Amazon Flex participants, and temporary employees under financial distress,' he added.

Amazon's headcount fluctuates seasonally, recently peaking for the holiday quarter at 798,000 full- and part-time workers, before it advertised the 100,000 jobs in March.
While the word anticipated is not separately defined in the Condominium Act, the words plain meaning, supported by case law, includes work that is likely or planned to be completed. The standard is not what is approved by the board. Thus, if the board felt the subject repairs are anticipated to be done within the current or succeeding two fiscal years, it was proper to disclose the anticipated capital expenditures.
A handful of U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, helped save coronavirus patients in danger of dying while in transit to the USNS Comfort in New York City.

Sgt. Austin Loppe and his Marines from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, had just started a shift providing security for the Military Sealift Command hospital ship on April 7 when they received word that a local hospital was evacuating patients to the Comfort in 10 ambulances all at once, according to a recent Navy news release.

Loppe and his fellow Marines were manning a security checkpoint, responsible for screening each ambulance and managing traffic on Pier 90 to allow Navy medical staff to bring patients aboard and resume treatment.

Related: Hospital Ship Comfort Arrives in New York to Help with Coronavirus Patient Surge

The troops learned that the patient in the fourth ambulance in line was rapidly deteriorating because the vehicles oxygen tank was running dangerously low, according to the release.

The Marines halted the flow of traffic so the ambulance could safely maneuver ahead of the others as fast as possible and get the patient into the hands of Navy medical staff a half-mile down the pier, saving valuable time and the patient's life, the release states.

The infantry Marines had been trained in combat lifesaver and tactical combat casualty care, so they knew that the loss of oxygen for just a few minutes could cause permanent brain damage, Loppe said in the release.

"That wasn't something that myself or any of my Marines were willing to let happen to an American citizen," he added. "So, we knew right away that we needed to get them linked up with the medical team as quickly as possible."

That wasn't the only life or death decision Loppe's Marines faced that night. About 10 minutes later, another patient toward the back of the ambulance line also began running low on oxygen, according to the release.

As before, the Marines hustled to get the person in most desperate need of medical care to the head of the line as fast as they could.

Other patients in ambulances also began running low on oxygen. Navy medical staff provided extra oxygen tanks to the Marines, who then ran several hundred meters down the pier to the security checkpoint to distribute them to each of the ambulances, the release states.

"To be able to help New York and Americans in general is pretty awesome," said Loppe, a native of Mingo Junction, Ohio.

Lance Cpl. Colton Flach, from Green Camp, Ohio, said he was impressed at how well the Marines, sailors and New York police worked together.

"They're with us 24-7 on post," Flach said. "And the moment that we had got that call, I knew that I could count on them to be able to do whatever I needed them to do, and we would do whatever we could to help them as well, to get these patients the medical attention that they needed as fast as possible."

The Marine infantry company providing security for Comfort had been training for an overseas deployment when it received orders to support the Comfort in New York, according to the release.

The Pentagon has deployed about 50,000 service members to assist with the nationwide response to COVID-19.

"We have an obligation to protect the American people, regardless of the enemy," Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Pentagon briefing Tuesday. "In this case, COVID-19 is the enemy."

Lima Company commander Capt. Peter Hofinga, a native of Rhinebeck, New York, said he was proud of how quickly his Marines adapted to a new challenge and helped his fellow New Yorkers.

"It's kind of hard to put in words; it's immensely humbling to observe the Marines and actions that small-unit leaders are making, rapid decisions on their own without any sort of tasking or supervision," Hofinga said in the release. "Despite the fact that this is not really in their typical task group, or what they trained to do, they are able to operate within that friction and chaos to help both the Navy-Marine Corps team overall, as well as New York City residents."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Read More: NYC Bound: Inside the Army's Emergency Deployment of Doctors to Manhattan
Almost one million people are now either unemployed or receiving some form of Covid-19 emergency payment  just over four weeks since the lockdown started.

It comes as a further 38 deaths from the virus were confirmed, bringing the overall toll to 444.

The cost of the 350-a-week pandemic payment and the wage-support schemes alone have now been budgeted at 4bn-5bn over 12 weeks  up from an original estimate of 3.7bn, the Department of Finance said.

The huge and rapid increase in both unemployment and the number of people whose wages are subsidised means over half of all private-sector workers are receiving jobs-related payments from the Government.

The numbers include 533,000 people on the main 350-a-week pandemic payment, and 210,000 people on the live register. In addition, Revenue chairman Niall Cody said 255,000 people had availed of at least one payment under the wage-subsidy scheme since its launch  an increase of 35,600 people availing of the scheme in one week.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he had ordered changes to the scheme to iron out anomalies for earners on less than 500 a week, equivalent to 31,000 a year; and for earners on more than 586 a week, or 38,000 a year. The subsidy rises to 85% of pay from 70% at some wage bands.

Patricia King, general secretary at Ictu, said: Increasing the wage replacement rate from 70% to 85% on earnings up to 24,400 and the value of the subsidy to 350 on earnings between 24,400 and 31,000 goes a distance in doing what we asked of government, and importantly, protects jobs and the worker-employer relationship during the emergency to facilitate a rapid recovery.

Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy said the wage-support scheme will help both firms and employees to bounce back after the crisis.

Meanwhile, the European Commission held out hope for a co-ordinated approach across the EU when the time comes for lifting the health restrictions. It said its roadmap of guidelines are based on science and expanding testing for the virus.

However, in a conference call with other EU health ministers, Simon Harris stressed Ireland was not yet in a position to ease restrictions on movement.

A relaxation of the Covid-19 testing threshold in order to get more people tested is being actively considered, the chief medical officer Tony Holohan said, adding the problem of idle test centres is one of the big issues they are dealing with.

A total of 1,068 new confirmed cases were announced bringing the overall total in Ireland to 12,547.

Some 290 people in either nursing homes or residential care settings, more than 50% of the overall toll, have died thus far from the illness.

It was reported last night that nine residents at the Maryborough Centre, a HSE-run psychiatric unit in Portlaoise, died over the weekend after testing positive for Covid-19.
[April 16, 2020] AXIS Capital to Release First Quarter Financial Results on May 4, 2020

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited ("AXIS Capital" or the "Company") (NYSE: AXS) today announced that it expects to release financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020, on Monday, May 4, 2020, after the close of the financial markets. Albert Benchimol, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Peter Vogt, Chief Financial Officer, will host an investor teleconference, including a question and answer period, on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. EDT to discuss the first quarter results as well as related matters. The teleconference can be accessed by dialing 1-888-317-6003 (U.S. callers), or 1-412-317-6061 (international callers), and entering the passcode 6024972 approximately 10 minutes in advance of the call. A live, listen-only webcast of the call will also be available via the Investor Information section of the Company's website at www.axiscapital.com.



A replay of the teleconference will be available for two weeks by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (U.S. callers), or 1-412-317-0088 (international callers), and entering the passcode 10142399. The webcast will be archived in the Investor Information section of the Company's website. About AXIS Capital

AXIS Capital, through its operating subsidiaries, is a global provider of specialty lines insurance and treaty reinsurance with shareholders' equity at December 31, 2019, of $5.5 billion and locations in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore, Canada and the Middle East. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A+" ("Strong") by Standard & Poor's and "A+" ("Superior") by A.M. Best. For more information about AXIS Capital, visit our website at www.axiscapital.com. Follow AXIS Capital on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005781/en/

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MBABANE  Do you run a small to medium sized business and have been diligently paying your taxes?



If your answer to the above is yes, then you will benefit from the government provided relief fund of up to E90 million.

Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini yesterday stated that government would be providing relief of up to E90 million to businesses with a turnover of E8 million or less, which mainly are small and medium enterprises (SMEs).



He said this relief would be directed to businesses that had continually supported the development of the country by complying with their tax obligations, which meant they had filed and paid their taxes on time up to the 2019 tax year.



Refunds



This amount will be paid by way of tax refunds through the Eswatini Revenue Authority (SRA) in monthly instalments of 25 per cent of the actual tax paid in 2019, said Dlamini.

He said the specific guidelines on this relief would be provided through the SRA.



The PM said it was evident that the pandemic was severely affecting businesses, particularly small enterprises.

He said despite this reality, government was committed to assisting businesses to survive the partial lockdown.



Clearly government does not have the financial muscle and enough resources to save businesses from collapse, but we remain determined to meet these businesses halfway and minimise the adverse impact of this pandemic on our economy, he said.



Dlamini said they would target those businesses that were willing to retain their employees and continue to pay them during this difficult period.
Melania Trump has called Boris Johnsons fiance Carrie Symonds to wish her well amidst the prime ministers battle with coronavirus.

Mr Johnson, the UK's prime minister, spent three days in intensive care because of the disease and seven in total in the hospital. He is now recovering with this pregnant fiance at Chequers, the prime minister's country estate.

Ms Trump expressed well wishes for Ms Symonds and Prime Minister Johnson, and noted that the United States was praying for their speedy and full recoveries, the statement said.

Ms Symonds said on 4 April she had suffered the main symptoms of the virus but was not seriously affected.

Last week upon her husband to be's release from hospital she said: There were times last week that were very dark indeed. My heart goes out to all those in similar situations, worried sick about their loved ones.

Thank you also to everyone who sent such kind messages of support. Today Im feeling incredibly lucky.

Mr Johnson admitted that things could have gone either way while he was in intensive care.

During the phone call, Ms Trump reaffirmed to Ms Symonds that the US stands together with the UK in the fight to defeat the coronavirus pandemic, according to the White House statement.

Ms Trump and Ms Symonds expressed optimism that the United States and the United Kingdom would get through this difficult period and emerge stronger than before," it read.

Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Mr Johnson while he fully recovers from the virus, announced on Wednesday that the UKs lockdown would continue for at least another three weeks into May.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Braveheart Resources Inc. (TSXV: BHT) ("Braveheart" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received assay results from the remaining three of five diamond drill holes that were completed at the Bull River Mine project in February and March of 2020 as part of a 831 metre spring drilling program. The Company previously released results from DDH BRU20-01 and DDH BRU 20-02 in press releases issued on March 23, 2020, and April 3, 2020, respectively. All holes were drilled from underground workings on 9 Level and collared in 9E4 XC Ext Remuck. All five drill holes intersected mineralized structures in the central portion of the South Vein at depths below 9 Level, which represents the deepest level of the mine about 350 metres below the elevation of the mine portal. The results of the program are presented below.

The best drill results were recorded in DDH BRU20-05 which intercepted mineralized structures over a length of 5.21 metres with an estimated true width of 4.24 metres and located approximately 114 metres below 9 Level. The composite grade of the intersection is 1.39% Cu, 1.33 gpt Au and 9.5 gpt Ag. Included within this intersection are higher grade intervals of 1.17 metres between 142.93 and 144.10 metres with a composite grade of 1.96% Cu, 1.55 gpt Au and 14.00 gpt Ag and 1.14 metres between 144.86 and 146.00 metres with a composite grade of grade of 2.57% Cu, 4.02 gpt Au and 17.00 gpt Ag. DDH BRU20-03 and DDH BRU20-04 both intersected mineralized structures with width and grade values that are within the range commonly found at the mine. The gold and silver results from DDH BRU20-05 are higher than typically found in the mine.

Summary of 2020 Bull River Mine Spring Drilling Program

Hole ID Azimuth Dip From

(m) To

(m) Length

(m) True Width

(m) Cu

(%) Au

(g/t) Ag

(g/t) BRU20-01 52.5 -26.1 135.00 137.20 2.20 1.80 1.46 0.46 9.85 Including 136.00 136.37 0.37 4.99 1.60 30.00 BRU20-02 60.0 -45.0 149.60 153.20 3.60 2.60 1.08 0.39 7.50 Including 149.60 152.00 2.40 1.26 0.37 8.80 BRU20-03 46.7 -40.4 135.40 137.75 2.35 1.93 1.06 0.27 6.45 BRU20-04 43.9 -16.3 129.10 131.40 2.30 1.79 1.00 1.16 6.70 Including 130.31 131.40 1.09 1.67 2.35 12.00 BRU20-05 31.3 -53.0 140.79 146.00 5.21 4.24 1.39 1.33 9.51 Including 142.93 144.10 1.17 1.96 1.55 14.00 Including 144.86 146.00 1.14 2.57 4.02 17.00

Braveheart has a current NI 43-101 technical report that was authored by Sue Bird P.Eng., of Moose Mountain Technical Services and titled Bull River Resource Estimate. The report was completed on November 4, 2018 and published on SEDAR on January 23, 2019. The Bull River Mine project has an indicated resource of 1.51 million tonnes of copper, gold and silver mineralized material with an average copper equivalent grade of 2.263% CuEq based on a cut off grade of 1% CuEq. Additionally, the project has an inferred resource of 340,000 tonnes at 1.86% CuEq based on a cut off grade of 1% CuEq.

To ensure the safety of our staff and contractors the Company has taken the precautionary measures of shutting down all non-essential work at the project at this time. The Company's primary focus is on advancing discussions with the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in order to secure a permit to allow for deposition of tailings on surface and the processing of mineralized material currently stockpiled on surface adjacent to the mill.

About Braveheart Resources Inc.

Braveheart is a Canadian based junior mining company focused on building shareholder value through exploration and development in the favourable and proven mining jurisdictions of the East and West Kootenays of British Columbia. Braveheart's main asset is the Bull River Mine project which has a current mineral resource containing copper, gold and silver. The property is fully developed with 21,000 metres of underground developments in terms of ramps, raises and drifting on mineralized structures on seven levels. The surface infrastructure includes a 750 tonne per day conventional mill with adjoining crushing facilities as well as offices and mine maintenance facilities. The property is connected to grid power and there is year-round access to the site by paved and all-weather roads.

Quality assurance/quality control procedures and protocol

The Company has implemented a quality assurance and quality control program to ensure all sampling and analysis is conducted in accordance with industry standards. Sampling at the Company's properties includes thorough quality control with complete chain of custody of samples, sample collection procedures, the insertion of certified reference standards and blanks on a regular basis and data verification procedures. Samples are processed at Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories in Vancouver, B.C., Canada (ISO9001:2008 accreditation).

Qualified person

Braveheart's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ian Berzins P.Eng., ICD.D, who serves as president, chief executive officer and a director of the company and is a qualified person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

We seek Safe Harbor.

Contact Information

Braveheart Resources Inc.

Ian Berzins

President & Chief Executive Officer

403-512-8202

braveheartresources@shaw.ca

Website: www.braveheartresourcesinc.com

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about strategic plans, future work programs and objectives and expected results from such work programs. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; and other risks.

Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information and the risks identified in the Company's continuous disclosure record. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this news release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this new release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54523
The Ghana AIDS Commission has appealed to persons living with HIV (PLHIV) to adhere to the safety measures spelt out by the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to minimise exposure to the COVID-19.



This is because although everyone might be at risk if exposed, persons with weaker immune systems like HIV patients are more likely to get infected.



A statement from the Ghana AIDS Commission, copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said it was, therefore, important to emphasise the need for all PLHIV to adhere to their antiretroviral therapies to boost their immune system.



The world is awash with news on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its devastating effects. In Ghana, we have seen a steady rise in the number of positive cases being reported, almost daily.



PLHIV are encouraged to make arrangements with their health care providers for multi-month prescriptions of antiretroviral medicines.



Older PLHIV with heart or lung conditions may be at a higher risk of becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus and may suffer more serious symptoms, the statement said.



Currently, the statement noted that there is no evidence of a correlation between HIV and COVID 19, but until more is known about the relationship between the two diseases, PLHIV need to exercise extreme caution to prevent exposure.



The Commission encourages PLHIV to report any symptoms of cough, fever or difficulty in breathing to a medical officer, and endeavour to present their travel history and/or details of persons they might have come into close contact with.



While urging all to protect themselves and practise safety measures to minimise the impact of COVID-19 in their communities, we wish to remind the public that research on treatment options for COVID-19 is on-going.



According to the statement, there is no scientific proof that antiretroviral medicines used for treating HIV are useful for treating the coronavirus disease at this stage of the pandemic, hence, the need for PLHIV to adhere to their antiretroviral regimens.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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You think Bob Dylan concert tickets go quickly?

Employees at Sandia National Laboratories on April 1 took on a 15-day fundraising project to benefit Roadrunner Food Bank.

The goal was to raise $15,000 that would be matched by the labs corporate contribution program.

By the end of the first day, employee contribution reached nearly $19,000.

By Wednesday, the last day of the campaign, Sandia employees had donated more than $75,000, which when combined with a corporate match brought the total donation to more than $100,000.

Im in awe of the people who work at the labs, said Katrina Wagner, who works in Sandias Community Involvement Department.

Roadrunner spokeswoman Sonya Warwick said, Were so honored to receive the support of Sandia and its employees in this time of great need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to significant unemployment and more reliance on the food bank. Their generosity will help us secure needed food as food insecurity increases during this time.

Because its unknown how long social distancing and isolation restrictions will remain in place, Warwick said, donations remain critical to get food and deliver it to our more than 350 hunger relief distribution partners around the state.

Sandia has for many years partnered with Roadrunner Food Bank on fundraising and food donation projects, said Amy Tapia, manager of Sandias Community Involvement Department.

Each year around Thanksgiving, Sandia employees donate frozen turkeys to the food bank, and throughout the year they volunteer to sort food at the food bank during various food drives.

Sandias senior manager of communications, Linda Lovato-Montoya, said employees quickly respond to volunteer opportunities at Roadrunner. She has been among those volunteers.

I felt part of the solution, she said. Being able to help others during these tough times connects me to a greater good for people. With each of us doing our part, whether big or small, we contribute to the bigger picture.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) looks on as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin delivers the annual financial stability report to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in Washington, on Jan. 30, 2018. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

Sen. Cotton Calls for US Exit From Nuclear Test Ban Treaty After Report of Chinese Testing

A U.S. senator is calling on the Trump administration to withdraw from an international pact banning nuclear weapons tests in response to a report that the Chinese regime may be secretly conducting small nuclear tests.

A State Department report stated concerns that China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test blasts at its Lop Nur site throughout 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported on April 15.

While the report didnt provide direct evidence of such tests, it cited a range of activities at the site that raise concerns that Beijing may be in breach of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which sets a zero-yield standard for test blasts. Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead.

Its foolish to trust anything the Chinese Communist Party says, especially when it comes to grave matters like nuclear testing, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said in a statement.

Beijing is modernizing its nuclear arsenal while the United States handcuffs itself with one-sided arms-control restrictions. China has proven it cant work with us honestly and transparently. We ought to unsign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

The United States and China have signed the CTBT but havent ratified it. Both say they are complying with its terms. The pact still needs ratification by 44 countries to become international law.

The Chinese regime has denied the allegations in the State Department report.

A senior U.S. official said the concerns about Chinas testing activities buttress President Donald Trumps case for getting China to join the United States and Russia in talks on an arms control accord to replace the 2010 New START treaty between Washington and Moscow that expires in February 2021.

New START restricted the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads, the lowest level in decades, and limited the land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers that deliver them.

The pace and manner by which the Chinese government is modernizing its stockpile is worrying, destabilizing, and illustrates why China should be brought into the global arms control framework, the senior U.S. official said, on condition of anonymity.

China has repeatedly rejected Trumps proposal, arguing its nuclear force is defensive and poses no threat.

However, Rick Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, told The Epoch Times that there are significant indicators that China has tactical nuclear weapons and would have had a longstanding interest in modernizing them or developing new tactical nuclear weapons.

He noted that many of Chinas ballistic and cruise missile arsenal, though they carry non-nuclear warheads, have the capability to carry a nuclear payload.

China likes to tell visiting foreign experts that it has not deployed any tactical nuclear weapons, but such statements can also be considered to be deceptive in light of Chinas many new missiles that could carry a small nuclear warhead, Fisher said in an email.

The United States shouldnt ratify the CTBT, Fisher said, because of Chinas actions to conceal its possible low yield nuclear testing activity. If Washington were to do so, then it would be held to its legal requirements while dictatorships like China will violate it and be deceptive.

The Administration is correct to seek new nuclear arms limitation agreements with Russia and China, but given Chinas longstanding refusal to engage in such negotiations and its current missile buildup, it remains very important for the U.S. to remain focused on improving its all-around nuclear and missile deterrent capabilities.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Bindi Irwin, 21, and Chandler Powell, 23, are broadcasting their 'wedding story' on Animal Planet this weekend in the U.S.

And never-before-seen photos from the newlyweds' wedding album have now been released ahead of the one-hour TV special - Crikey! Its the Irwins: Bindis Wedding.

The beautiful photos show the couple cutting their cake and paying tribute to Bindi's late Crocodile Hunter father Steve Irwin.

Scroll down for video

Inside Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell's wedding album! Never-before-seen photos reveal the couple cutting their cake and paying tribute to the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin

Steve died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland.

Bindi and her professional wakeboarder husband tied the knot at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, on March 25.



The family had planned the wedding for nearly a year, but decided at the last minute to hold a 'small ceremony' without guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There in spirit! Another touching gesture that will play out on screen, is Bindi and Chandler's tribute to honour Bindi's late Crocodile Hunter father Steve Irwin on their big day

Congratulations! Bindi, 21, and her professional wakeboarder husband, 23, tied the knot at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, on March 25

Bling! Bindi shows off her wedding ring to fans in the TV special

Where it all began: The pair first meet at Australia Zoo in 2013, and were wed near the sight of their first conversation

Bindi and Chandler moved their original date, set for April 4, to a fast-tracked ceremony in March.

They got married at the family zoo - just hours after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced new restrictions on weddings due to the coronavirus pandemic, with only five people allowed to attend.

Crikey! Its the Irwins: Bindis Wedding is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Bindi and Chandler's big day, with Animal Planet promising moments you won't see anywhere else.

No waiting! The family had planned the wedding for nearly a year, but decided at the last minute to hold a 'small ceremony' without guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Family: The TV special will feature special moments between the couple and their family, including Bindi's younger brother Robert, 16, (right) and their mother Terri (second right)

Brotherly love: Footage will be shown of Bindi's younger brother Robert, 16, (left) walking her down the aisle

The TV special will feature special moments between the couple and their family, including Bindi's younger brother Robert, 16, walking her down the aisle.

Robert wrote on his own Instagram page: 'I was beyond honoured to get to walk Bindi down the aisle today... I know that dad was with us, and we are all so delighted for your future as husband and wife. I love you both.'

While the Animal Planet special will air this weekend in the U.S., Australians will need to stream the episode online or wait until it airs on Foxtel in July.

Sharing their day: The newlyweds lit a single candle at the altar in Steve's memory after making their union official in a private ceremony at Australia Zoo

'We lit a candle in dad's memory. We shared tears and smiles and love': Bindi told People last month

Tragedy: Steve died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland. Pictured with Terri and Bindi in Sydney on July 7, 2002

Another touching gesture that will play out on screen, is Bindi and Chandler's tribute to honour Bindi's late Crocodile Hunter father Steve Irwin on their big day.

The newlyweds lit a single candle at the altar in Steve's memory after making their union official in a private ceremony at Australia Zoo.

In never-before-seen photos, the couple can be seen lighting the candle on a single table with a photo of Steve on an easel beside it.

'Chandler became my husband, and together we lit a candle in dad's memory. We shared tears and smiles and love,' Bindi told People last month.

Zoo photoshoots: Bindi and Chandler posed with various animals around the famous park

Happy bride! Bindi was all smiles as she fed a giraffe at the zoo in her wedding gown

Cuddle time! The newlyweds also posed with a koala, who cheekily tried to eat Bindi's bouquet

It comes after the newlywed revealed to People magazine that her elegant wedding gown was a tribute to her mother Terri's wedding dress, from when she married Crocodile Hunter Steve in 1992.

'I wanted something very similar because I've admired [my mum's] dress since I was tiny,' Bindi said.

Bindi recalled putting on her mother's wedding gown when she was 12 and falling in love with it.

The blonde beauty wasn't able to wear the same dress or have it altered because it was already 50 years old.

Just like her mum! Bindi said her elegant wedding gown was a tribute to her mother Terri's (left) wedding dress, from when she married late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin in 1992

Flashback! Late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin marrying now-widow Terri Irwin in 1992

Last-minute ceremony: Bindi, 21, and her professional wakeboarder husband, 23, tied the knot at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, in March

Change of plans: Bindi wrote on Instagram after tying the knot: 'We've planned this beautiful day for nearly a year and had to change everything, as we didn't have guests at our wedding. This was a very difficult decision but important to keep everyone safe'

The pair first met at Australia Zoo in 2013, and they announced their long-distance romance in 2015.

In July 2019, Chandler proposed to Bindi on her 21st birthday at Australia Zoo.

Crikey! Its the Irwins: Bindis Wedding will air in Australia on Saturday 18 July from 6:30pm on Foxtel's Animal Planet
Albany, N.Y.  Schools and nonessential businesses in New York will remain closed until at least May 15.

The states other social distancing measures will remain in place as well. Gov. Andrew Cuomo previously extended the shutdowns until April 29.

READ MORE: New York state orders no school classes through May 15; remote learning continues

He announced the extension today at his press briefing in Albany.

New York first implemented the closures and other social distancing rules in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state. Only essential businesses can currently operate with on-site staff.

Any decision to reopen will be based on data and how fast the virus in spreading in New York, Cuomo said.

We slowed the infection rate by our actions, he said. Thats why were in a better position today.

Trends on hospitalizations and intubations due to the virus have been positive in recent days. Hundreds more people have been leaving hospitals than entering and coming off ventilators than going on.

The good news shows the states efforts to battle the virus are working, Cuomo said.

All New Yorkers should stay home as much as possible and go out only for exercise or needed errands like grocery shopping or medical care. When in public, people should stay 6 feet away from others.

Social, religious and other gatherings must be canceled or postponed.

A new order goes into effect Friday that requires New Yorkers to wear a mask in public if they cant keep 6 feet away from others.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

Coronavirus survivor donates blood to give Syracuse patient second chance

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
Detail from artist Pilar Castillo's "Passport," which mimics the official government document but with a pointed political message about the U.S. government's approach to migration. (Pilar Castillo)

Consider the Americana strewn across the United States passport: bald eagles, sheaves of wheat, Mt. Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, a clipper ship, cowboys, a locomotive and steamboat, purple mountain majesties  and on one of the later pages, a token totem pole.

Like a Hallmark musical greeting card, upon opening, one might expect The Star-Spangled Banner to play on a tinny loop.

In response to that documents cheesy nostalgia  narrowing American identity to what seems a shallow civics lesson  Los Angeles artist and designer Pilar Castillo has created a hyper-real counterfeit passport, a fierce throwdown to what she terms a staged and very colonized perspective.

Belize-born Castillo created Passport in response to the 2018 Central American migrant caravan that was denied asylum, triggering a humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. The imagery in her work lays out a timeline documenting U.S. military incursions and exploitation of Central American labor and resources that precipitated the desperate journey.

"To talk about illegal immigration is to talk about a counterfeit experience," says artist Pilar Castillo. (Anton Smith)

The subversive piece of protest art also lays bare, among other injustices, Americas still festering original sins: slavery and the slaughter of Native Americans.

To talk about illegal immigration is to talk about a counterfeit experience, where youre not accounted for, youre denied basic human rights, youre basically dispensable, said Castillo, 43, who holds an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design.

Castillo, who operates CastlePillar Design from her studio in Ladera Heights, created Passport" as part of an art-exchange among three womens salons in Los Angeles, Paris and Mexico City. The work was also shown at SPARC gallery in Venice.

This work is an homage to my mother, said Castillo, who was a toddler when her mother left Belize at age 24 and walked across the desert in hiding to reach the U.S. Upon attaining legal status 10 years later, Ena Castillo sent for her daughter and other family members.

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She had no other choice; she wanted more for her family, Castillo said. Shes very strong-minded, determined  a very ambitious woman.

Pilar Castillo incorporated this photo of a cotton planter and his pickers in her "Passport." (Pilar Castillo)

Passport looks and feels like the real deal. A Border Patrol agent could plausibly crack open its cloned cover without any suspicion  remarkable given that it was printed at Office Depot using 10-point cardstock and copy paper. Castillo used a glue stick to adhere the 15 double-page spreads, vibrant with a lavender-fading-to-peach color palette.

As with an official passport, her works cover is emblazoned with the Great Seal of the United States. Look closely, however, and youll notice that the eagles head has been replaced with that of a rapacious vulture, its talon-clasped olive branch supplanted with a snake symbolizing the sinister side of Trump-era immigration policies, Castillo said.

The banner clasped in the birds beak is left blank. It usually bears the U.S. motto "E pluribus unum" (out of many, one). Castillos take: Its an empty promise at this point.

Above the seal, the head of the Virgin of Guadalupe fills the usual circle of 13 stars, the child at her feet now caged behind vertical bars of the emblems shield.

The shield that is supposed to protect is instead jailing the child, said Castillo, referencing children separated from families and kept in chain-link enclosures when the migrant caravan arrived.

Inside, the works subtle illusion continues.

Execute a fast flip through the document and all still seems in order: The same wavy moire security print pattern overlays pages, except its actually a chain-link fence  a riff on the 30 security features in a U.S. passport as well as barriers to southern immigrants.

The mesh wire is especially haunting given that its superimposed over images depicting historical trauma, including hundreds of children posed before a Native American boarding school, an education movement that desecrated native culture.

In Castillo's artwork, the image of a school for Native American children gets overlaid with a chain-link fence pattern that emulates the moire print on real passport pages. (Pilar Castillo)

On the identity page, a Hopi woman (photographed by ethnologist Edward S. Curtis) turns her torso and head away from the camera  a rejection of an American identity as well as the very document she carries. Her name is listed as Immigrant Foreigner. Her nationality: Alien. Place of birth: Suspect.

Castillos message: The native-born Hopi is erased along with the unwanted arrivals at U.S. borders.

Other photos in Castillos ersatz work, paired with quotes (as in the official passport), include a Japanese American incarceration camp, migrant farmworkers, cotton pickers as well as enslaved African American wet nurses and nannies.

(Pilar Castillo)

(Pilar Castillo )

"Passport" emulates the look of the real thing, but with images of a World War II-era incarceration camp that held Japanese Americans, top; enslaved domestic workers, middle; and, on the spread immediately above, the fine print. (Pilar Castillo)

Castillo calls her approach decolonizing design," a term of increasing popularity.

Good design usually means European design  the story thats being told is very narrow, said Ramon Tejada, an assistant professor at Rhode Island School of Design. There are missing stories.

Castillos point about what an official passport is not telling is fascinating, he said.

That erasure lends the handmade document a kind of disturbing beauty, one that demands a reckoning.

I am still a Central American woman, Castillo said. I feel solidarity with those who share this immigrant experience, along with future generations who seek the same opportunity. To make this kind of art in an era that is increasingly hostile toward immigrants, to confront these injustices  is empowering.
It is just being reported that Kangana Ranaut's sister, Rangoli Chandel's Twitter account has been suspended by the social media platform today over violation of rules and more prominently for spreading religious hatred via her controversial posts.

Twitter

It is being claimed that a lot of users were enraged after reading Rangoli Chandel's tweets on the Moradabad stone-pelting incident and decided to report her account. A few celebrities such as Kubra Sait, Reema Kagti and Farah Khan Ali also reported Rangoli's account.

@MumbaiPolice. Could you please look into this and take action? Isnt this spreading fake news AND inciting hatred & violence against certain people?@OfficeofUT @AUThackeray https://t.co/tKCqS5CZgN  Reema Kagti (@kagtireema) April 16, 2020

Ive blocked Rangoli and reported her to twitter.

But @MumbaiPolice @CMOMaharashtra @OfficeofUT This kind of hate mongering is irresponsible. Please look into it, and take necessary actions. https://t.co/WywccuZvKR  Kubbra Sait (@KubbraSait) April 16, 2020

Thank you @Twitter @TwitterIndia @jack for suspending this account. I reported this because she targeted a specific community and called for them to be shot along with liberal media and compared herself to the Nazis.  . pic.twitter.com/lJ3u6btyOm  Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) April 16, 2020

This is clearly not the first time Rangoli Chandel has tweeted something gravely controversial.

Just a few days ago Rangoli Chandel made headlines for tweeting that 2024 General Elections should be canceled and money should be saved as we all anyway know who will win. Clearly implying that PM Modi would go on to win the 2024 General Elections as well.



Rangoli Chandel / Twitter

While speculation is on rise for which tweets in particular led to Rangoli Chandel's account getting blocked, one thing is for sure that while we all battle a grave crisis, no one has the patience or tolerance for comments that insult any community or people.
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI  Domestic violence cases have spiked in recent weeks, compared to the same time period in 2019, and law enforcement officials remind community members that resources are still available to them in a time of need.

Some, such as the YWCA in Kalamazoo, are prepared for an increased demand for their services amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A lot of people may have a mom or grandparent or someone they could stay with under normal circumstances, but because of the scope of the stuff going on with COVID-19, they might not want to expose an elderly family member, so that might take away options of where they can stay, Kalamazoo Public Safety Assistant Chief Dave Boysen said.

His department and the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office are both reporting troubling increases in the numbers of domestic violence calls the agencies received to in recent weeks, when compared to the same dates in 2019.

Theres some good resources in the community if you are having issues," Boysen said. The YWCA crisis intervention team is still going out in the field doing their work. And were obviously still out in the field doing ours.

The YWCAs domestic assault team is available 24/7 for victims or those with knowledge of domestic abuse that is occurring, Boysen said. To reach the facilitys crisis line, one can call 269-385-3587.

In an epidemic, abuse will not end, YWCA CEO Grace Lubwama told MLive in a recent interview. We will see an increase in need when everyone is staying home. We are going to remain open.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmers initial stay-at-home order was issued March 23, although many were already working from home and not going out.

In the first two weeks following the order (March 23-April 6), the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office responded to 28 domestic violence calls. During the same two-week span in 2019, Sheriff Richard Fuller said the office responded to 16 calls.

Weve definitely seen a marked increase, Fuller said. "I think the best message that we can have for everyone out there is to try to find alternatives to their disputes.

This is a time when people are under a lot of pressure and theres a lot of fear. I think the more that people can try to reach out to services like 211 when theyre having these issues, or any type of counseling service that may have been available to them prior to this, just to work out some of these things, its important.

Fuller did not have numbers available for calls since April 7, but said deputies have been responding to multiple cases almost daily.

A lot of it, he said, undoubtedly has to do with couples and families having so many hours together with nowhere to go. When, in a more normal time, they are at work during the day or out doing other activities and might only have a few hours together at home.

On top of that, Boysen said, many people have lost jobs or are temporarily out of work as a result of the pandemic, which could add to the stress.

The number of calls that Kalamazoo Public Safety officers responded to during the same two-week stretch following Whitmers order was not available, the assistant chief said.

For the entire month of March, public safety officers responded to 172 domestic violence calls in Kalamazoo. That is a 26% increase from March 2019, when officers responded to 136 calls for domestic violence, Boysen said.

Weve had several calls a day in April so far, so I dont think there is going to be a change for the better," he said. "Being cooped up is not ideal. I think the social isolation is really not good for peoples mental health.

Hopefully when the weather starts getting nicer here people will start getting out of their houses more. I dont know how much longer these restrictions are going to be in place, but its probably going to be a tough couple weeks.

In Portage, despite expectations that domestic violence might increase, were unchanged year-over-year, Portage Public Safety Director Nicholas Armold said. Officers responded to 25 calls in March 2019 and the same number in March 2020, Armold said.

Boysen urged those facing problems at home take a timeout, and contact friends or loved ones via phone or FaceTime if they need someone to talk to.

Per public safetys role, Boysen said, the department is following-up with victims in both domestic violence arrests and in situations without any arrest, with the goal to make sure they are able to get the help they need.

We will go straight to the house of the victim with the (YWCA) crisis intervention worker to make sure they talk over resources face-to-face and see what we can do to make sure that they are safe and have the resources they need to mitigate whatever situation theyre in, whether its through the criminal process or just getting counseling or help, he said.

Most importantly, he said, if you are a victim of domestic violence you should not be afraid to reach out during this time. As always, anyone experiencing an emergency should call 911.

The help is there, he said.

Also on MLive:

YWCA Kalamazoo stays open, says abuse will not end during COVID-19 outbreak

Gov. Whitmer extends emergency child care services in Michigan during coronavirus crisis

Prosecutor proposes domestic violence court in Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo County seeks solutions to domestic violence cycle of violence

Man, 49, dies of coronavirus while wife fighting for her life across the hall
US regulators gave emergency authorization to a fourth test for coronavirus antibodies in an effort to help health authorities identify who has already been infected and may have developed immunity to the virus on Wednesday.

Mt Sinai Health System, in New York, was the first lab in the US to announce it had developed such a test, in March.

The newest serologic test can detect antibodies the body produces in response to coronavirus as early as three days after a patient develops symptoms.

As antibody tests are rolled out, the US should gain a clearer picture of who has had the infection and may be able to return to work with minimal risk of reinfection. New York Andrew Cuomo said last week he wants to test young, healthy people who may have already had and cleared the infection, and send them back to work.

Already, the scientists at Mt Sinai have distribute the protocol for their test to more than 200 labs in the US and abroad.

However, the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) authorization explicitly said that analysis of the test must be confined to Mt Sinai's lab.

Mt Sinai Health Systems received FDA authorization for its test for coronavirus antibodies on Wednesday, a vote of confidence in the test's accuracy at detecing who may have already been infected with the virus and developed immunity (file)

FDA officials have already authorized tests made by Chembio Diagnostics, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics and Cellex.

Diagnostics giant Abbott Laboratories also released an antibody test, which it can distribute under relaxed FDA guidelines. New York state has already begun antibody testing using a test developed by its own Wadsworth Lab as well.

Serologic, or blood antibody, tests are notoriously difficult to make, largely because there are many components of a virus that could be responsible for triggering the immune response.

But research on the virus that causes COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 - has largely focused on the 'spike' protein on its surface that allows the virus to attack respiratory cells.

Like most labs, the Mt Sinai team quickly narrowed their work to making a test for antibodies that form in reaction to this protein.

They found that this spike is quickly recognized as an invader and the human body wastes no time in ramping up production of antibodies to fight the infection.

Experiments found that the test the team developed was both highly specific and highly sensitive, meaning that it's unlikely to cross-react with any other viruses or pathogens, and rarely missed someone who had tested positive for coronavirus and should have antibodies.

'Our test can pick up the bodys response to infection, in some cases as early as three days post-symptom onset, and is highly specific and sensitive,' said Dr Florian Krammer, who led the research team.

'We have shared the toolkit needed to set up the test with more than 200 research laboratories worldwide to help mitigate this global crisis

Dr Krammer and his team began working on their coronavirus blood test in January, before the pandemic had even hit the US.

When it was completed in March, the researchers said they would begin using it in very limited settings, primarily to test workers in its own clinics.

Diagnostic testing for coronavirus has stumbled into existence in the US, and is only just becoming widely available across the country where the expansion of tests means thousands of additional cases are being identified a day bringing the US total to over 42,000.

Cheaper, faster, more reliable serologic tests will serve a different function, however: they indicate who has already been infected with coronavirus, whether they knew it or not, and has developed antibodies to fight the infection.

People whose blood tests positive for coronavirus antibodies are unlikely to be re-infected and may be able to return to work, helping to restart the the US's largely paused economy.

Mt Sinai is authorized to begin running the antibody tests at its lab in New York City. More than 222,000 people in the state have tested positive - but the antibody test will likely reveal far more who have already had and cleared tine infection without knowing it

And when enough people's blood tests positive for these antibodies, it will signal to health officials that restrictions on movement, business and social contact can be relaxed without risking a steep uptick in the virus's spread.

One of the greatest challenges to containing and understanding the coronavirus epidemic is the mystery number of people who may be unwittingly infected.

If COVID-19 behaves similarly in the US to the way it has isn China, more than 80 percent of patients will have only mild symptoms easily mistaken for the common cold or flu: fever, coughing and body aches.

One study conducted at Huazhong Unversity of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China - the origin and epicenter of the outbreak - estimated that at least 59 percent of infected individuals had o idea they were sick, didn't get tested and were roaming the city, exposing others to the virus.

About 18 percent of the infected passengers on the infamous Diamond Princess cruise ship never developed even mild symptoms of the virus, according to a study conducted by Dr Gerardo Chowell, a mathematical epidemiologist at Georgia State University.

By now, it's quite clear that people with more symptoms of COVID-19 are also more contagious.

Drive-thru testing sites have cropped up across the US, including in California (pictured), but the serologic test will serve a different function. It will go first to health care workers to find out if they've been infected already and developed an immune defense against the virus

Once someone is suspected of having coronavirus, their blood is regularly drawn, and these samples can be analyzed with the serologic test and it can show if they were infected 'a month ' before , the Mt Sinai team said

But they're also far easier to identify and contain.

It's silent spreaders and the uncertainty of who might be infected that makes coronavirus dangerous and makes sweeping restrictions on activity necessary.

Since the early days of the pandemic - before officials would call it a 'pandemic' the World Health Organization has repeated that a serologic test will be key to painting a clearer pictured of how much of the population is really infected, and how serious coronavirus really is for most.

Now, the US, which has struggled so much to deploy swab diagnostic tests, is finally beginning to roll out long-awaited antibody testing.

Mt Sinai uploaded step-by-step instructions for its test last month, to be used by other hospitals and research labs, Dr Florian Krammer, head of the microbiology labethat created the blood test told Leapsmag.

Dr Krammer told Leapsmag that patients suspected of having coronavirus have their blood drawn regularly, and these samples can be analzyed with the serologic test without doing a new blood draw.

The serologic test can also detect antibodies in someone who is not currently sick, but had been a month previous.

And if these people, or those currently infected, have high enough levels of these antibodies, they may be protected against the virus going forward.

'People probably cannot get reinfected once they mount a good immune response and have antibody levels,' Dr Krammer told Leapsmag.

Once that is the case, these people are more likely safe to resume relatively normal activities, without risk of becoming infected or infecting someone else (if they've tested negative for the virus itself).

It's still too soon to tell, however, how long this immunity will last.

'If a sizeable portion of a local community has some protection, authorities can be more confident in relying less on invasive measures,' wrote former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

'Once deployed, serological tests are cheap, straightforward, and easy to scale.'

But the test won't be for everyone - at least not at first.

'It will be essential workers who need to be tested first, like nurses, firefighters, and doctors,' said Dr Krammer.

'It will be great to know that they would not put themselves or others at risk by going back to work because they cannot spread the disease.'
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The reality TV duo is back at it again.

MTV stars Paul DJ Pauly D Delvecchio and Vinny Guadagnino, an Emerson Hill native, are taking a break from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" to launch a new prank show on the network this summer: "Revenge Prank with DJ Pauly D and Vinny.

Each episode will pair DJ Pauly D or Vinny with a subject of a viral internet prank who is seeking payback on the friend, family member or loved one who originally embarrassed them. With help from DJ Pauly D and Vinny, the pairs will attempt to pull off some of the most over-the-top pranks yet in order to get the ultimate revenge," according to MTV.

This isnt the first time Delvecchio and Guadagnino joined forces on an MTV venture. Last year, the network debuted Double Shot at Love With DJ Pauly D & Vinny, a series starring 20 contestants who competed for a chance to win the hearts of the Jersey Shore stars. The series was produced by SallyAnn Salsano, who brought the original Jersey Shore to the network 10 years ago.

MTV has not released any specifics about when Revenge Prank with DJ Pauly D and Vinny will air, but those interested in checking out the duo can watch them on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" every Thursday at 8 p.m.

The most recent Jersey Shore: Family Vacation episodes were filmed during Guadagninos latest public appearance on Staten Island. In September, he published a Keto-friendly cookbook, The Keto Guido Cookbook: Delicious Recipes to Get Healthy and Look Great.

The Barnes & Noble in New Springville was one of the multiple stops he made on his book tour. During the meet and greet, Jersey Shore castmates Nicole Snooki Polizzi and Deena Cortese surprised him with Tommys Tavern pizza and a mariachi band.
A legal battle looms over a 1.4m tax bill faced by a company linked to financier Dermot Desmond following its purchase of Edwardian-era mansion Walford.

Proceedings have been initiated in the High Court seeking to challenge a stamp duty demand issued by the Revenue Commissioners to a previous owner but which the Desmond company must now pick up the tab for.

The property on Dublin's exclusive Shrewsbury Road was once Ireland's most expensive home and has attracted much attention in recent years.

Its beneficial ownership and various financial manoeuvres related to the property have been prominent issues in the protracted bankruptcy of property developer Sean Dunne.

Mr Dunne bought it for his then wife Gayle Killilea for 57.9m in 2005, but they never lived there and it has changed hands twice since then.

It was first bought by Yesreb Holdings Ltd, a Cypriot company owned by Mr Dunne's son John, for 14m in 2013.

Both Ms Killilea and John Dunne have testified Yesreb was an offshore "shelf" entity she caused to be formed and that the sale was orchestrated in order for her to "avail" of a tax loss.

She also loaned the purchase money to Yesreb on condition it be repaid upon a subsequent sale of the property.

That sale came in 2016 when Celtic Trustees Ltd (CTL), an Isle of Man trust set up for the benefit of Mr Desmond's children, bought it from Yesreb for 14.25m.

Yesreb made a self-assessed stamp duty return of 270,000 in 2013 on the basis it was entitled to certain tax reliefs.

But the Revenue Commissioners did not agree and later hit the company with a 1.4m stamp duty demand.

The assessment was upheld by the independent Tax Appeals Commission last December. However, when Yesreb sold Walford on to CTL, part of the deal was that the Desmond-linked company would pay the stamp duty bill still owed by Yesreb.

The meant that even though the assessment was against Yesreb, CTL was ultimately left on the hook for it.

But the matter has not ended there and is now destined for the courts.

High Court records show an appeal against the Revenue decision was initiated last Thursday.

The Irish Independent understands that as part of the deal between Yesreb and CTL, the Cypriot company agreed to appeal the assessment at CTL's request until the right of appeal is exhausted or a settlement is achieved.

It is also understood Yesreb agreed to act on CTL's instructions in relation to the appeal and cannot agree any compromise or settlement without the consent of the Desmond trust.

After buying the property, CTL secured planning permission to demolish it and build a larger mansion in its place.

But issues relating to Mr Dunne's bankruptcy lingered.

The official assignee in bankruptcy, Christopher Lehane, registered a legal claim known as a lis pendens over the property. Mr Lehane has been working with a US bankruptcy trustee to recover assets for Mr Dunne's creditors.

CTL issued a legal action of its own, claiming it had "good title" to Walford.

Those cases were settled last December when the lis pendens was dropped and orders made that CTL had good title.

As part of the settlement some 11.6m Yesreb still held from its sale of Walford to CTL was handed over to the US trustee, Richard Coan.

The money was part settlement of a fraudulent transfer judgment handed down by a US jury against Ms Killilea in June last year. The jury found her liable, as the recipient of fraudulent transfers from her ex-husband, to pay more than 18m to the trustee.
Lydia Bright shared the challenges of parenting on Instagram on Wednesday.

The first-time mum, 30, told fans her seven-week-old daughter had been unsettled throughout the night after getting conjunctivitis.

Lydia admitted she sobbed to her sister Georgia on Sunday night after a week of interrupted sleep.

First-time mum: Lydia Bright shared the challenges of parenting on Instagram on Wednesday

Lydia shared a sweet clip of her daughter and wrote: 'My little Loretta has conjunctivitis. Today I got her eye drops and now she is so much happier.

'Nothing beats this smile'.

She continued: 'Last week Loretta was such a challenge. On Sunday I was sobbing to my sister, this was what she messaged me when I was in bed on Sunday night.'

Poorly: The first-time mum, 30, told fans her seven-week-old daughter had been unsettled throughout the night after getting conjunctivitis

Lydia went on to share an encouraging message from her sister Georgia, who told her she was a 'fantastic mum' and told her she should go to their mum Debbie for some much needed advice.

After switching up Loretta's bedtime routine, it appears the former TOWIE star has been able to sleep uninterrupted.

Lydia posted a make-up free selfie of herself pouting as she sat in her car and captioned the snap: 'The face of a mumma who got eight hours sleep' (sic).

Family support: Lydia continued: 'Last week Loretta was such a challenge. On Sunday I was sobbing to my sister, this was what she messaged me when I was in bed on Sunday night'

In another post, the reality star wrote: 'Just remember you are doing amazing. Parenthood is the most incredible journey in the world but it can also be a tough challenge.

'If you are having a s**t time always remember tomorrow is a different, new day.

'And always talk to friends, family or even strangers on social media to get through the low points.'

Motivational: In another post, the reality star wrote: 'Just remember you are doing amazing. Parenthood is the most incredible journey in the world

It comes after Lydia was reunited with her younger brother Freddie on Tuesday.

Freddie, who had been travelling in Asia for the past four months, returned to Britain due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following his period of isolation, Freddie wasted no time meeting his baby niece, Loretta Rose.

Adorable: Lydia shared an adorable video of her brother Freddie meeting her daughter Loretta Rose for the first time on Tuesday

The reality star was moved to tears as Freddie picked up Loretta for a big hug and snuggle before cooing after the newborn in her pram.

The Brights will no doubt be pleased to have Freddie back home with them, as Lydia and sisters Georgia and Romana have been staying with parents Debbie and Dave at the family home in Essex.

Lydia recently shared the emotional moment she visited her grandmother with her newborn daughter amid the pandemic.

The star explained in the caption her family have been taking turns to visit their gran each day and hopes once the current COVID-19 crisis is tackled, people will give more support to the elderly.

She began: 'Bringing my nan a ray of sunshine during self isolation. I have never been so grateful to live on the same road as my grandma.

'Were a close knit family and we make sure my nan always has at least one visitor daily, however during self quarantine she has been so teary with not seeing her family and being able to hug us all.
The IRS has insisted there are no problems with the delivery of the $1,200 stimulus checks, while thousands of Americans claim they are being sent to the wrong accounts and say banks are pocketing the much-needed funds if they are overdrawn.

Parents of young children have reported missing out on the $500 check for their dependent children and Americans who use popular online tax preparation services such as H&R Block, TurboTax and Jackson Hewitt say they have been left out of the payment run.

The latest fiasco in the emergency coronavirus payments comes after the system went into meltdown yesterday - the day the first Americans started receiving their checks and the online portal launched.

Desperate taxpayers voiced outrage as the website kept crashing, many were told they may not be eligible for a dime and bereaved relatives were traumatized by blunders that meant checks were sent to people who have been dead for years, while thousands in dire need of money received nothing.

Desperate Americans took to social media to complain after their much-needed $1,200 stimulus checks have been sent to the wrong accounts

But amid the ongoing saga, the IRS has continued to insist there are no problems with the process, congratulating itself on Twitter that the payments have been made 'on schedule, as planned and without delay'.

Thousands of people have now discovered that their deposits have been sent to the wrong bank accounts.

Americans expecting the financial boost on Wednesday were left confused as their bank accounts lay empty.

When they checked the online portal, many found the cash was sent to a bank account that doesn't belong to them.

Aimme Saldana, a warehouse worker in California, told USA Today that the digits of the bank account her money has been sent to do not match any account she owns.

'I was so confused,' she said. 'I don't know where they got that number from. I lost two weeks of pay because I was sick. I was depending on that for my car payment.'

Chris Rodriguez, a contractor in Michigan, said he was baffled to discover the same mistake was made with his payment, given he has been using the same bank account for almost a decade.

'You're jubilant because you've been waiting to get that money. And you look down and the bank account number is not even close,' Rodriguez told USA Today.

'Because the IRS isn't taking calls, I'm more or less dead in the water.'

Social media has been flooded with similar reports, as the mistake could prove costly for the millions of Americans out of work amid the pandemic.

New figures from the Labor Department Thursday showed another 5.2 million people filed for first-time unemployment claims in the last week ending April 11 meaning a staggering 22 million people are now out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One distraught taxpayer posted on social media: 'great my stimulus check got sent to the wrong bank account I cannot find any information on how to even talk to the IRS about this issue now it looks like I'm just s*** out of luck great I really needed this money.'

Another simply Tweeted: '@ the irs sent my stimulus check to the wrong bank account... mental breakdown.'

On Wednesday the first Americans started receiving their checks and the online portal launched but the system has been plagued with issues at a time when Americans are in desperate need of money

'The @irs sent my boyfriends stimulus check to the WRONG bank account number. When we FINALLY got ahold of someone at the irs, they literally that there is no one trained on handling stimulus information. Let's see if @RepDLambornoffice can help?,' posted another.

Social media users are blasting the IRS urging the agency to come clean that the system has fallen into chaos.

'The IRS is sending Stimulus Checks to the wrong bank accounts and people who are Dead! My 70 year old Father is receiving Social Security benefits by Direct Deposit! NO PENDING TRANSACTIONS! Why doesn't the IRS just admit it! We F***ed Up !!' one person Tweeted.

However, despite the agency being inundated with tweets about the issue, an IRS spokesperson told USA TODAY they hadn't heard anything about stimulus checks being deposited into the wrong bank accounts.

In a Twitter post on Wednesday afternoon, the agency even congratulated itself over the service, triggering a backlash from outraged taxpayers.

'Thanks to hard work and long hours by dedicated #IRS employees, Economic Impact Payments are going out on schedule, as planned, without delay, to the nation. The IRS employees are delivering these payments in record time. #COVIDreliefIRS,' the post read.

The IRS did not immediately return DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Concerning reports have also surfaced that some banks are pocketing the emergency money if customer accounts are overdrawn.

Some banks are putting the $1,200 deposits toward negative balances in customer accounts, meaning already broke taxpayers are still left without a dime, the New York Times reported Thursday.

One Minneapolis woman told the Times that the $2,400 check sent to her and her disabled veteran husband - that they desperately need to pay rent and feed their infant daughter - had disappeared because their USAA account was overdrawn.

In South Carolina, Safe Federal Credit Union kept the entire $1,200 stimulus payment sent to one man because his account was $2,650 in the red.

Concerning reports have also surfaced that some banks are pocketing the emergency money if customer accounts are overdrawn

Democrat candidate for Texas Mike Siegel blasted the process on social media, as banks are being propped up by the emergency funds meant to help the American public.

'Absolutely obscene. A violation of every ounce of trust the people have in Congress. This money is for food, medicine, housing. The essentials of life,' he Tweeted.

'If private banks want to collect debts from our stimulus checks, we need to rethink banking.'

One social media user said: 'So it's yet another corporate bail out. Great.'

Another person posted: 'Banks win again: those $1,200 checks heading to your account? Banks can siphon off any amount you might owe them.'

Americans reportedly have no legal right to demand the money back from their banks, The American Prospect reported this week, marking a major blow for many households that lost their jobs almost a month ago when states began going into lockdown.

The first lockdown was issued on March 20 in California, meaning people impacted by the first bout of layoffs have already waited almost a month for federal aid to kick in - no doubt racking up debt and becoming overdrawn on their bank accounts in the process.

The three banking giants JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America have all publicly pledged that they will not collect the money for negative balances.

Parents of dependent children are also out of pocket because the IRS has missed off the $500 payments designed for every child under 17, according to the Washington Post.

Despite the series of blunders the IRS continues to insist that there are no problems and even congratulated itself over the service

Several parents say they received a $1,200 payment for a single head of household or a $2,400 check for a couple but have not been given the $500 promised for each child.

Meanwhile, experts and social media users have spotted a worrying trend among the several million people across the US who file their taxes using popular online services including H&R Block, TurboTax and Jackson Hewitt.

Customers raised the alarm on social media that the payments they were expecting Wednesday did not materialize, raising growing fears that they will face hefty delays because the IRS does not have their direct deposit information on file.

Consumer law expert Vijay Raghavan told the Post that the IRS does not have these peoples direct deposit information on file if they received an advance on their tax refund from these service companies.

This could impact around 21 million taxpayers, he warned.

IRS and Treasury officials told The Post they were aware of the issues and were working to fix them.

The latest issues come hot on the heels of a series of complaints raised Wednesday - the day the payments began being deposited in American's accounts and the IRS's online tool launch to help Americans track their checks launched.

A sample check is pictured: The federal aid package for Americans has been plagued with issues over the last 24 hours

Hundreds of stimulus checks are sent to people who have been dead for years

While Americans on the breadline reported their bank accounts still sitting empty, hundreds of people on social media spoke out about checks being paid into dead relatives accounts.

'Deceased people are receiving stimulus checks today. My grandmother passed away in 2018  and $1,200 was deposited in her bank account today,' one person posted on Twitter Wednesday.

US Representative Thomas Massie posted a photo of a text from a friend which read: 'Dad got his stimulus check of $1200. He died in [redacted] 2018. Does he have to spend it online?'

In at least two cases in South Carolina, the IRS sent checks to people who died months ago.

People have spoken out on social media about checks being paid into dead relatives accounts

Two separate bereaved relatives told Fits News that checks had arrived for their dead family members.

'My father-in-law died just before Christmas last year,' one person said, noting that the man's bank account had received the $1,200 boost from the government.

Meanwhile, one woman said a check had landed into her mother's account - who died around Thanksgiving.

'I can't believe all deceased people would get a check!' she told Fit News.

Widows and widowers are reporting payments for two checks - one for them and one for their deceased partners.

Alongside the emotional toll that the blunder is taking, questions are being asked over whether they have to return the payments.

'My mom got two stimulus checks (one for her the other for my dad who is deceased). He passed in 2018 and she hasn't filed single yet on 2019's taxes. Long story short, does she have to give that extra $1200 back?' one person Tweeted.

Online tracker crashed within hours of launch and taxpayers get error message raising fears they have been incorrectly missed off payments or deemed ineligible

Frustrated taxpayers took to social media Wednesday to blast the highly-anticipated tracker, reporting that the site was crashing or telling them that it couldn't find their details.

The online tracker Get My Payment was finally launched Wednesday but taxpayers cited a series of glitches with the tool.

Several social media posts complained of the site crashing as they tried to find out when they will receive the cash injection.

'The IRS 'Get my Payment' site keeps going down for technical difficulty,' one person posted on Twitter, adding that there was 'no way to contact IRS on the site'.

Other Twitter users said they had managed to access the site and fill in their details but the tool then could find no information about their checks.

Several complained that they are getting a message saying: 'Payment Status Not Available. According to information that we have on file, we cannot determine your eligibility for a payment at this time.'

The message has sparked mounting concerns that some people have been missed out of the stimulus package or may have been incorrectly deemed ineligible.

One person Tweeted: 'Did anyone else NOT get their #Stimulusdeposit and then receive this message when they checked they status on the IRS site?'

Many people responded to the Tweet saying they have faced the same issue.

Others told how the site has crashed under the demand but there is no other way of contacting the IRS

The Internal Revenue Service's online tool set up so that hard-hit Americans can track their much-needed stimulus checks has gone into meltdown just hours after it launched, with several getting a message saying: 'Payment Status Not Available'

'Same here and I just got my small 2019 tax refund yesterday deposited in my bank acct as I am single, make way below the guideline, just deposited my 2019 refund into my bank acct so wtf!!!,' one person posted.

Another told how she had been out of work for weeks and was left in tears over fears she is not receiving the check and still has no money.

'Same!! WTH? I cried and cried. I've been out of work and out of money for weeks already. I don't understand. I should qualify too,' they Tweeted.

Another person slammed the tool a 'joke'.

'Yo @IRSnews your get my payment site is a joke,' they Tweeted.

'Don't launch something that's not going to work for 95% of the people trying to use it.'

One person Tweeted: 'Hey @IRS and @realDonaldTrump gimme my money u clowns.'

The message has sparked mounting concerns that some people have been missed out of the stimulus package or may have been incorrectly deemed ineligible

People in most need miss out on first payments while President Trump reportedly delays handouts so he can get his name printed on checks

People in desperate need of the funds have also slammed the system over when the checks are paid, after they have been missed out of the first payment run.

One person Tweeted that they have not received their check despite losing their job while people still in paid employment have been among the first to get them.

'Everyone I know who still has a well-paying job received their stimulus check today. Meanwhile, I haven't worked in an entire month and this is what the government has for me. #Stimulusdeposit #Stimuluscheck #IRSDirectDeposit,' they posted.

One user simply said: 'Me checking my bank account for the 100th time seeing that it still ain't been stimulated #Stimulusdeposit' alongside a meme of a fist-shaking.

Some luckier people told how they have seen the payments hit their accounts.

'I got my Democratic Party stimulus today. Thanks to all the Democrats who stood up for us to make sure we got something. We appreciate your hard work! #Stimulusdeposit #Stimuluscheck Keep working hard for the people!,' one happy person Tweeted.

But even some of the people who have received payments have complained that the value has been incorrectly calculated.

However, as well as the reported technical issues with the online portal, millions are also allegedly facing delays due to the president's insistence his name is branded on the checks.

People in desperate need of the funds have also slammed the system over when the checks are paid, after they have been missed out of the first payment run

Some luckier people have started receiving their payments but there are claims that the payments have been incorrectly calculated

Citing administration officials, the Washington Post reported earlier this week that the Treasury Department has ordered Trump's name be printed on the checks, slowing their delivery by several days.

The president had reportedly first privately suggested to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who oversees the IRS, that he formally sign the checks.

But the president is not an authorized signer for legal disbursements by the Treasury and so the request was denied.

Instead, the checks will carry the signature of an official with the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, the Treasury Department division that prints the checks, and Trump's name will be printed on them.

The report drew allegations that Trump is trying to use the stimulus checks to boost his re-election bid, by giving voters the impression that he is personally responsible for the relief payments.

The White House and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Many Americans may also face delays after it emerged that President Trump has ordered his name to be printed on the checks, slowing delivery by days. Trump is pictured signing the $2.2 trillion stimulus package providing for the payments on March 27

IRS explains why you may get 'status not available' message In situations where payment status is not available, the app will respond with 'Status Not Available'. The IRS reminds users you may receive this message for one of the following reasons: If you are not eligible for a payment (see IRS.gov on who is eligible and who is not eligible)

If you are required to file a tax return and have not filed in tax year 2018 or 2019.

If you recently filed your return or provided information through Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info on IRS.gov. Your payment status will be updated when processing is completed.

If you are a SSA or RRB Form 1099 recipient, SSI or VA benefit recipient  the IRS is working with your agency to issue your payment; your information is not available in this app yet. Source: irs.gov Advertisement

Where's my check?

To track the stimulus payments, the IRS made its tracking tool available on Wednesday.

Users must enter a Social Security number, date of birth and mailing address in order to track their payment.

The site will respond with a payment status, type and requests for more information, including bank account details, if needed.

Americans who filed their 2018 and 2019 taxes, as well as the lowest earners, should be among the first to receive their checks, the IRS has said, reports CNN.

People who haven't been required to file a return for those two years will likely have to enter additional information online.

Social Security recipients will also receive their payments first.

Aside from the potential for delays because of the president's request to have his signature on the checks, millions of Americans also may not see their payment sooner because they didn't authorize direct deposit.

The Treasury has set up its own new web portal, where updated information can be entered.

To track the stimulus payments, the IRS made its tracking tool available on Wednesday

What else can I do if I don't get my check

The Get My Payment tool will allow taxpayers to input their bank account information so they can receive their payment electronically, as opposed to a paper check that might take weeks, or even months.

Low-income earners who did not make more than $12,200 last year or married couples who did not earn more than $24,400, and who do not normally file tax returns will have to take several actions to get their payments.

Most will be able to provide the required information with the new online tool, which is very 'very straightforward, and likely much faster, than requiring non-filers to fill out and submit a tax form,' Erica York, an economist at the Tax Foundation, tells CNN.

Alerting those persons is the challenge, especially for those who do not have access to the internet, she said.
North American Stainless Inc (NAS) has, in part, credited Section 232 tariffs for its ability to quickly shift production to meet the stainless steel needs of manufacturers and producers of medical infrastructure critical to battling Covid-19.

The Section 232 tariffs, imposed in March 2018 by the United States Commerce Department, have created a level playing field with [the company's] competition, including businesses subsidized by China, Ghent, Kentucky-based NAS said in a release dated Wednesday April 15.



The tariff relief allowed NAS to invest $30 million to upgrade and modernize one of its cold-rolling mills and annealing and pickling lines at Ghent, it said. That investment, in turn, has enabled the company to quickly ramp up production of stainless steel used to make a range of critical medical products, including ventilators, oxygen tanks, hospital beds, lab equipment, medical incubators and cashier shields.



It is critical that American companies fill health-care manufacturing needs. We cannot let our frontline workers be at the mercy of foreign interference in our supply chains, NAS chief executive officer Cristobal Fuentes.



NAS, at the same time, blasted China for its concerted efforts to unfairly capture US market share. For years, China has been working multiple angles to flood the US market with government-subsidized stainless steel, including constructing one of the largest mills in the world in Indonesia for Tsingshan Holdings, it said.



Tsingshan and Allegheny Technologies Inc (ATI) operate a 50:50 joint venture called A&T Stainless that runs a stainless cold-rolled steel mill in Midland, Pennsylvania. Under the joint venture, Tsingshan has been sending stainless slab from its plant in Indonesia to the US, where it is hot rolled by ATI at its facility in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, and then shipped to the Midland plant to be cold-rolled.



NAS further accused China and Tsingshan of manipulating the price of nickel by using the Chinese Belt and Road initiative as leverage to convince Indonesia to ban the export of nickel, [thus] raising the price of this critical raw material on the London Metal Exchange.



ATI, a competitor of NAS, last month said it would idle the Midland plant at the end of June after repeatedly failing to obtain relief from the tariffs on its stainless slab imports from Indonesia.



But NAS, citing a report in CQ Roll Call on April 1, said that Tsingshan was sending a large shipment of Indonesian-made, Chinese-subsidized stainless slab to the Midland plant at the end of this month.



ATI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the purported shipment.



One industry source said that stainless buyers have told NAS that ATI has assured its customers that it will be receiving a large shipment of Indonesian slab in late April that would enable it to meet all promised deliveries of cold-rolled stainless coil ahead of the plant's idling.



NAS stated in its release that it is one of the US producers that has shipped US-made stainless steel slab to the Midland plant since late last year.



The company also credited relief contained in a US tax treaty signed with Spain last year for contributing to its ability to make capital investments. NAS parent company Acerinox is based in Madrid, Spain.



The stainless market, like other metals, has been reeling from the economic turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.



Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for stainless steel 304 cold-rolled sheet, fob mill US, fell by 2.5% to $117 per hundredweight on April 13 from $120 per cwt previously, while that for 304L cold-rolled stainless sheet also down by 2.5% to $119 per cwt from $122 per cwt in March. The price for 316L cold-rolled stainless sheet dropped by 3.8% to $154 per cwt from $160 per cwt in the same comparison.



Editors note: This article was updated on Thursday April 16. Due to a reporting error, the original version incorrectly stated that A&T Stainless  the joint venture between ATI and Tsingshan Group  owned a plant in Indonesia. The plant is owned entirely by Tsingshan. The original story also mistakenly claimed that North American Stainless Inc and other domestic providers sold slab to ATI's Midland plant before the creation of the A&T Stainless joint venture. The A&T Stainless joint venture reopened the Midland plant, which had previously been closed for many years and since last fall has relied slab from Indonesia and the United States.
Lucknow, April 16 : The number of Covid-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh has risen to 776, and the number of deaths to 13. However, 69 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Principal Home Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said, here on Thursday, 48 districts of the state now had coronavirus cases. Pool testing of samples had started, he said and added, in the first batch, all 30 tests turned out negative.

Additional Chief Secretary (home) Avanish Awasthi, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was monitoring the situation.

"The Chief Minister has ordered strict action against those who attack health workers and police teams. He said all such persons will be booked under the National Security Act (NSA)," he said.

The lockdown would continue to be firmly implemented, and sealed spots be reviewed from time to time, he said and added, anyone in distress could contact the helpline numbers.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
DANBURY  Families went home empty-handed Thursday morning when distributors ran out of food at Rogers Park Middle School, while other groups saw an influx in community members looking for meals.

The Rogers Park distribution, organized by the Connecticut Food Bank, exhausted its food within roughly 20 minutes on Thursday.

Hundreds of cars backed up onto South Street, Mountainville Avenue and part of Main Street, with police driving slowly past, blasting on loudspeakers: Theres no more food, Go home, turn around, No more, no more and No mas, no mas, in Spanish.

Families had been relying on free meals from the school district, but distribution is on hold this week due to spring break, with families instead directed to resources like this event.

Food was given to 300 families, the spokesman for the Connecticut Food Bank said.

The food bank had planned to give out food on Monday, but a heavy storm postponed it to 11 a.m. Thursday.

One woman said she waited in line beginning at 10:15 a.m. but did not receive food.

People were coming in from all directions cutting the line and causing traffic jams, Andreah Andrews commented on the school districts Facebook post about the distribution.

Superintendent Sal Pascarella did not know how many families went, but estimated there were at least a few hundred cars.

He thanked the school staff who volunteered at the distribution.

That shows a lot of compassion on the part of our staff and folks that work for us, faculty and teachers, administrators, they all showed up, Pascarella said.

The demand for food is greater than ever before, said Mayor Mark Boughton.

Ive never seen this before, but typically families plan for this week knowing the schools are closed because of spring break, he said. Everyone  to no fault of their own  is caught flat-footed because of people being out of work and COVID-19. Its really throwing most of our systems, if you will, into disarray.

But another nonprofit ran out of food faster than expected, too.

The New American Dream Foundation exhausted its 150 hot meals with 45 minutes of its planned two-hour distribution on Thursday at Morris Street Elementary School. This was a surprise because 150 meals had been enough on Tuesday, its other distribution day, said Emanuela Palmares, vice president of the organization.

We had an onslaught of cars, a lot of people coming at a very fast pace, said Palmares, adding cars stretched down Davis Street, a block away.

She suspects families realized toward the end of the week that they needed the assistance.

People are running out of resources, Palmares said.

Texas Roadhouse handed out meals to well over 500 people on Thursday, with only 300 families registered, said Loren Daly, store marketer and school board member, and managing parter Matthew Rusinko. The restaurant, which is providing meals to Danbury students this week in lieu of the districts distribution, had averaged 400 meals each day.

We love helping the community, but it certainly makes it tough when we have such a large influx of families that are not registered, Daly and Rusinko said in an email. We always try to help families that show up. We give all families a meal from 12-2, and after we do the best we can. We dont want anyone to be hungry.

Meanwhile, volunteers had enough food Thursday for families at low-income housing facilities on Eden Drive and Beaver Street.

United Way of Western Connecticut has been facilitating the distribution of 180 meals donated by Boehringer Ingelheim, and prepared and packaged by Sodhexo, each day since last Thursday.

Meals go first to families in the school district and then to others in the facility, said Isabel Almeida, interim president at United Way of Western Connecticut.

They are exhausting whatever is being donated, she said.

Danbury had 52 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch in 2019-20, according to the Connecticut School Finance Project.

The city has a large immigrant population, who may not have access to the same resources that other residents have, Palmares said.

Part of our community, they are not going to get relief, she said. They are not going to get a stimulus check. They are not going to quality for unemployment and they are our neighbors. They are right next door to us.

On Thursday, New American Dream Foundation volunteers gave their last two meals to a family that needed three and then closed up shop, Palmares said.

Two days before, the last six meals had gone to a single mother of five who had been on her way to the supermarket, she said.

She took the meal and she cried, Palmares said. People are really struggling, and we have to be compassionate, not judge. This is an event that has really kind of flipped everything on its head and we literally do not know, by just judging a book by its cover, who is need and who is not right now.

CORRECTION: This story was corrected with the number of cars served.

Hearst Connecticut Media Editor Karen Tensa contributed to this report.
A Los Angeles-based actress and filmmaker has been entertaining herself  and thousands of others  during quarantine by reenacting scenes from some of her favorite Broadway plays.

While Broadway's theaters are shut down for the foreseeable future in New York City, Mary Neely, 29, is putting on her own performances of Wicked, Rent, Les Miserables, West Side Story, South Pacific, and more.

She plays dual roles in each of the videos, dressing up in different costumes and lip-syncing along with her favorite soundtracks.

Drama! Mary Neely, 29, is putting on her own performances of numbers from Broadway shows. Here, she does 'A Heart Full of Love' from Les Miserables, playing both Marius and Cosette

'Since Im single in the quarantine Ive decided to reenact moments from my favorite musicals so it feels like Im in love,' she tweeted on March 31.

For her first performance, she did 'A Heart Full of Love' from Les Miserables, playing both Marius and Cosette.

The next day, she produced her own performance of the Finale from South Pacific, playing both Emile and Nellie.

In another video, she did the parts of both Wendela and Melchior singing 'The Word of Your Body' from Spring Awakening, and in yet another she does the parts of Laurey and Curly from Ohlahoma! singing 'People Will Say We're in Love.'

'Since Im single in the quarantine Ive decided to reenact moments from my favorite musicals so it feels like Im in love,' she tweeted (pictured doing Finale from South Pacific, playing both Emile and Nellie)

A show! The actress has been playing both male and female roles for each of her videos (pictured as Wendela and Melchior singing 'The Word of Your Body' from Spring Awakening)

On Broadway! She does the parts of Laurey and Curly from Ohlahoma! singing 'People Will Say We're in Love'

She's been incredibly prolific, turning out a new video every day.

From Rent, she performed 'Your Eyes,' playing both Roger and Mimi.

From The Music Man, she lip-synced to 'Till There Was You,' playing Marian and Harold Hill.

Her Phantom of the Opera performance included Christine and Raoul singing 'Little Lotte/Angel of Music', while her The Light in the Piazza number was 'Say it Somehow' by Clara and Fabrizio.

Her pick from Wicked was Elphaba and Fiyero singing 'As Long As You're Mine,' and her West Side Story story number was 'Tonight' by Maria and Tony.

The whole production! From The Music Man, she lip-synced to 'Till There Was You,' playing Marian and Harold Hill, donning costumes for each

Classic: Her Phantom of the Opera performance included Christine and Raoul singing 'Little Lotte/Angel of Music'

Light (your candle), camera, action! From Rent, she performed 'Your Eyes,' playing both Roger and Mimi

Most recently, she did Audrey and Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors performing 'Suddenly Seymour' and Robert and Janet from The Drowsy Chaperone singing 'Accident Waiting to Happen.'

For each performance, the talented actress does elaborate hair and makeup.

What's more, she seems to have quite a full closet at home, packed with costumes, and she dresses up in appropriate clothing for each video.

'Musicals were basically my religion growing up,' she told Good Morning America. 'When I was younger I would imagine being in musicals and being in love. Now I do know what its like, but I'm single.

Incredible: She did Audrey and Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors performing 'Suddenly Seymour'

Popular: Her pick from Wicked was Elphaba and Fiyero singing 'As Long As You're Mine'

'This is perfect blend of all these parts of myself and of songs I used to sing to myself when I was alone when I was younger,' she added.

The performances are certainly keeping her busy: She said that it can take three hours to film each one, and then she spends a few more hours editing the footage.

The clips have certainly earned her fans.

'Omg. All of these. Excuse me, Im in love with you,' wrote one enthusiastic admirer.

'I. Am. A. Huge. Fan (as of right this minute)! Just fabulous,' tweeted another, while a third wrote: 'You are incredible. I hope I get to perform with you someday on Broadway. This is the content I have been craving and did not know it.'
Salman Khan angry at lockdown violators in new video: If you dont go out with friends, police wouldnt hit your behinds

Salman Khan has shared a long video on his life under lockdown. The actor also schooled those who are venturing out of their houses, putting their families at risk of the novel coronavirus. In the 10-minute IGTV video, Salman started in his familiar, Bigg Boss fashion with namaste, salaam, sasriyakaal and said the zindagi ka Bigg Boss has begun with the whole country staying at home now.

(Read full story here)

Khubsoorat actor Ranjit Chowdhry dies at 65

Actor and writer Ranjit Chowdhry, best remembered for playing Rakesh Roshans younger brother in Rekha-starrer Khubsoorat, died on April 15. He was 65. His half sister and a well known Mumbai-based theatre personality Raell Padamsee broke the news on Instagram.

(Read full story here)

Extraction interview: Chris Hemsworth, director Sam Hargrave rave about genuinely great person Randeep Hooda

Neither star Chris Hemsworth nor director Sam Hargrave were too familiar with Indian films and actors before they shot a significant chunk of their upcoming action movie, Extraction, in the subcontinent, but theyve since made amends. Hemsworth and Hargrave spoke to Hindustan Times via Zoom on Wednesday, and discussed the influence of Westerns on Extraction, and the process behind hiring talented Indian actors such as Randeep Hooda, Priyanshu Painyuli and Pankaj Tripathi.

(Read full story here)

Sushmita Sen reveals her Miss India gown was sewn by Sarojini Nagar tailor, watch inspiring video

Sushmita Sen created history when she won Miss India 1994 and later that year, became the first Indian to win the title of Miss Universe. Did you know that her winning Miss India gown was sewn by a local tailor working out of a garage? In a video that has resurfaced online, Sushmita reveals her incredible journey to winning Miss India. The clip is a snippet from the show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai.

(Read full story here)

Ananya Panday says her first-ever shot was almost a washout: Everybody got to do their scene except me

Actor Ananya Panday has desribed her first day of shoot as a professional actor on the sets of Student of the Year 2, saying that it almost ended up being a washout. Ananya said that when rain threatened to cancel her entry shot, she was dejected, because her co-stars Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria had already shot theirs.

(Read full story here)

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Two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Affleck and his castmate-turned-quarantine partner Ana de Armas left his Pacific Palisades home on Wednesday to walk their two dogs through Venice Beach.

At 47, the Berkeley-born, Cambridge-raised actor is 16 years older than the Cuban beauty, and they donned matching CDC-recommended coronavirus face masks for their outing.

Ben and Ana - who only learned English in 2015 - could not keep their hands off each other even when back-to-back.

Beaches are closed: Two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Affleck and his castmate-turned-quarantine partner Ana de Armas left his Pacific Palisades home on Wednesday to walk their two dogs through Venice Beach

Coy smiles behind their masks: At 47, the Berkeley-born, Cambridge-raised actor is 16 years older than the Cuban beauty, and they donned matching CDC-recommended coronavirus face masks for their outing

Affleck opted for a red-plaid shirt with khakis while De Armas wore a b&w-plaid sleeveless midi-dress.

The Golden Globe nominee accessorized her frilly frock with a half-heart BFF necklace and $462 white Saint Laurent 'Andy' leather lace-up sneakers.

The Way Back star and Ana locked arms as they window-shopped at the trendy, mostly-closed boutiques lining Abbot Kinney boulevard.

'I think I am wired that way - to know the things that I want and to go after them,' De Armas (born Caso) told American Way this month.

She only learned English in 2015: Ben and Ana could not keep their hands off each other even when back-to-back

Plaid pair: Affleck opted for a red-plaid shirt with khakis while De Armas wore a b&w-plaid sleeveless midi-dress

Who has the other half? The Golden Globe nominee accessorized her frilly frock with a half-heart BFF necklace and $462 white Saint Laurent 'Andy' leather lace-up sneakers

Strange days: The Way Back star and Ana locked arms as they window-shopped at the trendy, mostly-closed boutiques lining Abbot Kinney boulevard

'I trust my body's reaction to things. If I am happy somewhere, I stay there. I go step-by-step, and my goal is always to pay attention to how I feel in the moment.'

Los Angeles County's stay-at-home order was extended through May 15 due to the 10,517 confirmed COVID-19 cases in LA, which has led to 405 deaths as of Wednesday - according to Johns Hopkins University.

Ben has three children - Violet, 14; Seraphina, 11; and son Samuel, 8 - from his marriage to former Daredevil leading lady Jennifer Garner, which legally ended in October 2018.

Meanwhile, the Knives Out stunner has no children but she divorced Spanish actor Marc Clotet in 2013 after three years of marriage.

De Armas (born Caso) told American Way this month: 'I think I am wired that way - to know the things that I want and to go after them'

She continued: 'I trust my body's reaction to things. If I am happy somewhere, I stay there. I go step-by-step, and my goal is always to pay attention to how I feel in the moment'

Grim: Los Angeles County's stay-at-home order was extended through May 15 due to the 10,517 confirmed COVID-19 cases in LA, which has led to 405 deaths as of Wednesday

On Saturday night, Affleck hosted a $10K buy-in poker tournament alongside 53 players via off-shore Costa-Rican site Americas Cardroom, which raised around $1.75M for charity food bank, Feeding America.

Gambling is one of two of the three-time Golden Globe winner's destructive addictions, aside from alcohol, which he fell off the wagon from during a wild night out at at Commerce Casino on October 27.

'Well you know it happens,' Ben admitted to TMZ the next morning.

'It's a slip but I'm not going to let it derail me.'

Family: Ben has three children - Violet, 14; Seraphina, 11; and son Samuel, 8 - from his marriage to former Daredevil leading lady Jennifer Garner, which legally ended in October 2018 (pictured April 1)

Charitable: On Saturday night, Affleck hosted a $10K buy-in poker tournament alongside 53 players via off-shore Costa-Rican site Americas Cardroom, which raised around $1.75M for charity food bank, Feeding America

Affleck and Ana fell in love while playing a dysfunctional married couple on the New Orleans set of New Regency's erotic thriller Deep Water, which is scheduled to hit US/UK theaters on November 13.

But first, audiences can catch De Armas as real-life former UN economics officer Carolina Larriera in the drama Sergio, which starts streaming this Friday on Netflix.

Greg Barker's biopic about Carolina's ill-fated romance with UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello (Wagner Moura) scored a 67% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Hitting US/UK theaters on November 13! Affleck and Ana fell in love while playing a dysfunctional married couple on the New Orleans set of New Regency's erotic thriller Deep Water (pictured November 13)
Chinese police officers wear protective masks as they patrol before the Chinese New Year at a Beijing railway station in Beijing, China on Jan. 23, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Spy Agency Official Takes Helm at Chinas Petition Office

News Analysis

In a sign of the Chinese regimes growing fear of popular discontent, a top State Security official has been appointed as the new head of the state petition office, a deputy-cabinet level agency responsible for hearing public complaints.

Since 2018, Li Wenzhang has headed the Political Department of the powerful and secretive Ministry of State Security (MSS), which controls the Communist regimes secret police force.

But according to a State Council announcement on April 15, he was named as head of the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration, also known as the State Letters and Complaints Bureau or state petition office.

On paper, the petition office is supposed to listen to aggrieved citizens from all around the country and help resolve their complaints. But it is commonplace for Chinese petitioners to get detained and tortured by police and local officials.

Judging from the backgrounds of previous petition office chiefs, it is evident that the party-state increasingly views public complaints from a national security perspective.

Since it was set up in 2000, the state petition office has had four directors.

Zhou Zhanshun, who held the position from 2000 to 2004, dealt with public complaints throughout his career.

Wang Xuejun, who headed the office from 2004 to 2013, was a provincial party official in Hebei before taking up the post. Neither Zhou nor Wang had a security background.

But Li Wenzhangs immediate predecessor, Shu Xiaoqin, served as the provincial security chief in Jiangxi for over a decade. She headed both the provincial Public Security Department, which controls the regular police force, and the paramilitary Peoples Armed Police (PAP).

The appointment of Li, a top MSS spymaster, appears to be another escalation in the regimes paranoia over risks of instability, and may signal harsher tactics against petitioners.

Li Wenzhangs Background

Li spent most of his adult life in Ningxia, a western region with a significant Hui Muslim population. He started off in the 1980s as a Communist Youth League official, but was later promoted to the regional CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Committee and gradually rose through the ranks.

Li has had considerable experience with security work, having headed Ningxias Justice Department and prison administration.

In 2015, Li was promoted to be the head of the Politics and Law Committee of the Ningxia CCP Committee, controlling the entire security portfolio of the region.

In 2016, he was transferred to Liaoning Province in northeast China to lead the provincial Politics and Law Committee.

In 2018, Li became the director of the Political Department of the MSS.

Hong Kong Deputy Liaison Chief Removed From Post

According to the same State Council announcement, Yang Jian, deputy director of the central government Liaison Office in Hong Kong, was removed from the post.

The Liaison Office, which reports to the State Council, serves as the platform for Beijing to project its influence in the city. After a proposed extradition bill triggered widespread protests in Hong Kong last year, the office came in for criticism for misjudging the situation.

Earlier this year, top officials in charge of managing Hong Kong affairs, including Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office, and Zhang Xiaoming, director of the State Councils Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, were replaced.

But it is not clear if Yangs removal was linked to the previous personnel changes, as the 61-year-old has passed the retirement age for vice-ministerial officials.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3) ("Yield Growth") announces that its subsidiary Urban Juve Provisions Inc. plans to start taking online consumer orders for its Health Canada approved hand sanitizer liquid spray next week.

Yield Growth to Begin Online Orders for Hand Sanitizer Next Week



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6377/54506_image.jpg

Manufacturing of Urban Juve's hand sanitizer is scheduled to begin at the end of April and shipping is expected to commence in May or June 2020. Initially, Urban Juve intends to sell its hand sanitizer spray through its e-commerce platform at urbanjuve.com to Canadian consumers. It also plans to donate some of its hand sanitizers to health care workers on the front lines.

"So far we have received tremendous interest from Canadian retail stores for our hand sanitizer products," says Penny White, Yield Growth CEO. "Our next step is to register our products for sale in the United States."

As previously announced, Urban Juve recently received Health Canada approvals for both its hand sanitizer liquid spray and its hand sanitizer gel. Urban Juve also plans to register its hand sanitizer products with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for sale in the U.S.

According to Arizton's recent research report, Hand Sanitizer Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025, the hand sanitizer market is expected to reach over $11 billion in 2020, registering year over year growth of over 600%.

About The Yield Growth Corp.

The Yield Growth Corp. develops and acquires intellectual property and other assets related to plant-based products and therapeutics, and develops, manufactures, markets, sells and distributes plant-based products that improve lives. It has over 200 proprietary wellness formulas at various stages of commercialization. Its products are sold through e-commerce worldwide and retail stores in 3 countries with distribution agreements in place for 12 more countries. It has 14 patent applications filed in what the Global Wellness Institute reports is a $4.2 trillion-dollar global wellness market. It owns the plant-based skin care brand Urban Juve, which is currently launching a line of hand care products, and it owns wellness brands Wright & Well and Jack n Jane. It's majority owned subsidiary NeonMind Biosciences Inc. is launching a line of medicinal mushroom products and is developing a business in the emerging market of psychedelic medicine. The Yield Growth management team has deep experience with global brands including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Skechers and Aritzia. Yield Growth earns revenue through multiple streams including licensing, services and product sales.

For more information about Yield Growth, visit www.yieldgrowth.com or follow @yieldgrowth on Instagram. Visit www.urbanjuve.com and findyourjuve across social platforms to learn, engage and shop.

Investor Relations Contacts:

Penny White, President & CEO

Kevan Matheson, Investor Relations

invest@yieldgrowth.com

1-833-514-BOSS 1-833-514-2677

1-833-515-BOSS 1-833-515-2677

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, brand development, availability of packaging, intellectual property protection, reduced global commerce and reduced access to raw materials and other supplies do to the spread of the COVID-19, the potential for not acquiring any rights as a result of the patent application and any products making use of the intellectual property may be ineffective or the company may be unsuccessful in commercializing them; and other approvals will be required before commercial exploitation of the intellectual property can happen. The laws around cultivating, selling and using psychedelic mushrooms would need to change in most jurisdictions in order for the use of psychedelic products to be legal and sale of, and demand for, Urban Juve, Wright & Well, NeonMind, Jack n Jane and UJ Beverages products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Yield Growth cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Yield Growth, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Yield Growth expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54506
A cow has been spared from the dinner table after it survived being shot in the head three times then blasted with a shotgun by a farmer.

Somporn Najin, 43, bought the cow for a traditional feast in Trang, southern Thailand, and tried to slaughter her last weekend.

However, Somporn said he first shot the cow with a 22mm handgun pointed at her head but the bullet did not go through. Then he tried another two times but the results were the same.

Somporn Najin, 43, bought the cow for a traditional feast in Trang, southern Thailand, and tried to slaughter her last weekend. However the bullets didn't pierce the animal's skin

On the fourth attempt he claimed that he and his friend blasted the cow with a shotgun and she was knocked to the ground.

Somporn said they turned away to celebrate their success in killing the die-hard cow but when they looked again the cow had already run away.

The cow returned 15 days later back at the spot where the owner last saw her.

Somporn said he contacted the livestock officer to shoot a tranquilliser dart at the cow so he could hand her to the slaughter house but again the shot would not pierce the cow's skin.

Footage from last Sunday afternoon shows several apparent bullet wounds on the cow's body

Footage from last Sunday afternoon shows several apparent bullet wounds on the cow's body.

Somporn said he has now given up trying to kill the cow and will let it roam freely around his land.

He said: 'It was extraordinary that the cow has survived this many bullets. I now want to raise her as a sign of good luck.'

The cow was nicknamed Boonrod, which means saved by good luck, and she will now be raised as a pet by the farmer

The village chief Jaran Kongkaew said that there is a traditional local belief about a 'un-killable' cow but she was shocked to witness a real one.

He said: 'I was once told by my elder relatives that there were some cows that could not be killed but seeing a real one has shocked me a lot.'

The cow was nicknamed Boonrod, which means saved by good luck, and she will now be raised as a pet by the farmer.
The powers would include the right to suspend the school and university year, to postpone payment of utility bills and taxes, and to quarantine returning expats

An informed parliamentary source told reporters on Thursday that a number of the House of Representatives committees are expected to meet on Saturday to discuss new government-drafted amendments to laws regulating the state of emergency and the provision of tax exemptions and pension hikes.

The source indicated that the emergency law, law number 162 of 1958, will be amended to give the president new powers necessary to contain critical health conditions such as the outbreak of the coronavirus.

"These include the powers of suspending the school and university year, shutting down certain ministries and authorities entirely or partially, postponing the payment of water, electricity and natural gas bills entirely or partially, and compelling Egyptian expatriates returning home to undergo necessary health and quarantine measures," said the source.

"The measures also include giving the president the right to allocate cash and in-kind assistance to individuals and families, offer financial support to medical research, provide financial and in-kind support to damaged economic sectors, postpone the payment of certain taxes, and turn schools and youth centres into field hospitals.

"These powers are not part of the current emergency law and so it will be amended," said the source.

Egypt's current state of emergency will expire on 27 April, but is expected to be renewed for another three months prior to that expiration.

The source said committees will also discuss a new law which will give the cabinet the right to intervene to give tax exemptions and delay the payment of taxes and social insurance for businesses, provided that they don't fire workers.

The source also indicated that the committees will also discuss the law on increasing pensions that was decided on 1 April 2016.

"The amended law, law number 148 of 2019, will help add five bonuses to pensions and so increase the value of pensions by 80 percent," said the source.

Article 158 of parliament's internal bylaws give the speaker the right to ask committees to meet at any time.

In related news, parliament's secretary-general Mahmoud Fawzi said in a statement on Thursday that, in-line with Article 277 of the house's internal bylaws, speaker Ali Abdel-Aal has decided that plenary meetings be held on 21 April - next Tuesday - instead of 29 April.

Parliament decided last week not to postpone its plenary meetings any longer and that they would be held on 29 April. Abdel-Aal, however, decided that they would be held on 21 April, making use of the powers granted to him by Article 227.

An informed source told reporters on Thursday that the speaker's decision reflects a pressing need and that parliament has an urgent legislative agenda to discuss.

As well as discussing the emergency law and pension amendments, committees will also discuss the new 2020/2021 budget.

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An amateur artist in the Afghan capital, Kabul, is sewing masks and donating them to people in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Amanullah Kaliwaal, 30, lives in Kabul, where he gets up every morning to produce face masks using his small sewing machine. Masks and protective clothing are in short supply in Afghanistan, which has been suffering from a lack of medical care after four decades of war and crisis.

Kaliwaal produces up to 500 masks each day and donates them to people who can hardly afford to invest in personnel hygiene. So far, he has nearly sewed a total of 5,000 masks.

After the coronavirus outbreak was reported in Kabul, Kaliwaal visited several stores to buy masks and distribute them to people. However, he found that there weren't enough, so he began making his own.

With the increase of Covid-19 cases in Afghanistan, the prices of masks, hand sanitizer, and food supplies have sky-rocketed. According to Kaliwaal, producing 100 masks only costs him 2.6 dollars and, in turn, he is able to help people to protect themselves.

"I enjoy helping people this way," he told dpa.

Overall, Afghanistan has recorded 784 coronavirus cases and 26 deaths. The real numbers could be higher, however, as the capacity for testing still remains low with only about 5,000 tests carried out so far.

-- dpa
Photographer and tattoo artist Rick Fichter spots a cardinal outside his home in Cherry Hill. Watching in the background is his wife, Leah Fichter, and coworker Rich Koch (right). Read more

An out-of-work tattoo artist sat in his front yard in Cherry Hill on Wednesday morning with no flesh to ink. From time to time, he scattered bird seed and waited, leaning on a digital camera worth more than many peoples cars. A blue jay made a racket above him, and little wrens hopped about, but he was waiting for a flash of red.

Some think cardinals are visitors from heaven, Rick Fichter said, signs that those we lost are still among us. He often tattoos cardinals on customers, in remembrance of loved ones. When Fichters studio, 168 Tattoo in Pennsauken, shut down last month, he decided to use photography, his other passion, to post shots of cardinals online and cheer people up amid the depressing surge of COVID-19 news.

Hes around. I heard him. Thats a cardinal, Fichter said. They make their rounds. Theres two pairs and they are mating right now, and the males are feeding the females.

Fichter, 48, has taken a photo of a cardinal and posted it on Cardinals for Coronavirus, his Facebook page, for each New Jersey resident who has died of coronavirus. As of Wednesday afternoon, the number of deaths in the state was up to 2,805.

In the album, every shot matters, just as every human life. You may think sometimes that scrolling through the cardinals, they are the same, but I assure you every shot is different just as every human that was lost is different, Fichter wrote on the page Wednesday morning.

One cardinal couple, a bright red male and the tawny female, fluttered in and out view, perching on a ladder, then a neighbors roof before taking off again. The starlings and sparrows were much bolder, flying up to a display of 13 bird feeders Fichter recently built on the lawn.

All of it unfolded in the unlikeliest of places, a suburban Cape Cod home a few blocks from the Cherry Hill Mall.

We sort of have a nature sanctuary here, said Leah Fichter, Ricks wife.

Two ferrets made an appearance in their windows while Leah sat on the front steps.

Fichter is more accustomed to shooting raptors, including bald eagles at Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River or ospreys at Union Lake in Millville, Cumberland County. He drives hours to locations, and the cameras lined up on his lawn have enormous telephoto lenses. Still, Fichter has taken social distancing seriously, and hasnt ventured far for his hobby. He has raptors at home anyway  a sharp-shinned hawk that visits and a red-tailed hawk that nests across the street in a vacant lot. Every now and then, the red tail plucks a mourning dove from the yard.

Yeah, you just see an explosion of feathers, Fichter said.

Tattoo artists often draw their own designs, called flash, which they hang on their shop walls. Some customers come in and pick them out. In light of the coronavirus, Fichter and his crew have been doing a lot more drawing at home, preselling the designs or getting deposits from people who want to come in and get the work done once social distancing protocols have eased. Theyve also been selling coloring books they design on iPads, and lots of gift certificates.

 READ MORE: As people empty out of zoos and sanctuaries, caretakers keep animals bellies full while calling for donations

While some might want to break pandemic rules and get tattooed at home, Fichter said its not safe or smart.

What do you do when that gets out on the internet? he said.

Since he can only draw so much, Fichter said hes spent most of his time out front, in a metal chair. Rich Koch, one of his tattoo artists, has even joined in with a camera.

I could honestly sit here and do this all day, Fichter said. In fact, I do."
BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / SocialMadeSimple announced today the launch of an unprecedented Restaurant Relief Initiative which will expand FREE digital marketing assistance to restaurants affected by COVID-19.

"In the wake of a pandemic that has brought the world to a standstill, we want to do our part by extending free social media advertising resources to restaurants that have made a pivot toward pick-up and delivery services," said David Black, CEO, SocialMadeSimple. "Many of these restaurants are synonymous with the communities they serve and have patrons eager to grant their support. We're excited to give back by leveraging our expertise through this program during these challenging times."

Restaurateurs may apply for this program within the next 90 days. The program includes waived monthly service and program fees, complimentary ad budget sponsored by SocialMadeSimple, and a dedicated campaign manager. Due to the expected demand, SocialMadeSimple recognizes it will not be able to assist every applicant.

Corey Cotnoir, COO, stressed, "Now is the time for local restaurants, and any business for that matter, to look at social marketing as a very effective way to highlight new services and to communicate effectively with customers."

To ensure a seamless application and launch process, interested parties should schedule a call through SocialMadeSimple's website here. Applicants will receive prompt confirmation and a date for a consultation to discuss campaign details and strategy. Applications will be accepted through July 15, 2020.

About SocialMadeSimple

SocialMadeSimple, LLC, a leader in the social marketing industry, provides a combination of proprietary technology, marketing automation, and agency-style marketing services. SocialMadeSimple specializes in single and multi-location businesses across diverse verticals ranging from lifestyle and hospitality, health and well-being to real estate and home services. SocialMadeSimple uses a variety of digital marketing strategies to deliver effective hyper-local marketing campaigns. To learn more about SocialMadeSimple and our mission, please visit our website here: https://www.socialmadesimple.com/.

Contact: Andrea Ruiz, andrea@socialmadesimple.com

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What can (and can't) be done in a televisit with my health care provider?

You can be diagnosed, advised on treatment or therapy you can do at home, and monitored for a range of conditions or symptoms. Televisits can be used to address urgent care needs such as stomach flu or sinus infections, for example, or to manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and asthma, and for mental health services such as psychiatrist (telepsychiatry) or psychologist (telepsychology) sessions.

After you connect with your health care provider through your smartphone, computer or other device, you can expect to talk to your provider as if you were in the office, describing your symptoms or condition. You will likely answer follow up questions or comply with your providers requests if you can. For example, you might take your own temperature or blood pressure and share results. Your provider can prescribe and send medications to the pharmacy of your choice, as well as suggest other treatments or follow-up visits as needed.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued clarification allowing health care professionals to prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine as well. Providers were previously required by law to meet with the patient at least once in person before doing so.

Of course, in-office tests and procedures like blood work and hands-on exams are not possible with televisits. Nor is telemedicine a substitute for calling 911 or visiting the emergency room in the event of serious or life-threatening conditions such as loss of consciousness or broken bones.
Devs (BBC2)

Rating:

Rebuilding Notre Dame (BBC4)

Rating:

Theres no helping some people. They head directly for trouble like a driver blindly obeying his satnav right up to the point when he plunges over a cliff.

Computer programmer Sergei (Karl Glusman) was working for an evil genius in the nerdy sci-fi drama Devs (BBC2).

We all knew it would end in disaster from the moment his billionaire boss sat down, demanded an update on his Artificial Intelligence project and started stuffing his face with fistfuls of cress from a takeaway box.

Megalomaniacs used to stroke fluffy cats, but these days theyre more likely to signal their insanity by behaving strangely in front of underlings. Sergei ought to have grabbed his laptop and ran.

Yet the young computer whizz accepted a promotion, one that involved a security grilling from a swivel-eyed racist called Kenton (played by Zach Grenier).

He demanded to know why Russian-born Sergei was dating an American-Chinese woman.

In Kentons mind, Russians and Chinese are born to cause trouble in the Land of the Free. Makes me nervous, he drawled.

Devs is an American drama thriller television miniseries created, written, and directed by Alex Garland, which features on BBC 2. It centres on Lily Chan, played by Sonoya Mizuno (pictured)

Sergei should have been nervous, too, in case Kenton decided to set fire to a giant cross and conduct the rest of the interrogation in a pointy bedsheet.

Instead he headed off to his new lab with the power-crazed billionaire, who refused to explain what the new job entailed and sneered at Sergeis guesses.

Call me a Jumpy Jeremy, but there were a few warning signs there, what the psychologists call red flags.

Doppelganger of the night: Michael Sheen Michael Sheen was so uncannily like Chris Tarrant in Quiz (ITV) that its worth watching twice just to marvel at his impression. Now the actor says hed love to present Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?  in character. Yes please, make that happen! Advertisement

When Sergei found a plastic bag being wrapped round his head later that day, shortly after discovering the fiendish plot his boss was hatching, he really had no right to feel surprised.

We shouldnt have been surprised either when the script stopped off for a detour into puerile philosophy.

The billionaire (Nick Offerman) gave a droning speech about the impossibility of free will, spouting drivel that would sound dubious from a stoned hippy.

Bad dialogue is painful, and this had its share of awkward Millennial conversations about relationships, but monologues about the nature of the universe are unforgivable.

All this is a letdown, because Devs looks and sounds beautiful.

The soundtrack is apparently a choir of aliens performing medieval madrigals, and the sets are weird . . . especially the research lab in a forest, guarded by a 100ft plastic doll.

Thatll keep the computer boffins on edge.

The real computer wizardry was on display in Rebuilding Notre Dame (BBC4), which explained the renovations with a series of CGI diagrams.

The cathedrals incredible architectural structure was pared back to its skeleton, helping us understand how stonemasons 850 years ago built such an immense marvel.

Rebuilding Notre Dame (BBC4) explains the renovations following a devastating fire with a series of CGI diagrams

For the carpenters and craftsmen working on these painstaking repairs, its an astonishing feat of engineering even today. In the 12th century, it was little short of miraculous.

French president Emmanuel Macron has pledged that the church will be restored within five years.

But the scale of the challenge gradually became apparent, as this documentary showed the damage done not just by the flames but by water and even molten lead.

Toxic dust from the metal is so dangerous that workmen must wear breathing apparatus and disposable overalls  discarding these and showering even to take a lunch break.

We got a hurried glimpse at the end of how Notre Dame might eventually look, perhaps with solar panels or even a stained glass roof.

The designs were so innovative that it seemed a pity to cram them into the final couple of minutes.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant



Soren on Thursday launched an App to help the people of the state who are stranded across the country due to the imposition of nationwide lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19.

He said that the special assistance yojana mobile can be downloaded from https://covid19help.jharkhand.gov.in. Soren said the application(App) is designed in such a way that even if one person has a smartphone then the entire group could register their names using the single mobile.

"This is an effort to reach out to the labour force stranded outside the state. Within a week, financial assistance will be made available to the states people who are outside the state," Soren said after launching the app.

The state Cabinet had on Monday decided to DBT of Rs 2000 in the accounts of the heads of the families stranded outside the state and facing hardships because of the lockdown.

The state government had reached out to such people during the first phase of the lockdown by getting in touch with the state governments concerned, Soren said, adding that continuous actions were being carried out to provide maximum help to such people.

"During these difficult times, the government is sensitive and concerned about labourers, the poor, tribals, dalits and other needy people as they have gone to other states for work due to lack of employment in the state and their problems increased due to lockdown," Soren said.

He said the state government was doing its best to help them.

According to an official release, the Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs department has provided grains to over 1.61 lakh people, besides making available grains to over 1.93 lakh people who are not covered under the public distribution system.

Till date, a total of 53,42,826 people were given 'Daal Bhaat' yojana while 856 NGOs and volunteers have provided food to 23,88,428 people since the imposition of lockdown to fight the coronavirus, it said.

In all, 1,58,298 migrant labourers were given food in the relief camps set up by the government while 'Emergency Relief Packets' were delivered to 42,326 needy people. The Health department said that a total of 9,833 people are quarantined in 4,049 quarantine centres across the state.

A total of 1,01,370 people have completed their quarantine period, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ivory Coast is rushing to shield its overcrowded jails from highly contagious coronavirus, with a plan to free hundreds of inmates in a bid to stop the spread.

"We are praying to God that the virus doesn't get into the prison. We're afraid," said a guard, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It could be a disaster."

The country is the latest state in Africa, along with Burkina Faso, Niger, South Africa and Ethiopia, to follow recommendations by the UN's high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, to release prisoners to avoid a viral chain reaction.

Two thousand prisoners who are close to the end of their term or jailed for minor offences have already been identified for release.

Even so, this only slightly eases the pressure in Ivory Coast's packed penitentiaries.

The country's 33 jails, officially designed for 7,000 people, house 20,000 inmates. The main jail in Abidjan alone has a population of 7,000, against a designed maximum of 1,500.

"Once the virus arrives in a prison, it becomes very, very difficult to manage," said Steven Ako Tanga, local coordinator of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"We have to keep COVID-19 out of Ivorian prisons at all costs," the head of the country's penitentiary service, Boubakar Coulibaly, said, adding that lack of jail staff as well as overcrowding was a major problem.

The Red Cross has pitched in to help Ivory Coast's cash-strapped jails prepare for coronavirus. By ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP)

By global standards, Ivory Coast has been relatively unaffected by coronavirus, notching up 654 cases, six of them fatal, as of Wednesday.

But the experience of other countries and of stranded cruise ships has given the world a bitter lesson: the novel microbe can spread like wildfire in confined conditions.

Coulibaly insisted that there had not been a single case in Ivorian jails.

"We haven't skimped on resources," he said, ticking off a list of measures.

They include a ban on prison visits, a 15-day lockdown for new detainees, setting up special quarantine cells and training exercises for handling infected prisoners.

The ICRC is sending out 11 trucks to prisons around the country to distribute soap, bleach and hand sanitising facilities.

"The goal is to cover all prisons as soon as possible," said Ako Tanga.

He called for better social distancing, pointing to crowds who gather at prison gates.

Home-made masks

In Abidjan's main prison, universally known as MACA from its acronym in French, one of the two physicians, Dr Mathurin Kouassi, said, "We are not worried, because we are taking every possible measure not to be contaminated."

Pierre Irie, of the biggest trade union representing prison staff, acknowledged that the bosses had moved "quickly and in the right direction" but pointed to a lack of resources.

A man washes his hands at the entrance to Abidjan's main prison. By ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP)

"Look, most of the prison guards are having to wear home-made masks," he said.

"Who isn't afraid?" he asked. "There is anxiety at every level. We are in a context of overcrowding in an enclosed space."

At night, prisoners sleep in crowded cells, he said. The guidelines are for "social distancing of one metre (3.25 feet) -- can we do that?" he asked.

The virus can linger on surfaces, he said, noting food packages that arrived from prisoner's relatives.
Turkey: Stance on buying Russian S-400 unchanged; working group can resolve row with US

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 6:34 AM

Turkey has once again defied US calls to abandon a deal for the purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, repeating an offer for a NATO-led working group to resolve the long-running dispute with Washington.

Speaking at a virtual event organized by the Washington-based Atlantic Council on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that Turkey's stance on how to settle the S-400 issue had not changed.

"We offer the US to establish a technical working group with NATO's inclusion and NATO can lead this technical working group actually. And this offer is still on the table," he said.

In September 2017, Ankara signed a $2.5 billion deal with Moscow to procure the S-400, a Russian-made mobile surface-to-air defense system which is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, and can also be used against ground installations.

The delivery of S-400 launchers began in July 2019, infuriating the US, which had long warned that Turkey cannot have both the S-400 and American Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets.

The US claimed that the S-400 defense systems were incompatible with NATO equipment and could expose the F-35s to possible Russian subterfuge.

The S-400 deal prompted Washington to threaten sanctions against Ankara and suspend Turkish involvement in its F-35 jet program.

The US further conditioned the supply of its Patriot missiles to Turkey on returning the already purchased S-400 systems back to Russia.

Last April, Cavusoglu offered that Turkey and the US form a working group to determine that the S-400 system does not pose a threat to US or NATO military equipment.

On Tuesday, he repeated his offer and emphasized that Turkey's decision to buy the S-400 was a result of the US "reluctance" to meet his country's urgent needs.

"What I am trying to say is that: we had to buy S-400 air defense systems just because we could not purchase those kind of system from our allies for last 10 years. And in the future we need more air defense systems," Cavusolgu said.

"If our allies can provide  it does not have to be only Patriot from the United States, it can also be a SAMP/T of Eurosam, a joint venture of France and Italy, or any similar system from other allies  and we prefer to purchase from our allies. If not, I have to seek alternatives," Cavusoglu added.

'US preconditions for Patriot delivery improper'

The top Turkish diplomat also criticized the US for putting various preconditions for the delivery of Patriots to his country, but still expressed Ankara's readiness to purchase the missile systems in case of "a good offer."

"First of all, it is not appropriate to put preconditions when an ally is in need, an urgent need," Cavusoglu said referring to the situation in Syria's Idlib Province, where the Damascus government is conducting an operation against Ankara-backed militants.

"Turkey needed the support of NATO, and also of allies, member states  And we need advanced missile and air defense systems to protect our people," he added. "The ballistic threat that Turkey faces is real."

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An additional 177,450 people filed for unemployment assistance in the three jurisdictions last week, pushing the jobless ranks to more than 390,000 people in the four weeks since social distancing measures shut down all but essential businesses. In the District, a business group begged city leaders for immediate aid to prevent a wave of bankruptcies and permanent closures. Dozens rallied in Richmond on Thursday to pressure Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to publicly release plans for how and when to reopen commerce. And the head of Virginias Republican Party attacked Northams decision to extend business closures until May 8 without offering any plan to eventually reopen, saying Virginians need hope.
Wireless IoT sensor manufacturer Aranet releases a new medical grade human body temperature sensor especially for healthcare professionals battling COVID-19. The new solution is designed to take off some of the load of the most heavily understaffed hospitals dealing with sick patients. The latest edition to Aranet sensor ecosystem is a complete system where up to 100 sensors can be added to a single base station. The new solution means that medical professionals can monitor the patients without coming in direct contact with them. The system is currently being tested in several large healthcare institutions.

Other benefits of Aranet medical thermometer include accuracy of 0.1 C 0.2 F, exceptionally long range, extra soft and flexible cable, as well as no field calibration necessary the sensors come pre-calibrated for lifetime. The set-up of the system is simple and quick, saving time when every moment counts. Custom alarms can be set for each patient, allowing medical staff to prioritize patients who need immediate care. The built-in local memory within the PRO base station guarantees continuous data collection even if the internet connection goes down or is not available.

As the novel coronavirus is spreading and taking its toll on the world's population, it's also exposing the deficiencies in global healthcare systems and their ability to respond to a major epidemic. Aranet is acting fast in the current situation, expanding their medical sensor portfolio with a new SpO 2 sensor in the making. The upcoming sensor measures peripheral capillary oxygen saturation an estimate of the blood oxygen level.

Aranet offers industrial IoT environmental monitoring solutions for a variety of businesses, making it easy to collect and analyze real-time data.

Additional pictures and video can be found here

For more information, visit www.aranet.com

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Health and nutrition experts recommend that children do not consume drinks with added sugars or nonnutritive sweeteners, yet drinks containing both represent a major portion of beverages consumed by children. One reason may be that the labels of drinks marketed to kids do not help parents and other consumers differentiate among fruit juice and sugar-laden, artificially flavored drinks, finds research from NYU School of Global Public Health.

While the FDA regulates drink labels, it permits a wide range of names, claims, and fruit images on packaging that do not necessarily reflect the drink's ingredients. For example, more than 60 percent of drinks with added sugar include a positive nutrition claim about sweeteners, while more than a third of drinks with fruit pictured on the packaging do not include juice from any of the fruits shown.

The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, recommends that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revise its labeling regulations to help consumers make healthier choices.

"Given the many different drinks marketed to children that contain or appear to contain juice, it is important that caregivers are able to differentiate among products and identify healthier options," said Jennifer Pomeranz, assistant professor of public health policy and management at NYU School of Global Public Health and the study's lead author.

Pomeranz and her colleague Jennifer Harris, senior research advisor, Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, examined the labels and ingredients of top-selling children's juice drinks, including brands with at least $10 million in annual sales. To compare similar products across brands and categories, they focused on "fruit punch" flavored drinks.

The researchers identified 39 fruit punch flavored drinks that widely varied in the amount of juice they contained: seven contained 100 percent juice, 11 were diluted juices (juice and water), eight contained some juice (less than 100 percent but more than 2 percent) with added sugars or low-calorie sweeteners, eight had no or almost no juice (2 percent or less) and consisted of flavoring and sugar or low-calorie sweeteners, and five called themselves water but had similar ingredients as the drinks with little or no juice.

While the FDA requires products with 100 percent juice to include statements on the packaging related to added sweeteners, products with less than 100 percent juice are not required to have the same disclosures. Without this required transparency, the researchers observed many different nutrition claims on beverages.

Of the products containing added sugarswhich came from all categories except 100 percent juice and diluted juice60 percent touted positive statements about sweeteners such as "no high fructose corn syrup."

Drinks containing stevia extracta plant-derived sweetenerincluded claims such as "no artificial sweeteners" and "no sugar added."

Drinks across all categories had vitamin claims such as "100% vitamin C," even though this was due to fortification and not derived from fruit juice.

Nearly all drinks (97 percent) showed images of fruit on the front of the package, even if they did not contain juice from the fruits picturedor any juice at all. The researchers found that even though labels depicted 19 different types of fruit, apple juice was the primary juice across products containing juice as an ingredient. While less than half (45 percent) of drinks with fruit images on the package actually included juice from the pictured fruits, more than a third (37 percent) did not contain juice from any of the fruits on the packaging.

"We identified numerous labeling practices that obscure the true nature of drinks trying to pass as juice, blurring the distinction between drinks that are acceptable for children and those containing added sugar or sweeteners," added Pomeranz. "Nonetheless, these practices align with current FDA regulations, which allow the naming and use of fruit images that reflect the drink's flavor, regardless of the product's ingredients."

The researchers recommend several changes to FDA regulations in order to help consumers make healthier choices, including standardizing the names of products (juice vs. waters vs. drinks with added sweeteners), differentiating between flavors and ingredients, and prominently disclosing added sweeteners on the front of products.

"The FDA should make it easier for consumers to tell what products are healthy for childrenwithout having to carefully inspect the nutrition panel and decipher each ingredient on the back of the package," said Pomeranz.
The King and Queen of Belgium have shared a sweet portrait of Princess Eleonore cuddling her dog to mark their youngest daughter's 12th birthday during lockdown.

The sweet snap was shared to Instagram, with the royals thanking everyone for wishing the youngster well on her birthday, which falls a day after her father King Philippe's 60th.

Belgium's King used his milestone to send a message of support to the nation from the Chateau de Laeken, where he staying in isolation with his family.

Thanking fans in a Facebook post written in both Flemish and French, King Philippe said the people of Belgium would 'overcome' the crisis together.

Belgium's lockdown continues with the country registering 33,573 confirmed coronavirus cases and 4,440 deaths. Confinement measures have been extended until 3 May, and all mass gatherings have been banned until August 31.

Princess Eleonore (pictured) turns 12 today and thanked royal fans for their good wishes on the royal family's Instagram account

King Philippe of Belgium (pictured) who turned 60 yesterday amid the coronavirus pandemic, expressed his sympathies for those who had lost loved ones to COVID-19

Writing in a Facebook post to his subjects, Philippe thanks them 'warmly' for their good wishes on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

'Today my heart goes out to the ones who are suffering and lost a loved one,' he said.

'I am impressed by the countless acts of solidarity around our country. We will overcome this ordeal together, Philippe.'

Today also marks the 12th birthday of King Philippe's youngest daughter, Princess Eleanore.

The royal family shared an endearing snap fo the princess holding her dog on their Instagram account, where she thanked royal fans for their good wishes.

King Philippe, who ascended the throne in 1991, asserted himself as a voice of calm and benevolence among the covid-19 pandemic.

He has not stopped sending messages of support and encouragement to Belgium since his speech regarding the coronavirus, which was broadcast around the country on March 16.

Pictured: Princess Elizabeth, 18, Prince Gabriel, 16, Princess Eleonore, 12 and Prince Emmanuel, 14, delivering waffles to nursing home

In his TV address, Philippe called his people to act 'responsibly' and to showcase 'great adaptability' in order to surmount the challenges of life on lockdown.

We have to do this not only for ourselves but also for the others and especially for the vulnerable among us.

On March 18, it was also reported that the monarch also intervened to make sure Belgium would receive 500,000 masks and 30,000 test kits by contacting the Chinese business tycoon Jack Ma directly.

The Belgian Monarch has been an encouraging voice throughout the crisis, and intervened personally so that 500,000 masks would be delivered to Belgium, as well as 30,000 test kits (pictured visiting the university hospital of Jette on April 8)

Working from home during the lockdown like other monarchs around Europe, Philippe was seen calling care homes around the country via a video link Chateau de Laeken, the palace on the outskirts of Brussels where he lives with his wife Mathilde and their four children.

The royal family have also multiplied kind acts of solidarity to the vulnerable. Philippe's own children, Princess Elizabeth, 18, Prince Emmanuel, 14, Prince Gabriel, 16 and Princess Eleonore, 12, delivered baskets of waffles to two nursing homes and shared a snap on Instagram, writing: 'Strong together against Corona.'
WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases

COVID-19: Students need not pay college fee until lockdown is lifted, normalcy restored: AICTE

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 16: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has said that colleges should not demand fees from students until the ongoing lockdown is lifted.

A letter to all the AICTE institutions from Member Secretary Rajive Kumar said that it has to come to the knowledge of the AICTE that certain standalone institutions are insisting that students should pay fees, including admission fee during the lockdown. It is clarified that colleges/institutions should not insist on payment of fees until the ongoing lockdown is lifted and normalcy is restored, the AICTE also said.

Odisha to begin online education for class 10 students of govt schools

The AICTE would issue further guidelines on the revised fee payment timelines. All institutions have been directed to display this information on their websites and communicate it to the students via email as well, the AICTE also said.

The letter further said that AICTE and the University Grants Commission (UGC) will also issue a revised academic calendar soon and Prof. Kumar directed colleges to continue online classes for the current semester under the extended lockdown. UGC has constituted a committee to make recommendations on the conduct of semester examinations, award of marks and passing criteria.
British foreign secretary Dominic Raab deputised for prime minister Boris Johnson at Thursday's daily live coronavirus update briefing at Downing Street. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

The UKs current lockdown measures will be extended by at least another three weeks, in a bid to contain the coronavirus despite the heavy toll on the economy.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab, deputising for prime minister Boris Johnson, announced the extension on Thursday at Downing Streets daily live briefing on the coronavirus.

We recognise all the economic and social impact the current measures are having, he said.

Raab set out several new conditions for restrictions being eased, including sufficient NHS critical care capacity, sufficient testing and protective equipment and declining infection and death rates.

With Johnson recovering from COVID-19, Raab had chaired a cabinet meeting earlier in the day where ministers approved the extension of social distancing measures.

When Johnson first announced it on 24 March, he said the lockdown would be reviewed every three weeks. But government officials have warned since it could last six months or longer.

READ MORE: UK could face future tax hikes amid fears of biggest deficit in history

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said the government had the full support of business, but warned the lockdown meant significant challenges for firms.

Many firms accept the necessity of drastic action to contain COVID-19, with at least 13,000 hospital deaths now linked to the pandemic. But the measures will cause firms significant further damage with large swathes of the economy facing unprecedented paralysis and lost income.

Unemployment has already jumped, with many employers laying off staff and up to 11 million workers expected to be furloughed on reduced pay as firms earnings dry up.

Analysis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research suggests every day of lockdown wipes around 2.4bn off Britains economic output.

The government has sought to keep firms afloat and workers in jobs through the lockdown, unveiling an unprecedented package of subsidies, grants and loans.

Story continues

But business groups warn cash is not reaching firms fast enough, threatening their very survival. Fairbairn said it was vital firms received grants next week to pay furloughed workers, and called for clarity on how long such support would last.

READ MORE: Europes largest economy Germany extends lockdown to 3 May

Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) figures this week said UK GDP could fall by a record 35% in the second quarter of 2020 if the lockdown persists until June.

The watchdog said unemployment could rise to 10%, equating to an additional two million people out of work. Separate data from charity Citizens Advice on Wednesday shows the human toll of the crisis so far, with record-breaking visits to its website from people seeking advice on redundancy, sick pay, universal credit, furloughing and paying bills.

UK chancellor Rishi Sunak said earlier this week it was not a case of choosing between the economy and public health, however. Lifting restrictions too soon or without sufficient testing and protections could see cases soar, and result in even more or stricter restrictions in future.

Gradual easing of curbs on business and some aspects of everyday life in Spain, Italy, Austria and other parts of Europe are being closely watched by other governments.

The pound had dropped 0.8% against the dollar earlier on Thursday as health minister Matt Hancock said lifting restrictions now would see the virus run rampant.

But Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets, said the decline reflected the dollars strength rather than domestic issues, with a longer lockdown largely priced in.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed building an economy that is less dependent on one country, China, so that the nation can better avoid supply chain disruptions.

The call touched off a heated debate in the Chinese political world.

In Zhongnanhai, the area in central Beijing where leaders of the Chinese Communist Party and the state government have their offices, "there are now serious concerns over foreign companies withdrawing from China," a Chinese economic source said. "What has particularly been talked about is the clause in Japan's emergency economic package that encourages (and funds) the re-establishment of supply chains."

Had the pandemic not struck, Chinese President Xi Jinping's maiden state visit to Japan would have been wrapped up by now with Xi proudly declaring a "new era" of Sino-Japanese relations. He would have cheered on Abe as Japan prepared for the next big event, the 2020 Olympics.

Instead, both Xi's trip and the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed, and Sino-Japanese relations find themselves at a crossroads.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was clear about the direction he wants Japanese manufacturers to take -- away from an over-reliance on China. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)

Signals of Abe's new policy were visible as early as March 5.

Japan had finally been able to put the Diamond Princess cruise ship disaster behind it but was still snowed under by the challenge of preventing the virus's further spread.

On that date, coincidentally the same day the postponement of Xi's Japan visit was announced, the Japanese government held a meeting of the Council on Investments for the Future. Abe, who chairs the council, said he wanted high value-added product manufacturing bases to come home to Japan.

At the table were influential business leaders such as Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, the country's biggest business lobby better known as Keidanren.

"Due to the coronavirus, fewer products are coming from China to Japan," Abe said. "People are worried about our supply chains."

Of the products that rely heavily on a single country for manufacturing, "we should try to relocate high added value items to Japan," the leader said. "And for everything else, we should diversify to countries like those in ASEAN."

Abe's remarks were clear. They came as disruptions hit the procurement of auto parts and other products for which Japan relies on China, seriously impacting corporate Japan's activities.

And they asked for something more than the traditional "China plus one" concept, in which companies add a non-China location to diversify production.

Abe was forming a "shift away from China" policy.

With the nation transfixed by coronavirus coverage, the proposal failed to generate big headlines in Japan.

But China was watching carefully, perhaps wondering whether it was about to undergo an industrial hollowing-out like Japan once experienced.

Such a trend would shake the foundation of China's long-standing growth model.
Ferne McCann has revealed she wants to get engaged to her new beau Albie Gibbs on the first episode of her new series of First Time Mum.

The former TOWIE star, 29, discussed her romance with the city trader, 25, who has moved to New York for a year, during the opening show.

Ferne insisted to her close friends that she will be married next year and even tried on wedding dresses as she envisaged their future nuptials.

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Wedding bells: Ferne McCann has revealed she wants to get engaged to her new beau Albie Gibbs on the first episode of her new series of First Time Mum

Opening the first episode, the reality star revealed to her friend: 'I am in a relationship, a really serious grown up relationship with cinema guy who I dumped in the back of the cab.

'We went on the most gorgeous date, one downfall, he's moving to New York. The person I want to spend the rest of my life with has moved to New York for the foreseeable future. Of course he has!'

Ferne revealed that he offered to stay and move in with her but it's 'too early days' and she wants to 'keep it cute'.

Later in the show, the star, who already has daughter Sunday, two, joked about having a baby with Albie as she invited pregnant BFF Danielle Armstrong over to her new house.

The man in question: The former TOWIE star, 29, discussed her romance with the city trader, 25, who has moved to New York for a year, during the opening show

Dead serious: Ferne insisted to her close friends that she will be married next year and even tried on wedding dresses as she envisaged their future nuptials

Ferne admitted that she'd love to be pregnant at the same time as Danielle and their kids be the same age.

She joked to her former TOWIE co-star: 'Me and Albie are official... it's been 11 weeks so we can get started [on having a baby]. I am in love, give the girl a break or a baby!'

Realising she might be going too fast with their relationship, Ferne added: 'He knows the kind of girl he is with, I can't scare him off. He just text me 'I miss you'.'

Although Ferne admitted that she was finding the distance difficult, she continued: 'Right now, I feel like I don't have a boyfriend. People think I am making him up.

Steady on! Later in the show, the star, who already has daughter Sunday, two, joked about having a baby with Albie as she invited pregnant BFF Danielle Armstrong over to her new house

Mother-to-be: She joked to her former TOWIE co-star: 'Me and Albie are official... it's been 11 weeks so we can get started [on having a baby]. I am in love, give the girl a break or a baby!'

'He doesn't want to be in the public eye, he hasn't even been on my Instagram then he coincidentally moves to NYC so no one can meet him. He's there for a year. Why move to NYC when you've got your future wife sitting right here... come home!

'It's so hard, it will test our relationship to the max, I want to be with him, I want to marry him.'

To which Danielle joked: 'Babe, it's been eight weeks!' with Ferne adding: 'I've got to take it slowly. I am not going to get pregnant, I can see a future now. Something I couldn't see before Albie.'

Yet it doesn't take long until Ferne decides to try on some wedding dresses while having her NTAs gown fitted.

Trying it on! Yet it doesn't take long until Ferne decides to try on some wedding dresses while having her NTAs gown fitted (left)

Hooray: She admitted: 'I honestly think he is the one, why am I getting emotional? I might have found the guy but not the dress. I can't wait to be engaged now.'

'I do!': Looking at herself in a wedding dress in front of a mirror, Ferne gushed: 'I can't wait to be engaged now! I do, I do. Do you think this will scare him?'

Wearing a collection of different white gowns, the star admitted: 'I've never tried on a wedding dress before. I honestly think he is the one, why am I getting emotional? I might have found the guy but not the dress. I can't wait to be engaged now.'

Looking at herself in a wedding dress in front of a mirror, Ferne gushed: 'I can't wait to be engaged now! I do, I do. Do you think this will scare him?'

The reality star also added their potential wedding to her vision board on the episode, she said: 'I would love to marry Albie. I could see myself in NYC, who knows, how exciting. This is the thing about life, I could end up in New York on Broadway.'

While Ferne insisted to friends that she would be married next year later on the show.

Vision board: The reality star also added their potential wedding to her vision board on the episode, she said: 'I would love to marry Albie. I could see myself in NYC, who knows, how exciting. This is the thing about life, I could end up in New York on Broadway.'

Happy: While Ferne insisted to friends that she would be married next year later on the show (pictured with daughter Sunday, two)

While getting ready for the NTAs, which took place earlier this year at London's The O2, the star said: 'I look at Canary Wharf and it reminds me of my boy. Mark my words, I am going to be married next year.

'I mentioned if we get married, I want to do a magazine, he said absolutely not.'

Ferne is said to have met Albie in 2018 during a luxury holiday to Dubai with the two dating last year.

Wow: While getting ready for the NTAs, which took place earlier this year at London's The O2, the star said: 'I look at Canary Wharf and it reminds me of my boy. Mark my words, I am going to be married next year.'

The star is even reported to have attended Albie's family birthday meal in December and taken her daughter Sunday, two, who she shares with her acid attacker ex Arthur Collins.

Ferne previously admitted she wants to keep her budding romance 'private', two years after splitting from Collins, who is serving 20 years for throwing acid over 22 people in April 2017.

Prior to Albie, the TV personality had enjoyed a brief fling with Love Island's Jordan Hames in September.

Ex: Ferne previously admitted she wants to keep her budding romance 'private', two years after splitting from Arthur Collins, who is serving 20 years for throwing acid over 22 people in April 2017 (pictured with Collins in 2016)

Short and sweet: The media personality enjoyed a brief fling with Love Island's Jordan Hames in September (pictured)

She first rose to prominence during her stint on ITVBe's The Only Way Is Essex, which documented her rocky romance with Chloe Sims' younger brother Charlie Sims.

Ferne dated Charlie, 27 - who is now engaged to his long-term girlfriend Georgia Shults - from 2009 until 2015, before embarking on a relationship with scaffolder Arthur in June 2016.

The blonde appeared on E4's Celebs Go Dating after the pair split in late 2016, but the on-off couple later rekindled their romance in March 2017, during the time she fell pregnant with Sunday.

Single mother: Arthur is the father of Ferne's daughter Sunday, two, and she has already met Albie

A month later, Arthur was found guilty of five counts of grievous bodily harm and nine of actual bodily harm for the nightclub acid attack, and was jailed for 20 years.

Since splitting from the convicted criminal, her love life has been relatively quiet, enjoying short-lived flings with model Jordan, 24, and Love Island 2018 contestant Charlie Brake.

It comes as no surprise that Ferne is happy in her new relationship, after revealing she is ready to find love and hadn't had sex in almost two years as of February last year.

The TV star said during an episode of First Time Mum: 'I would love to find true love it's one of the best feelings when you're in love with someone and the feeling's mutual.

'I feel like it's just such a nice feeling. I feel like I'm, ready to move on and find true love and I feel like I deserve it.

'It's coming up to two years, I'm basically a born-again virgin. I need to clean away the old cobwebs!'
A father of four who has recovered from the Coronavirus disease in Ghana on Thursday recounted how he was diagnosed with the disease, his fears of imminent death, the wailing of his family, and his amazing recovery following treatment.



Mr Frederick Drah said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, March 18 after visiting the Tema Polyclinic after suffering a fever the night before. Narrating his ordeal to the press on Tuesday at the Ministry of Information in Accra, Mr Drah said In fact, it wasnt easy for me.



He said while in bed at about 12:15am, he started feeling feverish and there was a sudden dryness in his throat.



I called my wife and she gave me some two tablets of paracetamol and within the shortest time I was feeling warm and I was able to sleep again. The next day I decided to go to the hospital. I visited Tema Polyclinic and they did malaria test, BP, sugar and about four tests and they realised that I was negative.



They took my temperature and they realised the temperature was aboveit drew some suspicion but still I was not clear in (my) mind. So, they called me to an isolated place and I sat there for about 45 minutes and no one was attending to me, he said.



He said a man dressed in a PPE later came to attend to him, took a mouth swab, after which he was asked to go home.



The following day, Thursday, I received a strange call the gentleman told me that they took my sample and they found out that I am COVID-19 positive. In fact, it wasnt easy for me. I tried to control myself." He said the doctor told him to isolate from the rest of the family.





He said he was then informed that an ambulance would come and pick him to the hospital; however, the ambulance did not arrive until Saturday at about 5pm.



That is the place where I saw myself dying simply because of the information out there. I also thought that when you get the disease, within 3 days you are gone the only thing I could tell my wifeI just waved her, he added.



According to him, he did not think he would survive the disease, and urged all to stay at home as much as possible resisting any temptation to step out unless it is so essential. He commended the health officials at the Ga East District hospital for the service they rendered to him.



He said since being discharged on Sunday, March 22, his family has faced stigmatization from the community.



He therefore took the opportunity to urge the public to desist from stigmatizing people who have suffered from the disease.





from the disease.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Chris Tarrant has claimed there is 'no doubt in his mind' that Charles Ingram is guilty of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? coughing scandal.

Charles, 56, and his wife Diana were found guilty of conspiracy to steal 1million from the TV quiz show hosted by Chris by using coughs as signals in 2001.

Following the release of ITV drama Quiz, which retells the story of the couple allegedly conspiring to steal the money, Chris, 73, has had his say on the matter.

Opinion: Chris Tarrant has claimed there is 'no doubt in his mind' that Charles Ingram is guilty of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? coughing scandal

The TV host branded Charles a 'rotter, a cad and a bandit' following suggestions that he believed the couple to be innocent due to his portrayal on screen, which has also led to online speculation.

Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, he said: 'It's was very well made wasn't it? It was actually very well done but it is a drama, it's not factual.

'So most of those conversations were made up because that's what playwrights do. I mean the bottom line is he's a rotter and a cad and a bandit and he was guilty. No question in my mind at all that he was guilty!'

Chris stood up in court at the time and claimed that he did not hear any coughing throughout the episode while Charles was in the hot seat.

Verdict: Charles (pictured), 56, and his wife Diana were found guilty of conspiracy to steal 1million from the TV quiz show hosted by Chris by using coughs as signals in 2001

The couple were found guilty of deception alongside supposed accomplice Tecwen Whittock, and given suspended prison sentences, but the drama's final scene sees them break the fourth wall with Chris asking viewers to offer their own verdict.

Chris, whose part was played by character actor Michael Sheen, said that he disagreed with viewers being left wondering whether the couple committed a crime.

He told the host, during the interview: 'And there were so many things in there that they didn't include.

'My beef with it is that they did a very strange but very convincing defence QC  that woman, Helen McRory  a very good defence wind-up, but they did not do any prosecution wind-up.

At the time: Following the release of ITV drama Quiz, which retells the story of the couple allegedly conspiring to steal the money, Chris, 73, has had his say on the matter (pictured at the course case at Southwark Crown Court in 2001)

Statement: The TV host branded Charles a 'rotter, a cad and a bandit' following suggestions that he believed the couple to be innocent due to his portrayal on screen

'Now, in any court of law the prosecution does the last bit and when the Major and his wife and Tecwen [Whittock, the third man involved in the plot] were on the actual court case, the prosecution guy did the most brilliant sum up, bringing all the strands in  the coughing and the bleepers and all the stuff  and went to the jury and they went 'guilty, guilty, guilty'.

'They didn't do that last night at all, they just stopped on her, and you're going 'oh yeah, I think he might be oh poor bloke, poor little man  all that  maybe he's innocent'.

'I think it was  that bit was a bit of production company skulduggery basically. I mean, they wanted you to think 'blimey I don't think he was guilty'.'

Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, he said: 'It's was very well made wasn't it? It was actually very well done but it is a drama, it's not factual (the couple pictured at court)

Taking the stand: Chris stood up in court at the time and claimed that he did not hear any coughing throughout the episode while Charles was in the hot seat

Chris dispute the fact that ITV and the production team went after the couple and claimed that it was all dealt with by the police.

He said: 'We wouldn't - the police prosecuted him, we didn't. At the time I think we were getting audiences of something like 13 or 14 million.

'We sold it to 132 countries around the world  America, Australia, India etc - so why would we go out on a limb to try and prosecute one of these guys?

'Of course we thought he was guilty, no question! And nothing has changed my mind to be honest. It was very well done though!'

Not right! Chris, whose part was played by character actor Michael Sheen (pictured), said that he disagreed with viewers being left wondering whether the couple committed a crime

Tense: Charles and Diana were found guilty of deception in the third and final episode of Quiz, after their attempts to cheat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire were exposed

Explaining the reason behind his opinion that they were guilty of the crime, Chris said: 'I've always said, I saw nothing. But the studio that night was like a madhouse.

'People were screaming and gasping just because he was so, you know he's a serving British Army Major who's on, I don't know 30k a year...

'Rented accommodation or whatever, and he's going 'Oh yes 500,000, let's risk it, let's play' and all this and you think 'why would you do that?'

Did he do it? The third final episode of Quiz aired on Wednesday night, and left viewers stunned with hints that 'coughing Major' Charles Ingram could be innocent

'And he was so hard to follow! He was going 'Er, Berlin, Berlin, Berlin, I think it's Berlin. Ah, no it's not, it's Paris' and I'm going 'Hang on, so this is your final answer, Paris?' so I am so focused on this guy thinking you know 'what is your final answer and how far are you going and are you really risking that amount of money?'

'The studio was like a madhouse. People were screaming, people were coughing everywhere because people always cough in studios, so I didn't hear Tecwen!

'Afterwards I had to sit through the floor squad the next day and go through the tapes and it's like 'oh my god, what is going on!'
New Delhi: The much-awaited Rapid Testing Kits, or RTKs, which use antibody-based blood tests for Covid-19, arrived in New Delhi at 11.30am on Thursday after missing their third deadline by a day, and will likely be used to test for coronavirus disease in areas with no or few cases -- the health ministrys green zones -- according to an official at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The kits will be used to test people with fever, cough, and shortness of breath in 325 districts that are currently unaffected, starting with those that are in states with a high number of Covid-19 cases, explained the official, who asked not to be named. This will be the first mass testing exercise in these districts.

Many states have started dedicated fever clinics; and the samples for rapid testing could either be lifted of people visiting those clinics or cases our front-line workers identify after screening, added this person.

The move will significantly widen testing for Covid-19 in the country, which currently tests around 203 people per million, with most tests restricted to health care workers treating Covid-19 patients, travellers who may have visited countries with a significant number of infections, and people who may have come in contact, directly or indirectly, with an infected person. Much of the testing is also happening in so-called containment areas which are themselves within hot spot districts with either outbreaks or clusters (called red zones by the health ministry) or districts that are not hot spots but with clusters. There are 170 hot spot districts and 207 other districts with clusters According to the health ministry, all other districts are in the green zone. There are around 730 districts in India.

ICMR guidelines say antibody test should be run after seven days of illness, as it takes at least five to seven days for antibodies to develop after contracting an infection.

An antibody test is not suited for diagnostic purposes but it is a useful surveillance tool for epidemiological studies, said the ICMR official. Put otherwise, it is a quick and easy way to understand the extent to which the disease has spread.

These kits are not for early diagnosis as their sensitivity and specificity is lower than RT-PCR tests; it can be used for surveillance purposes, to periodically spot disease trends; to collect data on whether there is an old infection in a section of population or if it is a recent infection; whether the spread is increasing or being successfully contained in places that are termed as hot spots etc, Dr RR Gangakhedkar, head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at ICMR, said at a news briefing on Thursday.

And since it is cheaper than RT-PCR, it can easily be deployed for mass testing, if required.

The consignment has 500,000 antibody testing kits and 100,000 RNA extraction kits. Of the 500,000, 300,000 are from Guangzhou Wondfo and another 200,000 from Zhuhai Livzon. The RNA extraction kits are supplied by MGI Shenzhen.

The flight carrying the supplies finally landed in Delhi at around 11.30am on Thursday.

After clearing customs, the kits have been moved to ICMRs main depot at the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) in Dwarka, which is one of the two main ICMR depots where the orders placed with different suppliers are being received and stored in the cold container unit.

We have created 16 depots across the country for the storage of these kits, from where the supply is distributed regionally. We have just received the kits and the logistics are being worked out at the moment. We can make use of flights and also transport them by road to nearby places, said the ICMR official.

The stock is being initially distributed to 6 regional depots in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Dibrugarh, Bhopal, and Hyderabad, and later to other 10 depots. The supplies are likely to depart Delhi by Friday.

According to people familiar with the mater who asked not to be named, India pulled diplomatic strings after the Chinese suppliers missed three deadlines. Demand for the RTKs, which some countries hope to be able to use to decide who is immune and can therefore return to work, has soared. And the Chinese government has tightened its export policies after a large number of kits failing quality tests in other countries, causing some amount of embarrassment to Beijing.

We have been emphasising on having the National Medical Product Administration, China, approval for all items being imported from China. Its a sort of quality assurance certificate from the Chinese government, and we are rejecting anything that is not certified , a second ICMR official said on condition of anonymity.

The Indian embassy in Beijing tweeted that it is important to ensure product quality as well as reasonable and stable prices. It called on Chinas National Medical Products Administration to expedite registration of Chinese firms, especially those with export orders and already licenced by Indian regulatory bodies.

The external affairs ministry is also working to obtain testing kits from other countries. Firm quotations have been obtained from companies in Canada, France, Malaysia, the UK and the US. We have also obtained leads from companies in Germany and Japan, an official familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.

Experts say that Indias decision to introduce antibody testing kits could be a game-changer in its fight against Covid-19.

Rapid testing needs to be ramped up for the country to be able to get back to normalcy. If we want to cover maximum people who have symptoms to know the disease burden, then rapid testing is the solution as it is quicker and cheaper, and helps in achieving the ultimate goal of public health care testing, said Dr T Jacob John, head of virology department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

However, the quality of kits plays a crucial role. It is also a good way of picking infections when we know most of those infected will not show symptoms or depict mild symptoms, he added.

(With inputs from Rezaul H Laskar and Sutirtho Patranobis)
(Natural News) Foot sores can potentially be a peculiar new symptom of coronavirus (COVD-19) infection, according to the Spanish General Council of Official Podiatrist Colleges. The council has issued a circular to healthcare workers warning them to look out for foot sores similar to chickenpox or measles, especially among young adults.

They are purple lesions (very similar to those of chickenpox, measles or chilblains) which usually appear on the toes and normally heal without leaving a mark, the council said in an official statement.

Symptoms first observed in Italy, France and Spain

According to the councils report, the strange symptom was first observed among mostly young COVID-19 patients in Italy, France and Spain. The report noted an increased detection of the lesions in COVID-19 sufferers, especially in children and adolescents, though theyve also been observed in adults.

The International Federation of Podologists has also released its own report on the supposed symptoms. The case study focuses on a 13-year-old Italian boy who had complained of foot sores.

Initially, it was assumed that he was suffering from a violin spider bite. The boy then went to the hospital on March 8 after developing cuts to his skin that erupted before crusting over. Two days after the visit, he developed a fever, muscle pains, headache and intense itching and burning on the foot lesions.

Because of the health crisis that had hit Italy, the boy was not initially tested for the coronavirus. It was only later on that doctors found that his coronavirus-stricken mother and sister had cough, fever and trouble breathing six days before the sores on his feet appeared.

The case came to light on March 29, since then there have been several similar reports have surfaced. Sources report that one in five patients in Italian hospitals is demonstrating these strange foot sores. Child dermatologist Dr. Mazzotta Troccoli has stated that it has now become more common throughout Italy.

If further observations and laboratory data will confirm that we are facing a clinical sign of COVID-19, this dermatological sign could be useful for identifying children and adolescents with minimal forms of infection, but potential sources of further infection, wrote Dr. Troccoli in the case study for the federation.

New symptoms healthcare workers need to look out for

In their reports, both the Spanish General Council of Official Podiatrist Colleges and the International Federation of Podologists observed a lack of scientific studies on the link between the lesions and the coronavirus.

Given the short time that has passed since the outbreak began there is not enough evidence to satisfy the scientific community, but The Council of Podiatrists urges its Colleges and its members to be very vigilant because this may be a sign of COVID-19 detection that can help to avoid contagion, stated the council.

That said, the council has gone ahead and issues guidance for when someone displays the foot sores, advising people to consider it a possible symptom so that they can take the necessary precautions.

When these cases are detected by parents or relatives, the child should be kept in quarantine, isolated, and a topical corticosteroid can be applied and temperature control can be carried out, always with the reassurance that these are benign lesions with favorable evolution, but acting with caution being a possible asymptomatic carrier, the council stated.

However, the council also adds that people shouldnt immediately bring family members to hospitals just because they have foot sores, to prevent infection in case they dont have COVID-19.

To avoid contagion in those affected and their families, it is not recommended to go to primary care centers and hospitals only because of the appearance of these dermatological lesions.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

Metro.co.uk

IBTimes.sg
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  The novel coronavirus has killed 13 war veterans, the Veterans Federation of the Philippines confirms.

Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) has 39 veterans are under their care, with 29 of them admitted to the hospital. Of this number, 13 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19, the Federation said in a Facebook post.

The elderly are among people who have a higher risk of getting infected with the deadly virus.

Meanwhile, the hospital still has over 114 PUIs (persons under investigation) awaiting test results, VFP said.

The Federation said MMC Director Dr. Dominador M. Chiong had admitted facing pressures in meeting the current growing demands in the hospital, in recent communications with VFP President Manuel Pamaran.

This prompted Pamaran to recommend increasing the Federations assistance to the hospital, VFP added.

As of April 16, there are 5,660 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines. 362 have died, while 435 have recovered.
The Presidency Alumni Association has come forward to distribute hand sanitisers and masks to casual employees, elderly parents of former students, and staff of the university who have not been able to procure these items during the ongoing lockdown.

Alumni association president Bibhas Choudhury told PTI on Thursday, that high-quality santisers and masks are being given to members of the "Presidency family" who are without these items, essential to help prevent spread of the virus.

"We have set a target of reaching out to 400 families in next 15 days. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers have been sourced from a reputed firm and three-layered masks are being prepared by a self help group under our supervision following WHO norm."



The idea came up during a recent chat between members of the alumni and they started pooling resources for the initiative.

"We started distributing hand sanitisers and masks since Wednesday.

"We will reach out to more people, related to the large Presidency family, in coming days," he said.

Choudhury said, the association will also seek the guidance of Nobel-winning alumnus Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee about the ways to take the drive forward.

"We will send details about our initiative to Mr Banerjee and seek his guidance. His experience as being part of the global advisory board of West Bengal government to fight COVID-19 will also enlighten us in our small contribution to society," he said.

Meanwhile, a group of students, from different colleges and universities across the state, has formed a platform on Facebook called 'Quarantined Students - Youth Network' to address the problem of food shortage among the poor.

"Our purpose is to find out poor people who are the worst hit in the present situation and deliver food at their doorsteps in the lockdown period, while maintaining social distance norms," one of the students involved in the initiative said.

"If anyone here comes across food shortage issues in Bally, Uttarpara, Belur, Liluah, Baranagar, Dakhineshwar, Rajchandrapur and other nearby areas please directly message me the details. We have raised some funds and are now allocating the amount for food distribution," posted one of the students.

There were also posts about members distributing cooked food among the poor in Sonarpur, Uluberia, Bankura, Birbhum, and other places in the districts.

Another member of the platform narrated how a beautician has joined them in making low-cost masks for distribution among the poor.

"This lockdown is indeed a tutorial. A real life tutorial on how to spread love at a time when we are going through a period of distress," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Imagine that youre a physician at a hospital overwhelmed by the coronavirus. Three new patients have just arrived in your I.C.U., each gasping for air a 75-year-old grandfather who was in perfect health just a week ago, a 30-year-old woman who has diabetes and asthma, and a 50-year-old I.C.U. nurse who, like you, has been treating coronavirus patients for weeks. Without ventilators, they will likely die, though you cant know that for sure. What you do know is that in your maxed-out hospital, theres only one free ventilator. Is it up to you to choose who gets the chance to live, to play god? That is the worst possible situation that individual doctors would be faced with making this tragic choice on their own, based on their own sense of moral values and own judgment. Thats whats happening in parts of Italy, where distressed doctors have been seen weeping in the hallways because of the choices theyve had to make. Across the US, states are rushing to make sure that no doctor is left to make these painful moral decisions alone and on the fly. Theyre writing or revising their existing pandemic triage plans, which are meant to guide health care workers in crises like this. But heres the problem. In the United States, theres no agreement on how to make these potentially life and death judgment calls. Instead, the US takes a patchwork approach with different states offering different ethical formulas and some not offering detailed plans at all. As one doctor recently wrote, Weve taken an every hospital system for themselves approach. It may be a political problem as much as a medical one that is keeping us from having a national framework. I think the politics of that would be sensational. I mean, I cant even begin to tell you what it would feel like to know that the White House issued a model for how to do this, that Americans would then have to point to and say, Your model killed my grandmother. They want it to be state-driven. But in the face of coronavirus, isnt this patchwork inadequate? We need unified thinking on this a national triage strategy that we can all see and understand. You can not have triage decision-making that is not transparent. That would be a terrible mistake to have triage decision-making taking place and for the public to be unaware or not to have available what the criteria are that are being used. Any federal plan will have to wrestle with some profoundly philosophical questions. How do we do the greatest good? Does that mean saving the greatest number of lives or the most years of life? Does it mean prioritizing people with the best chances of surviving and leaving the sickest behind? Soon, were in a labyrinth of complex moral trade-offs. Lets take a few examples, starting with age. Should young people get priority access to ventilators? Some ethicists have advocated for cutoff ages, often around 80, above which nobody qualifies for one. But how old is too old? Some state plans do consider age as a factor. Others dont. Or they use it as a tie-breaker between patients. But isnt that ageist? It reeks of age discrimination, which is why I said I would make that a second-tier consideration. I would say in the first instance, youre going to make this decision based on who has the better likelihood of survival. Now what about doctors and nurses? Should they get preferential treatment? Again, states are divided. On the one hand, health care workers are essential to fight the pandemic. But on the other hand, its starting to look like the sickest coronavirus patients may need weeks, if not months to get better. Even if they survive, they may not be able to return to work quickly. There are other arguments. So one is you are asking people to show up to work and take risks not just for themselves, but for their families. So if you really want people to take that risk, you need to let them know you have their back, that you will honor their risk-taking. Thats always a bitterly disputed topic and should be. I dont want to end up with an intensive care unit that is full of doctors and nurses and the local people are shut out. That is terrible, and thats wrong. What about pre-existing conditions, everything from obesity to cancer? Should doctors try to estimate how many years a patient might live after theyve survived the virus and what their quality of life might be? Should doctors take social factors into account, like whether a patient has dependent children? Maybe the most excruciating choice is when doctors should remove ventilators from patients who already have them but dont seem to be improving. Theres even an argument that the fairest thing to do would be to assign ventilators randomly through a lottery. A lottery, at least, would treat everyone the same. And wherever we choose, will patients and their families have the right to appeal decisions before some kind of ethics jury? Only a few state pandemic plans even mention an appeals process. There is one thing that almost everyone agrees on. These choices should not be left to exhausted doctors in overflowing I.C.U.s. The results would be inefficient, chaotic, and maybe unfair. The pressure could also traumatize doctors and lead to a kind of moral burnout. To be clear, hospitals do have ethics committees to help doctors with difficult cases. But in a pandemic, they also need fast-acting response teams making decisions and communicating with neighboring hospitals. A coronavirus plan could offer guidance on how to do that best. It could also encourage cooperation across state lines, something thats not happening much now. We live in an age of pandemics, and we are not ready. It is now our worst nightmare. We missed a lot of opportunities along the way to prepare not just the health system for this kind of dialogue that were having now, but also the public writ large. Many bioethicists have been thinking about this for years and have even proposed specific guidelines for how to deal with a pandemic like this, but no single formula has been formally endorsed at the national level by a government agency like the Department of Health and Human Services or the Centers for Disease Control. Even the American Medical Association, the countrys largest association of physicians, offers only the loosest ethical instructions. To be sure, no national plan will be foolproof or binding or can guarantee that doctors wont face tough choices at the bedside. And it would need to be flexible as we learn more about coronavirus. Still, a national strategy would at least encourage a consistent moral approach to this pandemic and prevent the nightmare scenario that worries some experts people moving sick family members from state to state in hopes of qualifying for a ventilator in a state with different rules. Some experts think national guidelines could come together quickly enough to make a difference. Our group, the groups in New York, the groups from Seattle and elsewhere get us all together for a few hours, and Im pretty sure we could resolve any differences between our plans. We can come up with a plan we would recommend for the country. Theres no technical reason that couldnt happen. A federal agency such as the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services can bring states together to create a unified national triage strategy for coronavirus one that sets out how America will respond to this crisis not just logistically or economically but morally. We need to know that if the worst comes to pass, our lives are all subject to the same arithmetic.
Dabaco is looking to revert its M&A deal with Kido

Nguyen Nhu So, chairman of the Board of Directors of Dabaco Group issued the information that the group is re-assessing Dabaco Foods in order to buy out Kido from this joint venture.

In June 2017, northern livestock giant Dabaco Group JSC has decided to sell 50 per cent of its subsidiary Dabaco Food to the Kido for VND100 billion ($4.35 million). It also transferred 5 per cent of Dabaco Food to Nguyen Nhu So, Dabacos chairman. Hence, Dabaco kept 45 per cent of the subsidiarys capital, equal to VND90 billion ($3.9 million).

At the time, Dabaco Food owned three plants for slaughtering, processing, and preserving cattle and poultry, with a capacity of 25,000 chickens a day, packaging canned meat and sausages, and producing and preparing frozen and fresh meat. Its partners included large supermarkets like Vinmart, Vinmart+, AEON, Lottemart, Big C, and Co.opmart.

After the sale, Dabaco Group expected to pool the strengthens of the two parties to promote Dabaco Food. Accordingly, Dabaco Food would be turned into an outsourcing company, with Kido fully controlling products and brands.

An aggressive M&A strategy helped Kido enter the food and seasoning market quickly, gradually becoming the leading foodstuff company in Vietnam and expanding its market to Southeast Asia. In addition, Kido plans to expand its market share in the food and seasoning sector by promoting co-operation with its partners and conducting further M&A with large food producers by capitalising on its internal strength, nationwide distribution system, and profound understanding of the domestic retail market and consumers.

However, Dabaco's expectations for Dabaco Foods failed to materialise more than two years since the M&A deal, prompting it to consider regaining its stake from Kido and taking matters to its own hands.
It is a regular exchange between the Vietnamese embassy and BCIU members, but this is the first time it was held online to ensure social distancing amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Speaking at the meeting, Ngoc said that despite challenges caused by the pandemic, the Vietnam-US relations have been promoted and they have achieved positive results in numerous fields.

In economics and trade, the two countries have boosted consultations to maintain their development pace, he stated, adding that the Vietnamese Government is taking measures to intensify bilateral trade in a harmonious and sustainable manner.

Notably, healthcare cooperation has become a bright spot in their bilateral relations with Vietnam currently producing protective gear and medical equipment for the US.

On April 1, Vietnam, as the ASEAN Chair in 2020, co-chaired a teleconference of senior officials of ASEAN and the US on COVID-19 response, Ngoc noted.

Updating the participants on Vietnams pandemic prevention and control efforts, the diplomat said the Vietnamese Government is doing its utmost to control the disease, boost economic development and ensure social welfare with an aim that nobody is left behind.

Representatives of US businesses spoke highly of Vietnams achievements in the COVID-19 fight as well as its efforts to promote international cooperation in this area.

Sean Mulvaney, representing P&G Group, affirmed strong support for the Vietnamese Governments drastic actions and its equal approach between disease prevention and economic development.

US enterprises showed their interest in Vietnams plans to resume business and production activities, and raised questions related to the fields the country is giving priority to.

Ambassador Ngoc expressed his hope that BCIU members will continue supporting Vietnams pandemic prevention and control efforts, and expand their investment and business in Vietnam in the time ahead, especially in energy, infrastructure, technology and the digital economy.

He asked major groups such as Medtronic, Gilead and Bayer to step up collaboration with Vietnam to produce medical equipment, and share information on research and testing of vaccines and medicines.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:28:08|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Germany on Thursday published an open letter refuting an article carried by local tabloid BILD claiming China owes a "debt" to Germany due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter said BILD' report was in a bad style as "it held one country responsible for a pandemic affecting the whole world" and even presented an explicit account of alleged Chinese debts to Germany.

The letter from the Chinese embassy said BILD's article ignored some essential facts that China has never suppressed important information on COVID-19 and has fulfilled its information obligations to the World Health Organization.

Many countries now struggling with COVID-19 have had time to prepare for the cross-border spread of the virus after China reported its outbreak under the guidelines of the International Health Regulations, the letter said.

"Some well-known international scientists also confirmed that China's swift and decisive action has made an important contribution to containing this pandemic and has gained at least one month's time for the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we do not read anything about this in your contribution," read the letter.

"A few politicians, experts or media representatives want mutual blame to distract them from their own failures and weaknesses (in containing the spread)," read the letter.

The letter said the tabloid fueled "nationalism, prejudice and xenophobia" and did not benefit the traditional friendship between the German and Chinese peoples.

"Learning and cooperating in a pandemic crisis is now more than ever required," the letter read.
COURTENAY, B.C.Earlier this year, Delores Broten and others wrote letter after letter complaining about the treatment of their loved ones in a chain of B.C. retirement homes.

But they didnt bother addressing any letters to the owners of the company.

It wouldve been a waste of postage, said the 71-year-old Broten in February.

Thats because the company that runs her husbands care home is owned by the government of China.

Of course, the Chinese government sees the homes as just one of their many global investment holdings, she said.

Brotens letters, addressed to officials with the provincial and federal governments, did not mention concerns about COVID-19. At the time, the deadly virus had not yet begun its rampage through Canadian seniors homes.

But even before coronavirus, Broten alleges that her 85-year-old husband, Don, suffered the ramifications of serious understaffing and mismanagement at Comox Valley Seniors Village, a private seniors home on Vancouver Island. Its one of 21 senior-care facilities run by Retirement Concepts, the largest chain of private retirement homes in B.C.

In the past year, health authorities have taken the unprecedented step of seizing control of four Retirement Concepts care homes in the province that failed to meet legislated standards, including Comox Valley Seniors Village. They cited problems that have included disease outbreak, as well as emotional abuse and neglect, according to government reports seen by the Star.

Pacific Reach Seniors Housing Management, which manages the Retirement Concepts chain, does not deny the governments findings, but points to hiring difficulties leading to understaffing as a root cause of its problems.

Broten and others with loved ones in the care homes say their pre-existing concerns have now turned to outrage as they watched the virus devastate other long-term-care facilities. Unable to visit because of COVID-19 lockdown protocols, their anxiety about what their loved ones are facing has skyrocketed.

Its making me furious and scared. Are they being fed properly? Being helped to use the bathroom? Are they being parked in empty rooms alone? The history of problems at Retirement Concepts makes it hard for us to trust them, Broten told the Star in April.

Broten has lived on Vancouver Island since 1978 and works as a magazine editor, while her husband, Don, worked as a lighthouse keeper, a truck driver and a crane operator following a career in the navy.

Called Crying Out Loud, Brotens group has been fighting to bring attention to what they call systemic oversights that make government-subsidized senior homes across the country unnecessarily vulnerable to disease outbreaks.

Canadas first coronavirus death was a man in his 80s, a resident of Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver. Currently, 21 B.C. care homes including Dufferin Care Centre, which is part of the Retirement Concepts chain, have a combined total of 266 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 47 deaths. There have been 14 confirmed cases and one death in relation to COVID-19 at Dufferin Care Centre.

But the coronavirus isnt the first thing to put seniors in care in harms way. It was a nightmarish situation for some much earlier, one that illustrates why families and advocates say sweeping changes were needed to elder care in this country long before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19.

***

Greta Judds husband, Dales, was 65 years old in 2015 and in great physical shape after a lifetime of biking and running marathons when he was diagnosed with dementia.

Soon, he was having hallucinations and would go on to lose his memory and the ability to speak coherently.

Judd quit her job as a special needs educational assistant and cared for Dales in their home for as long as she could. But when he got a government-funded spot in the well-appointed Comox Valley Seniors Village in April 2018, she was enormously relieved.

He died less than a year later during a norovirus outbreak in the seniors home, documents show. Judd said she was too shocked to request an autopsy, but now wonders why the homes operators didnt conduct an investigation into cause of death when another resident in her husbands ward also died during the outbreak.

This happened after the home promised to clean rooms more thoroughly following a previous norovirus outbreak, Judd said, referring to minutes from family council meetings.

Judd and Broten are both members of the group of about two dozen family members  mostly women  who are trying to pressure the government to overhaul the regulations around care homes.

They first spoke with the Star in February at a coffee shop in Courtenay, B.C.

The group wants the government to consider eliminating for-profit care homes if they cannot ensure they will provide satisfactory care.

I thought a privately operated home would give the best care, but, boy, was I wrong, said Judd through tears. As she tries to stop crying, another widow puts a steadying hand on her arm.

The coalition was named Crying Out Loud because members say its time that more Canadians talk honestly about the emotional challenges and financial burdens of aging with complex medical conditions.

You think you wont end up in a place like that, because your family will take care of you. Well, we were the family taking care of our husbands and we had no choice. This could happen to you, Judd told the Star in February. Were fighting for you.

Since social distancing measures were introduced in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, the group no longer meets at the coffee shop, but they have a website, and are continuing their letter-writing campaigns, which they now organize through Zoom video conferences. Judd says COVID-19 is just another example of problems within long-term-care homes.

I think coronavirus has brought to light all the things weve been talking about that are inadequacies in some of these care homes, such as staff working at more than one facility at a tine and carrying viruses back and forth, she told the Star in a phone interview earlier this month.

***

In Canada, there are also three main types of long-term care homes: Not-for-profits that are fully government-funded; privately owned homes that receive government contracts; and completely privately funded homes. All must meet minimum standards in order to maintain their licences.

Retirement Concepts receives provincial funding to provide residents with subsidized care.

In 2016, Pacific Reach Properties brokered a deal to sell the Retirement Concepts chain to Anbang Insurance Group, a Chinese holding company, in a move approved by the Canadian government in 2017.

Two years later, on Feb. 23, 2019, Chinese government regulators seized all of Anbangs global assets. (Anbangs former chairman, Wu Xiaohui, had been facing fraud charges in China, and Chinese officials said a government takeover of the companys assets was necessary to avoid insolvency.)

Retirement Concepts had previously received numerous complaints about the treatment of residents.

Pacific Reach Properties, a Vancouver-based company, is the former owner of Retirement Concepts. Following the sale of Retirement Concepts to Anbang, Pacific Reach Properties remains responsible for overseeing and operating Retirement Concepts facilities. Though the Chinese government doesnt play a direct management role in the running of the senior homes, it is the sole owner of Retirement Concepts through its Cedar Tree Investment Canada portfolio, according to legal documents seen by the Star.

It was a sale that the B.C. Ministry of Health told the Star it had objected to from the start.

Isobel Mackenzie, head of the B.C. Office of the Seniors Advocate, said its possible that foreign owners overseeing their investments at a distance may be less likely than domestic owners to deliver the best quality of care.

Frankly, thats hard to prove, she said.

However, she noted that there is ample evidence pointing to broad, systemic issues with Canadas publicly funded private-care model that both the Retirement Concepts saga and outbreaks of COVID-19 cases in other senior homes help illustrate.

***

Two months ago, staff were seen hurrying back and forth in the lobby area of the Comox Valley Seniors Village, where healthier residents were allowed to come and go as they pleased.

Broten was visiting her husband Don, who was eating his dessert of diced canned peaches with a plastic fork. He spilled most of the fruit, but didnt seem to mind.

He doesnt like it when I try to help, she explained.

Earlier that month, she said Don looked right at her and told her she looked beautiful.

After hes gone, no one will tell me Im beautiful, she said, with a quiet laugh and downcast eyes.

As Broten prepared to leave the ward, promising her husband that she would return the next day, she noticed a new worker being trained in the dining room.

It was a positive sign, she said. Broten alleges that understaffing has been a major issue at her husbands care home.

Not only was the lack of cleaning egregious, our husbands would be left in bed for most of the day with their medical issues ignored because the tiny team of staff was overwhelmed, Broten alleged of Comox Valley Seniors Village.

Understaffing is a chronic issue facing the senior care industry worldwide, says Colin Milner, CEO and founder of the International Council on Active Aging. In developed countries such as Canada with a large aging population, wages for senior aides are generally low, with health-care aides earning $19 an hour on average, according to a survey of listed wages in job advertisements on indeed.com

Health-care workers, who often struggle to earn a living wage, sometimes work at multiple care homes in B.C. to make ends meet. According to provincial health officials, this could have been one reason there was such a high rate of community spread at B.C. care homes.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, B.C. had already pledged to invest more than $1 billion to improve care for the aging population, including investments in assisted independent living and funding additional staffing levels so seniors could receive more hours of direct care each day.

The coronavirus prompted B.C. officials to temporarily ban senior care aides from working at multiple facilities to prevent the possible spread of the virus. For the next six months, all care workers will also receive the same hourly rate of around $25.

Jennie Deneka, partner at Pacific Reach Seniors Housing Management, the senior home arm of Pacific Reach Properties, acknowledged in a statement to the Star that low wages are a factor in their ability to recruit and maintain staff.

But its not just about wages. Our recruitment efforts have been further hampered because of the issue of affordable housing. In some circumstances, we have had to take the extraordinary step of housing staff. In Summerland as an example, we have close to 20 staff living with us in a dedicated wing. We are doing the same in Comox and Nanaimo, Deneka wrote in an email.

***

Retirement homes receive $1.3 billion of taxpayer funding a year in B.C. alone, and both private and not-for-profit homes actually receive similar levels of subsidies, according to a recent Seniors Advocate study.

But in the 2017-18 fiscal year, B.C.s for-profit care homes failed to deliver 207,000 hours of care for which they received public funding, while non-profit homes over-delivered by about 80,000 hours, the report found.

Unfortunately, the way we set up the government contracts is that we basically give these care home operators a lump sum of money and we trust that theyre going to deliver good care to people, said Mackenzie, who is mandated by the government to monitor and critique system-wide issues affecting the well-being of seniors.

Then, we generally let them keep whatever money is leftover between what they spend and what we fund them.

Operators under investigation continue to get full funding, so there is no financial incentive to comply because there are no penalties for non-compliance, she said.

Mackenzie said all provinces are, to varying degrees, either lacking legislation that includes financial penalties, or not imposing penalties for problematic senior care operators frequently enough.

It doesnt make sense when officials routinely issue fines for things like speeding or not paying taxes on time.

She said she hopes that the pandemic will spur officials to take decisive actions to address long-standing problems, such as low wages that contribute to chronic understaffing at certain facilities.

A spokesperson for Island Health, Vancouver Islands government health authority, said he couldnt comment on details of individual cases. In response to public criticism that current penalties dont pose enough of a deterrent, he said officials are required to follow a legislated process built on the principles of administrative law and procedural fairness.

***

When the pandemic subsides, a class-action lawsuit over alleged neglect, mistreatment and abuse of vulnerable senior citizens awaits.

The lawsuit names Retirement Concepts, its parent company, Cedar Tree Investment, and former owner and currently contracted operator Pacific Reach Seniors Housing Management, as well as the B.C. Ministry of Health as defendants.

The central objective of the class action is to bring about sweeping, permanent, and systemic change in these facilities, said Patrick Dudding, a lawyer representing the family of Blondine Huebner, a deceased former resident of Waverly Seniors Village in Chilliwack, B.C., which is owned by Retirement Concepts.

Huebners two children, Erwin Huebner and Krista Kilvert, are the only named plaintiffs in the suit, but their lawyers have been busy collecting testimonies from other affected family members across B.C. The Vancouver Island family members of the Crying Out Loud group are not represented by Dudding, but some have contributed documentation and testimonials as supporting materials for the class action lawsuit.

We have to see to it that the abuse and neglect of frail, vulnerable senior citizens stops immediately, and that we put safeguards in place to ensure that this never happens again, Dudding told the Star in early February.

The allegations in the statement of claim have not been tested in court.

Our next hearing is booked for June  At this time we intend to proceed with that hearing as scheduled, but of course that is subject to the courts reopening before then, and our date not being vacated to deal with the backlog resulting from the closure, Dudding said during a phone call last week.

All of the named defendants declined to provide comment on the lawsuit, and declined to comment on specific allegations the Star presented to them. Stephen May, the spokesperson for the ministry of health, said the ministry could not speak to the case as it was an ongoing legal matter.

However, in a statement of defence the Ministry of Healths lawyer filed in response to the class action lawsuit seen by the Star, the ministry said it shouldnt be named as a defendant because the ministry distributes funding to regional health authorities, and monitoring senior care is the responsibility of regional bodies.

COVID-19 cast a spotlight on seniors homes across this country.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas top public health officer, said this week that close to half the countrys 724 COVID-19 deaths were in long-term care, where aging and vulnerable residents live in close proximity to each other and where staff have been carriers or become infected.

In Quebec, which has the most confirmed cases in Canada, nearly half of the provinces 328 deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in long-term-care facilities.The Quebec coroners office on Sunday launched an investigation into Residence Herron, a long-term-care home in a suburb of Montreal, where 31 people have died in conditions Premier Francois Legault described as deplorable.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix has said there will be a review of the spread of COVID-19 at retirement homes.

When asked if the B.C. Health Ministry was aware of any criminal investigations into deaths at senior long-term care facilities, a spokesperson said the information is not publicly available at this time.

Meanwhile, the new EquipCare BC program created in response to COVID-19, will provide $10 million to enhance infection prevention and control measures at the more than 440 long-term care and assisted living homes in the province.

Judd and Broten are optimistic that greater public attention to the issues at senior homes means authorities will better monitor for abuse and prepare for future pandemics.

This is what our group is about. We are going to keep fighting for those long-term changes. We didnt know COVID was coming, but we knew there had to be changes, Broten said.

Joanna Chiu is a Vancouver-based reporter covering both Canada-China relations and current affairs on the West Coast for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is holding his daily press conference on the Covid-19 outbreak, which has infected more than 71,000 people in the state as of Thursday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

New Jersey ranks as the second hardest-hit state by the coronavirus, following New York. On Monday, Murphy said the pace of new coronavirus infections in New Jersey is slowing even as the total number of cases rises, indicating that the state's efforts to contain the pandemic are "clearly working."

Murphy joined a working group of seven East Coast governors to coordinate a plan to reopen commerce in the region. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that the state would extend its shutdown of nonessential businesses until May 15 in coordination with other governors. New Jersey's order was put in place "until further notice."

The coronavirus has infected more than 640,200 people in the U.S. and has killed at least 31,015, according to data from JHU. Globally, the virus has infected more than 2.1 million people and has killed at least 140,773.

Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the Covid-19 outbreak.
Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) on Thursday urged the government to consider opening of the animal husbandry sector completely as huge demand for meat products is arising in countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt and China.

TPCI Chairman Mohit Singla said that states like Uttar Pradesh which have a large number of meat factories should allow production and livestock trading facilities.

"'India has a very rich pool of livestock and it can thrust the exports and reinforce its presence in crucial markets within a short time, he said.

Quoting Fauzan Alavi of Allanasons Pvt Ltd Company, the council said as the meat production units are closed India is not able to supply to the demand arising out of several countries. By the time the government allows opening of the production units, the opportunity might be taken away by countries such as Australia, Brazil, and India might miss it.

The government should allow the units to operate with proper health guidelines, Alavi said.

Further Singla said that the government's decision to open banks and allied support such as customs offices and logistics, warehousing and cargo support will help the exporters to ship goods smoothly.

He added that focus on non-basmati exports on government-to-government sales would help India maintain its strong foothold on the export market and utilise the surplus stock for export proceeds.

"There is a huge demand for non-basmati rice from African, Europeans and Asian countries,"' Singla added.

The country's meat and preparation exports stood at USD 3.25 billion in 2019-20.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Even as Canada crossed the 1000-mark in deaths related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the countrys Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was clear it will not follow the United States in acting against the World Health Organisation (WHO). He said that the time for reflections on various institutions will arrive once the current coronavirus crisis has been dealt with.

While US President Donald Trump has halted funding to the UN health body, Washington has not put any pressure on Ottawa to follow the suit.

Follow latest updates on coronavirus here

Trudeau said Canadian authorities will always continue to work with experts both domestically and internationally. However, he did not rule out an assessment of the role played by the WHO during the Covid-19 crisis in the future, as he said, Of course in the coming months and years there will be many reflections on various institutions. At this point, however, he said, the focus needs to be on doing the best we can right now to protect Canadians.

Trudeaus words came even as a chorus of criticism directed at WHO has erupted in Canada, which became sharper after a WHO expert absented himself at the last minute from a scheduled appearance before a House of Commons committee.

Also read: Stranded Canadians returning home to face strict action on not following self-isolation

His statement comes at a time when Canada has recorded over 1,000 deaths from Covid-19, including a surge in numbers from long-term care homes. Given the circumstances, Trudeau warned it will be weeks more before any semblance of normalcy can return. It would be terrible if we were to release restrictions too early and find out were suddenly back in another big wave of Covid-19, he said.

Trudeau himself has had to face criticism that he may have violated several Federal and provincial guidelines when he spent the Easter weekend holiday with his wife and children at a lakeside cottage in Quebec while he had cautioned Canadians against joining their families for the holiday and asked them to make the sacrifice and instead celebrate a family dinner remotely via Skype.

Click here for complete coronavirus coverage

He also went to Harington Lake cottage, an official Prime Ministerial residence, despite warnings from the Ontario and Quebec governments against travelling between provinces and Federal health authoritiess advice to not travel to cottages to prevent Covid-19 from spreading to rural areas with scant healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, the countrys death tally from Covid-19 touched 1,010 on Wednesday night, with 28,364 confirmed cases.

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Police are working to locate 37 year old William Patterson, who is currently unlawfully at large. Credit: PSNI

Police in Northern Ireland are hunting a violent prisoner who is unlawfully at large after failing to return to prison from temporary release.

William James Patterson, who is 37-years-old, is serving a sentence for four counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, grievous bodily harm, six counts of theft, criminal damage and two counts of robbery.

He was temporarily released from Magilligan Prison on March 18 and was due to return on March 20.

Patterson has so far failed to return.

He is described as being around 176cm tall, of slim build with brown hair and a fresh complexion. It is believed he has connections to Belfast and Dundonald.

Despite exhaustive attempts to arrest Patterson, police have been unable to locate him.

A PSNI spokesman said: "We are appealing to anyone who has seen William Patterson, or who knows of his whereabouts not to approach him but to contact Police on 101 quoting reference number RM20022657.

"Police would also appeal directly to him directly to hand himself in.

"Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous."
With the Leaving Cert delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Green Party has called for financial supports to be put in place for students and families ahead of the next academic year.

Green Party Spokesperson for Social Protection, Marc O Cathasaigh has asked for measures to be put in place to support students who are facing into a summer of financial uncertainty as they prepare to start college for the first time or return in the Autumn.

He has specifically asked for an increase in the SUSI grant and an extension which would see it cover more families and students.

There are families who may have been close to qualifying for the SUSI grant but for whom circumstances have changed as a result of Covid-19 and they need to be taken into account, he started.

Parents the length and breadth of the country have lost their jobs and while some will return to work, many wont and this will severely impact students who had hoped to start in college in September.

"This is a time of great uncertainty for Leaving Cert students and current 3rd level students who were depending on summer work to go towards their college costs - this is one bit of certainty and support we can give them as some of them face severe financial hardship in the autumn.

There are students doing their Leaving Cert this year who had planned to work for the summer to raise enough money to see them through to Christmas and kick start their college education. More and more families will have been depending on that income since the Covid crisis began as so many parents will have lost their jobs.

With the postponement of the Leaving Cert until the end of July or early August, this opportunity for students to raise this money has now evaporated.

The cost of being a student is very high and already, many students have lost part-time jobs they had to support themselves while others have had to continue to pay rent for vacant accommodation. If we dont roll out an increase and an extension of the SUSI grant, the financial impact will be disproportionate amongst students in lower socio-economic groups.
Against that background, how likely are Faucis cautions to be heard by the 44% of Americans who approve of Trumps response to the pandemic? It is more probable that they will focus less on Faucis words than on the sight of a man of science apparently vouching for Trumps pronouncements.
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Press Club and the National Press Club Journalism Institute stand with Voice of America and its director, Amanda Bennett, against unsupported criticism by the White House of its coronavirus coverage.

Bennett is a highly respected journalist who has been a staunch advocate of the independence guaranteed in The VOA Charter signed by President Gerald R. Ford in 1976. To claim, as the White House has done, that VOA has been reporting Chinese propaganda flies in the face of the facts. VOA has reported on the Chinese undercount of coronavirus deaths in the city of Wuhan, reported on China's misleading count of cases testing positive and reported on China's use of Twitter to spread disinformation globally.

"From its founding during World War II to combat Nazi propaganda with accurate and unbiased information, the Voice of America has consistently served the world in a manner in which all Americans can and should be proud," said National Press Club President Michael Freedman. "From Edward R. Murrow to Amanda Bennett, VOA has represented the best in journalism and we stand firmly behind its reporters, who are dedicated to truth and accuracy."

"The attacks from the president and from White House officials not only undermine VOA's mission, but they pierce a firewall that is supposed to protect the publicly financed news agency from political interference," said NPC Journalism Institute President Angela Greiling Keane.

When Amanda Bennett was honored with the National Press Club's Fourth Estate Award last year, she said: "Here's what we do do: We broadcast all around the world the uncensored version of speeches. The unheard views of opposition parties. The stories of disappeared teachers, politicians, journalists  sometimes even whole populations. And we also show the world America in all its -- yes, greatness  and also its flaws and faults. We are as independent as all of you are, and  again  God willing, we stay that way. As we say, we broadcast the First Amendment."

The National Press Club, The World's Leading Professional Organization for Journalists, represents more than 3,000 reporters, editors and professional communicators worldwide. The Club's nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.

PRESS CONTACT: LINDSAY UNDERWOOD FOR THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB; [email protected]; (202) 662-7561

SOURCE National Press Club

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Technavio has been monitoring the failure analysis test equipment market, and it is poised to grow by USD 2.17 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005282/en/

Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. A&D Company, Limited, ADVANTEST CORPORATION, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, JEOL Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and ZEISS International are some of the major market participants. The growth of end-user industries will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

The growth of end-user industries has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market is segmented as below:

Product Focused Ion Beam Dual Beam System Electron Microscope

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download the latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31019

Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our failure analysis test equipment market report covers the following areas:

Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market size

Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market trends

Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market industry analysis

This study identifies the increasing popularity of correlative electron microscopy as one of the prime reasons driving the failure analysis test equipment market growth during the next few years.

Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the failure analysis test equipment market, including some of the vendors such as A&D Company, Limited, ADVANTEST CORPORATION, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, JEOL Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and ZEISS International. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the failure analysis test equipment market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Failure Analysis Test Equipment Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023

Detailed information on factors that will assist failure analysis test equipment market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the failure analysis test equipment market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the failure analysis test equipment market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of failure analysis test equipment market vendors

Table Of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2.1 Preface

2.2 Preface

2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

Market definition

Market sizing 2018

Market size and forecast 2018-2023

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT

Market segmentation by product

Comparison by product

Focused ion beam Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Dual beam system Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Electron microscope Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Market opportunity by product

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023

MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023

South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023

Key leading countries

Market opportunity

PART 09: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 10: MARKET TRENDS

PART 11: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

PART 12: VENDOR ANALYSIS

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

A&D Company, Limited

ADVANTEST CORPORATION

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation

JEOL Ltd.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

ZEISS International

PART 13: APPENDIX

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

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Se Rin tried to contact Ga Hyun and Hyung Jo but nobody picked up. A few hours later, Ga Hyun felt the urge to search for Se Rin, so she called Hyun Jo. They tracked her phone and found it at the side of the road broken but Se Rin was nowhere to be seen. Ga Hyun recalled that Young Woong's phone was with Se Rin.

They contacted the number but it couldn't be reached, so they tracked Young Woong's phone instead. It led them to a dark lot under road sewage. Hyung Jo took out his flashlight and saw Se Rin's dead body. He called the police right away. Ga Hyun was devastated about Se Rin's death.

Jung Tae is the primary suspect as the police found his house with marks of Se Rin and ropes all over the place. Hyung Jo tried to check the log in calls of Se Rin's number, it was Lee Shin's number she talked with. They summoned Lee Shin for a police interview of Se Rin's case. Hyung Jo asked about the recording videos of Lee Shin's clinic. Shin explained that she only advised Se Rin to stay outside Seoul but she didn't follow.

Meanwhile, on the night of Se Rin's murder, Jung Tae went to Zhen's Clinic to ask help from Lee Shin. He mentioned that Se Rin escaped when he tried to bring her to the hospital. Lee shin explained that they couldn't do anything since time is not enough to save Se Rin.

Sa Kyung was one of the detectives who checked the recording videos of Jung Tae's neighbors. They saw a man wearing a black coat, and Hyung Jo recognized him as Jae Young. They summoned him for interrogation but he got his lawyer with him, so he was released right away. Jae Young is the son of the Ministry of Education.

A group of men took Jung Tae in a secret place, they tied him and threatened to kill him if he released videos of Jae Young's deed. They threatened him that they will make his sister suffer if he doesn't stay away from Jae Young.

Hyung Jo and his team got recordings from Se Rin's phone. They found out that before Se Rin's death, she was able to encounter Jae Young outside her apartment. He was looking for Young Woong. Another video recording Hyung Jo got hold of from the building where Se Rin stayed. Hyung Jo used the voice recording and video to summon Jae Young for interrogation. During their interview, he asked him if he killed Se Rin but Jae Young denied all the allegations.

Lee Shin sent the video recordings of Se Rin and her activities. Hyung Jo checked the video and saw Jung Tae visited Lee Shin before Se Rin's death. He stayed and talked with Lee Shin on matters they only knew. This left Jung Tae out of the picture as one of the suspects. Jung Tae tried to contact Hyung Jo and asked to meet him so they could talk. He went home and stayed in his place while waiting for Hyung Jo.

A few minutes after, his doorbell rang. He opened the door and as he turned around, he got stabbed several times. He looked up and uttered the word "detective."

Ga Hyun created a map around her board of the resetters who died in the past. She found out that all the victims died near the Makang Police station. It's the area where Hyung Jo is assigned. She tried to reach him. Then, the phone of the man in Jung Tae's house who was holding the knife started ringing.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana captured the hearts of many around the globe when they tied the knot in a fairytale-like wedding ceremony in 1981. But their marriage didnt resemble anything you find in a storybook.

Charles was in love with someone else and the princess didnt know how to cope or where to turn when he went astray. Charles extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles was no secret to his wife or the rest of his family and one person who tried to intervene was his father, Prince Philip. The Duke of Edinburgh wasnt shocked that his son was having an affair but he was taken aback that Charles wanted to leave Diana for Camilla. Read on to find out what Philip told the princess about that.

Prince Philip and Princess Diana | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Prince Philip initially encouraged his son to have an affair

According to Princess Diana, it was actually Prince Philip who put the idea in his sons head that it was OK to have an affair.

My father-in-law said to my husband if your marriage doesnt work out, you can always go back to her after five years, Diana alleged in her recordings shown in the documentary Diana: In Her Own Words. Which is exactlyI mean, for real I knew that it had happened after five [years]I knew something was happening before that but the fifth year I had confirmation.

What Philip told Princess Diana about Charles choice to leave her

Princess Diana and Prince Philip | Eric BOUVET/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Although Philip may not have had a problem with Charles cheating on his wife, he certainly didnt want his son leaving her for his mistress. When that possibility came about, the royal family patriarch began writing letters and corresponding back and forth with Diana.

Charles was silly to risk everything with Camilla for a man in his position, the duke reportedly wrote to his then daughter-in-law. We never dreamed he might feel like leaving you for her. I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind leaving you for Camilla. Such a prospect never even entered our heads.

Eventually though, it became clear that the future king and Diana werent going to reconcile and at that point Philip threw in the towel.

If invited, I will always do my utmost to help you and Charles to the best of my ability. But I am quite ready to concede that I have no talent as a marriage counselor, he said.

Philip was furious with Charles over his public announcement

Prince Charles and Prince Philip | Tim Graham/Getty Images

After the Prince and Princess of Wales separated, Charles infuriated his father and caused the family more embarrassment when he did a TV interview and admitted that he cheated on Diana during their marriage.

Did you try to be faithful and honorable to your wife when you took the vow of marriage? broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby asked the prince.

Yes, Charles responded before adding, until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried.

Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, one year before the princess died following a car crash in Paris. In 2005, the future king married Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Read more: Who Princess Diana Really Thought Prince Charles Wanted to Marry After They Divorced (It Wasnt Camilla Parker Bowles)
End to Saudi-led aggression, blockade will secure peace in Yemen: Top Houthi official

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 6:15 PM

A senior Houthi official says any possible peace plan to end the Saudi-led war in Yemen must envisage the cessation of the ongoing military campaign, lifting the all-out Saudi blockade as well as adoption of humanitarian and economic measures in favor of the war-ravaged country as demanded by the Yemeni nation.

"We have received a response from the UN special envoy for Yemen (Martin Griffiths) concerning the comprehensive solution plan. We are currently studying it," Chairman of Yemen's Supreme Revolutionary Committee Mohammed Ali al-Houthi wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.

He added, "What we presented in the plan does not lay down any strict condition, but rather reflect the aspirations of the (Yemeni) people for a durable peace."

On April 9, the Houthi Ansarullah movement presented to the United Nations a comprehensive peace plan aimed at ending the conflict in Yemen.

The plan reportedly consists of three pivotal issues: it demands a ceasefire and a complete halt to the Saudi-led onslaught, abolition of the tight blockade imposed on Yemen, adoption of economic and humanitarian measures and initiation of the inter-Yemeni political process.

Last Friday, Griffiths gave Yemen's warring parties revised proposals for a nationwide ceasefire and the urgent resumption of peace talks.

"These proposals represent a realistic and comprehensive package to enable Yemen to break from the violence and suffering of the past and take a historic step toward peace," Griffiths said in a statement.

The UN Security Council later on Friday reiterated its support for Griffiths, and repeated its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and "an urgent return to de-escalation."

Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 in order to bring the country's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crush Ansarullah movement.

The US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, estimates that the war has claimed more than 100,000 lives over the past five years.

According to the UN, Yemen remains the world's worst humanitarian disaster as nearly 80 percent of the population requires some form of humanitarian assistance and protection.

Ten million people are a step away from famine while seven million are malnourished, the world body says.

It has also warned that nearly 14 million people depend on humanitarian aid every month.

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Workers produce masks at TNG Investment and Trading Joint-stock Company. Photo: congthuong.vn

Not only Garment Corporation 10, the TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company has also exported masks to Europe for nearly a month. Millions of antimicrobial face masks were exported to France, Belgium and Germany. Mr. Nguyen Van Thoi, Chairman of TNG Company, said there is an open door for export of antimicrobial face masks to the US.



On April 6th, the company presented 500 antimicrobial face masks to New York City Police Department. However, the business is waiting for some kinds of certificates from the US for official export. They are expected to be completed by next week.

Apart from antimicrobial face masks, Mr. Thoi also revealed plans to produce medical masks from the middle of May. The production line and materials for manufacturing medical masks have been imported by TNG and will be at the factory in 40 days. "We will start the production of medical masks immediately after having the production lines and materials, as there is a large output market for the product at present, said Mr. Thoi.

According to General Director of the Garment Coporation 10, export orders of masks account for nearly 30% of their revenue this year, contributing to ensure stable jobs for nearly 12,000 workers. Similarly, TNGs domestic sales in the first quarter of this year reached more than VND63 billion, a year-o-year increase of 10%, of which, masks are the main items contributing to the revenue.

Besides face masks, garment businesses are rapidly investing in production lines and machines for protective clothing, as the export markets are opening up to this product during the complex development of COVID-19 globally./.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attended the last of their engagements before their official Mar. 31 exit from the royal family. Now that the dust has settled after their departure, one expert claims that its a sad development for Queen Elizabeth and, though they will recover, it was a letdown for the British people.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Ben Birchall  WPA Pool / Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan had been planning their exit

Long before Prince Harry and Meghan announced their plan to step back from their royal roles, they had been mulling over the idea. It wasnt a decision they made lightly and, according to one close friend of the couple, Prince Harry had dropped a hint about quitting six months prior to their January announcement.

Primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall had been interviewed by Harry for the issue of Vogue that was guest-edited by Meghan in summer 2019 and spent some time with the couple, meeting their baby, Archie.

At the end [of the conversation] Meghan came in to listen with Archie, Goodall shared with Daily Mail Weekend Magazine. He was very tiny and very sleepy  not too pleased to be passed from his mummy. I think I was one of the first to cuddle him outside the family.

I made Archie do the queens wave, saying, I suppose hell have to learn this, she noted, to which Harry responded, No, hes not growing up like that.

The queen supported their decision

When the Sussexes announced their plan, many wondered how much the queen was in the loop. Queen Elizabeth called a special meeting with Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles to hammer out the details and come to an agreement. It was decided that Prince Harry and Meghan would have to give up using their HRH titles and would no longer receive public funding as part of the arrangement.

The queen offered her support in a statement that shared the specifics of their exit plan. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family. I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life, she noted in her statement

The statement added: I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole familys hope that todays agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.

Their exit is sad for the queen

In speaking with the New Yorker, former press secretary at Buckingham Palace Dickie Arbiter commented on how the exit impacted the royal family and the British people.

It is sad for the Queen  at ninety-three, the last thing she wants to see is her family disappear into the sunset  and it is also a letdown for the British people, the royal commentator shared.

Arbiter continued, But the British people are stoic, and they get on with it. And, if thats what Harry and Meghan want, good luck to them.
Yemenis gear up for possible outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Yemen

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Coronavirus outbreaks across the Middle East threaten to shatter the lives of millions of already destitute people in conflict zones, and could fuel socio-economic upheaval, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday.

Curfews and lockdowns imposed as public health measures to stem spread of the virus are already making it difficult or impossible for many to provide for their families, it said.

The Geneva-based agency called for authorities in the volatile region to prepare for a "potentially devastating aftermath" and a "socio-economic earthquake".

"The Middle East is today facing the twin threats of potential mass virus outbreaks in conflict zones and looming socio-economic upheaval. Both crises could have severe humanitarian consequences," Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East, said in the statement.

In an interview, he told Reuters that the aftermath of the epidemic could be worse than the disease itself, "because on top of the conflict, on top of the violence, they will have to deal with the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. And it's really scary," he said at a largely empty ICRC headquarters.

SUPPLIES FOR PRISONS IN SYRIA, IRAQ

Millions already lack health care, food, water and electricity in conflict-hit countries where prices are rising and infrastructure damaged, the ICRC said.

Millions of Syrians displaced in their homeland and refugees who have fled to Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan are especially vulnerable, as are people in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition has declared a ceasefire in a five-year old conflict.

Carboni said that the ICRC had provided its first hygiene kits and protective material for 10 central prisons in Syria that are run by the interior ministry.

Overcrowding and conditions would make it hard to contain any outbreaks, he said. "We are in dialogue with authorities to expand the support to all places of detention."

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Throughout Syria's conflict now in its 10th year, health infrastructure and personnel have been "deliberated targeted", which "weakens the collective response" to COVID-19, he said.

"Water projects need to function, pumping stations just can't stop functioning. Millions of Syrians are totally dependent on food distribution, you can't stop this," Carboni added.

"It is true in Syria but it's true in many countries affected by conflict, you need to work on both sides - the COVID emergency and the humanitarian assistance."

Protective equipment including disinfectant has also been donated to health facilities and places of detention across Iraq, the statement said.

In Yemen, where fighting between a Saudi-backed government and the Houthis who control the capital has driven millions of people to the brink of starvation, the ICRC said: "Our life-saving support to hospitals, clinics and dialysis centres now includes help with their COVID-19 prevention preparations."

Half of Yemen's health facilities are out of order and frontlines hamper movement, especially near Marib where there is "very active violence and conflict," Carboni said.

The ICRC was not able to supply intensive care units or ventilators in Yemen, he said, noting that even facilities in the West struggle in outbreaks when they are available.

The ICRC regional budget this year is 565.5 million Swiss francs ($585.34 million), more than a third for Syria.

The worst coronavirus outbreak so far in the Middle East is in Iran. The ICRC has donated around $500,000 to the Iranian Red Crescent but has a comparatively small role there, a country with no conflict or major refugee crisis.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Peter Graff)
Economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic deepened on Thursday, as health authorities warned that returning to normal is a distant goal despite many leaders' hopes of reopening stores, factories, airplanes and schools quickly and safely.

Fallout from the virus spread in ways both predictable and devastating, from police torching an illicit food market in Zimbabwe, to emergency flights carrying foreign farm workers to Britain and Germany, to protests at US state capitols against millions of job losses.

New US unemployment figures loomed Thursday. With many factories shut down, American industrial output shrivelled in March, registering its biggest decline since the nation demobilized in 1946 at the end of World War II.

Retail sales fell by an unprecedented 8.7 percent, with April expected to be far worse.

In France, Amazon suspended operations after a court ruled it wasn't doing enough to protect its workers in the country. The online retailer, which has six warehouses in France, said it would evaluate the court decision.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

In Britain, a government survey found that a quarter of companies has suspended business. Cargo traffic at Europe's massive port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands sank 9.3 percent in the first quarter from the same period a year ago and its CEO warned of worse to come.

The World Health Organisation's European chief said optimism that the spread of the virus was declining in Italy, Spain and France was tempered by the knowledge that it was rising or sustained at a high level in Britain, Russia and Turkey.

"The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region," Dr Hans Kluge said.

The International Monetary Fund says fallout from what it calls the "Great Lockdown" will be the most devastating since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

That has made leaders all the more anxious to send people back to work and school and to rebuild economies devastated by the pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people and claimed more than 137,000 lives, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Italy's hardest-hit region of Lombardy is pushing to relaunch manufacturing on May 4, the day that the national lockdown is set to lift. Regional officials are considering ordering companies to stagger opening hours to avoid cramming public transport.

But Italy's deputy economic development minister, Stefan Buffagni, called the plan premature.

In China, where the virus first emerged in December, even people who still have jobs have been wary of spending much or going out. Some Chinese cities tried reassuring consumers by showing officials eating in restaurants.

In Zhengzhou, salesman Zhang Hu in was back at work but his income plummeted because few are buying the 20-ton trucks he sells.

The US began issuing one-time payments this week to tens of millions of people as part of its $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package. But another part of the relief package, a $350 billion paycheck protection program aimed at small businesses, is running dry after being open for only a matter of days.

Negotiations were accelerating in Washington over a $250 billion emergency request to help.

The US has seen nearly 640,000 infections - more than the next four countries put together - and leads the world with nearly 31,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Experts say, however, the true toll of the pandemic is much higher due to limited testing, uneven counting of deaths and some governments' attempts to downplay their outbreaks.

Despite the relief checks, Americans have begun to protest the virus restrictions that have put at least 17 million out of work, closed factories and brought many small businesses to their knees.

In Michigan and Oklahoma, thousands came out to protest the virus lockdowns they say have destroyed livelihoods.

In Michigan's northern Leelanau County, Sheriff Mike Borkovich said enforcing the coronavirus restrictions was taking a toll.

"People are frantic to get back to work. They have been very edgy," Borkovich told The Associated Press.

President Donald Trump said he's prepared new guidelines for easing social distancing, even as business leaders told him more testing and personal protective equipment were essential first.

In Brussels, the pandemic was making the European Union redraw all of its budget plans to focus on tackling the coronavirus pandemic. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the 27-nation bloc's next trillion-euro budget will have to be re-imagined as "the mother-ship of our recovery".

Troubling data indicate the worst may still be to come in many parts of the world.

Japan's prime minister announced he would expand a state of emergency to the entire country, rather than just urban areas, as the virus continued to spread.

The British government was set Thursday to extend a nationwide lockdown for several more weeks, as health officials say the coronavirus outbreak in the country is peaking. Britain was still expected to see its first flight of Romanian farm workers, and more than 30,000 other workers registered for flights to Germany to help plant and harvest.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged stepped-up efforts to prepare Africa for the virus, warning that the continent "could end up suffering the greatest impacts".

In Zimbabwe, where food was scarce even before the pandemic, police raided a market, torching 3 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables and scattering farmers who had broken travel restrictions to try to sell their wares. (AP)

SCY .

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
Meghan Markle may be back in Los Angeles, but she remains so near yet so far from her beloved mom.

Like millions of families all over the world, Meghan feels alone while in self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. A source claimed that her first few weeks back in Los Angeles have been difficult.

A Double Blow

The coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for Meghan Markle and her mother to get together.

"Despite being back in her home city, this isn't the dream of returning home she'd imagined," a source said.

The source added that the current world health crisis has made it impossible for Meghan to push through with her plans.

"It's been a very isolating and lonely time for Meghan, who was desperate to get to her mum and have her be with her grandson, who she's missing desperately."

COVID-19 has particularly hit California hard, with the number of infected patients growing every day. It was the first state in the U.S. to issue statewide restrictions. The lockdown in the state has also been extended until May 15, which means that Meghan and Harry would not be able to celebrate Archie's first birthday with Doria.

The source added that Meghan did not just plan to be close to her mom. She also wanted to celebrate their son's birthday with her. But with how things are because of the coronavirus, it seems Meghan will have to suffer yet another blow.

Close To Mom

It has always been Meghan's dream to live closer to her mom, but the coronavirus pandemic shattered her plans. When their resignation from the royal family was finalized on March 31, the first thing she did was to fly closer to where her mom was.

Meghan, Prince Harry, and their son Archie flew to Los Angeles just before the U.S. and Canada closed their borders.

However, upon their arrival, they were told that it would be too dangerous to be isolating with her mom Doria, so Meghan had to settle somewhere else.

While Meghan may not be able to take care of her 63-year old mother like she wants to due to her celebrity status, she has always made sure that her mom does not feel alone. She checks up on her as often as she can.

"Doria lives alone, which is a big worry for Meghan," the source added. The source also said that Meghan feels helpless despite her celebrity status.

"Due to her high profile, she can't just nip over and drop in groceries, so she feels a sense of helplessness at being so close but not being able to be with her."

Meghan remains hopeful, though, that the lockdown would not take too long.

"Meghan's praying it doesn't go on too long and has been checking in three to four times a day, as well as having staff on hand to deliver anything Doria needs to her home."

Meghan, Harry, and Archie had relocated to Los Angeles, California a few days before Canada and the U.S. decided to impose a lockdown and cancel all the flights. The pair have announced that they plan to use the lockdown to rethink their plans and refocus their goals.
In the Yemeni city of Taiz, hospital workers scarred by five years of war are attempting to prepare for a new enemy.

This is a country where 80% of the population - some 24 million people - require humanitarian aid.

If coronavirus is pushing the healthcare systems of wealthy European nations to the brink, it isn't difficult to see how devastating an outbreak would be here.

Dr Abdulaziz Qassem is fearing the worst.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF CORONAVIRUS TEAM AT JOUMHURIYA HOSPITAL, DR. ABDULAZIZ QASSEM, SAYING:

"There isn't any equipment, not even personal protective equipment for doctors and healthcare workers. We the doctors don't have any protective clothing and we will be the first line of defence in front of corona cases, if they reach us, God forbid."

The pandemic has yet to make clear inroads in Yemen - as far as we know.

Very little testing has taken place.

So far, only one case has been confirmed.

But only one is required to start a deadly outbreak - and aid groups worry what might be about to hit this badly malnourished nation.

The World Health Organization has major concerns about how hospitals will cope.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) WHO'S EMERGENCIES EXPERT, MICHAEL RYAN, SAYING:

"Ventilation is going to be a huge challenge. It's going to be a major, major challenge, and not just the ventilators but more the technicians to run those ventilators."

New testing kits have now arrived, meaning thousands more will get the chance to be tested.

Hope, perhaps.

But the sight of rusty oxygen tanks in Sanaa's Kuwait hospital paints a rather different story about Yemen's prospects of tackling the virus.

This is a country ravaged by war - one where nearly four million people have been displaced - among the poorest and most impoverished in the world.

Coronavirus is a battle they, more than anyone, can do without.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have joined with governors on their respective coasts to plan for restarting parts of the economy. (Associated Press)

On Monday, President Trump in a tweet compared himself to William Bligh, captain of the HMS Bounty, whose sailors tied him up and cut him adrift in the South Pacific in 1789.

Bligh is a favorite bloated villain of pop melodrama, long portrayed as a victim of his own sadism and paranoia. Sometimes even Trump hits the nail on the head.

Earlier that day, governors from the West and East coasts had formed coalitions committed to making public health the first consideration in any plan to restart their economies during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Western States Pact and the Multi-State Council  heroic names straight out of Tolkien or "The Hunger Games"  promised to pursue policies grounded in science, rationality and common sense.

The states effort comes as Trump has shown that his own approach to the COVID-19 pandemic is vindictiveness, vanity and lies.

So, yes, the governors are pulling off a kind of mutiny, but it has to be the most responsible and reasonable mutiny in history. No muskets or bayonets, although its plenty aggressive, mounted by some of the richest and most powerful states in the union  California, Oregon, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Nonetheless, the two plans represent less a rebellion than civilized, disciplined, even elegant governance.

In this version of a mutiny, Trumps Fletcher Christian might be played not by snarling Marlon Brando but Anderson Cooper  or, better yet, the unflappable John Slattery of Mad Men. Hed brandish not a cutlass but ineluctable logic: We must continue to mitigate this deadly pandemic while gradually reopening the economy.

When demented Trump is captain, logic itself seems mutinous.

On Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to Trumps Capt. Bligh tweet. The president indicated hed relish a showdown with Democrat Governors. Said Cuomo: Yeah, no.

Trump, Cuomo observed, was spoiling for a fight he wasnt going to get. The governors of the collaborating states, he said, were just doing their jobs, invoking their constitutional authority to decide public health policy in their own states.

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And far from an act of war, the formation of the coalitions implies an act of conscientious objection. A refusal to bow and scrape to Trump, of course. But also a refusal to fight one another for federal resources, or for Trumps attention and fleeting favor.

To make this point, Cuomo turned to a cultural reference of his own, throwing down a surprisingly high-minded gauntlet in a showdown between two Queens natives. He mentioned a line from the pacifist poet Carl Sandburg that was paraphrased by Vietnam War resistors: Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come.

The message is clear: If Trump wants a fight, these governors plan to skip it. They have too much else on their minds  namely, their oaths of office.

The Western States Pact, signed by Californias Gov. Gavin Newsom, asserts just three points: Our residents health comes first. Health outcomes and science  not politics  will guide these decisions. And our states will only be effective by working together. The statement of the Multi-State Council on the East Coast is just as straightforward.

How could efforts so mild and reasoned get under Trumps skin?

Without addressing Trump's failures as a leader, the governors have cooly reminded the president that, whatever yawp he might issue about his total authority, hes wrong. The Constitution grants state governors "police powers" to enforce behavior in the event of a public health crisis.

The American people have seen the judiciary, under Atty. Gen. William Barr, truckle to Trump when it declined to charge him with obstruction of justice in spite of copious evidence of just such wrongdoing.

And weve seen the Republican-led Senate, with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) at the helm, truckle to Trump when it refused even to try him for high crimes and misdemeanors, again in spite of copious evidence.

But the allied governors arent truckling.

As of this writing, there are more than 600,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, where the virus has caused the deaths of some 28,000 people. (Last Saturday, my aunt was one of them.)

On Wednesday, Trump flailed around and even seemed to retreat from his total authority claim. He framed it this way, sounding petulant: "I will then be authorizing each individual governor of each individual state to implement a reopening, a very powerful reopening plan of their state at a time and in a manner as most appropriate."

Sure, bud. Authorize away.

The governors, as they well know and we should too, dont need Trumps authority. They have stated their intention to act rationally on behalf of their citizens. And this time its Trump who has truckled.

Now thats a mutiny even Fletcher Christian couldnt have pulled off.

@page88
As the media begins to roil with reports of bank delays in the distribution of business recovery loans from the government plan to save business from the effects of quarantine and closure, it is important to ask if there is more to the story than the mere miserly attitude of the run-of-the-mill bank.

Back in early 2000, Barney Frank and a lot of other politicians passed legislation forcing banks to throw away traditional mortgage underwriting guidelines to make mortgages to low-income Americans (or no income Americans). If the banks didnt, they would not get permission to open new branches and grow. That contributed largely to the 2008 financial crisis, in which eight trillion dollars in mortgages failed, an amount that broke the system because it simply couldnt all be insured. The very same politicians then blamed the banks for reckless lending and resisted the bailouts.

Now, as part of the federal relief plan for businesses affected by the coronavirus, the politicians are leveraging banks to give out loans with little due diligence applied to the recipients ability to repay it. The banks, and bankers, including past ones such as myself, see this as more of the same. There is incredible pressure to make unsupported loans with a promise that the government will pay these bad loans off. But as one would reasonably expect, there is no trust. The Small Business Administration (SBA) will -- and I will guarantee this -- come back later and say, "Hey wait a minute, you didnt abide by this degree of minutiae so we are not going to honor our promise to pay the bank back for these loans." Every day the SBA comes out with new rules. If you made a loan yesterday and a new rule comes out today, well, youre plain out of luck. Everyone is dragging their feet waiting for a period and time when the rules are clear and there is less likelihood the banks will be denied reimbursement for the loans that made no sense in the first place.

Banks are being told: dont pay attention to bad credit, dont collect more than one year of data, and do this all on a one-page document. This will result in loan losses of 10% or more. Losses that are normally under 1%. It could destroy hundreds of banks. Loan loss reserves for banks nationally run about 1%. They dont have the capital to absorb 10% in loan losses. The FDIC will come in to close them down long before Congress gets around to paying the banks back, if at all, for any bad loans. And I guarantee that Congress will blame the banks for all these losses.

Should we help out business that are in the rough because of no fault of their own, who are simply abiding by the restrictions imposed on them by the government? Absolutely. But this does not mean that we should destroy our economic recovery before it ever gets started by sloppy work now. Banks want business to succeed, a healthy economy means expansion, more business loans for growth, more avenues for investment. Banks also understand that our struggling local businesses are on life-support and due for emergency surgery if we are to keep them around. However, this does not mean that we should throw away aseptic technique and every other lesson learned through our vivid and recent history of financial carnage.
Brussels: The president of the European Commission has apologised to Italy for the EU's failure to support the country in the early stages of the pandemic.

No other EU country has suffered as greatly as Italy from the pandemic, with more than 21,600 dead and 105,000 people still infected.

Apology: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Credit:AP

To the anger of Italy's politicians, other member states were slow to help in the first weeks of the contagion.

In a significant admission, Ursula von der Leyen tried to heal those wounds in the European Parliament.
Italy's fashion leaders urge Rome to lift restrictions on industry FILE PHOTO: Workers walk past the Giorgio Armani logo outside the theatre where the Italian designer said his Milan Fashion Week show would take place in Milan

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's fashion leaders called on the government on Thursday to loosen restrictions imposed in response to the coronavirus crisis to allow them to resume some production, warning that a prolonged lockdown risked irreparably damaging the sector.

"Fashion is a seasonal industry, and certain dates are not compressible. Not reopening shortly would mean giving up almost a year's turnover," said Carlo Capasa, the chairman of Italy's National Fashion Chamber (CNMI), in an online interview on the website of daily Corriere della Sera.

Current lockdown measures in Italy - the country with the third highest number of confirmed cases after the United States and Spain - have been imposed until May 3.

The government has not disclosed how and when it will start easing a nationwide ban on business activities deemed as non-essential.

Fashion and textile plants throughout the country have shut as they do not fall into the category of essential businesses.

Many labels have reconverted production to make medical devices such as masks and medical overalls to meet rising demand during the emergency.

With a turnover of 95 billion euros ($98 billion) and 600,000 workers, Italy's fashion and textile industry is the second most important nationwide.

It accounts for a 41% share of the sector in Europe, followed by Germany, which represents 11% of the total.

Capasa suggested April 20 as a date to gradually reopen manufacturing activities in order to deliver fall/winter collections on time to shops around the world, and start production of spring/summer collections.

"We are closed, but other countries like France, Spain, Portugal, Turkey are starting to reopen" said Claudio Marenzi, who is in charge of fashion at business lobby Confindustria, pointing out that the ban also had implications for Italy as a supplier.

"This means that some brands may decide to switch to another supply chain, which in Italy is mainly made up of small companies. And once a company closes, you lose the know-how and you never recover," he added.

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Confindustria Moda represents 65,000 companies in the textile, fashion and accessories sectors. Most are small firms with only 15-20 employees, with sales highly dependent on foreign buyers.

Marenzi said Confindustria Moda had signed an agreement with unions over stringent health and security measures to adopt at production sites once these are allowed to reopen.

"(The deal) shows that entrepreneurs and workers are aligned in their will to restart activities and save the Italian fashion industry," he said.

"An economic epidemic could cause more lasting damage than the health one. If we have to live with this virus for so long, then let's live with it," Marenzi said, adding that if the industry could safely make masks and gowns, it could also make clothes.

($1 = 0.9228 euros)

(Reporting by Claudia Cristoferi; Editing by Giulia Segreti and Jan Harvey)
MELBOURNE, Australia and MENLO PARK, Calif., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americans living with a rare genetic disorder that forces them to choose between self-isolation in the dark, or burning reactions from exposure to light, are welcoming an approved treatment for the first time ever. Australian-based company CLINUVEL has launched SCENESSE (afamelanotide)1 in the USA for the rare disease erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), with the first US insurance companies initiating reimbursement for treatment under Prior Authorization or as included in their listed formulary.



Just one in 140,000 Americans is thought to live with EPP, an inherited disorder which causes debilitating invisible reactions whenever patients expose themselves to visible light, particularly sunlight. The innovation SCENESSE was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October as the worlds first systemic photoprotective drug, a hormone protecting patients against any light source and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. More than 30 US insurers nationwide have introduced coverage of SCENESSE through Prior Authorization, acceptance as a specialty drug, or inclusion in their formulary.

EPP is an insidious disorder which forces patients live in the darkness or risk second degree burns, known as phototoxicity, after only a few minutes of exposure to light or sun, CLINUVELs Director of Clinical Affairs and Compliance, Dr Linda Teng said. These patients have lived, lifelong, as social recluses, filled with anxiety towards any light sources.

SCENESSE is the only innovation in its class that has ever been approved by both the European Medicines Agency and FDA for EPP. It allows patients to live a life theyve never known for the first time, Dr Teng said.

More than 1,400 patients have received treatment with SCENESSE in clinical trials, special and compassionate access programs, and under a European marketing authorization. Published peer-reviewed research has reported that the drug can reduce the frequency and severity of phototoxic reactions and, over time, enable patients to alter their lifelong behavior of avoiding outdoors, shunning social contacts and now able to lose their anxiety to light sources.2

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SCENESSE is administered every two months by trained healthcare professionals in accredited Specialty Centers. A maximum of 30 Specialty Centers are being trained nationwide to provide long-term patient care and treatment monitoring.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the globe, the Specialty Centers are still able to offer treatment and the first EPP patients will receive SCENESSE in the coming days. We have been working intensively with the FDA and the Centers over the past several months to get to this point. Our team is immensely proud that, after more than a decade of hard work, the treatment is finally available to our patients, Dr Teng said.

Note to editors: A release to the Australian Securities Exchange is available from www.clinuvel.com

1 SCENESSE (afamelanotide 16mg) is approved in the European Union as an orphan medicinal product for the prevention of phototoxicity in adult patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). SCENESSE is approved in the USA to increase pain free light exposure in adult EPP patients with a history of phototoxicity. Information on the product, including the approved prescribing information, can be found on CLINUVELs website at www.clinuvel.com.

2 Biolcati et al. (2015). Long-term observational study of afamelanotide in 115 patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. The British Journal of Dermatology. 172(6), 16011612.

Langendonk et al. (2015). Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. The New England Journal of Medicine. 373(1), 4859.

Wensink et al. (2020). Association of Afamelanotide With Improved Outcomes in Patients With Erythropoietic Protoporphyria in Clinical Practice. JAMA Dermatology. EPub 18 March 2020.

Authorised for ASX release by the Chairman and CEO of CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LTD

Media enquiries

Monsoon Communications

Mr Rudi Michelson, 613 9620 3333, rudim@monsoon.com.au

Level 1, 121 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000

About CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED

CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LTD (ASX: CUV; NASDAQ INTERNATIONAL DESIGNATION ADR: CLVLY; XETRA-DAX: UR9) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering treatments for patients with a range of severe genetic and skin disorders. As pioneers in photomedicine and understanding the interaction of light and human biology, CLINUVELs research and development has led to innovative treatments for patient populations with a clinical need for photoprotection and repigmentation. These patient groups range in size from 5,000 to 45 million worldwide. CLINUVELs lead compound, SCENESSE (afamelanotide 16mg), was approved by the European Commission in 2014 and the US Food and Drug Administration in 2019 for the prevention of phototoxicity (anaphylactoid reactions and burns) in adult patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). More information on EPP can be found at http://www.epp.care . Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, CLINUVEL has operations in Europe, Singapore and the USA. For more information please go to http://www.clinuvel.com .

SCENESSE is a registered trademark of CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the current beliefs and expectations of CLINUVELs management. Statements may involve several known and unknown risks that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to develop and commercialise pharmaceutical products, including our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell biopharmaceutical products; competition for our products, especially SCENESSE (afamelanotide 16mg); our ability to achieve expected safety and efficacy results through our innovative R&D efforts; the effectiveness of our patents and other protections for innovative products, particularly in view of national and regional variations in patent laws; our potential exposure to product liability claims to the extent not covered by insurance; increased government scrutiny in either Australia, the U.S., Europe and Japan of our agreements with third parties and suppliers; our exposure to currency fluctuations and restrictions as well as credit risks; the effects of reforms in healthcare regulation and pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement; that the Company may incur unexpected delays in the outsourced manufacturing of SCENESSE which may lead to it being unable to supply its commercial markets and/or clinical trial programs; any failures to comply with any government payment system (i.e. Medicare) reporting and payment obligations; uncertainties surrounding the legislative and regulatory pathways for the registration and approval of biotechnology based products; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding approval of our products as well as their decisions regarding label claims; uncertainties derived from COVID-19 pandemics and its effects on global economies and business execution affecting CLINUVEL; any failure to retain or attract key personnel and managerial talent; the impact of broader change within the pharmaceutical industry and related industries; potential changes to tax liabilities or legislation; environmental risks; and other factors that have been discussed in our 2019 Annual Report. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation, outside of those required under applicable laws or relevant listing rules of the Australian Securities Exchange, to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information on the forecasts and estimates is available on request. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance.
The IMF says the coronavirus pandemic is causing the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression.

IMF report

The latest IMF report highlights the dire economic situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the April 14th publication, the IMFs research department said it expects the global economy to contract by 3% in 2020. This assumes the outbreak runs its course in the next couple of months and lockdowns start to lift to restart economic activity.

The outlook for this year is certainly bleak, but the rebound in 2021 is expected to deliver global economic growth of 5.8%. Thats an impressive recovery, and investors should position their portfolios to benefit.

Lets take a look at two top Canadian stocks that give RRSP investors exposure to a global economic recovery.

Brookfield Asset Management

Brookfield Asset Management (TSX:BAM.A)(NYSE:BAM) is an alternative asset management firm with more than $540 billion of assets spread out across various sectors. The main areas of interest include real estate, renewable energy, infrastructure, private equity, and credit. The holdings include 2,000 assets located in more than 30 countries.

The company has a strong history dating back 120 years, and management leverages all that experience to make strategic investments in long-life, high-quality assets and businesses.

A solid balance sheet and access to significant capital give Brookfield Asset Management an advantage when top assets become available at cheap prices. The global economic rout is putting pressure on its real estate portfolios, but there will also be opportunities to deploy funds to position for the rebound.

The stock trades near $47 compared to $60 in February. Investors who had the courage to buy at the March closing low near $32 are already sitting on some nice gains, but more upside should be on the way once the global economy gets back on its feet.

Bank of Nova Scotia

Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS)(NYSE:BNS) trades for close to $54 per share compared to $74 before the market crash.

Story continues

Canadas third-largest bank invested billions of dollars in recent years to build a significant presence in Latin America. That exposure is part of the reason the stock is down so much. The core focus is on the Pacific Alliance countries, including Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Colombia. The reliance on commodity markets puts these economies at risk of significant downturns during the current crisis.

The long-term outlook, however, should be positive in the international group. Banking penetration is less than 50% in the Pacific Alliance countries. A rising middle class will boost demand for loans and investment products.

In Canada, additional volatility should be expected in the banking sector. The market might not yet realize the full impact of the lockdowns on businesses and homeowners. Defaults are expected to surge, but Bank of Nova Scotia has the capital to ride out the rough times, and the dividend should be safe.

Investors who buy the stock today can pick up a 6.7% yield. Any dip back to the March low around $47 should be viewed as a buying opportunity.

The bottom line

Brookfield Asset Management and Bank of Nova Scotia are high-quality businesses. Investors who own the shares get good access to global markets ahead of the expected economic rebound.

If you are searching for cheap stocks to add to a buy-and-hold RRSP portfolio, these names deserve to be on your radar.

The post RRSP Investors: 2 Cheap Canadian Stocks to Harness the Global Economic Recovery appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Brookfield Asset Management. The Motley Fool recommends BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA and BROOKFIELD ASSET MANAGEMENT INC. CL.A LV. Fool contributor Andrew Walker has no position in any stock mentioned.

The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020
A Platte County sheriffs deputy was responding to a reported family fight earlier this month when he shot and killed a man holding a double-sided ax, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation said Wednesday.

The investigative agency declined to name the sheriffs deputy in a prepared statement issued by email in response to a series of Star-Tribune requests for information regarding the shooting. DCI, did, however, identify the deceased man as David M. Cain, 36.

DCIs Interim Director Forrest Frosty Williams said in response to follow up question that he would not release the deputys name on the basis of a request by Sheriff Clyde Harris.

According to the statement, on April 1 a member of the mans family called 911 and said a disturbance between two brothers was ongoing at a house southeast of Wheatland. When a deputy arrived at the house, Cain  who was already holding the ax  confronted him, according to DCI.
Penn Medicine T-cell therapy pioneer Carl June has joined the global race to find therapies for the coronavirus. Read more

The coronavirus is giving a new direction to Carl Junes life  after menacing it.

June is the Penn Medicine researcher whose lab pioneered T-cell immune therapy, a revolutionary, albeit fabulously expensive, one-time treatment that has cured blood cancer patients who were terminally ill.

It turns out that the worst coronavirus infections often trigger an immune-system overreaction that is also a side effect of the T-cell therapy, now made by Novartis and branded Kymriah.

Thats why June is joining the pell-mell global race to find medicines for COVID-19, and publishing papers about likely candidates. Actemra, a rheumatoid arthritis drug that Junes team used as an antidote to Kymriahs immune overstimulation, is now in clinical trials for severe COVID-19. And June has proposed a trial of cyclosporine, an immune suppressant long used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients.

Lanky and fit at 66, June is also newly recovered from the disease that has killed more than 140,000 people worldwide. While he didnt need to be admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, he felt as if he were coughing up a lung.

I was sick for about three weeks, said June, who before the pandemic regularly biked to work from his Merion Station home. I dont know where I got [infected], but I do a lot of traveling. My case was mild to moderate.

 READ MORE: A Cherry Hill man with COVID-19 hopes for experimental plasma treatment

Hes now trying to donate his plasma, he added during an interview last week. Penn is among many centers testing the theory that coronavirus-fighting antibodies in recovered patients blood plasma may help critically ill patients.

Coronavirus has a way to outwit the immune system, June said. Thats why the illness drags on.

Redundant efforts

Besides plasma, the mainstream media have focused on two other potential treatments: hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that President Donald Trump has touted; and remdesivir, the experimental antiviral made by Gilead that was not effective against the Ebola virus.

 READ MORE: Hydroxychloroquine is not proven to work against the coronavirus. Why not just try it?

But doctors around the world  especially in China, where the coronavirus emerged  are desperately trying a long list of other drugs, as well as alternative therapies. More than 500 clinical trials, and counting, are underway. There are so many that websites have been created to keep track, and to help recruit the millions of participants needed for the studies.

The fingers-crossed list includes antivirals that usually treat hepatitis C and the AIDS virus; anti-inflammatory drugs used for a lung-scarring disease; steroids and other immune-suppressants; cancer drugs that inhibit blood-vessel formation; cancer drugs that cut a brake on the immune response; stem cells; and experimental drugs in the pipeline for various conditions.

The urgency only heightens flaws in the drug-development process.

There are many redundant trials, not prioritized based on science but on companies portfolios, June said. They use patients up. It doesnt allocate basic resources wisely."

For example, he said, there are at least 16 trials of drugs like Genentechs Actemra, also called tocilizumab. These drugs block one of the powerful inflammation-causing cytokines that send the immune system into overdrive.

Nearly eight years ago, a cytokine storm almost killed 7-year-old Emily Whitehead, the first child to receive the experimental T-cell therapy at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. She was days from dying of leukemia. But the therapy  made by genetically engineering her T cells to attack her cancer  sent her into a tailspin of organ failure.

Junes team saved her with a medical Hail Mary: Actemra, which is now approved to treat the cytokine storm. Emilys 15th birthday is next month.

Actemra has relieved severe COVID-19 in a small study in China, and, anecdotally, in at least one dramatic case in the United States.

 READ MORE: Experimental coronavirus vaccine given to Philadelphia volunteers

June said hes confident Actemra will prove effective, but they cant afford it in India. They need something cheap.

Thats the advantage of cyclosporine.

Carl was particularly interested because its off patent, its affordable, theres a good supply, and it could be very helpful in the developing world, said Emma Meagher, Penn Medicines chief clinical research officer.

 ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters.

Penns ethics-review board is now considering Junes proposal for a small trial to see if giving cyclosporine to patients soon after hospitalization can prevent the immune overreaction.

But the risk-benefit trade-off is dicey, Meagher explained. The release of inflammatory proteins in COVID-19 is slower and less severe than with T-cell therapy, so reducing the bodys natural defenses could backfire, maybe upping the chances of pneumonia. And while lab studies suggest cyclosporine could reduce the virus ability to reproduce, it might actually do just the opposite.

For June, the coronavirus brings him full circle, back to infectious disease. The U.S. Naval Academy grad spent the early part of his career researching the AIDS virus alongside government scientists including Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, who are now leading the federal public health response to the pandemic. June is sanguine that the coronavirus crisis, like the AIDS crisis, will force changes for the better.

I think were going to come out of this with lessons that help us change, he said. Thats the small silver lining.
Eminent physician and one of the



members of the state-appointed Global Advisory Board to fight COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, on Thursday said hydroxychloroquine can be taken in prescribed doses by frontline health workers in COVID-19 battle it should not be used by everyone.

Health workers who came in contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases, or with other doctors treating such patients can have hydroxychloroquine as per dosage prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Mukherjee said.

The doctor, who was present at the press meet of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said the medicine was being used for 20-25 years for auto-immune diseases.

He said an inhabitant of a house from where a coronavirus infection has been reported can take the tablet in the prescribed dosage.

However, it is advisable to check if there are complications with the eye or heart if the patient is diabetic, the eminent doctor said.

It cannot be used by everyone, the senior physician cautioned adding that overuse of the drug is not good.

Mukherjee said COVID-19 deaths in the state are being defined as per well-established norms set throughout the country and the world.

Opposition parties have been charging the state government with hiding the actual number of deaths caused by coronavirus infection.

The total number of cases in West Bengal now stands at 188, while 10 patients died so far.

The Covid-19 situation in West Bengal is "comparatively better" compared to several other states, but everyone should cooperate to make the lockdown successful, he said.

"We have to strictly enforce social distancing at this juncture to ensure there is no transmission in coming weeks," said the Global Advisory Board member.

Earlier this month, the chief minister announced the formation of the "Global Advisory Board", a policy-making body which will aid the state government in preparing a roadmap for COVID-19 response in Bengal.

Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee and other eminent personalities from the state are members of the board which will advise the chief minister in reviving the economy after the lockdown is revoked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[April 16, 2020] Behavox Names Prominent Industry Leaders to Board of Directors

Behavox, an end-to-end Data Operating Platform that enables organizations to aggregate, analyze and act on their internal data, today announced its inaugural board of directors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005456/en/ Behavox Names Prominent Industry Leaders to Board of Directors (Graphic: Business Wire) The board, which is comprised of distinguished leaders from the finance sector, technology industry, and regulatory policy, is chaired by Behavox's Founder and CEO Erkin Adylov. Other members are: Jeff Diana, former Chief People Officer at Atlassian (News - Alert) and SuccessFactors and advisor to multiple high-growth pre-IPO companies

Lucio Di Ciaccio, an investment professional at SoftBank Investment Advisers

Avi Golan, an operating partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers

Michael Piwowar, executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Financial Markets and former commissioner and acting chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The new board's formation is the latest corporate development for the fast-growing AI company. In February, Behavox announced a $100 million investment from the SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Diana and Piwowar previously served as advisors to Behavox since January 2019.



"The collective experience of our board members -- from regulatory compliance and financial management to fostering employee productivity and corporate cultures -- provides us with well-rounded support as we serve more customers in financial and enterprise markets," Adylov said. "Their counsel and governance will be extremely valuable as Behavox grows at scale." In addition to serving as an investor, SoftBank Investment Advisers is among Behavox's growing customer base, which includes banks like Jefferies, hedge funds like Balyasny Asset Management, mining companies like Anglo American, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, and other enterprises.

Adylov said Behavox's commitment to help businesses manage risk and regulatory compliance aligns with SoftBank Investment Advisers' emphasis on strong governance as a key metric. "Corporate governance is part of Behavox's cultural fabric -- from ensuring its own operational integrity to helping customers with theirs," he said. "Our entire board of directors is committed to a corporate governance model that our people, customers, and investors can be proud of." Golan joined SoftBank Investment Advisers as an operating partner supporting its tech and sciences portfolios. He also helps deal teams evaluate potential investments. He brings a breadth of experience in management, establishing corporate vision, and growing companies at scale. Prior to joining SoftBank Investment Advisers, Golan held leadership roles at Google (News - Alert) and Intuit before joining Air New Zealand as Chief Digital Officer, where he led the adoption of innovative technologies like Internet of Things, robotic process automation, 3D printing, and AI. He was named 2018 Innovator of the Year by CIO100. "Behavox is an exciting global enterprise that is developing every day," Golan said. "It is driving new market standards in realizing its mission to organize all known corporate communications data. Making this data actionable to protect and promote business growth provides tremendous value to Behavox's customers." Di Ciaccio, who has a passion for working with high-growth technology companies, joined SoftBank Investment Advisers in 2017. He is also a Board Member at Gympass and worked on Vision Fund 1's investment in Automation Anywhere. He was previously an investment professional at The Carlyle Group and before that a PhD student in Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT (News - Alert). "Behavox's application of AI across enterprise communications is cutting-edge," Di Ciaccio said. "We are confident that our partnership will help fuel the company's growth, enhance their offering, and expand their value to a wider set of customers in a variety of industries." In addition to Softbank (News - Alert) Investment Advisers, Behavox is adding significant regulatory expertise to the board. Throughout Piwowar's distinguished career, he has been at the forefront of policy making and regulatory oversight for protecting investors, safeguarding financial markets, and promoting economic growth and opportunity. Piwowar served as SEC (News - Alert) commissioner from 2013 to 2018. He was acting SEC chair in 2017, where he played a major role voting on nearly 5,000 rule-making and enforcement actions. Diana is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of experience in the Human Resources space. He specializes in high-growth initiatives at technology and engineering companies. He has a track record of building and scaling high-growth pre-IPO companies globally, creating corporate cultures that thrive and provide true competitive advantage. Diana was Chief People Officer at Atlassian from 2012-2016, where he grew the company from more than 300 to nearly 2,000 employees and drove innovative, market-leading people initiatives that supported growth en route to an IPO in 2015. About Behavox Ltd. Behavox is the leading, end-to-end Data Operating Platform that enables organizations to aggregate, analyze and act on their internal data. As a high-growth technology company, our mission is to organize and make useful all communications data on Earth. Through advanced analytics and machine learning, Behavox is your organization's single entry point for internal data. Behavox, founded in 2014, is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London, Singapore and Montreal. For more information visit here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005456/en/

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United Airlines is warning employees of bleak times and potential long-term payroll cuts despite billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer assistance, as the outlook for travel demand remains depressed into next year.

The carrier will further chop its flight schedule in May to roughly 10% of the capacity it had planned at the start of 2020, and similar cuts are in store for June, said Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby. As an example of the shortfalls, the carrier will fly fewer people during all of next month than on a single day in May 2019.

STIMULUS EXPANSION: New proposed $2K per month COVID-19 payment would include more Americans

"Travel demand is essentially zero and shows no sign of improving in the near term," Munoz and Kirby wrote in a message to employees late Wednesday. "While we have not yet finalized changes to our schedule for July and August, we expect demand to remain suppressed for the remainder of 2020 and likely into next year."

The dire tone underscored the depth of the crisis facing airlines as the covid-19 pandemic and government travel restrictions force people to stay home. Rescue funds contained in the U.S. stimulus package signed into law last month will help airlines pay employees while obliging them not to cut jobs through Sept. 30. But United signaled that deep cost reductions will be necessary for the company to survive.

"The challenging economic outlook means we have some tough decisions ahead as we plan for our airline, and our overall workforce, to be smaller than it is today, starting as early as October 1," Munoz and Kirby said.

United will collect about $5 billion from the government in grants and a low-interest loan, part of $25 billion in airline assistance being doled out by the U.S. Treasury.

CARTELS FIGHT CORONA: Cartels, gangs and the Taliban join the coronavirus fight

Carriers are also in line for $25 billion in additional loans as part of the overall economic rescue plan of about $2 trillion. Airlines seeking quick review of their loan applications have been told by Treasury officials to file by April 17.

More than 20,000 United employees have accepted voluntary leave and separation programs that the company has offered in recent weeks as it seeks to reduce labor expenses. The Chicago-based airline, which had a workforce of about 95,000 at the start of the year, said it would renew efforts to interest more workers in the programs.

"The challenge that lies ahead for United is bigger than any we have faced in our proud 94-year history," Munoz and Kirby said. "We are committed to being as direct and as transparent as possible with you about the decisions that lay ahead and what impact they will have on our business and on you."

Kirby will assume the role of CEO on May 20, with Munoz becoming executive chairman.

American Airlines released a somewhat more upbeat video late Wednesday in which CEO Doug Parker told employees that the almost $11 billion the carrier expects to receive in U.S. grants and loans should help get the company through the crisis.

"It feels strange and even a little frightening when we don't have as many people to care for as we're used to," Parker said. "But this will pass and when it does, the American team will be ready to safely care for our customers."

About 32,000 employees at American have chosen to retire early or accept reduced work hours, he said.
HONG KONG, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Doo Holding Group is issuing this press release to clarify its disclosure on the corporation's establishment of the Bahamas office for its sub-brand Doo Prime Bahamas.

In the press release, Doo Holding stated that the corporation had submitted its application to the Bahamas Financial Regulatory Commission and would be obtaining its broker-dealer license within two months. Additionally, it stated that it is prepared to begin trading in securities and providing asset management services upon issuance of said licence.

Doo Holding hereby states for enhanced clarity that the establishment of the Bahamas office is by no means any indication that the corporation has already commenced business operations in the Bahamas. The broker-dealer license is currently being processed by the regulatory commission; furthermore, the corporation will commence its business operations in securities trading and brokerage services only after it has been granted the necessary approval and licensure from relevant Bahamas authorities.



Doo Holding regrets any inconvenience or misunderstanding that may have occurred and will ensure the utmost clarity possible in future press releases.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 18:01:19|Editor: huaxia

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GUANGZHOU, April 16 (Xinhua) -- As of Wednesday, the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou had reported 39 confirmed COVID-19 cases who were foreigners, according to a press conference held Thursday.

So far, a total of 102 asymptomatic cases have been identified among the foreigners in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

Xia Haihui, an official with the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission, said the city encourages foreigners to receive nucleic acid testing in designated hospitals, especially those who have lived abroad before and after the outbreak of the epidemic, who may have contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases and suspected cases, and who even have a fever, respiratory symptoms and other symptoms.

Xia said foreigners who have finished quarantine in Guangzhou should carry the notice of nucleic acid testing and other relevant materials to the designated hospital to receive nucleic acid testing on the 7th and 14th days after the quarantine.

"Meanwhile, foreigners are encouraged to receive nucleic acid testing if they suspect they may have had contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. It is responsible for one's own health, also for others and the society," he said.

The measure aims to further reduce the risk of the epidemic spread, fully implement the management of all the inbound personnel, and avoid the risk of spread caused by sporadic cases and imported cases from overseas, according to Xia.

Apart from the 16 designated hospitals for nucleic acid testing, foreigners can also go to any medical institution in Guangzhou that has a fever clinic to measure their body temperatures under the guidance of the hospital and receive nucleic acid testing after filling in the form of their epidemiological history.

The designated hospitals have selected medics speaking foreign languages to provide efficient medical service to foreigners. Enditem
[April 16, 2020] LocatorX Launches National Medical Device Registry to Track Ventilators for Hospitals

ATLANTA, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LocatorX , which provides accurate, inexpensive, and flexible tracking technology to companies across a variety of industries, today announced the launch of a National Medical Device Registry, enabling any hospital that elects to participate to log their life-saving equipment at no cost while the COVID-19 crisis is underway. In addition, the registry will help hospitals quickly and easily identify the status of ventilators available for loan.

For several weeks, there have been calls for technology companies to help in the COVID-19 crisis and we have recognized the need to step in and offer our service and technology, said Jim Joustra, Chairman, LocatorX. We believe in being good corporate citizens and want to do everything we can to help the healthcare industry, as well as our fellow Americans, in this difficult time. LocatorX technology enables organizations to track and find their assets, while monitoring the status and movement of the assets throughout their service life. Tracking things is what we do. The pandemic has made clear the need to track medical assetsparticularly ventilatorswhen and where they are needed most, said Steve Maul, Chief Revenue Officer, LocatorX. Our technology will monitor the movement of all loaned ventilators in the program, so they can be easily returned to the proper location when no longer needed.

Ventilators are just our first area of focus in this crisiswe can track any medical device and maintin its location and status within the registry.



How it works: The LocatorX National Medical Device Registry will be accessible by facility managers and appropriate governmental agencies who require visibility into ventilator availability at no charge during this crisis. Each state, facility, agency or healthcare system that has ventilators in its possession can enroll to register their ventilators. LocatorX will provide tracking labels for each ventilator the facility has in its possession, enabling the location and status to be reported easily and quickly. Nurses, respiratory therapists, and others authorized by their respective facilities will be able to download and use the LocatorX smartphone scanning app for free, and then scan the ventilators label each time an action is taken that affects that units availability. LocatorX will provide ventilator manufacturers the tracking labels as well, for any ventilators produced during this period, at no charge so they may be applied to the units prior to shipment to the healthcare facilities.

While we cannot undertake brokering loans of equipment between facilities or states, we will make the information needed available to gain access to the equipment more quickly, without having to make 50+ phone calls to every other state and the federal government to find available inventory and where that equipment is located, continued Maul.

Initially founded with technology discovered at the University of Oxford, LocatorX has patented new techniques such as a cutting-edge, solid-state, miniature atomic clock to track shipments precisely. With innovative cryptographic technologies, along with flexible and portable tracking options, LocatorX empowers clients to overcome common supply chain obstacles and support greater engagement with their own customers. For more information, please visit www.locatorx.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Will Haraway

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404.593.8320

[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0c28d08-1425-495e-8eb3-42a9e86551c9

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India on Wednesday came down hard on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom for its criticism of the country based on a misguided report that Covid-19 patients in a hospital in Ahmedabad were segregated on the basis of their religious identities.

The US Commission expressed concerns over the way India is fighting the coronavirus pandemic following a media report that a government-run hospital in Ahmedabad segregated the infected patients on the basis of their religions.

Follow latest updates on coronavirus here

As if its peremptory commentary on religious freedom in India is not enough, the USCIRF is now spreading misguided reports on the professional medical protocols followed to deal with spread of Covid-19 in India, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

He said no segregation of patients is being done in the civil hospital on the basis of religion as clarified by the Gujarat government.

Srivastava said the USCIRF must stop adding religious colour to our national goal of fighting the pandemic and distract from larger efforts.

Also read| Covid-19: What you need to know today

Earlier in a tweet, the Commission said it was concerned over the reports of Hindu and Muslim patients being separated in the hospital.

Such actions only help to further increase ongoing stigmatization of Muslims in #India and exacerbate false rumors of Muslims spreading #COVID19, it said. The USCIRF had earlier criticised India on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Also read| Covid-19 outbreak: It took the world 13 days to get its second million

Click here for complete coronavirus coverage
Egyptian policeman killed, three wounded in attack on terrorists

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 2:23 AM

An Egyptian police officer has been killed and three others have been wounded during a raid on the hideout of a Daesh-affiliated armed group in the capital Cairo.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the casualties took place in the al-Amiyira district in eastern Cairo, where the police exchanged fire with seven gunmen that had plans to carry out terror acts in the area.

The ministry received information "that there is a terrorist cell, whose elements embrace Takfiri ideology, using several areas as a shelter in eastern and southern Cairo as a starting point to carry out terrorist operations," the statement said.

The Egyptian police said all the seven gunmen were killed in the incident and that they had found explosives and weapons with the suspects.

The Egypt's public prosecutor said a team of investigators had been dispatched to the scene of the attack.

The African country has been fighting long-running militancy in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, spearheaded by a group affiliated with the Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

The Sinai Peninsula has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, after a deadly terrorist attack left 33 Egyptian soldiers dead.

Over the past few years, terrorists have been engaged in anti-government activities and fatal attacks in Egypt, taking advantage of the turmoil that erupted after the country's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted in a military coup in July 2013.

The Velayat Sinai group, which is affiliated with Daesh, has claimed responsibility for most of the assaults.

In February 2018, the Egyptian army launched a full-scale counterterrorism campaign after a terror attack in North Sinai claimed the lives of more than 300 people at a mosque.

Since then, over 840 suspected militants have been killed in the region, according to army figures, along with more than 60 security personnel.

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EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou has lost 1.2billion in less than a month as the value of his shares in the airline plummet during the coronavirus pandemic.

The business tycoon has called for the ousting of the company's chief executive and chairman after bosses pushed ahead with a deal with Airbus to buy 24 new planes.

Sir Stelios accused the Luton-based firm of behaving like 'scoundrels' over their decision to press ahead with the 1.5billion agreement to purchase the aircraft.

The 53-year-old Greek-Cypriot entrepreneur said: 'I have previously referred those in charge of easyJet as scoundrels. This remains my view.'

EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou (pictured in Monaco) has lost 1.2billion during the crisis

Since the crisis began, shares in easyJet have fallen from 1,508p a share to just 616p today

In other UK coronavirus news:

A report sent to ministers has suggested coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents should be among the first to reopen on Britain's high streets, as they are the businesses most likely to boost the economy and pose the smallest risk of spreading the virus;

There are claims the population could be 'segmented' to ease restrictions with young people allowed back to work and primary schools opened, while pensioners and the vulnerable are ordered to stay in isolation;

One of the Government's own key experts, Professor Neil Ferguson, has warned curbs cannot be eased until mass testing is in place and criticised the government's slow action;

The first newly-adapted ventilator design has been approved by regulators, with the government ordering 15,000 of the Penlon's Prima ES202 model;

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has rejected calls for ministers to take a pay cut in solidarity with hard-hit workers, after counterparts in New Zealand announced they would;

Mr Hancock insisted the government could hit its 100,000 a day testing target by the end of the month, despite questions over why it is still not using the current capacity of 25,000.

Since the crisis began, shares in easyJet have plummeted from 1,508p a share to just 616p today.

Sir Stelios explained he wanted chief executive Johan Lundgren out for 'sending 1.5 billion of our money to Airbus whilst running an 'aircraft parking lot' for nine months'.

He added that the company's chairman John Barton should go for 'refusing to instigate an independent inquiry to investigate if the Airbus bribery techniques exposed by the UK court judgment on January 31, 2020 have been used in securing the easyJet order by Airbus'.

Since the coronavirus pandemic grounded easyJet's entire operation, the company has turned to the Government for a 600 million loan.

But Sir Stelios warned: 'What the scoundrels are not telling us at all is how much money the company will burn each week after the resumption of flying, which will be well in excess of the 40 million per week that they state that they burn whilst the fleet is grounded.

Empty easyjet passenger planes parked at London Southend Airport in Essex yesterday

Sir Stelios said he wanted chief executive Johan Lundgren (file picture) out for 'sending 1.5 billion of our money to Airbus whilst running an 'aircraft parking lot' for nine months'

'Flying half empty planes will be heavily loss-making. That 40 million per week of cash burn is before the payments to Airbus...

'UK taxpayers should be really worried now that they will not see any of their money back in March 2021.'

The airline founder has already called for the heads of two non-executives at easyJet and wrote to the UK financial regulator to warn that the budget airline could be breaching market rules over its deal with plane manufacturer Airbus.

He wanted the deal to go to a shareholder vote, but the company would only say it will defer the delivery of 24 aircraft over the next two years.

The FTSE 100-listed airline said that in an effort to preserve liquidity amid uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, it has deferred 10 aircraft deliveries scheduled for financial year 2020, 12 deliveries for 2021 and two deliveries for 2022.

Sir Stelios added: 'If I succeed in removing the four directors at the forthcoming meetings, I expect the rest of the board (seven of them left) to promote the COO to acting CEO to run the 'aircraft parking lot' and to serve notice of termination to Airbus.

'Any attempt to operate a fleet of more than 250 aircraft (down from 337 now) is bound to just burn a shed load of cash in 2021.

'I hope the remaining scoundrels will follow that fleet plan and cancel the order for new useless Airbus aircraft that will lose a lot of money.'
But it was a picnic with a message aimed at Northams orders shutting down the economy and restricting social interaction. I think that civil rights are important, Will Nesbitt said. If the governor gave me information and asked me, convinced me to do something and treated me like an adult, I might be willing to do what he says. But I think its outrageous that without passing any laws he just by decree tells me what I can do.
Kildare-based children's charity the Jack & Jill Foundation has issued an urgent appeal for help from the public, after its fundraising has been slashed by Covid-19 restrictions.

Its nine charity shops have closed and most of its fundraising events have been cancelled. The charity, located in Johnstown, is currently supporting 340 children and families but faces a shortfall of 500,000.

The charity said in a statement: "The children Jack & Jill looks after are very vulnerable; children from birth to five years of age with highly complex and life-threatening medical conditions being cared for at home."

Leo Johnston, aged 2, from Dublin is one of those being cared for. His mother Joan said: Within two or three days of being referred, our liaison nurse was in our home listening to us and telling us 'We can help you'. They have been the most supportive group of people. They have been lifesavers.

Throughout this crisis, Jack & Jill's specialist home nursing and end-of-life care continues, with many families still in receipt of home visits from their regular nurse or carer. For the remainder, who have been self-isolating for some time, the nursing team provides phone and video support to help parent carers keep their sick child safe and well cared for at home, where they belong.

With the help of Jack & Jill founder Jonathan Irwin, who himself is cocooning at home, the charity is urging the public to donate 4 by texting the words 'We Care' to 50300 or to give what they can through www.jackandjill.ie. Every 16 donated provides a family with one hour of home nursing support from the Jack & Jill team.

Commenting on the crisis, Jonathan Irwin said:

"All of a sudden the rug has been pulled from underneath our fundraising feet, with everything cancelled because of Covid-19. One thing we're not short of at Jack & Jill is resilience, spurred on by the families we support and their surrounding community. We need support from the community and we believe we will get it, because people understand the lifeline that is Jack & Jill and our reach across the country. I would appeal to everyone who can to dig deep and help us out at this challenging time. Our service must and will prevail. Thank you."

Jack & Jill was founded 22 years ago by Kildare couple Jonathan Irwin and his wife, former Senator Mary Ann O'Brien, as a response to caring for their own infant son Jack, who had suffered brain damage, at home.

The Jack & Jill Childrens Foundation must raise 3.8 million every year to fund its unique home nursing care and end of life support which is provided to sick children from birth to 5 years of age, around the country. These are children with highly complex and life threatening medical conditions who may not be able to walk or talk, are tube fed, oxygen dependent and require around the clock care. The Jack & Jill service operates seven days a week, has no waiting list and mobilizes an army of nurses and carers around the country and has done so for 22 years. More information on www.jackandjill.ie
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 16, 2020 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 16, 2020 | 04:49 PM | PADUCAH

A Paducah man is facing up to ten years in prison on federal firearms charges.



United States Attorney Russell Coleman announced Thursday that 46-year-old Salaam Muhammad was charged with being a felon in possession of an AK-47 type assault rifle and ammunition.



According to the criminal complaint, Paducah Police officers found Muhammad in a vehicle with the loaded semiautomatic rifle.



Muhammad was previously convicted in federal court for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack-cocaine. He was also convicted in McCracken County Circuit Court in Dec. 2000 on a charge of first-degree possession of cocaine, and in an assault case in 1992.



This is exactly the type coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement that best serves the people of the Purchase Region, said Coleman. While much remains unknown during this pandemic, Kentuckians should rest assured that the professionals of the ATF, Paducah Police Department, and United States Attorneys Office remain on the job to protect their families.



If convicted at trial, Muhammad faces ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
During the first week of April, the National Health Service in the United Kingdom had written to all hospitals to report the availability of medical oxygen immediately, worried about a serious shortage in that country following the Covid-19 outbreak. A similar scarcity was reported in the United States, Italy and Germany, after the daily consumption of oxygen tripled in these countries.

In India, however, the consumption of medical oxygen has shown an average drop of over 20 per cent to 700 tonnes a day in April from over 900 tonnes last year. Despite this, the government of India has ...
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SCORE, the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is celebrating the ongoing, positive impact of its 10,000 volunteers in honor of National Volunteer Month. New impact data shows that SCORE mentors donated 4,919,089 volunteer hours in 2019, helping clients to start 29,681 businesses and add 67,706 non-owner jobs to the American economy. In total, SCORE's volunteer corps has served more than 11 million entrepreneurs since the organization's founding in 1964.

Survey research indicates that 87% of SCORE clients would recommend SCORE to family and friends, and 91% of SCORE "in-business" clients were still in business at the end of 2019. In total, SCORE returned $34.66 to the Federal Treasury for every federal dollar appropriated to SCORE, based on the successful small businesses they have helped to start or grow.

SCORE volunteers mentor because business mentoring works. Small business clients who receive 3+ hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased business growth. SCORE's dedicated volunteer mentors live all across the nation and have business expertise in a wide variety of industries. Their ranks include mentors such as:

Ezzat Dabbish : A nine-year veteran of the Chicago SCORE chapter, Dabbish spent more than 30 years with Motorola Corporate Research and offers expert advice on a wide range of areas including technology, intellectual property and public relations. " Ezzy Dabbish has been outstanding over the last 4 years; I would not have made it this far without him," says entrepreneur Stacey Kohler, CEO and Founder of Crawligator.

A nine-year veteran of the Chicago SCORE chapter, Dabbish spent more than 30 years with Motorola Corporate Research and offers expert advice on a wide range of areas including technology, intellectual property and public relations. " has been outstanding over the last 4 years; I would not have made it this far without him," says entrepreneur Stacey Kohler, CEO and Founder of Crawligator. Penny Pompei : Serial entrepreneur and San Francisco's first, "Woman Business Owner of the Year," Pompei has dedicated the last decade to helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams, and currently serves as a subject matter expert with SCORE Palm Beach. "I am very grateful for my relationship with SCORE and my mentor Penny Pompei , says Cynthia Heathcoe , Founder of Contemporary Living Home Store, and Palm Beach SCORE 2016 Entrepreneur Extraordinaire. "They have helped me really realize the American dream."

SCORE is actively recruiting business mentors, subject matter experts, workshop presenters and chapter support roles. To learn more about becoming a SCORE mentor, visit our volunteer page.

"We are so grateful for the hard work and commitment shown by our volunteer mentors," says SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. "SCORE volunteers across the nation selflessly dedicate their time and diverse business expertise with the shared goal of helping entrepreneurs succeed and achieve their dreams. The positive, lasting impact that they have on the success of small businesses cannot be understated."

For more information about SCORE's impact on U.S. small businesses, view our impact statistics. For a breakdown by state, contact [email protected].

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE's 10,000 volunteer business experts provide free small business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational services to more than 250 chapters and 1500 communities nationwide. In 2019, SCORE volunteers helped to create 29,681 new businesses and 67,706 non-owner jobs.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, or on volunteering with SCORE, visit SCORE at www.score.org. Follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest small business news and updates.

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

Contact Information

Betsy Dougert

800-634-0245

[email protected]

SOURCE SCORE
MOSCOW, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sheremetyevo International Airport has been named Airport of the Year in the annual Wings of Russia National Aviation Awards program for the second year in a row.

The awards, which recognize excellence in 13 aviation and aviation-related categories, were announced April 15 in a ceremony held in a video broadcast format. The Wings of Russia National Aviation Award, named after Evgeny Chibirev, is a program of the Association of Air Transport Operators of the Russian Federation, the industry publication Air Transport Review, and the consulting company Infomost. They were established in 1997.

This year's award recipients were selected based on their performance in 2019 by a jury consisting of authoritative industry experts, top managers of large companies, and representatives of leading business and aviation publications.

"The Wings of Russia award has been a bright, anticipated and significant event in the aviation industry for many years," said SVO JSC Director of Public Relations Anna Zakharenkova in her remarks to members of the jury. "This is a 'Seal of Quality' for airlines and airports. This is an incentive for our development and improvement. Especially significant for us is the fact that the award is for achievements in the [60th] anniversary year of the airport, thus summing up the results of our development during decades. We express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the distinguished jury for such a high appreciation of our work."

Sheremtyevo International Airport, founded in 1959, was named in honor of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin in 2019, the 220th anniversary year of Pushkin's birth. Pushkin was selected as the airport's namesake by popular vote, and the airport held a commemorative program of cultural activities in the days leading up to the day of Pushkin's birth to honor and popularize his rich literary heritage

In 2019, Sheremetyevo completed a number of large-scale investment projects: the international passenger Terminal C, designed for 20 million passengers per year, the apron for Terminal C, the platform for the Aviation Scientific and Technical Center and the third runway (Runway-3). The capacity of the airport with the commissioning of the third runway and Terminal C is now 80 million passengers per year.

The development of infrastructure and the improvement in the quality of service have become the foundation for attracting and expanding cooperation with the largest air carriers. In 2019, Brussels Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Belavia and Turkish Airlines Cargo all began to operate at Sheremetyevo, and the airport now serves flights to 19 new destinations.

Sheremetyevo Airport has the highest rating awarded by Skytrax, 5-Stars, and is one of the ten largest airports in Europe, once again confirming its leadership in Europe in terms of service quality and world leadership in punctuality of flights.

The Wings of Russia National Aviation Award named after Evgeny Chibirev was established in 1997 by the Association of Air Transport Operators of the Russian Federation, the industry publication Air Transport Review, and the consulting company Infomost.

For 23 years, the Wings of Russia award has won the status of the industry's most prestigious award, has become not only a symbol of recognition of the success of the winning airlines, but also objective evidence of the realities and trends that exist today in air transport.

SOURCE Sheremetyevo International Airport
Take Us To a Better Place, a collection of ten short stories from a diverse set of authors, was commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help readers see how decisions we make today on a range of issues could influence our health tomorrow. The anthology was published on 21 January 2020 and is available free as an e-book in English and Spanish, and in audiobook format.

Roxane Gay provided the foreword. Science writer Pam Belluck, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Ebola, wrote the introduction, which included this summary of my story:

A different sort of dystopia, an uncomfortably realistic one, confronts us in Karen Lords The Plague Doctors. It is only 60 years from now, and the earth is being wracked by a deadly infectious disease, with bodies from the mainland washing up on an island where Dr. Audra Lee is desperate to find an answer in time to save her pox-exposed six-year-old niece. Its the kind of global pandemic that should prompt all-hands-on-deck cooperation, but Dr. Lee finds herself working not only against a disease but against a veil of secrecy and selfishness erected by wealthy elites who want to prioritize a cure for themselves. Will she be tempted to cross the line of scientific ethics to relieve her own familys suffering?

Thats the storybut stories are icebergs, and below the surface a writers choices are complex.

Why, for example, did I choose a place called Pelican Island for the setting? Easy, because the quarantine station for Barbados used to be located on Pelican Island. Why a two-phase contagious disease? In 2015, Barbados experienced an outbreak of a disease new to the region, chikungunya. With no immunity in the population, the workforce was temporarily reduced and slowed by weeks of sick leave (first phase) and months of chronic pain (second phase). I personally experienced chicken pox (first phase) and hope to never experience shingles (second phase). Why a disease that was relatively easy on children but deadly to adults? Dr. Charles, my advisor, reminded me about mononucleosis, which can cause mild, short-term symptoms in infancy but result in a serious, debilitating disease for adults.

We assumed, with great optimism, that sixty years into the future our health systems would be so robust that it would take a combination of unknown factors for something as routine as an epidemic to cause worldwide disaster. We decided on a relatively ordinary, contact-transmission, low-mortality first phase to cause complacency; and an unanticipated, droplet-transmission, rapid and deadly second phase to cause panic.

We also added extra challenges, some expected, like political unrest and conspiracy theories, and some less expected, like the partial collapse, or rather sabotage, of telecommunications, leading to restricted access to and exchange of information.

So, how does Dr. Audra Lee fight a pandemic on limited resources? We added critical background details, like a second, smaller island for quarantine and a coast guard on constant patrol. Futuristic tech is available, such as advanced 3-D printers to manufacture on-island equipment that can no longer be imported, for example, bespoke parts of the personal protective equipment (PPE). We settled on a contemporary design for the PPE. The illustrator, Niv Bavarsky, produced an accurate image of suit, goggles, mask, and face shield, which is now all too commonly seen on the news.

To win our battle against COVID-19, we too will need broad-based support and many heroes.

Audra can also rely on the main hospital, but her best support is the island-wide network of community health teams to which she belongsquasi-mobile units that include one or more doctors, nurse practitioners, caregivers, counsellors, nutritionists/herbalists, lab technicians and pharmacists. The health teams do not merely tend to the sick; they actively monitor the well and reduce the burden on the main hospital by preventing or mitigating illness before it gets to a critical stage. The community model is effective, but the teams actions are occasionally questionable, for example, when regulations and procedures are overlooked so that Audra can take care of her niece at home.

For Audra to win the war against the grey pox, it will take the further cooperation of similar community-oriented teams of practitioners and researchers in remote locations around the globe, the IT support of a guerrilla group of techs operating outside of the usual channels, and financing from a few billionaires who have learned the hard way that a luxury bunker is too narrow a world at any price.

To win our battle against COVID-19, we too will need broad-based support and many heroes. Its never a comfortable feeling for a writer when fiction strays too close to prophecy, but often what looks like prophecy is merely the skill of reading the signs of the past to guess at the challengesand solutionsof the future.

Listen to Karen Lords interview for BBCs The Cultural Frontline, where she discusses how fiction can transform thinking and inspire solutions. And to read Karen Lords short story, download a free audio or eBook of Take Us to Better Place.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexico election officials say they hope to inspire an unprecedented number of voters to cast absentee ballots in the June 2 primary election  a strategy intended to limit congestion at polling places amid the virus pandemic.

Their pitch: Mailing in an absentee ballot rather than showing up at the polls could save someones life.

The absentee campaign comes after the state Supreme Court rejected an emergency petition that sought to authorize closing most polling places and mailing ballots directly to all registered voters instead.

In a unanimous ruling Tuesday, the justices said state law prohibits such an order. But they directed county clerks to mail out absentee-ballot applications  a procedure the court said is permitted by law.

Its an extra step, but any eligible voter who fills out the application should receive an absentee ballot they can mail back to their county clerk.

What we need to do now is really make a plea to the public, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in an interview Wednesday. If you dont have to physically go to a polling location, dont do it. Vote safely from your home.

Toulouse Oliver, who works with county clerks to run state elections, said New Mexico can tap into $4 million in federal funding to cover mailing costs and to equip election workers with protective gear.

The broad goal, she said, is to limit the number of people physically present inside early voting and Election Day polling places.

Toulouse Oliver said she will ask New Mexicans to leave in-person voting to people with no other option, such as voters with a disability or in need of a translator.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Lt. Gov. Howie Morales and other elected officials joined the push Wednesday for voters to embrace absentee voting.

We know polling places will pose a difficult situation where people are congregating, Lujan Grisham said in a public briefing Wednesday. This is how the virus is transmitted  person to person, even with social distancing and do-it-yourself masks.

County clerks can begin mailing absentee ballots on May 5 to voters who requested them, and limited sites for in-person voting will open that day, too. The broader field of early-voting sites are scheduled to open May 16.

Twenty-seven of the states 33 clerks and Toulouse Oliver had asked the Supreme Court for permission to close most in-person voting sites and move almost entirely to an election by mail. They said many poll workers are scared to work and that traditional voting sites  such as schools  are closed.

Most of the temporary workers who staff polling locations in New Mexico are over 60, putting them in the group most at risk of complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The Republican Party of New Mexico and other opponents argued that the direct mail-in proposal would illegally bypass the Legislature, which sets election procedures through state law.

The Supreme Court agreed that it couldnt grant the emergency petition. But the justices took note of the public health emergency and ordered clerks to mail absentee-ballot applications to voters.

Election officials throughout the state are now preparing to comply with the order.

Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover said she hopes to recruit younger workers or perhaps other county employees to help staff the polling sites.

Voters and poll workers will comply with social distancing requirements, she said, so that polling locations can be operated as safely as possible to limit the spread of COVID-19.

In the meantime, Stover said, people can help by ensuring that the address on their voter registration is accurate and, if not, by updating it before May 5.

She is also encouraging voters to request an absentee ballot now rather than waiting for an application to arrive in the mail. Her office has already accepted about 10,000 absentee applications, she said.

Thats roughly as many absentee ballots as were returned in the countys 2016 primary election.

The push for absentee voting is our No. 1 battle cry, Stover said, to protect public health and the right to vote.

People really need to think about these absentee ballots, she said. It could save their life if they can vote from home.

The June 2 primary will determine the major-party nominees for the U.S. Senate and House, the state Legislature and local offices.

Only Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians can vote in the primary. About 985,000 people are eligible vote in New Mexicos primary.

Shifting to absentee voting will require a substantial change in voter behavior. In the 2016 primary, just 7% of voters cast absentee ballots, according to state canvassing documents.

We have an election to administer, said Daniel Ivey-Soto, a state senator and attorney who represented the 27 county clerks. Well follow the order of the court and do the best we can under these very challenging circumstances.
Anyone in B.C. with symptoms of COVID-19 can now be tested for the disease, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Monday. Previously, the testing strategy had focused on health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, and people directly impacted by community outbreaks.
Latest News Sydney property prices might not drop yet, as planning problems persist NSW planning approvals have fallen off a cliff since October, showing that the supply crisis might yet continue

The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed, with rentvesting and borderless investing likely to surge

While the technological limitations of the legacy systems at the big four have been oft discussed as fintechs continue to crop up in the market, an executive at Australias largest business bank believes COVID-19 has put industry players of all sizes on the fast track to lasting digitalisation.

According to NAB general manager of commercial, Chris Thomas, each week of this crisis sees the industry advancing a year in its ability to harness technology to enable different ways of working.

Technology has presented options for businesses over the last decade that have really only been gradually taken up, and this pandemic has sped up the adoption, because embracing this tech is not a nice to have any more  its become a pure necessity, said Thomas.

There have always been questions around how brokers interact with customers: does it need to be face-to-face or can it be done virtually? Its proven now that it can be done virtually, as there is still a lot of business to be done, despite the health crisis.

When you have government sanctions and social distancing, we need to find those ways to ID customers, for instance. Were moving quickly towards solutions that will allow our brokers to complete ID checks virtually, when in the past we would have sought face-to-face connectively.

Thomas clarified that adopting technology into one's normal processes doesnt detract from the relational side of the equation, but can actually enhance it.

It goes to fundamentals of business and how business is done. Soon, may we hope, people can once again meet up again physically, and that holds enormous value too  walking the floor and seeing a customers business allows quite meaningful conversations to unfold, he said.

But the next stage of business will also be about ensuring that things like the processing of loans end-to-end can operate equally as efficiently, if not more efficiently, with digital solutions.

With the industry  and the world at large  currently existing in a state of flux, NAB is striving to provide its business customers and broker partners solidity through delivering consistency of service; in the meantime, all thats left for brokers and lenders to do is embrace the opportunity to grow and adapt.

These new ways of working and new ways of doing business beyond this point will continue to evolve  theres already green shoots appearing, said Thomas.

We are at our best in a crisis. This is a health crisis that is turning into an economic crisis, and the spirit of entrepreneurialism in Australia is that you find a way forward.

More on this story in Issue 17.07 of Australian Broker  out Monday, 20 April

Also in this issue:

Non-majors growth spurt

With year-on-year mortgage growth of more than 130% in 2019, HSBC is expanding its footprint as one of Australias leading non-majors. Just how has it managed such strong growth, and how has the broker network been key to the banks success?

Global Watch

How is the mortgage and broking world responding to the COVID-19 pandemic overseas? Heres your snapshot of the industry news that matters most in North America.

Nancy Youssefs Big Deal

The founder and director of Classic Finance found herself on the other side of the world when dealing with a clients complex needs  and then things really went pear-shaped. I would hate to work out my hourly rate on that deal, because the blood, sweat and tears that went into it would far outweigh the commission, she said. Find out how she managed to pull it all off.
Varanasi, April 16 : The Bhadohi incident in which a woman threw her five children into the river, was related to a dispute between the woman and her husband, Additional Director General of Police, Varanasi zone, Braj Bhushan said on Thursday.

Talking to IANS, the ADG said that incident took place in Jahagira village on Sunday.

"The woman Manju and her husband Munna had a dispute and the woman claimed that he did not give her money for domestic expenses and would even beat her. On the day of the incident, Munna had gone out and Manju took the children late in the night and pushed them in the river. She also jumped in but then swam out of the river. She returned home, sat down and in the morning, she informed her mother-in-law of the incident," he said.

The ADG said that the family - her husband had returned by then - and the neighbours rushed to the river bank and the police was informed. The divers were called in and after a prolonged search, the bodies of four children were taken out but the body of the three-year-old son could not be found.

The ADG said that the woman said that she had taken the extreme step because she was upset with her husband but she has no history of mental illness and no proof of her being treated for the same.

Manju, arrested for murder, is now in jail.

Asked if any action had been taken against the husband for domestic violence , the ADG said that there was no report against him.

On Sunday, Manju reportedly threw her five children into the Ganga river near Jahangira Ghat.

The children included Shiv Shankar (8), Keshav Prasad (3), Puja a.k.a Saraswati (6) and two others aged 10 and 12.
Zlatan Popovic, 45, was accused of being the mastermind while Tevi Koloamatangi, 47, was accused of shooting Dragan Sekuljica (pictured)

Few people are twice sentenced to life in jail for the same crime. Fewer walk free.

Tevi Koloamatangi, twice convicted of being the masked gunman behind the bloody 2007 nightclub murder of Dragan Sekuljica, has joined that select club after NSW's highest court again overturned a jury's verdict.

Having overturned the verdict from the first trial and ordered a retrial in 2016, the Court of Criminal Appeal this month unanimously overturned the 50-year-old's second conviction.

But unlike the last time, the appeal court entered verdicts of acquittal, ruling out a third trial for Koloamatangi.

Zlatan Popovic, 48, had his 34-year jail term wiped after he was also acquitted of murder for hiring Koloamatangi to kill Sekuljica.

Sekuljica, 28, was gunned down inside Wollongong's Splashes Nightclub in September 2007, having run inside when confronted by the masked man.

Chief Justice Tom Bathurst said it wasn't open to the jury to find the pair guilty of murder due to several issues in the Crown case.

One witness received indemnity from prosecution for giving evidence in which he claimed Koloamatangi and Popovic had made confessions while in prison.

Popovic apparently confessed 'out of the blue on a walk in a park' while Koloamatangi apparently confessed when he and the witness were on either side of a high-wire fence.

But the witness, known by the pseudonym Johnny Radz, could 'not only be described as a seasoned criminal but also as a serial liar', Chief Justice Bathurst said.

Mr Sekuljica was shot at Splashes nightclub (CCTV footage of the attack) in Wollongong, south of Sydney, early on September 8, 2007

'Further, as is apparent from his cross-examination, a number of lies were told in an endeavour to either obtain bail or get an indemnity from prosecution,' NSW's most senior judge said in reasons published on Thursday.

'He was an entirely unreliable witness.'

The judge said a jury, having considered Mr Radz's unreliability and the unusual circumstances of the admissions, wasn't open to returning guilty verdicts.

Another witness given immunity - whose evidence was critically important to the Crown case - was also found to be a liar in an unrelated matter.

The evidence by Peter Taylor (a pseudonym) about the gun's colour was deemed inconsistent with that of others. There were also issues over his account of the hours before the shooting when compared with relevant phone records.

Chief Justice Tom Bathurst said it wasn't open to the jury to find the pair guilty of murder due to several issues in the Crown case

Mr Taylor's evidence sought to explain the means by which Koloamatangi obtained the murder weapon.

'Taking all these matters into account, I am left with a reasonable doubt that Mr Taylor's evidence establishes that the deceased was shot by Koloamatangi at the request of Popovic,' Chief Justice Bathurst said.

Justices Andrew Bell and Derek Price agreed in full with the chief justice.

Koloamatangi and Popovic are serving unrelated jail sentences, delaying their release from prison.
Ross Kemp has defended his upcoming documentary after he was accused of putting pressure on the NHS by filming inside a hospital.

The 55-year-old actor came under fire last week when he shared a picture of himself wearing a PPE mask inside an intensive care unit for coronavirus patients at Milton Keynes Hospital.

However, on Thursday's episode of Good Morning Britain, Ross was quick to explain that the show has been made to help worried Brits whilst highlighting the incredible work undertaken by NHS staff.

Defence: Ross Kemp appeared on on Thursday's episode of Good Morning Britain to defend his upcoming documentary after he was accused of putting pressure on the NHS by filming

Explaining the reason for the documentary, he mused: 'Its not just inside the intensive care its about across the board.

'In terms of PPE (personal protective equipment) we used one set and at no point were we draining resources.

'There was just me and one camera man, we were only there for a short time, maybe half an hour...'

'What had a massive impact on me was the care and love for the patients from the staff. The film is to show how the staff are helping people... and its also to tell us what they are concerned about.'

Backlash: The 55-year-old actor came under fire last week when he shared a picture of himself wearing a PPE mask inside an intensive care unit for coronavirus patients

The former EastEnders actor went on to reveal that the hospital staff had fully supported and backed the show, as they want people to see what goes on inside the wards.

He relayed: 'The concerns are people outside are unknowledgeable of what's going on outside the hospital. That was the point of the film, to see what its like there.'

As Piers asked the TV tough guy how filming in the hospital compared to filming in the many battlefields and ganglands he has been in, Ross mused: 'Heroism takes many shapes and forms.

'What I saw in the ICU were heroes. Anyone who is prepared to risk their own safety for anyone else is a hero.'

Supported: The former EastEnders actor went on to reveal that the hospital staff had fully supported and backed the show, as they want people to see what goes on inside the wards

Impressed: Asked how filming in the hospital compared to filming in the many battlefields and ganglands he has been in, Ross mused, 'Heroism takes many shapes and forms'

Ross' appearance on GMB came after he was slammed for being 'completely irresponsible' and 'tasteless' to film a documentary about Covid-19 after he announced the show on social media.

On Friday, Ross told his followers: 'Ive just been fitted for PPE and were about to go into an intensive care unit at Milton Keynes Hospital to witness the incredible efforts of medics treating Covid 19 patients.

'Please note we wont be depleting the hospitals PPE stock#COVID19 #coronavirus #nhs'.

He added: 'I want to make it clear to everybody out there, even though we're using NHS masks, we're actually replacing those with the ones we have brought.

'They are exactly the same standard and the Health Trusts are happy we are doing that. The reason we are wearing the same masks as the ones the doctors and nurses are wearing is so we don't cause any alarm to the patients, so it's about reassurance.

'But I can assure you we are not taking anything from the NHS'.

Controversial: The investigative journalist took to Twitter on Friday to share a video of himself wearing a PPE mask inside the hospital after announcing his new show

Documentary: Ross said: 'Ive just been fitted for PPE and were about to go into an intensive care unit at Milton Keynes Hospital to witness the efforts of medics treating COVID-19'

Response: After the backlash Milton Keynes Hospital posted: 'We are spending minimal time in high risk areas & are ensuring the crew are wearing full PPE, as per national guidelines'

Anger: The clip led to thousands of people slamming for the star for being 'completely irresponsible' and 'tasteless' to film a documentary about COVID-19 on Twitter

Milton Keynes Hospital tweeted: 'We are spending minimal time in high risk areas & are ensuring the crew are wearing full PPE, as per national guidelines. As @RossKemp says, they are replacing any PPE used. We hope this show will provide the general public with vital info & reassurance.'

Ross' video prompted mass outrage and sparked his name to trend on Twitter, with people mentioning the star more than 6,000 times at the point on publication.

One wrote: 'Is that my family coming to see me before I die, no no thats just Ross Kemp and a camera crew, gonna film this if you dont mind.'

Fury: However, Ross' video prompted mass outrage and sparked his name to trend on Twitter, with people mentioning the star more than 6,000 times at the point on publication

Another person added: 'Ross, this really doesn't need to be done. Just go home.'

A third chimed: 'No. Just no. If you've got PPE you are depleting the available supply. You have no medical training and cannot help, only hinder. You are not adhering to government advice, because this job is most definitely not essential. Go home.'

A fourth typed: 'This is about as bad taste as you'll get. "Look at me, I'm Ross"....', while a fifth said: 'Sheer madness to allow Ross Kemp in'

'Is it just me or is this absolutely ridiculous??? People are fighting for their lives, Unable to have visits from family or friends, and big Ross Kemp comes rocking up with a film crew??', added another Twitter user.

On Friday, Ross announced he was filming the show, which will air next Thursday, to document how medics are working tirelessly on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, Ross announced he was filming the show, which will air next Thursday, to document how medics are working tirelessly on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic.

The former soap star, who rose to fame as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, said: 'My team and I have been embedded in Milton Keynes ... to tell the story of Covid-19. To show you, the sacrifices that NHS staff are making on our behalf.

'Weve been filming on the frontline with @NHSuk staff as they deal with the coronavirus pandemic and weve been following the patients who are fighting Covid-19.

'First episode of Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline airs next Thursday 8.30 @itv. Please watch #COVID19#coronavirus.'

Ross has ventured into documentary making after his stint on the BBC soap.

In 2004, he filmed Ross Kemp on Gangs, a documentary series exploring the impact of modern gang culture in the UK and around the world.

He followed this up with the documentaries Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates, Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon and Ross Kemp: Extreme World.

Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline airs Thursday at 8.30pm on ITV.
A little boy who lost his fingers and both legs to sepsis has never stopped smiling - thanks to a special bond with his doting little sister.

William Reckless, three, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, almost died when his heart stopped after he contracted sepsis while suffering from scarlet fever.

He kept a smile on his face through multiple amputations thanks to help from his best friend and little sister, Georgia, two.

From visits in hospital, to helping her brother reach his toys, and even to assisting with his daily injections, the Reckless family have been astounded at how the close-knit siblings have adapted to their new normal.

William Reckless, three, almost died when his heart stopped after he contracted sepsis while suffering from scarlet fever. He kept a smile on his face through multiple amputations thanks to help from his best friend and little sister, Georgia, two. Pictured, at home in Northamptonshire

William is pictured in his hospital bed with his sister Georgia, two, mother Gemma, 30 and father Mike, 38

Their mother Gemma Reckless, 30, a police officer, said she couldn't comprehend what was happening when she was told his heart had stopped.

'The only thing I could remember was me screaming, please don't let him die' she said.

'But we've been amazed by William's strength and how Georgia has never stopped viewing him as simply William, her big brother.

'The pair of them are only two years apart in age, and before I had to spend nine weeks in hospital with William, I had only ever spent one night away from her. But between the two of them, they never made it a big deal.

William first fell ill in January, with what was a suspected tummy bug that he'd picked up from nursery - but later blood results indicated that William had actually been battling a form of scarlet fever, that had developed into sepsis. Pictured, after leaving hospital

William and Georgia;s mother said their close bond has helped the family through the tough time. Pictured, in their pram sleeping

'William just seemed to accept everything, and even as we told him he'd be losing his legs, and as he woke from the amputation, the smile never left his face.

'Georgia now helps in every way she can - whether it's getting William the toy he wants when he's waiting on the sofa, or stroking his head as he has to have two daily injections to help with a blood clot after his surgery, she's always there.'

William first fell ill in January, with what was a suspected tummy bug that he'd picked up from nursery - but later blood results indicated that William had actually been battling a form of scarlet fever, that had developed into sepsis.

Gemma and her husband Mike, 38, a musician became increasingly concerned as their son failed to regain energy, or eat after being continuously sick.

She took him to King's Mill hospital - where doctors realised straight away, something was terribly wrong.

They told Gemma her son had gone into septic shock, and they were forced to put him in an induced coma to transfer him to Queen's Medical Centre.

As the tips of his ears, to the fingers and hands began to turn black, the distraught parents were forced to wait eight days - before William finally turned a corner and was woken from his coma.

William, who lost nine digits and both legs after contracting sepsis, is pictured in his hospital bed

The mother-of-two added: 'William is very shy but he's always been a very active little boy, who loves to follow his dad around.

'So when he finally woke, we realised he would face a very different future, as we realised he would have a degree of amputation.

'But as he lost nine digits, and both legs, in less than 48 hours, he was sat up in bed, eating mini eggs.

'Pretty soon, he was telling doctors and nurses his left leg had been eaten by a crocodile and the right taken by a shark.

'He was a fighter, wanting to be back home with his little sister and whilst bringing him home a month ago, we learnt how much independence he has really lost, he seems to have taken it into his stride, wanting to keep up with Georgia, and now relying on her for help too.

'Their bond is beautiful to see, and what I want other parents to take from this, is to really listen to your gut.

'I knew William wasn't just poorly, and with sepsis being so time critical, getting him there means Georgia still has her best friend, and we still have our son.'
The thin background information is a result of the neglect of this prolific and inventive artist for more than a century. Beyond the Visible is a chapter in the wholesale revision of the critical and historical record that began only recently, and it enlists a passionate and knowledgeable cadre of curators, scholars, scientists and artists to press the argument for af Klints importance. The paintings themselves are the best evidence  even through the mediation of a home screen, their vibrancy, wit and formal command is thrilling  but the intellectual and cultural context is fascinating too.

The experts link af Klints explorations with contemporary scientific discoveries, like radio waves and the X-ray, that pointed toward the unseen dimensions of reality, and also with the mystical movements of her time. She was drawn to the Theosophy of Helena Blavatsky and to the teachings of the Austrian spiritualist Rudolf Steiner, with whom she corresponded. Her visionary interests, far from suggesting eccentricity, place her squarely in the mainstream of modernism, many of whose exponents in various arts (including Kandinsky) found inspiration in the esoteric.

Beyond the Visible bristles with the excitement of discovery and also with the impatience that recognition has taken so long. It refreshes the eyes and the mind.

Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint

Not rated. In Swedish, English and German, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes. Watch on Kino Marquee.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday threatened a takeover by the military and police to enforce quarantine measures after officials noted that more people have been out of their homes, in violation of the Luzon-wide lockdown.

Duterte said he is putting the police and military on standby for them to enforce quarantine measures if people continue to break them.

Im just asking for your disiplina," Duterte said in a televised address. "Kaunti. Kasi kapag ayaw niyong maniwala, mag-take over pati military at police. Parang martial law na rin. Mamili kayo. Ayaw ko."

[Translation: Im just asking for your discipline. Just a bit. Because if you dont follow, the military and police will take over. Its like martial law. You choose. I dont want it.]

Presently, however, police and military are already manning quarantine checkpoints. Police have also apprehend violators of quarantine guidelines and curfews.

Dutertes threat came after officials noted increased vehicle traffic on roads and highways and increased foot traffic in certain public markets, which prompted a stricter implementation of quarantine measures.

To address the increase in the number of vehicles travelling along EDSA and other major thoroughfares of Metro Manila, traffic enforcers from the Philippine National Police were directed to inspect all private vehicles to determine if the drivers and passengers belong to the list of people permitted to go out.

The list includes workers in sectors that are essential during a public health crisis, such as health, security, emergency response, banking, vendors, delivery, and sanitation. One person per household is allowed to go out to avail of essential need, such as food and medicine.

The Philippine National Police has apprehended 115,000 people nationwide who violate the lockdown measures by not following curfew or social distancing guidelines.
Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday that New Jersey could borrow as much as $9 billion from the U.S. Federal Reserve to plug craters in state revenues caused by statewide business closures, stay-at-home orders and record unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic.

Murphy said theres no doubt the state budget will need to find new sources of cash, and he lacks confidence the federal government will come through with enough to put the state back on its feet.

Given that uncertainty, he said Thursday during his daily coronavirus press briefing, the opportunity to participate in the central banks plan to buy $500 billion in bonds from states and local governments is an essential tool to have in the tool kit.

Murphy did not say how much he was looking to borrow but that the state would be capped at $9 billion, based on the parameters of the Federal Reserves unprecedented buyout program.

We dont take any of this lightly, he said. But the fact of the matter is we are going to have serious cash flow challenges.

If not, he said, folks should assume were going to have to gut programs. And that will affect everybody in this entire state. Theres just no other way around it, and I hope it doesnt come to that.

If we want to both address our cash flow challenges as well as keep our best public schools in the country, keep out full ranks of public responders, all of the services, all of that would be in jeopardy if we dont find the capital," he said.

Murphy has said tax collections are crashing in response to the coronavirus, though his administration has not provided any updated analysis or projections. Bracing for shortfalls, last month he froze $920 million in discretionary spending, and hell likely have to tear up the $40.9 billion proposed budget he introduced in February.

Cash from the federal government would go a long way to keeping the state solvent, Murphy said.

Im hoping for the best but I gotta prepare for the worst, he added.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Murphy was looking to sell bonds backed by property and sales tax revenue for the current and coming fiscal years.

In a ratings report this week, Moodys Investors service lowered the states outlook to negative and warned significantly reduced liquidity levels" and increased cash-flow borrowing could spur a credit downgrade.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus.

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OTTAWA Canada faces a looming echo pandemic of mental health issues as the coronavirus outbreak takes a heavy toll on isolated Canadians, health-care workers, and those whove seen usual mental health supports fall away in the lockdown, says the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Margaret Eaton, head of the association, said there are signs of surging demand for mental health services now but said she is sounding the alarm because the impacts will be felt for months and years down the road.

Canadians need an immediate and substantial investment in mental health to prevent an echo pandemic of mental health problems, Eaton told the Commons health committee studying the coronavirus response.

The warning comes on a day when Ottawa unveiled a new online tool to provide guidance for people seeking immediate help.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu launched a website called Wellness Canada Together, a portal designed with organizations who provide digital mental health and substance-use support. It is intended to connect Canadians to peer support, social workers, psychologists and other professionals for confidential chat sessions or phone calls.

It asks users to create an account to track progress and access online tools, but says an account isnt necessary for immediate support. It urges anyone requiring immediate help to call 911, or text a number for someone to talk to.

It comes on top of a Liberal injection of $7.5 million to Kids Help Phone to help young people in the crisis.

If youre feeling overwhelmed, know that you arent alone and there are people who can help, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. So if you need to, please reach out. Well be there for each other.

However Eaton said that help will be needed at all government levels over the long haul so that gaps can be closed and new needs met.

Before the pandemic, mental health services were the poor cousin of the health world, taking up just 7 per cent of health-care budgets, while advocates called for at least 9 per cent of spending to be dedicated to mental health needs, she said.

She pointed to the toll SARS took on Canadian health workers, and to reported suicides among nurses in Italy, and to health-care workers in the U.S. who use the term moral injury to describe the experience of fighting COVID-19. That work brings physical and mental exhaustion, fear of infection, inadequate supply of personal protective equipment, and heartbreaking decisions.

Dr. Joanne Liu, a former international president of Doctors Without Borders, told MPs the need to protect health-care workers is urgent.

This is nerve-wracking.if you want us to care for patients, you have to care for usphysically as well as mentally.

Eaton said there are existing programs in English and French including peer supports for health workers, and psychological counselling for anyone that can be scaled up to reach thousands of people across Canada, including in rural and remote areas.

Eaton hinted at imminent support expected from the federal government for the COVID-19 response at Torontos CAMH, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in partnership with the national association and Crisis Services Canada, a network of suicide prevention services.

But she said Canadians will need support not just for first four months, but for longer.

Eaton said the groups branch in Nova Scotia usually receives 25 calls a day but is now fielding 700 daily requests for mental health supports, mostly from people without a history of mental illness.

Those with serious mental illness and addiction are especially vulnerable as are people living in unstable housing or communities where services and treatments have been suspended.

They are at serious risk of infection, loneliness, increased symptoms and relapse. Indigenous peoples are perhaps the most vulnerable of any population in Canada, she said. Indigenous communities are already grappling with high rates of mental health issues and the highest youth suicide rates in the country.
As some workers have been furloughed, laid off or are working less due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many struggle to put food on the table. But not only that, they have pets to feed too.

Fort Bend County Constable Precinct 3 hosted the Houston Humane Society Off-Site Drive-Thru Pet Pantry on Thursday, April 16, to make sure pets have what they need.

Obviously, this is a time of need, said Constable Wayne Thompson. Folks need help with various things, whether that may be groceries or supplies. And then of course, we cant forget our pet owners that may have needs for pet food, that maybe they just cant afford to get right now.

He said the precinct has a great relationship with the Houston Humane Society and pointed out that Precinct 3 has Fort Bend Countys only full-time animal cruelty investigator. Thompson said the pet pantry was just one example of the organizations partnership.

Pets today are often considered much more a part of the family, something that Thompson says has seen evidence of in his work.

Weve had other issues with disasters like Harvey where we understand that those pets are really another family member. We dont look at them, like we used to, you know, 20 or 30 years ago. Theyre an extension of the family now, and weve got to provide for them, just like a child or son or daughter or family member.

HHS Executive Director Gary Poon was at the pet pantry and said it was a great to make sure that the families and individuals were getting some free supplies and that taking care of the pets would emotionally help their owners.

Animals can help them to de-stress, Poon said.

Since starting the off-site events, HHS has given out about 40,000 pounds of food to more than 2,000 families. On Thursday, they handed out 2,000 pounds to 100 households.

More Information Two more off-site events are planned: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, at Fort Bend Animal Services at 1210 Blume Rd, Rosenberg 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, at North East Community Center at 10918 Bentley St., No. 1/2, Houston Pet owners need to preregister at https://tinyurl.com/y85cayz7. They can also register to pick up free pet food at the HHS facility. Additionally, HHS is accepting donations to fund the pet pantry. See More Collapse

The drive-thru was organized well to avoid much human contact. Preregistered pet owners stopped at one station, and their cars were labeled, such as one dog, two cats. Within a couple of minutes, the bags of food were loaded into their cars, and the pet owners were on their way.

HHS also offers a full-service, low-cost wellness clinic at its facility at 14700 Almeda Road, Houston, where pet owners can save on anything from vaccinations to spaying and neutering to dealing with accidents that pets can sometimes have.

A large part of giving out the free food for the Houston Humane Society is helping to ensure that pets do not end up at the shelter. Poon was glad to see pet owners receive what they needed.

Im really happy to see that because we know that they dont need to surrender the pets because they dont have food, he said.

Katie Fine is the HHS executive assistant and pet pantry coordinator. She agreed with Poon and said the free pet food can provide some relief to these pet owners, you know, so that they dont have to go without on their own. So they can figure out the human situation. We can help them figure out the pet situation, and then the more they can take care of their pets, the less likely they are to surrender.

tracy.maness@hcnonline.com
Being cooped up at home is no fun for humans, but bears are making the most of the extra space at California's shuttered Yosemite National Park.

"The bears are just literally walking down the road to get to where they need to go," Ranger Katie Patrick said during a Facebook Live event on Sunday. She is a wildlife biologist who has worked with black bears in Yosemite since 2007.

"For the most part, I think they're having a party," she said in response to questions about what the animals have been doing since Yosemite closed on March 20.

Normally this time of year is difficult for animals at Yosemite because there can be "literally walls of cars, stop-and-go traffic or people in the park," especially in the sort of "urban" Yosemite Valley area.

Katie Patrick, known as Ranger Katie, works with the Human Bear Management Program, mitigating conflicts that arise when you have humans and bears so close together.

"The goal of my position is to have as wild of bears as possible in this park," she said during her presentation from Cook's Meadow in Yosemite Valley.

For visitors, that means storing food properly and staying more than 50 yards away from bears.

Yosemite is the fifth most popular of the National Park Service's 62 headliner parks. Some 4.4 million people visited the park in 2019.

Bears out and about

Yosemite is home to about 300 to 500 black bears, according to a Yosemite National Park post on Twitter.

"Though there hasn't been an increase in their population since the park closure," the post said, "bears have been seen more frequently than usual."

During the talk on Sunday, Ranger Katie demonstrated some of the equipment used to tag and track bears that seem too habituated to humans. Less than 1% of the bears in the park are tagged, she said.

One viewer on Facebook asked whether visitors have ever been "eaten" by bears at Yosemite.

Fortunately not: No human deaths by black bears have ever been recorded there, park officials posted.

"However, bites and swats by bears have occurred. In most of these cases, humans were too close to bears and the bears reacted to protect themselves," Yosemite said in the response, with a link about how to behave around bears in the park.

While Yosemite is about the size of Rhode Island, much of the human visitation is concentrated in areas such as Yosemite Valley, which is also a great habitat for bears, Ranger Katie said.

Black bears move around quite a bit every spring foraging for food, Yosemite officials posted during the event, but with fewer people around "bears also seem to be a little more relaxed when they are out in the open, possibly because it is much quieter in the park right now."

There's no estimated reopening date for Yosemite yet, park officials said in the Facebook comments.
Students from grade three to nine are required to work on research papers instead of taking final exams. Al Ahram Weekly looks into the difficulties of moving to the new system

Minister of Education and Technical Education Tarek Shawki announced the names of subjects of research projects that school students from grade three to grade nine will be required to do instead of finals. Reem Leila reports

Students are being asked to prepare one multi-discipline research paper for the whole year, not for every subject, to pass this academic year and graduate to the next year, all in the wake of the coronavirus that has shut schools down nationwide.

To make it easier for the students the ministry released a tutorial video on its official website to explain in detail what was needed to be done, starting with choosing the topic itself, all the way to submitting it.

Students in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 have to choose one of four topics suggested by the Ministry of Education. Students can either do the project individually or in a group, with a maximum of five students.

Students from grade seven to nine must choose one project from among three that can either be done individually or with a group of students, also a maximum of five.

The submitted projects should include a title, introduction, summary, subject, results or notes and references, in addition to the code number of students who participated in the project, according to Reda Hegazi, deputy to the minister of education.

On the website there are general guidelines and suggested formats for each topic suggested by the ministry in order to facilitate matters for students, Hegazi said.

All topics are based on the learning outcomes of each academic stage and have a reference in textbooks as well as an e-library https://study.ekb.eg.

Students are to submit research projects by 15 May, said Hegazi, adding that papers are to be delivered either online by uploading them onto the platform https://edmodo.org, or bring a hard copy of the project to the school which will in turn send it to the ministry online.

Mahmoud Hassouna, the spokesman of the Ministry of Education, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the projects evaluation criteria will be based on several elements: attractive headline, organised presentation of the research, the resources used, whether the textbook or the e-library, meeting the required number of words as well as addressing different angles of the subjects, correct punctuation, spelling and grammar.

Identical and plagiarised research projects will be rejected. If so, the student will have to sit for an exam at the beginning of the next academic year as a substitute, Hassouna said.

Several parents and students have complained that the instructions are vague concerning the research project. But there is a much more serious complaint. Marwa Al-Sayed, a school bus attendant and a mother of two in grade three and nine, claims that teachers are asking for money in order to help students in the research. I have to pay for each of my children at least LE300 for each research. Neither I nor my children know how to do it. They do not even understand what a research project means, Al-Sayed said.

Lotfi Gamal, a restaurant manager who has a grade seven daughter, said he tried to help her with the research but could not understand how she should do it. I will ask the help of my daughters teachers, and of course I will have to pay, but I do not know how much, Gamal said.

Shaden Mohamed, a bank manager, believes that the research project is the best solution for her children to solve this years dilemma. I logged onto the ministrys website. I surfed the research project topics, and selected one for my grade nine child and another one for my grade five girl. I googled the topics, wrote them myself and submitted them to the school administration, Mohamed said.

According to Mohamed, the ministry should have taught our children how to choose a topic, search for information, compile and write them. It is very difficult for young students to understand what a research project means. Parents are doing the research for their children or asking teachers to do them in return for money. This has created a very rich atmosphere for teachers to exploit parents, she added.

We are exerting our utmost efforts to reach the simplest ways to educate students, Shawki, who held a video conference on 9 April, said. Therefore, the ministry will adopt very strict measures against those who exploit students in research projects.

Hegazi said the students will be asked to hold a presentation on their research during the first two weeks of the upcoming academic year in order to teach them how to interact with others and to see whether the students actually did the research on their own or with the help of others.

Students who worked on their research on their own will find it easy to present and explain it, while those who fail will need to take exams to guarantee that they have studied the previous years curriculum, Hegazi said, adding the ministry will not easily allow students who did not do their assignments to move on to the following year.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 16 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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OSCODA, MI  Hopes that a major cash infusion would accelerate groundwater cleanup at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base were dashed when military engineers reported they plan to spend several more years investigating pollution thats already been under study for a decade.

Activists and members of a local advisory board sharply criticized plans to use $13.5 million from a recent Congressional appropriation to conduct a comprehensive investigation around the old base, saying that money should instead be used to install new systems to capture the toxic PFAS chemical plumes contaminating local water bodies.

They argue the Air Force should be taking interim measures to address the contamination now rather than gathering data which the state of Michigan already has.

The Air Force can walk and chew gum at the same time, said Anthony Spaniola, a Troy attorney who owns a family cottage on Van Etten Lake across from the Oscoda Township beach, which is regularly beset by toxic surface water foam.

This was an arbitrary decision made by the Department of Defense without regard for the safety and health of the people of Oscoda, Spaniola said.

Spaniolas comments came during a local Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting on Wednesday, April 15. The semi-regular meeting was held virtually rather than in-person because of limits on public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

The sluggish Air Force remedial process is a sore spot for Oscoda residents. Timelines shared during the meeting do not appear to be much different than earlier projections about the drawn-out projects potential length.

Related: Oscoda goes a decade without cleanup plan

David Gibson of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, who recently took over as project manager at Wurtsmith, told board members that the earliest any new remediation, or cleanup, efforts might begin is probably sometime in 2024.

Weve got to look at a judicious collection of data to get us to the point where we can develop interim action, Gibson said.

In December, the Air Force finished whats known as an Expanded Site Investigation, or ESI, in which it re-examined the threat posed to drinking water wells in the area. The next step is to award a contract in September to begin a base-wide remedial investigation, or RI, that would last until 2022. After that, a feasibility study and more protracted bureaucratic decision-making steps would come before any cleanup system could begin design or construction.

The Air Force says a slower approach is warranted because the chemicals havent contaminated drinking water sources as badly in Oscoda as they have at other U.S. military bases around the world. At latest count, there are 651 active or former bases where the use of chemical-laden firefighting foam called AFFF is known or suspected to have caused pollution. Defense officials recently told The Hill newspaper that overall cleanup could take 30 years.

Oscoda officials, lawmakers and state regulators say theres already enough evidence of public harm from the pollution to take interim steps. They point to advisories to limit or avoid consumption of local fish and game and avoid contact with toxic lake foam. Those advisories have been issued based on the states own data collection and analysis.

Mike Neller, the new remediation division director at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE), said the state has requested the Air Force take interim cleanup actions at several sites around the base.

In Clarks Marsh, a wetland adjacent to the base, fish have tested at world record levels of contamination. The state says no fish of any kind should be eaten from the marsh. Despite signs warning of tainted fish and deer, locals say hunters and anglers still rely on the area.

I have consistently observed people hunting in Clarks Marsh, said board member William Gaines. I am concerned they are getting health effects that arent being recognized.

Board member Cathy Wusterbarth noted that pollution from Wurtsmith inevitably ends up in Lake Huron, which is a drinking water source for millions of people.

This approach to address only drinking water sources is shortsighted and plays into this strategy to delay, said Wusterbarth, who also noted that exposure to PFAS chemicals likely elevates a persons risk from the new COVID-19 disease. Why should we accept continued exposure to these substances that we know weaken the immune system?

During the meeting, Gibson suggested there wasnt imminent health harm because nobody in Oscoda was drinking water contaminated by two PFAS chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisory level of 70 parts-per-trillion (ppt), which the EPA considers a safe level to drink every day across a persons lifetime.

Gibson said a municipal water supply contaminated above 70-ppt would be an imminent threat, but also said no regulatory agency has determined such a criteria.

In the absence of any federal drinking water standards for PFAS, states like Michigan have developed their own safe exposure levels in drinking water well below 70-ppt. The state is in the final steps of developing an enforceable level for seven PFAS chemicals in public drinking water. Expected limits on two those chemicals, PFOA and PFNA, are below 10-ppt.

At least trace levels of some PFAS have been found in public water serving about 1.9 million people in Michigan. The state began to aggressively search for the contaminants in late 2017.

Congressman Dan Kildee, D-Flint, listened to Wednesdays meeting and rebuked the Air Force during public comment for going against Congressional intent by using the recently appropriated $13.5 million for more investigation, not cleanup. He said the law calls for interim measures when pollution presents an imminent and substantial health threat.

When Congress pushed this through, the entire debate was on getting cleanup done, said Kildee, who co-chairs a Congressional PFAS task force. The intention was that there would be interim measures taken to mitigate these threats.

The $13.5 million from a year-end appropriations bill nearly doubles the total spending on PFAS at Wurtsmith to date. The Air Force has spent $14.23 million investigating contaminants and installing two groundwater filtration systems through 2019. The Air Force has estimated total cleanup at the base would cost about $251 million.

Although academic scientists first found PFAS chemicals at Wurtsmith more than 20 years ago, the first serious scrutiny came after former EGLE site manager Robert Delaney tested the old base fire training area in 2010. The first drinking water advisory was issued in 2016.

This community has waited a long time, Kildee said.

Related stories:

Michigan veterans face uphill battle proving toxic exposure

Quit horsing around, Oscoda residents tell Air Force

Advocates ask EPA to regulate PFAS as hazardous waste
By PTI

MUMBAI: The Rs 2,300-crore amusement parks sector, which directly employs 80,000 people, is staring at huge reverses including financial distress, job losses and closure of assets due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an industry body said on Thursday.

The Indian Association of Amusement Parks and Industries (IAAPI) has written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a variety of sops to help sustain, its secretary general Anil Padwal said.

All the amusement parks have been shut since mid-March and even after the lifting-off of the lockdown, are unlikely to see any business as people will continue to avoid public places, he said.

"We earn over 40 per cent of revenues in the March-June season. After the summer vacations, there are rains and a six-month long lull every year," he told PTI.

As per the government orders, none of the body's members are retrenching people at this moment, but there are over 3 lakh indirect jobs that they support as well, he said.

The sops requested by the body include a complete holiday from paying goods and services tax for 12 months, deferment for 6 months in payment of direct or indirect taxes of all statutory dues like advance payment of taxes, PF, ESIC, waiver of custom duties on imported spare parts, reduction in effective rate of interest in loans and a 12-month moratorium on payments to financial institutions.

The body wrote to the prime minister on March 23, ahead of the lockdown and followed it up with another letter on April 3 with other demands.

Economists are fearing that the GDP may contract in FY2021 as well and there are widespread demands for stimulus or aid packages but also admit to grim revenue situation for the government and how it will be able to execute such demands.
The University of Wisconsin System may consider furloughing some of its 39,000 employees as financial losses related to the coronavirus mount and uncertainty looms over when campuses can return to normal operations.

The executive committee of the UW Board of Regents will meet Thursday to consider granting UW System President Ray Cross and UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank the authority to create furlough policies, the first step in executing mandatory unpaid leave for employees.

A summary of the proposed policy amendment said furlough policies will provide options to address the financial hit campuses face.

System officials conservatively estimate the revenue losses and additional costs related to the pandemic will tally roughly $170 million for the spring semester alone. Some UW campuses have already imposed other cost-cutting measures, such as hiring freezes and pausing of construction projects.

Meeting materials released Wednesday state that furlough policies will help administrators respond to the increasing COVID-19 costs in a way that minimizes layoffs and maximizes the UW Systems ability to continue to perform its critical educational and outreach mission.

System spokesman Mark Pitsch said he had no details on the number of employees being considered for furlough. UW-Madison spokesman John Lucas declined to comment until after the committee meets Thursday.

Since the System started its own personnel policy in 2015, it has not furloughed employees, Pitsch said.

UW campuses weathering budget cuts have instead imposed layoffs, offered buyouts and left vacancies unfilled.

How to listen What: Executive committee meeting of the UW Board of Regents When: 2:30 p.m. Thursday Link: go.madison.com/furlough-meeting

But public university employees have previously been forced to take unpaid time off, most recently during the Great Recession when all state employees received multiple weeks of furlough to address a more than $6 billion budget shortfall.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of institutions across the country have turned to furloughs in recent weeks as a way to immediately cut costs while waiting for the pandemic to play out. Marquette University in Milwaukee announced last week that 250 of its employees would be furloughed until normal operations resume.

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The 'hitman' hired by Joe Exotic to kill his arch nemesis Carole Baskin claims he only took the money to escape Oklahoma and get away from Joe, exclusively telling DailyMail.com that his only plan was to drain the Tiger King star of money.

Allen Glover, 51, was hired by the flamboyant former owner of GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma to murder Big Cat Animal Rescue owner Baskin in exchange for $3,000 in 2017.

But he said: 'I never had any intention of harming Carole, let alone kill her.

'I was working for Joe at the time and I just couldn't stand being around Joe anymore and I wanted to get out of there and go back to South Carolina. But I didn't have any money to leave, I was only making $150/week.'

Allen Glover, 51, was hired by the flamboyant former owner of GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma to murder Big Cat Animal Rescue owner Baskin in exchange for $3,000 in 2017. But he claimed: 'I never had any intention of harming Carole, let alone kill her

Glover explained how he got involved with Joe's plot to kill Baskin, saying Joe would constantly telling everyone within earshot how he wanted her gone. Glover said Joe would say things along the lines of, 'I want to kill that b***h Carole Baskin, she's sucked me dry of money and she wants all of my animals'

Glover said: 'I never had any intention of harming Carole, let alone kill her.' Pictured: Baskin on the grounds of her big cat rescue

Glover later testified against Joe at trial, where Joe was found sentenced to 22 years in prison for the plot to kill Baskin, as well as numerous animal violations, including five tigers.

Glover said he doesn't believe Joe will last long in prison saying: 'He's not going to ever set foot alive outside of prison again, he won't do his full sentence, I give him five years at most before he's dead.'

Glover added: He knows he's never getting out and that sets the course for depression, I wouldn't be surprised if he even makes it out of medical where he is currently being housed.

'I should know the mindset it takes to survive, I've spent a long time in prison, and Joe doesn't have what it takes.'





Glover explained how he got involved with Joe's plot to kill Baskin, saying Joe would constantly telling everyone within earshot how he wanted her gone.

Glover said Joe would say things along the lines of, 'I want to kill that b***h Carole Baskin, she's sucked me dry of money and she wants all of my animals. '

Glover later testified against Joe at trial, where Joe was found sentenced to 22 years in prison for the plot to kill Baskin, as well as numerous animal violations, including five tigers

Glover said he doesn't believe Joe will last long in prison saying: 'He's not going to ever set foot alive outside of prison again, he won't do his full sentence, I give him five years at most before he's dead.' Pictured: Joe making a video phone call in prison

Glover added: 'One day while driving with Joe I told him I can take care of that for you,' he said, ''really?'' I've never seen him so happy.

'I had to make Joe really believe I wanted to kill Carole in order to get the money so I could get out of there and back to South Carolina.'

Joe originally offered Glover $5,000 but only ended up paying him $3,000 because of lack of funds.

After they both agreed on the price, Joe then hatched his convoluted plan to kill Baskin, who lived in Florida.

Joe instructed his former husband John Finlay to take Glover to Dallas to get a fake ID card, to use the ID for bus trips and hotel stays.

Glover said he had a 'half a**ed' fake ID made, using the name John McDowell Allen.

Glover flew to South Carolina to sort some things out and then he was instructed to take a bus down to Tampa to kill Baskin (pictured). But Joe kept changing his mind on how he wanted Glover to kill Baskin

Glover admitted he did take a bus down to the Tampa area, but not to kill Carole. Instead, he 'partied, bought drugs, alcohol and women with the money'

He then flew to South Carolina to sort some things out and then he was instructed to take a bus down to Tampa to kill Baskin.

But Joe kept changing his mind on how he wanted Glover to kill Baskin.

At first he wanted him to shoot her, then he wanted Glover to wait in the bushes outside her property and shoot her with a bow and arrow, before changing his mind again told Glover to cut Baskin's head off and 'feed her out to the swamps.'

Glover admitted he did take a bus down to the Tampa area, but not to kill Carole. Instead, he 'partied, bought drugs, alcohol and women with the money.'

Glover was staying within miles of Baskin's house, and at one point he thought about telling her about Joe's plan to kill her, but decided against it, saying: 'I would be in jail too, I didn't want to get involved. '

Glover thinks Joe's 22-year prison sentence is justified, saying: 'He deserves every year he got, he screwed so many people over.' He added: 'He thought he was going to play me, but it looks like I got the last laugh'

Glover said he returned back to South Carolina and when Joe found out he didn't kill Baskin, he called him yelling and screaming, demanding his money back.

'My only plan the entire time was to drain every dime I could get from Joe, I hated that guy,' Glover laughed.

'Joe's plan would have never worked, even if he had hired a legitimate ''hitman''.

Glover thinks Joe's 22-year prison sentence is justified, saying: 'He deserves every year he got, he screwed so many people over.'

He added: 'He thought he was going to play me, but it looks like I got the last laugh.'
The GE Engineering Design Center in Warsaw, Poland celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. The Center, which employs around 1500 staff, recently played a key role in developing GEs latest turboprop engine the Catalyst, which is scheduled to fly for the first time this year.

Aerospace Testing International talked to the leader of the Engineering Design Center (EDC) and one of the companys first employees, Marian Lubieniecki, about the centers testing capabilities and equipment, the aviation sector in Poland, and being part of one of the largest global corporations.

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Can you tell me what the background of the EDC is and how it was created?

There is no legal entity called the EDC, we are a hybrid organization, the center is really a common design office that was created between GE and ukasiewicz Research Network  Institute of Aviation. So, the EDC is a joint venture of two parties. We operate like one company, but we are actually two separate companies. A very well established, globally operated, international company and a regionally-oriented research institute.

The joint structure allows us to benefit from the advantages of each organization. Thanks to the relationship with the ukasiewicz Research Network  Institute of Aviation, we are research-driven and embedded in the Polish scientific and industrial world. Thanks to our GE connection, we are globally and industry-oriented, allowing us the best of both worlds.

What are the capabilities of the EDC?

The capabilities of the EDC have evolved a lot over the last two decades. We started with aviation and have expanded into the energy sector. For several years we have had a team working with GE Oil and Gas. Now we have two other teams that operate with the energy sector, one focused on heavy-duty gas turbines and a smaller team that works for GEs offshore wind business.

The largest team works on engines from technology development through product design and up to entry-into-service. We cover the whole product development lifecycle for key GE Aviation products. We also have technology groups, like digital technology focused on particular areas of innovation.

Sometimes were called the city of engineers because of the number of laboratory buildings we have. If you think about technology capitals, we are one of them, but I think we are special in the sense that we have access to full-scale megawatts of power, comparable to a big industrial factory.

I think its also very important that we use the experience and knowledge of both partners, and there is a lot to lean on. GE Aviation had its 100th anniversary last year and two years ago we celebrated a hundred years of aviation in Poland  the Institute of Aviation itself dates back to 1926. So, its an organization with vast experience, with the best of two companies combined.

What is the latest and greatest equipment and facilities at the EDC?

Our partner, ukasiewicz Research Network  Institute of Aviation is a major player in our infrastructure. Its a research institute, but its not the type of institute with a menial type of office with some computers, it has laboratories where we can test the physics.

The strategic infrastructure investments within ukasiewicz Research Network  Institute of Aviation are driven by business decisions, focused primarily on long-term cooperation with GE globally and locally. We have test laboratories here that are used by GE, which is a big advantage for the whole organization, because we can really have the best mix of theoretical knowledge and practical industrial experience.

The ukasiewicz Research Network  Institute of Aviation provided us with a really industrial style campus, which allows us to have large laboratories. Some of them are closer to the size of factories. If you consider that weve had to test the largest fans ever designed for turbofan engines here and that it used close to 6.3MW of power, it has to be as large as a factory because its testing full-size aviation equipment.

We have a very well-established materials laboratory too. I call it the mother of all the other laboratories because it was the first that worked for the EDC. It started with just one small microscope in the corner and now we have some of the worlds most advanced machines surrounded by all the possible equipment we could need. Its one of the top-class materials laboratories in this part of the world.

We are proud that the most recent of these laboratories were designed by us, with some help from our colleagues from outside. A lot of innovation and creativity went into setting up all our laboratories.

What innovation are you most proud of at the EDC?

Im proud of the most recent advancements weve applied to the Catalyst engine, mainly in the areas of heat transfer and cooling. Weve made tremendous progress improving these technologies recently.

It would not be fair if I did not mention the achievement of our Gas Power Team developing components for the most advanced H-class gas turbine, which will be installed in Dolna Odra power plant in Poland. Our offshore wind team has also played a role in designing the worlds largest offshore wind turbine, the Haliade-X, which is able to produce 12MW of power.

Weve also made a lot of progress in digital technology, for example the application of artificial intelligence to some of our processes as well as big data analysis. We are also doing research work around the air traffic control of eVOTLs, looking at how to manage drone traffic. Those are all areas that Im really proud of.

What was the EDCs contribution to the Catalyst engine?

About 50% of the engineers who worked on the engine were from Warsaw. We also closely collaborated with colleagues from Italy, Czech Republic, Turkey and Germany. Quite a number of engineers from across Europe worked on that product, which was a great advantage from a technology point of view.

It is the first engine completely designed outside of the US by GE. Its a major milestone and an extremely impressive step forward in expanding GEs capability and capacity in Europe.

EDC was responsible for the design of high and low pressure turbines, the compressor, bearings, sumps and engine systems, like secondary air or lube system. The project also meant advancing the latest technologies, for example aspects of the high pressure turbine cooling used in the engine. Some of the engines key parts would not have been possible if we were not able to use additive manufacturing to produce them.

EDC contributed a lot on the technology level as well as on the system integration level. I should clarify a lot of people in Prague, Munich and also Canada contributed. It wouldnt be fair to say it is just our engine, but we contributed to a large part of it.

Will the EDC integrate more with GE Aviation in the future?

We are fully integrated operationally, but we retain our own identity and I think thats a positive. I see the global corporation like Europe, each country has its own identity, which makes the whole greater. Diversity positively contributes to the company, it doesnt separate and divide.

Why did you choose to pursue a career in aerospace?

Originally my major was in shipbuilding and naval architecture, but there was a lot of focus on fluid mechanics and from that skill set I decided to do my PhD on ship propulsion. When I joined industry I became a steam turbine designer. And with small steps I became a turbine designer/jet engine designer. I also worked for quite a number of years for a gas business offshore.

My shipbuilding education, which was pretty broad and covered a lot of different topics, including ship propulsion, served me very well because the physics is not that different to aircraft propulsion. It allows me to understand the diverse operations of the EDC. My background in ship propulsion and ship propellers was easily transferable to the turbofan engines. Its pretty much the same thing  instead of water there is air but thats not that big of a difference.

What does the future hold for the EDC?

We hope to be at the forefront of industry trends. I dont like to be too product specific because of having such a large number of engineering teams. Im proud of them all. I think we would all like to give back to the technology community, develop more, contribute more. I think thats going to be future for EDC.
By Donald Kirk





The phrase has a certain drama, overtones of life-or-death struggle: "The last plane out of" a city under attack, under siege, on the brink of surrender. In my case, it was "the last plane out of Washington," or, to be precise, the last non-stop flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to Incheon International Airport. For many years Korean Air has operated the only non-stop from the U.S. capital to South Korea, and now it was ending.







I had reserved the flight well before KAL announced suspension of the thrice-weekly service, and I expected to find myself on a nearly empty plane. No way. The flight was nearly full of passengers of all ages, young people whose schools had stopped classes, middle-aged professionals whose jobs no longer existed, elderly men and women who'd been living in the U.S. for years but were anxious to reconnect with family back home in Korea.







The flight was fine, but the atmosphere a little different. Unlike on the streets of Washington, everyone on board was wearing a mask, and most people had on gloves. By the time we landed in Incheon 14 hours later I was pretty used to them.







The reception at Incheon was another matter. Lots of people clad in white were there to make sure everyone got through eventually. Someone installed the app on my phone that's supposed to tell where I am. Not that I know how it works, but I'm pretty sure it's the one that says "Self-Quarantine Safety Protection."







The stage that really counts comes after you've gone through immigration, picked up your bags, changed money and stepped out of the terminal. You're not getting away without the test, an unpleasant pair of jabs with little cotton-swathed sticks up a nostril and down your throat and are told you'll know within 24 hours whether you carry the disease.







Somewhere in the process I had already picked up a label in the form of a yellow circle on the back of my passport. I wasn't getting away without at least one night at a facility set up to accommodate incoming passengers while the tiny nose-and-throat samples were under scrutiny in a laboratory. Soldiers and policemen were lurking around to make sure I got on a bus for the ride to wherever I was supposed to go.







It was well after sundown that I was ordered onto an empty bus, the only passenger, seated opposite a soldier whose job apparently was to make sure I did nothing to upset the driver, clad in white, shielded by a vinyl barrier from passengers who might be carrying the disease or otherwise inclined to make trouble. I assumed we were going somewhere near the airport.







Wrong. As the bus thundered down near-empty expressways, I began to realize the Seoul-Incheon megalopolis was behind us. Eventually I saw a sign saying "Pyeongtaek" then signs to Cheonan. That was our destination. No, not the city itself but an outlying forest area. The road was narrow and twisting, leading to a structure that I vaguely recall was a "youth center" set aside for international passengers like me.







A gentleman named Mr. Kwon, clad in hooded white garb like everyone else, was on hand to greet me, the lone passenger. He was, he said as he had me fill out a form, from the foreign ministry. Yes, he worked on the North Korean desk. No, he did not know how many North Koreans had died from the disease.







The building was quiet. No guests were seen in the corridors, no sounds wafting from the rooms. About 90 people were there, Mr. Kwon told me, but the rules were strict. I was not to venture outside my room.







Okay I didn't mind sleeping on a "yo," the traditional Korean bedding, and forget about a TV, which I don't watch much anyway, but I would have liked a chair and a table.







The prospect of spending two weeks quarantined there was not heartening. Soon after breakfast was announced on a loudspeaker and a food pack placed outside my door, another gentleman garbed in white showed up bearing a single piece of paper summarizing the outcome of my test: "negative."







I would be free to go on another bus to Incheon airport and self-quarantine for two weeks at my address in Seoul. I'm not stepping outside for a cup of coffee while trying to figure out that app they installed at the airport.









Donald Kirk (

) has been covering war and peace in Asia for decades.


The disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline suffered a setback on Wednesday after a judge cancelled a key permit that had been issued without adequately assessing the effects on endangered species.

The tar sands pipeline, expected to stretch from Canada to Nebraska, is also the focus of two other lawsuits by environmental campaigners and tribal communities.

On Wednesday, US District Judge Brian Morris said the US Army Corps of Engineers failed to adequately consider effects on endangered species such as pallid sturgeon, a massive, dinosaur-like fish that lives in rivers the pipeline would cross.

Today, Judge Morris is holding a hearing on two other legal challenges against the pipeline.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, tribal communities want the judge to halt construction at the border as it will require thousands of out-of-state workers moving to remote areas and risk a public health crisis in places which have limited resources to deal with an outbreak.

Climate activists, 350.org, tweeted: It is unconscionable that @TCEnergy continue construction during a global pandemic, w/out permits.

Another lawsuit challenging President Donald Trumps approval of the pipeline last year is working its way through the courts.

The $8bn pipeline project had begun late last month following years of delays. Judge Morris ruling does not shut down work already started in Montana at the US-Canada border, according to attorneys in the case.

TC Energys surprise March 31 announcement that it intended to start construction amid a global economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic came after the provincial government in Alberta invested $1.1 billion to jump-start the work.

As many as 11 construction camps, some housing up to 1,000 people, were initially planned for the project. TC Energy says those are under review amid the pandemic and wont be needed until later in the summer.

Work on two camps, in Montana and South Dakota, could start as soon as this month, according to court documents filed by the company this week.

The pipeline was proposed in 2008 and would carry up to 830,000 barrels (35 million gallons) of crude daily to Nebraska, where it would be transferred to another TC Energy pipeline for shipment to refineries and export terminals on the Gulf of Mexico.

It was rejected twice under the Obama administration because of concerns that it could worsen climate change. President Trump issued permits for the project in one of his first actions on taking office in 2017.

Pipeline sponsor TC Energy will need the newly-revoked permit for future construction across hundreds of rivers and streams along Keystones 1,200-mile route.

It creates another significant hurdle for the project, Anthony Swift with the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the groups that challenged the permit, told the Associated Press.

Regardless of whether they have the cross border segment ... Keystone XL has basically lost all of its Clean Water Act permits for water crossings.

TC Energy was reviewing the ruling but remained committed to building this important energy infrastructure project, spokesman Terry Cunha told AP.

The Army Corps of Engineers did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.

The Keystone authorization came under a so-called nationwide permit issued by the Corps in 2017, essentially giving blanket approval to pipeline or similar utility projects with minimal effects on waterways.

The cancellation could have broader implications because it appears to invalidate dredging work for any project authorised under the 2017 permit, said attorney Jared Margolis with the Center for Biological Diversity, another plaintiff in the case. Its unclear what projects would be included.

Associated Press contributed to this report
PM Dion Ngute commissions Tasong & Njong Twitter

Paul Tasong and Donatus Njong have respectively been installed National Coordinator and Deputy National Coordinator of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South West Regions, PPRD-NW/SW.

The duo was installed Wednesday, April 15, 2020 by Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief. Dr. Dion Ngute Joseph after he had appointed them on April 3, 2020.

In his installation speech, PM Dion Ngute instructed Tasong and Njong to elaborate the action plan and annual work outline as the reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of the North West and South West Regions takes center stage.

The Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South West Regions, PPRD-NW/SW, was inspired by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya when he Instructed the creation of a working group at the Prime Ministers Office which was effectively done on August 1st 2019, with the responsibility of elaborating the working document for the reconstruction of these regions, said Dion Ngute.

In order to execute the important task the working group carried out a wide range of consultations with the populations of the North West and South West regions. The populations expressed their aspirations of seeing their regions reconstructed and for life to return to normalcy.

On the reconstruction and development spheres, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute noted that: Three major areas required close attention; the reestablishment of social cohesion, the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure and the revamping of the local economy.

To highlight the importance and weight of the plan, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute recalled that, On December 5, 2019, a number of diplomatic representations attended the meeting in Yaounde during which the reconstruction plan was [presented. The diplomats on behalf of their various countries, agreed to support the financing of this plan which was later forwarded to the President of the Republic for his high approval. In a document approved by the Head of State, the Cameroon Government and it multilateral and bilateral partners agreed to mobilize the sum of over 89 billion.

To the National Coordinator and Deputy National Coordinator, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute reminded them that the task ahead is daunting and demands diligence, hard work and commitment.

Among the tasks that awaits the newly appointed personalities are; the rehabilitation of about 350 schools, 115 health centers, 40 bridges, 400 power points, 500 KM of Low tension power points, 600KM of rural roads, 45 markets, 12000 houses, 25000hectares of farm land, livestock lost by grazers, reestablishment of close to 3000 personal documents lost.

The PM acknowledged that the PPRD-NW/SW National Coordinator Minister Paul Tasong contributed significantly to the development of the 10 years reconstruction plan for the North West and South West regions which was presented at the Major National Dialogue and validated after inputs from participants.

He described the two coordinators as emblematic and having a mastery of the two regions.

In order to match words with actions, PM Chief Dr. Dion Ngute, instructed that, The National Coordinator and his Deputy, as a matter of urgency should set up a coordination team, prepare the first annual work plan and submit it to the steering committee for its approval.

The PM then called on the stakeholders involved in the reconstruction exercise to collaborate for the interest of the PPRD-NW/SW.

I want to call on the ministerial departments concern with reconstruction, to give them their full collaboration for this program considering the particular importance the Head of State attaches to it, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute said.

Tasong & Njong: The development champions

The National Coordinator, Paul Tasong, is current Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development. Paul Tasong is a Cameroonian, born March 20, 1963 in Mmockmbie in the Lebialem department (South West Region). He is married and has four children.

A graduate of the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) in 1988 (Tax Inspector), Paul Tasong is, among other things, a graduate of the Executive Education Program in Public Finance management, obtained at the University Harvard in 2010; a Masters in public administration management and a diploma in development policy awarded by the Institute for Development Policy and Management at the University of Antwerp (Belgium), in 1996 and 1995 respectively.

Before being promoted to Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, in charge of Planning, on March 02, 2018, Paul TASONG occupied in turn the functions of Commissioner in charge of Department of Economic, Monetary and Financial Policies at the CEMAC Commission (2012-2017); Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (2010-2012) and Director of Public Investment Programming at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (2004-2010). In terms of professional qualification, the current MINDEL / MINEPAT has proven expertise in the areas of regional integration policy; Tax policy; Public finance management; Macroeconomic framework; Multilateral surveillance; Business climate monitoring; Monitoring of statistical data; Strategic planning ; Public investment management; and Mobilization of external funding, among others.

Politician, Paul Tasong is since 2016, Head of the Permanent Departmental Delegation of the Central Committee of the Democratic Rally of the Cameroonian People (RDPC) in Lebialem.

The Deputy National Coordinator, Donatus Njong, is the former SDF Mayor of Kumbo Council. He championed the development of Kumbo for over two decades.

Defence and security forces have been battling armed separatists who seek to make of the North West and South West Regions a state called Ambazonia. Although the crisis which erupted from the demands of Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers is yet to end, Government has decided to engage a reconstruction plan of the restive regions.
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Soldiers are holding modified funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery so they can continue to honor war heroes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Guards were seen wearing masks during a military funeral for Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Belch at the cemetery in Virginia on Tuesday. Mourners observed social distancing at the service.

US Army soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion of the Old Guard or 3rd US Infantry Regiment were responsible for the rendering of honors at the funeral.

A firing party assigned to 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) fires three volleys as part of modified military funeral honors for U.S. Army Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Robert M. Belch at the Arlington National Cemetery, April 14

US Army soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion of the Old Guard or 3rd US Infantry Regiment were responsible for the rendering of honors at the funeral

The Old Guard soldiers wore face masks while carrying out the Memorial Affairs mission which is required at all the funerals of the nation's army veterans

The Old Guard soldiers wore face masks while carrying out the Memorial Affairs mission which is required at all the funerals of the nation's army veterans.

Attendees of the funeral also wore face masks and complied with social distancing rules.

A soldier assigned to 1st Battalion presented the U.S. flag to Sgt. Maj. Belch's son, Robert Belch.

The soldiers were then pictured carrying the casket and draping it in the US flag while wearing the protecting facial coverings.

The modified funeral proceedings followed the health protection guidance from the Secretary of Defense to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

A soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment presents the U.S. flag to Robert Belch (third from left seated) during the funeral of his father

Soldiers drape the US flag over the casket of retired Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Belch during the funeral on Tuesday

The Old Guard soldiers wore face masks while carrying out the Memorial Affairs mission which is required at all the funerals of the nation's army veterans

Command Sgt. Maj. Belch served in the army for 26 years, where he was a Combat Engineer with the 42nd Infantry, 142nd Combat Engineer Battalion, Rainbow Division.

He was among the first 192 soldiers to wear the rank of Sergeant Major when it was created.

As a decorated World War II veteran, he earned several commendations that included the Legion of Merit.

US Army soldiers lower the US flag over the casket at the funeral for Command Sgt. Maj. Belch, who served in the army for 26 years

He was among the first 192 soldiers to wear the rank of Sergeant Major when it was created
Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) ("PSH") today announced that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's Public Shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"):

Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 16 April 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 20,707 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,548 pence 19.23 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,528 pence 18.98 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,540 pence 19.13 USD Ticker: PSHD Date of Purchase: 16 April 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 10,000 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 19.28 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 19.20 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 19.25 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 16 April 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 20,121 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 19.36 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 18.92 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 19.15 USD

PSH will hold these Public Shares in Treasury. The net asset value per Public Share related to this buyback is 30.21 USD 23.93 GBP which was calculated as of 14 April 2020 (the "Relevant NAV"). After giving effect to the above buyback, PSH has 199,765,524 Public Shares outstanding, or 205,564,133 Public Shares calculated on a fully diluted basis (assuming that all Management Shares had been converted into Public Shares at the Relevant NAV). Excluded from the shares outstanding are 11,191,226 Public Shares held in Treasury. The prices per Public Share were calculated by Jefferies.

The number of PSH Management Shares and the one special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) have not been affected.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005805/en/

Contacts:

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Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson

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This essay is about paying respect. In 2018, after my first summer of preliminary fieldwork in the Artibonite region of Haiti, I returned disappointed and disillusioned. With the intention of studying local health related issues in the port city of Saint-Marc, the projects that were seemingly possible for me were ones I wanted to avoid. As a typical graduate student, I was searching for nuance in a world that was so oversaturated yet obscure. I mean, everyone knows about Haiti, right? Its an underdeveloped and disaster-prone nation defined by its high mortality rate: one of the shite-holes of the international community. A small Island nation enmeshed in white savior narratives. Yet despite being a symbol of a backward past, Haiti is the Future. I heard these words from my advisorDamien Sojoynerwhod heard them from his mentor Clyde Woods. For Clyde Woods to say Haiti is the Future was to allude to how racial capitalism has utilized the developing world as laboratoriestesting grounds and models for governing disasters. Clyde Woods, who dedicated his career to studying the plantation economies of New Orleans and the larger Cancer Alley, was in tune with black residents vulnerability to health and natural disasters perpetuated by the making of capital. He believed the future of the state is decentralized and in the hands of neoliberal forces, just as it has always been in post-plantation societies: a trajectory theorized by some of the most brilliant minds of neoliberal thought as the ideal governing structure of capitalism. Since the beginning of my scholarly journey as a Caribbeanist, Clyde Woods words have functioned as method. In the words of Damien Sojoyner, it calls us to follow the capital: where money is being spent, on what, by whom, and the larger implications for governance. During this time of crisis, I am aware of the true power of Clyde Woods words, and in this light, I use them to read and examine not the responses to COVID-19, but instead the possible aftermath of those responses.

The international community did not need the COVID-19 outbreak to comprehend the importance of hygiene. In January 2010, following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Haitians were hit by a cholera epidemic that killed thousands in the Artibonite region. In response to the earthquake, the United Nations had sent international workers to assist in Haitis recovery, including soldiers from Nepalwhere cholera is endemic. These peacekeepers, who may have disposed of their feces in the river, were allegedly the source of the epidemic in Haiti. For this generation of Haitians, cholera was a novel entity, an infectious disease that had not been seen on the Island since the 1800s. This microbial menace reemerged and produced mass panic amongst poor rural Haitians, even sparking violence against those helping to manage the outbreak, revealed during the lynching of about 45 spiritual healers in Southwestern and Northern provinces. By November 2013, more than 8,000 people had died from cholera in Haiti alone. For many, the cholera epidemic called into question the structural and imperial undertones that paved the way for such a disastrous outcome. The cholera outbreak exposed the biopolitical use of hygiene as a means of reifying borders. Fueled by anti-black racism and xenophobia, the Dominican Republic closed itself off to Haiti to protect its citizens from the disease. Similar undertones have developed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, as we have seen the U.S. close its borders, as well as a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. These parallels are more than striking; they are indicative of a cycle that become apparent during plagues where social contagions and the microbial contagion becomes the same threat.

Based on my research at the University of California, Irvine, with a focus on how biomedicine and Vodou have approached hygiene post-cholera, I am unafraid to claim that hygiene is something of a universal practice that goes by many names and forms. Hygiene is also tied to cultural logics and epistemologies. The global responses to COVID-19 speak to different techniques of monitoring bodies by states around the world. But the haunting of the COVID-19 epidemic will remain, not just in the memories of the things and ones that have been lost, but also in a haunted public. Governments will be consumed by the constant effort to manage our new enemy by implementing rigid, authoritarian policies, in which hygiene predominates and the invisible world becomes a target.

Though personal, hygiene also carries collective implications. Through hygiene, the state can assert its full power for the sake of the public. Epidemics test the sovereignty of nations as well as expose some of the contradictions in our global governance system. In 2018, the CDC reported on helping the Haitian Ministry of Health strengthen disease surveillance in post-disaster cholera sites in Haiti. In 2017, the World Bank identified about 18 countries that would need to spend $150 billion dollars a year on sanitation. A 10 year time frame has been given to fight cholera, based on the models of fighting cholera in Peru in 1990s. As COVID-19 is being understood as a crisis in sanitation, investments in hygiene practices are only a fragment of how marginal spaces have served as models for development.

Hygiene is older than culture. By hygiene, I mean acts one must take and rules one must follow in order to prevent disease. Humans ability to tell the difference between what is dirty and clean has been instrumental in disease prevention. What started as an essential adaptation critical to human survival became tied to cultural and social context as society evolved. Human mastery over the sanitation crisis was critical to the making of modernity, especially in the Western world. Yet epidemiological disasters such as cholera, Ebola, and now COVID-19 illustrate that not only have humans not fully mastered hygiene, but also that our current capitalist mode of functioning might be to blame for the devastation of these diseases. But as observed in many outbreaks, a public health terminology/technology such as hygiene has powerful social implications that can and have become genocidal. Since a fundamental dimension of hygiene is the elimination of a contagion, this can easily be used to justify the elimination of a perceived human contagion. Haiti, part of what was once called the torrid zone, has always been entangled in a narrative of sanitizationwhether it is a racial or viral threat that must be contained.

As many speculate what the outcome of the pandemic will be in places like in the Global North, I say look to the developing world, or more specifically, Haiti. Within our North American landscape, there is no telling exactly how COVID-19 will impact Americans post-disaster. Although this isnt the first time that microbial life has brought the public to its knees, many nations have reacted differently. The Global South have developed responses to COVID-19 based on past experiences of dealing with outbreaks. From working in post-disaster spaces, I have learned that there are patterns that teach us lessons that we can employ in the future. Hygiene is the future not because of COVID-19, but because time and time again our immunity, institutions, and social bonds will be tested by pandemics, some we will see coming and others we wont. Yet the true novelty of this virus lies in its formidable effect on impeding on fundamental parts of humanity: spending quality time and physical interacting with other people.

When cholera first hit Haiti, city residents were among the first people to be saved from its devastation, after the disease had ravaged the country. Some have compellingly argued that the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 is a quasi-racial genocide: a state sanctioned purged that makes the demand for state accountability fall on deaf ears. As Foucault himself hinted, a plague is the perfect time for governing apparatuses to act in exceptional ways. Although some have used this to critique the West, with good reason, we should not be naive to think that the future of sanitization wont indeed intensify existing processes of othering. As states take steps to limit the spread of the virus, the argument has been made that some of these practices limit personal freedom. But what these hygiene crises have shown us is the very irony of freedom under neoliberal capitalism. When we call for the governments protection against this virus, we must be willing to surrender to the rules of the state, especially for the sake of the collective.

The fear of cholera still looms during hurricane season in Haiti, especially in the southern parts of the Island. But COVID-19 is another test of Haitis already weak healthcare system, a bigger challenge due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, as well as the lack of centralized sanitation systems in most of Haitis major cities. Medical workers in Haitis top facilities fear that they wont have enough equipment, such as ventilators, to handle a major COVID-19 outbreak. This, of course, led Haitis health institutions to plea to the U.S. for supplies they, too, are lacking. In fact, under Trumps Defense Production Act, essential materials such as masks and ventilators are restricted from being shipped, leaving Caribbean nations to fend for themselves as the coronavirus begins to take hold.

So, I depart with the wisdom of Clyde Woods Haiti is the Future. It is poetic to think that worlds that were seen with no future, but ruins have lived the current reality of COVID-19 time and time again. In following the capital and working in a country still haunted by Vibrio cholerae, I have found the urgency in sanitation. If man wants to enjoy the current utopias that come with modernity, they must master, and reconsider, the old but still relevant doctrines of hygiene.

My lessons from post-cholera and what to expect after COVID-19;

1) There will be an increase in state and sanitation infrastructure post COVID-19. Get ready for hygiene to be your life.

2) The capacity of the state will be questioned, and power will be ceded to the philanthropic and corporate entities in handling social and economic needs.

3) The political and social scapegoating will continue to occur, and the most marginalized will continue to be targeted.

4) There will be an uptick in the reliance on alternative health practices and ideas when handling crises due to an increased public distrust of the state.

5) COVID-19 will continue to haunt the public imagination.

6) Capitalism will continue to make way for more lethal epidemics.

Guilberly Louissaint is a third year Ph.D. student in Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. His current focus is on Biomedical and spiritual epistemologies around hygiene and health governance in Haiti. His work has appeared in The Conversation, The National Interest, and the Houston Chronicles.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLFI)- Grocery store workers are concerned about their safety. That's why Kroger and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is asking for lawmakers to designate them temporary first responders so they have more access to personal protective equipment.

"While other people can work from the comfort of their homes our members are still there interacting with members of the public every single day and coming in to contact a lot of folks, said Brigid Kelly a Spokesperson UFCW Local 700.

That's why the UFCW and Kroger are asking for help getting personal protective equipment from lawmakers.

"If our members are designated as first responders it means they will have a preference for personal protective equipment which we know is in short supply everywhere but is a really important piece to trying to contain the spread of COVID-19, " added Kelly.

The union says the providing them masks in not only vital for workers but also for people entering the stores to purchase essential goods. However, Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box says there isn't enough personal protective equipment going around to make grocery stores a priority.

"Even though our personal protective equipment is getting better that I can even give personal protective equipment to every community health worker that is going into homes and taking care of our elderly people that may have congestive heart failure or diabetes or other," said Dr. Kristina Box.

Local Representative Sheila Klinker feels, that grocery store workers need to be taken care of.

"I think those folks who are working in grocery stores drug stores not only pharmacies but the other folks that are working in drug stores all need to have help and be considered as our police and firefighters as first responders," said Representative Sheila Klinker.

Senator Ron Alting doesn't necessarily think they should be considered first responders but that it is lawmakers' jobs to make sure they have safe working conditions.

"I'm not sure what the definition should be. I think the most important thing out of all of this is that we make sure these employees get the necessary protection that they need just like healthcare providers and so forth to protect them, added Senator Ron Alting.

State Health Commissioner Kristina Box went on to say she encourages grocery store workers to make their own masks and reach out to local resources who may be providing them for essential workers. She says washing your hands regularly is also important for workers on the front lines.
BEIJING, April 15, 2020 -- According to the latest news from Science and Technology Daily (April 14th), two COVID-19 inactivated vaccines were just approved for a phase I & II combined clinical trial by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China, making them the first batch in this category. The two vaccines were developed respectively by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd of Sinopharm and Sinovac Research & Development Co., Ltd together with research institutes.

This is another piece of good news since the team of Chen Wei, academician at China Academy of Engineering and researcher at Academy of Military Medical Sciences, managed to get clinical trial approval for the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine they developed on March 17th.

"We are taking the lead in developing COVID-19 vaccines in a global perspective," said with pride by Wang Junzhi, academician at China Academy of Engineering. Then he proposed four factors for this achievement: early start, accurate direction, being science-based and collaboration from all parts.

Vaccine is not a distant solution for a current emergency, but rather the most powerful weapon to defeat COVID-19.

China made the decision to accelerate the pace based on rational judgement and organization with the premise of safety assurance. As early on January 21st, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced the establishment of an expert group of joint epidemic prevention and control against COVID-19. The expert group was led by Zhong Nanshan, academician at China Academy of Engineering, and consisted of 14 experts. On 22nd, the first eight emergency programs of Scientific Response to COVID-19 were initiated swiftly.

The expert group had decided on five directions for vaccine development: inactivated vaccines, genetic engineering subunit vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines, nucleic acid vaccines, and vaccines using attenuated influenza virus as vectors. All five directions were to be followed at the same time. Eight teams of advantage in vaccine development were singled out to collaborate on this mission with a detailed plan of work nodes accurate to the day.

Thanks to Chen Wei's accurate judgement and accumulation of knowledge and experience in vaccine development, her team was the first to reach breakthrough achievements. In early February, she suggested that COVID-19 remains a coronavirus despite its possible variation. Therefore, mutual target antigen, pathogenesis and receptor could be identified quickly with the help of bioinfomatics and big data mining once the variation appears. And the vaccine development can be improved swiftly accordingly.

Since the start of the program, Chen Wei's team has conducted research on recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (adenovirus vector vaccine) based on the successful experience in Ebola vaccine development with great speed. On March 17th, the team's recombinant COVID-19 vaccine was approved for clinical trial, which took place one month in advance than expected. By April 2nd, all 108 subjects of phase I clinical trial in Wuhan had been inoculated. On 9th, phase II clinical trial, which has a larger scale and introduces placebo control groups, started recruitment for volunteers.

Meanwhile, all other directions have also made progress.

Lei Chaozi, head of Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Education, introduced the current achievements: research on the safety and validity of experimental animal for attenuated influenza vector vaccine is ongoing and pre clinical trial research for vaccine candidates and application for clinical trial are expected by the end of April; animal experiments on mice and rabbits regarding recombinant protein vaccine are being conducted and the technology of large-scale production of vaccine with high quality and purity has been mastered; nucleic acid vaccine development is a new technology being explored by the whole world, but no such vaccine has entered the market yet.

At the same time, Wang Junzhi specifically emphasized the safety issue of the vaccine: "On the one hand, Chinese scientists seek to make full use of time with great effort. On the other hand, they conduct research under scientific laws and ensure the safety and validity of the vaccine. All research and development activities are in accordance with corresponding regulations and technological requirements."

SOURCE Science and Technology Daily

BBC: China coronavirus: Misinformation spreads online about origin and scale

London UK January 20, 2020; At least 170 people have died as a result of the outbreak of a new coronavirus,

The number of confirmed cases of the virus in China has risen to 7,711 and infections have been reported in at least 15 other countries.

But not only has the virus spread, so too has misinformation.

Numerous conspiracies have appeared since the outbreak - not to mention dubious health advice.

The BBC Monitoring team has been taking a look at where these have all come from.

False health advice

As the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak continues to rise, social-media users have been sharing advice on ways to treat or prevent the disease.

But at least some of the tips have proved to be misleading or false.

One such claim - shared 16,000 times on Facebook - advises users in the Philippines to "keep your throat moist", avoid spicy food and "load up on vitamin C" in order to prevent the disease.

The information is said to be from the country's Department of Health but it does not match the advice on the DOH website or its official press releases on the outbreak.

Journalists and fact-checkers have found posts with identical or slightly altered wording - said to be from local health authorities - are also being circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp in Canada, Pakistan and India.

As was the case with the Philippines, the advice does not match the information provided by health officials in those countries.

Another unsubstantiated claim shared online suggests avoiding cold or preserved food and drinks, such as ice cream and milkshakes, for "at least 90 days".

One of the first to share this advice was a Facebook page called ForChange.

It accompanied the post with a video of a parasite being removed from a person's lips, suggesting the procedure was somehow related to the new coronavirus.

But, as Altnews fact-checkers pointed out, the video is in fact three months old and unrelated to the virus.

Facebook has since marked the ForChange post as "false information" but dozens of identical messages are still being circulated on the platform.

The World Health Organization's official advice for the public on the new coronavirus suggests only avoiding consuming "raw or undercooked animal products".

There is currently no vaccine against the virus but standard recommendations to prevent infections apply.

These include:

regular hand washing

covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing and sneezing or, failing that, with the crook of your arm

thoroughly cooking meat and eggs

avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as coughing or fever

Bat soup videos

From the very beginning people speculated online about the origin of the coronavirus. This was exacerbated by a slew of videos said to be showing Chinese people eating bats amid the deadly outbreak in Wuhan.

One such clip shows a smiling Chinese woman holding a cooked bat on camera, before admitting it tastes "like chicken meat". The video prompted outrage online, with some users blaming Chinese eating habits for the outbreak.

But the video was not shot in Wuhan, or in China for that matter. Originally filmed in 2016, it shows popular blogger and travel show host Mengyun Wang during a trip to Palau, an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean.

The clip resurfaced on social media after cases of the new coronavirus emerged in Wuhan late last year.

Following online backlash, Ms Wang apologised, saying she was "just trying to introduce the life of local people" to the audience and had not known that bats could be a virus carrier. Her video has since been taken down.

The new coronavirus is believed to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan. Although bats have been named in recent research from China as a possible source of the virus, bat soup is not particularly commonplace in the country and the investigations into its exact origins continue.

Outbreak 'planned'

As the United States reported its first case of the coronavirus last week, several patent documents started to circulate on Twitter and Facebook that at first glance appear to suggest experts have been aware of the virus for years.

One of the first users to float these allegations was conspiracy theorist and YouTuber Jordan Sather.

In a lengthy thread that has been retweeted thousands of times, he shared a link to a 2015 patent filed by the Pirbright Institute in Surrey, England, that talks about developing a weakened version of coronavirus for potential use as a vaccine to prevent or treat respiratory diseases. The same link has also been widely circulated on Facebook, mainly in conspiracy and anti-vaccination groups.

Sather used the fact that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a donor to both Pirbright and vaccine development to suggest that the current outbreak virus has somehow been deliberately manufactured to attract funding for the development of a vaccine.

"And how much funding has the Gates Foundation given to vaccine programs throughout the years? Was the release of this disease planned? Is the media being used to incite fear around it?" Sather tweeted.

But Pirbright's patent is not for the new coronavirus. Instead, it covers the avian infectious bronchitis virus, a member of the wider coronavirus family that infects poultry.

As for the speculation about the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Pirbright spokeswoman Teresa Maughan told Buzzfeed News that the institute's particular work with the infectious bronchitis virus was not funded by this foundation.
GETTY

Canadas telecom industry is going to face about a $2 billion revenue hit because of COVID-19, resulting mostly from business customers cancelling broadband wireline services, according to a report from the International Data Corporation, an analytics research firm.

Raymond James analyst David Heger said he agreed with IDCs projection of the industry and said it is in line with how he expects the sector will be impacted.

One of the biggest factors for business telecom services is the health of the economy and the health of businesses and [prior to the pandemic] we were finally seeing overall modest wireline growth and some of that was being helped by business customers spending more.

I think now, youre going to see a pretty drastic change from that, where youre in an environment where businesses, in particular, are likely disconnecting services in a pretty big way, he said.

IDC indicated that wireline, voice, data, internet, and wireless will likely be affected by the revenue hit, and forecasted that telecom spending will decline to -0.8 per cent, down four per cent from the 3.2 per cent growth it initially projected for the year.

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis represents the most significant deceleration in ICT [information communication technology] spending growth Canada has experienced in modern time, Lars Goransson, managing director at IDC Canada, said in the report.

The report added that COVID-19 will have a greater impact on the sector than that of the 2008 financial crisis, due to massive layoffs and challenges for small and medium businesses that will lead to projected business failures.

Despite the losses, an RBC analyst note said the sector is still a constructive place to hide for investors.

The Canadian telecom sector is far from immune to direct COVID-19 impacts, the report read. However, we view these potential direct COVID-19 impacts as relatively manageable, particularly given the essentiality of telecom services to Canadians and given the sheer magnitude of disruptive near-term impacts that COVID-19 will have on major aspects of the Canadian economy as the country effectively shuts down in the near term.

Story continues

Like the IDC report, RBC said that the sector will likely be able to recover losses by 2021.

That prediction will be detemined by how quickly businesses recover, Heger said.

Hopefully were able to get out and about more and that youll see a general pick up in economic activity, which in turn, should mean more businesses begin opening back up and resuming services, he said.

A Bank of Montreal analyst note said that carriers will likely be able to offset revenue loss through cost containment from store closures, as well as less advertising and promotion of services.

Revenue losses will also come from lower wireless roaming charges, subscriber additions, equipment revenues and advertising sales, the note said.

A Scotiabank analyst note indicated that the industry is still, despite the pandemic, an attractive industry to investments in.

We believe the sector will provide investors attractive potential total return of over 20 per cent including the dividend, the report said.

In the interim, the note said there expects to be a ceasefire on competition until the coordinated fight against COVID-19 is over.

Looking ahead, Scotiabank wrote that carriers will ramp up competitive activity as they look to make up for losses during this time.

IDC wrote in its report that the duration of the pandemic poses the greatest risk of uncertainty to the sector.

In such a rapidly changing environment, it is still too early to assess the overall impact on the Canadian ICT market fully, Nigel Wallis, research vice-president of IoT and industries at IDC Canada, said in the report.

Heger echoed that these are unprecedented times and the industry has never been through anything like this before.

The government recognizes that the longer they have everything shut down the harder it is going to be on people, so I think theres a thought of trying to get things open back up as quickly and as reasonably possible, he said. That is going to be the biggest factor.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android and sign up for the Yahoo Finance Canada Weekly Brief.
When you think of democracy in America, you probably think of those dudes in their powdered wigs striking a pose at Independence Hall, or  more modernly  people standing on line for five hours just to cast a vote. You probably dont think of the U.S. Post Office  no, thats Cliff on Cheers or Seinfelds Newman, avatars for what too many view as Americas oddest job.

Maybe you should think again. You know who got this better than we do? Alexis de Toqueville, the French writer, thinker and traveler who famously came to America in 1831 and chronicled what at the time truly was an exceptional nation, which had vanquished the yoke of monarchy as Europe struggled to do the same. The Frenchman understood the vital nature of the U.S. Post Office, calling it a great link between minds" in a spread-out, frontier nation.

De Toqueville was particularly impressed with the role the Post Office played in spreading information  so vital in Jacksonian America, where voter turnout was exploding  through a vibrant newspaper scene that had no rival in any other developed nation. That was no accident, but the result of good government. The Post Office Act of 1792, an initiative from President George Washington and James Madison, the future president in his Cabinet, deliberately set a lower postal rate for newspapers so that a free press could thrive in the new nation  and, boy, did it.

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More than two centuries later, the U.S. Postal Service needs good government and an appreciation of its role in democracy more than at any time in its history. Already bleeding money for a variety of reasons  yes, partly the rise of email and private delivery services, but also a ridiculous cost burden created by an all-GOP government in 2006  the rapid drop in business activity during the coronavirus crisis brought the Post Office to the brink of extinction.

The sudden disappearance of about one-third of its business translates to a whopping $13 billion in lost revenue for the USPS, and at this pace  its leaders told Congress earlier this month  the Post Office will be out of money by the end of September. Of course, in that sense the postal service  with its massive workforce of 600,000 people  is little different from restaurants, boutiques, (cough, cough) newspapers, or most other business, but with the federal government doling out coronavirus relief money, surely a critical service like the USPS gets to cut to the front of the line, right?

Right?

Well, so far, no. Like many of the other pillars of a supposedly functioning government, the Post Office hasnt been popular with the dominant Republicans in Washington for a while, and that was before Donald Trump and his overflowing basket of grudges arrived in town. President Trump hates the Post Office because he hates its biggest customer, Amazon, because he hates Amazons billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, because he hates a newspaper that Bezos also happens to own, the Washington Post. Make sense? Of course it doesnt. Its 2020, Trump is the president, and youre locked in your house with no toilet paper. Nothing makes sense.

Trump reportedly gave orders to his dutiful Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin  hed veto a relief package that had so much as one dime for the postal service. Indeed, the most recent relief bill, which contained $2 trillion,including bailouts for a variety of private firms, had no direct aid for the USPS, although lawmakers did squeeze in a $10 billion loan to be paid back (and which Mnuchin still needs to sign off on.) Even though Postmaster General Megan Brennan has asked anew for an $89 billion package of both direct aid and loans (a bit high, yes, but thats how one starts a negotiation), theres little sign that Trump intransigence will let up for a fourth bailout bill that may not even come at all, with Democrats and the GOP very far apart.

The irony is painful. For weeks as the global pandemic has worsened, the president has either exaggerated his powers (to adjourn Congress, based on a section of the Constitution that he completely misread) or made up powers he doesnt have, such as ordering governors to re-open their states businesses. But heres what the Constitution does lay out for the president and the Congress, in Article 1 (Trumps favorite), Section 8, Clause 7: That it establish a Post Office and build roads to carry the mail. Letting the USPS die or shrink to a level where it would struggle to carry out its basic duties would be a severe dereliction of duty.

Like most political debates, the fight over the future of the Post Office has tended to dwell on the immediate, and the immediate problems are indeed significant. For one thing, the crisis and the USPS cash crunch hit right in the middle of the federal 2020 Census, so efficient and uninterrupted mail service is critical right now for the government to get an accurate head count, which, among other things, will have a lot to say about the shape of Congress in the 2020s.

 READ MORE: In Tuesdays Wisconsin primary, Republicans will literally kill you to win an election | Will Bunch

Even more important, though, could be the impact on 2020s elections  both in the handful of remaining state primaries and then the big general election in November. At the start of the year, five states (four of which voted for Hillary Clinton over Trump, for what its worth) had gone to exclusively vote-by-mail while others, including Pennsylvania, have been moving toward an expansion of absentee ballots in which the Post Office plays a critical role as well.

With the pandemic, replacing in-person voting with the mail option seems to be a critical health measure, but efforts both in the states and in Washington to both make it much easier to vote by mail in all 50 states and to allocate more dollars to holding safe and fair elections are facing GOP headwinds. In fact, the push has so rattled Republicans that some of them are saying the quiet part out loud: Elections by mail would increase the turnout of eligible voters, and more democracy is bad for the GOP. Said the president (who, ironically, regularly votes by mail): "[Democratic proposals] had things  levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, youd never have a Republican elected in this country again.

Levels of voting ... Also known as democracy. Trump hates it  and hes shown this time and time again. But as many of us have been arguing since 2016, the 45th president is only bringing his dreadful brand of narcissism and his authoritarian instincts to a Republican Party that was already doing its damnedest to destroy any notion that any federal agency  even a highly popular one like the Post Office  could be a force for good. Team Trump is merely fulfilling the prophecy of GOP guru Grover Norquist, who said his goal for government is to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.

The history of the Post Office may seem arcane, but its important because the service it aims to provide pretty much defines who we are as Americans...or at least what we once aspired to be. The era of distributing newspapers and controversial opinions by mailing newspapers that cost only a penny or two may seem quaint, but the idea of a public service that facilitates the 1st Amendment by distributing a free press and free speech widely should not be. Especially a service that sends that information to every home  no matter how remote, or what the residents station in life.

A functioning Post Office is a center for community and thus a sense of shared purpose, the things that seem to be slipping away in todays United States. Postal banking  an effective service of the early 20th Century that never should have been allowed to die out  helped America survive the Great Depression, even as customers gaped at the posters of the Most Wanted Criminals. But central to all this is that democracy needs communication, whether thats dissent  like the anti-slavery letters that flooded the South from abolitionists in the 1830s  or missives of the heart, like those wrenching Civil War letters that documentarian Ken Burns helped us never to forget.

Simply put, if you hate the Post Office then you hate America. Its been heartwarming over the past few days to see everyday folks buying up books of stamps (black civil rights icons have been especially popular) to help out the USPS, but its going to take much, much more. We need to all lean on our members of Congress  regardless of party  to lean on the White House to save our Post Office before September. Without a little political common sense, the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will surely be stamped Return to Sender on November 3.

Columnists note: Theres mail and then theres email. Sign up now for The Will Bunch Newsletter  go here and it takes about five seconds  and youll start getting a weekly electronic communication from me. That means an early sneak peek at a column plus lots of other cool stuff like recommendations or backstories. People who signed up before last week even got to meet my dogs! Join me on my next adventure. inquirer.com/bunch

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COVID-19 is taking a financial bite out of Montanas hospitals, one that may have reached $100 million in just the first three weeks of the pandemic.

To make room for COVID patients, hospitals have canceled or scaled back the elective procedures that prop up their bottom lines  and that has cut revenue and triggered furloughs and layoffs at hospitals around the state.

Everything that we did right to prepare our state for a surge pays off in the fact that we have lower mortality than many other states, we have lower hospitalizations, said Rich Rasmussen, CEO of the Montana Hospital Association. But the costs for doing that certainly will be borne out by the hospitals for this period and for some time to come.

The Association, composed of 88 hospitals and other facilities around the state, is gathering financial data on the pandemic. In the meantime, Rasmussen ventured, a very conservative estimate of its impact would be $100 million in just the first three weeks. A 2019 study found that Montanas hospitals are responsible for $4.7 billion worth of annual Gross Domestic Product.

Its easy to think, when you have a lot of sick people, theres going to be a lot of use of health care, said Bryce Ward, an economist at the University of Montana and co-founder of ABMJ Consulting. But the combination of canceled elective procedures and people avoiding doctors offices is having a real depressive effect.

While its not clear how long the pandemic will last, and Rasmussen expects long-term costs, Ward foresees a quick recovery once it finally passes. I would expect that most of health care will snap back quickly, as long as people arent afraid to go to the doctor, Ward said.

In the meantime, Congress has tried to throw hospitals a financial lifeline for the short term. The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, includes $100 billion for hospitals and other health care providers, the initial $30 billion of which was due to be released April 10. Earlier this month all three members of Montana's Congressional delegation announced that Montana hospitals altogether would receive about $111.5 million from this program.

Rasmussen commended the delegation for their efforts on behalf of Montana hospitals. But he called the initial round of payments woefully inadequate for the states needs. The initial distributions will also be based on 2019 Medicare claims, a funding approach that has allocated relatively little money to some of the hardest-hit areas.

Rasmussen also took issue with that bills Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans to small businesses and forgives those loans if all employees are kept on the payroll. As of April 13, health care providers nationwide had received $27.9 million through the program. But theyre eligible only if they have 500 or fewer employees. All of our large hospitals that were carrying the weight of COVID ... they receive no access to that, he said, due to their higher staff numbers.

Lee Montana Newspapers reached out to major hospitals around the state with questions about their financial status. Heres what they said:

Bozeman

Lauren Brendel, a spokesperson for Bozeman Health, wrote in an email that suspending non-essential services has had a significant impact on Bozeman Healths operations and finances. However, she added that Bozeman Health has no immediate plans to consider employee furloughs, and employees in areas that had been suspended were placed into a labor pool, and more than half of them had been redeployed elsewhere in the system. Furthermore, employees in all suspended areas had their compensation guaranteed through the end of April.

Brendel wrote that Bozeman Health had received money from the CARES Act, but she did not specify the amount, and said the hospital was unclear about the status of additional stimulus funds.

Missoula area, Polson

Providence Montana, which includes Providence St. Patricks Hospital in Missoula, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson and other clinics around the state, has seen its revenue decline by a little less than half over the past two months, spokesperson Stacy Rogge wrote in an email. Providence has guaranteed its employees income through April and provided 80 hours of emergency time off for each caregiver to use through the end of May.

Rogge wrote that Providence had received funding from both the CARES Act and the State of Montanas Hospital Utilization Fund, but did not specify any amounts. Our leadership teams are formally assessing and making plans for short- and long-term sustainable financial recovery as this pandemic begins to flatten, she wrote.

Community Medical Center, also in Missoula, has reduced staff hours due to declining patient volumes and suspension of elective procedures, spokesperson Megan Condra wrote in an email. However, we have not had to furlough or lay off staff at this time. She wrote that the hospital had applied for relief package funding and was working with LifePoint Health, one of its parent companies, and the Montana Hospital Association on those programs.

Hospital officers are also taking an immediate pay reduction for the next 2 months with half of those funds being directed to the organization disaster recovery fund. LifePoint Health, one of Community Medical Centers parent companies, has also implemented salary reductions for its CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and all employees at the LifePoint Health Support Center for a minimum of two months, Condra wrote. She added that LifePoints CORE Crisis Initiative includes offerings such as sick pay and other emergency funds.

Helena

Katie Gallagher, a spokeswoman for St. Peters Health, wrote that at this time, we are anticipating COVID-19 will have a financial impact in the neighborhood of $15 million to our bottom line. Our total revenue is down approximately 30%, or $2 million per week, due to service restrictions. She wrote that $4.6 million from the initial CARES Act distribution had partially offset the losses.

Despite these losses, Gallagher wrote that St. Peters Health is confident in its financial position. At this time, we do not foresee we will need to implement any reductions in staff as a result of COVID-19.

Billings

In Yellowstone County, all three major medical facilities said they had not furloughed or laid off employees.

Billings Clinic estimated it would lose $18 million to $20 million during the month of April from fewer surgeries and patient visits. Budget cut plans to chip away at the losses did not include any staff reductions as of Tuesday, hospital spokesman Zach Benoit stressed. Billings Clinic has reassigned staff to help run emergency child care, assemble personal protective equipment, screen everyone entering the building and set up remote patient visits.

St. Vincent Healthcare declined to provide any information on its financial circumstances, other than that there were currently no staff reductions.

RiverStone Health, which is the countys public health department as well as a community health center, estimates it has 50-55 days cash on hand. RiverStone said it was difficult to estimate operating losses due to the pandemic because its unknown how long it will last. RiverStone does not perform elective procedures.

Billings Clinic has received $12.8 million from the CARES Act, the federal legislation providing relief funds related to the COVID-19 pandemic. RiverStone Health has received roughly $895,000. The money must be used for expenses or lost revenues related to the pandemic.

Butte area

Spokesperson Tanner Gooch wrote that St. James Healthcare is not implementing furloughs or layoffs at this time.

Christie Trapp, a spokesperson for Barrett Hospital and Healthcare in Dillon, wrote in an email that the hospital had lost about 40% of its business, or $1.6 million per month, from canceling elective procedures, and expects a $2.5 million operating loss for fiscal year 2020.

What we're trying to do is piece together a solution to get through the COVID-19 crisis and keep employed as many people as we can," Trapp said. "Furloughs or other actions to reduce costs are being considered. We will implement actions identified as needed. She did not specify an amount they expected from federal relief programs.

Great Falls

Benefis Health System, which has more than 3,300 employees, has a 17-year-old no general layoffs policy. CEO John Goodnow reiterated that commitment in a March 30 email to employees, writing that we will never resort to a general lay-off at Benefis Health System in response to financial difficulties. He did acknowledge, however, that Benefis, as an organization, will suffer financially this year. The hospital did not provide further information about the extent of its financial difficulties. In late March, the Great Falls Tribune reported that both Benefis and the Great Falls Clinic had scaled back on the procedures they perform.

Kalispell

On Monday, Kalispell Regional Healthcare announced that it expects operating losses of $16 million per month, and was furloughing 600 of its 3,400 employees. The compounding effect of the loss of patient volumes, cancellation of elective surgeries, and the closure of entire service lines has had a tremendous financial impact on KRH, a press release quoted CEO Craig Lambrecht as saying. In addition to the furloughs, physicians and executive directors will take salary cuts.

The furloughed employees are not those needed in the hospitals COVID-19 response plans, spokesperson Mellody Sharpton wrote in an email. No other actions are currently being considered; however, we continue to evaluate our operations every day. She wrote that the hospital had received just under $10 million from the CARES Act.

Lee Montana's Holly Michels, Jesse Chaney, David Erickson, Phoebe Tollefson, David McCumber and Kristine de Leon contributed reporting to this story.

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When I witnessed Kia pull the sheet off the 2018 Stinger, I was both shocked and confused. Two questions hit me like a kick to the teeth: How did the decision to built a sports sedan pass the higher-ups when SUVs seem to be the big focus right now, and secondly, how the hell is Kia expecting to compete with the Germans? Well, an hour or so later, I sat down inside the Stinger and immediately I realized it was significantly more comfortable that the new BMW 5 Series I had just sat in. Then a few months later, I got behind the wheel of one, and sure enough, the Stinger was a BMW , Mercedes , and Audi Fighter through and through. Kia did it. The company managed to put itself in a position to compete with other luxury and performance brands. However, the Stinger hasnt exactly lived up to sales expectations, and new reports are indicating that Kia is about to do something about it. Something big, as a matter of fact.

2021 Kia Stinger: More Power, Better Tech

Its hard to say why the Stinger didnt live up to sales expectations. It is, in almost every way, on par with any German model of the same size and performance range. In reality, the Stinger has what it takes to steal consumers from other brands, but something just didnt sit right. At first, I thought that perhaps its just the Kia name. The company was associated with entry-level, affordable econoboxes for so long that its a hard shadow to break free from. But, I dont think thats it. I think its that Kia put so much effort into keeping the Stinger affordable yet attractive, that it forgot to add a little bit of extra modernity into the pot. The infotainment system is outdated compared to some of the models it competes with. It has an analog instrument cluster  something that even some entry-level models are moving away from. And, those 365 ponies do sit at the bottom of the performance pool for a model this size. The Stinger is a good car, but theres room for improvement. And, improve the Stinger Kia will.

A new report from South Korean Magazine, Top Rider, exposes Kias plans to update the Stinger in all of the right ways, something that should  hopefully  allow it to better compete in the cut-throat market it resides in.

First and most important is an update to the Stingers 3.3-liter V-6 that should push it from its current 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque up to 380 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque.

This pump in engine performance will be complemented by a new variable exhaust system with adjustable flaps. This exhaust system is a first from Kia, by the way.

As far as styling changes go, expect to see some minor exterior updates. New front and rear fascias should make the Stinger even sportier than before. Theres also word that the headlights will see an awesome update while the taillights will be updated to some extent and get linked together by a full-width LED light bar. On the inside, Kia is said to be planning an all-digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system thats not only larger but more responsive than that of the current model. Some other interior updates could take place as well, but well have to wait to learn more about those.

Kia is said to be introducing the 2021 Stinger in South Korea in July of 2020 while the European and U.S. model should be showcased a few months after that, also as a 2021 model.

Kia Stinger specifications Engine 3.3L Twin Turbo V6 Displacement (cc) 3,342 cc Bore x stroke (mm) 92.0 mm x 83.8 mm Compression ratio 10.0:1 Horsepower 365 hp @ 6,000 rpm Torque 376 lb.-ft. @ 1,300-4,500 rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Top Speed 167 mph

Source: Top Rider
It has been four months since the coronavirus has made its way all over the world. Currently, the virus has infected more than 2 million people and there are more than 150,000 deaths. The pandemic has crippled the world and it has also has put the economy of hundreds of countries in danger since nonessential businesses were forced to seize their operations to observe the guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

Although the virus is still at its peak in countries such as the United States, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, there are countries in the West that are ready to slowly go back to normal.

Germany to reopen stores

Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on April 15 that Germany was ready to start scaling back some restrictions starting next week, but she clarified that there is little room to maneuver. The country will slowly go back to their daily routine.

Germany quickly rolled out coronavirus testing at the outset of the outbreak, hence they were able to detect the positive patients early. Starting next week, stores with a sales area of 800 square meters can reopen starting April 20 as long as they maintain hygiene and they prevent lines from forming.

Also Read: Pres. Trump Announced He will No Longer Fund WHO, Here's Why

Schools with hygiene plans will reopen on May 4, with priority given to primary and secondary students in final years, while daycare centers will remain shut. Social distancing measures including bans on public events will still be prohibited.

Italy will take it slow

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a government decree that bookstores, laundries, stationery stores, and children's clothing stores are allowed to reopen starting April 10.

The list of permitted activities include forestry, computer manufacturing, landscape care and maintenance, hydraulic works and paper and cardboard production. The changes happened after phase 2 of the government's plan took place, the phase 3 will be on May 3, and it is expected that the country will go back to normal by then.

However, there are some areas in Italy that have decided to delay lifting restrictions. In Veneto and Lombardy, the regions that are hardest hit by the pandemic, stationery stores, and bookstores are not allowed to reopen. In Lazio, the region which includes Rome, bookstores and stationery stores can open starting April 20.

Thousands will return to work in Spain

Thousands of nonessential employees in Spain returned to work after Easter, with 300,000 workers who have gone back to Madrid, according to the estimation of the regional government. April 14 marked one month since Spain's declaration state of emergency. Construction, manufacturing and other industries have been allowed to restart, but bars and restaurants will remain closed.

Denmark to ease restrictions

The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, stated that Denmark will speed up its decision to lift restrictions after the latest numbers of new cases in the country proved lower than expected.

On April 14, the Prime Minister stated that Denmark would expand phase 1 of its reopening, beginning April 15 with the partial reopening of schools for younger students.

The other restrictions will also be eased, but the government is still working on how they will do it. The government previously extended a ban on massive gatherings until May 10 and cinemas, churches and shopping centers would remain closed. All festivals and concerts have been banned until August.



Related Article: US Chiropractors Spread False and Dangerous Information on COVID-19

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By Trend





With the entire world facing the crisis of the coronavirus it is both strange and unfortunate that so-called "elections" have taken place in Nagorno-Karabakh, US expert, CEO of Caspian Group Holdings Rob Sobhani told Trend.

This of course does not help in any way further the cause of peace and may even hurt the peace process. The International community responsible for conflict resolution will not be happy with these so-called "elections" because the mood across the world is to promote cooperation and peace, he said.

Sobhani pointed out that the three co-chairs US, Russia and France may now renew their efforts to solve the conflict.

In fact, the global pandemic has created a situation across the world that shows world leaders must cooperate to solve problems such as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. More broadly speaking, the recent intense talks between Russian and US presidents on the global oil price collapse may pose a new opportunity for world leaders to cooperate on the resolution of the conflict, he concluded.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Considering the stay-at-home orders put in place by state and county officials to quell the spread of coronavirus, it was an odd sight to see the slow traffic going into Houston Premium Outlets, its stores closed for the foreseeable future.

The cars entering the parking lot werent occupied by people shopping for deals on designer handbags or sneakers. Instead, they were receiving much needed groceries.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Schlumberger posts $7.4 billion loss, Houston COVID curve flattens

Cy-Hope volunteers aided more than 3,000 families by filling their cars with food from the Houston Food Bank on April 15, working from the afternoon to sundown.

After a successful first event, Houston Food Bank and Cy-Hope, who collaborated on the project, have decided to continue hosting their mega food distribution event every Wednesday in the Houston Premium Outlets Parking Lot.

Lynda Zelenka, executive director of Cy-Hope, said Cy-Hope volunteers delivered a variety of foods including meat products, canned goods, produce, milk and juice to each car while Houston Food Bank coordinated with first responders in the nearby area to monitor traffic flow. Food was distributed from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. when the supply ran out.

SPIKE IN DEMAND: Cypress Assistance Ministries adjusts hours due to 450% increase in food pantry clients during COVID-19

This is the very first mega food distribution in the city of Houston, Zelenka said. Theyve done this in a couple of cities like San Antonio very successfully. They just supply a lot more so people wouldnt have to get out of their houses.

Zelenka said planning for the event with the Houston Food Bank began April 10. Houston Premium Outlets offered the use of their parking lot in order to provide space for cars and volunteers to maneuver.

The organizations expected a large response but were overwhelmed by the turnout and are excited to improve upon the distribution next week. With future events, Zelenka said Cy-Hope is planning to add more shifts for volunteers, begin setup earlier and attempt to smoothen traffic flow as some volunteers were unable to enter the parking lot for their shift.

HOUSTON GIVES BACK: Klein mother and daughter donate more than 2,000 handmade masks to people in need

It didnt flow very well but lesson learned, Zelenka said. For the most part everyone was very kind, very patient. We appreciate the first responders that were there to help us with the traffic monitoring. Overall, we thought it went well but we are going to do some best practices that weve learned.

The distribution received criticism for its location in northwest Houston and not in areas perceived as impoverished, Zelenka said. According to the ALICE, or Asset Limit Income Constrained Employed, 2018 report from United Way, Harris County has the largest number of households living below the ALICE poverty percentage range at 1.6 million households.

Were in Fairfield but thats just the distribution point because the outlet mall wanted to make their parking lot available for something good because theyre closed, Zelenka said. When you look at the statistics in Cy-Fair ISD, half of the kids are on free or reduced lunch. Its such a huge need.

The next mega food distributions will be April 22 and April 29 at Houston Premium Outlets, 29300 Hempstead Rd, Cypress beginning at 2 p.m. and running until food is no longer available. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/CyHopeTx/ .

chevall.pryce@chron.com
Mutual release of held persons is taking place in "all for all" format.

Another stage of the prisoner swap has kicked off in Donbas  Ukraine is bringing home 19 of its citizens who have been held in captivity in the temporarily occupied territories.

Given the quarantine restrictions that are currently in force, those released will be sent for compulsory observation immediately, according to the President's Office.

Mutual release of detainees is taking place in the "all for all" format.

"Everyone who is illegally detained in the occupied territories or in another country is valuable for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and for the Ukrainian government as a whole. Ukraine must release all its citizens," the office said on Facebook.

Read alsoMinister for occupied territories: "Dozens" of Ukrainians should return home amid prisoner swap

The statement notes this is the third stage of prisoner release under Zelensky's presidency. The first one was in September last year, when 35 Ukrainians returned home, while 76 citizens returned during the second effort made in December.

Negotiations are underway on the release of Ukrainians being held in occupied Crimea and in Russia.

"It should be remembered publishing in the media the names of those whom Ukraine is trying to bring back complicates the process of them being put on the lists for release," reads the report.
The Porter County Health Department revised its death toll down to two, saying a death of a man in his 50s in Center Township was misreported Wednesday, County Commissioners Assistant Curt Ellis said in an email. It reported 148 positive cases to date with 56 recovered, according to its website. In Lake and Porter counties, the largest number of diagnosed cases are people in their 50s.
/ -- Allianz Partners announces the appointment of Vinay Surana as Regional Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, effective from the 23rd of March 2020. Based in Singapore, Vinay will lead the Asia Pacific business with responsibility for Australasia, China, Japan, India and South East Asia. He reports directly to Dan Assouline, Global Head of Markets and Board Member, Allianz Partners.

Vinay brings over 20 years of global experience in the financial services industry to his new role. Prior to joining Allianz, Vinay held the position of Senior Vice President, Head of Individual Personal Insurance for Asia Pacific within AIG, where he spent more than 13 years in various senior executive positions across numerous markets within Asia, the United States and Australasia. A seasoned leader with significant international experience and strong track record of building scale and profitable business, Vinay has in-depth technical expertise in insurance and underwriting, strategic planning, reinsurance, risk management, partnership development and digital enablement as well as Insure-tech.

Dan Assouline said: "Vinay has a proven performance history of leading high-caliber teams in transforming businesses, developing new channels and models, and delivering sustainable, profitable growth. I'm confident that Vinay will bring his extensive knowledge of the APAC region and global experience in the financial services industry to transform and grow our business across Asia."



About Allianz Partners



Allianz Partners is a world leader in B2B2C insurance and assistance, offering global solutions that span international health and life, travel insurance, automotive and assistance. Customer driven, our innovative experts are redefining insurance services by delivering future-ready, high-tech high-touch products and solutions that go beyond traditional insurance. Our products are embedded seamlessly into our partners' businesses or sold directly to customers, and are available through four commercial brands: Allianz Assistance, Allianz Automotive, Allianz Travel and Allianz Care. Present in 76 countries, our 21,500 employees speak 70 languages, handle over 65 million cases each year, and are motivated to go the extra mile to help and protect our customers around the world.

For more information, please visit: www.allianz-partners.com



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Capitol Hill Spars Over Trump WHO Funding Cut

By Katherine Gypson April 15, 2020

Congressional Democrats condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement he would halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) based on his belief the international organization failed to hold China accountable for the coronavirus crisis.

"This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday.

Pelosi and other Democrats have warned that defunding the United Nations agency responsible for international public health will cripple the international coordination necessary to combat the global pandemic.

Senator Patrick Leahy, the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, likened the move to "cutting off ammunition as the enemy closes in." Leahy said the president's criticism of WHO was an effort to distract from his own decision-making process as the virus spread across the world.

Trump charged that WHO was slow in recognizing the gravity of the pandemic and "pushed China's misinformation" about the virus.

"Even after restricting flights from China which the President likes to brag about after praising China's response, nearly half a million people entered the United States from China and the virus was also coming here from Europe and elsewhere," Leahy said in a statement Tuesday. "Not wanting to take responsibility as the deaths continue to mount, he blames others."

In a letter to the White House Tuesday night, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee detailed five instances, with the latest occurring on March 13th, in which President Trump praised China or Chinese President Xi for efforts to combat the coronavirus and share that information with the United States.

Trump said his administration would halt funding while conducting a 60 to 90 -day review of the WHO, redirecting those funds to other groups and countries.

"American taxpayers provide between 400 and 500 million dollars per year to the WHO, in contrast China contributes roughly $40 million a year and even less. As the organization's leading sponsor, the United States has a duty to insist on full accountability," Trump said Tuesday.

The United States is the leading funder of the WHO, with $893 million in pledges in the two-year cycle from 2018 to 2019. Part of that funding is made up of assessments that are similar to membership fees, based on the size and wealth of member countries. The rest of the funding is allocated to specific programs. It's not immediately clear how much control the U.S. Congress has over that funding.

Congressional Republicans have stepped up criticism of the WHO in recent days, arguing the organization helped the Chinese Communist Party cover up information concerning the threat posed by the coronavirus.

In an April 14 letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a group of seven Republican senators requested documents from WHO leadership on all of the data the agency had requested and received from China relating to the coronavirus.

Florida Senator Rick Scott  one of the signers of the letter  has called for a congressional investigation into the role China and the WHO played in informing the world about the threat of the coronavirus.

"When it comes to Coronavirus, the WHO failed. They need to be held accountable for their role in promoting misinformation and helping Communist China cover up a global pandemic," Scott said in the March 31 statement. "We know Communist China is lying about how many cases and deaths they have, what they knew and when they knew it  and the WHO never bothered to investigate further. Their inaction cost lives. "

Trump's Hill ally, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, praised the president's decision in a tweet Wednesday, writing "The current WHO leadership has proven to be incompetent and shown overwhelming evidence of China bias. Cutting off funding to the WHO at this time is the right move."

Democrats acknowledged the WHO has problems but have argued reforms should be sought instead of a stoppage of funding at a critical time.

"Structural changes are needed at the World Health Organization to prevent it from being exploited by China and other countries for misinformation, but the way to do that is through engagement based on American leadership," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said.

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Donald Trump's administration refuses to release documents related to the 9/11 terror attacks to block families of victims from obtaining evidence in their civil lawsuit against Saudi Arabia.

In New York federal court filings this week, US Attorney General William Barr and intelligence director Richard Grenell invoked unprecedented claims that the documents remain state secrets, which must be locked down to "protect the national security interests" of the US government, despite the president's pledge to help families in the case.

The filings suggest that exposing Saudi ties to the attacks could pose "exceptionally grave damage" to national security, the administration said, though the contents of those documents remain a mystery.

Mr Grennell, who was appointed by the president in February, wrote that the documents contain "highly sensitive and classified national security information concerning foreign government information, intelligence activities, sources and methods, and information concerning foreign relations and foreign activities of the United States, including confidential sources"  all of which "must be protected because its disclosure reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage" to the US, he said.

Attorney General Barr told the court that even public discussion of and justification for the documents' secrecy must also be kept secret, arguing that a discussion "would reveal information that could cause the very harms my assertion of the state secrets privilege is intended to prevent."

Plaintiffs had entered the lawsuit in 2017 to determine the relationships between 19 hijackers, 15 of whom were from Saudi Arabia, and Saudi officials with ties to al Qaeda.

Though connections among some of those men have been publicly known for years through the release of some documents shared in a 9/11 Commission report in 2004, families have sought additional unredacted documents that White House officials have long sought to keep secret.

Following a 2019 White House meeting with victims' families, the president had reportedly pledged to grant families access to documents in the case, ProPublica reported. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

After that meeting, Department of Justice officials agreed to release the name of one Saudi official linked to the case via FBI documents that had been partially declassified.

 Jon Stewart receives standing ovation after blasting US congress for 'empty' 9/11 victims hearing

But the filing could only be read by the plaintiffs' lawyers under a protected court filing. On 12 September, the attorney general insisted the documents' exposure risks "significant harm to national security."

This week, the attorney general argued that the "state secrets" may contain information about the subject of a national security investigation, the results or sources from an investigation, and "information received from a foreign government" through the course of an investigation.
The surging fears and stigma over coronavirus forced a 60-year-old cancer patient in coastal Odisha town of Balasore to spend over 8 hours outside his rented home after the landlord refused to let him and his family enter the house.

Suresh Sharma, diagnosed with throat cancer, had travelled from Balasores Sahadevkhunta area to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on April 14 to consult with the doctors following some complications.

After taking due permissions from the district administration, Sharma had travelled to Bhubaneswar with his wife and two sons. However, they were denied entry by the house owner Laxmidhar Bhuyan, a serving colonel in Indian Army as the Sharmas were travelling from Bhubaneswar, a Covid-19 hotspot with over 30 cases.

My parents and my two brothers (37-year-old and 25-year-old) were not allowed entry inside the rented house as the house owner said they should spend 14 days in quarantine before entering. My father needs special meals every hour, yet he had to skip his meals and had to sit outside the rented home between 12.30 pm and 8 pm today. The house owner was stubborn not to allow him and my family members entry, said Asha Sharma, daughter of the cancer patient.

The district administration led by Balasore additional district magistrate Sambit Kumar Nayak arrived at the spot to reason with the house owner to let him enter, but he did not see reason till the deputy Superintendent of police Manoj Rout spoke to him over phone.

The house owner agreed to let Sharma and his wife enter the house, but did not allow his two sons. He has asked the two sons to be on quarantine for 14 days, said Rout.

The incident came three days after people in Sundargarh district did not allow cremation of a 50-year-old tribal woman who had died of tuberculosis suspecting her death due to coronavirus. On the morning of April 13, Shanti Tanti (50) of Kumarmunda in Sundargarh district succumbed to tuberculosis at VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in western Odisha district of Sambalpur. As her daily wager husband Suresh Tanti did not have enough cash to hire an ambulance to take the body to native place, three young doctors of the hospital - senior resident doctor Shankar Ramchandani and post graduate students Tushar Behera and Rajesh Meher  came forward and crowd-funded Rs 4,600 for the ambulance charge.

However when the body of the woman reached Kumarmunda after travelling 220 km, villagers refused to allow the body to enter the village limits alleging that the tribal woman had died of Coronavirus and her body could be source of infection. The man returned with the body of her wife, but still could not cremate the body at public crematorium as he did not Aadhaar card of the deceased.

The man was already in the throes of the biggest tragedy of his life and then people were further stigmatising him. No one was willing to understand that when government medical college has allowed a body to be cremated in village, the death is surely not due to Covid-19. As doctors, we could not sit silent and went to crematorium. In our presence, the body was cremated, said Dr. Ramchandani.

In a similar incident, the body of a pregnant woman of Mayurbhanj district who died soon after delivering a boy was not allowed entry by villagers who suspected her to be have died of Coronavirus. Sunita Baske, a tribal woman from Mayurbhanj working as treasury officer was admitted to a nursing home in Soro block of Balasore after she underwent labour pains on Wednesday. Baske however died in the nursing home soon after giving birth to a baby boy.

However, when Ramchandra Hansdah, the husband of the deceased was planning to take the body back to Mayurbhanj, the villagers asked him not to come alleging that she has died of Coronavirus. The villagers threatened me with social ostracisation if I came there with my wifes body. As there was no other way, I cremated my wifes body at Soro with the help of local lawyers association, said Hansdah.

Lst week, an ambulance driver of Kalahandi district who had driven a Covid19 patient from the district to Cuttack was not allowed entry by people in his village. The ambulance was sanitised and then Sethi had worn the necessary personal protective equipments, yet the villagers were insistent of not allowing him entry. He is now staying ina government quarantine.

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Kaia Gerber has been fostering puppies at her Malibu residence as she self-isolated during the coronavirus pandemic.

And on Thursday the 18-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber showed her social media fans how she feeds the little fuzzy white puppy that she is currently taking care of.

'Morning bottle,' the star said as she was seen out on a lush green lawn.

Her little joy: Kaia Gerber has been fostering puppies at her Malibu residence as she self-isolated during the coronavirus pandemic. And on Thursday the 18-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber showed her social media fans how she feeds the little fuzzy white puppy. 'Morning bottle,' the star said as she was seen out on a lush green lawn

Time off from modeling: The cover girl has been taking selfies from home all week

'My three week old baby Angel,' she said in another photo caption as she credited the LaBelle Foundation.

The model also posed with the little pooch when in a bikini and said they were 'best friends.'

'Thelabellefoundation helped me foster this little girl,' she captioned a quick video that she shared on her Insta-Story.

In it, Gerber lounged back on a couch in an animal print bikini as the little pup took a nap just above her shoulders.

Revealing: Gerber showed off her curves and the adorable white puppy on Instagram

Love at first sight: The daughter of legendary supermodel Cindy Crawford declared she and the pup were BFF's whiled dressed in an animal print bikini

Gerber has been fostering dogs through The Labelle Foundation and posting pictures and information on her social media platforms since the COVID-19 outbreak reached a fever pitch in March.

The Labelle Foundation is a Los Angeles foster based animal rescue devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating, advocating for dogs, according to the organizations website, labellefoundation.org.

Their goal is to help the animals they assist find perfect forever families. The organization also specializes in neonatal orphans and sick or special need medical puppies.

Animal rescue: The Labelle Foundation is a Los Angeles foster based animal rescue devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating, advocating for dogs, according to the organizations website, labellefoundation.org

Finding a forever home: Gerber has been showcasing her foster puppies on social media
New Delhi, April 16 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, here on Thursday, offered constructive suggestions to the government and said though he had serious disagreements with the Prime Minister it was not the time to fight.

Addressing the media via video link, the former Congress chief said despite disagreements he didn't want "to get involved in a blame-game as the country was fighting a tough battle against coronavirus. We will be successful in containing this with everybody working together." However, Congress leaders have gone gaga over it. "Rahul Gandhi is currently doing what the Prime Minister of India should be doing i.e. participating in a full-blown video press conference taking unscripted questions on way forward," tweeted Abhishek Singhvi.

Singhvi said, "It's is pertinent to mention that in almost all vibrant democracies, the top leadership have given press conferences during this #Covid19 #Lockdown. In India, Rahul Gandhi is doing an unscripted press conference while Narendra Modi is appearing in short scripted videos." Rajiv Satav, Congress member of the Rajya Sabha, said, "Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi has spelt out a clear, strategic path India should adopt to fight #COVID19 together. It is time now for PM. @narendramodi to step up, hold a PC and take Questions on India's preparedness."
RACINE, Wis., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the way we interact, we're all looking for creative ways to connect, cope and care for each other. That's why SC Johnson and Save the Children are joining forces with Astros Manager Dusty Baker to launch #TheNextHighFive Challenge to crowdsource a way to evolve the iconic high five into a non-contact celebration and show of appreciation for friends and family.

#TheNextHighFive Challenge is looking for a new, touch-free way to celebrate each other, while equipping today's children with personal hygiene skills for a healthy future. SC Johnson and Save the Children are inviting their social media communities to join in by posting their own reinvented high five in a short video, by taking a picture or simply sharing the message on social media.

"We want to enable parents and their children to live safer, healthier lives in this time of uncertainty and beyond," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "We hope #TheNextHighFive Challenge gives everyone an opportunity to contribute to reinventing this iconic celebration with education and fun along the way."

To kick off the challenge and celebrate National High Five Day, Astros Manager Dusty Baker unveiled his reinvented high five. Baker's first high five was captured in a photograph in 1977 when, as a Los Angeles Dodger, he hit a home run against the Houston Astros.

"I am proud of how the Astros have stepped up to support our community in need," Baker said. "I am glad we can also help SC Johnson and Save the Children with this fun way to keep kids safe. It is great to see two great organizations partner to help families  and I hope The Next High Five is as fun as the first high five."

#TheNextHighFive Challenge is part of SC Johnson's $1 million donation to Save the Children's COVID-19 response efforts. The company will also support The Astros Foundation, which is working with those in need in Houston, to encourage good hygiene practices and adhere to CDC health and safety guidelines.

"Research shows children learn best through everyday experiences and when learning is fun," said Janti Soeripto, president and CEO of Save the Children. "What better way to engage children and families in good hygiene habits than #TheNextHighFive Challenge? Save the Children extends its thanks to SC Johnson and Dusty Baker for partnering on this initiative, as well as helping greater Houston, where we have been supporting the community's most vulnerable children since Hurricane Harvey in 2017."

For more information on #TheNextHighFive, visit SC Johnson's website and social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

SC Johnson and Save the Children Global Partnership

With a goal of enabling this generation of children to better protect themselves and their communities, SC Johnson and Save the Children are partnering to educate and enable children worldwide to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. This new partnership focuses on helping children and their loved ones respond to this and future public health threats around the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, China, India and Mexico.

In addition to promoting the importance of good hygiene habits through #TheNextHighFive social campaign, this partnership also provides much needed support to help manage and overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by:

Supporting children's emotional needs with educational and psychological support as children struggle to deal with the stress and anxiety during these challenging times.

Addressing food insecurity by providing meals and food vouchers to families.

Educational support by providing books and other materials to support learning at home

For more information on SC Johnson's commitment to COVID-19 relief, please visit: www.scjohnson.com/covid19.

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE, KIWI, OFF!, PLEDGE, RAID, SCRUBBING BUBBLES, SHOUT, WINDEX and ZIPLOC in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN, BAYGON, BRISE, KABIKILLER, KLEAR, MR MUSCLE and RIDSECT. The 134-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding 100 years ago, we've changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children  every day and in times of crisis  transforming their lives and the future we share. Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube.

SOURCE SC Johnson

Related Links

http://www.scjohnson.com


The general election ended with a landslide victory for the ruling Minjoo Party and its proxy Together Citizens' Party. This is only the second time ever that the ruling party won a clean majority in the 300-seat National Assembly. Minjoo won sweeping victories in its traditional stronghold of South Jeolla Province and in the Seoul metropolitan region.

The coronavirus epidemic gave the ruling party a huge boost as voters felt they must rally behind the government in times of a crisis, while belated surges overseas as infections are going down here also provided a halo effect. The country owes a tremendous debt to private-sector companies that produced coronavirus test kits as well as the sacrifices of medical workers and an effective state health insurance system. The government too deserves credit for overseeing the management of the crisis. But the coronavirus epidemic was not the sole factor that led to the ruling party's victory. The fundamental reason was the disintegration of the opposition camp.

The ruling alliance including the Minjoo Party, Together Citizens' Party, Justice Party and Open Democrats has now secured a combined 180 seats in the National Assembly. That means that it has carte blanche to pursue whatever policies tit sees fit while the opposition has been eviscerated. The incumbent administration now has effective control over provincial governments, the judiciary and now the legislature. A considerable number of Koreans are scared by such concentration of power in unsteady hands.

The incompetence and recklessness of this administration over the last three years was evident in its disastrous "income-led" growth policy, which had the exact opposite effect by weakening competitiveness with a drastic minimum-wage hike that drove many small entrepreneurs out of business. Many small business owners are saying they cannot stay afloat much longer, while one even told the president directly that the state of the economy is "wretched." The coronavirus epidemic could be the final straw. That is why many sober people had hoped that a sound showing for the opposition would send a warning to the government. The government and ruling party must not misinterpret the vote as a resounding support of all its policies, otherwise the country is headed for disaster.

Koreans will not forget the corruption scandals involving the Ulsan mayor and fly-by-night Jusitce Minister Cho Kuk, who was foisted on them despite mass protests because he was a crony of the president's. They clearly remember how the ruling alliance bulldozed through approval late last year of a special corruption unit that effectively blocked Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl from doing his job in those cases.

Not all powerful governments resort to strong-arm tactics. The incumbent administration has gained tremendous power in the latest election and it will enjoy a strong boost in the presidential election two years down the line. It must use that new-found security wisely, listen to the public, and change policies that are clearly not working. The economy stands on shaky ground and the nation is diplomatically isolated. The Moon Jae-in administration will only really become strong if it stops behaving so despotically and grows up.


New Delhi, April 16 : Early this month in a Rohingya camp near the national capital's Vasant Kunj, mounds of medical waste were found. Contaminated masks, used syringes and worn gloves strewn all across the camp site, just across the upscale area.

Upon preliminary enquiry, it was established that many Rohingya residents of the camp who work as medical waste pickers dumped it there, exposing it to not just those who live there but also residents of Vasant Kunj, even as India's COVID-19 cases were slowly peaking up.

Vasant Kunj was not the only place. As India made it mandatory to wear a mask if one wishes to step out, just after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the pan-India lockdown, there has been a surge of buying, wearing and dumping of masks, most of which are for one-time use and throw kind.

In early March in a shocking case, more than a lakh masks were found dumped in Bhiwandi area, barely 35 kilometers from cosmopolitan Mumbai. They were dumped near a water pipeline and discovered by officials. However it remained uncertain whether they were used or not. Over two lakh migrant workers are there in the textile town.

Meanwhile 10 people were detained from Bhiwandi by police while they were defying the shutdown, making them more vulnerable. Maharashtra has been the worst affected state in the country.

A video that went viral the same month showed masks, presumably used, being washed. Authorities suspected back then, it could have been done so with a motive to resell them.

Uttar Pradesh's Noida, which has 27 hotspots as on Thursday, has experienced many residents living in skyscrapers throwing their used masks down the waste chute without proper segregation. A Residents Welfare Association member in a society that has seen suspected COVID-19 contacts being home quarantined, told IANS on conditions of anonymity that it is "impossible" for the RWAs to keep track of whether quarantined members are segregating used masks or not.

He suspects many of them simply dump the used masks in the waste chute that takes it to each tower's dump station. "You cannot differentiate the masks at the dump station," he added.

The government has already issued elaborate advisories on how to dispose of used masks or gloves.

"If I am responsible and my neighbour is not, my vulnerability of catching the coronavirus goes up many times," says Dr D.R. Rai, former Secretary General of Indian Medical Association. He was shocked to know about a lakh masks found at Bhiwandi. "It has the potential to exponentially infect surrounding neighborhoods which may turn the area into an overnight hotspot," he added.

In a four-page internal document dated March 27, Invest India, India's investment agency had estimated the country needed 38 million masks to fight coronavirus. That was when India had just crossed the 1,000 mark as far as corona infected patients were concerned. Now, with that number standing at 12,380 and counting, it's no rocket science to imagine the number of used masks that are being dumped everyday with a significant percentage of them thrown away with the rules of dumping masks too being thrown to the wind.

In other words, without your knowledge, in spite of best precautions taken, you may be vulnerable to exposed bio hazards. Ironically, masks that are urged to be worn to protect one may also infect one, the way it was found in Delhi's Vasant Kunj, in Bhiwandi and other cosmopolitan cities.

A document by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare accessed by IANS says, the novel coronavirus gets transmitted through direct touch and contaminated surfaces and objects. Needless to say, a contaminated mask can pose a huge risk.

That risk is multiplied several fold when it comes to sanitation workers, who in many instances have been found wearing raincoats or simple plastics in absence of proper PPEs for them. The earlier document says, the sanitation workers are at "moderate risk", even while going by best practices. But with such exposed threats lurking around in most unsuspected places, their risk skyrockets.

With the clock ticking and India's death toll mounting, the latest case in Delhi being reported from the upscale Defence Colony area, unregulated disposal of used masks is India's newest headache.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
About half of those cases and one death were from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier now in Guam. As the virus swept through the ship, Capt. Brett Crozier was fired from his command after an email he sent pleading for help became public. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly flew to the ship, where he berated the crew and said Crozier was naive or stupid. Amid the ensuing backlash, Modly resigned.
Dublin, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "US Biological Sample Handling Market 2019-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.





The US Biological Sample Handling market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 8.2% during the forecast period. The US is the leader in the biological sample handling market attributed to the presence of major life science companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Co., and rising R&D spending in the region. For instance, total federal R&D funding proposed for Health and Human Services is $24,742 million in 2019.



This funding is provided to various agencies that include the Administration for Children and Families, CDC, FDA, Health Resources and Services Administration, NIH, and Departmental Management. The penetration and rising applications of the biological sample handling in drug discovery and other research such as proteomics and biomarker study are the major factors that are driving the growth of the market in the US.



Moreover, the growing demand for personalized medicine has been creating significant opportunities for the biological sample handling market. Advancement in personalized medicine through genomics including proteomics, and diagnostics has increased the demand for biological sample handling instruments. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are known to identify and develop medicines through these proteomics-based research efforts. The major benefits of these personalized medicines are that they are designed to work for individual patients on the basis of the specific molecular characteristics of their disease along with their genetic makeup stored in sample handling instruments. Hence, the growth in personalized medicine will augment the market growth for biological sample handling.



Further, the remarkable presence of biobanks in the US has contributed significantly to the biological sample handling market. More than 300 million biospecimens are stored in the US in public and private biobanks also known as repositories. These biospecimens include human blood, surgical tissue, and so on, containing genetic material that can be analyzed to identify gene variations associated with human diseases.



Research Methodology



The market study of the US Biological Sample Handling market is incorporated by extensive primary and secondary research. Secondary research has been conducted to refine the available data to breakdown the market in various segments, derive total market size, market forecast, and growth rate. Different approaches have been worked on to derive the market value and market growth rate. The team collects facts and data related to the market from different geography to provide a better regional outlook. In the report, the country-level analysis is provided by analyzing various regional players, regional tax laws and policies, consumer behavior and macro-economic factors.



Numbers extracted from Secondary research have been authenticated by conducting proper primary research. It includes tracking down key people from the industry and interviewing them to validate the data. This enables the analyst to derive the closest possible figures without any major deviations in the actual number. the analysts try to contact as many executives, managers, key opinion leaders, and industry experts. Primary research brings authenticity to the reports.



Secondary Sources Include

Story continues

Financial reports of companies involved in the market.

Whitepapers, research-papers, and news blogs.

Company websites and their product catalog.

The report is intended for biological sample handling companies, storage companies, and other related companies for overall market analysis and competitive analysis. The report provides an in-depth analysis of market size, intended quality of the service preferred by consumers. The report will serve as a source for a 360-degree analysis of the market thoroughly integrating different models.



The Report Covers

Comprehensive research methodology of the US Biological Sample Handling market.

This report also includes a detailed and extensive market overview with key analyst insights.

An exhaustive analysis of macro and micro factors influencing the market guided by key recommendations.

Analysis of regional regulations and other government policies impacting the US Biological Sample Handling market.

Insights about market determinants which are stimulating the US Biological Sample Handling market.

Detailed and extensive market segments with regional distribution of forecasted revenues.

Extensive profiles and recent developments of market players.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Report Summary

1.1. Research Methods and Tools

1.2. Market Breakdown

1.2.1. By Segments



2. Market Overview and Insights

2.1. Scope of the Report

2.2. Analyst Insight & Current Market Trends

2.2.1. Key Findings

2.2.2. Recommendations

2.2.3. Conclusion

2.3. Rules & Regulations



3. Competitive Landscape

3.1. Company Share Analysis

3.2. Key Strategy Analysis

3.3. Key Company Analysis

3.3.1. Overview

3.3.2. Financial Analysis

3.3.3. SWOT Analysis

3.3.4. Recent Developments



4. Market Determinants

4.1. Motivators

4.2. Restraints

4.3. Opportunities



5. Market Segmentation

5.1. US Biological Sample Handling Market by Storage Type

5.1.1. Cold Storage

5.1.2. Room Temperature Storage

5.2. US Biological Sample Handlings Market by Application

5.2.1. Drug Discovery

5.2.2. Forensic Investigation

5.2.3. DNA Extraction

5.2.4. Proteomics and Genomics Studies

5.2.5. Others

5.3. US Biological Sample Handlings Market by Ownership

5.3.1. Commercial

5.3.2. Academic/Research



6. Company Profiles

6.1. Abbott Laboratories

6.2. Becton, Dickinson And Co.

6.3. BioRepository Resources, LLC

6.4. Brooks Automation, Inc.

6.5. Conversant Bio.

6.6. Cryopoint

6.7. Experimental Pathology Laboratories (EPL), Inc.

6.8. Fisher BioServices

6.9. Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC.

6.10. Technidata

6.11. Tescor Inc.



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zaywxq

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.



CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

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Robin Wright has been holed up at home with husband Clement Giraudet amid COVID-19.

But the 54-year-old actress opted for some outdoor alone time on Wednesday during a trip around her Venice neighborhood.

Wright showed off her toned legs in a pair of cut-off denim shorts, while slipping her feet into some flip flops.

Outdoor adventure: Robin Wright was spotted enjoying some outdoor time on Wednesday in her Venice neighborhood

The House Of Cards star donned a striped oversized blouse that she layered over a white tank top.

Robin kept her most distinguishable features hidden behind a of RayBan sunglasses and underneath a beige cabana hat with brown trim.

She juggled her purse, a denim jacket, and a backpack in her clutches as she made her way to and from her parked vehicle.

Robin took off her hat for a brief moment to let her hair flow in the Venice breeze and soak up some run rays.

Fit: Wright showed off her toned legs in a pair of cut-off denim shorts, while slipping her feet into some flip flops

Flashback: In the latter part of the afternoon, Robin took to Instagram to express her earnestness for post-coronavirus life by sharing a throwback photo from a day at the beach during her younger years

In the latter part of the afternoon, Robin took to Instagram to express her earnestness for post-coronavirus life by sharing a throwback photo from a day at the beach during her younger years.

'Back in the day with my aunt Jan,' she captioned, while the photo showcased the blonde bombshell in a striking purple bikini.

Since entering lockdown in Los Angeles, Robin has also been enjoying plenty of outdoor adventures with her husband of nearly two-years.

Wright and Giraudet were last spotted out on Monday, while taking their dog Jojo - a Cane Corso - for his daily walk.

Bonding time: Since entering lockdown in Los Angeles, Robin has also been enjoying plenty of outdoor adventures with her husband of nearly two-years; Robin and Clement pictured on March 30

The duo, who tied the knot on August 10, 2018, also venture out on their motorized bicycles for trips around the beach town.

Robin and the handsome Frenchman exchanged vows during an intimate ceremony in France, according to People.

The romantic reception was held at La Roche-sur-le-Buis, a commune located in Southeastern France.

The Princess Bride star began dating Clement - the Saint Lauren VIP relations manager - in September of 2017 and would become engaged by December of that year.

Prior to her marriage to Clement, Robin was wife to fellow Hollywood veteran Sean Penn, 50, who she divorced in July of 2010.

Hollywood offspring: Robin shares 26-year-old son Hopper and daughter Dylan, who turned 29 on April 13, with ex husband Sean Penn; Robin and her children pictured in 2013

The pair, who wed in 1996, had a rocky relationship, which almost led to their marriage coming to an end in 2007 during a brief separation.

Sean and Robin would separate for a second time in April of 2009, with Robin eventually filing for divorce that August.

The former couple share 26-year-old son Hopper and daughter Dylan, who turned 29 on April 13.
A year ago, Nora Giordanos family moved her to a Lopatcong Township nursing home so the 90-year-old could be closer to family.

They chose Genesis HealthCares Brakeley Park Center, 290 Red School Lane, for its excellent reputation and proximity to her youngest daughter Susie Flanagans township home.

Giordanos loved ones were pleased with the decision until COVID-19 -- the disease caused by the coronavirus -- started spreading through the nursing home.

Thus far, at least 63 residents and 15 staff members have tested positive. Ten of them have died.

Just weeks after her 91st birthday, Giordano herself died April 9 at St. Lukes Hospital in Phillipsburg.

She is just one of more than 3,600 deaths nationwide that have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, according to a count by the Associated Press.

In rural Warren County, there are 483 confirmed cases of the virus and 30 COVID-19 related deaths, according to the county health department. Seventy-nine of the cases -- including 21 deaths -- are associated with seven long-term care facilities.

Almost half of Pennsylvanias 647 COVID-19 deaths have been long-term care residents.

Nursing homes across the nation have banned visitors and instituted staff temperature checks in hopes of protecting their residents -- the very people who are most susceptible to serious complications from the new virus. COVID-19 causes minor illness in the majority of people who it infects, but for the elderly and frail -- many who have complicating health conditions -- it is proving to be lethal.

Its a disgrace that these exact people we have all been painstakingly trying to protect with extreme life-altering measures has had no effect whatsoever because of their errors, the grandson of a Brakeley Park resident said, referring to the nursing homes management.

Experts say nursing home deaths may keep climbing because of chronic staffing shortages that have been made worse by the coronavirus crisis, a shortage of protective supplies and a continued lack of available testing. Infections are continuing to find their way into nursing homes because screenings arent catching people who are infected but asymptomatic.

Imagine how many other people who blindly trust like I was, Flanagan said.

Brakeley Park Center is now testing every resident for the virus and the majority of those who have tested positive are asymptomatic, according to company spokeswoman Lori Mayer.

Flanagan believes the viruss stealth nature allowed it to get into the Brakeley Park Center, where healthcare workers are risking their lives to care for residents every day.

I would defend any of those people on the front line, she said.

But Flanagan and other families of Brakeley Park residents are sharply critical of Genesis HealthCare leaders handling of the crisis.

Genesis HealthCare maintains it is adhering to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines and recommended protocols for COVID-19.

We continue to follow to the letter the direction of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Health in an effort to contain and minimize the spread of the virus, Mayer said. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by COVID-19 during this difficult time, especially the families of those who have passed away.

The company is also contending with an outbreak at a Lehigh County facility where 59 residents and 29 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday. Of the 58 residents, 14 have died, although the cause of death for two positive residents was not the virus.

"They did not protect their staff. They did not protect their residents. Nobody wanted anybody to die, Flanagan, who emphasized she does not plan to take any legal action against the facility, said. What is bothering me is their lack of transparency and the earlier preventative measures they could have taken.

The grandson of a resident who just tested positive for the virus said the entire situation is scary, but also infuriating. Lehighvalleylive.com is granting him anonymity because his relative still resides there.

These places just didnt take the precautions they needed to, even though they had ample time and fair warning, he said. On a conference call with the director of Brakeley Park Center this past weekend, we were told that all staff would just begin wearing protective masks and treating everyone as if they had coronavirus. This step should have been taken several weeks ago when we were first informed that there was a (coronavirus)-positive patient there.

Lehighvalleylive.com has struggled to get reliable information from Genesis HealthCare. The company operates five facilities in the Lehigh Valley, including the two on Red School Lane.

When lehighvalleylive.com asked about the Brakeley Park Center outbreak on Sunday, Mayer replied with figures from the Lopatcong Center where at least six residents and two staff members are infected.

When lehighvalleylive.com asked for the most current counts for Brakeley Park on Monday, Mayer gave a much lower count -- 16 residents and 13 staff members who had tested positive and three deaths -- than what was sent to families in the daily update. She then corrected the figure to four deaths.

On Wednesday, Mayer said 63 residents -- including 10 who have died -- and 15 employees have tested positive. It is unclear if Giordanos death is included in that tally since she died at a local hospital.

Nora Giordano gathers with her family to celebrate her 91st birthday.Contributed photo

Flanagan could not visit her mother at Brakeley Park, so she was forced to rely on periodic calls from staff, which she says were often unreliable and contradictory.

Giordano was no stranger to adversity and she wasnt one to complain. That trait meant Flanagan did not find out her mother was ill until her symptoms were quite severe.

The middle daughter of the eight Duffy children, Giordano grew up in Queens, N.Y., during the Great Depression. She spent a good chunk of her childhood in an orphanage as her father battled post-traumatic stress disorder post-World War I. As an adult, she lost a 7-year-old son in a choking incident.

None of that dampened Giordanos feisty, quick Irish wit, which her daughter says made her a favorite amongst the Brakeley Park staff.

Before this, they would call me if my mom broke a wheel on her wheelchair, Flanagan said of the attention to her care.

That changed once the COVID-19 outbreak began, when it seems to Flanagan, the company began focusing on limiting the release of information to avoid panicking families about the virus. She believes this poor communications caused her to lose critical days as her mother grew sicker and sicker, unbeknownst to her.

"Its unthinkable that they waited this long, and their missteps seem to be very costly ones as the number there is rising gravely, the grandson of the other resident said. And the really sad part seems to be that they are not alone, as now nearly every nursing home in NJ has COVID-19.

Genesis HealthCare contends it has kept the lines of communication open. When the first case was discovered, a family representative for each resident was called.

We have been fully transparent and forthcoming in sharing information with patients, residents and families., Mayer said. ... We also call a family representative if a resident tests positive for COVID-19. Since that time, we update families on the latest positive cases via daily video conference calls. While not everyone chooses to join those calls, it is the best way to get the latest information.

Theres no way to know how Giordano contracted the virus. But her mothers roommate died on March 21 and Giordano told her daughter the woman, who had diabetes, had upper respiratory issues.

This came on the heels of Giordano losing her last living sibling rather suddenly in February. Flanagan was upset no one alerted her so she could support her mother. Nursing home staff refused to tell Flanagan if the roommate was tested for COVID-19, citing health privacy laws.

Flanagan believes her mother was already not feeling well when her roommate died, but Brakeley Park did not alert the family of Giordanos illness until March 28. During that time, Giordano got a new roommate.

Its unfortunate. I am worried about other people, Flanagan said. Putting the roommate in there was like a death sentence.

When she connected with someone at Brakeley Park late in the afternoon of March 28, Flanagan was informed her mother had spiked a 103 degree temperature the night before. A chest x-ray showed an infection.

Im like, Wait, what? Why didnt anybody call me? This is ridiculous, she said recalling her reaction. 'Was she tested for COVID? What did the chest x-ray show? What antibiotic is she on?' Every answer was, I dont know.

Flanagan left messages for supervisors after the call. The nursing supervisor called the following day and informed Flanagan her mother had been tested for the new virus. She cautioned results would not be back for nine days.

The following morning Flanagan was notified the test came back positive, but was told her mother was stable with OK vital signs. The timeline perplexed Flanagan, who suspects her mother was tested days before she was notified.

I am calling my mom and she is progressively getting worse, Flanagan said.

Worried about her mothers care, Flanagan urged Giordano to go to the hospital. Flanagan alleges her suggestion was met with reluctance by the nursing homes doctor, who is seeing patients virtually, not in the facility.

The following day Giordano was struggling to breathe so much she agreed to transfer to St. Lukes Hospital in Phillipsburg.

They did a phenomenal job, Flanagan said of the St. Lukes staff. The nurses at the facility are outstanding.

Her mother had a do-not-intubate order, so eventually the St. Lukes medical team focused on keeping Giordano comfortable.

Hospital staff outfitted Flanagan in full protective gear, including a special helmet, so she could sit at Giordanos bedside in her negative-pressure hospital room.

It was three-and-a-half painful days of watching her mother gasp for air, but Flanagan is so grateful she and her sister Laura Duane got to be there. It was heartbreaking their sister Maureen Corbett could not risk visiting because her husband has cancer, Flanagan said.

I had the blessing of being able to say goodbye to her and hold her hand, she said, acknowledging many COVID-19 patients are dying alone in hospitals that have barred all visitors. Thats irreplaceable and I cannot thank the hospital enough for allowing me that.

Giordano was a mother of four who went on to love eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren with great devotion. She was in good health prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, successfully managing a minor case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Flanagan said.

Very smart, very bright, very funny, her daughter said when asked about her mom. She wouldve lived to 100.

Giordano was widowed in 1976 when her second husband died, but led a full life in Bergen County, N.J. She found a senior living community in Teaneck Township where she got involved in all of the activities: bingo, cards, trips, you name it. She loved Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and singing, even if she was rather tone deaf.

She was performing in plays, Flanagan chuckled. She had a good time.

Giordano adjusted well to her move to Brakeley Park and was well loved.

So, Flanagan was shocked when she only heard once from a staff doctor checking on her mother on April 8. Giordano was close to death at that point.

Theres no dignity at all," she said. "I know they didnt want anyone to die, but they couldve done things, a hell of a lot of things, differently as well.

No one contacted her about retrieving Girodanos belongings or to express condolences. It felt callous and impersonal.

It is just such a bizarre feeling to not be told what is going on until it is too late, Flanagan said. They may not have been able to save her. But the way it happened and their response after (was unacceptable)."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 21-year-old man became the



first person to test positive for COVID-19 in Maharashtra's Parbhani district, a senior health official said on Thursday.

The man, who had walked to Parbhani all the way from Pune, was admitted to the civil hospital after he experienced symptoms of coronavirus, civil surgeon Dr Prakash Dake said.

Throat samples of the patient were sent for testing and the reports came out positive on Thursday, he said.

"His symptoms are relatively mild and the patient is now stable. We have tracked down eight to nine of his close contact persons and their swabs have been sent for testing," Dake said.

Of the eight districts in Marathwada, Nanded and Parbhani were the only two places where no positive case had been reported.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Industrivarden's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at 2 p.m. on April 24, 2020, at the Grand Hotel, Vintertradgarden hall, Stockholm. Registration, which was previously announced to open at 1:00 p.m., has been moved forward to 1:30 p.m.

As previously indicated in the AGM notice, Industrivarden will take additional precautionary measures in connection with the AGM to safeguard the health and safety of our shareholders, employees and other parties. This means, among other things, that no food or beverages will be offered at the AGM, the customary presentations by portfolio companies will not be held, and addresses will be shortened significantly.

In accordance with new temporary rules, the Board of Directors has decided to give shareholders the opportunity to absentee vote instead of by participating in person or via proxy. Shareholders who want to take advantage of this opportunity must, in addition to being registered in the shareholder register and notifying the company of their intention to attend the AGM in accordance with the instruc-tions in the AGM notice, send their absentee ballots to Industrivarden by April 22, 2020, at the latest. Instructions and an absentee voting ballot are available on Industrivarden's website: www.industrivarden.net.

There is also a previously existing option for shareholders who are private persons to use an oppor-tunity offered by Euroclear Sweden to grant power of attorney with voting instructions to a proxy appointed by Euroclear Sweden, see http://www.euroclearproxy.se. Euroclear Sweden is not acting on Industrivarden's behalf and is not providing services to Industrivarden in this regard.

In view of the authorities' instructions, Industrivarden urges all shareholders to seriously consider the opportunities to absentee vote or use their right to vote via proxy at the AGM. Shareholders who are experiencing symptoms, who have been in close contact with anyone showing symptoms, or who belong to a risk category should not attend the AGM in person.

Industrivarden is monitoring developments, and updated information on the Annual General Meeting will be published on a regular basis on Industrivarden's website.

Stockholm, April 16, 2020

AB INDUSTRIVARDEN (publ)

For further information, please contact:

Sverker Sivall, Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability, tel. +46-8-666 64 00

This information was submitted for publication by the Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability, Sverker Sivall (tel. +46-8-666-64 00), at 12:15 p.m. CEST on April 16, 2020.

Attachment
DIDCOT, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / Altus Strategies Plc (AIM:ALS) (TSX-V:ALTS), the Africa focused project and royalty generator, announces that it has appointed independent consulting firm Mining Plus UK Ltd ("Mining Plus") to update the historic resource and complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for an open pit oxide gold mine at the Company's Diba project ("Diba" or the "Project"). Diba is strategically located 13km south of the multi-million ounce Sadiola gold mine, in the world renowned "Kenieba Window' gold belt in the west of the Republic of Mali ("Mali").

Highlights:

Mining Plus appointed to undertake PEA at Diba gold project in western Mali

PEA to examine economic parameters for an open pit oxide gold mine

Historic resource to be updated into a current NI 43-101 resource estimate

Drill results after the historic resource include 5.36 g/t Au over 13m and 9.60 g/t Au over 8m

Diba hosts a historical near surface gold resource: 6,348,000 tonnes at 1.35 g/t Au for 275,200 ounces in the Indicated category 720,000 tonnes at 1.40 g/t Au for 32,500 ounces in the Inferred category Based on a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off grade See "Diba Project: Historic resource" and "Cautionary note regarding historic data"

At least six further priority prospects have yet to be drill tested at Diba

Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus, commented:

"The Diba gold project hosts a near surface and shallow dipping historic resource in western Mali, approximately 13km south of the multi-million ounce Sadiola gold mine and 5km west of the Company's Lakanfla gold project, which is the subject of a joint venture with Glomin Services.

"Mining Plus will update the historic resource into a current resource and incorporate drill results that post-date the original resource estimate, including 5.36 g/t over 13m and 9.60 g/t over 8m. They will then undertake a Preliminary Economic Assessment to outline the potential for a standalone open pit oxide gold mine. The Diba licence has substantial exploration upside with at least six additional prospective targets yet to be drill tested. However, the historic resource alone may already represent a very significant opportunity for Altus to create substantial near-term value.

"In addition to the studies being undertaken on Diba and in light of the importance of maintaining robust health and safety procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our management and technical teams are active on several remote sensing and historical data compilation campaigns. These programmes aim to define exploration targets on existing projects as well as identify potential new projects in countries where we do not currently have a presence. This work is integral to how Altus replenishes its pipeline of projects and ultimately generates new royalties. It also allows our team and contractors to work remotely, which is important at this current time.

"After the recent private placement and subsequent strategic investment by La Mancha, Altus has a strong cash treasury of approximately 8.2M / C$14.3M and is well placed to assess potential opportunities. I look forward to updating shareholders on the results from all these studies."

Resource Update and Preliminary Economic Assessment

Mining Plus of Bristol, United Kingdom (www.mining-plus.com) have been contracted to update the historic resource on Diba into a current NI 43-101 resource and to complete a PEA for a potential open pit oxide gold mine. To upgrade the historic resource to a current resource, Mining Plus will update the resource block model, including re-interpreting the mineralisation from drilling that occurred subsequent to the historic resource and re-estimating the grades. The results of the resource update and PEA are anticipated to be available in the second quarter of 2020.

The following figures have been prepared and relate to the disclosures in this announcement and are visible in the version of this announcement on the Company's website (www.altus-strategies.com) or in PDF format by following this link: http://altus-strategies.com/site/assets/files/4832/altus_nr_-_diba_16_apr_2020.pdf

Location of the Diba project in western Mali is shown in Figure 1.

Aerial view illustrating Diba's proximity to Sadiola is shown in Figure 2.

Schematic cross section of Diba (looking northeast) is shown in Figure 3.

Location of additional prospects at the Diba project is shown in Figure 4.

A selection of Diba photos is shown in Figure 5.

Diba Project: Location

The 81km2 Diba (Korali Sud licence) project is located in the Kayes region of western Mali, approximately 450km northwest of the capital city of Bamako. The project sits 5km west of the Company's Lakanfla gold project, approximately 13km south of the multi-million ounce Sadiola gold mine and 35km south of the multi-million ounce Yatela former gold mine. Diba is bounded by the Sadiola permit on its northern and eastern boundaries. The majority owners of the Sadiola mine, Anglogold Ashanti (JSE: ANG, NYSE: AU and ASX: AGG) and IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG and NYSE: IAG), have announced they have entered into an agreement to sell their collective interests in the mine to Allied Gold Corp. of Australia.

Diba Project: Historic resource

The Diba project hosts a historic gold resource (based on a 0.5 g/t cut off) comprised of 275,000 oz (6.34Mt at 1.35 g/t) in the Indicated category and 32,500 oz (0.72Mt at 1.40 g/t) in the Inferred category. An additional 97 AC and RC drill holes were completed at Diba by a previous operator in 2014 subsequent to the 2013 mineral resource estimate. Results from the 2014 drill programme include 5.36 g/t over 13m, 9.60 g/t over 8m and 2.00 g/t over 21m. The historic resource was prepared by AMEC Americas Limited in a report entitled Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate Diba Badiazila Gold Property Mali, West Africa, dated June 30, 2013 and filed on SEDAR on 20 September 2013 by Legend Gold Corp which was subject to a plan of arrangement with Altus in 2018. The key assumptions, parameters and methods used to prepare this historical estimate were:

Data from 157 diamond and reverse circulation drill holes, totalling 16,011m and a database containing Au assay values for 13,882 samples

A block model was constructed using ordinary kriging ("OK') and inverse of the distance to the third power ("ID3')

Data analysis was performed on the assays within 10 modelled grade shells

Grade capping was applied for restriction of the outlier grades at different thresholds, according to the individual mineralized lenses (grade shells)

Blocks located inside the 0.3 g/t Au grade shell were interpolated using OK with three passes using incremental radii search ellipsoids

Blocks located outside the grade shell were estimated by ID3 using the same ellipsoids used in the OK runs

Block sizes of 5m x 5m x 2m with each block storing the percentage of volumes inside and outside the grade shells

Blocks were classified in two categories, Indicated and Inferred as follows: Indicated blocks were estimated during passes 1 and 2 and within 50 m of a composite All blocks estimated in pass 3, or not classified as Indicated, were then grouped as Inferred category

Using Indicated and Inferred blocks, a conceptual pit shell, using Whittle software, to constrain the blocks to be reported as mineral resources

Mineral resources are reported within a Lerchs-Grossmann pit shell and reported to a base-case grade cut-off of 0.5 g/t Au

The Company believes the historical estimate remains relevant and reliable but a Qualified Person has not undertaken sufficient work to classify the estimate as current mineral resources. Accordingly, the Company has commissioned Mining Plus as an independent Qualified Person to upgrade the historical estimate into a current mineral resource estimate, incorporating the exploration results received after 30 June 2013. The Company is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource.

The historical resource occurs in an area of elevated topography and comprises a series of stacked lenses that dip approximately 35-40 degrees to the south east. The Company considers that the morphology of Diba is favourable, with the potential for a low mining strip ratio, relatively limited overburden and a high proportion of the orebody being in the oxide zone. Deeper drilling at Diba targeting the sulphide zone intersected 1.32 g/t over 45m (from 93m), and the historic resource remains open at depth.

Diba Project: Exploration history

Diba was originally discovered as part of a regional geochemical sampling programme conducted between 1987 and 1989. This programme reportedly also discovered the Sadiola gold mine and the former Yatela gold mine. A subsequent regional soil sampling programme at Diba completed by previous owners on a 500m x 250m (and in places 250m x 100m) grid identified a number of targets. This programme was completed between 2005 and 2007 and along with subsequent auger programmes, defined a 2.5km x 0.5km anomaly at Diba. A number of geophysical programmes have also been completed at Diba, including ground based induced polarisation, high resolution resistivity and magnetic surveys, as well as airborne VTEM.

Historic drill results from Diba are presented in Table 1. The oxide gold mineralisation at Diba is predominantly found in saprolite within 50m of surface and across a compact 800m x 600m area which has been drilled to date. The deposit is considered to be controlled by a number of northwest and northeast orientated structures, with gold occurring as fine-grained disseminations in localised high-grade calcite-quartz veinlets. Alteration at Diba is typically albite-hematite+/-pyrite, although pyrite content is generally very low (<1%).

Table 1: Selected Diba drilling intercepts from historic drilling (2006 - 2014)

Intersections are calculated based on a greater than 0.5g/t Au cut-off grade, a 40g/t top-cap of grades above that grade and where there is  3m of consecutive internal waste.

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Intersection (m) Grade (g/t Au) MIDH06-001 19.2 71.0 51.8 1.85 Including 34.0 38.0 4.0 12.65 Including (uncapped) 35.0 36.0 1.0 900.48 MIDH06-002 24.0 44.0 20.0 5.02 Including 26.0 31.0 5.0 7.35 Including 39.0 44.0 5.0 10.92 Including (uncapped) 42.0 43.0 1.0 49.48 MIDH06-004 36.0 74.0 38.0 2.08 Including 44.0 55.0 11.0 5.28 MIDH07-035 16.0 48.0 32.0 2.06 Including 20.0 24.0 4.0 7.70 MIDH07-057 32.0 62.0 30.0 2.15 Including 45.0 62.0 17.0 3.08 MIDH07-064 62.0 87.0 25.0 2.43 Including 78.0 79.0 1.0 36.70 DBRC-009 93.0 138.0 45.0 1.32 DBRC-023 47.0 55.0 8.0 9.60 Including 47.0 51.0 4.0 18.68 DBRC-055 11.0 32.0 21.0 2.00 Including 27.0 31.0 4.0 4.91

Cautionary note regarding historic data

Readers are cautioned that the data on Diba as referred to in this written disclosure is historic exploration data that has not been verified by a Qualified Person. Not all historic samples are available and Altus does not have complete information on the quality assurance or quality control measures taken in connection with the historical exploration results, or other exploration or testing details regarding these results. The potential tonnages and grades described in this release are conceptual in nature and are based on previous drill results that defined the approximate length, thickness, depth and grade of the portion of the historic resource estimate. There has been insufficient exploration to define a current resource and the Company cautions that there is a risk further exploration will not result in the delineation of a current mineral resource. The historic data should therefore not be relied upon until the Company can confirm it.

Qualified Person

The technical disclosure in this regulatory announcement has been read and approved by Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus. He has not verified the historical data disclosed in this regulatory announcement but has no reason to question its accuracy. A graduate of the University of Southampton in Geology (Hons), Steven Poulton also holds a Master's degree from the Camborne School of Mines (Exeter University) in Mining Geology. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and has over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration and is a Qualified Person under the AIM rules and National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Further Information

For further information you are invited to visit the Company's website www.altus-strategies.com or contact:

Altus Strategies Plc

Steven Poulton, Chief Executive

Tel: +44 (0) 1235 511 767

E: info@altus-strategies.com

SP Angel (Nominated Adviser)

Richard Morrison / Soltan Tagiev

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0470

SP Angel (Broker)

Abigail Wayne / Richard Parlons

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0471

Blytheweigh (Financial PR)

Tim Blythe / Camilla Horsfall

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7138 3204

About Altus Strategies Plc

Altus is a London (AIM: ALS) and Toronto (TSX-V: ALTS) listed project and royalty generator in the mining sector with a focus on Africa. Our team creates value by making mineral discoveries across multiple licences. We enter joint ventures with respected groups and our partners earn interest in these discoveries by advancing them toward production. Project milestone payments we receive are reinvested to extend our portfolio, accelerating our growth. The portfolio model reduces risk as our interests are diversified by commodity and by country. The royalties generated from our portfolio of projects are designed to yield sustainable long-term income. We engage constructively with all our stakeholders, working diligently to minimise our environmental impact and to promote positive economic and social outcomes in the communities where we operate.

Market Abuse Regulation Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 ("MAR") until the release of this announcement.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include without limitation the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programmes on schedule and the success of exploration programmes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, which speak only as of the date of this news release.

TSX Venture Exchange Disclaimer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Glossary of Terms

The following is a glossary of technical terms:

"AC" means Air Core drilling

"Au" means gold

"g/t" means grams per tonne

"Grade(s)" means the quantity of ore or metal in a specified quantity of rock

"m" means metres

"M" means millions

"Mt" means million tonnes

"NI 43-101 means National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects issued by the Canadian Securities Administrators

"RAB" means Rotary Air Blast drilling

"RC" means Reverse Circulation drilling

"VTEM" means Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic geophysical survey

SOURCE: Altus Strategies PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585304/Preliminary-Economic-Assessment-Commences-at-Diba-Gold-Project-in-Western-Mali
The figure is much higher than the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country, which stands at around 3,000.

Isles noted: The focus in the media has been on three key data points around COVID-19: deaths, confirmed and active cases. We need to talk more about estimates and monitoring of community infection.

Those risks need to be better understood before authorities decide when and how to relax current restrictions, an issue looming large for policymakers.

Isles model made use of World Health Organisation data that tracked time lapses from the onset to recovery in various scenarios, as well as Australia-wide figures covering April 09 statistics plus rate of population testing, number of positive results, and recovery and fatality rates.

It was noted that using a constant carrier mortality rate and a constant timeframe from infection to death allows modellers to infer new carriers at a point in time.

The Institute established a working group to help advise its professional members, industry, and policymakers who are seeking to understand the impact of the virus on our society and our economy, said Actuaries Institute chief executive Elayne Grace.

We are looking at community health aspects, but also how the virus impacts business sectors as diverse as health, insurance, and superannuation, and how policy changes may impact individuals, businesses, and communities.

Grace added that the working group  which involves a core group of 13 actuaries who are supported by a further 50 actuaries  will also undertake assessments and approaches that can help in managing Australias eventual end to the lockdown period while ensuring that the impacts are as limited as possible.




New Mexico food banks are seeing fewer people in their establishments than national food banks despite having one of the highest poverty rates in the country.

More than 70,000 New Mexicans filed for unemployment benefits following multiple business closures due to the coronavirus lockdown measures. However, their food banks are not seeing long queues as other parts of the country, even after an enormous surge in demand.

In San Antonio, Texas, more than 10,000 families visited the local food bank on one day. In New Mexico, Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico said it has only been receiving more than 1,800 families a week.

New Mexico food banks began distributing food to the vulnerable population early on in the pandemic. Older people, disabled adults, and some families were fed at local schools.

More Mexican Farmers Expected to Arrive in Canada Soon

With the ongoing lockdown restrictions and multiple layoffs, food banks are preparing to meet and feed more people, especially those who are running out of savings amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Local officials and volunteer workers are hard at work preparing necessities for people who are living in impoverished areas. Roadrunner is searching for new vendors to source food from, as well as find more helpers.





Desperately Needing Help

Food banks all over the nation have reported struggling to meet record demands, staff shortages, and food supply issues, putting the establishments into overdrive. Many are offering drive-through services where people are given pantry staples such as milk, eggs, rice, and canned goods.

In Massachusetts, a local food bank ran out of food in the first 45 minutes due to a flood of 900 people. More and more organizations are preparing to accommodate twice the usual numbers as the COVID-19 forces state governments to extend the stay-at-home policies.

Krista Garofalo, chief resource officer of the Treasure Coast Food Bank in Florida, said they had seen people who never needed assistance before coming to their place after being laid off or having their work hours cut.



A Feeding America survey discovered a 59 percent decrease in inventory partly due to panic buying. Food banks have also seen a 98 percent increase in demand after state governments began imposing shelter-in-place orders.

People have started panic-buying multiple sacks of rice and boxes of pasta at the start of the coronavirus crisis, leaving plenty of grocery store shelves empty. But manufacturers are having trouble keeping up with the demand.

Farm to Foodbank: A New Initiative to Benefit the Food Growers and the Hungry Amid the Pandemic

US lawmakers have called on the USDA to prioritize local farmers whose contracts have been canceled by the distancing measures. Organizations urged the agriculture department to implement a voucher program where food banks can directly receive produce from farmers. The government would then cover some of the cost of the harvest for the farmers to breakeven.

The Trump administration allocated $9.5 billion to the USDA from its recent $2 trillion relief bill. The budget will be used to buy food products from farmers and redistribute them to food banks across the nation.

To help with the surge, the USDA is also providing food to states through programs such as local school meal drives and food stamps.

Animal-Friendly Fashion: Mexicans Develop Vegan Leather
(Reuters) - Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes has said that the Premier League club should look to sign players who share his winning mentality.

Fernandes, who joined the 20-times English league champions from Portugal's Sporting Lisbon in January for an initial fee of 55 million euros ($59.83 million), has thrived with three goals and four assists in nine games across all competitions.

Fernandes beat the likes of Marcos Alonso and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to be named the Premier League's player of the month for February after an exceptional first month with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

"I'm hungry to win everything. I came to Manchester to win... league, Champions League, everything," Fernandes said in a Q&A with fans on United's official website https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/exclusive-bruno-fernandes-answers-supporters-questions-part-two.

"We already have a big team, but whoever comes needs to come to win. Just to focus to win, I want people hungry for titles.

"We know the potential Manchester have, because we are a young team, but we've a lot of quality... I feel this now in the group, everyone wants to win."

United, who looked galvanised after the arrival of the 25-year-old, went on an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions before the novel coronavirus stopped sporting activity around the world.

Solskjaer's team are currently fifth in the Premier League, which has been suspended since March 13.

($1 = 0.9193 euros)

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
(Newser)  Two retirees who scour the remote ravines and windswept plains of the Pacific Northwest for long-forgotten orchards have rediscovered 10 apple varieties that were believed to be extinctthe largest number ever unearthed in a single season by the nonprofit Lost Apple Project, per the AP. Botanists at the Temperate Orchard Conservancy in Oregon analyzed the apples and provided the tally. The apples identified as previously lost were among hundreds collected in October and November from 140-year-old orchards tucked into small canyons or hidden in forests that have since grown up around them in rural Idaho and Washington state. "It was just one heck of a season," says EJ Brandt, who hunts for the apples along with fellow amateur botanist David Benscoter. "If we had found one apple or two apples a year in the past, we thought were were doing good."

story continues below

Each fall, Brandt and Benscoter log hundreds of miles searching for ancientand often dyingapple trees across the Pacific Northwest. They collect hundreds of apples using old maps, county fair records, newspaper clippings, and nursery sales ledgers. By matching names from those records with property maps, they can pinpoint where an orchard might have beenand they often find a few specimens still growing there. One apple, the Gold Ridge, was particularly hard to identify because the experts couldn't find any illustrations or descriptions of it anywhere. Finally, botanist Joanie Cooper went page by page through a reference book written by a botanist who died in 1912 until she found it. Its the luck of the draw, said Shaun Shepherd, another Temperate Orchard Conservancy botanist. And we learn more as we go along."

(Read more apple stories.)
One grandchild got out of the car, shoveled dirt on the casket and returned.

Then another grandchild got out and did the same.

The pair couldnt stay beside the grave for long. There were too many other mourners waiting to pay their respects last week at Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Iselin.

They were all sitting in their car and taking rotations for who could do the actual burial," said Rabbi Avi Schnall of Agudath Israel in Lakewood.

This is death in the era of COVID-19. This is life at a distance from everyone, even from loved ones at a funeral or in their final moments isolated in hospital rooms.

The sacred rituals we reserve for the dead, and the care and comfort we provide for the dying, have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

Social distancing and infectious disease protocols have disrupted these observances, regardless of the religious faith. It has made a challenging time for those seeking closure after suffering a loss even more agonizing. And it has made a challenging time for the family members of those taking their last breaths even more excruciating.

The funeral Schnall described was for Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, 89, one of the most influential Jewish leaders in the nation. He died last week after contracting the novel coronavirus, according to The New York Times.

Under normal circumstances, a funeral for the leader of the Novominsker Hasidic group would have drawn thousands.

But only 10 attendees were permitted under the states social distancing rules.

You have these grieving families who are not able to properly grieve, Schnall said.

In funerals throughout the state, attendees have been limited and spread at least six feet apart. Others have watched services via Zoom, the video chat app. But its very much not the same, Schnall said.

The funeral is our last ability, our last opportunity to show respect to the person who has passed away, he said.

Infectious disease protocols demand the isolation of the sick and the dying, restricting direct contact, hospital officials say.

In the desperate pursuit to halt the virus spread, no one is allowed to enter hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients except caregivers. That applies to family and to faith leaders, who deliver last rites and other end-of-life rituals for those in their final moments.

There have been reports of priests delivering last rites to patients through windows, over the telephone and through video calls.

Last month, a Connecticut rector administered the last rites via FaceTime, according to a report by the Washington Post.

The message of hope and restoration of faith in God is being brought to family members in proxy who are distressed because they are unable to visit their loved ones due to CDC restrictive policy in hospitals, the Rev. Peter Iwuala, hospital chaplain at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, said in a statement.

Iwuala added: To be honest, this aspect brings a lot of challenge to the ministry of hospital chaplaincy.

The Rev. Michael Barone, chaplain at the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark, acknowledged the sadness many are feeling from the closure of cemeteries and mausoleums.

This bitter separation from the remains and resting places of our beloved dead is a crucial step to limit the spread of this serious contagion," Barone said in a statement.

Atlantic Health, which operates seven hospitals in the state, prohibits anyone from entering the rooms of COVID-19 patients.

But accommodations are made in certain instances.

They (clergy) are allowed to go to the window or communicate by written signs if desired, said Louise Gonzalez, spokeswoman for Atlantic Health, in an email. If the patient is able to receive calls, the clergy can speak with them to pray or hear confession.

For Roman Catholics, the health systems spiritual services manager is following guidelines from the Diocese of Paterson. They state that priests may stand at the recommended distance to administer absolution and the Apostolic Pardon.

Just like all other visitors, clergy are screened for signs or symptoms of COVID-19 before being permitted to enter," Gonzalez said.

In other New Jersey hospitals, policies are strict, but come with exceptions. RWJBarnabas Health also has a no-visitation policy, but allows exemptions for religious purposes.

Although we have implemented a no-visitation policy at all hospitals and healthcare facilities, exceptions may be made in certain circumstances," said Rebecca Smith, spokeswoman for RWJBarnabas, in an email.

Faith leaders are allowed to enter if they pass a thorough a COVID-19 screening process.

If any visitor presents with cold or flu-like symptoms or has a fever, that individual will not be allowed entry, Smith said. In addition, all approved visitors are required to take necessary precautions by wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) while (in patient) care areas.

Though heartbreaking, Schnall said abiding by the social distancing rules was what Perlow would have wanted. The safety and well-being of others was his ultimate wish.

Schnall said it was the greatest respect we could give to him.

We very much felt by not going to the funeral  this was, in fact, our last respect for him, Schnall said. We knew he wouldnt want us to come.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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On a windy day under a blue sky, 12 members of Metro Healths Community Heath and Prevention team spent a recent morning finalizing their plan: Go door-to-door on the South and West sides and educate businesses on COVID-19.

They used the Police Departments central substation as their base, where they pored over census tract data to map out their routes for the day and grabbed handouts and iPads.

Wearing IDs and matching T-shirts that proclaimed City of San Antonio STRONG against a downtown skyline, they listened intently as Derek Taylor, a senior management coordinator of CHP, gave an instructive pep talk.

Then the team donned masks and gloves and headed to parts of town with the largest percentages of low-income residents and people of color.

We are checking to see if they are washing hands, practicing social distancing, wiping down (counters) at their businesses, Taylor said. Weve been received very well.

The effort now is a few weeks old. Teams go door-to-door dropping off information in English and Spanish, talking to residents and businesses in neighborhoods deemed vulnerable to the spread of coronavirus so they will know what to do, Taylor said.

Last week, they placed more than 5,300 door hangers at households in Council District 2, and visited businesses in six ZIP codes on the East Side and in Alamo Heights  an area hit hard by the virus  to check in and see how things were going.

The visit last week to Ace Spring Service, a trucking parts and repair business at 3011 E. Commerce St., was positive for Billy Burkholder, who runs the shop founded by his grandfather, J.A. Tony Burkholder in 1935.

With 15 employees, Burkholder has taken precautions such as implementing a seven-hour shift Monday through Friday, eliminating the Saturday workday, taking employees temperatures in the morning, issuing disposable gloves and masks and following social distancing guidelines.

He was appreciative of CHPs visit and check-in.

They were out to just go over how to keep us safe, Burkholder said. They are on our side; they were trying to help us.

One information sheet alerts people to known cases of COVID-19 in their particular ZIP code and gives tips on how to stop the spread: Fewer people = less chance of illness; stay apart = stay safe (6 feet apart); keep it clean, it reads.

Another flyer uses icons and text to remind people: Stay home; keep your distance; wash your hands; wear face masks; stay home if you are sick, along with symptoms to look out for, the sheet said.

Every business we went to on the East Side and in Alamo Heights thanked us for coming by and checking on them, Taylor said.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

Their goal is to deliver information to 30,000 more people and businesses in vulnerable areas and answer any questions about the pandemic that might come up.

Before the groups headed out, Taylor divided them into six pairs and assigned each to areas where businesses deemed essential are open.

Vicente Escobedo jumped in his car and headed along South Zarzamora Street.

His first stop was at an AutoZone, where he interviewed an assistant manager, Desiree Garcia, about the steps being taken. She told Escobedo the store has adjusted its hours, limited the number of people allowed inside at one time to just five and makes sure they keep enough physical distance between themselves.

In an abundance of caution, Garcia politely asked Escobedo, a reporter and photographer to step outside to speak, to minimize the number of people in the store.

After a few minutes, Escobedo was back in his car and on his way to a nearby shopping center on Nogalitos Street, where he would visit about eight more businesses before lunch.

I love being out in the community, said Escobedo, who for the past three years has worked with Metro Healths Healthy Neighborhoods program, which stresses the importance of physical activity and nutrition, crucial for a city riddled with obesity, diabetes and heart conditions.

Escobedo, 32, said it was the experience with that program that made him jump at the chance to be part of the coronavirus education team. He said he isnt into working from home, but mostly he felt the importance of making sure people know how to prevent the spread of the virus and slow the pandemic.

We are helping the residents, giving them reassurance that this is only temporary, he said. What we are doing outweighs the risk (of contracting the virus). I feel its a need, something I have to do.

At each business he entered, Escobedo passed out two flyers  in English and Spanish  and went through a checklist.

The best way to prevent that (transmission) is to educate community members about washing your hands, wearing gloves, wearing face masks, he said. Its all about personal hygiene to prevent the spread.

Escobedos colleague, Andrew DeLeon, also spent the day on the South Side, on Pleasanton Avenue at Southcross Boulevard. On his third week walking the streets, he estimated he would visit about 60 businesses by the end of his 10-hour shift.

Its been good, most of the businesses are in compliance, said DeLeon, 28. They have been receptive to visits, and it feels good to help out.

Getting a visit from the health department might seem off-putting at first, he said, but once businesses realize the team is performing more of a welfare check, tensions ease.

They realize we are here to help and share information, DeLeon said. They become more receptive, and at that point, it becomes a community conversation.

Both DeLeon and Escobedo touted their previous experience with Healthy Neighborhoods as making the temporary task an easy transition.

Our job is networking with folks, talking to people about childhood obesity, DeLeon said. This isnt too much different, but the message is different  and important, he said.

Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
Nambatya, a businesswoman from Uganda, sells clothes, shoes and hats from China to her homeland and other African countries including Nigeria. For her business, she usually stays in Guangzhou in south Chinas Guangdong province for several months each year.

Kingsley and his wife Nambatya greet their daughter. (Photo by Luo Changwei/Guangzhou Daily)

Last year, Nambatya and her husband Kingsley came to Guangzhou again, and planned to return home in this January. However as flights were suspended due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, they couldnt continue their trip.

Nambatya was stuck in a dilemma as she was seven-months pregnant, and her visa was about to expire. Fortunately, the entry and exit departments, and other agencies in Guangzhou, extended the couples visas by 60 days. Therefore, Nambatya decided to give birth in the city.

On April 8, she was taken to the maternal and child health center in Liwan district by her husband. Due to a difficult delivery, doctors decided to perform a Caesarean section that evening, breathing a sigh of relief when she gave birth to a baby girl.

Unexpectedly her condition became instantly worse after midnight. She had a low fever, and experienced abdominal distension, even without symptoms such as cough and feebleness, head nurse Su Shujuan said, adding that Nambatya had suffered from constant fever up to 39.3 degrees Celcius from April 9 to 12.

Although the couple had been in Guangzhou for over half a year, we felt nervous about her fever during the epidemic period, Su said, noting that before the woman was hospitalized, the hospital had conducted two nucleic acid tests for them and reported negative results.

As a precautionary step, Nambatya was transferred to a single ward, with the couples subsequent nucleic acid tests showing a negative result, respectively.

The hospital combined Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with Western medicine to treat the patient, said doctor Xu Xiaoyan. In addition to antipyretic medicine, TCM treatment methods such as acupuncture were also used.

Under the care of medical workers day and night, the fever began to subside by April 13. Now Nambatya is recovering smoothly and can get out of bed by herself, with Kingsley also in a good mood, expecting that his wife can recover faster so they can return home as soon as possible.
Photo: The Canadian Press

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he's prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work.

The industry executives cautioned Trump that the return to normalcy will be anything but swift.

The new guidelines, expected to be announced Thursday, are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.

Well be opening some states much sooner than others, Trump said.

But in a round of calls with business leaders Wednesday, Trump was warned that a dramatic increasing in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary for the safe restoration of their operations.

The new guidelines come as the federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available  a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year.

Trump said at his daily briefing that data indicates the U.S. is past the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to reopen the country.

He called the latest data encouraging, saying the numbers have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator, added that data from across the country showed the nation improving, but that Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.

She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen new cases per day. She said those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors under the guidelines set to be released Thursday.

Birx said the White House was particularly concerned about Rhode Island, noting it is now seeing a surge in cases from the Boston metro area after seeing a spike several weeks ago from cases from New York.

Trump consulted dozens of high-profile CEOs, union officials and other executives via conference calls Wednesday.

He received a mixed message from the industry leaders. They, too, said they want to get the economy going but had worries about how to safely do so.

In a tweet midway through Trumps round of conference calls with the executives, the president said the participants were all-in on getting America back to work, and soon.

But participants in a morning call that included dozens of leading American companies raised concerns about the testing issue, according to one participant who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion.

Another person who participated in Wednesday's calls said it was stressed to Trump that expansion of testing and contact tracing was crucial, as well as guidelines for best practices on reopening businesses in phases or in one fell swoop.

The participant said those on the call noted to the administration that there was about to be a massive rush on personal protective equipment. Many businesses that are now shuttered will need the protective equipment to keep their employees and customers safe.

Trump was told "the economy will look very different and operations will look very different," one participant said.
Federal health officials are coming under increasing pressure to start publicly tracking coronavirus infections and deaths in nursing homes amid criticism they have not been transparent about the scope of outbreaks across the country that have already claimed thousands of lives.

Experts say the lack of tracking and transparency has been a major blind spot, and that publicizing outbreaks as they happen could not only alert nearby communities and anguished relatives but also help officials see where to focus testing and other safety measures.

This is basic public health  you track this, you study it, and you learn from it, said David Grabowski, who specializes in health care policy at Harvard Medical School. He said its difficult to have confidence in officials ability to contain the virus if they arent tracking where it has struck and why.

Such an action by the agencies that oversee the nations 15,000 nursing homes is seen as long overdue, coming more than a month after a nursing home in Washington state became the first COVID-19 hot spot in the U.S. with an outbreak that ultimately killed 43 people and a near-daily drumbeat of new cases that in some cases has forced entire homes to be evacuated.

In Oregon, more than half of the states coronavirus deaths are among people associated with senior care homes -- 32 as of Tuesday and believed to be mostly residents. State officials havent disclosed whether their count includes both residents and health care workers.

One Portland nursing home -- Healthcare at Foster Creek -- has had nine deaths and 50 coronavirus cases total, the most of any other facility in the state. Oregon health officials arent counting the death of a 10th resident at Foster Creek who was identified by employees and the company as a presumed positive case.

Because the federal government has not been releasing a count, The Associated Press has been keeping its own running tally based on media reports and state health departments. The APs latest count of at least 4,485 deaths is up from about 450 just two weeks ago.

We recognize there should be more reporting, said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, during a call with reporters on Wednesday.

Verma said her agency is working with the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention to increase reporting on outbreaks. But she did not provide details on how that would work or what information would be made public, other than to say her agency was considering requiring homes to disclose information to residents and their family members.

Many individual states have added to the lack of transparency by releasing only totals of infections and deaths and not details about specific outbreaks. Foremost among them is the nations leader, New York, which accounts for more than 2,477 nursing home deaths  about 20% of the states entire death total  but has so far refused to detail specific outbreaks, citing privacy concerns.

New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said this week that even releasing total numbers by nursing homes could violate the privacy of individuals, which is protected under federal health privacy law. The issue is here as Ive mentioned previously, this is their home. The nursing homes are their home, he said.

Nevada, on the other hand, unveiled an online tool this week that allows people to track cases in specific nursing homes and other assisted living facilities.

Its just scandalous not to tell the public which facilities have the virus, said Charlene Harrington, a professor emerita at the University of California San Francisco and former state health official. Even some staff members dont know. Theyre hiding it because its bad for business and its just horrible.

Mark Parkinson, the head of the American Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, said a national reporting system for homes could at least help prioritize the potential hot spots most in need of testing and personal protective equipment such as masks and gowns.

That lack of PPE and mandatory testing for residents and staff are among the gaps experts say have allowed deaths to continue mounting at nursing homes, despite federal officials ordering them in mid-March to ban visitors, stop group activities and screen workers for respiratory symptoms on every shift.

Chris Laxton, executive director of the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, said a national database would help to create a picture "of how completely dire the situation is in nursing homes. Not only is it underreported, but were nowhere near the peak and its continuing to surge.

Outbreaks include one in suburban Richmond, Virginia that has killed 45, one at veterans home in Holyoke, Mass., that has killed 40 and another at a home in central Indiana that has claimed 22 lives. Staff at others homes are overwhelmed and the death toll is climbing so fast that governors in several states, including Florida, Maryland and Wisconsin, have deployed the National Guard to run tests, tend to the sick, even evacuate residents.

Youre not going to slow down the spread if you dont know you have it, said Julie Moore, a certified nursing assistant at a home in Philadelphia, where an outbreak has claimed multiple lives and sickened workers. To screen for infections, she said her home asks workers to fill out questionnaires about their symptoms and exposure. But she said you could be asymptomatic and you could transfer the virus to the residents.

An AP report earlier this month found that infections were continuing to find their way into nursing homes because such screenings didnt catch people who were infected but asymptomatic. Several large outbreaks were blamed on such spreaders, including infected health workers who worked at several different nursing home facilities.

Some family members of nursing home residents have been baffled by the response.

After the first cases, I would have thought they would have just tested everybody, said Mark Paternostro, whose 86-year-old mother has respiratory issues and is a resident at Sundale nursing home in Morgantown, West Virginia, where at least three have died in an outbreak. He said the lack of testing underscores the larger problem.

Its just a whole black box of not knowing whats going on, and thats a big problem.

(Fedor Zarkhin of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.)

-- The Associated Press
Dr Reddys Laboratory has begun work on a generic version of Gileads experimental coronavirus drug remdesivir, which has shown promise with multiple critically ill patients, The Economic Times has reported.

A source told the paper that though it was early days, Dr Reddy's Laboratory had begun work on developing the drug.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Cipla had earlier said it was working with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in India to develop a generic version of the drug.

Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

Originally developed for Ebola, remdesivir has improved the condition of 36 critically ill COVID-19 patients out of 53 in a multi-country compassionate use programme.

Gilead has said it will ramp up production to up to 1 million compassionate doses, even before approval.

Compassionate use programme allows for an undertrial or unapproved drug or medicine to be used for treating critically ill patients in the absence of an alternative medication.

The problem, however, is that Gilead holds the patent for remdesivir in India. A spokesperson for Dr Reddys refused to comment.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors without Borders are among various groups that have demanded that countries issue compulsory licenses (CL), which allows generic drugmakers to manufacture even patented drugs, for COVID-19 treatment.

Also Read: Coronavirus state-wise tally April 16

Leena Menghaney, a lawyer for MSF, told the paper a pandemic makes a case for CLs.

Besides India, companies in China and Taiwan have stated that they have capacity to produce remdesivir. MSF said some had already conducted test production of the drugs active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the final medicine. China is the world's largest API exporter.

During briefings on the COVID-19 situation in the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said it would consider the drug for the treatment of coronavirus patients once local companies begin manufacturing it.

Globally, more than 20.6 lakh coronavirus infections have been confirmed. At least 1.34 lakh people have died of the COVID-19. In India, confirmed cases stand at 12,380 while the death toll is 414.
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- When it was announced that the Achievement Centers for Children needed to switch to remote operations because of the coronavirus crisis, its staff leapt into action. Help Me Grow Home Visiting (HMG) was just one of the agencys many programs that had to reinvent itself almost overnight.

The Help Me Grow Home Visiting program is provided at no cost to eligible families residing in Cuyahoga County. It is funded by the Ohio Department of Health and provides new and expectant parents with information about raising a happy and healthy child. This includes parenting tips, connections to local resources and access to some essential goods.

The program traditionally provides its services within the comfort of each familys home. So, when the State of Ohio canceled in-home visitations, program supervisor Jillian Vezdos had to move fast.

We knew we had to move quickly, Vezdos said. Our clients rely on us for a variety of things, everything from counseling and parent education to diapers.

Help Me Grow staff members had only four days to figure out how they were going to provide their services and, working with the Achievement Centers for Childrens IT department, they came up with telehealth solutions to help clients connect to the Internet.

To make remote connectivity happen, many purchases had to be made. Some HMG staff members required cameras to connect with clients, a few computers needed to be purchased and most clients were issued phone cards.

It was vital that the staff maintain contact with the families for several reasons: the health of the children, the mental health of the caregivers and the tranquility of the household, as instances of domestic violence and child abuse can rise when people are isolated.

The overall reactions to the new, remote program have been very positive. Many families are connecting twice as often as usual.

One mom told me that I was the only person she talked to outside of the home, said Vezdos.

These calls give the team an opportunity to get a feel for what is happening in the home. Through carefully worded, open-ended questions, staff members can assess risks, work out issues and help clients move in a positive direction.

With the need to isolate, diapers posed a particularly difficult hurdle. The program offers diapers to 80 qualified clients, and 45 had made requests for them. This meant a sizable purchase. Vezdos didnt want to buy out an entire stores stock of Huggies, so she and her husband headed out to several stores and made many trips with their SUV.

Vezdos recalled: We picked up as many different sizes and styles as possible, then staged everything in our front yard. Luckily, our neighborhood is filled with teachers, parents and other understanding people who know what I do and how important our service is to families throughout our community.

Moving forward, the program hopes to provide diapers and robust support for all 80 households.

So, with clients actively participating in the program, the Help Me Grow staff is learning how to make the most out of the situation and the technology.

Many of the techniques were using now are working so well, theres a good chance well continue to improve them and use them well into the future," she said.

The Achievement Centers for Children is proud of the creativity and resourcefulness of all its staff. They are also grateful for every donation they have received, as that is whats currently helping families throughout Northeast Ohio keep routine in their lives and improve the health and development of so many young children. To donate or learn more about The Achievement Centers for Children, go to achievementcenters.org.

Martial arts program: As a thank you for the tireless efforts and sacrifices of medical front liners during this pandemic, Jeff Ellis International Karate Centers of Strongsville and Avon Lake are offering hospital healthcare workers and first responders with school-age children an exceptional Martial Arts Enrichment Program absolutely free until May 31.

This virtual online enrichment program gives these families a chance to learn fun martial arts skills, safely and responsibly, right at home. It provides the opportunity for children to channel their excess energy in a positive and constructive manner.

This program also includes healthy character-building homework exercises that aim to bolster self-confidence, uplift childrens sense of self-respect and learn the importance of respecting others, plus provide better focus and concentration.

Classes will be conducted by age groups starting at age 5 and up. Classes will be limited in size to assure a quality experience.

The Virtual Martial Arts Enrichment Classes start April 20, but registration runs through April 30. To register, call Jeff Ellis at 440-238-9390. Visit www.jeffelliskarate.com for more information.

Jeff Ellis, owner of International Karate Centers, has for over 45 years been providing quality martial arts programs to the area and also has organized numerous community events over the years, including the Child Safe Community Day Fairs in Strongsville, Empower You Self-Defense Workshops for Women & Teenage Girls, and Bully Proofing Your Child programs.

Let the Strongsville community know what is going on with your organization, church, school, business or family. Email me at shirleymac48@att.net.

Read more from the Sun Star Courier.
A Melbourne council is refusing the Andrews government access to land needed for early works to start on the $16 billion North East Link project.

The dispute comes as a battle over the design of the 26-kilometre toll road looms in the Supreme Court.

Mark Lawton looks beyond his backyard. He fears plans to remove 11 hectares of vegetation will be disastrous for local wildlife. Credit:Darrian Traynor

The Andrews government has responded by using special powers under the Major Transport Projects Facilitation Act 2009 to override Banyule Council, putting the Borlase Reserve in Yallambie into state hands.

Banyule, Boroondara, Manningham and Whitehorse councils are taking Planning Minister Richard Wynne to the Supreme Court, arguing the project's environmental effects statement was comprehensively inadequate.
After learning that only a few top-rated big companies managed to lap up the funds in the first three auctions under the targeted long term repo operation (TLTRO), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stipulated a condition.

On April 15, while announcing the fourth auction of TLTRO, the RBI said the maximum amount for a particular bank to invest in securities should not exceed 10 percent of the allotment received by it. But, this rule has created some confusion in the market.

The confusion is whether this 10 percent cap is applicable only for the money availed under the fourth TLTRO or for the entire amount raised so far in three earlier auctions.

If this rule applies to funds raised from earlier auctions as well, this could create a problem. There are undeployed funds in the Rs75,000 crore availed so far by banks. Given the new rule, banks may have to rework the funds deployment strategy, said SV Sastry, MD and CEO, SBI DFHI.

For instance, if a bank has availed Rs 10,000 crore from TLTRO window, it can invest only Rs1,000 crore in a company or a group of companies now. Beyond this, if the bank wants to invest in the papers of the same company, the bank will have to borrow more under the TLTRO window, Sastry said.

This means any particular bank will not be able to consider the same company which has already benefited from the window for further funding unless the bank borrows more to stay within the limit. So far, only big firms such as NHB, NTPC have benefited from the TLTRO window. Reliance Industries is planning to raise money from the TLTRO window to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore, according to reports.

COVID-19 pandemic LIVE updates

NTPC raised about Rs 4,300 crore at 6.55 percent issuing three-year papers. Last week, NHB raised about Rs 2,000 crore. Banks are making a decent 2.15 percent margin as they are getting money at 4.40 percent under TLTRO.

Under the TLTRO plan, the RBI asked banks to make sure they have to deploy this money in investment grade corporate bonds, commercial papers, and non-convertible debentures over and above the outstanding level of their investments in these bonds as on March 27, the RBI said.

Banks have to acquire up to fifty per cent of their incremental holdings of eligible instruments from primary market issuances and the remaining fifty per cent from the secondary market, including from mutual funds and non-banking finance companies. Investments made by banks under this facility will be classified as held to maturity (HTM) even in excess of 25 percent of total investment permitted to be included in the HTM portfolio, the RBI said.

The RBIs 10 percent stipulation will help mid-sized companies and smaller ones with investment grade rating to get a share of the TLTRO money. The RBI introduced the TLTRO to help the industry tide over the liquidity crunch on account of the COVID-19 economic impact. The nationwide lock-down announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has crossed three weeks. On April 14, the PM extended the lock-down till May 3.

: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
Yemen announced first COVID-19 case on Friday as aid organisations warn its health system cannot handle the crisis.

Yemens war shows no signs of abating a week after the Saudi-led military coalition declared a unilateral truce because of the coronavirus threat looming over the war-devastated nation.

Yemen announced its first case of the COVID-19 respiratory disease last Friday, as aid organisations warned the countrys health system, which has all but collapsed since the conflict broke out in 2014, is ill-equipped to handle the crisis.

The coalition supporting the government against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said the two-week ceasefire was designed to head off the pandemic, a move welcomed by the United Nations but dismissed by the Houthis as political manoeuvring.

Has a ceasefire been agreed?

Despite Saudi Arabias announcement of a halt in military activities from April 9, fighting on the ground and coalition air attacks continue.

We dont have a ceasefire agreement that all of the major players have signed up to yet, said Peter Salisbury, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.

The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said on Friday he sent revised proposals to both sides to secure a nationwide ceasefire and the urgent resumption of political dialogue.

The confirmation of Yemens first coronavirus case makes it even more imperative to stop the fighting immediately, he said.





What do the Houthis want?

The rebels are negotiating from a strong position after recent military gains as they advance towards the governments last northern stronghold of Marib, an oil-rich region that would be a major strategic prize.

Hours before the Saudi-led coalitions truce announcement, the Houthis released a document with a long list of demands, including the withdrawal of foreign troops and the end of the coalitions blockade on Yemens land, sea and air ports of entry.

The Houthis see a ceasefire as more than just a halt to military activities, Salisbury said.

The rebels also demanded the coalition pay government salaries for the next 10 years, and hand over compensation for rebuilding, including homes destroyed in air attacks.

Saudi Arabia may want out of the Yemen war and is certainly prepared to pay for a lot of reconstruction, but they are not likely to sign an agreement that calls for their total capitulation, said Elana DeLozier, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Why is Riyadh offering an olive branch?

The ceasefire announcement comes at a sensitive time for Saudi Arabia, which is reeling from plunging oil prices and grappling with a serious coronavirus outbreak of its own.





It has for some months indicated it is seeking to extricate itself from the costly conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Yemeni people and triggered what the UN calls the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

Saudi Arabia increasingly wants to end the war in Yemen, DeLozier said. Their priorities are shifting and the war in Yemen is expensive and militarily unwinnable.

Analysts say pressure on the Saudis to reduce civilian casualties in air attacks, a withdrawal by their coalition partner the United Arab Emirates in mid-2019, together with rifts within the government camp, have weakened the coalition and strengthened the rebels resolve.

The coronavirus threat provided a face-saving way to announce a ceasefire without seeming to give in to the Houthis, DeLozier said.

What does this mean for Yemenis?

We in Yemen dont want an announcement of a ceasefire, we want an actual ceasefire on the ground, said Abdulhaq al-Amiri, a 35-year-old resident of Sanaa.

An estimated 24 million Yemenis  more than 80 percent of the population  depend on some form of humanitarian or protection assistance for survival, according to the UN.

More than three million people are displaced, many in camps particularly vulnerable to disease.

Bashir al-Fadli, a 28-year-old from Sanaa, said neither the coalition nor the rebels have the Yemeni peoples interest at heart.

We are sick and tired of war  and the only loser is the Yemeni citizen with no salary, no water, no electricity, no education  yet both sides dont care, he said.

For Amjad Ali, 28, coronavirus is just another issue Yemenis will have to deal with.

The whole world is scared of the coronavirus, except for Yemen. We here have become accustomed to death.
New Delhi, April 16 : Noodles have always been in demand due to their easy-to-cook feature and the nationwide lockdown has only spiked their offtake, with reports of stocks going nil in some areas.

Wholesalers in the national capital have said that the stocks of Maggi have depleted and the demand for the product remains high.

"The demand for noodles is very high. The stock of Maggi is very low, and Yippee! is available as of now," said Ayush, who runs Triveni Trading Company, a wholesaler in New Delhi.

Jitendar of Vardhaman Trading in Delhi told IANS that the issue regarding Maggi is that distributors are quoting very high prices then the general rate. He said that stock is available with the distributors, but they are quoting high rates, at which retailers do not want to buy.

"Distributors are getting products, but several distributors are quoting such prices that retailers do not want to buy it. The MRP of a Maggi packet is Rs 12 and the distributor seeks Rs 11.90, why would the retailer by for a margin of just 10 paise," he said.

Last month, Nestle, the producer of Maggi, had said that as the company is in the manufacture and sale of food and beverage products, the company is in discussion with the authorities to continue operations in the factories and distribution centres where the operations have been suspended.

"The company is closely monitoring the situation and will take all necessary measures as directed by the Central and state government and authorities, from time to time. The impact on the operations of the Company cannot be assessed at this point," it had said.

Further announcing Covid-19 related initiatives, Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India had said in early April: "This dedication to a national cause goes from our supply chain, to our factories, our people, our distribution partners, who work round the clock to ensure that we continue to meet the nutritional needs of families. We heed to a call of duty to ensure that much-needed food and beverage products are available to our consumers and communities throughout the country." FMCG major ITC, which produces Yippee!, has ramped up production despite challenges of labour shortage and transportation issues.

The demand for Yippee! too has risen during the lockdown period, according to wholesalers and retailers.

Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive, Foods Division, ITC Ltd told IANS: "With people being confined to their homes during such an unprecedented situation, there is a surge in demand for Yippee! noodles. Yippee! is a preferred snack option amongst consumers given that it is both tasty and filling as well as nutritious as it contains vegetables.

"To address this requirement, we are making tireless efforts to ensure availability of Yippee! in the markets across the country. With the help of state authorities, we have ramped up production of Yippee! noodles despite the challenges of labour shortage and limitations of transport availability." With the lockdown being extended till May 3, the demand for easy to cook products such as noodles would obviously rise, but sector players say with the restrictions being lifted partially on some sectors including manufacturing facilities of essential goods, the stock availability should ease.

(Rituraj Baruah can be contacted at rituraj.b@ians.in)
Injecting 'decoy proteins' into the body could stop the coronavirus infecting someone, according to scientists.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is believed by scientists to enter the body through receptors on the surface of cells in the airways, known as ACE-2 receptors.

These provide the gateway to the bloodstream and 'facilitate' infection with the bug, scientists say. And now they want to inject people with fake ones to lure the coronavirus away and trick it into sticking to a drug instead of lung tissue.

A team of researchers at the University of Leicester is working on creating proteins which mimic these ACE-2 receptors but are even more attractive to the virus.

This could, in theory, distract and soak up the viruses if they get into the body and prevent someone from developing symptoms of COVID-19.

The approach has been described as 'hope against the horrible pandemic'.

Other scientists are trying to all but get rid of ACE-2 receptors from people's bodies to effectively shut the door to the coronavirus, but this may have dangerous side effects.

The killer virus is understood to invade cells by sticking to proteins on the surface, called ACE-2 receptors (pictured in blue). A team at University of Leicester are working on developing proteins which mimic ACE-2 receptors, tricking the virus into latching on to them

WHAT IS AN ACE-2 RECEPTOR AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH COVID-19? ACE-2 receptors are structures found on the surface of cells in the lungs and airways which work with an enyzme called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) to regulate blood pressure. Its exact function in the lungs is not well understood but studies suggest it is protective against lung damage and low levels of it can worsen the impact of viral infections. Scientists say that the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 enters the body through the ACE-2 receptor, which the shape of it allows it to latch on to. This means that someone with more ACE-2 receptors may be more susceptible to a large viral load - first infectious dose of a virus - entering their bloodstream. ACE-2 receptors have a shape which matches the outside of the coronavirus, effectively providing it with a doorway into the bloodstream, scientists say People who have higher than usual numbers of ACE-2 receptors may include those with diabetes or high blood pressure because they have genetic defects which make them produce more. Emerging evidence shows that smokers may also produce more. High levels of ACE-2 receptors may also be protective, however. They are thought to be able to protect the lungs during infection and a study on mice in 2008 found that mice which had ACE-2 blocked in their bodies suffered more damage when they were infected with SARS, which is almost identical to COVID-19. Smoking has in the past been repeatedly linked to lower than normal levels of ACE-2 receptors, potentially increasing the risk of lung damage from COVID-19. Advertisement

'By creating an attractive decoy protein for the virus to bind to, we are aiming to block the ability of this virus to infect cells and protect the function of the cell surface receptors,' said Professor Nick Brindle, from the University of Leicester.

'By "hijacking" the receptors on cells in our lungs and other tissues the virus can grow and spread throughout the body and lead to disease.

'If this approach is successful, it could have the potential to prevent new cases of this deadly disease across the globe.'

ACE-2 receptors are found on the surface of cells throughout the body, but the ones inside the lungs and airways appear to be the ones targeted by the coronavirus.

Elsewhere in the body the receptors are used to regulate blood pressure by controlling enzymes - angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE) - linked to the heart and blood flow. Their function inside the lungs is not well understood.

The coronavirus 'depends' on the receptors for a way into the human body, according to German researchers writing in the scientific journal, Cell, in March.

The receptors were also critical for SARS, the closest relative of the coronavirus, to invade the human body, scientists found during an outbreak of that in 2002.

Since the discovery that ACE-2 receptors are the entry point for the virus, scientists have been desperate to find a way to weaponise them to stop the virrus.

There are different routes, however. Scientists such as those at Leicester are working on decoy ACE-2 receptors to confuse the killer virus.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, have had promising early results using this approach.

That team added a genetically modified 'soluble' form of ACE-2 - called hrsACE-2 - to human cells in the lab.

It essentially stopped the virus from multiplying at an early stage by 'catching' the viruses and blocking their routes to ACE-2 on the cells it was targeting.

The research, published in the journal Cell, showed that hrsACE-2 stopped the viral growth of SARS-CoV-2, and reduced it by a factor of 1,000 to 5,000 in cell cultures.

'We believe adding this enzyme copy, hrsACE-2, lures the virus to attach itself to the copy instead of the actual cells,' study author Professor Ali Mirazimi said.

'It distracts the virus from infecting the cells to the same degree and should lead to a reduction in the growth of the virus in the lungs and other organs.'

Lead researcher Dr Josef Penninger said it could be 'a very rational therapy that specifically targets the gate the virus must take to infect us.'

'There is hope for this horrible pandemic,' he said.

HOW DOES SMOKING IMPACT ACE-2 RECEPTORS? Contrary to popular scientific belief, evidence is beginning to emerge that smoking could protect against the coronavirus. A study published earlier this month by scientists in New York and Greece claimed that smoking may not be a risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalistion. The review of 13 Chinese studies also pointed to evidence in the US, where the number of patients known to be smokers is very low. Some scientists say nicotine and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus both interact with the same receptors on cells inside the lungs. Experts suggest the virus causes lung damage by depleting the numbers of ACE-2 receptors, which are found on cells in the airways and lungs. But they also believe that smoking can increase the number of them, which reverses the effect, according to trials on mice infected with SARS. Smoking has in the past been linked to lower than normal levels of ACE-2 receptors, potentially increasing the risk of lung damage from COVID-19. Advertisement

Apeiron Biologics, a company based in Austria, has been given the green light to trial its drug APN001, which contains hrsACE-2 as an active substance.

The Phase II trial aims to treat 200 severely infected COVID-19 patients in China, and the first patients are expected to be treated soon.

Meanwhile, two American companies, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, based in Massachusetts, and Vir Biotechnology, in San Francisco, are taking a vastly different approach.

Instead of offering more ACE-2 to distract the virus, the companies are attempting to completely deprive it of a way in by reducing the amount of ACE-2 in the body.

By silencing the ACE-2 receptor, they hope the virus wont be able to infect the right cells because it'll be unable to get near them.

However, the uncertainty about whether blocking ACE-2 receptors would be good or bad has left scientists divided.

At first glance the reduction of ACE-2 levels may seem like a good idea because, in theory, it lowers the chance of the virus infecting the body.

Someone with genetically higher ACE-2 receptors levels may be more susceptible to a large viral load - first infectious dose of a virus - entering their bloodstream.

Only last month, researchers led by the University Hospital Basel, in Switzerland, claimed that people with high levels of ACE-2 - such as those who take medications to control high blood pressure or diabetes - are at higher risk of the virus.

But other scientists rubbished the claims and said people must not stop taking their medicine, especially because there is no solid evidence of a link.

Reducing levels of ACE-2 might have unintended consequences - particularly since they are crucial for regulating blood pressure for healthy people.

ACE-2 has also been shown to have a protective effect against virus-induced lung injury. Therefore decreasing it would be problematic, especially in the case of patients with a lung infection like COVID-19.

For example, a 2008 study in mice found that getting rid of ACE-2 made the animals more likely to suffer severe breathing difficulties when infected with the SARS virus, which is almost identical to COVID-19.

There are numerous studies of ACE-2 receptors' interactions with the coronavirus, with many presenting evidence for completely conflicting theories.

Only more research - and hundreds of studies are being carried out into COVID-19 around the world - will provide a clearer picture of any links or a lack thereof.

The University of Leicester researchers expect early results from their trial within the next 12 weeks.

Does smoking PROTECT against coronavirus? That was the amazing claim from David Hockney but multiple scientific studies now suggest he might be on to something

When world-famous artist David Hockney wrote a letter to the Daily Mail saying he believes smoking could protect people against the coronavirus many scoffed.

Mr Hockney wrote: 'Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, its beginning to look like that to me.'

Understandably the claim was brushed off as laughable and 'rubbish' by many.

But is it?

A leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, said there is 'bizarrely strong' evidence it could be true.

And data from multiple Chinese studies shows that COVID-19 hospital patients contained a smaller proportion of smokers than the general population (6.5 per cent compared to 26.6 per cent), suggesting they were less likely to end up in hospital.

Another study, by America's Centers for Disease Control of over 7,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus, found that just 1.3 per cent of them were smokers - against the 14 per cent of all Americans that the CDC says smoke.

The study also found that the smokers stood no greater chance of ending up in hospital or an ICU.

The reasons for this are unclear.

Evidence coming out of scientific studies is conflicting and some say doctors are just too busy to be accurately noting down everyone's smoking habits.

Some researchers suggest smoking could reverse one of the ways in which COVID-19 damages the lungs while others argue the lung damage caused by smoke makes the organs more susceptible to failure.

Governments in both the UK and US urge people to stop smoking to protect themselves from the virus, but scientists admit there is no clear proof cigarettes can worsen the disease.

The eccentric artist David Hockney, who is a smoker himself, asked in a letter to the Daily Mail 'Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus?'

DAVID HOCKNEY'S LETTER TO THE DAILY MAIL I USED to joke that being a smoker in Malibu was the equivalent of being a non-smoker in Pasadena. They used to have very bad pollution there. Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, its beginning to look like that to me. Im serious  and remember cigars and cigarettes are vegan. David Hockney, Normandy. Advertisement

In his letter, Mr Hockney wrote: 'I used to joke that being a smoker in Malibu was the equivalent of being a non-smoker in Pasadena. They used to have very bad pollution there.

'Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, its beginning to look like that to me.'

The British artist, now 82 and living in France, adds 'I'm serious' and has in the past revealed he's smoked for more than 60 years but still considers himself healthy.

Around 1.1billion people around the world smoke cigarettes in spite of evidence they cause lung cancer, heart disease and numerous other life-threatening illnesses.

Whether they make people more likely to end up in hospital or die if they catch COVID-19, however, is unclear.

A study published earlier this month by scientists in New York and Athens claims the opposite.

It looked at 13 Chinese studies that had registered smoking as a precondition and found that the number of smokers across the whole sample of 5,300 patients was 6.5 per cent. An astonishingly small number in country where half of all men still smoke.

'This preliminary analysis does not support the argument that current smoking is a risk factor for hospitalization for COVID-19,' it reads.

'Instead, these consistent observations, which are further emphasized by the low prevalence of current smoking among COVID-19 patients in the US (1.3 per cent), raises the hypothesis that nicotine may have beneficial effects on COVID-19.'

A group of studies from China found that the average proportion of coronavirus patients who were classed as smokers - from a total of almost 6,000 people - was just 6.5 per cent. For comparison, more than 26 per cent of the country's population as a whole are smokers

WHAT IS AN ACE-2 RECEPTOR AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH COVID-19? ACE-2 receptors are structures found on the surface of cells in the lungs and airways which work with an enyzme called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) to regulate blood pressure. Its exact function in the lungs is not well understood but studies suggest it is protective against lung damage and low levels of it can worsen the impact of viral infections. Scientists say that the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 enters the body through the ACE-2 receptor, which the shape of it allows it to latch on to. This means that someone with more ACE-2 receptors may be more susceptible to a large viral load - first infectious dose of a virus - entering their bloodstream. ACE-2 receptors have a shape which matches the outside of the coronavirus, effectively providing it with a doorway into the bloodstream, scientists say People who have higher than usual numbers of ACE-2 receptors may include those with diabetes or high blood pressure because they have genetic defects which make them produce more. Emerging evidence shows that smokers may also produce more. High levels of ACE-2 receptors may also be protective, however. They are thought to be able to protect the lungs during infection and a study on mice in 2008 found that mice which had ACE-2 blocked in their bodies suffered more damage when they were infected with SARS, which is almost identical to COVID-19. Smoking has in the past been repeatedly linked to lower than normal levels of ACE-2 receptors, potentially increasing the risk of lung damage from COVID-19. Advertisement

The paper has not been reviewed by other scientists and admits that it is based on limited data, but says that nicotine and the coronavirus both interact with the same receptors on cells inside the lungs.

It was done by Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos and Dr Anastasia Barbouni, from the University of West Attica in Athens, and Dr Raymond Niaura of New York University.

They suggest that while the virus causes lung damage by depleting the numbers of those receptors - known as ACE-2 receptors - smoking can increase the number of them, reversing the effect.

ACE-2 receptors, which are found on cells in the airways and lungs, have been said to work as the coronavirus's doorway into the body and to 'facilitate' infection.

Therefore having more of them would seem to be a bad thing, but scientists say they have a protective effect in the lungs and low levels are linked to worse damage from viral infection.

A 2008 study in mice found that getting rid of ACE-2 made the animals more likely to suffer severe breathing difficulties when infected with the SARS virus, which is almost identical to COVID-19. ACE-2's function in human lungs is poorly understood.

Dr Farsalinos's study was shared on Twitter by Professor Francois Balloux, director of the genetics institute at University College London.

Professor Balloux described the paper as 'puzzling' and added: 'Whilst the study design is far from perfect - and the authors are clear about its limitations - the evidence for a protective effect of smoking (or nicotine) against COVID-19 is bizarrely strong... actually far stronger than for any drug trialled at this stage...'

It is a claim that has been emerging around the world.

French scientist Professor Jean-Francois Delfraissy, who is leading a scientific council advising the country's government on COVID-19, said: 'We have something very special with tobacco.

'We have found that the vast majority of serious cases are not smokers, as if () tobacco protects against this virus, via nicotine,' French news site Sud Ouest reported.

The study by Dr Farsalinos adds by way of explanation: 'It has been observed that decreased ACE-2 availability contributes to lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome development.

'Therefore, higher ACE-2 expression, while seemingly paradoxical, may protect against acute lung injury caused by COVID-19.'

This is a disputed area of science - there are studies which show smoking can both increase and decrease the levels of ACE-2 available on someone's lung cells.

An increase before infection could allow more of the viruses to get into the body in the first place, making someone more vulnerable to the disease.

A paper published by scientists at University College London offers the opposite view to Dr Farsalinos.

WHAT DO STUDIES SHOW ABOUT SMOKERS WITH COVID-19? A team of scientists at Harvard University in Boston and the University of Crete in Greece have reviewed five of the first studies on links between smoking and COVID-19. They found smokers do face a greater risk of suffering complications but others suggested they were less likely to be infected in the first place. In all of the studies, fewer than 15 per cent of the patients were smokers - a figure that clashes with China's smoking rate, which is between 20 and 26 per cent and almost half of men. The review of the evidence, led by Harvard's Dr Constantine Vardavas, was published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases. Here's what it found: STUDY 1 How many people were involved? 78 patients at 3 hospitals in Wuhan, China How many of them were smokers? Unclear Where were the results published? Chinese Medical Journal What did it find? The patients who progressed to severe illness had a 'significantly' higher number of smokers compared to the patients who got better  27 per cent compared three per cent STUDY 2 How many people were involved? 1,099 at 552 hospitals across China How many of them were smokers? A total of 12.6 per cent (137) were current smokers and 1.9 per cent (21) were former smokers. Where were the results published? New England Medical Journal What did it find? Among the 173 patients with severe symptoms, 16.9 per cent (29) were current smokers and 5.2 per cent (nine) were former smokers. In comparison, 11.8 per cent (108) of the 926 with milder symptoms were current smokers, and 1.3 per cent (12) were former smokers. In the group of patients that either needed mechanical ventilation, admission to an ICU or died, 25.5 per cent were current smokers and 7.6 per cent were former smokers. That was more than twice as high as the proportion of patients who did not need intensive care, 11.8 per cent of whom were current smokers and 1.6 per cent were former smokers. STUDY 3 How many people were involved? 140 in one hospital in Wuhan How many of them were smokers? 6.4 per cent were either current smokers (two) or past smokers (seven). Where were the results published? Allergy What did it find? Among the 58 patients who severely ill, 3.4 per cent (two people) were current smokers and 6.9 per cent (four) were former smokers. In comparison, of the 82 with milder symptoms, none were current smokers and 3.7 per cent (three) were former smokers. STUDY 4: How many people were involved? 191 in two hospitals in Wuhan How many of them were smokers? Six per cent (11 people) were current smokers Where were the results published? The Lancet What did it find? Among those that died (54), nine per cent (five people) were current smokers. Of those who survived, four per cent (six people) were smokers. STUDY 5 How many people were involved? 41 in one hospital in Wuhan How many of them were smokers? Seven per cent (three people) were current smokers Where were the results published? The Lancet What did it find? None of the 13 patients who needed to be admitted to ICU were current smokers. In contrast, 11 per cent (three) of those who did not need intensive care were smokers. Advertisement

It said: 'SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to enter cells through the ACE-2 receptor.

'Some evidence suggests that gene expression and subsequent receptor levels are elevated in the airway and oral [cells] of current smokers, thus putting smokers at higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2.

'Other studies, however, show that nicotine downregulates the ACE-2 receptor.'

Professor Jamie Brown, an addiction researcher at UCL and one of the authors who wrote that paper, told MailOnline the link is 'very difficult to understand'.

'Everything we know about other respiratory viruses and comorbidities [health problems] suggests smokers will suffer worse outcomes,' he said.

Only recently - a paper published this year claimed to be the first - have scientists started to record that smoking increases ACE-2 levels in the airways.

It had previously been reported to reduce levels, something that researchers have linked to worse lung damage in coronavirus infections.

While higher levels of the receptor may offer some protection in theory, they also offer more doorways through which the virus can enter the body.

The study in the European Respiratory Journal said: 'While the up-regulation of ACE-2 may be useful in protecting the host against acute lung injury, chronically, this may predispose individuals to increased risk of coronavirus infections, which uses this receptor to gain entrance into epithelial cells.'

Professor Brown added that, considering how smoking influences other lung infections, he would be 'very surprised' if it didn't make COVID-19 worse.

One paper suggested that a reason children appear not to be badly affected, in general, by the coronavirus could be that they have more ACE-2 receptors than adults, but it added there is 'a lack of evidence to show that ACE-2 expression varies with age'.

Dr Farsalinos and his colleagues' study even suggested that withdrawal symptoms from not being able to smoke in hospital could make cigarette users' symptoms worse.

It added: 'Hospitalization for COVID-19 will inevitably result in abrupt withdrawal of nicotine and its beneficial effect linked to this hypothesis in smokers or users of other nicotine products.

'This could, at least partly, explain the association between smoking and COVID-19 severity among hospitalized patients.'

The theory of smokers having some level of protection from the virus stems from raw hospital data which suggested only small proportions of seriously-ill patients smoke.

Hospitals in China, the US, Germany and France have had hundreds of thousands of coronavirus patients but admitted disproportionately small numbers of smokers.

According to the campaign group, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, early data showed that in Germany six per cent to 21 per cent; and in France six per cent compared to 27 per cent.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US showed that of around 7,000 COVID-19 patients, former smokers were more likely to be hospitalised or taken into intensive care than current smokers.

Just 22 of the hospital patients and five of those in intensive care admitted to being smokers, while 45 in hospital and 33 in ICU said they were former smokers.

Public Health England has not published any information about the people diagnosed or hospitalised with coronavirus in the UK.

Why then, scientists have asked, do smokers make up such a small proportion of patients when there are significantly more of them in the countries?

Experts have knocked this theory down and say reporting of who smokes and who doesn't has not been accurate enough.

UCL's Professor Brown told MailOnline: 'It's difficult to assess how well smoking status has been recorded in an emerging epidemic and a lot of these people have been too sick to answer or have not replied totally honestly.'

He added: 'We know generally smokers tend to come from lower income groups which have poorer access to healthcare... so may be more likely to die in the community.'

Professor Paul Hunter, a former NHS doctor and now medicine lecturer at the University of East Anglia, agreed that recording was likely to blame.

He told MailOnline: 'One interpretation is that smokers are less likely to end up in hospital.

'But actually it's more of an indication that when you've got doctors who are unbelievably busy they don't complete all of the questioning they would normally do.'

Professor Hunter added that the notion smoking could protect people from COVID-19 was 'rubbish', but admitted the ACE-2 receptor link deserved further study.

EARLY US DATA SHOWS JUST 1.3 PER CENT OF CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS ARE SMOKERS Early data from America's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that just 1.3 per cent of people diagnosed with COVID-19 were classified as smokers. From a sample of 7,162 of the nation's earliest patients, just 96 were 'current smokers'. Just 22 out of 1,037 patients in hospital were smokers, along with five out of 457 in intensive care, according to the data. This contrasts sharply with the CDC's statistics that show 14 per cent of all Americans regularly smoke cigarettes. It is not clear whether there is a link between smoking and a lower risk of catching or falling ill with coronavirus, or whether recording of who smokes and who doesn't isn't up to scratch. University College London's Professor Jamie Brown, a tobacco and public health expert, said he expects it to be the latter. He told MailOnline: 'It's really difficult to assess how well smoking status has been recorded in an emerging epidemic and a lot of these people have been too sick to answer or may not have replied totally honestly. 'We know, generally, smokers tend to come from lower income groups which have poorer access to healthcare and may be more likely to die in the commmunity.' Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US showed that of around 7,000 COVID-19 patients, former smokers were more likely to be hospitalised or taken into intensive care than current smokers Advertisement

A study of 41 patients at Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan found that none of the 13 patients who needed to be admitted to ICU were current smokers. In contrast, 11 per cent (three) of those who did not need intensive care were smokers

A study of 552 hospitals across China, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that of the 173 patients who had severe symptoms, 16.9 per cent of them were current smokers and 5.2 per cent had previously smoked. In comparison, of the patients with less-severe symptoms, 11.8 per cent were current smokers and 1.3 per cent were former smokers

One study of 140 coronavirus patients found that among the 58 patients who severely ill, 3.4 per cent (two people) were current smokers and 6.9 per cent (four) were former smokers. In comparison, of the 82 with milder symptoms, none were current smokers and 3.7 per cent (three) were former smokers

Researchers at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University made the conclusion that only 1.4 per cent of 140 hospitalised patients were smokers

The NYU Grossman School of Medicine study found that just five per cent of coronavirus hospitalisations were current smokers - roughly the same percentage seen in the group that didn't need hospital care

SMOKING NOT LINKED TO COMPLICATIONS, CLAIMS NYU STUDY A study by New York University found that just five per cent of 4,103 coronavirus hospital patients in the city admitted to being smokers. This was far lower than the 15.5 per cent of smokers in the population there. The same proportion of smokers were found in COVID-19 patients who did not need hospitalisation, suggesting they were less likely to catch the virus or were not being accurately recorded. The New York study is not the first to find a low number of smokers in COVID-19 hospital admissions. One team of experts from Wuhan - where the pandemic began - were mystified after finding smokers were less likely to catch the deadly virus in the first place. Scientists have called for further trials to clarify if smoking poses a real threat, but admit, in general, smokers are more susceptible to infection. Public Health England has warned users face a greater risk because the tiny hairs inside the airways and lungs, which help move pathogens and mucus away, are often damaged by the toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke. The new study was published on the archive site medRxiv and not in a journal. Its authors said: 'Surprisingly, though some have speculated that high rates of smoking in China explained some of the morbidity in those patients, we did not find smoking status to be associated with increased risk of hospitalization or critical illness.' Advertisement

A researcher at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, Jason Sheltzer, picked apart Dr Farsalinos paper on Twitter with similar logic, calling the study 'severely flawed'.

He said that the measures for what defined a smoker varied across the world and across the multiple other studies that were referenced in the paper. One of them, he said, only classified very heavy smokers and not those with lighter habits.

A deeper dive into data, Mr Sheltzer wrote, revealed that smoking actually appeared to be linked to a higher risk of severe infection.

He said: 'In order to further investigate, I emailed the authors of some of the studies on COVID-19 in China. One doctor replied that their smoking frequency was so low because some patients were literally too sick to answer the question.

'So... its clear that in these studies, the definition of a smoker is neither consistent nor consistently applied. You cant throw them all on a graph and call it a meta-analysis.'

He added: 'In short, I think that this analysis is severely flawed. Theyre comparing statistics that shouldnt be compared.

'I dont think that theres any convincing evidence that smoking protects against coronavirus.'

Government bodies are adamant that people should not consider the prospect of smoking being protective against the illness, which can be deadly, especially for people who already have health problems.

Both Public Health England and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have urged people to stop smoking to protect their health.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock last month said: 'It is abundantly clear from the research into previous coronaviruses that smoking makes the impact of a coronavirus worse.'

And his chief medical adviser, Professor Chris Whitty, added: 'If you are going to give up smoking, this is a very good moment to do it.'
An anonymous tip led to the discovery of 17 bodies crowded into a four-person morgue at one of New Jerseys largest nursing homes.

Police found the bodies this week at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II in Sussex County, in northern New Jersey, Rep. Josh Gottheimer confirmed to NBC New York.

They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring, Eric C. Danielson, the towns chief of police told The New York Times.

Gottheimer said he was contacted by an administrator at the nursing home who was requesting more body bags just before the discovery of the bodies.

She called and said, Were overwhelmed here, he said on a Skype call, adding the woman who called was sick herself and said so many staff members at the home were sick.

Chaim Scheinbaum, one of the facility's owners, said there were 15 bodies in that holding room and eight of them had died on Monday.

"The owners, administrators and our heroic healthcare staff of nurses and nurse aides have been working relentlessly to contain the virus and safeguard our residents and staff," according to a statement from Scheinbaum.

"The health and safety of our residents and staff is our utmost priority and responsibility. Ownership and administration is working around the clock to ensure we are able to resolve the pandemic in the facility."

Chief Danielson and Andover Township Mayor Michael Lensak told NBC News on Thursday that first responders helped facilitate the transfer of 13 of the bodies to refrigerator trucks.

But the two officials said they feel helpless because the facility is not responding to requests for information. The nursing home is badly understaffed, the mayor and police chief said.

Image: Andover Subacute and Rehab Center (Stefan Jeremiah / Reuters)

The 17 people discovered in the small morgue bring the number of deaths linked to the center up to 68, Gottheimer said. Twenty-six of those who died tested positive for COVID-19, and two staff members are among the deceased. Seventy-six patients at the home are currently sick with the virus, as are 41 staff members, according to the Times.

Story continues

Local officials told NBC New York that the nursing home said it was separating infected patients from healthy ones.

Once one person in the home gets sick it spreads pretty quickly in nursing homes, Rep. Gottheimer said. Were seeing this around the state.

The congressman said his office as well as state officials are working to get the Andover facility what it needs, which he said is made difficult by huge nursing shortages across New Jersey. His office reached out to FEMA and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on Wednesday to see if federal help is available.

The discovery at the Andover center comes as 5,670 people have died from coronavirus at nursing homes in the U.S., according to an NBC News analysis. There are 3,466 long-term care facilities in 39 states with known coronavirus cases.
The government on Thursday said it is monitoring on a daily basis incidents of violation of guidelines for the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus.

MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) is monitoring on a daily basis incidents of violation of lockdown guidelines, including congregation of people and opening of shops and establishments, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said in a statement.

Instances of violence against health workers engaged in surveillance and quarantine measures etc are also being ascertained, is said.

It also warned that actions would be taken against officials for violation of lockdown guidelines.

MHA would take action under Disaster Management Act against officers found responsible for such violations, the statement said.

The government had invoked the Disaster management Act when the lockdown was first announced on March 24.

On Wednesday, two persons, including a doctor were injured when a mob attacked an Uttar Pradesh health department team in Nagfani area of Moradabad when it had gone to take away relatives and contacts of a Covid 19 victim to a quarantine facility.

Police dispersed the violent mob using mild force and took at least 10 people into custody.

The Moradabad incident was the latest in a series of assaults on medical professionals involved in Covid care.

Earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of migrant workers in Mumbai ignored lockdown restrictions and gathered at the Bandra West railway station demanding transportation to their homes in different states following rumours that the Railways were arranging trains. The crowd of migrant workers which gathered in Bandra a few hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3, finally dispersed after a lathi charge by the police.

Union home minister Amit Shah had taken a serious view of the Bandra incident and told Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray that such the protests weaken Indias fight against coronavirus and the administration needs to stay vigilant to avoid such incidents.

There have also been reports of overcrowding in markets and not following social distancing in different places in the country.
By Trend





Amid the current situation, the issue of imposing curfew after April 20 is not discussed in Azerbaijan, Ibrahim Mammadov, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, said.

Mammadov made the remark in Baku at the press-conference on April 15, Trend reports.

The Interior Ministry recommended the citizens not to go out at night, the spokesman said.

"Having a work permit, some people go out at night after returning from work, Mammadov said. It is recommended for people not to abuse official permission and not to leave the houses unless there is an urgent need."

At the same time, it is wrong to consider the recommendation of the Interior Ministry as a curfew, he added.

The movement restriction has been imposed in the country within a special quarantine regime which is used to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan has made such a decision in connection with the movement restriction in the country from 00:00 (GMT+4) April 5, 2020 to 00:00 April 20, 2020 to protect life and health of the population, ensure uninterrupted operation of state structures and life support facilities, as well as activity of economic entities in the current situation at the appropriate level.
China's civil aviation sector has taken a proactive approach to transporting medical personnel and emergency supplies to aid the global fight against the novel coronavirus, a senior aviation official said.

Sun Shaohua, deputy head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's operation monitoring center, said the administration has activated guarantee mechanisms to arrange extra flights and organize chartered flights to send medical experts and materials to countries hit hard by the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic.

The civil aviation authorities had carried out 575 such flights by Tuesday, Sun said. Those flights ferried 134 medical experts and workers and 9,544 metric tons of epidemic prevention and control supplies to more than 60 countries, including the United States, Iran, Pakistan, Italy, Japan and South Korea, he said.

On April 5, the administration arranged for a chartered flight to transport 37.6 tons of medical supplies to 18 countries in central and western Africa that desperately need medical equipment to deal with increasing caseloads, Sun said.

"The administration will send two flights operated by Air China on Thursday to take medical teams and materials to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso," he added.

Sun said the administration had also adopted a number of measures to bring Chinese studying or living abroad back home, while at the same time taking steps to stop the importation of novel coronavirus cases.

The administration arranged 16 flights to bring 2,744 Chinese citizens back home from Iran, Italy, the United Kingdom, the US and Spain between March 4 and Monday, he said, adding that 1,449 of those brought home were students.

"In the following weeks, the administration, under the coordination of the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism, will carry out major flight tasks in an orderly manner to bring students in urgent need in coronavirus hot spots back home," he said.

To minimize the risk of imported cases, the administration ordered a reduction of flights in and out of the country starting on March 29, Sun said, adding that China had handled only 250 inbound flights from then until Tuesday, carrying a total of 50,306 passengers.

With the exception of 38 inbound flights on March 29, China has seen no more than 20 inbound flights a day, with the number of inbound passengers averaging about 3,000 a day, he added.

In addition to slashing inbound flights, the administration has also required the diversion of such flights originally destined for Beijing to a dozen other cities since March 20. In those cities, all passengers must be tested for the virus upon disembarkation, with those cleared of the pathogen allowed to board the aircraft again and resume their flight to the capital.

By Tuesday, 127 flights carrying 28,697 passengers bound for Beijing had been diverted to the 12 designated airports, Sun said.

Over 86 percent of the passengers failed to pass health inspections or were in proximity to those who failed, he said, adding that they had all been held locally for treatment or placed in a 14-day quarantine.
GODFREY  In a first for Lewis and Clark Community College, the board on Tuesday held its monthly meeting via teleconference with the coronavirus as the main topic.

Interim President Lori Artis said a new date has been for its 2020 spring commencement, which is now scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. She said the date was selected after students slated to graduate this semester overwhelmingly said they still wanted a commencement.
By Sanjeev Miglani and Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is considering plans to seal off coronavirus hotspots in Delhi, Mumbai and parts of the south while easing restrictions elsewhere as a way out of a three-week lockdown that has caused deep economic distress, officials said on Wednesday.

The sweeping clampdown in the country of 1.3 billion people to prevent an epidemic of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, ends on April 14 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to decide this week whether to extend it.

He told a conference of political leaders on Wednesday that several state governments had asked for an extension of the lockdown to cope with the outbreak. But he also said that India was facing serious economic challenges, according to a statement issued by his office.

Scenes of poor migrant workers and their families walking long distances on empty highways to their homes in the countryside after losing their jobs have increased pressure on Modi to reopen parts of Asia's third largest economy.

More than 80% of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India, the world's second most populous country, have been traced to 62 districts representing less than 10% of India's landmass, according to government data.

These are concentrated in the western state of Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai, the capital Delhi and the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala.

Many parts of the country have not reported a single case.

Such a skewed geographical spread strengthens the case for a more targeted approach under which the affected area and its neighbouring district would be cordoned off, health officials said.

"To manage coronavirus, we are working on a cluster containment strategy," said Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal, leading the effort to tackle the outbreak.

"BHILWARA MODEL"

He said such measures were already in place in east Delhi, in Agra, site of the famed Taj Mahal monument, and in the textile town of Bhilwara in the western state of Rajasthan which has become a test case for a more targeted fight against COVID-19.

Story continues

Under the "Bhilwara model", which was adopted last month soon after about 30 people tested positive in the first big wave of infections, the town and its surrounding villages were sealed off with a virtual curfew in place.

People were not allowed even to step out of their homes to get essential stocks or medicines, instead they were asked to call helpline numbers for delivery of staples to their homes.

"It is a lockdown, within a lockdown," said district information officer Gouri Kant.

The government of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, said 15 districts which had each recorded six or more cases of COVID-19 would be cordoned off beginning Wednesday night as it steps up the fight to stem the infections.

"There will be no movement in these areas and government will ensure the supply of essentials," additional chief secretary Awanish Awasthy said.

The Delhi state government said late on Wednesday it was making it compulsory for people to wear masks if they step out of their homes, and 20 areas in the city would be cordoned off.

So far, India has registered 5,274 COVID-19 infections of whom 149 have died, government data showed on Wednesday.

The small numbers, in comparison to large countries such as the United States, Italy and China, have prompted questions from Modi's critics about whether India has gone too far in shutting down its economy, throwing millions of those who depend on pay by the day out of work and onto the brink of poverty.

However, health experts say India needs to ramp up testing for infections to help ensure it has a grasp on how widespread the coronavirus is, and that a lockdown alone is no solution.

India's Supreme Court said on Wednesday COVID-19 tests should be conducted free at all government and private laboratories. So far, only government labs were conducting free tests, while the private labs had been allowed to charge a fixed rate of 4,500 Indian rupees.

"The private hospitals including laboratories have an important role to play  by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis," the court said, ruling on a public interest litigation.

It was not immediately clear how and if the government would reimburse private sector's costs.

A senior government official, aware of internal discussions on the lockdown, said parts of the country that had not reported a single case of the coronavirus and where people were not in quarantine could lift the curbs.

"There are proposals that are on the table, if there is a partial lifting it will be done on the basis of safety assessment," the official said.

But it was unlikely that schools, colleges, rail travel and religious gatherings would be allowed anywhere in the country, the official said.

Following are government figures on the spread of the coronavirus in South Asia:

* India has 5,274 cases, including 149 deaths

* Pakistan has 4,072 cases, including 58 deaths

* Afghanistan has 444 cases, including 14 deaths

* Sri Lanka has 189 cases, including 7 deaths

* Bangladesh has 218 cases, including 20 deaths

* Maldives has 19 cases and no deaths

* Nepal has nine cases and no deaths

* Bhutan has five cases and no deaths

(Additional reporting by Saurabh Sharma in Lucknow, C.K.Nayak in New Delhi, Editing by Mark Heinrich)
The Russian Pacific fleet held large-scale maneuvers of the surface forces. They trained integration of the latest controls, arms and electronic warfare and the inclusion of the latest warships into a single command system. The Izvestia daily writes how the fleet capabilities will change in the Pacific Ocean and about the role of the fleet in the strategic direction.

The Russian Pacific fleet held large-scale maneuvers of the surface forces. They trained integration of the latest controls, arms and electronic warfare and the inclusion of the latest warships into a single command system. The Izvestia daily writes how the fleet capabilities will change in the Pacific Ocean and about the role of the fleet in the strategic direction.

Russian navy's Pacific Fleet Udaloy-class guided-missile destroyer Admiral Vinogradov underway (Picture source: Russian MoD)

The maneuvers engaged ground, air and sea components. The aim was to integrate them into a single force. The naval component trained the biggest deployment in the latest history. On March 26, the Japanese forces spotted 18 warships and auxiliary vessels in La Peruza Strait, including the Varyag cruiser, the Bystry destroyer, two big and two small antisubmarine ships, six missile boats, the Marshal Krylov command ship, the Yenisei hospital and other auxiliary vessels.

On April 1, the Gromky and the Sovershenny corvettes were seen sailing south in Tsushima Strait. The Admiral Vinogradov antisubmarine ship was sailing back to the base. In Kamchatka, ten warships, including the recently upgraded Smerch missile ship sailed out. Several warships and vessels engaged in specific missions. The Igor Belousov rescue ship assisted a conditionally wrecked submarine. Actually, the whole surface force of the Pacific fleet sailed out.

It deployed and created tactical groups, trained missile and artillery fire and antisubmarine and antimine operations in the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk close to Kamchatka. The airpower actively participated. Tu-142M3 and Il-38 antisubmarine aircraft made several flights. A pair of Il-38s was even intercepted by U.S. F-22 Raptors in the Bering Sea. MiG-31 fighter jets were engaged, as well as Tu-22M3 strategic bombers of the 326th division.

There were no reports on submarine engagement, however, it is not ruled out.

The Baltic and the Black Sea fleets trained simultaneously with the Pacific fleet. They engaged mostly the latest warships, while the Pacific fleet used mostly Soviet-built ships.

The latest frigates, corvettes and other warships are mostly supplied to the west of Russia. The Baltic and the Black Sea fleets have been considerably renewed. No warships are built for the Pacific fleet so far. Unfortunately, the shipbuilding pace cannot rapidly renew the Pacific fleet. Therefore, the main attention is paid to modernization of the available Russian naval might in the Far East. The Smerch small missile ship has been recently upgraded and replaced the old Malakhit missiles with modern Uran. Three similar missile ships will be upgraded as well. The modernization of the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate is nearing completion. It will be armed with Kalibr and Uran missiles, the Izvestia said.

 Copyright 2020 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
(RNS)  Russell Moore, the Southern Baptist Conventions top ethicist, said he saw no problem with churches applying for government loans as part of the coronavirus relief legislation enacted last month.

That legislation provides $350 billion for the Small Business Administration to extend loans to small businesses  and in a government reversal, churches and other houses of worship  facing financial difficulties as a result of the coronavirus shutdown.

The loans can be used to pay staff salaries  including for pastors  and utility bills and are forgivable, meaning that houses of worship wont have to pay all the money back if they keep their staff.

Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, said he saw no First Amendment or church-state entanglement associated with the loans.

In part, he said, thats because banks would be issuing the loans, not the government.

I would have a definite issue if you had government aid or government funding of any church, Moore said. Whats happening here is a guaranteeing and a backing up of a loan that the government has an interest in because they want to keep the flow of lending going and they want to keep the economy afloat.

The Southern Baptist Convention is the nation's largest Protestant denomination with some 47,000 churches.

Still, Moore said in a Facebook Live interview with Jonathan Howe, vice president of communications for Baptist Press, it is up to individual Southern Baptist churches to search their conscience and decide if thats what they want to do.

There are some churches that dont think you ought to borrow money at all," he said. Or they may not like the idea that the government is backing it. In that case, he added, "that church ought to obey its conscience.

Last week, the United Methodist Church, the nations second-largest Protestant group, gave churches the green light to apply for SBA loans.

Church-state separation groups as well as secular and atheist groups have objected to the provision in the CARES Act that allows for the loans, arguing that the government shouldnt be paying pastors salaries, which in effect amounts to government-funded religion.

Last week, a coalition of eight groups  including American Atheists, the American Humanist Association, the Center For Inquiry, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Secular Coalition for America  sent a letter to the administrator of the SBA objecting to the provision.

On the issue of church closures, Moore said most churches were complying with bans on mass gatherings in the midst of the pandemic. He pushed back on the idea that those bans unfairly single out religious services.

The real news here is how few skirmishes were seeing between church and state right now in either direction, Moore said.

He called Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Greg Fischers decision to ban drive-in-style religious gatherings on Easter stupid, because it singled out religion.

And he said the case in Greenville, Mississippi, where the city attempted to shut down drive-in religious services was even more egregious.

But he also said churches ought to try to work things out with the government, which may not always understand exactly what churches are doing.

Its not a violation of religious liberty for the state to use its police power towards social distancing, he said. But it has to be consistently and fairly applied and it cant single out churches or religious organizations as opposed to other groups.

Earlier this week, Moore and eight other evangelical leaders urged the Trump administration to release people from immigration detention facilities who do not pose a threat to public safety during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it would help staff as well as detained migrants stave off infection.

Moore also cautioned churches that social distancing may not come to a quick end but may instead taper off gradually.

There are going to be some practices that even when were back in church that for a while arent going to happen, like having people greet one another with a handshake, he said.

Thats not going to be wise when were able to congregate together until we have a vaccine.

READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM

Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission.

Photo courtesy: RNS/Butch Dill
Matt Hancock has failed to hit a target of carrying out 25,000 daily coronavirus tests as four in 10 Britons said he must quit as Health Secretary if he fails to deliver on his promise of 100,000 a day by the end of the month.

The Department of Health announced on March 18 that testing for coronavirus would increase to 25,000 a day 'within four weeks' with that period now having elapsed.

But the latest numbers released by Downing Street show that while capacity for testing has increased to 35,000 a day the most recent 24 hour figure for the number of tests actually carried out was just under 16,000.

The Health Secretary is under mounting pressure over the UK's testing regime after he claimed that there had been lower demand than expected for checks over the Easter weekend which meant tests could now be expanded in the social care sector.

That claim sparked controversy, with health bosses insistent they are still struggling to get all of their staff the tests they need to get them back to work.

Healthcare and union sources told MailOnline the claims of lower demand could be being used as a 'fig leaf' by the government to cover up its testing failures.

They expressed concerns that self-isolating NHS workers are not receiving the invites they need to visit drive-through testing sites and that the location of the sites is making it difficult for some staff - especially those who are unwell or who do not have their own transport - to access them.

The revelation that the number of tests being carried out is still far below the 25,000 figure will prompt renewed scrutiny of the government's testing operation and fresh questions about whether enough is being done to provide the checks to the people who need them.

Mr Hancock remains adamant that he is sticking to his 100,000 daily tests by the end of April target.

But an exclusive poll for MailOnline carried out by Redfield & Wilton Strategies found 40 per cent of the nation believe the Health Secretary should quit if he falls short of the target while 28 per cent believe he should stay in post.

Matt Hancock, pictured yesterday at the Downing Street press conference, claimed there was lower than expected demand for coronavirus tests over the weekend

The Health Secretary has set a target of 100,000 daily tests by the end of April. The graph shows how much work the government has to do to hit the six figure number

A coronavirus testing centre at the 02 on Greenwich Peninsula today - one of three drive through sites in London

Staff wait to test NHS workers for Coronavirus (Covid-19) at a drive through testing site in Rochdale today

In the 24 hours to 9am yesterday, the number of tests carried out stood at 15,994 with 13,950 conducted by the NHS and Public Health England and 2,040 at drive through sites. Testing currently is a split between patients, NHS staff and social care workers.

Approximately 60,000 NHS staff and their relatives have now been tested for the disease while the latest staff absence data shows five per cent of doctors are not at work and 8.4 per cent of nurses.

Mr Hancock has committed to ramping up the UK's testing capacity to 100,000 a day by the end of the month.

Today the Health Secretary said the capacity for testing was about 25,000 but Downing Street subsequently said it was 35,000 with 20,771 through public facilities and a further 14,300 available through commercial testing facilities.

The government has faced repeated criticism because the number of tests being carried out continues to fall well below capacity.

Asked why that was the case, Mr Hancock today repeated his claim, first made at yesterday's Downing Street press conference, about an apparent recent fall in demand.

'We have increased the capacity, over the Easter weekend far fewer people came forward to be tested frankly than we expected,' he said.

'Hence, yesterday, I could say that all social care staff who needed to be tested can be tested, and residents in social care and people coming from hospital to social care, precisely because we have got that capacity.

'We've increased the capacity and that is on a trajectory to get to the 100,000 by the end of the month'.

Mr Hancock remains committed to hitting six-figure testing by the end of the month, telling LBC Radio he and his team are 'working flat out to hit that goal' and he is 'certainly not taking my foot off the accelerator'.

However, his claims of lower demand over the Easter weekend have been met with scepticism in some quarters amid suggestions that a lack of access to tests could be contributing to the flat numbers.

One healthcare source said the suggestion by Mr Hancock that NHS staff had not gone to get tested because of the Easter weekend was 'surprising' and 'very odd' given that so many staff are still off work in self-isolation.

They said they were aware of NHS staff in self-isolation who have not been invited to go and be tested at one of the 22 drive-through sites which have been set up across the country. Those tests are strictly by appointment only.

Meanwhile, MailOnline has also been told that some NHS staff in one part of England had faced a five hour round trip to visit a testing site - once the journey there and back as well as waiting time was taken into account.

A union source said such a journey was simply not feasible for many staff adding that the location and nature of the sites made it challenging for people without their own transport to get tested.

They claimed the Easter weekend could be being used by the government as a 'fig leaf to cover up the fact that they are still not able to offer tests in the right places'.

Meanwhile, UNISON's head of health Sara Gorton said 'many staff are desperate to be tested to know if it's safe to work' but are unable to get checked.

'Testing centres are often few and far between, transport is difficult if you're feeling ill and there's only a narrow window of time for the tests to take place,' she said.

'The availability and frequency of testing are matters that still must be addressed urgently for health and care workers.'

Responding on the issue of test numbers being below overall capacity, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said today: 'We are building testing capacity all the time.

'The reason the figures have been flat in recent days is because we have had a lack of demand, not a lack of capacity. We have obviously been through a long bank holiday weekend but the capacity is there.'

The spokesman added: 'We have been very clear that where there is spare capacity available that should be used on NHS staff, on their families, and in social care.'

The NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, welcomed Mr Hancock's announcement yesterday on increased testing in social care but said that the country's testing capacity is 'far from where it needs to be'.

Dr Layla McCay, NHS Confederation director, said: 'The offer of more tests for social care staff is desperately needed as this sector has been suffering in silence during this pandemic.

'But it comes as health leaders across primary, community and mental health services are continuing to experience difficulties with getting their staff the tests they need to get back to work, despite similar promises being made by government.'
Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program Distributes Free Masks and Sanitizers to Seniors

The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BBHOP) continues to distribute free face-masks and hand sanitizers to L.A.area senior citizens as part of its effort to combat the spread of the COVID-19 disease among this vulnerable group.

On April 9, Dr. Bill Releford, BBHOP founder, and organization members provided more than 700 masks and sanitizers to the Inglewood Senior Citizen Center. The items were dispersed to 500+ seniors who regularly receive lunch deliveries from the center.

According to Human Services Superintendent Thomas Uwal, their clients were appreciative because they have been prohibited from attending the center under the governors social distancing directives. Also, the supplies were distributed to the centers staff and drivers.

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For Dr. Releford and BBHOP to come and share the free masks and sanitizers is very important. We think its great, said Uwal. Our seniors cant wait to come back into the building. But, right now, were telling them to stay home until it is safe.

Also, BBHOP donated more than 300 face-masks and sanitizers to the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center. Releford said that Sandra Evers Manly, BHERC founder, partnered with the Black Nurses Association to distribute the items to seniors, along with free dinners, on Easter Sunday, April 12.

The latest distributions marked the third time that BBHOP conducted the free allocations. Previously, the group shared the free items with seniors in Inglewood and South L.A. on March 27 and April 3.

Weve found that many senior citizens are at disproportionately higher risk for hypertension, diabetes and succumbing to complications for COVID-19. So, we decided to retool some of the things that we use everyday  like aftershave, which contains alcohol  to reuse as hand sanitizer. Weve been very fortunate to collaborate with the Inglewood Senior Citizen Center and BHERC to provide this items, explained Releford.

Releford has practiced as a podiatric surgeon specializing in amputation prevention and wound care for nearly 35 years. Since he founded the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program in 2006, the initiative has screened more than 30,000 African American men for diabetes and high blood pressure in over 750 Black-owned barbershops across the nation.

The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program is the only national barbershop-based health advocacy organization in the country, said Releford. Our mission is to screen and educate over one million men by the year 2025.
A debate over the reliability of coronavirus data has been taking place almost since the beginning of the outbreak and extends from China to the United States. Many countries have not tested enough people to track infections, let alone establish how many deaths have been caused by the virus.

But the debate is taking place with singular ferocity in Spain.

The far-right political party Vox has pushed the cover-up accusations hardest. Last week, it posted on social media a manipulated photo of Madrids Gran Via thoroughfare filled with coffins draped in Spanish flags. The government, Vox claimed, was hiding the suffering of this tragedy.

Helena Legido-Quigley, an associate professor of public health at the University of Singapore, said there were many reasons that the authorities worldwide should improve the counting of their dead. One is the brutal nature of the pandemic. Untold numbers of people have been forced to remain apart from loved ones as they died  and then unable to hold proper funerals for them.

We know how important death rituals are in Spain and so many other countries, Ms. Legido-Quigley said. So the authorities should help reduce the huge impact on a society of having now been forced to dehumanize the process of dying.

It is not just a matter of lacking testing capability. The problems of counting the dead are also compounded because not all nations have followed the same methodology.

In France, for instance, the counting was changed in early April to add nursing home deaths, which raised the toll by more than 3,000.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-15 22:12:47|Editor: Xiaoxia

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Jeffrey Tucker lowers a basket down from the window of his apartment in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 15, 2020. Jeffrey Tucker, an Istanbul resident, on Wednesday lowered a basket filled with pieces of some vegetables, a box of pasta, and fruits down from the window of his apartment in central Istanbul. Tucker attached a note on the basket which read "those who are in need can take, and those who want to contribute can put more." Inspired by a practice that went viral in Italy, Tucker decided to launch the same campaign in Turkey for those who are having financially hard times or lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Yasin Akgul/Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Jeffrey Tucker, an Istanbul resident, on Wednesday lowered a basket filled with pieces of some vegetables, a box of pasta, and few fruits down from the window of his apartment in central Istanbul.

Born to a British father and Turkish mother, Tucker attached a note on the basket which read "those who are in need can take, and those who want to contribute can put more."

Inspired by a practice that went viral in Italy, Tucker decided to launch the same campaign in Turkey for those who are having financially hard times or lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He prepared his first basket with a bunch of supply materials at the beginning of April.

"I soon realized that some neighborhood residents contributed by putting several other items into the basket while some others started to take the products they want," Tucker told Xinhua at his apartment in the Balat neighborhood in the European side of Istanbul.

"I will continue to fill the basket as long as I can," Tucker continued, noting that the number of those in need could increase more and more if the crisis continues.

After Tucker's method became viral on social media platforms in Turkey, some shop owners, municipalities, communities, as well as individuals, adopted the same practice.

A supermarket in Turkey's tourism resort town of Bodrum in the southwestern province of Mugla has recently installed an "aid cabinet" and put some dry goods and beverages inside, with the same note of Tucker.

The owner of the market told local reporters that various charitable residents in the town have been contributing to the campaign by continuously filling the cabinet.

Sellers of a closed bazaar in the Aegean province of Kutahya are now placing bags full of fruits and vegetables over a bench for those who cannot afford their necessities, press reports said.

In Beylikduzu, one of Istanbul's crowded districts, the municipality installed some kiosks in supermarkets and asked the residents to remember their neighbors who cannot afford their supplies.

According to Mehmet Murat Calik, mayor of Beylikduzu, 566 households have so far benefited from the campaign.

Calik has been continuously calling on the residents to hang bags, which include some food and necessities, on kiosks' hooks. "We are waiting for your support to reach more households. Come on Beylikduzu!" Calik said in his recent tweet.

The Turkish government has long been taking some harsh measures to curb the spread of the pandemic in Turkey, including shutting down restaurants, coffees and bars, and limiting domestic travels.

Many companies have sent their employees to compulsory leaves, while many others have been considering to reduce the number of their staff to cope with the growing economic difficulties.

Melahat Yildirim, a 45 years old cleaning worker of a telecommunication company in Istanbul, is among those who have been through financially hard times.

Two weeks ago she was forced to take a compulsory leave, which cost her to lose 2,700 Turkish liras (around 392 U.S. dollars) per month.

"I heard that in my neighborhood in Gultepe, a supermarket launched a solidarity campaign for those who lost their jobs," Yildirim said. "I am trying to learn the address details of the shop to get some household supplies."
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/16/2020



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

couple Loren Goldstone and Alexei Brovarnik have welcomed their first child into the world!Loren and Alexei took to Instagram on Wednesday and each posted the same statement about their big news along with different photos of the pair in the hospital meeting their sweet baby."And then there were 3!! Making his big debut... BabyBrov! - When: 4/14/2020 - Time: 4:26pm - Weight: 5lbs, 10oz - Height: 19 inches," the couple captioned their respective slideshows of photos."Mommy, daddy and baby are all doing great! We will be sharing his name sometime next week... so be on the lookout! During these crazy times, this is the smile we needed! Welcome BabyBrov! #teambrovarnik #babybrov #thisishappilyeverafter #partyof3 #tailsup."Loren subsequently posted a video on her Instagram Stories in which she thanked fans for their "kind words" and "well wishes.""Mommy is tired and recovering, and baby is doing great. Thank you so much, we are so excited and overjoyed," Loren said on Wednesday."I'm sorry but I'm not sorry for all the BabyBrov spam you're going to be getting in your feed. So enjoy it."And Alexei posted an Instagram Stories photo of himself holding his child."OMG there is no feeling like this," Alexei wrote.Baby Brovarnik was born at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL, according to People."Everything happens and doesn't for a reason. We were meant to meet our baby boy earlier!" the pair told People, referencing how their son's due date was in May 2020. "With everything going on right now with the [coronavirus], this is the... light we needed.""We are so beyond in love with him and even more in love with each other!" they added.Loren and Alexei appeared on Season 3 of followed by the first two seasons of : Happily Ever After?.Loren and Alexei met on her birthright trip to Israel. She was the staff leader and Alexei was the medic, and she found him "incredibly handsome."The pair kept in touch once Loren returned to the United States, and then she visited him five times in one year -- which resulted in an engagement.Once Alexei got approved for the K-1 visa and traveled to America, the couple got married during his 90-day visit in September 2015. They also subsequently had a second ceremony in Israel in July 2016 so both of their families could celebrate and witness their union.After having tense conversations about their ideal timeline for having their first baby, the couple ultimately agreed to start trying for a child in Fall 2019.Loren and Alexei apparently got pregnant right away and announced they were expecting Baby No. 1 in late October 2019, just one month after they celebrated four years of marriage."We're so excited to finally say, BabyBrov is on its way! For those of you saying I'm pregnant, well, ding ding ding, we cannot wait to welcome our baby boy or girl this Spring! #teambrovarnik #babybrov #May2020 #nextchapter #happilyeverafter," Loren captioned a series of photos of the couple on Instagram.Along with photos of the couple, Loren had also posted three pairs of Adidas shoes -- Alexei's sneakers, her own, and a tiny pair of kicks for the baby.And Alexei captioned the same photos, "Yes it's tru we are pregnant couldn't be more excited, I AM GOING TO BE A DADDY !!! #teambrovarnik #blessed #BabyBrov#may2020."Two months later, the couple shared Loren was pregnant with a baby boy "We were a smidge surprised needless to say, but we wouldn't have it any other way! And we just can't wait to meet our son this May! #teambrovarnik #babybrov #May2020 #boymom #letthebalaganbegin #blessed," Loren captioned a slideshow of photos from the couple's gender reveal party, which took place in December 2019.Loren and Alexei then had more to celebrate in January 2020 when Alexei officially became an American citizen Loren and Alexei currently appear together on : Pillow Talk, which features former cast members offering commentary on the reality franchise's current episodes.Loren and Alexei's pregnancy journey will be featured on the Monday, April 20 episode of : What Now? at 11PM ET/PT on TLC, but the footage is already available on the TLC GO app.The fourth season of : Before the 90 Days currently airs on Sunday nights at 8PM ET/PT on TLC.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
From: ScotGems plc

LEI: 549300GQHCPU9P1NYM13

Date:16 April 2020

Annual General Meeting

On 9 March 2020, ScotGems plc announced its final results for the year ended 31 December 2019. The Company now announces that it has posted to Shareholders its full Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2019 which contains the Notice of Annual General Meeting to be held on 27 May 2020.

In the light of the guidance received from the Government, the current restrictions on travel and public gatherings and the recommended practice of self-isolation, the Board has been carefully considering the health, wellbeing and safety of Shareholders. The Board has decided to amend arrangements for the Annual General Meeting of the Company ("AGM") due to be held at 12 noon on 27 May 2020 at the offices of First State Investments (UK) Limited, Finsbury Circus House, 15 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7EB. The Board has resolved, in accordance with the Company's Articles of Association, to postpone the AGM in order that it will now be held at 12 noon on 27 May 2020 at the offices of PATAC Limited, 21 Walker Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7HX.

In line with the Stay at Home measures, Shareholders are strongly discouraged from attending the AGM. In addition and in accordance with the provisions of the Company's Articles of Association, the Company will be imposing entry restrictions on persons wishing to attend the AGM. The Company is taking these steps to protect the health and safety of Shareholders, the Board and its advisors.

In the meantime, the Board would strongly encourage all Shareholders to exercise their votes by way of proxy in advance of the meeting. This will ensure that your votes are received and counted in the AGM and minimises the need to attend the meeting in person.

The Board always welcomes questions from Shareholders at the AGM however this year Shareholders are invited to submit any questions to the Board in advance of the AGM. All questions should be submitted by email to the following address rsvp@stewartinvestors.com before 5 pm on 22 May 2020.

In addition, in advance of the AGM the investment management team will be hosting a webcast on 5 May 2020 at 10 am. They would like to make this as interactive as possible for Shareholders. Therefore Shareholders will also be able to register and submit questions in advance using the following email address rsvp@stewartinvestors.com. Questions received in advance will help the investment management team prepare relevant presentation material. Those unable to attend on 5 May 2020 can also register and will be sent a recording after the event.

The Board would like to assure Shareholders that the Investment Manager, the Board and the other service providers working on Shareholders' behalf continue to manage the affairs of the Company as efficiently and effectively as possible, providing updates on any material developments in the usual way, via RNS.

For further information, please contact:

PATAC Limited

Company Secretary

0131 538 1400
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The unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19 may have a longer-than-expected impact on the economy and could change the leadership in the stock market, say experts.

While the banks and NBFCs have been dominating the benchmark indices, market experts says emerging sectors such as pharma are gearing up to take the front seat.

Sanjiv Bhasin, Director at IIFL Securities, said the market would see a change in sectoral leadership after the COVID-19 and the leaders of now may not be in the same position in the future.

"OTT and data is the next game plan. There will be a lot of new changes which will come about. There will be a change in market leadership also. New leaders may not be from NBFCs but from some other sectors such as pharma," he said.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, too, has a similar view.

"The implication to varied businesses will differ within which some will evolve as a winner as a result of the change in public preference and investment strategy post-COVID issue," Nair said.

The key beneficiaries, he said, would be those with stable businesses and outlooks such as staples, agriculture, FMCGs, healthcare, pharma, chemicals and E-commerce. Hospitality, restaurants, travelling and transportation, oil & gas and metals would be the underdogs, he said.

Banks, NBFCs and service providers may be neutral in which strong brands will dominate, Nair said, adding that pharma would have an edge in the medium-term due to heightened healthcare requirement and policy.

PSUs cannot be considered positively in a blanket, given the weak fiscal position of the government and the fall in demand, Nair said.

Vikas Jain, Senior Research Analyst, Reliance Securities, is of the view that private banks, pharma and insurance sectors will dominate the markets in the coming years as valuations are reasonable and market share gains in domestic and international markets will incrementally add earnings expanding the PE multiples going forward.

While it cannot be said precisely how the things will pan out after normalcy returns, analysts say investors should add quality stocks to their portfolio, as the market will see a V-shape recovery after the coronavirus infections comes under control.

Here are 10 long-term recommendations from various sectors that may be your best bets in these uncertaint times:

Analyst: Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services

Asian Paints | Buy | LTP: Rs 1,718.25 | Target price: 1,884

Asian Paints has mostly domestic-oriented business and has displayed resilience by giving double-digit volume growth despite challenging environment.

Tailwinds on raw material cost due to sharp fall in crude oil prices will aid significant expansion in gross margins.

The analyst say the impact of COVID-19 on demand can be mitigated by lower raw material prices.

The stock is trading near a P/E of 45 times, which is at a discount of 7 percent to average three-year forward P/E.

"We expect earnings to grow at a CAGR of 23 percent over FY19-22E due to strong operating margin and lower tax rate. Strong balance sheet and debt free status will support premium valuation. Considering the long term positive industrial outlook we revise our rating to buy and value the stock at 44 times FY22 EPS, with a target price of Rs 1,884," said the analyst.

Pidilite Industries | Buy | LTP: Rs 1,478 | Target price: 1,560

The recent reduction in oil prices will enable the company to lower costs and improve margins in the future.

Pidilite's large market share in the adhesive sector along with its strong financials will help the company withstand the COVID-19 impact.

The company is trading at a PE close to its five-year average.

TCS | Buy | LTP: Rs 1,735 | Target price: Rs 2,084

Ongoing virus concerns seem to have hurt TCS onsite works, which is evident in the price correction.

Organizations across the globe will consider going digital post COVID-19, which is expected to boost revenue in the long term.

Indias largest software exporter specially recognized for the strength of its corporate governance.

The company has zero debt and enough cash to provide cash dividends as well as buybacks on a consistent basis in the future.

"We have a buy rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 2,084 based on 19 times FY22E EPS," said the analyst.

Britannia Industries | Buy | LTP: Rs 2,847.90 | Target price: Rs 3,455

The packaged food industry is facing supply chain issues rather than demand issues due to the lockdown.

Once the situation stabilises, the analyst believes Britannia would be one of the major beneficiaries considering the factors such as essential food category products, negligible dependence on exports (nearly 6 percent), strong distribution network (nearly 55 lakhs outlets including nearly 21.7 direct), negligible debt (D/E of 0.04 times) and good cash position (nearly Rs 850 crore as on FY19) and strong return ratios (RoE of 24 percent and RoCE of 29 percent as on FY19).

"The stock is currently trading at one year Fwd P/E of nearly 37 times which is nearly 23 percent discount to its last 5 year average. We value the stock at 46 times FY22E P/E (at five year average) and upgrade to buy considering the recent sharp drop in stock price with a target of Rs 3,455," said the analyst.

Analyst: Vikas Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities

ACC | Buy | LTP: Rs 1,137 | Target price: Rs 1,350

One of the largest cement companies, trading at 50 percent discount to the five-year average to its earnings multiple and EV/EBITDA, higher cash in its balance sheet also would aid higher dividends.

Volumes have been impacted due to the lockdown but once the recovery starts, demand will increase keeping the pace of cement price hikes and lower energy costs would in turn support margin improvement, said the analyst.

Biocon | Buy | LTP: Rs 337 | Target price: Rs 470

Biocon is an innovation-led company and has developed and commercialised a differentiated portfolio of novel biologics, biosimilars, and complex small molecule APIs in India and several key global markets, as well as, generic formulations in the US and Europe.

"It is one of the consistent outperformer in the pharma space and we believe it will continue to outperform as new revenue streams, subsidiary companies innovations would drive growth in earnings and continue to enjoy superior valuations," said the analyst.

HDFC Bank | Buy | LTP: Rs 865.15 | Target price: Rs 1,200

One of the best stocks to own in the financials, well positioned to deliver strong business momentum with advances growth of 20 percent, consistent margin of 4 percent and impeccable asset quality to aid return ratios.

Unlocking of its subsidiaries listing will also add value. The stock trades at 2.4 times FY21E adjusted book value, recent correction in price is providing comfort as trades at 30 percent discount to its 10 year average.

HDFC Life Insurance Company | Buy | LTP: Rs 471 | Target price: Rs 650

As per the analyst, the growth prospectus for HDFC Life remain strong on the back of strong product positioning, increasing retail credit by the banks provides opportunity for further penetration of insurance and higher glaring protection gap of over 92 percent.

Strong trend in financial inclusion of household savings and visibly improving persistency trends are also th positives for the stock.

"One of the strong outperformers of 2019 and will continue to deliver consistent growth in earnings and valuations," the analyst said.

Infosys | Buy | LTP: Rs 640 | Target price: Rs 800

Infosys is one of the first multibagger stocks in Indias capital market with consistent wealth creation at regular intervals of time. Recent price correction offers a discount to its long-term averages.

The pandemic has affected the new deals, as industries such as travel, retail and offshore operations are affected but once the business continuity mode is on, it would win new deals and contracts.

Reduced travel costs and currency deprecations should aid margins in coming quarters.

Brokerage: ICICI Securities

Hindalco Industries | Buy | LTP: Rs 115.50 | Target price: 199

Novelis has completed Aleris acquisition for $2.8 billion, which is nearly $200 million more than the earlier announced $2.58 billion price tag.

The increase is on account of an additional payment of $50 million due to better-than-expected performance of Aleris over TTM.

The rest is on account of the additional working capital debt assumed in Aleris to support ramped-up operations. While acquiring all the 13 plants of Aleris, to satisfy regulatory requirements, Novelis will have to divest Lewisport (Kentucky, US) and Duffel (Belgium) as announced earlier.

"Adjusted for the divestitures (announced for Duffel and estimated for Lewisport), we estimate the residual Aleris value at about $1.7bn-1.8bn and corresponding EBITDA at $200mn-250mn (without factoring-in any synergy benefits). The eventual acquisition multiple is 7.5-8 times EV/EBITDA," said the brokerage.

The timing of completion of the acquisition is undoubtedly adverse, said the brokerage and added that the residual valuations (post Duffel and Lewisport divestitures), can at best be termed neutral. Yet, at current valuations, large part of the acquisition negatives are built-in.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
A widow is suing Freemans catalogue company 320,000 over claims her 'generous and kind-hearted' husband died after he was poisoned by asbestos at the company's head office.

Dennis Bannister died aged 73 in March last year after contracting mesothelioma, an incurable asbestos-linked cancer of the lungs.

Mr Bannister, from Stanmore, north London, had worked as an accounts manager at the then headquarters of the iconic Freemans mail order business, a former printworks in Clapham Road, south London.

Dennis Bannister died aged 73 in March last year after contracting mesothelioma, an incurable asbestos-linked cancer of the lungs. His wife is suing Freemans for 320,000 over claims he was poisoned at the workplace

His widow, Valerie Bannister, 68, claims that, while he was there, he was 'negligently exposed' to asbestos when material dividing offices was removed in 1983 or 1984.

Her husband had told how, following the work on an upper floor of the building, dust containing deadly asbestos had been allowed to lie around without being cleaned up properly.

The poison lay dormant in his lungs for decades before causing the grandfather's cancer, Mrs Bannister's lawyers claim.

But fighting Mrs Bannister's damages claim at the High Court, Freemans Plc denies that the material removed from the office dividers in the 1980s contained any asbestos at all.

After a four-day trial of the claim last month, Judge Geoffrey Tattersall QC said he would reserve his judgment and give a ruling on the damages bid at a later date.

Outlining the claim, Mrs Bannister's barrister Harry Steinberg QC said her husband had worked on an upper floor of the building where offices were separated by room dividing material.

Mr Bannister, from Stanmore, north London, had worked as an accounts manager at the then headquarters of Freemans mail order business, a former printworks in Clapham Road, south London

'At some point, Mr Bannister and others on a Friday received a memo from the company, informing him that the infill material was to be removed over the weekend and it was asbestos,' he told the judge.

'The planned work was carried out over the weekend. When he returned to work on the Monday morning, he found that the material had been removed such that he could speak to people in adjoining offices.

'His own office appeared to be covered in what appeared to be a building dust, probably asbestos insulation board.

'This dust, whatever its content, wasn't cleaned up. It was simply allowed to remain in situ until it was gradually removed by ordinary cleaners cleaning.

The Freemans building was originally a printworks, but became the HQ of the mail order company when it moved in and renamed it Lavender House in 1937

'The claimant's case is that this is how Mr Bannister was exposed to asbestos and that this materially increased the risk of him contracting mesothelioma, from which he eventually died.'

Mr Bannister, a keen theatre-goer, is thought to have been robbed of about 13 years of his normal life expectancy, Mr Steinberg told the judge.

However, Freemans denies that there was any asbestos at all in the removed material, questioning why, if a memo had been sent warning of an asbestos danger, the dust would have been allowed to remain.

The court heard Mrs Bannister and Freemans have agreed that she will receive 320,000 in damages if her claim is successful.

According to tributes paid following Mr Bannister's death last year, he was a 'generous and kind-hearted' man who enjoyed the theatre and walks.

The Freemans building was originally a printworks, but became the HQ of the mail order company when it moved in and renamed it Lavender House in 1937.

The business eventually relocated to Bradford and, in 2010, the building was redeveloped into offices and apartments designed for 'artisan warehouse living.'
Madlyn K. Abramson, 84, a philanthropist who with her husband, Leonard, created a groundbreaking cancer center in Philadelphia and gave generously in the areas of education, quality of life for seniors, and pediatric health, died Wednesday, April 15.

Mrs. Abramson, of Jupiter, Fla., died of complications from a stroke at her other home, in Blue Bell, the family said.

A cancer survivor, Mrs. Abramson felt compassion for other patients and was committed to research that would ease the psychological and physiological suffering caused by cancer.

In 1997, she and her husband made a $100 million gift to establish the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute in West Philadelphia. Its aim was to integrate cancer research, education, and patient care in a single site at the University of Pennsylvania.

All philanthropic projects were a joint thing theyd done together, said daughter Nancy Wolfson. Part of their vision was to give back to health care. It was a true love story.

At the time, it was one of the largest gifts to a university, said Penn president Amy Gutmann and board of trustees chairman David L. Cohen.

Madlyns bold vision and philanthropic spirit touched the lives of countless individuals by transforming how Penn conducts cancer research and provides care to those affected by this devastating disease, the two said in a statement.

In 2002, the institute was renamed the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania in the couples honor. Today it is called Penn Medicines Abramson Cancer Center.

They went on to create the Abramson Family Professorship in Sarcoma Care Excellence at the center, as well as the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Professorship in Clinical Oncology.

Born in Philadelphia, Mrs. Abramson graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls and earned bachelors and masters degrees in education from Penn. She taught in the Upper Darby School District and was a reading specialist in the Philadelphia School District before joining the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, which was then in West Norriton and now is in Norristown.

She married Leonard Abramson in August 1957. He became the CEO of US Healthcare.

Teaching, said her daughter, was a career that she enjoyed when she was young. Later, her passions shifted to philanthropy and nurturing her family.

But she didnt abandon education. She became a Penn trustee in 1997 and served on the boards executive, external affairs, and student life committees. An overseer of Penns Graduate School of Education, she made a leadership pledge to provide scholarship support for masters and doctoral program candidates.

In 2013, the Abramsons gave $10 million to Temple Universitys dental school for the support of student scholarships. In return, the dental school was renamed after Mrs. Abramsons father, Maurice H. Kornberg, a dentist and alumnus.

Leonard knew my father well, and both loved and respected him, Mrs. Abramson told the Jewish Exponent in 2013. My husband intended this gift as a wonderful present to me to honor the memory of this very special man.

The couple established the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life, an assisted-living, skilled nursing, and gerontological research facility in Horsham. The first resident moved in in October 2001. The Abramson Hospice program to serve residents on the Horsham campus was added, then expanded to the community in 2008.

In addition, the two created the Pediatric Research Center of Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. It opened in 1995, more than doubling the space available for scientific projects.

Earlier this year, the couple gave $1 million to support Abramson Cancer Center research related to COVID-19.

Mrs. Abramson was accessible and down to earth, her daughters said. She answered her own phone. The philanthropy never changed who she was, Wolfson said. She always put other people before herself and was always trying to help them.

In leisure time, she enjoyed reading and entertaining.

Besides her husband and daughter, she is survived by daughters Marcy Shoemaker and Judy Felgoise, and 10 grandchildren.

Services are private. A memorial will be held later.
Anybody who has seen the tragic headlines of COVID-19 ravaging nursing homes across the country can understand why Dr. Robin Armstrong would want to try anything to help elderly patients at a Texas City facility.

The novel coronavirus had already infected 56 residents  and Armstrong suddenly had access to hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has offered a smattering of promise. So he decided to prescribe it for 39 residents at The Resort at Texas City.

The problem is that Armstrong disregarded proper protocol and administered the drug without permission from family members. While this unprecedented pandemic may call for urgent action, it doesnt condone irresponsible acts.

Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug often used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, is not a proven miracle drug  no matter what President Donald Trump says.

Armstrong, the medical director at The Resort, began prescribing the drug to residents after Amneal Pharmaceuticals donated 1 million tablets to the Texas Department of State Health Services pharmacy. Some hospitals have begun prescribing the drug to COVID-19 patients and small studies in China showed it helped speed recovery.

But its still too early to say whether the drug is a game-changer, as the president has called it. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug for emergency use with COVID-19 patients, but public health experts, including the head of the FDA and Dr. Anthony Fauci, have repeatedly warned that there is not enough evidence showing that the drug is effective in treating the coronavirus. And evidence is mounting its side effects may do more harm than good.

A French study Trump cited to bolster his support of the drug is in question after the medical society that published it found it did not meet standards. Another study in Brazil was stopped after patients developed irregular heart rates that could lead to a fatal heart arrhythmia.

Yet, Armstrong decided to go ahead with what he called an observational study at the nursing home.

He seemed to dismiss his failure to notify families as trivial: If I had to call all the families for every medicine that I started on a patient, Armstrong told Houston Chronicle reporters Nick Powell and Taylor Goldenstein, I wouldnt be treating any patients at all. I would just be talking to families all the time.

Obtaining permission was hardly a technicality for the family of 87-year-old Helen Edrozo, who suffers from severe short-term memory loss due to dementia. Her son, Larry Edrozo, has power of attorney and is supposed to approve any medical treatment his mother receives.

He says he learned from news reports that Armstrong had prescribed hydroxychloroquine to residents, but was told by the nursing staff that his mother, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and showed no symptoms, would not receive the drug. Two days later, a nurse told him his mother actually started taking the drug the previous week.

What happened to informed consent? Larry Edrozo told the editorial board. At least someone should have called to give information about the proposed benefits and possible adverse reactions.

He says he finally got a voice message from Armstrong on Monday, who said his mother was feeling fatigued and not eating  but the doctor didnt mention the hydroxychloroquine.

Its unclear how other residents at The Resort are responding to the drug. We dearly hope its beneficial in some way. And we understand the feelings of family members such as Haylee Bulmer, who is grateful her 77-year-old grandmother received the drug, even without her consent.

But Armstrongs seemingly haphazard decisions are cause for alarm.

Informed consent is the cornerstone of ethical medical practice, especially when it involves vulnerable patients suffering from dementia, Parkinsons disease and other conditions that may hamper the ability to communicate.

Armstrong didnt return our calls, but the way he described his methods to a Chronicle reporter, saying hed kind of write down our observations and everything weve seen and send it out, did not suggest a rigorous, controlled study that could provide solid evidence on the drugs effectiveness.

Its panic prescribing, said Arthur Caplan, director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Langone Medical Center.Doctors dont know what to do so they throw the kitchen sink against the wall.

Caplan says off-label use of FDA-approved drugs requires more precautions, more need for consent  not less.

In Armstrongs case, its unclear if he was less skeptical of the drug, and perhaps more trusting of Trumps assessment of it, than other physicians, given his role in politics. Hes a prominent GOP activist who serves on the advisory board of Black Voices for Trump coalition and is one of Texas two Republican National Committee members.

Other doctors should resist any temptation to follow his lead. We all yearn for a treatment that will prove effective against COVID-19 and hope that hydroxychloroquine will help save lives. But the elderly and vulnerable should not be used as unwitting test subjects.

Before cutting corners and violating basic protocol to get an edge over this ravenous virus, doctors should first remember their oath: First, do no harm.
NEW YORK  Lying in a hospital bed last month, Madhvi Aya understood what was happening to her.

She had been a doctor in India, then trained to become a physician assistant after she immigrated to the United States. She had worked for a dozen years at Woodhull Medical Center, a public hospital in Brooklyn, where she could see the coronavirus tearing a merciless path through the city.

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Within days of her last shift as a caregiver, Aya became a patient. She had worked in Woodhulls understaffed emergency room, taking medical histories, ordering tests and asking about symptoms. Now she had become infected.

Aya, 61, was alone in a hospital, less than 2 miles from her husband and 18-year-old daughter on Long Island, who could not visit her. She did not have the solace of familiar colleagues; she had been admitted to a different facility nearer her home. In a text with her family, she described horrible chest pain from trying to get out of bed.

I have not improved the way should have been, she wrote her husband, Raj, on March 23.

As she grew sicker, her texts came less frequently and in short, sporadic bursts.

I miss you mommy, her daughter, Minnoli, wrote on March 25. She craved the reassurance of her mothers hugs, the comfort of crawling into her bed. Please dont give up hope because I havent given up. I need my mommy. I need you to come back to me.

Love you, Aya wrote the next day.

Mom be back.

Aya could not keep that promise.

Front-line health care workers face a high risk of contracting the coronavirus, and scores have become sick. But it is less known how many have died in New York from the virus after working closely with COVID-19 patients.

Health care systems by and large have not publicly revealed the identities of those employees, who include Kious Kelly, a nurse manager at Mount Sinai West in Manhattan, and Dr. Ronald Verrier, a surgeon at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Doctors, nurses and staffers who worked in other capacities at hospitals that have been flooded with virus patients have also died, according to their families and colleagues.

Ayas text messages and her familys account of her final days reveal a woman who spent much of her life devoted to medicine before succumbing to the cruel and familiar arc of a patient with COVID-19. Her early mild symptoms and quarantine at home were followed by a rapidly escalating illness and long waits for care, until she died alone.

She was always there for us, whenever we wanted, her husband said. But when she got sick, no one was next to her, he said.

Aya moved to the United States in 1994 to join her husband, who had immigrated a decade earlier and met her on a return trip to India. She started working at Woodhull in 2008 and became a senior physician assistant. Colleagues said she nurtured younger co-workers by drawing on the experience she had gained as an anesthesiologist and internist in India, along with her instinct as a caretaker.

'IT HELPS US KEEP THE HOUSE': As stimulus checks arrive, money covers a few bills, not much else

This has been a heavy blow to us all, Dr. Robert Chin, Woodhulls emergency department director, said in an internal email on April 1, asking for donations to help Ayas family, for whom she had been the primary wage earner.

Like many other hospitals, Woodhull had converted one ward after the next into makeshift intensive care units when the virus began its surge in New York. As the hospital verged on running out of ventilators, protective gear for medical staff and other equipment, it appealed to affiliated medical centers for help and transferred patients elsewhere.

In the week of Ayas death, Woodhulls emergency department alone had 20 patients on ventilators, Chin said.

Another Woodhull employee, a radiology clerk named Thomas Soto, died of the virus at the hospital last week, 12 days after his first symptoms. Soto, 59, worked there for decades and was close to retirement. The only reason my dad pushed to work that extra year was to retire with full pension, and I lost him because of that, Jonathan Soto, the older of Sotos two sons, said through tears.

A former hospital police officer, Herb A. Houchen, 35, returned to Woodhull as a COVID patient and also died. He had worked at Woodhull for more than five years and left behind an 11-year-old daughter.

Ayas daughter, Minnoli, said her emotions have ranged from intense grief to disbelief. She thinks about becoming a doctor herself and is angry at a health care system that she believes did not protect its front-line workers. Sometimes she is angry at her mother for not coming home.

I just want to be able to hug her and have her tell me everything is going to be OK, Minnoli said.

There is no way to determine how Aya became infected. While she worked at Woodhull in early March, front-line employees had not yet been instructed to wear protective masks for all patients, one staff member said. Later, as the crisis grew, hospitals realized that people coming in for apparently unrelated problems were also testing positive for the virus, potentially exposing unwitting health care workers.

On March 17, Woodhulls administration advised emergency department workers to wear masks for all patients. A spokesman for New York Citys Health and Hospitals Corp., which oversees Woodhull, said protective equipment was available to its health care workers.

Ayas shifts could be grueling at Woodhull, a 320-bed public hospital at the intersection of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick and Williamsburg. Her husband often drove her to work from their home in Floral Park as early as 6 a.m. and picked her up 12 hours later so she could relax in the car.

We have to take care of our patients first, she often said.

At the beginning of the outbreak, Aya worried about bringing the virus home to her 64-year-old husband, whom she had guided through an aortic bypass in 2017, and her 86-year-old mother, Malti Masrani, for whom she had cared after a stroke late last year.

She began coughing around the time of her last shift on March 12, Raj Aya said. He drove her to Woodhull the next evening so a doctor could examine her, picking her up many hours later, after she was tested.

For the next few days, they quarantined on different floors of their Cape Cod-style home. Aya had no underlying medical conditions, family members said.

But her cough worsened at home, and she developed a fever. In the early afternoon of March 18, Raj Aya dropped his wife off at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, near their home. He would not see her again.

For an hour and a half, Raj Aya sat in his car in the hospital parking lot, texting his wife  almost always addressing her as SH, for sweetheart to check if she had received a chest X-ray and to say that he had tried to get in to see her.

You go home I call you I am waiting, she wrote.

At 4:47 a.m. the next morning, Aya texted that she was still waiting for a bed. When Raj Aya woke up, he asked if he could bring her coffee. She said no. She reported her test had come back from Woodhull. Positive.

Im so sorry to hear, he replied.

They spoke by phone, and she told him to take care of her mother and bring her daughter home from school.

The next day, Minnoli Aya returned from the University at Buffalo, where she was a freshman. She believed her mother had pneumonia and hoped to surprise her. Instead, she learned her mother had contracted the coronavirus.

I was just on the floor, and I was broken, Minnoli said.

Over the next week, she texted with her mother, who continued to deteriorate. Doctors called Raj Aya daily. By the end of the week, his wife was increasingly having trouble breathing.

By the morning of March 29, doctors got ready to put Ms. Aya on a ventilator. But there was a life-threatening complication, and they asked Mr. Aya if he wanted to see his wife for what could be the last time. He worried that his heart condition would put him at risk if he caught the virus, and Minnoli could be left without a parent.

The decision not to go, he said, has haunted him. That afternoon, the hospital called to say that his wife had died.

Minnoli, her father and grandmother could not hug each other, because they were required to stay six feet apart, even though they lived in the same house. Nor did they want to plan a funeral service that almost no one would attend, one where they would not be able to view Ayas body. They decided to have her cremated.

Even after her mother died, Minnoli still texted, trying to stay connected.

I miss u, she wrote before going to bed that night. When she woke the next morning, Minnoli texted, Thank you for coming to me last night in my dreams.

Raj Aya, concerned about Minnoli, arranged for her to speak to a therapist by video after his wifes death. But he is not sure how long he can afford the expense because Ayas health care plan had covered the family. A representative of her union benefit fund told him by email that benefits would end 30 days after his wifes death. My heart is broken for you, the representative wrote in the email, which was reviewed by The New York Times.

In the weeks since Aya has been gone, Minnoli has pored over the messages still sitting in her phone.

Hi mommy. College is getting so much more stressful now that its at home, she had written, three days before her mothers death. The good thing is Im home but I need you to come back here to me. I hope you ate dinner and Im still praying for you and havent gave up hope.

Concentrate, Aya responded.

I am but I want u home.

Home soon.

I love you mommy with all my heart.

Love you.

Those were Ayas final words to her daughter.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Contributed Photo / Connecticut State Police / Contributed Photo

NORTH HAVEN  A New York man faces charges after an attempted fraudulent transaction and a brief pursuit with officers, according to police.

Estivin Vancol allegedly tried to make a fraudulent transaction at Best Buy on Universal Drive, police said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 01:15:59|Editor: huaxia

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SINGAPORE, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Wednesday evening in a Facebook post that countries together can forge a more inclusive form of globalization that benefits all countries.

He said that the COVID-19 crisis was a reminder for countries to strengthen the global commons and their collective capabilities.

Heng participated in the online virtual G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting on Wednesday evening, which he said was the third such meeting to discuss the COVID-19 crisis.

"This underscores the urgency of the G20's task to bring countries together to take coordinated action to deal with this pandemic," he said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, COVID-19 is a global pandemic that requires a global response, and there is still much uncertainty over how this pandemic will pan out. The virus is also impacting countries on multiple fronts, such as healthcare, economy, financial stability, and social resilience, he added.

Heng said that the top priority is to contain the spread of the virus, thus he called on G20 members to share information, accelerate research and development, and make the best use of digital technology in the fight against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Heng called on countries to deal decisively with the economic impact of COVID-19. He said that countries would need measures to cushion businesses and households, preserve capabilities, and ensure financial stability, and they must also take collective action to assist the poorest economies.
One minute youre just chilling, the next youre having speargun fights in the middle of the ocean. Photo: Netflix

For some, escapist TV means a show that is warm and kind and easy to watch. For others, it means settling in for a deep binge into the most ridiculous world you can find. For those in the latter camp, might I inquire as to if youve happened upon Netflixs new teen soap Outer Banks? Lets be real, it is not Great TV, but it does grow increasingly bonkers in the best way possible. It is the perfect escapist show should you be looking for drama and speargun fights in the middle of the ocean.

If you have yet to dive whole hog into this show  that, yes, is about teens in North Carolinas Outer Banks who go on a treasure hunt for $400 million worth of gold while also learning about themselves  let me issue a warning: Outer Banks is a ride. And before you take that ride, perhaps you might like to know what is on it? So, to help newcomers prepare for the journey that is Outer Banks (lol, you cant prepare for it), or to assist those who have finished their binge and need to process what the hell just happened, weve charted the 12 emotional phases you go through while watching season one. (To do this, we are going to have to spoil some things, but trust us, knowing whats coming does not make it any less bonkers.)

While Watching Outer Banks, you will feel 

Bored

To be fair, if this thing had started off at full throttle we wouldve been in for it. Photo: Netflix/

Sure, its not the best way for a series to start off  some may say its the worst way  but nonetheless the first two to three episodes of Outer Banks may leave you less than excited. Why should you care about this teen named John B, and his friends Pope, Kiara, and JJ, who call themselves the Pogues and hate the rich kids of the Outer Banks? Havent you already seen this show and wasnt it called One Tree Hill and also The OC?

Its only natural to feel some yawns coming on in the beginning of this journey because of things like: the inconsistent voiceover that is just a complete info dump; the fact that many of these characters start off as cliches including but not limited to an extremely creepy lighthouse keeper; and yes the seen-this-before tension between the working-class kids and the Richie McRichsters that kicks off with a fight during a beach party in which the Rich Kid couldve easily said Welcome to the OB(X), bitch! Trust that once you get to the end of this series, you will look back on these early episodes and have respect for them because holy hell, if this thing had started off at full throttle we wouldve been in for it.

Confused

Is this what Stockholm syndrome is? Photo: Netflix

Here are some questions you will find yourself asking: Does John B ever button more than one button of his shirt? WAIT, they got Adina Porter to play the sheriff in this show? HOLD UP, Nashvilles Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten) is the rich girl Sarahs dad and his name is Ward? Excuse me, not only do the rich kid villains seem like they walked straight out of an 80s movie, but their names are Rafe and [checks notes] Topper???? Why do I care so much about everyones names? Am I still watching this show? Is this what Stockholm syndrome is?

The Desire to Question Your Sanity

Wait, do I like this or hate this? Photo: Netflix

Episode four will really throw you for an emotional loop. It starts off with things happening that youll probably hate. Things like: John B distracting a guy so he can steal his bike with the line hey, look, a snow leopard! and it works. Or things like John B and Sarah heading to Chapel Hill on their treasure hunt, but stopping along the way for a fashion montage. Or how after 24 hours together, John B and Sarah are fully in love and have an epic kiss in the rain that ends with one participant doing finger guns. YET STILL. At the end of episode four, when Pope  a genius who quotes The Hobbit and has dreams outside of OBX  is about to be arrested after being caught taking revenge on Topper for assaulting him, JJ  the Pogue with the roughest of backgrounds  steps in and takes the blame for his friend, you might just find yourself tearing up. A friend told me that you will probably be so moved by this gesture of true friendship, you wont be able to help yourself. Fine, that friend is me!!!

Invested

Fine, I am in this now. Photo: Netflix

If that moment doesnt do it for you, episode five should find you saying to yourself: Fine, I am in this. I am now a Pogue Queen. Thats because episode five mostly takes place at a hoity-toity midsummer party in which the country clubbers all wear flower crowns and I dont know, talk about yachts and seersucker or whatever. Any Teen Drama Expert knows that fancy parties for out-of-touch rich people are not only a genre staple, but also used to accelerate the shenanigans, and thats whats happening here. Also, we get the big reveal  major spoiler alert  that Ward Cameron is shady as fuck. And thats when things start getting good. Here, good means ridiculously soapy. There is no turning back now!

Scared and a Little Confused Again, Probably

Why is this scary now? Photo: Netflix

Wow, things take a real turn when this show morphs into a horror film for one episode. The kids are searching for the missing gold in a well in the creepy basement of an old blind ladys home and guys, that old blind lady shows up with a shotgun! And starts shooting at the kids!! I mean, they escape, but what a treasure trove of madness.

Impressed

I see what you did there, Outer Banks. Photo: Netflix

Now you are fully in this and let me tell you, you will not regret it because praise the Big Kahuna, they let Charles Esten be the glorious soap opera villain he was meant to be. Welcome to the world, Ward, the adult man who traps a 16-year-old on his boat and tries to steal gold from him and then proceeds to have a spearfishing gun fight with him before chasing him in his yacht while the kid tries to run away on a jet ski!

Incredulous

Really? Photo: Netflix

You might have to rewind a few times when a busted old VW van does in fact chase a small plane down a runway, catch up to it, pass it, and then, yes, stop that plane from taking off.

Shock

No, really?? Photo: Netflix

I wont tell you who murders who on an airport runway as Ward tries to escape to the Bahamas with all the gold, but reader you should know, I gasped.

Shame

Its so wrong, and yet so right. Photo: Netflix

Every binge has a Point of Shame, and this shows hits when theyre closing down the entire Outer Banks to start a manhunt for John B who has been framed for murder and then you watch an actual child and a grown man fight over the $25,000 reward for John Bs arrest. A child! Just guzzle more wine and go with it. It feels so good, I promise.

Seething Hot Rage

Ugh, this guy. Photo: Netflix

Ughhhh, could Rafe and Topper be bigger bags of dicks if they tried? This isnt rhetorical, the answer is no. They are the biggest bags of dicks! During the manhunt for John B, which they both know is for a murder he didnt commit, Topper does things like trap John B in a laundry room and make him explain what love feels like and Rafe does things like burn down the church where John B and Sarah  his sister, by the way  are hiding. See? Bags of dicks.

Exhausted

I am a shell of my former self. Photo: Netflix

The final beats of this story are legitimately insane in the best way. You think you might not be able to take any more around the time a dad is lying to the Tough Guy Agent about his daughter being bipolar so that she cant turn him in for murder, but you dont know exhaustion until you see two kids in a dinky boat being chased by law enforcement directly into a tropical depression because theyd rather die than be apart. By the end, you are just a shell of your former self. Completely spent on teen drama and that heartfelt moment when Popes family pulls JJ in for a hug because his deadbeat dad couldnt make it to the police tent to comfort his only son.

Alive

Weve been through so much together, Outer Banks. See you in season two. Photo: Netflix

Your eyes dont deceive you: Those kids survive that storm at sea even though they spent way too much time talking about the North Star and not enough time adhering to safety protocol, and yes, they do use that melted gold to flag down a ship in the middle of the ocean, that just happens to be headed toward Nassau  exactly where all the gold was moved. Season two, anyone?
 Flash

China stands ready to enhance anti-epidemic cooperation with Iran, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif in a phone conversation on Wednesday.

As comprehensive strategic partners with mutual understanding and support, China and Iran have helped each other through thick and thin in the fight against COVID-19 and have jointly written a chapter of cooperation, Wang said.

Wang noted that under the leadership of the Iranian government, the Iranian people are united as one and the epidemic curve tends to be flattened, which shows that Iran's prevention and control measures have achieved positive results.

China stands ready to enhance anti-epidemic cooperation with Iran and will continue to provide as much assistance as its capacity allows to the country, Wang said.

Bilateral cooperation will be deepened and the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership will grow deeper in the fight against the pandemic, Wang said, adding that the development and growth of China and Iran, the two emerging market economies, is an inevitable trend of history.

Wang said the virus is a common enemy for humankind, and that China, as the first country to report the epidemic, has been sharing information and carrying out cooperation with the international community in an open and transparent manner, and has made important contributions to the global fight against the pandemic.

For his part, Zarif said since the onset of the outbreak, China has selflessly helped Iran, for which the Iranian people are deeply grateful.

Under the current situation, certain countries unreasonably find fault with China's anti-epidemic efforts, which is irresponsible and dangerous, Zarif said, adding that Iran strongly condemns such unilateral moves that put pressure on the World Health Organization.

Exchanging in-depth views on Afghanistan, the two sides agreed that the Afghan issue should be resolved by the Afghan people through dialogue and consultation.

Under the current situation, countries in the region, especially neighboring countries, should play a more active role in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, said the two sides, agreeing to continue to maintain communication and coordination in this regard.




















The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director has contradicted the president by saying the World Health Organisation was a "great partner" to the organisation, as the US coronavirus death toll records its highest single-day jump.

Dr Robert Redfield appeared on CBS This Morning on Wednesday after Mr Trump announced during his daily press conference that the White House would be temporarily pulling funding from the WHO.

When asked, Dr Redfield refused to answer how the pulling of funding would impact the WHO as it worked to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The US was the largest contributor to the organisation's budget.

The director said he preferred to leave "geo-political issues" to those in charge, but he did admit the CDC still considered the WHO a "strong partner" during the health crisis.

"WHO has been a long-term and still is a great partner for us," he said. "We're continuing to work side-by-side to do the best that we can to limit the spread of disease and to protect the American people."

These statements were reiterated when Dr Redfield appeared on ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday.

"We've had a really productive health relationship. We continue to have that," he said.

The director thought it was better to focus on what went wrong in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic "post-mortem" once the situation calmed down. "Again, I'd like to do the post mortem on this outbreak once we get through it together," he said.

Critics have slammed the president for pulling funding from the WHO amid a pandemic given how much the organisation needs this money to handle Covid-19 globally.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, whose foundation is the second largest contributor to the WHO's budget, addressed Mr Trump's decision in a tweet on Wednesday.

"Halting funding for the World Health Organisation during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," Mr Gates wrote."Their work is slowing the spread of Covid-19 and if that work is stopped no other organisation can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever."

While at a news conference in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the pulling of funding.

"We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a halt in funding to the World Health Organisation," he said.

The organisation would now make an "assessment" of how a decrease in funding would impact programs within the organisation "and then announce it officially."

Mr Trump announced he was pulling funding from the WHO while a review was conducted.

The decision was made, in part, because the president claimed the organisation was slow in declaring the coronavirus a pandemic and providing countries with proper warnings. Instead, the president thought the WHO was supporting China too much, especially when the group criticised his travel ban.

"The WHO's attack on travel restrictions put political correctness above lifesaving measures," Mr Trump said.

His decision on Tuesday comes on the same day the US posted its largest single-day death toll, with nearly 2,500 Americans dying from the novel virus.

Health experts have warned pulling the WHO funding could impact how the organisation, and other countries, fight the virus in the coming months. The UK, in comparison, increased its funding towards the WHO amid the pandemic.
They have to raise the prices to these companies that walk in and drop thousands of packages on the floor of the post office and say, Deliver it. And they make money, but the post office gets killed, Trump said last week. So they ought to do that, and were looking into it. And weve been pushing them now for over a year.
A screenshot of the article

Editors note:

Following the rampant spread of COVID-19 across the United States, a nation which has more expertise, resources, plans and epidemiological experience than most other countries in the world, the death toll caused by the lethal virus has topped global rankings, and the growing number is expected to surpass that in the wars of Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

Investigating the reason behind the US failure to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Washington Post issued a lengthy and detailed report titled The U.S. was beset by denial and dysfunction as the coronavirus raged on April 4, which retraces the failures over the first 70 days of the coronavirus crisis, and is based on 47 interviews with administration officials, public health experts, intelligence officers and others involved in fighting the pandemic.

The article further noted that the US failure lies in a breakdown in efforts to develop a diagnostic test that could be mass produced and distributed across the country, as well as the US governments dysfunction and politicians denial of the virus, despite constant warnings from China and other nations. The article concluded that from the Oval Office to the CDC, political and institutional failures cascaded through the system and opportunities to mitigate the pandemic were lost.

Below is an abbreviated version of the original article.

By the time Donald Trump proclaimed himself a wartime president  and the coronavirus the enemy  the United States was already on course to see more of its people die than in the wars of Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

The country has adopted an array of wartime measures never employed collectively in U.S. history  banning incoming travelers from two continents, bringing commerce to a near-halt, enlisting industry to make emergency medical gear, and confining 230 million Americans to their homes in a desperate bid to survive an attack by an unseen adversary.

Despite these and other extreme steps, the United States will likely go down as the country that was supposedly best prepared to fight a pandemic but ended up catastrophically overmatched by the novel coronavirus, sustaining heavier casualties than any other nation.

It did not have to happen this way. Though not perfectly prepared, the United States had more expertise, resources, plans and epidemiological experience than dozens of countries that ultimately fared far better in fending off the virus.

The failure has echoes of the period leading up to 9/11: Warnings were sounded, including at the highest levels of government, but the president was deaf to them until the enemy had already struck.

The Trump administration received its first formal notification of the outbreak of the coronavirus in China on Jan. 3. Within days, U.S. spy agencies were signaling the seriousness of the threat to Trump by including a warning about the coronavirus  the first of many  in the Presidents Daily Brief.

And yet, it took 70 days from that initial notification for Trump to treat the coronavirus not as a distant threat or harmless flu strain well under control, but as a lethal force that had outflanked Americas defenses and was poised to kill tens of thousands of citizens. That more-than-two-month stretch now stands as critical time that was squandered.

Trumps baseless assertions in those weeks, including his claim that it would all just miraculously go away, sowed significant public confusion and contradicted the urgent messages of public health experts.

While the media would rather speculate about outrageous claims of palace intrigue, President Trump and this Administration remain completely focused on the health and safety of the American people with around the clock work to slow the spread of the virus, expand testing, and expedite vaccine development," said Judd Deere, a spokesman for the president.

"Because of the Presidents leadership we will emerge from this challenge healthy, stronger, and with a prosperous and growing economy.

The presidents behavior and combative statements were merely a visible layer on top of deeper levels of dysfunction.

The most consequential failure involved a breakdown in efforts to develop a diagnostic test that could be mass produced and distributed across the United States, enabling agencies to map early outbreaks of the disease, and impose quarantine measures to contain them. At one point, a Food and Drug Administration official tore into lab officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, telling them their lapses in protocol, including concerns that the lab did not meet the criteria for sterile conditions, were so serious that the FDA would shut you down if the CDC were a commercial, rather than government, entity.

Other failures cascaded through the system. The administration often seemed weeks behind the curve in reacting to the viral spread, closing doors that were already contaminated. Protracted arguments between the White House and public health agencies over funding, combined with a meager existing stockpile of emergency supplies, left vast stretches of the countrys health-care system without protective gear until the outbreak had become a pandemic. Infighting, turf wars and abrupt leadership changes hobbled the work of the coronavirus task force.

It may never be known how many thousands of deaths, or millions of infections, might have been prevented with a response that was more coherent, urgent and effective. But even now, there are many indications that the administrations handling of the crisis had potentially devastating consequences.

Even the presidents base has begun to confront this reality. In mid-March, as Trump was rebranding himself a wartime president and belatedly urging the public to help slow the spread of the virus, Republican leaders were poring over grim polling data that suggested Trump was lulling his followers into a false sense of security in the face of a lethal threat.

The poll showed that far more Republicans than Democrats were being influenced by Trumps dismissive depictions of the virus and the comparably scornful coverage on Fox News and other conservative networks. As a result, Republicans were in distressingly large numbers refusing to change travel plans, follow social distancing guidelines, stock up on supplies or otherwise take the coronavirus threat seriously.

Denial is not likely to be a successful strategy for survival, GOP pollster Neil Newhouse concluded in a document that was shared with GOP leaders on Capitol Hill and discussed widely at the White House. Trumps most ardent supporters, it said, were putting themselves and their loved ones in danger.

Trumps message was changing as the report swept through the GOPs senior ranks. In recent days, Trump has bristled at reminders that he had once claimed the caseload would soon be down to zero.

More than 7,000 people have died of the coronavirus in the United States so far, with about 240,000 cases reported. But Trump has acknowledged that new models suggest that the eventual national death toll could be between 100,000 and 240,000.

Beyond the suffering in store for thousands of victims and their families, the outcome has altered the international standing of the United States, damaging and diminishing its reputation as a global leader in times of extraordinary adversity.

This has been a real blow to the sense that America was competent, said Gregory F. Treverton, a former chairman of the National Intelligence Council, the governments senior-most provider of intelligence analysis. He stepped down from the NIC in January 2017 and now teaches at the University of Southern California. That was part of our global role. Traditional friends and allies looked to us because they thought we could be competently called upon to work with them in a crisis. This has been the opposite of that.

This article, which retraces the failures over the first 70 days of the coronavirus crisis, is based on 47 interviews with administration officials, public health experts, intelligence officers and others involved in fighting the pandemic. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information and decisions.

Scanning the horizon

Public health authorities are part of a special breed of public servant  along with counterterrorism officials, military planners, aviation authorities and others  whose careers are consumed with contemplating worst-case scenarios.

The arsenal they wield against viral invaders is powerful, capable of smothering a new pathogen while scrambling for a cure, but easily overwhelmed if not mobilized in time. As a result, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and other agencies spend their days scanning the horizon for emerging dangers.

The CDC learned of a cluster of cases in China on Dec. 31 and began developing reports for HHS on Jan. 1. But the most unambiguous warning that U.S. officials received about the coronavirus came Jan. 3, when Robert Redfield, the CDC director, received a call from a counterpart in China. The official told Redfield that a mysterious respiratory illness was spreading in Wuhan, a congested commercial city of 11 million people in the communist countrys interior.

Redfield quickly relayed the disturbing news to Alex Azar, the secretary of HHS, the agency that oversees the CDC and other public health entities. Azar, in turn, ensured that the White House was notified, instructing his chief of staff to share the Chinese report with the National Security Council.

From that moment, the administration and the virus were locked in a race against a ticking clock, a competition for the upper hand between pathogen and prevention that would dictate the scale of the outbreak when it reached American shores, and determine how many would get sick or die.

A week earlier, senior officials at HHS had begun convening an intra-agency task force including Redfield, Azar and Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The following week, there were also scattered meetings at the White House with officials from the National Security Council and State Department, focused mainly on when and whether to bring back government employees in China.

U.S. officials began taking preliminary steps to counter a potential outbreak. By mid-January, Robert Kadlec, an Air Force officer and physician who serves as assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, had instructed subordinates to draw up contingency plans for enforcing the Defense Production Act, a measure that enables the government to compel private companies to produce equipment or devices critical to the countrys security. Aides were bitterly divided over whether to implement the act, and nothing happened for many weeks.

On Jan. 14, Kadlec scribbled a single word in a notebook he carries: Coronavirus!!!

Despite the flurry of activity at lower levels of his administration, Trump was not substantially briefed by health officials about the coronavirus until Jan.18, when, while spending the weekend at Mar-a-Lago, he took a call from Azar.

Even before the heath secretary could get a word in about the virus, Trump cut him off and began criticizing Azar for his handling of an aborted federal ban on vaping products, a matter that vexed the president.

At the time, Trump was in the throes of an impeachment battle over his alleged attempt to coerce political favors from the leader of Ukraine. Acquittal seemed certain by the GOP-controlled Senate, but Trump was preoccupied with the trial, calling lawmakers late at night to rant, and making lists of perceived enemies he would seek to punish when the case against him concluded.

In hindsight, officials said, Azar could have been more forceful in urging Trump to turn at least some of his attention to a threat that would soon pose an even graver test to his presidency, a crisis that would cost American lives and consume the final year of Trumps first term.

But the secretary, who had a strained relationship with Trump and many others in the administration, assured the president that those responsible were working on and monitoring the issue. Azar told several associates that the president believed he was alarmist and Azar struggled to get Trumps attention to focus on the issue, even asking one confidant for advice.

Within days, there were new causes for alarm.

On Jan. 21, a Seattle man who had recently traveled to Wuhan tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first known infection on U.S. soil. T

It was also when U.S. officials began to confront the failings of their own efforts to respond.

Azar, who had served in senior positions at HHS through crises including the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the outbreak of bird flu in 2005, was intimately familiar with the playbook for crisis management.

He instructed subordinates to move rapidly to establish a nationwide surveillance system to track the spread of the coronavirus  a stepped-up version of what the CDC does every year to monitor new strains of the ordinary flu.

But doing so would require assets that would elude U.S. officials for months  a diagnostic test that could accurately identify those infected with the new virus and be produced on a mass scale for rapid deployment across the United States, and money to implement the system.

There is no indication that officials sought to escalate the matter or enlist Trump to intervene.

The CDC had issued its first public alert about the coronavirus Jan. 8, and by the 17th was monitoring major airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, where large numbers of passengers arrived each day from China.

Trump was out of the country for this critical stretch, taking part in the annual global economic forum in Davos, Switzerland. He was accompanied by a contingent of top officials including national security adviser Robert OBrien, who took a trans-Atlantic call from an anxious Azar.

Azar told OBrien that it was mayhem at the White House, with HHS officials being pressed to provide nearly identical briefings to three audiences on the same day.

Azar urged OBrien to have the NSC assert control over a matter with potential implications for air travel, immigration authorities, the State Department and the Pentagon. OBrien seemed to grasp the urgency, and put his deputy, Matthew Pottinger, who had worked in China as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, in charge of coordinating the still-nascent U.S. response.

But the rising anxiety within the administration appeared not to register with the president. On Jan. 22, Trump received his first question about the coronavirus in an interview on CNBC while in Davos. Asked whether he was worried about a potential pandemic, Trump said, No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. Its one person coming in from China. . . . Its going to be just fine.

Spreading uncontrollably

The move by the NSC to seize control of the response marked an opportunity to reorient U.S. strategy around containing the virus where possible and procuring resources that hospitals would need in any U.S. outbreak, including such basic equipment as protective masks and ventilators.

But instead of mobilizing for what was coming, U.S. officials seemed more preoccupied with logistical problems, including how to evacuate Americans from China.

In Washington, then-acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Pottinger began convening meetings at the White House with senior officials from HHS, the CDC and the State Department.

The group, which included Azar, Pottinger and Fauci, as well as nine others across the administration, formed the core of what would become the administrations coronavirus task force. But it primarily focused on efforts to keep infected people in China from traveling to the United States even while evacuating thousands of U.S. citizens. The meetings did not seriously focus on testing or supplies, which have since become the administrations most challenging problems.

The task force was formally announced on Jan. 29.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The 8,414 coronavirus cases to date in Ohio are spread across 87 of the states 88 counties, with 389 deaths, the Ohio Department of Health reported Thursday.

The total was up from 7,791 cases in the same 87 counties on Wednesday, while the number of deaths increased from 361.

This map is updated daily: see this link for the latest Ohio coronavirus maps.

The only county for which there has not been a reported case is Vinton in Southeast Ohio, Ohios smallest county with just 13,085 residents.

For county-by-county details, see chart at the bottom of this story.

Wednesday marked the seventh day of new reporting standards to comply with federal guidelines to now include cases identified from non-testing evidence, certain rapid tests and blood tests that can uncover earlier infections, officials said.

This has resulted in 175 additional probable cases than would have been reported previously - 42 Friday, 21 Saturday, 23 Sunday, 8 Monday, 33 Tuesday, 36 Wednesday and 12 Thursday.

That is just one variable that has played into tracking the numbers. Another is limited testing, which generally had been focused on the sickest and health care workers. The state this week has discussed increased testing at prisons, which accounted for 122 of the cases added on Wednesday. That number was not immediately available for Thursday but cases reported were up sharply in some counties with prisons.

Here are the day-to-day increases for coronavirus cases in Ohio since March 28.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

Overall, there were 623 new cases reported Thursday, after an increase of 511 on Wednesday. The number was below 400 in other recent days.

By percent, the total was up 8% from Wednesday. The daily increase has been in the 4% to 8% range since April 7, much lower than in March when the daily increases were often above 20% and sometimes above 40%.

These are the estimated onset dates since March 1 for each of Ohio's reported coronavirus cases as of Thursday. Confirmation often is days after the first symptoms, leading to smaller numbers for the most recent days. Not included in this chart are 28 cases with February onsets.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

The state has not released information on the number of current cases remaining, excluding those who no longer have coronavirus, saying that information is not available.

Yet health officials have said coronavirus often runs its course in 14 days, longer for the most severe cases. Based on state estimates of the onset of symptoms, large numbers of the cases reported to date may no longer exist.

Among the 8,414 cases reported by the state, 389 people have died, 3,348 others had an onset within the last two weeks and 4,677 date back earlier.

Health officials say coronavirus often lasts less than two weeks, though it can be longer for severe cases. This graphic provides a breakdown of the cases reported to date  based on onset before and after two weeks ago.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, has said she believes the number of reported cases is a gross underestimation because testing has been so limited and targeted to certain groups. For example, Acton said Thursday targeted testing at prisons has returned positive results for people without symptoms.

There have been 74,840 tests to date.

The age range for confirmed cases to date is from under 1 to 104, with a median age of 54.

About half the Ohio deaths have been to people at least 80 years old.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

Nearly half of all deaths have been to people age 80 and over (193 of 189, or 49.6%). Another 96 (24.7%) were in their 70s. Only two deaths have been reported for people under the age of 40.

The deaths are spread across 49 counties, including highs of 42 in Cuyahoga County, 41 in Mahoning, 29 in Hamilton, 28 in Lucas and 24 in Portage.

Among the 7,119 cases in which race is known, 64.2% are white, 24.3% black and the rest of other races or multi-race. Ohios population is 81.9% white and 13% black, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Acton said a survey found 1,050 people with coronavirus were currently hospitalized across Ohio.

Among all cases reported to date, 2,331 have been hospitalized and 707 treated in intensive care units. These totals were 2,237 and 677 on Wednesday and 2,156 and 654 on Tuesday.

There have been 72 cases per 100,000 people in Ohio.

Some counties are much higher. Marion and Pickaway counties, where there are prisons, have the highest rates per capita of 424 and 335, respectively. Mahoning County is third highest at 223.9 per capita. Gov. Mike DeWine said this focused testing will cause in an increase in confirmed cases.

This graphic shows the reporting of coronavirus cases by the Ohio Department of Health from the first three on March 9.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

The counties with the most cases are Ohios largest, Cuyahoga (Cleveland) with 1,331, and Franklin (Columbus) with 1,212.

The statewide total of confirmed cases was 5,512 a week ago, on Thursday, April 9, and 2,902 two weeks ago.

The first three cases were confirmed on March 9. The total topped 100 on March 19, exceeded 1,000 for the first time on March 27.

Some numbers may change from day to day. As the state works to clean data, it sometimes has reduced the number of cases in individual counties from one day to the next.

The chart below shows what the Ohio Department of Health reported on Thursday. Cleveland.com calculated the cases per 100,000 rates based on 2019 census population estimates.

County Cases Hosp. Deaths Cases

per

100,000 Adams 3 0 0 10.8 Allen 57 31 6 55.7 Ashland 5 1 0 9.3 Ashtabula 45 12 3 46.3 Athens 3 1 1 4.6 Auglaize 19 6 1 41.6 Belmont 59 13 3 88.1 Brown 8 2 1 18.4 Butler 148 50 2 38.6 Carroll 14 5 0 52.0 Champaign 6 2 1 15.4 Clark 23 5 0 17.2 Clermont 60 12 1 29.1 Clinton 23 5 0 54.8 Columbiana 136 78 10 133.5 Coshocton 16 3 0 43.7 Crawford 26 2 0 62.7 Cuyahoga 1,331 375 42 107.8 Darke 55 9 10 107.6 Defiance 12 5 0 31.5 Delaware 114 16 3 54.5 Erie 19 9 1 25.6 Fairfield 96 23 2 60.9 Fayette 12 0 0 42.1 Franklin 1,212 220 19 92.0 Fulton 10 5 0 23.7 Gallia 6 3 1 20.1 Geauga 92 16 4 98.2 Greene 33 9 1 19.5 Guernsey 10 1 0 25.7 Hamilton 615 147 29 75.2 Hancock 25 7 1 33.0 Hardin 12 1 0 38.3 Harrison 1 0 0 6.6 Henry 2 1 0 7.4 Highland 7 2 0 16.2 Hocking 4 1 0 14.2 Holmes 3 1 0 6.8 Huron 16 5 1 27.5 Jackson 3 1 0 9.3 Jefferson 24 7 0 36.7 Knox 11 4 1 17.7 Lake 127 43 6 55.2 Lawrence 19 4 0 32.0 Licking 92 18 4 52.0 Logan 8 2 0 17.5 Lorain 221 56 9 71.3 Lucas 644 254 28 150.3 Madison 29 8 3 64.8 Mahoning 512 196 41 223.9 Marion 276 11 1 424.0 Medina 126 38 10 70.1 Meigs 2 0 0 8.7 Mercer 13 3 1 31.6 Miami 127 47 22 118.7 Monroe 2 2 0 14.6 Montgomery 213 74 8 40.1 Morgan 3 0 0 20.7 Morrow 14 4 0 39.6 Muskingum 8 2 0 9.3 Noble 3 1 0 20.8 Ottawa 17 5 0 41.9 Paulding 5 2 0 26.8 Perry 8 3 0 22.1 Pickaway 196 11 4 335.3 Pike 1 0 0 3.6 Portage 162 43 24 99.7 Preble 20 5 1 48.9 Putnam 4 1 0 11.8 Richland 48 17 1 39.6 Ross 26 7 0 33.9 Sandusky 14 6 2 23.9 Scioto 5 0 0 6.6 Seneca 11 5 1 19.9 Shelby 28 10 0 57.6 Stark 204 51 21 55.0 Summit 310 134 16 57.3 Trumbull 203 92 14 102.5 Tuscarawas 29 7 0 31.5 Union 11 1 0 18.6 Van Wert 2 1 0 7.1 Vinton 0 0 0 0.0 Warren 89 16 4 37.9 Washington 53 8 5 88.5 Wayne 66 15 11 57.0 Williams 6 3 1 16.4 Wood 67 27 5 51.2 Wyandot 14 2 2 64.3 Statewide 8,414 2,331 389 72.0

Not seeing the county-by-county chart? Some mobile users may need to use this link instead.

Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. See other data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral.

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Ohio prisoners with confirmed coronavirus cases skyrockets overnight as state increases inmate testing
Over the past few decades, globalization represented the growing interdependence of economies, cultures and populations across the world, along with prosperity and rapid economic growth. Yet, modern globalization with liberal travel and trade also became a catalyst for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Built on the theoretical foundations that champion specialization and international trade, most people were enthusiastic about a globalized community, and few cast doubt on the outgrowth of globalization. As economist Anne Krueger observed, growth prospects for developing countries are greatly enhanced through an outer-oriented trade regime. The value of global exports in 2007 was more than 20 times that of 1950. Benefitting from economic integration and outward-oriented trade regime, South Korea and China followed Japans rapid growth and became prosperous in their own right. Empirical evidence has corroborated the theoretical basis that globalization benefitted the rich and poor countries alike, despite some scholars pointing out how globalization has heightened inequality within countries. For example, Chinas Gini coefficient increased from 0.25 in the mid-1980s to more than 0.45 in 2009 after its integration into the global system.

As the world submerged itself in the gains brought by cross-border tr ade of goods and services and the relatively free flow of people, imbalances and cracks emerged. The associated dangers went largely neglected. Since 2008, a spate of misfortunes has weighed on globalization, including the global financial, refugee and climate change crises. An interconnected world means shared risks and people could not detach themselves from crisis. The global trade imbalance is one of the most prominent problems. The United States has run a continuous current account deficit since the 1980s, while Japan, Korea and China have gained surplus. The imbalance in trade has been a major headwind against globalization resulting in a series of skirmishes, peaked by the US-China trade war that began in 2018.

With the United States and China exchanging aggressive rhetoric, most recently blaming each other for COVID-19, the trade war's end is not within the foreseeable future. The worlds two largest economies have traded less since mid-2018, dampening optimism for globalization. The US and China traded $635 billion and $659.8 billion worth of goods in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Trade volume substantially dropped to $558.9 billion in 2019, a decrease of 15.3 percent. Rising protectionism against free trade and migration in the US, the worlds largest economy, erodes globalizations luster and ravages peoples belief in a prosperous globalized community.

Furthermore, the pandemic, which emerged in Hubei, China, in November, is a double whammy to the already fragile global system, bringing economies and globalization to a near-complete halt. COVID-19 has infected more than 2 million people, killing more than 130,000 globally with astonishing pace. The devastating pandemic, with its high mortality rate and so many displaying mild or no symptoms at all, shows little sign of waning. Globalization along with convenient and affordable transportation is a major reason that the disease spread to virtually every country in the world in a few short months. The liberal flow of people and commodities, once a major driving force of prosperity, transformed into a sprawling behemoth that could ruin lives of countless human beings.

Although media closely followed the outbreak with truthful reports and clear warnings that offered a chance at containing the virus, policymakers paid little attention. According to a January 23 CNN news report, Charles Li, CEO of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, said in Davos that he hoped the world could react better to the coronavirus than it did to the SARS outbreak, referencing governments, institutions, hospitals and the media. The Washington Post also reported that US intelligence agencies warned President Donald Trump about an impending pandemic as early as November. Even the devastation in China and then Italy failed to alarm most policymakers.

By March 30, however, most European countries were on lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, and other countries soon joined. Australia limited public gatherings to just two people, while New Zealands nationwide isolation began March 25. Most US states issued stay-at-home orders for more than 250 million people, and by mid-April only seven refused to comply. Countries try closing borders for non-nationals, while global major airlines have eliminated most international flights. In the worlds once crowded and profitable route between London and New York, passengers number in the single digits.

Making matters worse, the pandemic still accelerates, while globalization is in retreat. People cannot avoid asking: What went wrong with globalization? Could some reversals become permanent?

Strengthening multilateral cooperation is key to maintaining prosperity. Globalization is crippled, but not fatally wounded. The lessons from the Great Depression almost a century ago proved that anti-globalization and protectionism are not antidotes to sluggish economic growth. Instead, international trade and mobilization of resources offer strong momentum for growth in the developing world while also benefiting consumers in developed countries with low-cost imported commodities.

The root cause of the chaos lies in the laggard, obsolete international organizations as well as poor global governance. Amid the spreading virus, the World Health Organization, which aims to prepare for emergencies by identifying, mitigating and managing risks, could only issue advice to sovereign countries while lacking authority to implement tangible measures. In addition, WHOs COVID-19 response was insufficient. China first reported the new virus to WHO on December 31, three weeks after doctors tried raising alarm. Even after China took draconian measures to lock down the city of Wuhan, WHO failed to provide useful, urgent recommendations throughout January to tackle the new contagious disease. Related: Coronavirus And The Coming Financial Revolution

Of course, WHO is not the only culprit pushing the crisis beyond repair. Instead, weak inter-country cooperation and international institutions lack of authority perhaps bear the most responsibility. Some politicians may blame WHO for belatedly declaring a pandemic on March 11. Still, WHO undertook a number of measures to contain the disease. On February 11, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the outbreak a very grave threat for the rest of the world, and sent another warning on February 20: This virus is very dangerous, and its public enemy No. 1. But its not being treated as such." One day later, he emphasized that the window of opportunity to contain the outbreak is narrowing.

Only a few days later, leaders of the second and third most populous countries in the world, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump, held a joint rally in India attended by more than 100,000 people. Trump insisted COVID-19 was very well under control in our country. Likewise, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested that the risk to the UK population was low and we are well prepared and well equipped.

During the one-month window period to contain the epidemic, from WHO first ringing the alarm on February 11 to Italys implementation of nationwide lockdown on March 9, the international community failed to take effective measures either due to confidence in domestic healthcare systems or fear that halting economic activities might exhaust already weak economic growth. Myopic complacency and undue pursuit of economic growth blinded policymakers and made global outbreak inevitable.

Today, behind ascending numbers of cases and deaths, millions of people suffer from the disease or the loss of livelihoods. Meanwhile, diplomats and politicians continue to disregard advice from professionals and cling to conspiracy theories.

Donald Trump announced suspension of US funding for WHO pending an investigation, but he should act to strengthen rather than weaken such organizations.

Globalization is not the culprit, but rather the lack of strong international organization and effective cooperative mechanisms, with unified messages based on the best science. To salvage the fragmented system, the international community must reflect on the existing framework to resolve global crises and strengthen the leadership role of international organizations in emergencies. In particular, WHO should take the lead in the current pandemic, while countries should implement serious policies based on WHO recommendations. Instead of each country fighting its own battle, there is pressing need to set up a joint ministerial committee under WHO's leadership as a decision-making body to contain the virus with cooperative efforts.

The world will eventually tide over this pandemic, but if steps are not taken to improve global governance, COVID-19 will not be the last pandemic that devastates globalization.

By Hans Yue Zhu via Yale Global Online

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Saved by the Bell was the first teaser Peacock dropped, and it showed new looks at some of the original Bayside cast members all grown up. Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley reprise their roles as A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano. Mac Morris (Mitchell Hoog), the son of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Thiessen), and Jamie Spano (Belmont Cameli), Jessies son, also appear in the teaser.
[April 16, 2020] Bright Horizons Family Solutions Announces Date of First Quarter 2020 Earnings Release and Conference Call

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (NYSE: BFAM) will release results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, after the stock market closes. Following the release, the Company will host a telephone conference call with investors and analysts at 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss the first quarter 2020, the Company's updated business outlook, its strategy and results. Interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call by dialing 1-877-407-9039, or for international callers, 1-201-689-8470, and asking for the Bright Horizons Family Solutions conference call, moderated by Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kramer. Replays of the entire call will be available through May 27, 2020, at 1-844-512-2921, or for international callers, 1-412-317-6671, conference ID #13698064. The first quarter 2020 earnings release and a link to the audio webcast of the conference call will be available through the Investor Relations section of the Companys web site, www.brighthorizons.com.



About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Bright Horizons is a leading global provider of high-quality child care and early education, back-up care, and workplace employee services. For over 30 years, Bright Horizons has been a champion for working families, designing and providing innovative solutions to help families, employers, and their employees better address the challenges of balancing work and family life. Operating approximately 1,100 child care centers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada and India, and serving more than 1150 of the world's leading organizations, Bright Horizons' child care centers, back-up child and elder care, tuition program management, education advising, and student loan repayment programs help employees succeed at every life and career stage, both at work and at home. For more information, go to www.brighthorizons.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005960/en/

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A mother who wanted to update her kitchen without breaking the bank revealed how she transformed the space for less than 50.

Cara John, from Merthyr Tydfil, explained how she gave the room a makeover by painting the tiles, cabinets, floor and ceiling.

The savvy mother spent 25 on cabinet paint, 15 on tile paint, and 6 on matte white paint for the walls and ceiling, all from Wilko.

She shared the results on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, where she was praised for her DIY skills.

Cara John explained she wanted to renovate her kitchen, and said she did so while respecting her budget, spending only 46 in total (pictured: her kitchen before)

The DIY-wiz used cupboard and tile paint from Wilko for 46 and rollers she already owned to obtain the sleek finish (pictured)

Cara explained she completed the makeover in January, and that the paint job had held up great in a Facebook post

The transformation took place in January but could provide the perfect solution for frustrated home makeover enthusiasts looking for a lockdown project.

Cara explained she only used paint to update the kitchen, taking it from the earth tones of the yellow and brown tiles that covered the wall before to a more neutral white and grey hues.

She used a foam roller and paint trays she already had stored in her house in order to avoid paint streaks from spoiling the paint job.

She use white tile paint on the tiles first, washing them before applying the paint and letting it dry naturally.

She then moved on to the cupboards, with a tub of 2.5l wood paint, as she wanted to change their beige colour into something a little sleeker.

A picture show the impeccable finish on the cupboard and tiles, which took them from yellow, black and brown to white (pictured after)

Before (pictured) the kitchen was styled in earthy tones of beige, yellow, brown and black, but Cara grew tired of it

She painted them in grey, leaving only the white shelves inside, and made sure to cover the counter tops in order to avoid any spillage.

Cara also explained she completed the DIY project in January, and that the paint had been easy to clean and was holding up great without a scratch, in spite of her active children and cat

At the end of the DIY job, the kitchen looked completely different, leading many to think she had fitted a whole new kitchen in place of the old one.

The DIY-savvy mother covered her counter tops in order to avoid any paint spillage accident (pictured)

A picture shows the completely transformed tile, now completely white, and the grey cupboards

Pictured: the kitchen halfway through the renovation works. Cara said she completed the DIY project in January

Thanks to the 15 white tile paint, Caro completely recovered the colourful tiles that once decorated her kitchen

On Facebook, people praised Cara's efforts.

'What a difference,looks like a whole brand new kitchen. Well done,' she said.

'You made it look easy I have to do mine and dreading it,' another wrote.

'WOW! Looks fab, a lot of hard work well done hun,' saisd another.

'Looks like a whole new kitchen!! Well done! Great job,' one wrote.
David Walliams and Matt Lucas pose as characters Lou and Andy at HMV on Oxford Street during their launch of the Little Britain Live DVD on November 13, 2006 in London. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

David Walliams and Matt Lucas are bringing back Little Britain to TV for the first time in over a decade as the pair have signed up for charity event The Big Night In.

The comedians will be performing a brand new sketch with the BBC stating that details of the new material "will remain under wraps until the live show".

Although it's their first time back on the box for a while, Walliams and Lucas revived the comedy for a Brexit special on Radio 4 in 2019.

Read more: Joe Lycett changes his name back from Hugo Boss

The event, which sees Comic Relief and Children in Need join forces for the first time, is due to air on BBC One on Thursday 23 April. Money raised will be split between the two charities to provide support during the coronavirus pandemic.

Matt Lucas and David Walliams pose during the Brexit Comedy Show by Radio 4 at Shaw Theatre on October 27, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

The evening will include live music performances from artists performing in their own homes, giveaways and other star appearances.

The Little Britain series started off on the radio before moving to TV in 2003. Although it was a hit, the show has come under fire for their controversial characters due to the use of stereotypes and blackface.

Lucas has been open about the potential for a revival but recently shared that some characters would not be brought back so the show can reflect how we all are now.

Catherine Tate appears as her comedy character 'Lauren' at a portrait shoot to promote her new television series on October 16, 2006 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Other celebrities confirmed to be taking part in the Big Night In event include Catherine Tate, who will be reprising her schoolgirls character Lauren, while Gary Barlow will be making an appearance from home.

Peter Kay will also be making a return to TV for the first time in two years following on from the final episodes of Car Share in 2018. He also brought back the comedy for a radio special earlier in the month.
For years, those of us leading churches used social media to tell people what we were doing. Now, during lockdown, social media is all were doing. Zoom prayer, Facebook Live sermons, YouTube organ pieces, were all very online.

Even clergy who prided themselves on their luddite status are learning how to minister in this purely digital world. Honestly, I hate it.

Even though Im knownaffectionately?as the TikTok Priest, I love praying the Psalms IRL (in real life) and with people, preferably in an echoey stone building. Now, on Zoom, I mute everyone but the main reader so it doesn't sound like all the demons of hell are screeching their way from the depths.

As much as I hate it, though, I know that adapting to a changing world and adopting new technology is what Christian ministers have always doneall the way back to the apostles. After all, what are the New Testament epistles but remote pastoring with the technology at hand?

Several weeks before the stay-at-home orders began, our small gathering of Morning Prayer faithful started reading through 1 Corinthians. Every days readings took our little group through Pauls directives about divisions in the church, sexual ethics, how to eat together, and how to handle church meetings that got a little rowdy. Even through the differences of time and language, his words spoke directly to our own struggles as a new church plant in the suburbs of Texas.

We were a few chapters in when we started meeting on Zoom instead of at our usual round of coffee shops. Once we moved entirely online, I started to feel an even deeper connection to Pauls pleadings, commands, and tone, especially as my frustrations with our virtual situation grew.

We got Zoombombed by a stranger interrupting our meeting with nude pictures and cackling laughter. I started using passwords to protect the Zoom meeting, and some had trouble getting in. And it wasnt just our elderly who had trouble with tech. It was hard for everyone, including me.

Because there was a great need for prayer, we prayed three times a day: Morning Prayer at 9 a.m., the Great Litany at noon, and Evening Prayer at 5 p.m. We were praying more than ever, but I felt the ground our fledgling community had gained in the past year was slowly slipping away. My neck hurt from craning it at my iPad screen and also from the stress of our situation.

By the time we got to 1 Corinthians 11, the instructions about the Lords Supper, I lost it. We are a liturgical, sacramental church. We receive Holy Communion every Sunday, and we put a lot of effort into making this a sacred and accessible experience for everyone. We talk about the Eucharist, a Greek word meaning thanksgiving, in most of our classes and incessantly on Twitter. In my tradition, we wear special vestments for the Eucharist, we say special prayers, and we read books about how to properly position our hands during the prayers.

We believe we are receiving the Real Presence of Jesus, his body and blood, into our bodies for our spiritual renewal and sanctification. So when we read Paul sharing how to eat this sacred meal, I thought about how removed we were from each other and from our communion with Jesus in Holy Communion. The only presence we had on Sunday was virtualtiny faces on the Zoom screen and tinny voices crackling in and out.

I did not know how many more Sundays we would be doing this. And I did not know how many more Sundays I could do it.

My neck started hurting more. I struggled with being short-tempered during minor technological setbacks. I lost my sense of humor. Worse, I started showing that cynical snark I try to keep to myself. I think I may have started to feel a little like Paul in his epistles to his distant churches.

Article continues below

To those challenging his authority: Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? (1 Cor. 9:1).

To those who were not sharing their food: If you are hungry, eat at home! (11:34).

To those who were bragging about which apostle baptized them: Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1:13).

And around a dozen other outrage-tinged rhetorical questions driving home the point that they better listen to him, even though he is very far away at the moment.

His repeated rhetorical questions matched my own inner monologue when the Zoom meeting was over. Was I just asking questions no one was hearing?

I forgot to send the meeting link out one day, and several folks immediately told me so. I had updated Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but I hadnt sent the link out on Flocknote, an app that sends text messages. I could feel a little steam hissing out of my ears. My neck spasmed. I got on the Zoom call and smiled. I knew deep down, my frustration at a few keystrokes was my frustration about my own powerlessness against our estrangement, my lack of trust in my fellow humans that they would do the smart thing to mitigate this disease, and my own fears that this church I helped plant would fall apart.

While we took prayer requests for intersessions and thanksgivings, I had to confess, I have no idea what Im doing. I forgot to send the link. Im sorry.

In the opening chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul declares bluntly, I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. And then he corrects himself: (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I dont remember if I baptized anyone else.) (1:1416). Sometimes when we are far away, our stress makes us forget.

In spite of all this distance, though, Paul so deeply loved this church that he took the technology he had and worked remotely. With pen, ink, and vellum, he poured his heart out to them in his own special style. Or, as @GrumpyTheology put it on Twitter:

If you are sitting here thinking that since you cant meet with your churches you HAVE to set up a livestream, remember that the Apostle Paul couldnt meet with his churches so he just sent them 20-page rambling letters filled with his every emo thought.

Pauls letters, written in a language that could be understood by people from many ethnicities, were carried on the Roman road system, a marvel of ancient and modern engineering. And at the end of this letter, he asked them to do for each other what he could not himself do, to Greet one another with a holy kiss (16:20).

Im glad Paul and his fellow apostles worked with the latest technology of their day, and I know the people who are watching todays pastors Zooms, livestreams, and Instagram stories are thankful we are doing the same.

David W. Peters is the vicar of St. Joan of Arc Episcopal Church in Pflugerville, Texas. He served as an Army chaplain in Iraq from 2005-2006, and is affectionately known as the TikTok priest.
New York's three major airports are operating at just five per cent of their normal capacity as essential travelers arrive at near empty terminals amid the coronavirus pandemic.

US airlines have significantly reduced their schedules or grounded flights altogether as travel is banned for most of the population.

Usually-packed airports in the city have become empty shells and thousands of airport workers have been laid off.

American Airlines employees wait for passengers to check in at near-deserted LaGuardia airport

Passengers, one wearing a protective jumpsuit and shoe covers, wait for their flights at LaGuardia Airport

A departures board lists multiple canceled flights in Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport

New York's LaGuardia, Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports remain open but are only dealing with five per cent of the normal traffic.

At LaGuardia, Delta Air Lines are now operating just 15 flights per day, compared to 150 before the pandemic, while United Airlines are now operating just 15 of its flights at Newark Liberty, down from 140.

JetBlue Airways is suspending flights at eight US airports for two months. In New York, the airline will continue to operate reduced schedules at John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports but will suspend flights to and from LaGuardia from April 15 through to June 10.

Essential traveller Jim Mack who flew from Tampa, Florida to New York City to coordinate the placement of additional nurses at overrun hospitals was stunned by the deafening silence that greeted him on landing at La Guardia.

A woman down a plastic protected sign in the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint area of John F. Kennedy Airport's Terminal 5

A lone car pulls to the curb of Departures at LaGuardia airport during the coronavirus outbreak

Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal stands empty

'It felt like it was either closed or I had landed in the wrong terminal,' he told the New York Times.

Rather than the rows and rows of taxis waiting to pick up travellers, Mr Mack was greeted by a single Uber driver when he exited Terminal B.

Numerous major US airlines are preparing to apply this week for a $25 billion US government loan program after winning billions in federal payroll grants, people familiar with the matter said.

United Airlines said on Wednesday it expects to get $5 billion in federal cash and loans to meet payroll costs through September.

That's a little less than the $5.8 billion and $5.4 billion that American and Delta expect in figures they issued the day before.

Airline stocks were mixed Wednesday on news that 10 carriers including all the biggest ones struck deals with the Trump administration to get coronavirus-relief funds.

United Airlines said on Wednesday it expects to get $5 billion in federal cash and loans to meet payroll costs through September (United Airlines jet pictured)

The aid will cover only 76% of airlines' their payroll costs, and J.P. Morgan analyst Jamie Baker said he doesn't see how airlines will avoid 'massive layoffs' in October unless federal payroll protection is extended.

Estimated global airline losses from the coronavirus pandemic have climbed to $314 billion, 25 per cent more than previously forecast, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Tuesday.
After the lastest blatant lockdown violation seen in Mumbai, Surat, Indore, sources report that Home Minister Amit Shah, on Thursday, has asked Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to speak to all states' chief secretaries and DGPs where lockdown have been violated. States like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan have been highlighted by the Home Minister where most lockdown violations have taken place. Currently, India's Coronavirus tally is at 12380 cases and 414 deaths.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: China sends 6.5 lakh testing kits, total tally reaches 12380

Home Minister: 'Defying lockdown criminal'

Sources report that Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has warned the Home Minister that the fight against COVID-19 could be lost if these incidents are allowed to happen. The Home Mister has also stated that no religious congregation will be allowed in an attempt to defy lockdown. The home secretary has allegedly been told to report to the Home Minister by late evening on Thursday after instructing states that 'defying lockdown will be taken as a criminal offence'

Bandra incident: Mumbai Police files 3 FIRs, gets custody of Vinay Dubey till April 21

Lockdown violations

After PM Modi had announced the first phase of lockdown, on March 28, thousands of migrant workers were seen thronging the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border at Delhi's Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal in the hope of reaching their homes, defying lockdown and creating a health hazard. The Home Ministry immediately announced shelter, food and mandatory quarantine of all migrant labourers. Moreover, all state borders were sealed.

Similarly, after PM Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3, on Tuesday, around 2,000 migrant workers gathered at Bandra station, under the illusion of boarding 'Jansdharan Express' trains to UP, Bengal and Bihar. Mumbai police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowds and have arrested activist Vinay Dubet and a Marathi news channel reporter for spreading fake news leading to the mass lockdown violation. The Maharashtra government is rolling out an economic package for migrant labourers while the BMC is setting up community kitchens to feed more homeless migrant labourers in Bandra.

MHA orders states: 14-day quarantine for migrant workers who left homes, waives rent

Coronavirus in India

As of date, 10477 active cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 1488 have been discharged and Maharashtra reported the highest at 2916. 414 deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries. PM Modi has extended the lockdown till May 3, with a relaxation possibility in non-COVID hotspots after April 20.

COVID-19: India's testing data on par with global trend on crossing 10,000-case mark
MANAMA, Bahrain, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kingdom of Bahrain's handling of the Coronavirus offers a beacon of hope to other countries wanting to emulate its example, even as the world battles rising numbers of cases.

"On Feb. 24, the island state of Bahrain recorded is firstA COVID-19A case, when a school bus driver who had recently traveled home from pilgrimage in Iran by way of Dubai tested positive. Alarm bells immediately went off. With a population ofA 1.5 million in an area the size of New York City (300 square miles), Bahrain is the world'sA third most densely populated countryA (after Monaco and Singapore). Significant numbers! of its c itizens travel regularly to Iran and Iraq, which are regional epicenters of the pandemic. This combustible mix of exposure and crowding had the potential to decimate Bahrain's population. Yet after only five weeks, the Bahraini authorities have succeeded in containing the virus.

What is the secret to Bahrain's success?

April 10 (UPI) By : Adam EreliA served as U.S. Ambassador to the kingdom of Bahrain from 2007 to 2011

BAHRAIN ACTIONS AND REPONSE TO COVID-19: FACTSHEET

FREE COVID-19 TESTING AND TREATMENT FOR ALL CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS

HM the King has issued Royal Directives to provide free COVID-19 testing and treatment for all citizens and residents in the Kingdom of Bahrain

This step will save lives, ensuring all citizens and residents in need receive swift and comprehensive medical care

Secondly, it will help to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19 as no-one need worry about costs associated with being tested or follow-up medical care. Without HM's intervention, some may have delayed seeking tests or treatment

GENERAL

MEASURES a CONTAINMENT

A number of regional flights have been reduced or suspended

All educational institutions, including public and private schools and institutions of higher learning, have been closed until further notice, and remote teaching has been instituted

Various government entities are providing their services online for citizens and residents

Detailed so cial distancing guidelines have been published. Individuals are advised to remain at home, with the exception for those who commute to and from work, those buying medication or essential necessities or visiting a hospital

All citizens and residents are required to wear face masks whilst in public

Commercial and industrial businesses providing goods or services directly to customers, are to open and resume work provided the following conditions are met:

Employees and visitors are required to wear a face mask



The number of employees in any facility is reduced and overcrowding in stores is actively prevented to ensure sufficient social distancing measures are maintained at all times.



Stores must ensure continuous sterilization, including external premises, in accordance to guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health



Queuing line-ups outside storesA must be arranged in accordance to the social distancing measures issued by the Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, has begun announcing contact tracing information via the Ministry of Health's website. Locations visited by contacts of active cases of COVID-19 along with dates and times, are listed to ensure other citizens and residents are able to identify whether they have been exposed to active cases

The iGA has developed and released an app which advances contact tracing efforts by! utilises location data to alert individuals in the event they approach an active case or a location an active case has visited and track the movement of quarantine cases for a duration of 14 days.

In line with the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa , the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to deploy emerging technologies to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Information & eGovernment Authority has begun distributing electronic bracelets compatible with the Kingdom's COVID-19 contact tracing app, 'BeAware'.

, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to deploy emerging technologies to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Information & eGovernment Authority has begun distributing electronic bracelets compatible with the Kingdom's COVID-19 contact tracing app, 'BeAware'. Medical examinationsA ! been cond ucted by Ministry of Health for all citizens and residents who have visited the Islamic Republic of Iran during the month of February, as part of comprehensive precautionary measures that have been activated in light of the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

MEASURES a ECONOMIC

A BHD 4.3bn economic stimulus package, equivalent to 29.6% of Bahrain's annual GDP, has been introduced

annual GDP, has been introduced Individuals and businesses Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) utility bills will be paid for three months from April 2020 . Additionally, all individuals and businesses will be exempt from municipal fees, industrial land rental fees and tourism fees for three months from April 2020

. Additionally, all individuals and businesses will be exempt from municipal fees, industrial land rental fees and tourism fees for three months from The Liquidity Support Fund has been doubled to BHD 200 million and Tamkeen programmes have been redirected to support adversely affected companies

and Tamkeen programmes have been redirected to support adversely affected companies Termination of monthly work feesA and fees for issuing and renewing work permits for a period of three monthsA from April 2020 .

. All loan installmentsA for Bahraini national will be delayed by six months. The waiver is in line with the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa to unify all national efforts to avert the spread of the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Bahrain and protect the health and safety of citizens and residents.

to unify all national efforts to avert the spread of the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in and protect the health and safety of citizens and residents. As per the precautionary measures, the Health Minister suspend! ing the B D7 medical consultation fee, stipulated in edict 2 of 2017 on health fees for non-Bahrainis.

9 MONTH GRACE PERIOD FOR ILLEGAL WORKERS

The Labour Market Regulatory Authority has an introduced a 9-month grace period for all illegal workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain

This comes in the wake of the global outbreak of COVID-19 and is a humanitarian decision to help these workers legalise their status amid this pressing time

The amnesty will allow undocumented foreign workers to either legalise their stay or leave as part of measures to offset the impact of Covid-19.

This is a humanitarian gesture in these extraordinary times to ensure irregular workers can either leave the country or lead to gainful employment

We want to ensure the safety of all expatriates in the country and health care access during these times

INTERNATIONAL COVID-19 REPATRIATION PROGRAMME (ICRP! )

The International COVID-19 Repatriation Programme (ICRP) has been established to ensure citizens are repatriated safely and as quickly as possible. The ICRP has been in operation since 11 March.

The ICRP is a clinically managed programme to safely repatriate citizens from Iran and other COVID-19 affected countries. Every step of the ICRP process is supervised by specialist medical officials, in line with WHO guidelines.

and other COVID-19 affected countries. Every step of the ICRP process is supervised by specialist medical officials, in line with WHO guidelines. The ICRP process includes the chartering of specialist aircraft, the provision of necessary medical equipment, and dedicated quarantine and isolation facilities to ensure returning citizens receive immediate medical care

Public Awareness Campaign to Combat COVID-19

A multilingual public awareness campaign has been launched

The campaign is active and continues to put out announcements, guidelines and instructions in several languages

The MOH website https://www.moh.gov.bh/COVID19 is regularly updated in this regard and we urge you and your respected citizens to check it regularly

The national call centre dedicated for COVID-19 (444) is accessible by all and translation services are available

Your respected citizens are encouraged to contact the line whenever any COVID-19 symptoms or inquiries arise

Note:

Lates updateA of Bahraini total tested, dischaged, deaths, status and active cases

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156499/11_4bn_Government_Stimulus_Package.jpg

A

A
As the death toll from coronavirus rose to 13,729 on Thursday, the Boris Johnson government extended the lockdown by at least three more weeks in the hope that social distancing and other restrictions will continue to have impact.

Official figures show the number of people who tested positive for the virus rose to 103,093.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced the extension amidst signs that the curbs are having some effect. Ministers and experts said lifting the lockdown or a return to normalcy would not be feasible until the mass availability of a vaccine for the virus.

Several projects across the globe are at various stages of developing a vaccine for coronavirus, with one in the University of Oxford promising that it could be available by September. Usually a vaccine is available for mass inoculation in 12 to 18 months.

Raab said: Now is not the moment to give the coronavirus a second chanceWe still dont have infection rates down as much as we need to. Any change to social distancing measures now would risk significant increase in infections.

According to health minister Nadine Dorries, There is only one way we can exit full lockdown and that is when we have a vaccine. Until then, we need to find ways we can adapt society and strike a balance between the health of the nation and our economy.

Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson of Imperial College advising the government said some level of social distancing would need to be retained, until a vaccine is available, calling for a single-minded emphasis on scaling up testing and contact tracing.

Ferguson called for more action at the official level, noting that more preparation had been done for Brexit, including a separate department, than to deal with the pandemic.

Ferguson told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Theres a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated. I dont have a deep insight about whats going on in government, but decisions need to be accelerated. We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation.

Im reminded we had a department for Brexit for government. That was a major national emergency and we are faced with something even larger than Brexit. And yet I dont quite see the evidence for that level of organisation. Id like to see measures accelerated.

He argued that a huge infrastructure of testing and contact tracing would need to be in place in order for the lockdown to be lifted without further peaks, pointing to the model of South Korea, which has been suppressing new outbreaks.

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This is an opinion column.

Now is not the time to expand Medicaid.

Thats the message from Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.

Thats the message from Alabama Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh.

Im aware of the interest thats there, the governor said this week. But theres a lot of exploring that has to be done on how you pay for it.

Marshs urgency was even more melancholy than the governors.

Ive not had a single colleague call and ask me about Medicaid expansion on the Republican side, Marsh said. I dont think the mood has changed on that. If you ask me the opinion of the body, I dont see anything happening in the session other than getting the budget passed.

Thats right. To Marsh this is about a mood. And the company he keeps.

Not saving peoples lives.

Not the health of Alabamians.

Not sustaining rural hospitals and preserving the care they provide throughout Alabama.

Its about a mood.

Lets lay both of these responses on the operating table, take them apart and see whats inside.

Ivey has answered the Medicaid question with a question long before she became governor. Expanding Medicaid would require a 10 percent match from state funds, and for some reason, Alabama has found this match too hard to come by, even before the pandemic, when this same governor was boasting of the best Alabama job market on record.

But look around the country. Louisiana has found the match. Arkansas has found the match. West Virginia has found the match.

Alabama draws down matching funds from the federal government all the time. And the same officials who will tell you it isnt worth spending a dime to draw down a dollar, gladly and grossly hand out corporate welfare incentives to economic development projects that never show such returns for the state.

If we cant find the money, then Alabama needs a governor with better eyesight.

Or better, yet, a governor who wont lie. Because this isnt about finding the money.

Marsh, at least, is somewhat more honest in his answer. His Republican colleagues are not in the mood. That partisan qualifier is important because his Democratic colleagues couldnt be yelling louder. But Marsh only listens to one side of the aisle. Everybody else doesnt matter.

But Medicaid expansion should be something conservatives love.

The health insurance gap is a ten-year-old concept that these folks should get by now. Expanding Medicaid gives working people healthcare coverage, not the welfare Cadillac freeloaders of Republican fever dreams.

As it is, if youre in this gap, you have a choice: Continue working and go bankrupt when you have a medical emergency or give up working so you can qualify for regular old Medicaid.

Medicaid expansion rewards work. It doesnt punish it.

Further, Republican governors all around the country have expanded Medicaid.

So if its not the money and its not ideology, what is it?

To see that answer, you have to look at a map. Only 14 states have refused to embrace the program. Lay it over a map of the Old Confederacy and youll see the same outlines. Of the 14 states linking arms in resistance, eight are from the old Confederacy and all but two of the others werent states in 1861.

14 states have refused to expand Medicaid, despite being besieged by a pandemic.

This is about the same old reactionary politics of spite and self-defeat. And under that, its about race. This has been a test of stubbornness: To what absurd condition must we sink to before our elected leaders would surrender to common sense. Never. The answer is never.

Alabama: We shall not be told. We shall not be helped. We shall not be saved.

Were in the middle of a pandemic, but Alabama officials will leave as many as 300,000 people without healthcare and leave billions of dollars on the table just so they can prove they know better than Obama.

Ivey and Marsh are right about one thing. Now is not the time to expand Medicaid. The time to expand Medicaid was 10 years ago.

And to them, it doesnt matter an itty-bitty damn how many will go bankrupt or how many families will be broken. They dont care now  they never have and never will  how many will die.

Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group.

You can follow his work on his Facebook page, The War on Dumb. And on Twitter. And on Instagram.

More columns by Kyle Whitmire

Finding meaning in the ruins of coronavirus and Legos

This is the most dangerous election. And the most important.

Alabamas governor went on Twitter for a coronavirus Q&A. It was a disaster.

Alabama is stuck on autopilot

What Ill take from the quarantine: My daughters first steps

Stop with the California comparisons, Kay Ivey

Lieutenant governor demands Alabama coronavirus task force do its job

If Alabama has to go back to work, so should the Legislature

In grief for normal life

The truth will tell itself
Kremlin on US Suspension of WHO Funding: G20 Supports WHO's Coronavirus Response

Sputnik News

10:13 GMT 15.04.2020(updated 10:45 GMT 15.04.2020)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - G20 nations have supported the World Health Organization (WHO)'s coronavirus response at the recent teleconference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, commenting on US President Donald Trump's recent announcement that Washington will suspend WHO funding over its alleged failure to properly tackle COVID-19.

"In this case, we can recap March 26, the urgent summit of G20 leaders. G20 presidents held a summit, after which they adopted a coordinated statement, called 'Statement on COVID-19.' It says that the G20 and the WHO are firmly committed to do everything possible to overcome the pandemic", Peskov told reporters.

The statement says that G20 leaders fully support the WHO's effort and intend to bolster its authority on coordinating the coronavirus response, the Kremlin spokesman noted.

"We see that G20 presidents, including Russian Federation President [Vladimir] Putin, rest hopes on the WHO, regarding further effort on analysing the experience on this pandemic, we see that they support the WHO effort. This is our position in Moscow", Peskov added.

In the meantime, Brussels has also addressed Trump's move.

"Deeply regret U.S. decision to suspend funding to WHO. There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever", EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter.

The US president announced his decision to suspend funding for the WHO on Tuesday, claiming that the organisation had impeded Washington's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also criticised the WHO for being "China-centric" and promised a "very thorough" investigation that will be conducted in the next 60 to 90 days.

 Sputnik

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D etectives investigating a gang responsible for trafficking young women from Brazil to work in brothels in north London have made two arrests.

A man, 29, and a woman, 28, were taken into custody at properties in Wembley yesterday morning on suspicion of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Police believe the pair are linked to a gang known to offer fake scholarships to trick victims into travelling to the UK.

After the women arrived, they were put to work in brothels in Harrow and Wembley to repay the costs of their flights, accommodation and education, it is alleged.

Detective Inspector Grant Anderson, from Vulnerability Investigations, said: This was a fantastic team effort. The Met takes all reports of modern slavery and sexual offences extremely seriously and is committed to prosecuting those who engage in this pernicious crime.
A Dauphin County woman is in jail this week after police say she assaulted a 2-year-old boy in her care earlier this year.

State police say Jasmine Jade Krasley, 24, of Millersburg, is charged with multiple felony counts of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children. Online court dockets also show a misdemeanor charge of strangulation.

Police say the child was first treated at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in late January, which prompted a child abuse investigation. The boy was being treated for injuries to his face and neck and investigators say the injuries happened while the boy was in Krasleys care.

After an investigation by the Dauphin County District Attorneys Offices Child Protection Unit, Krasley was taken into custody on Tuesday and is being held at Dauphin County Prison on $50,000 bail, police say.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 27.

Read more on PennLive:
Tatmadaw steps up attacks in Rakhine despite epidemic, killing more than 40 people in April alone, say rights group.

Yangon, Myanmar  As deaths from the new coronavirus mounted in South Korea, Iran and Italy in early March, Myanmars military called off grand plans to mark the 75th anniversary of its World War II revolt against Japanese forces. Instead, the Tatmadaw, as the military is known, deployed soldiers to disinfect hospitals and announced it would set up quarantine facilities to treat infected patients.

But rights groups say the Tatmadaw is doing little where it counts  ending the long-running ethnic conflicts in Myanmars border states, where some armed groups have called for a ceasefire to focus on the battle against the coronavirus.

While the country is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the military is escalating its offensives against ethnic armed groups in Rakhine, Chin, Karen and northern Shan state, said Naw Hser Hser, general-secretary of the Womens League of Burma.

This needs to stop, said the Hpa-an based activist. We need to work together. Nobody can do it alone.

In northern Shan state and in eastern Kayin state, where the Tatmadaw has for decades battled armed groups seeking more independence from the Burmese-dominated central government, reports of attacks and rights abuses by the military continue.

And in the impoverished western states of Rakhine and Chin, the Tatmadaw has stepped up its campaign against the Arakan Army, a rebel group seeking greater autonomy for ethnic Rakhine people.

The unrest continues even as the United Nations urges an end to conflict worldwide, and despite calls for a nationwide ceasefire from armed groups, diplomats and civil society groups, many of whom are worried the coronavirus outbreak in Myanmar could be catastrophic given the poor state of its healthcare system and lack of capacity to carry out testing. The country has recorded 74 cases so far.





On April 1, major ethnic armed groups in Shan and Rakhine states, including the Arakan Army, offered to extend a unilateral ceasefire until the end of the month because of the coronavirus outbreak, while groups in Kayin state, formerly known as Karen state, also urged the Tatmadaw to declare a nationwide ceasefire.

But the Tatmadaw, which had declared the Arakan Army a terrorist group, called the proposal unrealistic, with Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun criticising the groups for allegedly failing to heed the armys previous calls for ceasefires.

On Monday, photos of dead bodies scattered on a road in Kyauk Seik village in Rakhine state circulated on the internet. Activists say eight villagers were killed after being struck by shells fired from a military base. The Tatmadaw called the allegation fake news.

But Thar Doe Aung, who lost three of his nephews in the attack, rejected the militarys claim. Its not fake news. Only we who suffered know what happened, he told Al Jazeera over the telephone.





We buried all of them in one grave, he said of his nephews. My sister is going crazy.

The residents of Kyauk Seik have now fled their homes, said Thar Doe Aung.

A similar attack in Chin state on April 7 killed seven people, including a three-year-old.

I dont feel safe here

The Arakan Information Center, a Malaysia-based organisation that has been monitoring the conflict since it escalated last year, said it has documented 121 civilian deaths this year. In the first half of April alone, it registered 45 deaths.

The figures represent a sharp increase compared with last year  a total of 140 civilians were killed in 2019. Access to the area is restricted making it difficult to independently verify the information.

The military seizes the opportunity to carry out their operations while the international community is busy combatting the coronavirus, said Nyi Nyi Lwin who runs the Arakan Information Center.

Weve seen helicopters and fighter jets deliberately attack civilians in order to weaken the support for the Arakan Army, he said, adding that he expected the fighting to get worse in the coming weeks as the Tatmadaw may have to scale down operations during the monsoon season, which begins in May.

In Rakhine state, people feel anxiety and uncertainty because of COVID-19, but what they fear most is the fighting, said Nyi Nyi Lwin.

One 49-year-old woman from Mrauk Oo in Rakhine state, who was injured in an attack last year, said she has sought refuge in her neighbours bunker  a suffocating hole in the ground  several times because of the fighting.

I dont feel safe living here, she said over the telephone.

A bunker in downtown Mrauk Oo downtown, in September 2019 [File: Verena Hoelzl/Al Jazeera]

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency said it has observed a sharp upward trend in civilian casualties since February.

In a statement on March 27, the agency said at least 21 civilians were killed amid clashes on the border between Rakhine and Chin states earlier in March, while an additional 10,000 people were displaced in Rakhine in that period alone. The UN humanitarian office said a total of 70,000 people have been displaced in the fighting between the military and the Arakan Army in the past 12 months, most of them since December last year.

Renewed chaos

Observers say the conflict between the Arakan Army and the military has brought new chaos to the impoverished region from where more than 730,000 Rohingya fled a bloody military crackdown in 2017.

The rising death toll and displacement has prompted concern, with 139 civil society organisations issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, calling for the immediate protection of those who have nothing to do with the fighting.

The current targeting of innocent civilians in the conflict between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military amounts to war crimes and must immediately cease, the statement said.

The US State Department also said it is deeply troubled by the escalating violence in Rakhine and Chin states.

But military spokesman Zaw Min Tun blamed the uptick in violence on the Arakan Army. Soldiers stationed in Rakhine state have been helping, taking care of and protecting civilians for decades, he told Al Jazeera.

Before the AA emerged, Rakhine state was peaceful, he said, referring to the Rakhine rebel group by its acronym. Once the AA emerged, we have fighting  Because of the fighting, there are IDPs.

A woman shops at a local bazaar in Yangon, Myanmars commercial capital, in March 2020 [File: Thein Zaw/ AP Photo]

Even outside of Myanmars many battlefields, there has been a rise in the harassment and prosecution of journalists and blocking of websites reporting on ethnic conflicts in recent weeks.

Nay Myo Lin, Mandalay-based editor-in-chief of Voice of Myanmar was charged with terrorism after publishing an interview with a spokesman from the Arakan Army.

Police also raided the offices of Rakhine-based Narinjara and briefly detained three of the outlets journalists on March 31 over interviews with the rebels. Its website was also blocked on charges of spreading fake news.

Meanwhile, mobile internet in several townships in Rakhine and Chin, where fighting is going on, has almost continuously been shut down since June last year, a move aid workers say makes it more difficult to fight the coronavirus.

Running from the military

Elsewhere in Myanmar, civil society groups have accused the military of engaging in abuses that hamper efforts to fight the virus.

Communities are now being threatened by both the pandemic and serious human right violations, organisations representing the Taang minority in northern Shan state said on April 8. The groups said they had documented 18 cases of arbitrary arrest, torture, and forced portering for the military in March, including an instance in which a villager died after stepping on a landmine.

In southeastern Myanmar, human rights groups said they have observed abuses, too.

The military is burning agricultural land and threatening villagers in an area where they want to build a road, said Naw Hser Hser from the Womens League of Burma. Instead of worrying about the coronavirus, villagers are on the run from the military.

Attacks in eastern Kayin state, parts of which are under the control of the Karen National Union, include a March 31 incident in which soldiers killed a 56-year-old man returning from a shopping trip and a March 5 incident in which soldiers killed a forest ranger, according to a monitoring group.

At a time when everyone needs to work together to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the government of Burma and the Burma Army seem to see the global focus on the pandemic as an opportunity to further crack down on ethnic people, said Naw Htoo Htoo, a spokeswoman for the Karen Peace Support Network.

Until the international community force the military and the government to pay a price for killing and oppressing our people, they will continue to do so, she said.

Cape Diamond reported from Yangon, Myanmar, and Verena Hoelzl reported from Bangkok, Thailand.
Samaritans has said it is utterly motivated to keeping its helpline running as many callers address worries concerning the coronavirus pandemic.

The charity, which helps people who are in emotional distress and those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, has a free phone line that is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

John Humpston, interim director at the charitys Cambridge branch, stated that during the Covid-19 crisis, the organisation is even further committed to providing emotional, confidential, non-judgemental support to people in need.

He explained that in his experience, many callers are either calling to speak about coronavirus or a topic that is related.

If they dont want to talk about coronavirus they want to talk about things that are a consequence of coronavirus and the shutdown, he said.

The sort of things you would expect, whether that is financial, mental health, relationships. Its all heightened.

Mr Humpston said that the pandemic has acted like a catalyst for some individuals.

If there was a pre-existing vulnerability there then coronavirus has sort of accentuated it really, he said.

Coronavirus isnt necessarily the main feature of most calls, but is in the background if not the foreground of quite a lot of calls at the moment.

Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock

Mr Humpston explained the measures Samaritans have taken to ensure the volunteers at the Cambridge branch are being kept safe, including telling volunteers not to come in if they display Covid-19 symptoms, re-ordering the layout of the branch and telling volunteers who are vulnerable that they can step back from volunteering duties if they wish.

Some Samaritans volunteers have joined forces with Hospice UK and Shout to offer support for healthcare workers on a dedicated mental health helpline launched for the NHS.

It has been fantastic how those who can carry on are carrying on and the shifts are being filled, Mr Humpston said.

Recommended How to feel less anxious about the coronavirus

Theres a tremendous sense of weve got to be there as long as we can.

He added there has been quite a lot of work to keep the Samaritans branches open and to ensure that the 24/7 helpline is maintained in the current climate.

I think most Samaritans are motivated by that sense of we can be there, we wont judge, were confidential and I think they are utterly motivated to do that, Mr Humpston stated.

To contact the Samaritans helpline, call 116 123. The phone line is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

You can also contact the charity by email by sending a message to jo@samaritans.org. The average response time is 24 hours.
DALLAS, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequel Youth & Family Services, a Dallas-based provider of behavioral health services, announced today that it has welcomed Pine Cone Therapies into its network of programs. With locations in Dallas/Fort Worth and HoustonPine Cone provides children, families and adults with treatment programs to assist those with Autism spectrum, speech-language, intellectual delay, neurological, and attention deficit disorders.

"The care and well-being of vulnerable populations is Sequel's primary objective, and under the guidance of an expert clinician, Bobbye Records, at the helm, Pine Cone Therapies has established a highly respected reputation of delivering exceptional services," said Chris Roussos, Sequel Chief Executive Officer. "Bobbye has built a great organization committed to providing critical behavior and autism therapeutic support. We could not be more excited to help take Pine Cone Therapies to the next level by expanding its services across Texas and infusing additional resources into its programs to grow."

With the addition of Pine Cone Therapies, which currently serves over 156 "learners" throughout its four locations, Sequel is expanding its footprint into Texas. By joining forces with Pine Cone Therapies, Sequel will now be providing care to more than 10,000 patients annually across 21 states.

"By bringing our two companies together, the growth plans we had in place at Pine Cone Therapies will be realized much sooner with the backing of Sequel's resources," said Bobbye Records, owner and BCBA at Pine Cone Therapies. "The missions, values and culture of both our companies align, and I am confident Sequel is the right company to be able to resource and support us to accomplish everything we have dreamed of achieving together over the years."

Industry veteran Dr. Bryan Davey, Ph.D., BCBA-D leads the Sequel Autism & Education Division and will be working closely with Bobbye on the Pine Cone Therapies integration.

"Sequel's long-term plan is to create the premier behavioral health continuum of care, meeting the needs of those we serve across a full spectrum of services throughout their lifetime," said Davey, Senior Vice President of Autism Operations for Sequel. "We consider it both a privilege and an honor when we are able to welcome another person and their family into our Sequel family and walk with them along their journey. We are excited to build on the incredible reputation that Bobbye has built at Pine Cone Therapies and expand this care throughout Texas."

Davey brings more than a decade of experience in the behavioral health industry, most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer for Touchstone Health Services, a Phoenix-based healthcare organization. While at Touchstone, Davey revitalized the company's services to better meet the needs of communities through evidence-based programs and strategies, earning Touchstone accolades, including Autism Spectrum Disorder Center of Excellence provider status.

About Pine Cone Therapies

Founded in 2009, by Bobbye Records, MS, CCC/SLP, BCBA, Pine Cone Therapies provides the help needed for those experiencing communication and/or behavior difficulties. Pine Cone Therapies designs consistent and persistent quality treatment that will result in meaningful changes across environments. Treatment programs may include: Applied Behavior Analysis, Verbal Behavior, Pivotal Response Treatment, Speech and Language Therapy, Social Skill Therapy, and Feeding Therapy offered in a variety of settings including clinic, home, and in the community.

About Sequel Youth & Family Services

Founded in 1999, Sequel Youth & Family Services is a leading national behavioral health organization that develops and operates a broad continuum of treatment programs for children, adolescents, adults, and families with severe behavioral health, emotional, and physical challenges. The Sequel Network consists of an extensive spectrum of programs designed to equip those we serve with the clinical and therapeutic services, as well as the tools, motivations, life skills, and education necessary to lead successful lives and reach their full potential.

Our programs serve the behavioral health journey over the client lifetime ranging from Autism spectrum disorder services to residential treatment services for behavioral health, child welfare, and juvenile justice clients. These programs and services are offered in a variety of different types of facilities including out in the community or in clinics, therapeutic day schools, therapeutic boarding schools, secure and staff-secure residential facilities, or PRTF's (psychiatric residential treatment facilities).

It is our mission to serve these vulnerable populations with unparalleled excellence in clinical care, therapeutic treatment, education, and support within a safe, structured, dynamic environment. We are passionate about what we do and delight in providing those we are privileged to serve with excellent programs that instill permanent, positive change and propel them toward their best and full potential. For more information, visit www.sequelyouthservices.com.

Media Contact:

Darby Dame

[email protected]

For Sequel:

989-670-5480 or [email protected]

SOURCE Sequel Youth & Family Services

Related Links

http://www.sequelyouthservices.com


James King, a medical doctor, says the COVID-19 index case in Kano lied about his health and travel history when he was brought to the...





James King, a medical doctor, says the COVID-19 index case in Kano lied about his health and travel history when he was brought to their hospital.





Kano recorded its first case on Saturday, and the patient was said to be a former diplomat who had developed symptoms of the disease.





The state also recorded its first COVID-19 death on Wednesday.





In a Facebook post on Thursday, King said the patient, who was brought in last Friday, had told them he had no symptoms of the disease and he was then admitted in their facility.

He also accused the patient of holding back the information on his travels.





And importantly, he did not provide information that his samples were taken by NCDC for COVID-19 testing before coming to us, the doctor explained.









Of course he denied all the above in order for him to have our medical care. Putting us all and many others at high risk of the novel pandemic.We also learnt that during his illness before coming to us, he was attending Friday Mosque prayers, naming ceremonies and other gatherings.





While on admission in our facility, a day after admission being a Saturday, we had a Nollywood-like dramatic entrance into our facility by health officials with massive police presence.





The major road around our hospital was blocked and made a security restricted area.





I applaud the state government. Their action was very swift and timely. The officials told us that we had a man in our facility that just tested positive for COVID-19. Luckily, my boss, a renowned neurosurgeon, who was still in theatre while rounding up a delicate Spinal Cord Pedicle Screw Fixation + Laminectomy surgery had to be told. He derobed. And met the officials.





There was an order from the Governor of the state to lock down the hospital immediately to prevent further spread.





He said the patient was whisked away to a quarantine centre on the outskirt of the state, while they were placed in isolation within their hospital facility.





He added that samples were collected from the hospital staff for COVID-19 test, and after days of waiting, the result returned negative.





As of Wednesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) put the total cases in Kano at 16 but the states ministry of health put the total figure at 21.






House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

House Democrats are pushing for more generous direct payments to Americans as the coronavirus pandemic plunges the country into what experts have predicted will be a long recession.

The Internal Revenue Service has begun sending one-time checks of up to $1,200 to many Americans as part of the recent $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief package.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats during a conference call on April 6 that a bill Congress was negotiating with the Trump administration could amount to more than $1 trillion and include another set of direct cash payments.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Related Video: What Could Be the Fastest Way to End the Coronavirus Crisis?

House Democrats are pushing for more generous direct payments to Americans as the coronavirus pandemic plunges the country into what experts have predicted will be a long recession.

The Internal Revenue Service has begun sending one-time checks of up to $1,200 to Americans making up to $75,000 as part of the recent $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief package.

Under Reps. Tim Ryan and Ro Khanna's Emergency Money for the People Act, announced Tuesday, US citizens who are 16 or older and make less than $130,000 a year would receive up to $2,000 a month from the federal government for at least six months and until unemployment falls to pre-pandemic levels.

Families who make under $260,000 would also receive an extra boost of $500 per child for up to three children.

"A one-time, $1,200 check isn't going to cut it," Khanna said. "Americans need sustained cash infusions for the duration of this crisis in order to come out on the other side alive, healthy, and ready to get back to work."

Those checks could be part of a fourth stimulus package that the White House is discussing with Congress. President Donald Trump enacted the third recovery package  which also included loans, grants, and other support for businesses  on March 27.

Story continues

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told House Democrats during a conference call on April 6 that the fourth bill could amount to more than $1 trillion and include another set of direct payments.

The president has also said he's interested in a "second round" of stimulus checks.

"We could very well do a second round," Trump said at a White House press briefing on April 6, adding, "It is absolutely under serious consideration."

Charles Davis contributed to this report.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A star orbiting a supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way moves in a way that was predicted by physicist Albert Einstein more than a century ago, astronomers have found.

The orbit of the star, called S2, is shaped like a rosette, which is supported by Einsteins general theory of relativity.

S2 orbits the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, which is 26,000 light years from the Sun, once every 16 years.

The findings, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, are a result of 27 years of observations of the star using a range of instruments, including the European Space Observatorys Very Large Telescope, located in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Reinhard Genzel, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Germany and the architect of the programme, said the first evidence of general relativity was seen in the orbit of Mercury around the Sun.

An artists impression of the orbits of stars very close to the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way (L Calcada/ESO/spaceengine.org/PA)

He added: One hundred years later we have now detected the same effect in the motion of a star orbiting the compact radio source Sagittarius A* at the centre of the Milky Way.

This observational breakthrough strengthens the evidence that Sagittarius A* must be a supermassive black hole of four million times the mass of the Sun.

At its closest, S2 is less than 20 billion kilometres away from Sagittarius A*, around 120 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

This makes S2 one of the closest stars ever found in orbit around the enormous giant.

As it orbits Sagittarius A*, the star follows an ellipse but the point of closest approach to the black hole does not always occur at the same place.

At the centre of the Milky Way is a supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A* (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Instead, it slowly moves around the supermassive object, creating a rosette shape. This rotation of the orbit is called a precession.

General relativity provides a precise prediction of how much this orbit changes and, according to the scientists, the measurements from their current research exactly match the theory.

Story continues

This phenomenon, known as Schwarzschild precession, had never before been measured for a star orbiting a supermassive black hole.

The researchers believe their findings could help unlock the mysteries of supermassive black holes.

Guy Perrin and Karine Perraut, the French lead scientists on the project, said: Because the S2 measurements follow general relativity so well, we can set stringent limits on how much invisible material, such as distributed dark matter or possible smaller black holes, is present around Sagittarius A*.

This is of great interest for understanding the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes.
The Urban Renewal Plan for Heritage State Park expires in 2021.

North Adams Council Favors Urban Renewal Plan Extension



NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The City Council split on a proposal to extend and expand the Urban Renewal plan that includes Western Gateway Heritage State Park.

The vote was 5-3 to recommend the expansion of the area and to extend the life of the plan until 2031.

The current urban renewal document would need to be amended to address a number of factors including developer goals and criteria, and approved by the Redevelopment Authority, City Council and Planning Board. The goal is to have a plan drafted by February 2021 and approved by March 2021.

Amending the plan is a significant amount of work, Feury said, and would not be worth moving forward if the City Council was opposed and the plan would expire in September 2021.

"If the council indicates a positive recommendation of community development will begin drafting the [request for proposals], which would be a collaborative process as can be achieved at this time," he said. "With the goal of finalizing the RFP amendment by February of 2021, so as to begin the public process by March 2021."

Massachusetts General Laws enable municipalities to revitalize substandard or blighted areas by developing urban renewal plans that can enhance private investments in a way that the public benefits through a set of objectives and incentives.

"Urban renewal is not a philosophy, but rather a tool municipalities can use to enhance and or expedite development and targeted areas," Feury explained. "It is however tool that has historically been misused in numerous cities including North Adams. So what we're talking about tonight is not eminent domain, it is not demolition and relocation, but something much simpler."

In the past, urban renewal in North Adams had been largely used for demolition  for the Central Artery project in the 1960s and for the south side of Main Street in the 1970s. The plans for those two areas have expired and only the property around Heritage State Park is now under an urban renewal plan that was created in 1981 in conjunction with the park.

An amended plan would have to take into account objectives and goals for the properties within the plan, a time frame, financing plans, citizen participation and municipal approvals.

The amended plan would also take into account the addition of a parcel owned by the city to the south of the Sons of Italy and city-owned property including a building on the north side of the railroad pedestrian bridge. This would resolve a parcel split between zones and extend the benefits of the Urban Renewal plan to the entire area.

Councilor Marie T. Harpin questioned the advisability of starting a plan with such a short time frame because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The council was meeting virtually over the Zoom platform because of the pandemic restrictions.

"It's one thing to have a public meeting, it's one thing to get the whole entire city involved in this and it's something that affects the entire city," she said. "So it's something that's very important I find this to be a very, very important piece of property in the city of North Adams."

She said it was "heartbreaking" to see the demise of Heritage Park and referred to its checkered history of vacant properties, lawsuits and so far failed development plans. She also thought any amended plan should be accompanied by new members of the Redevelopment Authority, which has seen minimal turnover over the years.

"I just want to let you know that I am not totally against this but I am going vote against this tonight," Harpin said.

Councilor Keith Bona also signaled his opposition largely because he felt it was a question of equity, particularly if one entity  right now the model railroad museum  goes through with its plans to purchase the park.

"I feel we're a small city, I feel we have a small downtown and I have issues where one section of economic base may get privileges, while the rest of the downtown does not," he said. "We're creating these incentives and this extra benefit for anybody who particularly goes in that area."

It also had been under the Redevelopment Authority for 40 years and nothing had really changed for the better, said Bona.

Councilor Benjamin Lamb, however, director of economic development for 1Berkshire, said an urban renewal plan was significant redevelopment tool for municipalities particularly at a time when the future is unknown.

"I just wanted to note that this is a tool that we can very easily lose. ... I think it's important to recognize that this isn't something where we can just create new overlay districts that are urban renewal zones in the city," he said. "It takes a lot of effort to create these. And it's very easy to lose them by just stopping the work on something pretty significant."

Before the discussion, Council President Paul Hopkins noted that he filed a disclosure from the Ethics Commission because of his long service on the Redevelopment Authority before being elected to the council.

"I discussed this with an attorney of the day at the Ethics Commission and the attorney agreed with me that there was no obvious conflict of interest and just recommended that I file that form which I have done with the city clerk," he said.

The final vote was 5-3 with Bona, Harpin and Robert Moulton Jr. voting in opposition and Hopkins, Lamb, Lisa Blackmer, Jessica Sweeney and Wayne Wilkinson in favor. Councilor Jason LaForest was absent.

The council voted unanimously on a plan to sell off excess properties owned by the city, which Feury had also presented to the Community Development Committee.

In other business:

 Mayor Thomas Bernard gave an update on how the city was functioning under the pandemic limitations and that all public employees have been kept working, albeit many from home. The school department continues to feed the city's schoolchildren and has so far distributed upwards of 15,000 meals. The last count of COVID-19 cases in North Adams is 29 and there has been one death.

 The council waived a 120-day notice period for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to acquire two parcels totaling 45 acres abutting conserved land owned by Berkshire Natural Resources Council.

Officials had initially asked for more information when the request was presented in March because there seemed some confusion on the ownership of the parcels.

Mackenzie Greer, BNRC's director of public programs, wrote that the both parcels are owned by JW Kelly Hardwood Corp. and located on the west side of the Hoosac Range off West Shaft Road.

"BNRC will own the fee interest and DCR will hold the conservation restriction; similar to other land on the Hoosac Range," she wrote.

 A matter regarding sidewalk ordinances referred to the Public Safety Committee by Councilor Benjamin Lamb and a communication from Councilor Keith Bona regarding the Youth Commission were postponed again to July.

 The council approved second hand licenses for James Montepare for Empire Antiques two locations at 63 Main St. and 432 State Road; and for Mary Ann George for Maryanntiques & Gifts at 615 Ashland St.

Editor's note: Councilor Bona operates a business on Main Street, which should have been noted in the original posting.
Extracts from the press briefing held on 15 April 2020 at the IMF-World Bank Virtual Spring 2020 Meetings, with Mr. Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMFs African Department, and Mr. Gediminas Vilkas, Communications Officer at the IMF

MR. SELASSIE: Good morning. Before taking your questions, I would like to briefly summarize some of our, some aspects of the outlook that as we see them today.

First, thank you for joining us remotely for the launch of our regional economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa. Unsurprisingly, the outlook this spring is tightly focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region, an unprecedented crisis which is threatening to reverse the regions recent development and policy gains.

To summarize briefly, the impact that this crisis is having on the region and the policies that are needed to protect lives, and allow a swift recovery, I would like to make a few points. First, outlook in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to contract by 1.6 percent in 2020, and highest, you know, in per capita terms, this would be higher still at close to 4 percent. This is the lowest growth number that we can find for the region going back at least to 1970.

The possibility that growth could be contracted more still is quite high, and even if the contraction is limited to this level, it is worth nothing that it represents a 5 percentage points downward revision since last October. And it is, as I noted, the worst performance that weve seen going back at least to 1970.

The hit to growth reflects a poisonous cocktail of shocks that is affecting livelihoods and economic activity. Swift and decisive measures, closing borders, shattering businesses, requiring people to stay at home have had to be adopted to halt the advance of the virus before it overwhelms already stretched health services, but will also disrupt production and reduce demand sharply.

Of course, worth bearing in mind is that these measures will have the greatest impact on the regions most vulnerable. People, who in many cases, have to go out every day to earn income to put food on the table are now being required to stay at home now.

Coupled to this plummeting global demand will exacerbate the economic impact greatly by reducing demand for the regions goods and services, tourism, remittance flows, tighter global financial conditions have already triggered significant capital outflows from the region, and will also adversely impact the prospect for investment going forward. And commodity exporters, will suffer from an additional sharp decline in key commodity prices adding significantly to the regions difficulties.

As a result, no country will be spared. As elsewhere, the region faces a synchronized and deep economic downturn with less diversified economies. All exporters tourism dependent economies set to be very hard. Against this difficult backdrop, several urgent and decisive measured are needed to limit the humanitarian and economic cost of this crisis. The immediate priority is to do whatever it takes to protect peoples health, boosting health spending as needed regardless of fiscal space concerns.

We also see a significant role for fiscal policy in this crisis to mitigate the impact of the crisis. Targeted cash transfers and similar measures to support people whose livelihoods are being upended by the containment and mitigation measures governments adopted are needed. Where feasible, consideration also needs to be given to temporary and targeted support for hard-hit small and medium scale enterprises.

It is only when the health and acute part of the economic crisis have subsided that fiscal policy can revert to medium-term past consistent with debt sustainability considerations.

Critically, the ability of the countries to mount an adequate response will depend on assistance from the international community. With domestic savings and financing options severely limited, as countries have been shut out of capital markets, excellent financing on concessional and grant terms has an inordinate important role to play.

Looser monetary policy can complement these fiscal efforts and financial measures can help minimize credit or liquidity disruptions for businesses. Countries with flexible exchange rates can consider a combination of currency movement and the drawdown on reserves, while countries facing sizeable and disorderly outflows might consider temporary capital flow measures as part of a wider policy package. This crisis is unprecedented and equally calls for bold and decisive support from the international community.

MR. VILKAS: Thank you. Now I go to a different set of questions. What policy advise IMF is offering for the countries. Question from Kemi Osukoya from Africa Bazaar Magazine  within the current latest decades alone African countries, particular those in Sub-Saharan Africa Region have experienced multiple strikes to their economies: climate-related disasters, Ebola outbreak, now we have COVID-19 pandemic  also, slowdown in commodity prices, which affect all exporting countries like Congo and Nigeria, and all the different things that relates to that.

Based on this uncertainty, what top long-term monetary and fiscal policy measures would cushion against unexpected return on external shocks, and what short-term actions can we take now during this current crisis that can be leveraged later on? Thank you.

MR. SELASSIE: Thank you. I think its important to note, I mean, what differentiates this particular crisis from the previous ones that were cited, commodity price declines, or the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa which impacted Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and the like, is the fact that no country is going to be left untouched by this crisis. Every country in the region will be impacted.

In previous cases weve often seen countries that have commodity exporters, or you know, Ebola, those being impacted by the outbreak of Ebola, or natural disasters like Mozambique last year, its been country-specific, or impacting a handful of countries.

Even the global financial crisis really largely impacted those countries that were much more integrated into the global capital markets, into global supply chains, and there were still quite a lot of countries that continued to sustain reasonable growth.

This time, however, because the shock is so widespread  because beyond the external impact on the region, we are also seeing domestic supply and demand being disrupted  the shock will be, really, quite widespread.

Thats why to deal with this shock, I think extraordinary type of policy interventions are needed, including the ones I laid out earlier: very supportive fiscal stance, resources being put on the health aspect of the crisis  this is really, really, very important.

Then, once the crisis is behind us is when policies can be recalibrated to more medium-term considerations.

I think, going forward, these are going to have to include deep thinking about how to have more resilient economies to the more medium-term threats that our economies face also, like climate change.

So, how do we build an economy thats going to be resilient to more detail events, I think, is going to be one of the policy issues that are going to have to be discussed and thought through in the coming days.

Read the full transcript here.

Six Charts Show How COVID-19 Is an Unprecedented Threat to Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis. One that threatens to reverse the development progress of recent years. Furthermore, by exacting a heavy human toll, upending livelihoods, and damaging business and government balance sheets, the crisis threatens to slow the regions growth prospects for years to come.

Overall, GDP is expected to contract by -1.6 percent in 2020, a downward revision of 5.2 percentage points compared to six months ago, the IMF says in its latest Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa.

Comprehensive measures are needed to limit humanitarian and economic losses. Despite the limited space going into the crisis, timely fiscal support is crucial to protect vulnerable groups and ensure a quick recovery when the pandemic fades.

The ability of sub-Saharan African countries to mount the necessary fiscal response will require ample external financing on grant and concessional terms from the international community, says Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMFs African Department.

Here are six charts that tell the story:

1. COVID-19 threatens to unleash an unprecedented health crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. As of April 13, over 7,800 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across 43 countries in the region. South Africa, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso are the most affected. The rapid spread of the virus, if left unchecked, threatens to overwhelm weak healthcare systems and exact a large humanitarian toll.

2. The health shock is precipitating an economic crisis and upending the livelihoods of already vulnerable groups. Containment and mitigation measures needed to slow the spread of the virus will severely impact economic activity. Furthermore, a lockdown can have devastating effects  for example, on food insecurity  on households who live hand-to-mouth and have limited access to social safety nets.

3. Spillovers from a rapidly deteriorating external environment are compounding the economic challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa. A sharp growth slowdown among key trading partners is reducing external demand. In addition, tightening global financial conditions are reducing investment flows and adding to external pressures. Finally, a sharp decline in commodity prices, especially oil, is exacerbating challenges in some of the regions largest, resource-intensive economies.



4. GDP in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to contract by -1.6 percent this year  the worst reading on record. While the effect across countries is expected to differ depending on factors like extent of diversification and dependence on tourism, no country will be spared. Compared to projections made six months ago, growth for 2020 has been revised down for all countries in the region.

5. Timely fiscal support is crucial to limit humanitarian and economic losses. Stepping up health spending is essential, irrespective of fiscal space and debt levels. Given the large but temporary nature of the shock, some discretionary fiscal support is warranted, even in countries with limited space. The focus should be on targeted measures that alleviate liquidity constraints on vulnerable firms and households.

For countries facing financing constraints, especially oil exporters where the shock is likely to be more long-lasting, the aim should be to undertake well-paced, growth-friendly spending adjustments that seek to generate resources for social spending, while mobilizing additional financing from the donor community.

A comprehensive and coordinated effort by all development partners is essential to respond effectively to this crisis. The ability of countries to mount the required fiscal response is highly contingent on ample external financing and grant on concessional terms being made available by the international financial community. Without adequate financing, temporary liquidity issues could turn into solvency problems, resulting in the COVID-19 crisis having long-term effects on economic activity.
In February, during on appearance on Fox News, Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Az.) suggested that the Wuhan virus originated in a Chinese biological warfare laboratory. The leftist media instantly claimed that he was irresponsibly promoting a bizarre, discredited conspiracy theory (as always, holding themselves up as the arbiter of whats valid and what is discredited). It turns out, though, that Cotton was correct.

On January 31, President Trump had declared coronavirus a public health emergency and banned travel between the U.S. and China. The Democrat propaganda branch known as the American mainstream media instantly bashed Trump for doing so. Joe Biden summed up the criticism by saying This is no time for Donald Trumps record of hysteria and xenophobia. Then, on February 3, WHOs Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that there was no need for travel bans targeting China.

The narrative was set  China was not officially responsible for the virus, it was doing all things right and proper to stop the viruss spread, and Trump was a power-mad xenophobe to punish China. On February 13, when there were only 13 Wuhan virus cases in America and no deaths, Cotton had a different idea: He suggested the possibility that the virus was not a random product of Chinas filthy wet markets. Instead, he said, it could well have come from a biological weapons laboratory located near Wuhan:

Tom Cotton reiterates his suggestion that the Coronavirus originated at a super-lab in Wuhan pic.twitter.com/i1cSNSqU0d  Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) February 16, 2020

The entire mainstream media rose up in outrage. The Washington Post approvingly quoted Richard Ebright, a professor of chemical biology at Rutgers University, who said, There's absolutely nothing in the genome sequence of this virus that indicates the virus was engineered. The possibility this was a deliberately released bioweapon can be firmly excluded. The International Business Times called it an ugly conspiracy theory. Business Insider called it a thoroughly debunked theory. The New York Times called it a fringe theory, and stated that the conspiracy theory lacks evidence and has been dismissed by scientists.

Having watched the media get every single thing wrong about the Wuhan Virus, would it surprise you to learn that Cotton was correct and the media were wrong? Now that researchers have had more time to investigate the virus, Fox News reports that the researchers believe that the Wuhan virus was indeed developed as a bioweapon. The current theory, though, is that China lost control of the virus, rather than that it released it on purpose:

There is increasing confidence that COVID-19 likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bioweapon, but as part of China's effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States, multiple sources who have been briefed on the details of early actions by China's government and seen relevant materials tell Fox News. This may be the "costliest government coverup of all time," one of the sources said. The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus was bat-to-human, and that "patient zero" worked at the laboratory, then went into the population in Wuhan. The increasing confidence comes from classified and open-source documents and evidence, the sources said. Fox News has requested to see the evidence directly.

We also know that China knew early that the Wuhan virus had pandemic possibilities, but sat on that information for a crucial week, during which time tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people left China for America and Europe. Even if the Chinese didn't deliberately release the virus into their population, they seem to have come darn close to deliberately releasing it into ours.

Sen. Cotton would do well not to hold his breath waiting for an apology from those in the media who maligned him. It wont be coming. Theyll figure out another way to spin this one.

China isnt just meddling with bioweapons. The State Department has also announced that it may be conducting secret nuclear weapons tests.

Donald Trump was prescient. He realized a long time ago that China is not an upright citizen of the world. While Trump is wisely maintaining at least the facade of good working relationship with President Xi, he has been working since his first day in office to disentangle the American economy from Chinas clutches and to weaken the economic and military tentacles that China has stretched throughout the world.
Married At First Sight's Michael Goonan, 29, and KC Osborne, 31, caught a private jet from Melbourne to Sydney for a business trip on Wednesday - with three Louis Vuitton bags in tow.

The reality couple boasted of their flight by sharing pictures on Instagram, but fans slammed them for flaunting their wealth while while many Australians have lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the flight was completely legal, Michael and KC were also criticised for travelling when many people are in complete lockdown at home.

'Australians are struggling!' Married At First Sight's KC Osborne, 31, (right) and Michael Goonan, 29, (left) have been slammed for flaunting their wealth by catching a private jet amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday

Dance instructor KC received considerable backlash on Thursday when she uploaded collection of photos from inside and outside the private jet, captioned: 'A work trip turned to a fun trip!'

Outraged, one fan commented: 'Just remember, things are hard for all Australians now. Don't sell yourself short and act like this in photos. You didn't have to show all the photos of inside the plane. That is just showing off.'

KC hit back, explaining that while she appears to live a glamorous life, she also spends days 'in her sweats with a messy bun, looking sh*t going to the supermarket'.

Essential travel: Although the flight was completely legal, Michael and KC were also slammed for travelling between from Melbourne to Sydney while many Australians are in complete lockdown at home

Standing up for herself! After one follower accused KC of 'showing off', the dance instructor hit back, saying that it is 'my life and I will live how I want'

'I have no disregard to what is going on in the world and I do what I can to give back and to encourage kids. Im not perfect but this is MY LIFE and I will live how I want,' she hit back in a comment.

But KC's explanation was not enough, as the negative comments kept on pouring in.

'At a time where we are in a very troubled situation for many, you flaunt the private jet and superficial relationship you are in,' one person wrote.

Backlash: KC's explanation was not enough, as the negative comments kept on pouring in

Out of touch? KC took a selfie on the private jet with her colourful Louis Vuitton duffle bag in the background

Someone else added: 'Really? A private jet? Other Australians are struggling to get home once they are here, they are in quarantine for two weeks.'

The couple were legally allowed to fly from Melbourne to Sydney because the trip was for business, which is considered 'essential travel' by the Australian Government.

Unlike other states and territories, NSW and Victoria have not closed their borders, and therefore allow for business travel between the two economic hubs.

'The fine line of mixing business with pleasure,' Michael captioned his Instagram post, which included photos from the flight (left) and video skit of himself drinking a Corona beer (right)

Michael is the company director of his family's commercial ice business and insisted that the flight was for commerce.

In addition to Michael's work, the trip would have been a good opportunity for KC to visit her family, who live near Cronulla Beach in Sydney's Sutherland Shire.

The company director posted a number photos from the flight and a video skit of himself drinking a Corona beer while on the private jet.

Just your average Wednesday! Michael flicked through his phone while waiting for their jet to be prepared for takeoff

'The fine line of mixing business with pleasure,' he captioned the post.

'Coronavirus?' one person commented.

Another person wrote: 'Well that's not very social distancing of you!'

They can't catch a break! The couple also received criticism of their new relationship, which they debuted after MAFS concluded airing earlier this month

Michael received a lot less criticism on his post as he had activated Instagram's 'limit comments' feature.

The couple also received criticism of their new relationship, which they debuted after MAFS concluded airing earlier this month.

On the show, Michael was 'married' to Stacey Hampton, who was friends with KC before she found out she was dating her ex.

Michael and KC started dating almost eight weeks ago, after Michael's split from Stacey, which happened on January 16 in between filming the MAFS reunion dinner party and the finale.

KC amicably split from her ex-'husband', Drew Brauer, shortly after their final vows in December.

Drew, 32, has known about KC and Michael's relationship since March 11 and is supportive. Stacey, on the other hand, is not happy.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 6,449 confirmed cases and 63 deaths in Australia as of Thursday.
The world largest private foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a further 150-million-dollar commitment to f...





The world largest private foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a further 150-million-dollar commitment to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.





The world community must understand that so long as COVID-19 is somewhere, we need to act as if it were everywhere.





Beating this pandemic will require an unprecedented level of international funding and cooperation, Bill Gates, the foundations co-chair and founder of Microsoft said.





With Wednesdays announcement, the foundation has now given 250 million dollars to fight the virus and COVID-19, the respiratory disease it causes.





The donation comes just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would halt funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a move that was harshly criticised in the international community.





The Gates foundation is among the biggest private donors to the WHO.





The new funds will go toward the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, and support efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 in low and middle-income countries.





The foundation plans to partner with organisation in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to increase their COVID-19 detection capabilities along with treatment and isolation efforts.





Non-medical funding will also go towards supporting people in extreme poverty who are impacted by the economic fallout of the virus.





The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, previously the William H. Gates Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000.
 Flash

The Chinese government has decided to send teams of medical experts to Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Saudi Arabia to help the countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Wednesday.

China and African countries are longtime brothers who share weal and woe. African countries had supported China during China's most difficult times fighting the pandemic, which China will never forget, Zhao said at a news briefing, adding that China is paying close attention to the situation of the pandemic in Africa, and has overcome its own difficulties and provided anti-epidemic materials and aid to the African Union and all African countries with diplomatic relations with China.





"These steps are all a reflection of building an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future," said the spokesperson.





He said after the outbreak in China, the Saudi leaders immediately expressed their condolences and support. The Saudi government and public have provided China with many batches of aid materials.





Saudi Arabia is also facing severe challenges amid the pandemic. China also firmly supports Saudi Arabia's anti-epidemic efforts and is willing to provide assistance within its capability, he said.





He said as comprehensive strategic cooperation partners, China will maintain close cooperation with Saudi Arabia to safeguard the safety and health of peoples of the two countries.





The team of Chinese medical experts to Saudi Arabia left for the country Wednesday morning.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. [Photo/Agencies]

Russia is open for talks with the United States on how the advanced weapons each is developing, including hypersonic missiles, can be integrated into a more comprehensive agenda for arms control, the country's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Lavrov, in an online interview with Russian and foreign media on Tuesday, said such talks would cover all aspects of arms control and any other factors that may influence what he called the strategic stability in the relationship between the two powers.

The foreign minister said he wanted to speak to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again after receiving a call from his US counterpart a few days ago. In that call, he said, Pompeo touched on the issue of Russia and the US resuming talks on arms reduction measures and the broader strategic stability.

"We welcome such interest from our US partners because we have been encouraging them to address these problems more actively for a long time," Lavrov said.

In August, the US pulled out of a major strategic arms accord, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, citing Russian noncompliance. Both countries are developing hypersonic missiles to expand their military capabilities.

Reuters reported that such missiles, which fly several times the speed of sound and can be steered in flight, are harder to stop than other generations of weapons. Some experts fear their deployment could trigger a new nuclear arms race.

Last month, the US announced that it had successfully tested an unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile in a bid to catch up with Russia.

Russia had claimed to be open to talks with the US about the development of new weapons, including the hypersonic missiles. Such discussions should also cover the deployment of weapons in outer space, strategic conventional armaments, the future of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and other issues, Lavrov said.

Responding to a question about what Moscow was seeking from a Russia-US working group on outer space, Lavrov pointed out that the group's formation was the result of a long period of dialogue.

"You know, it is not that we are seeking something. This is simply the result of our dialogue with the United States that has been going on for quite a long time regarding which mechanisms and to solve which world problems both Moscow and Washington consider the most essential, as well as on which of these issues Russian-US interaction can be maximally fruitful," he said.

Russia and the US intend to resume efforts toward achieving strategic stability as a whole more substantively, according to Lavrov, noting this will be possible after the coronavirus pandemic is over.

A Reuters report said Russia is taking steps to mend its ties with the West since the coronavirus emerged as a global threat, as the country has sent medical supplies and equipment to the US and Europe to help them fight the epidemic.

"Right now, we all work remotely. There are things, including some strategic stability points that could be discussed via a video or phone conference painlessly," Lavrov said. "And then there are issues that should better be postponed until the global situation allows us to resume direct diplomatic contact."
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Armenia to Serbia Ashot Hovakimyan gave an interview to Serbian Politika newspaper during his visit to Belgrade, where he referred to the Armenian-Serbian relations, Nagorno Karabakh issue.

Speaking about the common features of Armenia and Serbia, the Ambassador noted that both countries have been parts of larger political units for long periods, but they both strived for independence and sovereignty. ''Today our countries have excellenet political relations'', he emphasized.

Referring to Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Ambassador Hovakimyan said that it's not a territorial issue and it's about the lives of individuals, who live in that area and their lives is endangered by the Azerbaijani policy. ''Artsakh has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. The people of Artsakh established their statehood after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in the same way as the Republic of Azerbaijan was established. But in the 90s of the past century Azerbaijan unleashed aggression against Artsakh. They promoted hatred, ignored people's wil and glorified war crimes'', Ashot Hovakimyan said, bringing the example of Ramil Safarov who axe-murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan while sleeping, when they were participating in NATO English Language Courses in the capital of Hungary in 2004. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without right to be pardoned for 30 years. On August 31 2012 Safarov was extradited from Hungary to Azerbaijan as a result of dark deals between Aliyev and Viktor Orbanand. The murderer was pardoned by the president Ilham Aliyev. The murderer was advanced to mayor, provided with an apartment and given national hero and compensated for the 8 years of the imprisonment in Hungary.

Ashot Hovakimyan also expressed concerns over the anti-Armenian propaganda by Azerbaijani leadership, including against ordinary civilians. In April 2016 the armed forces of the republic of Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno Karabakh Republic (Artsakh-edit.) threatening the existential security of not only the 150 thousand Armeniains living in Artsakh, but the Armenians worldwide, he said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
The other day, from his secret bunker, Vladimir Putin took part in a virtual meeting of the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union. That's what the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia is now called. Before the Russian incursion into Ukraine, the Kremlin had tried to draw Kyiv into this project.

In his opening remarks, the Russian president suggested considering zeroing customs duties on essentials pending the efforts to tackle the novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Russian State Duma started discussing the issue of the possible zeroing of the very countries that are members of this association. Russian deputies passed at first reading a bill streamlining acquisition of Russian citizenship.

The main point is that, in order to get naturalized in Russia, the applicant no longer has to give up on their current citizenship.

The possibility is being worked out at a global level of mass distribution of Russian passports, whose holders could one day suddenly cry out: "Putin, bring in your troops!"

It is curious that this norm was tested in the occupied Donbas, and now they want to expand it to the whole world.

But despite Putin's statements that Russian borders stretch indefinitely, the focus of the latest legislation is primarily on the so-called "compatriots" from the post-Soviet space.

In fact, the possibility is being worked out at a global level of mass distribution of Russian passports, whose holders could one day suddenly cry out: "Putin, bring in your troops!" He will have all the necessary arguments to this end. After all, he'll have to "protect" Russian citizens from potential Belarusian or Kazakh "fascism".

So far, the bill has been adopted at first reading, and applies to persons who have already moved to Russia. But the taste of invasion is so tempting... By second reading, it's planned to provide (as Russian deputies say publicly without being reprimanded by the Kremlin) for the distribution of passports without the need for the applicants to actually move to Russia.

Thus, Russians dream of boosting the number of persons with dual citizenship. Moreover, if they don't need to give up on the citizenship of the country of residence, they can pledge allegiance to Russia secretly. Such allegiance remains a must for any applicant for naturalization in Russia.

The most interesting thing is that, while there is some logic in the norm allowing Ukrainians to retain their citizenship while being naturalized in Russia (it's no secret that Moscow has been claiming dangerous enemy 'banderites' in Zelensky's government), the same move with respect to Belarus and Kazakhstan looks ridiculous as these two states have formally remained Russia's closest allies.

For citizens of Belarus, this will be explained under the pretext of "rapprochement of the two countries  members of the Union State". In fact, though, what the Kremlin actually seeks is to achieve "total rapprochement", up to the absorption of Belarus.

As for the Kazakhs, the pretext is the Russian language being used at the official level and in "everyday life".

The plans for "getting up from their knees" may be slightly changed by plunging oil prices and the novel coronavirus, but the scale of ambition is clear: to keep bringing the "Russian world" to everyone

As for Ukrainians and Moldovans, Russia intends to hand out passports "based on humanitarian considerations and in order to protect rights and freedoms." That is precisely what the explanatory note to the bill says. Perhaps this wording is due to the fact that Russia has already occupied part of Moldova and part of Ukraine, proceeding, of course, from "humanitarian considerations".

It's all easy from that point. It's about repeating Putin's scenario tested in Donbas in relation to all mentioned states: "We will stand behind women and children"

The plans for "getting up from their knees" may be slightly changed by plunging oil prices and the novel coronavirus, but the scale of ambition is clear: to keep bringing the "Russian world" to everyone despite the fact that, in practice, this always turns out to be "Russian poverty" and death.

Roman Tsymbaliuk
Its a troublesome time for everyone in the business world right now, particularly for those of us who own our own businesses. My business, Student Loan Planner, launched in 2016 and grown steadily over the past four years. However, as a CFA and former bond trader, I always knew the day would come when wed need to weather a storm.

Here are six smart money moves Im taking for my business right now that I suggest you do as well. You want to set your business and employees up for the best possible success as our country navigates this health and financial crisis.

Apply for the government bailout programs

This should be No. 1 on your list before doing anything else I mention in this article. Under The Paycheck Protection Program, employers with less than 500 employees can access funding to cover up to eight weeks of payroll and certain other operating expenses. That gives you more cash to motivate and retain your team. Throw your hat into the ring like everyone else. You want this lifeline.

Related: How to Submit Your SBA PPP Loan Application and Calculate the Loan Amount

The U.S. Small Business Administration is providing low-interest working capital loans of up to $2 million. These loans are designed to provide economic support for small businesses that have lost revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Check out your states programs for businesses. Many states are providing resources and support to small businesses. For example, California and Colorado have work-sharing programs that provide partial unemployment benefits as an alternative to layoffs. Lastly, for local business support, contact your local SBA office or Chamber of Commerce for additional resources specific to your area.

Protect your team  even if that means paying them less for a period of time

Most people are assuming they will be let go at this point. More than 6.6 million U.S. workers filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, on top of 3.3 million a week earlier, which means if you can offer anything better than a layoff, your team will greatly appreciate it.

My company is trying to retain as many employees as we possibly can by cutting their hours but continuing to pay them something. Doing this means we can conserve cash but try to mitigate the psychological turmoil that comes from being furloughed or laid off completely.

Related: What Leaders Can Learn From Governor Cuomo About How to Communicate During a Crisis

Going this route also encourages employee loyalty  your employees will always remember how you acted at this time. If you did everything you could to keep them on payroll during one of the biggest financial crises weve ever seen as a country, they'll support you too.

Listen to what your clients or customers need and try to give it to them

Your customers and clients are going to remember what you did right now for a very long time. How can you prioritize customer service and content at a time when they need it most, even if that means a loss in short-term revenue?

Right now, my company doesn't expect to make much money from the content we're producting  in the short term, at least. From showing people how to get their seized tax refunds back if they're in default, to advice on how to cut their monthly payments, to demonstrating how to get loan forgiveness credit instead of refinancing, on which we make a commission.

Customers need guidance right now, and the best brand advertising you can do is to have them remember your company was there for them during this economic crisis.

If your company is in a good financial position, think long-term

Many businesses that were already in tenuous positions before the disease started spreading will likely not reopen. If you think about the supply-demand curve you probably learned in your Econ 101 course in college, the supply curve probably shifts up and to the left after this because fewers businesses will exist to buy goods.

That means the quantity supplied of goods and services will be lower, and the price you can command will be higher. Meaning, if your company survives, having fewer businesses to compete with will mean higher profits for your company long-term. If your company is in a financial position that gives it a good chance of surviving this crisis, implement this strategy into your long-term plan.

Related: Entrepreneurs Review the SBA PPP Loan-Application Processes

In addition, businesses have pulled back from paid advertising in a huge way  thats a big opportunity if you have cash to burn. For example, say you know each of your email subscribers is worth $5 long-term because you sell a digital product. If the cost of acquiring one of these subscribers on Facebook was $2 but is now $1, you should be excited to spend that money right now. You can acquire these leads for 50 percent off.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

If you dont have an emergency savings fund, start one

As a business owner  particularly one who is trying to protect his or her employees from layoff  youre going to take a hit to your personal finances right now. That's where an emergency cash fund comes in. In a recession, even if you have a stable job, you should have cash to cover six months of expenses on hand. If you have an economically sensitive job, it should be one year's worth. You need to include any required loan payments as part of this calculation.

As a business owner, conserving cash is everything right now. If you have to borrow money to get emergency savings, do it. You know how they say on planes that you must put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others around you? The same goes for your personal finances when you own your own business.

Take walks and relieve your anxiety with whatever you enjoy

This is perhaps the most important tip I can give you right now. Youre not going to make the best financial decisions for your company if you dont take time to blow off steam and relieve anxiety. The worst thing you can do is sit down and stew about your business 24/7. Whether its watching Tiger King or Ozark on Netflix or taking a walk in nature, make sure to clear your head every day  for the sake of your business and your own personal well-being.

Related: What the Entrepreneur Staff Is Doing to Stay Sane and Productive While Working From Home

Related:

Why Entrepreneurship Should Be Taught Before College

This Entrepreneur Harnessed the Power of Digital Marketing And Advertising Techniques To Reach the Top

6 Smart Money Moves to Make Right Now as a Business Owner



Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The Energy Minister has disclosed that 85% of Ghanaians will enjoy President Nana Akufo-Addos directive to absorb electricity bills for a period of three months.

John Peter Amewu disclosed this today, Thursday, April 14, 2020, at a press briefing organised by the Ministry of Information.

President Akufo-Addo announced that the government will fully cover the bills of low-income consumers of electricity in the country for April, May and June 2020.

The Energy Minister said the package will also benefit industries too.

About 86-87% of the Ghanaian population has access to the national grid so this directive by the President means that about 85-86% of Ghanaians will enjoy this access, the Minister noted.

Government to absorb electricity bills for the poor, others to enjoy 50% slash

Government announced it will fully cover the bills of low-income consumers of electricity in the country for April, May and June 2020.

The remaining consumers who fall outside of this category will enjoy a 50% percent reduction in the cost of electricity for the same period.

We have decided further measure of mitigation for Ghanaians for the next three months Government will fully absorb electricity bills for the poorest of the poor, i.e: lifeline consumers. This will cover persons who consume 0 to 50-kilowatt hours per month for this period. This forms part of relief interventions by the state amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Other categories of consumers will enjoy a 50 percent discount within the same period. For all other consumers, residential and commercial, the government will absorb 50 percent of your electricity bill for this period using your March 2020 bill as the benchmark, the President noted.

Temporarily halt online academic activities and resolve students, universities tension  NUGS

The customer population of one million of ECG is about 27.4% of the ECG total customer population and this means that at the current tariffs government is absorbing almost an amount of GHC8.5m per month for Ghanaians

Government to spend GHS1bn on Coronavirus electricity reliefs

Mr. Amewu at the media briefing also disclosed that the government will spend a little over GHS1 billion within the next three months on reliefs.

ECG currently oversees one million metres and its customers, 27.4 percent are lifeline customers.

This means that at the current tariff level, Government is absolving almost an amount of GHS 8.5 million per month for [life line customers], Mr. Amewu noted.

For non-lifeline customers 2,780,886 are residential and 1,608 are special load tariff customers

A 50 percent discount on their electricity bill will translate into GHS 235.4 million per month. The total reliefs for ECG customers per month are, therefore, GHS244 million.

All these reliefs for ECG customers will translate to GHS732 million over three months.

For the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), the total government relief for all customers is about GHS47 million or GHS141 million for the three month period, Mr. Amewu said.

There will be reliefs of GHS10.9 million per month for a customer population of 500,069 lifeline customers representing GHS 60.67 of the total NEDCO customers.

There will be reliefs of GHS36 million per month for the remaining 369,000 non-lifeline customers.

For the Volta River Authority (VRA), the reliefs will be GHS55.5 million per month or a total of GHS166.4 million for three months.

The VRA reliefs will cover 12 mining customers at GHS42.4 million per month or GHS127.2 million for three months.

Also under this, the Volta Aluminum Company will receive reliefs of GHS4.8 million per month or a total of GHS14.4 million for the three months and other manufactory customers, which include cement manufacturing companies, among others, will benefit from GHS7.9 per month or 23.7 million for the three months.

---citinewsroom
ZANZIBARs exports of goods and services have increased by 20.5 percent for the year ending February thanks to tourism, hotel and accommodation.

However, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the situation set to change after the isles government banned international flights.

The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) said in its latest Monthly Economic Review report that the tourism pushed up export earnings to 238.4 million US dollars in twelve months to February.

The outturn was largely associated with improved earnings from service-related activitiestourism, hotel and accommodationas well as export of cloves and seaweeds, the central banks said.

The isles earnings from cloves exports amounted to 18.6 million US dollars, while earnings from seaweed amounted to 5.0 million US dollars.

Fish and fish products exports increased by more than two-fold while exports of domestically manufactured and re-export manufactured goods declined.

Shortly after announced the travel ban fortnight ago on foreign flights to Zanzibar, the Minister of Information, Tourism, and Antiquities, Mr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said the effect of coronavirus on tourism is more than 95 per cent.

Tourism is the isles leading foreign exchange earners of more than 80 per cent, contributing more than 25 per cent to the Isles GDP.

The Zanzibar government and the people here depend largely on tourism for their livelihood.

On the other hand Zanzibar, semi-autonomous archipelago is a net importer economy. For the year ending February, it Imports of goods and services amounted to 377.7 million US dollars.

This was an increase of 28.9 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2019.

The increase was mainly in oil, rice, wheat flour and sugar. Merchandise imports continued to dominate imports at 69.7 percent, BoT said.

The central bank said the impact on the country economy was mild up to February because countries had not imposed trade restrictions and lockdown.

As the spread of the pandemic disease deeply intensified towards the end of February, the impact on the economy became visible in March, BoT said.
The new guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday, allowing manufacturing to resume, albeit with caveats, have added to his restlessness. He cant wait to witness the sight of an active manufacturing unit filled with the sweet hum of rolling assembly lines. But there is much to be done before he gets to see what he has been familiar with for ...

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Digital Editor
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives to make a press statement on the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 at the Chancellery, in Berlin on March 22, 2020.

Germany has set out a roadmap for cautiously lifting coronavirus lockdown measures, while in the U.K., the government is set to extend the country's lockdown, amid growing calls for an explicit exit strategy.

Germany announced Wednesday that small shops (with a retail space of below 800 square meters) will be allowed to re-open from Monday April 20, as long as hygiene and social distancing measures are in place, according to public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. In addition, larger car dealerships, bike shops and book shops can also reopen.

Schools in the country will open their doors on Monday May 4 giving priority to students that have to take exams. Large, mass gatherings will remain banned until August 31, however. A decision on lifting restrictions on social venues, such as restaurants and bars, is expected to be taken at a later date.

"We have to proceed with extreme caution," Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin Wednesday, warning that the country is "walking on thin ice."

Germany has been praised for its handling of the coronavirus crisis; it has over 127,000 confirmed cases of the virus but has seen a fraction of the deaths reported in other western European nations. Its death toll is currently at 3,804, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University, in contrast to Italy's 21,645 and Spain's 18,812.

The German response to the outbreak has included widespread testing and contact tracing, as well as a lockdown imposed on March 22  factors which appear to have prevented its robust healthcare system being overwhelmed.

While Germany can see light at the end of the tunnel, the U.K. appears to be in a far more confused state. There is criticism mounting over the government's handling of the crisis, given a comparatively small amount of testing, and a lack of personal protective equipment.

Dominic Raab, who is deputizing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he is recovering from a serious case of Covid-19, is meeting government ministers Thursday, and is chairing a meeting of its emergency response committee.

It's widely expected that the country's lockdown will be extended for three weeks, amid stark warnings that the U.K. could end up being the worst hit country from the coronavirus in Europe.

The U.K.'s top medical expert stated Wednesday that the country is probably seeing its peak of the virus (the death toll currently stands at 12,868 in British hospitals, with 761 daily deaths reported Wednesday), but it is too early to consider lifting lockdown measures that have been in place since March 23.

"Our view is that it is probably reaching the peak overall," the U.K.'s chief medical adviser Chris Whitty said at the government's daily news conference Wednesday. "We are not yet at the point where we can say confidently and safely 'this is now past the peak and we can start thinking very much now about the next phases'."

The U.K. is not alone in its caution; France too has extended its lockdown until May 11. But the U.K. does appear to be behind its European peers with regards to a robust testing regime, which could allow the identification of those that are safe to return to work, and those that are not.

Department of Health data on Wednesday showed the U.K. had conducted almost 16,000 tests on Tuesday. In comparison, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said at a press conference last week that Germany was carrying out 100,000 tests per day.
I - along with several others - have been asked by my employer to take a temporary 20 per cent pay cut due to the impact coronavirus has had on the business.

We have been told this will run from the start of May until at least the end of July, at which point, there will be another review.

While I realise I am fortunate in that I still have a job, I am not happy with having to take a pay cut with no form of compensation.

I have friends in other industries that have also taken a pay cut but have had their working hours reduced accordingly while others have received compensation through additional benefits or a promise for compensation at the end of the year.

Some businesses have been forced to ask their employees to take temporary pay cuts and/or reduced hours in order to get through financial difficulties created by the coronavirus

Meanwhile, some members of staff at my workplace have been furloughed which, as far as my understanding goes, means they are not working at all but will get 80 per cent of their salary via the government scheme.

I must make a decision on whether or not to accept this change - and sign a new contract - by the end of the week but I wanted to know what my rights are.

Do I have to sign the contract? Can I ask to be furloughed instead? Am I at risk of losing my job?

Jayna Rana, of This is Money replies: Covid-19 has created a unique set of challenges for both employers and employees across Britain, while the Government has provided assistance where it can, including the Job Retention Scheme grants.

Tough new measures were put into place almost a month ago in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus with the Prime Minister announcing a lockdown of the country.

This has meant hundreds of small and large businesses have temporarily closed, while other staff have been given alternative jobs to do, pay cuts, reduced hours or have even been furloughed. In the most extreme cases, some employees have lost their jobs.

You are one of many Britons who has been impacted by the coronavirus with regards to your employment. You are, as you have pointed out, lucky in that you still have a job and therefore a regular income.

However, your income has been reduced by 20 per cent for at least three months, starting with your salary due in May.

While some employers have balanced this out by reducing the working hours or the workload for the staff they have have asked to take a pay cut, you have not received any correspondence to suggest this will happen, nor will you receive any kind of compensation in some way.

You are not happy with what is being asked of you, which is understandable.

To help you decide what to do, This is Money spoke to Laura Conway, a senior associate at Wedlake Bell, and James Medhurst, a senior associate in the employment team at Royds Withy King, to find out what they think about your situation.

Is my employer allowed to reduce my salary?

Laura Conway is a senior associate at independent London law firm Wedlake Bell

LC: Your employer's ability to make changes to your contractual terms, including reducing your salary, will depend upon the terms of your contract and usual employment law considerations.

Normally, any variations to the contract (including any reduction in salary) must be agreed with you in advance.

If the contract includes the right to 'lay-off' i.e. for the employer to provide no work or pay for a period, then your employer may choose to exercise this; however, lay-off clauses are quite unusual, and unless your employer has the contractual right to do so, they will need your express consent.

JM: In ordinary circumstances, it is very difficult for an employer to reduce your salary without your agreement.

However, it might be able to force you to agree to a pay cut by threatening to dismiss you if you do not agree, so long as it can show that it is reasonable to take such a draconian step.

For example, it might be reasonable if your employer is in financial difficulty because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Even if your employer is not threatening dismissal, there are other potential consequences of refusing to accept a reduction in salary.

Your employer might have to make redundancies or might have to fold altogether, and it is important to consider these potential alternatives before refusing to accept a pay cut.

On the other hand, some employers will be able to recover quickly when the current crisis has ended. For that reason, it is common to agree pay cuts that are time-limited, so that pay returns to its original level on a specified date.

If your employer has proposed a permanent salary reduction, you might want to ask whether it can be time-limited in that way, although your employer does not have to agree to this.

Should I ask for a reduction in hours?

JM: One employer does not have to make the same decision as another, but each employer does have to treat its own employees in a non-discriminatory way.

It can treat employees in one department differently from employees in another department, so long as the reason for this difference is not tainted by considerations of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation or religious belief.

In practice, there are a variety of reasons why an employer might want to make salary cuts. For example, some employees will have fewer tasks to perform, so it makes sense to reduce hours as well as pay.

But for other employees, there will be as much work to do as before, but for less overall profit for the employer, and it does not make sense to cut the workload of those employees, even where it is necessary to reduce their pay.

Employees who work part-time should be treated in the same way as those who work full-time, unless the employer has a good reason for treating them differently. If an employer has reduced a full-time employee's hours, it should usually offer to reduce the hours of a part-time employee in an equivalent role by the same proportion.

James Medhurst of Royds Withy King said if you do not want to agree to a variation of your employment terms, it is important that you set out your objection in writing

Do I have to sign a contract and what happens if I don't?

LC: Often the employment contract requires any changes to contractual terms to be recorded in writing.

Therefore, if you agree to a variation to your terms such as a reduction in pay or hours, you may be asked to sign a letter or other contractual document to indicate your consent to the changes.

Practically, it is always better to have what is agreed set out clearly in writing and signed by the parties.

However, if you don't want to agree to the changes then your employer cannot force you to agree or to sign anything.

If you do not agree, in the present circumstances your employer may feel there is no option but to seek alternative routes, including redundancy or potentially ending your employment contract on its current terms and offering you the new terms as an alternative.

Such options usually require consultation and may give rise to claims if not handled correctly.

Employers may also try to unilaterally impose the terms in the hope that, considering the threat of unemployment, claims will not be pursued.

JM: If you do not want to agree to a variation of your employment terms, it is important that you set out your objection in writing.

If you do not object in writing, it is possible that you will be held to have agreed to the proposed variation simply by continuing to turn up for work.

A contract can also be varied orally and your agreement can be inferred from your behaviour  no signature is required.

If you can produce written evidence to show that you did not agree to the variation, this will give you some protection if there is a dispute in the future about what has been agreed.

If you agree to a variation of your employment terms, your employer will usually send you confirmation in writing.

What does it mean to be furloughed? If you're being furloughed by your employer, it means you're being sent home, but will still receive 80 per cent of your salary from the Government, up to a maximum of 2,500 a month. However, you first need to agree to be put on furlough by your employer, who can then apply for the money to the Government. You cannot apply for it yourself. Your employer can choose to pay the remaining 20 per cent of your wages, although it is not obliged to do so. If you earn more than 2,500 a month, your employer can choose to 'top up' your salary, but again it is not forced to do so. You will still continue to pay income tax and national insurance contributions while on furlough. Benefits such as health insurance, private medical, gym membership etc should continue as normal unless otherwise agreed. This Government job retention scheme is only for employed people, it does not apply if you are self-employed. There is an alternative scheme in place for those working for themselves. It is possible to refuse to be furloughed, however, doing so may put you at risk of redundancy and/or termination of your employment.

It might ask you to sign something to confirm your agreement but, even if it does not, this will not prevent an agreement from being legally binding. Once it has become legally binding, you will not be able to change your mind.

If you have agreed to a pay cut only temporarily, it is important to ensure that the written document specifies the date on which your pay will return to normal.

Can I be furloughed instead?

JM: As an employee, you have no right to insist that your employer furloughs you.

Whether you are furloughed or not will depend on whether there is any work that your employer wants you to do.

There might be a small number of employers who have not yet heard about the Government's furlough scheme and so it is worth drawing it to your employer's attention, but your employer does not have to use the scheme if it does not want to.

Your employer generally cannot act in a discriminatory way in deciding who to furlough and, if others employees are being furloughed but you are being asked to take a pay cut instead, you are entitled to ask why.

However, your employer is allowed to give additional protection to employees who are pregnant or have underlying health conditions, and is allowed to treat some sections of the workforce differently from others for non-discriminatory reasons.

Am I only eligible for furlough leave if redundancy or being laid off was the alternative?

LC: The guidance is unclear, but it appears not. The Government has indicated that the intention behind the furlough scheme was to assist employers whose operations have been severely affected by COVID-19 and offer an alternative to redundancy, lay-off or unemployment.

However, there is nothing in the guidance which expressly states that employers will be required to evidence that redundancy was the only alternative.

In practice, the scheme is most likely to be used for employees who might otherwise be made redundant, because it is a condition of being furloughed that: (i) the minimum period of furlough is three weeks and (ii) during the furlough, the worker must not do any work for the employer.

Can I work for another employer whilst on furlough leave?

LC: Only if you are permitted to do so under the terms of your contract.

Furlough leave only requires employees not to work for the business (or a linked or associated company) which is claiming the relief. Be aware that you may be asked to return from furlough leave on short notice, depending on your agreement with your employer.

You can also be furloughed by both employers, if necessary; in this case, the furlough payments from each employer are treated separately.

Can my employer fire me or force me to take redundancy?

James Medhurst is a senior associate in the employment team at Royds Withy King

JM: There has been no change to the law of unfair dismissal or redundancy.

If your contract gives you the full set of employment rights, and you have worked for your employer for two years or more, you have the right to challenge a decision to dismiss you or to make you redundant.

If so, your employer should consult with you and should follow a fair process before making a final decision, and should offer a right of appeal.

If it is making 20 or more redundancies, it might also need to consult with a trade union or with elected representatives.

Redundancies based on genuine financial or business reasons will often be fair, but it will be unfair for employers to use coronavirus as an excuse to dismiss employees who they do not want to keep for other reasons.

Employees with two years' service are entitled to receive a redundancy payment regardless of the financial circumstances of their employers.

Even if your employer folds, you can claim a redundancy payment from the government instead.

Some contracts, such as those of many gig economy workers, do not provide a right to bring a claim for unfair dismissal or to receive redundancy pay.

Please note the above does not constitute legal advice and the answers are based on current guidance which is being constantly reviewed by the UK Government. For further and the latest information visit the official website.
A consignment of 5,50,000 antibody testing kits and 100,000 RNA extraction kits was dispatched by Chinese firms to India on Thursday morning for use in the countrys efforts to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19, people familiar with developments said.

The consignment includes part of the large orders placed by India for medical supplies and equipment with Chinese firms, the people said.

Follow latest updates on coronavirus here

The external affairs ministry has been playing a key role in coordinating the governments efforts to acquire vital medical supplies from other countries, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

ALSO WATCH | 1st consignment of COVID-19 kits from China to arrive in India on Apr 15: ICMR

As part of these efforts, the first lot of 3,00,000 rapid antibody testing kits from Guangzhou Wondfo and another 2,50,000 from Zhuhai Livzon and 1,00,000 RNA extraction kits from MGI Shenzhen were custom cleared late on Wednesday night, said one of the people cited above.

The consignment left this (Thursday) morning for India, the person said. The total of 6,50,000 kits is on the way and should reach today (Thursday).

Also read: Two firms begin production of antibody rapid test kits in India

The Indian embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Guangzhou played a key role in the despatch of the medical equipment.

On Tuesday, Indias ambassador to China, Vikram Misri, had told reporters that facilitating Indias imports of Covid-19-related critical medical equipment and keeping the drug production supply chain open would be the best signal from China for bilateral ties.

Click here for complete coronavirus coverage

Chinese companies have been contracted for nearly 15 million personal protective equipment (PPE) kits comprising gowns, gloves, masks and goggles, and 1.5 million rapid testing kits for Covid-19 by the Indian government and private companies, he said.

India has asked China to speed up the export of a large quantity of quality-checked medical equipment such as protective clothing, ventilators and testing kits from Chinese companies. India is also in communication with China on keeping the supply line of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) open for manufacturing generic drugs, Misri added.

In a separate development, India supplied half million hydroxychloroquine tablets and 12 tonnes of life-saving medicines to Mauritius late on Wednesday.

Also read: Slow Covid-19 testing pipeline as big a worry as kit delay

This was the first consignment of Covid-19-related medical supplies provided by India to Mauritius. The countrys vice prime minister, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, received the consignment that was carried in a special Air India cargo flight.

India has so far cleared supplies of hydroxychloroquine to 13 countries, either as humanitarian aid or as commercial sales. Several neighbouring countries are being provided the drug as part of humanitarian aid.

Also read: Did coronavirus originate from China? Trump says US investigating

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Corpses wrapped in plastic and left on the sidewalk in Ecuador and trucks overloaded, carrying coffins on racks bolted on the side of the trailer.

These just some of the harrowing images serving as a warning of the spread of the coronavirus to the rest of Latin America.

Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno called for an investigation on Wednesday (March 8)

into how authorities are handling the bodies of coronavirus victims in Guayaquil - the epicenter of the outbreak there.

But for families of the deceased they say it's too little too late.

One man who lost two loved ones, Wilmer Aguilar, expressed his anger online:

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT WHO LOST TWO LOVED ONES TO COVID-19, WILMER AGUILAR, SAYING:

''This bloody government is a plague! They are all a plague. Why don't they show their faces?"

The rapid spread of the virus has collapsed not just Ecuador's health system but overwhelmed funeral homes and cemeteries.

Public hospitals have failed to quickly locate the bodies of their loved ones and in some cases misidentified the remains.

Authorities have said at least 1,600 doctors, nurses and healthcare workers are infected and in quarantine.

The health minister has also sacked an official who requested money in exchange for handing over the remains from a victim in a public hospital.

Cement is being poured and graves built in cemeteries as the death toll rises.

Temporary morgues have been installed outside hospitals and in one video seen by Reuters online a family appeared to dig a grave themselves saying that after calls to local authorities went unheeded, they had no other choice.
The Cambodian government on Thursday morning ended the inter-province travel ban earlier than scheduled, in a bid to ease traffic congestion on the last day of the Khmer New Year holiday.

In an announcement dated April 16 and signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the government declared the travel ban, which restricted travel between the capital and provinces, ended Thursday morning, as opposed to the earlier cutoff of midnight tonight.

Last Thursday, the Cambodian government announced a one-week travel ban within the country, preventing all travel between provinces, on account of concerns garment workers were planning to disobey orders to work through the Khmer New Year.

The ban was lifted early to meet the actual needs of people traveling and to ease traffic jams which people are waiting to get from one province to another, the announcement read.

It wasnt immediately made clear by the government why there would traffic jams if the travel ban had succeeded in preventing people from traveling to the provinces.

National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun said citizens had respected order and the police witnessed no protests but that some people and workers, used smaller roads to get to their hometowns.

We couldnt deploy armed forces and put barriers like the U.S. and Mexico. This was just a travel restriction, not a state of emergency, he said.

When asked if the government will issue another travel ban, he said: I dont know whether there will be another travel restriction or not since I am not the government.

The government is attempting to rush through a draft state of emergency law, which has been widely criticized for giving the administration sweeping powers to severely curtail fundamental rights and freedoms. The law is expected to pass the Senate on Friday.

As of Thursday, Cambodia had not reported a single new novel coronavirus case for four days, leaving the total number of cases at 122, with 98 recoveries.
Rows of young cassava plants in a field in Thailand. Credit: Neil Palmer / International Center for Tropical Agriculture

Half a century ago, cassava was a simple staple crop for some smallholder farmers in Asia eking out a living in harsh landscapes.

The hardy crop that Europeans brought from Latin America many centuries before was a dependable source of nutritionas long as it was skillfully processed to remove the toxins from bitter types to be turned into food.

While sweet varieties of cassava remain a staple in places like Indonesia, which is the world's third-largest producer, things have changed a lot for Manihot esculenta, the scientific name for yuca, manioc or mandioca.

Today, yields in Asia have increased dramatically and industry is growing bitter varieties for starch, biofuels and a variety of other ingredients. In Southeast Asia, only sugarcane and rice surpass cassava in total tonnage produced. Some 8 million farmers from India to China depend on the crop for food and income.

Ideally suited to flourish despite climate change, cassava is poised to become an even more important crop in the next fifty years in Asia, argue scientists in a comprehensive review of cassava research over the last 50 years in Asia. The article was published in March in Breeding Science.

"We need to continue investment in increasing yields, even more so under climate change, land degradation and new pests and disease outbreaks; the next big thing is improving the resilience of our cassava resources," said Luis Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle, the program leader for cassava at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

The article looks at increases in yields, breeding strategies, development and deployment of different varieties over the last half-century. Countries in the study include China, India, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Authors from more than a dozen institutions contributed to the review, which summarizes major contributions from almost 170 different research articles.

The authors highlight the striking versatility and resilience of cassava, which has been gradually improved and adapted to local needs through cutting-edge plant breeding and agronomy.

Thank the genebanks

Becerra said many advances are due to the rich collection of cassava germplasm at the Alliance's genebank in Colombia, which includes a large collection of native varieties generally more diverse than varieties found further afield. By tapping the resources of the genebank and collections kept by breeding programs around the world, scientists have found traits to make widely used varieties more productive and resistant to disease and climate extremes.

In Vietnam, yields have increased from about 3 tons per hectare to 20 tons, largely through improved varieties and fertilizer management. Intercroppingsowing other crops alongside cassavaand crop rotation to include maize, peanuts, and beans, has improved soil fertility and increase farmer incomes.

"The introduction of germplasm into national breeding programs from the Alliance combined with improved agronomic practices markedly increased cassava yield in the region," said lead author Al Imran Malik, who is based at the Alliance's Lao PDR office. Malik also credited partners who support the new ideas and initiatives.

In Indonesia, breeding has focused on better-tasting and more nutritious cassava. In China, scientists have bred high-starch industrial cassava ideal for higher latitudes, which are generally cooler than those in cassava's native range.

Varieties of cassava roots. Credit: Neil Palmer / International Center for Tropical Agriculture

"Over the past decades, cassava researchers in Asia, particularly breeders, have had to respond to changing market and policy conditions to ensure that the crop and the farmers that grow it are competitive in global markets," said Jonathan Newby, the research coordinator for the Alliance's cassava program in Southeast Asia.

Across the region today, researchers study erosion and health of the soil, sustainable intensification, artificial intelligence, and advanced genetics for crop improvement. Scientists are also intensely focused on controlling emerging diseases, which threaten productivity gains. Last year, the Alliance worked with national researchers and partners to draw up an emergency control plan for cassava mosaic disease (CMD), a project led by Becerra.

Becerra is also a global research leader in the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas, which contributed to the study.

Cassava cooperation

One of the great lessons of the review was the extent to which local collaboration and ground-up initiatives were key to cassava improvement in the region.

In particular, the Alliance led partnerships with national agricultural research institutes in the region. NARIs from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Cambodia collaborated on many border-crossing cassava projects in the last few decades.

Partnerships among research organizations in Asia facilitated the understanding of specific contexts, allowing researchers to create appropriate recommendations in breeding and agronomy so farmers could grow cassava in accordance with their needs.

The Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) emphasized that the development in cassava research in Asia has great potential outside the region.

"This work will not only contribute to the prosperity of cassava in Asia but also contribute to the food security of people in Africa," said Wenjun Ou, a co-author from CATAS.

Outside of research partnerships, Dr. Malik said funders have been key supporters for ongoing, long-term research. Continued partnerships and support are key for controlling CMD, which requires regionally coordinated efforts in research on seed systems, pest and disease control, and capacity-building.

No longer 'a crop for the poor'

While there is still an impression that cassava is a poor man's crop in Asia, Becerra and Newby push back on this notion, highlighting its potential for wealth creation amongst smallholder farmers targeting a wide global market."The future is bright for cassava as food and as an industrial ingredient in a range of new products that modern consumers demand," said Newby. "It will be critical that cassava breeders keep pace with these changes and opportunities to ensure that smallholder farmers in Asia continue to reap the benefits of this 'hidden' crop in our daily lives."

Becerra emphasized how different regions will contribute to a South-South knowledge transfer to ensure further prosperity for the crop, saying, "The key to cassava improvement is still at its center of origin. We ought to help sub-Saharan African farmers obtain the same genetic gains as Asian resource-poor farmers, where the Alliance built on genetic resources from Latin America."

More information: Al Imran Malik et al, Cassava breeding and agronomy in Asia: 50 years of history and future directions, Breeding Science (2020). Al Imran Malik et al, Cassava breeding and agronomy in Asia: 50 years of history and future directions,(2020). DOI: 10.1270/jsbbs.18180

Provided by International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
RSPCA Cymru back calls to keep sky lanterns grounded as nation backs key workers

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Apr 16th, 2020

An animal welfare charity has reiterated calls to keep dangerous sky lanterns grounded, as people consider ways of showing their support for the nations NHS staff and key workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Reports suggest companies selling sky lanterns have suggested releasing the devices as part the weekly #ClapForOurCarers proceedings  where people take to their door-steps at 8pm on Thursdays, to applaud many frontline personnel protecting lives during the Covid-19 crisis.

However, RSPCA Cymru has urged the public to keep sky lanterns grounded as part of these occasions  highlighting the significant risk they pose to people and animals, and the possible added strain they could place on key workers at this time of crisis.

It follows calls from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service to avoid using the lanterns as a way to show thanks to the NHS.

Sky lanterns can cause injury and suffering to animals and have a devastating impact on the environment

The devices  which are lifted into the air via an open flame heat source  can be ingested by animals, or cause entanglement or entrapment. This can lead to wildlife, pets, horses or farm animals suffering injury, stress or even death. When ingested, sharp parts of the lantern can tear and puncture an animals throat or stomach, causing internal bleeding.

Lanterns also pose danger as a fire hazard  destroying habitats, and potentially setting animal housing, feed and bedding alight; which could also place added strain on Wales emergency services.

Each of Wales 22 local authorities has already banned the release of sky lanterns on land which they control following a long-running RSPCA campaign, with calls continuing for a Wales-wide ban.

The RSPCA has urged people across Wales to back this campaign by showing their support and gratitude to key workers in other ways  including clapping from their door-steps, decorating signs and contributing to worthy causes.

Dr Julia Wrathall, the RSPCAs chief scientific officer, said: It is great that people are looking for ways to show their support for the NHS staff and other key workers at this challenging time  but it is so important people keep sky lanterns grounded.

Lanterns may look pretty  but theyre actually just pretty dangerous. They can be fatal to animals; destroying habitats, or posing a risk of ingestion, entanglement of entrapment as they return back to Earth.

Every single local authority in Wales has already banned sky lanterns from being released on their land  highlighting just how dangerous these devices are considered to be.

As people across Wales pay tribute to key workers amid this time of crisis, we urge them to show support and gratitude through other means  such as clapping from their door-steps, placing decorated signs in their windows and donating whatever they can to worthy causes. And, of course, staying safely at home where possible.
A California hospital suspended ten nurses because they refused to treat coronavirus patients without the greater protection of N95 masks.

The nurses at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica said they requested the N95 masks, which can filter out 95 per cent of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular masks, but that hospital officials said they weren't necessary.

Then last week one of the nurses tested positive for COVID-19 as doctors at the hospital advised the health care workers that they should be wearing better protection.

Ten nurses at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, were suspended because they refused to treat coronavirus patients without N95 masks. Nurses at the hospital are pictured raising their fists in solidarity after requesting the greater protection

The nurses at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica said they requested N95 masks, which can filter out 95 per cent of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular masks, but that hospital officials said they weren't necessary

That's when the nurses demanded the N95 masks to treat the infected and the hospital suspended them, according to the National Nurses Union, which represents them.

The nurses are being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, the union said.

There have been 27,109 confirmed cases in California of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 890 deaths.

Across the country, there have been close to 659,000 cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 33,524 deaths.

Across the country, there have been close to 659,000 cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 33,524 deaths

How the number of coronavirus cases has escalated over time in the US

How the number of new coronavirus infections has escalated over time in the US

A day-to-day look a the number of deaths in the US resulting from the coronavirus

The suspended nurses are among hundreds of doctors, nurses and other health care workers across the country who say they've been asked to work without adequate protection.

Some have taken part in protests or lodged formal complaints. Others are buying  or even making  their own supplies.

As some have taken their own precautions, others have relied on their hospitals for masks and other protection, sometimes with deadly results.

A Florida nurse died last week after her husband said she treated coronavirus patients without being given a face mask.

Danielle DiCenso, 33, a traveling nurse stationed in the ICU unit at Palmetto General Hospital, started showing COVID-19 symptoms two weeks after working long shifts with infected patients without the protective gear.

Danielle DiCenso, 33, is believed to have died from coronavirus after being exposed due to a lack of proper personal protective equipment in the Florida hospital where she worked

Her husband David found her dead in her living room on April 9 after she placed herself in quarantine and her condition rapidly deteriorated.

He claims staff at the hospital didn't give her the right equipment, and now their four-year-old son is without a mother.

Others, like the suspended nurses, weren't willing to take the risk of working on the frontlines without adequate protection.

Imaris Vera tells DailyMail TV that she walked out of the ICU unit at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois March 30 when she arrived for her shift only to realize the face masks staff were asked to wear were inadequate.

And the registered nurse, who was caring for coronavirus patients, claims when she offered to wear her own personal protective equipment (PPE) her manager denied her request, citing CDC policy.

Imaris, 30, currently lives with her sister Sabrina who has a rare blood disease, which puts her life at risk if she's infected by COVID-19, leading to Imaris deciding to put her family first and walked out of the hospital.

Imaris Vera, 30, walked out of the ICU unit at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois March 30. The registered nurse arrived for her shift only to realize the face masks staff were asked to wear were inadequate and she wasn't allowed to wear her own

Imaris Vera currently lives with her sister Sabrina who has a rare blood disease, which puts her life at risk if she's infected by COVID-19, leading to Imaris deciding to put her family first and walked out of the hospital. Imaris is pictured in her hospital scrubs

Federal officials first told doctors and health workers in mid-March that the nation's stockpile doesn't have enough basic medical equipment, including masks and gowns, to meet the crush of coronavirus cases that was coming.

As COVID-19 cases soared in March, the US was hit with a critical shortage of medical supplies including N95s, which are mostly made in China. In response, the CDC lowered its standard for health care workers' protective gear, recommending they use bandannas if they run out of the masks.

Despite the guidance, many hospitals still opted for more adequate protection because the infection has proven to be extremely contagious.

The CDC said Wednesday at least 9,200 health care workers have been infected.

The CDC said Wednesday at least 9,200 health care workers have been infected. A nurse emerges from a tent with a kit to test for novel coronavirus COVID-19 at a drive through testing station for University of Washington Medical Center employees in Seattle, Washington

Saint John's said in a statement that as of Tuesday it was providing N95 masks to all nurses caring for COVID-19 patients and those awaiting test results. The statement said the hospital had increased its supply and was disinfecting masks daily.

'It's no secret there is a national shortage,' said the statement. The hospital would not comment on the suspended nurses.

Angela Gatdula, a Saint John's nurse who fell ill with COVID-19, said she asked hospital managers why doctors were wearing N95s but nurses weren't. She says they told her that the CDC said surgical masks were enough to keep her safe.

Then she was hit with a dry cough, severe body aches and joint pain.

'When I got the phone call that I was positive I got really scared,' she said.

She's now recovering and plans to return to work next week.

'The next nurse that gets this might not be lucky. They might require hospitalization. They might die,' she said.

Boxes of N95 protective masks for use by medical field personnel are seen at a New York State emergency operations incident command center during the coronavirus outbreak in New Rochelle

Some exasperated health care workers have complained to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

'I ... fear retribution for being a whistleblower and plead to please keep me anonymous,' wrote a Tennessee medical worker, who complained staffers were not allowed to wear their own masks if they weren't directly treating COVID-19 patients.

In Oregon, a March 26 complaint warned that masks were not being provided to nurses working with suspected COVID-19 patients. Another Oregon complaint alleged nurses 'are told that wearing a mask will result in disciplinary action.'

One New Jersey nurse who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution, said she was looking for a new job after complaining to OSHA.

'Do I regret filing the complaint? No, at least not yet,' she said. 'I know it was the right thing to do.'

Some are taking to the streets.

On Wednesday, nurse unions in New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania scheduled actions at their hospitals and posted on social media using hashtag 'PPEoverProfit.'

Nurses at Kaiser Permanente's Fresno Medical Center in central California demanded more protective supplies at a protest during their shift change Tuesday. The hospital, like many in the U.S., requires nurses to use one N95 mask per day, which has raised concerns about carrying the infection from one patient to the next.

Ten nurses from the facility have tested positive with COVID-19, Kaiser said. Three have been admitted to the hospital and one is in critical care, protest organizers said.

Wade Nogy, a Kaiser senior vice president, denied union claims that nurses have been unnecessarily exposed.

'Kaiser Permanente has years of experience managing highly infectious diseases, and we are safely treating patients who have been infected with this virus, while protecting other patients, members and employees,' Nogy said.

Amy Arlund, a critical care nurse at the facility, said that before the pandemic, following infection control protocols they're currently using would have been grounds for disciplinary action.

'And now it's like they've thrown all those standards out the window as if they never existed,' Arlund said. 'It's beyond me.'
SPRINGFIELD  Hours after his arrest Wednesday in connection with the attempted firebombing of a Jewish assisted living facility, John Rathbun was back home at his mothers house in East Longmeadow, released by a federal magistrate judge.

Prosecutors are appealing that decision to U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni, arguing the magistrates decision appeared to be based heavily on the COVID-19 pandemic, as opposed to established bail standards.

There has been an earnest movement in this state and across the country to reduce incarceration rates in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus in prisons and county jails.

FBI agents raided Rathbuns Lori Lane home Wednesday morning, looking for evidence from the April 2 attempted firebombing of Ruths House, a Jewish-sponsored assisted living facility in Longmeadow, according to court records. The alleged attempt occurred six days before the start of Passover.

Rathbun, 36, has been charged with two arson-related criminal counts.

An FBI affidavit filed in connection with the case says investigators believe Rathbun was a contributor to a white supremacy online chat room and left a container full of gasoline at the public entranceway to the Converse Street facility. A Christian religious pamphlet was stuffed in the nozzle, according to the sworn statement. The paper was charred but apparently did not light up as the user intended, investigators said. It had Rathbuns blood on it, the FBI alleges.

No injuries were reported at the facility, which has 64 assisted living apartments and serves kosher meals, according to its website. The campus serves residents of all faiths, the site says.

Investigators believe Rathbun mentioned the facility in the chat rooms as that jew nursing home in longmeadow massachusetts and invited others to join him in targeting the site.

A spokeswoman for Ruths House and its parent organization, JGS Lifecare, has not responded to a request for comment. State Rep. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, called the arson attempt a horrific act of anti-Semitism.

Rathbun denied any connection to the attempted arson, or an affiliation with white supremacy groups, investigators said. But he could not explain why his DNA profile, through human blood, was discovered on the pamphlet stuffed in the gas container.

Under two online user names federal agents believe are both connected to Rathbun, a poster suggested designated two days in early April as hating n-----s day and jew killing day, court records show.

Agents Wednesday seized Rathbuns electronic devices, which are undergoing analysis.

During a detention hearing conducted over the telephone late Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow argued Rathbun should be held behind bars while the investigation remains ongoing. Court-appointed defense lawyer Timothy Watkins countered his client should be released to house arrest.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson freed Rathbun to return to his parents house with orders not to leave except for doctors appointments, and to comply with random check-ins by U.S. Probation through FaceTime calls on his mothers iPhone.

Those doctor appointments include daily visits to a methadone clinic via a route Rathbun already conceded to agents takes him directly by Ruths House. By his own admission, Rathbun has a fierce drug habit, a criminal record and a spotty work history.

In his appeal, Breslow argued the COVID-19 pandemic worked heavily in Rathbuns favor for pretrial release.

The government objected, contending that the release order amounted to little more than a personal recognizance release to his home with the condition that he remain there, that virtually all residents are currently under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 virus, and that the magistrate judge would not have ordered the defendants release on such minimal conditions prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Breslow wrote.

The magistrate judge explained that the government presented a very close case for detention based upon dangerousness, and conceded that the COVID-19 pandemic was a factor in its consideration, but stated that she would nonetheless be releasing the defendant that evening, he added.

The government filed its appeal Thursday morning. A hearing has yet to be scheduled before Mastroianni.
A pregnant TV reporters news van was carjacked by another pregnant woman - while she was still inside.

Iyani Hughes, from Atlanta, who works as a reporter for CBS 46, was in the back of the van editing a news piece, when it was carjacked.

The suspect, 38-year-old Seniqua Lunsford, allegedly crashed her own car into a nearby apartment complex moments before.

She then got out of the car and quickly broke into Ms Hughes Van, before the journalist could lock the doors and edit the report she had just filmed.

Officers started their pursuit of Ms Lunsford after Ms Hughes news anchor, Karen Greer, alerted their attention to the incident, when they arrived at the scene of Ms Lunsfords previous crash.

In a video posted onto CBS46s Facebook page, Ms Greer said that it is frightening when you become the news story as a journalist.

She added: I could hear in my ear because they realised in master control that something was going on so they were rolling on it and I could hear (Hughes) scream and I could hear Jeff, our photographer, yelling somebody just drove off in our car.

Ms Lunsford is alleged to have fled in the van for about a mile and refused to stop despite Ms Hughes screaming.

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Atlanta Police spokesman Steve Avery, told reporters that when Ms Lunsford refused to stop, Ms Hughes got into her seat and put her seat belt on.

Ms Lunsford crashed the van and attempted to flee on foot, but was immediately caught by police, according to Fox News.

She injured her arm, but Ms Hughes was unhurt in the incident, despite being taken to a nearby hospital to be examined.

The police confirmed to the Associated Press that Ms Lunsofrd will be charged with kidnapping.
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(Kitco News) - B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO, NYSE AMERICAN: BTG, NSX: B2G) reported Thursday that an employee at the Fekola exploration camp has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, but operations at the Fekola mine have not been impacted.

The exploration camp is located around five kilometers from the Fekola mine, which continues to operate at full capacity, B2Gold said. The Fekola Mine is 80% owned by the company 20% by state of Mali. It is located in southwestern Mali on the border with Senegal.

B2Gold places the safety and well-being of its workforce as the highest priority and continues to monitor public and employee sentiment to ensure that stakeholders are in alignment with the continued operations at its mines, the company said.

A quarterly record 164,011 ounces were mined at Fekola in the first quarter, accounting for more than half of B2Golds record January-March output of 262,632 ounces, the company reported last week.

The employee tested positive for the virus on Wednesday after experiencing cold-like symptoms Sunday, the company said. The worker was immediately isolated at the Fekola exploration camp and is being monitored by company doctors and the local Kenieba Health Authority. B2Gold said the worker is in stable condition with only moderate symptoms.

The company said it isolated the entire exploration group within the Fekola exploration camp and completed contact-tracing for anyone the individual may have been in contact with on site or within the community. Anyone identified by contact-tracing residing outside of the Fekola exploration camp was also placed into quarantine. The company added that the exploration camp is being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. This is also occurring at the Fekola mine camp, which to date does not have any positive COVID-19 cases.

The company had already instituted a number of measures to help with the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Fekola mine, the company began a full isolation of all staff on site, to be completed by this Sunday.

This will further improve social-distancing measures and continue to protect all stakeholders in the area of Mali where the company operates, B2Gold said.
By Lee Min-hyung





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Francis Chan identifies 'purpose' behind COVID-19 isolation: 'This is a gift to you'

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Francis Chan has suggested God might be using the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to humble humanity and connect with His people and encouraged Christians to view the time of rest as a gift.

We were created to have a deep relationship with God, the former megachurch pastor, who recently left the United States to become a missionary in Hong Kong, said in a recent message posted on the Crazy Love YouTube page. God made us relational beings, that's the way we were designed.

In fact, Jesus said, I and the Father are one. So if you've seen me you've seen the Father, he continued. He talked about this oneness they had, but then He says, I want you to abide in Me and I will live in you. This is what I was made for. This is why you and I were designed to have this deep walk with God, our Creator.

Despite this, so many of us have the tendency where we want to control our own lives, the pastor said, adding, We don't want to spend our time in this intimacy with God we have things to do. And so we go and we run, and we try to control things.

How's that working out for you? Chan asked. I bet in January, you had projections for this year. How's it going, man? God says even when you try to control your life you're not in control. Don't you understand that there's something about how right now, He just caused every single treadmill to stop? And it's driving us crazy because all we know how to do is run, run, run, and now suddenly, I got to fix this machine. Ive got get back on it somehow. I'm losing ground.

While God wants to humble us and show us, look, you can't control your life, you can't control tomorrow, theres something even deeper going on amid the coronavirus pandemic, Chan said, adding that Scripture says God yearns jealously for His people.

Maybe this time of isolation has a purpose, he suggested. And the purpose is He wants to be with me. He's saying, Stop running. I'm just gonna stop you for a while because I want to because I, Almighty God, want to be with you. I want to connect with you.

The worst thing you could do right now is get frustrated and stressed out and try to fix everything so you can get back on that treadmill, he continued. This is a gift to you. You have a loving Father in Heaven. Almighty God, the one who decides whether you keep breathing for the rest of the day. And He's saying, I want you right now.

It's a big deal to look at Him and say, No, I've got something better to do. And once I fix this thing, I'm gonna get running again, Chan stressed. Dont do it. This is His gift. It's a time for you to look back at your life and go, Why am I just running aimlessly? God wants you to get off this machine and get deep into a relationship with Him.

Communion with God leads to joy and peace, Chan said, but it starts with you stepping away from that treadmill and having the core of your being connected with Him right now.

Don't waste another day, he concluded.

The coronavirus pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, has affected over 587,357 people in the United States as of Tuesday and led to 23,649 deaths, the CDC reports.

Previously, Chan encouraged the Church to view the coronavirus pandemic as one of our greatest opportunities to reach a lost world and show them we havent lost our love, joy, and peace instead of succumbing to fear and anxiety.

There needs to be this resilience in us as believers. I think that is what the world, in the church, is being shown right now is how vulnerable, how volatile we are that one little thing could mess things up.

Chan stressed that for seven years, hes been exhorting Christians to prepare to live out their faith and thrive in their walk with God regardless of the circumstances surrounding them.

Thats been our heart for you guys as elders in the church, he said. There's going to come a day when we won't have the luxury of all the leaders being together with all of the people, and you need to be ready for that. It's kind of crazy. I've been preaching that for seven years. And then two weeks after I leave, you're living [that]. And the whole country is having to live that.

I believe it's God's grace on us to show us: Am I prepared? Have I lost my love, my joy, my peace? he continued. This is the fruit of the Spirit, guys, take advantage of this time. Don't miss this opportunity. This is one of our greatest opportunities for reaching out to a lost world and showing them that we haven't lost our love, joy, and peace.

Even at this moment, the enemy can't take that away from us, he concluded. We love the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Church is alive and well.
By Ilkin Seyfaddini  Trend:

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16

The total number of coronavirus infected people in Uzbekistan rose to 1349, Trend reports on April 16 citing the Ministry of Health.

To date, 107 people in the country have fully recovered from the coronavirus infection, four have died.

Since April 1, Uzbekistan announced a self-isolation regime in Tashkent, the capital, as well as in Nukus and other regional centers. Citizens over 65 are categorically prohibited from leaving their homes. They can go out only to visit pharmacies and shops near their respective places of residence.

The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology; it was an Uzbek woman who returned from France. The Ministry of Health later announced that her son, daughter, husband and grandson also tested coronavirus-positive.

The outbreak of the coronavirus began in the Chinese city of Wuhan (an international transport hub), at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 137,000. Over two million people have been confirmed as infected, over 512,000 have reportedly recovered.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.

---

Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini
Despite repeated assurances by President Trump, and Vice President Pence, thousands of health care workers across the country are still without adequate personal protection equipment.

Like thousands of nurses and health care workers, Mike Gulick, a registered nurse working at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California, has been meticulous about not bringing the coronavirus home to his family. He made a daily habit after work of stopping in a local hotel, showering and hand washing dozens of times a day. Hed even wash his work clothes in Lysol disinfectant when he came home.

Gulick and his fellow nurses and healthcare colleagues worried that caring for infected patients without an N95 respirator mask was extremely risky. But administrators at Providence Saint Johns Health Center insisted that the N95 masks werent necessary and either couldnt or wouldnt provide them. These masks filter out 95% of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular medical masks commonly used by medical professionals and support staff.

Last week, a nurse on Gulicks ward tested positive for the coronavirus, which can lead to the fatal COVID-19 disease. The very next day, physicians doing rounds on their ward asked the nurses why they werent wearing N95 masks, insisting they needed the masks to do their work with infected patients. This wasnt news to Gulick, whose wife is also a nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center across town in Los Angeles and who not only wore an N95 mask but covered it with a second air-purifying respirator while she cared for COVID-19 patients.

The warning from the physicians did trigger him, and some of his fellow nurses to confront the issue with their managers. He and his fellow nurses made it clear they wouldnt enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks.

Providence Saint Johns Health Center was swift in its response to their insistence of the life-saving masks  it suspended them. Gulick and nine other nurses are now being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, according to the National Nurses Union, which represents them.

Gulick and his fellow nurses are among thousands of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers across the country who say theyve been asked to work without adequate personal protection equipment. This is prompting protests at hospitals across the country by health care workers. One hospital suspended a nurse that set up a go fund me page to raise money for protective equipment. Many are buying their own or even making protection supplies the best they can.

The Associated Press reported

Angela Gatdula, a Saint Johns nurse who fell ill with COVID-19, said she asked hospital managers why doctors were wearing N95s, but nurses werent. She says they told her that the CDC said surgical masks were enough to keep her safe.

Gatdula quickly started experiencing a dry cough, severe body aches, and joint pain

When I got the phone call that I was positive, I got really scared.

Shes now recovering and plans to return to work next week but is worried

The next nurse that gets this might not be lucky. They might require hospitalization. They might die.

The CDC shares in the health risk and are responsible for the illness and death healthcare workers are experiencing. The agency literally lowered its standard for health care workers protective gear, recommending they use bandannas if they run out of the masks. It would be one thing to lower the standard because the equipment is not available; its another thing to lower the standards without acknowledging the tremendous danger.

Some exasperated health care workers have complained to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Still, in the Trump era of punishing whistleblowers, the threat of filing complaints is a very dangerous act. A Tennessee medical worker who complained staffers were not allowed to wear their own masks if they werent directly treating COVID-19 patients was quoted in the media recently

I fear retribution for being a whistleblower and plead to please keep me anonymous.

Nurses that complained in Oregon about not being provided N95 masks while working with suspected COVID-19 patients were told told that wearing a mask will result in disciplinary action.

A nurse in New Jersey, who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution, said she was looking for a new job after complaining to OSHA. According to that nurse

Do I regret filing the complaint? No, at least not yetI know it was the right thing to do.



The personal protection equipment crisis incited nurse unions in New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania to schedule protests at their hospitals and posted on social media using #PPEoverProfit.

Nurses at Kaiser Permanentes Fresno Medical Center in central California demanded more protective supplies at a protest during their shift change Tuesday. The hospital, like many in the U.S., requires nurses to use one N95 mask per day, which has raised concerns about carrying the infection from one patient to the next.

Ten nurses from Provident Hospital of Cook County have tested positive with COVID-19, Kaiser said. Three have been admitted to the hospital, and one is in critical care.

Wade Nogy, a Kaiser senior vice president at Provident Hospital, dared to deny union claims that nurses have been unnecessarily exposed.

Kaiser Permanente has years of experience managing highly infectious diseases, and we are safely treating patients who have been infected with this virus while protecting other patients, members, and employees.

A critical care nurse at the same Kaiser facility was quoted as saying

That before the pandemic, currently using the safety protocols now being used, would have been grounds for disciplinary action.

And now its like theyve thrown all those standards out the window as if they never existedIts beyond me.








Both Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have faced questions about their decisions to sell millions of dollars in stocks before the risks of the coronavirus pandemic had become widely known. Both senators have denied wrongdoing, saying the trades were made by third-party advisers, but the perception that the senators acted for their own private benefit has fueled Democratic attacks  and the partys ambitions.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that his country's border with the United States would not fully reopen for at least several weeks, rejecting US President Donald's Trump overtures to do so sooner.

The border -- the world's longest international frontier at 8,900 kilometers (5,500 miles) -- was shut to all non-essential travelers on both sides on March 21 in response to the coronavirus crisis. Cross-border trade has continued.

"We are having ongoing discussions on border issues, on supply chains with the United States all the time," Trudeau told reporters at his daily briefing.

But "the reality is that it will still be many weeks" before "we can talk about relaxing the restrictions on our borders," he said.

We "must protect our citizens, as every country does," Trudeau added. "Most countries in the world have restricted travel, and Canada and the United States are no exception."



Trudeau's deputy and point person on US relations, Chrystia Freeland, added that Ottawa will only ease border restrictions "when it is not a risk to the health and safety of Canadians." Canada's population is about nine times smaller than that of the United States. So far, the US has recorded more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths, while Canada's death toll is roughly 1,200.

But the two Canadian provinces most affected, Quebec and Ontario, border New York state -- the epicenter of the US outbreak. Some Can$2.4 billion (US$1.7 billion) worth of goods and more than 400,000 people crossed the border each day on average, prior to the pandemic.

Trump had said on Wednesday that the border with Canada would be "one of the early borders to be released." "Our relationship with Canada is very good -- we'll talk about that," the US leader said. "Canada's doing well, we're doing well -- so we'll see, but at some point, we will be doing that." Trump said the US would be "keeping very strong borders" with nations that had high infection rates.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A disturbed killer who choked a man she met online with a sex toy cable should spend four years in a youth jail, a Melbourne court has been told.

Jamie Lee Dolheguy was 18 when she exchanged messages with Indian student Maulin Rathod on the Plenty of Fish app in September 2018.

They met at her Sunbury home and he agreed to 'choke-play' in her bedroom but despite his signal to stop, she kept him in a hold and whispered: 'It will be OK.'

Jamie Lee Dolheguy was 18 when she exchanged messages with Indian student Maulin Rathod on the Plenty of Fish app in September 2018

Mr Rathod met at her Sunbury home and he agreed to 'choke-play' in her bedroom but despite his signal to stop, she kept him in a hold and whispered: 'It will be OK'

She then wrapped the cable from the sex toy around his neck before calling police for help. The 24-year-old student later died in hospital.

The now 20-year-old woman was found guilty of manslaughter and not murder after a trial last year.

Lawyers for Ms Dolheguy argued her youth and profound mental health issues should be taken into account during the pre-sentence hearing at the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Instead of an adult prison, she should spend four years at a youth facility in addition to the almost two years she has already spent in adult custody, barrister Sharon Lacy said.

'She must, of course, be justly punished for what she did. An innocent man has died as a result of her unlawful and dangerous act,' she said.

The heartbroken parents of Mr Rathod want justice for their only child, who promised to look after them after finishing his studies in Australia.

Dolheguy (pictured outside court on Thursday) wrapped the cable from the sex toy around his neck before calling police for help. The 24-year-old student later died in hospital

'He is a victim of that girl trapping him,' Hiren and Jagruti Rathod said in a statement to the Supreme Court on Thursday.

'I just hope that justice is served so this does not happen to anyone else.'

The parents spent hours with the body of their son when he was returned to India and still struggled to cope with his death, they said.

'Our son should still be with us ... but he is gone forever.'

They had sold a bungalow to fund his studies in Australia and Mr Rathod was months away from graduating when he was killed.

A forensic psychiatrist found Dolheguy had stunted psychological development and a complex personality disorder, and struggled to contain her impulses.

'Because of her dreadful upbringing, she never developed a sense of basic trust in the world around her,' Dr Andrew Carroll told the court.

This left her with an 'anxiety, fear and hatred of the world around her', he said.

The court was told Dolheguy suffered extreme abuse at a young age and was taken into care at age 10. She also hurt herself and had attempted suicide.

Her damaged personality also meant she could not feel empathy for her victim or remorse, the court was told.

The hearing in front of Justice Peter Almond will continue on Friday.
Whether left out of government aid or ill-supplied with Spanish-language educational materials, undocumented and legal immigrants are at risk of missing out on services made available amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Though many undocumented workers are performing jobs considered essential, they also are exempt from government aid. For example, cash assistance starting at $1,200 a person for those making under $75,000 under the CARES Act does not apply to people who have only a taxpayer ID and not a Social Security number  as is the case for many undocumented immigrants. If spouses are filing jointly, both must have Social Security numbers to be eligible.

The Families First Act added funds in the Women, Infants and Children and The Emergency Food Assistance programs, both of which immigrants are eligible for regardless of status. But only some noncitizens, including green card holders and refugees, are eligible for food stamps.

U.S. Customs and Immigration Services has issued guidelines for legal immigrants announcing they will not be negatively affected in their public charge evaluation for getting tested or treated for COVID-19.

Here is a list of resources for immigrants in South Texas who are in need of food, legal aid, health care and other aid.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

All-encompassing

The Mexican Consulate in San Antonio has added a webpage with a list of resources that are providing aid during the pandemic, from food to housing: https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/sanantonio/index.php/covid-19/guia-informativa-y-directorio-de-recursos.

RAICES, the immigration nonprofit based in San Antonio, has done the same, including an FAQ in English and in Spanish. https://www.raicestexas.org/covid19/.

The city has compiled a searchable tool of more than 150 services being provided by congregations, nonprofits, government agencies and other groups. Though its only in English, it searches for services based on your ZIP code: https://sacrd.org/directory/.

ImmSchools has set up a donation page to provide meals and rent assistance to immigrant families in San Antonio, and has a resource page dedicated to immigrant families in Texas, including San Antonio: https://www.immschools.org/donate www.immschools.org/donate.

Suenos Sin Fronteras, a local immigration advocacy group, has also started a fundraiser called the Emergency Empowerment Fund for local immigrant families to help them cover the costs of various needs. While funding is limited, requests can be made by submitting an online form. Here it is in English: https://bit.ly/EmergencyEmpowermentFund. Here it is in Spanish: https://bit.ly/FondoEmpoderamiento.

Legal aid

For those interested in adjusting their status or unsure of what aid they qualify for amid the pandemic, free legal consultations are still available at various organizations. While RAICES is no longer accepting walk-in appointments, legal consultations for new clients are still available Monday through Wednesday at 210-222-0964.

Catholic Charities of San Antonio has its Caritas Legal Aid program. Immigrants can schedule consultations by calling 210-455-6105. The agency also has interpreter and translation services at its main office. In lieu of in-person visits, the agency asks interested residents to call 210-222-1294 or email sfadhil@ccaosa.org.

Financial aid

While undocumented workers dont qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, they still are protected by labor law rights and are entitled to full pay. The Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid group frequently handles workers rights cases and is still taking new consultations on its hotline, 888-988-9996. In Texas, DACA recipients are eligible for unemployment benefits.

Founded by three undocumented women, the national Betancourt-Macias Family Scholarship Foundation has set up a COVID-19 page where people can either donate to assist undocumented families during the crisis or fill out a form as an undocumented immigrant to receive such aid. Options are available in English and Spanish on its website: https:// www.undocuscholars.com/.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance has set up a fund for domestic workers where they can apply to receive $400. Every Thursday, the group holds weekly webinars in English and in Spanish for domestic workers about the coronavirus outbreak, More information can be found at their website: https://membership.domesticworkers.org/coronavirus/.

For utility and rent assistance, immigrants can call the Catholic Charities-run Guadalupe Community Center at 210-226-6178 Monday through Friday, starting at 8:30 a.m. The program has been overwhelmed with calls, so staff warns that no appointments or cash assistance is guaranteed.

Food

The San Antonio Food Bank is open to residents regardless of legal status and is hosting drives in different locations throughout the city. With the help of the state National Guard, the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, located in Pharr, is also holding mobile food drives on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, with Thursdays only for seniors 60 years and older.

Public schools are still offering meals to local children regardless of what schools they actually tend, public or otherwise.

The San Antonio Community Resource Directory includes food pantries closest to you. Find out by entering your ZIP code. Its website is https://sacrd.org/directory/.

Health care

Those who are undocumented and in need of health care can search for the nearest federally funded clinic, which accept uninsured and undocumented patients, at this site: https:// www.tachc.org/find-healthcare-center.

Catholic Charities offers mental health counseling services via phone from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those interested can call 210- 377-1133.

Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area. To read more from Silvia, become a subscriber. sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF
WASHINGTON - Facing the possibility of the U.S. economy shut down for months over the coronavirus pandemic, Democrat and Republican leaders are moving to speed up testing regimes to begin allowing Americans to return to work.

President Donald Trump has assembled a bipartisan congressional task force to advise state governors and provide logistical support on that effort, pulling together politicians including Texas Republican Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with Texas House members Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth.

That came a day after Senate Democrats proposed a $30 billion legislative package to improve the supply chain for testing equipment with the aim of making free coronavirus testing widely available to Americans.

The capacity to do quick turnaround testing has surged, but its still not nearly adequate for what we need, Cornyn said in a call with reporters Thursday.

VIRUS RISK: Coronavirus shutdowns pose grave economic risk, raising difficult questions

The economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic was made evident Thursday when the Department of Labor released its weekly jobs report showing approximately 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment over the last month, potentially raising Aprils unemployment rate to 15 percent, its highest level since World War II.

More than 1 million workers have filed claims in Texas.

Congress has tried to minimize the pain of those job losses through expanded unemployment benefits and business loans designed to prevent layoffs. But uncertainty around when the coronavirus will be brought under control has left Americans unclear about when they might return to some semblance of normal life.

Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and other public health experts have discussed a gradual reopening of the economy, with companies and other institutions checking people for coronavirus symptoms before allowing them to return to work or school. At the same time public health officials would test those believed to have been exposed to the virus, isolating those who are infected and testing anyone they came in contact with to try to control outbreaks.

Its a little bit of a race. You want to get ahead of the virus and not be playing catch up, which is what weve been doing, said Shreela Sharma, an epidemiology professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health. We have established protocols for our country and many other countries during other outbreaks. We just need the manpower and willpower to do it.

So far testing regimes have proven woefully inadequate, with medical officials reporting shortages of testing kits and other supplies and waits of up to 10 days for test results. In Texas, fewer than 160,000 people have been tested so far - less than 1 percent of the population - according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Under the plan floated by Democrats, there would be free coronavirus testing for Americans and so-called contact tracing for those who were in contact with an infected person.

"If this is mishandled the disease could resurge," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, according to The Hill news outlet. "Testing is the best tool we have to fight the virus today."

Top hits: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox

While Trump has touted his own authority to determine when the economy reopens, Republicans Thursday said it would be up to state and local governments to make their own determinations.

But with limited public health resources and expertise, they will likely be looking to federal health officials for how to go about determining when it is safe to lift stay-at-home orders.

State and local leaders, along with local businesses, are eager for the White House to release guidelines, Brady said Thursday. We can continue to apply maximum pressure on the coronavirus while reopening our economy safely and responsibly.

Already, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and her predecessor, Ben Bernanke, are warning the U.S. economy could contract 30 percent over the next three months, a decline not seen since the Great Depression nearly a century ago.

With a coronavirus vaccine likely more than a year away, some scaled-back version of social distancing measures, combined with expanded testing, is widely believed to be the worlds best hope of returning to some semblance of normal life.

Talking to reporters Thursday, Cornyn described how on a visit to the White House two weeks ago he was tested for coronavirus and had his temperature taken before meeting with the president.

Thats some indication of the things were going to need to do in the short term, he said, and maybe longer term to transition back to our new normal.

james.osborne@chron.com

Twitter.com/@osborneja
Stimulus payments from the coronavirus relief package are starting to land in Americans bank accounts, giving much-needed financial help to families.

Married couples who earn less than $150,000 will get $2,400, while singles will get $1,200 if they earn less than $75,000. Singles who earn between $75,000 and $99,000 will get a partial payment, as will married couples who earn between $150,000 and $198,000.

Parents with children age 16 and under will get an additional $500 per child, while older children who are claimed as dependents on someone elses return will not get a stimulus payment.

Now that people are starting to see their money, they have been asking two important questions. Here are the answers.

Is the stimulus payment a loan?

Nope.

Its not a loan. You will not need to repay the amount you get for your stimulus payment.

Will my stimulus payment be taxed?

Nope.

The stimulus payments are not taxable income, said Bernie Kiely, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with Kiely Capital Management in Morristown. Think of them as a return of some of your taxes.

Once you get your stimulus check, it is yours to keep, said Gail Rosen, a Martinsville-based certified public accountant.

This is not an advance on your 2020 tax return, she said. Even if your income is higher in 2020, you will not have to pay this money back.

We hope thats a relief for worried New Jerseyans.

The IRS offers this tool to track your stimulus payment, but some people said they had problems with the tool.

If you have a problem with the tool, you can still use our stimulus payment calculator to see how much of a benefit you should expect.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Middleburg Heights residents, along with police, fire and EMS from local and surrounding communities, came out to show support for the frontline workers at Southwest General Health Center battling the coronavirus pandemic with a parade around the property.

Organized by the Berea Chamber of Commerce, the parade wound through the parking lots, on to Bagley Road, then returned to the hospital grounds. Many employees came out to enjoy the signs, cheers and honking horns from the supportive community. Some people who were busy working inside the building could be seen at windows, waving and snapping photos with their phones.

More than 70 cars and a few floats toured around the hospital campus with riders waving and cheering for the workers.

Megan Baechle, Berea Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, said in a statement, As the Chamber of Commerce, it is our job to support the businesses and residents of our city. Right now, I can think of no better way to do that than by expressing our gratitude for the workers right here at our community hospital who are risking their and their families health to ensure that our residents are cared for.
For the second consecutive day on Thursday, Karnataka registered a sharp spike in new Covid-19 cases with 36 more people testing positive and taking the total tally to 315.

The state count of 315 cases also includes 82 people who have recovered and been discharged. A 66-year-old Covid-19 positive patient has died in Bangalore taking the total number of deaths due to the virus in the state to 13.

While the border district of Belgavi saw the biggest jump with 17 new cases being registered, minister for primary and secondary education Suresh Kumar briefing the media said that this was primarily because two families had attended the funeral of a Covid-19 patient in neighbouring Maharashtra.

Admitting that in spite of the best efforts of the administration a 100 per cent lockdown had not succeeded, Kumar pointed out how Vijayapura which did not have a single case till four days back now had 17 cases. The state government therefore has decided to try and enforce the lockdown more stringently to minimize the rise in positive cases in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, CM B S Yediyurappa launched five mobile rapid testing labs which will travel across Bangalore to hotspots. Later on, similar rapid testing mobile labs are likely to be sent to Belgavi, Vijayapura and Dakshin Kannada, his cabinet colleague Kumar stated. He also said that the 462 fever clinics across the state had screened 46,751 people till date.

Yediyurappa also launched the Makala Vani an exclusive You Tube channel to keep the children of the state engaged during the lockdown. The channel will have stories, music, drawing, painting, drama, crafts and other educational infotainment to engage children who are at home due to the extended lockdown.
The sweep of COVID-19 throughout Canada's nursing homes is proving more devastating than expected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday as he warned that reopening the economy too early would be "absolutely disastrous."

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The sweep of COVID-19 throughout Canada's nursing homes is proving more devastating than expected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday as he warned that reopening the economy too early would be "absolutely disastrous."

With the number of deaths from COVID-19 in Canada nearing 1,200  and seniors by far the hardest-hit group  the prime minister said Ottawa would discuss additional supports for provinces in tackling outbreaks in long-term care homes, including a request by Quebec for military relief.

"I think one of the things we've seen over the past number of weeks is a far more severe impact on a number of seniors' residences and long-term care centres than we had certainly hoped for, or more than we feared," Trudeau said.

"It is impossible to imagine the anguish families and indeed our elders are going through in this situation  there is just so much fear, so much uncertainty," he said.

"We need to do a better job of being there for them. The federal government is looking at ways to support the provinces, as they deal with this issue."

While the overall curve of new confirmed COVID-19 cases is "bending," the proportion of outbreaks in long-term care homes has led to a higher death rate than expected, Canada's top doctor said.

Dr. Theresa Tam, the country's chief public health officer, said more than 90 per cent of the patients confirmed to have died from the virus are over the age of 60, and half of them lived in long-term care homes.

However, seniors are not the only vulnerable group, she said, noting more must be done to help people experiencing homelessness and precarious housing  conditions that also make it difficult to maintain physical distancing and hand-washing protocols.

"Without immediate action there will be more outbreaks and avoidable deaths with broader societal and public health implications... We cannot crush this curve unless and until everyone is looked after," she said.

There are more than 30,000 presumptive and confirmed cases of the virus across Canada, including 1,193 deaths and 9,701 resolved cases. Tam said models are now predicting 1,200 and 1,620 deaths by April 21.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

While some provinces, including New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, reported no new cases Thursday, the numbers continued to rise by the hundreds in the two provinces hardest hit by the virus.

Quebec recorded 997 new cases, for a total of 15,857, including 143 new deaths. So far, 630 people have died from the disease in the province.

Premier Francois Legault said most of the newly recorded deaths had not occurred over the last day but were added following a change in data collection methods.

Some 2,000 doctors responded to Legault's call for assistance in the province's overburdened long-term care homes, he said, but the federal government said the province has also formally requested military support.

"Obviously, it's going to be a big challenge to have everyone work together, people who are not used to working together," Legault said of the new dynamic, but he invited everyone to "put a little bit of water in our wine."

"It will not necessarily be easy, especially in conditions that are really exceptional. But, I am convinced that with good faith ... we will be able to have these people work together."

The prime minister said the two governments are trying to sort out a response, which could involve the Canadian Red Cross, the military or volunteers.

While the Canadian Armed Forces do have doctors, the military is normally sent to help during natural disasters and other such crises rather than medical crises, Trudeau said, but he noted the pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge.

In Ontario, where 514 new cases and 38 more deaths were reported Thursday, Premier Doug Ford said he wouldn't hesitate to make a similar request if the situation called for it.

"Everything's on the table," Ford said.

Economic relief was also at the forefront Thursday, as Ottawa announced more financial help for small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought much of Canada's economy to a standstill.

The federal government said it was expanding a loan program for small businesses and introducing a new program to help small businesses pay their rent for the next three months.

Some small and medium-sized businesses with payrolls just under or just over the initial threshold had complained that they were not eligible for the loans.

Major tourism attractions joined them in sounding the alarm, with both the Vancouver Aquarium and the Toronto Zoo calling for immediate financial support.

The aquarium said it could close for good within months without a lifeline of at least $1 million a month, while the zoo announced a fundraising campaign to cover $1 million in annual food costs for its animals, which it said were normally funded through parking and admission fees.

While renewing his pledge to help businesses weather the pandemic, Trudeau said Canada is a "long way" from even considering reopening its economy.

"It would be absolutely disastrous for us to open up too early or too quickly and have another wave hit us that could be just as bad as this one and find ourselves in a situation of having to go back into quarantine the way we are now and have everything weve done these past weeks be for nothing," he said.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

It was a much different story across the border Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a phased approach to reopen parts of the country.

Trudeau said it will be a while before the U.S.-Canada border reopens.

An agreement between the two countries to limit border crossings to all but goods and a small number of essential workers is due to expire in days, but Trudeau said it will be "many weeks" before the restrictions are loosened.

The issue was discussed Thursday morning in a call with other G7 leaders to go over the ongoing global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau was to hold a teleconference call Thursday evening with provincial and territorial premiers, where the discussion is expected to be dominated by the crisis in long-term care facilities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.
New Delhi, April 16 : An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter made an emergency landing on an expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat on Thursday morning while it was on its way for supplying COVID 19 test samples, the IAF said.

The IAF Cheetah chopper made an emergency landing on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Baghpat district, the force said.

In an earlier statement the make and area of landing were said to Chetak and Outer Ring Road.

The IAF aircrafts have been pressed into services in fight against Coronavirus in India.

In a reissued statement, IAF said that the Cheetah helicopter was proceeding from Hindon to Chandigarh on a COVID-19 task of carrying test samples of Leh.

"Approximately 3 NM out of Hindon, aircraft developed technical snag an carried out safe precautionary landing on highway," it added.

The IAF clarified that the actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct "No damage to any property has been reported," IAF stated.

Once it made an emergency landing, the Hindon base of IAF was informed and also the local administration. Immediately thereafter, a recovery aircraft was launched from Hindon. It also landed at the expressway.

"The aircraft was rectified and recovered back promptly and safely at Hindon," it stated.
WASHINGTON - When President Donald Trump publicly denied on April 3 that he wanted his signature on stimulus checks that would be sent to millions of Americans struggling amid a pandemic, officials in the Treasury Department were already secretly working on a plan to get the president's name on the payments.

Trump, who was reportedly musing about placing his signature on the checks as early as late March, defended the unprecedented move Wednesday.

"I don't know too much about it. But I understand my name is there," Trump said. "I don't know where they're going, how they're going. I do understand it's not delaying anything, and I'm satisfied with that. I don't imagine it's a big deal. I'm sure people will be very happy to get a big, fat, beautiful check and my name is on it."

The effort to put Trump's name on millions of "Economic Impact Payment" checks began shortly after the president on March 27 signed the bipartisan $2 trillion legislation aimed at stemming the financial fallout from a global pandemic that has halted much of the economy. It will be the first time a president's name appears on an Internal Revenue Service disbursement.

While Trump has spent recent weeks talking with friends and supporters about his coronavirus response and his reelection campaign, the effort to place his name on the checks was largely kept secret until this week, with top White House officials in the dark until the plan became public. The White House press office did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

Some senior officials at the IRS did not find out about the plan until Tuesday morning, underscoring the unorthodox process that has turned Trump's desire into reality.

After privately suggesting to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that he be allowed to formally sign the checks, Trump settled for having his name printed in the memo section, according to administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The placement of Trump's name on the stimulus checks was taken out of the hands of the IRS early in the process, according to two government officials. The plan has been closely held within the IRS, and Commissioner Charles Rettig has not discussed it on his daily calls with his top executives, senior agency officials said.

When the decision came down from the Treasury Department late Monday that the first batch of paper checks would include "Donald J. Trump" on the memo line, it was announced to just five senior IRS officials.

The IRS, already tasked with quickly disbursing hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to Americans, is now rushing to prepare checks that bear Trump's name. The signature line will continue to feature the name of a civil servant, keeping with long-standing practice, but the IRS must change the computer code to add Trump's name before the Bureau of the Fiscal Service can print the checks, officials said.

On Wednesday, working remotely on laptops in their homes across the country, the computer code developers and testers on the IRS's technology teams raced to program the agency's mainframe computers to add the president's name to the template for millions of paper stimulus checks.

They're the first batch to be issued to Americans whose banking information the IRS does not have. With many Americans struggling to pay their bills, making the change and testing the new system must be done under a time crunch. The process is supposed to start on Thursday. The IRS and the Treasury Department said the last-minute change would not delay the payments.

Democratic leaders seized on a report in The Washington Post that the decision to put Trump's name on the relief checks could delay the delivery of some of the payments.

"Delaying direct payments to vulnerable families just to print his name on the check is another shameful example of President Trump's catastrophic failure to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement Wednesday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the potential delay reflected the "height of insecurity" by Trump. "In the midst of this crisis, President Trump is doing what he always tends to do: make it all about Trump," he said.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., took to Twitter to voice her displeasure, calling the move "a cruel political stunt from a petulant man who's failing our families."

Some Republicans defended Trump.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said previous presidents took steps to show the public their role in stimulus efforts. Grassley issued a statement defending the decision as nothing out of the ordinary and carrying a "negligible expense."

"Presidents regularly associate their name with economic stimulus programs," the statement said.

The Treasury Department and the IRS pushed back against claims that Trump's decision to add his name to the stimulus checks could delay their delivery.

"Thanks to hard work and long hours by dedicated #IRS employees, Economic Impact Payments are going out on schedule, as planned, without delay, to the nation," the IRS said Wednesday on Twitter. "The IRS employees are delivering these payments in record time."

Millions of Americans began receiving payments of $1,200 on Wednesday via direct deposit. Those electronic payments, which were part of a $2 trillion bipartisan coronavirus rescue package, did not include Trump's name.

But for Americans who receive their checks by mail - about 70 million of the 150 million who qualify - Trump's name will feature prominently in the memo section.

On April 3, the president was asked about a Wall Street Journal report that said he had spoken to friends about wanting to sign the checks. He denied it.

"No. Me sign? No. There's millions of checks," Trump said. "I'm going to sign them? No. It's a Trump administration initiative. But do I want to sign them? No."

But the president often personalizes the pandemic response. In his daily news briefings, he spends considerable time describing what his administration has done to combat the pandemic.

On March 27, Trump lashed out against state governors who had criticized his response, saying any criticism of him amounts to criticism of the broader federal effort.

"I think they should be appreciative because you know what? When they're not appreciative to me, they're not appreciative to the Army Corps," he said. "They're not appreciative to FEMA."

Trump has also indicated a desire to have the federal government provide unemployment checks to millions of out-of-work individuals, seeking to take over the role traditionally played by states. It's not clear if the president also wanted to sign such federally provided unemployment checks.

Millions of Americans have already opened their mailboxes to find Trump's name. In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent out postcards with the headline "PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES FOR AMERICA." The card included several recommendations for slowing the spread of the virus, including washing hands and avoiding recreational travel.

According to a person familiar with the conversations, Pelosi pushed Mnuchin during negotiations on the economic rescue package to ensure that as many checks as possible were deposited though direct deposit; she told House Democrats that she had told Mnuchin that to the extent there had to be paper checks, she didn't want to see them held up for Trump's signature or anything similar.

While several senior Trump administration officials said they did not know where Trump got the idea for putting his name on the stimulus checks, many said they were not surprised by the move. Trump has long exhibited a desire for featuring his signature prominently on objects, including newspaper clippings, stock market charts and even Bibles.

Hours after the House of Representatives impeached him in December, Trump signed copies of the two impeachment articles for a supporter, the Detroit Free Press reported.

While visiting Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Trump signed the wall of an events center that was being used to house storm victims and the homeless.

- - -

The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey and Erica Werner contributed to this report.
This is precisely the sort of snarl that can be unwound by well-targeted Freedom of Information Act requests. The truth lies somewhere amid the emails, permit applications, call records and other documents produced in a situation like this. Residents filed a lawsuit seeking damages, but the public shouldnt need to wait for answers that emerge in the lawsuit, nor be forced to depend on lawyers, or even the city inspector general, to get to the truth.
New Delhi: The world is currently struggling badly with the coronavirus epidemic crisis. The biggest superpower has succumbed to this virus. In the midst of this scandal, India has emerged as one such country in the world, which is helping everyone. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now demanded a hydroxychloroquine drug from India, on which India has assured them of all possible help.

Madhya Pradesh government takes this decision for trapped laborers in other states

This drug, which is used against malaria, is also seen to be effective in the fight against coronavirus. Pawan Kapoor, India's ambassador at UAE, told media that some companies of UAE have demanded hydroxychloroquine from of India, after which the message has been conveyed to Delhi.

"We are working as if we are fighting a war against corona", says CM Gehlot

According to Pawan Kapoor, the Government of India is taking a decision in this regard soon, in such a way UAE can get the first instalment of this medicine soon. India had removed the ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine medicine in the past and promised to give it to the countries where the situation is worst.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan holds high-level meeting, may find proper solution for corona
Normalcy is a byword at Child Advocates San Antonio as we routinely advocate for children in the foster care system to have their basic needs met, including their right to safety and the opportunity to just be kids.

With the COVID-19 crisis, that goal has been upended, as we all experience a loss of normalcy and uncertainty about our needs being met.

As we try to cope with the new normal, we cant lose sight of the most vulnerable in our community, including our children who are at higher risk of child abuse and neglect.

As April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, we at CASA are shining a spotlight on the need for everyone in our community to help keep our kids safe. In the 2018-19 fiscal year, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services reported 5,373 confirmed victims of child abuse or neglect in Bexar County, as well as nine abuse-related deaths.

Parents across the city are experiencing how the loss of normalcy can be extremely disruptive for all children. Kids whose lives are in upheaval may experience negative feelings they do not know how to appropriately express, leading them to act out in their behaviors.

When families are in crisis mode because of job losses, stress from the health crisis and food insecurity, adults also experience negative feelings and behaviors, which can put children at a higher risk for child abuse and neglect.

Unfortunately, we at CASA witness this every August and January, as teachers and school administrators see children for the first time after a break and notice signs of abuse and neglect, leading to increased reporting and, eventually, children entering the foster care system.

As mandatory reporters, teachers and administrators play key roles in keeping children safe, but in todays virtual learning environment and social distancing, we as the community must step up to take their place.

We are calling on every person in our community to keep an eye on our children.

The first step in preventing child abuse and neglect is to always be supportive of the family as a whole. If we can do that, we can alleviate many of the surrounding pressures that may contribute to child abuse and neglect, and prevent children from being removed from their homes in the first place.

If you have children in your life whom you call, try to video chat with them instead so you can see them and their environment. Try to speak with the child without other people around so you can ask if they need anything and how they feel about the changes. Speak with their caregivers as well, and ask if they have what they need to care for the children and how the whole family is adjusting to the new realities.

Having supportive connections is vital for everyone, and never more so than during the isolation of the COVID-19 crisis.

Establishing these connections also allows you to continue monitoring childrens well-being so you can be aware of any negative changes.

In todays world, we must all become mandatory reporters.

If you notice anything that makes you concerned for a childs well-being, please do not hesitate to call the Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-252-5400, and make a confidential report.

During this unprecedented time, we need you to partner with us to make sure all children are safe and their basic needs are being met.

For more information about Child Advocates San Antonio and how you can help by donating or becoming a volunteer advocate, please visit our website at casa-satx.org.

Marina Gonzales is the president and CEO of Child Advocates San Antonio.
The actor will suit up in protective equipment as he goes inside a Covid-19 ward

Ross Kemp will meet frontline NHS staff treating patients with coronavirus in a hospital that is 'on a war footing' in his new two-part documentary which begins tonight.

The former EastEnders star, 55, will enter the 'warzone' intensive care unit at Milton Keynes University Hospital Trust for his two-part show Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline on ITV.

The show, which will offer viewers a glimpse of how health workers on the frontline are dealing with the pandemic, will see the actor suited up in protective equipment, as he goes inside a Covid-19 ward.

The star later confirmed the equipment used would be replaced by the production team.

The show comes as the UK continues to control the spread of the deadly virus which has now claimed the lives of 13,729 people.

Ross Kemp will join frontline NHS staff treating patients with coronavirus for his two-part show Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline on ITV tonight

The 55-year-old actor will offer viewers a glimpse of how doctors and nurses on the frontline are dealing with the pandemic as he goes behind the scenes at an ICU ward at Milton Keynes University Hospital Trust

The show will see the actor enter a hospital ward treating patients who have contracted Covid-19

The show will follow the actor-turned-investigative journalist as he speaks with staff at the hospital and listens to the heart-rending decisions they have been left making on a day-to-day basis.

In one scene, Kemp will speak with medical director Dr Ian Reckless, who explains the hospital, which has now treated 340 Covid-19 patients, has only 20 ventilators which are all currently in use.

Dr Reckless tells the actor: 'Imagine the situation where we have 20 ventilators and all of them are in use. We've got no more ventilators, we phone around other hospitals and they've got no more ventilators either.

'We have to make a decision for the next person coming into the hospital, who we haven't met yet. Of the 20 patients currently on ventilators, who are the two or three patients who, to be completely honest, aren't making any progress.

'They're getting worse, not better. They aren't going to survive. And in some circumstances we may have to withdraw treatment on that basis. That's not something we've done in the UK. Ever.'

The show, which will air tonight at 8.30pm, will also see the actor speak with Dr Hamid Manji, a consultant anaesthetist at Milton Keynes Hospital, who tells the actor he has been working 12 hour shifts in the intensive care unit and compares his environment to a 'warzone'.

During the show, the actor will speak with Dr Hamid Manji, a consultant anaesthetist at Milton Keynes Hospital

The doctor tells the actor he has been working 12 hour shifts in the intensive care unit and compares it to a 'warzone'

He tells Kemp: 'We've become a hospital that is effectively on a war footing, the reality is this fee ls like a war zone and a Field hospital.'

He adds: 'That's a very key message. The isolation, the staying at home, the not giving it to other people, be it your neighbour or someone at work or somebody in a supermarket, keep your distance, if you don't need to go out, don't go out. We in the UK are still in an upward trajectory.

'We need to change that as they have done in some other parts of the world and they've done it with really strict rules. So, although I don't want to be a disciplinarian about it, genuinely, it saves lives to isolate and to stay at home.'

Dr Manji, who has also suffered from coronavirus himself, goes on to tell the star that while many of the patients he has been treating have been elderly, he has been seeing an increasingly number of people in their 30s also being admitted to intensive care.

The former EastEnders actor will speak to doctors and nurses fighting the pandemic on the frontline

He tells the star: 'The other bit I would just like to say to the people out there that are listening, it's young people we are seeing on the intensive care unit. It's not that you have to be ill or that you have to be old. They are obviously suffering more.

'But young people are suffering with no illnesses in the past and suffering in a way I have never seen before. They are critically, critically unwell and some of them are sadly not surviving this.

'So the message, without being too dramatic, please stay at home, please isolate because it's saving lives. Not just your own, but the lives of the people around you.'

Last week the 55-year-old actor came under fire for entering the ICU and saw more than 2,000 views sign a petition calling for the new programme to be axed.

However, on Thursday's episode of Good Morning Britain, Kemp was quick to explain that the documentary had been made to help worried Britons whilst highlighting the incredible work undertaken by NHS staff.

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, the actor said: 'It's not just inside the intensive care it's about across the board.

'In terms of PPE (personal protective equipment) we used one set and at no point were we draining resources.

'There was just me and one camera man, we were only there for a short time, maybe half an hour.

The show will see Kemp listen to a doctor tell him that he has been seeing an increasing number of people in their 30s also being admitted to intensive care

'What had a massive impact on me was the care and love for the patients from the staff. The film is to show how the staff are helping people... and it's also to tell us what they are concerned about.'

The former actor went on to reveal that the hospital staff had fully supported and backed the documentary in the hopes that it would show the country the fight they were tackling in the wards.

He continued: 'The concerns are people outside are unknowledgeable of what's going on outside the hospital. That was the point of the film, to see what it's like there.'

A statement by Milton Keynes Hospital read: 'At a time when there is anxiety nationally about the spread of COVID-19 and the NHS' ability to respond to the pressures the virus will bring, we felt it was important to give a true account on the work being done in hospitals and in community settings, and the measures being taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

'We hope that the programme will help to reinforce the message that it is important for members of the public to stay at home and protect the NHS.

'We also hope that it will help to illustrate that hospitals and communities are still running business as usual in certain services, including maternity and emergency departments, up and down the country and that the NHS and other care organisations are there to help people that need it for non-COVID-19 related issues.'

The hospital also explained that the film crew would be replacing any PPE stock they had used.

Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline airs tonight at 8.30pm on ITV
An increasing number of people in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are concerned about the loss of job or salary due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, the latest data from YouGovs survey that ran between April 8 and 15 shows.

The proportion of respondents who said this has increased from 44 per cent to 51 per cent this week. Notably, UAE residents are much more worried about this outcome as compared to people in Saudi Arabia (64 per cent vs 38 per cent).

In both the countries, concern over job loss was seen more among expats than locals. In the UAE, Western (74 per cent) and Asian expats (68 per cent) appeared more nervous about this scenario as compared to the Emiratis (46 per cent). Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, expats are more anxious about losing their livelihoods than locals (56 per cent vs 30 per cent).

For most of the listed areas, concern is more widespread among UAE residents as compared to Saudi Arabia residents, especially in matters relating to finance and economy. 56 per cent UAE residents are nervous about the global economic impact of the pandemic, however, concern among Saudi Arabia residents is lower- at 43 per cent.

In addition to this, UAE residents are also more likely than those in Saudi Arabia to worry about other financial losses such as money put in investments, property, etc (48 per cent vs 32 per cent).

Even though half are worrying about jobs and the economy, the thing that currently concerns most people in the two countries is a loved one getting sick due to the virus. The number of people saying this has increased from 56 per cent to 60 per cent this week. Those respondents who are married with children are the most worried about this outcome (63 per cent saying this).

Thinking about the impact of the Coronavirus, more than half of UAE and Saudi Arabia residents (54 per cent) said the pandemic will have a long lasting damaging impact on their respective countrys economies, up from 50 per cent who said this last week. 38 per cent on the other hand, think the impact will be short-term.

Although there has been an increase in the number of people who foresee a lasting adverse impact on the economy in both the countries, UAE residents are more likely to expect this outcome as compared to Saudi Arabia residents (59 per cent vs 49 per cent).

Roughly half the public in both the countries (49 per cent) believe jobs and employment as well as their wages (46 per cent) will suffer over a prolonged period of time.

On the other hand, residents are expecting a short-term negative impact on the price of essential items (45 per cent). For household finances their opinion stands divided, with 42 per cent saying the impact will be long term while 43 per cent saying it will be short-lived.

The data shows that people aged between 25-34 years continue being the most pessimistic about the likely outcomes of the Coronavirus and for all areas tested they were more likely than their counterparts to say the pandemics damage will be long lasting.

Data collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 2001 respondents in the UAE and Saudi Arabia between 8th and 15th April 2020 using YouGovs panel of over 6 million people worldwide. Data is representative of the adult national population in each country. -- Tradearabia News Service
An old refrigerator has been turned into a 'disinfection chamber' by researchers here who are striving to come up with solutions to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

According to an NDTV report, researchers at National Institute of Technology Karnataka have developed a disinfection chamber to disinfect Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, surgical masks, vegetables, packed food items, currency notes and other day-to-day items.

ANI

Dr Arun M Isloor, head of Chemistry Department, National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, along with research scholar Syed Ibrahim, came up with the device which can disinfect items kept inside it.



Researchers claim that the chamber is made out of an old refrigerator and uses UV-C radiation with a wavelength of 254 nanometres that could destroy or inactivate all surface contamination  bacteria and viruses up to 99.9 %, including novel coronavirus.

ANI

"We have named this as ZERO-COV," Dr Isloor said. He says the device ensures 99.9 per cent destruction of microorganisms present on the surface of items.

"We can keep items like vegetables, currency notes, books or envelopes inside the chamber. Switching on the chamber for 15 minutes ensures 99.9 per cent destruction of microorganisms present in the surface of the items," Dr Isloor said.



Karnataka: Dr. Arun M Isloor,head of Chemistry Department, National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, along with research scholar Syed Ibrahim developed a disinfection chamber out of an old fridge.Dr.Arun M Isloor says,"we have named this as ZERO-COV." #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/mLgLOv38Uz  ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

Dr Isloor told The Hindu, "By placing items, including vegetables and currency, in the disinfection chamber for 15 minutes, one can ensure destruction or inactivation of bacteria and viruses up to 99.9 %. UV technology is well proven and accepted by the scientific community and World Health Organisation has recommended this technology for surface disinfection. This is commonly used as disinfection in hospitals, laboratories and at water treatment plants."

The chamber could be placed at the entrance of the house or office, Prof. Islur said and added that there was no toxic agent or chemical. He is ready to technically assist residents who want to build the device on their own.



The novel coronavirus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, can stay for up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic, according to a study.



Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, described the stability of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, noting that people may acquire the virus through the air, and after touching contaminated objects. Researchers, including those from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US, said SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours.






Criminal offenders who cough or spit on victims will face harsher punishments under proposed sentencing changes, whether they claim to have coronavirus or not.

Deliberately coughing on emergency workers can already be punished with up to two years of imprisonment because of changes made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) during the outbreak, but the new proposals would apply to all common assault offences in England and Wales.

A consultation document published by the Sentencing Council on Thursday said a number of sentencers [judges and magistrates] thought that spitting should be explicitly referenced as a factor increasing the seriousness of an offence.

It added: The council agreed that it should and, taking into account recent offending trends, the council has included spitting or coughing as an aggravating factor.

The changes would also allow sentences to be increased for the intention to cause fear of serious harm, including disease.

This would include (but is not limited to) situations where common assault offences have been committed by offenders coughing and spitting at victims with a direct or implied threat of Covid-19 or other disease transmission, the document said.

Public-facing workers are particularly at risk from this type of offence, and a number of successful prosecutions have recently taken place.

Where an offender intentionally spits or coughs at a victim, in situations such as the current epidemic, an intention to cause fear of transmission could be inferred even where there is no explicit assertion that an offender has a disease capable of transmission.

Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart  DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe  Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

Several people have been prosecuted with assaulting emergency workers by deliberately coughing on them during the coronavirus outbreak.

Last week, a suspected Covid-19 sufferer, 30-year-old Lance King, was jailed for a year after coughing in the face of two NHS hospital nurses in Staffordshire.

In the West Midlands, three men were jailed this month for coughing, spitting or threatening to infect people, including police officers, with coronavirus.

A spokesperson for the Sentencing Council said the proposals were not a direct response to the outbreak and that guideline revisions had already been due.

They will be considered in the context of the pandemic, but will not come into force until 2021.

Interim guidance on common assaults, which can include coughing, has already been provided to courts, saying that threats or activity relating to transmission of Covid-19 should be treated as an aggravating factor.

Common assault can be punished by up to 26 weeks in prison, although less serious incidents can be punished with community sentences.

In 2018, assaulting emergency workers, including police and paramedics, was made a specific offence punishable by a years imprisonment.

Between November 2018 and 2019, almost 20,000 offences were charged under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act.

Justice minister Chris Philp said: Never has the debt of gratitude we owe our emergency workers been greater  they are heroes who risk their lives to keep us safe.

These guidelines send a clear message that those who seek to harm them will feel the full force of the law.

The Sentencing Councils consultation also covers proposed revisions to guidance for attempted murder, to ensure that it reflects changes to legislation around increased sentences for murder where a weapon is taken to the scene.

Proposals also include introducing a greater number of seriousness categories and sentence starting points for actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

The consultation, which is open to the public as well as legal practitioners, will be open until 15 September.
The judges order comes at a time when the coronavirus is spreading quickly in American prisons, leading authorities across the country to release thousands of inmates to save lives and preserve medical resources. The decision of how soon Mr. Stone will be ordered to report to prison is up to the federal courts probation and pretrial services office.

Mr. Trump has loomed large in the proceedings against Mr. Stone. He repeatedly complained on Twitter and to the news media that the judge, the jury and the prosecutors were being unfair to his friend.

The judge twice rebuked Mr. Trump in court, though not always by name. During Mr. Stones sentencing hearing, she simply described comments by a longtime friend of his as entirely inappropriate. She added pointedly, There was nothing, phony, or disgraceful about the investigation or the prosecution.

During a hearing on the defenses request for a new trial, she said that the the president himself has shone a spotlight on the jury and read aloud one of his tweets attacking the jury forewoman as an example.

She also noted that Tucker Carlson, the Fox News commentator who is close to Mr. Trump, had also tried to stoke public anger about the case and the jurors. Attacking jurors is completely antithetical to our entire system of justice, she said, and could provoke someone to take it out on them personally.

Prosecutors argued that the defense motion for a new trial was nothing more than an attempt to fuel its public campaign to undermine the jurys verdict through a frivolous juror misconduct claim. Nonetheless, in an unusual move, Judge Jackson held a four-hour hearing on the motion, summoning a dozen jurors back to the courtroom in February, three months after they had rendered a verdict.

Nancy Gertner, a retired federal judge who now teaches at Harvard Law School, said she believed the judge was being especially careful because the case had been so high-profile, not because the president was breathing down her neck.
WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to let Donald Trump down gently Thursday, warning that Canada is still a long way from being ready to agree to relax mutual travel restrictions along its border with the United States.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to let Donald Trump down gently Thursday, warning that Canada is still a long way from being ready to agree to relax mutual travel restrictions along its border with the United States.

Trudeau said he discussed the issue with the U.S. president during a videoconference with fellow G7 leaders, and the two agreed, given the unique relationship between the two countries, that they would continue to take a different approach to managing bilateral travel with each other from the ones they use with the rest of the world.

That does not mean, however, that a decision to relax the travel ban is imminent, he added.

"The work that we continue to do to keep our citizens safe, while co-ordinating very carefully, is unlike our approaches with other countries around the world. There's a recognition that as we move forward, there will be special thought given to this relationship," Trudeau said.

"But at the same time, we know that there is a significant amount of time still before we can talk about loosening such restrictions."

Trump, who often makes it abundantly clear that he's in a hurry to get the American economy back on its feet, seemed to suggest Wednesday that his impatience might well extend to the northern border  a shift in the usual balance of anxieties that has tended to define the Canada-U.S. relationship.

The toll of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. exceeds that of anywhere else in the world, with more than 560,000 active cases and 33,000 deaths to date. Canada, by comparison, has about 18,500 active cases and just over 1,000 deaths.

Trump seemed to suggest the two were comparable.

"Our relationship with Canada is very good  we'll talk about that. It will be one of the early borders to be released," the president said. "Canada's doing well, we're doing well, so we'll see."

It's been nearly a month since the two countries negotiated their 30-day ban on non-essential travel in both directions, a remarkable agreement that exempted the flow of trade and commerce, as well as vital health care workers like nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border.

In terms of permitting the movement of goods and services into the U.S., the arrangement has held up better than expected, notwithstanding a few hiccups, said Mark Agnew, director of international policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

"Most of the challenges that we have received are around individuals travelling for work purposes," Agnew said. "Companies are finding a variance in how officers and specific points of entry are interpreting rules for identical situations for travellers going across."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Some making legitimate efforts to enter the U.S. have been turned away, he noted. And he cited a peculiarity of the way traffic is managed by the two countries at entry points: in some cases, Canadians who are denied entry to the U.S. and forced to turn around have then been ordered to quarantine by Canadian Border Services Agency officials.

"This is a quirk in the system that should be looked at, since they have not gone past the point of entry into the United States."

The agreement is due to expire by Tuesday, and talks on extending it have been underway for several days, said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who insisted that keeping the restrictions in place would be "the neighbourly thing to do."

Despite those "extremely friendly, extremely neighbourly and extremely effective" discussions, however, Canada won't do anything that would risk putting its citizens in jeopardy, she insisted.

"What I can guarantee is that decisions about Canada's border are taken by Canadians, full stop," Freeland said. "Our government will only (open the border) when it is appropriate and when it is not a risk to the health and safety of Canadians."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Ottawa to "say no right away," and said he wished Canada had closed its doors earlier, although he was quick to insist he wasn't criticizing the federal government.

"Until we have this under containment, we need to keep our borders closed," Ford said. "We should have shut down the borders a lot sooner."

Trump issued national guidelines Thursday aimed at steering the country's economic recovery, even as congressional and state lawmakers persisted in warning of the dangers of going too fast, too soon. The president has eased away from his earlier insistence that the decision would be his alone to make  a power that in fact rests entirely with state governors.

Public health officials in the U.S., while they point to clear signs of improvement in the effort to slow the rate of infection, continue to drive home the importance of maintaining measures already in place  physical distancing, staying home where possible and aggressive personal and environmental hygiene  as critical to long-term success.

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Trump's three-phase strategy  "Opening up America Again," a riff on his famous campaign slogan  appears to hew to that approach, focusing primarily on those parts of the country with a declining infection rate and a robust testing regime. In such regions, physical distancing would persist in public, and non-essential travel and gatherings of more than 10 people would be discouraged.

"We are not opening up all at once, but one careful step at a time," he said. "This is a gradual process."

Over time, provided infections continue to decline, larger gatherings and recreational travel would be allowed to resume, provided new cases are carefully tracked and isolated.

Nearly 30 per cent of the country has reported no new cases in the last seven days, Trump said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.

 Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle
Queensland police have rescued an 11-week-old rottweiler stolen from his Ipswich home and reunited the pup with his owners more than six weeks after he disappeared.

On March 3, Buddy's owners found the back fence of their Redbank Plains home damaged , with Buddy gone.

After social media appeals from Buddy's owners to get him back, a member of the public tipped police off about another Redbank Plains home where they saw a very similar dog was living.

Springfield police found a rottweiler at the residence and a local vet confirmed the dog's microchip matched Buddy's.
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Mumbai, April 16 : Actress Bhumi Pednekar will discuss the importance of staying positive amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

The chat session will see Bhumi speak to the spiritual leader on the need to focus on mental health during the lockdown, and the social and economic fallout thereafter.

"At times like this, we need to be deeply connected with your inner self, our spiritual side to tide over the difficulties, the anxiousness that we all are facing at various levels. The thought of having a conversation with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, whose pioneering work with Art of Living is an inspiration to so many, stemmed from the feeling of discussing how we can look at this moment and steer ourselves towards positivity," Bhumi said.

Bhumi added that mental health is a "huge challenge" during lockdown.

"I will be looking to ask Gurudev to impart his suggestions which I'm sure will be enriching and enlightening for us," she said.

Bhumi will request Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, to guide people on how to focus on climate justice post the coronavirus pandemic.

"I will also be discussing climate change with Gurudev and understand his point of view on this burning issue and how we will all need to refocus on this post coronavirus. Through our discussion I'm sure I will learn how to be a much more conscious citizen of our nation and I'm hoping many like me will find this session extremely beneficial," she said.
The number of wolves in Oregon grew again in 2019, with at least 158 of the animals roaming the state, but incidents of conflict with ranchers dropped precipitously, state officials said Wednesday.

The 2019 count, taken this past winter, was a 15% increase from 2018, when the state had at least 137 wolves.

The wolves were arranged into 22 distinct packs, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, up from 16 in the 2018 count. Many packs remain clustered in the northeast corner of the state, an area thats seen numerous incidents of the canids preying on livestock since the animals returned to the state in 2009.

Those types of conflict dropped by 43% in 2019, from 28 in the previous year to 16, and the state did not receive or authorize any requests to kill a wolf for preying on livestock. Roblyn Brown, wolf coordinator for the state, said even as the predators move into new areas, ranchers are finding ways to coexist with them.

The wolf population continues to expand into areas where livestock producers have less experience with wolves, Brown said in a statement. "I have been impressed with the ingenuity of Oregons ranchers as they look for and implement new tools and techniques to reduce the vulnerability of their livestock on a landscape with wolves.

"We appreciate all livestock producers for their efforts to co-exist with wolves.

The animals are also making inroads into parts of western Oregon where theyve been extirpated for decades, including a new pack in Lane and Douglas counties. Amaroq Weiss, wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the news was encouraging and hopes the trend continues.

Were excited to see some of Oregons wolves move into new places and that the state did not kill any wolves this past year for conflicts with livestock, Weiss said. Efforts by the state to help livestock operators understand and use nonlethal conflict-prevention tools will be essential for coexistence and continued wolf recovery.

Missing, from the count, though, was OR-7, the wolf made famous by his 4,000-mile journey to find a mate in 2011. In the midst of that quest, OR-7 became the first known wolf to venture into California since 1924. He returned to Oregon and reproduced successfully for years, establishing the Rogue Pack, the first pack in the western part of the state since wolves returned.

One of his offspring would go on to become the breeding male of the only known wolf pack in California and two of his female pups have also migrated south, one reportedly traveling as far south as Lake Tahoe.

OR-7 was last photographed in the fall but was not seen during the annual count, state officials said. His mate was still present in the packs usual area, but no new pups were seen. OR-7 is estimated to be about 11 years old, Brown said, near the end of a wild wolfs lifespan.

We dont know if OR-7 has died, but it would be reasonable to assume considering his age, which is old for a wolf in the wild, Brown said. It is natural for packs to change over time as individual wolves are born, disperse or die.

East of highways 395/78/95, wolves are managed under the states wolf management plan, which allows for killing wolves that repeatedly attack livestock, under certain situations. Wolves are under federal endangered species protections in the western half of the state.

All told, 2019 brought good news for wolf advocates in Oregon, but even with the growth in population, the animals still inhabit only a small fraction of their historic territory, said Steve Pedery, conservation director with Oregon Wild.

158 known wolves in the state is a reason to celebrate, but we should always remember there is habitat to support more than 1,450 of these iconic animals, and our current count represents a tiny fraction of what once lived here, Pedery said. Oregon needs a cautious, science-based approach to these animals that minimizes killing, supports responsible livestock operations, and holds poachers accountable.

-- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.


Apple and Google have teamed up to launch a mobile phone tool to follow the contacts of people infected with coronavirus.

The technology is a form of contact tracing, a method used to identify people who may have had contact with infected individuals in an attempt to prevent additional spread of disease.

Health officials say the method is an effective way to help slow the spread of highly contagious viruses.

The current coronavirus, which is affecting much of the world, causes the disease COVID-19. Many carriers of the virus do not know they have it because they have no immediate signs of illness. They could be spreading the virus unknowingly. Contact tracing is a way to identify others who may have been infected.

The two companies say Bluetooth wireless technology will permit devices near each other to exchange information. A record of the Bluetooth signals between devices would be created.

If a device user becomes infected with the virus and agrees to share that information, the record could be used to inform other people that the user could have infected.

Apple and Google say they first plan to release app versions of the technology for Android and Apple devices by mid-May. Over the next several months, they plan to build the tracking technology directly into the device operating systems.

Numerous technology companies and organizations have been seeking to develop tools to help fight COVID-19. Some of the existing tools use data from mobile devices to measure and record population movements.

Health and government officials have called for such technology to help fight the current crisis. Government-backed apps have already been launched in some countries, including Singapore, South Korea, India and China. The technology is also being developed in Britain, Germany and Italy.

Israels Health Ministry released a contact-tracing app in late March. The app came after the Israeli government confirmed that the countrys security service had started collecting data from citizens phones to trace the movements of virus patients.

In a joint statement, Apple and Google said there has never been a more important moment to work together to solve one of the worlds most pressing problems.

The companies also said they would be cooperating with developers, governments and public health providers to use the power of technology to help countries around the world slow the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate the return of everyday life.

Major technology companies  including Google and Facebook - have been criticized in recent years for not protecting user privacy. In some cases, companies have been accused of secretly selling user data. In the past, Apple chief Tim Cook has criticized Facebook and Google for putting profits ahead of user privacy.

In announcing the new system, Apple and Google said its developers had built in strong protections around user privacy.

The companies said the technology would not identify personal information or record user movements. It is designed to only capture data about when users phones have been near each other. Data will not be kept on company servers, Apple and Google added.

The two companies also said they would openly publish information about their work for others to examine.

Pam Dixon is director of the not-for-profit World Privacy Forum. She told The Associated Press that after discussing the new system with a top Apple official, she is convinced that peoples privacy will be protected.

I think theyve taken care of some of the really big problems, she said. Dixon noted that the companies said they are able to turn off the system when it is no longer needed. The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, said in a statement that the technology would only be effective if those using the system trust the companies to protect their privacy. It added that many members of society are likely to be left out of such systems because they lack access to technology to use them.

However, the ACLU noted that the Apple-Google technology appears to mitigate the worst privacy and centralization risks.

But the statement added, There is still room for improvement.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and online sources. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - Apple and Google to Launch Contact Tracing Technology for Phones Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

team up  v. to join in cooperation to work together on something

trace  v. to find the origin of something

contagious  adj. having a sickness that can be passed on to someone else

app  n. a program for a smartphone or other device that performs a special function

accelerate  v. to happen more quickly

convince  v. to make someone believe something is true

society  n. a large group of people who live in the same souncty or area and have the same laws, traditions, etc.

access  n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone

mitigate  v. to reduce the harmful effects of something
(Repeats with no change in text)

* U.S. deaths top 28,300 after record single-day increase

* Britain, France, India extend their lockdowns

* Europe, U.S. producing 90% of COVID-19 cases

* Russia may need to call in army -Putin

* "We are certainly not seeing the peak yet" -WHO

By Paola Luelmo and Estelle Shirbon

MADRID/LONDON, April 14 (Reuters) - U.S. coronavirus deaths set a single-day record on Tuesday, a grim milestone as the country debated how to reopen its economy and as Spain and Austria allowed partial returns to work but the UK, France and India extended lockdowns.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that infections had "certainly" not yet peaked.

Nearly 2 million people globally have been infected and more than 124,000 have died in the most serious pandemic in a century, according to a Reuters tally. The epicentre has shifted from China, where the virus emerged in December, to the United States, which has now recorded the most deaths.

World leaders, in considering easing curbs, have to balance risks to health and to the economy as the lockdowns have strangled supply lines, especially in China, and brought economic activity to a virtual halt.

The shutdown is costing the U.S. economy perhaps $25 billion a day in lost output, St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said, calling for widespread testing and risk-management strategies so the economy can restart.

President Donald Trump, who has declared he will decide when to lift lockdowns, suggested some Democratic state governors were "mutineers" after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would refuse any order that risked reigniting the outbreak.

Trump also said he was halting U.S. funding to the WHO, which he criticized for not sharing information in a timely manner to prevent the outbreak.

The White House said Trump would hold a video teleconference with leaders from the Group of Seven nations on Thursday to coordinate responses.

Story continues

The global economy is expected to shrink by 3% this year, the International Monetary Fund said, marking the steepest downturn since the Great Depression.

The WHO said the number of new cases was tailing off in some parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain, but outbreaks were growing in Britain and Turkey.

"The overall world outbreak - 90% of cases are coming from Europe and the United States of America. So we are certainly not seeing the peak yet," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a briefing in Geneva.

But world stocks gained after Chinese trade data came in better than expected and as some countries partly lifted restrictions.

Some Spanish businesses, including construction and manufacturing, were allowed to resume. Shops, bars and public spaces are to stay closed until at least April 26.

Spain was flattening the curve on the graph representing the rate of growth of the outbreak, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday. The overnight death toll from the coronavirus rose to 567 on Tuesday from 517 a day earlier, but the country reported its lowest increase in new cases since March 18. Total deaths climbed to 18,056.

Some Spanish workers expressed concern that the relaxation of restrictions could trigger a new surge of infections. But for Roberto Aguayo, a 50-year-old Barcelona construction worker, the restart came just in time.

"We really needed it. Just when we were going to run out of food, we returned to work," he told Reuters.

Italy, which has the world's second-highest death toll at 21,067, maintained some tight restrictions on movement, while Denmark, one of the first European countries to shut down, will reopen daycare centres and schools for children in first to fifth grades on Wednesday.

The Czech government will gradually reopen stores and restaurants from next Monday, although people will continue to be required to wear masks.

Thousands of shops across Austria reopened on Tuesday, but the government cautioned that the country was "not out of the woods".

Austria acted early to shut schools, bars, theatres, restaurants, non-essential shops and other gathering places about four weeks ago. It has told the public to stay home.

The Alpine republic has reported 384 deaths in total, fewer than some larger European countries have been suffering each day. Hospitalisations have stabilised.

LOCKDOWNS EXTENDED

Britain, where the government has come under criticism for its slow approach to testing and for not getting protective equipment to the frontlines of health care, has the fifth-highest death toll globally.

The toll in British hospitals rose to 12,107 as of Monday but is expected to be much higher when deaths in the community are included. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said there would be no easing of lockdown measures when they come up for review this week.

The Times newspaper said on Tuesday that Raab, deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is recuperating from a COVID-19 infection, would extend the curbs until at least May 7.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron on Monday extended a virtual lockdown to May 11.

India, the world's second-most populous country after China, extended its nationwide lockdown until May 3 as the number of coronavirus cases crossed 10,000. Neighbours Pakistan and Nepal also extended their curbs.

Russia might need to call in the army to help tackle the crisis, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. Moscow warned the capital might run out of hospital beds in coming weeks.

China's northeastern border province of Heilongjiang saw 79 new cases on Monday - all Chinese citizens travelling back from Russia, state media said.

As of Tuesday, China had reported 82,249 coronavirus cases and 3,341 deaths. There were no deaths in the past 24 hours.

Health ministers from the Group of 20 major economies will speak by videoconference on Sunday to address the outbreak's impact.

(Open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in a separate browser for an interactive graphic to track the global spread.)

(Reporting from Reuters bureaux across the world; Writing by Nick Macfie, Philippa Fletcher and Lisa Shumaker; Editing by William Maclean, Mark Heinrich Mark Potter and Peter Cooney)
As Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attempted to approach royal life their way, one of the main things royal fans and experts began to see was the divide between the Duke of Sussex and his brother, Prince William. The royal brothers have been two peas in a pod. However, in recent years, those easy laughs that often passed between the pair werent as frequent.

There was a ton of speculation about the alleged tension between them. However, none of that was confirmed until October 2019, when Prince Harry got candid about not exactly seeing eye-to-eye with his brother. Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure that its under, stuff happens, but were brothers, Prince Harry said in ITVs Harry and Meghan: An African Journey. Well always be brothers. Were certainly on different paths at the moment, but Ill always be there for him and as I know hell always be there for me.

Though many people have tried to claim that the Duchess of Sussex was the main reason for the brothers divide, it appears more likely that Prince Harry and Prince Williams different views of the media might have led to the fracture in their relationship.

The Sussexes and the Cambridges approached royal life very differently

While Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge have adopted the British stiff upper lip approach to royal life which calls for them to ignore rumors and tabloids, no matter how salacious they may be, the Sussexes tried to clap back.

From sending letters to filing lawsuits, Prince Harry and Meghan wanted the media to treat them fairly. Unfortunately, that didnt exactly pay off for the pair.

For most, all of my life, Ive always been part of a family and part of a country that is scared of the tabloid media because they have so much power and influence and no morals (laughs), Prince Harry explained in a January 2020 speech. From the moment that I found a wife that was strong enough to be able to stand up for what we believe in together, has basically scared them so much that theyve now come out incredibly angry, theyve come out fighting, and all they will try and do now is try and destroy our reputation and try and, you know, sink us. But what they dont understand is the battle we are fighting against them is far more than just us. Even though they want to make it personal they are scared because we are some of the first two people willing to stand up to their bullying and my wife, we cant stand back. It hasnt been very nice. Its been horrible but we will come out of it stronger people.

Prince William and Prince Harry view the press very differently

The princes began viewing the press differently after their mother, Princess Dianas death. Prince Harry also found himself splashed across the newspapers during his teen years and early 20s.

The really important thing I think and the real difficulty is they just have entirely different parallel narratives about a whole bunch of stuff, ITV anchor Tom Bradby explained to Good Morning America. One of which is about their mothers death. Harry feels quite simply that the press killed his mother and is now in danger of trying to damage his wife. William has a more nuanced view of that. He thinks that yes, their mother did have a very hard time, but also she made a mistake in allowing the press in and he just is absolutely adamant that that shouldnt happen and he thinks that sometimes his brother is too open and then tries to close up, and that doesnt work.

Prince Hary and Prince William are in a better space now

As the brothers grew up, many royal experts envisioned Prince William on the throne with Prince Harry at his side. We now know that the younger prince is looking to forge a path for himself outside of the British royal family. Though the Sussexes move to Los Angeles came as a shock to many, it does appear that the brothers are in a much better space now.

Meghan told her inner circle of friends that Harry has been communicating with Prince William and the Queen on a pretty consistent basis, an insider told Daily Mail. She said this world crisis has actually brought them all closer together, especially Harry and his brother. Harry has made it very clear to them that he will do whatever he can to help from Canada. Meghan said they are grateful, especially Harry, that they could spend time with his family before all this insanity began.
ALEPPO, Syria  Construction is underway to build a commercial border crossing between Turkeys Sanliurfa province and the opposition-held city of Ras al-Ain in the Operation Peace Spring area in northeastern Syria.

Merhi Youssef, head of the Ras al-Ain local council, told Al-Monitor, The commercial crossings construction is expected to be completed as soon as possible, for it to be ready before Eid al-Fitr, which falls on May 23.

The Ras al-Ain local council announced April 6 that it had approved the temporary location of the 15-dunum [5,000 square meters] commercial gate.

A committee from the municipality of Sanliurfa has started planning procedures to determine the main road [leading to the crossing] and the buildings [at the crossing], as this gate is expected to open between April and May, the council said.

Youssef said, The local council asked the Turkish government to open a commercial crossing and it responded to our request. Construction is already underway and the first step is to open the main road for the border gate in the Abra neighborhood, in north Ras al-Ain. Construction of the crossing's buildings will follow.

Lease contracts have been signed with the owners of land where the crossing will be located and the road will pass through, and the rents were paid by the local council in advance, he added, without disclosing the amounts paid to landowners.

The Ras al-Ain local council receives funding support from the Turkish municipality of Sanliurfa.

Youssef said, It will be a temporary crossing to meet the areas needs until a main border gate that connects Ras al-Ain to Turkey is established over the next two years, between 2021 and 2022, which will be in al-Kharabat neighborhood, in northeast Ras al-Ain.

He added, The aim of opening a border gate with Turkey in Ras al-Ain is to secure the area's food, industrial and agricultural needs, and thus revive the area on the economic and humanitarian levels, as well as exporting agricultural products for which the area is famous and sell them at reasonable prices. The crossing eventually aims to ease the blockade imposed on the area by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) militias and the Syrian regime forces.

Youssef said, Ras al-Ain, much like the rest of the Operation Peace Spring area, is under blockade, and the border crossings with Turkey are the best way to revive the area.

Abdullah al-Jashaam, the director of the media office at Ras al-Ain local council, told Al-Monitor, The border crossing will make it easier for merchants and farmers to import their needs from Turkey, thus reviving the service, agricultural and commercial sectors in Ras al-Ain.

He added, Turkey brought in equipment to begin construction and it has started building the crossings road and commercial zone, as well as laying the foundations of buildings. The crossing will occupy an area of 15,000 square meters of the border strip with Turkey from Ras al-Ains side.

Jashaam said, The cost of the project will be entirely borne by the Turkish government, including logistical equipment, construction and road construction, and the work will be directly supervised by Sanliurfa province since the gate falls within its administrative borders.

He added, The location was chosen in the Abra neighborhood, which lies directly on the border with Turkey, while vast spaces in the neighborhood are empty [of buildings], making it suitable for the traffic of cargo trucks. A lease contract was signed with the landowners and rent was paid for two years upfront by the Ras al-Ain local council.

Jashaam explained, The Ras al-Ain local council, in cooperation with the Syrian opposition-led government, will supervise the management of the crossing from the Syrian side, and trained cadres will be employed to operate the gate.

The Operation Peace Spring area has one border crossing linking it with Turkey: the Tell Abyad crossing, which reopened in November 2019, after the Turkish army and the Free Syrian Army took control of the area as part of Operation Peace Spring, launched in October 2019 against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

In a related context, Shaaban al-Ahmad, the director of the media office at the Tell Abyad local council, told Al-Monitor, Opening a crossing linking Ras al-Ain with Turkey will reduce congestion at the Tell Abyad crossing, which is an important step in the framework of the efforts made by the opposition and the Turkish government to bring stability to the Peace Spring area.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Habash, the director of al-Khabour website, which is close to the opposition, said, The Ras al-Ain crossing that is supposed to open with Turkey will be vital for the revival of the area, and will facilitate the export of its products and crops, such as wheat, cotton and barley, given that the area is one of Syrias richest agricultural areas, and farmers can thus have more income.

Habash added, The crossing will provide job opportunities for the people of the area, be it administrative jobs inside the crossing or through commercial investments, and service facilities that will be established in the area, such as restaurants, cafes and rest houses. In addition, the border gate gives great importance to nearby cities and helps their urban and service growth as they become more attractive for citizens to live in.

Abdel Hakeem al-Masri, the economy and finance minister in the opposition-led government, said, A distance of 120 kilometers separates Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ain, and transporting commercial goods through the Tell Abyad crossing to Ras al-Ain is very expensive. It is thus necessary to open a crossing at Ras al-Ain, which will positively reflect on the area's merchants and farmers and reduce the burdens and costs of long-distance shipping.

Masri added, Ras al-Ain crossing will be managed by the Directorate of Crossings and General Customs of the Ministry of Finance and Economy in the opposition-led government in cooperation with the Ras al-Ain local council.
WASHINGTON  A top intelligence appointment that President Trump is considering for a billionaire investor and prominent supporter could be only a short-term one, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mr. Trump has long considered the investor Stephen A. Feinberg, whose company owns a prominent private military contractor, for a senior role in the intelligence community, installing a top supporter into a world the president views with deep skepticism. Although the effort to find a post for him seemed to have foundered in recent weeks, it has regained momentum, according to four of the people.

Though the president could nominate Mr. Feinberg to the No. 2 post at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, an acting appointment to another senior job there that does not require Senate confirmation is more likely, according to administration officials.

Still, any appointment could be brief. Mr. Trumps nominee to be the director of national intelligence, Representative John Ratcliffe of Texas, has been promised the latitude to put in his own team, and that would not include Mr. Feinberg, according to two people briefed on Mr. Ratcliffes plans.
Cement exports from Bangladesh dip in 9MFY19-20

16 April 2020

Bangladesh's government saw a modest fall of more than six per cent in total export during the first nine months of the FY19-20 as the initial impacts of coronavirus began to impact business, but fortunately overseas cement dispatches were only slightly down, according to data released by Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).



However, Bangladeshi economist Mohammad Shahjahan Siddiqui has cautioned through local media that there will be a serious impact of coronavirus in the country's export earnings if the situation persists for long. "If coronavirus situation takes a serious turn and persists for long, we can't tackle it and there'll be economic fall-out," he added.



Bangladesh's cement industry has earned an export revenue of US$8.06m in the 9MFY19-20 (July 2019-March 2020), compared to US$8.16m earned in 9MFY18-19, a minor contraction of 1.2 per cent YoY. The export figure also includes a small amount of salt, stone and related products, according to the data of Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).



However, the export value for cement increased by 3.1 per cent above the 9MFY19-20 government target of US$7.82m during this export period.



The EPB had set a lower export target for the cement industry at US$10.5m for FY19-20 compared to US$14m for the previous fiscal year, following a decrease of cement export earnings to U$10.41m in FY18-19.



The country's total export earnings continued to decline as merchandise shipments witnessed a 6.2 per cent fall during the last nine months of FY19-20. The aggregate export earnings during July to March of FY19-20 stood at US$28.973bn, against US$30.093bn earnings of the corresponding period of last fiscal, according to the EPB's data.



Cement is reportedly being exported by Bangladeshi cement producers to India, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

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New Delhi, April 16 : With the lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic affecting most sectors of the economy, Delhi Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai said, here on Thursday, the state government was making all efforts to help the labourers in distress in the national capital.

Speaking to IANS, Rai said in the working class, the biggest threat was to self-employed, contract workers and daily wagers.

"We will face a lot of issues in the coming days because of the coronavirus crisis. The real challenge, after the country emerges from the epidemic, will be to bring the economy back on track. We will be far behind on the economic front," Rai told IANS.

Rai, Cabinet Minister for Labour, urged the employers to stand with the workers in this difficult time. "First of all, I would like to request all the employers to stand with their employees. The salary of any employee should not be deducted. We are going through a difficult phase, which will be overcome soon." On steps by the government to help daily wagers, he said the government announced Rs 5,000 one-time financial aid for the construction workers soon after the lockdown was imposed.

"The money was given so that the daily wagers don't face any financial crisis and can at least have food. The government will issue Rs 5,000 to the public vehicle drivers in the city. The government is making all efforts to avoid any economic loss to labourers due to coronavirus," Rai said.

Rs 5,000 was provided to around 40,000 construction workers through the Delhi Labour Welfare Board, which amounted to Rs 20 crore.

Rai said he would like to suggest the central government that given the Indian conditions it should formulate practical economic policies, keeping in mind the workers, farmers and youth.

He said the coronavirus crisis would impact all sectors. The technology sector might suffer more because of its dependence on the US and China, he said and added, the cottage industries and small-scale industries would too be hit hard.

Stating that industries are yet to come out of the 2016 demonetisation setback, he said the impact of coronavirus would make the situation "quite worrisome".

On the migrant labourers found near the banks of Yamuna, Rai said no sooner it came to the notice, the AAP government took action and shifted them to the nearest shelter. "Proper food and lodging arrangements have been made for them." On the talk of the city government arranging buses/trains for migrants to go home, Rai said any such thing would only cause more Covid-19 cases.

"As we know there is no vaccine for coronavirus yet, only way to stop the infection from spreading is to follow the lockdown rules. In such a situation, any movement of migrant labourers to their respective states will be an invitation to the spread of coronavirus.

"We do understand that in such difficult time, everyone wants to be with the family. But following the lockdown is more important than that because they are safe and their family is also safe." Rai urged the migrants to follow the lockdown norms and stay indoors, and assured them the government was taking special care of them and had made proper arrangements for food and housing. "The government is providing cooked food to about 10 lakh people. Shelters for thousands of people have also been arranged." Stating that under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, all Ministers and MLAs of Delhi are standing with the migrants in the this hour of crisis, Rai said, "We do understand the migrant labourers' plight and will ensure that they don't face any problem."
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted Aug. 18 he had "funding secured" for a private buyout. A judge Wednesday deemed that statement false. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press)

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk's famous "420" tweet continues to haunt him.

Musk and Tesla settled fraud charges in 2018 with the Securities and Exchange Commission after Musk tweeted that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 a share. He had secured no such funding. Musk and Tesla each paid $20 million and Musk gave up his Tesla chairmanship for three years.

Now, a civil class-action shareholder lawsuit will go forward against Musk and the company on the same issue. Tesla had filed a motion to dismiss the case, but a federal judge denied it Wednesday.

The suit says that short sellers and long investors lost huge amounts of money as the stock skyrocketed on the funding-secured claim, then crashed when Musk couldn't verify the tweet was true.

Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018

In its motion, Tesla said the case should be tossed because the plaintiffs didn't prove the tweet was false and misleading. The motion said Tesla itself should not be part of the suit because Musk was tweeting as a "potential bidder," not as Tesla's CEO. The motion said Musk's motives did not include burning short sellers. (Short sellers make money when a stock price falls.)

U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen in San Francisco was having none of it. In a 41-page ruling released Wednesday, Chen wrote, "The rise and fall of Teslas stock prices corroborated with the timing of the alleged false and misleading statements, all of which occurred within a less-than-two-week period, and which suggests Mr. Musks false statements were the proximate cause."

On whether Musk's tweet represented Tesla, Chen wrote Musk "was in fact speaking as the CEO of Tesla within the scope of his authority." The judge noted that "in November 2013, Tesla formally notified investors that it would use Musks Twitter account as a formal means of communication to convey 'additional information' about the company to investors."

Story continues

On whether Musk had it out for short sellers, thus providing a motive for his tweet, the judge wrote that "even if Mr. Musk stood to gain no direct financial benefit from the false statement, he stood to gain satisfaction from watching the short-sellers lose on their investments, sellers against whom he allegedly harbored animosity."

The judge cited, among the evidence, a Musk tweet posted weeks before the 420 tweet that read: "Oh and uh short burn of the century comin soon. Flamethrowers should arrive just in time."

Oh and uh short burn of the century comin soon. Flamethrowers should arrive just in time.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 4, 2018

Three days after the 420 tweet, Musk turned to Twitter again: "Short shorts coming soon to Tesla merch[andise.]"

Short shorts coming soon to Tesla merch  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2018

When the trial will begin is uncertain, given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another major class-action shareholder lawsuit against Musk has also been delayed. That suit, filed in Delaware Chancery Court, says Tesla's 2016 acquisition of Solar City was marked by fraud and engineered mainly to rescue Musk and other family members who held major stakes in Solar City as the company's finances deteriorated.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
A woman and a child were killed and another five children were wounded by artillery shelling in Tripoli from eastern forces seeking to capture the capital from the UN-backed government there, a Libyan official said Thursday.

Libya has been divided between two rival governments since 2015, one in the east and another in the West.

Last year, troops loyal to commander Khalifa Hifter, who is allied with the eastern government, launched an offensive on Tripoli.

A 5-year-old boy was killed and his three siblings were severely wounded when their house was shelled in Tripoli's Tariq al-Soor neighborhood late Wednesday, Amin al-Hashemi, Health Ministry spokesman with the Tripoli-based government, said.

In a separate shelling, a 66-year-old woman was killed and another two children were wounded in the Abu Salim neighbourhood.

It was a bloody night, Grad-launchers and random missiles have hit several neighbourhoods in Tripoli, al-Hashemi said.

The fighting over Tripoli has intensified in recent days despite UN calls for a cease-fire to allow authorities to focus on curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Libya has so far recorded 48 virus cases, including one fatality.

The pandemic could possibly devastate war-torn Libya, where a decade-long conflict has ravaged key infrastructure and created dire medical shortages.

Earlier this week, forces allied with the Tripoli-based government made significant advances by gaining control of Sabrata, a key town that served as a base for troops loyal to Hifter.

Hifter's march on the capital has so far resulted in a military stalemate, killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A private legal practitioner, Akoto Ampaw says the novel coronavirus has brought to light all of Ghanas weak points which have been ignored for several years now.

Ghana currently has 641 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 83 full recoveries and eight deaths.

The disease, which saw a sudden hike in the number of cases in less than a month has forced the government to put in a lot of effort to protect the public and control its spread.

Sharing his thoughts on some of the effects the coronavirus has had on the country on The Point of View, Akoto Ampaw noted that all the cracks in Ghanas social structure are being exposed, showing how bad Ghana has been depending on other countries for almost everything.

The policies that we have been pursuing have not provided effective protection for our people. Whether in the area of social safety nets, conditions of production and manufacturing, trade, you will find that we are always on the receiving end. The challenges that this pandemic has confronted Ghana and Africa with and the way we are struggling to meet these challenges show that we do have fundamental problems of social structure, organization and capacity to respond to protect and reproduce our lives, he stated.

This should open the eyes of everybody because when the crisis occurred, we were looking for masks. Common masks. Is it that Ghanaian ingenuity, technology, and science could not manufacture masks? The crisis within a few weeks has forced us to start manufacturing masks by ourselves. So that is what Im saying that the crisis exposes the fact that we have been a non-manufacturing nation and it has exposed us so graphically.

Prior to Ghanas first confirmation of COVID-19, Akoto Ampaw expressed concern with the limited information available to the public on the coronavirus.

He then wrote to the Minister of Health requesting details on Ghana's preparedness towards a potential outbreak of the virus in the country.

He also requested some assurances on the extent to which health care in Ghana could withstand the effects of the virus.

Considering that Ghana sources majority of its drugs and non-drug consumables from China, what measures are in place to ensure that general healthcare in the country is not unduly affected as a result of this global health emergency?

Shaky economy

Already, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu believes Ghana will struggle to keep its economy in shape if the Coronavirus disease is not eradicated within the next four months.

He said it may take Ghana close to two years for its economy to bounce back if the situation persists beyond a four-month period.

---citinewsroom
SPRINGFIELD  As demographic and geographic information about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic begins to surface, the state Legislatures Black and Latino Legislative Caucus is calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to increase testing in urban neighborhoods.

Many low-wage workers employed in supermarkets, at restaurants, as healthcare workers and other essential service workers primarily reside in our high-density neighborhoods and should be allowed to be tested and traced if necessary, to avoid the spread," said state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, the caucus chairman.

The caucus issued a formal letter to Baker and major hospitals Thursday calling for free testing for all essential workers, home health care workers and nursing home staff at community-based testing centers.

On Monday Springfield Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen R. Caulton-Harris said people from every neighborhood in the city are testing positive for the virus  but she said COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is particularly widespread in heavily populated neighborhoods with higher numbers of senior citizens.

The citys number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose from 541 Monday to 601 Thursday.

Caulton-Harris listed zip codes covering the citys downtown, the Six Corners and Pine Point neighborhoods and the neighborhoods in the Mason Square area as those with higher rates of confirmed cases.

Gonzalez and Ward 1 City Councilor Adam Gomez represent at least three of the zip codes mentioned in the update, including the North End and South End.

We know that these are high density areas where you have a lot of buildings and people are constantly around each other. These areas are also heavily populated by Latino and black residents, Gomez said.

Gomez agreed with Gonzalez and the caucus call for for community-based testing and mobile testing sites in low-income housing and high density neighborhoods

I get calls frequently from people who are experiencing symptoms and are sent home without being tested because there are a lack of tests, he said. " You are talking about essential workers who are the most vulnerable to contracting the virus and carrying it home with them."

Gonzalez said it is important to remember neighborhoods like the lower Forest Park area, where many low wage workers live.

They work in our restaurants and convenience stores, they make up the gig economy and many rely on public transportation. We need them to keep working, but we also need them to have access to testing, he said.

In Springfield, where a large immigrant community speaks a variety of languages, Gonzalez and Gomez are asking for clearer messaging about the seriousness of the virus and the services available to people in need.

We are requesting a city-wide diversity advisory task force that can help guide some type of linguistic and cultural messaging about the pandemic that connects with our community, Gonzalez said.

Gomez said there is a lot of misinformation among the residents in his neighborhoods.

We need adequate information in several languages, not just Spanish, that can properly communicate the seriousness of the situation and combat the misinformation. People need to know clear facts because otherwise there is hysteria, he said.

More tests are becoming available. On Wednesday the city received 300 COVID-19 test kits for a new tent triage area for the homeless. The delivery was aided by U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Gov. Charlie Bakers office, city officials said.

Related content:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  After being hospitalized for the coronavirus (COVID-19), one of the youngest Staten Island patients reportedly to be treated for the disease was sent home from Richmond University Medical Center on Tuesday, after receiving a joyous sendoff from physicians, nurses and other healthcare officials.

The patient, whose name, age and information are being withheld at his parents request, will continue his recovery at home right here on Staten Island.

The young adult was treated by Dr. Melissa Grageda and a number of nurses and staffers in the West Brighton healthcare centers Pediatrics Department.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

Its the best part of my job to see a critical patient with COVID-19 improve and go home to his family, exclaimed Grageda. I feel blessed to be part of such a dedicated RUMC team that makes this happen. A big thanks to every pediatric frontliner -- including nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, nurse aides, housekeeping and a very supportive hospital leadership.

Hospital staffers cheered and applauded as the young adult was wheeled to the elevators for discharge and straight into the arms of his anxiously awaiting father.

According to a Richmond University Medical Center spokesperson, as of this week, 198 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been treated and released from the hospital.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that the coronavirus outbreak is seriously affecting vaster segments of the population than previously believed, with more cases confirmed in the 20 to 44 age group, though the majority of cases are still occurring in people over 60, or those with serious underlying health conditions.

According to data released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this month, coronavirus deaths in the state are highest among those age 70 to 79.

The Advance/SILive.com is committed to covering New York Citys battle against the coronavirus pandemic -- including the positive, encouraging news. Readers can check out more of these heartwarming stories and videos online here and in the Advance.
ROSELAND, N.J., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sectigo , a leading provider of automated digital identity management and web security solutions, today announced a partnership with Infineon Technologies AG to provide automated certificate provisioning for Infineon's OPTIGA Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 using Sectigo IoT Identity Manager. The integration provides manufacturers with a complete certificate management solution, including issuance and renewal, starting right on the factory floor, with secure certificate creation and insertion using the OPTIGA TPM for private key storage.

"Including a TPM chip in an IoT device design is the first step in enabling strong authentication and secure communication for IoT devices," explained Alan Grau, VP of IoT/Embedded Solutions at Sectigo. "Together, Sectigo and Infineon are enabling device manufactures to leverage strong authentication and secure communication for IoT devices during the manufacturing of the device itself. This integration not only automates the process of provisioning certificates for IoT devices, but also delivers a complete PKI solution leveraging Sectigo's highly secure cloud infrastructure."

Device manufacturers across industries increasingly recognize the need to strengthen the security of their devices. The Sectigo-Infineon joint solution enables manufacturers to provide the enhanced levels of security required to protect their devices and to ensure compliance with ever-emerging and evolving IoT security standards and regulations across the globe. For example, manufacturers are able to provision certificates into devices before they leave the factory, so that their connected IoT and IIoT products comply with the authentication requirements of the California IoT Security Law, along with other similar legislation.

Device identity certificates enable strong authentication and the TPMa specialized chip on an endpoint deviceprovides secure key storage to ensure keys are protected against attacks. The joint solution enables the insertion of certificates into the device during the manufacturing of the device, when the device is first provisioned into a network, or into the TPM chip itself before the chip is shipped to the manufacturer.

By installing certificates into the TPM chip prior to manufacturing, manufacturers are able to track the component throughout the supply chain to protect against device counterfeiting, ensuring that only authentic devices are manufactured.

"Infineon's audited and certified TPMs enable manufacturers of connected devices to achieve higher levels of security. Together with our partner Sectigo, we are now also able to offer automated factory provisioning. This gives our customers a proven path combining ease of integration with the benefits of higher security performance," said Lars Wemme, Head of IoT Security at Infineon Technologies.

The Sectigo IoT Identity Platform removes the complexity associated with securing and authenticating connected devices so that businesses can protect their infrastructure in an easy, scalable, cost-effective, way. The platform enables enterprises and OEMs to ensure the integrity and identity of their devices and maintain that security by managing certificates throughout the lifecycle of the device.

Infineon's OPTIGA security solutions, including the OPTIGA TPM, offer a broad portfolio of security controllers to protect the integrity and authenticity of embedded devices and systems. With a secure key store and support for a variety of encryption algorithms, the security chips provide robust protection for critical data and processes through their rich functionalityand are essential for strong device identity solutions because the crypto co-processor can securely store the private key of the device. Infineon's proven key storage, coupled with Sectigo's automated certificate issuance and management, delivers a robust, automated and easy-to-use PKI solution for device manufacturers.

Organizations interested in a demo of the fully integrated, automated certificate provisioning solution, please visit https://sectigo.com/about/contact.

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life easier, safer and greener. Microelectronics from Infineon is the key to a better future. In the 2019 fiscal year (ending 30 September), the company reported sales of 8.0 billion with around 41,400 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).

About Sectigo

Sectigo is a leading cybersecurity provider of digital identity solutions, including TLS / SSL certificates, DevOps, IoT, and enterprise-grade PKI management, as well as multi-layered web security. As the world's largest commercial Certificate Authority with more than 700,000 customers and over 20 years of experience in online trust, Sectigo partners with organizations of all sizes to deliver automated public and private PKI solutions for securing webservers, user access, connected devices, and applications. Recognized for its award-winning innovation and best-in-class global customer support, Sectigo has the proven performance needed to secure the digital landscape of today and tomorrow. For more information, visit www.sectigo.com and follow @SectigoHQ.

SOURCE Sectigo

Related Links

http://www.sectigo.com


A group of nurses has been suspended, after they refused to treat coronavirus patients without N95 masks.

The nurses, based at the Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California, refused to treat the patients, after one of their colleagues tested positive for Covid-19.

They had previously asked for more N95 masks to be supplied to them, but were told by hospital administrators that they were not necessary, according to the Associated Press.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of N95 masks for healthcare professionals, as it filters at least 95% of airborne particles.

The National Nurses Union told the AP that the nurses have been suspended.

The 10 nurses are still being paid, but are not allowed to return to work until an investigation into their actions is completed.

Angela Gatdula, the nurse who tested positive, told the AP that hospital managers said that they were following CDC guidelines by only offering nurses surgical masks.

Ms Gatdula tested positive for coronavirus shortly after she questioned the practice, and told the outlet that when I got the phone call that I was positive I got really scared.

She is hoping to go back to work next week, but added that the next nurse that gets this might not be lucky. They might require hospitalisation. They might die.

In a statement, the health centre said that its no secret there is a national shortage.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, the US has upwards of 639,733 people have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 30,990.
24 experts publish a research roadmap to help keep us mentally healthy through the pandemic

A new poll shows the public are already substantially concerned about their mental health in response to COVID-19

Experts call for real time monitoring of mental health to be rolled out urgently in UK and globally

Front line medical staff and vulnerable groups must be a priority for mental health support

Digital apps and remotely delivered programmes must be designed to protect our mental health

A new paper, to be published today in The Lancet Psychiatry (at 23.30hrs UK time on Wednesday 15 April), highlights an urgent need to tackle the harmful impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and potentially the brain and calls for research on these areas to be central to the global response to the pandemic.

The paper warns that the COVID-19 pandemic could have a 'profound' and 'pervasive impact' on global mental health now and in the future, yet a separate recent analysis shows that so far, only a tiny proportion of new scientific publications on COVID-19 have been on mental health impacts.

The paper calls for more widespread mental health monitoring and better ways to protect against, and treat, mental ill health - both of which will require new funding and better coordination.

The general public already have substantial concerns about mental health in relation to the pandemic - according to an Ipsos MORI poll of 1099 members of the UK public, and a survey of 2198 people by the UK mental health research charity, MQ, that included many people with experience of mental health conditions.*

Both surveys were carried out in late March, the week lockdown measures were announced, to inform the Lancet Psychiatry paper. They showed the public had specific concerns related to COVID-19 including increased anxiety, fear of becoming mentally unwell, access to mental health services and the impact on mental wellbeing.

Paper author Professor Emily Holmes from the Department of Psychology, Uppsala University in Sweden, commented:

"We are all dealing with unprecedented uncertainty and major changes to the way we live our lives as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Our surveys show these changes are already having a considerable impact on our mental health.

"Governments must find evidence-based ways to boost the resilience of our societies and find ways to treat those with mental ill health remotely to come out of this pandemic in good mental health.

"Front line medical staff and vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with serious mental health conditions must be prioritised for rapid mental health support."

The paper calls for 'moment to moment' monitoring of anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, as well as other mental health issues in the UK and global population. It also calls for the rapid roll out of evidence-based programmes and treatments, which can be accessed by computer, mobile phone or other remote ways, to treat mental health conditions and increase resilience to keep people mentally healthy.

24 leading experts on mental health, including neuroscientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, public health experts and those with lived experience of a mental health condition, came together to create the roadmap that is published today. The expert group was established and supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the mental health research charity, MQ.

Professor Matthew Hotopf CBE FMedSci, Vice Dean Research at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry Psychology & Neuroscience and Director NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and one of the paper authors, said:

"This paper gives us a research roadmap to help protect our mental health at this incredibly difficult time and in the future.

"We are calling for real time monitoring of mental health of the population to develop effective treatments. This needs to be on a bigger scale than we have ever seen previously, and must be coordinated, targeted and comprehensive to give us an evidence based picture of what is really going on in societies around the world.

"Knowing what is happening in real time will allow us to respond by designing more user friendly and effective ways to promote good mental health while people are in their homes. Above all, however, we want to stress that all new interventions must be informed by top notch research to make sure they work."

The paper stresses there will be no 'one size fits all' approach to keeping us mentally healthy - and any new approaches will need to be tailored to particular groups of people, such as front line medical and social care staff.

It also calls for research to understand what makes people resilient in the face of this crisis, and actions to build resilience in society - whether supporting people to sleep well, be physically active or do activities that improve their mental health. The surveys* showed many people had already started activities to boost their mental health, such as prioritising family time, staying connected, connecting to nature and doing exercise.

Study author Kate King MBE, Adviser on lived experience to The Mental Health Act Review 2018, has personal experience of severe depression and said:

"It is not surprising that concerns reported in our surveys related to anxiety and isolation, or that social communication is seen by many as important in supporting good mental health. This highlights the vulnerability of those who have little contact with family or friends, and particularly those for whom relationships are abusive.

"The digital age, for all its problems, has bestowed a real gift: social media, the internet, video and phone meetings mean that social communication and research can continue in a way that would have been impossible even twenty years ago. We are all in this together so at this time it's essential that researchers continue to listen and work with people with lived, and living, experience to help those living with mental health challenges."

The paper notes that 'almost nothing is yet known with certainty about the impact of COVID-19 on the human nervous system'. As other coronaviruses have been shown to pass into the central nervous system, the paper recommends research to monitor and understand whether COVID-19 also has effects on the brain and nervous system. It calls for a new database to be set up to monitor any psychological or brain effects of COVID-19 and for research to look at the way the virus could enter the nervous system.

Study author Professor Ed Bullmore FMedSci, Head of Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, said:

"We need an unprecedented research response if we are to limit the negative consequences of this pandemic on the mental health of our society now and in the future.

"To make a real difference we will need to harness the tools of our digital age - finding smart new ways to measure the mental health of individuals remotely, finding creative ways to boost resilience and finding ways to treat people in their homes. This effort must be considered central to our global response to the pandemic."

Previous outbreaks of infectious disease have been known to have an impact on mental health of the population, for example, the SARS epidemic was associated with a 30% increase in suicide in over 65s and 29% of healthcare workers experienced probable emotional distress.** Authors stressed that an increase in suicides as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was not inevitable, but that monitoring and research is needed urgently.

The paper urges UK research funding agencies to work with researchers and people with experience of the mental health impacts of the pandemic to create a 'high-level co-ordination group' to ensure these mental health science research priorities are tackled as a matter of urgency.

Professor Rory O'Connor, Professor of Health Psychology, University of Glasgow, and one of the paper authors said:

"Increased social isolation, loneliness, health anxiety, stress and an economic downturn are a perfect storm to harm people's mental health and wellbeing.

"If we do nothing we risk seeing an increase in mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, and a rise in problem behaviours such as alcohol and drug addiction, gambling, cyberbullying or social consequences such as homelessness and relationship breakdown. The scale of this problem is too serious to ignore, both in terms of every human life that may be affected, and in terms of the wider impact on society.

"Despite this situation making some of us feel trapped, it shouldn't make us feel powerless - we can make a difference if we act now. We are calling on funding bodies, research institutes and policy to act now to limit the impact the pandemic has on all our lives."

###

For a copy of the paper or to request an interview, please contact the Academy of Medical Sciences press office: Naomi Clarke on 07903 158979 or Claire Bithell on 07969 082520

Notes for editors

DOI for the paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30168-1

The summary of the surveys can be found here after publication: http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/COVIDmentalhealthsurveys

Staff and activity costs for this work, including the Ipsos MORI survey were supported by a core grant the Academy of Medical Sciences receives annually from the Government Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for policy, communications and public engagement. The stakeholder survey was funded by MQ: Transforming Mental Health.

*Survey information

Two online surveys were completed to enable the public and people with lived experience of a mental health condition to inform the Lancet Psychiatry paper.

1. An online survey collected data on people's two biggest concerns about the mental health and wellbeing implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as coping strategies. The survey was promoted via email to MQ's supporter network as well as via social media. In total, 2,198 people completed the survey, submitting 4,350 concerns about the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and 1,987 responses about what has helped maintain mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic. A thematic analysis of the full dataset was carried out. 2. Two questions were asked on Ipsos MORI's online Omnibus survey to collect data on people's concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on mental wellbeing, as well as what is helping people's mental wellbeing at this time. In total, 1,099 interviews were completed with adults aged between 16 and 75 across England, Wales and Scotland. Quotas were set and data were weighted to the offline population to ensure a nationally representative sample by gender, age and region. Statistical analysis was carried out and any sub-group differences included are statistically significant at a 95% confidence interval unless stated otherwise. The More information can be found on the Ipsos MORI website. https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/Covid-19-and-mental-wellbeing

A summary of the survey results and further methodological details can be found on the Academy's website: http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/COVIDmentalhealthsurveys

** Relevant publications:

Yip PS, Cheung YT, Chau PH, Law YW. The impact of epidemic outbreak: the case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and suicide among older adults in Hong Kong. Crisis 2010; 31: 86-92.

Tsang HW, Scudds RJ, Chan EY. Psychosocial impact of SARS. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10: 1326-27.

Nickell LA, Crighton EJ, Tracy CS, et al. Psychosocial effects of SARS on hospital staff: survey of a large tertiary care institution. CMAJ 2004; 170: 793-98.

About the Academy of Medical Sciences

The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent body in the UK representing the diversity of medical science. Our elected Fellows are the UK's leading medical scientists from hospitals, academia, industry and the public service. Our mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. We are working to secure a future in which:

UK and global health is improved by the best research.

The UK leads the world in biomedical and health research, and is renowned for the quality of its research outputs, talent and collaborations.

Independent, high quality medical science advice informs the decisions that affect society.

More people have a say in the future of health and research.

Our work focusses on four key objectives, promoting excellence, developing talented researchers, influencing research and policy and engaging patients, the public and professionals.

http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk

About MQ: Transforming mental health

MQ is the UK's leading mental health research charity. We are transforming lives through research, helping to create a future where mental illnesses are understood, effectively treated and one day prevented.

Our scientists investigate a huge range of issues: depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and more. We are bringing together everything from cutting-edge neuroscience to social studies to find the answers we need.

In everything MQ does, we are driven by one certainty: research can transform what it means to experience mental illness, starting now and for every generation to come. MQ is here to make sure change happens.

http://www.mqmentalhealth.org
Clip vending site ManyVids considers itself to be a global community of creators and fans, and it further considers its stars and members in the United Kingdom to be a vital part of what makes MV special. But the UK, like so many other countries (too many other countries!), is still a society that often devalues beautiful, powerful, and entrepreneurial people who have chosen sex work as a career.

In 2010, the UK passed the Equality Act, which protects those in the UK workforce from discrimination relating to race, belief, age, disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. What it does not protect is adult content creators, sex workers, and former sex workers. What that means is, if one is a sex worker with a part-time job thats not in the adult industry, its completely legal to fire that person! Even if one is a former adult entertainer and their past work is discovered, its entirely legal to fire that person!

And thats not all! Banks and online financial services can refuse to do business with sex workers just because of their jobs; landlords can deny housing on the basis of an adult entertainers line of work; universities can kick out students just for having worked in the adult businessand those are only a few examples!

A fair and equitable society would not allow such discrimination, and ManyVids believes its evident and plain that not including sex workers in the Equality Act violates the spirit and the intent of the act.

Thats why ManyVids has started an online petition that is directed to the UK government through its official online petition portal seeking to include "occupation" as a protected characteristic in order to safeguard adult entertainers from discrimination in the UK.

As an added bonus, this change would not only apply to adult entertainers but to any occupation, so no one can be fired or denied a public service because a present boss doesnt like a job one used to have. Sex workers rights are human rights, and fighting this fight ensures a more just and fair society for everybody.

UK citizens, even if they're not currently living in the UK, can sign the official petition now and do their part to make their country and the world a better place.

Once the petition achieves 10,000 signatures, the government is required to discuss this in Parliament. It has no choice. That means that if a ManyVids equality supporter signs, that person would be one of the reasons Parliament would be changing the law in the UK. This is an incredible thing to do and think about.

Click here now to signand be sure to share it with every like-minded person who cares about creating a more just society.
A first-time mother who made the difficult decision to have a home birth amid the coronavirus pandemic ended up welcoming her baby boy in the hospital after her midwives were forced to call an ambulance due to complications.

Nancy Pedroza, 27, from Fort Worth, Texas, was rushed to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest by masked emergency workers after her unborn child's heart rate suddenly dropped.

Pedroza, who was joined by her partner Ryan Morgan, spent hours laboring in a mask before giving birth to a healthy baby boy named Kai Rohan Morgan on April 8.

Emergency: Nancy Pedroza, 27, from Fort Worth, Texas, was rushed to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest after complications arose during her home birth

Little miracle: Perdoza and her partner Ryan Morgan welcomed a baby boy named Kai Rohan Morgan amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 8

A photographer captured her at-home labor up until she was whisked away to the hospital, where there were strict safety precautions in place due to the pandemic.

As a first-time mother with no idea what to expect, Pedroza was convinced the hospital was the safest place to have her baby, but that conviction turned to doubt when in late March most U.S. states ordered residents to stay home.

Hospitals and doctors began taking new precautions to protect pregnant women and their babies against the novel coronavirus sweeping the nation.

So, at 40 weeks pregnant, she turned to a midwife to help her have a home birth. She and Morgan were about to become parents in the middle of a pandemic.

Team: Pedroza is pictured at an appointment with her licensed midwives Susan Taylor, 40, who checks her stomach, and Amanda Prouty, 39, before her baby's due date

Plan: The first-time mom had made the difficult decision to have a home birth during the global crisis. Pedroza is pictured experiencing contractions while Taylor sits on the bed

Labor: Pedroza's doula Nichollette Jones and her partner took her for a brisk walk to speed up her contractions

Painful: Pedroza held on to Morgan as she experienced contractions on their walk

Safety first: Prouty and Taylor wore masks while walking with the couple

'Things were changing so fast,' said Pedroza, who lives with her partner at her parents' house. She had to go alone to all her visits with her obstetrician where before she had brought Morgan or a doula, a birth assistant.

But what really scared her was the uncertainty of who would be allowed to stand by her side at the hospital when the baby came into the world.

She would have to choose between Morgan and her doula. The hospital would allow only one and warned her the policy could change and it might bar all visitors.

'It was scary to feel like I might have to do it alone,' she said, noting that the doctors and nurses were not the same as those who had supported her throughout her pregnancy.

Speeding it along: Pedroza used a breast pump to try and speed up her contractions while laboring at Taylor's home

All together: Morgan helped to pump her breastmilk to try and speed up her contractions while Jones and Taylor comforted her

Change of heart: Pedroza was convinced the hospital was the safest place to have her baby, but that conviction turned to doubt most U.S. states ordered residents to stay home

Next step: As her contractions intensified, Pedroza moved to a birthing tub in Taylor's home

Support system: Pedroza held onto Morgan during her painful contractions

'It's nothing like having someone there that you care about and cares about you that's willing to hold your hand and tell you this is going to be OK.'

As COVID-19 puts the globe on pause and changes every aspect of daily life, women are entering motherhood with a mixture of anxiety, fear, and frustration.

Some countries and a few U.S. hospitals have banned everyone from the delivery room. Others are separating women who become sick from their newborns.

By early April, with her baby past due and learning Medicaid would not cover a home birth, Pedroza considered giving birth at home without any medical assistance.

Birthing story: After laboring for several hours in a birthing tub in Taylor's home, Pedroza started pushing

Emergency: The baby's heart rate suddenly dropped from 130 to 30 when she was in labor

No other choice: Pedroza's midwives called an ambulance to take her to the hospital

COVID-19 precautions: Emergency workers wore masks as they put her on a stretcher

Rush: Pedroza was carried on an ambulance stretcher before being taken to the hospital

She got in touch with midwife Susan Taylor on Facebook, who not only lowered her fee but offered up her own home when Pedroza's mother became uneasy about the idea of her grandchild being born in her bathroom or bedroom.

But Pedroza was running out of time. Legally the midwife had to transfer Pedroza's care to a hospital if she went past 42 weeks of pregnancy. A sonogram showed the baby's fluid levels were low, which can cause complications during birth.

After a membrane sweep, a visit to a chiropractor, a brisk walk and using a breast pump to stimulate labor, the contractions started.

After laboring several hours in a birthing tub in Taylor's home, Pedroza started pushing, but the baby's heart rate suddenly dropped from 130 to 30, so the midwives called an ambulance.

Masked emergency workers put Pedroza onto a stretcher and wheeled her to an ambulance that took her and Morgan to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest around 1 a.m. Taylor rode with her in the ambulance, monitoring the baby's heartbeat.

On the go: Masked emergency workers took Pedroza and Morgan to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest around 1 a.m.

Capturing the moment: Morgan filmed Pedroza giving birth to their son on April 8. Prouty is pictured watching the footage two days later

Heading home: Pedroza is pictured holding her one-day old son Kai as she waits for Morgan to get the car as the leave the hospital

Leaving: The couple left the hospital with their baby 36 hours after she gave birth

After welcoming their healthy baby boy, the couple returned to her parents' home in Fort Worth, where they are living together

Vitals: Taylor took her temperature at a newborn screening two days after she gave birth

Bonding: Pedroza is pictured breastfeeding her son at home two days after giving birth

But once at the hospital, her midwives had to leave.

'Once I got the epidural administered and calmed me down a little bit and realizing I'd still be able to do this myself without possibly having a C-section and hearing the baby's heartbeat on the monitor it brought me so much comfort that I didn't care I was at the hospital at that point,' said Pedroza, who worked as a massage therapist before becoming pregnant.

After laboring with a mask on for hours, at 5:55 a.m. on April 8 her baby boy was born, weighing 8 pounds and 5 ounces.

The hospital gave Pedroza and Morgan masks to wear anytime someone entered their room. Some staff also wore masks and gloves when they helped with breastfeeding and took their vital signs.

'It's already kind of scary thinking that it's a possibility that you're going to be in an environment that is contaminated or that puts you at risk or your baby at risk,' Pedroza said.

'What puts me on edge more is seeing everyone with that attire and being very adamant about wearing it.'
Solving global problems isn't on the to-do list for most teenagers.

But this group of five teen girls from Delhi, India, is far from average. The team took on the challenge of inventing a way to dispose of electronic waste in an eco-friendly way.

"E-waste is usually disposed of as regular trash, which causes all types of environment pollution and great health hazards," the team told "GMA" during a group presentation.

MORE:'We are agents of change:' Girls share why they are proud to be girls

Discarded tech equipment -- phones, computers, TVs -- contains substances that cause environmental damage and health risks, especially if treated inadequately, according to the 2017 Global E-waste Monitor, a report produced in part by United Nations University.

Calling themselves Team Cantavits, the girls worked together to create a mobile app called Eedo that allows for full communication between e-waste producers and authorized recyclers. This summer they won the senior division at the 2018 Technovation World Pitch Summit in San Jose, California.

They were one of 12 team finalists at the competition that were collectively awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships to continue pursuing tech entrepreneurship, and to bring their apps to market. Iridescent, a nonprofit working to empower underrepresented youth around the world, founded the Technovation challenge in 2010.

A spokesperson for Iridescent said Team Cantavits is already meeting with e-waste experts in India to get licensed recyclers to join the app.

Kritika Sharma, 17

PHOTO: Kritika Sharma, 17, winner of the senior division at the 2018 Technovation World Pitch Summit. (Olivia Smith/ABC News )

Q: Do you think your app has the potential to reach a global market?



A: Definitely, because our app not only reaches out to people who are like local scrap dealers or authorized recyclers, our app reaches out to almost all sectors of society.

Q: How is what you're doing more than developing an app?



A: We are not just coding for only creating a market, we are coding for solving a problem that is a real one and giving a solution for that is a big deal.

Story continues

Aditi Jain, 14

PHOTO: Aditi Jain, 14, winner of the senior division at the 2018 Technovation World Pitch Summit. (Olivia Smith/ABC News )

Q: Do you think your app has the potential to reach a global market?

A: I think our app has a lot of potential to reach the global market because everyone is associated with electronic equipment.

Q: What was it like to win the competition?

A: I was very proud of myself and I wore the Indian flag on stage, it gave me a lot of pride to me and my parents as well.

Shraddha Chugh, 16

PHOTO: Shraddha Chugh, 16, winner of the senior division at the 2018 Technovation World Pitch Summit. (Olivia Smith/ABC News )

Q: Do you think your app has the potential to reach a global market?

A: Everybody uses electronic equipment, and there's no life without it. We use it directly or indirectly anyways.

Q: How did you feel being at the competition?

A: I was speechless at that moment when I heard our name called out by the teacher who announced the results. It was definitely a very exciting moment.

Shriya Shukla, 14

PHOTO: Shriya Shukla, 14, winner of the senior division at the 2018 Technovation World Pitch Summit. (Olivia Smith/ABC News )

Q: Do you think your app has the potential to reach a global market?

A: If you are an authorized recycler then you can actually acquire more customers for you and you can actually acquire more e-waste and dispose it in an eco-friendly manner.

Q: How is what you're doing more than developing an app?

A: We actually want to solve a community issue and we want to save the environment.

Sneha Agarwal, 14

PHOTO: Sneha Agarwal, 14, winner of the senior division at the 2018 Technovation World Pitch Summit. (Olivia Smith/ABC News )

Q: Do you think your app has the potential to reach a global market?

A: The problem of e-waste is a rising issue because the advance in technology, so this problem will increase.

Q: What was it like to win the competition?

A: I can't put it in words how happy I was when our team's name was called. At first I was not able to believe that yeah, we won. ... It was the best experience of my life.

Editor's note: This was originally published on Oct. 11, 2018.

Super-smart teen girls from India invented an app to deal with all of our iPhone waste originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called in Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye Monday to criticize his embassys statements defending Chinas record in the COVID-19 pandemic.

This diplomatic incident centered on the contrast between China, where the pandemic is in check for now, with the few dozen daily new cases mostly imported from abroad, and Europe. COVID-19 is killing thousands each day in France and in Europe, where governments are calling for an end to shelter-at-home policies, pushing a frightened population back to work. At the same time, an anticommunist campaign is spreading in the French media to blame China, the original epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the disaster unfolding in Europe.

On Sunday, an anonymous Chinese diplomat posted a long note in French on the embassy web site, criticizing the European ruling elites. Chinas victory over the epidemic makes them bitter. With their concocted arguments, claiming that China delayed its reaction and hid the truth, they present China as principally responsible for the pandemic.  At the same time, in the West, we saw politicians tearing each other apart for votes, calling for herd immunity, which meant abandoning their citizens to face the viral onslaught alone, and stealing shipments of medicine from each other.

Chinese Embassy in Paris, 2009 (WIkipedia)

Frances Foreign Ministry reacted with a communique stating, Certain public positions taken by representatives of the Chinese embassy in France do not conform to the quality of the bilateral relations between our two countries. It also said Le Drian would communicate to the ambassador his disapproval of certain recent comments of the Chinese embassy on COVID-19.

If the note upset Paris, this is because it explodes lies the European powers tell workers at home about COVID-19. Vast death tolls in Europe were not inevitable. Nor is herd immunitythat is, making a majority of the population get COVID-19 and, if it survives, perhaps become immune to the virusthe only strategy to fight the illness. These were lies to justify keeping workers at work in unsafe jobs, pumping out profits for the banks but also spreading the virus.

Responsibility for COVID-19s spread in America and Europe lies not with China, but with capitalism. Of course, Chinas Stalinist dictatorship itself oversees a capitalist society: it restored capitalism in 1989 as it opened China to the world economy, massacring workers and students protesting on Tiananmen Square against the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) policies. However, surviving elements of rudimentary state economic planning, mass quarantines and the mobilization of industry allowed for a far more effective response to COVID-19 in China than in Europe.

The coherent, democratic adoption of such policies internationally, which is key to fight COVID-19, requires a world revolution by the working class, including in China, to transition to socialism. Reading the French capitalist medias frenzied attacks on China, in which anticommunism is intertwined with appeals to anti-Chinese racism, it is obvious that the main force motivating this campaign is precisely the bourgeoisies fear of socialism and revolution.

Commentator and former army officer Renaud Girardwho began his journalistic career reporting from Rwanda in 1994 for Le Figaro, as France backed the Rwandan Hutu regimes bloody genocide of the Tutsisproclaims that COVID-19 is proof of the failure of Marxism and communism. The pandemic, he wrote, has unveiled the bankruptcy of three ideologies: communism, Europism and globalism. The Chinese Communist Party bears the heaviest responsibility for the birth and the initial dissemination of this highly contagious disease.

China bears heavy responsibility for this epidemic transmitted by a wild animal in which trading is banned, Le Monde wrote, in a column blaming the global pandemic on Chinese who ate pangolin, an animal through which coronavirus may have migrated from bats to humans. In a post bearing a large communist hammer-and-sickle emblem, the newspaper hypocritically observed: The Chinese dictatorship censors the media, the public does not know how many people are ill.

Isabelle Lasserre, a reporter for the right-wing Le Figaro who apes Donald Trump with claims that China pulls the strings of the World Health Organization (WHO), insisted that COVID-19 proves Western capitalist democracy to be superior to the Chinese dictatorship: While dictatorships were destabilized by the unexpected, democracies reacted calmly, transparently, rationally. They could anticipate and explain. Their open and coordinated health systems reacted rapidly... The democracies have proven that their system is the most effective.

Claims that the European regimes are most effective at fighting the virus expose only the European bourgeoisies contempt for human life. China, COVID-19s original epicenter, has seen 82,295 cases and 3,342 deaths. Europe, however, has at least 935,338 cases and 74,662 deaths. Moreover, while the WHO independently confirmed Chinas COVID-19 statistics, thousands are dying unreported at home or in retirement homes in Europe, and European officials admit that the number of COVID-19 cases in Europe may be two to ten times higher than the stated figure.

The anti-China campaigns enthusiasm for the mass deaths in Europe reflects the class brutality of the financial aristocracys herd immunity policy. For them, the working class is a herd to be culled. The early death of tens or hundreds of thousands mean that billions of euros that, from their standpoint, would have been wasted on health and pension spending on these individuals can be redirected to stock markets and the wealth of super-rich parasites.

Attempts to foist responsibility for the resulting COVID-19 deaths on the CCP are political lies. They were refuted by the note posted Sunday by Chinese embassy officials in Paris, which made clear that China gave ample warning to let Europe prepare for COVID-19.

The note observes, As early as December 30 of last year, we were publicly reporting cases of unknown pneumonia. Starting on January 3, we regularly informed the WHO and the entire world on the progression of the disease and, in record time, we succeeded in identifying the disease agent. On January 11, we shared with the WHO the entire sequencing of the genome of the virus. On January 23, as Wuhan went into lockdown, over 800 people were contaminated, and only 9 of them were abroad. And it was over a month later that the epidemic began in Europe and the United States.

No one has tried to refute these claims, which are borne out by publicly available reports in global media. It is also a matter of public record that European governments reacted by downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19, comparing it to seasonal flu, opposing social distancing measures, and demanding that workers stay at work.

The note unfavorably contrasts European and Chinese policy: China did not hold back from cutting trillions of yuans from its Gross Domestic Product, injecting hundreds of billions of yuans into health resources, and mobilizing over 40,000 health care workers from all across the country to go support Wuhan and Hubei province, finally defeating the epidemic in only two months.

With vast financial resources and developed economies, however, the European ruling class rejected these policies, instead demanding massive bank bailouts. Referring caustically to certain Western political and cultural elites, the note adds: [T]he fact that Western countries underestimated the seriousness of the virus and were late in taking ad hoc measures, making the epidemic uncontrollable, does not trouble their conscience or keep them awake at nights.

The fatal contradiction in the CCPs Stalinist strategy is that its export-led integration into the world economy requires cutting commercial and political deals with US and European capital, whose barbarism the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed, to furnish them with Chinese workers as cheap labor.

The growing anger, protests and strikes among workers in Europe and internationally go in another political direction: a unified struggle of the working class internationally to expropriate the fortunes of the super-rich and use these resources to halt the global pandemic.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government's Secretary for Security John Lee said on Wednesday that the SAR and its people have the responsibility and obligation to safeguard national security and he called on the public to take part in maintaining the law and order of the society.

A website named National Security Education Day 2020 was launched Wednesday by the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute, when Lee and the SAR government's Commissioner of Police Tang Ping-keung introduced the work of the SAR government in stopping violence.

Lee said, as a part of the country, Hong Kong must play its part to safeguard the security of the SAR itself and it is even more important to prevent the SAR from being used as a springboard into other parts of China, which may affect national security.

"The SAR government departments are also committed to combating the budding of local terrorism," Lee said, adding that the SAR has a series of laws, such as the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance, to deal with Hong Kong's security and the common security of the country.

Lee emphasized that the public also have a role in safeguarding national security, including having a correct understanding of the principles and concepts of the Basic Law, "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy.

Tang said that from the perspective of Hong Kong, maintaining public order and social order is the most basic embodiment of safeguarding national security. Over the years, thanks to the joint efforts of the police and the public, Hong Kong's crime rate has dropped for 12 consecutive years since 2007, becoming one of the safest and most stable cities in the world. However, the situation has changed since last June, when violence has been intensified in a wave of protests.

The police has had initial success in stopping violence, combined with the COVID-19 epidemic, violent demonstrations have recently dropped slightly, Tang said. However, it does not rule out that the concept of extreme violence has infiltrated into Hong Kong.

In face of the threat of "local terrorism", the police will step up intelligence gathering and beef up the counter-terrorism unit, and educate Hong Kong people on the threat of terrorist attacks, Tang said, urging the public to join forces with the police to safeguard public order and national security.
She has spent almost two decades in the spotlight after first rising to fame in the Harry Potter film franchise.

And Emma Watson celebrated her achievements and thanked her fans as she turned 30 on Wednesday.

The Little Women star shared an adorable childhood photo of herself while reflecting on the 'adventure' her life had been so far.

Milestone birthday: Emma Watson celebrated her achievements and thanked her fans as she turned 30 on Wednesday

In the snap, the future star, then a toddler, is asleep on a tiny mattress on the floor.

Emma looks sweet in a peach jumper and floral leggings, sporting tousled locks as she slumbers.

The star captioned the snap: 'Wow. 30! What an adventure that was.... You, out there - that have supported me - thank you. Thank you for all your kindness. Thanks for having my back.'

Emma shot to fame as the bookish Hermione Granger in the eight Harry Potter films, which she starred in from 2001-2011.

Throwback: The Little Women star shared an adorable childhood photo of herself while reflecting on the 'adventure' her life had been so far

Sweet: The star captioned the snap: 'Wow. 30! What an adventure that was....'

Daniel Radcliffe played the lead role, and Rupert Grint completed the trio as Ron Weasley.

Since then Emma has combined her acting with studying and her activism, starring in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women last year.

Last year, the Harry Potter star hit the headlines when she announced she is not single but 'self-partnered' in an interview with British Vogue.

Reflecting upon the term, Emma said: 'There was no word for this kind of subliminal messaging and anxiety and pressure that I felt building up but couldnt really name, so I used the word self-partnered.'

Success: Emma shot to fame as the bookish Hermione Granger in the eight Harry Potter films, which she starred in from 2001-2011

Role: She also starred as Belle in the 2017 live action film Beauty and the Beast

'For me it wasnt so much about coining a word; it was more that I needed to create a definition for something that I didnt feel there was language for, and it was interesting because it really riled some people up.'

Emma went on to say it was 'less for me about the word but more about what it meant' and felt the term allowed her to express herself regarding her current situation.

Despite insisting she is happy being 'self-partnered' Emma was spotted kissing a mystery man outside a London bakery two weeks before her British Vogue interview last year.

The Beauty and The Beast star was last romantically linked to Dominic Piazza, with the pair spotted on several outings in August. She also had a brief fling with former Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe, 40.

Last August, it was also rumoured Emma was dating her former Potter co-star Tom Felton, 32, who played villain Draco Malfoy.

The pair posted a snap on Instagram of them having an intimate guitar lesson in South Africa and social media followers quickly suggested they be referred to as 'Dramione' and 'Feltson'.

But despite the swirling rumours, Planet Of The Apes star Tom denied this to MailOnline and called the Little Women actress an 'incredibly smart and lovely young lady', before admitting he was also 'happily self-partnered.'

Emma previously dated Glee actor Chord Overstreet in 2018, but they split after six months.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 16, 2020 | 01:51 PM | MURRAY





In a Thursday press release, retired Marine Lt. Col Amy McGrath announced that she is spreading a $21,000 donation across several Kentucky food banks, including Soup for the Soul in Murray. Of the $21,000, Soup for the Soul will be receiving $3,000 to help replenish supplies to continue serving meals in the community.







The other food banks receiving a donation from her are Helping Hands in Beattyville, Hillvue Heights Church in Bowling Green, FoodChain in Lexington, and Neighborhood House in Louisville.





The food banks that were chosen either reached out to McGrath, or were located by her Commonwealth, Common Health team.

Senate hopeful Amy McGrath is donating to several Kentucky food banks, including one in Murray.
Gandhinagar, April 16 : With an addition of almost a hundred corona positive cases in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Thursday registered a total of 163 positive cases, the highest number of positive cases in a single day. Gujarat now has a total of 929 corona positive cases with 36 deaths.

On Thursday morning a total of 105 positive cases and three deaths were reported in Gujarat and in the evening another 58 positive cases were registered. Out of the total 58 cases found on Thursday evening, Ahmedabad has 53, Surat 2 and one each in Rajkot, Vadodara and Aravalli.

On Thursday, Ahmedabad saw the highest number of positive cases in a single day in any city in the state, 95. Even Gujarat saw the highest number of positive cases in a single day, 163.

Ahmedabad continued to lead as far more positive cases were found in the state, which now has total of 929 positive cases. Ahmedabad has the maximum positive cases 545, followed by Vadodara 128, Surat 88, Rajkot 28, Bhavnagar 26, Anand 25, Gandhinagar 17, Patan 14, Bharuch 13, Panchmahal, Banaskantha and Narmada 6 each, Chotta Udepur 5, Kutch and Mehsana with 4 each, Porbandar 3, Gir-Somnath, Dahod and Kheda two each and Jamnagar, Morbi, Sabarkantha, Botad and Aravalli one each.

"In one positive sign, a 92-years-old man was successfully treated for the virus and was discharged from hospital in Bhavnagar," said Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department.

"In the last 24 hours, the health authorities have taken 1,706 samples for testing, where 163 have been found positive. The total number of tests carried out by the health department till now is 20,903 out of which 929 are positive, 19,974 negative," said Ravi.

The total number of quarantined people in the state is 14,906, where 12,774 are home-quarantined, 1,965 in government facilities and 16 in private facilities.

Following a spike in the number of positive cases in major cities, the Gujarat government imposed a week-long curfew in containment areas of two cities, Ahmedabad and Surat, from Wednesday and Friday morning respectively. This was because the maximum number of positive cases in Ahmedabad and Surat were found from the clusters in these areas.
Reality is said to be stranger than fiction. Hence, our filmmakers of late have been seeking inspiration from newspaper headlines and converting them into multi-crore extravaganzas. Films like Uri, Airlift or Raid may just be fictionalised accounts of the actual happenings but they do succeed giving a glimpse of what actually happened to the viewers. These massy versions may not be factually correct but carry emotional weight. Were sure once this lockdown is over, there would be a spate of films set during the quarantine period. Heres presenting a list of top films inspired by real-life events to help relieve your boredom during this lockdown.Director: Aditya DharCast: Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Yami Gautam, Kirti Kulhari, Mohit RainaOn 18 September 2016, a fedayeen attack was made by four armed militants on an Indian army base near the town of Uri. Nineteen Indian Army soldiers were killed. On 29 September, eleven days after the Uri attack, the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes against suspected militants in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. It was claimed that many terrorist launch pads inside the POK border were destroyed. And around 35-50 militants got killed in the raid. Uri: The Surgical Strike, gives a fictionalised version of the events. Vicky Kaushal and his team of specially trained commandos cross the border both via helicopter and on foot. They successfully infiltrate and not only destroy a number of terrorist camps but also manage to kill the main perpetrators of the Uri attack. The story is high on emotional connect. You get to see the personal side of a professional soldier and can relate to the sacrifices he gets to make while serving his country. Vicky Kaushal gave a restrained performance as a soldier bursting with patriotic fervour, who keeps a cool head to see the dangerous mission through.Director: Nikhil AdvaniCast: John Abraham, Mrunal Thakur, Ravi Kishan, Rajesh SharmaJohn Abraham plays DCP Sanjay Kumar who leads the encounter against terrorists suspected to have been hidden inside Batla House. He successfully terminates them but is later suspected of doctoring a take encounter. How he fights to clear his name forms the crux of the film. The film is based on the infamous Batla House encounter case which took place on September 19, 2008. Encounter specialist Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life in the line of duty. He was later awarded India's highest peacetime military decoration, the Ashoka Chakra on 26 January 2009. Various human rights groups alleged that the police carried out a fake encounter but later the National Human Rights Commission, as well as the judiciary, cleared the police of all charges. Various political parties tried to derive political mileage from the whole thing. Sanjeev Kumar Yadav (changed to Sanjay in the film) is a real person and one of the most highly decorated police officers in the country, winner of nine Presidential medals. The film does try to portray how the police are pressured from all sides while dealing with high profile cases. It has also pointed out how ghettoisation of a certain community has made the police's job harder.Director: Abhishek SharmaCast: John Abraham, Diana Penty, Boman IraniIndia has always portrayed itself as a nation which rooted for peace than war. Despite testing a nuclear bomb in 1974, it seemingly abandoned its weapons programme under international pressure and supposedly concentrated on using nuclear energy through peaceful means. In 1995, American spy satellites caught on camera the preparations for another nuclear test and India was much condemned by the international community. Americans, in particular, came out hard on India. The testing was put in cold storage but under the radar, the army and a group of scientists were developing a plan to avoid detection by satellite. Parmanu is a fictionalised account of their journey. Johns character, Ashwath, is shown to be an honest IAS officer whose fool-proof plan was neglected by the powers to be in 1995. Three years later, hes clandestinely approached by the government to rework his plan and how he executes it with the help of his chosen team forms the crux of the film. The film does have minor flaws and loose ends but you kind of gloss over them because of its emotional impact. India really shone during the time and you want to hold on to that hope, however fragile it may be, that we can achieve wonders if we came together as a nation.Director: Rajkumar GuptaCast: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'Cruz, Saurabh Shukla, Amit Sial, Pushpa JoshiAccording to reports, on July 16, 1981, the IT officials raided the house of a businessman and Congress MLA Sardar Inder Singh in Kanpur. 90 experienced officers under the leadership of the then Income Tax Commissioner of Lucknow, Sharda Prasad Pandey, carried out the longest IT raid recorded till date. Some 200 police personnel were said to be present there for the safety of the IT officials. Ajay Devgn plays Amay Patnaik, an income tax officer known for his integrity. He's a stickler for rules and is someone who has been transferred for more times than he cares to count. He gets posted to Lucknow and fate brings him the biggest anonymous tip of his life on a platter. It's so hot that it could bring down the empire of the local big shot politician, Rameshwar Singh (Saurabh Shukla) fondly known as Rajaji. He acts on his instincts and makes sure he has a cast-iron case before making his move. He's thwarted initially in his efforts but later his source comes true even amidst the chaos and he's able to perform his duties to the fullest, bringing in the richest haul from an IT raid of that era in the process. The film got praised for its stand-off scenes between Ajay Devgn and Saurabh Shukla.Director: Sankalp ReddyCast: Rana Daggubati, Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Pannu, Rahul SinghSatyadev KancharanaDuring the 1971 war, Pakistan reportedly deployed its best submarine PNS Ghazi to destroy Indias aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. In order to fool the submarine, the Indian navy sent an old ship, INS Rajput as bait in order to dupe Ghazi. Rajput pretended to be Vikrant which sailed away to safety. Its said the officials abroad Vikrant set depth charges upon sighting the submarine. Another version goes that it wasnt able to successfully evade the mine; it itself had floated as a trap for Vikrant and went down as its torpedo caught fire. The film, though, gives a radically different version of the events. It shows that an S21 class Indian submarine commanded initially by Capt. Ranvijay Singh (Kay Kay Menon) and later by Lt. Commander Arjun Varma (Rana Daggubati), has been sent to spy on Ghazi. Singh wants to attack it and his first mission fails narrowly. Ghazi gets alerted to their presence and there ensues an underwater cat-and-mouse chase where both the sides try to come on top. Despite his submarine being badly damaged, Arjun finally guides it to victory.Director: Raja Krishna MenonCast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, Kumud Mishra, Prakash Belawadi, InaamulhaqMathunny Mathews (popularly known as Toyota Sunny), was the brains behind the evacuation of Indian citizens from the war-hit Kuwait in 1990. He negotiated a plan with Iraqi transporters, Indian authorities and the UN to move all Indians to Amman via Baghdad and into refugee camps by buses. This meant 60 people per bus, around 200 buses and 10 trips per bus over 1,200 km one way; it was a logistical wonder but thankfully got completed without any major mishap. In the film, Akshay Kumar plays Ranjit Katyal, a Kuwait-based businessman with friends in high places. He considers himself more Kuwaiti than Indian and the film follows his internal journey as he grapples with the problem of conducting safe passage not only for his immediate family but also for the thousands stranded there because of the war. Nimrat plays his wife, Amrita, someone who is tired of her husband's tycoon lifestyle and someone who comes to love him again when she witnesses the changes within him. The gritty recreation of the war zone -- most of the film was shot in UAE and certain areas were recreated to look like 90s Kuwait -- is the highlight of the film. The crowd scenes, as well as those of assault and arson, look real.
TC Energy Corp.s Keystone XL oil-sands pipeline was a dealt a setback with a judges ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers improperly approved a streamlined permit process without fully evaluating the impact on endangered species.

In a legal challenge brought by environmental groups, a federal judge in Montana on Wednesday ordered the agency to conduct further review and barred it from authorizing dredging in waterways covered by the permit.

We have received the judges ruling and continue to review it, Calgary-based TC Energy said in a statement. We remain committed to building this important energy infrastructure project.

BUILDING: TC Energy to build Keystone XL Pipeline

The stakes in the legal challenges to Keystone XL rose higher than ever last month, when Canadas oil-rich province of Alberta announced $5.3 billion in aid to help finance the conduits construction and TC Energy formally committed to building the line. Already, the project was seen as a key lifeline for Albertas oil-sands producers, which have suffered from a lack of pipeline capacity that has weighed on local crude prices and restrained their ability to boost output.

Even short delays to Keystone XLs construction could set the project back by a full year because pipeline work is highly seasonal, requiring unfrozen ground and other conditions. Legal delays last year caused TC Energy to miss the 2019 construction window, pushing the already-delayed project back even further. TC Energy Chief Executive Officer Russ Girling said during a presentation last week that construction may progress more slowly because physical distancing measures in response to the coronavirus.

The Sierra Club and other groups that sued the Army Corps in July said in a statement that the ruling invalidates a nationwide permit used to fast-track Keystone XL as well as other pipeline and utility projects. They said it could block Keystones construction through hundreds of water crossings along its route.

FUEL FIX: Now more than ever, you need our energy news in your inbox

The order by U.S. District Judge Brian Morris came a day before the judge is scheduled to hold a hearing on challenges to President Donald Trumps issuance last year of a permit allowing the pipeline to cross the U.S.-Canada border. That permit was intended to replace one that Morris had blocked in 2018, saying the U.S. State Department needed to do further environmental reviews.

Environmental and Native American groups contend Trump exceeded his authority. They claim the pipeline would disturb water supplies and tribal cultural sites.

The case is Northern Plains Resource Council v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 4:19-cv-44, U.S. District Court, District of Montana (Great Falls).

2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Staff Shortages due to Government Policy Failure

TORONTO, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After months of inadequate Government action in containing the COVID-19 virus, Participation House Markham is reeling from a devastating COVID-19 outbreak. Staff numbers are low after more than twenty have been forced to self-quarantine while recovering from the virus or awaiting test results.



Don Wilson has worked for Participation House for thirty-three years. He says: I am working as much as I can because the clients need us, and were doing whatever we can for them. If my brothers and sisters could be here, they would. They did the right thing, they got tested, but they caught the virus.

Despite the trying circumstances, remaining staff like Wilson are dedicated to serving the residents of Participation House. Wilson, 58-years-old, has been working every day from 9:00 am or 9:30 am until 11:30 pm.

On April 9th Participation House announced a COVID-19 outbreak to staff and informed them that they could self-quarantine. Many staff, particularly those who are elderly or have vulnerable individuals at home, understood this as permission to leave to follow the testing and self-quarantining directions as laid out by the Government of Ontario. There was no walkout or job action by SEIU Local 2 members. The numbers have quickly escalated in just a few days. Now thirty-seven of the forty-two residents have been infected with COVID-19, one of whom has tragically succumbed to the illness. Thirteen staff have also tested positive.

After initially retiring, Yvonne Dixon returned to work. She has been with Participation House for the last six years. She is immunocompromised and was told directly by the Participation House management to leave. She says: "Many people stayed - others went across the street to the hospital to get tested. When you get tested, Public Health tells you to self-isolate and wait for the test results. We cannot go back to work while we wait."

Story continues

The outbreak at Participation House is tragic but was preventable. The Government has only recently announced that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory in long-term care centers. Prior to that, masks were only required after a confirmed case. While its not clear if the same policy applies to assisted living facilities such as Participation House, the management has confirmed that there are now adequate supplies of PPE, including masks, at the facility.

The government should have mandated the use of PPE in long-term care homes and assisted living facilities in February when it was evident asymptomatic persons can transmit the virus. Instead, the Government sat on its hands while the virus spread to our most vulnerable and front-line workers. The Governments lack of decisive action on PPE set the stage for this outbreak and the resulting staff shortages.

Ivy Albania, 38, has been working at Participation House for four years: I was working as much as I could, I was working sixteen hours straight so that the clients had someone. Albania laments: For weeks we were asking for masks and PPE but were told it was not a ministry requirement.

SEIU Local 2 and the management at Participation House have been working together to roll out new work protocols to quickly ameliorate the situation and address staffing shortages. These include:

Wage rates for Participation House staff to be doubled for the duration of the outbreak.

Staff who are concerned that they will expose members of their household to the virus to be offered accommodation at hotels.

Staff who need assistance in getting to and from the workplace to be provided taxi vouchers to assist them.

New protocols will be implemented to limit access to certain work areas to essential staff.

The management has confirmed that adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks, is being supplied.

We have also been in contact with the Ministry of Children, Community, Social Services in an effort to expedite COVID-19 test results for workers at Participation House.

We will continue to work closely with our members, Participation House management, and the Government to ensure that resident care will continue while protecting the health and safety of workers and their families.
A local parish priest has followed Saint Pope John Paul II in blessing his congregation from the Popemobile.

Fr Malachy Conlon was left feeling very humbled by the reaction to his Holy Thursday service for members of the Cooley and Carlingford area, which saw the popular priest on board for much longer than had been anticipated.

With all churches closed in line with the governments Covid-19 restrictions, religious orders have had to develop alternative ways of connecting with their followers, but nobody can match the efforts of Fr Conlon and co.

It was one of the most humbling experiences of my priesthood I would say - and Im 34 years a priest, Fr Conlon told The Democrat.

It was a tremendous privilege for me to bring the Eucharist to the people and I was really warmed by the response and the peoples gratitude. The volume of gratitude after Holy Thursday was immense.

It was all very spontaneous, he said of the planning process.

We had a meeting, via Zoom, of the Parish Pastoral Council, and we were looking at different ways in which we could reach out to people who were isolated and alone.

We put together a team who would touch base with those people and then someone suggested a blessing. Because it was Holy Thursday and the day in which the Eucharist was instituted, we mulled it over and thought it would be good to give a blessed sacrament to the people.

With the Hanlon family owning the Popemobile, it made it very easy for us to access it and they made it very readily available to us.

But having put those bits and pieces together, I didnt expect the response that we got. People came out in great numbers. They stayed at their own homes, as was recommended because we didnt want people to congregate.

The driver, Micheal Hanlon, and myself, we did a run the previous day and worked out that it would take three hours. But on the day it took six hours because there were so many people out.

It was a long day, but well worthwhile. There was a moving response.

The blessing on Thursday was just the beginning of a spiritual and rewarding holy week period.

We celebrated the Passion at 3pm on Good Friday, which went out on webcam, and then the Stations of the Cross at eight oclock. On Holy Saturday evening, we had the Easter Vigil from Grange Church, also on the webcam.

And just to try and connect with the people, in line with the shared solidarity candle lighting across the country, when I was lighting the paschal fire as part of the ceremony at eight oclock, simultaneously outside of each of our churches there was a big fire lit.

At nine oclock, Jenny Hanlon sang at the fire. In Mullabuoy, Zoe Conway and John McIntyre, they played. And in Grange, a local soprano, Roisin Bradley, sang at the fire.

All of that is on Facebook, if people want to check it out.

The Popemobile was acquired by the late John Hanlon, an avid collector of vintage machinery, at an auction in Scotland in 2006. It had been used by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Britain in 1982 and is one of just two in the world.
Jolene T. DiBrango is executive vice president of the New York State United Teachers union and chair of the NYSUT Womens Committee. She is based in Latham.

By Jolene T. DiBrango | Special to Syracuse.com

She is a symbol of female strength. Her We can do it! spirit is an inspiration to her sisters. She is working the front lines of the war here on the home front, so we can repel the enemy that threatens our way of life.

If you thought of Rosie the Riveter, think again. Amid the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Im talking about the female health care professionals who are caring for patients in hospitals and nursing homes and through visiting nurse services despite the risks they face. The women of health care are quite literally on the front lines of the war.

This is not to take anything away from all of those who are being impacted by the coronavirus. Especially in health care right now, every worker, regardless of gender, deserves our thanks and our deepest respect for the work they are doing.

And they need our help. Reports are that personal protective equipment continues to be in short supply in many places, so those of us who are considered non-essential need to keep looking for opportunities to make safe, useful donations. We need to offer emotional support to those on the front lines and be advocates for expanded childcare opportunities so they can focus on the arduous task in front of them, rather than on who is caring for their children.

The numbers tell a clear story that it is overwhelmingly women who need our help on the front lines, though. Nearly 88 percent of registered nurses in New York are women, as are nearly 90 percent of nurse practitioners and nurse midwives, according to state Department of Labor statistics. The percentages are similar among the 16,000 healthcare professionals in various roles that New York State United Teachers represents.

They are the same women, mind you, who too often are over-relied on to also care for children and their own parents or older relatives  in this case, putting them at risk of spreading COVID-19 among vulnerable populations. They are the same women who society often asks to make a life-altering choice relatively early in their lives: Have a career or a family.

These gender roles have a disproportionate impact on front line industries that are overwhelmingly female, such as healthcare. There is no reprieve after double shifts and emotionally taxing work if there is no support network that can pick up the slack at home.

This crisis may very well have an impact on gender roles on its own. As CNN reported recently, some economists believe that mens participation in household labor, such as childcare, may increase long-term. But when we emerge on the other side of this pandemic, we cannot just expect that women currently on the front lines will receive new supports organically.

We can start by addressing both overt and implicit gender biases. As exists across the workforce in general, there is a pay gap between what men and women earn in healthcare. A 2015 Journal of the American Medical Association study found that female registered nurses earned more than $5,100 less than their male counterparts. A 2019 Medscape report found an even greater gap between male and female doctors ($51,000).

Those of us in the labor movement are keenly aware that part of what drives pay gaps, particularly in non-unionized workplaces, is that women are less likely to negotiate, let alone simply ask for, salary increases or promotions. Creating an environment in which women are comfortable advocating for themselves or advocating collectively as a union is another important step.

Even more broadly, we must break down gender stereotypes that exist within the workforce. Why are the vast majority of nurses or teachers women? Because we have for too long viewed these as pink-collar careers. In doing so, we have created situations like the one we are in now, where familial gender roles are overlapping with incredibly intensive career demands for predominantly female work forces.

That is not to say we dont want women to continue to pursue these careers. But we should be encouraging men and women to pursue all careers, not just those that are traditionally gendered, so that we can start to achieve gender parity across the entire workforce  and along with that, parity in salary and benefits.

While goal No. 1 continues to be flattening the curve, once that finally happens, we must remember these lessons in the need for womens equality. The women who will help us fight the next pandemic need us to advocate for them now.

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If you're looking for safe, steady investments in these turbulent times, there's a surprising number of good choices. With many companies now trading at steep discounts due to the downturn fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, now's an excellent time to grow your portfolio with high-quality, dividend-paying stocks.

One of the best places for dividend investors to check out is the healthcare sector. While other businesses are struggling amid this pandemic, people will still need to take their medications regardless of what's going on in the world. As such, healthcare companies are considered to be among the safest investments right now in this market. Here are four solid companies in this industry that are boasting impressive dividends while still trading at shockingly low valuations.

1. GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) tumbled down to a more than 10-year-low in March. While this decline seems like an overreaction, the fact that the stock is trading cheaply is good news for value and dividend investors alike. GlaxoSmithKline's dividend yield sits at a lucrative 5.8%, with the stock trading at bargain-bin valuations. The company's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is just 2.3, the lowest on this list, while its trailing price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) comes in at 16.9.

GlaxoSmithKline has a fairly diversified business compared to other pharmaceutical giants on the market. The company's largest revenue driver is its pharmaceuticals business, which brought in 17.6 billion British pounds in revenue for 2019. However, revenue growth in this area remains quite slow, notching only a 2% increase from 2018.

Vaccines and consumer healthcare are both smaller segments, bringing in around 7.2 billion and 9 billion pounds in revenue for 2019, respectively. However, they are growing much faster than GlaxoSmithKline's pharmaceuticals business. The two segments reported revenue growth of 21% and 17%, respectively.

GlaxoSmithKline also announced a number of recent partnerships related to combating COVID-19, including a deal with a Chinese biotech, Xiamen Innovax Biotech, to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. While it's easy to get caught up in this excitement, there's already a fair amount of competition in this space, with a number of companies starting clinical trials. Additionally, GlaxoSmithKline emphasized that it doesn't expect to see any profit from this potential COVID-19 vaccine should it turn out to be a success.

Overall, GlaxoSmithKline's impressive dividend alongside its diversified business is enough to make it a compelling addition to most investors' portfolios.

2. AbbVie

When it comes to pharmaceutical companies boasting sky-high dividends, look no further than AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV). The stock currently offers a 5.9% dividend yield for investors, with a P/S ratio of 3.6 and trailing P/E multiple of 15..

AbbVie holds the distinction of owning one of the top-selling drugs in the world, an inflammatory treatment called Humira. While there is some concern surrounding the drug's patent expiration and the subsequent competition from new generics that would emerge, AbbVie's patent protection for Humira will still last until 2023. Until then, AbbVie's free to enjoy continued revenue growth from this mega-blockbuster drug. In the U.S. market, Humira experienced 8.6% growth in Q4 2019 year over year.

The company has other promising treatments with impressive growth as well. AbbVie's second-best-selling drug is Imbruvica, a type of specific cancer medication used in conditions such as leukemia and lymphoma (both are blood cancers). The drug saw fourth-quarter global revenue of $1.3 billion, a 28.9% increase from Q4 2018.

Although AbbVie's overall revenue growth is slower than that of some of the other companies on this list (full-year net revenue was up just 1.6% for 2019), AbbVie makes up for it by offering one of the best dividend yields you can find in the healthcare market right now.

3. Bristol Myers Squibb

With a 3.05% yield, Bristol Myers Squibb's (NYSE:BMY) dividend is on the smaller side compared to the other names on this list. However, what makes this healthcare stock a buy right now is its remarkably cheap valuation given its growth potential. The company currently has a P/S ratio of just 3.9 and its trailing P/E ratio is 29.3. While shares aren't trading as cheaply as they were in late March, this value stock still is a steal.

Bristol's lineup of blockbuster drugs was already impressive on its own, but following its $74 billion acquisition of Celgene last year, the company's growth prospects look better than ever. In the most recent quarter, Bristol's current top-selling drugs -- Opdivo, Eliquis, and Revlimid -- brought in $1.8 billion, $2 billion, and $1.3 billion in revenue, respectively.

Revlimid, Bristol's newest addition acquired from the Celgene deal, treats a type of bone marrow cancer called multiple myeloma. Eliquis is Bristol's leading blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) treatment, while Eliquis is a well-known non-small-cell lung cancer treatment for patients who have already tried chemotherapy. By 2024, these three drugs are all expected to be among the top 10 best-selling drugs in the world.

All things considered, it's not surprising that the company has seen stellar growth figures. Bristol Myers reported a 33% increase in fourth-quarter revenue between 2019 and 2018, to $7.9 billion. As to be expected after such a massive acquisition, Bristol's has quite a bit of debt on its balance sheet. The company reported $46.7 billion in debt in Q4 2019, while its cash reserves came in at around $16.2 billion.

It's hard to find a company boasting an impressive dividend, excellent growth prospects, and a cheap valuation. Bristol Myers Squibb is one of the rare stocks out there that tick off all three of these boxes.

4. Pfizer

Last but not least: Pfizer (NYSE:PFE). The company offers a respectable 4.3% dividend yield, with a P/S ratio of 3.9 and a trailing P/E ratio of 12.2. Unlike some of the other companies on this list, Pfizer has been struggling with revenue growth.

Full-year 2019 revenue came in at $51.8 billion, a slight 1% decline from 2018. However, the picture is a bit more nuanced than it first appears. While Pfizer's biopharma division has been doing well, reporting an 8% growth rate for 2019, the Upjohn unit has been weighing down the company. Although this unit includes some well-known drugs, such as Viagra and cholesterol-lowering Lipitor, sales have fallen by 16% over the past year.

The good news is that Pfizer is planning to spin off its Upjohn unit, which will combine with Mylan. With this weight off its shoulders, many investors expect Pfizer to do much better financially in the years to come as it will be able to focus on what it does best: developing new drug candidates.

On that subject, Pfizer has one of the most impressive portfolios of drug candidates out there. This includes 23 phase 3 trials underway, alongside nine clinical programs currently awaiting regulatory approval. Among Pfizer's more promising candidates on the verge of approval are an acute myeloid leukemia drug, Daurismo, as well as a second- or third-line colorectal cancer drug combo, Braftovi and Erbitux.

Betting on Pfizer during the initial stages of this transformation is likely to pay off for income investors down the road.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky received credentials from Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Aca Jovanovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba Natacha Diaz Aguilera, and Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan Darkhan Kaletaev, the presidents press service has reported.

During a meeting with Ambassador of Serbia to Ukraine Aca Jovanovic, President Zelensky reaffirmed our country's clear position as regards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, and praised the consistent support by the Republic of Serbia for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

"In order to develop bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the parties agreed to intensify negotiations on the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement and the resumption of work of the Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Serbian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. Volodymyr Zelensky and Aca Jovanovic also discussed further steps to strengthen interpersonal contacts between the two countries," the report reads.

At a meeting with Ambassador of Cuba to Ukraine Natacha Diaz Aguilera, the parties discussed the prospects of cooperation between the two countries, joint actions to resume political dialogue between Ukraine and Cuba, and interaction within the international organizations. Zelensky stressed the importance of further enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation, primarily in the fields of aviation, pharmacology, medicine, and agriculture.

During a meeting with the newly-appointed ambassador of Kazakhstan, President Zelensky congratulated Darkhan Kaletaev on the beginning of diplomatic work in our country. Zelensky stressed that the fight against the coronavirus pandemic should not interfere with the process of intensifying mutually beneficial relations with Kazakhstan. It is our important and time proven partner in Central Asia.

The president praised the organizational work carried out with Kazakhstan, which helped deliver medical supplies from China to Ukraine as soon as possible.

ish
We are a wood pellet distributor in Northeren France, we are looking to Buy 100 tonne per month of A1 wood pellets in bulk bag or loose for repacking. in our factory in Northern France. i am looking for long term agreements to be put in place to ensure we have continued supply for both companies. i am looking to be paying 90 -105 per tonne delivered to my factory in Northern France.
Man overboard in the Fos Sur Mer channel

On Monday, April 13, 2020, at around 6:00 a.m., the CrossMed was alerted by the Crown semaphore that a 55-year-old Latvian man belonging to the crew of the chemical tanker "Elandra Baltic" flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, had fallen into the sea at night from a height of at least 6 meters, while putting the accommodation ladder on board.

The CrossMed immediately engaged the Dragon 131 helicopter of the Marignane Civil Security, two pilots from the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPMM), the SNSM patrol boat from Carro, as well as a semi-rigid boat from the Marseille fire brigade (from the Port de Bouc fire station). Throughout the morning, all the means present on the zone, which provided assistance (four nautical craft engaged, civil security helicopter), continued the search. At midday, the Maritime Prefect for the Mediterranean decided to stop the search. The Port de Bouc maritime police are in charge of the investigation.




ADELAIDE, Australia and LIEGE, Belgium, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayne Pharma Group Limited (ASX: MYX) and Mithra Pharmaceuticals, SA (Euronext Brussels: MITRA) today announced that Mayne Pharma has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking marketing authorisation for E4/DRSP, a combined oral contraceptive indicated for the prevention of pregnancy. If approved by the FDA, E4/DRSP is expected to be made available to patients in the US market in the first half of calendar 2021.

E4/DRSP is a novel, next generation oral contraceptive containing Estetrol (E4) 15 mg and drospirenone (DRSP) 3 mg. E4 is a naturally occurring estrogen that is produced by the human fetal liver during pregnancy. Following more than 20 years of research and development, Mayne Pharma's development and manufacturing partner Mithra can synthesise E4 at scale through a complex plant-based production process.

US sales of combined hormonal contraceptives are more than US$4 billion per annum, according to IQVIA with 10 million American women using combination (estrogen + progestin) oral pills, patches or vaginal rings each day[1].

Mitchell Creinin, Professor and Director of Family Planning at the University of California, Davis said, "I am excited to see the overall results for E4/DRSP from two phase 3 clinical studies including more than 4,400 women around the world that demonstrated very positive outcomes for efficacy and safety in a product that achieved a desirable bleeding profile and excellent tolerability."

Mayne Pharma's CEO Scott Richards said, "The NDA filing is a major milestone for Mayne Pharma and our development partner Mithra Pharmaceuticals. We are now one step closer to making this new oral contraceptive that we believe to be safe, effective and well-tolerated available to American women. We confirm our earlier stated goal of bringing this product to market in the first half of calendar 2021."

Mithra's CEO Francois Fornieri said, "We are very proud of this key milestone for the commercialisation of our first blockbuster candidate in the world's largest pharmaceutical market. E4/DRSP is now filed in the US and Europe and we are actively working with our partners for the commercial launch of this product around the world. E4/DRSP promises to provide women with a new choice in oral contraception, in a space where there hasn't been any new innovative hormones introduced for many decades."

[1] IQVIA, MAT Sales and NSP Units Feb 2020

About Mayne Pharma

Mayne Pharma is an ASX-listed specialty pharmaceutical company focused on applying its drug delivery expertise to commercialise branded and generic pharmaceuticals, offering patients better and more accessible medicines. Mayne Pharma also provides contract development and manufacturing services to more than 100 clients worldwide.

Mayne Pharma has a 40-year track record of innovation and success in developing new oral drug delivery systems and these technologies have been successfully commercialised in numerous products that continue to be marketed around the world.

Mayne Pharma has two facilities based in Salisbury, Australia and Greenville, USA with expertise in the formulation of complex oral and topical dose forms including potent compounds, modified-release products and poorly soluble compounds.

Mayne Pharma Group Limited

maynepharma.com

1538 Main North Road, Salisbury South, SA 5106 Australia

About Mithra

Mithra (Euronext: MITRA) is a Belgian biotech company dedicated to transforming Women's Health by offering new choices through innovation, with a particular focus on contraception and menopause.

Mithra's goal is to develop products offering better efficacy, safety and convenience, meeting women's needs throughout their life span. Its three lead development candidates are built on Mithra's unique native estrogen platform, Estetrol (E4): E4/DRSP, a new era in oral contraception, PeriNesta, the first complete oral treatment for perimenopause and Donesta, the next-generation hormone therapy. Mithra also develops and manufactures complex therapeutics in the areas of contraception, menopause and hormone-dependent cancers. It offers partners a complete spectrum of research, development and specialist manufacturing at its technological platform Mithra CDMO.

Active in more than 85 countries around the world, Mithra has an approximate headcount of 250 staff members and is headquartered in Liege, Belgium.

Mithra Pharmaceuticals

www.mithra.com

Rue Saint-Georges 5, 4000 Liege  Belgium

Important information

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words "believes", "estimates," "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "continue", "ongoing", "potential", "predict", "project", "target", "seek" or "should", and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE Mayne Pharma

Related Links

http://www.maynepharma.com/


Houston firefighters pried a woman from her wrecked car after she rolled it into a ditch along the North Loop on Thursday.

Officers said the woman was attempting to turn north on Los Angeles Street from the frontage road but made the turn too fast. She slid into the ditch, trapping her inside the small SUV.
A couple of months ago, my wife and I returned from a six-week trip to Australia that also included a round-trip cruise from Sydney to New Zealand. I had been planning that trip for about a year. And little did I know during that entire planning process that the dates I chose would work out so well. We went there after the worst of the bushfires that devastated parts of Australia and before the coronavirus devastated the world! We really were extremely lucky.

Anyway, shortly after we returned from the trip, I mentioned in a column that I met more than a few old-age pensioners from Down Under. And I said I thought it would be interesting to compare their Social Security system to ours and that I would do so after conducting a bit of research. Well, little did I know what I was getting myself into.

And before I get into all that, let me make this point: Im always amazed by the number of people who think the concept of a Social Security system is unique to this country. Or they figure that we, and maybe some of those socialist Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway, are the only places that have Social Security.
Haryana's Agriculture Minister J P Dalal on Thursday said the procurement of mustard by government agencies in the state will continue till the entire crop of farmersis procured.

He assured farmers that the money would be sent to their account within three days of purchase.

While mustard crop procurement began in Haryana on April 15, wheat will be procured from April 20.

Dalal said that due to COVID-19 pandemic, the procurement centres have been set up outside mandis so that farmers can sell their crops while maintaining social distance.

He said that mustard is being procured at minimum support price of Rs 4,425 per quintal as fixed by the government.

Dalal, according to an official statement, said that initially there were problems in some places because farmers had registered for more acres on the portal 'Meri Fasal Mera Byora', but received messages stating less acreage.

He said, however, in the interest of farmers, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar decided that mustard will be procured according to the acreage that the farmer had registered on the portal and not as per the messages they received.

Dalal said that farmers are being called to sell their crop through messages on their phones after being allotted a particular time so as to avoid crowding at procurement centres.

He said about 6.5 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of mustard was procured in Haryana last year, but this time around 8-9 lakh MT of the crop is expected to be procured.

The Agriculture Minister also said that mustard is grown mainly in south Haryana, and he would inspect 15-20 procurement centres in Gurugram, Rewari, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Hisar and Sirsafor three days from April 17.

Inspection will be conducted for taking stock of the arrangements there, he added.

Wheat procurement in the state will start from April 20 and 80-90 lakh MT of wheat is expected to be procured this year.

Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Cooperation Department, Sanjeev Kaushal said a total of 33,331 metric tonnes of mustard has been procured in the state in the first two days of procurement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TOKYO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaneka Corporation (President: Minoru Tanaka) has reached an agreement with FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) to supply drug substances for anti-influenza drug, Avigan Tablet (generic name: favipiravir), for the novel coronavirus disease (referred to below as COVID-19).

While COVID-19 continues to spread, the Japanese government has decided to increase its stockpiles of Avigan Tablet, which is expected to be effective against COVID-19, for up to 2 million people, and FUJIFILM Corporation has expanded its production system and started increasing its production of Avigan Tablet.

We have been highly commended by major pharmaceutical manufacturers around the world for our process development capabilities, manufacturing technology, and quality of pharmaceuticals cultivated over many years, and on this occasion, we have been requested to supply drug substances as a major supplier. We believe that it is our social mission to promptly start the supply of drug substances for Avigan Tablet, and we will urgently improve our manufacturing system through capital investment, personnel allocation changes, and production plan adjustments to begin supplying the drug substances in July.

We have already started supplying PCR reagents used for COVID-19 tests via our group company Kaneka Eurogentec (Headquarters: Belgium). In addition, we are enhancing our contracted manufacturing efforts for a COVID-19 vaccine using technologies such as high-quality mRNA and plasmid DNA and are handling an onrush of inquiries.

Kaneka will put in every effort to provide solutions to the COVID-19 for worldwide health.

Contact: Kazuhiko Fujii, [email protected]

SOURCE Kaneka Corporation

Related Links

http://www.kaneka.co.jp


Nearly a dozen Iranian naval vessels repeatedly harassed and made 'dangerous' approaches to American ships conducting operations in the Persian Gulf near Kuwait on Wednesday, in a tense exchange that last more than an hour.

A group of 11 ships with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet at close range and high speeds - with one passing within just 10 meters of a Coast Guard cutter.

The 'dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision,' a statement from U.S. Central Command said, adding that U.S commanders on the scene 'retain the inherent right to self-defense.'

The American vessels included the USS Paul Hamilton, a Navy destroyer; the USS Lewis B. Puller, a ship that serves as an afloat landing base; and the USCGC Maui. The ships were operating with U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters in international waters, the statement said.

A group of 11 ships with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet at close range and high speeds - with one passing within just 10 meters of a Coast Guard cutter

The 'dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision,' a statement from U.S. Central Command said, adding that U.S commanders on the scene 'retain the inherent right to self-defense' (pictured: USCGC Maui surrounded by three Iranian ships)

U.S. forces issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, fired five short blasts from the ships' horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no immediate response from the Iranian vessels, officials said.

Eventually, after around an hour, the Iranian ships acknowledged the warnings over the bride-to-bridge radio and then maneuvered away.

Iranian officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident, which comes after armed men - also believed to be from Iran's Revolutionary Guard - seized a Hong Kong-flagged tanker on Tuesday before later releasing the vessel.

The semi-official Fars news agency, believed to be close to the paramilitary Guard, acknowledged the incident in a report that did not include any comment from Iranian officials.

The American vessels included the USS Paul Hamilton, a Navy destroyer; the USS Lewis B. Puller (above), a ship that serves as an afloat landing base; and the USCGC Maui. The ships were operating with U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters in international waters, the statement said

Iranian officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident

Tense incidents remain common between Iranian and U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf, particularly in its narrow mouth called the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all the world's oil passes.

Iran seized ships several last summer and the U.S. accuses it of attacking tankers in the region amid tensions over President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrawing America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Last June, an Iranian surface-to-air missile system also shot down a U.S. Navy surveillance drone that was hovering above the region. Iran argued the drone was over its territory. The attack escalated regional tensions and fueled a surge in oil prices.

U.S. forces issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, fired five short blasts from the ships' horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no immediate response from the Iranian vessels, officials said

Eventually, after around an hour, the Iranian ships acknowledged the warnings over the bride-to-bridge radio and then maneuvered away.

The U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct, a group created to deter Iranian attacks in the region, acknowledged the incident in a statement late Wednesday. The group said it 'assessed no immediate threat to the free flow of shipping in the area.'

Despite the U.S military expanding its response to the outbreak of COVID-19 at home and among its forces, senior defense officials have repeatedly stated that the virus would not disrupt global military operations.

'We continue our very important national security missions,' Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said during a press briefing on Tuesday. Such missions included performing counterterrorism operations, conducting freedom of navigation mission and deterring Iranian bad behavior, he said.
Diamond Jack and Carlton Morton got engaged and broke up on the first season of Netflixs Love Is Blind. After the couple got engaged, Carlton told Diamond that hes bisexual during what was supposed to be a romantic trip to Mexico. The discussion turned into a heated argument that ended with the two going their separate ways.

Carlton Morton | Paras Griffin/Getty Images

After the episode aired, fans wondered what really came between Diamond and Carlton. Was it Carltons sexuality or the nature of their argument, or something else?

Would Diamond and Carlton still be together if Carlton had told her about his sexuality sooner?

In an interview with the Love In Sight podcast, Diamond said she doesnt know if she and Carlton would be together if he had told her sooner. She feels he robbed her of ever knowing.

I felt like I was robbed that choice to even make that decision. If you would have asked me if this would have not played out in how Carlton reacted I dont know what I would have done. And it goes back to the same thing in the pods. If he would have told me in the beginning, I dont know what I would have done but I definitely would have made my decision on what he told me, being honest upfront, she said.

Diamond says she feels like Carlton should have told her about his sexuality sooner. Carlton has said time and time again that you cant rush a person to open up about their sexuality until theyre ready.

I feel like he should have just been honest and told me from the beginning. Like, Hey, you might not sit well with it or you mightgive me the option to make those decisions. Dont make them for me. And I feel like he took that from me, she said on the podcast.

The host asked Diamond if she was bisexual if she would have told Carlton about her sexuality in the pods.

Yeah! Of course, of course I would. I mean thats just who you are, she said.

Diamonds life post-Love Is Blind

As for life after Love Is Blind, Diamond says its been up and down. While shes received a lot of love, shes also received a ton of criticism from fans who support Carlton.

Its been good and bad. Its been a lot to deal with. Especially when you see people are calling you certain names, saying youre a disgusting person and getting death threats. I just feel like thats just extreme and people really dont know me, she said.

Diamond says, if she could go back, she would have remained calmer during her argument with Carlton in Mexico. But she gives herself grace because you never know what you will do until youre put in that situation.

I even hate now that I allow myself to get out of character when I was at the pool cursing him out, throwing the drink. But you never know what you will do until youre put in that situation. And maybe it wasnt the best choice to make but thats how I felt at that time. I felt robbed, I felt upset, she said. So, you know, moving forward, Im just looking to do good things and Im not allowing the negative comments to hold me back or label me as a person. I know myself and Im secure with myself and I know I can bounce back. Like I said, Im built from a strong cloth.

Read more: The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart: Ryan Neal Is Immediately a Clear Fan Favorite
Employees manufacture wood products at a factory in the northern province of Tuyen Quang. Photo courtesy of Woodsland.

Eighty percent of timber buyers from the U.S. and E.U. have delayed or canceled their orders as of March 30 due to the novel coronavirus impacting trade.

The cancellation and delay rate in South Korea and Japan is 60-80 percent, which could result in severe damage to Vietnams timber industry this year, the Association of Vietnam Timber and Forest Product (Viforest) reported.

Vu Hai Bang, CEO of Woodsland, one of the largest timber exporters in the country, said within two weeks, many buyers in the U.S. and E.U. had cancelled their orders, and that hell have to wait another seven weeks for orders to hopefully reboot.

Nguyen Duc Kien, deputy director of Kego Co. Ltd., which exports plywood to South Korea and Japan, said the company now exports five containers a month, compared to 50 before the pandemic. It has not received any new order starting May.

Viforests survey of 124 wood exporters show over half have had to scale down their business due to the pandemic.

Most businesses will have to stop operations by the end of this month, the association said.

Firms estimate a total damage of at least VND3 trillion ($128 million) due to canceled or delayed orders.

Respondents said over 21,400 employees are temporarily out of work, and Vifores estimates hundreds of thousands in the industry face unemployment as wood craft villages nationwide employ over 350,000 people.

Canceled orders also put more pressure on finances. Bang said Woodland will struggle to pay its debts from April to June.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan said timber exporters are allowed to delay their tax payment and land use fees by five months according to government policy.

Vietnams timber exports last year rose 19.5 percent to $10.6 billion, ranking seventh out of the 10 largest export categories, according to Vietnam Customs. The biggest markets are the U.S., Japan, China, South Korea and the E.U.
Next week is National Crime Victims Rights Week, and because of coronavirus, its harder than ever for people to leave abusive partnerships. While mandatory stay-home orders are necessary for public health, they present additional hardships for those experiencing verbal, economic and physical abuse.

People experiencing domestic violence no longer have the escape of going to work or a night out with friends or family. The stress from job loss or hours reductions, providing child care or homeschooling children, and trying to work from home can be overwhelming, even for the healthiest relationships. Its riskier for victims to seek out privacy in order to research local housing options or domestic violence resources because the entire family is confined to the home. Meanwhile, hospitals are prioritizing coronavirus patients and limiting other services, and fear of catching the virus in a hospital or clinic may prevent abuse victims from seeking medical attention if they need it.

In my career as a Kootenai County prosecutor, I saw firsthand that abuse can look many different ways including: financial exploitation or preventing someone from working, physical, sexual, or verbal abuse, wrongful restraint, or involuntarily isolating a partner from family, friends, and colleagues. Because of COVID-19, victims may not be able to lean on their usual support networks. For example, if a victims aging parents are at elevated risk, a victim may be less likely to reach out or go stay with them. State and federal travel restrictions may impact their ability to leave. Some womens shelters around the country are experiencing overcrowding or risk closure depending on the risk of infection.

Domestic violence was a problem in Idaho long before the virus hit. Census data shows that on a single day in Idaho, 514 victims of domestic violence and their children turned to community organizations for safety and help. The number of people experiencing domestic violence is likely much higher that those that actually seek help, since the World Health Organization reports that one in three women experience domestic violence. In 2017, Idaho saw 17 deaths related to abuse in the home, and rape occurs every 15 hours in our state.

Boises Womens and Childrens Alliance has reported a 24% increase in calls since the outbreak. This mirrors the National Domestic Violence Hotline reports of an uptick in callers saying that their abusers are actually using COVID-19 as an excuse to further isolate them from their friends and family.

Because of court closures, many domestic violence organizations are relying on video services to file civil protection orders. To learn more about local clinicians and case managers, call the Idaho Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-669-3176. Voices Against Violence in Twin Falls also offers a confidential hotline where victims can access local resources at 208-733-0100.

Luke Malek is an attorney at Smith + Malek, a business law firm with offices in Boise, Coeur dAlene, and Sandpoint. Malek served for six years in the Idaho Legislature.
With limits on unnecessary travel, the mundane indoor routine can be suffocating.

While staying home and practicing social distancing are necessary during the coronavirus health crisis, being outside can help ease stress and anxiety. Fortunately, Upstate New York is packed with state forests, parks, trails, and more.

If you need an escape, head outdoors. Stay local, spread out, and practice responsible recreating  hike the trails less traveled and avoid crowded parking lots.

Heres a compilation of places to hike, bike ride, or drive from NYup.coms archives below.

Note: Plan your restroom break accordingly. While some public bathrooms at NY state parks are open, others are closed. Check their site. Also, bathrooms and service areas at NY Thruway system remain open 24 hours a day, but you can only order food to-go or drive-thru.

A couple enjoys a walk on the canalway trail. This 2.3-mile section of the trail runs from Schasel Park to Centreport Park in Weedsport.Kathe Harrington | NYup.com

Hikes

Avoid crowds: 13 hikes in Adirondacks with spectacular views and fewer people

Dog-friendly hikes in the Adirondacks: 9 great places to take mans best friend

Hiking in the North Country: 11 trails to explore during spring and summer

13 easy hiking trails in the Finger Lakes: See waterfalls, creeks, more

Spring hikes in the Adirondacks: 6 trails to enjoy the outdoors

Spring hiking in the Finger Lakes: Where to go for beautiful vistas

Springtime hikes in the Catskills: 5 trails to enjoy

Shawangunk Mountains: 13 secret places to visit in the Gunks

9 hikes to see dazzling waterfalls in Upstate NY

Seneca Lake State Park in Geneva, NY.Heather Ainsworth | The Post-Standard

Bike trails

The best rail trails in Upstate NY: 18 pathways to bike, run or walk this summer

Biking trails in Western NY: 8 paths in Buffalo, Rochester, more

Cycling in the Finger Lakes: 7 bicycling trails and paths

6 fun biking trails in the Catskills

7 top trails for bicyclists in the Capital Region

Bicycle through the North Country: 6 cycling trails in Northern NY

Mountain biking in the Catskills: 10 great trails for thrill seekers and beginners

Mountain biking in the Adirondacks: Singletrack adventures, extreme bike parks, more

Looking West towards Seneca Lake along Searsburg Road near The Finger Lakes National Forest in Burdett, NY.Heather Ainsworth | The Post-Standard

Drives

12 of the most beautiful covered bridges in Upstate NY

Southern Tier road trip in Upstate NY: 10 stops from Chautauqua Lake to Corning

Scenic Route 104 road trip: Barns, lighthouses from Oswego to Rochester

Route 9 road trip in Upstate NY: 12 stops from Albany to Lake Champlain

19 best views in Upstate NY: Mountains, waterfalls, historic places, more

Route 23 road trip in Upstate NY: 14 stops from Oneonta to Olana

Scenic drives in Upstate NY: 6 best routes for Sunday drivers

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

NY temporarily suspends use of all its boat launches for recreational use

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com
MANAMA, Bahrain, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kingdom of Bahrain's handling of the Coronavirus offers a beacon of hope to other countries wanting to emulate its example, even as the world battles rising numbers of cases.

"On Feb. 24, the island state of Bahrain recorded is first COVID-19 case, when a school bus driver who had recently traveled home from pilgrimage in Iran by way of Dubai tested positive. Alarm bells immediately went off. With a population of 1.5 million in an area the size of New York City (300 square miles), Bahrain is the world's third most densely populated country (after Monaco and Singapore). Significant numbers of its citizens travel regularly to Iran and Iraq, which are regional epicenters of the pandemic. This combustible mix of exposure and crowding had the potential to decimate Bahrain's population. Yet after only five weeks, the Bahraini authorities have succeeded in containing the virus.

What is the secret to Bahrain's success?

April 10 (UPI) By: Adam Ereli served as U.S. Ambassador to the kingdom of Bahrain from 2007 to 2011

BAHRAIN ACTIONS AND REPONSE TO COVID-19: FACTSHEET

FREE COVID-19 TESTING AND TREATMENT FOR ALL CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS

HM the King has issued Royal Directives to provide free COVID-19 testing and treatment for all citizens and residents in the Kingdom of Bahrain

This step will save lives, ensuring all citizens and residents in need receive swift and comprehensive medical care

Secondly, it will help to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19 as no-one need worry about costs associated with being tested or follow-up medical care. Without HM's intervention, some may have delayed seeking tests or treatment

GENERAL

A comprehensive medical protocol based on guidelines set out by the Gulf Health Council (GHG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) has been established

Public health announcements have been circulated in different languages via national TV and broadcast channels, social media, and regular press conferences

The National Task for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is currently implementing the 'Trace, Test, Treat' strategy, which ensures a comprehensive approach to tracking and treating all active COVID-19 cases, under a specialised medical team

The WHO has commended the Kingdom for enacting a comprehensive national strategy, led by HRH the Crown Prince and a dedicated COVID-19 response team

Bahrain becomes one of the first countries in the world to use Hydroxychloroquine to treat the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

becomes one of the first countries in the world to use Hydroxychloroquine to treat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) The Ministry of Health has also implemented a mobile testing process to test individuals returning from COVID-19 affected countries and provide them with the necessary care should they prove to carry the virus

The Supreme Council for Women (SCW) has started field work as part of the "Together for Bahrain's Safety". Basic commodities and health supplies were distributed to families supported by Bahraini women, based on the lists on needy households whose living conditions are being monitored by the council.

Safety". Basic commodities and health supplies were distributed to families supported by Bahraini women, based on the lists on needy households whose living conditions are being monitored by the council. Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) has launched the home delivery service of prescribed medicines to ensure the health, safety and comfort of the patients as part of the precautionary measures implemented by the kingdom to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

As per the directives of HM King Hamad, the Minister of Information Affairs says that all GCC citizen will be treated as Bahraini.

Field visits across the Kingdom are also underway to collect random medical samples via mobile testing units, in order to safeguard the health and safety of the community

A fully dedicated testing center has been set up at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Conference Centre

The Kingdom has one of the highest testing rates per capita in the world, garnering the recognition of the World Health Organization for its agile response.

Bahrain was also the first Arab country to join the WHO's "Solidarity Trial" to find effective treatment for the virus.

MEASURES - CONTAINMENT

A number of regional flights have been reduced or suspended

All educational institutions, including public and private schools and institutions of higher learning, have been closed until further notice, and remote teaching has been instituted

Various government entities are providing their services online for citizens and residents

Detailed social distancing guidelines have been published. Individuals are advised to remain at home, with the exception for those who commute to and from work, those buying medication or essential necessities or visiting a hospital

All citizens and residents are required to wear face masks whilst in public

Commercial and industrial businesses providing goods or services directly to customers, are to open and resume work provided the following conditions are met:

Employees and visitors are required to wear a face mask



The number of employees in any facility is reduced and overcrowding in stores is actively prevented to ensure sufficient social distancing measures are maintained at all times.



Stores must ensure continuous sterilization, including external premises, in accordance to guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health



Queuing line-ups outside stores must be arranged in accordance to the social distancing measures issued by the Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, has begun announcing contact tracing information via the Ministry of Health's website. Locations visited by contacts of active cases of COVID-19 along with dates and times, are listed to ensure other citizens and residents are able to identify whether they have been exposed to active cases

The iGA has developed and released an app which advances contact tracing efforts by utilises location data to alert individuals in the event they approach an active case or a location an active case has visited and track the movement of quarantine cases for a duration of 14 days.

In line with the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa , the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to deploy emerging technologies to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Information & eGovernment Authority has begun distributing electronic bracelets compatible with the Kingdom's COVID-19 contact tracing app, 'BeAware'.

, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to deploy emerging technologies to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Information & eGovernment Authority has begun distributing electronic bracelets compatible with the Kingdom's COVID-19 contact tracing app, 'BeAware'. Medical examinations been conducted by Ministry of Health for all citizens and residents who have visited the Islamic Republic of Iran during the month of February, as part of comprehensive precautionary measures that have been activated in light of the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

MEASURES - ECONOMIC

A BHD 4.3bn economic stimulus package, equivalent to 29.6% of Bahrain's annual GDP, has been introduced

annual GDP, has been introduced Individuals and businesses Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) utility bills will be paid for three months from April 2020 . Additionally, all individuals and businesses will be exempt from municipal fees, industrial land rental fees and tourism fees for three months from April 2020

. Additionally, all individuals and businesses will be exempt from municipal fees, industrial land rental fees and tourism fees for three months from The Liquidity Support Fund has been doubled to BHD 200 million and Tamkeen programmes have been redirected to support adversely affected companies

and Tamkeen programmes have been redirected to support adversely affected companies Termination of monthly work fees and fees for issuing and renewing work permits for a period of three months from April 2020 .

. All loan installments for Bahraini national will be delayed by six months. The waiver is in line with the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa to unify all national efforts to avert the spread of the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Bahrain and protect the health and safety of citizens and residents.

to unify all national efforts to avert the spread of the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in and protect the health and safety of citizens and residents. As per the precautionary measures, the Health Minister suspending the BD7 medical consultation fee, stipulated in edict 2 of 2017 on health fees for non-Bahrainis.

9 MONTH GRACE PERIOD FOR ILLEGAL WORKERS

The Labour Market Regulatory Authority has an introduced a 9-month grace period for all illegal workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain

This comes in the wake of the global outbreak of COVID-19 and is a humanitarian decision to help these workers legalise their status amid this pressing time

The amnesty will allow undocumented foreign workers to either legalise their stay or leave as part of measures to offset the impact of Covid-19.

This is a humanitarian gesture in these extraordinary times to ensure irregular workers can either leave the country or lead to gainful employment

We want to ensure the safety of all expatriates in the country and health care access during these times

INTERNATIONAL COVID-19 REPATRIATION PROGRAMME (ICRP)

The International COVID-19 Repatriation Programme (ICRP) has been established to ensure citizens are repatriated safely and as quickly as possible. The ICRP has been in operation since 11 March.

The ICRP is a clinically managed programme to safely repatriate citizens from Iran and other COVID-19 affected countries. Every step of the ICRP process is supervised by specialist medical officials, in line with WHO guidelines.

and other COVID-19 affected countries. Every step of the ICRP process is supervised by specialist medical officials, in line with WHO guidelines. The ICRP process includes the chartering of specialist aircraft, the provision of necessary medical equipment, and dedicated quarantine and isolation facilities to ensure returning citizens receive immediate medical care

Public Awareness Campaign to Combat COVID-19

A multilingual public awareness campaign has been launched

The campaign is active and continues to put out announcements, guidelines and instructions in several languages

The MOH website https://www.moh.gov.bh/COVID19 is regularly updated in this regard and we urge you and your respected citizens to check it regularly

The national call centre dedicated for COVID-19 (444) is accessible by all and translation services are available

Your respected citizens are encouraged to contact the line whenever any COVID-19 symptoms or inquiries arise

Note:

Lates update of Bahraini total tested, dischaged, deaths, status and active cases

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156499/11_4bn_Government_Stimulus_Package.jpg
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Linkedin John Geddie and Aradhana Aravindan (Reuters) Singapore  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:02 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd255d42 2 SE Asia Singapore,migrant-workers,migrants,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,health Free

As Singapore wins global plaudits for its handling of the coronavirus, the disease has spread rapidly within its large migrant worker community, highlighting what rights groups say is a weak link in the city state's containment efforts.

Singapore has managed to mitigate the spread of the disease among its citizens by rigorous contact tracing and surveillance, earning praise from the World Health Organization. Infections within the migrant community, however, are mounting. As of April 14, out of 3,252 cases recorded in Singapore, 1,625 were linked to outbreaks in migrant worker dormitories.

Rights groups, charities and medical experts had flagged the potential for mass infection among the more than 300,000 migrant workers living in often cramped and unsanitary conditions in the wealthy country of 5.7 million.

But some of Singapore's early policy responses did not account for this vulnerable community, according to rights groups and volunteer organizations.

For example, a Singapore government order restricting doctors to single hospitals to prevent them spreading the virus sharply reduced volunteer health services depended upon by some workers, they said.

And a nationwide mask distribution at the start of the outbreak excluded migrant workers living in dormitories.

Moreover, measures introduced recently to confine tens of thousands of workers to packed quarters may increase the risk of infection spread, they added.

"We are definitely concerned that this approach exposes a lot more migrant workers to the risk of contracting COVID-19," said Rachel Chhoa-Howard, a Singapore researcher for the rights group Amnesty International.

The authorities say they have taken preventative measures to address personal hygiene, inter-mingling and disease detection in migrant housing but that their decision to quarantine thousands of workers was necessary once the virus started spreading.

Singapore's health and manpower ministries did not respond to specific questions for this article. Both referred Reuters to previous statements they had made on their virus containment measures.

The situation in the migrant dormitories highlights the different standards applied to the mainly Bangladeshi and Indian manual workers whose labor has helped build the glitzy, modern city-state, and the rest of the population.

The government has put up Singapore residents returning from overseas in expensive hotels to limit contagion. Some migrant workers have been confined to bunk rooms that they said had blocked toilets and overflowing refuse bins.

The Ministry of Manpower has said it faced "challenges" at the start of the quarantine related to hygiene and the supply of food in the dormitories, but that it had been working with operators to improve conditions.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in an address on April 10 that Singapore appreciated the efforts of its migrant workers, and that they would continue to be paid while in quarantine.

Warning signs

Some workers depended on getting healthcare at subsidized clinics run by a charity called HealthServe, staffed with volunteer doctors and nurses. But when the government issued a directive on Feb 7 saying that public hospital staff had to restrict their work to one hospital to prevent cross contamination, HealthServe said it had to scale back operations, depriving some of the most needy workers of medical care.

HealthServe - which offers consultations for S$8 ($5.65), compared with around S$50 at government clinics - said it had to reduce services by 90% and close two of its three clinics.

Jeremy Lim, chairman of the medical services committee at HealthServe, said he flagged the drop in volunteers to the government but was told nothing could be done.

The Ministry of Health did not respond to a request for comment on the closure of the clinics.

Lim said access to cheap healthcare could have made it easier to spot infections among migrant workers at an earlier stage.

Migrant workers living in dormitories - often 12 or 20 to a room - were also excluded from a government initiative in February to distribute masks to every household after retailers ran out of stocks.

Lim called this a "blind spot" in the policy response to migrants which "we are now learning to our collective regret".

Singapore has now ordered residents to wear masks in public due to rising evidence of asymptomatic transmission.

Deborah Fordyce, president of Transient Workers Count Too, an advocacy group, on March 23 warned in an editorial in the Straits Times, the country's main newspaper, that the risk of an outbreak within the migrant community was "undeniable".

Two weeks later, Singapore announced it was sealing off some 20,000 migrant workers in two dormitories. Eight dormitories are now under lockdown, impacting about 62,500 workers, according to Reuters estimates based on government statements and public information about the dormitories under lockdown.

The Ministry of Manpower did not respond to a request for comment on the total number of people quarantined.

The government has now ordered the rest of the country to stay home and maintain at least a meter distance from others if out for essential needs like food shopping.

Singapore has also ramped up testing in dormitories and started to move some workers deemed "essential" into public housing, military camps and industrial accommodation ships, which authorities say is helping create more room in the complexes.

The government has defended its virus-prevention measures in dormitories, which include advising operators to monitor workers for fever and preventing mingling in common areas.

"It is not as if we have not done anything to try and manage the situation," Josephine Teo, the manpower minister, said on April 9.

Reuters spoke to six workers at four dormitories who said, on condition of anonymity, that precautions such as temperature checks and social distancing were not strictly enforced or only introduced very recently.

Wake up call

The potential exposure of Singapore's migrant workers to infectious diseases was a concern of health experts before the coronavirus outbreak.

A review of previous disease outbreaks in Singapore such as malaria, dengue, zika and tuberculosis showed migrant workers were disproportionately affected, in part due to their living and working conditions, according to a study by Singapore scholars published in the Journal of Travel Medicine in 2017.

Nilim Baruah, senior migration specialist at the International Labor Organization, said migrant workers were among the groups most vulnerable to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In Singapore, he said, "living conditions for many migrant workers do not favor social distancing".

Majidul Haq, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi worker, stays at one packed quarantined dormitory where authorities say over 700 people have tested positive.

"It is difficult to not think about the probability of getting the virus," he said.


Exploration Continues to Deliver Shallow High-Grade Gold

Canberra, April 16, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alt Resources Limited ( ASX:ARS ) is pleased to provide the following drilling results from its March 2020 exploration RC drill program undertaken at the Bottle Creek gold project, located 90km northwest of Menzies in Western Australia's Northern Goldfields.HIGHLIGHTS- Bottle Creek RC exploration drilling program completed 15 March 2020- 23 exploration RC holes for 1,702 metres of drilling completed across Southwark, Pianto's Find and Single Fin areas- All areas return shallow intersections of high-grade gold- Significant intersections include:o 4m @ 3.92 g/t Au from 65 metreso 7m @ 3.83 g/t Au from 32 metres, including 1m @ 18.5 g/t Auo 14m @ 2.94 g/t Au from 62 metres, including 4m @ 5.45 g/t Auo 8m @ 2.92 g/t Au from 78 metres, including 1m @ 16.75 g/t Auo 5m @ 2.73 g/t Au from 30 metresoo 25m @ 1.85 g/t Au from 60 metres, including 1m @ 11.30 g/t Au and 1m @ 9.21 g/t Auo 6m @ 1.82 g/t Au from 56 metres, including 1m @ 8.81 g/t Auo 14m @ 1.46 g/t Au from 53 metres, including 2m @ 4.91 g/t AuAll drill hole and significant results from the BottleCreek RC drilling program can be seen in Table 1*. The Company released drilling results from the March 2020 drill program from the Quinns Mining Area on 26 March 2020.Alt completed a 1,702 metre RC drilling program on 15 March 2020 at the Bottle Creek Gold Project. During the February - March program the Company drilled several prospect areas which have had minimal exploration drilling undertaken by previous explorers, including 9 holes for 758 metres at Southwark, 5 holes for 468 metres at Pianto's Find, and 9 holes for 476 metres at the Single Fin prospect (Figure 2*).The drilling undertaken at Bottle Creek during the February - March program was designed as exploration, not resource drilling, testing areas with potential to deliver further resource ounces. An overview of the Bottle Creek mining leases and the prospects drilled during the March 2020 RC program can be seen in Figure 3* showing the locations of the Southwark, Pianto's Find and Single Fin prospects with cross sections AA - DD also identified in Figure 3*.The drilling undertaken at Southwark was designed to test the area between the main Southwark deposit and the Cascade deposit which lies one kilometre to the north of Southwark, where an interpreted strike/slip fault visible as a magnetic lineament (Figure 5*) has intersected the Emu Formation, possibly causing the Emu Formation to rotate. Past drilling by the Company across areas where cross cutting faults intercept the Emu Formation at Bottle Creek have delivered wider intersections of mineralisation.All 9 RC holes drilled at Southwark during this RC program intersected anomalous Au grades and results from the various drill holes can be seen in Figure 4*. The area between the main Southwark deposit and the Cascade deposit has seen minimal drilling and represents a significant opportunity to deliver further resource ounces at Bottle Creek.The location of cross sections AA-DD can be seen in plan view in Figure 3 and show significant gold intersections from Southwark, Pianto's Find and Single Fin prospects, the Southwark intersections can be seen as cross sections in Figures 5 and 6*. The RC drilling at Southwark in sections AA - BB suggests the Emu Formation has been rotated and the ore zone has a flatter orientation than the Emu deposit which is predominantly sub-vertical in orientation. The Au mineralisation seen in the laterite cap at the surface of Southwark appears consistent with the laterite mineralisation found at the main Southwark and Emu deposits.The Company originally drilled 3 RC holes at Pianto's Find in July 2019 with the results reported to the market on 26 August 20192. Drill hole PFRC002 intersected 2m @ 1.5g/t Au and 14m @ 2.58g/t Au with a peak grade of 28.90g/t Au. Follow up exploration drilling at Pianto's Find during the February - March 2020 RC drilling program has delivered further intersections as seen in Figure 8*: Section DD, including 4m @ 3.92g/t Au and 4m @ 1.92g/t Au from RC holes PFRC004 and PFRC005.Historical drilling at the Pianto's Find area consisted of broadly spaced RAB and Aircore holes, drilled on a 50m centers, with a 400m gridline spacing, to average approximated depth of 49m at. When the drill hole density at Pianto's find is compared to Bottle Creek it appears that Pianto's find has not been adequately tested by the historical drilling. Au and Ag mineralisation modelled in the Bottle Creek "Emu Formation" is consistently subvertical to steeply west dipping, the limited drilling to date at Pianto's Find also suggests a similar model to that seen at Bottle creek.The Pianto's Find prospect remains of significant interest to the Company, it shares a similar magnetic response to that seen at Bottle Creek (NNW-SSE magnetic lineament) and it has the potential to be defined as a sub-parallel mineralised corridor. The drilling undertaken to date at Pianto's Find continues to support this view, with the most recent exploration drilling providing further encouraging results. The Company will now undertake a comprehensive auger soil program on a 20m X 50m grid. This auger program is expected to delineate significant soil anomalies that may warrant testing with future RC drilling programs.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd

Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd is an Australian based mineral exploration company that aims to become a gold producer by exploiting historical and new gold prospects across quality assets and to build value for shareholders.
(Photo : Photo by Garrett Sears on Unsplash)

The discovery of a forgotten mountain pass at Lendbreen, Norway, revealed evidence of a heavily traveled path that was used during the Viking Age. In the passage, a myriad of artifacts and preserved items were found hidden on top of a melting glacier.

The uncovering of the passage that was believed to be used during the Iron Age through to the European medieval period, was ironically made possible by global warming.

Situated on Lomessen Ridge, artifacts such as horse snowshoes, pieces of sleds, mittens, and even the remains of a dog attached to its collar and leash, scattered along the path discovered by archeologists.

Experts used radiocarbon dating in determining when the artifacts were used in time. In the process, the amount of carbon-14 present in a sample is measured and compared against an internationally used reference standard. Through radiocarbon dating, the archeologists were able to determine the importance of the passageway to both local and external communities.

The artifacts found were believed to be either accidentally dropped or purposely left behind by the people at the time, as they made their way through the mountain. The items discovered, seemingly trapped in a glacier, maintained a record that stretches to 1,200 years. Fieldwork continues in the passageway discovered in 2011, as the glacier continues to shrink and expose more relics.

Also Read: Neanderthals Are Smarter than We Thought: Ancient String Discovered Proves Capabilities of Early Humans

The Viking Age

The first evidence of the use of the mountain pass dates back to 300 CE during the Roman Iron Age when local settlements were just beginning. Traffic along the path culminated around 1000 CE during the Viking Age. This age was considered to be a time of heightened mobility, increased trade, political centralization, and greater urbanism in northern Europe.

Around 1500 CE, however, the passageway was deserted and eventually forgotten. Multiple factors were alleged as possible reasons for this. Possible causes include climate change, economic shifts, and medieval pandemics, particularly the Black Death, which affected Europe from 1347 to 1351.

The new research claims that not only was the mountain pass used by local people to travel back and forth from their summer homes, but it was also used by far-flung travelers and traders. The path measures about 2,300 feet long, reaching a maximum height of 16,300 feet along the Lomseggen Ridge at Lendbreen.

Lars Pil, the study author and co-director of the Glacier Archaeology Program, said that the findings suggest a rich history of the local farming community of which there are otherwise only insufficient sources.

Effects of Global Warming

Pil says that global warming is the cause of mountain ice melting worldwide. The findings of their study are the result of this, he adds. "Trying to save the remains of a melting world is a very exciting job-the finds are just an archaeologist's dream," he says. Later on, he adds that with this, his job also comes with a sense of misgiving.

Because of global warming, we are to expect hotter days, rising sea levels, frequent and intense weather episodes, and the warming and acidifying of oceans. Researchers had warned that in 2017, rising sea levels could threaten about 32,000 historic archaeological sites in North America.



Read Also: Neanderthal Skeleton May Shed Light to How Cavemen Feel About the Dead
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 21:15:40|Editor: huaxia

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People rest on a bench with social distancing in Berlin, capital of Germany, April 11, 2020. (Photo by Binh Truong/Xinhua)

The number of deaths from the new coronavirus increased by 315 to 3,569 as of Thursday.



On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the general contact restrictions for German citizens would be extended till May 3.

BERLIN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The rate of new infections with COVID-19 in Germany continued below peak times as the number of confirmed cases increased by 2,866 within one day to 130,450, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday.

At the height of the pandemic in Germany, more than 6,000 new COVID-19 infections were recorded on a single day by the RKI, the federal government agency for disease control and prevention.

The estimated number of people in Germany who had already recovered from COVID-19 rose by more than 4,400 within one day to 77,000 by Thursday, according to RKI. The number of deaths from the new coronavirus increased by 315 to 3,569 as of Thursday.

Signs to notice passengers keeping distance are seen at Berlin Tegel Airport in Berlin, capital of Germany, April 9, 2020. (Photo by Binh Truong/Xinhua)

On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the general contact restrictions for German citizens would be extended till May 3. Although hospitals had not been overburdened so far, Germany had only achieved "a fragile interim success," Merkel warned.

"The measures taken are working," said RKI President Lothar Wieler on Tuesday, urging for continued adherence to the rules on distance and hygiene. "The discipline we have maintained over the past few weeks should be maintained."

Some measures, however, were eased by the German government. As of April 20, shops with up to 800 square meters of sales area would be allowed to open under strict hygiene regulations and restrictions. Car dealers as well as bicycle and book shops could open regardless of their sales area.

"There will always be small steps," Helge Braun, head of the Chancellery, told the German broadcaster ARD on Thursday. "But we cannot open everything at once, because the epidemic remains." 
Violence of all sorts has declined as everyone pays attention to the coronavirus (covid19) pandemic. Israel and all its neighbors are coping with the medical and economic impact of the virus whether they want to or not.

Israel is ranked as the most effective nation in dealing with the virus. Israel has developed more successful treatments and is closing in on a vaccine. Israel has the best public health system in the region and, because of the constant threat of attack, the best civil defense system and capabilities to handle a large-scale emergency. So far Israel has suffered 1,444 infected per million Israelis and 15 dead per million. The Israeli population travels to foreign destinations more (per million people) than any other nation in the region. That meant Israel was infected about the same time the rest industrialized nations were.

The virus and quarantine response are hurting the economy. The unemployment rate is up from 4 percent on March 1st to 25 percent now. GDP growth will be less this year. How much less depends on how long the nationwide quarantine and business shutdown lasts.

Israeli medical experts believe the health crises will pass in a month or two. At that point, the terrorist and other violence against Israel will resume. The Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are accumulating more grievances against their leaders (Fatah and Hamas respectively ) because of the inept way the covid19 crises is being handled At first Fatah and Hamas blamed the virus on Israel and insisted the struggle to destroy Israel would go on despite the health emergency. That soon changed because of the Palestinian popular demand for action against the virus. Fatah and Hamas blame any problems dealing with the virus on Israel and the need to continue allocating resources to the fight against Israel. Fatah has bigger problems because there is a constant movement of people between the West Bank and Israel. That allowed the virus to spread into the West Bank. Fatah has been slower to accept Israeli help and put that aid to work.

In Gaza, Hamas has taken advantage of the isolation Gaza normally experiences because of the Hamas sponsored violence. Hamas closed the one crossing to Egypt for a while before opening it again to allow Gaza residents who had business in Egypt to return. Those coming from Egypt were greeted by masked and gloved medical personnel who checked everyone and then put the returnees in 21 days of quarantine to ensure they were not infected. So far Gaza has only had about twenty people infected and those are being treated. The weekly mobs organized by Hamas to try and force their way into Israel have been suspended until the health crises is over.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah has been quick to mobilize their members to deal with the covid19 threat. Uniformed Hezbollah members were very visible aiding victims or handling disinfection and aid distribution work. Hezbollah is desperate to rehabilitate its reputation inside Lebanon. More and more Lebanese are openly criticizing Hezbollah and demanding a government free of Hezbollah violence and influence. For example, many Lebanese blame Hezbollah for bringing covid19 to Lebanon because of frequent travel of Hezbollah personnel to and from Iran. Hezbollah often brings back Iranians with them and several of these recent visitors were later found to have been infected.

April 15, 2020: In the north, on the border between Syria and Lebanon an armed UAV, believed to be Israeli, destroyed a vehicle crossing the border illegally. Israel often targets lone vehicles in this area because intel has identified the people inside as Hezbollah, Iranian or Islamic terrorists trying to attack Israel.

April 14, 2020: In the south, three men were caught trying to sneak into Israel from Gaza. They were arrested after they got past the security fence and were found to be carrying knives and incendiary devices. The three were interrogated and returned to Gaza.

Further south in Egypt (Cairo) police acted on a tip and raided a possible Islamic terrorist hideout. The tip was accurate and one policeman was killed and three wounded as the seven Islamic terrorists fought to the death during the subsequent gun battle. Many weapon and much ammo were found at the location, but no explosives.

April 13, 2020: In the south (east of Gaza in the Negev Desert) an Arab man was confronted by soldiers after he had sneaked onto the Mishmar Hanegey army base. The intruder had a knife and fought the two soldiers, wounding one of them. The intruder then escaped into the pre-dawn darkness and fled the base through the hole in the fence he got in through. The intruder was apparently intent on theft, of weapons or anything portable and of value.

April 12, 2020: Egypt is detecting more people with covid19 but the pandemic has not done major damage. In the last four weeks, the number of infected with covid19 went from 366 to 1,939. Currently, the virus has infected 18 per million Egyptians and killed one in a million. At some point in March, two Egyptian army major generals died from covid19. The national health system in Egypt is largely non-existent and many cases of covid19 will go undetected as will deaths, which can be confused with any number of similar diseases. In contrast, Israel has the best health care system in the region and more of its population is regularly exposed to foreign travelers who unknowingly spread such diseases all over the world. So far Israel has detected 1,241 cases per million population and suffered 12 deaths per million.

April 10, 2020: Israel has again warned Syria to keep Hezbollah away from the Golan Heights. A recent Syrian news video showed the Syrian corps commander in charge of the Golan Heights sector personally showing a senior Hezbollah commander around the Golan Heights border. If this was meant to taunt Israel it worked as Israel announced that both these commanders were on the target list as were any Hezbollah personnel found near the Golan Heights. Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights since 1967 when they took the area after Syrian used these heights to attack Israeli territory to the south. In 1981 Israel annexed the area. The UN opposed this but that had no impact on the situation. Israel points out that Syria has never made a serious effort to retake the Golan Heights since 1973. In that respect Israel considers the Golan Heights abandoned property and has absorbed it. Iran ordered Syria and Hezbollah to assist Iran in turning the Golan Heights into a combat zone. So far that has gotten a lot of Syrians and Lebanese members of Hezbollah killed. Recently Iran spent a lot of money to recruit nearly 4,000 Syrians into a Syrian branch of Hezbollah. A similar effort was undertaken in Iraq.

April 7, 2020: Another Arab-Israeli has been arrested and charged with working as a spy for Iran. Police have observed the suspect meeting with Iranian intel personnel and then seeking to recruit other Arab-Israelis to work for Iran and help destroy Israel. Since 2014, and the appearance of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), there has been a sharp increase in Arab-Israelis actively working t0 destroy Israel. Police estimate that between over 50 Arab-Israelis have actually made it to Syria and joined ISIL and about as many were detected in Israel or in Turkey before they got to Syria. Not many Palestinians (about a hundred) have actually gone to Syria. ISIL put the destruction of Israel high on its todo list and called on Arab-Israelis to join the fight. Many of those who did not want to fight in Syria were receptive to Iranian efforts, via Hezbollah) to recruit Arab-Israelis to serve as spies. In most cases, Iran simply wanted a reliable source of basic information any Israeli citizen could pick up by driving around the country or consulting local media.

April 4, 2020: In Lebanon Ali Mohammed Younes, the head of Hezbollah counter-intelligence (catching spies) was assassinated by gunmen and also stabbed with a knife. Hezbollah blamed this on Israel but few Hezbollah members believed that. The killing was probably because of an internal feud, possibly over money. With the recent sharp cuts in Iranian cash assistance to Hezbollah, there has been a lot scrambling to placate Hezbollah members who have lost their jobs or had their pay cut. Even commanders were hit with cuts and the search for additional funds brought to the surface some of the corrupt deals Hezbollah leaders engage in to enrich themselves and their families. The death of Younes was a plus for Israel because he had led an increasingly successful effort to detect and eliminate Israeli informants in Hezbollah controlled southern Lebanon. This effort was made possible by Iranian technical assistance.

April 1, 2020: Ethiopia announced it would defy Egypt and proceed to begin blocking the flow of Nile River water in July. In the last month, Egypt has tried to get Ethiopia to agree to a plan on how to fill and operate GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) that was agreeable to Egypt. The dispute over the GERD involves Nile River water rights, which Egypt considers an issue of national survival. Officials say the GERD is about 75 percent complete and filling of the huge reservoir behind the dam can begin. Egypt wants seven years for the initial fill while Ethiopia wants to fill it in four years. Once it is filled, the GERDs reservoir will serve as a hedge against drought for all nations involved. The GERD will also supply electrical power to a region running from Kenya and Uganda through South Sudan and Sudan to Egypt. The main fear in Egypt that reducing the flow of Nile River water could cause shortages in Egypt that would lead to less food produced.

March 31, 2020: In eastern Syria (Homs province), someone (apparently Israel) carried out an airstrike against Shayrat airbase. Most of the Syrian airstrikes in northern Syria are flown out of Shayat. Satellite photos later showed massive damage to Shayrat with at least craters in the runways and damage to airbase support facilities.

There have been several attacks on Shayrat by unidentified aircraft during the last two years. These were at night and Syria tried to portray many of them as a mysterious explosion rather than an airstrike the Syrian military was unable to prevent. Open season on Shayrat began three years ago when the U.S. Navy hit the base with 59 cruise missiles, launched from ships in the eastern Mediterranean. The United States was retaliating for the recent Syrian use of nerve gas. Shayat was inoperable for a day or two because all but one of the Tomahawks hit their targets. This was all about the Syrian government being held responsible for using nerve gas in a recent attack on a rebel village in Idlib province. This would be a clear violation of the 2013 Russian brokered deal where Syria surrendered all its chemical weapons in return for no foreign intervention (as the U.S. has promised) because chemical weapons were used. An August 2013 attack used nerve gas to kill over 1,400 people in a rebel-controlled village outside Damascus. The evidence was overwhelming for the 2013 attack and this latest one in Idlib is equally incriminating. The Syrian government, Russia, Iran and Iraq condemned the American Shayat attack and supported the Syrian Assad government denials that they had anything to do with the use of nerve gas. But the rest of the world either openly supported the attack or were undecided. Most Western nations openly supported the attack as did Middle Eastern nations Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE (United Arab Emirates). This American action was a big deal in Israel which had hoped the newly elected American government would be more supportive of Israeli efforts to deal with Islamic terrorism (both Sunni and Shia) in the region. Israel and its new Sunni Arab allies are particularly concerned about the growing threat from Iran, which the previous U.S. government did not take as seriously as the Middle Eastern nations (particularly Israel) that Iran openly threatened.

March 22, 2020: In eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) there was apparently another Israeli airstrike against Iranian weapons being stored near the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq. These border crossings are vital for the Iran-to-Mediterranean land route. This road is essential to supporting any Iranian military expansion in Syria and Lebanon. Israel has bombed it before and will apparently continue doing so. That is what will also happen to the new military base Iran is building here on the Syrian side of the border. The base is nearly complete despite several Israeli airstrikes. At that point, the Israeli airstrikes usually intensify in an effort to obliterate the completed base.

For the first time, the Assad government in Syria admitted that the covid19 virus has reached Syria. Unofficially the virus had been encountered in Syria over a month earlier. The Assad government denied this for as long as they thought they could get away with it. There are still a lot of anti-Assad Syrians in Syria and they believe Assad looked the other way as Iranians infected with covid19 were allowed into the country. This happened before these Iranians experienced symptoms. One can get covid19 and not feel it for a week or two. Most countries avoid letting infected people in by imposing a two-week quarantine on visitors to verify they are virus-free. No such quarantine was imposed on any Iranians coming in.

March 21, 2020: Efforts to improve relations with Morocco continue, but slowly. Morocco still hesitates to establish official diplomatic and economic relations. The small Jewish community in Morocco continues to thrive and tourism between the two countries grows. In 2019 75,000 Israelis visited Morocco and 3,000 Moroccans visited Israel. The growing tourism has made Morocco receptive to allowing regular direct flights between the two countries and fewer bureaucratic obstacles for Moroccans visiting Israel.

March 19, 2020: In Syria, Iranian military advisors are continuing to recruit local Shia into new mercenary units based in the south, near the Israeli and Jordan borders and the northeast, near the autonomous Kurdish provinces. Some of these units are for local defense but the better paid ones will get more training and better weapons so they can be moved around the country as needed.
Huawei urged the UK government to march ahead with their joint 5G plans and ignore security concerns surrounding its tech. In an open letter published Tuesday, the Chinese giant once again defended its 5G solutions from critics equating them to a massive spying threat.

Victor Zhang, the head of Huaweis operations in the United Kingdom, penned the address in question.

The executive pledged Huawei will do everything in its power to keep the UK at the forefront of telecommunications. Of course, thats assuming London chooses not to be bothered by vocal security concerns that have been snowballing for years now.

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The British parliament has recently been considering the idea of partially or entirely banning Huawei from its 5G rollouts. Well, thats the official story, at least. Reading between the lines, virtually every major industry watcher agreed the post-Brexit UK simply cannot afford to ditch Huawei.

After all, the infrastructural deployments concerning 5G are significant enough even with the protections of a unified economic bloc. London yielded to that fact in January, or better said, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did. Meaning he personally approved Huaweis involvement in British 5G adoption efforts.

Huawei-UK 5G plans unlikely to fall through completely

Be that as it may, the incumbent Tory MPs consider the matter far from settled. That much can be infered from their continuous efforts to overrule Johnsons decision. Echoing past US accusations, the UK legislators are concerned Huaweis a de facto pupper of Chinas communist party.

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The main concern is that Beijing could  and, almost certainly, would  use Huawei-made telecom infrastructure to spy on both the British administration and consumers.

The company has been dismissing those fears as entirely baseless for several years now. Its main argument is that Chinas grip on its operations is no firmer than e.g. Seouls authority over Samsung.

While Zhangs letter largely reiterates that stance, it also places it in a more emotional context than before.

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Whether it does so successfully is up for debate but doesnt change the fact Huaweis now appealing to the British governments sensibilities in these trying times.

Zhang hence made it a point to highlight many of the companys UK-based engineers have been working non-stop since March; all in order to keep the country connected while it continues to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Despite Huaweis tense history with Western governments, the UK is unlikely to completely abandon its 5G technologies. Even if that means alienating the US in the immediate aftermath of Brexit.
Manchester United have been dealt a setback in their pursuit of Federico Chiesa after his club Fiorentina insisted a 'situation change' means he is happy to remain in Florence.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had scouts watching the highly talented winger, rated at 60million, as recently as February.

The Red Devils have been impressed with the 22-year-old who is the son of Serie A great and former Italy striker Enrico and has seven goals in 26 games for Fiorentina, plus five assists.

Manchester United have been scouting Fiorentina winger Federico Chiesa this year

But Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso has effectively issued a 'hands-off' warning to United over Chiesa.

'I said that I only want players who want to remain here,' he told broadcaster Top Calcio 24.

'I kept him [Chiesa] this season, but he wants to stay and we will do everything necessary to make him happy.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been toying with the prospect of a move worth 60million

'The situation has changed at Fiorentina, that is clear for all to see, and that includes Chiesa. We want to build an even stronger squad and it'll be great if all the best players are part of it.'

Juventus are also interested in Chiesa who is under contract until 2022 and at 22 years old is one of Italy's highly-rated prospects with 17 caps.

He can play across the front three but prefers to operate wide on the right, a position which Solskjaer is likely to strengthen.

United have also noted that the player has already undertaken English lessons.
Despite some optimism for new talks, antagonists in Yemens five-year-old war have basically ignored a Saudi-led unilateral cease-fire announced a week ago, United Nations officials said Thursday, warning that relief money for Yemen is running out just as the coronavirus has invaded.

Yemen cannot face two fronts at the same time: a war and a pandemic, Martin Griffiths, the special United Nations envoy for Yemen, told the Security Council in a videoconference briefing shown on the United Nations website.

Mark Lowcock, the United Nations humanitarian relief coordinator, told the Council that 31 of its 41 programs that help Yemens 30 million people may have to shut down in a few weeks for lack of money.

The officials spoke one week after a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015 announced that it was halting military attacks for two weeks. The Saudis said they hoped the pause would lead to a truce, peace talks and an opportunity to prevent the coronavirus from overwhelming Yemen, the Arab worlds poorest country.
Press Release

April 16, 2020 Bong Go urges DOH to maximize services of local health workers amid deployment ban Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Wednesday, April 15, urged the Department of Health to tap and maximize Filipino healthcare professionals in the country amid the government-imposed deployment ban to ensure the availability of enough health human resources needed to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). "Dapat lang na i-encourage ang ating medical workers na tumulong sa sarili nilang bayan. Lahat tayo bilang Pilipino, dapat gawin ang lahat para masagip at maprotektahan ang buhay ng ating kapwa Pilipino," he said. "Kaya naman nais nating masiguro na may sapat tayong healthcare professionals sa bansa upang labanan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19," Go added. That said, Go also emphasized that special considerations must be given to Filipino healthcare professionals with existing contracts abroad given that the COVID-19 is a worldwide concern and so that concerned medical workers can honor their commitments with their employers abroad. "Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa Inter-Agency Task Force sa kanilang pagkunsidera sa deployment ban at pagdinig sa sitwasyon ng iba nating mga health workers na may employment contracts sa ibang bansa," Go said. "Maganda naman po ang hangarin ng deployment ban ng POEA, ngunit naniniwala rin po tayo na hindi dapat kabilang dito ang mga health workers natin na may contractual obligations na sa ibang bansa bago pa man nag-umpisa ang public health emergency na dala ng COVID-19," he said. Early this month, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board issued Resolution No. 09, series of 2020, which provides for the temporary suspension of the deployment of all healthcare workers "until the national state of emergency is lifted and until COVID 19-related travel restrictions are lifted at the destination countries". "It is of paramount national interest to ensure that the country shall continue to have, sustain the supply, and prepare sufficient health personnel to meet any further contingencies, especially to replace, substitute or reinforce existing workforce currently employed, deployed or utilized locally," the resolution stated. The order was issued to ensure that the country has a sufficient number of health workers amid the COVID-19 situation. Health professionals who are included in the ban are medical doctors/physicians, nurses, microbiologists, medical biologists, medical technologists, clinical analysts, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, X-ray/radiologic technicians, nursing assistants/aides, operators of medical equipment, supervisors of health services and personal care and repairmen of medical-hospital equipment. On April 13, IATF passed its own resolution providing exceptions to POEA's Resolution No. 09. The IATF resolution states that the temporary suspension of deployment of health workers does not apply to those with perfected and signed overseas employment contracts as of March 8, 2020. It must be recalled that President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency throughout the Philippines on March 8, 2020. These healthcare workers are also required to execute a declaration signifying their knowledge and understanding of the risks involved as advised by the Philippine government. Subject to the evaluation of the Department of Budget and Management, the IATF resolution also provides that DOH is "directed to facilitate the emergency hiring of additional healthcare workers to assist in the local healthcare system." Go expressed his gratitude to all Filipino health workers for their hard work and sacrifice to help the country overcome the COVID-19 crisis. "Tulungan muna natin ang sarili nating mga kababayan upang malampasan ito. Salamat sa inyong sakripisyo, kayo ang bayani sa giyerang ito," he said. Go has also appealed to the government to continue to support and protect health workers serving as frontliners in the country's fight against COVID-19 by providing sufficient compensation, equipment and facilities to do their jobs. "Pero sa bawat medical worker na sasabak sa giyera laban sa COVID-19, dapat lang bigyan sila ng gobyerno ng karampatang proteksyon at sandatang panlaban. Let us use the funds available to give them proper compensation and provide them with the tools, facilities and protection they need to resolve this health crisis," he added. Go also earlier called on the DOH and the DBM to provide proper compensation for health workers who volunteer to help respond to the COVID-19 health crisis. The Senator cited that by considering them as job orders or contract of service workers, they will be provided compensation almost equivalent to full-time nurses and doctors and they will also be qualified to receive hazard pay and special risk allowance, among others.
OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau turned aside U.S. President Donald Trumps suggestion the Canada-U.S. border might reopen soon and dampened expectations at home about how quickly restrictions might be eased and the economy rebooted.

Prior to an evening conference call with premiers and territorial leaders, Trudeau said it would be absolutely disastrous to move too early to lift epidemic controls and called on Canadians to be disciplined.

We must stay the course. We cannot let the progress weve made go to waste. Above all we cannot put lives at risk.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has said a reopening plan could come as soon as next week if the number of new cases remains low. Other premiers like Quebecs Francois Legault have mused about possible school opening dates before walking back those remarks.

Trudeau said we are still many weeks away from talking about actually doing anything to reopen our economy even with the variations across the country of the local state of the pandemic.

The U.S.-Canada border isnt opening again any time soon if Canada has anything to say about it.

And the prime minister underlined that any effort to reopen things cannot start unless Canada has the ability to do massive testing, aggressive contact tracing, and has measures in place to deal with any resurgence of the virus.

Thats because there is still no vaccine, or treatment, for COVID-19, and so there is no widespread immunity to the virus that has infected 10,124 Ontarians, and killed 500 in this province, according to a Star tally.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford backed the prime minister, saying he should resist any pressure from the White House to reopen the Canada-U.S. border.

He should say no right away. Until we have this under containment, we need to keep our borders closed, said Ford. We need to make sure that in our airports we have the proper people that are at least asking questions, making sure people self-isolate.

If there was one thing that we could have improved on  and Im not being political because Im a big supporter of what the federal government has done  we should have shut down the borders a lot sooner, Ford said.

I dont want them (Americans) in Ontario. I want to protect our people of Ontario first.

There is evidence that many of the drastic measures taken by Canada mid-March have slowed the pace of the outbreak here even as the virus wreaks havoc in long-term care and nursing homes across the country.

That may be what prompted Trump to say Wednesday that It will be one of the early borders to be released. Canadas doing well. Were doing well. Well see, but at some point well be doing that.

A mutual agreement reached last month between Trudeau and Trump to limit all non-essential cross-border traffic is set to expire April 21 but talks are now on to extend it, according to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The U.S. president contrasted Canada with other countries that are heavily infected, adding were keeping very strong borders with those nations.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer, said while the rate of growth of new infections has slowed, deaths in long-term-care homes and seniors residences make up nearly half the federal tally of 1,048 deaths as of Thursday morning.

It is impossible to imagine the anguish that families and indeed our elders are going through in this situation, Trudeau said. There is so much fear, so much uncertainty. We need to do a better job of being there for them.

On the agenda for Thursdays first ministers call was how to top up the wages of essential workers such as those who work in nursing homes with the elderly and disabled, and whether more regulations might  as Trudeau suggested  do a better job of protecting our most vulnerable.

Ford among others welcomed the idea of at least talking about those proposals, saying he wanted to hear what Ottawa could do to help.

But a senior Western provincial source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there is a lot of confusion among provinces about just how Trudeaus proposed wage top-up or commercial rent assistance would work.

The source said all levels of government are making policy on the fly to address the pandemics fallout, but said some proposals from Ottawa appear to be offered with little or no advance consultation with provinces.

He pointed to Wednesdays announcement of a wage top-up for workers deemed essential in the fight against COVID-19, who make less than $2,500 a month, and to Thursdays announcement of additional aid for small- and medium-sized businesses to help them cover the next three months rent. Both are policies that still need to be worked out with the provinces.

The provinces have jurisdiction over property owner-tenant relationships, and over long-term-care facilities.

The wage top up Trudeau outlined would be targeted at those on the front-line in hospitals and nursing homes, those ensuring the integrity of the food supply, or providing essential retail services to Canadians, according to the federal governments background document, which said details would follow.

The provincial source said it appears provinces would have to kick in matching funds, but noted its possible some provinces may want to direct money toward other workers who have lost jobs in the crisis, not those who are still working.

So far, however, the only province that has asked for direct help from the military to ease the pressure in long-term-care facilities is Quebec. Ford said everythings on the table in the crisis.

Trudeau said Thursday it was an unusual request, since provinces typically only demand soldiers be sent in to fight floods or forest fires, but that Ottawa was looking at it and trying to figure out the best way to help.

Trudeau underscored again Thursday the government would continue to tweak its financial assistance programs for Canadians as long as needed.

The federal government has still not announced any specific help for the oil-and-gas sector, where multiple blows including diminished shipping capacity, winter train blockades, low prices due to the global supply fight between Russia and Saudi Arabia, and now the plunge in demand due to the COVID-19 crisis have slammed the industry.

With files from Robert Benzie and Canadian Press

Read more about:
(Newser)  Between surgeries one stressful morning, Ben Cayer and Mindy Brockhusband and wife, and fellow nurse anesthetistspeered through layers of protective gear and locked eyes. It was a lovers' gaze in the most unlikely situation. A co-worker was there to snap a picture. Now the image, shared on social media, is inspiring people around the globe, reports the AP. "Everybody's talking about the photo," says Cayer, 46, who met his wife of five years in nurse anesthesia school, where they were seated side by side in alphabetical order, in 2007. It strikes a chord "because we're all going through the same thing right now and it's a symbol of hope and love." Brock, 38, adds: "What's important is that we stick together, we work together, and we always support each other. And not just Ben and I, but the human race right now."

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The Florida pair, who volunteered for Tampa General Hospital's new "airway team," have the high-risk duty of placing breathing tubes in surgery patients, any of whom may have COVID-19. Placing a tube into a patient's mouth and down into their airway requires close contactand because the virus spreads in droplets, the highest level of protective gear. The photo was snapped on Brock's first day on the team, which hadn't begun so well. The couple bickered during the drive to work, disagreeing about what to play on the car radio, and who was doing the dishes at home. Later, they found each other between surgeries and the tension melted. "We have grown men bawling because none of their family can be there with them," Brock says. "All those trivial things that we were arguing about that morning, in the grand scheme of things, aren't that important." (Read more coronavirus stories.)
Greater Chattanooga Realtors announced new resources for realtor members and the community looking to offer assistance after area devastation, as well as get assistance. This comes in the wake of new precautions being taken during the COVID-19 viral outbreak to maintain the safety of the community while providing essential real estate services, it was stated.







First with the virus, we had to make sure our clients were taken care of. Now, with the devastating tornadoes earlier this week, we are working to serve our entire community. With COVID-19, I was working for clients who could be homeless if they did not purchase their home. Now after these storms, our association is working to help an entire community.

Brandi Pearl Thompson, 2020 President of Greater Chattanooga Realtors, said. Realtors adapt, and thats what weve done.First with the virus, we had to make sure our clients were taken care of. Now, with the devastating tornadoes earlier this week, we are working to serve our entire community. With COVID-19, I was working for clients who could be homeless if they did not purchase their home. Now after these storms, our association is working to help an entire community.





As far as real estate, there has been plenty of activity during COVID-19, she said.

Greater Chattanooga Realtors reports that their key lock boxes have been accessed 13,654 times from March 9 to April 9. They have also worked with the Tennessee Real Estate Commission to extend license renewal deadlines and enable continuing education course providers the ability to offer classes via formats other than the traditional live, classroom setting.

They are also promoting all the National Association of Realtors resources made possible through their Right Tool, Right Now initiative, including free webinars, education courses, market reports and digital tools for transactions and marketing.









Greater Chattanooga Realtors has also compiled lists of resources for both for disaster relief and COVID-19. They can be found at gcar.net/disaster-relief and gcar.net/covid-19





Ms. Thompson said, "The disaster relief resources apply to all affected in our community, not just realtors. This page includes information from a multitude of community partners. Included is information concerning the Realtors Relief Foundation, which provides up to $1,000 to each qualified applicant while funds remain available. Housing information, food, and supply drop off information is also available."







The COVID-19 page provides local, state, and national resources for the more than 2,000 realtor members and affiliates in the greater Chattanooga area.







During this time, our association is providing all the information we can for our entire community, as well as the more than 2,000 Realtor members and our affiliates in the greater Chattanooga area, said Carol Seal, CEO of Greater Chattanooga Realtors. We accept the responsibility to serve our community and their housing needs in this trying time. Real estate is still happening, and our Realtor members and affiliate partners are still providing these essential services with proper precautions.

Ms. Thompson said, As realtors, we have a responsibility to our community to make sure that housing is available for those who might be vulnerable during right now. We must help where we can, and take all precautions to protect ourselves and community, and we must work to make sure that housing needs are being met during these times. Thats Who We R.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Zeba Kokan, a junior in the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Honors College, and the College of Liberal Arts, has been named a 2020 Truman Scholar, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation announced Wednesday (April 15).

Kokan is a native of Carmel, Indiana, and is pursuing majors in brain and behavioral sciences and global studies. She supports community in multiple ways, and she is pursuing a future in improving systemic methods for providing mental health care to marginalized groups and decreasing the prevalence of policies that contribute to poor well-being. The Truman Scholarship recognizes and invests in leaders dedicated to public service.

I aspire to help reduce systematic discrimination at local and national levels by creating and advocating for policies that invoke the public health and socio-political contexts in which bias arises, Kokan says. I hope to implement community-based programs that highlight the menta health impact of anxiety related to the perils of discriminatory rhetoric and nationalism."

Jay Akridge, Purdue provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, says, We are proud of our Boilermakers who lead through public service and excel as scholars. Zeba is a shining example of both and is most deserving of this prestigious scholarship, which will support her in her efforts to improve our world.

At the heart of Kokans efforts are supporting the common struggles of groups marginalized on the basis of race, religion, or gender and gender identity, and the necessity of spreading any gains of one group for the benefit of all. As director of diversity and inclusion for student government and a member of Purdues Inclusion Diversity Ambassadors Program, she has stood for all students. In her role as Midwest regional program chair of the Muslim Youth of North America, she has overseen programming for the social and spiritual needs of the community, and promoted civic and service engagement. Her experience includes initiating Islam Awareness Week as president of Purdues Muslim Students Association.

Her focus on academics also is noteworthy. She has conducted research on trauma and narrative identity. The combination of her two majors, brain and behavioral sciences and global studies, is of particular interest to her goals as a public servant, says Tithi Bhattacharya, associate professor and director of the Global Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts.

Zeba has managed to use different elements of her two majors  majors that could be, for many, quite irreconcilable  to do stellar academic work, Bhattacharya says. This is evident not only in her scholarship, but also in how she combines her faith work, her academic priorities and her commitment to social justice.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation focuses on students in their junior year of college who are committed to pursuing a career in public service. The scholarship was established in 1975 in honor of former president Harry Truman and provides up to $30,000 per scholar for graduate-level studies, leadership training and counseling, and access to exclusive internships within the federal government. Truman Scholars include Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch; former National Security advisor Susan Rice; and Wired Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Thompson. Kokan is the third Purdue student named a Truman Scholar in four years.

Purdue students interested in pursuing competitive external scholarships and grants, including but not limited the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, are encouraged to contact the National and International Scholarships Office.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Media contact: Jim Bush, jsbush@purdue.edu

Source: Rosanne Altstatt, Deans Fellow for National and International Scholarships, altstatt@purdue.edu
"In many parts of the country, a lot of teachers really don't feel appreciated, and don't get paid very well, and the idea of a free dress during a high stress time was really exciting," said Natalie Ornell, a substitute teacher in the Boston public school system. "It was really like Cinderella." Tammy Meyer, a kindergarten teacher in Georgia, felt the same way. "It was Reese Witherspoon!" she said. "She's always been one of my favourite actresses. To have a dress associated with her at a time when everyone is so overwhelmed  I guess we were grasping at straws." An example of what happens when national crisis, celebrity business, altruism and social media collide. The problem was, Draper James, a company that is only five years old and has fewer than 30 employees, had only 250 dresses, in six different styles, to give away. There are more than three million public school teachers in the United States, and a large majority of them are women. The application form crashed almost immediately. Just days after the original Instagram post appeared, it had been viewed more than 400,000 times.

Teachers were emailing one another and sharing it online. By the close of the application period, Draper James had almost one million applications, which was approximately seven times the total number of dresses they had sold in 2019. The numbers were never going to add up. "We felt like we moved too quickly and didn't anticipate the volume of the response," said Marissa Cooley, the senior vice president for brand marketing and creative at Draper James. "We were really overwhelmed. It was way more volume than the company had ever seen. We expected the single-digit thousands." The company tried to backpedal as soon as it did the math, contacting everyone who applied to let them know it was a raffle, not a mass giveaway, and posting the actual giveaway number twice on its Instagram Stories. But the damage had been done. All of a sudden the desire to help started to look like a cynical marketing ploy.

"Celebrity #Covidwashing," as David Carroll, an associate professor of media design at Parsons, called it on Twitter, had entered the conversation. Especially because, in order to qualify for the giveaway, teachers had been asked to submit both pictures of their school IDs and their work email addresses, which at once were clogged with multiple Draper James promotions, which didn't stop even after the dress raffle had been held. (Those who didn't win were offered a 30 per cent discount and the opportunity to unsubscribe.) "In the end, it felt like her brand profited more than the teachers," Ornell said. Teachers had a lot to say about it.

Cooley said that when the company realised the extent of the misunderstanding, its employees were very upset. After all, their intentions were good. But 250 teachers were made very happy. But while it is true that the company is small, Witherspoon herself is big, maybe even "one of the most powerful people in Hollywood." In good times, that perception benefits her brand. Loading It probably is part of what persuaded her to enter the fashion arena in the first place, monetising her image and following in the footsteps of Gwyneth Paltrow at Goop, Jessica Alba at the Honest Co. and Kate Hudson at Fabletics. It also created a disjunction between perception and reality that contributed to misconceptions. It would not have seemed out of the realm of possibility to many teachers, who as of May 2019 had a median annual income of $US59,670 (per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics), with the lowest 10% making only $US39,020, that Witherspoon, whose most recent pay rate was reported to be $US2 million per episode for The Morning Show on Apple TV, was giving everyone who applied a dress.

Assuming she was giving away her cheapest dress, which sells for $US78, and if the cost of that dress to her company is, say, $US40, which takes into account the average wholesale margin, that would have meant spending something like $US40 million on the giveaway This is a time when, thanks in part to social media, the cult of personality that attaches to a founder is often conflated with the company they run. Giving away $US40 million in dresses may even have seemed in character, at least as far as this public character went. Witherspoon is a very plausible dream benefactor, swooping in to do something entirely unexpected and joy-giving. "She always seemed like such a down-to-earth celebrity," said Laura Deckman, Carroll's sister and a teacher in the Rochester, New York, public school system, who said she followed Witherspoon on Instagram. "She has a really strong brand that is about being a mum and regular person." But then it had all turned into a mouldy pumpkin, and they felt like chumps, which made it even worse.
Less than two weeks after launching on April 3, the Trump administrations Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses slammed by coronavirus has run out of funds, hitting the $349 billion initial allotment on Thursday morning, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The SBA says 1.66 million applications were approved, totaling $349 billion in loans from 4,975 lending institutions.

Its unclear how much of the $349 billion has actually been sent out the door to recipientsthe SBA is not sharing disbursement figures, nor are the majority of banksbut by all accounts it is a very small portion so far. According to the website CovidLoanTracker.com, 84% of the PPP loan money that has been sent out has come from small or regional banks, with 9% of the funds coming from JPMorgan Chase (JPM). Many small-business owners had trouble navigating the application process, especially when going through big banks.

Now the attention will turn to those who didnt get in the door yet and still need financial help: Will the government add more money to the program?

In a joint statement on Wednesday evening, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza said, The SBA has processed more than 14 years worth of loans in less than 14 days... We urge Congress to appropriate additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Programa critical and overwhelmingly bipartisan programat which point we will once again be able to process loan applications, issue loan numbers, and protect millions more paychecks.

Portrait shot of business owner putting a closing down poster into a window during Covid 19 outbreak

Politicians on both sides of the aisle want more money added to the PPP pool, but they disagree over how to do it. Republicans largely want to add another $250 billion to program, with no asterisks; Democrats want to put some restrictions on the money to specify that more of it goes toward underbanked businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments.

There is no time to insist on sweeping renegotiations or ultimatums, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is also among the prominent GOP voices to say that another $250 billion should be added to the PPP right away.

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Good news on #PPP. @senatemajldr is working with @SenSchumer & hopes to approve additional funding by voice vote during the Senates pro forma session this week on Thursday 9 April.



We will need at least another $200-$250 billion for #PPPloan  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) April 7, 2020

It's beyond me why we can't come together, Michigan Sen. Gary Peters told Yahoo Finances Jessica Smith on Wednesday. I don't know why the Republicans are opposed to helping hospitals and why they're opposed to helping state and local governments that are struggling right now... We want to make sure the money is definitely going to those businesses that need it the most.



Daniel Roberts is an editor-at-large at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @readDanwrite.

Read more on the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses:

These 4 businesses that have actually received PPP money have 1 thing in common: small banks

Nightmare: 3 small business owners describe process of applying for PPP loans

Banks were not prepared for flood of small business coronavirus loan applications

Chef Marcus Samuelsson on coronavirus: Where restaurants go away, so goes all small business
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2020) - Argo Gold Inc. (CSE: ARQ) ("Argo Gold" or the "Company") advises that all Company contractors are working remotely and practicing physical distancing as per the Ontario Ministry of Health COVID-19 Guidance. The Argo Gold Team expresses its gratitude and appreciation to all the front-line workers in healthcare and essential services that are working to keep everyone safe and the supply chains open.

Argo Gold continues to advance the company during these unprecedented times. The Argo Gold exploration team - which was recently expanded to include Ken Williamson - continues to advance the flagship Uchi Gold Project and is planning for both a summer field exploration program and a follow-on drill program. Argo Gold also has 3 gold projects peripheral to Wesdome's operations in Wawa. Drill targeting has also begun at the Abbie Lake Gold Project where historic drilling includes 4.5 feet of 0.45 oz/ton Au and 3 feet of 0.34 oz/ton Au.

Argo Gold also announces that it has granted an aggregate of 400,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company exercisable at a price of $0.15 per share and expiring on April 16, 2023 to consultants of the Company.

About Argo Gold Inc.

Argo Gold is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company, focused on gold exploration projects in central and northwestern Ontario. Argo Gold's flagship Uchi Gold Project is comprised of 22 km2 of multiple mineralized trends and widespread gold mineralization. High grade gold intercepts from the Company's winter 2019 drilling program include 132 g/t Au over 1.8 metres at the Woco Vein. All of the Company's projects are 100% owned and have the potential for economic mineralization. Information relating to the Company and its properties can be obtained from SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.argogold.ca. Argo Gold is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (www.thecse.com) under the ticker ARQ and on the OTC under the ticker ARBTF.

For more information please contact:

Judy Baker

CEO

(416) 786-7860

jbaker@argogold.ca

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54521
Google on Wednesday announced a Journalism Emergency Relief Fund to support the small-scaled newsrooms across the world. The initiative has been taken by the tech giant to provide financial aid to local news publishers, who are struggling to continue operations due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The company, however, has not specified the amount it is going to pledge.

The media sector primarily has faced a huge setback due to the lockdowns imposed by governments across the globe to contain the spread of the virus. Due to the crisis, a lot of small-scaled news publishers were forced to close operations and had to furlough employees.

"The Google News Initiative wants to help by launching a Journalism Emergency Relief Fund to deliver urgent aid to thousands of small, medium and local news publishers globally. The funding is open to news organizations producing original news for local communities during this time of crisis, and will range from the low thousands of dollars for small hyper-local newsrooms to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms, with variations per region," Richard Gingras, Vice President Google News, wrote in a blog post.

The news organizations can apply for funds by filing an application form available on the site. The last date to submit the application is on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Once the application process is over, Google will announce the names of publishers who have received the money from the company.

Google has also announced a special aid for reporters on the frontline. "Google.org is giving $1 million collectively to the International Center for Journalists, which plans to provide immediate resources to support reporters globally, and the Columbia Journalism School's Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma which is helping journalists exposed to traumatic events experienced during the crisis," Gingras wrote in a blog post.

Earlier, Facebook announced that it will donate $100 million to support news organizations who are facing losses because of the coronavirus pandemic that the world is currently battling.

"Today we're announcing an additional $100 million investment to support the news industry$25 million in emergency grant funding for local news through the Facebook Journalism Project, and $75 million in additional marketing spend to move money over to news organizations around the world," Facebook had announced in a blog post.

ALSO READ: | Vodafone will give you cashback if you recharge for someone in need: Everything you need to know
In a bid to support international students, including from India, who are facing financial crisis during the coronavirus pandemic, several Australian universities have rolled out hardship packages and expanded grants for eligible applicants.

Thousands of international students who rely mostly on part time jobs to manage their daily expenses or even sometimes pay their university fees, raised concerns after the Australian government announced that they were not included in any social security payments or the JobKeeper wage subsidy.

Moreover, the current travel bans and cancelled flights due to the coronavirus crisis have left them with no option but to stay back in the country.

Melbourne-based Deakin university has announced a package of 25 million Australian dollars for international students experiencing hardship during the ongoing health crisis.

Deakin's Vice-Chancellor Iain Martin said the support for impacted foreign students is available for the next six months.

"Many international students, through no fault of their own, are struggling with the costs of living and studying, yet are not eligible for the same government COVID-19 assistance available to our domestic students.

"Some of those students face a very desperate situation where their part-time and casual work is gone or drying up, and they can't return home yet can't afford to stay. This is an untenable position." he said.

Martin said the university so far has approved over 1,200 requests for immediate financial and hardship support, with hundreds more applications currently being assessed.

Similarly, the RMIT University, also based in Melbourne, has announced expanding its Student Hardship Assistance and Equity Scholarship funds of up to 10 million Australian dollars to support its students, both domestic and international, impacted by COVID-19.

"Students impacted by the pandemic could apply for an Emergency Financial Grant if facing job loss, housing insecurity or other financial matters and an IT Grant of 1,000 Australian dollars per student was also available for essential IT equipment to continue studying remotely," the RMIT university said.

The Monash University in Melbourne has also announced a student compassionate and hardship package of up to 15 million Australian dollars.

According to the varsity, an eligible student can apply for up to 7,500 Australian dollars grant.

Similar relief measures were announced by other universities, including the University of Melbourne, the Victoria University, the Macquarie univesity in New South Wales and the University of NSW.

The Australian National University and South Australia's Flinders University have also announced packages of nearly 21 million Australian dollars and 12.5 million Australian dollars, respectively.

Flinders University Vice-Chancellor Colin Stirling said their package offers a range of support for students, including cash payments, a new scholarship and waiver of fees.

"We estimate that 4,000 of our domestic students will feel the greatest hardship from the pandemic," he said, adding that nearly half of the 3,500 international onshore students will need additional financial support at this time.

''There are no other financial supports available to these students and they cannot return to their home countries due to the travel restrictions currently in place," Stirling said.

There are around 570,000 international students in Australia currently and according to Universities Australia (UA), the peak lobby group for Australia's 39 universities, second semester international student enrolments would see significant decline due to the current pandemic.

India is the second largest source of enrolments in Australia after China with over 140,000 enrolments recorded last year. International students are allowed to work 20 hours a week under their student visa arrangement.

UA Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said the higher sector need more support from the federal government as ever.

"Universities have established hardship funds to support the domestic and international students who had been affected. These funds have received thousands of applications from students who, through no fault of their own, have lost jobs due to the pandemic. We are asking the government to join with us in supporting these students," she said.

Jackson said the sector could see a "revenue decline between 3 billion Australian dollars and 4.6 billion Australian dollars" and over 21,000 jobs were at risk in the next six months, and more after that.

"Recovering from this pandemic will require our best and brightest minds and every ounce of ingenuity," she said.

International students in Australia have not been included in any social security payment schemes announced by the government in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Only those students, who are living in the country for more than a year, will be allowed to access their superannuation funds to support themselves.

Earlier this month, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said that overseas students were not eligible for any financial support as under their visa arrangements, it was a requirement for them to support themselves for a year in Australia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) used laser light-scattering technology to investigate evidence of speech-generated droplets.

"Is COVID-19 airborne?" This question has generated a lot of interest in academic circles, and the insights gained from these inquiries will have a profound impact on our response to the pandemic.

According to the WHOs latest guidelines, COVID-19 is spread by droplet transmission; a sneeze or a cough releases the virus that can be inhaled by people in the vicinity, or land on surfaces which other people touch and then transfer to their mucosal membranes. Airborne transmission is different. It involves droplets smaller than 5 micrometres in diameter (about the size of a red blood cell) that remain in the air for longer periods because of their minuscule size. Airborne transmission would mean that the virus can infect people at further distances and be transmitted even by just speaking.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) used laser light-scattering technology to investigate evidence of speech-generated droplets.

What were the findings of the study?

The inside of a cardboard box was painted black, and a green laser was used to create a sheet of light on one end of the box. Volunteers spoke into the open end of the box, and the laser light exposed any droplets that reached it. Flashes were produced by the green laser as the droplets passed through which were recorded by an iPhone video camera that allowed the researchers to estimate their size.

The volunteers were asked to repeat the phrase Stay Healthy with and without a mask. The findings confirmed that aerosols were generated - interestingly, louder speech produced more aerosols. On speaking softly, 227 droplets were registered, whereas 347 droplets were registered when speaking loudly.

Encouragingly, when volunteers donned masks and spoke, no droplets were registered.

What is the significance of the findings?

The researchers didnt test whether these droplets were sufficient to transmit the disease - that remains the crux of the debate. However, the findings do suggest that wearing a homemade mask would limit the transmission of droplets of various sizes; recommendations endorsed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoFHW) as well. These findings also underline the merits of ventilating rooms by turning on fans and opening doors and windows and avoiding overcrowding in spaces.

A brief survey of evidence for airborne transmission

Previous studies have shown that 39% of people with influenza exhaled infectious aerosols. The WHO has also suggested that airborne transmission is possible when conducting medical procedures such as intubation and swab tests - which underlines the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers.

A study conducted in Nebraska generated much interest; researchers found viral RNA in around two-thirds of the air samples they collected from a hospital and quarantine facility housing COVID-19 patients. However, cell cultures didnt find these viruses to be infectious.

The fact is that there are several variables at play; to what extent do environmental factors determine airborne transmission? How much virus is required to infect a person?

These are complicated questions to answer, and it is unlikely we will know for certain soon. Given these gaps, scientists are urging extra caution and the donning of masks is becoming the norm as well.

For more information, read our article on How does COVID-19 spread?

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.
By Dave DeCamp

April 15, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Coronavirus has hit the US harder than most countries around the world. A new think-tank made up of the countrys biggest China hawks is using the crisis to turn public opinion against Beijing. An American public living in fear over this crisis is particularly vulnerable to anti-China propaganda. The virus Chinese origin may also serve as a useful tool for a Pentagon that is looking to increase its footprint in the Indo-Pacific region.

A Cold War-era group was revived last year by neoconservative Frank Gaffney and former White House strategist Steve Bannon. The Committee on the Present Danger: China (CPD) launched just over a year ago in March 2019. The new CPD is the groups fourth iteration. The first CPD was formed in the 1950s, the second in the 70s, both used to confront the Soviet Union. The third CPD was formed in 2004 to address the so-called War on Terror.

Members of the CPD refer to China as the greatest "existential threat" to the US. "The United States is likely to face in the foreseeable future a determined and aggressive superpower adversary, prepared and willing to use force, as well as nonmilitary forms of warfare, to defeat this country decisively," reads one of the CPDs "guiding principles." Another principle says, "There is no hope of coexistence with China as long as the Communist Party governs the country." The Covid-19 pandemic is the perfect opportunity for this group to exploit the fears of Americans and push for a more hawkish policy towards China.

Steve Bannon played an influential role in President Trumps campaign and the early days of the administration and pushed hard for tariffs on Chinese goods during his short-lived role as chief strategist. Bannons China ambitions do not stop with the trade war. "I think ultimate success is regime change [in China], and I realize in that regard Im considered a radical," Bannon told NPR in May 2019.

Bannon has a podcast titled "Bannons War Room." Back in January, in the early days of the outbreak, Bannon changed the title to "War Room: Pandemic." In the show, Bannon rails against Chinas response to the virus. Bannon frequently refers to the pandemic as a "Biological Chernobyl" and has said there will be a "Nuremberg-type trial" in Wuhan. Last week, Bannon appeared on Fox Business News and said, "Blood is on the hands of the Chinese Communist Party."

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CPD Vice Chairman and founder Frank Gaffney is best known for his anti-Muslim writings, authoring books such as Shariah: The Threat to America. Gaffney often spread theories that the Muslim Brotherhood was infiltrating Western society from within, and was one of the most prominent figures who suggested President Obama was secretly a Muslim. In 1997, Gaffney was a signatory to a letter by the infamous neocon think-tank Project for a New American Century (PNAC). Gaffney played his part in justifying the 2003 invasion of Iraq, not only suggesting Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11, but also suggesting he was involved in the first World Trade Center attack and even the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Since the CPD was founded, Gaffney has been hard at work hosting briefings and panels on the China threat. Gaffney often points to the plight of Uyghur Muslims in western China as an example of Beijings human rights abuses. The common allegation against China is that they have around one million Uyghur Muslims in re-education camps in Xinjiang. In a 2009 column for The Washington Times, Gaffney referred to a group of 17 Uyghurs who were wrongly imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay and set to be released as "another group of dangerous aliens Mr. Obama seems determined to unleash on the American people."

Gaffney made a living spreading Islamophobia and manufacturing consent for wars against Muslim majority countries. The death toll in Iraq alone is widely believed to be well over one million. For Gaffney and his colleagues, the Uyghur Muslims are nothing more than a geopolitical tool.

Like Bannon, Gaffneys latest content has been focused on criticizing Chinas response to the coronavirus. The CPDs website links to a timeline of what they call "Chinese government propaganda regarding the Wuhan Virus." Chinas government may have fumbled the early response to the virus, but the US government missed an opportunity to catch the outbreak early on.

On January 21st, it was known to the public that the first confirmed case of coronavirus was detected in the US, in Washington State, from a person traveling from Wuhan. A doctor at a Seattle flu clinic was ready to start testing samples after she heard the news. The doctor was denied permission to conduct the tests by state and federal officials. After waiting over a month, on February 25th, the doctor tested a sample without permission from the government and found a positive case. The outbreak in Washington state has killed over 500 people and could have been limited in that crucial time.

The Seattle flu clinic serves as one example of the US government hindering its domestic response to the virus. Besides domestic failures, US foreign policy has impeded the worlds response to the virus. The Trump administration has maintained crippling economic sanctions on countries like Iran, Venezuela, Syria, and Cuba. The US even added sanctions to Iran in the midst of the crisis, one of the countries hit the hardest by the virus, with over 4,400 deaths.

"The Wuhan virus is a killer and the Iranian regime is an accomplice," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in March as he announced new sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Despite insistence from US officials that sanctions do not affect medical infrastructure, studies show they cause shortages of medicines and medical supplies. The virus may have originated in China, but the US is the superpower that is weaponizing the outbreak.

Much of the rhetoric from CPD members comes from a self-righteous moral high ground. In a speech in June 2019, Bannon rattled off a list of Chinas human rights abuses, and said stopping US financial support for the Chinese government and these abuses is the "highest moral imperative." But Washington has plenty of its own human rights abuses to deal with. From the economic warfare listed above, to the support for the genocidal war in Yemen, the blockade on Gaza, the shadow war in Somalia that regularly kills civilians, and the occupation of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. These wars are directly funded by US taxpayers, not indirectly funded by voluntary investors like the abuses in China. The "highest moral imperative" for Americans should be focusing on ending their own governments human rights abuses.

The Pentagon shares the CPDs belief that China should be Washingtons primary focus. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has repeatedly called China the Pentagons "number one priority" since he took the position in the summer of 2019. The 2018 National Defense Strategy identified China and Russia as the "central challenge to US prosperity and security." The US Indo-Pacific Command just recently submitted a request for $20 billion to "deter Chinese aggression" in the region.

The main point of contention between China and the US militarily is in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Beijing considers Taiwan to be its own territory, and although the US does not have any official relationship with Taiwan, they are one of the islands main supporters. Washington continues to sell weapons and other military equipment to Taipei. During the pandemic, the US Navy has stepped up its patrols through the Taiwan Strait. On April 10th, the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry steamed through the strait. The US ran a similar patrol on March 25th, an action Beijing denounced and called "very dangerous."

Since 2015, the US has been running what they called Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea near contested archipelagos, the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands. The latest FONOP was on March 10th, when a US Navy destroyer sailed near the Paracel Islands. Beijing called this action a "hegemonic act that violates international law, and  threatens the peace and stability of the South China Sea."

China and its neighbors to the southeast, like Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, all have overlapping claims to the Paracel and Spratly islands. The islands are mostly small reefs, with not much territory, much of the dispute is over who has the right to fish the waters. The US has not taken any countries side in the dispute but instead decided to insert its Navy into the equation, with no clear goal other than provoking Beijing. China hawks will point to artificial islands built and militarized in these waters by Beijing as proof of Chinas imperial expansionist goals. While China is certainly expansionist in its own way, the militarization of tiny reefs in the South China Sea is no threat to North America and is likely a defensive response to the presence of the US Navy on their shores.

Back in March 2016, Steve Bannon predicted war with China in the South China Sea. "Were going to war in the South China Sea in five to 10 years," Bannon said in a Breitbart radio show. "Theres no doubt about that. Theyre taking their sandbars and making basically stationary aircraft carriers and putting missiles on those. They come here to the United States in front of our face  and you understand how important face is  and say its an ancient territorial sea. Thats a throw down is it not?"

In a segment last month, Fox News Host Tucker Carlson said that after the pandemic, "Well need to start treating China like the dangerous Cold War level adversary it has clearly become." Like members of the CPD, Carlson wants US companies to stop doing business in China and bring manufacturing jobs back to the US. While there is a conversation to be had about US reliance on Chinese manufacturing, treating them as a "Cold War level adversary" while our economies are so intertwined is reckless, and only invites more hostility.

China has some things to answer for, but the American people need to take a deep breath and not get caught up in the anti-China hysteria being spread through the media. The same way the PNAC neocons used 9/11 to get their wars in the Middle East, the CPD hawks are trying to use the coronavirus pandemic to get their war with China. After this pandemic, the last thing the world needs is a war between two major nuclear powers.

Dave DeCamp is assistant editor at Antiwar.com and a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn NY, focusing on US foreign policy and wars. He is on Twitter at @decampdave. - " Source "

Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here

Note: This piece used research from Media Roots Radio, check out their two-part series on the CPD and other anti-China propaganda in the wake of Covid-19.

==See Also==
President Donald Trump will unveil his plans for reopening America today, more than a month after the coronavirus shuttered most of the country and decimated the economy.

The president will speak at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) as part of the coronavirus task force meeting. Hes expected to present the plans to governors prior to the announcement. You can watch below or stream the event on fuboTV (7-day free trial).

Officials have come under increasing pressure to reopen businesses closed by stay-at-home and social distancing orders designed to slow the spread of the virus. The U.S. currently has some 640,000 cases of coronavirus with 31,000 deaths.

The plan is expected to include rolling openings starting with areas of the country experiencing fewer cases and less hospitalizations. The president had originally envisioned a 14-day shutdown but that expanded to 30 days as the virus spread, particularly in hard-hit New York, where the shutdown is expected to last until mid-May.

CNN is reporting the plan presented to governors includes criteria such as a sustained decrease in cases over a 14-day period and a return to pre-crisis conditions in hospitals. States will also be asked to have the ability to quickly set up safe and efficient screening and testing sites and quickly and independently supply sufficient Personal Protective Equipment in hospitals. The phased in approach would also include an emphasis on good hygiene and using face coverings.

You can read the plan here.

Trump had earlier announced a bipartisan group of lawmakers to be part of a panel on the reopening. Members include Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California; Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.; Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana; and Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. A group of business executives from various industries is also advising the president.

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More than 1,000 beds have been sourced for the homeless community in Dublin city since the Covid-19 outbreak began, according to a report from the council.

The figure includes 400 rooms in eight different hotels.
OAKLAND, Calif.  When Facebook unveiled its Libra cryptocurrency project last June, the social networking company described it as a futuristic global money that could serve as the foundation for a new kind of financial system.

But on Thursday, Facebook and its partners rolled out a less ambitious design for Libra after the effort encountered numerous hurdles and heavy regulatory scrutiny.

No longer is the group focused on making Libra the basis of a new global financial system where Facebook could essentially play the roles of a central bank and Wall Street.

In a sign of the change, the Libra project will now focus on creating a more traditional payment network in which coins will be tied to a local currency, somewhat like the digital dollars in a PayPal account. While Libra will also have a coin backed by multiple national currencies, which was the focus of the initial design documents, that will be less prominent.
As the COVID-19 crisis progresses in Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his administration are continuing to take measures to hopefully prevent the country from becoming overwhelmed by the current pandemic.

Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Business owners in Mexico are requesting AMLO to provide a stimulus package for the already declining Mexican economy. An economy that will continue to fall due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, the president does not support the idea of bailouts and tax breaks. Instead, he suggests focusing on the poor by garnishing bureaucrat salaries, says an article out of Mexico.

Also, AMLO describes the pandemic as a 'transitory crisis.' He promises to bring everything back to normal as soon as possible.

Since the arrival of the deadly novel coronavirus in the country, AMLO has showcased normalcy towards the illness by violating social distancing guidelines such as his recent meeting with the mother of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, a convicted Mexican drug cartel kingpin.

Prediction on the Economy of Mexico

As mentioned above, a prediction by the Bank of America, states that Mexico's economy could decrease another eight percent in 2020. This slowing market is becoming a mainstay in Mexico's economical structure and doesn't seem to be changing amid the current health crisis.

Mexico's Homicide Issue

The rate of homicide in Mexica has also reached another alarming milestone in March with a record of 2,585 deaths. It is one of the most murderous months in the country to record. It came as many companies had suspended operations, and not enough Mexicans are abiding by government guidelines to stay inside their homes.

Making Things Worse

Mexico is already at an economic crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic is making it worse, says the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness' director Manuel Molano.

According to a pundit in Mexico City named Carlos Bravo Regidor, the increasing violence and economic downtrend of Mexico makes the country highly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Check these out:

Comparing the COVID-19 Cases in Mexico to the U.S.

As per a report given by the Health Secretariat on April 13, Mexico has a total of 5,014 COVID-19 cases, and 332 people have lost their battle with the illness. These numbers are less than one percent of the total reported by the United States.

Unlike the U.S., Mexico's response to the COVID-19 crisis has received a considerable amount of criticism. Health authorities have delayed the cancellation of mass gatherings, and the order for the postponement of nonessential activities was late.

Additionally, testing has not been widespread in the country. Furthermore, the Health Ministry of Mexico has relied on disease modeling for its response to the pandemic.

Healthcare workers have also protested on the streets due to the insufficient number of personal protective gear and supplies they require to treat COVID-19 patients. This insufficiency of supplies has already resulted in doctors and nurses contracting the deadly virus.
Cities across China have proposed a '2.5-day weekend' to encourage consumers to shop amid an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus.

Officials of the eastern city of Nanjing urge companies to implement the new policy and 'extend the shopping time' for their workers in order to help boost the economy.

The new suggestion comes as China's economy is predicted to suffer its worst crash in 60 years with a shrink of nearly 10 per cent due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Experts warn that the effect of the lockdown on China's economy is thought to be an indicator of what European and US markets could expect to see once they start to relax restrictions.

Cities across China have introduced a '2.5-day weekend' to encourage consumers to shop amid an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. Shoppers gather near a closed shop in a retail street in Wuhan on April 13

Officials of the Chinese eastern city Nanjing urge local companies to implement the new policy to 'extend the shopping time' for the workers. A woman is pictured with a child while they shop at an IKEA store in Beijing on March 21

On March 19, Jiangxi Province in eastern China took the lead in suggesting an extra half of day off to prompt citizens spending more time on shopping and going out.

Other provinces including Zhejiang, Hebei and Gansu followed suit and recommended the 2.5-day weekend to help revive the coronavirus-hit economy.

The city of Nanjing held a 'Four New' action conference on Saturday, releasing plans to encourage consumers by 'extending the shopping time and triggering new enthusiasm'.

A longer weekend will help unleash consumption potential and relieve pressure on local businesses, Wang Qiyan, director of China's Leisure Economy Research Centre, told the press.

But expert doubts that many workers and companies will welcome such proposals. Shen Jianfeng, director of the Law School of the China University of Labour Relations, said the extended weekend might put pressure on enterprises and workers may face pay cuts.

Staff at a Honda Motor Company factory working to produce cars in Wuhan central China's Hubei province that was the epicentre of the Chinese outbreak

Financial data released last week showed analysts expect China's first-quarter GDP to suffer due to the economic shutdown caused by the pandemic, which began in Wuhan and was first reported at the end of December. A customer is pictured shopping for wine in Hong Kong

Financial data released last week showed analysts expect China's first-quarter GDP to suffer due to the economic shutdown caused by the pandemic, which began in Wuhan and was first reported at the end of December.

The tourism industry in China have reportedly decreased by nearly 70 per cent in the first three months of 2020.

More than 2,200 cinemas in China were forced to close permanently due to a severe loss of profit during the lockdown.

A global slowdown has also led to a collapse in the oil price, exacerbated by a row between Opec and Russia.

Economists say China may record its first-ever quarterly economic contraction since 1992 when it started publishing statistics on its gross domestic product (GDP).

The last time Beijing recorded a full year of economic shrinkage was 1976, as the Cultural Revolution ended, according to World Bank data.

The effect of the lockdown on China's economy is thought to be an indicator of what European and US markets could expect to see once they start to relax restrictions.

Experts have warned the huge impact on finances, businesses and consumer spending could see the UK economy shrink by as much as 15 to 25 per cent over the coming weeks and months.

China's economy is forecast to be almost 10 per cent down compared to the previous three months. Shanghai stocks slid on Friday with bleak factory gate data then bounced back

Cities across China, which enforced strict lockdown measures since late January, have gradually eased the restrictions as the country claims to have largely contained the epidemic.

The former ground zero, Wuhan, lifted its 76-day lockdown on its 11million residents on April 8, allowing people to travel in and out of the city for the first time.

Globally, at least 2million people have been infected with the deadly disease and at least 137,150 have died.

China claims to have 84,489 confirmed, with 3,342 deaths, but these figures have been disputed.
(Newser)  Hundreds of people protesting strict lockdown measures in Michigan ignored state directives on social distancingand instructions from protest organizersand gathered in front of the Capitol building in Lansing Wednesday. They were among thousands of people who came from across the state to clog Lansing streets in what organizers called "Operation Gridlock," the Guardian reports. The protest against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition. NPR reports that at least 200 people, some of them carrying rifles, got out of their vehicles to congregate around the building's steps. The protesters, who were not wearing masks, chanted slogans including "Lock her up."

story continues below

Michigan has one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the US, with almost 2,000 deaths. Whitmer recently extended the stay-at-home order until April 30. "It doesnt make any sense to be bankrupting companies and industries and not consider the resulting impact on families as part of the public health crisis in Michigan," a spokesman for the coalition tells City Pulse. "Were the most restrictive state in the union right now." Whitmer expressed concern that the rally could have caused more coronavirus infections, meaning the lockdown could go on for longer. "I saw someone handing out candy to little kids barehanded," she said. "We know that this rally endangered people. This kind of activity will put more people at risk and, sadly, it could prolong the amount of time we have to be in this posture." (Read more Michigan stories.)
State corrections officials told Gov. Kate Brown this week that 5,800 inmates  an estimated 40 percent of the prison population  would have to be released to allow for social distancing in prisons statewide to guard against the spread of coronavirus.

The figures were included in a 12-page report prepared by the Oregon Department of Corrections at Browns request and released Wednesday under a public records request.

The governor received the information Monday but had already ruled out a mass release. She made clear on Friday she would not approve a large-scale release and confirmed her position during a press conference on Monday.

I certainly am concerned about COVID-19 and the presence in our prisons in Oregon, Brown said during the press conference, adding that shes talked with Department of Corrections Director Colette Peters about how the system is protecting inmates and staff from the highly contagious illness.

As of Wednesday, 15 inmates and staff have the virus, according to the state.

The 5,800 represents the overall number of prisoners that corrections officials said they would have to free to allow optimal space and impose isolation protocols recommended by public health officials.

The governor had asked for the number of inmates who fell into seven categories that she might consider for early release. Those estimates were based on crimes and sentences, age and health conditions. Corrections officials came up with 3,244 who fit into those categories.

The idea of early release alarmed some people, including crime victims and local law enforcement authorities who would have to figure out how to supervise or otherwise handle the influx of people back into their communities.

In its report, the corrections agency said they had identified 182 inmates as most vulnerable to COVID-19." They were identified by medical staff with the prison system. Most are serving time for Measure 11 crimes, the report said. About half have served at least half of their sentences.

The agency said another 638 people are vulnerable to the virus, including 269 who are serving mandatory minimum sentences for Measure 11 offenses. At least 42 percent have served at least half of their sentences.

Corrections officials said the prison system has 804 inmates who are 60 or older, including 324 serving time for non-Measure 11 crimes. At least 48 percent of this group has served at least half of their sentences.

Few of the inmates who fall into those groups have a recent history of serious misconduct, according to the report.

The agency also examined the number of prisoners within six months of release. That group accounts for 2,584 inmates, most of whom are serving time for drug and property crimes. People in this category have a higher rate of prison misconduct, corrections officials said.

The state said 1,754 inmates will be released in the next six to 12 months. Most are also doing time for drug and property crimes and they too have higher misconduct rates.

The agency also looked at the implications of imposing a moratorium on sending people to prison, a step Colorado took in late March in response to the pandemic. According to the Oregon Department of Corrections, an average of 370 people a month were sent to prison before the emergence of the virus and about half were for drug and property crimes.

-- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Emily Atack has hit out at a follower after she was warned about her eating.

After she was warned that she would 'put on weight' if she continued with her culinary treats, the Inbetweeners star lashed out at the commenter and revealed she had lost a stone.

The comedian and actress, 30, penned: 'Ive lost a stone in the last 3 months because Im cooking like this and eating cleaner. So you are incorrect'.

Warning: Emily Atack has hit out at a follower after she was warned about her eating (pictured last year)

Emily has been keeping her fans up to speed and in her latest post she shared the image of the delicious looking steak before revealing her weight loss journey.

The previous day, she shared a stunning bikini throwback snap to mark a pal's birthday - yet assured fans the snap was old and she was not breaking lockdown.

Prior to her Instagram post, Emily shared thoughts about being single in lockdown in a column for Grazia magazine.

She lamented not being able to indulge in her usual wine and cheese-filled Sunday routine with pals and that those conveying 'Instagram-perfect isolation' are not being truthful to their followers.

Shocker: Emily has been keeping her fans up to speed and in her latest post she shared the image of the delicious looking steak before revealing her weight loss journey

Insisting that she can't complain about having to 'sit around', Emily also added that she is missing human contact and is allowing herself to feel sad when she feels alone.

'It has been three weeks since I have physically touched another human being. I am isolating alone in the London flat I recently moved into...

'Like so many, I have been in shock,' she recounted. 'Ive woken up in the middle of the night with crushing anxiety like Ive never experienced before. My internal monologue is already knackered.'

'Being alone has always been my number one fear!' Prior to her Instagram post, Emily shared thoughts about being single in lockdown in a column for Grazia magazine

Emily admitted that 'there have been good days and bad days', but that she tries to call them 'moments'.

She went on: 'Being alone has always been my number one fear. And yet here I am. In the middle of a pandemic, completely isolated from everyone and everything I know and love.'

Emily is very close to her mother - actress Kate Robbins, who is also alone in lockdown - and revealed that she is sure to video chat her to pass the time, as well as 'take little swipes at an online dating app Ive rejoined out of sheer boredom'.

Honest: Emily admitted that 'there have been good days and bad days', but that she tries to call them 'moments'

The star also admitted she feels guilty at feeling sad and is 'scared to vocalise a bad moment  especially on social media  with the fear of the reaction Ill receive from those who insist my life is perfect'.

She concluded: 'I am learning its OK to feel sad right now, its OK to admit youre a bit alone, and its OK to feel s**t. Especially if you suffer with mental health issues. Give yourself a break. Instagram-perfect isolation is not a reality.'

The actress spoke to Lorraine Kelly last week on Good Morning Britain where she also revealed that getting glammed up for the supermarket makes her 'feel better'.

She went on: 'Being alone has always been my number one fear. And yet here I am. In the middle of a pandemic, completely isolated from everyone and everything I know and love'

Emily said about coping with the lockdown alone: 'I'm a very strong person, there's definitely been some difficult moments being on your own....

'I'm the least lonely person in the world, surrounded by family and friends in real life.

'It's [the pandemic] so awful, we have to look at the positives in life. If we've got our health it's the most important thing in the world. Everything is so difficult, but if you have your health, friends and family, it's good.'

Sun-kissed: Emily was sure to use the sunny weather as a reason to get outside amid lockdown over the weekend, showing off her freckles on Instagram

She said: 'Make sure your dressing gown doesn't become your depressing down! There's definitely days that I don't want to put make-up on. It makes me feel better.

'I now get glammed up to go to the local supermarket. I queue outside and stand the 2 metres. It's like queuing up for a bar! I do get glammed up for the supermarket, it makes me feel better.'

Sharing the first thing she will do after the pandemic, Emily joked: 'I'm going to the nearest pub! Obviously, I should say I want to hug my friends and family, but we can do that in the pub!'

'Difficult': Emily recently admitted that she's had some 'difficult moments' while self-isolating alone during the coronavirus pandemic

'Strong person': Emily said about coping with the lockdown alone - 'I'm a very strong person, there's definitely been some difficult moments being on your own'

Although the star importantly added that the NHS also needs credit, she said: 'I think the first thing we all want to do is give the NHS a big hug, and say we couldn't have got through this without them!'

It comes after Emily admitted she feels lonely while self-isolating and would 'give anything to have a row with a husband right now'.

The actress told Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 5 Live that the current situation around the coronavirus pandemic is 'bleak and miserable and awful'.

She said: 'I'm just trying to use it all as another way of showing myself that I can cope and that I am capable and I am brave and strong.

'I think at times like this you've got to appreciate everything you have, but you know, I'd give anything to have a row with a husband right now.'
Social distancing is holding new COVID-19 infection levels low enough to eliminate the virus from mainland Australia, new federal government modelling shows.

While the expert team behind the modelling has not estimated a date by which the virus could be defeated, they project it could be months away, rather than weeks.

Professor Jodie McVernon has been advising the government. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Yet loosening social distancing restrictions will inevitably lead to it returning and cases rising, researchers say, which means we would need to maintain such measures to keep the virus at bay, rather than return to life as normal.

The model suggests that every 10 people infected currently spread the virus to five more people, on average. At that level, the virus would eventually be unable to circulate and would die out within Australia.
The White House is installing Trump campaign veteran Michael Caputo in the health departments top communications position, Caputo confirmed to POLITICO.

The move is designed to assert more White House control over Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, whom officials believe has been behind recent critical reports about President Donald Trumps handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to two officials with knowledge of the move.

Caputo, whose title will be assistant secretary of HHS for public affairs, said in a text message, I am honored to serve the President to the best of my abilities in this time of crisis and, in so doing, the American people.

Caputo is an intense Trump loyalist whose recent book The Ukraine Hoax, alleged a conspiracy behind Trumps impeachment.

The high-level move comes after a series of news reports that portrayed Azar as warning Trump about the pending Covid-19 pandemic in January but having the president and his aides dismiss his concerns. Trump on Sunday tweeted that Azar told me nothing until later, appearing to refute those reports.

White House officials believe that Azar has been shaping favorable coverage of his handling of the Covid-19 outbreak and trying to shift blame for the administrations mishandled response, said two officials with knowledge of the situation. White House frustration with Azar also dates back to last year, with officials unhappy about his long-running feud with Medicare chief Seema Verma, Azars nominal deputy who maintains her own strong relationship with Trump.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar listens as President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Friday, April 3, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

"Im delighted to have Michael Caputo join our team at [HHS] as our Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, especially at this critical time in our nations public health history," Azar posted on Twitter after POLITICO's story published, sharing a photo of the two men sitting together at HHS headquarters.

The White House declined to comment.

Brad Traverse, a longtime lobbyist who created the popular BradTraverse.com site for Washington-area job hunters, will be Caputo's deputy, said two individuals with knowledge of the move. Traverse's photo was removed in recent days from his job-hitting website. Traverse did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Story continues

Azar has spent the past year battling with White House officials and his own deputies over policies and personnel, and the White House recently installed a new HHS personnel chief. Meanwhile, Verma has assumed a more prominent role in the White Houses coronavirus response even as Azar, who led the response for January and much of February, has disappeared from national TV.

Verma last week publicly announced an initiative to disburse billions of dollars to hard-hit health care providers that was part of Azars portfolio  a move that rattled Azars allies given that the health secretary was out of the office that day, mourning the death of his father. Two of Vermas supporters said that the Medicare chief was directed to make the announcement at the behest of the White House.

Caputo maintains a colorful Twitter feed where hes battled with political rivals and repeatedly weighed in on the coronavirus outbreak, although the tweets have since been deleted.

For the Democrat 2020 victory strategy to work, 100,000+ Americans have to die, Caputo wrote on March 11 in a now-deleted tweet. For the Democrat 2020 victory strategy to work, you have to believe the media.

This little guy lost so many Iranian mullah friends to the [coronavirus] that hes in mourning. Thoughts and prayers, Caputo wrote on March 12, quoting a tweet by former Obama administration official Ben Rhodes.

Caputo also posted a series of tweets last month mocking Andrew Gillum, the unsuccessful 2018 Democratic candidate for Florida governor, after Gillum was reportedly found by police in a hotel room with two men and drug paraphernalia.

Of course unprotected down low meth sex is totally responsible behavior during a global pandemic, Caputo wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

Caputo is a longtime friend of Trump ally Roger Stone and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, both of whom were convicted of crimes in the last two years. Caputo wrote last year in POLITICO magazine about his fears after being wrapped up in Robert Mueller's probe of Trump, which Caputo said had led to threats on his life.

"Ive installed shotgun stations in my home, and I carry a concealed weapon wherever its legal," Caputo wrote.

Caputo once lived in Moscow, where he worked for Boris Yeltsin and also performed public relations work for a subsidiary to Russian state-owned energy conglomerate Gazprom. Caputo told the Buffalo News in 2016 that he wasnt proud of the work today, but at the time, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wasnt such a bad guy.

While Caputo has decades of expertise in communications, he has not worked in a high-level health care role before.

However, White House officials are looking to shake up HHS communications after growing perturbed by a series of news reports, including a story this week in The Daily Beast that called Azar a rare and unlikely hero inside the Trump administration  an article that was heavily circulated by White House officials.

People who know him say he believes in his mission even if the president doesnt believe in him, Daily Beast columnist Eleanor Clift wrote on Monday. Clift told POLITICO on Wednesday that she wrote the story after reading favorable coverage of Azar in publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post and did not speak with Azar directly.

Installing Caputo allows the White House to further control Azars communications strategy, said two individuals with knowledge of the pending move.

HHS has cycled through four communications chiefs in the past three years, including two who have since left the department. Ryan Murphy has been serving as the acting assistant secretary for public affairs since last October, after previous communications chief Judy Stecker was promoted to serve as Azars deputy chief of staff.

Unlike his counterparts in HHS leadership, Caputo worked as recently as last month as a registered foreign agent.

He lobbied lawmakers including Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) on behalf of Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed last year, according to a disclosure filing. He helped convince The Buffalo News to run a story on Mohamed during a visit to the U.S. last year and set up meetings for him with lawmakers and administration officials. All meetings and pending meetings were cancelled by President Mohamed per Department of State recommendation, Caputo wrote in the disclosure.

The Somali government paid him $45,000 for his services.

Caputo also set up meetings for a Ukrainian delegation that visited Washington last month, securing sitdowns with Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and a Wall Street Journal reporter, among others.

Theodoric Meyer contributed to this report.
The Simulation and Medical Skills Center in the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) received officials from the Resuscitation Section in King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH).

The KHUH delegation was briefed on the centre's work progress, preview the advanced medical devices in it, meet with the working medical team and see its readiness to train medical students.

The visiting delegation included Professor David Fletcher and Jalal from the Resuscitation Section in KHUH, who also reviewed the centre's state-of-the-art medical devices specialising in children and women, childbirth, surgery and internal medicine.

The centres Director Dr Taysir Garadah explained the other specialisations of the centre, such as the 3D glasses that students use to examine and follow up on difficult birth operations and other acute medical conditions.

He pointed out that the training program extends for a period of two months, at the end of which medical licenses are granted to trainees, adding that training sessions on medical resuscitation are independently organised and directly supervised by the American Heart Association (AHA).

KHUH delegation stressed on the importance of cooperation between both institutions in the future, while at the same time praising the endeavour dedicated by the centre to provide an academic environment that incubates and encourages advanced practical training in the medical field.
A PR consultant has revealed how his wife made a dramatic recovery from COVID-19 after medics turned her on her stomach.

Adam Fresco, 52, heartbreakingly said goodbye to his wife, Stacey, because NHS doctors were convinced she would die of the infection within a 'couple of hours'.

Out of desperation, he asked if there was anything 'weird and wacky' they could try, and the leading doctor offered one last solution - 'proning'.

They would lay Mrs Fresco, 50, on her stomach for 12 hours per day to improve her lung capacity and help drain fluid that built-up in the lungs as a result of pneumonia.

Mrs Fresco improved overnight and slowly began regaining her strength. She was discharged from hospital less than two weeks later having been the 'sickest patient in the hospital'.

NHS England guidance advises doctors use proning, a technique discovered in the 70s, for COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

Before the pandemic, proning has been regarded as 'unfamiliar' to nurses. But now, full teams of up to eight are required to turn one body using detailed protocol.

Experts are urging for hospitals to consider putting patients in prone position before they even reach intensive care to give them the best chance of survival.

Doctors elsewhere in the world, in Italy, Portugal and the US, say they are relying on proning for almost every patient even if they aren't gravely ill.

There is still a balancing game when deciding whether to use proning based on each individual patient.

The procedure has its own risks which can be fatal, the most significant being difficulties performing CPR if a patient goes into cardiac arrest.

PR consultant Adam Fresco has revealed how his wife, Stacey, made a dramatic recovery from COVID-19 after medics turned her on her stomach

Out of desperation, Mr Fresco asked if there was anything 'weird and wacky' doctors could try to save his wife. The leading doctor offered one last solution - 'proning'

NHS England guidance issued to fight the coronavirus pandemic tells doctors to consider using proning based on experiences from Italy. Pictured, a patient in the prone position in Cremona hospital, Italy

Mr Fresco, whose cousin Monte Fresco is a renowned British photographer, said Mrs Fresco, who works in finance, was admitted to hospital on March 20.

Her condition went downhill quickly, and by March 23 she was in intensive care at Whipps Cross Hospital, East London.

Her heart, kidneys and lungs had started failing as a result of the coronavirus, and doctors told the family to prepare for the worst.

WHY DOES LYING FACE-DOWN HELP PATIENTS WITH LUNG FAILURE? Doctors say laying patients face down if they have lung failure which stops enough oxygen getting into their blood can improve their chances of survival if they are on a ventilator in intensive care. This is because lying on your back causes the fat, muscle and organs on the front of your body to weigh down on the lungs, limiting their ability to expand. Ventilators, which force air into the lungs when they cannot breathe on their own, can also damage the insides of the lungs by putting too much air pressure into small areas and stretching or even bursting them. Reducing pressure on the lungs allows them to open up more widely and distribute this pressure over a greater area. One NHS doctor, Dr Sarfaraz Munshi, who works at Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex, explained: 'The majority of your lung is on your back, not on the front. By lying on your back you're closing off more of the smaller airways and this is not good during a period of infection.' Advertisement

Mr Fresco and his two daughters, aged 21 and 23, read their Mother's Day cards while saying their goodbyes.

Mr Fresco, whose grandfather was a photographer for the Daily Mail, wrote in The Times today: 'I remember asking if there was anything weird or wacky he had heard about, anything experimental that was working abroad. It was a desperate plea that I knew he couldnt answer.

'The doctor, Dave, came back in and said there was one last thing he could try, something called proning, whereby the patient is placed on their stomach for about 12 hours.'

The doctor explained how proning could work - it would help boost oxygen flow round the body and drain fluid that had accumulated in the lungs.

Mr Fresco implied the doctor's choice of using proning was a last option, and that had heard about it from the experiences of colleagues abroad.

Although proning has been used in the NHS from as early as the 1970s, NHS guidance for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 has only recently been issued.

Doctors would also decide whether to use proning on a case by case basis based on a patient's health status, and it not clear why they wouldn't have given it earlier.

'At the same time, the doctor warned there was a high probability that turning Stacey would lead to a fatal heart attack,' Mr Fresco said.

Mrs Fresco was already at a critical stage of the disease and her heart was 'not working properly'.

COVID-19 causes a high inflammatory burden on the respiratory system that in turn induces problems in multiple other organs - including the heart. If the heart stops working entirely, causing the patient to stop breathing, this is called cardiac arrest.

If a patient goes into cardiac arrest while lying on their stomach, doctors will not be able to give life-saving CPR.

FACT BOX TITLE An NHS doctor working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic has revealed how quickly he has had to get used to using the prone position method. Dr Hamid Manji, a consultant anaesthetist at Milton Keynes University Hospital, was interviewed by English actor Ross Kemp for his documentary On the NHS Frontline - the first part of which will be aired on ITV tonight. Dr Manji said: In about 20 years worth of intensive care experience, I must've done this about ten times [before the COVID-19 pandemic]. 'But in the last week I must've done it about ten times. So its extraordinary this virus is causing us to have to do this manoeuvre in intensive care units. Dr Hamid Manji, a consultant anaesthetist at Milton Keynes University Hospital English actor Ross Kemp filming for his documentary On the NHS Frontline The doctor explained how prone positioning - lying someone on their stomach - works. He said: 'The point of treatment here is to match the oxygen supply with the blood supply. The oxygen and blood have to come together and then the blood transports the oxygen around the body. Sometimes if that is mismatched its easier for the patient if we turn them on their tummy, face down, and we try rematch the blood supply with the oxygen supply. We do that for 16 hours then we turn them back again. That turning weve found in the COVID-19 population, is making a significant improvement to the oxygenation of their body.' Advertisement

They can doing chest compressions while the patient is prone, but there is 'little good evidence to guide the optimum position', according to The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, which trains ICU staff in the UK.

Despite the risks, the family and doctors agreed there was 'nothing to lose', and Mrs Fresco was proned overnight.

Mr Fresco expected a phonecall in the morning to say his wife had passed away. But miraculously, his wife was improving and doctors were optimistic.

On the Friday, Mrs Fresco was conscious. A few days later she was taken out of ICU, and on April 9 - 20 days after being admitted to hospital - she was able to go home.

Mr Fresco said: 'If I hadnt asked about anything weird they could try; if the incredible Dr Dave hadnt heard about proning... would she have made it?'

Mr Fresco's story has raised questions about how many medics have, until this point in the outbreak, utilised prone positioning to boost survival odds in the UK's most sickest COVID-19 patients.

Proning has been used for decades for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) - where the lungs cannot breathe in enough oxygen needed for vital organs.

In the UK, doctors' guidance given by The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine says prone positioning 'should be considered' for people who have very low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxaemia).

For treatment of ARDS, the guidelines advise proning 'early within the course of the disease, ideally less than 48 hours, following 12-24 hours of mechanical ventilation' to boost treatment optimisation.

Although medics at Whipps Cross, where Mrs Fresco was treated, used the technique within 12-24 hours of her being admitted to intensive care, they considered it as a last resort, according to Mr Fresco.

According to the The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, generally speaking there is 'unfamiliarity' with proning in UK hospitals.

The training board write: 'The care of the prone patient requires attention to detail because relatively speaking it accounts for a small proportion of the patients nursed in critical care.'

Now, as COVID-19 patients with ARDS swamp hospitals, full teams of up to eight people are required to turn one body using detailed protocol.

Doctors elsewhere in the world, like Italy, Portugal and the US, appear to be using it on almost every critically ill patient to boost their survival odds

Medics who have used it during the outbreak now say it is 'simple' and 'saving lives' simply by virtue of reducing pressure on the lungs. Pictured: Medical workers in Santa Maria Hospital, Lisbon, are seen flipping a ventilated patient into the prone position to help with his breathing

WHAT RISKS ARE THERE FOR PRONING? Doctors would also decide whether to use proning on a case by case basis based on a patient's health status. In the UK, doctors' guidance given by The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine says prone positioning 'should be considered' for people who have very low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxaemia). When not to use prone positioning The main contradictions for offering proning are if a patient has spinal instability, has just had open chest cardiac surgery or trauma, has had heart surgery in the past 24 hours, or has cannulation through an open chest. Doctors should also consider if the patient has had recent fractures to their chest, pelvis or face, a head injury, frequent seizures, is morbidly obese or pregnant. What are the risks of prone positioning? Doctors considering using prone positioning will have to weight up the risks and benefits - as with any choice they make for the treatment of a patient. Moving a severely unwell person who is dependent on a ventilator is not as easy as it sounds. Before the pandemic, proning has been regarded as 'unfamiliar' to nurses. But now, full teams of up to eight are required to turn one body using detailed protocol.

During the turning phase, a patient's oxygen levels typically drop for a period of time. It's not the desired outcome when oxygenation is already poor. Some patients may be able to withstand the move to their front to reap the benefits of 16-hour or so proning.

The endotracheal tube - placed through the mouth into the windpipe to help a patient breathe - can be dislodged, studies show. This can obstructs the airways.

Other tubes including IVs may kink or causing bleeding at the front of the body which is not quickly spotted.

In one study , heart arrhythmias, low blood pressure and vomiting were all significantly more likely in proned patients, and the team concluded proning 'does not provide significant survival benefit in patients with ARDS'.

Studies show patients with ARDS who have heart disease are susceptible to heart dysfunction when placed into prone. Advertisement

Almost all critically ill patients with COVID-19 end up with life-threatening ARDS and need the support of a ventilator to push air into their lungs.

Proning works, experts say, by reducing the amount of pressure put on the lungs by the chest and opening up larger sections of the airways.

This lessens the damage caused by air being forced into the airways by the ventilator.

Proning also improves oxygen uptake. The back of the lungs have a larger surface area than the front, so there are more alveoli - small air sacs in the lungs - available to expand.

The alveoli are crucial for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the blood and the cells of the body, including vital organs.

It also helps with fluid drainage, preventing the lungs getting sticky from infection, and boosts blood flow.

NHS guidelines for patients with COVID-19 advises prone positioning 'in patients failing conventional ventilation' while lying on their back.

The advice for intensive care patients is based on the experiences of Italian doctors on the coronavirus frontline.

Doctors in the US and Portugal are also known to be using the technique to try and boost the survival odds of patients on life-support ventilators.

Medics who have used it during the outbreak now say it is 'simple' and 'saving lives' simply by virtue of reducing pressure on the lungs.

'We're saving lives with this, one hundred percent,' one regional critical care director working in New York, Dr Mangala Narasimhan, told CNN.

'It's such a simple thing to do, and we've seen remarkable improvement. We can see it for every single patient.'

Dr Viren Kaul, a pulmonary critical care medicine specialist in New York, wrote on Twitter: 'Proning is finally gaining traction like it should have years ago.'

An increased focus on proning amid the pandemic has sparked curiosity about whether the method should be used before patients reach intensive care, rather than in the later stages of disease.

A report released by The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine on April 12 has now urged for hospitals to start using it on any patient who is conscious.

It said: 'Given the improvement in mechanically ventilated patients, it has been postulated that adopting the prone position for conscious COVID-19 patients.

'Prone positioning is a simple intervention that can be done in most circumstances, is compatible with all forms of basic respiratory support and requires little or no equipment in the conscious patient.

'Given its potential for improving oxygenation in COVID-19 patients we advocate that a trial of conscious prone positioning be performed on all suitable patients on the ward.'

BBC footage from inside intensive care at University College Hospital in London showed a minimum of seven medics turning one COVID-19 patient

Medics have to wrap the patient in a sheet in order to successfully turn them, while ensuring the various tubes fitted inside the patient are still in place

Dr Sarfaraz Munshi, who works at Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex explained how getting patients to lay on their front themselves as much as possible in the early stages of the disease could prevent them from deteriorating,

In part of a breathing technique he posted to social media, Dr Munshi said: 'The majority of your lung is on your back, not on the front. By lying on your back you're closing off more of the smaller airways and this is not good during a period of infection.

'[It can] lead to atelectasis. This can then lead to a secondary pneumonia.'

WHAT RESEARCH IS THERE ON PRONING FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS? Lying critically ill coronavirus patients face down improves lung capacity, a small study in a hospital in Wuhan - the Chinese city where the pandemic began in December - found. The lungs were able to open up more when patients were lying on their stomach. It boosted oxygen into the lungs, which travels through the bloodstream to vital organs like the heart and brain. It's believed to be one of the first studies to assess how successful proning is for patients with COVID- 19, although the practice has been around for decades for respiratory diseases. The study looked at how the supine  facing upwards  and prone position helped lung recruitability. Seven of 12 patients on a ventilator received at least one session of prone positioning, lasting 24 hours, when they had low oxygen levels. Three patients received both prone positioning and EMO support, a machine which oxygenates blood outside the body, replacing the function of heart and lungs. At the end of the six days, three patients died. Two had not received prone positioning. Patients who did not receive prone positioning had poor lung recruitability in comparison to those who did. Prone positioning helped the lungs to open up again, which would help prevent organ failure - a major complication of COVID-19 which can lead to death. One team from France and Spain published a detailed study about the procedure in 2013 in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. They wrote: 'Prone positioning, as compared with supine positioning [belly-up], markedly reduces the overinflated lung areas while promoting alveolar recruitment. 'These effects (reduction in overdistention and recruitment enhancement) may help prevent ventilator-induced lung injury by... the distribution of stress and strain within the lungs.' Advertisement

Dr Nicholas Caputo, a medic at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, said proning in the initial stages can avoid intubation - putting a tube down the throat for ventilation - The New York Times reports.

He said if he could go back to early March, when the pandemic began progressing rapidly in the US, he would advise himself and others: 'Dont jump to intubation.'

But the ultimate decision for each patient lies with the doctor, who must think about if the risks of proning outweigh the benefits.

Mr Fresco, who is helping fundraise for the hospital, described how his wife's condition deteriorated rapidly once she got to hospital, and doctors may be resistant to using proning because moving a severely unwell person who is dependent on a ventilator is not as easy as it sounds.

During the turning phase, patients may see their oxygen levels drop for a period of time, which is not the desired outcome when oxygenation is already poor.

The endotracheal tube - placed through the mouth into the windpipe to help a patient breathe - can be dislodged, studies show, which obstructs the airways.

In one study, heart arrhythmias, low blood pressure and vomiting were all significantly more likely in proned patients, and the team concluded proning 'does not provide significant survival benefit in patients with ARDS'.

Studies show patients with ARDS who have heart disease are susceptible to heart dysfunction when placed into prone.

Guidelines for UK doctors also say proning is also not advisable for patients who are pregnant or morbidly obese. It is not explained why, but may be due to little evidence of the benefits.

But Dr Josh Farkas, who specialises in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Vermont, said the risks of proning were generally low.

He said: 'This is a simple technique which is safe and fairly easy to do. I started doing this some years ago in occasional patients, but never imagined that it would become this widespread and useful.'

Proning also requires a lot of nurses at one time so the body is turned properly with low risk to the patient, which can prove difficult in overstretched NHS units.

BBC footage from inside intensive care at University College Hospital in London showed a minimum of seven medics turning one COVID-19 patient.

They have to wrap the patient in a sheet in order to successfully turn them, while ensuring the various tubes fitted inside the patient are still in place.

The NHS has suggested hospitals create proning teams to improve efficiency, so that more people are on hand to turn heavy bodies.

In the US, hospitals had turned to the use of rotating beds like the Roto-Prone before the epidemic to mitigate the risks of manual proning.

It is understood these beds are being used during the pandemic.

What are the odds of survival for coronavirus patients admitted to intensive care?

More than one in seven people hospitalised with the coronavirus in the UK will die with it, according to official statistics.

Up until April 13, Britain had recorded 10,612 deaths from COVID-19 in NHS hospitals out of a total of around 75,774 inpatients - a death rate of 14 per cent.

And the death rate of patients admitted to intensive care with Covid-19 now stands at more than 51 per cent, according to a study of critical care outcomes.

More than one in seven people hospitalised with the coronavirus in the UK will die with it, according to official statistics as of April 13

Reports from the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) show that coronavirus patients admitted to intensive care have approximately 50/50 odds of survival

The death rate among hospitalised coronavirus patients is not a true reflection of how deadly the virus is because hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Britons are expected to have caught it and got only a mild illness, recovering at home as if they had the flu.

Experts, including scientists at Imperial College London and Professor Chris Whitty, the Government's chief medical adviser, expect the true fatality rate to be below one per cent if the real number of infected people is ever counted.

In comparison, the death rate for COVID-19 patients hospitalised in China was estimated to be around 18 per cent.

Researchers at Imperial College, London, based their estimations in February on statistical models that combined data on deaths and recoveries reported in China and in travellers outside mainland China, as well as infections in repatriated citizens.

Thousands of COVID-19 patients in British hospitals end up in intensive care, and the most common life-threatening problem they face is lung failure in which the body cannot draw enough oxygen into the blood.

Patients also suffer shock and heart or kidney failure in up to a third of cases, scientists have found.

Figures for the mortality rate in intensive care comes from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) and is based on a sample of 3,883 coronavirus patients.

The study shows that out of 1,689 patients in the sample whose care outcome was known, 871 died (51.6 per cent), while 818 were discharged.

In comparison, just 22 per cent out of 5,367 patients taken into critical care with non-COVID-19 viral pneumonia died between 2017 and 2019.

The coronavirus figures come from 284 NHS critical care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland taking part in an ICNARC programme as of 4pm on April 9.

Previous figures from April 3, recorded the death rate as being at 50.1 per cent.

The mortality rate is currently higher for men and increases with age, the data shows. Of the 871 people who died, 53.6 per cent were male, while 46.3 per cent were women.

Meanwhile, the largest number of deaths were among those aged between 70-79 at 298, followed by the 60-69 age group, with 273 reported.

Thirty-one patients died aged between 16-39, 46 were 40-49 and 145 were 50-59. A total of 78 patients died aged over 80.

The average (mean) age of those admitted to intensive care with coronavirus was 59.8 years, with 72.5 per cent of patients recorded as male.

Some 2,291 (59 per cent) patients in critical care had to be mechanically ventilated in the first 24 hours, the study revealed.

Of people who required ventilators - life-support machines which pump air into the lungs when they stop working by themselves - only around one in three survive their stay in hospital.

Commenting on the high fatality rate for those needing lung support, intensive care medicine at the University of Oxford, Professor Duncan Young, said: 'The relative ineffectiveness of artificial ventilation might suggest that COVID-19 causes a particularly treatment-resistant form of pneumonitis.

'It is also possible that in some patients COVID-19 is causing multi-organ failure of which the respiratory failure is the presenting problem but may not always be the cause of death  but there are no data on this yet.'
Analysis | 11 January 2022 | News

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 17:28:08|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Ministry of Finance have approved to build a national animal model resource bank for human diseases, according to a report of Science and Technology Daily Tuesday.

The resource bank, under the National Health Commission, will be supported by the Institute of Laboratory Animals Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

The animal model resource bank of human diseases can further promote the utilization and sharing of animal model resources and has been included in the national science and technology resource sharing service platform.

The animal models of human diseases, mainly used for drug screening and vaccine research, are animals with similar manifestations of human diseases.

Qin Chuan, director of the resource bank, said at a press conference last month that Chinese researchers have established models of mice and rhesus monkeys in COVID-19 vaccine research and development.

A vaccine can enter clinical trials only after it is proved to be safe and effective in animal tests, said Wang Junzhi, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

China has approved three COVID-19 vaccine candidates for clinical trials, MOST announced at a press conference on Tuesday. Enditem
State health officials reported 12 new COVID-19 deaths in Northwest Indiana counties Thursday, bringing the regional total to 52.

The newly reported deaths included 10 in Lake County, one in LaPorte County and one in Newton County.

A total of 477 Hoosiers have died from the disease, including 41 added Thursday, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. The deaths reported Thursday occurred between April 2 and 15.

The state total includes 41 deaths in Lake County, two in Porter County, five in LaPorte County, three in Newton County and one in Jasper County.

Porter County Health Department officials reduced the total number of deaths back to two from three, saying they "misreported" one death a day earlier.

Data released by the state Thursday was up to date as of noon Wednesday. All data was provisional and included only those cases reported to the State Department of Health.

A total of 9,542 Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19, an increase of 611  or nearly 7%  from a day earlier.

Lake County had 978 positive cases, up by 106 cases  or about 12%  from the day before.
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A gay man who returned to the U.S. earlier this year after being deported to Chad  only to be detained again by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as soon as he arrived back in California  will soon be released amid COVID-19 concerns, his legal team told The Chronicle.

Oumar Yaide, a San Francisco resident, was ordered Thursday to be released from the Yuba County Jail in Marysville on $10,000 bond, said Edwin Carmona-Cruz, co-director at Pangea Legal Services, a San Francisco nonprofit representing Yaide.

Yaide was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which puts him at high risk of developing a severe case of the coronavirus. His extraordinary case has been widely reported in the Bay Area, where he has lived for 10 years, and local residents and Bay Area politicians have called for his release.

Im still digesting it, Yaide told The Chronicle minutes after learning of his release. Im feeling overwhelmed. I feel like Im lucky, because without all the support, I dont think I wouldve made it.

ICE officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yaide is among hundreds of immigrants ICE has released across the country in recent weeks amid pressure from advocates and politicians who fear the crowded conditions in detention facilities will cause the virus to spread quickly. Many detainees, including more than 100 in California detention facilities, are participating in hunger strikes as a way to voice their concerns.

This comes after pressure across the state from advocates and attorneys and people inside, Carmona-Cruz said. This is the most cornered weve seen ICE under this administration, amid a disease that affects everyone.

ICE said it has released nearly 700 immigrants who have health complications that make them vulnerable to COVID-19, according to multiple reports.

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California said in a statement Wednesday that two Bay Area immigrants with pre-existing conditions  Olvin Torres Murillo, of Honduras, and Mauricio Quinteros Lopez, of El Salvador  were ordered released this week. Both suffer from hypertension, ACLU officials said.

Torres Murillo, of Richmond, was held in Yuba County Jail for more than 18 months, while Quinteros Lopez, a Hayward resident, was being held in Mesa Verde (Riverside County).

Public health experts have warned that failing to release those particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection because of their age or medical conditions endangers the lives of everyone in the detention facility, including staff, as well as the broader community, said William Freeman, senior counsel at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California.

Carmona-Cruz said advocates and friends of Yaide, who is well-known among his neighbors in San Franciscos Mission District, plan to raise the $10,000 bond. They had raised nearly $4,000 since Thursday afternoon.

Oumar has been fighting his case for a very long time and this is the peak of the struggle, Carmona-Cruz said.

We still have more to go. Obviously, his case is still pending, but the fact that he can shelter in place with his chosen family and the fact that he can be in his community, which has advocated so much for him in the last couple of months, is something that will really fill him up with so much joy and love.

Yaide immigrated to the U.S. in 2009 and petitioned for asylum as a member of the Gorane ethnic group, saying he was at risk of persecution in his home country because his family expressed anti government views.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

A judge denied his petition for asylum in September 2014, and multiple appeals filed by Yaide, most recently in December 2018, were denied.

Yaide was deported in November 2019, three months after agents detained him in his home.

At the time, his attorney, Sean Lai McMahon, was awaiting a decision on a motion to reopen Yaides case. He had requested the court allow him to present a new basis for asylum  Yaide had not come out as gay when he originally petitioned for asylum in 2009. Returning to Chad would put him in grave danger, McMahon argued.

Chad criminalized homosexuality in 2016.

A federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to bring Yaide back in December, ruling that Yaide had a legal right to await a final decision on his case before potentially being deported.

It took ICE three months to bring him back to the U.S. Immigration agents arrested Yaide when he landed in California on March 1. He was transferred to the Yuba jail, where he remained for more than one month.

Yaide plans to return to his apartment in the Mission District, which friends maintained during his time in detention, Carmona-Cruz said.

Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez
Tempering his assessment with strong words of caution, the president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Health Network said Wednesday he is feeling pretty comfortable in offering up some good news.

Now in the sixth week and headed into the seventh week in the battle against COVID-19, the number of patients seeking care at LVHN hospitals has "probably" peaked, said Dr. Brian Nester.

Likewise, the number of patients who are hospitalized across the network's hospitals "may be approaching the peak," he said.

And although he won't know for another week or so, it looks like the network will be able to handle the coronavirus patient load without being "overrun."

"Which would be very good news," Nester said during a telephone town hall hosted by state Sen Pat Browne, R-Lehigh. "So we're pleased about that."

Critical care is being stretched more than other areas, and it remains to be seen how long the peak lasts -- in days or weeks, Nester said:

"But at least we are at the peak."

That peak in hospitalizations seems much, much lower than originally anticipated, Nester said. But this is no time to relax, as the regions overall COVID-19 caseload and deaths continue to climb, he cautioned.

Its only lower because of the practices that youve already been taking, like wearing a mask and socially isolating, Nester told Brownes constituents taking part in the call.

Nester predicted a difficult few weeks ahead.

This is going to be really tough for people to get their heads around, he said, with some people thinking that now we should be OK."

But the unfortunate answer to that is we wont be yet," he said. "So there wont be things like signing up for T-ball and attending sporting events, and thats going to be tough for people to understand.

COVID-19 projections from the University of Wisconsins Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predict that Pennsylvania hospitals resource needs will peak Thursday, with sufficient numbers of intensive-care unit and general hospital beds. In New Jersey, the IHME believes the hospital resource needs peaked April 9, with an ICU bed demand of 1,837 beds, outstripping the 1,372 beds available, and all-beds shortage of 44 beds.

New Jerseys health commissioner, Judith Persichilli, on Tuesday gave a different estimated peak target date and an even bigger anticipated surge number: 16,000 patients on April 25, including 3,821 in the ICU.

And this (number) will change tomorrow, Persichilli said.

Likewise, the IHME projects that New Jerseys death toll should have peaked at 272 per day on April 8, according to the institutes data last updated Monday. The states actual daily death toll has surpassed that, with 351 new deaths reported Wednesday, amid 71,030 confirmed cases.

Pennsylvanias deaths per day are projected by the IHME to peak Friday and Saturday at 88. The actual number of new deaths reported Wednesday in Pennsylvania was 60, with 26,490 confirmed cases.

Assuming full social distancing through May, the IHME is projecting total death tolls by August of 2,005 in Pennsylvania and 4,407 in New Jersey.

The actual tally of COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday was 647 in Pennsylvania and 3,156 in New Jersey, state officials said.

The daily increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths comes comes amid a debate over how long the coronavirus shutdown of daily life should go on.

Behind President Donald Trump's effort to accelerate re-opening the U.S. economy during the pandemic is a contingent of GOP allies eager to have his back.

Its very much time to start having that conversation and start figuring that out, said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who has shared his views with Trump.

In Pennsylvania, the GOP-controlled Legislature sent Gov. Tom Wolf a bill on Wednesday that would force him to allow some businesses to reopen, but its fate was unclear.

The Senate approved the legislation on a party-line vote, sending it to Wolf's desk for his signature.

Wolf hasnt explicitly said that he would veto it, although his health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, wrote to senators Wednesday to warn of the bills devastating impact on the administrations ability to fight the virus.

Republicans accused Wolf of overseeing a haphazard and secretive process for determining which businesses must close, and which may remain open. Democrats, in turn, accused Republicans of ignoring health experts and risking lives. Republicans countered they were merely trying to force Wolf to adopt guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov or covid19.nj.gov and the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover or a personal story you want to share.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Charlottetown councillor says residents in his ward are complaining of an odour coming from a facility that grows cannabis in their neighbourhood.

Greg Rivard says he's received about 15 complaints from residents in the northwest end of the city.

"I think with the nice weather starting, people are wanting to get their windows open and with that I think they're noticing the odour more," said Rivard.

"We're having senior staff of the city look into possible solutions."

The complaints started about six weeks ago, according to Rivard. The complaints are all from residents living within about 150 metres of the Figr greenhouses in the bioscience industrial park. The affected neighbourhoods include Hurry Road and the Sandalwood subdivision to the north of the plant, as well as homes in Orchard Park to the south, according to Rivard.

"I don't think it's a health risk, just a nuisance," he said.

Managers of the Figr facility said they're aware of the complaints and are working on a fix.

"We want to be a good neighbour," said Alex Smith, vice-president of operations for Figr.

The plant recently underwent a large expansion and harvesting operations are now underway on a daily basis, according to Smith. Certain strains of cannabis may produce more odour than others during the harvesting process, "and often gets misinterpreted as a skunk," Smith said.

The company is now adjusting air-quality control systems that were recently installed to better filter-out and where necessary, mask or neutralize the odours. The system could eventually be linked to outdoor atmospheric conditions, to respond to changes in wind direction and temperature.

"There's a number of different solutions that we have here," said Smith, "And obviously some that we're continuing to tweak.

"When you're expanding at a rapid pace and you're going through the growth that we're experiencing, you're going to have some learning curves."

Story continues

Senior staff at the city of Charlottetown are consulting with cities in other parts of Canada, as they investigate the issue and possible actions to resolve it.

"It may fall under the nuisance bylaw," said Rivard. "But again we don't want to go that far ... they certainly want to be good neighbours."

More from CBC P.E.I.
The Boris Johnson government was poised to announce an extension to the three-week lockdown on Thursday, as the number of deaths and cases from coronavirus approached 13,000 and 1 lakh respectively  making the UK one of the worst infected in Europe.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Johnson recovering from the virus, was due to announce the extension at the daily briefing in Downing Street on Thursday evening. Concerns grew for those infected and dying outside hospitals that are not reflected in daily figures.

UK-wide figures released on Wednesday evening showed 12,868 deaths and 98,476 cases.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Labour would support a three-week extension but said the best way out of the lockdown is to move to a testing and contact-tracing strategy.

Health secretary Matt Hancock stressed that the number of deaths is still far too high for any exit strategy to be set out, insisting that people must focus on staying at home. According to health minister Nadine Dorries, an exit strategy must await the mass availability of vaccine.

Dorries tweeted that journalists should stop asking about an exit strategy: There is only one way we can exit full lockdown and that is when we have a vaccine. Until then, we need to find ways we can adapt society and strike a balance between the health of the nation and our economy.

Hancock told Sky News on Thursday: I think what Nadine was saying is the idea that well immediately ... well just switch off all of the measures and return to some kind of ... to things exactly as they were - that is not likely in the short termThis will take time.

Meanwhile, epidemiologist Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, who is advising the government, called for more official action, and noted that more preparation had been done for Brexit, including a separate department, than to deal with the pandemic.

Ferguson told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Theres a lot of discussion. I would like to see action accelerated. I dont have a deep insight about whats going on in government, but decisions need to be accelerated. We need to put in place an infrastructure, a command and control structure, a novel organisation.

Im reminded we had a department for Brexit for government. That was a major national emergency and we are faced with something even larger than Brexit. And yet I dont quite see the evidence for that level of organisation. Id like to see measures accelerated.

He said some level of social distancing would need to be retained, a vaccine is available, calling for a single-minded emphasis on scaling up testing and contact tracing.

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Valued at dining room tables and factory floors alike, cassava is worth about $10 billion in Asia. The continued growth of the commodity faces challenges from climate change, land degradation and limited investment in crop improvement and disease

Half a century ago, cassava was a simple staple crop for some smallholder farmers in Asia eking out a living in harsh landscapes.

The hardy crop that Europeans brought from Latin America many centuries before was a dependable source of nutrition - as long as it was skillfully processed to remove the toxins from bitter types to be turned into food.

While sweet varieties of cassava remain a staple in places like Indonesia, which is the world's third-largest producer, things have changed a lot for Manihot esculenta, the scientific name for yuca, manioc or mandioca.

Today, yields in Asia have increased dramatically and industry is growing bitter varieties for starch, biofuels and a variety of other ingredients. In Southeast Asia, only sugarcane and rice surpass cassava in total tonnage produced. Some 8 million farmers from India to China depend on the crop for food and income.

Ideally suited to flourish despite climate change, cassava is poised to become an even more important crop in the next fifty years in Asia, argue scientists in a comprehensive review of cassava research over the last 50 years in Asia. The article was published in March in Breeding Science.

"We need to continue investment in increasing yields, even more so under climate change, land degradation and new pests and disease outbreaks; the next big thing is improving the resilience of our cassava resources," said Luis Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle, the program leader for cassava at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

The article looks at increases in yields, breeding strategies, development and deployment of different varieties over the last half-century. Countries in the study include China, India, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Authors from more than a dozen institutions contributed to the review, which summarizes major contributions from almost 170 different research articles.

The authors highlight the striking versatility and resilience of cassava, which has been gradually improved and adapted to local needs through cutting-edge plant breeding and agronomy. Thank the genebanks

Becerra said many advances are due to the rich collection of cassava germplasm at the Alliance's genebank in Colombia, which includes a large collection of native varieties generally more diverse than varieties found further afield. By tapping the resources of the genebank and collections kept by breeding programs around the world, scientists have found traits to make widely used varieties more productive and resistant to disease and climate extremes.

In Vietnam, yields have increased from about 3 tons per hectare to 20 tons, largely through improved varieties and fertilizer management. Intercropping - sowing other crops alongside cassava - and crop rotation to include maize, peanuts, and beans, has improved soil fertility and increase farmer incomes.

"The introduction of germplasm into national breeding programs from the Alliance combined with improved agronomic practices markedly increased cassava yield in the region," said lead author Al Imran Malik, who is based at the Alliance's Lao PDR office. Malik also credited partners who support the new ideas and initiatives.

In Indonesia, breeding has focused on better-tasting and more nutritious cassava. In China, scientists have bred high-starch industrial cassava ideal for higher latitudes, which are generally cooler than those in cassava's native range.

"Over the past decades, cassava researchers in Asia, particularly breeders, have had to respond to changing market and policy conditions to ensure that the crop and the farmers that grow it are competitive in global markets," said Jonathan Newby, the research coordinator for the Alliance's cassava program in Southeast Asia.

Across the region today, researchers study erosion and health of the soil, sustainable intensification, artificial intelligence, and advanced genetics for crop improvement. Scientists are also intensely focused on controlling emerging diseases, which threaten productivity gains. Last year, the Alliance worked with national researchers and partners to draw up an emergency control plan for cassava mosaic disease (CMD), a project led by Becerra.

Becerra is also a global research leader in the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas, which contributed to the study. Cassava cooperation

One of the great lessons of the review was the extent to which local collaboration and ground-up initiatives were key to cassava improvement in the region.

In particular, the Alliance led partnerships with national agricultural research institutes in the region. NARIs from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Cambodia collaborated on many border-crossing cassava projects in the last few decades.

Partnerships among research organizations in Asia facilitated the understanding of specific contexts, allowing researchers to create appropriate recommendations in breeding and agronomy so farmers could grow cassava in accordance with their needs.

The Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) emphasized that the development in cassava research in Asia has great potential outside the region.

"This work will not only contribute to the prosperity of cassava in Asia but also contribute to the food security of people in Africa," said Wenjun Ou, a co-author from CATAS.

Outside of research partnerships, Dr. Malik said funders have been key supporters for ongoing, long-term research. Continued partnerships and support are key for controlling CMD, which requires regionally coordinated efforts in research on seed systems, pest and disease control, and capacity-building. No longer 'a crop for the poor'

While there is still an impression that cassava is a poor man's crop in Asia, Becerra and Newby push back on this notion, highlighting its potential for wealth creation amongst smallholder farmers targeting a wide global market. "The future is bright for cassava as food and as an industrial ingredient in a range of new products that modern consumers demand," said Newby. "It will be critical that cassava breeders keep pace with these changes and opportunities to ensure that smallholder farmers in Asia continue to reap the benefits of this 'hidden' crop in our daily lives."

Becerra emphasized how different regions will contribute to a South-South knowledge transfer to ensure further prosperity for the crop, saying, "The key to cassava improvement is still at its center of origin. We ought to help sub-Saharan African farmers obtain the same genetic gains as Asian resource-poor farmers, where the Alliance built on genetic resources from Latin America."

###

About the Alliance

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people's lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future. http://www.bioversityinternational.org http://www.ciat.cgiar.org http://www.cgiar.org
A 60-year medical doctor, Emeka Chugbo, on Wednesday died of coronavirus infection at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

He is the first doctor to die of COVID-19 in Nigeria, after contracting the virus from a patient he was treating at his private facility.

The confirmed case Mr Chugbo was treating died at his facility on April 4, who was the second death case in Lagos State.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, who gave the update of the second death on April 4 said a COVID-19 patient; a 36-year old Nigerian male died in a private facility on 4th April 2020.

Chris Bode, the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, confirmed the death to THISDAY on Wednesday, saying the deceased doctor was rushed to the hospital after showing signs of the disease.

He was brought in late so there was no much we could do. He was a staff in LUTH years back before he went to join the private sector. We learnt he had COVID-19 patients in his facility that he was treating. He may have been exposed to the virus from there.

His death has shown what health workers are exposed to in the course of treating COVID-19 patients. Our hearts are with his family in this trying time. It is a sad development for us.

In a tribute to the deceased, Lawal Oyeneyin, who is also a medical doctor, said the late Mr Chugbo was a former senior resident of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in LUTH who left to set up his private practice in Lagos.

He contracted the virus from privately managing a known COVID-19 patient. He later fell ill and was receiving care at his hospital. When his condition deteriorated he was referred to LUTH in severe respiratory distress. I remember Dr Chugbo was a known asthmatic.

He was commenced on drugs but he did not really improved. He passed on Wednesday morning 15th April, Mr Oyeneyin wrote.

He added that Mr Chugbo was a good friend who exhibited exemplary brilliance and showed empathy for his patients.
COVID-19 has, to say the least, created a new financial reality for all Americans  including the countrys small businesses. Millions of small companies have been ordered to shut down, with many employees being forced to work from home  or, in all too many cases, being laid off. The resulting lack of incoming revenue has caused great concern for many business owners who are trying to cover the costs of running their company.

Here are some tips for small businesses that are struggling to keep their heads above water in these challenging times.

For those companies that have not already done so, incorporating virtual payment options into their businesses can enable them to partially overcome the lack of foot traffic in their businesses. Through eCommerce, they can operate an online store the enables customers to explore and purchase their products or services on the Internet.

Malvern Bank offers a number of other remote services such as Online Banking, Remote Deposit Capture, Mobile Deposit, Cash Management and the CardValet(R) app.

For those companies still in operation, working virtually has never been easier. Today, there are a number of free virtual technology resources to help make it possible for employees to work and collaborate remotely such as Google Meet and GoToMeeting. Such remote conferencing platforms can enable team members to connect with one another through video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaborations. There are also other online tools that help companies create online workflows, sales and marketing management, and other platforms to support ongoing remote connectivity.

To put themselves in the best position to reduce costs, companies should create an annual expense budget and sales forecast for their business and regularly compare actual spending and sales to their plans. These regular reviews will help companies better understand where their cash is going  and uncover opportunities to improve cash flow.

On a regular basis, companies should also review day-to-day expenditures on basic, ongoing needs such as printer/copier supplies and service and office cleaning services. Savings on these expenditures can really add up. Companies should get quotes for ongoing product and service needs at least once a year to ensure the company is getting the greatest value for their purchases.

When shopping for products or services, companies should ask vendors if they have some kind of promotional offer or rate. As the old saying goes, It doesnt hurt to ask  and companies will be surprised how often theyll obtain a reduced cost.

Many companies are demonstrating their flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the time to evaluate budgets and reduce expenses. It may set your business up to be more efficient in the future, as well as, assisting your business to survive during these uncertain times.

Businesses should check with their local banks, some of which, like Malvern Bank, are able to waive fees, defer mortgage and commercial loan payments and offer other forms of relief.

The Small Business Administration offers a variety of loans to small businesses. In addition to the loans the SBA typically guarantees through authorized banks, the agency allows most smaller companies to apply for a loan directly from the SBA through its Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.

Through the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Paycheck Protection Program, the U.S. government has approved nearly $350 billion to provide significant relief for small businesses, including $300 billion for SBA loan guarantees and subsidies and additional funding for SBA resources. These loans are intended to help small businesses keep workers employed during the pandemic and economic downturn with businesses being closed due to sheltering in place. The loans may be forgiven if borrowers maintain their payrolls during the crisis or restore their payrolls afterward.

Malvern Bank is a certified SBA lender and can guide small businesses through the CARES loan application process. The loans made through the Paycheck Protection Program are 100 percent guaranteed, have six months of deferred payments, and come with a two-year term at 1.00%.

Speaking of SBA loans, the agency may be able to help businesses prevent defaults on their loan payments due to their business inability to pay bills because of the coronavirus. The SBA may be able to help businesses restructure 7(a) loans, 504 loans and others.

The state of Pennsylvania has a number of business loans and other resource programs in effect that can provide low-cost financing for companies in need.

Buying local has never been more important, as businesses in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties are looking to purchase products and services from local vendors. These are people they know, and these vendors business successes will more often than not result in their own local purchases. For example, when companies do their business and personal banking at a community bank like Malvern Bank, that bank typically takes that money and lends it to other businesses and individuals in the area. These banks also tend to support local events and charities, thus bolstering the local community.

Anthony C. Weagley is president and CEO of Malvern Bank, National Association.
T hree new wildfires have broken out in the radiation-contaminated evacuation zone around the wrecked Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Officials said the fires, which started near the site of the world's worst nuclear accident 34 years ago, were small and posed no threat to facilities holding radioactive waste.

The Emergencies Ministry did not give an area for the fires or say how they started, but said they were being fanned by gusty winds.

Firefighters battled large blazes in the area for 10 days this month before reporting on Tuesday that they had been extinguished.

Chernobyl Forest Fire - In pictures 1 /16 Chernobyl Forest Fire - In pictures This aerial picture shows a forest fire burning at a 30km (19-mile) Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine, not far from the nuclear power plant. - Some 400 firefighters battle a blaze that broke out on April 4, 2020 in the wooded zone around the ruined Chernobyl reactor that exploded in 1986 in the world's worst nuclear accident. AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images via REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images

The fires are in the 2,600 sq km Chernobyl Exclusion Zone that was established after the 1986 disaster at the plant that sent a cloud of radioactive fallout over much of Europe.
FILE PHOTO: Specialists work on a crane in front of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Central Bank told euro zone finance ministers that the bloc may need fiscal measures worth up to 1.5 trillion euros ($1.6 trillion) this year to tackle the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, officials told Reuters.

An ECB spokesman declined to comment.

In a videoconference meeting, the EU Commission estimated that the bloc's economy could shrink by 10% this year, officials said. But ministers remained divided on how to boost the economy and failed to agree on a common text.

In the conference, which ended on Wednesday without a deal after 16 hours of talks, Germany, the Netherlands and other northern European countries were ready to support EU measures worth 500 billion euros, officials who participated in the meeting said.

The EU support would back up national measures, but the overall fiscal effort may not be enough to meet total financing needs, the officials said.

In the meeting France, Italy and Spain said the European effort to tackle the crisis should be well above 1 trillion euros this year, officials said, in line with the ECB estimate of financing needs of 1 to 1.5 trillion.

While the participants narrowed the gap in views during their lengthy talks, a deal could not be reached mostly due to resistance from the Netherlands and Italy, officials said.

Italy wanted a more ambitious agreement with clearer references to future common debt issuance, while the Netherlands pushed for conditions to any EU credit line to countries in need.

($1 = 0.9217 euros)

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Giles Elgood and Hugh Lawson)
Stone defense attorney Seth Ginsberg said Hart was not truthful when she said she did not recall commenting publicly on Stones case. Ginsberg cited her retweet of a news article the day of Stones arrest in January 2019 about him and other charged Trump associates, with the comment, Brought to you by the lock her up peanut gallery. Ginsberg also singled out an August post in which, he said, the foreperson equated being a supporter of Trump with being a racist.
About a week before Johana Patricias wedding, everyone across the country was asked to practice social distancing and not gather in groups larger than 50 people, and then no more than 10 people. A wedding seemed impossible, but her then-fiance, now husband, Miguel Delgado was confident they could overcome the logistics. And they did.

Instead of having a ceremony with family and then a larger reception party, the couple got married on a public access cliffside near Redondo Beach in California with eight guestsas luck would have it, just before public parks and beaches were closed. Their siblings were able to attend, as well as their friend who officiated, a photographer, and videographer. Although their parents all live close by, Patricia and Delgado worried about their health. So Delgados sister streamed the ceremony so their parents and family, who would have attended the private ceremony, could still participate.

It was very emotional for them, Patricia said. They are both close with their families, she said, and their families happiness must have been mingled with sadness that they were apart. For her, that thought was a little heartbreaking.

He got ready in one room, I got ready in another room. He left first so that he wouldnt see me and then I made my way there, and we all met there, Patricia said. With fortuitous timing, they got married on March 21.

Patricia is grateful they opted for their quick ceremony because looking back, they wouldnt be able to do now what they did less than a month ago. They also got their marriage license a month agoand now they arent being issued. They plan to have a reception sometime down the road when more people can gather again, but are reluctant to set a date.

After the ceremony, they went straight home. Patricias sister dropped off pizza, they toasted with whiskey, and had their first dance in the living room.

They considered redoing the ceremony for others once people could gather again, but realized what they had that day couldnt be recreated.

It was just so special how it all unfolded, Patricia said. It turned out perfectly imperfect for us.

Why Not?

In Iowa, Brooke Van Sickle had been planning a wedding for 15 months that could now no longer take place. Over 250 people were going to meet out of town at a large venue with all the bells and whistles.

Instead, we did it in our house with just three other couples, so it was only 10 people total including the person who married us and a photographer, Van Sickle said. We had been engaged for 15 months, and  we were ready to be married. Our state hadnt done one of those lockdowns yet, so we were still able to at least have a couple people over.

The decorations were already at their house, and they figured, Why not? They ran to the grocery store to pick up a random cake they were able to find and a bouquet of flowers.

It turned out to be a relief, Van Sickle said. In the days leading up to the wedding, things were in flux and they didnt know if people could travel, but then once they decided they had to pare down the ceremony, the pressure was off.

Its just really relaxed, which is nice, Van Sickle said. Their vendors were fantastic and agreed to refund them in full. It was more of what we were wanting, so for us it was really nice. Planning a wedding is so much drama and stress, and so when you actually came to the day of and have no stress and just be really relaxed and just get to enjoy time together, and share love with those that we love was really nice.

The couple will also host a reception sometime later, as well as a photoshoot of them getting married and having their first dance in empty spaces to remember the event, and Van Sickle will get the opportunity to wear the wedding dress her mother made for her.

I feel like I need to wear it! she said. It might be more of a party instead of a traditional-style reception.

As social distancing extended past March, couples and businesses have had to quickly adapt. Wedding planner Ivy Summer had live-streamed her own wedding several years ago and had been working on a book with case studies and advice when the pandemic erupted. Weddings are all about being socialas much for the guests as for the coupleand people are scared right now, Summer said. Most couples are working to reschedule their weddings after fall, and vendors have been working to keep up. Not all businesses have been able to, though; Summer said shes heard from many couples who found out their venues have closed and filed for bankruptcy.

Event planner Aimee Palifroni has also had clients cancel because of job and financial losses, and said the situations really run the gamut. Many people are rescheduling or going forward with a small ceremony and later reception, but the majority of her clients with summer weddings are going to move forward as planned.

Life Goes On

In the UK, which announced a lockdown on March 23, Enakeno Ogbo still found a way to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Her original plans were a classical concert with her mother and friends, some afternoon tea, and a party with family in the evening. With the lockdown, she was stuck at home instead, but her sister planned not one but six virtual parties so different circles could participate.

It was awesome, she said. Lots of dancing. We brought in the same cake six times, and I blew the candles six times, and [we sang] happy birthday six times.

Much better than my original plans, she said, although my mum was not able to be with me.

In the Virgin Islands, life went on amid a lockdown, and Asya and Matt got engaged on March 15. On the 29th, they contacted photographer Anne Bequette, who had been self-quarantined at home on St. John. Bequette started receiving cancellations since March 17, when her first bride who was coming by cruise said she would not be going.

The islands are not unaccustomed to disaster: summer is hurricane season, and things close down until it becomes a ghost town. But it was six weeks too early, and the pandemic had taken all of Bequettes business with it.

I got really excited to actually have a reason to use my camera, because thats my go-to tool when Im dealing with something traumatic like this, Bequette said. The islands, whose economies rely on tourism, have only just recovered from the Category 5 Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In the aftermath of that trauma, Bequette channeled her grief into a photo series, a project she learned helped other residents heal as well.

Using a camera, I think its such a fascinating tool. Its a universal language that speaks to the heart, and theres no language barrier in photography, Bequette said.

From that experience, she learned that not just life but love also goes on, even during a disaster.

Asya and Matt met during disaster relief after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and they both work at the local no-kill shelter, St. John Animal Care Center, where they adopted their rescue dog Calichi.

Bequette, armed with Lysol and other disinfecting agents for the photoshoot she would do from at least six feet away, asked about their story.

He said it was planned and in the works before the pandemic started making news in China, Bequette said. The spread of the virus was a reminder to him of how quickly things can change in life and the importance of treasuring those you love. Theyd already gone through one apocalypse together, and this one looming was just affirmation that he wouldnt want to go through with it or life in general with anyone else other than Asya.

They wanted to continue on with what every newly engaged couple would normally want, which is engagement photos. So we made it happen and we got lucky. The day after our shoot, unbeknownst to us, the entire national park, the beaches, all the trails were closed, Bequette said.

I think its really important to remember that amidst this worldwide pandemic that life has not halted. Albeit it must go on in limited and extremely different ways, we have to remember now more than ever to remind ourselves of the little things that we often overlook in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Bequette said.

Were all so caught up in the news and social media that we forget what we have right in front of us. Love isnt canceled, nor is hope, and for many, this quarantine time highlighted that, and for me, this photoshoot highlighted and reminded me as well. I love documenting love, and the raw beauty of a moment. It was extra special to capture this photoshoot because it did give me hope.
Sachin Jadhav, a tempo driver, delivers food packets to the needy who have been affected by the lockdown which is in place to contain the spread of Sars-Cov-2 virus which causes the Covid-19 (coronavirus) infection. The food packets are provided by various non-government organisations (NGOs) which is delivered by Swiggy, an online food ordering and delivery platform. He speaks to HT about his role.

What is your role in this crisis?

Since the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 many people fled to their villages. I too thought of taking my wife and child to our village near Sangli, but, by then, the lockdown was in effect. There are many people who are daily wage earners who have no source of income during this time of crisis. As a result, they would have to starve without any food coming their way. I have been hired by Swiggy to help deliver the food plates to the people who have no way to buy food for themselves. I pick up the food plates from the designated kitchens and deliver it to the places they ask me to. This way, at least 2,000 people get to eat daily. Though I had no work for the first week, this job came my way and I am happy that I can help those who are worse off than me.

How does your day begin and roll out?

I live in Bhosari with my seven-year-old son and wife. I start from my home at 9 am. I drive to the kitchen in Hinjewadi that prepares the food for the morning shift. I reach there by 10 am. The food packets are loaded onto my tempo, after which, my job is to deliver it to two sites, Phursungi and Yerawada. I get to the delivery spots where the parcels are offloaded. I generally finish the two sites by 1-1.30 pm. I eat my tiffin that my wife packs for me and then head back to the second kitchen at Balewadi. From this kitchen I have to deliver the food packets to three sites - first to Budhwar peth (500 plates); then I drive to Kondwa where 600 packets are offloaded; and then Yerwada where 200-300 plates are given. After this, around 8pm, I head back home.

What precautions are you taking?

Ive bought a face mask, sanitiser and gloves. I wear a mask and gloves especially when the food is being loaded and offloaded since that has a lot of people around. But whilst I am driving and the roads are quite free and I am not at the signal, I let the mask drop. It does tend to get very hot with it. I use the sanitiser when I get in and out of the tempo. When I get home, I take a bath and my clothes are washed. I do not touch anything till I have bathed.

What is your assessment of the Covid-19 crisis in Pune? How is it unfolding?

I think everyone should do their bit in this fight against Covid-19. Whist I am driving I see some places where people loiter on the streets. I wish they would be more responsible and sit at home instead. This infection is very dangerous and the less we get out of our homes the better. This epidemic is taking its toll not only on human lives, but also on our earnings. The government and non-government organisation (NGOs) are doing their best to provide food to the poor, but people who are daily wagers or who dont have a job are on very shaky ground. In 15 days, I had work for just eight days. I have an EMI of Rs 9,500 to pay for my tempo. Of course, I get an extension of two months, but the sooner we get out of this Covid-19 the better it will be.

What gaps do you see in healthcare and relief work?

I think the food delivery system that is being taken up by various agencies is good. People are now getting food, but the real trouble is lack of jobs. The poor can get help from the government or NGOs, but for small-time businessmen like me, it is very hard. We cannot seek help and yet have financial responsibilities. Along with food and temporary shelter the government should think of providing jobs as well.
A video of the brutal apprehension of an Armenian man by the Moscow traffic police has been posted on social media.

In the commentary attached to the video, it is mentioned that the video was shot on Monday morning, and the driver is Vachagan Ovasapyan, a Russian citizen of Armenian origin.

It is also stated that during the apprehension, these police officers had beaten the driver, as a result of which he suffered a concussion, facial bone fractures, and many bruises.

RUSARMINFO managed to contact Vachagan's brother, Artak Ovasapyan, and found out that the reason for this altercation with his brother was the traffic police officers refusal to return his driver's license, after which, according to Artak, Vachagan was thrown to the ground and beaten.

Doctors had to take Vachagan to the hospital from the pretrial detention center.

Vachagan Ovasapyan, and the witness who videotaped the beating have already filed several complaints with law enforcement, followed by a response from the said traffic police officers that Vachagan had hit them.

Vachagan Ovasapyan now stands trial as a suspect on charges using force against civil servants.

His precautionary measure is being determined.
Sudhir Suryawanshi By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: There seems to be some good news amid coronavirus gloom as the COVID-19 curve in Mumbai appears to be flattening despite having crossed over 2,000 cases.

According to a BMC report on Thursday, a total of 2,043 coronavirus patients and 116 deaths were cumulatively detected with 202 recoveries.

Three COVID-19 patients died since Wednesday night, taking the death toll due to the pandemic in the city to 116, said a BMC release.

"Two of those died had co-morbidities (existing health issues) and one had both co-morbidities and age-related factors," said a BMC officer.

In Mumbai, the largest number of coronavirus patients have been detected in Prabhadevi, Worli and Lower Parel that are 390 while 162 cases in Byculla, 135 in Tardeo, Peddar road and Malabar Hill.

Dharavi slum has witnessed the highest 26 coronavirus positive patients in single day while the total number of patients are 86 with nine deaths.

The fall in coronavirus positive patients are attributed to not testing the asymptomatic patients.

Mumbai #COVID__19 positive patients progressive total -- 2043, death 116 while 202 discharge.

Today's report -- patients 107 while three deaths and 21 discharge @NewIndianXpress @mybmc pic.twitter.com/qWznKso8rz  Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) April 16, 2020

The symptoms of coronavirus are not yet seen in almost 60 to 70 per cent persons while 25 per cent persons are showing mild symptoms and only less than five per cent patients are serious.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray while interacting with people of the state via facebook live told that the number of patients getting cured is increasing in the state, adding that a six-month old baby-boy and an 83 year old woman had also gotten cured and been discharged.

Thackeray also shared updates about Maharashtra's first two COVID-19 cases that of a couple from Pune, detected on March 9, 2020.

Both these patients were sent home on March 23 after successful treatment in Pune. They need to be mentioned as first two patients in state who got cured. After this while number of Corona patients is on a rise, the number of cured patients is also increasing, chief minister added.

Health Minister Rajesh Tope said state health machinery is taking efforts to increase the extent of cured patients.

Out of cured patients, Mumbai has 166, nine in Thane, 14 in Kalyan Dombivli while two in Mira Bhayander, nine in Navi Mumbai, three in Panvel, one in Ulhasnagar, two in Vasai Virar, eleven in Nagpur, 27 in Pune, 12 in Pimpri Chinchwad 12, Tope said.

(With PTI inputs)
Red Cross to oversee Alan Kurdi migrant quarantine 146 to be transferred to CIN ship

(ANSAmed) - ROME, APRIL 16 - Those onboard the Alan Kurdi migrant rescue ship will spend the required quarantine period onboard a ship of the Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione (CIN), according to a statement issued by the infrastructure and transport ministry Thursday. On the request of Minister Paola De Micheli, Civil Protection chief Angelo Borrelli on Thursday signed an agreement with which the Italian Red Cross will be the implementing body to provide lodging assistance and health monitoring of the 146 migrants rescued at sea by the Alan Kurdi ship currently in Italian search and rescue waters near the Palermo port.



The transfer will take place on Friday morning after the Red Cross completes preparations for its assistance.(ANSAmed).




Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to his counterpart from Bhutan and King Abdullah of Jordan on the covid-19 pandemic that has sickened two million people across the world and claimed almost 140,000 lives.

The conversations with the leaders of Bhutan and Jordan are part of the prime minister's interactions with world leaders on the covid-19 which has resulted in lockdowns in countries across the world as they enforce social distancing in a bid to stem the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes covid-19.

"Exchanged thoughts with @PMBhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering on the evolving COVID-19 situation in our region. His Majesty The King and Lyonchhen are leading Bhutan's efforts admirably. India will stand by our close friend and neighbour in fighting the effects of the pandemic," Modi said in a Twitter post.

Bhutan is one of 55 countries India has sent a consignment of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) - an anti malarial drug that is seen as useful in the treatment of covid-19. To Bhutan and some of India's other neighbours, the medicine consignment has been sent as a gift. But to 24 or the 55 countries cited above, India has exported the medicine on commercial terms, a person familiar with the matter said.

On his conversation with the King of Jordan, Modi said: "Spoke with His Majesty @KingAbdullahII about the challenges posed by COVID-19. We agreed that India and Jordan would collaborate closely during this crisis, to support each other in controlling the pandemic and its effects."

Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE are long the countries in the West Asia/ Gulf region that India has sent consignments of HCQ to.
Company well-financed with ample resources to reach commercial milestones in H2 2020

VANCOUVER, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Cannara Biotech Inc. ("Cannara" or the "Company") (CSE: LOVE) (OTCQB: LOVFF) (FRA: 8CB), an emerging vertically integrated cannabis company focused on indoor cultivation, processing and sale of premium dried cannabis and cannabis-derivative products, today announced financial results for the three and six-month periods ended February 29, 2020. Unless otherwise noted, all dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars.

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

On January 31, 2020 , the Company, via its subsidiary, Cannara Biotech ( Quebec ) Inc. ("Cannara QC"), received its licence from Health Canada for Phase 1 of the Farnham Facility, and as a result, the cultivation operations were officially launched on February 3, 2020 .

, the Company, via its subsidiary, Cannara Biotech ( ) Inc. ("Cannara QC"), received its licence from Health Canada for Phase 1 of the Farnham Facility, and as a result, the cultivation operations were officially launched on . The Company expects its first harvest on April 20 and under the current schedule is targeting two harvests per week thereafter. The multipurpose 170,000 sq. ft. of licenced area, which includes state-of-the-art processing capabilities, has an annual cultivation capacity estimated at up to 20,000 kg per year.

"From a cultivation perspective, the first 10 weeks could not have gone any better than they have, with the plants responding very positively to the environmental conditions at Farnham. We are currently cultivating 16 carefully selected premium genetics with a bank of over 200 additional strains," said Barry Laxer, COO of Cannara Biotech (Quebec) Inc.

With respect to the ongoing Covid-19 concerns, the Farnham facility is essentially unaffected. Having been designed and operated as a pharma-grade operation, full gowning protocols and comprehensive sanitation practices and equipment are all in place precisely to prevent viral contaminations and other foreign contagions from entering the facility. All employees have been instructed on and encouraged to practice best social distancing behaviours. Otherwise, the facility is operating under normal protocol, albeit under a heightened sense of observation and cautiousness. Over fifty employees are currently employed at the Farnham facility and hiring continues as operations ramp up.

"Fiscally, Cannara is well fortified with more than $14 million of cash on hand as of the end of February, providing sufficient funds for the Company to execute its business plan and reach commercial milestones in the second half of 2020 and beyond," commented Lennie Ryer, Cannara's CFO.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The Company operates in two segments: 1) Indoor cannabis operations which encompasses the cultivation, processing and sale of premium dried cannabis and cannabis-infused products exclusively for the Canadian market (Canadian operations) and 2) E-commerce retailer of curated selection of top tier U.S. hemp-based CBD products exclusively for the U.S. market. (U.S. operations).

Canadian Operations

For the three and six-month periods ended February 29, 2020, the segment had not yet generated cannabis-related revenues from its Canadian operations since the cultivation activities commenced in February 2020 following the grant of the cultivation licence. As at February 29, 2020, Cannara QC has not yet harvested its first crop.

For the three-month period ended February 29, 2020, the segment incurred $2,666,770 in operating expenses compared to $1,375,075 in the same period of the prior year resulting in an unfavorable increase in operating expenses of $1,291,695.

For the six-month period ended February 29, 2020, the segment incurred $4,522,784 in operating expenses compared to $3,565,846 in the same period of the prior year resulting in an unfavorable increase in operating expenses of $956,938.

The increase in operating expenses is mainly attributable to:

An increase of $669,025 and $729,280 in general and administrative expenses for the three and six-month periods as a result of expenses incurred to prepare and launch the operations at the Farnham Facility, including costs for general maintenance of the building and additional insurance costs;

and in general and administrative expenses for the three and six-month periods as a result of expenses incurred to prepare and launch the operations at the Farnham Facility, including costs for general maintenance of the building and additional insurance costs; An increase of $439,812 and $370,809 in salaries and benefits expenses for the three and six-month periods as a result of recent hires made to prepare for the commencement of operations and be ready to cultivate following the reception of the Licence from Health Canada;

and in salaries and benefits expenses for the three and six-month periods as a result of recent hires made to prepare for the commencement of operations and be ready to cultivate following the reception of the Licence from Health Canada; An increase of $368,675 and $598,050 in research and development for the three and six- month periods as a result of the initial expenses incurred to research, test and develop Cannara's cultivation methodologies and the material and labor costs related to its first harvest (refer to note 12 of the Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements);

and in research and development for the three and six- month periods as a result of the initial expenses incurred to research, test and develop Cannara's cultivation methodologies and the material and labor costs related to its first harvest (refer to note 12 of the Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements); An increase of $133,693 in investor relation expenses for the six-month period as the Company had only gone public on January 14, 2019 . Investor relation expenses for the three-month period was or were similar compared to same period of prior year;

in investor relation expenses for the six-month period as the Company had only gone public on . Investor relation expenses for the three-month period was or were similar compared to same period of prior year; A decrease of $99,108 and $347,602 in marketing expenses for the three and six-month periods as the Company postponed marketing spend until it received its Licence to further develop the Company's cannabis brand portfolio; and

and in marketing expenses for the three and six-month periods as the Company postponed marketing spend until it received its Licence to further develop the Company's cannabis brand portfolio; and A decrease of $78,663 and $511,647 in professional fees for the three and six-month periods as a result of expenses incurred in the same period of the prior year to prepare the Company to become a publicly listed entity on the Canadian Stock Exchange.

The segment operating loss for the three and six-month period ended February 29, 2020 was $2,666,770 and $4,522,784 compared to $1,375,075 and $3,565,846 in the same period of prior year.

U.S. Operations

For the three-month period ended February 29, 2020, the Company generated product revenue of $7,354 and incurred $7,947 in costs of goods sold resulting in a loss of $593 compared to nil for the same period as prior year. The segment incurred $522,053 in operating expenses compared to $458,451 in the same period of prior year resulting in an unfavorable increase in operating expenses of $63,602.

For the six-month period ended February 29, 2020, the Company generated product revenue of $13,075 and incurred $11,870 in costs of goods sold resulting in a profit of $1,205 compared to nil for the same period as prior year. The segment incurred $1,123,022 in operating expenses compared to $458,451 in the same period of prior year resulting in an unfavorable increase in operating expenses of $664,571.

For the three-month period ended February 29, 2020, the segment incurred $522,646 in operating loss from its U.S. operations, of which $314,609 is attributable to the shareholders of the Company compared to $458,451 in the same period of prior year, of which $324,842 is attributable to the shareholders of the Company.

For the six-month period ended February 29, 2020, the segment incurred $1,121,817 in operating loss from its U.S. operations, of which $692,012 is attributable to the shareholders of the Company compared to $458,451 in the same period of prior year, of which $324,842 is attributable to the shareholders of the Company.

Other

In order to optimize cash flow while the Company has unoccupied space in the Farnham Facility, the Company leased 423,551 square feet of the total 625,000 available square feet to three tenants.

For the three and six-month period ended February 29, 2020, the Company generated lease revenues of $641,480 and $1,169,008 compared to $518,438 and $1,036,881 in the same period of prior year as a result of the addition of a new tenant. In order to realize these lease revenues during the three and six-month periods ended February 29, 2020, the Company spent $190,352 and $219,984 in lease operating costs compared to $81,836 and $134,374 in the same periods of prior year. The increase in lease operating expenses is attributable to the operating costs of the new tenant as well as general operating and maintenance expenses incurred for the tenants.

For the three and six-month period ended February 29, 2020, the segment generated $470,727 and $968,623 in operating income which is comparable to $436,602 and $902,507 earned in the same period of prior year. The additional income from the new tenant was offset by the increased general operating and maintenance expenses incurred on behalf of the tenants.

The segment net loss for the three-month period ended February 29, 2020 was $547,656 compared to $2,178,400 in the same period of prior year, resulting in a favorable decrease of $1,630,744.The segment net loss for the six-month period ended February 29, 2020 was $1,033,471 compared to $2,292,855 in the same period of prior year, resulting in a favorable decrease of $1,259,384.

Overall results

For the three-month period ended February 29, 2020, the Company reported a total consolidated comprehensive loss of $3.7 million or a loss per share of $0.01 compared to $4.0 million or a loss per share of $0.01 in the same period of prior year.

For the six-month period ended February 29, 2020, the Company reported a total consolidated comprehensive loss of $6.7 million or a loss per share of $0.01 compared to $6.3 million or a loss per share of $0.01 in the same period of prior year

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

The Company reported a net working capital amount of $7,433,349 as at February 29, 2020 (August 31, 2019 - $22,737,628). The decrease in net working capital is mainly attributable to the classification of the new mortgage which has been classified as current on the condensed interim consolidated statement of financial position as the agreement includes a condition that the mortgage is repayable on demand. As at February 29, 2020, the Company's cash on hand was $14,559,795 (August 31, 2019 - $26,505,992). Of the balance of cash on hand, $9,048,838 (August 31, 2019 - $18,905,198) is held by Cannara, Cannara OPS and Cannara QC for use towards the Company's Canadian and other operations and $5,510,957 (August 31, 2019 - $7,600,794) is held by Global shopCBD.com and ShopCBD.com to fund its U.S. operations.

The Company believes it has expended most of the required capital required to operationalize Phase 1 of the Farnham Facility. During the year ending August 31, 2020, the Company anticipates to further spend on production equipment related to cannabis packaging and derivatives.

The Company expects that its existing cash resources as at February 29, 2020 will enable it to fund its planned operating expenses for at least the next twelve months from February 29, 2020.

OPERATING ACTIVITIES

For the three and six-month periods February 29, 2020, cash used for operating activities was $1,426,337 and $4,810,062. The cash flow used in operating activities was primarily attributable to expenses relating to salaries of personnel, expenses to finalize construction of Phase 1 of the Farnham Facility and commence operations including research and development expenses related to cultivation activities, professional fees for the development of the Company's business operations, additional insurance premiums to cover a purpose-built cannabis facility and offices, travel and public company related expenses.

FINANCING ACTIVITIES

For the three-month period ended February 29, 2020, cash used in financing activities was $17,812, of which $75,000 was attributable to principle payments against the mortgage outstanding to a Canadian financial institution, interest paid on the mortgages of $159,792 and $79,976 for lease-related payments offset by cash received from warrants that were exercised for $300,000.

For the six-month period ended February 29, 2020, cash used in financing activities was $417,279 which is mainly attributable to the proceeds of $6,000,000 related to a first mortgage with a Canadian financial institution and cash received from warrants that were exercised for $320,000 offset by the principal repayment of $6,000,000 towards the outstanding mortgage to a related private lender, interest paid on the mortgages of $461,660 and $148,880 on lease-related payments.

INVESTING ACTIVITIES

For the three-month period ended February 29, 2020, cash used for investing activities was $943,647 which is mainly attributable to the construction and the acquisition of production equipment of $945,344 in order to render Phase 1 of the Farnham Facility operational, investment of $95,551 for the technical development of its online e-commerce platform in relation to its U.S. operations offset by the interest income of $97,248 relating to interest earned on the cash balance held at Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada ("CIBC").

For the six-month period ended February 29, 2020, cash used for investing activities was $6,699,109 which is mainly attributable to the construction and the acquisition of production equipment of $6,730,924 in order to render Phase 1 of the Farnham Facility operational, investment of $154,214 for the technical development of its online e-commerce platform in relation to its U.S. operations offset by the interest income of $186,029 relating to interest earned on the cash balance held at a CIBC.

There is no restriction on the Company's ability to use its cash for its operational needs while it earns interest on the unused balance.

OUTSTANDING SHARES

As at the date of this report, the Company had 709,970,705 common shares outstanding. There were 11,748,710 warrants and 38,221,000 options issued.

For further information, the complete Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three and six month periods ended February 29, 2020, along with additional information about the Company and all of its public filings are available at www.sedar.com and the Company's website.

About Cannara Biotech Inc.

Cannara Biotech Inc. (CSE: LOVE) (OTCQB: LOVFF) (FRA: 8CB) has built one of the largest indoor cannabis cultivation facilities (625,000 square feet) in Canada and the largest in Quebec. Leveraging Quebec's low electricity costs, Cannara Biotech Inc.'s facility will produce premium-grade indoor cannabis and cannabis-derivative products for the Canadian and international markets.

The CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This information release contains certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Cannara Biotech Inc.

Related Links

http://cannara.ca/


Two Covid-19 patients recovered from the disease in Assam on Wednesday - the first for the state - after their samples were found negative in repeated tests.

The two patients, both with links to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, were released from the Sonapur district hospital on the outskirts of Guwahati on Wednesday evening.

Both the patients were tested twice, once on April 13 and again the next day and all the results came negative for Covid-19. Chest X-ray and doctor reports also say they have no symptoms now, said Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Assam has 32 Covid-19 positive cases as on Wednesday. While 29 are recovering in various hospitals, two have been discharged and one has died.

As per World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, patients will be under home quarantine for another 14 days after they test negative. In Assam, the government has arranged a guest house in Jagiroad where the two patients will spend the next two weeks.

They will be allowed to meet their family members and will be able to lead normal lives for the next 14 days, said Sarma.

We hope that on Thursday we will be able to release three more patients in Goalpara district. Within April 20 we hope release most of the patients from hospitals, Sarma said.

In Assam, Golaghat district has reported the highest Covid-19 cases (nine), followed by four each from Goalpara, Nalbari Morigaon and Dhubri, two from Silchar, one each from Hailakandi, Kamrup (M), Kamrup, Lakhimpur and South Salmara.

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The Minister of Health of Ukraine Maxym Stepanov said that in a lockdown leaving Ukraine for medical treatment abroad is "extremely limited" for Ukrainians. This was announced by the Health Minister during a briefing broadcast by the 112 Ukraine TV channel.

According to Stepanov, this issue is under his personal control and the Ministry of Health is looking for any opportunity to provide Ukrainians for treatment abroad.

"The Ministry of Health is constantly considering all applications, working in its normal mode to consider for payment and deciding on treatment abroad. The last commission was held yesterday, where a decision was made on 79 patients," he said.

The head of the Health Minister also noted that the ministry is now dealing with the issue of importing drugs for patients with epilepsy.

Today we have 20 thousand children with epilepsy in Ukraine. We are currently dealing with importation issues, including this category of patients, and we are talking with our importers about what kind of help they need from the Ministry of Health in order to provide patients with medicine. There also exist alternative medicine produced by Ukrainian manufacturers," Stepanov said.

As it was reported earlier, production of a drug for the treatment of COVID-19 has officially begun in Ukraine. Darnitsa Pharmaceutical Company has passed state registration for hydroxychloroquine. It is an experimental drug that is included in the coronavirus treatment protocol.
Aqua workers rebuild a water main in Upper Darby Township a couple years ago. The township council voted Wednesday night to require inspections of sewer laterals before home sales. Read more

Upper Darby Township will require homeowners in the most populous municipality in the region outside of Philadelphia to have their sewer lines inspected before selling their property, a move Realtors called ineffective at solving the townships problems with an aging sewer system and untimely given real estate challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Sewer pipe inspections cost a few hundred dollars and repairs can cost thousands, which would put a strain on sellers and could make selling homes more expensive and difficult, especially as the pandemic disrupts the housing market, local Realtors said.

Township officials said they were looking out for the interest of buyers, making sure that what is likely one of the biggest purchases of their lives does not include surprise sewer problems. A growing number of municipalities are passing or considering similar laws.

By a 7-4 vote Wednesday, the Delaware County townships council passed its ordinance in an attempt to prevent fresh water from entering and overwhelming the municipal sewer system through dilapidated pipes. The law requires inspections of sewer laterals, the pipes that connect homes to the main sewer system, when owners transfer property or change its use. Many homeowners dont know that they own their sewer laterals.

Township officials believe the ordinance, which takes effect immediately and gives homeowners 12 months to fix defects, will make Upper Darby more attractive to home buyers.

We want to give people confidence to invest in Upper Darby Township, said Vincent Rongione, the townships chief administrative officer.

So far this year, the township has spent about $75,000 on overtime pay for sewer maintenance workers, he said. The townships director of licenses and inspections said several sewer backups occur each week due to the old and overwhelmed system, sometimes spewing wastewater onto streets and sidewalks. Sometimes the sewer main is the problem, and sometimes its the laterals.

We think [the ordinance] will save the taxpayers money over time, Rongione said.

At least a few other municipalities in the region, including Montgomery Countys Jenkintown Borough, have similar ordinances, and more places are considering it, he said.

The Suburban Realtors Alliance, based in Chester County, calls Upper Darbys ordinance a Band-Aid, estimating that the approach means the township will inspect 1% to 2% of sewer laterals each year.

The group worked with Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, a few years ago to develop its sewer lateral ordinance. It requires the township to repair the main sewer system and inspect all private laterals over the following years. Residents have 60 days to complete repairs when problems are found.

Jamie Ridge, the alliances president, accused the Upper Darby council of rushing through the ordinance during a public health crisis as buyers and sellers are struggling to complete sales. The meeting was livestreamed and the public could leave comments by phone or email.

Rongione called the lateral issue "an ongoing problem that gets worse every day as the infrastructure continues to deteriorate, and said the township is allowed to continue regular business during the virus outbreak.

The Realtors had asked council members to delay action on the ordinance until the pandemic is over and develop a more comprehensive sewer maintenance solution, including studying where the bulk of infiltration into the sewer system originates.

The timing of this proposed ordinance  during a national health and economic emergency of unprecedented consequences  could not be worse for Upper Darby homeowners, Ridge wrote in a letter to the council last week. Financially strapped owners would have an even harder time selling, he said.

Kay Pugh, a Realtor and Upper Darby resident and a board member of the Suburban Realtors Alliance, said that during her 10 years of doing business in Delaware County, shes seen home sales fall apart because of expensive repairs needed on sewer laterals right before closing.

"We will close less deals in Upper Darby Township because of this ordinance, said Pugh, an agent with Keller Williams Real Estate.

Councilmember Hafiz Tunis Jr. said the ordinance gives an added layer of transparency to home sales and keeps home buyers from being left with the burden of repairing pipes once something goes wrong.

"I see in the future this becomes a strong selling point for Realtors, he said.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says his government is battle-ready to fight the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. In an email interview to HT, he spoke about how his government is working to ensure food for the people amid the nationwide lockdown, which was enforced on March 25 to contain the spread of Covid-19 outbreak and has since been extended till May 3, and drafting policies for hassle-free transportation of essential commodities. Edited excerpts from the interview:

Q: Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state. How many tests per million have been conducted till now? What other measures are being taken to assess the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, and its containment?

A: The entire country is fighting against Covid-19 us under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a battle to save humanity. The state government is working as per his guidance and the central governments guidelines. Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the country, and it is a big challenge for us to prevent the spread of Covid-19 here. We started working to prevent the outbreak soon after its alarm was sounded. In the last one month, where only 200 tests could have been performed in one laboratory, now 14 testing labs are functional and 2,500 tests are being done. Uttar Pradesh is also the first state in the country where Covid-19 pool testing has started. In pool testing, 8, 16 or 32 samples are being tested at a time. We have also identified and sealed hotspots in every district to prevent the spread of Covid-19. We have allowed only people associated with three essential services to enter these sealed areas -- the medical team, those related to sanitisation of houses and doorstep delivery.

Q: UP has a large population of migrant workers, a sizeable percentage of whom, are back in the state. There are concerns that many of them may not be able to or may not even want to go back to their jobs when the lockdown restrictions are lifted. How will the state take care of thousands of unemployed people?

A: Our government is serious about this issue. During the lockdown and after it is lifted, the state government will try to accelerate the infrastructure and labour-oriented projects that will provide maximum employment in a short time. We will also bring in more labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). Besides, the state government is also working on other schemes. We have constituted 11 committees under the chairmanship of ministers to draft a policy towards strengthening the states economy after the lockdown is lifted and to further extend the employment activities.

Q: The pandemic has dealt a blow to the global economy. How will the lockdown, now extended till May 3, impact the states economy? How will the state emerge from the blow?

A: The state government is working on a long-term strategy to give momentum to the economy. Our government has taken many important decisions in the cabinet meeting regarding this. State government policies are being formulated in keeping with the PMs message of Jaan Bhi-Jahan Bhi. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is heading the committee constituted to restart construction work on major projects of expressways, highways, public works department (PWD), and other departments. The committee, headed by Finance minister Suresh Khanna, will offer recommendations about which services should be carried forward to maintain the revenue receipts in the state. This committee will also recommend measures for the industrial sector and begin work in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Another committee, headed by Labour Minister Swami Prasad Maurya, will give recommendations to protect the interests of workers. We have also started work to ensure that farmers do not face any problem in harvesting, availability of seeds and purchase of their crops. We have started purchasing crops at the minimum support price (MSP) from April 15. Farmer producer organisations are being encouraged to buy crops from the farmers home or fields. In order to facilitate the harvesting of Rabi crop, our government has given an exemption to labourers or farmers while observing social distancing and has issued passes so that harvesters could reach their fields. We have opened seed and fertiliser shops for the sowing of crops.

Q: Are there any specific sectors for which you need the central governments assistance? Many states have indicated that they will need an impetus to help increase their incomes, GST compensation and increase in borrowing capacity?

A. The relief package announced by PM Modi has provided great relief to Uttar Pradesh. Whatever further steps need to be taken will depend on the recommendations of the 11 committees. We are getting continuous support from the Centre. Our government will consider all issues related to increasing income, GST compensation and borrowing capacity after the suggestions of constituted committees.

Q The government has eased restrictions to some sectors and road construction activities in areas that are not Covid-19 hotspots. Now, the PM has said there will be strict monitoring till April 20. Is UP in a position to resume work in any of its districts?

A: According to the guidelines issued by the central government, the work of industries and road construction can be restarted. The committee, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, will study the guidelines of the central government and submit its report accordingly after reviewing every aspect.

Q: There were many complaints of police action in the state against people during the lockdown? Has any direction been given to the police?

A. Uttar Pradesh Police is doing a commendable job during the lockdown. In this hour of crisis, people have come to see the humane face of the police. I conduct daily meetings with the officers and I have directed that no wrong step of any kind is taken anywhere. If during the lockdown, a person gets involved in any prohibited activity, then the police will definitely take action. In the Tablighi Jamaat case, the police had come forward and demanded their cooperation. But in many places, they had to face resistance, because of which they had to take action. In some places, the Jamaat members went into hiding and were later captured and kept in quarantine. This has been done to stop community transmission. On behalf of the government, the police have instructions to get the suspected cases admitted to a hospital and put them under quarantine.

Q: The Centre has allowed wholesale markets to function and allowed the transportation of essential goods, yet there are difficulties in the food supply chain. In western UP, sugarcane farmers were gearing for sowing. What steps are being taken to ensure there are no disruptions?

A: There is no shortage of foodgrains in the country and in the state. There is no problem with any kind of food supply in the state. We have enough rations available and have distributed fruits and vegetables through 13,977 mobile vans, e-rickshaws, tractors, and 29,100 carts to date. More than 20,000 people are distributing milk. Necessary items were distributed through 21,256 grocery stores in the state, using the help of 49,399 home delivery providers. We have fixed the responsibility of the District Supply Officer, who has to ensure everyone gets a ration. Peoples ration cards have been made and they are given Rs 1,000 as immediate relief. We have allowed farmers and workers to go to the field for sugarcane harvesting and to bring sugarcane to the centres and mill gates. Permission has been given to open seed and fertiliser shops. I can assure you that not a single farmer in Uttar Pradesh will face any problem.

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Ao Yon burglar arrested

PHUKET: A 19-year-old man has been arrested for robbing guest rooms at two different accommodation venues at Ao Yon, on Phukets east coast. In one theft, the guests were still asleep in their room.

crimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Thursday 16 April 2020, 04:00PM

Police with Rathanon Ratcharak, 19, retrace his steps during one of the burglaries. Photo: Wichit Police

Rathanon Ratcharak, 19, from Songkhla, was arrested at a house in Soi Ruamjai, Koh Kaew, at 4:30pm yesterday (Apr 15), Lt Col Thammasan Boonsong of the Wichit Police noted in his report.

Lt Col Thammasan explained that an American man and a Slovenian woman staying at the Davina Beach Homes resort at Ao Yon called the Wichit Police at 3am last Friday (Apr 10) to report their room had been broken into.

A thief had stolen the womans bag, taken the money and dumped the bag in front of their room, he said.

Security CCTV footage at the resort showed a man wearing in black shirt fleeing the scene on a white motorbike, Lt Col Thammasan said in his report.

The report did not mention how the thief had entered the room while the two occupants were still asleep.

Then on Sunday (Apr 12), a Thai woman staying at Waterside Condominium, just over 100 metres down the road from the Davina Beach Homes resort, reported that a thief had been into her room and stolen B16,000 in cash and two passports.

Officers investigating the robbery found damage to a screen door and CCTV footage again showed the thief fleeing the scene by motorbike, Lt Col Thammasan explained.

Officers managed to track down the motorbike and later arrested Rathanon, who matched the description of the thief, at an address in Koh Kaew.

While placing Ratchanon under arrest, police seized as evidence B4,000 in cash from him as well as his white Honda Zoomer-X motorbike, identified as the vehicle used to flee both robberies, and officers seized the clothes he wore while committing the break-ins, Lt Col Thammasan explained.

Rathanon admitted that he committed the two thefts, Lt Col Thammasan noted in his report.

Rathanon said that he had already spent B4,000 paying his rent, transferred B3,000 to his mother, spent B2,000 on online gaming, spent another B3,000 on buying food and other household shopping. The remaining B4,000 police had seized.

The report did not mention any monies stolen  or recovered  from the theft at the Davina Beach Homes break-in, or whether the two passports reported as stolen by the Thai woman at Waterside Condominium had been recovered.

Lt Col Thammasan noted that Rathanon was taken to Wichit Police Station and charged with theft in the nighttime, damaging private property and using a vehicle to flee the scene of a crime.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 16:10:32|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to enhance anti-epidemic cooperation with Iran, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif in a phone conversation on Wednesday.

As comprehensive strategic partners with mutual understanding and support, China and Iran have helped each other through thick and thin in the fight against COVID-19 and have jointly written a chapter of cooperation, Wang said.

Wang noted that under the leadership of the Iranian government, the Iranian people are united as one and the epidemic curve tends to be flattened, which shows that Iran's prevention and control measures have achieved positive results.

China stands ready to enhance anti-epidemic cooperation with Iran and will continue to provide as much assistance as its capacity allows to the country, Wang said.

Bilateral cooperation will be deepened and the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership will grow deeper in the fight against the pandemic, Wang said, adding that the development and growth of China and Iran, the two emerging market economies, is an inevitable trend of history.

Wang said the virus is a common enemy for humankind, and that China, as the first country to report the epidemic, has been sharing information and carrying out cooperation with the international community in an open and transparent manner, and has made important contributions to the global fight against the pandemic.

For his part, Zarif said since the onset of the outbreak, China has selflessly helped Iran, for which the Iranian people are deeply grateful.

Under the current situation, certain countries unreasonably find fault with China's anti-epidemic efforts, which is irresponsible and dangerous, Zarif said, adding that Iran strongly condemns such unilateral moves that put pressure on the World Health Organization.

Exchanging in-depth views on Afghanistan, the two sides agreed that the Afghan issue should be resolved by the Afghan people through dialogue and consultation.

Under the current situation, countries in the region, especially neighboring countries, should play a more active role in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, said the two sides, agreeing to continue to maintain communication and coordination in this regard. Enditem
An Assistant Sub-Inspector of Delhi Police on Thursday tested positive for coronavirus, police said.

The ASI's son also tested positive, they said, adding that his wife who works as a nurse at the Lok Nayak (LNJP) hospital here had a few days ago tested positive.

The ASI, his wife and their son are admitted at the LNJP hospital, police said.

The ASI is posted with the Provisions and Logistics department of the Delhi Police and is a resident of Model Town police colony, said Vijayanta Arya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest).

It was suspected a few days ago that his wife was infected with the virus after which the ASI and their son were quarantined, she said.

Both of them tested positive Thursday, she added.

As a precautionary measure, G, H and I block of police colony in Model Town have been sealed to contain the spread of coronavirus, Arya said.

In north Delhi's Burari, an Assistant Sub Inspector posted in the security wing of the Delhi Police tested positive for COVID-19 two days ago, another senior police official said.

His family and four children have been advised home quarantine, he said.

On Wednesday, two constables posted at the Chandni Mahal police station tested positive for COVID-19 following which the police personnel who came in contact with the two have been quarantined at the Chandni Mahal police station and their samples sent for testing, police said.

In total, seven police personnel of Delhi Police have so far tested positive for coronavirus, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Washington: Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in multiple US states to protests stay-a-home orders meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Many protesters were angry about the economic ramifications the restrictions are causing. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimate the US Labour Department will report Thursday, Friday AEST, that 5.5 million Americans filed initial applications for unemployment insurance last week.

The protests are occurring as President Donald Trump and governors debate when states should loosen the restrictions put in place to ensure people practise social distancing.

Trump, speaking at the White House task force press conference, said recommendations about opening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic would be released on Thursday after a conference call with all 50 governors.
Exchanging photos of the window view from their homes has brought nearly one million Facebook group members together. (Photo: Aliyev Alexei Sergeevich/Getty Images)

Even as many of us are separated because of the coronavirus, people are finding ways to connect with others around the world online.

Joan Ingerman, of Mahwah, N.J., is one of nearly 1 million people from all over the world whove joined the Facebook group View from My Window since it was created March 22.

From the minute I joined it truly made the world seem for a moment so small and connected, Ingerman, who works for New York Life Insurance in New York City, told Yahoo Life. Going through these posts it reassures you we are all in this together.

Ingerman heard about the group from a friend and quickly shared her view: a pair of rainbows. More than 18,000 people liked it within a few days. She also had 1,500 comments on the post, from people in Romania, Vietnam, Spain and beyond.

Many people considered the rainbows to be a sign of hope, which is exactly how the photographer felt. They thanked her for sharing.

I sent my picture in [Monday] never thinking it would be posted, Ingerman said. What a blessing I have now had an opportunity to wish a stranger a happy birthday, tell someone you are praying for their sick child or just saying hello to someone around the world!

Some other submissions to the group include a serene, snowy patio in Finland; a shimmering seascape in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and a dog named Willa Mae standing in front of a pool in Dallas.

Barbara Duriau, the Amsterdam-based graphic designer and photographer who created the Facebook group, had just that kind of connection in mind when she started the project. Shes always been curious about life in other places, and 20 years go, she even took a trip around the globe. After people were told to stay home because of the coronavirus, Duriau realized that everyone was stuck with a single view. She wondered what others saw when they peered out of their homes.

I realized that people were feeling bored, frustrated with the confinement, tired of the stream of relentless bad news, Duriau said, and they were looking for a window of relief, a glimmer of optimism, a breath of fresh air and the possibility to travel the world without leaving their couch, while they had time in their hands.

Story continues

Amanda Fialk, the chief of clinical services at The Dorm in New York City, a mental health treatment community focusing on young adults, explained that social media is, in fact, playing a vital role in helping us feel like part of a group in such an odd time. Its making up for those connections were missing away from screens.

We no longer have the opportunity to engage in day to day connections and interactions with the outside world such as your local barista, the server at a restaurant, coworkers, etc., Fialk said. These day-to-day interactions are opportunities for connection and distraction which can be very soothing for the mind and body. Additionally, a lot of people are missing the opportunity for physical touch.

So its good for us to at least interact with others online.

Staying connected while social distancing can help mitigate feelings of anger, depression, anxiety, loneliness and fear, Fialk said.

Related Video: Milwaukee Teacher Captures Photos Through Windows

Duriau could tell immediately she had hit on something people needed with her new project. In addition to the rocketing membership, shes been flooded with submissions. Shes devoting 15 hours a day to approving photos that meet the rules of the group  for instance, no visible people or self-promotion  and declining those that dont, as well as moderating comments.

The amount of work involved has gone crazy! Duriau said. I started off alone but, after a few days, it was obvious that I wouldn't be able to continue on my own. I asked a friend to help out and then my sister and then another friend and so on. There are now 13 of us managing this [Facebook] group.

One day after people are allowed to roam around the world again, Duriau hopes to organize a book, an exhibition, a calendar or some other project with all of those beautiful photos.

Shes already received direct messages from people telling her theyve helped them see a silver lining to this dark cloud.

People have thanked me, told me they feel less alone and more connected. It brings a smile to their face each day to see the new views posted with the stories they tell, Duriau said. Through this sharing and connecting, friendships are forming and, for many, it's the first time they have had the opportunity to talk to someone who lives 30,000 kilometers away.

She said members have already become a huge family.

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHOs resource guides.

Read more from Yahoo Life

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The Covid-19 pandemic has presented before the world an unprecedented challenge. Most of the developed countries are struggling to cope with this mighty virus. Entire Europe, Canada, and the US are at the receiving as fatalities are rising. The unpredictable leadership of the US is on the back foot, a large part of Europe is in the ICU. They are facing this crisis because most countries made the mistake of not properly reading the Covid-19 threat and blindly believing in WHO guidelines and the information released by China. But, a point that occurs at this time is that as a responsible and vibrant democracy, India needs a responsible opposition leader in this crisis.

While fighting this pandemic, we are missing a leader of the opposition who can come up with a constructive critique which we certainly do not have. But that role has been reduced to Twitter jabs and wild allegations. For any country to improve its policies, you need a leader who can criticise the government's position with positive inputs which India has not seen.

Unlike most of the European countries, India has taken a route of prevention. It has taken its primary step in early January by banning Chinese airlines. After blocking China, some transmission has happened through Italy. But that too has been addressed. We have also blocked visitors from most European countries in very early stages. But some irresponsible behaviour from people who have returned from abroad, like the UK, has led to rise in cases. The Dubai route has also increased the transmission in southern states and it has brought the second batch of transmission. The overall response of the Indian states is excellent as they have restricted the transmission with very limited resources. The health professionals and most of the bureaucrats on the ground have risen to the occasion, displaying exemplary vision. Many district collectors are coming up with new strategies and innovations to stop the spread.

Some glitches too have occurred as we have seen the initial mismanagement of migrant labourers due to lack of coordination between states. The Tablighi Jamaat case is disappointing and discouraging, but these things happen when you deal with 1.3 billion people. It has increased the duration of the battle and has given some tough days to the administration, but India is dealing with the challenges. Where authorities are getting support, they are being amicable, but where they are facing resistance, they are not shying away from taking harsh action.

Even staunch critics are accepting that India under the leadership of Narendra Modi has demonstrated foresight and ability to inspire the common man in the time of crisis. The central government has shown flexibility in dealing with states though some have not cooperated fully.

As a principal opposition party leader, the current chief of the Congress is only limited to writing letters with a political tone that is not necessary for the time of the crisis. They mentioned that The Financial Action Plan announced on March 25 was inadequate and left out several vulnerable sections of people. However, it is not correct and the political dynasty of the grand old party is only busy ridiculing the ruling government. In earlier crises, the ruling leaders got the full support of opposition leaders. The political clan has refused to learn anything from the past and their recent losses. The Indian electorate does not like either negative campaign or negativity.

Unfortunately, the Congress has not offered anything apart from negativity in this battle. This crisis also shows that as a country we need a more robust central system which can deal with these kinds of situations. The existing federal system is yet to evolve and it has shown its weakness at this hour.

Former and likely future chief of the Congress party Rahul Gandhi once again lost an opportunity during Thursday's press conference. Following his Twitter jibes, he said that he is in support of the government in the time of the crisis. He asked the government to conduct more and more tests. It is not wise and feasible for a country like India to test everyone. The nation needs to search for some scientific method to conduct the tests within the available limited resources. There is no sense to compare India with South Korea and Japan because of the different realities in terms of demography and socio-economic issues

Some states and their leaders have shown leadership without considering political positions. States like Tripura, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have shown amazing determination to fight Covid-19. But some of the states under the spotlight have not performed as per expectations, including capital Delhi. States have to understand that they need to act fast and without thinking about publicity in these circumstances. PR buzz can only take you so far, but it is your work that establishes your image in the peoples mind.

There is no doubt that some people have risen to the occasion, but the Indian opposition, mainly Congress, could not utilise this situation. Both ruling and opposition parties have to understand that this is a defining moment for the country. They need to leave their political calculations aside and support the nations fight against the pandemic.

(The author is director of Center of Policy Research & Governance. Views expressed are personal.)
Ambulances are lined up outside the International Terminal at Cairns Airport in Queensland, Australia, on Feb. 2, 2011. (Paul Crock/AFP via Getty Images)

Passenger on Qantas Flight Had Covid-19

A passenger on a packed Qantas flight from Sydney to Brisbane on April 13 was infectious with COVID-19.

Queensland Health warned other passengers of the diagnosis by text and then a phone call before directing them to self-quarantine in an email on April 16.

The flight, QF520, arrived at Brisbane domestic terminal early on Monday afternoon, April 13.

A person on this flight was infectious with COVID-19, the Queensland Health email stated.

You may be at risk of becoming unwell from exposure until midnight 27th April, 2020.

Queensland Health did not answer questions and instead referred AAP to their contact tracing alerts web page.

Its unknown if the passenger knew they were infectious when they boarded the flight, or when they were diagnosed with COVID-19.

The quarantining of passengers on the Qantas flight comes as Queensland records an additional five COVID-19 cases overnight, bringing the states total of confirmed cases to 1001.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young called the limited numbers excellent news.

But she said the state would, unfortunately, see cases grow in the future as the pandemic continued.

There are just 21 Queenslanders in the hospital with the virus, 11 of them are in intensive care.

On April 16, Young said more than 85 percent of cases were in some way related to overseas travel.

She said with more people returning home in the coming days she expected the number of new cases to increase.

The numbers will get worse because of those people returning from overseas, she said.

Thats the group Im concerned about.

Young told reporters she was grateful for all travelers who had returned home and were in quarantine for making that sacrifice.

Health Minister Steven Miles urged Queenslanders to keep following instructions following another small increase in confirmed cases.

If we manage to keep this up, we will go back to normal eventually, he said.

This is working really well but now is not the time to stop.

By Darren Cartwright and Michael Doyle
INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Continues Investigation of GSX Techedu Inc. (GSX) on Behalf of Investors

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith continues its investigation on behalf of GSX (News - Alert) Techedu Inc. ("GSX" or the Company") (NYSE: GSX) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws.

On April 14, 2020, the investment analyst Citron Research issued a report on GSX entitled "GSX Techedu Inc - The Most Blatant Chinese Stock Fraud since 2011." The Citron Report claimed that the Company "is overstating revenue by up to 70% and should immediately halt tradingand launch an internal investigation."







On this news, the Company's American Depositary Share ("ADS") price fell sharply during intra-day trading, thereby injuring investors.

If you purchased GSX securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005959/en/
The European Commission has announced new measures to increase the cash flow of farmers and reduce administration surrounding payments.

Advances of direct payments are being increased from 50% to 70% and rural development payments from 75% to 85%.
michelle goldberg

Im Michelle Goldberg.

ross douthat

Im Ross Douthat.

frank bruni

Im Frank Bruni. And this is The Argument. [MUSIC PLAYING] This week, some complicated questions about the Biden candidacy.

michelle goldberg

He said she said is one thing. And he said she said she said she said she said is another.

frank bruni

Then, will the coronavirus pandemic bring us socialism or at least a much sturdier social safety net?

ross douthat

Having this come along probably does create  sort of solidify a constituency for social democracy that didnt exist 20 years ago.

frank bruni

And finally, a recommendation.

michelle goldberg

But I want to tell you that you can cut your own bangs. [MUSIC PLAYING]

frank bruni

Now that he has Bernie Sanders endorsement, Joe Biden can pivot fully to his general election campaign. But there has been a lot of attention this week to a former Senate aide named Tara Reade who has accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993. She charges that Biden pinned her to a wall in the Senate building and reached under her clothing. The Biden campaign says the allegation is false. Michelle, you wrote about this recently. Whats your take?

michelle goldberg

I mean, in some ways my take is a muddle, right, because I come away from the whole thing with just a lot of doubt and confusion. You know, this is one of those stories that if the story itself had come to any of these mainstream news outlets, you know The New York Times, the Associated Press, or the Washington Post that eventually reported on it, they probably wouldnt have done the story. It got smuggled into the mainstream discourse both by allegations on left wing podcasts and by questions about why Times Up wasnt taking Tara Reades case. And slowly there was this drumbeat of why is The New York Times not reporting on this? Why is the Washington Post not reporting on this. And so finally, they did report on it and relatively quickly. You know, sexual assault investigations typically take many months. Their stories came out about two and 1/2 weeks after the initial allegation. And I think theyre all written in a way that forces you to make up your own mind, that says there is some evidence and also some contradictions. And I felt like I had to respond because theres been so much trolling of liberal feminists by both the left and the right that says, oh, you know, you believe women except when theyre making accusations against Democrats, or, you believe Christine Blasey Ford but you dont believe Tara Reade when there are real, real differences in these two stories. And its very difficult to read about because I think none of us believe in publicly discrediting someone who makes an accusation of sexual assault against a powerful man. And so you dont want to pick the story apart. At the same time, I think you have to acknowledge that there are enough red flags that its not really viable to say we need to throw Joe Biden over for somebody else even though a part of me would not mind if we had to throw Joe Biden over for somebody else.

frank bruni

You made reference to there being differences between this allegation and the one that Christine Blasey Ford made against Brett Kavanaugh. Can you point out some of the key differences as you see it?

michelle goldberg

If Christine Blasey Ford nine months, or however many months before she made these allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, had told a completely different story to journalists and then said, you know, well, I was too ashamed to tell the full truth then, heres the real story, I think feminists might have believed her. But they certainly wouldnt have wanted her to testify in a Congressional hearing. Right. They wouldnt have made her a cause celebre. They would have seen that having a story with so many ambiguities and so many contradictions would damage the cause of championing sexual assault and sexual harassment victims. To me, its sort of the same reason that even people who really, really despise Donald Trump like I do and think hes a rapist dont talk very much about this lawsuit that was filed, and dismissed, and then refiled, and then withdrawn by this anonymous 13-year-old girl who says that Donald Trump raped her at Jeffrey Epsteins house. Right? I think people see that, unlike a lot of the other accusations, that one, its sketchy. It has too many red flags. So people dont really talk about it. And sometimes I get emails saying, why havent you said more about this? And sort of thats why. I wouldnt put Tara Reade on that level. She has more credibility than that. But again, because the story has shifted, and then the thing that makes it really tricky is that her public quasierotic worship of Vladimir Putin seems really engineered to convince mainstream Democrats, fairly or unfairly, that this is something nefarious.

frank bruni

Ross, do you think the media is showing appropriate hesitation when it comes to Tara Reade or too much?

ross douthat

I mean I guess I will play the right wing troll for a minute and say that I dont think I disagree with anything that Michelle said about the reasons to doubt Reades story. Basically, she did make one allegation that was of a piece with other complaints about Biden that he was too handsy, that he touched her in an inappropriately familiar way but not at the level of assault. And then she altered the story. And so shes the only woman out of the group of people complaining about Bidens handsiness to sort of say, no, actually, he assaulted her. He penetrated her and so on. And that shift and her other reasons that Michelle lists, including the Putin stuff, are all decent reasons not to just assume the veracity of her story. At the same time, you could take a different set you could make a somewhat different argument and say there are more reasons to believe elements of her story than there were to believe Blasey Fords story and the Kavanaugh case. Right? I dont think you can say definitively at all that there are eight reasons to think that Blasey Ford is telling the truth and this woman probably isnt. I think theyre both highly ambiguous cases. And I think that the objection from the left and the right that Michelle is describing is a reasonable one. If you have a blaze of certainty, which you really did around the Blasey Ford allegations against Kavanaugh, I dont think you can just say, well, this is a really ambiguous and hard case with Reade. I think they both  either theyre both ambiguous, or in both cases you should you should err on the side of belief.

frank bruni

Ross, the media has certainly treated them differently. And since you volunteered to play a right wing troll, if you would, Id like you to play right wing troll a little longer. Do you worry that news organizations, even including The New York Times, were slow to and have been reluctant to report on Tara Reade because theyre trying to protect Joe Biden, because they are so horrified at the notion of Trumps reelection that they dont want to hand any chum over to the sharks on the other side?

ross douthat

I think there is a slight element of media bias in play. But I think its a little bit more that the context of a presidential campaign and the context of a Supreme Court confirmation hearing are different. And our new media columnist Ben Smith, whos already made a name for himself criticizing The Times from within, did a really interesting interview with Dean McKay, our editor, where he pushed him on this. And McKay basically said we reported more quickly on some hard to prove allegations on Kavanaugh because there seemed to be more urgency because there was a deadline and so on. And I think there is some realism there, right? Like yeah, if youre facing a Supreme Court vote in a week versus if youre in the middle of a long, drawn out primary campaign, its OK maybe to wait a little longer and say, well, when we report this, were going to do the best and most evenhanded job you can possibly do. In that sense, the people who have the biggest objection here are not right wingers. Its Bernie Sanders fans, right, because Bernie Sanders did literally drop out of the presidential race in between the time when this allegation surfaced and when the paper of record, that is us, finally did a big story on it. So I feel like thats where the Sanders people could say, look, this was just as urgent as in the Kavanaugh hearings. Right. There actually was a deadline. It wasnt a deadline for Republicans, but there was a deadline for Bernie Sanders. And he deserved to have this reported on. And especially in the one thing  Ill just leave it here. But especially since  with Kavanaugh, there was this argument about, well, he clearly had a pattern of drinking. And he was in a sort of rowdy scene in high school and so on. But with Biden, there is a pattern too. Its not a pattern of sexual assault. But it is a clear pattern of behavior that women find inappropriate. And to the extent that that exists, that makes an allegation that goes a little further I think maybe more newsworthy than one dropping out of the blue about Barack Obama or George W. Bush would have been.

frank bruni

Michelle, was there more urgency here than the media showed? Has Bernie Sanders been misserved?

michelle goldberg

Well, I think that to basically say we need to rush out this story because Bernie Sanders might drop out and this might give him a shot would be its own sort of political thumb on the scales. I dont see how you can have somebody making decisions about the timing on stories like that based on how it will affect one or another candidate in the primary. I mean I have friends whove done some of these stories. And they take months, and months, and months typically, particularly if you really want to nail someone. You know, the stories obviously on Harvey Weinstein, stories on Charlie Rose at The Washington Post, I mean these are just incredibly time consuming. And so from my point of view, two and 1/2 weeks to try to get as close as you can to the truth of what happened is actually pretty quick.

frank bruni

Do either of you think if we extrapolate forward, if the state of play regarding Tara Reades story remains where it is now, do either of you think its going to have any effect on Joe Bidens election prospects?

michelle goldberg

So my guess is mostly no. You can imagine Trump trying to make a thing of it, maybe inviting Tara Reade to a debate the way he invited some of the women who had accused Bill Clinton to his debates with Hillary Clinton. So I imagine that Breitbart and some other people will continue to exploit it. But again, I think if its just this one thing out there, if theres no pattern and no further corroboration, I think it will probably fade into the background.

frank bruni

I thought Michelles column on this was right on target. And I dont mean to be a vacuous cheerleader for the home team, but I actually think The Times handled this very well, very expertly. I think this is a tough allegation to deal with because there has been inconsistency in her story. She was saying one thing a year ago. Shes saying something else now. That doesnt mean what shes saying now is untrue, but it does absolutely compel caution. And when I was reading The Times very long, very detailed story of this, I thought this is exactly what journalism in a circumstance like this should be inasmuch as they absolutely gave Tara Reade her full say. They did not seem to be trying to undermine her in any way. They did not seem to be treating her lightly. But they went back to everyone who was referenced. I was really impressed by the stretch of The Times story where they kind of went person by person through people who had been working in Bidens Senate office at that time, people she says that she relayed her complaint to in real time. And those people didnt just say I dont remember it. I mean their denials were strikingly emphatic and strikingly all encompassing. The most striking similarity to me is this is something that happened, if it happened, a long, long time ago. And I think one of the frustrating but immutable true things here is when something is that far in the past it becomes almost impossible for us in the present to determine exactly what happened.

michelle goldberg

You know, I think thats right. And I think thats why people look for patterns. You know, if its like he said she said is one thing, and he said she said she said she said she said is another.

ross douthat

And Frank, did you believe Christine Blasey Ford? The answer can be I dont know. You know, I mean I 

frank bruni

Ross, I cant answer that question. Whether were talking about Christine Blasey Ford or whether were talking about Tara Reade. I just feel a great sense of humility in terms of our inability to know whats what. I heard such conviction and pain in Christine Blasey Fords voice. Ive not heard Tara Reades voice as much. But Im also enormously conscious in these situations that peoples reputations are on the line. And I get frustrated that we in the media are living in a kind of climate and culture where everyones supposed to take a side and say Ive made my decision. This person is correct. And this person is incorrect. I feel really humble about these things. I just dont know. OK. Lets stop there. Last week, we asked how you were interpreting and practicing social distancing in your lives. And heres what you told us.

michael Hi. My name is Michael. The thing I miss most is hugging my grandchildren. If I cant hug my grandchildren, whats the point? katie Hi. My name is Katie. And I live in Portland, Oregon. My housemates and I, the three of us that have jobs, are all essential workers. And were all stuck on public transit. Its not so much that my life and the patterns that Im living in have changed. It is that I am seeing everyones elses change around me. And there is nothing more terrifying than being on absolutely empty public transit at 8:30 pm. chris williams Hi, Argument. This is Chris Williams calling from Seattle, Washington where I am under quarantine with my family. But I also lived in France. I work for a French company and spend much of my time in Paris. But they the thing I miss the most right now are le bises, the cheek kisses that the French use to greet one another. And I could live without the handshake. But I would really miss that particular form of greeting when Im back in France. a.k. Hi. My name is a A.K. I work in the health care industry in the Bay Area of California. Im an introvert by nature, but I recognize the health costs of loneliness. Im both missing contact and also enjoying solitude. Been catching up on a ton of reading and writing. Thanks partly to Ross, Im rereading the Bible in its entirety. david hurwitz Hi. This is David Hurwitz. Im a retired physician. And my wife is a travel agent who was planning on retiring at the end of this year. Were part of a senior Scrabble club at our senior center in Calabasas, California. So I have set up a two-computer, two-camera setup where we can play real board game Scrabble with one of the members of the club remotely. This has been a source of a lot of enjoyment. angela matteo Hi. My name is Angela Matteo. And I live in Vancouver, Washington. And Ive never called into anything. However, I really felt compelled to address Michelles comments regarding how shes handling the time from todays podcast. First, the guilt that youre feeling regarding how your family has blended with another during this time, in my opinion, is misplaced. Like, this time is so stressful to extend your energy on that guilt is unnecessary, so you need to stop that. The second thing I want to address is your comment about feeling like youre failing on every front. I think you need to be a little kinder to yourself. Listen, being a woman, a wife, a mother, and having a career in the best of times leaves every single one of us feeling like were failing to some degree in some way.

frank bruni

Well be right back. The economic lockdown forced by the coronavirus pandemic has put tens of millions of Americans out of work. It has also drawn harrowing attention to how many people lack adequate health care. And many Americans are feeling as vulnerable as ever. Could that open the door to a political philosophy, a word that has long been resisted in this country?

archived recording (donald trump) Tonight we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country. [CHEERING]

frank bruni

That was President Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. Im going to start with the least socialist person in the room. Ross, does this pandemic not argue for at least a little more government involvement in our welfare?

ross douthat

I mean, this pandemic has already guaranteed an incredibly large government involvement in our welfare. And its been notable that its happening with relatively little some but relatively little resistance from the official party of free markets. I think theres a general understanding even among Republican politicians that the objections to socialism or the objections to, lets say, massive government intervention dont hold at a moment when the government itself is shutting down the economy and essentially trying to keep it on life support. So in that sense, there are no there are no atheists in foxholes. And there are no small government conservatives in the middle of a quarantine and economic lockdown. I think the real question is, what happens afterward. And I guess my broad take is that I think certain kinds of economic interventions will probably find more support on the center right than previously. But Im not sure theyll be the ones that we usually associate with like Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, meaning Im not sure that theres suddenly going to be a surge of center right support for single payer health care or major anti-poverty programs. What I do think therell be support for is a kind of greater economic nationalism where people will say, well, we need to spend a lot more money trying to rebuild our own industrial capacity, and make America more self-sufficient and less dependent on global supply chains, and so on. And thats something that also sometimes could be called socialism. But its a little bit different from what I think Jacobin Magazine imagines when it imagines the country moving substantially to the left.

frank bruni

Michelle, is that assessment too conservative?

michelle goldberg

Well, I think thats an assessment of where conservatives will be. Right. But I think that in terms of where the country will be, particularly if Joe Biden becomes the next president and if you have a Democratic Congress, I think there will be a lot of pressure for there to be something akin to a new deal, because were facing a crisis akin to, at least in scope, akin to the Great Depression. And so one thing that this crisis has certainly revealed is the deficits and really absurdity of employer-based health insurance, you know? Just a few months ago, people were arguing against Medicare for all by saying how many people like their employer-based health insurance. Well, when you have 15, 20 percent unemployment, like who knows what its going to be, that argument falls a little flat. And so right now Democrats are talking about basically subsidizing Cobra. But Cobra is such a kind of a weird, wonky program. And I think the call to just put all those people on Medicare is going to become much, much louder and much more convincing. Similarly, if we end up in a lockdown for the next 18 months or rolling lockdowns over the next 18 months, I think that the case for a universal basic income, which seemed a little bit pie in the sky just a few months ago, will suddenly seem not just a matter of practicality but almost a matter of necessity because our system is just not set up for people to be able to sustain themselves when they cant work.

frank bruni

Ross, is what were going through right now an argument for a universal basic income?

ross douthat

No, I dont think so. I think that its an argument I think the UBI argument and the single payer argument I think are somewhat different. I think I agree with Michelle that the nature of this crisis, the combination of mass unemployment with a crisis that requires people to get health care for a deadly and devastating disease, and the fact that youre trying to coordinate things across multiple hospital systems, and you have effectively a much heavier government hand on the medical system than youve had in the past, all of that probably does move the needle somewhat on single payer. Not to the extent of, I think, making it politically feasible, but maybe making something like the Medicare buy-in that Joe Biden has been pushing more feasible if you did get a Democratic Senate. The U.B.I.  it seems to me that what youre getting here is much more as an emergency measure. Right. And so lots of people who might be against U.B.I. in a normal economic moment will say, well, its OK for the government to write people checks while were essentially deliberately not running the economy. Right? If we dont want people to work, then the main objection to U.B.I. falls away. But then as soon as you get back to work, youll be back in the pre-existing political and economic landscape. And all the objections to a U.B.I. will come roaring back. And in fact, youll have this moment of artificially created large scale unemployment. And everyone would be looking for ways to get as many people back into the workforce as fast as humanly possible. And to the extent that a U.B.I. is seen as a drag on that process, I think youll end up having, in certain ways, stronger arguments against it. So I think the two are somewhat different.

michelle goldberg

But Ross, that sort of assumes like a relatively rapid bounceback, right, that the lockdowns are back, and now there are jobs, and we need people to go take the jobs. But its not at all clear that there are going to be jobs for everybody who lost them when this thing is over. I mean a lot of the projections at least suggest a protracted period of economic misery and instability. And so its hard to see if you start U.B.I. as an emergency measure, you can just see it being renewed because the emergency  theres not going to be a moment when its clear to everyone that the emergency is over.

ross douthat

Yeah. And I guess thats the argument for, if youre a skeptic of U.B.I. in normal time, thats the argument against using a U.B.I. as your emergency measure. And its an argument for some version of what other European countries are trying where essentially youre paying companies to maintain payroll and keep people attached to their jobs, or its an argument for, at the very least, what were doing, which is were not doing a UBI. Were doing a one time U.B.I. followed by massively expanded unemployment benefits.

frank bruni

Theres been a study thats gotten some attention that noted that more than half of Americans under 45 since the dawn of the pandemic have lost a job, been put on leave, or had their hours significantly reduced. It strikes me thats a lot of people in a huge voting block that we already know from other surveys was less rosy on capitalism and more receptive to socialism, at least as a word, than older Americans were. I mean, what does that bode for politics and elections five, 10, 15 years from now?

michelle goldberg

Eventually, youre going to have a critical mass in this country for social democracy unless the country dissolves to an extent that functioning social democracy no longer seems conceivable. And so to me the question is just when, right? You have a generation thats already been radicalized by the Great Recession, by the gig economy, by all the indignities of capitalism. And then theyre hit by this. And so eventually  so you already had a generation that had gotten a raw deal and had much less faith in capitalism than generations before it. The question is just when they become a majority or a critical mass of voters.

frank bruni

Ross, Im betting you dont agree.

ross douthat

Not precisely, although I do think that having this  I mean I think having this hammer, what we call millennials and Zoomers, both groups that had suffered from the aftermath of the Great Recession, had been slow to do the kinds of things  wealth building, home buying, marrying, having kids  that, under traditional circumstances, turn Democrats into Republicans  having this come along probably does create, sort of solidify a constituency for social democracy that didnt exist 20 years ago. I guess I come back to where I started. I think that what it sets up, then, is potentially a debate about  a debate where both parties might be agreeing that the state should be doing more. And the question is what does that more consist of.

frank bruni

OK. Well, for right, for left, for all generations, its time for our weekly recommendation now where we suggest something to help take your mind off the news. Michelle, what do you have for us?

michelle goldberg

So theres a lot of people who have been tragically hard hit by this calamity. Im going to speak to a group of people who are not among the greatest victims. And that is people who have bangs. [BRUNI LAUGHS] If you have bangs, you probably have them hanging in your eyes right now wondering what you should do, contemplating whether you should try to cut them yourself. And, you know, as everyone who works on this show knows, I have sort of no manual or technical capacity whatsoever. But I want to tell you that you can cut your own bangs. And the secret to cutting your own bangs is not to cut across but to cut up. Right. So you take them between your fingers  and watch a video on this. And just sort of cut up into them like really vertically until theyre the length you want. And it goes little by little by little. And that is the way to do it. And that is one thing that you need not suffer during lockdown.

frank bruni

Well, Michelle, I think that is going to be life changing for both Ross and me. [GOLDBERG LAUGHS]

ross douthat

Well, I mean this is  so Im envious. I have the balding mans problem of, in an era with no haircuts, how do you avoid ending up with what I call the Doc Brown [GOLDBERG LAUGHS] hair style where I have this  the pattern of my baldness means that my hair grows really quickly on both sides of my head but just doesnt grow at all in the center.

michelle goldberg

But cant you just use a clippers? Is that what theyre called?

ross douthat

I mean I think theres too much of it. Ive passed the clipper point.

michelle goldberg

Yes.

ross douthat

I mean Im looking at your picture now, Frank, for inspiration. Right. You have a very close 

frank bruni

My picture has never been an inspiration to anyone else. [GOLDBERG LAUGHS]

ross douthat

I think about this a lot. Youve gone with the  I mean you have more it looks like youve kept more of your central artery of hair than I have. But youve gone with a very close 

frank bruni

My [LAUGHS] central artery of hair. You two are giving me a  you guys are giving me an entirely new follicular vocabulary.

ross douthat

This is what we do here. But yeah. Ive never  Ive never gone  I worry that my head is too round, too pumpkin-like to have a really close cut on top. Frank, what are you going to do with your hair over the next six weeks?

frank bruni

[LAUGHS] Its a question, Ross, that keeps me up at night. I havent decided. I need a haircut. I know that much. But the good thing about a quarantine lockdown, whatever you want to call it, is no one but my dog and my dad are looking at me. And theyre very nonjudgmental. So Im just going to enjoy this moment of no physical vanity whatsoever and then deal with everything on the far side. So Michelle, again, your recommendation is?

michelle goldberg

Cut your own bangs and cut them vertically. [MUSIC PLAYING]

frank bruni
Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli Chandel's Twitter account has been suspended. She was extremely active on Twitter, and posted about everything - from films to politics. She was extremely vocal about her opinions which often landed her in controversies.

Latest reports say Rangoli's account was suspended after she posted controversial tweets regarding the Moradabad stone pelting incident. Filmmaker Reema Kagti had tagged the Mumbai Police, urging action against one of Rangoli's posts. Supporting the same, actress Kubra Sait had also shared that she had blocked Rangoli on Twitter.

Reema tweeted, "Could you please look into this and take action? Isnt this spreading fake news AND inciting hatred & violence against certain people?@OfficeofUT."

@MumbaiPolice. Could you please look into this and take action? Isnt this spreading fake news AND inciting hatred & violence against certain people?@OfficeofUT @AUThackeray https://t.co/tKCqS5CZgN Reema Kagti (@kagtireema) April 16, 2020

Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali also shared that she had reported Rangoli's account and thanked Twitter for suspending it. "I reported this because she targeted a specific community and called for them to be shot along with liberal media and compared herself to the Nazis," she tweeted.

Thank you @Twitter @TwitterIndia @jack for suspending this account. I reported this because she targeted a specific community and called for them to be shot along with liberal media and compared herself to the Nazis.  . pic.twitter.com/lJ3u6btyOm Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) April 16, 2020

After her account was suspended, Rangoli issued a statement, saying, "Twitter is an American platform absolutely biased and anti India, you can make fun of Hindu Gods call Prime Minister and Home Minister terrorists but if you say anything about people pelting stones on health workers and Police forces they suspend your account, I have no desire of empowering any such platforms with my perspective and honest opinions, so I am not reviving my account, I was my sisters spokes person now watch out for her direct interviews, she is a huge star she has many ways of reaching out , a biased platform can be easily avoided... (sic)"

Rangoli would often take on Bollywood celebrities and hurl potshots at them. One of her favourite subjects was nepotism. Actresses like Alia Bhatt and Taapsee Pannu have often been targeted by Rangoli on Twitter. She often acted as Kangana's spokesperson, since the actress herself does not use Twitter.

Read: Rangoli Chandel Lashes Out at Alia, Ananya, Karan Post Kangana Ranaut's Snub at Filmfare

Read: Rangoli Chandel Challenges Bollywood, Says Kangana Ranaut will Give up Acting on This Condition
BANGKOK - With gold prices rising to a seven-year high, many Thais have been flocking to gold shops to trade in their necklaces, bracelets, rings and gold bars for cash, eager to reap profits during an economic downturn.

Gold shops are de facto financial institutions in Thailand and generally have remained open in the country where measures taken to guard against the spread of COVID-19 have been less severe than in other countries. Long lines formed all week outside major gold shops in Chinatown in the capital Bangkok.

The sell-off has some gold shop owners claiming they are facing a liquidity crunch, leaving them short on cash to continue purchasing.

They are unable to carry out their normal practice of quickly reselling the gold abroad because of the greatly reduced number of flights to ship the gold and a shortage of buyers in other countries, who are restricted by lockdown orders and market closures.

Jitti Tangsithpakdi, chairman of the Gold Traders Association and owner of Chin Hua Heng Goldsmith Co, told The Associated Press that more than 90% of recent gold shop customers are sellers.

Shops are bound by tradition to buy back the products they sell. Prices are fixed by an industry association.

Theres never been a case where a goldsmith doesnt buy back the gold, especially if the gold carries markings showing it is from their own shop, Jitti said. It would destroy customers trust in that goldsmith.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, heeding industry appeals, urged restraint on the part of sellers.

Im asking people to sell gradually, not in large amounts, as shops may face a cash crunch, he said Wednesday.

The price of gold has been rising since the coronavirus crisis began. Thats typical of times of uncertainty as people shift their wealth into what they believe is a hedge against uncertain financial markets. Gold was trading Thursday at $1,755.60 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest level since late 2012.

Many Asians hold gold as savings and investments. In Bangkok, gold shops are clustered in Chinatown, where long lines were stretched even further by social distancing. Jitti said he believes the current wave of sellers mostly are seeking to profit from the high price.

However, some of those waiting said they were selling their gold to get cash to support their families since many have lost their jobs.

Saranya Prasert, a fruit exporter, said the COVID-19 crisis has halted her business and her family is struggling for money. They are selling gold jewelry that they had kept for more than 10 years as savings.

The reason we are selling our gold today is because we need to increase our cash flow. We still have to pay our employees so need the money now for the expense. The situation has impacted us. We cant export our goods.

Many in line had similar stories. Not all of them were selling because the price is high.

Pleonjit Sukcharoen, an office worker, said that while she is lucky that she still has a job, her sister is a street vendor who is unable to work because of a market shutdown order and now needs help with her hospital bill.

To help her sibling, she decided to sell her stash of gold that she had received as bonuses over the years from her employer.

-

Associated Press journalist Preeyapa T. Khunsong contributed to this report.
GREENWICH  Gabriel Freitas was 19 years old when he hit rock bottom.

In March 2016, Freitas entered a Stamford homeless shelter and became one of the 2,500 people age 18-or-older experiencing homelessness in Connecticut that year, according to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

I had no other options at the time because I had a lot of family issues going on at home, he said.

After arriving at the Pacific House shelter, life became even more challenging. Freitas said shelter residents were required to wake up at 6 a.m. everyday, even on the weekends.

The next oldest person after me was somewhere in his 40s, said Freitas. It was something I never really experienced before in my life and I never thought I would be in that situation.

After about six weeks, shelter leaders grew concerned about his well-being and decided to separate the youth residents from the older adults living at the facility. Shelter leaders adopted a new rule giving youth their own rooms and relaxed the 6 a.m. wake up requirement for him.

I had a lot more privacy and I was able to get my own space, said Freitas, who is from Greenwich.

Shortly after Freitas arrived, shelter leaders saw a spike in the number of 18- to 25-year-olds seeking housing services at Pacific House. Freitas met another young man who was also 19, and the two formed a bond that made living at a shelter a bit easier.

Residing at Pacific House was one of the hardest experiences Freitas has faced, and he said that without the staff members his life would be much different.

George Keels was just starting a job as a youth case manager when he met Freitas in 2016. Freitas was one of the first young adults Keels had come in contact with on the job.

I was concerned about him at first because I didnt think he was really going to take me seriously, said Keels. (At first) he was doing everything that I told him not (to do). But then after six months, he really came around, and said, Im ready to start this. 

The two began working on a plan to help Freitas get on his feet. Keels, who served in the Navy from 1986 to 2000, learned of Freitas goal of one day serving in the Army.

At age 18, Freitas had applied to become a service member but was rejected. But he applied again three years later and was accepted.

Now 23, hes stationed at Fort Stewart Army Base in Georgia and holds an E-4 rank, commonly known as a specialist.

Specialists dont typically have command responsibilities but are focused on becoming technically proficient in a particular field. An E-4 specialist holds the highest rank among the Armys junior members.

As for my title and my job, I always wanted to be the top of the spear, per se, said Freitas.

In his role as an indirect fire infantryman, he prepares to serve as a member of a mortar squad, section or platoon. The mortar has the most power and range of any weapon in an infantry unit, according to the U.S. Army website.

As the main land combat force in the Army, infantrymen destroy or capture opposing forces, repel enemy attacks and operate weapons and equipment. During peacetime, infantrymen must be ready to jump to the defense of their country if needed, according to the U.S army website.

Its an awesome feeling to know that one out of however many kids Ive been through is doing great, and doing exactly what he wants to do, said Keels, who served in the Navy as a deck seaman before retiring as a career counselor, similar to his role at Pacific House now.

I tell him every time we talk that Im so proud of him. He couldve done anything else he wanted to. But he decided to go into the service. And I told him, from one service member to another, I salute you. 

Freitas is still planning his future. If he remains in the Army, hell try to climb the ranks before retiring early and honorably. But if he leaves the military, his goal is to study criminal justice and become a police officer, another of his longtime aspirations.

To anyone that feels like they have nothing, and like they have no one at all, and feels like everything in their life is just crashing down, if you keep going and dont give up, it gets better  and not only does it get better, it gets incredible, he said.

If my pain and my experience that I went through can help anybody out there thats listening to this or reading this, then let it be a lesson, he said.

tatiana.flowers@thehour.com
America 2.0: Better, Stronger, Faster

Commentary

Mark Cuban, I believe, was the one who recently used the expression America 2.0 to describe how America would look after the CCP virus subsides.

Hes right; the world and the nation are being reset right in front of us. Everything we thought was true about norms of behavior, world economics, and accepted truths of what is possible or what is not possible are being turned upside down.

As the Great Game and the timetable of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) jerks suddenly to the left, possibly because of their bungling of a few petri dishes at Wuhan, we are seeing an America 2.0 happen right in front of us. We should be ready to embrace and leverage that for the betterment of our country and the world.

So, what will or what should America 2.0 look like?

A New AmericaBetter, Stronger, Faster

Weve learned a lot about ourselves and learned a number of lessons from this experiencelets apply them.

And a notetotalitarianism isnt the answerone United Nations official gushed over the CCPs ability to snap the entire population into formation and march them in a certain direction. Nothing good comes out of that mindset. Margaret Sanger and other globalists in the 1930s gushed over the ability of the Reich to exercise similar control over its population. Nothing good came out of that episode of human history.

In his rousing State of the Union speech in February, President Donald Trump outlined the impressive comeback of the United Statesour momentum, performance, and results were undeniable. Whether you are a supporter or not, all American indicators were up and to the rightalways where you want to be on the trendline of measured results.

If I was in the Central Committee in Beijing as a planner for the CCP, I would be panicking after that State of the Union. The United States potential energy is still compressing in a mighty spring. The CCPs spring has sprung through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Thousand Talents program, and many other whimsically titled, but truly sinister, influence operations.

The CCP is rapidly running out of what we would call in the old days walking around money to assert influence. Were on the sidelines just warming up and getting ready. Were rejuvenated, renewed, and ready. The CCP is past the apogee of their trajectory and out of fuel.

Heres a brief outline of what America 2.0 should look like as we come back from the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

Make the Best Society in the World Even Better

Yes, in many ways, we are a messy and divided society. Guilty as charged.

But guess what? Were still far better than anything out there. One decisive indicatorpopulation and capital flows. Are people and capital flowing in or flowing out of China? Answertheyre flowing out. Are people and capital flowing into or out of America? Answertheyre flowing in. It isnt even close.

Population and capital flows explain everything about world affairs and the world has votedAmerica is the answer. A totalitarian-led China is not. Our U.S. objectives should be focused on refining the best society in the worldnot obsessing over grievance and narcissism. Here are some of the areas in which America 2.0 should press the accelerator even more:

Provide the best governance in the worlda citizen-centric and citizen-serving governmentnot the other way around.

Continue to improve the best universities and the best educational system in the world. That also includes a dramatic expansion of vocational-technical opportunitieswell need it in the new world of America 2.0.

Deliver the best environment, culture, and opportunities for vibrant families and singles, and ensure that people of faith and the unborn are protected by our incredible constitution.

Expedite the best health care in the worldled by the private sector.

Establish a society and population that has opportunities in all regions: urban, suburban, and rural. Forced urbanization for real or perceived opportunities should be placed in the rear-view mirror.

Accelerate the Strongest Economy in the World

Before the caltrops of the CCP virus were littered in front of us, the U.S. economy was revolutionizing. After years of wandering in the globalist hall of mirrors, weve found the exit and disproved the thesis of globalism and shown that if its not built here, were not really innovating, were not really leading.

Lets continue on this pathway, and the foundation is solid for a relatively quick recovery. We have the upper hand in many of the foundational sectors of our incredible economylets act like it.

Accelerate the revolution of U.S. energy dominance.

Expand U.S. food production efficiency and advantage.

Exert and improve the leadership of the world financial system, including an update to the WWII era system. Exclude those of bad faith and totalitarianismlet them establish their own financial system and see who falls in line with them. They will have a very short line.

Establish the Arsenal of Democracy 3.0bring the U.S. economy to a quasi-wartime mode with strategic use of the Defense Production Act. Were not in a hot war (yet), and perhaps this release initially was an accident, but it seems purposefully exploited and leveraged after that point, which is an undeniable signal of CCP malevolent intent. Preparedness will help deter actual conflict.

Continue assertively establishing Fair Trade to replace Free Trade. The social and academic experiment of Free Trade drained our country of productive activity and forced dense urbanization for illusionary opportunitiesopportunities that in reality were an alternate universe of rent control, decay, and dead ends.

Strengthen, Recapitalize Statecraft and Military

The rebuilding of the M (Military) instrument of national power has been a success. But its bigger than thatIts all instruments of national powernot just the 26-inch bicep of the M. When I met with foreign delegations after the election, they were excited and enthusiastic and even more so when I told them, Americas backand Americas got your back with our new President!

This momentum should be put on steroids.

Rebuild the most effective and articulate statecraft in the worlda total retooling of our non-M instruments of national power in a passionate, America First manner. Leading from the rear causes doubt, uncertainties, and ambiguity. Ambiguity causes conflict. Asserting a clear, America First agenda along with other functional, sovereign nation-states is good for all.

Build the best partnerships in the world.

Continue to build up the best military in the world.

Dominate in all domainsspace, cyber, air, ground, and sea.

Emphasize decisive air and sea capabilities, expand special operations along with a mobile, lethal, conventional expeditionary force, projected and recovered at will.

Secure American Society From Threats



American society is already under assault from many forces. We must secure, safeguard, and recover to defeat willful threats directed at our country. These themes are very simple and self-explanatory.

Complete the full security of our borders.

Eradicate foreign influence operations.

End the opioid crisis.

Defeat organized crime/terrorist groups spilling into the United States from neighboring ungoverned space.

Restore confidence in the voter registration process and challenge dysfunctional state voting laws that steal votes from lawful Americans.

Leverage the Worlds Most Innovative Culture

For years in the post-World War II era, the United States led the world economically, socially, culturally, and in many other perspectives because of the innovation and freedom of American individuals and companies. There has been a growing realization that innovation tapers off and drifts away as the production of these innovations immediately shifts overseas. The days of surrendering and giving away sovereignty are over.

Reestablish all supply chains here. Everything is built here or with truly trusted partners. From the silicon level upeverything made here will be the new mantra.

Reinvent a holistic manufacturing base. In the year 2020, China has no cost advantage. They are a developed nation with a population that clamors for more, just like any other society. There is a difference between price and value. Artificially low prices are in the end a disincentive to innovation and only encourage the surrender of sovereignty.

Expand opportunity zones with rapid recapitalization of our national infrastructure. Building upon Sen. Tim Scotts (R-S.C.) initiative as carried out by Dr. Ben Carson, apply these to our suburban and rural areas.

Reindustrialize America. This is an action, an attitude, and knowledge. We need to relearn as a culture the attitude and knowledge of making things ourselves. Part of this is reawakening to the dignity, purpose, and value of workwork of all typeseven work where your hands might get a little dirty, God forbid.

Appreciate and create enduring value and goodnessright herenot in some foreign land.

In summary, we came from the most extraordinary economy in national and international history just a few weeks ago. We should be able to recover fairly quickly.

An article caught my attention about a class action suit already being filed against the CCP by small businesses in the United States harmed by the clumsiness at Wuhan. I thought what an ironyreleasing the trial lawyers as the unexpected vanguard force that takes down the CCPIm just pondering the visualization of trial lawyers nibbling and reducing the CCP into non-existence. What irony. Who could have ever possibly foreseen this outcome?

Col. (Ret.) John Mills is a national security professional with service in five eras: Cold War, Peace Dividend, War on Terror, World in Chaos, and nowGreat Power Competition. He is the former director of cybersecurity policy, strategy, and international affairs at the Department of Defense.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
David Benton opened a pastry shop in East Oaklands Millsmont neighborhood a week before Thanksgiving.

He chose a storefront on MacArthur Boulevard to sell his cupcakes and cookies because he didnt want to be another trendy spot near Lake Merritt or downtown.

I wanted to do it over here, because I live over here, said Benton, 46. I really wanted to do that in this neighborhood.

It took him two years to get Sugarsweet Cookie + Cake Studio up and running, but after less than five months in business, the coronavirus has burned a hole in his future.

As the pandemic sweeps across the country, its disproportionately impacting black people. Last week, the Associated Press reported that blacks made up about 42% of the countrys first coronavirus-related deaths where demographic data were available, but only 21% of the population.

Now Playing: We spoke with workers from San Franciscos Mission District who continue to work  and potentially risk their health  amid the coronavirus shelter in place orders. These are their stories. Video: Erika Betty Carlos

The coronavirus could also financially decimate black business owners like Benton.

When times get tough, black people can feel this countrys history of marginalization and oppression in our bones.

I said it at our council meeting  that old trope, when America catches a cold, we catch pneumonia, Oakland City Councilwoman Lynette Gibson McElhaney told me.

Take note, because the legacy of redlining, the systemic and discriminatory practice of refusing to issue loans or insurance to neighborhoods inhabited by black and brown people, is at play.

In lower-income areas, theres always been less access to health care services, and residents are more likely to have underlying health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer  conditions that make the coronavirus infections more deadly. Oaklands leaders know that whats happening in New York, New Orleans and Chicago could happen here.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

What were seeing in the other cities in terms of the disproportionate impact should not be a surprise to anybody because of the health disparities that exist and have existed within the black community, Oakland City Councilman Loren Taylor said.

The situation for black communities could get more grim. If the last recession this country endured is any indication, black people can expect to emerge poorer. And unhealthier.

Racism and discrimination are often factors in determining the health and economic outcomes of black people.

A 2014 report by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank that conducts public opinion polling, demographic research and content analysis, found that the median net worth of black households dropped 43% during the great recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis. More than a decade later, somehow, people of color are still paying the price for Wall Streets collapse.

In Oakland, where blacks are 28% of the citys population, a 2017 study conducted by City University of New Yorks Institute for State and Local Governance revealed that 1 in 4 blacks and more than 1 in 5 Latinos live at or below the federal poverty level. Whats more, 70% of Oaklands 4,000 homeless people are black, according to a survey administered by Alameda County.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

That just doesnt add up. The narrative of American exceptionalism and pulling yourself up by the bootstraps doesnt neatly match the reality of segregation and disenfranchisement.

If youre poor and youre not doing well, its because youre lazy. Youre lacking, said Debra Gore-Mann, president and CEO of the Greenlining Institute, a racial equity organization. The implication is that the individual is failing and not the system.

The system is broken. It doesnt need to be repaired or restarted. It needs to be reimagined.

This whole push from this administration to hurry up and open the doors is because the longer that we sit in this malaise, the more we realize how broken it is, Gore-Mann said.

Yes, were tired of working from home  if were fortunate to still have a job, unlike the 2 million Californians who have filed for unemployment in the past three weeks. Still, this is time well spent thinking about the kind of state and country we want to live in. Theres no rush to get back to normal.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Normal was inadequate, Gibson McElhaney said. It made us vulnerable.

To protect businesses in East Oakland, an area deeply impacted by racism and redlining, Taylor said his staff is making sure businesses know about grants and loans, even if it means helping business owners fill out applications.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

How we respond and what we do now will help to determine how folks rebound and come out of the crisis, he said.

During the great recession, Benton got laid off from his job as a librarian at an architectural firm. He said he was unemployed for two years, but thats when he began selling baked goods online.

It led him to open Sugarsweet. The brown butter salted caramel cupcake and the salted chocolate chunk cookie remain popular among patrons ordering online, but Benton has already had to lay off two people because of the virus.

Were not doing nearly as good as we were before this whole thing started, he said. The neighborhood was getting to know us. I dont know how this is all going to pan out, but so far were still alive.

Surviving the coronavirus would be sweet.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
Oh, and we also get occasional visitations from Jeanne dArc (Ty Easley), who first appears as a shiny lady to the young DEon in the vineyards of Burgundy owned by her father. (Since the Chevalier used feminine pronouns at the end of her life, this review will do the same.) In taking the Maid of Orleans virginal life as a model (no small feat in the licentious world of Versailles), DEon certainly kept the mystery of her true gender alive  so much so that there was actually a betting pool on the London Stock Exchange as to whether she was a man or a woman. (According to the doctor who examined her after her death at age 81, the Chevalier possessed male genitalia.)
[April 16, 2020] Digihost Announces Intention to Commence Production of Personal Protective Equipment

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digihost Technology Inc. (Digihost or the Company) (TSXV: DGHI) is pleased to provide an update in regards to its ongoing operations. Further to its news release of April 7, 2020, Digihost will continue its cryptocurrency mining operations, however, the Company has determined that through the leveraging of its existing operations, Digihost has the ability to immediately engage in the importation and eventual manufacturing of medical masks for distribution within North and South America. The Company feels that it has the capacity and as such it is appropriate to contribute to the efforts to address the ongoing shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the global response to contain the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

The Company has reviewed its operational process and is comfortable that it has the capacity and ability to import, manufacture and distribute PPE while the COVID-19 pandemic continues and thereafter, as governments at all levels implement strategic plans to protect their constituents against potential future viral outbreaks. Michel Amar, CEO, commented, Our Company is eager to put the availability of our resources to use in combatting the spread of the COVID-19 virus and are happy to assist the global eforts to stop this virus in any way we can. We believe that as a result of COVID-19, a new reality now exists that will require healthcare providers and governments to have adequate PPE inventories and comprehensive strategic plans to protect people in the future against inevitable viral outbreaks. We are pleased to be a part of that effort.



About Digihost Technology Inc. Digihost Technology Inc. is a growth oriented blockchain company. As the result of recent equipment purchases the Company has significantly increased its hashrate from 159PH to 208PH, an increase of 31%. The Companys operating facility is located in Buffalo, New York, with over 70,000 square feet and a 115,000 KVA outdoor substation under a five-year lease and an option to lease additional facility space totalling 240,000 square feet after 3 years. The Company focuses on validation through mining, hosting solutions and blockchain software solutions.

Additional Information For further information, please contact: Digihost International, Inc. Angie Ihler, Media Inquiries T: 917-242-6549 Cautionary Statement

Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of Digihost and its investee companies to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although Digihost believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Digihost does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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The Libra Association, the Facebook-backed cryptocurrency outfit with plans to own the future of money, has had a change of heart. After almost a full year of criticism, the body has climbed down from its original goal of creating a single stablecoin for the world. Rather than make what could be described as a global currency, Libra will now be a little bit more, uh, like PayPal.

The New York Times says that Libra will no longer be a single currency that would remove the pain of cross-border buying and selling. In its place, Libra will focus on building a payment network in which coins are tied to a variety of local currencies. That means the same frictions around foreign exchanges and transfers remain, eliminating Libras entire reason for being.

Now, Libra will tie itself to a series of currencies, including US Dollars, Euros, and British Pounds. As TechCrunch explains, when you send one Libra, youll actually send a fraction of USD-backed, EUR-backed, GBP-backed (etc.) stablecoins. That should be an effective hedge against currency fluctuations, but itll hardly remove the risk for buyers or sellers.

Its a leap from the original Libra pitch, which was designed to remove the pain points from the global financial system. It cited the 1.7-plus billion people who lack access to proper banking, who often have to pay more for the services that some people take for granted. Hard-earned income, it said, is eroded by fees from remittances and wire costs to overdraft and ATM charges.

When Libra launched in June 2019, the number of major financial companies it had signed up offered a veneer of legitimacy. Names like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and Stripe were all listed in the first announcement, as well as the usual tech companies like Uber, Vodafone and Spotify. But by October, PayPal had withdrawn, with MasterCard, Visa, Stripe and eBay all peacing out by December. Libra chief David Marcus said that the withdrawals were likely to be temporary until there was more regulatory clarity, but that always seemed optimistic at best.

Story continues

But even before the high-profile departures, it was clear that Libra would never get out of the gate in its first form. Imagine that youre the leader of any country that has its own sovereign currency, and Mark Zuckerbergs threatening to undermine it. He may have promised that he didnt have overall control of Libra, but the sheer audacity was always troubling.

After all, central currencies are a key tool of governance and not something many countries would willingly give up. At least not without both some huge guarantees about how they would work in future, and something equally valuable in return. But there seemed to be no upside for the countries who Libra would likely damage economically, and plenty of downsides.

The idea of a single global currency isnt a bad one per se, but certainly it cant be entered into blindly. Europes experiment with the Euro, and the single market, has shown how a single currency can reduce the issues around conversion, payment processing and transfers. And that removing those roadblocks supercharges free trade in the area, giving it a competitive advantage.

But its worth noting that the Eurozone doesnt just harmonize currencies. The European Union tightly regulates the market, and its biggest triumphs are often about political harmonization as much as they are financial. In fact, the zones biggest failures have often come because of its failure to properly harmonize political actions across the continent.

The Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testified before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday October 23, 2019 Washington, D.C. (Photo by Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

And the US, and countries in Europe, immediately began raising objections to what they saw as holes in Libras system. Days after launch, Maxine Waters, head of the house Financial Services Committee, asked Facebook to pause work on Libra. Two days later, the Senate began scheduling hearings to discuss the matter. Lawmakers wanted commitments that Libra wouldnt launch until they had given their blessing, something that Facebook did agree to.

It didnt help that the association outlined a system that worked a lot like Bitcoin, at least in terms of decentralization and a lack of control. Republican Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that such a system would offer a free pass to money launderers, terrorists and criminals. Recently, the Department of Justice charged an individual who helped launder $300 million in drug money through cryptocurrency exchanges.

The same story unfolded on the other side of the pond, with the UK raising concerns about privacy protection for users. The EU, meanwhile, was concerned that its founding members -- which then included MasterCard and Visa -- could violate antitrust law. France said that it would block development of Libra on its soil, while global central bank chiefs also had questions.

As part of the updated white paper, Libra now commits to binding itself to the global currency markets, and following proper banking legislation. The pledges for a permissionless system have been watered-down to an open, transparent and competitive market for network services and governance. Oh, and Libra will now hold assets in a reserve, maintain a level of liquidity to prevent runs and well, if you think this sounds like what being a bank is, then have a cookie.

Essentially, Facebooks plan to make Libra into a global currency was never going to succeed and weve seen that play out over the last ten months. The objections, inquisitions and requests by a number of governments and central banks have watered the proposal down. To the point, now, where its hard to see why Facebook is persisting with Libra beyond an attempt to save face.
Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino seafarers will be allowed to dock at Manilas ports despite the ongoing Luzon lockdown, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said today said in a virtual presser.

However, the seafarers have to quarantine themselves on their vessels first before they are allowed to disembark in Manila.

Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino crew members will be allowed to dock in the ports of Manila and [can] be used as quarantine facilities, Nograles said in English and Filipino.

Likewise, foreign crew members are required to be quarantined on the vessels for 14 days before they are allowed to go back to their native countries.

The accompanying foreign crew members [of said ships] will also be allowed to return to their respective countries as long as they finish the mandatory 14-day quarantine here, he added.

Nograles, however, did not explain when this measure will take effect or if its already being implemented. He said the move is part of efforts to repatriate displaced Filipinos affected by the pandemic.

Under the Philippine Coast Guard protocol, any vessel coming from virus-hit countries must complete a 14-day period at sea before the Bureau of Quarantine can assess the health of its crew, which is needed for port clearance.

On Monday, the Foreign Affairs Department said that it has repatriated some 13,000 Filipino workers who arrived by plane in the Philippines on two separate charter flights. The group included 822 crew members from ships MS Norwegian Epic, MS Marina, and MS Norwegian Spirit which came from the U.S. and Barbados.

The Filipinos were quarantined overseas before flying to the Philippines, where they were put on another 14-day home quarantine upon arrival.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 736 Filipinos abroad have fallen ill from the virus, with the majority of the cases coming from Europe and Asia.

This article, Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino seafarers allowed to dock in Manila despite Luzon lockdown, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
There has been a significant push from all government agencies to download the app and as is the case with any tracker app, questions have been raised about surveillance and privacy

NITI Aayog's Aarogya Setu was launched on April 2. Made by a team of citizen volunteers and government agencies to track and contain the spread of Covid-19 via contact tracing, the app crossed five crore downloads in just 13 days. In fact, it has become one of the fastest downloaded apps in the country.

Messages from government agencies, social media campaigns, institutional circulars and even a push from the prime minister himself has gone a long way in hitting the five crore download score in less than two weeks. However, this five crore download figure has a lot of people worried, especially the privacy experts.

Privacy experts have pointed out that the tracker is going to erode people's liberties especially when its use will be stretched beyond just contact tracing. The government has been considering using the app for other purposes as well, including the possibility of using it as a pass over the lockdown.

According to experts, the Aarogya Setu app falls short of the standards set by other tracker apps being used in other countries and it captures far more data than is necessary for contact tracing or for providing Covid-19 awareness.

Also Read: Aarogya Setu: Army, Prasar Bharati advise staff to download Covid-19 contact tracing app

According to Arnab Kumar, Program Director, Frontier Technologies for NITI Aayog, the reason Aarogya Setu needs GPS information is because it needs to determine the exact location of infected people to find new hotspots and direction of infection. Aarogya Setu is very similar to the TraceTogether app that Singapore is using, but with one major difference - Aarogya Setu needs GPS location data besides Bluetooth connectivity.

"We don't use location on an individual basis, we use it on an aggregated basis," Kumar said.

He added that the location information captured on the app is sent to the server only if the user is Covid-19 positive or at high risk of infection. However, the Aarogya Setu app does not make it clear what data is being collected, what is stored, what policies are in place to remove this data from cloud servers etc. Initial terms of service did not furnish any details about data retention policies or protection and information was added later.

This, added with the lack of well-defined data protection norms in the country has raised ample doubt. In fact, the Indian Army has asked its personnel to not use the Aarogya Setu app on their office premises, operation areas and in sensitive locations, according to reports.

Also Read: India's Aarogya Setu becomes world's fastest app to reach 5 crore downloads

"There can be discriminatory risks in terms of peculiar communities' overall movement or the patterns of people who come from certain socio economic backgrounds," said Sidharth Deb from the Policy and Parliamentary Counsel at Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), a Delhi-based non-government organisation (NGO) that conducts advocacy on digital rights and liberties.

Deb has evaluated the structure of the Aarogya Setu app from the point of privacy and data safety in a developing paper, you can read it here.

Prasanth Sugathan, Legal Director at the Software Freedom Law Centre India (SFLC.in), "pointed out that the Aarogya Setu app isn't just capturing aggregated data, but it also does obtain individual data, since it asks users to provide their phone number to register at the very first stage".

"The data obtained from an individual's phone would remain linked to the individual's phone number and hence the identity of the individual," Sugathan said.

De-anonymisation of aggregated data is possible, in fact, reidentification of data is big business and studies have shown that anonymised data is never truly anonymous.

Kumar said that there is a 'kill switch' in the system that purges the data from an user's device in 30 days and from the server in 45 days if the user is not at risk. However, if the user is at risk, the server deletes the data in 60 days.

"We're trying to build a temporary solution to a temporary problem," Kumar said.

Also Read: Army tells soldiers to use Aarogya Setu app with caution

However, Deb pointed out that there is still scope that the government could not delete datasets collected from the app on certain grounds.

"The wording of the contract suggests that there is a scope for the government to also have certain grounds on which it does not delete data," he said.

Sugathan is of the opinion that it is not clear if the kill switch works "just for the local database that is stored on the user device or if it is also applicable to the remote database". There is also a demand for letting users delete their own data from the app once they stop using it or once the pandemic is over. For now, Kumar said, the government has no such plans for offering any such option.

One of the ways the Indian government can provide clarity on how Aarogya Setu works is to open source its code. The Singaporean government did this for TraceTogether recently. Kumar said that there is a plan to open source Aarogya Setu's code but it will take time.

"We shouldn't compare our model with what's available in Singapore since they have a total population of five million, whereas we crossed the five million mark in just hours of launching the app. Even then, Singapore took several weeks to open source it," Kumar said. However, he did not explain what the population of the country has to do with publishing the source code of an app.

Also Read: Aarogya Setu: 5 things you can do on this contact tracing app

Kumar added that the "current focus of the team is to expand the capabilities of the app instead of paying attention to open source the code".

"Regularly updating the open source code is no different from maintaining a closed source project," said SFLC.in's Sugathan.

"It just takes a minute to update the source code and if they open source the application, then the Indian and world wide developer community would be happy to help." Deb from the IFF added. He also pointed out that while open sourcing the code might not be possible right now, there should at least be a dialogue about a timeline for when it can happen.

"Open sourcing the code is one of the many ways that they have to engender transparency," he said.

Arogya Setu app listing shows that it has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). However, Kumar said that the app has been developed as a public-private model with a group of individuals participating "voluntarily" with government authorities.

"While a public-private model could be a workable way to scale such technology, you need to be mindful that when you're using a technology like this," said Deb.
A new grant will fund an international collaboration to develop tools to assess patients who suffer from cardiovascular disease.

The Bhargava group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will collaborate with researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, a leading technology-focused educational institution in India. The grant "Partnership 2020: Leveraging U.S.-India Cooperation in Higher Education" is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Researchers hope to develop techniques for analyzing MRI and echocardiogram images, which will allow them to assess patients who suffer from cardiovascular disease. They have been awarded $75,000 for phase 1 of the study.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in India. Usually, doctors assess patients by echocardiogram or MRI, which takes time. Additionally, the health care load is high, and it is therefore important to help them make faster and more accurate diagnose. Our lab has developed digital methods that use deep learning to enhance clinical care. We will collaborate with the researchers at IIT-Delhi and local hospitals in India to acquire cardio images and build models to predict patient outcomes." Shachi Mittal, a Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellow in the Chemical and Imaging Structures Laboratory and one of the principal investigators on the grant

"The scientists at Beckman have always tried to increase the quality and impact of their research," said Rohit Bhargava, Founder Professor of Engineering in the Department of Bioengineering and the director of the Cancer Center at Illinois. "With this grant, we can add a new dimension to Beckman's engagement at the convergence of health and technology. We can take the expertise from the University of Illinois and apply it to the problems in India to co-develop practical solutions for both countries."
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The NFU has laid down key asks of government following a crisis meeting which set out measures to avoid a 'national catastrophe' in British dairying.

NFU President Minette Batters and national dairy board chairman Michael Oakes met with over 30 MPs ealier today (15 April).

They highlighted the need for an approach to avoid instability of the supply of milk to the public in the short term and irreparable damage to the milk supply chain in the long term.

The survival of many dairy farming businesses hit by Covid-19 depends on 'urgent action' from the government, the union said.

The outbreak has seen the almost complete loss of the food service and hospitality markets, as well as increasing price volatility in global markets which has left farms and processors under pressure.

This has led to some dairy farmers with no other option but to dispose of milk on farm.

Speaking after the crisis meeting, Mrs Batters said the government needs to act now to prevent a 'catastrophe' in rural Britain.

The UK dairy industry is an iconic part of our food supply chain playing a key role in the national effort while Covid-19 ravages the country," she said.

Really useful meeting with over 30 MPs today on #COVID19 impacts on British farming, enormously grateful for their time & passion for our industry. Too many to thank but amongst questions were those from @neil_parish @Simon4NDorset @OwenPaterson @DavidRutley @VirginiaCrosbie  minette batters (@Minette_Batters) April 14, 2020

"It faces unprecedented disruption in the short term because it cannot furlough its dairy cows, and its farmers cannot make use of the considerable Treasury support measures like other sectors of the economy.

"The modest interventions we have outlined today will ensure that we continue to supply the country in the short term while maintaining the productive capacity of this most iconic of sectors post-lockdown.

The NFU used the meeting to call for a similar scheme to the Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme, which provides businesses in the retail sector with a grant of up to 25,000.

Defra must also convene a Supply and Demand Management roundtable under competition law exemptions to maximise the flow of available milk through the supply chain.

Mr Oakes added: We also need government to act on our proposals to help deliver a national production reduction scheme and engage the EU Commission to access market support measures.

There may be at least 2,000 dairy farmers suffering severe financial pressure, the NFU believes, and that number could be growing by the day.

It comes as the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) called on the government to help fund a short-term financial support scheme.

It is thought about 300 dairy farmers will be eligible for reimbursement if the scheme is approved, equating to about one million litres of milk being produced a day.
SEATTLE, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian Capital LLC, a leading Seattle-based middle market capital sourcing and M&A advisory firm is excited to announce the successful recapitalization of its client, Accelalpha, Inc. ("Accelalpha") by Century Park Capital Partners ("Century Park").

Meridian Capital advises Accelalpha on its recapitalization by Century Park Capital Partners.

Accelalpha is a premier business and IT consulting firm providing services across a breadth of industries including retail, technology, automotive, and aerospace and defense. The Company primarily focuses on providing end-to-end enterprise solution implementation services. With offices in the U.S., India, and Europe, Accelalpha has established a market-leading position across multiple practice areas serving blue-chip clients around the world.

Patrick Ringland, Managing Director and Head of the Technology Practice at Meridian Capital, stated, "Working with Ganesh and the Accelalpha team has been an absolute pleasure. They have built out deep practice areas and executed their strategic initiatives brilliantly, earning them a deserved, market-leading position. We're thrilled with the outcome for the shareholders and look forward to seeing what the Company can achieve in its next chapter."

This transaction represents continued momentum for Meridian's Technology and Business Services Practices. Other recent transactions include QC Data's acquisition by EN Engineering, Growlr's acquisition by the Meet Group, and two undisclosed acquisitions.

"Meridian Capital has served as a valuable advisor over the past few years and played a critical role in attaining a successful result. The team remained unwavering in its dedication to achieve the best outcome for shareholders. Their experience navigating and negotiating the details and complexities of the transaction proved invaluable. We are very proud of what we have achieved up to this point and look forward to the next phase of our Company's growth story alongside Century Park."  Nat Ganesh, CEO and Founder of Accelalpha

Media Contact:

Michael Barber

Phone: 206.267.0818

Email: [email protected]

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Meridian Capital advises Accelalpha on its recapitalization by Century Park Capital Partners.

SOURCE Meridian Capital LLC
McFarland has four years remaining in his six-year sentence. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP/Shutterstock

Fyre Festivals mastermind Billy McFarland asked to be released from prison early on Tuesday, April 14, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In court documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, McFarlands lawyers asked U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald for compassionate release, citing McFarlands preexisting conditions, including asthma, which make him particularly vulnerable to catching and suffering from severe or fatal consequences of the virus. His lawyers also noted that McFarland has had heart issues in prison and is on the extreme scale of the allergy spectrum. McFarland is currently housed at a federal prison in Elkton, Ohio, where four inmates have died due to coronavirus complications. Mr. McFarland is not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety, reads the letter. The crime to which he pled guilty for was the nonviolent financial crime of wire fraud. However, he is a low risk of recidivism for such financial crimes as he has explained that he has a supportive family that has attested to providing for his basic needs.

Mc Farland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in 2018, landing him a six-year sentence. Nonviolent prisoners across the country have been granted early or temporary release as a result of the pandemic. Even Tekashi 6ix9ine, who had about four months left in his sentence, was moved from Queens Detention Facility to home confinement after his lawyer argued for release given 6ix9ines asthma and preexisting conditions. With music festivals being pushed further and further back, at least we know theres no chance of a Fyre Festival round two.
Linksys has reset passwords for all its customers after learning on ongoing DNS hijacking attacks aimed at delivering malware.

Crooks continue to launch Coronavirus-themed attacks, in the last weeks, experts observed hackers hijacking D-Link and Linksys routers to redirect users to COVID19-themed sites spreading malware.

Hackers compromise D-Link and Linksys routers and change DNS settings to redirect users to bogus sites proposing a fake COVID-19 information app from the World Health Organization. In some cases, users were infected with the Oski information-stealing malware. The alarming trend was reported by BleepingComputer researchers and security firm Bitdefender.

For the past five days, people have been reporting their web browser would open on its own and display a message prompting them to download a COVID-19 Inform App that was allegedly from the World Health Organization (WHO). reported BleepingComputer.

After further research, it was determined that these alerts were being caused by an attack that changed the DNS servers configured on their home D-Link or Linksys routers to use DNS servers operated by the attackers.

Experts believe hackers are launching brute-force attacks against the routers, then they change the default DNS server settings to point the device to servers under their control.

Every time users attempt to visit a site that is included a list of domains targeted by the hackers, they are redirected to a site urging users to install a (COVID-19) information app.

The hacking campaigns were also detailed by researchers at Bitdefender in late March.

Bitdefenders telemetry reported that the attacks started on March 18th, experts observed with a peak in activity on March 23rd.

Bitdefender telemetry revealed that most of the victims are in Germany, France, and the United States (over 73 percent of the total), these countries are also among those most impacted by the pandemic.

At the end of March, Linksys issued a security alert warning users of the ongoing attacks and urging them to reset the passwords.

In analyzing our cloud traffic patterns, we believe there is a coordinated effort to maliciously access and modify Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Accounts using credentials stolen from other websites. Although we have taken additional steps in the cloud to combat these attempts, out of an abundance of caution, we would like all Linksys Smart Wi-Fi users to reset their passwords, reads the advisory published by the vendor.

Users will be prompted to reset the passwords the next time they log in. The company also recommends users to check the routers DNS settings and to make sure the antivirus/malware solutions are up to date and run a full scan.

When you change your password, we will check your DNS settings, which were the target of this attack. If those settings were altered, we will fix them for you. It would also be a good idea to restart computers and mobile devices that have been connected to your network, states Linksys.

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs  Linksys, hacking)

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A view of St George Wharf housing development overlooking the Thames, in London, United Kingdom. (Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images)

The global coronavirus shutdown is likely to lead to the largest decline of CO2 emissions on record, according to analysts, who think the COVID-19 crisis could fundamentally reshape how investors, governments and chief executives think about their impact on the planet.

COVID-19 is having a material impact on global CO2 emissions and will likely lead to the largest decline of CO2 emissions on record, Goldman Sachs (GS) analysts wrote in a note sent to clients on Wednesday 15 April.

While a lot of uncertainty remains, the current crisis is significantly altering the climate change debate, illuminating both challenges and opportunities.

Goldman Sachs expects emissions to decline by 5.4% this year as a result of the shutdown of economies around the world and prohibitions on travel. Such a decline would dwarf any previously recorded falls in CO2 emissions over the last 45 years.

Goldman Sachs expects CO2 emissions to decline sharply this year. Photo: Goldman Sachs

Cities around the world are already reporting stunning improvements in air quality as a result of the collapse in emissions.

In the past, emissions have quickly bounced back as economies have recovered from downturns. However, analysts think the seismic shock caused by coronavirus could provide an opportunity to fundamentally shift both corporate and consumer behaviour towards more environmentally friendly practices.

It is producing an enforced experiment in behavioural change, as increasing numbers work from home, and reduce travel, UBS (UBS) analysts wrote in early March.

The Swiss bank thinks the pandemic could accelerate a shift away from air travel towards more environmentally friendly high-speed rail.

The COVID-19 outbreak is showing industrialised countries not only what clean air means and how to cope without travelling, but also how a cleaner environment and healthier populations cope better with diseases, UBS analysts wrote in a note earlier this month.

Andrew Wilson, EMEA chief executive of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, told journalists on a call on Thursday that companies could permanently reduce business travel and move to more working from home even after the lockdown subsides. He added that the environment has benefited enormously from the shutdown.

Story continues

Goldmans energy analysts said in late March they expect the COVID-19 shutdown to fundamentally reshape the global oil industry and accelerate the energy transition to greener sources of power.

Meanwhile, Barclays (BARC.L) believes the COVID-19 pandemic could change investor behaviour and encourage a shift toward environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing.

ESG funds have performed well during the market rout and have seen resilient inflows, Emmanuel Cau, head of European equity strategy at Barclays, wrote in a note to clients last week.

The COVID-19 crisis could accelerate the idea that investment and businesses should primarily serve human well-being and sustainability.

However, even if environmentally friendly lockdown habits do stick after restrictions are lifted, Goldman Sachs warned that the current decline in emissions is still not enough to prevent dangerous levels of global warming.

Emission declines from COVID and peak carbon will provide a head start, but momentum is unlikely to keep pace with aggressive climate scenario requirements, analysts wrote in Wednesdays note.

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Samir Chowieri, the president of the group that owns the controversial CHSLD Herron, was convicted in the 1980s of conspiracy for drug trafficking and conspiracy for fraud, according to court documents obtained by Radio-Canada's Enquete.

At his daily briefing Wednesday, Quebec Premier Francois Legault called it "unacceptable" that a person convicted of serious crimes ended up running a string of long-term care establishments in the province.

Chowieri immigrated to Canada in 1972, claiming to have only $2,000 to his name, according to Enquete. A few years later, in 1980, two people were arrested trying to cross the Lebanese-Syrian border with 14 kilograms of hashish. RCMP documents showed a Gatineau-area criminal organization was involved.

Chowieri was convicted of conspiracy to traffic drugs in 1981 and sentenced in the Hull courthouse to two years in prison. A year later, records show, Chowieri was sentenced to 18 months for conspiracy to commit fraud, for having acquired 12.5 tonnes of cheese without paying the supplier.

Chowieri received a pardon for his past crimes in 2014 from the Parole Board of Canada, a spokesperson for the businessman informed Radio-Canada in an email statement Wednesday.

"Mr. Chowieri, as well as all his companies' directors, were subject to a judicial investigation before being allowed to invest in residences for seniors," the statement said.

Under police watch for alleged money laundering

The Gatineau businessman also attracted the attention of authorities in the 1990s, according to information contained in a search-warrant affidavit filed by the RCMP, the contents of which have not been tested in court. Police suspected him of continuing involvement in drug trafficking, as well as in money laundering.

Through myriad companies, Chowieri allegedly recycled narco-dollars for the Mafia, according to information obtained by investigators.

"Chowieri is a smart and careful drug trafficker and money launderer," said an RCMP informant quoted in the document.

Story continues

Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

During a time that he was delivering pizza after immigrating to Canada, the businessman owned two Rolls Royces and two BMWs, a police informant said. The RCMP investigation found that Chowieri had allegedly made several trips to Panama, Colombia, France, Barbados, the Bahamas, Venezuela and Brazil.

In March 1990, he told a customs officer that he had to go to Panama to meet someone for a property purchase in Canada, but he refused to identify that person, according to the RCMP.

In 2002, Mr. Chowieri was also found guilty of tax evasion for having passed off personal spending as business expenses for his company, CHO Brothers. He was fined $125,000.

'Unacceptable': Legault

Despite Chowieri's criminal past, CHSLD Herron was authorized by the Quebec agency responsible for public contracts, Autorite des marches publics (AMP), to do business with the Quebec government.

The AMP can deny that right to anyone convicted of a crime. However, that person has the right to seek government contracts again, five years after a conviction.

Just the same, the situation is "unacceptable," Legault said Wednesday when asked at his daily briefing to comment on the Chowieri revelations, first published by La Presse.

All eyes on CHSLD Herron

Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

Almost 33 years after the inauguration of its first building, the Katasa Group  headed by Chowieri and his three daughters  owns residential properties in Ottawa, Montreal and Sept-Iles, as well as two commercial buildings in Gatineau. It operates three long-term care homes for seniors in Gatineau and four others elsewhere in Quebec.

All eyes have been on one of them, CHSLD Herron in Dorval, after the regional health agency had to step in to take over and discovered that 31 of its 150 residents had died since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in mid-March.

In an interview with Radio-Canada, Samir Cowieri's daughter, Katherine Chowieri, defended Katasa, saying it was CHSLD Herron's owners that asked for the help off the West Island CIUSSS on March 29 because they were left so short-staffed after the first cases of COVID-19. That's when the CIUSSS took over their administration.

"Up until that date, March 29, we'd had one death and two confirmed cases of COVID-19," Katherine Chowieri said.
Karnataka reported its 13th COVID-19 death overall while 36 people tested positive, the highest single day tally so far, taking the total number of infections in the state to 315 on Thursday, the health department said.

With the spike in the number of cases and deaths, the government said, it "unfortunately" did not get 100 per cent cooperation from the people with regard to the lockdown.

A 66-year old man from the city, on ventilator support since April 10 after being referred to the Victorial Hospital from a private hospital, died on Wednesday, the department said on Thursday.

According to the bulletin by the department, as many as 36 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed. This is the highest number of positive cases in a day so far in the state.

"As of 5:00 PM on April 16, cumulatively 315 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, it includes 13 deaths and 82 discharges," it said.

Out of 220 active cases, 218 patients (including one pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while two are in Intensive Care unit.

"Unfortunately we did not get that 100 per cent cooperation for the lockdown, it is very much evident... unfortunately I should agree with you that we did not get the 100 per cent cooperation," Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters here.

He was reponding to a question about the effectiveness of lockdown with the state witnessing increase in cases.

"We have decided to focus on containment measures to control the spread of virus further...by tomorrow we will let you know what area will come under containment zone, after that we will also mark buffer zones. We will take measures so that people don't come out," he said.

Monitoring of these places would be stepped up, he said.

Among the 36 patients newly tested positive, as many as 22 are contacts of patients already tested positive, five are with travel history to Delhi (repeat test), three are linked to a pharma company in Mysuru.

While contact history of four was being traced, one had history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), and the other with Influenza Like Illness(ILI).

An 18-month old girl is among four minors who tested positive in the fresh cases.

Belagavi accounted for 17 of the new cases and Vijayapura seven.

Kumar said Vijayapura, that was a corona-free district just four days ago, today has 17 cases.

"All 17 cases are from just two families. One family 7 and the other 10. Their primary contact is from Maharashtra. So far samples of 270 people with contacts to the two families have been collected and sent for testing. The place of their residence has been declared as containment and buffer zone, and has been sealed," he said.

The bulletin said, nine out of 315 cases detected and confirmed in Karnataka so far were transit passengers of Kerala.

From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru urban with 76 cases, followed by Mysuru 61 and Belagavi 36.

Out of total 82 patients discharged so far 35 are from Bengaluru, 12 from Mysuru, eight each from Chikkaballapura and Dakshina Kannada; while among the dead are three each from Kalaburagi and Bengaluru urban, two from Chikkaballapura, and one each from Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijapura, Gadag and Tumakuru.

A total of 13,724 samples were tested so far, out of which 1,241 on Thursday alone.

So far 13,074 samples, including 1,169 on Thursday, have returned negative in testing.

Responding to a question, Kumar said, a total of 49 cases linked to pharma company Jubilant in Nanjanagudu has come out as positive while 46 cases linked to Delhi's Tablighi Jamaat have tested positive and their contacts are about 48 people.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday inaugurated Mobile labs for COVID-19 here.

A report from Mangaluru said no new COVID-19 case was reported in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts for the 12th consecutive day.

Of the 12 detected cases in Dakshina Kannada district, nine people have been discharged and only three are currently active, it said quoting officials.

In Udupi, one person remains under treatment at the TMA Pai hospital.

Two others tested positive in the district had been discharged after full recovery in the past few days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With 361 persons testing positive on Thursday, the number of coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh climbed to 1,299, health officials said.

Eight more deaths were reported in past 24 hours, taking the death toll of COVID-19 patients to 63 in MP, according to state health officials.

According to reports so far, the virus has now expanded its footprint to 26 out of 52 districts of the state.

Indore has reported the highest 842 cases in the state with 298 new cases being reported since Wednesday, health officials said.

In Bhopal, 29 more cases were reported, which took the tally of COVID-19 patients in the state capital to 196, officials said.

With 17 more persons testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the number of cases in Khandwa has gone up to 33, fourth highest in state after Indore, Bhopal and Khargone, said health officials.

Of 63 deaths in the state on account of COVID-19, 47 were reported in Indore alone.

Five persons have died in Bhopal, six in Ujjain, three in Khargone and one each in Chhindwara and Dewas.

Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said eight more persons including two brothers died in Indore.

Of these eight people, five died on Thursday while reports of three other persons came after their death last week.

Apart from Indore and Bhopal, Morena district has recorded 14 cases, Jabalpur 13 (one new), Ujjain 30, Hoshangabad 16, Khargone 39, Barwani 22, Raisen 08 (four new), Gwalior six, Khandwa 33 (17 new), Dewas 17 (two new), Sheopur 03, Vidisha 13, Chhindwara 04, Satna two, Dhar 6 (three new), Shivpuri two, Ratlam 12, Shajapur 5 (one new), Mandsaur 07 (five new), Agar Malwa 4 (one new) and Betul, Tikamgarh, Alirajput and Sagar one each, health officials said.

One patient hails from another state.

So far 65 patients have recovered and returned home, the officials said.

The health officials also said that 405 containment areas have been declared across the affected cities in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fifty years ago, Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert forgot to do his taxes.

(oops)

With this momentous anniversary, people around the world are celebrating the mission that has famously been remembered as a "successful failure." But, as we recall the fast thinking from NASA Mission Control and the astronauts that ensured the Apollo 13 crewmembers returned home safely, we also think back to one of the less somber moments of the mission  the time when astronaut Jack Swigert realized he hadn't filed his taxes in time for the April 15, 1970 cutoff.

To be fair, Swigert wasn't supposed to be on Apollo 13; he was on the backup crew. But original crewmember Ken Mattingly was exposed to the German measles close to launch, and so NASA decided to swap the two to ensure that the crew wouldn't be infected. (Mattingly never ended up getting sick and flew on Apollo 16.)

Apollo 13 timeline: The hectic days of NASA's 'successful failure' to the moon

Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert eats breakfast before launching on the mission, not yet realizing he's forgotten to file his taxes. (Image credit: NASA)

And because Swigert had to scramble to prepare after the swap, he (evidently) didn't file his taxes before leaving.

Approximately 24 hours and 18 minutes into the mission (and you can read the official and hilarious NASA transcript here ), which was well before the disastrous oxygen tank explosion, Swigert asked Mission Control:

"Uh oh; have you guys completed your income tax?"

Commander Jim Lovell, laughing, followed that up with: "How do I apply for an extension?"

Mission Control burst into laughter. Swigert replied: "It ain't too funny; things kind of happened real fast down there, and I do need an extension." And, again, he was met with raucous laughter.

Swigert tried again to explain his position: "I didn't get mine filed. And this is serious; would you." But Mission Control was still reeling, "you're breaking up the room down here."

The teasing went on a bit longer (and started to get more creative). The crew was, at this point, still planning on landing on the moon so, in jokingly suggesting that Swigert's misstep could interfere with the mission, someone chimed in to ask, "Is it true that Jack's income tax return was going to be used to buy the ascent fuel for the [lunar module]?"

Despite the ribbing, Mission Control assured Swigert that they would help him get his taxes filed on time. While Swigert was not in a different country, he was still considered a U.S. citizen abroad, which qualified him for an extension to file his taxes late but penalty-free.

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CLEVELAND, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cleveland-based company, Pulsar Eco Products has quickly metamorphosed from a producer of creative consumer products for big-box retailers and cruise lines since 1997 to now ginning out a weekly supply of 2.5 million personal protective equipment (PPE) masks including CIVIL DISPOSABLE MASKS, MEDICAL DISPOSABLE MASKS and KN95 RESPIRATORS.

With customers including Mayo Clinic, the United States Navy and Walmart, Pulsar brings much-needed PPE masks to today's heroes working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton in a briefing on Monday, April 13 said Ohioans could need to wear masks for the next year as society reopens to keep coronavirus at bay.

"In addition to providing essential PPE, we've kept our entire company employed as we continue to look for creative solutions to address the Covid-19 crisis," said company founder Eric Ludwig.

During the coming weeks, Ludwig will lead employees to deliver a donation of masks valued at $50,000 to local businesses including University Hospitals' Rainbow Babies and Childrens, MedWish International, Heinen's, Dollar General, The Weil's, Menorah Park, Arden Courts and the Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce.

In anticipation of the mask shortage, Team Pulsar and partner company, KMK, a regional promotional products company, pivoted resources and aligned global manufacturing and supply chain logistics partners. Production is now live and turning out up to 2.5 million masks per week.

Ludwig adds, "Our goal is simple: to help our community, locally and otherwise, to protect themselves and others from the spread of Covid-19."

About Pulsar Products

Pulsar is a thriving, entrepreneurial consumer product company servicing retailers, cruise lines, resorts, theme parks and special events. Since 1997, this family business has been a go-to team for creative development, product design, manufacturing, sourcing and distribution. Pulsar Products can be found in over 25,000 locations worldwide. www.PulsarProducts.com

About KMK Promote

Founded in 2006 from an expertise in building brands, KMK Promote offers unique, quality promotional products, excellent service and customer-focused marketing. Located in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, the company is a premier source for branding solutions. www.KMKpromote.com

Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jde6tjcrd4d3blk/AAAf0pk1QZOTQmIBY_bdGxMPa?dl=0

For more information contact: Kathleen Colan, KC Media Partners at 440.479.0932, [email protected] or Melissa Sperry, Pulsar Eco Products at 440.785.3834, [email protected]

SOURCE Pulsar Products

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T he first trailer for Capone has dropped with Tom Hardy in the starring role as infamous gangster Al Capone.

First announced back in 2018, Capone promises to follow the "untold story" of the crime boss's final years in Florida as he struggles with dementia, brought on by his syphilis, following his release from prison.

Hardy looks unrecognisable in the role of Al Capone, who was known as "Public Enemy No. 1" during his time as boss of the notorious Chicago Outfit in Prohibition-era America.

Also known as Scarface, Capone was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for tax evasion in 1932 but was released after serving nearly eight years as neurosyphilis eroded his brain.

Unrecognisable: Hardy as the ruined mob boss / Josh Trank Twitter

The synopsis for the film reads: A ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago with an iron fist, Al 'Fonzo' Capone (Tom Hardy) was the most infamous and feared gangster of American lore.

At the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, dementia rots Capones mind and his past becomes present as harrowing memories of his violent and brutal origins melt into his waking life.

Directed by Josh Trank, Capone  previously called Fonzo  also stars Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon and Kyle MacLachlan, along with Dunkirks Jack Lowden.

Final years: the film follows Capone as he struggles with dementia / Josh Trank Twitter

The trailer starts with a confused-looking Capone being invited up on stage at a nightclub in a dressing gown, before it cuts to shots of the gangster at his Florida mansion.

The FBI are still chasing him for a "very large sum of money", with his dementia believed to be an act by agent Crawford and even by some family members.

It ends as Capone fires a machine gun either at his lawn or an alligator he's come face-to-face with.
Ecuador is a nation that sits on the equator on the west side of South America. According to Johns Hopkins University, this tiny country, with a population of less than 20 million, has identified approximately 7,466 cases of COVID-19 as of this week.

Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno admitted, however, that the actual figures would have been much higher, stating that insufficient screening has made it difficult to estimate the total sum of those infected by the virus.

Authorities reportedly retrieved nearly 800 bodies from residences in Guayaquil, as coronavirus continues to take its effect on emergency services, clinics, and burial parlors of the Ecuadorian capital.

Bodies have been left on the streets, abandoned. Most of the emergency personnel are so overloaded that people need to wait four days for corpses to be extracted from residences.

Jorge Wated, the head of the police and military team formed by the state three weeks ago to quickly bring down the turmoil, had this to say: "The number we have collected with the task force from people's homes exceeded 700 people."

Emergency cemeteries constructed in Ecuador

This week, as families were waiting to have an opportunity to bury their deceased loved ones, a significant number of vehicles bearing caskets were waiting outside the private cemeteries around the town. The epidemic overloaded hospitals as well as emergency rooms, and many people kept dead bodies for days inside their households.

In order to tackle the lack of burial grounds, as the novel coronavirus strikes the country hard, Ecuador is planning an immediate burial site donated by the private cemetery in Guayaquil, the biggest city in the country.

Before graves were constructed last week, the government started keeping coronavirus victims' corpses in large refrigerated containers as they intend to bury about 100 individuals per day at the cemetery in northern Guayaquil, which has the capacity for about 2,000 plots.

With the potential to manage about 12,000 plots, Guayaquil City has also announced that it plans to construct two public graveyards.

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Ecuador's debt to China

Ecuador's coronavirus crisis is increasing the pressure for the president to think of bailing towards the $17 billion debt and to commit more funds to battle an outbreak that has killed and scattered corpses in the streets of the nation's largest city.

Since 2008, when it announced a suspension on payments on several bonds, this oil-exporting nation has had a strained relationship with the creditors.

That has rendered Ecuador blocked for six years from the debt markets, whereas Correa printed billions of dollars of oil-for-loan transactions with China.

According to President Moreno, raising finances to counter the virus may clash against creditors' attempts to pay and implement drastic steps to cover a growing budgetary deficit.

He had added that Ecuador would not default and therefore, will pay $3 billion in expenditures from multilateral organizations and to China. However, the state has particular commitments for the $580 million.

The CONAIE federation of indigenous nations, which led last year's protests against austerity measures, said in a statement had this to say: "Ecuador paid foreign debts and neglected resources for public health, now they want to loot Ecuadoreans' wallets once more."
Students and instructors in the Medical Education and Training Campus Respiratory Therapist program practice safe distancing and wear face coverings while training with mechanical ventilators.

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Army is offering an initial investment of $100,000 to innovators with plans to rapidly develop ventilators amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The competition will be carried out by the Army's acquisition unit under the expeditionary technology search program, dubbed "xTechSearch," which aims to fund small businesses with novel dual-use technology solutions.

This particular competition, however, will be open to any American business, regardless of size.

"We've directed the Army expeditionary technology search program to reach out to the innovation community to find a rapid ventilator production system to support field hospitals that are still requiring critical infrastructure such as generators and pressurized oxygen," explained Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy on Thursday at the Pentagon.
Workers enter the IRS building on Dec. 11, 2014, in Washington, D.C. A new IRS website can help get Americans their stimulus payment more quickly. Read more

WASHINGTON  Americans can speed up delivery of their coronavirus assistance payout through a new IRS website that launched Wednesday. The site allows them to provide bank account details needed to receive electronic payment, and also to check when the payment will arrive.

While some people logged in easily Wednesday and entered their bank account information or received a timeline for when their money would arrive, there were also reports from others who encountered delays or difficulties using the site. Many were faced with a message stating Payment Status Not Available or found they were unable to verify their identity or update their information.

The IRS said it was looking into the complaints.

To use the site, people will need information from their 2018 or 2019 taxes to prove their identity, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said this week at the White House. The site also allows people who have already provided the IRS with direct deposit information to verify which account the government has on file.

Youll be able to put in your direct deposit information, and within several days we will automatically deposit the money into your account, Mnuchin said. We want to do as much of this electronically as we can.

The first wave of payouts began Friday. Mnuchin said more than 80 million Americans were expected to receive the payout through direct deposit by Wednesday.

We know how important that is to all of those hardworking Americans, many of which are at home not working at the moment, Mnuchin said.

Congress approved the onetime cash payouts of up to $1,200 last month in the $2 trillion economic relief package, and the administration has worked to rush the cash to Americans who have seen their lives upended by efforts to curb the coronavirus. But millions of Americans dont have direct deposit information on file with the IRS, either because they dont normally receive a tax refund or prefer to receive a paper check. It could take weeks or even months for people who dont now provide direct deposit information to the IRS to receive a paper check.

All U.S. residents are eligible for a payment as long as they have a work-eligible Social Security number, cannot be claimed as a dependent on another persons taxes, and meet the income requirements. Those with an adjusted gross income below $75,000 (or $150,000 for a married couple) would receive $1,200 per adult or $2,400 for a married couple. In addition, they are eligible for an additional $500 per child under 17. Americans who make from $75,000 to $99,000 (or married couples making $150,000 to $198,000) are eligible for a portion of the payment.

Taxpaying immigrants will not get a stimulus check.

Social Security recipients, even those who didnt file taxes in 2018 or 2019, should receive the money automatically. The IRS will use information on file with the Social Security Administration.

The new site is separate from the portal created Friday to allow people who do not normally have to file taxes to provide the IRS with their direct deposit information. That site is largely targeted at low-income people, the homeless and others who, it is feared, may fall through the cracks with this relief package. It should be used by people whose gross income did not exceed $12,200 for an individual or $24,400 for married couples for 2019 and who were not otherwise required to file a federal income tax return for 2019 and didnt plan to.
Bay Area home prices rose substantially in March despite a drop in sales compared with last March, according to the California Association of Realtors, but those numbers reflect deals entered into before most counties imposed shelter-in-place orders March 17.

Data from several local real estate groups for the weeks since then show a big drop in pending sales, new listings and closings  and a sharp increase in homes being pulled off the market.

The real estate market has changed dramatically since the coronavirus trapped most people in their homes. Although real estate has been deemed an essential service, agents cant hold open houses. One-on-one showings are strongly discouraged, but still allowed if the home is vacant or staged and the agent follows strict protocols. For example, there generally cant be more than one agent and two buyers in the house at a time, wearing masks, and surfaces must be disinfected between showings. The economic uncertainty has also pushed many sellers and buyers to the sidelines, unless they have an urgent need to move.

The statewide associations report for March shows that heading into the pandemic, the Bay Area market was going strong, at least price-wise.

The median price paid for an existing, single-family home in the Bay Area rose to $1,009,790 in March, up 11% from February and 7.4% higher than a year ago.

The median price rose on a year-over-year basis in every Bay Area county. Contra Costa had the largest increase, 10.4%. Prices also rose month to month in every county except Solano, where it fell 2.6%. (The report excludes sales of condo units, newly built homes and sales not reported to a multiple-listing service.)

The number of Bay Area sales that closed last month rose 30.1% from February but was down 12.1% from last March.

Statewide, sales were down 11.5% from February and down 6.1% from a year ago.

That sales decrease is only a prelude to what well see in April and May because sales were still modestly strong during the first two weeks of March, Jeanne Radsick, a Bakersfield Realtor and the associations president, said in a news release. However, a 25% drop in pending sales suggest the decline could extend beyond the next couple of months.

To get a sense of where things are going, I asked a couple of local multiple-listings services what theyre seeing since March 17. Although they dont track data exactly the same way, they both show sharp drops  40% to 50% in some cases  in activity.

In San Francisco, from March 17 through Tuesday, 383 sales had closed, 425 new listings came on the market and 325 listings were taken off the market (either put on hold or canceled).

During the same period last year, 642 sales closed, 876 new listings hit the market and only 112 were pulled off, according to the San Francisco Association of Realtors listing service.

Business is still going on but at a greatly reduced volume, said Marc Dickow, broker with Core7 Real Estate and the associations president. Homes that were in contract before March 17 are for the most part closing, but as for new deals, if people can wait, I think they are waiting to see how this all shakes out.

In five South Bay counties, from March 17 through Tuesday, the number of closed sales dropped to 1,872 this year from 2,290 last year. The number of new listings fell to 2,063 from 3,768. And the number of canceled or withdrawn listings rose to 1,140 from 670, according to MLSListings, which covers San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties.

More telling is a sharp drop in listings that went from active to contingent or pending. These are buyers who, since March 17, had an offer accepted on a house. That number has fallen sharply, to 1,714 this year from 3,956 the same period last year.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

That will result in a big drop in closings in the weeks ahead, said Larry Knapp, a spokesman for MLSListings.

Some contracts being signed now have language that delays inspections until after shelter-in-place orders are lifted.

Knapp added that the big drop in new listings means that the housing-inventory shortage that existed before March 17 will be even worse when people can stop sheltering.

Its far too early to say what impact the coronavirus will have on prices. But in San Francisco, the average listing price for a home that came on the market between March 17 and Thursday was $2.54 million this year, way up from $1.58 million.

Average prices can be skewed by a few very expensive homes, but in San Francisco its true that most new listings are high-end homes, said Jay Cheng, a spokesman for the San Francisco Realtors Association.

Looking ahead, the next couple of months are going to see sharply reduced sales, said Leslie Appleton-Young, the statewide associations chief economist. The rest of the year is up for discussion. We dont know how long we will be under shelter-in-place, how long it will be before consumers are comfortable returning to a public life. We know it will be gradual. We dont know what the collateral damage will be in the labor market.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
How could that money be used? For starters, to ensure that state voting rolls are as accurate as possible and that every registered voter receives, at the very least, an application for a mail ballot  although it would be better to send the ballot itself. The money could be used to pay for the printing of enough ballots and envelopes for every registered voter. According to print vendors, orders for ballots and envelopes would need to be placed by early summer to be filled in time for Novembers election. And the money could also be used to pay the postage on all those envelopes, so that we dont institute a modern-day poll tax.

Speaking of postage, the government needs to stop playing games and fund the Postal Service, which is of course essential to a successful vote by mail.

And what about security? Its true that mail voting has vulnerabilities that can be exploited. The good news is that states like Oregon and Colorado, where nearly all voting is done by mail, run extremely secure elections, thanks to common-sense measures.

For example, bar codes help ensure that ballots are coming from the voters they were sent to, and new ballot-tracking software allows voters to check whether their filled-out ballots were successfully delivered. Ballots with signatures that dont match a voters file dont get counted, but voters whose ballot is rejected should have the chance to resolve that issue. Voters can also place their filled-out ballots in secure, video-monitored drop boxes. In short, none of this is rocket science, but states without existing mail-voting systems need to get going right away.

Far more dangerous than individual voter fraud, which is always very rare, is the potential hacking of voter rolls by hostile countries like Russia and China. That could disenfranchise large numbers of eligible voters. To minimize this risk, voter rolls should be up-to-date, and offline copies should be saved regularly to check against any suspicious changes.

States need money for all of this, as well as for expanding online registration so that those who have been displaced by the pandemic can vote even if they are living somewhere new. And states need to adopt at least two weeks of early voting, to keep polling places from getting overcrowded.

No voting method is free of error, of course, and there will surely be missteps  ballots lost, voters wrongly rejected for a signature mismatch  but what is the alternative? The coronavirus doesnt care about the electoral calendar.
Anubhav Sinha's latest directorial Thappad starring Taapsee Pannu in the lead, received much critical acclaim. The film was the third one in a series of films by Anubhav exploring social issues, the first one being Mulk and the second being Article 15.

Taapsee, who was a lead even in Mulk, shared a behind the scenes image from the film and took a friendly dig at Anubhav, asking what happened between his earlier film Ra.One and Mulk. For the unversed, Ra.One was a superhero film which was panned by critics.

Sharing the BTS photo of a court scene from the film, featuring Rishi, Anubhav and herself, Taapsee wrote, "This is from the set of #Mulk The court room scene days. I remember how excited I was to mouth those lines. Probably few of the best lines I've ever read in a script. Working along side chintu sir was like a roller coaster everyday. His sense of humour kept us on our toes. N this captain of the ship, the man who is relentless and I only wonder ........ What really happened between RaOne n Mulk But jo hua acha hua ... Atleast for me coz I got 2 most cherished projects in my filmography n m looking forward to adding many more #ShamelessPitch #Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost," (sic).

Mulk was a film about a Muslim family fighting in court to regain their lost honour in a Hindu majority town. The film was praised for sensitively addressing prejudices surrounding a minority community.

Taapsee has been using her time in self isolation to post meaningful throwback pictures, treating fans to less known stories from her life.

ALSO READ: Taapsee Pannu On Not Announcing Contributions To COVID-19 Relief: I Did It For Personal Satisfaction

ALSO READ: Taapsee Pannu Shares Picture Of Her Tattoo Trial For Pink: Girls Wanted Similar Tattoos Afterwards


With Masks, Sanitizer & Gloves, South Koreans Go to the Polls

By William Gallo April 15, 2020

South Koreans stood in socially distanced lines, disinfected their hands, and wore face masks and gloves inside polling stations, as they participated in one of the world's first major elections of the coronavirus era.

Having already rapidly slowed the spread of the coronavirus, South Korea is implementing wide-ranging measures to ensure Wednesday's parliamentary vote does not lead to a resurgence of the disease.

Voters stood a meter apart on specially marked lines at polling stations, which were disinfected ahead of the election. Poll workers provided a mandatory squirt of hand sanitizer and disposable plastic gloves, while checking voter temperatures with contact-free thermometers.

Those with symptoms casted ballots at separate booths. Voters in self-isolation were allowed to cast their ballots after regular voting ended later in the day.

"Seoul has been safe, and I feel safe here, too," said 56-year-old Jang Je-yeon, who cast a vote in central Seoul late Wednesday.

"At first, I was a bit worried about being infected, but the polling stations have been thoroughly disinfected, and we received gloves and were kept apart from each other," said, 22-year-old Jeong Geun-young, a first-time voter.

Final voter turnout was 66 percent, the highest for a South Korean parliamentary election in nearly three decades.

South Korea's experience could be instructive for other countries planning elections during a time of social distancing. Experts have warned that bringing millions of voters to the same locations could allow the disease to spread rapidly

Postponement: not an option

Some other countries where the virus has not been contained already have delayed elections.

But postponing the vote was out of the question for South Korea, said Duyeon Kim, a senior adviser for northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group.

"South Koreans have trauma from two authoritarian regimes between 1963-1988, so elections are particularly essential to their democracy," she said. "Not even the Korean War stopped them from voting in the 1952 presidential race."

Referendum on Moon

Wednesday's vote effectively serves as a midterm referendum on South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Moon's political fortunes have rebounded after he oversaw one of the world's most effective coronavirus responses.

South Korea was initially one of the countries hardest hit by the virus. But it quickly became a global model for coronavirus containment, after the government implemented a mass campaign of testing, data-driven investigations of infection paths, and effective treatment and isolation of those exposed to the virus.

The number of new daily infections in South Korea has recently slowed to about 30, and officials in Seoul are now considering how to begin reopening the economy.

Amid the pandemic, Moon's approval rating has surged above 50%  putting him in an unusually comfortable position for a South Korean president entering the second half of his single, five-year term in office.

The coronavirus has largely overshadowed other issues plaguing Moon, including a sluggish economy, a corruption controversy involving his now-resigned justice minister, and an inability to advance talks with North Korea.

North Korea: not a big factor

In a reminder of how Moon's outreach to Pyongyang has failed, North Korea launched a series of short-range missiles Tuesday, just a day ahead of the South Korean vote.

North Korea often conducts military provocations ahead of South Korean elections  ostensibly to influence the vote or pressure the government in Seoul.

"This cycle, there has been less debate in Seoul about relations with Pyongyang because COVID-19 has taken up so much political bandwidth," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

"The Kim regime, however, will not be ignored and may even be a bit annoyed about South Koreans practicing their democracy on [North Korean founder] Kim Il Sung's birthday," which also is on Wednesday, Easley added.

North Korea has conducted five rounds of short-range missile tests this year, after conducting 13 rounds last year. The launches have received relatively little media coverage in South Korea, meaning they may not affect the vote.

Turnout concerns

There had been concerns the pandemic may persuade many of South Korea's 44 million eligible voters to stay home.

Some of those concerns were allayed after the country saw a record number of early voters cast ballots last week  a factor that could prevent overcrowding on election day. And turnout did prove to be quite strong.

But some problems couldn't be fixed. Only about half of eligible South Korean voters living in foreign countries were able to vote, because of coronavirus-related lockdowns overseas.

Additionally, COVID-19 patients being treated at hospitals or other facilities were able to vote by mail only if they applied during a five-day period in late March.

Preserving democracy

Despite those challenges, South Korea moved ahead with the election  setting an example for other countries that will try to preserve democracy, as well as voter health in future elections.

"If we had postponed the election, we would have to fight COVID-19 without a legitimate government, which is far more dangerous than infection from voting booths," said Lee Sang-sin, a research fellow who focuses on political science and public opinion at the Korean Institute for National Unification. "The best cure for the COVID-19 is, so far as we know, competent and responsive leadership."

"So, it is not that South Korea is holding an election in spite of the virus," he says. "We need an election to fight the disease now more than ever. Democracy is not a luxury. It is essential."

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MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2020 / ????For a company to succeed in today's ultra-competitive environment the right approach to advertising and marketing is essential. One of the rising leaders in the space is Switzerland-based Zurtech AG, winning a reputation for working with global brands to help them be disruptive forces in their market, develop creative strategies and employ innovative methods to help them dominate their markets. In exciting news for the company, this approach has been winning the attention of high-quality clients, while also attracting interest from leaders in the industry. Most recently this has led to Zurtech AG announcing a new partnership with the Google Accelerator Program, which the company believes can only lead to even greater short-term and long-term success. The excitement surrounding the news is high.

"We're honored to receive the invitation from Google," commented the CEO of Zurtech, Nick Perzichilli. "This partnership will exponentially increase Zurtech's marketing reach and place our user acquisition strategies at peak performance levels."

The marketing, tech and financial experts at Zurtech offer everything from product builds, website design, funding, distribution, consulting, and much more, depending on client needs.

The Google Accelerator Program is equally enthusiastic about the new partnership.

Google's Rebecca Selznick recently said, "We know Zurtech is a crazy growth engine. I work on a dedicated team at Google that handpicks new ventures each quarter to partner with and offer internal resources and high touch support." Google's Brand Accelerator Program is famously by invitation only, for selected brands who show high growth potential and are seen to be likely to be future leaders in their space, especially with experienced guidance.

Zurtech will now have access to Google's top tools and resources, one-on-one analytic and strategic support such as Google Ad data, Fortune 500 account representatives and information on customer behavior and much more, which would have been far beyond their budget otherwise. Experts from Google's digital marketing and strategy teams will work with the team from Zurtech to manage Google Ad buys on their properties like Google Search, YouTube, and Display.

This surely equals a win for both Zurtech and Google.

Zurtech's portfolio currently includes over 100 companies as they help drive over $500 million in revenue for its partners. Expect both the number of companies working with Zurtech to rise along with the benefits they deliver to clients as the new relationship with Google bears fruit.

For more information about Zurtech, go to www.Zurtech.ch or contact CEO@Zurtech.ch.

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SOURCE: Zurtech AG

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BANGKOK - Foreigners working in Singapores trade-dependent economy and living in crowded dormitories now account for half of the tiny city-states virus cases after new infections spiked for a third day.

Its number of coronavirus infections has jumped by 1,167 since Monday. While successfully managing its first wave of infections, Singapore overlooked its vast population of foreign workers who live in dormitories that typically house up to 20 men sharing kitchens, toilets and other facilities.

Tens of thousands of the workers from Bangladesh, India and other poorer Asian countries are now quarantined in their dormitories or have been moved to alternative sites to reduce crowding.

The 447 new coronavirus cases raise Singapores total to 3,699. The Health Ministry said in a statement late Wednesday that the significant rise in cases among foreign workers was expected partly due to ongoing tests at the dormitories.

About a fifth of total cases were detected in one single dormitory.

The city-state of nearly 6 million people imposed a partial lockdown until May 4, and made it mandatory for people to wear masks outside of their homes to curb the virus transmission. Ten people have died so far from the virus.

In other news around the Asia-Pacific region:

 TWELVE NEW DOMESTIC CASES IN CHINA: China reported 46 new virus cases, 34 of them brought from outside the country. Three new domestic cases were recorded in the capital Beijing, which has been enforcing strict quarantine and social distancing measures. Four were reported in Heilongjiang province, where a new flare-up has occurred among Chinese citizens crossing the border from Russia. China has now reported a total of 3,342 deaths from the virus among 82,341 cases.

 AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS WHO REVIEW: The Australian foreign minister says she agrees with the U.S. that the World Health Organization needs to be reviewed, but Australia continues to support the agencys valuable work in the Pacific. President Donald Trump has directed his administration to freeze WHO funding, claiming it didnt deliver adequate early reports on the coronavirus. Foreign Minister Marise Payne told Seven Network television: We share some of the concerns of the United States and I do think there are areas of the operation of WHO that absolutely require review.

 PARLIAMENT COULD RETURN TO NORMAL: Australia is planning a business-as-usual week of Parliament in May in an indication that the country is weathering the pandemic better than the government had feared. Parliaments schedule was scrapped a week into March and a scaled-down assembly has sat on only two days since to pass billions of dollars in emergency economic stimulus measures. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday he will discuss with the opposition and state leaders arranging for lawmakers to return to Canberra for a trial week in May. Obstacles include a shortage of domestic flights and most states demanding interstate travellers quarantine in hotels for two weeks.

 PHILIPPINE HEALTH CHIEF IN TROUBLE: The majority of Philippine senators have demanded the immediate resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for what they say is his leadership failure, negligence and inefficiency that led to the mishandling of the pandemic. They say the problem is endangering the lives of health workers and the Filipino people. The Philippines has the most number of infections in Southeast Asia as of Wednesday with 5,453 cases, including 349 deaths.

 SOUTH KOREA ELECTION TURNOUT: South Koreas ruling liberals scored a strong victory in parliamentary elections with the highest turnout in nearly three decades. Social distancing and other measures were in place at polling booths during Wednesdays vote. Polls beforehand had indicated public approval for the current governments handling of the outbreak, which including aggressive testing to identify and isolate those infected. South Korea confirmed 22 new cases, raising the countrys total tally to 10,613 with 229 deaths.

 EASED RESTRICTIONS, MAYBE: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern began outlining how New Zealands lockdown might be eased starting next Wednesday. Primary schools would reopen, but attendance would be voluntary. Some businesses could reopen, including drive-through and delivery restaurants. Retail stores would remain closed and large gatherings would still be banned. Lawmakers will decide Monday whether to proceed with easing the restrictions. New Zealand reported just 15 new cases, a number that has dropped significantly.

 DEBT FREEZE: The G-20 group of the worlds major economies agreed to freeze poor nations debt obligations immediately so the poorest nations can focus their spending on healthcare and assistance to vulnerable people to contain the virus and its impacts. The G-20 did not specify how many countries would benefit, but French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said 76 countries were eligible.
The Prime Minister's brush with death from coronavirus infection proved that our mortality is but tenuous. Two Belfast Telegraph writers tell how a similar experience changed their outlook.

After recovery I worried that I would go to sleep and not wake up

John Laverty

You know you're in big trouble when you can only see their eyes. And that overhead grey sign with the yellow arrow you spotted on the way in - Intensive Care Unit - that was a bit of a giveaway too.

Once is enough in that place. Although, ironically, you'll never meet nicer people.

I've been there twice - the first visit in November 1981 after a ruptured appendix led to peritonitis and life-saving surgery.

"Can you hear me, John? We have to operate immediately..."

He had a face mask on but I could tell from the eyes and accent that he was of Asian extraction. The ICU nurse later said he was Indian.

I still think of that man every time I hear the Elton John song Someone Saved My Life Tonight. But, to my shame, I can't recall his name.

Although that episode may sound rather dramatic in retrospect, I never really thought back then that the Grim Reaper was lurking nearby.

I was 19 years old. No one dies when they're 19... do they? They're indestructible, like Captain Scarlet.

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It's a different story when you're in your mid-50s, the human equivalent of a car that has gone though more MoTs than its owner can remember.

Bits of you are starting to creak, some may even need replacing, you're less efficient with fuel than you used to be and the old engine's clogging up. And as for that big-end bearing...

People who know me will be aware that I sprung a leak of sorts - in the brain - a couple of years back.

For the first time in 37 years I was rushed by ambulance to the scary bit of a hospital.

And, just like in 1981, the medics were superb, the time spent in ICU was mercifully short and I was home within a fortnight.

This time, however, I felt yer man with the dark cloak's presence. This time I realised the only reason Captain Scarlet was indestructible was because he was made of non-biodegradable plastic.

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Boris Johnson may have spoken many times about "flattening the curve" before he was wheeled into the ICU at St Thomas' but the experience may well have flattened a few of his own.

It doesn't matter how big, bold, arrogant or powerful you appear; ICU, especially in these unprecedented times, is a great leveller.

Your fame, fortune, followers, family or fiancee can't help you breathe, can't emolliate the terror, can't eradicate the thought that if it goes the wrong side of "either way" you'll die alone, PM or no PM.

BoJo is easy to chide; a bumbling buffoon of a politician, an untrustworthy and mendacious human being, but a genuine 'character' who is hard to dislike; your archetypal 'lovable rogue'.

It's probably time, though, that we laid off referring to him as "larger than life" because, having gone though a similar length of time in hossie, I'm sure a smaller, more chastened man has emerged.

A far-from-immortal being now all-too aware of his own mortality and, not only that, the effect his passing would have on his indeterminate number of dependents, including one well on the way to this diseased, inverted world.

You'll be more cognisant of your health: what you eat, what exercise you require, what stress and blood pressure fluctuations your body experiences - and, perhaps more topically, who you stay close to and shy away from.

And that's just the physical side.

I felt physically fine while recovering from a hypertensive haemorrhage to my temporal lobe but, psychologically, it was a different story.

For the longest time I went to bed fearing that I wouldn't wake up. I hated how suddenly vulnerable and mentally fragile I'd become.

It eventually passes - though never completely - but a more positive aspect of the metamorphosis is that you appreciate, in some cases even more, in others for the first time, what's around you.

It hardly needs saying that I'm even closer now to my little daughter Soley, that I'm more determined to see her grow up - though let's get real, John, you've done the math and she'll still be a relatively young woman when you pop your clogs.

One milestone at a time, pal.

But thinking too much about the future can denude the present, a present of enforced, yet wonderfully heightened awareness; the satisfying taste of home cooked food, the smell of wild flowers or freshly cut grass, a comfortable bed and warm, tidy home, the joy in NOT following fashion or 'needing to go out' just because it's the weekend, the therapeutic value of artisan roasted coffee, good sleep, reassuringly expensive, deliciously comfortable footwear, the much-improved management of finances, latent cognisance of the importance of punctuality and sun cream.

Oh, and the drawing up of a will for those loved ones you didn't realise you could love even more.

That last one may feel a little pessimistic but Boris, as a former philosophy student, might empathise with Ernest Becker, author of The Denial Of Death, who brokered the theory that the closer to death we are, the more creative we become.

That may not be a bad thing when there's a humanity-threatening pandemic, Brexit and a trip to the maternity ward topping your in-tray.

For the rest of us mere mortals - oops, shouldn't have typed that; you're never far from a lazy cliche where Boris is concerned - we just need to appreciate what we still have while it's still with us.

And you don't even need to be a humbled hypochondriac in your mid-50s to realise that.

Certainly not now...

'I drank so much I hurt myself and I hurt the ones I loved the most'

Paul Hopkins

There is nothing like a short, sharp brush with one's own mortality to jolt you back into a sense of what really matters in life, and to the realisation that this is no dress rehearsal, this is the real thing, and it is fleeting and somewhat tenuous.

I had my first dalliance with death 10 years ago next month when I underwent open heart surgery to mend a congenital cardiac defect which had finally caught up with me in middle age. I remember clearly the terror, although I was pre-op sedated, of having to sign that form that rids the surgeon of any culpability should you not come back from under his knife.

I survived, and for quite some time thereafter I was the 'new man', watching my lifestyle, counting my blessings, seeing life in the everyday minutiae of things - the colleague's laugh, the child's smile, sunset at close of day.

My surgeon at the time told me he had given me another 20 years to my life and I should use it wisely. Before long, though, I was back to my hedonistic ways, arguing that my predicament had been congenital.

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Here's the thing: I have been a drinker all my life, ever since an uncle of mine introduced me to a bottle of Guinness in the Christmas of my 14th year. Love of alcohol is in my genes, both grandfathers were overly fond of a fair sup and down the years I have enjoyed the conviviality and companionship that alcohol allows in the snug of my local - any local, worldwide in my numerous travels - and the intimacy of those matters among men of similar disposition, lost in the familiarity of the alcohol-induced cocoon, like the comforting familiarity of an old and threadbare favourite overcoat. The world always seemed a much more manageable place, life an easier existence, through the prism of alcohol and I never, ever made apologies for that.

The thing is, the last year or so I was "given it the lash", as they say in these parts, most likely aided and abetted by, although I would never admit it, being lonely - my marriage broke up some years back and the kids are grown and (relatively speaking) gone - and I found solace and succour amongst men and women of an evening in my local where we'd discuss all and sundry from existentialism to Europe, trivia to Trump.

I was never that drinker who needed a fix first thing in the morning - never. But my day, particularly the last few years, was built largely around getting my work done and my daily constitutional out of the way and be down the pub by four or five for sundowners. But I was drinking, boy was I drinking, to such a degree that not alone was I unwittingly hurting myself, but hurting those around me, those I loved and who loved me - my daughter in particular, my 'best friend', hurting so much that she cried herself to sleep at night.

Three months ago I got a bug and largely took to the bed, with alcohol, strangely, the last thing on my mind. By day four I was in a bad place, and then a sudden, sharp assault on my very being; my head spinning, my eyes rolling, my legs going from under me, my breathing laboured.

I remember thinking, this is it, this is how you go out of this world; and then I prayed like I've never prayed before, somehow managed to make it back upstairs to my mobile phone and dialled Emergency, and ended up in hospital.

What I know now was that I was going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms over those four days - the DTs - and what finally floored me was in effect a brain seizure. Doctors told me that for the first four days I was (once more) at death's door.

I survived to live another day and tell the tale with no, thank God, permanent adverse effects from the seizure.

My name is Paul, and I am now 10 weeks alcohol free. And the crazy thing is, despite warnings to the opposite, I don't miss it, am neither craving it mentally or physically. I am eating so much better, sleeping like a baby, and have tons of energy I thought had long ago gone from me.

Despite the self-isolation of Covid-19 the last weeks have never felt so wonderfully good. As Boris may likely find, life goes on but life has changed. Yet it has never seemed so beautiful, so wonderful. And - and I can't explain this - I no longer fear my inevitable demise like I did, with unspeakable terror for so many years of my middle life.

I live now for each moment, moments lived more fully, creating meaning. I find myself re-sensitised to the satisfaction of the simple things life offers. Early summer has never been sunnier despite the lurking shadows of the coronavirus. I find people I meet on my daily walk and from that safe distance of abiding interest. The realisation too that this rogue microbe could, in theory, annihilate us, sees small pleasures having greater meaning now; the walk by the mill, my friend's just published book of essays, my daughter's phone calls.

Unlike many in lockdown and many in grief, I find myself unwontedly calm, like riding a bicycle without using my hands.

Without my daily addiction to alcohol, I am more free. I am more Me. The stuff that used to obsess me - those relentless circular thoughts because drink is a depressant - are no more.

My brush with death introduced me to my shadow - the other fella, him what drank. I came face to face with my dark double and it almost cost me my life. With a bit of luck the two of me have made our accommodations, but we won't be raising a glass to it anytime soon...
Ameya Dalvi

OnePlus 8 series was officially unveiled in an online-only event a couple of days ago, and without much fanfare for a change.

Among other things, OnePlus must have dearly missed their fans who actually pay to attend their launch events. At times I wonder if those poor souls are even aware that the company doesn't give away free phones at the event. But that's a topic of discussion for some other time.

Coming back to the event, the company launched two new devices  OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro.

(Also read: New Apple iPhone SE finally unveiled: iPhone 11 internals in an iPhone 8 body, just what the doctor ordered)

While the Pro variant seems to now include some additional bells and whistles, hardly any of which have made their way into its non-pro sibling, which I will be focusing on today.

So, what's new in the OnePlus 8? Is it better than the OnePlus 7T (Review) in every respect? Did the company miss a major trick here? Is the OnePlus 8 a worthy successor of the 7T? I'll address all these questions and more. Mind you, this is not a review or even a hands-on preview, but just a few initial thoughts about the OnePlus 8 based on the launch event and the phone's spec sheet.

Here are some of the things OnePlus seems to have done right

1. Size and weight are in check

Smartphones have been growing larger and heavier every couple of quarters, and OnePlus has been a prime contributor to this unnecessary trend. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the OnePlus 8 would not only be sticking with a 6.55-inch screen, but also that it weighs 180 grams, a good 10 grams lighter than the OnePlus 7T. Given the fact that a lot of phones have been remorselessly pushing past the 200-gram mark over the past few months, this is a positive development, and given that the phone has a metal frame, this is even more impressive.

2. A higher capacity battery

Finally, a OnePlus (non-pro) phone goes past the 4,000 mAh mark in the battery department. The OnePlus 8 has a 4,300 mAh battery. And though it supports a 30 W fast charger, similar to the one that the OnePlus 7T carried, the 8 is expected to charge a lot faster than its predecessor. We'll verify this claim once we have the device.

3. More powerful hardware with 5G compliance

One thing you expect from this company is the use of the fastest mobile SoC available in each of its phones, and it's no different this time, with the OnePlus 8 flaunting Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 865 chip.

Just like the 8 Pro, this too is 5G compliant. Yes, we don't have 5G in India yet, and we probably won't see any 5G this year, but it makes sense for a flagship device to be future-proof. And it's not like Qualcomm left OEMs with much choice anyway.

4. More colours at launch

In the past, OnePlus has been guilty of releasing just a single shade of their phone at launch, and then gradually offering newer colours in the months to follow, much to the chagrin of the early adopters. It is good to see the company offer three colour options at launch itself. Choice is a good thing. Hopefully, all of them will be available in India too right from day one.

Things about OnePlus 8 that don't impress me much

1. Camera department downgraded?

For the first time in a long while, OnePlus got its rear camera combination right in the 7T, offering users the flexibility of a 48 MP primary camera, 16 MP ultra-wide, and 12 MP telephoto for 2x optical zoom. While the first two have been retained, for some reason, the telephoto camera has been replaced by a 2 MP macro camera. I am OK with the swap in functionality, but why 2 MP, especially on a flagship' phone? If you want users to indulge in macro photography, you might as well give them something that can capture more pixels and more details. I don't see that 2 MP camera performing miracles.

2. Awkward placement of front camera

To be brutally honest, OnePlus hasn't exactly led the way in screen innovation. Year after year, the company has simply opted for a front design that is in vogue at the time. The OnePlus 8 series is no different.

A lot of phone manufacturers this year have been choosing an in-screen punch-hole camera placed towards the left of the screen, instead of a drop notch at the centre. OnePlus has done the same.

I fail to see any practical value in this over the drop notch. OnePlus did throw some numbers stating how small the punch-hole is, but in reality, the screen space on the left of the camera is wasted, thus taking away more screen real estate over what a centrally located selfie camera with a punch-hole or a drop notch might take.

3. Held back to make the OnePlus 8 Pro look better

As I mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 8 Pro has seen a handful of new features, like a 10-bit display with 1.07 bn colours, and a 120 Hz refresh rate, a newer Sony 48 MP sensor for the primary camera, 30 W wireless charging, and more. None of this has made its way to the OnePlus 8.

I do understand the logic of providing a few extras in the higher end model to justify the higher price tag; case in point, the OnePlus 7T almost made the 7T Pro look redundant from day one. But, the company seems to have over-compensated this time, leaving the base model with hardly any new features to justify its existence. This brings me to the next point.

4. It's not a compelling upgrade

For the first time since the OnePlus 6(Review), the 7T seemed like a genuinely new phone, and not just a minor upgrade with a faster SoC like the 6T or 7 were. OnePlus opted for a Fluid AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate found on higher end phones then, along with a completely revamped rear camera setup, and of course, a flagship SoC, to name a few things. With the OnePlus 8, the company seems to have gone back to its old ways again.

As I stated in the previous point, OnePlus may have done so to make the 8 Pro look much better in comparison, but this also leaves users with no compelling reason to choose the OnePlus 8 over the 7T. Some may argue that 5G can be the USP of this new phone, but in reality, I don't expect 5G networks here till the end of this year at the earliest. And by then, in all probability, you will have the OnePlus 8T.

5. Worrying global pricing strategy

Eventually, the pricing will make or break the OnePlus 8 in India. While the pricing of OnePlus phones (non-pro variants) have been quite competitive here till date, the US pricing of the new phones worries me. The OnePlus 8 starts at $699, while the 8 Pro goes as high as $999. That roughly translates to a price range of Rs 53,000 to Rs 76,000, which is way higher than OnePlus' current range. Just because OnePlus compared its new phones to the iPhone 11 series in the presentation, the pricing need not be similar too.

A higher price tag doesn't necessarily make one a big league player. I thought OnePlus would have learnt that lesson by now after its TV launch last year. I hope the India pricing is at least 25 percent lower than the US price for the phone to gain any shot at mass acceptance.

I'll stop here for now. More on the OnePlus 8 only after the India launch dates and pricing are announced, and of course, once we get our hands on review units.
The safest place in America amid the coronavirus pandemic may be a small town in Washington State that is in no way connected to the mainland of the United States of America.

Point Roberts is located on a five-square-mile peninsula connected only to Canada but because it lies below the 49th parallel  the northern circle of latitude used to roughly designate 2,175 miles of the US-Canadian border - it remains part of the United States.

There have been no cases of coronavirus reported to first responders in the 1,300-resident town, which calls itself 'Little America' and it remains shut off from the outside world with a strict lockdown on its border.

Despite their isolated position, the community are following the safety measures implemented in Washington State by Gov. Jay Inslee as the town's aging population could suffer greatly if an outbreak were to hit.

'Little America' Point Roberts is not connected to the main land United States and can only be accessed by car if you travel across the border into Canada and then into the US again

Point Roberts is placed just below the 49th parallel placing it in Washington state

A United States border guard talks to a driver from Washington State at the border crossing between Point Roberts, Washington and Tswassen, Canada in 2001. The border is now harder to get through after international travel was curbed because of the coronavirus pandemic

'This is the safest place in probably North America; definitely within the states,' Theresa Coe, 57, who works at the Point Roberts Marina, told The Guardian.

'You have US customs coming in and Canadian customs going out. Nothing's going to happen here or very little.'

With the 'Oregon Compromise', the 49th latitude became the border in North America in 1846.

However a peninsula off Vancouver lies south of it - and so Point Roberts is still a bizarre US enclave in Canada .

Point Roberts is located 135 miles northwest of Seattle and can only be reached from the US by traveling by a private boat, flying into its one-runway airport or by driving through two international border crossings.

As the US and Canada closed their borders to all but essential international travel in March, it has made it harder for any non-resident to enter the town, cutting all but food, fuel and other essential goods off from passing over the border.

Not only did the border closure cut Point Roberts off from Canada but from the rest of the United States, with a significant reduction in the number of cars that would pass from Canada into the town in the past few weeks.

Residents can still cross over for their essential needs such as doctor's appointments but border agents are tough on non-residents attempting to get through.

According to the town's fire chief Christopher Carleton, a weekend in 2019 would have seen 2,000 travel over the border but this has now dipped to 100, as tourists stay at home.

'It's probably the safest place to be in the country,' Pamala Sheppard, 65, told The Guardian.

'Because our borders are shut, we're like an island right now,' added Sheppard, who has lived in Point Roberts since 1989.

'We're like an island with no boats.'

With the 'Oregon Compromise' the 49th latitude became the border in North America in 1846. However a peninsula off Vancouver lies south of it - and so Point Roberts is still a bizarre US enclave in Canada that could now be one of the safest places from the coronavirus

View of the flat southern tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula surrounded by the sea in February 2020. The most southerly tip of the peninsula, Point Roberts, lies in the United States

So far, no resident of the town has reported a coronavirus case although the fire chief admitted that there is a possibility that a resident traveled to mainland United States for a diagnosis.

The town has not been completely spared from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, however, as the hit to the economy is felt by its residents.

'Economically it's hurting our community, as with any community that's going through this at this point, but it is in a sense also protecting our community,' Carleton said.

Sheppard has felt this hit head on as her shop, Auntie Pam's Country Store, which she describes as the peninsula's 'number one tourist attraction', was forced to close a few weeks ago as a non-essential business.

She said that if she can not reopen by summer her 'dream store' will have to close for good.

The road to Point Roberts pictured in February 2020. Residents can still cross over the Canadian border for essential business such as grocery shopping and doctor's appointments

Point Roberts is still a bizarre US enclave in Canada, with cheap petrol and hamburgers. It once welcomed visitors to 'Little America' but tourists are now staying at home amid the pandemic

It has also faced internet issues as an increased number of people are working from home or spending their days online.

Local man Robert Hillman started a GoFundMe on Tuesday to improve Point Robert's internet access, which will allow families greater access to work and telemedicine facilities.

'Local families with remote workers, students and telemedicine severely hampered by very slow local internet access speeds with community ranked 155th by broadband download speeds in Washington State and higher speed internet urgently needed,' Hillman said.

If a coronavirus outbreak were to hit, the community's aging population would be considered in grave danger from the fatal disease.

According to Carleton, 70 percent of their residents are 60 or older.

The elderly is considered at greater risk of coronavirus proving fatal, although there are cases of younger people dying across the country.

And as in many other rural areas, the town also has limited access to healthcare as their position, as the peninsula places medical facilities at further reach.

Patients who fall ill with coronavirus would have to be transported by Emergency Medical Services by ground through Canada into the United States or brought to Washington via helicopter.

The town currently has only one nurse practitioner and physician's assistant and residents would need to cross through the border to get to a hospital.

The town has been able to test 66 individuals so far and hopes to test 100 more on Sunday, April 19.

'While I am not able to announce whether anyone tested negative or positive, I will say that Point Roberts is in good shape,' Carleton told All Point Bulletin.

It is hoped they will be able to offer more tests in the coming weeks.

The district had just received a donation of 500 surgical masks which will be distributed to essential workers.

Residents of Point Roberts have described the relative ease with which they can social distance and to stick to the ban on gatherings.

Sheppard said she continues to wear a mask and gloves when she leaves her half-acre property to go to the grocery store but has cut down her border crossings from twice a day to twice in the past three weeks.

She said that she was interviewed for 20 minutes at the border on her last trip to determine if she was sick.

As of Thursday, the US has seen more than 645,000 cases, including 28,585 deaths.

Canada has seen about 30,440, including 1,229 deaths.
In 2018, Facebook wrongly displayed the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos as part of China in its ad creation section. It fixed the error later, saying it was a technical issue.

Vietnam's Spratly and Paracel Islands are not displayed on the nations map in a Facebook function that helps users create their own ads.

As of Wednesday night, several users said they could not find the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos when they chose Vietnam as the target region in an ad creating function on Facebook.

But when the target region was China, the islands showed up.

Facebook has said that the islands' disappearance from Vietnams map was caused by an error when the map was updated, said Le Quang Tu Do, deputy director general of the Authority of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

A Facebook representative said Thursday afternoon that the error has been fixed. "We are sorry for any confusion caused," the spokesperson said.

The islands now cannot be found when users choose either Vietnam or China as the target region.

"Facebook maintains neutral standpoint in disputed areas or other sensitive geographical zones," the representative said.

The map section used for Facebook's ad creation function is sourced from OpenStreetMap, an open-data, editable map project based in the U.K.

The Facebook representative in Vietnam is yet to comment on the matter.

Previously, in 2018, Facebook had also wrongly displayed the archipelagos as part of China in its ad creation section. It fixed the error later, saying it was a technical issue.

Vietnam has consistently affirmed that it has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands.

China seized the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam by force in 1974, and has been illegally occupying a number of reefs in the Spratly Islands since 1988.
The radio stations are discussion donations from political activists; the politicians are sharing hand sanitizers, liquid soaps and branded veronica buckets; CSOs and cooperate world are donating to government. Market women are practising hand washing, all government agencies, business and most homes have installed handwashing facilities. I cannot visit my uncle because the children cannot resist hacking me. Staying at home. We have stopped praying in groups and handshaking have become a crime. These are precautionary measures against the spread of COVID- 19. It is refreshing to see the level of behaviour change in the week on the outbreak of COVID- 19. It is indeed great to adhere to expert advice to stay at home in order to reduce the risk level. While we are very much mindful of coronavirus, little attention is given to the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM). In the spate of January to 15th April 2020, the Upper West Region has recorded 258 cases with 40 deaths. Nandom, Jirapa, Nadowli and Daffiama Bussie Issa have been identified as a hot spots. CSM has killed more people in the Upper West Region than COVID- 19 that has taken the life of 10 Ghanaian so far, that is four-times more. Why are we silent on CSM? It is not lifes that we are losing? Are some lifes more important than others? We fear covid-19 deaths but not CSM?

The Upper West Regional Health Directorate and Coordinating Councils conduct are disheartening. The focused has been on the COVID- 19 which has been the global pandemic. Their ill attitude in vigorously raising the red alert and marshalling adequate resources in fighting the menace of CSM is appalling. The less attention given to CSM outbreak in the Upper West Region points to the fact that, the life of vulnerable people doesnt matter. Listening to press statement from regional director of health service, I am tempted to question his professional and intellectual competence. It is not an excuse to lose 40 precious lives as a result of the CSM outbreak, haven identified the period of occurrences. What preparedness plans are put in place, what risk assessment was carried out, what management and communication system have been put in place? Since when have they realize this CSM has graduated to coronavirus status where vaccines are not ready? Why did it take the region so long to procure drugs that could help manage the situation? What level of community sensitization programmes has been initiated? It is because CSM does not infect the privileged class of which the regional minister and director of health services belong?

More revealing is the fact that, the Regional Director of Health Services Dr Osei Kuffour Afreh has been peddling falsehood to the people of Upper West Region and Ghana. In his press briefing last week, he indicated receiving drugs from Greece and to dispatch to the various District. He said we now have enough drugs to treat CSM cases while in the early hours of this week he categorically stated there is no vaccine for CSM. The drugs I guessed are to help manage the situation. Why does he want to give false hope to the general public?

The Upper West Regional Minister Dr Hafiz Bin Saleh has become the information officer in providing updates on COVID- 19 and only to respond to public criticism that has now made him inculcate the updates of CSM. This is not enough; we are not appealing to politicians and technocrats to give a priority to CSM as well, it is their duty for they are paid with the taxpayers' money. If we do not backtrack on dishonesty, wickedness and selfishness, posterity would judge leadership that has failed to protect the lives of vulnerable people.

Another misconception is the fact that politicians have provided Vaccines and drugs to help combat the spread of CSM in the region. While we must commend Hajia Humu Awudu NPP parliamentary candidate (Wa Central) and Former President John Dramani Mahama for helping. There is no drug or vaccine that can prevent this serotype X. This is according to the Regional Health Director. I guessed these drugs would help in managing the situation. The truth must be appreciated.

The regional minister must at least, for now, direct more resources and attention in engaging the appropriate state actors and CSOs, in particular, to intensify the campaign against CSM in order to reduce the risk from contracting the epidemic. We must all speak and act now to prevent escalation or remained silent and pay a heavy price of been misled by people who do not give priority to the life of the vulnerable persons in Nadowli, Nandom, Jirapa and DBI. It is important for family members or persons exhibiting signs and symptoms of severe headache, stiffness of the neck, general body pain and weakness to immediately report to the nearest facility for a check-up. The media must equally shift some attention in creating platforms for experts to sensitize the general public against the CSM outbreak. We must all join the campaign against the spread of CSM. COVID- 19 is deadly; CSM is killing us more.

Author; Tahiru Lukman

Youth Activist, Devt Consultant & Pan- African Writer

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0209154057 / 0551018778
HAYWARD, Calif., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nelumbo, a pioneer in the field of advanced-surface modifications, announced that it has raised $14 million in new fundingpart of a Series-A expansion led by Prime Mover's Lab and the University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC), with support from Safar Partners, Darwin Venture Management, Neue Fund and additional investment from existing shareholders Berkeley Catalyst Fund, Photon Fund, and Danfoss.

With the added funding, Nelumbo will significantly grow its cooling unit, which currently comprises two key product lines, and launch a new business line while continuing to explore and develop its advanced technology platform. Prior to the financing, Nelumbo experienced a period of tremendous growth, with significant new commercial partnerships and a 10-fold increase in revenue.

"We are very excited to welcome new partners who create a powerful balance that matches well with our ambitions," said Nelumbo CEO Liam Berryman. "Since our founding five years ago, we have been successful in attracting significant commercial partners, validating large market pain points, and developing opportunities for new verticals. With the financing and support from our new partners, we plan to double down on our leadership position as the company transforming the products that form the fabric of our society."

In conjunction with the financing, Nelumbo added new directors to the board. They include David Walther, co-founder and SVP engineering at Nelumbo; Dakin Sloss, founder and general partner at Prime Mover's Lab; and Keisuke Ide, partner at UTEC.

"By improving the materials we use, Nelumbo leads the way in producing superior products for both people and the planet," said Dakin Sloss, founder and general partner of Prime Mover's Lab. "The team's relentless focus on serving clients in some of the world's most important markets is inspirational. We at Prime Mover's Lab are grateful for the opportunity to contribute as a partner in their ambitious journey and believe Nelumbo will change the future of advanced materials."

Nelumbo helps its business partners differentiate their product lines from the competition, creating greater value in an otherwise commoditized environment. Beyond monetary value, Nelumbo's products also contribute to reducing the depletion of natural resources and create greater energy and emissions efficiencies.

"Nelumbo's technology platform is very powerful, with the potential to solve not one but many problems faced by humankind," said Keisuke Ide, partner at UTEC, which specializes in investments in deep technology. "We were impressed with the management team's discipline in creating a focused business area and creativity in introducing a new business model for the industry. Its beachhead market, HVAC-R, is a significant industry worldwide, and especially so in Asia. We look forward to working with the team to expand business in the region."

About Nelumbo

Nelumbo is the leader in using nanostructure to create massive opportunities for people and the planet. We serve our clients by empowering them to sustainably grow and deliver unique market-defining products. Our technology is leveraged by large global companies to design and apply precise nanostructures to surfaces in a low-cost, scalable and environmentally sustainable manner. Today, commercial applications with nanostructured surfaces for cooling systems (air conditioning and refrigeration) and textiles (performance outerwear) represent a growing market valued at more than $200 billion while also being responsible for 500 million tons of carbon equivalent emissions per year. We are continuously expanding how our platform changes products and lives, with new partnerships that push forward the adoption of nanostructure as a powerful tool to solve our civilization's most important problems.

MEDIA Contact:

Lisa Palacio

JConnelly

973-850-7317

[email protected]

SOURCE Nelumbo
They were wonderful people, Gilbert said. He was the sort of person where, if you needed somebody, hed be there. Leslie was quieter, but she was a person who was incredibly artistic and well read. Shed read three novels a week. They were just as decent and wonderful of people youd want to meet. Theyll always be remembered as wonderful attorneys, but the depth of their kindness and generosity is the thing that marks them as human beings.
German police arrested 4 potential members of Islamic State on Wednesday, all from Tajikistan, and are allegedly planning deadly attacks in Germany, according to prosecutors.

Special forces in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia arrested near the cities of Essen and Duesseldorf and also raided properties in the place.

Islamic extremists apparently aim to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to set off new attacks, arouse followers and emphasize their credentials as alternative rulers of swaths of unstable nations throughout the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

While ISIS has ordered its members to launch attacks against meek and distracted western countries, the Taliban has released images of its public health teams, to name an example.

According to German authorities, they successfully foiled Islamic State terror attacks on U.S. military bases and a person who was "critical of Islam."

Five suspects, including one who has been in detention for around a year, instigated attacks against U.S forces in Germany or individual people.

"Targets for the attacks were supposed to be institutions of U.S forces in Germany or even individual people," prosecutors said in a statement.

"In particular, they planned a murder attack on one person who had made public comments that they viewed as being critical of Islam."

They "had already bought weapons and ammunition" and "one suspect has knowledge how to make explosives," according to State Interior Minister Herbert Reul.

The suspects were identified as Muhammadali G., Azizjon B., Sunatullokh K., and Farhodshoh K. were arrested, the statement released by prosecutors.

The fifth man, Ravsan B., who was taken into custody, was also arrested.

Also Read: ISIS Nuclear Weapons: Terrorist Group Plans To Kill Hundreds Of Millions In 'Largest Religious Cleansing In History,' Says Report

Their surnames were withheld for privacy reasons.

The 5 will all be charged with being allegedly among a terrorist organization since January 2019.

The individuals' alleged leader is a 30-year-old Tajik man identified as Ravsan B., who has been jailed since March 2019 due to firearms charges.

The men were instructed to create a cell in Germany, prosecutors said.

The group planned to launch an attack in Tajikistan but later changed its target to Germany, U.S. Air Force bases, and an individual they considered critical of Islam.

They reportedly obtained ammunition, firearms, and had requested for materials for building an explosive device to instigate the attacks.

To pay for their plans for the attack, leader Ravsan B. allegedly accepted a $40,000 contract to assassinate a person in Albania, but the killing was not carried out.

The men were alleged to had been communicating with two high-profile IS figures in Afghanistan and Syria.

In an attack claimed to have been launched by the Islamic State in December 2016, one terrorist drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin. There were 12 fatalities and 56 injured.

Details of which U.S. air bases were targeted were not released by German authorities.

The reaction to the coronavirus pandemic has developed within extremist organizations. Its scale and threat have become more known.

Related Article: ISIS Threatens Sweden: Posts Letters Promising To Behead Those Who Do Not Convert To Islam

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Cash-strapped Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) on Thursday said it has sold its 100 per cent stake in IL&FS Wind Power Services Ltd (IWPSL) to ORIX Corporation, Japan, for Rs 6.05 crore.

IWPSL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IL&FS Energy Development Company (IEDSL), is engaged in providing supervisory and management support services to seven operating wind power generating special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

In October 2019, the group had divested its 51 per cent equity stake held in seven wind power SPVs to ORIX.

The divestment of IWPSL has resulted in a consideration of Rs 6.05 crore to IL&FS Energy that will be kept in an escrow account for its lenders, the group said in a release.

The full amount of consideration has been duly received and the share transfer to the purchaser has been completed, it said.

IWPSL, classified as a 'green company', has no outstanding debt.

Post the bidding process launched last year, ORIX exercised its option to acquire IWPSL, as per previous pact, and agreed to acquire 100 per cent of the shareholding of IWPSL from IEDCL.

The sale was approved by Justice (Retd) D K Jain and subsequently by National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai, in February 2020, the release said.

IWPSL has over 40 employees and is the first company to go out of IL&FS Group with employees.

The seven SPVs are - Lalpur Wind Energy Private, Etesian Urja, Khandke Wind Energy, Ratedi Wind Power, Wind Urja India, Tadas Wind Energy and Kaze Energy.

Also read: HAL hands over more than 300 Aerosol boxes to various state govts
KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) is offering our shareholders the opportunity to participate in our annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at 9:00am by telephonic means as an alternative to attending in person.

This alternative is meant to address the ability of our shareholders to participate in our Annual Meeting while supporting the health and well-being of our employees, shareholders, and our community during the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19).

As you may know, State restrictions limit the number of shareholders we can host in person in our Home Office and dictates we observe certain social distancing standards for those who do attend the meeting in person. As a result, we encourage any shareholders who had planned on attending the meeting to attend by telephone as provided below:

Call-in Number: 1-415-655-0003



Access Code: 269 533 476#

Shareholders who still plan on attending the meeting in person should contact us in advance at [email protected], and will be subject to our new health safety protocols for visiting our building. Seating will be spaced to allow social distancing. We will not be offering drinks or our famous cookies in order to maintain a safe environment.

To participate by telephone, dial the call-in number prior to the meeting time. The call-in number will be active 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.

As described in the previously distributed proxy materials, you are entitled to participate in the Annual Meeting if you were a shareholder of record as of the close of business on March 9, 2020, the record date, or hold a legal proxy for the meeting provided by your bank, broker, or nominee.

You will have the opportunity to cast your vote during the Annual Meeting by emailing a copy of your ballot and legal proxy to [email protected]. If you are a Beneficial Owner and you would like to vote during the meeting, you must contact the broker or agent that holds your shares prior to the meeting to request a legal proxy giving you the right to vote your shares.

How can I participate in the Kansas City Life Insurance Company Annual Meeting?

We encourage you to participate by conference call by dialing 1 (415) 655-0003, and entering Access Code 269 533 476. Please do so up to 15 minutes prior to the meeting.

If you wish to still attend in person, please contact [email protected] and let us know in advance so we are prepared to process you through our new state and local compliant safety protocols for visiting our building. All visitors should arrive with sufficient time to complete a questionnaire regarding their current health, and may be denied access if their travel or health backgrounds do not meet the standards to enter our facilities.

How can I vote at the meeting?

We encourage you to vote in advance as directed in the proxy statement and through the material provided by your broker. To vote at the meeting, you must contact the broker or agent that holds your shares to request a legal proxy. If you are attending the Annual Meeting by phone, you may cast your vote by emailing your completed ballot (and any other required documentation for Beneficial Holders) along with a copy of your legal proxy to [email protected] prior to midnight C.D.T. on April 22, 2020. If you are attending the Annual Meeting in person, you may cast your vote during the Annual Meeting.

How can I submit questions at the meeting?

The Company does not generally conduct a Q&A session during our shareholder meeting. If you have general questions regarding voting of your shares, please contact [email protected]. If you have questions regarding the Company, please direct questions to our investor relations contact noted in our Annual Report (Philip A. Williams) by sending an email to [email protected].

The Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, R. Philip Bixby, will make a short presentation at the start of the meeting followed by the business of the meeting as outlined in the proxy.

Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) was established in 1895 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Company's primary business is providing financial protection through the sale of life insurance and annuities. The Company operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit www.kclife.com.

SOURCE Kansas City Life Insurance Company

Related Links

https://www.kclife.com/


She demonstrated this to me in her office, puckering her lips and filling the room with an undulating, wolf-like sound. I tried to copy her, she offered tips for improvement, and for a while we sat there, howling at each other. Later, I saw her howl at two babies and newborn Joris, none of whom shed met before. One of the babies laughed with delight and seemed absolutely transfixed. The other stopped crying and relaxed. Newborn Joris turned his head to peer at the howling scientist, let out a deep sigh and fell asleep.

All parents, Dr. Wermke said, have an innate ability to understand and respond to their babies. Indeed, it was mothers who supported her research from the beginning, even as other scientists were skeptical. In the 1980s, when Dr. Wermke first began recording babies sounds, many researchers viewed crying as a mere biological alarm signal, worth investigating only in the context of problems such as colic. But mothers never doubted that their tiny babies were worth studying. As Judith Fricke, little Joriss mother, said, I think youd recognize the sound of your own child among a hundred others. You develop an ear for that.

And the howl? After returning from my trip, I tried it out on my 3-week-old nephew. My version was not as melodious as Dr. Wermkes, but to my delight, it sort of worked. He snuggled against my shoulder and stopped crying  at least for a little while.

Sophie Hardach is a journalist and author living in London. Her next book, Languages Are Good For You, celebrates linguistic diversity. It will be published by Head of Zeus in 2020.
Simon Okafor Chukudi

17.04.2020 LISTEN

A 46-year-old Nigerian, Simon Okafor Chukudi who tested positive for Covid-19 in Wa in the Upper West region has 'miraculously' disappeared from Ghana since April 14.

Information gathered by DGN Online indicates that the Nigerian is one of the patients who came from abroad and was asked to self-isolate after their sample were taken for testing.

The Nigerian disappeared from his residence at Wapaani, a suburb of Wa immediately his status was revealed to him by the health directorate in the Upper West region.

The Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Aboagye Nyarko, confirmed the incident to DGN Online in a telephone interview but declined to give further information on the disappearance of the Nigerian National.

Police in the Upper West Region have launched a manhunt for the Nigerian and have called on residents to volunteer information to assist in apprehending him.

The Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Osei Kufuor Afreh, disclosed that the Nigerian citizen is part of the imported covid-19 cases in the region.

He however, indicated that health officials have tried to transport the patient to the isolation center since Tuesday but could not trace him.

The Upper West Region have recorded six covid-19 cases so far.

Five of those cases were people who travelled into the country about three weeks ago from South Africa, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany before the President announced the closure of the borders, while the sixth person travelled into the region from Western Region.

---Daily Guide
An Indonesian man kisses the ground as other inmates stand behind him after authorities ordered their release to avoid a surge in coronavirus infections in overcrowded prisons in Batang, Central Java province, April 2, 2020.

More than 60 political prisoners, mostly Papuan activists detained for pro-independence protests, wrote a letter to the United Nations for help in urging Indonesia to release them unconditionally, saying they were at risk of contracting the coronavirus, human rights lawyers said Thursday

The letter was sent Wednesday to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and three U.N. special rapporteurs, said Jennifer Robinson, one of the lawyers.

Not only is their detention illegal, it also threatens their safety, Robinson said in a statement, which explained that the joint appeal by the prisoners was accompanied by a 400-page document containing information on the detainees.

In their letter, the political prisoners  composed of 56 native Papuans, one non-Papuan, five from the Molucca islands and one Polish  provided some details of what they described as violations of international law allegedly committed by the Indonesian government, Robinson said.

Most of the prisoners were arrested during demonstrations in Papua and other areas at the end of 2019, during which they called for a referendum on self-determination for the mainly Melanesian region.

They are facing charges of treason and could be jailed up to 20 years in prison, if found guilty.

Security forces in Papua and West Papua, the countrys easternmost provinces, have been dealing with a low-level separatist conflict since the 1960s.

The region was rocked by weeks of violence in August and September 2019 after news about allegations that security forces on Java Island had mistreated Papuan students ignited mass protests. The unrest left more than 40 people dead.

The prisoners sought help from the United Nations more than two weeks after Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged governments worldwide to prevent a catastrophic spread of coronavirus infections in overcrowded prisons by releasing detainees.

The U.N. official said states should release all those detained without a lawful basis, including those held in violation of human rights obligations.

Early this month, Bachelets spokesman, Rupert Colville, also called on states to release every person detained without sufficient legal basis, including political prisoners, and those detained for critical, dissenting views.

Colville, in a statement, noted that Indonesia had announced that it would free 30,000 individuals convicted of minor crimes, including drug use.

Indonesias tally of COVID-19 infections rose to 5,516 on Thursday, an increase of 380 cases over the past 24 hours, according to task force spokesman Achmad Yurianto. Health authorities recorded 27 new fatalities, taking the nations toll to 496, he said.

Globally, more than 2.1 million infections have been recorded with the death toll at over 140,000 as of Thursday, according to data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

As of March this year, Indonesias 524 prisons house almost 269,000 inmates, according to data from the Law and Human Rights Ministry. Local reports said the number of inmates was almost double the maximum capacity of the detention centers.

Officials from Indonesias Ministry of Justice and Human Rights did not immediately return calls from BenarNews seeking comments on the letter from the political detainees.

Infections predicted to soar next month

A public health expert, Wiku Adisasmito, said Thursday that the nations coronavirus infections was predicted to soar to 95,000 as early as next month.

We believe that the peak of the pandemic in Indonesia will begin in early May until early June, Wiku, a member of countrys COVID-19 task force, told reporters.

Veronica Koman, an Indonesian human rights lawyer, who also signed the letter sent to the UN, said that a list of 56 political prisoners had been sent to Jokowi in February.

So far we have not received any response, except that the minister said that the data is garbage, Veronica told reporters, referring to Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs.

Indonesian police have named Veronica earlier as a suspect for allegedly provoking and distributing false information about the riots in the Papuan student dormitory in East Java province.
After the Covid-19 lockdown is lifted, the educational institutes of Punjab should be given at least 15 days to prepare for examinations, representatives of various varsities suggested during a meet held by the department of higher education on Thursday.

A videoconference was held on Thursday wherein vice-chancellors of Punjabi University, Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and controller of examinations, Panjab University, along with other state government officials discussed policies regarding examinations and admissions for the next session in the universities and colleges of the state.

It was suggested that at least 15 days of classes should be held to enable the students to complete practical projects, internal exams and other internal assessments before the schedule of exams is notified, said an official who attended the meet.

The department of higher education and languages of Punjab government had earlier written a letter to Panjab University, Punjabi University, Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, seeking their suggestions regarding the examinations.

Rahul Bhandari, secretary of higher education and languages, Punjab government, said, Since we have students in rural areas too, it was discussed that in addition to online classes, 15 days will be given to the institutes to hold classes.

However, we are waiting for the decision of the University Grants Commission (UGC) as the body too constituted a panel to discuss the matter, said Bhandari.

It was also discussed that timely examination and declaration of results of outgoing classes should be the priority, said an official.
Simplicity in Chaos

As the world continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, health organizations are quickly reinforcing Rapid Response teams with extra tools.

Samuel Hill (Sr. Manager of Healthcare at Aruba Networks) has 7 years of experience working in an ER department. In this webcast, he discusses how Aruba's wireless products can help Rapid Response teams address modern chaos in healthcare, including:

Sudden surge of critically ill patients

Lack of space

Shortage of supplies
Theyre the first batch to be issued to Americans whose banking information the IRS does not have. With many Americans struggling to pay their bills, making the change and testing the new system must be done under a time crunch. The process is supposed to start on Thursday. The IRS and the Treasury Department said the last-minute change would not delay the payments.
Lightfoot was quick to condemn the botched demolition, but has been under fire for allowing it to occur in the first place. Some aldermen have also blasted the mayors efforts to strip members of the City Council of some of their powers, saying this wouldnt have happened if not for her reforms last year.
The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai crossed the 2,000-mark on Thursday, reaching 2,043 with 107 new patients being detected, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

The city reported 1,000 new cases injust six days. The coronavirus cases tally in the country's financial capital had crossed 1,000 on April 11.

Three COVID-19 patients died since Wednesday night, taking the death toll due to the pandemic in the city to 116, said a BMC release.

"Two of those died had co-morbidities (existing health issues) and one had both co-morbidities and age-related factors," said a BMC officer.

Also, 21 patients recovered from the disease on Thursday, taking the number of cured cases in the city to 202.

The civic body also said that 299 people were admitted to hospitals for possible COVID-19 infection during the day.

In Dharavi, one of the biggest slum areas in the country, 26 new cases of infection including a dead patient were reported on Thursday. It took the tally of coronavirus cases in Dharavi area to 86, including nine deaths.

Meanwhile, a senior official said that two family members of a fire brigade official residing at Byculla tested positive and hence the officer and neighbours were put under home quarantine.

"Swab test of close contacts of the family as well as the fire official were negative," he said, adding that as a precaution two floors of the building have been quarantined.

"All the fire brigade staff engaged in sanitisation operation are providedwith personal protective equipment," he added.

The BMC on Thursday also collected swab samples of 87 mediapersons who are out in the field covering the pandemic at a special health camp.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Weve got to figure something out here because it is a constitutional issue. If youre going to have public meetings, by golly you have to make a reasonable opportunity for the public to participate, Koopman said Tuesday.

Koopman suggested canceling meetings if open meetings laws couldnt be observed. Wednesday, the commission scrapped a meeting after concerns that its plans to use the video conferencing application Zoom would be unsuccessful.

After Dunwells experience Tuesday, the commission decided not to take up NorthWestern Energys plans to purchase an additional share of Colstrip Unit 4, which had been scheduled for that day. The issue has drawn considerable public interest since the utility filed for preapproval in February. Dunwell and others wanted to comment on the matter, but couldnt. The PSC chose instead to try again Friday with opportunity for the public to speak.

PSC Chairman Brad Johnson said Wednesday that the commission had attempted to make public comment possible using the conference application Zoom, but the meeting was crashed by someone shouting expletives and posting pornographic images.
Rumours have been rife that Sanjay Dutt's next project, Torbaaz has been shelved. Contrary to the rumours, actor Rahul Dev, who will be seen playing an antagonist in the film, spilled the beans about Torbaaz and gave us sneak-peek into the project.

Speaking about Torbaaz, Rahul told a leading daily, "There were no reports about the film because we have shot the entire film overseas. It was shot in three schedules and most of it was shot in Kyrgyzstan. The dubbing of the film is complete and we have been waiting for its release. Two release dates were being considered but it is yet to be finalised."

Rahul Dev also spoke about the plot of Torbaaz and revealed that the film revolves around a child, a doctor and an extremist leader. Sanjay Dutt plays a doctor and Dev plays the role of an extremist leader.

Mom (Nargis Dutt) Would Throw Slippers At Sanjay Dutt; Spew Expletives Like Suwar: Namrata Dutt

"I play the leader of a fundamentalist group. He has a character arc and doesn't have any fight scenes. I didn't exchange a single blow with anybody in the film. It is a beautiful film. A lot of research has been done about the past story of the Talibanis. Talking about Sanjay's character, the doctor has a strong philosophy of his own," added Dev.

Directed by Girish Malik, the film also casts Nargis Fakhri in the lead role.

Meanwhile, you can watch Rahul Dev in his newly-released web show, Who's Your Daddy, in which he plays the father of a bachelor.
Graciela Carrillo has lived in the U.S. for nine years and shares a common feeling with many immigrants from western Guatemala about living in their adopted homeland.

We are invisible, she said.

Carrillo identifies as Mam, an indigenous ethnic group that would be hard to count in the federal census even during optimal times. Theyre even harder to count during a pandemic.

This week, the Trump administration conceded that Americas crucial once-in-a-decade population count has been thrown for a loop by the coronavirus, and asked Congress for a 120-day extension to complete the tally. Population groups that dont have deep local roots, like the thousands of Guatemalan highlanders who have moved to the Bay Area in recent years, have become especially tough to track now that most face-to-face contact is impossible.

Carrillo is one of an estimated 10,000 Mam who live in and around Oakland. Another 5,000 are spread across the Bay Area. Few speak English, many dont speak Spanish and most are noncitizens. Instead, they speak Mam, one of the many indigenous Mayan languages in Guatemala.

If they remain invisible to census takers, then cities, counties and school districts will be shortchanged when it comes to getting money to support a community whose members form the backbone of the Bay Area service economy. Federal aid to local governments depends in part on the size of an areas population.

Now Playing: Oakland community organizer Henry Sales explains how he has been having success counting his native Mam community, which is among the hardest of hard to count communities in the federal census. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Many Mam serve meals in restaurants, work on construction crews and toil in well-to-do neighborhoods as landscapers and house cleaners. Oakland Unified School District officials estimate that 1,300 Mam students attend city schools.

If they dont get counted, they are likely to miss out on important resources, said Casey Farmer, executive director of the Alameda County Complete Count Committee.

Carillo was among a dozen multilingual Mam recruited last weekend to help count people in her community  Oaklands Fruitvale neighborhood  by census outreach worker Henry Sales, a native Guatemalan who speaks Mam, Spanish and English. Sales is finding census success in the most difficult of circumstances thanks to his connections in the community, a skillful use of social media, and a lot of hustle.

On Saturday, the event that he organized at a church in Fruitvale counted 1,500 people, a little more than 10% of the Bay Areas estimated Mam population. Its one of several community-based efforts that are helping Oakland perform above expectations so far in reaching hard-to-count demographic groups.

Even though there are many predicted low-response tracts in Oakland, the citys response rate is 50.3%, slightly above the state average, said census spokesman Josh Green. Overall, Alameda County has the fifth-highest response rate (56.3%) among counties in the state.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

It hasnt been easy for Sales, who is in high demand in his day job as a translator in court proceedings but is not employed by the Census Bureau. His outreach campaign to the Mam is partly funded by the East Bay Community Foundation, but he says hes been paying some of the costs out of his own pocket.

His first task: Explain what a census is to his fellow Mam and how it could make the community more visible. He found that many will trust what we say to them if we say it in our native language.

Even the word census... many of us have not come across that word before, said Sales, 27. We explained it as to be counted, and showed how it would mean more funding coming to our community.

Before the coronavius pandemic hit, Sales planned to sponsor Mam-themed musical and cultural festivals at community centers where people could complete their census forms. But that plan crumbled after stay-at-home orders were issued last month that banned large gatherings.

So he and other community organizers crafted Plan B.

They started by tapping church leaders to spread the word to participate in the census through social media. They inserted fliers advertising the census in bags handed out at food pantries.

But asking people to come to churches to be counted posed a problem: Organizers had to take into account physical distancing guidelines.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

At Saturdays event at Iglesia Fuente De Vida Eterna Ministerio Mam church, chairs were placed 6 feet apart in a waiting area outside the main room. Inside, mask-wearing volunteers sat at a half-dozen card tables, appropriately spaced, entering peoples census information into computers. Everybody got a spritz of hand sanitizer on the way in and out.

One of the volunteers was the Rev. Juan Diaz, the churchs pastor. He sought to reassure people that immigration agents and law enforcement officers would not be allowed to use census data to track down undocumented people.

We have to tell them that this is not coming from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Diaz, who conducts services in Mam at his 150-member church. We tell them that it is something that is done every 10 years and it helps the children.

Still, many Mam were fearful of coming forward, especially those without (immigration) papers, Carrillo said.

Among them was Jaime Deleon, an Oakland resident who said he was a little concerned about what might happen to the information he was about to divulge. Ultimately, he decided to complete his form for my wife and (two) kids.

Others were confused by questions on the forms.

Diaz said many Mam dont easily fall into the categories that the census delineates. Some identify as Mam rather than Hispanic or Latino, which the census defines as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

Organizers are confronting another problem as they dig deeper into their community: Many Mam have lost their jobs in the economic crash.

Diaz said nearly two-thirds of people at his church are out of work. Since many are noncitizens, they are not eligible for pandemic-related federal support or unemployment benefits. Most are relatively recent immigrants who fled violence back home and have little or no savings.

While we are talking to them about the census, we are helping them find where to get other help, too, Sales said. There are a lot of needs in the community right now.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
US presidents remarks come after he halted about $500m in funding for the World Health Organization despite crisis.

US President Donald Trump has escalated his attack on the World Health Organization, saying its early guidance on the coronavirus outbreak was a horrible mistake  and perhaps even a deliberate one.

Tragically, other nations put their trust in the WHO, and they didnt do any form of ban, Trump said at his daily White House briefings on the pandemic on Wednesday.

You see what happened to Italy, you see what happened to Spain, you see what happened in France  WHO guidance failed to control their borders It was a horrible, tragic mistake.

But the US president later implied initial decisions by the WHO were not a mistake, and it perhaps was aware of the gravity of the situation, without citing any evidence to back his claims.

Im sure they [the WHO] didnt know the gravity of it, but perhaps they knew, he said.

Trumps comments came after he announced on Tuesday his administration would halt funding to the WHO because of its handling of the pandemic.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the world has surpassed two million and more than 137,000 people have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Overwhelmed by support

The director-general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he regretted Trumps decision to halt US funding of the UN body, amounting to about $500m  or 15 percent of its total budget.

When we are divided, the coronavirus exploits the cracks between us, Tedros told reporters in Geneva.

The WHO will review the impact of the funding gap and will continue its work without fear or favour, he added.

In due course, WHOs performance in tackling this pandemic will be reviewed by WHOs member states and the independent bodies that are in place to ensure transparency and accountability, said Tedros.

200415061612025

The head of the World Health Organizations Europe office hailed a show of support for the UN agency on Thursday, including some commitments from around the world.

Amid an increasingly fraught financial situation for the WHO as it battles the coronavirus outbreak, Dr Hans Kluge said it has been overwhelmed by the support of European countries, but also people of Europe and all over the world.

Kluge credited the United States for its historic support for the agency.

We are looking at the finance situation. Some commitments have come in, Kluge said, without elaborating. But for the time, were in the midst of the crisis. So what we focus on is to save lives.

Chinas reaction

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the US decision to cut WHO funding would affect efforts by countries to tackle the outbreak.

The Trump administration has also accused Beijing of mishandling the pandemic, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserting that China should be more transparent and open up about the origins of the virus.

For China, Trumps attacks on the WHO are just following on from his attempt to shift blame from himself for his own mismanagement to the WHO, as he had been for the past few weeks trying to do with China, Al Jazeeras Katrina Yu reported from Beijing.

Yu said Chinese state media also reflected this sentiment with the Global Times newspaper running an editorial criticising Trumps decision to attack the WHO, which it said was a move against humanity at a time when nations should be rallying behind the organisation.

Einar Tangen, an economic adviser to the Chinese government, told Al Jazeera China believes Trump was using the controversy with WHO for his own re-election campaign.

The large issue is what happens to this budget. The US is about 15 percent, half of which goes to Africa and all but 10 percent is really going to development areas, he said.

Tangen noted countries around the world that had much weaker health security systems  such as India, Indonesia and some in South America  could see dire consequences from the US decision.

People will regret they were arguing about this at a point when they were seeing the tragedies unfolding, Tangen said.
A Bitcoin entrepreneur whose wife disappeared in mysterious circumstances is facing five years in jail, accused by the Australian Federal Police of swindling people of their life savings.

John Louis Anthony Bigatton is being investigated for money laundering during his time as Australian director of Bitconnect, a failed cryptocurrency trading platform.

Mr Bigatton is accused of benefiting by at least $100,000 when Bitconnect suddenly went bust in January 2018, losing international mum and dad investors an estimated AUD$3.7 billion.

Just a few months after Bitconnect's collapse, Mr Bigatton's wife Madeline vanished.

She has not been seen since and continues to be listed as a missing person by NSW Police, but Mr Biggaton has repeatedly said he believes she is dead.

He most recently made the claim during a NSW Supreme Court hearing in March, as part of an ongoing investigation into Bitconnect's collapse and Mr Bigatton's benefit.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal that despite authorities also believing her to be dead, an affidavit filed with the Supreme Court names Mrs Bigatton as a defendant.

Bitcoin entrepreneur John Bigatton (left), whose wife Madeline (right) vanished in mysterious circumstances in March 2018, is under investigation by the Australian Federal Police for money laundering. If charged and found guilty, Mr Bigatton could face up to five years in prison

Mrs Bigatton was last seen on CCTV leaving the driveway of her family home at Carss Park, in Sydney's south-eastern suburbs, on the morning of Sunday, March 25, 2018.

She dropped her daughter at a friend's house and drove to Kurnell where her car was later found in a clifftop carpark.

Her wedding ring had been left inside the car and she had text her husband, saying: 'Don't forget to feed the dog'.

Messages sent from Mrs Biggaton, a pharmacist, seemed to confirm the collapse of Bitconnect had deeply affected her.

It is understood that Mr Bigatton had received death threats from angry investors, a number of which were left on his home phone and heard by his wife and children.

'The day before she disappeared she said to her sister: "I'm not in a good place, I'm in a dark place",' one relative told Daily Mail Australia at the time of her disappearance.

'At about 3.30pm, she sends John some weird messages.'

There is no suggestion Mr Bigatton had any involvement in his wife's disappearance.

It has been more than two years since Mrs Bigatton was last seen and an inquest into her 'disappearance and suspected death' is expected to begin this year.

One of Mrs Bigatton's uncles this week told Daily Mail Australia that his contact with her family had largely dried up since her disappearance.

Mrs Bigatton was last seen on CCTV leaving the driveway of her family home at Carss Park, in Sydney's south-eastern suburbs, on the morning of Sunday, March 25, 2018 (pictured). Her car was found at a clifftop carpark at Kurnell that afternoon, with her wedding ring in the front seat

Exactly a week after his wife had disappeared, Mr Bigatton took this happy family photo during an Easter Sunday lunch - something that one relative described to Daily Mail Australia as 'odd'

'Madeline is not coming back, we've lost Madeline, so we'll let the law run its course,' an uncle of Mrs Bigatton told Daily Mail Australia this week when asked about an inquest into her death

He said he thinks his niece committed suicide and believes a coroner will agree.

'I confronted him (John) and said: "What happened to my niece, I just want to know?" and it was then that he told me to: "F**k off",' the relative said.

'It was more than likely (suicide), there were definitely (abusive) phone calls coming in and I think that probably affected her.

'Madeline is not coming back, we've lost Madeline, so we'll let the law run its course.'

Madeline is not coming back, we've lost Madeline... - Mrs Bigatton's uncle

Mr Bigatton appearance before the NSW Supreme Court last month came as part of an urgent bid by the AFP to seize his assets and bank accounts.

Officers from the AFP had made an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act to restrain his assets while their criminal investigation is continuing.

During the hearing his wife's status as a missing person was raised, but Mr Bigatton told the court he had no doubt about her fate.

'Ms Bigatton is listed as missing. Mr Bigatton says that she is now deceased,' Justice Richard Cavanagh told the court.

'I have no reason to doubt what Mr Bigatton says but she remains listed as missing.'

At the height of his success with Bitconnect, Mr Bigatton had danced on stage at a convention in Asia as cash rained down from the roof.

Many of Mrs Bigatton's friends initially disputed that she could have committed suicide, saying the loving mother would never have left behind her two teenage daughters

But others claimed Mrs Bigatton had admitted being in a 'dark place' in the weeks before she was last seen and despite defending her husband (right), she had been deeply affected by the collapse of Bitconnect

Mr Bigatton's bank accounts were frozen and assets such as his family home and cars seized, in the order handed down by the NSW Supreme Court. The court heard his assets were 'disproportionate to his income'

He had taken his family on a holiday to the United States and splashed out on a sportscar.

But just months later he and others who had worked as 'promoters' for Bitconnect internationally were under investigation.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MADELINE BIGATTON: 2018 January: Bitconnect, the company her husband John is Australian director of, suddenly collapses - costing investors AUD$3.7 billion across the globe - In the months that follow Mr Bigatton receives death threats. March: Mrs Bigatton tells friends she is in a 'dark place' - On the morning of Sunday, March 25, she takes one of her daughters off to a friends house. CCTV captures her as she gets in the car. - Later that day her Kia Sportage is found at a parking lot at Kurnell, south of Sydney, her wedding ring is inside and she is nowhere to be seen April: Exactly a week after Mrs Bigatton goes missing, her extended family gathers at her family home for Easter lunch. - During this gathering John gets everyone together for a happy selfie. It is described by a relative as 'a bit odd'. June: Police launch an investigation into Mrs Bigatton's disappearance. 2019 January: ASIC freezes Mr Bigatton's assets and orders him not to travel overseas while they investigate his role in the Bitconnect collapse 2020 March: After ASIC drop their investigation, the Australian Federal Police begin to look into Mr Bigatton. Advertisement

Mr Bigatton's assets and money were first frozen in January 2019 so the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) could investigate his businesses.

But when the corporate watchdog eventually stopped pursuing the matter last year the orders threatened to lapse, essentially returning Mr Bigatton's assets and money back to him.

That was when the AFP stepped in to pick up the investigation.

An affidavit filed in the Supreme Court by the AFP lists Mr Bigatton, Mrs Bigatton and the company JB's Investment Management as defendants.

Mr Bigatton had listed his wife as the sole shareholder and director of the investment front, but the court heard the user name used to access its funds was his.

Under Australian law all financial trading platforms must be registered, but the AFP's affidavit alleges Bitconnect never was.

During this time he was alleged to have dealt with more than $100,000 suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

As part of its evidence against him, the court heard the Bitconnect promoter's home and assets were 'disproportionate to his income'.

The seized assets included the Bigatton family home, his bank accounts and a $65,000 white Kia Stinger sportscar - as well as his wife's black Kia Sportage.

In response to the allegations, Mr Bigatton claimed he had not committed any crimes and said that the fact ASIC had dropped its investigation into him was indicative of that.

He also claimed that he had made it 'quite clear to investors (of Bitconnect) that they were engaged in a form of gambling'.

Mrs Bigatton (pictured with her daughter Lara) was named as a defendant in the proceedings before the NSW Supreme Court, despite being believed to be deceased. She was listed as the sole shareholder for JB's Investment Management - although business user names were those of her husband

Mrs Bigatton disappeared at Kurnell, in south Sydney, on March 28, 2019. An inquest into her 'disappearance and suspected death' was due to get underway later this year

This was despite Bitconnect promising returns of 480 per cent annually.

Mr Bigatton told the court that because he was dealing with cryptocurrency the laws did not apply to him as they might to a regular share, currency or futures trader.

But Justice Cavanagh ruled against the entrepreneur, finding he had control over the investments of at least 21 Australians and that there were reasonable suspicions that he had committed the crimes alleged by the AFP.

The freeze on his assets - including his wife's car - was continued and he was ordered to hand over all details of his Bitcoin wallets and passwords to the AFP.

The matter will return to the NSW Supreme Court on April 29. Mr Bigatton has not been charged with any criminal offences.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14
[April 16, 2020] Christopher Mallon Joins Lazard Financial Advisory as a Senior Adviser

Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) announced today that Christopher Mallon will join Lazard Financial Advisory as a Senior Adviser, effective immediately. Christopher has more than 30 years of restructuring advisory experience, serving in senior roles advising a number of companies. Christopher worked most recently as a Senior Restructuring Partner at the global law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. As a Senior Adviser, Christopher will provide strategic counsel to Lazard's global Restructuring practice and its clients across industry groups. Based in London, he will work closely with Cyrus Kapadia, UK CEO of Financial Advisory, and Richard Stables and David Burlison, Restructuring Managing Directors, as well as Lazard's Restructuring, M&A and capital markets professionals across Lazard's global network. David Burlison, Managing Director and Co-Head of Lazard's EMEA Restructuring practice said, "Chris is an outstanding restructuring adviser with a formidable reputation built over decades advising on many high-profile assignments. His experience and connectivity will bolster our market-leading global Restructuring practice and strengthen our ability to help clients navigate the fundamental challenges impacting their businesses.'' Christopher Mallon said, "Lazard is recognised as the leading global restructuring advisory firm. Having worked alongside and across the tabe from Lazard on many occasions, I have experienced first-hand the quality of the Restructuring team and how it works closely with Lazard's industry groups and capital advisory professionals. I look forward to leveraging my experience for the benefit of Lazard's clients."



Christopher is a member of the Insolvency Lawyers Association, the International Insolvency Institute and the City of London Law Society. Christopher will continue as Non-Executive Director to GCX Limited, a role he has held since May 2019. He will also continue as co-editor of "The Law and Practice of Restructuring in the UK and US." Lazard's Restructuring Group is one of the leading restructuring practices globally. Its practitioners, based in many jurisdictions across the world, combine an extensive knowledge of restructuring strategies with M&A expertise, credit analysis skills, capital markets knowledge, industry expertise and negotiation experience in distressed situations. Lazard has advised on many of the largest and most complex restructuring assignments. Recent examples include Abengoa, Forever 21, Global Cloud Xchange, Interserve, OTAS, PG&E (News - Alert), Seadrill, and Weatherford International.

Ends About Lazard Lazard, one of the world's preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, operates from 40 cities across 25 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Central and South America. With origins dating to 1848, the firm provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, strategic matters, restructuring and capital structure, capital raising and corporate finance, as well as asset management services to corporations, partnerships, institutions, governments and individuals. For more information, please visit www.lazard.com. Follow @Lazard ### View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005569/en/

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New Delhi: As the nationwide lockdown has been extended to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 in India, it is the daily wage labourers and migrant workers who have been facing a difficult time.

In this crisis, the Seva Bharati organisation, an affiliation of the RSS, has been delivering food items to such people who are stuck in lockdown conditions with no food or money to buy food items at eight different places in Delhi.

To make sure that the rules of the lockdown are followed and that no one has to venture out into the streets despite the restrictions, food is being distributed to the people.

The organisation distributes a box with all essential packaged food items like, atta, rice, dal, oil, salt among other things.

Atleast 1000 such boxes are delivered everyday, says Suket Dheer who is in charge of the packaging unit located at Okhla.

"There are different items worth around Rs 1,100 and we distribute about 1000 such boxes everyday," he said.

The Seva Bharati believes that the religion or caste of a person is not important, in this crisis situation all those who need help will be taken care.

They also have a helpline number 8010066066, where people can call and pledge their support to the organisation.

The volunteers at the unit take all precautions necessary while packing the boxes. From wearing masks and gloves to maintaining social distance.

Meanwhile, the number of infections in India rose to 12,380 with the death toll touching 414.
Given the departments reluctance to implement an aggressive mitigation process and communicate openly and often with youth and families, we knew it was only a matter of time before Bon Air experienced an outbreak, said Rachael Deane, legal director of the JustChildren Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center, in the joint release. The Department has both a legal and a moral obligation to protect the youth imprisoned at Bon Air, and we call on DJJ to immediately act to stop the spread of this disease.

The statement comes on the same day as eight Virginia prosecutors, including Henrico Commonwealths Attorney Shannon Taylor, signed an open letter urging the states top public safety official to release incarcerated youths who pose no threat to safety, citing concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

The prosecutors who signed the letter said they support several advocacy groups that have been calling for the release of prisoners, both youth and adult, for weeks. Among the groups cited in the letter are RISE for Youth, Physicians for Criminal Justice Reform, The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, National Partnership for Juvenile Services, and Fair and Just Prosecution.
Australian athleisure brand P.E Nation has incited fury among its loyal customers after its website crashed minutes before starting a 60 per cent off online warehouse sale.

The company, which is co-founded by Sydney-based friends Pip Edwards and Claire Tregoning, is known for its luxury crop tops, leggings and wind jackets, which can be worn for a workout or simply on the streets.

The pals decided to host a warehouse sale online this year because of the coronavirus and need for social distancing - after hosting the markdowns face-to-face in Sydney on previous occasions.

The company, which is co-founded by Sydney-based friends Pip Edwards (pictured in P.E Nation) and Claire Tregoning, is known for its luxury crop tops, leggings and wind jackets

Customers across Australia and New Zealand were excited to visit the website at noon on April 16 when the sale began but were left confused and frustrated when it crashed before their very eyes

Customers across Australia and New Zealand were excited to visit the website at noon on April 16 when the sale began but were left confused and frustrated when it crashed before their very eyes.

'This webpage is experiencing a large amount of traffic. Please try again later,' a pop up read when each shopper attempted to refresh the page.

Many of P.E Nation's fans spent their lunchtime hours refreshing but as of 12.40pm there was still no way of getting onto the system to shop their t-shirts, shorts, outerwear and accessories.

Many of P.E Nation's fans spent their lunchtime hours refreshing but as of 12.40pm there was still no way of getting onto the system to shop their t-shirts, shorts, outerwear and accessories (Pip pictured in P.E Nation)

'Would have thought you'd be a bit better prepared for high traffic... the server crashed 10 minutes before the sale even went live,' one woman wrote on social media

'Would have thought you'd be a bit better prepared for high traffic... the server crashed 10 minutes before the sale even went live,' one woman wrote on social media.

'Nothing better than the hype of a warehouse sale and then the website crashes. So disappointing,' said another.

A third added: 'I had money to spend but after 12 minutes of refreshing I'm done spending my lunch break trying'.

At 12.43pm Pip Edwards took to her Instagram page to apologise for the site crashing under pressure

At 12.43pm Pip Edwards took to her Instagram page to apologise for the site crashing under pressure.

'We are working hard to get it up and running, we will be back on in no time,' she assured her followers.

The warehouse sale is meant to last until Sunday April 19, with P.E Nation re-stocking the site daily to keep up with demand.
[April 15, 2020] vCandidates.com Offers Employers an Opportunity to Help Transition Its Workforce Towards New Opportunities

PHOENIX, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the pandemic outbreak forcing many organizations to downsize, vCandidates.com is helping employers by providing a special free offer to its platform to outgoing workforce, helping them discover and transition into their next opportunity faster. The special free offer provided by vCandidates.com enables employers to provide employees who need to be let go currently making $19 hourly or greater with 90-day subscriptions. Employers will receive additional 90-day subscriptions to the vCandidates.com platform for free. "Our team surveyed over 3,000 candidates who had been let go, and the consensus was the same: their employers didn't care what happened to them, nor could they directly connect them with hiring professionals. When crafting vCandidates.com.com as a SaaS career platform, we knew we had to create a product that would aid employers and help encourage those faced with being downsized. It was just the right thing to do," says vCandidates.com's CEO and Founder, LT Ladino Bryson. The free subscriptions provided by vCandidates.com are designed to provide a compassionate transition resource during this unprecedented time of mass layoffs and unemployment, helping employers provide those leaving with the most competitive advantage to find their next career opportunity. The three-month premiu subscription can be included in severance packages starting at the introductory $125 price per subscription in one of three ways:



For every 20 subscriptions purchased, five additional subscriptions will be provided for free. For every 50 subscriptions purchased, 15 additional subscriptions will be provided for free. For every 100 subscriptions purchased, 35 additional subscriptions will be provided for free. Included with each vCandidates.com subscription is a preparation boot camp program, helping employees discover soft and hard skills through a comprehensive learning module and mentoring from vCounselors. With vCandidates.com, job seekers will be able to present the best version of themselves, building connections between skills that they never knew existed. Job seekers get prepared and then will be connected with vetted recruiters actively searching for pre-screened candidates to help fill open positions.

While no employer would downsize its workforce if they could avoid it, the current state of the economy created by the pandemic is forcing the hand of many organizations to take drastic measures to stay afloat. Offering a vCandidates.com subscription to loyal employees as part of a severance package shows that a company's culture extends past employment, giving those leaving a positive outlook regarding your organization. About vCandidates.com vCandidates.com is the perfect alternative recruiting tool and platform connecting candidates directly to recruiting professionals and past filters. vCandidates.com has expedited the search, preparation, screening, interviewing and hiring processes. https://vcandidates.com/ Company Address 1414 W. Broadway Road (Ste. 234) Tempe, AZ 85282 United States View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vcandidatescom-offers-employers-an-opportunity-to-help-transition-its-workforce-towards-new-opportunities-301041587.html SOURCE vCandidates.com

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Dozens of front-line TTC employees at two of the agencys garages staged work stoppages Wednesday over claims management isnt doing enough to protect them from COVID-19.

Thirty-eight bus drivers at the TTCs Wilson and Queensway divisions refused to go out on shift, according to the agency.

Five employees at Wilson refused work. According to TTC spokesperson Stuart Green, a provincial Ministry of Labour representative assessed the situation Wednesday afternoon and was satisfied the TTC has protections in place and ruled (there were) no grounds for a work refusal.

At the agencys Queensway division, at least 33 drivers wouldnt go on shift. The ministry was called to the site, but the situation had yet to be resolved by 8:30 p.m.

Green said the TTC was redeploying buses to mitigate the impact of the stoppages, which he described as minimal.

Carlos Santos, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, which represents most TTC workers, said employees want the agency to distribute masks to bus drivers who continue to work through the pandemic.

As of Wednesday, 17 TTC employees had tested positive for COVID-19. They include five bus drivers, one of whom worked out of the Wilson facility. Three Wheel-Trans drivers, two subway operators and one streetcar driver have also been infected.

The TTC has instituted policies intended to protect bus drivers, like blocking off the fronts of vehicles and directing passengers to only use the rear doors. Management has also bowed to union demands to let drivers wear masks on the job.

The TTC considers employee health and safety of paramount importance, Green said in a statement.

But Santos said riders with accessibility issues are still allowed to board at the front of buses, putting them in proximity to drivers. And employees who want to wear masks have to bring them from home. Santos said even non-medical masks are hard to find, given high demand during the pandemic.

The TTC has a stockpile of masks that, as of Monday, included about 343,000 surgical masks and 31,000 higher-end N95s.

Green said the masks are being distributed daily to employees who had previously been identified as those requiring masks for their work, such as Wheel-Trans drivers and maintenance crews exposed to potentially dangerous airborne substances.

Green said the TTC is also actively sourcing material to fabricate our own face coverings for operators if they choose to wear them.

Santos said the union has purchased 100,000 disposable masks and is distributing them to its roughly 12,000 members. However, he estimated that, because the masks cant be reworn, the union will run out in about a week.

Its the employer that should be providing (personal protection equipment) for workers, Santos said.

This isnt the first time TTC workers have refused to work over COVID-19 concerns. On March 11, employees at the Roncesvalles streetcar facility briefly walked off the job.

Santos said, on Wednesday alone, a handful of workers who arent on the front lines stopped work over safety issues.
Former President Serzh Sarkisian testified on Thursday before an Armenian parliamentary commission investigating the April 2016 hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian initiated the inquiry last year with the stated aim of assessing the Sarkisian administrations preparedness for the four-day fighting which nearly escalated into an all-out Armenian-Azerbaijani war.

The ad hoc commission conducting it is headed by Andranik Kocharian, a senior lawmaker representing Pashinians My Step bloc. It has questioned dozens of current and former military officials.

Sarkisian, who ruled Armenia from 2008-2018, agreed to answer questions from members of the panel after it promised earlier this month to provide him with a copy of his videotaped testimony not subject to publication.

The meeting took place in very normal conditions and I am very glad that I could give additional information about the April hostilities, Sarkisian told reporters after the four-hour hearing held behind the closed doors.

My goal is very clear: to give the public real, credible information about the hostilities during which we -- I mean the armed forces, the civil society and the public in general -- won and won not only on the battlefield but also diplomatically, he said.

Sarkisian refused to give any details of his testimony, saying that he will hold an extensive news conference after the coronavirus-related state of emergency in Armenia ends on May 14.

Mr. Sarkisian recalled many things, Kocharian said for his part. He said the ex-president acknowledged the Armenian sides shortcomings during the four-day heavy fighting which left about 80 Armenian soldiers dead.

The fighting broke out early on April 2, 2016 with an Azerbaijani offensive launched at several sections of the line of contact around Karabakh. It was halted by a Russian-mediated agreement four days later.

Some of Sarkisians opponents, including Pashinian, blamed the former Armenian leadership for modest territorial gains made by Azerbaijani troops and said the Armenian military should have anticipated the offensive involving tanks and heavy artillery.

Sarkisian and other former Armenian leaders maintain that the Azerbaijani army failed to achieve any major objectives and suffered disproportionate casualties. Sarkisians allies have also accused Pashinian of trying to exploit the issue for political aims.
BMS - Prairie Campus is one of nine in the state to earn the acknowledgement this year. According to officials, the school was selected for its academics, strong leadership and commitment to assessment and accountability as tools to improve, among other reasons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India and Mauritius will always stand by each other, especially in challenging times like the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The prime minister also said New Delhi will provide all possible support to Seychelles for fighting COVID-19.

He was responding to tweets by Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and Seychelles President Danny Faure thanking New Delhi for sending medical consignments to their countries to contain the spread of the killer virus.

"Thank you, Prime Minister @PKJugnauth for your warm words. India and Mauritius are united by history, culture, language and the Indian Ocean. We will always stand by each other, especially in challenging times like this," Modi tweeted.

Thank you, Prime Minister @PKJugnauth for your warm words. India and Mauritius are united by history, culture, language and the Indian Ocean. We will always stand by each other, especially in challenging times like this. https://t.co/b0RPdZkf74  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 16, 2020

He was responding to a tweet by Prime Minister Jugnauth thanking New Delhi for the supplies.

"I am very thankful to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for the generous donation of medical supplies from the government of India which reached Mauritius yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, by a special flight of Air India," Jugnauth tweeted.

This high mark of goodwill underscores, once again, the close bonds between Mauritius and India, he said.

The office of President Faure had also tweeted thanking India for sending medical consignments.

"Grateful to President Danny Faure for his kind words. Seychelles is a valued member of our Indian Ocean family, and an important pillar in our vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region," Modi responded.

India will provide all possible support to Seychelles for fighting COVID-19, he said.
Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST

Bazaar Corporate Radar

Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar.
PHILADELPHIA The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis  its worst blood shortage in more than a decade. Dangerously low blood supply levels are posing a concerning risk to patient care and forcing doctors to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become []
Coronavirus is not a "death sentence", Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has sought to demystify misconceptions about the virus pandemic.



Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, April 16, 2020, Hon. Oppong Nkrumah feared that the stigma and misconceptions associated with the COVID-19 by some Ghanaians could have dire consequences on the efforts by government to curtail the transmission of the virus from individuals and at the community level.



Ghana's COVID-19 case count currently stands at 641 out of 50,719 samples collected and tested for coronavirus (COVID-19).



This is part of government's enhanced measures aimed at fighting the novel COVID-19 pandemic in the country.



The threat of Coronavirus, otherwise called COVID-19, has instilled fear in people and as a result victims of the virus infection are sometimes looked down on by some suspcious Ghanaians.



Kojo Oppong Nkrumah explained that the virus can be treated by health professionals as eighty-three (83) people have already fully recovered and been discharged from the various health facilities to join their families, and 17 more have also tested negative on first testing and awaiting their second test to ensure they also have fully recovered.



He was worried that the morbid fear associated with the virus may potentially result in people with infections or exposed through contact with infected persons going into hiding.



In an attempt to allay the fears, the Information Minister stated emphatically that "this disease is not a death sentence. Unfortunately, we have had eight (8) persons who had underlying conditions who have passed on but it's not a death sentence. People can be assisted with treatment and can recover".







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 15, 2020 | 07:46 PM | EDDYVILLE





The Lyon County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a hit and run collision at the Eddyville Mall on Outlet Avenue. Officers say they learned that a vehicle, driven by 48-year-old Leigh Brown of Princeton, was driving along Outlet Avenue in Eddyville when it was struck by another vehicle. The collision caused both vehicles to be adjoined together.







The other driver, 21-year-old Diego Lopez, reportedly asked Brown to backup in order to separate their vehicles. Once the vehicles were no longer adjoined, Lopez allegedly fled the scene.







Officers say they were able to locate the vehicle Lopez had been driving a short time later at a home on West Fairview Avenue, although Lopez wasn't there. He was located in a parking lot of an Eddyville business where he was arrested.







Lopez was lodged in the Christian County Jail. He is being charged with DUI first offense, possession of an open alcoholic beverage in a vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, no insurance, and no operator's license.

An Eddyville man is facing charges after a hit and run collision on Wednesday.
Former President John Mahama has urged government and telecommunication companies to urgently work towards easing the internet challenges of consumers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic has led to a partial lockdown of Accra, Kasoa, Kumasi and Tema as well as the closure of schools and bans on public gatherings.

A lot of schools have tried to move classes online whilst a number of professionals have taken to working from home to ensure social distancing.

Speaking on the matter after announcing the donation of food items to some 20,000 households, Mr. Mahama argued that some relief on internet expenditure was in order.

This has drastically increased their expenditure on internet usage to the extent to the extent that some can no longer cope. Indeed there are reports of several students being unable to complete online lectures because their data run out. Several people are also working from home.

As a solution, Mr. Mahama urged government to assure the telcos of a free six months extension of licenses to motivate them to reduce the cost of internet.

This value can be applied to cushion consumers during this three-month period, he noted

He suggested that telcos can also be compensated with funds from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), which already has the mandate to ensure universal access to telecommunication.

Furthermore, the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) should leverage its robust broadband infrastructureto meet the increased demand for wireless and fixed broadband in these COVID-19 times.

Mr. Mahama further reiterated calls for the removal of the 50 percent increase in the Communications Service Tax which he said: will provide further relief for the many who are having to work or stay at home at this time.

So far, the government has provided extra spectrum to Vodafone and MTN Ghana so as to improve data quality.

Some citizens have made calls for a reduction in data costs. But commenting on the matter in March, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN argued that reducing the cost of data to boost communication amidst the pandemic, could increase traffic that will affect internet speed.

---citinewsroom
The World Health Organizations European office said Thursday that despite some optimistic signs in some of the countries worst hit by the new coronavirus, the number of cases was rising and approaching one million in the continent alone.

We remain in the eye of the storm, WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, told a news conference, noting that about half of worldwide confirmed cases were in Europe.

Kluge noted they had seen positive signs in terms of declining numbers in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland.

However, he said the positive signals in some countries were overshadowed by sustained or increased levels in other countries, such as Britain, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

As some European countries have started to ease some of the restrictions put in place to curb the spread, Kluge urged countries to make sure that control mechanisms were in place.

It is imperative that we do not let down our guard, Kluge said.

Before easing restrictions, Kluge said countries needed to make sure evidence showed that transmission was under control.

Countries also needed to ensure that healthcare had the capacity to identify, isolate, test, trace contacts and quarantine.

Kluge also stressed that risks needed to be minimised in high-vulnerability settings, such as retirement homes and areas were people live in crowded places.

Workplaces also needed to take preventative measures, and countries needed to manage importation risks, Kluge added.

If countries could not ensure these criteria, Kluge urged them to please re-think.

On Wednesday, Denmark became the first country in Europe to start reopening schools, while Finland lifted a travel blockade on the Helsinki region.

Austria, Italy and Spain have also allowed some businesses to reopen.
The 2020 New York Festivals Radio Awards is around the corner and Rina Broomberg, co-founder of CliffCentral, spoke to us about her experience judging this year's entries as part of the grand jury panel.

Rina Broomberg, co-founder CliffCentral.

What was it like judging the 2020 NYF Radio Awards?

Have you judged at an international award show like this one before? If so, what does that add to your judging ability?/strong>

Which categories did you judge this year?

Give us a glimpse of the specific criteria you were looking for in judging this year's entries.

Did you notice any trends from this years entries? What stood out to you?

What do you think is the secret to success of South African radio creativity?

What do you think the industry can improve on?

What do you love most about what you do?

What is next for you? Any exciting plans you can tell us about?

It was a fascinating experience - I listened to over 100 submissions from around the world where the common thread was the power of storytelling enhanced by great production.This is the first time Ive judged an international awards show - having been in radio for many years and pioneered podcasting with Gareth Cliff when we launched CliffCentral six years ago, it was encouraging to see that we are certainly on the right track with where content is going.I judged a selection across all categories.Well-crafted stories that engage the listener with high production value including scripting, editing and use of sound.Many of the winning entries were documentary style with emotive themes.Having been in radio for some four decades, I havent heard anything new or creative of late. The radio stations have also latched on to the importance of online and are also podcasting now, which is necessary to remain relevant. Creativity will be more in going back to the roots of radio where the theatre of the mind was so important. The old radio dramas are an example of where the imagination of the listener is ignited and the audience is able to paint the pictures in their minds while hearing the stories, and look forward to the next episode.Radio continues to be an extremely important medium, especially in South Africa where many people still do not have internet access. In the last few years, however, the radio stories seem to have been dominated by high-profile personalities being fired or displaced in the ongoing line-up shuffles, as well as frequent management changes. It would be good to see more focus on the talent and nurturing of the next generation of broadcasters.Being innovative as we shape the future and giving people a platform to realise their potential in whichever areas they may choose to grow, as well as having a platform where the audience and the clients can connect in more meaningful ways.With the coronavirus wave having swept the planet, were living in unprecedented times and the best plans have probably gone awry for many. Fortunately, being an online media business, CliffCentral was able to continue broadcasting live and podcasting fresh content daily as well as offer a platform for some of the clients to share their messages during this time. No one can predict exactly how this is going to unfold but once the dust settles, we'll be there to help companies put the pieces together and be part of leading the way in rebuilding a new future.Disclaimer: Although Broomberg was a judge on the New York Festivals Radio Awards grand jury panel, she had to abstain from judging CliffCentral's entry.Click here to connect with Broomberg on LinkedIn and visit the CliffCentral website for more on their offering. You can also visit the NYF Radio Awards website for more on the Awards and also keep an eye on our website for further updates.
Bollywood producer Karim Morani's elder daughter, Zoa Morani, was recently discharged from the hospital after two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests. The actress had earlier tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus on April 7, post which she was undergoing treatment at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Mumbai.

While speaking with Hindustan Times, the Always Kabhi Kabhi actress opened up about how she developed symptoms for COVID-19. Zoa was quoted as saying, "I had mild fever, and then it worsened over a week, with dry cough, headache and fatigue. It was as if my immunity had taken a hit. When it started, the first thing I did was isolate myself from my parents as I live with them. I also started drinking immunity building drinks like kaada, haldi and tulsi paani, basically lots of fluid."

The actress said that although she had a hunch she would test positive, she wasn't prepared for the actual moment her results came through.

Speaking about her treatment, Zoa revealed, "I was alone in the hospital then, but my doctor was kind, sensitive and gave me a lot of positivity. I kept telling myself 'there are others out there with severe symptoms, fighting it out, so I must be grateful that I am in a manageable situation. Being in that isolation ICU was some experience." The thought of not needing the help of a ventilator or oxygen mask kept her going.

The actress revealed that she was quite tense when her dad and sister Shaza also tested positive, but doing yoga helped her calm down.

"God knew this was to happen, so he prepared me in advance. I've been an avid ashtanga yoga practitioner since six years, which teaches us how to handle the mind, body and lungs. Pranayam and surya namaskar were my true companions even through the symptoms. My dad has a heart problem since a few years, but he is fighting it well, and my sister got intense headaches, but she was good with eating healthy. My symptoms continued for 21 days, I lost patience at times, but my yoga was a blessing and strength," the tabloid quoted Zoa as saying.

Zoa has recovered now but, she has been advised plenty of rest. Speaking about it, she signed off, "My body has taken a blow, I am still coughing. I have been asked to take a lot of rest, drink a lot of water, kaada five times a day. I am in strict isolation in my room for fourteen days, and also sleeping early so my body heals naturally."

Zoa Morani Back Home After Recovering From COVID-19; Shares Selfie To Announce Good News

After Shaza, Karim Morani's Other Daughter, Actress Zoa Morani Tests Positive For Coronavirus!
A 51-year-old Shepherd man and registered sex offender is in jail after allegedly reaching out in February to a law enforcement decoy he thought was an underage boy in Conroe.

Christopher Gothard Lund is being charged with online solicitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.

On Feb. 26, Lund on a social networking site initiated messaging with who he eventually thought was a 14-year-old boy. The child was actually an undercover Texas Department of Public Safety special agent in Montgomery County working with the Houston-area Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Im yung, the decoy wrote in a message, the affidavit states.

I know. L01. Does age matter, Lund replied after asking if the decoy wanted to meet up, court records show. He followed up, We get caught were both in trouble. More me than you.

Lund sent the decoy his phone number and they proceed to text. The investigator, who had both an image Lund sent of himself and his phone number, found he is a registered sex offender in San Jacinto County and is convicted of sexual offenses on children, according to court documents.

On that first day of online communication, Lund had asked the decoy for his address, going on to send sexually charged messages that continued through to the next day via text. Lund asked the decoy for photos of his genitalia, according to court documents.

Lund went on to get a meeting place in Conroe from the decoy, all the while sending more texts with sexually explicit language. He then insisted on talking with the decoy and a Montgomery County investigator was put on the line, telling Lund they would meet while his mother was at work, court records show.

Around 7 p.m. that evening, a conversation between the two was recorded. The decoying investigator and other ICAC task force members drove to the agreed upon location in Conroe and waited 20 to 25 minutes for Lund who did not appear. Lund texted the decoy that his truck broke down, according to court documents.

In the following days, Lund texted the decoy about oral sex, requested they video chat and asked him for a video of him performing a sex act, court records show.

I want you, Lund at one point texted, the affidavit stated.

On March 4, the decoy sent Lund a photo of a male that was age-regressed to appear 14. Two days later, Lund told the decoy he would be in Conroe, asking him if he will be alone, according to court documents.

Lund was taken into custody April 9. He is being held on a $100,000 bond at the Montgomery County Jail.

Lund in 1995 was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony, in Harris County, according to public records.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

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Hyderabad, April 16 : Setting an example for others engaged in enforcement of lockdown measures, a sarpanch in Telangana did not allow even his mother to enter the village.

Sai Goud, sarpanch of Goisaipally village in Sangareddy district, sent back his mother as the village was sealed for outsiders to contain the coronavirus after three families were sent into quarantine for suspected symptoms of COVID-19.

The sarpanch's mother Tulsamma, who had gone to a nearby village to meet some relatives, returned to her village only to find the entry points sealed.

The village level officials manning the checkpost told the woman that outsiders are not being allowed as a precautionary measure.

They informed the sarpanch about the arrival of his mother. Sai Goud reached the checkpost but respecting the decision taken by the villagers to not allow anyone into the village asked her mother to go back. He said once the restrictions are lifted she can return home.

The villagers lauded the sarpanch's stand. "I felt bad when I asked her to go back but I had to do this for the good of the village. I am confident she will understand that this decision was in the interest of everyone,'" Sai Goud told local media persons.

Many villages in Telangana are strictly enforcing lockdown norms. Fearing that outsiders will bring in infection, sarpanches themselves are manning the entry points.

In a few villages, they are even imposing fines on those violating the lockdown.
BAY CITY, MI  There are numerous programs in place to help small businesses weather the COVID-19 storm, and mid-Michigan business leaders say small business owners need that support now.

The support cant come quickly enough, at this point," said Ryan Tarrant, president and CEO of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. And weve all heard the same things as far as some of those systems being overwhelmed, whether its the unemployment system online or the SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration).

Tarrant said state and federal agencies are working to upgrade systems to accommodate the influx of requests. Specifically, the SBA has been working to get the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides small businesses with funds to pay for payroll costs, benefits and interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, up and running. He expects some mid-Michigan applicants will see relief soon.

By the middle of next week, some of that money should start flowing into some of the small businesses here in the area, he said Friday, April 10.

The Bay Area Chamber of Commerce has more than 700 business members. The chamber doesnt have a count of how many members have applied for assistance, but Tarrant estimates its a lot.

Im only hearing the anecdotal, but I know that businesses are applying for those paycheck protection loans and grants in droves," he said.

Attorney Marcus Garske, co-owner of the Bay City law firm Garske Hewitt PLC at 505 S. Euclid Ave., said his firm has applied for Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans. The application process was long and complicated matter, with daily requests for extra documentation, he said. The firm officially applied for PPP on April 3, though they spent the full week getting everything ready.

There was confusion and a lot of moving parts, Garske said. We were constantly on the fly scrambling, making sure we had all the documents and getting our ducks in a row. Obviously, we were concerned the money would go quick and wed be on the outside looking in.

When they created (PPP), they created an idea he continued. How they were going to exactly do it, nobody really knew.

Garske said his firm banks with First State Bank and that staff there have been active and helpful in the process. As far as he knows, the firm has been approved for the loan, though Garske is awaiting final word.

As a small business owner, we were facing the real possibility of starting to lay people off, he said. We have some very loyal employees we dont want to let go (but) we couldnt justify to continue paying them when we have to stay home. A program like this provides the avenue to make sure employees are taken care of while we try to get through this as a business.

The Paycheck Protection Program has since run out of money. On Thursday, April 16, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced that, due to a lapse in appropriations, it is unable to accept new applications for the program.

Two crises

On Thursday, April 9, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended Michigans stay-at-home order until April 30, she acknowledged Michigan is experiencing two crises: a health crisis and an economic one.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of life.

It has shuttered schools and non-essential businesses, canceled community events and family gatherings, taken a toll on mental health, and left many Michiganders, including business owners, with unanswered questions about if and when life will return to normal and the economy can reopen.

Roy Baldwin, co-owner of Baldwins Smokehouse BBQ in Saginaw Countys Buena Vista Township, said his restaurant has been hit hard. Since the restaurant was limited to serving take-out orders, its lost about two thirds of its business, he said. Baldwin had to lay off most of his staff, but because many werent full-time workers, theyve been unable to collect unemployment benefits, he said.

Baldwin filled out applications for assistance programs at about the beginning of April, but hasnt heard back on the status of any of them.

"We're in the dark," Baldwin said.

While government assistance would certainly help, failure is not an option, Baldwin said. Payroll has been cut down to almost nothing, and the community is stepping up to help the restaurant survive. Some people have even come in and volunteered, he said. Businesses such as Nexteer Automotive, Great Lakes Bay Health Centers and CareLinc Medical Equipment & Supply have offered support, too, by calling in large orders, he said.

I was just disappointed all my employees were turned down for unemployment, Baldwin said. I wish there was something that could be done for them.

Desire for certainty in uncertain times

Tarrant said many small businesses are like families and business owners are worried about their finances and being able to support their employees.

One of the biggest things that businesses count on is certainty and, I think, right now theres no level of certainty for what the revenues are going to be for this quarter," Tarrant said. "When are we going to be able to reopen? What is the plan and what does that look like? I think hearing some of those things out of the state capitol would be helpful.

He added, Paycheck Protection, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, those are great programs that are going to provide a Band-Aid to the problem, but the solution is people getting back to work.

Veronica Horn, president and CEO of the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce, is encouraging member businesses and their employees to learn more about the loans, grants and other assistance available to them.

As you can imagine, financial institutions and the SBA (Small Business Administration) are overwhelmed but are working to process requests as soon as possible to get the help that businesses need during this economic disaster, she said. Health is critical, but devastating our economy is also important. With somewhere between a $2.5 to $4 billion loss in this years budget, funding for schools, local revenue and other critical services will take a huge blow.

Horn said the chamber supports a bipartisan Senate Task Force that is "working on recommendations to allow businesses to reopen, using sound science, medical advice and economic advisers to provide safety for employees and their customers.

Horn said Saginaw County business owners want clarity in the governors executive orders.

While Michigan has one definition of essential, neighboring states are taking advantage of our strictest definitions, which is killing Michigan business," she said. Many of our businesses are on the verge on not ever being able to open. The EO that shut down stores, yet allowed others to sell the same products; only because they sold essential products, is another blow to the independent businesses that have been so supportive of our communities.

Horn said the Senate Task Force is expected to issue recommendations on or about Friday, April 17.

We are urging the governor to look at the recommendations coming out from the Senate Task Force and work with them to get our economy going again, she said.

$400,000 in small business relief

Also on Friday, Saginaw Future Inc., Bay Future Inc., Midland Business Alliance and Arenac Economic Development Corp. announced $400,000 in small business relief grants made available through the Michigan Economic Development Corp. These four local area economic development organizations were able to provide grants to 205 businesses in Arenac, Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties, according to a joint news release.

The Michigan Small Business Relief Program is one of the ways we are leveraging every resource available to provide relief in the face of the negative impacts COVID-19 is having on businesses across the state, Josh Hundt, chief business development officer and executive vice president at the MEDC, said in a statement. We are proud to work with our partners to bring these critical resources to small businesses in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Saginaw Future Inc., Bay Future Inc., Midland Business Alliance and Arenac Economic Development Corp. worked together, along with the Small Business Development Center and area community foundations to review and approve grant applications. Nearly 1,400 applications were received across the four counties. Each application was scored based on guidelines set by the MEDC, including the companys working capital needs, employment numbers, status of employees, severity of impact from Executive Order 2020-20 and subsequent orders, and overall impact on the local community, according to the release.

Among the applications received, numbers for each county are broken down as follows:

Arenac: 65 submitted, 20 funded, $20,000 awarded with an average grant amount of $1,000 given per business

Bay: 357 submitted, 28 funded, $80,000 awarded with an average grant amount of $2,857 given per business

Midland: 244 submitted, 32 funded, $80,000 awarded with an average grant amount of $2,500 given per business

Saginaw: 713 submitted, 125 businesses funded, $200,000 awarded with an average grant amount of $1,600 given per business

In addition, the four counties will forward eligible applications to the MEDC for possible loan programs. These organizations will continue to collaborate with local, state and national partners to provide additional relief and support to area small businesses.

READ MORE:

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus

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By Ofeliya Afandiyeva

The Azerbaijani Economy Ministry has completed work on a package of amendments to the legislation providing for tax incentives in the context of COVID-19, minister Mikayil Jabbarov said on April 14.

Addressing the session on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 chaired by President Ilham Aliyev, Jabbarov said: We have completed work on a legislative package that includes tax incentives. Currently, the process of approving the package with the relevant structures is underway. Work with the public sector and banks to provide state support for credit is nearing completion. Our goal is to launch the program before the end of this month.

I would like to emphasize that we are carrying out this work jointly with the banking sector within the established framework, and productive work is under way. Furhtermore, under the new economic conditions, work has begun on relevant plans in eight sectors of the economy identified in the action plan, Jabbarov emphasized.

In addition he noted that projects aimed at restoring economic growth are being analyzed.

Jabbarov also informed the president that in January-March 2020, the growth in the non-oil industry was 23 percent in the mining industry  12 percent, in agriculture - 3.7 percent, and cargo transportation increased by 7.2 percent.

At the same time, a decline is observed in the areas such as tourism, services, passenger transportation, catering and in the construction sector, the minister noted.

Jabbarov said that in January-March, exports of agricultural products increased by 4 percent, gold - by 17 percent, chemical products - by 14 percent.

With regard to agricultural imports, there is a decline of five percent. The good news is that the difference between domestic consumption of food products and their imports is decreasing, Jabbarov mentioned.

Moreover, at the video conference President Ilham Aliyev said that continuation of reforms in Azerbaijan has led to good results. The head of the state underlined the current preventive measures to combat coronavirus pandemic in the country and noted that the situation is under control in Azerbaijan.

At the same time, the head of the state gave instructions to the government to minimize the impact of the pandemic on the economic situation and highlighted that 2020 would also be marked by deep reforms covering many areas.

Note that the video conference was attended by Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov, Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank Elman Rustamov, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev and Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov. The officials delivered reports on the relevant data recorded in the first quarter of 2020 in Azerbaijan.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-47, and other senators from the Senate Republican Conference have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pushing for more farm protections.

Many agricultural industries have been facing financial struggles for the past several years, and are now at risk of shutting down entirely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The senators are urging the USDA to use some of the $9.5 billion it received through the CARES Act to help upstate farmers.

The letter was signed by the following senators: Griffo, Robert Ortt, James Seward, Pamela Helming, Daphne Jordan, Patty Ritchie, Chris Jacobs, Patrick Gallivan, Elizabeth Little, George Borrello, Thomas OMara, Rich Funke, George Amedore, James Tedisco and Michael Razenhofer.

In addition to the USDA, the letter was also sent to President Donald Trump, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Rep. Rom Reed, U.S. Rep. Joseph Morelle and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, as well as the New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher.

Read the letter sent to the USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue below:

Dear Secretary Perdue,

Its a difficult time for the dairy industry in New York State. Data released by your agency last year shows the number of farm closures in New York State was triple the national average between 2012-2017, with dairy farmers shutting their doors at a particularly alarming rate.

It is no wonder considering that New York (arm labor costs have increased 39 percent between 2007 and 2017. Despite that disturbing data, our Democratic majority passed the misguided Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act, which exacerbates farm labor costs and is yet another blow to the financial viability of farming in the Empire State.

The COVID-19 outbreak is the latest threat in whats been a very difficult decade for New York dairy. With the government-mandated closure of restaurants, schools, and other vendors, dairy farmers have lost most of their clientele. With consistent supply but drastically reduced demand, milk prices and futures have plummeted, forcing some New York farmers to dump their product to balance supply and demand. This years state budget also saw Democrats cut life-saving mental health services (FarmNet) for farmers in need.

New York dairy farmers need urgent assistance. To be clear, they are not looking for a handout, and they are not in this grim position because of their own failure. Government action to respond to COVID-l9  while necessary  has artificially eliminated the natural demand for dairy products, so it is the duty of government to rectify the situation and help dairy farmers remain financially viable in this difficult time. For this reason, we look to USDA for help.

The recently passed CARES Act appropriates $9.5 billion to USDA, and we urge you to use that funding for direct financial assistance to farms who have faced harm because of COVID-l9. Additionally, we urge the Department to make purchases of dairy products like fluid milk, butter, cheeses, and dry milk powders. Direct commodity support and export assistance would also help farms manage their decreased domestic demand.

At a time when so many Americans are out of work, more individuals are turning to food pantries for their next meal. However, many food pantries lack cold storage space to keep milk products fresh. This is an excellent opportunity to create a voucher program for people in need through the Milk Donation Program, as authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill, to facilitate the distribution of donated milk through grocery stores and other venues. Doing so would help poor Americans keep food on the table, and also add demand for dairy farmers.

Of course, dairy is not the only agricultural subsector being harmed by COVED- 19. Fresh produce growers, livestock farms, horticulturalists, craft distilleries, maple producers, and many others are all financially strained, and we urge you to take similar actions to bolster their businesses, too.

Agriculture is the cornerstone of our society and making sure our food supply chain remains strong should be a top priority throughout this pandemic. We urge you to take action to protect farms in New York and across the United States. Thank you for your continued efforts, and please reach out to our offices if you wish to discuss this further.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 15, 2020 | 03:04 PM | REIDLAND





The Reidland Ministerial Alliance has launched PaducahPrayerRun.com. The website is an attempt to keep with the governor's order to stay healthy at home, while allowing people to virtually travel around the region to pray for those effected.







At each virtual stop, a different pastor will provide a short word of encouragement and lead a short prayer for a specific group that has been impacted by the virus. Participants will be encouraged to pray for first responders, medical personnel, the unemployed, the financially impacted, the sick, the grieving, students, teachers, and government leaders.



Participants will also have an opportunity to share their own prayer requests with that pastor through an online form.







The following churches are involved in the project:





 Rosebower Baptist Church



 Gospel Mission Worship Center



 Reidland Christian Church



 Reidland Baptist Church



 Woodlawn Church



 Salt and Light Community Church



 Reidland United Methodist Church



 Reidland Church of Christ







Brian Brophy, the Associate Minister of the Reidland Church of Christ, said, "We wanted to find a way for the people of our region to join in prayer for so many people who have been hurt by this crisis. We really believe that God listens to our prayers and that they make a difference."





For more information, contact Brophy at brian.brophy@icloud.com or at 270-836-3362.

Pastors of eight Reidland churches are joining together to encourage people to pray during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the Net:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:24:23|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writer Hu Tao

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China's civil aviation authority has moved to ensure air cargo transport of supplies for the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak worldwide.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) approved 655 temporary cargo flights from April 1 to 13, up 612 percent year on year. In March, it approved 1,919 temporary cargo flights, up 435 percent year on year.

SUPPORT TO INT'L COMMUNITY

China has provided support to the international community within its capacity while ensuring its domestic epidemic control and prevention, said Jin Junhao, an official with the CAAC.

From April 13 to 19, a total of 98 carriers in the sector of scheduled air cargo transport will operate 1,690 cargo flights from China to 90 destinations in 40 countries around the world.

To support the worldwide joint efforts in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, China's civil aviation authorities and enterprises are joining hands in increasing efficiency and capacity in air cargo transport.

SF Airlines, China's largest air cargo carrier, uses its all-cargo freighters to provide medical supplies and other necessities for daily life and work resumption.

The airline has been exploring potential uses of its fleet of 58 all-cargo freighters and air logistics linking more than 60 destinations worldwide, targeting to serve the international anti-pandemic efforts with reliable and high-quality fast transport.

Starting from March, the cargo airline has opened five international air cargo routes to Southeast Asia and another two routes to Europe for emergency supplies.

INTENSIVE MOVES

Thanks to the CAAC's "green channel" for international air cargo transport, these new cargo air routes received support and quick approval, according to SF Airlines.

The "green channel" is among CAAC's six major measures to comprehensively ensure the international supply chain and air cargo transport.

The CAAC has issued new policies and measures to reducing costs in international air cargo transport, improving approval efficiency and encouraging modified passenger aircraft for cargo missions.

Meanwhile, the CAAC also plays roles in arranging point-to-point charter cargo flights, connecting information between enterprises and carriers, and opening temporary flights and charter flights for critical supplies.

FLEXIBLE WAYS

Amid increasing demand for transporting medical and other emergency supplies, modifying passenger aircraft for cargo flights has seen worldwide adoption. Major carriers have relied on this method to supplement their all-cargo freighters.

The CAAC encourages airlines at home and abroad to make use of their empty passenger aircraft for cargo missions by offering them more flexible approvals.

As of April 11, the CAAC had approved applications of 656 weekly scheduled cargo flights from domestic and international airlines. Besides, it also approved a total of 1,685 temporary charter cargo flights.

Starting mid-April, Lufthansa will comprehensively resume three daily flights between German cities and Shanghai, and two daily flights between German cities and Beijing, according to Lufthansa Cargo China.

All of these flights will be cargo flights, to be undertaken by modified passenger airplanes to carry goods. This move aims to meet strong air transport demand between Europe and China, especially the need to transport emergency supplies.

On April 13, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched special air cargo flights linking cities between the Netherlands and China, according to KLM China.

The Amsterdam-based KLM has arranged two weekly flights linking Beijing, and three weekly flights linking Shanghai with the Netherlands.

These special air cargo flights will provide around 250 tonnes of additional cargo capacity each way per week, which will supplement the increasing air cargo supplies to serve anti-pandemic efforts, said KLM. Enditem
Mobile engineers are being threatened and harassed on Facebook pages set up by anti-5G campaigners, the Irish Independent can reveal.

"A 22 or a good sling shot will sort them out," said one post.

It came in response to a video posted of telecoms workers upgrading an Eir mast in Letterkenny on the 'Stop 5G Letterkenny' Facebook page.

Facebook has been made aware of the harassment content, which remains publicly posted on the page.

The Letterkenny threats were made just days before an Eir mast was attacked at a site adjacent to Letterkenny Hospital. The mast was not being upgraded to 5G, but was instead being modified to provide better 4G coverage for the hospital and its immediate surroundings.

Photos showing the aftermath of the attack on the mobile masts were welcomed by commentators on the Stop 5G Letterkenny Facebook group.

"Brilliant news," said several commenters. "They need to be all burned down now before they try and roll it out," said another. The group shared a post from another activist, suggesting that the current coronavirus pandemic was "preplanned" as a cover to allow for speedier rollout of 5G.

In Dublin, engineers for the telecoms maintenance firm were attacked with onions last week in Ballyfermot in what the company says related to anti-5G sentiment.

In the UK, at least 40 towers and mobile sites have been set alight or vandalised by fringe activists and conspiracy theorists who allege that 5G masts cause cancer or are connected to the coronavirus.

The rising tension is putting operators on alert, with one major network now asking for protection from gardai at local sites.

Earlier this week, the British broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, received more than 400 complaints when the Northern Irish anchorman of the ITV 'This Morning' programme suggested that mainstream media was wrongly "slapping down" 5G health-scare stories because they "suited a state narrative".

On unproven fears linking 5G to health problems, Eamonn Holmes also claimed the mainstream media "does not know that they're not true".

The next day he said that his comments "may have been misinterpreted" and acknowledged that "there is no connection" between Covid-19 and 5G.

"We are starting to remove false claims that 5G technology causes the symptoms or contraction of Covid-19 under our existing policies against harmful misinformation," a spokesperson for Facebook Ireland told the Irish Independent. "We are enforcing these policies globally, so if we are made aware of this content in Ireland it will be removed."

Full report here:
All enterprises are changing their business models, taking steps to become more agile, and cutting back on unessential activities to survive the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

However as Gartner analysts Leigh McMullen and Dave Aron point out, a lot of valuable learning is likely to come from how enterprises manage this crisis. Use these lessons to accelerate your enterprise transformation, they state.

It is an advice the following technology and digital leaders across New Zealands public and private sectors are taking heed.

Allan Lightbourne of Tauranga City Council: Dont be distracted by technical, short-term thinking

Allan Lightbourne Allan Lightbourne

Like their colleagues across the country, the ICT team at Tauranga City Council had to move fast when New Zealand moved from Alert Level 3 (restrictions imposed due to heightened risk that disease is not contained), to Level 4 (where staff not involved in essential services have to work from home).

I would say in a lot of ways we were technically prepared, says Allan Lightbourne, chief digital officer of Tauranga City Council. We have done a lot of work late last year. We have brought the service desk in-house and moved every single person in the organisation to laptops. We had VPNs and Skype. A lot of the things that happened were extremely valuable.

He shares that an area where they fell a little bit short was about setting up the home office. All of a sudden, we now need 650 home offices. Before this, Lightbourne says a lot of the work they were doing was focused on collaboration and mobility. We are across multiple sites, we have 48 different businesses. How do we break down silos to help our people to connect?

With the lockdown, the questions they faced were whether staff had internet at home or if they did, maybe they could receive email but could not run a Skype call. Do we get SIM cards to staff to run into their mobile for internet access?

His biggest lesson from the past weeks is not getting too distracted by technical and short-term thinking.

Certainly, there were a lot of us who spent a week in that mode; heads down, get things running, he discloses. He says now it is time to keep ones head back up again and double down conversations with the wider organisation. You have got to be really connected with your peers and with senior leadership in the organisation, helping them to think about what it would look like for them.

The first few days was the hard stuff, he says, referring to the technology that enabled the organisation to move to remote work. We are now focusing on the soft stuff.

What is it gonna look like when we get to level 3 as an organisation? What is it going to look like when we get to level 2? What do we need to have in place as an organisation now before we get there?

He says the ICT and digital team members are comfortable in an agile and flexible environment. They are now working with the other managers and leaders who are shifting to this mode of work. His team produced a series of video clips for the leadership on using their collaboration tools to connect with their staff, such as how to hold a stand-up meeting.

He notes that the experience of working from home has shown staff this could be a more effective way of working. He then asks how this will impact activities like induction, training and project management. What is it going to look like as more people are semi-permanently working from home? What does this mean for the environment, for support, for the learning and the culture of the organisation?

In the construction industry, Lightbourne says a lot of builders on day one after the lockdown will ask their inspectors to inspect the sites. We have a finite number [of inspectors], we really have to figure out how we maximise their time and day.

They are looking at virtual inspections, for instance, for low risk building areas. They are also looking at more e-learning activities for staff. These could become the new normal. We just have to find ways to do that.

Rebecca Chenery of Watercare: Build adaptability and resilience

Watercare Rebecca Chenery

As with many businesses, IT operations are usually behind the scenes at Watercare. This changed during the pandemic. COVID-19 has thrust us into the spotlight and our people have more than met this challenge, says Rebecca Chenery, chief digital officer at Watercare.

Watercare is New Zealands largest water and wastewater firm, supplying around 360 million litres of water to Auckland every day. As the organisation prepared for a national lockdown, she states, Our number one priority as an organisation was maintaining continuity of our essential services throughout the disruption to everyones lives.

She says the pandemic has shown the adaptability and resilience of the teams at Watercare. Instead of blame, there has been a really human, unwavering patience and collaboration across our business. Weve kept the business informed and the business has given us latitude for things being a bit ropey at the start. We received tremendous backing from the board and the executive team.

Watercare has 1000-plus staff and moving to remote working using digital tools quickly was a monumental shift for the organisation. Before the pandemic, only 30 to 45 staff were connecting remotely. Today, an average of about 700 people are working from home.

Delia Cato, Watercares digital workplace leader, says an important lesson, which also serves as their teams guiding principle, is that all solutions they put in place are enduring, not simply band aids.

She says the team had already prepared a Digital Workplace programme before the pandemic. COVID-19 drove us to deliver our intended future state much faster. Well be good to go again should the need arise. We now have a proven set of technologies, nimble governance approaches, and capabilities to equip people to work remotely, rapidly.

Adam Gower, head of digital operations at Watercare, says the pandemic has changed the organisations views about productivity. Were seeing that our people can do a huge load of work remotely, equipped with the right tools and the right trust-based management mindset.

In the future, he says, our perspective on how we use physical space and our buildings for in-person collaboration  which will always, always be imperative once it is safe to do so  requires a rethink.

Our playbook for business continuity planning is now quite different from just over a few months ago, he adds. We have built an evergreen continuity and contingency planning system using the work and lessons of this experience  from identifying critical roles across the company and how we communicate during a crisis, to how we make business-driven priority decisions, to changing our management systems to make working remotely both supportive and productive for our people. These are all valuable lessons for the post-COVID-19 Watercare.

Jason Cherrington of Optic Security: Foster personal connection and team building

Optic Security Group Jason Cherrington

Clearly, the lockdown measures have necessitated a massive change to the traditionally carefree New Zealand mindset, observes Jason Cherrington, chief executive officer of Optic Security Group.

Physical distancing and protective clothing such as masks and gloves do not come naturally to us, he says. Nevertheless, our people have made an immediate and purposeful pivot towards new ways of working.

Cherrington leads a team of 300 across New Zealand and Australia. The company provides security systems to manage physical, personnel, and information security risks. Thus, 50 per cent of their team are technicians on the frontline and installing and servicing customers across the country.

He says the company is now reviewing their office space. How do we ensure the space we have is utilised as much as possible for personal space, not reduced?

They are also considering roles that do not need to be in the office, such as business development and sales, and implementing more hot desking where it makes good sense to do so.

The workspaces of tomorrow really need to foster personal connection and team building, because weve shown that work can happen anywhere, but that we really value the time we do spend together, he explains.

Like the other technology leaders interviewed for this article, he says their implementations before the lockdown are helping them ease into the evolving work environment.

In the several days on either side of the start of the lockdown, he discloses that they posted daily social media updates advising customers of their safety measures to keep staff and customers safe. These included shutting down their offices, initiating work from home arrangements for office staff, and ensuring their field technicians were armed with the right personal protective equipment and safety knowledge. We are very mindful of keeping them safe as they look after others.

As an essential service, we have rapidly adapted to work from home for all office staff out of need to carry on, regardless of the circumstances and support customers such as district health boards, telcos, and government ministries.

It has made us tighter as a team, despite being physically distant, says Cherrington. As work crosses physically into the home, there is now a stronger team ethos that supports and appreciates the staffs families for allowing this intrusion, he adds. It goes to show that work and home can coexist in the same space if the right leadership approach and mindset encourage it to happen.

Abinesh Krishan of Potentia: Prioritise staff wellbeing

Potentia Abinesh Krishan

We naively remain delusional if we continue to believe there is a return to normal option, says Abinesh Krishan, client strategy director at Potentia. We will burn our wakas on the new shores, and we shall never return from whence we departed.

He believes taking this perspective is critical as businesses prepare for post-pandemic scenarios.

He points out that there will be some downstream impact as organisations recalibrate and operate in survival mode. The role of the CIO may be affected as they will be involved in tactical programmes of work as market activities slow down.

CIOs are preparing for the next period, when the business has gone through the rough phases, the timing of which nobody knows, he notes. When the lockdown is lifted, will there be secondary or third waves of the pandemic?

CIOs must look at the wellbeing and safety of staff and customers, he further emphasises. How does the organisation ensure IT provides the support, that the work bubble is not compromised?

Krishan says CIOs can check out emerging tools, such as leveraging their mobile device management capability so that staff can be alerted when somebody comes within two metres.

You have to collect data in the event of a virus returning, he states. This will prepare the organisation to quickly contact people, so the business is not affected. IT needs to have that capability.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - In his pursuit of a fourth term representing South Carolina, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has been outraised for the first time by his Democratic challenger, in a record-breaking quarterly period that sets up a competitive multimillion-dollar campaign leading into the general election.

Democrat Jaime Harrison took in $7.36 million in the first three months of 2020, his campaign announced late Wednesday. Graham took in $5.6 million during the same period, a total his campaign said was achieved despite holding no fundraisers during the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, as well as during the first two weeks of the quarter, due to the new coronavirus outbreak.

Both figures easily eclipsed the $3.9 million raised by Graham last quarter, which had been the state record for money raised in a single quarter. The totals also brought a significant bump to the war chests of both campaigns, with Harrison posting about $8 million cash on hand, and Graham with $12.8 million.

Over the course of the campaign, Harrison has raised nearly $15 million. Graham has taken in a total of $21 million, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Were so grateful for this outpouring of support from everyday people who are looking for leadership that puts them first, said Guy King, spokesman for Harrisons campaign. In a release, Graham campaign manager Scott Farmer called it truly humbling to see the tremendous support and momentum continue to grow for Sen. Graham.

The 44-year-old Harrison, an associate chairman with the Democratic National Committee and former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, has from the start aimed to draw high-level support that could bring the fundraising and grassroots organizing that would be crucial in trying to flip a Senate seat in the deeply red state. Last spring, he received backing from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and has since gotten support from former Vice-President Joe Biden, as well as other 2020 hopefuls including U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.

Hes also supported by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, who has long been a political mentor for Harrison, his former director of U.S. House floor operations.

Graham, 64, is a popular incumbent seeking a fourth term, supported by Trump in a state where the administrations favourability remains high and Republicans currently occupy all statewide offices and control both legislative chambers. As Democrats in the state prepared to vote in Februarys first-in-the-South presidential primary, Graham appeared alongside Trump at a campaign rally in North Charleston on the eve of the balloting. Vice-President Mike Pence helped Graham kick off his reelection bid last year.

Graham faces three GOP opponents in the primary election, scheduled for June 9. Another Democratic contender, economist Gloria Bromell Tinubu, dropped out and endorsed Harrison earlier this year.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
Dear Editor,

As a nurse working in a hospital in upstate New York, I have been seeing more patients with health problems because of vaping or electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use. As an Excelsior College RN baccalaureate student, I have started focusing more on these public health issues.

According to an article in the American Journal of Public Health, usage rates of e-cigarettes is highest in adults 18-24 years old. E-cigarettes have also become the most regularly used tobacco product among middle and high school students. The range of tasty flavors make them highly appealing. The popularity of these products among this group is alarming. Since August of 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been studying a nationwide outbreak of what has become known as e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI).

Latest data from the CDC show there has been a total number of 2,711 hospitalized EVALI cases with 60 confirmed deaths.

I am especially concerned for our youth and young adults, as they may not fully understand the seriousness of this situation and damaging effects of e-cigarettes. I agree with the federal governments decision to raise the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. However, this is not enough. We must push for greater regulation of e-cigarette products and more education to prevent people, especially youth, from using them.

Erin OHanlon

Kingston, N.Y.
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The 2nd airplane carrying a large quantity of medical supplies and equipment from China has arrived in Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Commandant Tigran Avinyan wrote on his Facebook page.

Over 87 thousand protective clothing, 24 thousand medical masks, 20 thousand KN95 protective masks, 101 thermometer guns, medical tools and biochemical material for making coronavirus test kits have been sent to Armenia.

Most part of the medical supplies have been acquired by the UN World Food Programme, the companies of Eduardo Eurnekian, MY Step Fund, Izmirlian Fundation, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, St. Sarkis Humanitarian Foundation, the Armenian General Benevolent Union and other donors. Some part of the medical supplies have been obtained by the state funding of Armenia and donations of Chinese benefactors.

Tigran Avinyan thanked everyone involved in the process.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
File photo taken on Aug. 19, 2017 shows a residential community in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

The gloomy property market since the coronavirus outbreak has led to a build-up in unsold inventory, but analysts predict the situation will gradually ease in major cities as transactions are likely to rebound.

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China continued to see a generally stable housing market in March, with home prices in 70 major cities showing milder month-on-month increases, official data showed Thursday.

New home prices in four first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou -- went up 0.2 percent in March, which stayed unchanged month-on-month in February, according to the data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The country's second-tier cities saw a month-on-month increase of 0.3 percent in new home prices, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, while third-tier cities also witnessed a mild month-on-month rise of 0.2 percent in new home prices, compared with a 0.1-percent increase reported in February.

Last month, prices of resold housing in first-tier cities edged up 0.5 percent month-on-month, with the growth expanding by 0.3 percentage points from the previous month, while that in second- and third-tier cities rose 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent month-on-month, respectively.

As the domestic situation of combating the COVID-19 epidemic has been moving steadily in a positive direction and the resumption of production and living orders accelerated, the overstocked demands for home purchases due to the epidemic was gradually unleashed last month, said Kong Peng, a senior NBS statistician.

There was no transaction of both new and resold homes in Wuhan, the city once hardest hit by the disease, and their prices were deemed unchanged.

The gloomy property market since the coronavirus outbreak has led to a build-up in unsold inventory, but analysts predict the situation will gradually ease in major cities as transactions are likely to rebound.

This photo taken on April 26, 2018 shows a towering skyline of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Data from the property research institution CRIC showed housing inventory in 50 monitored cities stood at 304.32 million square meters by the end of March, up 11 percent from the volume seen in the same period last year.

Transactions in the property market witnessed recovering to some extent in most cities last month and momentum was sustained through the first half of April, according to Zhang Dawei, a chief analyst with the real estate agency Centaline Property.

Currently, market transactions have neared to around 70 percent of the volume in the same period last year, he said.

On Wednesday, the central bank further lowered the rate of 100 billion yuan (about 14.2 billion U.S. dollars) worth of one-year medium-term lending facility to financial institutions to 2.95 percent, compared with 3.15 percent on the previous operation.

The cut will help to stabilize market expectations of the real estate sector as the real costs of house buyers are expected to drop, he said.

CRIC predicted a retreat of inventory in first- and second-tier cities in the second quarter. But in less developed regions, housing inventory may continue to pile up, it added.

Shocks caused by COVID-19 have yet to fade away completely, Zhang said, noting that the number of cities logging new home price growth in March was smaller than in January and the last quarter of 2019.

The earlier NBS data also showed that China's investment in property development plunged 16.3 percent during the first two months from a year earlier, with investment in residential buildings dropping 16 percent.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Alleging boycott in three districts of Jammu, Gujjars have decided not to cave-in to the malicious hate propaganda against them and instead supply milk free at quarantine centres in Samba, Jammu and Kathua districts.

Jameel Choudhary, president, Dodhi Gujjar Community in Jammu, told this newspaper that some sections of society in the three districts have been boycotting milk and milk products being supplied by the community in the region, suspecting them to be coronavirus carriers. The Gujjars, he said, meet over 50 per cent milk demand of the three districts.

Choudhary said malicious propaganda and hate is being spread that Gujjars are carriers of Covid-19. This is despite that no community members has tested positive for coronavirus, so far, he said.

In neighbouring Punjab, the Gujjars have already approached the state government stating that they were facing boycott at dairies in the wake of the Tablihi Jamaat episode.

According to Choudhary, the boycott and malicious propaganda is aimed to economically weaken the community. We dont live in palatial houses. We live in mud houses and will overcome this boycott and malicious propaganda.

Authorities, unfortunately, have not issued any advisory or taken any measure to prevent hate mongers from unleashing malicious propaganda, he lamented, adding that the Gujjars have decided against negatively responding to boycott.

We have launched a humane initiative to spread the message of peace. While we do not have enough food to eat or give to our children, we have decided to supply milk free of cost to all the quarantine centres set up for Covid-19 suspects by the administration in the Samba, Jammu and Kathua districts despite threats and attempts to isolate our community, he said.
A mother who has miraculously woken up from a coma after being infected with coronavirus has spoken of her shock at how much the world has changed in 18 days.

Doctors put Kiri-Lee Ryder, 41, in an induced coma on March 29 when she fell ill after returning to Perth from a holiday.

Ms Ryder was aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship with her husband, eldest son, and friends before disembarking in Sydney in March.

Doctors put Kiri-Lee Ryder (left with her mother) in an induced coma on March 29 when she fell ill after returning to Perth from a holiday

Despite visiting the cruise ship's doctor because she felt sick, she was cleared to return to Perth where she tested positive for COVID-19.

Regaining consciousness this week, Ms Ryder hugged her mother from her hospital bed and remarked she was shocked at the events of the last month.

'Everyone was amazed that I was alive. I was quite astounded any of that had happened,' Kiri-Lee Ryder told 9News.

In the days since Ms Ryder was put into the coma thousands of businesses have been forced to close their doors, gatherings have been limited to two people, borders closed, and Australians advised to not leave their house.

Cases of coronavirus hit two million across the globe, including the UK's Prime Minister, with 61 cases being deadly in Australia.

'Now I do understand what it meant for me to wake up. What had gone on with me medically, what had gone on with the world,' Ms Ryder said.

Regaining consciousness this week, Ms Ryder hugged her mother from her hospital bed and remarked she was shocked at the events of the last month

The Ruby Princess seen docked at Port Kembla on the New South Wales south coast

She said while she is thankful to be alive she does feel let down by the way she and other passengers on the Ruby Princess cruise ship were treated.

'I am frustrated at the way that they have handled this,' Ms Ryder said.

The ship docked in Sydney in March and more than 2,700 passengers were allowed to disembark despite reports of multiple people on board being sick with coronavirus type symptoms.

Ms Ryder thanked the doctors and nurses at Perth's Fiona Stanley hospital who took care of her, saying she has the utmost respect for all of them.

As she now looks to her recovery she urged Australians to take care and help each other get through this.

Timeline of Ruby Princess fiasco March 18: The Ruby Princess issues an urgent mayday call for an ambulance for two of its passengers presenting with coronavirus-like symptoms 24 hours before the ship is allowed to dock in Sydney. March 19: The Ruby Princess arrives in Sydney Harbour. More than 2,700 guests are allowed to disembark without adequate health checks. March 25: Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram says New South Wales Health is responsible for letting coronavirus patients disembark the ship. March 29: Several crew members are evacuated and taken to hospital after being diagnosed with coronavirus. April 2: A 66-year-old crew member is taken off the Ruby Princess for medical treatment. More than 200 crew members are sick and in self-isolation. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian defends the actions of NSW Health and the Australian Border Force and points the finger at the Ruby Princess. She claims staff onboard may have misled NSW Health about the extent of illnesses in passengers. April 3: Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton alleges Ruby Princess' operators weren't transparent about the health of crew: 'It was 'clear that some of the companies have been lying about the health of passengers and crew on board'. April 4: Leaked emails show NSW Health knew of the coronavirus risk on board the Ruby Princess before allowing its thousands of passengers to disembark. April 5: A criminal investigation is launched into how passengers were able to disembark without health checks April 8: A team of 30 detectives from state crime, counter terrorism and marine area command start investigating the handling of the Ruby Princess coronavirus scandal. The first briefing into the investigation is held. April 9: NSW Police clad in PPE equipment raid the vessel, questioning its captain and searching for evidence in a rapid escalation of the criminal investigation. April 11: NSW Health confirms that at least 46 crew members of the Ruby Princess cruise ship have contracted COVID-19 April 13: NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says patient zero on board may have been a crew member serving meals to hundreds of passengers April 15: NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian announces an independent special commission to investigate the Ruby Princess fiasco April 23: With 500 crew left on board, the Ruby Princess left Australian waters to sail to Manila in the Phillipines Advertisement
Love Island star Amelia Marni always stuns fans with her flawless bikini photos online, showing off her incredible figure.

And now it has been revealed exactly how the 23-year-old gets the perfect shot.

On Thursday, her boyfriend Josh Moss shared a hilarious video of Amelia taking a photograph of herself in a bikini, using a scrunchie to pull up her bottoms at the back.

Influencer secrets! Love Island's Amelia Marni (pictured) has revealed the bizarre way influencers make their bikinis look perfect in every photo

'What I've noticed is she's really candid, there's not much effort and it's all just really natural,' Josh said in a clip as he zoomed in on his girl.

'She's got the portable light, she's moved the mirror off the wall, she has a gold sheet and there's a hair band in her bikini. So natural, so candid, no effort at all,' he joked.

In the clip, Amelia can be seen sitting on the floor in a white bikini, using a scrunchie to pull up her G-string bottoms.

Would you try it? On Thursday, her boyfriend Josh Moss shared a hilarious video of Amelia taking a photograph of herself in a bikini, using a scrunchie to pull up her bottoms at the back

Hot to trot: Amelia always stuns fans with her flawless bikini photos online, showing off her incredible figure

Having a laugh: Josh joked that it was 'so natural, so candid, no effort at all'

She is also set up with a reflector and a light to get the shot.

Back in January 2019, Amelia and Josh left fans scratching their heads after sharing a photo from their trip to Bali.

Posing beside their pool in their luxury villa, Josh's Instagram followers soon began wondering why his girlfriend only had one leg.

In the photo, Amelia posed with her legs folded while Josh placed an arm over her thigh.

Awkward: Back in January 2019, Amelia and Josh left fans scratching their heads after sharing a photo from their trip to Bali

Josh's hand placement unfortunately had an 'optical illusion' effect and made it look like Amelia's thighs had morphed into one.

It also appeared her limbs had been 'smoothed over' with a filter or photo editing program, accidentally erasing the gap between her legs.

'When you smooth your skin out too much and end up with one leg,' wrote one fan, which prompted another to reply: 'I can't unsee this now'.

Similar comments included: 'Looks like one big thigh', 'big leg though' and 'how's the editing on the legs'.

The pair met on the first season of Love Island Australia back in 2018 and have been dating ever since.
LONDON, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The aging population profile of most countries contributed to the growth of the global anti-thrombotic drugs market. During 2014-2017, the number of people globally over the age of 65 grew from below 450 million to 601 million, an increase of 33%, according to estimates based on Population Reference Bureau data. This trend is expected to continue throughout the forecast period. The percentage of seniors is expected to grow from 24% in 2012 to 40% in 2050 in Japan. The increase in the aging population has increased the patient pool of cardiovascular diseases, which is a leading cause of premature deaths. In 2013, South Asia, including India, experienced more than 1.8 million deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. This has led to increased demand for antithrombotic drugs that prevent blood clots or thrombosis, and reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack, thus significantly impacting market growth during this period.

Read More On The Business Research Company's Antithrombotic Drugs Market Report: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/antithrombotic-drugs-market

Thrombosis Drugs' Side Effects

The global antithrombotic drugs market reached a value of nearly $35,801.9 million in 2019. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% to nearly $44,702.6 million by 2022. Side effects are the major issue faced by thrombosis patients, and therefore doctors often try to recommend alternate therapy to their patients. This factor is expected to limit the growth of the anti-thrombotic drugs market in the forecast period. Most of the side effects of antithrombotic drugs are increased bruising, red or pink colored urine, more bleeding than normal in menstrual periods in females, pain, increased risk of pregnancy complications, and a change in body temperature. For example, warfarin can lead to fetal death if a woman is pregnant and consuming the drug.

Novel Oral Anti-coagulants (NOACs) To Prevent Thrombosis

NOACs are gaining wider acceptance and are replacing traditionally used anti-coagulants such as Warfarin and Heparin. Anti-coagulants have long been used in the prevention of thrombus formation in patients suffering with cardiovascular diseases. Use of NOACs makes it easier for patients to continue therapy post discharge as opposed to injections of Heparin and Warfarin, which require medical assistance for administration. Some of the NOACs include Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) from Boehringer Ingelheim, Xarelto (rivaroxaban) from Janssen, and Eliquis (apixaban) from Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Request A Sample Of The Antithrombotic Drugs Market Report: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=2411&type=smp

Antithrombotic Drugs Market Overview And Segments

The antithrombotic drugs market consists of sales of antithrombotic drugs by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that manufacture antithrombotic drugs which are used to prevent and treat arterial and venous thrombosis, and reduce the formation of clots. The antithrombotic drug industry includes establishments that manufacture anti-thrombotic drugs such as anticoagulants, antiplatelets and thrombolytic drugs. The antithrombotic drugs market is segmented by type into anti-coagulant drugs, anti-fibrinolytics drugs, and anti-platelet drugs. By application, it is segmented into blood clot and thromboembolic treatment drugs, hyperlipidemia treatment, prophylactic treatment, and other applications. The antithrombotic drugs market can also be segmented by drug class into heparin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, others, dabigatran, and fondaparinux, and by route of administration into oral and parenteral route. The antithrombotic drugs market is also segmented by distribution channel into general pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, and online retailers.

Here Is A List Of Similar Reports By The Business Research Company:

Biologics Market By Types (Monoclonal Antibodies, Therapeutic Proteins And Vaccines), By Trends, By Regions And By Key Players - Global Forecast To 2021

Hematology Drugs Global Market Report 2020

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In a relief to some fliers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) has asked airlines to refund tickets that were booked between March 25 and April 14 for travel during the lockdown.

In a communique to airlines on April 16, the ministry asked airlines to refund tickets, both domestic and international travel, without levying any cancellation charges.

Follow LIVE coverage of the RBI Governor's press conference here

"The refund shall be made within a period of three weeks from the date of request of cancellation," the notice said.

But the wording of the statement, may have left some room of respite for airlines.

The carriers, including IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, had suspended flights during the lockdown, but instead of refunding the ticket, had kept the fare in a credit shell that a passenger could use later.

Also read: Lockdown extension | Airlines invite flyers' wrath as flights remain grounded until May 3, many demand full refund

"The ministry acknowledges the unusual situation that has risen due to the lockdown being imposed...and its effect on the air passengers and airlines," the communique said.

The first lockdown lasted from March 25 to April 14. Consequently it was extended to May 3.

Apart from asking airlines to refund tickets booked during the first lockdown for travel during the same period, the ministry added that ticket booked in the same time, for travel during the second lockdown, should also be refunded.

So if a passenger has booked a ticket on any day between March 25 to April 14, for travel between April 15 and May 3, his or her ticket will be refunded on request.

Though the move will bring some respite, industry observers immediately questioned about bookings made before March 25, and why they weren't included.

"Also the statement says, 'and the airline has received payment for booking of the air ticket during the first lockdown...'. That puts a question mark. Is it possible that if a booking is done through a credit card, or through a travel agent, then the payment may have not reached? If so, then the airline doesn't need to refund these tickets," said an industry observer.

Another industry executive said few people would have booked during the first lockdown to travel during the same time, especially when flights were suspended.

The three weeks window to refund also gives airlines enough time ito hold cash, till the new bookings begin for travel post May 3, said an industry executive .
Days after the health minister raised concerns over community transmission in the capitals Boeung Keng Kang 1 district, officials on Thursday said there was a low risk of COVID-19 cluster infections in the upmarket locality, despite a recent slew of cases of the respiratory disease.

Health Ministry spokesperson Ly Sovann said that a couple who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus was receiving treatment at Chak Angre Hospital and that some people in the same apartment building had been tested for the disease, with some results returning negative.

All people who had direct and indirect contact with those patients have also been tested and, so far, some of them have been negative, some are waiting for the results, he said.

They don't have any symptoms, so the risk is very low in that area.

But on Monday, Health Minister Mam Bunheng told reporters that recent cases in Phnom Penh suggested that could be small-scale community transmission in the capital.

The reported cases in Phnom Penh in recent days were possibly the result of small-scale community transmissions, he said.

Ly Sovann said there was no risk of community transmission and directed residents of the locality to maintain personal hygiene and social distancing.

The couple in question were reported COVID-19 positive on April 12, with a Ministry of Health statement reporting that the Vietnamese woman and her Canadian husband worked at a local casino.

The case and Mam Bunhengs suggestion of community transmission have raised concerns in the district.

On April 13, the Ministry of Education posted an advisory note on its Facebook page asking for Education Ministry officials and students to not eat at restaurants in BKK1 and to stay away from the district. However, shortly thereafter, the post was taken down without reason.

VOA Khmer could not reach Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron and ministry spokespersons for comment.

Samuth Bunthoeun, a security guard at a pharmacy close to the couples apartment building, said he was concerned about the respiratory disease and was taking extra precautions with his hygiene.

In the morning, I take a shower. I wash my hands with soap and wash my hands with alcohol, said the 29-year-old security guard.

Prak Mali, commune chief of Boeung Keng Kang 1 district, said there was no reason for concerns because the ministry had tested 28 individuals, all of which were negative, and had sanitized the area as well.

"The staff who were working there, such as cleaners, caretakers, and the person in charge of the apartment were tested, but they are not infected, she said.

As of Thursday morning, there were 122 reported cases of the virus in the country, with 98 of those patients recovering from the respiratory disease.
2. This is an even more timely question given the recent virus issue. Online shopping will accelerate even more quickly than it would have otherwise. Tax policy should not pick winners and losers but rather attempt to keep as level of economic playing field as possible. Also, any reorganization should not just be a method for increased taxation but rather true reform. Tax policy should not hinder production in our economy.

3. As I understand it, current law bans sale of vaping products to anyone under the age of 18. The law should be enforced. I don't see any reason to put a tax on it. These products actually seem to help some people stop smoking. Perhaps time will tell which is the greater evil.

4. The legislature was spot on in passing this legislation. The Montana Supreme Court did as they tend to do, and that is legislate from the bench.

School choice should be made easier, not more difficult. We all pay taxes for education in Montana. Parents and students should not be put in a box when it comes to choosing the students education. The current virus situation may underscore the importance of this even more.

5. I have heard over and over again, "Why does it take so long to get a natural resources project approved? Why do I have to spend so much time doing compliance work rather than being productive?" I am hopeful a new conservative governor and legislature will make the ability of people to produce easier and their lives more enjoyable.

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[April 16, 2020] Q4 Announces Strategic Partnership with Rose & Company to Bring New Investor Access Solutions to Listed Companies

Q4 Inc. (Q4), a leading global provider of cloud-based investor relations solutions, and Rose & Company (Rose & Co), the industry's premier strategic investor relations advisory firm, today announced an exclusive partnership that combines the deep capital markets experience and proven success of Rose & Co's unique investor access service with Q4's market-leading IR platform. Together, Q4 and Rose & Co will focus on helping public companies both target and directly engage with institutional investors through an ongoing sales and marketing process. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005578/en/ "We are excited to be partnering with Rose & Co, giving our clients the benefit of their extensive capital markets and sell-side experience " said Darrell Heaps, CEO of Q4. "In a world where IR teams are tasked with doing more with less, this partnership provies significant strategic value and a competitive advantage for our clients through the technology and expertise needed to effectively target and directly engage high quality investors."



"Q4 offers the best-in-class products and services for investor relations professionals, and we look forward to extending their ability to help listed companies engage with the most appropriate audience of institutional investors," said Simon Rose, CEO of Rose & Co. "The partnership combines the strengths of two industry leaders to offer the only end-to-end solution for public companies to manage their IR workflow, target desirable shareholders and engage directly with the senior decision makers at institutional money managers around the world." The partnership between Q4 and Rose & Co was formed to address the need of public companies, to efficiently and directly engage with the buy-side. By combining thoughtful, proactive investor access with innovative technology, IR teams and executives will be better positioned to access high-quality institutional investors, and to foster productive ongoing relationships with current and prospective shareholders. Further collaboration between the partners will focus on public companies' investor access needs and the products required to compete in the ever-changing capital markets.

About Q4 Inc.

Q4 is a leading global provider of cloud-based investor relations, with the mission of partnering with customers to achieve their strategic IR objectives. Through best-in-class customer experience and an innovative suite of IR technology, Q4 is a trusted partner to over 2,000 of the world's largest brands. Q4's comprehensive portfolio of IR communications and intelligence solutions, supported by an industry-leading customer experience model, empower customers to build impactful and strategic IR programs. Q4 has offices in New York, Toronto, Copenhagen, and London. To learn more, visit: www.q4inc.com. About Rose & Company

Rose & Company is a strategic advisory firm dedicated to helping clients successfully navigate the global capital markets. We work with our clients to evaluate, define and execute strategies to enhance their presence in increasingly globalized and complex capital markets. For more information, please visit www.roseandco.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005578/en/

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Toward the end of January, I began to notice a strange echo between my work and the news. A mysterious virus had appeared in the city of Wuhan, and though the virus resembled previous diseases, there was something novel about it. But Im not a doctor, an epidemiologist or a public health expert; Im a literary translator. Usually my work moves more slowly than the events of the moment, since translation involves lingering over the patterns of a sentence or the connotations of a word. But this time the pace of my work and the pace of the virus were eerily similar. Thats because Im translating Albert Camuss novel The Plague.

One morning, my task was to revise a scene in which the young doctor Rieux, realizing that plague has broken out in the Algerian city of Oran, tries to persuade his bureaucratic colleagues that they should take the outbreak seriously. He knows that if they dont, half the city will die. The citys leader doesnt want to alarm people. He would prefer to avoid calling this disease what it is. When someone says plague, the politician looks at the door, making sure no rumor of this word has escaped down the tidy administrative hallways. The dramatic irony is delicious  like watching characters debate the word bomb when theres one ticking under the table. Dr. Rieux is impatient. Youre looking at the problem wrong, he says. Its not a question of vocabulary, its a question of time.

As I translated that sentence, I felt a fissure open between the page and the world, like a curtain lifted from a two-way mirror. When I looked at the text, I saw the world behind it  the ambulance sirens of Bergamo, the quarantine of Hubei province, the odd disjunction between spring flowers at the market and hospital ships in the news. It was  and is  very difficult to focus, to navigate between each sentence and its real-time double, to find the fuzzy edges where these reflections meet.

The Plague did not come easily to Camus. He wrote it in Oran, during World War II, when he was living in an apartment borrowed from in-laws he disliked, and then in wartime France, tubercular and alone, separated from his wife after missing the last boat back to Algeria. Unlike the shorter, harsher sentences of The Stranger, which Sartre quipped could have been titled Translated From Silence, the sentences of The Plague bear witness to the tension and monotony of illness and quarantine: They stretch their lengths to match the pull of anxious waiting. By the time the book was published in 1947, writers were looking for a way to bear witness as well to the Nazi occupation of France, and The Plague was championed as the novel of the occupation and the Resistance. For Camus, illness was both his lived experience and a metaphor for war, the creep of fascism, the horror of Vichy France collaborating in mass murder.
China Prods Hong Kong to Enact National Security Law

By Verna Yu April 15, 2020

China's top official in Hong Kong told the semi-autonomous city on Wednesday to urgently enact a national security law, shelved since 2003, to combat what he called violence, foreign interference and pro-independence forces. The comments come amid concern by pro-democracy lawmakers of China's interference in the territory's internal affairs, including the legislative council and judiciary.

"[Hong Kong] must make efforts to safeguard national security in the legal system and at implementation level  and ensure Hong Kong does not become a window of risk for national security," Luo Huining, the head of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, said in a video clip released to mark China's National Security Education Day.

The "violent, criminal acts by pro-independence and radical forces" in the anti-government protests which erupted last June have damaged the rule of law and challenged the foundation of the "one country, two systems" principle, said the former top Communist Party leader in China's Shanxi province.

The demonstrators took to the streets to demand the full withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill and the resignation of the territory's chief executive, Carrie Lam. The measure was belatedly withdrawn in October. The protesters also made "five demands" of city officials that included calls for an investigation of police abuse of protesters.

More than 7,000 people were arrested in the months-long anti-government protest movement in which police fired live rounds, tear gas and rubber bullets and used severe beatings to deal with protesters. Some protesters retaliated with Molotov cocktails, setting fire to objects and wrecking shops seen as pro-China.

The Chinese government maintains that foreign governments such as the United States and Britain supported and fueled the Hong Kong protests in a ploy to undermine the stability of China.

The protests posed one of the greatest challenges to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he took office in 2012. The Chinese government had supported the extradition proposal and accused protesters of colluding with Western governments.

Separately, Luo Huining said that even during the ongoing fight against the coronavirus pandemic, people have staged protests by setting fires, blocking roads and making explosives to threaten the community's safety. He said if these acts are not stopped, they would escalate and threaten national security.

"If the anthill that erodes the rule of law is not busted, the dam of national security will be ruined," he said.

Reaction by Lam

Separately, Lam said the months-long anti-government movement which she said involved illegal protests, "cold-blooded hate speech" and "extremist acts close to terrorism" had challenged the rule of law and endangered public safety.

"Extremist actions that are close to terrorism emerged, including homemade bombs, possession of firearms and attacks on police officers," she said in a separate video clip to mark the National Security Education Day.

"If these illegal acts are not effectively curbed, they may escalate to a level which threatens national security," she said.

Lam said the Hong Kong government is determined to safeguard its safety and stability and will be responsible to the city as well as the Chinese government.

This week, pro-democracy lawmakers accused the Chinese government of "blatant intervention" after its Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said some lawmakers were guilty of misconduct in public office for delaying bills in the legislature by filibustering. Lam rejected claims of interference from Beijing in local affairs, which is barred by the city's post-handover mini-constitution.

Article 23

Hong Kong Security Secretary John Lee said on Wednesday that the seizure of explosives by the police in recent months indicated a growing threat, with the pattern resembling terrorism in foreign countries. He said the government would try to create a "favorable environment" to pass the Article 23 national security law.

Article 23 of Hong Kong's constitution, the Basic Law, said the city shall enact legislation to prohibit acts of "treason, secession, sedition, subversion" against the Chinese government and "theft of state secrets."

The Hong Kong government tried to pass anti-subversion laws in 2003 but shelved the plan after a mass protest. The Chinese government has pressured it ever since, particularly amid political tensions, to reintroduce the law.

Veteran political analyst Chris Yeung said China's hard-line approach toward the territory has made Hong Kongers feel increasingly alienated. Yeung said China's involvement in the city's political affairs only makes people feel the "one country, two systems" policy promised in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration has in fact become "one country, one system or 1.5 systems."

"Is China's escalation of Hong Kong's political controversies to the national security level a sign of further crackdown on the city's existing freedoms?" Yeung questioned.

Upcoming election

China warned in a 2014 policy white paper that it has "comprehensive jurisdiction" over Hong Kong and the city's "high degree of autonomy  comes solely from the authorization by the central leadership."

Kong Tsung-gan, a writer and activist, said he believed the officials' remarks are meant to intimidate the pro-democracy movement before the local legislature's election in September.

"All I can see is they're preparing the way to do something really drastic if the Legislative Council does go majority pro-democracy," he said on Twitter. "Are they trying to frighten us? Who do they think they are talking to?" he asked.

This week, the Reuters news agency quoted senior judges in Hong Kong as saying the independence of the city's courts was at peril under pressure from Beijing. Judges and lawyers say Beijing is trying to limit the courts' authority to rule on core constitutional matters, while state-controlled media on the mainland have warned Hong Kong judges not to "absolve" arrested protesters.

The former British colony was granted special autonomy for 50 years after it returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Many in Hong Kong are concerned China is slowly encroaching on those rights and tightening its grip on the territory.

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The 25-foot buzzing of a Navy recon aircraft was more likely the result of the "unprofessional" conduct of the Russian fighter pilot acting on his own rather than a deliberate attempt by Moscow to provoke an incident, Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters said Thursday.

Wolters, who doubles as NATO Supreme Commander and head of U.S. European Command, said he had looked at the camera footage of the incident in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday.

"My conclusion at this point is that it was probably something more along the lines of unprofessional as opposed to deliberate," he said.

He added that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had lodged "our dissatisfaction" with the Russian government.

For the moment, however the dangerous flyby has "been characterized as unsafe, unprofessional, and that's exactly what it looks to be at this point," Wolters said in a telephone conference from Europe.

Related: Swarm of Iranian Boats Harasses US Ships in Persian Gulf

In a statement Wednesday, the Navy said the single-seat Russian Sukhoi Su-35 came within 25 feet of a Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft while at high speed and inverted, causing wake turbulence and putting the U.S. "pilots and crew at risk."

The Russian fighter, designated "Flanker" by NATO, also shadowed the Poseidon for about 42 minutes before breaking contact, the Navy said in a statement.

"While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible," the Navy statement said.

In his comments, Wolters also warned of a growing Russian disinformation campaign aimed at sowing discord among NATO allies over the response to the coronavirus pandemic in Europe.

He said the Russians were seeking to "downplay the importance of one nation in NATO providing [personal protective equipment] to another," and noted he was also concerned about reports that Russian intelligence agents were accompanying relief flights to Italy.

On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also charged that Moscow was trying to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis by "trying to sow division in the alliance and in Europe" and to "undermine our democracies."

"We are countering these false narratives with facts, and with concrete actions," Stoltenberg said in a virtual news conference. "We are also working even closer with Allies, and the European Union, to identify, monitor, and expose disinformation, and to respond robustly."

Wolters also said that the epidemic had severely curtailed NATO and European Command exercises and joint training, but he stressed that the ability of the alliance to deter and defend was undiminished.

"We will be constantly adjusting the scope and scale of our exercises" in response to the coronavirus crisis, Wolters said.

If an exercise can't be fully completed, "we will attempt to keep it on track and if there's no ability to do so we'll look at cancellation or postponement," he said.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Read More: Could Fired Navy Captain Face Charges? Experts Weigh In
Digital subscriber numbers are soaring at Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter, where readers have been steadily migrating to online in recent years.

In the few months since the outbreak of Covid-19, around 150,000 people have signed up as free subscribers to access DNs entire online content until the end of May, joining the near 310,000 existing paying subscribers availing of DNs comprehensive content, the bulk of which is kept behind a paywall.

Such is the loyalty of DNs readership, not one of the core subscribers has objected to paying for content which the new arrivals are accessing free of charge, in exchange for which they have given DN their emails and contact numbers.

These free subscribers are leads that we will hope to convert to paying customers later on, said Martin Jonsson, head of editorial development at Dagens Nyheter.

Mr Jonsson was the guest speaker at a webinar hosted by WAN-IFRA, the World Association of Newspapers and news publishers. The audience members were all media people.

We have previously offered new readers free access during general elections and the terrorism attacks in Stockholm. Those offers were just for a few days. This time the offer is for much longer, at least six or seven weeks.

In the past, we have had a conversion rate of about 40% after a free offer. Of those conversions, around 75% were completely new customers. If we convert around 25% from the current free offer, it would mean gaining around 30,000 new subscribers.

Today, we have around 460,000 subscribers, between paid and unpaid, which is a record for DN. We are confident that we will convert a lot of our new readers into paid subscribers. People want quality journalism and they realise that this involves a cost.

Swedes see value in subscribing for quality news content

The advent of Covid-19 has brought a clear message to Swedish people as regards the value of in-depth quality journalism. Dagens Nyheters digital transformation over the past five years is now proving to be a solid foundation for its current growth spike, fuelled by the huge reader interest in reliable information on the coronavirus pandemic.

Of course, its worth noting that media content producers, like any other business, are under serious pressure from Covid-19. Dagens Nyheter has had to put 20% of its staff on temporary layoff.

More than 90% of DNs newsroom staff are now working from home. While at one level it owes its readership growth to interest in quality reporting on Covid-19, the virus is as much a threat to media as it is to every other sector.

We know that we need to do our best possible journalism at this time, and yet we must also cut costs, said Mr Martin Jonsson.

A vital part of what we are currently doing is telling our new readers that quality journalism is a costly business. We are trying to reach as many people as possible, but we are now also quickly moving people on to pay for the deeper content.

DN's strategy evolved as Covid-19 trends became clear

DN ran its first article on coronavirus on January 11  then a story about a remote virus in China. From then to the WAN-IFRA webinar on Tuesday, April 14, DN had run 2,024 more stories with a coronavirus tag.

The publisher introduced paywall changes on February 28 for selected content; even though all articles with a coronavirus tagline were still freely open to all readers. By March 2, almost all content was carrying a Corona the tag.

We are careful not to be too generous to our free subscribers. We must remain conscious of our existing paying subscribers. That said, most people understand that the virus is a crucial topic that we need to make broadly available.

Online traffic is jumping 100% daily, 125% some days. In recent weeks, traffic is up 400% on its online video channels. Traffic is also soaring across its social media referrals and newsletters.

DN reports around 6 million to 7 million pageviews weekly across all traffic. While its surge in new readers is clearly driven by an appetite for quality reporting on the virus, DN has also seen a 30% leap in non-Coronavirus stories.

The current focus on Covid-19 offers a useful insight into how DN draws a line between free and paid-for content. It gives all readers access to all core big picture news stories; eg. starting with all public service stories from the Department of Health.

General news is free; in-depth coverage is behind a paywall

DN is putting its columnists, specialist writers, and guest experts behind its paywall. While it has currently laid off some staff temporarily, it has also invested in a lot of new journalists in recent years; and it has brought in more experts and specialists.

Our focus is on quality and making sure that people seeking in-depth reporting find it with us, said Martin Mr Jonsson. Our KPI is the length of time which people spend on every story. That is the metric that proves we are producing the quality content that others dont.

During the webinar, Mr Jonsson replied to questions on aspects of Dagens Nyheters marketing strategy, like the free access it offers to students, the fact that DN does not really engage in content sharing, the tools it uses to on-board certain target categories of reader, and how its messages have changed over the five years in which its transformation from print to digital has been evolving.

If this virus had happened five years ago, we would have been hit much harder, he said. From 2015-19, we have gone from being a print legacy newspaper to primarily an online publisher.

In that time, our paying digital-only reader numbers have grown by 182%. Our business is 70% based upon reader revenue. We could not function without a paywall. We employ around 210 journalists. We had around 1.1m daily readers prior to Coronavirus  were now at 1.6m daily readers.

Webinar poll shows all media outlets gaining

During the webinar, WAN-IFRA invited participants to complete a single-question poll on the extent of their newspaper's gains in online subscribers since the outbreak of Covid-19.

The results were:

19% of attendees saw zero gain in their subscribers;

25% were up by 10-20%;

18% were up 20-30%;

7% were up 30-40%;

13% were up 40-50%;

and 17% saw gains of over 50%.

The Irish Examiner Group members, including The Echo, BreakingNews.ie and others, have also seen welcome gains in online subscriber numbers, a surge in online pageviews, along with increases in home deliveries and other customer services.

These gains, however, are only partially offsetting the losses caused by the negative impacts of Covid-19. As the temporary layoffs at Dagens Nyheter have shown, those working in the media are every bit as focused as other sectors on life after the virus.

The future for media was also a key focus for people attending the webinar, which ended with a question on when the management at DN think their staff might return to the office.

We dont expect people to be back in the newsroom before June, maybe even longer for some staff, said Mr Jonsson. The restoration of normality is still some way off.

When we look back at this period, the main gain we will see is that so many people will have taken a big leap forward in digital. We are trying to be very dynamic with our content. This is a quick experiment, opening up our digital content to everyone.


Significant High-Grade Copper Gold Results at Perrinvale

Sydney, April 16, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cobre Limited ( ASX:CBE ) is pleased to announce the assay results from the recent diamond drilling program at the Schwabe, Zinco Lago and Monti prospects within the Perrinvale Volcanic-Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) Project located in Western Australia (refer Figure 5*).Schwabe ProspectAs part of the program, four diamond core drill holes were completed at the Schwabe Prospect as shown in Figure 3*, including a tail on a Reverse Circulation (RC) hole drilled during the Company's initial exploration program in 2019. These drill holes are named 20PVDD003, 20PVDD004, 20PVDD005 and 20PVDD006 (tail). Detailed logging of the Schwabe core samples confirmed a VHMS system exists close to surface in this location.The mineralised core intercepts at Schwabe comprise:- DD Hole 20PVDD003 - 6m @ 8.39% Cu, 3.52% Zn, 30g/t Ag, 0.14% Co, 3.1g/t Au from 49m.- DD Hole 20PVDD004 - 6m @ 5.63% Cu, 3.89% Zn, 22g/t Ag, 0.1% Co, 1.4g/t Au from 28m.- DD Hole 20PVDD005 - 4m @ 2.76% Cu, 0.97% Zn, 12g/t Ag, 1.7g/t Au from 79m.A full profile of primary massive sulphide mineralisation from the footwall sediments up to the top of the pile (48.65m down hole) where a botryoidal fabric, likely to represent either colloform growth from sulphide precipitation in seafloor muds or fragments of collapsed hydrothermal chimneys, is present in hole 20PVDD003 (refer Figure 1*).Following the core drilling, Down Hole Electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys were conducted at the Schwabe Prospect. These DHEM results align with the model constructed following the Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) survey in 2019. Together, this analysis indicates the presence of a robust and highly conductive central zone within the existing Schwabe drill area, with potential for a lower conductivity zone extending to the north or north-northwest of the existing exploration area.Zinco Lago ProspectTwo diamond core drill holes were completed at the Zinco Lago Prospect, named 20PVDD001 and 20PVDD002, as shown in Figure 6*. Both drill holes intersected lower-level base and precious metals mineralisation as follows:- DD Hole 20PVDD001 - 10.2m @ 0.10% Cu, 0.63% Zn, 0.11g/t Au, 3.6g/t Ag from 31m (including: 0.8m @ 0.99% Cu, 1.42% Zn, 1.74 g/t Au, 20.04g/t Ag from 39m).- DD Hole 20PVDD002 - 6.5m @ 0.33% Cu, 0.57% Zn, 0.02g/t Au, 3.9g/t Ag from 46m.Both drill holes were collared in the hanging wall basalt, which sits above the primary mineralised horizon associated with a mixed mudstone, black shale and chert sedimentary sequence. Toward the base of this sequence, pockets of basaltic peperite are present. A footwall shear separates the mineralised horizon from a gabbroic intrusive. Locally, graphite is developed on sheared surfaces.Measurements from the core combined with historic drill hole logs indicate the stratigraphy is dipping steeply to the east. Primary sulphides within the sedimentary sequence include pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite as locally disseminated, veinlet and narrow (10-30cm) massive zones. Assays support some likely remobilisation of zinc into the hanging wall above the pockets of massive sulphides in the sediments, which are associated with locally elevated base metals and gold (refer Figures 6, 7 & 8*).DHEM surveying was undertaken at both Zinco Lago locations, with a strong conductor identified below the drill holes. This conductor is not obvious in the AEM data. The spatial position of the modelled conductor is aligned with the down dip projection of the mineralised horizon identified in the drill core.Monti ProspectThree diamond core drill holes were completed at the Monti Prospect, named 20MTDD001, 20MTDD002 and 20MTDD003, as shown in Figure 9*. The holes targeted areas of copper-bearing surface gossan and intersected generally low levels of primary sulphides including disseminated, veinlet and blebby/clustered pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite. Some broad base metal mineralisation was intersected as follows:- DD Hole 20MTDD002 - 26m @ 0.32% Cu, 0.08% Zn, 0.10g/t Au, 3.07g/t Ag from 105m.- DD Hole 20MTDD003 - 11m @ 0.08% Cu, 0.23% Zn, 0.04g/t Au, 1.07g/t Ag from 64m.In the north, drill holes 20MTDD001 and 20MTDD002 showed an altered ultramafic on the east side, a variably sheared zone including locally autoclastic/hyaloclastic basalt and deformed sediments, with a massive basalt on the west side. Local zones of low level pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite are present. The drill hole cross section (refer Figure 10*) shows minor mineralisation in 20MTDD001 above the 20MTDD002 trace.Drill hole 20MTDD003, collared approximately 700m south of the first two holes (refer Figure 11), was drilled in an eastward direction. On the west side of a sharply defined shear zone is a fine-medium grained basalt/dolerite. The shear zone comprises variably deformed black shales and grey to black mudstones, locally containing pyrrhotite veinlets and blebs/clusters of chalcopyrite and sphalerite. The sheared sediments grade over a very short distance into a fine-grained massive basalt/dolerite that increases in grain size to the east. The drilled mineralisation sits below the surface gossan (refer Figure 11*).DHEM was completed in the north and south at the Monti Prospect, with small conductive features identified in the northern area. A much stronger off-hole conductor has been identified in the south adjacent to 20MTDD003.Exploration Program Moving ForwardCobre's next stage of exploration at the Perrinvale Project involves Moving Loop Electromagnetic (MLEM) surveys across both the recently drilled prospects and other priority conductive features identified during the 2019 AEM survey. The Company will release details regarding the recent DHEM results, details of the MLEM program, and further exploration plans when they are available.Cobre's Executive Chairman and Managing Director, Martin Holland, said in relation to the latest drilling results at the Perrinvale Project:"The recently completed diamond drilling program confirms the presence of significant VHMS mineralisation within the Perrinvale Project. In particular, the assays from the Schwabe Prospect continues the positive results achieved from our maiden drilling campaign of that area in 2019. Further EM studies at the three Perrinvale prospects will determine the next stage of exploration drilling. I look forward to updating the market on these development as they come to hand."Further, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Holland said:"Having assessed the potential impacts of COVID-19, Cobre remains comfortable that its employees, consultants and contractors can continue with the planned exploration activities given its remote location and small crew on site. Local contractors will be utilised as far as possible, and all staff and contractors will be required to observe the necessary protocols. The situation is however dynamic, and the Company will continue to monitor developments."Background on the Perrinvale ProjectAs a private company in June 2019, Cobre undertook an initial reverse circulation drilling program within the Perrinvale tenements to investigate targets identified by earlier exploration. At that time, the drilling program intersected very high-grade VMS base metal & gold mineralisation at shallow depth. The best assayed intercept was at the Schwabe Prospect to date: 5m at 9.75% copper, 3.2g/t gold, 34g/t silver and 3.1% zinc from 50m depth1. Subsequently in August 2019, Cobre completed an airborne electromagnetic survey within the Perrinvale project area and identified a total of 10 potential VMS prospects. Cobre was listed on ASX in January 2020. Follow-up diamond drilling on these exploration targets was competed in early 2020, with further EM work now underway.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Cobre Limited

Cobre Limited (ASX:CBE) is a copper and base-metals explorer with projects in Western Australia and Botswana. The Company recently discovered a new high-grade VMS deposit enriched in Copper, Gold, Zinc and Silver in Western Australia, and is currently exploring approximately 8,100 km2 of tenements within the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) in Botswana.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy holds a news conference about the CCP virus in Trenton, New Jersey on April 11, 2020. (Chris Pedota/The Record via AP, Pool)

New Jersey Governor Says He Wasnt Thinking of Bill of Rights When Issuing Restrictive Orders

The governor of New Jersey says he wasnt thinking of the Bill of Rights when he issued restrictive orders in an attempt to slow the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year.

Like many governors, Gov. Phil Murphy in recent weeks ordered a lockdown, mandating residents stay at home with few exceptions. New Jersey has cracked down on people violating the orders, including arresting and charging 15 people who attended a funeral at a synagogue.

The Bill of Rights protects Americans right to practice religion as they see fit and congregate together. Murphy was asked by what authority he nullified the first amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Thats above my pay grade, Tucker, Murphy responded. So, I wasnt thinking of the Bill of Rights when we did this. We went to allfirst of allwe looked at the data and the science that says people have to stay away from each other.

He was speaking during an appearance on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight.

Rev. Brian X. Needles delivers Easter Sunday Mass via livestream at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in South Orange, New Jersey on April 12, 2020. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Tucker Carlson, the host, pressed Murphy about the issue, prompting Murphy to respond: We know we need to stay away from each other, number one. Number two, we do have broad authority within the state. And number three, we would never do that without coordinating, discussing, and hashing it out with the variety of the leaders of the faiths of New Jersey.

Carlson alleged that the governor cannot tell people who they can talk to when and where because the Constitution of the United States, upon which all of this is based, prohibits you from doing that. So you clearly decided that you could do it. He also asked if the governor consulted an attorney.

Murphy said he could guarantee state officials consulted lawyers before issuing the orders.

Murphys stay at home order was initially issued on March 21. It had no end date. Murphy extended the states health emergency, which he declared on March 9, by 30 days last week. The same day, he shut down most parks in the state.

Murphy, a Democrat who assumed office in 2018, faced more questioning on why the state has allowed liquor stores to stay open while banning all public gatherings, including at places of worship.

On what scientific basis did you decide that sitting in a church was much more dangerous than buying liquor in a liquor store? Carlson said. I dont understand the reasoning. I dont want to think it had anything to do with tax revenues.

A customer leaves a liquor store while wearing a mask in Jersey City, New Jersey on April 10, 2020. (Kena Betancur/Getty Images)

Recovery and addiction specialists said the state would see unintended mental health and addiction consequences if liquor stores were closed. He said people can worship virtually at home.

In a statement announcing the arrests of the synagogue attendees in Lakewood, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer cited Murphys order.

The Governor has banned all public gatherings during this state and national public health emergency. This ban applies to everyone, he said in a statement. To be blunt, ignoring the Governors Order places lives at risknot just the lives of everyday citizens, but the lives of our brave men and women in Law Enforcement who are required to respond in order to break up these unlawful gatherings.

Ryan Tucker, director of the Center for Christian Ministries and Senior Counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, told The Epoch Times that states must not treat churches and other places of worship differently under stay at home orders but that states can likely temporarily order places or worship closed if they arent treated differently.

Temporary, evenly applied restrictions may be permissible or upheld on a court challenge but if restrictions are unnecessarily prolonged, if theyre vague in their language, and certainly if theyre targeting the church or treating the church differently, then there are certain constitutional concerns and problems with those orders, he said, such as freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.

The longer restrictions are in place, the more likely people will file lawsuits against them, he added.
She's found herself thrust into the limelight as a result of her relationship with Ben Affleck.

But Knives Out star Ana de Armas was already a star before she started dating the Oscar winner, a fact the actress reminded her followers of on Wednesday by sharing pictures from the set of her new movie Sergio, which starts streaming this Friday on Netflix.

The 31-year-old Golden Globe nominee looked dirty and bruised in the images, which saw her wearing the costume for her most dramatic scene as her real-life character Carolina Larriera desperately searched for her lover amid the ruins of the Canal Hotel bombing in Iraq circa 2003.

Brunette Ana dyed her hair blonde to better resemble the former UN economics officer, who romanced UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello while he was still married to Annie Personnaz, the mother of his two sons Laurent and Adrien.

Starts streaming this Friday on Netflix! On Wednesday, Knives Out star Ana de Armas shared a snap of herself looking dirty and tattered on the Jordan set of her movie Sergio

'I need to find him!' The 31-year-old Golden Globe nominee wore the costume for her most dramatic scene as her real-life character Carolina Larriera desperately searched for her lover in the ruins of the Canal Hotel bombing in Iraq circa 2003

Narcos alum Wagner Moura played the ill-fated Brazilian 55-year-old in Greg Barker's biopic, which scored a 67per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

'The filming of Sergio lasted approximately three months,' De Armas wrote Wednesday to her 2.9M Instagram/Twitter followers.

'We shot in Brazil, Jordan, and Thailand. All equally special and important to history. This photo is in Rio de Janeiro, in Arpoador, a beautiful place between Ipanema and Copacabana, Sergio's favorite place.'

The Cuban beauty shared several behind-the-scenes selfies in character as the 29-year-old Argentine-Italian wearing outfits selected by costume designer Jo Katsaras.

The real couple: Ana dyed her hair blonde to better resemble the former UN economics officer (R), who romanced UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello (L) while he was still married to Annie Personnaz, the mother of his two sons Laurent and Adrien

Tragedy: Narcos alum Wagner Moura (L) played the ill-fated Brazilian 55-year-old in Greg Barker's biopic, which scored a 67% Rotten Tomatoes rating

'Working on this movie was an amazing experience,' Ana - who only learned English in 2015 - explained on Tuesday.

'I loved playing Carolina Larriera, a very interesting, intelligent, strong woman.'

However, De Armas (born Caso) has become much better known these strange days as the COVID-19 quarantine partner of two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Affleck.

'I think I am wired that way - to know the things that I want and to go after them,' the Night Clerk stunner told American Way this month.

De Armas wrote on Instagram: 'This photo is in Rio de Janeiro, in Arpoador, a beautiful place between Ipanema and Copacabana, Sergio's favorite place'

BTS: The Cuban beauty shared several selfies in character as the 29-year-old Argentine-Italian wearing outfits selected by costume designer Jo Katsaras

Ana - who only learned English in 2015 - explained: 'Working on this movie was an amazing experience. I loved playing Carolina Larriera, a very interesting, intelligent, strong woman'

'I trust my body's reaction to things. If I am happy somewhere, I stay there. I go step-by-step, and my goal is always to pay attention to how I feel in the moment.'

Ana and the 47-year-old father-of-three fell in love while playing a dysfunctional married couple on the New Orleans set of New Regency's erotic thriller Deep Water, which is scheduled to hit US/UK theaters on November 13.

It's De Armas' first public relationship since divorcing Spanish actor Marc Clotet in 2013 after three years of marriage.

Strolling with their dogs: However, De Armas (born Caso) has become much better known these strange days as the COVID-19 quarantine partner of two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Affleck (L, pictured Sunday)

The Night Clerk stunner told American Way this month: 'I think I am wired that way - to know the things that I want and to go after them. I trust my body's reaction to things. If I am happy somewhere, I stay there. I go step-by-step, and my goal is always to pay attention to how I feel in the moment'
By Trend

Over 5,100 Azerbaijani citizens from 47 countries have appealed to the Azerbaijani State Committee on Work with the Diaspora in connection with coronavirus, Chairman of the State Committee Fuad Muradov said.

Muradov made the remark in Baku at a briefing of the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers on April 16, Trend reports.

The committee chairman said that according to the number of appeals, they came from such countries as Turkey, Russia, Italy, etc.

Muradov said that the "hot line" of the State Committee accepts appeals around the clock.

The committee chairman added that though some individuals were trying to abuse the situation, such attempts were thwarted.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, I have been rooting for Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. We all need him to be successful in protecting our neighbors from this disease, and initially his response was consistent and transparent. But now, his secretive approach is harming his multi-state effort to reopen the economy and creating major difficulties for vulnerable Pennsylvanians.

Tom Slattery understands that better than anyone. Mr. Slattery and his wife recently sold their home, planning to move into a 55-plus community built by Traditions of America, a Berwyn-based company. While their new home is nearly complete, and workers could work on it safely, completing it is illegal under Wolfs March 19 executive order shutting down non-life-sustaining businesses.

My wife is currently getting chemotherapy for cancer, Mr. Slattery says. Her immune system is compromised, and shes exactly the kind of person you want to take extra care to protect from contracting the virus.

But due to Wolfs selective shutdown of residential construction, Mr. and Mrs. Slattery will not have a place to live in June. Many older Pennsylvanians, who are particularly susceptible to the coronavirus, are also at risk of homelessness. What could be more life-sustaining than keeping them safe and healthy?

Sadly, this is just one example of the chaos Pennsylvanians are experiencing. Wolf did not consult with lawmakers or business leaders before issuing his shutdown order, missing the opportunity to build support and prevent problems like these.

As a result, payroll companies were told to shut down, though doctors and nurses couldnt be paid without them. Manufacturers critical to the supply chain for life-sustaining equipment were closed. Truckers were told to continue deliveries, but Pennsylvania Turnpike bathrooms were off-limits.

Its understandable that a response to an unprecedented crisis will require some fixes. But these decisions, many of which were quickly reversed, could easily have been prevented. Then Wolf took a step no other governor has by instituting a disastrous waiver process.

Business owners and lawmakers have cried foul over these waivers that have allowed select businesses to reopen. Workers across the state have been laid off or sent home while others, sometimes in the same industry, continue working  and theres been no clear rationale for why.

More than 42,000 waiver requests were submitted before Wolf again surprised employers by suddenly shutting the process down on April 3. At that time, more than 11,000 requests had gone unanswered. For those that did receive a response, approvals and rejections seemed to have little rhyme or reason. Meanwhile, hundreds of businesses have received police warnings for remaining open.

Its easy to understand the misgivings about these waivers, especially when the governors former business, Wolf Home Products, received a waiver. Public outcry resulted in the waiver being pulled  but neither the waiver nor its cancellation was explained.

Heres the truth: We dont know the standard for receiving a waiver. Nobody knows who makes waiver decisions. There is no public list of businesses who have been allowed to reopen. And the Wolf administration refuses right-to-know requests for an explanation.

This is a flagrant dismissal of transparency.

Never before have Pennsylvania workers livelihoods been taken from them en masse without explanation. Pennsylvanias heroes of innovation and production are the key to overcoming COVID-19 and its economic aftermath. We can preserve their livelihoods without compromising safety.

Thats why lawmakers are seeking to push the reset button on the business shutdown with Senate Bill 613, passed by the General Assembly this week. They believe arbitrary waivers should be replaced by nationally recognized standards from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to determine what businesses are essential. The measure also requires businesses, like residential construction, to meet stringent health standards from the CDC before they reopen. That will bring transparency and clarity to an incoherent process.

I have no doubt that Gov. Wolf wants whats best for all of us. But his insistence on going it alone and making decisions behind closed doors is crippling his credibility at a time when Pennsylvanians need to trust his leadership. Adopting clear standards, like those lawmakers just passed, will go a long way to restoring confidence that our state governments decision making is in all of our best interests.

Charles Mitchell is president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation (www.commonwealthfoundation.org), Pennsylvanias free-market think tank.
Kevin Perry Jr., the convicted Worcester restaurateur and drug dealer who was sentenced to serve 14 years in federal prison in 2018, appears to be on his way to petitioning a judge for early release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a motion filed Wednesday in Worcester federal court, Perry sought to have a new lawyer represent him for the purpose determining his eligibility for release.

His newly appointed lawyer, Lori Levinson, said Perry is requesting she represent him on a petition for an early release based on his particular vulnerability to complications from COVID-19 due to his documented historically low white blood cell count."

Federal Bureau of Prisons records show Perry is being held at the Federal Medical Center in Devens.

As of Wednesday, the Devens facility does not appear on the Federal Bureau of Prisons list of facilities impacted by coronavirus.

There are 449 federal inmates and 280 BOP staff with open cases who have tested positive for COVID-19 nationwide as of Wednesday. The same statistics show 16 federal inmates died due to coronavirus.

Records show Perry is expected to be released in February 2029.

Perry was sentenced to federal prison after he admitted to using drug money to buy two restaurants in Worcester and nine other properties.

He was sentenced on federal money laundering and fentanyl distribution charges.

Since his sentencing, his estranged wife, Stacey Gala, pleaded guilty to a federal money laundering charge but her sentencing has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a March court filing, federal prosecutor Greg Friedholm stated he will ask a judge to send Gala to federal prison for 32 months followed by two years of supervised release.

The prosecutor said Gala could have distanced herself from her husbands lavish lifestyle fueled by drug dealing, but instead, she chose to launder cash and tried to hide it from the government.

Gala was never involved in Perrys drug dealing, but she did use his ill-gotten cash to renovate one of Worcester restaurants.

Perry wrote a letter in support of Gala where he painted her a woman who was manipulated, overwhelmed and vulnerable. He accused Joseph Herman, Galas former business partner, of taking advantage of her both romantically and financially. MassLive obtained a copy of Perrys letter to the court before it was sealed.

Herman has already pleaded guilty in the case. He is also awaiting sentencing on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, false statements and attempted tampering with a witness.

While Gala claims Perry tormented her from prison, the federal prosecutor says she should have changed her lifestyle after Perry was arrested in March 2017 and painted herself as the victim.

The couple owned a home, several rental properties and bought two Worcester restaurants, The Usual and The Blackstone Tap. Perry spent just over $2 million to purchase the properties.

The properties were seized and the restaurants now have new owners.

The money used to buy those properties was hidden from federal authorities by Perry after he was convicted in 2005 of selling and manufacturing ecstasy. He was ordered to forfeit all cash from illegal drug sales.

Perry also began manufacturing drugs again when he got out of prison.

Perry and Gala had a lavish wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, trips to the Caribbean and Europe, skydiving and snowboarding hobbies and the restaurants, the prosecutor wrote.

The lifestyle should have changed with Perrys arrest in March 2017, Friedholm wrote.

Herman, who was Galas former manager at The Usual, and Gala used some of Perrys hidden drug money to rebrand the restaurant under the name, The Chameleon, after Perrys arrest.

Herman even lied to Worcester city regulators about where he got the money, authorities said.

Perry had hidden hundreds of thousands of dollars and, while in federal custody, told Gala and another unnamed person about the location of the cash.

In May 2017, Perry told Gala and the same person he had another roughly $260,000 in a storage locker in Northborough.

The money from the storage locker was used to rebrand The Usual, the prosecutor wrote in court records. Authorities also said Gala was already trying to purchase the governments interest in the restaurant.

Another man, Christopher Slavinskas, and Herman retrieved the money from the storage locker. Slavinskas hid some of the money in a Worcester church.

Slavinskas was sentenced to two years of probation in the case for lying to investigators.

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We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Indigo Star Holdings Limited (HKG:8373).

What Is Insider Selling?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

View our latest analysis for Indigo Star Holdings

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Indigo Star Holdings

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by insider Ming Wai Lai for HK$12m worth of shares, at about HK$0.31 per share. That implies that an insider found the current price of HK$0.34 per share to be enticing. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider bought shares at close to current prices. Ming Wai Lai was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

SEHK:8373 Recent Insider Trading April 16th 2020

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Story continues

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It appears that Indigo Star Holdings insiders own 19% of the company, worth about HK$27m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Do The Indigo Star Holdings Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Indigo Star Holdings we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Indigo Star Holdings. Case in point: We've spotted 5 warning signs for Indigo Star Holdings you should be aware of, and 2 of these are potentially serious.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Donald Trump blamed Democrats for 'killing' small businesses as the $350 billion paycheck protection fund ran dry Thursday morning.

'Democrats are blocking additional funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program. They are killing American small businesses,' Trump lamented in a Twitter post.

'Stop playing politics Dems! Support Refilling PPP NOW  it is out of funds!' he continued.

The application site for the payment protection (PPP) program was opened to the public less than two weeks ago by the Small Business Administration  but the $350 billion relief fund ran completely out of funds by Thursday morning.

'The SBA is currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding,' a message reads on the Small Business Administration webpage where business owners with less than 500 employees could apply for the grant.

'Similarly, we are unable to enroll new PPP lenders at this time,' it continued.

The SBA fund was passed last month, but Republicans wanted to expand the program to a total of $600 billion as applications began flooding in and money depleted from the account swiftly.

The Small Business Administration, which falls within the Treasury Department, announced Thursday morning that the payment protection program had run out of funds

'The SBA is currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding,' a message from SBA shows up on its website where people could previously apply for the grants

Donald Trump took to Twitter to accuse Democrats for trying to 'kill' small businesses by blocking an interim bill to increase funds for the program

The PPP is meant to provide economic relief in the form of a grant to small non-essential businesses that were forced to close in the midst of the coronavirus crisis

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (left) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (right) said in a joint statement: 'Democrats have spent days blocking emergency funding for Americans' paychecks and now the bipartisan program has run dry'

Democrats were able to block a GOP-proposed $250 billion increase in the program. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the interim measure should not be passed without providing other reliefs for Americans, like expanding the food stamps program and hiking up the production of personal protective equipment

The program is a grant for small businesses to pay rent and keep employees on the payroll as unemployment levels surged to an all-time-high with more than 20 million people filing for the benefits in the last four weeks

The administration within the Treasury Department administers the program and backs the loans made through banks to small businesses.

It admitted Wednesday evening that it would run out of funds for PPP within hours after launching less than two weeks before.

As the program ran out of money Republican blamed Democrats for withholding money as they tried to pass an interim relief bill that would include more money for PPP.

'The Small Business Administration and the Department of the Treasury report that the Paycheck Protection Program will exhaust its funding in a matter of hours,' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wrote in a joint statement Wednesday night.

The money is intended to help stop small businesses from shuttering and incentivizes owners to keep their employees on the payroll in the midst of the coronavirus crisis by promising to forgive the loan if they do so.

'Democrats have spent days blocking emergency funding for Americans' paychecks and now the bipartisan program has run dry,' the Republican leaders said in the statement.

McConnell proposed an interim relief measure last week that would allocate $250 billion more to the program to help save small businesses struggling to pay rent or employees after all non-essential businesses were forced to close as different states implemented lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.

But Democrats would not let the measure pass in the senate when the Majority Leader requested unanimous consent.

They claim the interim relief needed to include some of their demanded measures, including more money for the federal food stamp program and an increased fund to ramp up the production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals and other healthcare centers.

The $10 million loans for small businesses would be forgiven by the government if the owners used the money to prevent laying off employees and keeping them on the payroll.

The PPP's aim is to save several small businesses from shuttering and keep thousands of employees from filing for unemployment as the number of claims reached an all-time-high when more than 22 million people applied for the benefits in the last four weekly filing periods.

The federal government lending program, included as part of the CARES Act passed last month, is nearing its $349 billion statutory limit less than two weeks after it started accepting applications.

The Small Business Administration said as of Wednesday afternoon, it had approved nearly 1.38 million loans totaling more than $301 billion  up more than $50 billion since Monday.

The Trump administration has asked Congress, which set the original ceiling, for another $250 billion for the program. However, that request has stalled in the Senate.

An email sent to the SBA for information about the agency's next steps after the lending limit is reached was not immediately answered.

It's unclear how much money has actually been distributed from the program, which only launched April 3. Thousands of business owners are still awaiting word on their loan applications.

The average loan size is $240,000, according to the SBA.

Administrator of SBA Jovita Carranza (pictured) announced Wednesday evening that funds for the program would run out within hours

President Donald Trump is flanked by Jovita Carranza (left) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (right) following a 'small business relief update' video conference call event with banking executives

However neither the Treasury Department nor the agency overseeing the lending program have put out detailed information about the taxpayer-backed loans, which are administered by banks.

An administration official told CNBC the information is not available.

The loan money is contained in a $2 trillion coronavirus bailout law. When it was announced late last month, SBA administrator Jovita Carranza said in a statement: 'Speed is the operative word; applications for the emergency capital can begin as early as this week, with lenders using their own systems and processes to make these loans.'

Having banks dole out the money was designed to get the funds out to businesses as quickly as possible.

The loans are to be completely forgiven, so long as proceeds are used to cover payroll, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities for the two months after the loan is made, according to Treasury Department guidance, and compensation levels are maintained.

Businesses getting the loans range from health care to retail to construction.

Pelosi responded to reports that the program could run out of funds Wednesday as Democrats attempted negotiations with the administration on a deal to provide $251 billion in new funding for small businesses.

'Democrats know that in order for the Paycheck Protection Program to succeed, it must work for everyone. That is why we have been asking for the Administration to work with us to help' small businesses that are 'underbanked,' state and local governments that are 'desperate,' and front line hospitals, she wrote.

'As has been clear since last week, Republicans' bill which fails to address these critical issues cannot get unanimous consent in the House,' she said, a week after refusing to go along with a stand-alone bill being sought by Republicans. Democrats want a broader deal worth $500 billion dealing with all three areas.
Australian researchers have found that in cases of extreme emergencies, a single ventilator could be used between multiple patients of COVID-19 who require ventilator support. These ventilators could be split between the critically ill patients with not only COVID-19 but also other respiratory illnesses, the team of Australian researchers found. The study titled, 'Ventilator splitting with differential driving pressures using commodity hospital equipment, was published in the latest issue of the journal Anaesthesia.

Image of successful research in ventilator splitting. Image Credit: Monash University

What was this study about?

A new device was created whereby a single ventilator could be shared between multiple users. This could be life-saving in dire emergencies, say, researchers. The team states that this is a risky strategy because sharing ventilators could be dangerous for all the patients on it. The US Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Association for Respiratory Care also says that it is unsafe for the patients and should not be implemented. The group said last month, It is better to purpose the ventilator to the patient most likely to benefit than fail to prevent, or even cause, the demise of multiple patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched the healthcare system to its maximum, and in places such as Italy, Spain, and the United States, the situation is getting worse by the day. In these regions, the intensive care units are housing more and more moribund patients with COVID-19, and there is a worldwide shortage of ventilators to meet these excessive needs.

Researchers and experts say that ventilator splitting has several problems, among which the main problem is different requirements of airflow, pressure, and volume of the different patients who are hooked on to it. A single machine cannot be programmed to meet the demands of different patients. There is also a risk of cross-infection, say experts.

What was done in this study?

This study led by Dr. Alexander Clarke, of the Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne, and Monash Universitys Dr. Shaun Gregory, specify that they do not recommend splitting the ventilator. Their work was supported by other researchers, Dr. Andrew Stephens and Dr. Sam Liao from the department of Engineering, Monash University, and Dr. Timothy Byrne from Department of Intensive Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. They write that in particularly extreme circumstances splitting the ventilator may help patients. They add that the key risks associated with ventilator splitting could be mitigated by their method.

Dr. Clarke said, Patients with COVID-19 may develop progressive viral pneumonitis leading to severe respiratory failure. The combination of unprecedented disease burden and global supply chain disruption has resulted in worldwide shortages of medical equipment. Despite our advances in the practical application of ventilator splitting, the practice is unregulated and under-tested. But as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow, some countries, like the USA, may consider ventilator splitting on compassionate grounds. The United States of America Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has passed emergency use authorization for the splitting of ventilators.

The new device they created using various parts available in the hospital would act as a flow restrictor, they explained. This restrictor can help doctors to control the airflow directed to different patients from the same ventilator. Clarke, in his statement, said, It works by compensating for differences between patients, to an extent. So some patients need a lot of pressure, some patients dont need so much pressure. By putting in the clamp, you can decrease the amount of pressure that one person gets.

What did they find?

For this study, the team conducted experiments with their new device in simulated environments and used test lungs to check their device. This device helped them to modulate the air pressure, airflow, and volume that reached each of the test lungs. This is the first time a single ventilator could provide different pressures to two different lungs.

Clarke said, We experimented with a few different devices to do this, and assembled some common hospital parts, that we should have available en-masse. Then we used some lung simulators, devices that share some of the characteristics of human lungs, and we used a standard ventilator in an intensive care unit, and took measurements using some engineering tools.

Our experiment has demonstrated that in order to deliver a safe tidal volume and airway pressure, a resistance mechanism is required on at least one inspiratory limb of the circuit. One way of achieving this is through the use of a tracheal tube and Hoffman clamp - common, practical items found in hospitals, co-author, Dr. Gregory said.

Implications

Clarke explained that these results are far from absolutely conclusive but could be life-saving in dire situations. He said, Getting more ventilators is mostly a logistics problem. This is a stopgap measure for that. Its a device that none of us ever want to see used, and its really just about something we can get up and running very quickly, using the parts you can scramble together. He added, While ventilator splitting has, at face value, validity in addressing ventilator shortages, we agree that on sober reflection, it is a solution that needs to be weighed up carefully as it may cause more harm than good.

Gregory added, While the discovery is promising, the use of this method in the clinical context has not been validated, and we dont recommend its wider use without further trials. We are hopeful of one day being able to get great surety with this approach to ventilator splitting so we can help save lives in dire cases of emergency.
In this time of such profound fear and loneliness, we could all do with some escapism. Trust Phoebe Waller-Bridge, master of the complex dark comedy, to help serve up something, quite literally, about escaping. Even though Waller-Bridge is only tangentially involved as executive producer, her Fleabag collaborator Vicky Joness new seven-part series has that shows DNA coursing through its veins. Mixing sexual farce and Hitchcockian suspense, it unfurls with such speed and vigour that you feel constantly wrong-footed. Its jittery, sardonic  and quite brilliant.

The premise is based on a pact made 17 years ago by then college sweethearts Ruby (Merritt Wever) and Billy (Domhnall Gleeson): if either texts RUN and the other replies with the same, they will drop everything, meet up in Grand Central Station and take a train together across the US. But 19 they are no longer. When we meet thirtysomething Ruby, shes sitting alone in her family-sized SUV in a West Coast parking lot, torn between getting to use her new yoga mat and heading home to sign for her husbands speakers. Then the text arrives from Billy and suddenly shes all a flutter. Before shes even had time to consider what shes risking, shes hopped on a plane to New York to begin a train odyssey with a man she hasnt seen in nearly two decades.

From there, Run (Sky Comedy) never stops moving. All its momentum comes from Kate Denniss brisk direction and the scorching chemistry between Wever and Gleeson, whose scenes together have the frisson of a Sharon Stone film from the Eighties. Run is a mystery of sorts, too. Early on, Ruby and Billy agree to a moratorium on personal details, which means only gradually are we fed precious morsels of information about who they are. What is waiting back home for Ruby, for example, other than stifling, suburban ennui? Why is Billy, a hugely successful motivational speaker, secretly talking to someone called Fiona? Between all the lust lurks genuine intrigue.

As Ruby, Wever does much of the heavy lifting, juggling both comedy and pathos. Flat-out excellent in everything she appears in, from Marriage Story to the Netflix western Godless, here she peels back her characters buoyant outer layer to reveal a mix of vulnerability and simmering anger  that same mix driving her to derail her life so spectacularly. Gleeson is just as good, although not as obviously at first. On the surface, Billy seems made: rich, charming, in demand. But as the series unfolds  or at least, the five episodes Ive seen  so youll see his neuroses come into play, with Gleeson managing to locate every nuance.

They are performances fitting of a bold set-up. Yes, theres a chance this train could run out of steam, but I suspect were in for a thrilling ride.
" " Mildred and Richard Loving's marriage led to major civil rights progress in the United States. Bettmann/Getty Images

There aren't a lot of couples who can claim their relationship changed the course of history. Sure, there are the big alliances: Antony and Cleopatra's love story is one for the books, and Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's relationship certainly made a splash. But the marriage of unassuming Virginia residents Richard and Mildred Loving in 1958 is historic, due to one small factor  he was white, and she was black.

In an episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class, hosts Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey give us a two-part lesson on Loving v. Virginia, one of the most well-known U.S. Supreme Court cases. The case struck down anti-miscegenation laws around the country, making it legal for white people to marry outside their race. That was no small feat, considering that when the Lovings were married in 1958, 24 states had laws on the books banning interracial marriage.

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Richard and Mildred Loving's relationship wasn't destined to be in the spotlight. The couple grew up in Central Point, Virginia, and married when Mildred was 18 and Richard was 24. But Mildred was of Native American and African-American descent, and her mixed-race ancestry was the only thing that mattered when she and Richard had to leave Virginia to legally marry.

Virginia's racial integrity laws mandated that no person with "one drop" of nonwhite blood (barring a small amount of American Indian blood) could marry a white person, and that no interracial couple could travel to a different state to marry and return to Virginia to live as husband and wife.

But that's exactly what the Lovings did in 1958, when they left Virginia for Washington, D.C. to marry and returned home to settle. About a month later, the sheriff's department entered their bedroom at 2 a.m. and arrested them for breaking the law.

The couple pleaded guilty in trial. Their sentence to one year in jail was overturned so long as they agreed to leave Virginia and not to return together for 25 years. That inflexible arrangement prompted Mildred to seek legal help, and the American Civil Liberties Union eventually used the Lovings' case to challenge Virginia to change its laws on interracial marriage.

Listen to part one of the podcast below to find out how these discriminatory laws were created and evolved, and head to part two to learn the legal ins and outs of the sweeping ruling that lead to the 1967 overturn of every anti-miscegenation law in the country.

Now That's Interesting While anti-miscegenation laws in the South largely focused on black and white interracial marriage, many western states included Asians, East Indians, Filipinos and Native Americans in their statutes.
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Oman Air will operate a special round-trip flight from Muscat to Bangkok, Thailand, to bring home citizens who have been receiving medical treatment in the East Asian country.

The flight, with eight doctors and nurses from the Ministry of Health on board, is scheduled to depart today, April 16, and will return the following day.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that once this flight returns to Muscat, there will be no citizens strained in foreign countries who wish to come home. Should the need arise, Oman Air will be ready to repatriate Omani citizens once it receives an official request.

In all its repatriation flights, the airlines crew members and passengers are carefully briefed to follow all official requirements in order to ensure highest standards of health and safety. Ground crews extensively clean the aircraft after each flight to ensure that they are safe for use by crew and passengers.

An Oman Air spokesman said: We fly to serve the sultanate, and we are fully prepared to help people with medical conditions return to their homes. We are most grateful to the medical professionals who will be on this flight and attending to our citizens medical needs as we bring them home." - TradeArabia News Service
The U.K.'s fintech's response to the coronavirus pandemic so far might best be described as "move fast, [and] make things," as multiple and sometimes impromptu teams roll out financial technology solutions to help combat the crisis.

Last month, I reported on "Covid Credit," a project that saw dozens of volunteers from the wider U.K. fintech community build a working prototype to enable freelancers and sole traders to self-certify lost income, in a bid to help the government administer potential compensation.

Since then, a U.K. government grant scheme for self-employed has been announced, prompting employees at Countingup to build a handy "Coronavirus Calculator" that lets you see how much support you could be entitled to and help with financial planning.

Similarly, for U.K. companies -- including startups -- that need to furlough employees in a bid for survival, Pento's team created a "Coronavirus Furlough HMRC Claim Calculator" to help you work out how much will be covered by the U.K. government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for each employee.

Meanwhile, SeedLegals, though not technically a fintech, has made legal documentation available to ensure you furlough employees legally.

And just launched this morning, Starling Bank has rolled out the "Connected card," a second debit card connected to your existing Starling current account that you can give out to friends, family and carers to shop on your behalf if you are self-isolating. Astutely, the card is protected with a balance limit of 200 and can be tracked and administered within the Starling mobile app.

Save My Local

Lastly comes a gigantic effort from another group of fintech volunteers designed to help save local businesses. Dubbed Save My Local, the free website aims to help local businesses generate much-needed cash flow by selling vouchers to loyal customers that can be used for future purchases.

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A tweet from entrepreneur Jason Bates (11:FS, Starling, Monzo) inspired Mike Kelly (CEO of Curl.app) to take action and make the idea a reality. Within a week, a team of 20+ volunteers had formed and a first version of the product was "designed, built, and shipped; with businesses signed up and processing orders," say the group.

The idea is that the vouchers will be redeemable when the coronavirus U.K. lockdown is over, and in the interim will enable small business owners to generate enough cash to stay afloat. Of course, for those purchasing vouchers, there is some risk that a business could still go bust, so it's best to see this as a somewhat altruistic endeavour, even if in many instances it is a desperately needed one.

The Save My Local group say they are currently recruiting small businesses to test the free voucher platform and if successful can scale to meet demand. They have already had requests for collaboration from groups in Australia, Israel and other countries to see if the solution can be shared more broadly.
For many years home schooling has been a marginal venture by a few parents. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned that on its head. Particularly for parents of younger students, this week has often meant spending considerable time overseeing children's education as schools come to grips with remote learning. The execution has attracted mixed reviews.

Bayside Secondary School student Lauren takes part in an online class as her mother, Gayle, a teacher at Flinders Christian College, takes students for online schooling. Credit:AAP

What has not helped is the ongoing confusion over how wide schools should be opening their doors to students. Up until this week, led by Premier Daniel Andrews, the main message zeroed in on the need for students to study at home unless they are vulnerable or are children of essential workers. With the government saying only 3 per cent of students turned up at school on the first day of term two, the message did appear to sink in.

But the wrangling is far from settled. On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison used a video on Facebook to make a direct plea to teachers. Along with a well deserved pat on the back for them, he emphasised that "it's so important that children are able to keep physically going to school". While Mr Morrison may have meant well, his comments did a good job of muddying the waters.
Heavy-handed councils have been slammed for banning all mourners from services.

The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) has hit out at local authorities in locations including Belfast, Leeds and Bradford that have stopped bereaved families from attending funerals.

Instead several councils are now offering 'direct cremations', in which there is no ceremony and mourners are not present.

City of York council for instance has told grieving families they must wait outside the crematorium, while the 'unattended cremation' takes place with only a faith officiant allowed inside, before collecting their loved one's ashes.

But the NAFD said such actions go 'way beyond government guidance and isn't in the interests of bereaved families' urging local authorities to change their minds.

Government guidance states immediate family members should be allowed to attend funerals, but does not give a number.

Kirklees Council, which had banned mourners from attending funerals in Huddersfield and Dewsbury, is now allowing up to 10 mourners to attend

Some have already backed down, including Kirklees Council, which had banned mourners from attending funerals in Huddersfield and Dewsbury in West Yorkshire.

It is now allowing up to 10 mourners to attend funerals at the two sites.

Solihull Council too has increased the number of mourners that can attend funerals. Earlier this week it announced it would be allowing ten people instead of the six previously permitted to attend.

The NAFD has argued that not being able to attend a funeral 'can have an impact on long-term health and wellbeing' and said it was pleased some councils were now backtracking on their decision to ban all mourners.

A spokeswoman said: 'The Government has made it clear that it wants bereaved people to still have that opportunity, and therefore gatherings for funerals  albeit limited to small numbers of immediate family and within the social distancing rules - should be able to continue.

'We are concerned at the actions of local authorities that are banning all family members from attending. This goes way beyond government guidance and isn't in the interests of bereaved families.

'If funeral directors can arrange services within the restrictions, surely crematoria and cemeteries can hold them?

What is the government's advice for funerals during coronavirus? Faith leaders and Public Health England have worked together to create guidance for funerals during the ongoing cornavirus crisis. The guidance is to ensure communities, the funeral industry and the NHS are protected during the pandemic. Funerals are a concern because Covid-19 is an infectious disease and can be transmitted when large groups of people congregate. However, with the government say that with certain precautions, funerals should continue to take place. The guidance includes restricting the number of mourners who attend funerals, so a safe distance of at least three steps can be maintained between individuals. Only members of the deceased person's household or close family members should attend funeral, while any individual displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should not attend. Those who do attend will need to adhere to social distancing at all times, including when travelling to and from the funeral. Mourners are also strongly advised not to take part in any rituals or practices that bring them into close contact with the body of a person who has died from or with symptoms of COVID-19. Advertisement

'Unlike any other life event, witnessing a funeral can't be deferred and there is no opportunity to repeat it again in the future.

'Therefore, being able to be there in person, even if as a much smaller group than the family would have wanted, remains an important choice that we believe families must be free to make for as long as possible.'

Gloucester City Council has said only five immediate family members can attend funerals, whereas authorities in Leeds have allowed up to 20 people at burial and graveside services.

Public Health England previously said such services could continue to go ahead but relatives should be wary of the 'small but real risk' of the virus transmission from the body of the deceased.

The spokeswoman added: 'While a ban might seem like a more straightforward solution, there is real risk of this having serious unintended consequences for bereaved families.

'It may be that the family themselves decide that they do not wish to attend, but it is not for us to deny families that opportunity if there is no reason to do so within the Government's guidelines.

'The important thing is to get the balance right to ensure those who have lost a loved one can say goodbye and all those attending, including the mourners, the funeral directors and crematorium or cemetery workers, are not put at greater risk of infection.'

In Kirklees, West Yorkshire, council leader Shabir Pandor explained the decision to relax the rules on mourners attending funerals.

He told the BBC: 'We've carefully reflected on this and have found a way of being able to [permit some mourners at funerals] whilst ensuring social distancing is in place.'

Conservative councillor David Hall had described the decision to ban mourners as 'cruelty layered on grief'.

'I hope there will now be time and space for families to say goodbye to their loved ones prayerfully and with dignity,' he said.

City of York Council has not changed its rules on attendance at funerals however.

City of York council has told grieving families they must stand outside York Crematorium with at least two metres between each other before collecting their loved one's ashes

York Central MP Rachael Maskell has said the council had not followed government advice in its decision to ban families from attending funerals

A letter sent to the council by heartbroken resident Kelsey Dobson accuses it of causing 'severe and detrimental' damage to families.

'To refuse wives, husbands, parents and children of the deceased the chance to say goodbye is a severe and detrimental decision that will create further trauma and long-lasting damage to the families that are already grieving a devastating loss,' she wrote.

'Nobody is asking for a full funeral. We're simply asking that immediate family (Spouses, parents and children) can attend their loved one's funeral, while adhering to social distancing rules,'

The family of Colin Dean, 61, who served in the army in Northern Ireland and Germany for more than 20 years, said all they want to do is give him 'the final journey'.

His heartbroken widow, Marie, and children Louise and Barry, said: 'We all have a huge hole in our hearts now that he is gone, and all we want to do is give him the final journey he truly deserves with his wife and children.

'He was the very best husband and father we could have ever wished for. Whoever he came across he would never fail to leave an impression and lovely memories with his infectious personality; he was life and soul of the party.'

Mr Dean had not suffered from coronavirus. Up to 75 families have been affected by the change so far, which was brought in last Thursday, including those who have lost relatives to coronavirus.

Family of Colin Dean, 61, who served in the army for more than 20 years with postings to Northern Ireland and Germany, said they only wanted to give him a the final journey he 'truly deserves'

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said the council had not followed government advice, which clearly states funerals should go ahead with social distancing and limiting mourners to close family members.

'Over the last few days I have been talking to and corresponding with heartbroken constituents who have not only given incredible testimonies of their loved ones who have passed away, but have described the pain and distress caused in not being able to be with them in these very precious final moments,' she said.

'Services were cancelled from last Thursday, with just a day's notice. People are completely distraught.

'I have been liaising closely with ministers who are in agreement that City of York council have not followed this guidance.

'One of the ministers had attended York Crematorium and could not understand why the council made this out to be an exceptional case.'

She claimed that the council had incorrectly stated their decision was supported by health leaders and that they were taking the same action as other local authorities.

A petition calling on the council to reverse its decision has so far gathered 3,914 signatures.

Kirklees, Bradford and Leeds councils have also told grieving families they must wait outside the crematorium before collecting their relatives ashes.

Government guidance states gatherings at funerals can continue providing they follow strict social distancing guidelines, says the National Association of Funeral Directors.

'The government has made it clear that it wants bereaved people to still have the opportunity, and therefore gatherings at funerals can continue - but only if they take place within strict social distancing guidelines and through the limiting of numbers attending,' they said.

'Unlike any other life event, witnessing a funeral can't be deferred and there is no opportunity to repeat it again in the future.

'Therefore, being able to be there in person, even if as a much smaller group than the family would have wanted, remains an important choice that families must be free to make for as long as possible.'

A petition set up to reverse the council's decision has attracted almost 4,000 signatures

The council suspended funeral services at York Crematorium last week and replaced them with so-called 'unattended cremations'.

It had initially said mourners would not be allowed to stand outside the crematorium, before relenting on its decision.

They are allowing graveside burials at Fulford Cemetery to continue as planned providing families adhere to social distancing rules.

Cremation is the most popular form of burial in the UK, with burial being vastly more expensive and requiring families to purchase burial plots.

The leader of City of York council, Keith Aspden, said: 'We know that the necessity of unattended cremation services will cause distress to many grieving people. The Council took the agonising decision extremely reluctantly, but it is a policy that will ultimately save lives.'

The council said that as the crematorium can hold up to 14 services a day, with up to ten or five people at each, this could mean more than 150 people enter and leave the building in one day.

'It is vital that the number of people visiting the crematoria is kept to a minimum,' they said, 'in order to minimise the chances of spreading coronavirus'.
Nora Illi, a Swiss convert to Islam who believed Muslim women should have the right to wear full-body veils and publicly challenged bans against them, died on March 23 in Bern, Switzerland. She was 35.

The cause was breast cancer, said Ferah Ulucay, the secretary general of the Swiss Central Islamic Council. Ms. Illi had been the organizations representative for womens affairs.

In 2009, Ms. Illi and her husband, Abdel Azziz Qaasim Illi, helped found the organization as Switzerland was debating a proposal to ban minarets, the prayer towers on mosques. (The ban was passed.)

The Swiss Central Islamic Council sought to promote knowledge of Islam in Switzerland and gained several thousand followers, many of them Swiss converts to Islam. But it was also criticized by centrist Muslims for its radical interpretations of the religion, and it came under the scrutiny of the Swiss authorities because of its links to known Salafist preachers, who promote a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam.
The government will launch a formal review into the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) backgrounds, Downing Street has confirmed.

NHS bosses will consider evidence that Bame patients are more likely to die from Covid-19, following growing concern over whether certain communities are being disproportionately affected by the disease.

Asked if there was going to be a review, the prime ministers official spokesperson said: Yes, that work is going to happen.

We have asked the NHS and Public Health England to be in the lead.

It comes after calls from Labour for a probe into why people from ethnic minorities might be more vulnerable to the disease, following a deeply disturbing number of deaths of Bame doctors.

A report by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre on the first 3,883 patients critically ill with coronavirus found that over a third were non-white (33.6 per cent), compared with 18 per cent of the UK population.

The first 10 UK doctors who died from the coronavirus were all from Bame backgrounds. About 44 per cent of NHS medical staff are from ethnic minorities.

The medics who have died so far include Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, a 53-year-old urologist from east London, Amged El-Hawrani, a 55-year-old consultant in the Midlands, Sudanese organ transplant consultant Adil El Tayar, 63, and 68-year-old Dr Alfa Saadu, who returned from retirement to help out at a hospital in Hertfordshire.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the chair of the British Medical Association, has led calls for a review into the disproportionate numbers of deaths among doctors from a Bame background.

At face value, it seems hard to see how this can be random  to have the first 10 doctors of all being of Bame background, he previously told The Guardian.

Not only that, we also know that in terms of the Bame population, they make up about a third of those in intensive care. Theres a disproportionate percentage of Bame people getting ill.

We have heard the virus does not discriminate between individuals but theres no doubt there appears to be a manifest disproportionate severity of infection in Bame people and doctors.

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said it was absolutely critical to find out which groups of people were most at risk from coronavirus, but said that it was "less clear" that ethnicity was a factor than it was for age, sex and pre-existing medical conditions.

He told a Downing Street press conference that more than 90% of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK had at least one other disease, while other factors included age and male sex.

Being a member of an ethnic minority group is less clear, and Ive had discussions with scientists about this in terms of trying to tease this apart today," said Prof Whitty.

This is something we are very keen to get extremely clear. Weve asked Public Health England to look at this in some detail and then what we really want is, if we see any signal at all, we want to then know what next we can do about it to minimise risk.

Marsha de Cordova, the shadow women and equalities secretary, welcomed the review but asked for further details on whether it will be independent and when it will be concluded.

She said: The government must ensure the review is robust and looks into the underlying structural economic and social inequalities that have affected Bame communities in this crisis. It must also urgently record data broken down by ethnicity on the number of people who have died as a result of Covid-19.

The devastating effect of Covid-19 on Bame communities cannot be overstated. This review must be the first step in ensuring that all communities are equally protected from this virus.

Meanwhile, a recent poll for The Independent revealed that people from Bame backgrounds were being hit harder by lockdown measures, with Bame households almost twice as likely as white Britons to report having lost income and jobs.

Pollsters BMG found that 46 per cent of Bame people said that their household income had reduced as a result of coronavirus, against 28 per cent of white British families.

Around 15 per cent of respondents from ethnic minorities said they had lost their job, compared with 8 per cent of white Britons.
Lucknow, April 16 : More than 500 inmates in five jails in western Uttar Pradesh have contributed Rs 2.3 lakh towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the care of the corona patients.

The inmates had earned the money from the wages they receive for work in the prison industry, like carpentry, tailoring, weaving, etc.

The inmates are form the jails in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad and Baghpat.

Director General (prison administration and reform services) Anand Kumar said, "This shows their resolve to help the government in fighting the pandemic. The wages that the prisoners earn is used by them in buying things from the jail canteen, but they have decided to contribute the same money to the government fund." The inmates in Ghaziabad have raised the maximum of Rs 84,600, followed by Meerut inmates with Rs 81,700 and Muzaffarnagar prisoners with Rs 28,000.

Prisoners in almost all the Uttar Pradesh jails have already been making high-quality, affordable protective masks for the retail market.

More than five lakh masks have been stitched by inmates in a month.

Some jails have also started making personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, to be used by health workers.

Fifty sets of PPEs, including full face shield masks and full body aprons have been stitched by inmates at the Balarampur jail as per the specifications given to them.
The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke with Dr. Sagara Wijesooriya, who has 10 years experience working on the medical frontlines combatting the deadly spread of malaria, cholera and dengue fever in his native Sri Lanka as a leading anesthesiologist in intensive care units.

A medical graduate from the prestigious University of Peradeniya, Dr. Wijesooriya worked in primary care but also assisted during brain surgeries in overcrowded hospitals. He moved his family to Edmonton in March 2013 and has struggled since then to get an Alberta medical license. He thought the coronavirus pandemic would surely provide him with such an opportunity. Yet, despite the dire need for doctors and other medical professionals across the country, Wijesooriya is one of thousands of foreign-trained medical professionals who continue to be blocked from practicing in their fields.

I had a final clinical exam scheduled for May thats been postponed, and I dont think it will get rescheduled very soon because of this pandemic, Dr. Wijesooriya told the WSWS. He has offered to work as an assistant to other physicians or in other supervised support roles in two other provinces. All I want to do now is help people in need, he said. I live here in Alberta, I settled here, and I would like to give my service to the people here.

Dr. Sagara Wijesooriya

He also spoke about the frustrating process for getting foreign medical qualifications recognized, which can take up to a decade and cost tens of thousands of dollars. This is very disappointing after spending all this money and sacrificing our careers. We want to join this fight with the health sector because we trained to do it and thats our life, he commented. The fight against COVID-19 is for those critical patients, so they may need ventilation, and Im very familiar with the process with my vast experience in intensive care units.

There are many internationally trained doctors with experience of tropical diseases, some of which are dangerous infections like Dengue fever, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Cholera, and many more, he continued. Politicians talk endlessly about the economy, stock markets and oil price. Meanwhile, the hospitals are understaffed.

Dr. Wijesooriya also criticized governments failure to secure staffing levels in the health system, which he explained would have deadly consequences. It seems that the politicians think the ventilators can be run by anyone, or they operate automatically. I have 10 years experience working with modern ventilators, he stated. Even with the best equipment, prolonged ventilation can kill a patient without expert staff on hand. This is a highly complex task and one must always check the vitals monitor, breathing tubes, ventilator changes, oxygen delivery, invasive lines, fluid and electrolytes, blood investigation, while administering various drugs, suction and so on. Very expensive inward blood gas machines are also needed to continue ventilation of a patient. A nurse must be trained one-on-one to assist the patient.

He also sharply condemned those policymakers in Canada and internationally who are promoting a herd immunity policy, as opposed to fighting to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I am sick of hearing about it! he said. They are misleading the public about this. [They claim the] majority of the population should be infected to develop herd immunity to protect the people who are not immune. We dont know exactly about the level of immunity after a COVID-19 infection. Some scientists suspect that there are several strains of the virus spreading on different continents and the truth is we dont know much about them. We should base our response on real information, not speculation.

Turning to the impact of the Canadian authorities refusal to let him and other internationally trained colleagues practice in their fields, he noted, My wife worked as a nurse in Sri Lanka for 12 years, but now she is working as a nursing assistant, not a nurse. I am employed in a seniors facility as a Recreation Therapy Assistant. I work the day shift and she works the night shift to care for our three children, including my son with special needs, so our life is very hard and we are struggling to survive.

Now that the schools are closed and the kids are switched to on-line school, it is uncomfortable for the teachers, since all their support workers will be laid off as a result of provincial budget cuts to education. And Jason Kenneys United Conservative Party (UCP) provincial government has decided to privatize the senior public care facility where we both work during this crisis time.

I have many friends who are in the same terrible situation. I know some internationally trained doctors who work as clinical assistants under supervision of a licensed doctor in busy hospitals, and they make less than 20 percent of the money made by a doctor with an independent licence, around $60,000 per year. They must work all the unpopular shifts including nights, weekends and holidays for an annual fixed salary.

Wijesooriya also remarked on the absence of a globally coordinated response to the worldwide pandemic, which has infected more than 2 million people and claimed over 125,000 lives. We should have been declaring an international state of emergency on January 1, 2020, as soon as China said they had an epidemic, but none of the Western capitalist countries chose to act to protect their people, he said. There should be global forums of scientists set up with full resources to take over the vast assets of the private pharmaceutical companies and medical technology and research companies to work globally to invent a vaccine as soon as possible.

The viral research technology of the world is owned by the world powers, including the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, and France. Virology and genetic engineer experts are scattered in research labs and different universities all over the world. Experienced epidemiologists live in tropical countries like India. They all must work together to invent vaccines against COVID-19 strains without aiming for profit. We have the technology, knowledge, and research facilities, but it wont work under capitalism and its nationalist profit motive. It should be an international medical effort, including experts from the relevant fields, but not the big pharmaceutical companies, who are waiting to make billions from the global crisis.

Wijesooriya issued an urgent appeal for action, commenting, Unlike other countries, Canada has thousands of internationally trained, experienced doctors and nurses currently who work in different fields. If the government is not going to use this asset to save Canadians lives, it would be the biggest mistake they could make. It will be too late if they dont call internationally trained medical doctors now. They need to familiarize themselves with the system and institutional protocols. It seems that the politicians dont care about peoples lives; instead, they still worry about the stocks and businesses.

The politicians are printing money for the banks and the bourgeois class are laughing. Look at Trudeau. How much did he give the food banks? A meagre $100 million and compare it to what he gave the chartered banks in tax cuts and loan guarantees. Kenney is the same. All the consequences of this will have to be faced in the future. Canada is still at the beginning of the first wave of COVID-19 cases and we may have to face the peak and subsequent waves. But there is no sign of a solution from the capitalist governments. The decision for workers is to accept death or fight for socialism to live.
US President Donald Trump stunned world leaders and health experts on Tuesday when he announced he was halting funding to the World Health Organization, in the middle of the global coronavirus pandemic.

He first threatened to do so last week, accusing the WHO of mismanaging the spread of the novel coronavirus, and of not acting quickly enough to investigate the virus when it first emerged in China in December 2019.

Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, which is the WHO's parent organization, described the pandemic as unprecedented in a statement Tuesday and acknowledged that there would be "lessons learned" for future outbreaks.

"Once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis," he said in the statement.

"But now is not that time ... it is also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus," he said, urging unity in the face of a pandemic that has killed more than 126,000 people globally.

What is the WHO?

The WHO is a UN agency founded in 1948, only several years after the UN itself was formed. The agency was created to coordinate international health policy, particularly on infectious disease.

The organization is comprised of and run by 194 member states. Each member chooses a delegation of health experts and leaders to represent the country in the World Health Assembly, the organization's decision and policy-making body.

The member states directly control the organization's leadership and direction -- the assembly appoints the WHO director general, sets its agenda and priorities, reviews and approves budgets, and more.

The WHO has regional headquarters in Africa, North and South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Western Pacific. There are more than 150 field offices globally, where staff on the ground work with local authorities to provide guidance and health care assistance, according to the organization's website.

In the 70 years since its founding, the WHO has had its share of successes: it helped eradicate smallpox, reduced polio cases by 99%, and has been on the front lines of the battle against outbreaks like Ebola.

More recently, it is helping countries battle the dengue outbreak in South and Southeast Asia, providing local clinics and health ministries with training, equipment, financial aid and community resources.

But the WHO has also faced criticism for being overly bureaucratic, politicized, and dependent on a few major donors.

Where does it get its money?

The WHO is funded by several sources: international organizations, private donors, member states, and its parent organization, the UN.

Each member state is required to pay dues to be a part of the organization; these are called "assessed contributions," and are calculated relative to each country's wealth and population. These dues only make up about a quarter of the WHO's total funding.

The rest of the three quarters largely come from "voluntary contributions," meaning donations from member states or partners.

Of all the countries, the US is by far the largest donor; in the two-year funding cycle of 2018 to 2019, it gave $893 million to the WHO. Of this total, $237 million were the required membership dues, and $656 million was in the form of donations.

The US' donations make up 14.67% of all voluntary contributions given globally. The next biggest donor is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an American private organization.

It's not yet clear whether the US' cuts to WHO funding will be taken from assessed or voluntary contributions.

The next member country with the biggest contributions is the UK, which paid $434.8 million in dues and donations during that same time span, followed by Germany and Japan.

China contributed close to $86 million in assessed and voluntary contributions in that time period.

Why does this matter?

Here's the issue: critics have long alleged that member states hold different levels of influence in the WHO due to their political and financial capabilities.

Major donors like the US are perceived by some as holding outsized influence, which has historically caused friction; during the Cold War, the Soviet Union and its allies left the WHO for a number of years because they felt the US had too much sway in the organization.

Recently, the same skepticism has been aimed toward the WHO's relationship with China; critics have questioned whether the WHO is independent enough, given China's rising wealth and power. They point to the WHO's effusive praise of China's response to the coronavirus pandemic, and the fact that China has successfully blocked Taiwan from gaining membership.

Taiwan is a self-governing democratic island which has never been ruled by the government of the People's Republic, but is claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

"WHO is a specialized UN agency composed of sovereign states," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a news conference on April 10. "Taiwan's participation in the activities of WHO and other international organizations needs to be arranged in a reasonable and appropriate manner after cross-straits consultations under the One-China principle."

Trump and his administration alluded to the alleged Chinese increase in influence in regard to the pandemic on Tuesday.

"Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China's lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death," Trump said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was more blunt, claiming that the WHO "declined to call this a pandemic for an awfully long time because frankly the Chinese Communist Party didn't want that to happen."

The WHO has responded to these accusations by urging member countries not to politicize the pandemic.

"The United States and China should come together and fight this dangerous enemy," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement last week.
The Defense Department inspector generals long-awaited report on the JEDI cloud infrastructure procurement was released Wednesday -- at a total of 313 pages -- that at best is a mixed bag for the contracts two finalists.

On one hand, the IG concludes in its review started last June that any possible senior-level discussions between White House and DOD officials did not influence or put pressure on the decision by procurement officials to make the final award to Microsoft late last year over Amazon, a target of President Trumps personal animus along with founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.

DOD conducted the solicitation and source selection process in line with established standards and acquisition regulations, the IG said, and that includes the much-debated single-award method. Department officials that auditors spoke to said they did not feel pressured by Trump's anti-Amazon and anti-Bezos comments. The department also made an apparent misstep after the award that gave AWS proprietary information including some pricing about Microsofts JEDI bid that impacted the debriefing.

But the matter of possible political interference at the crux of Amazon Web Services ongoing lawsuit over the contract was also not completely answered. The IG said it could not review the matter fully after the White House asserted presidential communications privilege, after which DOD lawyers directed department officials to not speak with the IG about any potential discussions with the White House about JEDI.

"The Inspector's General final report on the JEDI Cloud procurement confirms that the Department of Defense conducted the JEDI Cloud procurement process fairly and in accordance with law. The IG's team found that there was no influence by the White House or DoD leadership on the career source selection boards who made the ultimate vendor selection, DOD spokeman Lt. Col. Robert Carver said in a statement. This report should finally close the door on the media and corporate-driven attacks on the career procurement officials who have been working tirelessly to get the much needed JEDI cloud computing environment into the hands of our frontline warfighters while continuing to protect American taxpayers."

The Inspector Generals report makes clear the DOD established a proper procurement process. Its now apparent that Amazon bid too high a price and is seeking a do-over so it can bid again. As the IGs report indicates, Amazon has proprietary information about Microsofts bid that it should never have had. At this stage, Amazon is both delaying critical work for the nations military and trying to undo the mistake it made when it bid too high a price, Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw said in a statement.

For its part, AWS is not satisfied with the outcome and believes there is more to the story.

This report doesnt tell us much. It says nothing about the merits of the award, which we know are highly questionable based on the Judges recent statements and the governments request to go back and take corrective action," an AWS spokesperson said in an emailed statement to reporters. "It's clear that this report couldnt assess political interference because several DOD witnesses were instructed by the White House not to answer the IGs questions about communications between the White House and DOD officials. The White Houses refusal to cooperate with the IGs investigation is yet another blatant attempt to avoid a meaningful and transparent review of the JEDI contract award.

White House counsel was only willing to let witnesses give written answers that would first be reviewed internally to see if they were covered by that privilege before going to the IG, which declined the offer. DOD attorneys also told department officials to decline to answer questions about communications with the White House.

One communication with the White House did come out. In July, DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy briefed then-acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on JEDI and subsequently contacted Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Lidell on how to get correct information about the procurement to Trump. Lidell replied that Trump was not engaging anyone on the topic.

The IGs report also details some of what took place before and after the award to Microsoft in October of last year. Former Defense Secretary James Mattis and former Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the IG that they could not remember any conversations with Trump about JEDI, including a reported directive from Trump to Mattis to screw Amazon out of the contract.

A key event in the timeline is Defense Secretary Mark Espers recusal from the JEDI process on Oct. 7 due to his sons employment with IBM, one of the initial four competitors. Esper told the IG he believes he first learned of IBMs pursuit of JEDI in September 2019.

Espers review was then restructured to focus on the procurements path forward and not who would get the contract. Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist took over after Esper stepped back.

AWS submitted 265 questions to DOD contracting officials as part of the post-award enhanced debriefing process and appear to have received answers on 126 of them. Twenty-five questions were considered entirely outside the debriefing scope under federal acquisition regulations. Along with allegations of political interference, AWS is also objecting to the debriefing process as part of its lawsuit at the Court of Federal Claims.

From there, 114 questions were determined outside the debriefing scope after DOD discovered an accidental disclosure of sensitive information about Microsofts JEDI proposal. DOD officials apparently figured out those questions were so specific and then found 13 reports from the JEDI technical evaluation board that were disclosed to AWS.

The IG attributes the disclosure to a series of misunderstandings between DOD contracting officials and department lawyers in the lead up to the final award. Attorneys for DOD advised department leaders to conduct the debriefs with both companies in writing instead of in-person.

Work on JEDI is currently on hold due to an injunction handed down in February by Court of Federal Claims Judge Patricia E. Campbell-Smith in the case AWS brought there. She is also reviewing a proposal by DOD to undertake a corrective action and accept limited proposal revisions from AWS and Microsoft.
A senior medic has urged frail patients in Northern Ireland to discuss end-of-life arrangements with their families while they are still well (Andrew Milligan/PA)

A senior medic has urged frail patients in Northern Ireland to discuss end-of-life arrangements with their families while they are still well.

Dr Hamish Courtney, from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh  an organisation working to improve patient care, said it is important that those dying from coronavirus do so peacefully.

Stormonts Health Committee was taking evidence on decisions whether to ventilate and the use of do not resuscitate notices for the weakest.

It is about providing compassion, care, allowing people to die peaceful and dignified deaths if that is possible Dr Hamish Courtney

Dr Courtney said: This is not just about Covid-19, although it has brought it into sharp focus.

It is not just about rationing.

It is about us as a society, doctors with their patients and families and individuals, discussing end of life.

It is about providing compassion, care, allowing people to die peaceful and dignified deaths if that is possible.

He said people should speak to GPs and healthcare professionals before that emergency stage develops.

The doctor added that it is not a decision to be forced on people.

Alliance Party Assembly member Paula Bradshaw said she had received an email from a constituent, which said a womans husband had been told he would not be taken to the intensive care unit if he had a turn for the worse.

The Belfast South MLA branded it callous, cold and devoid of humanity.

Expand Close Belfast South MLA Paula Bradshaw told the Health Committee of a callous email a constituent had received (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Belfast South MLA Paula Bradshaw told the Health Committee of a callous email a constituent had received (Liam McBurney/PA)

Official guidance says some patients could have acute treatment withdrawn to instead offer it to those with a greater chance of survival.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has set out guidelines on the rationing of care if the NHS is overwhelmed by new cases.

BMA ethics guidance says: If services are overwhelmed during this pandemic, health providers will put in place  or expand  systems of triage.

Triage is a form of rationing or allocation of scarce resources under critical or emergency circumstances where decisions about who should receive treatment must be made immediately because more individuals have life-threatening conditions than can be treated at once.

Many relatives have spoken of the heartache over recent weeks of not being able to visit loved ones as they die from Covid-19.

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh influences health policy to improve the quality of care and patient safety.

Its president Professor Andrew Elder said: Decisions regarding the presence of family at the bed side of their dying are not simply matters of infection control. And we should not permit them to be such.

They are matters of our humanity.

Matters that define who we are, our understanding of what life is, and how our lives must all end.

We must consider these feelings as much as we consider the risks.
Pond Island: ----With an attendance of 78 students and instructors, the University of St. Martin (USM) held its first-ever virtual town hall assembly on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. The purpose of the said event was to provide an opportunity for the administration to receive feedback from the academic community on the temporary transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the electronic platform Zoom, popular among colleges and universities worldwide, participants were able to see each other, have their questions answered, express their appreciation for this alternative and share their concerns about the challenges to working and studying from home.

We can all feel proud of ourselves and what we have achieved until now, said USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona Baez in his opening remarks. Classes at the local university were moved online within days.

It is truly amazing! We have never gone through something like this before but in no time our own faculty members trained their own colleagues on the use of electronic platforms such as Canvas and Zoom. Good to see your faces; now we want to know how you are doing. said Carmona.

The assembly saw over 20 vocal interventions from students and faculty members; to this is added the questions and shout-outs within the chat section of the Zoom template. Hopeful graduates of the class of 2020 expressed their concern for graduation, while those who lost their internships due to the coronavirus pandemic questioned how they will be able to make up this very important part of their learning experience. Still needing some attention is accessibility to a stable internet connection for some students. In the interim, however, instructors have resorted to recording lectures and this has proved to be effective.

Veteran USM instructors who have seen the institution evolve over the last thirty years, like Mr. Roberto Arrindell and Ms. Patricia Arrindell, also participated in the assembly and testified to the success of the temporary solution to hold classes and even one-on-one tutoring via the internet.

Our aim 1 month ago was to have a rapid but effective transition to online learning while maintaining quality. From the feedback received thus far, I can say that we were successful. While for some this is a new and sometimes challenging experience, I was particularly pleased to witness multiple students express words of appreciation to their instructors for their hard work, dedication, and creativity in this season. said Dr. Rolinda Carter, Dean of Academics

The trial run of the town hall assembly was actually held a week before when USM held its first-ever virtual staff meeting with 20 participants. With Zoom, USM now has the capacity to hold a meeting of up to 300 people. Such interaction is seen as necessary because everyone experiences the lockdown differently as individuals and families. There are students and faculty who live in the French territory; their virtual and material reality can differ greatly from someone who lives in Dutch Quarter or St. Peters.

We really do hope that this is temporary, we look forward to the day when we can embrace each other, shake hands and talk to our students and colleagues face-to-face, Carmona stated. Nothing can replace that in-house experience which builds character.

USM is expecting pledged support from the Ansary Foundation in order to improve infrastructure, internet accessibility, and curriculum development. Additionally, USM Board and Management hope that the newly installed government will take the brave step to finally passing the ordinance on higher education, which will guarantee structural funding.

We hope that when we get back to physically being on campus, USM will be able to flourish in serving St. Martin North and South, as its founders intended, and the English-speaking part of the Dutch Kingdom. Our capability of holding meetings like this will also find its place in the future. We dream of joint courses and degree programs with partnering universities, scientific seminars and student exchange where St. Martin is not just a participant, but an initiator, concluded Carmona.
The country's largest paramilitary force Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has begun a new 'work from home' regime as many of its troops on extended leave are undertaking community help work, some even using their limited savings and resources at their home towns, officials said on Thursday.

The chief of the force, Director General (DG) A P Maheshwari, also lauded the effort in a message sent to the 3.25 lakh personnel-strong paramilitary.

A number of its troops had to extend their home stay after the force extended their leave and suspended all movement till the May 3 deadline of the nationwide lockdown clamped to stop the spread of coronavirus.

"We are at present negotiating difficult times. Yet, disregarding your own difficulties, you have been proactively addressing the hardships of the people around you. That is the very essence of service and loyalty. That is the quintessence of CRPF," Maheshwari said in his message.

"Many of you are forced to stay away from your workplace yet while in your respective home towns, you are ensuring that the hapless do not go hungry and the needy are not left in the lurch. Kudos to you.

"Indeed, you have added a new layer of meaning to the concept of work from home, stressed upon by the government to break the chain of COVID-19," the DG said.

He said the men and women of his force have a "humane heart to connect to the weal and woes of the fellow human beings, struggling confinement".

"I put on record my appreciation for all those who have broken the time-space barriers of duty in the service of mankind and motherland. Wish you and your family members the best of health so that you can further add to the health of the society during this profound public health crisis," he said.

Instances like constable Manav Kalita imparting yoga classes to children and distributing food packets to the needy in his village in Assam's Barpeta district are some of the examples of 'work from home' in the force, a senior official said.

Kalita, of the 49th battalion of the force, is posted in Kashmir and had gone home for his wedding.

Another official, CRPF Assistant Sub Inspector Padmeswar Das, has spent about Rs 10,000 from his savings to distribute food packets with items like rice, pulses and vegetables to the poor in his village in Assam's Morigaon district.

Many more such instances are being brought to the force's notice either by reports in the local media or by the unit commanders, a senior officer said.

"The DG has praised the initiative of our troops who have dedicated themselves to the public cause despite not being on duty. Such steps and zeal to work for the public is encouraged by the force," CRPF spokesprson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Moses Dhinakaran told PTI.

The CRPF is the country's lead internal security force with its three main combat theatres being anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorist offensive in the Kashmir valley and taking on armed insurgency in the north eastern states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The federal governments approach has forced local officials to get creative. Some have enlisted 3-D printing. Others have turned to car or painting shops to make medical gear for emergency workers.

Dr. Thomas Tobin, the chief medical officer at the community hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., is not facing the challenges of an area like New York City. The medical facilities he oversees have 10 patients on ventilators. But with just 30 days worth of protective gear for his hospital workers, he said he was desperate for assistance now rather than when infections soar.

Its like not getting a smoke alarm until after the fires already in your house, Dr. Tobin said. Its a little late at that point.

The Trump administrations system of procurement has also prompted criticism from members of Congress and governors who say shipments of previously ordered personal protective equipment, or P.P.E., confirmed for other hospitals are being commandeered and redirected to hot spots around the United States. The leaders of the House Homeland Security and Oversight Committees wrote a letter to Peter T. Gaynor, the FEMA administrator, saying that the agencys opaque and evolving processes are clearly not meeting the needs that communities have right now for P.P.E. and medical supplies.

Democrats have also criticized the involvement of Jared Kushner, President Trumps son-in-law, as a back channel for the politically well-connected who make direct contact with Mr. Trump. Mr. Kushner said at a recent White House briefing that he ensured N95 masks were delivered to a New York City public hospital after Mr. Trump told him that he was hearing from friends of his in New York that the New York public hospital system was running low on critical supply.
At least 32,00 people entering Jammu and Kashmir have been quarantined in Kathua district since March 23, officials said on Thursday.

The advisor to J&K Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan, reviewed the prevention and service delivery mechanism put in place by the district administration here.

During a meeting with district heads of various departments, the advisor enquired about the ration being provided to ration card holders, migrant labourers, destitute and the needy during the ongoing lockdown.

Khan directed the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department to immediately start distributing two-month free ration among the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and priority household ration card holders.

He also enquired about the preparations made by the Health Department to combat the pandemic. He sought details about stock of COVID-19 testing kits and isolation capacity of hospitals in the district.

Heasked Deputy Commissioner O P Bhagat and the CMO to issue an advisory to all those people who have completed 14-day quarantine to isolate themselves for few more days at their homes for the safety of their families.

He asked the district administration to promote the use of washable masks instead of single-use masks, which may become another health concern among the users.

Khan said the district administration should devise a mechanism to open book shops in a segregated manner to facilitate students without creating gathering.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Intergovernmental organisations like the World Health Organisation are not perfect. I have worked there, as a small cog in the hallowed halls of Geneva. I have gathered with fellow civil society representatives and challenged the WHO to be more accountable, to be more responsive to health challenges, to be more of everything to everyone. Indeed, the WHO and its parent organisation, the United Nations, have shortcomings and face challenges. But what is the alternative? We cannot go back from the era of international collaboration that defined the 20th century. Our world is far too interconnected  this pandemic has made that painfully obvious. US President Donald Trump has moved to curtail funding to the WHO. Credit:AP I fear for a world where governments have no faith in multilateral organisations. US President Donald Trump has slammed the WHO and said he would take moves to withdraw his country's considerable funding. Disappointingly, some Australian MPs have also attacked the organisation. During a pandemic is not the time to reconsider the global structures that have been so carefully built up. Everyone is scared, and governments may well look for scapegoats to detract from their own shortcomings. The fact is, very few countries in the world were fully prepared for a health security threat like this, and everyone has been pushed to their limits.

Countries like ours must recognise their privilege in these trying times. Australians benefit from stable governance and a large formal labour market that can support the peaks and troughs of our universal healthcare system. We have disease surveillance systems, epidemiologists, reliable media platforms and other resources for pandemic preparedness. But there are many countries in the world that do not have that, and look towards organisations such as the WHO for support. It is our duty as well-resourced countries to share our information, share our financial resources, and help the whole world get through this. It is clear that this won't be over until every last country gets over the line. Loading Our leaders call for "major reform" of the UN and the WHO, perhaps turning a blind eye to the WHOs recent transformation agenda. This wide-ranging reform has served to modernise the WHOs procedures and to support countries in achieving the "triple billion target": a billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage; a billion more people better protected from health emergencies; and a billion more people enjoying better health and well-being. "Arguably, the greatest burden that WHO bears is its name," wrote Chelsea Clinton and Devi Sridhar in Governing Global Health. This poignant phrase rings true of an organisation with the broadest mandate: to improve global health. So while governments like ours wonder about the use of these organisations, they must ask themselves: what role have we played in making a safer, healthier and more equitable world? What have we done to prevent air pollution blackening the lungs of children in major metropolises? What have we done to stop catastrophic out-of-pocket healthcare expenses pushing people into poverty? What have we done to end female genital mutilation?
We want to share with the public how easily this virus can impact your environment, regardless of safety precautions in place, Schlendorf said in a news release. The safety of our residents and staff is the primary concern and focus of Sheltered Village.
As India continues to battle the Coronavirus pandemic with the Prime Minister extending the lockdown till May 3 to curb the virus spread, the Congress has blatantly resorted to fake news to tarnish the Central Government's efforts. Congress spokesperson Americai V Narayanan on Thursday tweeted a picture of few children quoting it as a result of 'Unplanned Lockdown' imposed in the country.

Cong spokesperson admits

However, hours later it was revealed that the image tweeted by the Congress spokesperson is of Pakistan and not India, by an article in The London Post. Hours later, when brought to his attention, Narayanan accepted that he used the image 'only to make a point' and 'never said that it happened in India.' The Congress spokesperson added that he hopes that the government addresses the issue of the poor and the migrants who are affected the most, in his tweet.

READ | Bandra Incident: Congress' Ashok Chavan Pins Blame On Internal Communication Of Railways

READ | PM Modi Reviews COVID-19 Impact On Economy In Meeting With FM; 2nd Stimulus Discussed

Happy to note the Pictorial depiction of the poor people suffering hurts and pricks. I hope this makes a government address the issue of the poor and the migrants who are affected the most. (Even though I posted the picture ONLY to make a point. I NEVER said it happened in India pic.twitter.com/TepakcQrqo  Americai V Narayanan ''   (@americai) April 16, 2020

With 941 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Out of the total tally, 10,477 patients are active cases while 1,489 patients have been cured, discharged and migrated. With 37 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 414.

READ | Puducherry Congress MLA Booked For Violating Lockdown Norms For The Second Time

READ | Gujarat: Congress Corporator Tests Positive For Coronavirus
By Steve Rogers, 04/16/2020



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: The Other Way viewers will be introduced to four new couples and re-introduced to two returning first-season couples when Season 2 premieres on TLC in June.Like : The Other Way's first season, Season 2 will follow American citizens moving to foreign countries for the sake of love and their future spouses and having to marry within 90 days in order to stay.: The Other Way's second season will feature a total of six couples -- including Season 1 returnees Jenny Slatten and her partner Sumit as well as Deavan Clegg and her husband Jihoon Lee , and the franchise's first male same-sex couple.Jenny, a 61-year-old from Palm Springs, CA, will be shown moving back to India for Sumit, a 32-year-old from India, while Deavan, a 23-year-old from Salt Lake City, UT, is officially moving to South Korea along with her two children to start a life with Jihoon, a 29-year-old from South Korea.The four new Americans will be Brittany, a 26-year-old from Palm Beach, FL; Kenneth, a 57-year-old from St. Petersburg, FL; Ariela, a 28-year-old from Princeton, NJ; and Tim, a 34-year-old from Dallas, TX.Brittany is traveling to Jordan for Yazan, a 24-year-old, and Kenneth is heading to Mexico for Armando, a 31-year-old.Ariela is moving to Ethiopia for Biniyam, a 29-year-old, and Tim is going to Colombia for Melyza, a 29-year-old.The second season of : The Other Way will premiere Monday, June 1 at 9PM ET/PT on TLC. (Viewers, however, will also be able to watch the first hour of the episode beginning May 25 on the network's TLC GO streaming service).But exactly who are these new : The Other Way couples? What are their backgrounds, and how did they meet in the first place?Click thelink below to view photos and descriptions of the new : The Other Way couples and learn more about them!

BEGIN GALLERY >>

Steven Rogers is a senior entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and been covering the reality TV genre for two decades.
The Victorian government is preparing to borrow up to $24.5 billion in emergency funding as it braces for the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Leading economists expect the massive debt may take a generation to repay.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas. Credit:AAP

The Andrews government wants to set aside $10 billion for the current 2019-20 financial year and $14.5 billion for 2020-21 to deal with the pandemic and the economys recovery.

However, it will need the support of the opposition or enough crossbenchers to pass the legislation required to borrow the huge sums.
Thae Yong Ho belts out South Korea's national anthem as tears roll down his face at his campaign office in Gangnam, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap



A former North Korean diplomat has won a parliamentary seat in South Korea's swankiest district, four years after fleeing a London embassy and defecting to the South.



Thae Yong Ho was Pyongyang's deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom where he had managed secret funds for leader Kim Jong Un until he fled to the democratic, wealthy South in 2016.



Thae, 55, won one of three constituencies in Seoul's glittering Gangnam district for the main opposition conservative party in Wednesday's parliamentary election, beating a former four-term ruling party lawmaker by nearly a 20% margin.



"I was dearly afraid if the Gangnam residents would take a guy from the North," a smiling Thae said in an acceptance speech shared on his YouTube channel, as crowds of voters gathered in his campaign office, chanting his name and cheering.



"But so many people here gave me strength - they held my hand, welcomed me to Gangnam and promised to vote for me," he said in a hoarse voice after weeks-long rallies.





Thae flashes the victory sign at his campaign office in Gangnam, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
A Georgia-based brewery unveiled a new beer named after the United States' top immunologist and infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Based in Atlanta, Wild Heaven Beer debuted their new brew called 'Fauci Springs' this month amid the state's continued coronavirus shut down.

Since the global disease was first detected in Washington state, Dr. Fauci has become a leading public health expert in President Trump's coronavirus response.

Fauci is often seen near Trump during daily briefings and COVID-19 press conferences where he updates the public on health developments.

Wild Heaven Beer in Georgia unveiled a new 'healthy' beer, 'Facui Springs', named after Dr. Anthony Fauci

Nick Purdy, president of the Wild Heaven Brewery in Atlanta, said the beer was already in development and just needed a name.

Fauci Springs is described as a 'pale ale brewed with acai berries and not-yet named experimental hops.'

Acai, often considered a healthy 'super food', is an intentional reference to Fauci's work with public health.

Purdy said the names were 'just a bit of fun' and the added acai berries 'makes sense as a nod to being healthy,' Purdy told 11Alive.

In addition to Fauci Springs, Wild Heaven Beer also released a social distancing brew titled 'Don't Stand So Close to Me'.

The brewery announced their next release will be a rye IPA called 'We Will Meet Again,' inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's COVID-19 comments.

'We were inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's beautiful and inspiring speech to the British people, and like her we are looking forward to the time when we can meet again' said Purdy.

Dr, Anthony Fauci (pictured) is the US's top immunologist and infectious disease expert on President Trump's COVID-19 task force

Fauci Springs, held by brewery president Nick Purdy (pictured), is described as a 'pale ale brewed with acai berries and not-yet named experimental hops'

Before Wild Heaven Beer began making lockdown-themed brews, the company already sold 'Emergency Drink Beer'

One of Wild Heaven's flagship brews also fits the times: It's called 'Emergency Drinking Beer.'

Like other retailers, breweries were forced to quickly create new business models after federal and state officials temporarily shuttered non-essential businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Unemployment has affected several Americans as new claims for unemployment benefits reached 5.2milllion and at least 22 million are out of work.

Purdy said orders for Fauci Springs can be made online for curbside pickup.

'Breweries are always community-minded and it's been wonderful to be supported by communities that see their local breweries as essential,' he said.

'We're just trying to spread joy in a tough time,' he added.

Since Fauci was introduced to the American public, he's become a sort of celebrity figure, with people making Fauci-style bobbleheads, clothing and a petition to make him People's Sexiest Man of the Year.

Fauci (left) has gained a following of fans after he repeatedly updated the nation on coronavirus measures with during President Trump's (right) briefings

A range of Dr Anthony Fauci merchandise has now gone up for sale as the infectious diseases expert wins a legion of fans during the coronavirus crisis

Anthony Fauci's face is being splashed across a range of new products, as millions of Americans hail the doctor a hero for trying to flatten the coronavirus curve

More than 15,850 people have signed Change.org petition as of Thursday.

While Trump frequently downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19, many have became fans of Fauci for the more measured way he talks about the disease - leading them to create a range merchandise in his honor.

'He isn't trying to spin things,' co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Phil Sklar said Thursday.

'He isn't trying to make people happy and tell him what they want to hear. He's actually telling them, you know, how he sees it as an expert. And I think that's really what we need him this time.'

Additionally, alcohol sales have increased in the United States during coronavirus lockdown 'not seen since the Prohibition.'

Alcohol sales were up 22% in the final week of March, not as large an increase as in the two previous weeks, but a rise that is far higher than expected.

Beer, flavored malt and cider sold 17% more than in the same week in March 2019. But more staggeringly, online sales of alcohol for March increased by 291% on the previous year.

Experts have warned that among the dire impacts of the lockdown on people's health, many turn to alcohol as they become depressed by their diminished quality of life.

Danny Brager, Senior Vice President of Beverage Alcohol at Nielsen, told Forbes: 'Not unexpectedly, given the stunning consumer purchasing levels we saw in the two previous weeks, while sales grew significantly versus one year ago in the week ending March 28, 2020, they also dropped significantly versus last week's levels.

'This week was an adjustment week during which consumers moved away from the same level of stocking up we saw previously.'

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has allowed permit liquor stores to remain open despite him ordering non-essential businesses to close to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Essential businesses include hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores and news media.
WAUKEGAN, Ill., April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, International Medical Corps has deployed emergency medical field units, personal protective equipment (PPE) and volunteer clinicians to Vista Medical Center East. The hospital is part of Vista Health System, which has served Lake County since 1891, and now finds itself managing the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Medical Corps field units enable hospitals to expand the available triage and treatment space at existing facilities, improve patient flow and keep COVID-19 patients separated from other patients. Depending on the configuration chosen, hospitals can potentially treat hundreds of extra patients per day with the field units, which can include patient beds, medical examination supplies, portable sinks, power, lighting and HVAC units. The field units can be constructed in approximately six to 12 hours, be operational within 24 hours and withstand sustained winds of up to 80 mph. Each hospital determines specifically how it intends to use the additional space and resources.

Vista Medical Center East will use its fully equipped emergency medical field units to expand triage capabilities, improve patient flow and keep COVID-19 patients separated from other patients. The clinical volunteers that International Medical Corps is sending to the hospital will help to augment Vista's staff and alleviate potential workforce strain due to increased demands and patient volumes. Vista Medical Center East is the first hospital in the Chicago area to be provided with the field units by International Medical Corps. UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, in Harvey, IL, will be the second.

The field units, equipment and supplies are funded by AbbVie, and will help increase capacity at overburdened hospitals throughout the US, where International Medical Corps plans a total of 20 deployments. Emergency medical field units are now in greater Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Detroit and two cities in Puerto Rico; further deployments of equipment, staff and supplies are planned in New York, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, New Orleans and Boston. FedEx provides related logistical and shipping support to the nationwide effort.

International Medical Corps also has activated its volunteer roster of nearly 300 medical professionals to provide medical surge capacity to hospitals around the country, to fill critical gaps in patient care, nursing, and infection prevention and control. In addition, it is training existing hospital staff on preparedness, response and mental health needs as needed, and providing online training through its COVID-19 Learning Series .

International Medical Corps emergency team members will set up the field units outside the hospital at noon on Friday, April 17. Experts from both International Medical Corps and Vista Medical Center East will be available to answer questions from the media about the deployment, and about the steps being taken by the organizations to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19.

ABOUT THIS RESPONSE

AbbVie, a partner of International Medical Corps since the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, is helping meet the need for expanded healthcare capacity for hospitals on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is funding the procurement of the tents, equipment, supplies and all operating expenses for deployments at 20 US hospitals through the end of 2020, as part of an overall $35 million commitment to support COVID-19 relief efforts around the world.

FedEx, as part of its long-time collaboration with International Medical Corps, is providing extensive logistical support, delivering the shelters and supplies as part of its FedEx Cares "Delivering for Good" initiative. The company uses its global network and logistics expertise to help organizations with mission-critical needs in times of disaster and for special shipments.

International Medical Corps is working globally with international health bodies, local and national governments, ministries of health, local health facilities and community-based organizations to provide expertise, equipment, training, and triage and treatment services in response to the pandemic. Its response prioritizes areas where the disease has already spread or where healthcare systemsand, thus, populationsare particularly vulnerable.

For more information about International Medical Corps' global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit InternationalMedicalCorps.org/covid19 . For questions about the emergency medical field units or any other aspects of International Medical Corps' response, please write to [email protected] .

For more information about Vista Medical Center East, please visit www.VistaHealth.com . For any media inquiries related to Vista Medical Center East, please contact Stephanie Vera at [email protected] or 847-360-4354.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS

Since its inception more than 30 years ago, International Medical Corps' mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by natural disaster, war and disease by delivering vital healthcare services and by focusing on training. This approach of helping people, and then helping people to help themselves, is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org or visit our social channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Medium and YouTube .

ABOUT VISTA HEALTH SYSTEM

Vista Health System is a network that includes Vista Medical Center East, a hospital in Waukegan; the Vista Lindenhurst campus, which includes the Vista Ambulatory Care Center, Lindenhurst Surgery Center LLC, the Vista Freestanding Emergency Center and the Vista Medical Office Building; and several locations for imaging and physician practices.

SOURCE AbbVie; International Medical Corps; Vista Health System

Related Links

http://www.VistaHealth.com


I've been covering the pandemic since the first stages of the deadly outbreak around Milan and Venice in late February . It was obvious I could catch it. But as a healthy 34-year-old with no underlying health conditions, I wasn't overly worried about falling ill. I saw the virus as a big story to cover, not a threat to my health.

It's strangely easy to become desensitised to death on an industrial scale, and I fear that is happening to some degree in Australia as well as here in the UK. Distracted by Boris Johnson's brush with mortality , Britain seems to have not fully come to grips with the scale of the unfolding disaster. More than 13,000 have now died, although the true figure is much higher because thousands of deaths in the community aren't included in the tally. The epidemic in the UK is tracking disturbingly close to Italy, whose plight once shocked the world.

London: The days had a grim rhythm before I got sick. As coronavirus tightened its grip on Europe, Spain's latest death toll would come in mid-morning, France and the United Kingdom would follow mid-afternoon and Italy at 5pm. Thousands would be dead by the time I filed my story before dinner.

Then, about two weeks ago, I woke up with a sore throat and felt lethargic. I sent my editor a message on Wednesday April 1 asking for a couple of quiet days to shake off what I assumed was exhaustion. But things spiralled and the symptoms of COVID-19 developed rapidly. By Saturday, my sense of taste and smell disappeared and my body felt like it had been pummelled by baseball bats.

Fever set in as I went to bed that night. Cold chills made me shake uncontrollably for hours even though my skin was searingly hot to touch. The chills eventually subsided and I was boiling for the rest of the night. The next day I could barely stand up and didn't have the energy to do anything other than sit on the couch or lie in bed. I couldn't focus on a television screen for more than a few minutes. My neck felt like it had been trampled on and my head like it was about to explode.

I sat at my desk that Sunday night and filed a story about the Queen's rare broadcast to the nation. I struggled to type and felt like I was about to pass out. That same night I shook so violently from the fever that I threw up.

By mid-week, a dry cough had set in and my breathing got shorter and sharper. One of the worst moments came on Thursday when I got up for the third time that night. After getting out of the shower, I got dressed in the bathroom but slumped to the floor clutching my chest and gasping for air. At the end of half-an-hour on the tiles I still couldn't stand up so had to crawl on my hands and knees back to the bedroom and literally climb into bed. I never told my already worried family, friends or colleagues that bit.

I did not think I was going to die but it absolutely felt like the virus was trying hard to kill me. I've never been so sick, or scared.
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There was no certainty that the Centres three-week lockdown period would be lifted on April 14, given the rising cases of COVID-19 across the country. Yet, a handful of manufacturers encouraged and promoted online purchase of vehicles though it became impossible to commit a date of delivery for the bookings because of uncertainty surrounding the lockdown.

On April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown to May 3, which meant that not only the factories producing these vehicles will remain shut, but even the dealerships that were to be responsible for delivering the vehicle will not be operational either.

Hyundai Motor India, Tata Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Mahindra & Mahindra have kept their online bookings open even in the face of the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Tata Motors launched the Click to Drive program, which is an end to end, full online sales experience enabling customers to buy a Tata Motors car with a click of a button from the comfort of their homes.

This platform, Tata Motors claims, has been integrated with all Tata Motors dealers from more than 750 outlets and will also offer vehicle home delivery for our customers at a later date.

Hyundai launched the Click to Buy program, an online sales platform incorporating over 500 dealerships. The Korean brand allowed customers to decide their preferred delivery option  pickup from the dealership or get it delivered to the doorstep.

COVID-19 pandemic LIVE updates

However, not every manufacturer is enthused adopting this method. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), the countrys second largest two-wheeler manufacturer states that when the company is not in a position to commit a delivery date due to the lockdown it is unethical to accept money from the customer.

Y S Guleria, Director (sales and marketing) - HMSI, said, In such an uncertain situation it is not right for us to commit delivery of the vehicle because, honestly speaking, it is not in our hands. How can we commit a delivery date when there could be further extension of the lockdown period and individual localities and districts are being isolated and declared as containment zones?

It is not right to get the customers money to run our businesses. If the booking does not involve money then I can consider it as a hot enquiry. But getting somebodys money when I cannot commit (a delivery date) it looks unfair to me, Guleria added.

While the vehicle-buying experience does culminate in a physical visit to the showroom the trend of getting prospective customers to book the vehicle online started a few quarters ago in India; Mercedes started taking online bookings from October 2019. The German luxury car giant expects a significant part of its total sales to be completely online by 2025.

French carmaker Renault also started with online sales of its cars in light of the lockdown. However, customers are not required to put any money on the table right away.

A day before the lockdown was to get extended by three weeks Renault launched an online booking campaign, Book Online Pay Later, which lets the customer book a Renault vehicle online, through the Renault India website or on the My Renault App, without paying any immediate booking amount.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
Office staff could be asked to wear masks to allow a widespread return to work.

Ministers are discussing ordering the use of protective equipment in the workplace and on public transport, the Daily Mail can reveal.

They believe it could be the only way to allow a widespread return to normality once the home lockdown ends.

Millions, including factory workers, could be asked to wear masks and gloves while working indoors.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab last night confirmed the lockdown will go on until at least May 7, and hinted it could last until June. Mr Raab, deputising for Boris Johnson, acknowledged it was 'rough going'.

Ministers are currently discussing ordering protective equipment in the workplace and believe it could be the only way to allow a widespread return to normality once the UK lockdown ends. Pictured: A woman wears a face mask in London  Mark Titchner, DACS 2020

Last night Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed the UK lockdown will go on until at least May 7

But he said it would be 'irresponsible' to set a timetable for lifting the lockdown when the virus was still killing hundreds each day.

Ministers are in frantic talks on when and how to ease restrictions costing an estimated 2billion a day. As well as a rise in testing and tracing it will mean measures to reduce infection in day-to-day life. The move came as:

Mr Raab set out five tests for easing the lockdown without a second wave of infection

A further 861 patients have died in UK hospitals in a single day;

Figures showed men are twice as likely to die with Covid-19 than women;

Melania Trump called Mr Johnson's fiancee to wish them well after his illness;

A report estimated 5,300 care home residents have died from coronavirus;

It was claimed Britain had paid $20million for Chinese coronavirus home test kits that did not work;

New start-ups will now be able to access Government-backed loans;

Medics thanked the public for its support as the nation came together to clap for carers for the fourth week;

Princess Beatrice was forced to cancel her wedding next month;

Mr Raab warned there could be no return to 'business as usual' with China, accused of a virus cover-up;

The army could be deployed to care homes to test residents and staff;

The Chancellor said new start-ups would now be able to access Government-backed loans;

The number recording symptoms has fallen by almost 75 per cent in just over two weeks, according to a tracker app;

Some 22million Americans have been thrown out of work.

In Italy, book store owners of the bookshop Equilibri prepare the shop for the reopening on April 20

Meanwhile in Spain a woman is seen wearing a face mask as she works in her bakery

What the experts say Professor Trisha Greenhalgh Primary care research, Oxford University 'If 100 per cent of population wears them, reduction in the amount of virus in air is substantial.' Professor Babak Javid Tsinghua University School of Medicine 'There's likely to be an upside to wearing them and practically no downside.' Dr David Nabarro WHO coronavirus special convoy 'We are saying get societies defended. Yes, we will have to wear masks.' Professor Ian Jones Virology, University of Reading 'Masks have value, otherwise healthcare workers wouldn't wear them.' Dr Simon Clarke Microbiology, Reading University 'Advising their use could be a way of reassuring people and encouraging them to return to work, but they aren't an alternative to social distancing, cough etiquette and good hand hygiene, as some people suggest.' Advertisement

A Cabinet source told the Mail ministers accepted social distancing would have to continue for many months to prevent a deadly second wave.

'We are starting to see other countries like Germany ease their lockdowns and I don't think we will want to be too far behind, given the impact on the economy,' the source said.

'But everyone accepts  including industry  that the next phase is not going to be a return to business as usual. We will need intensive testing and tracing of suspected cases.

'And we will have to have social distancing in factories and offices  we will need personal protective equipment in the workplace. Otherwise we are going to be back in this situation again.'

The use of face masks is common in China, Japan and South Korea. Until recently, ministers have dismissed the idea here, saying masks give little protection and a false sense of security.

But a review is under way after 'persuasive' evidence emerged that they help stop those with the virus spreading it.

And Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty last night confirmed discussions about public use of face masks were a 'very live issue'. He added: 'What we are really trying to do is to work out under what circumstances, if any, should we extend the advice.'

Downing Street refused to be drawn on whether workers could be asked to wear masks, but confirmed ministers are ready to change the official guidance if the review supports it.

However, any move towards the widespread use of masks by the public would require a massive increase in the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned last week that members of the public wearing masks risked increasing shortages for NHS staff on the front line. Professor Whitty said he remained concerned that advising the public to wear masks could lead to shortages.

Social care staff already complain that they are being left to work without masks and other key equipment.

Yesterday, the leader of Birmingham City Council warned ministers supplies of PPE were running 'desperately low', with the city's care homes likely to run out of masks in a fortnight.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan last night called for it to be made compulsory for people to wear masks in public while the Covid-19 epidemic continues.

He said: 'I am hopeful that the advice from scientists will change.

'The evidence around the world is that this is effective.

'I am lobbying our Government, our advisers, to change their advice and I want us to do that sooner rather than later.'

The decision to extend the lockdown was confirmed at a meeting of the Government's emergency committee, Cobra, also attended by Nicola Sturgeon and leaders from Wales and Northern Ireland.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Raab acknowledged the huge disruption caused to normal life by the restrictions.

But he added: 'We're now at both a delicate and dangerous stage of this pandemic. If we rush to relax the measures in place, we would risk wasting all the sacrifices and all the progress we have made.

'And that would risk a quick return to another lockdown. With all the threat to life a second peak of the virus would bring, and all the economic damage a second lockdown would carry. So we need to be patient a while longer.'

Latest coronavirus video news, views and expert advice at mailplus.co.uk/ coronavirus

How face masks got the EU back to work

Across Europe, authorities are placing their faith in face masks to help beat coronavirus as they come out of lockdown.

Spain expects to hand out ten million masks this week. Everyone on public transport was handed one when industry began to open up again on Monday.

Masks also are a big part of Frances post-lockdown plan, with the likelihood they will be made compulsory in public when restrictions lift on May 11.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said masks should be worn on public transport and when shopping in Germany from Monday.

Some regions have imposed their own rules but the Italian government has stuck to WHO advice, saying only those with underlying health conditions and those who have symptoms of Covid-19 need wear one.

Masks are compulsory for those going outside in the Czech Republic and Slovenia and anyone going into a supermarket in Austria.
FPGA chips are part of many safety-critical applications; they have one particular valuable feature: they are individually reprogrammable -- but with this feature also comes a risk

Field Programmable Gate Arrays, FPGAs for short, are flexibly programmable computer chips that are considered very secure components in many applications. In a joint research project, scientists from the Horst Gortz Institute for IT Security at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum and from Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy have now discovered that a critical vulnerability is hidden in these chips. They called the security bug "Starbleed". Attackers can gain complete control over the chips and their functionalities via the vulnerability. Since the bug is integrated into the hardware, the security risk can only be removed by replacing the chips. The manufacturer of the FPGAs has been informed by the researchers and has already reacted.

The security researchers will present the results of their work at the 29th Usenix Security Symposium to be held in August 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The scientific paper has been available for download on the Usenix website since April 15, 2020 (https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity20/presentation/ender).

Focus on the bitstream

FPGA chips can be found in many safety-critical applications today, from cloud data centers and mobile phone base stations to encrypted USB-sticks and industrial control systems. Their decisive advantage lies in their reprogrammability compared to conventional hardware chips with their fixed functionalities.

This reprogrammability is possible because the basic components of FPGAs and their interconnections can be freely programmed. In contrast, conventional computer chips are hard-wired and, therefore, dedicated to a single purpose. The linchpin of FPGAs is the bitstream, a file that is used to program the FPGA. In order to protect it adequately against attacks, the bitstream is secured by encryption methods. Dr. Amir Moradi and Maik Ender from Horst Gortz Institute, in cooperation with Professor Christof Paar from the Max Planck Institute in Bochum, Germany, succeeded in decrypting this protected bitstream, gaining access to the file content and modifying it.

Market leader affected

As part of their research, the scientists analysed FPGAs from Xilinx, one of the two market leaders in field-programmable gate arrays. The Starbleed vulnerability affects Xilinx's 7-series FPGAs with the four FPGA families Spartan, Artix, Kintex and Virtex as well as the previous version Virtex-6, which form a large part of Xilinx FPGAs used today. "We informed Xilinx about this vulnerability and subsequently worked closely together during the vulnerability disclosure process. Furthermore, it appears highly unlikely that this vulnerability will occur in the manufacturer's latest series," reports Amir Moradi. Xilinx will also publish information on its website for affected customers.

Advantage of the chips turns into disadvantage

To overcome the encryption, the research team took advantage of the central property of the FPGAs: the possibility of reprogramming. This is done by an update and fallback feature in the FPGA itself, which revealed itself as a weakness and gateway. The scientists were able to manipulate the encrypted bitstream during the configuration process to redirect its decrypted content to the WBSTAR configuration register, which can be read out after a reset.

Thus, the advantage of individually reprogramming the chips turns into a disadvantage, as the scientists show in their research work - with severe consequences: "If an attacker gains access to the bitstream, he also gains complete control over the FPGA. Intellectual properties included in the bitstream can be stolen. It is also possible to insert hardware Trojans into the FPGA by manipulating the bitstream. Since the security gap is located in the hardware itself, it can only be closed by replacing the chip," explains Christof Paar, adding: "Although detailed knowledge is required, an attack can eventually be carried out remotely, the attacker does not even have to have physical access to the FPGA."

###
By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva has described as a game illegal elections held in occupied Nagorno-Karabkah region on April 14.

"We reiterate that these "elections" organized by the occupying country, regardless of their rounds, are nothing but a setup game with no legitimacy" Leyla Abdullayeva said.

"Referring to the unequivocal position of the international community on this illegal act held in our countrys Nagorno-Karabakh region that is temporarily under occupation, I would like to remind that the so-called "elections" and their results have been firmly rejected by leading international organizations and numerous states", the spokeswoman said.

She recalled President Ilham Aliyevs statement made on April 14 that "these "elections" once again showed that the international community does not recognize the illegal junta in Nagorno Karabakh.

Abdullayeva also recalled that members of the international community continue to release statements about the so-called "elections", expressing support for Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

"Elections in Azerbaijan are held in accordance with the Constitution of our country. As to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, elections can be held after the elimination of the military occupation factor and with the participation of both communities of the region. I think no additional commentary is needed on this matter", she concluded.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
LAS VEGAS, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Las Vegas Review-Journal is using its digital platform to produce special Clark County School District-(CCSD) led programming titled "Coping and Handling Stress." The 16 mini modules feature counselors from the district's Social Emotional Wellness Corner offering support for students, parents and caregivers dealing with the stress of coping and self-care in a challenging environment.

Cox Las Vegas has joined with the Las Vegas Review-Journal to broadcast this customized content beginning Monday, April 20 thru Friday, April 24. Programming will air on Cox's YurView Las Vegas Channel 14 and 1014 HD from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Content will also be available at yurview.com and 24/7 via www.LVRJ.com and the RJ news app.

"These unprecedented times have shifted the education experience to home-based learning and we're aware of the added stress this has caused students and families," said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara. "Through a partnership with Cox Communications and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, we're bringing this recorded programming directly to students at home in Southern Nevada."

"The Review-Journal encourages and appreciates the value of Clark County School District's Social Emotional Wellness Corner and the services CCSD counselors make available to its 325,000 students," says Review-Journal Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing Chase Rankin. "We are committed to providing the support needed until CCSD students are back in school."

"We're proud to provide our broadcast platform and YurView community channel to share this important counselor-created content to our families with school-age children," said Cox Las Vegas Vice President and Market Leader Michael F. Bolognini.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has been Nevada's news leader since 1909. A state, regional and national award-winning multi-platform news organization, the Review-Journal operates reviewjournal.com, a network of niche publications and community newspapers, e-newsletters, custom printing, a video production studio and more to meet the specific needs of readers and advertisers alike.

Cox is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through broadband applications and services. The largest private telecom company in America, we proudly serve six million homes and businesses across 18 states. We're dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that make each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.

YurView, the local origination television network managed by Cox Communications, can be viewed on Cox Channel 14 and 1014HD in Southern Nevada. Cox's YurView network reaches more than four million homes in 25 Cox markets including Las Vegas; Cleveland; Kansas; Rhode Island; Connecticut; northwest Arkansas; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara in California; Pensacola and Gainesville/Ocala, Florida; Macon, Georgia; Greater Louisiana including Lafayette, New Orleans and Baton Rouge; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; northern Virginia as well as Hampton Roads and Roanoke. Visit www.yurview.com for a complete broadcast schedule for YurView's nationwide markets.

CONTACT:

Susie Black-Manriquez, Cox Las Vegas

(702) 234-5323; [email protected]

Wanda English Blair, Las Vegas Review-Journal

(702) 383-0223; [email protected]

SOURCE Las Vegas Review-Journal
How does a vaccine or medication go from an idea to reality? VCU experts discuss the process behind clinical trials. Credit: Kevin Morley, University Marketing

In March, someone in Seattle became the first person in the United States to take an experimental dose of a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Doctors injected 45 healthy people as part of a clinical trial they hope will protect people from a virus that has killed tens of thousands and upended normalcy across the globe.

Last month, Virginia Commonwealth University began clinical trials for an experimental COVID-19 treatment drug, just the start of many clinical efforts at VCU to address the pandemic. Every year, patients participate in hundreds of clinical trials575 in 2019led by VCU researchers and VCU Health providers with the support of the university's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research.

VCU News spoke with F. Gerard Moeller, M.D., the Wright Center's director and principal investigator, division chair for addiction psychiatry and professor of psychiatry, pharmacology and toxicology, and neurology, and Michael Donnenberg, M.D., an infectious disease specialist, professor of internal medicine and the senior associate dean for research and research training at the VCU School of Medicine, about clinical trials and vaccines.

How does a vaccine work?

Moeller: The basic way that a vaccine works is that it encourages your body to develop an immunity to a virus so that, when you're exposed to it, your own immune system can fight it off.

Donnenberg: People are immune to some infections because they make antibodies that bind to molecules on the surface of the pathogen. Antibodies are amazing because they are specific to that molecule, and they won't bind to anything else. That blocks the pathogen's ability to start the infection and, once [the pathogen is] coated with antibodies, our white blood cells can more easily engulf it and destroy it.

How do researchers begin to develop a vaccine once they have a disease's genetic sequence?

Donnenberg: To develop a vaccine, we have to know what molecules on the surface [of the pathogen] are the ones that are relevant to generating the protective antibody response. Fortunately, with something like COVID-19, we already know from its close relatives which molecules, or proteins, would fit that role.

Then what?

Donnenberg: The next step is to produce that protein and produce it in a way that makes it attractive to the immune system to make antibodies against it. There are many ways to do that. One option that often works well is to make an empty viral capsid, the outer surface of the virus without its nucleic acid. Without its nucleic acid, it can't replicate or cause the disease, but it's presenting to the immune system just as the normal virus would.

Or there have been immune responses generated just with the messenger RNA that encodes that protein. Your body picks up the messenger RNA, which has the instructions to produce the protein, and your body makes the protein. And, since it's only one protein and not the whole virus, it can't replicate. There is no current licensed vaccine like that. The quickest route to a vaccine that can be licensed has been, up until now, producing either the empty capsids, or just the one protein that will most likely induce protective antibodies.

When do trials begin?

Donnenberg: First, there are studies done to gauge safety. And, if it's a virus that can affect an animal, researchers can do studies in animals showing that it prevents infection. Some viruses only infect people, and you have to skip that step. Then hopefully, the next step is to find out if it's safe in people by taking healthy people, giving them a teeny bit. If they're all fine, then give more people a higher dose. That's a phase 1 trial.

The people getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Seattle are going to get two shots, a month apart, and they're supposed to journal and keep track of some vitals. Why do they have to do that?

Moeller: The researchers are interested in any side effects that might come up from the vaccine because there are side effects from all medications. And whether a medication gets approved by the Food and Drug Administration is this balance between risk and benefit. The level and severity of the side effects determine whether a medication should be approved for general use. It also depends on what the illness is. The FDA might accept pretty significant side effects if it cures cancer versus if it's something that just reduces weight.

So a phase 1 preclinical trial gauges safety. What happens after that?

Donnenberg: The next stage is to randomize subjects to give the vaccine to or not and measure the antibody levels that they have afterwards. You're looking for an antibody level that is high enough to be able to inactivate the virus and prevent the infection.

What's after phase 2?

Donnenberg: The last thing is to do a big trial with an eye toward if the vaccine is effective at a certain level. For example, maybe we want it to protect at least 75% of people. So how many people would we have to vaccinate compared to the placebo to see a significant difference? Then if the vaccine works, you'd have a lower infection rate in the experimental group than in the control group, but you want enough people in the trial that the difference would be statistically significant. That's phase 3.

Would you directly expose participants, healthy people injected with the vaccine, to the virus?

Clinical Research at VCU

Moeller: No. What they would do is find a part of the U.S. where there's an increasing infection rate for the virus, and they'll vaccinate people in that area to see if the rate goes down compared to a model of where it would have gone without the vaccine.

Donnenberg: If it were a mild infection, you could do that under controlled settings. But you can't do that with COVID-19. With some bacterial infections, that has been done: cholera, for one, which sounds really dangerous, but if the investigators are there to monitor for signs and symptoms of cholera and treat it as soon they appear, it's actually safe.

But are there risks involved for the volunteers in terms of side effects?

Moeller: Yeah. Even placebos have side effects.

So is this why it could be a year to a year and a half before anything could be approved?

Moeller: We do have to be safe. There have been medications that came out and treatments that came out that have had significant side effects or have even been fatal. You want to make sure that you're not doing more harm with a treatment than you are in protecting them from the virus itself.

Donnenberg: I'd say that none of it is easy. It requires large teams of people working together who have lots of different expertise, and it takes time to get the answers to each step.  So just to know whether we even have a hint that it might work after gauging a medication's safety, that's a couple of months of study. And each step is like that. It takes weeks to know whether it's working, and you can't go right to the last step. You have to do each one.

If people are interested in participating in clinical trialstreatment or vaccinewhat can they do?

Moeller: There are different ways people can find out about clinical trials. We post them on our Facebook page. We have a website called Research Match where individuals who are interested in clinical trials can go online and put in keywords like cancer or coronavirus. It will tell you all of the clinical trials that are going on near where that person lives. Probably the most common way a person finds out about a clinical trial is from their doctor. So if you're seeing your doctor because of your diabetes, ask "Do you know of any clinical studies going on for new treatments? I'd be interested in participating."

How do researchers choose which volunteers to accept for those types of things?

Moeller: The research protocols have a list called inclusion and exclusion criteria. And those are set up in advance to try to maximize the number of people that can participate but also keep the study safe. So if you have a new medication that you don't know what effects it will have on elderly patients, you might limit the age to under 65. Or, most medications you'd be worried about somebody who was pregnant, and you would limit it to people who are not pregnant.

Is it fair to say the many treatment and vaccine trials for COVID-19 have come to fruition very quickly in terms of the length that it usually takes?

Moeller: Yes. They've had some expedited approval processes because the need is so urgent. They're willing to reduce some of the barriers that exist for clinical trials.

Have we seen this before? Did anything else trigger such a response?

Moeller: With the HIV epidemic, they did some of a similar kind of reducing barriers to increase clinical trials, increasing access to medications and clinical trials for people with HIV.

Donnenberg: The only other example I can recall is the response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014, which really accelerated the desire to get an Ebola vaccine. There had been labs working on it already because of small outbreaks, but once the outbreak was in the thousands, they ramped it up. And what they did actually was a lot of the classic phase 2 tests and phase 3 trials where they vaccinated people who were exposed to somebody who was infected and vaccinated all of them, but they couldn't deliver that vaccine to all places. So, the control groups were simply a place that they couldn't get the vaccine to. It wasn't a perfectly designed scientific trial, but considering how many people were dyingdeath rates above 50%the urgency was there. Just in case it worked, they wanted to be able to save lives.

There are lots of research groups out there pursuing COVID vaccines and treatments. How do you make sure you're all collaborating and nobody's duplicating efforts?

Moeller: With the coronavirus, a lot of it is being coordinated by the National Institutes of Health. Then some of it's being coordinated by the FDA, if it's a medication trial. Between those two, the FDA and the NIH, they really are coordinating the efforts across the different institutions.

What else do you want people to know about this public health crisis? What questions have you been getting from your non-doctor friends?

Donnenberg: One is to appreciate just how dangerous the virus is and how it's killing people. It's killing people of all ages, too. Just because it kills elderly people at a higher rate doesn't mean it doesn't kill younger people, too. Two is realizing just how contagious it is. It spreads very easily, and it spreads from people with minimal symptoms, maybe people with no symptoms. You don't have to feel anything like sick to have lots of viruses in your saliva and nasal secretions. Lots. And then the third thing is that the best way to stop it is social distancing. It's all about social distancing. That is actually the number one thing.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
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The international community has regretted U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), voicing support for and highlighting the organization's crucial role in guiding global efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump announced Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

This triggered widespread backlash and criticism across the world on Wednesday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO regretted the U.S. decision.

"The U.S. has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so," he told a virtual press conference from Geneva.

Tedros called on all the nations to be united in the common struggle against the common pandemic, because "when we are divided, the virus exploits the cracks between us."

Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney described the U.S. decision as "indefensible" and "shocking."

"This is indefensible decision in midst of global pandemic. So many vulnerable populations rely on WHO -- deliberately undermining funding & trust now is shocking. Now is a time for global leadership & unity to save lives, not division and blame!" he tweeted.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned the Trump administration's decision, saying "the U.S. act to punish the only coordinator of world health affairs amid the fight against a global disaster is the utmost irresponsibility and crime against humanity."

"Main aim of Trump's decision to defund WHO is blaming others and covering up the U.S. government's inefficiency in dealing with the novel coronavirus," said Mousavi.

The African Union (AU) said the U.S. decision is "deeply regrettable."

"Today more than ever the world depends on WHO's leadership to steer the global COVID-19 pandemic response," tweeted AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.

"Our collective responsibility to ensure WHO can fully carry out its mandate has never been more urgent," he added.

Noting the U.S. funding suspension is "a major setback," Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told Finnish news agency STT that "the work of the WHO is needed especially these days for overcoming the coronavirus."

The Finnish government pledged to increase its funding for the WHO by restoring it to the 2015 level -- 5.5 million euros (6 million U.S. dollars).

"It is a decision that we regret," French government spokesperson Sibeth Ndiaye told a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

France expects "a return to normal" so that the WHO could pursue its work, she added.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also slammed the U.S. decision.

"Blaming does not help. The virus knows no borders. We must cooperate closely against COVID-19," said Maas on Twitter. "One of the best investments is that the United Nations, especially the underfunded WHO, to strengthen, for example in the development and distribution of tests and vaccines."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter the U.S. decision is "attack vs intl community."

"It's criminal to do so amidst the pandemic. It's a selfish action intended to distract attention from inefficient response & neglect of its people. Cuba will keep working with WHO in defense of solidarity & cooperation," he tweeted.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tweeted that halting funding for the WHO during a world health crisis is "as dangerous as it sounds."

"Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever," the philanthropist stressed.

The United States is the country worst hit by COVID-19, registering more than 637,000 confirmed cases and over 30,000 deaths by Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University tally. More than 2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases with over 136,000 deaths have been reported globally.
The Slovakian regulator  the Office for Regulation of Electronic Communications and Postal Services (also known as Regulacny Urad or RU)  has announced that it will be going ahead with an auction of 5G-capable spectrum.

The reasoning behind going ahead, despite concerns about the COVID-19 crisis, which have halted the process in a number of other countries, is to comply with an EU deadline.

The EU requires its member states to have allocated spectrum in the 700MHz band by 30 June this year. Accordingly, the regulator had announced a sale of licences in this band as well as of available space in the 900MHz and 1800MHz frequencies.

Local news reports indicate that the Slovak regulator plans to stick with its timetable in order to meet the EU target, giving operators until 25 May to apply to take part in the auction.

Its not clear why these measures are being taken, given that some countries have postponed spectrum auctions during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, some Slovakian operators have called on the regulator to reduce some of the financial burden on winning bidders, pointing out that flexible payment terms might be appropriate at a time when operators funds will be under pressure from crisis management measures.
In the last three weeks, the war against Boko Haram in the northeast (Borno state) got more intense. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) affiliate ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) has been the most effective Boko Haram faction and deliberately goes after security forces in those areas (northern Borno state) while the less violent Boko Haram faction, which is about half the strength of ISWAP, dominates central Borno State.

ISWAP has dominated the northern Borno for several years and resisted repeated efforts to destroy or greatly diminish the Boko Haram presence in Borno and adjacent countries (Chad, Niger and Cameroon) and Nigerian states (Yobe and Adamawa) . The main opponent to ISWAP has been the Nigerian military and the MNJTF (Multi-National Joint Task Force). The 8,700 man MNJTF force maintains bases and camps near Lake Chad and concentrates on hunting down and killing ISWAP gunmen. MNJTF has taken the lead in containing ISWAP and blocking the Islamic terrorist efforts to once more control territory in the region.

Formed in early 2015 the MNJTF consists of troops from Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Nigeria. At first, the MNJTF was used mainly inside Nigeria but by early 2017 MNJTF was spending most of its time clearing Boko Haram out of border areas, especially the Lake Chad coast. Each member country assigns some of their best troops to the MNJTF and the Boko Haram have suffered heavy losses trying to fight MNJTF. This played a role in the 2016 Boko Haram split that turned Boko Haram operating near Lake Chad into ISWAP. MNJTF concentrated more and more on the areas around Lake Chad and has been successful at curbing ISWAP operations there. Unfortunately, MNJTF is not present in most of Borno State and there are already some Borno areas where ISWAP collects taxes and maintains order because MNJTF isnt present. These taxes are actually an extortion scheme but it is how Islamic terrorists or ambitious bandits began establishing control over the territory.

Although still a faction of Boko Haram, ISWAP also considers itself the primary ISIL province (chapter, division, franchise or whatever) in Africa. As a result, national borders are less important and ISWAP has become a threat to all the countries (Chad, Cameroon, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and the Central African Republic/CAR) bordering Lake Chad. This is nothing new because in 2015 these Lake Chad nations agreed to cooperate in dealing with the growing Boko Haram violence along the southern shore of Lake Chad. While that effort had some success ISWAP refused to abandon the area,

This Boko Haram presence had reached the point where the Islamic terrorists would regularly steal fishing boats and move along the coast and increasingly occupy some of the many small islands as bases. As the Boko Haram groups operating in northern Borno State evolved into ISWAP, ISIL sent experienced personnel from Syria and Iraq who helped ISWAP with technical matters like bomb-building techniques and how to use commercial quadcopters for planning attacks and tracking the local soldiers and police. American and French aerial and electronic intelligence in the region and the Middle East have confirmed the connection to what is left of the ISIL base area in Syria/Iraq. Contact between ISIL headquarters and ISWAP, while irregular, is maintained. ISWAP is, just from monitoring mass media reports, the most active ISIL faction at the moment and the Nigerian leaders of ISWAP want to keep it that way. This pays propaganda dividends in Nigeria and neighboring countries where it makes recruiting easier and extortion victims more willing to pay their taxes. All this has also made ISWAP a primary target for Nigerian and international forces. ISWAP is learning that being in that kind of spotlight makes it a primary target for a lot more attackers.

Recent events demonstrate that ISWAP can take heavy losses and keep going. ISWAP now claims that they have driven Chad troops out of Nigeria because Chad now says it will no longer send troops into Nigeria as part of MNJTF. In reality, Chad has stopped sending troops into Nigeria unofficially during the last year. This was so Chadian forces could concentrate on expelling ISWAP groups from southern Chad. That is now the official Chad priority.

Borno State is still where most of Boko Haram forces are based and operate. Since Boko Haram sustains itself via looting, it is always looking for easy (unguarded) targets in the form of rural villages and towns. More and more of these places either get a military or police garrison or form a self-defense militia. These places are less likely to be attacked as Boko Haram seeks out the less lethal (for the attackers) targets. It is bad for Boko Haram morale (and recruiting) if too many looting raids turn into battles that the Islamic terrorists sometimes lose. ISWAP organizes its forces into dozens of dispersed groups that get a territory to live off and establish informants to determine where the most vulnerable targets are. Raiding an area too often either leads to better defenses there or most of the population fleeing their homes and heading for refugee camps. As a result, Boko Haram had had to expand its raiding activities into the neighboring states of Yobe and Adamawa as well as neighboring countries.

When enough ISWAP groups have made themselves comfortable and secure in their assigned area they can contribute mobile (using trucks and motorcycles) fighters that become part of a larger attack force that can inflict a major defeat on the military. Thats what happened on March 23rd to the Chad army base on Bohoma Island. The Chad forces got sloppy and ISWAP took advantage of that. The Chad Army is usually more professional and effective than that and the Bohoma raid will motivate commanders to do better. This may backfire on ISWAP but at the moment ISWAP is ignoring the recent losses on the Lake Chad coast and Abubakar Sheka, the ISWAP leader, declared a victory. He also sent out a second video message urging his followers to remain firm and defeat enemy attacks. This message was an acknowledgment of recent heavy ISWAP losses in southern Chad.

Other Ways To Die

Tribal feuds and large scale banditry continue to kill more people in Nigeria than Boko Haram. Their problems are more of a constant than periodic outbreaks of Islamic terrorism in Moslem majority areas of northern Nigeria.

Coronavirus (Covid19) has reached Nigeria but so far there are only 373 confirmed cases and 11 confirmed deaths. There are probably more of both because Nigeria does not have a national health system capable of widespread testing for covid19 or treatment of all those found to have it. Most of the cases detected so far have been down south in the port city of Lagos. A densely populated and relatively prosperous place, Lagos gets lots of foreign visitors and it was expected that this was where covid19 would first show up in Nigeria. For most of the country the virus will probably not show up at all and if it does will cause some additional fever related deaths. There are a lot of afflictions in Nigeria that result in a fever and eventual death. The government says it will deal with covid19 but wont discuss how because there are no resources for a nationwide response other than warning people to stay away from anyone who appears to be infected. This will result in some mistaken identity incidents but without widespread testing it will never be known how many were infected and died from this virus. That is what happened with earlier pandemics which were hardly noticed.

April 11, 2020: Chad claims that operations against Boko Haram near Lake Chad have eliminated 90 percent of Boko Haram personnel in northeastern Nigeria and adjacent countries. This offensive cleared all the Lake Chad islands off the coasts of Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon in that area. These islands have long been used as bases and hideouts by Boko Haram.

April 9, 2020: In response to recent defeats versus ISWAP in Borno and Chad, the Nigerian Army chief of staff have moved to an army camp in Borno State to oversee retaliatory operations against ISWAP.

April 7, 2020: In the northeast (Borno state) soldiers clashed with Boko Haram at Ngala, near the river that forms the border with Cameroon. Two Boko Haram men were killed and the rest got away.

Elsewhere in Borno troops from Niger and Nigeria cornered a large group of Boko Haram Haram at Kukawa, near Lake Chad and killed about forty of the Islamic terrorists.

In the northeast corner of Borno Boko Haram raiders killed three people.

Troops from Chad have been very active against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area and in the last month have clashed with Boko Haram numerous times, killing about a thousand of them while losing 52 soldiers with about 200 wounded. The offensive was triggered by a March 23 Boko Haram attacks on a Chad army base that killed nearly a hundred soldiers. Chad also said it would no longer send troops into Nigeria

April 6, 2020: In the northeast (Borno state) soldiers clashed with Boko Haram at Kukawa, near Lake Chad and killed nineteen of the Islamic terrorists.

April 5, 2020: In the northeast, across the border in Cameroon two Boko Haram suicide bombers killed seven civilians in a remote village. Northern Cameroon has been a battle zone for years because of Boko Haram. In 2019 the area suffered 275 Boko Haram related deaths. The casualties continue into 2020 but at a lower rate, at least so far.

April 3, 2020: In the northeast (Borno state), troops caught up with a group of ISWAP Islamic terrorists at Kukawa, near Lake Chad and killed at least six of the Islamic terrorists.

March 31, 2020: General Olusegun Adeniyi, the commander of troops in the northeast, mainly Borno state, was replaced. Adeniyi was known as a good commander but he had recently gone public with complaints about lack of weapons and equipment and poor performance by military intelligence. These are legitimate complaints but as previous officers in Adeniyis position discovered, speaking out publicly gets you fired.

In the northeast (Borno state), outside Gwoza, a town near the Cameroon border, an airstrike killed 5-10 Boko Haram men as the air force continued its armed aerial patrols of the area. On the ground troops killed another seven Boko Haram men in the same area.

March 28, 2020: In the northeast (Borno state), ISWAP Islamic terrorists killed five people. Near Maiduguri, the state capital, Boko Haram raiders killed six civilians.

March 23, 2020: In the northeast (Borno State), Boko Haram gunmen ambushed an army supply truck carrying ammunition from Maiduguri (the state capital). The gunfire killed some troops and the cargo exploding killed some more. The army sent reinforcements who were also ambushed. Total army casualties were at least fifty dead and many more wounded.

Further north across the Chad border on the island/peninsula of Bohoma off the Lake Chad coast Boko Haram attacked the Chad army base there, killing about a hundred soldiers and wounding even more. ISWAP looted the base and used captured boats to get the loot back to the Nigeria shore. This rare defeat at the hands of Boko Haram enraged Chad and more troops were brought in and a major offensive launched against Boko Haram groups on Lake Chad islands. Chad army commanders thought they had defeated and scared off ISWAP in the area around Bohoma. That led to part of the Bohoma garrison being sent somewhere else. Chad Army intelligence did not adequately monitor the ISWAP reaction, which was to note the vulnerability of the Bohoma base and realize that ISWAP was strong enough to create a large attack force and hit the Bohoma base with a surprise attack.

March 18, 2020: In the northeast (Borno State), an airstrike near Abadam, on the Lake Chad coast, killed several ISWAP Islamic terrorists.

March 15, 2020: In the northeast (Borno State), outside Bama, near the Cameroon border a brief battle left six soldiers and three Boko Haram gunmen dead.

March 14, 2020: In the northeast (Borno state), an airstrike against Boko Haram outside Kukawa, near Lake Chad killed 5-10 gunmen.

March 12, 2020: In the northeast (Borno state), Nigerian and Chadian soldiers operating against Boko Haram around Kukawa, near Lake Chad found and killed several of the Islamic terrorist leaders they were searching for.

Elsewhere in Borno the air force carried out an airstrike outside Gwoza, a town near the Cameroon border that killed several dozen Boko Haram gunmen.
Nearly 89 personnel of the Madhya



Pradesh health department, including four IAS officers and a few doctors, who have been playing a vital role in the fight against COVID-19, have tested coronavirus positive in the state, an official said on Thursday.

Apart from them, around 40 policemen and their family members, have also been found infected by the deadly virus, the official said.

"Around 89 personnel of the health department, including four bureaucrats and a few doctors, mostly working in Bhopal, have tested coronavirus positive," the official said.

The IAS officers and the senior doctors were busy in planning strategies to combat COVID-19 when they must have contracted the infection, he added.

According to the official, majority of the health staffers must have got infected while treating the patients.

In Barwani, three health department employees have tested positive for the COVID-19, another official said.

A report from Gwalior also said that a nurse has tested positive for coronavirus in the city while treating COVID-19 patients.

Additional Director of Madhya Pradesh health department, Sapna Lovanshi, said that they have not collected this kind of data for the entire state so far.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the state reached 1,090 on Thursday as the test results have started pouring in at a fast pace, an official said.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP and senior lawyer Vivek Tankha termed the development of a large number of health department employees testing coronavirus positive as "gross negligence".

"The majority of persons infected by coronavirus (in Bhopal) are from the health department, which is nothing but an outcome of gross negligence of the officers of department in following the COVID-19 guidelines," he said.

Tankha also complained to the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) on the issue and also took strong objections to the reply given by the Bhopal collector on behalf of the chief secretary on the issue.

"The chief secretary was given the notice by the MPHRC on the issue and he should have replied to it instead of directing the collector to do so," the senior lawyer said.

Till Thursday morning, the number of coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh climbed to 1,090 while 55 persons succumbed to COVID-19 in the state so far, health officials said.

So far, 64 patients have recovered and returned home, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A disabled British couple who have been stranded in Goa for more than a month have only been able to eat one meal between them a day and are staying in an apartment they 'wouldn't let their dog stay in' due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Former carpet manufacturing company worker Barry Lodge, 72, and his partner of more than 40 years Beth McKelvie, 63, are trapped in the Indian holiday resort after flying there for a 2,000 four-week holiday on February 19.

The pair from Ravenscliffe, Bradford, have spent their life savings desperately trying to get home and are terrified they will contract coronavirus while they are staying in a 'damp and smelly' apartment without access to life-saving inhalers Miss McKelvie, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, needs to survive.

Barry Lodge, 72, and his partner Beth McKelvie, 63, have been stranded in Goa, India, for over a month and have spent most of their life savings trying to get home to the UK

To try and save money the couple eat one meal between them a day after their 2,000 four-week trip to the holiday resort took a turn when lockdown was imposed in the country

They were due to return home to Bradford, West Yorkshire, on March 18 but, after news of the pandemic broke, their flight from Goa to Mumbai was delayed.

The delay resulted in them missing their connecting Etihad Airways flight back to the UK at Mumbai Airport.

The couple spent two days stranded there before a fellow passenger helped them book new flights with Qatar Airways online for an extra 2,000.

When they got to the gate they discovered their tourist visas had expired by just one day due to the hold-up and their tickets were confiscated before they were physically removed from the airport.

After turfing them out onto the pavement, a member of staff came back and demanded they return the wheelchair Miss McKelvie was using, the couple told The Telegraph and Argus.

In a bid to get home the couple have spent nearly all of their 5,000 life savings. They left for their yearly holiday to Goa (resort pictured above) on February 19

They were due to return home to Bradford, West Yorkshire, on March 18 after enjoying their holiday but their flight from Goa to Mumbai was delayed and caused them to miss their flight to the UK

The distraught pair attempted to find a hotel in Mumbai but most were closed and ones that weren't didn't allow Brits to enter due to a perceived infection risk.

Unsure what to do, they got a nine-hour taxi back to Goa and found an apartment to stay in which costs only 10 a night.

Mr Lodge said: 'Where we're staying now, I wouldn't let my dog stay there.

'We're both registered disabled and are terrified about picking up the virus.

'We're packed and ready - we're just waiting to go.'

With the whole of India on lockdown, Mr Lodge and Miss McKelvie don't know when they'll be able to get home and feel 'abandoned' by the UK Foreign Office.

Grandad-of-one Mr Lodge, who estimates he has lost nearly all of his 5,000 life savings, said: 'We both feel like we've been completely abandoned. We're disabled and vulnerable - it's a depressing situation.

After they were refused entry onto the flight in Mumbai, the couple tried to find a hotel but most of them were closed or refused entry to Brits. They decided to get a taxi back to Goa and found an apartment (pictured)

Their apartment, which they say is 'damp and smelly, costs 10 a night and their fridge is close to empty as shops are shut

The fridge is old and rusting and the couple say they wouldn't even let my dog stay in the apartment they are stuck in

'This has taken virtually all of our life savings. We're going to have to start all over again.

'We're having a meal between us a day and that's if we can get food. The shops are closed and we're not allowed out anyway.

'Beth is totally out of inhalers - she can't breathe without them, she needs them to live.

'She also has a chest infection so needs antibiotics. All she wants to do is just go home - she's crying all the time.

'Our family are worried to death about us. We just desperately want to get home.'

The couple, who have one son together, have been visiting Goa for four weeks every year for the last two decades.

The couple share one meal a day and Miss McKelvie has run out of inhalers which help her breathe

They claim despite frequent calls to the Foreign Office, the British embassy in India and various helplines they have been given no advice as to whether they will be able to return to the UK.

Their MP, Labour's Imran Hussain, has also been trying to help them get home.

Mr Lodge shared a video from inside their apartment in Goa where they are stranded

They are quickly running out of cash and with hardly any shops open they are relying on sharing one meal of simple items like Cup A Soups and biscuits a day in order to preserve their funds.

Mr Lodge, who is registered disabled due to having problems with his foot, said: 'When we were getting on the Qatar flight, we were told our 30-day tourist visas had expired by a day and we couldn't fly.

'There was a flight on April 10 and one on April 12 but we have heard nothing since from anyone.

'We're happy to pay anything for tickets to get home if someone told us we had a place on a plane we would feel like we'd won the lottery.

'It's not just us in this situation out here - there's a lot of people trapped and they're not getting any help at all.'

A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: 'We know its a difficult time for many British travellers abroad. Our consular team has been in touch with Beth and Barry to give them support and we are doing everything we can, especially for those in difficulty, to keep Brits informed on the latest developments and help them return.

'We have already announced 21 charter flights to bring more than 5000 Brits home from India by 20 April, and are working round the clock to organise more in the coming weeks.'

Fellow traveller Michael Ita, who met the stricken couple at Mumbai airport, has set up a GoFundMe appeal to help them pay for food and medicine while they remain in Goa.
Sameer Khetan, right, and Cara Tratner carry a coffin outside Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The protesters were there to demand the release of more inmates in city jails due to coronavirus fears. Yesterday Mayor Jim Kenney announced the first death from COVID-19 in the Philadelphia jails. Read more

Philadelphias court system on Wednesday continued to hold emergency hearings to determine which inmates should be let out of jail due to a coronavirus outbreak behind bars  but one judges calendar was suddenly empty.

The Defender Association of Philadelphia formally withdrew all cases listed before Common Pleas Court Judge Anne Marie Coyle, who earlier this week had rejected every inmates bid for release and even increased four detainees bail.

The maneuver was expected. Chief Defender Keir Bradford-Grey on Tuesday said in an email to judicial leadership that her office would seek to bypass Coyle because of the way the judge had handled the proceedings.

Still, Bradford-Grey struck a tone of optimism in a statement Wednesday, crediting the First Judicial District and the District Attorneys Office for working to develop a process that has helped reduce the jail population by about 15% over the last month. She also noted that 60% of the motions her office filed Tuesday in front of judges other than Coyle  most of which sought bail reductions, early parole, or the lifting of probation detainers  had been granted.

Judges, prosecutors, and public defenders have been working since last week to review the cases of scores of potentially releasable inmates, including nonviolent offenders who had already completed their minimum sentences, and those being held on cash bail or low-level charges like drug possession, prostitution, and theft.

The aim has been to safely reduce the population in the citys jails, where the coronavirus has been spreading five times as rapidly as the rest of the city. Officials on Tuesday announced the first inmate death related to the virus.

An Inquirer analysis published last year found that Coyle sentenced people who had violated probation to state prison at a higher rate than any other judge in Philadelphia.

On Wednesday, activists protested outside the Stout Center for Criminal Justice, chanting free our people," honking the horns of their cars, and carrying a fake coffin that read inaction is murder.

Staff photographer Heather Khalifa contributed to this article.
President Donald Trump is not happy with the World Health Organization. He is not the only one.

On Tuesday, in the middle of a global pandemic, Trump announced that he is freezing funding to the United Nations agency, pending a review of its novel coronavirus response. The decision shocked even some who have been critical of the organization's handling of the crisis, particularly in relation to China.

To many, Trump's allegations sound like an opportunistic effort to divert attention from his own early plaudits of China and the WHO and to deflect criticism of his sluggish response to the virus - even after the WHO eventually declared a pandemic.

But criticism of how the WHO handled China is resonating well beyond the White House.

In the early days of the crisis, the WHO amplified Chinese claims and figures without signaling that they could be inaccurate. The organization was slow to address the risk of human-to-human transmission, slow to declare a public health emergency and slow to use the term "pandemic."

And it was quick to praise Beijing. As evidence mounted that China silenced whistleblowers and undercounted cases, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director general, continued to heap compliments on Beijing and dodged questions about worrying problems with the Chinese response.

"You had the authority, you had the ability to challenge China, to question China as to what they were doing, and you needed to do that for global health," said David Fidler, an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who has written about and worked with the WHO for years, referring to the organization. "You failed to do it."

Japan's deputy prime minister recently called the WHO the "China Health Organization." As of Wednesday evening, nearly 1 million people had signed an online petition calling for Tedros to resign.

This is partly a problem of expectations. The Geneva-based organization does many things well, but it is not particularly well equipped to guide the world through a pandemic.

The agency, founded in 1948, was designed to promote global health, and it typically has been praised in its efforts - particularly in the developing world - to expand vaccination programs for tuberculosis, polio and other infectious diseases. It is less adept in the kind of crisis currently gripping the world.Inan emergency - when decisive action is necessary - the WHO can coax and cajole, but it cannot compel its members to do much. It also cannot issue fines for noncompliance, for instance.

Since January, the WHO has been at the center of the global response, convening experts, disseminating research and urging countries to "test, test, test." The organization has been praised for some of its technical work, most notably quickly distributing a test to more than 70 laboratories worldwide - a test the United States chose not to use. The WHO also has shipped almost 2 million protective gear items to 74 countries, Tedros said, and plans to ship more.

It is not surprising to some who support the WHO's mission that Trump has chosen to focus exclusively on the organization's apparent failings during this pandemic.

"I think it's a diversion from the fact that the U.S. did not respond as aggressively or as appropriately as we should have," said Jimmy Kolker, a former U.S. ambassador who served as assistant secretary for global affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services until 2017.

"There are lots of reasons for that," he continued. "A minor one is that some of the information about what was happening in China was withheld longer than it should have been."

But even the organization's defenders, including current and former advisers, have questioned why the WHO kept lending credibility to China when it could have expressed more skepticism.

"That is what should have happened," said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, who also provides technical assistance to the WHO. "That was WHO's responsibility."

A WHO spokesman put the onus on member states to provide truthful information.

"WHO expects all its member states to report data in a timely and accurate manner," Tarik Jasarevic said. "We have from the very beginning urged all countries to share data in a timely fashion, and we continue to do so."

Public health advocates responded strongly after Trump's announcement and worried that the funding freeze could have a catastrophic impact. Democrats in the United States said that the president does not have the legal authority to withhold money already approved by Congress. The president's decision, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is "dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged."According to the State Department, the United States has committed to providing the WHO with $893 million during its current two-year funding period. (China has committed to $86 million during the same period.)

"Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, tweeted Wednesday. "Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever."

Even those who have been critical of the WHO urge the Trump administration to reconsider.

German lawmaker Norbert Rottgen called the organization's treatment of China "concerning" but said those concerns should be addressed when the crisis is over. This is not the time to freeze funding, he said in a tweet. Doing so "will harm those countries most that are least equipped to help themselves."

And a freeze, warned Kristine Lee, an associate fellow at the Center for a New American Security, won't necessarily lead to results that Trump or his administration would welcome. Trump's retreat from the WHO, she said, "makes it easier for Beijing to step in."

- - -

The WHO's approach to emergency response was indelibly shaped by China's attempts to conceal the 2002 SARS outbreak.

In the wake of that crisis, updated rules empowered the organization to consider nonstate sources of information, such as details from nongovernmental groups on the ground, to assess threats. The goal: preventing coverups. It is not clear whether that has worked in the case of the coronavirus.

In late 2019, Chinese doctors in Wuhan started discussing a SARS-like ailment that was spreading through hospitals. They were detained for spreading rumors and shamed on state television.

China notified the WHO on Dec. 31 that there was a mysterious pneumonia in Wuhan. On Jan. 5, the organization issued a statement saying that China had reported 44 cases. Chinese investigators reported no evidence of human-to-human transmission, the WHO statement said, or spread among medical workers.

In a Jan. 14 tweet that Trump referenced last week, the WHO said Chinese authorities had still found "no clear evidence" of person-to-person transmission. There was no hint of skepticism or comment about the detention of doctors.

There were also signs that China was undercounting cases. From Jan. 11 to Jan. 17, for instance, Hubei province, then the epicenter of the outbreak, held a Communist Party conclave. Each day during that time, the Wuhan Health Commission said that there were no new infections or deaths. At midnight on Jan. 18, it resumed reporting cases - a gap that raised eyebrows among scientists and researchers.

If the WHO was concerned about the figures, it did not say so. "WHO just routinely repeated as if it were its own information, as if it were verifying it," said Gostin, the Georgetown law professor.

"WHO is reliant on member states for data, but it could have noted gaps in the data or simply noted that they were not able to independently verify it," he continued. "By uncritically citing Chinese data, WHO officials lent credibility to information that was false."

In the meantime, the virus kept spreading, unchecked. It was not until Jan. 20 that Chinese officials acknowledged that the virus was spreading person to person. By that time, Wuhan was in crisis, and confirmed cases were in multiple Chinese cities, Japan, Korea, Thailand and - later that day - the United States.

In Geneva, an emergency panel convened to decide whether to declare a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, a post-SARS term that signals a health crisis "that poses a public health risk to other countries through international spread."

On Jan. 23, while the panelists were gathered, Chinese officials began locking down Wuhan. Officials in Geneva wrestled with whether to declare a PHEIC, weighing Chinese pushback about economic damage and assurances that everything was fine.

The committee was split but decided that it was not an emergency, surprising public health experts.

The panel waited until Jan. 30 - a full month after Chinese doctors issued a warning - to make the declaration. "The Chinese government is to be congratulated for the extraordinary measures it has taken," said Tedros, the WHO chief. "I left in absolutely no doubt about China's commitment to transparency."

- - -

In February and March, as evidence of a coverup intensified, the WHO continued to praised Beijing, baffling some experts.

By late January, for instance, Chinese officials acknowledged that they should have acted sooner. But the WHO and Tedros assured the world that they were doing great.

After meeting privately with Xi on Jan. 28 in Beijing, Tedros lauded the country's handling of the outbreak, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, and the effectiveness of "China's system."

Some say that the flattery was strategic to allow an international team of doctors, scientists and observers to enter the country. But when a WHO team finally made it to China in mid-February, Tedros and his team did not modulate their tone.

At a news conference after an international team visited, Bruce Aylward, the head of the mission, called China's work "stunning," "extraordinary" and "successful."

While there were certainly elements of China's response that were worthy of study, WHO watchers were surprised to hear Aylward praising measures, such as travel bans, that the organization opposed.

They also wondered why Tedros waited until March 11 to say that covid-19, by then ravaging multiple continents, was a pandemic. In public remarks, the WHO's leadership sometimes stayed mum on basic matters of human rights.

At one news conference, Tedros was asked about China, including thedeath of a Chinese doctor whoalerted colleagues about thevirus, only to be detained by police. He first deferred to a colleague, then took the chance to speak. "It is very difficult, given the facts," he said, "to say that China was hiding."

- - -

The organization's messaging has been a boon for conservative critics of multilateral organizations, including Trump.

Former national security adviser John Bolton tweeted Friday that the WHO has been "fully penetrated by the Chinese," echoing conservative claims that the agency and its leader have been co-opted.

There is no evidence that Tedros is directly acting at Beijing's behest. Trump echoed the WHO's praise for China by applauding Beijing's transparency on Jan. 24, brushed off concerns about a coverup on Feb. 7 and on March 4 said China had the situation under control.

What is striking is the extent to which the WHO's China messaging has overshadowed more successful elements of its response, eroding the agency's credibility just when it needed it most.

Some critics have called for the agency to be scrapped. "What would you replace it with?" asked David Heymann, a professor of infectious-disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who also advises the WHO. "Would it ever be possible to have 194 countries agree to a new organization?"

Kelley Lee, a professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada who wrote a book about the WHO and co-established the WHO Collaborating Center on Global Change and Health, said the coronavirus pandemic shows the need for a well-funded, capable agency. A robust WHO is "going to be much cheaper than the trillions of dollars we're seeing splashed out now," she said.

"It's pay now or pay later."

- - -

The Washington Post's Liz Sly in Beirut and Anne Gearan and Lenny Bernstein in Washington contributed to this report
New Delhi: South sensation and former beauty queen Pooja Hegde has set the internet on fire with her mind-blowing mirror selfies, flaunting her toned washboard abs. She took to Instagram and shared a few clicks which have already been liked by as many as 884, 263 users so far.

Pooja Hegde wrote in the caption: A 1..a 2....a 123 gooo... #strikeapose #quarantinemademedoit

Amid the nationwide lockdown called out by the government to fight against the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak is making celebs thoughtful and creative at the same time. Locked inside the house, practising social distancing is the norm of the day.

Our celebs are trying out different activities to keep them busy. From painting, sketching to make-up tutorials, cleaning and washing dishes - almost everything.

On the work front, Pooja will be seen in Salman Khan's 'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali' which will be directed by Farhad Samji. The story will be written by Sajid Nadiadwala, who is also bankrolling the project.

The film has already clocked Eid 2021 for the release.
Laboratory technicians work on testing samples from people to be tested for the COVID-19 coronavirus at a laboratory in Shenyang in China's northeastern Liaoning province on February 12, 2020.

The U.S. intelligence community is examining whether the virus that caused a global pandemic emerged accidentally from a Chinese research lab studying diseases in bats, current and former U.S. intelligence officials tell NBC News.

Spy agencies have ruled out that the novel coronavirus was manmade, the officials say. But scientists at a military and a civilian lab in Wuhan, where the virus originated, are known to have conducted ongoing research on coronaviruses, officials say. They say intelligence agencies have gathered and are weighing evidence that an employee of one of the labs could have become accidentally infected and left the facility with the virus.

"It's a possibility, though not the most likely possibility," one official told NBC News.

Asked about the intelligence on TODAY, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said, "This is something we've been watching closely now for some time," adding that the results of the investigation are thus far "inconclusive."

Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Mark Milley told reporters this week that U.S. intelligence agencies are taking "a hard look" at whether the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab.

"We don't know for certain," Milley told reporters on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump declined to answer a question about the intelligence during a televised briefing on Wednesday.

China disputes that the virus could have originated in a Wuhan lab. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Thursday the head of the World Health Organization has "repeatedly said there's no evidence" the virus was made in a lab and that "well-known medical experts" believe there is "no scientific basis" for claims of "so-called laboratory leaks."
Longtime U.S. market leader will apply SmartLabel innovation to help CPG brands and grocery retailers improve their Canadian shopper experience

CHICAGO, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Label Insight, the product transparency market leader, today announced it will begin offering SmartLabel in Canada to accelerate SmartLabel adoption and support the needs of customers with Canadian operations. Label Insight is looking to replicate the role it played in the accelerated growth of SmartLabel in the U.S. market and leverage its best-in-class solution to aggressively expand SmartLabel adoption in Canada.

SmartLabel is a grocery retail and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry initiative that was launched in the U.S. in 2016 and has since grown from an early-stage product transparency solution to a mainstream enhanced shopper experience solution. Numerous CPG and retail brands leverage SmartLabel to provide a "beyond the label" shopper experience that communicates detailed product information to their consumers. Today there are over 70,000 live SmartLabel pages in market, of which Label Insight powers over 60%.

To fuel market adoption, Label Insight, through their LabelSync offering, has driven innovation into SmartLabel to expand its business value from a flexible regulatory compliance solution into e-commerce, shopper marketing and customer engagement applications.

"We're excited to be expanding SmartLabel in a new market like Canada where we can contribute to the growth much like we did with SmartLabel in the US," said Dagan Xavier, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Label Insight. "It has always been part of our vision to expand our product data capabilities across borders to meet the needs of our customers, and an expansion into Canada realizes that vision."

For more information on how Label Insight's SmartLabel solution can support your Canadian operations, please visit Label Insight.

About Label Insight

Label Insight drives growth for CPG brands and grocery retailers through unparalleled product transparency. As the trusted partner of over 300 retail banners, over 5500 CPG brands, and organizations including the FDA, USDA and American Heart Association, its best-in-class product attribute data and patented data science empower companies to unlock new growth opportunities both online and in store. Label Insight covers more than 80 percent of U.S. food, pet, and personal care products with a market-leading database of over 170,000 product nutrients, 397,000 product ingredients and 5 million product claims. For more information, visit labelinsight.com.

SOURCE Label Insight

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Details added (first version posted on 16:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 15

Trend:

The so-called election organized by Armenia in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh is nothing but a deliberate game, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on April 15.

The ministry was commenting on the so-called "election" in the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

While commenting on this issue during a video conference on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of the year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that this so-called election once again showed that no one recognizes this illegal junta regime, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said.

Abdullayeva again emphasized that this so-called "election", regardless of holding any stage, has no legal force.

"Once again, referring to the unequivocal position of the international community on this illegal act in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is temporarily under occupation, I would like to remind that numerous international organizations and states categorically rejected the so-called election and its results, the spokesperson added.

Members of the international community still continue to make statements in connection with this so-called "election" and express support for Azerbaijans sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, Abdullayeva said.

The election in Azerbaijan is held in accordance with the Constitution of the country, and specifically, the election in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region may take place only after the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the Azerbaijani lands and with the participation of both communities of the region," Abdullayeva added.
"Love". "Unity". "Solidarity".

In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, which had already claimed over 1,34,000 deaths worldwide, many from Asian countries have faced a spike in cases of racism. In India, people from the northeastern states of the country have also been facing hate. And of course, there is Islamophobia too.

The virus, which originated from a seafood market in Wuhan in China, has gripped the world and sent citizens in a lockdown. However, the virus also brought out the worst in human beings.

In Delhi, a girl from north-east India was spat on as the man yelled 'Corona.' Unfortunately, this is not just limited to India or Indians and if you thought, you were safe off the streets, think again. Indians, stuck in lockdown, recently hunted down Chinese food bloggers on the Internet and left despicable comments, in mostly their own languages.

To top it all, US President Donald Trump, in March, started referring to the virus as "China virus". The tweet exists till date so does the hate and xenophobia among us all.

The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2020

Read: Muslims Spitting on Food, Hiding in Mosques to Spread Coronavirus? Beware of These 8 Fake News Stories Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has become the face in the fight against coronavirus, recently posted a series of tweets, perhaps urging everyone to come together and keep the deadly Covid-19 at bay. Notably, his tweets came after Trump decided to suspend funding for the WHO and hinted at stepping up its monetary contribution to the UN health agency. The Trump administration has accused WHO of taking side with China in the coronavirus outbreak that has brought America's economy to a standstill. On Wednesday, Tedros quoted his press conference and wrote: "#COVID19 doesn't discriminate between: -rich & poor or large & small nations -nationalities, ethnicities or ideologies Neither do we. This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat  a dangerous enemy."

Solidarity.  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 15, 2020

Humanity.  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 15, 2020

Unity.  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 15, 2020

Stronger Together!  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 15, 2020

His tweet, urging for "love", got attention plenty and Twitterati came down hard upon the WHO director and accused him for being "money hungry" and favouring China in the pandemic.

Love.  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 15, 2020

Resign   King of Peronia  (@PeroniaRepublic) April 15, 2020

Love Xi Jinping your master  Prosecutor Godot (@supercoffee5) April 15, 2020

To China . From your side .  Wu Lee Tang (@MrWulitang) April 15, 2020

If you had any love, you would not have hidden the severity of the virus at the request of the Chinese government  O Corvo (@0C0RV0) April 15, 2020

Yup Love for money, pic.twitter.com/zc89ixqQR7  Quarantined Naga (@ADenzing) April 15, 2020

In fact, a tweet by WHO dated 14 Jan was pulled up which read, "Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China"
Two more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, taking the total number of cases in the state to nine, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Thursday.

"Two more cases have tested positive. Both are family members of the first patient," Sangma wrote on Twitter.

A 69-year-old doctor was the first person in the state to test positive for COVID-19 on Monday and he died on early Wednesday.

The chief minister also said 50,000 PPEs for frontline workers fighting against COVID-19 pandemic will arrive within 24 hours.

He said over 29,000 PPEs are in stock and more are arriving in Guwahati.

"With the hardwork of our officials, we have 29,084 PPEs in stock now. 10,000 has reached Guwahati and 15,000 on air. In the next 24 hours we should have 50,000 PPE," the chief minister tweeted on Thursday.

He also said the state government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that "we are able to tackle the situation".

"There are challenges but what is important is to be able to rectify and improve on the different shortcomings and challenges that we face," Sangma said in another tweet.

Meghalaya Health minister A L Hek said the six persons who had earlier tested positive for COVID-19 are under quarantine and stable.

"Five members of the family of the first COVID-19 patient and his maid have tested positive. They are reported to be under stable conditions and under quarantine," Hek told PTI.

The Health minister also said the authorities are trying their best to trace down the COVID-19 carrier as the son-in-law of the first positive case tested negative three times.

The authorities have identified 140 primary contacts of state's first COVID-19 patient, including those in his family and at the medical facility he founded (Bethany Hospital), and about 4,000 secondary contacts, according to a health bulletin.

At least 91 people are quarantined under corona care centre here, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 20:42:22|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday expanded the state of emergency beyond seven prefectures to the entire nation in an attempt to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.

With the declaration extended to cover all 47 prefectures, Abe also said the government will provide cash handouts of 100,000 yen (930 U.S. dollars) to each citizen.

The expansion gave each prefectural governor more power in efforts to curb the epidemic. They gained the authority to expropriate private land and buildings to provide medical care. They can also requisition medical supplies and food from companies that refuse to sell and punish those that hoard or do not comply.

Tokyo, Osaka, and five other prefectures were already under a month-long state of emergency from April 7 to May 6, when this year's Golden Week holidays end.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan's minister in charge of issues related to the emergency declaration, said the inclusion of all prefectures was necessary before the Golden Week holidays start in late April.

He said such an expansion was determined appropriately after consultation with an advisory panel.

"The cumulative number of cases has topped 100 in Hokkaido, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Gifu, Aichi and Kyoto (prefectures)," Nishimura told the panel meeting.

"It's an urgent task for us to take measures to keep the flow of people to the minimum before the holidays," he said. Enditem
John Hanley has nearly 30 years of experience providing a broad range of capital market solutions and strategic, financial advisory services to clients throughout the country....

Ziegler, a privately held investment bank, is pleased to announce the publication of its new white paper, "Not-For-Profit Healthcare Ziegler 2018 Median Ratios" authored by John Hanley, Senior Managing Director and Practice Head, as well as Scott Winter, Managing Director and Thomas Spiegel, Associate, in Zieglers Healthcare Finance Practice.

Historically, healthcare management, institutional investors, and the industry at large relied upon healthcare median ratios provided by three rating agencies, Moodys, Standard & Poors and Fitch. The challenge with this approach is each agency has a different set of criteria that drive rating outcomes, and the benchmarking cohort is oftentimes different from your organization and may not represent an appropriate comparison or peer group. This often limit ones true comparative analysis. Ratings are an outcome. They are a result of analyzing many factors: financial performance, market position, revenue size, management evaluation, service line offering, physician complement as well as other quantitative and qualitative aspects. Now, John, along with Scott and Thomas, have developed Zieglers own vast database to provide hospitals and health systems and healthcare credit analysts with useful benchmarking data which utilizes revenue, not a rating, to create financial ratio analysis. Going forward, Ziegler will publish its not-for-profit medians and commentary annually.

The white paper, among other items:



Provides the Ziegler median ratios stratified by total revenue and geographic region

Discusses median results as it relates to profitability, leverage, liquidity, and capital spending metrics

Provides percentiles of results to be used for benchmarking purposes

John Hanley joined Ziegler in 2003. As senior managing director and head of healthcare finance, he is responsible for the management and direction of the healthcare practice line. John has nearly 30 years of experience providing a broad range of capital market solutions and strategic, financial advisory services to clients throughout the country. His clients consist of large regional healthcare systems and independent community hospitals.

Scott Winter joined the healthcare team at Ziegler in 2011. As a managing director, he provides strategic, quantitative and analytical advice relating to the capital needs of clients throughout the healthcare services industry. Scott has extensive experience structuring various types of fixed and variable rate bond issues, implementing debt management, hedging strategies through the use of derivative products, and assisting with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and affiliations. He has served a variety of healthcare organizations in the Midwest including multi-state hospital systems, stand-alone community hospitals, specialty hospitals, for-profit physician groups and long-term care companies. Scott is a CFA Charterholder, a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Cleveland.

Thomas Spiegel joined Ziegler in 2019. As an Associate, Thomas provides technical and analytical support within the healthcare team. Prior to Ziegler, Thomas was a Director at FinPro, Inc., a full service management consulting and investment banking firm specializing in the financial institutions industry. At FinPro, Inc., Thomas managed community bank clients through strategic planning, enterprise risk management and asset & liability management. Before joining FinPro, Inc., Thomas worked at PNC Bank, starting in the Finance & Accounting Development Program and later moving to the Asset & Liability Management Department. He is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute.

Zieglers Not-For-Profit Healthcare Finance Practice is focused on providing comprehensive strategic advisory and financing solutions tailored to the specific needs of health systems and hospitals across the country.

To obtain a copy of the white paper, please visit: https://www.ziegler.com/healthcare-median-ratios.

For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at http://www.ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:

Ziegler is a privately held, national boutique investment bank, capital markets and proprietary investments firm. It has a unique focus on healthcare, senior living and education sectors, as well as general municipal and structured finance. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory services, fixed income sales, underwriting and trading as well as Ziegler Credit, Surveillance and Analytics. To learn more, visit http://www.ziegler.com.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This clients experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the outcome of pending litigation and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.
LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco said on Wednesday it has not made any offers of extended payment terms to crude oil sales to refiners, contrary to an earlier report by Reuters. 'Contrary to a recent media report, Aramco has not made any offers of extended payment terms to crude oil sales,' Saudi Arabia's national oil company said in a statement. Reuters reported earlier that Aramco has offered oil refineries in Asia and Europe the option to defer payments for crude cargo deliveries by up to 90 days as plants struggle with shrinking demand, according to refining industry sources

LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco <2222.SE> said on Wednesday it has not made any offers of extended payment terms to crude oil sales to refiners, contrary to an earlier report by Reuters.

"Contrary to a recent media report, Aramco has not made any offers of extended payment terms to crude oil sales," Saudi Arabia's national oil company said in a statement.

Reuters reported earlier that Aramco has offered oil refineries in Asia and Europe the option to defer payments for crude cargo deliveries by up to 90 days as plants struggle with shrinking demand, according to refining industry sources.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by Chris Reese)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
More demonstrations are planned in Virginia, Texas and Washington. Lawsuits have also been filed in California, New Mexico and Michigan against some of the stay-at-home orders, with plaintiffs arguing that the orders violate their constitutional right to assemble.

While operating largely uncoordinated, some of the demonstrators were spurred on by right-wing pundits in President Trumps orbit  a bit of a twist, given that the president has recommended social distancing guidelines stay in place until at least the end of the month.

The American spirit is too strong and Americans are not going to take it. And what happened in Lansing today, God bless them, its going to happen all over the country, Jeanine Pirro told Sean Hannity Wednesday night on Fox News, referring to the Michigan capital.

While Mr. Trump wants the country to reopen as quickly as possible, public health officials and many governors have said that could lead to more infections and once again overwhelm health systems. In an audio recording of a call provided to The New York Times today, Mr. Trump told the countrys governors that they can call your own shots on when to reopen their states.

Of all the political questions surrounding the coronavirus, the president, his campaign and his supporters are focused on the most central one: How does Mr. Trumps handling of the situation impact his chances at re-election?

Clearly, there are politics at play with these protests. Ms. Whitmer is widely assumed to be under consideration by Joe Bidens team for the vice-presidential slot and has been publicly feuding with the president over the last few weeks. Taking her down a peg could help Republicans build a case against her.

But pandemics are unpredictable. And big events have a way of scrambling ideological lines, as weve already seen with the unanimous vote in the Senate for the $2 trillion government aid bill  the biggest spending package in American history.
Mr. Caputo had been passed over for a job early in the administration, according to a person with knowledge of the process, but he contacted administration officials in the past month expressing renewed interest in a position. Mr. Caputo, who is from western New York, has remained friendly with Dan Scavino, another New Yorker and one of the few original campaign aides still on the White House staff. Mr. Scavino played a role in reconnecting Mr. Trump and Mr. Caputo last year, people familiar with the discussion said, which put Mr. Caputo on the presidents radar.

Trump allies heralded the move as in line with the hiring the administration should have done from the beginning: appointing officials devoted to Mr. Trump and his agenda. They described Mr. Caputo as a media-savvy operative who credits himself with good relationships with many journalists.

Critics said a pandemic was no time to rely on hyperpartisans.

In a crisis, the public is looking for credible, nonpartisan voices with real expertise, said Dan Pfeiffer, a former White House communications director for President Barack Obama. Picking a partisan loyalist with a history of promoting conspiracy theories is the exact opposite of the right thing to do but it is very much on brand.

Mr. Caputo declined to comment for this article, which is based on interviews with six administration officials and others with knowledge of his hiring.

In the decades since Mr. Trump began flirting with running for office, Mr. Caputo has played a role in encouraging him. A protege of the operative and self-described dirty trickster Roger J. Stone Jr., Mr. Caputo has known Mr. Trump since the 1980s, when he briefly worked for a lobbying and political consulting firm started by Mr. Stone and two other Republican operatives, Charlie Black and Paul Manafort. Mr. Manafort went on to run Mr. Trumps campaign for months and was sentenced last year to more than seven years in prison on a pair of financial and tax fraud convictions.
Nebraska Farm Bureau Asks AG Barr to Probe Meat Packers Profits

The Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) has urged Attorney General William Barr to probe the possibility that meat packers are illegally manipulating prices in U.S. cattle markets amid the CCP virus pandemic.

The largest farm organization in the state asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch a full investigation in a letter (pdf) addressed to Barr on April 14. It stated that an investigation would ensure the cattle meat packing industry is in compliance with the federal antitrust laws targeted to maintaining a competitive marketplace.

Stephen Nelson, NEFB president, expressed concerns over the alarming price disparities faced by cattle producers in the United States amid the CCP virus outbreak and following the closure of the Tyson Foods plant in Holcomb, Kansas.

Americas cattle producers have seen sharp declines in market prices and large margin increases for the meat packing sector, he wrote. Now is the time for the DOJ to fully examine the situation and fully prosecute any wrongdoing.

The NEFB said price disparity and volatility is critically frustrating for American cattle producers who have seen prices for their produce falling off a cliff while store shelves across the United States were less than fully stocked and demand at food banks outpaces supplies.

We cannot afford to lose confidence in the integrity of the futures market nor the price discovery efforts in cash markets, on top of the many other market disruptions and stresses farmers and ranchers are facing, he said.

A full DOJ investigation in partnership with the recently expanded investigation already occurring at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would help ensure laws are being followed and help restore confidence in marketing institutions.

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue on April 8 announced the department would probe a surge in meatpackers margins for beef amid the outbreak of the CCP virus.

It followed calls from U.S. senators for investigations of record profit margins for meat companies like Tyson Food and Cargill that dominate U.S. beef processing, after ranchers complained that surging meat prices due to CCP virus hoarding werent translating into higher cattle prices.

Beef is flying off grocery shelves but farmers are seeing prices go down If packers are illegally manipulating markets during crisis we need USDA & DOJ & CFTC to investigate + help farmers. 4 companies control 80% of market &theyre taking advantage  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) March 27, 2020

On March 27, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote on Twitter that USDA, DOJ, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission probes may be needed to determine why ranchers didnt benefit from soaring meat demand.

Beef is flying off grocery shelves but farmers are seeing prices go down, Grassley wrote. If packers are illegally manipulating markets during crisis we need USDA & DOJ & CFTC to investigate + help farmers. He noted that four companies, which control 80 percent of the market, are taking advantage of the situation.

During these uncertain times, it is important that our nations food producers have confidence in the marketplace knowing that our nations laws are being properly followed and enforced, Nelson said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, April 16, 2020 17:53 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd25b46d 1 Business strategic-projects,Coordinating-Maritime-Affairs-Ministry,Coordinating-Economic-Minister,PSN,infrastructure-project,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan Free

The government has been assessing 11 new infrastructure projects to be included in the National Strategic Projects (PSN) in a bid to attract investment and create jobs.

"I had a discussion with the coordinating economic minister as we want to assess which projects [in the PSN] can be funded by the private sector, so that we won't just rely on the state budget," Coordinating Maritime and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told a webstreamed coordination meeting on Wednesday, as quoted in the statement. His office did not elaborate on projects that might need to be scrapped.

Hopefully we can move fast given the current situation caused by the pandemic, he said.

Indonesia has been refocusing its state spending to fund the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with a cash-strapped budget. The government has allocated Rp 405 trillion (US$25.79 billion) of funding for the pandemic budget, causing state spending to increase by nearly 3 percent to Rp 2.6 quadrillion while revenue is expected to slump by 21 percent to Rp 1.7 quadrillion.

Luhut expected the privately funded projects could continue their development and absorb workers while contributing to the country's foreign exchange reserves.

A project included in the PSN list will be granted an easier licensing process and accelerated land procurement, as well as government guarantees on any political risks.

Septian Hario Seto, the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministers acting deputy head for investment coordination and mining, said that two of the proposed 11 new projects were an industrial zone and an industrial park.

The Obi Island Industrial Zone in South Halmahera regency, North Maluku, he said, had almost 2,000 workers and it already had a phase-two rotary kiln-electric furnace (RKEF) smelter for ferronickel production with an estimated investment of $800 million.

The significant development [in the industrial zone] will be the high-pressure acid leaching [HPAL] smelter construction, which will be completed in the third quarter of 2020, he said, adding that the investment for the smelter was estimated at $1 billion.

The HPAL smelter produces material for lithium batteries, cobalt sulfate and nickel sulfate.

Septian went on to say that the second suggested project for the PSN was the Weda Bay Industrial Park project, where a smelter operation was halted due to the coronavirus outbreak. The plan for its 2020 investment was around $4 billion to $5 billion while exports were estimated to reach at least $2 billion by 2024.

The other nine projects are six smelter projects, one coal-to-methane processing area in East Kalimantan, a methane industrial area and the construction of the Kediri-Tulungagung toll road in East Java.

The projects investors are being financially evaluated to make sure they can finish the projects by 2024 and be included in the PSN, he said.

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said there were currently 232 new project proposals to be included in the PSN, 84 of which were proposed by ministries, 123 projects by regional governments and 17 by state and regional-owned enterprises (BUMN/D) and eight projects by private sector investors.

At the same time, the government has scrapped 10 projects from the PSN list as their estimated completion times are beyond 2024, the year when President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's second term will end. (eyc)
Former President John Mahama has said it is time for the government to employ doctors and other health workers who have are jobless to help with the fight against the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Speaking at a ceremony to present food items to some twenty thousand households in locked-down areas such as Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa, Mr Mahama said: This might also be the time for government to employ more doctors and other health workers-in-waiting who have been idling at home, some for many years.

This might become necessary as many health workers who suspect they may have been exposed to the virus have begun to self-isolate in order not to further spread the disease, he explained.

Just recently, twhe Coalition of Graduate Unemployed Allied Health professionals (COAHP) withdrew the services of its members from the nationwide COVID-19 contact-tracing and testing exercise from eApril 13, 2020.

The withdrawal of services followed a threat the coalition issued to that effect last week if they were not given permanent employment by the government.

The coalition, which had 1,855 of its 3,797 members volunteering for the exercise, feels its members have been discriminated against by the government as far as the recruitment of the 2017 batch of health workers is concerned.

Members of the group do not understand why nurses and midwives were recruited and Allied Health Professionals excluded.

The group, in a statement, expressed its unhappiness about the neglect and unfair treatment being meted out to them.

The leadership of the Coalition of Graduate Unemployed Allied Health Professionals (COAHP 2017 and 2018 batch, wishes to inform the general public that, effective 13th April 2020, all members who volunteered to do contact tracing, sample taking and testing nationwide have withdrawn their services in the COVID-19 teams.

Follow-ups were done to this effect and the Ministry of Health promised us that, latest by March, our financial clearance will be granted, we thereby could not fathom why only that of nurses was granted leaving out Allied Health Professionals, the statement said.

The group warned that contact-tracing, sample-taking, testing and all public health activities are strictly the work of certified Allied Health Professionals.

---classfmonline
The pastor at Cornerstone Elim Church in Silverdale first took ill at the end of March with a cough and was self-isolating at home (stock photo)

A Co Antrim father-of-two has died after testing positive for coronavirus at Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Edwin Cotter (51) was originally from Ballymena and had been living in North Staffordshire.

He leaves behind wife Lorna and two sons Aaron and Sam.

The pastor at Cornerstone Elim Church in Silverdale first took ill at the end of March with a cough and was self-isolating at home.

After his condition worsened he was admitted to hospital on Friday, April 3, and tested positive for Covid-19. He died on Wednesday, April 8.

Writing on Facebook, Mrs Cotter thanked those who have supported her family since her husband's death.

"We already knew we had someone very special in our lives but to read the words from so many people brings us such comfort at this difficult time," she said.

"There are too many to thank each of you individually, we are so blessed to have you all in our lives. Thank you once again Lorna, Aaron and Sam."

Mr Cotter was also a governor at Silverdale Primary Academy and was responsible for setting up the food bank in the community.

On Sunday there was a round of applause for Mr Cotter outside his church and floral tributes were also left.
YEREVAN.  Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: () the authorities and their "satellites" kept a stony silence in connection with our news published the previous day.

We are talking about Khachatur Barseghyan, the person who worked as a cook in the government summer house and in [PM] Nikol Pashinyan's house, who was infected with the coronavirus.

He was the only infected person during a wedding in Marmarik village, which was attended by about 300 people, but it is not known where he got the infection, what circles he has been in contact with before that.

In response to our question whether the result of Khachatur Barseghyan's second [COVID-19] test came, our sources said, yes, it came yesterday, it was negative, he has already been discharged [from hospital].

Where did he go from the hospital? Can he continue to work? "We are not the addressee of the question. After the illness, the paper was given to him according to his place of residence."
TDT | Manama

The cooperation between Bahrains executive and legislative branches has been a pillar in the national efforts to handle the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa said yesterday. HRH the Premier added that the Kingdom must brace for the upcoming phase in its battle against COVID-19, and this will necessitate even more cooperation and a review of certain laws for the sake of their consistency with current developments.

HRH the Premier was speaking as he received at his palace in Riffa yesterday Representatives Council Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal and Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh. He reiterated support to the legislative branch and the keenness on further boosting its cooperation with the executive branch, in order to serve the nation and promote its security, stability and prosperity. HRH the Prime Minister lauded the support of the legislature to the governments efforts, especially in this phase, which requires concerted efforts to contain and weather the impact of COVID-19.

He said the pandemic has greatly affected the world in various fields, and in this light, Bahrain has taken preemptive measures to mitigate the repercussions of the crisis. HRH the Premier commended the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to the governments decisions aimed at alleviating the impact of the pandemic on citizens and backing the economic sectors to enable them to continue contributing to the Kingdoms development.

He also thanked members of the legislative branch for their keenness on getting assured about his good health while he was abroad, stressing their interest was an impetus to continue sparing no effort in serving the nation and citizens. HRH the Prime Minister praised awareness of the Bahraini people and their contribution to boosting the governments efforts in facing the coronavirus. He also thanked the media for their role in raising social awareness and harnessing efforts to fight the virus. HRH the Premier lauded the great work done by the medical and nursing staff in Bahrain, which has resulted in remarkable success in containing the infection.

He underlined the Kingdoms efforts to protect all citizens in Bahrain and abroad, pointing out the procedures taken in this respect. HRH the Prime Minister affirmed the great care accorded to the expatriate workforce, pointing out that employers also share a common responsibility in providing healthy accommodation for the workers and in following regulations and laws. The Representatives Council Speaker and Shura Council Chairman lauded the directives of HRH the Premier regarding the containment of the coronavirus and alleviation of its impact on citizens, stressing support of the legislature to all decisions taken by the government in this respect.

They said Bahrains remarkable success in dealing with the crisis, which has received international praise, is the dividend of the governments ability to provide a sound infrastructure, compared to other countries, in the health sector. They also thanked HRH the Premier for his unwavering keenness on boosting cooperation between the legislature and the executive branch, which greatly contributes to promoting the democratic march in the Kingdom.
As social distancing continues to take its toll on residents obliging by the rules, one expat English teacher has decided to use the time to good effect.

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Wayne Worrell who started the campaign. Photo courtesy of Wayne Worrell

As social distancing continues to take its toll on residents obliging by the rules, one expat English teacher has decided to use the time to good effect.

Wayne Worrell has started a social media campaign he hopes will not only show support for the many frontline workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic but also help unite the Vietnamese and expat communities.

From left to right: Julia Meyer, Courtney Jordaanand Molly McMiles, who are English teachers in Ha Noi, fromSouth Africa.Photo from Facebook

Alex Pike, an English teacher in Ha Noi, from the US.Photo from Facebook

This last two and a half months has been very tough, said the father-of-three.

Not just for us, but for most people. I decided to try and help the best way I could with what resources I had. And this is by uniting Vietnamese and expats together.

Worrell is no stranger to these sorts of campaigns. Also during the coronavirus pandemic, he arranged a blood drive to get much-needed supplies to medical facilities.

Chelsea Kerbaugh, a music teacherfrom the US. Photo from Facebook

Dan and Maggie Klien, educational consultant, and an elementary teacher, from the US. They work in Ha Noi. Photo from Facebook

For his latest venture, he is calling on expats to photograph and video themselves holding messages of support directed at the thousands of medical staff, police, military and volunteers.

He added: Ive been at home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, looking after my boys, which has been fun but I needed something to do.

The first one I did was a blood drive which went viral and was absolutely fantastic, brilliant response and it brought people closer together.

I did another one, clap for carers, which was another fantastic motivation to bring everyone together.

I did a post on behalf of the doctors and nurses. They were asking people to stay at home, so they said the only thing we want from you is to stay at home and be safe.

Ill always remember those words and seeing those pictures and that went viral also. It always stuck in my mind and being at home gives you time to think.

So, I decided to do the reverse and be able to actually thank the doctors, the nurses, the police, the military, the volunteers, as well as the expat community.

Elyciah Klaartjies, an English teacher from South Africa. Photo from Facebook

I reached out to my friends, I reached out to their friends, and within two days everyone wrote their words to be able to express how they feel and the gratitude they have, like myself.

I feel so much gratitude to the doctors, to the nurses, to the police, to the military and to the voluntary workers. They have given the ultimate sacrifice, to keep us safe.

Since launching the campaign, Worrell has been inundated with messages from people expressing their gratitude and showing support to the frontline workers.

In one video message, an expat says: Thank you Viet Nam. Especially doctors, nurses and all Vietnamese health workers for keeping us safe. We appreciate your efforts.

Another adds: Hi nurses and doctors, I wanted to say a big, huge thank you for your strength and support and courageousness during the COVID-19 crisis.

Joe, Becca andScotty Phillips, an academic director and a music teacher from the US. Photo from Facebook

The motto behind the campaign is 'Viet Nam co len' which is a call to tell the country to keep fighting. Worrell has no do doubt that a fighting spirit will help conquer COVID-19.

I am one of those who does what they have asked us to, stay home. And thats what we all should be doing now, stay home and be safe, he added.

I think about my family, I think about my children. I want to go out, who doesnt?

Viet Nam was doing good before, Viet Nam will do good again.

To take part in the campaign simply make a sign like the examples shown here, take a photograph of yourself and post to social media pages. And share your image in groups to show your support. VNS

Mohit Sharma, who works in imports and exports, from India. Photo from Facebook

Vani Veikoso, an English teacher from Fiji. Photo from Facebook

Paul Kennedy (VNS)

PM calls on expats to keep joining nation's efforts in pandemic combat Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent a letter to the overseas Vietnamese community, calling on them to remain unanimous and stand side by side with the homeland in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

High school student updates Covid-19 information for ex-pats in Vietnam A Vietnamese high school student has launched a fan page on Facebook to update information about the Covid-19 epidemic in Vietnam for foreigners living in the country.
As the battle against the CCP virus continues, more and more medical staff the world over have been working long hours to help and care for patients on the front line of overcrowded hospitals.

In the midst of their continuous efforts, a group of five nurses from the labor and delivery unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee took a prayer session to guide them in their prolonged fight. The powerful moment that occurred at the helipad of the hospital has now become viral after a nurse shared pictures on Facebook.

When you have a few extra minutes at work you take the time to go to the Helipad and pray, Angela Gleaves began her post. We prayed over the staff in our unit as well as all of the hospital employees.

When you have a few extra minutes at work you take the time to go to the Helipad and pray. We prayed over the staff in    Angela Gleaves     

According to TODAY, one of the five nurses, Sarah Kremer, turned 38 on March 30 and wanted to hold a special prayer session in the midst of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

Kremer reached out to Gleaves the night prior with her request. Gleaves, who has been a nurse for 22 years, then reached out to the flight communicator of the hospital in order to ask for some time to pray at the helipad before she and her colleagues could get to work.

I felt compelled to ask my friends to join me in prayer due to the fear and anxiety were all feeling every day at work, Kremer told Good Morning America.

The next morning before work, Kremer and Gleaves were joined by Beth Tiesler, Tanya Dixon, and McKenzie Gibson, who made a powerful plea to God with bowed heads and conjoined hands.

Kremer shared that she chose the helipad as the prayer spot to lay a cover of peace over the entire medical center.

Gleaves, who felt amazing to pray with her co-workers for the first time, wrote, We also prayed over the patients and their families during this trying time. We also prayed for all of our colleagues around the world taking care of patients.

We could feel Gods presence in the wind, she further added.

Their cry for hope amid the global pandemic touched many hearts nationwide. Gleavess pictures have been shared over 1,000 times with social media users offering their support.

Been praying for all of our medical teams!!!! Thank you for all you are doing!!! one social media user wrote.

While another commented, Love this and thank you all for praying for us all in this stressful, uncertain time thankful you all.

Gleaves, who shared their motto is faith over fear, wanted [e]veryone to be comforted in knowing God is always with us no matter what.

Vanderbilt University of medicine, which has 20,000 employees, now leads the state of Tennessee in the fight against the global pandemic, WKRN reports.

In addition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center has also provided an option called Gratitunes on their website for people to show their enormous support to medical staff who have been working tirelessly during the COVID-19 outbreak. By dedicating a tune to the doctors and nurses, the song gets added to their playlist, which is then streamed at clinics to reduce anxiety and lift spirits.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Asia is likely to see an economic growth famine in 2020 for the first time in 60 years, warned the International Monetary Fund (IMF).In its regional report on the Asia-Pacific released on Thursday, the multi-lateral agency pegged zero growth this year.

The projection for 2020 is worse than the 4.7% average growth rate seen during the 2008 global financial crisis, and the 1.3% expansion during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Thats because, unlike past crises, COVID-19 pandemic has gridlocked economic activity for months, forcing households to stay home and shops to shut.

This is not a time for business as usual. Asian countries need to use all policy instruments in their toolkits, said Changyong Rhee, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF.

The impact on India could be substantial. SBI Research on Thursday said the economic loss due to the ongoing lockdown could be Rs 12.1 lakh crore. It estimates the income loss due to the lockdown for 37.3 crore workers at Rs 4.05 lakh crore.

According to sources, a stimulus package for worst-hit sectors is in the works. On Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him about the state of the economy hit by coronavirus outbreak and planned policy responses to it.

Meanwhile, the IMF expects a 7.6% expansion in Asian economic growth next year on the assumption that containment policies would succeed.

It urged Asian policymakers to offer targeted support to households and firms hit by the pandemic, besides calling for efforts to provide ample liquidity to markets and ease financial stress faced by small and midsize firms.

ALSO READ| Global oil demand set for big fall in 2020

According to Rhee, direct cash transfers to citizens, part of the US stimulus package, may not be the best policy for Asian countries, who should focus on preventing small firms from going under increasing unemployment.

The region should tap bilateral and multilateral swap lines, seek financial support from multilateral institutions, and use capital controls to battle any disruptive capital outflows it noted.

Asias export powerhouses were getting battered due to demand slump from the US and European countries.

ALSO READ| Find out how COVID-19 has impacted movement of public across the world; Apple releases data

Chinas economy is tipped to grow 1.2% this year on weak exports and losses in domestic activity due to social distancing norms.

However, it may rebound later this year, with growth to bounce back to 9.2% next year.

But there were risks even to Chinas growth outlook as the virus could return and delay normalisation.

Chinese policymakers have reacted strongly to the outbreak of the crisis ... If the situation becomes aggravated, they have more room to use fiscal, monetary policies, Rhee said.
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Traditions were upended last Sunday when most of the Christian world celebrated Easter from home amid the coronavirus pandemic. While the majority of congregations watched livestreams of their churches Easter services, some Americans risked the pews to experience the liturgy in person, fueling a heated partisan debate over freedom of religion. But Easter servicesand the controversies around themarent done just yet. Eastern Orthodox Christians are currently in the middle of their Holy Week, with Easter Sunday still days away. In Eastern Europe, where most Orthodox Christians live, the abiding importance of Easter celebrations is testing strict public health measures and lockdowns.

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The majority of Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C., as opposed to the more modern (1582) Gregorian calendar. By that calendar, Orthodox Easter always falls between April 4 and May 8, while Catholic and Protestant Easter falls between March 22 and April 25. On rare years, as in 2017, the dates align.

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This years Easter poses a particular challenge to Orthodox countries, where its one of the biggest holidays of the year. Even as Eastern European societies have become increasingly secularor at least less observantthrongs of people each year still attend midnight Easter vigils, which feature the most elaborate rituals of the religious calendar. These services are not only religious ceremonies but also cultural celebrations of national importance. In many Eastern European countries, Orthodox Christianity and national identity are intertwined. In 2017, for instance, the Pew Research Center found that 76 percent of Greeks say being Orthodox is important to being truly Greek. And the Georgian Orthodox Church is considered that countrys most influential institution.

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As Easter approaches, some of the Orthodox churches in Eastern Europe are maintaining their countries strict lockdowns. The Church of Greece has urged worshippers to stay away from Holy Week services, which are only open to clergy and cantors. Easter celebrations in the countrys churches have been moved to May 26, provided COVID-19 restrictions are lifted by then. It will not be a celebration of Easter but the celebration of the ceremony, a statement by the countrys Holy Synod clarified. The Greek government also imposed tighter travel restrictions ahead of the Easter holidays, which aligns with the countrys vigilance so far and relative success with flattening the curve.

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Meanwhile, the Orthodox church hierarchies in Romania and Serbia have accepted the ban on public gatherings (though prominent Orthodox figures from both countries have been imploring the government to allow exceptions). Russia has maintained a somewhat strict policy in Moscow only: Churches throughout the country have remained open, except in the capital and its surrounding region, where the Russian Orthodox Church ordered temples to close their doors for big numbers of people during Holy Week.

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But the Orthodox churches of other countries are disregarding national guidelines. While President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has urged Ukrainians to celebrate from home, some churches have not yet shuttered, even as a 1,000-year-old Orthodox monastery, which held public church services, has become a COVID-19 hots pot with more than 90 confirmed cases. (As of January 2019, Ukraine split from Russias Orthodox Church and has its own autonomous church.) Ukrainian authorities have, however, started requiring people to wear masks in public in time for Holy Week. Similarly, while the Bulgarian government has urged people not to attend services, it hasnt banned them, and churches remain open even as Sofia has closed bars, restaurants, and schools, and restricted access to parks and travel. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has, at least, agreed not to distribute palm branches.

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The most contentious debate over Easter is occurring in Georgia, where the church has refused to listen to the government. Its continued to hold crowded services around the country and plans to proceed with Easter as usualshared communion chalices and alldespite the fact that Georgia has been in a state of emergency since March 21, which bans public gatherings of three or more people, and has had a 9 p.m. curfew since March 31. According to JAMnews, the authorities have traditionally feared crossing the countrys influential Orthodox Churchand theyre especially concerned with important parliamentary elections coming this fall. Still, Open Caucasus Media reported, Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze has tried to reassure Georgians that attending church now is not a spiritual obligation. God is everywhere, Tikaradze said.

In the middle of a pandemic, attending Easter service may not be an obligation, but it does provide comfort for manynot least the elderly, who in most of these countries are more religious, more accustomed to religious ceremony, and more vulnerable to COVID-19. As the pandemic unfolds, were seeing tradition (and mere habit) at serious odds with public health again and again. And despite the serious health risks, those traditions are hard for people to sacrifice.

For more on the impact of COVID-19, listen to Thursdays What Next.
By Akbar Mammadov

As a member of The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Saudi Arabia supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan on the issue of the second round of the so-called "elections" held in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region on April 14, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's Spokeswoman Leyla Abdullayeva wrote on Twitter on April 15.

Reacting to the so-called elections in Nagorno-Karabakh, Saudi Arabia reiterated its firm position by Note Verbal, Abdullayeva said.

In accordance with resolutions of UN and OIC, Saudi Arabia supports settlement of the conflict based on territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its international recognized borders".

In the meantime, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) published a report on its official website on April 1, saying that the elections in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on 31 March 2020 run counter to the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The OIC General Secretariat further referred to the resolutions and decisions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which supports a peaceful solution to the conflict on the basis of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan," the statement reads.

A number of other countries, including France, Germany, Turkey, UK, Canada, Australia, Norway, Pakistan, Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia, as well as major international organizations such as the EU, NATO, OSCE, OIC, GUAM, Visegrad Group, TURKPA have recently reiterated their support for Azerbaijans territorial integrity and condemned the illegal elections held in in Karabakh on March 31.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
As enterprises globally commit to sustainability policies that include use of renewable energy in data centres and other facilities, the Middle East is under pressure to diversify from the oil and gas market. Even businesses that are directly involved in oil and gas are moving to deploy smart energy technology as part of their overall, sustainable business continuity strategies.

The Middle East still has work to do, though. For example, not a single Middle East or North African (MENA) company is listed on the Corporate Knights 2019 Global 100 report, which ranks the most sustainable corporations in the world.

The MENA countries do not do well in other, similar surveys either. Only Israel features in the top 50 of the 180 countries ranked in the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI), coming in at 43. Oman is 30 places below it at 73, followed by the UAE at 80, Iran at 97, Saudi Arabia at 110, and Qatar at 112. More than 30 places below them sit Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.

Yet the region has some notable resources, both natural and human, that mean it could be a leader in sustainability.

Sustainability sparks business opportunities

Over the past five years, its become increasingly apparent that the demand for sustainable business practices  including smart energy usage  has opend up business opportunities, according to Marga Hoek, author of The Trillion Dollar Shift, which looks at the business opportunities provided by the UNs Sustainable Development Goals.

The next decade, though, needs to be about action, and scaling up of such initiatives. Through the 2020s we will undoubtedly see a shift towards sustainable business and capital in the Middle East. For business sake as much as the economys and, most importantly, the worlds, Hoek says.

The region has been facing tremendous societal and economic challenges in the last decade, Hoek explains. The sharp drop in oil prices, the prospect that the region will no longer be the worlds primary energy source, regional conflicts, unemployment  especially among youth  displaced citizens, informal jobs and resource scarcity are all challenges this part of the world must stand up to.

So the need for new economic growth and business development is extremely high, Hoek says.

The region holds tremendous assets, like space and sun, which provide huge opportunities for sustainable business models and markets to flourish. The Middle East needs to take hold of these assets to use them to their full, sustainable potential, which will create tremendous economic growth in a diversified, and thus less volatile economy, Hoek says.

Solar energy powers data centre

Tech companies in the region are starting to respond. For example, Turkcell took a big step toward greener initiatives in the Middle East by launching in November the first solar-powered data centre in Turkey, a 12,000-square-metre whitespace in Ankara that will offer cloud storage.

There are also an increasing number of solar energy startups Middle East, which are pushing the boundaries of the industry and boosting economic diversification and efficiency by using tech including 3D printing and cloud services.

But climate change is already starting to impact the region, says Wilf Dinnick, a spokesperson for Mercy Corps based in Jordan. Dinnick says the changes in weather patterns and extreme weather events  flooding, droughts, and increased temperatures are already acting as threat multipliers across the region, with a drastic impact on agriculture and demographics. This trend has the potential to exacerbate existing social and political tensions, which can complicate ongoing humanitarian crises, limit food production, and restrict economic growth, he says.

Companies can and should play a significant role in enabling sustainable change and development. Mercy Corps is calling for more private and public partnerships because they believe that one way to improve economic opportunities is help make critical connections, and support young businesses and entrepreneurs.

Investments in smart energy spur projects

In fact, some MENA region nations, particularly in the Gulf area, are already investing in smart energy projects  systems in which energy production (often, renewable energy production) and infrastructure are integrated using various technologies and digital interfaces  as they look to diversify their economies and boost economic efficiency on a mass scale.

For example, one of the largest smart-meter projects in the Gulf was recently announced in Saudi Arabia, where The Saudi Electricity Co, awarded a contract to install smart meters across the country, part of a US$2.5 billion project to install around 12 million smart meters in the Kingdom by 2025. A smart meter, which records electricity consumption, is used by power producers for monitoring and billing purposes.

Nevertheless, Hoek believes that the social contract between business and governments needs to be improved and financing options for entrepreneurs must grow rapidly if the region really wants to take advantage of sustainable business opportunities.

Majed Zambaraji, CEO and managing partner at the TimeExpress parcel delivery service, looks to the UAEs model as an example, noting that effective legislation attracted businesses to Dubai, where the company is based. Dubai has also become a platform for major global e-commerce firms due to the conducive business environment, flexibility of investment, its logistics operations, and strategic location between China and Europe.

And Dubai is paving the way toward sustainable economic business models with smart city initiatives. The Sustainable City is just an amazing development that shows what is already possible in a climate such as the UAE, says Philipp Rosenthal, Director at Anthesis, a technical and environmental consultancy for sustainability-related issues.

Etihad Airways adopts next-gen aircraft tech

While governments are looking to address sustainability through a range of initiatives, companies are also seeking to change. Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating officer for Etihad Airways, acknowledges that while sustainability encompasses a range of responsible behaviours, much of the current global attention is focused on climate change, an area where the air transport industry features prominently. Etihad Airways is committed to zero net emissions from 2050 and halving its 2019 net emission levels by 2035. Al Bulooki says there is a need for significant technological change in the industry, but these are longer term initiatives that will take time.

Etihads approach is to progressively introduce next-generation aircraft types and actively test sustainable aviation fuels with a view to introducing them as part of its general fuel mix in coming years. It has already incorporated fuels refined from cooking oil, agricultural waste and an Abu Dhabi biofuel produced from saltwater-tolerant plants.

In late 2019, the company launched the Etihad Greenliner Programme to work with partners to research, test and deliver initiatives which could quickly improve efficiency and reduce emissions. The flagship of this programme is the airlines newest Boeing 787, delivered in January 2020 and painted in a special teal colour scheme to highlight the Etihad Greenliner initiative. It is being broadened to include other partners beyond Boeing, to help identify additional opportunities for efficiency and sustainability initiatives.

Data is the key to sustainability

Rosenthal explains that the key to workable, sustainability initiatives in the enterprise lies in data. Ensuring that good quality data is entered and made available to the right decision-makers is crucial for a fast, efficient and effective sustainability transition. This is especially relevant for larger companies when you factor-in smart devices or IoT applications, he says.

City planners, for example, use IoT (internet of things) networks to monitor and control infrastructure, devices and the flow of data, with the overall goal of optimising public services  and IoT initiatives are making the Middle East region a worldwide leader in smart-city developments.

For Rosenthal, the key tasks for any CIO managing a data-driven sustainability project include:

Programmes to roll-out sustainability capabilities include procedures to ensure that colleagues enter the right information into the system;

Proper calibration and location of smart devices and IoT applications;

Condensing the raw data to key KPIs in line with reporting structures or the Sustainability strategy;

On-going data visualisation to allow decision-makers to effectively steer key sustainability KPIs.

Sustainabilitys complex multidimensional aspects mean that companies, government and the broader communities need to work together to address it. Rosenthal adds: The sustainability players in the Middle East seem to have the same view, adapting their approach to what is needed. Some are more environmentally-focussed, others more socially and again others look more towards the numbers. But progress is being made.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 21:09:41|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko are making frantic efforts to pay a fine imposed on them by FIFA, following transfer breaches against Tunisian club Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

Asante Kotoko signed striker Emmanuel Clottey in 2015 even though the player still had a contractual obligation with the Tunisian club.

FIFA, in its final verdict, handed Asante Kotoko a fine totaling 240,000 U.S. dollars for illegally signing the Ghanaian striker who was then a bonafide player of Esperance.

Asante Kotoko has until May 10, 2020, to make full payment or face demotion from the top-flight league.

"Yes, we have received the FIFA notice, and we have to act on it," Nana Kwame Dankwah, an Asante Kotoko management member said, making a passionate appeal to the club's fans to help in settling the FIFA fine.

"Let's come together so that we find a solution on how are we going to pay this money," he added.

Asante Kotoko supporters have rescued the club from such huge fines in the past. Enditem
A contingency plan to consolidate all COVID-19 patients in need of skilled nursing home care at two facilities in Bexar County is unraveling.

One nursing home on the far West Side has dropped out and one on the East Side has run into opposition from two elected officials.

River City Care Center, 921 Nolan St., is at the center of the controversy after that facility and Westover Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare were identified Friday as the two places to centralize care and possibly avoid spread of the coronavirus to more nursing homes.

The goal was to avoid a tragedy like the one unfolding at Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on the Southeast Side, where 17 residents have died from coronavirus.

But City Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan and Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert are worried about the level of care at River City and its status as the only site now available for COVID-19 nursing home residents to relocate. The Westover Hills facility on Texas 151 is declining to accept patients who tested positive.

Tom Reel /Staff photographer

River City was one of five local nursing facilities named in a San Antonio Express-News article in November after being flagged by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for recent citations of abuse, neglect or exploitation. The story mentioned several incidents, including the choking death of a resident. An inspection report concluded the center staff failed to monitor the mans behavior or develop safeguards.

Andrews-Sullivan said shes concerned about the facilitys history.

On ExpressNews.com: River City, other nursing homes flagged

I have questions about the track record. We have questions about the location. We have questions about how did this come, and nobody from the community was actually even included, she said.

The councilwoman is trying to arrange a community meeting via teleconference. A meeting publicized for Wednesday at Fire Station No. 1 was canceled out of concern a crowd might gather, even though Andrews-Sullivan warned social distancing measures would be required.

Calvert said River City is a horrible site, despite a change in ownership early this year. He was hopeful that talks about a plan to isolate infected nursing home residents would be constructive. But he also was skeptical that conditions there have improved.

Theyre willing to go before the community and talk it over, he said Wednesday, referring to River Citys owners.

The largest managers of nursing homes in San Antonio chose Westover Hills and River City, which now is owned by Creative Solutions in Healthcare, as facilities to care for COVID-positive patients, officials said Friday. It is part of a health care strategy known as cohorting, or patient grouping and isolation.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff favored Westover Hills, which has more than 100 rooms available, as the site.

The judge and I believe that Westover Hills is a better facility and should be the first to be used, Nirenberg said.

Its a relatively new facility. We hope that we dont have to use either one of the two, Wolff added.

By Monday night, the plan had unraveled. Westover Hills told the city it was pulling out of the cohorting plan, and Nirenberg attributed the decision to intense scrutiny from the media, public officials and the community. He noted that only a wing of Westover Hills was empty  not the whole facility, as he had earlier understood.

Nirenberg and Wolff said Tuesday they would need to re-evaluate the cohorting plan.

On ExpressNews.com: 17th death reported from nursing home outbreak

What were trying to do is save lives, provide compassionate care and do it the best way we know how, and in some cases set the standard, Nirenberg said.

Wolff, noting there have been no other known outbreaks at local nursing homes, said, Lets not fight over something thats really not happening yet.

The city and county are working with the private nursing home industry to contain the disease, partly by prohibiting staff from working at multiple nursing facilities, a mandate added to local emergency orders, he said.

I dont know whether any private-sector nursing homes will step up and do something, but quite frankly, it would be better if we had (a designated cohorting facility) closer to a hospital, Wolff said Tuesday.

Nirenberg said he expected scrutiny to be focused on River City. The city was notified this week that two San Antonians, a husband and wife who have tested positive for COVID-19, opted to go there through an arrangement with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission because they no longer could receive home health care.

That wasnt part of this process. It wasnt a transfer from one nursing home to another. It was done by the choice of those residents through the state ombudsman. So it wasnt something we could control, Nirenberg said.

Gary Blake, president and co-founder of Creative Solutions in Healthcare, which owns River City, said in a statement last week that the company is working with the city and state regulators to provide a skilled nursing level of care around the clock, staffed by some of our most experienced team members, for COVID-19 patients.

On ExpressNews.com: Five more nursing home deaths raises toll there to eight

We are proud to be part of this assertive and proactive effort to curb this pandemic which has impacted our lives in every possible way," Blake said.

But Calvert has called the facility shoddy and within arms length of residents on every side and the surrounding homeless population on the near East Side.

Southeast Nursing

Calvert also has exchanged a volley of letters this week with Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation, stating in one to local and state leaders Wednesday that patients at that facility are not being fed, given liquids, having their waste properly taken care of, and are being left to die."

A lawyer representing Southeast fired off a response, challenging Calverts claims and requesting an apology.

The accusations in your letter were based on fear and not fact. Indeed, the litany of charges you outlined are either blatantly false or represent a serious misunderstanding of state and federal regulations and guidance regarding staffing, protocols, and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nancy A. Shellhorse, counsel for Southeast, wrote in her letter, also copied to state and local officials.

Dawn Emerick, director of Metro Health, said a team of local and state officials visited Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation for two hours Wednesday and reviewed all of the accusations. They found no problems with staffing, temperature, feeding and other concerns raised in Calverts letter.

Theres nothing to the accusations, Emerick said during Wednesdays daily city-county COVID-19 briefing.

Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Scott, become a subscriber. shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
Weingart Foundation Grants $100,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle

Grants bring aid to the food and technology inequities in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Weingart Foundation granted $100,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle to bring aid to the food and technology inequities in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle recently joined forces to raise $400,000 to support 5,000 at risk South and the Eastside of Los Angeles students with technology and emergency needs.

Because of their deep roots in communities, Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle proactively came together to ensure the voices of youth of color are not lost in COVID-19 relief efforts and their right to education is not violated, said Fred Ali, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. We wholeheartedly support this critical effort to address educational inequities exacerbated by the global COVID-19 crisis.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced school closures through the end of the 2020 school year. While the organizations support the implementation of a public health response to flatten the curve and protect the most vulnerable, students and families are communicating grave concerns about the inequities in access to academic instruction and support, as it relates to the current COVID19 response.

Parents and families in under-served communities are primarily concerned with three major issues: (1) the continuation of education through access to technology; (2) food insecurity (less meals for children); and (3) housing displacement.

Charisse Bremond Weaver, Brotherhood Crusade President and CEO said, We are truly grateful to the Weingart Foundation for this level of partnership in supporting the vision of The Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle to jointly answer the call to the disparate and inequitable material conditions during this COVID-19 pandemic, that make those we serve particularly vulnerable, such as food insecurity, wealth inequality and the digital divide. Our goal is to raise $400,000. With this donation, we only have $300,000 to go to make an impact in the lives of 5000 citizens in South and the East of Los Angeles.

While affluent and many middleclass families are able to use technological hardware and highspeed internet to provide their children with online classes and other learning and enrichment resources, too many do not have those opportunities. For the majority of the families with which we work, it is not feasible. In fact, the COVID19 crisis threatens to further deepen existing educational inequities.

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Efforts to close the digital divide have an immediate and greater urgency, now given the school closures which highly impact students of color and their families. InnerCity Struggle is excited to partner with Brotherhood Crusade and Community Coalition to support young people in South Los Angeles and the Eastside of Los Angeles by helping to expand access to technology. We are joining forces to address a critical need in our communities, said Maria Brenes, Executive Director for InnerCity Struggle.

(Courtesy Photo)

Aurea Montes-Rodriguez, Executive Vice President Community Coalition said, The current global crisis has exposed deep existing inequities in our educational system with devastating impacts to our highest need students. Community Coalition is honored to join forces with Brotherhood Crusade and InnnerCity Struggle to fight the digital divide and address the learning needs of our students. We are grateful that moving forward, students will be able to connect with their teachers, counselors, peers and social justice organizations. When we come together we win!

(Courtesy Photo)
News Feature

Not All Heroes Wear Capes, but Most of Them Need Masks

New Mexican Healthcare Workers Vulnerable Amid PPE Shortages

Its not all toilet paper and games anymore. In recent apocalyptic happenings, your dad, the hobbyist carpenter, probably has more masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) in his garage than the hospital and essential workers trying to save us from certain doom.

The equipment is proving difficult to find, because non-essential folks areyet againhoarding things for personal use and not leaving enough for healthcare workers to purchase. Imagine that! Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says getting more PPE into the country is enough of a task, let alone preventing people from buying it all up before it makes it into the hands of those who need it most.

Please don't buy surgical masks and N95 masks. We want to create a vehicle where your state, your hospitals, and your providers have access to these, Lujan Grisham said.

Various hospitals and health groups around the city are now putting out pleas for the community to donate any PPE they may have (some tattoo studios and dentists have gone above and beyond already in doing this) and for local groups to create homemade cloth masks for them.

If you have any legitimate medical PPE, please consider donating that to healthcare workers first, because most hospitals are not allowed to request any non-medical grade gear. But if you are crafty and want to be of service in a huge way, go to Facebook and search for mask-making groups. I personally like #MasksNOW New Mexico and MaskCoversDriveNM 2020. They have tons of resources, video tutorials, and local support for your new favorite hobby!

MaskCoversDriveNM 2020 says 75 percent of their efforts are focused toward the Albuquerque Emergency Operations Center, which is tasked with getting the PPE to first responders and key essential city employees. Below is a list of medical and essential facilities who have either asked the public for donations or have reached out to #MasksNOW New Mexico or MaskCoversDriveNM 2020 for help.
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While the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to push schools toward moving their classes online, many parents worry that the benefits of distance learning fall far short of what can be achieved in a traditional classroom.

Hoping to make up for lost time brought about by more than two months of nationwide school closures, schools throughout Vietnam have spent the past week migrating their entire curricula online.

Now, as the novelty of distance learning quickly fades, parents who started the week excited for their children to be learning are battling headaches brought on by a slew of technical problems and equipment costs.

Poor execution

It took just one week before Minh Khuyen, the parent of two elementary school children in Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, finally admitted that she was worn out from helping her kids manage their online studies.

According to Khuyen, her children need to print out an average of five worksheets per day to fulfill their teachers requirements.

On some days, particularly when math and Vietnamese lessons are involved, she said, that number stretches into the dozens.

Ironically, printing requires paper and ink, but all stationery stores are closed because of the epidemic, Khuyen said.

Zoom, the video conferencing platform adopted by the vast majority of Vietnamese schools, has also opened up a pandoras box of issues on its own.

Though public school class sizes can reach up to 60 students per class, the free version of Zoom limits video conferencing to a maximum of 40 participants.

Consequentially, hundreds of students across the country find themselves 'locked out' of their virtual classrooms each day.

Just yesterday, many parents in our group chat were complaining that they still couldnt log their children in to the system at 8:40 am when the class had already started at 8:00 am, said Khuyen, adding that her childrens experiences with Zoom include countless video freezes, shaky audio connections, and forced disconnections during class.

N.H.A., the mother of a fifth-grader in Hanois Dong Da District, echoed Khuyens sentiment.

Because of back-to-back classes set to begin and end right after each other, teachers often show up late due to the time it takes them to switch between classes.

That, coupled with technical difficulties and waiting for every student to join, often leads to lessons beginning up to 20 minutes late.

Poor audio and image quality combined with stuttering video streams affected my childs learning experience, A. complained.

Even when they are not dealing with technical issues, many still find themselves struggling with the burden of guiding their children through subjects they are simply not equipped to.

Art and PE classes, for example, seem to be the bane of many parents in Vietnam who find it hard to help their kids with prerecorded art tasks or exercise routines.

The cost of education

A full armory of online learning equipment  a PC, speaker, headphones, and printer  can set a family back at least VND10 million (US$425).

Families with multiple children are often forced to scrape together enough money to buy double or even triple the amount of equipment so their children can attend classes at the same time.

Every parent wants to invest in their childrens education, but how can we afford a new computer and printer if we cant even feed ourselves? asked H.T., a parent from Thanh Xuan District whose child is making do with a budget smartphone.

Tran Thuy Lan, a hairdresser from Thanh Xuan, said that her third-grade daughter is studying from a smartphone.

Even if we had a computer, I still probably wouldnt be able to figure out how to download and print materials, said Lan, a self-proclaimed technology-novice.

According to Khuyen, many of the students in her childrens classes attend via smartphone, likely because they do not have a PC or laptop available.

Unfortunately, it also means their experience is limited by the inability to make out texts on a teachers shared screen on such a small device.

Duong Dinh Nam from Hanois Ung Hoa District also voices his concerns, stating that his own inexperience impedes his ability to help his child log in to class on the computer.

The poor communications infrastructure and lack of computer stores in his area only add to the difficulties.

On top of that, Vietnam's supply of online learning equipment is drying up as parents scramble to scoop what is left while imports from China remain throttled.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Prince Charles has shared a throwback photo for Shakespeare's birthday. (Getty Images)

Prince Charles has paid his own tribute to William Shakespeare as he shared a picture of himself playing Macbeth aged 17.

The prince is unrecognisable with a beard in the black and white image, which was posted on Clarence Houses Instagram page.

The caption read: In the run up to the anniversary of William Shakespeares birth on 23rd April, @TheRSC invite you to #ShareYourShakespeare and help celebrate the Bards birthday.

Follow @TheRSC for inspiration and how to get involved - they will will share some of their favourites on Shakespeares birthday.

Here, The Prince of Wales, President of @TheRSC, plays the lead in Macbeth at 17 years old.

Read more: Prince William praises 'selfless commitment' of NHS as he opens Nightingale hospital Birmingham via videolink

The princes early love of acting was revealed to modern-day audiences in series three of The Crown on Netflix.

The Prince of Wales was in the Dryden Society  the drama group at Trinity College, Cambridge  as a student. He is said to have written his own material, as well as appeared in plays and sketches.

He read anthropology, archeology and history while at Cambridge and received a 2:2 in his Bachelor degree. He was the first heir apparent to get a university degree, and followed it up with a Master of Arts, also from Cambridge.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is asking people to celebrate Shakespeare, despite closed theatres, with pets and even emojis as the Bards birthday approaches.

Charles, Prince of Wales reading through a play with his undergraduate friends whilst sitting on the floor of a Cambridge study. (Getty Images)

Prince Charles and other students, rehearsing for a revue at Cambridge University, in which the prince appeared in several sketches. (Getty Images)

Read more: Coronavirus: Charles joins podcast as Queen posts Maundy money due to service cancellation

The company is planning the largest ever celebration of Shakespeare by audiences in its history, backed by actor David Tennant.

RSC artistic director Gregory Doran said: As a global pandemic cuts us off from one another we need stories now, more than ever before.

Story continues

The best contributions will be unveiled on 23 April, thought to be the anniversary of the Bards birth, through a Shakespeare performance delivered by and for the global community online.

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
Pakistan army on Thursday intensified firing and shelling targetting villages and forwards posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The Pakistani troops have been hitting the civilian areas along the LoC with mortars and small arms for the last 12 days.

"At about 0945 hours today, Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Qasba and Kirni sectors of Poonch by firing with small arms," defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said.

He said Pakistani troops also violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Nowshera sector in Rajouri district at around 11.45 am by firing small arms and mortars.

The Indian Army was retaliating befittingly to the Pakistani aggression in all these sectors, Lt Col Anand added.

Pakistan army's targetting of hamlets in Nowshera, Qasba and Kirni sectors has triggered fear among the people.

The residents living in villages near the Indo-Pak border in Rajouri, Poonch, and Kupwara are reeling under palpable terror ever since the three civilians were killed in Pakistan shelling last week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A large number of American companies like Google, Uber and IBM are offering their resources to help India successfully fight the battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Photograph: Reuters.

Resources range from providing free digital education platform, donating face masks, boosting up ventilator production to converting shipping containers into ICUs.

The death toll due to coronavirus in India rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 in the country on Thursday, the Union health ministry said on Thursday.

"So many businesses Indian and US are turning their tools towards specific needs that society has in beating back the pandemic. They are helping to bring all of their resources towards this battle, Nisha Desai Biswal, president of US India Business Council, told PTI in an interview.

"So that when you have a surge in critical cases, and a shortage of ICUs house those that you can use other assets to try to do that," she said.

"(Indian) companies like Dynamitic, Mahindra, Tata are re-engineering their production capacity to make what is necessary. Companies like Abbott is fielding rapid coronavirus testing or Becton Dickenson, Medtronic, which are really boosting up ventilator production," Biswal said.

Google is partnering to do more online education for students in partnership with Pratham.

"Everyone is going into this with an attitude of what is the need of the hour and what can we do to help provide that until that critical need, Biswal said.

Google has partnered with the Prime Minister's Office to facilitate contributions to the PM CARES fund through Google Pay.

It is working closely with various ministries to help users to find useful information across its products and platforms and have rolled out an India-specific website on Covid-19 to share comprehensive information such as key helpline numbers, educational content, and a running snapshot of global and Indian statistics.

Working closely with MyGov, Google is surfacing locations of food shelters & night shelters on Google Maps, Search and Google Assistant, to help migrant workers & affected people across cities.

Infrastructure company Jacobs is part of an international alliance that is seeking to convert shipping containers into plug-in pods to expand intensive-care units (ICUs) during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jacobs is working in partnership with the World Economic Forum and individuals from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

SAP has set up an India Solidarity Fund for migrant labour, vulnerable population, infected patients and senior citizens.

It has also partnered with United Nations Development Plan (UNDP) India and HelpAge India to strengthen the public health requirements such as ventilators in hospitals, N-95 masks, sanitisers, monthly dry ration and food packets.

With NITI Ayog's Coalition for Rapid Anti-Covid Response (CRACR), SAP is proposing to build predictive models to showcase various possible pandemic scenarios taking into account multiple variables.

General Motors has offered manufacturing blueprints for face masks to 600 auto parts suppliers amid virus pandemic.

3M has increased the production of respirators, surgical masks and hand sanitisers in the range of 35 per cent to 40 per cent and almost exclusively directing supplies to a large number of government and private healthcare providers, front-line healthcare workers and nodal agencies in India.

Uber has partnered with Flipkart and BigBasket to deliver essential items.

Pfizer in India donated 40,000 N95 masks to healthcare workers, ventilators to hospitals and food packets through NGOs. It is also conducting anti-viral compound screening.

GSK Pharma has announced to provide 40,000 Augmentin Duo, 3K Augmentin IV 300 mg, 3500 PPE kits with N95 mask, 2 proton plus critical care ventilator.

Gilead Sciences has announced that it will donate 1.5 million individual doses of its Covid investigational drug, Remdesiir.

Cepheid, which has developed an automated molecular test for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has already introduced it in India.

The test can provide rapid detection of the current pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in approximately 45 minutes with less than a minute of hands on time to prepare the sample.

ZoHo is providing free software (11 pieces of software) for all companies going remote to encourage remote work to avoid the spread of the virus.

BP is mobilising Rs 11 crore to help fight the outbreak. It is providing select government hospitals with personal protective equipment.

IBM is offering the agritech start-ups a 30-day free trial of its Operations Dashboard from The Weather Company (TWC) to help these firms with supply chain operations.

Farmers in India are getting ready to harvest rabi crops like wheat, barley, mustard, sesame and peas, but many agritech companies who manage supply chains are facing complex challenges due to the lockdown.

"The Dashboard can help supply chain managers make faster, more-informed decisions by combining our accurate weather forecasts with their unique business insights, the company said.

JP Morgan Bank has extended benefits to customers who have been hurt by the ongoing coronavirus crisis by introducing measures such as waivers for late fees and a 90-day grace period for mortgage and auto loan payments.

MSD in India (a subsidiary of Merck & Co Inc, USA) has contributed Rs 3.5 Crore to PM Cares Fund towards fighting Covid-19 in India.
T he Government is today expected to extend the UKs lockdown for at least another three weeks amid pressure to outline its exit strategy.

Ministers have said it was too soon to relax the current stay-at-home orders without risking a resurgence of Covid-19.

But they have faced pressure from Labour to say when and how the measures could be lifted, whenever that may be.

Here's all you need to know about the UK's lockdown and the steps ahead before it can be removed:

- Who are the key people in the decision making?

The cabinet, guided by scientific and economic experts. Occupational health officials, workplace representatives and people from the education sector, among others, could also have some level of input.

- What data will guide the decisions?

Officials will be closely monitoring the spread of the virus through hospital admission data, death figures and other information from across the health and care sector.

One of the main considerations will be whether Britain has succeeded in its attempts to "flatten the curve" - or significantly slowed down transmission of the virus.

Real-world evidence from other countries as they emerge out of lockdown will also be important, as will predictions made my epidemiologists and other researchers.

Professor Ida Wentzel Winther says kids have coped with the coronavirus lockdown better than expected

- Where could things ease and where will it be harder to lift restrictions?

Travel to outdoor spaces could be one of the first restrictions lifted - as long as social distancing is properly adhered to.

But visiting loved ones in care homes could be off the table for some time.

Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said: "One of the things being looked at is outdoor activities - there is not a great deal of evidence that this virus transmits very well outdoors. It thrives in institutions - hospitals, care homes, prisons, cruise ships.

Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown 1 /25 Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown People queue at a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased lockdown restrictions Reuters A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket in Itay Reuters Customers hold flowers in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective face masks and gloves walk in the streets as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy, Reuters People queue to enter a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen following lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP A man wearing a face mask shops in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters "Respect the 2 meters distance" banner is seen at a fish stand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Venice, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Turin, Italy Reuters Customers line up in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria APA/AFP via Getty Images Gianfranco Mandas wears a face mask as he sorts out clothing in his children's clothes shop after it was allowed to opens following restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A man wears a protective face mask and gloves at the newsstand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy Reuters People wearing face masks work in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy Reuters A general view of the parking area of a hardware store during the partial reopening of shops after the Austrian government loosens its lockdown restrictions during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna Reuters

"My personal view is that if people are social distancing properly and if people are properly self isolating if they have got symptoms - so they're not going anywhere if they have got symptoms - then outdoor activities something we should be looking at.

"As far as I'm concerned, if people get out of their house, into their car, drive to a park, do their business with social distancing in mind, and then come back, the risks of that are very low."

Play areas in parks would still be off limits as it is difficult to teach children social distancing.

But on visits to elderly relatives in care homes, he added: "At the moment, I think it is difficult to do that safely."

- What role will testing play in easing the lockdown?

Experts agree that much more testing is needed to get the UK out of lockdown.

The great hope is that an antibody test will soon prove reliable enough to be sold on the high street so that those people who have had the virus can resume normal life.

But so far none of these tests have been deemed good enough for widespread use.

Once the virus is circulating at a low level, experts also hope to return to contact tracing in the hope of controlling future outbreaks.

Sian Griffiths, emeritus professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and co-chair of the Hong Kong government's Sars inquiry, said: "A vigorous testing programme with isolation and follow up of contacts of positive cases - much as during the containment phase of the epidemic - will be needed at least in the initial period as a safeguard against re-emergence of outbreaks in the community."

Wuhan lifts Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /20 Wuhan lifts Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A medical worker from China's Jilin Province, in red, embraces a colleague from Wuhan as she prepares to return home at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP A pilot leans out of the cockpit window to wave goodbye before the China Eastern airlines flight, the first domestic flight from Wuhan that resumed service after travel restrictions to leave the capital of Hubei province and China's epicentre of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak were lifted, takes off from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to Sanya Reuters A medical staff member from Jilin Province tears up during a ceremony before leaving as Tianhe Airport is reopened in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks and suits to protect against the spread of new coronavirus walk past a display screen at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport i AP A passenger wearing a face mask is seen in the counter at the Tianhe Airport after it was reopened today AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective clothing and masks arrive at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Travellers wearing protective gear ride an escalator at Wuchang Railway Station before travel restrictions to leave Wuhan Reuters Medical staff from Jilin Province (in red) hug nurses from Wuhan after working together during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak during a ceremony before leaving as Tianhe Airport is reopened in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Medical workers from China's Jilin Province react as they prepare to return home at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP A man wearing protective gear gets through security check at Wuchang Railway Station before travel restrictions to leave Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and China's epicentre of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak are lifted Reuters A woman wearing a face mask to protect against the spread of coronavirus puts a poncho on a child at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan AP Bullet trains at a station in preparation for resuming operations after authorities lifted a more than two-month ban on outbound travel, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images People wait for the train at the Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan as travel restrictions for leaving the city, the epicentre of a global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, are lifted and people will be allowed to leave the city via road, rail and air Reuters A train staff member stands on a high-speed train at Wuhan's Hankou Railway Station Reuters People wait for the train at the Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan as travel restrictions for leaving the city, the epicentre of a global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, are lifted and people will be allowed to leave the city via road, rail and air Reuters

- Would it help to certify those who have had it?

There are a number of factors which need to come to fruition before so called "immunity passports" are effective tools.

Dr Will Ponsonby, president of the Society of Occupational Medicine, said: "The current antigen testing only identifies those who are currently infected, it would require daily testing.

"Certification would rely on effective antibody testing. Currently no antibody test has been passed in the UK as being effective."

- What measures could the Government impose to lift restrictions?

Social distancing measures could still be required as lockdown gradually lifts, for instance people may be advised to maintain the two-metre distance from other while out in the community.

Some countries have imposed the use of face masks but the World Health Organisation does not recommend these for the general public.

The shielding of people with serious health problems could also continue longer than the initial period of 12 weeks proposed by the Government.

Officials may also look to invest heavily in public health initiatives to encourage people to lead healthier lives - people with some pre-existing conditions are more likely to suffer serious illness if they become ill with Covid-19.

- What are the dangers of lifting the restrictions?
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced the state would offer a $125m grant for immigrants in the state illegally that have been hurt by the coronavirus.

The money is intended to cover individuals who are left out of the $2trn CARES Act.

Under the CARES Act, many Americans will receive a $1,200 one-time payment to help stimulate the economy while people are under stay-at-home orders. However, certain groups of people - college students whose parents still claim them on their taxes or individuals who file for taxes using a Taxpayer Identification Number rather than a Social Security Number - will not receive funding.

Many immigrants in the country illegally - in California there are an estimated 2 million individuals who are in the state illegally - pay taxes using the Taxpayer Identification Number, and as a result will not be eligible to receive help during the coronavirus shutdowns. $75m of the $125m - dubbed the Disaster Relief Fund - is intended to bridge that gap, providing $500 each to approximately 150,000 adults who were not covered by the CARES Act.

"We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportations that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians," Mr Newsom said.

Mr Newsom also noted that 10 per cent of the state's workforce is made up of immigrants in the country illegally and that they paid $2.5bn in state and local taxes in 2019, according to The Daily Mail.

The money won't be distributed directly to individuals in the same way the CARES Act stimulus money, but will instead be dispersed to regional nonprofits. The nonprofits can then distribute the money to individuals in need.

State Republicans are upset about the money's use, suggesting it should be directed elsewhere. The state Senate's Republican leader Shannon Grove said the governor should be putting the money toward food banks, educational equipment or toward local governments.

"Instead of meeting these urgent needs, Governor Newsom has chosen to irresponsibly pursue a left-wing path and unilaterally secured $125m for undocumented immigrants," Ms Grove said.

She is not the first California Republican to suggest that state financial assistance directed toward immigrants in the state illegally is frivolous or non-essential.

Republican state Senator John Moorlach also criticised Mr Newsom's then-nascent plan to provide financial help to undocumented individuals.

"I would say helping undocumented would be a luxury item," Mr Moorlach said.

California has provided immigrants in the country illegally with more benefits than any other state. In 2019, it became the first state to provide taxpayer-funded healthcare to poor adults 25 and younger who were in the country illegally, and this year Mr Newsom has proposed those benefits extend to individuals aged six and older.

In addition to the state funded financial aid, a group of charities said it will raise another $50m to add to Mr Newsom's Disaster Relief Fund to help immigrants in the country illegally.

The Emerson Collective, Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Endowment, the James Irvine Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and an anonymous donor have all contributed to the fund.

The additional $50m would be able to provide aid to approximately 100,000 people.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Thursday urged government to "strongly consider" allowing all forms of retailers, not just e-commerce players, to operate through home delivery during the extended lockdown period.

While supporting the government's move to extend the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic, RAI said such a move will facilitate availability of all goods at the doorsteps of customers while supporting economic revival for the country.

"We urge the government to strongly consider that all forms of home delivery across retailers be allowed the benefit of doing business via contactless home delivery," the retailers body said in a statement.

ALSO READ| COVID-19 lockdown: Mobiles, TVs, refrigerators to be available on e-retail platforms from April 20

It added that allowing this for all retailers, and not just e-commerce players, will facilitate the availability of all goods at the doorsteps of customers. "This will ensure that there are fewer reasons for the public to step outside of their homes. It will also ensure greater availability of supplies and help conform to the requirement of social distancing," RAI said.

It added that this move will further support the economic revival for the country as well as allow for new avenues of job creation in the market.

On the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday for the extended lockdown, RAI said it brings the focus that the government has on maintaining social distancing while ensuring that consumers get what they want in a safe and contactless manner. "It demonstrates the intent to support the safety of the people while also enabling the movement of goods required to ensure economic activity," RAI said.
Jyoti Punwani By

Inequality in India is palpable. You dont need to know that our Gini coefficient (which measures wealth inequality in countries) is a high 83, or that India was ranked 147th out of the 157 countries by Oxfams Commitment to Reduce Inequality Index in 2018. The inequality in our society is visible when people like us buy vegetables for a week from our regular vendor just as hes being given 10 minutes to wrap up and leave, for the coronavirus curfew has suddenly been imposed for 48 hours.

Also read: Kochi auto driver carries father on shoulders amid lockdown restrictions after vehicle stopped from plying

What will he do with the stock he bought just this morning? Who knows and who cares? The inequality is visible when, in accordance with the new social distancing rules, we collect our bulky online order of groceries at the gate under the gaze of the security guard, who knows his rations are dwindling, and, though hes getting his salary, neither are shops open nor are foodgrains affordable.

This inequality ensures that in India, the coronavirus cannot be the great leveller it is touted to be. Yet, even though it wouldnt have been possible even for the best-intentioned government to overcome this inherent, age-old inequality, the Centre and states could have at least tried to ensure that those at the bottom rung did not suffer beyond endurance. Gandhijis talisman, Recall the face of the poorest and weakest, has been forgotten by governments for so long that its naive to expect them to act by it today. But the authorities could at least have shown some basic human decency. Even that proved too much to expect.

On April 1, the countrys richest municipal corporation sacked 35 night safai karamcharis who work on contract, saying there wasnt enough garbage being generated at night. Paid Rs 625 a day, and yet to get last months salary, some of these workers have been keeping our streets clean for the past 13 years. Three years ago, the Supreme Court ordered that they be made permanent, but 1,100 out of 2,700 of them have yet to get that status. This bureaucratic delay has now cost them dearly.

The BMCs action violates the labour ministrys advisory to all employers not to dismiss employees, particularly casual or contractual workers, during the lockdown. Will Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar reprimand the BMC, or does he feel his job is done by simply issuing the advisory? Moreover, can the BMC find no alternate work for these employees in a city that has seen more than 1,890 cases and over 100 deaths, where 60% live in slums with no possibility of physical distancing, and where 55 cases and seven deaths have been reported from one slum alone?

Report after report from Dharavi, reportedly Asias biggest slum, as well as from Mumbais other slums, highlights the danger posed by toilets used by between 80-180 persons a day. Despite the much vaunted Swachh Bharat Mission, providing toilets to slum-dwellers is still not considered a basic duty by the countrys richest corporation, for, what if the slum is unauthorised? Its occupants may do the dirtiest and most essential work, but they cannot lay claim to its resources.

Even the spectre of an uncontrollable pandemic has not changed this innately unequal policy. By now, the BMC could have provided mobile toilets and more water connections to those who must wait for hours for water and pay more for it than the rich. This section could then have protected themselves by washing themselves whenever they needed to.

Its not just unequal living conditions that continue to be perpetuated even during this unprecedented crisis. There unequal access to power too. A Dalit professor has been waiting for days to get a travel pass to his hometown, so that his father can resume dialysis there. Not only are Mumbais dialysis centres swiftly closing down, the latest BMC rule makes a Covid-19 negative result a precondition for dialysis and chemotherapy. But for the Wadhawan brothers, accused in the multi-crore Yes Bank scam, there was no such agonising wait. They and 21 others were allowed to travel in five cars to their Mahabaleshwar home just on the basis of a letter by the states Principal Secretary (Special), IPS officer Amitabh Gupta, which said: They are my family friends. The unequal equations of privilege couldnt have been more eloquently conveyed!

But the financial capital of the country is not unique. The most glaring inequality lies in the way attendees of the Nizamuddin Tablighi Jamaat programme are being rigorously traced across the country, with cash rewards being offered to informers, while their chief remains untouched, despite the Delhi police having traced his whereabouts. His disdainful declaration that he will talk only after he comes out of his self-imposed quarantine, reflects a confident proximity to power. Who has tied the hands of the Delhi Police?

Finally, there is the inequality of knowledge. While educated urbanites now know everything about this new pandemic, in the villages, fear and panic, bred both by genuine ignorance and media/WhatsApp-created hate, have led to such ostracisation of suspected patients that some have been driven to suicide. I am no ones enemy, was the anguished cry scribbled by 37-year-old Dilshad of Himachal Pradesh, before he hanged himself after testing negative. 432 MPs and more than 3,000 MLAs are elected by rural constituencies. Couldnt they have educated and reassured their voters? Couldnt the PM have used his unmatched influence to do so?

JYOTI PUNWANI

Freelance journalist based in Mumbai

Email: jyoti.punwani@gmail.com
Wednesdays rain and hailstorms caused widespread damage to crops, especially fruit trees in Kotgarh valley in Shimla district, it has been learnt.

Rohan Thakur, an orchardist from Kotgarh, said fruit and vegetable growers, already reeling under the impact of the lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, had suffered huge losses.

Appealing to the government for relief, Thakur said, many orchardists could not cover their trees with nets for protection against hail because of unavailability of migrant labourers and the statewide curfew.

Heavy rainfall, thunder, hail and gusty winds will continue for the next few days in the state with the meteorological department issuing an orange warning (very severe weather) for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi Shimla and Solan districts and yellow warning (severe weather) for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Sirmaur districts for April 17.

Another yellow warning has been issued for Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts for April 18.

Dr Manmohan Singh, who heads the states met department, said due to fresh western disturbance, snowfall at higher reaches and rainfall in lower and middle hills were likely to continue up to April 21 after which the weather will remain dry.

Shimla recorded a minimum temperature of 14.2 degrees Celsius while Kufri, 14 kilometres away, recorded 10.7 degrees C.

Minimum temperatures in Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie were recorded at 6.0, 12.6 and 13.6 degrees C, respectively.

Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district, at 1.1 degrees C minimum temperature, remained the coldest in the state with Una recording a high of 38.6 degrees C.
In Alabama, officials have ruled that one of every 10 people who died with covid-19 did not die of covid-19. Among those excluded from the numbers reported to the federal government were a bedbound patient with aspiration pneumonia in one lung and a person with a buildup of fluid and partial collapse of one lung.

Colorado, by contrast, has included some deaths where the disease caused by the novel coronavirus was deemed probable - based on symptoms and possible exposure - but not confirmed through a test.

Health officials in both states say their approach is more accurate. Their divergent methods reflect a national debate over how to count the dead.

The U.S. government's covid-19 death toll is widely believed to be an undercount because, at a time when access to testing has been severely limited, federal officials described their count as including only people who tested positive for the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its website this week to explicitly say that cases where the infection was not confirmed by a test may now be counted. But attributing a death to the virus can be a judgment call, experts say, and potentially a vexing one as indications emerge that the disease damages not just the lungs but also the heart, kidneys and other organs.

As a result, the overall tally - a benchmark broadcast constantly on cable news and elsewhere - is a less concrete figure than it appears. The inconsistent counting methods also raise questions about the ability to draw comparisons from state to state, and they play into a political debate about the reliability of the numbers.

The scale of undercounting that may result from tallying only lab-confirmed cases was made clear Tuesday when New York City authorities began reporting the deaths of people who were suspected of having covid-19 but never tested. The city's tally soared past 10,000 as the change added more than 3,700 fatalities.

"We are focused on ensuring that every New Yorker who died because of COVID-19 gets counted," Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said in a statement, adding, "While these data reflect the tragic impact that the virus has had on our city, they will also help us to determine the scale and scope of the epidemic and guide us in our decisions."

Since at least last month, Colorado has been reporting the deaths of people who were never tested but who showed symptoms and had close contact with an infected person. Three percent of Colorado's 329 deaths fall into this category of "epidemiologically linked" cases.

"They don't represent a large number of the deaths, but including them does give a more accurate number than excluding them would," said Ian Dickson, a spokesperson for Colorado's health department.

Asked how the national count is compiled, however, a CDC spokeswoman said on April 4 that the agency aggregates state tallies and counts only deaths in which the presence of the coronavirus was confirmed in a laboratory test, a method it acknowledged results in an "underestimation."

The next day, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, which represents state health officials, recommended reporting probable covid-19 deaths, in addition to those with lab confirmations.

Ohio, Connecticut and Delaware have since begun reporting deaths of people who were presumed infected but had not been not tested. Ohio is reporting 361 deaths, 15 of which are listed as "probable" on the state's coronavirus data portal. Websites for the other two states do not disclose how many probable deaths are among their totals.

On Tuesday, the day the CDC updated its website to say its tally now includes probable cases, agency spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said three jurisdictions - she did not identify them - are reporting deaths of people who are believed to have died of the disease but were never tested.

The following day, a spokeswoman for Republican Gov. Larry Hogan announced Maryland would also begin counting probable deaths. By the afternoon, the state was reporting 349 deaths in lab-confirmed cases and 64 in probable cases.

Pennsylvania is also including deaths in probable cases, said Nate Wardle, press secretary for the state's health department. The state does not distinguish probable cases from confirmed cases in its public tally of deaths.

In Alabama, a physician reviews medical records of anyone who died and tested positive for the virus to determine whether a death should be attributed to covid-19, according to Karen Landers, a spokeswoman for the state's public health agency.

Landers declined to provide information about the people who died with covid-19 but were not counted in the state's official covid-19 death toll. Those who had no respiratory symptoms could be excluded, she said, as could those who had an acute event such as a stroke or heart attack or who suffered trauma such as a car accident.

"Simply because persons have other medical diagnoses, they are not automatically excluded," she said. "Rather, other factors in the course of illness are taken into consideration on medical record review."

Asked about Alabama's method, Nordlund said the agency "reports the numbers the states provide to us."

As of Tuesday, a total of 110 people across Alabama had died and tested positive, but only 73 of them had been counted as covid-19 deaths and reported to the CDC, according to state data published online. Twenty-five were still under review.

Twelve deaths - or one in seven of those where a determination had been made - were not attributed to covid-19, Landers said. Those deaths are not reported to the CDC, and they are not included in the federal government's official tally.

Health officials in Jefferson County, which includes Birmingham, the state's largest city, said the 17 deaths of people who tested positive for the coronavirus had been reported to the county coroner's office. A physician conducting the health department's medical review found 11 deaths were attributable to covid-19 and five were not. One was still under investigation.

The two patients who each died with problems in one lung were excluded because both lungs are affected in most cases of covid-19, said Mark Wilson, who leads the Jefferson County Department of Health. Also excluded were two patients in hospice for other illnesses who were asymptomatic for the coronavirus, he said, and a person who died of sepsis and had other problems unrelated to covid-19.

Wilson said he is concerned that Alabama is missing some deaths because of a lack of widespread testing. While other counties defer to the state in making these determinations, Jefferson alone conducts its own medical review of covid-19 deaths.

Alabama's approach runs counter to the nationwide counting method described by Deborah Birx, a doctor and response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force who has been one of most visible leaders of the federal response.

"In this country, we've taken a very liberal approach to mortality," she said at a briefing April 7, explaining that the United States is counting the deaths of people with underlying conditions as covid-19 deaths, even though some other countries are not.

"The intent is, right now, that . . . if someone dies with covid-19, we are counting that as a covid-19 death," she said.

The CDC recently started using national data on respiratory illnesses, hospital visits and death certificates to better estimate coronavirus infections and deaths for a separate tally that it intends to begin reporting.

Health experts and elected officials use the official death count, along with the case count and other data points, to help assess the hardest-hit areas and determine the appropriate response. The tally has also become a politically charged statistic for a president who initially downplayed the pandemic and minimized its threat.

President Donald Trump has rejected concerns about an undercount, despite the CDC's acknowledgment. "The death counts, I think they're very, very accurate," he said last week in response to a reporter's question about limited access to testing.

Some of the president's defenders have pushed the theory - heavily promoted on Fox News and on conservative social media - that the nation's death toll is actually inflated because it includes the deaths of people who may have had covid-19 but died of other causes.

In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey was initially reluctant to order residents to stay home, saying she wanted to balance the state's public health and economic interests.

"I want to echo the president who today said, 'We have to get back to work,' " she said on March 24. "We must do everything we can to keep businesses open, and if they're closed, get them back up as soon as possible."

The following day, Ivey confirmed the state's first covid-19 death.

Since April 2, the state website has included the number of deaths of people who have tested positive, along with the smaller number of people determined to have died from covid-19 that is reported to the CDC.

"It's really just a matter of the accuracy of the data," Landers said. "It's an attempt to really look at this from a little more depth than just putting down, well, this person was positive for this and positive for that."

State Rep. Anthony Daniels, the Democratic leader in the Alabama House and a member of the state's coronavirus task force, said he was unaware of the state's approach to counting covid-19 deaths until a Washington Post reporter contacted him about it last week. On Friday, he asked Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris for a report detailing the number and causes of all deaths found not attributable to covid-19. Harris declined an interview request for this story.

"I didn't know we were doing the process different than other states," Daniels said. "It's a fair question to ask: How are you making those decisions on attributed versus reported?"

Jonathan Arden, a forensic pathologist who chairs the board of the National Association of Medical Examiners, said there can be a "gray zone'' when evaluating the death of a person who tested positive for the virus, showed covid-19 symptoms and had an underlying condition like heart disease or suffered a heart attack. The virus could affect how much oxygen that person was receiving, he said.

"Can there be disagreement in how these things are concluded? Absolutely," he said. "You are talking about medical judgments, a diagnostic process that means you are arriving at an opinion."

Arden said Alabama's approach is valuable because including in the death tally everyone who had a positive coronavirus test "would be inflating the mortality rate." At the same time, he said, Colorado's approach is "valuable unless or until we have much more widespread testing. Otherwise there's a greater likelihood that we will miss cases we should have been capturing."

Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard who has studied deaths from influenza, said he was concerned that Alabama may be filtering out deaths that were caused by the novel coronavirus, even if they didn't seem to be. Because contracting the flu can make patients more susceptible to a variety of problems, most deaths caused by the flu appear to have other immediate causes, such as heart attacks, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

"What Alabama is doing makes no sense," he said. "It's a well-established fact that respiratory viruses can cause a lot of their mortality through other causes. With something this new, saying if you don't see respiratory symptoms then you don't attribute it to covid is overconfident at best."

Rachael Lee, a health-care epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital, said the state's approach is a sound way to try to get a more accurate count.

"We have the ability do that right now because we are not seeing as many deaths," she said. "I don't know how a state like New York could keep up with the process that we are doing."

Rendi Murphree, an epidemiologist at the Mobile County Health Department, said, "If we don't determine the cause of death, then we are potentially biasing the information."

Lina Evans, the coroner in Shelby County, said she was not notified that covid-19 deaths would be reviewed before being counted. She said she began asking questions after she reported four deaths and noticed that none immediately appeared in the state death toll. Eventually, she said, they were all counted - but it took days and, in one case, a week and a half.

Evans said she worried that such delays have kept the count artificially low, contributing to a sense of complacency among Alabamians.

"They're still going to Walmart and social gatherings and continuing to push the peak out further. They don't take it seriously," she said.

State officials said the medical review is done expeditiously, often within a day, though the process can take longer if there is a lag in obtaining medical records.

Tyler Berryhill, the Madison County coroner, said he is more concerned about an undercount from limited testing than the possibility of an overcount. After one person with respiratory problems died in his county without getting tested for the coronavirus, he sent a sample to a state lab for postmortem testing.

"At rural hospitals and medical facilities, we know there was a shortage of testing," he said. "There's a big concern that we may not have total understanding of the true numbers in our state."

- - -

The Washington Post's Jacqueline Dupree and Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.
Steve Hedley is the senior assistant general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, generally referred to as RMT.

Born and bred in the Bogside area of Londonderry, he now earns 105,000 a year as a full-time trade unionist. But last week he was suspended from his position after saying he would "throw a party" if Boris Johnson died of coronavirus.

Replying to a post on Facebook, he said: "I don't want to offend you, but if Bojo pops his clogs, I'm throwing a party."

The controversial trade unionist also said that he hoped other members of the Cabinet contracted the virus, adding: "I hope the whole Cabinet and higher echelons of the Tory party have been touching various bits of him."

Hedley's comments caused outrage and created a backlash, but the combative union leader was not backing down and he hit back at his critics, saying that he "stood by every word".

At that point the RMT president and general secretary intervened and issued a joint statement saying: "Steve Hedley's comments do not represent the view of this trade union and are wholly unacceptable."

Then, on Friday, it was announced that Hedley had been "suspended with immediate effect while a formal investigation takes place into his conduct".

Already the Labour Party has expelled a councillor for saying that Boris Johnson "deserved" coronavirus, so there will be keen interest in how the RMT investigation unfolds and how the union deals with Hedley.

Long ago it was said that Labour owed more to Methodism than it did to Marxism and, indeed, if we go back to the origins of the trade union movement there was a strong Methodist influence among the Tolpuddle Martyrs, who were deported to Australia in 1834 for their trade union activities.

However, today it is Marxism which is dominant in many of our trade unions and Hedley is a good example of some of the worst traits of the far-Left.

He is also a good example of the coalescing of Irish republicanism and the far-Left.

He is certainly a Marxist, of the Trotskyist variety, but he is also a committed Irish republican.

In 2014 Hedley was one of the keynote speakers at the annual conference organised by the republican James Connolly Society in Edinburgh.

The James Connolly Society was founded in Edinburgh in 1986 by James Slaven and was noted for its controversial republican band parades.

Slaven also founded the website '107 cowgate', named after the address of Connolly's birthplace in Edinburgh and, in 2016, Steve Hedley penned a centenary article on the 1916 Easter Rising for the website.

There he explained how he became an Irish republican Marxist and identified three influences: community, home and school.

As regards community, he was born in the Bogside in August 1968 and he said: "My first memories of learning about the Easter Rising are from when I was about three years old, sitting in a neighbour's house in our street in the Bogside, listening to republican albums being played on a record player."

As regards family, he said: "It was a turbulent time in Derry, which had just declared its autonomy and barricades protected our street from marauding British soldiers. My family were initially sympathetic to the Official IRA, who were overtly socialist."

Then, as regards school, he said: "I attended Catholic schools that were broadly nationalist and sympathetic to a united Ireland." The nastiness of Hedley's posts about Boris Johnson will remain as a stain on his record, especially as he refused to retract them, but we will have to await the outcome of the union's investigation.

Hedley has already made one attempt to become the union's general secretary, a post worth 160,000, so how will this episode affect his future prospects?

However, in the meantime his comments about the roots of his Irish republican Marxism are worthy of further consideration, especially the reference to the "nationalist ethos" of the schools he attended.

There is always an ongoing discussion in Northern Ireland about the future of what is an incredibly complex education system and the ethos of the sectors, including the political ethos, will have to be part of that conversation.
" " A group of men get rid of a vampire in a graveyard in Romania in 1893, about the time some New Englanders were exhuming bodies to see if any of their deceased were vampires. Bildagentur-online/uig/Getty Images

It was a scene only Dracula and his blood-spattered ilk could love. In the late 18th and early 19th century, New Englanders were gripped by a vampire panic. In desperation, they began dismembering suspected vampires in hopes of driving off the terror and death that threatened to upend their lives.

But how did vampires come to invade the newly created United States?

It all began in some unfortunate New England villages, as tuberculosis (then called consumption) ravaged entire families and communities. This bacterial lung disease, which spreads easily among family members, has horrid symptoms, giving feverish sufferers an ashen appearance and sunken eyes. In some cases, blood would drop from their mouths.

It was a slow, wretched death  almost as if the life was gradually being drained out of them. It earned the name "consumption" for the way it caused dramatic weight loss. So severe was the epidemic that it claimed around 2 percent of the region's population from 1786 to 1800 and eventually killed perhaps 25 percent of the East Coast's citizens.

"Imagine a communicable disease a great deal slower to manifest than COVID-19, with symptoms even more ambiguous," says folklorist and author Michael Bell in an email interview. "One that did not explode through a population  leaving in its wake the dead and those who survived through good fortune or natural immunity  and then disappear or become latent. A disease that, instead, once it grasped a person, could go in and out of remission over a period of months, or years or even decades."

No one understood how diseases spread back then. All they knew was that as consumption victims perished, their surviving family members would begin to fall ill, one by one. Neighbors would be afflicted, too.

"Adding to its mystery, consumption seemed capricious in choosing its victims," says Bell. "Some families escaped intact while others were thoroughly decimated."

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Finding the Vampires

So, frightened villagers began to believe that the first to die were perhaps vampires of sorts. At night, those sharp-toothed bloodsuckers would wriggle out of their graves, stalk their own families, and slowly but surely suck the life out of them, until they too died horrendous deaths.

Terrified, villagers reasoned there was only one way to halt the vampire attacks  but first, they had to dig up the bodies and examine them. If the corpse appeared to be less decayed than expected, they'd slice the bodies open and sift through the internal organs. If the organs contained liquid blood, the person was deemed possessed.

"The theory seems to have been that this corpse was being inhabited by some sort of evil spirit that was sustaining itself by draining the life (or blood) from the living," says Bell. "This spiritual possession had to be destroyed and the evil bond between the living and dead needed to be broken, usually by burning the infected organ and, sometimes, feeding the ashes to those who were ill."

To be extra sure that the vampire wouldn't arise again, sometimes the corpses were beheaded. Some had their bones shattered and rearranged in a skull-and-crossbones symbol.

"The 'vampires' were always corpses," says Bell  they were never living people. "The people who were performing the ritual never referred to the corpses they exhumed as vampires, although some outsiders, including newspaper writers and local historians, sometimes labeled these consumption rituals as vampirism."

According to Bell, desperate gravedigging scenes played out at least 80 times throughout the vampire panic.

Often, the bodies were disinterred at night, the grisly ceremony attended only by close relatives. But some Vermont towns took things a step further, burning organs for hundreds of witnesses to see, perhaps providing them some hope that the plague of vampires was ended.

"The earliest documented consumption/vampire ritual I've found is from Willington, Connecticut, in 1784, says Bell. "The last, authentically documented case occurred in 1892, in Exeter, Rhode Island. These dates coincide with the consumption endemic in New England, which began to rise dramatically in the late 1700s and continued throughout the 1800s. But, in 1882, the year that [German physician] Robert Koch proved that tuberculosis was caused by a bacterium, the vampire rituals slowed to a halt."

But before it all ended, there was a climax of sorts, one that's become known as the Mercy Brown vampire incident.

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Mercy Brown and Dracula

In 1892, a Rhode Island farmer named George Brown watched consumption kill his wife, and then two daughters in succession. Then, his son Edwin became deathly ill, too. Although he wanted no part of the ritual, villagers eventually persuaded Brown to let them exhume the bodies of his wife and daughters for examination.

The bodies of his wife and one daughter were just bones. But Mercy  the most recent to die, just two months prior  was surprisingly intact. That she died in midwinter and thus was partially preserved by the frigid temperatures did not stop the examiners from being suspicious. They also noted that her fingernails and hair had grown, a trick of the eyes that we now know is caused by the flesh retracting around them.

Armed with this evidence, the villagers were certain they'd found their vampire. They cut out her heart and burned it. Then, for good measure, they had Edwin drink the ashes in hopes that he'd recover. Not long after, consumption claimed him too.

Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that Rhode Island was reportedly called the "Vampire Capital of America."

Such was the power of the Exeter vampire "slayings" that their stories carried across the Atlantic. According to some accounts, when Irish-born writer Bram Stoker  the author of the novel "Dracula"  died in 1897, witnesses say they found newspaper clippings of the Mercy Brown saga in his files.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Is there any relationship between the Vampire Panic and the Salem Witch Trials of a century earlier? Bell doesn't see a direct link but says there are some connections. "Magic certainly was in New England's cultural DNA, flowing from an ancient wellspring of folk ideas, mostly brought from Europe, especially Britain. There was a supernatural idea system in which early New Englanders wholeheartedly participated," he says. But here's one big difference: "In Salem, the 'witches' were still alive (but subsequently executed) when they became scapegoats. The 'vampires' were already dead when they became scapegoats."
Were expecting the snow to really get going here after 10, 11 this evening and peaking in intensity likely between the 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. time frame, gradually coming to an end in the morning, Birk said. It could fall at a pretty good clip at times. We could see 1 inch or even slightly higher than that, per hour.
A 34-year-old man, James Chukwuka who failed to comply with the Restriction Order and allegedly took the blood samples of pregnant women and some residents at Gbese in James Town to test for their sugar levels has made his second appearance in Court.



Chukwuka who is currently being held for failing to comply with the Restriction Order pleaded not guilty.



The Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah, remanded the accused person to reappear on April 30.



The facts, as presented, by Chief Inspector Gulliver Tenkorang was that, the accused resides at Accra Newtown, and that on April 4, this year, at about 0900 hours, the Police had information that he was taking blood samples, checking Blood Pressure and sugar level of residents including pregnant women at the Gbese Community, near James Town in Accra.



Chief Inspector Tenkorang said the Police proceeded to Gbese and arrested the accused, a Nigerian national who had in his possession a glucometer, thermometer, test strips, and gloves.



He said during interrogation, the accused informed the Police that he was a distributor of food supplements but admitted he went to Gbese to take blood samples of his supposed clients.



The prosecution said during investigations it came to light that Chukwuka did not fall within the exemption group with regards to the Imposition of Restrictions on all persons in Accra, Tema, Kasoa, and Kumasi.



The prosecution said a pregnant woman who lives in Gbese confirmed to the Police that her blood sample was taken by the accused.



Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the President, by Executive Instrument 65 and in accordance with the provisions of the Imposition Restrictions Act 2020 (Act 1012) imposed a two week restriction on movements in Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa.

Source: GNA









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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

For 2020, due to planned maintenance at the Chirag oil field and Shah Deniz gas-condensate field and considering the agreed voluntary adjustment, Azerbaijans production is forecast to decline by 0.09 mb/d to average 0.70 mb/d, Trend reports citing OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR)

Azerbaijans liquids output in February fell by 0.02 million barrels per day (mb/d) month-on-month to average 0.78 mb/d, lower by 0.05 mb/d y-o-y, said the cartel.

Crude oil production fell by 11 tb/d to average 0.66 mb/d, while natural gas liquids (NGLs) and condensates also dropped, falling by 8 tb/d to average 0.12 mb/d. For 2019, Azerbaijans oil production is estimated to have declined by 0.02 mb/d to average 0.79 mb/d, reads the report.

The daily oil production amounted to 763,900 barrels in Azerbaijan in March 2020, according to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy.

Some 683,700 of that volume accounted for crude oil while 80,200 barrels - for condensate.

Some 418,900 barrels of crude oil, 76,200 barrels of condensate and 15,500 barrels of oil products were exported daily.

Under the recently reached OPEC+ agreement, Azerbaijans obligations envisage the reduction of daily crude oil production in May-June by 23 percent  164,000 barrels, in July-December - by 18 percent  131,000 barrels, from January 2021 through April 2022 by 14 percent  98,000 barrels.

In accordance with its obligations, Azerbaijan must maintain daily crude oil production in May-June 2020 at the level of 554,000 barrels, in July-December  587,000 barrels, from January 2021 through April 2022  620,000 barrels.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Fianna Fail TD, Jennifer Murnane OConnor, has said that all flags should fly at half mast on May 1 as a mark of respect to those who have lost their lives to Covid-19.

She said it would also be a show of solidarity to those working to stop the spread of the virus on the frontlines.

The Carlow TD said the half-masting of national flags is a well-established procedure by which countries can bestow an honour and express a collective sense of sorrow.

She said: "I have written to the Taoiseach and asked that he consider directing all public bodies to fly the flag at half mast on Friday, May 1.

"I believe it is a fitting way to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives and show solidarity with those they have left behind as well as the honouring those who are working on the frontline in the fight against this virus.

"My heart breaks for those who have had to watch from afar as their loved ones got sick and passed away from this lethal virus."

She added: "They havent been able to celebrate the life of or mourn the death of their loved ones surrounded by family and friends as is so common of the typical Irish funeral.

"The virus has stripped us of a vital part of our grieving process, and this is just one small way in which we can express our solidarity with those affected in their time of sorrow.

"It also allows us to thank those who are on the frontline, putting themselves in harms way to take care of our loved ones.

"I hope the Taoiseach and the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht respond positively to my proposal and direct all public bodies to lower their flags."
Largest Indian software exporter TCS on Thursday said it will not retrench any of its nearly 4.5 lakh employees, but has decided not to give any salary hikes this year.

The Tata group company said it will honour each of its commitments on new hires by taking all the 40,000 people who have been given offers on board, unlike some other blue-chip companies that are reportedly having a relook.

The company reported a healthy profit jump for the March quarter, but hinted at very difficult time in the first two quarters of the current fiscal due to COVID-19 crisis, including a revenue contraction.

"Every offer that we have made will be honoured. We do not see any retrenchments," TCS MD and CEO Rajesh Gopinathan told reporters over a call.

Its head of human resources Milind Lakkad elaborated that it has given out 40,000 offers to freshers and all of them will be onboarded as the year proceeds ahead.

Typically, colleges and universities will be on till June, and then the students will start joining, he added.

However, in what may come as a dampener to the employees, it has decided to put salary hikes on hold, Lakkad said.

"We have decided not to give any salary hikes this time," he said.

Gopinathan said the company has an overall attrition of 12.1 per cent, which is one of the best in the industry and affirmed commitment to look after the employees and appreciated their commitment to the company in its hour of crisis.

The company's chief operating officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam said there are 3.55 lakh employees working in India at present, and 90 per cent of them are now connected with secure workplaces to serve clients' needs.

He also added that in the initial trends, the company has observed that productivity has increased in the new model of its associates working from home.

The COO said there are many learnings for the company on various aspects, including on why to have all the associates working from a single office and others as well, which will be taken on board in the future as well.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16)  A Philippine envoy appealed Thursday to the Department of Labor and Employment to extend assistance to Filipino workers in Turkey affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Raul Hernandez said in a televised government briefing that one of the primary concerns of the Filipino workers there is how they can avail of the $200 worth of cash aid from the Labor Department.

"Problema po nila  pa'no sila makakakuha ng financial assistance from DOLE; so umaapela kami sa DOLE," he said.

[Translation: Their problem is how they can get financial assistance from DOLE; so we are appealing to DOLE.]

"Sa ngayon, hindi pa kasama 'yung mga OFWs sa Turkey doon sa one-time financial assistance ng DOLE. Sumulat na po tayo kay Secretary Bello na sana i-reconsider 'yung kanilang guidelines at isama 'yung mga OFWs [dito]. We are hoping na masama nga 'yung mga OFWs dito," Hernandez stated.

[Translation: As of now, OFWs in Turkey are not covered by DOLE's one-time financial assistance. We already wrote to Secretary Bello to reconsider the guidelines and include the OFWs (here). We are hoping that they will really be considered.]

He said Filipino workers who lost their jobs or or who are on a "no work no pay" status need full assistance.

Some of the Filipinos are also afraid of the situation and want to return to the Philippines, so the embassy is developing a repatriation plan especially for those in distress, Hernandez added.

As of Thursday, over 69,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Turkey, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker.

Among Filipinos in Turkey, there is only one confirmed case of the coronavirus disease, and [she] is being taken care of in a state hospital, according to the Philippine ambassador.

Hernandez assured that they are consistently monitoring the health and situation of the Filipinos in Turkey.

The DOLE earlier promised a one-time financial help of $200 (or P10,000) for affected overseas Filipino workers through its Department Order 212. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III previously told CNN Philippines that they can only consider those who are not part of the coverage if there is a remaining balance from the cash aid for disenfranchised OFWs that were initially rolled out.

To date, the total number of Filipinos abroad who have contracted the viral illness is 736, including 88 deaths and 222 recoveries. The tally of those who are undergoing treatment is at 426.
Syracuse, N.Y.  New York is ordering nursing homes, assisted living centers and adult homes to inform residents families within 24 hours whenever there is a positive coronavirus case or death in their facilities.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today he is issuing an executive order requiring the notifications.

The state Health Department had previously recommended facilities do this, but it was not mandatory.

The new order comes at a time when coronavirus is rapidly spreading in nursing homes.

The virus has infected residents of more than half of the states nursing homes. There have been more than 5,650 cases in nursing homes and more than 3,000 coronavirus deaths among nursing home residents.

The state, however, refuses to publicly identify facilities where there have been coronavirus infections based on privacy concerns.

At least 16 other states are publicly identifying nursing homes and assisted living facilities with coronavirus cases.

Some advocates for nursing home residents say New York state should do the same thing.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

New York to require masks in public starting this week, Cuomo says

CNY farmer, 39, with coronavirus fighting for his life; pregnant girlfriend sick with virus too

A Syracuse bicycle shop was threatened as 'non-essential; heres how it found a way to stay open

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

James T. Mulder covers health news. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com
The horrendous impact of Covid-19 lockdown on the output of the British economy, on jobs and on the public finances, is an indisputable fact of our new lives.

But the scale of the hit, as documented by two reports, is so big that the shock is amplified. No wonder then that 'hawk' Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is the loudest voice in Cabinet, urging a time-frame for easing the lockdown. He understands the devastation that has been unleashed.

He wants to protect household incomes from being further savaged, and to restore some kind of stability to financial markets so that pensions are not wiped out.

He will have his job cut out. In its authoritative World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund detailed how the coronavirus would rob the global economy of 7trillion  more than the output of Japan and Germany combined.

Its chief economist, Gita Gopinath, described the magnitude and speed of economic collapse prompted by the 'Great Lockdown' as 'unlike anything experienced in our lifetimes'.

At the same time, the UK's independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) made a first official stab at chronicling the damage here, and its findings are sobering.

When, earlier this week, Sunak suggested a 30 per cent loss of Gross Domestic Product (GDP or our total output) in the second quarter (April to June) of this year, I wrote that he was drawing on a worst-case scenario to make the case for a gradual end to lockdown.

After all, a decline in growth on that scale was more than twice what leading City economists were predicting. The OBR, it seems, shares Sunak's caution  and then some. It has looked at each major sector of the British economy, fed the figures into its model and come up with a jaw-dropping 35pc loss of GDP in the second quarter.

This would add 2m extra British workers to the dole queue, bringing the total number of unemployed up to 3.4m. Britain's post-financial crisis jobs miracle would be lost in a flash. And the shortfall in tax income as a result of the nation going into slumber, together with the high cost of support measures such as the expensive jobs furlough scheme, sends Britain's relatively tidy budgetary policy into total disarray at a stroke.

The OBR believes a threemonth lockdown followed by an easing of restrictions over three months would rob the exchequer of 130 billion of taxes this year, with income tax and national insurance down 16 per cent, VAT and excise duties down 21 per cent and corporation tax down 18 per cent.

Extra outlays mean spending for the current year is hitting the stratosphere at 88 billion, or 9 per cent higher than estimated at the Budget, just before the pandemic broke, a short month ago.

To put that in perspective, it matches the cost to taxpayers in the two years immediately following the financial crisis (2008-2010).

It also increases the size of the state to 52 per cent of output which is highest level of expenditure by any British government, Tory or Labour, since the Second World War.

The loss of tax receipts and chunky extra spending push borrowing up to 273 billion, far higher than the 175 billion that the Coalition government inherited from Gordon Brown in 2010. As a percentage of GDP, it takes us back to the years of the Blitz.

The national debt, which represents the accumulation of unpaid borrowings, shoots up to 97 per cent of total output  grim, but not quite as grim as the red ink on Japan and Italy's balance sheet.

Of course Britain is not alone in seeing its economic prospects devastated by the lockdown as the IMF details: a contraction of 6.5 per cent here compares with 5.9 per cent in the United States, 7.5 per cent in the 19 eurozone countries, and 5.2 per cent in Japan.

The UK will 'bounce' back in 2021 with 4 per cent growth, says the IMF, but that's nowhere near enough to get us back to where we were when the plague descended.

The OBR also offers the nation a hint of a silver lining, arguing that while the Government's economic interventions are expensive they will 'limit the long-term damage to the economy and public finances'.

It adds the costs of doing nothing would have been far higher. The OBR's projections do show government borrowing returning to some kind of normality before the end of the current Parliament.

But, overall, the IMF's finding that for the first time on record both wealthy and developing nations are in recession at the same time, will mean that pulling out of the current nosedive is going to be a rough ride for everyone.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has authorized Defense Minister of Ukraine Andriy Taran to sign an agreement on defense cooperation between the Cabinet and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden.

The decision was made at a government meeting on April 15 without discussion, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Due to changes in the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Government amended the Decree No.1093 "On signing of the Agreement on cooperation in the defence field between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden" of November 20, 2019, the Government portal reported.

The signing of the abovementioned agreement will facilitate the renewal of the existing regulatory framework between Ukraine and the Kingdom of Sweden in the defense field, which in turn will create legal grounds for mutually beneficial defence cooperation aimed to strengthen Ukraines position in Northern Europe.

The parties to this agreement may cooperate in the following areas: defence and security policies; development of military education and science, personnel training; exchange of information and experience on defence and military matters; other areas of cooperation by mutual agreement of the parties.

ish
Germany on Wednesday unveiled plans to lift some restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming the first major European nation to take on the delicate task of reopening without triggering a new wave of infections.

As US President Donald Trump came under increasing fire for ordering a freeze on American funding for the World Health Organization, the Group of 20 (G20) announced a one-year debt moratorium for the world's poorest nations.

The number of COVID-19 cases around the globe soared past two million, meanwhile, according to an AFP tally, and the death toll topped 131,000.

Germany was the largest of several European countries announcing tentative steps on Wednesday to reopen their economies and societies.

Denmark began reopening schools for younger children after a month-long closure and Finland lifted a two-week rail and road blockade on the Helsinki region.

Lithuania said it would allow smaller shops to reopen from Thursday.

Other countries are also tweaking confinement rules, with Iran set to let some small businesses reopen and India allowing millions of rural people to return to work.

In South Korea, people went to the polls on Wednesday and delivered a strong show of support for President Moon Jae-in, commending his handling of the epidemic.

Once home to the world's second-largest outbreak, South Korea has largely brought the virus under control through widespread testing, contact-tracing and social distancing.

Yet a full-scale return to normality still appears a long way off in most other countries.

A man wearing a protective suit to identify a relative outside the morgue of the Hospital General Guasmo Sur in Guayaquil, Ecuador. By Jose SAnchez (AFP)

Harvard scientists have warned that repeated periods of social distancing could be needed as far ahead as 2022 to avoid overwhelming hospitals.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has allowed work to restart in some factories and building sites, warned that "nothing will be the same until a vaccine is found."

Belgium extended its stay-at-home order until at least May 3 and banned mass gatherings until the end of August.

'Extreme caution'

A full-scale return to normality still appears a long way off in countries including Italy. By Miguel MEDINA (AFP)

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced first steps in undoing coronavirus restrictions that have plunged the economy into a recession.

Most shops will be allowed to open once they have "plans to maintain hygiene" although schools must stay closed until May 4 and a ban on large public events will remain in place until August 31.

"We have to proceed with extreme caution," Merkel told reporters in Berlin.

Schools will gradually be reopened with priority given to pupils about to take leaving examinations.

And the government urged people to wear face masks when out shopping or on public transport, but stopped short of making it a requirement like in neighbouring Austria.

Offering a lifeline for the world's poorest countries, the G20 -- a group of the world's leading economies -- said it would temporarily suspend debt repayments from the most impoverished nations.

The reprieve will free up more than $20 billion for those countries to focus on the pandemic and will last at least a year, according to Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan.

But the global economic outlook remains gloomy, with Germany already in recession and US industrial output declining by 6.3 percent -- its biggest fall in seven decades.

More than a third of French workers are on temporary unemployment, the government said.

A poster in Paris thanks healthcare workers, shopkeepers, police, the post office staff and farmers. By FRANCK FIFE (AFP)

The virus death toll topped 17,000 in France but in a hopeful sign hospitalizations went down for the first time.

On the horizon looms the worst economic downturn in a century, which the IMF has said could see $9 trillion wiped from the global economy.

'Lessons'

A sanitation worker disinfects a camp for displaced Syrians in the northwestern city of Idlib. By OMAR HAJ KADOUR (AFP/File)

As the world tries to chart a way out of the crisis, Trump came in for criticism for his freeze on payments to the WHO, the UN's health agency.

"No doubt, areas for improvement will be identified and there will be lessons for all of us to learn," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned Trump's move while billionaire Bill Gates, a major WHO contributor, tweeted that cutting funding was "as dangerous as it sounds."

European allies were similarly disapproving and Washington's rivals also took aim -- Russia condemning the "selfish approach" of the US, and China and Iran blasting the decision.

Trump accused the WHO on Tuesday of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus" and said it could have been contained if the organisation had accurately assessed the situation in China late last year.

As European nations made tentative moves to open up, in poorer and more densely populated countries, governments are still struggling to enforce restrictions on movement that are piling misery on the needy.

Fears over hunger and possible social unrest are especially acute in parts of Africa and Latin America.

In Cape Town, clashes erupted Tuesday as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at residents protesting access to food aid.

A similar crisis is taking hold in Ecuador, where hunger trumps fear of the virus for residents in rundown areas of the badly affected city of Guayaquil.

"The police come with a whip to send people running, but how do you say to a poor person 'Stay home' if you don't have enough to eat?" said Carlos Valencia, a 35-year-old teacher.

burs-cl/ft
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said 5 lakh antibody rapid test kits of two kinds have arrived from China. India's biggest private lender HDFC Bank is closing in on its search for a successor to current Chief Executive Aditya Puri, who is set to retire in October. A Harvard research shows that people might need to practice some level of social distancing intermittently till 2022Read for more top stories from the world of business and economy:

1. Coronavirus outbreak: 5 lakh rapid test kits arrive in India

ICMR had recommended the use of rapid antibody testing for coronavirus in high containment zones on April 2.

2. HDFC Bank finalises three names for top post; could announce Aditya Puri's successor soon

Reason behind HDFC's decision to hurry the CEO appointment process may be RBI's recent directive to fill its important board positions only post the joining of the new CEO.

3. Coronavirus: You may have to maintain some degree of social distancing till 2022

Coronavirus update: Governments are now feeling the pressure of loosening the lockdown restrictions. However, norms can only be relaxed if measures to control the disease are implemented, including widespread testing.

4. Lockdown 2.0 bleeds travel, aviation; manufacturing, agriculture plan hesitant comebacks

Travel and aviation will have to wait longer for a respite as coronavirus lockdown extension restricts public movement till May 3; and although granted some leeway, it's still not business as usual for manufacturing and agriculture.

5. Coronavirus lockdown: How IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir could have cut their losses

In India, the situation with domestic carriers is pretty grim with just three months of losses being pegged at $3.6 billion; but did airlines actually have a chance to be better prepared.
A Covid-19 vaccine may be the only thing that can bring back "normalcy," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday, hoping for just that before the end of the year.

A safe and effective vaccine may be the only tool that can return the world to a sense of 'normalcy,' saving millions of lives and countless trillions of dollars," he added during a video conference with the 50 or so African countries that are members of the United Nations.

He called for its accelerated development and accessibility to all, adding it must have a "universal global benefit" and "allow us to control the pandemic." "We need an ambitious effort to ensure that international stakeholders operate through a harmonized, integrated and leveraged approach to maximize the speed and scale needed for the universal deployment of such a vaccine by the end of 2020," he insisted.

Guterres said his appeal on March 25 for $2 billion in donations for a comprehensive UN humanitarian response to the pandemic had so far raised about 20 percent of that amount.

Through the World Health Organization, the United Nations has been able to equip 47 African countries with Covid-19 tests, he said.

The UN chief also praised the efforts of several African governments to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic. He cited Uganda, which has given businesses more time to file their tax returns; Namibia, which provides emergency income for workers who have lost their jobs; Cape Verde, which provides food aid; and Egypt, which has reduced taxation on industries.
Cole Valley

At this time of the year, Mike Sullivan would usually be heading out to lead one of his neighborhood tree tours. But during shelter-in-place, he had to find a new way to tell the tales of his neighborhood's trees.

So Sullivan, former Friends of the Urban Forest board president and author of the 2013 book "The Trees of San Francisco", picked up a box of chalk and labeled about 75 trees on Cole Valley sidewalks.

He said he felt encouraged to do it after seeing a Facebook post about someone labeling trees in London. "I thought this would be a good way to share information," he said.

Photo: Courtesy of Mike Sullivan

He grabbed the last box of chalk at Cole Hardware before going on a walk with his dog, he said, and began labeling the trees. He included details such as the species, where they are native to, and some additional facts, like whether they're rare in San Francisco or if their flowers smell good.

Sullivan said he chose which trees to label by stopping wherever his dog led him, but made sure to choose trees that were interesting, rather than just labeling "every plum tree in the neighborhood." Since his dog goes outside three times a day, Sullivan was able to label quite a few trees.

Django Djog (not Sullivan's dog) checking out the tree. | Photo: jessinacollins/Instagram

Sullivan said he'd be up for walking to a different neighborhood with a new box of chalk. He has plenty of material  his book contains 12 tree-themed neighborhood walking tours through the Castro/Eureka Valley, Cole Valley, the Financial District, Forest Hill, Golden Gate Park and Panhandle, the Mission, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, Parnassus Heights, Potrero Hill, the Presidio as well as an Upper Market staircases tour.

"I'm happy to keep it up if there is interest," he said.
[April 16, 2020] ExxonMobil Says Thanks to Houston-Area COVID-19 Responders with Meals and Masks

ExxonMobil is providing thousands of meals and medical face masks for Houston-area health care workers, police officers and firefighters responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, in a new initiative that brings total contributions for Houston-area relief to $450,000. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005210/en/ ExxonMobil staff helps prepare meals at the Texas Medical Center. (Photo: Business Wire) "We want to thank those teams and individuals working around the clock to look after the people of the greater Houston area," said Linda DuCharme, president of ExxonMobil Upstream Integrated Solutions (News - Alert). "In addition to supporting health care workers and first responders, we also want to help out area restaurants and their employees who've been hard hit by the pandemic." ExxonMobil is contributing $100,000 for personal protective equipment such as medical masks to Texas Medical Center member hospitals, the Houston Police Foundation, the Fire Fighters Foundation of Houston and the Spring Fire Department. Another $100,000 will go to the TX Restaurant Relief Fund for the preparation and delivery of approximately 6,000 meals for frontline workers at these organizations. Prominent Houston chefs will participate in the effort that will enable participating restaurants to bring needed work to furloughed staff. The Texas Restaurant Association's nonprofit arm established the TX Restaurant Relief Fund last month to provide immediate financial support to the state's independent restaurateurs and their employees who have been heavily impacted by the loss of business due to COVID-19. "The COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on restaurants, a critical part of Texas' food supply chain," sad Dr. Emily Williams Knight, president and chief executive officer of the Texas Restaurant Association and Education Foundation.



"In every crisis, restaurants are often the first to help feed the front line, including hospital staff and first responders. We are incredibly grateful to ExxonMobil for this grant, which both supports Houston restaurants, their employees, and enables them to feed frontline responders during this unprecedented time. "Through this initiative, participating restaurants will be able to hire back up to 50 percent of their furloughed employees. This donation demonstrates that by working together we can keep the heartbeat of our communities - food and medicine - in service for all," said Knight.

The support comes in addition to its recent contribution of $250,000 to the Houston Food Bank and Montgomery County Food Bank to provide about one million meals to Houston-area residents. "Houston is a foodie town, and our restaurants reflect the city's diverse culinary tastes and vibrant culture. The COVID-19 public health crisis is having a devastating effect on the men and women who work in the foodservice industry," said Sylvester Turner, mayor of the City of Houston. "I applaud ExxonMobil for its generous donation to assist restaurants and to feed first responders. "I also want to encourage the public to support local restaurants through delivery and curbside takeout. If we work together, we will get through this challenging time and continue to be Houston Strong," said Turner. "The Texas Medical Center has been overwhelmed with the level of generosity demonstrated by entities and individuals alike during the COVID-19 outbreak," said William F. McKeon, president and chief executive officer of Texas Medical Center. "The entire Texas Medical Center network thanks ExxonMobil for implementing a donation program that will not only benefit the essential healthcare workers and first responders who are saving lives on the frontlines during this pandemic but also supports the local restaurant industry, which has and will continue to be a critical part of what makes Houston such a special place." ExxonMobil, which has about 11,000 employees living and working the greater Houston area, remains focused on keeping its workforce safe and healthy to maintain its operations and maximize production of materials critical to the global response. The company is the leading U.S. producer of isopropyl alcohol, which is used to manufacture hand sanitizer, and also produces polypropylene, which is used to make protective gowns and masks. ExxonMobil is also working with the Global Center for Medical Innovation to design and support the manufacturing of reusable shields and masks for health care workers. About ExxonMobil Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), one of the largest publicly traded international energy company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world's growing energy needs. ExxonMobil engages in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, with a focus on math and science in the United States, promote women as catalysts for economic development, and combat malaria. In 2018, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $211 million in contributions worldwide. To learn more, visit exxonmobil.com and the Energy Factor. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005210/en/

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A grocery shopper gets a squirt of hand sanitizer from a masked Trader Joe's employee before she is allowed to enter the store on Arch Street in Center City last week. The state has issued new directives requiring the wearing of masks by customers and workers in businesses permitted to be open. Read more

The coronavirus has crept into nearly 300 elder-care facilities in Pennsylvania, where it has been responsible for half of all virus-related deaths in the state, officials said Wednesday, and it has struck the Philadelphia region with particular ferocity.

The statistics were released on a day when Pennsylvania instituted an order requiring all businesses and in-person customers to wear protective masks, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy suggested that the mask look is likely to continue as a new normal takes hold after the pandemic subsides.

In New Jersey, which said the virus has been detected in 95% of its elder facilities, the total death toll climbed to 3,156 with Wednesdays daily report, including 19 reported in Burlington County, and 71,030 positive cases were reported. Pennsylvania has logged 647 deaths and more than 26,000 total cases.

 READ MORE: All Pa. businesses must require employees and customers to wear masks amid coronavirus pandemic

The rate of increase in new cases has flattened substantially in both states and nationwide. But the Pennsylvania data from the elder-care facilities, mined in what Health Secretary Rachel Levine called a deep dive, were disconcerting.

In 297 of those centers, 3,316 coronavirus cases were verified. In Philadelphia, 34 coronavirus-related deaths were reported; 60 in Montgomery County, and 41 in Delaware County.

Philadelphia-area hospitals are reaching capacity due to a surge in coronavirus cases and may soon begin transporting patients to other facilities, city Public Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said Wednesday.

That said, Farley added that the regions health-care system has not been overburdened. "We have plenty of availability in hospitals, he said.

While the increases in cases have trended downward, officials on both sides of the river were doubling down on measures aimed at crushing the curve.

SEPTA announced that it had supplied a limited number of surgical masks to transit riders Wednesday to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.

The supply may be nearly depleted, said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch, but about 20,000 have been made available on buses and Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines trains, as well as at the 69th Street, 15th Street, Suburban, and Jefferson stations.

Pennsylvania officials took the dramatic step of requiring employees of all businesses that are open to in-person customers wear masks or facial coverings. The order also mandates that businesses deny entry to customers who are not wearing masks, unless the business sells food, medication, or medical supplies.

The decree requires that businesses provide space for employees to have breaks and meals while maintaining social distance; conduct meetings and training virtually; prohibit all nonessential visitors; and install shields or other barriers at checkout areas, or take other measures to ensure social distancing.

This order provides critical protections for the workers needed to run and operate these life-sustaining establishments," said Gov. Tom Wolf.

 READ MORE: Gov. Tom Wolf will veto bill to reopen more Pa. businesses, as top health official warns legislation puts more lives at risk

Wolf, a Democrat, on Wednesday said he would veto a bill passed by the GOP-controlled state House and Senate that would broaden the definition of what constitutes an essential business allowed to remain open during the states coronavirus shutdown.

It passed both chambers, primarily along party lines. While Republicans hold majorities, they would not have enough votes to override a veto.

Meanwhile, some residents of both states are receiving their stimulus checks, signed by President Donald Trump, and retailers no doubt are hoping that some of that money comes their way.

U.S. retail sales plummeted 8.7% in March, the largest one-month drop in the nearly three decades of tracking, as many businesses have been forced to close to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the Commerce Departments preliminary report, auto sales dropped 25.6%, while sales at clothing stores plummeted 50.5%. Sales at gas stations, impacted by a drop in commuting and lower oil prices, fell 17%.

By contrast, sales at grocery stores skyrocketed 26%, as Americans stocked up on food and supplies while shelter-at-home rules went into effect. Online sales also rose 3.1%.

Prior to last month, the largest one-month drop in retail sales occurred during the fall of 2008, the peak of the financial crisis, when spending dropped 4% in both October and November.

Some of the businesses that are prospering might be bending the rules.

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Wednesday that the state has taken over 600 actions against businesses accused of price-gouging products related to the coronavirus pandemic.

When people are concerned about keeping their families healthy and paying their bills, they shouldnt have to worry about becoming the victim of unscrupulous market practices, Grewal said. If youre a business looking to take advantage of New Jersey consumers, were coming for you, and dont bother trying to hide behind an online profile.

Most complaints are against businesses raising prices on items like surgical masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, food, and bottled water. Violations can carry a $10,000 fine on first offense, and $20,000 for each one after.

New Jersey is bending the rules for crematoriums and cemeteries. State Police Col. Patrick Callahan said Wednesday that they will be allowed to operate later than usual to process bodies stressing the mortuary system. He also said it was likely that cemetery hours would be extended in the coming days.

While Trump said that on Thursday he will announce guidelines for states with low coronavirus rates to potentially reopen, Murphy made it clear Wednesday that New Jersey would not be on that list.

He predicted that New Jersey restaurants will see a new normal when the state ultimately ends up reopening the economy.

Murphy said he could easily see a situation where restaurants would be limited to serving only 50% of their capacity; be ordered to perform temperature or saliva checks; require employees to wear masks and gloves; and adopt stringent sanitation protocols.

The notion were going to turn the clock back  to three months ago, Murphy said. I just dont see it."

Staff writers Rob Tornoe, Erin McCarthy, Sean Collins Walsh, Patricia Madej, and Ellie Rushing contributed to this story, as did Gillian McGoldrick and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA.
A Victorian mayor who was caught drinking a beer on the main street of his town during the coronavirus lockdown - only hours after urging others to stay home - has been fined.

Warrnambool Mayor Tony Herbert was seen outside the Whaler's hotel on Tuesday night drinking a beer with three local businessmen in the regional town on Victoria's south-west coast.

Hours earlier he had shared a video to the Warrnambool City Council Facebook page pleading for residents to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously.

Councillor Herbert has apologised over the blunder which resulted in him being fined $1,652 by Victoria police.

Photos emerged last week show him standing outside the Whalers Hotel on the main street of Warrnambool's on Victoria's south-west coast holding a beer while chatting to three other people

'I made mistakes on the night of April 7 and I wish to apologise for them,' Councillor Herbert said in a statement.

'I had believed my actions to engage with business owners as part of my mayoral role, was within the bounds of the law.

'I am genuinely sorry for my actions.'

The Councillor said despite the negative backlash he's been buoyed by support from within the council and community to continue in the leadership role.

'Serving Warrnambool as Mayor is an enormous privilege and it is a role to which I am totally dedicated,' Councillor Herbert said.

'Warrnambool has been good to me and I want to continue to give back. I look forward to contributing to the community as Mayor.'

In a video posted on the council Facebook page earlier that night Councillor Herbert urged the community to take the threat of coronavirus seriously.

'The success of our actions in social distancing, washing of hands and also isolating at home has actually been working well...It isn't the time now to take our foot off the accelerator. We need to step it up and continue to be very very vigilant,' he said.

Warrnambool Mayor Tony Herbert (pictured) on Victoria's South Coast has been fined by police after images emerged of him drinking a beer during COVID-19 lockdown

A spokesperson for Victoria police told Daily Mail Australia they issued four fines of $1,652 over the incident on Tuesday night.

'Following reports of people gathering and drinking in a street outside a Warrnambool licenced premise on Tuesday 7 April, police can confirm they have issued four penalty notices for breaching Chief Health Officer directions,' the spokesperson said.

Councillor Herbert originally defended his actions as an 'unplanned encounter' in a statement to local media outlet 'The Terrier.'

The mayor said he was photographed after stopping off on the way to the supermarket.

'We had an emotional and refreshingly optimistic conversation. We stood metres apart from each other with the exception of a brief moment when one of the business owners passed me a beer. After a short time I left for the supermarket,' Mr Herbert said.

Warrnambool Mayor Tony Herbert has been fined $1,652 for breaching COVID-19 laws by Victoria police

'The job of being mayor doesn't ever stop. I considered it part of my role to see for myself how our city is faring in difficult times. This is something I do regularly.

'The decision to drive along Liebig Street I viewed as mayoral duty, so too the conversations I had with the business owners.'

He said he returned home afterwards where he continued a board game with his family.

Fellow councillors have had mixed responses to the mayor's actions, with Councillor Sue Cassidy telling the Standard she was 'disappointed'.

'I must admit I can't believe he parked in the wrong direction on main street, it's really not a good look,' Councilor Cassidy said.

'We are leaders and people look to us for leadership. Laws were broken and it does make me wonder how we move forward to continue our messaging to the community when they might be thinking well if you don't do it, then why should we?'

While Councillor David Owen described the community's response as an 'overreaction'.

'If you know Tony you would know he is very social and very concerned about the local traders in this town. Someone called him over to discuss how they were doing in business and being the thoughtful mayor he is he absentmindedly pulled over and had a conversation,' Councillor Owen said.
Indian markets closed in the green on April 16 after two consecutive sessions of fall, tracking positive global cues and hopes of a stimulus package from the government.

The S&P BSE Sensex rallied more than 200 points but the Nifty50 failed to close above the psychologically important 9,000-mark.

Lets look at the final tally on D-Street: the S&P BSE Sensex rose 222 points to 30,602 while the Nifty50 closed 67 points higher at 8,992, just a shade below 9,000.

Sectorally, the action was seen in power, capital goods, oil & gas, and consumer durables while profit-taking was visible in IT, Telecom, and FMCG indices.

The broader market outperformed as the S&P BSE Midcap index rose 1.4 percent while the S&P BSE Smallcap index was up 1.7 percent.

The Indian rupee tanked 43 paise to settle at an all-time low of 76.87 (provisional) against the US dollar, amid rising concerns over coronavirus-led economic slowdown.

Market faced selling pressure at high levels above 9,000, which suggests that D-Street is looking for a strong trigger that could come in the form of a stimulus package.

Media reports said Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman would be meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to finalise the stimulus and support measures to cushion the economic from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Directional move is missing in the market and after the event in the form of stimulus package, the index can move in either directions," Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist  Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in, told Moneycontrol.

"Traders are advised to wait for a technical breakout and initiate trading bets in the direction of such a breakout," he said.

Top Nifty gainers include Shree Cements, ICICI Bank, Hindalco Industries, Vedanta, and NTPC.

Top Nifty losers include Hero MotoCorp, Infosys, Kotak Bank, Tech Mahindra, and HCL Technologies.

Stocks & sectors

Sectorally, the S&P BSE Power index rose 2.8 percent, followed by the S&P BSE Capital Goods index that was up 2.2 percent, and the S&P BSE Oil & Gas index was up 1.9 percent.

Profit-taking was visible in the S&P BSE IT index that was down 1.7 percent, followed by the S&P BSE Telecom index that fell 1.67 percent.

A volume spike of over 100% was seen in stocks like Container Corp, Tata Chemicals, Sun TV, L&T Finance Holdings, and Balkrishna Industries.

Long Buildup was seen in stocks like Chola Finance, Torrent Pharma, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Voltas, and HDFC.

Short Buildup was seen in stocks like Bharti Infratel, Bharti Airtel, and Piramal Enterprises.

Nearly 40 stocks on the BSE hit a fresh 52-week high. These include Nestle India, Sanofi India, Divis Laboratories and Ruchi Soya.

Stocks in news

Biocon: The share rallied 4 percent after its biological unit received Establishment Inspection Report from the US health regulator for two manufacturing facilities.

IndusInd Bank: The share gained over 2 percent after global broking and research firm Goldman Sachs bought Rs 176-crore worth of shares in the private lender.

Larsen & Toubro: The share was up over 3 percent after the heavy engineering arm of the company won significant contracts in Q4 of FY20.

Punjab & Sind Bank: The share jumped over 12 percent after the bank said it would raise up to Rs 1,500 crore through equity and preferential issue of shares.

Hindustan Composites: The share rose 10 percent after the company resumed partial operations at its Aurangabad unit.

Wipro: The share recouped losses and closed flat a day after the company reported muted numbers for the March quarter. Most global brokerage firms reduced their target price post March quarter results.

Technical View

The Nifty formed a bullish candle on the daily charts.

The market may remain in narrow trading range of 9,200 8,800 and appears to be awaiting for a stimulus package which shall facilitate a directional move in the index.

A close below 8,820 can trigger a fresh leg of a downswing, with the initial target placed around 8,400, whereas a breakout above 9,200 on the closing basis can strengthen the bullish sentiment

As the directional move is missing and after the event, in the form of stimulus package, the index can move in either of the directions, traders are advised to wait for a technical breakout and initiate trading bets in the direction of such a breakout, Mohammad said.

Presently, the lower area of 8,900 and 8,850 is acting as a key support for the market and the Nifty is stuck at the overhead resistance of around 9,050-9,100 levels.
The Armenian parliament passed in the second and final reading on Thursday a government bill allowing authorities to confiscate private properties and other assets deemed to have been acquired illegally.

The package of legal amendments drafted by the government late last year allows prosecutors to investigate individuals in case of having sufficient grounds to suspect that the market value of their assets exceeds their legal incomes by at least 50 million drams ($103,000).

Should the prosecutors find such discrepancies they can ask courts to nationalize those assets even if their owners are not found guilty of corruption or other criminal offenses. The latter will have to prove the legality of their holdings if they are to retain them.

Speaking during a parliament debate on Wednesday, Justice Minister Rustam Badasian insisted that current and former state officials will be the main targets of what the government portrays as a major anti-corruption measure. But he reaffirmed that it will also cover other individuals, who are accused or suspected of corrupt practices.

This is an instrument for returning to the state the wealth amassed illegally, often times through corruption mechanisms, and skillfully hidden by persons who abused their position, said Lilit Makunts, the parliamentary leader of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians My Step bloc.

Deputy Justice Minister Srbuhi Galian told RFE/RLs Armenian service on Tuesday that the process will be handled by a new division that will be set up within the Office of the Prosecutor-General later this year.

Galian said rulings on confiscations demanded by the prosecutors will initially be handed down by judges to be selected by the Supreme Judicial Council, which oversees Armenian courts. Such cases will eventually be referred to a special anti-corruption court which is due to be set by the end of 2021, she said.

The National Assembly overwhelmingly approved the bill in the first reading on March 5. The two opposition parties represented in the parliament tentatively backed it before proposing dozens of amendments.

Only some of those amendments were incorporated into the final version of the bill. In particular, the government agreed to increase the threshold for asset seizures from 25 million to 50 million drams.

The changes failed to satisfy the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK). One of its deputies, Arkady Khachatrian, said during Wednesdays debate that time frames set by the bill do not provide for speedy investigations into the legality of peoples wealth.

Earlier, LHK leader Edmon Marukian questioned the effectiveness of the entire mechanism, saying that corrupt officials who registered their properties in their relatives name may well be let off the hook.

Mikael Melkumian, a senior lawmaker from the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), also voiced misgivings. In particular, he said that the bill does not take into account sharp increases in real estate prices that occurred in Armenia in the 2000s.

Nevertheless, BHK deputies were among 91 members of the 132-seat parliament who voted for the bill on Thursday. One LHK deputy voted against and 15 others abstained.

Other critics of the government have challenged the legality of the planned asset seizures. They also claim that Pashinian is intent on a far-reaching redistribution of property in the country.

Pashinian has denied having such plans. He insisted in December that asset forfeiture is essential for rooting out corruption and will not be arbitrary.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian openly objected to the bill at the time, however. Speaking at a cabinet meeting, the former banker said he is worried that it could scare away investors and lead to capital flight from Armenia.
Seventy five per cent of the undocumented immigrants returned to Guatemala on a recent deportation flight from the US had the coronavirus, says the country's top health official.

Health Minister Hugo Monroy made the statement this week as he suggested a recent spike in COVID-19 infections was to blame on US deportations.

Monroy specifically was referring to a March 26 flight from the US that carried 41 passengers, clarified presidential spokesman Carlos Sandoval.

The health minister declined to comment after his remarks on Tuesday.

If Monroy is correct, it could mean dozens of confirmed coronavirus cases in Guatemala could be linked to US deportations.

Seventy five per cent of the undocumented immigrants returned to Guatemala on a recent deportation flight from the US had the coronavirus, says Health Minister Hugo Monroy

Monroy mentioned the coronavirus cases when he suggested a recent spike in COVID-19 infections was to blame on US deportations. A health care worker emerges from a temporary quarantine shelter set up Guatemala City's airport

A health worker sits inside an area at the airport where the Guatemalan government holding temporarily holds citizens deported from the US while they await coronavirus testing

Guatemala has since started testing all deportees arriving on flights from the US.

A temporary shelter has been set up at Guatemala City's international airport where the deportation flights arrived to hold returning nationals while they await testing.

The country's Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance has reported 180 cases in total, with five deaths.

Asked about Monroy's comments, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which arranges the flights said in a written response that 'the health and safety of migrants in our care and custody is one of our highest priorities.'

The agency says that every ICE detainee must pass a health screening by a flight medical provider. Otherwise, the detainee will be denied boarding and taken to an ICE approved facility for additional screening.

'DHS and ICE will continue to work with the Government of Guatemala to ensure their citizens return safely to their home country, and together protect the health and security of our nations,' the statement says.

Guatemala again began receiving deportation flights from the United States after a one-week pause prompted by three deportees testing positive for COVID-19.

The Guatemalan government had asked the Trump administration to not send more than 25 deportees per flight, to give them health exams before departure and to certify that they were not infected. But on Monday the US sent nearly 200 deportees aboard two planes.

The Guatemalan government had asked the Trump administration to not send more than 25 deportees per flight, to give them health exams before departure and to certify that they were not infected. But on Monday the US sent nearly 200 deportees aboard two planes

ICE does not typically disclose details about how and when it removes people but says there was an April 14 flight to Guatemala that left from San Antonio with 112 people on board.

All were medically cleared before takeoff. The agency says any detainee with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher is not allowed to board a flight and is sent for further evaluation and observation.

US Immigration Customs Enforcement said Wednesday the total number of detainees who have tested positive rose to 89, with 15 at the privately run Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego.

The US holds about 34,000 people in immigration detention, down from about 37,000 last month.

Since March 13, when Guatemala declared a health emergency, the Guatemalan Immigration Institute says that more than 1,600 deportees have arrived from the US including 245 minors.

US Rep. Norma Torres, who was born in Guatemala, said Wednesday in a statement that the Trump administration was not using common sense in continuing deportations to less-developed countries during a pandemic.

US Rep. Norma Torres, who was born in Guatemala, said Wednesday in a statement that the Trump administration was not using common sense in continuing deportations to less-developed countries during a pandemic

'If the Trump Administration continues its callous deportation policies through the midst of this pandemic, the results will be predictable and tragic,' she said.

'From the beginning of this Administration, deportations have been a way to outsource our challenges to other nations. Coronavirus changes that  these deportations are exporting death.'
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As American cities continue to shelter-in-place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, thousands of medical students are in limbo as they wait to see when they will be able to take their licensing examinations. The growing backlog of test-takers is particularly problematic for the Step 2 Clinical Skills examination, a one-day clinical performance exam which is held on limited dates at one of five testing locations across the United States.

The most recent update from the National Board of Medical Examiners states that test centers are scheduled to reopen on June 1 to resume administering Step 2 CS. The NBME has not established a contingency plan for how to take Step 2 CS should standardized testing center shutdowns persist longer than expected. This is a cause of anxiety for students, given that Step 2 CS is a requirement for medical school graduation and entry to residency. Moreover, passing Step 2 CS is one of the eligibility criteria for registering for Step 3, the final examination for medical licensure.

Many institutions are temporarily waiving the Step 2 CS requirement. Students will end up taking the test to complete the formal licensing process at a later date. However, I believe that the most worthwhile solution is canceling the examination altogether.

Step 2 CS has been a source of contention for years. Medical students are forced to spend thousands of dollars on registration fees, flights, and accommodations to be evaluated on skills such as communication and history-taking, which are already repeatedly assessed at our respective institutions. The vast majority of test-takers pass anyway; for the minority that dont, failing may derail their residency applications pending a successful retake of the test. This is galling given the dearth of evidence to suggest that Step 2 CS is a predictor of improved outcomes in medical training, as admitted by NBME representatives themselves.

But the pandemic has given rise to significant new concerns. There will likely be more interruptions to the testing schedule over the next 18-month period as intermittent shutdowns occur to mitigate COVID-19 spread while we wait for a vaccine. The backlog will continue to grow.

Most importantly, medical students from all over the United States, Canada, and beyond converge upon five American cities to take Step 2 CS. In contrast to Step 1 and Step 2 CK, the test itself involves a series of patient interactions. Continuing to administer Step 2 CS exams means requiring medical students to place themselvesand their loved onesat increased risk of COVID-19 exposure. It is a public health risk for the local communities of Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. And, in a time of increasing medical personnel shortages, we cannot afford to delay medical trainee advancement on account of a Step 2 CS failure.

Fundamentally, Step 2 CS is a high-risk test in the setting of COVID-19 with unproven benefits that do not justify the tradeoff. Medical schools and residencies need to waive Step 2 CS as a requirement. Moreover, they need to push for the NBME to remove Step 2 CS from Step 3 eligibility criteria. The NBME itself needs to demonstrate that student safety and well-being takes precedence over the organizations bottom line.

There is no place for Step 2 CS in the evaluation and promotion of medical trainees, especially during a pandemic.

Anna Goshua is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A man has been arrested after assaulting and spitting at a Garda in County Roscommon this morning.

It happened at around 10am at Muckmoyne in Boyle, when officers were carrying out a Covid-19 checkpoint - however, the gardai say a man in his 20s refused to co-operate.
Amid the Coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown extension, all we need to do is stay at home to fight against the deadly virus. The Coronavirus has infected over 12,000 people and have claimed the lives of around 415 people so far. The concept of staying at home is the only brainchild behind flattening the curve of the Coronavirus outbreak. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared an informative video wherein a group of kids explains the importance of staying indoors by using the domino effect method.



Checkout the video here-

PM Modi took to his Twitter saying in Hindi, The kids taught a very important life lesson while playing.

In the video, a kid explains how the virus spreads using bricks. Placed in a spiral, the bricks show the domino effect as one brick makes all others fall along with it. While in the second attempt, when one kid removes a brick from the spiral the whole cycle is disturbed and the domino effect isnt completed.

 BCCL

This explains how the spreading of the deadly virus that is rapidly increasing, can be contained with proper measures. The video has already garnered over 346.5K views and 16K re-tweets on Twitter. Heres what people have to say about the simple yet interesting video shared by PM Modi-



 Shreya Roy (@shreyasakshiroy) April 16, 2020

Bikul sahmat hu  Abhinandan Mishra (@Abhinan02820078) April 16, 2020

Right sir , Great lesson they had taught.  Preeti Yadav (@drpreetiyadav9) April 16, 2020

@RahulGandhi This is to tell you importance of Lock Down. Village children have understood, hope you too will understand it?  Brig VK Agrawal (@brigvkagrawal) April 16, 2020

        Sonika Sharma (@sonikasdutta) April 16, 2020

This spirit save india from corona  Sidharth Yadav (@SidharthYadav14) April 16, 2020

PM Modi has been sharing simple awareness videos about Coronavirus to keep the citizens of India updated and informed about it. It is necessary that people stay at home and respect the governments decision of the lockdown extension as this is the only way to contain the virus.

 BCCL

We hope more and more people view this video and understand the grave situation that the whole world is in. Just stay at home. Please!


By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Centre told the Supreme Court Wednesday that healthcare workers are coronavirus warriors and it will provide a specific helpline number for redressing their grievances such as salary cuts, delayed payment, non-availability of protective kits or eviction from rented accommodation.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana, S K Kaul and B R Gavai disposed of a batch of petitions including that United Nurses Association (UNA) seeking to formulate a National COVID19 Management Protocol for addressing the serious concerns relating to imminent and extreme risks posed to the health and safety of healthcare workers throughout the country.

Advocate Subhash Chandran K R, appearing for UNA, said nurses and healthcare workers belonging to the association are working in over 400 private hospitals of the country and many of them have either faced salary cuts up to 50 per cent or delayed payment.

He said that due to the lack of proper safety equipment, around 150-200 nurses have been infected with COVID-19 or coronavirus and over 600 to 700 healthcare workers are in quarantine.

Chandran contended that besides health hazards, many nurses and healthcare workers are also being asked by their landlords to evict the accommodation for working close to coronavirus patients.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said healthcare workers in the country are coronavirus warriors and the government is taking all necessary steps to address their grievances.

He said Ministry of Home Affairs will set up a dedicated helpline number for redressal of the complaints and their grievances will be addressed within two hours.

The bench recorded the submission of Mehta and disposed of the plea of UNA and a similar petition filed by Indian Professional Nurses Association (INA).

The plea of UNA has said, A large number of healthcare workers including nurses, doctors, and other staffers are infected in various states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi, Karnataka etc.

Lack of preparedness to tackle the pandemic has led to 10 nurses at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai Central contracting the infection and almost all 265 nurses in the said hospital are under observation to contain further spread.

The plea filed through advocate Biju P Raman said that unfortunately the Centre has not formulated a National Management Protocol for COVID19 for addressing the serious concerns relating to imminent and extreme risks posed to the health and safety of medical personnel throughout the territory of India, amidst the currently persisting and ever escalating spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The health and safety (physical / mental) of health care workers are of utmost importance because further shortage of health care workers would result in thousands of unattended COVID-19 patients, which will have serious repercussions including escalation of the present situation and resultant impact on the economy, medical facilities, potential deaths and loss of human resource," it said.

The Association sought direction to Centre to provide COVID-19 protection kits to every single health care professional working in the corona isolation wards, or who work in close proximity of patients suspected to be infected with the virus.

It also sought various other directions including one to ensure that all health care workers are trained on infection prevention and control (IPC), proper use and disposal of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).
A new arms-control report expected to be made public by the State Department shows the United States is concerned that China is conducting secret nuclear tests despite a pledge against doing so, The Wall Street Journal reports.

There's reportedly no proof China is violating the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and the alleged tests are reportedly not very powerful, but Washington's suspicions are driven by "high tempo" activity at China's Lop Nur test site, extensive excavations at the site, and Beijing's "purported use of of special chambers to contain explosion," per the Journal.

Additionally, the U.S. noticed interruptions in data transmission of radioactive emissions and seismic tremors from Chinese monitoring stations  which are part of an international network of sites to verify treaty compliance  in recent years. The Trump administration's report claims the data was deliberately blocked by Beijing, but a spokesperson for the body that oversees the international test ban treaty said those interruptions came during a negotiating process between the CTBT organization and the Chinese government.

Either way, the report could certainly exacerbate tensions between Washington and Beijing, which are already rising because of longstanding trade disputes and, more recently, the U.S.'s criticism of China's handling of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

More stories from theweek.com

Airline conducts COVID-19 blood tests on passengers

Trump reportedly invites every GOP senator to coronavirus task force  except Mitt Romney

Michigan governor says protesters against stay-at-home order 'might have just created a need to lengthen it'


There are a lot of people who are ruining the country right now, according to Michael Savage. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Liberal mayors in big cities like San Francisco. Undocumented immigrants. Homeless people.

But for the past two months, listeners to Savages conservative radio show have heard him howl with unabated contempt about another menace: The pimps in the right-wing media who tell you what you want to hear. They are intellectual dwarfs and science illiterates, he says, who spent weeks downplaying the threat from the coronavirus epidemic and accusing President Donald Trumps opponents of exaggerating it to hurt him politically.

On Savages broadcast, which has one of the largest audiences in talk radio with 7.5 million listeners each week, the virus has never been a hoax or a bad case of the sniffles. He has lectured his fans on the research in detail: How it is transmitted; which treatments are proving effective; and the difference between morbidity and mortality rates.

With no small amount of self-satisfaction, Savage reminds people of his credentials  a Ph.D. and training in epidemiology  and of the fact that he was one of the few voices in conservative media who had warned them all along.

Much of the time, Savage still sounds like any other right-wing shock jock  making fun of Nancy Pelosi and doubting the validity of the #MeToo movement. But on the subject of the coronavirus, Savage has become one of the loudest voices of dissent on the right.

His views are a striking departure from the accepted version of events among Trumps loyalists in the media, who have made a concerted effort to deny that they downplayed the epidemic  and have helped fuel support for protests against stay-at-home orders in states like Michigan. Savage has attacked the credibility of the conservative media, accused its biggest stars of being too rote and unthinking in their defense of the president, and demanded that they be held accountable for misleading millions of Americans.

Were living in a terrible time in America where truth has died, Savage, who was one of the first conservative media stars to urge Trump to run for president, told his audience. This is crazy, he added, pointing to the way the presidents defenders always accuse the left of spreading fake news.

How can we not let our side be called on the carpet when they lie to the people?

That was Feb. 24.

At the time, coronavirus outbreaks were largely limited to a handful of countries like China, South Korea and Italy. Only a few dozen cases had been reported in the United States. The same day, Rush Limbaugh likened the coronavirus to the common cold on his radio program. But it spread aggressively in America just as Savage had warned it would  a prediction that earned him the ire of people who called him a hysteric and a sellout.

His contempt for hosts like Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, whose top-rated radio shows draw more than 30 million listeners each week, is especially searing. He mocks them as Dr. Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, M.D., Ph.D., belittles their lack of education compared with his, and berates people who took their claims seriously.

During one program in early March, for instance, Savage asked why anyone would continue to believe that the virus was being hyped by the presidents enemies when Trump himself was taking aggressive steps to slow its spread. Referring to the president, Savage fumed, Is it because he doesnt know as much as Sean Hannity does? Is it because he doesnt study at the same medical school as Dr. Limbaugh?

Do you understand the danger youre in by listening to these people and just following them blindly over a cliff? he implored his audience.

Hostilities among the bold personalities and big egos of talk radio are nothing new. Savage has always been the misfit of conservative radio who relished taunting his higher-rated rivals. But his background in science, and a recent heart attack that has reduced his schedule to three days a week, have given him a unique perspective.

Still, anyone tempted to think that Savage is fundamentally gentler and milder needs only to listen to a few minutes of his program.

I just saw that San Franciscos homeless population are being given hotel rooms, so they can crap on the floor and throw the sheets out the window, he said on a recent show, reacting to the news that some cities were trying to limit the spread of the virus among people who sleep on the streets.

On another day, he questioned whether Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer, should have been convicted of criminal sexual assault. Referring to the women who accused him, Savage said: They all went into his apartment. What were they going there for?

These kinds of provocations will be familiar to fans and critics of Savage, who was once was barred from entering Britain after making inflammatory comments about Islam, including calling the Quran a book of hate.

In a series of interviews over the phone and on Skype as he recorded his radio show from a home studio overlooking San Francisco Bay, Savage, who is 78, echoed his conservative colleagues on some aspects of the virus. He has sharply attacked the federal governments leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, dismissing him as a grandstander and a showman. He criticized sweeping quarantine measures and lockdowns as a threat to individual liberty, and called for them to be eased in places with lower infection rates.

He said he had pressed this point personally over email with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, whom he knows socially through his son, the billionaire founder of Rockstar Energy Drink, Russell Weiner. Savage has also made his case on selectively lifting quarantine orders directly to the White House, which announced last month that it would nominate him to the board of the Presidio Trust, the oversight body for San Franciscos famed national park. (The announcement was easy to overlook because it listed Savage by his legal name, Michael A. Weiner.)

Savages coronavirus crusade is partly a reflection of his training as a scientist. He has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in nutritional ethnomedicine, a field that examines how various cultures and ethnicities use natural products for health purposes. As part of his training, he studied epidemiology. He is a germaphobe and has a survivalist streak. One of the houses he owns in Marin County has its own reservoir.

But his persistence on the issue is also a reaction to his own recent death scare. The heart attack he had in December made the life-or-death nature of a pandemic personal. I would like to believe that God has kept me here for this reason, he said, calling this the defining moment of our lives.

At one point he turned to his producer, Jim Verdi, and asked, When was I this wound up?

Never, Verdi replied.

Savages wife, Janet Weiner, said in an interview that she had noticed more compassion in her husband since his heart attack. And she sees him taking on responsibility for waking people up to what parts of American conservatism, especially in the media, have become. This culty hero worship of the uneducated, its very depressing, she said. It makes me ashamed to be a conservative, she added, before stopping herself. I dont want to identify with the conservative movement anymore.

Her husband is not willing to go that far. And one thing his listeners do not hear much of is direct criticism of the president for his uneven response to the virus.

The host, who for years has argued that immigration should be limited for public health reasons, has praised Trumps actions, such as limiting travel from China. When Trump called to congratulate him on the Presidio appointment last month, he told Savage he was considering shutting down travel to Europe. Savage responded that he didnt think it was necessary at the time. Obviously I was wrong, he said.

Savages criticism of the conservative media allows him to sidestep the bigger questions about Trumps leadership. Nicole Hemmer, a scholar at Columbia University and author of a book on the history of right-wing media, Messengers of the Right, said that Savage was letting the president off the hook by arguing that people in his inner circle like Hannity are giving him bad advice.

In a way, he inoculates Trump from criticism by saying its not necessarily Trump that has bad instincts  its that hes been misinformed, Hemmer said. She added that Savage was still a lot like other hosts in that they are all trying to find ways to protect Donald Trump, they just disagree about the method to do that.

The only serious point of disagreement between Trump and Savage is in treating the virus with hydroxychloroquine, which the president has hailed as a potential miracle drug. Almost every day now, Savage said in the interview, Ive been warning people about the dangers of this drug. He said he was appalled after hearing that Trump boosters like Hannity and Rudy Giuliani, the presidents personal lawyer, were citing the unverified findings of a doctor outside New York City. Thats not a controlled study, he said, adding that Dr. Giuliani had no business talking about it.

Faced with his own mortality and the slowing down of his professional life, Savage has sounded sentimental at times. Earlier this month, he told his listeners, My career will be defined by how Ive treated you, my audience, during this epidemic.

Were at war with an invisible enemy, he said. And were not going to win this war by attacking each other. Were not going to win this war by lying to the people.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
CHARLOTTE, NC  Mecklenburg County health officials are recommending county residents wear cloth face masks in public settings as the number of novel coronavirus cases continue to grow in the county. As of Thursday, there are now at least 19 deaths and 1,084 people in Mecklenburg County who have been confirmed as infected with novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

"We continue to learn more about COVID-19 and how to reduce the spread of it," Mecklenburg County Public Health said in a notice. "There is some evidence people without symptoms may be spreading the virus. Droplets from breathing or speaking may spread COVID-19 from person to person. Therefore, the use of cloth face masks may help decrease transmission of the virus."

Health officials in Mecklenburg's northern neighbor, Iredell County, issued a similar recommendation April 9.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in North Carolina. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

MCPH said cloth masks should not be placed on children under 2 years of age, or used by anyone having trouble breathing or is unconscious or incapacitated.

Health officials urge residents to:

Routinely wash the face mask daily. It should be fully dry before using.

Avoid adjusting the mask by touching the face while it is on.

Continue to wash hands frequently while wearing the mask.

Be careful to not touch eyes, noise and mouth when removing the mask, and wash hands immediately after removing.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 131 in North Carolina, state health officials said Thursday morning. There are now 5,465 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus and 452 related hospitalizations.

North Carolina's number of cases reported April 16 represents an increase of 342 confirmed cases in a day.

Mecklenburg County has the largest number of confirmed cases with 1,084 cases and 19 deaths, followed by Wake County (552 cases, one death), Durham County (350 cases, two deaths), Rowan County (214 cases, four deaths) and Cabarrus County (198 cases, three deaths).

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Globally, more than 2 million people have been infected and at least 140,773 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Thursday afternoon. Of that total, more than 641,000 cases have been confirmed in the United States.

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A man carries an umbrella as he walks across an empty East 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, in New York, March 23, 2020. Mike Segar | Reuters

For grocery store and pharmacy workers across the U.S., stocking shelves and checking out customers have become anxiety-inducing tasks. Each commute and customer interaction comes with the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. And returning home means a chance of transmitting a potentially deadly illness to a spouse or family member. Thousands of grocery and retail workers have gotten sick from Covid-19. Some have died. Major retailers, psychologists and the nation's top grocery worker union say they anticipate a greater need for mental health services, such as therapy, as people continue to work during the pandemic and later cope with its aftermath. Anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges may linger, even as coronavirus cases level out or decline  especially for those on the front lines. Some retailers, such as Walgreens and Walmart, say they're encouraging workers to use company-provided benefits, such as teletherapy and referring them to digital tools that offer stress relief strategies, mediation exercises and peer support. In some hard-hit parts of the country, government officials are urging the public to seek out mental health services, too. In New York, for example, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said thousands of mental health professionals have volunteered to provide free and confidential support through a new hotline and residents can use Headspace, a meditation and mindfulness app. New Jersey has launched a similar hotline. "We cannot overlook the mental health impacts this pandemic is having on all of us," said New Jersey's health commissioner Judy Persichilli, at a news conference Thursday. She said some Americans are out of work, far from those they love and anxious as they risk exposure during essential work  which creates new worries. "While we fight hard to protect your physical health, let's be sure to focus just as intently on our mental health and mental well-being," she said.

'Asked to do this extraordinary thing'

Vaile Wright, director of clinical research and quality for the American Psychological Association, said hourly retail jobs typically come with stresses like low wages, long hours on your feet and numerous customer interactions. "Working these jobs is stressful under normal circumstances," she said. "Then, you add the current situation, which is they are knowingly putting themselves at risk of exposure and have been deemed an essential worker, but I imagine don't feel like they're being paid as an essential worker. So you have this almost disconnect, too, where you're being asked to do this extraordinary thing." Wright said she hopes the pandemic inspires more employers to expand access to therapy by phone or video, which she said is "just as effective as face to face." She said the approach eliminates some of the barriers such as availability in rural areas, concerns about anonymity or problems getting child care or transportation to go to a session. "Employers have a lot of power," Wright said. "They're negotiating huge, huge packages with these insurers and that's something they need to advocate for." On a phone call Monday, grocery workers from across the country who belong to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union shared their worries of catching the coronavirus or bringing it home to their families. The workers said those fears have been exacerbated by customers who don't wear masks, especially as they see their friends and co-workers get sick. As of Monday, 30 people who belong to the union, which represents 1.3 million workers at grocery chains, meatpacking plants and more, have died from Covid-19. About 3,000 have been directly affected by the virus, such as through infection, hospitalization or quarantine because of symptoms. That doesn't include deaths of employees at nonunion companies, such as Walmart and Amazon-owned Whole Foods. Two Walmart workers at a store in the Chicago area died, and the family of one of them has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Walmart said in a statement that it's "heartbroken" by the employees' deaths and "mourning along with their families." The retailer said it's added numerous safety measures, such as providing masks to employees and taking their temperatures. Some grocery workers are already struggling, said Marc Perrone, president of the UFCW. He's spoken to employees who can't sleep. Others said they feel stressed or burned out. Perrone said he's waking up in the middle of the night and having pandemic-related dreams, even without working at a store each day. He said that the union is considering whether to have a town hall to discuss mental health with workers and gauge whether workers have the resources and support that they need. "It's going to be a combination of stress over time that's going to get to people," he said. While doctors, nurses and other health-care workers face even more challenging circumstances as they care for sick and dying patients, grocery workers face unique hardships, he said. Many live in multigenerational households where the stakes of catching and spreading the coronavirus are higher. And the hourly workers do not have the training, higher pay and protective gear that usually comes with hazardous or life-or-death jobs, he said. Unlike a nurse or doctor, he said hourly workers may not have the same level of awareness and may resist seeking help. "There's a certain stigma that's sometimes attached that shouldn't be," he said. "That's a challenge, for sure." Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. There are wide disparities in access to mental health care, however, and cost is the most commonly reported barrier, according to research by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Lack of health insurance or the cost of deductibles and copayments for those who do have insurance can dissuade lower-income families from seeking out the care. Use of the services is lower for blacks, Asians and Hispanics, too, and care can be out of reach for those who live in small towns or rural areas with few licensed professionals. Perrone said some companies have acknowledged the importance of their workers or referred to them as "heroes" to express appreciation or retain the workforce during a surge in demand. But he said he wonders how that will be weeks or months from now, when there are "serious conversations about what people are going to need going forward." He said the needs will be greater, if there's a second round of the coronavirus in the fall or winter. "People are pretty resilient as long as they see a light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "If they can't see a light at the end of the tunnel, that's when I think that people kind of break a little bit." The APA's Wright said everyone deals with stress, such as when they take a test or interview for a job. With the pandemic, however, some hourly workers have faced stressful or frightening situations day after day. That not only can cause mental health problems, such as depression. It can also lead to physical ailments, such as high blood pressure, muscle tension and cardiovascular disease. "It's this buildup of chronic stress over time that's problematic," she said.

Touting mental health benefits

Over the past few years, Walgreens has championed mental health because of its role as a community pharmacy and the number of related prescriptions it dispenses, said Kristin Oliver, chief human resources officer at Walgreens. The retailer began offering Mental Health First Aid, which was developed by the National Council for Behavioral Health. The mental health literacy program has taught hundreds of its pharmacists and human resources employees to recognize risk factors and warning signs, so they can guide others toward help. "It's one of those areas that gets less attention than other areas of concern," Oliver said. "We saw an opportunity to raise awareness and champion this in a more unique way than a lot of other pharmacies were." Oliver said employees get five free hours of counseling and can access teletherapy with a licensed therapist. During the pandemic, the company has encouraged employees to try a new tool, too: Sanvello, a clinically based mental health app. Walmart provides three free counseling sessions to its part-time and full-time employees through its employee assistance program, said Adam Stavisky, Walmart's senior vice president of U.S. benefits. It also offers Doctor On Demand, a telehealth provider to those who have benefits through Walmart. "The telehealth utilization is going up stratospherically," he said. Within that, it's seen a "tremendous upsurge" in use of counseling, he said, adding that the company is pleased to see employees "avail themselves of the resources we have." During the pandemic, the retailer has waived its $4 copay for telehealth visits, including those for behavioral health, he said. It also has digital tools that encourage resiliency and provide peer support. "Our goal is to continue to support our associates as best we can," he said. "They are literally stocking the shelves for America."

A growing need
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced an additional $150 million of grant for the global fight against the deadly coronavirus, raising its total funding to more than $250 million

New York: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced an additional $150 million of grant for the global fight against the deadly coronavirus, raising its total funding to more than $250 million.

The foundation also called on world leaders to unite in a global response to COVID-19, that has infected over 2 million people worldwide, to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines.

"It is increasingly clear that the worlds response to this pandemic will not be effective unless it is also equitable, Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates said in a statement on Wednesday.

We have a responsibility to meet this global crisis with global solidarity. In addition to contributing to the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, these funds will support efforts against COVID-19 in low-and-middle-income countries, where local leaders and healthcare workers are doing heroic work to protect vulnerable communities and slow the spread of the disease."

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

The foundation's new $150 million commitment will fund the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, as well as new efforts to provide partners in Africa and South Asia with resources to scale their COVID-19 detection, treatment, and isolation efforts, it said.

The additional funding brings foundation commitment to more than $250 million to help mitigate the social and economic impacts of the virus.

According to the Johns Hopkins University data, over 2 million people are infected by the virus and more than 136,000 people have died of the disease globally.

"COVID-19 does not obey border laws. Even if most countries succeed in slowing the disease over the next few months, the virus could return if the pandemic remains severe enough elsewhere, foundation co-chair Bill Gates said in the statement.

The world community must understand that so long as COVID-19 is somewhere, we need to act as if it were everywhere. Beating this pandemic will require an unprecedented level of international funding and cooperation.
IndusInd Bank has been working with the Government and its agencies across several states as well as at the national level, in their efforts to fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.

IndusInd Bank has committed Rs. 30 crore towards this cause and is monitoring the requirements closely.

As part of the commitment, the Bank has already supplied relief materials such as face masks, hand sanitizers and gloves to the affected areas to combat the Corona Virus pandemic. The Bank is also working on facilitating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical officials on duty.

The Bank has been given a mandate of opening an account towards the collection of contributions towards PM CARES Fund.

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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru  Thu, April 16, 2020 15:39 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd24c909 1 National elephant,wildlife,Riau,BKSDA,conservation Free

An elephant was found brutally killed four kilometers away from the Kelayang district head office in Indragiri Hulu regency, Riau, on Wednesday, with the perpetrators still at large.

The Kelayang village police reported the body on Wednesday at 2:12 p.m. The elephants face was severely mutilated but its tusks were still intact. The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) team and Kelayang police managed to secure the crime scene by 4:50 p.m.

The BKSDA's medical and investigation team and the Riau polices special crime investigation team departed from Pekanbaru, Riau at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Riau BKSDA head Suharyono told reporters on Thursday. They have arrived on the scene and are currently conducting an autopsy and investigation.

Suharyono suspected that the elephant had been considered a pest by locals as it had been separated from its pack, which lives in the Southeast Tesso elephant area of Riau's Tesso Nilo National Park.

The elephant had been reported entering the residential and farm areas that are actually part of its home range, Suharyono said, adding that residents' palm and rubber plants had been damaged several times because of the elephant.

A BKSDA team had tried four times to drive the elephant back into the forest between May 2019 and April 2020, but it had continued to wander into residential areas.

The BKSDA strongly condemns the killing. Together with the police, we will find the culprit and bring them to justice, Suharyono said. (mfp)

Topics : elephant wildlife Riau BKSDA conservation
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:42:06|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Safeguarding national security is of great significance and urgency as it not only concerns the interests of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) but also the sovereignty, security and development interests of the country, local media reported Thursday.

Wednesday marked China's fifth National Security Education Day. A series of events took place in HKSAR to promote the national security education.

Many Kong residents lack the awareness of national security, Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao said in an editorial, stressing that national security is closely related to their livelihood.

Since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has been reincorporated into the national governance system and it is the constitutional responsibility of Hong Kong to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, another local newspaper Wenweipo said in its editorial.

A commentary published on Hong Kong Commercial Daily said that since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, it is the obligation of the HKSAR government and Hong Kong residents to safeguard national sovereignty and security, which is also compulsory for implementing the principle of "one country, two systems."

The newspaper said Kong Kong plays an important role in safeguarding national security and it must be a defender of the national sovereignty and security.

Oriental Daily said in its commentary that national security is of paramount importance to a country. Hong Kong needs to strengthen national security education among its residents and needs to establish, modify or activate relevant mechanisms so as to create a system for safeguarding national security and build a good social atmosphere, according to the newspaper. Enditem
Almost every state now has an order for its residents to stay at home to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. One of the only reasons Americans can leave the house during this time is to stock up on essentials at the grocery store  but the thought of shopping for groceries can be anxiety-inducing.

GOBankingRates spoke to health experts about the best ways to minimize risks while stocking up on what you need at the grocery store.

Last updated: July 31, 2020

Opt For Delivery If You Can

If its possible for you to buy groceries online via Instacart, Amazon Fresh or another delivery service, thats probably your safest bet.

Grocery shopping could be challenging in times of viral outbreak as it exposes people to potential pathogens on surfaces and other shoppers that may be carriers, said Tatiana Larionova, MS, LDN, CNS, a medical advisor for eMediHealth. Online shopping is a great solution.

Wipe Down Your Groceries

Whether you buy your groceries online or in-store, Larionova said that you should clean your items before putting them away.

Make sure to spray and wipe outer surfaces of boxes and packages with a disinfecting solution, she said.

Wash Fruits and Vegetables Thoroughly With Water

Washing fresh fruits and vegetables with water is a must, Larionova said. You may even scrub them with a produce brush, but dont spray them with alcohol or Lysol  you risk ingesting chemicals.

Wear a Face Mask When Grocery Shopping In-Store

If you still need or choose to go to the grocery store, face masks may help protect you from inhaling viruses, Larionova said.

If You Choose To Wear Gloves, Make Sure You Use Them Properly

Gloves may help protect you from coming in contact with viruses; however, gloves need to be disposed of after using them at the store, and make sure not to touch your face while wearing them, as they can collect infection, Larionova said.

She advises against wearing gloves for the most part, as they can give you a false sense of security that may cause you to neglect other safety precautions, such as staying at least 6 feet away from other shoppers and washing hands often.

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Some people rely on them too much, forgetting to use preventive measures not to contract infection from them, Larionova said. People tend to be more mindful without gloves, as they wash and disinfect their hands more often.

Disinfect Your Shopping Cart or Basket

Many stores now have disinfecting wipes available by their shopping carts and baskets, and you should take advantage of these. If your store does not offer wipes, bring your own.

Wipe shopping carts and baskets with a disinfecting wipe or cloth, Larionova said.

Read: 42% of People Plan To Spend Their Government Check on Groceries During the Coronavirus Scare

Limit Your Grocery Store Trips to Once a Week or Less

Try to limit your store trips to once a week to reduce unnecessary exposure to potential pathogens, Larionova said. Take an inventory of your pantry and fridge, and make a shopping list to cover all the necessities.

Calling Ahead To Ask About What's in Stock Might Not Be Worth the Hassle

If youre on the hunt for an in-demand item like toilet paper or hand sanitizer, you might prefer to call ahead to save yourself a trip to the store, only to be faced with empty shelves. However, this might end up being a waste of time.

You may try calling the store ahead of time to check for item availability, but be aware that their phone lines might be busy and usual procedures of updating the inventory may not be followed in a timely manner, Larionova said.

If youre worried about an item being out-of-stock, get to the store early in the day.

Go To the Store Right When It Opens or Right Before Closing

Try to go grocery shopping during slow store hours  early in the morning, or late, right before store closing, to avoid large crowds of people, Larionova said.

Check for Updated Store Hours

Some stores might limit early hours to at-risk shoppers, and/or close earlier than usual. For example, U.S. Costco warehouses now close at 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. They also have limited shopping from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday to members ages 60 and older and for those with physical impairments.

Trader Joes has implemented similar changes: stores now close at 7 p.m., and the first hour of operation every day is reserved for senior customers over the age of 60 and customers with disabilities.

Check your stores website or call your local store to find out if it has implemented updated hours.

Stock Up on Nonperishables

The more items you buy with a long shelf-life, the less frequently youll have to go to the grocery store and potentially expose yourself to the coronavirus.

Make sure to stock up on nonperishable shelf-stable items like dry grains and beans, pasta, frozen fruits and veggies, canned vegetables, fruits, beans, pasta sauce and soups, Larionova said. These foods last a long time and will provide you with necessary nutrition when nothing else is available.

Smart Spending: Things To Cut Out Right Now To Save Money During the Health Crisis

Disinfect Your Hands Before and After Leaving the Store

Just as you dont want to contract the coronavirus, you dont want to unknowingly spread it to others if you are asymptomatic.

The fewer items you touch (and dont buy), the better, Mike Golpa, a hygiene and sanitation expert and the CEO of G4byGolpa, said. Disinfect your hands before entering the shop and after leaving.

Use a Contactless Payment Option If Possible

When it comes to paying at the checkout counter, everything contactless is the safest these days, Golpa said. Contactless payment with a phone, e.g. ApplePay, is the best option. Definitely avoid cash. Cards are in the middle: be careful with the pin pad.

If you pay with a card, disinfect it after use.

Don't Buy More Than You Need

Dont stock up too much, Golpa said. Its adequate to have food for two weeks  primarily non-perishables. Try to not waste any food before buying more.

Know Your Store's Return Policy

If you buy more than you need of certain in-demand items, you might not be able to return them. For example, Costco is no longer accepting returns of toilet paper, bottled water, sanitizing wipes, paper towels, rice and disinfecting spray.

Avoid Crowded Aisles

Not everyone will be as mindful about keeping social distance as they should be, so be proactive about maintaining space between you and other shoppers. This means avoiding crowded aisles.

Avoid racing to get the last of an item on the shelf, Dr. Craig Hedberg, a professor in the environmental health sciences division of the University of Minnesotas School of Public Health, told Time. Follow guidelines that may be posted at the store. Be patient.

Find Out: How the Coronavirus Outbreak Is Devastating the Livelihood of Hourly Workers

Shop Alone

If possible, designate one person in your household to do the grocery shopping to limit the number of people who could be exposed to the coronavirus. This means leaving the kids at home if you can.

We dont really understand how kids transmit the virus, Dr. Lauren Sauer, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told Time. It could be that little kids are sick and we just dont know, so you want to reduce their interaction more broadly.

Do Not Go To the Grocery Store If You Are Feeling Sick

If you feel sick at all, do not go to the grocery store. Order groceries online or have someone do your shopping for you.

Don't Put Produce Directly in the Shopping Cart

Use produce bags to minimize your groceries contact with the shopping cart, Hedberg told Time.

Make a List at Home To Minimize Your Time in the Store

The less time you spend in the grocery store, the less time you are exposing yourself to potential infection. Dont wander up and down the aisles aimlessly  come to the store prepared knowing what you need to buy.

Golpa recommends a simple trick. Make a list at home so you dont spend in the store more time than necessary, he said.

Most Importantly, Make the List on Paper

Instead of putting your shopping list on your phone, go the old-school route and make a paper shopping list that you can dispose of after your trip is done.

The less you can touch your personal items in public spaces, the better, Sauer told Time.

Wash Your Hands as Soon as You Get Home

You should be using hand sanitizer after you finish shopping  ideally before you touch your steering wheel  but you also need to do a thorough hand washing as soon as you get home.

Follow protocol from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after youve been in a public place  wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Your Grocery Store Shopping Strategy During the Coronavirus Crisis
Wendy Williams is at it again! She added Kate Beckinsale to her increasingly long list of stars she has called out on, publicly, for some "unacceptable behavior."

Wendy Williams thinks Beckinsale, who is now 46, should be bashed for holding hands with a 22-year-old Canadian musician. She claimed that the actress certainly has boyfriend fever for entering into a new fling with the musician Goody Grace. The decision is icky for her and she thinks it will bite Beckinsale in the behind one day.

Beckinsale just finalized her divorce from Hollywood director, Len Wiseman in 2019. Reports had it that she and Goody Grace are quarantining together. Aww.

According to Williams however, while she understands Beckinsale's need to date after she became officially single once more, this is a stage that she should be done with by now and should be getting out of!

"She's got young boyfriend fever. I get it, when you're single that's one of the first things you do - grab a youngin'," Wendy said. But she cannot accept the fact that Grace is so much younger!

She went as far as pointing out that Goody Grace is just a year older than Kate's daughter, now 21. "I'm not down with this," Williams commented on the alleged romance. "In the beginning of being single you do all kinds of things, believe me I know. But then, you settle into your singleness with your cats, your Cynthia, and your hummus."

She did not stop here. Williams also brought in Beckinsale's ex, Pete Davidson, who's 26. "Mother-to-mother," Williams said that dating Grace will be a thing of regret for Beckinsale, especially since she already got a similar experience with Davidson, a "Saturday Night Live" comedian.

Beckinsale and Davidson dated for as long as four months, wherein the paparazzi was able to capture countless PDA moments. Eventually, they broke up in May 2019.

Wendy concluded her bashing by saying that it has been four year since Beckinsale's split with her husband, and she's still gorgeous at 46. As such, she must "get on the good foot" and date "age-appropriate" guys.

Beckinsale and Grace have yet to confirm a romance between them but the pictures so far are telling. They were holding hands in public and even taking daily walks. For some, including Wendy Williams, these are enough sign!

Meanwhile, Wendy Williams' own ex-husband Kevin Hunter already relaunched his own publishing company. The announcement was made exactly a year after his divorce with the enigmatic talk show host.

This is controversial, since the publishing company was founded jointly by Hunter and Williams in 2017. When they officially divorced, this is the only property that Hunter got from the contentious divorce negotiations.

Their divorce was highly publicized. The filing happened after Williams, 55, announced that Hunter was cheating on her with a 34-year-old masseuse, Sharina Hudson. The illicit affair led to Hunter becoming a father of a love child.

For years though, Williams said she already knew but she opted to stay with her then husband. But no more.

Williams against Beckinsale therefore might have been made based on her own experiences with divorce and post-divorce dating. It remains to be seen if Beckinsale will even care.

READ MORE: 'Too Cringey!' Kendall Jenner REACTS To Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble's Makeout Session
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court issued an order directing the border branch of Assam Police to ensure the conditional release of 'declared foreigners', who had spent more than two years in detention at the detention centres, within the next seven days.

Hearing a petition on Wednesday pertaining to the Supreme Courts order of April 13 for the release of the inmates in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, a bench of Justice Manojit Bhuyan and Justice Ajit Borthakur issued the directions to the Superintendents of Police (Border) of all districts for execution.

The concerned Superintendent of Police (Border) shall first take stock of the names and period of detention of such detenues under his/her jurisdiction claiming benefit of release on ball for having completed more than 2 (two) years in detention and thereafter take necessary steps for release of such detenues on bail who are lodged in any of the six detention centres in the state of Assamsubject to fulfillment of the following conditions by each of the detenues claiming such release on bail, the court ordered.

The conditions for release include execution of bond with two sureties of Rs 5,000 each of Indian citizens, declaration of verifiable address of stay after release, capturing and storing of the biometrics of the iris of both eyes and all ten fingerprints and photos in a secured database, declarations that the detenue shall report once every week to the police located within the vicinity of his/her verifiable address of stay after release, that s/he shall notify any change of his/her address to the police on the same day and in case of violation of any of the conditions, s/he will be liable to be apprehended and produced before the Foreigners Tribunal.

Let the required steps by the jurisdictional Superintendent of Police (Border) for the release on bail in terms of the directions above be complied with as expeditiously as possible within an outer limit period of seven days from today (Wednesday), the court ordered.
Staff outside Belfast City Hospital's tower block, which is Northern Ireland's first Nightingale Hospital, hold a short event at 8.00pm on Thursday April 16 to recognise and acknowledge the public support during a Clap for Blue Light Services. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Health Minister Robin Swann has said that people will not be able to visit their critically ill loved ones who are dying as a result of Covid-19.

Mr Swann said he has spoken to a number of senior clinicians and their opinion was that visiting an intensive care unit was "too great a risk".

However he said he had asked the Northern Ireland Critical Care Network to review the issue.

He said that one visitor would be allowed onto a general ward to visit their loved ones who are "sadly passing away".

It comes after a further 18 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in Northern Ireland's hospitals - the largest single-day increase since the outbreak began.

Mr Swann said the deaths should be a "wake-up call" to anyone who is getting complacent about the pandemic.

This brings the death toll in the region to 158.

A further 113 positive cases have also been confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,201

A total of 14,240 people have been tested for the virus in Northern Ireland.

UK-wide, a further 870 people have died, bringing the death toll to 13,828.

In the Republic, 43 deaths were reported on Thursday - the highest reported in a single day, bringing the total to 486.

Here's how Thursday unfolded:
Apple (APPL) and Alphabets Google (GOOG, GOOGL) say privacy and security are top of mind for their collaboration to enable contact tracing apps to function across iOS and Android mobile devices to contain the novel coronavirus. However, telecom and cybersecurity experts say the technology may not fully protect users, raising scenarios that expose the identities of infected individuals.

The planned technology is slated to use low-power Bluetooth functionality standard on iPhone and Android mobile operating systems. The companies propose that as long as a mobile phones Bluetooth remains turned on and enabled, a beacon can exchange information about COVID-positive disease status between phones within 10 to 15 feet of each other.

The privacy questions lie in the difficulty of setting an effective tracking distance, and time frame between when a device detects close proximity with an infected users device, and when the receiving device is notified of the proximity event, according to Ben Levitan, a veteran telecommunications engineer.

The only way to fix this is to come up with a notification area that's fairly large, Levitan said, explaining the so-called fix could render the tracking ineffective. If you give me notifications that someone is within 10 feet, they have The Scarlet Letter. They may have lost their privacy, but it's very valuable to me. Though if you set the parameter to a mile, it's kind of useless to everybody.

Heres how it works

The technology requires two levels of opt-in cooperation: first, from users who voluntarily enter their positive diagnosis into the app and agree to have their status anonymously beaconed by their health authoritys app, and second, from app users who agree to receive notifications if their mobile device comes into close proximity with one containing a positive COVID-19 indication.

NEW YORK NY, - APRIL 12: A woman with groceries looks at her portable telephone while wearing protective gloves and a homemade mask amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 12, 2020 in New York City. COVID-19 has spread to most countries around the world, claiming over 114,000 lives with infections at over 1.8 million people. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

An Apple spokesperson explained that mobile devices can watch for these proximity events, then allow apps to notify users whose devices have come into contact with devices indicating users tested positive for COVID-19. Notifications are generated for proximity events that occurred within the past 14 days. While the information doesnt allow users to avoid coming into contact with COVID-positive users, and therefore protect themselves from a high-risk contact, it allows users who find out after the fact to seek appropriate treatment, testing, and personal quarantine if theyve encountered a device whose user indicates a COVID-19 positive status.

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During a press call on Monday, Google and Apple representatives said data is stored locally on the users device, requiring no collection or sharing of location or personally identifying information. Beacon information is uploaded to a local server and saved for 14 days, where it can be discovered by devices running a participating app.

[See also: How Apple and Google will track the coronavirus from your phone]

Each app user is assigned a unique identifying number known only to their device, according to cybersecurity expert and adjunct industry professor for Information Technology and Management at Illinois Institute of Technology, Louis J. McHugh IV. When the app is activated, the ID number is encrypted using one-way, three-stage encryption.

According to what the framework says, everything is going through a central database of keeping track of all the people we meet, McHugh said.

Countless scenarios where a users identity becomes obvious

While the tech giants say privacy remains top of mind, the app architecture, as described, may not be capable of achieving total anonymity.

As one example, imagine an app user takes a 30-minute walk and sees only one other person. If the user is notified of a proximity event before contacting anyone else, and had not come into Bluetooth range contact with others for the past two weeks, the COVID-19-positive individuals identity may be revealed. The scenario is just one of countless possibilities where a COVID-19 positive users identity could be extrapolated.

Its a very scary idea, McHugh said, explaining that how easy or difficult it becomes to identify a COVID-positive persons identity will boil down to how the application is developed  whether its solely backward looking versus actively monitoring. Once I have that Scarlet Letter, per se, when I'm walking around the park walking my dog, am I notifying everybody when I'm walking?

Neither company addressed how immediately an app user is notified once a proximity event occurs.

Hurdles to make the technology even work

Levitan, who spent 30 years developing worldwide cellphone networks for Yahoo Finances parent company Verizon, Sprint, and others, said the level of cooperation required is unlikely to be achieved. He points out layers of factors working against adoption of the technology.

In addition to the smaller hurdle of keeping Bluetooth constantly activated and mobile phones powered on, there are emotional hurdles, too, he said.

A woman in a surgical mask uses her cellphone after more cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

I think if I had COVID-19 and I wanted to go out, just to go get some groceries  even walking on the beach  all of a sudden people's phones would be blowing up and they'd be running away from me and Im going to be sick of being a pariah and Id turn off my phone, he said.

And unless you make it a crime to turn off your phone, or a crime not to report it, like we do [with] sex offenders  and you are shunned by your neighbors because you're on a database, he said, it may be difficult to get cooperation needed for the new software to aid in reduced transmission.

It is pretty draconian.

At a minimum, for the technology to work, McHugh said it would need to collect information about date and time. Who owns that 14 days of data? he asked.

The fact that the technology is not using location data, McHugh said, is positive. However, he cautioned, Google and Apple have not explained what personal information  like names, addresses, phone numbers  will be collected, and whether the requirements would be set or retained by the developers and agencies that run the apps.

I think the big deal is once we get the app, and once we get our personal information in the app, that's the deal. That's where the shoe meets the road, McHugh said.

Moreover, McHugh said Bluetooth is not the most ideal technology to have constantly activated on a mobile device, which is required to make the tracking software effective.

That's why [Google and Apple] had to bring encryption to the party, McHugh said. If you saw the list of attacks when you're vulnerable to Bluetooth, you would never use it again. There's multitudes of attack factors with a Bluetooth surface because Bluetooth, unfortunately is inherently insecure. A Bluetooth breach can compromise files, photos, call logs, contacts and most data stored on the device, with the exception of encrypted information, he said.

Asked whether data on the systems servers can be breached, Apple and Google acknowledged that attacks can happen despite best efforts. They also emphasized that the decentralized nature of the storage  data stored locally on individual devices and among multiple servers  would discourage bad actors as infiltrating such information would be difficult and expensive.

No precedent in the U.S.

During Phase 1 of the rollout, Apple and Google plan to provide operating system updates on iOS and Android devices that will provide the functionality app developers need to create the apps. Users would need to then initiate a download to use the app offered by their regional health agency.

Under a Phase 2, the companies plan another operating system update that will pre-install a built-in user interface, allowing iPhone and Android device users to get started before theyve installed the app. The rationale for pre-installation, they said, was to reduce barriers in order to get more people to use them. Once developed, the apps will remain under the authority of regional public health agencies.

Government Technology Agency (GovTech) staff demonstrate Singapore's new contact-tracing smarthphone app called TraceTogether, as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Singapore on March 20, 2020.(Photo by Catherine LAI / AFP) (Photo by CATHERINE LAI/AFP via Getty Images)

Even without formalized criminal or civil penalties, software like this in the U.S. has never been implemented and therefore no precedent exists for how information could be used against its users. Most U.S. states have criminal laws that make intentional or reckless transmission of communicable diseases, such as sexually transmitted diseases, punishable by imprisonment. Federal statutes also provide for imprisonment for violation of quarantine orders.

Embedding the software in mobile device operating systems could be a slippery slope, McHugh said. Are you going to take away my functionality to turn off my Bluetooth, because I know myself when Im not using Bluetooth I turn it off, he said.

McHughs colleague, Illinois Institute of Technology professor Jeremy Hajek, said that because Apple devices represent nearly 20% of worldwide mobile devices and Googles Android devices represent around 80%, the tracking if pre-installed would be ready to go on nearly 100% of the worlds devices.

I think there are people in Apple, Google who really really want to help, and they say, Hey we have this massive amount of power  the CIA couldnt do this, the Army couldn't do this, but we could, Hajek said. Then, he said, the question becomes once a technology like this is implemented, whether it is gradually expanded into other areas.

And you think this system gets shut down the day after COVID-19 is declared done? Levitan asked.

I appreciate the work that two competing companies are doing in trying times for, let's be frank, humanity, McHugh said. Weve just got to be coherent of the privacy and security risks as a whole, and that it not just be a rush to bring this to market.

Alexis Keenan is a reporter for Yahoo Finance and former litigation attorney.

Follow Alexis Keenan on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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Pakistan's coronavirus cases rose to more than 6,300 on Wednesday, as a top minister said it is a "difficult situation" for the government which is fighting war at different fronts including COVID-19, poverty, hunger and weak economy.

"This is a difficult situation," Planning Minister Asad Umar said while addressing a news conference along with PM's aide on health Dr Zafar Mirza and adviser on national security Moeed Yusuf following a meeting of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) here. He said besides coronavirus, the government is fighting war at different fronts including poverty, hunger and weak economy.

"It is important to find a balance between slowing the spread of the virus and ensuring lower-income people don't have to go hungry," he said, adding that the country was "passing through a difficult situation." Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday extended the lockdown till April 30, but allowed several industries to open up.

His Advisor on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that a lower number of deaths, in comparison with the rest of the world, didn't mean the people should stop taking precautionary measures. Yusuf said all Pakistanis currently in India will be brought back to the country through Wagah border on Thursday.

All Pakistanis who are arriving from other countries will be quarantined. Those wishing to stay in hotels will have to bear their own expenses, he added.

Yusuf said that due to limited testing kits, the country's ability to test local residents will be restricted if all Pakistanis arriving from other countries are tested. This is one constraint the government is facing in bringing back people from abroad, he said. Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients in the country rose to 6,383, with 395 new confirmed cases and 11 deaths during the last 24 hours.

Worst-hit Punjab province reported 3,143 cases, Sindh 1,668, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 912, Balochistan 240, Gilgit-Baltistan 234, Islamabad 140 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 46.

So far, 1,446 people have recovered from the disease and 111 deaths have been reported in the country. The authorities has so far conducted 73,439 tests, including 3,380 in the last 24 hours.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar tweeted that the death toll in the province has now reached 28 and 43,565 coronavirus tests have been conducted so far.

Minister of Industries Hammad Azhar has said several sectors and industries including construction, agriculture, chemical manufacturing, e-commerce, software, paper and paper packaging, fertilisers, mines, glass industry and plant nurseries were being allowed to open. He said exporters can also become operational.

Khan, while allowing relaxation in the lockdown to allow these industries to work, warned of action if set procedures were flouted. He also announced to bring ordinance to curb smuggling and hoarding ive strict punishment to culprits.

Also read: Imran Khan appeals for urgent relief as COVID-19 cases cross 5,000 in Pakistan

Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown India Live Updates: COVID-19 cases near 12,000-mark as country enters lockdown 2.0
A call from senior NSW Nationals for Commonwealth-owned environment water to be redirected to farmers is set to sink almost as quickly as it was floated with Victoria and South Australia opposing the move, and experts declaring it illegal.

Irrigators in NSWs Murray and Murrumbidgee regions who own the least reliable class of water entitlements, General Security, are facing their third year without a drink due to severe drought.

Irrigators in southern NSW have experienced three years in a row of zero or very low water allocations. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said this week Commonwealth water must be used for food production, arguing the Basin Plan was flawed and favoured the environment at the expense of the community and irrigators.

The Commonwealth has built up a portfolio of environment water entitlements since 2013 under the Murray Darling basin plan, which is an environmental reform to buy water from irrigators to benefit fish, birds and wetlands.
Indian auto major Mahindra has said it is retooling their Detroit manufacturing facility to make medical personal protection equipment for healthcare workers combating the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected over 2 million globally.

Medical supplies like surgical masks, gowns and ventilators are required in massive number across the globe because of the coronavirus pandemic that surfaced in central China's Wuhan city last year and spread to at least 185 countries and territories.

Mahindra is working closely with the State of Michigan, its Congressional Delegation, National Association of Manufacturers, Michigan Manufacturer's Association, Oakland County and others to continually evaluate what it can do to contribute to the COVID-19 fight, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We have a company full of people who love to design and make things and they're not people who like to stand on the sidelines. We have ideas coming in from across the company and we're looking hard at all of them, Rick Haas, president and CEO, of Mahindra Automotive North America said in the statement.

The Indian company is retooling its Detroit manufacturing facility to produce aspiration box with innovative ease-of-use design; face shields and masks to local frontline healthcare workers and first responders and additional products to be identified through coordination between the State of Michigan and National Association of Manufacturers.

According to the Johns Hopkins University data, over 2 million people are infected by the virus and more than 136,000 people have died of the disease globally.

According to Detroit news, roughly 20 employees at Mahindra's Auburn Hills manufacturing site are making aspiration boxes from the plastic polycarbonate windshields used in their vehicles, as well as face shields and masks.

The boxes shield nurses and doctors when they remove a COVID-19 patient's intubation tubes, the daily reported.

"Other boxes can fog, but the version from the windshield material won't. It also is collapsible with six of the Mahindra-designed boxes taking up the space of a traditional one, Detroit said.

"We had the material on hand to get started. We're also making face masks, but we're having challenges keeping supply and material in house. Everyone is trying to do that," Haas was quoted as saying.

Mahindra is in the running to manufacture the next generation delivery vehicle for the US Postal Service.

It has stopped production of ROXOR vehicles in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Rich Ansell, vice president of marketing for Mahindra was quoted as saying by MLive-The Flint Journal.

Mahindra food truck would distribute free meals to Oakland County healthcare workers and first-responders.

It is also launching the ROXOR DELIVERS programme that supports ROXOR dealers across the country who have had to close due to state mandates and consumers who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes. The program will deliver ROXORs right to consumers' doors limiting social interaction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Thursday said that strong action should be taken against those responsible for attacks on the livelihood of minority community workers.

"AITUC condemns in unequivocal terms the attacks on vendors, hawkers and shopkeepers from Muslim community," AITUC General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur said in a statement.

Those guilty of attacks be booked and the victims be compensated immediately and they be assured and allowed to carry their livelihood activities, it also demanded.

According to statement, this is result and fallback of the vicious propaganda carried out in the country by the communally biased organisations in planned manner.

AITUC also alleged that a section of the mainstreamits role in running the fake news, playing some old videos and giving provocative headlines while covering the of Tablighi Jamaat in the background of COVID-19 spread.

The union noted that the permission was granted for the gathering, never withdrawn, neither any action initiated to stop the gathering. There were several religious congregations happening all over India during that period even after lockdown announced, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Edo Government has set up 10 screening centres spread across Oredo Local Government area of the state as a pilot phase to actualise the governments target of testing 500, 000 persons.

The state Commissioner for Health, Patrick Okundia, said this while addressing journalists in Benin on Thursday.

He said, The government of Edo has placed more emphasis on prevention of the coronavirus disease.

Today we are at the stage where the focus is on screening our citizens. This decision came up because of the possibility that a lot of persons may have contracted this virus, but do not have any symptoms.

This is also evidence from the 14 active cases we have under treatment, they are doing well on medications and their symptoms are going down.

So, we do not want to miss out on some cases because if you have the virus and are asymptomatic, then you run the risk of you transmitting the disease to others.

So, the government has decided that we need to encourage screening. As part of that effort, the target is to screen at least 500, 000 Edo residents cutting across the 18 local government areas of the state.

But we started with the pilot of Oredo Local Government. Today, we have 10 centres for screening for the purpose of screening, six of them are within the state primary health care and four from the private health care facilities.

These are the names of primary health care centres that have the responsibility of screening our people  Aruogba Primary Healthcare centre, Oko Primary Health Care Centre, Ugbor Primary HealthCare centre, Oredo Primary Health Care Centre.

Others are New Benin Primary Health Care Centre, St. Philomena Catholic Hospital, Faith Mediplex Hospital, Bethel Faith Hospital and Safe Haven Hospital.

Edo people can visit any of these centres and you will be screened at no cost to you, our good people of the state, feel free to visit any of these centres, he said.

(NAN)
(Newser)  With US-China relations already frayed over the coronavirus pandemic and trade, nuclear tensions may be on the horizon. The Wall Street Journal, citing a new arms-control report that the State Department plans to make public, reports that US authorities suspect Beijing has been violating an international ban on nuclear tests with low-yield explosions at its remote Lop Nur facility in Xinjiang. Authorities say they are concerned by a large increase in activity at the site, including excavations, as well as interruptions in the flow of data from monitoring stations that are supposed to measure seismic tremors and radioactive particles. Tests with any level of nuclear-explosive yield were forbidden in 1996 by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which China and the US say they are abiding by.

story continues below

But neither country has ratified the treaty, and some analysts say the US would be better off trying to resolve the dispute through diplomacy instead of airing unproven accusations. "The most effective way to resolve concerns about very low-yield nuclear explosions and enforce compliance ... is for the United Statesand Chinato ratify the treaty and help bring it into force," says Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association. "When it does, states have the option to demand intrusive, short-notice on-site inspections." The US hopes to open nuclear talks with Beijing, but American officials are still trying to unravel mysteries surrounding China's "unclear doctrine for using nuclear weapons, its rising capacity to make nuclear explosives, and its development of anti-satellite operations," Foreign Policy notes. (Read more China stories.)
Representation of the novel coronavirus

Rhodes University has turned to its alumni, business and members of the public for help to mobilise resources to ensure successful completion of the 2020 academic year.

With the forced closure of the campus and cessation of all contact teaching and learning, a shortage of online learning facilities and connectivity has emerged as a serious threat for many of the university students and some of its teaching staff.

One of our most serious short-term challenges is accessing laptops for students who do not have these and to respond to their other connectivity requirements. It is a huge challenge and one that we could not foresee, Director for Communication and Advancement, Luzuko Jacobs said.

We have to get our academic project going as best we could in the circumstances and to keep our quality. We also know that given the experience of other countries, and the need to adhere to physical distancing, it might not be possible, in the short-term, to return to in person teaching.

In the midst of all the uncertainty we have a duty to adapt our teaching and learning arrangements to ensure that our students are able to continue with their studies. We are gearing up for a major and quick transition into digital/online delivery of teaching and learning, he said.

We are fully cognisant of the challenges that any switch in strategy is likely to create given the deep levels of inequality and poverty in our society. Some of our students do not have access to the appropriate devices and/or connectivity to participate fully in an online teaching and learning platform, Jacobs said.

Our appeal to our alumni, corporate South Africa and members of the public is for help financially or in-kind, to mitigate the exclusionary impact of our countrys socio-economic situation, he added.

We invite anyone who could pledge any form of assistance to make contact with us at Development@ru.ac.za No gift is too large or too small in dealing with the kind of situation that we are faced with as humanity at this time.

***An online Orientation Programme aimed at introducing students to remote/online learning is being finalised by the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL). The roll out is scheduled for 20 April 2020 when the academic activities resume.

Source: Communications

Please help us to raise funds so that we can give all our students a chance to access online teaching and learning. Covid-19 has disrupted our students' education. Don't let the digital divide put their future at risk. Visit www.ru.ac.za/rucoronavirusgateway to donate
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Since February 2020, two medical schools in Iran have filed criminal suits against at least two journalists over their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, according to reports by the International Federation of Journalists and the Human Rights Activists News Agency, two exile-run outlets that cover news in Iran.

In February, the state-run Golestan University of Medical Sciences filed a suit against Elahe Ramezanoour, a reporter who covers health for the Hamshahri newspaper and runs a news channel on Telegram that also focuses on health issues, according to the International Federation of Journalists report.

The school filed a second suit against Ramezanoour in March, according to that report. That report states that both suits are related to Ramezanoours coverage of the pandemic, but does not list any specific charges against her.

She is awaiting trial in the first case, according to that report. In an April 16 post, Ramezanoours Telegram news channel Messengers of Health confirmed that she had faced complaints from the school, but did not provide detail on the specific charges or the dates that they were filed.

On April 7, the state-run Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences filed a lawsuit against Shahram Safari, a freelance Kurdish journalist who also runs a local news channel on Telegram called Rawezh Press, alleging that his coverage of the COVID-19 virus, particularly his statistics on the number of positive cases, was inaccurate, according to the International Federation of Journalists.

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, Safari was summoned to a local court and charged with spreading lies and disturbing public opinion, and posted bail and was released until his trial date is set by the court.

If convicted under that charge, Safari could face between six months and two years in prison, according to Article 698 of Irans Islamic Penal Code. If convicted of spreading lies and disturbing public opinion with the intent to harm the ruling system in Iran, he could also be banned from working as a journalist and face exile or a ban from leaving Iran for two to three years, and deprivation of civil rights for five years, according to the penal code.

CPJ emailed both universities for comment, but did not immediately receive any responses.
Here is a round-up of important coronavirus-related articles from across India publications. From the role of finance in containing the fallout and in supporting recovery, to halting rumours, and what epidemiologists actually do  read these and more in today's India dispatch.

Citizens Under Lockdown Life inside a Hyderabad containment zone: The containment zones in Hyderabad are heavily guarded and no movement is allowed in or out of the area. Large barricades made of bamboo have been put up on one end of the lane, while the only entry and exit point is heavily guarded ...
US-backed rebels have negotiated their surrender to the Syrian Arab Army, with some requesting to go to northern Syria reports Al-Masdar.

Several US-backed rebel fighters willingly surrendered themselves to the Syrian Arab Army in the Homs Governorate this week, Sham FM reported.

According to the Sham FM report, members of the US-backed rebel forces in the al-Tanf region of southeastern Homs agreed to surrender their weapons and equipment to the Syrian Arab Army after lengthy negotiations.

The conditions of the agreement were not released; however, a source in Damascus said these talks had been ongoing for some time, with some militants requesting to go to Idleb Governorate.

The al-Tanf region has been under the control of the US-backed rebels for several years now, after they captured the area during a military operation from the Iraqi side of the border.

Despite repeated calls for withdrawal by the Russian and Syrian forces, the US military has refused to leave the area.

The US claims they are maintaining their presence in southeastern Homs to fight the Islamic State; however, there has been little terrorist activity within the al-Tanf region.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
3 Men Arrested for Violating Colorado Stay-at-Home Order

Three Colorado men were arrested for violating the states stay-at-home order that was implemented weeks ago to curb the spread of the CCP virus.

Police in Steamboat Springs responded to a call from someone who said his roommate invited friends over, which would violate the states order, according to The Denver Channel. A police report obtained by KUSA9 said the caller, a mother of three, was concerned that the roommate would put her children at risk of being infected with the virus.

The caller had informed the authorities that she tried to get the visitors to leave to no avail, the reports said.

Annette Dopplick, a spokesperson for the Steamboat Springs Police Department, said that when police arrived, the guests refused to leave or give their names.

Three men who were arrested were later identified as Ryan Albert, 25, Travis Pettit, 34, and Joseph Thompson, 28, according to the police report. They were arrested on bond after spending a night in jail.

Mr. Thompson immediately refused and argued what he believed was the right interpretation of the stay-at-home order, the police report stated. Mr. Thompson was incorrect about his interpretation of the stay-at-home order. Mr. Thompson argued that he and his friends were practicing social distancing and had been in quarantine for some time.

Officers tried to explain the stay-at-home order but the friends would not leave.

Officers were never given the opportunity to explain the details of the public health order because  the three subjects repeatedly argued, interrupted and yelled at officers their interpretation of the public health order, the report stated.

They were taken into police custody for failing to comply with a public health order.

A fourth man, Robert Rees, 46, faces charges of third-degree assault and obstructing an officer. He was not arrested, officials said.

Colorados stay-at-home order went into effect in late March and is slated to expire on April 26, the governor had announced, according to CBS Denver.
Q: The unfolding coronavirus crisis in nursing homes and the 245 tragic deaths so far among so many residents is particularly heartbreaking. Just how bad is it?

A: As a measure of how the problem of clusters of virus in private nursing homes has risen, we only have to look at March 21. On that date there were four clusters, but by yesterday this had risen to 151. A substantial minority of homes have become breeding grounds for the virus.

Q: Is it possible to break down the reasons why nursing homes have been so badly hit?

A: It is not unique to Ireland. Nursing homes in Europe have suffered badly also. All the more reason why there should have been a particular focus on them here early on.

Q: What about the nursing homes themselves?

A: Nursing Homes Ireland, the private homes' organisation, is on record for asking for help early on but not getting very far.

Q: What makes nursing homes so vulnerable?

A: They have a good record at managing winter flu, which is serious, but aggressive coronavirus is in a different league. Older people don't have a strong immune system so they are more vulnerable to the infection. They're also more likely to have conditions such as heart or kidney disease. A patient with coronavirus can appear stable but then rapidly deteriorate.

Q: How would the virus spread in nursing homes?

A: One of the big problems was a lack of protective clothing and equipment for staff. It is still not resolved for all homes. There is inevitably a lot of personal care for older people. Staff may have been working in different homes and unwittingly bringing the infection with them. Some patients were discharged from hospital to nursing homes and could have been infected.

Q: Is a lack of staff hampering the battle?

A: Healthcare workers in nursing homes have suffered symptoms or been infected. They must not work, and wait for a test result, which up to recently could take 20 days. It meant nursing homes were struggling.

Q: A package of measures including extra funding and promises of staff was announced recently. Has this made a difference?

A: The feedback is that it has been patchy. The HSE said the worst hit were first to benefit but many home owners are still low in protective wear and staff. Unions agreed yesterday to allow the transfer of staff from home care and public nursing homes to fill in where there is acute need.

Q: What about the care of residents who are ill in the home?

A: Dr Jack Lambert, infectious disease consultant in the Mater Hospital, wants to see more on-the-ground medical care of residents in homes by doctors. He points out they may have other infections that are being missed. The HSE said this will be stepped up.

Q: The virus has not just hit private nursing homes - how badly affected are HSE-run homes and residential centres?

A: There have been clusters in public nursing homes and sadly deaths from the virus. Centres for people with a disability have also suffered.

Q: What parts of the country have been worst hit by the nursing home clusters?

A: The first outbreaks were in the east and it continues to have the highest number, followed by the west. But all regions are now affected although the least infections have happened in the south.

Q: How rapid has been the spread of these clusters?

A: As of April 12 there were 151 in private nursing homes. This compared to around four in the middle of March.

Q: When will nursing homes get more staff?

A: Unions agreed yesterday to transfer staff where needed to private nursing homes from the public health system. They include nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and healthcare assistants. The homes need to have exhausted all other means of securing staff first.
The news of 18 further coronavirus deaths in Northern Ireland is a grim wake up call to those getting complacent about social distancing, the Health Minister Robin Swann has said.

At a daily briefing, he said it had been another deeply distressing day that had left multiple families heartbroken.

With the virus still at its peak in Northern Ireland, however, he added that relaxing hospital visit restrictions to Covid wards still presented "too significant a risk".

The latest figures show 18 people died from Covid-19 within 24 hours in Northern Ireland, the highest total to date.

This brings the total number of deaths here to 158 with 2,201 confirmed cases.

Across the UK, the 12,107 people have died in hospital with 444 deaths in the Irish Republic.

Mr Swann added that on Thursday there were 45 people in intensive care, with 105 hospital admissions on Wednesday due to Covid-19.

We are in the midst of the biggest public health crisis in the history of Northern Ireland...but we must realise we are in the fight against this virus for the long haul," he said.

On hospital visits, he said there were small exceptions on hospital visits for palliative or end of life care.

We are all human, we all share similar emotions. So when feasibly possible with prior arrangement with senior staff a visitor can be allowed on to a general ward to see a loved one who is sadly passing away."

He said restrictions on Covid wards could unfortunately not be relaxed.

I have spoken to a number of senior clinicians. Their collective expert opinion is that allowing significant numbers of visits to ICUs presents too significant a risk.

On concerns over the recent recording care home deaths, he said the loss of an older person was just as important.

I have heard hurtful and untrue allegations being made about deaths in the community, and in particular care homes," he said.

I can assure you, no one is being forgotten.

He admitted there were challenges on recording deaths in the community, which he was working to improve.

Let me be clear again, every single care home resident. Every senior citizen matters just as much as any other person in our society.

That is why we must stick to social distancing for as long as it takes.

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride assured anxious families unable to visit their loved ones in hospital they would get the best possible care.

He said Northern Ireland was now moving through the peak of the current wave of Covid-19, and maintaining social distancing measures was vital.

We have some very difficult and challenging weeks ahead. We dont yet know how long the peak of the pandemic will last here in Northern Ireland.

Professor Ian Young, the chief scientific officer advising Stormont on Covid-19, said he expected a rise in deaths for at least another week.

He said although deaths were lower than originally predicted, the situation was still on a knife edge.

Its absolutely vital that people continue to adhere to the measures that are currently in place. Even a relatively small departure from that would be enough for us to see an increase in Covid again.
The White House said G7 countries expressed support Thursday for President Donald Trumps fierce criticism of the World Health Organization, calling for a thorough review and reform at the UN body.

The WHO was discussed during a videoconference that Trump hosted with other G7 leaders -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The US president accuses the WHO of covering up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in China and doing Beijings bidding. He has threatened to cut US funding, the largest portion of the organizations revenue.

According to the White House, other G7 leaders were sympathetic to his stand.

The leaders recognized that the G7 nations annually contribute more than a billion dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO), and much of the conversation centered on the lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement of the pandemic by the WHO, the White House said in a statement.

The leaders called for a thorough review and reform process.
Melinda Gates has slammed U.S. President Donald Trump for pulling funding from the World Health Organization (WHO) at a time of corona...





Melinda Gates has slammed U.S. President Donald Trump for pulling funding from the World Health Organization (WHO) at a time of coronavirus pandemic.





Melinda described Trumps move as dangerous and nonsensical.





She spoke Wednesday when she announced an extra $150 million of funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to WHO.





The money is to help speed the development of treatments, vaccines and public health measures to tackle the new coronavirus outbreak.

Melinda Gates said the WHO is exactly the organization that can deal with this pandemic.





De-funding the WHO makes absolutely no sense during a pandemic. We need a global coordinated response, Gates, who co-chairs the foundation with the billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, said in a telephone interview.





When youre in a crisis like this, its all hands on deck.





President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a halt in U.S. funding to the WHO, saying it had failed in its basic duty in allowing the pandemic to take hold.





The Gates Foundation is the second largest donor to the WHO behind the United States.





Melinda Gates said earlier that cutting WHO funding in a health crisis was as dangerous as it sounds.





The WHOs Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday he regretted Trumps decision.





He said the organization was still assessing the impact and would try to fill any gaps with partners.





The philanthropic Gates Foundations new $150 million commitment brings its COVID-19 funding for the international response to date to $250 million.





Melinda Gates said any gap left in the WHOs funding would be very hard for others to fill.
Cancun police arrest two out-of-state youths

Cancun, Q.R.  Police in Cancun have arrested two out-of-state youths after they were discovered carrying more than 20 street doses of drugs.

The discovery was made in central Cancun along Lopez Portillo Avenue when the pair were stopped at a mandatory coronavirus filter. Police noticed the two males began to act evasive as they neared the filter, which lead to a search of their vehicle.

Officials say elements of the Quintana Roo Police arrested 21-year-old Jose N from Tabasco and 18-year-old Fredy from Chiapas. Both have been charged with drug possession after they were found in possession of 23 bags of marijuana.
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza issued the following statement regarding the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program:

"The SBA has processed more than 14 years' worth of loans in less than 14 days. The Paycheck Protection Program is saving millions of jobs and helping America's small businesses make it through this challenging time. The EIDL program is also providing much-needed relief to people and businesses.

"By law, the SBA will not be able to issue new loan approvals once the programs experience a lapse in appropriations.

"We urge Congress to appropriate additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Programa critical and overwhelmingly bipartisan programat which point we will once again be able to process loan applications, issue loan numbers, and protect millions more paychecks.

"The high demand we have seen underscores the need for hardworking Americans to have access to relief as soon as possible. We want every eligible small business to participate and get the resources they need."

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Contact: [email protected], (202) 205-7036

Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Blogs & Instagram

Release Number: 20-32

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

Related Links

http://www.sba.gov


MILWAUKEE  The former chairman of the Democratic National Committee suggested Wednesday that party officials explore "creative" alternatives to holding a national convention in Milwaukee this August.

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who led the 2000 Democratic National Convention, said in an online forum at the Meridian International Center that he believes it is "very unlikely" there will be a Milwaukee convention this year.

McAuliffe stressed that this was just his opinion. He said it was a "very, very difficult environment" for Democrats to raise the money they need to hold the event.

"Sure, it's possible we have a convention," said McAuliffe, who led the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. "I personally think it probably most unlikely that we have one."

He urged Democrats to look at contingency plans for a national convention.

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

"The TV networks are going to give you the equal time that you would have at the convention, so come up with something clever around the country to do it to get the same media exposure," McAuliffe told Susan Page of USA TODAY. "You can build, obviously, a stage anywhere you want, but there are a lot of creative that you need to do."

He added later that he had talked with DNC Chairman Tom Perez about the need for contingency plans. He provided no further details. Perez was not immediately available for comment.

Earlier this month, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the 2020 national convention might need to be done virtually because of coronavirus concerns. Officials had already moved the event from July to August.

"Well, we're going to have to do a convention  may have to do a virtual convention," Biden said. "I think we should be thinking about that right now."

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez spoke Friday during a news conference at Clock Shadow Creamery.

The massive event was supposed to be staged July 13-16 and attract up to 50,000 people to Milwaukee.

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Convention organizers announced recently that the convention was being pushed back from July to the week of Aug. 17 to give them more time to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

But much remains unknown, including the convention's format, crowd size and schedule.

A virtual convention could still be held in Milwaukee but would likely involve a dramatically smaller number of people.

Responding to McAuliffe's comments, Joe Solmonese, the chief executive officer of the 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee, emphasized the need to hold the event.

DNC Convention CEO Joe Solmonese speaks with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, and State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski during a media day Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in advance of the Democratic National Convention in the Summer of 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"Im confident our team will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November," Solmonese said. "As we continue to put plans in place, ensuring public safety will always remain our top priority."

In the Wednesday interview, McAuliffe, a longtime friend of former President Bill and Hillary Clinton, said it's also good to bring together Democratic activists and big donors at a presidential convention.

But he said officials need to be aware that a "lot of mischief" can occur at these events, especially in the crafting of the party platform.

In addition, he said, concerns about spreading coronavirus make it difficult to raise the tens of millions of dollars that are needed to put on the massive event.

"You got to have contingency plans out there," McAuliffe said. "You got to raise $70, $80 million dollars for these things. Can you imagine trying to raise money right now to go to Milwaukee in the summer  how difficult that would be?"

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: DNC: McAuliffe pitches 'creative' alternatives to Milwaukee convention
D ominic Raab will represent the UK at a virtual summit of major world leaders as Boris Johnson continues to recover from the coronavirus at his official country retreat.

The Foreign Secretary will today join leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan in a summit hosted by US President Donald Trump to discuss the response to the pandemic.

The meeting, which was due to take place at Camp David, will happen via video conference due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

Mr Raab, who as First Secretary of State is Mr Johnsons effective deputy, will use the G7 summit on Thursday to push for collaboration on the health and economic response to the Covid-19 crisis, Downing Street said.

World leaders at the G7 summit in France, 2019. Today the summit will take place via video conference / Kyodo News Stills via Getty Imag

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: There have been intensive discussions between G7 countries at official and ministerial level since the first leaders call took place in March, including the most recent call between G7 finance ministers yesterday.

Tomorrow will be another opportunity to ensure countries are co-ordinating on both the global health response and international economic response.

The spokesman said Mr Raab will underline the need for global collaboration to tackle this crisis.

This includes increasing the speed and scale of production for vaccines, treatments and tests internationally.

He will also encourage co-ordination on the economic response to the virus and G7 action to support vulnerable countries.

Chequers - The countryside retreat where Boris Johnson will recuperate

The news comes as Mr Johnson continues his recovery from Covid-19 at Chequers and is not doing Government work, the spokesman said.

He has now tested negative for the coronavirus after needing "a significant level of specialist treatment".
These kinds of provocations will be familiar to fans and critics of Mr. Savage, who was once was barred from entering Britain after making inflammatory comments about Islam, including calling the Quran a book of hate.

In a series of interviews over the phone and on Skype as he recorded his radio show from a home studio overlooking San Francisco Bay, Mr. Savage, who is 78, echoed his conservative colleagues on some aspects of the virus. He has sharply attacked the federal governments leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, dismissing him as a grandstander and a showman. He criticized sweeping quarantine measures and lockdowns as a threat to individual liberty, and called for them to be eased in places with lower infection rates, siding with the protesters who have gathered in state capitals across the country in recent days in a show of opposition.

He said he had pressed this point personally over email with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, whom he knows socially through his son, the billionaire founder of Rockstar Energy Drink, Russell Weiner. Mr. Savage has also made his case on selectively lifting quarantine orders directly to the White House, which announced last month that it would nominate him to the board of the Presidio Trust, the oversight body for San Franciscos famed national park. (The announcement was easy to overlook because it listed Mr. Savage by his legal name, Michael A. Weiner.)

Mr. Savages coronavirus crusade is partly a reflection of his training as a scientist. He has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in nutritional ethnomedicine, a field that examines how various cultures and ethnicities use natural products for health purposes. As part of his training, he studied epidemiology. He is a germaphobe and has a survivalist streak. One of the houses he owns in Marin County has its own reservoir.

But his persistence on the issue is also a reaction to his own recent death scare. The heart attack he had in December made the life-and-death nature of a pandemic personal. I would like to believe that God has kept me here for this reason, he said, calling this the defining moment of our lives.

At one point he turned to his producer, Jim Verdi, and asked, When was I this wound up?

Never, Mr. Verdi replied.

Mr. Savages wife, Janet Weiner, said in an interview that she had noticed more compassion in her husband since his heart attack. And she sees him taking on responsibility for waking people up to what parts of American conservatism, especially in the media, have become. This culty hero worship of the uneducated, its very depressing, she said. It makes me ashamed to be a conservative, she added, before stopping herself. I dont want to identify with the conservative movement anymore.
By PTI

CHENNAI: As a fresh COVID-19 death was reported taking the virus toll in the state to 14 on Thursday,Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami described coronavirus as a "disease of the rich" and a "big challenge", and said the state has managed to contain the spread of the contagion as the daily positive cases were showing a dip.

A committee under Finance Secretary S Krishnan has been formed to devise the exit strategy post May 3 when the extended lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to end, he said.

The exit strategy could be a 'phased' one, he said, adding, the commitee will also discuss on finalising what industries may be allowed to function after April 20, as permitted by the Centre.

On Thursday, the state reported a fresh COVID-19 death while 25 more people tested positive for the disease, taking the toll due to it to 15 and total cases to 1,267, Palaniswami said.

"This disease is a big challenge," the chief minister told a press conference after chairing a meeting of district collectors to take stock of the preventive measures being implemented across the state.

As many as 180 people have been discharged so far, as against the 118 on Wednesday, he said.

Palaniswami said the lower number of fresh cases showed the government was containing the spread of the contagion.

Fresh cases on Wednesday stood at 38, a little more than Tuesday's tally of 31, unlike higher numbers seen earlier in the week.

The state had reported 98 fresh cases on Monday and 106 on Sunday.

As many as 87 lakh people had been screened in 558 containment zones in the state.

So far, 11 doctors, including six government ones, have been infected with the virus and this number was less compared to other states like Delhi and Mumbai, he said.

Further, it was a "disease of the rich," he said, indicating it has lagely affected the affluent.

"It is a disease of the rich.

People who had travelled abroad or to other states have imported it (to Tamil Nadu).

It did not originate here," he said.

Divulging details and statistics to explain the state's fight against COVID-19, the chief minister said it took an early lead by launching screening of air passengers and placing orders for personal procurement equipment as early as in January.

There were adequate stocks of ventilators, PPE and masks while enough strength of health workers has been ensured, including new appointments.

Further orders have also been placed.

The rapid test kits ordered by the state with China have been "diverted to another nation," and even Centre was awaiting the consignment, he said.

The state was in the second stage of the spread and today's new number of cases of 25 against 38 yesterday showed the state has managed to contain it, he said.

He expressed hope the number will soon touch zero as the rate of people getting cured was also increasing.

Further, extending government support to journalists, he said it will bear all the expenses incurred if they contracted the virus and would provide an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh in the event of their "unfortunate death.

" These will apply to accredited journalists, he added.

Hitting out at the opposition DMK for its criticism of the government over the handling of the contagion, the chief minister accused its president M K Stalin of finding fault during any disaster, including the earlier cyclones in the state like Gaja and Ockhi.

"This is a planned criticism as we are effectively containing the spread," he said and wondered what the 38 Lok Sabha MPs of the DMK and its allies had done for Tamil Nadu in the state though "people have elected them to do something.

" A similar criticism was made against the AIADMK by the DMK when the former had 37 of the 39 MPs from the state in the previous Lok Sabha, Palaniswami said.

"DMK is a party which only criticises," he said and added that this was not the case with other states.

He regretted that there was "politics over a disease" in Tamil Nadu.

To a question, Palaniswami said people's essential needs, including of those in the containment zones, were being taken care of by the government.

This included cash assistance and provisions of free rice and pulses to rice ration card holders and financial help to those in the unorganised sector.

About 13,000 migrant labourers were lodged in 311 facilites and their needs were being taken care of, he added.

The police were also strictly enforing the lockdown, with the authorities having clamped section 144 of the CrPC, which bars assembly of more than five people, for this purpose.

Police have filed 1.

94 lakh cases and arrested over two lakh people for lockdown violations, besides seizing 1.

79 lakh vehicles, he said.

A sum of Rs 89 lakh has been collected as fine.

Meanwhile, the police announced returning the seized vehicles and said this will be done after verifying the documents.

The process will be carried out at the local police station limits and the vehicles will be returned to owners after informing them, police said.

PTI SA BN WELCOME 04161828 NNNN
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX: AOT; OTCQX: AOTVF) (Ascot or the Company) is pleased to announce robust results for an independent Feasibility Study (the Study) prepared in accordance with a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report (NI 43-101) for its 100% owned Premier and Red Mountain gold projects (the "Project") located in the Golden Triangle near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada. The Study outlines a low capital restart plan to feed the Premier mill at 2500 tonnes per day (tpd) to produce approximately 1.1 million ounces (Moz) of gold and 3.0Moz of silver over eight years. The Study is based on a proven and probable reserve (noted below) of 6.2 million tonnes (Mt) from the Project. In addition to the reserves, the Company has inferred resources of 5.1Mt at 7.25 grams per tonne (g/t) gold at Premier, with approximately 2.2Mt of this resource material at similar grade, near the planned development, which may potentially be converted to reserves during operations.



Feasibility Study Highlights:

Base case assumptions are using a US$1400/oz gold price, $17/oz silver price and CAD to US exchange rate of 0.76. All values shown in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. Some figures may not add due to rounding

Base case Pre-Tax Net Present Value ( NPV ) NPV 5% of $516M, internal rate of return ( IRR ) IRR of 62%;

Base case After-tax NPV 5% of $341M and IRR 51%, and after-tax payback period of 1.8 years;

Assuming a spot gold price of US$1710 per ounce and spot CAD to US exchange rate of 0.71, the project economics increase to an After-tax NPV5% of $602M and IRR 78%;

The base case utilizes Proven and Probable Reserves of 6.2Mt at 5.9g/t gold and 19.7g/t silver; this includes the impact of the mining dilution and excludes all resources outside of planned stopes

Low initial capital expenditure of $147M, including a 9% contingency, and 22% indirect costs;

Life of Mine ( LOM ) payable production of 1.1Moz of gold and 3.0Moz of silver with peak production of 180 thousand gold equivalent ounces;

LOM operating costs (C1)* of $145 per tonne processed or US$642 per payable ounce produced and LOM all in sustaining costs (AISC)* of $174 per tonne processed or US$769 per payable ounce produced.

Story continues

* C1 and AISC are Non-GAAP and IFRS measure see note 1 of Table 1



Ascots President and CEO, Derek White commented, The completion of the Feasibility Study marks an important milestone for Ascot in the progression of restarting the Project. The current strong gold price environment, robust projected economics and quick payback creates an attractive opportunity to build our mine. The Study focused on maximising the project economics, which involved optimising mining methods and development to reduce operating cost per ounce. The result of this optimisation was a conversion of 64% of indicated resources to reserves at Premier. Management believes that future underground drilling will help to improve conversion of some of the remaining inferred resources and improve annual production rates. Managements next steps will be focused on advancing this exceptional gold project with all our stakeholders while continuing to grow our mineral resources and reserves to enhance value through further drilling and delivering a number of identified opportunities.

Potential value enhancement opportunities identified beyond the scope of the study:

Reduced mining dilution and development capital by optimizing shallow angle mining;

Conversion of approximately 2.2Mt of resources in the Inferred Category;

Reduced process capital and operating cost by introducing process enhancements.

Feasibility Overview

The Premier Gold Project (PGP) is located 25 kilometres (km) north of the town of Stewart, British Columbia, adjacent to the border with Alaska in the famous gold mining district known as the Golden Triangle. The PGP can be accessed by road from Stewart and does not require a remote campsite for employees. Three of the deposits are based at PGP and the fourth deposit is located at the Red Mountain Project (RMP), situated approximately 23km to the southeast of the PGP mill. PGP requires amendments to the Mines Act and Environmental Management Act permits and is a brownfield site; it does not require an Environmental Assessment. RMP has federal ministerial approval and provincial environmental assessment certificates, but will require multiple permits and potential amendments, including a Mines Act permit and an Environmental Management Act permit.

The Study is based on four underground mining operations feeding a centralized 2500 tpd processing facility, located at PGP. The four mining operations known as Silver Coin, Big Missouri, Premier and Red Mountain will be sequenced over an 8-year period to initially produce 1.1 Moz. of gold and 3.0 Moz. of silver. PGP benefits from existing road access, historical mining, milling, the nearby Long Lake Hydro power plant, tailings and mine waste stockpile infrastructure resulting in a low initial capital refurbishment cost. Mining will commence from the Silver Coin and Big Missouri deposits, which will be followed by the Red Mountain deposit in year 3 and then the Premier deposit. In the four planned operations, access for production will be through both new and existing adits (side hill portal access) utilizing a combination of new ramp development and refurbishment of existing underground infrastructure. Mining methods will largely consist of low-cost long hole stoping for most of the ore, with limited use of inclined undercut long hole, room & pillar and cut & fill mining methods in specific shallow or flat lying stopes. Ore will be trucked to the processing facility and mining waste will be used underground as a combination of rockfill and cemented rockfill.

The existing processing facility will be refurbished within a construction period of approximately 40 weeks. The process plant will utilize conventional crushing, grinding and gravity circuits followed by a standard carbon-in-leach (CIL) process to produce a gold dore. The plant refurbishment will consist of a combination of existing, new and repaired equipment and supporting plant infrastructure. Prior to ore from RMP being treated, the plant will add an energy efficient fine grinding mill and an additional pre-leach thickener to accommodate processing of the harder ore feed and the finer grind required for recovery purposes.

PGP has an existing tailings storage facility and water treatment plant, and is adjacent to the Long Lake Hydro power plant, which currently supplies Pretiums Brucejack Mine and connects to the BC Hydro grid. Currently, the site receives power via a 25-kiloVolt power line from the town of Stewart. This arrangement would be modified with a new substation to be constructed adjacent to the processing plant that would receive power from the Long Lake power plant approximately 800 metres south of the processing plant. Power would be distributed to the site from this substation. The Study has two key enhancements to the existing infrastructure: the tailings dam would be successively raised using centreline lifts throughout the mine life with approximately 1.2 million cubic metres (m3) of non-acid generating rock excavated from a nearby quarry; and the water treatment plant would be modified to nearly double the existing capacity to accommodate additional water treatment from the Big Missouri and Silver Coin operations, and would also include an ammonia treatment plant, a water clarifier and lime high density sludge system.

In order to complete this study, Ascot engaged a team of highly experienced professional consultants led by Sacre-Davey Engineering Inc. (SDE). SDE was responsible for overall coordination, infrastructure and the economic evaluation; InnovExplo Inc. and Mine Paste Ltd. for mining; Sedgman Canada Limited (a member of CIMIC Group) for metallurgy and processing; Knight Piesold Ltd. for tailings and water management; SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. for the water treatment plant; Paul Hughes Consulting Ltd. for site geotechnical; McElhanney Ltd. for access roads; Prime Engineering for the Electrical substation; Palmer Environmental Consulting Group Inc. for geochemistry, hydrology and water quality modelling; and Falkirk Environmental Consultants and EcoLogic Consultants for environmental studies.

Table 1: Life of Mine Summary

Assumptions Gold Price (US$) 1400 Exchange Rate (US$/C$) 0.76 Payable Metals Gold Production (koz) 1059 Silver Production (koz) 2964 Mining & Processing Mine Life (Years) 8 Total Tonnage Milled (Mt) 6.2 Gold Recovery (%) 91.4 Silver Recovery (%) 76.5 Processing Throughput (tpd) 2500 Diluted Average Gold Grade (g/t) 5.9 Diluted Average Silver Grade (g/t) 19.7 Capial Expenditure Costs Initial CAPEX (CAD $M) 146.6 Sustaining Capital (CAD $M) 157.1 Closure Costs (CAD $M) 20.5 Operating Costs UG Mining Cost (CAD$/t Milled) 97.00 Processing Cost (CAD$/t Milled) 31.05 G&A Cost (CAD$/t Milled) 7.93 Site Services (CAD$/t Milled) 3.36 Total Operating Costs (CAD$/t Milled) 139.34 Effective Taxation rate % 33.6 Metrics Direct Cash Costs1("C1") (US$/oz) 642 All in Sustaining Cash Costs1 ("ASIC") (US$/oz) 769 LOM Pre Tax Free Cash Flow (C$M) 710 Pre-Tax IRR (%) 62 Pre-Tax NPV 5 ($CADM) 516 After-Tax IRR (%) 51 After-Tax NPV 5 ($CADM) 341 After-Tax Payback Period (years) 1.8

1. C1 includes mining processing, site services, G&A, refining & transportation cost and royalty cost less by-product credits. AISC includes C1 cost plus sustaining capital. C1 and AISC costs are non-GAAP performance measures;



Sensitivities

After-tax economic sensitivities are presented in Table 2 illustrating the effects of varying precious metals prices and exchange rates to LOM base-case. Additional project sensitivities will be presented in the Technical Report.

Table 2: After-Tax NPV (5%) and IRR Sensitivities to Gold Prices & Exchanges rate

Sensitivities Lower Case Base Case Higher Case Gold Price (US$/oz) 1200 1400 1600 CAD to USD exchange rate 0.80 0.76 0.71 After-Tax Payback Period (years) 2.5 1.8 1.4 After-Tax NPV (5%) (C$M) 177 341 534 After-Tax IRR (%) 31 51 71

Mineral Resource Estimate

The Companys Mineral Resources at the PGP noted in Table 3 and for RMP in Table 4 are combined to form the basis of the mineral reserves in this Study. The QP for the resource estimation work for RMP was completed by independent* consultant Dr. Gilles Arseneau, P.Geo (APEGBC) with an effective date of the Mineral Resource Statement of August 30, 2019. The QP for the resource estimation work at PGP was completed by independent* consultant Susan Bird, P.Eng (APEGBC) with an effective date of the Mineral Resource Statement of December 12, 2019.

* Independent qualified persons within the meaning of NI 43-101

Table 3: PGP Mineral Resource Statement reported at 3.5g/t AuEq cut-off

Grade Contained Ounces Tonnes Au Ag Au Ag kt g/t g/t koz koz Total Indicated 4,141 8.01 35.1 1,066 4,669 Total Inferred 5,061 7.25 28.7 1,180 4,673





Notes for Table 3:

1. Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.5g/t AuEq based on metal prices of US$1,300/oz Au and US$20/oz Ag. 2. The AuEq values were calculated using US$1,300/oz Au, US$20/oz Ag, a silver metallurgical recovery of 45.2%, and the following equation: AuEq(g/t) = Au(g/t) + 45.2% x Ag(g/t) x 20 / 1,300. 3. A mean bulk density of 2.85 t/m3 is used for Premier and of 2.80t/m3 for all other deposit areas. 4. A minimum mining width of 2.5m true thickness is required in order to be classified as Resource material.

Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves declared below. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into Mineral Reserves. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. The CIM definitions were followed for the classification of Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred Mineral Resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these Inferred Mineral Resources as an Indicated Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an Indicated Mineral Resource category.





Table 4: RMP Mineral Resource Statement reported at 3.0g/t Au cut-off



Grade Contained Ounces Tonnes Au Ag Au Ag kt g/t g/t koz koz Total Measured 1,920 8.81 28.3 543.8 1,747 Total Indicated 1,271 5.85 10.01 238.8 409 Total Measured and Indicated 3190 7.63 21.02 782.6 2,156 Total Inferred 405 5.32 7.33 69.3 95.5





Notes for Table 4:

1. RMP Resources are reported at a 3.0g/t Au cut-off for underground long hole stoping. 2. Reported Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves declared below. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into Mineral Reserves. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. The CIM definitions were followed for the classification of Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred Mineral Resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these Inferred Mineral Resources as an Indicated Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an Indicated Mineral Resource category.



Mining and Mineral Reserves



The mineral resources were determined using conservative cut-off grade estimates and incorporating mining thicknesses into wireframing and converted to reserves, by applying mining economics to the resources, including allowing for recovery and dilution underground. As part of the mine planning exercise, the indicated mineral resource was run through the Deswik Stope Optimizer and evaluated under a number of different mining methods.

The Studys mine plan generally utilizes a combination of three mining methods: longhole (64%), inclined undercut longhole (14%), and room & pillar (12%), with minor amounts of cut and fill (2%) and development ore (8%) to extract the mineral reserves. A particular mining method was chosen based on an economic assessment of each method for a given geometry and geotechnical characteristics depending on its location in the deposit. The stope shapes and mine access development were individually modelled and evaluated to form the final mineable reserve. Mining dilution occurs at various rates depending on the mining method and ground conditions based on rock quality in geotechnical domains in the block model. Dilution comes in from a number of sources: planned dilution is material taken within the bounds of a stope layout while unplanned material comes from the hanging wall and footwall outside the stope boundary. Dilution generally ranges from 10 to 40%. In some cases where two wireframes are very close together, the waste parting between the wireframes was taken provided that it was economically justified. The over-arching philosophy was to maximize the extraction of resource ounces at the lowest cost per ounce.

Initial mining commences at Silver Coin (1.794Mt) and Big Missouri (0.809Mt), followed by RMP (2.545Mt) and Premier (1.028Mt). This sequencing allows mobile mining equipment and some fixed assets (electrical and ventilation) to most effectively be remobilized and re-used at different deposits as dictated by mine schedules. The Study assumes a lease to own cost for the mobile mining equipment, which primarily consists of the following key pieces of equipment: 2 scissor lifts,3 jumbo drills, 5 haul trucks, 5 load-haul-dump machines, 15 ventilation fans, and several other smaller supporting pieces of equipment.

The mineral reserve figures are shown below in tables 5 and 6. The QP for the mineral reserve estimation work for the Project is the independent* consultant Frank Palkovits, P.Eng.

* Independent qualified persons within the meaning of NI 43-101

Table 5: PGP Mineral Reserve Statement

Grade Contained Ounces Tonnes Au Ag Au Ag kt g/t g/t koz koz Total Probable 3,632 5.45 19.1 637 2,231





Notes for Table 5: CIM Definition Standards were followed for classification of Mineral Reserves

1. A mean bulk density of 2.85 t/m is used for Premier and of 2.80 t/m for all other deposit areas 2. The AuEq values were calculated using US$1,400/oz Au and a US$17/oz Ag and the following equation: AuEq(g/t) = Au(g/t)+ Ag(g/t) x 17 / 1,400 3. The following CoG based on AuEq grade were used to estimate the economic potential of the stopes: Longhole = 2.85 g/t, Inclined undercut Longhole = 3.44 g/t, cut and fill = 3.44 g/t, room & pillar = 3.82 g/t and development = 2.85 g/t





Table 6: RMP Mineral Reserve Statement

Grade Contained Ounces Tonnes Au Ag Au Ag kt g/t g/t koz koz Proven 2,194 6.68 21.7 471 1,530 Probable 351 5.51 13.8 62 155 Total Proven and Probable 2545 6.52 20.6 534 1685





Notes for Table 6 CIM Definition Standards were followed for classification of Mineral Reserves 1. The AuEq values were calculated using US$1,300/oz Au and a US$15/oz Ag and the following equation: AuEq(g/t) = Au(g/t) + Ag(g/t) x 15 / 1,300 2. The following CoG based on AuEq grade were used to estimate the economic potential of the stopes: Longhole = 3.11 g/t, Inclined undercut Longhole = 4.0 g/t, cut and fill = 4.1 g/t and development = 3.11 g/t





Metallurgical & Processing Overview



An overview schematic of the processing facilities, with both existing infrastructure (in blue) and new construction (in yellow) is shown below:

Figure 1: Premier Plant Area - https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9aee84ad-2ff8-4d30-976d-618ba74b45c0

During 2019, an engineering assessment was conducted by CGT Industrial on the existing processing facility to establish its working condition and provide the basis for the recently completed Study.

The existing plant arrangement is suitable for a semi autogenous grinding (SAG) and ball milling flowsheet followed by the refurbished carbon-in-leach circuit. Over the mine life, the plant will operate 365 days a year to produce gold dore with an overall plant availability of 92% and an average throughput of 2500 tpd. In the latter part of year three, ore from RMP will be introduced to the existing mill facility.

Ore will be fed from either one of the PGP or the RMP stockpiles using a campaigning methodology. Ore from PGP will be primary crushed, stockpiled and fed into the existing SAG and Ball Milling arrangement to be ground to a particle size (P80) of 80 microns (m). An integrated gravity circuit will remove coarse gold for cyanidation in the intensive leach reactor (ILR) with the remainder to be cyanide leached in a conventional CIL circuit. Gold will be recovered on carbon, eluted and then electro-won to produce a silver/gold dore. Gold recovered from the ILR will be electro-won separately to produce a separate gold dore.

Leached tails will be detoxified in an Air and Sulphur Dioxide cyanide destruction circuit, then thickened and pumped to a tailings storage facility (TSF). Raw water required for fresh water make-up is pumped to the plant from Cascade Creek whilst process water is recovered from the TSF decant water, which will be used for grinding and utility water.

For the processing of the RMP ores, the initial circuit flow sheet will be adapted in the latter part of year two of production. Gravity recoverable gold is absent from the RMP ore; therefore, the gravity circuit will be bypassed whilst processing this ore. The RMP gold and silver recovery is sensitive to grind size, and as such a P80 target of 25m is required to optimize precious metals recoveries in the leaching circuit. In order to achieve the targeted fine grind, a tertiary/fine stirred mill will be installed in the plant. The grinding circuit product will require thickening prior to introduction to the CIL circuit. Based on the current and historical test work, a 27-meter diameter pre-leach thickener will be required for this application. When PGP ores are campaigned, the fine grinding circuit will be bypassed. Estimated gold and silver recoveries used for the design of the processing facilities are shown in Table 7 below.

Table 7: Recovery by Deposit

PGP plant gravity and leach recovery RMP plant leach recoveries LOM average Au % Ag % Au % Ag % Au % Ag % Premier 98.4 69.2 Silver coin 94.5 74.2 Big Missouri 93.5 68.6 Marc - - 91.9 89.7 AV - - 80.6 75.5 JW - - 90.1 87.5 Average 95.4 71.5 86.8 83.6 91.4 76.5

Tailings and Water Management

Tailings will be managed in the existing Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) that will be progressively raised to store 100% of the tailings during the design operating life. Knight Piesold is the Engineer of Record for the TSF. Upgrades to the TSF include modification of water management structures, additional material added to the embankment to flatten the slopes to meet current codes, and installation of new tailings distribution and reclaim water systems.

Non-contact water diversion structures located upstream of the TSF will be upgraded to minimize flood routing through the TSF. Site surplus water and underground dewatering will be directed to the new water treatment plant for treatment as required prior to release.

Capital Costs

The Project benefits from significant existing infrastructure, which helps reduce the initial capital cost. Total initial pre-production capital cost (capex) is C$146.6M inclusive of construction indirect costs, engineering-procurement-construction- management (EPCM), contingencies and owners costs. The mobile equipment is leased and these costs have been included in the operating costs. The sustaining capital is C$157.3M inclusive of mine development capital, road construction to RMP, and process plant modifications for the fine grind and additional pre-leach thickener. The total life of mine capex is C$324M inclusive of closure costs. Underground mining and haulage are anticipated to be completed using an owner-operator development model operating 365 days per year. Table 8 shows the capital cost breakdown.

Table 8: Project Capital Cost Estimate (C$M)

Initial Sustaining LOM Total Mine 14.0 110.2 124.2 Processing 35.6 10.3 45.9 On-Site Services 50.4 20.3 70.7 Tailings & Water Management 15.7 9.3 25.0 Roads 5.9 0.0 5.9 Site Services & water treatment * 28.8 11.0 39.8 Total Directs 100.0 140.9 240.9 Indirects (EPCM, Contingency, Owners Costs) 46.6 16.3 62.9 Total Directs + Indirects 146.6 157.1 303.7 Additional Costs Closure 20.5 20.5 Project Total Grand Total 146.6 177.6 324.2 * includes the RMP road

Operating Costs

Life of mine operating costs for the project were developed from first principles for mining, processing, site services and administration using the mine and processing plans, incorporating development rates, labour, materials, consumables, and certain contract services for a 2500 tpd processing rate. Processing cost in year 3 increases by $4.25 per tonne processed due the higher grinding requirements for harder ore from RMP. Table 9 shows the breakdown of LOM operating costs.

Table 9: Project LOM Operating Costs (C$/t milled)

Operating Costs CAD$/t US$/oz Au Mining Cost 97.00 430 Processing Cost 31.05 138 G&A Cost 7.93 35 Site Services Cost 3.36 15 Royalties 15.30 68 Refining & Transportation 0.90 4 By-product Credits -10.74 -48 Total Cash Cost 144.81 642

Permitting Process

PGP is currently in care and maintenance with existing permits for continued reclamation and mine water discharge. The site has been maintained in good standing with reclamation activities and environmental monitoring ongoing. In 2018 and 2019, Ascot undertook additional environmental baseline monitoring and data collection to support permit amendments for the Mines Act and the Environmental Management Act, and several ancillary permits, which will be required to bring PGP back into operation. In 2018, Ascot received confirmation from both the BC Environmental Assessment Agency and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency that PGP will not need to undergo an environmental assessment pursuant to provincial and federal environmental assessment legislation. Nis g aa Lisims Government (NLG) confirmed that an assessment of the impacts of the proposed PGP and amendments to the proposed RMP on Nis g aa Nation treaty interests will need to be conducted pursuant to the Nis g aa Final Agreement.

In 2019, RMP received federal approval and issuance of a provincial Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC). The decision also included a determination of the potential effects of the Nis g aa Final Agreement (2000). RMP will next require issuance of the necessary statutory permits and authorizations to commence construction of the project. Any changes to the project description, resulting from coupling activities or toll milling with PGP, will first require an amendment to the RMP EAC before proceeding to detailed design and ensuing permit applications.

Aboriginal and Community Stakeholders

PGP is located in the Nass Area and RMP is located in the Nass Wildlife Area, as defined in the Nis g aa Final Agreement (2000), a modern treaty between the federal government, provincial government, and Nis g aa Nation, which sets out Nis g aa Nations rights under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution Act. Nis g aa Nations Treaty rights under the Nis g aa Final Agreement include: establishing the boundaries and the Nis g aa Nations ownership of Nis g aa Lands and Nis g aa Fee Simple Lands; water allocations; the right of Nis g aa citizens to harvest fish, wildlife, plants and migratory birds; and the legislative jurisdiction of the NLG. Nis g aa citizens have Treaty rights to manage and harvest wildlife in the Nass Wildlife Area and to harvest fish, aquatic plants, and migratory birds within the Nass Area. The clarity and certainty provided by the Nis g aa Final Agreement, including Chapter 10, which sets out the required processes for the assessment of environmental effects on Nis g aa Nation Treaty rights from projects such as this one, is a major advantage to development.

The nearest communities to RMP and PGP are the town of Stewart, British Columbia and the village of Hyder, Alaska. Both communities have a long-standing history with mining projects and have historically been supportive of mining activities. Broader stakeholders may include overlapping tenure holders (such as trapline holders, guide outfitters, and independent power producers), local and regional governments, and government regulatory agencies.

Ascot is committed to meaningful, timely and transparent engagement and consultation with the NLG, community members, stakeholders and the public. Ascot will maintain this commitment throughout the proposed development, construction, operation and closure of the Project.

Project Opportunities and Value Enhancements

The Study focused on existing indicated mineral resources and utilized proven conventional mining and processing methods. The Study did not consider potential alternatives or additional resources to improve value. During the course of study, a number of value enhancements to the project were identified, including:

Reducing mining dilution and development by undertaking further studies and testing of an emerging mining method called the shallow angle mining system ( SAMS ) which is currently being tested by its developer Minrail at Eldorado Gold Corporations Lamaque Mine in Val Dor Quebec. SAMS is similar to Alimak mining but at a low angle, with a central drive and long holes drilling laterally, offering the potential to significantly reduce dilution, operating costs and mine capital development costs;



Conversion of inferred resources that could extend the mine life and increase throughput rates. The resource inventory of the Premier, Silver Coin and Big Missouri deposits currently contains 4.173Mt in the Inferred Category. Approximately 2.2Mt of inferred resources (approximately 53%) are located within 100 metres of existing or planned underground development. The Company will focus on converting these resources to the Indicated Category and make them available for conversion to reserves in future mine plans;



Completion of testwork opportunities to further optimize the reagent consumption rates over the processing cycle which could reduce processing costs;



Completion of value enhancement studies that will potentially lower the capital and operating costs particularly for the RMP ore that will be introduced in approximately year 3 of production.

Recommendations and Next Steps

Given the positive economics of the Project and potential for further value enhancements to the Project economics, the Company will continue to advance the Project towards development. Ascot will seek funding from capital sources for the construction and development of the Project over the coming months. In addition, the Company will do the following activities:

Continue working with NLG and Provincial regulators to promote a cooperative and mutually respectful relationship to advance the permit amendment applications for PGP;

Continue with the optimization of the project execution and construction schedule, including procurement and permitting;

Commencement of further detailed engineering and design activities to investigate value enhancements to the project noted above;

Continue additional drilling to advance the discovery and conversion of additional resources on the project sites.

Qualified Persons and NI 43-101 Disclosure

John Kiernan, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer of the Company is the Companys Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.

The NI 43-101 Feasibility Study Technical Report is being prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and will be filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR within 45 days of this press release. The Qualified Persons have reviewed and verified that the technical information in respect to the Feasibility Study in this press release is accurate and approve the written disclosure of such information.

The Qualified Persons who will prepare the Technical Report are:

Sacre Davey Engineering Inc. Frank Grills, P.Eng. Sacre Davey Engineering Inc. Shervin Teymouri, P.Eng. Sedgman Canada Ltd. Aleksandar Petrovic, P.Eng. SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. Soren Jensen, P.Eng. Knight Piesold Ltd. Jim Fogarty, P.Eng. McElhanney Ltd. Brendon Masson, P. Eng. Mine Paste Ltd. Frank Palkovits, P.Eng. Bird Resource Consulting Corp (BRCC) Susan Bird, P.Eng. ARSENEAU Consulting Services (ACS) Gilles Arseneau, P.Geo. Palmer Environmental Consulting Group Inc Rob Marsland, P. Eng

Company Webcast & Conference Call

Ascot will be hosting a webcast and teleconference on April 16th at 1:15 pm PT/4:15 pm ET. Ascots CEO, Derek White will be available to answer questions at the end of the call.

The webcast can be accessed through the Investor page of Ascots web site or by clicking on the following link: http://services.choruscall.ca/links/ascot20200415.html . The live call may be accessed by dialing 1-800-319-4610 for North American callers, or 1-604-638-5340 for International callers. Callers should dial in five to ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time, and ask to join the Ascot Resources Conference Call. The webcast will be available on demand at the same link for 3 months following the live event.

We look forward to providing you with a more comprehensive update at that time, including discussing the results of the Feasibility Study. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email Kristina Howe, our VP of Investor Relations.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

ASCOT RESOURCES LTD.

Derek C. White, President and CEO

For further information contact:

Kristina Howe

VP, Investor Relations

778-725-1060 / khowe@ascotgold.com

About Ascot Resources Ltd.

Ascot is a Canadian-based exploration and development company focused on re-starting the past producing historic Premier gold mine, located in British Columbia's Golden Triangle. The Company continues to define high-grade resources for underground mining with the near-term goal of converting the underground resources into reserves, while continuing to explore nearby targets on its Premier/Dilworth and Silver Coin properties (collectively referred to as the Premier Gold Project). Ascot's acquisition of IDM Mining added the high-grade gold and silver Red Mountain Project to its portfolio and positions the Company as a leading consolidator of high-quality assets in the Golden Triangle.

For more information about the Company, please refer to the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or visit the Companys web site at www.ascotgold.com , or for a virtual tour visit www.vrify.com under Ascot Resources.

The TSX Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements in respect of the closing of the Private Placement and the use of proceeds. Although Ascot believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Ascot can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Ascots periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators, and assumptions made with regard to: the estimated costs associated with construction of the Project; the timing of the anticipated start of production at the Projects; the ability to maintain throughput and production levels at the Premier Mill; the tax rate applicable to the Company; future commodity prices; the grade of Resources and Reserves; the ability of the Company to convert inferred resources to other categories; the ability of the Company to reduce mining dilution; the ability to reduce capital costs. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Ascots expectations include risks associated with the business of Ascot; risks related to exploration and potential development of Ascots projects; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and indigenous groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; risks associated with COVID-19 including adverse impacts on the world economy, construction timing and the availability of personnel; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in Ascots filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). The timing of future economic studies; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of Project as well as those factors discussed in the Annual Information Form of the Company dated March 13, 2020 in the section entitled "Risk Factors", under Ascots SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Ascot does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources

Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral resource estimates do not account for mineability, selectivity, mining loss and dilution. It is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration; however, there is no certainty that these inferred mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves, once economic considerations are applied. The mineral resource estimates referenced in this release use the terms "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources". While these terms are defined in and required by Canadian regulations (under NI 43-101), these terms are not recognized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. Ascot is not an SEC registered company.
The International Monetary Fund deserves credit for not holding back on highlighting the stunning 7 trillion loss of global output caused by Covid-19.

Given the technical challenges of a worldwide virtual meeting of 189 countries, managing director Kristalina Georgieva handled matters well.

Georgieva is an experienced public servant, having occupied top roles at the EU and World Bank. But she may lack the political guile of her predecessors, the disgraced Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was in charge during the Great Recession, or Christine Lagarde, who bailed out of the IMF for a central banking role in Frankfurt.

Not amused: Kristalina Georgieva is an experienced public servant, having occupied top roles at the EU and World Bank

Getting Americans to agree to anything at present is a nightmare with Donald Trump in the White House. Unimpressive and tainted by Beijing, the World Health Organisation has been hapless during the current pandemic. But it was not the right moment for the US to slash funding. Now the US is cutting up rough with the IMF.

It is refusing to repeat actions taken at the time of the Great Recession when shareholders agreed to print money by allowing the Fund to issue new special drawing rights (the IMF's own currency).

The principal reason for US dissent is that it does not want to see extra resources raised end up in the hands of China. Trump does not always oppose what the Bretton Woods institutions do. The US supported the last capital increase for the World Bank's lending arm to poor countries after former president Jim Yong Kim cultivated first daughter Ivanka Trump.

It is also clunky for Georgieva to draw the IMF back into the Brexit debate. Lagarde's comment that Brexit would be 'pretty bad, very bad' for Britain was partisan and damaged her independence. The IMF subsequently changed its views arguing that most of the economic damage done by the UK's June 2016 vote to the leave the EU had already been absorbed.

Georgieva scratched at an old wound when she told the BBC that the UK should seek an extension beyond the December 31 transition period for leaving the EU, making matters tougher for Britain in the age of coronavirus. What really damaged the UK's economy was three years of dither.

Georgieva's intervention shows political naivety and suggests she hasn't quite washed away her past as the EU vice-president for budget. Brussels gave the managing director her job and she doesn't seem to have forgotten.

Cheat sheet

Contrast the behaviour of activist investor Edward Bramson in his dealings with Barclays and Stelios Haji-Ioannou at Easyjet.

Bramson doesn't much like the way Barclays chief executive Jes Staley has been behaving, but accepts that the middle of a health emergency is not the right time to unsettle leadership at a major global bank.

As founder and biggest investor at Easyjet, Stelios shows no such restraint. The airline has unveiled a sensible strategy for survival in the age of coronavirus by securing funding which should see it safely through the year, reining back on expansion and setting out a social distancing strategy for when the lockdown eases.

This includes removing middle seats, a move which would feed straight through to lower profits unless the pricing model is tweaked. The Stelios response is to label chief executive Johan Lundgren and chairman John Barton scoundrels and demand their removal. His beef is that too much cash will flow to Airbus, flying half-empty planes will burn cash and the fleet of 337 Airbus planes is too large. Maybe.

But with costs suppressed by lower oil prices and a third (not one half) of seats empty, turning a profit, even if smaller than in the past, should be possible. Holding capacity steady  rather than cutting operations during a managed recovery  can hardly be considered deceptive or rash.

Post haste

Three Royal Mail workers sadly have succumbed to Covid-19 in the lockdown. The difference of circumstances for key postal workers and chief executive Rico Back, holed up in his luxury Swiss apartment, could not be more stark.

Chairman Keith Williams should immediately organise an airlift of Back from Zurich to London and order him to take a pay cut.
Im getting away from my usual column content about the stars to write about a subject closer to home.

With all the worry and concern for the residents of the U.S.A. regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, NASA is concentrating on preparations for astronauts and cosmonauts as they prepare for journeys to the international Space Station (ISS).

Three astronauts were supposed to be launched to the ISS last Thursday and they will not return to Earth for 6 months. Instead they will have a birds-eye view from outer space of the pandemic playing out some 250 miles beneath their feet.

All things considered, I feel certain there are innumerable people who will think that escaping Earth for 6 months sounds like a dream, but we must insure that those spacefarers must be vigilant to avoid bringing COVID-19 aboard the ISS with them.

Certainly the odds of that happening are low, but the consequences of an outbreak in outer space could have devastating consequences as you might imagine.

From what Ive read in the newspapers and seen on TV, medical supplies for the treatment and care of COVID-19 patients is seriously limited in some areas. Medical supplies are extremely limited on the ISS and, should an emergency arise, the trip home could be both risky and tricky to say the least.

Both American and Russian space agencies have stepped up their preventative measures to protect U.S. astronaut, Chris Cassidy and cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.

In a news release I received, these 3 crewmembers will be ready to greet 2 more astronauts, Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken, who are scheduled to fly to the ISS aboard SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule in May. Whats unique about this particular mission is that the 2 astronauts will be the first humans to ride a private spacecraft into orbit. Pending that launch, both astronauts are trying to limit their exposure to the Coronavirus.

. It goes without saying but the sending of humans into orbit is challenging enough under normal circumstances, but its harder still during a pandemic.

NASA announced that the Coronavirus concerns have already had an impact on space flight and space science. Several employees at NASA facilities have tested positive for COVID-19 and, as a result, the space agency has stepped up its response, implementing additional cleaning and social distancing measures.

In an attempt to stop ALL diseases  including COVID-19, from spreading in space, NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, keep astronauts in quarantine for weeks before a flight. They will also complete a detailed inspection and disinfection of cargo bags.

I was surprised to read that the quarantine precautions are not new to NASA and that Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins lived in a Mobile Quarantine Facility  actually a converted Airstream trailer  for weeks after Apollo 11 returned from the moon. However that particular quarantine wasnt so much about protecting the astronauts as it was about NASAs desire to avoid bringing uninvited lunar microorganisms back to Earth.

. Beyond keeping astronauts in quarantine longer, NASA and Roscosmos are also taking other steps to reduce the number of potentially harmful microorganisms reaching the ISS next month.

The technical support staff will wear protective gear and gloves as they handle cargo and help prepare the crew and capsule for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in southern Kazakhstan.

Added to these extra precautions, the staff is even being kept in quarantine themselves, something typically not done. NASA says the preventative measures have been reviewed and approved by the space agencys doctors and theyre being stringently followed by the team in charge of implementing them.
Olori Badirat Ajoke, wife of the Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has reacted to the rumours of an extra-marital affair with Fuji musician,...

Olori Badirat Ajoke, wife of the Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has reacted to the rumours of an extra-marital affair with Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal.

The news came just months after her husband installed KWAM 1 as the Mayegun of Yorubaland.

A report had surfaced that she was sent packing from the palace after an affair with KWAM 1 was discovered by the monarch Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

And she swore by all the Yoruba gods and the orishas of the Alaafins palace.

She asked the gods to punish her if she ever had any affair with Wasiu.

She said the rumour mongers, which include Instablog and Chirp Television, had published all manners of falsehood about her in the past.

According to our source, Queen Ajoke has indeed left the palace on her own volition and it was over a totally different issue.





The source alleged that: Badirah was looking for freedom as it wasnt rosy in the palace. She was only making money from people that give the queens money whenever they needed access to the king.





She and her bestie - who is also Alaafins wife - Queen Omoh, recently had issues which later became messy. Badirah knew she was in trouble when the king recently went on a medical trip and took all his young queens except her.





She wanted to leave while he was away but he had instructed the palace guards and senior queens not to allow her leave. She was also stopped from representing the king at certain events. .

She has been packing her belongings in bits out of the palace without anyone knowing. The day she finally left, the Alaafin had requested that no one should entertain visitors during the lockdown but queen Badirah invited one of her friends and hid her in the palace.





The king found out and asked her to tell her friend to leave or he would ask both of them to leave. That was the golden opportunity she was waiting for, so she packed her remaining items and left the palace with her friend.





Currently, the palace is filled with tension as the king has sent words to her father, informing him that his daughter has left the palace and he has no idea of her whereabouts. The Queen has also removed all references to the palace from her IG bio.





Also, Fuji Icon, Wasiu Ayinde prominently called KWAM 1 has responded to the rumours that hes having an extramarital affair with the youngest Queen of Alaafin of Oyo, Queen Badirat.
bioMerieux fully mobilized against COVID-19 epidemic

Organic growth of more than 20% at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation over the first quarter: 769 million in sales Up 21.5% as reported



Sharp sales increase for molecular biology product lines, driven by exceptional demand for respiratory tests

Negative impact expected from the slowdown in routine laboratory business, but only minor effects observed so far

2020 objectives withdrawn due to a lack of visibility on all the consequences of the global health crisis

Regulatory News:

bioMerieux (Paris:BIM):

Alexandre Merieux, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: "In this unprecedented health crisis, the in vitro diagnostics industry is playing a crucial role in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Since January, bioMerieux has been working hard to develop SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic solutions for health professionals. Some of the solutions are already available to laboratories, while others will round them out soon. Our teams have shown unwavering commitment to developing, manufacturing and delivering our diagnostic solutions and supporting our customers. Given the unprecedented and rapidly evolving nature of the crisis, we have withdrawn our objectives until we have better visibility.

bioMerieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today released its business review for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

SALES

Consolidated sales totaled 769 million for the first quarter of 2020, up 21.5% from 632 million in the year-earlier period. Organic growth (at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation) was 20.8%, driven by unprecedented demand for the molecular biology tests needed in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. The first adverse impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic on sales performance were reported in the final weeks of the quarter, notably in immunoassays, and are expected to grow over the following months. The currency effect was slightly positive, adding around 1 point of additional growth, mainly due to the appreciation of the US dollar against the euro.

Analysis of sales In millions SALES THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2019 632 Currency effect +7 +1.1% Changes in scope of consolidation(1) -2 -0.3% Organic growth (at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation) +131 +20.8% SALES THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2020 769 +21.5%

(1) Disposal of businesses in Australia and acquisition of Invisible Sentinel on February 7, 2019.

ANALYSIS OF SALES BY APPLICATION

Sales by Application In millions Q1

2020 Q1

2019 change

as reported % change

at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation Clinical Applications 655.8 525.9 +24.7% +23.3% Microbiology 251.6 235.9 +6.7% +6.3% Immunoassays 98.8 109.1 -9.4% -9.9% Molecular biology 293.2 172.8 +69.7% +66.9% Other lines(1) 12.2 8.1 +50.6% +43.8% Industrial Applications 113.0 106.6 +6.0% +7.9% TOTAL SALES 768.8 632.5 +21.5% +20.8%

(1) Including Applied Maths and BioFire Defense.

Clinical application sales, which accounted for approximately 85% of bioMerieux's consolidated total, rose by 23.3% year-on-year to 656 million for the first quarter of 2020.

In microbiology , growth in the first quarter was robust, driven by higher reagent sales for the main product lines, including VITEK and BACT/ALERT , and a good sales performance of instruments dedicated to microbiology lab automation.

, growth in the first quarter was robust, driven by higher reagent sales for the main product lines, including VITEK and BACT/ALERT , and a good sales performance of instruments dedicated to microbiology lab automation. In immunoassays , sales declined in the first quarter, primarily due to a slowdown in reagent sales in China, the Middle East and Europe. The VIDAS and HYBIOME product lines, which are the most exposed to the lower demand for routine and non-respiratory-related emergency tests observed in the current health crisis, reported significant decreases.

, sales declined in the first quarter, primarily due to a slowdown in reagent sales in China, the Middle East and Europe. The VIDAS and HYBIOME product lines, which are the most exposed to the lower demand for routine and non-respiratory-related emergency tests observed in the current health crisis, reported significant decreases. In molecular biology, the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY product line recorded growth of 67% for the first three months of the year, led by exceptionally high use of Respiratory panels and the Pneumonia panel against the backdrop of the COVID-19 epidemic. The increase in the installed based was also atypical, with more than 1,400 new systems installed during the quarter, bringing the total installed base to around 11,900 units. In addition, growth in molecular biology was fueled by abnormally high demand for DNA/RNA extraction instruments and reagents. The new tests developed specifically to detect SARS-CoV-2 did not generate any sales for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Industrial application sales, which represented around 15% of the consolidated total, increased by 7.9% year-on-year to 113 million for the first three months of 2020. Growth was primarily driven by advances in microbiology reagents for pharmaceutical industry clients and in microbiology and molecular biology solutions for agri-food applications.

ANALYSIS OF SALES BY REGION

Sales by Region In millions Q1

2020 Q1

2019 change

as reported % change

at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation Americas 397.7 296.8 +34.0% +32.2% North America 358.2 262.1 +36.7% +33.0% Latin America 39.5 34.7 +13.7% +26.7% Europe(1) 247.7 223.5 +10.8% +10.7% Asia Pacific 123.4 112.2 +10.0% +10.5% TOTAL SALES 768.8 632.5 +21.5% +20.8%

(1) Including the Middle East and Africa.

Sales in the Americas (52% of the consolidated total) reached 398 million in the first quarter, an increase of 32% on the year-ago period.

In North America (47% of the consolidated total), growth in the quarter was mainly driven by increased use of the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY panels to rule out other possible causes of respiratory infections than SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, microbiology sales benefitted from invoicing of installations of microbiology lab automation systems. In immunoassays, prices continued to erode for procalcitonin assays, in line with 2019 trends.

(47% of the consolidated total), growth in the quarter was mainly driven by increased use of the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY panels to rule out other possible causes of respiratory infections than SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, microbiology sales benefitted from invoicing of installations of microbiology lab automation systems. In immunoassays, prices continued to erode for procalcitonin assays, in line with 2019 trends. In Latin America, quarterly organic sales growth was robust, led by good momentum in molecular biology and price increases to offset devaluations of local currencies.

Sales in the Europe Middle East Africa region (32% of the consolidated total) came to 248 million in the first three months, up 10.7% year-on-year.

In Europe (30% of the consolidated total), particularly rapid sales growth was reported across all countries, fueled by strong business in molecular biology. Aside from this exceptional performance, growth in microbiology and industrial applications remained solid in line with previous years, while sales of immunoassays continued to decline.

(30% of the consolidated total), particularly rapid sales growth was reported across all countries, fueled by strong business in molecular biology. Aside from this exceptional performance, growth in microbiology and industrial applications remained solid in line with previous years, while sales of immunoassays continued to decline. In the Russia Middle East Africa region, sales growth was modest, with a slowdown in immunoassays in certain countries but double-digit growth in microbiology and molecular biology.

Sales in the Asia Pacific region (16% of the consolidated total) came to 123 million in the first quarter of 2020, up 10.5% compared with the same period of 2019. Growth was steady in China during the quarter, but the first impacts of the health crisis were visible in March, notably on sales of HYBIOME, whose menu comprises mainly routine tests.

EVENTS OF FIRST-QUARTER 2020 AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Launch of tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2

In March 2020, bioMerieux announced the launch of several tests developed specifically to detect SARS-CoV-2.

Part of the ARGENE range, the SARS-COV-2 R-GENE test is a real-time PCR test that runs on open platforms and has been validated by the French Reference Center dedicated to viral respiratory diseases. It is produced and available in France. Since April 10, the SARS-COV-2 R-GENE test has been CE-marked and is therefore available in Europe and in the countries that recognize CE marking. It is expected to be rapidly submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

The BIOFIRE COVID-19 test has received an EUA from the FDA late march. Developed by BioFire Defense, the BIOFIRE COVID-19 test detects SARS-CoV-2 in approximately 45 minutes from a nasopharyngeal swab. It runs on the fully automated FILMARRAY 2.0 and FILMARRAY TORCH platforms.

bioMerieux is also developing an expanded version of its BIOFIRE FILMARRAY Respiratory Panel 2 (RP2): the BIOFIRE RP2.1. This new panel will include SARS-CoV-2 in addition to the other 21 common respiratory pathogens already detected and will deliver results in approximately 45 minutes. It will also be available on the FILMARRAY 2.0 and FILMARRAY TORCH platforms. The test is expected to be submitted to the FDA for an EUA in the coming weeks.

Furthermore, bioMerieux initiated R&D works to develop serology tests to detect immune response to this new coronavirus infections.

FDA 510(k) clearance and CE marking of the BIOFIRE BCID2 panel

bioMerieux received, respectively in March and in April, US FDA 510(k) clearance and CE mark certification of the BIOFIRE Blood Culture Identification 2 (BCID2) Panel.

The new BIOFIRE BCID2 Panel includes 26 bacteria, 7 yeasts, and 10 antimicrobial resistance genes, including emerging pathogens, such as Candida auris, and new targets to more accurately identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other antibiotic resistant organisms. Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment of sepsis and bloodstream infections play a key role in managing critically ill patients, like those with COVID-19 who develop secondary infections. Results for the BIOFIRE BCID2 Panel are available in approximately 1 hour on both the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY 2.0 and BIOFIREFILMARRAY TORCH systems.

bioMerieux anticipates the BIOFIREBCID2 Panel will be commercially available in June 2020.

2020 OBJECTIVES

bioMerieux is announcing the withdrawal of its 2020 objectives published on February 26, 2020 which, as stated, reflected "uncertainties surrounding the development of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, as estimated as of the date of this communication, in particular its potential impact on the Chinese economy in the first half".

Given the deterioration in the global health and economic environment amid the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 across the world, bioMerieux does not have sufficient visibility at the date of this publication to set new objectives for 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, use of respiratory molecular tests is much higher than normal, but the number of patients seeking consultations for other reasons has also dropped substantially, which will weigh on immunoassay and microbiology product lines.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND DIVIDEND

As announced on April 9, 2020, due to the unprecedented circumstances linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of bioMerieux has decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting initially scheduled for May 19, 2020 to June 30, 2020.

Furthermore, the Board of Directors has decided to postpone the decision related to the distribution of dividends, which was previously announced on February 26, 2020.

INVESTOR CALL

bioMerieux will hold an investor call on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 3:00 pm Paris time (GMT+1). The call will be conducted in English and will be accessible via telephone only.

France Europe United States +33 (0)1 76 77 22 57 +44 (0)330 336 9411 +1 323 794 2597 Access code: 675 6483

INVESTOR CALENDAR

Annual General Meeting June 30, 2020 Second-quarter 2020 sales and first-half 2020 results September 2, 2020

Notes and definitions

The above forward-looking statements are based, entirely or partially, on assessments or judgments that may change or be modified, due to uncertainties and risks related to the Company's economic, financial, regulatory and competitive environment, notably those described in the 2019 Universal Registration Document. Accordingly, the Company cannot give any assurance nor make any representation as to whether the objectives will be met. The Company does not undertake to update or otherwise revise any forecasts or objectives presented herein, except in compliance with the disclosure obligations applicable to companies whose shares are listed on a stock exchange.

Currency effect: this is established by converting actual numbers at the average rates of year y-1. In practice, those rates are either average rates communicated by the ECB, or hedged rates if hedging instruments have been set up.

Changes in scope of consolidation: these are determined:

for acquisitions in the period, by deducting from sales for the period the amount of sales generated during the period by acquired entities as from the date they entered the consolidated reporting scope;

- for acquisitions in the previous period, by deducting from sales for the period the amount of sales generated in the months in the previous period during which the acquired entities were not consolidated;

- for disposals in the period, by adding to sales for the period the amount of sales generated by entities sold during the previous period in the months of the current period during which these entities were no longer consolidated;

- for disposals in the previous period, by adding to sales for the period the amount of sales generated during the previous period by the entities sold.

ABOUT BIOMERIEUX

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 55 years, bioMerieux is present in 44 countries and serves more than 160 countries with the support of a large network of distributors. In 2019, revenues reached 2.7 billion, with over 90% of sales outside of France.

bioMerieux provides diagnostic solutions (systems, reagents, software and services) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are mainly used for diagnosing infectious diseases. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMerieux is listed on the Euronext Paris stock market. Symbol: BIM ISIN Code: FR0013280286 Reuters: BIOX.PA/Bloomberg: BIM.FP

Corporate website: www.biomerieux.com

Note: Unless otherwise stated, growth is expressed year-on-year at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation (like-for-like). p.

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Contacts:

Investor Relations

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investor.relations@biomerieux.com

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